Tag Archives: Kate Chastain

November 26, 2025 – GH Weekdays, Drew Asks Willow To Marry Him, Soap Suds, This Week in Reality, Weekend Watching, Final Bow, Good Carpet, Thanksgiving Tradition, The Latest In Faunae, A Bit Less Than 10 Quotes & Song

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What I Watched Today

(Weekday bites, Friday’s whole GH enchilada & media minutiae)

General Hospital

🥢 Weekday Bites…                                                                           

Monday:

In bed with a sleeping Jack, Carly flashed back to telling him that she wasn’t backing out and kissing him. Jack woke up and asked if she had any regrets, but she said, no. She made her choice and was sticking to it.

At the hospital, Lucas apologized to Elizabeth for being grumpy. He hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep his first night at Windymere. She asked if he wanted to talk about it, and he said, everything was great until it wasn’t.  

Dante visited Rocco at the detention center.

At the station, Turner told Nathan that Dalton was supposed to come to her office at 9 am and never showed.

Laura went to her office and Sonny was there. He told her that they needed to conduct business as usual, and she said her priority was Rocco. She was going to work quickly to get him out of there. Sonny said he needed to tell her what happened to Dalton.

Jason went to see Britt and said he wouldn’t have left unless it was absolutely necessary. She said she knew how it worked. Why was he there? He said he wanted to make things right.

Jack said hurting Carly was the last thing he’d wanted and not telling her that Vaughn was in the WSB did that. He was doing what he could to keep his work life separate from her family life. She said they both had to figure out how they fit together, but it might take a while. She went to shower, and Jack called Josslyn and asked where his update was. Josslyn was in bed with Vaughn.

Sonny said it wouldn’t be long before the cops were asking questions and asked if Laura had any trouble with her car. She said, no, but she didn’t look in the trunk, and he said there were no traces inside or out. She asked if there was anything that would link her to the body, but he said there was no body.

Josslyn told Jack that she’d told her mom that it was Lucas’s choice to move in with Marco and they should support him. Her mom was furious, but she scored points with Lucas and thought he considered her a confidant. Jack said he’d follow up later and told her to make up with her mother. She asked if it was for the good of world security or his and Carly’s relationship, and he said, both. She wondered if Jack knew she and Vaughn had spent the night together, and Vaughn said he hoped not.

Jason said Britt could trust him and asked her to tell him what her connection to Dalton was. She said she appreciated that he came back and accepted his apology, but didn’t understand what he expected. He said, the truth. Without it, he couldn’t help her. She said she wasn’t asking for his help. It was her problem to deal with. He could do what he did best and leave.

Turner told Nathan that she’d called Dalton more than once and there had been no answer or returned calls. If she didn’t hear from him within an hour, she was going to ask Nathan to take him into custody. She was starting to believe he’d set up Rocco.

Rocco told Dante that he hadn’t destroyed Dalton’s lab, and Dante said he believed him. Danny and Charlotte were also backing him up and were going to testify. Rocco said they couldn’t. Charlotte was already on the PCPD’s radar and if Drew found out Danny was involved, Danny would never see Scout again. Dante said it was one thing when it was a misdemeanor, but Rocco was facing criminal felony charges. It was their best strategy. Rocco said, what if it backfired? but Dante said it wouldn’t. Rocco stepped up for them, and they wanted to step up for him.

Jack asked what was troubling Carly, and she said she didn’t know what Josslyn had been thinking, encouraging Lucas to move into Windymere. She’d made no allowances that Sidwell was their housemate. She asked Jack’s opinion, and he said it wasn’t what she wanted to hear, but he thought she should make peace with Josslyn and Lucas.

Josslyn told Vaughn that Lucas didn’t deserve this. He was kind and generous, and he’d been through so much. His last ex scared him so much, he moved away for years. Now he was finally back and with a guy she knew was bad news and living on Spoon Island with Jenz Sidwell and whatever lethal project Sidwell was working on, but she couldn’t warn him. She’d had the worst fight with her mom while thinking, she was so right. Lucas should never have moved in. Vaughn said she needed to consider the bigger picture. What was more important, Lucas’s broken heart or shutting down Faison’s final project? She said, obviously shutting down Sidwell was for the greater good, but she hated that Lucas would be collateral damage and would end up with one more broken heart.

Lucas told Elizabeth that he felt Marco still blamed Sonny for his mother’s death. He thought what happened was a tragedy, but couldn’t put it on Sonny. Sonny and Marco’s mom were sort of close, and he could see how Marco thought Sonny played a part. Eventually that happened when Marco disappeared. He flashed back to telling Sonny that if he touched Marco again, he’d be back with the police, and said Marco had plenty of reasons to hate Sonny. Sonny had never faced the consequences for the things he’d done. Since Measure C failed, it didn’t look like he would. Elizabeth said she supported his relationship, but a lot of people he cared about, cared about Sonny. Maybe he should take a step back and let Marco fight this battle on his own.

Jason said he’d never tell Britt how to live her life, but there was one key difference between them. She had an illness. She may hate the idea of needing anybody, but there would come a day when she was going to need someone.

Dante said that didn’t mean Rocco wasn’t in trouble. What he did was dangerous, stupid, and illegal, and had serious consequences. He didn’t deserve to be in there. He needed to stay strong for 24 hours and get to his bail hearing. Rocco said he could do that and asked if Dante thought he’d be home for Thanksgiving. Dante said he didn’t know.

Laura said she’d been up all night searching her apartment for anything that tied her to the body, and Sonny asked if she found anything, but she said she didn’t. Somebody went to a lot of trouble to put Dalton’s body in her trunk and might have taken extra steps to tie her to it. He said that was smart, and she said it occurred to her that maybe she’d played into their hands, covering it up. She thought they should put the body back and she should tell the truth, but she’d keep him out. He said she couldn’t do that. She’d already lied to Nathan, and Nathan knew he’d helped her with her tire. She would open them both up to potential criminal charges. Their grandson already had charges of his own. Rocco was better off with Dalton dead. She said she guessed he was right, and he said he’d never lie to her. She told him that what she’d said to Dalton could be considered a motive, but he said, no body, no crime. She had to live her life and act surprised when she found out Dalton disappeared. Martin walked in with flowers and saw Sonny there. He said she’d won the election, but Mr. Corinthos had jeopardized the whole damn thing.

Josslyn said she’d signed up for the risk, and Vaughn said, but Lucas didn’t. She said she hated lying to the only people she trusted and using someone she loved who was completely innocent and putting them in danger. She snuggled against him and said she didn’t know what to do with all of that. He said if the moment came when she couldn’t take it anymore, he’d back her when she said it was time to get Lucas out of the situation. If Brennan didn’t go for it, they’d do it themselves. She said it would put them both in a lot of danger, and he said, probably, but if she took the risk for her uncle, he’d take the risk for her. They kissed.

Carly said, Jack thought she should apologize to Josslyn and Lucas? and he suggested she reach out to Lucas and apologize for not taking his relationship seriously. Marco would eventually reveal who he was to Lucas, who would be sadder, but wiser. She said she understood Lucas, but didn’t understand why Josslyn supported his decision. Jack said maybe Josslyn supported his happiness, but Carly said, the path to happiness didn’t run through Windymere. He said it was clear she and Josslyn had a special bond and loved each other very much, and she said it meant so much to her that he understood how important her daughter was to her. He said she was just as important to him, when his phone chimed. She said she was going to check on the food, but he said, don’t call on his account. He had a last-minute meeting.

Martin asked if Sonny being in Laura’s office was wise, since he nearly cost her the election, but Sonny said they were family. They had a grandson in trouble. Laura said if the public had concerns, she’d have a press conference and answer any questions, and Sonny said he didn’t want to waste any more of her valuable time. He was going to see Rocco. Sonny left, and Martin said nobody had more respect, love, and concern for her grandson, but she couldn’t be blind to who Sonny really was.

Turner told Nathan that she had to pull the plea deal, but now the forensics report said there was nothing in the lab to back up Dalton’s accusations. Nathan wondered if Dalton didn’t want to perjure himself, and she said he’d dug one helluva hole for himself with the DA’s office. Dante came in and said he’d just come from visiting Rocco. He was terrified. Turner said she was doing everything to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. Keep her posted. She left, and Dante asked what she meant. Nathan said he thought she was trying to get Rocco off.

Britt told Jason that she was in remission and felt and looked great. He asked how long she thought it would last. Any time he broached the subject, she was vague. She said maybe she didn’t like talking about it or thinking how it would end. She lived in the now. He said he understood, but she’d seemed healthy since he found her and she never gave him a good explanation. Was working at the Five Poppies what she had to do to stay in remission?

Carly met Josslyn outside the hospital, and said she was there to see Lucas, but was glad she ran into Josslyn. She was sorry about how she’d acted. She was upset about Lucas and took it out on Josslyn. She wished she could say she’d stop worrying, but she couldn’t. Josslyn said Carly wouldn’t be her mom if she wasn’t worried about something, and Carly said she didn’t want it to come between them. Josslyn said she was sorry for not backing Carly. She understood why Carly didn’t want Lucas to move to Windymere, but obviously Lucas cared for Marco and moving in was up to them. Carly said she’d handled the situation badly, but she wasn’t wrong to worry. What kind of man moved his boyfriend in with a man as dangerous as Sidwell? Did she think Lucas could trust Marco?

Lucas said he saw Marco was in pain and wanted to help, but Elizabeth said he couldn’t ignore the animosity between Sonny and Sidwell. There were things he didn’t know about, which was probably a good thing. Just support Marco and celebrate him, but don’t go all in for him against Sonny. He already lived on an island. Don’t isolate himself further and cut himself off from his family.

Dante said Turner was prosecuting the case, but Nathan said he got the impression that the forensics report was good news for Rocco and bad news for Dalton, who was a no-show. He thought Dalton was running scared because he’d given a false statement. Dante said he was sending a car to the house and the university. They had to find this guy now.

Rocco had obviously been roughed up, and the guard tried to make excuses, but Sonny told him, stop lying. If he didn’t, he had no idea what kind of trouble Sonny could land on him.

Vaughn met Jack, who said he assumed Vaughn had something for him. Vaughn said he’d gotten information from a friend that Dalton was throwing them back at the Brown Dog. When he got there, Dalton was pretty loose. Jack asked if he was loose enough to be useful, and Vaughn said he was saying things he shouldn’t. He’d told Josslyn that he had another lab off campus. Jack said, Josslyn was there? and Vaughn said Dalton was liquored up enough to be sloppy and it was a good opportunity, so he called Josslyn in. Jack asked if he wasn’t worried about her safety, and Vaughn said he’d trained her, but hung around in case she needed back-up. Jack asked if that was all he did.

Carly told Josslyn that Marco was smart enough to know who his dad was. If he was willfully ignoring it, he only cared about what he wanted and he wanted to move Lucas in. If that was the case, he didn’t love Lucas at all. Josslyn said, maybe he didn’t, but it didn’t matter. Lucas made his decision, and from his point of view, it sounded like she was making him choose between her and Marco, and she didn’t think Carly would like who he chose.

Rocco said it looked worse than it was, and the guard tried to make excuses again, but Sonny told him to shut his mouth. The guard left, and Sonny asked, what happened? Rocco said he was fine. They’d pulled the guy off before he could do much. Sonny asked why someone came after Rocco, and Rocco said he didn’t know, but thought it was because his dad was a cop.

On the phone in his car, Nathan said there was no sign of Dalton on campus. He was at the MetroCourt, and Dalton wasn’t there either, but his car was in the parking lot. Housekeeping let him into Dalton’s room, but he couldn’t trace Dalton’s phone. He was going to contact Dalton’s assistant to see if they could give him something. Dalton’s disappearance could delay the bail hearing. Dante said there was no way Dalton was going to set Rocco up then drop off the face of the planet. They had to find him and get Rocco out today.

Britt said it was her life and her condition. Jason didn’t get a say. Jason said he wasn’t judging her, but still wanted to help. Whatever her terms were, he’d accept them. She didn’t have to face this alone. He let her down and would probably do it again. He wasn’t perfect, but he was doing his best. He knew sometimes his best wasn’t enough, but she could trust him. She was pushing him away, but he wasn’t going anywhere. He was going to prove she could trust him.

Laura said Martin had forged Monica’s will, but he said he’d been trying to right a wrong. She said he was trying cheat Tracy, and he said Tracy drove him to it… All right. She was right. It was stupid and not the smartest move, but anything he did paled in comparison to what Sonny committed every day. Laura said Martin didn’t know Sonny or what he did, but Martin said he’d like to think he knew her. He got why she’d had a blind spot for their brother, but Sonny was the same. She said Sonny and Cyrus were nothing alike, but he said he wasn’t sure. He’d push Cyrus away and Cyrus would pull him back in. Deep down he was convinced there was something good because of Cyrus’s genuine love for their mother and his sincere desire to have a relationship with them. That’s why he always made excuses for Cyrus making the same mistakes. There was a whole lot more to Sonny than she was willing to admit. She said Sonny had sense of justice. He could tell the difference between who was innocent or guilty, unlike their brother. He said Sonny was a gangster and corrupt. The closer she was to him, the more likely she was to get pulled down with him. For instance, she won the election and Measure C was done, but Sidwell wouldn’t stop until he made her and Sonny pay for it. Laura flashed back to Sonny saying, somebody didn’t like the results, and her telling him, it was Sidwell. She told Martin that he may be right.

Rocco said, please don’t tell his dad, and Sonny said it wasn’t about his dad. It was about him. His dad may be a cop, but he was Rocco’s grandfather and everybody in there, kids included, knew his name. He was all for people facing the consequences of their actions, but they all knew Dalton had framed Rocco. Rocco said he could stick it out for 24 hours. His dad said there would be bail hearing. Sonny said he wanted Rocco home for Thanksgiving. He wanted everybody to know that if they messed with Rocco, they messed with him.

Laura said she knew Martin was coming from a place of love and concern, but Sonny was a true friend. She knew if she was ever in trouble, she could call him, and he’d always come through for her. Martin said she should think about the stakes, when Dante came in. He said he thought she should know that Henry Dalton had gone missing.

Jason said he was going to keep coming back until she told him what was going on. She said he was going to pay the price, and he said he wasn’t going to let her pay the price anymore. There was a knock at the door and Britt opened it to Nathan, who asked if she’d seen or heard from Henry Dalton. She said, no. Why? Nathan said Dalton had disappeared.

Elizabeth said Lucas didn’t have to defend Sonny or support Marco, but stay neutral, and Lucas said it was a fair point. He wished Carly felt the same. She’d taken Sonny’s side and crossed a big line. Recently, she’d said Marco was just using him. Elizabeth said Carly was just worried, but he said she had no respect for his relationship or him.

Carly told Josslyn that she hated how it ended with her and Lucas. It wasn’t okay and she needed to make up. Josslyn asked how she was planning on doing it, but Carly said she didn’t know. She’d say she was sorry. Josslyn asked if she could make a suggestion, and Carly said she could. Josslyn said, maybe not ambush him at work. Give him a few minutes to figure it out. Carly said that was probably a good idea. Even though they disagreed and fought, she still loved Josslyn. Josslyn said she loved Carly too, and they hugged.

Jack said Vaughn had no idea what he was getting into. He’d overstepped with Dalton. A bunch of guys came out, and Jack told them to take care of Vaughn. Vaughn said, what’s going on? and Jack said he warned Vaughn not to pursue a relationship with Josslyn. This was what happened when people disobeyed his orders. Take him away. The guys dragged Vaughn out of the alleyway.

Tuesday:

At the hospital, Elizabeth told Michael that the doctor would be with him soon. If he was hoping to talk to Willow, she wasn’t there. She’d been put on administrative leave until after the trial. He said everything Elizabeth was doing for Willow spoke volumes about who she was as a person. Not many people would let Willow stay with them. She said, Willow wasn’t with her. She moved out.

Willow drug her suitcase into Drew’s house and looked at the photo of them on the mantel. Drew came out and said this was the best thing to happen to him in a long, long time. How did it feel being home?

At the PC Grill, Obrecht looked at The Invader headline, Professor Henry Dalton Files Charges Against the Mayor’s Son, when Nina joined her. Obrecht said Nina needed to use her editorial powers for good and do a story on Rocco and the gross miscarriage of justice from the PCPD.

On Lulu’s porch, Alexis told Danny that they were going to rehearse his and Charlotte’s statements. They needed to be flawless and consistent. Lulu said, once the statements were on record, they could leverage obstruction of justice charges at Dalton and free Rocco. Laura answered the door and said Charlotte had a test, but Lulu was picking her up. Alexis said, if all went well, Dalton would be finished for good.

Britt went to see Rocco and asked, what happened?  

Outside the house, Lulu told Charlotte that her best bet to help Rocco was to do whatever Alexis said, and Charlotte said, anything for Rocco. Nathan came along and asked if Lulu had a second, but she said, not really, and asked if he wanted to come in. He said he couldn’t stay and neither could she.

At the station, Sonny found Turner in the interrogation room talking with an officer, and said he needed a private conversation with her. The officer left, and Turner asked how he thought it looked, a known criminal barging in and demanding a private meeting. Sonny said he didn’t care how it looked. He cared about his grandson and wanted him released now.

Charlotte went inside and Alexis asked, where was her mom? Charlotte said, outside talking with Detective West. It sounded important.

Lulu said she couldn’t leave, but Nathan said Rocco needed her now.

Rocco said he’d be fine, but Britt asked the guard if that was what they did around there, let an injured kid walk around. The guard said it was just a few cuts and bruises, and Britt said she was a doctor and wanted a first aid kit. If anything was infected, they were looking at a lawsuit. Rocco said she shouldn’t be nice to him since he’d stolen the key fob from her. That was how he got in the lab. They were just starting to know one another and he broke her trust. He was really sorry. She said none of it mattered and asked if it had been an officer or another kid, and he said, a kid. Sonny knew and would take care of it.

Turner said she couldn’t give preferential treatment to Rocco, and Sonny said his grandson had been roughed up, assaulted in the detention center. They both knew he shouldn’t be there in the first place. Fix it. Get Rocco out or he would.

Ava visited Sidwell, and he asked, to what did he owe the pleasure of this delightful surprise? Ava said her gallery just received a treasure trove of art that perfectly aligned with his taste, but he said he wasn’t in a mindset to discuss art. She asked if she could help with something else, and he asked if she knew of any piers for sale. She said she was sorry the ballot box hadn’t gone his way, and he said he wasn’t a gracious loser. Shed said nobody hated losing more than she did, but maybe there was a silver lining. Now that he and Sonny weren’t fighting over the piers, perhaps there was space for peace. He said he doubted Sonny had ever known peace or ever would.

Nina told Obrecht that it wasn’t the subject for Crimson, but Lulu was a respected journalist with connections to news organization. Plus, of course (🍷), she had access to the subject. Obrecht said, not at the moment. Rocco was in the juvenile detention center pending a bail hearing. He’d been targeted by this grandmother’s political rivals and their cronies, and she wouldn’t be a passive witness to injustice. Nina suggested she not do anything impulsive that would get him in more trouble, and Obrecht said, like Nina had done for Willow. Nina said Rocco had a village protecting him, but Willow had no one… except for Drew.

Willow said it felt strange, and Drew said now they could live the life they’d always dreamed of. She wondered how he could live there like nothing happened, and he said, the same way he met all challenges – thinking of her. She gave him strength. She asked if he wasn’t afraid someone would come back and finish the job.

(Okay, hear me out. What if Drew hired someone to do it? Someone who would know how to wound him without killing him, so he could pin it on Michael.)

Michael said, Willow moved back in with Drew, didn’t she? and Elizabeth told him that she’d said goodbye this morning. He said Drew probably pitched it as a good legal strategy. If the victim welcomed her back… Elizabeth said it would make a strong statement to the jury. She didn’t understand it, but Willow seemed to love Drew and believed he was her best chance to get her kids back. He wondered if she had a way to convince Willow otherwise, and she asked if he thought Willow could have access to the kids. She knew it was a sacrifice, but wasn’t it one worth making for the kids?

Turner said they’d established she didn’t take orders from Sonny and didn’t take kindly to threats. She was prosecuting Rocco’s case by the book. If she was going to take him down, she’d do it without using his grandson. Sonny said he’d given her the benefit of the doubt, and she used the photos Dalton came up with of his destroyed lab. They both knew he’d destroyed it himself to frame Rocco. What was the hold up? She said she’d been scheduled to question Dalton about the lab photos, but he didn’t show up and she was having a hard time locating him. Sonny flashed back to looking in Laura’s trunk, and Turner said it appeared Professor Dalton was missing.

Ava told Sidwell that Sonny’s current situation was a perfect example. He’d scored a victory with the election, then his grandson was arrested breaking into a lab at PCU. Sidwell said he hoped Rocco wasn’t too traumatized. Detention centers were not kind to men like him.

Britt asked Rocco what Sonny was going to do. Whack a 16-year-old? Rocco said he hoped not. Sonny would get into trouble. Britt said Sonny could take care of himself. In fact, she thought he was liable to make it worse. That’s why he had to get out of there. She told the guard to watch Rocco closely. If Rocco got so much as hangnail, they’d regret it. She left and the guard asked if she was Rocco’s mom, and he said, no. Just someone close to him.

Drew said Michael had put two bullets in his back and tried to rob him of his life and future with Willow and her kids. But he failed and Drew survived. Willow said the way he saw the world was one of the first things that made her fall in love with him, and he said if she had bad memories of the house, they could buy something new. What mattered most was that she felt safe. Willow said she was just overwhelmed, and he asked if she was having second thoughts about moving in or being with him at all.

Nina said she’d stopped by Elizabeth’s and Aiden told her that Willow moved back in with Drew, and Obrecht asked what was wrong with her that she kept going back. She’d been accused of his murder. Nina said Drew knew about Willow’s history of being controlled and used it against her, and Obrecht said, Willow was in her current position not only because of Drew, but because of Nina. She foisted an alibi on Willow, then reneged on it, and sold her out. Nina said it was because of Obrecht too. Obrecht made her think Willow was behind terrorizing Sasha. Obrecht said she still thought so, and Nina said, so she’d wrongly assumed Willow did it and tried to protect her. Obrecht said Nina made her look guiltier. Nina said there was something she’d done to try and save Willow that she actually did regret, and Obrecht said she had a feeling about that. Nina shot Drew, didn’t she?

Danny said they’d heard Professor Dalton was testing on animals, and Charlotte said they wanted to prove it, but needed access to the lab. Danny said, so they lifted a key fob and snuck in during the debate while the campus was distracted. They didn’t find any animals or cages or anything. Charlotte said they were careful not to touch anything, just some papers, and Danny said, but they put them right back. Dalton came in and they hid. Charlotte said she and Danny were about to get caught, when Rocco made a noise, and Danny said, and gave himself up. Charlotte said, to protect them, and Danny said, that’s when Dalton punched Rocco.

Nathan brought Lulu to the detention center to see Rocco, who swore he was okay, but Nathan said he didn’t think they could wait until the bail hearing. Rocco was being targeted for his connections and any time there was dangerous for him.  

Sidwell apologized for Ava coming all that way to listen to him bemoan politics. He’d make it up to her. She said he could come to the gallery and look at the new pieces by Gavin Zeigler, and he said he’d be there. Britt came in and said she needed to speak to Sidwell, but he told her that it was impolite to barge in on the middle of his meeting. Britt said she wasn’t as ill-mannered as he thought. Ava was more than welcome to stay.

Turner told Sonny that the forensics analysis turned up no evidence to support Dalton’s accusations. She suspected that’s why he didn’t show up or answer her calls. Sonny said he knew he could use her to frame Rocco. Now she had proof. What now? She said, Dalton’s disappearance combined with Rocco being at risk was grounds for her to push for an immediate hearing, and she left.

Nina said she didn’t shoot Drew, even though she wanted to, and Obrecht asked what she’d meant. Nina said she’d betrayed a friend, Portia Robinson. Unfortunately, Willow’s defense hinged on pinning the crime on someone else. Obrecht said she assumed that would be Michael, and Nina said, another suspect could only help. Portia did have a motive, but the police didn’t know it. All she did was make sure the information got back to Alexis Davis. Portia’s friendship was valuable to her, and she may have thrown Portia under the bus for nothing. Apparently, Michael’s alibi wasn’t as iron clad as first assumed.

Michael said he respected what Elizabeth was saying, but he was there for his burn treatment, and he relived the whole thing at every appointment. Not just the fire and physical agony, but he was completely alone in Germany, which was its own kind of agony. Elizabeth said she was sorry, and Michael said Willow made no effort to visit him. She said, Willow did try to visit, but he said, one time, and Drew made sure they didn’t see each other. Willow wasn’t the one who set up the calls with his kids; Kristina was. Drew was the man Willow wanted to be with and went back to him no matter what. They could have each other, but not his kids. It wasn’t about keeping Willow away from Wiley and Amelia. It was about protecting them from Willow and Drew.

Willow said she wanted a future with Drew, but she was going to be found guilty. Michael’s father was so powerful, and Sonny and his connections controlled everything and everyone in town. Drew said Alexis was an incredible lawyer and she’d be exonerated. He loved her and loved Wiley and Amelia like his own, and thought she loved Scout the same way. She said she did, and he said he wanted a life with them desperately. That’s why he wanted to ask her – he went down on one knee – Willow Tate, will you marry me?

Alexis said Rocco didn’t tell her that Dalton punched him, and Danny said he was probably embarrassed. Laura asked if they were also embarrassed, and Danny said, kind of. Charlotte said they figured it was Rocco’s story to tell. They didn’t want to contradict him. They were afraid Dalton would lie more. Danny insisted they were telling the truth. Dalton hit Rocco in the stomach. When Dalton found out they knew, he’d realize the trouble he was in and drop the charges. Charlotte said, and Rocco could come home.

Lulu asked if Nathan thought Rocco had been targeted because of his connections to Dante, and he said, or Sonny or both. She said they couldn’t leave him, and Nathan said he had this. He told the guard that he was taking Rocco into custody and bringing him back to the PCPD. If his superiors had a problem with that, talk to ADA Turner.

Michael told Elizabeth that he’d tried every viable option – shared custody, supervised visits – and reached the same conclusion. It wasn’t Wiley and Amelia’s job to be their mother’s salvation. Willow had plenty of chances, but the truth was, she was where she was because of her choices. He thought his kids deserved better than a mother charged with attempted murder.

Willow asked if Drew was sure, and he said he’d never been more sure. No church wedding or big show. Just her, him, Scout, and the people who supported them. She said the list wasn’t long, and he said, so what? They’d show a united front, and it would lead to the charges being dropped. There was no better defense than having him as her husband. She’d be found innocent, and they’d be in a great place to win custody back. Willow said she’d been married before because of circumstances and wanted the next time to be for the right reason. He said it would be. It was going to help her case, but that wasn’t why he was asking her. He was asking her to marry him because he loved her. Didn’t she love him?

Sidwell told Ava that he was terribly sorry, but he had to deal with an irritating bit of business. He’d walk her out. He took Ava to the door, then went back to the living room. He told Britt to watch her step. It wasn’t the first time she’d barged in uninvited when he had company. She was getting sloppy and it wasn’t a good look. She saw what happened to Dalton and he doubted she wanted to suffer the same fate.

Laura asked if they were sure it was the story Charlotte and Danny wanted to go with, and Charlotte said it was the truth. Jason said if the cops caught them in a lie, it could blow up, and that wasn’t good for anyone, and Alexis told them, once they said it on the record, they’d have to live with it, for better or worse. Were they sure they didn’t want to change their minds? Danny said, for sure, and Alexis told them to stay there. She, Laura, and Jason went outside.

At the station, Sonny saw Rocco come in with Nathan and Lulu, and asked, what happened? Lulu said, Nathan happened, and Nathan said it was temporary until the bail hearing. Sonny said Turner was working on it, and Nathan told Rocco to wait in the interrogation room. Sonny asked if he could sit with Rocco, and Nathan said, of course (🍷). Lulu said she couldn’t thank Nathan enough. He was amazing, but she had to ask if he risked his job.

Ava asked if she could join Obrecht and Nina, and Obrecht said, sit. Ava said Obrecht’s daughter didn’t share her decorum, and Obrecht asked what Britt did now. Ava said she was in the middle of a sale and Britt barged in, forcing her client to end the meeting. Nina said, which client? and Ava said, Jenz Sidwell. Obrecht said he seemed to be a powerful man. Maybe Britt went to see if he could help Rocco. Ava said she understood. Sidwell was quite a powerful man and in a short time made himself quite a force in Port Charles.

Britt said Sidwell had to acknowledge that her father’s research would die with her if she didn’t finish. Only she could get the job done and didn’t need a timeline. She did admit she needed him, and not just for the medicine. She needed his help because Rocco was in danger. He asked if something happened to dear Rocco.

Britt said Rocco had been assaulted. Dalton was dead and there was no reason Rocco should still be locked up. Sidwell said it was ample reason to nudge Sonny and Mayor Collins along. Call it unforeseen repercussions for their failure to cooperate. She said, oh my God. He did this. He had Rocco attacked. He said he had eyes and ears everywhere and a long reach to go with them. It was in her best interest to remember that.

Nathan told Lulu, if there was fallout, there was fallout. He was supposed to be looking out for Rocco. Lulu said he did more than anyone. He kept his promise, and she couldn’t be more grateful. Turner came out and said she got a call from the juvenile detention center. They said Nathan had pulled Rocco out and said they could talk to her if the staff had a problem with it. Lulu asked if she was aware Rocco had been assaulted, and Nathan said he was doing her a favor. He made sure that people knew, even the kids she accused were protected from violence. She said she’d back him this time, but don’t do it again.

Rocco thanked Sonny for staying, when Turner came in. She said she got a bail hearing for later today and didn’t see it being denied. Rocco would sleep in his own bed tonight. He was lucky that a lot of people cared about him.

Outside, Alexis told Laura and Jason that the kids were so lying. They can’t go on record. It wouldn’t hold up and making a false statement was a crime. They could end up charged. Laura asked if it could wait until Lulu got back. She was sure Lulu would have a lot to say.

Danny told Charlotte that his dad could see in his head, and she said, maybe he could, but as long as the ADA believed them, they’d stick to the story. Alexis, Laura, and Jason came back, and Alexis said, listen up. They knew Charlotte and Danny were lying. It made no sense. Rocco would have told her if Dalton punched him. If they said Dalton had, they’d both face serious charges. Think about Scout. Danny said that’s all he’d been doing. What kind of role model would he be if he didn’t defend his brother?

Laura said they understood what the kids were trying to do, and Jason said it was reckless. Laura said, but they’d never have to go to court because Dalton was… Jason said, Dalton was nowhere.

Drew went to the Grill and sat down at Nina’s table. He said, what a treat running into them. He was inviting them to his place for a Thanksgiving celebration. He promised they didn’t want to miss it. Dessert was going be spectacular.

Willow found Elizabeth at the hospital and asked if she had any plans for Thanksgiving. Elizabeth said Cameron and Jake weren’t going to be home, and Aiden was going to see Lucky. Other than that, she’d been busy at work and hadn’t given it that much thought. Willow said she’d love for Elizabeth to come to Drew’s and be her maid of honor. (That would be matron, but letting it pass.) She showed Elizabeth her ring and said Drew asked her to marry him again and she said yes. Say she’ll come. Elizabeth said, of course (🍷), and they hugged. Michael watched from around the corner.

Wednesday:  

Brook told Chase that Thanksgiving evoked the kitchen curse. There was no way they’d cook a successful turkey in this house.

Lulu brought Rocco home and said Charlotte and Danny were anxious to see him. She told him that she loved him.

At the gallery, Ava asked Trina if Jordan was interested in the pieces she’d shown her, but Trina said Jordan would be taking her business elsewhere, which was on her. She told Jordan that she’d make sure her dad never went back to her.

Stella met Curtis at the PC Grill, and he asked if she’d like to go to Café Cherie instead. She saw Martin and Drew sitting at the bar and said, not a chance. If anyone should leave with their tail between their legs, it was Drew.

Martin asked what was with the last-minute dinner, and Drew said he had some exciting news about him and Willow.

Obrecht went to Drew’s, and Willow asked what brought her by. Obrecht said she understood Willow was getting married, and Willow asked if Obrecht was there to change her mind.

At the station, Dante told Nathan that Rocco was on his way home. He knew Nathan caught flack for it, but he appreciated Nathan pulling Rocco out. It wasn’t easy seeing him like that. Nathan said Dante would have done the same for him. He was happy to help. Dante said Nathan was not only a good friend, but a good cop, and he wanted Nathan’s help on a case. He wanted to take another look at who shot Drew. Nathan asked, why?

Charlotte asked what they did to Rocco, and Rocco said, kind of badass, huh? Didn’t girls like scars? Danny said they liked tats, and Jason said they had to make sure he never had to go back. Danny said, Dalton was straight up lying about the lab, and Lulu told the kids to catch each other up while she and Jason talked.

Ava said she thought Trina and Jordan got along, but Trina said she’d realized that Jordan had been waiting in the wings, right there ready to exploit the weakness in her parents’ marriage. She told Jordan that she’d keep her father from going back to her. Ava said she could deal with losing a sale, and Trina said her father would listen to her. Ava said giving an ultimatum ran the risk of resentment, but Trina said she didn’t care. She resented her. Portia came in and said, resented who?  

Nathan asked if the PCPD hadn’t done its thing, and Dante said it was more preemptive. Alexis was going to blame the PCPD for botching the investigation and he wanted to work on an effective counter argument. Nathan asked if Chase wouldn’t be a better choice to help, but Dante said he wanted Chase to be as far away from the case as possible.

Willow asked if Obrecht was going to tell her that she was making a huge mistake, but Obrecht said that wasn’t why she was there. Drew wouldn’t be her first choice for Willow’s life, but she wasn’t there to criticize. Willow was family and even if she didn’t agree with Willow’s decision, Willow still had her support. Willow thanked her, and Obrecht said Willow should thank her mother for talking sense into her.

Martin congratulated Drew and asked, when is the big day? Drew said, Thanksgiving. They were keeping it simple, just close friends and family. He hoped Martin could make it. Martin said, sure, and Drew asked if he was willing to officiate. Martin said he felt it was his duty to ask if it wasn’t an ill-conceived idea to bolster Willow’s look at the trial, and Drew said he thought it would have a good effect on the jury, but he loved Willow and couldn’t wait to make her his wife. Martin said, after everything that happened, he didn’t think Drew would win Willow back, and Drew said he always got what he wanted. Martin said, except Measure C, and Drew said he had everything he really wanted. Now he was concentrating on revenge against those who’d crossed him.

Chase said he was ready to take on the challenge, and Brook said Groundhog Day was underrated. She’d suggested Olivia give up and get a pizza oven. He said he thought he could make a great turkey, but she said it had been 30 years since an edible turkey had been served on Thanksgiving. He said the two of them could conquer everything and he wanted to do something nice for everyone. Michael came in, and Brook said they were talking about the possibility of cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Michael asked if it wouldn’t be easier to get a pizza oven, but Brook said maybe they could finally pull it off this year. She asked if Michael wanted to help, but he said he and Chase shouldn’t be together in a room full of knives.

Curtis said if Stella was going to give Drew the stink eye all night, it wouldn’t be a good time. They might as well leave. Stella told him to distract her with something more important. How were things with him and Portia? Did they reconcile yet?

Trina hugged Portia and asked what she was doing there. Portia said she was hoping Trina could have dinner with her. Ava was welcome to join them. Ava said she had things to finish up, and Trina said she was sorry, but she had plans with her dad and Aunt Stella. Did Portia want to come? Portia said it was sweet of her to offer, but she thought it best if she didn’t go. Have fun and tell them that she won’t be able to make dinner on Thanksgiving. Dr. Randolph needed to see her father. He wasn’t doing well and she was covering for her. Trina asked if that was how it was going to be from now on, that her parents couldn’t be in the same room. Portia said, of course (🍷) not, but Trina said she felt like her family was being torn apart. Portia said that would never happen. They’d always work together to do what was right by her. Trina said she knew they were trying, but she was worried she’d lose one of them, and Portia said, that would never happen. They hugged, and Ava flashed back to Nina telling her about throwing Portia under the bus as a possible suspect.

Dante said Chase had a bias about Willow and he wanted to look at other suspects, and Nathan asked where they should start. Dante suggested they start with Michael.

Brook said Chase had nothing against believing Michael was a cold blooded killer, and Chase said he believed Willow was innocent, but had to be objective. Michael said Chase believed he knew Willow so well, and Chase said he did. Michael said then it should come as no surprise that she and Drew were getting married on Thanksgiving.

