Tag Archives: Jophielle Love

January 19, 2024 – Drew Makes a Replacement, A Thought, Custom Made, Side Work, Joke’s On Her, Reaction, VanderSpin, Dragon 2, Late Return, Which Ones, He’s Back, Best Bowl, One Dozen Quotes & Winter

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Laura says, Cyrus’s health must be improving. He looks better. Cyrus thanks her and says, dropping the charges against Sonny Corinthos has revitalized his spirit. His soul is unburdened, so his body can heal. She asks, what led to this unburdening? and he says, accountability. He acknowledged his role in the attack. How he provoked Sonny at the wrong time instead of giving him grace. If he’d simply turned around and walked away, the beating would never have happened. Once he realized that, he was able to let his anger go, and he found peace. She asks if that’s why he called her last night and wanted her here first thing in the morning, to share this epiphany? He says he called her because there’s a lost soul in need of her help. Spencer walks in and Cyrus says, welcome, nephew. You’re right on time.

Ava hears someone come into the gallery, and says she told Trina to take the day off. She turns around and sees it’s Esme. She asks what the hell Esme wants. She’s not welcome here. Esme says, please don’t kick her out. She needs Ava’s help.

Willow says hi to Adam, and he asks where he is. She says, he’s at General Hospital, and he asks, why? She says, because his friend saved his life.

Carly finishes with an interview for a Kelly’s Bobbie’s manager, when Sam walks in. She says, Carly looks underwhelmed, and Carly says, she’s perceptive. She guesses that’s what makes Sam such a great P.I. If she’s looking for something new, perhaps Carly can interest her in the exciting world of shift management.

Nina goes to her office, where movers are removing everything. She asks what they’re doing here, and one of them says, moving. She says, they must be on the wrong floor, but he says, they’re on the right floor. She says, they can’t be because this is her office. They have to leave immediately and tell that guy to bring her stuff back or she’s calling security. He says, they’re just doing their job, and she says, what job? Who ordered this? Drew walks in and says he did. He tells the guys, good work, and suggests they take a break, giving them money for coffee (which I notice he says like caffee) and muffins. They leave, and Nina says, what the hell? He can’t just order her out of her own office. It’s trespassing. He says, no, it’s business. He owns Aurora; Aurora owns Crimson. He knows she’s the Editor-in-Chief of Crimson, but he’s still her boss. Until now. She’s fired. (Okay. I won’t get into how many shades of wrong this would be in the real world, and the lawsuit that would happen. I’ll just keep telling myself, it’s only a soap…)

In the chapel, Josslyn asks how Dex found her, and he says, when she didn’t answer his calls, he went by her dorm. He ran into her RA Kylie, and she told him what happened. He came here and looked around until he found her. She says, her phone died. She’s sorry she didn’t pick up his call. So much was going on. He says, obviously. Why didn’t she call him when she got here? She says she didn’t want to bother him. She knows how he feels about Adam and figured he had enough. He says, if she’s going through something, he wants to know and help if he can. That’s how this works. Got it? She says, got it. She suggests they check on Adam, see if he’s awake. She needs to apologize to him. He asks what she needs to apologize for, and she says, he freaked out because she told the RA that he was in trouble, but Dex says, she has nothing to apologize for. The people who need to be apologizing are Adam’s parents.

Willow asks if Adam remembers anything from last night, but he says, not really. He’d had too much to drink at a frat party. She says, Josslyn Jax found him alone in Rice Park, and he says, sometimes when he drinks, he wanders. It’s a bad habit. She says, he also ingested a lot of pills, and he says, for a cold. She says she’ll let the doctor fill him in, but he says he’d really like to get back to his dorm. She says, he’ll have to be cleared by the attending before he can be released, and he asks when that will be. She says, he had to have his stomach pumped last night. She doesn’t want to alarm him, but he’s lucky to be alive. He says, lucky me.

Carly tells Sam, business is going great, really great. That’s why she has to hire more staff. It’s a really good problem to have, but she just wants Bobbie’s to live up to its namesake. Sam asks what she’s talking about. Bobbie’s is thriving because of her. Onward and upward. Carly thanks her and says she needed to hear that. What can she get Sam? Sam says she’s going to wait to order until Drew gets here, and Carly says, she’s meeting him now? Sam says, actually, five minutes ago. He’s running late. Carly says she hates to break it to Sam, but she’s going to be waiting a long time for Drew.

Nina says, Drew is making a big mistake, and he says, maybe, but it’s his mistake to make. She asks if he honestly thought she’d just roll over and accept this. What about Michael? Drew might own Aurora, but Michael runs it. What does he think Michael will have to say about this? Drew says, hooray?

Cyrus says he’s grateful Spencer came, and Spencer says he didn’t know Laura would be here. She says, nor I, you, and asks Cyrus, what’s going on? He says he thought they should both know he had a visitor here late last night. Somebody who needed his help, who was desperate and alone, who felt everything had been taken from her. Spencer says, Esme, and Laura asks why Esme would come here. Cyrus asks if Spencer wants to explain the rest or should he do it for him? and Laura says, enough with the mystery. Somebody better tell her something. Spencer says he saw his father last night.

Ava says, one too many knocks to the head? and Esme says, does Ava think she wants to be here asking for her help? Ava says, at least she didn’t have to break in. Now leave or she’s going to call the cops. Esme asks if she hasn’t already done that. Ava tried to send her to prison. Ava says, funny. That’s where she thinks criminals belong. Esme says, Ava’s right. She shouldn’t have broken into Windymere, and what Ava did is entirely justified. Ava asks what she wants. Spit it out. Esme says, has she seen Nikolas? and Ava says, why? Has she? Esme says, no, and Ava wonders why she asks. Esme says, because he’s kidnapped her son.

Laura says, Nikolas came back to Port Charles? Where is he? Spencer says, he was here last night. He’s already gone. Laura says, her son came and went without her even knowing. At least Spencer got to see him. It must have been quite a shock though. Did he say why he risked coming back to Port Charles? Spencer says, he came here to take Ace with him… and I let him.

Dex says, Josslyn told him about the pressure Adam’s parents put him under. No wonder he cracked. She says she just can’t believe he’s this messed up about his grades. They’re better than hers, and hers are pretty good. Dex says, it’s not about his GPA. He feels shame for letting his parents down. He wants them to be proud of him. She says, but he acts like he can’t stand them, and Dex says, just the opposite. Adam loves his parents and feels like a failure because he can’t live up to their expectations. She asks if that’s how it was for him, and he says, not exactly. If there was any part of him that wanted to please his parents, it got burned out pretty quickly. He only found peace with his family when he walked away. He just hopes Adam doesn’t have to make the same choice. She says, he really needs help, doesn’t he? and Dex says, he’s going to need a good friend, and that’s what she’s been. She says, let’s go see how he’s doing.

Adam apologizes to Willow for being edgy. He just wants to get out of here. She says she bets, but they need to have the attending check him out first, okay? Portia comes in and says, he’s up. How is he feeling? He asks if she’s the attending, and she says she’s Dr. Robinson. She’s the Co-Chief of Staff here. He says, wow. Then she can definitely sign him out. When can he leave? Willow says she’ll check on the attending and see if Dr. Wallace is available. She leaves, and Adam says he’s really sorry, but last night was just a complete, huge misunderstanding. He’s sorry if he caused trouble, but his friend Josslyn just overreacted. So if she could sign him out, that would be great. She says she happens to know Josslyn Jax, and she doesn’t overreact much. Neither does the staff here at the hospital. She thinks it’s pretty clear what happened here, and anyway, he’s going to have to be cleared by a psychiatrist before he can be discharged. It’s hospital policy. He says, Dr. Robinson… Is she Trina’s mom? She says she is, and he says, Trina’s told him a lot about her. She says, he’s friends with Trina, so she has to take especially good care of him, right? He says, cool. So let him out. She says, if after his evaluation, they all agree that what happened last night is just an unfortunate accident, then he can be discharged. If not, then they’ll have to take the next steps. He asks what that even means. Are they going to keep him here or something? Doesn’t he have rights? What if he doesn’t consent to it? She says, of course (🍷) he has rights. Absolutely, but some of those rights are determined by his diagnosis. They want the absolute best outcome for him, and if they determine he’s a threat to himself or anyone else, they can’t let him leave. It’s hospital policy and standard practice. The on-call psychiatric attending should be here soon, and his parents… He says, they can’t know, and she tells him calm down. He says, please. They can’t know.

Ava asks when Nikolas took Ace, and Esme says, during the hearing. Spencer was supposed to bring Ace to the courthouse, but he never showed up. Nikolas came to the apartment and convinced Spencer to give him her baby. Ava says, that’s unbelievable. And she never saw Nicholas in Port Charles? Esme says, no. He hid from her like the coward that he is, but Spencer let Nikolas take Ace. She can’t believe Spencer would betray her like that. She thought they were getting along. She thought Spencer hated his father… Ava says, like father, like son, self-serving, duplicitous, and Esme says, Ace doesn’t even know Nikolas. He’s going to be so scared and so confused. Nikolas doesn’t know what Ace likes. He needs his mother. She can’t be without her son. She cries and says, he’s all that she’s got. Ava says, it’s a terrible thing to be separated from your child, and Esme says, so she understands. Ava says, unfortunately, she does, but why come to her? and Esme says she thought Nikolas might not be able to stay away from her. Ava says, unfortunately, and Esme says, so she’s right, isn’t she? Nikolas came to see her. Ava says, Nikolas was here, and Esme says, thank God, but Ava says, he’s gone now, and Esme’s never going to find him.

Laura says, Spencer let Nikolas take Ace? How could he do such a thing? He says he had no choice. His little brother wasn’t safe with Esme. She says, come on. She’s proven herself to be a good mother and he knows it. Does Esme know Nikolas took her baby? Cyrus says, that’s why she came to see him last night. She wanted his help tracking Nikolas down. Laura asks why Esme thought he could help her, and Cyrus says, she thinks he has powerful contacts and thought he’d be amenable because Nikolas and Ace are his relatives. Of course (🍷) he’s related to them through Laura, so he knew he had to do the right thing and inform her. He asked Spencer here so he could be the one to explain. Spencer says, Cyrus is all about his soul, right? And confession being good for it? Cyrus says he’d hope so. Spencer is the one who took a child from his mother. Spencer says he did not take Ace, and Laura says, no. He just handed Ace over like he was returning a package. How could he do such a thing? She can only imagine how Esme is feeling right now. How could Spencer take a baby from the only family he ever knew? Spencer says, because he loves his brother, and he’s not going to allow him to be raised by some psychopath, but Laura says, he goes back to that whenever it’s convenient for him. Esme’s worked hard to overcome her past. Spencer says, Laura doesn’t understand. He knows the truth now. Esme’s been lying. She remembers everything.

