She’s right. That boat needs to die. I’m sure Glenn and Colin are having a grand old time holding it together with duct tape and bubble gum, but it almost tanked the season.
Some people think only intellect counts: knowing how to solve problems, knowing how to get by, knowing how to identify an advantage and seize it. But the functions of intellect are insufficient without courage, love, friendship, compassion and empathy. – Dean Koontz
The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. — John Powell
The border to eternity is never ahead of us. It runs parallel to life and can be crossed over at any moment by old and young. – Reinhard Bonnke
A mathematical formula for happiness: Reality divided by Expectations. There were two ways to be happy: improve your reality or lower your expectations. – Jodi Picoult (I vote for lowering expectations.)
Even while we kill and punish we must try to feel about the enemy as we feel about ourselves—to wish that he were not bad, to hope that he may, in this world or another, be cured: in fact, to wish his good. That is what is meant in the Bible by loving him: wishing his good, not feeling fond of him nor saying he is nice when he is not. – C.S. Lewis, from Mere Christianity
I can tell you, without diversity, creativity remains stagnant. – Edward Enninful
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. – Plato
That wasn’t karaoke. It was you, a jukebox, and a bar full of angry people. – Mike Biggs (Billy Gardell), Mike & Molly
🕺🏽 Curly Shuffling Away…
Tune in for a chance of Fear on Sunday, and on Monday really Tuesday for soap and double the Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay respecting your elders no matter how old you are, and stay making sure that when you’re singing karaoke, you’re really at karaoke.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
As the car is packed for a camping trip, Violet asks Cameron if he’s sure they have enough marshmallows and chocolate. He says, they have enough for an entire month; it’s only a weekend trip. Laura comes by, and says she loves seeing everyone pitching in together. Violet says, they’re going camping, and Laura says, what a wonderful idea. Elizabeth is going to be happy to hear they’re going on a trip as a blended family. Cameron says he’s late for work, and leaves. Finn thinks he should talk to Cameron, but Laura says, no; she’s got that.
Portia reads from her tablet to Epiphany, when you are visualizing vectors. Do you do it in A) one-dimension, B) two dimensions, or C) three dimensions? Epiphany says, vectors… visualizing vectors… Is it A? Portia says, no, it’s B. Two dimensions, babe. Epiphany says, who is she kidding? She’s never going to pass the MCATs and get into med school, and fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor. Portia says she remembers she said the same thing when she was going through them, and Epiphany says, but Portia was still young when she became a doctor, and she had more time and energy. Portia doesn’t know what to tell her there. They haven’t invented time machines just yet. (If only.) Epiphany says, at the very least, does she have any study tips? and Portia says, someone did help her once. They said, don’t think about it as a test. Think about the questions as if you’re dealing with an actual patient; someone that came to you for answers. Epiphany asks if that did the trick, and Portia says, it did. It reminded her of why she wanted to be a doctor in the first place, and it wasn’t to do good on some test. It was to help people. Curtis walks in with Marshall, and says, then it looks like they came to the right place. Marshall smiles and nods at Epiphany, and she smiles back.
Laura asks if Cameron isn’t going with everyone else on the camping trip, but he says he has his hands full here with his job, his second job at the MetroCourt pool, not to mention dealing with things with Joss. She says she doesn’t want to pry, but it’s summer, after his freshman year in college. Doesn’t he think he deserves to have a little fun? He says, roughing it in Pautuck State Park isn’t his idea of a good time. She says, not fond of sleeping in a tent? Or is it maybe the fact that his mom won’t be there?
Trina looks at her phone, and says, confidential message from the office of the Dean of Students. Josslyn says, they don’t know for sure if this is bad news, and Trina says, yeah, but once she opens this email, her life won’t be the same.
Spencer says, Ava is way off base. He’s back with Esme. She asks if he’s trying to deny his feelings for Trina, and he says he doesn’t owe her any explanations. She says, he knows how much Trina means to her, so she wants the truth. What kind of game is he playing?
Nikolas grabs Esme’s arm, and says she can’t be serious. Ava can never know that he… that we… She says, made love? (bleh) and he tells her to keep her voice down. She tells him, she’s only saying, if the guilt of it is too much to bear, and he needs to unburden himself to Ava, he won’t be alone. She’ll be right by his side.
Mac comes into the hospital and sees Felicia. He says he takes it that Maxie and Bailey Lou are still upstairs with the pediatrician, and she says, yes, they are. And when they’re finished, she was hoping he’d join them for a family dinner. He says, sounds fine to him. He can’t get enough of that little angel. She says, everything is new through a little one’s eyes, then looks behind Mac, and says, no. Ryan is wheeled out of the elevator by several guards and Rory.
Laura hugs Cameron, and says she’s sorry. She knows he misses his mom; they all do. And she knows he also feels pressure to earn money and be the man of the family, but doesn’t he admire what Finn is doing; trying to keep things as normal as possible for Jake and Aiden? For Violet too, for that matter. He says, they can’t pitch a tent in the woods and pretend everything is normal when mom’s suffering, but she says, his mother chose to get help, and she’s working on getting better. He says, but they don’t know how long it’s going to take. He doesn’t know what to say anymore when Jake and Aiden ask why they can’t see their mom. Things will not get better until mom gets home.
Curtis says, he brought his father in to have his bandage changed, and maybe have another scan, and Epiphany says she heard about the mugging; she’s so sorry. Marshall says, his son came to the rescue. He throws some punches in the air, and says, thanks to Curtis, they came through all right. Epiphany says she’s not surprised Curtis came through for him, but she’s sorry he didn’t get there before Marshall got injured. Marshall says, he may be the worse for wear, but she should see the clarinet. Epiphany laughs, and says she’ll show Marshall to his room, and let the doctor know he’s here. Portia thanks her, and Epiphany says, no, thank you, for the tutorial. She leaves with Marshall, and Portia says, when she left Curtis at the house, he and his father had a lot to unpack. Curtis says, a whole suitcase full, and she says, if he doesn’t feel comfortable talking to her about it, they can talk another time. He says he doesn’t want to talk about it, but he has to. Because what he learned might affect her too.
Josslyn says she and Trina can do this, and they open the email. Josslyn says, oh no, and hugs Trina.
Spencer tells Ava, yes, he cares about Trina, but his loyalty is to Esme. Why is that so difficult for her to understand? She asks why he’d care about Trina if he thinks she’s the one who hurt his friends, while claiming Esme’s behind that revenge porn? Doesn’t that make him angry? He says he doesn’t have to explain himself to her, and she says, she’s the one in control of his trust fund. It’s her decision to give him an allowance, but what she gives, she can take away. So out with it. What is he up to?
Nikolas says, he and Esme have both been given second chances; her with Spencer, him with Ava. The last thing they want to do is throw those chances away, right? She says, if he can forget what happened between them, so can she. Nikolas flashes back to… It’s like a bad penny; it just keeps showing up. He says, Ava took the first step toward reconciliation, and he needs to find a way to reciprocate, and she asks if they’re talking diamonds or rubies. He says, none of the above.
Felicia tells Mac, she knows Ryan can’t hurt her because of his condition, but still… He says, wait here, and goes over to Rory, asking what Ryan is doing here. Rory hands Mac some paperwork, and says, the desk sergeant gave him this assignment, to provide back-up for the Spring Ridge guards during transport. The patient is going to undergo a series of tests at GH. Is there a problem? Mac says, unfortunately, no, handing the papers back to Rory. Everything seems to be in order. Mac goes over to Ryan, and bends down to his level. He says he knows Ryan can’t talk, or even move a muscle, but Ryan can hear him, so listen up. He knows it’s legally the correct thing to do to offer Ryan medical treatment, but if it were up to Mac, he’d have taken Ryan down a long time ago. All Ryan’s victims, all the people he killed, he never gave them a chance to survive. So even though he can imagine Ryan hates his life as a vegetable, trapped in a body that can’t do anything, it’s still way better than he deserves. Ryan lets out a yell, and leaps out of his chair, pushing Mac onto the floor, and getting on top of him. He says, Mac never was very bright, and Felicia screams. Ryan tears at Mac’s throat like a zombie, and looks up and says, Felicia, so nice to see you. Felicia whimpers, but it was all somebody’s daydream – I’m guessing Ryan’s. Mac tells Rory to escort the prisoner to the exam room, and make sure the room is secure before he hands Ryan over to the guards. Rory says, yes, sir, let’s go, and Ryan is wheeled away. Mac goes over to Felicia, and she says she’s okay. Evil like that, pure evil, can’t win out. He says he wishes it were that easy. Does she have a silver bullet? She says, something better, a baby.
Ryan is left in the exam room alone (really?), and makes a fist with his hand.
Gregory asks Finn how things went at Shadybrook, and Finn says, Violet told him. Gregory says, nothing gets past her, and Finn says, Elizabeth is getting the help that she needs. Gregory asks why he senses there’s more to the story, and Finn says, Elizabeth made it clear his presence there was making it worse for her. She kind of asked him to leave. He goes over to Violet at the car, and asks if she’s ready for this.
Laura says, when she saw Cameron’s mother, she had only one concern; her boys, not herself. Cameron asks if that isn’t the problem. Shouldn’t her entire focus be on herself and getting better? She says, when he gets older and has kids, he’ll see that you never stop worrying about them or putting their needs first, but he’s right. She should be focusing on herself right now, but she won’t be about to do that if she knows Cameron is putting his life on hold. It will only add to her anxiety. He says, so him going on this stupid camping trip will actually make her feel better? and Laura asks if it’s really stupid to spend time with his brothers right now. Go for a walk in the woods. Maybe they’ll run into a family of deer. Anything to distract their minds from what’s going on with their mother. He says he guesses, and she says, he likes Finn, right? and he says, sure he does. She says, everybody says Hamilton Finn is a genius who can cure incurable diseases, and they’re right, but he’s also a human being. He could use Cameron’s help right now. She knows Cameron’s mother was counting on him to help right now. If ever there was a time for a family to come together, it’s now.
Portia asks how Marshall’s story affects her, and Curtis says, because it affects him. He doesn’t think he’s betraying any confidence in saying this. Marshall is well aware there have been way too many secrets, so he’s okay with him telling her everything. She says, she’s here to listen, so take all the time he needs. He says, after she left them at the house, Marshall opened up. It was like somebody opened the window, and let the sun shine in after a lifetime of being lost in the dark. He just let it all out; all those years he was away from them, thinking he was protecting them. When in reality, all the while, he was suffering. If TJ hadn’t found those pills… She says, the pills she found Curtis holding? and he nods. He says, after Marshall was mugged, the doctors in New York asked is he was on any medication. Curtis knew he was on heart medication, but didn’t know what kind or what dose. He and TJ had the keycard to Marshalls hotel room, so TJ went to look for the pills. They were just trying to help the doctors with any information they could. She asks if he’s saying Marshall’s heart condition is worse than he initially let on, but he says, no. He’s saying there was no medication for a heart issue. TJ found antipsychotic medication. All these years, Marshall has been taking medication for schizophrenia.
Trina reads, this is to inform you that you have been found in violation of regulations enumerated in Title IX. You’ll be contacted by the Dean’s office to schedule a meeting, at which time sanctions against you will be stipulated and possible expulsion will be addressed. Josslyn says, they still get to meet with the Dean. So there’s a chance they’ll impose sanctions while allowing Trina to stay enrolled in PCU. Trina says, thanks for trying to stay positive, but she doesn’t need a pep talk. Actually, in a way this decision did her a favor. Josslyn says, how? when Rory comes to the doorway and listens. Trina says, it’s like climbing a high diving board. It’s scarier to climb back down than just take a deep breath and jump. Josslyn says, okay, but what is Trina jumping into? Trina says, the way she sees it, if anyone’s going to clear her name and prove she’s not guilty, it’s her. Josslyn says, just know that Trina’s got her family, and her, and hopefully Cameron. Rory comes in, and says he hopes there’s room for one more supporter.
Esme says, she and Nikolas are in this together, so tell her. What does he have in mind for Ava? He says, Ava made a huge gesture by returning home to him. She even accepted Esme, and reinstated Spencer’s trust; those are huge concessions. He has to come up with a fitting response. She says she can’t wait to hear how the story ends, and hugs him. She says, this is for good luck, even though he doesn’t need it.
Spencer says he’s not up to anything, and Ava says, for once in his young irresponsible life, he’s got to be honest. Whose side is he on? Trina’s or Esme’s? Nikolas walks in with the ice, and says, what did he miss?
Gregory shows Violet how to tie a square knot, and says, now it’s her turn. It’s okay if she doesn’t get it right the first time. He sits with Finn on the back of the car, and Finn says, his advice never changes, does it? The whole it’s okay if you don’t get right on the first try thing. Gregory always let him and Chase figure things out on their own. Gregory says, if memory serves, Finn and Chase rarely took his advice, and Finn says, very true, but he’s starting to. Instead of hovering over Elizabeth, he’s taking the boys and Violet on this camping trip. Gregory says, that’s very healthy, very mature, but if he knows his son, and he thinks he does, Finn is already planning some other way to help Elizabeth, whether she wants it or not.
Cameron tells Laura, that’s not fair, her bringing up his mom’s expectations of him, when he’s been disappointing her for a long time. Laura tells him not to do this to himself. He made a mistake, just like everybody else. His mother is really proud of him, and beating himself up right now is not productive. He’s just going to get bogged down in all of that, and then he can’t be present to help anyone else. What sense does that make? The best thing he can do for his mother is go on the camping trip, and spend time with his younger brothers. So what does he say?
Marshall says, Epiphany doesn’t have to stick around until the doctor shows up, and she asks if it ever occurred to him that she might have another reason for sticking around. The last time she saw him, it was, hello, goodbye, and have a nice life. He says, he thought it was best, and she says, best for who? He encouraged her to go for her dream of becoming a doctor. Then when she takes him up on it, he’s out of here. Not so much as a postcard from the road. He asks if she’s telling him that she’s going for it, and she nods. He says, is she grabbing that brass ring? and she says, with both hands. They laugh, and she says, he may have run away from his family, but she’s not running away from her future. He says, he may have run away, but if she’s not going to hide from her future, he can’t run away from his past. He’s back to face it, and he’s back to stay.
Portia asks if Marshall happened to mention when he was first diagnosed, and Curtis says, it’s been at least 40 years ago. He’s been saying there was more to Marshall’s story, and he was right. That explains everything. Marshall walked away from his family because he was protecting them; there was never any unknown enemy. He was protecting them from himself. As long as he and Tommy believed he was dead, he was sparing them from the pain, grief, and stigma of that disease. She says, 40 years ago, a lot less was known about that condition, and he says, can she imagine the courage it took to walk away from his family; to face that illness alone?Or the courage, even more so, to come back and tell the truth? She says, it is very brave. Did he happen to mention if he had any recent episodes? Curtis says, the medication keeps it under control. He believes Marshall’s biggest fear isn’t what he’s about to do, but what he’s already done by passing on his DNA. He’s read this disease can be passed along genetically. Is that true?
Trina asks if Rory always listens in on conversations, and waits for the right time to make an entrance, and he tells her, people say there’s never a cop around when you need one. Now she can tell them they’re wrong. Josslyn says, she can’t get ahold of Cam, but she’s glad Rory is here. PCU may have made a decision about the Title IX findings, but there’s still time before a judge rules on Trina’s case. Rory says, he’s on the clock right now, but once he’s off duty, they can come up with a strategy to exonerate Trina. Trina says she’s touched by their support, but if there are any clues to find, she needs to find them. She can’t involve a member of the PCPD, and she can’t involve Joss and Cam. She needs to do this one on her own.
Spencer says, Cameron is expecting him at Kelly’s, and Nikolas says he admires Spencer’s dedication. Even though he can draw from his trust fund, he still feels an obligation to his friend. Ava says, that’s our Spencer, loyal to a fault. Spencer leaves, and Ava says, Nikolas’s timing is not great. She was so close to finding out what Spencer’s up to with Esme. He asks what makes her think Spencer is up to something, and she says, he’s a Cassadine, isn’t he? They’re all going to be under the same roof. She’s going to do everything she can to get along with Nikolas’s son. Unlike his father, Spencer’s choice of companionship leaves a lot to be desired. She gets closer to Nikolas, and frowns. He says, what’s wrong? and she says she knows that fragrance. It’s Esme’s.
Mac says, he and Felicia have been dancing around this topic for months, but never seem to go there. So let’s go there. They sit, and he asks if she’s saying that she… that we… Is she pregnant? She says, God no. Is that what he thought? What she meant was, they have Bailey Lou, a new life of hope and promise. Ryan has nothing, no one, except his twisted self. He says, then she’s not upset they never had a baby of their own? and she says, absolutely not. He helped her raise two beautiful daughters, and that’s good enough for her. They kiss, and Esme comes out of the elevator. She tells the guard at Ryan’s room that she’s here to visit him, but he says, no visitors. Another guard says, wait a minute. She’s the intern from Spring Ridge. Esme says, Dr. Gould asked her to sit with the patient in case he needs to communicate. The guard lets her in, and closes the door. She says, hello, daddy. She’s about to make all of his dreams come true.
Finn says, it’s difficult for him to fight the impulse to solve a problem, and Gregory says, and in Elizabeth’s case? Finn says he’s been thinking about reaching out to her parents, and Gregory just looks at him. Finn says, that’s it? Gregory has no opinion? That’s not like him. Gregory wonders if Finn is genuinely asking for his opinion, or has he already made up his mind?
Spencer runs into Kelly’s, and tells Cameron, he has great news. He sees Laura, and says he didn’t know she’d be here. She says, don’t let that stop him. He’s got great news; let’s hear it.
Portia tells Curtis, yes, there’s a genetic component to schizophrenia, but his father’s condition isn’t necessary something he’d inherit. He says, that’s a relief, and he thinks Marshall will be relieved as well. She says, there are so many factors that could have gone into this diagnosis, and medicine’s come a long way in 40 years. Whoever treated his father back then was just learning about what they were dealing with, but still… He asks what she’s saying, and she tells him, if he wants to be absolutely sure, he could go in for genetic counseling and testing.
Rory says he admires Trina’s courage and independence, but she’s going to need more than that to prove her innocence. Let them help her. She says, she appreciates that, but she can’t involve anyone else. Josslyn says, it’s a little late for that. She’s in this too, not only as a victim of revenge porn, but as Trina’s friend. This is happening to both of them in different ways, and they need to work together. Screw it. Let’s just go straight for Esme. They’ll make her tell the truth. Trina says, and when Esme accuses them of assault? Josslyn says, fine. Trina can stay here. She’ll take her chances. Trina says, no, she will not. Neither of them are committing a crime, not even to save her from a crime she didn’t commit. Rory says, she knows all the right words, but fair or not, the burden of proof is still on her. Trina says, that’s why she needs to find a way, her own way, to prove that Esme set her up.
Nikolas tells Ava, it’s no shock Esme’s perfume lingers here. She just stopped him outside. She asks what Miss Muffet wanted this time, and he says, now that Esme and Spencer are back together, she hopes he and Ava will forget the past, and be closer than they ever were before. She says, and Nikolas believes her? He says he believes she wants to be with Spencer, and Ava laughs, saying, or Spencer’s trust fund. He says, maybe both, but Esme realizes if things are going to work out with her and Spencer, their happiness – his and Ava’s – is essential. She says, happy wife, happy life, is that it? He says, she took the words right out of his mouth, and they kiss.
Esme says, Ryan’s plan is working to perfection. The fuse has been lit, and it’s only a matter of time before it blows up Ava and Nikolas’s marriage. She gets the alphabet board, and sits down. Ryan asks what she did, and she tells him, let’s just say she made Nikolas an offer he couldn’t refuse. He says, pray tell. What did she offer Nikolas? and she says, me.
Finn says he hasn’t exactly made up his mind, and he’s asking for Gregory’s opinion. Gregory tells him to look at his daughter. See what she’s doing? Finn says, she’s tying the knots Gregory taught her, and Gregory says, then she’s untying them. He didn’t teach her that. She figured that out on her own. Finn says, it serves him right for having a teacher as a father
Spencer asks if he and Cameron can have a moment alone, and Cameron says, anything Spencer can say to him, he can say to their grandma. Starting with why he was late to work again. Spencer says, Cameron told him that he had to choose, and Cameron says, and did he? Spencer says, it’s all taken care of, and Cameron says, good, because he’s going camping. Is Spencer going to be able to take care of everything else here? He hands Spencer his apron, but Spencer says, there’s been a change of plans. If he’s going to take care of everything, he doesn’t have time to buss tables. He hands the apron back, and says, consider this his notice.
Curtis tells Portia, if there’s any chance he could inherit his father’s condition, he wants to know all there is to know about genetic counseling. She says she can put him in touch with a specialist. The more Curtis knows about his father’s condition, the better prepared he’ll be to help his father. He says, if there’s one thing he found out the hard way, it’s that there’s a fine line between helping and interfering. Before he commits to anything, he’ll wait for the okay from Marshall. Portia says, of course (🍷); she understands. He says, unless it means that much to her, but she says she wants him to do what’s best for him. He takes her hands, and says she’s amazing. She’s always thinking of other people and not herself. So if it means that much to her, say the word, and he’ll speak to a specialist.
Rory says, before Trina says anything else, this is where he gets off. She says, because he’s a cop? and he says, the less he knows, the more freedom she has to do what she needs to do. All he can say is, good luck… to Esme. Josslyn asks what he’s talking about, and he says, if she and Trina coming for her, Esme needs to look out. He leaves, and Josslyn says she likes that guy.
Ava says, she and Nikolas can’t sweep their problems under the rug. They went off the rails because they didn’t trust each other enough to be completely honest. He says he admits it was wrong of him to invite Spencer and Esme to live here without consulting her first, and she says she admits, although she and Spencer have reached a kind of détente, Esme is a different story. He says, forget about Esme. Speaking of happy wives, he has something he wants to give her.
Felicia says, just her and Mac are more than enough. And this year, their Christmas newsletter will be embarrassingly filled with all of their blessings. And they can add Bailey Lou this year. He says, sounds good to him, when his phone dings. She asks if it’s about Ryan, and he says, no. They need him at the station, but it shouldn’t take long. Can he meet her at the restaurant? She says she’s a cop’s wife; she’s used to waiting. He tells her not to worry about Ryan. The only place he’s going is back to Spring Ridge. She walks him to the exit doors, then turns around and looks at Ryan’s room, three guards standing outside.
Ryan says, Esme had sex with her boyfriend’s father? and I say, thanks for reminding me. She says, the plan was to break Nikolas and Ava up, right? He says, if there weren’t guards outside the door, and he wasn’t handcuffed to this chair, he would hug her. So tell him everything. How did Ava react when Esme told her? Esme hesitates, and he says, she did tell Ava that mewling idiot she married cheated, didn’t she?
Portia says, Curtis has gone his whole life without knowing about his father’s illness, so there’s no rush to see a genetic specialist. Curtis and his father have been doing so good lately. Why doesn’t Curtis wait and talk to Marshall; see what he thinks about it. He thanks her for understanding, and says, as soon as he gets the all clear, he’s taking Marshall home. Home. Sounds good, doesn’t it? She says, it sounds realgood, and he kisses her, saying, home, one more time before he goes out the door. Portia leans on the table a moment, then picks up her phone. She says, this is Dr. Portia Robinson, and she’d like to set up a consultation with one of their counselors… She has a few questions that require a genetic specialist.
Josslyn says she can’t believe they’re back to square one with Esme, but Trina says, not necessarily. Josslyn says, she has a new idea? and Trina says, yeah. They have to forget about breaking up Esme and Spencer. They need to break down Esme’s story to prove she’s the guilty one. And Trina knows exactly how to do that.
Epiphany says she doesn’t know where Marshall’s doctor could be, and starts to leave, but he says, they have some unfinished business too. She says she thought he said his clarinet was damaged, and he says, instruments can be repaired easier than people can. Besides, they never got around to that second date. She says, is he asking her out? and he says, is she saying yes? mimicking her with his hand on his hip. They laugh.
Gregory says he knows how much Finn wants to help Elizabeth, but he thinks the best thing Finn can do for her is take care of her boys, and trust Elizabeth to know what’s best for her. Violet runs over, and says, she did it, showing Gregory her knot. He tells her, good job, and they high-five.
Laura says, Spencer is quitting his job? and Spencer says, Ava restored his trust fund allowance. He thinks he should be able to get by on ten thousand. Cameron says, ten thousand a year? but Spencer says, no, a week. Violet pops her head in, and tells Cameron, it’s time to go. They have a trip to get to. Cameron tells Spencer that he’s on the schedule tonight. Cameron has no one else to cover for him. Finish his shift. Cameron hands back the apron, and says he’s got to go. Spencer says, one last shift won’t hurt, and Cameron says, bussing tables is a lot easier than living at Windymere with Ava, Esme, and Spencer’s dad. He hopes Spencer knows what he’s doing. He thanks Laura, and hugs her. She tells him that he made the right choice, and to have fun. Cameron leaves, and Laura looks at Spencer. He tells her, say something, and she says, she was wondering, if Ava is giving him an allowance, what is he giving her in return?
Ava tells Nikolas, she doesn’t need presents. All she wants is for them to be open and honest going forward. He says he totally agrees. That’s why he thinks he found the perfect way to thank her for giving him a second chance. He wants a divorce.
Esme tells Ryan, she’s playing long game; finding just the right time for Ava to learn about Nikolas’s infidelity. He says he sees, and she says she knew he’d understand, and takes his hands. He say, indeed he does, and she tries to pull away, but he holds on. She says, that hurts, and he says, it’s meant to. Because words can’t possibly express his disappointment.
Felicia walks toward Ryan’s room.
On Monday, Ava asks Nikolas, what happened to working things out; Spencer says, the key is in Esme’s past; Carly thinks they should give credit where credit is due; and Sonny says, Jordan has something of his, and he wants it back.
This girl is way immature, and doesn’t realize she can’t assign any definition she wants to a word. And regarding gaslighting, I do not think it means what Crystal thinks it means.
I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination. – Jimmy Dean
I love my cats more than I love most people. Probably more than is healthy. – Amy Lee
The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all. – John F. Kennedy
Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people. – Eleanor Roosevelt
Wherever there is fear, there is control. – Shana Schutte
The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. – John Powell
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. – Martin Luther King Jr.
🦁 Easing On Down the Road…
There’s nothing Dead this Sunday, but I’ll be here on Monday (well, really Tuesday, but really, really early) for soap and the final Deck charter. Until then, stay safe, stay putting some Variety Spice in your life, and stay remembering, it’s okay if you don’t get it right the first time.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
In the elevator, Carly says Sonny is going to have to help her keep it together. She doesn’t want to cry in front of Sasha and Brando. He says, they have to help Sasha and Brando. He doesn’t want them to feel alone, and he doesn’t want her to feel alone. They get out of the elevator just as Nina turns around at the reception desk. She asks if they’re here to see Sasha and Brando; there aren’t any other visitors. Carly says, they don’t need an update, and they keep walking. Nina says, it’s just that they’re trying to tough it out, but they’re pretty fragile, so please be gentle. Carly glares at her.
