Tag Archives: Jacqueline Grace Lopez

September 13, 2024 – Mac Makes an Arrest, No Return (Yet), Explanation, Salty Talk, A Share, Along Soon, Grotesque Premiere, New Lot, First Treats, A Joke, Newsworthy Faunae, VIII Quotes & Early

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Mac and Felicia kiss outside the boathouse, and Felicia looks at Mac. He asks if there’s something on his face, and she says, on his face and all around him. He’s glowing. Everything about him radiates happiness. He asks if that’s what this feeling is, and she says, yes, and he’d better get used to it because it’s all smooth sailing from here. He says he’s not sure about that, and she asks if that’s pessimism she hears. He says, it’s hard not to feel that way with everything that just happened, and she asks what he’s talking about. He asks if she didn’t catch the stink lines radiating from Tracy Quartermaine a few minutes ago.

Brook brings Lois some water and asks if she’s all right. Lois asks if she’s serious. She and Chase are going to make her a Nona? Tracy walks in and says, this house is going completely downhill. Entitled cooks, babies that cry all night, interloping hoi polio that move in and never leave, and now we can add liar to the list. Brook says, someone lied to her? and Lois says, let her guess. Michael… Drew… Ned. Tracy says, no. Of course (🍷) it wouldn’t be surprising if any of them were lying, but this time the person is Violet.

On the phone, Carly asks what Jack has got for her, and he says he loves a woman who skips the small talk and gets right down to business. She says, Lulu’s life is on the line, so there’s no time to waste, and he hangs up the phone. Carly tells Jason, he hung up on her.

Anna walks into Jack’s office, and he says he’s going to need a new assistant if this one keeps letting her in here. She says, if he thinks any assistant is going to stop her, then he’s woefully underqualified for this job. Who chooses her town, or is he just passing through?

Kristina goes to Michael’s office, and he asks how she’s doing. She says her mom is being targeted for murder, so not great, and he says he knows it’s not easy, but it’s important she let the investigation run its course. She says, if he’s asking her to trust that the police are going to clear her mom as a suspect, she can’t do that, and he says, if she’s thinking of going to the cops… She says she has to. She’s the one who got her mom into this mess. He says, if she tells the police the truth about the night Cates was murdered, it’s just going to put her in their crosshairs, and she says, if it gets her mother out of their crosshairs, it’s worth it. He says, it could make things worse. Chase could think she and her mother were both involved in this. She says, but that’s not true, and he says, if they think it is, she could get charged with murder and her mother as an accessory. She asks what she’s supposed to do, and he says, there’s a way to keep her out of trouble and her mom from getting in any more of it.

Alexis lets Sonny in and he says he would have come sooner, but it’s been a busy couple of days. She says she’s been busy herself, trying to keep their daughter out of jail, while being treated like a criminal herself. He says he’s sorry she’s in that position, and she says she can handle herself. Right now, they have a much bigger problem. He says, Kristina, and she says, how are they going to keep their daughter from being charged with a murder they both know she didn’t commit?

Kristina asks what Michael is thinking, and he says, her mother has an uphill battle. Kristina says, because of her criminal history? and he says, and all the evidence against her. And she threatened Cates in a room full of cops. She was in possession of a weapon which she got caught disposing of and she doesn’t have an alibi. Kristina says she already knows how bad it is, and he says, more important, Cates is a federal agent, so there’s going to be a lot of pressure to make an arrest and convict the killer. She says, it really doesn’t sound like he has a plan, and he says, they may not be able to detract from the case with Alexis, but they may be able to deliver them a stronger one against someone else. She asks if he has someone in mind.

Sonny says he gets why Alexis is worked up, and she says she has every reason to be worked up. He may be used to being interrogated… He says, and she’s not? and she says, he’s the career criminal. He says, and she’s only an incidental one? and she says, them swiping at each other isn’t going to do them any good. He says, do him one favor. Hold her judgement for their daughter’s sake until he’s gone. She says, okay. Maybe he could do her a favor than and own up to his role in all of this. He asks if she doesn’t think he knows this is all because of him, Jagger holding a grudge for over 30 years, using their daughter to try and get his revenge. She says she was referring to more recent events at the Quartermaines, and he says, Jagger is dead. So is Jagger’s vendetta against him and his family. He wants to put all of this behind them. Does Alexis know what she was doing that night? Alexis says, Kristina was here with her until she left to steal a gun from him.

Brook tells Tracy that she’s never known Violet to lie. But if she’s telling a fib here and there, it’s completely understandable. Especially after everything she’s been through. Tracy says, if they let her get away with this, who knows what’s next? Brook says she hardly thinks Violet telling a fib here and there is going to set her on a path to a life of crime, and Lois says, no, but maybe they want to think about getting her a therapist. Brook says, of course (🍷) she’s happy to get Violet whatever she needs, but first, she’d like to hear the whole story. What did Violet lie about that’s got Tracy so upset? Tracy says, she’s going around telling everybody that Brook and Chase are having a baby, and Brook looks at Lois. Tracy says, oh my God. Tell her that it’s a lie. Or at least a misunderstanding. Brook says she and Chase aren’t having a baby, but she is thinking about it.

Felicia says, Tracy was in a bad mood today, and Mac says, Tracy’s been condescending to her employees for decades now, but today was ridiculous. Sasha’s not allowed to have friends here? She lives here. Felicia says, so does Cody, but she didn’t go after him, and Mac says, it’s only a matter of time. She says, Tracy generally applies the same amount of spite to everyone. Cody just seems to get off easy. Maybe there’s a reason Tracy doesn’t go after Cody. He asks if she’s saying she thinks Tracy is interested in Cody.

On the phone, Carly says she doesn’t care. She needs to talk to him… Okay. Please tell him to call her. She tells Jason that his assistant keeps telling her that Jack can’t come to the phone right now, and he says, Brennan will call her when he has something to tell her. They walk out of the elevator, and she says, why should they wait for him when they can tap into the resource they have right here? She leads Jason into Isaiah’s room and says, Isaiah Gannon, this is Jason Morgan. She believes they already met on the shoulder of Route 41.

Jack says he thought Port Charles would be big enough for both of them, and Anna says, it can be. On her terms. He says, which are? and she says, when she requires something from him, he delivers. He laughs and says he doesn’t work for her, and she says, he does know the WSB rents this building from the City of Port Charles. If he makes things difficult for her, maybe these premises just won’t be up to code. He says he sees they’ve moved on to the threats portion of this conversation. Just curious. How does it feel to be a big fish in a little pond? She says she likes it. How is it going to feel for him when he has to inform his boss that he’s been run out of town? He asks what she wants, and she says she wants Lucky’s location, and he’s had plenty of time since last night to find it. He asks what makes her think he even kept looking, much less found anything? and she says, because she’s learned that if she does actually require something from him, her best chance is to request it from Carly Spencer, because he seems to be very eager to do whatever it takes to make her happy. He tells her, Sidwell was headed northeast, the Puntland, and holds up a paper. He has a secondary operation there. She reaches for the paper, but he snatches it away and says, does she know he could report her for going rogue?

Isaiah says he hears he should be grateful to Jason for helping him. Is he a cop or something? Jason says, just a coffee importer, and Isaiah says, interesting career choice. Jason says, and a friend to Lucky, and Isaiah says, they have that in common. He just wishes he could have helped his buddy. If he hadn’t gotten hit by that car, someone could have gotten to him sooner. Carly says, they haven’t given up. They’re working hard to find Lucky’s location. Jason says, once they have that, he’s going there to bring Lucky home. Isaiah says, by himself? Jason nods, and Isaiah says, Sidwell’s surrounded by guards. It’ll take more than just some coffee importer to get him out. He’s coming with Jason.

Anna asks if Jack is threatening her. She actually might like that. He says, not threatening, warning. She’s no longer a WSB agent. She says, this isn’t a Bureau operation. This is off the books. She’s acting independently of any agency. He says, which also means she doesn’t have any support or backup, and she says she can handle this herself. He says, Jenz Sidwell is more dangerous than she realizes. He doesn’t care who he hurts or kills in the process of getting what he wants. She asks if he’s pretending that he cares about her, and he says he mostly cares about the potential of her little quest to blow back on him. She’s going into danger with Bureau intelligence, alone. She says, then give her a team that she can take with her, but he says, she knows he can’t do that. She says, then give her the one thing he can, which is give her Lucky’s location, and he says, only if she tells him why this Lucky character is worth risking her neck. Even worse, she owes him a favor.

Felicia says she wasn’t implying Tracy is interested in Cody romantically, and Mac says, good. He didn’t gain a son only to watch Cruella de Quartermaine turn him in to a saddle. She says, Tracy considers Cody a friend, one that she cares about very deeply. Tracy has lost so many people over the years. Her parents, Luke, and now recently Gregory. Tracy must be very lonely. He says, she lives in a house full of people, and she says, but Cody’s different. He’s nice to her. He’s sweet and he’s uncomplicated. He says, she makes him sound like a Golden Retriever, and she says, put himself in Tracy’s shoes. She comes to the stables to talk to Cody, a man who may be her only real friend, only to find his attention is completely taken up by his new family and a beautiful young woman who is just as smitten with him as he is with her. He asks if she’s saying she thinks Tracy is jealous, and she says, absolutely. Don’t let Tracy get to him. He says he won’t. Because he’s going to find Cody a new job and a new place to live far away from Tracy. (I’m thinking he might want to consult with Cody first.)

Alexis tells Sonny that she was absolutely frantic when she came out and saw Kristina had left with her car. And when she came back, Kristina was all wet. Sonny says, where did she say she’d been? and Alexis tells him, she said she’d been to his house and then to the baby’s grave. He says, she told him about the gun. She didn’t say anything about the grave. Alexis says, he knows their daughter is suffering right now from severe postpartum trauma, along with everything else that has happened. He says, she needs help. Does Alexis think they should admit her to a facility? She says she doesn’t know what she thinks or what’s best for Kristina right now. All she could think of were the implications of Kristina being in possession of a loaded weapon. He says, she was right to worry, and she says, it’s a violation of bail, and if it weren’t enough that she was afraid Kristina might shoot somebody, she was worried Kristina might hurt herself. He says, Kristina assured him she wouldn’t do that, and she says, given Kristina’s state of mind, she had no choice but to get rid of the gun, did she? He says, Kristina told him. Diane told him. Unfortunately, there’s witnesses. She says she knows. Ric and Elizabeth just happened to be strolling by just in time to watch her toss the gun off the bridge into the river. What she didn’t know at the time was John Cates had just been murdered and the police were off looking for the 9 millimeter gun that killed him, which is the same kind of gun they witnessed her getting rid of.

Michael says he did some digging into Cates’s past, and he made a lot of enemies when he was a Fed. Criminals who might be willing to place themselves at the scene of the crime for the right incentive. Kristina says, he wants to pay someone to take the fall for this? and he says he wants to ensure that she doesn’t take responsibility for a crime she didn’t commit. She says she’s surprised he’s telling her all this, and he says, she should know. It’s her life and her decision, but more importantly, she should know that this plan is pointless if she speaks up in Alexis’s defense. She says, oddly comforting how well he knows her, and he says, she’s his sister. Her phone rings, and it’s Chase. He asks if it would be possible for her to meet him at the station. She asks if this is about the federal charges, and he says he has a few questions he needs to ask her. She says she’s in the middle of something right now and isn’t able to get down there, but he says, this isn’t a request.

Sonny wonders why Alexis wouldn’t want Kristina admitted to a facility, and she says, because she asked Kristina, and she seemed shocked. So she genuinely thinks it didn’t occur to her. He says he feels the same way, but that means she wanted to use the gun on someone else. She says, what a comforting thought, and he says, the good thing is, now they don’t have to think she’s going to harm herself. She says, so now what do they have? Kristina took the gun from his place, she got rid of it, and now the police have come looking for her. He asks what she told them, and she says, why? What is he worried about? Is he worried she’s going to incriminate Kristina or him?

Kristina and Michael go into the interrogation room, and Chase tells Kristina to have a seat. He’s not sure why Michael is here. Michael says, they couldn’t get in touch with Diane. He’s sure his presence here won’t be a problem. Right, friend? Chase says he’s just doing his job, and Michael says he’s just a brother looking out for his sibling. He’s sure Chase can relate. Chase says, they need to discuss Kristina’s whereabouts the night Agent Cates was murdered. Michael asks if she’s a suspect, and Chase says he’s letting Michael stay while he questions Kristina. In return, he expects Michael’s silence. Kristina says, it’s fine. She was at her mom’s house that night. Chase says, the whole night? and she says, from the time her mom and Sam picked her up from the station until the next morning. He says, she never left at all? and she says she did leave for about half an hour. He asks where she went, and she says, to her daughter’s grave. He asks if she was alone, and she says, yes. He asks if there was anyone there who can corroborate that, and Michael says, in the cemetery in the middle of the night? Chase says, let Kristina answer, and Michael says, Kristina’s done talking. He tells Kristina, come on, and tells Chase, if he has to ask Kristina anything else, call her lawyer. Chase says he will, and they leave.

Felicia says she knows this is hard for Mac, but sometimes doing nothing is the best way to handle things. His phone rings and he says, it’s the station. He answers, then says, yeah, okay. Thanks for letting him know. He’ll take care of it himself. Felicia asks if something is wrong, and he says, some new evidence came in about John Cates murder. Enough to make an arrest.

Brook says she knows what’s going on here. Violet brought up the subject of having kids to her and Chase, and they told her that they definitely want them. Tracy says, great. They’re going to be perfect parents in ten years. Lois says, Tracy… and Tracy says, well, definitely not now. Their marriage is only months old, and Chase isn’t going to give up his dangerous and grossly underpaid line of work, and they have Violet to take care of. Their hands are full. Brook says, true, but they’re not waiting ten years, and Tracy asks if she’s crazy. She’s too young to have children. Brook says she’s not that young and the longer they wait, the harder it could be. Tracy says, she has access to the best fertility treatments there are, so she can definitely put breeding on hold for a while. Lois says, breeding? and Tracy says, Deception can’t take Brook’s absence. They have a snake for a CFO, a mobster for an investor, and a fool for a founder. The company needs her. She needs her. Lois says, news flash. Not everything is about her, especially Brook’s family planning.

Anna asks why her interest in Lucky even matters to Jack, and he says, because she’s asking for his help. And she’s as determined as he’s ever seen her to get. If she doesn’t want to share, there’s the door. She says, he knows who Lucky’s father was, and he says, Luke Spencer. She says, then he must know how much Luke did for the WSB over the years, and he asks if she’s rescuing Lucky to pay off some imaginary debt the WSB owes his father. She says, no. She’s doing this for Luke. They were friends for many years. He says, special friends, and she says, if Robin had ever been in any kind of trouble, there’s nothing Luke wouldn’t have done to bring her home safely. He looked out for her. So she doesn’t know about Jack, but she pays her debts. (Is she a Lannister?) He says he’ll remember that when it comes time for him to collect, she takes the paper out of his hand, and leaves.

Isaiah tries to get up and groans. Jason says, he’s not going anywhere, and Isaiah says, neither should Jason. Jenz Sidwell is a dangerous man. Carly says, Jason can take care of himself, but Isaiah says, it’s Lucky he’s worried about. Sidwell is smart. He’s always got guards around him. Jason says he figured, but thanks Isaiah for the heads up. Isaiah says, it’s going to take more than a lone wolf. It’s going to take a government agency. Carly says, the WSB seems to be dragging their heels. They’re not sure if the WSB is even going to get involved in this. Jason says, either way, he’s going, and Isaiah is in no condition to join him. Does he have any insights he can share? Are there any weaknesses in Sidwell’s security? Isaiah says, none that he knows of, and Jason says, all he needs is a single vulnerability, something that will give him a tactical advantage. Isaiah says, there’s only one. Sidwell’s girlfriend.

Back at Michael’s office, Kristina says she guesses it’s official. She’s a suspect in John Cates’s murder. Michael says, she’s a person of interest, and she says, Chase wanted her exact timeline (receipts, proof, and screenshots!) for the entire night. He says, it’s a good thing she told him the truth, so it can’t come back to hurt her. She can’t afford to be caught in any lies right now. She says she doesn’t understand how he knew she left the house, and he asks if she’s sure no one saw her at the cemetery. She says, it was dark and deserted. She thinks if someone were there, she would have seen them. He says, there must have been some other way. Who knew she went out that night? She says, just her mom and Sam, but they never would have told Chase, and he says, maybe someone overheard them talking about her going out, but she says, no. That’s impossible. They never even left the house. When she walked in, they were still calling around. He says, they called him and presumably dad. Who else did they call? She says, Molly. They called Molly.

Sonny tells Alexis, you know what? She can say anything she wants about him. She can tell anybody who will listen her theory on what happened to Jagger that night. Bring it on. She says, then step forward and tell the truth that he killed Cates, and he says he doesn’t know what she’s talking about. She says, he hated Cates. He was at the Quartermaines at the time Cates was killed. He had motive and opportunity. He says he was there, but he wasn’t alone, and she says, he means to tell her that Lois is covering for him? He dragged her into it? Or even worse, he dragged Michael into his mess. He says, Carly was with him, and she says, really. Carly is his alibi? He says, they were at the Quartermaines. They all saw him and Carly together, in particular, Tracy Quartermaine. She says, just weeks ago, Carly nearly went to prison for him, yet she’ll cover for him murdering an FBI agent. Talk about symbiotic. He says, they’ve always had a special bond and they’ve always been close. Then they got together… She says, stop. It’s horrible enough that Carly would be an alibi for him, but the fact that they would do it again after everything Sonny’s done to her… He says his time was accounted for. Why is that so hard for her to accept? She says, because if he’s telling the truth and he’s innocent, he wouldn’t need Diane and Diane would be free to defend her, which she isn’t because she’s busy defending him.

Anna lets Felicia into her apartment and thanks her for coming so quickly. Felicia says, it sounded like it was urgent, and Anna says, it is. She’ll fill Felicia in on all that in a minute. She wanted to find out how Mac is doing. Felicia says, he and Cody are getting along really well. He and Tracy Quartermaine, that’s a different story. She’ll fill Anna in later on that, but here’s her anti-malaria tablets that she requested. She hands Anna a bottle, and Anna thanks her. She says she didn’t have time to put in for a prescription, and takes one. Felicia says she can thank Frisco. If he hadn’t asked Mac for help last year, then she and Mac would have gone to Africa, and she would have taken the pills herself. She just hopes they’re still affective. Anna says she’s sure they’re fine. They have a very long shelf life. Felicia says, and Anna is hoping to get this through TSA? and picks up a machete. Anna says, no. She’ll check that. Felicia asks why she’d need that for a safari, and Anna says, it’s not really a safari. It’s more of a hunt. Felicia says she loves animals too much to help Anna… Anna says, not that kind of a hunt. She’s looking for someone. Felicia says, someone she knows? and Anna says, Lucky Spencer. Lulu’s in so much trouble and Lucky’s in trouble too. She’s hoping that she’s going to track him down and bring him home. Felicia says, not alone she’s not. She’s coming with Anna.

Isaiah says, Sidwell’s girlfriend is the one person he trusts, so she’s Jason’s best bet in trying to get to him. Jason asks what he knows about her, and Isaiah says, she’s beautiful, classy, and she’s got Sidwell wrapped around her little finger. She’s the one person he trusts. Jason says, so she’s his way into the camp, and Isaiah says, assuming she’ll help him. Sidwell provides her with a great life. She looks the other way from his crimes. Carly says, what’s her name? Maybe they can do a little research. Isaiah says, Sidwell calls her English, when there’s a knock at the door. Carly sees Jack through the window, and Jason thanks Isaiah and says, he’s been very helpful. Isaiah says, tell Lucky, he cheats at cards, and Carly says, he can tell Lucky himself when Jason brings him home. They leave and Isaiah smiles.

Tracy tells Lois, careful. Her Bensonhurst is showing. Her accent back, Lois says she doesn’t care. If Brook and Chase want to have a baby, they can have as many as they want, whenever they want. It’s not up to Tracy. It’s none of her business. Tracy asks Brook if this is about Deception. She knows things have been strained since they brought Sonny in, but she and Brook have been working really well together. Brook says, no. She loves her job, and she loves working with Tracy. But she can work and have a family. Back to her new accent, Lois says, of course (🍷) she can. Because it’s 2024 and women can do anything. Tracy tells Brook, that’s easy to say now, but things change when you have a child to take care of. Lois says, that’s for Brook to decide. Come on. Despite all her griping, Tracy is excited. She’s going to go bananas over her own great grandbaby. Chase walks in and says, what? Is Brook pregnant? Lois tells Tracy, let’s let the newlyweds talk, and leads her out of the room. Brook says she’s sorry Chase walked in on that. She didn’t want to start this conversation like that. He says he’s fine. Just tell him. Is she pregnant? She says, no, but maybe she’d like to be.

Sonny says, Alexis hasn’t been arrested or charged with anything. If that day comes, he’ll get her the best possible defense team. She says awesome. Because now she doesn’t have anything to worry about. He says, it’s the only thing they can do right now, and she says she wants to know what he’s going to do for Kristina because she doesn’t want to believe Kristina killed Cates. She wants to believe they raised their daughter better than either of them. He says, they have, and she says she guesses it doesn’t matter much what they think. What matters is what the police think. And if they find out she was gone that night and had a gun, Kristina will be as much of a suspect as she is. He says, that’s not going to happen because Kristina didn’t kill Jagger, and Alexis says, neither did she. He asks if she honestly thinks Anna isn’t going to have an airtight case. They’re talking about the death of an FBI agent. She doesn’t want to screw that up. Alexis says, they both know there are miscarriages of justice all the time. Kristina could very well be arrested for this, and if that happens, how far is he willing to go to save their daughter? He says he will not let Kristina take the fall for Jagger’s death, when there’s a knock at the door. She says, they’re not done with this discussion, and opens the door to Mac.

Kristina says she can’t believe Molly would do something like this, but Michael says, they don’t know Molly is to blame. She says, Molly is the only one who would have told Chase that she was out, and he says, she really thinks Molly would go this far. She tells him that he said it himself. She’s an ADA. She’s the best at her job. Molly hates her right now and blames her for Adela’s death. Molly is trying to get revenge on her for turning her in for something she didn’t even do. (Um… then she’s not the best at her job, is she?) He says, whether or not Molly talked to the police, it doesn’t matter. Because if that’s the only evidence she or anyone else has, it’s not much… Unless there’s something else she’s not telling him.  

Brook says she knows she and Chase have talked about having kids and that they both want them, and he says, absolutely. She’d be a great mom. Their future kids are so lucky. She says, and he’s going to be a great dad, but one thing they haven’t talked about is when they want to start trying. He says he just assumed she wanted to wait with Deception taking up so much of her time, and she says she assumed he wanted to wait because they’re taking care of Violet. He says, if she’s factoring in Violet, he’s pretty sure she’s all in about them having a baby. She can’t wait to be an older cousin. It sounds like Tracy’s the only one who’s going to be having a problem with this. She says, don’t worry about her grandmother. She can handle her, but she’s worried they won’t be able to handle a growing family while they’re taking care of Violet. He says he doesn’t think that will be a factor. Finn gets out of rehab in one month and the first thing he’s going to want to do is to take Violet home with him. The important question is will there be a recast, is she ready to start a family? She says she was going to ask him the same thing, and he says he loves her. He adores Violet and spending all this time with her, but he wants a child of their own. He was just waiting on her.

Jack tells Carly, Sidwell is running another wildcat mine. He’s probably holed up there, and it’s likely he’s holding Lucky there too. He’s sent Carly the coordinates. Carly says she’ll forward everything to Jason, and Jason says he’ll leave right away. She says, please be careful. If something happened to him, she’d never forgive herself. He says he’ll be fine. The important thing is to bring Lucky back to save Lulu. She thanks him and asks Jack if there’s anything else he can do to help Jason. He says, the political situation in Somali prevents the WSB from intervening in any way, but Jason says, it’s fine. He’ll do it on his own. Jack says, not necessarily.

Felicia says she doesn’t like the idea of Anna taking off on her own on some risky mission without any backup, and Anna says, the urgency of the matter demands immediate attention. If she has any hope in finding Lucky, she has to cut some corners. Felicia says, she doesn’t. She can come with Anna. Anna doesn’t know how good she is with a machete. Anna says she’s sure and thanks her for the offer. At any other time, she’d jump at the chance, but she’s hoping to hook up with Laura and Doc. She thinks more people are just going to attract attention, and Felicia knows as well as she does, that if she comes, Mac isn’t going to be far behind. Felicia says she wants to help Anna. Luke was her friend too. Anna says, that’s why she wants Felicia and Mac waiting for her in the wings just in case something goes wrong… which it won’t. She has everything under control. Anna picks up her gun, and Felicia looks alarmed. Anna says, Felicia knows what a cautious woman she is.

Lois and Tracy walk to the boathouse, and Lois says she can’t wait to be a grandmother. She was going to claim the title of Nona, but if it makes Tracy feel any better being a great grandmother, then it’s all hers. Tracy says, nothing is going to make her feel better about Brook having a baby so rapidly… Come on. Brook and Chase having a baby might be a done deal, but Lois doesn’t have to have that smug smile on her face. Lois says she’s not smiling because of a potential baby. She’s smiling because she spent years worrying about Tracy’s relationship with Brook. She really believed Tracy would treat her daughter like dirt, resent Brook because she’s hers. They all know how Tracy feels about her, but she was wrong. She can see how much Tracy adores Brook and how much Brook looks up to her. The two of them have a very special relationship. Tracy says, they disagree about everything, and Lois says, that’s because they care about each other, because they want the other person to be better. She knows Tracy has had a rough couple of years and she’s really grown to depend on Brook. She thinks Tracy is afraid if Brook starts a family, she’s going to lose that. But she won’t lose Lois’s daughter if she has a baby. It will only bring the two of them closer together. She promises. Tracy says she doesn’t do diapers, but Lois says she does.

Chase says he’s really glad he overheard Tracy throwing a fit. Otherwise, he doesn’t know how long it would have taken them to have this conversation. She says, at least they’re on the same page. When does he have to be back at the station? He says, about forty-five minutes, and she says, that’s plenty of time. They start kissing. (Hopefully, they move to their own room or Tracy will have another fit.)

On the phone, Carly leaves a message for Laura. She says she knows phone service is spotty, but when Laura gets this, please call her. They may have found a location on Lucky. Jason is on his way to find him. Please call her, day or night. Jack joins her and says, it’s an awful feeling, isn’t it? She says, what? and he says, sending someone off to risk their life while you stay behind. Don’t get him wrong. Watching and waiting from afar is safer physically, but it’s a special kind of hell. She says she wouldn’t have guessed he felt that way. Nothing seems to bother him. He says, now she knows better.

Anna is on the plane, and hears, the cabin doors are now closed. Their flight time to Nairobi will be eighteen hours and fifty-two minutes. She takes off her jacket and buckles her seatbelt. She closes her eyes, and Jason says, excuse me. She looks at him, and he says, she’s in his seat. She smiles.

Kristina says she’s not hiding anything, and Michael says, she blinked a lot. Whenever she’s lying, she blinks more than usual. She says she did make one other stop the night of John Cates’s murder, but she doesn’t even know how that’s relevant. It really can’t hurt her or her mom, because she’s positive nobody saw her. She just pulled into the end of the driveway, thought about it for like a second, and then she left. He says, pulled into whose driveway and what was she thinking about doing? and she says, the Quartermaines. She knew John Cates was there. She went to kill him.

Alexis says, nice to see Mac. What brings him by? He says he’s sorry, but he’s here to make an arrest, and Sonny asks how Mac knew where to find him. Mac says he’s not here for Sonny, and Alexis says, Kristina’s not here. Mac says he’s not here for Kristina either. He came himself because he wanted to make this as painless as possible. Alexis is under arrest for the murder of John Cates. He puts the handcuffs on her and recites her rights. Sonny says, come on, but Mac walks Alexis out the door.

On Monday, Tracy says, Sasha is going to want more out of life than trying to make Cody happy; Kristina says she can’t believe Molly would do something like this; and Ava asks if she can trust Ric.

🧴 Before You Get Excited…

This is a bit of a clickbait headline. You’d think she’s coming back, but she talks about when she came back last time. Although there’s still hope for both her and Finn to return. And I’m just going to say it. Why is it the non-heterosexual couples never pan out? These two were the worst blow, since they had more chemistry than any of the other couples on the show. Yes, I’m bitter about it.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/jacqueline-grace-lopez-opens-up-about-returning-to-gh

🍊 Johnny J. Just Says No…

I thought he was the one who wanted a non-disparagement clause. I’m confused.

🧂 Needs More Salt…

Premieres September 18th, 9 pm. As inappropriate as she is, Mary is a lot of fun to watch.

🍼 Giving You Sosa…

She does know Beyoncé’s birthday isn’t a national holiday, right?

https://people.com/lala-kent-reveals-name-of-her-second-daughter-and-shares-first-photo-8709130

🧹 Flying In Soon…

Agatha arrives September 18th on Disney+.

https://ew.com/agatha-all-along-vision-quest-expanding-wandavision-corner-of-marvel-universe-8705558

🪓 Murphy’s Murder Mystery…

Premieres September 25th on FX or you can Hulu it the next day.

https://ew.com/travis-kelce-ryan-murphy-grotesquerie-niecy-nash-set-videos-8645637

https://deadline.com/2024/09/ryan-murphy-grotesquerie-premiere-date-fx-trailer-1236039050/

⚰️ Because We Needed Another One…

I wonder how many times they can film the same King book? How about doing one that hasn’t been done? I’d love to see The Regulators on film, but it’s doubtful that will ever happen, since it’s so weird. Possible, but not probable. The Talisman (written with Peter Straub) is another one that would be great.

https://ew.com/salems-lot-lewis-pullman-makenzie-leigh-book-changes-pressures-adapting-stephen-king-exclusive-8706884

🎃 Never Too Early…

Why can’t it be both? Or maybe it’s a dog movie. I love Zero.

https://ew.com/movies/nightmare-before-christmas-halloween-or-holiday-movie-debate/

And what’s Halloween without drag queens?

