What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Elizabeth goes up to the roof, and looks around for Anna. She thinks she sees Peter.

At the hospital, Josslyn limps over to Trina, who says, out with it. What’s the prognosis for her ankle? Josslyn says, not good, and Trina says she thought it would be healed by now. Josslyn says, her too, but look at her x-rays. Just kidding. She got the all-clear. She jumps up and down, as much as she can still wearing a boot. She says she can start training for the PCU volleyball team. Trina says Josslyn is so evil, and Josslyn says sorry she faked Trina out. As soon as the nurse comes with her PT referral, they can go. Trina says, more PT? and Josslyn says, to strengthen her ankle. Trina asks if Josslyn is faking her out again, but Josslyn says she really needs the referral. She wasn’t pranking Trina to be mean. She was just excited to get some good news. Trina says Josslyn is overdue for it; they both are. Josslyn can’t believe Cyrus took Trina and her mom hostage. Talk about someone truly evil. Trina says, he’s in police custody now. It’s finally over, and they have so much to celebrate. They high-five.

Laura accompanies Jordan to her office, and says she’s glad they decided to relocate. Their conversation is best held privately. Jordan says, there is no conversation to have. She hands Laura an envelope, and says, here’s her resignation as Commissioner of the PCPD. All Laura has to do is accept it. Laura says, with all due respect, this is about something much bigger.

Finn does lab stuff in his lab, and Gregory asks what he’s doing there. Portia told them that Chase might not survive another day. These could be his last hours. Finn looks in his microscope, and Gregory asks why Finn and Chase aren’t spending them together.

Phantom Peter walks toward Elizabeth, then disappears. Elizabeth keeps walking, and finds Anna pulling at the elevator door. Anna asks how Elizabeth knew she was up there, and Elizabeth says Britt told her that Anna was looking for Peter and might be there. She asks if Anna found anything, but Anna says, just this old elevator; it’s not working. She has the feeling it might be the key to how Peter got out of the hospital undetected.

Britt stands at her office door, and flashes back to Jason saving her from Cyrus’s men. Obrecht comes up behind her, and says, in or out? Choose one. She can’t abide indecision. Britt says, hello, mother, and Obrecht asks if they’re staying or going. Britt says she was lost in thought, and Obrecht says, about? Britt says, how she almost died when Cyrus’s men trapped her there, and Obrecht says, fortunately, she had a savior. Britt smiles.

Carly tells Jason, when she saw him and Britt at the MetroCourt, she’s not going to say there were sparks, but there was definitely a connection. He says she’s right.

Obrecht says, thrilling as it must have been to have Jason save her, Britt was terrorized in this office. No doubt the memories linger, to say nothing of her current circumstances. How is she feeling? Britt says they don’t have to talk about Huntington’s every single time they see each other, do they? She cherishes every moment it’s not on her mind. Obrecht says, of course (🍷). She suggests Britt enter her office with some kind of weapon. Go for the legs first. Britt says she doesn’t need to be armed to go into her own office. Cyrus just left the hospital in police custody. The threat is over. Obrecht tells her, don’t be naïve. Cyrus may no longer be a threat, but Henrik definitely is. She wants Britt to be on her guard at all times in case he returns. Next time, Jason might not be on hand to save her.

Jason tells Carly, Britt saved his life; he’s grateful to her. Can they just leave it at that? She says she understands he and Britt were fugitives, and they were in heightened circumstances. She knows how things go. His phone rings, and he says he needs to take it. He answers and says, how big a problem?

Laura tells Jordan, after all this time, Port Charles has finally triumphed over Cyrus Renault. They put him in a Federal penitentiary, in the Midwest, where he has no contacts. His organization has been smashed, his people have scattered everywhere. He has no power. None. This is a major win, for Jordan and the PCPD. To resign now would be to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, and not just for Jordan, but for the whole department. Jordan says, Cyrus left a trail of devastation. Lulu is still in a coma. Laura says Jordan suffered too, and Jordan says, the list of people harmed by Cyrus goes on and on. There would be no list if it wasn’t for her and Taggert. Laura thinks Jordan is oversimplifying it a bit, and Jordan says, falsifying evidence against Cyrus laid the groundwork for his release from prison. They gave him an opening, and he terrorized the citizens of Port Charles, and for that, she’ll never forgive herself. As mayor, Laura shouldn’t forgive her either.