Portia says, they had to call Adam’s parents because according to his PCU medical records, they’re his emergency contact. Adam asks what she told his parents, and she says she told them he was here and that he’d had a medical emergency. He asks if she told them about the pills, that he tried to hurt himself, and she asks if that’s what happened. He says, no. It was just an accident. She says, okay. Here’s the deal. He’s over 18, so he’s considered to be an adult. As far as they’re concerned, they can’t share any of his information without his permission. He thanks her, and she says, but his parents are still going to have questions. And whether or not last night was an accident, he’s still going to need a support system in place. So she’s imploring him to please be honest with the doctor who’s going to evaluate him. Be honest with his parents, and most importantly, be honest with himself.

Portia leaves and asks if there’s any word on the psyche attending. Is it Dr. Wallace? Willow says, he’s still doing rounds in the west wing. He’ll be down in a second. How’s Adam? She feels so bad for him. Josslyn said he’s under a lot of pressure at school. She just hopes if Wiley or Amelia ever feel pressured at school, they come to her. Portia says she doesn’t get it. Kids these days have so much pressure on them. The bullying, the isolation, school shootings, everything that’s going on in the world. Depression and anxiety are an epidemic for this generation, and it breaks her heart. Josslyn and Dex come by, and Josslyn asks Portia if Adam is awake yet. Portia says she didn’t know Josslyn was here. Did she sleep here last night? Josslyn says she just wants to make sure Adam is okay, and Portia says, he’s awake. He cannot have any visitors right now. That’s really all she can tell Josslyn. A man goes to the reception desk and says he’s here to see Adam Wright. He was brought in last night. He wants to see his son.

Carly says, Drew mentioned he had a meeting at Aurora this morning, and Sam says, they’ve had this on the books for a week. Carly says she’s sure it was last minute. He must have forgotten. Drew would never leave her hanging. Sam says, so she thought. Never say never, she guesses. Carly asks what that means, and Sam says she and Drew have been out of step lately. That’s why she scheduled this meeting, to see if they could iron some things out. Carly asks if this is about the situation with Scout’s school. She doesn’t believe Drew meant to undercut Sam. Sam says, actually, they’ve resolved that issue, but things are still really tense, and they have been since he got home from Pentenville. Maybe it’s just her… Never mind. Carly says, don’t do that. Talk to her. What’s going on? Sam says, Carly probably spends the most time with Drew. Since he’s been back, hasn’t she noticed that he’s changed?

Drew says, as Nina pointed out, Michael just runs Aurora. He happens to own it, so he gets the final say. Nina says she gets it. Either Micahel disagrees with him about firing her and running Crimson into the ground or he doesn’t know. Michael may have Sonny’s last name and he may hate her, but he’s a Quartermaine through and through. He doesn’t let his personal feelings interfere with the balance sheet. Drew says, don’t forget he’s a Quartermaine too, and she says, maybe he should take a page out of his nephew’s book. She has run a tight, profitable ship for years. She saved Crimson from bankruptcy when Julian Jerome tried to run it in the ground and use it as a tax write-off. Now Crimson is one of the top fashion magazines in the country. It is Aurora’s flagship title and it’s her baby. Speaking of, what kind of father tanks his company and destroys his child’s legacy? Isn’t Scout a major shareholder? He gets in Nina’s face and tells her, don’t you dare bring my daughter into this. (I say, or what? You gonna hit me? which is what Nina should say.)

Carly tells Sam, Drew had a horrific experience in Pentenville, and he’s struggling. She thinks that’s to be expected after 3 years in a dungeon in Crete first that affected him not at all. Just when he was getting his bearings, they found out Nina was the one who called the SEC on them. And that very same night, they found out her mother died. She thinks Drew’s angry. She’s angry. Sam says she understands that, but Drew is angry at the world. Carly is directing her anger toward Nina, and rightly so. Carly says, her instincts are telling her to strike back, but she wants to be more like her mom. She wants to focus on what’s important, and right now, keeping her legacy alive and honoring her is so important. She hopes she’s succeeding, but she doesn’t know. Sam says, Bobbie would be really proud of her right now. Carly thanks her and says, but Bobbie also gave people second chances. Maybe that’s what they need to do for Drew. Give him some grace and double down on their support. Sam says she hears Carly, and don’t get her wrong, she’d do anything to support Drew, aside from the issue with Scout and the school. If there’s any way she can help him… Does Carly have any idea how she can do that? She’s listening.

Drew asks what he ever did to Nina. Did he harm her in some way? She says, it wasn’t about him. It was always about Carly. He says, two people were reported to the SEC. Did she just forget about him? She didn’t care that he was collateral damage? She didn’t care that he just got back into his daughter’s life, and he was ripped away again? Right after he helped save Nina’s daughter’s life, so she just cares about her daughter, not his? She says she’s sorry, and she was very grateful. She didn’t know he’d be the one to go to prison. He says, she didn’t want to know. She didn’t care. She was just so hellbent on destroying Carly. He thinks it’s insecurity. She asks what he’s talking about, and he says, Wiley and Amelia love Carly. They’re so much closer to Carly than they are to her. Willow too, for that matter. And Sonny and Carly. Their bond is dysfunctional, but it’s also unbreakable, and he doesn’t think she can stand that, so she wanted to get Carly out of the picture. Nina wanted her out by any means possible. Nina asks if he can just stop talking. Yes. She did what she did, and she won’t deny it, but she thinks this is a perfect opportunity for him to acknowledge his part. He is responsible for putting himself at risk. He says, Carly’s investment was a well-intentioned act of support, with no nefarious motive whatsoever. Nina, on the other hand, just wanted to take Carly out. And now he wants to take Nina out. Nina says she wants to give him fair warning. Don’t use all these feelings to influence his business decisions. Talk to legal. He can’t just fire her. She may not own the company, but without her, there is no magazine. He says, she’s not telling him anything he doesn’t know, and she asks if he’s telling her that he would shutter Crimson just to get rid of her. He says he’s telling her that he would do anything to make her pay for what she’s done.

Portia introduces herself to Adam’s father, and he asks, where’s Adam? Is he okay? She says, he’s resting and he still needs to be seen by an attending. He says, Adam drank too much and made a fool of himself. Does that really require further consultation? She says, it requires them to be as thorough as possible, and he says he doesn’t want her running up their bill with all kinds of extra charges. Adam’s already squandered the money they’ve invested in his education with this foolishness, which is exactly what they were afraid of. Now when can he take his son home? Portia says she’ll go check his status, and walks away. Josslyn follows her and says, Adam can’t go. He needs to stay here and get help. He absolutely cannot go home. Wright says, and why is that? What does she know about his son that he doesn’t? (Hint: Probably everything.)

Esme asks if Ava helped Nikolas kidnap her son, but Ava says she would never do anything like that. Esme says, then why was he here? Why did he come looking for Ava? Did he want Ava to help him get her out of the way? Is that why Ava pressed charges against her? Ava says, that’s ridiculous. She didn’t know Esme had broken into Windymere. She didn’t know Laura was going to convince her to confess to it. Esme says, just tell her how to find Nikolas, please, but Ava says she can’t. He’s a Cassadine. He’s got money, he’s got resources, he’s got the private islands. If Laura couldn’t find him, does Esme really think she’ll be able to? Esme says she’s not giving up on her son. She has resources too. Ava says, Esme has no idea what she’s getting herself into, and her resources can’t possibly compete or compare. Esme asks if she looks helpless. She’ll do whatever it takes to find her son. Maybe she has a dangerous ally of her own. Ava says, oh really? Like who? Esme says, Cyrus Renault.

Cyrus says, Esme told him that Spencer threatened to have the old charges reinstated against her. When he questioned her, she wouldn’t say how this might be possible. Spencer says, because she doesn’t want anyone to know that she’s regained her memory, and Cyrus asks how he knows that. Spencer says, because of the little things she was saying. He was with her before her arraignment at the PCPD. She kept going back to how everyone hated her and how she was the one being persecuted. Then he pointed out to her that these are things that sound like the old Esme. As soon as he said that, she backed off. Laura says, how would he expect her to react? She confessed and she expressed true remorse over what was really a Class-A misdemeanor, and still Ava had to press charges. Spencer says, she told him that Ava wanted her to pay for what she supposedly did to Trina, as though Ava and Trina are the ones overreacting, and she’s the one being persecuted in this situation. Laura says she’s sorry. She doesn’t see this as proof that Esme regained her memory. Spencer says, she called him Spence. That’s what she used to call him, back when they were together. She hasn’t used that name for him since she lost her memory. Laura says, so she called him by his nickname, and he says, when he told her that his father had taken Ace, she told him that she was going to the police and was going to report the kidnapping. He threatened her and said, if she does that, he’s going to tell the police that she has her memory back and they’re going to reopen the investigation. As soon as she heard that, she seemed like she couldn’t risk it. Laura says, maybe she couldn’t risk being thought of as a suspect when she’s so desperate to get her son back. He gave Ace away based on a suspicion, not based on something he knew, and certainly nothing he could prove. Spencer says he does know that Esme has regained her memory, and Cyrus says he’s sorry to interrupt, but memory or not, Esme is still going after her son. She came to him asking for his help. Who else is she going to go to? And if Esme is successful, what will she do when she finds Nikolas?

Carly tells Sam that she thinks the best thing they can do for Drew is, just be honest with each other and keep talking, and to give him some time. She’s going to do everything she can on her end. Sam says, just so she knows, she’s not alone in this. There are plenty of people who care about Drew. Carly says, but what happened to Drew is on her. She’s the one who bought the Aurora stock because she had to inflate the price, even after Drew told her not to, over and over again. And he took the fall just to protect her. Sam says, he insisted on doing that, but Carly says, he wouldn’t have been faced with that choice if it weren’t for her to begin with. So she’s going to do everything in her power to make up for it. Sam says, as long as helping him doesn’t come at her own expense, because that’s the last thing he would want.

Nina asks Drew, what about the staff? They’re hard-working, they’re loyal, some of the best in the business. He’s willing to lay off all of those people just to get back at her. He says, that’s on her. He takes out an envelope and says, she signs this termination agreement or Crimson, with all its staff, is going out of business. One of the movers asks if they should start loading the boxes on the freight elevator, and Drew says he’ll have a look. He tells Nina that he’ll give her a moment to think about it. He leaves, and Nina tosses the papers in a box. She pauses and takes out a photo of Willow with Wiley and Amelia. Drew comes back and says, time’s up. Is she going to sign, or is she taking Crimson down with her? (I’m starting to think this is a dream or he’s really gone bonkers. A lot of it doesn’t make sense, even for a soap.)

