What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

If you didn’t need tissues yesterday, get ‘em out today. This is the real memorial.

Anna looks at the hospital memorial wall, when Robert comes along. He says he always thought Bobbie would outlive all of them. Anna says, and now her picture is next to Epiphany’s. This year they’ve had to say goodbye to people who were there for their daughter when they couldn’t be. It just doesn’t seem fair. He says, no, it doesn’t.

At the Koffie Hub in Amsterdam, Carly tells an employee that she’s visiting here from America. Her mom used to meet a colleague here, pretty frequently she thinks. She shows him a photo of her and Bobbie, and says, that’s her mom. Does he recognize her? He says, no, sorry. He can’t help her. Felicia brings some coffee to the table and says, they talked about this. The people who Bobbie worked for do everything they can to keep their sources anonymous because they’re working against some very dangerous people. Carly says, yes, but they’ve been here for hours. What are they supposed to do, just sit here until the mystery person shows up? Felicia says, Tracy followed Carly’s mom here to this café. She said Bobbie was here all hours of the day. The contact has to be here. Carly says, they don’t even know if the contact is a man or a woman, and Felicia says, sometimes in the P.I. business, it’s not about what the person looks like; it’s about knowing what to look for.

At Kelly’s, Maxie is looking at Angela’s business card, when Angela walks in. Maxie says, she’s here. Maxie hugs her and says she was beginning to think she dreamt Angela up. And she just hugged her, which is weird since they just met yesterday. Angela says she really enjoyed talking to Maxie and her mom about Bobbie, and she thinks after all the stories and tears, it’s okay they moved into hug territory. Maxie says, there are plenty of people with memories of Bobbie to share. They’re going to be coming here throughout the day to officially share them for Angela’s article. Angela says, that’s great. The more anecdotes she can get, the better the story will be. Maxie says she appreciates Angela letting her help with her profile on Bobbie. She feels like it’s something she can actually do, especially with her mom and Carly off to Amsterdam. Angela asks if Maxie thinks they’ll be able to find Bobbie’s contact at the rescue organization, and Maxie says she sure hopes so. She’s learned not to doubt either of them. And now they have each other so… argh!

Carly and Felicia sit at separate tables and talk on the phone. Carly says she knows her mom was doing really good work here, and important work, but she still can’t believe she chose to spend Christmas here. She really loved Christmas. Felicia says, Bobbie used to host the best Christmas parties at the brownstone. Even Tony was welcome after they split up. Those parties were so much fun. Carly says she never knew that, and Felicia says, it was a very different time. Carly wasn’t exactly on the invitation list then. Carly says she guesses she wasn’t, and Felicia says, don’t move. Carly asks, who’s here? and Felicia says, don’t turn around. She thinks they just might have found her mom’s contact. We see a woman talking with the employee.

We see Bobbie one last last time – in the credits.

Angela puts her phone on record and thanks Laura for joining them. It’s not every day she gets to sit with the mayor of a major metropolitan city. Laura says, Port Charles is hardly as cosmopolitan as Amsterdam, but she does think it’s a special place to call home. As far as Angela’s article on Bobbie Spencer, Laura doesn’t know how much more she can say that she didn’t already say in her eulogy. Angela tells her, everyone has said such beautiful things about Bobbie, and sometimes in death, people tend to deify a person, forgetting some of their rough spots. She wants to write about all of Bobbie. Laura says, okay, and laughs. They did have some rough spots, especially in the early years. Angela wonders if she can ask why, and Laura says, it’s really the oldest story in the world. They were fighting over a boy. We flash back to when we were all children, and Laura knocks at Scotty’s door, but Bobbie opens it. She says, Laura couldn’t go on treating Scotty like dirt forever. Unless she wanted him to turn to someone else for comfort. She’d invite Laura in, but considering what she and Scotty have in mind for tonight, three is definitely a crowd. Laura tells Angela, looking back on it now, she thinks she and Bobbie butted heads because she was brought up to believe politeness and manners and being sensitive to everyone else’s feelings was the most important thing in the world. Bobbie just said what was on her mind. Back then, it ruffled a few feathers, but now she really wishes they had more people like that. Angela asks if she can be more specific, and Laura says, someone who can listen with a sympathetic ear, but also provide you with a reality check. We flash back to Bobbie telling Laura that she gets how Nikolas came into being. Laura was stuck on that horrible island, married to Stavros, and Stephan was standing under some olive tree, looking at her with those eyes. Then Laura has to wait and see how long she can hold on before she tells Luke the truth. Then what does she say to him? Oh, by the way, I’ve got a kid who’s not yours. Why does she always wait until the house is burning down before she dials 9-1-1? Laura tells Angela that Bobbie was never afraid to be honest with her. She loved her for that.