🦙 They’re All a Bunch Of Animals…

It’s all fun and games until they spit on you.

https://people.com/portland-airport-offers-emotional-support-llamas-photos-8707772

🐠 I would have liked to see a little more of the aquarium. How this turned into another Taylor/Travis article, I don’t know, but it did.

https://people.com/brittany-mahomes-welcomes-new-addition-home-aquarium-8710807

🦛 Do not harass the hippo. Although this raises the question, do people just walk around with shellfish in their hands in Thailand?

https://people.com/baby-hippo-doubles-zoo-visitors-and-prompts-safety-warnings-8712177

🐕 You didn’t think there wouldn’t be something about a dog, did you?

https://people.com/my-golden-retriever-dog-model-for-cone-of-shame-book-exclusive-8710225

😄 A Joke:  Q: What does a dyslexic, agnostic, insomniac do? A: Stays up all night wondering if there’s a dog.

💈 Quotes of the Week

The Apocalypse means never having to say you’re sorry. – Murphy (Keith Allan), Z Nation

Always look at what you have left. Never look at what you have lost. – Robert H. Schuller

There are no regrets in life. Just lessons. – Jennifer Aniston

Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that’s real power. – Clint Eastwood (before he started talking to empty chairs)

To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness. – Lady Bracknell, The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde

If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. – Bruce Lee

Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do. – Potter Stewart

If you fall, make it part of the dance. – LuAnn de Lessops

🍁 Every Leaf Is a Flower…

Enjoy the last of summer, the first of fall, or both, and come back on Monday to enjoy some soap and what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay stopping to admire the changing landscape, and stay remembering that sometimes doing nothing is the best way to handle things.

August 20, 2024 – Kristina Is Arraigned, Soap Bubbles, Sergio Wants a Baby, Salty Talk, VanderBail, Best R Ever, Zoo Babies & Afternoon

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Laura asks, what hell are you doing here? and Cyrus (didn’t see that coming) says, hell had nothing to do with it. Laura tells Lulu, mom is here. She’ll be right back. She and Cyrus go out into the hall, and Laura says, Lulu’s doctor called her. Why is he here? He says he hasn’t seen Laura in months and assumed she had her hands full with the baby, her mayoral duties, and Heather. He visits frequently, so he’s surprised he hasn’t run into her.

Ava leaves a voicemail for Scotty. She asks, where’s the pharmacist? Is everything okay? She needs for him to call her back. She throws her phone as Nina walks in. Nina picks it up and says she thinks Ava dropped something.

Dante comes home, and Sam hugs him. She says she brought Scout home from her softball game. She was awesome. She’s upstairs and she’s sure she’ll tell Dante all about it. She’s headed over to her mom’s, since Kristina is there. Is he okay to stay and watch the kids? He says, the kids aren’t a problem, but Kristina isn’t at her mom’s.

Molly meets TJ at the hospital, and he says he heard about Kristina. He’s so sorry. She says, her mom is with Kristina, but she’s had no chance to talk to her. She did have time to be reprimanded by his mom. She used her authority as ADA to confront Ava in jail. Scotty complained to the DA’s office, and it landed on the Deputy Mayor’s desk. All she could think about was that her child was gone because of Ava. She could have been suspended or fired, but instead she got more than her share of professional courtesy and grace off the books. She doesn’t regret confronting Ava, but she’s sorry about so many other things. She hopes he can forgive her.

Alexis tells John that her emergency hearing should be granted soon, and John says, Kristina assaulted and threatened to kill a federal witness. She says, this is malicious prosecution and doesn’t serve him, which he’ll find out in court.

Sonny goes into the interrogation room, and Kristina asks why this is happening. He says he’s going to take care of everything.

Kristina tells Sonny that John claims she threatened Ava and tried to kill her, but that’s not what happened. Ava grabbed her. She only threatened to tell the court the truth about Ava on the witness stand. Sonny says he’ll tell her what’s going on. Is she up to hearing it? She says, yeah, and he says, he and Jagger go way back to a time when he did things he’s not proud of. That’s a weight that he’ll have to live with. The guilt is his weight, not hers. She says, his past doesn’t matter, but he says, Jagger has come back to settle the score. Jagger knows how much he loves her, and that’s why Jagger is targeting him.

Nina says, her life is in her phone, and hands Ava’s phone to her. Ava asks what she wants, and Nina says she managed to squeeze out half a page for the artist Ava is so excited about. Ava says, under other circumstances, she’d be thrilled, but she has bigger concerns. Her lawyer isn’t answering his phone. Nina says, Scotty isn’t always reliable, and Ava says she was arrested for murder and the FBI agent who was helping her clearly has his own agenda. Go ahead and say it. She has nobody to blame but herself. Nina says, it’s true she wanted to see what Ava had coming to her, but this is not what she had in mind. Ava says, Nina wanted to see her suffer. She got her wish.

Molly says she’s sorry she was hiding behind work and left TJ to handle everything, but he says, she’s grieving too, and he wasn’t always understanding. She says, it’s like living in a slow-motion nightmare. She’s living in one horrible moment when the next comes. Sonny and Kristina got off the elevator, and Kristina was ready to go home, when Agent Cates stormed in and arrested Kristina. He claims Ava is a witness in a RICO violations case, and Kristina assaulted her. He says, that doesn’t sound right, and she says, their mom went into lawyer mode, but now she’s starting to wonder if she shouldn’t have defended Kristina.

Laura asks if the doctor has been in there, and Cyrus says, no one’s been in there since he got here. She asks how often he visits Lulu, and he says he tries to be here two or three times a week. He reads the Bible to her. He’s her uncle, and he hopes it brings her a little comfort. Laura asks why he didn’t tell her, and he says he knows she’s got a lot going on, so he thought he’d help. He sees now that he should have cleared it with her, and he apologizes. If it causes her distress, he’ll stop. She says she appreciates his intentions. She’s worried about Lulu. He asks, why? and she says, the doctor asked to see her. She said something’s not right with Lulu’s tests, and there was an urgency about it. He asks if she’d like him to pray with her, and she says, her only prayer is that if her daughter needs help, she has the strength to give it to her.

Alexis tells Kristina that she got the emergency hearing, and Kristina wants to know how this happened. Alexis says, it’s a desperate miscalculation by a desperate man, and it’s going to blow back on Cates big time. She’ll be in the courtroom and meet Kristina outside. She leaves, and Sonny says, they’ve got this. Don’t worry. He leaves, and Kristina says, it isn’t her fault. Ava grabbed her. She flashes back and says, Ava grabbed me.

Doc asks if Lulu is okay, and Laura says she only saw Lulu for a moment. Cyrus was there. Cyrus says he’s only seen the nurse since he’s been here, and Laura says, apparently, Cyrus visits Lulu regularly. Cyrus says, among other patients, and Doc says, ministering, he supposes. The doctor joins them and says she’s run some tests and is waiting for the results. She’ll see if the lab can put a rush on them. She wants to have the most current information in hand before she updates Laura. Doc asks if she has any indication of what’s going on, and she says, when they get the results, they can decide on what course of action, if any, they want to go for. She leaves, and Cyrus says he doesn’t wish to intrude. He’ll pray for them both. He leaves, and Doc asks if Laura is okay with Cyrus visiting. She says she doesn’t know. She can’t think about anything but Lulu.

Nina asks why an FBI agent would concern himself with a custody case. It’s not something they usually take on. Ava says, he wanted information he could use against Sonny. She told him that she had nothing to give him, then Sonny showed up at her hotel suite. He was livid about the custody battle. Nina knows how he gets quiet and intense, and Cates stepped in. Nina says, Sonny can be intense, but she doesn’t believe he’d harm Ava, and Ava says, Sonny hates her and Cates was there for her like a hero. He said he’d help her with the custody battle, so she threw in with him. The only thing she cares about and that matters to her is Avery. Now she thinks she made a gigantic mistake.

Dante tells Sam about Kristina’s arrest, and Sam asks if Anna and her mom know. He says, her mom is all over it. Cates is saying Kristina went after Ava, who’s a witness in a RICO case against Sonny, and Sam says, unreal. He says, her mom is trying to get Kristina arraigned. He just got back from seeing Laura. She asks if the mayor is in on this too, but he says, something is going on with Lulu.

Molly says she showed Ava the autopsy photos. She wanted Ava to know what she’d done and live with the memory of the images. The autopsy photos upset and horrified Ava, but it didn’t make her feel any better and Ava didn’t confess. So what did she accomplish? She jeopardized her own career. She wanted to take action, and what she did, she did out of anger. She can see why Kristina would do the same thing. He asks if she thinks Kristina threatened to kill Ava. She says, Kristina wouldn’t mean it and wouldn’t physically attack her. He says, they have photos, and she says, a picture can tell a thousand lies. It’s how it’s interpreted. Maybe Ava was grabbing Kristina. Maybe she was fending Kristina off. He asks if she thinks that scenario is possible, and she says she doesn’t want to, but maybe Kristina’s actions are responsible for the death of their baby.

Alexis says, Sonny will say and do nothing, no matter how much Cates goads him. If he can’t do that, he has to leave. Sonny asks how she is. She hasn’t had a case in a while, and this is their daughter. He wants to know if she’s up for it. She asks if he’s doubting her. If she had any qualms, Diane would be here. When she sees Cates’s smug mug, she’ll be filled with righteous indignation and a strength she forgot she had. He says, that’s what he likes to hear. His presence here will present a problem for Cates, not him. Cates hates the fact he’s breathing, so he’s going to watch as she pokes holes in his bogus arrest. It’s going to drive him crazy.

The FBI lawyer shows up and tells John that he doesn’t feel comfortable about the case. It’s not clear cut. John tells him to make it clear. It’s part of an ongoing investigation involving Sonny. He needs Kristina to stay put until the trial. The lawyer says, got it, and they go into the courtroom. The bailiff says, all rise… Judge Sullivan presiding. Judge Judy The judge takes her seat and tells them, let’s get going. It’s late.

Dante says, the doctor wanted to see Laura because Lulu had a setback, and Sam says she’s sorry. Does Rocco know? Dante says he wanted to know more first. Lulu has been a prisoner in that bed so long, he hopes miracles happen, but he feels like the chances are slim. Sam’s phone rings, and she says, it’s Diane. She listens for a moment, then thanks Diane for calling. She tells Dante that the emergency hearing was granted. It’s starting now. He tells her to go and keep him posted. She says, let her know what happens with Lulu and if he needs anything, and he says, he needs to figure out what to try and say to Rocco. (I thought Laura told him to hold that thought.)

Ava tells Nina that she and Sonny had a falling out and he gave her the boot. The next thing she knows, they’re lining up character witnesses for family court. She got involved with Cates, but now she sees how obsessed he is with taking Sonny down. Nina asks if it won’t help Ava’s case, but Ava says she’s still facing criminal charges for Kristina’s fall. She can’t take care of Avery from behind bars. Nina thinks it’s not going to come to that, and asks, what happened? Ava says she swears it was an accident. She and Nina were friends before she blew it, and Nina knows whatever else she is, however selfish or bad she is, she’d never hurt a child.

TJ says, Molly’s not only one who saw Ava. He went to the gallery. She asks, why? and he says, for the same reason. He needs answers, and the two of them have been so far apart. She says she feels terrible, but he says, she’s dealing with the same loss, and he understands. What Ava suggested lines up with what Molly told him. He doesn’t think Kristina is blameless. She says, Kristina made the choice to go see Ava. If she hadn’t done that one thing, their child would be alive. (These two are idiots on a good day. If Kristina had gotten hit by a bus that went through a red light, I’ll bet Molly would say, she shouldn’t have been crossing the street.)

Alexis tells judge Sullivan that there’s no witness statement, no report, no video. Besides that, her client was just released from the hospital where she had an emergency C-section. It’s not only an unjust arrest, it’s jeopardizing her health and bordering on malicious prosecution. She asks that her client be released immediately. The judge asks where the evidence is to back up the charges, and the lawyer looks at John, who’s got nothing. He gets up and says, they have a report from a reliable citizen, but the FBI has a heavy workload and has yet to file a formal transcript. In light of this, he asks for a continuance. Judge Sullivan says, denied. This has been a colossal waste of everyone’s time. The defendant is released on her own recognizance, effective immediately. John jumps up and says, no. She’s making a mistake (I wait for her to say, you again?)

TJ says he loves Molly and he’s sorry, and she says she loves him too. She was too scared to handle her own grief and too heartbroken to handle his. He’s her best friend and partner and she let him down in every possible way. He says he accepts her apology and loves her so much, and they hug. She says, there’s so much to take care of, and he says, they’ll figure it out. They’ll go someplace quiet. Molly’s phone dings, and she says, it’s a friend from the courthouse. Kristina’s been granted emergency bail. TJ wonders why Alexis didn’t call, and Molly says, since she works in the DA’s office, they thought it was better if she kept her distance. He tells her, go see about her sister and don’t worry about anything else. They’ll figure it out together tomorrow. She leaves.

Laura tells Doc that when the doctor called and said it was about her daughter, she had a surge of hope that the doctor would say Lulu was awake and asking for her. It has happened so many times, a sort of irrational spark of joy, only to be followed up by a crash when she hears them say, there’s no change. This is worse than no change. She can tell by what the doctor isn’t saying. Lulu is getting worse.

Dante leaves a voicemail for Laura, saying, he’s checking in. He hears Rocco and says he didn’t know Rocco was downstairs. Rocco asks if there’s any truth to the rumor they’re getting pizza, and Dante says he ordered pizza, but he’s got to talk to Rocco about his mom.

Ava tells Nina that Kristina came to her suite. She was furious about the subpoena. Sonny attacked Dex and she saw the whole thing. Nina says, it must have been traumatic. She’s fond of Kristina and knows Sonny is protective of her. Ava says, Kristina was beyond. Kristina barged in, screaming at her. At some point she put her hand on Kristina, and Kristina jerked away. She stumbled and tripped on some luggage, then crashed through the window. It happened so fast. She had nothing to do with it. It was an accident. Nina says, Kristina lost the baby and nearly died, and Ava says, it was tragic and horrible. Nina says, the luggage was just right there? Was Ava going somewhere? Ava says, Carly threw John out and she let him keep his bags in her room, since he was helping her with the custody fight. After Kristina fell, she supposes she was in shock. She didn’t know how to explain the bags of an FBI agent, so she did something stupid. She hid them. She put them in a closet, and of course (🍷) the cops found them. Nina says, Ava altered a crime scene and lied about what made Kristina fall. Of course (🍷) they’ll wonder why Ava would lie if it was an accident. Ava says, but it was. She didn’t push Kristina. Nina has to believe her.

John says, as soon as the defendant leaves the courtroom, her father will have her on a plane to a country with no extradition treaty. Judge Sullivan says, the only reason John hasn’t been cited for contempt is because of his FBI badge. He has 48 hours to get his case together, including documents that show Ava is listed as a witness in a RICO case, or he’ll be the one in a cell. (Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! John’s face.) The bailiff says, all rise, and the judge leaves. John asks the lawyer, what the hell was that? and he says, it was a lousy case, and they got treated accordingly. John better get it together and his evidence had better be bulletproof or he’ll have John’s badge, and John will be sitting in a cell. John glares Sonny on his way out, and Sonny asks Alexis, how’d I do? Alexis smiles and Sonny winks at Kristina. (Our Sonny is back.)

Ava says she sees Nina isn’t convinced, and Nina says she believes a lot of it. It was a confusing situation and probably happened fast. Ava says, Kristina fell, but everybody assumes she pushed her, and Nina says, life isn’t fun when your credibility is shot. She knows about that. When you meddle with people in a life changing way, nobody gives you the benefit of the doubt, especially when you need it most. She hopes Ava gets out of it. She’s a good mom. Let her know about the magazine space, and if she sees Scotty, she’ll tell him to call Ava. She walks out, and while she’s looking in her bag in the hallway, Ava says she’s sorry. Nina says, her too, and leaves with tears in her eyes.

Laura says she wishes she had an update for Dante. Thank God that Doc is here. He says, waiting is excruciating, but he appreciates that Lulu’s doctor is so thorough. Laura says, hearing no change would be good news today. She can’t bear thought of Lulu living out her life like this, so she has hope. He says, it’s okay to be hopeful, and she says she needs to be strong for Lulu. She cries and he holds her. He says, hang onto that and hang onto him.

Sam sees Molly at the courthouse, and says, mom was on fire and Sonny kept his composure, and Molly says she’s not surprised about mom. Sam says, what Molly missed was Cates’s meltdown, and Molly says she’s had the misfortune of dealing with him. He waves his badge around like it’s proof he walks on water. What evidence did he have? Sam says, nothing, and the judge told him he has 48 hours to get it or he’ll be brought up on charges. Finally, justice in action. Kristina gets to go home and heal. Molly says, she still has the charges hanging over her head, but Sam says she believes they’ll be dropped. Cates has nothing even resembling evidence. It’s just a way to get at Sonny.  

Dante says he’s sorry Rocco’s grandma can’t be here for their video game rematch, and Rocco says he thought that’s why they were having pizza. Dante says he went to see Rocco’s mom, and Rocco says he likes visiting. It’s quiet and peaceful and mom knows he’s there. He tells her stupid stuff that happened in school and reads her horoscope from The Invader. He remembers she used to read that. Dante says he wants to talk to Rocco’s grandma. The doctors ran some tests and got the results, but he doesn’t know more than that until he speaks to Laura. He asks if Rocco is okay, and Rocco nods. He says he has pictures of mom, so he’ll never forget what she looks like. There’s footage and recordings, but her voice never sounds right, like her. He’s afraid he’s going to forget what her real voice sounds like.

John goes to the gallery and tells Ava that Alexis was granted an emergency bail hearing. The judge practically walked Kristina and Sonny out of the courtroom. Ava says, Kristina was arrested? and John says, after they went over her story – how Kristina was the aggressor, came to her suite uninvited, forced her way in, and threatened Ava – the next logical step was to file charges. Ava asks if he’s talked to Scotty, and he asks, why? She says she hasn’t heard a peep from him all day, and something tells her that she’s going to need her lawyer. He says, Scotty is obviously busy, but she doesn’t need him. He’s the only hope she has left. (I think the only hope she has left is coming clean.)

Kristina thanks Alexis, and Alexis says she gives credit to Kristina’s father. He behaved no matter how much Cates goaded him. Sonny says he’d do anything for his daughter, even listening to the rants of an FBI agent. Kristina says she didn’t think she’d be back in this house again, and Alexis says, they both love and adore her. Sonny says, they’ll always protect her.  

On the phone, Nina says that someone owes her a favor and she’s ready to collect.

Rocco says he believes if his mom wakes up and says one word, it will all come back, and Dante says, that’s a good way to look at it. Rocco says, as long as she’s alive, it can change. They can’t give up hope that she could wake up tomorrow or next week. She’s hanging in so they need to. When the day comes and she opens her eyes, he hopes he’s sitting there and he’s the first thing she sees. He wishes it could be soon. He misses her. Dante says he misses her too.

Sam says she thinks it’s absurd. Kristina just lost the baby and could have died. She should be home grieving and taking care of herself, instead of winding up in a courtroom… She’s so sorry. Why wasn’t Molly here? Molly says, her office was concerned about a conflict of interest, and Sam asks if she wouldn’t have heard. Molly says she was caught up in something with TJ. They have to plan the baby’s funeral. Sam hugs her and says she’s sorry.  

John says, they have to rehearse Ava’s story for the record on file, but she says she’s given her statement. He says, give it again, but this time, she’s going to say what he tells her to say and do it how he wants it. She says, it’s been a long day. She’s going to close up and head back to her hotel. They can start tomorrow. He says, the judge gave him 48 hours. He’s not losing his badge or Sonny’s case over this. Let’s get started. They’re going to work on her statement until it’s perfect.

The doctor apologizes for the wait and tells Laura that they did a test on Lulu’s liver, and it’s been compromised. If they continue on this trajectory, her liver will fail. Laura asks if the doctor is telling her that her daughter is going to die.

Tomorrow, Alexis says, TJ never needs to know what Kristina intended to do; John tells Ava that the only thing Sonny responds to is leverage; and Anna tells someone that they have to choose.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

I’m thrilled that Brad is back, but bummed that Britt is no longer around to cause trouble with him.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/parry-shen-celebrates-his-return-to-general-hospital

In case you don’t know him.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/general-hospital-brad-cooper-parry-shen-171676

Background on Lulu, much of which I don’t remember. On the show, it sounds like she’s going to die, but there was that Soaps In Depth article that said they’re recasting, so who knows? Whenever they change writers, it’s a surprise a minute.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/general-hospital-lulu-spencer-falconeri-169139

Still pretty incensed about this.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/jacqueline-grace-lopez-shares-a-special-message-with-fans

Do you think he really says things like, holy heck?

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/nicholas-chavezs-netflix-series-gets-a-premiere-date

🐪 A Camel Walks Into Dubai…

In one of the creepiest moments in Housewives history, Sara revealed that her housekeeper had been plotting to kidnap her young son. She was also sharing his picture with various creepers, who responded with how cute he was, which is pretty f***ed up. To add insult to injury, when Sara told her to start packing, she packed some of Sara’s things as well. Thankfully, she’s now in jail. A thousand showers can’t wipe that away.

Sergio wanted to have a baby with Stanbury, and it sounded like it might be a deal breaker. If I were her, I’d have that baby lickity-split, since a puppy at her heels he might be, but he’s also a real find who adores her and who’s actually thoughtful. For her birthday, he took her on a private yacht cruise and had a cake made that looked like their new house. I love stuff like that. I mean the cake, but the yacht is good too. They finally have the leeway to use a surrogate, and money is no object as far as a nanny or anything else goes, so why not? She said it would be life changing, but not so much when you have a life like theirs. It’s not like he’ll have to take a second job.

Stanbury and Lesa had lunch, and Lesa did one of those things I hate that many of the Housewives do – play the family card. You know, what you said effects my family. Well, if people don’t get that you’re on a reality show and nonsense is going to be said about you, maybe you need a new address book. It just seems way overused. Fancy Pants Heather made the same claim just last week on RHOC. It’s just doubtful anyone cares about secondhand hearsay from a co-star.

And the rest…

🧂 Pass the Salt…

Coming September 18th.

In case you need an explanation.

https://ew.com/real-housewives-salt-lake-city-season-5-trailer-explained-8697919

🍸 Adding Bail Bondsman To Resumé…

That’s a lot of weed. How stupid is he to be carting that to another country?

🦸 You’re Welcome, Canada…

Movin’ on up.

https://ew.com/deadpool-and-wolverine-beats-joker-highest-grossing-r-rated-movie-of-all-time-8696677

🦥 New At the Zoo…

It doesn’t get much more adorable.

https://people.com/atlanta-zoo-excited-about-birth-of-baby-two-toed-sloth-8697807

🐼 No surprise, Ying Ying looks exhausted.

https://people.com/giant-panda-hong-kong-gives-birth-twins-worlds-oldest-first-time-panda-mom-8696512

🦩 The times, they are a-changin’.

https://people.com/same-sex-chilean-flamingo-couple-hatch-and-care-for-chick-8696536

🌊 Good Tides, High Vibes…

Join me tomorrow for soap and what’s being listed in LA. Until then, stay safe, stay speaking about others as though they were standing next to you, and stay never throwing in with an FBI agent who has their own agenda.

August 14, 2024 – James Disappears From the Park, Oh No, Two For Tea, This Week In LA, NYC Comeback, Next Squid, Witchy, No Cameo, Cover Girl & Goes

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Mac and Spinelli play frisbee in the park. James wanders off, and Mac wonders what he did.

At the stables, Cody flashes back to Sasha kissing him. Tracy comes by, and he asks if she wants him to prep Hades, but she says she’s planning on taking him for a ride. So buckle up.

Sasha flashes back to Cody saying he loves James, when Willow comes in and tells her that Cody left his hat. She suggests Sasha take it back to him, but Sasha says she has to be on a call with the caterers. Willow says, Olivia isn’t here. She must have forgotten. Sasha says, it’s not with Olivia. It’s with Drew and he’s MIA.

Drew wakes up next to Nina and asks, what time is it? She says, too early to get up, but he says he’s got a call he can’t miss with Sasha and the caterers. It’s for the campaign. Nina tells him to skip it, but he says, it’s too late to bail. She says, Sasha can handle it, but he says, she can’t make decisions without him. Nina kisses him.

Brook, Lois, and Gio eat on the patio, and Lois asks if Blaze got off okay. Brook says, she got on the plane, and Gio says he has to get going. Lois says, pretty soon, he’ll be focusing on concerts, but he says, there might not be as many as he thought. He was counting on the gallery concert for exposure, but who’s going to go to a gallery owned by a murderer?  

On the phone, Sonny says he needs to find Clement. He opens the door and Natalia is there. She says she came to say goodbye. She’s going home to Puerto Rico.

Tracy says she plans on testing Cody’s mind, not his body, and Cody says, fair warning. He has a finite set of skills. She says she’ll go easy on him, and he says, it doesn’t sound like fun. She asks if he can count and differentiate between black and white, and he says he can. She says, then he can play backgammon.

Lois tells Gio that she’s sure the show will go on in spite of Ava, and Brook says, it might bring more people out of curiosity. Lois says, artists would jump at the chance to attach themselves to Ava’s notoriety. He’s too good and has too many positive things in his life to play background music for the upper-class bourgeoisie. He says he doesn’t care what people think about him, but there are a few people whose opinions matter. Like Uncle Sonny.

Natalia tells Sonny about Blaze’s tour, and says, she and Kristina broke up. Sonny says, Kristina didn’t tell him, and Natalia says, it was difficult for both of them. Maybe Kristina is still processing. She saw Blaze off, but they didn’t part on good terms. Sonny says he’s been there. It’s not easy, but they love each other and he’s sure it will work out. Natalia says, hopefully, but their potential reconciliation won’t take place here. Sonny says, so it’s a permanent move, and she says, that’s the plan. Alison doesn’t want her on tour, and she came here be with her, so she has no reason to stick around. He says, what if he gave her one.

Drew says, it’s a great way to start the day, and Nina says, it was a great way to spend the night. He says he thinks they set a new record. It’s been 10 hours, and they haven’t said anything nasty to each other. Now his would-be constituents await. She says, duty calls.

Michael asks if Willow has seen Drew, and she flashes back to her and Drew being in the elevator. She says, not since last night, and he asks if she’d mind calling him. He’s sure Drew will pick up for his star fundraiser. She says she doesn’t know where he is and doesn’t want to call. They hardly cross paths, and from now on, they won’t see each other at the foundation at all. Michael asks what that means.

Spinelli finds James sitting under a tree and asks if James wants to play frisbee, but James says, no, and asks how long they’re going to stay. Spinelli says, they just got here, but James says he’s bored. Spinelli asks what he wants to do. It will just be between them. James says he wants to ride horses with Cody, but Grandpa Mac said no.

Mac tells Felicia and Maxie, Two Trees is amazing, but Maxie says, there’s no Cody. She knows Mac has his own issues with Cody, but forbidding James to see him wasn’t Mac’s call. Felicia says, they discussed this at home, and Mac says, summer is almost over. James will be back in school before he knows it and he’ll forget about Cody. Maxie says she doubts it and asks if he doesn’t think he’s punished Cody long enough. She leaves, and Felicia says, Mac messed up big. She hopes he plans on fixing it, since she’s not doing it for him.

Maxie meets Nina as she walks into the park, and Nina thanks her for texting. It’s a lovely day. Maxie says, Nina is in a good mood. Did she have her teeth whitened? Nina says, no, and Maxie asks if she did her hair. Something is definitely different. Lucy would say her aura is glowing. Lucy would say, when Scott… Did she sleep with Drew again?

Drew comes in and tells Sasha that they’ll have to reschedule. His campaign strategy session went late and he overslept. She tells him, no problem, and Drew apologizes for barging in. Michael tells him that he and Willow were talking about her work at the Institute, and Willow says she’s come to a decision. She’s decided to go back to nursing. She’s resigning.

Tracy says, Cody gets the first roll, and Cody says, she must have been playing for a long time; she’s so knowledgeable. She says she played with her boys when they were young, then picked it back up when she was in the hospital for a while. He asks what she was in the hospital for, and she says, that’s a little forward. He says, she brought up, and she says she was infected with parasitic brain worms on a tropical vacation from a treat fed to her by Ned’s con artist father, Larry Ashton. Cody says, sounds scary, and she says, it was. He says, there are worse ways to spend time in the hospital than playing backgammon, and she says she remembers it fondly. He says, because she got to be the center of attention, but she says, because she made a friend. (I went through a backgammon phase years ago, so I get why Tracy loves it. It can be addicting.)

Brook says she thinks Sonny would respect Gio for sticking to his word, and Lois says, he has to do what’s best for him. Sonny isn’t his keeper. He’s his own man. Gio says he doesn’t want to let Sonny down, and what’s best for him right now is to get to work. He leaves, and Brook says, Lois is usually Sonny’s biggest defender, but she’s telling Gio not to care what Sonny thinks. What’s going on?

Sonny asks if Natalia wants to stay in Port Charles, and she says, it has its charms, but in her current situation, she lacks the income to sustain a bicoastal life. He says, this is where he can help, but she says, the only thing she knows about coffee is that she’s useless in the morning without it. (Same.) He says, she knows numbers, and he calls Brook. He says he was wondering if she could come over. He’s got a proposition for her. Brook asks, what kind of proposition?

Willow tells Drew and Michael that she agonized about it for weeks. She missed nursing. It fulfilled her and she feels she has a purpose as a nurse more than doing PSAs. Michael says he would have understood, and she says she wanted to be sure. She didn’t want to disappoint anyone. Nina has been helpful, and they won’t be working together anymore. Neither will she and Drew, and he’s been so supportive. Drew says he’ll always believe in her. She’s got his faith and support whether she works at the Institute or GH. He and Michael feel the same way. She should do what makes her happy. Willow says she appreciates him making it easy. She has to get the beach stuff together. She’ll meet Michael back here. She and Drew leave in opposite directions, and Sasha says, Michael rolled with Willow’s decision, but he says, what choice did he have?

Nina says she thought Drew would ditch his plans. They had an amazing time. Maxie says she knows. They had great sex. There were fireworks. Drew spending the night was unexpected. Nina says, it’s not like they’re in love. They’re two consenting adults enjoying each other. The more Drew sees it as enjoyable, the less he’ll intrude on her daughter’s marriage.

Spinelli tells James that he knows it seems unfair, but disagreements happen sometimes. Like how he has fights with his friends. James says, they usually make up, and Spinelli says he’s sure Mac and Cody will too, but it will take time.  

Mac says he’s not apologizing to make it easier on Cody. He’s a liar and a sneak. He doesn’t need or want Cody in his life. Felicia says she’s not convinced Cody shouldn’t get a second chance, but it’s Mac’s decision and she’s good with whatever he decides. He says, thanks, and she says, but don’t drag their grandson into it. The longer he keeps James and Cody apart with no explanation, the worse his and James’s relationship will be. Is that a price he’s willing to pay?

