(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sam and Dante meet Sasha, Maxie, and Cody at Kelly’s before Britt’s memorial, and Maxie says she could use some good news. Sam says, Willow had her baby.
Nina and Sonny look at the baby, and Nina says, look at her, not a care in the world. She has no idea she almost lost her mother. She was so scared. Sonny says, everything’s okay now, and Nina says, we have a granddaughter.
A custodian is about to take the name plate down next to Britt’s office, when Scotty and Obrecht come along. Scotty tells him that Obrecht is Britt’s mother, and asks if he can give them a minute. They go into Britt’s office, and Obrecht says, there’s nothing left. No sign Britta worked 18 hour days, that she gave people the best – and worst – news of their lives, that she gave this hospital everything, and everything to its patients. He suggests they go to the chapel, but Obrecht says, she’ll be beset by people telling her how sorry they are. As if their words change anything, or could numb this pain in her heart.
Austin tells TJ about Willow hemorrhaging after giving birth, and says, they have her stabilized now. Checking the computer, Terry says, it looks like the stem cells are being analyzed at the lab, so things are looking up.
Laura stops by Finn’s office, and says she and Doc are taking Jake and Aiden ice skating Saturday. Elizabeth thought Violet might want to join them. He says, Elizabeth ran into Violet the other day, and sensed she was upset. Just like her to try and make a bad situation better.
Nikolas says he’s there to support Spencer at Britt’s memorial, and Elizabeth says she just saw her mother. He pretends he didn’t know Carolyn was in town, and asks if she was there to see Elizabeth, but Elizabeth says, Carolyn came to see him, which shouldn’t surprise him since he asked her to come.
Esme peruses the papers Nikolas gave her, and Heather grabs them. She looks at them, and tells Esme, not so fast.
Spencer asks, what happens to the baby if Esme gives birth in prison? and Jordan says, that would be up to social services. An advocate would be assigned to the child to determine what’s best; placing the child with the father or another relative. He asks, what if the father is also in prison? and she asks why Nikolas would be in prison.
Obrecht tells Scotty, it’s a mistake to have the memorial at GH. Public displays of grief are unseemly. He says, having it at GH is a good way to honor Britt’s 18 hour days saving lives. She died saving a life. It’s good those people want to acknowledge that. Brad walks in, and says he didn’t know anyone was there. He starts to leave, but Obrecht asks why he’s here. He says he wanted to leave something, but it’s stupid. Scotty asks what he has in the bag he’s carrying, and Brad says he realized Britt spent more time here than anywhere else. He helped her fill out her Society Set-Ups profile here. Obrecht says, while it pains her to give Brad a compliment, he was a good friend to her Britta. Brad says, she was his best friend. They had a lot of good talks here, a lot of laughs, a few tears – his, not hers. He doesn’t think he ever saw Britt cry. She’s the one person he could be completely honest with. He only wishes she’d felt the same. Obrecht wonders how he can say that. He was as dear to Britt as she was to him. He asks why Britt didn’t tell him she was sick.
Esme asks for the papers back, but Heather says, it looks like she was about to sign away her baby. She asks where Esme got this, and Esme says, from the baby’s father. Heather looks at the papers again, and says, Nikolas Cassadine. Everyone knows the Cassadine family; they’re very rick, very influential, and ruthless. She can’t sign this. Esme says, it’s her own decision, and Heather says, of course (🍷) it is. She just wants to make sure Esme is doing what’s best for her and her baby before she signs away her rights forever. She asks if Esme read this, because that’s exactly what Nikolas is doing. Esme tells her that Nikolas said it would only be temporary until her legal issues are resolved. Ryan is wheeled in, and Heather says, from one mother to another, men lie all the time, and you can’t trust a single one of them. Ryan listens in.
Jordan asks why Nikolas would be in prison, and Spencer says, wishful thinking. She asks if he has any evidence Nikolas committed a crime, but he says, if he did, she’d be the first to know. She says she can’t imagine how angry he is with Nikolas, and he says, having a child with his ex-girlfriend? He’s not sure what bothers him more; the betrayal or how tacky it all is. She asks why it can’t be both, when her phone rings, and she leaves to take the call.