Brando tucks Sasha in, and asks if she’s worried about the news about their baby, but she says she’s not worried. Is he? He says, of course (🍷) not. In fact, when the three of them get home, he’s going to buy their son his first baseball mitt. She wonders if he’s a little young to be playing catch, but Brando says, not with a name like Liam Mike. He’s strong willed, and like Mike Corbin, he’ll be able to defy the odds and live his life to the fullest. She asks if he knows what the name Brando means, but he says he doesn’t, and she says, sword or fiery torch. He says he will fight for their family with a sword or fiery torch, and she says she knows he will. He says, one day, they’ll tell their grandchildren about their heroic dad who was strong willed and defied the odds, and she says, they’re going to say they were worried for nothing and laugh at them.
Brook tells Chase, Maxie is emotionally exhausted. Not that she blames Maxie, but second guessing isn’t going to get them anywhere. They’re in this thing now; they’ve got to see it through. He says he doesn’t know. Maxie made some strong points. Brook says, she did, but they’re committed, which means they have to deal with it, especially now that Valentin is furious with her. With them, and there’s no telling what else Valentin might do. The doorbell rings, and Brook opens the door to see Valentin on the porch. Chase says, they had enough trouble the last time Valentin was there, so turn around and walk away. Anna joins Valentin, and says, no one wants any trouble. Brook asks, then what does he want?
Drew is getting some coffee at the Quartermaine’s when Maxie walks in, saying, sorry. She just wanted to get a glass of water. He turns around, and says, hi, Maxie; long time no see. She says, Drew, and he says, in the flesh. He’s not a hologram or a figment of her imagination. She says she heard he was alive. She just hadn’t processed it yet. He says, until now, and she hugs him, saying, it’s so processed.
In the hospital, Peter says he’s fine, despite Jason Morgan’s best attempt to kill him, and Austin says, he’s a lucky man. It’s good he was only shot in the arm. He might have some nerve damage, but nothing serious. Peter says, not like getting shot in the chest, right? and Austin says, no. If he was shot in the chest, he’d be in the ICU. Peter takes it Austin doesn’t believe the rumors, and Austin says he hears a lot of rumors. Which one is Peter talking about? Peter tells him, the ones that say he doesn’t have a heart, and Austin says, don’t be silly. If he didn’t have heart, he wouldn’t be alive. Peter says, how clinical of him – he looks at Austin’s ID tag – Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt. Now where does he recognize that name… Of course (🍷). Austin delivered his daughter.
Valentin says he’s not there to hurl accusations or make threats, and Brook says, why not? He did plenty of that before he moved out. Don’t tell her that he lost steam. Chase says, or maybe Valentin found out he was suspended from the force for throwing a punch at him, and came there to gloat. Valentin says he regrets that happened, and Brook asks if he regrets feeding Thanksgiving dinner to the family dog. Valentin says, not really, and Anna says, she understands that passions were running high. It was Thanksgiving; that’s what happens on family occasions. Valentin says, he’s not family, and Chase says he knows this doesn’t help, but when he started putting things together, he was totally blindsided to find out he was Bailey’s father. Valentin says, Brook used both of them, and Brook says, she had her reasons. Anna suggests they not rehash that; it’s not why they’re here. Brook asks if Valentin is there to talk ELQ business with her dad, now that he’s solidified his position as CEO, but Valentin says, no. He’s just there because he wants to say goodbye to his… to Bailey.
Maxie says, Anna told her that Drew was back, but the story was too incredible to be true. Peter faked a plane crash, and then held him captive for over two years? Drew says he wouldn’t have believed it himself if he hadn’t lived through it. Unfortunately, others weren’t so lucky. She says she still hasn’t wrapped her mind around Jason’s death. If only she could go back in time, before Peter was in their lives, when Nathan was still alive. He asks how she’d change the past. Could she stop Nathan from being killed? She says she would if she could, but she guesses at best, she would go back to before she met Peter and fell in love with him. He says, but they can’t go back in time, no matter how much they’d like to. When he was in prison, he just kept focusing on the future, holding on to that, when he’d see Scout again. She says, and Sam… Oh wow. She should just keep her big mouth shut. He says, it’s okay. He went to see them first thing, both of them. She says, Scout and Sam? How did that go? He says, Dante was with them, and she says, it’s been sort of a slow process with them. They kind of got together trying to find him. James is going to be excited to see him. He says he can’t wait, and asks how James is doing. She says, great, and he says she doesn’t have to protect his feelings. He and Sam were done long before Peter abducted him. She asks if he’s saying he’s okay with Sam and Dante, and he says he’s trying to be. It’s not like he has another choice. She says, it must have been great to see Scout, and he says, it made everything he had to do to get home absolutely worthwhile. She says she knows what he means. If she could go back in time, she doesn’t think she would, because then, she wouldn’t have Louise. He says, she found her daughter? Is Louise finally home?
Peter asks Austin to tell him about the circumstances surrounding Louise’s birth. It kills him that he wasn’t there to welcome his daughter into this world. Austin says he certainly was not. He was too busy running from the police to make it to the cabin; Austin’s cabin. And the nurse he hired to kidnap Maxie tried to induce birth. Peter put Maxie, and his own child, at great risk. Peter asks, who’s been feeding Austin all of this? and Austin says, he was there. Peter knows that. Thank God he was hiking in the woods. When he found Maxie, she was already in labor. Peter says, then Austin may have been the last person to see his daughter before she was abducted, and Austin says, it’s a possibility. Peter says, then Austin was in the right place at the right time. Austin knows what became of his daughter.
Sonny wonders if they should take turns visiting Sasha so she’s not overwhelmed, but Nina tells them, go ahead. She just got done visiting Sasha. Carly asks why Nina is still there, and Sonny says, Carly… but Nina says, it’s fine. She knows Carly is upset over the loss of Jason. Carly says, don’t say his name. Nina knows nothing about her and Jason. Carly tells Sonny that she can’t. She’s going to go see Monica. Sonny says, let him come with her, but Carly says she’s just going to go, and walks away. Sonny circles back to Nina, and says, baby’s fine? Nina says, yeah. Sasha should hear an update soon. He says, all right, and walks in toward Sasha’s room.
Sasha says, how can anything possibly be wrong with their baby; look at him. He’s adorable. It’s just that… Brando says he knows. All those tubes are hooked up to Liam, but she has to remind herself, those are making their little boy healthy. She says, yeah, like the cooling blanket, and he says, exactly, and the love of his mommy and daddy. What else does the little guy need? Britt comes in, and says she wants to introduce them to Dr. Fleming, their baby’s neonatologist. Sasha tells the doctor, she’d say it’s nice to meet her, but… Dr. Fleming says she understands, and Brando says, they were told she has news about their baby.
Anna promises Valentin isn’t there to make a scene, and Brook asks if Anna is there to vouch for him. Valentin says, Anna is his friend. This isn’t easy for him. Chase says, of course (🍷) this isn’t easy. None of this is easy. Anna says, especially for Valentin. Brook allowed him, in fact encouraged him, to fall in love with her little girl, knowing he wasn’t her father. Does she expect him to just throw a switch and not love her any longer? Chase says, nobody’s thinking that, but first, Valentin showed up mad as hell, lashing out at Brook in the most hurtful way imaginable, and now he’s here asking for her understanding?What does he want her to believe?Brook feels guilty enough. How much longer is he going to pile it on? Valentin says, he’s not there to pile on any more guilt. That’s not why he’s there. Chase asks if he wants closure with Bailey, but Valentin says he doesn’t believe in closure. Do they think just because he says goodbye, he’ll stop loving her? Chase asks, then why is he here? and Anna says it’s her fault. She insisted he needed to do this. Valentin says, no. Nobody makes him do anything he doesn’t want to do. Bailey is far too young to understand any of this. He hasn’t told Charlotte that she doesn’t have a sister, and he isn’t going to be able to do that until he says goodbye to Bailey. Brook stomps off, and Chase follows her. Valentin tells Anna, he knew this was how she was going to react. She’s not going to let him see Bailey.
Maxie tells Drew, Louise isn’t back yet. She’s just holding out hope that she will be. He asks if there are any breaks in the case, and she says she’s just hoping now that Peter is in custody, whoever has taken Louise will feel it’s safe to bring her back. He says, so she thinks someone took Louise to protect her from Peter? and she says, he thinks she’s deluding herself, doesn’t he? He says, no. He thinks she wants her little girl back more than anything in the world, and if he could make that happen, he would. She thanks him, and says, but she knows in her heart that Louise will be home one day, and it will make all of this worth it. He says, all of what? and she says, things she had to do because of Peter. Things she never thought she’d be forced to do. He says he knows what she means.
Austin says, even if he did know where Louise was – and he doesn’t – Peter is the last person he would tell. Make a fist. That way he can draw blood. This won’t hurt a bit. He plunges the syringe into Peter’s arm, Peter jumps, and I laaaugh. Austin says, oh, goodness me. He’s so sorry; he seems to have missed the vein. He’ll just try that one more time. He does it again, Peter jumps again, and Austin says, oh yeah, there we go. Success. Sorry about that. Normally, he’s not so clumsy. I officially love Austin. Peter says, he’s enjoying this, isn’t he? and Austin says, absolutely. He loves his job, always. Peter says, and that Hippocratic Oath he took to be a doctor? and Austin says, yeah, right, do no harm. It’s sticky though. That’s the question; who gets harmed and who does not? Peter says he supposes it’s the patients who aren’t to be harmed, but he couldn’t tell by the way Austin just stuck him. Austin says, that’s his point. Maxie is also his patient, so do no harm should apply to her as well. Peter asks, and what is Maxie to Austin?
On the phone, Carly says, she went by Monica’s office, but she wasn’t there. She wanted to talk to Monica in person, but it’s probably better it’s on voicemail; she can just hang up if she wants. Carly really hopes she doesn’t. She’s so sorry about Jason. She’s so sorry Monica has to grieve him all over again. He was Carly’s best friend, but he was Monica’s son, and Carly knows what that kind of pain feels like. In all the years of squabbling and fighting, she doesn’t know if she ever thanked Monica for Jason, for the incredible human being he was. He loved Monica so much. Carly knows Monica knows that, but she thought Monica might want to hear it. That’s all. She hangs up, and we see Nina sitting alone on a bench elsewhere at GH.
Sasha asks Dr. Fleming if it’s about Liam’s hypothermia therapy. Is it working? Brando asks if Liam can come home soon, and the doctor’s phone beeps. She says she’s sorry; there’s an emergency in the NICU. Not their baby. Britt says, it’s okay; she’s got this. Dr. Fleming leaves, and Britt says, getting back to their question, hypothermia therapy can take up to 72 hours, as they know. They still need to give the baby’s brain time to cool. What Dr. Fleming wanted to tell them was, the EEG has been scheduled. Sasha says, then what happens? but Britt says they won’t know until they get the results. But they have an entire team dedicated to caring for Liam, and she’ll be the liaison between them and Brando and Sasha. Brando asks what they can do to help, and Britt says, just keep doing what they’re doing, sending a lot of love to that beautiful baby boy, and let the team at GH give him the best possible care. Sasha says, the waiting is so excruciating, and Britt says she knows, but they have to take it a day at a time. Let the therapy run its course. In the meantime, their baby needs them to take care of themselves. Brando tells Sasha, Liam’s strong, but they have to be stronger, and she says, they will be.
Maxie says she knows this is going to sound ridiculous, but she kind of envies Drew. He’s not sure why, and she says, he got the chance to confront Peter. Drew let Peter take his best shot, and he survived. He actually came out on top. He says, at the cost of Jason’s life, and she says she knows. She hates that part, but at least Peter doesn’t have power over Drew anymore. She’d give anything to take away Peter’s power to frighten her. Drew says, when Scout and Danny would have a bad dream, he’d tell them, look under the bed, look in the closet, and when you see nothing but dustballs and clothes, you’ll know that the boogie man has no power over you anymore.
Peter says, do tell. Just how friendly is Austin with the mother of his child? Austin says, Maxie has a lot of friends. He’d be happy to be one of them. Peter says, but he’s not? He suggests Austin keep it that way. Austin asks if that’s a threat, but Peter lifts his hands, showing he’s cuffed to the bed, and says he’s clearly in no position to threaten anyone. But he is a born romantic, and does believe the fates will conspire to reunite his family. Austin says he doesn’t believe in fate, but Peter says he does. Sometimes fate needs a helping hand. Austin smiles, and starts to walk out, and Peter says, bye-bye. Such fun meeting him today.
Carly is looking at a picture of her and Jason on her phone, when Britt comes by. Carly calls her over, and says, Sonny is around here somewhere. They just came to see Sasha. Britt says she just came from Sasha’s room, and Carly asks how she is. Britt says, she’s good; strong. She’s sure Sasha would love to see Carly. Carly says, maybe in a few minutes, heaves a sigh, and sits. Britt is about to go to the desk, but turns back, and sits next to Carly, asking her how she is. Carly says, she just went to say fine, and kind of laughs. She says she came here to support Sasha and Brando, but it’s not like there’s anything she can do for them. Just like she can’t do anything for Jason. How is she? She’s sad, and scared. She doesn’t know what the rest of her life looks like without him. Britt says Carly will figure it out. Know how she knows? Jason told her. He had complete faith in Carly, and she knows Jason doesn’t say things just to be nice. He said it because he believed it; that Carly is strong enough to get through anything. Carly says, she was, when she had Jason to back her up. She didn’t have to be good enough or strong enough for Jason. She could just be her. That’s an amazing feeling, to have someone you can count on no matter what. Jason gave her that feeling. Now he’s gone. She knows how grief works, and the only way out is through. Then someday, when she says she’s fine, she’ll mean it. Britt says, right now, Carly can’t even imagine that day, and Carly says, no. Britt says, her neither; it sounds ridiculous. Carly says, it doesn’t; not to her. She tells Britt to take care of herself, and gets up to go to Sasha’s room.
Chase comes back, and tells Valentin, he’s sorry. Brook wanted to be alone. Valentin says he did warn Chase that honor is in short supply in this house, and so is compassion. If he were Chase, he’d take that beautiful daughter and go far, far away before Brook turns her into a Quartermaine. He tells Anna, let’s go, but Brook says, not yet, walking in with Bailey. Someone misses him very much. She gives Bailey to Valentin, and both Valentin and the baby smile. Chase thinks maybe they should give Valentin some privacy, but Valentin says, that’s not necessary. He and Bailey have no secrets, unlike others in this house. He tells Bailey that she’s a beautiful girl. He has to go, and they may never see one another again. At least not for a long, long time. But he wanted to say goodbye, and he doesn’t know how to find the strength to do that. So what shall they call this? He kisses Bailey’s head.
Carly sees Sonny in the hallway, and asks if he’s been in to see Sasha, but he says he was waiting for her. She thanks him, and says she’s ready. He says, let’s do this, and takes her hand. Brando asks if he can get Sasha anything, but she says, the only thing she needs is for their baby to get healthy, and she knows he will. No child made by a sword and defender of man can be otherwise. He says, Sasha means defender of man? and she says she looked it up when she looked up Brando. He says, strong willed son, daddy is a sword, and mommy defends them both. They’re quite the family. She says, family. She can’t tell him how good that sounds. Family, people she can lean on. Brando says, when she’s scared, and vulnerable, and she says, she’s not the Face of Deception. He says, he’s her family, she’s his family, and Liam’s their family. She says, small… and he says, but plenty big in heart. There’s a knock at the door, and Carly and Sonny come in. Carly says, rumor has it they’re up for visitors, and Sasha says, the more, the merrier. Carly hugs her, and Sonny hugs Brando. Sonny tells Brando, they have his and Sasha’s back. If they need anything, just ask.
Austin sees Britt, and says he just met her brother. She says, he’s not a brother to her; they share a father. Austin says Peter is his patient now, and Britt asks if he wants to be taken off the case, but he says, not at all. He wants to keep on it.
Peter is wheeled down the hall, accompanied by two officers, and he says, how about if he passes on that CT scan? He’s been feeling claustrophobic since that tunnel fell on him. No? All right. In that case, he’ll take a very large muscle relaxant. At the other end of the hall, the elevator doors open, and Nina comes out on the phone. She says she’s running late, and probably won’t make it to the office. She turns to get back in the elevator, but the doors have just closed. Peter is being wheeled toward her, and says, Nina Reeves. Look at her. Still alive and well. It looks like they’re both extra hard to kill.
Valentin shows Bailey a tiny stuffed bear, and says, this is the oldest thing he has. It was his, and got him through some tough nights. He wants her to have it. Drew and Maxie stand quietly just outside the door, and Valentin says, and one day, Bailey will ask her mommy and daddy where it came from, and they’ll have to tell her it came from someone that loved her so much.
Carly says, they came to cheer Sasha and Brando up, not make them emotional. Brando tells her, they were just saying how important it is to have family to lean on, and Carly says, it is, and Sasha and Brando have them. And they have each other. She and Sonny know how terrifying it is waiting to hear about your baby’s health. Sasha says, Brando told her that Donna had spina bifida. They must have been scared out of their minds. Sonny says, that’s an understatement, and Brando asks how they got through it. Sonny says, they leaned heavily on each other, and Carly says, when she was scared, Sonny let her be scared. He really was strong for her. Sonny says, and she was for him. Carly says, frightening as it was, it brought them closer together, and Sonny says, he’s sure it’s doing the same for them, right? Sasha says she’s sorry they missed Thanksgiving. It must have been wonderful having everyone together. Sonny says, next year, all three of them are coming, and Brando says, they look forward to it. Carly asks if they’ve named their son yet, and Brando says, Liam Mike, short for Michael, after the man who was so good to him when he was growing up. Sonny says his dad would have been very honored, and Brando asks if Sonny wants to see him. Sonny says he’s been waiting for Brando to ask, and they leave. Sasha says, Brando wants to be so strong for her, and Carly takes her hand.
Maxie jets, and Drew follows. Chase tells Brook, he knows Valentin said otherwise, but let’s give him some privacy. Valentin asks Anna not to go, and she stay’s behind. She tells Bailey, it’s quite a little gift Valentin is giving her, and tells Valentin, so beautiful. Outside, Drew asks Maxie, what’s wrong? and she says, it upsets her to see someone separated from a child they love. Brook says, it couldn’t be helped, and Chase tells Drew, Valentin thought he was Bailey’s father, and Drew says, and Chase is; Monica told him. He knows Valentin and the Quartermaines have had their issues, but he might not be there if not for Valentin, Anna, and his brother Jason, may he rest in peace. Maxie quickly walks away.
Britt asks if Austin feels this loyalty to all the mothers of the babies he’s delivered, and he says, given the circumstances of Louise’s birth, and her bizarre disappearance, can she blame him? She says, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep an eye on Peter, and he says, right. Your enemy’s enemy and all that. She says he has a peculiar habit of being around when things go wrong, whether it’s Maxie giving birth in the woods, or Peter showing up at GH, and he says, and when she loses a dear friend? He doesn’t think things could get much worse, so let’s hope they get better soon.
Nina asks why Peter is here. Why isn’t he locked up in Pentenville? Peter says, she didn’t hear about Jason nearly killing. Because of Jason, he requires medical attention. Nina says, what a shame. Too bad his aim wasn’t better. Peter tells the officers that he and Nina are practically family, and they know how family squabbles can get. Tell him, did her friend Mike finally fly to her rescue, or what? She gets down so they’re face to face, and says, you son of a bitch. There’s a place in hell reserved just for you. He says, people keep telling him that, but he ventures to think she’ll beat him there.
Sasha tells Carly, she made a vow; no more waterworks. Her baby and Brando need her. Carly says, Liam and Brando need her to be healthy, which means she needs to rest. And like it or not, it means doing what the nurses tell her. Sasha says, Epiphany and Elizabeth are having great fun bossing her around, and Carly laughs, saying, she bets. She knows it’s not the experience Sasha looked for, but it sounds like she’ll be able to go home soon. Sasha says, and they’re taking Liam Mike with them. Carly says she likes the name. She kisses Sasha’s forehead, and says she’s going to go, and let Sasha rest. Sasha thanks Carly for being a good friend to her, and Carly says, her pleasure. She’s always here for Sasha. Always. She leaves, and Sasha picks up her and looks at Liam’s picture. She says, you hear that, Liam. You will be coming home with us.
Brando tells Sonny, the tubes feed Liam, and he has a special blanket to cool him down, to help his brain recover from the lack of oxygen. Sonny says, it sounds backwards, and Brando laughs, saying, you’d think it was to keep him warm, but it’s the opposite. Sonny says, you’re never more raw and vulnerable as when you become a father, and Brando asks how Sonny does it. How does he handle the constant fear? Sonny says, you just don’t let it dominate your life. He always pictures Donna’s smile, Avery’s laugh. Kristina, Michael, and Dante are all grown up, but he still worries about them. He’s not Josslyn’s biological father, but he considers her his daughter; he’s her dad. One thing he’s learned about raising kids is, you have absolutely no control. Brando says, that’s a lesson that’s tough for him to learn, but Sonny says, Brando did a great job. He gave his son a great name; Liam Mike. A little Irish charm; his dad’s fighting spirit. Brando asks what makes Sonny sure Liam’s got it, and Sonny says, what makes him think Liam’s not a quitter? Because it runs in the family.
Britt says she has the feeling Austin doesn’t want to keep tabs on Peter out of some professional interest. Austin says he is concerned about Maxie’s physical and emotional well-being, especially now that he’s met the father of her child. Britt says, no one is underestimating the harm Peter is capable of causing, but he’s under guard 24/7, and once he’s released from the hospital, he’ll be locked away for the rest of his unnatural life. Austin says, maybe, but after spending even just a little time with him, he doesn’t sound like a guy who’s giving up on getting his family back. He sounds like a high stakes poker player who’s very pleased with himself because he still has an ace up his sleeve.
Valentin walks into the foyer with Bailey, and tells her, in France, they say, au revoir, mon cheri, which means, until we meet again. Au revoir, mon cheri. He tries not to cry, and gives Bailey to Brook. He and Anna leave, and Brook sighs. Outside, Valentin cries, and Anna holds him. She asks, it’s done. Is he okay? She takes his face in her hands, and says, ready to go? He nods.
Maxie grabs her coat and bag, and says, too many lies, too many hearts broken and lives destroyed. This has to stop. She walks out.
Nina asks the guards if she and Peter could have a second. He’s not going to go anywhere; please? Peter tells them, he’ll be fine. They can go. They leave (highly unlikely IRL), and Nina leans down again, and asks what Peter is intending. He says, me? and she says, yeah, you. He says he doesn’t have to lift a finger. She sealed her own fate in beautiful Nixon Falls when she fell in love with another woman’s husband, and not just any woman, the feisty Carly Corinthos. Frankly, he’s surprised to see Nina in town. He would have thought Carly had run her out of town on a rail by now, right after tarring and feathering her first of course (🍷)… or doesn’t she know. Nina gets up to see Carly standing behind Peter. Rut-roh.
On Monday, Chase says there’s something someone needs to know, Laura wants out of the safe house now, Sonny sees why Britt was special to Jason, and Peter tells Nina to let Carly be the judge of that.
🩰 She Knows Him…
I did know she had a dance background, but didn’t know about Cats.
It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err. – Mahatma Gandhi
A man travels the world in search of what he needs and returns home to find it. – George Moore
Rather, ten times, die in the surf, heralding the way to a new world, than stand idly on the shore. – Florence Nightingale
To be a revolutionary you have to be a human being. You have to care about people who have no power. – Jane Fonda
It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting. – Paulo Coelho
Wisely, and slow. They stumble that run fast. – William Shakespeare
Success is a collection of problems solved. – I. M. Pei
With no positivity, there is no hope; with no negativity, there is no improvement. – Criss Jami
I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. – Mark Twain
Is your secret job in a red flag factory? – Kalani Faagata, 90 Day Fiancé
People will always have opinions about your decision because they’re not courageous enough to take action on their opinion. – Steve Maraboli
🗼 Au Revoir, Not Goodbye…
Enjoy your next two days off, or on, or whatever your status. See you at the finale of the Dead. Until then, stay safe, stay living without regret, and stay knowing that when you see only dustballs and clothes, the boogie man has no power over you.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Chase’s phone rings while he’s in the shower. He grabs it, and asks Brook, what’s up? She asks where he is, and he says, in the shower; he did the turkey trot this morning. She asks if cops aren’t supposed to be peace keepers. She needs him there to keep the peace. He asks, what’s going on? and she says, nothing yet, but her father’s head is going to explode when he finds out it’s Chase, not Valentin, who’s Bailey’s father. He asks her to let him get the soap out of his eyes, and dry off, and she says, don’t forget, this was his idea. Now they have to sell it. He says he has to talk to Finn first, and she says she needs him now. He asks if she remembers who saved her bacon from Valentin, and she says, actually he saved Bailey’s bacon from Peter. He tells her, they’re in this together. Stop ordering him around, and he’ll be there soon. She says, just wear a tie, and he says, sure. It will give her father something handy to string him up with.
Austin tells TJ that he did a great job. What’s next? Is he going to choose ER again as his next elective rotation? Finn walks up, and says, infectious diseases. Austin’s loss, his gain. Austin asks, what’s the fun in that? There’s no adrenaline rush in internal medicine. Finn says he’d be surprised, and TJ asks what Austin’s plans are today. Austin says, go home, eat a turkey burger, and watch football. Marshall watches from the landing above.
Curtis is looking at the photo Marshall gave him, when Portia comes into the club. He asks what she’s doing there. He thought he locked the door. She says, no, it was open. Is he okay? He says he just didn’t hear her come in, and she says he looked like he was a million miles away. She didn’t hear back, which isn’t like him, so she decided to come check. He says he got her text, but he has so much going on. He’s sorry. What’s up? She says, dinner, for one. Is he still coming? He says, when? and she says, today. Thanksgiving? She asks if he’s okay.
Dante and Sam watch the parade with the kids from Sam’s balcony, and Rocco says, this is sweet. He wonders why they haven’t done it before, and Sam tells him, play his cards right, and he’ll get invited again. Jake says he’s glad they came; it can get boring. Dante comes up behind Sam, putting his arms around her. He wants to lock down another invite, and she thinks it can be swung. They go inside, and Jake says, that was awesome. Sam tells them to take their coats off, and asks, who’s ready for some treats? Rocco asks where the treats are, and Dante says he and Sam will get that sorted out. They have a movie ready to go upstairs, Kristina Comes Home for Christmas. The boys roll their eyes, and Sam tells Danny that he’s being rude. Rocco says, that movie’s ancient, and Dante says, that’s the point. Good old-fashioned Christmas magic. Scout says she wants to see it, and Sam says, that’s her girl. Go upstairs, and they’ll get some snacks ready. They head upstairs, and Dante says Sam saved his butt. They didn’t want to watch the movie, but she had snacks and treats. She says she has some tricks up her sleeve. She has cookies, muffins, donuts, and cupcakes from Kelly’s. He says, what about coffee? and she says, and nachos. She asks if he thinks the kids are getting along, and he says, yeah. He knows Rocco misses Charlotte. The holidays are always tough without his mom, but he seems happy with Scout and Danny. She says, Danny and Scout miss Jason, and Drew, and he says, at least they get to see their families at the Quartermaines. There’s a holiday movie for her. He thinks it would be a horror film. She says, there’s a sequel at the Davis’s. Is he sure he’s up for it? He says, of course (🍷) he is. He and her mom are good; they made peace. As long as she’s up for what that means, if they show up at their families’ houses at the holidays with their kids together. She says, it’s a big deal, and he says, it makes them official.