Tracy tells Cody that she was not a model patient. Her doctor weathered her ill humor with grace and got to know her. He was gentle and kind, but he was tough. And don’t get her started on how prickly he could be. Cody says, he sounds like an interesting fellow, and she says she clicks with few people the way she did with him. He says he’s glad the doctor was there for her, and she says, her too. Finn is one of a kind. He says, she misses him, and she says, very much.

James sneaks around and watches the others from behind a tree. Spinelli asks if Nina and Maxie want to play frisbee.  

As they sit on a bench, Mac tells Felicia that he’s trying to shield James from disappointment, but sooner or later, he’ll realize Cody is not the hero he pretends to be. She says, what if he’s wrong? What if Cody lives up to James’s expectations? Sometimes people can be better if they know someone believes in them.

James slips behind another tree and watches Mac and Felicia.

Lois and Brook go to the penthouse, and Sonny says he didn’t know Lois was going to show up. Lois says she was with Brook when he called and it piqued her curiosity, so she thought she’d come along. She and Brook greet Natalia, and Lois asks, what’s the idea he’s got them so eager to hear? Sonny says he was investing in a new record label, and Brook says, don’t get her wrong. She’s happy that Blaze is living her dream on tour, but she’s disappointed their idea got shelved. Sonny says, the money he set aside is still there, and he thought of a better use for it than it sitting in a bank collecting interest. Brook asks what he has in mind, and he says he’d like to invest in Deception.

Drew goes to the boathouse where Willow is getting the beach stuff together and asks if Willow needs some help. She says, thanks, but no thanks, then slips moving a box and falls on her behind. He holds out his hand, but she says she’s got it. She gathers what she needs and says she doesn’t want to keep Michael waiting. Drew says he doesn’t want her to make a big mistake.

Sasha says she knows Michael was excited about Willow’s job at the Institute, but he says, only because Willow was. If he’s learned anything from her, it’s that time is precious, and he doesn’t want her wasting it being unhappy. He doesn’t have to tell Sasha how precious time is with the person you love. He’s sorry. He wasn’t thinking. She says she’s made as much peace as she’s going to with Brando’s death. Now she smiles most of the time, rather than cries, when she thinks about him. She doesn’t think she could survive another heartbreak. He says she’s stronger than she thinks. Life doesn’t come with guarantees. You can wonder if you missed out on something great or risk being hurt.

Cody asks if Tracy has heard much from Finn, and she says she thinks he’s been concentrating on his recovery. He says it sounds like they have a special relationship, and he’s sure they’ll be happy to see each other when Finn comes home. She says she doesn’t know how happy Finn will be to see her, and he asks, why not? She says she may have been too hard on him. He hugged her when he left, but she hasn’t heard from him. He says he’s had friends go through rehab, and when Finn is thinking clearly, he’ll understand. She says she hopes so. Her only goal was to help him. He says, it sounds like underneath that tough shell, she’s pretty warm, fuzzy, and compassionate. Did he just win? She says, what? How? He says, beginner’s luck.

Sonny says, Deception has been struggling since last summer. He thinks the cash will take them over the hump and they’ll expand their audience. He’ll structure the deal, but be a silent partner. Brook says, this could be a game changer, and he says, on one condition. They hire Natalia.

Maxie brings Nina over to the group, and Nina says she wanted to come by to see them and James. Mac says, if James is still hellbent on taking riding lessons with Cody, he won’t stand in his way, and Maxie says, finally. She calls to James, but there’s no answer. She wonders where he is and yells, answer me right now!

Sonny says he wants to invest a lot of cash in Deception without taking an active role, but he wants a representative to handle his interests. Natalia is great with finances and negotiating. Brook says, Natalia’s haggling over Blaze’s contract kept Lucy awake at night, but Lois says, the music business is different than a cosmetics company. Brook says, she and Lucy lean more toward the creative side rather than financial, and Sonny says, Natalia knows numbers and will work in his best interest. Lois says, what about when his best interests don’t align with Deception’s? and Natalia says, that’s a fair question. Deception’s best interests are identical to Sonny’s. If he succeeds, then they do. Brook says she needs to discuss it with her partners. She’ll start with Tracy.  She suggests Natalia come along, since she thinks Natalia is her own best advocate, and Natalia says she’d love to. Brook thanks Sonny and says she’ll be in touch, and Natalia tells him, what she said. They leave, and Sonny asks Lois to stick around. He has a few words to say to her. She says she has a dictionary she’d like to break over his head, and he tells her that he just wants to say he’s sorry.

Spinelli suggests they split up to search for James, and Nina says, he’s a smart kid. Maxie says, too smart for his own good, and Spinelli says, it’s the first time he’s taken off like that. Maxie says she thinks she knows where to find him, and leaves, when Nina gets a call from Michael. She asks if everything is all right, and he says, everything’s fine, but he needs to talk to her about Willow.

At the boathouse, Willow tells Drew that her role isn’t what she expected. She’s not feeling fulfilled. He says, then they’ll make her feel fulfilled, but she says, they can’t. Being there at all is the problem. He says he had no indication, and she says she didn’t realize until she visited Kristina. When she was helping Kristina, she remembered why she fell in love with nursing and realized she missed the work. He says, she’s so good. He’s seen the numbers and she’s driving up donor registration. She says she’ll keep doing it until the Institute finds a replacement, but she can’t commit to anything else. She’s going back to GH. He says he’s happy for her, but wants to make sure her motivation is honest. Does her resignation have anything to do with him?

Tracy says, Cody cheated, but he says, how could he? She was watching him the whole time. She says, he’s not a beginner, and he says he never told her that he was. She assumed. It’s only hustling if you’re playing for money. She says she could have won if she hadn’t been distracted by his questions about Finn, and he says he wanted to know more about her. If he happened to win in the meantime, good. She says, next time, she won’t be so benevolent, and he says he expects nothing less. Sasha comes in and says she doesn’t want to interrupt, but Tracy says she arrived just in time. She was about to beat Cody senseless. Rematch? He says he looks forward to it, when Tracy’s phone rings. She walks out while talking to Brook, and Cody tells Sasha, backgammon is a bloodsport around here. She says she found this, and hands him his hat. He puts it on, and she says she found something else – her senses. He asks what she means, and she says she’s tired of being scared and playing it safe. Life is short. She thinks they should do this. He says, do what? and she kisses him.

Mac says he saw James and Spinelli with their heads together. What were they talking about? Spinelli says, James is distressed about Mac’s antipathy toward Cody, and Felicia says, this isn’t the way she wanted to be proved right.

Sasha asks if Cody can take a break, and he says he can take the whole day. He has to shower too. She says, he doesn’t smell bad. They can get dirtier together. They start to get busy, when Maxie walks in. She says she’s sorry. She doesn’t need to see this. Congratulations. She’ll let them both get back to it, but she has a question. Have they seen James anywhere?  

Nina asks Michael, what’s wrong? and Michael tells her that she and Willow won’t be collaborating on the New Tomorrow Institute anymore. Willow is resigning and returning to GH. He’ll let Willow be the one to tell her why. Nina says she can probably guess.  

Drew says, Willow’s work at the Institute is important to them and she’s changing lives. Don’t give up because he made it complicated. She says, it’s the only way to make it better. She loves Michael, and she’s committed to him and her family. But she can’t stop thinking about Drew. It’s wrong, and she wants as much distance put between them as possible before she does anything else she regrets. She takes the beach stuff and leaves.

Sonny says he found out that his meds had been off for a while, and Lois says, that’s a big deal. Is he okay? Did they fix the dosage? He says he’s back on track. He wants her to know she means the world to him. She always has and always will. Lois says, he means the world to her too, and thanks him for telling her. She saw he was off. Now she knows why. He asks if they’re friends again. Are they square? She says, they’re always friends. Square, not so much. He asks what she means, and she says, the infusion of money to Deception. Where is it coming from? (Didn’t they have this conversation? It’s the same money.) He says, every dime is legit. She can call his accountant. She says she believes him, but even the appearance of impropriety will be more damaging than maleficence. He asks what’s worrying her, and she says she loves him, and his personal life is his own, but she doesn’t want the business under federal scrutiny because he’s trying to impress a woman.

Brook tells Tracy, it’s a large infusion of capital that could fund Research and Development for five years. They can finally break ground on that. Tracy asks what Natalia thinks her title should be, and Natalia says she thinks CFO is appropriate. Tracy says she’s surprised the financial institution didn’t contact her, and Brook says, it’s a small bank, but the money is vetted and secured. Tracy asks, what’s the name of the bank? and Brook says, the Bank of Sonny. Tracy says, over my dead body

Tomorrow, Lucy says she thinks it’s a great idea; John tells Ava that he’s got Sonny where he wants him; Maxie says, nobody is going to find James unless he wants them to; and Cody dives into the water, presumably looking for James.

🍽 Eating My Words…

I have no words. Actually, I do, but this blog is rated PG-13.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/jacqueline-grace-lopez-says-goodbye-to-general-hospital-2

🫖 Striving For Elegance…

Love these two together.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-jophielle-love-on-violet-and-tracys-tea-party

💰 Hard Times In Listings…

Not only does the market still stink, buyers are also pulling out of deals; JoshA saying the fallout was around 25%. He came close to getting a new house for JoshF, going so far as to forego his commission, but JoshF wasn’t willing to come up even another $200K. I always figure, when you’re talking millions, what’s another couple hundred thousand? Tracy, playing the role of JoshF’s broker, had already agreed to no commission since JoshF had done the same for her. Since they were at an impasse, Tracy suggested they finish the tequila and call it a night. JoshF then began to lean toward rebuilding his gutted dreamhouse. In an interesting panty twist, Tracy found a pair of satin undies amongst the rubble and threw them over the fence. Nice. She’s going to be exiled to Summer House if she’s not careful.

🗽 Returning To New York…

That pigeon décor is pretty impressive.

https://extratv.com/2024/08/13/watch-erin-lichy-confront-husband-abe-about-lying-in-rhony-season-15-trailer/

🐙 Your Post Christmas Present…

A new Game is coming December 26th.

https://comicbook.com/anime/news/squid-game-season-2-new-players-trailer/

🧹 Channeling Those Before…

Instead of WandaVision’s sitcom approach, Agatha will be using the witches of yore to tell her story.  

https://ew.com/agatha-all-along-trailer-kathryn-hahn-joe-locke-d23-8693175

🦸 Not Done Yet…

The ones who didn’t make it.

https://ew.com/halle-berry-says-ryan-reynolds-never-asked-me-to-cameo-in-deadpool-and-wolverine-8695666

https://people.com/robert-downey-iron-man-cameo-deadpool-wolverine-8693208

🐶 What a Dogue…

Pilaf deserves her own magazine cover. She’s an unbelievably cute little nugget of pup.

https://people.com/demi-moore-tiny-dog-pilaf-gets-her-own-vogue-cover-8695515

🍫 Love You S’more…

Join me tomorrow for soap and the OC in LaQuinta. Until then, stay safe, stay understanding that integrity and character are what really matter, and stay not wasting time being unhappy. Time is precious.

July 2, 2024 – Natalia Causes a Backlash Tsunami, Lots About Soap, Just Caroline, Stirring the Jersey Pot, New New York, Deck Doings, Keep Them Safe & Party

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

I missed the very beginning, but that’s usually just a rehash anyway. So…

Diane tells Sonny that it’s her job to plead his case and provide counsel. It’s steep hill he’s going to have to climb. Avery isn’t a baby anymore, and if she sees him trying to take her from her mother, it could permanently alter her relationship with him. He says he’d rather she hate her father than become her mother, and Diane says, it’s his call. She records some notes for herself on her phone, and her phone beeps. He asks, what’s the problem? and she says, it’s a big one. Does he mind if she makes a phone call?

Alexis says, Kristina is in the homestretch of her pregnancy. The last part is challenging, physically and emotionally, and she wants Kristina to know she’s here for her no matter what. Kristina says she knows, but it never hurts to hear. Alexis’s phone rings, and Diane says she saw The Invader alert. What is Alexis doing? Alexis says she’s with Kristina celebrating quitting her job. She’s left the tabloid life behind. She doesn’t know what’s in The Invader, unless they’re running a picture of her face on a dartboard. Diane says, it’s not about her, but it’s bad. Go to the website now. Alexis asks what she’s looking for, and Diane says, she’ll know when she sees it. And turn up the audio. Alexis and Kristina listen to the file from The Face of Deception’s Daughter, and Diane says tell Kristina that she’s sorry.

Sonny asks if everything is okay, and Diane plays the audio file for him.

Everyone in Maxie’s office listens to the audio file, which includes Natalia talking about her fear that someone will take a picture of Blaze and Kristina holding hands. She’s scared it will be sold to the tabloids and there will be a scandal. Blaze glares at Natalia and says, don’t hold back. Tell us how you really feel.

Alexis and Kristina listen, and Kristina says, turn it off. She gets the gist. Alexis asks if she’s okay. Her blood is boiling, so she can’t imagine how Kristina feels. Kristina says she’s not the one who was just outed. Blaze was discriminated against by her own mother in public. She’s angry, but she’ll be fine. Alexis wonders if Kristina has heard from Blaze, and Kristina says, they usually text constantly, but no. Alexis says, maybe she hasn’t seen it, but Kristina says she doubts it. Deception is probably coming up with PR strategy for a response. She’ll call when she can. Alexis says she doesn’t understand how a mother could talk about her own daughter that way, and Kristina says, that’s why she’s grateful. She can forget about maternal leave from the center. After this, they won’t let her in the front door.

Ava says, her phone is blowing up, and Adrian asks if she wants to celebrate with him. She calls him a little worm and tells him to forget he knows her. Her name isn’t to cross his lips, not anytime to anyone, especially not Nina. Adrian says, sounds like a story. Does she care to dish? She says, she’ll see to it that he’s typing with his toes. Men have killed for her for a lot less. They’ve never met. They’ve never spoken. Take down the recording. There’s no reason for it to be online anymore. He says he can’t do that. It will just draw more attention to it and people will ask questions, to which every answer would be Ava Jerome. Besides, wire service has already picked it up. It’s everywhere and there’s no going back now.

Natalia says she doesn’t know what that was, and Lucy asks if Natalia is denying that’s her voice, but Natalia says, it’s obviously her. Scotty asks if Deception doesn’t have a PR master, but Lucy says she let them go when they had to save money. Lois says, that wasn’t a good idea, but Lucy says she had no idea this would happen. Scotty says he knows a guy… but Maxie says, stop. She tells Lucy to talk to the regular PR people. She’ll coordinate with Brook and have her lock down the social media. No comments. And she wants Scotty to guard the door from Tracy, who will be there soon, because the stock is going to take a nosedive. She asks Natalia where this took place, but Natalia says she never spoke to a reporter and doesn’t remember who she said it to. Blaze wonders if it’s because she says things like that so often.  

Sonny says he knew Natalia was uncomfortable with her daughter being gay, but didn’t think she’d spew that kind of garbage. He asks Diane if it could be fake, and she says, possibly, but she doubts The Invader would run it without authentication. They’d be opening themselves up to a huge lawsuit. Sonny says, it makes no sense, but she says, he’d be surprised how easily some people hide their ugliness in polite company. He says he thought she’d be smart enough not to talk to somebody who was recording it, and Diane says, sometimes hated gets the better of people. He wonders why Alexis would run such a thing, but Diane says, Alexis didn’t. She quit this morning. Sonny says, whoever did this hurt his daughter, and that means there’s a target on their back

Diane tells Sonny to take this lesson seriously. Even things said in privacy behind closed doors run the risk of exposure. Sonny says he knows the danger, and she tells him, things said in anger can work against him in a custody fight. The court needs to see him as a reliable and stand-up parent who they can trust. He asks how he can be a good parent if he doesn’t do anything about the garbage being said about his daughter? Diane says, activists on social media are calling for Kristina to resign from the center she founded. They don’t think she should be running an outreach if she’s dating someone who’s in the closet. They’re saying she has too much internalized homophobia to be trusted. People get worked up about things they know nothing about. Sonny throws his phone against the door.

Alexis tells Kristina not to jump to the worst case, and Kristina says, people are already saying ugly things. Alexis says, Natalia robbed Blaze of coming out on her own terms. She’s not going to interfere between Blaze and her mother, but she is going after the person who made this public. Alexis leaves.  

Ava says she didn’t set out to hurt Kristina, Blaze, or herself. Adrian will keep his mouth shut and she’ll have plausible deniability. If anybody asks him to identify where he got the audio file… He says, it came via the anonymous tip line. Ava tells him, get out, and he heads for the door. She asks if he’s learned nothing, and she checks the hallway. She says, okay. Go.  

Natalia says she keeps going over it in her mind, but has no memory of saying that to anyone. Maybe her phone was tapped. Lois says, it doesn’t sound like a bad connection. It sounds like it was in person, but she doesn’t think that’s the real issue. Lucy says, it’s not about the how and why. It’s about, what the hell do we do now? Blaze says she’ll need to respond. Not so much because she’s the Face of Deception, but there’s so much more. It’s going to impact her music career. Natalia says, they’ll put together a joint statement and give it to a friendly outlet, but Blaze asks why she’d publicly associate with Natalia when the whole world heard what Natalia thinks of her. Natalia says, it wasn’t specifically about her. It was more a generalization. Blaze says, Natalia mentioned both her and Kristina, but would it matter if she’d left their names out? Which gays are disturbing and offensive to her fragile sensibilities? Do drag queens on a Pride float make her angry? Do her and Kristina holding hands make Natalia sick to her stomach? Or is the problem that any two women in love disgust her? She’s quiet now. She has nothing to say now that they’re in private. Why? The whole world has heard her words by now. She should have known something like this would happen. She talks about gay people dismissively or with pity, reducing them to how they look and talk, and who they love. They’re not real people, herself included. Lucy says, it’s ironic that the same person who locked Blaze in the closet is the same person who just outed her, and Maxie tells her that she’s not helping. Natalia says she’s the victim. She was used to damage her daughter’s career. Blaze says, Natalia hasn’t heard what she said. She let Natalia convince her to portray a straight person, and now Natalia’s words are going to destroy any hope for her future life in music. Blaze walks out.

Natalia says she’s sorry. Her daughter is emotional. Lois says, she has a right to be. Does Natalia want to go after her? Natalia says she doesn’t think it would do any good, not when Blaze is in this frame of mind. She knows her daughter. Maxie says, does she? and Scotty says he has nothing more to contribute. He’s going to leave. Maxie tells him to stay. They might need legal advice. Lucy says she thinks a lawyer should be here to finalize the last addendum to Blaze’s contract, and she rips it up. Natalia says, she can’t do that. Blaze is known everywhere as the Face of Deception. If they try to get rid of her, they risk backlash in the press and in court. Maxie says she thinks they’re within their rights to change their relationship with Blaze.

Blaze knocks at Kristina’s door, and when there’s no answer, she lets herself in. Kristina is on the sofa, looking at her phone, and Blaze asks if Kristina didn’t hear her knocking. Kristina says, sorry. She was zoned out on her phone. Blaze says she’s guessing Kristina read The Invader article. She was hoping Kristina hadn’t seen it, but then she’d be the one giving the bad news. Kristina says she’s definitely seen it. The comments are awful. Instagram is particularly brutal. It looks like she’s canceled. Blaze says she thinks they both are.

Adrian goes to the pool and asks for a margarita pitcher and the guac trio, extra salty chips. And put it on Nina Reeves’s tab. He lies on a chaise lounge and closes his eyes. Someone approaches his chair, and he says, they’re in his sun. Alexis says, it’s better than being all up in his business. Which she will be if he doesn’t agree to play ball. She had to harass his assistant until he cracked to find out where Adrian was. Adrian says, note to self, fire assistant, and tells her, whatever it is will have to wait until tomorrow. She’s intruding on his hard-earned afternoon off. She says, good, since he published that loathsome recording in The Invader, and intruded on her daughter and her girlfriend. He asks if that’s what’s snapping her brassiere (really? have we been transported to the 1950s?), and she says, it will be fun to sue him and him and The Invader into oblivion.

Natalia asks if they’re saying her daughter is no longer good enough to be the Face of Deception since she’s been outed. She can’t sell their products because she’s gay? Maxie tells her that she’s saying the exact opposite. What they can’t afford to have is someone ashamed to be gay. They have a diverse clientele that they’re proud of, a lot of whom are gay and have a large social media presence. What they can’t do is align themselves with someone who’s ashamed. They’re proud to be a gay friendly company, so they need Natalia and Blaze to either get with the program or kick rocks. Lois says, they’re all parents and love their kids. A difficult situation is evolving, but it’s less about a contract than about a mother and daughter finding their way back to each other. They should be a little careful with hurtful words. Maxie says she’s telling the truth, and Lucy says, they love Blaze, but they can’t sacrifice their reputation for her. Lois agrees, but thinks they should put the negative aside for now and work on their PR response. Give Natalia a chance to try and make peace with her daughter. Natalia says, her relationship with her daughter is none of their business, but when it comes to Blaze’s contract, if they do anything to hurt Blaze, they’ll deal with her. Natalia leaves.

Blaze says she’s so sorry. People are saying horrible things and it’s her fault. Kristina says, it’s not. It’s her mother’s fault. Blaze says, they wouldn’t be having this conversation if she’d been truthful, but Kristina says, Blaze did what she thought best. Blaze says she did what was easiest. She didn’t want to rock the boat and tried to have it both ways. Now it might cost her everything, including Kristina. She knows how much the center means to her, and if Kristina can’t forgive the damage that she and her mom caused, she understands. They can go their separate ways and no hard feelings. Kristina doesn’t have to decide now. She’ll leave and let her figure it out. Kristina says, don’t you dare. She’s not going anywhere. She’s hadn’t caused any damage in Kristina’s life. She was already planning on handing over the reins of the center. The only thing she lost was the title of undercover girlfriend. She was already out and had nothing to hide. Blaze says, there might be nothing left to salvage. What if she loses everything? She hid, and people hate liars. Kristina says, Blaze is breaking her heart. She’s beating herself up when it’s not her fault. It’s going to be okay. They’re going to be okay. They’ll get through this. She has faith in them. Does Blaze still feel the same way? Blaze says she’s sorry, but she doesn’t.

Adrian tells Alexis to do her worst and laughs. If her legal skill is on par with her ability to publish a newspaper, he’ll be just fine. He has the Bill of Rights on his side. Alexis says, even the Bill of Rights has its limits. She remembers warning him to be cautious about how deploys secret recordings. He says, if Natalia didn’t know she was being recorded that’s too bad. New York is a one-party consent state. Perhaps Alexis should consult her law books before returning to court. She says, perhaps he should seek legal counsel. Nina is going to cut the tightrope he’s walking on when she finds out. There’s reasonable expectation of privacy. Adrian says, Blaze is the Face of Deception and a famous singer. Public figures don’t get to claim privacy. She says, Blaze’s mother isn’t, and he monetized and commercialized a private citizen without consent. He left a big softball hanging left for her hit out of the park. He says he wants to consult a lawyer, and Alexis says, he has one right here. She’ll even waive the retainer. She’ll make it go away in exchange for one small thing. She wants him to name the person who supplied him with the recording.

Natalia gets in her car, crying, and breathing heavily. She listens to the recording on her phone, and wonders who she was talking to. Why the hell did they record it and send it to the media? Suddenly, the lightbulb comes on.

Maxie wonders, what’s next? and Lois thinks she should cool her appearances, but Lucy says, they need her. She’s the only Face they have left. They need to show they have nothing to hide or be embarrassed about. Scotty says, Lucy is right. They have to deal with it head on. Lucy says, this might not be a popular opinion, but they can’t afford another stumble. They can’t put out that they’re not going to associate with Blaze. Maxie says she didn’t mean that part. She just said it to prompt Natalia to sacrifice herself. She underestimated Natalia’s self-absorption. Lois suggests they take a day to think, but Lucy says, they have no time. They need to make sure the public knows that’s not how they feel, or they could be inundated with candlelight vigils and marches and be canceled on social media. Scotty asks if he should draw up a statement. Is Blaze in or out?

Blaze tells Kristina that she’s not saying they should break up, but she doesn’t see a way to move forward. Kristina says she does. She’ll guide both of them. Blaze says, it’s a huge responsibility, but Kristina says she doesn’t care. Blaze is worth it, and she loves her. She refuses to accept that Blaze’s enormous talent can’t override the ugly things being said. She’s not saying that out of love, but out of love she’ll continue to say it until Blaze believes it.

Sonny tells Diane that they’ll talk again after she comes up with a strategy, when Natalia walks in. Sonny turns his back to her, and Diane says she’ll be in touch. She leaves and Natalia says she can tell Sonny heard the recording. He says he has, and she says she knows he’s pretty upset and doesn’t have a high opinion of her. He says, obviously, and she says she’s not going to force her presence on him. She’ll go, but first, she wanted him to know where the recording came from. He says, she insulted his daughter, and she says, unfortunately, those are her words, but they were said to someone close to him who secretly recorded her. He says, who? and she says, it actually took a while for her to remember who she had that regrettable conversation with. She realized the person who edited out their part is the same person who supplied the recording to The InvaderAva Jerome.

On the phone, Ava wonders where her room service is. There’s a knock at the door, and she says, there it is now. She opens the door, and Alexis is there. Alexis says, they need to have a conversion. One that won’t be recorded.

And I laaaugh because Adrian folded like a cheap suit.

Tomorrow, Sasha wants Blaze and Kristina to benefit from her hard-won experience; Lois has a suggestion; Sonny says, there are no limits to how far Ava will go; and Carly tells Josslyn there’s a good chance she could go to prison.

🧼 All  the Soap News Fit To Print…

Blaze and Kristina’s storyline today brought tears to my eyes. It almost softened the blow of Finn’s departure. Almost.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-jacqueline-grace-lopez-shares-why-representation-matters

Life imitating art.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-kin-shriner-is-recovering-from-surgery

He’s got a better perspective on his being let go than I do.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/michael-easton-puts-his-gh-exit-into-perspective

I’ll have what he’s having.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-chad-duell-shares-an-important-message-with-fans

So cool how they stay in touch. Soap stars are a different breed of actor.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-kimberly-mccullough-and-brooklyn-rae-silzer-reunite

GH won’t be on July 4th. You get the whole day off.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/soap-opera-soaps-holiday-schedule

🐪 No Camel For You…

Sorry. As of this posting, there was no recap for Real Housewives of Dubai. Stay tuned for it tomorrow, and in the meantime, there’s this. Discuss amongst yourselves.

https://www.realitytea.com/2024/07/02/caroline-stanbury-sergio-carrallo-might-not-make-it-rhodubai/

👠 What Happens In Jersey…

What happened.

What’s going to happen.

And what the Marge hopes will happen.

🗽 If They Can’t Make It There…

RHONY used to be my favorite of the franchise because, NYC, but I found the new cast to be mind-numbing, city or no city. Maybe the latest additions will make a difference. Or not.

🛟 Random Topics On Deck…

The perfect guest.

The feud.

And the fans.

🐕 Knowing the Drill…

It’s that time again. Actually, that time started here on Sunday night when I was wearing my chihuahua on my head after he heard the first firecracker.

https://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/article/10-easy-tips-happy-safe-pets-july-4th

⛲️ Summer Mood: On…

Join me tomorrow for soap, tea, and entertainment news. Until then, stay safe, stay wearing sunscreen whether you think you need to or not, and stay never reducing anyone to how they look and talk, and who they love.

December 8, 2023 – The Not Perfect Tree Is Lit, Her Return, The M.E., Side Gig, Barrier Breaker, Sisters, Problem, Hamster Wheel, You’re Fired, LVP Report, Hannukah Pups, Quote Octet & Hollis

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Elizabeth and Finn walk to his door, and he thanks her for doing this. She says she wouldn’t miss it, and from inside, Violet asks if it’s Finn. He says, it is, and she says, don’t come in until she tells him to. She says, he can come in now, and throws open the door. She says, look at her tree, and Gregory says, she picked it out herself. The tree isn’t quite Charlie Brown, but it’s pretty janky.

Molly is about to knock on Kristina’s door, when TJ asks if she really wants to do this. She asks if he’s having second thoughts, but he says, let’s call it an abundance of caution. Sometimes life doesn’t give you time to think things over. You make a snap decision and have to live with the consequences, but they have time to take a moment and review and reevaluate. She asks where he’s going with this, and he says, she’s the smart Davis daughter, Sam is the resourceful one, Kristina is the impetuous one. Are the 100% sure they want her to be their surrogate?

Anna goes to Valentin’s house and asks if Charlotte is here. He says, she’s with Laura. It helps her to spend some quality time with her grandmother. Anna says, that’s perfect really. Laura is a wonderful presence in Charlotte’s life. Charlotte’s lucky to have her. He says, she’s got a dad too, and asks what he can do for Anna. She says, nothing. She just came by to give him an update. He says, on? and she says, on the arsonist who set fire to her house. It wasn’t Charlotte.

Lois looks up the stairs and says, this is a disaster, and Olivia says she knows. Lois says, not one inch of this entire gigantic house has been decorated for Christmas.

On a plane, Tracy hears the stewardess say that they’re anticipating landing in an hour. She looks at her phone and sees her and Luke’s wedding picture. She starts to cry and puts on her sunglasses and a hat.

Lois tells Olivia that Lila would be so upset. She’d have Reginald… Olivia says, who? and Lois says, Reggie. He was the butler when she and Ned were married. She would have Reggie and the entire staff decorating this house by the first of the month. Everything would be out except for a few things that came out on Christmas Eve. She’s thinking of a specific train set that Alan was very fond of. It was a family heirloom given to him by his grandfather who was in railroads. Olivia says, like an engineer? but Lois says, no. Great-grandpa Quartermaine owned railroads going upstate into Canada, and this particular train set was an exact replica of one of his trains. Alan was so proud of it, but by then, it was an antique, so it only came out on Christmas Eve, but everything else was everywhere else. There were wreaths on the doors, there was a garland going all the way down the staircase, and everything by December 1st. She can’t believe Olivia wasn’t more on getting the decorations up. Her family’s house, her father’s garage was like a Christmas wonderland. Olivia’s own apartment… She could tell Olivia’s room on the street just by looking up. Olivia says she still enjoys Christmas decorating, but early on in her marriage to Ned, she and Monica sort of clashed over the Christmas décor. She wanted a fresh tree; Olivia put up something more… effusive. Monica made it very clear that this was her house, it was her choice, so Olivia just let it be. She let Monica take the lead with the Christmas decorating. Lois says she appreciates the sensitivity, but they can’t leave this house bare while they’re waiting for Monica to come back from her medical conference. Olivia says, okay, then let’s go for it, and Lois says, if her vote has any weight to it, she would appreciate a natural tree as well. Olivia says, she can do natural. Look at her fingernails. If they’re going to get a tree, they’d better get moving.