When the woman and café guy are done talking, Carly says, excuse me. She shows the woman the photo of her and Bobbie and asks if she knows her mom. The woman says she’s sorry. She has to go. Carly says, it’s so important. Her mom passed away.

Sitting at a table with Felicia and Carly, the woman says she’s so sorry Bobbie died. Carly’s mother was a remarkable woman. Felicia says, Bobbie was her best friend. They go way back. Carly says she’s learning there was a whole side to her mother that she didn’t know anything about. How did she get involved with the organization? The woman says, Bobbie was a regular customer here. She’d see her from time to time. You can’t miss that red hair. One day, she was reading an article in the newspaper about a human trafficking sting. She opened up about her own past. She wanted to do more to help. Felicia asks what exactly she did for the organization, and the woman says she and her friends shelter young people escaping from being exploited. Bobbie opened up her home, one person at a time, as a refuge, until the paperwork came through. Carly says, a reporter her mom trusted told them that she was helping a young woman, and the woman says she’s very surprised Carly’s mother would have shared that information. Secrecy is key in their organization. Felicia asks if she knows anything about this young woman, and she says, yes. Her name was Cornelia. Bobbie brought clothes to her. They were concerned that the people she was running from would find her in Amsterdam. So Bobbie said she knew a place Cornelia could stay closer to America until her asylum paperwork came through. Carly asks where Cornelia is now, and the woman says she arranged for Cornelia to board a freighter to Canada, but that was weeks ago. She assumed that Bobbie had successfully gotten Cornelia to America. Carly says, Bobbie passed away here, in Amsterdam.

At Kelly’s, Lucas says, for someone who had a million nicknames in her family, his mom could barely tolerate them. No, scratch that. She hated them. He remembers at one point, his dad started calling him Champ. His mom put her foot down right away. She said, Tony, our son’s name is Lucas. Not Luke, not LL, and certainly not Champ. Of course (🍷) his older sister thought that was the funniest thing in the world. So just to needle their mom, BJ called him Champ until the day she… Anyway, he guesses what he’s trying to say is that his mom was a very principled and strong-willed person. She had no problem standing up for what she believed in, or her family. He flashes back to Bobbie telling Tracy that Lucas is her son. He’s a wonderful young man and she’s very proud of him. And if Tracy ever insults her son again, she’ll bitch slap Tracy all the way to the Canadian border. Tracy says, she’ll what? and Bobbie asks if Tracy would like her to demonstrate. They used to beat up rich girls like her in Florida for sport. It’s one of those street things you never forget, so lay off her kid or she’ll do more damage to Tracy than she ever dreamed of. Lucas tells Angela that he guesses that makes his mom the champ. She was always the one you wanted fighting in your corner.

The woman says, Bobbie told Cornelia to wait for her in a secure location in Canada, but if Bobbie never got the chance to meet up with her… Carly says, that means Cornelia’s been waiting for her mother this whole time, and Felicia says, and Bobbie never got the asylum paperwork to that poor girl seeking asylum into America. Felicia excuses herself and steps away.

Anna’s phone rings, and she tells Robert, it’s Felicia. She answers, saying she heard Felicia ran off to Amsterdam. Felicia says she’s sorry. She doesn’t have a whole lot of time. Does Anna have any contacts in the State Department that would help someone seeking asylum in America? Anna asks if this has to do with the human trafficking rescue, and Robert says, human trafficking? Anna tells Felicia, hold on. Robert’s with her and she’s putting Felicia on speaker. Go ahead. Robert asks, what’s happening? and Felicia says, it’s a long story, but there was someone Bobbie was in the middle of helping when she passed away. Anna says, most of her contacts at the Bureau got burnt when they took away her badge, and Felicia says, just like Frisco. Robert says he has a few contacts, and he’s probably in better standing than Anna right now. Let him make a few calls. Felicia says, that would be great, and thanks him.

Carly says she doesn’t understand. There’s no way to contact Cornelia? The woman says, no. For her safety, the only person who knew she would be waiting for her visa was Carly’s mother. They have no way of contacting her. Felicia comes back and says, Robert and Anna are going to pull some strings to get the asylum paperwork fast-tracked, but Carly says, it doesn’t matter if they can’t track Cornelia down. The woman says, that poor girl is probably freezing to death in some cabin in Canada just waiting for Bobbie to arrive, and Carly asks if she said cabin. The woman says, Carly’s mother once mentioned to her that the people she was helping would be safe in some cabin in the woods. Carly says, oh my God. She knows where Cornelia is.