Brook tells Ned to go easy on the coffee. He might want to switch to decaf, the way family Thanksgivings go around here. He says, not this year. Things are finally looking up. He and Olivia are finally on the same page. After Leo’s disappearance last night at Ava’s gallery, she came to realize, Leo does need to see a specialist; that he was only acting in Leo’s best interest. Which doesn’t let Brook off the hook for letting Leo out of her eyesight, or using Austin’s genuine concern for Leo against him. She says, she did it for the family. If he’s going to be mad at her for losing Leo and sticking it to Austin, he can kiss the Normal Rockwell Thanksgiving he envisions goodbye. It’s never been the Q’s reality, and it’s not going to start now.
Chase looks in the mirror, and says he can do this. He practices telling Finn about Bailey, and says, he so doesn’t have this.
TJ tells Austin that Portia is hosting a Thanksgiving dinner. They’re all going to be there. Him and Molly… Finn says, Elizabeth and her kids, him and his daughter Violet, his brother Chase. It’s a good group. TJ says Austin will be welcome. No one should be alone on Thanksgiving. He and his Uncle Curtis will have the game on as well. Austin thanks him, but declines, and Finn asks if he’s holding out for a better offer. Olivia asks if she can talk to Austin a second, but he says, no. He’s done talking to her or anyone else in her family ever again. He walks away, and she runs after him. Finn tells TJ that he’s losing his reputation as the quirkiest doctor at GH, and TJ says he wasn’t aware that was Finn’s reputation. Finn says, diplomacy will get him far. Finn looks forward to working with him, and says, see him at dinner.
Curtis says his mind is just trying to figure out what’s real and what isn’t, and Portia asks if he’s talking about the club. Yesterday, he was wondering if the mob was blocking his musical guests, and then arranging for that singer to just magically appear. Did he figure something out? He says, yes, but it wasn’t what he thought. No shadowy organizations. That might have actually been simpler. She says, simpler than what? but he’s not ready to get into this right now. She asks if it’s about the man in the sketch, the one who was asking her and TJ questions about Curtis and the club. What’s going on? He says he wishes he knew, and she says, okay. She sees that he doesn’t want to talk about it right now, so she won’t pry, but if he changes his mind, she’s there to listen. And if he doesn’t feel like coming to dinner, she completely understands. She’ll miss him, but hopes he works through whatever’s going on. She starts to leave, but he tells her, wait. She’s the only one he can talk to about this. Would she stay? Please?
Dante and Sam get the snacks ready, and Dante asks what she wants to bet the kids will be bouncing off the walls by lunch. She says, as long as they don’t break anything too precious at the Quartermaines, she thinks she’ll be okay, and he says, the advantage of going to the Quartermaines is that everything of value has probably been broken or moved. She says, Monica does like having a full house. She’s glad they didn’t tell her that Drew is alive, because then they’d have to tell her that he’s presumed dead, and that would really hurt her. He says, came close though, and she says, it would have been the ultimate gift to bring Drew home for the holidays, not only for Monica, but for Scout. She just hopes Jason makes it home in time for Christmas for Danny’s sake. Dante says, if not, he and Rocco will come decorate the tree with her, but then they have to come and help them decorate theirs, and do things like ice skating. He can teach her how to do that too. She says she’s totally down for that; it all sounds good. Their little families are blending so well. He tells her, like his mother would say, like buttah.
Oliva asks Austin to listen to what she has to say before she breaks her ankle walking in these shoes. He stops, and she says she was wrong about him; about his motives in insisting her son needs to see a specialist. She was in denial, and the other night, something happened. Leo disappeared, and if he hadn’t given that heads up, and Ned hadn’t taken him seriously, she doesn’t think they would have found him in time. Austin says, he was near water, and she says, he was, and because Ned did his homework, they knew to search for him by the docks. Then everything just fell into place. The whole thing Austin was wondering about, and Ned was wondering about, it all makes sense. And she’s committed to getting her son all the support he needs. Austin says, that’s great news, and she says, it’s all because of him. She’s truly sorry that she accused him of using her son to further his position with ELQ. She hopes he forgives her.
Ned asks why Brook is so defensive. Does it have anything to do with Valentin and Charlotte packing up and moving out last night? She says she has to check on Bailey, but he says, stop right there. Initially, he admits he was relieved to see them go, but after seeing Yuri, he noticed Yuri was particularly upset. So he questioned Yuri, and he kept repeating the same phrase about Bailey and Belarus. Ned entered the phrase into the translator, and it was something about the right seed. He’s impressed at how she and Valentin have co-parented. It’s a sign of maturity on her part. So if she’s hit a bump, that doesn’t mean it’s insurmountable. Look at him and Olivia. Whatever’s going on, he’s there to help if he can. She says, he can’t. Valentin isn’t Bailey’s father.
Chase goes to Finn’s office, and says he was hoping to find Finn there. Finn says he’s catching up on patient files, and asks if Chase is working a case. Chase says he’s off today, and Finn asks if he isn’t overdressed for football with TJ and the boys. By the way, Violet is playing quarterback; she’s got the whole thing worked out. Chase says, about that… and Finn says, he’s still coming to dinner, right? Chase says, something’s come up.
Curtis tells Portia, after he tracked down Linc, he found out Linc was working for someone else. She says, the guy from the sketch? Not organized crime. He says he honestly doesn’t know, but the guy came in and they talked. He was the one responsible for getting the artist here. She says, which is why he was so interested in asking questions about The Savoy, but he was also interested in Curtis too. Curtis says, he was interested in both him and the club, and she says, which is why he did Curtis that huge favor? He says, apparently, but he also wanted a relationship. She asks, why? and Curtis says the guy claimed to be his father. She says she thought his father passed when he was a child, and he says, that’s what he was told, and that’s what he believed. Then this man Marshall – of course (🍷) that’s what he says his name is – comes in and tells him otherwise. She asks if he believes Marshall.
Curtis shows Portia the photo, and says, it was the last photo took before he left. She says, there’s a real resemblance between the man in the photo and the man who approached her and TJ. He says he showed Marshall the sketch, and when he asked why his mom and Aunt Stella let him and Tommy believe Marshall was dead, he couldn’t give a straight answer. He said he left because it wasn’t safe, whatever the hell that means. Curtis has to admit, it brought up feelings he didn’t know he had about not having a father in his life. How that pain and emptiness felt growing up, and he didn’t even realize it. About how a sudden disappearance suddenly made his life unpredictable. He never processed that, much less talked about it, until Marshall said he was his father. She says, he was only a child; he was three years old. He probably buried it. That’s exactly how trauma works. It seems Curtis might actually believe it’s true. He says, it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t want a relationship either way, and told Marshall that. At least he had the decency to get the hell out of Curtis’s life again. She asks if that’s the end of it? and he says, it better be, but she says she’s wondering if that’s what he really wants, or is he just trying to protect himself? He’s been a detective and a cop; he must have questions. Maybe there’s more to the story. He says, maybe.
Dante says he hopes Sam is ready to be showered with approval; his mom has been advocating for this a long time. She says she can’t believe she got Olivia’s approval, and he says, she got it big time. She says, that means a lot, and he says, he didn’t tell her, but there was kind of a situation with Leo last night. She asks, what happened? and he says, Leo is okay, but they think he might be on the autism spectrum. She says, she’s so sorry. She knows how trying that can be. He says she told him about her brother, and she says, it wasn’t nearly the same thing, but it was… challenging?He had a genetic disorder that caused behavioral issues. He was a loving boy, so well-rounded, and sweet, and kind. She loved him so much. She tears up, and Dante holds her.
Finn tells Chase, they should be together on Thanksgiving, especially since their mom and dad can’t make it. Just to guilt him some more, Violet will be very disappointed if he doesn’t come. Chase says he hate the thought of letting Violet down. Maybe he can swing by after. Finn says, after what? and Chase says, something’s come up; something he can’t get out of. Finn asks, what’s so urgent? and Chase says, it’s personal. Finn says, like a date? and Chase says, sort of. Finn asks if he can be more vague. What’s the name of the lucky lady who got him to turn his back on his family? Chase says, the mother of his child.
Ned asks what the hell Brook is talking about, and she says, does she really need to spell it out for him? He says, she means she was with more than one man around the same time, and she didn’t know who the father was? She says, it’s a little more complicated that. She knew who the father was, and decided not to be truthful about it for reasons she’s sure he can guess. He says, the ELQ shares? and she says, yes. He says, and she told Valentin last night? and she says, yes. He asks if she’s going to tell him who the father, is or does he not know yet? She says, he knows. He’s wonderful. Not that they have feelings for each other; it’s more casual. They’re friends, which is good, and Ned actually kind of likes him, more than he likes Valentin. He says, that’s not a high bar. So who is it? Who is Bailey’s father? She tells him, it’s Chase.
Finn tells Chase, wait… What?… How?… He knows how. Who’s the mother? Chase asks if Finn remembers when he and Willow broke up. Brook was on the outs with the Qs and she moved in for a while. Finn says, Brook Lynn Quartermaine, Tracy’s granddaughter; she’s the mother, and she didn’t tell him? Chase says, it’s complicated, but he just found out. Brook is a great mom. Finn says, a good mom makes all the difference. So Brook was lying to Valentin and Chase? Chase says, she was, but the lie is over, and they’re sorting through things. Finn says, just like that. Chase isn’t angry? Chase says, at first there were a lot of emotions, but he realized it’s only been a few months, and for part of that time he was living in the same house as Bailey. He held her and sang to her. Finn says, and Brook wants Chase to be part of Bailey’s life? Chase says, absolutely, and Finn says, Chase and Brook, are they…? Chase says, no; they’re just friends. Just that one time. Finn says, sorry. It’s a lot to take in. Congratulations, bro. He fathered a beautiful baby girl. He hugs Chase, saying, he’s happy for him, and Chase says, congratulations to him too. He’s an uncle. Finn says, Violet’s been asking for baby sister; he guesses a baby cousin is the next best thing. Chase asks if Finn can do him a favor and not mention it to Violet or anyone else, especially mom and dad. Brook hasn’t told her family yet, and the situation with Valentin is tricky. Finn says, of course (🍷), and tells Chase to watch his back with them. Not only does Chase have to deal with Valentin and all his nonsense, but the Quartermaines and that brings. Is he sure he’s prepared?
Ned says, Detective Chase is the father? He was here all this time, and they never said a word about it. Brook says, Chase didn’t know, and he says, she never told him? And he never even suspected? She says, she told him that Valentin was the father, and Ned says, but she knew he wasn’t. She kept the truth from Chase because she wanted use her child to get the ELQ shares back. She says, it was her fault they lost control of ELQ; she had to do something. He says, they were just shares. She kept that child from her real father. This is a mess. He has no one to blame but himself. He put too much pressure on Brook; now look where they are. Chase lost time with his daughter, and Valentin lost a child he thought was his. Both of these men’s lives have been completely upended. She says she’s so sorry, but he can’t blame himself. She takes responsibility. She truly did what she thought she had to do. He says, at least he still has his beautiful granddaughter; that won’t change. Just tell him, how did Valentin react to the news? She says, he was devastated, and very angry. Ned says, he’s bound to fight back.
Austin says he’s very happy to hear Olivia has come around, and is there for Leo. That little boy deserves the best chance he can get to have a great life. Olivia agrees, and says she’s committed to getting that for him. She just wishes she hadn’t thought the worst of Austin, and realizes now how lucky they all were that he spotted this and came forward. He says, no parent wants to hear that their child isn’t typical. There’s a pediatric neurologist at GH who’s so great. He’d be happy to give her an introduction. She says she already made an appointment online. She doesn’t want to waste any more time. He says he’s glad to hear that, and she says she’d like to make it up to him. He can join them for Thanksgiving; there’s going to be plenty of food. He shakes his head, and she says he doesn’t forgive her, and he says he can’t forgive her family for denying his father when he was alive, and again denying him after he was dead. He’s never going to forgive Brook for trying to sabotage his medical career, simply for trying to get Leo the help he needs.
Dante says it sounds like Sam didn’t have an easy childhood, but despite everything that happened, she showed love and compassion to Danny anyway. It shows what kind of person she is; a strong, fierce, independent, beautiful woman. She can think on her feet better than anyone he’s ever known. She slashed his tires to make sure he couldn’t follow her. She says he can chalk that one up to street smarts, and he says he’s grateful for her street smarts. She says, know what she’s grateful for? His openness. Even though Sonny is his father, Dante has managed to be able to be loyal Sonny and his job. He still somehow makes it work. When he runs off, she knows he’s not running off to start trouble; he’s running to stop it. That gives her peace. He says, that’s what he calls it too. She asks why her heart is beating so fast, and he says he was going to ask the same thing. They kiss, and Scout comes to the stairs, saying, the boys changed the movie.
Marshall says, Dr. TJ Marshall, and asks if TJ’s got a minute.
Curtis tells Portia, that man, if he’s his father, changed the course of his family’s lives when he disappeared. His mother became an invalid. Aunt Stella gave up the love of her life because they needed her. She taught him and Tommy how to shave. Despite all that love and strength aimed at them, they still felt the loss. They were different from the other kids who mentioned their fathers. There were always those kids with no fathers who were part of a sad club; they were members of that club. She says she’s so sorry, and Curtis says, he allowed that to happen to his family. He stayed away for decades. Now he wants to swoop back in, like some conquering hero. He saved one night at the club. What does Marshall expect from him? To welcome him with open arms – gee, pop, it’s good to see you. Not gonna happen. She says she can see why he sent Marshall away, and she hates that Marshall brought up all of this for him. He says he hates that he was reminded of it, and hates how it still eats at him. Marshall did this to him, and he doesn’t want Marshall in his life. He wishes Marshall hadn’t come back, if Marshall is even his father. She asks if he checked Marshall out, and he says he did a quick internet search. No Marshall Ashford matched his description. She says, they both know you can dive deeper than an internet search, and he says, he could. She says, but he doesn’t want to, and he says he doesn’t know what he wants to do about Marshall. He’s been kind of paralyzed since Marshall dropped his big announcement. His head’s been spinning with memories and realizations, and of course (🍷) questions. She asks if he’s reached out to Stella, but he says, no. She’s still recovering from her stroke, and this is the kind of news that could be too much of a shock to her. He does know Stella would never lie about their father to him and Tommy, ever. So he doesn’t want to risk upsetting her. She says, that’s very wise, but what about TJ? Marshall approached TJ before; he could do it again. He says he was thinking about that, but he hasn’t told TJ because he was sorting out his own thoughts. She’s right. He should give TJ a heads up. He’d hate for this Marshall guy to catch TJ off-guard like he did him.
TJ says he remembers Marshall. Marshall disappeared on him. How does Marshall know his nickname? Marshall asks if that’s not the abbreviation for Thomas Jr., and TJ asks if Marshall looked him up or something. What’s going on? Is he ill? TJ is getting off his rotation, but can make sure the attending sees Marshall. Marshall says, he’s not sick. He didn’t need medical care the last time he came to see TJ. TJ asks, then why did he come? Why is he here now? Marshall tells him, like he said, he came to see TJ.
Chase tells Finn, he knows Valentin is hurt and angry; who wouldn’t be? As for the Q’s, he’ll just have to face the music, and get through it. What else can he do? Finn says, good luck with all that. It’s going to be one hell of a Thanksgiving dinner. At least he can spend the day with his baby girl. He can’t believe he’s saying that. Chase is going to be an amazing father. He sees how Chase is with Violet, who adores him. Chase thanks him for the vote of confidence. Like he said, he’s already lived with Bailey, so he has a head start. Finn says, he must have felt a connection all along; something deep inside. Chase says, now that Finn mentions it, totally. Finn says, when Chase feels the time is right, they’ll get Violet together with her cousin. It’s one more thing to be happy for today. Chase says he has to get going, and Finn tells him, good luck with the Quartermaines, although it’s Brook who did Chase wrong. It’s hard to be angry when he has that baby girl in his life. Chase says, yeah, happy Thanksgiving, and jets. Finn watches him go down the hall, and says, happy Thanksgiving.
Ned says, the whole family will be here today, and Brook says, so? He asks what she’s going to tell them. There’s going to be a million questions. And what about the fact that Chase had a thing for her, and married Willow. And he never suspected that Bailey was his daughter. Brook says, if he remembers, Chase was nearly poisoned to death; he had bigger fish to fry. Ned can’t possibly blame Chase. He says he can and he does. It takes two to make a baby. Maybe Chase didn’t know because he didn’t want to know. He was too busy chasing Willow to step up and be a father. Or too busy snooping around there doing Austin’s biding. He’s not buying it.
Olivia says, Brook honestly thought Austin was using her son. She was just trying to protect the family, that’s all. Austin tells her, like he said, he’s really glad Leo is getting the help he needs; that’s the only thing that’s important. She agrees, but what’s done is done. Can’t he let this thing with Brook go? He says he can try, and she says, great. And the offer still stands if he changes his mind. She leaves, and Finn comes by. He asks Austin, why the long face? and Austin says, sometimes the only way to turn a frown into a smile is the satisfaction of payback. Finn says, okay. He was going to convince Austin to join them, but perhaps alone in front of the TV is a better alternative.
Brook says Ned is projecting his anger at her onto Chase. Go ahead, be mad at her; she’s used to it. He says he’s mad at both of them. It was reckless, thoughtless, and selfish, and now she expects him to sweep up the mess, and act like nothing ever happened. She says she knows it’s Thanksgiving, but don’t go all puritan on her. He’s not exactly a saint himself. He says he’s not pretending to be, unlike her wonderful guy Chase. She says, for the last time, it’s not Chase’s fault. The doorbell rings, and Ned opens the door to Chase, who says, happy Thanksgiving. He brought dessert.
Portia says, Curtis is going through a lot right now. She just wants him to know that her home is open to him. Whenever he needs her, she’ll be there. And if he changes his mind about Thanksgiving, she’ll be there with food, and a bunch of people who love and appreciate him. He says he can’t believe he tried to push her away. Talking to her was the best decision he could have made. He’s not sure if he’ll make it tonight, but he’s sure he’s grateful for her. He considers her among his blessings. They kiss.
Marshall asks if there’s someplace they can talk private, TJ isn’t sure he wants to do that. He doesn’t know who Marshall is, and he was asking a lot of questions about TJ and his uncle. He doesn’t know what this is, but he’s really not up for it. He’s had a really long night, and has somewhere to be later. Marshall says he doesn’t blame TJ for being suspicious; Curtis was the same way. Just give him a few minutes, and he promises to explain. It would mean the world to him.
Dante tells Scout not to worry. He’ll handle the boys. He promises she’ll get to watch the rest of Kristina Comes Home for Christmas. He takes her hand, and says, come on; we’ll show them. They go upstairs, and Sam breathes in the scent of Dante’s scarf. There’s a knock at the door, and when Sam opens it, a clean-shaven Drew is there.
On Monday, Portia wonders if Curtis needs back up; Valentin says, out with the old and in with the new; Chase wonders if this is a bad idea; and Sonny tells someone, long time no see.
Winter House
When we last left this bunch of miserable people, Ciara had asked if Austen kept in touch with his ex, the even-worse- than-all-of-them-put-together Madison. Austen said they didn’t talk. He didn’t want Ciara to think he was hiding anything, but Madison was literally on the cover of a tabloid, and that sh*t wasn’t easy. He didn’t want it to affect what he thought they had going on. In Ciara’s interview, she said he’d been insanely honest, and it was all she could ask. Apparently, her bar is set low. Craig asked if it bothered Lindsay that Austen was totally into Ciara, and she said, no, then jumped Jason’s bones. Ciara and Austen when to look at her ski outfit in the closet, and never came out. What is wrong with these people, playing 7 Minutes in Heaven at age 4535 30 or somewhere around there?
There was one day left of vacation, and I was begging for it to end. Okay, I’ve begged for it to end since the first episode. Craig got a text from girlfriend Natalie that she’d gone out to dinner with Madison, and Austen was like, WTF? In Craig’s interview, he said it was insanity. Why would she go out to dinner with the same girl who’s called her a whore. We saw a clip from Watch What Happens Live, where Madison said Austen had slept with Natalie last summer, and she was now dating Craig. I’m not sure why that would determine Natalie to be a whore, but whatever. Craig felt this spoke to something in Natalie’s character that he hadn’t seen and couldn’t deal with. Austen went to Kyle, and said Ciara was a curveball he hadn’t expected, but he wasn’t in a place to be exclusive or give himself completely to someone. In his interview, Austen said that before he left, Madison had come to his house, kissed him on the cheek, and told him not to forget about her. Ugh. I’m not an Austen fan, but no one deserves that horrible woman in their life. He said it was next level manipulation, and he’d tried to cut ties. He wished it was a year from now, and said it showed timing was everything.
It had gotten warm out, and Austen said skiing in the spring was the bee’s knees, since he walked out of the 1920s. Luke’s igloo had melted, which made him sad, and we flashed back on Luke’s building skills. Everyone dressed all weird in tutus and neon and mullet wigs, looking like they were going to an 80s dance party. Or fitness class. Lindsay asked what Austen had wanted to cry to her about, but he said he was good. Lindsay told Amanda what Austen had said. She didn’t think he was over his ex enough to start something else. Jason and Lindsay agreed they on the same page, but everyone else wasn’t. It was unclear whether they meant the other couples weren’t on the same page as each other, or everyone wasn’t on their page. In Jason’s interview, he said meeting Lindsay had been unexpected, but welcome. She was wild and confrontational, but better too much than not enough. He didn’t think it was a vacation fling, and was to be continued. My guess is, it’s going to get old real fast.
Since Lindsay’s boobs were two years old, they decided to have a birthday party. In Craig’s interview, he said he was having a great time, and wasn’t excited to go back to Charleston. Finding out Natalie had dinner with Madison was evidence that Natalie wasn’t his person anymore. Luke retrieved his sap-catching bags from the trees, and said being in the city killed his soul. Amanda told Kyle about her conversation with Lindsay, and they speculated on what Austen wanted to tell Lindsay. Kyle said Austen and Ciara were separated by a couple of states, and Amanda said if Austen didn’t see a future, he should make that clear. Amanda said she didn’t want gossip be guessing what it was Austen wasn’t clear on, but they had to protect Ciara’s precious little heart.
Lindsay said she was obsessed with her own boobs, even though internet trolls said they were too far apart. It didn’t hurt that she had the nicest man in the world interested in her. Several of the guys dressed up in tutus and fake boobs, and Kyle laughed about Austen’s pierced ears. They played limbo until Kyle and Craig knocked it down. Amanda talked to Julia in the kitchen, telling her that Austen wasn’t interested in a long distance relationship. In Amanda’s interview, she said she felt like she’d been part of Ciara and Austen’s relationship from the beginning. She’d gone on their first date with them, and seen them blossom. They seemed absolutely perfect together. Which was a long way of saying she was sticking her nose where it didn’t belong. She cornered Austen, and said she didn’t want to go to Ciara without finding out the whole story. Austen told her that he wanted to say it as nicely as he could – it was none of her effing business. Amanda said Ciara was her business, and he said she needed to stay out of it. Amanda started crying, and whined that Austen was a POS. He told her, STFU, and Kyle made excuses that Amanda just cared about them, because he’s a busybody too. Amanda wailed to Ciara and Julia that she’d tried to do the right thing, Ciara was like, it’s cool, and said she’d talk to Austen. Austen said this wasn’t the way he’d wanted it to go, but Ciara said it was out there now, and why was he being defensive? He said he hadn’t come there with a bunch of friends who were all up in his business, and Ciara said Amanda was just concerned about her. She woudn’t be sleeping in his bed if she didn’t like him, and was scared something like this would happen. Austen said he wanted to see her as much as he could, and asked what her master plan was. She said she didn’t have one, and he said he didn’t either. He told her that he was drunk, and they decided to table it for the night.
In Andrea’s interview, he said he’d come in texting two different girls, but after spending time with Paige, she was growing on him. He wanted her for himself. It was mercifully the last day, and everyone packed. Austen told Ciara that he didn’t think he was ready, and clearly had things he needed to work on with himself. He hoped they could plan on seeing each other. In Ciara’s interview, she said she hadn’t been planning on liking someone to this capacity. (Let me remind you, it’s been two and a half weeks, although it feels like years.) She said she was a hopeless romantic, and reality was hard right now. Andrea made plans with Paige, and in her interview, she said she knew this was going to happen. No one could spend 17 days straight with her, and not love her. In Gabby’s interview, she said she was glad she did it, but it was tough. At the end of the day, growth was better than a hook-up. She’d take what she could get. Ciara told Paige that she appreciated Austen’s honesty, but wondered why she always picked the ones who were emotionally unavailable. They agreed they needed a vacation after the vacation.
Paige’s parents picked her up, and Andrea helped her move a million boxes of stuff out. For two and a half weeks? She introduced him, and he made it clear they would be seeing each other. Ciara told Austen that she knew he wasn’t ready to date, but they could still be friends that kiss occasionally. In Austen’s interview, he said it had been an amazing couple of weeks. If Ciara was okay with him not being able to fully commit, then he fully welcomed her suggestion. With that, Kyle closed the door. No one will be missed.
At the end, we saw Paige and Andrea kissing in an elevator, and it said, coming soon on Summer House. Omg, it’s like a roach motel.
Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind. – Lionel Hampton
Be thankful for everything that happens in your life; it’s all an experience. – Roy T. Bennett
The turkey. The sweet potatoes. The stuffing. The pumpkin pie. Is there anything else we all can agree so vehemently about? I don’t think so. – Nora Ephron
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the eons, it’s that you can’t give up on your family, no matter how tempting they make it. – Rick Riordan
Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other. – Randy Pausch
Give thanks for a little, and you will find a lot. – HausaProverb
It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful. – David Steindl-Rast
Be thankful for what you have. Your life is someone else’s fairy tale. – Wale Ayeni
We should certainly count our blessings, but we should also make our blessings count. – Neal A. Maxwell
What if today, we were just grateful for everything? – Charlie Brown
💋 Thankful For You…
No matter why you come here – to get details to settle an argument; to find out what went on when you couldn’t watch; to drink some tea, or glean some wise words; or even just to see if I misspelled something or got it wrong – I’m thankful you came, and hopeful you return. I hope wherever you’ve landed during these pandemical times, you’re making lemon drops out of lemons. Wishing you the happiest of Thanksgivings, whether you spend it with family, friends, or with your cat. (Hey, I’ve done that, and it’s not bad. Unless your cat steals that turkey leg you were thawing out.) Whether you’re talking turkey or not, stay safe, stay grateful & stay not envisioning a Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving. I doubt even Norman had one.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Nikolas and Ava sit at a table in the MetroCourt, and Ava says, it’s vintage Ryan. The creepy gifts, the cryptic notes. Nikolas says Doc told her that Ryan’s condition hasn’t changed; he can only communicate with his eyes. She says, if it isn’t Ryan, it’s someone who wants to emulate him. That doesn’t make her feel any better. She asks why Nikolas keeps looking at the door. Is he expecting somebody? He says, his mother’s brother, and she says she knows he wants to keep Alexis safe in Pentenville, but she’s warning him not to get involved with Cyrus. He says, not Cyrus. His mother’s other brother, Martin Grey. Ava says, whatever. If Laura knew what he was planning, she’d agree with Ava, and say, no way in hell.