Elizabeth gestures toward the warning: out of order sign, and tells Anna, everyone has forgotten about this old elevator. Anna says, it was originally constructed for Helena Cassadine to have access to this secret lab beneath the hospital. Recently, Olivia Jerome used it in her demented attempt to resurrect the dead. Elizabeth says, using Griffin Monroe, and Anna says, as if you could bring anyone back. Elizabeth says she knows how much Anna grieves for Duke, and Anna says, as Elizabeth does for Franco, dead at Peter’s hand. Now Chase’s life is at stake because of Peter. Elizabeth says, it’s been painful watching Chase’s family come to terms with what’s happening, and Finn is going crazy trying to figure out a way to save him. Anna says she saw Finn earlier; he’s devastated. Elizabeth says she knows how much Anna cares for Finn. Instead of being up there, maybe they should go back and offer their support and help.

Gregory tells Finn, he went by Chase’s room. Chase has drifted off to sleep, and Jackie and Willow are planning the wedding. He slipped away to find Finn. Jackie said he took off like a shot, after some strange encounter with Cyrus. Finn says, Cyrus was on his way to prison, and made a point of speaking to them. Finn goes to the whiteboard and writes some chemistry formulas. Gregory asks if what Cyrus said is more important than spending time with Chase in what could be his final hours. Finn just found out he’s Chase’s father. Why wouldn’t he want to spend as much time as possible with him? Finn says he thinks he can save Chase’s life, and Gregory says, Finn told them he’d run out of options. Finn says, he thought he was, until the run-in with Cyrus. He thinks he knows why his treatment didn’t work. Gregory says, the Trojan horse where Finn combined the DNA of both parents, and Finn says he used his own DNA, not Gregory’s. Gregory says he doesn’t understand, and Finn says he doesn’t think Chase is his son. He thinks Chase is Gregory’s son. YES!

Trina tells Josslyn, her mom just texted. Cyrus is headed for some penitentiary in the Midwest. Josslyn says she hopes he rots there, and Trina tells her, what you said. Josslyn says her mom has been in overdrive, trying to keep the family safe and hold Sonny’s business together. Now that Cyrus is gone, and Jason has been cleared, hopefully, things will get easier. Trina says Josslyn always told them Jason was innocent, and Josslyn says, because he was. That’s what made it so incredibly frustrating to deal with Cameron. He wanted someone to blame, and chose Jason. Nothing she said could get through to him. Not the fact that Jason is Jake’s father, and would never hurt him by killing Franco; not the fact that Jason’s a professional, and would never do it in such a stupid way; not even the fact that Jason once saved Cameron’s life. Trina says glad to see Josslyn and Cameron have resolved their issues, and Josslyn says, in all fairness, Cameron realized he was wrong and apologized. It’s just that she feels she doesn’t know him as well as she thought she did, or at least as well as she used to. Trina says she knows Josslyn saw Cameron’s post saying he was accepted at PCU, and Josslyn says she congratulated him, and told him that she was excited for all three of them going to college together. Trina says it would be great if she actually meant it, and Josslyn says she does. The nurse comes out with Josslyn’s PT referral, and Josslyn asks if Trina is ready to go. Trina says Josslyn can’t just brush it off. She and Cameron need to deal with their issues. They can’t start college with the two of them being weird. Josslyn promises she’ll figure it out; just not right now. They have more important things to do.   

Jason tells Carly, the shipment that was expected last night never made it, and she asks, what happened to the driver? He says they haven’t heard from the driver since he crossed from New York into New Jersey. He’s going to talk to Brick, and they’ll figure this out. She says if he needs anything from her, let her know. She apologizes for making him feel uncomfortable, but he says, she didn’t.  

Britt tells Obrecht, Peter might be a lot of things, but he’s not stupid. There’s no way he’d set foot in the hospital again. Obrecht says Britt’s imagination is failing if she believes that treacherous worm can’t find a way to get back there undetected, or that he wouldn’t target Britt if he did. She’d feel better if she knew that Jason was truly committed to Britt’s safety. Britt says, mother, please, and Obrecht says, don’t mother her. She knows how these things work. The same thing happened with her and Scotty. They shared a moment of passion as they worked through their intense grief over Franco’s death. They fell into bed together, but ever since, who knows where they stand? He doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to convey deeper emotions. It’s the eternal paradox. If a woman shows strength, the world assumes she has no feelings. How wrong they are. She and Britt are the same; they’re lovers. They both love with all their hearts… Britt tells her, stop. Whatever is going on with Obrecht and Scotty has nothing to do with her and Jason. Obrecht says, so there is a her and Jason? Does that mean he’ll be on hand to protect her from Peter? Britt says she’s not worried, but Obrecht says she is. Clearly, further action is required. Britt asks what that means, and Obrecht says, never mind. Just keep watching her back.