At Kelly’s, Josslyn asks if Michael remembers when Bobbie went to his wedding to Nelle. Willow says, Nelle was a very unpopular person, and Josslyn says, Grandma Bobbie showed up in a black veil to protest. Michael says, that was one wedding Bobbie didn’t support, and Willow says, Bobbie was nothing but supportive at their wedding. Willow flashes back to saying, Bobbie always made her feel like a part of the family, and Bobbie showing her a beautiful bracelet. Bobbie says, her brother Luke gave this. Luke admired people who had lots of courage, and Willow has an abundance. She puts the bracelet on Willow, and Willow says, this means so much to her. Bobbie says, and Willow means so much to all of them. Willow tells Angela that she didn’t grow up in a big, extended family like Michael and Josslyn did, but with Bobbie, she made sure you knew you finally found one.

Robert says, that was an ordeal, and Anna asks if he had any success. He says he called in every favor he ever had. A friend of his at State is waiting for their call as soon as they hear from Felicia. Anna says, those human trafficking people are dangerous. She hopes Felicia and Carly aren’t in too much trouble.

In a car, presumably in Canada, Felicia asks if Tracy said how far from the border Luke’s cabin is, but Carly tells her, she said she’d never been. Felicia says she still doesn’t have cell service, so an ETA on the map is out, and Carly says, this is the most she’s traveled in 48 hours. How about Felicia? Felicia says she used to be married to Frisco Jones. A lot of traveling came with that deal. Carly says, at the very least, this is the most time they’ve spent together. Why does she think that is? It’s kind of crazy she hasn’t spent much time with her mom’s best friend. Unless it’s not that crazy to her. Felicia says, about what she said earlier… Carly says, look out! and the car swerves.

Out of the car, Felicia checks a cut on Carly’s forehead, but Carly says, a couple bandages will fix it up. She’s just glad they didn’t hit that deer. Felicia says, that wasn’t a deer they almost hit; that was a moose. (Seriously? Carly didn’t know the difference? Those moose are big.) Carly says, Felicia’s got to be kidding her, and Felicia says she’s just glad they’re in one piece. Has Carly ever changed a tire before? Carly says, more than she’d like to remember, but it’s been a while, and Felicia says, it’s like riding a bike. You never forget how.

Scotty says he’s sure everyone has told Angela how optimistic and upbeat Bobbie was, and she certainly was. She didn’t take any guff from anyone. Not her bosses, anyone who looked down on her, and she certainly didn’t take it from him. He flashes back to telling Bobbie that he can explain, but she says, there’s no explanation that would make her understand why he’d cause havoc at a hospital he represents. He says, there wasn’t any havoc, only a couple of disturbances. Nobody was hurt… She says, it was a hospital. There could have been a panic. People could have been killed. What’s the matter with him? So his precious Medic Tech can come in and take over? He says, she knows a lot about this stuff, huh? and she asks if he thought she was just some stupid roll in the hay. Don’t ever touch her again. He tells Angela, Bobbie did mellow over the years. She became the best damn nurse at General Hospital. However, she could still throw words around. Lucy says she can attest to that, and flashes back to saying, Bobbie doesn’t have Noah, so she’s going after Scotty again. Bobbie says, Lucy just had to head that off at the pass, didn’t she? She had to make a point to Scotty. She had to make a point to her. Just like when Lucy sicced Damien Smith on her. Lucy says, wait a minute. That is not what happened. Bobbie says, let her finish. So this, Lucy, is karma. Angela says, for someone who didn’t get along all that well with Bobbie, to keep showing up for her, it’s almost like they were the original frenemies. Lucy says, that sounds right. She guesses that is a good way to describe them. Angela asks why Lucy thinks that is, and Lucy says, Bobbie’s daughter BJ was very special to her. Angela asks if she can elaborate, and Lucy’s voice breaks as she tells Angela that she’s heard it said, if you want a true test of someone’s character, it’s not in taking stock of their friends. It’s taking stock of their rivals. So if she’s walked through this life with Bobbie Spencer as her worthy adversary, she guesses she’s one very lucky woman.

Felicia says, Carly was right, and Carly says, not that she doesn’t love hearing that, but about what? Felicia says, Carly is her best friend’s daughter, and it was no accident they never became close, because she was there when Carly first came to Port Charles. She destroyed Bobbie’s life and not for nothing, Tony was her family too, so Carly didn’t just break up a marriage. It was two people she considered to be her home base. Carly says she never thought of it like that, and Felicia says, but she does. Bobbie was so distraught about the affair Carly had with Tony; it was her shoulder Bobbie cried on. And it was really hard to watch her friend get her heart shattered. So she guesses she has a little bit of resentment. And as she says it out loud, it feels a little embarrassing because it was decades ago. She knows that Bobbie forgave Carly because Carly was her daughter, but it was hard for her to let go because she’s always had this protective streak for her best friend. And she’s so sorry. Carly says, don’t be. She gets it. And she’s not blameless in this distance between them. She’s close to Maxie. Felicia was gone a lot and she saw what that did to Maxie. Then she came back, and Maxie forgave her, and she judged Felicia. Felicia says she gets that too. Well, if Bobbie can forgive Carly and Maxie can forgive her, maybe it’s high time they forgive each other. Carly says she likes that idea, and Felicia says, who knows? Maybe this was part of Bobbie’s big plan to find a way to bring her daughter and her best friend a little bit closer. Carly says, it would be just like her, and Felicia says, she liked to meddle. They laugh, and Carly says she thinks maybe they should lean on each other. Few people were as close to Bobbie as they were. Felicia gives the nut one more turn and says, they have a new tire. Shall we, partner? She holds out her hand, and Carly takes it, saying, we shall.