Willow asked if Obrecht meant Nina, and Obrecht said she and Nina were together when Willow’s fiancé ran in to share the news. Initially, she was less than thrilled. Willow said she was sure Nina felt the same way, and Obrecht said she did, but after Drew left, she had a moment and realized the most important thing was that Willow was happy. Was she happy? Willow said, of course (🍷), and Obrecht said Willow’s mother believed they should support her wholeheartedly. Willow said she appreciated the gesture and asked Obrecht to thank Nina. Obrecht said she could thank Nina herself. Wasn’t it time she made amends with her mother?

Outside, Jason asked if Lulu told the kids, but she said, not a word, and she was told not to bring them in to give their statement. Turner was supposed to question Dalton, but he didn’t show up. The police went to PCU and the MetroCourt, but there was no sign of him. Jason said, he took off, and she said, possibly. She wondered if Sonny had something to do with it.

Nathan said Michael had the strongest motive and weakest alibi. He had access to the weapon and access to the room Willow was staying in at Elizabeth’s house. Dante said, Anna issued a warrant the next day, and Nathan said, she found the gun. Michael had motive, a weak alibi, and access to the weapon. He had the opportunity to plant the weapon and a motive to do it. There was a lot they couldn’t ignore. Dante said Alexis was going to point in Michael’s direction, but Nathan said, if Michael and Jacinda stuck to their story, she wouldn’t get anywhere. And Nina didn’t do Willow any favors by giving a fake alibi. Dante said the security footage showed Nina as being at her apartment at the time Drew was shot. Unless she found another way out. Nathan said Nina would have told them to protect Willow. He thought Nina was a long shot.

Willow asked how she could forgive Nina, and Obrecht said her mother loved her. Willow said Nina had a pattern. She screwed up, begged forgiveness, then screwed up again. Obrecht said if Willow had no forgiveness for those who made mistakes, married life wasn’t for her, and Willow said she was tired of it. Obrecht said she understood Nina made mistakes, but Willow was acting like an ungrateful, petulant child. From the moment Nina found out Willow was her daughter, Nina had done nothing but love her. Nina had made mistakes, but fought for her and protected her and stood by her side. Yet Willow could turn her back on Nina even when she admitted she was wrong. That’s not how family worked. It was time for her to make amends with her mother. There was a knock at the door, and Obrecht said, now was her chance. She opened the door to Nina.

Michael said he’d overheard Willow invite Elizabeth to the wedding, and she was sporting Lila’s engagement ring. Brook said she was sorry. It was appalling. Chase said, it wasn’t Willow’s idea. It was Drew’s.

Trina left, and Portia told Ava that she heard Trina say she resented her. Was she talking about her or Jordan?… Never mind. Ava said she promised it wasn’t Portia, and Portia said they both knew that could change quickly if it turned out that Curtis wasn’t the father. She wasn’t telling anyone until after her first trimester. Because of her age, she wanted to take things one step at a time and wasn’t getting a paternity test until then. She was afraid of losing Trina. Ava said there was something else that could end up separating her from her daughter.

Curtis said he and Portia were going through with the divorce, and Stella said, even with a child on the way? He said they’d co-parent, but she said it wasn’t the same. He showed her the sonogram and said, check this out, and she said she could hear the love and joy in his voice. He said he missed out when Portia was pregnant with Trina. This was a whole new experience. She said that’s why they needed to stay married, so he didn’t miss out on his child’s life for one moment.

Martin said Michael was still at the top of Drew’s revenge list, and Drew said he wished he’d claimed to remember Michael shooting him, but he’d waited too long. Martin said now that Willow had been arrested, the court would assume he was protecting her, and Drew said he could have spared her the trial. Martin said Alexis was doing everything she could, and Drew said, she’d better or she wouldn’t see her grandchild. Martin said Alexis was a damn fine attorney. She believed in her clients and believed in proving their innocence. Drew said he’d feel better if Martin was her co-counsel, but Martin said Alexis was a one-woman show. They best thing was to step back and let her do her thing. Drew said if it went wrong, he’d hold the both of them responsible, and Martin said the best wedding present Drew could give Willow was hiring Alexis, but Drew said the best wedding present would be Willow’s freedom and getting her children back. That included putting Michael behind bars. Once he achieved those goals, he could focus on the other people who’d made the mistake of crossing him.

Charlotte thanked Rocco for saving them, but said he needed to think out the ramifications. He was the grandson of the mayor and Sonny Corinthos. The media might be harsher on him than Dalton. Rocco said it was the right thing and he’d do it again, including breaking into the lab. Charlotte said, even though they’d found no proof? and Rocco said, it was kind of exciting. Danny said, it was pretty good, and Charlotte said, until they got caught, but Rocco said, admit it. She was thrilled. She said, it was pretty cool.

Jason asked if that was Lulu’s way of asking if Sonny had Dalton killed. He could assure her that Sonny didn’t. Lulu said that was a relief, but if Dalton had just run off, that meant he could pop back up anytime.

Chase said Drew put the ring on Willow, and Michael said, and she accepted and agreed to marry his uncle. Brook said, Willow just forgave him? She didn’t know what Willow was thinking, but it wasn’t good. Michael said, unless Willow loved Drew or thought it made her look innocent. Maybe both. He didn’t give a damn anymore. Brook said he had a point. What if it was a ploy for Willow to stay out of prison?

Obrecht said she’d told Nina to wait in the car, and Willow said, so Obrecht could butter her up? Nina said she told Obrecht this was a bad idea. She’d just go. Obrecht said they needed to work things out before the wedding, and Nina said Drew had invited them, but if Willow didn’t want her to go, she wouldn’t. Willow asked why she’d want to come. Nina hated that she was with Drew and hated Drew. She’d hired a hooker to drug Drew to break them up. Nina said that was true, but she’d learn to accept it if it meant she could be a part of Willow’s life again. She missed Willow. If Willow could find it in her heart to forgive her, she guaranteed she’d disappoint Willow again, but promised she’d love and support her for the rest of her life, no matter what. Just give her another chance.

Ava said Nina told her in confidence, but she felt justified telling Portia, since Nina broke hers first. Nina’s alibi fell apart and she was desperate to get the heat off her daughter. So she decided to shine the light on an alternative suspect. Portia asked if Nina knew about Drew blackmailing her.

Trina joined Curtis and Stella and said the Thanksgiving shopping was done. They were prepared for tomorrow. Stella thanked her, and Trina said, of course (🍷). Stella said she still didn’t know how many she was cooking for and asked if Trina’s mother was coming. Trina said her mother had to work and wanted her to say she was sorry, and Stella said, remember to take her a plate. Curtis said she’d be missed, but especially at this time of year, they should focus on their blessings, and Trina said, all they had was each other. That was no guarantee a couple of months ago. She was scared they were going to lose Stella when she was targeted for fraud. Stella said she knew whose fault it was. Drew used the power of his office to target her family, and she thought it was way past time she said something.

Martin said Drew still had a grudge against Curtis, when Stella approached them. She said, good evening, Congressman Cutthroat. How many lives do you plan on destroying this evening?  

Michael left, and Chase said he was under the impression that Brook was considering the possibility that Michael might be guilty. She said she changed her mind. It happened yesterday at the hospital. She was worried about her dad and Michael stopped by. He was supportive about Rocco, Gio, her dad, all of it. She told him that she wished she could reach out to Gio. The way Dante had spoken to him was horrible. Michael called Gio to come to the hospital so they could talk. Chase asked how it went, and she said, better than she could have imagined. Gio finally understood her choice to give him up and a weight lifted off of her. For him too. He called her mom. He said, thanks, mom, and she thought her heart would burst. Chase hugged her.

Willow said she was telling Aunt Liesl that she gave Nina chance after chance, and she kept screwing it up. But she’d also made a few mistakes, and Nina stood by her through all of them. Nina said she always would if Willow let her, and Willow said, that’s what family did. And since they were family, maybe they could work on having a relationship. Nina said she would be so grateful, and Willow said she wasn’t sure she could ever fully trust Nina or that they would be as close as they once were, but she was willing to overlook that part. The truth was, she missed Nina too.

Portia said she couldn’t believe Nina betrayed her, and Ava said Nina didn’t actually say she threw Portia under the bus and didn’t go to the cops. Portia asked if Ava thought it was her, and Ava said if she had to guess, it was. Nina said she felt terrible. Portia said she didn’t give a damn. She thought they were friends and in this together. She trusted Nina. Ava said she was sorry. She felt partly responsible for putting them in touch with each other. Nina didn’t know why Drew was blackmailing Portia or that she tampered with Heather Webber’s test results. Portia said it didn’t matter. The police would figure it out. They’d question Drew and Brad if they could find him. She’d lose her job and career and be arrested for attempted murder. What if she was convicted? She couldn’t give birth in prison.

Nathan said, what about Carly? and Dante said, Drew and Michael ran Aurora together and she’d have access to the Quartermaine estate on occasion. Nathan said, what about framing Willow? and Dante said, it was possible. Nathan said, Carly had access to the weapon and confessed to Anna that she’d wanted to kill Drew. Framing Willow was a no-brainer. Dante said Carly had been in Elizabeth’s house before they found the gun, and Nathan said you’d think her alibi of being with the WSB Bureau Chief was a slam dunk, but Dante said, not when it was her boyfriend. Nathan said they also had Tracy and Sonny, but Tracy saved Drew’s life, and he thought Dante’s dad would be smarter than that. Dante said it wasn’t the right direction. So what was Nathan’s take? Nathan said he thought the investigation was comprehensive. Carly and Michael were question marks, and he thought they should take a look at Curtis.

Martin told Stella that it wasn’t the time to have this conversation, while at the table, Trina asked if Curtis thought they should stop her, but he said, no. Let her cook. Drew said Stella didn’t want to cause a scene, and she said just because she didn’t want to, didn’t mean she wouldn’t. She had nothing to be embarrassed about, but he should crawl up under the bar in shame. He’d abused his power of office to get her investigated by the government and threatened with prison. It was completely and utterly corrupt, and he did it all to get back at her nephew. Drew said his understanding was that she was the one who was accused of corruption and fraud, but he understood when you reached a certain age, things got confusing. Stella lunged for him, but Martin held her back and said they regretted the misunderstanding. The government overstepped and they were wrong. Clearly, the situation had been resolved. Couldn’t they let bygones be bygones? Stella said, as a friend, she asked him to reconsider working for this snake. Drew destroyed everything he touched. She didn’t believe Willow shot him, but she was in this mess because half the town was outraged by him. Drew asked if she was saying it was his fault, and she said, a smarter man would have changed his ways, but he was just as despicable as ever. She wasn’t surprised someone shot his ass. He deserved it. Curtis approached and asked if she’d like to come back to the table. She told him that she had nothing more to say to this sorry excuse for a man. She didn’t want to ruin her appetite. Drew suggested Curtis remind his aunt that investigations could be reopened.

Charlotte said no one could find Dalton, and Danny said he hoped Dalton was gone for good. Charlotte said if Dalton couldn’t testify, there was no case and Rocco was in the clear.

Jason told Lulu, even with Dalton gone, they had to face reality. The kids had strong connections to Sonny, Britt, and Valentin, who all had a long list of enemies that wouldn’t hesitate to use them. Lulu said the kids had targets on their backs. They had to keep them safe.

Chase said he was happy for Brook and knew how much it meant to her. Brook said it gave her hope that she and Gio could have a relationship, and it was all because of Michael. Chase said he’d been so focused on Willow’s innocence, he’d forgotten how kind and caring Michael could be and how Michael was there for Brook when he wasn’t. It was a reminder to keep his priorities straight. She was the most important thing. He hoped she believed that. She said, of course (🍷) she did, and he was her number one priority. Just to prove it, she’d help him roast the turkey. But just in case, there was a new pizza place that was supposed to be great.

Nina said it would be a fresh start, and Willow said, in that case, she hoped Nina would come to the wedding. Nina said she’d be there. Obrecht said, now they had something to truly celebrate, and they had a three-way hug.

Nathan said Nina told him there was a way to prove Michael wasn’t with Jacinda when Drew was shot, and Dante said, if that happened, Michael would go to the top of the suspect list. Nathan suggested they look at Curtis.

Ava said no one was looking at Portia, but Portia said, what if they did? and Ava said she’d answer questions – with a lawyer, of course (🍷). Nina didn’t know what the blackmail was about, but Portia should be prepared. Portia said she appreciated the warning. Ava was a true friend, unlike Nina. Because of Nina, she might have to account for her whereabouts, which would land her in a different kind of trouble.

Dante said, why Curtis? and Nathan said he was an ex-cop and a P.I. and would know how to cover his tracks. He also couldn’t account for his whereabouts. Dante said he’d been at the Brown Dog with Jordan, but Nathan said, supposedly, he’d been in his office alone at the time Drew was shot. Dante said, personally, he felt like Curtis had the weakest motive, and Nathan said he didn’t know Curtis well enough to tell about the business angle, but the investigation into his aunt was personal. While he didn’t admit it, they knew Drew was behind it. Then, after the shooting, the investigation went away. Maybe something else was going on. Dante said, maybe Nathan was right. They should take another look at Curtis’s alibi.

Trina said, that was intense, and Stella said it felt good to give Drew a piece of her mind. But then she started to wonder if she was provoking him. Curtis said, don’t worry. He’d protect his family from Drew by any means necessary.

Martin said if Stella wasn’t off Drew’s revenge list, he couldn’t work for him, but Drew promised not to go after her. Besides, she’d suffer enough when he destroyed her beloved nephew. Martin asked if he thought Curtis shot him, and Drew said, absolutely, especially after the blackmail he had on Curtis’s wife magically disappeared. Michael needed to be the one to go down for it though. As for Curtis, he’d find another way to make him pay.

🫔 No enchilada this week because GH is not on Thursday or Friday.

Next week, Drew and Willow’s wedding day and Thanksgiving in Port Charles.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

It flitted through my mind, but I’m not feeling it. Besides, I’m not so sure Nathan is really himself.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/would-lulu-and-nathan-make-a-good-couple-on-general-hospital-vote-now/

What fans think about Carly and Jack, and what Jack thinks about Carly and Jack.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/heres-what-general-hospital-fans-think-carly-should-do-about-jack-brennans-betrayal/

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospitals-chris-mckenna-dishes-carlys-revenge-jacks-surprise-move-against-vaughn-excl/

I hadn’t known they dated IRL.

https://ew.com/genie-francis-calls-dating-general-hospital-costar-kin-shriner-her-happiest-time-11855131

Are they on?

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/are-the-soaps-airing-new-episodes-on-thanksgiving-heres-the-full-schedule/

Something for the Quartermaines to think about.

https://nypost.com/2025/11/22/us-news/this-li-pizzeria-went-viral-for-its-thanksgiving-pie-with-all-these-trimmings/

💉 A Dose Of Reality…

Below Deck Mediterranean

In Max’s interview, he worried that he’d made a mistake hooking up with Kizzy, since he liked Cathy better. I just can’t. Guest Imran quickly sets the tone by saying the crew are their servants, so karma docked the yacht due to huge swells. No surprise, this prompts Imran to tell Captain Sandy how to drive. In Kizzy’s interview, she said there was something about Cathy that didn’t feel real. Nobody actually did their job was that perfect.  Cathy made her feel small, and she hated that someone had the power to do that to her. Once again, Nathan floundered as a bosun, and Captain Sandy told him to get his sh*t together. She was pissed.

Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City

The group went to lunch, sans Britani, and asked Lisa and Meredith, WTF? Lisa said she’d just vented to a friend and suddenly she was the bad guy, and Meredith acted like she didn’t know what they were talking about. As usual, everybody was concerned about everybody else, instead of looking in the mirror. Lisa met with Britani and apologized. She suggested they move on with respect and dignity, and I nearly choked on my coffee.

Southern Charm

The show began with Craig having a massive hangover and saying he never had a healthy relationship with alcohol while he was single. We flashed back to him being a mean drunk, proving his point. It looks like this show is starting to get like Below Deck Med with all the crossover romancing. Yeah, let’s call it romancing. Even after watching it twice, I still wasn’t sure who wanted to zoom who. Apparently, Salley is into Craig, who is feuding with Venita. Venita said Salley didn’t know what a girl’s girl was, but she probably doesn’t need to worry, since Craig is clueless. Failing to see his opportunity one night in a hot tub, in their respective interviews, Shep said Craig wasn’t that aggressive of a dater, and Austen said Craig was a p*ssy. Rodrigo was worried that it would be Venita vs Craig again and Salley would side with Craig. In Rodrigo’s interview, he said if he was wrong, he’d eat one of Craig’s pillows. He didn’t want Venita getting hurt.  Shep tried teach Austen to surf, and Salley had a bring-a-single-friend singles party. Austen’s girlfriend Audrey came for a visit, and in Madison’s interview, she said Austen was with Audrey because he knew it was the only way to better himself, but he really wanted something to light a fire under his ass. Austen said he liked it long distance, but Audrey seemed more interested in settling down. He began his wishy-washy act with her, so I predict they won’t be together much longer.

This was the best I could find at the time of posting.

Vanderpump Rules: Raise Your Glass to 11 Seasons was a filler for Bravo’s Thanksgiving week. Not that I minded because, LVP. While Andy did some chatting with her and talked between segments, it was mostly scenes from VanderDays gone by. There was also some never-before-seen footage and a sneak peek at the next generation at SUR.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/andy-cohen-reveals-vanderpump-rules-original-show-title

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/vanderpump-rules-season-12-trailer-cast-premiere-date-spoilers-details

Random Reality Items

She’s not wrong.

Filed under: You can’t fire me; I quit.

New York is again in the house.

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

The Green Book: Guide to Freedom. Paramount+. A travel guide published by Black postal worker Victor Huge Green from 1936 to 1967, it listed the establishments that welcomed Black people. My only beef with this film was that it wasn’t long enough. Eventually listing more than 9,500 hotels, restaurants, etc., they only showed the tip of the iceberg and I would have loved to see more. In a rare moment of actually hearing me, my husband got me a reprint of the book for my birthday.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/25/us/green-book-documentary-trnd

Zombie Apocalypse. Amazon Prime. This is a fun zombie apocalypse romp, nothing you have to put a lot of thought into. A group of survivors are making their way across the country to get to Catalina led by Ving Rhames (one of my favorites). While that’s incentive enough to watch it, the bonus of a zombie tiger didn’t make me mad.

https://slate.com/culture/2011/10/zombies-the-zombie-boom-is-inspired-by-the-economy.html

Otherlife. Amazon Prime. A film about a revolutionary new drug that lets you slip into virtual reality, and in a surprise to no one, the government decides to use it for their own supposed gain. As usual, where technology could and should be used for good, instead it poses a whole new set of problems. I thought this wasn’t bad and the critics seemed to love it, but personally, I found it dragged in spots.

https://slate.com/technology/2017/11/sci-fi-has-been-warning-us-about-virtual-reality-addiction-since-the-1990s.html

Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy. Netflix. A film all about how we shop, why we shop, what we shop for, and how they get us to buy it. There wasn’t much I didn’t already know, but I love documentaries like this, so I really enjoyed it. It also made me rethink dumpster diving.

https://movieweb.com/netflix-documentary-watch-before-christmas-buy-now-shopping-conspiracy/

https://www.cinemablend.com/streaming-news/ending-of-buy-now-the-shopping-conspiracy-bait-and-switch-im-not-upset-about-it

🥀 Farewell Dear Count…

Aww. He was so purdy back in the day. I saw his Flesh for Frankenstein in 3-D, along with Blood for Dracula (both Andy Warhol films), at a revival house and laughed at inappropriate moments. RIP to a legend.

https://www.slashfilm.com/2035543/udo-kier-x-rated-movie-flesh-for-frankenstein-before-netflix-adaptation/

👠 The Green/Pink/Red Carpet…

Behold Wicked for fashion.

https://www.eonline.com/photos/37975/wicked-for-good-new-york-premiere-celebrity-red-carpet-fashion

🦃 Loving a Parade…

Everything you need to know about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Believe me, you’re better off watching it on TV, especially this year when it’s going to be windy and freezing. The first year I was in NYC, I went to see it. Not only did I have to get out there at 6 am, I thought I’d never be warm again. I did have one year when the office I worked for overlooked the route and we watched it from there while sipping mimosas and noshing on bagels. If you can do that, by all means, go.

https://www.macys.com/s/parade/

🐕 Animals Trending…

🐶 An extra big balloon dog. I wonder how many clowns it took to blow it up.

https://people.com/freida-the-dachshund-balloon-returning-to-the-2025-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-11857028

🧹 A wickedly trendy name.

https://people.com/wicked-causes-shake-up-in-top-trending-pet-names-of-2025-11856116

🦛 She’s single and loves walks on the beach.

https://people.com/worlds-oldest-living-hippo-celebrates-52nd-birthday-11854641

🪇 Quotes of the Week

I like to compare the holiday season with the way a child listens to a favorite story. The pleasure is in the familiar way the story begins, the anticipation of familiar turns it takes, the familiar moments of suspense, and the familiar climax and ending. – Mister Rogers

I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.Benjamin Franklin

Showing gratitude is one of the simplest yet most powerful things humans can do for each other. – Randy Pausch

My songs will pass and be forgotten. What counts, however, is that I sang them. – Father Andrew Greeley

Opportunities don’t just happen, you create them. – Chris Grosser

Look at her. She’s giving me the side-eye. – Manon Berryman, talking about a goat at a goat farm, 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way

Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.Ann Landers

There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them. – Ray Bradbury

If you don’t believe me, then google it. – Cesar Faison (Anders Hove), General Hospital

🍗 Counting My Blessings…

Until next week, stay safe; stay having a wonderful Thanksgiving, whether it’s alone with your cat, serving at a soup kitchen, or with strangers, friends, or family (I’ve done all those things); and stay focusing on your blessings always.

February 7, 2025 – GH Weekdays, Cyrus Finds a New Target, Soap Suds, This Week’s Reality, Weekend Watch, Rebirth, Coming Soon(ish), Nixed, Wins, Two Different Bowls, A Half-Dozen Quotes & Dust

Standard

What I Watched Today

(The whole GH enchilada & entertainment minutiae on Fridays)

General Hospital

Monday:

Laura told Jordan that Sidwell was charming and cordial and was going to be a big problem for her and the city. Elizabeth and Lucky discovered a Turning Woods patient who had dementia, but was otherwise healthy, had died of heart attack. Lulu said Dante owed her no explanations and he told her about Anna not letting him near Sam’s case.

Laura was worried about Lucky going after Sidwell and told Jordan that Anna thought Sidwell was behind the fire. At the Surf Lodge, Maxie gave Emma advice on living with Anna, but when Sasha came in, she told Emma to find another table. Alexis told Sonny that nothing helped, but pain helped fuel her rage of injustice over Sam’s death.

Trina asked for Curtis’s help in talking to Kai, and Kai told his friend/ teammate Quinn that he wouldn’t be coming back. Lulu apologized to Dante for what she did in Prague and for seeming ungrateful for Sam’s sacrifice. She said he could talk to her about anything. He said he felt badly about not being home much in the weeks before Sam died, and Lulu said it was because he’d been by her bedside. Laura told Lucky about Sidwell being in Port Charles, and Jordan told Isaiah. Emma eavesdropped on Maxie and Sasha. Maxie said some people thought Jason was Sasha’s baby daddy.

Kai asked Quinn to step up because he could lead. Brook met with Lois and said the last thing Dante needed was to find out he’d fathered a child in high school. She wondered if the child even knew they were adopted. Dante told Lulu about proposing to Sam. Sonny said he was there for Alexis, and they hugged.

Sasha wondered why people couldn’t just leave her alone to live her own damn life, and it was no one’s business but hers who the father was. Emma told Gio about what she’d overheard, and Quinn blamed Trina for splitting Kai’s focus. Curtis told Kai his story and said Kai had to live his. He was never going to know if he could fully recover unless he went through the process. Lulu said she was happy Dante had a love like Sam, and he said he didn’t blame her for anything.

Trina told Quinn to check himself. Looking for something to blame wasn’t going to help Kai, and maybe he was the one giving up. Kai said everything he’d planned for was gone and Curtis said Kai’s bravery against the defensive blitz told him who Kai was as a person, and it extended beyond the field. Laura asked what Alexis knew about Sidwell, who showed up at the MetroCourt. Jordan introduced herself and asked what brought him to Port Charles and what he planned to do there. Elizabeth asked Lucky what it was like to be Sidwell’s prisoner, and he said, it was hell.

Curtis suggested Kai accept help and Kai said he couldn’t face the disappointment of his family. Curtis said, focus on healing his body and mind, and Kai said Curtis had given him a lot to think about. Curtis left his number and Kai texted Trina to come by. Emma wanted to tell Anna that Jason was the baby’s dad and Gio had a bad feeling. Maxie said, the more Sasha stonewalled, the more people would talk, but Sasha said she owed no one any explanations. Laura filled Alexis in on Sidwell and said Anna had opened an investigation about Sam. Sidwell told Jordan that he was an importer of gems and rare earths. He knew how to find things of value. Lulu said she got why she couldn’t be the person Dante turned to right now, but if that changed, he knew where to find her.

Tuesday:

NuJack (Pfft! He looks like Nathan Lane and has no accent – very disappointing) and Carly took a private plane back to Port Charles. Anna called Josslyn into her office. Drew got busy with Willow after jumping the fence to get to the gatehouse, and he said nothing could keep him from seeing her. Cody continued to pay off his debt to Selina and she told him she had a proposition for him. Lucky told Elizabeth that he’d stopped Jason from killing Sidwell in Somalia, and Isaiah went to the MetroCourt and saw Sidwell with Jordan. He asked if Sidwell was back to kill him personally. Brook set up a table at the MetroCourt for a Deception meeting.

Sidwell said he and Isaiah had an unfortunate misunderstanding while working together, but Isaiah said, it was no misunderstanding, and Sidwell had sent someone to kill him in Port Charles. Jordan said Isaiah was interrupting and Isaiah told her about Lucky being held prisoner. Lucy came over, having sensed tension, and asked if they all couldn’t get along. Drew said he and Willow shouldn’t have to jump through hoops to see each other, and Willow said everyone was just biting their tongues, but she didn’t want to cause more pain. Selina said she was setting up a high stakes poker game and wanted Cody to play with house money. She would also cancel his remaining debt. He asked for a cut of the winnings and reminded her that Mac was his father. She said anything could be negotiated and his discretion would be honored. He said he’d think about it. Lucky told Elizabeth that Jason killing Sidwell would have been purely about revenge, and he didn’t want to carry that burden. Anna told Josslyn about Dex and Sam being murdered, and that Dex had listed only Josslyn as family. Josslyn asked if Anna said they suspected Cyrus. Collette called Jack on the plane and said there was something he needed to see when he got back.

Lucky told Elizabeth about the poker game and how it had unlocked something in Sidwell, who became fixated on beating him. He’d been infuriated that Isaiah escaped, and when Lucky lost, he would die. Anna told Josslyn that they didn’t have proof, but Portia had banned Cyrus from the hospital. She knew Josslyn wanted justice, but to get it, they’d need evidence. Willow told Drew that she wanted to make things work. The kids adored Monica and this was their home. She also still cared about Michael and thought this would help his recovery, but the toughest person to deal with had been Sasha. Even though she was pregnant by a random guy, Willow felt constantly judged. Drew left, but forgot his tie on the couch. Sasha met Felicia at the MetroCourt, and Isaiah told Jordan, whatever money Sidwell brought in was blood money. Jordan told him to handle the conflict on his own time. Lucy joined the Deception meeting, and Jordan asked what Isaiah’s issue was with Sidwell.

Sidwell said that Isaiah had been his personal physician, but didn’t like the conditions and departed. He wanted to buy Jordan dinner to make up for interruption, and she said, call her office. He left and she texted Isaiah to meet her. Brook told Tracy that Natalia and Sonny went to LA to handle financing. The sales had dropped because of Lois losing her accent. Drew went to see Selina and asked about her previous association with Curtis. He asked if she was a silent partner in the club. She said she could provide interesting insight, providing their exchange was mutually beneficial. Cody came back and asked if Drew got lost helping blind orphans, Seeing Drew there confirmed that Drew was exactly who Cody thought he was.

Lucky told Elizabeth it had been like his dad was guiding him during the poker game, and Elizabeth had helped him too. Josslyn told Anna that she’d volunteered at Turning Woods and Cyrus had everyone there fooled. Anna told her that she was interfering with the investigation and don’t go back. Carly visited Willow, bearing gifts for the kids from Germany. She told Willow that Michael started treatment and wanted the kids to know he loved them. He also wanted to thank Willow. Willow asked if Carly wanted tea and Carly said she did, but when Willow went to the kitchen, Carly found Drew’s tie sticking out of the couch cushion.  

Selina said it was none of Cody’s business, and Drew said he was addressing a constituent’s concern. Cody asked if Willow knew and said Drew and his brother were alike. Drew was sleeping with his nephew’s wife and Jason got Sasha pregnant. Selina told Cody to get out and had her bodyguard escort him.  

Collette showed Jack a cabin where Cyrus had been hiding out, but she hadn’t wanted to go inside without his authorization. Josslyn told Anna that she’d do whatever it took to stop Cyrus and get justice for Dex, but Anna said, the more Josslyn entangled herself in the investigation, the more likely Cyrus was to get away. They needed proof and he already knew he was being watched. If he found out, he’d cover his tracks. She told Josslyn to let the PCPD take it from there. Jordan met Isaiah at the Surf Lodge. He said Sidwell was dangerous and hired assassins to take out those who crossed him.

Lucky told Elizabeth that he’d been close to escaping, but guards caught him and worked him over. He thought it was the end, then he saw her, and she told him that he shouldn’t quit. He should get up off the floor and fight. Jordan said, it was like Sidwell’s crimes had never happened, and Isaiah said it was because he’d committed them in war torn regions where there were no laws. She said she was going to spend time with Sidwell and find evidence to put him away. She’d had experience going undercover and Sidwell was interested in her, so she’d take the opportunity. When Willow came back, Carly was gone, and so was Drew’s tie. Drew went to the MetroCourt to meet with Anna, who had a wish list from the PCPD for federal support. Drew said he’d be happy to suggest funding as long as organized crime was the top priority – i.e. arresting Sonny and Jason. Carly came in and called out Drew for leaving his tie while he was having sex with Michael’s wife.

Jack said they’d tail Cyrus, and Collette asked if he wasn’t curious about the cabin. She wanted to insure their special project wasn’t put at risk. He said it wasn’t their objective to catch a killer, but to see what action Josslyn would take if she found the cabin. Lucky said, Elizabeth had gotten him through a lot, and she said she was glad, but she couldn’t be anybody’s angel. He said he just needed her to be her. He told her about a song he’d heard on a jukebox in Mogadishu that reminded him of dancing with her at Luke’s. He played it on his phone, and they danced.

Isaiah said he thought Jordan liked the rush better than pushing papers, and she said she’d need his help. He’d have to stay away from her because Sidwell couldn’t know about their connection. He said, no way in hell was he staying clear of her. Their connection would also go undercover. Willow left a message for Michael, saying, the kids loved him and talked about him all the time. They couldn’t wait for him to get home.

To add insult to injury, Carly said she’d bought the tie for Drew and found it in the couch. He wanted to talk privately, but she said, no. His nephew was fighting for his life while Drew was sleeping with his wife on property he’d been banned from. She wanted everyone to know he was pathetic. He wasn’t half the man Jason was. Drew said the joke was on her. Jason had knocked up Sasha – the family cook. Wow. He’s outdone himself at being an ass on so many levels.

Wednesday:

Brad confronted Cyrus at the hospital. He said Cyrus was trying to convince the world he was a changed man, but was considered a danger to the patients. Josslyn convinced the custodian at Turning Woods to let her in Cyrus’s room. Willow told Nina about Carly disappearing on her. At the MetroCourt, Sasha told Drew to make a disaster of his own and Willow’s life, but leave her and her baby out of it.

Ric told Elizabeth that she was back to work immediately. Carly told Drew that he had no right to get involved with Sasha’s private life. Tracy said she was going to warn Willow that if it Drew showed up again, she’d be out on the street without her children, but Brook said she’d convince Willow to do what was best for everyone. Anna told Drew that it was inappropriate for him to influence a case against Sonny and Jason. Kristina wanted to wait to tell Danny that Sam was murdered, but Alexis said if he found out from someone else, they risked losing him. Cody told Molly that he was sorry to hear about Sam and that he and Sam were kindred spirits, and she took Danny to see Alexis. Cody told Dante that he should be there for Danny since Danny’s dad was worthless, when Sasha walked in.

Brook told Willow about what happened at the MetroCourt and asked what she was thinking. Lucy said she didn’t see it coming that Jason was Sasha’s baby daddy, but didn’t hate it. She loved spectacles when she wasn’t at the center of them. Drew asked to talk to Maxie. Lucky asked Ric to find out Cyrus’s parole terms and Elizabeth said it would be a personal favor to her, so he agreed – on the house. At the hospital, Lucas told Carly that Jack had been there as his patient and asked if she was dating him. She said, maybe, and he asked if she’d slept with him, but she said they hadn’t crossed that line yet. Valentin had tried to kill Jack, and she’d saved his life. Sasha asked where Cody got off telling everyone Jason was the father and Cody asked if he wasn’t. Josslyn searched Cyrus’s room and noticed a pressed flower in his Bible. The custodian came back, and she said she found what she was looking for.

Sasha said it was none of Cody’s business and asked where he got the idea. He said after seeing them at the boathouse, and she told him to let it go. Brook asked, why wave a red flag at Tracy? and Willow said this was her home, but it was an easy fix, and asked to move back in with Nina. Drew asked Maxie to share her opinion, and she said she felt sorry for Michael. She didn’t think it was cool for him to pull Sasha into the drama. He said he needed a mother’s advice. Lucy pumped Felicia for information, and Lulu asked Anna where Jack was. Lucas said Carly didn’t want to be with somebody who didn’t tell her the truth.

After Ric left, Lucky said, if they got specifics, he could find a way to get Cyrus busted, and Elizabeth said he meant frame Cyrus. Tracy said everything was Sasha’s call. She could fight and would with Tracy’s support. Brook told Willow to take a step back and that Drew was the problem. When she got involved with him, her life fell apart. Nina suggested Willow take some time alone to figure out the direction of her life. Drew asked Maxie to speak to a decorator about his new house. She said he sounded like a great dad, and she’d help him. Anna suggested Lulu call Jack’s office. Lulu said she already had with no luck, but she’d get Carly to intervene. She asked if Anna had heard anything about Charlotte.

Tracy said every woman had the right to live life on their own terms and she’d do her best to watch out for Sasha. Sasha needed to have a game plan. Nina said Willow could stay with her as long as she needed, but Brook said that wasn’t the agreement. Willow said she didn’t care. Anna said she didn’t know where Charlotte was and neither did the WSB. Lulu said Jack was lying because of some spy reason and a lot of people would be sorry when she got her daughter back. Carly said Jack wasn’t like Sonny, but Lucas told her to walk away while she could. It was Jack’s literal job to keep secrets, and she shouldn’t make the same mistake twice. Elizabeth said Cyrus needed to be stopped no matter what. If they had to frame him, so be it. Cyrus noticed his Bible had been touched and the pressed flower was moved.

Thursday:

Brad asked to leave early, and Portia said okay, but Curtis wondered what was up with that. Brad showed off his muscles, and Lucas said, whatever training program he was on was clearly working. Jack met with Josslyn at Bobbie’s, and she said that she was going to prove Cyrus killed Dex. Lois went to see Martin and told him that she really needed a lawyer. Willow told Nina that deep down, she knew Brook was right. She shouldn’t have been in the gatehouse with Drew. Alexis told Danny that the authorities believed his mom’s death wasn’t an accident.

Brook blamed herself for Willow leaving. Willow said when Drew left, all she could think about was Michael, and Nina said the accident robbed her of closure. She could now focus on her next steps. Then like a bad penny, Drew showed up. Portia told Curtis that Stella seemed to like Brad, so she was willing to give him a second chance, and Curtis thought it was time for him to have a chat with Brad. Josslyn told Jack about getting into Cyrus’s apartment, but not finding anything. He said that might indicate Cyrus had a second location. While Rocco listened in, Dante asked Chase who the person of interest was, but Chase wasn’t talking. Alexis told Danny that the police and hospital believed Sam was murdered.

Molly said, Sam wasn’t the only victim, but it was being kept quiet to not alert suspects. Chase made Dante promise not to do anything reckless and told him the suspect was Cyrus. Jack said, even the best criminal left a trail and evidence would surface, and Josslyn asked him not to tell her mom, when Carly and Lucas walked in. Gio told Brook not to blame herself for the actions of others. Tracy showed up and Brook told her it didn’t go as planned. Tracy said it was time to call the lawyers.