Violet says, it wasn’t as pretty as the others. If she hadn’t picked it, it might have not gotten picked at all. Finn says he thinks she chose the perfect tree, but Violet says, the whole point is that it’s not perfect. Finn says, but he thinks it’s perfect for them, and Elizabeth says she agrees. Violet is really getting into the spirit of Christmas. And she promises they are going to make this tree look spectacular. Gregory says, the first step is putting on the lights. Who’s going to do the honors? Violet says, daddy, and Finn says, how about a nice cup of hot cocoa first?

Molly says, from the moment she and TJ decided to have a baby, they faced nothing but setbacks. Sometimes she thinks the universe is trying to tell them something. Maybe they’re not meant to have children. He tells her, he never said that, and she says, so he does want to have a baby. He says, absolutely, and she says, so does she. Anytime she thinks about giving up and accepting they’re not going to have kids, she gets this pit in her stomach. That’s why she was crying in the park when Kristina found her. The thought of never having a family with TJ broke her. He says he’s so sorry, and she says, that’s when everything started to shift. Think about this. She’s never in the park in the middle of the afternoon. She’d be in her office or be in court. What are the odds she’d be there and so would Kristina? About a million to one. That’s got to be fate, right? Fate that her sister would find her. Fate that her sister would offer to carry their child again. And she has no interest in fighting fate. She can feel it in her heart that this is the right thing to do, and she’s 1000% sure about Kristina. He says, then so is he. Let’s do this. She knocks on the door, and Kristina invites them in. She asks what brings them over, and TJ says, this is more of a sister thing, so he’ll let Molly explain. Kristina says, spill it, sister, and Molly says she’s here to officially ask Kristina for a huge favor, one that will dominate her life for the next nine months… Kristina says, yes, she’ll be their surrogate, and Molly asks if she’s sure. Kristina says she’s never been so sure of anything in her life, and hugs Molly.

Valentin says, Charlotte has always denied burning down Anna’s house, but she lies about a lot of things. Anna says, she didn’t lie about this, and Valentin asks how she can be sure. She says, forensics collected some scraps of fabric in the bushes around her house and they all tested positive for the accelerant that started the fire. And they lifted some DNA which matched someone who isn’t his daughter. He says, thank God, and sits down. She sit’s next to him and says, it’s a relief. She didn’t want to think Charlotte had gone that far. He wonders why he didn’t believe her. Why didn’t he have faith in his own daughter? She said there’s a DNA match. Who’s the arsonist? She says she can’t tell him that.

Gregory says, the whole point is that it’s not perfect, and chuckles. He sits on the sofa, and Finn asks if he’s all right, but Gregory says he’s fine. He just sat down a little more quickly than he intended. He really wants this to be a good Christmas. Finn says, one to remember, when Elizabeth comes back with Violet and says, cocoa’s ready. They all take a cup, and Violet says, they should put up the lights. Finn says, since she did such a good job making the cocoa, it seems a shame to gulp it down, but Elizabeth says, don’t worry. She can make more. There’s a knock at the door and Finn answers it to Chase and Brook. Finn asks how Chase is with Christmas lights.

Anna gets up and says, she just wanted Valentin to know his daughter’s not responsible for the fire at her house, and he says, if there’s a DNA match, that means the arsonist is in a data base somewhere. So who is it? She says she can’t share that information with him, and he asks if it’s classified. She says she doesn’t know. She would imagine there’s someone somewhere who considers it classified. He says he’s not talking to them, he’s talking to her, so who burned her house? She says, he doesn’t need to know, and he says he doesn’t understand. She says, really? It astonishes her that he doesn’t understand, because she feels she made herself quite clear the last time they saw each other. She can’t tell him who burned her house down because she can’t trust him.

Kristina says, Molly was so emotional the last time she saw her, she wondered if, in thinking about it more, Molly might not want her to be her surrogate. Molly says, life’s been a roller coaster since she found out she can’t get pregnant, and when Andrea miscarried, she and TJ were devastated. TJ says he can quote her the odds on miscarriage, but none of that prepared him for when Andrea told him that she lost their baby or having to tell Molly. Molly says, when Andrea miscarried, she realized she needed to do some real soul searching. For the first time in her life, something she really wanted wasn’t going to come to her because she was smart and prepared and willing to work hard. She felt entitled to being a mom. Like whenever she and TJ were ready, whenever it fit into their schedules, she’d get pregnant, and they’d have a baby nine months later. But when that couldn’t happen because of her, because she’s basically infertile – she tears up – she jumped right into finding a solution, solving the problem. She could do that, so she picked Andrea to be their surrogate and she got pregnant. Everything was going according to plan… until it wasn’t. And it’s only now she realizes she has to do the thing that scares her the most. She has to accept that she’s not in control and ask for help.

Olivia and Lois come into the mansion, and Lois says, at least they made a start. Olivia says she’ll get the other garlands and wreaths from the florist, and Lois says she’s so glad they got the tree from PC Pioneers. It makes you feel so good knowing you gave back to the community, and those kids in their uniforms, so cute. Olivia says, it makes her think of little Dante when he was that age, and Lois asks if he was a Pioneer. Olivia says, no, he wasn’t, but it’s not for her lack of trying. She signed him up and took him to his first meeting. The kid jumped out the window and escaped before she even got her car out of the parking lot. Lois says, no, and Olivia says, hand to God. She got a call from the troop leader. He was apologetic, beside himself, and she told him, calm down. She went and checked the corner lot, and who is there playing baseball but little Dante Falconari. She wanted to grab that kid by the back of his hair and drag him home, but then she said, you know what? Who is she to dictate his dream? If her kid wants to play sandlot baseball and dream of a career in the major leagues instead of learning the fundamentals of camping, who is she to say? He’s her kid and she should support him, so that’s what she did. Lois says, that’s always been one of her favorite things about Olivia. She just takes people as they come and loves them for who they are. She doesn’t try to make them who she thinks they should be. Olivia says, it’s a fine line sometimes. With your kids, you’ve got to accept them, but you’ve also got to provide some guidance. Lois says, it’s like being a carpenter and a gardener, but Olivia says she doesn’t follow. Lois says, a carpenter builds a house based on his plans. The wood has no say. But a gardener is different because he raises what he has. He may tend the soil, fertilize it, pull the weeds, give it water, a little bit of love, but he doesn’t plant a pine tree expecting it to grow into an oak. He just raises the very best trees he can. Olivia says, Lois has definitely done that with Brook. She’s a spectacular young woman. Lois thanks her, and says, Olivia’s done a pretty good job with Dante and Leo as well. Olivia says, they’re both very good gardeners, and Lois says, that they are. Olivia says, Cody is going to be here with the tree any minute. They’ve got to get the Christmas ornaments. They both race up the stairs.

Molly says, people always tell her that she’s generous, and Kristina says, and humble. Molly says, what she never realized is that the person who is giving is in charge. They’re deciding when and how much, and hopefully, they’re doing good, but they’re in control. And they all know how much she loves to be in control. TJ says, she’s being way too hard on herself, and Molly says, asking for help means giving control to someone else. And that would be hard for her under any circumstances, but it’s excruciating when the person she’s asking for help is someone she’s treated unfairly. Kristina says, if Molly means her, she’s forgiven. Not that there’s anything to forgive. Molly says, what about the fact she was a total witch the first time Kristina offered to be their surrogate? but Kristina says she didn’t really think it through. She didn’t realize what was at stake. TJ says, he and Molly were pretty raw in those first weeks. Neither of them made an effort to see where she was coming from. Molly says, especially her. She realizes her reaction back then had less to do with Kristina and a lot more to do with her being messy and irrational, things she tries to avoid. It hurt that Kristina could carry a child and she can’t. It would be easy for Kristina, which doubled down on her pain, which makes no sense, she knows. Kristina says, please. She wrote the book on being messy and irrational, and if Molly had taken her up on her original offer, it would have been a huge mistake. They weren’t ready. As painful as it was going through this process, it made them ready. She is ready and she wants to do this. Molly thanks her and says she’s so lucky to have Kristina as her sister, and as her surrogate. Kristina says she’s the lucky one, and they hug.

Anna says she really does want to be clear on this. Valentin lied to her, and because he lied, she had no idea the intruder in her apartment was his daughter. He says, she’s right and he takes full responsibility, but she withheld information too. She’s far too good an agent to shoot at pointblank range without a confirmed target. She was gunning for someone that night, wasn’t she? Charlotte got in the way. She says she guesses they both have to live with that for the rest of their lives, right? She heads for the door, but he says, wait. He’s sorry. He wishes he’d told her. He didn’t tell her that Charlotte was stalking her because he was afraid. He was afraid if she knew, she’d leave him; she’d end their relationship. She asks why she would. She doesn’t know that she would have ended the relationship, but they’ll never know because he didn’t give her a choice. He didn’t tell her the truth, so she couldn’t make her own decisions. It’s too late for them, but it’s not too late for his daughter. He needs to focus on her and get her the help she needs.

About to plug in the lights, Chase says, everybody cross your fingers, but Brook says, wait. She brings Violet in front of the tree and tells her that if she makes a wish the moment before the Christmas lights come on for the first time, it’ll come true. Get her wish ready. Violet closes her eyes, and Brook says, okay. Chase plugs in the lights, and Violet looks at the tree. She says she knew it would be beautiful.

Olivia and Lois look through the Christmas ornaments, and Lois asks what this reminds Olivia of. She holds a silver ball by each ear, and Olivia says, how about St. Finbar’s their sophomore year? Sister Joanne Claire was so mad when she realized it was them sneaking into her office and moving around pictures of the saints. Lois says, they would swap Peter and Paul, and Olivia says, they got themselves detention and they had to decorate the auditorium for Christmas all by themselves. Lois says, they were there until 3 am, and Olivia says, 3:17, but who’s counting? Lois says, when they came out that morning and their parents were waiting for them, she doesn’t think she’s ever seen her mother so angry, but her father was disappointed. Somehow, that was so much worse. Olivia says she got a speech the whole way home. She can still hear it. Your cousin Connie would never do anything like this. Lois says, that’s because her cousin Connie never stepped a toe out of line. Although she’s got to say, she wishes she’d followed Olivia’s cousin Connie, because she was grounded with a 5 pm curfew until the following April. And by the way, Olivia was supposed to be grounded too. Olivia says she was, technically. Does Lois remember her bedroom window? It was a joke. Lois says, Olivia snuck out of that bedroom window so easily, she might as well have been on the ground floor. Oliva says, right out the window and into the nightclubs in the city all night long. Lois says, her poor parents, and Olivia says, honestly, she looks back and feels bad for all the worries she gave them, but at the time, she really enjoyed herself. Lois says, yeah, she did, when Cody comes in. He says he grabbed the tree and got some garland. Where do they want them? Lois says she’s so glad he asked.

The stewardess gives the spiel to prepare for landing, and Tracy buckles her seatbelt. She looks at her phone and says, damn you, Luke Spencer. I miss you.

Valentin says he doesn’t think Anna is in a position to tell him what Charlotte needs right now, and Anna says, she needs counseling. Charlotte was stalking her for months. That is not normal behavior. He says, she saw the letter from Victor. She knows Charlotte’s actions weren’t malicious. She says, maybe not, but they are unquestionably illegal, and he says, Charlotte thought she was protecting him. She thought Anna was a threat. Anna tells him that he’s not doing Charlotte any favors by making excuses for her. He’s enabling her. He says, she was manipulated by a master manipulator. Victor exploited her love for her father and need for a family. She thought Anna was dangerous. Then of course (🍷), when he released her file, and the world knew Anna had been acting as a double agent… She says, don’t throw that in her face, please, and he says he’s not, but she can’t refute it; it was true. Charlotte thought she was protecting him. Think about that. A teenage girl standing against a master spy. So they can say what they will about his daughter, but she’s not a coward. She did what she thought she had to do. Anna says, he’s proud of her? but he says he’s appalled at what she did, but he’s proud of her courage and determination. He’s sickened that Victor twisted her for his purposes. She says, he didn’t tell Charlotte to write the word murderer on her door or break into her hotel suite and trash her clothes and write a threatening message on her mirror. Charlotte came up with that all on her own.

Molly says she can’t believe this is actually going to happen, and TJ says, sometimes the universe finds a way. She says all she knows is, she’s grateful. This feels right. Kristina comes out with three filled champagne flutes, and says, it’s time the expectant parents celebrated up.

Cody, Olivia, and Lois all help with putting a fabulous garland on the staircase banister. Lois says she’s been meaning to ask Cody, why does he call Olivia Mama Q? He says, she’s Dante’s mother. What else would he call her? Olivia says, if Lois tells him zia, she’ll murder her where she’s standing. Cody asks, what’s a zia?

Violet says, they need tinsel and ornaments, and Chase says, before they get to the real decorating, he and Brook have an announcement to make. Violet asks if he can announce fast. They have to decorate. Elizabeth says, it might be important. Don’t rush them. Violet apologizes and tells them to take as much time as they need. Brook thanks her and says she thinks Chase should do the honors. Chase says, okay. Dad, Finn, Violet, Elizabeth, Brook has agreed to be his wife, and they’re getting married. Everybody is all, yay! and Brook and Chase kiss.

Kristina hands out the glasses and says, to the baby to come. No child will ever be more loved or more welcome. TJ says, hear, hear, and they clink glasses. Molly says, it’s ginger ale. Not that there would be anything wrong with drinking right now, and TJ asks if Kristina is jump starting a healthy new lifestyle or is this the only thing with bubbles she had in the fridge. Kristina says, both. She had a friend bring a really nice bottle of champagne over actually, but it didn’t last very long in this house. Maybe she should get an early start and indulge in all the caffeine and alcohol while she can. TJ says, they know she’s giving up a lot, but Kristina says, it’s well worth it. TJ says, to Molly, to Kristina, and to this… Kristina says, to this expanding family. They all say, cheers, and clink glasses.

Valentin says, it’s true. Victor never told Charlotte how to stalk Anna. He imagines she got that off the internet or some book. Anna says, he imagines? Did he question her about this? He says he hasn’t interrogated his teenage daughter, no. She’s been traumatized. She’s recovering from a gunshot wound. Anna says she’s aware, and he says, she needs time to heal. Anna says, she needs her father to stop making excuses for her. He’s not protecting her. He can’t keep blaming Victor for what happened. He says, Victor’s to blame, and she says, if Charlotte had been arrested for the crimes she committed, what was she going to plea? My dead grandpa made me do it? It doesn’t matter what Victor wrote to her. It doesn’t matter what lies he told her. Charlotte is responsible for her own actions, and he has to make her understand that. And he has to get her the help that she needs, before she does something irrevocable.

Everyone congratulates Chase and Brook, and Gregory says, Chase is a lucky man. Brook says she’s the lucky one, but Chase says, they both are. Gregory says he wishes them both a lifetime of love, and Violet asks if Chase gave Brook a ring. Chase says he did, and Brook says she kept it hidden as to not ruin the surprise. She takes it out of her pocket, and Chase asks if Violet wants to see him put it on her finger. Violet says, yes, please, and Chase takes the ring. Violet says, wait. He’s supposed to get down on one knee. Brook says, he did when he asked her to marry him, and Violet asks if he can’t get down on one knee again. She wants the complete picture. Finn says, him too, and Chase says, of course (🍷) he can. He does and puts the ring on Brook’s finger. They kiss and everyone applauds. Violet asks when Finn is going to give Aunt Elizabeth a ring, and Finn is like, uh… Elizabeth says, time to decorate the tree.

As they decorate the tree, Cody asks, what’s so bad about being called a zia? Olivia says, nothing… or everything, depending on your circumstances. He says he doesn’t get it, and Lois says, zia means auntie, which could refer to your mother or your father’s sister. Olivia says, or your sister-in-law, and Lois says, or it could be distant cousin or any female relation. But it could also be a term of affection. Olivia says, or someone, a woman, who you’re close with, but aren’t actually related to, and Lois says, but there is a generational aspect to it. It’s for somebody older. For example, you would never refer to her Brookie as zia. He says, but he could call her zia, and she says, no. Technically yes, but absolutely no, he cannot. She would prefer it if he’d continue to call her Lois. He says he totally understands, and Olivia says, this tree looks so beautiful. It’s so nice having Cody to help out. Cody says, it’s his pleasure, and Lois asks how he likes working for the Quartermaines. He says he really likes it. It’s the first place in a long time that feels like home.

Olivia thanks Cody and says, they couldn’t have done it without him. Lois says, he gets extra points for patience, and he says, it was a lot of fun. He learned a new word, although he’ll never call either of them zia. And it got him into the spirit of the season. He might grab a tree for the stables. He thanks them for a fun time, and leaves. Lois tells Olivia, you know what? She’s got to say, this looks a lot better than the auditorium at St. Finbar’s. They laugh and clink glasses.

Anna tells Valentin, Charlotte has to know what she did was wrong, and that she can’t solve her problems by breaking into people’s houses and writing threatening messages. He says he agrees. Charlotte needs limits, and she’ll get them. She needs counseling and she’ll get that too, but they have a big problem. Victor convinced Charlotte that Anna was dangerous, and Anna shot her. So in Charlotte’s mind, Victor was right. Anna chokes up and says she hopes he gets through to his daughter, and that he gets her to understand that Victor was never right about anything. She walks to the door, and he says, wait. She turns to him, and he says he’s sorry. She says, so is she, and leaves. When she gets outside, she cries.

Brook says, that is one gorgeous tree, and Chase says, it might be the best tree he’s ever seen. Elizabeth says, it certainly is lovely, and Violet says, Brook was right. When you make a wish on a Christmas tree, your wish comes true. Hers already did. Finn asks what she wished for, and she asks if it’s okay to tell. Brook says, absolutely, and Violet says, she wished for this to be the best Christmas ever and it is. Their tree is beautiful, Uncle Chase and Brook are getting married, and she has a present for all of them. Gregory asks, what kind of present? and she says, stay here. She’ll be right back. She winks at Chase and runs off. Gregory asks if Chase has any idea what this is, and Chase says, it could be beaded necklaces. Finn says, he’s kind of secretive. Is he sure he doesn’t have any idea what this present is? Chase says he can neither confirm nor deny, when Violet comes back with a guitar. She hands it to Chase and says she’s going to sing a song that she wrote herself, and Uncle Chase will accompany her. Chase plays, and Violet sings about, when there are no lights, I want to shine for you. She’s very good for one so young. They applaud and cheer.

Kristina asks, what happens next? and Molly says, they talk to their fertility specialist, let them know they have a surrogate and they’re ready to move forward. TJ says, once they have a more concrete timetable, they’ll get back to her about scheduling, but they’re hoping it will be soon. Kristina says, the sooner, the better. Now that they know what they’re doing, there’s no point in waiting around. TJ thanks her, and they hug. Molly says she’ll be grateful to Kristina forever, and they hug. Kristina says, it’s her great honor, and Molly and TJ leave. In the hallway, TJ says, this is really happening, and Molly says, they might just get their miracle after all. They hug, and inside, Kristina sends a text to Blaze: Want 2 talk I have big news.

Olivia says, they do good work, and Lois says, Sister Joanne Claire would be proud. Olivia says, they’ve got a lot of house to go, but these two rooms look beaut-tee-ful, and Lois says, they do. They hear the front door slam, and hear Tracy say, no. Olivia and Lois go to the foyer, where Tracy is walking through with her luggage carrier, saying, no, no, no, no. She tells them, this will not do. Not at all. Lois and Olivia look at each other.

On Monday, Curtis tells Marshall, if he gets his wish, he’s never going to ask for anything again; Josslyn tells Dex not to joke about this; Tracy says, she’s home in the nick of time; and Sonny says he’ll talk to Michael on Nina’s behalf, but she says, no.

💝 Revisiting Irene…

All about Marshall’s first love.

🔬 Livingston We Presume…

I thought I’d seen him around.

🚗 Drive She Said…

When she’s not singing, she’s driving a Honda.

🥀 Goodbye To a Game Changer…

Farewell to a soap legend.

💎 Shoots Own Foot…

If she knows it’s going to cause her angst, why does she keep talking?

🍊 Spilling On Shannon…

It wouldn’t surprise me.

💐 Exes With No Charm…

These people are too weird. Although I wish I’d been a fly on the wall at BravoCon.

🍹 Not So Hospitable…

I watched this. Coupled with her poking the bear on Southern Charm, I’m starting not to like Leva so much.

🍸 All About That Pump…

I can’t wait. Chateau shenanigans

She’s basically pleading the fifth.

Six degrees of LVP.

🐶 Festival Of Dogs…

Furbabies ready for the holiday.

You, too, can include your pup.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/celebrate-hanukkah-dog-220838396.html

🐧 Quotes of the Week

Get up. Bring your butter. – Heather Gay, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

Vision without action is daydream. Action without vision is nightmare. – Japanese Proverb

Healing comes from taking responsibility: to realize that it is you – and no one else – that creates your thoughts, your feelings, and your actions. – Peter Shepherd

We can have peace if we let go of wanting to change the past and wanting to control the future. – Lester Levinson

The opportunity of a lifetime is to pick yourself. Quit waiting to get picked; quit waiting for someone to give you permission; quit waiting for someone to say you are officially qualified… and pick yourself. – Seth Godin (For those who were always picked last in gym class.)

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. – Anatole France

True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice. – Saint Francis of Assisi

You know what a gift card says? You do it. – Carl MacMillan (Reno Wilson), Mike & Molly

🤹🏽‍♀️ Jingling Only Partway…

Make a return trip on Monday really Tuesday for soap and what little the Med has to offer. Until then, stay safe, stay extending acts of kindness to those with no family, and stay taking people as they come, loving them for who they are, and not trying to make them into who you think they should be.

September 22, 2023 – Drew Gets a Nasty Surprise, Blazing Again, In His Memory, Influenced, She’s In, Surviving, Lego Rick, Best In Dead, Almost Fear, Senior Swimmer, Pets (!) For the Win, 10 Quotes Plus Mine & Last

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis wheels himself into the hospital, and Portia says she didn’t expect to see him here. She was just about to head home. He says he had a follow-up appointment and was hoping to catch her. She asks what she can do for him… Is it that bad? He says, no, but it is important. It’s about their daughter.

Trina works on a paper in her dorm room, when there’s a knock at the door. She says she’s busy; go away. The knocking continues, and she says, go away. Spencer asks if she’s too busy for her boyfriend, and begins drumming on the door. She says, okay, okay, and opens the door. She says, yes, she’s even too busy for him, and he makes a pouty face.

Jordan comes out of the hospital elevator, and TJ runs over and hugs her. He asks what she’s doing here, and she says her neighbor had surgery. She thought she’d stop by and visit her. He says, that’s nice of her, although he’d expect nothing less from his amazing mother, and she says, someone’s in a good mood. He says he’s pumped. Dr. Chang asked him to assist in surgery this morning. She says she’s guessing that’s a big deal, and he says, she has no idea. Dr. Chang is the best in his field, and there he was, right by his side. The doctor even asked TJ to join him in his next surgery. Jordan says, that’s great. She’s so proud of him. He thanks her and says, now he has to do even more research because he has to be at the top of his game for the next surgery. She says, luckily, he has time to study now. When a baby comes into the picture, things are going to change.

On the phone outside the courtroom, Molly tells a women that they’ll have to set up a meeting with DA Scorpio. Alexis comes along, and Molly tells the woman that they’ll talk later. Alexis says she knew Molly was in court today and wanted to see how she did. Did she win? Molly says, no. The judge sided with the defendant, and DA Scorpio is going to want to hear a play-by-play of what went wrong. Alexis says, nothing went wrong. Molly’s perfect. She’s sure it was the judge… bias. Look what happened to Drew. Molly’s phone rings, and she sees it’s Andrea. She tells Andrea that she’s kind of in the middle of something… Why does Andrea need to see her right away?

Blaze walks into Charlie’s, when her phone rings. She says she just got to Charlie’s… Don’t worry. Not a problem. She’ll just answer some emails on her phone… Blaze will see her when she gets here. Kristina says, oh my God. Blaze.

Carly thanks Diane for coming back to Sonny’s old kitchen the house with her, and Diane says she goes where Carly needs her. She stares longingly at the moss bowl🎍, and Carly says she didn’t want to have this conversation in public. The last thing they need is for anybody to hear what they’re saying. Diane said she had some information on the judge, but most important, is it enough to get Drew out of Pentenville?

Drew goes into the shower and gets nakey, camera angles and set pieces strategically blocking his lower half. He runs the shower, and two inmates walk in. Drew doesn’t see them because he’s facing the wall instead of the doorway, like anyone would be likely to do that when they’re by themselves in a prison.

Molly says she’s in the courthouse… Okay, that works. She’ll wait for Andrea here. Alexis asks if there’s a problem, but Molly says she’s not sure. Andrea was having breakfast next door and wants to see her in person. Alexis asks if she said what it was about, but Molly says, no, which means it’s bad news, right? If it was good news, Andrea would have told her what it was. Alexis says, they don’t know that, and Molly says, she didn’t sound happy. She seemed nervous. Alexis tells her, just relax. Andrea will be here any second. In the meantime, does Molly want her to wait? Molly asks if she has time, and Alexis says she always has time for her. She suggests they sit down, and Molly asks if she’s sure. Alexis says, she’ll just text Gregory and tell him that she’s going to be a little late this morning. Molly says, Alexis is spending a lot of time with him. Did she and Diane have an argument or something? Alexis says, the only thing she and Diane argue about is exercise. Is she not allowed to have more than one friend? There. She’s available to Molly for the rest of the morning. Molly asks her to thank Gregory for her, and Alexis says she will. She has to admit he was a great hire, and for a stuffy professor, he’s actually a lot of fun. He has great stories. Molly says she’s glad to hear that. She really likes him and hopes he stays around a long time.

Blaze says she’s sorry. Does she know Kristina? Kristina says, yes… no. Blaze doesn’t know her, but she knows Blaze. She loves Blaze’s music. Blaze thanks her, and Kristina says, her latest single is amazing. It’s on all of her playlists all the time; her cooking playlist, her running playlist, her productivity playlist. Her fangirl moment is going to come to an end now. Can she get Blaze a table? Blaze says she’s meeting someone here, but they’re running late. She thinks she’ll just wait at the bar. Kristina says, the first round’s on her; she insists. What can she get Blaze? A Bloody Mary? A mimosa? Blaze says, just some sparkling water. She’s here for a business meeting.

Trina says she’s working on her essay for her art seminar, and Spencer asks if she didn’t say her goal was to have more of a work/life balance at PCU. She says she did, but not if she wants her essay to be good, and she does. He says, she just started her junior year at PCU. If he has to guess, he bets she has two more weeks for this at least. Is he right? She says she’ll take him up on that bet, because he’ll lose in a heartbeat. It’s due on Tuesday. He says, oh, Tuesday, pulling her into his lap. In other words, she has plenty of time for a little bit of fun. He kisses her.

Portia asks, what’s going on with their daughter? and Curtis says, while they were playing video games last night… She says, the ones they said she wasn’t very good at, and he says he doesn’t think she’s figured out the buttons just yet. She says, he has to teach her. She wants to be down with them, and wants it to be a family affair. He says, of course (🍷). They’re getting a little off topic. While they were playing video games, Trina told him that she was planning a trip. He wondered if she mentioned that to Portia. Portia says, Trina hasn’t, but she’s certainly not surprised. Trina’s been pretty busy; moving back into the dorm, working part time at the gallery, and plus that huge class schedule she still has. She’s sure Trina just hasn’t told her yet. So where’s she going? Another art gallery probably. He says, no. It’s not art or school related. She’s taking a trip to Manhattan… with Spencer.

Diane says, as Carly knows, she just had breakfast with Robert Scorpio, and Carly says, Diane told her that he might have some insight as to why the judge gave Drew such a ridiculous sentence. Diane says, Robert told her that Judge Kim has career aspirations well beyond his current seat on the bench, and Carly says, like what? Diane says, like the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. The Second Circuit Court could be a huge steppingstone to the Supreme Court. For that you need an impressive judicial record, friends in the Justice Department… Carly says she gets all that. What does this have to do with Drew?

For a guy with a short haircut, Drew spends an inordinate amount of time washing his hair. One of the inmates nods to the other, and they approach. Drew feels their presence, turns around, and the fight starts. Drew slams one of them to the ground, but the other grabs Drew’s neck, and pushes him up against the wall, shoving his face under the shower stream.

Andrea finds Molly, who asks, what’s going on?

Drew finally gets the better of the inmate trying to strangle him under the water, but the other one gets up and jumps back into the fray. He gets Drew down, and they kick the crap out of him. Looking at these two goons, I find it hard to believe they could get the best of Drew, even nakey and wet, but he lies unconscious. We see blood go down the drain with the water.

Diane says, Judge Kim appears to be, could be, paving the way for the Justice Department to offer Carly a deal. Judge Kim hands Drew an overly harsh sentence. The Feds are well aware Carly is frantic to get Drew out of Pentenville. That’s their leverage. They offer to release him from prison in exchange for… Carly says, in exchange for information on Sonny, and Diane says, there you go.

Portia says, Trina and Spencer are going to New York City, and Curtis says he doesn’t want to betray her trust, but that’s what Trina told him. And he got the feeling Trina expected her to tell Portia. She asks, when is this happening? For how long? He says, this weekend, a couple of days. That’s the way he understands it. She says, okay, and he says he knows Spencer is a tricky subject for her and Trina, and he’s sorry if he upset her. She says, Trina’s a junior in college. If she wants to go away for the weekend, she has every right to, and she certainly doesn’t have to tell her mother about it in advance. He says, that’s not how he expected her to react. Is she really as calm about this as she seems?

Kristina asks if she can get Blaze a refill, and Blaze says, sure. Kristina says she understands this is totally none of her business, so feel free to say so, but does this meeting Blaze is having possibly have anything to do with her next album? Blaze says, no. She’s looking for new management because her last manager was a total creep. Thank God that’s over. Kristina says she remembers that whole thing blew up at the Nurses Ball. She’s sure everyone wants to sign Blaze though. Blaze says, they do, but after Linc, she realizes she needs more control over her career. It’s hard to find people with vision. Most just want you to churn out the same songs year after year; the old, shut up and sing. They don’t want to hear she plays four instruments and writes as well. She has a voice, and it’s her fault she stayed with Linc for as long as she did, because he wouldn’t listen to it. She won’t make that mistake again.