Elizabeth tells Angela that she didn’t talk about it at the funeral because it wasn’t the time or place, but when she was a teenager and fairly new to Port Charles, she was sexually assaulted. And Bobbie came to her and took care of her, because that’s who she was. Kind and compassionate and always ready to offer her empathy. Oh, her sons don’t know about her attack. Does Angela think they could keep this in the spirit of Bobbie’s kindness and leave out the details of her past? Angela says, yes, of course (🍷). She totally understands. Elizabeth thanks her, and says, at the time of her assault, she was living with her grandmother, and she did not know how to deal with that. She flashes back to Bobbie saying, when a woman has been raped, she needs very special, very specific attention paid to her feelings because she’s been traumatized, and her body because she may have been hurt. That’s the most important thing. She came prepared for any eventuality because she promised her nephew that she’d take good care of Elizabeth. Elizabeth tells Angela that she was really confused, but Bobbie never made her feel ashamed. Angela says she’s glad Bobbie was there to help Elizabeth, and Elizabeth says, her too. Bobbie was the one who told her, even though she survived something traumatic, that she was the one in charge of how she let that define her. And Bobbie offered her love and support, and it inspired her to send that love back out in the world by helping others. When she was younger, she thought she was going to be a painter. She loved to paint – she still loves to paint – but her true passion became healing others, just like it was Bobbie’s. She never takes for granted walking across GH’s tenth floor, when she’s walking in Bobbie’s footsteps.

Walking on a path through the woods, Felicia says she finally has cellphone service, now that they don’t need GPS, and Carly says, this is definitely the right address. Felicia says, nothing to do now but knock on the door, and Carly says, let’s do this. They go onto the porch of a cabin, and Carly knocks on the door. She listens, and Felicia asks if there are any noises inside, but Carly says she doesn’t hear anything. Felicia says, knock again, and Carly does, calling, Cornelia! Cornelia, please open up. They’re here to help her. They’re friends. They door opens and a young woman peeks out. Carly asks if she’s Cornelia, and she says, who wants to know? Carly says, they’re friends and they’ve come to take her someplace safe. Cornelia comes out brandishing a shovel, and Carly and Felicia jet off the porch. Cornelia takes a swing, but misses.

Carly says, please don’t do that. She has picture on the phone in her pocket. She can prove that they’re friends. Cornelia says she doesn’t care who they claim to be, she’s not going back, but Carly says she promises it’s okay. Still holding up the shovel, Cornelia asks how they know her name. How did they know she was here? Carly says, because they were sent by a friend and they’re here to help her. She promises Cornelia is safe. Cornelia sees the B on Carly’s necklace and says, that’s Bobbie’s necklace. Why is she wearing it? Carly says, because Bobbie’s her mom. She has a picture of them together on her phone. Can she pull her phone out of her pocket? Cornelia says, yes… slowly, and Carly takes out her phone, showing Cornelia the picture. Cornelia cries and says she doesn’t understand. Bobbie was supposed to meet her here. Why didn’t she come? She lowers the shovel, and Carly says, Bobbie died. She’s so sorry her mom had Cornelia waiting here, but she wants Cornelia to know that they know her story and she’s safe now. Carly promises her that. Felicia says she can back up everything Carly just said because Bobbie is her best friend. She can trust Bobbie’s daughter just like she can trust Bobbie. Cornelia drops the shovel and falls into Carly’s arms. Carly hugs her tight.

Anna’s phone rings, and she tells Robert, it’s Felicia. Felicia says, know the favor she and Robert called in? She thinks they’re ready for it now. Behind her, Cornelia and Carly sit at the table in the cabin, talking.