Laura says she’s sorry things didn’t work out between Finn and Elizabeth, and he says, him too. She says, he was such a rock for Elizabeth and the boys when they were struggling, and he says he was glad he could be there for them. They were good together until they weren’t. Laura says she’s glad they remained friendly for Violet’s sake, and he says, of course (🍷), but he doesn’t know if he’d call it friendship. It’s more like a cross between politeness and detente. She says she hopes they can be friends again; Elizabeth could use a friend like him right now. He asks if something is wrong.
Elizabeth brings Nikolas to an empty exam room, and he says he doesn’t know what Carolyn told her. She says, her mother said Nikolas flew her to Port Charles to make sure Esme would never regain her memory. He promises he didn’t trust Carolyn with Elizabeth’s secrets, but she says he’s missing the point. She confided in him, and he saw what she went through trying to regain her memories, and then he turns around and asks her mother to do the same thing to Esme. Thank God she refused. He says, he and Elizabeth agreed the best possible outcome would be if Esme never remembers, but Elizabeth says, she never said to hire her mom to block Esme’s memories. How could he think she’d ever want anyone else to go through what her parents did to her? He tells her, that’s not what she said before. Does she want to go to prison?
Sonny asks if Trina is here for Britt’s memorial, and she says she’s here to support Spencer. She tells Nina that Curtis sends his apologies; he had an emergency at The Savoy. Sonny asks if she’s seen Spencer, and Trina says she left him in the chapel. Sonny says he’s going to find Spencer, and Nina says she’s going to wait for Obrecht. She wonders where Obrecht is.
Finn asks if Laura is worried about Elizabeth, and asks if Elizabeth’s dad is bothering her again. She says she doesn’t think Jeff has contacted Elizabeth since he left Port Charles, and he asks what Nikolas has done this time. Whatever this thing is between Nikolas and Elizabeth doesn’t make a lot of sense to him. Laura says, they’ve known each other since they were… He says, teenagers. He’s heard. She says, bonds like those between Nikolas and Elizabeth are hard to break.
Elizabeth says, of course (🍷) she doesn’t want to go to prison. That’s why she prays every day Esme doesn’t remember. Nikolas apologizes for not relying on prayer. He had to take action to protect them both. She asks why he didn’t let her in on his plans then, and he says he knew she didn’t want to see her mother. Nice try, but lame. She says, he wasn’t protecting her feelings. He hid it from her because he knew she wouldn’t go along with it. He says, what’s done is done. No matter what happens, they’re in this together. She says, not anymore.
Brad says, Britt helped him through everything; losing a child, losing his marriage, prison. He wanted to be there for her like she was for him. Obrecht says, if Britt had told him about her illness, he might have become concerned and caring, and probably would have tried to take care of her. He says, of course (🍷) he would have… Oh. She says, Britt didn’t need him fawning over her, and giving her pillows. She needed him to make cruel observations about unsuspecting bystanders; to fetch her another cocktail that did her no good medically, but made her happy in the moment; to lament about his love life, so she’d know someone had a bed more desolate than her own. But more than anything, she needed someone to laugh with. He says he can live with that, and Scotty says, they have to get going. Obrecht says, there’s nothing left to see here anyway, and Brad says, he’ll catch up with them there. They leave, and he takes a pint of ice cream and two spoons out of the bag. He eats a spoonful, and says he knows Britt wasn’t planning on heaven, but it’s probably where she ended up. He hopes there’s a hot guy there, a wardrobe malfunction or two, angel feathers getting caught in harp strings. She could make a GIF of it. They must have GIFs in heaven. Surely God wouldn’t deprive them of simple pleasures. He misses her, and promises he’ll never eat ice cream, check out unattainable men, or do a single thing without thinking of her. He closes the container, and puts it back in the bag along with his spoon, leaving the other spoon on the desk. I want to cry looking at that spoon.
Spencer listens to Nikolas’s confession again in the chapel, when Sonny walks in. Sonny says he knows it’s a tough day, and Spencer says, Britt meant a lot to him. He appreciates Sonny being here, although he knows it’s mostly for Nina. Sonny says, he’s here for Spencer, and Spencer thanks him. Sonny asks if Nikolas is coming, but Spencer says he doubts it. Sonny asks if Spencer is still going for custody of Esme’s baby, and Spencer says he’s more convinced than ever that his father shouldn’t be anywhere near that child.
