Tag Archives: Kate Mansi

November 21, 2025 – GH Weekdays, Laura Gets a Post-Election Surprise, Soap Suds, This Week In Reality, Weekend Watching, Watching Soon, Running To Watch, Holiday Watch, Award Watch, How Bizarre How Bizarre, Two Quintets Of Quotes & Restaurant

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

🥢 Weekday Bites…                                                                           

Monday:

Alexis wondered when Portia could have gotten access to Edward Quartermaine’s gun, and Felicia said, she visited Monica frequently and could have taken it at any time prior to the shooting. Alexis said that meant she had means and opportunity, but what reason would she have to shoot Drew?

In her office. Portia looked at her sonogram, when Curtis knocked at the door. He said he’d heard she had a check-up and asked how it went.

Kai met Trina at the gallery, and she said her parents deserved to know the truth. She was going to tell them that she and Kai were at Drew’s the night he got shot.

Dante came into the hospital and Brook asked how it went at the courthouse. He said he watched his son get taken off to juvie in handcuffs.

Laura went to vote, and Elizabeth asked how the arraignment went. Laura said, horribly wrong.

Gio and Emma went to the hospital, when Britt grabbed Emma. Emma said, get off me, but Britt said, not until they got a few things straight.

Lulu found Carly at Bobbie’s and told her that Rocco had been taken into custody, and he may go to prison unless she did something drastic to stop it.

Ric told Sonny that he had a deal. Six months community service, no felony charges, and no incarceration. Sonny asked, what went wrong? and Ric looked at Turner. Sonny asked why she double-crossed his grandson.

Felicia told Alexis that Drew’s enemy list was long and everyone had a good motive. Why wasn’t Portia on the list? Alexis said Curtis and Drew had public issues, but Portia had no direct conflict with Drew that would put her on the PCPD’s radar. Felicia said, based on the information they knew, and Alexis said that’s why she needed Felicia.

Portia said so far everything was great and on track, but Curtis needed to remember it was considered an older pregnancy. It didn’t mean they should worry, but she wanted to make sure it was safe before telling anyone. Curtis said he thought she should know that someone already figured it out.

Turner said her duty was to prosecute the case based on evidence and the law, but Sonny said she ambushed Ric with so-called evidence and worse, she ambushed a child. He thought she was better than that. Turner said she couldn’t ignore the evidence Dalton provided, and Sonny said he wanted his grandson released. She said the prosecution wouldn’t oppose bail, and Ric said, she was telling them that now, but she’d proved to be unethical and unreliable. Who was to say she wouldn’t pull the same stunt at the bail hearing?

Lulu told Carly about the charges, and Carly said they were all felonies. Lulu said Rocco swore there was no damage, and everyone believed him except the judge. She wasn’t going to let one mistake destroy her son’s life. Carly told her to do what she could. Prison would change her son forever.

Britt said, right now, she and Emma needed to have some girl talk, and Emma told Gio that she’d be fine. She’d meet him upstairs. He left, and Britt said she knew Emma got Rocco to steal the key fob and now he was headed to prison.

Elizabeth wondered how the case had escalated, when Nathan came in and told Laura that he made sure Rocco was relatively insulated. Laura asked how he was, since he’d seemed terrified, and Nathan said he thought Rocco had calmed down. Laura said this happened because of Dalton.

Dante told Brook that all he could do was stand and watch. As he was taken out, Rocco was yelling to them that he hadn’t done anything wrong. He was terrified. Gio came out of the elevator, and heard Brook saying, Rocco was a good kid and she wondered how he’d gotten involved. Gio said he was the reason Rocco broke into the lab.

Britt said Emma had been in the office when Dalton gave her the key fob. She’d told Emma to stay away from Dalton and the lab, and she set Rocco up. Emma said she thought Dalton was doing animal testing, but it turned out she was wrong. Britt said Emma didn’t break into the lab. Rocco did and was suffering the consequences. That was on Emma.  

Alexis said she couldn’t rest Willow’s case on Michael alone, and Felicia said other suspects helped shift the focus. Alexis said the PCPD rushed to judgment. She needed to present other viable suspects to create reasonable doubt in the hopes the jury wouldn’t convict Willow.

Portia asked who knew, and Curtis said, Aunt Stella. She worked with Portia every day and figured it out. She was less shocked about Portia’s pregnancy and more concerned about their divorce.

Kai asked what had Trina so upset that she changed her mind, and Trina said, not what, who. Jordan had been circling her dad like a shark. Jordan knew the strain her parents’ marriage was under, but it hadn’t stopped her going after a married man. If she told her parents that Drew’s blackmail material was gone, the strain would disappear, they’d stay together, and Jordan would be left out in the cold where she belonged.

Ric said Turner wanted to publicly persecute the grandson of Sonny Corinthos and Mayor Collins. He thought she would do what it took to secure her position. He left, saying, it wasn’t over, and Sonny told Turner that Rocco said he hadn’t trashed the lab. Dalton had set up his grandson, and she was falling for it.

Laura told Nathan that when she’d questioned Dalton, at no point did he mention the lab was vandalized. It didn’t happen. Rocco was someplace he shouldn’t have been, but she knew he didn’t lie. Elizabeth said she was sure Laura wouldn’t stop until Rocco’s name was cleared, and Laura said she hoped it was enough to get him out of the situation. She stepped away to vote.

Gio told Dante that he’d joined Students Against Animal Testing, and they’d thought Professor Dalton was doing testing at the university. They needed to create a diversion in order to break into the lab, and he recruited Danny, Rocco, and Charlotte to help.

Felicia told Alexis that she’d keep looking. Portia lying about her whereabouts begged the question, what was she hiding? Ric came in and said he needed to speak to Alexis about Rocco Falconari. Felicia said she’d be in touch, and left. Alexis said she heard Ric was representing Rocco, but assumed it was a rumor, since Sonny hated him. Ric said they were making peace for their daughter’s sake. Maybe he and Alexis should do the same.

Sonny said Turner didn’t strike him as a bully who would go after a child, and she said she was just doing her job. Any chance he just didn’t want to believe Rocco was guilty? Sonny told her, if Rocco said he didn’t do it, he didn’t do it, but she said kids lied all the time. Did he think Rocco never had? How sure was he that Rocco was telling the truth?

Emma said she brought Rocco in, but he had his own ideals and backbone, and Britt said, not only was he capable of making his own decisions, he could manipulate with the best of them. He’d shown interest in her since she’d been working with Dalton and had been playing her the whole time.

Lulu told Carly that it was Dalton’s word against Rocco’s, but Rocco said he didn’t damage anything. She could prove Dalton’s evidence was fake if a witness came forward and she had two – Danny and Charlotte.

Laura thanked Nathan and was about to leave for lunch with Elizabeth, when Dalton came in. He told Laura that it would be tough for her to protect her grandson when she’d lost the election, but she suggested they wait to see what the voters said. He was also kidding himself if he thought she needed to be mayor to protect her grandson.

Dante said Gio recruited three kids to criminally trespass? but Gio said they were just supposed to create a diversion, distract security while he broke in. Dante said, but that didn’t happen. Gio wasn’t in the lab. His brother was.

Dalton said it would be harder for Laura’s grandson to skate if she lost the election, but the upside was that he and his grandfather could now swap prison stories. Laura said he was enjoying what he’d done, and Dalton said he was the victim. Her grandson was the one who broke in. Laura said Dalton was a liar.

Sonny told Turner that he knew Rocco didn’t trash the lab because he knew who Rocco was. He was honest and kind, and anybody who knew him would say the same. Turner said Dalton was adamant the lab was trashed and produced photographic evidence as proof, but Sonny said, the police didn’t investigate the lab themselves. Dalton would know what to break that didn’t affect his research. Turner asked, why? and he said Dalton was hiding something and framing his grandson. She said those were arguments that could be presented at trial. She wasn’t happy about it, but didn’t have the luxury of choosing what cases to prosecute based on her feelings. Her job was to see that people paid for breaking the law.

Emma said Britt had it wrong. She asked Rocco to steal the key fob, then realized he was the worst person to do it. He was honest to a fault and for reasons she didn’t understand, liked Britt – for real. He wasn’t a user or a liar and said he wanted to get to know Britt, who, despite evidence to the contrary, he believed was a good person. Britt said she was sure Emma provided her unbiased take, but Emma said she’d suggested Rocco get to know Britt for himself. Maybe she’d changed from The Britch who threw her doll on the barbecue. The jury was out though.

Alexis said a lot had happened since she and Ric came to a truce. Forgive her for not accepting his olive branch. Ric said he was willing to let bygones be bygones. Maybe she should get on board. He’d heard from multiple sources that Charlotte and Danny were with Rocco when he broke in the lab. They needed to come forward.

Gio told Dante that they no longer needed a distraction. The debate was happening and everyone’s attention was on that. Then Ned had a heart attack, and they called it off. Dante said, but Rocco went anyway. So Gio was there at the hospital, and his little brother went in his place.  

Kai asked if Trina thought once her parents realized the blackmail was gone, they’d figure things out, and she said it had driven a wedge between them. She thought they’d have room to breathe if they weren’t waiting for Drew’s other shoe to drop. Kai said, maybe the strain had nothing to do with the blackmail.  

Portia said Curtis told Stella about the divorce? and he said, she’d inevitably find out. She didn’t take it well and thought they should stay together and raise the baby with two loving parents. Portia asked if he was going to suggest they stay together for the baby’s sake. He should know she saw him and Jordan kissing.

Laura said her grandson didn’t vandalize Dalton’s lab and Dalton was unfairly targeting him, and Dalton said she was going to use her position, so he didn’t face the consequences. He wondered if her constituents would appreciate it, but she said she didn’t give a damn about the election. He was trying to railroad an innocent teenager and he’d be sorry. He asked if she was threatening him. It was a blatant misuse of her power. She said any use of her power against him would be warranted.

Dante said Gio hadn’t learned anything. Rocco had almost died from the alcohol poisoning. Gio said he felt terrible, but Dante said Gio only cared about himself. Rocco had been arraigned and there were charges against him when it should be Gio. Gio said he was sorry, and Dante said Rocco would do anything Gio wanted. Even if Gio didn’t want to be a part of Rocco’s family, all Rocco cared about was being part of his.

Carly said Danny and Charlotte could corroborate Rocco’s account and clear him, and Lulu said, or be charged alongside him. She knew they could help Rocco, but couldn’t let them come forward unless she knew they were protected. Carly asked how she’d know, and Lulu said she wasn’t sure. She’d believed her son had a deal in place and now he was in the juvenile detention center.

Britt said Rocco was facing felony charges because of Emma. The next time Emma wanted to come after her, have the guts to do it herself and don’t use a child. Emma said she was wrong to involve Rocco. For what it was worth (🍷), she was sorry. Britt said something she may learn from someone who’d been sorry and made mistakes was that not everything could be cleaned up with an apology. Some mistakes you have to live with. She walked away.

Kai said Drew knew there was no longer leverage and Trina’s parents were smart people and noticed. Trina said, then what was keeping her parents from finding their way back besides Jordan? and he said they didn’t see who else was at Drew’s, but they knew both of her parents had reason to want him dead. Her dad had an alibi – Trina said, Jordan – but her mom… She said, doesn’t.  

Alexis told Ric, if Danny came forward, it would help Rocco, but it might hurt Danny. She was representing Danny and had to say no. Ric said he understood her worry, but he’d make sure Danny got out from under Drew Cain. She said she wasn’t putting her grandson in his hands. It wasn’t like him to turn the other cheek and what better way to hurt her than putting Danny in jeopardy? He said, she’d realize it was a great legal strategy if she’d just hear him out, but she said, pass. He said, what if he offered her something else?

Portia said she’d wanted to speak to Jordan and saw her and Curtis kissing in the hallway, and Curtis said, sorry. (Why?) She said it was okay. They’d made their decision to go their own ways and she knew his way would lead to Jordan. He said they’d given it a shot and didn’t work as husband and wife, but they worked as parents. They were a great team for Trina, and he knew they’d be the same for the baby. She said she thought he was a great father. They needed to be a strong united front to get past Stella’s matchmaking. He said, Stella was a force, and saw the sonogram. He asked if it was hers.

Portia said it was from today’s check-up, and Curtis looked at it. She said it was too early to tell if it was a boy or girl, and he said, whoever they were, they were perfect. Could he keep it? She said, of course (🍷).

Trina asked if Kai thought her mother shot Drew, and he said it was hard to imagine. She said, secrets could destroy a marriage, especially with her father, but her mother knew life was sacred and spent every day saving lives. He said it was hypothetical, and she said she thought she knew what both of her parents were capable of, but it was pretty obvious she didn’t know them, maybe at all. He said she did know her parents. It was just another theory. They didn’t know anything for sure, except that Trina’s parents loved her and their instinct was to protect her. So if she told them about being at Drew’s… She said maybe it would force them to tell her the truth, and he asked if it was a truth she really wanted to know.

Ric said he was prepared to sweeten the deal, and Alexis said, how so? He said she was representing Willow who’d allegedly shot Drew. What if he could insure she’d win the case? She asked if he was going to confess, and he said, no, but he had another viable suspect other than Willow and Michael. She asked, who? and he said, Portia Robinson. She asked, what possible reason would Portia have? and he said he could give her several.

Sonny told Turner that he wanted people to be accountable for their actions too, but they both knew the law wasn’t black and white. Turner said, generally speaking, it was, but the law wasn’t always applied the way it should be, and he said, sometimes, the justice system just failed. She said, yes. Innocent people went to jail for crimes they didn’t commit and the guilty went free. Maybe Dalton’s evidence would hold up, maybe not, but Rocco was a sympathetic defendant and Dalton was… Sonny said, a liar? and she said, not as sympathetic. Sonny asked if she was telling him that it would come down to Dalton’s word against Rocco’s, but she said it was too early to tell. If it did, the jury might be more inclined to believe Rocco. Sonny asked if she’d at least go easy on Rocco, and she said she was going to do her job, nothing more. But this part was black and white. Dalton was the victim of record and as long as he pushed the case, she’d pursue justice on his behalf. He asked if she was sure she was pursuing justice or was she trying to help herself professionally by putting his grandson’s future on the line? and she says, the former. He said, make sure the justice system didn’t fail his grandson.

Lulu wondered if she should risk her daughter to save her son and told Carly that there were no guarantees that if Danny and Charlotte came forward, Rocco would go free. What if she put something in motion that, instead of saving one, condemned all three? Carly said there was no easy answer, and Lulu said, when that happened to Michael, she and Dante were sure they were doing the right thing. They thought Michael would be okay and they were wrong. So wrong. They hugged, and Lulu said she couldn’t afford to be wrong again. Rocco had too much to lose.  

Emma approached the group, and Dante said Gio was making excuses for being stupid and selfish again. He’d thought Gio would learn from Rocco’s alcohol poisoning, but he got Rocco involved in something reckless and dangerous. Emma asked what was going on, and Dante said Gio’s brother had been arrested. Whatever happened to him was on Gio. Emma said it wasn’t Gio’s fault. She talked Rocco into helping and roped the kids into it. It was on her. Dante said he got it now. Gio screwed over his little brother and potentially ruined his life to impress a girl. Get out of his face before he said or did something he regretted. Gio walked away and Emma followed.  

Laura said, every word in Dalton’s statement was a lie. Rocco went into the lab, but any vandalism was done by him. Dalton said he’d pay good money to see her prove that, and she said he thought he’d get away with it why? Because Rocco was a kid and he was a professor with the power of the university behind him? She’ll fight him with every resource she had, as well as every member of her family, and the Quartermaine family.  When she saw Dalton wasn’t listening, she smacked him in the face and said he was trying to frame her grandson for a crime he didn’t commit. She promised it wouldn’t end well for him. She looked around to see all the people filming with their phones.

Tuesday:

Carly went to see Jack at the hotel bearing wine. She said she’d found it in the MetroCourt wine cellar and remembered he’d ordered it once upon a time. She remembered everything about him.

In Laura’s office, she told Sonny that her political career might be over. She’d lashed out at Dalton in public. Sonny said he saw it. It was beautiful.

Dante told Lulu that Nathan got Rocco settled in, but Rocco wouldn’t be there if he hadn’t been following his brother’s lead. It was all Gio’s doing.

Alexis asked why Portia would shoot Drew, but Ric wanted assurance that Danny would go on record on Rocco’s behalf. She said, absolutely not, and he said his strategy would keep Rocco and Danny out of trouble. He’d had a come to Jesus moment and evolved. She told him, Portia’s motive or the door.

Jason went to see Britt and she said she needed his help. Danny had to come forward and corroborate Rocco’s story. Jason said he was sorry. He’d do anything, but not that. (Meat Loaf played in my head.)

Danny and Charlotte went to the station to see Nathan and said they were there to turn themselves in.

At Windymere, Marco told Sidwell that it appeared Dalton had jeopardized their entire operation.

Carly and Jack drank the wine, and Jack said Carly showing up was the best gift. It had felt like there was distance between them and she’d made the first move. Or was he wrong?

Marco said Dalton had produced photographic evidence of the damage Rocco Falconari had done in his lab, and Sidwell said, obviously, Dalton trashed the lab himself to stick it to the kid, but Rocco’s fingerprints wouldn’t be found. Marco said Dalton had claimed there were hazardous materials in the lab and told ADA Turner that injuries and fatalities could have resulted. Now Rocco was charged with several felonies. Sidwell said, now unwanted attention would be focused on the lab. He’d take it from there. Marco said maybe it was time for Sidwell to request assistance from the guy he was running the operation with.

Britt said of course (🍷) Jason wouldn’t help her. She wasn’t Carly. But then again, since it was Danny, he probably would have told Carly no too. He said he would have, and she said, Rocco was so scared. He said, no way Rocco vandalized the lab, and she said Dalton was lying and Danny could prove it, but Jason said it would just make things worse.

Nathan asked, what for? and Danny said they were with Rocco when he broke into the PCU lab. Nathan asked if they were sure they wanted to do this, and Charlotte said, absolutely. He was their brother. Nathan left, and Charlotte asked if Danny was sure. Danny said it was the only way to save Rocco, and she said Rocco couldn’t be the only one to take the blame. Danny said his dad would be so mad, and Charlotte said her wouldn’t be thrilled either, but they had to do what they had to do.

Dante said Gio roped Danny, Rocco, and Charlotte into breaking in, and Lulu asked, why? He said, Emma admitted she was in on it. She thought Dalton was doing illegal animal testing and their son was paying the price because Gio wanted to impress a girl. When he came down on Gio after Rocco got alcohol poisoning, everyone told him that he was wrong. But if he’d kept Gio at arm’s length, he wouldn’t have gotten close enough to Rocco to potentially ruin his life.

Laura said, if he saw it, Sonny knew what a disaster it was. She attacked and threatened Dalton and no way it would go well with the voting public. He asked if she’d read the comments. They were saying she was a badass. They loved her fire and how relatable she was, how real. She stood up for her grandson and went to bat for him, and they felt she’d do the same for the city. Laura thanked him, but still felt she’d tanked her own campaign. He said they’d hope for the best and prepare for the worst, and she said she thought what might cost her the election was her own bad temper.

Ric said Alexis won and told her about Heather’s cobalt tests. One had been done at GH and one done at an independent lab. The independent lab showed Heather’s levels as normal, which proved she was no longer dangerous, but the GH test showed the levels were still toxic, implying she was still violent and dangerous, unfit to be released. Had he relied on the GH test, Heather would still be in prison. He imagined whoever altered them had access to the test and a vested interest in Heather staying in prison. Alexis said, like the mother of Heather’s would be victim. Like Portia Robinson.

Sonny told Laura to stop being hard on herself, and she said she didn’t regret standing up for Rocco, but she may be handing over the city to Boyle. He said the voters and the people of the city valued her protecting her family. It wasn’t her first rodeo, and the people of Port Charles knew what kind of person she was. She said losing the election not only meant handing over the city to Boyle. She’d be handing it over to Sidwell too.

Sidwell told Marco that he considered his partner’s identity to be on a need-to-know basis. He needed to focus on making the necessary changes to their operation. He’d put Britt in charge of the lab, the research, and Dalton, and Britt had suggested she could run everything herself. In light of recent events, maybe she was right. Britt came with her own set of complications, but unlike Dalton, she wasn’t stupid. Marco said, but Dalton knew where the bodies were buried… figuratively.

Britt told Jason that Danny was guilty, but so was Charlotte. Why should Rocco face the consequences alone? Jason asked if she’d talked to Lulu and Dante, but she said, no. They hated her. He said if Danny admitted to the crime, Drew would use all his resources to keep Danny from his sister and put him behind bars. He told Britt about Danny giving Scout a ride home and Drew saying Danny tried to kidnap her, and Britt said that was a bad kidnapping. It was the opposite of kidnapping. Jason said, after that, Drew filed a restraining order against Danny to prevent him from seeing Scout, and she said, so if Danny came forward… He said Drew would do what he could to put Danny in prison and he couldn’t let that happen. And it wasn’t just that. A long time ago, Michael went to Pentenville and he followed Michael inside to protect him, but it was too late. Michael was scarred in ways that never healed. That couldn’t happen to Danny. She said she didn’t want that to happen to Rocco either, and he said neither did he. They had to come up with a way to save him.

Dante told Lulu that he’d come down hard on Gio. He thought Gio knowing he was his father made the words cut deeper. Lulu said she wasn’t happy with Gio either, but even though he might be responsible for drawing the kids into that mess, she didn’t think he deserved all the blame for all of them. Gio and Emma roped them in, but Danny, Charlotte, and Rocco chose to get involved. Dante asked if she was saying Rocco did this to himself, and she said she did, and so did Charlotte and Danny.

Nathan began to record, and Danny said, Rocco didn’t break in by himself. They were with him from the beginning. Charlotte said, Dalton showed up unexpectedly, so they hid, and Danny said, Dalton was about to find them, so Rocco made a noise. Charlotte said, he did it to save them, and Nathan asked why they broke in. Charlotte said they’d heard Dalton was doing illegal experiments on animals, and Nathan asked where they got that idea. Danny said, did it matter?

Alexis told Ric, the only reason Portia would alter the tests would be to keep her in jail. Heather tried to kill her daughter, so it was reasonable to think Heather would hurt her again, but what was the connection to Drew? How did Portia’s grudge against Heather put a gun in her hand pointed at Drew? Ric said, hypothetically, imagine an ex had her daughter dead to rights for trying to kill someone. Even worse, the louse gets involved. She said, he’d hold it over her head and blackmail her, and he said, what would she do, hypothetically? She said, chain him up in a basement and put a ball gag in his mouth, and he said, failing that? She said she might have to shoot him dead.

Carly told Jack that she’d needed time to process. She got it in her head why he didn’t tell her about Vaughn being an agent, but it hurt. When she was hurt, she pulled back. He said he was so sorry. He’d done a lot of midnight runs and cold showers trying to figure out how to fix it. She said she’d spent a few sleepless nights herself, but she missed him. She missed talking to him and confiding in him and the ease of being together. He said it was on him, but she said, no. It was on her. She knew she’d been sending him mixed signals. Understanding, but not forgiving. She thought it came down to acceptance. Could she accept who he was? He asked if she could and she said she was there, wasn’t she?

Nathan asked if they’d found anything before they got caught, but Charlotte said, no. There were no animals or evidence of anything. Danny said he picked up some notes, but put them back, and Nathan asked if they broke or overturned anything. Charlotte said they didn’t damage anything in any way, and Nathan said he knew it was hard, but thanked them for the information. Rocco was lucky to have them. He said he’d be right back, and in the squad room, he asked an officer for Jason’s contact information.  

Sonny said Laura’s reputation spoke for itself. Meanwhile, everybody saw Dalton manhandle a teenager. He didn’t just act like a bully, but he was slimy. It rolled off him. Sometimes you had to trust that voters knew the truth. They weren’t fools. Laura said she’d feel better if she’d had the chance to debate Boyle, and he said she had the chance, but chose her grandson. It was the right thing. They both knew Rocco would never destroy the lab. She said, he wouldn’t, but he did break in, and Sonny said, but he didn’t destroy it. No way. That meant that bastard framed their grandson.

Nathan called Jason and asked him to come to the PCPD. It was about his son.

Lulu told Dante not to think she’d forgotten her daughter. Charlotte and Rocco knew better, or they should, and neither one of them gave consideration to Dante being Police Commissioner or that their grandmother was mayor. Dante said, they did. They used the debate as a diversion. She said she thought what was troubling her was there being a pattern. Rocco had lied to them before about keeping in touch with Charlotte, who protected him. Dante said, and he met with Obrecht, and she said, and now Britt. And Charlotte was there every step of the way. He said they’d address that later on. Right now, they had to get Rocco out, which may involve Danny and Charlotte. Nathan came in, and Lulu asked if Rocco was okay, but Nathan said it was about Charlotte.

Sonny said he was able to get the information from Turner that Dalton came to her privately with pictures of the damage, and Laura said, Dalton never once mentioned it when he was trying to get Danny arrested. Did he know if the PCPD had looked into it? He said, not yet, and she asked how charges were filed if the police hadn’t verified everything. He said, Turner told him that she had to come forward fast because things were rolling really good. Ignoring it would mean she favored Rocco. Laura said, whose grandmother was the mayor and father was the Police Commissioner, and he said, it was a bad look. Turner felt like she had to pursue it despite the plea deal. Laura asked if he trusted Ric, and he said, most of the time, no, but he did with the Rocco situation. Ric was hellbent on making peace with him and right now nothing was more important than getting Rocco home safe.

Alexis said, finding out Drew was holding the test results over Portia’s head explained the fallout between Curtis and Drew, and Ric said it would be one helluva bomb shell in court. It would cast doubt on Willow’s guilt and blow the case out of the water. She was welcome. Now it was her turn. Was she ready to talk to Danny about Rocco?

Marco told Sidwell that Dalton proved he’d take matters into his own hands when he felt wronged. All the more reason not to anger him more by taking him away from the research. He’d seen too much. Sidwell said Dalton may be privy to their intel, but if he went away, so did their problems. They heard the door and Britt came in. She asked to speak to Sidwell alone, and Marco said, of course (🍷). He left, and Sidwell wondered what he was accused of this time. She said she’d been the backbone of the operation. She came to Sidwell when Dalton wanted to double-cross him and given him everything. And her reward had been watching Sidwell help Dalton railroad an innocent kid.

Charlotte told Danny that it was one thing to talk about it, but being in an interrogation room made it all too real. The possibility of going to juvie was hitting her. Danny said it was worth it. It was only fair to sacrifice for Rocco doing the same. Nathan came back with Jason, Dante, and Lulu.

Jack asked how Carly knew he was there. Was her staff spying on him? Since they were being honest, did she really come across the wine by accident? Carly said, the wine wasn’t in the MetroCourt wine cellar. She had her sommelier hunt it down in case she needed an excuse. He said, not ever, and she said she did, because she didn’t have the guts to come and tell him that she was ready to put everything behind them. He took her glass out of her hand, set it aside, and knelt down in front of her. He said, good. Was she sure? She kissed him.

Nathan said, unfortunately, he was a little rusty on procedure. Danny and Charlotte were minors and needed a parent or guardian present to make a statement. Danny asked if their confessions meant nothing, and Charlotte said they couldn’t trust the police even when they were doing the right thing. Lulu said, at least it was over now, but Danny said now they could confess for real. Jason said, absolutely not, and Lulu said they’d been given a second chance. Dante said, and they weren’t going to let them blow it.  

Alexis told Ric that it was a great strategy, but the witnesses hinged on parental consent. It wouldn’t be easy. Jason called her and told her to come to the PCPD. He was with Danny. She asked what was going on, and he said Danny was determined to go down with Rocco breaking into the lab. Alexis suggested Ric come with her to the PCPD. It looked like they didn’t have to convince Danny to do anything. She thought he was going to confess.

Jack and Carly got busy, when his phone rang. He told the caller that they needed to have the conversation on a secure line. He’d call from the office. Carly said, duty calls? and he said, unfortunately so. She said, okay. Nothing was more important than the WSB. Jack asked if there was any chance she’d be there when he got back, but she said she didn’t think so, but she might come back later tonight. She left.

Laura said the election results were starting to roll in, and Sonny said she had this. She said she appreciated his optimism, and he said he believed in her. So why didn’t they get her reelected, and with any luck, Measure C would burn down in flames. She said it was out of their hands now. That’s how she felt about Rocco. She couldn’t do anything about the election, but she couldn’t stop thinking about him. Sonny said, Rocco might not be there for too long. Dalton could change his story, or somebody could change it for him.

An officer told Dante that Ric was in his office and said it was important. Dante and Lulu left, and Laura came in with Alexis. Jason said he’d called Alexis because Danny refused to let it go, and Alexis said she’d been hoping not to have this conversation with Danny. Never speak to the police without an attorney present. And by attorney, she meant either her or Diane. She asked to speak to Danny in private, but Danny said he had to do this. He got that they were trying to protect him, but Rocco was in trouble. He wanted to take full responsibility for his part. Alexis said that was admirable, and Danny said Rocco would do the same for him.  He knew it was what his mom would want. Jason said it was his choice. (I like Jason more as time goes on.)

Sidwell said he’d just learned the extent of Dalton’s actions, and Britt said he was just behind in the backstabbing. Sidwell said he’d never sanction such recklessness. It would bring attention to their work from the authorities. He was becoming more unruly. Britt said she guessed she wasn’t surprised that Dalton was doing stupid things, and Sidwell said Dalton was doing it on his own. She said she was relieved he had nothing to do with it and Sidwell said he was as unpleasantly surprised as she was, but for a different reason. Rocco could have ruined their project and uncovered evidence of what they were hiding. She said he wouldn’t have understood it even if he found it, and Sidwell asked if she thought Rocco would connect anything, but she said she didn’t think Rocco even knew she worked there. She’d never breathe a word to anyone, but Dalton made it personal. Even though Rocco wasn’t technically her son, he meant more to her than any of this. He said, meaning? and she said he had to put Dalton on a leash and get him to drop the charges today or she’d torch the entire operation.  

Ric told Lulu and Dante, as far as he knew, Rocco was okay, and he had a way to save him.

Alexis told Danny, when it was a misdemeanor, it made sense, and Danny said, quit protecting him. Charlotte asked if it was better that one fall than all three.

Ric said Dalton escalated this using manufactured evidence. Now Rocco was facing felony charges that could land him in a juvenile facility and give him a record that could follow him for the rest of his life.

Alexis said, if Danny and Charlotte both came forward and corroborated Rocco’s story, they’d prove Dalton’s was a fabrication.

Ric said they’d establish Dalton’s story was false and force him to be prosecuted for a false report and obstruction of justice.

Alexis said, they’d turn the tables and make Dalton the defendant.

Wednesday:

Just the Meat🥩and Potatoes🥔because, see Wicked: For Good Below.

Josslyn met Vaughn at the Brown Dog and told her to shake a tipsy Dalton down for information.

Sidwell told Britt that he was her savior. Without the medicine, what kind of life would she have?

Alexis told Danny and Charlotte to tell the truth.

Sonny joined Dante and Lulu, and Ric told Sonny his strategy. Dante didn’t want to sacrifice Danny and Charlotte.

Laura told Jordan that if protecting Rocco cost her the election, she’d spend her last few hours doing as much as she could for him. Boyle had taken an early lead.

Gio wondered if Rocco felt the same way Dante did, but Emma told him to stop blaming himself.

Josslyn provided a sympathetic ear to Dalton, who said, animals were a tool. (I said he was a tool.) He didn’t do any testing on campus after what had happened in California. He did all of his important work in a lab that PCU knew nothing about.

Britt said, one minute she was dying in her mother’s arms, and the next she woke up at the Five Poppies. Sidwell said she’d been saved and all he asked in return was that she finish her father’s work. He asked how much she’d told Jason.

Alexis asked Nathan what he thought about Danny and Charlotte’s confession, and he said they’d be good witnesses if their parents allowed it.

Ric said Alexis agreed with him. If it went to trial, odds were the jury would believe Danny and Charlotte. Sonny asked Dante and Lulu to hear Ric out.

Josslyn urged Dalton to talk more, saying he could win a Nobel prize. He told her there were no neighbors near his secret lab, so they couldn’t hear the dogs barking, but he wasn’t a monster. Josslyn said she never thought he was. Gio and Emma came in and saw them.

Alexis talked to Jason, who agreed that Danny’s mom would want him to do what was right.

Charlotte told Danny that she wanted to go over the story, since what they’d told Nathan couldn’t be used. She wanted to make sure Rocco walked and Dalton paid.

Emma thought Josslyn was trying to get her research position back, and Josslyn suggested she and Dalton leave. He asked if she wanted to try out the comfy couch in his lab, when Gio asked if Josslyn wanted to have a drink with them, and she told Dalton that she’d be right back. Emma told Josslyn about Rocco and told Dalton that he should be locked up instead of Rocco.

Laura apologized to Jordan for not touching base, but Jordan said she’d failed to find anything illegal Sidwell was doing. Drew came by and told Laura it was obvious a new mayor had been chosen by the voters. Jordan said he was premature and wondered what had happened to Drew. Most people took stock after a near-death experience, and she hoped he took a hard look at himself. Drew was dismissive of her, and Laura said she wanted a word alone with the congressman.

Emma wondered why she never got in the lab. She knew Dalton was doing something wrong like he did at the old university. She told him that she was behind both break-ins and when he threatened her, she threw her drink on him.

Britt said she’d told Jason nothing, and Sidwell said Jason couldn’t save her from the bomb in her DNA. Only he could.

Charlotte wanted to destroy Dalton and suggested they say Dalton hit Rocco. Danny agreed, and Charlotte practiced a convincing argument. He said her parents had no idea how much trouble she was.

Sonny said he thought the only way to set Rocco free was for Danny and Charlotte to confess, and Alexis said Jason was on board. Lulu said she couldn’t sacrifice one of her children for another, and Dante said he’d follow her lead. Alexis said they could see what happened with Danny, and Lulu went to talk to Charlotte.

Laura said if she lost the office, it would be up to Drew to protect the people of Port Charles. He wanted her to endorse Ezra, but she said he was in Sidwell’s pocket. Drew flashed back to Sidwell saying Drew would do his bidding. From now on Drew worked for him. Step out of line and his life would go down. Drew told Laura that Sidwell’s record was spotless and she turned a blind eye to Sonny’s. Laura said she believed Drew was motivated by pure spite against Sonny Jason and Michael.

Vaughn wanted to speak with Dalton alone and suggested he come to the station and straighten things out. Dalton agreed, and Vaughn said if he was even late, an armed agent would be sent to get him. Dalton left and Vaughn followed. Emma asked if the WSB had been investigating Dalton the whole time.

Jason thanked Nathan for protecting the kids. Jason said he respected Danny’s decision, but Charlotte couldn’t do anything without her mom’s okay. Lulu fretted to Nathan about the possibility of things going wrong.

Sonny said Turner would claim the kids were lying, and Alexis said, that’s where forensics came in. Dante said they had a great legal team, and Ric said all they needed was reasonable doubt. He wanted to make Dalton lose it on the stand.

Lulu told Charlotte that Rocco was fine and Danny’s word might be enough, but Charlotte said she had to do this for Rocco. Trust her.

Britt said she’d felt trapped, but wouldn’t let Dalton ruin Rocco’s life. Dalton ran in and said the WSB was after him now.

Josslyn said Vaughn had lied to her too, and Emma said none of this had to happen because he was already on the WSB radar. Rocco getting locked up was for nothing. Josslyn said it wasn’t.

Laura said she’d been thrilled when Drew was elected, but she hadn’t expected him to abuse his power by going after people he didn’t like. He said she’d appointed her ex-son-in-law as acting Police Commissioner, but she said Dante was the next best senor detective on the force after Mac. He said she constantly supported Sonny, when accusing him of promoting his personal interests. She was no better than him.

Jordan said the race was about to be called and showed Laura her phone. Jordan said, congratulations. Four more years.

Josslyn told Emma and Gio that Dalton had another lab. She had respect for Emma. She left and Gio said the WSB would find Dalton’s hidden lab. Outside, Josslyn met Vaughn, who said, good job with Dalton, and kissed her.

Lulu agreed to Charlotte turning herself in, and Jason said he was proud of both of them. Nathan said they were free to go, but how did they get the key fob? Danny said they took it from Britt’s purse.

Sonny didn’t like the odds, but Ric told him not to give in to the temptation to help out. Sonny said, no Dalton, no case, but Ric said their strategy would work.

Britt said Sidwell needed to cut Dalton loose, and Sidwell said Dalton had become a liability. Britt said Dalton was a useless tool. He was sloppy and lied. Who needed that? Sidwell agreed and shot him.

Thursday:

At Windymere, Dalton harangued Sidwell about getting the WSB to back off him, and Britt said he’d lied to the PCPD, trashed his lab to frame a teenage kid, and put their operation at risk to throw a tantrum. Sidwell said he was a liability, but Dalton argued that he was an asset. Britt said he was a useless tool and she could do his work and her own. He was sloppy and lied. Who needed him? Sidwell said he had to agree and shot Dalton. Britt asked why he did that, and Sidwell said he took her advice and cut him loose.

Lulu congratulated Laura, and Laura asked how Rocco was. Lulu said he hated being in juvenile detention. She hated it more, but Alexis and Ric had a strategy that could make this go away. It was risky and involved… Boyle walked in and said Laura thought she’d won, but he wasn’t going down without a fight.

Willow went to see Alexis and said she wanted to take a more active role in her defense.

Nina met Chase at the Brown Dog, and he said he wanted to learn more about her new assistant.

At the MetroCourt, Michael gave Jacinda a picture of a spider that Wiley drew for her. Sonny came over to the table and asked if Michael was going to introduce him to his friend.

At a table nearby, Ava and Marco waited for Lucas. Ava said if Marco ever broke Lucas’s heart, they’d have a serious problem.

Carly got in the elevator with Lucas, and he said he was dining there with Marco, but if it was an issue, they’d leave.

Britt tried CPR, but Sidwell said she was wasting her time. Dalton was dead before he hit the ground.

Laura said the voters had spoken and Boyle lost. Try to be gracious about it. Boyle said the voters were idiots. She’d said her grandson was more important than they were, and the fools voted for her anyway. She said she stood up for her grandson, and he said her grandson broke into the lab and she’d pressured Dalton to drop the incident. She reminded him about due process, and he said Rocco would get what he deserved. She asked if he didn’t have a concession speech to write, and he said Sonny bought Laura the election.

Michael introduced Jacinda to Sonny, and Sonny said Michael spoke highly of her. He told Michael that the voters of Port Charles had done the right thing, and Michael asked if he had an update on Measure C. Sonny said it was too close to call, but it would be nice if they got two miracles in one night.

Alexis suggested it was better that Willow do nothing, but Willow said it was hard to sit back. Alexis said it was best for her to stay out of trouble and away from the spotlight. Stay away from Michael and the kids. Willow said she’d already screwed up that last part. She’d found out Nina was at the MetroCourt Gardens with Wiley, but saw Michael, her son, and Michael’s alibi acting like the perfect little family.

Ava said she and Lucas had connected during his stay with her, and Marco said he understood, but Lucas might be the best thing that ever happened to him. He’d never do anything to hurt Lucas and would do everything in his power to make Lucas happy.

On the phone Sidwell asked someone to come upstairs. He seemed to have made a mess. Britt said he murdered Dalton just like that, and he said, you’re welcome. She said she wasn’t thanking him. She’d wanted him to pay Dalton off and let him leave. He said she must have known she’d sealed Dalton’s fate when she ratted him out. This is what happened when you betrayed him. It’s what happened when you became more trouble than you were worth.

Chase said Jacinda was an odd choice for assistant, and Nina said she wasn’t talking without a lawyer. Chase said he wasn’t there as a cop, but as Willow’s friend. It was off the record. He wanted to help her daughter and clear her name. She said, one way was to invalidate Michael’s alibi. The only reason she’d hired Jacinda was because Michael forced her to.

Jacinda said she’d met Michael’s son and dad, and Michael said she’d been great with both. She said, it was so easy, sometimes she forgot it was pretend. Was their fake relationship feeling like it was getting pretty serious?

Laura said Boyle tried to use her connection to Sonny, but the voters saw through it. It was time to give it up. Lulu said, speaking of that, could she get a preview of his concession speech and reaction to the election results? He said, go to hell, and she asked if she could quote him. He said it wasn’t over, but Laura said the voters had rejected him and his toxic politics. A tantrum wouldn’t change that. She steered him out the door, telling him to go tantrum all he wanted, but not there. She slammed the door behind him.

Carly said Lucas and Marco didn’t have to leave, and apologized for what she’d said earlier. Lucas said he’d meant what he said. If she couldn’t accept Marco as a part of his life, he’d have to cut her out. The elevator door opened.

Carly sat down with Sonny, and he asked if she’d seen their son with Jacinda. Carly said she was distracted. It was weird in the elevator with Lucas and if she didn’t keep her big mouth shut, she may lose her brother.

Marco asked Lucas if everything was okay, and Ava said, it was his sister, wasn’t it? Carly had a lot of nerve, having a problem with them moving in together. Lucas said he hoped that Carly would see they were happy and they’d figure out a way to repair their relationship. Right now, he had no bandwidth to fight. He thought he was going to enjoy living in Windymere again.

Sidwell told Britt that he’d hired Pascal as his new butler, and she said Pascal strapped a bomb to her ankle and threatened her. Pascal said, it was nothing personal, and she said, it was annoying. Sidwell said Pascal had his uses. He wanted Pascal to escort her home. She was shaken up and he’d hate for her to do anything unwise.

Willow told Alexis that she couldn’t believe Michael exposed her son to a sex worker. She had to help prove her innocence. Alexis said if she wanted to help, it was simple. Tell her where she was when Drew was shot.

Chase suggested Michael and Jacinda had a quid pro quo arrangement and asked how Nina and Jacinda met. Nina said, when she was co-owner of the hotel, she saw Jacinda on dates, and he asked if she checked into a room. Nina said, often enough. She had to kick Jacinda out lest the hotel get a reputation. He said she knew Jacinda would be open to being paid for unconventional services, and she said she saw Jacinda with Boyle and knew she was the type of girl Drew would go for.

Jacinda told Michael that she loved working at Crimson. Nina resented her, but there was nothing she could do about it, so she was learning what she could until Nina got rid of her. He said Nina wouldn’t get rid of her, and she said she thought she was slowly earning Nina’s respect on the job. He said maybe it was her true calling, and she said it hadn’t happened because she hadn’t been given the opportunity. Boyle came by and asked why she hadn’t returned his calls.

Carly said she couldn’t stand by and watch Lucas get hurt, but Sonny said Lucas was crazy about the guy. Nothing she could say would change his mind. She said he knew Sidwell was dangerous, and he said they were still close. Her association with him came with a certain amount of risk. It almost cost Laura the election. Thank God she won.

Laura asked about the plan to free Rocco, and Lulu said, Alexis and Ric wanted Charlotte and Danny to come forward. They were hoping the corroboration of Rocco’s story along with the trace DNA would prove Dalton trashed his own lab and framed Rocco. She was proud that the kids wanted to help, but worried about the risk, and Laura said cover-ups rarely worked out and usually did more damage when the truth came out.  

Britt said she wasn’t going anywhere with Pascal and could get home fine on her own, but Sidwell said he insisted. She said, fine, and gave her keys to Pascal. She asked what Sidwell was going to do with the professor, and he said he believed Dalton still had some use.

Lulu told Laura that the decision had been made already and the kids were turning themselves in tomorrow. She prayed it made this nightmare go away. Laura said prison was too good for Dalton, and Lulu said she saw the video of Laura going off on him. Laura said it wasn’t one of her prouder moments, but he’d crossed the line and she couldn’t stand by and let it happen.