Anna tells Elizabeth, go back to Chase, and give him whatever support he needs. Elizabeth says, what about Anna? but Anna says she has to figure out how Peter got out of the hospital, and that might possibly lead her to where he is right now. Elizabeth says she knows why Anna is driving herself so hard, but the only person responsible for Peter’s crimes is Peter. She was unfair to blame Anna, and asks Anna to please stop blaming herself. It does no good to come up with wild scenarios that won’t lead her any closer to Peter. The elevator isn’t even working; Peter couldn’t have used it. Anna says she was pretty sure it wasn’t functioning, but she does feel helpless, and looking for Peter helps her feel less so. Does Elizabeth understand? Elizabeth knows the hospital better than she does; stairwells, corridors, shortcuts. Is there another way into the lab that’s in the subbasement? Elizabeth remembers helping Finn put Peter’s body in the cooler, and closing the lid. Elizabeth says, no. The subbasement was sealed off and the lab is inaccessible. Anna says she’ll just have to find a way to access it.

Gregory says the DNA showed he’s not Chase’s father; Finn is. Those tests don’t lie. Finn says, the science part doesn’t lie, but the human element can be easily corrupted. At the time of the first test, he had a vague suspicion that somehow the test could be tampered with, so he sent it out to another lab, to someone he could trust. They confirmed the test was accurate, that Chase was his son. Now it seems that Cyrus got to them somehow, along with whoever else he has on his payroll in the hospital. Gregory asks, why? Did Chase investigate Cyrus? Finn says he doesn’t think so, and Gregory asks if Cyrus has a problem with Finn. Finn says, who doesn’t? They weren’t exactly cordial, but he thinks Cyrus’s problem is with Jackie. She published that unflattering interview with his mother. It made Cyrus angry. The next thing they knew, there was that article in The Invader that Chase was really his son, not Gregory’s. Gregory says, so Finn thinks Cyrus tampered with the DNA results, then planted the story to retaliate? Finn nods, and Gregory says, it’s a compelling theory, but it’s just a guess. (Like this hasn’t been a guessing game all along.) It doesn’t prove anything. How does Finn know he’s not wasting his time when he could be with Chase?

Finn says he’s not sure of anything anymore, and goes back to the whiteboard. He says he wondered why Cyrus would go out of his way to say something to him while he’s being carted off to prison. That’s when it hit him. He was so certain he’d found a cure for Chase, and he was right. The idea of using Chase’s parents’ DNA to create a Trojan horse that would fool his body into accepting the cure was right on. But he used Jackie and his DNA, it failed, but what if the theory’s right, and instead of using his own DNA, he should have used Gregory’s because he’s really Chase’s father? Gregory says, it’s an intriguing idea, but what happens if Finn is wrong? Finn asks if Gregory just thinks he’s chasing a dream, and he’s just desperate to save Chase’s life. Maybe Gregory is right. Maybe he’s choosing this path at the eleventh hour because he can’t accept Chase is dying. He guesses he doesn’t blame Gregory, and Gregory says he may have his doubts, but no matter what the tests say, Chase belongs to both of them. If there’s a chance we can save his life, no matter how far-fetched, let’s do it.

Laura says she’s well-aware of the lines that were crossed by Jordan and her DEA partners to put Cyrus in prison. She doesn’t condone lying, but she does understand the rationale. Jordan was fighting Cyrus with the only means available to her. Jordan appreciates that, but says, what Laura doesn’t know is that she and Taggert made a deal with the Feds to testify in exchange for immunity, so their actions will be a matter of public record. Laura says, their actions put Cyrus in prison for years, and saved lives. Jordan says, they broke the law to do it, and now the whole world will know it. So under those circumstances, she can’t remain an effective Police Commissioner. Laura says why doesn’t Jordan let her be the judge of that?