Curtis asked if Brad was still working with Selina, but Brad said they’d cut all ties. He would never do anything to jeopardize Portia and Terry’s faith in him. Carly and Jack shared a table, and he asked her not to tell Josslyn about them. Lois told Martin that Brook had a baby with Dante and she needed to make sure no one found out. Danny agreed Scout shouldn’t know about Sam being murdered and asked if his dad knew. Chase said, circumstantial evidence pointed to Cyrus, but Dante said it made no sense. Tracy interrupted and asked Chase and Dante to check for security flaws on the property, and Rocco snuck away. Nina said Drew had put Willow in a position to lose her children, and suggested he move to DC, but he said he’d take Willow and the kids with him. Nina said if he wanted a fight, she was ready to oblige.

Alexis said it wasn’t their job to get involved in the investigation. When Danny left, Alexis said she found it unsettling that he’d brought up his father. Lucas said it looked like Jack and Carly were getting close, and Josslyn said, as long as it wasn’t Sonny, she was on board. She asked if Lucas had ever heard of Austin Gatlin-Holt. Lois told Martin that the baby had been placed with a member of her extended family, but Brook didn’t know. (Is it Gio???) She asked if Brook could find out, when Tracy knocked at the door. She asked why Lois was there.

Stella told Curtis that she believed Brad had turned a corner. Brad asked if Curtis knew about their arrangement, but Portia said, no and don’t tell him. Josslyn said Austin had testified for Cyrus at his parole hearing, and Lucas told her to stay out of it. Lois told Tracy that she’d heard what happened with Willow and that was why she was seeing Martin. Martin said the deal wasn’t legally binding and the blame lay with Tracy. Lois suggested they leave. Brook told Chase and Dante that Willow moved out. Nina told Drew that Willow still cared about Michael and Willow told Drew it was a mistake for them to meet at the gatehouse. She was still processing the end of her marriage. Drew said it would be unfair to deny their feelings, but they were free to be together since it had been made public – if that’s what she wanted.

Willow said of course (🍷) she did. They kissed and Nina saw them. Alexis was worried that Jason would seek vengeance, and Kristina said, some people didn’t look at vengeance the way Alexis did. Rocco talked with Danny and told him that Cyrus was a suspect. When Carly took a call, Josslyn asked Jack to help her find out if Austin had leased or bought a place nearby. Nina called Carly and said they had to end a problem once and for all. After seeing Tracy to her car, Lois came back to see Martin again. He said there were two ways the truth could come out. If the child came of age and requested their birth certificate… Lois said there was no way they knew they were adopted, and he said, also, if Brook met with whoever handled the adoption and asked to meet her child. Lois said it would blow his world apart, and Martin asked if she was in contact with them. She said, Brook’s son was her grandson Gio. (Ha! I was right.)  

Friday’s Enchilada:

Lulu thanks Laura for meeting her at Bobbie’s and Laura says she’s always happy to meet her beautiful daughter, but what’s so urgent? Lulu says she met with Jack Brennan, and she has news, and Laura asks if Charlotte and Valentin have been found. Lulu says, no. Valentin surfaced briefly in Germany, but disappeared before they could track him. Jack wouldn’t give her any other details. Laura says, of course (🍷) not. It’s Jack and it’s classified. Lulu says she’s got to find Charlotte soon. She knows something bad will happen if she’s with Valentin. Laura says she’ll do what she can, but Lulu says, there may be another path she can follow.

Carly brings a folder to Lucas at the hospital because he left it at home, and he says he’s glad she didn’t come to him for dating advice. He sticks by his assessment that dating a spy is a bad proposition. She says she has more important things to deal with than taking the time to point out Lucas’s questionable taste in men. Nina called and wants to see her. She needs him to convince her that it’s not a good idea to work with Nina.

Nina gives Maxie two tickets to the NYC Winter Fashion Formal and tells her that she can take who she wants. Maxie asks what Nina wants, and Nina asks what she means. Maxie says, Nina only gives her stuff when she wants something, but Nina says, that’s not true. Maxie says, Nina gave her Chanel boots when she wanted Maxie to get a million Christmas gifts for Wiley, and Nina says, fine. She needs help. It might sound crazy, but she needs advice on how to convince Carly to work with her. Maxie asks what she wants to work on, and Nina says, breaking up Drew and Willow.

Willow tells Elizabeth, happy first day back, and hugs her. She says, the doctors and nurses missed her and every one of her patients asked about her. Elizabeth says, it feels good to be back and be missed more than she should admit. Portia joins them and welcomes Elizabeth back. Elizabeth says, it’s good to be back, and Portia asks to speak to her before her shift. Portia heads for her office and Elizabeth makes a face at Willow.

At the Grill, Sidwell thanks Drew for meeting him, even if he’s interrupting Drew’s breakfast. Drew says he’s happy for the company and to welcome a new constituent to Port Charles, and Sidwell says, this constituent doesn’t want to waste more of his time than necessary, so he’ll get to it. Drew may not know, but he imports rare gems from around the world. One of the reasons he chose Port Charles was the pending development of the esplanade. He asks what the status is on its progress, and Drew says, unfortunately, it’s being held off because of environmental concerns. Sidwell says, forgive him for being blunt, but did Sonny Corinthos have anything to do with the delay?

At a hospital in Los Angeles, Sonny says he doesn’t like waiting, and Natalia says, it shouldn’t be much longer. Sonny says he owes her for coming to California with him, and she says she was just thinking, how is Sonny going to pay her back?  

Jordan asks if Anna remembers the microdot recorders she bought for the department, and Anna says, they’ve used them successfully already. Jordan says she needs to borrow one, and Anna asks, who will be wearing the device? Jordan says she will.

In her office, Portia says, as Co-Chief of Staff, she wanted to apologize to Elizabeth for suspending her, and Elizabeth thanks her for saying that. She admits it was a relief, and Portia says she never believed Elizabeth would harm her patients. Elizabeth says she knows Portia had to follow protocol, and Portia says she did, but she hated it. As much as she’s not a fan of Ric’s, in watching him fight for Elizabeth, she never realized he was such a good lawyer. He didn’t give the hospital lawyer half a chance and she came to win. Elizabeth says she’s grateful for everything Ric’s done for her, and wonders if she’s allowed to ask the status of the hospital investigation. Portia says, Elizabeth can, but she doesn’t have any new information. Everything they had on the three, almost four, deaths was turned over to the police. It’s officially a criminal investigation. Elizabeth asks if she’s sure it was only three, and Portia says, they had the lab techs go over all the deaths in the last few months and didn’t find any others. Elizabeth says, that’s good to hear. Does Portia know if the police have a suspect? Portia says she hasn’t touched base with them, but prays they catch whoever is responsible, so they don’t destroy any more lives.

Nina says, it’s ridiculous for Drew to be sneaking in behind everyone’s backs, but Maxie says, Willow is an adult. Even if they think her choices are stupid, she has the right to make them. Besides, she doesn’t think Drew would do something to hurt her. Nina says, sorry. She didn’t realize Maxie was a fan of Drew’s. Maxie says, she’s neutral. She’s Switzerland. Nina asks how she can be when Drew’s over-the-top romantic gestures and horrible advice drive Willow to make disastrous decisions? Like moving out of the gatehouse and back in with her. Maxie says she thought Nina would be happy having Willow and the kids living with her, and Nina says, of course (🍷) she wants them with her, but if the entire Quartermaine security staff can’t keep Drew and Willow apart, how can she? Maxie says, she probably can’t, and Nina says, if Drew didn’t live in a hotel room, he’d probably have Willow and the kids move in with him, and that would be a disaster… What’s wrong? Maxie says she has the feeling Drew won’t be in the hotel much longer, and Nina says, because…? Maxie says, because he’s in escrow on a new house… and she told him that she would help him find a decorator. Nina says, Drew is buying a new house and Maxie is helping him with it?

Lucas asks why Carly is considering working with Nina, and Carly says, to break up Willow and Drew. Drew wants to keep Willow to himself, and his schemes are so obvious, even Nina noticed. Jason brokered a living arrangement with Willow and the Quartermaines, and Drew blew it up. He asks, how? and Carly says she visited Willow at the gatehouse and when Willow went to the kitchen, she saw a tie she’d given Drew sticking out of the couch. Part of the arrangement was that Drew wasn’t allowed on the property, and he snuck in like they were star-crossed lovers. Of course (🍷) she loudly confronted him in public at the MetroCourt. He says, of course (🍷). He guesses it didn’t go well. She says, it was a disaster, and Lucas says he can’t talk about being on the moral high ground. He lit into Willow at Christmas, and it was a disaster. Ava had to talk him down. She says, clearly, they’re people who act first and think later, and he says, maybe it’s time they learn from their mistakes.

Natalia asks if Sonny is worried about what the doctor is going to tell him, but Sonny says he tries not to think about it. He hopes it’s not serious, but right now he has to focus on finding who put the firebomb in the penthouse.

Lulu says, it occurred to her to search in a different way, and Laura says, how so? Lulu says she and Rocco were talking about how Charlotte loved riding, and she knows Valentin let Charlotte have a phone. So she started following popular equestrians on social media. It’s a longshot, but she might find a follower with an account that belongs to Charlotte. Laura says, so her focus has changed from where Valentin could be to where Charlotte would want to go, and Lulu says she’s also looking at the best stables and riding facilities in Europe. Valentin wants Charlotte to be happy, so maybe he’ll let her take lessons. Laura says, it sounds promising. She might get a real lead. Laura’s phone rings, and she says, tell her that she got a meeting with Congressman Quartermaine… Ugh. Okay… They’re saying they think he’s there now?… Good job. She thanks them and tells Lulu that she’s got to get to a very important meeting, but keep her in the loop. Lulu says she promises. Fingers crossed it works. Laura says she’s proud of Lulu. She’s smart. Good job. Lulu thanks her, and Laura leaves.

Elizabeth calls Nurse Gail at Turning Woods and thanks her for her help when she and Lucky were there. She hopes she didn’t get Gail in trouble with her boss. Gail says, not at all. Director Furner had no issue with it. Besides, she knows the head nurse at GH wouldn’t ask her a favor if it wasn’t important. Elizabeth says she knew Gail would understand, and Gail says, they’ll talk soon. Cyrus walks in and asks how Gail is. She says, fine, and himself? He says, the same. He was about to visit Mrs. Brown. How is she doing? Gail says, the same, and he says, the poor dear. He’s going to pray with her. Gail says she’s sorry, but he can’t see patients. Not until he talks to Director Furner.

Furner thanks Cyrus for his help and says, they’re grateful for the time he’s devoted to the patients, but feel its best he not visit them going forward. Cyrus says, the decision is sudden, and Furner says, there was a complaint lodged by Mayor Collins about him misrepresenting himself as Lulu Spencer’s medical proxy. Cyrus says he couldn’t help overhearing Nurse Gail talking to Elizabeth Baldwin earlier. Might she have influenced his ban? Furner says, all he knows is Miss Baldwin was here with Lulu’s brother Lucky, and they were upset about his access to Lulu. He was also informed that Cyrus has been barred from volunteering at GH. Cyrus says, it’s a big misunderstanding, but Furner says, that’s not what he heard. Cyrus says, from whom? He’d like to know who’s spreading these lies. Is the source Elizabeth Baldwin? Furner says, Turning Woods is a private facility, and they have the right to decide who they allow to see patients, but Cyrus says, the patients need him. He refuses to abandon them. Furner says, sorry. He’s afraid they’ll have to make do without him, and Cyrus leaves.

Lucas says, the reason he let Wiley go was to make peace and he knew Michael would be a great father, but when Willow took him away from Michael, he had to confront Willow. Carly says she understands that kind of anger. When she found the tie, she lost it. It was in the house Michael shared with Willow and the kids, and it was like a slap in the face. Drew was there having sex with Willow, and she felt she needed to speak up for him. Lucas says he gets it, but don’t do anything to give Drew an excuse to come swooping in like Willow’s knight in shining armor. Carly says she can’t stand that Willow thinks he’s her hero. She’s sure her confronting him just solidified their us against the world thing. He says, they need to stop making an already bad situation worse, and Carly asks what she should do about Nina. He says, if her goal is to stop escalating the conflict with Willow and Drew by working with Nina, do the opposite of that.

Maxie tells Nina that she’s jumping the gun. Drew hasn’t even purchased one piece of furniture yet. Nina says, she’s right. They still have time. Maxie needs to do what she needs to do to delay Drew moving in. Pretend she can’t find a decorator or distract him with terrible color swatches. It will give her time to come up with something to keep them apart. Maxie says she’s not going to be Nina’s underhanded minion on this one. She doesn’t like what Willow and Drew did because it hurt Michael, but they’re adults and they can do what they want, questionable choices and all. Nina says she’s not going to sit by and watch Drew take advantage of her vulnerable daughter, and Maxie asks if she’s doing it because she thinks Drew is bad for Willow or because Willow is now with the man Nina once wanted for herself?

Drew says, Sonny has no sway in the decision. It has to do with his constituents. Sidwell asks if Sonny Corinthos isn’t one of his constituents, and Drew says he could argue that Sonny is a resident, but his business doesn’t necessarily help make Port Charles better. Sidwell asks if he’s considered Pier 55 and the surrounding area as a new location, and Drew says, Sonny owns the building there and has a legal coffee company. Sidwell asks if that isn’t what Eminent Domain is for. (Don’t even get me started on that, Jenz.) Can’t the government claim land if it’s to help revitalize the city? Drew says he’s explored moving the location, but it costs money and time, and Sidwell says, as a future businessman and tenant, he’d be willing to make a large financial commitment if it solves the funding issue. Drew says he’ll keep it in mind, when Laura walks in. She says, just the man she was looking for, and Sidwell says, how nice to see her again.

Anna asks why Jordan wants to wear a wire, and she says she met Jenz Sidwell a few days ago. Anna says, lucky you, and Jordan says, Laura was talking to her about how dangerous he is and not long afterward, he walked into the MetroCourt, so she introduced herself. They talked, and she got the idea he was interested in her, interested in a way she could use to her advantage. Anna says she’s sure Sidwell is interested in Jordan, and Jordan says, apart from what Anna’s already told her, does she have any information that would be useful to get closer to him? Anna says she doesn’t and asks what outcome Jordan is looking for. Jordan says, no law enforcement agency can connect him to his crimes, and Anna says, unfortunately, that’s true. He’s clever and has resources. He was running a small army in Somalia. Jordan says she needs to figure out why he came to Port Charles and what he plans to do, and Anna says, no one has established a real reason. Jordan says, if she can get close… and Anna says, she’ll find a way to catch him.   

Nina says she had an ill-advised short-lived fling after getting caught up in the spell Drew wove over his admiring constituents. That’s all it was. Maxie says, so Nina is really over him, and Nina says, absolutely. 100%. She saw the terrible effect he’s had on Willow, and she’s done. Willow is kind, gentle, and sweet, but with Drew’s help, she’s made one bad decision after another. Drew has a talent of bringing out the worst in people. He did with her. Maxie says she never thought she’d hear Nina say that, and Nina says she should have listened to Maxie. It was a horrible idea, trying to distract Drew from Willow by sleeping with him. Maxie tells Nina that she hates to say I told you so, but Nina tells her, say it. Maxie says, it’s not as much fun when Nina agrees. There’s only one real reason Willow is so out of character and crazy. She’s in love with Drew. Nina says she keeps telling herself it’s infatuation or hero worship thing, but she thinks Maxie is right. It’s something deeper. Maxie says, in all fairness, they’re not in a position to judge what someone will do for a person they love. Nina did stupid stuff when she loved Sonny. How is it any different with Willow and Drew? Carly stands in the doorway.

Drew says, it’s nice to see Laura, and starts to introduce her to Sidwell, but Laura says, they’ve met before. Drew says he didn’t realize they knew each other, and Laura says, that must mean Sidwell didn’t tell Drew that he held her son captive and nearly killed him in Somalia. Drew says, is that true? and Sidwell says, once again, he has to point out that his version of events differs greatly. Laura says, her son has no reason to lie about the man Sidwell really is, and Sidwell says, a more sensitive person might react to the mayor making negative accusations in public with a defamation suit, which would be terribly costly to the city. Thankfully, they have cooler heads, don’t they? Laura says she hears the threat, and Drew suggests it might not be the time or place to discuss it. Sidwell says, nonsense. He’s sure if the mayor joins them, she’ll have plenty to add to their conversation. He’d love to show her that his goal is to contribute to her fair city.

Cyrus walks over to Lulu’s table at Bobbie’s and says, it’s truly a miracle to see her back on her feet. He knew she’d woken up, but to see it for himself fills him with great joy. His prayers have been answered. She says, God does work in mysterious ways, and he asks if she’s fully recovered. She says, nothing about her is any of his business, and he says he didn’t mean to upset her. He just came in for a bite to eat. She says she doesn’t care why he’s here. Her family has a restraining order against him, and if he takes one step closer, she’ll call the cops.

Carly says, Maxie poses a good question, and Maxie thanks her and says she thinks she’ll go now. Please don’t break anything. She leaves, and Nina says, Carly will probably think she’s a hypocrite and she wouldn’t blame her. Carly says she wants to sit for this, and Nina says, watching Drew bulldoze his way into Willow’s marriage was incredibly eye opening. Because it’s what she did to Carly with her marriage to Sonny. Carly says she never thought she’d hear Nina admit she did wrong, and Nina says she did. She can’t go back and change what’s done, but at the end of the day, she’s just a mother like Carly. And like Carly, she loves her child with everything she has. She can’t sit by and watch her daughter destroy her life for a man who’s not worthy of her.

Willow asks if Lucas needed a nurse, and he says he needs to order tests, and he’d appreciate it if she’d deliver the folders. And if they could rush the results, that would be great. She says she’ll see what she can do, and Lucas says, wait. He needs to say something. She says, if it’s about Drew or her relationship with the kids, she’d rather they keep things professional. He says, actually he wants to apologize for what he said the last time they saw each other. He had no business judging her choices or telling her how to live her life. He’s very sorry. She thanks him, and he says, if she or her kids need anything, he’s here for her. No strings attached. He promises. She says she appreciates that very much, and leaves.

Laura says, actually, she’d love to hear what they were discussing, and Drew says, in light of the environmental concerns, Mr. Sidwell proposed they relocate the esplanade to Pier 55. Sidwell says, transforming a blighted area to an esplanade full of shops, restaurants, and new housing developments would be beneficial to Port Charles. Laura says, if he has a proposal, submit it to her office. She’s sure he’s only concerned with what’s best for Port Charles. Drew says he’s looking forward to working toward that end, and she says, that’s part of the reason she voted for him. He says he’s thrilled to know he earned her vote. He’ll do everything in his power to justify her faith. She says, good, because he should know that she doesn’t believe a partnership with Sidwell is the solution to making Port Charles a better place. Sidwell mimes clutching his pearls, and she says, the drama, and leaves. (Sidwell is always a good time, but I want my husband Jack back.)

Anna says she never told Jordan the full extent of what happened when she and Jason were in Somalia to rescue Lucky. Jordan says she knows they barely got out alive, and Anna says, they were almost killed. It’s clear how dangerous Sidwell is, because she believes he’s behind the firebomb at Sonny’s apartment. Jordan says, so she believes Sidwell’s arrival in Port Charles so close to the attack on Sonny is too much of a coincidence not to mean something, and Anna says, exactly. Jordan says, Anna isn’t going to lecture her on how she’s no longer a cop and using a wire undercover isn’t in her job description as Deputy Mayor? Anna says, no. She’s giving Jordan the equipment. If she needs to go undercover to bring Sidwell down, Jordan has her full support. Anna leaves to get the recorder.

Natalia asks if Sonny is going to tell his kids, but he says, they’ve been through too much already. Kristina and Dante are still mourning Sam. Michael is in Germany fighting for his life. He doesn’t want to worry them. She says she understands, and Sonny says, if his business rivals hear about it, it will give them an invitation to come after him and his family. That can’t happen. The nurse says, the doctor is ready for Sonny, and Natalia asks if he wants her to go with him. He holds out his hand, she takes it, and they walk in together.

Maxie tells Willow that she needs help with her son, and Willow asks if he’s sick. Maxie says, no. He’s great, but he’s driving her nuts. He wants her to plan a playdate with Wiley. Willow says she would love that, and Wiley would too. She’ll check her schedule, and they’ll make it happen, Maxie says, it will get James off her back. Nina told her that Willow and the kids moved back in with her. How is Willow doing?

Carly says, the only reason she’s here is because Nina convinced Willow to let her and Sonny see Michael in the hospital. Nina says she thinks they need to work together to keep Willow and Drew apart, and Carly says, okay. Don’t get her wrong. She despises them as a couple, but she doesn’t see how tearing them apart will help. The damage is done. If they find out, Willow will never let them see the kids again. Nina says she thought about that, but thinks it’s a risk worth taking. If they do nothing, that’s a worse option. Carly says she’s not sure about that. She confronted Drew in public at the MetroCourt about how he snuck onto the Quartermaine property to see Willow. It didn’t go over well. Nina says, Willow moved back in with her. At least when Willow was at the Quartermaine’s, Drew didn’t have free reign. Now that Willow is back, she can’t keep them apart. She needs help. Carly asks if they won’t be making a bad situation worse, and Nina says, worse than Drew moving Willow and the kids in with him? How would Carly feel then?

Elizabeth tells Lucas that she talked to Portia about the investigation, but she never said anything about Cyrus. That means Lucas never said anything to Portia about Cyrus being a suspect. He says he didn’t, but Cyrus was banned from volunteering at Turning Woods, and Elizabeth says she did hear that. She was wondering if his name was off the suspect list. He says he doesn’t know, but he does know they want him caught. Some people have lost too much because of him. Elizabeth says, some more than others. She and Lucky are close to finding something that will prove him guilty.  

Lulu says, Cyrus is violating the restraining order. Stay away from her. Cyrus says, it pains him that her family jumped to terrible conclusions about him. This is all a misunderstanding that’s kept him from doing his good work at Turning Woods. She says, the place where he lied about having power over her medical care, and he says, she was alone, and he cared for her. She says, when she woke up, she didn’t hear him caring. She heard him talking to the doctor about transferring her to another state where she’d be far away from the people who love her and truly alone. He says, she’s confused, but for good reason. He’s not the man he used to be. She missed his transformation from his past circumstances. He wants only the best for her. She says she sees him clearly when she opened her eyes at Turning Woods. He’s the reason she had to run away while she was still weak and recovering. She knew she had to get away from him and his sick plan for her. Cyrus says he sat by her hospital bedside. He read the Bible to her and prayed for her. She has no concept of the devotion he showed her. No one has done for her what he has. Lulu starts digging in her bag for her phone and calls Anna’s office. She says she’d like to speak to the Commissioner. Her family has a restraining order on… She looks around and Cyrus is gone.

Natalia says, getting a pacemaker and on a medical regime is no small thing. Sonny needs to do this. Why put it off? Sonny says he needs to find who put the bomb in the penthouse. It’s all he can focus on right now. He doesn’t find out who’s responsible, his family isn’t safe. After that, he can focus better. She says she hopes he can do it in the next three months. She can come with him for support when he gets it done. He says he’d appreciate the company. It has to be done. She suggests they get out, and they leave. A guy in the waiting room follows and, in the hallway, he takes out his phone. It’s the man who tried to kill Isaiah at the hospital.

Nina says, Drew is in escrow for a new house and wants there to be enough room for Willow and the kids, and Carly says, no. Even if he did, that doesn’t mean he would ask Willow to move in already. Nina says she wouldn’t put it past him, but Carly says, no. Nina says, whether they like it or not they’re connected because they’re Wiley and Amelia’s grandparents and want what’s best for them. Michael is out of the country receiving medical treatment, so for now, Carly is his proxy. As much as she loves Willow, she’s not blind to how easily Willow was convinced to go along with Drew. Carly asks what she suggests, and Nina says, what if she told Carly that they could have access to Drew’s new house. It could be useful. So what does she think? Is she in or out? Will she help do whatever it takes to protect their grandchildren?

Willow says, Maxie is one of the only people to ask how she’s doing. She’s getting lectures on her relationship with Drew and Maxie isn’t judging. She didn’t realize until now how lonely it’s been. Maxie says, they’ll schedule a playdate, and the boys can run around while they catch up, and Willow says, it will be nice. Maxie asks, who’s place? and Willow says, Maxie’s. Nina’s isn’t the best play space for kids. Maxie says she hopes the kids exhaust themselves to the point where they pass out, and Willow says, it sounds amazing. She’s grateful having a place to stay, but she needs to look for her own place with a kid friendly backyard.

Sidwell says he has no control over how people choose to see him, but hopes Drew sees him as an ally. His phone rings and he says he should take it. Drew says he’s got to get going anyway. Sidwell has given him a lot to think about. Sidwell says, that’s all he can ask, and Drew leaves. Answering the phone, Sidwell says, so? The man at the doctor’s office says he followed Natalia to a medical office. The man who she’s with is seeing a cariologist. Sidwell asks, who would that be? and the man says, Sonny Corinthos. (Rut-roh.)

Lulu goes to Anna’s office and says, Anna’s not going to believe what she saw. Cyrus was at Bobbie’s and violated the restraining order by talking to her. Anna asks Lulu to tell her exactly what happened, and Lulu says, he claimed he was just there to get a bite to eat. She was told he was banned from volunteering at Turning Woods, and she told him to leave her alone, but he just kept talking. Anna asks what he said, and Lulu says, he told her that he spent a lot of time with her when she was in a coma. It really freaked her out. Then he said, no one has done for her what he has. What does he mean? What does that lunatic want from her?

Elizabeth tells Lucas, if they find irrefutable evidence against Cyrus, they’ll hand it over to the police. Until then, it’s important that as few people as possible know he’s a suspect. Lucas says, Cyrus already knows. Josslyn ran into him at the PCPD and accused him of killing Dex. Anna must be aware or at least suspicious about Dex’s death. Elizabeth says she knows it sounds easier said than done, but he needs to keep Josslyn away from Cyrus. If he feels cornered, he’ll get more dangerous. Cyrus walks into the hospital and sees Elizabeth talking to Lucas. He flashes back to finding the flower in the Bible moved and gives Elizabeth a nasty look.

On Monday, Kristina asks Ava where she thinks she’s going; Martin asks if Willow really wants a divorce; Jason asks why Tracy would believe anything Drew says; and Carly asks how far Nina is willing to go to get Drew out of the picture.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

I would never put down Chris McKenna’s acting skills, but he’s no Jack Brennan. If it was a matter of money, they should have given Charles Mesure whatever it took to keep him. And really, not even an accent? Come on. They could have done better here.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/gh-recast-shocker-mesure-out-mckenna-in-as-brennan

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/laura-wright-on-ghs-brennan-recast

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/chris-mckenna-opens-up-about-taking-over-as-brennan-on-gh

This is for the G’s and this is for the Hustlas.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/donnell-turner-on-snoop-dogg-guesting-on-gh

💉 A Dose Of Reality…

Below Deck Down Under

I didn’t watch this since I’m Below Deck-ed out, but here you go.

Deck OG Kate parlays her Traitors money into real estate.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/kate-chastain-new-florida-house-exclusive-photos-interview-details

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Sutton asked Garcelle to go with her to Agusta to visit her mother, and Mauricio took Kyle to a shooting range. She cried because everything was different, and in her interview, she said she was grieving the loss of someone who was still here. Kyle joined Sutton and Garcelle, while Boz, Erika, and Dorit went to Kathy’s for dinner. Kathy called PK PJ which was pretty funny. Erika told Dorit that she had to be proactive. If she didn’t make decisions, life would make them for her. Everything Dorit had told them indicated that PK didn’t want her back.

The Real Housewives of New York City

While on break, Brynn told Jenna that everyone hated her, and she was afraid of everyone. Janna said she was apologizing but not acknowledging what she’d done. Rebacca joined the group, and Brynn said she didn’t share her real life the way the others did. Erin said Rebecca was the most self-involved human she’d ever met. The topic of Scientology was bandied about, and we flashed back to Brynn basically calling Rebecca a snake oil salesman. I don’t know what they have against Rebecca. I like her and I actually thought the prank was funny. For being New Yorkers, this is one sensitive bunch. The Brynn/Ubah situation was rehashed and it’s another drain I didn’t think had to be circled so hard. To quote Erin, it was f***ed up, but Brynn corrected herself pretty quickly. Ubah said she forgave Brynn, but they would never be what they were. Two seconds later though, they were hugging it out, so who knows? These girls hate and love each other in the same breath. If I had to pick a best dressed – they’re all beautiful, even Jenna in her robe, turban, and sunglasses – it would be Racquel. Andy said he hoped it was the first step forward. Yeah. Until next season.

Apparently, Rebecca has had enough.

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

Britani joined the Reunion Part 3000. She’d been wearing the same dress as Angie, but graciously changed. She probably didn’t want to be included in a Who Wore It Better? list. She said she’d broken up with Jared, who sounds like a real piece of work. After their break-up, he’d gotten on social media and talked quite a bit of smack about the women. He called Bronwyn a low vibrational human being, whatever that means. Britani followed that topic with saying Bronwyn’s flying monkeys spread smack about her to her estranged daughters and Bronwyn had things to pay for.

Andy said he never thought he’d be talking about slut shaming at a Bat Mitzvah, and there was much ado (again) about Britani bringing the wine to Angie’s prayer meeting. I honestly thought it was more of a place and time thing, but I guess not. It was about the Mormon rule of not drinking alcohol. So then why does Angie say she stays pretty sober. (See below.) What does that mean? Just a glass of champagne at weddings? Just weed? So much is just overreaction. Bronwyn’s dog bite was revisited, and not only did she not sue over it – it was a rescue whose owner she knew in a dog park – she paid for the dog to be checked out. There had been a medical issue, and he was now healthy and living where he has room to run. Having dealt with this issue myself, not only do I commend Bronwyn, I suggest anyone who has an overly aggressive dog have it thoroughly checked out by a vet. End of PSA. There was a lot of talking over each other. At the end, they all said nice things about each other and toasted with Mary’s favorite, Miller High Life.

Southern Charm

Venita told Leva about JT having a girlfriend, and Leva said he was a jerk. Agreed. Craig wanted to be a farmer, but his community wouldn’t allow chickens, so he went for the next best thing – bees. FYI: Bee suits are white because dark colors remind bees of a bear. How anyone knows what bees are reminded of is beyond me, but I wouldn’t test that theory. They went to a bee ranch or whatever it’s called, and Craig was pumped. Paige was not as thrilled, but said, if he liked it, she loved it. They checked out the goats and Craig fantasized about living on a farm. Paige said she loved making up fake scenarios in her head – she was a girl – but she had a realistic streak and Craig was more sentimental. She told him that she was only 31, but he sometimes made her feel like she was 75. Yeah, she’s a New Yorker and not ready for waving from the porch in a rocking chair. I honestly think Paige just needs someone closer to home, although Craig might have moved if she’d stuck it out. Throughout the conversation, it really seemed like she was unhappy, but didn’t want to admit it. Shep was still insecure about Sienna and expressed concern in his interview that she was on a higher level than him. Aw, poor Shep. It must be tough being on the receiving end for once.

Patricia had the annual gentlemen’s dinner. Whitney’s hair looked like he’d stuck his finger in a light socket, and he didn’t find it amusing that Patricia had taken the car out with Shep when she hadn’t driven in 40 years. She told the guys that they were using Napoleonic china and Craig said he shouldn’t touch any of it. We flashed back to his previous mishaps, like spilling red wine on a white sofa. She suggested Craig propose, and in Patricia’s interview, she said, in her day, you met, dated, got engaged, and got married. With these guys, it seemed very murky, and they had a schedule with no end to things. The back broke on Whitney’s chair, and Patricia said they never had a dinner where a chair didn’t get broken. And no matter what theme she chose, the dinners turned into arguments, accusations, and breakage. Whitney said the overriding issue with Sienna was that Shep wasn’t rich enough, he was boring, and not famous enough. Ouch. Craig said it was like having dinner with your granddad who had no filter.

The JT plot thickens.

Aww! She’s ready to show her bump. As much as I’ve disliked Madison, I do like Brett, and they deserve some happy news.

Southern Hospitality

I tried to pay attention, but only a few things stood out. They went to Vegas for Maddi’s DJ gig and her face was on the side of a building, which both freaked her out and pumped her up. I’m not sure if it’s because of the cameras, but reality stars seem to get overexcited about hotel rooms. Like they’ve been living in huts and never seen one before. Except for Ramona (RHONY OG), who always complains. This group is obsessed with Will’s cheating and looks like there’s more crying from Emmy to come.

Random Reality

The two Lisas have spoken.

I really hope this works out for her. I loved It’s Complicated.

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

I’m still losing myself in Lost, plus doing a Swedish I’m-Not-Dead-Yet house cleaning, so the only extra thing I watched was The Menu on Netflix. It was horror, it was humor, it was surprise after surprise. A group of wealthy diners is taken to a remote island to have a meal at one of the most exclusive restaurants on earth, paying $1200+ a person. Each course becomes increasingly odd, and the final course is a nightmare. It’s detailed – a text describing each course pops up on the side – and was like nothing I’d ever seen before.

In simple terms.

A review without spoilers.

https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/the-menu-netflix-review

The particulars.

https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/the-menu-release-date-news

Obviously major spoilers.

https://ew.com/the-menu-ending-explained-8783965

🦕 Can’t Wait To Watch…

I never care about the plotlines. I just come for the dinosaurs.

https://people.com/jurassic-world-rebirth-trailer-scarlett-johansson-8712343

🦥 Awaiting New Seasons…

Coming February 16th.

https://www.cbr.com/yellowjackets-season-3-release-date-and-delay-reason/

Coming in April.

https://ew.com/the-last-of-us-creators-set-stage-dense-episodes-season-2-exclusive-8783868

https://ew.com/the-last-of-us-season-2-premiere-month-2025-8769682

Remember them? Coming this spring.

https://undeadwalking.com/walking-dead-dead-city-season-2-features-the-return-characters-villainous-ways

No date set yet.

https://www.cbr.com/everything-we-know-about-walking-dead-daryl-dixon-season-3/

Coming never.

https://winteriscoming.net/agatha-all-along-won-t-get-a-second-season

🚫 Boo Hiss…

Mean parole officer. She should still host. I haven’t watched it in years – too busy streaming – but I’d watch that one.

https://ew.com/martha-stewart-reveals-snl-hosting-opportunity-was-nixed-by-parole-officer-8781521

🏆 For the Win…

The full Grammy winners list.

https://www.grammy.com/news/2025-grammys-nominations-full-winners-nominees-list

The best, worst, and WTF? moments. Note to Rolling Stone: Not everything has to be political. Maybe people are poliweary right now.

The fashion.

https://www.eonline.com/photos/37508/grammys-2025-red-carpet-fashion

🏈 Bring On the Bowl…

Who’s performing.

https://people.com/all-about-the-2025-super-bowl-performers-8784892

Breakout shark.

https://people.com/left-shark-from-katy-perry-super-bowl-halftime-reflects-on-performance-exclusive-8779782

The commercials.

https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/best-super-bowl-commercials-2025

🐕 A Bowl Of Puppies…

Everything you need to know.

https://people.com/everything-to-know-puppy-bowl-2025-8785179

Everything you need to know and more.

https://www.discovery.com/shows/puppy-bowl

☄️ Quotes of the Week

Happy accidents are real gifts, and they can open the door to a future that didn’t even exist. It’s kind of nice sometimes to set up something to encourage or allow happy accidents to happen. – David Lynch

If you want to succeed, double your failure rate. – Thomas Watson

You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending. – C.S. Lewis

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. – Dale Carnegie

Advice is like snow – the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and the deeper it sinks into the mind. – Samuel Taylor Coleridge

You can roll manure in powdered sugar, but it still ain’t a jelly donut. – Berta (Conchata Ferrell), Two and a Half Men

🧉 Sticking To the Punchbowl…

Until next Friday, stay safe; stay remembering, it’s just a game (unless you bet money on it, then cry if you lose); and stay not acting first and thinking later.

August 21, 2024 – Anna Gives Jason a Warning, LA Millions, Smallest Violin Playing, Miami Adoption, Marvel-ous, They’re Tripping, Bravocoaster, Imploding, Furbabies With Fans & Love

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone, Alexis says she’s sure they’ll handle it. They’re resourceful. Just see that they get here. They’re needed here for once. She asks if Kristina got enough sleep, and Kristina says, every time she sleeps, she wakes up at GH and her daughter is gone. Then when she wakes up, she’s in the nightmare where Ava is blaming her for everything.