Laura opens the door to Scotty, and asks what brought him by. He says, things have been going crazy in his head; he needs a reality check. She asks, what happened? and he says, Jason Morgan didn’t kill my son Franco; Peter August did.
Anna asks Valentin, how’s Brook Lyn? No adverse effects from the fall? He tells Anna, she says she’s fine, and Anna says, okay, and him? He says he’s fine. He was just thinking how ironic it is, you bring a life into the world, and because of that, a huge chunk of you becomes your biggest vulnerability, walking the world, becoming the target of threats, real or imagined. She asks if he’s talking about Peter, and he says he gets it. Peter needs to be locked up. It’s the only way to keep him safe from himself. The only way to keep any of them safe; Anna, him, Maxie, the baby. They’re the ones who’ve enabled him all these years. She says, it’s up to them to stop him, and the doorbell rings. Anna opens the door to Peter, who says he hopes he hasn’t come at a bad time. He wanted to talk to her about Maxie. Valentin joins Anna, and Peter says he apologizes for his abruptness at the hospital. He never congratulated Valentin on becoming a father again. He hopes Valentin has more luck with the baby than Valentin had with him.
At the hospital, Josslyn lies on a bed in the ER, and Jax asks Elizabeth if she’s sure the ankle isn’t broken. She says, according to the X-rays, it’s just a bad sprain. Josslyn says she told him, and he says, it’s nice to be wrong, for once. Elizabeth says she bets his heart skipped a beat when he heard she got injured at volleyball practice, and he says he almost got a speeding ticket coming to pick her up. Josslyn says she’d be flattered if she didn’t know he speeds all the time. Elizabeth says she’ll talk to the doctor, and see when Josslyn can go home. She leaves, and Jax asks, so what happened exactly? The coach told him that Josslyn went for every point like it was her last. Like she had something to prove. She says, because she does. Southern Coastal University waitlisted her. She has to prove she belongs there.
Chase and Gregory are seated at an Italian restaurant, and Gregory tells the waiter, they have two more coming. We know it’s an Italian restaurant because of the red and white checkered table clothes, the giant fork and spoon hanging on the wall, and the standard Italian music playing in the background. I’m surprised the waiter doesn’t look like the guy on the pizza box. Chase says, having second thoughts, dad? and Gregory says, if Chase can still call him dad, he supposes he can sit down with Jackie and Finn. Jackie comes in and says, good; they didn’t start.
At the phone at the hospital, Finn says he’ll tell grandpa that Violet said hello… and Jackie… and Uncle Chase. Okay, no more stalling. It’s time to go to bed. He tells her that he loves her. Elizabeth is at the reception desk, and he says, please tell him it gets easier. She says, just wait until Violet is old enough to criticize everything he does, and he asks which one is causing problems now. She says, Cameron. He thinks she’s being disloyal to Franco’s memory. Finn says, he’s just hurt. He couldn’t be more wrong. She says, Cameron is convinced that Jason killed Franco. He says, and she has doubts?
Jason sits down for a visit with Carly behind glass, and she asks if he’s all right. Are any of Cyrus’s men harassing him? He says he’s fine, and she says, which tells her nothing. He says he’s good. He can protect himself for as long as he needs to. She says, for how long? Weeks? Months? You’d think she’d know the drill, being married to Sonny. She says she’s being pressured from all sides; Cyrus, the Five Families artichoke hearts, and now, Peter August. He says, Peter’s giving her trouble? and she says, that’s what she’s trying to tell him. She needs him. So she’s getting him out of there. Whatever it takes.
Jason says, they talked about this, and Carly doesn’t make a move without him. She says, that was before he went to prison, and he says, it’s just until trial. She says, the case against him is getting stronger every day. Elizabeth, the grieving widow, insists he’s guilty, and their plan to get Gladys to recant her story is going nowhere. He asks how she thinks a plan to get him out is going to go any better. He gets it. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is wait, but for them right now, it’s the only way. She says, it’s his way. She knows he believes this, because he’s been to prison, but everything is different. Sonny is dead. He can’t call in a few favors. He can’t pressure a judge or the warden. They’re on their own.
Elizabeth tells Finn, her house feels like an armed camp with a tentative truce. Jake and Cameron are polite at dinner, then they just go to their own rooms. While Aiden just tries to keep the peace by making his brothers’ favorite desserts. He says, sounds like a house divided, and she says, for or against Jason. He says he’s sorry she’s going through that. He thinks he can relate just a little. He’s supposed to be going to this family dinner tonight, hosted by Chase. They’re supposed to be figuring things out; seeing what they’re family looks like going forward into the future. She asks, what does that look like? and he says he doesn’t know. He just knows that he has to do better. For Chase, and especially for Violet. Otherwise, he’ll just take the coward’s way out, and not go at all. She says, someone who faces down infectious diseases for a living, could never be a coward. He says, infectious diseases are easy. Families are hard. But he doesn’t have to tell her that, does he?
At the restaurant, Jackie thanks Gregory for taking her suggestion, and he says he thinks they should set some ground rules. He didn’t come here to rehash arguments or point fingers. He understands the marriage is over, even though it wasn’t his choice, but he loves his granddaughter, and wants Violet to have the family she deserves. Jackie says, so does she. She wants them to be more than a family in name only. That’s why it’s important they discuss the situation, and decide where they go from here. Chase says, there’s just one thing missing, and Gregory says, he guesses they’d better order.
Nikolas says he told Ava, Cyrus promised to protect Alexis if he found Cyrus’s mother, but Ava says, Florence is safer away from her son. Has he forgotten what Cyrus did to her brother? Julian made a deal with Cyrus, and in the end, Cyrus forced Julian to do his bidding. Nikolas’s sister is in a coma because of Cyrus. Nikolas says, Cyrus will pay for his crimes – someday – but right now, if finding Florence guarantees Alexis’s safety, he’s willing to make a deal with the devil.
Laura says Scotty was so convinced Jason killed Franco. What changed his mind? He says he and Obrecht had a heart to heart talk, and she asks, since when does he rely on Obrecht’s judgement? He says, since… they ran into her in Switzerland, when he was there with Franco to see the doctor. Like Elizabeth, Obrecht was convinced that Franco would not return to his former self. Laura says she also doubts Jason is guilty, but that’s not the same as relying on Obrecht’s opinion. Scotty says, it’s not just Obrecht’s opinion. It’s a fact that Peter was trying to kill Franco and Andre, because Franco might remember that Peter was the one who snatched Drew from the post in Afghanistan. She says she’s not a fan of Peter’s, but he prevented the assassination, and Scotty says, maybe he changed his mind, or was trying to make himself out to be a hero. He still put the article out about Franco’s tumor. She says, it wasn’t one of Peter’s finer moments; it made Franco a target, and Scotty says, if Dante hadn’t gotten in the way, Alexis would have killed his son. Instead, she almost killed Dante. So what happened? Peter finished the job. She says, and he’s going to let Jason pay for his crimes, and Scotty says, yeah; that’s what Peter does. It’s what he did to Obrecht. What he’s doing is looking for someone else to put on the hook, so he can get off the hook. She says she sees how it makes sense, but Obrecht isn’t a reliable source. There must be some compelling reason that Scotty suddenly trusts her.
Peter says he looks forward to his and Valentin’s children growing up together. Maybe they’ll be as close as he and Valentin once were, before lies got in the way. Anna asks what he wanted to say about Maxie, and he says, not so much Maxie as her former mother-in-law. Obrecht is spreading some vicious lie about him murdering Franco. They wouldn’t happen to have any idea where she got that from, would they?
Jax tells Josslyn, there must be a mistake. She’s at the top of her class, and was heavily recruited for academics and athletics. He’ll call the Dean of Administration and find out. She says, no; that’s so dad of him. Southern Coastal has the best volleyball program, and they have their pick of girls. She needs to try harder so they’ll choose her. Elizabeth comes in, and says the doctor wants to check Josslyn out one last time before she goes. Jax says he’ll be right back, and when he’s outside, he takes out his phone.
Carly says she knows Elizabeth came to see Jason at the PCPD lock-up before he was transferred there, and Jason says, she brought Jake to say goodbye. She says, that’s great. Elizabeth never would have brought Jake to see him if she believed he killed Franco. She must have doubts. He says he told Jake that he didn’t kill Franco, but he’s not going to convince Elizabeth; she’s entitled to her own opinion. Carly says, but she’s not entitled to punish an innocent man. They don’t have time to wait for Diane to prove Gladys is lying. They’re going to have to take Cyrus up on his offer. They’re going to have to give back Florence. Jason says, no. Then they have nothing. Does she think Cyrus is going to keep his word once he gets what he wants? Florence is the only leverage they have. Carly gets a text, and says, Josslyn is in the ER.
Valentin tells Peter, it’s too late to deny he’s a murderer; he already confessed. Peter says, it’s Valentin’s word against his. He supposes those playdates aren’t going to happen after all. They don’t have to be enemies. Peter pours himself a drink, and says, despite what Obrecht believes, he didn’t kill Franco. Anna says, he just expects them to believe that? and he says, for the sake of their children and loved ones, they should. He’s offering both of them a fresh start. It’s in both their best interests to accept. Anna says, that doesn’t sound like a peace offering. That sounds like a threat.
Scotty tells Laura, Obrecht loved Franco like a son. They were doing a lot of… grieving together. Why can’t she just believe him? She says she’d like to believe Obrecht is telling the truth, but she has two witnesses who say it was Jason, and one of them is the mother of Jason’s son. Scotty says he knows. He was convinced that Jason did it too. He was the one who attacked Jason, going after him. He was going to choke him to death at the PCPD. She says Scotty made a lot of threats, and he says, he thought he was doing it for Franco, but now what he wants for his son is the truth and justice. He wants Peter in a courtroom, facing a judge and jury. He’s been a lawyer all of his life, and it’s about time he used the law in his favor.
Ava tells Nikolas, if he’s determined to help Alexis, don’t play by Cyrus’s rules. Ask Carly; what Jason knows, she knows. He asks if she thinks Carly is going to tell him. Jason may be in prison, but he’s still calling the shots, and Florence is the best leverage Jason has. The second Carly realizes Nikolas has an interest in Florence’s location, Carly will tell Jason, and he’ll move her to a new one. There’s only one way to find out what he needs to know. Martin approaches the table, and says, forgive him for being late; he was held up in court. He didn’t realize Nikolas’s lovely wife would be joining them. Nicolas says Ava was just leaving, when Ava gets a text, and says, yes; actually, she was. She leaves, and Nikolas thanks Martin for agreeing to meet. Martin says Nikolas strongly implied it was something important, and Nikolas asks, what could be more important than a man and his mother?
Chase says he didn’t think Finn would show, and Finn says, neither did he, but he realized Violet would be disappointed in him. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but when she’s older, she’ll wonder why he didn’t try to mend the rift in the family. Gregory lifts his coffee cup, and says, to the smartest person in the family – to Violet. They clink their cups, and Jackie says they’re off to a good start; they agree on something. Finn says, maybe they should quit while they’re ahead. If he goes now, he can be home in time to read Violet a bedtime story, but Jackie says he doesn’t get off that easy. Gregory asked them not to dredge up the past or assign blame, and she agrees with him. They’ve all had a chance to express their feelings, so let’s move on from there. Chase says, feelings don’t just go away because you want them to. He’s trying to move on, but it’s not that easy. Gregory says, they’re all trying to move on, and as Chase said, it’s not easy, but they have to at least try. Jackie asks, where do they go from here? Will they be a family? Or do they tell one another, you go your way and I’ll go mine?
Carly tells Jason that Josslyn hurt her ankle at volleyball practice, and he says, go. She says she will, but they’re going to finish this. When he gets out of there, he can handle Cyrus any way he wants, but the first step is to get the charges dropped. He says, no deals, not with Cyrus, and she says she hates when he does this. He locks in, and he won’t change his mind. He tells her, go; Josslyn needs her. She says she’ll go, but she’ll be back.
Nikolas tells Martin, he knows Martin’s last meeting with Laura was disappointing, and Martin says, try humiliating. They were moving toward becoming two sibling, until Cyrus crashed the party and ruined things. Nikolas says, Cyrus saw an opening to make himself look better by making Martin look worse, and Martin says, exactly. Nikolas understands what he’s up against. The more he tries to prove he’s not like Cyrus, the more Cyrus paints him to be as corrupt and immoral as he is. Nikolas says, it doesn’t have to be that way if he intercedes on Martin’s behalf. Martin asks why Nikolas would do that for him, and Nikolas says he’d be doing it for his mother. Family means everything to her. Martin says he knows the feeling, but not when it comes to Cyrus, and Nikolas says he bets Martin’s mother is someone whose happiness means everything to him. Martin says, more than he can ever say, and Nikolas says, from what he’s heard, if Cyrus had his way, he’d keep her to himself, and shut Martin out completely. Martin says, but that’s not going to happen, and Nikolas asks if he’s sure.
Ava comes by Laura’s house, and says she was surprised to get Laura’s text. What’s up? Laura says she just wanted to check in. She heard Ava had quite a shock. Ava says Doc must have told Laura about the lovely gift she received at the gallery. Laura says, if it’s any comfort, Doc doesn’t believe Ryan was behind it. I’m not sure how that would be a comfort, since they know Ryan is a psychopath already, and it would be par for the course. She’d rather they wonder? Ava says she knows Doc does his best to be objective, but she’s not sure Doc sees Ryan for the awful person he is. She’s not falling for it. Sure, locked-in syndrome would present a problem, but Ryan is nothing if not creative. She’s sure he found a way to communicate with the guard. Blink three times if you want me to send Ava a disgusting, severed, phony hand. Anything is possible with Ryan. Laura says, for Ava’s sake, she hopes Ava is wrong, and Ava asks if that’s what Laura wanted to see her about. Laura says she wants to talk about Nikolas, and Ava says she hopes this isn’t the part where Laura doesn’t think it’s a good idea for them to renew their vows, but Laura says, not at all. When Ava and Nikolas first got married, it was for all the wrong reasons, but in watching them, she’s seen a change in them both. She thinks they’ve fallen in love for real. Ava says, for real, and Laura says, it’s great. That’s why she’s counting on Ava to help her stop Nikolas from making the biggest mistake of his life. Ava says, by getting involved with Cyrus?
Gregory says, before they think of how they’re going to move forward as a family, or even if they want to, he’d like to share a lesson he tried to teach his students. Finn says, not a lesson. Isn’t this bad enough? and Chase says he thought Gregory was all lessoned out when he retired, but Jackie says she’d like to hear it. Gregory thanks her, and says, everything worth knowing comes at a cost. After hearing their groans, maybe there’s a second lesson – you can’t erase you past as a family. His lectures at the dinner table made them cringe, but the fact is, they sat and listened anyway. The bedtime stories, and pancakes on Saturday morning, and all the other rituals of their childhood and growing up; he wouldn’t change it for the world. Finn says Gregory is more forgiving and generous than he deserves. Chase says he remembers another lesson from the dinner table – always take the high road. He’s trying to; he really is, but he doesn’t know if he can. Not after all the secrets and lies that brought them here tonight. Jackie says she thought they weren’t rehashing old feelings, but Finn says, they’re not old, are they? Maybe that’s the real lesson. They can get past everything except the past.
Peter says he’s offering Anna and Valentin an olive branch. Why would Anna interpret that as a threat? Valentin says Peter’s not all that subtle for one thing, and Anna says if Peter thinks he can walk out clean, there are other people believe he’s guilty; he knows that, right? Valentin says Peter needs to turn himself in and serve a sentence, so he can start down the road to redemption. If he stays on the road of whatever fairy tale he thinks this is, it will end bloody, at the hands of any of the countless people he’s screwed over. Peter says he offered them both a choice, and it seems they made it. Now they have to live with it. He leaves, and Valentin and Anna look at each other.
Elizabeth tells Josslyn that the doctor said she’s free to leave. He also said to take it easy with her ankle. That means no volleyball for the next one or two weeks. Josslyn says, but the state tournament is coming up. College scouts will be there. Elizabeth says she loves Josslyn’s dedication, but the surest way not to play in the tournament is to aggravate that sprain.
Carly runs into the hospital, and asks Jax, what happened? Is Josslyn okay? He says, she sprained her ankle in volleyball; it’s nothing serious, but he thought Carly would want to see her. Carly thanks him, and starts to go into the ER, but he says, Josslyn didn’t want to go to the hospital. She insisted it didn’t hurt, but he has the feeling she’s not as tough as she thinks she is. Carly asks what he’s talking about. Is something else going on?
Scotty visits Jason at the prison, and thoroughly cleans the phone before he speaks into it. I can’t say as I blame him, even on a good day. He says he’s not there to threaten Jason. For years he was afraid Jason would do Franco in, even though Franco turned his life around, and became a loving father and a good guy. He knew Jason didn’t care, and wanted to kill Franco anyway. He was convinced Jason did kill Franco, but now he has to admit, he knows Jason didn’t kill his son.
Laura tells Ava that Nikolas thinks he can protect Alexis by returning Florence to Cyrus. Ava says, Nikolas trusts that Cyrus will help Alexis in Pentenville, but she’s concerned it will open the door to Cyrus expecting more from him. Laura asks if Ava told him, and Ava says, yeah, of course (🍷). It didn’t get her anywhere. Nikolas is determined to protect his aunt, and doesn’t see that he’s likely doing the opposite.Because from now on, when Cyrus wants anything, he’ll just threaten Alexis, and pretty soon Nikolas will be under Cyrus’s thumb. Laura says, no. They can’t let that happen. How can they stop Nikolas from making this mistake?
Nikolas tells Martin that Cyrus threatened his aunt. Does Martin know her? Alexis Davis? Martin says, know her? he was her attorney for her drunk driving case, and again when she was arrested for assaulting Dante, before Diane got involved. For the record, he thinks Alexis made a mistake. She talked to him about pleading guilty, but he was shocked when she followed through with it. He was sorry to hear she got three years in Pentenville. Nikolas says, so was he, and Martin says he’s not sure what that has to do with Nikolas’s mother or his… Ah-ha. He sees. So he was right; Cyrus made Nikolas an offer. Let him guess; Alexis’s safety for their mother’s whereabouts. Nikolas says, Alexis is very important to him, and there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her. Martin says tell him that Nikolas didn’t agree to help Cyrus, and Nikolas tells him, let’s just say the man knows where he stands. And it’s in Cyrus’s best interest not to cross him, but the conversation got him thinking. There could be a workaround. A way to bring Martin and Laura together, and keep Florence far away from Cyrus.
Chase says, this was a mistake, and starts to get up, and Finn says, there’s no dishonor in that. Jackie says, please, and Gregory says he has one last remark, cringeworthy or not. He tells Chase, when his mom and Finn told him the truth that they slept together, and he found out Finn had fathered Chase, he admits he wallowed in self-pity for a while. But while he thought back on his life, and it was a good one. He looks at Jackie, and says, they had a great run, didn’t they? She says, damn right, and Gregory says, he’s not a victim. He raised two intelligent, capable men who make a significant contribution to society every day. He remembers lots of laughs, and lots of tears, with both of them, and the icing on the cake is his granddaughter. She was a gift he never expected, and he’ll never give up on her. Finn says, that’s good, because she’s not giving up on Gregory either, and Gregory asks that they not argue. They came there tonight to find a way forward as a family. He suggests they order dinner, make a few more toasts, and get on with trying. Where’s their waiter? Chase smiles.
Their waiter is meeting Peter underneath the restaurant. Peter says he sees the waiter got his message. Don’t worry. No one will find out. He’s just doing a favor for a friend, and in exchange, his problem with the parole officer will go away. He hands the waiter a vial, and tells him, make sure Dr. Hamilton Finn gets a taste of his own medicine.
Carly comes in with Jax to see Josslyn, and Elizabeth says Josslyn will be fine, as long as she follows the doctor’s orders. She knows it’s tough, but Josslyn will have to let someone else be the star on the team for the next week or two. Josslyn says she’ll be rusty for the tournament. Carly says Josslyn’s dad said something else is going on, and Josslyn says she’s just frustrated. This is the worst possible time for this to happen. Not that it’s serious; she’ll still be able to practice though. Carly says they’ll discuss the pros and cons of that on the way home. She asks if she can talk to Elizabeth, and Elizabeth says, sure. They leave, and Jax asks why Josslyn didn’t tell her mom about being waitlisted.
Carly says she thought Elizabeth would want to know, when Jax called to tell her about Elizabeth, she was at Pentenville with Jason.
Scotty tells Jason, Obrecht told him that Peter shot Franco, but there’s no proof, and who’s going to believe Obrecht when they have Elizabeth and another eyewitness? Jason asks why Scotty is there to see him, and Scotty says, he’s there to honor his son. He was told Franco made a deal with Jason to kill him if he resorted back to his former self. Scotty knew Jason would do it, and promised Franco that no harm would come to Jason. Jason says, that’s not necessary, and Scotty says, it was to Franco. He knows Diane is top notch, but if there’s anything he can do for Jason, he’ll do it.
Laura tells Ava that she has a pretty good relationship with the Pentenville warden. She can intervene on Alexis’s behalf. Ava says, that’s the perfect solution, but Laura says, she can’t promise anything; all she can do is try. She’s asking Ava to keep reminding Nikolas that he can’t trust Cyrus. He loves Ava, and will listen to her. Ava thanks Laura for having faith in her, and Laura says she also has faith that Ava brings out the best in her son. Don’t ever let him give in to his dark side. Ava gives her word. She’ll see to it that Nikolas does the right thing.
Martin says he’d greatly appreciated Nikolas bringing Laura and him together, but his own mother is safe; he might say, thriving. Nikolas asks how he knows, and he says, because he enjoys one advantage over his brother. Their mother can actually tolerate his company. He was allowed to see her, and she’s happy. She’s having the time of her life. Nikolas says, really? and Martin says, oh yeah, but because of Cyrus, she had to be relocated, and for his own safety, he wasn’t told where. He won’t be able to see her again for a while to spoil her and bring her favorite treats. Nikolas asks if she has a sweet tooth, and Martin says, always has. Chocolate, pastries… He had to scour Vermont to find a hummingbird cake for her birthday. Cyrus never even thought about it. Nikolas says, of course (🍷); Cyrus only thinks about himself, and Martin says Nikolas’s mother is unique. If Nikolas would put in a good word for him, it would be most appreciated. Nikolas says, of course (🍷). He’s confident all this will work out.
Valentin asks if Anna spoke with Robin, and Anna says she did, but tried not to alarm her. He says he told the school not to let Peter near Charlotte, and got private security for Brook. There’s nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal. She says, Peter is definitely wounded. It’s just a matter of time. He says they can’t afford to wait any longer.
The waiter that Peter met with asks if anyone wants dessert, but everyone is too full. Finn says, he’s good with coffee, and the waiter puts a cup in front of him. We assume the drug is in it.
Ava asks Nikolas how it went with Martin, and he asks if she knows where to find a hummingbird cake in Vermont. She asks what a hummingbird cake is, and he says it’s Florence’s favorite dessert. She asks why that’s important, and he says Martin ordered one for Florence’s birthday when he visited. He found a baker in Stowe from North Carolina, whose specialty is hummingbird cakes. She asks if he’s feeling okay, and he says, never better. He’s going to track down Florence, and he might even say, it will be a piece of cake. BA-DUM-CHH!
Laura gets a delivery of flowers, and says Doc didn’t have to do that, but she loves him for it. She reads the card, and realizes they’re not from Doc. She reads, I miss you grandma, and can’t wait to see you at my graduation. Love, Spencer. She says, so sweet.
Josslyn tells Jax that her mom has a lot on her mind. If she tells Carly that she’s been waitlisted, Carly will go into overdrive, and try to fix it and make her feel better. He asks if that would be so bad, and she says she doesn’t want her mom to fix it. She wants to prove to Southern Coastal that she belongs there, both academically and athletically. And step one is getting back on the volleyball court.
Carly tells Elizabeth that she appreciates Jake being taken to visit Jason. It gave Jason a chance to tell Jake he’s innocent, and Jake believes he’s innocent. Elizabeth tells her, stop there. She knows where this is going. Carly says she’s not going to ask Elizbeth to lie or cover for Jason, just think about that night and what she actually saw. If she comes to believe what her son believes, that Jason is innocent, then she needs to tell the police.
Jason tells Scotty that he can do something for him; look out for Jake. Scotty says he will do that, but what about Peter? Jason says, Peter has been lucky a long time, covering his tracks, and blaming other people. His luck is about to run out.
Peter goes to Anna’s house, and she thanks him for coming back. He says, it sounded urgent, and she says, it is. They’ve reconsidered his offer. He says, sorry. The offer ended when he walked out; it’s too late. Valentin comes down the stairs, and says he couldn’t agree more. We see he’s holding a gun.
Finn almost drinks his coffee, but Chase asks if they remember when he was little, and they went to a restaurant with a lazy Susan on the table. Gregory says he thought it was a merry-go-round for food, and Jackie says, they all put their glasses on it, and spun it around just to make him happy. Chase thinks they should do it again for old times’ sake, and I wonder who thought this one up. They put their coffee cups on it, and spin them around. They each take a cup, and Gregory says, to the future, whatever it holds. They clink their cups and drink.
On Monday, Maxie asks Britt if it’s weird to fist bump about this, Willow tells Michael that she can’t let go of her feelings for him, and Anna tells Peter that Valentin isn’t going to do anything to him, but she is.
🗽 Not More Comfortable the Second Time Around…
Apparently, there’s been a mini saga on RHONY regarding not-quite OG Heather.
Though nobody can go back and make a new beginning… anyone can start over and make a new ending. – Chico Xavier
If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished? – Rumi
There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man [and woman] which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus. – Blaise Pascal
Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear. – George Addair
We need to be allowed to convince ourselves that we’re more than the mistakes we made yesterday. That we are all our next choices, too, all of our tomorrows. – Fredrik Backman
We’re a society that demands electricity 24/7. This is very difficult with sun and wind. – Vaclav Smil
Electricity is really just organized lightning. – George Carlin
Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. – Chief Seattle (Once again, don’t step on any butterflies.)
🌛 The Sun Ain’t Up Quite Yet…
It’s the weekend, and time for me to switch gears until the Dead walk. Whether you’re in drive or stuck in neutral, stay safe, stay unrehearsed, and stay not making your olive branches sound like threats.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Why not? It’s the last post of the year. I missed the before credits action, but this is what happened. Jackie showed up at Anna’s, and asked how Finn was after his injury. Anna said he was with Gregory in Rice Plaza, watching the Polar Bear Dive. Finn came close to spilling everything to Gregory, but a drunk Alexis came by, wishing them a happy new year. Finn noticed she was bleeding, but she brushed it off, saying she’d broken a glass. Laura told Carly that she thought she was Cyrus’s weakness. Ned, Olivia, and Tracy had lunch in the MetroCourt, and Tracy said Ned was a lucky man to have Olivia. Olivia wondered, since when was Tracy her biggest fan? Jason met Cyrus at the pier, and then…
Jackie tells Anna, she still can’t believe Chase went swimming in the freezing cold. Anna says Jackie must not be a polar bear, and Jackie says, no. She says Anna has a lovely home, and Anna thanks her. Jackie says, it must be fun having a little girl running around, and Anna says, Violet brings the place to life. Jackie asks if Violet is home, but Anna says, she’s napping. She got up at the crack of dawn to play with the dollhouse Finn got for her. Can Jackie believe Finn is a father? Jackie says, yes and no.