Dante and Sam get the hospital, and Dante tells Jordan that he and Sam are leaving soon to check out Maggie Fitzgerald’s last known address. Jordan asks, how much of this will end up in The Invader? and Sam says she and Alexis discussed it. Alexis wants The Hook stopped, so any information they gather will be for police use only. Unfortunately, the last known address they have is at least five years old. Dante hopes Esme’s nanny is still alive, and Jordan says, the more she thinks about it, the more she believes The Hook attacks are someone’s way of punishing Esme’s enemies.
Esme sees Ryan, and asks if that’s Doc. What happened to him? Heather says, it’s Doc’s twin Ryan Chamberlain, and Esme asks why he’s staring at her like that. Heather says, don’t worry, it’s all he can do, and Esme says, Heather told her to stay away from Ryan. Now Heather’s telling her not to worry? Heather says she told Esme to keep her distance, which is easy. She steers Esme to another table, and says, problem solved. He can’t see her. He can’t do anything to her because he can’t move. He’s almost completely paralyzed. All he can move is his eyes. Esme says, that’s awful, but Heather tells her not to worry about Ryan. His mind is as sharp as ever. He’s the last person who needs her sympathy.
People start to file into the chapel for the memorial, and Spencer tells Trina that he’s decided to keep his father’s confession a family matter. For now.
Elizabeth says she’s forgiven Nikolas over and over again. When he let his family believe he was dead, when he slept with his son’s girlfriend, and so many other things. She’s done being pulled into his lies, like when he said they were together at the Quartermaine picnic. He says he was giving her an alibi, but she says she didn’t need one. It’s always an excuse with him for all the lying and scheming. This isn’t who she wants to be. He says he never forced her to do anything, and she says, he’s right; she made her own bad choices. The way her mother told her the truth, and he didn’t; her mother has proven to be more trustworthy than he is. It’s made her realize she can’t be around him anymore. He says he was only trying to protect them both, but she says the only thing she needs protecting from is him, and leaves. Nikolas follows her, grabbing her arm, and says, they’re not done talking. Laura and Finn come by, and Finn tells Nikolas to get his hands off Elizabeth.
Nina goes to the front of the chapel, and says, Obrecht asked her to speak. On behalf of the family, she thanks everyone for being here. Usually, a favorite passage or a poem would be read in remembrance of the one they’ve lost, but Britt only read medical journals, so she’s out of luck. She started thinking about Britt, how she lived and who she was, and it became really clear. Sun Tzu writes in The Art of War, let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt. That was Britt, at her worst, and at her best. Unexpected and unforgettable. She didn’t know Britt nearly long enough, but she’s proud to have Britt as a part of her family. She looks up, and says, Britt, you will be missed, but you will never, ever be forgotten.
Brad says he met Britt at GH ten years ago. Neither of them was particularly popular, and back then, she had a nickname – The Britch – which she earned; she wouldn’t want him to lie. She was mean, selfish, a bully.One time, she set a little girl’s doll on fire, but by all reports, it was a total accident.When it came to people, Britt left destruction in her wake. Then one day, she was just gone, on the run, a fugitive until her luck ran out. She did her time, and when she came back, she was determined to prove she’d changed. Was she successful? All of them are here, but to him personally, she didn’t change at all. Britt Westbourne was, and always will be, his best friend.
Heather says, Esme isn’t really thinking about giving away her baby, is she? and Esme says, Nikolas made a convincing case, and genuinely seems to care about the baby. Heather says, seems being the operative word. How long has he given Esme to sign the papers? Esme says, he told her that he’d be back tomorrow, and Heather asks, what’s the rush? She’s still weeks away from her due date, isn’t she? Why is she so eager to give up this baby? Esme says she isn’t. The baby is the only thing she has in the entire world. She goes to bed and feels the baby kicking, and knows she’s not alone. Heather says, that’s beautiful, and exactly why she can’t sign those papers. She’ll never get over it if she gives up her child.