On the phone at Pozzulo’s, Jason says, all they know is the shipment and the driver disappeared someplace in Jersey. They’ll talk more when he gets there. Jason heaves a huge sigh, which he’s become an expert at, when Obrecht walks in. She says, good day, Mr. Morgan. Does he have a moment? He asks what he can do for her, and she says she wants to thank him. Both for saving Britt’s life, and calling to tell her where Britt was hiding. It was an important and informative visit. He says she’s welcome, and she says, grateful as she is, she wants to discuss another matter. Something more in his normal purview. She closes the door, and asks when he’s going to rid the world of Peter August.

Carly sees Britt at the reception desk, and Britt asks what she can do for Carly. Carly says she’s just there to drop off a form. Josslyn needs medical clearance to play volleyball at PCU. She lowers her voice, and says she wants to thank Britt again. She’ll always be grateful to Britt for saving Jason’s life. Britt says, Carly had a hand in it too; Carly gave him her blood. That night at the safe house, Britt saw just how tight Carly and Jason are. She imagines Carly must be wondering how close she and Jason are. Is she right?

Elizabeth tells Anna, there’s no way to get to the subbasement; it’s been sealed off. Anna says, that wouldn’t stop Peter. If he knew there was a secret area of the hospital, he’d find a way in. Elizabeth says, huge leap, and Anna says she has to do something. She has to find Peter or Chase is going to die. Elizabeth says, she wants Chase to live more than she can say. She feels incredibly guilty about Chase’s condition. Anna asks why she feels guilty? She had nothing to do with Chase being poisoned. Elizabeth says she was working the day Peter escaped. She just wishes she could have done something to stop him. Anna says Elizabeth bears no responsibility. She can’t say the same thing about herself. She’s an investigator. This is her job, and she keeps coming up against a brick wall as to why there’s no recording of Peter leaving the hospital. Elizabeth says she understands Anna’s need to keep searching, but she’s not going to find anything underneath GH. Anna says, the stairwells were one of the areas the cameras were turned off; of course (🍷) Peter came up this way. Elizabeth says, they have patients flying in and out on the helipad. Did Anna ever think of that? Maybe that’s how Peter got out. Anna says she did think about that being a way Peter got out. It is more likely than an abandoned elevator. Maybe Elizabeth is right.

Finn tells Gregory that he put a rush on the DNA test. He asked a tech he knows personally to handle it. Plus, he sent a back-up sample to a guy he can trust, a guy from his Doctors Beyond Borders days. Someone Cyrus could never get to. Gregory asks how long the original samples will take, and Finn says, it could take a little time. Gregory says, time is the one thing they don’t have. He asks if Finn still has a sample from Jackie, and Finn says he does. Gregory suggests Finn make a new serum, from Jackie’s DNA and his, and give it to Chase. Finn says he can make the serum, but he can’t give it to Chase until they get the DNA results back. If he’s wrong, it will probably kill Chase on the spot. Gregory says, what if Chase dies while they’re waiting for the DNA results?

Jordan thought she should give Laura her resignation, especially to avoid putting her in the uncomfortable position of firing her. She, more than anyone, has to bear the brunt of Cyrus’s wrath. Laura says she admires Jordan’s willingness to own up to her mistakes, but she has to ask herself, does this serve the greater good? Jordan asks if Laura wouldn’t be undermining her own integrity by keeping her in office.

Josslyn and Trina go to visit the moss bowl, and Trina says Josslyn was right about them having something more important to do. She totally forgot these would be coming today. They put their graduation caps and gowns on the kitchen island, so they can soak up some of the awesomeness of the moss bowl, and Josslyn says, here’s to graduation and going to college. Trina asks if she’s over Southern Coastal. Is she ready for the PCU experience? Josslyn says, completely. It really helps that her ankle is healed, and she can start training with the volleyball team this summer. What about Trina? Trina says she can’t wait to go to PCU. She wants to do everything; all the college stuff, the football games, the student activities. She also wants to study. She wants to make sure to be in the running for a bunch of scholarships to study art history in Europe. Josslyn says, driven much? and Trina says, yes she is. Or is Josslyn telling her that she’s not going to help her team get a national ranking? Josslyn says, of course (🍷) she will, and Trina says she thinks they should make a pact. These caps and gowns, their graduation; they have a chance to wipe the slate clean of all the bad stuff that’s happened this year. Time to start over. They dive into their future starting today. Josslyn says, starting today.