Alexis tells Finn, she broke a glass and nicked herself. It’s not like she’s bleeding out. He says, it’s not big, but it’s deep; she’ll need stitches. Why don’t they go to GH, and he’ll stitch her up himself. She tells Gregory, his son is a wonderful friend. He’s just generally a wonderful person in general. Gregory says she gets no argument from him. She says they slept together, and Finn didn’t die. Imagine that? Finn says they should probably get going. Did she drive? She says, no. A, she wouldn’t, and B, her license was taken away because of Tracy. Didn’t he feel a shift in the cosmos? The bitch is back. He says she can tell him about it on the way. She says he can’t make her go, and he asks if she’s going to walk around to spite him. She says, maybe, and laughs, telling him, lead the way. She leans on him, and says, such a gentleman. He really is. They leave, and Gregory follows them.
Laura tells Carly, she and Cyrus have the same father, and Carly says, Rick Webber? Laura says, no. Rick is her adoptive father. Her biological father was Gordon Grey. Cyrus is her half-brother, along with Martin Grey. Carly asks how she found out, and Laura says she was doing the same thing Carly was, trying to find a way to stop Cyrus. She did some digging, and found that Cyrus was paying all the medical bills for a woman named Florence Grey. Obviously, she meant a lot to Cyrus, but Laura couldn’t figure out the connection. She started to wonder if Florence was the same one who was married to her father, so with a lot of help, she found the long-term care facility where Florence was, and managed to get in. Carly says, of course (🍷) she did, and Laura says she was only in Florence’s room a minute, when Martin came in, with Cyrus not far behind. It all just came out. Florence is their mother, and they share Gordon as a father. Carly says, wow, and Laura says, that’s the word. Carly says Cyrus went from being an island to having an entire family, and Laura says, an entire family she’s a part of.
Cyrus says Jason strikes him as less inclined than Sonny to be influenced by pride and family concerns. He deals in facts, not emotions. That’s why Cyrus doesn’t hold it against him that Jason blew his warehouse to smithereens, and cost him a substantial amount of money. He was acting on Sonny’s orders, but now he has the opportunity to think for himself and make his own decisions. Imagine how much better his life would be, and the people in his circle. Instead of this tedious and costly stand-off, they can finally cooperate. Jason asks, how?
Finn tells Alexis, he’s giving her an antibiotic just in case. She says, thanks, buddy, and he says, got it, pal. She asks if she chased his dad away, but he says Gregory is getting coffee. He heard about Julian, and he’s sorry. She grabs him in a hug, and starts crying, saying, she wants to go home. He asks who he can call. Sam? Molly? She says she’ll take a taxi, and he says he’ll drive her. She insists on taking a taxi, and says, go, be with his dad. He says it will take him ten minutes, but she says she wants to go alone. He says he’s not letting her. Come up with somebody, or he’s her ride. It’s up to her. She tells him to call Ned.
Tracy says Olivia is right. She wasn’t always Tracy’s favorite, but she has to understand Tracy is extremely protective of her family. The Quartermaines have dealt with their fair share of gold-diggers in the past. Monica and Lucy come to mind. Olivia says, Monica is not a gold-digger, and Tracy says, not now. She grew into the role of a Quartermaine, but not in the beginning. Why does Olivia think Alan gave Monica the house? He wanted to buy her love. Olivia says she can’t speak for their history, but Monica loved Alan. Tracy says, when she wasn’t cheating on him, and Ned says Tracy is one to talk. Tracy says she was worried Ned would follow suit, and he did at first. That’s why all of his marriages failed. Olivia is different, and she’s finally opened her eyes to that. Instead of seeing Olivia’s Brooklyn accent, she sees a matriarch in the making, and she’s good for Ned and the Quartermaine family. Olivia fights for her own, like her. She lets Ned be who he needs to be, for himself and the family. Olivia completes him, the same way Luke completes her. Ned asks if Tracy is comparing her relationship with his an Olivia’s, and she says, laugh all he wants. Luke turned out to be the person she’s been looking for her whole life, and Olivia is that person for him. She was glad Ned found Olivia. Olivia says, her too.
Jackie says, Anna doesn’t like her, does she? and Anna asks if she’s giving that impression. Jackie says, just the opposite, but she thought because she’d been spending time with Robert… Anna says she wasn’t aware of it, and Jackie says Robert has been attentive since she’s been there. Anna says they have a history, and Jackie says, as does Anna with Robert. Anna says she loves Robert as a friend, but that’s all they are. Jackie says the times she spent with Robert were the most fun she ever had, and Anna laughs, saying, he is a lot of fun. Jackie says, meeting Anna explains a lot. Holly was great, and Robert loved her, but there was something else going on that he never said; a missing piece. It was Anna. Anna says, having a child bonds you like nothing else, and Jackie says, there they have it. She’s ready to get it out in the open. Anna isn’t sure what Jackie is referring to, and Jackie says Anna knows about her and Finn.
Laura tells Carly, it was eye-opening how desperate Cyrus is for his mother’s acceptance and forgiveness. She saw a different side of him, and thinks he’s transferring his feelings onto her; the sister who finally accepts him when his mother rejected him. He’s been estranged from the family since he was a teenager, but she doesn’t think it bothers him as much as the rift with his mother. Clearly, he loves and misses her. Carly asks if she’s been in Port Charles all this time, but Laura says, no. She’s in Mountain Landing Long-Term Care in Vermont. Carly says, that’s random. Did they let Laura in as a visitor? Laura says, not exactly. She admitted herself as a patient.
Cyrus tells Jason, he’d like to do what he originally proposed to Sonny; it will be beneficial to both sides. Jason opens the pier so he can bring his product through, but Jason will have nothing to do with it. No distribution. No dirty hands. Although he’d appreciate security being provided to keep the competition out. He’ll give Jason 30% of he profit; gross not net. There will be no risk to him, while he’ll get a sizable return. As an added benefit, they won’t be at each other’s throats, so Jason could either maintain the import business, or focus on the legitimate coffee empire, while he collects the profits Cyrus will shower him with. Come on. Be smarter than Sonny.
Carly says she can’t believe Laura had herself admitted, and Laura says, it was dicey for a minute, but Curtis was looking out for her. She needed answers. Carly asks if she thinks she got them, and Laura says, she thinks it’s a good start. Carly says, so she’s Cyrus’s soft spot, and Laura says, she’s not kidding herself. She’s not going to tell Cyrus to play nice, and he will, but she thinks it’s an opening. She can capitalize on his vulnerability, and point him in a better direction. If she does it right, she can neutralize Cyrus. Carly thanks her, and they hug. Carly thanks Laura for coming by, and says she appreciates Laura’s words; they mean everything. Laura says she’ll keep Sonny in her prayers, and leaves. Carly gets on the phone, and says, listen to her every word. This is so important.
Anna tells Jackie, Finn confided a number of things, and Jackie says she appreciates Anna being discreet, but she knows Jackie slept with Finn. Anna says Jackie assured Finn that he wasn’t Chase’s father, and Jackie says she did. It was the best outcome for all concerned, but things were left conflicted. She takes full responsibility for what she chose to do, but what Finn chose afterward is on him. Anna says, no judgement on her part, and Jackie says, it was fine when Harry was a baby, but as he got older, he asked more questions about why his brother wasn’t in their lives. Now they’ve bonded, and those questions are more pressing than ever. Out of curiosity, what camp is Anna in? Should Chase be told or not? Anna says, it’s not her place. She can understand both sides. Resurrecting the issue might cause pain for Chase and Gregory, but doing nothing is causing Finn pain. He’s responsible for the predicament he’s in, but the secret has poisoned his relationship with his father, and now Violet. They deserve to have Gregory in their lives. What is Jackie going to do about it?
Olivia wonders if they should hug it out, and Tracy says, let’s not go overboard. Finn calls Ned, and says he’s with Alexis at the hospital, and she’s asking for him. Ned asks, what happened? and Finn says, she cut her arm on some broken glass, and he put in a few stitches. But they both know that’s not the problem. Ned asks if she’s been drinking, and Finn says, yeah. He doesn’t want to let her take a cab. Ned says he’s on his way. He tells Tracy and Olivia, Alexis hurt herself and needs a ride home. Tracy asks what that’s got to do with him, and he says she asked for him. Tracy tells him not to enable her, and he says he’s not showing up with a martini, just a ride. Tracy says, she’ll go, but Olivia says Alexis isn’t going to want to see Tracy. She’ll go with Ned. Ned says, no. They’re having a lovely time at lunch, which is rare in this family. So sit and enjoy this rare opportunity to have his mother’s approval. He leaves, and Olivia says, poor Alexis. She’s having a hard time. Tracy says, when someone self-destructs, there’s always collateral damage
Jason says Cyrus is making assumptions, but Cyrus says, Sonny’s not coming back. His sources at the Secaucus PD told him the bridge collapsed. Jason was there. No body was found and Sonny hasn’t been in touch. Clear indications that the man is dead. He admires Jason holding out hope, but the time has come for him to shift his perspective. Now all this is for his taking. Jason says, no deal. Cyrus isn’t moving his product through Port Charles ever. It’s Sonny’s territory – Cyrus says, was – and he’s going to run it the way Sonny will want to find it when he comes home. Cyrus says Jason disappoints him. Not just his foolishness in turning down the deal, but more so for convincing himself of something he knows isn’t true. So be it. If he can’t persuade Jason, he can’t. He thanks Jason for taking the time to meet him. Jason says if waiting he’s waiting for Walker to take him out from his sniper nest, he’s not there. Cyrus says he guesses he’ll have to do it himself, and draws his gun.
Cyrus shoots, and Jason ducks behind some crates. He tells Cyrus, drop the gun, or he’ll put one between his eyes. Brando comes in behind Jason, and says, drop it. Jason drops it, but two other guys come on the scene with Carly, who says, drop it or they’ll both be dead. Brando puts his gun down, and Jason tells him to get on the ground. Jason fires a shot missing Cyrus, and says he has one chance. He’s going to put the next one in Cyrus’s head. Cyrus puts his gun down, and gets on the ground. Jason tells the men to get Carly back to the car. She tries to argue, but he says, right now. He tells Cyrus, there will be no escalation. Come after him again, and he’s dead. Jason walks away, and Cyrus pounds the ground. Not his day.
Alexis is snoozing when Ned comes in. He asks, what happened? Does she even remember? She says she’s sorry she asked Finn to call, but he wouldn’t let up. He says she can always call him. Is she all right? She says, it was a small cut, but he says, big enough to require stitches. It’s only a matter of time before she truly hurts herself or someone else. She drove her car off the road, and now this. She says she broke a glass, and what Tracy said happened, didn’t happen. The coffee. He asks what she means, and she tells him, Tracy said she was searching for coffee. It’s right there on the counter, front and center. He says Tracy isn’t familiar with Alexis’s kitchen; she must have missed it. Alexis says, impossible, unless you’re blind. Tracy drove them off the road.
Anna tells Jackie, she has no plans to alter the status quo. What happens next is between Jackie and Finn. Jackie thanks her, and Anna says, but she’ll support Finn in whatever decision he makes to tell Chase the truth or not. Jackie feels the truth would be more harmful than good. They’ve stayed silent this long. Anna says, but it hinged on keeping their distance. That’s not the case anymore. Finn and Gregory walk in.
Ned says Alexis isn’t making sense. His mother drove them off the road? She says she knows it seems strange, and he says, it seems like she’s confused. Tracy drove Alexis home, and Alexis took the car off the road. She says she doesn’t think that’s what happened. He says Tracy and Chase found her, and she admitted she didn’t remember getting in the car. She says, it feels wrong. She doesn’t know how else to say it.
Olivia wonders what happened with Alexis, and tells Tracy, she should have gone with Ned. Tracy says, no, and Olivia asks, why? Tracy says, too many cooks in the kitchen. Alexis might feel overwhelmed or ganged up on. Olivia says, maybe if she was upset with Alexis, but they’re friends. She just wants to help Alexis get through this. Tracy says, trust her. It’s better this way.
Gregory tells Jackie that she looks well, and she says, so does he. Finn says he’s sorry they’re late; Alexis needed help. Anna asks if everything is all right, and Finn says he hopes so. Gregory says Finn’s bedside manner has improved. Anna has been good for him. Anna asks if Gregory wants tea, and Finn says he’ll help her.
Gregory says Finn invited him to stay for dinner, and Jackie says Finn and Anna make a good couple. He says, they do, and asks if she’s met Violet yet. She says, no; Violet was napping. He says, she’s the most wonderful little girl; full of joy and curiosity, and excited about the wedding. He says, sorry, and she says, don’t be. He shouldn’t be. She might be there. Robert invited her as his date.
Cyrus tells Brando, Jason didn’t hit him because he didn’t want to. As for Brando, he doesn’t know whether he’s an ally or a hidden enemy. Brando says, Cyrus’s meeting was supposed to be done at 3:10, so he came to check. He saved Cyrus’s life. Cyrus asks why Brando didn’t shoot, and Brando says he didn’t know what was going on. Cyrus says, if he’d died, the first thing his lawyer would do is send what he knows about Dev’s identity being falsified straight to the Feds. He wanted to use it to nail Sonny, but there’s more than enough to incriminate all of them. It will be ironic if Jason has walked away from how many murders, including Walker’s, and ends up back in prison for forging Dev’s ID, and Brando will be in the cell next to him. He’ll think about that the next time he wonders where Brando’s loyalty lies. He didn’t shoot when he had the opportunity.
Jason tells someone on the phone, he wants no evidence of what happened, and zero evidence Carly was there. Make sure the guards are with who they’re assigned to. Carly says good thing she was there; she knew it was an ambush. He says, of course (🍷) it was an ambush. He took the guy out. He knew what he was doing. Carly says, apparently not. Brando had a gun on him. He says, next time, send the guards. Don’t get in the line of fire and leave her kids without a mother. She says she had protection, and he says, so what?If bullets start flying, there’s no guarantee. She says he was walking into a trap. What if he’d been hit? He says, then he would have survived like he has every other time. What he can’t survive is losing her. I think, why don’t they just do it already?
Gregory says, Robert Scorpio, Anna’s ex? and Jackie says, that’s the one. He says he’ll finally get to meet Robert. She’d told him about their adventures back in the day. She says, back in the day, before she settled down, and her dreams came true. He’s surprised Anna invited Robert to the wedding, and Jackie says he and Anna are friends., and Finn tolerates him for her sake. Finn and Anna have come back in, and Finn says, it’s a secret, but he likes Robert. Why are they talking about Robert? Jackie says she’s his plus one, but she’ll only say yes if it’s all right with Gregory. Gregory says, Chase would love to have his mom there, but it’s Finn’s day. Finn says, it’s okay with him. It’s going to be a real family affair. Anna pours the tea.
Cyrus and Brando go to the MetroCourt, and Cyrus says he needs a drink. He tells Brando, wait over there, clearly still pissed. He orders scotch on the rocks, and sits. Laura comes in, and asks if he’s all right; he doesn’t look well. He says, it’s a business complication, and she hopes nobody died. He says it was touch and go, and she says she’s glad she ran into him. She’d like to talk to him about Sonny. He can’t see how that’s relevant, and she says, with Sonny’s disappearance, peace could be destroyed. She’d like to work with him to keep the streets safe and the violence down. He asks what that would entail, and she says, meeting regularly to discuss health and safety issues. She doesn’t believe biology alone bonds people, but as mayor, it’s her duty to keep the people safe. So meet her halfway. He says he appreciates her reaching out, and he’d be happy to work with her on this matter. She says, good. She looks forward to their first meeting. She’ll be in touch. She starts to go, and tells him, she’s really happy no one was hurt at his meeting, and smiles at him.
Tracy stomps back to table, and finds Olivia gone. She says, dammit. Leave you alone for five minutes, and look what happens.
Ned tells Alexis that she needs to pull herself together. She asks if he’s afraid she’ll drag him down with her, and he says, that’s not what he meant. She says she’s sure he’s thinking it, and he asks if she blames him. She’s doing things she doesn’t remember, it’s not a stretch to think she might say things. She says she has no intention of hurting anyone else, and he says, just herself. Go back to AA. She promises to avoid Olivia at all costs, and Olivia comes out of the elevator. Ned tells her, he said he had this, and Olivia says she knows. she just thought Alexis could use a female friend. She tells Alexis that they love her and want help her through this. Alexis says, that’s sweet, but no help is needed. Olivia says she can’t mean that after what just happened. Alexis says, she’s fine. The only reason she called was because Finn wouldn’t get off her back. She tells them to have a lovely afternoon, and she’s going to do the same. She walks away.
Carly says, she can’t die, but Jason can? He says he brought her in. She would have had nothing to do with business if not for him. She helped Sonny for his sake, and now she’s in power and doesn’t know how to handle it. She shouldn’t know. If she dies because of it, he couldn’t stand it. She says she’s not sorry, and she’d do it again; alone if she had to. He says they don’t know if Sonny is alive – she says, he is – and he doesn’t want to lose her too. She says she’ll always catch him. Always. He says she blew his shot. He would have killed Cyrus if she hadn’t shown up. She asks why he didn’t take it, and he says, because she was there. If there was a witness, or things went sideways, or she was an accessory… He can’t have it. He had to let Cyrus live, and now things are going to escalate. Cyrus isn’t stupid. Cyrus knows he didn’t kill him because of her, and it makes them more vulnerable. Her phone dings, and she looks at it. She says she thinks things aren’t going to escalate, and he asks, why? She says, things have been solved.
On the phone at the bar, Cyrus says, what?… How?… When? He yells, son of a bitch! wiping all the glasses onto the floor. Brando runs over, and asks, what is it? He says, they have his mother.
Next week, Portia needs to speak to Taggert, Jax wants to take Josslyn away, Laura needs leverage from Martin, and Carly says, now they have leverage. Tomorrow, ABC will air a rerun from September 17th, 2020, and on Friday, college football.
The Real Housewives of Orange County
When Braunwyn and Elizbeth took a walk, Elizabeth ended up having a panic attack. Braunwyn asked her to name five things she could see, two she could smell, and one she could feel, and I’ll be damned if she didn’t calm down after those activities. In her interview, Elizabeth said, from 0 to 13 she was raised in a religious environment. Her grandma was the head of the church, and her father one of the main preachers. They couldn’t wear or eat what they wanted, or leave the compound. They knew how to control everyone. Elizabeth told Braunwyn that she didn’t know how to move on, but Braunwyn said she was doing it right now. In Elizabeth’s interview, she said she needed to hide the sadness, and found laughter attracted people to her. It was easier to live in a fantasy of happiness than her reality of depression. She was worried if she started talking about it, everything she’d built would disappear. She said she’d carried the burden of feeling she’d done something wrong, but Braunwyn said she was free now. Elizabeth asked if Braunwyn thought less of her, but Braunwyn said it was the opposite. Now she had context. In Braunwyn’s interview, she admitted she hadn’t been a good friend, and regretted the petty stuff, and would have to make amends. The group went catch and release fishing, and Gina’s first catch of the day was herself.
John told Shannon that he thought he should stay at the house, because it was inevitable he’d have covid. In Shannon’s interview, she said she’d tested negative when the girls were positive, and had quarantined with John. She had strict rules, but they weren’t necessarily followed.
Shane was still in the hospital, and FaceTimed with Emily and the kids. In Emily’s interview, she said the kids knew he was sick, but didn’t understand the gravity of the situation. It was hard, since she couldn’t imagine a time she and Shane hadn’t been together during something difficult.
Shannon said, on the positive side, she was coming home to take care of the kids. Two seconds in the door, she started bitching about all the laundry, dog sh*t, and dishes in the sink. She said the girls were healthy enough to lay in lounge chairs getting sun, so they were healthy enough to wash a dish. Her WOTD was un-flippin’-believable.
Gina said it was hard to get to know Elizabeth. She didn’t understand her. Elizabeth said she was embarrassed about who she is. She’d told a neighbor what was happening, and the FBI shut down the church. She was vague, but it sounded like there had been sexual abuse going on. She told Gina and Kelly while they were at the lake, and Gina said it was horrifying. Elizabeth told them that when the FBI came, her dad said she’d lost a father. This is why she wants to live for herself now. Gina wondered why they were all so f***ed up.
Elizabeth said had been a trip for cleansing, but she didn’t know it was going to happen for real. In her interview, she said, opening up opened her mind to having real friends, and it was a wonderful feeling. Gina asked if it bothered Braunwyn for them to drink around her, but Braunwyn said it didn’t. Kelly made enchiladas, and in her interview, called her father for a breakdown of their Mexican heritage, then spaced out while he was talking. Shannon called to say she was positive, and John was still negative, so they had to separate. It added another layer to the whole thing, since they were always together. She wondered if it would go to her lungs, and Kelly told her, just get it over with. Gina said this is why she took it seriously, and people who were compromised should be careful. Both Braunwyn and Kelly were concerned, since they’d seen Shannon recently. Braunwyn had been in the house, and called Sean to let him know. He told her it had been seven days since they’d been there, and she said she was feeling dizzy. He told her that wasn’t a symptom. She had him google the symptoms, and go through them, but she didn’t have any. Kelly thought it was crazy that she hadn’t gotten it, since she’d been asking for it by going out. She told the women, a group of Marines told her that type O blood was bulletproof, but in Gina’s interview, she said she didn’t think that’s how it worked. I wondered where Kelly ran into a group of Marines that she discussed her blood type with. Kelly was glad Shannon hadn’t come. Gina said Shane had tested negative, and woke up with a 105 fever. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said she thought she’d take a break, and escape from reality, and now she was scared for her kids and herself. She didn’t want to be in the woods if she got it.
Kelly said there were a lot of roadblocks to her getting married on 10-10-2020, but she wasn’t letting anything get in the way. By hook or by crook, she was going to make it happen. She called Rick, who said they had planning to do, and they talked about a trip to Napa. Elizabeth said she’d slept like a rock, which was no surprise. Gina told Braunwyn, they had to take the virus more seriously; she knew Braunwyn had been going out. Braunwyn talked about her friend Shari, who she calls her wife since they quarantined together. In Gina’s interview, she said when she and Braunwyn first met, Braunwyn told her that she preferred women sexually. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said she and Shari kept each other sane. They traded off. The women called Shannon before they left, and she told them that Sophie came home sick. Kelly remembered John meeting her at the door maskless, and in her interview, she said it was killing her vibe. Maybe she shouldn’t go to Napa.
Kelly spoke with Lisa, the covid test nurse, who told her she might been in contact with someone who had the virus. In Kelly’s interview, she said she had been laisse faire about the virus, but it was hitting close to home, and making her think this was a real thing now. She was getting worried. The nurse suggested Kelly isolate for 14 days in her home away from others. Kelly said, no Napa now.
Emily’s kids made cards and a welcome home sign for Shane. Emily said it had been a long eight days. In her interview, she said she’d actually thought what she would do if he didn’t come home. As a mom, she had to allow her mind to go there. She never wanted to be in that situation again, thinking about taking care of the kids on her own. She appreciated Shane more than she ever had before. She picked Shane up from the hospital, and he said he just wanted to shower and lie down. In Emily’s interview, she said she was looking forward to a normal family life with him back home. It sounded simple, but when you go through the depths of despair, you don’t wish for more than that. It’s all you need.
Gina called Emily, who said Shane had been back a week, and seemed normal now. To verify, she asked Shane how he was feeling, and he said she was annoying him. She told Gina, she had to get in a headspace to enjoy his commentary. Braunwyn called Elizabeth, and said what she’d done was awesome. Braunwyn was happy Elizabeth was taking her power back. She did nothing wrong. Kelly told Shannon that Braunwyn claimed Shannon had brought the information about Elizabeth to her on a silver platter. We flashed back to Braunwyn saying that, but Shannon denied it. In Shannon’s interview, she said Braunwyn could be nice, but she was also a big effing liar. Just tell the truth, people.
In Kelly’s interview, she said dealing with a teen was the hardest. She had zero patience as is. Jolie, who is a young woman now, went over the courses she had to take remotely with Kelly and Rick. In her interview, she said she and Rick got along well; they were really similar. She didn’t like or know Kelly’s past boyfriends, but Rick was a normal person, and if her mom was happy, she was happy. In Kelly’s interview, she said, living in the ‘burbs was the right decision. She’d seen a change in Jolie. It was a great family atmosphere, but as soon as Jolie was out of high school, she was going straight back to the beach.
Elizabeth told jimmy that Arrowhead was crazy. Braunwyn got her open up, and was cool about it. In her interview, she said she took the time to talk to Jimmy about what she’d gone through. He understood her more now, and didn’t shun her. He just loved her. It was the first time she’d been accepted for her weakness. She told him that she was having a hard time. She’d spent her life hiding from the shame, and creating a façade. Jimmy wondered if she was healed now enough to move forward, and put the pieces together. It was important that she show people it’s not the end of the road. In Elizabeth’s interview, she said she’d never had this kind of support.
Emily visited Braunwyn, who told her that she looked good, and Emily said she had that covid glow. She told Braunwyn that she’d lost her sense of taste and smell, but once she got it back, she’d gotten someone else’s. In her interview, she said she still loved tacos, but healthy tacos. She told Braunwyn that she was lucky her symptoms had been manageable, so she could take care of the kids. Shane was at about 80% and looked healthy. She gave Shannon credit, telling Braunwyn that Shannon reached out every day. It gave her the opportunity to get to know Shannon better. Braunwyn said it had been a heavy trip. She thought she’d be getting a break from everything that was going on, but she felt lucky that she was staying at a hotel. She wasn’t there yet. Emily suggested a sober companion, and Braunwyn said Shari was living with her and Sean now. Emily asked how Sean felt about that, and Braunwyn said he got jealous because she spent more time with Shari, and went to her about the hard stuff. Emily suggested if Sean didn’t like it, maybe she shouldn’t do it. She didn’t want Braunwyn to put herself in a situation where she had more than she could handle. Braunwyn said when she and Sean had gone away, it looked like a romantic getaway on her Instagram, but they were deciding whether they should stay married or not. Her not drinking changed the dynamics. Emily said she had questioned what it was Braunwyn was trying to suppress and push down, so it didn’t come up. In Braunwyn’s interview, she said she’d created this perfect life, but she wasn’t feeling it. When she had a fantasy, Sean didn’t have a starring role.
Next time, Elizabeth’s divorce is finalized, Shannon wants no toxicity in her household, Elizabeth talks to her brother about their childhood, and Kelly tells Shannon that Gina is concerned about her.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
Mary spoke with Robert Jr., and called him out for buying his girlfriend a Prada purse with her credit card. She said the purse would outlast the relationship, and not to buy something expensive like that again unless he’s going to marry her.