In the interrogation room, Ava says, Kristina came at her and she grabbed Kristina’s arm to fend her off. There was nothing she could do. Kristina wanted one thing. Anna says, that being, to kill Ava, and Ava says, she screamed it over and over – I’ll kill you! John stands nearby with a smug look on his face that I’d like to smack off.

TJ puts his arms around Molly, and she wonders how they do this. How do they bury their daughter? He says, together.

Josslyn walks into the gallery, and Trina tells her that Ava’s not here. Josslyn says, if there’s any justice, Ava won’t be here again and will be behind bars.

Anna says she’s been over the transcript from Ava’s original interview and not once did she mention Kristina threatened to kill her. Ava says she was in shock. Her memory was a mess. She forgot. Anna says, and she only just remembered? and John says, it happens, and Anna knows that. Anna asks if Ava is now his client since he seems to be speaking for her, and John says, she’s a witness in an ongoing RICO investigation for a crime boss who seems to operate freely under Anna’s nose. Anna asks if Ava’s official counsel agreed to that, and Ava says, if Anna can find Scotty, she can ask him. Anna asks where Scotty is, and John says, ask Jason.

Jason says, Clement shas been safely relocated to Sonny’s island. He’s under Sonny’s protection and off Cates’s radar. Now they’ve got to find Valentin. Sonny says, they just have to use the right bait and he’ll come like a dog. Jason says, what bait? and Sonny says, not what, who. Anna.

Molly tells TJ that the family is on their way early. Is it possible to want something and dread it at the same time? TJ says, his mom is strong and steady, and he needs her now. She’ll hug him, and her just being here will make him feel better, but he can’t stand to look in her eyes today. Molly says, today, it’ll be in all their faces, and TJ says, if they can’t hide the pain, that means it will be big and heavy and crush him. She says her too. Is there anything they can do to make it bearable? TJ says he can’t think of anything, and Molly says she thinks it will help if they stop thinking about the baby as our baby. He asks what she means, and she says, he tried to tell her, and he was right. Their baby deserves a name and it’s time to give her one.

Alexis tells Kristina that the funeral is today. They’re going to come together as a family. Kristina wonders if TJ and Molly would still consider her family if they knew what she was going to do. She was going to keep her baby girl had she lived.  

Sonny says, Valentin has zero motivation to show his face, and Jason asks if Anna is the right button to push. What about Nina? Sonny says, only Anna and his daughter, and he’s not using a child. Jason says, he’s assuming Valentin still cares about Anna, and Sonny says, if Valentin thought Anna was in trouble, he’d come running. Jason says he doesn’t like it.

Anna wonders why she should ask Jason about Scotty, and John says, Scotty never showed up for their meeting. He checked with Scotty’s doorman, and he didn’t come home last night. Anna says, some of Scotty’s favorite activities happen after the streetlights come on, and only after 24 hours does he consider himself late. Did they reach out to Lucy Coe? He might be there. Ava says, or he might be six feet under, and John says, the last time Scotty called, he said he had a run in with Jason. Anna asks if he’s suggesting Jason killed him, and John says he’s suggesting Scotty’s not here, hasn’t been in touch, and the last one to speak with him was Jason. He’d be happy to investigate if he didn’t think he’d be stepping on the PCPD’s toes. Anna asks if Scotty is another surprise witness, but John says, not at this time. Anna says, then it falls in her jurisdiction. She’ll look forward to handling the situation. John says, keep him apprised, and she says she will, and she leaves. John says, Ava did great. Her words were perfect. She says, as he scripted them. Now she’s on the hook for falsifying a statement. He says, she’s in this to take Sonny down, and she asks if he thinks antagonizing the Commissioner is the way to do it. He says, if Anna is angry, she’s less likely to look for discrepancies in Ava’s statement. (Wow, He is stupid.) Ava says she imagines Sonny waiting for her, and John says, the only thing Sonny responds to is leverage, and he knows just where to get some.  

Josslyn asks if Trina thinks Ava will get away with it, but Trina says she doesn’t know. Ava has come out okay before. Josslyn says, she’s been accused of a baby’s death, and no one is surprised. So what if she pushed Kristina out a window? Trina says, she’s acting like Ava’s been tried and convicted, and Josslyn asks if Trina is buying Ava’s story that Kristina came after her. Trina says she believes Ava deserves her day in court same as everybody else. Apparently, Josslyn doesn’t agree and wants to ignore the court process. Josslyn tells Trina that she’s not saying that, and Trina says, Josslyn doesn’t want to say anything to offend her, but she doesn’t want Josslyn to censor herself. Josslyn says she despises Ava, and Trina asks, what’s the problem behind the problem? Josslyn says, you.

Kristina looks over the affidavit she was going to submit for custody and says, it’s worthless now, but Alexis says, it’s not meaningless. TJ and Molly need understanding as much as Kristina does. Her affidavit is unnecessary and will only hurt them. The last thing anyone needs is more hurt. They need to be kind to one another. Kristina says, that’s what she’s trying to do, and Alexis says, then forget about it. They never need to know what she intended to do.

There’s a knock at the door, and TJ lets Jordan, Marshall, Curtis, and Stella in. Jordan hugs Molly and asks how she’s doing, and Molly says, not so great. Jordan says, she’s not alone. They’re here for them both. They’ll get through this together. Stella says she hopes they’re not early, and TJ says, they expected it. They both say, early is on time, and Curtis says, sometimes it helps to take the time to get ready for well-wishers. Jordan asks what they can do, and TJ says, them being here is everything. Stella says, they’re always her for them, and Marshall says, between them, they have the love and strength to get them through. Jordan says, they know how to unite when things are hard, and Marshall says he’ll make coffee. They need something stronger than brown water. Curtis says his coffee is good, and everyone is like, um… Marshall goes to the kitchen, and Molly says she needs to do one small thing before the funeral. Curtis says he’ll go with her, but Molly says she thinks it’s better if she goes alone. She leaves, and Jordan says, something is wrong. One small thing?

Jason says, this could bring the PCPD and the FBI down on Sonny, and Sonny says he didn’t want trouble. Anna is the one who made him her enemy. There’s a knock at the door and Jason opens it to Anna.

Trina says, the problem is her? and Josslyn says she loves Trina and hates Ava. That will never change. Her problem is Trina sticking by Ava. Trina says she’d do that for anyone she considers a friend, and Josslyn asks how Ava’s friendship can compare to hers. Trina says, it’s different, and Josslyn says she knows they bonded over Spencer, and she doesn’t begrudge Trina that. Trina says she’s not stupid. She knows Ava’s done horrible things. Josslyn says, she still does. She’s never changed and hasn’t tried. Trina says, Josslyn doesn’t know that, and Josslyn says she knows what happened is more complicated that they could possibly know, but it wouldn’t have happened if Ava hadn’t provoked Kristina. Trina says, they weren’t there, and Josslyn asks, how many people does Ava have to hurt, how many people need to be hurt bad before Trina sees that Ava isn’t worthy of her friendship? Trina says, there are plenty of people in Josslyn’s life she’s looked the other way for. Give Ava a break. Ava walks in.

Anna tells Sonny that Ava was at the station amending her statement. She now claims Kristina attacked her and threatened to kill her. Sonny says, the lies are all Jagger’s, and Anna agrees. He happened to be at the station, and she feels like Ava was coerced, but she can’t prove it. Sonny says, Jagger couldn’t be a man and has to get to him through his daughter, and it’s on Anna. None of it would have happened if Valentin hadn’t messed with his medication right under Anna’s nose. Valentin made a deal with Pikeman and targeted him. Maybe he did it from Anna’s bed. Anna says, Sonny’s life choices are his responsibility, and he set this in motion when he put Karen on stage at the Paradise Lounge. (Remind me never to make a mistake in Port Charles. People will remember it for a million years.) Sonny says, she needs to go, and Anna says she’d like Jason to accompany her. She didn’t just come here to apprise Sonny of Ava’s statement. She has questions for Jason. Jason says, about what? and she says, Scotty’s disappearance, and they leave.

Molly goes to Alexis’s house, and Kristina says she’s early. Where’s TJ? Molly says, at home with the family, and Kristina asks if they’re fighting. Molly says, no. She wanted a moment alone with Kristina before the funeral. They’re naming the baby. Kristina says, without her?

TJ says he wants to tell them something. He and Molly have done a lot of talking about names. They made lot of lists. Some of the names were good, but not right. Stella says, it’s not as easy as you’d think to name a baby, and TJ says, this name needed to be perfect. The baby was the first of a new generation. They were afraid to pick the wrong one and got stuck. Then it got harder when she… when they lost her before they could meet her, but they couldn’t bury her without a name. Then Stella said something that made it clear. Stella says, he’ll have to be more specific, and he says, she was talking about her sister, her strength, composure, and light. It gave Molly the idea and he knew it was right. The name was staring them in the face all along when they look in Stella, Marshall, and Curtis’s eyes. It’s right there. Their baby is Irene. Irene Marie.

In the interrogation room, Anna asks, where’s Scotty? and Jason says he has no idea. She asks, when was the last time Jason saw him? and Jason says, here, after Ava was arrested. She says, Cates thinks Jason has seen him recently, and Jason says, Cates thinks a lot of things. Anna asks where he was last night, and Jason tells her that he’s not saying anything without his attorney. Anna says, Scotty appears to be a missing person, and it’s her duty to follow up, but Jason says he doesn’t buy Cates’s claim. She says, they had an understanding about Valentin, and he says, she had a request, and it wasn’t the first one. He did his best. He didn’t tell Sonny that she let Valentin go. That stays between them. But Sonny had a right to know about the medication, since this never would have happened if he hadn’t been off his meds. Anna says, ever since Jason has been back, he’s straddled two world’s – Sonny’s and hers. He can’t continue. He’ll have to choose.

Jordan says, it’s a lovely name. They’ll cherish it like they cherish TJ and Molly. Curtis says, they got it exactly right, and TJ says, if they want to talk about it… but Marshall says, don’t dare change it. Stella takes TJ’s hands and says, it’s a fine name. His grandmother would be honored. She’s going to check on the bagels. The delivery guy is probably circling the block. She leaves and cries in the hallway. Curtis follows her out and holds her as she sobs.  

Kristina says, they named the baby without her? and Molly says, it was time. They needed it for the birth certificate before they bury her. Kristina says, they should have talked to her, but Molly says, they’re the parents. It’s done. They named her Irene Marie after TJ’s grandmother. Kristina says, that’s not what she would have named her, and Alexis says, stop. Do not fight. Do not turn on each other, or it will cost them so much more. There’s a knock at the door, and when Alexis opens it, the biggest idiot in the world is there. That would be John.

Ava says, obviously, she arrived at an inopportune time, and Josslyn says, TJ and Molly are burying their baby. Ava tells Trina to go. She’ll take care of everything. Trina says she’ll get a Ride Share, and Josslyn says she’ll meet Trina there. Just so Ava knows, if it had been her and not Kristina in that hotel room, she wouldn’t have been the one who went through the window. She leaves, and Trina says she’s sorry, but Ava tells her, never apologize for someone else. She takes it Josslyn has given Trina and ultimatum – her or Josslyn – but Trina says, not yet. Is it true the FBI arrested Kristina for trying to kill her? Ava says, yes, and Trina says, when she came to see Ava in jail, she never said anything about Kristina wanting to kill her. Both stories can’t be true, so who is Ava lying to, her or the police?

Ava says, Trina should probably get going, and Trina asks if Ava lied to her. She needs to know. Ava says she’s not supposed to talk about her case, and Trina asks if she’s talking about the one where she’s the victim or the perpetrator. Josslyn stood here and said Ava wasn’t worthy of her friendship. Ava asks what Trina wants her to say, and Trina says, the truth. Ava says she doesn’t want to involve Trina. It’s dangerous. Trina says she fought Esme for her life and saw a man die in front of her. She’s not a child and Ava isn’t responsible for her. How can they be friends if Ava can’t be straight with her? Ava says, the truth is… She’s in trouble. The FBI is making her do things she’d rather not. The only way for her to stay alive is do what she’s told.

Alexis asks what the hell John is here for, and he says, Kristina. He’s taking her to the station. Alexis says, not today, and he says he has questions for her. Alexis says, what kind of questions? and he says, like what brought her to the hotel room. (Wasn’t that already answered?) Alexis says, it can wait. They’re burying the baby today. John says, because Kristina tried to murder his witness. The longer they drag this out, the less time they’ll have at the service. Alexis says, no one is going anywhere except him, and he says he’ll take them all in and their dead can be buried without any of them. (I know it’s a show, but in what world would an FBI agent acting like this be feasible?)

Stella says she didn’t want anyone to see her being a weak and pitiful mess, but Curtis says he doesn’t see that. He’s just glad he could be here for her. He can imagine what his mama would have said if he wasn’t. She would come down from heaven and read him the riot act. She says, that’s a talking to that she’d pull up a chair and pop some corn for. There’s only so much TJ and Molly can bear. He says, good thing TJ and Molly have them to help them carry on, and she says she’ll need him to keep an eye on her and shoo her out of the room if she gets shaky. He says he will if she promises to do the same for him.

Anna says, Jason has been given a second chance. He doesn’t need to go back to Sonny, and deep down, she doesn’t think he wants to. She sees him with Carly and the boys. She sees a life for him apart from Sonny. He says, she sees what she wants to, and he gets up. She says, he has that life at his fingertips, the way it would have been if Sonny hadn’t gotten his hooks in Jason when he was young and didn’t know better. He says, she knows it’s not that clear cut, and she says she knows it’s not clear why he’s taking orders from Sonny. It’s one thing when you’re young, damaged, and alone, but you can’t hide behind naiveté and misplaced loyalty. Jason asks when she learned better. After she became a double agent? After Faison? Or did it finally happen after Valentin. She’s demanding better from him, but she’s compromised herself again and anger. She’s doing it now.

Curtis brings the bagels in, and Stella says she’s so proud of TJ. She loves him so much. And so do their Irenes. She hugs him.

Alexis asks Molly to check her briefcase. The terms of Kristina’s release are in there. John’s limit to contact is clearly spelled out. He can’t just barge in. He has to make an appointment in advance, and they all have to agree on it. He says, that’s not his understanding, but she tells him, read it again. It’s interesting to her how little he understands for an FBI agent. (Agreed, and what I said before. I’m starting to question if he is one.) Take a walk, or she’ll call the judge and his supervisor at the DOJ, who will have his ass in a sling before his second cup of coffee. If he spent less time harassing her daughter and more time presenting his shred of a case… He says, he did. Ava made a sworn statement presenting her version of the case, and that’s all the case he needs to pursue Kristina. And he will. Alexis says, get out, and he leaves. She slams the door and hugs Kristina.

Ava says she answered Trina’s question and told her what she wanted to know, and they will never talk about this again. Trina thanks her, and Ava says, go to the funeral. Maybe she shouldn’t come back for a bit. Trina asks if Ava thinks it’s that easy to get rid of her, and Ava says she can’t bear anything happening to Trina. Trina says, it’s too late. It already happened to her. For better or worse. There’s nothing that can break their bond. She knows who Ava is. It was never a secret, but she’s seen that Ava can do good. And everyone else will see it if she stops John Cates from hurting Kristina. Ava says she’ll make this right somehow, and Trina says, somehow starts with telling the truth, but Ava says she can’t. Not yet. Trina says, time is running out, and she leaves.

Molly finds the affidavit and looks at it. Kristina asks if Cates is going to take her at the funeral, but Alexis says, no, he isn’t. If he tries, he’s going to run into the stark reality that is her. Nothing is more important for Alexis than protecting her.

Ava types on her laptop when she flashes back to Kristina saying she’s going to tell the truth about Ava, then going through the hotel window. She closes the laptop and gets her bag. Sonny walks in and says, going somewhere? She asks if he’s going to kill her.  

Anna says, it’s true. She’s compromised. Jason doesn’t have to be. He has the opportunity to get out. He says he appreciates the heads up. So are they done? With tears in her eyes, she says she and John have one thing in common. They swore an oath to protect and serve. John’s methods will never be hers, but she is going to take Sonny down. She only hopes Jason’s not standing next to him when she does. Jason nods and leaves.  

Sonny says, after what Ava did to his daughter and her daughter? She let Cates come after Kristina and use her to get to him. She deserves to die, and his face should be the last thing she sees. He moves closer and says, but he’s not here to take her life. He’s here to save her life.

Tomorrow, Cody says he needs to tell James the truth about something; at the funeral, Kristina has something she’d like to say; Trina still has hope for Ava; and Sonny says, no matter where you run, you can’t hide

💰 This Week In Listings…

JoshA was on both sides of a listing for a 20,000 square foot house on an acre and a half. It was absolutely massive, but he said what made it desirable was also what worked against him. The size made it hard to visualize what it would look like finished – i.e. with furniture in it. So, while it was a pricey venture, he staged the house. He encouraged the seller to take $23.5 million instead of the $25 they’d insisted on, because something can happen on Planet Earth and the ripples in the financial world move. In other words, today’s $25 million can drop to $20 million tomorrow. What I love most about this show is the comradery between the cast members. They might act competitive, and probably are, but Tracy and JoshF singing I’ve Been Working on the Railroad while driving in a hot dog truck was everything. The best quote came from JoshF: A well-priced house in the Flats will sell faster than Ozempic at a Housewives Reunion. The best visual? A Yorkie wearing sunglasses.

🚷 Seems We’re At an Impasse…

If they want to stick with a Jersey group, maybe they should just scrap the area. I’d love for them to film where I live. I don’t want to be on it; I’m just nosey about my neighbors.

https://extratv.com/2024/08/16/andy-cohen-s-rhonj-update-no-moving-forward-with-this-group-exclusive/

🚂 Off the Rails…

Breaking it down.

First of all, this sounds like nothing but drunk dialing and talking nonsense. Secondly, while I’ve sometimes suspected Andy of being a closet heterosexual, no, just no. And if it were ever to be yes, it wouldn’t be Kate. Thirdly, he’s never acted like a boss and he’s always inappropriate. It’s part of his schtick charm. If this ordeal has taken its toll on Brandi, it’s because she’s once again making an a-hole of herself. She went too far, got the boot, tried to backpedal and make it someone else’s fault, and it didn’t go well. Didn’t like her then, like her even less now.

https://okmagazine.com/p/andy-cohen-brandi-glanville-kate-chastain-explicit-video-leaked/

Now, a desperate last-ditch effort and another failure to launch sympathy. Oddly enough, this is kind of funny and I wonder if Brandi would have played this card had a woman said the same thing.

https://okmagazine.com/p/brandi-glanville-andy-cohen-eddie-cibrian-manhood-size/

👩‍👩‍👦‍👦 It’s a Boys…

Aw. I know how much Julia wanted this and I’m sure they’re going to be great moms.

Their story.

https://people.com/all-about-martina-navratilova-and-julia-lemigova-marriage-8639538

🗽 Last Night’s Watching…

Pirate vibes! Scary Island 2.0! While this article was for the premiere on Peacock, this is being shown on Bravo now. Their personalities are pretty much the same. It just makes me miss the old cast more though. Even Ramona. She’s just so clueless.

https://people.com/bravocon-2023-rhony-ogs-are-back-in-rhugt-rhony-legacy-trailer-8387603

🔁 Which Way Did They Go…

So is the podcast with Jenn still on or will Jackie be One Jersey J?

So is Jax fired? Will Brittany be going to The Valley solo next season?

https://okmagazine.com/p/jax-taylor-fired-the-valley-after-entering-in-patient-mental-health-facility-debunked/

🧔🏽‍♀️ Next In Marvel…

This looks pretty good, but Deadpool & Wolverine might have ruined me for all others.

https://ew.com/kraven-the-hunter-goes-toe-to-toe-with-rhino-in-bloody-new-trailer-8695169

🦹 Three… Two… One…

Is Scorsese kidding? Superhero movies are practically the only cinema. I don’t want to pay movie theater prices to watch two people lowkey talk about relationships. I can wait and stream that.

https://ew.com/brian-cox-says-hollywood-is-imploding-because-of-marvel-dc-films-8697645

A random find that might make Cox’s credibility questionable. I, too, am a Spice Girls fan, but at least I own it.

https://ew.com/celebrity/brian-cox-closet-spice-girls-fan-sings-wannabe-carpool-karaoke/

🐩 More Followers Than You…

Pets with a presence.

https://www.revolt.tv/article/10-celebrity-pets-with-their-own-fan-bases

🪸 Beached You To It…

Make a return trip tomorrow for soap and idiOCy. Until then, stay safe, stay making the most of summer’s end, and stay never apologizing for someone else.

June 11, 2024 – Chase Confronts Finn, It’s Amazing, Dubai Talk, Prepared, New Reality, G To the Minus One, Cat On Tour & Super

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and a GH blow-by-blow on Fridays)

General Hospital

Anna went to see Jack at the hospital, but they were interrupted by John. John wondered what they had to discuss.

Elizabeth called Chase, but he and Brook were about to knock on Finn’s door, so it went to voicemail. The door was unlocked, and they went inside. Chase called to Finn, who came out from the back. He said it was a nice surprise, but early. What brought them by?

Spinelli told Sam that he’d gotten past the FBI firewall, but he was still no closer to getting the information they needed. He couldn’t get access to the evidentiary database unless he had an agent ID. Sam said, it was time for Plan B. She’d been tracking John and thought they could swipe his digital key without him being the wiser. If he stuck to his routine, they’d get their opportunity.  

John told Anna that Jack’s fate would be decided in the courts, not by the Police Commissioner, and she said she didn’t need a lesson in protocol. He said he didn’t know what she and Jack would have to discuss, and Anna wondered if John should have more coffee or leave caffeine alone altogether (been there). He asked why Anna was there, and she said she was just telling Jack goodbye. John left, and Jack told Anna that he wanted to give her a heads up. John thought she was the secret head of Pikeman.

Aiden wondered what happened that Elizabeth and Finn broke up, although they’d broken up before and got back together. Jake said it wasn’t happening this time, and Elizabeth said she didn’t know the future, but Finn couldn’t be part of their lives. He wasn’t handling Gregory’s death well at all, but that wasn’t why they broke up. It just wasn’t going to work out. Jake said he didn’t care if he ever saw Finn again, but what about Violet?

Chase told Finn that his door had been unlocked, and Brook asked if Violet was still at Maxie’s. Finn said she was and asked if Chase had talked to Elizabeth. Chase said no, Should he? Finn said they’d ended things, and Brook wondered if the mess in his apartment had something to do with it. Finn said it was his fault and he should clean up before Violet home. Brook said she and Chase had an idea and maybe the timing was right. Chase told Finn that he and Brook were moving into the Quartermaines for a while in order to get their place ready after getting so many gifts, and Brook told Finn all about the kids who hang out there in the summer. Chase said, James would be taking riding lessons, so Georgie would be there too, and Brook said they were thinking Violet could come hang with them. It was better than summer camp. Finn asked if they didn’t think he knew what they were doing. There was no way they were taking his daughter from him.

Elizabeth said, Violet was the boys’ cousin and that would never change, but Aiden was worried they’d drift apart. Elizabeth said she wouldn’t let that happen, and Jake told Aiden that maybe their mom had a reason to be mad at Finn. Aiden said there was something he didn’t know, but Jake obviously did, and he had a right to know too. Elizabeth told him that there was no easy way to say it. Jake saw Finn coming out of a bar drunk. Jake said, and he had some drunk woman… but Elizabeth said they didn’t need the details. Aiden asked what bar was by the Cineplex, and Elizabeth said, Jake never told her how he was nowhere near where he said he’d be.

Finn told Chase that Violet was staying with him; he was her father. Chase said, no one was trying to take her away, and Brook said, they just wanted Violet to have a fun summer, especially after her grandfather’s death. Finn said, it wasn’t going to happen, and for once in Chase’s life, he had to take no for an answer. Chase wanted talk to Finn alone, and Brook left. Finn said Chase was leaving too, but Chase said he wasn’t going anywhere.

Spinelli said he’d watched John going to his room through the security cameras. He looked agitated, but that might just be his face. They watched John leaving for his morning swim, and noticed a bag he was carrying. Sam assumed it contained any credentials he didn’t want leave in his room.

Sam went to the pool wearing a caftan, big sunglasses, and high heels. She pretended to trip near John, and he caught her.

Jack flashed back to his conversation with John about Anna, while Anna asked for a delay in Jack’s transport. She got it and told Jack that they had until noontime to finish their conversation. Why did he think the FBI was after her? He said he didn’t know as it was the whole organization, but John had already been tailing her when she’d visited him. Anna told him that John did say he didn’t trust her when he came to town, but she didn’t care. Let him stew. She wasn’t hiding anything. Jack told her that she should be worried. John was a true believer, the most dangerous agent of all. She asked him to enlighten her, and he said, they believed God and the law were on their side. They thought anything they did would be justified, because it made the world a better place according to their definition of it. They’d rather wreck themselves and everyone around them than compromise their beliefs. Anna agreed that could be dangerous, but so could too much cynicism. She asked if Jack had he ever believed in anything.

Sam told John that she was embarrassed and blamed her shoes. Her pride was bruised, but otherwise she was okay. She pretended her ankle still hurt and asked him to help her. He picked her up and carried her to a lounge chair and asked an attendant for ice and a towel. Sam asked for help getting her shoe off, and wondered if he thought her shoes were cute. He said he wasn’t a shoe connoisseur, but they looked cute on her. Dressed as an attendant, but hiding his face with a bucket hat, Spinelli snuck into John’s bag as John was helping Sam. She asked if John was a guest at the hotel, and he said he was there on business. She told him that she was a local and her family came here every summer. He asked if she was married, but she said, no. She was single, divorced, with two kids. He suggested she rest her ankle for 20 minutes, and she said she was going to get bored.

Finn said, Chase was a cop, but not to make him the bad guy. Chase said, no one was calling Finn a bad guy, but maybe he could use some help and not to be too proud or stubborn to take it. Finn said he could take care of himself, but Chase said, not from what he was seeing. Finn said he’d been there alone, going through their dad’s things, and Chase picked up the bottle and said he didn’t think their dad left this out. He’d seen Finn doing shots at the memorial. Finn said he wasn’t the first person to have a drink at their father’s funeral, and Chase told him not to bring Gregory into this. Judging by the bottle, the two glasses, and the hangover Finn was wearing, he’d had quite a night. Finn said, Chase had solved the mystery, and Chase said, Finn was oblivious to the problem. But if he didn’t think there was a problem, it was a bigger problem than Chase thought.

Elizabeth told Jake that they’d talk later. He’d been someplace he wasn’t supposed to be, and it must have crossed his mind not to tell her, but she did appreciate that. She needed to know what was happening with Finn, but also because she was Jake’s mom and needed to know Jake would come to her when things were difficult. Jake promised he would, and she said she was glad he called his dad and asked for help.

Brook went to the nook at the Quartermaines, and Lois said she was just in time for breakfast and Sudoku. She could see something was wrong, and asked Brook, what happened? Did she and Chase have a fight? Brook said, Chase had a fight with his brother. She knew they both loved each other, and Gregory’s death should bring them together, not pull them apart. Lois said she’d seen it so many times. Weddings and funerals brought out the best and worst in people, but things would calm in time. Brook said she thought it was getting worse. Chase was taking care of his father’s estate and was also grieving. He needed his big brother, but Finn was nowhere to be found. Lois asked if Finn left town, but Brook said, Finn was in a full-blown alcoholic spiral. He’d been hungover and completely unreasonable. Chase had stayed to talk to him, but she knew how that was going to go.

Spinelli synced John’s ID with his phone. He said, the first time is the charm, and got access.

John introduced himself to Sam, and she did the same, using her real name, which surprised me. He asked how long she’d been divorced, and she said, six years. The less said the better. He asked if it was a bad breakup, and she said, that was an understatement. He wasn’t who she thought he was. John asked if he’d lied, and she said, all the time. What about him? He said he was divorced too, and she said, people always let you down. Her ex had everyone believing he’d died. Her son thought his father was dead, then he turned up. John said that was highly unusual. Was she at least happy he was alive? She said, sure, but she was conflicted. It brought up a lot of stuff. John said his ex passed away and sometimes he fantasized about where they’d be if she hadn’t died. How different his life would have been. He wondered what time it was and said he should get his phone.

Sam asked if she could be honest for a moment, and John said, of course (🍷). She said, after what he’d shared, she didn’t mean to come off flip. Sometimes she thought about her ex when things were good. Now they never even talk. John asked what her ex was doing now, and she said she was tired of talking about exes. Life goes on. Spinelli put John’s phone back in his bag, and Sam said she thought her ankle was good, but she wasn’t in the mood for a swim. She didn’t want to push it. She told John that it was nice getting to know him and asked if he’d be in town a while. He said he wasn’t sure, but hoped he saw her again. She asked him for help putting her shoe back on, and he put it on her. She told him that she felt like Cinderella

Jack said he’d warned Anna, and she was repaying him by probing the depths of his psyche. She said she was genuinely curious and wondered if she’d ever known the true Jack Brennan. She’d thought she did. He was a rising star, the fair-haired golden boy. It wasn’t a surprise he became director, but she was surprised he fell so fast. Why did he steal money to start the company? Did he abandon his principles? Did he ever have any? He said he believed in democracy, but at the end of the day, a man had to pay his bills. John was going to spend his nights trying to prove she was a cop by day and a mastermind by night. Anna said it wasn’t lost on her that John was trying to take her down for something Jack did.

Lois told Brook about not sending wedding invitations to an alcoholic aunt and uncle. Uncle Vito was her favorite until his drinking took over. Brook said, at family gatherings, she would see them get up and there would be ice cubes clinking in the other room. She just thought they must be really thirsty. Later, they’d be bumping into things, and she thought it was because they were old, but it was because of the drinking. Lois said, the family tried to get them into AA or to a doctor, but after years of broken promises, she realized they had to commit to their own treatment. They never did. They say that God protects fools and drunks, but she doesn’t see it. They’re still alive, but what kind of life is that? Brook said she didn’t want that for Finn and hoped Chase would get through to him, and Lois said, it was sweet of them to try and help Finn. Brook said she knew Finn was a grown man. Either he would get himself into recovery or live with the consequences, but Violet was a child. Finn was Violet’s sole parent, and he wasn’t capable of parenting. Elizabeth had kids of her own, so that left her and Chase. They were going to do everything in their power to keep Violet safe, even if it was from her own father.

Finn said, what he did in his own home was his business, and he wasn’t an alcoholic, but Chase said, Finn was a drug addict, and this would lead to the same result. He needed help. Finn said, Chase wasn’t the man because he’d gotten married, and couldn’t tell him what to do. Not everyone had his perfect life. Chase told Finn that he could keep fooling himself, but no one was buying his crap, and Finn said, Chase didn’t know the pressure he was under. Chase asked Finn to tell him. He didn’t have to do this alone. They could talk while they straightened up. Finn said, Chase wouldn’t understand, but Chase said his life wasn’t perfect. He’d nearly died a year ago. Finn said he remembered. He’d saved Chase. Chase asked if Finn had any idea how many calls he went on like this, seeing a drunk tearing their family apart. Finn’s life was a mess. Chase just lost his dad and couldn’t take losing his brother too.

Jake said he thought Elizabeth might need back-up, and asked if Finn gave her a hard time. She said, no, but when Jason showed up, she was grateful for the support. She wanted Jake to always feel he could call his dad for help. He did the right thing, and it meant a lot to Jason. Jake said he did it for her, not for Jason or himself, and they hugged. He asked if that meant he was forgiven for lying, but she said, not a chance.

Sam asked Spinelli if there was any progress, and he said, it went perfectly, but he didn’t think she fully comprehended how many records were in the database. Ask him in a month, and maybe he’ll have found out what the FBI was holding over Jason.

Jack said he hoped Anna would visit him. He missed their conversations. She said she did too, and she had one more question. She was the only witness that could tie him to Pikeman. Would he have had her killed if she hadn’t arrested him first? He struggled for a moment, then said he’d never been good with hypotheticals. She left, and Jack looked sad.

Lois said she wasn’t surprised Brook was focusing on Chase’s feelings, but she should pay attention to her own feelings. Brook also had grief over Gregory. So did she. Brook said she was so worried about Chase. He’d believed Finn drinking was a one-time thing, so he wasn’t just feeling betrayed. He was beating himself up for not seeing it. Lois said, Chase was Finn’s little brother and hoping for the best. Maybe he’d get through to Finn. Brook said, something told her it was going to be a whole ordeal for all of them, and Lois said, it wasn’t supposed to be this way. Brook and Chase were supposed to be blissfully happy in Florence and coming home to newlywed magic, not dealing with the problems of a hurt family. Brook said, Florence wasn’t going anywhere, and she and Chase were each other’s person. They would get through whatever life threw at them. Lois said she was happy Brook found that kind of love.

Finn said he was sorry that Chase was bothered. He’d try to fall in line and not be a problem. Chase asked if nothing he said was getting through to Finn, and Finn told him to stop reaching down from his pedestal; he would be with the rest of humanity. Chase said, that had nothing to do with Finn hiding in a bottle. The bottom line was, Finn was grown and made his own decisions. He couldn’t stop that, so have his trashy life. But Violet shouldn’t watch him self-destruct. Finn said, Violet was the only good thing in his life, and told Chase, get the hell out. Chase left, and Finn cried.

In Memory of Johnny Wactor. 🥺

Tomorrow, Molly says she’s been keeping something from TJ; Carly asks Jason if he thinks it was a one-time thing; and Sonny talks to Kristina.

🏥 Going Home Again…

I’m not sure if it’s me, him, the writing, how he’s being directed, or what, but I like Jason a lot more than I used to.

https://ew.com/steve-burton-amazing-to-return-to-general-hospital-after-firing-8661636

🐪 In Camel-lot…

What’s happening in Dubai. Season 2, episodes 1 and 2.

This was the only recap on episode 2 as of this writing.

Who’s worth what.

https://parade.com/tv/real-housewives-of-dubai-cast-net-worths-ranked

💣 From Chief To Traitor…

I haven’t seen this show, but I enjoyed The Villains, and I’m guessing it’s similar. Plus, Kate is a national reality treasure.

https://okmagazine.com/p/kate-chastain-reveals-seasons-below-deck-prepared-traitors/

🎪 Even More Complicated…

I loved her other reality series (It’s Complicated) and had looked forward to her joining RHOBH. Well, that was a bust, so I’m glad she’s going back to her reality roots.

https://people.com/denise-richards-gets-new-e-reality-docuseries-wild-things-8661098

🦖 A True OG…

I watched this twice last week (once alone and once with my SO) and it was just as good the second time. I loved the Japanese monster movies as a kid, and it’s great to see how f/x and dubbing have improved. The story is incredible too, but I don’t think this critic needs to worry. Obviously, an old film from the 1950s isn’t going to be as visually amazing as one made in the 2020s. It is possibly the first Godzilla worth paying attention to the narrative. I mean, I don’t watch Jurassic Park for the interpersonal relationship drama.

https://screenrant.com/godzilla-minus-one-first-godzilla-movie-ruin-franchise-worried/

Not resting on their laurels.

https://movieweb.com/godzilla-minus-one-director-has-reportedly-found-their-next-movie/

🐈‍⬛ One Cool Kitty…

Nothing better than a cat in costume.

https://people.com/cat-owner-creates-taylor-swift-eras-tour-costumes-photos-8659501

🚣‍♀️ No Clue What You Did Last Summer…

Drop by tomorrow for soap and seeing who lands on Top. Until then, stay safe, stay observing the house rules when you’re a guest, and stay never being too proud or stubborn to take help if you need it.

August 15, 2023 – Sonny Set His Plan In Motion, New Old Face, Surprise, Best Life, Reunion Shocks, Their Talk, Every Throne, Last Word, InstaPets (!) & Never  

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Gregory sees Alexis at the pool area and says he missed her this morning at the editorial board meeting. She says, sorry about that, but she had a very good reason. She got an on the record quote from Judge Wright for his op-ed piece. He thanks her and asks why she’s at the pool; a little lunchtime swim? She says, God forbid. She has a lunch date. He says, him too.

Molly makes TJ move a vase of flowers around and tells him, make sure there are nice napkins on the table too. He asks, how nice? and she says, come on. This is important. They want to make a good first impression. He wonders if nicer napkins will make a difference, and she says she knows she’s getting carried away. She just wants everything to be perfect, because today could be the day they meet the woman who will be carrying their child.

Portia peeks in on Curtis’s physical therapy. Therapist Roy suggests a break, but Curtis says he doesn’t need one. Roy says he does. He’s not used a client starting at this pace. Most of them start slower. Curtis says he’s not most people, and Roy says he knows; Curtis is wearing him out. Curtis sees Portia in the doorway.