Portia says, Josslyn found Adam in the park yesterday, and called emergency services. Wright says, she found him, or she was out drinking with him? and Dex says, Josslyn wasn’t drinking. She went to look for Adam because she was concerned for him. Josslyn says, Adam was alone and nearly passed out, and Wright says, they’ve been concerned about his behavior for quite a while. Josslyn says, really? and Wright says, this incident proves Adam is just not mature enough to live on his own. Josslyn says, it’s not a question about maturity. Adam needs help. He says he appreciates her concern and he’s grateful she called for help when she did, but he’ll take it from here. Josslyn says, he doesn’t understand. Adam has been hiding everything from him because Adam is afraid of what he’ll do. Wright asks why he would be afraid. He and his mother only want the best for Adam. Josslyn says, he just feels so much pressure, and Wright says, Adam has a very promising career ahead of him. He had the test scores to get into PCU. He’s maintained a 4.0 up until now. If he stays on track, he’ll be admitted to a top tier medical school. But now Adam is drinking and partying and squandering everything that he and his mother have worked hard to give him. She says, Adam isn’t partying. He’s self-medicating, having panic attacks. Portia thanks Josslyn and says she thinks she can take it from here. Why doesn’t Josslyn go home and get some rest? Wright asks who he has to speak to, to remove his son, and Dex tells Josslyn, let’s just let the hospital handle this, okay? Wright says, yeah. She’s done her part. Now please leave. This doesn’t concern her. Josslyn says, it should concern him that his son tried to kill himself last night.

Laura says she’s got to alert the police, but Spencer says, if she does that, the FBI could get involved, and who knows who else. Plus, if his father is captured, then Ace is going to get returned to Esme. (He really doesn’t get it, does he?) Laura says, they don’t even know if she’s regained her memory, and if she has, she still might do the right thing by her son. Cyrus says he agrees with Laura. He believes in the power of redemption. Spencer says, well, he doesn’t. Esme’s redemption is fake, and why is Laura still believing her? Is she really choosing Esme’s well-being over Ace’s? Laura says she’s being realistic, and the reality is that Ace would be safer if he was with them. He should have stopped his father. She just doesn’t understand why he didn’t come to her with his suspicions. She would have listened to him. They could have gone to the police together and made Esme face the things she’s done. Spencer says, what about his father, who up until ten minutes ago was the biggest asshat in the world? Should he have reported him as well? Laura says she would have never asked him to turn his own father in, but she knows Ace should be with them while all of the other stuff is getting sorted out. Spencer says, and what if it got sorted out in Esme’s favor? As far as he’s concerned, his father just saved Ace’s life. Laura says, don’t get her wrong. She’s glad that he’s starting to realize his father isn’t the heartless man Spencer’s made him out to be, but he has demonstrated some spectacularly bad judgement here and so has Spencer. His father is on the run. He’s being pursued by the authorities. This little baby has never been in more danger.

Portia tells Josslyn, that’s enough, and Dex says, let’s just go, but Josslyn says, Adam took a pack of antihistamines and washed it down with vodka. He knew what he was doing. Adam is so afraid of his father, he’d rather not live than face him. Wright says, she’s lying, and Josslyn says, doesn’t he even care? He pushed and he pushed until Adam reached his breaking point. Wright says he wants her gone – now! And if this girl comes within 50 feet of Adam, he’ll sue. (Um… we’ve already established Adam is over 18. I don’t think he can. Why is everyone being weird today?) Portia says, that’s unnecessary. She’s tired, she hasn’t slept all night, and she’s leaving right now. Why don’t they go to her office, and she can explain everything that’s going on with Adam, and they can wait for the attending there. Wright leaves with Portia, and Willow goes over to Josslyn and Dex. She says, Dr. Robinson won’t let anything happen to Adam, and Dex tells Josslyn, anything she says will just antagonize Adam’s father. She says, because he refuses to see the truth, and Dex says, Wright isn’t going to listen to her, but if she’s not here, he might listen to Dr. Robinson. Josslyn asks Willow to promise to keep an eye on Adam, and Willow promises. Josslyn says, okay then, and walks to the elevator with Dex, but then she quickly walks off.

Ava says, Esme is joking, but Esme says, Cyrus is going to help her find her son. Ava says, why? and Esme says, because he cares about his family. Ava says, Esme’s not his family. Ace may be a part of his family, but she is not. Esme says, but he promised, and Ava says, promised what exactly? Esme says, nothing. He promised her nothing. She starts to cry again, and says, her son is kidnapped. No one will help her and she’s all alone. She heads for the door, and Ava says, wait, but Esme says, stay away from me, and leaves.

Laura thanks Cyrus for coming to her, to them, about Esme, and he says, they’re family. Where else would he go? She leaves, and in the hallway, Spencer asks if she sees now. Esme went to Cyrus for help. Isn’t that proof she can’t be trusted? Laura says, it’s proof she’s desperate and will do anything to get her baby back, and he says, fine. Both can be true. She takes out her phone and calls the PCPD, asking for Dante. Spencer tries to take the phone, but she says, stop it. She has to do it. She tells them, it’s urgent… Dante answers, and she says, it’s Laura. My grandson Ace has been taken.

Josslyn looks in on Adam through the door window. Dex comes up behind her and gently guides her back to the elevator.

Nina signs the papers, and hands them to Drew. He says he’s surprised she gave in so quickly. She tells him, like she said, Crimson is her baby, and she’ll do anything to save her. (Besides this whole scene being in a parallel universe, is there some weird parallel with Ace here?) She’ll do anything for the employees, even if it means giving up everything she cares about. He asks if she thinks he’d really sabotage Aurora’s flagship title for her. Crimson was always going to be just fine. She says, so this was his plan all along, manipulate her sense of duty to her employees. He says, or maybe she just couldn’t pass up an opportunity to play martyr. She says, her employees are going to lose their jobs eventually anyway, and he says, former employees. She says, this magazine is nothing without her. Does he really think he’s going to get the photographers, the designers, the advertisers? The editorial staff will quit immediately. She made this magazine. This is her magazine. She’s irreplaceable. He says, and yet, he’s already replaced her. Carly walks in, and he says, meet Crimson’s new Editor-in-Chief.

On Monday, Nina says, they’re finally even; Martin asks where Lucy thinks she’s running off to in such a hurry; Esme says, you’re the only person I can turn to (Heather maybe?); and Dante says, maybe he should be arresting Spencer instead.

💭 I dunno about this. I’m guessing the closest Carly has come to editing a magazine is reading one, and wasn’t she just talking to Sam? Hard to believe Nina would say she’s irreplaceable along with all the other big talk, and this would also hardly be moving on for Carly after her speech on letting go. The whole thing was just weird.

🪆 Her Toy Story…

I keep forgetting she was in Five Nights at Freddy’s. I still haven’t seen it.

🪂 On Their Off Time…

Writing mission completed.

This sounds like a real headache. She took an amazing passport photo though.


🤡 Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha and Then Some…

Apparently, the board-certified medical professional was called out by bigger board-certified medical professionals.

😘 She Doesn’t Care…

Sleeping with him was punishment enough.

🍸 After the Rules…

It was bound to happen.

https://people.com/vanderpump-rules-spinoff-the-valley-starring-jax-taylor-brittany-cartwright-kristen-doute-premiere-spring-2024-8431186

🐉 Dragon Is Coming…

What’s up with Season 2.

https://winteriscoming.net/posts/hbo-responds-to-house-of-the-dragon-season-2-release-date-rumors

🐝 Fly Back To Us Soon…

Hopefully, we’re all still alive in 2025.

https://screenrant.com/yellowjackets-season-3-cast-story-everything-we-know/

https://www.etonline.com/yellowjackets-cast-teases-season-3-without-juliette-lewis-exclusive-217957

🏈 In Between Bowl…

The trailers anticipated during the upcoming Super Bowl.

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/super-bowl-2024-what-trailers-commercials-deadpool-3-movies-tv/

🦸🏽 You’re Welcome, Canada…

Deadpool is the best.

https://comicbookmovie.com/deadpool/deadpool-3/deadpool-3-set-photos-reveal-multiple-variants-of-spoiler-in-upcoming-mcu-threequel-a208960

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12984525/deadpool-3-ryan-reynolds-sports-long-hair-marvel-hugh-jackman.html

🐾 Fluffy For the Win…

More on Puppy Bowl XX.

https://wagwalking.com/daily/puppy-bowl-2024

https://ew.com/meet-the-starting-lineup-of-the-2024-puppy-bowl-8425601

👸🏽 Quotes of the Week

Things just tend to accumulate after Labor Day. What can I tell you?Little Edie Beale, Grey Gardens

Your journey has molded you for your greater good, and it was exactly what it needed to be. Don’t think that you’ve lost time. There is no short cutting to life. It took each and every situation you have encountered to bring you to the now. And now is right on time. – Asha Tyson

Hold fast to dreams. For if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly. – James Langston Hughes

Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you. – Henry Ward Beecher

At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict, or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent. – Barbara Bush (Or your pets.)

Comparison is the death of true self-contentmentJohn Powell

You’re going to come across people in your life who will say all the right words at all the right times. But in the end, it’s always their actions you should judge them by. It’s actions, not words, that matter. – Nicholas Sparks

It’s almost nostalgic for a time that never existed. – Ruth Washington (Myha’la Herrold) referring to the TV series Friends, Leave the World Behind

Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity. – Henry van Dyke Jr.

Don’t stop until you see the whites of his pockets. – Don Draper (Jon Hamm), Mad Men

Your greatness is measured by your kindness; your education and intellect by your modesty; your ignorance is betrayed by your suspicions and prejudices, and your real caliber is measured by the consideration and tolerance you have for others. William J.H. Boetcker

It’s going to be a long learning curb.Amy Slaton, 1000-Lb. Sisters

Skating On Thin Ice…

Bounce back on Monday really Tuesday for soap and turbulent seas on the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay using your turn signals (you learned that in driver’s ed, right?), and stay focusing on what’s important, even when your instincts are telling you to strike back.

December 12, 2023 – Ned Wants To Make a Deal With Nina, She Shines, Daytime Emmy Info, Speaking Out, Mishap, No Snow, Not So Pretty, VanderTrailer, Stay Healthy, Holiday Pets (!) & Feliz

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Tracy walks into the nook and sees Ned on his guitar. She says she knew it was too good to be true. Eddie Maine has clearly not left the building.

Brook is about to knock on Maxie’s office door, when she hears Maxie talking to Felicia on the phone. Maxie says, her mom and dad have already helped her so much. She can’t allow them to jeopardize their financial future to get her out of this mess.