Carly says, after seeing Britt and Jason at the MetroCourt, she got the idea that there was more between the two of them than just being fugitives together. Britt says she’s willing to bet good money Jason didn’t tell Carly that, and Carly says, he didn’t have to. Britt wonders if Carly is telling her this because it’s going to be a problem for her, but Carly says, no. She thinks it’s going to be a problem for Britt.

Jason tells Obrecht that he has people out looking for Peter right now, and Obrecht says, people who might be working outside the boundaries of the law? He just looks at her, and she says she’s familiar with the code of silence among certain organizations, but in case Britt didn’t tell him, Peter has threatened her. He says he knows; he was there. She asks, is that how he and Britt first connected, over Peter? She’s glad he’s searching for that deceitful worm, and it will delight her beyond measure if Jason is the one who finds him. She’s sure Jason will make his elimination short and sweet, not the torturous end he deserves, but he’ll be gone. Finally. Blessedly. Now what are his intentions regarding her Britta?

Jordan tells Laura that when her actions become a matter of public record, the people of Port Charles will lose trust in her. Laura says she has a different take on this. The people of Port Charles will see the pain and devastation Cyrus has caused. The fact that Jordan wants to own up to her mistakes, is proof of her integrity, and the mistakes she’s made, she’s made with the best of intentions. Who among them hasn’t done the same thing? She’d be surprised if the people of Port Charles didn’t empathize with Jordan. Jordan says she still can’t understand how Laura can stand by her after everything Jordan kept from her. Laura says, Jordan kept a lot of secrets from a lot of people, and paid dearly for that. Jordan says, true. It cost her marriage to Curtis. Laura says, Jordan made sacrifices – big ones. The way she sees it, Jordan is a woman with a conscience and a moral compass the size of the entire city of Port Charles. How would she replace Jordan? Jordan asks if Laura really thinks the people of Port Charles will forgive her, and Laura says, she thinks they’ll stand behind Jordan with the same enthusiasm that she does. So for her, and the people of Port Charles who need her, stay.

Anna tells Elizabeth, she called her connection at the FAA. There were no helicopters taking off and landing from there the day Peter went missing, but there was one helicopter that made an unauthorized approach. Elizabeth asks if Anna thinks it was coming for Peter, and Anna says, it seems so. Elizabeth says, find the pilot and make him tell her where he took Peter, but Anna says, he never landed. The FAA tried to contact the pilot, but he never answered. Elizabeth says, there must be some way to identify the helicopter, and Anna says the markers were scrambled, which probably means it was coming to pick up Peter. Otherwise, why would it come to the roof? But Peter never got on the helicopter because it didn’t land. Elizabeth asks where that leaves Anna, and Anna says they’ll have to do an investigation of the helicopter. Elizabeth follows Anna back across the roof.

Finn says, they’re damned if they wait for the test results, and damned if they don’t. he’s making the formula now, and it will be ready for Chase when the DNA tests come back. Gregory says Finn is doing his best, and Finn says Gregory is the last person he wanted to tell about this, and the last person he wanted involved. he didn’t want to get Gregory’s hopes up in case he was wrong. He’s sorry if he caused Gregory any more pain. Gregory says, despite the pain he felt from the first DNA test results, he never stopped feeling like Chase’s father. Once he had time to process it, he was relieved that Chase had both of them; two fathers to look out for him. In the end, maybe there’s nothing they can do to save Chase, but they’re going to fight to the finish together.

Carly tells Britt, she gets it. When Britt and Jason were on the run, senses were heightened, and they were surrounded by danger and fear. It makes sense that they would connect. Britt asks if Carly’s point is that it’s over now, and Carly says, circumstances have changed. Britt says, some things have, and some things haven’t. She’s usually pretty good at pushing people away, but Jason stuck with her, and they’ve been completely honest about who they are with each other.

Jason says he has work to get to, and tells Obrecht she can let herself out. She says, he’s no doubt aware of her part in Robin Scorpio’s abduction. She thought perhaps he was thinking of it when he called to tell her where to find her daughter. Was she wrong? He says, Britt needed somebody. It wasn’t good for her to be alone. Britt doesn’t trust a lot of people in her life, and since Brad is in Pentenville, he had no choice but to call her. She says, that’s just it. He did have a choice. He put Britt’s needs above his negative opinion of her. She thinks that’s rather noble. He says, thank you. Are they done now? She says she hopes not, and sits down. She tells him, they’re the only two people who know that Britt carries the genetic marker for Huntington’s Disease. Who know that any day, her restless, brilliant, beautiful daughter will be felled by a horrible disease for which there is no cure. One that kills it’s victims as slowly and as painfully as the most sadistic enemy. She cries, and says she can’t allow Britt to see her fear. It would make it so much worse for her. But her heart is breaking for her daughter.