Brook walks into the pool area, and Nina gets up from her table. She says she’s glad she ran into Brook, and Brook asks, what’s up? Nina says she called Ferncliff to check on Sasha and they wouldn’t tell her anything, but they did tell her that Sasha can no longer have visitors. She’s a little concerned. Brook says, Nina has reason to be. When she saw Sasha the other day, Sasha was in bad shape. Brook is actually really worried about her.

Sonny goes into his office, and Ava is there. She says she needs an update about their daughter, who’s currently being cared for by the nanny from hell. Sonny says, good morning, and she says, please. She’s worried. She can’t stand the thought of Avery in the hands of that criminal. He says, she needs to relax. He has it all under control.

Gabe is standing at the door when Betty brings Avery to Sonny’s penthouse. He asks how Avery’s first day of camp was, and Avery says she loved it. He asks what she did, and Betty says she’s sure Avery could tell him all about it for hours, but they know he’s working, so they’ll leave him to his job. He lets them in, and Dex comes out from around the corner. He and Gabe nod to each other.

Dex phones Sonny and says he followed Betty and Avery back to his penthouse from day camp. Sonny says he doesn’t want Dex to let Avery out of his sight for one second. Let Betty go into the penthouse, do what she needs to do, and go about his business. They need to let Betty think she’s working hard and she’s outsmarting them. Dex says, copy that.

Betty tells Avery, that was a big first day at camp. Why doesn’t she go take a nap? Avery says, naps are for babies. She’s going to watch TV. She picks up the remote and puts the TV on.

Portia says, it looks like Curtis is working really hard, and he says he’s doing what he can, focusing on his upper body, the part that still functions. She tells him that Trina said they spoke and had a really good conversation. As a matter of fact, she called it a breakthrough. Curtis says he wouldn’t go that far. Did she say breakthrough? Portia says, she did. She thinks Trina is finally getting used to the fact she has two dads. He asks if she actually said that, and Portia says, no, but that was her interpretation. But Trina was really happy about the conversation they had and it inspired her. She was hoping they could have a similar conversation. He says, he and Trina don’t have the same issues they do, and she says she knows. He says, so how would they do that? and she says, by starting over.

TJ says, she’s coming, and Kristina stands in front of him so he can see what she’s wearing. He says he liked the other shirt better, and she turns around to change, but he says he’s kidding. She looks perfect. She thanks him, and there’s a knock at the door. He asks if she’s ready, and she says, here we go. They’re going to meet candidate number one. He opens the door, and a woman introduces herself as Andrea. Thomas? He says, yeah, but she can call him TJ, and he shakes her hand. She comes in, and Molly introduces herself. Andrea asks, what happened to her foot? and Molly says, just a stupid fall down the stairs in some ridiculous high heels, but the boot will be long gone by the time the baby arrives. TJ asks if she’d like something to drink, but Andrea says she’s fine. They sit down, and Kristina says she’s sorry if they seem nervous. Andrea is the first candidate they’re interviewing. Andrea says she understands it’s an awkward situation. They’re letting complete strangers into their home, and they’re going to ask some very personal questions. TJ says, before they get to the personal questions, let him tell her a little bit about them. He’s a doctor at GH, Molly is an attorney, working in the DA’s office, so their child will be taken care of financially. When it comes to family, they both have lots of loved ones in town who will love and help them raise their baby. Andrea says, that’s terrific. She hands Molly her résumé, and says she’s married to a great guy, Ben, and they have one child, Andy. She recently lost her job due to cutbacks, and they’re trying to supplement their incomes.

Time passes. TJ asks if there are any health issues in Andrea’s family history, and she says, not much. Her maternal grandfather died of lung cancer, but he was a heavy smoker. He died her senior year of high school, and watching him suffer like that, she’s never had a single cigarette in her life.

More time passes. Molly says, if it turns out Andrea is their surrogate, how would she feel about them attending doctor’s appointments to watch the baby’s progress? Andrea says, it never occurred to her that they wouldn’t be at every single doctor’s appointment. TJ and Molly smile at each other.

Alexis tells Gregory that she has no idea why she said it was a lunch date. It’s really not a date; it’s work related. Esme comes in, and Alexis says, there she is now. Esme says it’s great to see Gregory again, and asks if he’s joining them for lunch. He looks over at Brook, and says, no. He’s having lunch with his family. Enjoy their meal. He leaves, and Alexis and Esme go to their table.

Nina tells Brook that she can’t believe this is happening to Sasha. If she’s in such bad shape, Nina doesn’t get this no visitor’s policy. Wouldn’t it help Sasha to know people are there to support her? Brook says, you would think, but when she saw Sasha the other day, she was really upset and incoherent. It was really painful to watch. It was like she was having a complete break with reality. Nina says she doesn’t get it. Sasha was doing so great. This doesn’t make any sense. Brook says, let’s just hope she’s getting the help she deserves, and looks over at Gregory checking out his phone. She says, if Nina will excuse her, her lunch companion is here, and goes over to Gregory.

Gregory tells Brook, it’s nice to see her. He thought Chase would be coming with her for their lunch. She says, he just texted her that he’s going to be late, so for now, it looks like it’s just the two of them.

Ava says she doesn’t know how Sonny can be so calm, knowing their daughter is with that dangerous woman, but he says, Avery is never going to be alone with Betty. Dex has been tailing her all day. Gabe is outside the door. They’re going to let her go in the penthouse and look for things. Then Dex is going to make his presence known. Ava says she’ll feel so much better when this is over, and he says he will too. But in the meantime, Gabe and Dex are going to make sure Avery is safe. They’re just going to wait for Betty to find what he planted for her.

Brook tells Gregory that she’s so sorry Chase is going to be late. He knows how super dedicated Chase is. He says, no need to apologize. It’s nice seeing Chase so happy being a detective again. He’s proud of the work Chase does. Brook says, her too, and he says, besides, this gives them a chance to get to know each other better. He knows her passion’s in the music business, but she runs social media for Deception. So tell him, what did she study in college?

Esme asks, what’s the purpose of the lunch? What is Alexis trying to figure out about her this time? Alexis says she understands that because of Esme’s experiences with other Cassadines, Esme finds it hard to trust her. What she can tell Esme is that she’s been very upfront about the reasons she hired her. Other than that, she has no agenda. Esme says, Alexis can understand why she’s a little suspicious, and Alexis says she can, but it’s a beautiful day and she didn’t want to have another salad at her desk. Esme says, so Alexis just invited her here because she wanted to get out of the office? and Alexis says, that, and she believes an employer needs to let an employee know when they’re doing a good job. And Esme, as of late, has been doing a good job. She thanks Esme for digging in and trying harder. Esme asks if she really means that.

Andrea says, if TJ and Molly don’t have any other questions, she just wants to assure them that she’s thought about this a lot, and if she was ever going to be a surrogate, it feels like the perfect time. Her child’s just a baby, so he won’t remember it or thinking he’s having a little brother or sister. TJ says, that’s very sensitive of her, and she thanks him. He says, it was nice to meet her. They’ll be in touch. He’ll walk her out. Which in Port Charles means, he’ll walk her to the door. Molly says, it was nice to meet her, and Andrea says, her too. TJ thanks her again, and she leaves. He tells Molly that he liked her… a lot, and Molly says, her too. He says, ready for number two? and she says, number one is going to be hard to beat.

Curtis tells Portia, it’s too much; he can’t do it. She says, what’s too much? and he says, you and me. He’s trying to adapt to life in a wheelchair. He and Trina are starting to figure things out, and he can’t deal with a relationship on top of all that. She says she understands where he’s coming from, but he doesn’t have to learn to live life in a wheelchair all by himself. He has people to lean on. She’s here. She’s right here for him and so is Trina. Roy comes back, and asks if Curtis is ready for round two. Curtis gets his wheelchair in position.

Alexis tells Esme, in her experience, we’re the sum of our parts, and Esme says, which means what? Alexis says, it means people may forgive you, but they’re not going to forget what you’ve done. Esme has had a very high profile, very negative past. She understands Esme may not remember that version of herself, but others will, and may be slow to trust her. Esme says, thanks for the pep talk, and Alexis says, pep talks have chapters. That chapter was about her past. The next chapter is about an opportunity that awaits her. In business, people have to prove themselves, day after day, and every day is an opportunity for her to change the image of what she was before to somebody that can be trusted. Does Esme see what she’s saying? Esme nods, and Alexis says, she got off to a spectacularly bad beginning, but she now seems to have turned a corner and is able to handle this job. Esme thanks her and says she thinks she can. The inner workings of The Invader really interest her; all the moving parts, and how when a story drops, it can change on a dime. It’s really exciting. Can she ask Alexis a question? Alexis says, that depends on what the question is, and Esme says, it’s about her job as editor. Spencer told her that this is a second career for Alexis; that she used to be a bigshot lawyer. Does she ever miss her old life?

Brook repeats Gregory’s question, and says, what did she study in college? She did go to PCU for a year, but it didn’t really work out. He says, that’s too bad. He’s sure his being a professor all those years has made him bias. Has she ever thought about going back and getting her degree? Brook says, college was never really her thing. Let’s just say she had a pretty unconventional childhood. Her parents split when she was pretty young, and she went back and forth a lot, between Brooklyn and upstate New York. He says he’d imagine living with a single mom versus life in a posh family mansion could be challenging for a little girl, and she says, especially with two extremely different extended families. The Cerullos and the Quartermaines. The Cerullos are loving and loud and artsy, and the Quartermaines are intense and loud and business centric. He says he knows. He met her grandmother. She says, right. Her grandmother really gets under his skin, doesn’t she? She has to say, she’s never seen anyone get under her grandmother’s skin like he has. He really pushes her grandmother’s buttons.

TJ welcomes the next candidate, whose name is Chelsea. She says she’s divorced, and she and her ex do a pretty good job co-parenting their two kids. She hands them her résumé and says, she’s in good health. She’ll be honest. She’s doing this to get ahead financially. Although she loves being pregnant, and her kids bring her so much joy. Molly asks how her second pregnancy was different from her first one, and Chelsea says she was so anxious and nervous during her first pregnancy. Every rumble, every bump, she was afraid it wasn’t normal because she’d never been pregnant before, but with baby number two, it was so easy. She was like, she knows what that feeling means now. TJ asks if she’d be open to reading to their baby while she’s pregnant or listening to certain music, and Chelsea says, that’s a total yes. During both pregnancies she read to the babies and she played music for them, everything from classical to classic rock. She’s a big Aerosmith fan. She loves baseball, and both of her pregnancies were during the summer, so they watched a lot of baseball.

Molly asks if Chelsea follows any kind of special dietary plan when she’s pregnant, and Chelsea says she doesn’t normally eat read meat, fish and chicken mostly, but she went with what the baby was craving. Baby number one was really into chicken, but baby number two wasn’t really into meat. She got most of her protein from tofu. Full disclosure, she doesn’t think she’ll ever eat tofu again. They all laugh.

Portia introduces herself to Roy, and vice versa. She says she was wondering if it was okay if she stayed and watched the rest of the session. She wants to see how she can help Curtis. A woman walks in with towels, and Roy asks her to take Curtis over to the bands and get him started with his stretching exercises. She wheels Curtis away, and Portia says, it looks like he’s doing really well. What can she do to help? Roy says he’s been working with people with spine injuries for a lot of years. It’s an emotional experience as well as a physical one, so he has to ask. What exactly does she think she can do for Curtis?

Gregory says, Brook’s grandmother definitely pushes his buttons, and Brook says, her grandmother has never shied away from conflict. If anything, she runs toward it. She knows it can be a lot, but Tracy can be very loving, just not in your typical grandmother way. She’s not the type of grandmother who would knit or bake you cookies. But if she could say one thing about Tracy Quartermaine, it would be that when she loves you, she will always have your back. He says, okay, but what does that mean in actuality? Why does Brook need Tracy to have her back? Chase arrives and apologizes for being late; work held him up. Brook says, it’s all good. They know how important his job is to him, especially with all those months away from it. Gregory says, anything he can talk about? and Chase sits down, saying, he can’t go into details, but he is actually working on several different cases. Did they find something to talk about? Gregory says, they did. They were discussing the importance of an education. Brook says she 100% agrees with that.

Sonny tells Ava, whoever Betty is working for is very determined to find out about his deal with Pikeman. So he put out some false information that Betty is going to find and take that false information right back to her boss. And then they’re going to figure out who she’s working for. It’s what you call cutting the snake off at the head. Ava says, that sounds great, but what she really needs is Nikolas’s body back.

Betty says she thinks if Avery wasn’t so tired, she wouldn’t be fighting her on this. She really needs to rest and take a nap. Avery says, no. She wants to watch cartoons. Betty says, all right then. If she won’t nap, will she watch them on her tablet using headphones? Betty holds the tablet and headphones out, and Avery takes them.

Gabe asks when Dex is going inside, and Dex says he’ll give it a few more minutes. Give Betty time to start looking around. Nina walks up and asks if everything is okay. Dex says, everything’s fine, and Nina says she left a few things… Dex blocks the door and says he’s sorry. He can’t let her inside.

Alexis tells Esme, yes, she misses being a lawyer very much. She misses standing up in front of a judge and jury, and advocating for her client’s rights. Having said that, she thinks she’s done a reasonably good job turning The Invader into something more positive. Esme asks if there are any similarities, and Alexis says, that’s a very good question. Actually, yes. In all legal cases, facts are important; so is the presentation equally important. She needs to make sure the judge and the jury think the facts she’s presenting are interesting and important. So it’s the same when writing stories for a newspaper. Headlines have to be authentic, but they also have to grab the attention of the reader. Esme asks if that’s how she turned the paper around. Spencer told her the paper used to be trash, but now it’s a well-regarded news source. Alexis says, that’s very nice to hear. And speaking of her favorite nephew, how is it cohabitating with him now that Laura and Doc aren’t there to referee?

Chase thanks Brook for ordering for him, and says, she always knows what he wants. She says, he seems to like everything, so it’s easy, and Gregory says he has a question. Chase says, go for it, and Gregory asks if they’ve discussed their future together. Chase says, dad! and Gregory says he didn’t pester Brook while they were waiting for him. He waited until they were both here. Brook excuses herself to go to the ladies room, and Chase tells Gregory, thank you for that. Gregory asks what he said that was so wrong. Life is short. You need to have a plan. Chase says, they haven’t been a couple for very long, and Gregory asks if they’ve talked about the future. How do they know they want the same things? Have they discussed having kids? Where they want to live? Whether they want to get married? Chase says, no, no, and definitely no, and Gregory says, no, they don’t want to get married, or no they haven’t talked about it? Chase says, they haven’t talked about it because they’re not there yet. He doesn’t understand. Why is Gregory in such a rush?

TJ says, candidate number three, Pamela Reed. She’s a single mom. There’s a knock at the door, he lets Pamela in, and they all introduce themselves. As Pamela loads a plate with snacks, Molly says, they read her file, but they’d like to hear in her own words why she wants to be a surrogate. Pamela says she’s a single mom. Her son is school age, so the pregnancy will be manageable. She works from home as a translator, so it’s not physically demanding, but to be perfectly honest, her son’s father’s not in the picture, so the extra money will be a big help for them. Molly asks what her diet is like, and Pamela says, honestly, it’s based on what she can afford, but if they want her to eat healthier foods, she’d totally be down for that, as long as they picked up the tab. She shovels some crackers into her mouth.

TJ says he’s a doctor, so it’s important they know her medical history. Are there any serious medical conditions that run in Pamela’s family? She says, her grandpa died of prostate cancer, but his doctor told them, if they live long enough, every man will eventually get it. He would be 87. She continues to eat, and Molly asks, who is her current OB/GYN, and does she know which hospital they’re affiliated with? Pamela says she just goes to the free clinic to save money, but they’re picking up her hospital bills, so she’ll have any fancy General Hospital doctor they want. Also, for how many months after she delivers will they continue picking up her doctor’s bills? Until her body goes back to normal?

Sonny tells Ava, like he said before, Avery is never going to be alone with Betty. He knows she’s nervous and he gets that, but she has to trust that he’s handling it. She says, nothing can happen to her, and he says, nothing’s going to happen. He said that already. She says, okay. What about Nikolas’s body? His body’s still out there. Who knows? Maybe their plan ends with her in prison. He says, focus. Austin and Mason are working for some mysterious boss. They’re probably the ones who have the body. So she wants to get the body back? They have to figure out who they’re dealing with.

Nina says, what does Dex mean, he can’t let her in? She practically lives here. Dex says he totally understands that, and under normal circumstances, he’d let her right in, but he can’t do that. Gabe says, boss’s orders, and she asks if he’s saying Sonny instructed them not to let her in. Dex says, not her specifically; they can’t let anyone in. She says she’s not just anyone; she’s his fiancé. Dex says he’s sorry, and Nina says, this is unbelievable. She stomps off, and Gabe tells Dex, it’s showtime.

Betty looks at the pile of mail on the mantel, when Dex walks in. He asks what she thinks she’s doing. Avery says hi to Dex, and Betty says she was just looking for some art supplies for Avery. (Wow. Looking for art supplies in a pile of mail? I thought she was good at her job.) But on second thought, maybe she’d be better off with a nap. Avery says, Betty told her that she didn’t have to take a nap, and Betty says, as Dex can see, she has her hands full. Maybe it would be better if they didn’t have any more interruptions. Dex says he’s so sorry. He didn’t mean to bother anyone. He tells Avery bye, and Avery puts her headphones back on. In the hallway, Dex tells Gabe, Betty doesn’t want to be disturbed.

Gregory says, Chase is right. No rush. As long as he’s happy. Chase says he’s happier than he’s been his entire life, and Gregory says he can’t tell Chase how pleased he is to hear that. Brook returns to the table and says, hear what? Gregory says, Chase was just telling him how happy he is, and Brook says, Chase is always happy. Has he always been that way? Nothing ever seems to get him down.

Esme tells Alexis that she’s right. She was worried when Laura said she and Doc were going to look for Nikolas. They’ve been such a good buffer between her and Spencer, but things are actually turning out better than she expected with him. Alexis says, that’s good, and Esme says, they’re really finding their rhythm together. He loves Ace. He sings to him and never complains about changing a diaper. And he always finds a way to make Ace laugh. He makes her laugh… but of course (🍷) she can’t wait for Laura and Doc to get back. But it is kind of funny how things work out. Alexis only offered her the job as a favor to Laura so she would stay in town with Ace, but it turns out, she’s really enjoying this job. Alexis says, all right then. Just keep doing a good job and it will be a win for everyone. She looks over and sees Gregory having difficulty signing for the check.

TJ says, they’ll let Pamela know as soon as they decide, and she says, nice meeting them. She leaves, taking a water with her, and TJ asks Molly what she thinks.

Portia says she guesses Curtis didn’t tell Roy, she’s not just his wife; she’s also a doctor. She just wants to help her husband as much as she can. He says, of course (🍷) she does, but she has to remember, Curtis’s life has taken a very unexpected turn, one he didn’t see coming. He has to figure this out for himself. She says she knows that. She just wants to be there for her husband every step of the way. She knows it’s going to take some time. He says, Curtis is at the point in his recovery where accepting any help, including from his doctor, is going to be difficult for him, a real struggle. Inserting herself into his recovery could do more harm than good. She’s going to have to be very patient with Curtis while he figures this out. She has to work on Curtis’s timetable, not hers.

Betty snoops around Sonny’s home office and gets on his laptop. She puts Pikeman in the search and a bunch of files come up.

Nina walks into Sonny’s office at Pozzulo’s, and he asks how she’s doing. She says, the better question is, why wasn’t she allowed into their home? What is going on at the penthouse?

Chase and Brook leave, and Alexis asks if she can join Gregory. He says, please, have a seat, and she thanks him. She asks, how was lunch? and he says, fantastic. Brook is very special. She makes his son very happy, and he thinks they’re starting to get serious. She says, that’s nice to hear. What else is going on? He says, oh. She saw him struggling with the check. She says she did, and he says, fortunately for him, they were so wrapped up in each other, they didn’t seem to notice. She says she’s sorry, and he says, it’s getting worse. He thinks he’s running out of time.

TJ tells Molly that he thinks it’s safe to say they both like Pamela, and Molly sarcastically says, yeah, tossing the folder on the table. She says, Pamela seemed so focused on the money, she has the feeling that no matter what contract they offered her, she’d manage to ask for more. TJ says, agreed. They both like Andrea and Chelsea. Molly says, let’s go with Andrea. She has a really good feeling about her, and they’ll know they have a back-up in Chelsea. This is really happening. He says, it’s an important first step, and they hug.

Roy tells Curtis, so much of his strength is going to come from his arms. So do a few reps using his arms to move his body straight up. Curtis says he can do that, and Roy says, he’s got this. That’s it. Push. Curtis lifts himself up, and Roy says, that’s good. Do another one. Portia lingers in the doorway like mold, and Curtis does another rep.

Sonny tells Nina, everything’s fine. There’s nothing to worry about. He promises. Nina asks what Ava is doing here, and Ava says she’s here to talk to Sonny about Avery, that’s all. But she’ll go. She’ll let them talk. Ava jets, and Nina asks why Sonny’s guards wouldn’t let her into the penthouse. And why is Ava acting so squirrely? (I love that word!) He says, it’s best she doesn’t know, and she says, they had a talk about this. He says, yes, he’s an open book, but there are some things she should not know for her own safety. He’s protecting his family. That’s all he can tell her, and he hopes that’s enough. She says she guesses she doesn’t have a choice, does she? But she’s going to tell him this before she goes. This just makes her feel like another one of his employees. She leaves, glancing back at him before going out the door.

Dex slips into the penthouse, and Avery takes her headphones off. He gestures for her to keep quiet, and she puts them back on.

In the office, Betty chooses a file, and takes a flashdrive out of her pocket. She copies the file onto it, takes the flashdrive out, closes the laptop, and looks all proud of herself.

Tomorrow, Nina asks Ava what they’re celebrating; Selina says she’d like to take The Savoy off Curtis’s hands; Michael asks Dex why his father has Dex following the doctor; and Cody tells Brook, it’s time for them to do something drastic.

🏥 Return Trip…

How cool that he won a contest to get on the show.

🕶 Extended Run…

Another amazing start. Seems like he’s been around forever.

⛲️ No Greek Tragedy Here…

I would love to swim in that blue, blue water.

👠 Seismic Wives…

Another matter of opinion. What about Teresa bouncing Andy back into his chair? Or when the bird got in and scared the crap out of Andy?

📺 Seduced By Reality…

My favorite part was Kate explaining some of the shows to Captain Lee. There were times when it was reminiscent of Jake explaining SpongeBob SquarePants to Evelyn on Two and a Half Men.

🐉 Spinning the Game…

While we all wait for George R. R. Martin to finish the damn book.

https://ew.com/tv/game-of-thrones-every-spinoff-in-development/

🌁 Getting There…

I don’t imagine the writers’ strike did them any favors.

🐩 It’s Okay To Like Them Better…

I’ll bet their posts are better too.

https://people.com/celebrity-pets-with-their-own-instagram-accounts-7567698

🥣 Rounding Out the Meal…

For whatever reason, it looks like no making fun of the OC tomorrow, but stop by for soap and whatever else makes its way here. Until then, stay safe, stay not jumping the line, and stay being aware of when inserting yourself will do more harm than good.

August 14, 2023 – Olivia Accepts Ned As Eddie, Off Screen Time, Big Apple Wives, Parting Is No Sorrow, VanderFlip, Talking Off Deck, Bubble Bear & Too Cool

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Olivia sets out towels on the chaise lounges, when Dante comes in and asks if she doesn’t have people to do that for her. She says she does, but doing it herself keeps her busy and keeps her from constantly worrying. He says, about Ned? and she says she misses him. Even when they were at the PCPD last night, it felt all kinds of wrong. Dante says, Ned didn’t want to come with them. Sonny’s got him; he’ll be fine. She says she knows and knows she can trust Sonny. She’s just got to come to terms with the fact that she lost her husband. He asks if she’s going to give up on Ned.

Ned walks in while Sonny is on the phone with Selina. Sonny says, she can’t go over there conducting business without letting him know first. Does she understand what he’s saying? Are they clear? After holding his head a moment, Ned walks to the door, and Sonny asks where he’s going. Ned says he needs some coffee, but Sonny says, they have coffee here. He’ll have Garciella make him a fresh… Ned says he needs some space, and leaves.

Carly walks into Sonny’s old kitchen with Josslyn and says she can’t believe Josslyn had her phone off. The moss bowl🎍disapproves, and Josslyn says she’s sorry. Carly says, what if there had been an emergency? What if Michael and Willow needed her? What if Donna needed her? What if the moss bowl🎍needed her? Josslyn says she knows. She woke up this morning to all of Carly’s texts and voicemails and freaked out. She can’t stop thinking about how she left Carly at the PCPD overnight. Carly says she’s the one who got in a bar fight, and Josslyn asks if Carly wants to tell her about that. What was she doing at the Highsider?

Dex tells Sonny that Betty’s on her way up, and Sonny says he wants Dex to listen and stay out of sight. Outside, Betty tells the guard that she’s here to see Sonny, and he knocks on the door. Sonny opens it, and tells Betty to come in. He says he appreciates her coming by before she went to Windymere to pick up Avery. She says, it’s her pleasure, as Dex listens in. Whatever she can do to make Sonny and Ava’s life easier. Sonny says he appreciates that, and she says she hopes everything is all right with Avery and her. Sonny says, Avery is great. So far, so good. She seems to be getting along with Betty. Betty says she’s so happy to hear that. Avery’s adorable and they’ve been having fun. Sonny says, good, because there’s been a change in plans.

The firemen are combing Anna’s house, when Valentin walks in. He tells her that the fire department and the police are wrapping things up. He passed along her appreciation for doing what they could to save her townhouse. She sits on the stairs looking at a framed photo, and he says he thinks they should go. She says she knows; there’s nothing left here. She runs her hands over the photo, and we see it’s Robin and Emma. She says, there’s nothing left of her life.

Betty asks, what’s changed? and Sonny says, she’s taking Avery to camp today, right? She says, that was her plan. She’s picking up Avery from Windymere this morning, then take her to day camp. He asks when camp is finished, and she says, three. Then she’ll bring Avery back here, if that’s okay with him. He asks if she’s going to stay with Avery until it’s finished, and she says she was planning to, unless he or Ava need her to do something for them. He tells her to stay with Avery. He has a business meeting he can’t miss and won’t be back until after five. So stay with Avery until he gets back. Can she do that for him? She says, of course (🍷). She looks forward to the time she gets to spend with Avery. She’s such a sweetheart. Dex continues to listen, and Sonny says, she’s clear on what Ava needs her to do, right? It was funny. He was worried to change nannies because Avery’s so attached to Pilar, but Betty seems so sweet, and Avery seems to be taken with her. She says she knows how hard change can be for a child, so she’s glad to hear Avery is adjusting so well. Sonny says he’ll see her around five, and she leaves. Dex comes back out.

Austin goes into his office, and Mason is behind the door. He says, hey, cuz, and Austin says, why is he always here? Mason says, good morning to him too, closing the door, and Austin says he doesn’t want Mason here. What does he want this time? Mason says, one of the reasons the boss paid for Austin to go to medical school was so he’d be available to them, and right now, he’s in need. Austin says, no, he’s not. He patched Mason up last night. It wasn’t a serious injury. There was no need for him to come back. Mason says, tell that to his headache. He just needs something for the pain, and he’s still seeing double from when that blonde conked him last night.

Carly says, it all started when she went to the MetroCourt last night to see Olivia, and Josslyn says, how was that? She knows they’ve been having a hard time. Carly says, it was weird. Olivia is in her old office. Josslyn says, that’s tough. She’s sorry. At least Nina didn’t take advantage of that opportunity to steal that again. Carly tells her that Olivia said she’d never let that happen… She misses the MetroCourt. She misses her staff. She misses the day to day problems and all the excitement that comes with it. She misses the guests. It made her more determined than ever to get her hotel back, and she will. Josslyn says she has no doubt, and Carly says, she and Olivia were hanging out and reminiscing about the day they met. Olivia is going through so much with Ned, and she’s worried about Drew. They needed a distraction, so they went to the Highsider. Josslyn asks if she found her distraction before the cops showed up, and Carly says, things got really crazy really quickly, but it wasn’t their fault.

Olivia tells Dante, of course (🍷) she hasn’t given up on Ned. How could she? He’s Leo’s father. He says, she can’t just do this for Leo, and she says she’s doing it for their family. For Leo’s sake as much as hers, she has to figure out who Eddie is. She doesn’t know what’s going on in that head of his. He may never go back to being Ned. Dante says, wow. Does she think she can accept that? She says she doesn’t know. It kind of freaks her out. She looks at him and expects to see Ned, and all she sees is Eddie. He’s all Eddie now. Ned has completely disappeared and she has to figure out a way of living with that, so that he’s not fighting against her and she’s not trying to completely control him. Dante’s phone rings, and he tells her, it’s the station, sorry, but she tells him not to apologize. Take it. He steps away and asks, what’s up?… What happened?… He’s on his way. He tells Olivia, there was a fire in Anna’s townhome last night, and she asks if everyone is okay. He says he doesn’t know. He’ll let her know. He hugs her, and she thanks him for rescuing her last night. He tells her, good luck with Eddie, and leaves.

Valentin says he shouldn’t have gone to ELQ last night, and sits next to Anna. She says, he can’t blame himself for this, but he says he should have been here with her. She says, he didn’t know this was going to happen. He has a business to run. He can’t babysit her all the time. He says, this could have ended very badly. She could have been upstairs sleeping in bed. She says she wasn’t. She went for a run, thank God. He says, they got lucky, but she says she doesn’t know. He asks what that means, and she says she doesn’t know if the arsonist was outside, waiting for her to leave or they assumed she was asleep upstairs. He says, let’s hope for the former. He doesn’t much like the sound of the second one. This whole thing started when his father outed her past as a double agent, and he got what he wanted. Someone has made her a target of their revenge.

Sonny says that he wants all eyes on Betty, especially when she’s with Avery, and Dex says, absolutely. He hands Sonny a small envelope, and Sonny asks if it’s from Brick. Dex says, yes. It arrived this morning. Sonny takes out a flashdrive, and Dex asks what it is. Sonny says, a special present, for Betty. There’s a lot of information on this flashdrive, fabricated by Brick, none of it accurate, and Betty is going to find it. Dex asks how they make sure she gets her hands on it, and Sonny says, Betty is going to be here with Avery for a few hours, and she’s not going to resist searching the place. And she’s going to be pleasantly surprised at what she finds on Sonny’s computer – false Pikeman data. Dex says, then what? and Sonny says, she’s going to bring it to Mason and Austin, and they’re going to bring it to whoever they work for.

Carly tells Josslyn, when they got the Highsider, Ned was there, and she wanted to find out for herself if he’d lost his memory and really thought he was Eddie. Josslyn asks if he remembered turning her into the SEC, and Carly says, no, but Olivia gave her some alone time with him. That’s when some guy came up to Olivia and wouldn’t take no for an answer and kept grabbing her. Josslyn says, ew! And that’s when Carly stepped in? Carly says, no. Ned jumped in before she could, and that’s when the fight started. Josslyn says she doesn’t understand. Why were Carly, Ned, and Olivia arrested, when someone else started it? Carly says she doesn’t know. When the cops showed up, the guy must have snuck out the back. Olivia was really upset about that, and got a little aggressive with one of the cops, and that’s when they got arrested. Josslyn says, never a dull moment. She’s so sorry for leaving Carly there all night. She feels so bad. Carly tells her not to worry about it. Honestly, she could have left earlier if she’d let Sonny sign her out. Josslyn asks why she didn’t. She thought Carly was all let’s forgive and forget when it comes to Sonny. So much so, she has Dex watching him and reporting back to Michael. She doesn’t understand. If Carly cares about him, why wouldn’t she let him help her?

Anna tells Valentin that Victor put a target on her back. He’s probably smiling up at all the hell he sent her. Valentin says, even from beyond the grave, he won’t stop inflicting pain, and Anna says, in the beginning, she thought his motive was to get her kicked out of the WSB, but she thinks it was a lot bigger than that. She hurt a lot of people. He says, she paid for that, but she says she doesn’t know. People suffered because of what she did. He can’t deny that. People died, and who did they leave behind? Children, lovers… How did it affect them? One life touches a lot of people, and someone out there wants her to pay for what she did. Obviously, she doesn’t blame them for wanting that. He tells her, stop. Don’t say that. She doesn’t deserve any of this. Whoever is after her, whatever they think they’ve lost, it does not justify revenge. She says, since when?

While distributing menu cards, Olivia finds Ned in the pool area, and says she’s surprised to see him here this morning. Same outfit he had on at the bar last night, huh? He says he doesn’t have too many changes of clothes over at Sonny’s, but he’s glad she’s here. She asks, why? What’s going on? He says he wanted to see her, but didn’t want to run the risk of going to the house and bumping into Tracy. She says, Tracy can be a lot to take first thing in the morning, and he says he can only imagine. So how is she doing after last night? She says she’s doing okay, but she wouldn’t have been if he hadn’t stepped in and defended her from that creep, so she thanks him for that. He says, don’t mention it, and she asks how he is. He says he’s okay, and she says, the guy landed a few good punches on Ned; he hit Ned pretty hard. Ned says he’s definitely feeling it this morning, and she suggests getting him some ice, but he says he’s fine. He’s just glad she’s okay. She says she’s glad he’s okay too, and he says he should get going. She says, Eddie… wait.

Carly tells Josslyn, watching out for Sonny, and making sure his businesses are stable, is very different from accepting help from him. Josslyn asks, why is it different? She doesn’t understand. Carly says, they’ve talked about this. Sonny has got to stay strong. If he loses power, they’re no longer safe. Josslyn says, they’re not married anymore, so why would that affect her? and Carly says she agrees. In a normal situation, it shouldn’t affect her, but she already told Josslyn, because of who Sonny is, they’re all affected. If Sonny is weak, then his kids and everyone around him are targets. That includes Donna, Avery, Michael, Josslyn, Dante, her… especially her. (Um… and Kristina?) Josslyn says she just doesn’t like that Carly has to protect him, and Carly says she gets that, but Josslyn needs to understand, this is the way things are, and she and Sonny will always be connected. Josslyn says, so that’s why she wants Dex and Michael working together to protect him, and Carly says, yes, exactly. Josslyn asks if that’s the only reason.

Sonny tells Dex, Ava got herself in a complicated situation. She’s being blackmailed by Austin’s cousin Mason. He doesn’t want to bore Dex with the details. Dex says he understands, but does Sonny think Austin is in on the blackmailing? Sonny says, Ava doesn’t think so, but he’s not 100% sure Austin is innocent in all this. So he had Brick run intel on Austin, Mason, and Betty. They’re from Pautuck. Mason and Austin are cousins; Betty used to work for Mason’s family’s trucking company. They sold out a few years ago. It’s unknown who bought it out, but it was purchased through a shell company; no criminal record. Dex says, so Mason blackmailed Ava into hiring Betty as Avery’s new nanny, giving her access to Sonny and the penthouse, and Sonny says, yeah. Here’s the thing. Betty doesn’t know Ava came clean with him, and Ava thinks Mason and Austin are working for somebody else. Dex says, any idea who? and Sonny says, somebody who wants information on his Pikeman deal.

Mason asks if Austin is going to give him something for this headache, when Betty slips into the office. Austin says, this is not a clubhouse. He’s actually a doctor and actually has patients to see. So they’re going to have to have their little treehouse meeting some other place. Betty says she has business to discuss with both of them, and Mason says, Austin might be the fancy doctor with a medical degree and all, but he’s just an employee like the rest of them and does as the boss tells him. Speaking of which, does Betty have good news for them? She says, better than good. She’s taking Sonny’s daughter to day camp this morning, then back to his penthouse. Sonny will be away at a business meeting. That should give her two hours to get some information on Pikeman. Mason says, didn’t he tell Austin that it was worth it to get Betty in there?

Anna says, Valentin understands this though. He wanted revenge on her for years. He says, but then he realized it was her sister Alex all along, and she says, but revenge feels like the answer – that’s her point – but it’s not. It feels like it’s going to take away the pain, but sometimes it really just magnifies the whole thing. He says, it certainly did with him, and she says, someone out there is hurting, maybe because of the decisions she made. And putting a target on her back, burning her house down, makes it feel righteous because of the things she did in her past. Dante arrives and tells Anna that he’s so sorry. She thanks him, and he says he’s glad she’s not hurt. He says hello to Valentin, and tells Anna that he knows his timing can’t be worse, but if she’s feeling up to it, he could use a statement. She says, protocol, she gets it, and he says he’ll give her a lift to the station. She says, that’d be great, and Valentin says he’ll go with her, but she says she can handle this on her own. He asks, why? and she says she’ll see him later, leaving with Dante.