Michael said it was a private conversation, and Boyle said he’d pay triple what Michael was. Jacinda said Michael wasn’t paying her, and Boyle said the agency told him she wasn’t working there anymore, but a girl like her didn’t do anything for free. Michael got up and said he didn’t want to make a scene. Boyle needed to walk away, or he’d throw him out himself. Jacinda said it was okay. Boyle was an old friend. She told Boyle, sorry, but she’d found a new line of work. No hard feelings. Boyle said, fine, but don’t delete his number. Michael would drop her as quick as he picked her up. He left.

Carly said Lulu was worried about Rocco, and Sonny said him too, but Ric had a solid legal strategy. Carly wondered why Sonny hired Ric, and he said, Ric came to make peace and he gave Ric a chance to prove himself. She said she thought it was the worst mistake ever, but he said his eyes were wide open, but people could change – some for the better, some for the worse. He looked at Michael, and she asked if he was talking about their son. He said Michael had been through hell and back and it changed a person. He wasn’t exactly sure Michael didn’t shoot Drew and frame Willow.  

Chase asked Nina to call if she thought of something helpful, and she thanked him. She asked if he was sure he wouldn’t get in trouble with the department for going against him, but he said it was his job to insure justice was served and he believed Willow was innocent. She said she wasn’t so confident. A huge part of her wanted to shoot Drew too. He said quite a few people felt the same way, but she said, no one else fabricated an alibi for their daughter and made it worse. He promised to do his best to prove Willow innocent.

Willow told Alexis that Nina hurt her with the false alibi, but when she was questioned, she was afraid to contradict Nina. She’d thought it was Nina’s alibi. Alexis asked where she was, and Willow said, the hospital, working. Chase had just told her that the judge charged with her custody case had been murdered. She’d been led to believe the judge was sympathetic to her and she was devastated. So she went for a walk to clear her head, but it started to rain, so she sat in her car looking at pictures of her kids on her phone and crying. Alexis asked if she drove anywhere, and Willow said she’d been too much of a mess to go inside, so she drove, but didn’t go anywhere. Alexis asked if she stopped anywhere, but Willow said, no. She pulled herself together and drove back. She got soaked in the rain, but went back to work. Alexis asked if she drove by Drew’s house, but Willow swore she didn’t go anywhere near it.  

In her room above Bobbie’s, Britt said she was home. Pascal could go now. Pascal said she hadn’t changed. She still thought she was calling the shots. She’d proven she was unreliable and uncooperative. If she’d been more of a team player, he wouldn’t have had to flee the Five Poppies. She said, that wasn’t her fault, and he said she’d been given a second chance and wouldn’t be given a third.  

Laura said she had to finish some work, but Lulu suggested she give herself a night off and enjoy her victory. Laura said she thought Lulu and Charlotte should have some one-on-one time, and Lulu said she was so proud of Laura. They hugged and Lulu left.

Alexis said, the next thing would be Willow being deposed and her testimony being entered. Her whereabouts were the first step to proving her innocence.

Carly asked if Sonny believed Willow over their son, and he said Michael had a lot of reasons to shoot Drew. If he did it, it wasn’t a problem. Carly asked if he had sympathy for Willow, and he said, she made mistakes, but he didn’t think she should hang for something she didn’t do.

Jacinda said, sorry, and Michael said, that guy is a jerk. She said Michael couldn’t afford a public fight when there was a chance Willow could walk free, but he said Boyle had no right to speak to her like that, like she was bought and sold. She asked if that wasn’t what their deal was, when his phone chimed. He said, oh my God.

At the Brown Dog, Boyle ordered a whiskey.

Ava said, her treat, and Lucas said he was grateful she was supportive. She said she was happy for them, but confessed she’d miss their evenings of wine and watching trashy reality. Lucas said that was still happening. This one – he nodded toward Marco – thought he was too good for it. Ava’s phone signaled and she said Nina was on her way, so she was staying there. Marco asked if they should head home, and Lucas agreed.

Britt told Pascal that she’d do her work and keep her head down. She asked him to reiterate that she hadn’t spoken to anyone about their project, and he said, what about Jason Morgan and her mother? She said she knew her medicine would go away if she didn’t pull this off, and he said, what about the incident? She said, as far as she was concerned, she was there all night washing her hair, and he suggested she take an actual shower. There was still blood on her. He knew she was impulsive, but if she got the impulse to confide to anyone, remember they were watching her. He left and she screamed into a pillow.

While she was driving, Laura called Doc. She thanked him for his message and apologized for not getting back to him. It had been one helluva day. She knew it was midnight in Dublin, but wanted him to know his wife was still mayor. She wished he was there. She wanted to thank him for his patience, love, and support. She loved him so much. Call her. It didn’t matter what time. She’d be up. Her car began to wobble, and she said, no, not tonight, and pulled over.

Chase told Boyle, for what it was worth (🍷), he voted for him. Mayor Collins let organized crime run rampant and it was a slap in the face to law abiding citizens. Boyle thanked him and said he had nothing but the utmost respect for law abiding citizens. Would Chase like to join him in a drink? Chase said, yeah.

Willow thanked Alexis and they hugged. Willow said, it wasn’t a good alibi, was it? and Alexis said it wasn’t the best, but it was more believable than Michael’s fabricated alibi. Believability would work in her favor.

Nina joined Ava, and Ava said she didn’t know if they were drowning their sorrows or celebrating good news, but martinis were good for both. (Agreed.) Nina said she did something to help clear Willow, but she had to throw somebody under the bus. She had no choice, but she felt guilty. Jacinda may be the way to obliterate Michael’s alibi.

Sonny asked if Carly wanted to meet Michael’s new friend, but she said there was something she had to take care of first. She looked at a text from Jack asking if he was seeing her tonight.

Sonny went over to Michael’s table, and Michael said he had great news. It wasn’t public yet, but his sources at Aurora told him that Measure C didn’t pass. Sonny could keep his piers.

Marco said, welcome home, and he and Lucas went into the living room where Sidwell was reading. Marco said he thought Sidwell would be glued to the TV about Measure C., but Sidwell said he was trying not to stress about it. Pascal was working hard to put his mind at ease.

Britt took out her medicine and prepared a shot. As she was about to plunge in the syringe, her hand started to shake and she flashed back to Sidwell shooting Dalton. She sat on the floor and cried.

Laura got out of the car and discovered a screw had punctured a tire. She remembered she had flares in the trunk and opened it. She moved a tarp and revealed a dead Dalton. She backed away and screamed.

🫔 Friday’s Enchilada…

Laura opened her trunk and wondered, what on earth is this mess? She moved a tarp, uncovering Dalton’s dead body, and gasped.

There was a knock at Britt’s door, and she opened it to Jason He asked if it was too late, but she told him, come in. She asked if he’d believe her if she said she was glad to see him… What’s wrong? He said he had news about Rocco.

At the Brown Dog, Molly said she couldn’t believe Kristina had convinced her to come out again, and Kristina said, it only took a gazillion phone calls and messages. What case was so important she couldn’t steal away for an hour and have a drink with her sister? Molly said, first of all, it was never going be just an hour, and Kristina said, fair. Molly said, secondly, it wasn’t a case. Kristina assumed work was her whole life and that wasn’t true. She had plenty of other things going on. Kristina said, really? Like what? Oh wait. Hobbies? Molly said she had creative outlets and passions that Kristina didn’t even know about, when Cody walked in. Kristina asked him to come have a drink with them.

Sonny told Gio to have a seat and asked why he looked upset. What was going on? Gio said, Dante didn’t want him as his son, but Sonny said, that’s not true. Gio said it was, and it wasn’t going to change.

At the hospital on the phone with Tracy, Brook said everything was fine. She was fine; Chase was fine. Just enjoy her trip and know that they love her. They’ll talk soon. She leaned on a door and Michael put his hand on her shoulder.

Chase went to Alexis’s office and said he was driving by and took s chance that she’d be here. She said she was on her way out. Could it wait until tomorrow? He said, not really, but he promised to make it quick and worth her time, and she said, it sounds intriguing. What did he have? He said, Michael gave the police a false alibi and he could prove it.

Laura freaked out, saying, oh God… Professor Dalton… Oh my God. She touched the pulse point on Dalton’s neck and said, oh God. No, no, no.

Kristina asked how Outback was doing, and Cody said she was doing great. She’s grooved in. She was now friends with Hades and they were plotting something. Thanks for asking. Molly asked if he’d gone on any hikes lately and found any dads fleeing Ayahuasca cults, and he said, no. So far, just hers. She said she honestly couldn’t believe he rescued her father. She just couldn’t imagine what would have happened if he hadn’t been in the woods. He asked, how’s Ric? and she said, amazing. He’s been so positive and emotionally available since he’s been back. She was seeing him now more than ever, all thanks to Cody. Cody said, it was nothing, but Molly said, it was everything. He said, seriously, he was just in the right place at the right time, and she asked why he refused to take credit for the wonderful things he did.

Chase said, Jacinda Bracken was still working as an escort the night of Drew’s shooting, and Alexis said, relevance? He said, just that it’s possible she could have taken a job that night and Ezra hired her before. Alexis asked how he knew, and he said, Nina Reeves told him that she’d seen them together a couple times at the MetroCourt. Alexis said she was going to stop him there, because Nina would do anything to exonerate her daughter. She’d already given Willow a false alibi and made everything worse. He said, but he got confirmation, and she said, that Jacinda and Ezra were together the night that Drew was shot? From whom? He said, Ezra himself.

Britt asked if Rocco was okay, and Jason said, he was fine. Ric came up with a new legal strategy. They were going to turn the tables on Dalton. She flashed back to Sidwell shooting Dalton and asked how they were going to do that. He said, Danny and Charlotte were coming forward tomorrow morning, and she said, they’re going to turn themselves in? He said, yeah. They were going to say they broke into the lab with Rocco, but they didn’t destroy the lab. It was in perfect condition when they left. She said it sounded straightforward enough. Alexis was in agreement? He said, yeah. She believed this was Rocco’s best chance. Britt said, okay then. That’s what they should do. She thanked him for coming back to fill her in, and he said he knew how much she cared about Rocco, and she said, he might be the only one. Was there something else? He said Danny and Charlotte stole the key fob from her purse. Why did she have the key to Dalton’s lab?

Michael said, it’s not Ned, is it? and Brook said, no. Her dad was doing great. He said, thank God for that, and she said she was just talking to her grandmother… actually lying to her. Mostly by omission, but still, it was Tracy’s son and she would not be happy to find out. He said, with any luck, Ned would be out of the hospital by the time Tracy got home. She had to understand that even if she was here, there was nothing she could do about it. Brook said he made it sound so reasonable, but it was Tracy… He said, so be prepared for anything, and she said she loved Tracy and knew she had the best of intentions, but she would just stress Olivia out and try to take over her dad’s care. He said, and give the doctors a hard time, and she said, Olivia doesn’t need that, not after everything she’d been through. He said, Brook had been through a lot too, and she said she’d been terrified for her father, but he was okay. He made it and could only improve his health from here. Michael said she still seemed so upset. Why? She said she couldn’t stand it. Her heart was breaking over Dante and Gio.  

Sonny said it was amazing how Gio came clean with Dante. That must not have been easy. Gio said, Dante was Rocco’s father and deserved to know what happened and he did rope Rocco into the whole thing. Sonny said he assumed Dante wasn’t happy, and Gio said, he’s furious.  Sonny said, especially after what happened last spring, and Gio said, Dante was back to his old opinion of him, except now it was worse because this time he wasn’t looking out for his brother. Back then, he was just a random kid. Sonny said, he wasn’t just some random kid and things were a little more complicated than that. There were moving pieces he wasn’t considering. Gio said, those moving pieces didn’t matter because Dante wasn’t wrong. He let Rocco down, and Dante had every right to be angry. Sonny said, once Rocco was out of the detention center and time passed, Dante would be fine, but Gio said he didn’t think so. Sonny said, he was with the alcohol poisoning, but Gio said this felt different though. Sonny hadn’t seen him. Dante wasn’t mad at what he did. It was like Dante was more mad with who he was. Sonny told him, things were said because things got heated in the moment. That’s what parents did with children when they worried and the worry came off as anger. Gio said there was nothing between him and Dante. Dante was his biological father, but that’s where it ended. Sonny said Dante knew Gio was his son and loved him with all his heart, but Gio said he just felt bad. He didn’t want to put Sonny in the middle or make him choose sides. Sonny said he wasn’t choosing sides, and he was glad Gio came and talked to him. He wanted Gio to know that, no matter what, he could love his son and his grandson at the same time.

Laura said, oh my God, and flashed back to saying Dalton was trying to frame her grandson for a crime he didn’t commit and it wouldn’t end well for him. She closed the trunk and hyperventilated. She took out her phone and scrolled through the numbers. She said, Doc couldn’t help her. He was in Dublin… Okay. She made a call and Alexis’s outgoing message said, sorry, I can’t come to the phone. Laura said, dammit… Ugh… She looked at her car, then made another call. She said, hi. I’m in trouble… I’m out on Route 23… I don’t know what marker… Yes, mile It’s mile 8… Okay. She ended to call and said, oh my God. She got back into the car, cried, and banged on the steering wheel, saying, no, no, no, no, no.

Chase said he was at the Brown Dog, when who walked in but the one and only Ezra Boyle, and Alexis said, thank God there was only one of them. Was that tonight? He said, yeah. After Boyle lost the election, he was drowning his sorrows. She said she was really glad Laura won because she was worried when Boyle was ahead in the polls for that hot second, and Chase told her it was fair to say Boyle did not take the news well. He thought it was an opportunity to learn something and sat next to him and they got to chatting. Alexis asked if Boyle opened up to him, and Chase said, he did. He told Boyle that he voted for him and bought him a drink. Boyle trusted him, so he bought him a few more and Boyle told him his tale of woe. She said, and Jacinda was part of the tale? and he said, she was. After losing what Boyle said was a rigged election, he needed some TLC from his old girlfriend as consolation. She said, Jacinda is his old girlfriend? and Chase said, she’s something. When Boyle ran into her, he was run off by Michael Corinthos. Alexis said that was all well and good, but didn’t refute Michael’s alibi, and he said, it did if the last time they hooked up was the night Drew Cain got shot.

Brook told Michael that she wasn’t saying Gio shouldn’t take responsibility for his part in getting Danny, Rocco, and Charlotte in trouble, but he had. It was obvious he’d never meant for them to break into the lab. Michael said he got it. Sometimes parents were so worried about their kid, the other person’s intentions didn’t matter. She said, Dante was entitled to his anger. She would never say anything different, but when he got angry, Michael should have seen the way he went after Gio. He didn’t have a shred of empathy or attempt to understand. Gio tried to explain himself, but Dante wouldn’t hear it. At the end, he ended up saying some pretty awful things. Michael said he was sorry. It must have been hard to watch. She said she didn’t think she’d ever be able to forget it. All she wanted to do is wrap her arms around Gio and tell him everything was okay, but she couldn’t. There was absolutely nothing she could do.

Britt asked if Jason pretended to care about her just to get what he wanted, and he said, believe him or not, he did care about her. She said, when it suited him, but when he was needed elsewhere, bye. This was her room and she needed him to leave. He said, okay. He would after she told him what she knew about Dalton. He had something to do with her work at the Five Poppies and now she was here in Port Charles with the key fob to the guy’s lab. Obviously, she and Dalton were working together.

Nathan pulled up behind Laura, who noticed blood on her wrist. She said, dammit, and looked for something to wipe it off with. Nathan came up to the window and asked if she was okay, and she said, yes.

Michael tells Brook, not all fathers and sons have effortless relationships. In fact, he’d venture to say most probably don’t. It took work, the constant drawing and redrawing of the boundaries all the time. Look at him and his dad. She says she knows he and Sonny had… could they call it challenging times? and he says, let’s call them that, but the thing that made the biggest difference for him was his mom. Brook says, how so? and he says, the thing between him and his dad, even at their worst, he always knew they’d wind up being okay because of his mom’s support. Before she said he sounded hypocritical, keeping Willow away from Wiley and Amelia, Willow isn’t the kind of mother the kids could count on the way he counted on his. He wished things were different, but that was just the reality of his situation. But it didn’t have to be with her. She asks if he thinks she can do for Gio what Carly did for him, and he says, just do it. Reach out to Gio. She says, in person, on the phone, text? She doesn’t know what to say that would mean anything. He says he thinks she’ll be fine, but she says she’s paralyzed. He knows her and this has never been her. But when it comes to Gio, she’s terrified of doing something wrong that will push him further away than he already is. He says, she’s right. He does know her. That’s why he has faith she’ll figure it all out. She says she’s glad one of them does, and he says he’s thirsty. He’s going to the cafeteria to get a smoothie. She says, that would be great, and he says he’ll be right back. She thanks him for listening and talking her off the ledge. Or trying to. He says he’s been leaning on family a lot lately and it feels good to do something for someone else, especially her, and he leaves.

Alexis says she sees Chase had given a lot of effort here, and he says he wants to help Willow. She says she just wishes it would do the trick, but he knows she can’t put him on the stand, and he says, hearsay. She says, yeah. She’d have to depose Ezra, who will say Chase is making up the story. Even if by some miracle, he said Chase was telling the truth, she’d have to depose Jacinda, who wouldn’t confirm it. He says she doesn’t have to depose anyone. He’s a detective. He’ll get proof.

Kristina says, there’s Jacinda, who she’s going to go talk to now. She leaves, and Cody says, not the master of subtlety, is she? Molly says, never quite has been, but that doesn’t stop her from trying though.

Kristina approaches Jacinda and says, hey. She tells Jacinda that it’s great to see her and she’s been meaning to reach out. How is she doing? Jacinda says, busy, but good busy. How is it going with the Charlie’s restoration? Kristina says, actually, really bad. They uncovered some pretty bad structural damage after the fire, so the whole building has to be razed. Jacinda says, so she won’t be reopening ever? and Kristina says, nope. Jacinda says she’s so sorry, and Kristina says her too. She’s trying to be positive. Looking at it as one door closing and another opening. Some days she’s better at it than others. Jacinda says, of course (🍷) she is, but that’s a smart way to look at it. Kristina says, yeah. Do her a favor. Speaking of opening doors, could Jacinda laugh like she just said something really funny? Jacinda laughs, then asks why she’s doing this. Kristina says she’s trying to give those dummies a moment. She looks toward Kristina and Cody and says, they’re totally crushing on each other and they have no idea. Not yet anyway.

Britt says she doesn’t owe Jason an explanation, but he says, whatever was going on at the Five Poppies almost got her and Josslyn killed. She says, and obviously he’s still mixed up in it , and he says, she works with Dalton and he knows she’s in trouble. He wants to help. She laughs, and he says, but she can’t keep him in the dark like this. He wants to help. She says, if she tells him, she has to know he’ll put her first. She has to know that it’s worth her risking her life.

Laura tells Nathan that she’s fine. She’s tired a bit overwhelmed. He says she’s been underneath a rough campaign, and she says, it’s been a lot. She’s supposed to be congratulating her team right now and got a flat tire and… He says, one thing too many, and she says, yeah. He says she should be out celebrating, not stuck with a flat. She’s got a spare, right? He moves toward the trunk and she jumps out of the car. Sonny says, hello, officer… Mayor Collins. Is she in some kind of trouble?

Gio comes out of the elevator and sees Brook. He starts to avoid her, but she says, hey. He says, hey. Is Michael here? She says, yeah. He’ll be right back. He went to the cafeteria to get something. He asks if everything is okay with Ned, and she says, better than okay. He’s doing great. Gio says, that’s such a relief, and she says, it really is. If he doesn’t want to hang around, she’ll give Michael a message. He says he’ll wait. Sonny asked him to come by. He said Michael needed him, but he wasn’t sure what for. She says she thinks he meant she needed Gio.

Cody asks if Molly’s sister is coming back, but Molly says she doesn’t know. From look of it, she and Michael’s girlfriend get along like gangbusters. He says, she’s quite the looker, and Molly says, ya think? He says he means if you’re into that whole vibe… and Molly says, okay. When she first met Jacinda, she was a little skeptical. He says, how come? and she says she thought Michael had gotten himself an alibi. He says, it would have been one of her easier jobs, and Molly says, that’s what she thought too, but she doesn’t know. She guesses that sometimes you meet people under unusual circumstances, for the wrong reasons sometimes, and it turns out there’s just something about them. He says, they end up seeing the best in you, even if you can’t see it yourself.

Sonny says, when he called Laura, he knew she was upset. She said she had a flat? Give him two minutes and he’ll have it changed. Congratulations. He’s sure the last thing she expected was to be on the side of the road. Isn’t she supposed to be celebrating? Laura tells Nathan that she told Sonny she was in trouble, and Sonny says he has a bunch of tow trucks, but since it’s a flat, he’ll change it himself.  He was in the area and takes pride in changing a tire. Laura laughs unnaturally, and Nathan says, weird, but between the two of them, they’ll have it changed in no time. His phone rings, and he says, Detective West… Yeah. He’s got it… He’s on his way. Sonny says, duty calls? and Nathan says he hates leaving. He can call for back-up… Sonny says he wants to prove he can change a tire in two minutes, and Nathan asks if he’s sure. Laura says, positive, and Nathan says, all right. He’ll be on his way. Congratulations again. He leaves, and Sonny says, what are we dealing with here?

Gio asks what he can do, and Brook says, he could stay and listen. She promises not to take too long. He says, okay, and sits with her. She says, he needs to know that Dante doesn’t speak for her. She believes him. She knows he was just trying to help Emma save those animals. Period. He never meant for Rocco to get into trouble and there’s no way he could have guessed Rocco would. Gio says, no, he wouldn’t have gotten Rocco involved if he’d known, and she says, he was just doing the right thing and it went sideways. He’s not the first person that’s happened to and definitely won’t be the last. She knows he had the best intention. He says, it wasn’t enough though, was it? Someone still got hurt. She says, sometimes, they do… What is it? He says, just her saying that about trying to do good and having things go in a way you never saw coming. It’s kind of like when she gave him up.  

Chase tells Alexis that he’ll bring Ezra in on solicitation. He’ll have cause to question him. He’ll get a statement that proves Michael’s alibi is false. Alexis says, disproving Michael’s alibi does not exonerate Willow, but he says he doesn’t see how it can be anything but good for Willow’s case. She says she just wants to be clear. What he’s doing is risky. He has every right legally to question Ezra, but if he does, he’ll be wading into murky territory, especially given his history with Willow. Boyle is a former mayoral candidate. He asks if that puts him above the law, and she says, of course (🍷) it doesn’t, but he has allies in local, state, and federal government and they can be undercut if he says he was deposed against his will. Chase asks if she’s saying they can’t use it, but she tells him that she’s saying it’s not a slam dunk. And is it worth his career?

Cody asks how Molly’s lariat research is going, and she says she got what she needed and she’s on to the next subject. He says, which is? and she says, country music. She didn’t grow up listening to it and isn’t familiar with the genre. He says, which one? and she says, which one what? He says, there are a lot of different styles of country music. There’s bluegrass, there’s pop and rock, there’s folk… He can go on and on. She asks, which one can you dance to? and he says, why don’t they give this one a try? He gets up and holds out his hand. He bows to her, and she takes his hand. They dance, and she says, it’s not that bad. He says, right. It’s not that bad.

Gio says Brook couldn’t know what her mother and grandmother would do, and she says, the fact that he was down the block the whole time, but right. There’s no way she could have known what her ma and grandmother would do. Just like he couldn’t have known the kids were going to break into the lab. Can she ask him something? He nods, and she says, if Rocco told Gio what he was going to do, what would he have said? He tells her that he would have said, absolutely not. Then he would have gone to PCU and made sure the kids went nowhere near the lab. She says, that’s the thing. Rocco didn’t tell him. He can’t know what he doesn’t know. She puts her hand on his and he covers it with his other hand.

Sonny opens Laura’s trunk, and they look at each other.

Jason says Britt can trust him, and she says, if she tells him the truth, he has to stick around, no matter what. She cries, and his phone rings. He sees it’s Sonny, and she says, now that’s impeccable timing. Go on. He’s got to take that, doesn’t he? He says, what’s up?… Sonny says he needs Jason to handle something for him, and Jason says, right now? Sonny says he wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. He’ll send Jason the location. Jason says, okay. Understood. Britt opens the door and says, go. He knows he has to. He says, sorry, and she closes the door behind him.

Sonny says, Laura did the right thing by calling him. Now they’ve gotta go. Laura says, what about her car? and he says, don’t worry. He needs to think about this. Give him a minute… Listen to him. Getting to her car and putting a body in her trunk is like kicking over the first domino. And now the rest are falling. Does she understand what he’s saying? They’ve gotta go. She says, okay, and they walk off.

Alexis asks if Chase has voiced concerns to the precinct, and he says, yes. She says, great. Then he’s done his duty. He voiced his opinion. Let it be heard and overruled. He says, no, because it’s not right, and she says, he’s taking an enormous risk, but he says, Willow’s freedom is worth it.

Brook tells Gio that she’s all for taking responsibility. It was a hard-fought lesson for her, but she finally learned it. He asks, how? and she says, life, experiences. You don’t stop growing up when you turn 18. She’s still learning. He says he guesses they all are, and she says, which makes her even prouder that he owned up to his part in what happened. That takes guts. He says he messed up and owning it doesn’t change anything, and she says, wouldn’t it be great if it did? He’s allowed to have regrets, but not allowed to blame himself. It was Rocco’s choice that night. Dante was scared and lashed out. He was wrong and she has no problem saying so. He says he bets she won’t. Thanks, mom. They hug, and Michael sees them and smiles.

Cody and Molly dance, and she moves closer to him, putting her head on his shoulder.

Britt gets in bed and pulls up the covers. She flashes back to Sidwell telling her, let this be a lesson. This is what happens when you betray me. This is what happens when you become more trouble than you’re worth. She hugs her pillow and cries.

Jason changes the tire on Laura’s car. He gets in, starts the car, and drives off.

Back home, Laura cries and tells Sonny that she’s supposed to go congratulate her team, but she can’t do that now. He says, she was planning to do that, right? and she says, it didn’t go the way it was supposed to tonight. He says, listen, if somebody wants a hug or a handshake from the mayor, it doesn’t really matter at this point, and she says she knows. It’s just that when she saw Dalton’s body in her trunk, it’s like she got frozen. And she knew she should call the police, but she just stood there. He says, listen to him. Anybody that sees a dead body gets shaken up. Did she handle the body? She says she went to see if he had a pulse. She had to check. There was blood on her. He says, good thing the body is gone. She can’t ever have Dalton tied to her car. She asks what she should do, and he says, her car will be in her driveway tomorrow morning, after it’s been detailed. Dalton is gonna disappear for good, never to be seen again. She says she can’t do this, but he says, yes, she can. Look at him. Somebody is trying to make trouble for her. She says she knows, and he says, somebody who does not like the results. Does she understand what he’s saying? She says, yes. Ezra doesn’t like the results… Drew doesn’t like the results… It’s Sidwell.

On Monday, Jason says he’s going to prove to Britt that she can trust him; Turner asks Nathan to bring someone into custody; Sonny says Laura is opening both of them up to criminal charges; and Jack says this is what happens when someone disobeys his orders.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

Well, he had to go. There was no other way.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-comings-goings-daniel-goddard-exits-as-professor-henry-dalton/

I love that they gave her the opportunity to spread her wings. GH seems very good with that.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/kate-mansi-makes-general-hospital-directorial-debut-reveals-co-star-she-was-intimidated-to-direct/

If didn’t know or need to refresh like I did.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/what-did-general-hospitals-lulu-and-dante-have-to-do-with-michael-going-to-jail/

Highly doubtful he’ll be back on GH, but good to hear.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-alum-michael-easton-teases-comeback-after-work-sabbatical/

No surprise here. She was absolutely adorable!

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospitals-scarlett-spears-shines-alongside-ariana-grande-at-wicked-for-good-premiere/

💉 A Dose Of Reality…

Below Deck Mediterranean

Captain Sandy was steaming when she found all the deckhands in the crew mess while they were on charter. In her interview, she said Nathan knew better and as a leader should set an example. Primary Joe selected two women for dates, but they skipped out on him, while Eyebrows Joe wanted to see both Cathy and V. Or was is Kizzy and V? Or Cathy and Kizzy? Who the hell knows and does it really matter? After getting a $25K tip, it was dinner on shore and the hot tub afterward.

Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City

A celebration of Britani with high body count hair and a teddy bear station. Todd got defensive over getting caught looking at a woman on his phone and Bronwyn showed him the door. Temporarily. Mary opened her church and was rockin’ and rollin’. Britani’s boyfriend accused her of flirting with little cabin boys. Um… did he mean the deckhands? The tip amount for the charter is as yet unknown.

Southern Charm

Patricia threw Madison a baby shower, and in Madison’s interview, she said girls who claimed to love being pregnant were liars or sociopaths. Craig went blah-blah-blah, Paige betrayed him. Molly inherited some lizards and said she now had three cats and dogs, a gecko, and a corn snake. Good on her. Craig was annoyed with Venita as she’d said he was dragging out the breakup longer than need be, and Venita said Craig was a bitch and a certified a-hole, but not to his face. Salley wanted Venita to deal with Craig at the shower, but Venita didn’t want Craig to start ranting on Madison’s day. However, Craig did make a quilt for Madison that was quite impressive. Salley claimed it would be for the good of the group, which made me wonder if that really meant, for the good of the show.  

Real Housewives Of Orange County

We revisited the Amsterdam highs and I’ll say it again, these women should just stay high, and the others should get high. They’re much more watchable. There was a lot about Gretchen liking some homophobic post and I actually believed she could be mindlessly scrolling and like something. I know because I’ve caught people liking a post of mine and making a comment that clearly showed they didn’t read it. Apparently, Gretchers had an independent company do an analysis and said the worst post had been a fabrication. Her finger pointed directly at Tamra who tried to overtalk her. Tamra and Emily got into it, Tamra starting things by calling Emily an a-hole. The best part was when Tamra – who goes directly to screeching – wailed that Emily was calling her names. In a moment of collective clarity, the others pointed out that she’d done it first. The aftermath of the Amsterdam dinner was shown and there was a lot about Tamra leaking things and plotting things. Gretchen said Tamra was mad because she got caught, and Tamra said, no you, but was the only one screeching. Even Andy told her, don’t yell at me. I also noticed Tamra’s tears dry up really fast. The teacher in Fancy Pants said, this has to stop, and Emily said it was hard enough to deal with the dynamic as it was; they shouldn’t have to deal with outside people. At the end, Fancy Pants made a toast, saying, in order to move forward, the path has to be clear. Good luck with all that.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/rhoc-reunion-explodes-over-maga-politics-and-lies/

Random Reality Items

Sure, sure. For the good of the show group.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1425112/rhonjs-melissa-gorga-on-ending-teresa-giudice-feud

Will the Tres Amigas have a reunion or will Tamra finally be given the boot?

https://deadline.com/2025/11/vicki-gunvalson-returning-real-housewives-of-orange-county-season-20-cast-1236618331/

Because, LVP.

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

End Times. Amazon Prime. Filed under zombie apocalypse, a mercenary and an entitled young woman go on a trek to get out of their quarantine zone. No surprise, although the zombies are no picnic (well, sometimes it is for them), the enemy is really us. The story was solid and I enjoyed the characters, Craig Stark’s mercenary being reminiscent of an early Clint Eastwood. Gory AF, the special effects were excellent, although I found the ending to be a wee bit depressing.

Paradise Hills. Amazon Prime. This film was like a futuristic Stepford Wives and I was there for it. Uma is set to marry a member of the elite class, but she’s not happy about it, so she’s sent to a different kind of reform school, where women are reformed into more docile beings. While there, she and three other young women (one of them Awkwafina, a nice surprise for me)

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/paradise-hills-movie-review-2019

Frankenstein. Netflix. He ain’t yo mama’s Frankenstein. Half from Victor Frankenstein’s viewpoint and half from the creature’s, horror is once again elevated in this version of Mary Shelley’s classic book. Nothing like the original with Boris Karloff, but I wished Karloff was still alive to see it. (Although he’d be like 200 years old, so hypothetical.) The scenery, costumes, effects, everything is just magnificent.

https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/hot-take-i-think-frankenstein-guillermo-del-toro-best-movie

Characters with a difference.

https://www.slashfilm.com/2031238/oscar-isaac-victor-frankenstein-netflix-version-villain/

https://www.cbr.com/frankenstein-creature-jacob-elordi-designer-mike-hill-interview/

Soulmates. Netflix. A six-episode series about a test that finds your perfect soulmate and the results thereof. Needless to say, suddenly finding your surprise match is not always a good thing, especially if you’re already married, and I love a story about technology going bad. It’s nothing new, but still an amusing watch.

https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/amc-soulmates-tv-review

Wicked: For Good. At the cinema. Long story short, I play the game June’s Journey online and at present, they’re doing a crossover story with Wicked: For Good. They decided to have a focus group/movie party in NYC, and I was able to go. The whole thing was a blast – food, beverage, and movie candy and popcorn provided – but being able to see the film ahead of time, incredible. It’s just as magnificent on screen as the first part, perhaps even more, and every question you had about The Wizard of Oz is answered. And Scarlett Spears (Donna on General Hospital) is the sweetest thing ever as young Glinda. The best part for me were the fantastical animals, but the sets, costumes, and effects were mind-blowing, and I doubt you’ll be disappointed. Personally, I liked the story better in this one, although I liked the songs better in the first one. That could be because I know them better though. So hie thee hence to be off to see the Wizard.

https://deadline.com/2025/11/wicked-for-good-review-1236620980/

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wicked-for-good-reviews-what-critics-are-saying-1236430079/

https://www.theonlycritic.com/post/wicked-for-good-review-part-two-is-heartfelt-and-heavy-but-also-missing-a-little-magic

Where did they go?

https://ew.com/what-happened-to-the-wizard-of-oz-cast-11854142

Wicked: For Pekes

🤡 But Where’s the Clown…

I’m trying to keep up with this, but I consistently forget it’s on Sunday, and end up watching the previous week’s episode the next weekend. It might be a mental block since I’m spoiled by being able to watch whole seasons of series at once, and I resent episodes being doled out like methadone.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/welcome-to-derry-halloran-the-shining

🔮 Watch Of the Future…

This looks so good. Why are they making us wait so long? Isn’t that insanity with Stranger Things enough?

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/fallout-season-2-trailer-new-vegas

I’m definitely down for this. I missed the Shahs and if a mashup is what brings them back, I’m there for it.

https://deadline.com/gallery/the-valley-persian-style-trailer-premiere-bravo/

Oh look. Renewed before it even starts. <sigh>

https://ew.com/game-of-thrones-renewals-through-2028-house-of-the-dragon-and-a-knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-11853381

🏃‍♂️ Hoping To Watch…

Originally, I planned to wait for streaming, but after seeing the previews, this might be cinema worthy.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/the-running-man-review

🦃🎄 All the Holiday Movies…

Take your pick of Thanksgiving, Christmas, or both.

https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/best-thanksgiving-movies

https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/thanksgiving-movies-on-netflix

https://ew.com/best-black-christmas-movies-8763576

https://ew.com/greatest-christmas-movies-on-netflix-8761599

https://ew.com/best-christmas-movies-streaming-now-8751814

🏆 All Awards All the Time…

I’m not that into award shows, but if you are, here’s all the big ones.

https://ew.com/2025-2026-awards-season-calendar-when-are-oscars-11840259

🦤 More Strange and Unusual Than Lydia…

🫏 This is amazing. Mad respect for her.

https://ew.com/millie-bobby-brown-owns-62-pets-pregnant-donkey-blind-dog-11697789

🦌 I wonder if these are the same officers who mistook a dog with a weird haircut for a lion. Although, there was the time an abandoned dog was reported on my local Next Door and it turned out to be a decoration.

https://people.com/officers-respond-to-abandoned-dog-calls-find-reindeer-11853188

🐍 Oh… no. Just no. That thing is huge.

https://people.com/massive-python-crashes-through-ceiling-into-bathroom-11851217

🐕 And my last vacation was in 2004.

https://people.com/golden-retrievers-from-subaru-ads-going-on-biggest-adventure-yet-11847127

📜 Quotes of the Week

Living successfully… is a matter of solving the problems which stand between where we now are and the point we wish to reach. – Earl Nightingale

I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it. – Pablo Picasso

Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. – Lou Holtz

The way to get things done is not to mind who gets the credit for doing them. – Benjamin Jowett

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. – Melody Beattie

What and how much had I lost by trying to do only what was expected of me instead of what I myself had wished to do?Ralph Ellison

Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going. – Sam Levenson

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. – William James

Don’t be an a$$hole. If you are not sure if your comment will make you sound like an a$$hole or not, it probably does. Don’t write that. – from rules of conduct for the Clutterbug Facebook group

As I’ve said before, I prefer to handle these situations the way you handle an angry driver who honks and flips you off on the highway. You just ignore them, you know, unless you’re in New Jersey. Then, technically, that’s a marriage proposal. – Seth Meyers

🙏 Thankful For All Things…

Until next week, stay safe; stay focused on being grateful for what you have and not on what you don’t have; and stay remembering that cover-ups rarely work out and usually do more damage when the truth comes out.

Happy Thanksgiving!

April 18, 2025 – GH Weekdays, Natalia Gets Blindsided, Soap Suds, This Week In Reality, Weekend Watch, In My World & One

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

🥢 Weekday Bites…

(new and improved for easier reading)

Monday:

Jack asked Carly how it went, and she said she’d planned to have a strong stance on Michael’s behalf, but Willow was so smug and condescending, she lost it. She may have just handed Michael’s children over to Willow and Drew.

Willow said it was supposed to be a joyous time, but Carly ruined it, and Drew said he wasn’t going to let Willow lose her kids. She said she knew Carly could be mean and vindictive, but this time she was on the receiving end. Carly had just been giving Michael what he wanted, and never really gave a damn about her.

Portia told Trina that the procedure was brand new, and Trina said, even if Kai could play again, one bad hit and he could end up paralyzed, but he’d already made up his mind without Portia’s opinion. Portia said she finished her research and Trina asked what she found out.

Ava visited Ric, who asked how things went with Alexis. She said she told Alexis everything and if Alexis didn’t meet their demands, she’d talk to Molly and cops about the attempted murder. Alexis had until 9 am tomorrow.

In front of her house on the phone with Diane, Alexis said she hadn’t signed the commitment papers yet, but she’d do it tonight. She went inside and Kristina was there. Kristina said she looked spooked. Sonny went to Laura’s office to talk about the political hurricane she’d mentioned, and she said it was still a possibility the city could seize control of his waterfront property.

Sonny said he’d thought the esplanade location had been settled, and Laura said so did she. Sidwell and Drew tried to force her to move the esplanade from the original location to Sonny’s piers using eminent domain. She’d thought she shut it down, but they wouldn’t let it die. She’d decided to allow the people of Port Charles to decide where the esplanade should be located in a city-wide referendum.

Carly told Jack that she’d thought it was Drew’s influence, but it was 100% Willow. They welcomed her into the family, stood beside her, rallied behind her, and this was how she was repaying their love and kindness. Carly blew up, they went at it, and it got bad. Jack said they’d come up with a plan and mitigate the damage together.

Drew said Carly was a user. He went to prison for her and when the relationship was over, it was as if nothing they’d shared mattered. Willow said Carly had told her that she’d always care about Drew, and Drew said they both know Carly was a liar. The battle Carly was waging said more about Carly than Willow. She’d done everything she could to meet Michael halfway and none of it was her fault. Willow said she didn’t think so either. Moving in was what she wanted and good for the kids. Nina came back, and Willow said, this was supposed to be a day of celebration. Drew said he would make sure Carly never set foot in this house again and wondered if he should get a restraining order. Nina thought that would be rash, but Drew said, Carly literally almost hit Willow. Nina said Carly was clearly in the wrong, but they weren’t going to gain or fix anything by being as extreme as Carly. They needed to stay calm and focused, and compromise. It was the only way they were going to have peace. They were the reasonable ones and being cool and rational would work in their favor with the judge later. The doorbell rang, and Drew opened the door to Kai, who asked if it was a bad time.

Portia said Kai had asked her medical opinion, so she couldn’t disclose it to Trina. Kai had a tough decision, but it was his decision. Trina said he could live a good life the way he was. He’d already accepted that he wouldn’t be playing football and was working hard to find peace and move on. Portia asked this wasn’t really about Spencer.

Ric said it may not be the done deal Ava thought. Alexis might love her high-minded principles more than her daughter. Ava said Alexis wasn’t letting Kristina go to prison and the mere accusation would tear her girls apart, probably for good. Ric said he’d never underestimated Alexis, and while Ava thought she’d given Alexis 24 hours to make a decision, she also gave Alexis 24 hours to come up with a strategy to save Kristina.

Alexis said it had been a long day and asked why Kristina was there. Molly came out and said she told Kristina that Alexis would forget, and Kristina said, welcome to their Davis girls night – Noodle Buddha and a movie. She asked for Alexis’s phone, and Molly said they were unplugging, shutting out the rest of the world, relaxing, and having fun. Alexis said it was exactly what she needed.

Trina said it had nothing to do with Spencer, but Portia said she’d had a horrific, traumatic loss and Kai was the first young man she’d had feelings for since then. Maybe she was worried she’d lose him too. Trina said she didn’t want to watch something terrible happen to someone she cared about. She’d watch him play and get hit, praying he didn’t get hurt, but knowing at any given moment he could get seriously injured. She didn’t know if she could go through it again.

Drew said he was in the middle of a family crisis, and Kai said, no problem. Drew said they’d talk soon, and Kai left. Drew left to handle something, and Willow wondered how Nina could ask her to compromise. Carly compared her to Nelle, and even though they were twins, they were nothing alike. Nina said Carly was just trying to push her buttons, and Willow said she felt horrible about hurting Michael, but Carly implied she’d never loved him, was more manipulative than Nelle, and that she was trying to take Wiley from him like Nelle did. Nina said it was a gross exaggeration, but Willow said maybe deep down she was scared there was some truth to it.

Carly told Jack that she’d laid down the law and she and Willow both lost their tempers. She’d said Willow was taking advantage of Michael’s absence, and when Willow told her that Michael had no say because he wasn’t there, she lost it. Jack asked if Carly thought it was Drew’s influence, and Carly said she used to think so, but Willow had changed. She was glued to the idea of being a victim who loved her children and had just fallen in love. Everybody else didn’t know what they were talking about. When Willow said things about Michael, she lost it and almost hit Willow, but Nina had texted Jason, who showed up and stopped her. Jack said, as he saw it, she did exactly what needed to be done.

Sonny asked if somebody was pressuring Laura to come after him, and she said it was no secret that Congressman Cain and Councilman Boyle were making an issue out of their friendship. They were going to make it public that they believed the mayor was protecting the local crime boss. Sonny said that wasn’t true and they were just bullying her. Don’t let them. She said she didn’t, but she had intervened so Sonny could hold on to the piers. Not because of him, but because she believed it was the right thing for Port Charles. She’d recently come to realize the location shouldn’t just be up to her or him or Drew or Boyle. The esplanade was for the people of Port Charles, and they should decide where it went. Sonny disagreed and said he ran a legitimate business at the piers. If they tried to take it from him, he wasn’t going to let them. She said she needed him to trust her. She had another reason, but couldn’t go into it. Rocco showed up and asked if everything was okay.

Ava told Ric that Alexis couldn’t strategize away evidence. She had video footage and had the car. When she found out the wires had been cut, she had the car moved to a storage facility she used for the gallery. It was her most treasured piece of art. Ric asked how she managed it, and she said she bribed the mechanic of course (🍷). If anybody else asked, he’d say it went through the crusher. He said, what if she needed to prove Kristina’s guilt? and she said she’d have it towed back and call the PCPD. They’d establish the brakes were tampered with before the crash, but it wouldn’t come to that. Alexis was going to meet their demands.