Heather met with contractor Travis, who was working on expanding Beauty Lab & Laser. In Heather’s interview, she said her personal life wasn’t so great, but she was killing it at Beauty Lab. She’d had side gigs when she was married, but her husband said it wasn’t worth it because they had limitless money. She said it wasn’t about that. It was about her skills and fulfillment. It was like the full circle of redemption. It reminded her of who she was, and how she felt about herself before she was married. She wasn’t all the way there, but it was a huge step forward.
Meredith was on the phone with Brooks when Seth came back. Brooks thanked Seth for missing his show. The runway walk of one athletic ensemble. In Meredith’s interview, she said she felt guilty and responsible, since she was the one who asked for space. Seth said he was sorry he missed, and couldn’t guarantee it wouldn’t happen again, but he’d try. He told Meredith he thought it was a good idea for him to come back and try to repair the damage, and Meredith said Brooks was disappointed he wasn’t there, but she knew why. Seth told her, not knowing what direction their relationship was going in would have overshadowed Brooks’s big day. Their relationship shouldn’t impact the one with their kids. He’d realized he was so focused on his career, he hadn’t grown emotionally as a husband. He asked her to give him another chance. The last weeks were brutal, and if she would put in the work, he’d put in 10 times the amount, He couldn’t stand being without her. Meredith said it had probably been positive for them not to communicate, but she missed him. She wished they could have shared Brooks’s show, and she got a taste of what life would be like without him. She was willing to put the work in. In her interview, she said it was an incredible relief that they’d come to the same realization. They needed to be together. It wasn’t going to be smooth sailing, but they were on a positive path. She told him that she wanted to make it work.
Lisa met John for dinner, and in her interview, she said one of the perks of owning a liquor brand was that she knew every restaurant, bar, and club owner in the state. It was easy for her to get a reservation anywhere. They continued their discussion about working too much, and Lisa said she wasn’t giving up anything, and if a killer opportunity that fit in their portfolio came along, she didn’t want to pass it up. He thought they needed to work at not working. If an email came in at 11 pm, it could wait until the morning. In Lisa’s interview, she said she could get things done while still engaging. While she was messing with her phone, a producer asked if she had a nice dinner with John, and she was like, what did you say? totally disproving her statement. John wondered what it was all for. It was work first, then the kids, then them, with enjoying themselves at the bottom. Lisa suggested they include the kids more in what they were building. In her interview, she said she heard him, and there wasn’t one night where she didn’t go to bed wondering if the kids felt loved. There was guilt.
Whitney and Justin headed to the sober living facility, where they were going to mediation with Steve. Justin said Whitney’s dad thought he’d been there long enough, but they had a different opinion. In Whitney’s interview, she said she’d received an SOS text from Steve, saying he was going to be receiving a roommate, and he was freaking out. She needed to get there before he packed and ran away. She wondered what the real issue was, and said Steve wanted her to make it better, so he wasn’t being 100% accountable and responsible. She understood that he was older and didn’t want a roommate, but thought it was just an easy excuse to leave the program. He thought he was on vacation at the Four Seasons, but he was in sober living. He was there to work at getting better, not acting entitled. Justin told Whitney she had this.
They met with Steve and counselor Elsie. Steve said he felt anxious, and had been clear about not wanting anyone else in the same room. He said he wanted to get back in the game and be productive; pick up his career. Whitney asked if he’d looked for job. Where was he going to get money? The plan she was hearing required someone helping him. In Whitney’s interview, she said the first time her father went to rehab, he wanted her to pay for it. He’d made a list of everything he’d paid for in her life. Since he chose to have her as a child, now she owed him $30K for rehab. She was like, f*** you, but she still paid. She told him that they didn’t want him thinking they didn’t want to help, but he couldn’t expect her to take care of him, whether it was giving him money, a place to live, or a car. She wanted to get away from that pressure and burden; it made her resent him and close herself off to him. She wanted to help him because she wanted to, not because he felt entitled since she’s his daughter. Steve claimed nobody wanted to be as self-reliant as he did, and Whitney said being there was helping him. Their goal was for him to do it on his own, not because it was given to him. She said he should figure out a way get money while he was in there, so he had something to start with. Steve said they’d saved his life, and admitted they had been a security blanket, but he wanted to do it for himself and on his own. Elsie told everyone, good work.
The entire group met for snowmobiling, and in Jen’s interview, she said she didn’t know what was going on. Seth missed the fashion show, but showed up for snowmobiling. Lisa wanted to portray a perfect family, but no one was perfect. The guide said they’d be going 21 miles up a mountain, and having lunch at the top. In Heather’s interview, she said she didn’t mind being a single rider. It was like sex; more fulfilling if you do it on your own. This looked like fun, but I like the snow and cold. I don’t think I could live in the mountains though. It looks pretty, but makes me feel claustrophobic or something. In Whitney’s interview, she said she was confused. Meredith and Seth were being lovey-dovey, but Jen said Meredith was possibly seeing someone else. It didn’t add up.
During lunch, everyone chit-chatted, and in Jen’s interview, she said she was happy when Sharrieff could be there, especially when they were with their friends. She wished she had what the others did. Their significant others were with them all the time. Sharrieff told a story about Jen’s whole family going on their first date with them. In Lisa’s interview, she said Jen and Sharrieff were like yin and yang. Sharrieff talked about how sweet Jen was, and in Whitney’s interview, she said, do you know your wife? and we flashed back to the many tirades Jen’s had within a few episodes.
Whitney told Heather that Jen claimed she’d heard something about Meredith and Seth, but if Whitney wanted to know anything, she’d have to ask Meredith. Heather said Jen had mentioned it to her, but she wasn’t interested. In Heather’s interview, she said, Jen clearly didn’t keep her word. She’d shown Heather a picture of Meredith with another man, not Seth. It looked like they were in a relationship, and Jen acted like it was a secret they’d never speak of again. Realizing she was getting nowhere, Whitney said if Meredith and Seth had some kind of arrangement, she supposed it wasn’t for them to judge. Heather didn’t take the bait, and said it wasn’t for them to say, judge, or even ask. If it didn’t come from Meredith, she wasn’t interested.
After snowmobiling, Meredith, Seth, Lisa, and John went to Jen and Sharrieff’s place. The guys compared the Mormon and Muslim religions, which are both pretty strict. Sharrieff said they were allowed multiple wives, but Jen said, oh no he wasn’t, and in her interview, she said one Jen Shah equaled 45 wives. In Lisa’s interview, she said she and John weren’t cultural Mormons. People focus on the cultural side, and forget what’s important – a relationship with God. She didn’t think God cared if she owned a tequila company. TBH, me neither. In Jen’s interview, she said what Lisa was following wasn’t the Mormon church. It’s the church of Lisa Barlow.
Jen, Lisa, and Meredith got in the hot tub, while the guys played foosball. Jen said she was lonely when Sharrieff wasn’t there, and was concerned about Omar going to college. Inside, John said he thought he could set goals personally just fine, but doing it together was a different story. The guys discussed their various marriages, and Sharrieff said Jen was super reactionary, which was an understatement.
Jen kept prodding at Meredith to spill something, but in her interview, Meredith said she was feeling confident and positive about her marriage, but she didn’t need to tell anyone. What if it went wrong? She’d let them know when the time was right. She told Jen and Lisa that she and Seth were committed to their marriage, and they were headed in a positive direction. In Jen’s interview, she said Meredith was acting like her life was perfect.
Next time, penguins! Mary isn’t invited to Jen’s party, and Jen pitches a fit at the party.
Did you know the confetti used in Times Square on New Year’s Eve is made up of wishes? Me neither. You, too, can be a part of the celebration. It’s too late for this year, but why not get a head start for 2022? No one will be there this year anyway.
Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect. – Alan Cohen
🍾🥂🥡 See You Next Year…
It’s finally time to say goodbye to the year that looked so promising. To the year we thought would be ours. To the number we thought looked so cute. While the light is getting brighter at the end of the tunnel, don’t be disappointed if you wake up on 1/1/2021 and it’s not just a bad dream. It’s going to take a while, but you’re still here. We made it this far, and one day it will seem like it was just a bad dream. Enjoy the New Year weekend however you can, but remember to stay safe, stay smart, especially with your alcohol intake, and stay knowing that there will be an end to this madness before long.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
While my weeks are usually a blur of going from one thing to the next, this week has been a particularly demanding one. Which is my excuse for being late to the party today, but not by much. Here’s what you need to know. Molly thought Kristina should be at the intervention, but Sam nixed the idea since she’s a control freak. Diane arrived, bringing Valentin, which didn’t make Sam and Molly happy. Sonny found Dante punching the heavy bag, and Dante admitted to having Lulu on his mind. Elizabeth told Franco that she’d made an appointment with Patrick Drake for him, and said they’d be leaving next week. At The Floating Rib, Lulu told Laura that she still loved Dante, but she loved Dustin too. Laura said Dante was part of her past, and she couldn’t erase that, but she had to decide who was right for her future. Cameron and Dev went to The Rib, and Cameron told Dev that Franco’s brain tumor had returned. Julian met Cyrus at the pier, carrying the bomb in a backpack, and said he wasn’t blowing up a bar full of people. He wanted Cyrus to take the bomb back. And away we go.
Jason tells Danny, it’s all about the angles. He needs practice and skill, and to keep a cool head. He asks if Danny is getting tired, but Danny says he’s glad they’re hanging out. He thinks Grandma Alexis is acting weird. His mom tried to hide it, but he can tell she’s upset. Jason says when he sees Danny’s mom upset, his instinct is help and try to fix it. Sometimes the best way to help is to just let some know you’re there, and let the person figure it out for themselves. Danny says his mother isn’t worried about herself. She’s worried about his grandma’s drinking.
Sam asks why Diane invited Valentin, especially tonight. Diane says her best friend has fallen off the wagon. She’d be friends with the devil himself to help get her back on. Valentin says he’s enjoying his newfound friendship, but is this about him? He thought it was about Alexis. Sam says, it’s a delicate situation. She’s not sure his presence will help. Valentin says he knows Alexis in a way they don’t, and won’t judge her, and Diane tells them, Valentin can probably get through to Alexis easier than they can. What will it be? Can they tolerate Valentin for the sake of their mother?
Cyrus tells Julian, he has the wrong idea. No savvy businessman would accept collateral damage. If they wanted to take Jason out, they’d arrange it when he was alone at a meeting in a closed bar after hours. A business meeting requires preparation, so everything will be in place when the time comes. Until then, a package is just a package. Julian asks if Cyrus is telling him it won’t go off until Jason is alone. Fine. Cyrus gives Julian a phone, and says his burner number is already programmed into it. Call him when it’s done. Cyrus leaves, and Alexis comes around the corner. She says fancy meeting him there, and Julian says, it’s a bit of a surprise. Alexis says imagine her surprise seeing him and Cyrus together.
On the phone, Elizabeth says she’ll check the schedule, and call Patrick back. She tells Franco, everything is falling into place, and he says he’s not sure how she does that. He wishes it was catching. She says, what? and he says, her hope and faith; her plugging away. He’s a little terrified. Part of him wants to give up and accept his fate. She says, it’s a delicate balance. How long do you keep hoping, and when is the time for acceptance, but they’re not there yet. They’re still hoping. It’s not just his fate; it’s their fate. She’s willing to face anything to keep their family together. He says she’s right. From now on, he’ll do anything and everything to beat this. He holds her, and says he wants to be with her when she’s old and grey.
Britt calls Jason, and gets voicemail. She says he dumped this Cyrus stuff in her lap, and now he won’t take her calls. He told her if she saw something, say something, and she saw something. He needs to get to GH right now. She turns around to see Cyrus, who says, problems?
Alexis asks what Julian has gotten himself into now, but he says he went out for some fresh air. Cyrus keeps bugging him to sell Charlie’s, and he keeps telling Cyrus to buzz off. He asks if she’s been drinking, and she says, the roadways are safe; she’s walking. Julian says, it didn’t happen in a vacuum, and she says she’s not mowing anyone down tonight, even him. Relax. He says, what about her? and she says she’s bored with everyone’s misplaced concern that she’s self-destructive. She thinks she’s a survivor. She’s survived the past few years, starting with him, and she’s entitled to do what she needs to in order to get through the night. He says she’s made herself clear, but it hurts him to see her drowning her pain in a bottle of booze. She says she had two drinks. She was clearing her head before she went to say goodnight to Danny and Scout. Sam has lifted the moratorium on her seeing her grandkids. He says, it’s a positive start. They’re lucky to have her. Speaking from personal experience, she’s been a positive light in his dark life. She pushed him to be a better man. If it failed, that’s on him, not her. She asks why he’s talking like that. He sounds like he’s saying goodbye.
Diane asks if she’s convinced Sam and Molly to let Valentin stay, and Sam says if he tries to undermine the intervention, she’ll kill him herself. He says he accepts her terms. When is Alexis getting here? Sam says, soon she hopes. Alexis is supposed to come before the kids go to bed. He asks if Jason is coming, but Sam says she asked him to take Danny out, so he wouldn’t be there when they confront Alexis. They’re at The Floating Rib.
Jason asks why Danny said that about Alexis, and Danny says he wasn’t spying or anything. He would walk in when his mom was talking about his grandma’s drinking, and she would stop when she saw him. Jason says he’s right. His mom has been worried about his grandma. Sometimes people drink too much, and can’t stop. That’s probably why his mother asked his grandma not to see them until she’s better. Danny says he misses her; Scout too. He hopes she doesn’t forget about them. Jason says, that’s not going to happen. Families have disagreements, but they don’t give up on each other. They’re not giving up on Danny’s grandma; no way.
Cameron tells Dev, Terry says it doesn’t look that good, and Dev says, that’s a lot. He’s sorry to hear it. If Cameron doesn’t want to hang out, it’s okay. Cameron says he’s glad he’s there. What did Dev want to talk about? Dev says, something else happened, and Cameron asks if it was when Dev was with Trina and Josslyn. Dev says, it’s something about Josslyn, but it’s not new. Cameron asks, what is it? and Dev flashes back to making the fake journal. Dev says he did something he regrets, and he wants to make it right.
Laura tells Lulu, plans change, and Lulu says, that’s all she’s got? Laura says, life is unpredictable. She says she doesn’t want to minimize what’s going on in Lulu’s life, and Lulu says her life is wonderful, but it’s difficult and messy at the same time. Laura says, if you find love in the midst of that, it’s a gift. Dante is Rocco’s father, and her husband. It’s not surprising the decisions she made when he was gone might change now that he’s back. Lulu says, that’s the thing. She doesn’t know if she wants them to change or not.
Dante tells Sonny, he divorced Lulu. He didn’t want to wait until his recovery. Sonny says Dante was in a bad place, and needed help. Everyone respected that. Dante says he didn’t know how to take it when he came home, and Lulu was with another dude. Sonny says he wasn’t there, but can’t imagine being willing to accept she’s with another man. Dante says he’s already disrupted Lulu’s life by showing up. He doesn’t want to disrupt it again. He loves her. Sonny asks if he thinks Lulu wants him to just give up.
Lulu tells Laura that she’s happy with Dustin, and the kids love him. They have a solid life together, but she saw Dante, and all this history and love started bubbling up. Laura says what she needs is time and space, and has every right to ask for it. Maybe she should tell Dustin that it’s not the time to move in. If he’s the man she says he is, he’ll understand.
Dev asks if Cameron remembers when he showed him Josslyn’s journal. Cameron says Dev saved him from making a complete fool out of himself. In the moment, it was hard to hear, but he appreciates that Dev had his back. Had he gone for it, he might have lost a friend for good. Dev says, the thing is… Danny calls over to Cameron, and says his dad is teaching him to play pool. He just sunk two balls. Cameron tells Dev that he’ll be right back.
Lulu tells Laura, it’s a good idea. Knowing Dustin, she knows he’ll understand, and want her to have clarity, so they can move forward with a clean slate. Laura thinks so too. She’s come to like and respect Dustin. Lulu says, thatmeans a lot, and Laura says she has to get going. She wishes Lulu good luck, and kisses the top of her head. When Laura is gone, Lulu calls Dustin, and asks if he’s busy. She was hoping they could meet at The Rib.
Danny says, it’s all about finding the right angles, and Cameron says if Danny gets good now, it will be a breeze later. Laura texts Jason that she needs to talk, and to meet her in the alley. Jason says he has to make a quick call, and asks if Cameron will watch Danny. Cameron says, no problem, and tells Danny, rack them up.
Diane reads to the group from a paper, the guidelines say speak personally from your point of view. How does Alexis’s drinking affect you, and how does it make you feel? Not in a way that assigns blame. It’s not about shaming her, but about how much they love her.Valentin tells them, be prepared to be attacked, and Sam says his comment isn’t helpful. That’s why she didn’t want him there. He says he might be more helpful than she thinks, and Molly says, let them talk first. Valentin says he’s not convinced that Alexis is coming. She should have been there by now.
Alexis asks if Julian is leaving, but he says, no. He’s doing everything to stay. His kids and grandkids mean everything to him. She asks if he’s sure he’s all right, and he laughs. He says she’d better get a move on before the kids go to bed. She asks if he’s trying to get rid of her, but he says he’s just in a melancholy mood. Everything will be better tomorrow. She tells him, take care, and he says, her too. She leaves, and Julian picks up the backpack and walks in the other direction.
Elizabeth tells Franco she got her shifts taken care of, and he says he’s starving. They head for the elevator while talking about the kids, and Franco asks if she’s seen Jake’s graphic novel. It’s amazing. She asks if he has, and he says they’re reading it together. The elevator doors close.
Dante tells Sonny, he can’t go all caveman on Lulu. He’s already crossed boundaries. Sonny says, even if Dante hadn’t gotten treatment, Lulu would still be his wife. It’s understandable they would have feelings. Dante says, listen to Sonny, talking about feelings. He likes it, and he does still love Lulu. He wants to be with her. Sonny suggests Dante tell her, but Dante says he doesn’t want to pressure her. Sonny says they know she can make up her own mind. She may be stubborn about the feelings she has, but the life they had together, what was between them, is still there. Dante asks, what makes Sonny think he’s not the only one who has feelings? Sonny says he doesn’t know, but he has a radical idea. Ask her.
Julian goes into The Rib. He sees Danny, Dev, and Cameron playing a video game, and having a great time. He sits at a booth, and looks in the backpack.
Alexis arrives at Sam’s, and Sam says she’s glad Alexis made it; she was starting to worry. Alexis says sorry she’s late, and they hug. She says she should go upstairs and say goodnight, but Sam says, actually, Scout is sleeping and Danny’s not here. Alexis asks where he is, and Sam says, he’s with his father. Molly says they love her. That’s why they’re doing this. Alexis says, doing what? Diane and Valentin come out, and Alexis says she sees. They’re having an intervention.
Britt tells Cyrus that she wouldn’t be a very effective Chief of Staff if she ran to the Chairman about every minor crisis. She wonders why he’s there at this hour, and he says he likes to keep tabs on his hospital. He never tires of looking for ways to improve things. He’s made progress with some excellent staff choices, like herself, but there’s still much to be done to make it a world class hospital. He looks forward to her playing a part in that.
Jason meets Laura outside, and she says she needs an update on Cyrus. He says, the truce is holding on the surface, and she says, and underneath? He thinks she should talk to Sonny, and she asks where she can find him. He says he Sonny is having a workout at the gym. He can tell Sonny that she’s looking for him if she wants, but she says she’ll track him down.
Dustin joins Lulu, and says he’s glad she called. He wasn’t too far away. He was picking something up. She says, it sounds secretive, and reminds him that she’s a reporter; she can sniff out a story. He says he’s not worried, and asks what she wanted to see him about. She says, us.
At the video game console, Danny says he’s just warming up, and Dev says he has more quarters. Danny tells them, this is the coolest part, and they watch, then say, whoa! Julian takes out his phone, and looks at pictures of his kids. He flashes back to Cyrus intimating that the bomb won’t go off until Jason is alone. Until then, the package is just a package. Julian says, God help him, and gets up. He walks out, leaving the backpack under the table. The boys continue playing. Julian should know better. He was a mob boss, for God’s sake.
Alexis says, this is an ambush. Sam lured her there under false pretenses. Molly says they care about her, and she says, if they did, they wouldn’t have set a trap. Valentin says they want to talk to her, and she asks, why? Talk is deceptive. She’s not listening to how much they love her. You don’t betray people you love. Diane says, no one betrayed her. On the contrary; they’re all on her side. Sam asks Alexis to hear them out, but Alexis says Sam weaponized her love for her grandchildren. First by prohibiting her from seeing them, and then using them as bait to lure her there. She’s sure as hell not staying there now.
Jason calls Britt back, and asks what she wants. She says she has something for him, and can’t talk about it on the phone. She needs him to come to the hospital asap. He says he can’t; he’s with his son. They’ll have to talk tomorrow.
Laura finds Sonny at the gym, and they hug. She says she’s eager for an update, but Sonny says she might want to say hello to someone first. She says, who? and Dante says, me. She hugs him, and tells him, welcome home. He says he’s sorry he was gone so long, and she says she completely understands the choice he made. He kept his family safe. That’s all that matters. In time, Lulu will figure things out. Dante says he was thinking of stopping by, and Laura says she just left Lulu at The Floating Rib. He says he’s going to take off, and tells them, goodnight. Laura and Sonny smile at each other.
Lulu tells Dustin, she’s been turning some things around in her head. Dante coming back threw her for a loop. Dustin says he gets that. She and Dante were together for a long time. He says, it makes sense that things would feel unfinished, and she says, it doesn’t take away from how she feels about him. She loves him, and values their relationship. He says he’s glad to hear it, because he loves her too. That’s why he’s been reevaluating moving in. She says she’s so glad he understands. Him officially moving in doesn’t feel totally right anymore. He says he doesn’t want her falling backward in confusion and uncertainty, and doesn’t want her to doubt his commitment to their life together. He takes out a jewelry box. Rut-roh.
Jason comes back into The Rib, and asks Cameron if everything is good. Cameron says, it’s great. Danny might not be much at pool, but he’s a shark.He may have spent all of Dev’s quarter’s. Jason tries to give Dev some money, but Dev won’t take it, and Jason says, at least let him buy them dinner, and hands Dev some cash. Dev and Cameron go to order, and Danny asks if Jason wants to see how good he is at the video game. Jason guesses he can stay longer, and Danny drags him over to the console. Dev says he needs to tell Cameron something about Josslyn’s journal, when Elizabeth and Franco come in. Cameron says, first, he wants to say hi to his parents, and tells Dev to grab a table. Dev sits down, and his foot hits the backpack. He says, what the hell…? Ooh, he might know what something like that looks like, considering his background.
Alexis tells Sam to get her coat, and Sam says, mom, please. Just an hour. Alexis says she doesn’t want to talk, especially to Sam. Valentin says her daughters are desperate and scared, and don’t want to lose their mother. He tells Alexis that she doesn’t want to lose her life, but she says it’s her choice. If she wants to drink, she will. Diane says, here you go, handing Alexis her coat. She doesn’t want Alexis to get pneumonia on top of everything else. Sam says if Alexis leaves, she’s going to lose her support system. Alexis fought like hell for her, and now it’s her turn. Is Alexis willing to throw all of them away? Stay and hear them out.
Sonny says it’s good what Laura said to Dante, and she says she has a sneaking suspicion that he and Lulu will be just fine. Sonny says, him too, and asks how she knew he was there. She says she ran into Jason. She’s sorry, but she has to talk to him about something that can’t wait.
Britt brings Brad something for his pain. He asks if she reached Jason, and she says, they spoke, but she couldn’t get into it on the phone. He says, Jason is coming, right? If Jason doesn’t help, he’s as good as dead.
Julian stands at the docks.
Dev touches the bag.
Cameron tells Franco and Elizabeth that he’s sorry for freaking out, but Franco gives Cameron credit, saying, he took the bad news well. Dev tells the bartender, there’s a suspicious bag under the table. Dustin tells Lulu, she’s right. He doesn’t want to just move in; that’s not enough. He wants them to build a life, and to make what they have permanent. Lulu says, she thought… and he says he’s doing this wrong. He gets down on one knee, and shows her the ring, which is beautiful, no surprise. He says he loves her with all his heart. Will she marry him?
Julian looks at the phone, and calls Cyrus. He says Cyrus better pick up.
Dante starts to cross the parking lot toward The Rib, when it explodes.
On Monday, the aftermath of the explosion, Dante calls for help, Laura says Cyrus is coming after her, and Sonny says, don’t die on him. He could be referring to any number of people.
💰 Cash Is Queen…
I read they didn’t have a prenup. Is he out of his mind?
Not too much of a spoiler, but if you’re like me, you’ll be watching on Sunday wondering why you think you’ve seen this one. The opening of Fear’s finale.
Life is essentially an endless series of problems. The solution to one problem is merely the creation of another. – Mark Manson
The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction. – Rachel Carson
Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. – Robert A. Heinlein
The most common form of despair is not being who you are. – Soren Kierkegaard
There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. – Soren Kierkegaard
I had an epiphany a few years ago when I was out at a celebrity party and it suddenly dawned on me that I had yet to meet a celebrity who is as smart and interesting as any of my friends. – Moby
A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to be well-known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized. – Fred Allen
The question is whether any civilization can wage relentless war on life without destroying itself, and without losing the right to be called civilized. – Rachel Carson
There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed. – Ernest Hemingway
True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice. – Martin Luther King Jr.
Those who are not grateful soon begin to complain of everything. – Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude
My songs will pass and be forgotten. What counts, however, is that I sang them. – Father Andrew Greeley, American Priest, Author and Sociologist (I loved his books!)
If she married her grandpa, she should probably get used to the smell of a hospital. – Kate Chastain, Chat Room, referring to Mary on Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
🏄🏽♀️ Sliding Out Of This Post Like…
Either your favorite day of the week, or that pesky reminder of how life used to be is here. Change it up a little. Enjoy the nice autumn weather if you have it, or get away from your screens and accomplish something from that endless to-do list we all have. You’ll feel better for it. See you when the Dead are feared, and no matter what, stay safe, stay thankful, and stay not believing a kingpin who tells you what you want to hear.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
No surprise, I missed the part before the opening credits. Here’s what you need to know. Ned showed up at Alexis’s house, and asked if she’d been drunk the night they slept together. Jordan and Curtis went to an abandoned house that Curtis said had been surrounded by guards just a few weeks ago. Inside, it looked pretty empty, except for some covered furniture. They snooped around. Cyrus approached Lulu at the hospital, and she said she had no time for him. He said she needed to make time, since he was in a position to make her life very difficult. Dante listened in. Robert found Anna in the chapel, and she told him what happened with Alex, and instead of saying, hey, how are you feeling about all that? he asked if she’d found out who Peter’s mother was. Willow arrived at the hospital, and that’s where I came in.