Sonny says, Brick filled the flashdrive with all kinds of false information, and Dex asks if it will be convincing enough. Sonny says, Brick is the best at what he does. Mason and Betty are going to think it’s the real deal and deliver it to their boss. Dex asks how feeding them false information helps Sonny, and Sonny says, Brick installed sophisticated tracking software. So whoever has access to this flashdrive is going to allow Brick entry into their records and their network. Once he finds out who these Pautuck yahoos are reporting to, he’s going to take care of them and their boss. Dex says, so they have to make sure Betty finds that flashdrive, and Sonny says he has to make sure she doesn’t know he’s leading her to it. Dex asks, what’s the plan? and Sonny says he’s going to take Donna over to Carly’s, and since there’s not going to be anybody here when Betty brings Avery from camp, Dex is going to handle what happens next.

Austin says, this is so great. Betty having access to Sonny’s penthouse, she’ll have hours there by herself, and can gather up all the information she can find and pass it on to the boss. Then his favorite part, the two of them gone and out of his and Ava’s life for good. He walks to the door, and Mason says, for a person who went to medical school and became a doctor, Austin is pretty dumb. Why on earth would he ever let Austin go when he still has use for him? Austin wonders how he knew Mason was going to say that, and Mason says, because Austin delivered the grand prize – Ava and her little kid. That gave the boss major leverage on Sonny. Austin says, the last thing he wanted was Ava involved in this, and definitely didn’t want her child involved, but Betty says, too late for that. Mason says he knows Austin. Play the hero for Ava all he wants, but in the end, he’s still about himself.

Carly tells Josslyn that she knows her stance on Sonny is confusing and hypocritical, but their lives are intertwined, and that’s a fact. Josslyn says she understands, and Carly says, and they share a child, one they love and adore. And all their other kids. There’s Josslyn and Michael and Dante and Kristina (oh, she remembered). And Morgan. The loss of a child, they’ll be bonded over that forever. There’s so much that she and Sonny share. Josslyn says she knows that. That still doesn’t mean it’s not impossible for Carly. Carly laughs, and says, yeah, it’s hard. It’s hard, but they’re moving forward in their relationship. Sonny’s going to marry Nina; she’s with Drew. She’s just focusing on the future. It’s all she can do. Josslyn says she just doesn’t know how Carly is doing that with him, and Carly says, because she has to. She doesn’t have a choice. This is where they are. And being in a never-ending war with Sonny is not productive and it’s not healthy. Josslyn says she doesn’t think this is healthy for Carly. She doesn’t think Sonny is healthy for any of them. Carly says she knows everything that has happened and everything they’ve been through, but at the end of the day, Sonny is still family and they can’t forget that.

Ned asks Olivia if this is another pitch to get him into therapy or to bond with the Quartermaines. Because if it is, she can save her breath. She says, on the contrary; it’s the opposite of that. She knows it took her a little while to get her head around this, but she realizes it now. He’s not Ned anymore; he’s Eddie. He says he’s surprised to hear her say that, and she tells him, as much as she’d like to wrestle him to the ground and force him back to being Ned, she can’t do that. He’s not Ned anymore. He says, no, he’s not, and she says, he’s changed, and he’s got to be true to how he feels and who he is now. And he’s not hurting anybody by living as Eddie, so… He says he’s hurting her and he’s sorry. And he’s sorry for hurting Leo, and Brook, and even Tracy. But if he’s being honest with himself, he has to live as him, Eddie, because that’s all he knows how to be. She says, and she’s got to respect that.

At the station, Dante tells Anna, according to the fire chief’s report, the physical evidence found at her house indicates it was arson. Some kind of flammable liquid was ignited. She was at the house when it happened? She shakes her head and says, she’d gone for this short run; she needed to clear her head. He says she didn’t see anything or anyone suspicious, right? and she says, no. He says he was at her house around 10:30 last night, and she told him that Valentin went to ELQ. She says, there was a water main break, and it was threatening the mainframe computer, and he asks what time Valentin came back. She says, Valentin didn’t come back to her house last night, and he asks if Valentin spent the night at ELQ, but she says she doesn’t know. She didn’t see him until this morning. Dante asks what time he went over to ELQ, but she says she’s not sure. Obviously, it was before Dante turned up. What is he getting at? He says he’s just covering all the bases. She knows how this works. She says she does, and he says he’s just got to make a quick call. He’ll be right back. In the hallway, he makes a call and asks if they can pull the security footage from the ELQ parking garage for last night. He’s trying to find out when Valentin Cassadine’s car entered the parking lot, and if it ever left… And report this back to him only please. He goes back in and tells Anna, let’s find out who had motive for that fire.

Carly thanks Sonny for bringing Donna to the house, so she didn’t have to go all the way to his place. He says he’ll take any time he can with Donna and the moss bowl🎍. Carly has raised a smart and independent young lady. She says, they both have, and Donna couldn’t stop telling her about how much fun Sonny’s sleepover was last night. He says, they had a great time. What about her? The moss bowl🎍 laughs, and he asks if she enjoyed her time in jail. She says, no, she didn’t. He says, then why didn’t she let him sign her out? Was it her pride?

Eddie/Ned thanks Olivia for respecting him. He gets that this is really hard on her. She says, it hasn’t been easy, that’s for sure, and he says he wants to apologize for disappearing on her yesterday. She was being really nice and supportive, and listening to him play his music. And when she went to get him something to drink, he snuck off. He’s sorry for not letting her know he was leaving. She thanks him for saying that, and says she knows it hasn’t been easy on him either. She was afraid she was smothering him or hovering… He says, no. It had nothing to do with her. He was actually freaking out, thinking about what Tracy had said about having him committed. She asks if he didn’t believe her when she said she’d never let that happen, and he says he was just afraid Tracy might have changed her mind. She’s a force of nature.

Dante says, when he was at Anna’s house, they were talking about who would want her dead, and if there’s any connection between Pikeman and the sudden power shift at the WSB. She says, something about this fire feels different to her. She doesn’t think the WSB or Pikeman had anything to do with it. Starting a fire is too sloppy for the Bureau. Like, if an agent wanted to kill her, they had ample opportunity to do it. When she went for her run, a sniper could have easily taken her out. He says, like they tried to at the MetroCourt pool, and she says, or she could have been hit by a car. He knows as well as she does that there are people at the Bureau who would take the fall for that; make it look like an accident. Those are their tactics. They both know that’s how they would have got it done. If she was a priority, she’d be dead by now. They’re not going to start a fire in an empty house. He asks if she’s ready to take the WSB off the table as a suspect, but she says she doesn’t know. But to her, in her gut, this feels like revenge, plain and simple.

Anna tells Dante, once The Sun got ahold of the story that she was a traitor at one point, they made it public knowledge. And it’s true. Some people suffered for decisions she made. She thinks there’s someone out there who she hurt, and they want payback. Dante says he thinks she’s been carrying this guilt around for a long time, and maybe it’s messing with her head a little bit, clouding her thoughts. She says, there’s a lot of processing going on, but her thoughts are clear, and he says, okay. Maybe she has to see someone within the WSB trying to get rid of her. She says she told him, starting a fire is too sloppy for the Bureau, but he says, it’s deliberately sloppy, right? If someone in the WSB wanted to make it look like they wanted to get rid of her, they wouldn’t follow procedure. They would cover their tracks. And what better way than setting her house on fire to get revenge, to send a message? She says, it could be anyone within that community, and he says, that’s what makes this so dangerous. But she knows better than anyone about intelligence and espionage. You build something up, make it look like something else. She says she used that strategy in a few black ops missions, and he says, him too. Create an illusion. Make something look spontaneous when it’s really taken tons of planning and logistics to pull it off. She looks far away, and he says, what? She says, logistics, and he says, it goes hand-in-hand with trying to keep your enemy off your trail, right? She gets up and says she’s told him everything about the fire. She’s kind of tired and right now she’s homeless. She’s got to get over to the MetroCourt and book a room. He says, let him call his mom; she can get Anna a room. She says, that’s okay. She appreciates it, but she’s got some things to take care of first. He thanks her for coming in, and says he’s really sorry for the things that have been happening to her. She says she knows, and thanks him. She leaves, and his phone rings. He asks what they’ve got… Valentin’s car never made to the ELQ parking garage? Are they sure about that?

Ned tells Olivia, admit it. She thinks Tracy’s right. He’s crazy and belongs in a looney bin. She says she never thinks Tracy’s right, so let’s get that straight, but he did clonk his head pretty hard when he fell at the pool. So maybe her kneejerk reaction was to think maybe he knocked something loose, but that’s not what she thinks anymore. He thanks her for the reassurance, because he’s not that CEO business guy she says he was, and he’s never going to be. She says she sees that now. She knows it’s taken her some time to get her head around that, but she accepts he’s someone else now. He says he’s Eddie Maine, and she says she knows. And even if she thought that one good jolt of electroshock therapy would bring her husband back to her, she could never do that to him. He thanks her, and she says, and another thing. She would never have him committed for being someone new. She gave him her word on that and her word is gold. He says, is that so? and she says, yeah. She’s a Bensonhurst girl. She always keeps her word. She walks off with the tray of menu cards, and he looks bemused.

Carly says, this isn’t about pride, and Sonny tells her, all he’s saying is that she didn’t have to stay at the PCPD. He was willing to sign her out. She says she can’t let him be her safety net anymore, but he says, they’re always going to be there for each other. She says she gets that. And throughout the years, no matter where they were with each other, he was always there to bail her out. That means more to her than he’ll ever know, but she can’t let him do it anymore. He says he didn’t go there to get her; he was there to sign Ned out. She says she got herself in the situation, and he says, because she was protecting Olivia. She says, it doesn’t matter. She’s the one who has to get herself out. He says, if she needs him, he’s there… He gets it. She’s independent. She says she’s always been independent. She just got to the point where she was depending on him for everything, and she has to take care of herself now. He says, all right. She doesn’t need his help. She says she’s glad they cleared that up, and he says, because at the moment, he’s got a lot going on. He leaves, and she sighs.

Austin says, Mason caught him. He’s all about himself. Who isn’t? He really wants a life for himself. He wants a life where he’s not constantly looking over his shoulder. He wants a life where Mason is never in his office, ever again. Mason says, sadly, it doesn’t work like that, and Betty says, as entertaining as this is, she’d better head to Windymere. She’s got to pick up little Avery and not be late. Ava can be fire when she wants to. Mason tells her, go. Please bring them something on Pikeman from Sonny for the boss. She says she doesn’t plan on leaving there empty handed, and Mason says, that’s his girl. She leaves, and Austin says, one down and one to go. Mason says, they’re not finished, and Austin asks why the boss wants info on Sonny and Pikeman anyway. Mason says, honestly, he has no idea. But Austin knows him; he’s not one to explain himself to anyone. But he wants it, and he’s going to get it. Well, we know the boss is a dude now. I could have sworn they alluded to it being a woman early on.

Dex follows Betty out of the hospital at a discreet distance.

Tomorrow, Curtis tells Portia, it’s too much, he can’t do it; Brook tells Nina that she has a right to be concerned; and Sonny tells Ava, it’s what you call cutting the snake off at the head.

Off the Soap Clock…

I love this. My dad raised me, and this sounds like something he would have done.

They seem like they’d be fun to hang out with.

🗽 A New York Minute…

What the new RHONY were up to this week. I’d be glad to take any castoffs from Jenna’s closet.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/rhony-recap-erin-and-jessels-tribeca-fight-is-an-instant-classic

💎 Buh-Bye Already…

I’ll bet it will be more than fine.

She should be dead to Bravo for whatever she’s wearing there.

🍸 Bizarro Rules…

Things are sometimes not what they seem to be, but on the surface, it’s Topsy Turvy World.

🛟 Life After Deck

Captain Lee! Kate! Kate’s baby! Kate’s attention starved dog! Guest cameos! Talking smack about reality shows! The only thing better than watching TV is watching other people watch TV, and it’s all here with my two favorite Deckies. I’m already hooked.

https://people.com/kate-chastain-captain-lee-rosbach-tease-bravo-couch-talk-exclusive-7642653

🐻 Calgon, Take Him Away…

True story. One time when we were at the Westchester County Fair, there was a bear act. They had a baby bear with them, and apparently, no one was keeping an eye on him. I looked over, and baby bear was making a break for the fence, beyond which was oncoming highway traffic. I jumped out of my seat and got to the fence before baby bear was too high for me to stop. He wouldn’t let go, but I was able to hold him there until the professionals got him. They let me pet him. He was bristly, but very cute.

https://people.com/bear-takes-bubble-bath-zoo-knoxville-video-7574570

💻 Blog Post Energy…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and nighttime tea. Until then, stay safe, stay not dressing to draw attention away from the wedding party if you’re a wedding guest, and stay not seeking the answer in revenge. It might feel like it’s going to take away the pain, but sometimes it really just magnifies the whole thing.

August 3, 2023 – Ava Questions Austin About Gordon, They Got Skills, New Chapter, Where They Are, Deck On the Runway, Pilaf (!) & Song

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the hospital, Ava asks to speak to Austin, but the nurse at the desk says he’s with a patient. Would she like to leave a message? Ava says, no. This message needs to be delivered in person.

Cody starts to lift a bale of hay, and stops, saying, oh yeah, that wound. Maybe no lifting today. He goes into the stables, and asks Brook what she’s doing there. She says, Leo’s not the only Q who likes horses, and he says, liking them is one thing, but her feeding stance… Is she bucking for his job? She says she’s taking a break from work; hiding out from her Granny Tracy and her dad, who’s now known as the hard-partying rocker Eddie Maine.

Olivia finds Ned/Eddie in the nook, and says, good afternoon. He says, it’s afternoon already? and she says, if he didn’t stay out all night, he wouldn’t miss half the morning. He says he doesn’t see that changing any time soon… but he does appreciate her making him… What is that egg thing Leo said she made? Anyway, it was great; it really hit the spot. She says, frittata. It was his favorite… Ned’s favorite.

Molly instructs TJ on the placement of a plate of cookies, and he says he can’t believe they agreed to come to their home, instead of them going to the office. She says she’s grateful they did. She can’t believe this is happening so quickly. He says, as long as they don’t believe they’re entitled because they’re coming here, and she points to her foot, saying, it’s called extenuating circumstances. She really wants this first meeting to go well. He says, so does he, especially since it’s the first step to having a family.

Spencer goes into Kelly’s, followed by Esme with Ace, and sees Josslyn. He says, in all the years Cam worked here, and even when he did, he never pictured her wearing a Kelly’s apron. She says, why not? It’s a good gig. Her mom owns the place now. She’s just helping her out. He asks if she’s giving up on pre-med, and she asks if she said that. No. Her career path doesn’t have to change. She’s just helping her mom out. He says, fair enough, and she asks what they’re doing here. She wonders if Esme quit her job at The Invader, but Esme says, of course (🍷) not. She’s on her lunch break and thought she’d spend a little time with Ace away from daycare. Kristina walks in and squeals, asking if that’s little baby Ace. He’s so adorable. Spencer was right; he’s so cute. (He is. I’m not even a baby person, and he is.) She can’t believe it took her so long to meet him. She tells Ace that she’s his cousin and it’s nice to meet him.

At the hospital, Dex sees Trina in a waiting area, and says he doesn’t mean to bother her, but Sonny sent him to see how Curtis was doing. The nurses won’t tell him anything because he’s not family, but maybe she could. She says she can’t tell him much, and he asks if Curtis is with the doctors now. She says, no, but Curtis, her dad, is refusing to see her.

Austin introduces himself to Curtis and says, according to his chart, Curtis has turned away his physical therapist. Curtis says he didn’t feel like physical therapy today, and Austin says he sees. He checks Curtis’s vitals and says, maybe he wants to go tomorrow. It’s a very important component of his recovery. Curtis doesn’t respond, and Austin says he doesn’t know if anyone has explained this to Curtis, but when he leaves here, he’s going to go to the rehabilitation facility. Does Curtis have any questions while he’s here? Curtis says, no, and Austin says, if that changes, just let the nurse know, and he’ll be more than happy to circle back. He leaves, and Curtis remembers reading, this condition can’t be cured. He flashes back to telling Portia, if he’s not going to walk again, she’s not remodeling their home; she has to let him go. If she really wants to help, she’ll walk out the door and not walk back. Curtis throws his phone against the door, and Stella walks in.

Cody says, maybe he overdid it coming back to work so soon, but somebody’s got to feed the horses, and Brook says, it’s already been taken care of. What does he need? Can she get him some water? He says he’d prefer beer. Grab herself one too. He hates to drink alone. She says, water it is, and he sits down. He says, yep, that hurts, and she asks how bad Sasha hurt him, handing him a water. She says she’s not the shy, retiring type, and he asks if anyone is shy in the Quartermaine family. She says, of course (🍷) not, but he didn’t answer her question. How badly did Sasha hurt him? He says, it’s nothing he can’t handle, and definitely not bad enough she should be sent to Ferncliff.

Ned says, the night Olivia brought the ravioli over to Sonny’s place, he did try some of that. It was delicious. Has she ever thought of becoming a chef? She says she does co-own a restaurant and gives the chef notes on his menu sometimes, but that’s enough for her. She gets enough satisfaction out of cooking for her family and loved ones. He asks if she’s always been a good cook, but she says, no. She remembers when she was a teenager in Bensonhurst, her Nona was always dying for her to learn her recipes. She was always too busy to let Nona teach her. He says, busy with school? He bets she was a cheerleader. She says, ha! Her? No. She was more of a wild child. After school, the only thing she wanted to do was cause trouble.

TJ sets some bottles of water down, and Molly says, flat and sparkling. It’s good to give her a choice. He wonders if they’re overthinking this, and she says, of course (🍷) they are. That’s always best. There’s a knock at the door, and he says, that must be her. Molly says, let’s knock this out of the park, since she’s been watching Below Deck, and he opens the door. A woman says she’s Clair Brown, and he says, the surrogacy matching professional? She says, that’s her, and he says he’s TJ. They’ve been expecting her. Please come in. He thanks her for coming to their home, and introduces his partner Molly. Clair says she was happy to accommodate, and asks how Molly is feeling. Molly says, better, and TJ asks Clair to have a seat. Clair sits and asks if it’s their first meeting with a surrogacy specialist. Molly says, yes. They just recently found out she’s unable to have a baby on her own. Clair says, there’s no reason for them to be nervous. She’s done this process with hundreds of couples. And don’t be afraid to ask her anything. In her line of work, she’s found the only bad question is the unasked one. TJ says, understood, and Molly asks where they start. Clair says she’ll start with the basics of what hiring a surrogate will be like and find out what their preferences are. The first thing is, are they interested in a gestational surrogate or a traditional surrogate?

Stella picks up Curtis’s phone and asks how he’s doing. He says, how does she think? and she says she spoke to Portia… He tells her that he knows what she’s going to say. Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Curtis. Get on with your life. God never gives us more than we can handle. She says, that’s not what she was going to say at all. She honestly doesn’t know what to say, except she’s sorry. She’s so, so sorry. She hugs him.

Trina tells Dex that she shouldn’t have said anything, and he asks, why? She says she barely knows him, and she just shared way too much information. He says, she’s Joss’s best friend, and he knows Joss is busy today helping her mom at Kelly’s, so maybe Trina could consider him her proxy. If she wants him to leave, he will, but if she needs someone to talk to, he hopes she feels comfortable sharing whatever she would have with Joss with him. Trina guesses she’ll take a shot at it, because she really needs to talk about this. She needs to talk about it with someone who isn’t family. He says he definitely qualifies, and she says, the doctors think it’s a possibility that Curtis may never walk again. He says he knew that was a possibility, but he hoped that wouldn’t be the case. He’s really sorry. She says, that’s not even the worst part. Ever since Curtis found out he may never walk again, he’s refusing to see her.

Kristina says, Ace is the absolute cutest, and tells Esme to have a good day with her son. She goes over to Josslyn, and says, welcome to life behind the counter. She should think about putting in an application at Charlie’s. Josslyn says she’d rather stick pins in her eyes, and Kristina says, Charlie’s is not that bad. It’s the same thing as Kelly’s, but with alcohol. Josslyn says, right, but  that’s where Sonny tends to go with Nina, so hard pass. Kristina says, okay, and walks out. Esme tells Spencer, Josslyn and Kristina don’t seem to like each other very much. What’s their deal?

Austin finds Ava in his office, and she says, finally. He closes the door, and she says, take it easy. She knows he’s been ignoring her. he’s been ignoring her calls. He’s been ignoring her texts. She had to track him down in person because she needs to know, what the hell is going on?  He says he hasn’t been avoiding her calls or her texts; he’s a doctor. He’s been very busy. He has a lot of patients to care for. She says he has one less patient to worry about, now that Gordon Stevens was found dead in an alley, right here outside the hospital.

Austin says he heard what happened to Gordon. It’s very unfortunate. Ava says, unfortunate? A heart attack is unfortunate. Two bullets to the chest is murder. He says he went over this with Detective Chase, just so she knows. Austin told him that he didn’t know anything about Gordon’s death. Which isn’t a lie, because he didn’t know who Gordon was. He really doesn’t know anything about his death. She says, oh my God. Austin killed him, didn’t he?

Curtis says he’s sorry, and Stella asks what he has to be sorry about. He says, clearly he upset her with his outburst, but she says, he hasn’t done anything wrong. That bullet wasn’t meant for him. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. None of this is his fault. But unfortunately, it is his reality now, and that’s why she’s here. She’s here to help him in any way she can. He says, there’s nothing she can do. There’s nothing anyone can do. She sits on the bed and says she’s going to have to disagree with him. He has a family that loves him; a family whose love is as strong as any army. An army that will support him and care for him, and guide him through this unfortunate circumstance. He says, unfortunate circumstance? He can’t walk. He can’t run. He can’t dance. He’s not the person he was a week ago. He’s not the man he was. He never will be again. That’s his future. Curtis is literally whining, and I want him to stop that.

Trina tells Dex that when she found out Curtis may be her biological father, she had no interest in getting a DNA test. Marcus Taggert will always be her dad, the man who raised her, no matter what a DNA test said. He asks, what changed her mind? and she says, Curtis was so brave in Greenland. He literally risked his life to save hers. She thought the least she could do was take a DNA test. It turned out Curtis was her biological father, and it changed things. He says, how so? and she says, things got weird between her and her dad, but also between her and Curtis. He wasn’t just the man married to her mom. He wasn’t just her stepdad. She had to look at him differently. She had to look at them like father and daughter. Then it slowly got less weird, and they started bonding. Until she pushed him away.

Josslyn says, if Esme has something to ask her, just as her, not Spencer, and Esme says, okay then. What’s the deal with her and Kristina? Why don’t they like each other? Josslyn says, the answer is simple and it’s none of her business, and Spencer tells her, don’t be like that. It’s not like it’s a state secret. Kristina is Team Sonny and Josslyn’s Team Carly. Josslyn says, sure. In her opinion, she just thinks is you’re Team Sonny, you’re a bit misguided. She walks off, and Esme says she wasn’t trying to provoke Josslyn. She hopes Spencer knows that. Ace fusses, and Esme says she just thought, Kristina treats her like a human being, which is a refreshing change. Ace continues to fuss, and Esme says she’s going to take him back to daycare.

Brook says, correct her if she’s wrong, but Sasha grabbed a knife off of the bar and stabbed Cody with it. He says, that’s all true, but Sasha was terrified. She says, of him? and he says, she didn’t even know it was him. She kept calling him Cyrus. Brook says she knows he’s friends with Sasha. Sasha is her friend too, but if Sasha was hallucinating he was someone else, that’s an argument for Ferncliff. She lost touch with reality and became violent, and this isn’t the first time she’s been violent. She smashed the windshield of that reporter’s car. He says, that reporter who was aggressively provoking her, and Brook says, maybe Ferncliff is the best place for her, but he says, no. And he refuses to believe that.

Molly says, if she has it right, a gestational surrogate is a person not related to the fetus because they didn’t provide the egg, and Clair says, that’s correct. In their case, it would be a donor egg fertilized with TJ’s sperm and impregnated through IVF. Molly says, whereas a traditional surrogate provides the egg and is genetically related to the fetus, and Clair says, right again. She has several traditional surrogates who are willing to supply the egg and be fertilized through IUI. So that’s the first question. Do they have plans to secure a donor egg? Kristina blows in, and says, my God, that Josslyn is such a bitch.

Austin tells Ava that he didn’t kill Gordon. He couldn’t do something like that. She knows him better than that. She says she doesn’t. As a matter of fact, now that she thinks about it, she knows next to nothing about him. He wonders how she can say that; they had sex. She says, they scratched an itch, that’s all. And just because they know each other doesn’t mean they know each other. He says, after everything they’ve been through, he’d say they do. She knows him better than anyone’s known him in a long time. She says, everything they’ve been through? Like him helping her cover up her husband’s death? He says, it was bad luck that he arrived just after she killed her husband, and she begged him to help her hide the body. She says, it’s too bad his help came with a side of Mason. Austin’s phone beeps, and she says, he was just a nuisance at first, but now he’s got that psycho Betty looking after her child. He looks at his phone, and says he hates that Mason was there that night and brought her into his world, but that’s the way it is. But understand something. Mason and the people who Mason works for, those are the people who hurt people like Gordon. He could never do anything like that. He has to go. She tells him, hurry back. She still has questions, and she’d like some answers. He says, okay, and leaves. She starts snooping around his office.

Cody tells Brook, none of this tracks. Sasha kept it together when the producers at Home & Heart were trying to sabotage her by playing crying baby noises in her earpiece. She says, he’s right. Sasha did show a lot of courage that day, but of course (🍷) she did get a little assist from him when he threatened to run in front of the camera naked if they didn’t stop the sabotage. By the way, she has to ask him. Would he really have done that? Gotten naked on live TV? He asks what she thinks, and she says, it’s admirable he would have done that to help Sasha. He says, that’s his point. How is the same woman who kept it together under incredible pressure suddenly become a delusional trainwreck in just over a month?

Ned says, Olivia was a wild child? Which means what exactly? She skipped school and went to the mall? She says, the mall, and laughs. That’s for babies; that’s middle school. By the time she was in high school, she and her best friend Lois – who he also might remember – they gave their Nonos every grey hair they had on their head. They were smoking, they were running around with older boys, they were sneaking into nightclubs with their ginormous bangs and little skirts about the size of a belt. He says, sounds like she was a good time. He never would have guessed. She says she got pregnant. She had to give up her partying days to raise her son.

Molly introduces Kristina, and says, Clair is a matching professional, who will hopefully be matching her and TJ with a surrogate so they can have a baby. Kristina says, wow. That’s amazing. Molly and TJ are going to be incredible parents. Does Clair know they’re a doctor and a lawyer? The ultimate power couple. Clair says, yes. She read their application before the meeting, and Kristina says, duh. Of course (🍷) she did. Clair doesn’t need her to tell her anything else about them. She’ll text Molly later, and it was lovely to meet Clair. They’re just so great. She leaves, and in the hallway, she says, what? TJ says he’s sorry for the interruption. Where were they? Clair says, some couples choose to use a donor egg from a family member so they’ll share the same family DNA. Is that a possibility for them? Molly says, no. They’re interested in a traditional surrogacy using the surrogate’s egg.

Spencer goes into the kitchen and asks Josslyn if he can get a chocolate milkshake on the house. She says, of course (🍷). She’ll get him the shake, for double the price. He says, that was awkward with Esme before, right? and she says, yeah. Isn’t everything awkward with Esme? He says he’s sorry he blabbed about her issues with Kristina to Esme. He didn’t mean to. She says, that’s okay. Don’t worry about it. He says, before Esme left, she said Kristina was the only person who made her feel like a real human being. He hates to say it, but he kind of felt sorry for her.

Dex says, Trina doesn’t need to tell him anything she doesn’t want to, but if she and Curtis were starting to bond, why did she suddenly push him away? She says, because he did something she disapproved of, and she pushed him away. So the fragile bond they were building, she broke it. And now when he needs her, he won’t let her help him. He says he thinks she might be wrong about this one.

Ava flips through a file box, and says, okay, Gordon Stevens. Let’s see what your problem with Austin was.

Austin tells Curtis that he’ll be leaving tomorrow and spending a few weeks in the rehabilitation facility. After that, it’s very important that he continue his rehab at home. He’s sure Dr. Robinson has already explained all this to him. Stella says she’ll take it from here, and Austin leaves. Curtis says he doesn’t think he can do this, but Stella says, Curtis Byron Ashford. You have had a lifetime of hardships and struggles, more than any one man should have to bear, and I have watched you triumph over each and every one of them. He says, this is different, and she says, he’s right; it is.

Josslyn gives Spencer his shake, and says she knows the reason he moved in with Esme was to protect Ace, and she respects that. But even though Esme has lost her memory, Josslyn hasn’t. She hasn’t forgotten what Esme did to Trina, her, and Cameron. It’s just really weird for her to be around Esme like that. It isn’t for him? He says, it’s not as hard as it used to be, but that’s because of Ace. His first priority was, and still is, Trina. She says, so why isn’t he with her right now? and walks out of the kitchen.

Ned says, it sounds like a tragedy to him, and Olivia says, how so? He says, she was forced to give up her party girl days to be a mom. It’s tragic. She says, absolutely not. Her son Dante is an absolutely amazing man. He saw Dante last night; Dante is the one who brought him here. if he remembers it. He says, she doesn’t really expect him to believe she doesn’t miss her wild party days, and she says, sure, once in a while. Does she regret giving up partying to raise her son? Absolutely not. She wouldn’t trade her son for anything in the entire world.

Cody says, Brook told him that Sasha was violent before when she attacked that sleazy reporter’s windshield and smashed it, but Sasha was on drugs back then, right? Brook says, she was, but then she got clean, and he asks if it’s possible she relapsed and was on drugs again at the pool. The way she was acting, thinking he was Cyrus Renault. If he didn’t know anything about Sasha, and was a total stranger, he would have completely assumed she was high as a kite. She asks if he thinks Sasha fell off the wagon, and he says, maybe she didn’t know she was drugged. What if someone spiked her drink? Brook says she knows he’s trying to find any possible way to justify Sasha’s behavior, but Sasha has a history of mental illness. If they deny that, they’re not helping her. He says, maybe she wasn’t drugged, but something happened to derail her. He’d bet anything it started with Gladys.

Clair says, Molly and TJ have answered all the questions she needed answering. Now it’s time for her to put together a list of potential surrogate candidates for them for them to interview. Molly says, that’s it? It seems way easier than she thought. Clair says, so going forward, the issue will be finding a surrogate that they feel comfortable with. TJ thanks her, and says, they’re excited to take the next step. Clair says, it was nice meeting both of them. They seem to have a very good grasp on what they want, which will make the process go smoothly. TJ says he’ll walk her out, and walks with her maybe 10 feet to the door. He thanks her again, and Clair leaves. He asks what Molly thinks, and she says she thinks it’s lucky she’s in this boot, or she might have jumped off the couch and tackled Kristina for being inappropriate. Which would have disqualified them from Clair’s service. He says, her sister has a real gift for showing up at the exact wrong moment, and Molly says she doesn’t know. Maybe Kristina showed up at just the right time.

Sitting at the counter, Spencer tells Josslyn, with everything going on with Curtis, he’s trying to be respectful. He’s keeping his distance away from Trina and her family. Josslyn says, but why? Trina just found out Curtis isn’t her stepdad; that he’s her biological father. He’s just been shot. He could be paralyzed for the rest of his life. If she was in Trina’s position, she wouldn’t want her boyfriend to keep his distance from her. He says, Portia has recently graduated in her feelings for him. She’s gone from being vocally disapproving of him to outright telling Trina that she doesn’t want him anywhere near her. Josslyn says, it’s a big world out there. Maybe just spend time with Trina far away from Portia. Kristina walks in, and says, that’s certainly one idea. She’s also got others. Maybe instead of dumping his beautiful baby brother off at daycare, Spencer could grab Ace and his mom and take them to the park.

Dex tells Trina, when he was overseas in the military and one of his buddies was seriously injured, the hardest part was watching them isolate themselves from the rest of them. But after a while, you start to get it. Their job in the military is literally to protect people. So if you get injured and lose your ability to be a protector, it’s got to mess with your head. For Curtis, he’s not just this guy married to Trina’s mom; he’s her actual biological father. It’s got to kill him that he can’t be Trina’s protector. Trina says, yeah, but she’s not a little girl. Curtis doesn’t have to protect her; that doesn’t matter to her. He says, maybe not, but he kind of guesses that matters to Curtis.

Brook tells Cody that Gladys used to work as her assistant, and she agrees Gladys isn’t the best worker, but she still thinks Gladys has Sasha’s back. Why is he so suspicious of Gladys? He says, she sold Brando’s garage without telling Sasha, and she says, Sasha was initially upset, but then Gladys explained that there were just too many daily reminders… He says, no. That was just a cover story. Gladys cannot be trusted. She framed him for stealing that bracelet at the Nurses Ball. She says she can believe Gladys tried to frame him, but she’s been around long enough to know Gladys truly loves Sasha, and that’s good enough for her. She looks at her phone and says she’s been away from work long enough, and hiding from granny, so she’s got to go. She’ll see him later.

Austin come back and asks what Ava is doing. Those are patient files. They’re very private. She can’t do this. This he would have her arrested for. She says she doesn’t think so. Besides the dead guy doesn’t need privacy. But that’s the funny thing. Gordon Stevens is nowhere to be found in his files, which means he was never Austin’s patient at all. So start talking. Who was Gordon Stevens to him?

Ned says, so in Olivia’s wild days, before she got knocked up, what clubs did she used to hang out in? She says, that was a long time ago, and he says, she doesn’t remember the names of any of the clubs? She says, if it was happening, she and Lois were there. The Peppermint Lounge… Private Eyes, Hurrah, Area, of course (🍷) Studio 54, Xenon… She sighs, and Brook stands at the door. He asks how she got in. Did they have fake IDs? Olivia says, fake IDs. Those are for amateurs. She winks and says, they made friends with all the bouncers. He says, nice, and Brook smiles.

On the phone, Cody says he has a friend staying in their facility. He was hoping to get the visiting hours… Yes. Her name is Sasha Gilmore… His name? Cody Bell… What do they mean, he’s not on the list?… Did Sasha get to create her visitor’s list?… Of course (🍷) Gladys Corbin made the list. He thanks them.

Molly tells TJ that she was really torn about asking Kristina to donate an egg. Because at least the baby would be biologically related to her. He says, that makes sense, and she says, but after Kristina’s barging in earlier, she realized it would just make everything so much more fraught. Kristina would feel entitled to give her opinion on every parenting decision they made. He nods, and she says, because of that and a million other reasons, she thinks it would be better if they use the surrogate’s egg. He takes her hand and says, no matter what, she’s going to be the mom of their baby. She says she agrees. She’s feeling so much more confident after meeting with Clair. She’s going to find them the perfect woman to carry their baby. He nods, and she says, and to think a year from now their baby will be on this couch with them. He says, with them, and they kiss.

Josslyn says, Spencer actually has plans with Trina this afternoon, and Kristina says she does know her mom is out of town. She doesn’t think it would be a big deal for Esme to take the afternoon off. She’s sure Baby Ace would rather be outside in a park than cooped up in daycare. Spencer says, it is a beautiful day. So he thinks he’s going to catch up with Esme and his brother. He leaves, and Kristina tells Josslyn, sorry.

Trina says, if Dex were her, what would he do? and he says he would let Curtis know that he’s here for him, then he’d give him space. She says, so sitting here for hours isn’t the way to go? and he says he’ll walk her out.

Stella kisses Curtis on the top of the head and leaves. Curtis uncovers his legs and pokes at them and smacks them. He pounds on his thighs and cries.

Austin says, the next time Ava has a question for him, please just ask. Don’t go through his patients files. She says, fine, but did Mason force him to treat Gordon Stevens? He says, yes, and she asks if Mason had anything to do with Gordon confronting him in front of Nina and Sonny and everybody else at the Port Charles Grill. He says, hold on a second. Did she say something to Sonny? Did she talk to Sonny? She says she didn’t, and he says, Sonny already didn’t trust him and now that he’s got a dead patient in the alleyway, Sonny’s never going to let him around Avery again. Sonny’s going to… She says, Sonny’s not going to do anything. Because she told him that Austin helped her. He says, helped her what? Did she tell Sonny that she killed Nikolas?