Kristina said eating Noodle Buddha was odd without Sam, and Molly said Sam would be happy they supported the restaurant since it meant so much to her. Alexis said, she and Jason were married there, and Molly said, Sam would be happy the Davis women were back together. She’d really missed Kristina. It was like a part of her had been missing. Kristina said she was sorry she’d made it impossible.

Trina told Portia that she’d developed strong feelings for Kai. He was a kind, generous, and funny guy. Portia said, and he wasn’t bad looking. She understood Trina was afraid to lose him, but she couldn’t force him to live in a bubble. Trina said it wasn’t about her feelings. She was genuinely scared. Kai was putting his trust in Drew and this miracle surgery. What happened if it failed?

Willow told Nina that she was unnerved about being Nelle’s fraternal twin, and even though their DNA wasn’t identical, she’d wondered if she was capable of the same cruelty. Nina said there was nothing cruel about standing up to Carly and refusing to be verbally beaten up, and Willow wondered why so many people had turned against her when she didn’t do anything wrong. (Okay. The jury is back and has confirmed Willow is a moron.) She could see why Nelle felt misunderstood and angry at the world. Nina said Willow wasn’t her sister. Nelle was mentally unwell; Willow wasn’t. Look at everything she accomplished and had to overcome to become who she was. Wiley and Amelia belonged with her because she was a wonderful mother. Willow took Nina’s hand and thanked her, and Nina said she still thought Willow needed to compromise with Michael and his family… Drew came back and asked if they could table this for now. He thought they all needed time to decompress. Nina told Willow to try and relax and have a good evening. They hugged and Nina left.

Carly said she knew she’d made it a thousand times worse, but Jack said, on the contrary. She put on the necessary pressure, and they were going to go on the attack. Trust him. She may have just helped Michael win custody of his kids.

Sonny said he and Laura were just talking business, and Rocco asked if Laura could listen to his debate speech. Sonny said Rocco’s grandmother was the consummate public speaker, and Laura asked if it was okay if Sonny stayed to hear Rocco’s speech. Rocco said, if he had the time, and Sonny said he was never too busy for Rocco. Dazzle him.

Ava said if Alexis didn’t want her family blown up, she’d have to pay, and Ric asked if she didn’t think her desire for revenge was a mistake. Ava said, nope, and Ric said Kristina had graduated from being reckless and out of control. She had a screw loose and if she wasn’t brought to justice, she’d be free to come after Ava again. Ava said she’d constantly have to watch her back. The money was no good to her if she was dead. Ric asked if she thought her plan was really a good idea.

Kristina told Molly that she’d missed this. She couldn’t stop thinking about the terrible things she did and said and wished she could take them back. Molly said her too, but all was forgiven, so it was time to move past it. That may be the one good thing to come from her dad’s accident. She wanted her sister back and this brought them together. Kristina asked how her dad was doing, and Molly said he was upbeat, but still had a long road ahead. He and Elizabeth were lucky to be alive. Alexis said they were going to make a full recovery, and Molly said after that, they’d never have to think about this nightmare again.

Kai called Portia and she asked Trina to step outside. He asked if Portia was able to do the research, and she said she’d like him to stop by her office.

Willow said Drew was telling her that there was no way she was going to lose her kids, Michael listened to Carly, and she was going to push. She was ruthless and lethal when she needed to be. That’s why Willow was afraid to tell Michael that she was moving the kids into Drew’s, but now she thought she made it worse. If Michael came at her, guns blazing, how was she going to stop him?

Carly said she failed to see how she’d helped, but Jack said they knew she’d fought for her children before and was relentless. She’d made a declaration of war today and history predicted the future. Willow was going to panic and be the damsel in distress, prompting Drew to be her knight in shining armor. Drew was so arrogant, he would do something big to save the day. He’d overreach and make a mistake that Carly would be able to use against him.

Ava said she could live with uncertainty, especially if she was being well-compensated. She could hire security. She asked if Ric was getting cold feet, and he said he guessed he could console himself with a fat payday. She said, even if Kristina didn’t pay? and he said Molly couldn’t lose another sister. Despite how he felt about his daughter, she couldn’t handle another tragedy. On a less noble note, Alexis was a woman of integrity, and if she had to swallow her self-righteous principles and commit embezzlement, that sounded like justice to him. Ava said Alexis didn’t know about his involvement and she thought she’d keep it that way. As long as Alexis didn’t know about his part, it would be smooth sailing for him and Molly. He said that was very generous, as long as Ava didn’t keep his share of the cut.

Molly said, rom-com or legal thriller? and Kristina said, rom-com. She’d already had too much drama. Alexis asked if she was letting go of her anger and resentment, and Kristina said she thought she was. Not just in her relationship with Molly, but about the baby. Her toxic need for revenge had swallowed her up and she’d lost sight of what was important. That wasn’t her. Molly asked if she’d come to that conclusion all on her own or was she in therapy, and Kristina said, both. Alexis said she was glad Kristina was doing better.

Laura said Rocco’s speech was brilliant, and Sonny said he was as good a public speaker as his grandmother. Laura suggested he make more eye contact, and Sonny told him, when he believed in himself, other people would believe in him. Rocco left, and Sonny said maybe he could get Rocco to make a case for the esplanade. Laura said that was one reason she wanted to put the location to a public vote. She didn’t want it coming between them.

Willow said maybe she needed to compromise, but Drew said she had all the power. She said, what if Carly tried to take the kids? but he said that wasn’t going to happen. Willow was their only functioning parent and had custody, but God forbid if something happened to her. They had to make sure Carly and Tracy never got their hands on the kids. Willow said he couldn’t guarantee that, but he said he actually could. He took some papers out of his briefcase and said he had the answer right here.

Portia told Kai that she’d looked into the procedure and the surgery was cutting edge. She was surprised Drew heard of it. Did he mention how? Kai said, no, but he was glad Drew was looking out for him. He was going to tell Drew tonight that he was ready to meet the doctor, and he didn’t get the chance, but he really did want to hear her opinion. She said she’d researched it thoroughly and her honest opinion was that she couldn’t in good conscience recommend the surgery. There were dozens of cases, and it was confirmed that three patients ended up paralyzed as a direct result of the procedure. He said, some of the surgeries were successful, and she said, two. He said he was going to be the third.

Drew said Willow shouldn’t put off protecting her family and kids. If something happened to her, if she was hurt or incapacitated, the papers made him the kids’ legal guardian. She would also be legal guardian of Scout if something happened to him. Willow said it was a huge step, and he said it was a necessary one. Did she agree it was a good idea? After a moment’s hesitation, she said, yes. Carly wouldn’t stop until she got her hands on Willow’s children. She had to protect them and trusted him more than anyone in the world to look after her kids. It was exactly what she wanted. He took a convenient pen out of his back pocket, and she signed the papers.

Jack said Carly was going to use Drew to win custody, but she said Jason told her that she’d made the battle harder. He thought she should suck it up and play nice. Jack said, the only reason to play nice was to convince the opposition to compromise. With Drew, she had to trick her opponent into making a mistake, which he was certain would happen. She’d laid the trap beautifully. She needed to sit back and wait while he took the bait.

Sonny said he respected that Laura was stuck between their friendship and her position as mayor, and she said, for what it was worth (🍷), she wanted the vote to go his way. He said if it didn’t, his lawyer would put up a helluva fight – not with her. Rocco reminded him they’re family and family always comes first. Laura said, always.

Ava said she’d never cut Ric out of the deal. She may have been the intended target, but he almost died. He deserved a payday as much as she did. He said people got shifty when it came to a jackpot like this, and she said, if Alexis decided to protect her lunatic daughter, she’d have to pay double.

Alexis took the papers out of her bag and looked at her girls. Kristina told her to hurry up and she put the papers back in her bag.  

Tuesday:

Gio was playing a tango on his violin outside when Brook came along. She said she was hoping to get him to help her. Lucy got her in a bind.

Chase found Lois in the solarium, and said he was glad he was back. She said she thought he’d never be happy to see her again.

On the phone at the gallery, Ava told Ric there was no sign of Alexis. She was cutting it close. Dante went into Ric’s room and Ric hung up on Ava. As Ava wondered what happened, Trina walked into the gallery.

Lucky brought Elizabeth home, and Lulu, Laura, and Aiden were there to welcome her. Josslyn did classwork at the Surf Lodge, when Emma came in.

Kristina went with Molly to visit Ric, and Dante asked to talk to Kristina.

On the phone in the office, Diane talked to someone about petitioning the court for an involuntary commitment. Alexis walked in, and Diane said everything was set. All she needed was the papers. Alexis said she couldn’t, but Diane said it was the only way to save her daughter.

Josslyn told Emma that catching up was a little overwhelming. She had no regret about going to Easter Island, but she saw some all-nighters in her future. Emma said when she transferred, everyone had a support system already. It was hard at first, but she found her footing and thought Josslyn would too. Emma had to get to class and left, when Josslyn suddenly remembered that she, too, had a class, and left.

Lucky put Elizabeth on the sofa, and Lulu told her that Aiden and Lucky had been working to make sure everything was perfect. They’d set up a bedroom on the first floor and Aiden had been cooking up a storm. Amy arrived and said, reporting for duty.

Trina told Ava that Drew suggested a cutting-edge surgery to Kai so he could play football again, but she doubted it was out of the kindness of his heart. It was risky, but there was no changing Kai’s mind. If it went wrong, Drew would lose nothing, but Kai was risking his health and maybe his life.

Chase said Lois wasn’t an easy person to stay mad at, and she said she knew he was in a difficult position. All those years ago, she’d told Brook not to tell Dante about the baby, and when it came out, she told Brook not to tell Chase. Chase said he resented it for a while, since he’d put himself in Dante’s shoes and he’d want to know.

Kristina asked if she was under arrest, but Dante said, not yet. He asked how their dad was doing, and she said, good. She thought it was a huge relief that he was able to tell Dante and asked what a detective was doing investigating a car crash.

Diane told Alexis that Kristina had severely injured two people in an attempt to kill a third. There was no choice. If there was an investigation, they’d have an insanity defense ready. Alexis said she didn’t sign the papers and didn’t intend to, but Diane said it was the only way to protect her daughter. Alexis asked what good it did to protect her if she destroyed her in the process.

Chase told Lois that he’d wrestled with telling Dante, who was both his best friend and his partner. But it was Brook’s secret, not his. He couldn’t be angry for a decision made a lifetime ago. He had to honor her choices and not say anything.

Brook said she was co-producing the Nurses Ball and Gio was the first person who came to mind. How did he feel about a solo act? He said he didn’t think he was the best fit. Classical music for the wrong audience would put them to sleep. Brook insisted that wouldn’t happen.

Amy threw out a lot of instructions for Elizabeth, and said any food that caused inflammation should be tossed out. She gave Lucky a list and Lulu suggested they look at Elizabeth’s new bedroom. We heard Amy say they needed a humidifier, refilled every l2 hours and cleaned at the end of the day. Aiden said she was already too much.

Molly brought Ric a double espresso and he said she was an angel. She told him that it was Kristina’s idea.

Dante told Kristina that he came to see how his uncle was doing. His mom would want him to do the Bensonhurst thing, stop and check on a relative, regardless how he felt about them. It was nice that Molly and Kristina were talking again. Kristina said, the accident changed everything. Her sister needed her, and she needed her sister. Diane asked, what changed Alexis’s mind? and Alexis said, Kristina and Molly came over. They were loving each other and laughing, and she knew Kristina needed the support and love of her family. If she sent Kristina away, it would shatter Kristina’s trust in her. Diane said Kristina would understand Alexis putting her well-being first, but Alexis said she knew Kristina would never forgive her and she’d be the one destroying Kristina’s relationship with her sister for good.

Trina told Ava that her mother talked to Kai and advised against the surgery, but she didn’t think it mattered. She was sure he was going ahead with it. Ava asked if there wasn’t a chance success, and Trina said she’d love to believe that, but still thought it was the wrong decision. Ava asked what Kai said about her concerns, and Trina said he wanted her to support his decision, but how could she do that if it was the wrong one? Ava said it would be hard, but ultimately, she had respect Kai’s right to make the choice for himself.

In the kitchen, Lulu asked Aiden to help Amy move Elizabeth’s bed, and when he left, she asked Lucky how it was going. He said, fabulous. He had no idea what he was doing. She said, with the fridge or Elizabeth? Laura said she was happy Elizabeth was back in Lucky’s life, and Elizabeth said it would be worse if he wasn’t there. She was happy to have both him and Laura here. With Cameron and Jake away, it would be a lot for her and Aiden. She was glad to have family she could rely on. Laura said she always would. Elizabeth was a very important part of the family.

Kristina asked what Dante and Ric talked about and he said, sports. He was hoping Ric could let go of some grudges. Kristina wondered if it was possible to move on after so much had happened that was bad.

Molly asked what Dante wanted, and Ric said, to check up on him. They didn’t have much to say. Dante probably had the same opinion of him as Sonny did. He’d thought Dante was investigating the accident. She wondered what there was to investigate about an accident, and he said, the mystery of black ice in spring. She said, it would be nice if something good came out of it, and he said, him and his nephew or her and her sister?

Alexis told Diane that Molly would want to know why and when she found out Kristina tried to kill her father, and she’d be done. Alexis would lose what was left of her family. Diane said if there was an investigation, Molly would find out anyway, and it was better if she heard it from Alexis, but Alexis said, if there was no investigation, she’ll have destroyed her family for nothing. Diane asked if Molly wouldn’t be relieved that Kristina was getting help, but Alexis said she’d know it was a legal strategy. Diane said she might, but she couldn’t think of another way to keep Kristina out of prison. Their options, legally speaking, were limited. Alexis said committing Kristina couldn’t be the only way to handle the situation. She was going to keep quiet and cover it up. Her phone dinged with a text from Ava: Don’t be late.

Kai brought Trina to the Surf Lodge and said he had something important to tell her. Her mom was against the surgery and thought it was a longshot, but he’d beaten the odds before. Football meant too much to him and if there was even a chance, he needed to take it. He was going to have the surgery.

Lois told Chase that after Brook gave birth, she didn’t even want to hold the baby. She knew if she did, she’d never let it go. She put her child’s needs above her own on day one and loved her child with her whole heart. Chase said it wasn’t easy for Lois either. She had a grandkid she’d never met. Lois said she had faith in the nuns to find the right adoptive parents. She was choosing to believe her grandchild was healthy and loved.

Brook said she’d seen Gio play, and he said, okay. He’d do it. It’s the Nurses Ball for cryin’ out loud. (Aww. I miss Scotty.) He was glad she was producing him and not Lucy. Not that there was anything wrong with that. Brook said there was plenty wrong. Stick with her. He’d knock their socks off.

Lulu said, Lucky and Elizabeth were spending more time together since the accident, and Lucky said he wanted to take care of her as long as she’d have him. Laura came in to get tea for Elizabeth and Lulu took it to her. Laura asked how Lucky was, and he said, good, but she said she knew when he was holding something back. She guessed it had something to do with Elizabeth. Aiden told Elizabeth that Amy made him move the bed four times and Elizabeth couldn’t use her comforter because of dust mites. She was going to be there eight hours a day every day. Was Elizabeth sure about this? Elizabeth said it was just a few weeks before she’d be back on her feet. Until then, they could go through anything. Lulu said, famous last words.

Emma said she couldn’t believe they’d let Josslyn into Professor Dalton’s class. She had to beg to be admitted after being on the waitlist. Josslyn said she was grateful, and Emma was Dalton’s star student. Emma said she was just lucky, but Josslyn said she’d certainly impressed Dalton.

Diane said she was Alexis’s lawyer but was her friend first. She knew Alexis was a wonderful mother, but what Alexis was suggesting scared her. Kristina committed a serious crime and wanting to cover it up could have serious consequences for Kristina and Alexis. Alexis said she’d cross that bridge when she came to it, and Diane said, fine. If Kristina was arrested, she’d do everything in her power to protect them both. But she’d be charging Alexis double for not taking her advice. Alexis said she knew what she was doing seemed unreasonable, but she had to do it. She thanked Diane for helping, but she was going to take it from here. She left.

Josslyn said, the professor commended Emma’s performance in class. It was refreshing. Emma was obviously listening. Not everybody did. Professor Dalton appeared and said, maybe it was because Emma was easy to listen to. Josslyn jumped up and introduced herself and said it was the first lecture of his she’d attended. She’d been away on a grad trip, but she was back and would be there for the rest of the semester. Dalton asked if she wasn’t starting late, and Josslyn said she’d been determined to get in. She found the subject fascinating. Dalton said he was accepting applications for an undergrad research assistant and thought she should apply. He went to another table, and Emma told Josslyn that she knew what she was doing this summer. (D’oh!)

Lucky said Laura’s advice wouldn’t be the worst thing, and Laura said he and Elizabeth had always had a powerful connection. Just be brave and say it. Be honest. He said he appreciated her advice. He missed her while she was away, but he could hear her in his head. He didn’t always follow her advice, but he heard it. She said it was because she was his mom. She’d always be with him. Aiden set up a Scrabble board, when Amy came in and said it was time for Elizabeth’s nap. Laura said, maybe it was for the best. She had to get to a press event, but they’d play next time. Aiden took Lulu to the side and said, whatever she does, don’t leave them alone with that woman.

Trina told Kai that she had concerns. She felt he was being rushed into a risky procedure and didn’t like that Drew was the one making it happen. Kai said he understood, but the surgeon was legit, and he was aware of the risk. He was going into this with his eyes open. He had a good feeling about it and had to go for it. It would mean a lot if she was by his side.

Ric asked if Kristina apologized for saying Irene was not Molly’s daughter, and Molly said, Kristina acknowledged all of her mistakes. After the accident, Kristina was her rock. She didn’t know what she would have done without her. Ric said, what about when the crisis was over? and Molly said Kristina was a flawed person and she didn’t think Kristina would be perfect for the rest of their lives, but she thought this time it was different. He said, how so? and she said, because now they knew what they stood to lose.

Dante said it was possible to move on, and Kristina asked, how? Dante said he did it. After his assignment with the WSB, he was in bad shape. He had setbacks, but eventually moved on and put it behind him. She said it seemed like a part of life she didn’t think she could forget, and it didn’t seem possible to move on, but he said he saw her putting in the work. He was proud of her.

Alexis went to the gallery, and Ava said she thought Alexis wasn’t coming. She was about to go to the DA’s office to have a chat with Molly. Alexis said Ava was getting what she wanted. She had the funds from the Cassadine estate transferred to a Swiss bank account where they’ll be transferred to Ava’s account in installments. The first one should arrive as they speak and by July, every dime of her divorce settlement would be back. Their business was concluded. Alexis started to leave, and Ava said, about that. The price has gone up. Her divorce settlement was a great start, but that wasn’t all she wanted.

Trina said she’d have Kai’s back – no pun intended. He kissed her and said he’d be back on the field in no time, and all this would be worth it.

Lucky went to get Elizabeth’s book from the car, and Lulu told Aiden, don’t worry. Everything would work out fine. Aiden said, famous last words. Lulu followed Lucky outside, and he said she could make a break for it. She said, Amy may not work out. She’s a bad fit. Lucky said there was no other option, but she said there was – him.

Gio was playing his violin outside, when Lois came by and wondered if she’d heard him playing something from this century. He asked if it was okay, and she said, it was amazing. He said he was trying out pieces for the Nurses Ball, and she said Brook would make sure he was great. He said she was producing him, and Lois said she loved that they were teaming up. Gio said him too. His mom said practicing on his own was the only way to grow as an artist, but working with other artists and the right collaborator was the key to being great. Lois said his mom was always looking out for him, and he said she still was, in a way.

Brook found Chase in the solarium and said Lucy wanted to know what song he was performing, but he said he didn’t know if was up for that. Brook said he had to. It wouldn’t be the same without him. He said he needed incentive. If he did it, he’d need a very hands-on producer. She asked, how hands on? and he said he’d need help with the music, and getting in his wardrobe, and getting out of his wardrobe. She said, in that case, sign her up, and they kissed.

Alexis said the point of blackmailing her was for Ava to get her divorce settlement back. What changed? Ava said the divorce settlement was already hers. Alexis was giving her back what was stolen in the first place. Alexis asked what she felt entitled to now, and Ava said, compensation pay for Kristina’s attempt on her life. And compensation for Ric’s pain and suffering. Alexis asked how Ava was going to compensate Ric, and Ava said what she did with her money was her business. Alexis’s business was to keep the payments coming. Ava’s phone dinged and she said the first payment had been deposited. Alexis said she was going, and Ava said, one more thing. Keep a leash on her daughter or the price might skyrocket.

Kristina said she’d made a bad choice and was trapped in rage and hate, and Dante said but she saw it and stopped it now. Or she was trying to. She said she had to not let the things that went wrong in her life hold her back.

Ric said he knew what it was like to be estranged from a sibling, and Molly asked if he wished things had been different. He said, no. Things were different, briefly, once upon a time. Molly told him that their mom said they’d need each other someday, especially now that Sam was gone. They both put up a helluva a fight, but their mom wouldn’t let it go. She was right and now Molly had her sister back. Ric’s phone buzzed and there was a text from Ava: $$$$$. He said he was glad Alexis was able to give that to her, and Molly said her too.

Josslyn said, the professor only invited Emma to apply. She was still competing with other applicants, right? Emma said, of course (🍷). Everyone would want to assist Dalton. Josslyn said he did single Emma out. That was good news. Emma said now she needed to spend the rest of the semester showing him that she was the best person for the job. She couldn’t wait to work with him. She left and we saw Dalton sitting at another table.

Wednesday:

Amy tried to get Elizabeth to rest, but Elizabeth said she was all napped out and Lucky said he could handle Elizabeth.

At her press conference, Laura said she believed the McConkey esplanade was a valuable addition to Port Charles. It would be a financial boon, an avenue for tourism and public transportation, but most important, it would foster community for the citizens who gathered there. The matter at hand was the location on which she and Congressman Cain strongly disagreed.

Sidwell went to see Tracy in the solarium and Tracy told him that Yuri would be staying for their entire interaction. It would be brief. Sidwell said he hoped not. He’d found they had so much in common.

Diane went to see Sonny along with Marco, and Jason answered the door. She introduced, Marco Rios, the newest member of Miller and Davis, and Sonny asked why he didn’t have his father’s last name. Jenz Sidwell was his father, right?

Elizabeth said she wasn’t big on being handled, and Lucky amended it to helping make her comfortable. It was great having Amy, but a nurse with her experience and impressive bedside manner must be needed at the hospital. Amy said Elizabeth was her most important patient and she was going to stay right there until she was fully recovered. Elizabeth sent a text to someone: 911!!! Help!!!

Laura said she supported the site originally proposed by Congressman Cain, and Boyle interrupted, asking if the esplanade wasn’t Congressman Quartermaine’s idea. Laura said the funding was based on the original site, and Boyle asked if Drew hadn’t secured the funding. Laura said he had, but then had a change of opinion on the location. As a result, the federal funds were now frozen. The new site Congressman Cain had proposed would require the use of eminent domain to forcibly seize Piers 55 and 56, private property owned by a citizen of Port Charles. The design had been modified to address environmental concerns and since she thought it would benefit all of them, she was announcing a referendum to let the citizens of Port Charles to decide the location. Boyle asked if she didn’t think the public had a right to know who owned the piers. Did she forget to mention they were owned by the resident mob boss Sonny Corinthos?

Diane said she didn’t know that Marco was Sidwell’s son, and Sonny said he had a conversation with Natalia. She’d told him that she had a son by her ex-husband Jenz Sidwell. Diane said, color her surprised, and Marco said he and his father didn’t share a last name. Now that he was aware it was an issue, he’d include it on his resume. Diane said they’d talk about it later, and Sonny said he wanted a private conversation with his lawyer. Marco left, and Diane said she was sorry. She had no idea Marco had any connection to Sidwell. Naturally, she’d terminate him immediately. Sonny said he had a better idea.

Tracy said Sidwell being a supplier to Deception was the only reason she was entertaining a conversation. Her only interest in the company was to keep it profitable for her granddaughter. Sidwell said that was something they had in common. They both cared deeply about their families. They also shared a common thorn in their sides. Tracy said the only thorn she had was him and she’d like to be rid of him, and he said he felt she’d like to be rid of Sonny even more.

Lucas went over to Elizabeth and asked Lucky how the patient was. Lucky said, as well as could be expected under the circumstances, and Lucas said, what circumstances? Amy yelled for Lucky, and Lucky said, that was the circumstance. Lucas said he’d gotten Elizabeth’s text. Where was the fire? Elizabeth said, Amy was the fire. Aiden’s nerves were already frayed, and she wasn’t sure if he was even coming home. She couldn’t take another nap, and she didn’t need a nurse. She’d figure it out. Just do this for her. Amy came in and asked what Lucas was doing there, and he said Portia and Terry got their wires crossed. She was needed back at GH. They couldn’t spare her. Lucky got her bag, and Amy said, if she left, who would take her place? Lucky said he’d do it.

Tracy told Yuri that he could go, but stay close. Yuri left, and Sidwell said he was happy to supply the rare mineral Deception needed and enjoyed spending time with the ladies on the team, but he had grave misgivings about their not-so-silent partner’s involvement. He’d feel more secure if Sonny was gone. Tracy asked why he was bringing it to her, and he said, as the majority shareholder, she was in a unique position to get rid of him.

Diane said they’d vetted Marco carefully, but didn’t ask about his parents, and Sonny said there was no way she could know. But Sidwell knew she was his attorney and put Marco up to it. It wasn’t a coincidence. Jason agreed, and Sonny suggested Jason have a friendly chat with Marco. Jason left and Sonny told Diane, you know what they say, knowledge is power.

Laura said it was no secret that Sonny owned Piers 55 and 56. It was a matter of public record. But the forcible seizure of any citizen’s private property wasn’t a subject she took lightly. That’s why she was proposing a referendum vote – to let the people have their say. Boyle said they already had their say when they elected her to look out for their best interests. Sonny’s piers had been a blight on the city for years and were the site of countless violent crimes. Seizing them and giving them back to the city of Port Charles solved two problems – a home for the esplanade and eradicating a hotbed of crime. She could make happen. Why put the people of Port Charles through unnecessary time and expense with a voter referendum? Laura said she didn’t believe it should be a unilateral decision since it impacted every citizen, and Boyle asked if she was worried it would impact the people or Sonny. She had a personal relationship with Sonny and dined with him publicly. Maybe the people wanted to make sure her MetroCourt meals weren’t paid for by the city’s dime. Laura said she and Mr. Corinthos shared a grandchild and she made no apology for that. However, she took offense at the suggestion she’d shown Sonny any partiality. In fact, she’d chosen to put the decision in the hands of the voters so there would be no question of bias. Boyle asked if she wasn’t really just abdicating her responsibility of allegiance to the people, and she said her allegiance was to the citizens of Port Charles and the US Constitution. Boyle asked, how about the Deputy Mayor? How could she support her boss’s obvious refusal to stand up to organized crime and support dumping her decision in the people’s lap just to avoid standing up to Sonny’s criminal empire that had taken over their beautiful city?

Jordan said she wouldn’t allow Boyle to drag her into his public debate with the mayor, and he said, what about the good people of Port Charles? She said she wouldn’t be manipulated, and he asked if refusing to stand up to organized crime wasn’t extreme. She took no position, and neither was she willing to do the job she was elected to do. Jordan said she’d asked Laura privately to reconsider. She couldn’t in good conscience endorse the referendum, so out of respect for the mayor and the position of Deputy Mayor, she was choosing to resign effective immediately.

Lucky said he’d stay around the clock, but Amy said they needed a medical professional. Elizabeth said she was a medical professional, and Lucky said he knew where to find Amy and wouldn’t hesitate to find her and wouldn’t hesitate to reach out for help. Elizabeth poked Lucas, and Lucas said he’d be checking in like he lived there. Amy said she’d be available day or night, and Elizabeth needed to text her every day. Elizabeth promised, and Amy said all the nurses loved their head nurse, especially her, and left.

Tracy said she never wanted Sonny involved with Deception, but her partners felt it was necessary, and Sidwell said he believed they needed zincite more than they needed Sonny. Tracy said that was their agreement despite her misgivings, and Sidwell said, between the two of them, they had the leverage to convince the others to part ways with Mr. Corinthos. Tracy asked why she should choose him over Sonny. They both brought more risk than reward. Sidwell said, right now, their agreement was for him to supply an amount of zinc, but that amount was finite. She said, so he could cut it off or demand an exorbitant renegotiation fee, and he said she could use that as leverage to convince the team it was worth parting ways with Sonny. She said then they’d get to negotiate a price in perpetuity. They’d get the zinc they needed and get rid of Sonny, but there was one problem. She didn’t trust him any more than she did Sonny.

Diane asked what Sonny wanted her to do, and he said, for now, keep an eye on Marco, but that’s not why he asked her to come. Laura gave him a heads up on a big vote coming up. Diane’s phone dinged and she said, apparently, the vote was about him.

Jordan said, no questions. She had no comment until after she formally submitted her resignation. She left and the press bombarded Laura with questions. In the hallway, Anna asked what Jordan was doing, and Jordan said she never intended to call out Laura in public, but she had her own concerns about Laura’s relationship with Sonny. Anna said, Laura’s integrity was beyond reproach, but Jordan said Laura was still too close. She and Sonny shared a family and socialized, and Laura wasn’t willing to distance herself. It was reflecting badly on Jordan as well. Anna said she strongly disagreed, and Jordan said she loathed Boyle, but he wasn’t wrong. Laura was too cozy with Sonny and Sonny was a criminal. She couldn’t continue to defend Laura. Anna asked if they couldn’t just agree to disagree, and Jordan said she tried to look the other way, but it wasn’t working for her. Laura said, questions would have to wait until later and got down from the podium. Curtis told her that he was sorry. When he asked her to put it up for a referendum vote, he didn’t expect it to blow up. She said it wasn’t his fault. Boyle was determined to turn this into a circus. Curtis asked if she had any idea Jordan was resigning, but she said, it came out of the blue. He hadn’t put pressure on her to do this. It was her decision, and she stood by it. Drew appeared and said he couldn’t agree more. He was happy she’d come around to his way of thinking.

Lucas left, and Lucky said it was a good thing he’d shown up. Elizabeth said she may have texted him. Only a doctor who Amy liked and respected could convince her to go. She apologized for putting him on the spot. He definitely didn’t need to stay. He said he wanted to. Everything that happened had been part of his master plan. She said, for taking care of her around the clock? and he said he’d almost lost her and he couldn’t let her out of his sight. She wasn’t getting rid of him now.

Diane told Sonny that Laura was putting the McConkey esplanade site to a referendum ballot. The people would decide whether to build it on the original site proposal or issue an eminent domain order and seize his piers to build it on. Sonny said, that can’t happen. The piers were crucial to his business. Diane asked what he wanted her to do, and he said, put together a defense team. Get the best real estate and constitutional law lawyers and fight the city. She said she could hire a thousand lawyers, but it would be a waste of time and money. It was a clear-cut case of you can’t fight city hall.

Drew told Laura, well played and smart. The decision was now out of her hands. Sonny couldn’t blame her when the people voted to take away the piers and she could pretend the will of the people was responsible. Curtis told him not to be so sure yet. Sonny had the respect of the town. Drew said the people weren’t stupid or gullible, and Curtis said that remained to be seen, but he’d get no help from Aurora in his war against Sonny. Drew said he expected Curtis to think better of the citizens, but he guessed not, and Laura said, how dare he? When they first undertook the project, he was clear about the location he chose. This whole thing was his idea and now it was tainted. He allowed his antagonistic relationships with his brother and Sonny to be more important than the people he was elected to serve. She walked away.

Marco went into Diane’s office to find Jason at her desk. He said he thought Diane had asked to see him, and Jason said Diane was his lawyer too. He had a question for Marco.

Sidwell thanked Tracy for meeting with him. He suspected Deception’s partnership with him would benefit them more than their entanglement with Sonny. Tracy said Yuri would show him out, but he said he could manage by himself. He told her, enchantée, and left.

Sonny said he’d owned the piers for decades and they could just take them? and Diane said that’s exactly what eminent domain was – when the city determined the needs of the people outweighed the needs of a private property owner. Sonny said he was being targeted by Drew’s power. Drew wanted to come after him and Jason because he got his little feelings hurt. Diane said she didn’t disagree. The violence and alleged criminal activity at the piers had never proven welcome. She’d research precedents and case law, using the angle that his needs outweighed the city’s needs. But if the people of Port Charles voted to seize the piers, ultimately, she didn’t think there was a legal way around it. Sonny said that was unacceptable. His business required ownership of the piers. She said he may have to find a new way of doing business.

Anna said she guessed Aurora would be giving a press conference and Curtis said he’d be covering the fallout for a while. But something wasn’t right. Jordan going against Laura and resigning. There was no way she’d let an obvious sleaze like Boyle force her hand. Jordan’s moral compass was firmly in place and Boyle questioned it repeatedly. Anna said she felt Jordan was at her breaking point. They both knew that Laura had never been able to come to terms with Sonny’s activities. Curtis said, even when TJ was little and Sonny took him in and paid for his education, and she said, Sonny definitely helped occasionally, but she thought Jordan reached her limit. He said he knew from experience when Jordan was done, she was done, and Anna said it was ideal for someone running a criminal enterprise to have close ties to a city official. Jordan wasn’t wrong.

Boyle went to Drew’s office and Drew said, great job with the press conference. Boyle said it was fun, but he didn’t have Jordan resigning in his purview. He thought she and Laura would stick together. Drew said Jordan was an independent thinker. Laura’s career was tanking, and the rats were starting to jump ship.

Jordan brought Laura her letter of resignation, and Laura said she hadn’t seen it coming. Jordan said she needed Laura to be genuinely surprised, and they wished each other good luck. Jordan left and Laura said, good luck to all of them.

Marco said he’d try to answer Jason’s questions, and Jason asked why he picked Miller and Davis when there were other law firms. Marco said he’d interviewed at four and gotten three offers. This firm practiced the kind of law he liked and had a good compensation package. Jason said his father placed him there, but Marco said his father didn’t place him anywhere. It had been his choice to leave Miami. Jason said, so it was a coincidence, and Marco said they did happen. Jason said, not like this. Just after Marco’s father moved his operation there, there was an explosion in Sonny’s penthouse and Sonny’s son – his nephew – was severely burned. He almost died. Marco said he was sorry, and Jason said, was he? Him showing up made two coincidences. He’d be focused on Marco’s actions. Right now, it was peaceful, but if that changed, he’d stop Marco and stop his father. Marco asked if Jason was threatening him, and Jason said Marco was a smart man. He was sure Marco knew what a threat was. Lucas came in and asked what was going on. Did he interrupt something?

Elizabeth told Lucky that he could still bail, but he said he wanted to help if she let him. She said if he thought he had to make up for something, he didn’t, but he said that wasn’t true, and they set up the Scrabble game.

Lucas said Diane told him to come in. He’d seen Marco and Jason had met. What was happening? Jason said he was trying to get a straight answer out of Lucas’s friend (I nearly die laughing at the – I think – unintentional joke), but obviously he wasn’t capable of it. Maybe Lucas would have better luck. Jason left.

Drew told Boyle that Laura was an impediment, but she was giving them an opportunity with the referendum ballot. She wasn’t coming out strongly about taking away the piers and kneecapping Sonny’s criminal operation. It looked like she was on Sonny’s side. It was Boyle’s opportunity to run against her in the next election. He could be the law-and-order candidate. He wanted to stop crime while Laura was in bed with the mob. She was vulnerable and they could take her out. Do everything Drew said, and he’d be in the mayor’s office, where he’d continue to do everything Drew said.  

Diane said, the more she read about the referendum, the less she liked it, and Sonny said he wished Laura hadn’t gone through with it. It opened the door to all his enemies coming after him. Diane said Drew had already come for him, directly supporting his take down. She didn’t think it was something Sonny could win in a courtroom. He had to convince people that he was the one they wanted to get behind. He’d been a generous benefactor for many years, most of it anonymous. That had to stop right now, and he had to paint himself as the generous benefactor he was. Sonny said if he stepped out of the shadow, he put himself in the position of a lot more scrutiny, and she said, the more notoriety, the greater the risk. It wasn’t a referendum on the pier, but a referendum on him.

Curtis told Anna that he understood Jordan not wanting a connection to Sonny, but didn’t understand her public resignation blindsiding Laura. Anna said it wasn’t Jordan’s style, but what other explanation was there?

Jordan flashed back to her resignation, when Sidwell called. He said he hoped she didn’t mind him calling, but her resignation was all over social media. He was impressed with her standing up for her ideals. Perhaps they should talk. She said, about? and he said, about her future of course (🍷).

Thursday:

Curtis went to see Jordan, who was packing up her office. He said, so it was true, she did resign, and she said she and Laura privately disagreed about Laura’s relationship with Sonny. Boyle put her on the spot and she gave her honest opinion. She had to either quit or Laura would have fired her for insubordination. Curtis said he understood that was the story she was telling, but he’d like to hear the truth.

A sign over Sonny’s mantel said, Happy Birthday, Dante, and Olivia said his new place was great. Sonny said he wanted to have more family gatherings there, when Lulu and Donna came out. Lulu asked, where’s the birthday boy? and Sonny said he was outside with Rocco.

In Sonny’s old kitchen, Felicia asked how Michael was, and Carly said, as well as could be expected. His doctors were happy with is progress, but she hadn’t had the heart to tell him that Willow was moving into Drew’s. She thought Willow would change her mind, but she didn’t know Willow at all. Felicia said she had an ulterior motive for inviting herself over. Mac needed Carly’s help.

Lucas told Marco that Jason didn’t seem happy, and he wasn’t the guy to have a problem with, and Marco said he knew Jason was Sonny Corinthos’s righthand man. Lucas said Jason and his sister were tight, but he’d come to congratulate Marco on his new job. Alexis came in and said, that might be premature. The minute Diane found out, Diane told her. Lucas said, told her what? and Marco said Jenz Sidwell was his father.

Brook told Chase they were going to be late, but he said he wasn’t sure he was in the right headspace for a party. He had a lot on his mind. (The 60s called and wants their headspace back.)

On the side of a road, Molly was on the phone saying she just needed someone to change a tire… No! Don’t put her on hold again… Cody came by on Hades and said, howdy, ma’am. Was there anything he could do?

Chase told Brook that he’d been talking to Lois about what Dante’s reaction would be to having a child he didn’t know about. It made him realize how bad he wanted to be a dad.

Felicia said Mac was worried that the referendum made Laura look like she was passing the buck to the voters instead of standing up to Sonny herself. He’d like Sonny to accept what the voters decided and not fight it. Carly said if they decided to take Sonny’s property, he wasn’t going to say okay, and Felicia said that’s why she needed to talk to him and convince him to do what was best for Laura.

Jordan said she was telling the truth, but Curtis said he knew her. There had to be more to the story. She said Sonny thought he was above the law and Laura knew, but still considered him a friend. That was a problem for her. She resented that Sonny was a factor in major decisions Laura made. Boyle opened the door and put her on the spot, and she couldn’t stop herself from walking through. Curtis said the only time he’d seen her out of character like this was when she was working undercover, and she said she was going to stop him there.

Cody said he was heading home and came across a damsel in distress, and Molly said she wasn’t a damsel, but she’d been on hold with the garage for 46 minutes and no progress. She put her phone back to her ear and said, great. When are they coming… no… She told Cody that somebody was coming, and he said he heard hours. Did she have a spare in the trunk? He wasn’t leaving her by the side of the road, and he could change a tire.

Lucas said he wasn’t expecting that, and Alexis said Marco neglected to mention it. Lucas tried to leave, but Marco said he didn’t conceal it and didn’t lie. They’d never asked. Did they ask other candidates about their family tree? Lucas said this had nothing to do with him and left. Alexis said, technically, it wasn’t a lie, but there were lies of omission, and Marco asked if she was rescinding the offer.

Lois, Gio, and Danny arrived at the party, and Lulu flashed back to Lois knocking on Martin’s door when she was rifling through his papers. Sonny said he’d get Dante and Rocco. On the patio, Rocco told Dante about the negative comments on social media about Laura. #MobsterMayor was trending, and his phone was blowing up. Dante told him not to worry about his grandmother. It was all politics. Rocco said he was the link between Sonny and Laura and the debate would make it worse. He didn’t want to go if that was going to happen, but Dante said he’d worked hard and couldn’t bail on his partner. Sonny came out as Rocco said he didn’t know what to do unless his grandfather didn’t go to the debate.

Cody changed the tire and Molly wondered who named a horse Hades. Cody said, Tracy. It probably reminded her of home. He warned Molly that Hades could sense her fear, then informed her that her spare tire was punctured. She said she’d forgotten to get it fixed, and he said it was time for Plan B.

Marco said he was still qualified for the job and bringing the same clients. His father had no criminal record and had never been charged with a crime. The same couldn’t be said for their biggest clients, Sonny and Jason. Their client list was more problematic than his.

Carly and Felicia gravitated to the moss bowl 🎍, and Carly said she and Sonny were in a good place. She had no intention of butting back into his business. Felicia asked if she didn’t think getting rid of the piers would make Port Charles safer and more peaceful. If Sonny didn’t own the piers anymore, could it turn out to be a good thing for Carly’s family?

Kristina told Danny about their perfect Davis girls night, and he said he was glad she and Molly were fine. He knew his mom would be too. Outside, Dante said it wasn’t what it sounded like, and Sonny asked if Rocco didn’t want him to go. Rocco apologized and told Sonny that he shouldn’t have said it. It wasn’t that he didn’t want Sonny to come, but after the press conference, he was worried it would be bad if Sonny and Laura were seen together. Dante wondered if they could sit separately, but Sonny said it was best for him to stay home and asked if Dante was going to record it. Dante said, of course (🍷), and Sonny said he was proud of Rocco for looking out for his grandmother. Rocco went inside, and Sonny said he was proud Rocco told the truth. He’d see the video and it was all good.

Carly asked if Felicia thought Sonny could be a legitimate businessman, and Felicia said it was possible. Carly said people generally didn’t walk away from that business, but Felicia said if it could happen, eminent domain could be a blessing in disguise. (Ugh. Eminent domain is a pet peeve of mine, so my blood boils whenever they mention it. It’s nobody’s blessing except those whose pockets are lined from it.)

Lucas came into Sonny’s old kitchen and said Carly wasn’t going to believe… Sorry for interrupting. (He does that a lot.) Felicia said she needed to get going and asked Carly to think about what she’d said. Lucas asked Carly if Jason was gunning for Marco Rios.

Alexis said there was a difference in doing something illegal and getting caught, and Marco said the difference was a good lawyer. He admired how the firm kept Sonny from being brought up on RICO charges. Alexis said she’d met his father, and her first impression was that he was charming, intelligent, and completely ruthless. Marco didn’t disclose it on purpose. He said she was right, but he’d thought she of all people would understand. She was a Cassadine, but didn’t use the name and had distanced herself from her problematic family. They had a dark international reputation, and she wanted to be judged on her own merit. That’s what he wanted too.

Jordan said if Curtis still cared about her, he’d drop the subject or leave. Curtis asked if she was in trouble. Was she being blackmailed? She said, no. She’d promised herself that she’d never lie to him again. She’d thought she was protecting him, but he needed honesty and deserved it. She’d lost him because of it and they’d worked at being friends. She didn’t want to jeopardize that, so he had to let it go.

Chase said it had been hard to accept he couldn’t get Brook pregnant. He felt he’d failed her. Brook said he was so wrong. She wanted to be worthy of him, but didn’t think she’d ever deserve him. All she wanted to do was think about a future with him. He said he wanted to move forward with the child they could have and wanted to raise a kid with her. Did she feel the same way?