As they walk out of Kelly’s, Angela says she can’t believe Maxie went to all that trouble to arrange that so she could speak to some people who loved Bobbie. Maxie says, it’s not like she had to twist anyone’s arm. The people Angela spoke with love Bobbie. They all miss her so much. Angela says, is Maxie kidding her? The hardest part now is going to be deciding which stories to include, there were so many. Maxie says, Angela is going to send her a copy when it’s done, right? and Angela says, of course (🍷). She just has to say, it’s been really great getting to know Maxie. Maxie says she hopes Angela is staying in town for a while. She was hoping they could hang out. She thinks they have a lot in common. Angela says she thinks so too, but her bosses said she could only stay in Port Charles for so long. Maxie says, those kind of bosses are the worst, and Angela says, but she promises that Maxie will be seeing her around. Maxie says, okay. Don’t forget to send her that article. Angela leaves, as Maxie’s phone rings, and she says, hang on. It’s her mom. But Angela is gone. She says, mom?…

Maxie runs into the hospital and sees Felicia and Carly. She runs to Felicia and says she’s so glad she’s okay. She hugs Felicia, and Elizabeth says, why doesn’t Carly let her check out that cut. Carly says, that would be great, and goes with her.

In an exam room, Elizabeth tends to Carly’s forehead and says, Robert and Anna told her what Carly’s been up to. It sounds like quite an adventure. They went out of their way to help a stranger. Carly says, yeah, but her mom was the one who helped Cornelia. She and Felicia just got her across the finish line. Elizabeth says, either way, she’s sure Carly’s mom is very proud of her. She puts a bandage on Carly and says, she’s good to go. Carly thanks her and says, Elizabeth offered to paint the new sign for Kelly’s. Elizabeth says, the offer still stands, but Carly says she has something else in mind.

At Maxie’s house, Felicia finds Maxie digging through her bag and asks, what’s going on? Maxie says she thought Felicia would have slept in after all the international travel she’s done in the last two days, and Felicia says she’s jetlagged for sure. Maxie didn’t have to let her sleep in her bed last night. Maxie says, after what she and Carly pulled off, completing Bobbie’s last rescue? They’re heroes to her. Giving up her bed was the least she could do. Felicia says she appreciates it. What is Maxie searching for? Maxie says, does she remember that journalist from Amsterdam, Angela Brighton? She gave Maxie her business card and Maxie wanted to email her, let her know that Felicia and Carly found the woman Bobbie was helping. She thought that would be a great ending for her article, but she can’t find Angela’s business card anywhere. (Are you thinking what I’m thinking?) Felicia asks if she possibly threw it out, but Maxie says, absolutely not. She remembers putting it in her wallet, but it’s not in there. She seriously can’t find it. She’s starting to think it disappeared. Felicia says, maybe she can track Angela down online. She knows Angela’s name and knows the organization she works for. Maxie says she did that already. There’s no mention of her online anywhere. Felicia says, maybe it’s a different spelling, and Maxie says she supposes she could have spelled it incorrectly. Felicia says, let her help. She’ll start tracking Brighton down. Maxie asks if she hasn’t done enough sleuthing for the week, but Felicia says, it’s just a phone call. Hardly life in the fast lane. She’ll see Maxie soon. She leaves, and Maxie gets on her laptop.

Carly looks at the sign along with Lucas and Laura, and Elizabeth says, well? What does everyone think? Laura says, it’s beautiful. She loves it. She thinks the people of Port Charles are going to love it. (Somehow, I think she means us.) Lucas says, it’s perfect, and Carly agrees. She says, it’s so perfect. This place has always been a comfort to everyone and a safe haven to anyone who needs it. Now that her mom’s gone, people need to know that’s still true.

On the phone, Felicia asks if this is the Associated Press in Amsterdam, and a woman says, yes, it is. How can she help Felicia? Felicia says she’s hoping to get a message to one of their reporters, Angela Brighton. The woman says, I’m sorry. Who? Felicia says, Angela Brighton. She was doing a profile on Felicia’s best friend Bobbie Spencer, who unfortunately passed away while she was visiting their city. The woman says she’s sorry. She’s been here for years and nobody by that name has ever worked here.

Lucas says he has to go catch his flight, and Carly says she hates that he has to leave. They hug, and she says, please don’t be a stranger. She loves him. He says he loves her too, and leaves. He sees Angela in the courtyard and says, people are looking for her. She saved the day. She says she’d love to celebrate with them, but she has to go back home. He thanks her and she says, anytime. He turns to leave, and she adds, Champ. He stops and turns around, but she’s gone.

Felicia looks stunned, and flashes back to BJ saying she wants her mommy and daddy and wants to go back home. She hugs BJ. In the present, she says, oh my God. That was Barbara Jean. She laugh/cries.

Maxie sees No Results for Angela Brighton on Spyder-Finder and says she doesn’t understand. Brighton is a journalist. How could she not have any online presence? She slams the laptop shut and gets up. She puts her hand to her chest and says, BJ’s heart. Felicia walks in and Maxie says, BJ? They hug.