Willow hugs Chase, saying, when she heard the news, she had to see him. She asks how Finn is, and Chase says he’s still in surgery. They have to remove the bullet, and drain the fluid around Finn’s heart. There was more of an explanation, but most of it went over his head. Willow says she’s sorry, and he says, it’s all so crazy. His mom was in town. All this time, he’s wanted Finn to reunite with her, and Finn finally changed his mind. She asks if it went well, and he says, it was awkward at first, but it got better. He could see what his family would look like, and feel Finn letting his guard down. They were talking about introducing Anna and Violet to his mom, and he thought they finally did it. They took the first step to being a family, and maybe they could invite his dad soon. She says she knows it’s been Chase’s goal for a long time, getting his brother and parents in the same room. She’s glad he got to have that one moment. He says, all night long, he kept thinking, what if wasn’t the first time he had his family together? What if it was the last time he ever sees his brother?
Anna asks if Robert ever stops his relentless obsession with Peter. She just killed her sister. Alex was trying to kill her, but she still ended Alex’s life, and she has to deal with it. She was up all night, holding her breath, hoping Alex didn’t manage to kill Finn, not thinking about who Peter’s mother is. She’s just hoping Finn pulls through. Does he understand? She had enough. He says, she’s right. He’s sorry, for what it’s worth (🍷). She says, it’s not worth much right now, and he says, Finn has made it so far. She has no reason to believe he won’t pull through. Anna takes his hand, and says, the thought of losing Finn… She starts to cry.
Maxie says she’s loved Peter hanging by her side, but she’s been checked and rechecked. She’s fine. The baby is fine. You know who’s not fine? His mom. He should be with her. Peter says Anna said she’d be better off if he was with Maxie, and Maxie says, typical Anna, putting other’s needs before her own. Anna was incredible rescuing her from Alex. She doesn’t know where she’d be if Anna hadn’t shown up.
Cyrus tells Lulu, her article implies that his motives run counter to what’s best for the hospital, and he has a secret agenda. It’s sheer speculation. She says he’s shutting out employees that have a relationship with the Corinthos family. She got it word for word from her confidential source. Cyrus says he knows she’s baiting him, and asks if she was hoping for an angry outburst. Is she trying to pick a fight with him? Dante appears, and tells Cyrus to back off.
Willow says, poor Violet, and Chase says, Violet doesn’t know any of this. Willow says she totally understands him thinking about the worst case scenario, but he needs to focus on the good things. How Finn changed after Violet came into his life. He says, Finn is so serious about being a dad. Who talks to their kid like they’re in an office for a consultation? His brother, that’s who. It’s funny; Violet loves it. When Finn shows up for a tea party in a three-piece suit, Violet is in heaven. Willow says, of course (🍷) she is. That’s her dad. Chase says he sees the way Violet looks at Finn. She adores her dad so much. How would he… If it came to that, and he had to be the guy, how would he tell her? Willow says she doesn’t think the worst will happen, but if Finn doesn’t make it, she has no doubt he’ll step up for Violet, the same way he did for her. Grief is grief, no matter how old you are. When she found out her baby was gone, he helped her through it, and she knows he has it in him to do the same for Violet.
Epiphany tells Anna, the surgery is over. They removed the bullet, and drained the fluid, with no further complications. Finn is still critical, but stable. Anna thanks her, and says she knows Epiphany is in administration now, and hopes she doesn’t get in trouble. Epiphany says, let Cyrus and Britt come after her. She’s not about to push papers around when her friend is fighting for his life – not in her hospital. She says Anna should be able to see Finn soon, and leaves. Robert says he knows he’s famous for putting his foot in his mouth, but there’s nothing wrong with his shoulder. It’s there for her to lean on. She hugs him.
Willow bets it would make Chase feel better to know how Violet is, and he agrees. Anna joins them, and tells Chase that Finn is out of surgery. He got through the worst. They hug, and Anna takes Willow’s hand with her free one.
Olivia arrives at the hospital, and sees Robert. She says, thank God he’s okay. She asks how Anna is, and he says Finn is out of surgery. It looks like he’s going to make a complete recovery.Anna can finally relax. He needs to work on his timing though. She asks, why? What happened? and he says, if Olivia had turned up sooner, she would have saved him from making a mess with Anna. Olivia says, what did he do?
Ned tells Alexis, he was so wrapped up in his own problems, he didn’t notice what was going on with her. He never put two and two together, and realized it was vodka in her glass. She tells him, stop. The last thing she needs is another well-intentioned gatekeeper. He says, tell him what to do. She’s his friend, and if she’s in trouble, he’s not going to walk away. She says she wishes he would. She doesn’t want help. He says she’s an alcoholic who’s drinking again. He’s worried about her. She asks if he’s worried about her drinking, or worried she’ll slip and tell Olivia that they had sex.
Jordan takes the cover off of a sofa, and Curtis says he found this, showing her an oxygen tank. It was upstairs. He found this too. He shows her some medicine vials, and he says, the bedroom was like a makeshift hospital. She says she’ll see if they can find traces of whatever drug was in the vials. He says, a formerly well-guarded house, with a designated hospital room. They need to find out who the patient was. She says, if that’s what they were. It’s possible they were drugged.
Lulu asks what Dante is doing there, and Cyrus says he heard Dante was back in town. Dante says, good news travels fast, and Cyrus says Lulu must be thrilled to have her husband back. Lulu says Dante is her ex-husband, and Cyrus says, his mistake. And it just so happens that Dante is Sonny’s son, which means Sonny and the mayor share grandchildren. Lulu asks what his point is, and he says, maybe it’s not his relationship with the Corinthos family she should be worried about. Maybe it’s the mayor’s relationship with them. He wonders how the average voter would feel, and if they’d reconsider their support if they knew how close the mayor was with Sonny. Food for thought. He walks off, and Dante asks if Lulu is okay. She asks if he’s kidding. She’s furious – with him. What did he think he was doing?
Finn opens his eyes, and Anna says, there you are. She was waiting for him. Finn says, then they’re even. She takes his hand and kisses it. He sighs.
Anna tells Finn that Maxie is at the hospital, but it’s just a precaution. She’s fine and the baby is too. He says, what about Alex? and Anna says she caught up with Alex. She was headed for open water, and a rendezvous with someone. They exchanged fire, and she hit Alex. She followed Alex out to the deck, there was more gunfire, and she hit Alex again, but when she turned her back, Alex threw herself into the water. He says, so she’s dead? and Anna says, yes. Everyone is safe. He asks where Violet is, and she says, Violet is with Alexis. She didn’t tell Violet that he was hurt. She just thinks he’s working. She can’t wait to bring him home. She looks at his vitals, and he asks if he’s going to need another surgery. She says she doesn’t think so, and he struggles to sit up. He asks what she isn’t telling him.
Maxie says, no one ever hung onto hope harder than Anna did last night. The worst is over. She tells Peter, she’s so lucky. It’s crazy to think Alex could have taken everything, and she has no idea why. Peter flashes back to talking to Alex posing as Anna in Charlie’s. He remembers Alex telling him, they may blend in, but they’re ambitious, and need greater than what the world is capable of offering. Normal and every day don’t apply to him. Trust her to help him become the man he was destined to be. Maxie says, earth to Peter. Other than Anna, is there any other connection between him and Alex? He says, other than being his aunt, they have nothing in common.
Chase asks Epiphany if his brother is really okay. Anna said he was, but she’s not a doctor. Epiphany says, neither is she, but Chase says she is a medical professional. She says his brother is going to be okay, but she bets he’d welcome a visit from Chase. He thanks her, and tells Willow, all he could think about was the things he and Finn would never get to do, and Willow says, sounds like he has a new plan. He says he and Finn or so different. Finn won’t want to go ice fishing with him, or do things like that. She says, you never know until you ask. He got a second chance. It’s probably best not to waste it. He says, it’s not often people get a second chance.
Lulu says, that’s the second time Dante has interfered with her job. He asks if he’s supposed to stand back and do nothing, and she says, yes. She doesn’t want him sweeping in, trying to protect her. He gave her everything she needed, but wouldn’t let her keep it. There’s nothing to protect her from that could possibly hurt more than what he did to her. She walks away.
Anna tells Finn, it’s just everything. When she saw him lying on the ground after Alex shot him, and when Alex left her to die with Valentin in the warehouse. She realized, not for the first time, that life is fleeting. She wants to spend hers with him. She’d like to be his wife, and have him be her husband. It’s just that Violet thinks a big fancy wedding with all the trimmings is the thing to do. She doesn’t think so. Why are they waiting? Why not dodge the hoopla, and get married? Isn’t that the lesson he wants to teach Violet? Love isn’t an expensive gown, or how you decorate the church, or a big cake. Although she does think they should have cake. Their love is what they have, and they don’t need over-the-top trimmings to make it special. She starts to cry, and says when she was walking around outside, waiting for him to get out of surgery last night, she had to face the real fact that she could lose him. Finn says he loves her, and she says she loves him too. He says, she just wants to marry as fast as humanly possible, and Anna says, in a heartbeat
Willow says, it’s probably best if Chase hears it from her. She and Michael are getting an annulment. He says he thought they were happy together, and she says, they are, but they got married to protect Wiley. Now Nelle is no longer a threat, so they agreed to annul the marriage. He asks if she’s still going to act as Wiley’s mother, and she says she’s filling out the paperwork to adopt Wiley. He wonders what that means for her and Michael moving forward. Anna comes by, and says, sorry to interrupt, but Chase’s brother would like to him. He thanks Willow for being there, and she says he’s more than welcome. Give Finn her best. Chase leaves, and Anna says, it’s nice of her to be there for Chase. She wasn’t good company last night. Willow says it’s understandable Anna would be scared, and she thought Chase could use a friend. Anna says, life sometimes has a way of taking the people we love out from under us, but that doesn’t mean we have to agree to let them go.
Robert tells Olivia, he ran into Anna in the chapel while Finn was in surgery. He asked about her sister, and she told him, then he got stuck. He fell back on one of his single-minded issues; one of his old acts. Olivia says she’s shocked, and Robert says he knows it’s hard to imagine. Anna let him have it. She says, he and Anna started sparring a long time ago, but he says, this time was different. Anna was really hurting, and he wasn’t paying attention. She says it sounds like he did Anna a favor, and he says, how so? She says, Anna has a lot to be angry about; her sister trying to kill her; Alex shooting her fiancé, and kidnapping Maxie. She has all this anger rolling around inside, and she knows he loves her, so he’s a safe place to vent. Anna knows he won’t run away. He doesn’t know if Anna sees that way, but Olivia says, it doesn’t matter. Robert gave her a gift, whether what happened was his intention or not. He’s a good friend. He says Olivia is too.
Curtis looks around, and sees a paper sticking out of a baseboard. He pulls it out, looks at it, and crumples it. Jordan comes downstairs, and says, they’ve searched, and there’s not one piece of information to connect Cyrus to whoever lived there. Someone was thorough in covering their tracks. He says, they can’t give up. There’s got to be something. He looks in the fireplace (I’m shocked that wasn’t one of the first places he looked), and says he’s got something. A postcard. The name is burned off, but he can still read the message. Thinking of them every day. Hoping their health is improving, and that they’ll be better by the time he gets there. He promises a plan is in play, and it won’t be much longer before he’s there. Hang in there, and remember I love you. Cyrus. Jordan says, his Achille’s heel. She wonders who Cyrus sent the postcard to, if they’re alive, and if they can find them.
Lulu visits Maxie, and says she’s so happy the baby is okay. Dante waves from the doorway, but stays in the hallway. Peter approaches him, and says, once Lulu goes home, Maxie is going to take a nap. She’s been through one hell of an ordeal. Dante says he’s glad to see she’s doing well. He keeps walking, and Maxie calls to Peter, telling him that she’s having a craving. She’s thinking chips from the vending machine, and asks if he’d mind getting them. He leaves, and Maxie says, okay. Peter is in hover mode, so the clock is ticking. It’s time for Lulu to tell her what’s going on with her and Dante. Lulu says, forget Dante. She wants to talk baby shower. Maxie says she wants yellow. Now that’s been decided. Let’s talk Dante. Lulu says, there’s nothing to tell, and Maxie says, right. Okay, sure. Lulu says, Dante’s intentions are good, but he has a hero streak that’s been in overdrive mode since he came back. He’s been showing up, and getting in the way of her work. He’s interfered twice. Maxie says, outrageous, and Lulu says, she told him to cut it out. She doesn’t need him. Maxie says, what if he needs her?
Dante joins Olivia and Robert, and Olivia asks if Maxie and the baby are okay. Dante says they’re doing fine, and Olivia says, from the look on his face, she thought something was wrong. Dante says, it’s work stuff, and she says he didn’t tell her that Jordan had hired him back. He says he’s not actually with the PCPD. He’s working for TheInvader, doing security. That’s where he’s headed. She says she’ll see him later, and they hug. Olivia tells Robert, it feels like a dream. Her son is back in Port Charles. He’s going to work, and living his life. He’s home, and he’s safe, all because Robert gave him back to her.
Ned says he’s not afraid of what Alexis might say to Olivia. He’s genuinely concerned about her drinking. Alexis says, let her make it perfectly clear. She has no intention of telling Olivia. If and when Ned decides to, it’s up to him. He says, it’s not like it’s going to happen again. They’re not having an affair. It was a one-time thing. Olivia never has to know. Alexis says he’ll probably tell her, but she’ll get over it. She loves Ned. Ned says he’s not going to hurt Olivia in order to clear his conscience, and Alexis says, take it from her, it’s soul crushing to find out the person you love has a secret. Make damn sure Olivia doesn’t find out from someone else.
Willow asks if Epiphany has a minute, and Epiphany says she doesn’t have any more information on Finn. Willow says, it’s not about that. The hospital cut back her teaching hours, and she misses the kids. She’s considering applying to the nurse’s program. She can still work with kids, and translate her experience with her former job. Epiphany says, the world needs good nurses, but Willow will have to go back and start from scratch. Willow says she didn’t think there was a shortcut. She’s at a crossroad. She loves teaching; it’s fulfilling. Epiphany says she can understand Willow’s attraction to the program, and if she wants to talk, Willow knows where to find her. She goes back to work, and Willow looks through the room window at Chase and Finn.
Finn sees Chase by his bed, and says he’s not as pretty as Anna. Chase says Anna was really worried last night. He kind of was too. He sits down, and asks what’s with Finn acting like a superhero. Leave that to the professionals. And just because he’s emotional doesn’t change the fact that Finn is a gigantic pain in the ass. Finn says, back at him, and Chase says, before they met, he wanted to know what Finn was like. He used to have idiotic fantasies about brother bonding. Finn says, then they met, and he let Chase down. Chase says he was extremely disappointed. He thought Finn was cold and arrogant. Finn says he’s heard that before, and Chase says, he was no fun. He didn’t like camping or football, none of the brother stuff he thought they’d do. Finn says he’s sorry he wasn’t the big brother Chase dreamed about, but Chase says, don’t be sorry. Once he let go of the brother he imagined, and started to know the brother he actually has, Finn exceeded expectations. He’s a phenomenal doctor, and any time Chase is down, there’s that annoying knock on the door. He’s seen Finn with Violet, and it makes him excited to be a dad one day. As far as brothers go, Finn’s not so bad. Finn says Chase is growing on him too.
Anna sees Peter, and he asks if she’s there to see Maxie, but she says she wants to see him. Can they talk? He says she sounds serious, and she says, kind of. It’s about Alex.
Epiphany goes to Finn’s room, and he says he thought Epiphany had been moved to administration, and she says, they don’t see her, right? Chase says, no ma’am; they don’t. Finn thanks her, but she says, again, she’s not there, and he’s welcome. She wouldn’t be anywhere else, but she should probably get back to work. Chase says, one more thing. Does she know why ants never get sick? (*Answer below.) She says, really? She’s been up all night, don’t tell her a bad joke that was kicking around for decades before he was born. He says he thought his dad made it up, and she says, his brother doesn’t need to be laughing in his condition. No more jokes. She tells someone in the hall that she took Finn’s vitals; they can go in. Finn asks what they’re doing there. (*They have anty bodies.)
Dante goes to Peter’s office, and sneaks around. He looks through a folder on Peter’s desk.
Peter asks what Anna needs to tell him about Alex. She says she wanted to reassure him of the promise she made last night. Alex is no longer a threat to anyone. Not him, Maxie, or the baby; they’re all safe now. He says there’s something he has to admit. The longer Alex had Maxie, the more his dark impulses were pounding in his head. If Anna hadn’t rescued Maxie, he doesn’t know what he would have been capable of.
Jordan tells Curtis, she’ll see if they can ID who it is. They weren’t a prisoner. Someone has gone to ta lot of trouble to protect someone. The front doorknob jiggles, and they hide. When the door opens, Jordan and Curtis jump out, guns drawn. It’s Laura.
Tomorrow, Franco asks if Scotty is going to help him or not, Valentin tells Anna that she can’t tell Finn, and Sonny asks Cyrus if something is going on with the hospital that he doesn’t want public.
But maybe not until the next life. While we’re still in this one, stay safe, stay on top of your to-do list, and stay leaving being a superhero to the professionals.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
I missed the very beginning, but here are the important points. Julian found Alexis drinking in Charlie’s, and cut her off; Robert swiped some flowers, and brought them to Jackie’s hotel room; Sam was with Jason outside Kelly’s, talking Halloween and Cyrus, when Spinelli joined them; and Dante went to The Floating Rib, and saw Maxie. And here we are…
Jason tells Spinelli and Sam that Brando just started working for Cyrus, and Sam says he can confirm Cyrus’s true intentions are Port Charles and the hospital. Jason says it could take him a while to get the information they need, and Spinelli thinks they should focus on another pressing matter. Sam says, Peter, and Spinelli says, exactly, and exposing him for the villain he really is.
Alexis tells Julian not to go too far. Julian says she could be home drinking alone, yet she’s here in the bar. What does that say? She tells him, it says she doesn’t care who knows. She drinks where and when she pleases. It’s about her and nobody else. He tells her, what it says to him is, either she’s looking for a fight or someone to stop her. Which is it?
Lulu shows up at Doc’s research office, startling him. He says he’s used to being alone, and she says, the subject matter doesn’t help. He supposes it doesn’t, and she says she brought him dinner. Her mom is worried that he’s not eating enough. He says that’s kind, but he has the feeling it’s not the only reason she’s there. What’s on her mind? She says, Dante.
Maxie and Dante sit down, and she says it’s so good to see him. He says it’s good to see her too, and she says she misses seeing him at the PCPD, or calling him when everything goes to hell, which has happened a lot lately. He’s sure she has plenty of people to call, but she says not like him. He’d show up, no questions, no strings attached. She missed him. He thinks she missed him on the softball field, and she says they were terrible last summer. He says he knew it, and she tells him, welcome home. He says, it’s the first time it actually feels like it.
Robert calls Jackie his partner, and she hands the flowers back to him, saying, they came with a price tag. Do his own investigation. If Peter is no good, she’ll write a story. She won’t hand over evidence to him. He asks what if she discovers some? and she says she’ll write a story; that’s her job. He says they’re on a parallel track, but she says they have two entirely different motives. She’ll do her thing, and he can do his. He says she’s more hotheaded than ever.
Alexis says Julian’s ego is boundless. If she wanted to stop drinking, does he think she’d go to him? He says, what about the last time she slipped? She called him, he picked her up, and she went straight to a meeting. She says, no one else answered the phone, and this isn’t like last time. She doesn’t want to be sober. He says she doesn’t mean that. He knows her better than anyone. She says, if he knew a damn thing, he’d know why she drank in the first place. He’s the reason she’s an alcoholic.
Spinelli says, Peter continues to worm his way into the fabric of Port Charles and Maxie’s life, and by extension, Georgie’s and James’s. Sam says, it will just get worse when the baby is born, and Spinelli says they have to reveal Peter’s true nature. If that monster puts his name on the birth certificate, it will become nearly impossible for Maxie to disengage. And Nelle confirmed Peter’s involvement.
Lulu tells Doc, Dante is back in town, and he’s surprised Laura didn’t say anything. She says that’s because she didn’t tell Laura. Laura would cut her trip short, which would be pointless. Doc says Laura could support her during this confusing time, but she says, no one can say or do anything to make it less confusing. Doc says, especially since Dustin has been thrown in the mix, and she says she’d just asked Dustin to move in, when Dante showed up. Doc says, that’s a big step, and she says they’re ready to start the next chapter. Now she feels strange. He asks how Dustin reacted to Dante coming back, and she says, he was amazing. He was patient and gracious, and offered to step aside for the sake of the family. He asks what she told him, and Lulu says she told him that Dante said to move on. He asks if she’s not sure what she wants to do.
Maxie asks Dante, how’s reentry? and he says, weird. He knew it was going to be, but it’s really weird. She says, Olivia must be happy to have him home, and he says his mother’s great, but he thinks she doesn’t know what to do with him. Maxie says, it will take time to adjust, and Dante says he missed some people so much, but now everything is different. They way you get in sync with people, he didn’t have to think about it. Maxie says, now he does, and he asks how she is.
Robert says, Jackie seems to have forgotten, they’re not kids anymore. She thanks him for the reminder, and he says, there’s more than just a story. She met Maxie, who’s like a daughter to him. He’d give up his life to protect her. She says, and he’s worried because Macie is pregnant with Peter’s child, but he says he was worried eons ago. She says, then don’t wait for her. Get off his ass, and prove it. He says he plans to.
Finn tells Anna that this isn’t her only option, but she says, it is. She doesn’t carry the marker for rheumatoid arthritis, and the only way to find out is by the process of elimination. Alex isn’t going to get tested, so that leaves Faison. Finn says, but he’s dead, and the only genetic material is his brain. She says, it’s a few floors down. If Faison doesn’t have the gene, that means Alex is Peter’s mother.
Julian tells Alexis that he’s sorry she turned to alcohol because of what happened between them. She asks if that’s a euphemism for holding a knife to her throat. It was months and months of his cowardice, lying, and violence, and sneaking around like a rodent. He says, they had some good months, and she says, four years ago. Then he tried to kill her. She didn’t have a problem before. That’s just a fact. So he’s responsible for the bottomless pit of crap that’s become her life, and she drinks to cope with that. He says, so she’s going to cozy up to the bar for the rest of her life? She says, pretty much, and he says he doesn’t accept that. She says she doesn’t care. The bottle is much better for her than he ever was. He says he was horrible to and for her, and she says, ding-ding-ding! We have a winner! She gets up, and announces it to the room. He says he needs to do something good with his life before it’s too late, and needs to do it soon. Let him help her.
Sam tells Spinelli, back up. What did Nelle confirm? He says, Jason didn’t tell Sam? and she says, Jason knew? Spinelli says, the night of the Nurses Ball, he ran into Nelle backstage. He didn’t know what she was planning, but she told him that Shiloh said he was blackmailing Peter. Sam says, about when he was in Afghanistan with Drew? and Jason says, that explains Peter with the bag of cash the night Shiloh took Sam hostage. Spinelli says, Peter wasn’t just a bystander, and was responsible for Drew being kidnapped, which led to all sorts of crimes. Sam asks about the evidence against Obrecht, and Spinelli says, Peter framed her. Now he’s on the cusp of marrying Maxie, and Maxie is carrying his child.
Jackie thinks she and Robert are done, but he has one more thing. What’s the deal with Finn and his father? She asks what he means, and he says, they had some falling out, but Finn is tight-lipped. She says, that’s an understatement, but she guesses he wants to keep the issue private. He says, so there is an issue? and she says it’s no secret that Finn hated his dad getting married so soon. Robert says, it’s been thirty years, and she asks how it’s his business. He says he’s looking out for Anna, and she says he’s Anna’s knight in shining armor. Her phone rings; it’s Peter.
Anna tells Finn, it’s strange. She hopes Faison has the marker. If not, they’re back to no way of knowing. She thinks it’s better to be able to tell Peter, Alex might be his mother, as opposed to, she is his mother. Finn asks if that’s really the worst thing. She’d be disappointed, but Peter would still be family. She says she turned away from the dark path, and watched Valentin do the same. He wonders why she’s talking about Valentin, and she says they turned their lives around. They did on it on their own, but that’s not the case with Peter. His grasp on a new life happened because he found out she was his mother. Now she might have to tell him that she’s not. She feels as if she’s the tether tying him to the good side. She doesn’t mean it to sound egotistical. She wishes Maxie and the baby were enough, and desperately wants it to be true, but she doesn’t think they are.
Lulu tells Doc, she loves Dustin, but part of her will always love Dante. In a way, it would be easy to reunite, and go back to the way it was before the nightmare happened, but time didn’t stand still. What she has with Dustin is real. To pretend it’s not isn’t fair to anyone. Doc says she has a lot of feelings to sort through, but doesn’t have to do it right this second; take her time. Her world was just thrown for a monumental loop. No one expects her to have everything figured out. Her phone dings, and she says she has to go. She thanks him for listening. He walks her out, and asks her to do him a favor and call her mother. She says, okay, okay.
Dante says, enough about him, and Maxie says, shocking. He’s shifting the focus off himself, and he asks, what’s going on with her? She says, same old, but he highly doubts it. She says she has so much going on, she doesn’t know where to begin. Georgie and James have gotten so big, he won’t recognize them, and she no longer works at Crimson. He asks if she was finally fired, and she says she quit. She’s partnered with Lucy in Deception. He says, sounds colorful, and she says he has no idea. Other than that, she and Peter are getting married and having a baby.
Anna and Finn sneak downstairs to Doc’s research office. Anna picks the lock, and they go in.
Alexis asks Julian, who pulled the strings this time? He says he has no one to blame but himself, and she asks if he thinks he’ll make things better by pointing out her error in her ways. He says he needs to make up for lost time, and she says he needs to get over it. She stupidly thought she could trust him, and he accused her in front of everybody of sleeping with Neil, and said Neil was taking advantage of her. He’s the reason Neil lost his license, and she got disbarred. He’s the reason Neil turned to drugs, and the reason Neil is dead. Hasn’t he done enough?
Spinelli tells Sam and Jason, what galls him most is that Anna is a superspy. She should be able to see through Peter. How can she turn a blind eye? Jason says they talked about this. Anna wants to believe it. Spinelli says, he understands; Peter is her offspring. Jason says, that’s a lot. Anna turned her life around back in the day, and knows it’s possible. She wants or needs for it to be possible for Peter too. Deep down, even if Anna doesn’t admit it, she knows it’s a lie. Spinelli wonders when they can act on that, and Sam says, when they get proof, and they will.
Dante says, Peter? and Maxie says, he’s wonderful. Dante says he doesn’t think he understands. She’s actually marrying Peter, and they’re having a baby? How did she get in so deep? She says, Peter was cleared of things he was accused of. He runs a respectable paper, and has earned the respect of a lot of people, Lulu included. Dante doesn’t care if Peter’s earned the respect of the mayor. He’s the reason Nathan is dead. She remembers that night, right? She remembers Nathan, right? She tells him, don’t do this. He says, sorry, and she says, of course (🍷) she remembers Nathan. She thinks about him all the time, but because Nathen died, that doesn’t mean she has to stop living. She didn’t die with him. Her life with James is on. It’s not the same, but that doesn’t mean it’s of less value. He says he didn’t mean to throw Nathan at her, but he thinks she’s making a big mistake. She says, not him too.
Robert whispers for Jackie to put it on speaker, but she ignores him. Peter says he’s been in touch with HR, and all Jackie’s terms and conditions have been approved. She’s all set to begin working with Lulu on the investigation into Cyrus. She can start as early as tomorrow. She says she looks forward to working with him, and she’ll see him then. She hangs up, and tells Robert, that’s how it’s done, and don’t forget it.