There’s a knock at Nina’s office door, and she says, come in. Willow walks in and asks if it’s a bad time, but Nina says, never. She’s so happy to see Willow. Willow asks if she’s sure, because lately, it feels like she’s been pulling away.

Obrecht meets Scotty at Kelly’s, and he asks her to have a seat, but she says she’s not sitting. She’s not staying. State his business. He says, coffee. He thought they agreed if they ran into each other in public, they’d be civil. She says, they did, but this is not a chance encounter where they can nod their heads regretfully to each other in passing and continue on. He says, you call that civil? and she sits down. She says, he asked her here to what end? and he says he thinks their relationship ended too soon.

At the counter, Hume asks Brennan why he keeps coming back to Kelly’s, and Brennan says he likes the ambience. Hume says, he knows this place is owned by Corinthos’s ex-wife. What if someone recognizes them?

Sam meets Kristina at Kelly’s, and Kristina gives a crazy coffee order. Sam says, it sounds like someone needs a pick-me-up. Did she have a late night? Kristina says, no. Just indulging while she can. Sam asks what that’s supposed to mean.

Dante hangs around the lockers until he’s sure no one is around. He takes out the key.

As Brook listens, Maxie says she loves that her parents want to bail her out, but if they could just make the money back, they’d have it… Okay. Let her look at the numbers. Maybe they can come up with a compromise, like a partial loan or something, but she has to go… She loves Felicia too. Bye. Brook knocks at the door, and Maxie says, it’s open. Brook comes in, and Maxie says, this is a surprise. Brook asks if she’s in the middle of something, and Maxie says, always, but it’s good to see her. Brook asks if everything is okay, and Maxie says, fine, great actually. Deception is back and better than ever. Brook asks if she’s sure, and Maxie says, yeah. Why does she ask? Brook says, because she was just eavesdropping on her.

Ned continues to play, and Tracy says, the Bridge and Tunnel twins swore up and down he was in his right mind. She doesn’t know why she let them get her hopes up. Clearly those perpetual teenyboppers prefer having Eddie Maine around. He asks if she really thinks so, and she says she knows so. The Pink Ladies from Bensonhurst are probably tearing each other’s hair out, battling over who gets to wear his leather jacket. He says, are you quite finished, mother? and she says, it’s ridiculous to… Did he just call her mother? He says he’s sure that’s not the only thing he’s called her, and she says, Ned? He says, it’s me.

Nina says she hasn’t been distancing herself from Willow. Absolutely not. It’s just with the magazine and the MetroCourt and the holidays, she’s been jammed. Willow asks if she means that, and Nina says, of course (🍷) she does. Willow says, because if this relationship is going to work, they have to be honest with each other, and Nina says, absolutely. Willow wonders if she said or did something to upset Nina, but Nina says, it’s just she’s been swamped on all fronts. She knows people were concerned when she offered to sell her half of the MetroCourt back to Carly. They thought she was doing it to score points with her and Willow, but honestly, it’s really that having two full-time jobs has taken its toll. Willow says, of course (🍷). She gets it. Nina says she’s glad Willow is here because she wanted her input. She has some ideas, but wanted Willow’s opinion. What does Willow think she should get Wiley and Amelia for Christmas?

Obrecht says, the bond she and Scotty shared was broken, and he’s the one who broke it when he chose to help Elizabeth, even though Elizabeth’s lies contributed to her Britta’s death. He says, she was his client. Confidentiality. Obrecht, as a doctor, knows it would have been unethical for him to tell her. She says, legally and medically, they’re both such paragons of ethics. She’s truly sorry, but their problems are unsurmountable. He says, they also had a lot of fun even though they have these problems. The way he sees it, they march to a different drumbeat. That’s why he thinks they are a good match. She says, that’s why they were a good match, but now… He doesn’t want her back. He just wants someone to avoid being alone. She thinks people understand that. She’s been in relationships where she felt more alone than when she was encumbered. (Truth!) That’s how she knows it’s best not to settle. He says, settle. She hasn’t even been around. She’s been galivanting all over the country to all these medical conventions and everything else. Tell him. Is she not just a little bit lonely?

Sam tells Kristina that she heard about the miscarriage. Molly is devastated. Kristina says, it’s awful. She ran into Molly in Rice Park. She was bawling her eyes out, so Kristina took Molly back to her apartment. They talked about things, and they decided she’s going to be Molly’s surrogate.

Brennan tells Hume that the only one who would recognize him is Anna Devane, and it’s been over thirty years. He doubts she’d recognize him. Hume says, spies have very long memories; it’s part of the job. Brennan is living proof.

Dante opens the locker and takes out a box wrapped in brown paper. Another man comes in, and Dante puts his hand on his gun, but the man takes out his phone and keeps walking. Dante closes and locks the locker, and leaves with the package.

Nina says, wheels. Got it. How about Amelia? Willow says she understands Amelia is too young to understand what she’s playing with, but if Nina decides to get her a doll, she prefers it to be a doll with a career. (Do baby dolls have careers now?) Nina says, all right, so like a doctor, a lawyer doll? and Willow says, or even an editor/hotelier like her grandmother. Nina says, or a nurse like her mom, and Willow says, all good ideas. Nina says she just has to tell Willow… She thanks Willow for coming here. She really appreciates it. Willow says, right back at her, and Nina says, Willow will let her know if she overdoes it, right? Willow says, total honesty means total honesty. Since they’re discussing Christmas, Michael tells her that they’re going to be spending Christmas Eve with her and Sonny. Nina says, yeah. Is that okay? Willow says, it’s great. She was thinking the kids could open up their presents from her and Sonny while they’re there. That way, Nina can see their reaction.

Tracy says she missed Ned so much, and he says he faked that amnesia for months just to hear her say that. She asks if he wants another head injury, and he says, not that he doesn’t deserve one. He’s sorry for how he behaved toward her when he thought he was Eddie. She says, no apology necessary, and he says, really? She says, actually, it’s Eddie Maine who owes her an apology, but his non-existence in and of itself is a gift. She’s so grateful to have her son standing in front of her is enough. He says, she knows he loves her, right? and she says, of course (🍷). What’s not to love? He laughs, and she says she loves him too. She punches his arm, and he says, what? She says, he’s wasted so much time, and he says, saying they love each other? She says, he let her go on and on about him being Eddie Maine still, and he says, have you ever tried to stop you? She says she wants him to put this guitar in the attic. He needs to focus and stop Michael from taking ELQ. He says he thought she wanted nothing to do with ELQ, and she says she doesn’t, but that doesn’t mean she wants to see Alan’s surprise offspring and his grandson run away with it. Ned needs to get his head in the game.

Kristina tells Sam that she doesn’t have to say anything. She knows how Sam feels about it. Sam’s already told her that she doesn’t think it would be wise for her to be Molly and TJ’s surrogate. Sam tells her that she never said that. What she meant to say was, being pregnant and giving birth are bigger than Kristina could ever imagine. They have to be experienced to be understood. She just wanted Kristina to think about it carefully before she made a commitment. Kristina says, Sam was right, 100%. She wasn’t ready. And now she is, and so is Molly.

Brennan says he knows Hume has met Corinthos face to face. Is there anyone else in town who could recognize him? Hume says, a few of his guards and business associates. Other than that… Brennan says, maybe it’s time for Hume to head back to DC, and Hume says, whatever the circumstances require. Brennan says, but before he goes, find the report that Forsythe stole from Anna Devane.

Obrecht tells Scotty that she may be alone in her travels, but she’s never lonely. She’s interacting with her peers, talking about her expertise. And she’s learning so much; discoveries and developments in disease, discoveries in technology and treatments. She can’t begin to tell him how exciting it all is. He says, that’s it. He wants her to tell him this stuff. She says, Scotty. Stuff. He says he wants to tell her something, since they may never see each other again, and she says, an ominous prologue. He says he thinks she may be doing all this traveling to hide from her grief, and she says, Auf Wiedersehen. Have a good life. She gets up, and goes outside, but he follows her. He says, hang on a second. Talk to him. he understands the grief she’s going through. More than anybody. He buried three children. Their children were forces of nature, and he thinks if they talk about them, if they share their grief – he takes her hand – that will bring them closer together. She says, that is precisely why they’re not together. He couldn’t be more wrong.

Maxie tells Brook, what can she say? At least Brook is admitting upfront this time that she’s spying. Brook says she wasn’t spying… this time. Maxie’s door was a little bit open and she just happened to hear part of the conversation. Maxie says, fine. She guesses that’s the definition of eavesdropping. Since Brook isn’t here for corporate espionage, what is she here for? Brook says she wanted to share some news, brushing her hair back with her left hand so Maxie can see the ring. Maxie says, oh my God. Brook and Chase? Brook says, they’re engaged, and Maxie squeals, running over to Brook. She says, congratulations, hugging her, and Brook thanks her. Maxie says she has to look, and takes Brook’s hand, checking out the ring. Brook asks if it meets with her approval, and Maxie says, yes, it does. That is a good stone. Her feelings are a little hurt that Chase didn’t consult with her, but whoever he did go to steered him in the right direction. Brook says, he did his research and the was thorough. Chase is so sweet that way. Maxie asks if Brook and Detective Adorable have set a date yet, and Brook says, not yet, but they’re thinking early in the new year. Maxie says she sees, and looks at Brook’s stomach. She says, for real this time? and Brook says she’s not pregnant. Maxie says, why the shotgun? and Brook says, there is no shotgun or weapons of any kind. They just… Violet doesn’t believe in long engagements. Maxie says, all right then. If she needs a wedding planner… Brook says, like she would consider anybody else. And she’s sure Maxie has planned her entire wedding already. Maxie says she has a file… and a vision board. She has color samples, dress choices, dinner and dessert menus, a DJ playlist, venues… Brook says, she hasn’t picked the band yet? and Maxie says, Brook is the one who knows all the musicians. Maxie says she’s missed them, and Brook says, her too, taking Maxie’s hand. Since Maxie is going to make her the happiest woman on her wedding day, maybe there’s something she can do for Maxie in return. Maxie says, such as? and Brook says, spill it. Tell her what’s going on.