Finn tells Nikolas again to let Elizabeth go, and Nikolas says, fine, but it’s none of his business. Laura says, Nikolas! and asks if Elizabeth is all right. Elizabeth says she’s fine, and Nikolas asks if they really think he’d hurt Elizabeth. Laura says, not if he’s in control of himself, and Elizabeth says she didn’t want to cause a scene, but Finn says, she didn’t. Elizabeth asks if she and Finn can talk, and they head for his office. Laura says she and Nikolas need to talk now, and he says he knows what she’s going to say. She says, really? Because she’s at a complete loss as to how to reach her son. She walks off, and Nikolas follows.
Scotty says he’s not sure what Britt would make of all of this fuss. She was a very private person; just like her mother. He got to know both of them very well, and fell in love with her mother. Strong women; gotta love ‘em. Britt’s big secret. Now they know. She had a big heart. The world has lost a very special person.
Terry says, Britt was a fierce advocate for her patients. She sees many of them remember how fierce she was. Britt was an excellent doctor, and a smart administrator. It was a privilege to know her, to work beside her, and become her friend. Terry’s voice breaks, and she says, her life and work deserve to be honored by this hospital and this community. She asks everyone to follow her, and they file out of the chapel.
They all stand before the memorial wall of staff photos, and Terry says, this wall commemorates those who dedicated their lives to General Hospital and the people of Port Charles. It’s only fitting therefore, that Dr. Britt Westbourne be added to this wall. Nina tells Obrecht, Britt would love this, and Dante asks Sonny, where’s Spencer?
Trina asks if Spencer doesn’t want to see Terry’s big surprise, but he says he’s sure he’ll see it later. His father was engaged to Britt, and didn’t even show up. She says, they did break up when Spencer was a child, and sits next to him. She says, this, today, isn’t about his father, and it’s not about him; today’s about Britt. Just let it be that. He says, she’s right; he’ll try. He and Britt were friends, and even though he was a kid, she never talked down to him. He appreciated that about her, and doesn’t know as he’ll ever meet someone who connects with him like that ever again. She understood. Trina says, she sounds like a pretty great person, and he says, she was.
Esme promises not to make any decisions until at least tomorrow, and Heather says, now that that’s settled, she has to talk to Ryan. Esme says, Heather told her… and Heather tells Esme that she said Ryan was dangerous to her; Heather can handle him. Stay put. She goes over to Ryan, and asks, how about a little chat? picking up the alphabet board. She lowers her voice, and says, listen up. She assumes he’s known all along about Nikolas and Esme, which pisses her off. Now Nikolas is trying to steal their grandchild, and what’s worse, the cops are on to Ryan.
Nikolas asks why Laura is so scared, and she says she feels like she’s losing him. Victor has some kind of hold over him, and he won’t tell her what it is, so she can’t help him. He’s divorcing Ava, manhandling Elizabeth, and making excuses for all of it. She’d like to say he’s not acting like himself, but she’s afraid this is who he’s become; a man who is careening from one bad decision to the next, and hurting anyone who tries to help him. He says he’s sorry he’s not the son she wanted, but she says, stop it. The son she wants is inside him, and she’s seen him. She’s seen him be the man she’s proud of. A man who woudn’t give up on his own son, no matter how hard Spencer tried to push him away. A man who defied Helena Cassadine, when she tried to groom him to be the next Cassadine heir. He says he’s not sure where that man went, and she tells him to start looking, down deep into that core of goodness and strength she knows is there, that’s somehow eluded him. She needs to believe it’s not too late.
Elizabeth tells Finn that she feels like she’s lost her best friend, but she shouldn’t be talking to him about Nikolas. He says, even though they didn’t work out, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t still care about her. She says, after everything she put him through? He’s a good person, and he deserves the truth.
Nikolas says he thinks maybe it’s not too late, and Laura says she’s glad to hear him say that. Now tell her why. He says, because after everything that’s happened, he’s done listening to Uncle Victor. Instead, he’s going to focus on being a good father to this new baby, and to Spencer… if Spencer ever speaks to him again. Laura says she thinks he will, and he says he wanted to be at Britt’s memorial for Spencer. She says, maybe it’s not completely over, and they head for the chapel.
Finn asks what truth he needs to know, and Elizabeth says she lied to him. She was never pregnant with Nikolas’s baby.