TJ tells Jordan that he’s fully prepared for their lives to change, if and when a baby comes along. He understands he won’t be able to devote as much time to medicine, and that’s not a problem. Everything will take a backseat to the baby. He shouldn’t even be talking like this. They don’t even know if the IVF was successful. Jordan asks how long before they find out if it worked, and he says, Andrea should know in a few days. But he and Molly are trying to give her space. They’re trying to resist the urge to text her every morning asking if she’s pregnant. Jordan says she knows it can’t be easy, and he says, it’s not. Molly’s been through so much disappointment since they started trying to have a baby. He doesn’t want her hopes up if it doesn’t happen this time. She says, but it could.

Molly says, before Andrea tells her why she needed to see her, she needs to say something first. This whole surrogate experience has been hard on her and TJ, but she’s also tried to put herself in Andrea’s shoes. She must feel so much responsibility to make this happen for them, and she just wants Andrea to know, if she has bad news, and it didn’t take… Andrea tries to interrupt, but Molly keeps on going. And if she doesn’t want to be their surrogate anymore, Molly completely understands. Alexis says, Molly is just so smart. Sometimes she overthinks things. Andrea says she’s not here with bad news; just the opposite in fact. She’s pregnant. Molly says, really? and Andrea says, they should have Dr. Navarro confirm, but the home test says she’s pregnant. She and Molly hug.

One of the inmates gives Drew another kick, but his cohort says, that’s enough. The job’s done. They leave, and we see more blood go down the drain.

Portia tells Curtis, is she thrilled that Trina is going away for the weekend to Manhattan with Spencer? Of course (🍷) not, but what is she supposed to do? March over to her dorm and forbid her to go? Curtis says he knows how much she doesn’t trust Spencer, so the idea did occur to him, and she says, if she thought for a second that would work, she’d be at Trina’s dorm in a heartbeat. But she knows better. She’s learned by now that she can’t pressure their daughter. She learned the hard way. Trina is a lot like Curtis in that way. He says, and she’s not stubborn at all, and she says, okay. Trina inherited her streak from both her parents. He says he should probably get to his check-up, so they’ll talk tonight.

Trina tells Spencer, stop, and he asks, what’s wrong? Is she not having fun? She says, that’s not the point. He’s distracting her and she needs to finish this paper before they go to the city. He says he knows it’s hard, but it’s going to be okay. She’s such a perfectionist, and he knows she’s such a good student, but they’re going to be back from their trip on Monday and she’ll be able to turn in her paper on Tuesday. He admires how smart she is. This all looks very impressive. She probably doubled the amount of research she needed for this paper, but she’s going to have time to finish this when they get back from their trip. She says, he’s probably right, and he says he is right. She says, but if she doesn’t finish  this paper before they go, she’ll be thinking about it all weekend, and she wants this weekend to be about them. All she wants to be thinking about is him, and her, and them being together.

TJ asks if Jordan really thinks it could happen. He’s been trying not to let himself go there, thinking he’ll somehow jinx it, but what if it worked and Andrea is pregnant? She says, then it will be the best news in the world. He says, wow. That means in nine months, Baby Ashford-Davis could be here? What if they’re not ready? Or if they don’t know what they’re doing? Or if… Jordan says, no one knows how to do this the first time around, and he says, in medical school, he’d just open a book and study and have the answers. There’s no book to tell him how to be a good dad. What if he can’t do it?

Andrea says, when she took the test and found out she was pregnant, all she could think about was telling Molly. And yes, it’s incredibly premature, and they should schedule an appointment with Dr. Navarro, but when she saw the result, it made her so incredibly happy, she figured Molly would feel the same way. Molly says she is; she does. And Andrea 100% made the right call in telling her because they’re in this together. Oh my God. She’s got to tell TJ. He has a really busy day at the hospital. Maybe she should wait to tell him tonight. Andrea says she’ll let Molly make that call, and Molly says, if Andrea is pregnant, she needs to eat something. Andrea says she just had breakfast, but if Molly hasn’t eaten, she could maybe have a juice or something. It does feel like they should celebrate, right? Molly says, absolutely, and asks if Alexis would like to join them, but Alexis tells them to go celebrate together. As they’re about to leave, Alexis calls Molly over, and says she’s very happy for them. She doesn’t want to be a Debbie Downer, but she just wants Molly to remember it’s early. Things happen. She’s not saying they will, but she doesn’t want Molly to get ahead of herself. Molly says she knows. Alexis is right and Molly hears what she’s saying, but this is the first good news she’s had in a really long time, and she wants to really celebrate. Alexis hugs her.

Kristina says, Blaze and Chase were so good at the Nurses Ball this year, and Blaze thanks her. She says she loved Danielle Ponder, and Kristina says, her little sister’s obsessed with her. Blaze asks how many sisters she has, and Kristina says, two brothers and four sisters. Blaze says, wow, and Kristina says, that’s a lot, right? She and her sisters have performed a few times at the Nurses Ball. Blaze says, Kristina sings? She needs to hear more about that.

Carly tells Diane, so we’re doing this again. The only way to get Drew out of Pentenville is if she gives the Feds information on Sonny? Diane says, this is all still pure speculation on her part. And Robert’s part. They have no proof that the Feds, the Justice Department, are involved in any way. There’s no firm deal on the table. This could just be a political stunt by Judge Kim to move him up the ladder. It could also be the reason he gave Drew this insane sentence. Carly tells Diane that she doesn’t know what to say, and Diane says, say nothing. It’s only her obligation to present Carly with all the options. Carly says, it’s not an option. If the Feds came to her and offered her a deal, she’s not going to take it. Diane knows that. She knows Sonny’s not her husband anymore, but he’s still her family, and she’s not going to be the one who puts him in prison. Diane says, not even if it means saving Drew? and Carly says, not even if it means saving Drew. Diane says, atta girl.

Cyrus walks into the shower area, and sees Drew lying unconscious, the shower running. He checks Drew’s pulse, and yells for the guard. He shouts, a prisoner’s been attacked! Come quick!

Blaze says, what Kristina is telling her is that she’s more than a bartender, that she has hidden talent. Kristina says she is in fact more than just a bartender. She manages this place. Blaze says, good for her, and Kristina thanks her and says, clearly between the two of them, Blaze is the professional singer here; she’s just having fun. Blaze says, that’s all that really matters, because if she’s not having fun, neither is the audience. Kristina says she doesn’t know how Blaze does it. She gets terrified standing onstage. Once she’s there and in the moment, she can enjoy herself, but it’s a worthy cause and they raised some money, so that’s all that counts. Kristina’s phone rings, and she tells Blaze that she’ll be right back.

Jordan tells TJ, there are tons of books on parenting, and numerous websites with advice on infant care, but the bottom line? There’s no roadmap for raising a child. It’s on the job training. He says, what if he fails? There’s no trick to changing a diaper, but how does he make his child feel comfortable? How does he make them feel safe and secure? Jordan says she’s not the best person to be giving parenting advice. She missed a lot of his upbringing, and it’s something she’ll regret for the rest of her life. But what she does know is, he’s an amazing person with an incredible partner. He and Molly will figure this out together. He thanks her and says, for the record, she’s an amazing mom and she’ll make an incredible grandma. She says she’s still rethinking that name. She’s too young to be called grandma. Doesn’t he think? He says, absolutely, and they laugh.

Alexis says, speaking of celebrating, would it be all right with Molly if she told Sam and Kristina that Andrea is pregnant? Molly asks, what happened to her saying it’s still too early? and Alexis says she knows what she said. If Molly lets her tell them, she’ll make sure they’re cautiously optimistic. She just wants to make sure all the Davis girls are on the same page with Molly and TJ. And whatever happens, let’s all be supportive. Molly asks if this is where Alexis tries to get her and Kristina talking, and Alexis says, absolutely. Is it so wrong for a mother to want her children to talk to each other? Molly says she guesses they’re going to find out sooner or later. Go for it. She gives Alexis a kiss on the cheek and says she loves her. Alexis says she loves Molly, and Molly leaves to join Andrea.

Spencer says, Trina has no idea the fantastic weekend he has planned for her. There’s no way she would even be able to think about, even for a second, some silly paper she has to write. Trina says, first of all, her paper isn’t silly. Art is going to be her career. She takes her work very seriously. He says he knows, and she says, she doesn’t want to be thinking about her paper when they go on their trip. Which is why she needs him to go. She pushes him toward the door, and he says, but even if she didn’t finish her paper, he doubts she’d be able to think about school while she’s there, because… Never mind. That’s okay. She says, what? and he says, never mind, opening the door. She says, what is it? Tell her. He asks if she really wants to know, and she says she does. He closes the door and says, he got them tickets to see Moulin Rouge. She says she listens to the original cast album all the time, and he says he knows. It’s almost like they’re dating and he knows these things about her. They have amazing seats; they’re going to be in the third row, center stage. (Those are good. Never sit in the first row. You’ll be looking up their noses.) And he got them dinner reservations, at Essence. She says, that place is supposed to be the hardest place to get reservations at, and he says he has great connections. She says, maybe he’s right. It will be amazing. She can’t wait. She hugs him, and he says, she doesn’t have to wait. He’s already packed, so why don’t they get her packed and get out of here?

Esme comes out of the hospital elevator, toting Ace, and Portia asks if everything is all right with him. Esme says, he’s fine. He had his normal pediatrician appointment this morning, and she tried to make it as early as possible, so she doesn’t miss too much work. Portia says, that’s commendable of her, and she seems to be doing a wonderful job with Ace. That’s a happy baby. Esme says she can’t take all the credit. Spencer’s actually been a really big help. She appreciates Portia suggesting that parenting class they took together. It was really helpful to get them on the same page. Portia says, that’s great, but her expression doesn’t look like it’s great.

Spencer says, what he knows of late September in Manhattan is that it could be anything weatherwise, so Trina will want to be prepared for hot and cold. She’s going to want to bring something fancy for the theatre, and he thinks she should pack something casual in case they want to go for a walk around Central Park. So where does she want to start? She’s going to look amazing no matter what she wears, so don’t give him that look. She thanks him for the compliment, but she doesn’t need his help packing. He says, this is to speed things up, not slow them down. The sooner they get on the road, the sooner they get to New York, the sooner they have some fun. She tells him that she’s going to keep saying this until it sinks into his thick skull. She’s not packing until she finishes her essay. And she can’t finish her essay until he leaves. What part of that is confusing? He says he completely understands. He just has a different goal, because he knows her, and if he had to guess, he’d say that essay is probably finished. He’s thinking she has to do a little bit of proof reading and editing. She smiles, and he says, she’s so busted. That’s exactly what it is, and she can do all of that on Monday when they get back from their trip. Let’s go. She says, he’s wrong, but he says he doesn’t believe her. She says, he can believe her or not, but if he really wants to speed up this departure, he’ll go. The door’s over there.

Esme says she’s surprised at how good Portia’s been to her, as a doctor, and almost as a friend. Portia says she’s sure Esme’s heard of the oath the doctor’s take; first do no harm. For her, she took that to mean, be of service and help people. Esme says she’s not surprised Portia is kind and caring as a person. She’s just a little surprised Portia is extending that kindness to her, especially considering the awful things she did to Portia’s daughter. Portia says, but Esme’s a different person than when she did those things to Trina and her friends, right? Esme says she’s really just trying to be a better person for her son, and Portia says, that’s the person she’s reacting to. She’s reacting to Esme, the mom of beautiful Baby Ace. Esme thanks her and says she really can’t tell Portia how much that means to her that she can come to Portia for advice about Ace. Portia says she was a young mother too, so she gets it. She knows how hard it can be, and sometimes you just need some help. And with Laura and Doc out of the country, she just thought Esme might need some extra support. So if Esme needs anything else, she knows where Portia is. Esme says, sounds good, and thanks her.

Carly tells Diane that she hates that Drew is being used as a pawn by this judge for his career. Not to mention, this wouldn’t be happening to Drew if it wasn’t for his involvement with her. But not turning evidence to free Drew is less about Sonny and more about her kids. If Sonny goes to prison, they’re in danger. They’d all have targets on their backs, and Drew wouldn’t want that. Diane says, now she’s not understanding. Is Carly saying she’s regretting being involved with Drew? Carly says, no. She regrets what her world has done to Drew. Diane says, but Drew is not new to Port Charles. He’s been around the block. He was aware of how complicated Carly’s life is, and he chose to be involved with her anyway. Carly says, that’s not making her feel any better, and Diane tells her that she’s just saying, don’t torture herself with gratuitous guilt. And certainly don’t blame herself for the bad conduct of this overambitious judge. Carly says, but can they prove that conduct? Can they prove that judge gave Drew a ridiculous sentence just for political gain? Because right now, that’s the only chance they’ve got.

Cyrus turns off the shower, and covers Drew with a towel. A guard walks in, and Cyrus says he found Drew like this. He’s barely breathing. He needs a hospital now. The guard runs back out.

Spencer asks how much time Trina thinks she’ll need, and I wish he would stop shouting. He talks fast and loud. She says she doesn’t exactly know, but he added about an hour for interrupting her. He asks if she’s really saying she’s sorry he showed up, and she kisses him. He says, that’s the last things she should do if she wants him to leave, and she says, go. He says, she can’t kiss him like that and expect him to go. No. She says, yes – she pushes him out the door – because she needs to finish her paper if he wants her to kiss him like that in New York. He says she doesn’t play fair, and she says, no, she doesn’t, kissing him one more time and closing the door. He yells, type fast, Trina Robinson. New York City awaits.

Esme says, Ace did good today, and Portia says, he’s a pro. Such a big guy. Esme says it was nice to see Portia, and Portia says, it was nice to see her too. Take care. She tickles Ace’s tummy, and Esme leaves. Curtis comes out of the elevator, and Portia asks how his check-up went. He says he’s still in a wheelchair, but aside from that, all good. She says she wanted to tell him that she really appreciates him. She thanks him for filling her in on Trina’s trip. He says, we are Trina’s parents. We’re in this together.

Blaze is enjoying watching something on her phone, and Kristina asks what she’s watching. Blaze says, you. At the Nurses Ball a few years back. Kristina was singing Sara Bareilles song, and she’s good. Kristina says, Blaze did not look her up, but Blaze says, of course (🍷) she did. It took her all of 30 seconds to find it online. It’s hazy, but Kristina totally misrepresented this. First of all, it’s not an easy song to sing, and this choreography is really good. She hopes if the Nurses Ball ever asks Kristina to perform again, she’ll do it. Kristina says she absolutely will not, and Blaze says, who’s the professional singer here? Kristina says, that would be Blaze, and Blaze says, exactly. So just take the compliment. Kristina says, okay, she will. If Blaze stops watching that. Blaze says, deal, taking out her earbuds, and Kristina thanks her for the compliment.

Alexis calls Gregory, and says she just got some really great news, and she thinks she made a breakthrough with Kristina and Molly… Right? The reason she’s calling is that she’s in such a good mood, she doesn’t feel like going to work today. So she was wondering, after she runs a few errands, what does he say to them crossing something off his bucket list?

Diane tells Carly that she thinks if there were evidence against Judge Kim for unfairly sentencing people to advance his own career, some reporter would have already dug it up. She’s just saying she’s here to present all options. Of course (🍷) she’s going to try. Of course (🍷). But they need to have realistic expectations. It’s a long shot. Carly says, a long shot is better than no shot at all. Where do they start? Diane says she needs to see if there’s a precedent for a judge delivering a politically motivated sentence (I can’t imagine there isn’t), and if that sentence was then overturned. Because that could go a long way in getting Drew’s case seen before another judge. Carly thanks her, and Diane’s phone rings. She answers, and says, yes… Yes. She’s going to command a full explanation… That’s right. Bye. Carly asks, who was that? What’s going on? Is it bad? Diane says, yes. It’s very bad. Drew was attacked in Pentenville. Carly says, how bad is it? and Diane says, he’s in an ambulance on his way to General Hospital. Carly says she has to get to him right now.

On Monday, Brook says she wants to sign Blaze as her first client; Jake says he has to talk to Elizabeth about Charlotte; Valentin tells Nina that he has a plan to make them all move right past it; and Carly says, Sonny promised to protect Drew.

🎤 We Noticed…

Next stop, The Savoy.

🥀 Hats Off To Billy…

I don’t remember him being in AMC, but then again, I remember very little about AMC at this point. Except for Susan Lucci waiting on getting that Emmy. He must have been pretty young.

In related news.

🍊 Not Her Finest Hour…

No surprise, everyone has an opinion.

https://people.com/housewives-respond-to-shannon-beador-alleged-dui-hit-and-run-7971761

https://www.eonline.com/news/1386192/rhocs-emily-simpson-speaks-out-on-shannon-beadors-dui-arrest

👠 She’s On Board…

My guilty pleasure. I saw them twice when they last got together, and they put on an amazing show. I can’t imagine what the ticket prices would be for it now though.

https://extratv.com/2023/09/21/mel-b-says-victoria-beckham-is-on-board-for-spice-girls-reunion-exclusive/

🌴 In Case You Wondered…

What it takes to outwit, outplay, and outlast. I used to think Jeff Probst was the antichrist until Andy Cohen came along.

https://ew.com/tv/survivor-45-behind-the-scenes-casting-cover-story/

🎉 He Finally Made It…

They definitely captured Rick’s worried expression.

https://screenrant.com/walking-dead-rick-grimes-lego-project/

🏹 Simply the Best…

Dead City was impressive, but Daryl is definitely the one to beat right now.

https://www.gamesradar.com/the-walking-dead-daryl-dixon-fans-best-franchise-has-been-in-years-reddit/

⚰️ Just Around the Corner…

October 22 – be there or be dead.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/fear-the-walking-dead-trailer-season-8-the-walking-dead-sanctuary-dwight-sherry/

🐟 Oldest In the Tank…

I hear he has a seeing eye crab. It almost seems cruel to keep him in an aquarium, but then again, it would be the worst to see him get set free and immediately get eaten by a shark.

https://people.com/worlds-oldest-aquarium-fish-older-than-scientists-thought-7971807

🐩 The Real Award…

Grammy winners loved pets too.

https://celebritypets.net/grammy-award-winners-2023-meet-their-celebrity-pets/

📰 Quotes of the Week…

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

We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.John Dewey

Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out. – Robert Collier

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

Do one thing every day that scares you. – Mary Schmich

Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth. – Henry David Thoreau

It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. – Herman Melville

Success only comes to those who dare to attempt. – Mallika Tripathi

Nothing can bring you peace but yourself. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Your wife is well educated and well mannered, and you’re just, oh well. – Carl McMillan (Reno Wilson), Mike & Molly

Integrity: Don’t leave home without it. – me

🍁 Equinoxing Autumn…

Meet me on Monday really Tuesday for soap and tea tidbits. Until then, stay safe, stay never taking the last piece of pizza without asking first (especially if it’s mine), and stay keeping in mind a long shot is better than no shot at all.

April 20, 2023 – Victor’s Voyage Is Almost Over, Soap Shuffle, Happy Anniversary Twice, Scandoval Scraps, Confirmation, Fat Cat & Landscape

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone in the nook, Ned says, they have to deal with this right now. Brook walks in, and he says, they have to mitigate the damage as soon as possible. Call him back. Brook says, that sounded bad. What’s going on? He says, if they don’t do something soon, Valentin could destroy ELQ.

Carly looks at the flower girl basket, and flashes back to Ava telling her, time is running out. This might be the last chance for Nina and Willow. She knows Carly is capable of rising above; she did with Ava for Avery’s sake. Won’t she do it with Nina for Willow’s? The doorbell rings, and Carly opens the door to Nina, who asks, what’s she doing here? Where’s Ava? Carly says, she’s not here, and Nina breezes past her into the house. Nina asks where Ava is, and Carly says, she’s out. Nina asks how long she’ll be gone, but Carly doesn’t know. Hopefully, not too long. Is something wrong? Nina says, yeah, her daughter’s dying, and Carly says, they’re trying to support her as best they can. Nina says, of course (🍷) they all are; she shouldn’t have snapped. She really needs to talk to Ava. She asks again what Carly is doing here, and Carly says she was here when Avery had to leave, so she stayed to watch Avery. Nina says she’s here now, and promises not to leave until Ava gets home. She’ll watch Avery. Carly can go. Carly says she doesn’t think so.

Ava knocks at Portia’s office door, and says she just heard; Trina is missing? Portia says, Trina is on the Haunted Star, and Ava says, so it’s true. Victor kidnapped her too. Portia says, you would think that, but she chose to go on that boat. Her daughter is in danger, and this is all Spencer Cassadine’s fault.

Drew sees Curtis at the hospital, and Curtis thanks him for coming right away. They bro hug, and Drew says he just heard Trina is missing. Curtis says, it was just confirmed she’s on the Haunted Star, and Drew says, what the hell. Victor took her along with Spencer, the baby, and Dr. Obrecht. What’s the purpose in kidnapping all of them? Curtis says, Trina wasn’t kidnapped. Victor doesn’t even know she’s on board. He’s just not sure how long she can stay hidden from him and his men.

Victor says he’s so glad Trina could join them, and Trina tells Ambrose to get his hands off of her, shaking him loose. Spencer flies across the room, but Watkins intercepts him, drawing his gun. Trina tells Spencer that she’s okay. Don’t do anything to make them hurt him. Victor says, how touching. He suggests Spencer take her advice and settle down, or he’ll have them take Trina away. Let him officially welcome her on board. She really is a little slip of a thing. No wonder his man missed her when she slipped on board. Trina says she’s not a little slip of a thing, and Victor says, his apologies; poor choice of words. However, it’s too bad Spencer disobeyed orders, and told her where he was going. Trina says, Spencer told her nothing. She had a feeling something was bothering him, and she followed him herself. Victor says, how industrious of her. Has she enjoyed the cruise so far? Obrecht is brought in, and asks where Trina came from. Victor says, allow him to introduce la saboteur, the reason for their delay. The stowaway who’s been scurrying around the ship, causing all kinds of trouble for their engines. Obrecht says she wondered why they’d stopped, and Victor says, it was the sabotage, plus the missing walkie-talkie that made him think they’d had an uninvited guest on board. So he had his men call a fake drill. He figured she would assume Spencer’s cabin was unguarded and make her way there. And voila, here we are. Trina looks at Spencer, who mouths, it’s okay, and Victor says, she shouldn’t feel too badly about it. It’s a common mistake to equate initial success with ongoing effectiveness. One assumes if something worked once, it will go on working indefinitely. Trina’s advantage was surprise. Once she lost that… here we are. But she is clever, he’ll give her that. So perhaps she’ll help him decide what to do with her.

Nina asks Carly, why not leave? She’s here. She’ll watch Avery. Carly says she promised Ava that she’d stay, but Nina says, that’s not the reason. Carly doesn’t trust her alone with Avery. Carly says she promised Ava that she would stay. She wants to be here when Avery wakes up. Draw any conclusion Nina wants. Nina says, that’s ridiculous. Avery is very comfortable with her, and in the past few months, she’s spent a lot more time with her than Carly has. Carly says, if Nina insists on staying, that’s fine, but they shouldn’t talk to each other. It’s a big house. Pick whatever room she wants, just don’t wake up Avery. Nina says she wouldn’t wake up a sleeping child. Carly really thinks the worst of her, doesn’t she? (Nina hasn’t gotten that by now?) Carly shakes her head, and picks up the basket, and Nina says, it was Carly’s idea, wasn’t it? Carly told Michael not to invite her to Willow’s wedding.

Brook asks Ned if ELQ is in trouble. She knows there was a dip in the market recently, but what does that have to do with Valentin? He says, she knows about the ELQ stock drop? and she says, it’s their family business; yes, she keeps up. She knows the stock took a hit when Valentin’s death was announced, but Ned stepped in as CEO, and things stabilized. He’s been the consistent leader he always was. Ned says he demonstrated to the shareholders and the market that ELQ was still strong. Then news came out about Valentin’s death being a ploy, and that’s when the stock took another hit. It appears the market doesn’t like the idea of a conman running the company. She says, but Valentin didn’t fake his own death because of ELQ. It’s not like he was embezzling money and took off. Ned says, it doesn’t matter. With all the craziness and corruption that goes on in Wall Street these days, people are skittish. Once shareholders and financial partners lose faith in a company, that company’s days are numbered.

Ava says, Portia has raised a very intelligent and courageous young woman, but what was Trina thinking sneaking onto that boat like that? Portia says, she wasn’t thinking; she was following. She was following Spencer into some shady situation, like a moth to a flame. She’s so utterly terrified right now, she can’t even tell Ava. She can’t go home because Curtis isn’t there, and it makes it even more lonely. And she can’t work. All she can do is think of all the different ways Trina could be hurting. Ava says she understands, but they need to keep in mind how smart and capable Trina is. Portia says, not when it comes to Spencer. She loses all common sense when it comes to him. How many times has he lied to her? When he first met her, he said his name was Victor, probably because he idolizes his Great Uncle Victor. Ava says, he may have at the time, but he doesn’t any longer.

Drew says, so Trina managed to get a phone call out? and Curtis says, amazingly, she called Portia on a satellite phone she found. Portia came out and flagged down Jordan, Laura, and him to listen in on speaker phone. Trina even managed to give them the ship’s heading with Laura’s help. Drew says, that’s great. The heading narrows things down, but did she say anything about an exact location? Curtis says, the ship’s GPS was disabled, so they were unable to track the ship remotely. Then she said she had to go, so Curtis told her to leave the phone there. He hated telling her to do that, but if Victor knew one of his phone’s was missing, it would alert him that he had a stowaway. Drew says, that was a good call, and Curtis says, maybe, but he hasn’t had any contact from Trina since, and it’s driving him crazy. Laura convinced him not to storm the PCPD, so he’s been staying close here, seeing if Trina can manage another call to Portia. Drew says, Portia’s here? and Curtis says, she’s in her office. Drew says, and Curtis is out here? Curtis says, yeah, and Drew says he’s sorry they can’t be going through this together, but Curtis says, given the situation, it’s probably best. Anyway, he needed to talk to Drew. He called Drew here for a reason. Drew says, whatever he can do, and Curtis says he needs Drew to tell him more about his connection to Victor Cassadine.

Spencer says, leave Trina alone, but Victor says, Spencer’s hardly in a position to protect her. Spencer says, that’s not going to stop him from trying, and Victor asks for a word with Obrecht… now. He asks if Obrecht enjoyed her reading, and she says, the properties, the pathogen are fascinating; very complex, and virtually unstoppable. He asks if she’s saying it’s beyond her capabilities. Is she not capable of producing a vaccine? She says, nein. She’s already produced several protocols that are capable of working. He says he knew she’d rise to the challenge, but she says she hasn’t agreed to help him. He says, yet.

Spencer asks if Trina is sure she’s all right, and Ambrose says, watch his step, but Spencer says, they’re just talking. Watkins says, let them talk. They can’t plan anything with them standing right here. Trina says she’s okay; the guard didn’t try to hurt her. She’s sorry she fell for the trap. She blew it. Spencer says, it’s okay. She ran circles around these morons for 24 hours, and she stopped the ship. That’s all that matters. She says, at least she did that, and he says, it’s okay. She may have saved them. They’re going to get out of this.

Carly says, and Nina wonders why she didn’t want to leave Avery with her. She’s delusional. If Michael and Willow didn’t invite her to their wedding, it’s because they didn’t want her there. Nina says, be honest with her. When Carly found out Michael was going to invite Sonny to the wedding, Carly didn’t encourage Willow to shut her out? Carly says, Michael invited Sonny? and Nina says, Michael and Willow didn’t ask Carly’s permission for Michael to invite his own father to his wedding? Will wonders never cease. Carly says she gets it. Michael invited Sonny, and not Nina, and Sonny accepted, even though Nina was excluded. Nina says she wanted Sonny to go to the wedding because she knows how much his relationship with his son means to him. Carly says, maybe more than she thought. It sounds like Sonny has finally gotten his priorities straight. She doesn’t give a damn what Sonny does anymore, but he is Michael and Donna’s father. And it just makes her glad that Sonny is finally choosing to put his family ahead of Nina.

Curtis tells Drew that he and Laura were talking about Esme, and how tricky her memory situation is. Then he remembered Drew telling him that Victor used the tarot card on him to trigger his memory. Drew says, it didn’t work. Where is Curtis going with this? Curtis says, Victor was hellbent on getting Drew to remember something. According to Drew, he went to a lot of trouble. Drew says he thinks that’s the reason Victor put up with Peter August as long as he did, because Peter was promising to deliver something he was supposed to remember. Curtis wonders if it’s something that could lead them to where Victor’s headed, and Drew says he gets why Curtis is going down this road – Trina might be his daughter – but he’s grasping at straws. Curtis says he’ll take a straw, and Drew says, all he knows is, Victor wanted information about something called Operation Demeter. Curtis says, it means nothing to Drew? and Drew says he’s reasonably certain that it’s a black op he was involved in when he was a Navy SEAL, but he has huge gaps about that time in his life. He tried to remember. He tried to do everything. He sat for hours going over his service records, although most of it was redacted. He tried to piece together everything that was listed there, but he just couldn’t remember; he’s got nothing. Curtis says, okay. Drew was involved in the plot to overthrow Victor with Valentin and Anna, right? Drew says, just at the very end, but yeah, and Curtis says he needs Drew to tell him everything he knows about Victor Cassadine.

Portia tells Ava that Spencer has caused Trina non-stop heartache, but now she’s vulnerable. Did Trina tell Ava what happened after the wedding? Ava says she knows Curtis might be Trina’s father, and Portia asks if Trina told her that they’ve been estranged ever since. The same thing with Curtis. She messed up. She kept the truth from all of them because she wanted to give Trina the best life she possibly could. At least that’s what she told herself anyway. Ava says, the lies seem to catch up with them, don’t they? She knows all about making mistakes in the name of doing what’s best for your child. Portia was just being the best mom she could be. Portia thanks her for that, but says, the damage is already done. Trina thinks Spencer is the only one she can count on, so she followed him into danger. Portia wishes Trina had never met him. If Trina survives this, Portia promises she’ll make sure Trina never sees Spencer again.