Jordan says if she doesn’t resign as Commissioner, she needs Laura to do something for her. Laura says, name it, and Jordan says, monitor the temperature of Port Charles. When the truth about her comes out, if there’s even a whiff of distrust among the citizens, she’ll resign. Laura says, so if she agrees to Jordan’s terms, Jordan will stay. Jordan takes the resignation out of Laura’s hand, and says, she’s staying, but not necessarily for the greater good, as Laura suggested, but for Laura. Because of Laura’s faith in her. They hug.

Trina and Josslyn are wearing their caps and gowns, and Trina says she can’t believe they’re going to be graduating soon. Josslyn says she knows. They should practice their commencement walk. They can’t just walk normally; it’s a march. Um… I don’t remember practicing this. Is this a thing now? Josslyn tells Trina to practice first, and Trina goes to the other side of the room. Josslyn puts Pomp and Circumstance on her phone, and Trina walks. Trina says she feels like such a dork. She doesn’t understand why they have to walk in alphabetical order. She, Josslyn, and Cameron should get their diplomas together.

Britt says Carly is right. Her and Jason’s situation was unusual. When they were on the road, it wasn’t real life; not Port Charles life. Carly is glad Britt understands. She wouldn’t want Britt to be disappointed, in case she was expecting more. Britt says she didn’t really know what to expect when she came back to town, but she looks forward to whatever happens next. She smiles and walks away, and Carly doesn’t look happy. Britt walks around the corner, and doesn’t look too happy either.

Obrecht apologizes for breaking down. Jason gives her some water, and she says it’s not like her at all, but she has no other outlet to talk about Britt’s illness and her fears, except with him. He says he understands; Britt trusted them both. She says, when the time comes, and her Britta falls ill, she’ll be there for her, and remain strong for her, but until then, they must fight to give her a good and safe life, which means keeping Peter out of it. She trusts that if and when he does find Peter, Jason will kill him. And no, she doesn’t need him to confirm it. She’s done her best to give Anna the same intestinal fortitude, but she can’t trust Anna to eliminate Peter if she does find him. Anna might waive at the crucial moment; he won’t. She finds that thought very comforting.

Gregory wonders where the DNA results are, and Finn says, waiting is always the hardest part. Gregory says, it’s sadly ironic. Before this, they’d agreed it didn’t matter which one of them fathered Chase. He had the pleasure of raising him, and Finn has been the most influential person in Chase’s life since he got to Port Charles. Finn says, in the beginning, he was determined not to like Chase, and wouldn’t let himself get close to him. Being around him brought up a lot of painful memories; of Finn’s mom, of what he’d done to Gregory. He hated himself, but that kid has a funny way of wearing you down, and now he can’t imagine his life without Chase. Gregory says he convinced himself the DNA results didn’t matter, but now they have to find out the truth. Finn says, it’s a matter of life or death whether Chase is his son or his brother, and Gregory says, so they wait. Finn says, there’s nothing else they can do.

Walking across the roof, Anna says she knows Elizabeth doesn’t think her efforts will lead to anything, but she has to keep trying. Elizabeth says, nobody wants Peter punished more than her, for what he’s done to Franco and what he’s done to Chase. Anna says, that man is the worst of his father. Faison believed to exact revenge, you had to go after loved ones. That’s exactly what he did to her. He went after Finn, and got Chase, to get to her. Elizabeth says she really hopes Anna finds the peace she needs, and Anna says she hopes they both do. Anna goes back inside, and Elizabeth goes back to the elevator door.

Tomorrow, Anna tells Valentin that she thinks she has a lead on Peter, Finn tells Elizabeth that he knows why his cure didn’t work, Violet visits Chase, and Brick says they just ended a war with Cyrus.