Cody suggested they get moving with Plan B, but Molly said she’d wait for a tow. He asked if she thought he was leaving her there when it was about to get dark, but she said she’d be fine. Cody said they had an obvious solution.

Everyone sang Happy Birthday to Dante, who said he couldn’t think of a better way to spend his birthday than with family. He felt lucky to have them in his life. Even Michael had called. Sonny said family showed up, no matter what that entailed, and Dante thanked them and said he loved them.

Brook said she wanted to start a family with Chase, and he said they had to decide which option was right. She said she wanted to rule out IVF with a sperm donor because of Molly’s experience. She couldn’t go through that. Chase agreed, and she said they were back to adoption. He said he thought it was the best fit, but didn’t know how she felt.

Carly said, Miami Marco? and Lucas said Marco had gotten a job with Alexis and Diane’s firm, although he wasn’t sure it was going to work out. She asked what Jason had to do with it, and he said Marco texted him with the good news, so he stopped by to congratulate him. When he got there, there was a lot of tension between Jason and Marco, and it sounded like Jason had threatened Marco. Marco’s father is Jenz Sidwell, who he knows is a bad guy. Carly said, Sidwell kidnapped Sasha and held her at gunpoint. Officially, it didn’t happen because Jack took care of it. Lucas said he and Marco had only been a possibility, but now even that was gone.

Gio thanked Sonny for inviting him, and Sonny said Gio was family and the neighborhood stuck together. Did he have plans for the summer? Gio said the Port Charles Symphony apprentice program accepted him. Lulu asked if Lois was okay, and Lois said she’d been thinking about all the years she and Sonny had been friends. He never missed a chance to help her family out and had made Gio’s education a priority. Lulu said Sonny had always been generous.

Jordan asked Curtis to accept what she said for what it was and leave it at that. He said he’d lost the right to have her explain herself and respected her right not to tell him. She said she didn’t want to lie to him again. It had already cost her too much. He said it had cost them both, and she thanked him for checking in and understanding. He said, just know his understanding came with a price.

Brook told Chase that giving up her child made her respect the adoptive process more. Her son went to people who wanted him and would give him all their love. She’d always prayed for a chance to pay it forward and give a child a loving home. He asked how she felt about an older child, and she said, Monica and Alan adopted Emily when she was 12. Even though she remembered her biological parents, she was accepted as a Quartermaine. He said they could start looking into it. He knew there was a kid meant for them, and it didn’t matter how old they were.

Carly said it seemed like a good reason to walk away, but Lucas said nothing he’d seen made Marco look like his father. Marco didn’t lie. It had never come up. But after Brad, the last thing he needed was another man he couldn’t trust.

Alexis said she understood coming from a problematic family and Marco keeping his own life separate from his father, but Sidwell wasn’t just his father. He was also a client. Marco said, one of many, and Alexis said, true, but they preferred not to hire someone whose client wanted to kill their clients. It wasn’t good for business. Marco said the optics weren’t good, but his reputation was. JS and Associates was his father’s firm, but his father had never been involved in a criminal enterprise. He wasn’t going to distance himself from his father even if it meant losing the job. He loved his father, but hoped he’d be judged on his own merit.

Cody said Hades could easily carry both of them and it was totally safe. Safer than Molly waiting by the road for a tow that was never coming. Molly said it sounded like a horror movie, and he said a lot of them started that way. He’d bring her back to the stables and drop her off on the way to Dante’s party, or she could call a Ride Share if she didn’t want to wait. She said, okay, and brought her briefcase out of the car. He suggested she leave it, but she said she couldn’t leave legal documents there.

Sonny said he couldn’t make Rocco’s debate. Some business came up. They’d talked through it, Rocco understood, and Dante was going to record it. Olivia asked to talk to Sonny outside and they left. She said it was the first time his grandson was putting himself out there. Sonny was his grandfather and Rocco adored him. Not going wasn’t an option. Dante came out, and Olivia said she never thought she’d see the day Sonny would put work in front of family. Dante said Sonny would be there if he could, and Olivia went back inside. Dante asked if Sonny was okay, and Sonny said he was taking his pills and he was fine. Dante said he was going to tell Olivia for Rocco’s sake, but Sonny said, no. She would be mad at Rocco. Let her be mad at him. He was a big boy and could take it.

Molly sat in front of Cody on the horse and said, don’t let it gallop or jump over anything. He told her to trust him, and she said she trusted he was good with horses.

Curtis asked Jordan to promise to call him if she was up against something. He wouldn’t ask questions, but he’d be there. She promised and thanked him for understanding. He said she could count on his discretion should she need it, and she said it meant the world to her, and left.

Carly asked what Lucas was going to do, and he said he didn’t know. Think some more. She said that was progress. In the past, he’d use it as an excuse to walk away. He asked where the lecture was on his horrible taste in men who would break his heart, and she said, that would be annoying. He said she was doing unto him and Marco what she wished he’d do unto her and Jack.

Alexis said she knew how awful it felt to pay for the sins of a family you didn’t choose. Her family did horrible things she had no part of, yet she was still associated with them. They had family backgrounds in common, but walking the fine line between legality and family was trickier than he thought. At some point, he was going to have to choose between the life he’d made for himself and working for his father. Marco said, the question was, should that day come, would he be working for the firm? and she said she had to talk it over with Diane, but he should know there would be an extensive background check. He said, knock yourselves out, and left.

Chase said, they were doing this? and Brook said, they were doing this. He said he was nervous at first, but now he was excited, and she said he was going to be an amazing father. He said any kid would be lucky to have her as a mother, and they kissed. (I’m thinking they’re going to adopt Gio.)

Danny, Gio, and Rocco sat on the patio looking at their phones, and Danny said he couldn’t believe what they were saying about Sonny. Gio said they were idiots. He got into it with one of them, but they didn’t want to hear it. Danny said, be careful. They were crazy. Gio went inside to grab a soda before he wrote something he shouldn’t, and left. Danny said Rocco dodged a bullet. If both of his grandparents were here, people would be posting that it was proof Laura favored Sonny. Rocco said that was garbage, and Danny said he knew that, but it was probably best that Sonny wasn’t coming to the debate.

Dante said he was sorry this was happening before Sonny’s surgery. People were probably saying nasty stuff. Sonny said it was nothing he hadn’t heard, and Dante asked if he was planning on fighting back. Sonny said he was ready for it, but didn’t want anybody getting caught in the crossfire.

Lulu asked if Gio missed home, and Gio said, sometimes. He knew one day he’d leave to pursue his music career. His mom did. Lulu asked if she was away a lot, and Lois said, before she had Gio. Once she had him, she cut back on travel. She hated to be away from Gio. Olivia said, but she worked until the second Gio was born, and Gio said, she was in California playing a concert when she went into labor. That’s why he was born in LA.  

🫔 Friday’s Enchilada…

Sonny brings Donna to his old kitchen, and Carly says, there’s my girl. Did she have fun with daddy? Donna says, they went to Dante’s birthday party and it was great. They had to the hide cake from the boys. Carly says, sounds like a good idea. She’s glad Donna had fun. Donna says, guess what? Rocco is doing a debate. Carly asks if she knows what a debate is, and Donna says, nope, but she knows everybody is going to be there except daddy. He’s staying at home with her.

In an examining room, Isaiah tells Josslyn, no ligaments or tendons are damaged, but it’s swollen. From the scans, he can see she suffered bad sprain and aggravated it a few days later. What on earth was she doing?

At the hospital, Anna asks how Emma is doing, and Emma says, for someone about to start their first day in court mandated community service, not too bad, invigorated even. Where’s Aunt Felicia? Felicia appears and says, right here and ready to keep her busy and on task, and Emma says, Felicia is babysitting her. Felicia says, call it what Emma wants, and she will too. Ready to start? Emma says, bring it on. She practically grew up in this place and she’s very excited to start giving back, even if it’s judge ordered. Felicia says she likes this can-do attitude and knows right where to start her. Right this way. As they leave, Anna says, have fun.

On her phone in Maxie’s office, Lucy says, yes… okay. She definitely sees… okay. Thank you. She’ll be in touch. Maxie says, spit it out, and Brook says, just tell them already. Lucy says, the boutique in Los Angeles says their Deception patented overnight wrinkle cream is flying off the shelves. Brook says she’s not seeing the numbers… wait… Lucy asks if the numbers are good, and Brook says, spectacular. They’re only two weeks into Q2 and these put them in the black for the rest of the year. Lucy says, and to think they’d be scrambling for zincite if it wasn’t for their white knight at Windymere.

At Windymere, Jordan says, the pay is substantial, and Sidwell says, wait until she sees the health plan. She says, it’s a great offer, but the job description is vague. What exactly does he expect her to do for him?

Sasha looks at the sonogram screen and smiles. She puts her hand on Jason’s arm and he says, it’s amazing.

Sasha and Jason look at the sonogram, and Sasha says, ears… eyes… see that? Jason says he does. Almost fully developed. Does she feel okay? She says, better than okay, and he says, good. It might be none of his business… She says, if it is, she’ll tell him to butt out, and he says he knows her due date is a few weeks away. Does she have a birth plan in place? She says she does, but look who’s in the know? and he says he’s had some experience. Some of his closest friends are women. Sasha says she hopes she’s one of them, and he says, the chances are pretty good. They are having a baby together. Would she mind if he sent the sonogram picture to Michael so he can see the baby’s progress? She asks why he’d want to do that.

Josslyn tells Isaiah that she rolled her ankle hiking in Easter Island. Then a week later, they had a research trip that included a 10 mile walk on the beach. Isaiah says, and she powered through, and she says, yeah. She didn’t want to wuss out in front of people. He says, that sounds right. He’s never been to Easter Island and bets it’s amazing. Josslyn says, it was. Sometimes she can hardly believe she was really there. He says, now that she’s back – he hands her a prescription paper – call this guy. Six weeks of PT and please stay off her ankle. Josslyn thanks him and says she’ll do her best.

Anna says she’s got to get back to the precinct, but Felicia asks if she has a second. It’s about Mac. Anna asks if everything is okay, and Felicia says, Mac is deeply concerned about the referendum. He thinks it’s going to tank Laura’s mayorship. Anna says, he’s not wrong. If only the city realized they’re better with having Laura as a mayor. Felicia says, what about Anna? Police Commissioner is a mayoral appointee. Given the optics, isn’t she worried about her position being secure if Laura is still in office? Anna says, 100%, especially with Justine Turner breathing down her neck, and Felicia says she doesn’t get it. Why is ADA Turner so determined to tear Anna down?

Emma comes out looking bedraggled with gum in her hair, and Josslyn says, wow. She loves the new look.

Brook says, sales have skyrocketed, and Enchantment hasn’t even gotten their skin cream to market, and Lucy says, eat your heart out. Erica Kane. Maxie says she’s got to hand it to Lucy. She had reservations about Sidwell at first, but he came through just in time. Lucy thanks her and says she’s right. It was one of her more inspired ideas, bringing Jenz into their fold. She’ll see them later. Brook says, they still have work, and Lucy says, as does she. Ta! She leaves.

Sidwell says as far as he’s concerned, Jordan’s title can be whatever she likes – CEO, CMO, CFO – he doesn’t care. Jordan says, those are each very different things and very different responsibilities, and he says, what he needs her to do is represent his interest to Port Charlies. She’s in a position that’s unique and ideally suited to do so. She says, because? and he says, personally and professionally she has relationships with the most important people in town. She’s good friends with the Police Commissioner and the mayor and Congressman Drew Cain. Jordan says, the extent of her relationship with Drew is largely negative, but he says he’s sure it can be repaired and renewed. She says, outside of the job, she and Laura aren’t particularly close, but that could work to their advantage. He says he likes that. Is there any chance she could renew her friendship with Drew? She says, he can’t pay her enough.

Carly asks, who’s going to Rocco’s debate? and Donna says, Dante, Kristina, Danny, Aunt Olivia, and Rocco’s grandma. Carly says, that’s a lot of people, and Donna asks if she can go too. Carly says she knows Donna wants to, but she’ll have way more fun with her dad, and Sonny says, her big brother Dante is going to take a video. They should get together one night and watch it. Donna nods, and Carly says, that sounds like a great idea. Say goodbye to daddy. Pilar is upstairs waiting to take her to school. Donna hugs Sonny and says she loves him, and he says he loves her too. Donna leaves, and Carly says, so he’s going to miss Rocco’s big night. He says he’s got his reasons, and she asks if they have anything to do with Laura.

Jason says he’s not sure he understands. Sasha asked him to send Michael a sono a month ago. She says she’s worried if she sends every one of them, it might send the wrong message, but he says he doesn’t think it will. Michael understands she wants to raise the baby on her own and he agreed. She says, if she includes him in every step, he might want to be involved more, but she thinks what she needs is the opposite. He says he understands, but thinks it would help Michael. He’ll be glad to see she and the baby are happy and healthy. She says she doesn’t know, but she’ll think on it, and he says, of course (🍷). He’s got things to do. Can he drop her at her house? She says she drove here. He doesn’t have to… She’s really glad he came today. He says him too, and leaves.

Sidwell says he’s sure Jordan’s distaste for Drew is more than justified. But Drew is more than a powerful man and they should have him on their side. Plus, her new position will give her the perfect view to keep an eye on him. She says she doesn’t know if she wants to watch Drew, but she’ll check in now and again. He says he’s sure she’s done far worse for far less. So do they have a deal? She says she’ll have her lawyer look it over, and he says, good. She says, it’s a generous offer, one might say excessively so, and he says, it’s charming that she thinks such a thing exists. He warns her, in exchange for her excessive salary, the job is going to be demanding on her intelligence, energy, and time. There will be precious little room left for her personal life. She says, what personal life? when Lucy strolls in. She says, the butler let her in… She tells Jordan, hi. What are you doing here?

Sonny and Carly admire the moss bowl 🎍, and Sonny says, at the party, he overheard Rocco tell Dante that he didn’t want him at the debate for Laura’s sake. Carly says she’s sorry, but he says he can’t blame Rocco. He’s protecting his grandmother. She says, still, it had to hurt, and he says, yeah, but Rocco’s not wrong. Plus, that idiot Boyle is gunning for Laura. She says, the last thing Laura needs is her picture with him splashed on the cover of The Invader, and he says he values his friendship with Laura and loves that they share this family, but their connection is a liability for her. So he’s going to steer clear. She says she hates that he has to miss Rocco’s debate, but he says he saw Rocco practice. It’s important. The last thing Rocco needs is to be overshadowed by politics. She says, aren’t all debates political? and he says she knows what he means. She says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she thinks he’s doing the right thing, and he says he’d do anything for Rocco. And if Laura needs help, he’ll be there. She asks if he means that, and he says, what does she mean? She says, if he really wants to help Laura, he needs to get out of her way.

Emma says she was helping in art therapy, and Josslyn says, it looks like things got a little messy. Emma says, a little bit. A couple of children, very small children, not almost ready to drive children, did this to her. Apparently, kids in the hospital expect a lot today. She was the canvas. Josslyn says she’s impressed that Emma found time to volunteer, between school and her animal rights group. Emma thanks her, but says, full disclosure. This is not volunteering per se. It’s community service. Josslyn says, for the incident at the Quartermaine crypt? Emma was awesome by the way. Emma says, a huge thank you to Trina for live streaming. She’s a rock star. Josslyn says, she always is. But doesn’t it seem a little blown out of proportion for protecting a family’s crypt? Especially since they ended up in the right. Emma says, the judge wasn’t happy with her priors, and Josslyn says, she has priors? Who would have thought she had a shady past? Emma says, not everybody has a millionaire daddy to buy them out of trouble, and Josslyn says she touched a nerve. Emma says, actually, she has no bandwidth for this right now. She has to get some gum out of her hair. She leaves, and Josslyn sees Professor Dalton go by with a briefcase.

Sonny tells Carly, don’t talk to him about the referendum. He’s heard about it so many times, it’s ridiculous. She says, sorry, but she’s going to pile on it again. Don’t fight this. He says, is she asking what he thinks she’s asking? She says she is, and don’t try to convince people to vote no or challenge it in court if he doesn’t win. He says he can’t just let the city take what belongs to him, and she says, if he fights, he’ll ruin his relationship with Laura. He says he didn’t know Carly was a fan, and she says, Laura is a good businesswoman and a great mayor. It won’t destroy him if he gives up the piers. He can afford to let them win. He says, that’s beside the point. It’s not going to happen. If he doesn’t lift a finger to stop it, his enemies will think he’s weak, and she knows how dangerous that can be.

Lucy says she was sorry to hear what happened between Jordan and the mayor. Laura couldn’t ask for a better Deputy Mayor. Jordan thanks her and says she still has the greatest respect for Laura, and Lucy says, who doesn’t? Jordan says, but it was time to part company, and Lucy asks if that’s what she’s doing here, looking for new company. Sidwell laughs and says, Jordan is going to work for him. Port Charles’ loss is his gain. Jordan tells him that she hasn’t said yes yet, and he says, no, but she will. Lucy says, so good. Greener pastures await. She can speak from experience. Jordan says, good to hear, and tells Sidwell, they’ll speak soon. She leaves and Sidwell asks why Lucy is here. Lucy says, their innovative product sold out, and he says he heard. She says she thinks he means… this, and holds up a jar of the cream. He says, isn’t that elegant? and she says, it’s what customers have come to expect. This is from the first batch, made from his zincite. She thinks he should have it. She hands it to him and says she’s not saying he needs it. He has perfect dermis. Their whole project was a huge success. They’re up to their eyeballs in people waiting to order more. He wonders if they should open some champagne, and she says, on an occasion like this, doesn’t he think it’s always bubbly time? He says he’ll call for a bottle, and she says, do, but they have business to discuss first, about when they can roll out the next shipment. He says, they’ll want more zincite, and she says, that’s why she invited their CFO to over the details. He says, having Natalia there will make things simple. She always a great head for business. Lucy says, sorry. Always? He says, yes. Natalia is his ex-wife.  

In the solarium, Sasha asks if Olivia has any requests for lunch, and Olivia says, the cook’s choice is fine. They’ve got to talk about when Sasha is planning her maternity leave. Sasha says she hasn’t thought about it much. How would maternity leave work? Olivia says, you have a baby, skip work, and take care of your baby. In her case, she’ll also have to fight off the lunatics trying to hold her baby. Sasha asks if it won’t be awkward, living here for a few months and not being the cook, but Olivia says, not at all. She’s family. She hired Sasha because she knew Sasha could handle the lunatics in this asylum. She never guessed Sasha would fit in as perfectly as she has. Sasha asks if Olivia is calling her crazy, and Olivia says, in the nicest possible way. Sasha is so great with the kids, and she’s got the adults trained perfectly. She can dish it out to Tracy faster than Tracy can serve it. It’s truly a thing of beauty. Sasha says, scorn is Tracy’s love language, and Olivia says, she gets them. To her, that means Sasha is well on her way to becoming a true Quartermaine.

Emma says, task one done and Anna is still here, and Anna asks, how did it go? Emma says, they got more paint on the paper than her. She takes that as a win. Felicia says, victory. Her next class will be easier. Emma says, great. More painting? Felicia says, paper mâché, and Emma says, cold, smelly, stick, and wet. Kids love that… So does she. Felicia says, have fun, and Emma says, try and stop her. She leaves, and Felicia says she thinks doing community serviced is doing Emma a world of good… Anna says, but? and Felicia says, Mac hinted that some shady circumstances led to it. Anna says, Turner practically admitted she used Emma to come at her, and Felicia asks why the ADA is coming at her. Anna says, Turner thinks Jason is behind Cyrus’s disappearance and she’s covering for him, and Felicia says, that’s ridiculous. Anna would never cover for Jason. Anna says she wouldn’t, but Turner believes she’s giving Jason special treatment… What? Felicia says, Anna wouldn’t cover for Jason, but she does give him special treatment.

Maxie says her email is blowing up. Orders from boutiques, department store chains… Brook says, now they just have to keep up with the demand. There’s a knock at the door, and Jason comes in. Brook asks if everything is okay at home, and Jason says, everything’s fine. Sonny asked him to come by. An employee has been lying to them for months and may have compromised their entire company. Maxie says, oh my God. Who? Jason says, Natalia Ramirez, but Brook says, Natalia’s been great. Maxie asks what Natalia lied about, and Jason says, her ex-husband is Jenz Sidwell.

Anna tells Felicia that there are instances when she’s lied for Jason, but they were special circumstances. She’s made it clear to Jason and others that if he’s implicated in a crime, she will not look the other way. Felicia says she knows Anna wouldn’t let it slide, and Anna says, Turner doesn’t. And to get her own way, she’s holding Emma’s freedom over her head. Felicia says, she wouldn’t dare do that if Robert was still here, and Anna says, who knows where he is? He’s looking after Holly and her latest catastrophe. Felicia says, Robert’s absence is all the more reason for Laura to stay in office. The more people Anna has in her corner, the better. Felicia’s phone dings, and she says, sorry. There’s something she needs to take care of upstairs. Do what she needs to do. Anna tells Felicia to do the same and leaves.  

Lucy asks if she heard correctly. Sidwell and Natalia were married? He says, it was a long time ago. In fact, they have a grown son. When they first met at the Deception meeting and he saw his former wife, it was all he could do to hide his shock. She says she’s not trying to hide hers, and he says he’d assumed Natalia told them, so he thought he’d do the same. Lucy asks if he didn’t find it odd, and he says, of course (🍷) he did, but he assumed Natalia would tell them the moment he left. Lucy says, one would think that, and he says, now that they’re collaborating, going forward, she can be sure of full transparency. Natalia walks in and says she heard they sold out… What’s going on? Lucy says, nothing. She was going over some details with Natalia’s ex-husband. Why didn’t she say anything? Natalia says she didn’t think it was relevant, and Lucy says, not relevant? Natalia says, when the deal was finished, she was going to tell them when they were all together, but Lucy says, after all this time. Really? Sidwell says, please, calm down. He for one is comfortable having Natalia there. Lucy says she’s sure he is, but he’s the only one. He says, nothing has changed except for the fact they now know a personal detail that happened a long time ago, a very long time ago. He hopes they can move forward from this.

Brook says, so they’re all on the same page, their CFO used be married to one of their primary suppliers and they’re just finding this out now. Jason says, yes, and Maxie says, it was going so well. Brook says, Sonny insisted on bringing her on. Did he know about this? Jason says, he just found out, and Brook says, Natalia played Sonny. That takes skill and guts. Maxie says she knew she couldn’t trust Sidwell, and Brook says, but he had the zincite and had it at the right price. Maxie says, maybe, but Sidwell was throwing out red flags and this is the last one. She’s not working with him again. She doesn’t care what Sasha says. Jason asks what Sasha said, and Maxie says, Sasha told them the whole kidnapping thing was really Holly’s fault, so it was okay if Deception worked with him. She thanks Jason for coming by to tell them, and he says, they’re welcome. He leaves and Brook says she’ll tell Tracy later. She’ll probably want to end their association with Sidwell. Maxie says she couldn’t agree more, but Brook says she doesn’t know how iron clad their deal is. Maxie says, nothing is iron clad.

Sasha tells Olivia, don’t take this the wrong way, but do they consider her family because her baby is a Quartermaine? Olivia says she knows the last thing Sasha wants is to be dragged into the family’s crazy drama. That’s the way she and Ned first got together. As much as she loved Ned, she always felt like someone was looking down on her, especially Tracy. Sasha says she can’t imagine why, and Olivia says, to top it off, Tracy didn’t come to the wedding. She was sure Tracy was boycotting it, then she got this note – she gets a paper – welcoming her and Leo to the family. Sasha reads it and says, wow. She had no idea Tracy could be so warm. Olivia says, compassionate and kind, and Sasha says, all of the above. Olivia’s been carrying this around how many years? Olivia says, eight. Every time the family puts her to her wit’s end, she takes it out, looks at it, and remembers that the Quartermaines can be picky, snobby, and downright cruel, but if they choose you, it’s not because of who your mother is or that they fell in love with your baby. It’s because you earned it. We might be dysfunctional, but we take care of our own. Whether she likes it or not, Sasha is one of their own now.

Josslyn follows Dalton as he goes into a lab. She listens at the door.

Carly says she’s all too familiar with the risk of looking weak, and Sonny says he knows she is. She says, it will look worse if he fights the referendum and loses, but he says, it’s a risk he doesn’t plan on losing. She says he can’t guarantee he’ll win. He needs to find another way to show he’s strong. He says, they’ll think he doesn’t want to go up against Laura. His family’s safety is first. She says, he can’t give that as an excuse, but he says, it’s not an excuse. If it was, their son wouldn’t be in a burn clinic across the world, and he wouldn’t have to book a doctor’s appointment across the country. She asks what he’s talking about, and he says he has a problem with his heart.

Dalton comes out, leaving the briefcase inside. He closes the door and walks down the hall, and Josslyn follows.

Maxie tells Anna that the conducted numerous background checks, and Sidwell’s name never came up, even though Natalia is his ex. Brook says, they needed her, but it never came up. Anna says, for whatever reason, it was scrubbed or destroyed, and Maxie says, for whatever reason, they need to tear up their contract with Sidwell. Brook says, Anna’s not a lawyer, and Maxie says she knows that. Maybe Anna can help them find some hard evidence to prove he violated the contract. Maybe from the events that happened in Africa. Maybe she can dig up some dirt to kick Sidwell to the curb. Anna says, that’s the worst idea ever, and Maxie says, give her one reason why. Anna says, Lucy Coe.

Lucy says, they stood up for Natalia and this is how she repays them? and Natalia says she swears she never meant… Lucy says, do not speak. Don’t bother. Her days are numbered. Lucy leaves, and Natalia says, what the hell? Sidwell asks why she’s angry with him. If she’d disclosed this in the first place, none of this would have happened. She says, he knew they didn’t know, and he says, it’s a tempest in a teapot. Once they’re over the initial shock, her colleagues will understand. They haven’t had anything to do with each other for years. She says, it won’t alter them or Sonny. He says, she told Sonny? and she says, yes, and he’s out for blood.  

Carly asks when the episodes started, and Sonny says, around the first of the year. She says she’s just hearing about it now? and he says he wanted to keep a tight circle of the people who knew. She asks, who knows? and he says, Dr. Gannon is treating him. Jason, Brick, Laura, Kristina found out and told Dante. She says, yeah, it’s a tight circle he’s got there, and he says, and Natalia. She found him when he was having an attack. Carly asks if he trusts Natalia, and he says, not anymore

Jordan taps Isaiah on the shoulder, and he says, this is a surprise. She says, there’s more where that came from, and he says she has to make an appointment. These days, he’s operating out of a cozy, discrete-type place across town, and he happens to have appointment available at 7:30. She says she can’t. She’ll be too busy. He says she’s never been busier than when she was unemployed, and she says she decided to take a new job. He says, great. What’s the gig? She says, Chief Officer of Operations for Sidwell, and he says, she can’t be serious.

Dalton leaves the hospital, and Josslyn follows. She takes out her phone and sends a text: Spotted r friend from school. Fill u in later. (We don’t see who she’s texting, but I assume it’s Vaughn.)

Anna tells Maxie, say she gives them damning evidence against Sidwell. If and when Lucy finds out… Brook says, Anna thinks she’ll tip off Sidwell, and Anna says she thinks Lucy will tell him out of a misguided feeling of loyalty or attraction. Brook says, Lucy is definitely into Jenz Sidwell. And she’s a terrible liar. Maxie says, she can’t not lie, and Anna says, she’ll place herself and them is Sidwell’s crosshairs. Brook asks what they can do. They can’t stay in business with Sidwell. Anna says, they just have to sit tight and carry on like nothing is wrong, and Maxie tells her, easier said than done. Anna says, they can try. She promises to take care of this.

Felicia says, rough first day? and Emma says, a little bit, yeah. She’s carrying a big, black garbage bag, and Felicia asks if she needs help. Emma says she’s got it. She needs to throw it in the dumpster before it inevitably springs a leak and paint goes everywhere.

Isaiah says he knows Jordan needs to get close and he wants Sidwell brought down as much as anyone. But dinner was dangerous enough. Working for Sidwell is on a new level. Jordan says, that’s how undercover ops work. You have to put yourself inside to find evidence. He asks if she’s considered the possibility that Sidwell is already onto her. Maybe she’s not playing Sidwell. Maybe he’s playing her. She says, he’ll like her better when Sidwell is prosecuted, but she has to find evidence to take Sidwell down. He says, what about them and what they have? and she says, what they have has to end. (Aww! I like them as a couple.)  

Sasha tells Jason that she’s been thinking about what he said, showing Michael the latest sonogram. If he thinks it’s a good idea, she’s okay with it… What is it? He says, how could she sell out to Sidwell?

Sidwell asks how Sonny reacted when Natalia told him, and she says, he severed their relationship. He asks, what exactly was their relationship? and she says, it was professional. Sonny is a majority investor in Deception and made her CFO, but she doesn’t see that lasting much longer. He says, forgive him for asking, but is their professional relationship the reason they went to LA on a bus trip to a cardiologist?  Natalia says, he had them followed, and he says, enlighten him. Don’t tell him that she’s protecting Sonny’s secrets after he cut her loose. At this point, he’s the only one who can protect her, and Sonny will make damn sure she’s out at Deception.

The moss bowl 🎍 between them, Carly wonders why Natalia didn’t tell Sonny, and he says, it doesn’t matter. She kept it from him, and he can’t trust her. Carly asks what he’s going to do about his heart, and he says, Brick found a cardiologist in LA. He’s one of the best, and the surgery is scheduled for next Friday. She says, what? and he says, just in and out. She says, okay, and he says, when he gets back, they can go over the referendum stuff or whatever together. She says she’ll make sure of it, and he asks what she means. She says she’s going with him to LA and she’s going to be with him for the whole surgery.

Sidwell says, on the remote chance Natalia is staying at Deception, she’ll need his backing. All he needs is a morsal of information. He found out her reunion with Marco was as bad as it could get. She says she’s not discussing Marco with him, and he says, she should. He doesn’t want her son estranged from his mother. Natalia asks if he thinks she does, and he says he and Marco have a wonderful relationship. He could speak on her behalf and perhaps Marco would be more open to having his mother back in his life. He knows how pain she feels being estranged. Almost as much as being estranged from her daughter. He and Marco have grown close. If she could just help him a little bit, he’ll see what he can do. Natalia says, Sonny went to a cardiologist because he needs open heart surgery.

On Monday, Josslyn asks why Emma is always so angry with her; Jordan tells Isaiah that Sidwell needs to be stopped and she’s in a position to do that; Sidwell says Alexis would be a fool not to hire Marco; and Lucas asks if Marco knew who he was and that he lived in Port Charles.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

The professor is in.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/daniel-goddard-cast-on-general-hospital-as-professor-dalton

One person’s villain can be another person’s hero. I like it!

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-adrian-anchondo-on-marcos-relationship-with-sidwell

Even Drew hates Drew right now.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/cameron-mathison-on-being-hated-by-soap-fans

He’s in it for the long haul.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/maurice-benards-special-anniversary-message-to-fans

Extra gigs.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-kate-mansi-shares-a-peek-at-her-upcoming-movie

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/gh-alum-kimberly-mccullough-lands-a-new-movie

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/the-story-behind-will-trents-gh-crossover

Here’s hoping the show sticks around. I love how oddly old-fashioned it is, yet they can stick an alarming number of trendy words and phrases into an episode. And the fashion. It’s no surprise there was an article on it. I only wish they’d included where the clothes are purchased.

https://www.tvinsider.com/1183786/beyond-the-gates-ratings-2025/

💉 A Dose Of Reality…

Below Deck Down Under

More boatmance! More terminations!

I might have to start actually watching this.

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Dorit baited Sutton, then the mean girls jumped on Sutton. No surprise. Ho-hum. The visit to Reba was probably my favorite thing this season, and we strolled down Stell Magnolia Memory Lane. Garcelle gave the most profound comment about Sutton’s search for validity via her mother – once they’re gone, you don’t get answers. It was the usual rehash of old fights and getting mad all over again, especially since they’d now seen the show. At the end, Andy asked what surprised them this season, and to no one’s surprise, Kathy said, what was the question again? Garcelle walked out when they were about to take a cast photo and in her dressing room, she said they were all f***ing a-holes. She’s not wrong. Although she forgot she was having dinner – or rather, supper – with Sutton, who wandered around looking for her. I fully expected her to ask if that meant they weren’t having dessert.

Not much here, but it is LVP.

The Valley

This show is hard to watch for obvious reasons – Jax and Jax. While it’s nice to see Britany finally stand up for herself, I’ve wondered from the beginning why she felt the need to be with this neanderthal. Even though she seems to enjoy being on the D-list, she doesn’t strike me as someone who’s in it for the TV exposure. I still don’t have all the other couples straight or the beefs between them. Kristen was vindicated, having been right about who was zooming who, but she doesn’t get that it’s the delivery.

Summer House

It was Lindsay’s birthday and she was 24 28 30 38. We also continued to watch the demise of Paige and Craig’s relationship. Although I keep telling Lexi, no, just no, when it comes to Jesse, she keeps insisting on gaslighting herself into believing he can keep in the parameters of a commitment. Schwartz also showed up, which makes me wonder if Sandoval is going to try and sneak in the back door.

Random Reality Items

So how many tweets (X’s?) do you think Adrienne got with #HumanStain on them?

It’s kind of a shame, but Schwartz could have put on his big boy pants and stepped up.

I’m with Lisa. She was essentially a kid in an age group where we all make asses of ourselves in one way or another.

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

The Deep House. Netflix. Coolest haunted house ever. A man-made lake has covered an evacuated town, but one house’s inhabitants still aren’t gone. Two divers unwisely decide to investigate and end up in a maze of ghostly happenings. The two actors playing the divers carry most of the film and their work is top-notch. The setting is unbelievable, from the underwater house to the fish making occasional appearances. There are both jump scares and slow burns, and while there are cliché moments, this film is unique overall and well worth watching. I wasn’t happy with the ending, but I’m a little picky and you can’t have everything.  

https://www.themirror.com/entertainment/tv/netflix-fans-advise-dont-watch-630856

The atmosphere was everything.

https://www.slashfilm.com/645916/the-deep-house-review-the-directors-of-inside-revitalize-the-haunted-house-movie-by-sinking-it-underwater/

Bad Influence. Netflix. I’d never heard of these kids, but I find it disturbing nonetheless since children can so easily be influenced by the internet. There’s also the flipside where parents are exploiting their children for a buck, which is the focus of this three-episode documentary. Even worse is a momager who abuses the children in her daughter’s posse in disgusting ways. A cautionary tale.

https://people.com/netflix-docuseries-bad-influence-trailer-exclusive-11694701

https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/bad-influence-where-are-tiffany-smith-piper-rockelle-now

The OA. Netflix. A two-season series of 8 episodes each, I’ve only just started watching this, but it’s intriguing. A blind girl disappears and returns as a woman with her sight intact. The twist is that she has a second sight that seems to look into other dimensions. Like I said, I’ve only started watching it, but I’ve seen enough to keep me coming back. Unfortunately, I’ve read that the viewer is left hanging at the end as the cancelation was unexpected. It’s one of the things I hate about getting invested in a series. I’ve been disappointed a few times when a third season is in the works, and then the streaming service decides it’s not.

https://www.themirror.com/entertainment/tv/shows-like-severance-oa-netflix-934695

https://www.vox.com/culture/2016/12/17/13903980/the-oa-review-netflix

Black Mirror: Season 7. Netflix. Because, so much to stream, so little time, I’ve only seen the first three episodes, so I’m waiting until I’m done to do a blow-by-blow assessment. I will say, Hotel Reverie made me cry.

https://www.cbr.com/black-mirror-season-7-viewership-numbers-score/

https://www.cbr.com/black-mirror-season-7-best-episodes/

🐾  As It Should Be…

🦕 I would definitely love to see this. I love capybaras, and I doubt they’d eat someone’s dog, especially since they’re herbivores. Like that dinosaur in Jurassic Park.

https://people.com/capybaras-taking-over-a-gated-community-11718000

🪿 I wonder if I could get my husband to bring back an axolotl the next time he goes to Arby’s.

https://people.com/man-leaves-to-get-his-wife-lunch-then-comes-back-with-a-duckling-exclusive-11715589

🐶 How badly do you think that dog with the Easter Bunny wants to escape? That reminds me, the bunny ears are upstairs…

https://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/happy-easter/

Ralph, no longer with us, but the ears live on

🐳 Quotes of the Week

Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn’t know it so it goes on flying anyway. – Mary Kay Ash

Confidence comes not from always being right, but from not fearing to be wrong. – Peter McIntyre

Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts. – Daniel Patrick Moynihan

This whole world is wild at heart and weird on top. – David Lynch

Wrong turns are as important as right turns. More important, sometimes. – Richard Bach

In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity. – Albert Einstein

Believe you can and you’re halfway there. – Theodore Roosevelt

Go interview him about the history of the history of the history of leaves falling off trees. – Hilaria Baldwin to the producers about Alec, The Baldwins

🐇 Hippity Hopping Into the Weekend…

Until next week, stay safe; stay not eating that whole big chocolate rabbit (you will be sorry); and stay believing in yourself. Then other people will believe in you.

August 28, 2024 – Laura Calls In a Favor, A Petition, Powerful, This Week In LA, Test Flirt, Her Date, Rails Residue, Post Deck, New Apes, Where’d He Go & Sadness

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Alexis tells Sonny what happened at Irene’s funeral; how Molly tore into Kristina and Kristina ended up falling on the grave. Everyone was hysterical. Sonny asks what Molly was thinking, and Kristina walks in.

In a hotel room somewhere, Ava says she knows John is headed back to Port Charles and asks when he’ll be back. He says he won’t be gone long, but she says she doesn’t feel safe without him. He says, she’ll be fine, when there’s a knock at the door. He says, Agent Boyle will watch over her, and Boyle walks in.

At the hospital, Anna says, Tracy looks pale. Is she all right? Tracy says she’s not, and Anna asks if she can get Tracy something. Tracy says, it’s not her. It’s Lulu. She needs a miracle.

Laura tells Doc that Nikolas was crushed. That leaves Lucky. She’s got to find him. He travels a lot doing humanitarian work, but she hasn’t heard from him in months. She’s waiting to hear back from the place he last worked. She’s also going through some back channels. Her phone rings, and she asks if Robert has an update.

Gerard (a guard who has a name) says, they’re going in five minutes, and leaves. Lucky says, they did it. It worked. Isaiah says, it played out just like Lucky said, and Lucky tells him that they’re getting out today.

Kristina says she keeps wishing she hadn’t gotten so angry and stormed into Ava’s suite. Sonny says she didn’t know how Ava was going to react. She can’t blame herself. She says, not according to Molly. Molly said she chose to protect Sonny instead of her child and that she was selfish. Alexis says, Molly doesn’t mean that. She was lashing out. Trying to make sense of something that doesn’t make sense. She’s grieving too, and Kristina was the easiest person to blame. Kristina says, Molly thinks she was going to steal her baby after it was born, but you can’t steal what belongs to you. She was never more certain than at the funeral. When Adela was lowered into the ground, a part of her died too.

Ava says, John told her that he’d keep her safe, and he says he’s held up his end of the bargain so far, but she says she needs to know about the future. When is he bringing Avery? Are they going to be put in the witness protection program? He asks if that’s what she wants, living in some backwater town trying to fit in, and she says she wants to survive. Isn’t that the best option? John says he’s doing what he can. If the plan goes right, she’ll be able to go back, and Sonny will never threaten her or Avery again. She asks if she can give Avery a call, but John says, she’s having a wonderful time with the nanny. If Ava calls, it will just make Avery miss her. She asks if she can at least have her phone, but he says, it’s too risky. Her location could be compromised. Ava says she’s feeling cut off, and he says, that’s the whole point. It’s keeping her safe. Everything is going according to plan. Be patient. Does she trust him? She says, of course (🍷), and he says he’ll see her soon. He leaves with his suitcases.

Anna says, if Nikolas isn’t an option, what happens next? and Tracy says, they have to find Lucky. Anna says, it won’t be easy, but Tracy says, it has to happen unless some donor was overlooked. Anna asks if they have to share DNA or just the same blood type, and Tracy says, they don’t have to share the same DNA, but it’s the best chance for a match. Time is of the essence. If it doesn’t happen soon…. She says she has to take care of something, and leaves.

Robert says, the WSB said Lucky was participating in humanitarian efforts. He saved several doctors and patients in an area under siege. The organization decided to relocate to a more friendly part of the world, and Lucky found himself an area where his talents could be used. Laura asks if the WSB knows where he is, and Robert says, they believe he was headed toward East Africa, to a refugee camp. But it was months ago and nearly impossible to get a message to him. She asks if they have the location of the camp, but he says, the camp is always in flux and isolated. He’ll let her know if he can do more. Keep him in the loop. Doc says he’s sorry, and Laura says, it’s a setback. She’s not giving up. She thinks it’s time to call in a favor.

Isaiah says, Sidwell is complaining of stomach pain. He’s known toddlers who whine less. It’s just indigestion, but he told Sidwell that he needed to get a full panel of tests that require equipment they don’t have, so they’re leaving. Lucky says, all they need to do is make it off the compound. Once they lose the guards, he can get ahold of his contact, and they’ll be on their way. It’s not going to be easy, but it will work. It has to.

Anna goes to Portia’s office and says she learned from Tracy that Lulu’s condition is declining, and she needs a liver transplant. Is that true? Portia says she can’t discuss a patient’s condition without permission of the patient or family, and Anna says, of course (🍷). She doesn’t need information about Lulu’s condition, but needs information about the donor search. Portia says, the potential donor needs to be in good physical and psychological condition. They need to be a non-smoker for six weeks prior, understand the risks of the procedure, and have a compatible blood type. Anna says, what about age? Can they be a minor? Portia says, it’s rare. They prefer it be an adult, but in special circumstances, it’s possible. Anna says, that’s all she needed to hear, and leaves.

Laura goes to Jack’s office, and he asks, to what does he owe the honor? She says she needs his help, and he invites her in. She says her daughter was badly injured in an explosion and has been in a coma ever since. Her health has taken a sudden turn for the worse and she needs a liver transplant in order to survive. He says he’s sorry, but she says she’s not here for sympathy. She’s here for information. He asks what he could possibly know that would help, and she says, he’s a very high-ranking member of the WSB and she’s here to ask him to help her find her son.

Lucky says, Isaiah knows the plan. Wait for his signal, then move. Gerard comes back and says, let’s go. They pick up their bags, and Gerard says, just the doctor. Lucky is staying.

Kristina says she falls asleep and dreams about Adela, and Sonny says, she named the baby after his mother? She says, it’s not what TJ and Molly would have named her, but if she’d lived, that’s what she would have named her. Sonny says, it’s beautiful, and thanks her, and she says, in her dreams, Adela is so beautiful, so tiny, and so sweet. Kristina cries and says she’s so full of joy. She holds Adela and she’s laughing and kissing her face. Then she wakes up and remembers Adela is gone all over again. It’s like a knife to her heart and she can’t breathe. That’s why she’s not sleeping. When she sleeps, she can be with Adela, but when she wakes up, she remembers again that Adela has been taken away from her. There’s a knock at the door, and Alexis says she’ll get rid of them. She opens the door and asks what John is doing here again. He says he’s sorry to intrude, but he has a few more questions for Kristina.