Tomorrow, Willow says she’s glad Michael rescued her from it; Nina tells Kristina that she’ll help any way she can; Laura says, whatever she and Doc find, they face together; and Valentin asks Anna if she’s sure he wasn’t the target.

💡 Other Projects…

GH cast members away from the hospital.

🛥 Life After Deck…

This sounds great. I’ve called Sandoval the poor man’s Johnny Depp too! Kindred spirits!

🐎 If Ya’ll Still Care…

I kind of liked this one. Admittedly, LeeAnne was a bit much, but every village needs their idiot. And Kameron’s stick figure depiction of adult entertainment in Thailand remains of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.

🩱 Project Mashup…

This might have been my favorite episode this season, a client challenge for Below Deck cast members. Countess LuAnn and former chief stew Kate were the guest judges, and Gary did a hair flip on the runway. There was even a crew night out.

🐕 There Are No Words…

I would travel everywhere with this little nugget too. She’s only around 1.5 pounds. You could sneak her in anywhere. How could you not adore this dog???

https://people.com/every-time-demi-moore-has-matched-her-chihuahua-pilaf-7564954

🌝 Midsummer Night’s Dreaming…

Meet me here tomorrow for soap, a font of tea and quotes, and something musical to round it out. Until then, stay safe, stay not being that person with too many items in the express lane, and stay being aware of when to let someone know you’re here for them, then give them space.

May 5, 2023 – Lots Of Action In Greenland, Behind It, Her Why, Happy Anniversary, Almost, Snub Drama, It’s Her, Closing, VanderKarma, Baby Off Deck, Accused, Brave Pets (!), 10 Quotes To Ponder & Listen

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny says, they heard about Willow; how’s she doing? Carly says, Michael’s with her now, and Nina asks, what happened? Carly says, she collapsed. They’re waiting to hear from Dr. Randolph, but they talked to TJ, and her condition has deteriorated. Nina asks, how bad? and Carly says, hopefully, they can find Nina’s Aunt Liesl, and Drew can bring her back here in time to have the bone marrow transplant. But in the meantime, Willow has to stay in the hospital.

Michael thanks Willow for agreeing to stay, and she says, the whole, if you go home you might not make it argument was pretty persuasive. Michael says he guesses he pulled out all the stops, and Willow says, he made her see she needs a controlled environment for now, so she can go home to him and their kids later. She’s fighting with everything she has to stay with their family.

Somewhere in Greenland. Trina asks if Jordan can hear her, and Jordan says she can. Where is Trina? Trina says, on the Haunted Star with Spencer and Ace, and Jordan says, they have to get off that boat now. Trina says, they know, but… Jordan says, no buts. There are drones on the way with orders to drop bombs on the entire island. They have no way to stop them. Take the baby and get to the seaplane before it’s too late. Spencer says, he can’t leave his grandmother behind, and Trina says, or Curtis. She asks Jordan, what about the others? and Jordan says, every second counts. Take the baby, and get off that island. Spencer tells Trina to take Ace and get to the seaplane; he’ll look for the others. She says, what if he runs into Victor, or his guards? She’s not leaving him. Felicia takes the phone, and tells Spencer, they both know his grandmother would want him and Ace to be safe. Jordan says, exactly. Their job is to get themselves and the baby to that plane before it takes off.

Holly tells Victor to drop his gun, but he asks why he would do that. Especially if she’s going to drop her gun and let him pass. Holly asks why she would do that? Obviously, he’d shoot her if she did. Obrecht says, stop talking, and shoot him, and Victor puts Obrecht in front of him, saying, be careful or she might shoot Liesl. Obrecht tells her not to worry about that, and shoot him, but Victor says, what about poor Willow? She’ll die. Obrecht says she’ll instruct Holly how to harvest her marrow. Now pull the trigger! Victor holds up the cannister, and says, if anything happens to him, they all die. This makes no sense, since if he’s dead, he can’t release it, never mind the sunlight part, but we’ll let that pass.

Anna looks at Valentin through the window of the isolation room, and calls to him. He says, she’s not real; she’s an illusion. She’s just like Helena; he’s imagining her. She says, no, she’s here. She’s absolutely real. He has to hang on.

Alone in her office, Portia says, God, if You can hear me, please keep Trina and Curtis safe. Just bring my family home. There’s a knock at the door, and she says, come in. Elizabeth says she hopes she’s not interrupting. She just wanted to check on Portia. Portia says, Marshall was here with her earlier, but she sent him home because he needs his rest. Elizabeth says, he’s not the only one, and Portia says she knows. She’s so tired, but she can’t stop thinking, what if she never sees Trina and Curtis again?

Laura tells Curtis, wait a minute. The display on this computer… The program it’s running; she’s seen that before. He asks, where? and we see a map on the screen with a spot that says, Target Area. She says, forty years ago, in another underground bunker, also owned by Mikkos Cassadine. She sits, and says, look at this. He says, it’s a map of the mid-Atlantic states, and she says, it’s all the same. He says, same as what? and she says she thinks there might be another weather machine.

Trina says, they hear what Jordan is saying, but the others have to be warned. Robert says, he promises they’ll tell everyone in the bunker about the drone strike, and Felicia says, they have to get to the seaplane now. Otherwise, they’re putting themselves and Ace in grave danger. Spencer says, they’re right, and Trina tells Jordan, please tell her mom and dad she loves them. Jordan says she will, but they can tell them themselves when they get home. Now get herself to the plane. Good luck, and stay safe. Spencer says, they have to hurry. They can do this. Trina says, together.

Portia says, it’s one thing for Trina not to speak to her. She guesses Trina is angry; she should be. She’ll take the silence, but for Trina to listen to Spencer, someone who’s been known to hurt every single person who’s cared about him… Elizabeth says, Spencer can be difficult, and Portia says, all she was trying to do was give Trina some time and space to process everything that had happened, and now the window she might have had to make things right is gone forever? Elizabeth says, no, and Portia says she doesn’t know why she waited. Why didn’t she just go to Trina, and do everything in her power to make things right when she had the chance? Elizabeth says, Trina is as big-hearted as she is stubborn. When she comes back, they’ll be able to work things out. There’s another knock at the door, and Portia says, come in. Jordan walks in, and Portia asks if there’s any word. Jordan says, they just heard from Trina and Spencer.

Anna calls to Valentin, and tells him to focus. Look at her. He says, the real Anna’s in the hospital. His father shot her. She told him to come and get Victor. Anna says she knows she told him that, but she came after him. He looks at her, and says he wishes she were really here, so he could hold her against him one last time; tell her how much he loves her. He cries, and she says she loves him too. Listen. She loves him. That’s why she’s here. To help him. She’s going to get him out of there. He says, no, she can’t.

Robert calls to Agent Hursley (I’ve been spelling it wrong), and Hursley says, it’s brave of Robert to speak to him without a lawyer present. Robert says, unless Hursley is here to tell him that the Bureau now realizes how stupid it is to bomb an island with ten people on it, get out of his face. Hursley says, but he’s on orders to stay and monitor the situation, and Robert says, do it where he can’t see him. Hursley says, let’s keep each other posted, shall we? and walks off. Robert tells Felicia that he’s going to talk to this director himself, and see if he can get through to him, and leaves.

Curtis tells Laura that he’s heard stories that the Cassadines had a machine that could control the climate. He thought it was just an urban legend. Laura says, no, it wasn’t. It was absolutely real. It was based on something called carbonic snow. The weather machine was capable of creating an artificial blizzard in a targeted area, and in the summer of 1981, Mikkos Cassadine aimed that thing right at the city of Port Charles. A group of them – Luke, Robert, Tiffany Hill, and Laura – managed to stop him. That weather machine was destroyed, but this is the same program. He says, the computer’s from the same era. If it’s the same program, is it hooked up to another weather machine?

Sasha arrives at the hospital, and goes over to Sonny and Nina. She says, Brook told her that Willow was here, and Sonny hugs her. She turns to Nina, and Nina says she’s so scared. They hug, and Josslyn and Carly see them while walking down the hall. Josslyn says, Michael is not going to like that Sonny and Nina are here, and Carly says she hopes they have sense enough to keep their distance. Nina thanks Sasha, who asks, how is Willow? Nina says, the updates are not good. Her condition is deteriorating. Sasha says she knows this must be agony for Nina; for everyone. Is there any word on Liesl? Nina shakes her head.

Holly tells Victor, give up. Back-up is on the way; there’s nowhere to run. He says, come on. That old trick. She disappoints him. Holly says, it’s not a trick, and he says she’s wasting her time here. Just let him go, and she can get on with looking for her son Ethan. Apparently, he didn’t get the memo, and she says, Ethan’s perfectly fine, thank you. She found out about the auction – sick little affair that it was – and Ethan is now safe and far from his reach. He failed – again. He says, it doesn’t matter. Once he releases this pathogen, it has an 80% mortality rate, and he’s the only one with the antidote. Holly says, at this point, why bother? and he says, why bother try to save the world? Why bother living? She asks, what’s to live for? For him? Bearing in mind his unfortunate condition. He asks what she means by that, and she says she would have thought by now he’d have figured out that it was her who arranged for the little addition to his cocktail. Obrecht says, she’s not too good at it. He’s still alive and kicking. Holly says, alive, yes. Kicking? Not so much. She’s glad they’re finally face to face, because she really wanted him to know it was her. Obrecht says, she doesn’t mean… and Holly says, no more heirs for Uncle Victor. In fact, he can’t even try, can he? Victor says, you bitch! and aims his gun at her, but Drew pops out of nowhere, grabs Victor’s arm, and karate chops his neck. Victor falls face down in the snow.

Carly goes into Willow’s room, and says she doesn’t want to interrupt. Michael asks, what’s up? and she says, Sonny and Nina are here. Michael asks if she can tell them… but Willow says, wait.

Drew checks Victor’s pulse, when Holly calls to him. Obrecht also lies in the snow, and Drew says, no, no, no! Holly asks if Obrecht can hear her, and when she takes her hand away from Obrecht’s head, there’s blood on it.

Valentin says, Anna can’t open that door; he’s infected. She says she knows. They’re here to help him. He asks, where’s Victor and Obrecht? They have the cure. She says she doesn’t know; the others are looking for them. He says, the others? Oh God. She tells him not to worry about them. She’s going to try and find him a hazmat suit or something that they can put on him, and get him to safety. She’ll be right back. He says, no, don’t go, but she says, there’s no use arguing. They don’t have time. He says, it’s already too late.

Curtis says, they could be looking at an electronic ghost. An old program that started up when the computer booted up. As long as it’s not connected to an actual weather machine, it’s harmless. She says, except Mikkos Cassadine was never harmless; he was relentless. He was obsessed and absolutely thorough, and he knew there were agencies, including the WSB tracking him, trying to stop him. Curtis says, seems like a guy like that would have back-up, and she says she thinks he’s right. He says, that would explain this, indicating all the machinery. He says, why would someone like Mikkos Cassadine equip a bunker in literally the middle of nowhere without telling his brother? So he could retreat if he needed to with two weapons; two ways to hold the world hostage. The pathogen and the weather machine. This is real and it’s running. They have to stop it. He’ll find a way to cut the power. He starts looking around, but she says, don’t do that. They can kill the power to this computer, but that doesn’t mean they’ve killed the power to the weather machine. He says, she’s right. If they interrupt the power, the computer might shut down, lock them out entirely, and they’ll never find them. She says, it’s calibrated its target… the same as last time. He says, Port Charles.

Jordan tells Portia, Trina and Spencer agreed to head straight to the plane. With any luck, they should be home before daybreak. She moves toward the door, but turns, and says, Trina said to tell Portia that she loves her. Portia thanks Jordan, and Elizabeth looks outside. She says, is that snow? Man, I’ll bet longtime watchers are going out of their minds. Portia says, oh my goodness, and they all look out the window.

Sonny asks if they can just go, but Nina wants to stay a while longer. Just in case. Michael comes by, and Sonny asks how he’s doing. Michael says he’s okay, all things considered. He says, Nina… and she says she’s not here to cause trouble. He says, no. Willow wants to see her.

Drew says, come on, Liesl. Please. Holly says, she’s got a pulse, and asks if Obrecht can hear her. Drew asks, how bad is it? and we see Victor’s hand move.

Curtis says, there must be a way to stop the process, and Laura says, it’s already begun. (Where is Spinelli when you need him?) It will only get worse as it slowly works its way up to full power. The longer the machine is in operation, the greater the devastation will be. Curtis says, they have to try something. He has an idea. He pulls the keyboard over, and types. He says, suspend operations, and hits enter. He reads, to terminate functions, enter chemical formula and operation. Chemical formula for what? She says, carbonic snow. She told him, that’s how the machine works. It creates a blizzard by using carbonic snow. He says, who has the formula for carbonic snow? and Laura says she does.

Trina follows Spencer, who’s carrying Ace, and she asks if he’s sure this is the right way. He says, they’re heading east. She says she didn’t take him for a Boy Scout, and he says he learned it in prep school. They hear something, and he says, someone’s coming. She says, maybe it’s Curtis, but he says, maybe it’s not. They duck down behind a rock with this amazingly good baby, and Victor stumbles past, carrying the cannister. He says, Uncle Victor still has the pathogen, and Trina wonders where Curtis is. He says he doesn’t know, but he has to go after Victor. She says, he can’t.

Felicia says, any luck? and Robert says, yeah, all bad. Hursley was right about one thing; this new director is definitely not going to take any of his calls. Anybody he managed to get through to pretty much said the same thing. She says, they have to follow protocol in the even of a bioterror threat; she got the same drill. He says, they’re dealing with ten people here, as far as the Bureau’s concerned, and not billions. She says, even if those ten people are their friends, and he says, speaking of which, he was hoping to have heard from Anna by now. Felicia says, well, she’s a little busy.

Valentin asks Anna to please tell Charlotte how sorry he is, and that he loves her. And she was always the best thing in his life. Anna says, she still is, and he says he should have known better. When he looked into Alex’s eyes, he should have known she wasn’t Anna, because there’s no kindness there. Anna has compassion in her eyes. Even all those years ago when she rejected his affection, she still knew his heart, and she still had compassion in her eyes. He wishes he could have held onto that. Then Alex couldn’t have poisoned what they had. But she did, and he let her, and he wishes he hadn’t let anger and spite control him. Because then they might have found each other sooner, and he could have been the man he is with her. He likes the man he is with her, so if this is how he dies… Anna says, no, this is not how he dies, but he says, it’s okay, because she redeemed him. Thank you. I love you, Anna Devane. I’ll always love you. He chokes, and she calls his name.

Carly tells Willow that she’ll check on Wiley and Amelia, and make sure Tracy and Brook aren’t teaching them any bad habits. Nina walks in, and says, Michael told her that Willow wanted to see her. Willow says she did, and thanks Carly for everything. Carly says, remember, she needs to rest; no excitement. She leaves, and Nina asks how Willow is feeling. Willow says, the fluids are helping, and Nina says, that’s good. Willow says she wants Nina to do something for her, and Nina says, name it. Willow says, leave Carly alone.

Holly tells Drew, it’s not a bullet wound; she must have hit her head when she fell. Drew says he needs Obrecht to open her eyes, and she moans. He tells her to take it easy, and he and Holly start to help her up. She says, where’s that vile insect? and Drew says, wait. He’s gone. He’s gone, and so is the cannister. He might be headed back to the Haunted Star. Holly says, she’ll go. Get Liesl to the plane. Obrecht says, nein. Valentin is dying. He needs the antidote.

Victor walks into the main salon, and asks, what happened? Where’s Spencer? Goon32 says, some guy showed up out of nowhere. They did their best to fight him off. He took out Ivan, the only guy with a name and knocked him out. Victor says, what about Sir Ace? I make a mental note to name my next pet Sir Ace, and Goon32 says he checked the stateroom; both he and the nanny are gone. Victor says, the hell with the nanny. Find his nephews… Wait. Get the ship underway first. They’re leaving, with or without his family. He puts down the cannister and rubs his head.

Trina says, Spencer can’t go after Victor. They agreed to get Ace to the plane. That’s the plan. Now let’s go before one of Victor’s men sees us. He says, you go. He’s not going to let his Uncle Victor escape. Not when he has a pathogen that he intends to release and kill half the planet. Take his brother and go. He’ll be right behind her. He hands her the baby, and she asks if he promises. He says he does, kisses her, and jets.

Jordan says, snow in May, and Elizabeth says, it happens. The last time was three years ago – Aiden even did a report on it – but this is especially bizarre because it was in the 70s this afternoon. Portia tells her, what she said about Aiden’s report makes her think about Trina. All the reports and homework they helped the kids with over the years… until Trina said she was old enough and could do it by herself. They’re both mothers, so she knows they understand, but even though Trina’s in college, she’s always going to be Portia’s little baby girl. When she looks at Trina, she sees this little trace of a grin that she had when she was in her terrible twos. They laugh, and Portia says, sometimes she thinks Trina never grew out of them. But that smile. No matter how old Trina gets, that’s what she’s going to see. They watch the snow fall.

Laura says, right after they stopped Mikkos, she found the formula in the stateroom, and she studied it as she was falling asleep (as we all would). When she woke up, she realized no one should ever have access to that information, so they burned the paper, but the formula is seared into her memory. Robert was always afraid about that. He was afraid if someone found out, that they might come after her for it. She flashes back to when we were all children, and a very young Robert says, it’s not the kind of information she should have rattling around in her head. It could be dangerous. Laura tells Curtis, but this might be the very thing that saves everyone.

Anna stands in front of Valentin and says his name. She touches his face, and he asks what she’s doing. She can’t be in here. She says she knows, and he asks why she’d do that. She says, because she loves him. He says he’s contagious (something not even hinted at before); he’s infected. She caresses his face.

Laura types, and Curtis says, that was over forty years ago. How sure is she that she memorized that formula exactly? If she gets it wrong, the whole system could lock them out. They’ve got one shot at this. She says she knows. Does he trust her? He says, absolutely. She hits enter, and some beeping happens. She says, it worked! and they hug.

Victor slugs back a drink, and says, Valentin’s not his son after what he did to him. But Victor supposes he’ll just have to take his chances with the rest of humanity. He finishes the drink, and says, right. Let’s get this pathogen somewhere safe and the antidote somewhere safe. He opens the cannister, looks inside, and says, no!

Drew helps Obrecht stand upright, and tells her, take it easy. She says she stole the antidote when Victor wasn’t looking. I’m not sure how, since he had a death grip on that cannister, but she’s pretty resourceful. She says, if he releases the pathogen, there’s an 80% chance he’ll be killing himself as well. Drew asks if that wouldn’t stop him, and she says, Victor is both an idealist and an extremist. The Cassadines are willing to go down with the ship, so to speak.

Curtis leads Laura through the ship, gun drawn. Holly pops out, and Laura stops him from shooting her. She says, it’s Holly. What’s she doing here? What’s going on? Holly hands Laura a phone and says, she needs to call Robert and Jordan. Tell them Victor’s getting away. He’s got the pathogen with him. Last she saw, he was heading toward the Haunted Star. Where’s Valentin?

Valentin asks what Anna has done, but she says she doesn’t know. She thought she could find some kind of suit or protection. She just didn’t want him to be alone. He says he doesn’t know if dying together is all it’s cracked up to be, and she laughs. She tells him to look at her. She wants to tell him about someone; Valentin Cassadine. He’s a man who’s not going to die in some obscene plot of his father’s, because he – you – have a destiny. He’s going to be an even greater father to Charlotte. He’s going to be her partner. Because he knows her darkness. He knows what she’s capable of, and he’s capable of those things too. She knows it sounds a little twisted, but it’s not really, because she thinks that kind of connection elevates them in a way. It allows them to love the people they love, without any kind of restraint or restriction. She cries, and says, including each other. She thinks that’s why she came into this room. He says, but she’ll die, and she says, not necessarily. There’s a 20% chance she’s immune to this thing. She can beat those odds, and she’s willing to risk them just to be with him.

Sonny and Sasha stare at Willow’s closed door, and Sasha says she’s sure everything is fine. He says, really? and she says, no, but they haven’t heard any yelling yet, and Nina hasn’t bolted out of the room in tears. Sonny says he appreciates her optimism, but when his dad was at Turning Woods, he hated to wait. They’d pace back and forth and wait. They’d hold his hand, and wait. He just felt hopeless. She says, even though he didn’t know Sonny was there, she thinks Sonny just being there helped Mike. Sonny says he hopes so.

Josslyn doesn’t see what Willow could possibly have to say to Nina, and Michael says, maybe it was a mistake letting Nina in there. Carly says, he did what his wife wanted him to, and he says, his wife. He and Willow are married. He just wishes the day hadn’t been so hard on her. Carly says, next time, she promises to wait until after the reception to be called in for questioning, and he says, what next time? She says, birthdays, anniversaries, vow renewal. He has a lifetime of celebrations ahead; she knows it. As for his wedding day? Willow doesn’t regret a second of it. He says, even now?

Nina says, Willow wants what? and Willow says she wants Nina and Carly to make peace. Nina says she can try, and Willow says she knows Nina and Carly will never be friends, or even friendly, but promise she’ll at least keep her distance? Stop keeping score of who wronged who when, and just let it all go. Nina doesn’t say anything, and Willow says, wow. Nina hasn’t changed at all when she claims to care about her? Nina says, no, she cares about Willow a great deal… Willow says, then promise her. Whether she survives this or not, Nina will drop her vendetta against Carly.

Jordan comes out with Portia, and asks Robert if there’s any word. He says, not yet, when Jordan’s phone rings. Curtis says, it’s him; he’s got her on speakerphone. Jordan says she’s putting him on speaker, and Portia asks if Trina is with him. He says, not at the moment, but he’s seen her. She’s okay. Jordan says, he’s got to get out of there. The WSB has ordered a drone strike on the island. Curtis and Laura both say, what?! and Jordan says, they can’t risk the pathogen getting released on the world. The drones are already on their way. Curtis says, but the pathogen isn’t here, and Robert asks, where is it? Laura says, they ran into Holly, and she said he was trying to escape on the Haunted Star, and he took the pathogen with him. Bombing the island is not going to do any good. They’ve got to stop the airstrike. Robert yells over to Hursley, and says, tell his boss to call off this airstrike. Hursley says, for the millionth time… and Robert says, change in circumstances. Victor’s left the island, and he’s taken the pathogen with him. All they’re doing now is killing innocent people, and helping Victor escape.

Nina tells Willow, okay. She won’t get into it with Carly anymore. Michael walks in, and Willow thanks Nina. Michael says, Willow needs her rest, and Nina tells Willow, she’s not perfect. She makes mistakes all the time. She’s going to try to be a better person. If there’s anything else Willow needs, just ask. Willow says, keep her promise.

Robert hassles Hursley while he’s on the phone, telling him to hurry up. Jordan tells Curtis and Laura that the drones are on their way. They don’t know exactly when the strike will happen, but it could be any time. They need to get out of there. Robert joins them, and says, Laura, you’re okay. The Bureau listened this time. The strike’s been called off. Everyone looks relieved, and Laura says, what about Victor?

Victor locks the cannister again, and says, Liesl double-crossed him. He is not having a very good day. He has another drink, and hears someone come in. He says, they need to turn the ship around. They’re going back. Spencer says he doesn’t take orders from Victor anymore, and Victor says he thought Spencer might come crawling back. If Spencer thinks he’s going to forgive… Spencer says he’s not here for forgiveness. It’s over, uncle.

Outside, Trina finds Curtis and Laura, and says, thank God she found them. Curtis asks what she’s doing here, and Trina says, they have to get out of here; there’s going to be an airstrike. Curtis says, they know all about the airstrike. They’ve got it under control. Laura says, it’s okay. They got in contact with the WSB. They told them that Victor’s trying to escape on the Haunted Star. Curtis says, the airstrike has been redirected, and Trina says, redirected where? Curtis says, the new target is the Haunted Star, and Trina says, but Spencer’s on that ship.

Victor says, now calm down, dear boy, and Spencer says, he’s not Victor’s boy. He walks up to Victor, and says, give him the pathogen, and they can both walk out of here alive. Victor says, how dare Spencer threaten him? He’s the head of their family. This is finished when he says it’s finished. Spencer tells him, he said, give him the pathogen. Hand it over. Victor says, Spencer will have to rip it out of his cold, dead fingers, and Spencer says, fine. He spins Victor around, cracking Victor’s head on the bar. Victor drops to the floor. Well if it was that easy, why didn’t Spencer do this long ago?

Nina comes out of Willow’s room, as Carly and Josslyn are walking toward it. Carly’s phone rings, and it’s Drew. Wow. These calls are going to cost a fortune. He asks if Carly can hear him, and she asks if he’s okay. What happened?

Michael asks, how was Willow’s talk with Nina? Did Willow get what she wanted out of her? Willow says she hopes so. Who knows? She wants to believe Nina’s sincere. Carly bursts in, and says, there’s someone who wants to talk to Willow, handing her the phone. Drew says, Willow? and she asks if he’s all right. He says, not only is he okay… Obrecht says she’s okay too. Not that anyone has asked. Willow says, Dr. Obrecht… Aunt Liesl. She’s so glad Obrecht is all right. Obrecht says, they’re on their way back. Then Willow can literally suck the life from her bones. Carly says, they can’t wait, and Drew says, he and Obrecht are on their way back. He’s not sure who’s joining them, but everyone should be back soon. Carly says she can’t wait to see him, and he says, him too. He and Obrecht move on.

Valentin says, Anna, and she says she loves him too. The door opens, and Anna says, get out. You’ll get infected. Holly says, kind of her to care, but don’t worry. She’s got the antidote. She holds up the vial, and Valentin smiles.

Hursley says, their satellite has eyes on the Haunted Star. It’s on the move. Robert says, Victor is trying to escape, and Hursley’s guys are going to stop him.

Spencer checks Victor’s pulse and says he’s glad he didn’t kill Victor, but that might not be a good thing. He bends down to get the cannister, and suddenly looks up.

Trina, Curtis, and Laura all look up, and Laura says, Victor’s on the Haunted Star, and Trina says, they have to call the WSB. Suddenly, the sky lights up, and Laura gasps.

On Monday, Michael says, that’s not going to happen, but Willow says, he doesn’t know that; Dante tells Carly that he thinks they have a case; and a body is recovered from the wreckage.

❄️ Building an Island…

It’s definitely impressive.

🤸🏽‍♀️ Pursuing Other Goals…

You can’t blame her. It must get old after a while when you have other things on your to-do list.

💐 Celebrating Amy…

A bouquet of gossip makes the perfect gift.

🎭 Close to Quitting…

It took me a while to warm up to her, since I really liked the other Trina, but she’s really made the part her own.

👠 From Her Arsenal…

Maybe Veronica is a psycho.

📠 Common Denominator…

Normally, I wouldn’t waste space on this harpy, but it struck me how she leaves a trail of unhappiness no matter which side of the Housewives fence she’s on. And if everyone else is an a-hole, maybe it’s time to look in the mirror.

🥀 Bringing Down the Curtain…

But where will everyone go on Gay Pride Day? Does she have to close down half of her name as well? Has James gone back to drinking heavily yet?

https://people.com/food/lisa-vanderpumps-la-restaurant-pump-is-closing-down/

🍸 The Karma Keeps On Comin’…

Check out the empty seats photo. I would say it’s sad, but it’s just not. He’s a pig.

Another gem from the Most Awful Human Being On the Planet. Maybe. He has a contender now.

She’ll give Howie some Lala and a run for his money. He’d better brush up on his VanderKnowledge.

👶🏻 Ahoy, Little Matey…

That kid looks full of mischief already. And he does kind of look like Chef Ben.

💸 Real Housewives Of Deadbeat…

I love the attorney’s pic.

🐕 Don’t Touch the Dog…

It’s about time for a salute to the ones who made it.

https://the-line-up.com/final-pets-horror-movies

🔥 Quotes of the Week

Whatever we believe about ourselves and our ability comes true for us. – Susan L. Taylor

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt. – Mark Twain

When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.Wayne Dyer

Never confuse movement with action. – Ernest Hemingway

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. – Aristotle

Honest towards ourselves and towards anyone else who is our friend; brave towards the enemy; magnanimous towards the defeated; polite always: this is how the four cardinal virtues want us to act.Friedrich Nietzsche

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.Henry Ford

The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you. – B. B. King (They can’t take integrity away from you either.)

People are making apocalypse jokes like there’s no tomorrow. – Ellie (Bella Ramsey), The Last of Us

🏃🏾‍♀️ Going Ahead and Jumping…

Boomerang back on Monday really Tuesday for soap, what’s on Deck, and the nightmare that won’t stop, Summer House. Until then, stay safe, stay not taking the last cup of coffee without making more, and stay letting it all go. Stop keeping score of who wronged who.

February 3, 2023 – Elizabeth Tells Finn the Truth, Back Peddle, Guilty, Blackout Blessed, Blame Game, Rumors, Gifting, Blackeye, Godfather On Deck, Farewell Sal, Pup (!) Guide, 3 X 3 Quotes & Cold Night

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Finn asks why Elizabeth lied about being pregnant with Nikolas’s baby.

Josslyn goes to Dex’s apartment, apologizing for just showing up. She throws herself into his arms.

After a performance at The Savoy, Brook compliments Chase and Blaze, and tells them that they’re single keeps climbing the charts. Blaze goes inside the club, and Brook tells Chase that he’s a natural.

Ava holds the door for Austin, and they run into Kelly’s. She calls him the hero of the hour. She heard he helped save Willow’s life, and Willow is important to a dear friend of hers. He says, she should thank Dr. Navarro; he was just part of a team. She wants to buy him supper, and won’t take no for an answer. She’s feeling generous, since her divorce has really paid off.

Nikolas says he appreciates Spencer wanting to be involved in his new sibling’s life, and Laura says, they know Britt’s memorial was hard on him. They’re both very sorry. Nikolas says, he wouldn’t have missed it if something important hadn’t come up, and Spencer says, there’s always something more important than him. Why does he keep coming in second? How many times will Nikolas fail before he ruins the baby’s life? That’s why he’s seeking full custody of Nikolas’s child. Laura says, he’s just angry right now, but Spencer says, it’s not a rash decision made in the heat of the moment. Nikolas says, Spencer has no idea what it take to raise a child, but Spencer says, neither does Nikolas. Laura tells them to stop. She knows they love each other. Spencer says, a long time ago, Nikolas meant the world to him, and Nikolas says Spencer is his world. Maybe the problem is, he spoiled Spencer and didn’t prepare him for life. Spencer says, Nikolas taught him life’s hardest lessons, like, heroes aren’t always who they seem to be, that the people you love can hurt you in unimaginable ways, and the people you trust to protect you can sacrifice you for their selfish interests. Nikolas broke his heart a thousand times, and he refuses to let Nikolas do the same to his sibling. He’s dead serious.

Chase asks if Brook has heard from Michael, because he’s not answering calls or texts, but she says she hasn’t. He says, Sasha texted, and said she saw the baby, but Willow is still in the ICU. She takes his hand, and says, Willow is tough. She’s going to pull through. Have faith. He tells her, they can’t do this anymore.

Elizabeth tells Finn that she was never pregnant. She didn’t have an affair with Nikolas or anyone. She never cheated on him. He wonders why she said she did, and she says, he saw her with those prenatal vitamins. He says he thinks she needs to start from the beginning, and she says, when she came back from California, she felt guilty and couldn’t face him. She wasn’t thinking, and went to Nikolas to get support from her oldest friend. She discovered Nikolas had gotten himself into a bad situation and needed her help. He asks, with what? and she says, Esme.

Josslyn tells Dex that she’s been on overload; so much joy, sadness, and fear at the same time. She’s happy he was home. He asks, what’s going on? and she says, her niece was born, and she’s healthy and perfect. Josslyn, her mom, and grandma visited her in the NICU, introducing her to the matriarchy. Dex says, if Josslyn’s niece is anything like her, she’s going to be amazing, and stubborn. He means that as a compliment. She says, Willow still hasn’t held her baby; she hemorrhaged after the C-section. She’s stable, but not conscious, and Michael is with her in the ICU. She’s so weak from the leukemia. What if she doesn’t wake up? Dex holds her.

Chase says he still wants to keep his promise to take Linc down, and get Brook’s songs back, but the CCRB spring meeting is coming up. If the Review Board votes in his favor, that’s it. He goes back to being a cop full-time, and can’t go after Linc anymore. And face it, they’re no closer to their goal. Brook says, these things take time, and he says, Blaze isn’t interested in turning Linc in for sexual harassment, and he’s not going to pressure her, which leaves them with tempting Linc to buy out the contract; signing Brook’s songs back over to her just in time for him to quit. She says, it’s still a solid plan, and he says, they have to move on it. He has to be done with this by the time the CCRB meets. She asks if he doesn’t mean done with her.

Josslyn tells Dex, the reason her niece was delivered early was so they could use the stem cells from the cord for Willow’s transplant. What no one is saying is, maybe Willow’s too weak, and maybe it’s too late. She feels guilty even saying that. He says she can say anything to him. Sometimes saying something out loud can take away it’s power. Willow has the best medical care money can buy, and she wants to live. Attitude can make a crucial difference. Josslyn says she hopes so. She just feels so powerless. And Britt’s memorial was today. She couldn’t go because of her niece of course (🍷), but she still feels like she should have been there to pay her respects. Britt saved Josslyn’s life, and it killed her.

Elizabeth tells Finn, the night she was on the docks, Nikolas was there too. Esme told her that Nikolas knew she’d been in town for weeks; she’d shown up pregnant with his child. Nikolas thought she was behind The Hook killings, and couldn’t let her hurt anyone else. At the same time, he had to protect his unborn baby. Finn asks what he did, and Elizabeth says, he kept Esme locked in a tower at Windymere. He says, that’s pretty disgusting, even for Nikolas, and she says she wanted to go to the police, but Nikolas convinced her not to. Finn asks, how? and she says, he told her that he wanted to make sure his child was safe from harm, and the people of Port Charles were safe from Esme, so she agreed to help him. That’s when Finn saw the bottle of prenatal vitamins at Windymere; she was providing Esme with medical care. When Finn saw her with the same vitamins at the hospital and asked her about it, she panicked. She said she was pregnant with Nikolas’s baby to keep their secret. She asks Finn to say something.

Austin says, so in the divorce, Ava got the house, and it’s a big house, called Windymere. It suits her. She seems like the lady of the manor. Congratulations. She says, it’s the least she was owed, and he says, when he first came to Port Charles, she was divorcing Nikolas, but they worked it out. She doesn’t want to do that now? She says, different circumstances. At that time, she left Nikolas to protect her daughter. Now she’s leaving to protect herself.

Laura says, Spencer has reason to be angry, but every parent makes mistakes. It doesn’t erase the bond between parent and child. Nikolas says, it’s okay. He owns everything he’s done to Spencer, but is taking his child away what’s best for the baby, or is Spencer getting even with him? Spencer says, this isn’t about revenge. It’s about how unfit Nikolas is to be a father. Not only because of what Nikolas has done to him, but what he’s done to other people as well. Unlike Nikolas, he’s going to do what’s best for the baby. Laura tells Spencer to think about what he’s saying, and he says he’s discussed this with his friends, and discussed his case with Diane Miller. He’ll do everything in his power to make sure Nikolas doesn’t destroy another innocent life. Laura says, he’s still a kid himself. He can’t raise the baby all alone. Nikolas says, she’s right. He loves this child, and he’ll make damn sure he doesn’t repeat… Spencer says, Nikolas is incapable of keeping that promise, and Nikolas says, if Spencer goes down this path, he’ll be forced to fight him, and he’ll use every weapon in his arsenal to make sure he gets custody. Don’t make him do this. Spencer says, it won’t go that far. Nikolas is going to hand him custody of his own free will.

Finn says, Elizabeth is now an accomplice to a kidnapping, but Elizabeth says she thought she was doing the right thing. She was protecting an innocent baby, and Esme couldn’t kill anyone as long as she was locked up. He says, Esme was the number one suspect in The Hook attacks. How long was Elizabeth going to let the police keep thinking that, when she knew Esme wasn’t the murderer? She says, it wasn’t until Officer Cabrera was killed that she knew she’d made a huge mistake. He has no idea how badly she wanted to say something, but at that point, she’d already given up everything to help Nikolas. She put herself in legal jeopardy, which would affect her kids, and threw away her relationship with him. She’s beaten herself up every single day for this, but she couldn’t see a way out. Then Esme escaped. When she was found, everything Elizabeth did, and everything she gave up, was all for nothing.