Million Dollar Listing New York

Tyler’s assistant Kemba called him, and told him that his client Whitney suddenly didn’t want to show her anyone her apartment. She needed someone to calm her down. In Tyler’s interview, he said Whitney was his most eccentric client, and he knew it would be an emotional sale. They’d agreed on private showings, but now she didn’t want to show it. He called Whitney, who said she didn’t want anyone to come inside. He told her that they had to strike while the iron was hot, but she said she was more concerned about herself. In his interview, he said he had few buyers these days, and the ones who would be willing to spend 4.5 million would need to see it.

Ryan was opening Serhant Brokerage, and said he had the only brokerage with an in house film studio. The building was a six-story townhouse in Tribeca. He said his whole thing had always been expansion, and I was reminded of his first tagline, which was something like, expansion always in all ways. He said when everyone else was pulling back, that was when to push forward, and everything going forward was unknown. He made a video to introduce his new company to the masses. The Wall Street Journal was going to be doing a write-up, and he thought he might dress up like a superhero.

Tyler insisted on seeing Whitney, who was in the midst of packing, and said she wanted her last moments with her house. It was her sanctuary, and covid ruined it. I desperately tried to figure out how things were ruined with her spending time there when it was her sanctuary. I never did. Tyler told her that he understood that she didn’t want to sell, but everything in life was temporary. In Tyler’s interview, he said he knew it would be emotional, but she didn’t want to move. Whitney said she felt like she was giving up. It had taken her a long time to like New York, and it was her home. Tyler said she had a New York moment, and now was going to have a Florida moment. Life was like a pie, and she was having her Florida slice. She said it was the end of era, and she wanted her 48 hours to do things like see Central Park and eat lasagna. He said it sounded like the things she wanted to do were happening outside of her apartment.

Steve was doing private showings of the renovated apartment at the Ansonia. Seller Ehud had allowed him $100K to bring it back to life, and he’d done the floors, revamped the walls, put in new light fixtures, and staged it. He was looking for brokers who loved old school charm and had an affinity for the Ansonia. A broker brought her client’s interior designer, Nannette Brown, with her, which Steve thought was a good sign. Nannette said Steve had done a great job, which was even more encouraging. In his interview, he said it was 2600 square feet, and they were marketing it as a 4 bedroom, 3 bath. Ehud was looking for $3.5 million, and Steve was looking for the right buyer to appreciate the pre-war quirks and details that you didn’t find anymore. Bringing along an interior designer wasn’t cheap, and he could tell Nannette was passionate about the building, and would protect the history and charm.

Fredrik was in Los Angeles, but still involved in selling his friend’s 10^th Avenue, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath apartment with a private terrace. The seller was breathing down his neck, and he wondered how he was going to sell it if he wasn’t there. He couldn’t just fly to NYC because of having to quarantine. He was training his team member Ellis to show energy and passion, but to be included, he rigged up an iPad on a stick with wheels where he’d be there via video chat. In his interview, he said everyone with pets was now looking for private outdoor space. A potential buyer showed up with an alpaca named Bolero, but unfortunately, it couldn’t navigate stairs, and wouldn’t be able to get to the terrace. I can’t imagine the guy didn’t check on this beforehand, so I’m guessing they just wanted the alpaca on the show. It was very cute.

KJ came by for one of Fredrik’s showings. She’d never met Fredrik in person, and met the iPad Fredrik instead. She had a client who was in the Bahamas, and looking for a place. In her interview, she said she loved the spirit of embracing technology, but wasn’t sure Fredrik’s iPad on a stick was real estate ready. It was like having toddler who was learning to walk. His stick did careen into the walls a few times. Her overall impression was that the apartment was staged well, and the Chelsea views were nice, but the buyer would have to do updates. She felt it was overpriced at $6.995 million. She said she didn’t think Fredrik grasped the effects of the shutdown, especially in Chelsea. He didn’t get the impact. She told him that there was a ton of inventory in West Chelsea, and he’d have trouble finding a buyer for something tired. In Fredrik’s interview, he said he liked feisty women, but thought KJ was too negative. She told him to give her a call if the price went down, but he had the feeling he was going to get an offer real soon.

Tyler finally convinced Whitney to allow her apartment to be seen. Since brokers and buyers weren’t coming to see things like they used to, Tyler made up a marketing video for Instagram. It was a unique property, and he had to attract a unique buyer. In his interview, he said he always loved informercials – but wait, there’s more! He was constantly trying to convince his mom to buy him abdominal equipment from them, and had quite a collection. He gave his video an infomercial theme, and it was a big success. He’d gotten some private showings out of it, one with a Tony nominated choreographer (for Tootsie) and his partner. Tyler said covid had changed everything; people wanted space and fresh air. Fresh air was having a moment. It was a tough time with a tough market, so he was working the act now, this deal won’t last angle.  