Victor has Spencer and Trina brought out on the deck, and Spencer asks what they’re doing out here. Victor says he’s getting tired of Spencer’s shortsightedness, and Spencer says, there’s nothing they can see by darkness. Victor says, and even more tired of his games. He’s giving Spencer one last chance to join him. He’s not just offering Spencer part of his legacy, he’s offering Spencer a front row seat. To be a part of the glorious future of our planet unburdened by overpopulation. He already has Ace to carry on the Cassadine name, but he was hoping to have Spencer by his side. Spencer says, by his side when he reduces the world’s population. It’s sick. Victor says, hard choices have to be made to balance the ratio of people to natural resources on this planet. Without antibiotics and modern medicine, population attrition would have already happened naturally. (Not necessarily but go on.) He’s just trying to right the scale. Spencer says he can’t be a part of this, but Victor tell him not to fool himself. There is steel in that spine. Spencer took his father’s son from him, and drove him out. He certainly possesses that clarity of mind and purpose to do whatever’s necessary. Spencer is a Cassadine. Trina says, Spencer is nothing like Victor. He has a good heart, despite what his family wants him to be. He told her about Victor and Helena, and he will never be that person. Victor says, Spencer is way too smart to throw away his legacy for a pretty face, but Spencer says, Trina is so much more than that. She’s the bravest person he knows. She never shies away from the truth, and she knows right from wrong. Thanks to her, he’s starting to figure that out for himself. He doesn’t share Victor’s vision, and he’ll never join Victor, no matter what Victor does to him. Victor says, Spencer breaks his heart. Throw her over the side. Watkins picks Trina up, and another guard holds Spencer back. Obrecht almost runs to them, but gets a grip.

Ava tells Portia that she knows Spencer pretty well, and it’s true he was once reckless and vindictive, entitled, petty, but now… Portia says, don’t tell her that he’s a changed man, but Ava says, since he met Trina, there’s been a shift in him. Portia says, Trina shouldn’t have to be Spencer Cassadine’s conscience, and Ava says, no argument there. But this change since he’s come back to Port Charles can be directly tied to Trina. Portia says, and any pain Trina had can be tied directly back to Spencer, and Ava says she can’t argue that, but Trina chooses to be with Spencer, and she thinks they need to respect that. Portia and Trina will never reconcile if Portia keeps badmouthing him. Portia says, and that may be a moot point. They may never reconcile if Trina doesn’t make it back.

Brook says, no disrespect, but doesn’t Ned think he might be overreacting? ELQ has had downturns in the past, and always come out stronger. Ned says he doesn’t overreact; the market does. A good investor lives for this. Their stock drops, and shareholders get nervous and start selling. Next thing you know, in come the corporate raiders. First sign of weakness, and the sharks start circling. He’s going to have to make some tough decisions to streamline and cut costs, but he really doesn’t want to have to fire thousands of employees to do it. Brook says, it’s that bad, huh? What can we do? He says, they have to reassure the market that ELQ is stable, strong. Valentin hasn’t even talked yet to the press and explain his actions. Brook says, that’s because Anna’s been in ICU, and Ned says he’s not asking Valentin to hold a press conference. He could make a written statement. The longer he stays silent, the worse it looks. Valentin won’t return his phone calls. Brook says, it’s not the first thing on his mind, but Ned says, it should be. Anna’s being well taken care of at GH. Valentin is their CEO. The health and well-being of this company is his responsibility, and Ned thought he knew that. The Quartermaines have always understood. Whether it’s grandfather, him, or Michael, they understand that to keep ELQ strong and stable, you need committed leadership. (Really? Michael understood that?) Ned is starting to regret siding with Valentin when Michael and Drew wanted him ousted.

Nina tells Carly that she’s never asked Sonny to choose between her and his family, and never will. She wanted him to go to that wedding, even if it’s without her. Carly says, that’s very noble. She’s sure Sonny appreciates the sacrifice. (Hmm… She doesn’t sound sarcastic…) Nina says, she’s not just missing her daughter’s wedding; she’s missing what could be her last days. The daughter she’s never really been able to know, and that’s Carly’s fault. Carly says, Nina and Willow have known each other for years. Nina was unfair to Willow when she was Charlotte’s teacher. She attacked Michael and Willow in open court. The list goes on and on and on. It’s no wonder Willow doesn’t like her. Nina says, that was before they knew they were mother and daughter, and Carly says, exactly. It was all right for Nina to be a bitch to Willow when she wasn’t a relative, and the only thing that’s different now, is Nina knows Willow is her daughter. Then suddenly, Willow is wonderful. Willow has been wonderful all along, but Nina couldn’t see it. (This is one of the things that pisses me off about Carly. Like she doesn’t turn a blind eye to her own children’s faults and treat them differently than strangers.) Nina still doesn’t see it. Willow is a person, with wants and needs in her level of comfort. But Nina doesn’t care. The only thing she cares about is that Willow is hers. Her possession; her daughter. No wonder Willow doesn’t want to be with Nina or around her. Instead of facing that fact, Nina wants to blame it all on her. Nina says she’s made mistakes, but it’s Carly’s fault she doesn’t have a chance to earn Willow’s forgiveness because they’re running out of time because her daughter’s dying. It is Carly’s fault.

Drew tells Curtis, since Victor came back to Port Charles, he’s been focused on locating a code that’s etched in one of the diamonds I the Ice Princess necklace. Curtis says, so all of the killings – Luke Spencer, the Deputy Mayor; Anna, Lucy, Valentin going missing – that was all over a necklace? Drew says, Valentin learned that the code is actually a set of coordinates indicating a bunker Victor’s brother Mikkos hid something in that Victor wants. Curtis says, so now Victor has the necklace? and Drew says, he acquired it the night of the Nurses Ball. Curtis says, the same night he left on the Haunted Star, and Drew says, yeah. (What a pair of rocket scientists, eh?) Presumably he has the location of Mikkos’s bunker, and that’s where he’s headed. Curtis says, and Victor thought Drew knew the location of the bunker? and Drew says, yeah. Curtis says, then Drew needs to remember. Somehow, whatever it takes. Trina’s life depends on it.

Victor says, hold, and everything stops. He asks if Spencer will do as he says, and Spencer says he’ll go along with whatever Victor wants, whatever he says, as long as Trina doesn’t get hurt. Victor says, so he’ll stop resisting, and Spencer says, yes, as long as Trina’s safe. Please. He’ll go along with Victor’s plan. He’ll be by Victor’s side to shape the world. Victor tells Watkins to release Trina, and the other guard lets go of Spencer. Trina runs to Spencer, and he holds her, saying, that’s all right; people are coming. Victor says, that’s where he’s wrong. No one can save them. Spencer says he just told Victor that he’d do whatever Victor wants, and Victor asks if Spencer thinks he’s stupid enough to believe anything Spencer says. He was looking for a partner; someone to share his vision. Instead, he got an ungrateful, duplicitous whelp ready to stab him in the back at a moment’s notice. (Take that RHONJ.) Fine. Spencer and Trina can both drown. The guards grab Trina and Spencer again.

Brook hopes Ned isn’t thinking of asking Michael and Drew for help with ousting Valentin, because the last time he did that, Ned double-crossed them, and their relationship hasn’t been the same since. Ned says, it wasn’t a double-cross; it was a tactical adjustment. And he did what was best for ELQ. She says, he did what was best for himself, and he says he did think his position at ELQ would be stronger if Valentin remained CEO, but let’s be clear, at the time, ELQ was thriving under Valentin’s leadership. There was no reason to vote him out. She says, but now circumstances have changed, and Ned says, yes. Because Valentin is all wrapped up in his family’s business, while ELQ suffers. He understands what Valentin is going through right now on a personal level, but it won’t change his business decision. Valentin has to go.

Carly says she didn’t give Willow leukemia, and she didn’t kidnap Liesl to delay the bone marrow transplant, and Nina says, of course (🍷) not. But if Carly had told the truth about that DNA test, Willow would have gotten that bone marrow transplant months ago, and she’d already be cancer free. Carly says, they didn’t know about Willow’s diagnosis months ago, and Nina asks if she doesn’t understand. If Willow had known she was her mother – whether Willow accepted her or not – when the possibility of a bone marrow transplant came up, Willow would have come to her immediately, instead of waiting months and months through that farce that Drew put everyone through looking for her birth parents. She was here all along. Carly says she told Nina, the second she found out Willow had leukemia and needed a bone marrow transplant, she told Nina that she wasn’t a match. Nina says, but Liesl was a match, and she would have gotten tested immediately, and this whole nightmare would have been done and over with.

Portia tells Ava that she’s so sorry. She didn’t realize she had any more tears to cry. Ava says, please don’t be sorry. She gets it; she’s a mom too. Portia hopes it’s not too late for her and Trina, and Ava says, it’s not. She knows that because Trina called Portia. When she was in danger and scared, she called her mom. Portia says, and Trina told her that she loved her. She didn’t think she’d hear those words again from Trina, but now she wonders if it’s going to be the last time. She starts to cry again, and Ava says, those will be the first words Trina says when she sees Portia again. Believe it. Ava says she should get home to Avery, and Portia thanks her. Ava says, if she hears anything… Portia says, of course (🍷) she’ll keep Ava updated, and Ava says, when Trina comes home, they have all the time they need to work things out. She tells Portia, everything is going to work out, and leaves.

Spencer says, Victor wants to kill him? Is that what Victor did to his father? Victor says he doesn’t know where Nikolas ran off to, and doesn’t really care. Spencer is just as much of a disappointment. At least he has Ace and can raise him as he pleases. Spencer says, please, Ace needs him, and Victor says, goodbye, Spencer. He starts to walk away, but Obrecht steps in front of him, and says, stop this nonsense. He asks if she wants to join them, but she says, no. She wants to use them.

Carly says, if Nina wants to know the cold, hard truth, she kept the DNA results a secret for Willow’s sake. Willow told her that she didn’t want to find her birth mother because she was afraid she’d turn out to be someone like Nina. Nina disrespected Willow at every turn. She accused Willow of having an affair. She bothered Willow over and over again when Nina knew she was having a difficult pregnancy. She knew it would devastate Willow to find out a woman she hated was her mother. So don’t look at her as the cause of the non-relationship with her daughter. Take a look in the mirror. The blame lies solely on Nina.  Nina says she should have the rest of Willow’s life to make it up to her, but she doesn’t because Willow’s life is measured in days, and that’s Carly. She stole that time from them. She did that. Nina walks out.

Drew says, if he knew anything that could lead them to Victor, he’d tell Curtis in a heartbeat, but he just can’t remember. Curtis says he’s sorry for pushing Drew for information he doesn’t have, and Drew says, Trina managed to get her hands on a satellite phone once; maybe she can do it again. Curtis says, maybe. Even before he realized Trina might be his daughter, he just loved her to pieces. She’s so fun and so bright, and she definitely keeps him on his toes. And she’s principled; he likes that. She’s an amazing young woman. So imagine her keeping it together under those circumstances; so focused and so brave. She had to be terrified. Drew asks if Curtis knows who he sounds like. He sounds like a proud father, and Trina sounds just like Curtis, unable to sit back without doing anything. Curtis sees Portia, and jets over to her. He asks if Trina called again, but she says, no. She didn’t even realize he was still here. He says he couldn’t leave, not while Trina’s out there somewhere in danger.

Victor tells his guys to wait, and Obrecht asks why he’d toss Trina and Spencer overboard when they can still be of use. She needs subjects to test any vaccine she develops. Victor asks if she’s saying she’s on board (no pun intended?), and she’ll join his cause, and she says she thinks his cause is madness. But she sees he’s committed to it, and doesn’t want to die, so out of self-preservation. He asks if she’s sure that’s all it is, and she says she certainly doesn’t have any personal feelings for him, if that’s what he’s implying. However, the science has merit. The research. She’s intrigued by creating a vaccine to combat such a complex pathogen. It will be a singular achievement. He says, there’s nothing else like it, and she says, if it fails, it’s of no consequence to her. She’s been living a half-life since Britta’s death, but this challenge has awakened her. She feels alive again. It might even keep her going.

Spencer tells Trina that he’s so sorry. This is all his fault. She says, she followed him, but he says, if he’d left her alone, she’d still be safe now. She says, then he’d be alone, but he says he’d know she was okay. She says, but then she’d wonder if he was. At least this way they’re together. He says he has to find a way to save her and his brother, and Trina says, someone will come and save them. They just need a little time. He says, maybe Dr. Obrecht will give them just that. He just wishes he knew what she was thinking. Trina says she hates the idea of being a test subject, and he says, so does he, but if Obrecht can convince his uncle that she needs them alive, maybe it will buy them more time to figure out a solution before they’re turned into human guinea pigs.

Brook says, Michael and Drew are going to know something’s up the moment Ned tries to reconcile with them, and he says, with all that’s going on with Willow, he’s already made overtures to Michael. Michael knows it’s from his heart. As far as him and Drew, he sees a path there. Drew’s a reasonable guy. This is worth pursuing. She says, huh, and he says he thought she’d be thrilled; the possibility of some Quartermaine family unity for a change. She says she is, it’s just… blindsiding Valentin and ousting (WOTD) him when his life is in upheaval and his guard is down, and Ned says, it’s business. Valentin’s a businessman. She says, he’s also a Cassadine. Valentin isn’t someone Ned wants as his enemy.

Drew tells Curtis and Portia that he wishes he could help. The only thing he knows about Operation Demeter is the name. Curtis wonders if they could pressure the Navy to unseal the records. What about Robert’s connection with the WSB? Drew says, the Navy won’t answer to the WSB. They won’t even acknowledge the op existed. Portia says she can’t believe in this whole wide world there isn’t someone who can tell them what Operation Demeter was. Drew says, wait a minute. Maybe there is.

Ava comes back to Windymere, and thanks Carly for keeping an eye on Avery. Carly asks if there’s any word on Trina, but Ava says, unfortunately, it’s still a waiting game. Carly says, Avery’s fine; she never woke up. Ava says, good, and asks if everything is okay. Carly says, Nina was here, and Ava asks how it went. Carly tells Ava, if she ever feels compelled to give her advice – don’t – and walks out.  

Nina gets in her car, and flashes back to Carly telling her the cold, hard truth; that Willow didn’t want to find her birth mother for fear she’d turn out to be someone like Nina, and to look in the mirror. Nina calls Carly a bitch, and says, nothing is ever your fault, is it? She flashes back to Ava telling her, if Carly bought Aurora stock knowing a merger was on the horizon, that’s insider trading, and Carly and Drew would be open to prosecution. Nina says, it might be time for Carly to face some consequences of her own, and drives away.

Watkins says, copy that, and tells Victor, Ambrose says the engine should be repaired within the hour. Victor says, that’s good news, and tells Trina, it seems she didn’t cost them that much time. Spencer asks what he’s going to do with them, but Victor says, Spencer doesn’t get to ask questions. He tells a guard to take them and lock them up, and Trina says, he’s not going to kill them? Victor tells her, as Dr. Obrecht said, they’re still useful to him, and when that’s no longer so, he’ll dispose of them. Obrecht says, a wise choice, but she’ll need healthy subjects to work on the vaccine. He must feed and water them like any lab rat, so the tests are uncompromised. Spencer tells Trina that they’re going to make it out of this, but Victor says he doesn’t see how that’s possible. The voyage is almost over. Despite the delay, they should arrive at Mikkos’s bunker by morning. Then Liesl can get to work.

Tomorrow, Cody tells Brook that someone is the last person in the world he wants to hurt; Sasha asks if there’s some other reason Gladys wants to leave town; and Alexis asks TJ if there’s any hope.

🙋🏽‍♀️ Goodbye Hello…

Two leaving, one coming, a return, and an anniversary. Victor, we loved hating you.

💐 Anniversary Times Two…

Today – April 21st! Although that’s just if you want to watch it live. I’m sure it will remain on YouTube in perpetuity. This guy does a good interview.

🍸 Random Tidbits…

More on those red flags from yesterday’s Vanderpump Rules.

https://jezebel.com/scandoval-sandoval-leviss-vanderpump-rules-episode-1850356425

Ariana’s new man. Good for her.

https://www.tmz.com/2023/04/16/ariana-madix-cozy-new-man-coachella-scandoval/

No, Billie Lee. You most definitely have to pick sides. Sandoval was a scumbag, and Ariana got the short end of the stick. End of story. You do look good though.

💎 Now That the Rat’s Away…

It’s not like she joined the cast, but she might make it more palatable.

https://www.etonline.com/denise-richards-confirms-shes-returning-to-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-203079

🐈‍⬛ Here Kitty, Kitty…Wow…

This was on the news here tonight. That’s one big cat.

https://people.com/pets/patches-40-pound-fat-cat-adopted-in-richmond/

👀 Looking For Waldo…

Slide into my blog tomorrow for soap, a choice tea selection, words I’ve heard, and music befitting the occasion. Until then, stay safe, stay smoking them if you’ve got them, and stay not equating initial success with ongoing effectiveness.

January 24, 2023 – Josslyn Begs Cameron To Stay Silent About Dex, Kristina’s Pal, Opening Up, Anniversary Watch Party, No Snooki, Academy Picks & the City

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Dex goes in to see Sonny, and says, sorry for interrupting. Sonny says, as long as Dex knows, it’s always family first, and Dex says he does. Sonny asks what Dex has to tell him, and Dex says, Sonny told him to stay away from Josslyn, but he couldn’t.

Josslyn asks Cameron not to tell anybody about her and Dex, and he says, excuse me? Josslyn dumps him for Dex, and expects him to keep his mouth shut? She says, please, it has to stay a secret, and he asks, why? Because she’s ashamed of what she did? She says, no, because she’s afraid of what Sonny could do if he finds out.

Sam meets Maxie at The Savoy, and apologizes for being late. Maxie says she’s just glad Sam is there. It’s important for them to make time for each other when they can. Sam says, Maxie’s thinking of Britt, and Maxie says, yeah, and all the times she wanted to text Britt to just hang out or go shopping. But Britt was really busy, so there were a lot of texts never sent. When Sam’s name came up in her phone, she thought she’d really like to see her friend. Sam says, it’s good to see Maxie too.

Laura says, tell her what’s going on, and Elizabeth says, her mother is in town. Laura asks, why? Does Elizabeth think she wants to make almonds amends? Elizabeth says, apparently, that’s just a bonus. She’s here to consult on a patient. Laura says, and Elizabeth doesn’t believe her, but Elizabeth says she doesn’t know. After everything her mom and her dad have done, can she risk trusting her? Laura asks if her mom deliberately tried to get in touch with her, and Elizabeth says she thinks Carolyn just ran into her by accident. When they talked, she seemed sincere about wanting to make up for all the harm she caused, the lost time… It’s just that… Laura says, it’s just that with their history, it’s hard for Elizabeth to trust her, and Elizabeth says, exactly. Laura says she’s sorry. Unfortunately, she’s starting to feel that way about Nikolas.

Carolyn says she came all the way from Monterey because Nikolas said her daughter was in trouble and needs her help. Nikolas says, it’s true. He trusts she hasn’t told anybody about her trip, especially Elizabeth, and she says she hadn’t, but she ran into her daughter at Kelly’s. He asks what Elizabeth said, and Carolyn says she did as he asked and didn’t tell Lizzie about his phone call; just that she was here to consult on a case. He says he knew he could count on her discretion, and asks if she’d like a drink. She tells him, no thank you, but he could answer her question. What’s going on with Lizzie? What kind of trouble is her daughter in?

Paris, France. Valentin and Anna go into a monastery, and a monk asks if he can help them. Anna apologizes for it being late, and says, they’ve been reading about this ancient monastery, and the history is fascinating. Anna tells the monk that they’re going to pray, and she and Valentin kneel down by the altar. The monk leaves, and Anna says, if Valentin’s friend Renee doesn’t show, they’ll have to pray for a miracle. They’re running out of time to find Lucy before it’s too late.

Elizabeth asks what Nikolas did this time, and Laura says, he wants her to side with him when he sues Esme for full custody of her baby. She asks if it’s hard for Elizabeth to hear this stuff when she was recently involved with him, but Elizabeth says, no. What happened was… It ended as quickly as it began. They’re back to being friends. Laura says she’s glad to hear that. Nikolas needs all the friends he can get right now. Elizabeth says she knows the feeling, and Laura says she’s glad Elizabeth reached out to her. Would Elizabeth like her to talk to Carolyn; find out why she showed up suddenly after all these years, especially after Elizabeth told her that she didn’t want anything to do with her or Jeff? Elizabeth thanks her, but says, her mom is an expert at mind games. She played them on Elizabeth as a teenager, and she’s still dealing with the consequences. Laura says, Elizabeth knows she’s a part of her family too, right? and Elizabeth says, Laura is the mom she always wished she had. Laura takes her hand, and Elizabeth says, her birth mom wants back into her life, and she keeps asking herself, should she give Carolyn another chance?

Nikolas tells Carolyn, Elizabeth’s troubles started long before she came to Port Charles. Or does he have to remind Carolyn how young her daughter was when she and Jeff cut her loose to save their marriage? She asks if that’s what Elizabeth told him, and he says, yes. He and Elizabeth have been good friends; they tell each other everything. Elizabeth told him all about her dad’s unfortunate affair when he was supposed to be serving humanity out there in the Pacific. She says, Jeff’s not perfect, and neither is she, and Nikolas says, Elizabeth also told him about the unintended consequences that led to the death of Hamilton Finn’s wife Reiko. And how Carolyn used her skills as a psychiatrist to suppress Elizabeth’s memory of the incident. If she really wants to help her daughter, she’ll stop asking him questions, and do exactly as he says.

Maxie tells Sam, everything is set for Britt’s memorial. She’s sure if it were up to Britt, it would be another bash like her birthday. Sam says she heard it was legendary, and Maxie says, beyond. The drag emcee and shirtless waiters were just the beginning. She realizes now that Britt meant for it to be a goodbye party. Britt was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease. She knew she was terminal… She should have had more time, years more. Sam hopes it’s some consolation that Britt died saving someone’s life, but Maxie says, the only consolation will be when the police identify The Hook, and send them to jail for the rest of time. Which got her thinking, has Dante shared any details from the police investigation with Sam? Sam asks if Mac has shared any details of the investigation with Maxie, and Maxie says, Mac never shares any details of police investigations with her… but she’s sure he shares them with her mom, because they’re a couple and he trusts her. And with a high stress job like that, you need someone to confide in. Sam and Dante are a couple, which gets her thinking… Sam says, most of the time, Maxie would be wrong, and Maxie says, and this time? Sam says, Maxie’s right. She and Dante are working together.

Anna tells Valentin, they can’t wait any longer. If the entrance to the catacombs is somewhere here, they have to find it themselves. He says, they have to wait for Renee. She’s not that late; she’ll be here. She’s a cataphile. She knows the catacombs better than anyone he’s ever met. Anna asks, what is it about her? Is it her knowledge of the catacombs that fascinates him, or is it the history they share? He says he was another man; that was another life. He took huge risks, and made large amounts of money illegally for a lot of people, including Renee. He can’t say he regrets that time in his life because it was a lot better than the one he had previously. She says, and now he’s revisiting it, when Renee says, there they are. Have they brought everything they need? Anna says, everything they need is in that backpack, and in French, Renee asks Valentin if he has everything he needs. The monk comes back, and Renee says, they won’t be long; she promises. She takes Valentin’s arm, and says, they may have to find their way in the dark.

Sonny asks Dex to explain why he couldn’t stay away from Josslyn, and Dex says, on New Year’s Eve, he was crossing Pier 55, and heard the signs of a struggle. He went to check it out, and found Josslyn on the ground, and a woman who turned out to be Britt Westbourne struggling with The Hook. Sonny says, go on, and Dex says he took a shot. It was a bad angle, and he didn’t want to risk hitting Dr. Westbourne, but the attacker dropped her weapon and took off. He went to check on Josslyn; she was shaken up, but not injured. Dr. Westbourne said she was okay. She must not have realized she’d been hit. Sonny says, so this happened New Year’s Eve. Why is he just hearing about it now?

Josslyn tells Cameron that Sonny told Dex to keep his distance from her. If Sonny finds out they’ve been seeing each other… Sonny prides himself on having his own code. If you break that code, you pay with your life. Cameron asks if what she’s saying is, she wants him to keep his mouth shut to save the neck of her new boyfriend, but she says she’s asking him to save a life. It’s Dex’s life, and she understands, but she knows Cameron. He would never deliberately hurt somebody else just for the sake of payback. He says, maybe she doesn’t know him as well as she thinks.

Carolyn says she won’t allow Nikolas to question her motives. She came all the way across the country to help her daughter; nothing more, nothing less. She knew there was a chance that Lizzie wouldn’t even talk to her, but that’s between her daughter and her. He says, first of all, no one in Elizabeth’s life calls her Lizzie; no one. And second, Elizabeth’s fate and his are intertwined. They’ve played a pivotal role in each other’s lives for decades. Can Carolyn say that? She says she has the feeling if he and Elizabeth are having a problem, he’s the one to blame, not her daughter. He says he’s not going to deny that, because she’s right, but he and Elizabeth are well past the place of pointing fingers. They’re both in trouble. End of story. Unless Carolyn chooses to act, and she acts now. Or was she just lying when she said she wanted to help? She asks what he wants her to do, and he says, years ago, she went to great lengths to protect Elizabeth, or so she said. Use those same skills to save her daughter before it’s too late.

Elizabeth tells Laura that Carolyn seems to genuinely regret the choices she made. It’s not like Elizabeth has never crossed a line or done something she’s regretted. Laura says, welcome to the club. It’s called being human. The important thing is, you just can’t let your past mistakes determine your future. Elizabeth asks if that same standard shouldn’t apply to her mom, and Laura says, yeah. Let’s start by assuming her mother is sincere and just wants a fresh start with her. Does Elizabeth think she could meet her halfway, and begin the healing process? Elizabeth says she’s always dreamed of her boys knowing their grandparents, and Laura asks, what stops her? Elizabeth says, at what point can she let go of the past, and actually forgive her parents?

Josslyn tells Cameron that she understands. She didn’t handle this situation the right way. She’s given him every reason to hate her, but she can’t believe he’d stand around and let Sonny blame it all on Dex. He says, she is so selfish. She totally broke his heart, but he thought, at least she’s being honest with him. It turns out, she was lying. It wasn’t because they grew apart. She dumped him because she found a new guy, and she wants him to help Dex? The answer is no. He’s not doing a favor for her and her new boyfriend. She says, don’t call him that, and he says, he is, isn’t he? But what goes around, comes around. She got with Dex by cheating on him, and he’s looking forward to the day Dex cheats on her, because that’s what she deserves. She got Dex, but at a cost, which is their friendship, now dead and buried. Let him be perfectly clear, it was her who ended it, not him. She says, absolutely. She gets it. She waited to long to tell him how she felt, so blame her, don’t blame Dex. He says, she made her choices. He has his too, and he’ll be damned if he keeps Dex’s secret for him.

Dex says, right after New Year’s, Miss Reeves found out her daughter has leukemia, and Sonny’s been focused on that. That’s why he came here today. He’d already left it too long, and knew Sonny needed to know. Sonny says, so he took a shot at The Hook, The Hook ran off, then what? Dex says, Dr. Westbourne wanted to call the police, but he knew if he was there, they would confiscate the gun, and trace it. Since he didn’t know where Sonny got it, he didn’t want to risk the scrutiny, but he didn’t want to leave Josslyn alone; she was pretty shaken up. Sonny says, so Dex took Josslyn with him, and Dex says, he explained to her why he couldn’t stick around for the cops, and gave her a choice. She chose to come with him. Sonny says, he just left Britt there, and Dex says, she agreed to cover for them. None of them saw The Hook’s face; she was wearing some kind of mask. None of them had any other information to offer. There was nothing to be gained by him or Josslyn talking to the cops; it would have only caused complications. Sonny says, so Dex and Josslyn left the pier. Where did they go? Dex says, back to his apartment, and Sonny says, Dex took Josslyn back to his place. Dex says, she didn’t want to go to her mom’s, and didn’t feel safe at her place. She was still shaken up, and he didn’t feel she should be alone. Sonny asks how long Josslyn stayed with him, and Dex flashes back to them getting busy. He says, a couple hours. Then she asked to go to Kelly’s, and he took her back to her mom’s. Sonny says, Carly knows? and Dex says, yes, sir. Sonny says, but Dex waited until now to tell him? and Dex says, only because of Miss Reeves. She needed Sonny, and Sonny was focused on her. He figured that was more important. Sonny says he appreciates the gesture, but it doesn’t let Dex off the hook, no pun intended.

Josslyn says, Cameron is right. He doesn’t owe Dex anything, but she’s not asking for his sake. She’s asking for the sake of what they’ve meant to each other. He says, what is that exactly? It’s clear to him that she didn’t give a crap about him. She says, that’s not true. She does care about him. She’s talking about before they broke up. He says, before she slept with Dex, and she says she hates seeing him this hurt; that’s on her, she knows.  She knew what her feelings were, and didn’t say anything. She was trying to shield him, and made everything worse. She’s sorry. He’s a good guy. They’ve been friends forever, so she’s asking for the sake of those two friends who shared everything, the good and the bad. He asks if Dex means that much and him so little that she’s willing to compromise herself, and expect him to do the same.

Sam says, the reason she was late is that she just got back from Spring Ridge, and Maxie asks who she was visiting. Sam says, Esme Prince, and Maxie says, ugh. Because? Sam says, there’s a connection between Esme and the victims of The Hook attacks, and Maxie says she read all about it in The Invader. Sam’s mom’s coverage is must read journalism. Sam says, her mom is actually the reason she went to Spring Ridge. She wants Sam to track down Esme’s nanny. Maxie says, that’s not random or anything, and Sam says, it’s kind of a convoluted story, and the details are part of the investigation and privileged, so she can’t share them. But she can share that the nanny raised Esme after Esme’s adoptive parents died. The nanny Maggie Fitzgerald could potentially have information about a suspect in The Hook attacks. Maxie says, that’s a lot of mights and potentials, and Sam says she knows it’s a long shot. Maxie asks where Dante fits in, and Sam says, the police are on a parallel track. She and Dante are going to London to track down the last known address…  Maxie asks when Sam was going to tell her about this, and Sam says she was just telling her. Maxie says she knows. They’re going to track down the nanny who might have information, blah-blah-blah, but Sam and the man she loves are going to England. It’s exciting. Sam says, yes, actually. It’s really exciting.

Laura says she’s not suggesting Elizabeth give her mother a free pass, but she thinks Elizabeth might regret it if she doesn’t at least try to work things out with her mom. Ultimately, it’s Elizabeth’s decision, and she’s here for Elizabeth, no matter what she decides. Elizabeth says, Laura doesn’t play fair, all this appealing to her better angels. She’ll do her best. Laura says, it’s all any of them can do.