Laura tells Jack that Lucky has been away from Port Charles for several years doing humanitarian work. He’s been providing security for aid workers in East Africa, and it isn’t easy getting in touch in an emergency. Jack says, it’s a chaotic part of the world, and Laura says she needs to bring him back. A donor that’s a full sibling is the best chance for a match. Can he help? He says he’ll do what he can, but he doesn’t want to lie. Finding Lucky will be a challenge. Laura says she realizes that, but he has more resources than she does, and he says, the WSB isn’t popular in that area. Inquiries will have to be made under the radar. Otherwise, it will be considered interference. She says she expects the WSB is expert in covert operations. She’s asking him to give her daughter a chance at life and to locate her son. He says, if it’s in his power to help, he will. He gets up, and she thanks him for his time. Before she goes out the door, she says, her family has done more than their share of favors for the WSB. When they had the power to help, they did. It’s time the WSB repaid the favor. Good day. She leaves.

Isaiah says, Lucky needs to come. They need protection. They’ll be transporting expensive equipment. If it’s stolen, is Gerard going to tell Sidwell it’s gone? Gerard hears something, and he tells Isaiah to be ready by the time he gets back. He leaves, and Isaiah asks what they do now.

Alexis says, no way in hell is John speaking to her daughter, but Kristina says, maybe she should just answer the questions. She has nothing to hide. Alexis says, as her attorney, she’s advising Kristina that it’s a bad idea. As her mother, she forbids it. John can’t come here without scheduling it in advance, and when he does, she’ll be present as Kristina’s attorney. Sonny says, John didn’t come to talk to their daughter. All John has to do is ask him. He’ll talk to John. John says he does have a few questions for Sonny, and Sonny tells him to come to his office tomorrow, but John says, Sonny doesn’t get to pick the time and place. The PC Grill in 20 minutes. Don’t keep him waiting or he’ll come back and take Kristina into custody. (Ugh. His schtick is getting so very old.) He leaves, and Kristina says, he’s just trying to get Sonny to say something. It’s a trap. Sonny says he can deal with it. He knows how to handle Agent Cates.

Ava asks how long Boyle has been with the Bureau, and Boyle says, five years. Ava asks if she’s been working with John, and Boyle says, some of the time. Ava says, John is high up, and asks if he has a lot of power, but Boyle says, they don’t divulge those things to the public. Ava says, nice shoes. She would wear them. Cartullo? Boyle says, good eye. She got them at a sample sale. Ava says, they still must have cost a lot. You can usually tell a cop or a Fed by their shoes. Those are chic. Boyle asks if she needs anything, and Ava says she’d like to have her phone, but Boyles says she meant to eat or drink. Ava says, that depends on how long they’re going to be here, and Boyle says she doesn’t think that long.  

On the phone, Alexis says she’ll be right there. She tells Kristina that the hospital has a problem with her insurance. She’ll be as quick as possible. Will she be okay? Kristina says, yes, but she’s worried about dad. Alexis says, Sonny can take care of himself, but Kristina says she’s upset that she’s the reason John has leverage over him. Alexis says, she has nothing to do with it. John would use any excuse to go after Sonny. When she gets back, they’ll have a snack watch harmless movie. She leaves, and Kristina makes a call. She asks if they can come over. She needs their help.

Lucky tells Isaiah to take the gun. If he gets a chance to stop the guards, run to the airfield and meet his contact. He’ll get Isaiah to Mogadishu. Isaiah says he’s not leaving with Lucky, but Lucky says, unless they shoot their way out, that’s not happening. If he had the chance to get out, he’d leave Isaiah in a heartbeat. Go save himself to save him.

Tracy goes to Laura’s apartment, and Laura asks what she can do for her. Tracy says she wants to help Lulu.

Kristina says she didn’t know who to call, and Jason says, Sonny kept him updated, but it’s good to see her. How is she feeling? She says, physically, she’s healing. She’s just scared. Cates came looking for her and her mom stood up to him. She knows Cates is working with Ava, who’s lying and making up everything. Ava is blaming her, but that’s not accurate. Jason says, it’s hard to be accused of a crime you didn’t commit. She has to fight the impulse to do something. Cates wants her to react and make a mistake so he can find something to charge her with that sticks. Please do not give him that chance. Kristina says, she can’t sit around and wait. She has to do something, but she can’t do it alone. She knows it’s a lot to ask, but he has to help her stop Cates and find a way to make Ava pay.

Ava says she knows a little bit about guns and the one Agent Boyle has, isn’t what Feds typically carry. Boyle says, female agents have their choice of weapons now, and Ava says she could use a coffee. She’ll run down and get one. Boyle says, you never know who’s out there. She’ll go. Ava says she’d like a macchiato, and Boyle says she’ll go to the coffee shop lobby. Sit tight. She leaves, and Ava picks up Boyle’s bag. She says, all right. Who are you?

Sonny meets John at the PC Grill and John says, Kristina seemed upset. How is she doing? Sonny says, John doesn’t care about Kristina or the fake crimes he’s charging her with. Stop playing around and tell him what he wants. John says, Kristina’s not looking too good. She probably won’t make it through the trial, let alone a 20-year sentence. Sonny says, it’s not going to come to that, and John says, Sonny can make his daughter’s troubles go away. Sonny asks, how? and John says, he’s going to confess.

Anna goes to Jack’s office (I’m starting to feel sorry for him), and he says, what an unexpected pleasure. What can he do for her? She tells him to stop playing games. She needs to know Valentin’s location. He says, the WSB doesn’t currently have it, but if he learns anything, she’ll be his first call. She says, he’s lying. She’s conducted run arounds herself. He asks if she’s rethinking letting Valentin escape. Browbeating him won’t help her find him any quicker. She says she needs to find his daughter for Lulu. His phone rings, and he tells them to send him the information immediately. Anna says, he knows Lulu is dying and Charlotte might help save her mother’s life. He needs to give her the courtesy of his full attention to discuss it. He says, she always sees him in the worst possible light, and she says she has reason to. He says, she can badger him or save Lulu. That’s what the phone call was about.

Tracy says she knows Laura is looking for Lucky, and she can use any of the Quartermaines’ resources to help bring him home. Laura thanks her for her generosity, but she’s waiting to hear from the WSB. She spoke to Jack Brennan, the station chief in Port Charles. Tracy says, they should be able to find Lucky, and Laura says, he told her that it was a chaotic part of the world, when her phone rings. It’s Jack, and she says she’s putting him on speakerphone. He says he has good news. He has a location for Lucky. She thanks him, and he says, Lucky was last seen at refugee camps in Somalia and Ethiopia a week ago. She asks if he’s there now, but Jack says he’s not sure. His contact doesn’t currently have eyes on Lucky and he can’t get satellite information for 48 hours. By then, it will be a long shot, since they move frequently. She asks if she can get a message to him to let him know it’s urgent, but he says, communication is sketchy to non-existent. Her best bet is to send someone, but whoever she sends needs to be prepared for the substantial risk. It’s a dangerous part of the world.

Alexis thanks Portia for helping with the insurance, and Portia says, no problem. She knows Alexis has a lot on her plate. How is Kristina doing? Alexis says, she slept last night, so there’s that. She’s got a long road ahead of her. Portia says, she’s a strong woman and clearly has a lot of support. It’s not easy, but she will get through it. Alexis says she takes it Portia heard about the scene between Kristina and Molly after the funeral, and Portia says she thinks they’re in a lot of pain. She imagines Alexis is too. As a mother, she truly feels for Alexis. It’s a terrible position to be in. She’d do anything for Trina, and she just has one daughter. Alexis is stuck in the middle, having to choose. She doesn’t know what she’d do.

Jason says he totally gets where Kristina is coming from, but it’s not her fight. If Cates hadn’t used her, he would find another way. Ava is a means to an end. He’s using Kristina, so don’t give him anything else he can hold over her head. He’s obsessed with getting Sonny. Being obsessed makes him crazy and it makes him dangerous. It also makes him weak. He has tunnel vision. He wants revenge for something that happened decades ago and will risk everything to get it. At some point, he’s going to make a mistake and leave himself open. Sonny knows when to make a move and Cates will never see it coming.

Sonny asks what he’s supposed to confess to, and John says, everything last thing. On the record of course (🍷). No trial, witnesses, or plea bargain. He’ll confess to the smuggling, money laundering, counterfeiting, and murder. Last but not least, he’ll tell them how he groomed an innocent underage girl and put her to work as a stripper. Sonny says, that’s a pretty big swing John’s taking. What if John misses? John says he won’t, and Sonny says, all he’s got is a phony statement from Ava that any lawyer can poke holes in. John asks if he wants to test that theory. If he’s wrong, Kristina will go to prison for a long, long time. It’s her freedom or his.

Isaiah says he’s not leaving Lucky in this mess, and Lucky says he came to rescue Isaiah. Isaiah says he didn’t ask, and Lucky says, he’s asking Isaiah to rescue them both. They’re out of their league and Isaiah needs to get out of here, get back to the states, and bring backup of the three letter kind. Isaiah says, don’t say the CIA, and Lucky says, no. Never go near them. But the WSB owes his family a favor.

Anna tells Jack, time is of the essence. She doesn’t know why they’re pinning their hope on Lucky when there’s another viable donor out there. He says, for the last time, he doesn’t know where Valentin and Charlotte are, but she says she doesn’t believe him. Jack is robbing Charlotte of the chance to save her own mother’s life and putting his efforts into a desperate search for a single man in a strife torn part of the world. When this fails, he’ll have to face the fact that he chose to protect the WSB rather than save the life of an innocent woman. She leaves and Jack ponders.

Tracy tells Laura that they can hire a mercenary or an extraction team. There are security contractors. Laura says, no. She doesn’t want a stranger to find her son. She can do it herself. Tracy says, it’s too dangerous, but Laura says she’s aware of the risks. She has a contact, the man who runs the last organization Lucky was working for. Tracy says she understands the impulse for Laura to go herself, but professionals would be better qualified. Laura says she doesn’t agree. Blood is thicker than water. Tracy asks if Doc is okay with this, and Doc says he knows better than to argue… because he’s going with her. Tracy says, fabulous. The mayor and her psychiatrist husband. What could possibly go wrong? Laura says she appreciates Laura’s concern, but they’ll be okay. Tracy says she hopes so, and Laura says, there is something Tracy can do to help. Look after Ace. Tracy wonders if he shouldn’t be with a family like Elizabeth’s. She has a child who’s Ace’s cousin. Laura says she thought Ace would be more comfortable with Tracy’s family. Don’t they have a nanny on staff? Tracy says, two, and Laura says she hopes throwing Ace into the mix won’t be overwhelming. Tracy says, Ace is welcome to come stay at Monica’s house, and Laura says she couldn’t do this without knowing he was safe. She trusts Tracy. Tracy says she’ll make sure Laura’s grandson has excellent care, and Larua says, then it’s settled. Let’s go find Lucky.  

Kristina says, so Jason isn’t going to stop Cates? but he says, something will be done. He can’t talk about it. She thanks him and says she knew he’d come through.

Sonny says, John has a lot riding on Ava. If she finds a better offer, she’ll recant her statement, and his case will fall apart. John says he’s not worried. Ava is in no position to recant – ever.  

Ava looks in Boyle’s bag. She takes out a pair of sunglasses and says, these cost a fortune. You can’t afford them on a government salary. She takes out a phone, thinks a moment, then puts it back. She finds a wad of cash and says, this is not right. She flashes back to Sonny telling her that John wants her dead and will try to frame him for her murder. The only thing John wants is her dead. Ava puts the bag back and opens the door. Boyle is there with the coffee and says, going somewhere?

Tomorrow, Violet asks when Chase and Brook are having a baby; Willow tells Drew that she’s so sorry; and John tells Kristina that she has a way to make this go away.

📋 Don’t Let Her Go…

You never know. Could work.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/general-hospital-fans-rally-to-save-kelly-monaco

Here’s the petition. I signed and commented.

https://www.change.org/p/retain-kelly-monaco-in-the-cast-of-general-hospital

🎭 No Drama Outside the Lines…

Kudos to them for the tough scenes they’ve been doing so well.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/kate-mansi-opens-up-about-the-powerful-drama-on-gh

💰 Fancy Crossover….

JoshA showed Fancy Pants Heather from the OC a mansion. In his interview, he explained that the Dubrows moved fast and didn’t mess around. That made them his kind of people. The house on a hill had 8 acres and amazing views of pretty much everything, and it was priced at $20 million. A steal Heather couldn’t resist.

There was trouble in his paradise between JoshA and his Heather. HeatherA was being spread too thin between work and family, especially now that the office had expanded to include Orange County.

JoshF went to Fashion Week in Paris, which left Tracy to handle their co-listing. In an odd twist, she showed it to a couple who were JoshF’s clients, meaning she might have to negotiate against Josh, which she said would be fun… for her.

Next time, a 20-car garage and doody on the curtains.

🐩 Looking For a Fabulous Match…

While I think a dog park is a great place to meet a potential date, it was weird when a guy asked if he could buy Whitney and her friend a drink. Are there bars in dog parks now? She finally made the smart move to use a matchmaker.

https://parade.com/news/my-big-fat-fabulous-lifes-whitney-thore-hones-flirting-skills-dog-park-exclusive-clip

🥂 Two Firsts In One Night…

I have to admit, it surprised me that Olivia spent the night with her first ever date. No judgement at all. As a matter of fact, good for her. I just didn’t expect it. If she doesn’t cut out that nervous laughing though, she might not get a second date.

https://people.com/welcome-to-plathville-recap-olivia-plath-spent-night-on-first-date-post-divorce-8702802

👠 Down the Not Quite Shore…

Melissa says she’s done with the drama.

https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2024/08/longtime-rhonj-star-promises-to-leave-if-castmate-stays-on-show.html

And Danielle is putting on her big girl pants.

🛟 After the Deck Is Over…

We need Chef Ben to come back and save the Med.

🦧 Their Kingdom…

I watched this last weekend. Nice plot twists and phenomenal effects. The story wasn’t bad, but I didn’t exactly come for the drama. It did not disappoint on the action/FX front.

Behind the curtain.

https://ew.com/kingdom-of-the-planet-of-the-apes-side-by-side-raw-cut-with-unfinished-vfx-clip-exclusive-8697941

🦍 Find the Chimp…

Coincidentally, I started watching Chimp Crazy too. The takeaway point being, don’t keep wild animals as pets. It’s abusive to the animal and it could backfire on you.

https://people.com/where-is-tonka-from-chimp-crazy-now-all-about-florida-sanctuary-8703367

🚓 Giving Summer a Speeding Ticket…

Join me tomorrow for soap and a seat in the OC shade. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping an emergency vehicle kit in your car, and stay not trying to make sense of something that doesn’t make sense.

August 6, 2024 – Anna Sees Sonny’s Surveillance Photos, Soap Suds, Dubai Goes To Bali, Old School New York On Vacay, Number One & Stuck

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Doc is working in his office at the hospital when the lights go out. Laura walks in carrying a cupcake with a candle in it. She says, he didn’t think she forgot, did he?

Scotty shows up at the station and Ava asks where he’s been. He says, court, but he’s here now. He asks Anna why his client is here, and Anna says, Kristina Corinthos-Davis fell from a window in the MetroCourt. By some miracle, she landed in the pool. Scotty asks if she’s okay, and Anna says, it’s touch and go. He says he’s sorry to hear it, but what’s it got to do with Ava? Chase says, Kristina fell from a window in Ava’s suite, and Ava says, it was a terrible, hideous accident. Scotty says, there you go, but Anna says, that remains to be seen.

Jason brings the bills for Bobbie’s to Sonny’s old kitchen, and Carly asks if she can get him something. He says he’s okay, but she’s obviously not. What’s wrong? She says, Sonny was supposed to see Donna, but he didn’t show, and she didn’t get a text. She doesn’t know what to tell Donna. He asks if she thinks Sonny forgot, but she says, he’s never done that. He’s going through a lot and he’s nowhere to be found. Donna needs the stability. He says, Donna has her, but she says, Donna deserves both her parents.

The nurse asks Alexis to wait outside. Dr. Park says a bunch of medical stuff, ending with, get her to the OR immediately.

Molly asks, what happened? but Alexis says she doesn’t know. The machines started going crazy and they’re working on Kristina. Sam comes in and asks Dante, what the hell is going on?

Sonny stands on the roof ledge looking down. Morgan stands next to him and asks what he’s doing.

The nurse comes out, and Alexis asks, what happened? She says, Kristina is bleeding internally and being taken to surgery. The doctor will talk to them when they know more. Sam asks if Kristina is going to be okay, and Alexis says, she better be. Dante says, she’s strong, and Sam says, and stubborn. Dante says, she’ll find her way back.

TJ tells Molly that Dr. Park is one of the best, and Jason says, Kristina is in good hands. Molly says, they just lost their baby. She cannot and will not lose Kristina too.

Ava says, they can’t think she deliberately shoved Kristina out the window, and Scotty says he needs to talk to his client. Anna says, the interrogation room is his, and he and Ava go in. Ava says, this is utter insanity, and Scotty asks if he’s sure she didn’t put a hand on that girl. She says she didn’t touch Kristina, and he says he can work with that.

Anna calls the hospital, and asks about Kristina… Yes… Okay, and the baby?… She’s sorry to hear that… Okay. Thank you. Chase asks if there’s any news, and she says she wishes she had better news, but the baby didn’t make it. Chase says, poor Molly, TJ, and Kristina… All of them. She says, they can’t let this distract them. Does he have anything from CID? He says, nothing of value. He’s still waiting on the forensics report. Dante emailed his notes over, and he got the same vibe. Kristina tripping over a shoe makes no sense. Ava is hiding something.

Sam wonders where Sonny is, and Dante says, he was here earlier, and Molly lost her mind on him. Alexis says she’ll call Blaze, but Sam says she’ll do it. Stay here with Kristina. Sam leaves, and Dante makes a call.

Carly says, sorry for unloading on Jason, but he says, she’s still on edge. She says she’s still in shock about the evidence disappearing. Spinelli didn’t do it and she keeps wracking her brain, but she honestly doesn’t know. Jason says, they’ll figure it out. All that matters is she’s free. She says, and he’s free, when his phone rings. He asks Dante, what’s up?… No. Carly is here. Why?… Carly asks if everything is okay, and Jason tells Dante, no problem. He’ll be right there. Carly asks, what’s going on? and Jason says, Kristina fell through a window at the hotel. She says her hotel? and he says, she landed in the pool. She asks, when? and he says, earlier. She wonders why the hell no one called her, and he says probably because they were focused on the hospital. She asks if Kristina is okay. What about the baby? He says, the baby didn’t make it. Dante is at GH and wants him to come. He’s worried about Sonny. Carly tells him to go. Call if there’s anything she can do. He leaves.

Sonny says, You’re not here. You’re just in my imagination. You’re not real. Morgan says he’s always with Sonny. Come down. Sonny’s got a family who loves him, including him. Sonny says, they shouldn’t. Look at him. He’s nothing but disaster to all his kids, especially Morgan. Morgan says, that’s not true, but Sonny says, Molly was right when she said all he brings is pain and destruction for everyone.

Doc likes the cupcake and says, Laura didn’t have to, but he’s glad she did. She says, of course (🍷) she had to. Today is the day he was born. He deserves to be celebrated. She feels awful. She had a whole evening planned. She had dinner reservations and a babysitter, but she got stuck at the City Council meeting from hell. He says, it’s probably just as well. It would have been worse if he’d gotten called away on an emergency, but he was asked to do a last-minute patient eval. They should be calling any minute. She says she hates that he had to work on his birthday, but it does make her feel better. They laugh, and she tells him to open his present. He sees two tickets to Allison’s Room, and she says, a weekend in New York, complete with a night out on Broadway. He asks how she got them. He heard the tickets were impossible to get. She says, sometimes it pays to be in politics.

Scotty says, Anna needs to cut his client loose. The MetroCourt is to blame. Ava says, their window wasn’t up to code, and Anna says she has a question. John Cates’s luggage was found in Ava’s closet. Care to explain?

TJ says, a little girl, and Jordan says, he had a daughter. He says, her granddaughter. Just like that, she’s already gone. How is that possible? He’ll never get to hear her laugh or celebrate her first steps and won’t know what it feels like to hold her in his arms. Jordan says she’s so sorry, and he asks what Jordan thinks she would have been like. She says, knowing her father, pure magic, when a nurse says, Dr. Park asked her to update them. They’re trying to avoid a hysterectomy, but Kristina is losing a lot of blood and there might be no choice. They’ll have more information when she’s out of surgery. She leaves, and Molly says, a hysterectomy. What if carrying their child cost Kristina the chance to have her own? TJ says, it wasn’t because of the pregnancy, and Sam says, it was a horrible accident. Molly says, one that could have been easily avoided.

Jason comes in, and Dante thanks him for coming. Jason asks how Kristina is doing, and Dante says, when she gets out of surgery, they’ll know. Jason asks how it happened, and Dante says, Kristina went to Ava’s room and got into it with her. Ava says she didn’t touch Kristina. She tripped over a shoe. Jason says, and through the window? Has Ava been arrested? Dante says, she’s in custody, and Jason says, there’s no sign of Sonny? Dante says, he was here, and Molly laid into him. She blamed him for everything, including Kristina losing the baby. Jason asks how he reacted, and Dante says, Sonny took off and he hasn’t seen him since.

Sonny says he’s always tried to hide the darkness he had inside, but it always seems to come out, and Morgan says he saw it, but he saw the light too. He knows Sonny loved him. Sonny says, it’s not enough. He’s tired of trying to be somebody else. Morgan says, it’s exhausting, and Sonny says, especially with Kristina. Every time she looks at him, he feels like he has hope, that his life is worth saving. Morgan says, it is, and Sonny says, Kristina saw him beat up Dex. He was angry and he enjoyed it, and she saw it. He wanted to hurt Dex the way Dex hurt him. Morgan says, it’s understandable, but Sonny says, not for Kristina. She was afraid of him and ran away. Morgan says, she came back, but Sonny says, she should have kept running. If she had, the baby would still be alive.

Dante says he checked the chapel and tried to call Sonny, but everything goes to voicemail. If it was under normal circumstances… Jason says, it’s not, and Dante says, Sonny is emotional and erratic. Jason asks if he’s worried Sonny will go after Ava, and Dante says, is he? Jason says, she’s at the station, but Dante says, they can only hold her for so long. He’ll go look for Sonny himself. Jason tells him to stay with the family. He’ll look for Sonny. Dante says, keep him posted, and Jason asks Dante to do the same. He hopes Kristina is okay. He leaves.

Donna comes into the kitchen, and Carly says, she can’t sleep? Does she want some warm milk? Donna says, yuck, channeling all of us, and Carly says, she loved warm milk when she was a baby. Donna says she’s not a baby anymore, and Carly says, come sit with her. How are they going fix this? Read another book? Count sheep? Donna says, that never works (more truth!) and Carly agrees. She asks if Donna wants to talk, and Donna says, about what? Carly says, whatever is going on. Sometimes we can’t sleep because we’re worried or angry or sad. Donna asks why daddy didn’t come to their playdate, and Carly says she’s not sure, but whatever is keeping him away has to be important. He loves their playdates. Donna asks if she thinks he didn’t come because he and Carly are mad at each other.

Morgan tells Sonny that he, Kristina, and Michael may pull away, but they always come back because they love him. His kids are not scared of him. Is he perfect? No parent is perfect, but they know deep down that he wants the best for them. Sonny says, that’s all he wanted, to be the father they deserve, and he failed. Morgan says he disagrees, and Sonny asks how Morgan, of all people, can say that to him. Morgan is dead because of him.  

Jason calls Brick while he’s at the tailor being fitted. Brick asks if there’s any word on Kristina, and Jason says, she’s in surgery. Brick says, poor thing. He’s sending up all his prayers. Sonny had called him and asked him to do surveillance on Ava’s hotel room. He has pictures of the whole thing, but Sonny isn’t answering his calls. Jason says, no one here can find him. He was hoping Brick could track him down – Brick says he’s on it – and can Brick send him the photos? Brick says, Sonny made it clear that Jason is no longer in the inside circle of trust, but Jason says, Sonny is mistaken. He’s been protecting Sonny and his family like always. Brick says, that’s good enough for him, especially under the circumstances. He’ll get Jason the pictures and look for Sonny.  

🤬 We’re having thunderstorms, and my electricity went out, but not the WiFi, so I got my laptop. Trust me, not enough happened in that time to go back and watch it again.

Doc says he’s glad to have Laura as a partner, when his phone rings. She says, that’s probably the call he’s been waiting for, but if he plays his cards right, there may be more surprises later. She’s sure it’s not information he should share with the mayor. He says, she’s also his wife, and she says, forever. He says, and always, and she leaves.

Ava tells Anna that Carly threw Cates out of the MetroCourt, and he asked if he could leave his luggage in her room. What’s wrong with that? Anna says, nothing. She’s just curious that Ava didn’t mention it. Ava says she didn’t see the relevance. There’s about to be a hearing for the custody of her daughter. If Sonny and his lawyer got wind of her association with Cates, they might make it an issue. Scotty says, for cryin’ out loud, there’s no crime here. Does he have to talk to a judge or are they going to let Ava go?… Okay. He’s going to find a judge. He tells Ava that he’ll have her out by tonight. He leaves and sees Jason walking into the station.  

Dr. Park says, they’ve been able to avoid a hysterectomy, but have to monitor Kristina closely. She’s being moved back to ICU soon. They can see her, but one at a time. He doesn’t want her to be overwhelmed. Alexis thanks him and tells the others, Kristina is going to be okay. There are hugs all around.

Carly tells Donna that parents get mad at each other, but the cool thing is, even when they get mad, they still love each other. Because they love her and she’s a part of each of them. Donna asks why they fight, and Carly says, it’s normal. Do she and Avery always get along? Donna says, the other day, Avery stole her squishy and she yelled at Avery. Then Avery left her a note saying she loved her. Carly says she bets Donna found Avery, hugged her, and said she loved her too. People fighting is a part of life, especially people who love each other. No matter how much they disappoint each other, they’ll always love each other.

Morgan says, it’s revisionist history at best. It’s Ava’s fault. She’s the reason he was off his meds, which led to him being in the explosion. Not Sonny. Sonny says, he shot Dante, and Morgan says, before he knew Dante was his son. Sonny says, Michael was in a coma for a year, and Morgan says, it was an accident. Sonny says, Avery was cursed with Ava as a mother, and Donna’s mother almost went to federal prison. Now Kristina lost her baby. Morgan says, no one could have stopped that, and Sonny says, it’s better for everybody. Why is Morgan here? To tell him to finally do right thing.

Anna comes out to see Jason, and he tells her that Sonny had surveillance on Ava’s hotel suite and pictures were taken. She says, the drapes were open. She doesn’t suppose he has access to the photos. He shows them to her, and she asks why he’s bringing them to her. He says he trusts her to do the right thing with them.

Ava tells Chase that Trina is dear to her. She thinks of Trina like a daughter, and she’s worried about her. It must have been a shock to witness such an accident. Chase says he thinks everyone is still processing, and she asks what Trina said about it, when Anna walks back in. Ava asks if they’ve decided holding luggage isn’t a crime or do they wait for a judge? It’s late and she’s exhausted. Anna says, it’s been a trying day. Lying takes effort. Ava says, sorry? and Anna says, they have proof Ava hasn’t been truthful in her statement to the PCPD. Ava says she explained why she didn’t mention Cates’s bag, and Anna says she’s going to ask Ava again, but be careful how she answers. Did she have any physical contact with Kristina before she fell? Jason watches through the window.

Alexis tells Kristina that she always had a flair for the dramatic, but this is ridiculous. She thanks Kristina for pulling through. A world without her is unfathomable. She loves Kristina with all her heart. Molly knocks on the window, and Alexis gestures for her to come in. They hug, and Molly sits down. Alexis leaves, and Molly takes Kristina’s hand. 

Sam says she hates this, and Dante says he does too. She says she doesn’t want Molly and Kristina to live through what she did, and Dante says, what she’s still living through. She says, losing a child is a special kind of pain that stays with you forever. Whatever stage they’re at, you’ve already built a life with the two of you together forever, and in an instant, it’s gone. She snuggles against him.

Carly says, they’re so lucky to have Donna, and Donna asks if she thinks daddy will come see her tomorrow. Carly says she knows he wants to. He always wants to be with her, and she knows if he can’t be with her, whatever the reason, he loves her.

Morgan says, Sonny can’t check out. His kids need him. Sonny says, they’re better off without him. He failed his children like he failed Morgan. He didn’t protect Morgan like he should have. That’s a father’s job to protect their kids. He didn’t know where the real threat was. Morgan says, don’t leave them now, but Sonny says he’s not doing them any good. He thought he was, but he’s not. He’s done. He can rest knowing his kids are taken care of. Morgan says, they still need him. Not just his kids, but his grandkids. Amelia, Wiley, Rocco… Kristina is fighting for her life, and he needs to help her. Sonny says he is. He’s helping all his kids by keeping them safe from him.

Ava says she may have reached out to Kristina, and Anna says, may have? Ava says, it’s such a blur. Kristina came storming in, angry. She was completely taken off guard. Anna says, fortunately, they don’t have to rely on Ava’s memory, and shows Ava the photos. They don’t look good for Ava, and Ava looks like she has a headache. She asks where they came from, and Anna says, does it matter? She’s placing Ava under arrest for assault and manslaughter. The baby didn’t make it. She gives Ava her rights.

Sam asks if there’s been any change, but Alexis says, not yet. Sam asks if they can get Alexis anything. She just lost a grandchild, and almost lost her daughter. Alexis says, thank God for almost, and Sam says, she’s going to pull through. Alexis says, then what happens to the family? They’re sisters. Sam says she has no answers, but they’ll figure it out together. All of them.

Kristina moves a little and opens her eyes. Molly tells Kristina that she’s right here, and Kristina starts to cry. She says she’s so sorry. She lost Molly’s baby. Molly says, it’s okay, but Kristina sobs and says she’s sorry. Molly says she knows.

Donna sleeps, snuggled against Carly.

We see the roof. Sonny and Morgan are gone.

Doc is packing up, when Sonny comes in. He says he needs help, and Doc says, all right. Sonny says, something is wrong with him, and he can’t take it anymore.

Tomorrow, Portia tells Trina, good people are capable of bad things; Doc gets the results of Sonny’s blood test; Jason asks what stopped Sonny; and Ava says she’s not responsible.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

In case you don’t know.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/what-happened-to-morgan-on-general-hospital-154892

How he feels.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/uncategorized/bryan-craig-opens-up-about-returning-to-general-hospital

Yep. It was a real tearjerker, and they did their jobs well.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/kate-mansi-opens-up-about-that-powerful-episode-of-gh

I guess Hayden isn’t coming back. Not this one anyway.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/the-bold-the-beautiful/rebecca-budig-is-the-new-taylor-on-the-bold-the-beautiful

Lulu isn’t coming back the same way either. I can’t say I’m disappointed. I was never that invested.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/emme-rylan-confirms-gh-is-recasting-lulu

Not happy, but necessary.

https://ew.com/suspect-photos-released-general-hospital-star-johnny-wactor-killing-8690681

And to end on an up note, a good time was had by all.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/general-hospital/general-hospital-fan-club-weekend-photo-album

🐪 Give Me a Home Where the Camels All Roam…

The main thing about this group is how they blow everything out of proportion and get angry over… well, just about anything. Tonight, they got angry with all the wrong people and about all the wrong things. The main focus was a voice note (is that a thing?) that Ayan played for Stanbury, who brought it up at a group dinner. There was also Stanbury actually dancing at a club, which was kinda fun, but the voice note argument was tedious. Even worse was the group’s reaction to Lesa choosing some traditional Bali gowns for them to wear at another dinner. You’d have thought the sky was falling. Not only was it not haute couture, each woman had some personal complaint. Like the color. It was like Lesa had committed some mortal sin, instead of just trying to add to the experience. As usual, all the wrong people have the money.

🗽 Speaking Of the Wrong People…

This looks like it might be fun, if only for the addition of Kelly and Kristen, who we haven’t seen for a while. I met Kristen at a cocktail party post Ramona throwing a glass at her face. She was very gracious and not as boring as she was made out to be.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/rhugt-season-4-rhony-legacy-bravo-premiere-date

🌳 Greenest Block In Brooklyn…

I saw this on the news, and it looks like a beautiful place to live. Let all the photos bring you to zen.  

https://www.bbg.org/community/greenest_block_2024

🎠 Always a Day Away…

It’s been a tiring and stormy day, but join me tomorrow for soaps, news about what to watch (or not), and the latest Listings. Until then, stay safe, stay letting a smile be your umbrella unless it’s actually raining, and stay not bothering to count sheep. It doesn’t work.

August 2, 2024 – Dante Questions Ava, Exclusive, Happy Anniversary, She’s Got Texts, Future Plans, Done, VanderDish, New Reality, Big Baby, Excellent, Pool Noodles, Stripes X 4, Pickle, Quote Tenner & Take

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Ava says she’s so looking forward to sitting in that courtroom while Kristina testifies that her father is a violent brutal thug who doesn’t belong anywhere near their daughter. Kristina says, if Ava forces her to get on that stand, she’ll tell them that Ava messed with Morgan’s bipolar meds. She replaced them with placebos and caused him to have a mental breakdown. She won’t stop there either. She’ll also share that Ava murdered Connie Falconari. If Ava forces her to tell the truth about her father, she can be damn sure Kristina will tell the truth about her too. Ava grabs Kristina’s arm, and Kristina says, don’t you touch me. She takes a step back and trips over John’s bag, stumbling backward and crashing through the window. She falls down several stories into the pool, screaming all the way. Everyone is horrified. (The looks on their faces makes me want to burst into tears.)

Sonny says, Lois is one of his dearest friends and he loves her, but his is not a good time. Can they table this conversation for another time? She says, no. They cannot table it when it affects her daughter’s future.

TJ tells Alexis that he and Molly have done the research. When the biological parents aren’t married to each other, courts tend to favor the mother in terms of physical custody which gives Kristina a definite advantage. Alexis says, he’s getting way ahead of himself, but he says he disagrees. Their baby is almost here. It’s time to know where they all stand. Alexis says she doesn’t know what Kristina is going to do. She doesn’t have control over her. She’s an adult. He says, this is his child they’re talking about. He wants to know if he’s going to spend the first few months or years of their life in family court. She says, again, he’s asking her to respond to a hypothetical situation that they don’t know will happen, and he asks if that isn’t what lawyers do. Weigh every possible angle so they can prepare their client for every possible contingency. She says, he’s not her client, and he says, no, he’s not. He’s her daughter’s partner. He’s family. She says, he is family, and so are her three daughters, two of which are in an impossible situation right now. He tells her, she just said it. She’s Molly and Kristina’s mom, and they’re both going to look to her. What is she going to do when Kristina tries to take their baby?

Kristina floats face down in the pool, threads of blood coming from her nose and mouth, and Josslyn tells everyone to stay back. She tells Brook to call 911, and Brook says she’s on it. Gio asks what he can do, and she tells him to get the backboard. Ava looks down from the smashed-out window, and Josslyn turns Kristina over. Blaze yells, Kristina! and now, everyone is doubly freaked out.

Blaze tries to run toward the pool, but Natalia holds her back and tells her to let Josslyn do her job. Help is on the way. Trina looks up and says, Ava? and Ava quickly closes the curtains. On the phone, Brook says, they need help. She fell from one of the upper windows into the pool. She’s unconscious… She doesn’t know. Just tell the paramedics to hurry. She’s pregnant.

In her room, Ava tells herself to think and picks up her phone.

Josslyn tells Kristina, hang in there. Help is on the way.

Ava leaves a message for Scotty. She needs him like she’s never needed him before.

Lois asks, is the money Sonny is going to invest in this record company legit? Yes or no? Sonny says, yes, and she says, fine. Then she wants to see proof. She wants to see the financials. She wants to see where the money originated and the taxes he paid on it. She’s not trying to offend him, but as much as she loves him, she’s a mother first, and has to make sure Brook is protected. He says he’ll call his accountant, and Lois can talk to him. She can ask him anything she wants. She says, don’t push her off on his accountant, but he says, it’s not a good time. She asks if he’s mad at her, but he says he’s not. He just has a lot going on. She says, fine, but Brook’s involvement in this record company depends on her seeing the proof, and he says, fine. She says she’s sorry. She hates leaving things like this between them, but she guesses for now this is how it’s got to be. He gives her the number, and she leaves.

Natalia continues to hold Blaze back, when Gio returns with the board. Josslyn says she’s going to need his help to get Kristina out of the water, and he asks what she needs him to do. She says, he has to get the backboard under her, but he has to be very careful. She doesn’t know if Kristina injured her back or her spine. He’s going to turn the board on its side and turn it back very swiftly when it’s in the water. Then get it under Kristina as it floats back up…. Very good. Now they have to get her head stable, so she can get Kristina to the stairs. Place one hand firmly under her chin… Very good. Now place his other hand under the backboard. Now they have to get her strapped in.

Alexis tells TJ that she hopes to God it doesn’t happen, but she can’t be put in the middle. She can’t be put in a position where she has to choose between her daughters. He says he wishes she didn’t have to. He knows what a terrible position this is for her to be in, but it’s time. She says, her girls have done without a lot, but they’ve never done without her, and they count on that. Again, she can’t be put in a position where she has to choose one daughter at the expense of another. He says, that’s just where they are now, but she says, not if he and Molly don’t force the issue. He says, Kristina says she and Blaze, who she’s known less than a year, would make better parents than him and Molly. She’s testing the water. Alexis is the one who told them about the law surrounding this before they ever agreed to the surrogacy. Who has the strongest claim to the baby? She says, Kristina, and he says, if Kristina decides to exercise that claim and keep the baby, then he and Molly have already lost. Is she going to say, the law is the law? She says, the law is the law and there’s nothing she can do about it, and he says, so in other words, she’s a coward. He walks away.

Josslyn asks if Kristina can hear her. Can she open her eyes? She listens for a heartbeat, and Trina brings over towels. Trina asks if anyone has called Kristina’s parents, but Gio says he doesn’t know. She says, shouldn’t they? when the paramedics come in. Josslyn tells them that Kristina fell out of that window and into the pool. She’s been unconscious since they got to her. They tried to be careful. She doesn’t know what injuries Kristina has. A paramedic says, they’ll take it from here, and they get to work.

Dante and Chase arrive at the scene with some officers, and Dante tells an officer to clear everyone away from the pool and clear this whole area. Brook goes over to them, and Chase asks, what’s wrong? Brook says, it’s Kristina, and Dante goes over to Kristina and says, it’s me. He’s here, okay? She’s going to be all right. They’re taking her to the hospital and they’re going to take care of her. She’s just got to hang in there. Chase tells the officers that the entire place needs to be locked down immediately. He doesn’t want anyone leaving here without his okay. They have no idea what they’re dealing with. He asks if Brook saw what happened, but she says, not really. She was here meeting with Blaze and Natalia. Everything was completely normal, and literally out of the clear blue sky, this. The paramedic says, they’re ready to go, and Dante tells Kristina that he loves her. She’s going to be fine. Blaze says, she’s coming with them, and the paramedic asks if she’s family. Josslyn says she’s Kristina’s sister. She’ll go and they’ll meet Blaze there. Crying, Blaze asks her to hold Kristina’s hand for her. She just doesn’t want Kristina to feel like she’s alone. Josslyn says she will, and they leave. Natalia tells Blaze that she’ll drive and they follow. Chase asks if Brook is okay, but she says, not really. Such an awful thing to see. Her hands are still shaking. Would it be okay if she just went to the ladies room to splash some cold water on her face? He says, sure, and she leaves. Dante calls Sonny.

Ava leaves another message for Scotty asking, where the hell is he? She needs him and she needs him right now. She looks at John’s bag and flashes back to Kristina threatening to tell the truth about her and Kristina’s subsequent fall. She says, everything is falling apart, and peeks out through the curtains. Please. She needs him. Come to her room at the MetroCourt as soon as he can. She flashes back to Kristina tripping over the bag and out the window, and says, everything’s going to be all right. She didn’t mean for that to happen. It was an accident. She remembers touching Kristina, and Kristina backing away before she tripped. She says, but no one’s going to believe it… unless she helps them believe it.

Alexis says she knows TJ is under a lot of stress. She just doesn’t know what he wants her to do. She doesn’t know what she can do. He says, so she’ll say nothing and do nothing, and doing nothing about the situation is the exact same thing as choosing Kristina. If she does nothing, Molly is going to interpret that as her supporting what Kristina is doing and that’s going to devastate her. Alexis says, and if she supports Molly and doesn’t support Kristina, Kristina will be devastated. She warned everyone from the very beginning. This was her biggest fear. It’s an unwinnable situation. He says, the only reason Kristina is even pregnant is because he and Molly wanted to have a baby. If she changes her mind, that’s wrong. It’s theft. That’s something Sonny would do, so he guesses she’s her father’s daughter, right? Alexis says she told everyone from the beginning that the law is on Kristina’s side, and he says, she’s not powerless. Her hands are not tied. She asks what he’d have her do. Seriously, tell her what she’s supposed to do. He says, talk to Kristina. He thinks Kristina will listen to her. Explain to her that if she decides to keep their baby, that will destroy her relationship with Molly. It will decimate it. Talk to her. Kristina will listen to her. She can get through to Kristina and might be the only one who can.

In the ambulance, the paramedic reads Kristina’s vitals, and Josslyn says, oh God. Her blood pressure’s dropping. He asks, how far along is her pregnancy? and Josslyn says, eight months. Why? Kristina’s eyes flutter open, and Josslyn says, it’s her. They’re on their way to GH. Kristina asks if the baby will be okay.

Sonny’s phone rings, and he says, what? Gio says, Uncle Sonny? and Sonny asks, what’s up? Gio says, Dante’s been trying to call him, and Sonny says he’s been busy. What does he need? Gio says, it’s not… He’s at work at the pool at the MetroCourt. Something’s happened. Sonny asks, what’s wrong? and Gio says, there was an accident. At least he thinks it was an accident. She fell out of a window and into the pool. She’s hurt. Sonny says, who? and Gio says, Kristina.

Chase asks how Dante is doing, and he says he’s fine. Seeing his sister on that gurney… She looked pretty terrible. Chase says, Kristina’s a fighter, just like Dante. She’s going to be okay. He can take it from here. Dante should go to the hospital. Dante asks if he’s sure. They don’t even know what this is. Chase says he can handle it. It’s more important for Dante to be there for his sister and his family right now. Gio says, sorry to interrupt. He got through to Sonny. Dante thanks him for doing that, and Gio says, of course (🍷). He steps away, and Dante says, his dad can make sure Kristina is taken care of. He needs to figure out what happened to Kristina, if she fell out of that window. If she didn’t fall out, that means a crime was committed. He has to find out what it was either way. Chase says, okay. Let’s get to work. Dante asks how many witnesses they have, and Chase says, they’re still collecting them, but from the people he’s talked to, they don’t know much. They were focused on the pool and only saw Kristina after she fell. Dante says, they’ve got to talk to security. They have footage and they have to get their hands on that. They have to get inside that room. Kristina fell out of the window with the curtains closed. Wouldn’t she have grabbed onto them and wouldn’t a curtain be following her down to the pool? Chase says, he’s right. Someone must have closed them after she fell. Kristina wasn’t alone in that room. Trina walks over to them, and Dante says, what is it? Does she know something?

TJ tells Alexis, Sonny is going to back Kristina no matter what. They can’t count on him to be the voice of reason, but Kristina knows Alexis will say the truth to her even if it’s hard to hear. Please help guide her to doing the right thing. Be her parent. Alexis says, being a parent is a lot harder than he thinks. He’s going to find that out soon enough. He says he may never get that chance if Kristina gets her way. He may not have the years of parenting experience Alexis does, but if he gets that chance, he’ll make sure his child knows family is to be cherished above all else and is the only thing that can be counted on, which he’s sure Kristina knows, given that she’s had Molly’s unwavering support for her whole life. Alexis says, it’s true, she has, and he says he’ll make sure his child understands the ramifications of taking family for granted. She says, understood, and he asks if she understands if she takes Kristina’s side over Molly’s, that will not just cause a rift between the sister, she could lose Molly, and that could shatter her entire family. She says she did try to prevent this. She warned everyone that this could happen. He says, so that’s the best she’s got; I told you so.