Nina says she and Sonny would love to watch Wiley and Amelia open up their gifts, and Willow claps her hands and says, yes. Nina says, as long as Michael’s okay with it, and Willow says, it’s Christmas. She can’t imagine why he wouldn’t be. Ned knocks on the door and says, this is convenient. He can kill two birds with one stone. Willow says, he has something to discuss with both her and Nina? and he says, as a matter of fact, he does. Drew. Willow says, what about Drew? and Ned says he just wanted to make sure they both knew; Drew will be spending Christmas in Australia with a business deal. Willow says she knew that. Nina? Nina says, that’s news to her. She’ll have to make sure Sonny knows that. She thanks Ned for coming by and telling them. That might change Carly’s holiday plans, which might change their plans. Ned says, the domino effect. One decision sets in motion a whole chain of events. Willow says she’s got to run. She’ll talk to Nina if she has any more gift ideas for the kids. Nina says she’ll do the same, and Willow leaves. Ned closes the door and says he can’t tell Nina how tempted he was to let Willow know he wasn’t the one who turned Drew and Carly in to the SEC. It was her. She says, so why didn’t he?

Maxie tells Brook, when Tracy’s lawsuit stalled Deceptor sales, the stocks plummeted, and she stopped drawing salary. Brook says, no, and Maxie says, she went from paying off her credit cards monthly to only making the minimum payments, but she still had bills, so she was still charging. She basically blew through her savings and dug herself into a major hole. Brook says, but Deception is recovering, right? And Maxie’s salary is going to kick in soon. Maxie says, if only, and Brook asks what she’s going to do. Maxie says, her mom and Mac want to liquidate part of their financial portfolio to help her out of this debt, but she doesn’t feel right about doing that. They’ve worked their entire lives to earn that money so their portfolio can grow. Brook says, okay, so how about if she loans Maxie the money? and Maxie says she appreciates the thought, but she can’t accept that. Brook says, why not? She’s a trust fund baby. She has tons of funds in an account that she didn’t earn. She would be putting it into good use. Maxie thanks her for the offer, but her parents are going to help her, and Brook asks if Maxie would even be in this position if it weren’t for Tracy’s lawsuit, or her spying. Maxie says, no, she wouldn’t, and Brook says, so let her fix this. She owes it to Maxie. Maxie says, this is not Brook’s problem to solve. It’s hers and she will. Now she really needs to get back to work. Brook says, why? It’s not like she’s getting paid. Maxie says she can’t wait to plan Brook’s wedding, even more than she already has, and they hug.

Scotty says he doesn’t understand why Obrecht won’t let him comfort her, help her here. Forget about a relationship. Why won’t she let him help her? She says she doesn’t want him to. She doesn’t want anyone to. When she lost Nathan, she didn’t think she could go on, but she did. In part, because she still had her Britta. Some people might find comfort that their child died heroically. She envies them. All she feels is grief. She doubts she’ll ever make sense of why she’s still alive and her children are gone. Perhaps it’s so she can redeem herself with her grandson James. He reminds her so much of her son Nathan. She starts to cry, and he says he understands the whole grandkid thing. Elizabeth’s kids aren’t his by blood, but he is their grandfather. He likes it that way. She says, it’s good they can still count the few remaining blessings they have, and he says he thinks they can have more blessings. She says, just when they were doing so well, and laughs. He says he wants love. He thinks she does too.

Kristina tells Sam that she knew how badly Molly wanted to be a mother of course (Auf Wiedersehen), but she never really grasped it until she saw Molly in the park that day. She wants to be Molly’s surrogate. She wants to give Molly and TJ what they want more than anything.

Hume says, they’ve been attempting to reconstruct Forsythe’s movements from the night he retrieved the report until his death. Brennan asks when they’ll have actual results, and Hume says he’s been assured, very soon. Brennan says, none of this would be necessary if someone hadn’t jumped the gun quite literally and got rid of Forsythe prematurely. He was much more valuable alive.

A bank officer brings Dante a safe deposit box, and thanks him for choosing their bank. He leaves, Dante opens the box, and takes the package out of his duffel bag. He puts on gloves, takes out a pocketknife, and slices open the paper.

Kristina tells Sam that she just knows Molly and TJ want this so badly. She wants to be a good sister. She wants to give this to them. Okay, hit her. Thoughts, concerns, questions, objections. God knows Sam’s got them. Sam says she does, and she can see Kristina has thought this through, and it’s coming from a place of love. And she supports Kristina all the way.

Dante takes a box out of the paper and opens it. He takes out some papers and looks at them. It looks like it’s probably the report in question because it talks about an operation and Forsythe’s name is all over. We see Anna’s name, and something about a whole lot of money that was never recovered. At the bottom, it says, WSB. After flipping through it, Dante sets the report aside, and shakes some photos out of a small envelope. He sees a headshot of a guy I assume is Forsythe, one of Anna, and when he looks at the last picture, Dante says, who are you? I’m thinking Brennan, younger and without facial hair.

Scotty says he knows he and Obrecht were crazy about each other a while back. He thinks they can be crazy about each other again. She says, is that so? and he says, yes, it is. He has another point. Time is ticking away and they’re not getting any younger. So he says they strike while the iron’s hot. She says, he believes they should embrace this opportunity because another, better one might not come along, and he says, yeah. If they can take this opportunity, why wait for another opportunity? She says, an admirable attempt. What Maxie would call, a nice save. If one of them is settling, then they both are, and she never settles. She kisses him on the cheek and says she hopes he knows, even though they won’t have their own happy ending, she hopes he finds one himself. She leaves.

On the phone, Maxie says, they can let Haven know they’ll consider booking another segment with Sasha and Cody, but Haven will have to agree, in advance, to limit her own camera time. Lucy comes to the door, but says, sorry. Maxie’s busy. She’ll come back. Maxie signals her not to go, and says, just give Haven the message and let them know what she decides. They’re not in a hurry. She asks Lucy, what’s up? and Lucy says, nothing really. No. Nothing… She thinks she made a mistake.

Brook asks if Tracy’s got a minute, and Tracy says, for her granddaughter, always. She shows Brook her tablet and says, look at these pictures. Isn’t Sasha radiant? Brook says, she always is, and Tracy says she doesn’t really get the point of Cody though. Brook says, everyone has a different demographic, right? and Tracy says she supposes so. Sasha has the department store and boutique crowd, and he maybe increases foot traffic… Can Brook imagine? Lucy Coe wanted to replace her with a random singer? Brook says, that random singer’s name is Blaze, and she happens to be wildly popular and extremely talented. Tracy says, good for her, and Brook says, Blaze is also her client. Tracy says, good for Brook. She’s definitely not the Face of Deception, nor will she ever be. Brook says, which coincidentally, she wanted to talk to Tracy about. Tracy says, the singer? but Brook says, no, Deception.

Ned says he doesn’t know. Why didn’t he expose Nina to Willow and blow up her newfound detente with her? Nina says, there’s one thing everyone seems to be conveniently forgetting. Regardless of who turned in Carly and Drew to the SEC, that doesn’t change the fact that they committed insider trading. He says, so Drew at least got what he deserved, including a beating… She says, Drew didn’t deserve to be attacked, but that had nothing to do with the insider trading, and he says, Drew wouldn’t have been in Pentenville in the first place if Nina hadn’t turned them in. She says, if Carly and Drew hadn’t committed a crime, and he says, if this had been about justice or doing the right thing, she wouldn’t have used Martin as her go-between. So now, she’s scrambling because she wants to keep all of this quiet, because she doesn’t want to lose Sonny or lose any chance of having a relationship with Willow, her sweet, beautiful daughter. So far, it’s worked. So far. She says, if he wanted to blow up her life, he wouldn’t be talking to her right now. He’d be out there talking to Sonny or Michael or Willow or whoever. But here he is talking to her. So tell her, what does he want? he says, what he wants is to make a deal with her.

Tracy says she thought Brook wanted nothing to do with Deception. That she wanted her sole focus to be music, and she couldn’t have Deception as back-up because it would prevent her from going all-in on her dream of being a so-called manager for so-called talent. Brook says, Tracy was listening, and Tracy says she heard every word. Brook says, how else could Tracy use it against her later? and Tracy asks if Brook just dropped by to remind her that she turned her nose up at that generous offer? Brook says, actually, she dropped by to tell Tracy that she reconsidered, and Tracy says, reconsidered what?

Maxie asks, what’s the mistake? and Lucy says she had drinks with Scotty. Maxie says, she’s done that billions of times. Not literally billions, but at least in the thousands. Lucy says she’s not making herself clear, is she? and Maxie says she can’t believe she’s asking this, but can Lucy elaborate? Lucy says, Scotty asked her to join him for drinks, and like Maxie said, a billion times, so she agreed, but it quickly became clear, Scotty’s really lonely. He seemed out of sorts. He had that break-up with Liesl… Maxie says she never thought he was good enough for her, and Lucy says, what? She always thought exactly the opposite. Scotty has faults, she agrees – many, many faults – but deep down underneath, he has a big heart of gold. And therein lies the problem. Maxie says, that she thinks Scotty has a big heart of gold, and Lucy says, yes. She can’t help herself; she sympathizes with him. And sympathy always leads her down this road that she’s traveled many, many, many times. And the last time she traveled that road, she lost her Doc for good, and she doesn’t want the same thing to happen with Marty. Maxie says, of course (🍷) not, and Lucy says, she and Maxie were thinking the same thing; she and Scotty are just friends, right? They’re best friends. They’re just friendly friend, friend friends, and could never be anything else but just friends. Because if they cross that line of romance, it leads ultimately to total disaster. She ends up heartsore, humiliated, and broke; sometimes all three happen at the same time. But at the same time, it’s not Scotty’s fault. He’s a unique, funny, wonderful man. He’s also absolutely the catalyst to some of the worst decisions she’s ever made in her entire life. There’s a knock on the door, and Scotty asks if he’s interrupting.

Nina says, in return for Ned keeping quiet about her turning Carly and Drew in to the SEC, he wants what? He says he’s willing to continue taking the blame for Drew going to prison, if she gets him some insider information. She says, he doesn’t lack for audacity, does he? and he says he sees the irony hasn’t escaped her. (Me neither.) She says, okay, so this isn’t a joke. He wants her to get him insider information on what? Crimson or the MetroCourt? He says, Drew and Michael have been double-teaming him again with ELQ and Aurora. What he wants – what he needs – is an advantage, specifically inside information on Crimson’s parent company Aurora.

Kristina says she’s got to run and asks Sam if everything is okay. Sam says, yeah. She was just hoping to hear from Dante. He’s working on a case and she wants to make sure everything is okay. Kristina says, Dante is a badass. She’s sure he’s fine. Sam says, when Kristina is right, she’s right, and Kristina asks her to say it again. She wants to make that her ringtone. Sam says, when she’s right, she’s right, and Kirstina says she loves Sam. She kisses Sam on the cheek, and leaves.

Hume says, continuing to search for the report could leave them exposed, but Brennan says, that is the risk. Hume asks if it’s worth taking, and Brennan says, if that report were to fall into the wrong hands, it would not only compromise the WSB, it would compromise Pikeman. Does Hume think it’s worth it?