Laura asks if Carly would like some company, but Carly says she thinks she’d like to spend some time by herself. She and Laura hug, and Laura leaves with Elizabeth. Alone, Carly says, oh, mom. You lived such an incredible life. You’re an amazing woman. I hope I brought you some peace – she touches her necklace – because that’s what you gave me, and everyone else. She flashes back to telling Bobbie that she’s really grateful for the relationship they have now and Bobbie saying, her too. Carly says, and you did it. A nursing degree – we see Bobbie as a young nurse, saying she graduated at the top of her class – a family – we see Bobbie with Lucas, and then with BJ on life support, saying BJ is the daughter she prayed for, except BJ went beyond her wildest expectations. We see Bobbie kissing BJ goodbye and saying she loves her, then BJ flatlining. We flash back to Bobbie telling Maxie, you want to forget the good times and the bad, because you think you can’t go on, but you can. I did. She reminds Maxie that BJ lives on in her and they hug. We flash back to Bobbie leaving a frantic message for Luke to call and Laura telling her, Luke is gone, and hugging her. We flash back to Carly introducing Bobbie at the Nurses Ball. This amazing, beautiful woman has been helping people for the past 45 years. We see Bobbie telling Carly that she’s here for her. We flash back to Scotty saying, they’ve had a number of flings over the years, and later asking Bobbie to marry him. She asks if he’s insane. We see them clinking spoons and sharing an ice cream cake; and Scotty saying, they’ve still got their friendship and he hopes she doesn’t forget that.

Carly goes outside, looks at the sign, and smiles. She gets on a stepladder and hangs it.

Felicia and Maxie hug, and Maxie puts her hand on her heart. Felicia puts her hand over it.

Carly looks up at the sign, smiles, and goes back inside. We see it says Bobbie’s, and we hear Carly say, you should be so proud of yourself. I’m extremely proud of you, mom. Bobbie says, thank you, honey, and we hear BJ’s heartbeat.

Tomorrow, Esme asks Spencer to do something for her; Robert tells Diane, it sounds like a threat; Ava tells Nina that when Sonny feels betrayed, he’s downright dangerous; and Stella wants to spread the good news.

Southern Charm – Reunion – Part 1

I always hate Reunions because inevitably, people all talk at once and you can’t understand what any of them are saying. And there’s usually yelling. A lot of it.

I hate JT already and we’re not even out of the dressing room. Shep gives the advice to never interfere with your opponent when he’s making mistakes. It’s rude.

Andy does the usual welcomes. We find out Paige heavily influenced Craig’s choice of wardrobe, but everyone looks great. JT says he’s performing the first f***boy exorcism on Austen, and Shep says, the power of JT compels you. Andy suggests JT scale it back; they’re just starting. Andy asks who thinks pandas are real, and Taylor says she’s questioning it now. We flash back to Craig broaching the subject and Craig says he thinks it’s people in suits, but the way he’s smiling, I think he’s just goofing around with this conspiracy theory stuff. Andy asks about Madison’s long-distance marriage, and they talk about Austen’s lack of enthusiasm for Brett, and Brett being a stepdad. Andy asks about the bully that picked on Hudson, and Madison says, the parents weren’t home, but she spoke in the Ring camera. The mother has taken care of the situation. Venita says, Madison has a grown woman aura now, and Andy asks if Shep is inspired to settle down. He says, he doesn’t know if that’s in the cards for him; he’s a restless person. Leva says some of the things she thought would be monotony are things she looks forward to now, and Shep says, being with Taylor was his happiest time, but Taylor says she’s good with them as friends. Andy asks about Austen calling Madison a bored housewife, and JT gives a side-eye so hard, his eyes are going to slide out of his head. JT says, blah-blah-blah, and Austen says, JT is Commonus [sic] (he means Commodus) of Gladiator. He suggests JT look at himself, but JT is too obsessed with Austen for that possibility.

JT babbles about Austen during the break. When they reconvene, Andy says, Craig did the impossible, being a man in Charleston who wanted to settle down. JT asks if Craig likes bondage, which isn’t anything I needed to know, but Craig says, light bondage, and there’s some spirited sex talk. Andy questions Shep’s ability to satisfy a woman, and Shep says, every girl’s finish line is finicky and crazy. In other words, he doesn’t want to put in any work. Taylor says she could count on one hand when she was satisfied. Shep… What difference does it make? Moving on. Andy asks about the pillow business, and Craig says he’s turned it into an eight-figure business, with 30 employees who have health insurance. Bravo, Craig! Andy asks who thinks Paige will ever move to Charleston, and Austen, Madison, and Olivia raise their hands. Madison says she doesn’t think full-time though. Shep says, it’s hard to have a relationship on camera and thinks Craig is strategic. Craig says, he’s not, but there have been times they didn’t want to deal with the group. They had experiences with Shep that weren’t great, and he doesn’t think their relationships are similar. Shep says he thinks he and Taylor would be married and he’d be a different person if it weren’t for the cameras. Taylor says she agrees, but thinks he’s right about it not being in the cards for him. Shep says she was right about a lot of things in her analysis of him, and he’s realized a lot of things they need to talk about. Ugh. Are they getting on that roller coaster again?