The broker who‘d brought Nannette also brought Steve an offer. He’d had three offers, all around the $3 million mark. He explained to Ehud, because they were all around the same amount, it was an indication of where the market value was. Ehud agreed to $3.15 million, not penny less. The broker put Nannette on the phone to gripe about the work that needed to be done, which Steve said was a strategy move. Nannette said she thought the buyer would have to put one to one and a half million dollars into it, and the broker tried to wheedle the price down some more because of covid. In Steve’s interview, he said he was starting to hear covid discount a lot. The other two buyers with offers hadn’t gotten back to Steve, which he thought wasn’t a good sign. When the broker came back with a counter of $3.125, Steve encouraged Ehud to take it, and the deal was made. Steve’s commission would be $93,750, but he said it wasn’t about the money. He loved the history of the building. Right. That’s why he does this for free.  

Ryan had to tell his new staff not to leak the video, because if it came out before the Wall Street Journal article , they wouldn’t want to print the article. He wanted to leave Nest Seekers the right way. The company had been good to him, and he wanted to close everything out at the same time he was starting his own thing. He got a text that the article was coming out early, and texted his team to launch the video asap. He said he’d spent 12 years clawing his way up the ranks, and he was finally his own boss with his own company… and zero agents. He said it was the happiest moment in his professional life, but the scariest. It was on his shoulders if he failed. In their interviews, Steve thought the new brokerage was a good idea; Tyler was impressed; KJ had purchased Ryan’s book, saying, he was good at what he did; and Fredrik thought he was crazy.  

Still to come, New York is back and so is Fredrik; a $15 million and a $29.5 million property; yoga; a pink dog; and a hockey game.

Ryan’s Renovation

Although offered $15 million for the Boerum Hill, Brooklyn townhouse, Ryan decided to keep renovating. Ryan found out that a priest was coming to bless the house, and Ryan said it was different, but he was glad to be a part of the tradition, especially since he’d converted to Greek Orthodox. Father-in-law Leon told Ryan it was also a Greek tradition to paint the nursery in a new house, and in Emelia’s interview, she said it really wasn’t a tradition, but don’t tell Ryan. Leon and Ryan painted together, and Ryan asked Leon’s advice on how to handle emotional Greek women. Leon told him to just nod his head. In Ryan’s interview, he said just because he was pretty, didn’t mean he wasn’t capable. They crushed the nursery. Except it turned out to be the wrong room. Father Evagoras came to bless the house, Emelia explaining that it was to ward off evil and keep bad spirits away. It also brought fortune to the home, and she thought it was a beautiful tradition to carry on. Ryan said the priest came with a power soaker, and he needed a holy mop for cleaning up holy water. By now it was day 542 of the renovation.

Emelia’s mom decided, in addition to her basement suite with a private entrance, she needed a room next to the baby as well. She was concerned about the monitor not working as well so far away. They tested it, and sure enough, she was right about the reception, so they just gave her the whole house. Just kidding, but Ryan is totally outnumbered here.     

It was October 2020, and during a family dinner, construction manager David called with the bad news that they weren’t getting in by Christmas. This was also a pita since they had a renter for their Soho apartment to the tune of $15K a month who wanted to be in before the holidays. David said things were taking longer to be signed off on, and even if construction was complete, the permits or whatever wouldn’t be. In Ryan’s interview, he said it sucked that they wouldn’t be out in time for the renter to move in, or be in the house by Christmas. Although I don’t know why they didn’t find temporary accommodations. He knew at the end of the day, they’d look back, and all would be fine. It had been three years since they’d bought the house to build memories in, and he wanted to get his family into their new home as soon as possible.

Next time, the finale – Ryan and family celebrate Christmas, there’s another delay, and the goal becomes Greek Easter.

🎉 Cause For Celebration…

Juneteenth is bustin’ out all over.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/biden-signs-juneteenth-bill/index.html

🩰 Tiptoeing Out…

Tea for tomorrow, a quote or ten, and the usual soap. Until then stay safe, stay humble, and stay never believing you’ve run out of options.