Sam is about to send a text to Dante: Everything okay? but she puts her phone down. Willow runs over to her table, and Sam jumps. Willow says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to startle Sam.

Dante looks through a wallet, but it’s empty. He puts everything back in the box, closes it, folds the wrapping paper, and puts it on top of the box. He puts everything in the safe deposit box, but as he’s about to close it, he takes the wallet back out. He puts the wallet in his pocket, closes the box, and locks it. He picks up his duffel bag and leaves.

Brook says, since she got engaged, she’s realized Tracy is right, but Tracy says, she’ll have to narrow that down. Brook says, until she gets more clients and gets them more gigs and more contracts… Tracy says, and until she starts making money… Brook says, it’s going to be hard to live on Chase’s salary. So it seems like a good idea to find something more stable to supplement her income. So if Tracy’s offer is still on the table… Tracy says her offer is still on the table. She’d be delighted to have Brook join her at Deception. Brook thanks her, and Tracy says, and some day in the future, the company will be Brook’s. But until then, she has a lot to learn, and Tracy can’t wait to start teaching her.

Lucy says, she and Maxie were in the middle of a very important conference, and Maxie says, Scotty’s not here on Deception business, is he? He says, no, it’s personal, and Maxie says, she and Lucy were in the middle of something. Lucy says, they were, but tells Maxie, they’re fine. Maxie thanks her for the escape, and leaves. Lucy asks what exactly Scotty wants, and he says he’s flying down to Florida to see Serina for Christmas and say hello to the manatees. She says, that’s really nice, and asks him to give Serina her love, but he says, why doesn’t she tell Serina herself. Does she want to tag along?

Nina says, Ned thinks she can get insider information on Auroa, and he says, Crimson is one of Aurora’s biggest assets. That gives her access. She says, it doesn’t. Aurora is all Michael and Drew. Michael hates her guts, and she and Drew aren’t exactly best friends. Ned says, if she thinks he hates her now, just wait until he finds out she’s the reason he almost died in prison. She says, even if she sets up a meeting with Drew to talk about Crimson and Aurora, he’s not going to talk to her about anything except Crimson. He’s not going to give her any relevant details about Aurora or ELQ. Ned tells her to think back to those bygone days in Nixon Falls, when she kept Sonny’s identity hidden from him; when she kept Sonny’s very existence hidden from everyone here. She says, he’s bringing this up why? and he says, to remind her just how resourceful she can be, especially when her back is up against the wall, which it most certainly is right now. She says, Nixon Falls is a very small town. All she had to do was not say anything, and people still found out. He says, get him that intel. Otherwise, he’ll just make that short, three-minute walk from the mansion to the gatehouse and share some insider information of his own with Willow about just how low Nina can stoop.

Willow says, Christmas Eve, she and Michael are taking the kids to Sonny and Nina’s, and Sam says, she and Dante are taking the kids to the Quartermaines on Christmas… She suddenly gets up and runs to the door where Dante has just come in. She throws her arms around him, and Willow says, perfect.

Brennan tells Hume, worst case scenario, Forsythe passed the report on to someone else. Hume says, and if that is the case… Brennan says, whoever has it now will have to be dealt with.

Tomorrow, Nina asks what’s got Ava so terrified; Sam asks if Dante trusts Anna; Kristina says she knows what she’s in for, but Alexis says, no, she doesn’t; and Brennan says, perhaps Carly can accompany him.

🌞 She’s No Slouch…

At 9 years old, I was playing with Barbies.

🏆 Awarding Daytime…

This Friday, December 15th, 9 pm EST, on CBS and Paramount+.

I like how they chose the presenter for Susan Lucci’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

🚽 Ozempic Not OK…

Maybe it’s me, but I’m not into the side effects.

https://okmagazine.com/p/bravo-celebrities-who-have-spoken-ozempic/

🎤 Her Show Went On…

Seriously, does it really make any difference?

🐉 Jon Stalled…

Looks like a wall got put up on this one.

https://www.cbr.com/jon-snow-game-of-thrones-disappointing-update/

👠 And She Oughtta Know…

What she said was very accurate. I also highly recommend her new film Leave the World Behind on Netflix. It really keeps you guessing.

https://ew.com/julia-roberts-responds-pretty-woman-gift-real-housewives-beverly-hills-8413985

🍸 Prolonging the Pain…

Milking the VanderCashCow.

https://people.com/vanderpump-rules-season-11-extended-trailer-8414301

🍰 Staying the Course…

And remember, it’s not what you eat between Christmas and the New Year, but what you eat between the New Year and Christmas. Although admittedly, that eating business begins at Halloween.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/food-dining/2023/11/20/staying-healthy-holiday-tips/71570950007/

🦌 On Doberman and Dachshund…

Luckily, my newest dog doesn’t mind a hat.

🐀 Not a Creature Is Stirring…

Join me tomorrow for soap and the nonsense that is Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay hydrated even in the cooler months, and stay embracing opportunities, but not settling.

October 27, 2023 – Mason’s Taking Austin Down With Him, Finn’s Cut, Spending 5 Nights, Dead Stuff, Witchy Sisters, Fearless In Fear, Ushering In a Scare, Pups Of Halloween, Quotes Numbering 9 & Spell

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Brattleboro, Vermont. Elizabeth and Finn walk into the cabin, and Elizabeth says she’s impressed. Finn says he really loves it up here. He and Dan interned together. He’s a good guy. Make herself at home; put her stuff anywhere. She flops on the couch and says, this is comfy and perfect. Finn looks around and says, Dan said it would be here somewhere, he just didn’t say where, and she asks what he’s looking for. If he told her, she could help him look for it. He looks under the sink and says, found it, holding up a hammer. She says she never would have guessed that was what he was looking for. What are they doing, hunting vampires? Viewers who watched Port Charles are collectively laughing at the reference.

Esme asks if Alexis has time to talk to Mayor Collins. She’s here to see her. Alexis says she always has time for Laura; send her in. Laura thanks Esme and says, she’s really settled into her role as a receptionist. Alexis says, she’s actually doing a very good job. In fact, Esme caught a mistake she made and saved her a lot of trouble a few weeks ago. Esme says, it’s all part of her job. Let her know if they need anything. She leaves, and Alexis says, welcome home. She hugs Laura and says, it’s good to see her. Laura says, her too, and Alexis asks what she found out about Nikolas. Laura says, before she gets into all of that, she wants to thank Alexis for keeping an eye on Esme while she was out of town with Doc. Esme listens outside the door.

Austin watches as TJ goes into Mason’s room. TJ tells Mason that he needs to check his incision site to make sure it’s healing properly and there’s no sign of infection. He needs Mason to roll over on his side. Mason says, and he needs TJ to make himself useful. He needs some painkillers.

Josslyn calls Trina at the gallery and asks why she left so early this morning. She woke up and Trina was gone. Trina says she’s at the gallery covering for Ava. After everything that’s happened in the last couple days, she wanted to spend the morning with Avery. Josslyn says, that’s sweet of her, and Trina asks if Josslyn can do her a favor. Josslyn says, anything, and Trina says, somebody is supposed to drop off an art book at the dorm for her. Has it come yet? Josslyn says, it hasn’t, and she’s been at the dorm all morning, studying with Adam for Organic Chem. Trina asks if Josslyn can just leave it on her bed when it comes, and Josslyn says, of course (🍷). Trina thanks her and says, somebody’s here; she has to go. Cyrus walks in.

Elizabeth and Finn carry metal buckets through the woods, and she asks if he’s done this before. He says, once, but he has to warn her, it can get pretty messy, and she says she’s not the one who’s afraid to get messy.

Esme continues to listen in, and Laura says she can’t tell Alexis what a relief it was to her that Esme was here working with her and her baby was just down the hall in the daycare center. Alexis says she wasn’t kidding. Esme is actually doing a good job. Who’d-a thunk it? And she loves having that cute little boy down the hall; he’s darling. Has Laura seen how big he’s gotten? Laura says she has. She just wishes Nikolas could see him.

TJ says he’ll let Mason’s surgeon know he’s still in pain, but right now, he is receiving the correct dosage of pain medicine. Mason says he’s really hurting here and needs something stronger. Does TJ think he’s lying? TJ says he believes Mason is telling the truth, but according to his chart, he just received his pain meds. Just relax and let the medicine take effect. Mason tells him to get another doctor in here, but TJ says, any other doctor will come to the same conclusion. They can’t endanger his health by giving him additional pain medicine. Mason asks if TJ needs his ears checked, because obviously he does if he didn’t hear Mason the first time. He needs more drugs – now! TJ says he needs Mason to take a better tone, and Mason tells him to go now. TJ says he needs Mason to calm down, and Mason says, TJ’s ego is running his mouth. He can’t listen to TJ’s whining anymore. He can’t wait for this to be over so he never has to hear TJ speak again. He never used to shut up down there either. TJ says, wait. He knows who Mason is. Mason says, he’s TJ’s patient. Now get him more drugs. TJ says, Mason’s one of the men who was holding him when he was abducted. Mason kept him a prisoner for days. Mason says, then cry him a river. So is that it? The roles are reversed, and now he’s TJ’s prisoner?… He guesses he doesn’t know what he’s saying. He must really be stoned. TJ says, Mason knows what he did to him, doesn’t he? And you’re going to pay for it, you sick son of a bitch. He leaves, and Austin watches him stride down the hall.

Adam tells Josslyn, that’s so old school, handwritten notes. He doesn’t know how she can keep up with what the professor’s saying and write everything down fast enough. She says she doesn’t. She actually records the lecture and then later transcribes it in her own handwriting. Apparently, there’s a lot of research on this. If you actually (WOTD) write things down in your own handwriting, you remember them better instead of like, typing it. (I have actually found this to be true.) He says she’s full of surprises, and she suggests he try it sometime. He says, it seems like a waste of time, and she says she gets it. His grades are already perfect. But it helps a lot with memory retention. It’s the easiest way for her to remember all the details.

Cyrus tells Trina, what a nice surprise. Forgive him for startling her. She asks what he’s doing here, and he says, right down to business. He likes that. He’s not sure if she heard, but he was released from Pentenville. God bless our justice system. She asks what he wants, and he says he’s here to find some artwork for his new place. He thought Ava would be here. This is just a fortuitous accident finding Trina here. She says, there’s no such thing as an accident when it comes to him, and he says he stopped by General Hospital to apologize to Dr. Robinson, and she gave him a stern warning not to seek Trina out, and of course (🍷) he would abide by her mother’s wishes. She says, then leave, and he says, she’s right; he should go. But before he does, he’d like to apologize to her for his past actions, for what he put her and her mother through. She says, for what he put them through? She can’t believe this BS she’s hearing. He held them hostage at gunpoint, and he wants her to forgive him? He’s more of a psychopath than she thought he was. Now get out! Now! She points to the door, and Spencer says, what’s going on? He comes in and asks what Cyrus is doing here. Cyrus says, Spencer, my boy. He really would like Spencer to call him uncle.