Scotty asks if Brad is okay, and Brad says he will be. Otherwise her ghost will never let him hear the end of it. How is Britt’s mutter? Scotty says, she wanted to be alone.
Obrecht touches Britt’s picture on the memorial wall, and says, auf wiedersehen, mein kind. She kisses her fingers, touches the photo, and looks up.
Sonny, Nina, Sasha, and Maxie look at the new baby, and Maxie says, this was a really good idea. She needed this. Sasha says, her too. She wasn’t sure at first, but there’s no place she’d rather be. Nina says, her neither. Just look at her. Sonny says, say hello to the future.
Laura and Nikolas go into the chapel, and Laura says, oh no. She’s so sorry they missed this. She hugs Spencer, who says he knows she would have been there if she could. Besides, he thinks he knows whose fault it was. Nikolas says he really wanted to be here, but Spencer says, stop it. He asks if Trina would mind giving them the chapel; family business. Trina leaves, and Nikolas says he really did intend to be here. Spencer says, somehow, Nikolas has managed to disappoint him more than he already has, and Nikolas asks if he’s done. Spencer says, not even remotely. Because of the damage Nikolas has done to him, he’s going to make sure Nikolas can’t damage his little brother or sister the same way.
Sam tells Jordan, now that that’s over, they’re off to find Maggie Fitzgerald. Jordan says, keep her posted. Good luck. Hopefully, Maggie will finally lead them to Esme’s father.
Heather tells Ryan, Sam and Dante were here. They’re looking for an old nanny… Maggie something. She’s guessing from his stare that Maggie knows about him. He blinks once, and she says, there’s really only one thing left they can do. They’ve got to bust out of here. He glances at Esme, and Heather says, Esme? Don’t be silly. Of course (🍷) she’s coming with us.
Tomorrow, Dex says he really messed up Josslyn’s life; Spencer asks why he keeps coming in second; and Chase tells Brook that he has to be done with this, and she asks if he means done with her.
🦹🏽 Alum Makes Good…
Glad to hear the ex-Port Charles native is doing well.
Stop in tomorrow for soap, tea, quotes, and perhaps an earworm. Until then, stay safe, stay not overthinking things, and stay falling like a thunderbolt when you move.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sam comes out of the hospital elevator, sees Spinelli, and says, good, he’s still here. He says, she’s one of the most prompt people he knows. For her to be late, it had to be traffic or mortal peril, and he hopes it wasn’t the latter. She says she’s just having a crazy day, and thanks him for meeting her. She’s always grateful for his help. So did he find anything on Cody? He says he did, he did, he did.
On the phone, Austin says, the last off-the-books patient they wanted handled, is handled. Free of charge, as promised. He turns around, and Maxie is there.
Britt goes into her office, and Cody is there. He says, good morning, sunshine, and she tells him to stop yelling. He whispers that he’s sorry. He wondered if she wanted to have breakfast together; maybe the hair of the dog would be better. She says she’s on duty, and he recommends drinking more? He asks what she got into last night.
Having breakfast at the MetroCourt, Robert tells Holly that he’s thinking of visiting Robin and the kids over Christmas. This business with Anna is making him think about family more and more. She’s family too. Why doesn’t she join them out there? She says she’d love to, but… He says, but what? He’s known her since… He counts on his fingers, and she picks up her knife, telling him, say the year, and she’ll kill him. He says he knows her, and he knows when something’s wrong. What is it? She says, Lucy.
Laura sees Victor at the docks, and he says, good morning. Going my way?
Dante goes into the interrogation room, and tells Mac, Agent Whitten is here. Mac says, great, and Dante says, he and Mac have been going at it all night, trying to figure out Anna’s escape. Mac says, not that he wants to share that information with the US Marshal’s office, and Dante suggests they stall. Let’s go get some breakfast.
They go into the squad room, where Whitten is on the phone, saying, Valentin Cassadine left the MetroCourt Hotel at 8:17 this morning. Keep eyes on him. It’s a good bet he’ll lead them straight to Anna Devane.
Anna comes downstairs, and hears someone at the door. She crouches behind the sofa, and draws her gun. Valentin walks in, and says, rough night? She asks what he’s doing here, and they kiss. He tells her, it’s not safe for her to be here anymore.