Josslyn says, Dex warned her about survivor’s guilt, and he was right. She wakes up in the middle of the night with her head spinning, wondering if she’d done something different, would Britt still be alive? He says he’s the one who got her to leave before the police showed up, and she says, his argument made sense. She knows it woudn’t have made a difference if they’d stayed, but she still feels guilty. It’s the same thing with Cam. She knew the right thing was to break up with him, and feels guilty about that too. Dex says he really messed up her life.

Chase says, that’s not what he meant, but Brook says, that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. He says he doesn’t want to be a pop star; it’s not his passion. He wants his badge back. She says, they might not even reinstate him, and he says, then he’ll have to figure out what’s next, but music isn’t his future. She says, translation, he doesn’t want to be around her, and he asks her to stop putting words in his mouth. It’s time to finish what they started. She says she gets that she screwed up by not writing the letter when Dante asked her to, and ruined any chance of them having a relationship, even a professional one. Is she wrong?

Nikolas says, like hell he’s going to grant Spencer custody, but Spencer says, Nikolas doesn’t have a choice. One way or another, Nikolas is going to be out of his child’s life. Laura tells them, stop it right now. They’re father and son, and should be able to work out their differences. Spencer says, Nikolas had every opportunity to work out their difference, but he couldn’t… or wouldn’t. Nikolas asks if Spencer thinks guilting him over his shortcomings is going to motivate him to sign his child over, and Spencer says, motivate. What a good word. The motive; revenge, justice, guilt. Take your pick. Laura says, but Spencer told them this wasn’t about revenge, and Nikolas flashes back to Ava recording his confession, and him saying, the motive; revenge, justice, guilt. Take your pick. Again using Nikolas’s words, Spencer says, any chance of reconciling with him is ruined, and Nikolas says, this isn’t a game. Spencer says, honestly, his only regret is not doing it sooner, and Nikolas flashes back to using those words Spencer says, this, I solemnly swear, and Laura asks, what’s happening right now? What aren’t they telling her? Nikolas says, this is Ava’s doing. She’s thrown in with Spencer, hasn’t she? Spencer says, it sure would be a shame for other people to find out what he knows, like Commissioner Ashford. Nikolas says, he wouldn’t, and Spencer says, not if Nikolas relinquishes his parental rights. Laura says, stop right here. Nothing that’s been said or done up to this point can’t be taken back. Nikolas says, there’s no coming back from this. His son is truly gone.

Finn says he knows Elizabeth and Nikolas are friends, but going along with something like this doesn’t seem like her at all. Elizabeth says, at times she didn’t recognize herself. He saw her when she came back from California, after finding out she’d killed his wife. He says, it wasn’t like that at all, but she says she was responsible and will feel guilty about that for the rest of her life. Everything was compounded by the way she hurt him. She’ll never forget the look on his face, and how he walked out of here. She was rapidly losing her grip, and there was nothing left to hold on to. He says he never should have walked out like that, but she says, his reaction was normal. Hers on the other hand… there’s no excuse. She should have remembered what really matters, and hung on for dear life to her boys and him. Instead, she shut out everything good in her life. He says, Nikolas bears responsibility here too, but she says she’s not letting him off the hook, especially now that he’s gone too far. Finn asks how that’s even possible.

Chase says he and Brook were friends first, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t miss that, but she put her wants and needs ahead of his. He can’t forget that. So they’re going to take Linc down, get her songs back, and have that squared away before the CCRB meeting. She says, understood. There won’t be anything left between them by them. She excuses herself, and goes into the club. Blaze comes out, and asks where Brook is off to. Chase says, beats him, and she says, it looks like she came back just in time. She hands him a beer, and says she proposes a toast to the gig they just knocked out of the park, their adoring audience, and their new single, which drops next week, and she guarantees will be a smash. Or how about the unlikely partnership between the ex-cop and would-be folk singer? May it be long and profitable. She lifts her glass, but he doesn’t, and she asks, what’s wrong? He says he told Brook that he wants out, and she says, he can’t quit.

Austin says, if Ava is standing up for herself, good for her. It seems to be something she’s good at, since he saw it first hand with his cousin. She asks if Mason has given him any more trouble, but he says, it’s been quiet on that front. She asks if he’d tell her if it wasn’t, and he says, 100% no, because it’s not her problem, and he’s a grown person who can look after his own life. She says, there was a time Ava Jerome would have gone in for the kill – metaphorically speaking – anytime anyone crossed her. He asks, what changed? and she says she became Ava Cassadine, who made excuses in the name of true love, but she’s gone. He says, in his experience, when people are in relationships like the one she’s had with Nikolas, it doesn’t just end with a signature. She says, maybe not, but she did something today that should make it clear to Nikolas where they stand. And what could come of crossing her.

Nikolas asks if Ava isn’t Spencer’s sworn enemy. Does Spencer hate him this much? Spencer says, if he hated Nikolas, he wouldn’t be giving Nikolas this chance. For redemption. They both know what would happen if he went to the police with this information. Laura, who looks like her head is about to explode, says, what information? Spencer says he could have gone directly to Commissioner Ashford, who was standing right here at Britt’s memorial, but he didn’t. He came to Nikolas because he wanted to give Nikolas the choice. He can sign away his parental rights, and go on living his life, or face what happened when Spencer goes to the police. Nikolas grabs him by the shirt, and asks if this is what Spencer means by being his own man. He’s every bit a Cassadine. Nikolas walks out, Laura looks at Spencer, and follows.

Nikolas beelines for the exit, and Laura says, if he goes out that door, he’s making a big mistake.

Elizabeth tells Finn that Nikolas promised to keep her out of it if he got caught, although she’s not sure she really believed it. Then Esme was found, and it became clear that there was nothing Nikolas could do to protect her if Esme regains her memory. He did find a way to keep his promise, which ironically made her realize she could never trust him again. Finn asks what Nikolas did now, and she says, he brought her mother to town. He wanted her to do to Esme what she did to Elizabeth; make sure she never remembers, so she can never implicate either one of them, no matter the damage it did to Esme like it did to her. That’s all of it. He has no idea how many times she wanted to tell him the truth, but she didn’t for a lot of reasons. She didn’t want to make Finn an accessory. She wanted to protect Nikolas and herself. It went too far, and she lost everything, but couldn’t stay silent anymore.

Josslyn says, Dex didn’t mess up her life. He saved her life. As grateful as she is to Britt, The Hook had Britt cornered when he showed up. He says, a lot of awful things have happened to Josslyn, as a direct or indirect result of knowing him. She’s been an accessory after the fact, left the scene of a crime, and even broke up with her boyfriend. She says, obviously he’s influenced her choices, but they’re still her choices. That includes breaking up with Cameron. If things had been perfect between them, she woudn’t have looked twice at Dex. He asks if she’s sure about that, because he was definitely looking at her, and she says, when the video of her and Cam came out, things were never the same, and she could feel them growing apart. More and more, Cameron felt like someone she used to be close with; someone she cared about, but didn’t connect with. She didn’t say any of that because she didn’t want to hurt him, but in the end, she ended up hurting him even worse. The break-up was bad, but when he found her and Dex together… He asks if she regrets it, and she says, of course (🍷) she regrets Cam walking in on them. He asks if she regrets being with him.

Blaze says, Chase is hugely talented, and it would be a waste for him to walk away, and he says, the music industry and performing isn’t him, but he had a nice time collaborating with her. She says, her too, and he says, let’s face it, he’s just holding her back. She says, even if that were true, she woudn’t care. Working with him has reminded her of her love of singing and performing, and why she got into the business in the first place. Before he came along, she was thinking of quitting. He asks, why? and she says she signed a contract with Linc, and working with Linc has made her question why she’s doing this. She thought her love of music could get her through anything, but singing with Chase is the only thing making this bearable. Linc comes out, and says, there’s his hot new star. He puts his arm around Blaze, apologizing for being late, and asks if she couldn’t have worn another outfit. Chase says, show’s over. There’s no need for Linc to be here. Linc says, cool it, Mr. No Longer a Detective. He’s actually looking for Brook. Chase says he’ll let Brook know Linc is in the building, but Linc says, there’s no need. He’ll tell her himself. He goes back inside, and Chase asks if Blaze is okay.

Linc finds Brook at the bar, and asks, how’s his favorite ex-nightingale? She says she’s so not in the mood to deal with him tonight, but he says, tonight’s her lucky night. She’s finally getting rid of him for good. She says she’s heard that before, and he says, this time, it’s true. Don’t tell him that she’s forgotten their deal.

Laura tells Nikolas that she doesn’t know what just happened, but he can’t leave things like that. He asks if she shouldn’t be lecturing her grandson on the evils of blackmail, but she says, Nikolas is the adult. He has to go face his son. He says he doesn’t know who that person is anymore, and she says, it’s still Spencer, the same little boy he loved and cared for. They’ve both done horrible things to each other, and she doesn’t know what that was about, but she knows the worst thing Nikolas can do is play into what Spencer has done. He says, Spencer threw in with his ex-wife, intending to destroy him. It wasn’t enough for Ava to divorce him and take his home (um… did he divorce her?), she had to take his son too? Laura says she’s so sorry. She’s as blindsided as he is, but take a moment to calm down. He needs to go back into that chapel and face his son, because Spencer is now at the precipice. He’s about to make a decision he’ll regret for the rest of his life. Don’t turn his back on Spencer now. Spencer needs him.

Austin says, so that moment with Mason wasn’t just a fluke, and Ava says, it was nothing. She just likes to know where someone’s weak spots are. He says, that’s her thing. How’s that working for her? She says she supposes she hasn’t met her match yet. She thought she had. He says he’s really sorry, but she says, it’s no matter. She’s used to taking care of herself, and intends to keep doing that. She puts on her coat, and says she’s off to her new castle. Enjoy his evening. He says, her too, and she leaves. By the looks of it, Port Charles is having the same cold weather we’re having. Mason walks out of the darkness, and into Kelly’s courtyard.

Nikolas hugs Laura, saying, she’s the best mother he could ever have. He’ll always love her. He leaves the hospital, and she starts to cry.

Linc says, Brook signs a non-disclosure agreement, while burnishing his reputation with the media. In exchange, he returns all the rights to her songs, except for the ones that were already sold of course (🍷). She says she remembers, but it’s been so long, she thought he forgot. He says he never forgets the terms of a deal, and his lawyers are meticulous. She says she’s aware, and he says he must admit, his financial advisors balked at this deal; her catalog is a goldmine. She says, he must be scared to walk away from all that money, and he says, this is what she always wanted, isn’t it, to get all her songs back, and him out of her hair? She says, among other things, and he says, perfect. He takes a document and pen out of his coat pocket, and says, all she has to do is sign on the dotted line.

Chase says, Blaze doesn’t have to put up with Linc. Walk away, and find  a manager who respects her. She says, the problem is, her contract is ironclad; her career would be over after she’s worked so hard for it. She’s trapped. It’s not like she has a support system. Excuse the pity party, but when Chase leaves the business, she’ll be all alone. She looks at Linc sitting inside, and says, well, not alone. Chase sees Linc put his hand on Brook’s knee. Is it déjà vu all over again?

Josslyn tells Dex that she should have let Cam know her feelings had changed. Everyone says it’s better to be honest, and now that she’s lived it, she knows it’s true. She should have told Cam how she felt. She won’t make that mistake with Dex. He asks how she feels, and she says, scared, but the good kind of scared. A small part of her wants to hide, but most of her wants to run right into it. He says he likes how she runs toward what scares her. If it’s any help, she scares him too. He kisses her.

Elizabeth says she knows what she has to do now. She just wanted to tell Finn first. She didn’t want there to be any more lies between them before she… He asks what she’s going to do, and she says, turn herself in.

Ava walks into Windymere, dropping her coat and bag on the settee. A fire roars in the fireplace, and she strolls around the living room or sitting room or whatever it is.

On the phone, Mason says it was Ava Jerome who gave him such a hard time the other day… He’ll report back. He turns around and sees Austin in Kelly’s doorway, looking like he could kill.

Spencer comes out, and asks Laura where his father went. She says she doesn’t know. What has Spencer done?

There’s a knock at the door at Windymere, and Ava opens it to find Nikolas there.

On Monday, Linc asks if Brook is in or out; Chase asks, what if he doesn’t want out just yet; Austin tells Mason to give it his best shot; and Laura asks what Spencer is holding over his father’s head.

🛥 Black Sheep Drama…

Sure they plied her with alcohol. Producers: Want a drink? Camille: Give me a double!

💎 No Surprises Here…

Like we thought it would be otherwise. So where did those earrings end up anyway?

https://people.com/tv/tom-girardi-estranged-husband-rhobh-star-erika-girardi-indicted-on-fraud-charges/

🗽 I’m Happy If She’s Happy…

So should we congratulate her, or…?

👠 Claws Out…

Let the finger pointing begin.

☎️ What a Spread…

I only watch this peripherally, but I do like The Marge.

🛍 What’s Inside…

I’m fascinated with these. Instead of, it’s an honor to just be nominated, I’d say, it’s an honor just to get the gift bag.

🧂 Who Dun It…

True story. I once gave myself a black eye. And no, I wasn’t in a blackout, but I had taken allergy medication. I had my legs wrapped around the chair I was sitting in at the kitchen table. The phone rang, and I got up to answer it, but forgot to unwrap my legs first. I went headlong into another chair. My husband had been out with the dogs, and when he came back in, he found me sitting on the floor with tweety birds flying around my head. He said, I can’t leave you alone for five minutes, can I?

👶🏼 Baby Goddaddy…

No. If anyone on Deck should be the godfather of Kate’s baby, it’s Josiah. Who could forget the shame cocoon?

👄 Goodbye, Dear Pioneer…

While this happened in January, I’d be remiss not to include it. We weren’t close, but I knew Sal back in the day, and he included me in his first Creatures of the Night book. RIRHPS.

http://www.back2stonewall.com/2023/01/sal-piro-father-of-the-rocky-horror-picture-show-floorshow-passes-away-at-71.html#comment-465851

🐕 Almost Pup Time…

The definitive Puppy Bowl guide.

https://www.cbsnews.com/essentials/how-to-watch-the-2023-puppy-bowl/

🌩 Quotes of the Week

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. – Henry Ford

If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. – Milton Berle (Or kick one through a wall.)

A good education is not so much one which prepares a man to succeed in the world, as one which enables him to sustain a failure. – Bernard Iddings Bell

Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people.Spencer Johnson

A mother should be someone who inspires you, not someone you have to survive. – Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati), General Hospital

You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins. – Jim Stovall

That’s not funny *** No, it’s not, but I’m going to keep drinking until it is. – Ma’Dere (Loretta Devine) and Kelly (Sharon Leal) respectively, This Christmas

I suppose there are two views about everything, said Mark. Eh? Two views? There are a dozen views about everything until you know the answer. Then there’s never more than one.C.S. Lewis, That Hideous Strength, compiled in Words to Live By

Maintain composure in times of heightened emotion, reacting only when thoughts are calm and clear. Being sensible will open doors for solutions and creativity. – Jaren L. Davis

📻 Finding the Frequency For Kenneth…

See you on Monday really Tuesday for soap and a sure to be appalling Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay being open to compromise, and stay saying what you need to out loud. Sometimes that can take away it’s power.

January 26, 2023 – Nina Gets the Lab Results, a Thought, Heartfelt Tribute, Looking Ahead, How She Wants, About That Black Eye, Golden Pets (!) & Looks Like

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny tells Nina that she has to eat, and she slices some cheese from the platter in front of her. She says, it’s no use. She can’t sit here waiting for the results of her bloodwork. Not when her daughter’s life depends on her. She picks up her phone, but he tells her, it’s all going to work out. She says she appreciates him trying to distract her, but she needs to get to the hospital right now. Nina goes into bedroom, when there’s a knock at the door. Sonny lets Sasha in, and tells her that Nina will be out shortly. Nina comes out, and asks what Sasha’s doing here, and Sasha says, someone told her that Nina could use a friend. Nina looks at Sonny, and he smiles.

Willow puts down the Crimson magazine she’s reading, and tells Michael, the good news is, pashminas are still in style for 2023. All is right with the world. He says, talk to him, and she says, this waiting is torture. She’s scared. He says he’s scared too.

Brook yells for someone to hold the elevator, and Ned puts his hand on the door. She asks him what he’s doing at the hospital.

At The Savoy, Selina tells N’neka to add Cody’s drink to her tab. He says, generous, and she says, he was very effective in the game tonight. He says, that’s what she pays him for, and she says, money well spent. She wasn’t sure he would show given recent events; her condolences. He asks why the murder of his almost girlfriend would keep him from fulfilling his obligations, when Felicia and Mac walk in. Felicia asks if they should grab a table. He sees Cody with Selina, and says, he warned Cody about that woman. She asks why he cares what happens to Cody.

Nikolas approaches Ava at the MetroCourt bar, and she tells him, please don’t ruin the moment. She’s unwinding from the day. What does he want? He says he’s here because of what she wants. He puts a manila envelope on the bar, and says, the divorce settlement agreement. Congratulations. She’s getting everything she asked for, and he’s losing the one thing he treasures.

Trina says, Spencer’s father might not be the best option to raise the baby, but he’s the only option. Spencer says, not necessarily. What about him? She says she’s sure he’ll be a good father someday in the far off future, and he says, what if the future wasn’t so distant? She asks if he’s saying his father may not be able to raise the baby, and he says he’s planning on making sure of it. He’s going for custody.

Carly says she just came to check on Wiley, but Drew says, she just missed him. He went up to the main house with Olivia for a sleepover. She says, perfect distraction for him, and Drew says he just stuck around to lock up. Carly says she’ll leave him to it, but he tells her, don’t go.

Nina asks if Sonny told Sasha, and Sasha says, Sonny was kind enough to invite her over, but it was Willow who told her. Nina asks what Willow said about her. It’s okay; Sasha doesn’t have to spare her feelings. Sasha says, Willow is reeling, same as Nina. Sasha thinks they’re both struggling to reconcile their history with the news their mother and daughter. Sonny tells them to talk; he has to make a phone call. He goes in the bedroom, and Sasha asks if she’s keeping Nina from leaving. It looked like she was going somewhere. Nina says she was going to GH. She had a test to determine if she was a bone marrow match for Willow, and there’s a chance the lab will have the results tonight. Sasha says, the odds are really good Nina is a match, right? and Nina says, a sibling is the best match, but Nelle is gone. Sasha says, let’s hope you’re a match, and Nina says she doesn’t want to think about what will happen if she’s not.

Brook asks Ned to promise her one thing; be nice. He says he’s always nice, and she says, be nicer.

Ava says, Nikolas gave her everything she asked for; Spoon Island and everything on it. He says, Windymere and all the contents in it. She left him with nothing. Not even his pride. She says, welcome to her world. the whole city knows he knocked up a girl who can’t even legally drink this martini. He says, it wasn’t his plan, and she says, it’s never his fault, is it? He lost his son, his wife, his house. He says he’s owning his mistakes, starting with the document in front of her. He gave her everything without a fight. She says, it’s easier to own your mistakes when your hand’s being forced, isn’t it? He’s so weak. She can’t believe there was time she didn’t see it. He says, she saw him and loved him regardless, just like he saw her. They beat the odds again and again. After everything they survived, can she really say the love is gone?

Trina says, Spencer is going to try to get full custody of his baby brother or sister? What about his father? What about Esme? He says, Esme doesn’t know how to parent a child. She doesn’t even know who she is. Trina says, she might remember, and Spencer says, that’s even worse. Neither of this baby’s parents are moral, upstanding citizens; far from it. She says, neither is he, and he says, his father has a proven history of selfishness, amorality, and neglect. Diane Miller thinks he may have a chance. She says, it sounds like he has his mind made up, and he says he wants to do whatever it takes to protect this baby.

Mac stares at Selina and Cody, and Felicia says, he’s looking at them again. She knows him. He cares about Cody. He says, he’s Dominique’s son. She’d want him to look after Cody, whether Cody was his or not. She says, he can’t kid a kidder. He’s such a good man, and there’s always room in his heart for more. She’s not just talking about Robin and the girls, but all those rookies who he took under his wing on the force; giving them guidance and counsel. She knows how much Dante appreciates him; Cody might too. He says, Cody’s made it clear that he’s not interested in that. He just wants to make sure Cody doesn’t get mixed up with the wrong people, and Selina Wu is definitely the wrong people.

Cody says he knows Selina wasn’t a fan of Britt, but she says, she and Dr. Westbourne came to an understanding. Her nephew’s quite devastated by Britt’s loss, as she’s sure Cody is. She has sympathy for those grieving. He says he’s sure she’s all choked up, and she says, people express emotions in different ways. She excuses herself, and walks over to where Gladys is sitting. She says, if it isn’t her old friend Gladys.

Carly wonders if Wiley asked about his mom, and Drew says, there were questions. It was kind of tricky. He didn’t want to say more than Michael and Willow wanted him to share, but Wiley’s a smart kid. He did the best he could. She says she’s sure he did great. It’s a fine line. It’s tough to know what to tell him at this age. He says, it’s a delicate balance for sure. Ultimately, honesty is the way to go. She says she really thought she was protecting Willow. She knows Sonny and Nina want to believe she was hellbent on revenge against Nina. Drew came to her defense earlier with Sonny, but other than that, he’s been really quiet on the subject. What does he think?

Trina tells Spencer, if anyone knows what an incredible lawyer Diane is, it’s her, but his dad has plenty of resources. He’s not going to give up custody of his child without a fight. Spencer says he knows, but he has a secret weapon. Ava agrees with him; she’s going to help. Trina says, he’s telling her that Ava supports this? and he says, yes. For the first time they’re in agreement; neither his father nor Esme are fit to parent this child. Trina says, that’s really something, and he asks if Trina’s surprised that he and Ava agree, or does she not agree? She says, it’s not really her place to weigh in, but he says he’s asking because he’s curious what her thoughts are, and her opinion matters to him. She says, since he asked, she doesn’t think he’s ready to be a father.

Mac and Felicia approach Cody, and Mac asks how it’s going. Cody says, date night? but Felicia says, just unwinding. Mac says, sorry to hear about Britt. How’s he doing? Cody says he’s hanging in, and thanks Mac. He says, it’s strange to have people ask how he’s doing. He and Britt didn’t really know each other that long. Felicia says, that doesn’t mean Cody didn’t care about her, and Cody says he did. He thanks Mac for sending Felicia to tell him, and Mac says he thought it might soften the blow. Cody says, Mac thought right, and he appreciates it. Mac says, hearing you lost someone is hard. Living with it is even harder.

Gladys says she knows she should have come to Selina immediately after the game, but she had to run to the restroom and collect herself. Selina says, tough night, huh? and Gladys says, win some, lose some. Selina says, seems like Gladys is losing more and more, and it’s time to cover her debts.

Nina tells Sasha that she feels like the rug keeps getting pulled out from underneath her. First she had to let go of the idea Sasha was her daughter, but thank God they’re friends now. Then she found out Nelle was her daughter after she died, and Willow is her child, but she might be too late to have a relationship with her. Sasha tells her not to say, it’s too late, but Nina says, Willow hates her. Sasha says, Willow is alive, and so is Nina. It’s not too late. Show up for Willow the way she showed up for her. Show her the Nina that Sasha grew to love. And no matter how long or short the time together, it’s precious, and it’s so worth it. Nina says she wants that with all her heart, but Willow’s made it very, very clear she doesn’t. Sonny comes in, and Nina says, Willow and Michael seem hellbent on punishing her… and Sonny.

Brook gives Willow some flowers, and says she hopes Willow likes them. Ned says, they won’t stay long. He’s sure she’s had lots of visitors. Willow says, everyone has been incredibly kind. Chase and Sasha stopped by earlier. She tells Brook, sorry, and Brook says, for what? Ned asks if anyone wants anything from the cafeteria, Michael says he’ll join Ned, and they leave without waiting for an answer. Brook sits next to the bed, and says, they can sure clear out a room. Willow says she didn’t mean to bring up a sore subject, but Brook says, it’s fine. Willow asks how Brook is coping with the break-up, and Brook says, great… mostly.

Michael thanks Ned for coming, and Ned says, they love Willow, but he didn’t come here just for her.

Drew says, Carly doesn’t have to explain. She was trying to protect Willow. She didn’t think Willow would want to know Nina was her mother. Carly says, but it wasn’t her secret to keep. She told Willow and Michael how sorry she is. He says, it’s good to make almonds amends, and she says, but there’s another apology she owes, and that’s to him. She should have said it sooner. She’s so sorry she went behind his back and lied to him, because the last thing she wants is for him not to trust her. He thanks her, and she says, if the circumstances were different, and Willow’s life wasn’t on the line, she doesn’t know if she’d regret keeping the truth from Nina. She’s still processing all the pain Nina caused her family, especially Michael and Willow. He says he never thought she was obligated to tell Nina; that was always Willow’s call to make. She says she sees that now, and she’s so grateful Willow has forgiven her. She’s just wondering, hoping, can he?

Sonny says, Willow may change her mind and Michael may still want to take him down, but Willow did ask him if he’d reconcile with Michael, and Nina says, he didn’t tell her that. He says, a lot was going on, but he thinks the situation has motivated Willow to make almonds amends. Sasha says, if Willow thinks Michael and Sonny can reconnect, there’s hope Willow can do the same with Nina. Maybe things are falling into perspective for her. Nina says, especially if she can give Willow the bone marrow she needs. She wants to show Willow that she’ll do anything for her, and Sasha says, of course (🍷) she will. Nina’s phone rings, and Nina says, it’s the lab. She answers, thanking them for getting back to her.

Brook says she and Chase are in a better place these days, and Willow says, that’s good to know, even if it’s not what she asked. How does Brook feel? Brook says, only Willow would be in a hospital bed asking how someone else is doing, and Willow says, Chase is a hard man to forget. Brook says, impossible. What does she do? Should she hold out hope, or just move on? Willow says, so much of her life these days is about holding out hope, keeping the faith, believing the impossible is possible. Brook says, her situation is different. Her and Chase’s relationship isn’t life or death. Willow says, feels that way though, huh? She puts her hand on Brook’s, and says, if Brook can’t picture her life without Chase, don’t give up. Miracles happen every day.

Ned says he knows things are tense between him and Michael, but he doesn’t like them being at odds. Michael says, none of that matters now, and Ned says, agreed. What’s important is seeing Michael and Willow through this, which is why he’s here. Because no matter what happens in business, they’re first, foremost, and forever family.

Felicia suggests Cody join her and Mac, but Cody says he should be hitting the hay; it was a long night. Mac asks what Cody’s been doing these days, and Cody says, this and that. Anything to keep his mind off of… they know. Felicia asks if they’ll see him at Britt’s memorial tomorrow.

Gladys says she knows her assets aren’t very liquid at the moment, but if Selina will stake her again, she’ll break this losing streak. Selina says, Gladys has exhausted her line of credit. She owes the house $175,000. Gladys says, a hundred and seventy-five grand? Is Selina sure? Selina says, very sure; she’s got an MBA in finance. When can she expect payment?

Ava tells Nikolas that she holds their love in the same esteem he held her dignity. She looks through the papers, and he asks if everything is in order. She says, seems so. What’s the catch? He says, there’s no catch. He just wants to do right by her. She says, no counter? Nothing he wants from her? He says, just one thing, and she says, of course (🍷). He’s forgetting she owes him nothing; he owes her. He says he grants her that, but since she seems to prefer going to his Uncle Victor these days, this might be the one last time he gets to speak to her directly. She says, unless he can tell her that he really didn’t sleep with Esme and Elizabeth, there isn’t much to talk about, and he says, things aren’t exactly as they seem.

Trina says she doesn’t think Spencer is really equipped for this. Financially, maybe, but emotionally? Raising a child takes an insane amount of responsibility, more than they can imagine. He says, his Uncle Sonny said something similar, but how is he supposed to become a more responsible person without taking on more responsibility? She says, he’d be learning at the expense of the baby, and he says, that is literally how all first time parents learn. She asks if he’s thought about what this will do with his social life. He’s still young. Being an insta-father will affect his friendships and put a definite crimp in his future relationships. He asks if she’s saying people won’t want to be his friend or be his girlfriend if he’s raising a baby, and she tells him, she’s not saying it’s one way or the other; some might. He says, what about her? Would she want to be with a man who’s raising a baby? She says she woudn’t know the answer to that. She’d have to be in the situation. He says, what about the situation she’s in with him? Is him going after custody of this child going to impact whatever it is that’s going on between them? She asks what he means, and he says, he means what they’ve been doing. They’re trying to catch the killer by pretending to be friends, potentially more. She says, it worked, didn’t it? Esme showed up, and now she’s locked away. She may not be the killer… He asks what she’s feeling though. Are they playing the game, or is the game playing them? Be real. They’re hanging out, there’s no cameras around. They text each other constantly, but they don’t publicize it. It’s a lot of behind-the-scenes effort for pretense, doesn’t she think? She says, it may not just be play acting for her.

Cody says he hasn’t decided about the memorial, and Felicia says, it may be helpful for closure. He says he’s not sure he really believes in closure, and Mac says, Felicia means, facing what you’re feeling sometimes sets you free. Cody says, sometimes it just reminds you of all the ways you screwed up. He tells them to have a nice evening, and goes to the bar.

Gladys says she doesn’t have that kind of cash on hand, and Selina says, then they have a problem. Gladys says, what about instead of cash, Selina takes her son’s garage, and Selina asks if she’s the owner of the property. Cody listens from the bar, and Gladys says, depends on what she means by owner.

Drew says, everybody makes mistakes, but Carly says, not him; he’s damn near perfect. He says he makes mistakes all the time. He used to blow through town with a chip on his shoulder. All anybody can hope for is forgiveness and the chance to make things right. She says, that’s all she wants. She just wants to make this right somehow. He says, she did the right thing by telling Nina and urging her to get tested. Maybe it will make the difference. Carly says she prays it does, but what about them? Where do they stand? He says he can’t do this again. He knows he seems like an easygoing guy, but he’s got limits. She says she understands, and she’s really sorry. She heads for the door, and he says, in the future, they can’t lie to each other anymore. She says, you said future, and he says he wants one with her. He can’t promise it’s going to be easy. She says she’s willing to try, and he says he’s ready and willing and able, and they kiss. She asks him to come home with her. Ugh. Why does Carly never have any consequences for her actions?

Gladys says, technically, the garage belongs to her daughter-in-law, but they’re in the process of selling it, so she’ll just cut out the middleman and sign it over to Selina. Sonny says, it’s worth a pretty penny. Selina says, her daughter-in-law will consent to this? and Gladys says she has the power to make these decisions for her. Cody flashes back to Sasha telling him about the guardianship, and recognizing the name Gladys. Gladys says, her daughter-in-law will be fine with this, especially when she wins it back. Do they have a deal? She holds out her hand, and Selina shakes it as Cody watches.

Going into Willow’s room, Nina says, sorry. She didn’t mean to disrupt Willow’s visit with Brook, but she thought Willow would want to know tonight. The lab called her. The results of her bloodwork are in. Willow says, and? and Nina says she’s not a match. Despite their familial DNA, she doesn’t have the right markers to be Willow’s donor. She’s so sorry. She thought she’d be able to end this nightmare for Willow. Willow says she’s not sure anyone can, and turns on her side, away from Nina. Nina almost touches Willow to comfort her, but thinks better of it.

Michael says, after all that, Nina isn’t even a match? but Sasha says, they can’t give up hope. Sonny says he’s sorry, but it’s going to be fine.

Nikolas says he knows he hurt Ava. He betrayed their trust and destroyed their marriage. He’s going to have to live with that. One day she’s going to realize their marriage was undermined by outside sources. She says, sources whose names both begin with the letter E? but he says, she’s got it wrong. Once the truth is known, he’s confident she’ll feel differently. She asks what he means, and he tells her, all he can say is, there’s more to this story. He knows he hasn’t given her any reason to believe him, but he loved her, and he still does, with all his heart. So take everything he has, and one day, all those possessions he’s granted her will be theirs again. They’re going to be married and living in Windymere, and they’ll be in love, in lust, and happy. She asks how he can be sure, and he says, because their story isn’t over. One day she’s going to realize all the sacrifices he made, and when that day comes, he’ll be waiting for her.

Trina says, for the last few weeks, she’s started to see Spencer in a certain light, and he says, same here. Why didn’t she say anything? She says, because he burned her, and she’s a little sensitive. He says, fair enough. He hopes she knows he’s never going to hurt her again, and she says she does, which is why she told her mom how she really feels about him. He asks how she took it, and Trina says, her mother was concerned, but she told her that Spencer has grown up; he’s changed. He says, it’s very nice of her to have noticed, and she says she told her mom she can make her own choices when it comes to him; that he’s her friend, and her mother doesn’t have a decision in the matter. So they don’t have to pretend anymore or hide their friendship. He says, friends, and she tells him that she knows she said they weren’t friends, but she was just really hurt. So much has changed, and he’s really been there for her. He says, trusty and steadfast, like a Golden Retriever. She says, not quite; dogs are obedient. She really hopes he feels the same way, and he says, she has no idea.

Carly and Drew walk into her bedroom, and she says she’s wanted this for months. He says, him too, and she says, part of her wanted to guard her heart; play it safe, so she didn’t risk the pain of losing him. But a part of her knew she couldn’t waste this chance. He says he knows her. She’s not afraid to take a chance, and neither is he. They start to get busy.

Spencer says he hopes a baby doesn’t change things between them. By that, he means Joss and Cam, him, and Trina. She says, her too, and he asks her to do him a favor and keep everything he told her confidential. He thinks Diane wants him to keep things quiet for now. She says, of course (🍷). So he’s determined to do this. He says, with or without anyone’s approval, but it would mean the world to him to have her support. She says she does have her reservations about him taking on this level of responsibility, but she’s proud of him for stepping up. He thanks her, and says, she hasn’t seen anything yet, but she will. He’s not like his father. When he makes a committeemen to someone, he sticks to it. And he’s ready to do just that.

Carly and Drew continue to get busy, and there’s a musical interlude.

Brook and Sasha sit on a bench, and Brook says, Willow was in such good spirits. They were teasing each other like always, now this. Sasha says, it’s more than one person should have to bear, and Brook wonders why devastating things are happening to all the good people in her life. They both cry, and Sasha says, Willow has so much to live for. She has so many people who love and support her. Brook says, Chase has to be updated, and Sasha says, it’s going to kill him. They both say, I should call him.

Cody says, the woman Selina was talking to just now, the one he took to the cleaners tonight, what’s her last name? Selina wonders why he asks, and he says he thinks he and Gladys might have a mutual acquaintance. If so, he’d like to keep his distance. Selina says, Corbin, Gladys Corbin. She’s also involved with Deception. She walks away, and Cody says, so it would seem.

Ava says, for a minute there, Nikolas almost had her; she almost believed him. She gets off the barstool, and says she nearly fell for his lies again. But believe her when she tells him, she’ll never let that happen again. She takes her wedding set off, puts it on the bar, and leaves.

Michael goes into Willow’s room, and she says, he heard? He says he did, and she says, that’s it. They’re out of options. He gets in the bed next to her, putting his arm around her, and says, she’s wrong. They can do this. They can find her a donor. She asks, how?

Nina runs out of the hospital, as Sonny follows. She drops something from her purse, then throws the purse down, yelling, damn it! He holds her, and says, tell him what she needs. She says she won’t survive losing another child.

Tomorrow, Felicia asks if Robert is willing to have that on his conscience; Victor says he wants answers, and wants them immediately; and Nina tells Ava that she’s not going to rest until that woman pays for what she did.

💡 Hmm… I wonder if it’s Sonny who’s going to be the match?

🥀 Forever Her Fan…

A lovely farewell from Tony Geary.

🎱 Magic Eightball Says…

Looking toward the year to come.

🤰🏼 Doing It Her Way…

She’ll have that kid fetching her drinks in no time.

https://people.com/parents/pregnant-kate-chastain-on-raising-her-baby-solo-ill-be-able-to-do-this-exactly-how-i-want/

🧂 She Knows Nothing…

It’s funny how there are never cameras around when you really need them.

https://people.com/tv/rhoslc-heather-gay-admits-truth-about-black-eye/

🦔 Winning Companions…

I don’t know as I’d give a chimpanzee whiskey. Especially after seeing Nope.

https://celebritypets.net/the-2023-golden-globe-award-winners-and-their-pets/

🎣 Gone Ice Fishing…

Pop in tomorrow for soap, tea, quotable quotes, and a better musical interlude than GH came up with. Until then, stay safe, stay being as decent a human being as you can, and stay facing what you’re feeling. It sometimes sets you free. Or reminds you of all the ways you screwed up. Take a chance.