Nikolas says, there’s a young woman currently being held in a minimum security prison known as Spring Ridge, and Carolyn says, it’s where Ryan Chamberlain is being held, correct? He says, yes. He’s the most infamous inmate, but the young girl he mentioned is fascinating in her own way. Carolyn asks, how so? and he says, before she was sent to Spring Ridge, she showed up at GH very pregnant, with no clue how she got that way. She asks if he’s saying the girl has memory loss, and he says, so it seems; she’s a total blank slate. But more important, she has to stay that way. She says, important to who? Him? He says, and Elizabeth, and she asks, what exactly doesn’t he want this poor young woman to remember? He says, it’s better if she doesn’t know, and it’s better for her daughter if this poor young woman never gets her memory back.

The monk closes the doors, and Valentin says, the coast is clear. Where’s the entrance to the catacombs? Renee asks if he can feel it too, and he says, feel what? She says, the thrill, the rush, just like it used to be it. It can be that way again, and he says, she knows him; first, they finish the job. She says, and then? Anna joins them with the backpack, and asks what they’re waiting for. They go inside the catacombs.  

Carolyn says, Nikolas is asking her to medically manipulate an already damaged young woman to serve his needs? He says he’s asking her to use her expertise for the greater good, while serving Elizabeth’s needs. She says, if her daughter agreed to that, Elizabeth would have asked herself, and he says, Elizabeth has a good heart; that’s partly why she’s in this mess. She needs her mom to help her out, using her skills and training to suppress Esme’s painful memories like she once did for Elizabeth. She says, when did that procedure on Lizzie, she was thinking about her emotional well-being, but Nikolas says he doesn’t think Elizabeth thought it was in her best interest. They both know how much she’s suffered since then. Isn’t that what lured Carolyn back here, the opportunity to make it right? Carolyn says, and Nikolas calls himself a friend, and he says he’s a better friend than she is a parent, but she has the chance to atone for that. He’s offering her one last chance.

Josslyn says, their friendship is something she cherished, and Cameron says, stop pretending she has any respect for him. All this crap about how they couldn’t make it as a couple didn’t mean anything because she didn’t want to make it work; she found someone else. And now she wants him to keep her dirty little secret. She says, Dex works for Sonny; that complicates things. What she did hurt Cameron, and she hates that. If their friendship has to take a time out because of that, that’s fine; she understands. But she wants their friendship to have a future, somehow somewhere down the road. She wants him to want that too. He says, what if he doesn’t want that? What if he can’t ever find it in himself to forgive her? What then? She says, then she has to tell Dex before this gets back to Sonny.

Dex tells Sonny that he picked up the casing, so there’s nothing to tie the gun to what happened on New Year’s. He puts the casing and gun on the table, and says he understands if Sonny doesn’t trust him with it anymore. Sonny says, keep it, but he wants Dex to spend more time at the shooting range, because he doesn’t want Dex to miss next time. As long as Dex can look him in the eyes and swear he’s telling him everything.

Valentin says, the smell brings back memories, and Renee says, the smell in the catacombs is very memorable. He says, and not in a good way. They’ve been walking for a while now; how far have they gone? She says, they’ve gone at least one mile underground, and he asks if they’re getting closer to the compound where Victor is holding Lucy. She says, it can’t be far now, and he calls to Anna. He says, Anna was right behind them, and Renee says, it’s easy for people to get lost, especially when it’s their first time. He says, they have to go back and look for her, and Renee says, or they could celebrate that it’s just the two of them now.

Dex says he’s told Sonny everything. He can ask Josslyn. Sonny says he plans to, but he does appreciate Dex showing him respect, especially with what’s going on with Michael and Willow; they’re going through a tough time. Dex says, if Sonny doesn’t mind him asking, how are they doing? and Sonny says, they’re waiting to see if Nina’s a match so she can be a marrow donor for Willow. Dex says he hopes everything works out, and Sonny thanks him for looking out for Josslyn that night. He’s not officially her stepfather anymore. She wants nothing to do with him and he has no say, but she’s still important to him. Dex says, it goes with the job, right? Protecting everyone who’s important to Sonny. Sonny says, that’s the same thing he used to say when he was young, and had to prove himself. Dex is doing good. The sky’s the limit for him.

Cameron tells Josslyn, all this talk about cherishing their friendship is just BS. She just wants to  butter him up so he’ll stay quiet about her wannabe mobster boy toy. She says she hurt Cameron, and now he wants to hurt her; maybe she deserves that. But that doesn’t change the fact that if Sonny finds out she slept with Dex, he could turn on Dex. He might even have Dex killed. Does Cameron get that? He tells her, don’t dare try to make this his fault. She screwed him over, and he doesn’t owe her a damn thing. He walks to the door, and she asks where he’s going. He says, to Kelly’s, to go to his normal, boring, non-mafia job, and she asks what he’s going to do. He says, what does she think? Does she really believe he’s going to go on the internet and tell everyone his girlfriend left him for some stupid criminal? Her secret is safe with him. She thanks him, but he says, don’t dare thank him for being a better person than she is. Unlike her, he doesn’t betray the people he cares about. He leaves.

Laura says, it’s pretty clear there’s something else weighing on Elizabeth. Does she want to talk about it? Elizabeth says she doesn’t want to involve Laura in any more of her troubles. As much as she’d love to blame her parents, she’s not that 15 year old girl they shipped off. She’s a grown woman with three kids of her own. At some point, she needs to take responsibility for her own decisions. Laura says, that’s something they all need to do, but if what Elizabeth is struggling with involves Nikolas, she’s already involved. He’s her son, and she loves him. She always will, but she knows how persuasive he can be. Nikolas can make a bad idea seem reasonable. Elizabeth says she knows, and Laura asks if he’s imposed on their friendship. Elizabeth says, he talks a good game, but the choices she’s made are the choices she’s made, and she has to live with them. Laura says, she can always change her mind. Whatever it is, Elizabeth can tell her.

Maxie says she’s happy Sam found love again. To have been hurt so badly and grieve, then risk her heart again? She really admires Sam. Sam says, falling in love with Dante wasn’t some courageous act. It was actually the easiest most natural thing she’s ever done. They were friends, and she liked him; then she was like, wow, I love him. He told her that he loved her, and it just felt right. Don’t get her wrong. There have been plenty of bumps in the road along the way. Maybe she could have taken the pressure off with the whole moving in situation. Maxie says, because it was so important, she might screw it up? Like moving in together might be the beginning of the end? Sam says, pretty much, but moving in together wound up being wonderful. They fit really well together as a family. Maxie says, that’s awesome… and dangerous.

Nikolas says, what does Carolyn say? Does she want to put her psychiatric skills to use to help her daughter? She says, go to hell. All those years ago, when she used her skills so Elizabeth could forget that traumatic experience, she told herself that she was doing what was best for her daughter, but that wasn’t true. She was taking the easy way out for her and her husband, and she’s spent a lifetime wishing she could undo that mistake. The one and only reason she came to Port Charles was to make it right with Elizabeth. She’s not going to compound her mistake at the expense of another poor, young, innocent woman. Nikolas says, the woman in question is hardly innocent, and Carolyn says, the trouble is, she doesn’t trust him. And she absolutely will not use her knowledge of the human mind to play God with someone else’s life. She made that mistake decades ago, and it’s a mistake she’ll always regret. She picks up her stuff, and walks to the door. Nikolas says, maybe this time, Elizabeth will regret it, and Carolyn stops, turning around.

Valentin says, Renee is right. It is just her and him, and that’s a problem for him. They have to turn around and find Anna. Renee asks, what’s the rush? If Anna is as resourceful as he’s been telling her, doesn’t he think she’ll catch up… eventually, that is. She knows he can feel the heat between them. Those old feelings don’t just evaporate. She can still remember those wild times they had. She doesn’t think it’s possible to forget them. It can be like that again – she moves closer, about to kiss him – only better, if you play your cards right. A flashlight shines toward them, and Anna says, there they are. She took a wrong turn and thought she lost them… Did something happen while she was gone?

Carolyn says she can’t believe Nikolas calls himself her daughter’s friend, and he says, when Elizabeth graduated high school, he was there. Where was she? When Elizabeth graduated nursing school, he was there. Where was she? When the three boys were born, when Franco died, for all those times, he was there to hold Elizabeth’s hand, to wipe her tears away, to celebrate her victories. He was there for all of it. She was there for none of it, so don’t take that sanctimonious tone with him, because that flag won’t fly. She says, what she and Jeff did to Elizabeth all those years ago, broke their hearts, but at least they were able to tell themselves that Elizabeth had her grandmother to look out for her when they couldn’t. And her friends. Or so they thought. Now she sees how wrong they were. He says, they can agree on one thing, Audrey was a saint. She took great care of Elizabeth, and so did her friends, including him. If Elizabeth needs anything, day or night, all she has to do is call, and he’ll be there. Carolyn says, please. He’s just out to save himself. He says, she’s partially right. He does want to save himself, but he wants to save Elizabeth  too. Can Carolyn say that? She walks out.

Elizabeth tells Laura, it started off simply. She just wanted to repay a friend. Nikolas was there when her life went sideways when Franco got killed, and the more she got involved in his plan… Cameron walks in, and says, it’s great to see Laura. He hugs Laura, and says he didn’t think Elizabeth would still be here. She wasn’t waiting for him, was she? Elizabeth says, no. Laura came to meet her and they got to talking. She asks if he’s okay, and he says he’s fine; never better. In fact, he’s so fine, he wants to treat them to a special dessert. Elizabeth says, he doesn’t have to, but he says he wants to. It’s on him; on the house. He goes in the back, and Elizabeth asks if he’s trying too hard. Laura says, in a word, yes.

Maxie says, Sam and Dante really are the picture of domestic bliss. Two jobs, four kids; all they need is a dog. But all that domesticity can get in the way of romance. Tell her if this sounds familiar. Between Sam’s job and Dante’s job, making dinner, helping kids with their homework, by the time they’re alone together, they’re already in bed. It’s inevitable one of them is asleep before they turn out the light. Sam says, occasionally that happens, and Maxie says, but in London, Sam and Dante will be alone together, away from their daily lives. Yes, they’ll be investigating, but maybe they’ll have time to take a stroll through Kensington Gardens, or have a candlelit dinner, or room service in bed. Sam says she hopes they get the chance, but even if they don’t, Maxie’s right. She and Dante are going to be alone together, and this is going to be their first trip as a couple. She’s really excited about it. Maxie says she bets Dante is too. Cheers to Sam and Dante in London. Sam says, cheerio, and they clink glasses.

Sonny says he’s glad they had this talk, and Dex says, goodnight, boss. In the hallway, Dex’s phone rings, and he says, what’s up? Sitting on her dorm room floor, Josslyn says she just had a horrible conversation with Cam. He said some pretty harsh things about her. Dex says, she doesn’t sound good, and she says, she just lost her oldest friend. He asks if they’re in trouble, but she says she doesn’t think so. Cam said he wouldn’t say anything. Dex says he just told Sonny about the night Dr. Westbourne was killed, and he took Josslyn back to his place. She asks how much he told Sonny, and he says, he believes nothing happened between them. They’re all good.

On the phone, Sonny says he needs someone (probably Brick) to check on Dex Heller.

Valentin says, thank God Anna’s okay. He was afraid she’d gotten lost. They were about to circle back for her. Weren’t they? In French, Renee says, Valentin was beside himself with worry, and Anna answers in French, I understand. So what do they have here? It looks like a dead end. Valentin says he’s not so sure, and they walk over to some iron bars. He says, hang on, and they look inside with flashlights. He says, oh my God, and we see Lucy, bound and gagged.  

Tomorrow, Laura says, Martin isn’t actually considering that, is he; Olivia asks Drew why she gets the impression it has something to do with Carly; Carly says, Josslyn needs to be sure this is what she really wants; and Lucy’s rescue mission proceeds.

👯‍♂️ That’s What Friends Are For…

Not sure where I’d be without mine. Dogs help too.

🔥 Blazing Her Trail…

But what happens when he goes back to being a cop?

🔦 Look Into the Light…

If you’re a Guiding Light fan, this is Wednesday, January 25th, like five minutes from now.

👎🏽 No, Just No…

Ugh. I can’t believe these people are middle aged and still drinking until they get tossed out of a restaurant. The Jersey Housewives don’t need any help being idiots.

🏆 The Moment You’ve Been Waiting For…

The Oscar noms.

https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2023

🛒 Getting In the Express Lane…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and whatever I can dig up. FYI, the RHOSLC Reunion starts tomorrow. Until then, stay safe, stay optimistic, but practical, and stay not letting your past mistakes determine your future.

January 5, 2022 – Mama Bear Speeds Up the Timeline, Quickie, Twisted, Red Hot, Newbie, Buh-Bye, Not Me, On the Carpet, Best In Show, Pets (!) & Fire

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Felicia finds Cody in the stable, and he says she just missed it. He brought in the new year by staying up all night, helping a struggling filly. She was trying to give birth. It reminded him of when he helped Britt deliver the baby on Christmas Eve. If you think about it, every life is a miracle. What brings her to the Q stables so bright and early? She says, Mac has been trying to reach him. He’s in the middle of an investigation, otherwise he would have come to tell Cody himself. He says, tell him what? and she says she’s so sorry. Britt died last night.

In a hallway at the MetroCourt, a reporter asks if Maxie has a comment on Britt’s tragic death, and she asks if he could have the decency to let them grieve before hounding them with questions. Brad flies over, and says, leave her alone. Nina joins him, and says, this is her hotel. If he doesn’t leave now, she’s calling security. He starts snapping photos, and she yells at him, leave, now! He jets, and Nina hugs Maxie, who says, she can’t believe this. Nina says, neither can she, and takes Brad’s hand.

Austin goes into Britt’s office, where Obrecht is throwing things into a box. He asks what she’s doing, and she asks what it looks like; she’s saving what’s left of her daughter.

Dante walks into the interrogation room, and Nikolas says he has to make a phone call. Dante says, he already did. If his lawyer doesn’t want to show up… Nikolas says he needs to talk to his son. Britt Westbourne is dead, and she wasn’t just Nikolas’s ex-girlfriend, she was an important part of Spencer’s life, and he needs to reach Spencer before someone else tells him about it, but Spencer’s not taking any of his calls. Dante says he can do that on his own time. They have a string of murders here, and he needs answers. So why doesn’t Nikolas start by telling him about his relationship with Spencer’s girlfriend, Esme Prince.

Esme wakes up, and finds herself cuffed to the bed. She asks if Elizabeth can’t take these off her, but Elizabeth says she’s sorry; the staff can’t remove the restraints. Esme says, all she remembers is waking up here with some police detective asking her questions she couldn’t answer. Elizabeth asks if she’s sure there isn’t something else she remembers about last night.

Heather lets herself into Ryan’s room, and asks if we had a good night’s sleep last night, and make all gone with our breakfast smoothie. He asks where she was last night, and she says, her favorite security guard looked the other way again, and covered for her while she slipped out for a little night air. He asks where she went, and she says, this way and that. He asks if her walk took her anywhere near the pier, and she says she doesn’t know what he means. He says, word has it, someone sunk a hook into Britt Westbourne last night. Heather asks how she is, and he says, she’s dead. He doesn’t know how he couldn’t have seen it. He must be blind; it was right in front of his face. She says, what was? and he says, not what, who. It was her.

Curtis meets Portia at the Bistro, and she asks what he’s doing here. He says, Trina called, and said she was worried about her; that she’s having a hard time shaking the news about Britt’s death. She says, it’s just so tragic and unbelievable. Britt wasn’t just her boss. She respected Britt. Britt was her friend. He agrees it was tragic, and says he wants her to know, here and now, that he’ll stand by her side and hold her hand at Britt’s memorial service. He’s here for her, because this morning when he woke up, he watched her sleep and was overcome with gratitude for her… and for them. Life goes on. It has to. So he went to the florist, and said help him with something that will give them hope for the future, and… He takes a plant out of bag, and puts it on the table. She asks what it is, and he says, it’s a callisia. The florist says, it symbolizes new beginnings. It gave him hope – he takes her hand – because she’s his new beginning.

Cody says, Britt got hit with the hook, and the venom poisoned her, so she died on the night of her first birthday party. Felicia says, it’s tragic; it’s hard to make sense of it. He wonders why The Hook targeted her, but Felicia says, from what she understands, the attacker was targeting someone else. Britt stepped in to save a life, only to lose her own. He says, she was a doctor; she was destined to save many more lives. Her poor mother. Does Dr. Obrecht know? She says, Britt died in her mother’s arms, and he says, at least she wasn’t alone. It’s so unbelievable. As smart and beautiful as Britt was, life never seemed to give her a break. Felicia says, sounds like someone else she knows.

Nina thanks Brad and Maxie for meeting her here. She talked to the funeral home, and they need something for Britt to wear. Aunt Liesl isn’t up to it, and she’s not sure she is either. Brad asks if anyone talked to the police. Are they okay with them going into her room? Nina says she talked to Mac, and he said it was fine because Britt wasn’t the intended target. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maxie says, wrong for her, but she saved someone else’s life. Brad says, Britt would have loved hearing people talk about her as a hero. He can just see her laughing it up, making all the haters eat every nasty word they said about her. He starts to cry, and asks, why isn’t she here? His whole life he was alone, and found a BFF in his 30s. How can he live in a world without her? Maxie says, remember the last time they saw her, how hard she pushed for them to become friends? Let’s honor her in that way, and let’s spare Liesl from having to pick out her last outfit. He says, she’s right. Let’s do this… for Britt.

Austin says, packing up Britt’s office is not something that needs to happen right now, but Obrecht says, on the contrary. It can’t wait. He asks if she wants him to call Scotty, but she says, he’s busy taking care of the arrangements, dealing with the press, attending to all the details. The least she can do is collect Britta’s things and keep them safe, even if she couldn’t keep her own daughter safe.

Heather tells Ryan, someone had to look out for their daughter; protect her from all those people out there trying to destroy her. And no offense, he’s not exactly the man he used to be stuck in the chair like that. He says, and she still can’t seem to hook the right fish. She tells him that she never said she was perfect. And when you bat 300 in baseball, even if they’re not all homeruns, you still get into the Hall of Fame. That’s her. Besides, she’s going to make it right this time. He suggests she make it right now, and she asks, but how, oh wise one? He says, confess, so their daughter can go free.

Dante puts a recorder on, and Nikolas asks if it’s really necessary. He already confessed Esme is carrying his baby. Dante asks, what happened? Esme and Spencer broke up, and he was there to pick up the pieces? Nikolas says he’s not a predator, if that’s what Dante is saying, and Dante asks, when was the last time he saw Esme? Nikolas says, it must have been Trina’s trial, and Dante asks if he knew she was pregnant. Nikolas says, of course (🍷) not, and Dante asks when he found out; before or after she allegedly went on the run? Nikolas asks where he’s going with this, and Dante says, the problem he’s having is, if Esme’s the killer, he could see her getting the drop on Diane, and maybe nick Britt with the hook dipped in venom. But he doesn’t see her taking down a military veteran like Brando, or a cop like Cabrera, especially if she’s seven months pregnant. Nikolas asks what he’s saying, and Dante tells him, he’s saying, if Esme’s the killer, he thinks she had help.

Esme says, her memory begins waking up in this hospital bed, and being pregnant… How far along? Elizabeth says, seven months. She really doesn’t remember being pregnant or who the father is? Esme says she’s sorry, but no. The police say she’s done terrible things, but she doesn’t remember any of it. Revenge porn? She doesn’t even remember her own name, or what she likes for breakfast. Elizabeth says she thinks she knows someone who could help Esme, when Doc walks in, and Esme says, wait. She knows him. She remembers that face. She knows who he is.

Maxie closes a wardrobe in Britt’s room, and says, it’s empty. Brad says, so is her closet. On the phone, Nina thanks someone for the info, and tells them, apparently Britt had some of her things shipped on her birthday to where she was going on vacation. Maxie says, her entire wardrobe? and Nina says, the front desk also told her that Britt asked for a bunch of her clothes to be delivered to GH charities. Maxie says, it’s almost like Britt knew she wasn’t coming back, but Brad says, no way. She just threw herself this huge birthday party. Maxie asks, but why have them plan it, and insist they become friends? Brad says, they’re obviously not, but Maxie says, the point is, Britt wanted them to be. It was important to her. Almost like she knew they’d need each other. Brad says, her will. She said she’d just written one and left everything to him. Who does that at her age? Maxie says, and plans a vacation out of nowhere? Brad says, and she gave Cody the heave-ho, and Maxie says, it was like she was burning all her bridges. Brad says, but why? Why couldn’t she share that with him? They were friends, best friends, but he guesses he never really knew Britt at all. Nina takes their hands, and says she wants them to sit. She knows something they don’t, but they should.

Austin promises Obrecht that no one will take anything without checking with her first. He’ll make sure everything that belongs to the hospital is returned, and everything that belonged to Britt gets to her. She thanks him, and thanks him for his birthday present to Britta. It meant so much to her. Seeing that photo montage of all the people in Britt’s life, proof that her life was worthwhile. He says, every life is worthwhile, and she says, her Britta was loved, wasn’t she? He says,  yes, of course (🍷) she was. Obrecht says, real love was in short supply when Britta was growing up. She wonders if Britt knew she was loved when she saw those faces on the screen, and he says he guesses they’ll never know for sure, but he’s choosing to believe it changed her mind. Obrecht says, about what? and he says, about leaving town for good. Obrecht says, she was just going on a vacation, and he says, that’s what Britt wanted everyone to believe. She says, Britt was going away to die, wasn’t she?

Elizabeth introduces Doc, and Esme says she remembers he’s a doctor now, but that name. She asks his name again, and he says, Kevin Collins. She asks what kind of doctor he is, and he says he’s a psychiatrist. Does she know what that means? She says she lost her memory, she’s not stupid. He laughs, and she says, he’s a shrink. Is he here to pick her brain? He says he’s here to listen. Nurse Baldwin… Elizabeth heads for the door, and Esme asks if that’s her name. Elizabeth tells her, Elizabeth Baldwin. She’ll be in the hallway if Esme needs her. Doc sits down, and asks if there’s anything Esme would like to ask or tell him, and she says he has a trustworthy face. He says, and a familiar one apparently, and she says, it’s like she knows him, but it’s just outside of her reach. She can’t put her finger on it. She asks if they’ve met before, and he says, they’re paths have crossed. He’s related to Spencer by marriage. She asks, who’s Spencer? and he says, maybe she remembers his father Nikolas Cassadine, but she says she’s sorry; it doesn’t ring a bell. Is there anyone else they have in common? He says, his twin brother Ryan.  

Heather says, so that’s Ryan’s plan? Throw her to the wolves? The next time she hooks another target, the cops are going to realize their daughter is innocent. He says, that’s a vast oversimplification of a complex problem, but she says, not if you do it right. She pokes him in the chest, and he grabs her wrist. She backs away in pain, holding her wrist, and he asks what happened to her. She says she took one for the team last night, and he asks if she’s badly hurt. She says, like he cares, and he says, it’s not like he doesn’t share her motivation. It’s her methods he has an issue with. She says, that’s the thanks she gets? You do the best you can for your child; you give her your whole heart and soul. And when it turns out she’s not only wanted for murder, but she’s also public enemy number one, she did what any good mother would do, and tried to set things right. Trust her. Their daughter will thank her. He says, not if the rest of their family has to pay the price, and she asks what he’s blathering about now.

Nikolas asks if Dante is suggesting he’s Esme’s accomplice, but Dante says he’s suggesting Esme is the key, whether or not she’s the killer. She’s seven months pregnant, so how does she go from hiding to on the run to maybe killing people, maybe not killing people, all by herself? Someone’s looking out for her; someone’s helping her. And who would have more reason than the father of her baby?

Portia says she loves the callisia, but most of all, loves Curtis’s thoughtfulness. She didn’t think she could love him any more. He thanks her, and says he loves her so much. She says, it feels like ever since Trina was arrested, she can’t stop thinking about all the bad things… Their family has been through a lot the past year, but she feels they’ve come through it stronger. Trina was acquitted, Curtis and his father’s relationship is better than ever, and Aunt Stella accepted her. He says, things are going good with him and Trina. She told him that she loved him the other day. Portia says, that was a major accomplishment. When she walks down the aisle in a few weeks, she’s going to be his wife, and she can’t wait. He leans over the table, and kisses her.

Felicia says, when you think about it, Cody and Britt had a lot in common. She’s not surprised they hit it off. He says, they had a connection, but he wasn’t straight with her. Britt had something he wanted, and he thought… It doesn’t really matter what he thought. The truth is, he used her until she caught on, and rightfully kicked him to the curb, which was a smart decision on her part. Except now, she’ll never know. Felicia says, never know what? and he says, Britt learned too late that all he wanted was her.

Nina says, Britt knew for some time she had a ticking time bomb inside her, and Brad asks what that means. Nina says, she inherited something from her father… Britt had Huntington’s disease. Maxie says, oh my God, and Brad says, when he was working at GH, he saw people with Huntington’s; it took a terrible toll on their lives. Why didn’t Britt tell them? Why did she face this alone? Nina says, she wasn’t alone. She had her mom, and Scotty knew. Maxie says, why would Britt tell her or Brad, and Nina says, Britt didn’t actually tell her. Aunt Liesl told her when she was overwhelmed with everything Britt was facing. She had to talk to someone. Maxie says, Austin knew too, didn’t he? The birthday gift he gave her, the photos of her life. That’s why he did it. Nina says, seeing all the people she loved gave her courage. Brad says, at his worst moment, when the baby switch came out, Britt didn’t walk away from him, and he never would have walked away from her. He cries, and says he didn’t need her to be brave; he just needs her in his life. Maxie says she still does, and Nina puts her arms around them, saying, they all do.

Austin says he’s sorry Obrecht had to hear this from him. He begged Britt to open up to her, but he guesses she couldn’t. The only reason he knows she was leaving town is that he caught her at a particularly vulnerable moment. Obrecht says she doesn’t understand. She’s never been prouder of her Britta. Her relationship with Britt was… complicated, to say the least. There were times Britt hated her, and there were times she thought Britt betrayed her. But somehow, despite all that, they found a way back together; not just as mother and daughter, but as good friends. It’s just like her to spare the rest of them, and sail off into the sunset alone. But he said she came back for them. Why? What changed her mind?

Doc asks if Esme is sure she doesn’t remember his twin brother. He’s kind of hard to forget. She asks if his twin is as kind as he is, and Doc says he guesses his brother is being kind at the moment because he has no choice. Esme used to take care of him. She asks if she was a nurse, but he says, no. She had an internship. He hears Elizabeth say, she’s with Dr. Collins, and Martin walks in. Doc says he’s counseling with a patient, and Martin says, one man’s counsel is another man’s third degree. He’s afraid he’s going to have to ask Doc to cease and desist immediately. Doc asks, by whose authority? and Martin says, the authority of this county. This may be Doc’s patient, but as of one hour and 15 minutes ago, she’s Martin’s client.  

Maxie tells Nina to leave it to her and Brad. Don’t worry; they have it under control. Nina says she’s counting on them, hugs Brad and Maxie, and leaves. Brad asks what they do now, and Maxie shrugs. She says she was kinda hoping he’d tell her.

Austin says he and Obrecht are both doctors, and know better than most that every life ends. It’s how you choose to live your life that matters. If Britt knew Huntington’s was bringing her close to the end, let’s considered her last week. She delivered a breach baby that was born on Christmas Eve. She threw an epic party, surrounded by people who loved her and she loved; affection and support. And her final act was to save someone’s life. Don’t get him wrong; he’s incredibly sad she’s gone. But if you have to exit this world, it’s a pretty badass way to go. Obrecht says she appreciates his kind words, but her daughter is gone.

Ryan says, that’s rich. Heather spends a lifetime ignoring that their daughter even exists, and now she’s Joan Crawford? Heather says she likes wire hangers. What was he saying about the rest of their family? He says, wouldn’t she like to know, and she tells him not to push her. Is something wrong with their baby girl? He says, that depends. Does she knit? Not big things, but little things, like baby booties. The little one could probably use protection from the cold winter wind. She asks if he’s saying… and he says, yes. Our baby is having a baby.

Nikolas says he’s not sitting here while Dante goes on a fishing expedition, and Dante says he’ll probably have to ask Nikolas more questions, so don’t leave town. Nikolas says he thinks Dante’s got nothing, and Dante says, if he’s got nothing, why is Nikolas so angry? Nikolas walks out.

Martin introduces himself to Esme, and says he’s her attorney. Try not to hate him; he was assigned by Judge Holloway. She says she has no idea if she has money to pay him, but he says, it’s a pro bono case. That means it’s free. The only thing she has to do is exactly what he tells her; starting with, do not talk to anyone. She says, not even the doctor? and he says, especially the doctor. He tells Doc that he’s just doing his job, and Doc says, far be it for him to argue with the judge. He leaves, and Martin says, his first order of business is probably to get her to eat something – he looks under the plate cover – even is it is hospital food. He tells Elizabeth that he’d like to confer with his client in private, but Esme says, please don’t make her go; Elizabeth’s been so good to her. Martin says, for the time being only person in this town good to you is yours truly, and Esme says, everyone is being so sketchy about what she’s done, acting like it’s not this revenge porn thing. He says she’s done nothing until she’s proven guilty, and she says, guilty of what? he says, murder in the first degree. Esme falls back on her pillow.

Heather tells Ryan, Franco never had kids of his own, neither did Stephen Lars. This is her first grandbaby. Maybe it’s not too late for them to have a family of their own. He says, there could even be a place for Ava, and she says, dare to dream. A baby. She’s going to make up for lost time, and be there when the baby is born. She’s going to be right there in the room to support their baby girl. He says, she does know that’s impossible, right? but she says she’ll just speed up the timeline. He says, now she’s talking. Allow him to help. She says, talk about impossible. Just let mama bear finish the work she’s begun, and papa bear will sit tight until baby bear and little baby bear in the oven are free. He says he needs to prepare. When does she plan to attack? She says, the minute her friendly guard is back on duty. Don’t worry. Mama will take care of everything.

Doc goes to see Dante, who says he thought Doc would still be interviewing Esme. Doc says, their session was cut short when her lawyer showed up, and Dante says, anyone he knows? Doc says, Martin Grey, and Dante says, wow. For someone who showed up with nothing, not even her memory, she sure has friends in high places. Doc says, about Esme’s memory… and Dante asks if he thinks she’s faking it.