Alexis gives Laura some coffee and says, lay it on her. What does she know about Nikolas? Laura says, everyone who told her Chechnya would be a dead end was right. Alexis says, he wasn’t there, and Laura says, right, and no sign that he’d ever been there. The same with Cassadine Island. There was no trace of him. So then she and Doc went to Italy to the Cassadine mansion on Lake Como. Alexis says she knows it well, and Laura says, that was also a dead end. Then she got this gut feeling that maybe she should check in with his banker in Geneva, because eventually he’s going to need money and that’s where his biggest holdings are. Alexis asks if he was there, and Laura says, no, but they just missed him. And she got confirmation that he had been there several times, and one time, he moved a very large sum of money. She couldn’t get the details on it, but the good news is, she walked away from there knowing her son is alive. Alexis says, great. Thank God, right? Laura says, yes, but the bad news is that he doesn’t want to be found.

TJ storms into Jordan’s office, and she asks, what’s wrong? He says he just found out who abducted him and held him prisoner. She says, what? Who? He says, Mason Gatlin, and she says, the man who abducted Ava Jerome? And he’s sure of this? He says he’s never been more certain of anything in his life. It is him.

Austin goes into Mason’s room, and Mason says, if it isn’t the doctor in the family. Austin tells him, says the felon in the family, and Mason asks if Austin missed him. Austin says, not at all, and Mason asks if Austin at least brought him better drugs. Austin says, he’s had enough drugs. What did he tell the cops? Mason asks what Austin thinks he told the cops, but Austin says he’s not messing around here. What did Mason tell them? Mason says he told them that he kidnapped Ava… for Austin.

Spencer says, Cyrus is out of prison, and Cyrus says he is. Miracles do happen if you believe. Trina says she thought Spencer knew he was released, but Spencer says, no. Trina says, he went to GH and harassed her mother yesterday. She called Trina yesterday and said she’s getting a restraining order so Cyrus stays away from them, but here he is, bothering her. Cyrus says he explained this to Trina already. He had no idea she would be here. He stopped in to patronize Ava’s gallery. Trina says, if Ava wants to sell him something, that’s on her, but she refuses to wait on him. He says he doesn’t blame her, and she stamps her foot and says, stop with this disgusting act. She doesn’t buy it. Cyrus says, she’s angry at him and he understands. He did a terrible thing to her and her mother – she says, he’s damn right – and he regrets it deeply. But since finding the Lord, he’s tried to make almonds amends. Spencer knows this; he witnessed it at Pentenville. He did everything he could to make sure no harm came to Spencer while he was there. He did everything to protect Spencer.

Finn says, they have to pick one carefully, and Elizabeth asks, why? He says, sometimes it doesn’t work. She asks if there’s a trick to hitting a vein, but he says, no. A little luck, a little skill. Usually, you don’t get one on the first try, but maybe they will. Let’s see. He checks out a tree and says, this one looks good. He helps her hold the spigot up to the tree and tells her to watch her fingers. She says she’s going to need to watch both their fingers. She’s got it. Let go. She raises the hammer.

Spencer says, Cyrus did look after him while he was in Pentenville. But what Cyrus did to Trina and Dr. Robinson and to his grandmother is unforgiveable. Someone could have been killed that night. Cyrus says he realizes that, and he’s trying to make amends with everyone he’s wronged, and Trina asks if Spencer is buying this. Cyrus sees her desk, and says, look at that, the turtle dove. He gave those to Spencer before Christmas last year in the hope he would share them with her, and he did. That warms his heart. Trina says, he doesn’t have a heart, and Cyrus says he hopes Spencer kept the other one. Spencer says he did, and Cyrus says, good. He reaches for it, saying, may I? but Trina snatches it off the desk and says, no. She’s not going to stand here and make pleasant conversation with somebody who held her and her mother at gunpoint.

Mason laughs and says, Austin should see his face. Oh no, I’m going to prison. He’s an idiot. If he’d given Austin up to the almighty PCPD, he’d be in custody, not walking the halls of a hospital. He’s a joke. Austin says, Mason is certifiably insane. What did he tell them? Mason says he came in with two bullet holes in his back. He didn’t really have time for a sit-down and chit chat. But worry not. He’ll do a tell all when the cops make him a deal. Austin says, they’re not going to offer Mason a deal, but Mason says, if he surrenders up enough details, he’s pretty sure they will. He plans to tell the police that it was him and Austin together in on the Ava kidnapping. Austin says, there’s no proof he had anything to do with it, and they are never going to believe a word out of Mason’s mouth. Mason says he thinks they will.

Jordan asks TJ to tell her why he thinks Mason Gatlin is the one who abducted him, and TJ says he kept running into Mason in his cousin’s office, Dr. Gatlin Holt. And he had this feeling he knew Mason from somewhere. He just couldn’t put his finger on how or where. Today… She tells him, take a deep breath, and he does. He says, today it finally clicked. He was treating Gatlin and it was something Gatlin said to him that made him recognize his voice. It was distinctive. He was the leader of those men who held him captive. It was him. She says, he was abducted to force her cooperation, and he says, now they can both get justice. They can make sure Mason Gatlin is prosecuted to the full extent of the law. She says, no, they can’t, and he asks, why not?

Alexis says she really feels bad for Nikolas, and Laura says, the decisions he’s been making now are affecting every single relationship in his life, and she just wishes she could get him to see that. But out of her three children, he’s the hardest to get through to. Alexis says, the brooding and the stubborn side of him, that’s Cassadine. The light and loving side of him is Laura. But the bottom line is, he did a lot of bad things. He made bad choices in the past year, and they just compounded to the point where he felt the only alternative was for him to run and hide, which is exactly what he did. Even if it meant leaving Spencer and Ace. Laura says, from a legal standpoint, if Nikolas were to come back to Port Charles today, how severe would the charges be against him for holding Esme hostage? Alexis says, Esme doesn’t remember being held hostage, so at the moment, that would work in his favor. As far as the rest of it, that’s up to Robert Scorpio the DA to decide whether he wants to prosecute or not. She knows the only thing they have right now is the statement from Elizabeth Baldwin. Laura says, she’s a very credible witness, but Alexis says, they still need corroborating evidence, and they need Esme’s testimony. Without that, she doesn’t think he’ll face criminal charges. Laura says she wishes Nikolas knew that, and Alexis says, the truth is, even if he did, it wouldn’t matter.

Elizabeth gets sap out of the tree, and Finn says, wow. She asks what he said about not getting it on the first time, and he says, beginner’s luck. She tastes it, and he asks how it is. She sticks her finger in the bucket, and says, see for himself. He puts her finger in his mouth to taste it and says, amazing, and they kiss.

Laura tells Alexis that she wishes there was a way for her to get ahold of Nikolas. Although she knows when he makes up his mind, there’s usually no changing it. Alexis says, Nikolas prides himself on being the good son, the good father, and he was all those things, until he wasn’t. He blew it and he knows that, which is why he ran. He doesn’t want to face the people he disappointed. Laura says, that’s why she feels it’s so important for her to reach out to him, to let him know she loves and supports him, even though he made some bad decisions. Alexis tells Laura that she’s sorry to say this, but Nikolas has resources the rest of them don’t have. And when a Cassadine wants to disappear without a trace, they do. She thinks the only choice they have is to let him figure this out and come back on his own time. Laura says, but he’s got a beautiful little boy he’s never even met, and he’s missing moments in the baby’s life he’ll never be able to get back again. She just wishes he’d come to his senses and come back. Alexis says she wishes that too, for Ace’s sake. Spencer believes he’s very independent, but he needs his father. Laura says, it’s so ironic that she can’t bring her son home, but her brother’s back, whether she wants him or not.

Josslyn asks Adam a question about alkanes, and he says, is that the best she can do? She moves his phone out of his hand with her foot, and says, no cheating. He answers her question with a bunch of science stuff (not my forte), and she says, it’s official; he’s a genius. That’s why he gets such great grades. He says he has to. The competition is fierce to get into any med school, let alone the ones his parents have on their approved list. ( I get confused for a moment, because Sonny is his father IRL.) She says, his parents have a list of medical schools? and he says, they want him to either go to Harvard, Stanford, or Johns Hopkins. He’s leaning toward Harvard. He really loves Boston. She says, Boston’s beautiful in the fall, and he says, what about her? What medical school is she leaning toward? She says she doesn’t know. She hasn’t really thought that far ahead. Her goal right now is to just do well in undergrad and then move on to the next thing; take it in manageable steps. He says, her parents are okay with that approach? and she says her parents are okay with anything as long as it’s reasonably productive and she’s happy doing it. He wonders what that’s like.

TJ asks what Jordan means that Gatlin can’t be prosecuted for what he did to him, and she says, yes, he was a victim of abduction. But let’s look at this the way DA Scorpio would. He was blindfolded, correct? He says, yes, and she says, disoriented? He says, yeah, and she says, his account of the situation and the details around it are unreliable at best. And they have no supporting evidence to corroborate his statement. They don’t even know where he was held. He says, this is ridiculous, and she says, he’s right. It is. But with her experience in law enforcement, this isn’t a case she’d ever bring to the prosecutors. TJ says, Mason did this to him. He knows this. He knows it was him. That voice. He has no doubt about this. She says she believes him, but it’s not up to her. She hates that this happened to him, but if there’s any consolation in this, it’s that Mason Gatlin is going to be charged with abduction and attempted murder for what he did to Ava Jerome. He says, that’s so great for Ava. He’s happy she’s getting her justice, but what about him? Where’s his justice? He throws up his hands and walks out.

Trina says she’s not going to allow Cyrus to waltz in here and pretend he didn’t hold her hostage at gunpoint. He threatened to shoot her if her mother didn’t tend to his gunshot wound. And if Laura hadn’t offered to take their places as his hostage, he would have killed them. Those words came out of his mouth. So he just wants her to forget all that? He says he never asked anyone to forget what he did. He asked them to forgive, like the Good Book says. She says, so let bygones be bygones? He expects her to accept his pathetic, meaningless apology just because he’s Spencer’s uncle? But guess what? She doesn’t forgive him. And she doesn’t care if he did protect Spencer in Pentenville. If he comes near her again, she’ll call the cops.