Andy says, Taylor was single, unfettered, and unfiltered this season. Was she finding her voice or losing her manners? He asks why Taylor was so emo around Shep, and she says, it was out of sight, out of mind, and when Shep came back from his travels, it was a rehash of emotions. She thought she’d moved forward, but she hadn’t. Her dildo gift to Madison is discussed, and Madison says, maybe Taylor needed it more. Taylor says she was trying to be funny, but Madison says it was Taylor’s first time meeting her husband. If it had been her bachelorette, bring on all the dildos you want. She’s not wrong. She suggests putting one in Shep’s mouth to shut him up. Hmm… I think I missed something. Andy brings up Taylor’s nakey photo, and says, why Whitney? Taylor says she asked herself that the next morning, but she’d heard he was hanging with Shep, and she was being petty. Andy doesn’t like that she was shamed for it, and Craig thinks it’s f***ed up that Whitney showed anyone. Venita says, they didn’t shame her for the photo, but that she sent it to someone in their friend circle. Madison says, Whitney’s girlfriend is the one who told Patricia, and Taylor says someone should tell her that Whitney hooks up with every girl in Charleston. Shep says he doesn’t want to see his girlfriends in that way, so I guess he’s that saint in the living room/whore in the bedroom type. JT can’t believe Shep doesn’t like getting nudes and can’t get girl to the finish line, and Shep offers to show him a list of satisfied customers. Taylor insists the photo wasn’t explicit, and Leva says she doesn’t want to throw Taylor under the bus, but she saw it. She saw the whole thread. I don’t know what it is about Leva. I liked her at first, but there’s a wicked look in her eye when she meddles. I think it’s less out of concern for others than for her own stirring the pot.

Leva tells Taylor that the text said, come eff me in Nashville, and Taylor asks, when was she in Nashville? She has no receipts because she deleted everything from Whitney, and Andy asks how Leva saw it. Leva said she’d asked Whitney why he showed all the guys, and he said he was embarrassed. Craig says, Whitney isn’t here to answer for it, when he’s the villain, but it’s weird Taylor was sexting a friend. JT says, grace needs to be given to people grieving, and Olivia says she’s tired of hearing it. Taylor says she made a mistake, but she’d never say it’s because of Shep. Andy says, Shep seems to have guilt over it, and Shep says he brought her into this. A viewer says, when Shep takes responsibility for what Taylor does, it robs her of her agency, but Shep says he takes pride in her development. Taylor says, he can’t be responsible for her, and Andy mentions Taylor’s new boyfriend Gaston, who’s from Republic, since these people can’t stop being incestuous. Shep says he met Gaston at BravoCon, and Leva thinks Shep sounds like a dad. Shep says, Gaston upset Taylor, but Taylor says, Gaston was upset because Shep greeted her by slapping her on the ass. Shep says, that’s not how he says hello, and Andy asks if he was drunk. Shep says he was, Andy asks how he knows then, and Shep admits he doesn’t. Andy says, Shep told him that he had something on his mind that he wanted to say to the group, and we see a clip of Shep telling Andy that he’d love to go on a ramble. Andy thinks this would be a great time to ramble, and Shep says he’s glad everyone is here. This is sort of a mea culpa. He’s at a crossroads and BravoCon was the impetus. He was out of control drunk in Las Vegas and doesn’t remember much. That scared the sh*t out of him. Andy asks him to explain what happened, but Shep says he can’t. He was blacked out. He was drinking margaritas and drank more when they did Watch What Happens Live. Andy says he saw Austen trying to take care of Shep and trying to make him presentable, but Shep didn’t even realize he was doing it. He was being a real friend. Austen says, it’s not the first time, and Craig says, that’s why he and Austen didn’t go to the meeting when Shep asked to talk to all his friends. It’s happened 17 times. The road Shep is on ends off a cliff, and he can’t be in that car anymore. After BravoCon, it was dark, and Craig realized he had to be okay with Shep ruining his life. They’ve been here before.