Martin asks, what’s wrong? and wonders if they should call for a doctor, but Elizabeth says she’s got this. She asks him to give her a minute, and he says, gladly. In the hallway, he takes out his phone, and says, thanks for nothing, Judge Holloway. Who does he have to bribe to get out of this. It isn’t even his turn on rotation. Nikolas walks up, and says, don’t blame the judge; it wasn’t his doing. Martin says, it was Nikolas, wasn’t it? Did Nikolas pull some strings to get him assigned to this crazy case? Nikolas says he did, and Martin asks, why? Nikolas says, because Esme is carrying his baby. Who better to trust than family?

Inside Esme’s room, Elizabeth says she’ll know if Esme is faking. So don’t even try.

Curtis tells Portia that when his marriage to Jordan ended, he never thought he’d get married again, he was so down on the institution altogether. But even though living with her has been a joy, he wants to make it official. He’s excited to take the vows and become her husband. She says she wasn’t going to tell him this, but she was at Wyndham’s the other day, and saw these little towels with His and Hers on them. She almost got them, but thought it was too cheesy. He says he thinks she should have gotten them. He doesn’t care if it says His and Hers, or Husband and Wife. He wants whoever comes into their house to know how absolutely proud they are to be each other’s significant other. She says she’s going to go buy those towels, and he tells her to go buy them.

Brad says, all that’s left is the hotel room. She must have felt so alone and scared. If only they knew. Maxie says, he heard Nina. That’s the way Britt wanted it. He yells that he doesn’t care what she wanted; he wants her. His one and only friend. His best friend in this lousy, messed up world. Now she’s gone, like that, without so much as a goodbye. Now all that’s left is picking out a stupid funeral get-up. Maxie says, don’t worry about it; she’s got it handled. He says, this is going to be Britt’s last look ever. He’s not letting Maxie choose some boring dress from Wyndham’s. Maxie says, if he thinks she’s letting him dress Britt in some fast fashion trash, he has another thing coming. He follows her out, saying, they need something with style and impact, and she says, style, yes.

Doc says he’d like to spend more time observing Esme, and he’d like to consult with a neurologist that TJ brought in. But his initial assessment is that Esme suffered significant memory loss. Dante asks if it’s permanent, but Doc says, no way to tell, but if so, they may never know where she’s been or who’s been taking care of her. Dante says, at seven months pregnant, Esme was in no condition to take out an officer, or kill Britt Westbourne on the pier last night. So the more pressing question is, who really is The Hook killer?

Austin tells Obrecht that he doesn’t believe Britt’s killer will go unpunished. He doesn’t know if she knows this, but the police have a suspect here at GH, under guard 24/7.

Esme says, all she remembers is waking up in here. She hasn’t killed anyone; she couldn’t. Elizabeth believes her, doesn’t she? Elizabeth says she thinks the best thing Esme can do for herself is just rest. She goes to the door, and Esme calls to her. Elizabeth turns around, and Esme says, Elizabeth does believe her, right?

Martin says, his priority is to find Lucy. He has no time for this. Nikolas says he knows Martin was assigned to the case pro bono, but he’ll double Martin’s normal fee. Esme is the mother of his child; she must be kept safe, and not hounded by the police until she gives birth. Martin says, and then what? and Nikolas says, triple his normal fee. Martin says, deal, as Elizabeth comes out, and Nikolas says, Esme is in good hands with Uncle Martin.

Heather says she’s so happy she and Ryan had this little talk. She’ll just find another hook, and then they’re back in business. He asks, what happened to the first one? and she says, it got snagged, but don’t worry. There’s no way they can trace it back to her. Just let her do what she does best, and he can look forward to the happy day when they’re all reunited as a family; the three of them. He says, she miscounted by two. There’s Ava, and… She says, a little baby bear in the oven; that makes five. She always knew he was a softy. She calls him grandpa, kisses his head, and leaves.

Obrecht sees Britt’s lab coat hanging on the back of her chair. She takes it off, and looks at the ID.

Esme pulls the tray toward her, looks at the food, and pushes it back.

Cody thanks Felicia for coming in person with the news about Britt, and she says, thank Mac; it was his idea. He would have come himself if he wasn’t so busy on the case. Felicia hugs Cody, and leaves.

Nina goes in Britt’s office, saying, she got Obrecht’s text. She looks in the box, and gets out her phone. We see Obrecht’s text: Meet at Britt’s office, and Nina texts Obrecht: Where r u?  

Obrecht goes into Esme’s room, and Esme says she can’t sleep. Can she be given something stronger? Obrecht closes the door, and says, yes. That can be arranged. She smiles.

Tomorrow, Josslyn tells Carly, this happened because of her; Spencer tells Cameron, it’s because of that jerk Dex: Drew says, a woman’s life could depend on it; and Sonny attacks Nikolas.

🎭 Behind the Mask…

The actress behind Esme.

🐻 Mama Bear Speaks…

From sitcom to serial killer, this one is just right.

🔥 Blazing a Trail…

I was hoping Chase would have more of a music career, but no. He has to go and be Dudley Do-Right. I guess a Blaze storyline is out.

🕵🏾‍♂️ New To the Force…

And he has a name!

🧹 Ding-Dong…

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

https://extratv.com/2023/01/05/lisa-rinna-exits-the-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills/

🤷🏽 Not That There’s Anything Wrong With That…

I couldn’t care less who he sleeps with, but I still want to know what he does for a living that got him a reality TV gig. Or how he steals for a living. A hissy fit isn’t a good look on anyone though. He’s pretty mean.

👠 Giving Glam…

More of the best fashion from last year.

📽 What We Watched…

Two takes on the best films of 2022. Nope was great. I could watch that a thousand times.

https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-movies-2022/

https://www.theroot.com/the-best-black-movies-of-2022-1849902905

🐕 And To the Pets…

Because I have to.

https://www.yardbarker.com/lifestyle/articles/20_celebrity_pets_that_will_make_you_say_aw/s1__34563662

🧺 Wringing It In…

Stop in tomorrow for a little soap, a little tea, words of wisdom and humor for the new year, and music from the eclectic collection in my head. Until then, stay safe, stay taking satisfaction in your accomplishments no matter how small, and stay remembering, life goes on. It has to.

November 4, 2022 – Joss Sneaks Out To Warn Cam, New Donna, Blaze, Finding Love, Back Together, Spotted, Reaction, Cancelled, Even More Costumes (Plus Pets!), Month Number Of Quotes & Time

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Willow and Michael are at Charlie’s, and they kiss. Michael says, this is nice; date night. She says, it’s perfect. Just them. He says he loves spending evenings with Wiley at home, but when Wiley said he wanted to spend the night at Leo’s, he couldn’t complain. Once the baby comes, these nights are going to be few and far between. He’s sorry. Things got crazy at Aurora, and he couldn’t make her GH appointment. She says, that’s okay; it was routine. She flashes back to asking TJ what Britt is concerned about, and Michael says, nothing is routine when it comes to her and their child.

Dex hangs around outside Kelly’s, while inside, Sonny shares an ice cream sundae with Nina. She says, who’d have thought big bad Sonny Corinthos, who loves fine dining, his guilty pleasure is an old fashioned ice cream sundae. He says he’s just excited they don’t have to pretend anymore. They’re out in public; no more apologies. She says she knew that was true when Sonny stood up for her with Carly. She’ll never forget him saying that he’s a part of her life, so that makes her part of his kids’ lives. He tells her, he didn’t even have to say it, the way Donna and Avery responded to her, it made him realize she’s already part of the family.

Austin tells Mason, he’s done. Done with Mason. Done with his boss. He’s a different person now. Mason says, sure he is, but tell him, why is that exactly? Maxie walks in, and says, sorry. She didn’t realize Austin was in the middle of something. Is everything okay? Mason asks if Austin wants to tell her, or should he?

Standing on a terrace at the MetroCourt on the phone, Spinelli says he doesn’t have to offer any explanation. Society Set-Ups is his business, and he needs to know how long it will take to shut it all down… Yes, he’s aware revenues are up, but that’s not the point. Trust him. He has his reasons for shutting it all down.

Curtis tells Jordan, he didn’t want to say this in front of Trina, because she’s already freaked out enough as it is; but if the police department believes Josslyn was the real target the night Brando was attacked, he’s almost certain that killer isn’t going to stop until they zero in on Trina. Portia says, they can’t let that happen, and Jordan promises them both, the PCPD is going to do everything in their power to keep Trina safe. Curtis says, they’ll all have to pull together. Someone should call Taggert. Trina’s father should know what’s going on.

Josslyn tells Carly, she’d just hoped this year would be normal. That she and Trina could go to college and be regular college students, hanging out with their friends – on campus. And now someone’s targeting them? Carly hugs her, and says, she’ll never let anyone hurt Josslyn. Josslyn says she’s glad Jordan was here, and that Trina got home safe… Oh my God. She takes out her phone, and says, if Trina and everyone who stood by her at the trial are targets, that could be Cam too. She has to tell him. She gets voicemail, and says, if he gets this, call her immediately. He could be in serious danger.

Cameron walks on the footbridge, and looks at the locks on the handrail. He flashes back to being with Josslyn in his room, about to get busy. He hears something, and says, is anyone there?

Austin tells Maxie, Mason was saying that he’s having a few problems with the GH Insurance and Billing Department, and asked him to make a few calls on his behalf, but – he looks at Mason – he’s not comfortable crossing any ethical lines. Mason says, is that so? and Austin says he supposes he could make a few calls. He’ll see what he can do. Mason says, that’s all he’s asking, and thanks him. He says, lovely to see Maxie again, and leaves. Maxie says, wow. Having a family that’s constantly asking for favors, that’s got to be exhausting. Insurance and Billing is not Austin’s specialty. He says, it’s not. Why is she here? She says she tried to call his cell, but he didn’t answer, and he says he’s had his hands full. What was she calling about? She says she knows she cancelled their date, but she thought they could grab a quick bite before she goes back to the office. He says he’d love to, but he has some things to take care of here, and she says she totally understands. She should probably just grab something from the MetroCourt and eat at her desk. She’ll see him later though. Austin says, yeah, and she leaves. His desk phone rings, and he answers. He says, yes, he did. The patient who’s been requesting him in the ER, please let everybody know he’s on his way.

Curtis says he’s going to beef up the security, both inside and outside the house, and Jordan says she’ll make sure a police car patrols their block. Portia says, Trina is not going to want to go into hiding, or put her life on hold, and Jordan says, she has the right idea. Even with the threats hanging over her head, Trina needs to live as normal a life as possible. Curtis says, how are they supposed to do that when they’re planning a wedding? and everyone looks uncomfortable.

Carly says she’s sure Jordan’s been in touch with Cam, and Josslyn sends Cameron a text: Call me back!! Important! She grabs her coat, and Carly asks where she thinks she’s going. Josslyn says, Cam is working; she has to go warn him. Carly says, Josslyn left a voicemail and sent him a text. When he calls her back, she can warm him. Josslyn says, what if the killer is scoping out the restaurant or Elizabeth’s house just waiting for him to be alone?

Cameron asks, who’s there? and Drew says, Cameron? Cameron says, Drew, and Drew asks if Cameron was expecting someone else. Cameron says, it’s just that people are getting murdered by The Hook. He’s a little jumpy. Drew says he gets it, but what is Cameron doing out here by himself? and Cameron says, it’s Oscar’s birthday. He can’t help thinking about how much he misses him. Out here, he feels closer to Oscar. Drew says, him too. Oscar’s in his thoughts on a daily basis, but when he’s out here, he misses Oscar a little bit less.

Carly grabs Josslyn’s arm, and says, if Cameron’s at Kelly’s, that means he’s in a public place. There’s lots of people around. Josslyn says she needs to see him. She can’t let anything happen to him. Carly says, Josslyn texted and called him. Why does she need to see him in person? Josslyn says, Cam is her boyfriend. She needs to make sure he’s okay.

Dex buttons up his coat, and flashes back to Josslyn saying she’d be lying if she said he hadn’t disappointed her. In Kelly’s, Nina asks Sonny if Dex can’t protect them inside; it looks pretty cold out there. Sonny says, the cold keeps him alert, and she says, Sonny is tough. She can’t get used to having a bodyguard. Sonny says, she’d better. He’s not going to let anything happen to her. She says she knows, and they kiss

Willow says, according to Dr. Westbourne, everything with the baby is fine, and Michael says he just wishes he’d been there. She says, her too. She went through her first pregnancy totally alone, and it’s a bonus that she gets to share this pregnancy with him. He says, maybe with most couples routine checkups are mundane, but he treasures them as much as she does. So believe him when he says he’ll be right there with her. She says, promise? and he says, the way he sees it, she’s stuck with him forever. She says, forever, that has such a nice ring to it. They kiss, and Michael says he’ll be right back.

Jordan says, they’ve set a wedding date. Congratulations. Portia thanks her, and says, they’re shooting for Valentine’s Day. Jordan says, that’s less than six months away; that’s not much time to plan. But since her and Curtis’s divorce is now official, there’s nothing to stand in their way.

Josslyn tells Carly, she and Trina know Jordan’s theory; Cam doesn’t. She needs to warn him. Carly asks if she’s sure that’s all it is, and Josslyn says, isn’t that enough? but Carly says she’s Josslyn’s mother. She knows when Josslyn’s keeping something from her. Josslyn says, fine. She’ll call Kelly’s then. Carly asks if something happened between Josslyn and Cameron, and Josslyn flashes back to buttoning Dex’s shirt. She tells Carly, things between them are fine, except they’re both potential targets for a killer. Carly says she understands Josslyn is concerned, so she’ll take care of it, and she walks out of the room.

Drew tells Cameron, when he made the decision to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, it was meant to be a grand farewell; to spread his son’s ashes in a majestic vista worthy of Oscar’s forever home. Cameron says he’s sure Oscar would love that, and Drew says, it’s such a magical place. When you’re at the peak, you’re so close clouds, you feel like you could reach out and touch them. Cameron says, that’s officially on the list of things he needs to do, and Drew says, when he got to the top, he just sat there for a few minutes. It felt like he was holding Oscar’s hand, and he knows it might sound crazy, but it felt like Oscar was touching his. Cameron says, it doesn’t sound crazy. If it makes Drew feel any better, he talks to Franco almost every day. Drew says, he should. They should never forget them. Drew’s phone rings, and he asks Carly, what’s up? She asks if he can do her a huge favor. Josslyn is worried about Cameron, and he’s not picking up. Could he swing by Kelly’s and make sure Cameron is okay? Drew says, no need. He’s here with Cam right now. She asks if he’s at Kelly’s, but he says, no, he’s at the footbridge. Is something wrong? She tells him, everything is okay. Just both of them get home safe.

Nina and Sonny kiss, and she says she’s not complaining, but what was that for? He says, ice cream isn’t his only guilty pleasure, and she says he’s going to spoil her. He says, that’s the plan, and she says, to think she was so concerned what other people think. He says he doesn’t care what other people think; he just cares what she thinks. She says, that’s not true; he cares what other people think. Dante, Kristina, the two little sweet ones, they’ve pretty much accepted her, but Michael and Josslyn, not so much. He says, that’s a work in progress, and he’s not giving up. She says, of course (🍷) not. That’s not his style. She thinks she loves him. He says, she thinks? She’s not sure? She says, all right. He deserves better than a half-declaration. She’s sure. He says, about what? and she says she loves him. He leans in for a kiss, but she puts a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth.

Michael says, Willow barely touched anything, and she says she’s nervous waiting for her test results. He says he thought Dr. Westbourne said the baby was fine, and Willow says, she did. The tests were just a precaution. He says, she had him worried for a second. So she knows, even if the tests are just precautionary, they’re in this together.

Spinelli says he doesn’t care about the economic ramifications. He just needs to shut it all down… Maxie walks out behind him, and he says, trust him. He has his reasons… No, that’s not soon enough. Please, just see what they can do. He turns around, and asks what Maxie is doing here, and she says she placed a to-go order; she’s having dinner at her desk. She’s got a long night ahead at Deception. It sounds like he has a long night ahead too. He says, juggling Society Set-Ups has proved more difficult than he expected. This business isn’t what he’d hoped for when he started. She says, let’s stop dancing around the issue. She knows the real story behind Society Set-Ups, remember?

Curtis says he’s going to call Taggert, and keep him in the loop. Unless Portia wants to make the call. After all, they’re both Trina’s parents. Portia says she’s fine with him calling, and he goes upstairs, which is kind of weird, but okay. Portia says she appreciates Jordan’s well wishes on the wedding. She knows this can’t be easy for Jordan. Jordan says, her marriage to Curtis is legally ended. They’re no longer in limbo. Portia thanks her, and says she owes Jordan one. Jordan says, Portia doesn’t owe her anything, but she does owe Curtis the truth.

Nina brings Dex some hot chocolate to keep warm, and he says that’s very thoughtful, but he’s working. She says, just take it, and Sonny joins her, saying, the lady insists. Dex says, she brings out the best in his boss, and Nina asks if Sonny heard that. Sonny says, Dex doesn’t need to tell him that, and Nina asks Dex if Sonny is always so tough on him, but Dex says, he’s a big softie. She says, he is, and they go back in.

Drew knocks at Carly’s door, and she asks what he’s doing here. He says, she sounded tense on the phone, he wanted to see how she was doing. She says, he can’t be here. He has to leave.

Josslyn sees Dex outside Kelly’s, and asks what he’s doing here. He says, working. The boss is inside with Miss Reeves. Josslyn says, oh crap, and looks in the window, seeing Sonny and Nina. Dex asks if she’s looking for someone, and she says, Cameron, but she guesses he’s not in yet. He says, she’s not going inside? and she says she tries to avoid Dex’s boss and his girlfriend whenever she can. It’s nice of Sonny to leave him out here to freeze after almost killing him. He says he’d like to think she’s concerned about him, but it’s just another excuse for her to hate on Sonny. She says she doesn’t need an excuse, and it’s just a waste of energy to tell him anything different when this is what he wants to do. He says, she has no idea what he wants, and she says, why doesn’t he tell her? Cameron walks up, and says, what’s going on?

Willow takes Michael’s hands, and says, they share everything, right? Good times and bad, sickness and health. He says, that sounds an awful lot like wedding vows, and she says, it does. He says, there’s are any number of late night judges who owe the Quartermaines a favor. Does she want him to call one up? They can say those words and make it official. She says, what if she did? and he asks if she’s serious. Is she saying she wants to get married, this time for keeps? She says, she’s saying she never wants to leave him, Wiley, or this new baby.

Austin walks into his office to find Mason in his chair, his feet propped on the desk. Austin says, no. Get the hell out of his office. Mason asks why Austin’s in a bad mood. He’s just here for a progress report on his friend. Austin says, there will be no phone calls or any paperwork for Mason’s boss to worry about, and Mason says, that’s very good to hear. And Austin? Austin says, crazy. He’s not going to alert the authorities and let them know he just did a completely illegally did a medical procedure on somebody with a gunshot wound. But Mason is never going to speak to Maxie again. Mason laughs, and says, so this virtuous man thing’s not an act? Who is Austin trying to be some kind of good guy for? Austin says, who does he think? and Mason says he gets it. Austin is acting out a country song. The love of a good woman is making me turn over a new leaf. Come on. He knows the real Austin. Austin can’t possibly think he and Maxie are meant to be. The lady works for a fancy cosmetics company, and Austin is more down and dirty than anyone here knows. If Maxie knew the compromises and deals with the devil Austin’s made, she’d be running for the hills. Austin says he chooses to believe Maxie cares about him enough to accept him. And if she accepts him, she’ll accept all of his mistakes. Mason says, right, because they’re meant to be. He’d love to test that theory. He says he’ll see Austin around, and leaves.

Maxie says, she may not be a computer whiz like Spinelli is, but it doesn’t take rocket science to see he went into the business of matchmaking after Ellie left him. She thinks deep down, he believes if he can help other people find love, it will mend his broken heart. He says, she’s very astute, and she says she knows he’s been in a sad place for a while, but she has faith he’ll find love again; that the right person is out there for him.

Portia comes downstairs, and tells Jordan that Curtis left a message for Taggert, and he’s talking to Trina. It’s just the two of them, and just so Jordan knows, Curtis hasn’t got the results back from his genetic counselor. So until she has confirmation that Curtis has the genetic markers for schizophrenia, there’s no reason to worry Trina about any of this. Jordan asks, what if Curtis has the DNA markers? If he’s Trina’s father, he could have passed them on to her. Portia says, if he has the markers, then she’ll be the one to figure out what to do next. Jordan says she probably should go, and Portia says she’s sorry. She does want to thank Jordan for taking care of them. She brought Trina home. Portia appreciates that, and thanks Jordan for expediting the divorce papers. Jordan says, it’s the least she could do after she lost the first set. Portia says, there’s so much Jordan doesn’t know. With everything that’s been going on – the good, the bad – can’t Jordan see she’s right in not turning everyone’s life upside down that she cares about? Not until she knows for sure.

Drew tells Carly that he doesn’t understand. He just got here. Carly says, he’s the one who said Ned could turn them in to the SEC for insider trading. He’s the one who said they should keep their relationship a secret. He says, the longer he stands out here, the better the chance of someone seeing them together, and she says, come in. He does, and she says, he was so serious about this earlier, and now he’s joking about it. He was clear they were to stay under the radar. He says, she’s right. He just wants her to know, he walked Cameron to his car. He said he was on his way to Kelly’s; he’s probably there by now. She says, can he please tell Josslyn? She’s worried sick. They go into the living room, but it’s empty. Carly calls for Josslyn, but there’s no answer. She tells Drew that she knows Josslyn left to check on Cam.

Josslyn says she’s so glad Cameron is okay, and throws her arms around him. Isn’t he getting her calls or texts? He says he was with Drew. He was going to call her when he got here. What’s going on? She says, Commissioner Ashford told her and Trina that when Brando got attacked outside of Charlie’s, he wasn’t the intended victim; she was. Cameron says, oh my God, and Dex says, the cops think she was the target? Based on what? Josslyn says, all of the victims are linked to Trina’s trial. Ava was her mentor; Diane, her attorney; and Oz Haggerty was the witness who got Trina exonerated. Cameron says, Josslyn testified that Trina was innocent, and she says, yes, she did, but so did he. So he could be a target too. Dex says, Sonny needs to hear about this, but Josslyn grabs his arm and says, no, he doesn’t. Dex says, she just told him that she and Cam are targets for the killer. Isn’t that more important than her pride?

Sonny says, it’s getting late, and Nina says, time for bed? He says, wha-a-at? and they get up. Dex comes in, followed by Josslyn and Cameron, and says he’s sorry to interrupt, but Sonny needs to hear this. Sonny asks, what’s going on? and Josslyn says, someone is out to kill her and Cam.

In an ironic twist, Michael and Willow also get ice cream sundaes. Willow says, Michael knows how much she loves him; how much she loves their family. He says, of course (🍷) he does, and he loves her just as much. He had a full life before he met her. He’d been in love, and knew what it was like to be happy. At least he thought he did. With her, his whole life has changed. She and their children are everything he wants. Til death do us part. Her phone rings, and it’s Terry. She says, it’s the hospital, and he says, it must be Britt with her test results. She answers.  

Jordan says, Trina is a sophomore in college. Portia has had nearly two decades to determine who her father is. Yet in all that time, Portia chose not to pursue it. She can’t support that. Portia says she’s not asking Jordan to support what she’s done over the years, but now is what she’s talking about. Marshall being diagnosed with schizophrenia; Curtis being tested for genetic markers. This is all about what’s happening now, and all she’s asking Jordan is for a little bit of time. Jordan says, it’s much more important than ever that Portia tell Curtis everything now. Jordan’s divorce to him is is final, and Portia and Curtis set a wedding date. Why go into this marriage with this big secret hanging over her head? Curtis is willing to put his life on the line for Portia’s daughter. Doesn’t he have the right to know if she’s actually his daughter too? Curtis c comes back downstairs, and says he spoke to Taggert, and he’s down to do whatever it takes to protect his daughter. He even mentioned rejoining the PCPD. Portia says, wow, but Curtis says, it’s not really a surprise, is it? He can’t think of a father who wouldn’t do absolutely anything to protect his child.

Carly calls Josslyn, but gets voicemail, and she says, dammit. She tells Drew, Josslyn’s not picking up because Josslyn knows she’s furious with her. The police stood here and told Josslyn to stay put. Drew says, Carly told him that Josslyn was concerned about Cameron. When Carly was her age, what would she have done? Carly says, she would have driven straight to Kelly’s, but that’s not the point. Josslyn is supposed to be smarter than she was. She’s going to Kelly’s. Drew says, they’ll take his car, but she says, he can’t take her; they can’t be seen together. He says, this is about Joss. The hell with the SEC. Carly opens the door, and Josslyn is on the porch with Sonny.

On the phone, Willow says, she’ll see them then. Michael asks what Britt said, and Willow says, Britt wants to see her tomorrow to discuss the test results. He says, that means there’s something to discuss, and Willow says, that was her impression. He says he’s coming with her, and please don’t say it’s not necessary. She says she’s not saying that. She wants him there. He says, they have a big day tomorrow, and he wants to get her home.

Maxie says she knows the way Spinelli’s mind works. It makes sense that he’d want to quantify love; make an algorithm of it, so it removes the uncertainty. But in the end, you’re still taking a risk. Austin almost comes out on the terrace, but hangs back. She says, you can trust the algorithm first, but you still have to trust your heart. Austin comes out, and asks how it’s going. He got done at GH, and Maxie said she was getting takeout here, so he took a chance. Maxie says, she and Spinelli just got wrapped up in his Society Set-Ups issues, and Spinelli says, Maxie… but she says, it’s okay. She told Austin that Society Set-Ups is his baby. Spinelli can trust him. Spinelli says, he’s not exactly comfortable with more people knowing about his level of involvement, although he’s grateful for Austin’s silence thus far. Austin says, no problem, and asks if Maxie can have dinner with him. Maxie says, sure, and goes inside to cancel her to-go order. Spinelli says he should get going, but Austin says, not so fast. He needs to ask a favor. Spinelli says, that was quick. What favor? Austin reminds Spinelli that he just said Austin kept quiet about his Society Set-Ups endeavor, so he figures Spinelli kind of owes him one. He needs Spinelli to do something for him on the downlow. Spinelli needs to run his algorithm on Austin and Maxie.

Jordan says, it’s been a long day. She’ll make sure a patrol car comes around the house. Portia and Curtis thank her, and she leaves. Curtis tells Portia, it’s not too late to change the date. They don’t have to get married on Valentine’s Day, especially with this threat hanging over Trina and her friends. She says, Trina would want them to be happy, and he says, then what Trina wants, Trina gets. They kiss, then sit on the couch, cuddled. Portia says, promise her everything is going to be all right, and Curtis says he promises to never let anything or anyone come between their family.

Cameron flips the sign to Closed, and Dex asks if Nina is ready to go. She says she is, and Dex says he can drop Cameron off, but Cameron says he’ll pass. Dex says, the boss wants him to make sure Cameron gets home safe, but Cameron says he doesn’t work for Sonny, so he’ll make his way home himself. Dex says, it’s his call, and Nina asks if Cameron is sure he’ll be okay by himself. Cameron says he’ll be just fine, and Nina and Dex leave. Cameron looks at his phone, and sees Josslyn’s text: Call me back!! Important! He flashes back to her hugging him, and smiles.

Carly asks if Josslyn is okay, and Josslyn says, she’s fine. She tells Sonny, the only reason she let him take her home was because Cameron is a potential target. Make sure he’s safe. She doesn’t want any protection… Carly pulls her inside, saying, get in the house. Sonny says, he ran into Josslyn at Kelly’s, after he heard Jordan’s theory the Brando’s death was a mistake, and the intended victim was Josslyn. So he brought her here, and had his guy Dex take Cam home. Carly thanks him, and Sonny says he guesses it’s all good here, so he’s going. He leaves, and Carly says, Drew has to go so Sonny sees him leave. He says, but first, and kisses her. He leaves, and unbeknownst to them, Josslyn has been watching, and her expression goes through a few changes.

Tomorrow, Valentin tells Anna that he has a plan; Holly asks if Robert has any details he can share with her; Nina tells Sonny, if she needs to step back, that’s what she’s going to do; and Heather says, speak now, Dr. Dreamboat, or forever hold your peace.

👧🏻 Pumpkin, Is That You…?

I have to admit, little Donna is pretty cute.

🔥 Trail Blazing…

I’m guessing Linc figures it wouldn’t hurt if she sabotaged Brook’s relationship with Chase too.

💖 The Charm…

She sounds like she’s doing well, despite the long covid.

🎞 Reunited…

This film sounds kind of interesting. Something different, yet timely.

🍊 Seen In the Wilds…

She probably stowed away.

🗽 Loser’s Club…

All I can say is, ugh. Ramona.

🐎 Not a Surprise…

It was a good show, but it was no longer Westworld after the first few seasons.

https://people.com/tv/westworld-canceled-by-hbo-after-four-seasons/

🦸🏽 More Masquerade…

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Family time. I’m so stupid. I thought, how is that kid looking out of that mask with no holes? and it was a graphic put there to block his face.

https://parade.com/news/best-celebrity-family-halloween-costumes-instagram-photos-2022

🎯 Random celebrities.

🎭 Celebrities dressed as celebrities.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanschocket2/people-dressed-as-celebs-costume

🥇 Another category that’s debatable.

https://www.tmz.com/2022/10/31/halloween-costumes-best-2022-celebrity/

🐩 And no way I’d forget.

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/top-dog-hallowen-costumes-2022-37174276

🐓 Quotes of the Week

The cow didn’t even help me. – Kimberly Menzies, when her boyfriend’s mother did not bless their union even after gifted with a cow, 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot. – Michael Altshuler

In law a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so. – Immanuel Kant

Focus on the journey, not on arriving at a certain destination. – Chris Hadfield

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.  – Viktor Frankl

If you hear a voice within you saying, you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced. – Vincent Van Gogh

Our thoughts and actions should express our mind of compassion, even if the other person says and does things that are not easy to accept. We must practice this way until we see clearly that our love is not contingent upon the other person being lovable. – Thich Nhat Hanh

Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swamps of the not-quite, the not-yet, and the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists… it is real… it is possible… it’s yours.Ayn Rand

Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.Albert Einstein

If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans. – James Herriot

The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made. – Groucho Marx

Falling Back…

Don’t forget, you gain an hour’s sleep this weekend. I’ll be back when the Dead Walk. Until then, stay safe, stay being grateful for at least one thing every day, and stay never going into a serious relationship with a big secret hanging over your head.