Mason says, come on, cuz. He and Austin have been seen together plenty of times in plenty of places by plenty of people, especially his co-workers here at General Hospital. Face it. When it comes to masterminding an abduction, who’s better at being the boss? Who’s better to play the henchman? He can play dumb. He’s going to tell the cops that he was just doing what his big, smart doctor cousin told him to do. Austin asks, why? Really. Why? Implicating him isn’t going to make Mason less guilty. He’s already going to go down for this, he knows that. Mason says, yeah, he knows, but he’s going to take Austin down with him. Austin’s been a pain in his ass for years. Always being so high and mighty, thinking he’s better than Mason because he has a piece of paper from a college? He wants to see how high and mighty Austin is when they’re sharing a prison cell. Austin says nothing and walks out.

Finn starts to tap another tree and asks Elizabeth, how many tries is this? She says, there was that time he hit his finger and then he hit the tree. And the other time… She doesn’t know what he was aiming for. He says, let’s just call it four times, and she says, good luck. He says, what? and she says, ten times is the charm. She watches him, and he says he thinks hunting vampires would have been easier. I get this, since sometimes I think a real zombie apocalypse would be easier. She says she has enough for both of them and takes down her bucket. He says, beginner’s luck, and she says, they can put this on their pancakes tomorrow morning. He says, speaking of which, is she hungry? She says, starving, and he says, let’s go make some dinner. They walk back hand in hand.

Back at the cabin, Elizabeth says, this was so much fun, and thanks Finn. He says, it’s nice to be out of the city. It’s nice to be out of the hospital. It’s nice to be out here in nature with her. She says she couldn’t agree more. Her fingers are so sticky. She runs the water and asks if there’s any soap. He finds some and puts a blob in her hand, and then in his own. He asks if she minds if he joins her, and she says, of course (🍷). He gets closer, and they wash each other’s hands. I guess that’s romantic, but it’s weirding me out a little. They gaze into each other’s eyes, and he kisses her. Better now.

Adam asks Josslyn for an example of a functional group, and she asks if she can use her notes. He says, no, she may not. By memory only. She says, a functional group is a specific structural arrangement of atoms or bonds that forms a… I give up at this point because now it’s getting too complicated, but she gives him the answer. It has something to do with molecules, and he says he knew she’d get it. She says she feels like she just ran a marathon – me too – and now she needs a break. They should maybe go down and get some food… There’s a knock at the door, and she says, that’s probably the art book getting delivered, but as we’ve all guessed, it’s Dex. She throws her arms around him and says, he’s just in time to save her. Adam looks disappointed. Aww.

Esme is still listening. Doesn’t she have work to do? Alexis says she wasn’t going to bring Cyrus up, but Laura says, that’s okay; she’s fine. Alexis says, it’s baffling to her that a miscarriage of justice, to that extent, could happen and Laura agrees. She says, leave it to Cyrus to finagle a hardship release. Alexis says, it’s really unbelievable. She doesn’t know how Laura deals with it. He is Laura’s brother, but still… Laura says she’s very, very conflicted. She does believe in rehabilitation, but that would mean restoring somebody to a normal state that’s acceptable to society. She doesn’t know that that’s possible with Cyrus, and after all the things that he’s done, does he even deserve that? Alexis says, the judge felt he did, and Laura sighs. She says, then she guesses she’ll do her best to believe that the judge is right, and Cyrus can become a productive member of society. But between her and Alexis, it’s going to be a really long time before she trusts her brother.

Cyrus says he can understand why Trina doesn’t trust in him, and Spencer puts his arm around Cyrus and says, it’s time for him to go. Now. Cyrus says, okay. Spencer follows him to the doorway, where Cyrus turns around and says he owes Trina a great debt. If she ever needs his help for any reason, she only needs to ask. She says she will never ask him for anything. Does he hear her? Never! Now get the hell out! Cyrus leaves, and when he’s gone, Spencer comes back to Trina. He tells her, it’s okay, he’s here, and holds her.

Elizabeth says, she and Finn should wash their hands together more often (please don’t), and he says, definitely. He’s filthy all the time. They kiss again, and he says, maybe dinner can wait, but she says she doesn’t know… He kisses her, and she says, okay. Dinner can definitely wait. There’s more kissing.

Dex asks what he’s saving Josslyn from, and she says, organic chem. She was just telling Adam that she was going stir crazy in here. Dex asks how long they’ve been studying, and she says, a few hours. Adam says, with their midterms coming up, they could probably use a few more hours, but Josslyn says, oh God no. She’s done. Adam says, they didn’t go over the identification of hydrocarbons though, and Dex says, if she needs to stay, he can come back, but she says she needs fresh air. He says, that he can do. He has to take Sonny’s speedboat upriver to drydock it for the winter if she wants to come. She says, okay, and gets her jacket. She tells Adam, it looks like hydrocarbon structures are going to have to wait, but if she aces this midterm, it’s thanks to him. He says, pick up later this evening? but she says she can’t. Thursday? Adam says, perfect. Their midterm is Friday. Josslyn says, cool, and Adam gets his stuff together. He says, what about Trina’s art book? Does she want him to stick around here and wait for it? She says, that’s really sweet of him, but it’s no big deal. She’s sure the delivery person will leave it outside the door. He says he doesn’t mind, but she says, it’s totally fine. He leaves, and Dex tells Josslyn, if there’s time after, they could get lunch at Kelly’s. He knows the owner. They leave, and Adam comes out from around the corner and watches them.

Alexis tells Laura, they say that trust is built over time. See if Cyrus can earn her trust. Does she believe his religious conversion is sincere? Laura says, to be perfectly honest, she’s not sure. She wants to sit down with her brother Martin and compare notes with him and get his take on it. There’s a knock at the door, and Alexis says, come in. Esme says, sorry to interrupt, but Alexis has a video conference call in fifteen minutes. Does Alexis want her to reschedule it? Laura says, absolutely not, not on her account. She’s going to let Alexis get on with her business day. Alexis thanks Laura for coming by and catching her up, and they hug. Alexis says, before Laura goes, she has a question. Does Laura know Judge Kim, the judge that sentenced Drew Cain? Laura says she doesn’t know him. She’s sorry. Alexis says, thanks anyway. It’s good to see her. Laura says, her too, and says she’ll see Esme at home tonight. Maybe tomorrow morning they can all wake up and have family breakfast together? Esme says, okay, she’d like that, and Laura leaves. Esme says she knows Alexis has a video conference call to prep for, but she has a quick question if Alexis doesn’t mind. Alexis tells her, go ahead, and Esme says she doesn’t really know how to ask this. Alexis says, just ask, and Esme asks if she can have a raise. Alexis says, she wants a raise? and Esme says, yes. She wants to move out of Laura and Doc’s apartment. With them back, it’s just all so crowded. Alexis asks if that’s the real reason, and Esme says, yeah. Alexis says, Esme… and Esme says, okay. She’s starting to… have feelings for Spencer.

Spencer brings Trina some water, and she says she shouldn’t have given Cyrus that much power over her. Nobody should have that much power over anybody. She’s not going to let him make her a victim again. Spencer says, she did really good. She practically kicked him out all by herself. She asks if he can promise her something, and he says he’s never going to let Cyrus come near her, but she says, that’s not what she means. She knows Spencer would never let Cyrus do anything to her. She needs him to promise he’ll never tell anyone she lost it like that with Cyrus, especially her mom and Curtis. Because her mom is already angry and terrified that he’s been released. She doesn’t want to add fuel to the fire. Curtis is in a wheelchair and feels he can’t protect them from Cyrus. He says he promises. He’s not going to tell anyone. Clearly, she can take care of herself, but know if she ever needs back-up, he’s here. She says she knows he is, and hugs him.

Austin goes back into Mason’s room, closes the door, and shuts the blinds. Mason says, if Austin is here to beg and plead, save his breath. He’s going to take Austin down with him. Austin says he’s done begging for things in his life. Besides, how would he be begging? There’s no one in this shell of Mason that’s remotely human. He puts on surgical gloves, and says, there’s no reason. Mason wouldn’t help him, would he? Mason says, not on your life, and Austin says, then he guesses it’s time to help himself. He pats Mason’s shoulder, turns off the machine Mason is hooked up to, and takes a pillow from the chair. He slowly walks over to Mason, and Mason says, he doesn’t have the guts. Austin smiles.

TJ walks past Mason’s room, and peeks through the window. The slats are open enough that he sees Austin smothering Mason.

On Monday, Brook tells Kristina that she needs a clear head for what she’s about to do; Sasha says, count her in too; Lucy tells Martin that she needs to show Tracy exactly who she’s dealing with; and Eddie/Ned asks why Tracy can’t take no for an answer.

✂️ Feeling Trim…

I had the feeling it was a crew member. And if you notice, usually when one of the cast gets a new hairdo, many of them do. It’s like picture day in school.

🧸 Loves a Good Scare…

I’m actually looking forward to seeing this one.

⚰️ News Of the Dead…

The latest in Fear.

https://screenrant.com/madison-not-rick-grimes-fear-walking-dead-season-8/

What the live ones are about.

For those who prefer the game.

🧹 Hocus That Pocus…

About yet another Sanderson sequel.

https://people.com/hocus-pocus-3-writer-anythings-on-the-table-for-sequel-8383552

It was cool until it wasn’t.

https://ew.com/movies/hocus-pocus-stars-stuck-in-air-flying-scenes/

👠 Ladies of Horror…

They could have spent a little more time on Kiki Palmer and Jurnee Smollett. And while more sci/fi than horror, Octavia Spencer was amazing in Snowpiercer.

https://www.essence.com/entertainment/14-black-women-horror-movie-roles/

🔥 Falling For Usher…

If you haven’t seen this yet, stream, don’t wait. It’s incredible.

https://ew.com/tv/tv-reviews/the-fall-of-the-house-of-usher-review-netflix-mike-flanagan/

🐕 Uncanceled Pups…

Dogs and Halloween. There’s nothing better.

https://people.com/dogs-costumes-2023-nyc-halloween-dog-parade-photos-8374321

🐘 Quotes of the Week

Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive. – Dalai Lama

Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. Desmond Tutu

To thrive in life you need three bones. A wishbone. A backbone. And a funny bone. – Reba McEntire

Dare to be true: nothing can need a lie: A fault, which needs it most, grows two thereby. – George Herbert

The first to cry is the first to fry. – Omarosa, House of Villains

Happiness can exist only in acceptance. – George Orwell

Love your enemies, for they tell you your faults. – Benjamin Franklin

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself. – Harvey Fierstein

A mask tells us more than a face. – Oscar Wilde

🎭 Masking My Mask…

Stop by on Sunday for a little Fear. Until then, stay safe, stay springing for the good candy, and stay forgiving, but not forgetting. Especially if they’ve held you hostage.