Brook takes a breather in the ladies’ room and flashes back to seeing Kristina crash through the window and into the pool. Lois comes in and runs to Brook and hugs her. She says, Chase told her that Brook was in here. He didn’t have time to tell her what was going on, so she asked an attendant. They said, someone fell out of a window and into the pool, and that Brook saw everything. Is she okay? Brook says, not just someone. It’s Kristina.

Kristina looks around, and Josslyn says she’s right here. Kristina asks where she is, and Josslyn says, she’s in the ambulance on the way to GH. Kristina asks, why? What happened? Josslyn says, she fell through a window and into the pool, but she’s going to be okay. Kristina says she’s scared, and Josslyn says she knows, but the paramedics already alerted the doctors at GH. They know what’s happened and they’re ready to treat her and the baby. She’s in the best possible hands. Kristina says she wants her dad and mom, and Josslyn says she thinks they’re already on their way. She’s going to see them soon. Just try to hang on, for her and for the baby. Kristina says she’s so scared, and slips into unconsciousness again.

TJ thanks Alexis for clarifying, but she says, instead of blaming her, sit down with Molly and talk. They’ll get through it. He says, they’ve already talked. Actually, they’re in perfect agreement. The baby is theirs. That’s been the expectation and the agreement for the last eight months until Kristina decided it wasn’t. So now it’s all on her. She has all the power. She thinks it’s her kid to do whatever she wants with; him and Molly be damned. Kristina is wheeled in, and the paramedic tells Dr. Park that she’s pregnant and fell through a glass window. She’s been in and out of consciousness. He gives the doctor her vitals and says, her abdomen is very firm. She may be abrupting. TJ and Alexis realize it’s Kristina.

Trina sits with Gio and says, he should be proud of himself. He says, for what? and she says, he doesn’t have any medical training, does he? He says, not really, and she says, but he still jumped up and helped Joss. He says he was kind of just going on autopilot. He just did what she told him to. He should have known to go straight for the backboard without her having to say it. She says, he can’t beat himself up. He didn’t have any training. He says, still, and she says, if it’s on him, then it’s on all of them. None of them knew what to do. They just froze, so thank God for Joss. He says, she was amazing. He just doesn’t get it. How could something like this happen? How can you just fall out of a window? Did she see the fall? She says, no. She just looked up after. It’s Ava’s room. She saw Ava standing at the window. He says, Ava her boss? and Trina says, Ava’s not just her boss. Ava’s her friend. He asks how well she really knows Ava, and she says she’s not sure. Maybe she doesn’t really know her at all.

Kristina is wheeled into one of the rooms, and Dr. Park says, they’re going to do everything they can. She’s in great hands. TJ says, Kristina is carrying his child. He can help. Where is he needed? Dr. Park says, don’t worry. They’ve got this. Just stay here with the family. Alexis asks, what happened? and Josslyn says, she fell out of a window in the MetroCourt and into the pool. Alexis says, what? and Josslyn says she doesn’t know what happened. She gave Kristina first aid until the paramedics got there. That’s all she knows. TJ says, the paramedics said the placenta is separating from the uterus, and Alexis says she doesn’t know what that means. How is the baby? He says, Kristina’s hanging in there. The baby has to be hanging in there, right? Alexis says, how the hell did it happen?

Ava ditches John’s bags in the bedroom, then takes an ice bucket full of ice out of the credenza. She dumps it all over the floor, throws down a water pitcher, and drops her shoes in front of the window. She says, Kristina did this to herself, when there’s a knock at the door. She opens it and Dante is there.

Josslyn says she doesn’t know how it happened. All she knows is, Kristina fell from the window and into the pool. It happened very quickly. TJ wonders what she was even doing at the MetroCourt, and Josslyn says she doesn’t know, but she’s going to give them a minute. Blaze comes in with Natalia, and Blaze says she’s so glad Alexis is here. Where is Kristina? Alexis says, they’re working on her, and Natalia says, any word on her condition or the baby? TJ says, they don’t know anything yet, and Blaze asks, where’s Molly? TJ says, in court. He hasn’t called her yet. Everything happened so fast. He doesn’t know how to tell her. Blaze says, that’s okay. She’ll help him. They leave, and Natalia asks if she can get Alexis coffee or water or something, but Alexis shakes her head, trying not to cry. Sonny comes in and they hug.

Ava says, thank God Dante is here. She knew the police would show up eventually, so she didn’t dare leave. How is Kristina? He says he’s not here to answer questions; he’s here to ask them. He takes out his notebook and says, why doesn’t she tell him what happened? She says, Kristina showed up here about forty-five minutes ago. She wasn’t expecting her, but thought Kristina was here to help with her custody case. He says, she thought Kristina was going to help her take Avery away from her father? and she says she was under the impression Kristina had witnessed enough of Sonny’s irrational behavior to know he’s unstable right now. She’d hoped Kristina knew that Avery isn’t safe with him. He says, that’s what she believed? and she says, yes, but she was wrong. He says, why doesn’t she tell him why Kristina was really here, and checks out the curtains. She says, because she thought Kristina was willing to help her. Her attorney, Scott Baldwin, subpoenaed Kristina to get her deposition. She thought Kristina would be willing to talk to him, but she wasn’t. She was irate about the subpoena. He says, so she didn’t ask Kristina to testify first. She just served her with the subpoena? She says she misjudged Kristina, and he says, clearly. She says, Kristina demanded that she recall the subpoena. She told Kristina that she didn’t think she could do that, that things had already been set in motion, and that just made her angrier. He says, she’s eight and a half months pregnant. Ava is trying to turn her against her father. Of course (🍷) she’s going to be angry. She says, this was not about being pregnant. This was a lot more. Kristina lost it. Kristina was trying to attack her. She went for Ava’s throat. He says, that just doesn’t sound like Kristina, and Ava says she knows. That’s why she was so shocked. She didn’t want Kristina to hurt her, but she didn’t want Kristina to hurt herself. She moved away. She was trying to get some distance between them, but Kristina kept coming at her. He says, why doesn’t she tell him how Kristina went out the window, and she says, Kristina lunged at her. She moved out of the way and Kristina tripped over her shoes. She fell into the glass, then to Ava’s horror, she fell through it. He says, let him get this straight. Kristina showed up here so irate that Ava was trying to turn her against Sonny, that she came at Ava physically. Ava evaded her and she trips, flies through the curtains, and into the window and down to the pool below. Ava says, that’s right, and he says, the curtains were open. A witness saw her standing at the window after Kristina fell through. They saw her close the curtains. Does she want to revise that part of her story? She says, now that he mentions it, yes. She did close the curtains. She was so horrified by what happened, she was afraid to look down. He says, so she closed the curtains, then she opened them, then she closed them again? and she says she thinks that’s correct. He says, and there’s no sign that Kristina went through the curtains or tried to grab at them to stop herself from falling, and she says she doesn’t know. It was such a blur. He says, or she’s lying through her damn teeth about the entire thing.

Lois says, Kristina? Sonny’s daughter? That’s who fell? Brook says, it was horrible. At first, everything was completely normal, and all of a sudden, there was this loud noise of glass breaking and a woman screaming and then Kristina in the pool just not moving. Lois says, but she’s pregnant. She’s in her last trimester. Brook says she knows. And yeah, the fall was horrible and shocking, but she didn’t know who it was until Josslyn turned her over. It’s not just Kristina. It’s the baby too. They fell at least three stories. Lois asks if they know how badly she’s hurt, and Brook says, there was no way to tell. Josslyn was terrific and Gio helped her. Josslyn was holding Kristina up in the pool, when Gio went to get the backboard. Then they maneuvered her out of the pool. She wanted to help, but all she could do was call 911. Lois says, that was the best thing she could have done, and Brook says, Blaze was going out of her mind. Her mother had to hold her back. Then the paramedics came, and they were preparing Kristina for transport. Josslyn rode with her in the ambulance. Kristina was still unconscious when they left. Lois says, poor Sonny. He said he wasn’t in a good place. When he gets this news, he’ll be out of his mind. Brook asks, what happened with her and Sonny? but Lois says, that doesn’t matter now. Brook says, Lois just told her that Sonny said he wasn’t in a good place, which implies, A, she was with him, and B, they were having a relatively serious conversation. Lois says, they were, and Brook says, about? Lois tells her that she and Sonny are old friends. They talk about all kinds of things. Brook says, Lois is doing backflips not to give her a straight answer, which leads her to believe that Lois and Uncle Sonny were talking about her, weren’t they?

Sonny says, Gio called him and said Kristina was in some kind of accident. What happened? Alexis says, Josslyn was there, and Natalia says, Josslyn saved her life. Kristina fell out of a window from several stories up. She fell into the pool and Josslyn jumped in right after her and put her on a backboard to stabilize her spine in case she had injuries, then stayed with her until the paramedics came. (I wonder why Natalia is answering for Josslyn.) Alexis thanks Josslyn and says, they’re very grateful. Josslyn says she’s just happy she was able to help in any way. But she rode in the ambulance with Kristina. She woke up for a second and asked about the baby and asked for them. She just told Kristina that they were on their way to the hospital, and that the doctors would help her and the baby, and that they’d be here. She just tried to ease Kristina’s mind as best she could. Dr. Park comes out, and Sonny asks, how’s our daughter?

Trina tells Gio that Ava’s always been a good friend to her. Ava is her mentor. Working at her gallery is the reason she got the invitation to study at the Sorbonne. (And we all know how that turned out.) He says, that’s a big deal, and she says she knows Ava isn’t a saint. Ava can be pretty tough, and she’s done some bad things, and she’s not excusing any of that. He says, but she sees a different side to her, and Trina says, yeah. They’ve been through some pretty difficult things and Ava’s always had her back. Ava’s always been there for her. She’s had her doubts about Ava, but sticks up for her because she feels that Ava is more than the mistakes she’s made in the past. He says, but now… and she says, but now – she looks up at the window – maybe she was right to doubt Ava. Maybe she’s everything everybody says she is… or worse.

Ava says, this is preposterous. What does it matter if the curtains were open or closed? Dantes says, it means she’s lying about something. It means she’s trying to hide something. She asks what exactly he’s accusing her of, and he says, she can figure it out, can’t she? She says, everything happened just the way she said it did. This is her hotel suite. Kristina showed up here to confront her. She was angry. She was out of control. He says, that’s one of the parts where she loses him. She’s talking about someone who doesn’t have a violent bone in her body coming at her and attacking her, putting herself and her unborn child in jeopardy. She tells him that she didn’t say it was rational. Kristina was unhinged. Just like her father. He goes over to the shoes and says, this is what she tripped over, huh? and Ava says, yeah. He says, she’s telling him that Kristina flew out this window with such force, breaking a hotel window, from a pair of shoes? He’s not buying it. She says she doesn’t know what to tell him. Like he said, Kristina is very pregnant. Maybe she’s not so light on her feet. Kristina came rushing at her and she tripped. She did not touch Kristina. In fact, everything that happened here is of Kristina’s own doing. He says he guesses that’s one possibility. The other is that she assaulted Kristina. He takes out his handcuffs and says, now she’s lying about it. She says she did no such thing. He’s arresting her? He puts the cuffs on her and asks what it looks like. She says, this is ridiculous. She’s innocent. He says, she’d better hope Kristina and her baby make it alive or she’s going to be facing two murder charges. That’s if she makes it that far. She’s under arrest. She has the right to remain silent… etc., etc., etc.

Lois says she had questions about the origin of the money Sonny plans to invest in the record company, and Brook says, questions. Lois says, more like concerns. She’s not privy to the details, nor does she want to be, but suffice it to say not all of Sonny’s income comes from legitimate sources. Brook says, she actually thinks Uncle Sonny would use mob money to invest in the record label he wants her to run? Lois says she doesn’t know, but she had to be sure, and Brook says, excuse her, but that’s not Lois’s call to make. She’s an adult. She’s a businesswoman and if she has questions about the source of the money Uncle Sonny gives to her or any other investment, she will ask those questions. Lois says, okay, but Brook has a blind spot where Sonny is concerned, and that is her fault. She adores Sonny and raised Brook to adore her Uncle Sonny, and they give him all the benefits of every single doubt. But when it comes to his finances and the compliance with federal law, as much as she wants to trust, she’s got to verify. Brook says, then bring those concerns to her instead of going behind her back to Uncle Sonny, but Lois says she doesn’t see it as going behind Brook’s back. Brook says, be honest. Put herself in Brook’s place. If Grandma Gloria did to her when Lois just did, how would she feel? Lois says she would feel like Gloria went behind her back, but she’d know she did it with love. Brook says, no question, but then she would set appropriate boundaries, would she not? Lois says, yes, and Brook thanks her and says, that’s all she’s asking, for Lois to respect her and her judgment as a businesswoman. Lois says, understood, but as much as Brook is an adult, she wants Brook to respect the fact that she’s always going to be her little girl and she’s always going to look out for Brook’s best interests. Brooks says she knows Lois will. She knows Kristina is probably feeling… If anything happens to Kristina and that baby… Lois suggests they not jump to any conclusions. Kristina is a very strong woman and she’s sure the baby is strong as well. Brook says, she didn’t see how pale and still Kristina was. She’s been carrying that baby for nearly nine months. It would be cruel for something to go wrong now. Lois says, let’s pray that it doesn’t, okay? and they hug.

Dr. Park tells Sonny that his daughter suffered multiple internal injuries from the fall, causing severe hemorrhaging. Kristina has gone into hypovolemic shock. The baby is in fetal distress and the placenta is separating from the uterus, which is the baby’s lifeline. We see them prepping Kristina, and Dr. Park says, they’re going to take her to the OR for an emergency C-section. We see Kristina hooked up to machines and wearing an oxygen mask.

On Monday, TJ tells Jordan, whatever happens, it’s her fault; Josslyn tells Dex, that second could have made all the difference; Anna asks if Trina noticed anything after Kristina fell; and Sonny says, they will pay.

🏨 Showdown At the MetroCourt…

Excellent scene and spectacular fall.

💐 And Many More…

I love Scotty, and he’s so funny IRL too. I only wish GH would recognize what a gem of a couple they have in him and Obrecht.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/kin-shriners-special-anniversary-message-to-fans

🍊 Shannon’s Shade Is Leaking…

I wonder who the disgusting friend is. There are so many choices.

💰 Jumping On Josh’s Coattails…

She could do worse. I’d actually love to see this.

⚔️ A House Divided Must Reboot…

Now On Display is going to be stuck in my head for God only knows how long.

🦄 And a Black Swan In a Rosé Tree…

Of course she’s nice. Was there ever any question?

🐦‍🔥 Complicated Things…

Loved her first reality show and I’m hoping this one has the same outlook. It left you feeling good instead of like you wanted to punch someone.

🦌 Reindeer Games Continue…

This is just stupid. And like she’s really making her case for being a sane person who’s done no wrong. She’s literally scary.

https://ew.com/baby-reindeer-richard-gadd-responds-fiona-harvey-lawsuit-8686363

https://ew.com/netflix-concedes-alleged-baby-reindeer-real-life-martha-not-convicted-stalker-8687694

🎭 Next Stop For the Telephone Booth…

I’d love to see this. I saw John Glover in Waiting for Godot years ago. Too bad Broadway is so damn expensive. And don’t get me started on the cost of transportation.

https://ew.com/bill-and-ted-stars-keanu-reeves-and-alex-winter-reunite-broadway-8687596

🦸🏻‍♂️ Blowing Collective Minds…

I’m going to see it this weekend. I can’t wait!

https://ew.com/deadpool-wolverine-elektra-blade-gambit-x-23-action-scene-breakdown-exclusive-8687405

If you’re a superhero supernerd and need all the background.

https://ew.com/how-to-watch-x-men-movies-in-order-8683590

Best variants ever.

https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/dogpool-catpool-mousepool-infinity-comics-marvel-unlimited

🦓 Quadruple the Stripes…

A precious quartet.

https://people.com/disney-world-welcomes-4-baby-zebras-animal-kingdom-park-8683181

🥒 And If He Plays Ball…

Love, love, love the name. It goes without saying he’s cute.

https://people.com/demi-lovato-new-dog-pickle-with-fiance-jutes-instagram-photos-8685696

🥁 Quotes of the Week

Darth Vader polling higher than all potential 2016 candidates. – The Washington Post, analyzing polls on what Americans thought of their options for the next president in 2016.

Take your camera and your selfie stick and your dog and get the f*** out of here. – Rita, Neighborhood Wars

Always forgive your enemies. Nothing annoys them so intensely. – Percy Colson

A lifetime isn’t forever, so take the first chance, don’t wait for the second one! Because sometimes, there aren’t second chances! And if it turns out to be a mistake? So what! This is life! A whole bunch of mistakes! But if you never get a second chance at something you didn’t take a first chance at? That’s true failure. – C. JoyBell C.

To handle yourself use your head; to handle others, use your heart. – Eleanor Roosevelt

No individual has any right to come into the world and go out of it without leaving behind him distinct and legitimate reasons for having passed through it. – George Washington Carver

I’ve learned to never say never because when you say never, it happens. – Olivia Plath, Welcome to Plathville (Truth! This has happened to me more than once.)

Our most significant opportunities will be found in times of greatest difficulty. – Thomas S. Monson

We are all ordinary. We are all boring. We are all spectacular. We are all shy. We are all bold. We are all heroes. We are all helpless. It just depends on the day. – Brad Meltzer

Sh*t doesn’t get real until it’s real, and it’s real. – Gina Kirschenheiter, Real Housewives of Orange County

⛺️ Sing Around the Campfire…

Enjoy what life holds for you over the weekend – be it rowing down the stream or streaming – and join me on Monday for soap and Med antics. Until then, stay safe, stay practicing wildfire prevention, and stay not going behind someone’s back, even if it’s with love.

July 9, 2024 – Cody Tells Mac That He Lied About the DNA Test, Sudsy Newsflash, Just a Preview, Messy New Jersey, Shocking, Have Some Brisket & Born

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sorry, I missed the beginning, but it’s always just a bit of a rehash. Basically, Drew told Willow that in another time and place, they might have meant something to each other.

Nina tells Michael that, more than anything, she wants a relationship with her daughter and grandchildren. If they continue to be at odds, that won’t happen. That’s enough motivation, but she also loves her job at Crimson, especially after being at The Invader. She’d be an idiot to continue to antagonize Aurora’s CFO. Curtis says, they share family, but they also have a similar work ethic. They’re professionals and damn good at their jobs. Their work is interdependent, they need each other, and Aurora needs them both. Michael says he’s starting to believe that, and he’s willing to put down the past and focus on the here and now. Curtis says, and hopefully, the future, and Michael says, and not just at Aurora. He’s a husband and father, and doesn’t want Willow feeling torn. Whatever she decides, he’s on board. Willow’s happiness is his top priority.

Portia says, while Laura is defending Heather’s rights, how does she know Heather won’t come after Portia’s family? Laura says, the law is for everyone, including the people they hate, but Portia says, it’s not about the law. It’s about Laura feeling bad for a family member who’s locked up. It’s uncomfortable, and sitting in discomfort is hard, but so is fearing for her daughter’s life. Elizabeth comes in and asks if they’ve seen Aiden… Clearly, she’s interrupting. Portia says, Laura’s got backup. Elizabeth came just in time to take her side.

Drew says, that was a rotten thing for him to say, but Willow says, that they might have meant something to each other under different circumstances doesn’t sound rotten. Drew says, it’s a trap when you think of things that might have been. You don’t mess up, and everyone does and says the right things. You don’t doubt your choices. When they met, Willow was already in love with Michael. Willow says she loves Michael so much, she can’t believe she did that, but Drew tells her not to put it all on her. They had a couple of drinks and got caught up in the fireworks and the proximity, and probably a little bit of election enthusiasm. Things happen. She says, it’s not the end of the world, and he says, it’s not even the end of the day. It happened, it’s over, and it will never happen again. Willow says, ever, and Drew says, they’re on the same page. Michael, Curtis, and Nina come in, and Michael says, coincidentally, them too.

Gio joins Trina and Josslyn at the boathouse, and Josslyn asks how the concert was. Gio says, good, and tells them there’s food at the house, but Josslyn says, they’re still full. She offers him a beer, and he asks, how was the barbecue? Josslyn says, eventful. Drew Quartermaine announced he was running for congress. Gio says he thought it was Cain, and Trina says, it was, 24 hours ago. Her dad said Quartermaine has a higher recognition factor. Josslyn says, Drew brought back the mayor and the congressman, but it wasn’t all business. There were friends and family there. Gio asks why Sonny wasn’t here and wonders why he wasn’t invited. Josslyn says, maybe he was and didn’t come. Gio would have to ask the Quartermaines.  

Cody says he wants to be part of Mac’s family, but Mac says, he has an interesting way of showing it. Cody says he didn’t know how to tell Mac, and Mac says, so he actively lied. Cody says he’s not proud of it, and Mac says, what upsets him most was that Cody felt he couldn’t be honest. The worst part is that he lied to Felicia. He lied to Maxie, Georgie, James, and Bailey Lou. Everyone he claimed to give a damn about. Cody says he loves them, but Mac says, if he did, he wouldn’t treat them like that. Cody asks if it helps that it was killing him. He’s eternally sorry. Mac says, it doesn’t help. He doesn’t trust Cody. For all he knows, it’s just another lie. He walks away.

Portia says, Heather was Elizabeth’s mother-in-law. Of course (🍷) she agrees with Laura. Laura says, this conversation is over, and Portia says she’ll leave them with this. Heather Webber is a serial killer, and she has every reason to believe Trina was her target. If Laura thinks she’s going to allow Trina to be at risk again and continues to try and set Heather free, the next conversation they have will be in public. She walks out.

Drew says, he and Willow were just watching the fireworks and talking politics. What’s up? Curtis says, they had an impromptu meeting about Aurora, and Nina says, they’re putting aside their differences and moving forward. Michael says, it’s time to move forward, and Nina says, everything is aboveboard, and their agendas have been put to bed. Willow says, it’s a relief to hear that, and Drew says, it feels like a new beginning, a new era, a clean slate. Nina says, with endless possibilities, and Drew asks how this came about. Curtis says, in order to move smoothly, the CFO of Aurora and the Editor-in-Chief of Crimson need to be in the for same room more than two minutes. Portia runs in and tells Curtis that she needs to go home.

Elizabeth says she doesn’t think she’s ever seen Portia so angry, and Laura says she understands. She went through hell with Heather, then Esme, and is genuinely concerned about her daughter. Elizabeth says, Esme is gone, and strange as it is, Heather’s situation has changed. Laura says, thank God she can see that. Portia can’t and it surprised her. Elizabeth says, why? Because she’s a doctor? Laura says, Portia knows Heather was sick and knows the medical ramifications. She was there when they were figuring it out, but she won’t consider the possibility that once the poison left Heather’s body, she’s no longer as dangerous. Elizabeth says, it’s easier for Laura to see. All Portia sees is a monster who tried to hurt her child. It’s like her experience with Franco. She could look past the tumor, but his victims couldn’t and never forgave him. Laura says, she thinks Portia is the same way, but Elizabeth says she hopes not. She hopes Portia realizes she’s asking questions only the court can answer. It’s not up to them. That’s why they have laws. It’s supposed to be justice for all. Laura says, that’s all she’s been saying, and thanks Elizabeth for hearing it. Elizabeth hugs Laura and says she’s proud of her, and so are her grandkids. She leaves, and Laura wipes tears from her eyes.

Maxie goes to the stable and asks if Cody has seen James’s riding gloves. He needs them for his next lesson. He’s obsessed and keeps asking everyone to watch. He even asked the grocery bagger. Cody says he doesn’t think he should keep giving James lessons, and she asks, why not? Did he say or do something? Cody says, it’s nothing like that, and Maxie says, he can’t take the lessons away from her. It’s her only leverage. He says, Mac is furious with him, and she says, her Mac? That doesn’t sound like him. Cody says, he’s our Mac, and Maxie says, explain please. Cody says he’s been lying to all of them. He’s Mac’s son. Maxie says, but the DNA test… and Cody says he lied. Maxie says she can see it, and he says he totally lied and now Mac knows the truth. She says, now Mac is unhappy, but Cody says, that’s a massive understatement.

Gio says, it’s his first boathouse party, and Trina says she hopes not his last. He tells them, keep inviting him and he’ll keep showing up, and Josslyn asks what they do in Bensonhurst on the 4th. Gio says, they have a huge block party. Everyone within 10 blocks is a Cerullo or a Falconari. They’re big Italian families. Trina asks if his mom was from Italy, and he says, she was. It was her proudest moment to officially become a citizen. She told him to never take it for granted and he never does. Neither do his relatives. That’s why the 4th is a big deal. Trina says, it means something to his family.

Curtis asks if everything is okay, and Porta says she just needs to go home. Curtis tells Drew, congrats again, and Portia says, if he wants her vote, he needs to pledge to keep Heather Webber in prison, no matter what the mayor has to say. She and Curtis leave, and Willow says, Portia is a mom and entitled to her feelings. She tells Michael that she’s exhausted and suggests they round up the kids, but Michael says, the kids are staying here, so they can head back to the gatehouse when she’s ready. Willow says she’s happy Nina and Michael made up and Nina is helping with the campaign. It’s nice being on the same side again. Nina says she couldn’t agree more, and Willow leaves with Michael, glancing at Drew on her way out the door.  

Felicia says she’s been looking everywhere for Mac. What’s wrong? Mac says, Cody is his son, but she says, no, he’s not. He says, yes, he is, but she says, he can’t be. She did her own DNA test. She’ll explain the details later. Mac says, Cody must have doctored the results and lied the first time. She asks how he knows, and he says, Cody confessed to him. She says, he’s known all this time? and Mac says, and he never said a word. Cody gave him some convoluted excuse, but he was barely listening. She asks how he feels, and he says he’s furious. He has a son. Cody knew it and lied about it on purpose. She was right about him. He’s nothing but a grifter and must have some agenda for it coming to light now. She says, he really doesn’t think Cody needs a kidney or points removed from his driver’s license, but Mac says he can’t think of another reason. Can she?

Mac says, maybe Cody doesn’t need an internal organ, but he’s coming from some kind of angle. Felicia says, Cody is his kid, but Mac says, on paper only. Felicia says, it’s Cody’s loss. It’s sad really. Mac says he would have welcomed Cody to the family, and Felicia says, he did. Mac says, it would have taken adjusting, but he would have found a way to love him. Felicia says, of course (🍷), and Mac says, now it’s too late for that.

Maxie says she feels her brain melting. Why did Cody lie? Mac is the best father in the whole world. Cody says, at first, he thought he wanted money more than family. Pathetic, he knows. By the time he changed his mind, he didn’t know how to take back the lie. Maxie says, tell the truth? and Cody says he was afraid Mac would hate him, and guess what? He was right. Maxie says, Mac is upset. He doesn’t hate Cody. Cody says he wants her to know that he’s sorry he messed this up. They’re all a terrific family. She says, especially her. She’s a fantastic sister. He says, they’re not related, but she says, Mac is her father and that makes Cody her brother, and her kids his nieces and nephew. Cody says he loved teaching James, and Maxie says, when James finds out Cody is Mac’s son, he’s going to be over the moon. He tells her to hold off telling him until she talks to Mac. James is a good rider, and you can’t beat his enthusiasm. He wants her to know that he’s grateful for all their time together. She says she sees what he’s doing. If he thinks he’s going to get rid of them that easily, think again.

Gio says, it’s not just patriotic. It’s a reason for everyone to get together. Thanksgiving and Christmas are the same, but it’s cold. On the 4th, they’re all hanging out in the street. Josslyn asks if he’s been to the soft serve truck, and Trina says, it’s easy to overlook, but there’s nothing like it. Josslyn says, it’s usually parked by Rice Park. All they have is chocolate and vanilla in cones, but there’s nothing like a classic cone on a hot day. Trina says, it’s her afternoon treat when she’s at work, and Gio asks if there are any other Port Charles traditions he should know about. Josslyn says, one is about to start, the Country Club fireworks. Now that he’s done playing, he can relax and enjoy the view. He says, the company’s not bad either.

Curtis asks, what’s going on? and Portia says she had a chat with Laura. As long as Laura continues to help Heather to go free, she’s the enemy. And so is anybody who supports her, including Drew and the Quartermaines. (Ugh. I hate when Portia puts her self-righteous hat on. She also has a habit of what my dad called, crying before you’re hurt, and it’s annoying.)

Curtis says, to be clear, he wants Heather to stay locked up until the end of time and he’ll advocate for that, but it’s not his call. No more than it is hers. Portia asks why he’s not angry, and he asks, what good would it do? He’s on her side, but regardless of how they feel, it’s the court’s decision, not theirs. She says, that sounds like spin. Trina is his daughter. Doesn’t he care? Curtis says, it’s one thing for her to fight Heather. It’s another thing to fight him. She knows he wants his daughter to stay safe. She says, he’s not the one she’s mad at. She’s sorry. They hug.

Gio, Trina, and Josslyn watch the fireworks, and Gio says, beautiful. Trina asks how they rate compared to Bensonhurst, and he says, these are tame. She asks if he misses home, and he says he misses his family of course (🍷) and his neighborhood, where he knows everyone, and everyone knows him. But he needed a change, to try something new. He likes Port Charles. It’s the perfect fit. Josslyn lifts her beer bottle and says, to finding your place. Trina says, and making new friends, and the three of them clink beer bottles.

Maxie says, admit it. In Cody’s mind, he’s packing and saying his goodbyes. Don’t do it. He says he doesn’t see what choice he has, and she says, stay. She’s had lots of experience with huge lies and life wrecking mistakes. Running just makes it worse. She once pretended to be pregnant to get a guy to be in a relationship with her. She’ll tell him about it sometime. He needs to stay and process. Give Mac time and them time to adjust. Don’t leave, for Mac and Sasha and mostly himself. Promise. He says, okay, but she says she needs him to say the words. He says he promises, but she says, too vague. What exactly is he promising? He says, not to leave, and she says, he won’t regret it. He gives her James’s riding gloves and she leaves.

Nina asks Drew if she was dreaming just now. She never thought the day would come. He says he’s happy for her, and she says, maybe she’ll get to spend time with Wiley and Amelia, be part of the family, and he says, it’s looking that way. She thanks him with tears in her eyes, and says, he built a bridge between her and her daughter. She’ll be forever grateful. He says, she’s welcome and they kiss. (Wow. Is this getting messy or what?)

Sasha is having a glass of wine and sees Michael and Willow outside on the patio. Willow says, it’s a beautiful night, and Michael tells Willow that she’s gorgeous. They kiss, and Sasha watches, flashing back to seeing Willow and Drew kissing.

Tomorrow, Sasha says, if Cody leaves, he’ll have a lot more than Maxie to worry about; Felicia wants to be wrong; and Ava says she’ll do what she wants.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

He might be gone, but he’ll never be forgotten. I still live in hope that he’ll be back. It’s happened before.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/michael-easton-pays-tribute-to-his-gh-leading-ladies

A super soap spy couple reunites.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ian-buchanan-and-finola-hughes-reunite-in-london

Sad news.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/general-hospital-star-doug-sheehan-dead-at-75

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/gh-ryans-hope-and-loving-producer-joseph-hardy-dead-at-95

Happier news.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-kate-mansi-is-engaged-to-matt-mcinnis

🐪 No Camel, Preview…

As of this posting, there was zilch on tonight’s RHODubai, but here’s a taste.

👠 They’re Not Wrong…

For once, Andy is not to blame… totally.

Me too.

Case in point.

Just for fun.

⛵️ Over the Bounding Reef…

Well, he isn’t exactly known for keeping to the rule book.

🐕 The Lassie Of His Generation…

Meet Brisket.

https://paradepets.com/pet-news/glen-powell-rescue-dog-brisket-twisters

Oh, there’s a dude in the photo? Seriously though, no on the pants like that.

https://people.com/glen-powell-shares-steamy-photo-instagram-post-about-dog-brisket-8674643

🥏 Tell Me More, Tell Me More…

Join me tomorrow for soap, and the latest in Listing and Dubai (I hope). Until then, stay safe; stay not bringing uninvited guests or pets to someone else’s event or party without asking permission; and stay being willing to put down the past and focus on the here and now, and hopefully, the future

March 8, 2024 – Old Friends Meet Again, Reunion, Secret Side Gig, Diagnosis, New Soap, Bumping Along, No Shock, Salty Talk, No You, Those Ones, The Last, Uncle Oscar, Social Pets (!), A Handful Of Quotes & Survive

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Kristina comes into the hospital with Alexis and runs over to Sam, asking if she’s okay. She’s been worried about Sam ever since she heard about Dante. Alexis says, Molly’s still at the office. Otherwise, she’d be here. How’s Dante? Sam says she has good news.

On the phone, Anna tells Chase, great, and thanks him. She asks him to let her know when forensics has any information on that hoodie… Good. Call her back. John comes in and tells Anna that he heard about Dante. How’s he doing? She says, he’s out of surgery, and John says, good. There’s been a new development. He shows her the footage of Jason on his phone, and she says, is that… Jason Morgan? He says, that footage was taken tonight from the roof of Selina Wu’s warehouse. Now they know who was shooting at Sonny.

At the gatehouse, Michael paces and says he should be at the hospital, and Willow says she’s sure pacing here will help Dante as much as pacing there would. He says, like he doesn’t already feel useless enough, and she says she meant Michael’s good thoughts are reaching Dante no matter where he is. Also, she would have said anything to get him to stop. He says he’s sorry. He doesn’t mean to make her as crazy as this is making him. She says, he has every right to be worried about his brother. In the meantime, her fellow nurses are sending her regular updates. See? She shows him her phone, and he reads, no change… no change… no change. That’s good, right? That means that he’s stable? She says, and you didn’t even go to medical school. If Dante’s condition changes – for better, or God forbid, for worse – they’ll get someone to watch the kids and head right over to GH. He says he knows she’s right, but he feels so helpless, and she takes his hand.

In the chapel, Sonny and Ava come close to kissing, but hug instead. She says, sorry, but he says, she doesn’t have to apologize. He smiles at her.

Carly comes home and starts to head upstairs, when she hears Jason say, Carly? He steps out of the shadows, and they stare at each other.

Olivia runs into the chapel and says, there he is, and Sonny asks if there’s any news on Dante. She says, yes, and it’s the best. Their son made it through surgery. Sonny hugs her and she happy cries.

Sam says, they’re getting Dante set up in ICU. She’s glad they’re here. Alexis says, anytime, and Molly says, always, hugging Sam.

There’s a knock at the gatehouse door, and Michael says, it’s Dex and Joss. Willow answers and asks them to come in. She asks if they’ve been to the hospital to see Dante, and Josslyn says, yes. They had to give Commissioner Devane a statement and then she took Dex home to change. Dex says, lucky him. No one had cleaned out his apartment yet. Michael says he can’t thank them enough for what they did at the scene, and Willow says, one of the nurses said that Dante might not have made it if they hadn’t intervened. Thank you. Michael asks if they’re here with an update, and Josslyn says, not about Dante. He was still in surgery when they left the hospital. Dex says, but they do know something about the person who shot him.

Anna takes John’s phone and says, it’s impossible… Oh my God. If this is Jason, he would never work for anyone who would hurt Sonny. John says, they know he was on the roof. They know the shots came from the roof. They know Dante Falconari left the roof to pursue two people. Assuming one of them is Morgan, where would he go? She says, to Sonny, obviously, but he’s here. Or Sam. She looks over to see Sam sitting with Kristina and Alexis, and John says, anyone else? She says, yeah. There is one other person he would run to.

Carly says, Jason, and he says, it’s me. She says, it’s really you? and he says, it’s really me. She runs to him and hugs him, crying. She says, you came back. He says he’s sorry it took so long, and she asks where he’s been. What is he wearing?… He’s bleeding. Was he shot? He says, yeah, and she asks, how bad is it? He lifts his shirt and tells her that he’d say, it’s not bad. She tells him that he always says that, and he says, the bullet passed through. He could use a bandage. He’s going to be okay. She says she has a first aid kit, but she doesn’t want to leave him, and he says he’ll be here when he gets back. She says, promise her that he’ll be standing right there when she comes back downstairs, and he says he promises. She leaves, and he walks to the couch, slowly lowering himself onto it and breathing heavily.

Olivia’s phone dings and she says, Sam just texted her Dante’s room number. Sonny says, let’s go, and tells Ava that he’ll see her later. Ava says she’s so happy about Dante, and Olivia thanks her. She and Sonny run into Nina at the door, and Nina says she heard what happened. Is Dante okay? Olivia says, he made it through surgery. They’re just going to see him in ICU. Nina says, thank God. She’s sure he’s going to be fine. Olivia says, they’re going to see him now, and Nina says, of course (🍷). Sonny brushes past her, and she tells Olivia to please give Dante her best. Olivia says she will, and follows Sonny. Nina goes into the chapel and asks Ava, what’s going on? What the hell happened tonight?

Diane goes to the reception desk, and says, maybe the nurse can help her. Alexis tells Kristina and Sam that she’ll meet them upstairs, and hands Sam a bag, saying, change of clothes, toiletries, snacks. Sam thanks her and says, it completely slipped her mind. The elevator comes, and Alexis says, call her the minute they need her. As the doors close, Kristina says, what snacks? and Sam says, they’re not for her, but Kristina says she’s eating for two. Alexis goes over to Diane, who asks if by any chance she’s seen Sonny around. She knows he’s waiting on word. Alexis says she hasn’t seen Sonny, but she did hear that Dante made it through surgery and he’s in the ICU. Diane says, excellent, and Alexis says she guesses Diane is representing Sonny’s associates who are in custody. Diane says, yeah, and she’s got to update him on the situation, so she has to find him. Excuse her. Alexis says, not so fast. Where does she think she’s going?

Dex says, when they found Dante, someone had already given him first aid. They’d elevated his legs and wrapped a sweatshirt around him as a pressure bandage. Josslyn says, there was also a phone lying next to him with a line to 911. Michael says, so the person who shot Dante also tried to help him, and Josslyn says, yes and they were also risking being recognized because Dante could have seen their face. Dex says, it looks that way, and Michael says, none of this makes any sense. Willow says, why would they shoot Dante and then call 911? and Dex says, maybe they didn’t want to go down for killing a cop? Michael says, there’s another possibility here. What if the shooter helped Dante because he knows him?

Outside the ICU, Sam hugs Olivia and Kristina hugs Sonny and asks how he is. He says he’s fine. The only damage was to his coat. She says, he’s lucky. He’s not bulletproof. He asks how she’s doing and she says, frantic at first when mom first called to tell her about Dante. He wonders if it’s too much stress for the baby, but she says, the way she sees it, with this family, the sooner the baby learns to handle stress, the better. He asks how she’s really doing, and she says, it’s interesting how your body reacts to stress when you know it’s bad for the baby. And also, pushing the stress down could make it worse. She’s just doing a lot of breathing. He smiles and says he bets she is. She says, but Dante is doing better and seeing Sonny helps, and he says, right back at her. Take care of herself, okay? She says, of course (🍷), when a nurse comes out. Olivia asks, how’s her son? and the nurse says, Mr. Falconari is in critical condition, but his vitals are stable. Sam asks if they know when he’s going to wake up, but she tells them, it’s too soon to say. She leaves, and Sam says, Sonny and Olivia are his parents; they go in first. They go in and Sam hugs Kristina.

In the ICU, Sonny says, hey, son, and Olivia says, they’re here.

Diane says she’s got to go find Sonny, but Alexis says, not until Diane tells her why she’s been avoiding her. Diane says she hasn’t really been avoiding Alexis, she just had the feeling perhaps Alexis wasn’t too thrilled with her right now. Alexis wonders if there was some sort of a knockdown, drag out fight that she blacked out, because she’s been sober for a while now and thinks she would have known. Diane says, no. She just knows Alexis wanted her to represent Finn in the malpractice case, and not only was she not able to do that, she was the plaintiff’s attorney, and she got the feeling Alexis was a little unhappy with her. Alexis says, it’s her that Diane is talking to. She hasn’t been disbarred for that long. She knows how lawyers work. She knows what they do. Diane was doing her job. It’s not personal. Diane says she’s glad to hear it, and Alexis says, if Diane was worried about this, why didn’t Diane talk to her? Diane says, normally, she wouldn’t have thought twice about that, but this is Finn they’re talking about, and she knows he’s important to Alexis. Alexis says, and Diane is important to her as well. What she was really disappointed in was that she couldn’t represent him, and she does miss mopping the floor with Diane in court. Diane laughs and says, mopping. She doesn’t think that word means what Alexis thinks it means. Anyway, if Alexis did mop the floor with her, it certainly wasn’t as often as she seems to think. Alexis says she knows exactly how often it was, which is why she misses it, and Diane says she misses going toe to toe with Alexis as well, but jurisprudence loss is journalism’s gain. Alexis says, well, journalism is about to experience another devastating loss.

Ava tells Nina, Sonny and Selina were having a perfectly harmless, perfectly legal conversation, when Anna burst in with the FBI, guns blazing like some kind of raid. Nina says, how terrible, and Ava says, tell her about it. Nina says, it must have been frightening, and Ava says she guesses it was a little. Nina asks what Ava was doing there, and Ava says she thought she could be of some use. Nina asks what she was thinking, and Ava says she had to be there. She was tired of sitting on the sidelines, worrying if Avery was going to end up as collateral damage and that Sonny might… that Avery might lose her father. Nina asks what the active role was that Ava was playing, and Ava says, they had to sell the idea that Selina and Sonny were meeting with a mediator to settle their business conflicts, and Nina asks, how is Ava, the mother of one of Sonny’s children, an impartial mediator? Ava says she used to be in that world, so who better? Nina says she guesses, and Ava says, there’s no way to know if it would have worked anyway because the cops showed up, and that was that. Nina says she can sort of see why Ava did it, but what if something had gone wrong, which it kinda did, Ava could have gotten shot too or killed. Ava says she guesses she could have been. Anybody could have been. They all had to duck for cover. Nina says she’s glad Ava wasn’t. She doesn’t know what she’d do if she lost Ava.

Michael says he appreciates Dex coming back. It’s a good thing he did because he might have saved Dante’s life. Dex says, not alone. Joss did just as much as he did. Josslyn says, honestly, she thinks the only reason Dante was still alive when they got there was because of the pressure bandage. And the only reason Dante was even able to get to the hospital was because that person called 911. Willow asks if it isn’t possible that whoever helped Dante had nothing to do with the shooting, and they were a good Samaritan who had their own reason for not wanting anybody to know they were there. Dex says, they left the pier as soon as the paramedics took Dante away, but Chase and the cops were there collecting evidence, so they have the cellphone and the sweatshirt that was used as a bandage. Maybe it’s enough to track this guy down.

Carly comes back and sits on the sofa with Jason. She says she’s sorry, but she’s going to have to clean it. She puts an antiseptic cloth on the wound and Jason stifles a groan. She says she doesn’t want it to get infected. She just wants to get it clean. He says he thinks it’s clean, and presses a pad to it. She asks how he’s here. She wishes she could call her mom and ask how to help him. He says, no. Do not call Bobbie. She says she can’t. She died. He says, Bobbie’s dead? and looks like he wants to cry. Carly says, yes, already crying. There’s a knock at the door, and Anna says, police. Open the door.