Finn and Anna sneak around, and Finn says Faison’s body was donated to science by his next of kin. She says, Peter, and he says, it can’t legally be released without Peter signing off on it. She says, that would defeat the purpose of keeping Peter in the dark, and Finn says, speaking of which, it’s dark in there. Doc turns on the lights, and asks if that’s better.
Julian says he cares about Alexis. He didn’t mean to send her crashing down. She says he never means to do anything. Time and again, he’s created a path of destruction in his wake. Everything he touches is a steaming pile of garbage, including her. She doesn’t want his help. She yells, she doesn’t want his help, and wants him to leave her alone. He says he can’t.
Sam gets up , and Jason follows her outside. He asks if she’s okay, but she honestly doesn’t know what she is. She guesses he’s known this information for a while, and Spinelli has known since the Nurses Ball. Why didn’t he say anything? She could have helped. She wants to help. Jason says he’s not used to going over the day to day stuff with her. She says, when it relates to Sonny’s business, she totally gets it. She shouldn’t be involved, but he should apply her to every aspect of his life. He says she’s right.
Doc asks if Finn and Anna would care to explain. Finn says Anna was there for her phlebotomy appointment, and he was taking her upstairs. She felt dizzy, and they were near Doc’s office, so he brought her in. She needed a place to sit, and maybe get something to eat. Doc says, in a research lab? and Finn says, their next stop was the cafeteria. They were just waiting for the dizziness to pass. Anna looks like a bobblehead, agreeing with everything, and says she’s better now. They start to leave, and Doc says, what’s strange is, he locked the door on his way out. It’s a mystery how they got in. Finn says he thought that was strange, and Anna asks to talk to Doc alone. It’s basically a matter relevant to him as well. Finn says, it is? and she says Doc deserves to know the truth as much as anyone. Finn says as long as she’s feeling okay, and leaves. In the hallway, his phone dings. He gets a text from Chase; second thoughts about dinner?
Robert asks if Jackie is going to keep the flowers, and she says, if he’s just going to throw them out… He says, that’s the spirit. It was fun hanging out with her at The Floating Rib. She says, it was, and he says it made him think about old times. She’s a good friend, and he’s lost a few lately. It’s made him think he can’t take relationships for granted, or friendships. She says her schedule is erratic, but how are the Panthers? He says, clawing their way out of the basement, and she says she’s always had a soft spot for the underdogs. Maybe they could catch a game. He says, sounds like a date.
Maxie tells Dante, not him too. She’s gotten it from all sides; Robert, Spinelli, especially Spinelli. She knows Spinelli was coming from a genuine place… Dante says, as is he, and she says Spinelli was wrong about Peter. Fighting about it was devastating. Don’t make her have that fight with him too. Don’t make her choose. She’s marrying Peter; he’s the father of her baby. Just understand and wish her well. Dante says, all Nathan wanted was for her to be happy and loved. It’s all he wants too. She thanks him, and Lulu walks in. She and Dante look at each other.
Alexis says Julian looks like he’s in trouble. He looks desperate, and trying to save her isn’t going to change anything for him. Save himself. Take the wreck he’s made of his life, and leave her alone. It’s the only good thing he can do for her. He asks if she’s going to piss her life away in a bar. He’s asking her to leave, and he’s going to call her a car. If she doesn’t listen, he’ll call her daughters. Alexis starts to cry, and says, at least when she pisses her life away, the only person she’s hurting is herself. He’s destroyed everyone around him. The one good thing is their daughter, but otherwise, he’s been a cancer in her life. She can’t wait until the day she never has to cross paths with him again. She walks outside and cries.
Sam tells Jason, Spinelli is her friend, and so is Maxie. Why didn’t he say anything? He says he’s not trying to keep anything from her. It’s not like he’s withholding information on purpose. It didn’t cross his mind. She says that’s a problem they need to figure out.
Robert sees Spinelli outside Kelly’s, and says, if it isn’t his partner in crime. He asks how it went with Maxie, and Spinelli says, as difficult it was to sell it, Maxie believes he supports her marriage to Peter. Robert says, excellent. Remember to continue to go slow. Robert’s phone dings, and he looks at it. He says, huh, and Spinelli asks if it’s something of interest. Robert says, it’s a text from Olivia. Dante has been released from the Geneva facility. He’s back in Port Charles. Spinelli says, surprising. He thought Dante was supposed to receive longer treatment. He wonders what expedited Dante’s release. Robert says he’s wondering the same thing himself.
Lulu tells Dante, hi, and he says, hey. It probably doesn’t get more awkward. She says she didn’t know he would be there, and he says, what are the odds? Peter says Maxie made it, and she suggests they get some drinks – non-alcoholic. Maxie steers Peter to the bar, and Dante says, so Maxie is pregnant. Lulu says, can he believe it? and he says, no. Life keeps moving along. Lulu says, whether they like it or not.
Jackie messes with the flowers when there’s a knock at the door. She says, don’t tell her he wants the flowers back after all. She opens the door, and it’s Finn who says, hello.
Anna says she and Doc were both unwilling participants in Cabot’s experiments, and he says, an unfortunate fact they have in common. He fails to see what that has to do with her breaking into his lab, and she says, it left lingering questions for her, as she’s sure it did him. There are things she tries ignore that sometimes keep her up at night. She doesn’t know for sure if Peter is her son, and Doc is the only person who can help her get to the truth.
Tomorrow, Valentin says Sasha is in a better mood, Chase tells someone to stop lying, Dustin wants to get to know Dante, and Carly wonders what she forgot about Nelle’s fall.
Below Deck Mediterranean – Reunion – Part Two
Andy started off by saying the manufacturer verified that what Hannah said was a CBD pen, was really a THC pen, but Hannah claimed you could put anything in it. Bugs thought they should let it go, but Jess said she was knowledgeable, and had one too. Captain Sandy said it was illegal, and Jess said, so arrest her. Jess said she wasn’t informed it was illegal to have; it was CBD. Malia said it was nothing personal, and during training they’re told no drugs are allowed on the boat; everything has to be registered. Hannah said the prescription was on the box, and showed it, along with a letter from her doctor. Text came up, and said that production had received the prescription 12 hours after Hannah left the boat. Malia said, even if it was a current prescription, you can’t take valium alone in your cabin. I’m not sure what that means. You have to invite other people? Andy asked if everything that alters your state has to be checked, and Captain Sandy said they’re crossing international waters, and if drugs are found on board, the owner’s vessel will get seized. It’s all documented to protect the owner. Malia said she went through the same thing with Benadryl, since it says it causes drowsiness, and not to operate machinery. The captain interjected that the yacht is machinery. Malia said it was to delegate who’s on duty. She said maritime law about twenty times, and everyone looked bored. Hannah said, themedications are meant to bring you to a normal level, and doesn’t work the same if you don’t have a mental illness. Malia said it wasn’t up to the crew member to take for themselves with no accountability. Hannah said if it wasn’t a revenge thing, why didn’t Malia tell the captain about the valium when she told her, Hannah is freaking out? Malia acted ignorant, and said she didn’t realize until she found it. Rob looked like he might go to sleep, and Malia said, it was about maritime law and the safety of the vessel. Jess said she never knew it was such a big deal. Rob said he was checking out, and Captain Sandy said it was illegal, and Jess was trying to justify it.
Jess was tired of Malia talking, and said they’d seen it all on her social media. Bugs thought the whole thing was blown out of proportion. She said she suffered from depression, and still worked on boats. They went around this whole thing again, and when Andy tried to get a word in, he was ignored and literally banged his head on his desk. We found out Malia went to production first, and was told to take it up with the captain. Yeah, I’ll bet. They don’t want to be responsible for that. She said there was also a management company, and Hannah said they got it – maritime law. A viewer asked why Malia didn’t check with Hannah first, and Malia said it wasn’t her place. Andy asked if it was planned so Bugs would get the position, but Bugs said Malia hadn’t known she was coming until she was there. Which doesn’t exactly mean it wasn’t planned, just not planned ahead of time. Malia said Tom being on the yacht with her wasn’t romantic, no matter what people wanted to think. Captain Sandy said the management company had to see she was following protocol. Hannah said it would have been nice if the captain had pulled her aside, and they’d had a conversation. She was made to feel like a criminal. I have to say, Hannah did really keep her cool, and she must have really been freaking out inside. Andy said, there was a lot of backlash, and asked if there was anything the captain would have done differently. Captain Sandy said, sometimes the right decision wasn’t the popular decision (which sounds like something your mom would tell you), but she followed the protocol of the management manual. Rob decided to out Jess, saying she’d told him to get rid of her weed pen, but Jess held her ground that it was CBD, and added she had a laundry list of Rob’s indiscretions. Andy asked if Hannah had regrets, btu she said she was in a good place in her life. He asked if she’d retired from yachting for good, and she said she was in Sydney, about have a baby girl, and yes, she was retired. Hannah was dismissed, and Malia made a weird face at her when she said goodbye. She might have been trying to keep her forked tongue in her mouth.
Tom and Aesha joined the virtual group. Tom explained, on bigger boats, you don’t have to cook for the crew as well. Captain Sandy said he was an incredible chef, and she didn’t regret hiring him. Tom said he got death threats because of his association with Malia, and Malia said she had hard backlash. Andy asked about the status of their relationship, and if they lived together. Tom said because they’re always on boats, they don’t live anywhere, and try to do as best they can. We found out they hadn’t seen each other since May, and Andy asked if they were still together. After dancing around this for like, ten minutes, Malia said she didn’t know if they were together, but Tom said they were working it out. He also claimed they were monogamous when on charter, which I find difficult to believe. Andy didn’t ask about what happens off-charter though.
We revisited Rob and Jess’s relationship. Rob said Bali was a beautiful experience, but things fizzled. Jess said she didn’t want to air dirty laundry. People think she’s jealous and/or crazy, but it’s because they don’t understand where she’s coming from. Without saying the words, she hinted that Rob was a real d-bag. Rob said he was open about having girlfriend, but Jess said, according to his ex, they didn’t have an open relationship. Andy asked if that contributed to the break-up, and Jess said, it didn’t help. Rob said it was unrealistic to expect to develop a relationship on a boat. I wanted to know what he told the first officer after he’d said he’d go on the crossing. Did he even bother to tell him? Rob said again that he regretted nothing. Aesha putting her hand on Rob’s ass, and their flirtation was discussed, but I kind of spaced out, since it was the same sh*t we heard for weeks. Jess said she wasn’t a jealous person, and felt like she was being gaslit by Aesha and Rob. A viewer asked if Rob would have pursued a relationship with Aesha had he met her first, but he said they didn’t have that type of connection; they were like brother and sister. Aesha said there was zero attraction, and no chemistry. Jess wondered about an inappropriate DM Rob had sent Aesha about c*cks. She saw it on Facebook, and Aesha responded. Aesha acted like she didn’t know what Jess was talking about, but Rob readily admitted to sending it. He said, it was just banter… and maybe a little flirtation. Aesha said she had a boyfriend now, and we saw a picture. He’s cute, and they look like they belong together. He must like potty jokes.
A viewer asked when Bugs was going to realize Alex is hot, and Bugs said she did already; he was a catch. Alex said they’d gotten together to catch up, but they were realistic. They lived in different parts of the world, and couldn’t really foster a relationship.
In ending (at last), Andy asked for high and low points. Malia said it had ultimately been a fun experience to meet everyone, and her low point was what happened with Hannah. It wasn’t what she wanted. Aesha said the whole experience was great, but she was so homesick and exhausted before she got on board, she didn’t make the most of it. Alex said his high point was meeting Bugs everyone, and on the flipside, he involved himself in drama by accident, when he was just trying to help. I don’t know if I spaced out again, Bugs had nothing to say, or if it was so boring, it just didn’t register.
Andy finished with saying it had been a dramatic, wild ride. Okay. If that’s what you call just sad.
🖥 In Chat Room, the ladies dressed up for Halloween. Kate said it was a week early, but this was 2020. She was Kate Moss, wearing moss in her hair; Hannah was Wonder Woman, using a costume that belonged to her mom. She did not elaborate on that. Both Porsha and Gizelle were Cleopatra, although they each wore it differently. The high point was Kate bringing out her dog Halo, wearing a unicorn costume. The women also picked a favorite Housewife costume of the past. Gizelle chose Kandi in a riff on Pennywise from It; Hannah liked LisaR dressed as Erika Jayne; Kate said she hated Ramona, but loved her in red leather as Britney Spears; and Porsha went with Cynthia as Fifty Cent. While still much prettier, Cynthia was definitely spot-on. I love this show, and wish it was on more often, and for an hour.
It looks unlikely there will be a second season of Lovecraft Country. The book did have a definitive ending, but why can’t they give us more? Since it’s a supernatural atmosphere, they can even revive the dead if they want.
I’m off to finish an article for https://mupoentertainment.com/theresa-krakauskas/, which is a little nostalgic, it being Halloween week. No matter what it is you’re doing, stay safe, stay bold, and stay not sending inappropriate DMs. Especially if you’re on a reality show where everyone keeps receipts.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
Shahs of Sunset
Vida fauns over Baby Shams while out to lunch with MJ and Tommy. MJ says she had to cancel her baby shower because she was on bedrest, so she’d like to have a Sip N See to introduce the baby to everyone. In MJ’s interview, she says, traditionally, a Sip N See is having a few ladies in the living room to meet the baby. (Not according to Phaedra, RHOA. It’s more like a wedding with a baby, instead of a bride and groom.) She says, Persians put their own spin on things. They have it catered, decorate onesies, and tweak it a little. She tells Vida and Tommy that she wants a county fair theme. She’s thinking about having it at the Houdini mansion. Vida asks if that’s not better for Halloween, but MJ says it’s a gorgeous place. Tommy says it’s a beautiful mansion, and he thinks MJ can pull it off. MJ tells Vida that she talked to Reza, and saw everybody. Reza seemed genuinely remorseful, and said he was dropping the charges against Tommy. Vida asks if she’s inviting him to the shower, and Tommy jumps in, saying, no. She says she can’t because of the restraining order. In her interview, MJ says, in a perfect world she wishes Reza would be welcome, but there’s no way she can even entertain the thought until he drops the restraining order.
Reza and Adam go to a pottery making class. Adam asks if it beats Reza’s beekeeping thing, and Reza says the bee thing was amazing. He wishes Adam had been there. He had a really nice time, but then MJ said something to Paulina that upset her. Adam says, MJ is making a lot of people upset. In Reza’s interview, he says the reentry into his and MJ’s friendship is a bumpy flight. The attendants are still able to serve you, but there’s a lot of turbulence. He tells Adam, if his and MJ’s friendship is limited or not, Tommy having a felony record along with a newborn isn’t cool. He thinks karmically, the right thing is to not pursue criminal charges, and he’d rather do the right thing. Adam agrees, and says, at the end of the day, they’re in a great place, and everything is positive. He doesn’t care if Reza doesn’t go through with the criminal charges, but he still wants the restraining order in place. Reza says he totally forgives MJ and Tommy, and wants things comfortable for everyone, and to co-exist, but Adam says they’re where they’re at because of MJ and the Tommy situation, and he’s sticking by the restraining order. In his interview, Reza says he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to do. He’s caught between two people he loves. Adam says he’s glad they’re in a better place, and moving forward.
Destiney takes her pup Frank Sinatra with her to look for a baby gift. She calls Mike while she’s at the store, but he says he’s not going to the Sip N See. He says he was going to come, but then MJ made Paulina feel some sort of way. That shouldn’t happen. Destiney says, sometimes the stuff comes out of MJ’s mouth is toxic. In Destiney’s interview, she says, when they were in Hawaii, they were talking about bonds and how friendships matter. Does Mike want to lose that? She buys $250 worth of baby stuff.
Assistant Sienna tells MJ, everything is good. MJ asks her to text the guests that she’ll see them at 2:30, so they’re not late. Everyone starts to arrive, and it’s an amazing set up; games, all kinds of fair food, a donut wall. Reza says, it’s very MJ, and Nema says, it’s the most Iranian thing in the world; a three-month-old having a DJ at their party. Mike texts Nema that he decided not to come, Destiney arrives, carrying a load of balloons, trying to navigate the million stairs up to the party in her heels.
Mike and Reza have some batting practice. At the party, Shervin tells Nema, GG isn’t coming either, and we see her having some dental work done. Nema says, what the hell? In Nema’s interview, he says, whatever their personal drama is, this is about MJ’s son. Party planner Lenora tells everyone that MJ and Tommy are coming, as Destiney finally makes it to the top of the stairs. Nema tells her, Mike’s not there, and she says he felt some type of way (the phrase of the night) about MJ’s comment to Paulina. He’s feeling that she disrespected him; that’s his woman.
MJ tells Shervin, she’ll love GG from afar, until things change. Shervin says, Mike isn’t coming either, and wonders what happened to their ten year friendship. MJ says she feels bad about what she said to Paulina. She had her guard down, and it was in the moment, but she thinks Mike doesn’t want to show up. She thinks it’s a deeper emotion than hurt. She thought he cared, but he’s shown her nothing. He wants to look good in front of his girlfriend, and she’s glad he’s not there.
Nema tells Sara, he can’t wait for Mona to have kids. He won’t be having any, since his parents effed him up too much. Sara says, break the cycle, and Nema says, easier said than done. He’s afraid he’ll repeat the mistakes his dad did. Mona says, it’s his choice. Sara takes Nema aside, and says she lost her dad suddenly in a car accident. He’d just dropped her off at work, and her dad got T-boned in a high speed police chase. He died instantly. When she hears him say he can’t get over it, she thinks he still has a dad. Cherish that. Nema says, a lot of people chime in, but only a few get him to stop and think. He wants to think about what she said.
Tommy takes the mic, and says, his wife is the most legendary creature that has ever graced the planet. When he sees his son, he falls in love with her ten times more. MJ thanks everyone for coming. If they’re there, it means they love them, and it means a lot. Having her son is everything, and she hopes she gets to pass along the things her father taught her. Tommy says if Baby Shams grows up to be half the man MJ’s father was, they’ve done their job as parents. In MJ’s interview, she says, it’s a dream come true. She’s sad that some of her friends have shown that whatever they’re doing in their lives is more important than her baby. She toasts to Baby Shams.
Mom Fatima visits GG, bearing Persian herb stew, among other groceries. In her interview, GG says her mom is her best friend, especially through the pregnancy process. Her mother has been her human punching bag, but GG appreciates that Fatima has been there for her. She tells Fatima that she went to the doctor, and she’s starting the process again in a month and a half. She’ll be doing injections for five weeks. Fatima tells her, congratulations. In GG’s interview, she says, there was a crack in the road, and she stumbled, but she’s going to keep going. She shows Fatima the needle, and it looks gigantic. Fatima tells her, say it’s for the baby, so she can do it with satisfaction. GG says she’s getting emotional, and Fatima says she wishes GG will be a good mother. GG says she had a good teacher, and hugs Fatima.
Mike tells Paulina, he’s going to Sara’s freedom party. We flash back to the disaster of a pool party, and in his interview, Mike says, the last one sucked. Oh sh*t; here we go again. Paulina asks if everyone is going, and says, at some point, they all have to take responsibility for their own actions. Mike says he’s concerned about not going to the Sip N See. They meet Mike’s parents for dinner, and Mike wears a gold medallion that his grandfather had gifted his dad, and his dad passed to him. He thought, why put it in a safe, when he can wear it proudly? Mom Sue asks how his project is coming. In Mike’s interview, he says his parents have doubts about his capabilities. He tells her, it’s going really well, and his dad asks if he’s got proof. Mike says his project manager emails him several times a day on the progress, and it looks good. Sue says he’s almost there, and Mike says, it’s going to be a good year. Sue says she’s proud of him. It’s a big deal. Mike set his mind to it, and he’s doing it. In his interview, Mike says, all he’s wanted is for his parents to be proud. It only took 41 years.
Nema goes to lunch with Mona, half-sister Sara, and dad Fred. In his interview, Nema tells us that his dad had another child with his stepmother, but he’s always looked at her like a full sister. She’s starting at UCLA in the fall, and he’s proud of her. He tells a story about Sara shutting off the X-Box in the middle of them playing, when she was two, and him thinking, he can’t do this parenting sh*t. Mona asks Fred if Nema should have kids, and he says, every dad wants grandchildren. Nema says, no way, and apologizes for bumming everyone out. Fred comes around the table, and hugs him. Nema gets emotional, and goes outside, and his dad follows. Nema says he’s tired of being angry. In his interview, he says he didn’t cause this. The actions of his mom and dad did. We flash back to Nema talking to his therapist, and saying he’s more angry at his dad after reading his mom’s letter. He tells us, he’s had twenty-five years of small talk with his dad. Fred says he knows how much he hurt Nema, and doesn’t want him to suffer. Nema means everything to him, and he hopes Nema can give him room in his life, because he loves him. Nema says, they don’t talk, but his dad says Nema is his son, and he loves him. Let’s fix this. Nema says, at this point, it’s too late, but Fred says, they’re ready for it. He wants them to be close, and wants to help Nema. Nema hopes so. In his interview, Nema says they have had a sincere moment of closeness in years. It’s been like a game of chicken. When they get back to the table, Fred says he loves all of them, and Nema says he forgives him and his mom. He doesn’t want to carry it anymore. He can’t spend the next 35 years like the last ones. He suggests they have more regular meetings as a family.
Tommy asks MJ if Reza is going to be at Sara’s party. MJ says, the scene of the crime. Tommy says he has a bat in the car; he’s got a softball game. MJ tells him, no jokes like that.
In Reza’s interview, he says he left Hawaii thinking he’d be dropping the charges. But Adam is clear that dropping the restraining order isn’t an option.
In Destiney’s interview, she says she has no issue with Sara. She dated Sara’s brother; however, the last time, it was a disaster. We flash back to that. She says she can still be nice and sweet; that’s who she is. Plus, she can rub it in his face that she’s cute. When MJ arrives, she says, do-over, and in her interview, she says she has hella PTSD just walking in. In Reza’s interview, he says talk about going back to the worst experience. He hopes he gets three, four, or five sheets to whatever wind. He blows a kiss to MJ, who tells Vida not to attack him. Vida swears she’s not going to attack anybody. GG sees Sam, and in her interview, she says she needs to have a talk with Destiney. She doesn’t know what Destiney saw in that guy. The way she talked, GG thought he would look like James Bond. WTF?
Reza and MJ step away, and he says he’s trying to avoid her mom. He says he was glad they’re in a good place, making forward motions, but when he walked in, he heard Vida talking about him to Nema. MJ says she wants Reza to say hello; just acknowledge her. Reza gives Vida some polite conversation, and moves along to the bar. Mike tells Nema, he’s yet to get an apology from MJ, and Nema says he thinks it was wrong of Mike not to show up for the Sip N See. Mike says there’s plenty of time for them to catch up. Reza joins them, and Mike says he wasn’t there either. Reza says, it was because of the restraining order. He’s not going to file charges; he doesn’t want a felony case for Tommy, MJ, or the baby. But as far as the restraining order goes, Adam feels safer with keeping it in place. They don’t want to risk another moment of impulse control. Nema asks if MJ knows, and wonders how their relationship can survive. In Reza’s interview, he says, Adam wants him to take a stand for him and their marriage. He’s going to respect his husband’s wishes. How can he not?
Nema asks MJ how it went with Reza, and she says she hasn’t asked if everything is dropped, and Nema tells her that Reza isn’t dropping the restraining order. He just said it. In MJ’s Interview, she says she’s really hurt. She doesn’t believe Reza would make that choice, to double down on something that damaged their friendship beyond recognition. He’d assured her that he was dropping everything in his power. She tells Nema that their friendship is built on lies. Destiney joins them, and Nema says, there’s drama. Reza comes in, and Nema says, perfect timing. A conversation came up about the restraining order. MJ says, everything they talked about was a lie. Nema tells her, that’s not what he said, and she says Reza also talked to other people, and she doesn’t like anyone else being involved. Reza says, what transpired in his household… and MJ says, he changed his mind? He says they’re not pursuing the felony charges, but what if Tommy comes back in six months with a gun instead of a bat? MJ says, so he’s worried about the future? and Reza says, 100%. MJ says if there’s going to be a future between them, please don’t do this. He needs to give her credit for 30 years of being his friend. That’s why she apologized. She’ll burn this house down if he doesn’t lift everything. He says he’s sorry, and she says she can’t do this. In Reza’s interview, he says he doesn’t want the restraining order to be the nail in the coffin of his friendship with MJ. But at the same time, he had to pick between two people he loves. He’s still married, and picked his husband.
On the balcony, MJ yells, these people are full of sh*t, and she doesn’t need to be there. In Mike’s interview, he says, they’re not a bunch of fair-weather friends. This has gone too far. How did they get to this place? In her interview, GG says, certain people will find a happier ending, and certain relationships are completely done. Reza yells for everyone to come and take a family photo, and the guests all gather by the pool. In MJ’s interview, she says she’s heartbroken and gutted. She was open to fixing the friendship, but wonders how they can ever get back from this. She leaves the party.
Next time – the Reunion.
💿 For the Record…
Today on GH’s Flashback Friday, it was an anniversary episode from 2014. I don’t remember seeing this, but I might have still been dealing with repairing the house after Hurricane Sandy. AJ died after Sonny shot him, Lucy was still married to Doc, Noah had broken up with Bobbie, and the Nurses Ball was on the horizon. Since there were flashbacks within this flashback, we saw three different Carlys, and saw Sonny when he was practically an infant. At the end, AJ was met by Emily, Edward, Lila, and Alan, and took the stairs up to heaven. Which is really questionable.
For some reason, my brain translated Phaedra to Rosa. Probably because of Porsha’s misunderstanding of the Underground Railroad. History and pop culture have somehow meshed in my brain.
Remember, No one’s more important than people! In other words, friendship is the most important thing – not career or housework, or one’s fatigue – and it needs to be tended and nurtured. – Julia Child
There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. – Soren Kierkegaard
David is not a terrorist. He’s a Catholic. – woman being catfished on Dr. Phil
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. – Oscar Wilde
It is never too late to be what you might have been. – George Eliot
It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then. – Lewis Carroll
Well-behaved women seldom make history. – Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
The most common form of despair is not being who you are. – Soren Kierkegaard
Nobody wanted to be in this situation. It is how we react to it that will define us as people. – David Toborowsky, 90 Day Fiancé: Self-Quarantined
You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life? – Rumi
Life is a shipwreck, but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats. – Voltaire
I had to think of a new and creative way to embarrass my children. – Sarah Michelle Gellar on why she dyed her hair pink during quarantine, TheSkimm. (She sounds like my father.)
📝 Summing Up the Week…
You made it through another one. And I’ve added more things to my list of what I never want to hear/see again, like WFH (I’d actually thought it mean what fresh hell when I first saw it), and #alonetogether (I just want to be alone). The doors are slowly starting to open, and you’ll be out there again soon. See you when it’s time to sail away on Monday. Until then, stay safe, stay on your good behavior, and shake your groove thing like nobody’s watching. Unless they are.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 