Shep says, they don’t owe him anything, and Austen says he’s been Shep’s best friend and been there for him. JT is like, WTF? forgetting that he just got here, and Shep says he’d love Austen’s support and help anytime. Andy says, it sounds like Austen and Craig have been doing that and they’re at the end of their rope. Craig says, Shep has to put some effort in, and Shep says he’s in a headspace to make major changes. He might start with not talking like he’s from the 1960s. He says, the other guys have a podcast and Craig has pillows, but he has nothing. How is he of value? Physiologically, he can’t do the same things he used to. His mind and body are telling him, no. He’s listening to his body and mind, and mixing it with fear, but he was Mr. Fun and has a reputation. Craig says he misses it, but doesn’t miss what Shep is feeling now. Andy wonders what Shep is doing about it. Has he quit drinking? Shep says he’s just drinking beer, and Andy is pretty certain they’ve heard that before too. Craig says he didn’t drink liquor for two years and now he doesn’t drink at all now. Watching Shep was a lesson. He was asked if anything could be done to salvage the friendship, and he said if Shep did one thing he’s be there, but Shep is too proud to turn off this road. Shep says he’s lost his pride, and Andy asks Taylor’s reaction. She says she’s happy because she knows the real Shep. He feels empty and overcompensates by acting like an idiot. Shep says that Taylor would tell him that he thought he was a rockstar and she was right. Andy asks for Venita’s reaction, since she also got here five minutes ago, and Venita says, it’s a lot to admit on a large stage. She knows he must have been thinking that way for a long time, and he has to cut the alcohol out completely for a true change. Leva says, Shep needs to want something more. Find the things he wants more, like marriage or a career. Shep says, stay tuned. He thinks he can do it. Andy says, he has a lot of support, and Shep thanks everyone for listening. Craig and Austen look like they don’t believe it. As they leave for a break, Shep thanks Andy for the platform and Andy tells him that he needs to relitigate his relationship with alcohol.

Still on break, Shep tells Taylor that he wanted to say those things to her privately, and she says she’s happy about it. He jokingly tells her to quit telling people he’s bad in bed. Back onstage, Andy says, Shep spent time with Austen in Australia, and Shep says, they had moments they could have talked. Andy asks how Shep would have reacted had Austen told him about Taylor, and Shep says he would have thanked Austen for being honest, then try to process it. Austen says he’s sorry. He thought it was a non-factor. Nothing came of it and it was going nowhere. Shep says, Austen told him that he wouldn’t have gotten with Taylor if he came along first, and it was arrogant, but Madison agrees with Austen. Olivia says, that’s probably how it should have went [sic] down. They should give shot since they made a mess of things anyway. Taylor says, Shep captivated her and she wasn’t interested, and Leva says, Taylor keeps thinking about the moment, but she lied to all of them for a long time. Taylor says she understands the severity of the betrayal, and Craig says, if they had the desire, they shouldn’t have even gotten close. Andy explains, it was the cover-up, not the crime, and Olivia says, Taylor acts like it’s their fault for not understanding. Taylor lied so many times, and Olivia didn’t hop on the forgiveness wagon. Taylor tells her that she never said that, and Olivia says, shut up. Taylor says, forgive as you want to be forgiven, and Olivia tells her, go ahead and say it. Andy says, Taylor seems to be implying Olivia did something, and Taylor says, to a friend and confident. Olivia outs herself by saying she slept with Thomas. She was fresh out of college, and it was a dumb choice on a drunken night. She wanted to take it to her grave. Who wouldn’t? I can agree with her there, but I don’t think I’d ever be that drunk. Olivia says, Madison mentioned it last year, and we flash back to the Reunion. Yes, she did. Olivia says, afterward, she thanked Taylor for sticking up for her, and told Taylor that something did happen. Taylor was the only person she told. Andy asks why Olivia needs to be forgiven, and Taylor says, Kathryn was her friend. It was after baby number two. Andy asks if she was with Thomas, but Olivia says she doesn’t think so. Taylor’s been chomping at the bit to use it, and not only is she a sh*t friend, she’s a sh*t human too. Andy says, we’ll leave it there.

While I’m not suggesting Olivia hop on the forgiveness wagon if she doesn’t want to, Madison is really the one who outed her if anyone was paying attention. And if no one was, Olivia is the one who brought it up and outed herself. So in saying it’s Taylor’s fault, Olivia is once again calling the kettle black.

Next time, Rod and Rodrigo make an appearance; Shep gets a call; JT wants Craig to hold Austen accountable; and Andy asks Olivia why Austen gets a pass and not Taylor.  

Happy 17th Birthday, Sir Marco of PeeWee, Last Born in the Line of Juliet!

🪱 Wiggling It Just a Little Bit…

Kiki with me tomorrow, when there will be soap, a little bit of this, and a little tea about that. Until then, stay safe, stay letting someone know when you’re proud of them, and stay being in charge of how you let your experiences define you.