Michael asks if they saw Sonny at the hospital, and Josslyn says, they saw him, he saw them, but they didn’t speak. Dex says, he was with Olivia and Sam. They were all waiting outside the trauma room while Dante was in surgery. Willow says, it was good of them to come to the house and tell Sam and Olivia what happened. She’s glad they got to see him. Josslyn says, one last time? She can’t even think about it. She cannot think about Rocco losing his father. She can’t think about Avery and Donna losing their big brother. But they all know that this could happen. Yes, Dante’s the cop and he takes risks, but they have to be honest here. This would not be happening if it wasn’t for Sonny. (Not necessarily, since he’s not the only target.)

Olivia and Sonny watch Dante, one on either side of the bed. Sonny strokes Dante’s hair and Olivia kisses Dante’s forehead.

Diane tells Alexis that she’s obviously appalled. She can’t say she’s surprised. Alexis tells her, thanks. She always knows just what to say. Diane says, yes, she does. And while a publisher does have the right to overrule an editor, but when it comes to hiring an individual journalist, it seems like a breach of trust. (I dunno. It seems kind of petty IMO. Certainly nothing to quit over.) Alexis says, Nina is all about trust, and Diane laughs. She says, an Editor-in-Chief has the right to determine who does and does not work for the paper, and Alexis says, right. If Nina had recommended a columnist, she could decide whether or not to hire said columnist. That would have been one thing. Diane says, but that’s not what happened, and Alexis says, no. She made a unilateral decision. There was no collaboration. Diane says, so what is she going to do? and Alexis says she’s going to not think about this right now. She’s going to concentrate on her daughter and helping her through this crisis. Diane says, of course (🍷). Of course (🍷) her family always takes first priority. But just so Alexis knows, she has a right to bitch about the b… boss.

In Dante’s room with Sam, Kristina says, so, bro, opening day is right around the corner. She knows he’s not going to miss that, especially since it’s the Yankees’ year. She was at the pub the other day and the game was on. This one bartender is a huge Sox fan, and they were joking around back and forth for a while. By the end of the game, she found herself rooting for them, and she thought, man, her brother is going to kill her. Since he’s been in here, it’s like the whole world’s upside down.

Nina tells Ava that she’s so worried about Sonny. Her marriage is not in the best shape right now, but she loves him. She doesn’t want anything to happen to him, and she’s terrified that whoever’s out to kill Sonny might succeed, and she doesn’t want to have to worry about Ava too. Ava says, she doesn’t have to. Rest assured, after this little misadventure, she’s laying off any derring-do in the future. Nina says, good. This is insane, right? She knows Sonny has enemies, but this? Ava says, for what it’s worth (🍷), they’re getting closer to the truth, and Nina says, wait. Does Sonny know who’s behind this? Does Ava? Ava says, no, she swears, and holds up her hand. Nina says, Ava has no idea? Come on. She needs to know who’s trying to kill her husband.

On the porch with John, Anna tells Carly to open the door, and John says, big house, other entrances. Let’s try one. They start to leave, when Carly opens the door and asks, what’s going on? Anna asks if they can come inside, but Carly says, not until they tell her what’s going on. Anna says, she’s aware Dante was shot earlier this evening, and Carly says, yes. Anna says, they’re pursuing a suspect, and Carly says, okay, but what does that have to do with her? Anna says she’ll explain. May they come inside? Carly says, yeah, and leads them into the living room. Anna says she believes Carly has met her colleague Federal Agent Cates, and Carly says, yes, hello Agent Cates. John says, Miss Spencer, and Carly says, okay. What’s this about a suspect? Anna says, she might want to sit down, and Carly says, why? What’s going on? Did something happen to one of her kids? Anna says, no. Not as far as she knows. It has nothing to do with her children. Carly says, then why does Anna want her to down? and Anna says, Jason Morgan is alive. Jason listens from upstairs.

Sam sits by Dante’s bed and kisses his hand.

Nina says, it’s obvious Ava knows more about this than she’s saying, but Ava says, if she had anything concrete to tell Nina, she would. Nina says, but she’s open to hearing theories, and Ava says, theories are just as good as random guesses right now. Just when we think we have a picture, new pieces appear, and the pieces don’t fit. Nina says, we? Sonny and her? Ava says, and Selina Wu, and Nina says she can sort of understand why Sonny isn’t telling her any of this, but she’d think Ava would realize how important this is to her. Ava says, even when things were good between Nina and Sonny, he kept Nina out of his business dealing, didn’t he? Nina says, yes, he did, but Ava isn’t in the business anymore, and Ava says she was. She knows how it works. She knows the players. She knows that it wouldn’t make sense for Sonny to confide in her about anything else, but in this particular circumstance, she’s a resource. She knows this has got to be frustrating. It has to be frustrating being on the outside looking in, but believe her, Nina doesn’t want to be on the inside… Nina says, this isn’t just about her feeling excluded. Does Ava understand, Sonny is her husband? He needs her, whether he wants to admit that or not. She can’t even support him through this. Ava says, she’s right. Sonny needs as many people in his corner as possible. Nina says, then tell her what’s going on and stop playing Switzerland and Ava says, the last thing she is right now is neutral. Nina says, then why won’t Ava help her with her husband?

Diane says, Sonny’s guards are not under arrest, either federal or local, for now. Sonny thanks her for doing that, and she says, he’s still going to have to answer some questions, make a statement. She can’t imagine Agent Cates is going to be giving him a reprieve earlier than tomorrow morning. He says, Agent Cates can wait until hell freezes over. His priority is his son. She asks, how is Dante? and Sonny says, he’s frail and defenseless, but he’s a fighter. It’s just, sometimes it’s not enough. She says, come on. After everything he’s been through, Dante’s not going to give up on this life. He thanks her and she asks, how is he? He says, she knows him. He just wants to find out who did this and take care of the situation.

Michael says he’s not saying they’re wrong… Josslyn says, but he wants her to let go of her anger for the sake of the family and because it’s not doing her any good, right? He tells her, what he was going to say is that Sonny knows he played a part in what happened to Dante. It’s got to be killing him. She says she knows it’s his son, okay? But she has trouble feeling sorry for Sonny when they have to constantly see people they love get hurt. Willow says, something she’s really started to learn since becoming a nurse, for a lot of people it’s more bearable to be angry than it is to be afraid. So while Josslyn has every right to be angry at Sonny, maybe it’s also a way to feel less afraid for Dante. Josslyn considers that and says, yeah. There was a moment on the pier with Dante where his heart stopped beating and they couldn’t get a pulse. Dex was doing chest compressions, and she was doing the rescue breathing. But he was shot in the chest and there was this voice in her head saying, what if you’re doing it wrong? What if we’re the people who kill Dante? She starts to cry, and Michael dashes over to her, hugging her.

Jason continues to listen, and Carly asks if this is some kind of a joke. Jason died in Greece. Anna says, that’s what they thought… but Carly says, stop. She doesn’t get to do that. Anna doesn’t get to show up at her house in the middle of the night and tell her Jason’s alive. She’s been grieving him every day for the past two years. Do they have proof? If they do, she wants to see it. If not, nighty-night. John says, they have proof. Does she want them to show her? He takes out his phone and hands it to her. She looks at the shot of Jason, and John says, that was taken earlier this evening, on the roof of a warehouse at 257 Water Street. They confiscated it from somebody they believe she knows – Jason makes a face – Damien Spinelli. Carly asks if they’re 100% sure Spinelli took this tonight, and Anna says, in the past four hours, yes. Carly says, and it’s real? Jason’s alive? Anna says, yes, and with her permission, they’d like to search the house for him. The look on Jason’s face says, oh, great.

Nina says, she and Ava have been through a lot. They’re friends, right? Ava says, no friend – and there haven’t been many – has been as loyal and generous to her as Nina has. Nina says, then help her with Sonny, and Ava asks if Nina has signed the divorce papers. Nina says she can’t bring herself to even look at them, let alone sign them, and Ava says, good. Then don’t. Nina says, no problem on her end, but sooner or later, Sonny is going to insist, and Ava says, don’t worry about that. They’re going to come up with a plan. Nina says, what plan would that be? and Ava says she’s going to help Nina save her marriage. Nina says, that would be amazing. She just hopes it’s not too late. Ava asks why she would think it’s too late, and Nina says she’s afraid the longer she and Sonny are apart, his feelings for her are going to fade. That he’s going to force himself to forget what they have together. Or worse, he’s going to decide to move on with someone else. Ava flashes back to almost kissing Sonny, and says, well, they just can’t let that happen. They laugh and hug each other.

Sonny finds Sam outside the ICU and says, any changes? She says she wishes. She felt like she needed to stretch her legs a little. She’s feeling pretty useless. He says, it helps Dante to know she’s here, and she says she knows. He says, she looks beat, and she says, thanks. (What every woman wants to hear.) He says he’ll stay here, and she can go home to rest, but she says she’s not leaving Dante. Sonny’s been here all night. Why doesn’t he go home and get some rest? He says he thinks he’s going to stick around for a while, and they hug. Sam goes back into the ICU, and Sonny watches through the window.

Amelia is heard crying on the baby monitor and Willow says she’d better go handle that before Amelia wakes up Wiley. Josslyn asks if she can come with Willow. She could use a hug. Willow says, of course (🍷) she can, and they go upstairs. Michael tells Dex that his sister is crazy about him, and Dex says, the feeling’s mutual. Michael says, but he’s not sure he’s going to stay? and Dex says, it’s not about what he wants; it’s about what’s best. Michael says, for who? and Dex says, for Joss. Michael tried to tell him once to go and he was right. Their lives are just too different. The best thing he can do for Joss is to just leave and stay gone.

Carly gives John his phone back, and says, they want to search her house for Jason? Anna says, they do, and Carly says she just found out he’s alive. She doesn’t know if she believes them. She doesn’t know if Spinelli gave them that footage. She doesn’t even know if it’s real. Anna says, Jason is familiar with this house, right? The layout, the security system. Carly says, yeah, but… and Anna says, could it be, he slipped inside without her knowledge? Carly says, they’re not searching her house. They don’t have her consent. They don’t have her permission. And if they don’t get the hell out of her house, she’s going to call her lawyer. John says, they asked as a courtesy. They don’t need her permission. They have a warrant. Upstairs, Jason grips his side.

On Monday, Anna says, Carly gets out of their way, or she gets arrested; Jake swears it’s not what it looks like; on the phone, Carly says, call her back as soon as possible and find a way to stop them; and Sam asks if Sonny understands what she’s asking him to do.

👟 Like An Old Shoe…

Let the good times roll.

🤫 She’s Got a Secret…

It’s a movie and she’s in it.

💉 Art and Life Combine…

Talk about ironic.

💃🏾 It’s About Time…

This sounds just like what daytime needs, a fresh resurgence. Hopefully, it won’t be opposite GH.

🤰🏼 Giving You Lala…

It’s all about that bump.

https://people.com/lala-kent-happy-pregnant-baby-bump-jumpsuit-8604953

https://www.eonline.com/news/1396532/pregnant-lala-kent-says-shes-raising-baby-no-2-with-this-person

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/lala-kent-reveals-her-mcdonalds-pregnancy-craving

⌛️ Comes As a Surprise To No One…

Love bubble bursting as we speak.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1396587/teresa-giudice-and-luis-ruelas-marriage-is-under-fire-in-explosive-rhonjs-season-14-trailer

🧂 Contains Less Salt…

Isn’t it ironic that for her to feel seen, there had to be less of her? I don’t know how she can possibly help her daughters feel empowered when she’s given her power away.

https://people.com/rhoslc-heather-gay-felt-pressure-before-taking-ozempic-showed-her-body-positivity-big-lie-8603562

🤼 Shot For Shot… 

Let the lawsuits commence.

⚰️ News Of the Ones…

A peek at episode 3.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-episode-3-clip-rick-grimes-jadis-bye

And already asking about Season 2.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/will-there-be-the-walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-season-2-rick-grimes-michonne

🌁 What’s Up With Us…

Details emerge. Some people take this way too seriously.

https://www.cbr.com/new-the-last-of-us-tv-location

Mostly old news, but in case you want a refresh.

https://www.polygon.com/23634196/last-us-season-2-release-date-cast-news

The parallel world of the game.

https://screenrant.com/the-last-of-us-season-2-casting-faithful-game

🏆 Here Comes the Big One…

The nominations.

https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2024

About the show. March 10, 2024, at 7:00 PM EDT.

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/oscars-2024-watch-96th-academy-awards/story?id=107851439

My dream. Forget the award. I want one of these gift bags.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/oscars-gift-bags-2024

You, too, can have an Oscar party.

https://www.thegoldknight.com/2024/03/your-2024-oscar-party-essentials.html

🐕 Sharing the Cuteness…

Pets doin’ it for the ‘Gram.

https://www.eonline.com/photos/19657/celebrity-pets-on-instagram

Some might be dated, but it doesn’t make them any less cute.

https://www.etonline.com/gallery/paws-up-celebs-show-off-their-precious-pets-117103

🦧 Quotes of the Week

Sometimes bad clothes happen to good people. – Carson Kressley, Watch What Happens Live

We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.Martin Luther King, Jr.

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. – Chief Seattle (Once again, don’t step on any butterflies.)

Life is problems. Living is solving problems. – Raymond E. Feist

We must respect the past, and mistrust the present, if we wish to provide for the safety of the future. – Joseph Joubert

We do not remember days, we remember moments. The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten. – Cesare Pavese

A study of economics usually reveals that the best time to buy anything is last year. – Marty Allen

🥇 A Winner In My Own Mind…

Make your mark on the weekend, then join me on Monday really Tuesday for soap and awful guests and/or crew on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay giving from the heart and receiving graciously, and stay not turning your fear into anger. It doesn’t do you any good.

February 15, 2024 – Michael Tells Sonny Everything, All About That Soap, Brilliant Move, Two Stooges In Jersey, Golden Boy & One

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Ava walks into the living room to find Sonny staring at the fire. She says, he’s home, and he says he lives here. Is there somewhere else he should be? She says, of course (🍷) not. It’s just that he wasn’t here late last night when she went to bed. With everything going on, she was just worried something happened. Where was he? He says, out, and she says, the guards were pretty quiet about where he was. Please tell her Dex was with him at least. He says he doesn’t want to hear that name.

There’s a knock at the door, and Dex grabs his gun. Josslyn asks if he’s in there, and he puts the gun in his back waistband and lets her in. She says she’s been so worried. She hasn’t been able to reach him. He grabs her and hugs her, and she asks where he was last night. He says, she didn’t talk to her mom today? but she says, no. She’s been busy and hasn’t been able to call her mom back. Why? What happened last night?

Kristina tells Blaze that she’s so sorry. She woke up not feeling well and fell back to sleep. She’s so sorry. She forgot they had plans. Blaze says, that’s fine. Don’t worry about her. She does look a little green around the gills. How is she doing? Kristina says, morning sickness is no joke. She thought she’d be able to handle it and it would be fine, but her head will not stop pounding and the room is spinning. It feels like the ground is actually moving beneath her feet. Blaze says, it sounds awful. Kristina should lie down, and she’ll make some tea. Kristina says, that would be great, but before Blaze leaves, she has something important to tell her. Blaze says, whatever Kristina has to tell her can wait. For now, just let me take care of you. (Hell, I’ll date Blaze.)

On the phone at the MetroCourt, Nina tells Kira that she got here a little bit early. She got them a spot in the alcove. Do they want her to order them a coffee or… No. Of course (🍷) she understands. That’s fine. They should reschedule soon because she has an opportunity that’s going to be great for… Hello? Kira? Drew says, stood up again?

On the phone at a table in the restaurant, Anna says she’s coming by the station to see him… Okay, but Jordan’s coming in because she wants an update on the investigation into the stolen WSB weapons… Right, and she thinks they have to move on that ASAP because she thinks there’s urgency in this situation… Dante says, let him guess. The FBI is cool with the PCPD investigating until they’re not. Is that it? She says, exactly. She doesn’t know when they’re going to pull the agreement. She sees Valentin come in, and Dante asks if she’s still there. She says, yeah. Sorry. She has to go. Valentin comes over to the table, and she says, it’s been a while. He says, it has, and from the look on her face, it hasn’t been long enough.

Ava says she has to make a work call. She’ll be in her room if Sonny needs her. He says he’ll be fine, and she starts to leave, but he says, hey. Thank you. There’s a knock at the door, and a guard tells Sonny that someone’s here to see him. Michael comes in and Sonny says, hello, Judas.

Jordan tells Dante, good morning. She’s here to get an update on the MetroCourt shooting investigation for the mayor’s office. Have there been any new developments? He says, Anna is going to be here soon, but he doesn’t think she’d mind him telling Jordan that there’s been nothing new from the FBI. She says, why does that not surprise her? They’re not going to give up any of their intel unless it helps them. He says, they’re keeping their cards pretty close to their chest. They know Sonny was the target. They know the only person who could identify the shooter is O’Neal because he sold the shooter the illegal weapon. And he is Pentenville, at least for now. She asks what that means. Is O’Neal going somewhere? He says, not that he knows of, but it wouldn’t surprise him if Agent Cates had him transferred out of their jurisdiction so the Feds can have sole control over him. She says, as disappointing as that would be, there’s an argument for O’Neal to be in protective custody to keep him safe, and he says, that’s pretty convenient for Cates. She says, it’s pretty obvious Agent Cates isn’t too happy to have to work with the PCPD on this, and he says, according to O’Neal’s lawyer, he’s refusing to cooperate with them on his gun trafficking. But Dante still feels there’s a deal to be made there. This guy’s facing some pretty serious charges. Maybe his self-preservation instincts will kick in. She says, they need to offer him something in return, which as of now, the FBI won’t offer them, and he says, which is too bad, because given O’Neal’s line of work, he’d be a pretty valuable witness against a lot of criminals. Criminals who are in prison right now who might know he’s talking to them. Dante doesn’t know if O’Neal would want to take that chance going in there, and Jordan says, if something happens to O’Neal, there goes their only lead.

Valentin says he didn’t expect to see Anna here, and she says she lives here now. Again. Until she can find somewhere more permanent. He says he guesses that makes sense, and she says she doesn’t know if he heard, but she just got reinstated as Police Commissioner. He says he heard. Congratulations. It must be nice to have a badge back. She says, yes, it is. Anyway, she wanted him to hear it from her. He says, why? Because of what happened to Charlotte? She says, yes, and he sits down. He asks if she wants an update on Charlotte. Is that why they struck up this conversation?

Nina tells Drew that one of her contacts has canceled a meeting. No big deal. It happens all the time. He says, contacts? Doesn’t she mean friends? Trusted writers, editors, photographers. People she’s been working with for years. People who would always jump at a call from her before. Has she been able to get any of them on the phone recently? She asks what he did, and he says, it was simple really. All he did was put the word out that they’re absolutely free to work with her on her new endeavor, but if they do, they’re never going to be working with Aurora ever again. She says, so he forced them not to work with her, but he says, no. He just gave them a choice. And judging by the fact she’s sitting alone at this table, he thinks it’s pretty clear that they’re not as inclined to play with fire as she is. She says, he must not have a lot of faith in Carly running Crimson and beating her fair and square. Is he really that threatened by a little competition? He laughs and says, what competition? Speaking of Carly, all she wants right now is for Nina to be out of their lives completely. So if he can make that happen and make her pay at the same time, all the better. (Drew has officially turned into a 14-year-old mean girl. I’m wondering if it’s because Jason’s coming back.)

Blaze brings out a tray (seriously, I’ll marry her) and says, here we go. Ginger tea should help settle Kristina’s stomach. Kristina thanks her and says, that actually smells amazing. It’s a really good start because it’s not making her nauseous and everything is making her nauseous. So it’s a step in the right direction. Blaze tells her to give it a second to cool down. In the meantime, hold out her arm. Kristina asks, why? and Blaze says, just trust me. Kristina says, okay, and holds out her arm. Blaze presses on her hand and asks if the pressure is okay, and Kristina says, yeah. That is really relaxing. Blaze says, let her try another place, and presses on Kristina’s forearm. She says, how’s that? and Kristina says she thinks that actually made the room stop spinning. Where did she learn how to do this? Blaze says, on the road, and Kristina says, dealt with a lot of pregnant women, did she? Blaze laughs and says, hardly. A lot of hungover musicians. All lights and glory on stage and then there’s hell to pay the morning after. Kristina says she’s genuinely glad Blaze learned to do that because it made her feel so much better really fast. So thank you, miracle worker. Blaze says, let’s not get carried away. But now that the room isn’t spinning anymore, what does Kristina have to talk to her about? Kristina says, it’s about Molly, and Blaze says, is everything okay? They didn’t get into a disagreement about Kristina’s pregnancy, did they? Kristina says, nothing like that. Molly knows about us.

Josslyn says she knew something was wrong when she couldn’t get ahold of Dex last night. This was exactly the kind of thing she was afraid of since she learned he was working with Michael. Is he okay? Did Sonny hurt him? He says, not really. Sonny’s men roughed him up a little bit, but it could have been a lot worse. He thought he was never going to see her again. If her mom hadn’t shown up when she did… She says, thank God, she figured it out. She saved his life. He says he’s never been so happy to see anyone. Not that Sonny made it easy. He tried to get his men to take her to her car, but she flat-out refused to go. Josslyn says she’s really sorry. She knows Dex believed in Sonny, but this is who he is, and this is what he does. He uses people, and he thinks everyone else should forgive him over and over again, but the second he thinks someone’s betrayed him, he will turn on them. Dex says he gets it. Sonny knew he’d been paid off. He just didn’t know by who. Sonny pointed a loaded gun at him and tried to get him to talk. The only reason he was still breathing when her mom got there was because Sonny wanted to get the information from him. She asks if her mom told Sonny that he was originally working with Michael, but he says, no. Sonny figured it out. Sonny knew her mom didn’t have the money to pay him the bonuses that Michael had. All her mom did was confirm it. Josslyn says, Sonny’s never going to trust Dex again, and Dex agrees. She says, which means he’s free.

Michael says he’s not coming in here with excuses, and Sonny says, there is no excuse for what he did. Michael says he hired Dex from a security firm and paid him to infiltrate Sonny’s organization and gather incriminating evidence against Sonny and give it to him. He wanted to be the one to send Sonny to prison. Sonny says, because Michael wanted him to suffer, right? He gets it, but why? Michael says, because his mom risked her life and her freedom to run Sonny’s organization when he was in Nixon Falls. Sonny says, he had amnesia in Nixon Falls. Why does everyone forget that? Michael says, when Sonny came back, he cheated on her with Nina. And not only that, he sided with Nina when she was suing him and Willow for visitation with Wiley. He didn’t recognize Sonny anymore. He didn’t see his father. He convinced himself that Sonny needed to pay. Sonny says, he didn’t go through with it, and Michael says, in the end, he couldn’t do it. Because sending Sonny to prison would tear the family apart, and he couldn’t do that to his siblings. He couldn’t do that to Sonny. In the end, his loyalty to the family was stronger than his need for revenge. Sonny asks what he knows about loyalty, stabbing his father in the back?

Nina says she knows Drew and Carly wish she would just vanish into thin air, but how exactly is Drew going to manage that, because she’s not leaving Port Charles anytime soon. He says, of course (🍷) she’s not, because that would be the decent thing to do, just kind of slink out of town and never come back. She says, Port Charles is her home. He might have caused a little setback to her plans to start her own magazine, but this hotel is hers, so she doesn’t want to hear any more threats from him, idle as they may be. He says, she misunderstands him. He’s not threatening her. He’s offering to buy her share of the MetroCourt. (He has a funny way of doing that.)

Michael says he knows Sonny feels betrayed and he has every right to, but he was in the position to get the revenge he wanted and didn’t go through with it. Sonny asks if he wants credit now for a change of heart Michael still tried to take him down, and Michael says he knows and he’s admitting to it. Sonny says, then why didn’t Michael come to him as soon as he called it off? Own up to it instead of bringing his mom into the equation. Michael says he didn’t plan that. She just figured it out. He already decided he wasn’t going to turn Sonny in, so his mom came up with a plan for them to work together to keep Sonny protected and safe. That’s what they all wanted, Dex too. Sonny says, what about last night? What kind of man sends his mother in to clean up his mess? Michael says he didn’t send in his mom. He had no idea Sonny was closing in on Dex. Sonny says he doesn’t want to hear any more. Michael had every chance to tell him the truth. Michael was in his office, and they were hugging. Michael said he hated the distance, but it wasn’t about the distance. Michael was out to get him. Michael says he wasn’t out to get Sonny. He was out to protect him. Sonny says, what about his sisters, Donna and Avery? How does he think they would feel growing up without a father? They’re his sisters. Michael says he did think about that, but at the time, he thought they’d be better off with Sonny behind bars. Sonny says, it’s not his call to make. What about Wiley and Amelia? How does Michael think they would feel without him in their lives anymore?

Josslyn says she doesn’t know what she’d have done if something happened to Dex. Watching Trina go through this with Spencer, it’s terrible. She’s not even herself. She couldn’t do it. She can’t lose him. He says he loves her, and she says, last night, she had this pit in her stomach when she couldn’t find him, and to know she was right to feel that way… All she wants is for him to be safe. Not just today or tomorrow, but always. He says he wishes it were easy to make that happen, and she says, her mom had to have told Sonny that Dex was protecting him, not betraying him. He says, she did, but it doesn’t matter. In Sonny’s eyes, he still lied. Now he knows way too much about Sonny and his organization. How can he make a clean break? Sonny will never let him walk away knowing everything he knows.

Kristina says, this isn’t easy for her. She’s really trying to respect Blaze’s privacy and be patient, but hiding how they feel about each other when other people are around isn’t really a way to build a relationship. Blaze asks if that’s what they are, a relationship, and Kristina asks if Blaze thinks she would let just anyone see her like this. Blaze laughs, and Kristina says she thinks it’s safe to say they’re in a relationship.

Drew says, just think about it. Nina wants to start her own magazine. That’s going to take some capital. The kind of capital she would get if she sold half of a hotel. This offer isn’t coming out of nowhere. It wasn’t that long ago Nina offered to sell her shares to Carly. Nina says, that was before he and Carly took Crimson away from her and she found out how vindictive they are. He says, she did all that herself. She has to take responsibility for her choices. Nina says, oh good, another lecture, and he says he’ll pay her fair market value for her half of the MetroCourt. She says, not a chance. Now if he wants to buy something nice for his girlfriend, besides a magazine she has no earthly idea how to run, she suggests jewelry. She’s not going anywhere.

Valentin says he’s not comfortable giving Anna all the details. Just know that Charlotte is home and she’s settling in nicely. And he promises they’ll keep her informed. She thanks him, and he sees Nina come in, Drew following her. He asks Anna to excuse him, and leaves the table.

Drew tells Nina, calm down. There’s no reason to get so worked up. She says, don’t dare tell her how to behave, when Valentin joins them and asks Nina if everything is all right. She says, no. Drew thinks he can take her share of the hotel from her.

Jordan says, there’s got to be another way to get access to O’Neal and keep him in Port Charles under their custody, but Dante says he doesn’t see that happening. The Feds want them to stand down as it is. She says, on the gun charges, yes. They need to come at it from a different angle. He says, like what? and she says, maybe they get him on charges unrelated to the shooting. Something that doesn’t involve the Feds and would be solidly in their jurisdiction. He says, like unpaid parking tickets or something? and she says, preferably a felony. What is the likelihood that an arms dealer has been involved with another crime here in Port Charles? Dante tells her that he’d say the likelihood is pretty high. You don’t go from upstanding citizen to arms dealer overnight. She says, exactly. So they need to go over every case in the last six months involving firearms. Track all the weapons and see if it leads back to their friend in Pentenville. He says, they’ve been there and done that. Nothing. She says, then go back even longer. A year or more. Do whatever he has to do, because even if O’Neal is placed in protective custody, he’s still got a target on his back. Dante’s phone rings, and he answers, Detective Falconari… Wait. What?

Michael tells Sonny, again, he changed course. Dex was already inside. So he and Carly made sure Dex was keeping him safe. Sonny says, that little rat lied to him, and Michael says, Sonny can hate that he paid Dex to keep him safe all he wants, but he has to admit that if it wasn’t for him, Sonny would be dead… Sonny says he doesn’t have to admit anything. Michael says, Sonny came to rely on and trust Dex. For him to say something would have accomplished nothing. To tell the truth, it would have ruined everything. Sonny tells him to stop making himself look good. Michael didn’t just lie because he was worried about him. Michael lied to protect himself. Plain and simple. Admit it. Michael says, yes. He came to really like that their relationship was good again. He didn’t want to lose that. Sonny says, he lost it the day he hired Dex to destroy him, and Michael says he gets that Sonny is angry, and he hopes eventually, Sonny will be able to see why he did what he did and be able to forgive him. But this isn’t just about their relationship. Sonny asks what it’s about, and Michael says, it’s about Sonny and how he’s pushing everybody away. Because without Dex, without him, and especially without Carly, who does he have? Does he want to end up alone?

Dex tells Josslyn that there are no good options for him here. Sonny will never trust him again, so his time in Sonny’s organization is over. Josslyn says, exactly. So maybe this is the clean break they’ve been waiting for. He says, it’s not that simple. Does she think Sonny is just going to forget what he did to him? She says, Sonny hates a lot of people. She can live with that if he can. He says, it’s not about what they can live with. Sooner or later, one of Sonny’s rivals is going to realize Sonny’s cut him loose and try to take advantage. All of these guys talk. When they try to use him to get to Sonny and he refuses, they’re going to have it out for him too. She says she hadn’t considered that, and he says, if it’s not the mob, the DA or the Feds could find an excuse to bring him in and try to get him to flip on Sonny. The only way to guarantee he won’t talk is to eliminate him. She says, if that’s true, why did Sonny let him go last night? and he says he doesn’t know. Maybe Sonny is just telling her mom what she wants to hear. He knows she won’t let anything happen to him because of him and Josslyn. Regardless, he wouldn’t want to involve her in a crime. Maybe Sonny decided to walk away last night and finish the job later, without any witnesses. She takes his hands and says, he’d do anything for her, right? and he says, yes. She says, then run.

Blaze tells Kristina that her mother has been wanting to visit her in Port Charles, and she’s been putting her off, but she’s finally run out of excuses. She’ll be here next week. Kristina says, that’s fine. Don’t worry about them seeing each other when her mom is here. She has a lot of stuff to get done at the pub, and she could certainly use the time to get caught up at the center too. So they can just take a little break and then pick up where they left off when her mom is back on the plane heading home. Blaze thanks her for being so understanding, but somehow, it’s just making this worse. She doesn’t want Kristina to feel like she has to hide. Kristina says she’s not the one hiding.

Drew tells Nina, good luck getting her magazine up off the ground, because he loves rooting for the underdog, and leaves. Nina says, so much for Mr. Nice Guy, and Valentin says, he thinks he has Nina wrapped around his finger. She doesn’t have to sell him the MetroCourt. She knows that, right? She says, who knows? He basically crushed her idea to start her own magazine, and he barely had to try.

Drew says hi to Anna, and says he saw her sitting over here and wanted to say congratulations on being the new Police Commissioner. She thanks him and says, actually, she was just going to the station. He says he’s not going to hold her up. He just wants to tell her that he’s happy for her that things are going well. She says, and him? and he says he’s making progress. She says, what kind? And at what cost?

Josslyn tells Dex, go, today, right now. Get a head start before anyone even realizes he’s gone. He can hide without Sonny finding him, right? He says he’s not leaving. He can’t lose her. She says, he’s not going to lose her. She’s coming with him. He says, absolutely not. They talked about this last year. She’d be giving up her family, her friends, her future as a doctor. He won’t let that happen. Her whole world is here. She says, it’s her life, so it’s her choice. She can’t lose him. Not after everything they’ve gone through. He says, she’s everything to him, but she’d be giving up her life for nothing. He’s not going to run, with or without her. She says, that’s insane. They were just trying to protect Sonny, and now Sonny wants to kill him for it. He hugs her.

Michael says, somebody tried to kill Sonny twice now. And whoever gave that shooter inside information on his security, it was not Dex. Dex isn’t the traitor. It’s someone else inside Sonny’s organization. Sonny asks why he should hear anything Michael has to say, and Michael tells Sonny not to put himself in any more danger just to get back at him. Sonny will isolate himself, so he’ll have no one to confide in. He needs somebody around him that he can trust. Sonny says, that’s none of Michael’s concern, and Michael says, Sonny’s his father. Sonny says, is he? (and I say, isn’t he?) and Michael says, Sonny can push him away. He can push all of them away. But he’s going to need someone to talk to. He can’t go through this alone. Sonny says nothing, and Michael leaves. Ava comes back, and Sonny says, catch all that? She says, unfortunately, she did. She’s sorry. It must hurt a lot, what Michael did. She can go if he wants, and they can pretend she was never here. She starts to leave, but he says, wait. Can she stay?

Kristina says she didn’t mean that. She’s not judging Blaze. She doesn’t even know Blaze’s family. Blaze says, they’re great actually. They’re just religious and old-fashioned. They were raised a certain kind of way not to talk about these kinds of things, and there’s a part of her that feels she needs to protect them. Kristina says she gets that. She actually thinks a lot of people are in Blaze’s position. She just hates that Blaze feels she has to protect them from the fact that she’s gay. She’s personally thrilled Blaze is gay, and she knows a lot of other people would be too. Blaze says, thank you? and Kristina says, what she means is, she’s glad Blaze is living her authentic life, being her true self. And if that happens to include her being gay, then all the better, because Kristina happens to think who Blaze is, is pretty damn wonderful. Blaze says she feels the same way about Kristina, and Kristina says she does want to respect though, that coming out is Blaze’s personal choice, and she can’t pressure Blaze or anyone into making that decision. That’s her own to make whenever she’s ready. Blaze says, but that’s no way to build a relationship, and Kristina says, no, it’s not. Blaze says, then she knows what she has to do. She’s going to tell her mom about her and Kristina. It’s time her family knows the truth.

Nina tells Valentin that she can’t believe how she let Drew get to her, even that little bit. That’s what he wanted, but she couldn’t help herself. Valentin says, Drew can really push her buttons, huh? and she says, it’s not that he offered to buy her share of the hotel. It’s slowly dawning on her that she’s never going to get a magazine to rival Crimson off the ground. It’s just not going to happen. It’s too much. Even if Drew hadn’t scared everyone away from working with her, it’s just too huge of an undertaking. She’s just going to have to swallow her pride, and as much as it hurts, accept defeat. He says he can’t believe she’s giving up this easy, and she says, on the magazine? He says, on evening the score with Drew and Carly. Because he’s been thinking, there may be another way.

Anna tells Drew that she shouldn’t have said that. It’s none of her business. He says, she clearly has an opinion on him, and he values her opinions. So please let him hear it. She says she doesn’t really have an opinion, but she just was going back to the last conversation they had where he said he had regrets and that he wanted to get toxicity out of his life and move forward. He says, which is exactly why he offered to buy Nina’s half of the MetroCourt to get her out of their lives completely. Anna says, she seemed pretty upset by his approach, and he says, that’s just part of getting the best deal possible. That’s the cost of doing business. (What is? Upsetting the person you want to make the deal with? That makes zero sense.)  Anna asks if it’s worth it, and he says, she’s a big girl. She can take it. Anna says she’s not talking about Nina. She’s just going to say this. He seems harsher to her than he once was, and he has every right. It’s understandable, especially where Nina is concerned, but making her pay isn’t going to bring him back everything he’s already lost. He says, so he’s been told. And she’s not the first person to tell him that he’s changed recently. Her phone rings and she says she has to take this. Will he just think about what she said? Then they can pick up this conversation later. He says, okay, and she says, okay, and pats him on the shoulder. She leaves and he looks at Nina.

On the phone, Dante says, there’s been a development. He can’t get into it over the phone, but it concerns a prisoner at Pentenville. Anna says she’s on her way and gets in the elevator.

Drew stomps over to Nina, who says, oh God, and he says, let’s try this again, shall we?

Ava asks how Sonny is doing, and he says he knew Michael would come here. He even knew what Michael was going to say and all his excuses. It still hurts, those words coming out of his mouth. Ava wonders why he even dared to show his face here, and Sonny says, he insists that Dex did nothing wrong, that he still needs Dex’s protection. Ava says, he might have a point there. Dex did save them in Puerto Rico. Without him, she doesn’t know if either one of them would have gotten off that island alive. They still don’t know who the shooter was, so they’re still vulnerable. He asks if she thinks he should still have Dex in his organization after Dex betrayed him the way he did, and she says, it’s his call, of course (🍷). She was just wondering though, where Dex would go if Sonny cut him loose. She imagines he’s seen a lot of things, heard a lot of things, things that could hurt Sonny if they got out. She’s sure there are a lot of people who would love to get that information that’s rattling around in Dex’s head. He says he knows he has a problem. There’s a leak in his ship. She says, he’s far from shore. How much water can he take on? He says, before they all go down?

Josslyn tells Dex that they’re not just going to wait around until Sonny decides to punish him for a betrayal that didn’t even happen. There has to be another way. He says, not that he can think of, and she says she’ll talk to Sonny. She’ll make him understand. Dex says, he’s already made up his mind, but she says she doesn’t care. She has to talk to him. She has to try. She’ll go right now. Let her do this for him, for them. He says he knows better than to try and stop her when her mind’s made up, so go ahead. But if it goes badly, just get out of there. He doesn’t want Sonny getting angry at her too. She says she can handle Sonny. She’s going to fix it. Just watch. He kisses her, and she tells him, stay here. She’ll be back as soon as she can. She leaves, and he double-locks the door. He checks his gun and makes sure it’s loaded.

Drew says, despite what Nina obviously believes, he made his offer to buy the MetroCourt in good faith. She says, so he says. What she wants to know is, why do he and Carly insist on underestimating her? He says, do they? and she says, over and over and over again. And she’s sick of it, so listen to her carefully. Not only is she refusing his deal, he’s going to regret he ever messed with her in the first place.

In a hallway on the phone, Valentin tells someone that he has a proposal for them.

Kristina tells Blaze, wait. It was never her intention to pressure Blaze into coming out to her mom or force her in any way… Blaze says, stop. Kristina didn’t pressure her. If anything, Kristina being so patient with her is what helped her make this decision. Kristina says, okay… good, and Blaze says she’s grateful for Kristina’s support. For someone whose family was so accepting of her for who she is, Kristina understands her situation far more than she would have expected. Kristina says she tried to think about how she’d want to be treated if she was in Blaze’s position, and Blaze says, she appreciates that. But this isn’t only about her feelings for Kristina, and it can’t be about living a lie to keep the peace in her family anymore either. What Kristina said today made her realize she’s happy. Really and truly happy, and that’s nothing to hide. Kristina takes her hand, and Blaze puts her other hand on top of Kristina’s.

Anna joins Dante and Jordan, and asks, what’s going on in Pentenville? Jordan says, the prison transport was attacked today, and a prisoner is dead. Anna says, who? and Jordan says, Olivia Jerome. (I’ve kept forgetting she wasn’t dead for years, so no change here.)

Ava comes out and hears Josslyn tell the guard that she will get Dante up here and Sonny will not like it. This is an emergency, and she needs to speak to Sonny. Ava opens the door and asks if there’s something she can do for Josslyn. Josslyn says she needs to speak to Sonny now, but Ava says, she’s sorry. Josslyn just missed him.

There’s a knock at Dex’s door. He picks up his gun and unlocks the door. (Why none of these people check peepholes is beyond me, and Dex doesn’t even have one.) He holds the gun behind him and opens the door. It’s scary looking Sonny.

Tomorrow, Anna thinks whoever tried to kill Sonny is behind Olivia Jerome’s murder; Doc says, even a glimpse is out of the question; Cyrus tells Laura that his flock is about to get bigger; and Sonny tells Dex, the way he sees it, Dex is going to have to disappear.

🧼 All the Soap That’s Fit To Print…

She’s been mentioned periodically, and every time, I think, isn’t she dead? Although her actually being dead doesn’t mean it’s a sure thing either.

I can definitely see her as Blaze’s mother.

A few side gigs.

Check Out Steve Burton’s Wild New Look!

How they celebrated.

See How Soap Stars Celebrated Valentine’s Day!

The headline that nearly gave me a heart attack.

🍑 Stirring It In Hotlanta…

She’s come a long way from thinking the Underground Railroad was really a railroad.

👀 He’ll Be Watching You…

This guy is ridiculous. And shame on Bo Dietl. He’s the one I learned never go to crime scene number two from.

🐕 Another Star In the Family…

Of course their dog is awesome too. Is it too late for them to adopt me?

https://ew.com/goldie-hawn-and-kurt-russell-dog-budweiser-super-bowl-commercial-8576002

And he’s already got his first gig.

https://people.com/goldie-hawn-kurt-russell-dog-now-repping-wyatt-russell-cocktail-brand-8580671

👑 Queen Of Kings…

Join me tomorrow for soap and a presidential extravaganza. Really just the usual variety pack. Until then, stay safe, stay using adversity as an opportunity, and stay understanding that payback isn’t going to bring back everything you’ve already lost.

June 9, 2023 – No Soap For You, 2 Mollys, Jersey Mess, Vandermath, VanderNew, Sink It, Dead Dates, A Farewell, Star Releases, Sharks, Cuteness, Double 4 Quotes & Love

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Well there was this:

So I did this:

💼 Ups and Downs…

She’s doing a good job so far. She’s not straying too far from the already established character.

She’s lucky she didn’t kill someone.

👠 Jersey Devils…

They still don’t totally explain it. So like, what happened the next time Frankie and Louie spoke? Or haven’t they?

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/frank-catania-shares-why-frankie-stopped-working-for-luis-ruelas

Where they are now.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/rhonj-season-13-finale-recap-cast-updates

This one doesn’t live in the real world with the rest of us. I don’t blame Andy for losing his sh*t. It was like, STFU already.

About that text.

And the rest.

🍸 Trying To Recover…

I don’t think there is a future for her on the show. At least, I hope not.

I guess, but I can’t imagine she didn’t want to smack Rachel’s bobblehead face. I thought she was restrained.

https://people.com/lala-kent-regrets-attacking-raquel-leviss-at-vanderpump-rules-reunion-7510310

Giving you more Lala.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/raquels-big-secret-on-vanderpump-rules-reunion-lala-reacts

She’ll be fine. She dodged a narcissistic bullet.

https://extratv.com/2023/06/08/ariana-madix-reveals-plans-for-the-future-and-thoughts-on-marriage-after-scandoval/

She was so funny on WWHL.

🎁 Just What We Need…

I still want more episodes of Overserved, but I’ll take what I can get. After I take a million showers to get the smell of the Reunion off.

⛵️ Aye, Aye, Captain…

She’s right. That boat needs to die. I’m sure Glenn and Colin are having a grand old time holding it together with duct tape and bubble gum, but it almost tanked the season.

⚰️ Moving Dead…

Updates on both Dead City’s premiere and Fear the Walking Dead’s mid-season finale.

https://screenrant.com/fear-the-walking-dead-season-8-episode-6-airtime-change/

🥀 She’ll Be Missed…

I love this show, and was so sad to hear this.

https://people.com/bling-empire-anna-shay-dead-7508300

👽 When the Force Will Be With You…

Updates on Star Wars releases.

https://ew.com/movies/star-wars-movie-tv-show-release-dates/

🦈 Doo-Doo Doo-Doo-Doo-Doo…

Cue the music.

https://people.com/sharkfest-2023-how-to-watch-sharkfest-7509679

🦙 Take a Deep Breath…

Some relief from all the nasty, awful reality this week.

https://paradepets.com/pet-news/cute-animals

☄️ Quotes of the Week

Some people think only intellect counts: knowing how to solve problems, knowing how to get by, knowing how to identify an advantage and seize it. But the functions of intellect are insufficient without courage, love, friendship, compassion and empathy. – Dean Koontz

The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.  — John Powell

The border to eternity is never ahead of us. It runs parallel to life and can be crossed over at any moment by old and young. – Reinhard Bonnke

A mathematical formula for happiness: Reality divided by Expectations. There were two ways to be happy: improve your reality or lower your expectations.Jodi Picoult (I vote for lowering expectations.)

Even while we kill and punish we must try to feel about the enemy as we feel about ourselves—to wish that he were not bad, to hope that he may, in this world or another, be cured: in fact, to wish his good. That is what is meant in the Bible by loving him: wishing his good, not feeling fond of him nor saying he is nice when he is not. – C.S. Lewis, from Mere Christianity

I can tell you, without diversity, creativity remains stagnant.Edward Enninful

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. – Plato

That wasn’t karaoke. It was you, a jukebox, and a bar full of angry people. – Mike Biggs (Billy Gardell), Mike & Molly

🕺🏽 Curly Shuffling Away…

Tune in for a chance of Fear on Sunday, and on Monday really Tuesday for soap and double the Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay respecting your elders no matter how old you are, and stay making sure that when you’re singing karaoke, you’re really at karaoke.

May 24, 2023 – Diane Presents Carly With Her Options, Temping, Part One Of Sandoval’s Reunion Awfulness & Hero

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Diane visits Sonny’s old kitchen, aka home of the hallowed moss bowl🎍, and Carly asks if she wants coffee. Diane says, bless you, and Carly asks if she had a rough night. Diane says, rough morning. She forgot to set her alarm, then the line at Kelly’s was out the door. Carly asks why Diane didn’t just text and say she’d be late, but Diane says, never. Punctuality is her trademark. Carly says, one of many, and Diane says, before they get into the nitty-gritty, catch her up. What’s been going on? Carly says, Nina and Sonny are getting married, and Diane chokes on her coffee.

Nina is admiring her ring when Sonny comes out, and says, cappuccino for her, and espresso for him. She asks what he thinks people did before espresso machines, which is a good question, and he says, live a sad unfulfilled life. She takes a sip, and he says, so? She says, it’s delicious, but he says he was talking about the ring. Is she still a fan? She says, considering she’s obsessed with it, she thinks so, and he says he can get her a different one, but she says, it’s perfect. The setting is perfect, the stone is perfect, the coffee is perfect, he’s… He says, perfect, but she says, even better. He’s all hers. They kiss.

Alexis writes a text to Gregory: Just checking in. Here if you need me. She says, here goes nothin’, and sends it. Sam knocks at the door, and Alexis says, she’s early; how unlike her. Sam asks if that’s Alexis’s not so subtle way of saying she’s usually late, and Alexis hugs her. Sam says she came early because she wanted to talk to Alexis before Krissy got here. Alexis says, also, so Sam doesn’t lecture her, she reached out to Gregory. Sam asks if he responded, but Alexis says she just sent it a minute ago. Sam says, actually, she didn’t come here to talk to Alexis about Gregory. She wanted to talk to Alexis about her sister. Alexis says she’s worried about Molly too, but Sam says, not that sister. What’s going on with Molly?

TJ comes out as Molly is getting her bag ready for work, and she says she’s sorry if she woke him; she was trying to be quiet. He says, like she was last night? He didn’t hear her come in. She says, it was late, and he says, she must be tired. Why doesn’t she take the day off? She asks if he can please not treat her like she’s about to break, and he says he’s sorry. She tells him, there’s no reason for her to take the day off. She’s not sick. God knows she’s not pregnant, and she never will be.

Curtis lifts weights at Volovino’s, when Drew comes in. He says, hi, but Curtis doesn’t hear him because he’s busy flashing back to his conversation with Jordan, and Jordan asking if he’s on the rebound or are he and Portia really over; and if so, do they get a second chance?

At the hospital, Jordan is flashing back to her and Curtis kissing. Portia says she needs to speak with Jordan.

Sam tells Alexis that she knew something was up at Michael and Willow’s wedding. Molly seemed a little off to her, and she asked TJ if Molly was okay. He said she was fine, but he was glad she had her sisters. Two SEC agents showed up and questioned Carly, so the conversation got derailed, and now she feels terrible because she didn’t follow up. Alexis doesn’t want her to feel terrible. She thinks Molly will tell Sam about it when she feels the time is right for her, and she thinks the time is soon. Sam asks how worried she should be, but Alexis says she shouldn’t be worried. This is not life threatening. She’ll be fine. What about Kristina? Sam says, the foundation Sonny is helping her set up. She thinks it’s an amazing idea, and can do a lot for the LGBTQ+ community. However, she doesn’t think Kristina is grasping the reality of what she’s getting herself into. She feels like Kristina needs guidance. Alexis asks, who doesn’t? when there’s a knock at the door. Alexis says, it’s her middle girl, and she and TempKristina (see below) hug. Kristina tells them that she’s about to change Port Charles forever. Wanna see?

TJ tells Molly, it’s still too soon to say they can’t have children, but she  tells him, she didn’t say that. She said she can’t get pregnant. He says he just meant that they can still create and raise a family together. It might not look like they thought it would, but when have they ever been conventional. She asks if it’s okay if they don’t talk about their options right now. She knows they need to figure it out, and they will, but right now, she’s a little bit overwhelmed. He says he gets it. They have all the time in the world to figure out what’s next. Honestly, he’s more focused on her right now. Endometriosis is a serious condition, and Dr. Navarro says she has a serious case. Which means she’s been suffering symptoms all this time and he didn’t know. Why didn’t she tell him?

Drew comes over to Curtis, and asks if he’s okay. Curtis says, all good, and asks if he and Drew are good. Drew asks why they wouldn’t be, and Curtis says he heard Drew and Carly have been seeing each other for a while now, and if memory serves him correctly, he said some not so nice things about Carly’s lies to Nina. Drew says, that’s not why he kept it a secret. There’s some things Curtis doesn’t know. Plus, Curtis was just telling the truth, and he likes that he can count on Curtis for that. If anyone knows their own mind, it’s Curtis.

Jordan suggests they go somewhere more private, but Portia says she doesn’t need privacy for this. She wants to say thank you. If not for Jordan, Trina wouldn’t have made it back to Port Charles. Jordan says, what she did was a team effort, and Portia says, Jordan was a major part of that team. She put her career in jeopardy to hold off the WSB. She just wants Jordan to know she’ll forever be grateful.

Nina says she wishes this could last forever, and Sonny says, that’s the plan; til death do us part. She says she means the part where it’s just them; the dinner, the coffee this morning… Pretty soon, the whole world is going to know they’re engaged. He asks if she doesn’t think they know right now, and she wonders if they should have celebrated so publicly last night, but he says, they have nothing to hide. She says she agrees with him, but they have to face it. Not everyone is going to be as happy about them getting married as they are.

Diane asks how Carly feels about the Nina situation, as she soaks up the radiance of the moss bowl🎍 , and Carly says she’s not exactly thrilled about it. Her heart’s not being ripped out of her chest or anything. She and Sonny are divorced. They’ve both moved on, and she’s happy that he’s happy. It’s just… Diane says, Carly wishes he was happy with literally anyone else, and Carly says, it’s Nina. That woman devastated her family, and now she’s positioned to be even closer to them. It’s appalling to her, but there’s no stopping Sonny once he’s made up his mind, so she just has to figure out a way to live with it. Diane says, Sonny is a difficult man, and Carly says, ya think? Diane says she knows this because he’s a difficult client, but a relationship with him has to be an endurance event. Carly says, Diane doesn’t think Nina can handle it, does she? and Diane says she thinks if Nina wants to, she’d better start her conditioning now, but she’s not optimistic. Carly says she doesn’t have the energy or the desire to unpack Nina, and Diane says, fair enough. Let’s get down to business, shall we? Carly says, her case with the SEC. Go. Diane says, Carly has options, but she’s not going to like them.

Molly says, it’s not like it was excruciating, and TJ says, but she was in pain often. Was it constant? She says, no, but it was often enough. She guesses it depended on where she was in her cycle. He asks if it hurt when they had sex, and she says, sometimes, not all the time. He asks why she didn’t say anything, and she says, because she didn’t want it to hurt. Everything else about it – being close to him, cuddling with him, having him hold her in his arms – she loved those things, and didn’t want to ruin it by saying she’s feeling a little crampy tonight and doesn’t really want to. He says he feels like a monster, but she says, no. He says, his partner has been in pain and he didn’t even know, and she says, because she didn’t let him know. He asks why she’d hide something like that from him, but she says she wasn’t hiding it; she was dealing with it.

Kristian spreads out a blueprint on the table, and says she has to talk to the contractor, but she wanted to show them first. Sam says, then she’s already hired an architect, but Kristina says she doesn’t need one. All she’s doing is knocking down a couple of walls. Sam says, which requires a permit, but Kristina says, the contractor’s going to figure all that out. This is her chance to really make a difference. She knows she’s said that before, but it’s for real this time, and would mean the world to have their support, especially Alexis’s.

Sonny tells Nina, last night was perfect (WOTD). He doesn’t care what people think. Nina says she agrees with him, but unfortunately, they don’t live in a vacuum. There’s a knock at the door, and he says, they don’t? That’s Ava dropping off Avery, and he doesn’t want Avery to know until he tells Ava first. She says, her lips are sealed, turning her ring around, and he answers the door. Avery hugs Sonny, then runs to Nina, and Ava says, Avery was excited Nina was going to be here today. Nina says she’s super excited. She’s been thinking about this. Playground, park, carousel. Avery says, yeah, and Nina asks, which one? Avery says, all of them, and Sonny says, what about me? Nina asks if Avery thinks they should let her dad join them, and Avery notices the ring, asking, what’s that? The sparkly ring? Mommy used to wear one just like that.

Curtis asks Drew, what’s this with the SEC? They questioned him? Drew says, thanks to Ned Quartermaine, he and Carly are being charged with insider trading. Curtis says, Ned turned them in? and Drew says, he didn’t admit it of course (🍷), but he doesn’t know who else it could be. Curtis asks if they have a case, and Drew says, they have a strong case. The SEC is coming at them hard, for whatever reason, and it doesn’t seem like they’re interested in a deal. At least not with both of them. Curtis helps Drew get boxing gloves on, and Drew says, of course (🍷) his Aunt Tracy had the brilliant suggestion he should turn Carly in. Curtis says, damn, that’s cold, and Drew says, it’s not an option, but just between them – Curtis says, of course (🍷) – he needs to disarm Ned. He’s rich and he’s got power. He could strongarm the SEC and make this whole thing go away. Curtis doubts he’ll do it willingly, and Drew says, Carly doesn’t deserve any of this. He’s going to do everything in his power to make sure he protects her. He punches the heavy bag.

Diane says, before they get into strategy, she wants to be walked through Carly’s actions as though she’s never heard it before. Carly says she knew Michael and Drew were planning to merge ELQ and Aurora, and Diane says, arguably a sacrifice for Drew. Carly says, Drew liked having his company independent of ELQ. The only reason he agreed to the merger was to help his family. Since Michael’s her son and at the time Drew was just a friend, she wanted to help them. Diane says, so Carly bought stock in Aurora before the merger, and Carly says, yes. Aurora is the smaller company, so the more it’s worth, the more equal the merger would be. The irony is, Drew told her not to do it. And Michael did too. Diane says, fortunately, Michael has no part in this because he owns no stock in Aurora, and they’re going to leave him out of it. So Drew cautioned her not to buy the shares, and she… Carly says, didn’t listen. Now Drew is caught up in her mistake. She didn’t mean for it to be insider trading. She was just trying to help. Diane says she gets it. The SEC probably gets it too. The problem is, they don’t care. Carly knew before the public that there was a merger planned, and she acted on it. Carly says, that makes her guilty, and Diane says, her and Drew both.

Molly tells TJ that she’s always had painful periods; cramping and bloating and tenderness. This was more severe, but it wasn’t completely foreign, so she thought it was just what happens as you get older. So she took ibuprofen and got on with life. TJ asks if it even helped, and she says she’s sorry, but he says he’s not asking her to apologize. He just wants to understand. Did she ever think to get checked out? She says, no. She just told him that she thought it was normal. He says, being in pain all the time is not normal, and she says, it wasn’t all the time, but he says, she’s not casual about her health. She asks what he wants her to say. She got used to it. He says, but why? If you’re not feeling well, you go to the doctor. Obviously, something was wrong. She says, not to her, and the last thing she needs is for him to keep piling it on right now. She feels guilty enough. He says, for what? and she says, because she ignored her symptoms; she didn’t get examined. She cries, and says, if she’d just gotten diagnosed earlier and started treatment sooner… but it’s too late for that. It’s all her fault.

Kristina tells Alexis and Sam, so this is the common space. A place to hang out, have fun, and support each other. She wants the kids to feel safe. Like when they walk through those doors, they know that everything is fine and they’re going to be okay. Alexis says, sounds wonderful, and Kristina says, the offices will be here, with the staff; they’ll be nearby. She wants to hire young people. Less like administrators and more like their peers. It’s going to be bright and airy and open, and really colorful. Sam says, it sounds like a major renovation, but Kristina says, actually, it’s not. Sam says, she’s knocking down walls and stuff. Won’t it increase her property taxes? Kristina says, maybe, but it will be so worth it in the long run, and Sam asks if she’s even started fundraising yet. Kristina says, no. She needed to have something to show before she started asking for money. Sam says, mom… but Alexis says she trusts Kristina. If she thinks it’s worth it, it’s worth it. Kristina holds up a paper printed with the letters CD covered by a roof in rainbow colors, The Corinthos-Davis House underneath, and says, and this is their logo. How beautiful is it? Do they love it? Alexis says she loves it, and Kristina asks Sam, what now? Sam says, nothing. She just thinks it’s a little premature to hire a graphic designer. Kristina asks how she’s supposed to have a website if she doesn’t have a logo, and Alexis says, an online presence is very important. Sam says, absolutely, but so is hiring an accountant and registering as a non-profit, and Kristina asks, so what is Sam’s deal? Does she just not believe in this project? Or is it her Sam doesn’t believe in?

Drew finishes with the heavy bag, and tells Curtis that he thinks Tracy is Ned’s Achilles heel. If he could just scrounge up some dirt on her. Curtis says, if Drew needs a man, he’s got one. Drew has always been there for him. Drew says, no way is he dragging anyone else into this mess. Besides, Curtis has enough on his plate. Any developments on the Trina front? Curtis says, she took the DNA test; the results should be in soon. Drew says, good. He thinks if the positions were reversed, he doesn’t think he’d be handling it as collected and cool as Curtis is right now. Curtis says he’s been living at the boxing gym. It helps keep his mind off things. Drew asks if Curtis and Portia have been discussing the next steps, but Curtis says, they’re all in a holding pattern, just trying to see what’s what. Drew says, the reason he’s asking is, he thought after Greenland, they were on the same page, and Curtis says, about bringing Trina home, yeah, but everything else, no. After his time in Greenland, he reevaluated his plans. Drew says, such as? and Curtis says, if he should have ended his marriage so quickly to Jordan.

Portia says, Jordan has gone above and beyond. When they needed Oz Haggerty’s testimony, she bought them time. Jordan says she doesn’t know what Portia is talking about, and neither does Portia. Portia says, it’s just that ever since Trina came home, it’s become clear to her that Jordan’s been looking out for her family, and she never gave Jordan credit for it. So this is her saying thank you, and she’s truly sorry that she’s just realizing it now. She just hopes Jordan can accept her apology.

Sonny says Avery knows he loves Nina very much. He took a chance, and asked her to marry him. Avery asks if she said yes, and Nina says she did. Sonny asks what Avery thinks about that, and Avery asks if she can be a flower girl. Nina thinks that can be arranged, and Sonny says, she’s already been practicing. Avery says, this is the best news ever, and hugs Nina. Nina says, Avery has no idea how happy that makes her. She can hardly wait to be part of Avery’s family. Avery says, her neither, and asks if she can go on her tablet. Sonny says, it’s by her bedside, and Avery runs off. Nina says, Ava’s been very quiet. Isn’t she going to say congratulations?

Diane tells Carly, here are the people responsible. The person who gave out the insider information, and the person who acted on said information. Carly says, me, and Diane says, ultimately, they are both culpable. From a legal standpoint, not a moral or emotional one. Drew has the option to say Carly acted without his knowledge. That he wasn’t even a participant. That he wasn’t even the one who gave her the insider information. Carly says, in other words, lie, and Diane says, likewise, Carly can say Drew came to her and asked her to purchase stock in Aurora. He gave her no private information; she was just following instructions. Carly says, that’s literally the opposite of what happened, and Diane tells her, she’s just saying this is how Carly can strike a deal with the Feds. She had no private information; no private knowledge. She was just doing a favor for a friend. Carly says, no. Drew wouldn’t do that to her, and she’s not going to do it to him. Diane says, in that case, there is another alternative. She was speaking with a friend in the DA’s office, a trusted source. She had an interesting tidbit to share. They gravitate back to the moss bowl🎍, and Diane says she thinks they can all agree, the SEC is least interested in Carly. Carly says, Drew is definitely the more high profile get, sure, and Diane says, in terms of high profile, a corporate CEO pales in comparison to Sonny Corinthos. Does she know who’s right across the hall from the SEC? The Justice Department. Carly says, no, and Diane says, Carly knows where all the bodies are buried, so if she decides to give them Sonny, she can write her ticket to freedom. I’m shocked at Diane’s suggestion, and Carly says, no. Diane says, even though he’s marrying a woman she can’t stand? and Carly says, he can be marrying Hannibal Lecter for all she cares. She’s not giving up Sonny. Diane says she just wanted to make sure Carly understood the parameters, and Carly says, let’s just focus on her other options, but Diane says, she has none.

Sonny says, they planned to tell Ava first. They didn’t want to spring it on Avery like that, but things happen. Ava says, for better or worse, nothing gets by their daughter these days. She tells them, congrats, and Nina thanks her. Ava asks when Sonny popped the question, and Nina says, last night. Ava asks if Carly knows, and Sonny says, not yet. Ava says, he might want to get on that. She knows Avery. She’s going to tell the mailman, and Donna, and the barista at Charlie’s, and anybody and everybody who will listen. Sonny says, she’s probably right. He’s going to head over there right now. He asks if Nina is all right with Avery, but Ava says she’ll hang around. Nina says she’d like that, and Sonny leaves. Nina says, he’s gone. So does Ava want to tell her what she really thinks?

Sam says, of course (🍷) she believes in Kristina, but Kristina says, it doesn’t sound like it. Sam says, Kristina’s compassion, her vision, her creativity, all of it. Sam wants to see her get the shelter up and running more than anything, but it’s going to be difficult. There’s going to be a lot of hoops to jump through, and she doesn’t think Kristina is getting that right now. For starters, she’s going to be housing a lot of at risk teenagers, who have been emotionally traumatized, possibly exploited, and she’s going to need professionals to help her with that. So instead of picking out colors for paint, she’d hire a psychiatrist as a consultant. Kristina says she knows; she’s getting there. Sam says, it’s like Kristina’s priorities are all in the wrong order, and asks why Alexis isn’t chiming in here. Alexis says she’s trusting that Kristina knows what she’s getting into, and Kristina thanks her. Sam says, they’ve heard this before. Kristina has all of these great ideas and this vision, and then it doesn’t work out the way she wants it to. It’s not because Sam doesn’t believe in her. It’s because Kristina never follows through.

TJ says he doesn’t blame Molly at all, but she says, he was just upset because she didn’t see a doctor. He says he was upset because she was in pain, and he hates that; not because he thinks she’s at fault. She says she feels so guilty. She feels like she let him down. He says, no, but she says she was supposed to carry his baby, now she can’t. He says, she’s not supposed to do anything. Nothing is expected of her. They’re in this together. She tells him, he says that and she knows he really believes it, but it’s different when you’re a woman. She so wanted to give him this gift. To do this thing that women do every single day, and they have been for centuries. And to know that she can’t… He says, we can’t, and she says, except there’s nothing wrong with him. It’s her. She thinks she needs some time to come to terms with that. He asks what he can do, and she says, honestly, nothing. She has to get to work. He asks her not to leave, but she keeps walking and goes out the door.

It’s Curtis’s turn at the heavy bag, and Drew says he must be losing it. He could have sworn Curtis said Jordan. Curtis says he did. They’ve been spending a lot of time together lately, and recently Jordan admitted she still has feelings for him. So now he’s asking himself, did he give up on their marriage too quickly? Drew says, that’s a big question. He can certainly understand why Curtis would be drawn back to Jordan, but has he talked to Portia? Curtis says, about Jordan? but Drew says, no, about him and Portia. Before he starts reevaluating his relationship with his ex, shouldn’t he examine the state of his marriage?

Jordan says, Portia has nothing to apologize for, but Portia says she kinda does. Jordan gave her great advice. She told Portia to tell the truth to Curtis about Trina. If she’d listened to Jordan, if she’d done it sooner… But what did she do? She accused Jordan of trying to break them up. It’s so ironic. Jordan says, the what if game never does anyone any good. In all honesty, she should have never interfered. Portia says she’s glad Jordan did. It’s far messier than she could have imagined, but at least the truth is out. Maybe she should ask Jordan what she should do next. If Jordan were her, how would she save Portia’s marriage?

Curtis tells Drew, Portia’s the one who lied to him. He doesn’t owe her anything. Drew says he agrees, but Curtis just said he’s afraid he ended things too quickly with his ex. Isn’t it possible he’s making the same mistake with Portia? Curtis says he can’t get past it. Every time he’s in the same room as Portia, all he can think about is the dishonesty, and Drew asks how much time they spend together. Curtis says, not much, and Drew says he’s going to stand by Curtis, no matter what, but unless he can say for certain that he doesn’t love Portia anymore… Curtis says, it doesn’t matter. Love or no love, it doesn’t change what she did. Drew says, but it does affect Curtis’s capacity to forgive.

Portia tells Jordan, sorry. She’s going to retract that question. She’s been so worried about Trina, she hasn’t gotten an ounce of sleep. She thanks Jordan for the talk, and starts to leave, but Jordan asks her to wait. She can’t offer advice on Curtis, but she can say this about Trina because she’s been there. Focus on forgiving herself. Mothers are human; they make mistakes too. In time, Trina will see that.

Kristina says she would have expected this from mom, but not Sam. Sam says she wants Kristina to be successful, but Kristina says she doesn’t. Sam just wants to suck the joy out of everything she gets excited about. Alexis says, that’s not true, and Kristina asks if she’s even been listening. Kristina’s phone rings, and Alexis says, both she and Sam are supportive of her. Sam says, absolutely, and Alexis says, if anyone can get this shelter going, Kristina can. Kristina says, now she’s going to be on the call with the contractor, and it’s actually perfect timing. She steps away, and Sam says, that went well. Alexis asks if Sam didn’t come down a little hard on Kristina, but Sam says, Kristina is an adult. She needs to understand what she’s actually getting into. Alexis says she agrees, and Sam says, you could have fooled me. What are they supposed to do? Alexis says, last time she interfered with Kristina’s career, Kristina didn’t speak to her for a month. Sam says, now Kristina isn’t going to speak to her for a month. She probably hates Sam more now. Alexis says, just give her some time, and she’ll value the advice Sam gave her, and Sam says she’s actually proud of how Alexis bit her tongue. Alexis says she’s proud of herself. She’s getting better. She also can’t predict the future, so if that’s the case, why not just have faith?

Diane says, Carly is in a very poor position. Technically, she’s guilty of insider trading. She has two paths that could get her out of it… Carly says, which are non-starters, and Diane says, which leaves Carly holding the bag. Carly says, for her own actions. She wants Diane to do everything in her power to fight these charges, but at the end of the day, it’s her mess, and if she has to pay for it, she will. Diane says, understood. She thanks Carly for the coffee, blows the moss bowl🎍 a kiss, and leaves.

Ava says she already told Nina that she’s happy for her, and Nina says, once more, this time with feeling. Ava asks what Nina wants from her, and Nina says, for starters, the truth. Ava says, does she? The truth is, Nina’s relationship has been a ticking time bomb since she turned Carly into the SEC. Nina asks why Carly shouldn’t pay, and Ava says, because she’s Carly. She doesn’t know how to tell Nina this, but Carly and Sonny have been through everything – the good, the bad, the ugly – for well over twenty years, and Nina’s been in a relationship with Sonny for like, two? Nina says, that shouldn’t matter, and Ava says, but it does. If Sonny finds out that Nina turned Carly in, it’s over forever.

On the phone, TJ leaves a message for Molly, saying, he doesn’t like how their conversation ended. He’s so sorry for all of it, but most of all that she felt alone in this. Just know he loves her and he’s here. Always.

Sam says, Alexis’s support means so much to Kristina. Maybe with this extra boost of confidence she might be able to pull this off. Alexis says, who knows? Stranger things have happened. Don’t tell her sister she said that. Sam says, never.

Drew tells Curtis that he’s sorry. This is such a tough spot. He wishes he could help. Curtis says, he already has, and leaves.

Portia says she can’t tell Jordan how much she appreciates that, but Jordan says, Portia is giving her way too much credit. Portia says she’s not giving Jordan enough credit, but Jordan tells her, stop. She’s not the person Portia thinks she is.

Ava says, there’s really no easy way out of this. Either Nina comes clean, and accepts she and Sonny are over, and maybe they can find their way back to each other in a few years; or she keeps digging the hole she’s digging, and prays she gets to China. Nina says, Ava is right. Because of her stupid, impulsive decision, she planted the seeds to lose both Sonny and Willow. Ava says she’s sorry it’s come to this, and Nina says, so is she. She doesn’t have any other options. She only has one choice. It’s time for the gloves to come off.

There’s a knock at Sonny’s old kitchen door, and Carly says, come in. Sonny walks in.

Tomorrow, Portia asks if Curtis is officially ending things; Jordan tells Anna that there’s a secret weighing on her conscience; and Carly tells Sonny, sometimes the simplest solution is the truth.

👟 Stepping In…

I knew I knew her from somewhere.

Vanderpump Rules – The Reunion – Part 1

FYI, I’m sure I missed a bunch of stuff. There was a lot of yelling and separate conversations going on. That’s why I hate a Reunion. They all talk at once, then start yelling, and I lose track of what’s being said. Anyway, here we go with this sad awfulness.

Andy says, this is a reunion that may be more explosive and dramatic than anything seen in the show’s ten year history.

The players in this season’s triangle did separate interviews with Andy, and we see that first. Andy asks how Sandoval is doing; it’s his final chance to come clean. Sandoval says he’s doing okay, and agrees that he’s the most hated man on television.

Andy asks how Ariana is doing, and she says, better than a few weeks ago. He tells her that she looks great despite what happened (upside!), and asks about her and Sandoval’s current living status. She says, Sandoval is staying in the guest room, and she tries to avoid run-ins with him. They have people running interference and go-betweens.

Andy asks how Raquel is feeling about seeing everyone in a group setting, and true to beauty queen form, she has her prepared response of, she’s preparing for the worst, and hoping for the best.

Andy asks if Ariana has seen or spoken to Raquel, and she says, no. It took Raquel – who she calls Rachel now, as they all do – 48 hours to text her. She told Ariana that she didn’t know what to say, and she was sorry. Ariana told her, f*** off, you f***ing rat, and blocked her.  

Andy asks when Sandoval realized he had feelings for Raquel, and Sandoval says, throughout last year, he started to see who she really was. I’ll refrain from adding who I think that is. Andy asks when they first hooked up, and Sandoval says, they’d been at guys night, then the next time there was a See You Next Tuesday, the show was filming, but they weren’t a part of it. Some of them went to The Abbey that night, and he and Raquel had sex.

Andy asks if Ariana was suspicious, and she says, absolutely not. Andy says, in watching the show, she vehemently stood up for Sandoval, and we flash back to Ariana saying she trusts and loves both Sandoval and Raquel. She says she felt like he was a loyal and committed partner, and she trusted him.

Andy says, Sandoval claims he and Raquel weren’t together when they went glamping, and Sandoval says, after that first time, they took a break. Andy asks when it kicked back up to romance, and Sandoval says, after they went to Life is Beautiful; after they’d wrapped filming. Andy says, before Bravocon. He wonders what Sandoval was thinking when, during his concert, he looked out to see his girlfriend and his mistress (I thank him for using that word, and I’m sure Lala does too) next to each other. Did it get him off? Tom says, no, but I bet it did.

Andy asks Ariana, looking back, are there situations where she wonders how she missed it? and she says, of course. More so with Raquel than Sandoval. They all know men are trash – no offense – but she trusts her girlfriends. This was someone who’d ingratiated themselves in her life. How could they be so close? She’d expect it more from a guy, but she can’t imagine doing that to one of her friends.

Andy asks how Sandoval could cheat on his girlfriend of nine years with one of her closest friends, and Sandoval says, he and Ariana kept their relationship private for many years; they had issues. He felt like her gay BFF, and they put on a front for filming. He even talked to a showrunner about it. We see some unseen footage, where Sandoval tells some guy that he feels guilty. He feels it’s important to talk about sh*t and not pretend it’s all amazing. He doesn’t think it’s fair to the rest of the cast.

Andy asks Ariana if there were elements of the relationship that she and Sandoval were hiding, but she says, she felt they showed everything. Sandoval is framing it now as something else, because he’s desperate to throw anything at the wall, hoping it sticks. He used to coach her like he coached Raquel. They’ve got to get their lies and stories straight, and get their spin right, so they can have matching answers Andy says, it looks like she’s moved on from tears to anger, and she says, the indifference is becoming strong.

Andy asks how Sandoval feels about seeing everyone. He says he’s nervous and scared, but ready to face it.

Schwartz is the first on the set, and Andy asks if he was silent or was silenced. Schwartz says, both. On her way in, Lisa says she feels like she’s dressed like a gladiator, and might need to be. She sees Ariana, and says, that’s a revenge dress if she ever saw one. When Sandoval comes out, Ariana says, he looks like sh*t, and Lala says she hates him. Me too.

Andy says, let’s dive in to the Season 10 Reunion, and introduces everyone – minus Raquel who is not legally allowed in the same room as Scheana, due to a restraining order. We see Raquel watching from her trailer. Lisa says, normally she doesn’t like Reunions, but this one is much needed. Andy asks how Ariana is feeling, and she says, as good as she could be feeling. She did have a great night’s sleep, which she usually doesn’t before a Reunion. Andy asks if it’s Sandoval’s first time seeing the group since news of the affair broke, and Sandoval says, yes. Andy asks how he’s feeling, and he says he’s all over the place. Andy says, it’s the first time Schwartz isn’t sitting next to Katie at a Reunion, and Schwartz says, it’s strange, and kind of sad. He tells Andy that he and Katie put in post-divorce work on their relationship, but Katie disagrees. Andy says, since most women are angry at Sandoval and Schwartz, is James now the number one guy? And James says, it’s not hard to compete with Schwartz and a clown. Andy congratulates Scheana on her wedding, and asks if they’re still in the honeymoon phase. She says, they are, and that Brock cut all his hair off. Andy says, the most burning thing they have to talk about is the affair that happened right under their noses. We flash back to Ally’s interview, where she talked about seeing Sandoval with Raquel at The Abbey, and wondered where Ariana was. Next, we relive Ken saying that Sandoval had Raquel over when Ariana wasn’t home, and then Lala saying Sandoval was with Raquel all day after Ariana’s grandmother died. Andy says, they’ll get in a bit now, and talk about it more when Raquel comes out. He asks if there’s anything Sandoval wants to say, and Sandoval starts sniffling. James tells him to pull himself together, and Ariana says, the sad sack act is f***ing BS. James says, it’s not an audition. He accuses Sandoval of crying crocodile tears, and calls him a p*ssy. Sandoval says he appreciates everybody being there for Ariana, and the world collectively rolls its eyes. He says, no matter what was going on in their relationship, she didn’t deserve to have this happen. Ariana says, nothing happened; he did it. He says he’s sorry for doing the one thing he said he wouldn’t, and he did it in the worst way possible. James and Lala are both unimpressed, and Ariana says, he’s been victim blaming her 100%, and this is bullsh*t. Andy asks if Sandoval is still living in the house, and Sandoval says, off and on. Andy says, when Lala and Randall broke up, she got out quickly, and he asks if Lala thinks this is healthy. Lala says, no. Given ten years, Sandoval is Randall. She couldn’t get Randall to stay home, but once they broke up, she couldn’t get him out. That’s a narcissist, and Sandoval is a dangerous human being. Lisa thinks that’s a ridiculous stance, and Lala says she didn’t ask Lisa’s opinion. When someone does that to a life partner, there’s something wrong with them. Sandoval says, who is she to be judging his character? and she tells him, STFU. Lisa says, they’re here for ten hours. They can’t start like this. Andy asks what Ariana thinks caused the divide, not spending quality time together? but Ariana says, Sandoval f***ing other people. Andy asks if there were more than Raquel, and we flash back to Sandoval telling Scheana about cheating with someone else. Ariana says, Sandoval made these choices, and Andy asks what Sandoval thinks caused the demise of the relationship, and Sandoval says, communication dissipated, but Ariana says, it’s not like they never had conversation. Andy says, Sandoval claimed they hadn’t been intimate in years, but Ariana says, that’s not true. Besides, having intimacy issues doesn’t excuse anything. You work on it or break up. Andy asks if the rest of the group sensed there were significant issues in the relationship. Schwartz nods, and Scheana says, not until recently. She and Lala had a conversation where Lala said she thought something was going on with Sandoval and Raquel. Scheana said, they were fine and in a good place. Andy asks Lala when the conversation happened, and she says, in January. James keeps sending jabs Sandoval’s way, and Sandoval says, he’s been supportive of James. Lala says, Sandoval paid for half of James and Raquel’s engagement, and James says, it just goes to show how much of a friend Sandoval wasn’t. James gets up, and Sandoval tells James to get out of his face. Andy separates them.

During the commercial break, my feelings take the shape of gummi bears, and I eat them.

Sandoval says he stood up for James, and James says, Sandoval is a nobody, nothing, a loser, a backstabbing ho. Sandoval says, if James gets in his face again, he’s going to f*** James up. This is all the provocation James needs, and they have to be separated again. James says he’s going to beat Sandoval’s ass, and Andy tells him to stay in his chair. James says he’s going to the bathroom, and calls Sandoval a worm with a mustache. When James leaves, Sandoval says, James pees on a fire hydrant like a dog, and Raquel is his fire hydrant. Lala tells him to stop bringing in things from 500 years ago. This was Sandoval’s life partner, not Kristen Doute. Stop pulling out the history books. James comes back, and Andy asks why Sandoval didn’t come clean. Lisa says, the million dollar question, and Sandoval says, Ariana was going through a lot, and he didn’t want to add anything. Andy asks when Sandoval told Schwartz, and Schwartz says, in July, Sandoval was saying he wasn’t happy, then after guys night out, he confided in Schwartz the next day. Ariana says, when Charlotte’s body wasn’t even cold, and we flash back to her leaving the girls trip because of Charlotte. Schwartz says, he didn’t know that, and Katie asks when he found out, and Schwartz says, late August. He and Sandoval met up, and Sandoval broke it down for him. Sandoval is like, what? and Lala asks if they didn’t put their timelines together. We see a clip of Andy’s interview with Sandoval, and he says, it was mid to late January. Andy asks if Schwartz knew when he kissed Raquel, but he says, no, and we flash back to that. Andy asks if he had a gut feeling, since he talked about Raquel possibly having a crush on someone else. We flash back to that, and Schwartz says he wasn’t talking about Sandoval. Sandoval had said it was a one night stand, and would never happen again. It was a mistake, alcohol. After that, things went back to normal. Scheana asks if this was before they went glamping, Schwartz says, yes, and we flash back to Schwartz saying Raquel has a type; men that are taken. Schwartz says, Sandoval and Raquel spent an inappropriate amount of time together, and Andy asks why Sandoval encouraged Schwartz and Raquel to make out. Was he a decoy? Sandoval says, absolutely not. After he and Raquel hooked up, he said it was never going to happen again. Lisa says, it’s perverse, and Katie says, it’s a great excuse. Look over here instead of at us. Andy says, Sandoval cheated with Miami Girl early in the relationship, and we flash back to that. Sandoval’s excuse for this is – wait for it – he wanted to feel single one more time before getting serious. Andy asks Ariana why she was forgiving of Miami Girl, and Ariana says, they weren’t exclusive, and she wanted everyone see best in him. Like I said, a lot is going on, and Sandoval brings up Kristen again, but no one cares. Lala tells him, it’s not that serious. It wasn’t like being in a committed relationship, then f***ing his partner’s best friend.  

Andy says, it’s easy to forget that, before the affair, the group was dealing with three seismic breakups; Lala and Randall, James and Raquel, and Schwartz and Katie. He asks what made Katie realize it was the end of the road, and she says, realizing she wasn’t happy, and Schwartz prioritized everyone over her. Schwarz says, prioritizing the bar was a necessity, but Katie says, and everything else; friends, parties, strangers. So she made a choice she didn’t want to. Schwartz says, their intimacy had dwindled, and he was going through a lot, losing his father, his brother, and his money. But he’d never expect Katie to put her feelings on hold to stay with him out of pity. Katie says, they went from being husband and wife to being friends. Looking back, she thinks she’d do it differently, and not be friends right away. Schwartz says, he would have been reasonable had Katie fallen for someone else in the group. When they were still living together, Katie was hooking up. Katie says, Schwartz could have done the same thing, but Schwartz says, the friend code is murky. If the roles were reversed, and she’d made out with Peter, he would have been okay with it. He’s sorry he hurt Katie’s feelings in Mexico, but somehow the kiss was liberating. I don’t necessarily hate Schwartz. I just want to pat him on the head and tell him to go lie down. Lala says, Schwartz felt that way and Raquel was f***ing his best friend the whole time. Sandoval says, one time, but Lala says, it doesn’t matter. Andy says, no one has clean hands except Katie and Lisa. James cheated on Kristen – James points out he was in his early 20s – Ariana was with Sandoval before he broke up with Kristen, Schwartz made out with everyone while he was married, and James and Lala often had something going on. Lala says, none of them were f***ing their best friend’s man, and Andy moves on. He asks where Schwartz and Katie stand in building a friendship, and Katie says, she looks for honesty, respect, and integrity. Schwartz complains that he has to abide by her terms, like that’s unreasonable, and Katie says she’s setting boundaries. James says, staying out of the friend group is the least Schwartz could do out of respect for her as a woman, and Sandoval says, that’s sexist. The world gives a collective blank stare. Andy asks if Jo is a girlfriend to Schwartz, and he says, she’s a friend, although it evolved into a friend with benefits thing. They were both coming out of long term relationships, and were each other’s happy place. Katie says, Jo is a creep and no one likes her, and Schwartz says, Katie is going to get a cease and desist if she doesn’t quit commenting about Jo on social media. We see some comments, but I’m like, eh, grow up. Andy asks Katie if Jo is in the friend group, and Katie says, by proxy. She was a friend of Kristen’s, but she blocked Kristen as soon as she moved in with Schwartz. Andy asks if Jo and Schwartz didn’t double-date with Sandoval and Raquel, but Schwartz says, they just all went snowboarding. James says, Raquel hates snowboarding, and just went to s*ck Sandoval’s d*ck.

Andy asks the Toms how far away they’d thought the opening of Schwartz & Sandy’s was after they had their first party, and Schwartz says, they’d thought the end of August; it was naïve. Andy asks when they ended up opening, and Schwartz tells him, November 2nd. Andy says, the food seemed to be holding them up, and Sandoval says, they’ve been through three chefs. Andy wonders why they just didn’t open the bar with minimal food to start, and Sandoval says, they would have loved to. Lisa says, Greg didn’t want to, and Andy asks how it’s going now. Schwartz says, it’s great. They have good food and gotten good feedback. Lisa says, they didn’t know what they were doing, and why should they, since they’d never done it before. She didn’t like Sandoval saying they didn’t need her, and we flash back to Sandoval’s interview, where he said they were glad not to be under LVP’s thumb. Lisa says she’s done everything to give them a start. She gave them 5% of TomTom. It cost $5 million, they each put in $50K, and she ended up giving it back when they needed the money before Schwartz & Sandy’s opened. It’s a sh*tshow, but she’s been on that side, and it’s not an easy place to be. Andy asks if they took a hit after the news of the affair, and Schwartz says, a little bit. There was boycott momentum at first, but it’s good now. Lala says, people were writing Team Ariana on the tips, and Schwartz admits there was Team Ariana and F*** Tom graffiti in the bathroom. Andy asks if Ariana is going to stop speaking to Lisa since she’s still friendly with Sandoval, and Ariana says, they won’t be as close. Lisa asks what Ariana expects her to do, and Ariana says she doesn’t expect anything from anyone. Andy asks if Ariana thinks Lisa should pull out of the business, and Ariana says, Lisa knows what’s best for he. She’s not someone who should give Lisa business advice. Lisa says, if it comes at a cost of friendship and loyalty… but Ariana says she’ll always love Lisa and support anything she does. It just won’t be a place she frequents. Lisa says she doesn’t want her and the Toms partnership to affect her and Ariana’s friendship. Andy says, Schwartz & Sandy’s wasn’t the only restaurant talked about this season. Ariana and Katie are going to make their bread and butter from a sandwich shop, Something About Her. Ariana says, they haven’t opened yet, but expect o by the end of May. Andy says, they started selling merch after the affair news broke, and Ariana says, they’ve made $200K. They thought they’d do it down the road, but people were asking how they could be supportive. Katie says, they brought Andy a shirt to replace the TomTom hoodie Raquel gave him. Andy says he’s switching gears. Last year, Lala was hard on Brock, and she and Scheana weren’t in a good place. Scheana says she thinks the kids brought them closer together, and they understood what they needed out of a friendship. Lala even bought the house next door to her in Palm Springs. Andy wonders if this is an issue with Katie. Schwartz had said Katie felt she didn’t get the same level of loyalty from Lala as she’s giving Scheana.

Katie says, if the roles were reversed, Lala probably wouldn’t be happy, but she didn’t make it an issue. Lala says she went to Scheana’s wedding, but aborted the mission on a lot of things. The kids were the reason they created the friendship. Katie says she understood that, but in the past, Lala said, anyone who talked to Scheana was dead to her. Andy asks if Scheana feels any differently, since she’d encouraged Schwartz and Raquel to make out. Scheana gets weepy, and says, she got a different perspective when she saw the show, and wishes she’d had more empathy for Katie. What she heard from Raquel about how Katie was treating her took over, and she was watching Raquel’s back. After watching the show, she feels different. Katie isn’t the person Raquel explained to her. She let what Raquel told her be bible, and it took her back to where she was bullied by Katie and Lala. We flash back to that, and Scheana says she felt like she needed to protect Raquel. Lala says, they’re not teaching pre-K; this is Bravo. No one is bullying anyone. Sandoval asks if Lala gets a get-out-of-jail-free card, and Lala tells him, STFU. Both he and Raquel triggered her, and now they know why. Sandoval says, Lala used Raquel as a scapegoat, but Lala says, she sniffed Raquel out a mile away; she moves like a snake. Sandoval says, it takes one to know one, and Lala says, and he has the balls to say, accountability, Katie. Lisa says, Lala has been aggressive in the bast, and Lal tells her not to stick up for Sandoval. Lisa says, she’s not; she’s talking about Lala. Everyone starts talking at once, and James gets up and leaves, saying, he’s not listening to this sh*t. In her trailer, Raquel says, oh my God.  

Next time – Part Two – Schwartz says, Katie has a history of diminishing his friendships; more of the one-on-one interviews; and Raquel joins the group.

🍸 Having My Own Kiki…

See you tomorrow for soap and recovery from this awful VanderMess. Until then, stay safe, stay bringing in ‘da noise and ‘da funk, and stay just having faith, since you can’t predict the future.