Austin asks how long Maxie has been standing there, and she asks if he’d rather she be somewhere else. He says, no, he’s happy to see her. She just surprised him. She says she’s curious. Lately, he’s been called in to do all these last minute surgeries that nobody else can handle, even if they’re already on duty. He says, they’re short-staffed, so if he’s not on duty, he’s on call. She says she gets that. She’s just wondering, is he really doing all these surgeries, or is it a cover for something else?
Spinelli tells Sam that he didn’t exactly find the smoking gun they were looking for in regard to Cody’s intentions toward Britt; but he did find Mr. Bell has a juvenile arrest record. She says, those are sealed when you’re 18. She was hoping for something more than misdemeanors, D&Ds. He says, oh, she means drunk and disorderly; he was thinking, Dungeons and Dragons. She says, if there’s a pattern of criminal behavior in Cody’s past, she wants to know. So what’s in his juvenile arrest record?
Back in the interrogation room, Mac says he’s lost his appetite; that guy turns his stomach. Dante says he doesn’t like Whitten either, but he’s just doing his job, right? Mac says, whatever, and Dante asks if something else is bothering him. Mac says, nope, and Dante says he can’t imagine Mac being this upset just about Anna. Is this about Cody? Did they get the DNA results back?
Britt tells Cody, she went out with Brad. They started at the MetroCourt, and ended up at The Savoy, but after the third kamikaze shot, things got a little fuzzy. He whistles, then says, sorry, realizing it’s loud. Why did she go at it so hard? She flashes back to telling Austin that she has Huntington’s disease, and tells Cody, it’s been a long time since she and Brad had a night out. She knew she’d pay for it tonight, but she didn’t care. Life is short, right? He says, it sounds to him like a big old greasy breakfast is just what the doctor ordered. Does she want to go on a Kelly’s run? Turning her back to him, she takes a bottle of what looks like OTC medication out of her purse, and shakes three pills into her hand. He asks, what’s the matter? and she says she realized she can’t take these. He asks, why not?
On the phone, Whitten says, they lost Cassadine? How?… Felisha walks into the squad room, and listens. He says, dammit. Cassadine is a highly trained spy, just like Devane. They’re both highly skilled, but if they think they can outsmart him, they’d be wrong.
Laura says she was just going to pay Nikolas a visit, and Victor says, splendid. They can share the launch. She laughs, and says, on second thought, maybe not. She’s sure he has a cement life-vest with her name embroidered on it. She starts to leave, but he asks her to wait, and says, can’t they put an end to this pointless feud between them? She says she thinks it has several good points, and he tells her, he’s not saying they don’t have a fraught history. She says, fraught? Quaint. He says, but they also share a family, and his offer to work together for the good of the family still stands. She asks if that would be the family he all buy destroyed while she was out of town, and he says, it was her choice to leave. She says she’s back now, and she’ll put it all back together again. And when she has, she’s going to take him apart.
Robert says he knows Holly is upset about Lucy; they all are. She says, it’s not only Lucy; it’s Martin. She’s only met him twice, and talked to him for about five minutes, but he’s suffering. She’s grieved enough loved ones in her time, and wouldn’t wish that on anyone, not even her worst enemy. He says, for the last two years, he thought she was dead. He understands grief. She says, all of their friends told her that he moved heaven and earth to find her, even when there was no hope. She hopes he knows how much that means to her. He says he wouldn’t bet against her, and certainly wouldn’t do it ever again. She says she’s been doing a lot of thinking about them, and he says, and? She says, enough talking, and kisses him.
Valentin says, Anna is a marked woman, and she asks if his father finally put a bounty on her head. He says, not just his father. Olivia Jerome reached out. She’s made it clear that if Anna ends up in Pentenville with her, Anna won’t last the last the night. She says she best not end up in Pentenville then, and he says, proving her innocence is going to have to wait. She asks what the hell that means, and he says, their first priority is to get her out of the country.
Whitten says, try to pick up Valentin Cassadine’s trail again. At least they know they’re on the right track. If he wasn’t involved somehow, he wouldn’t have bothered to shake them. And remember, Devane’s got no shortage of allies in this town. It’s only a matter of time before one of them leads them to her.
Mac says, Cody’s not his son, and Dante says he’s sorry. Mac says, it is what it is, and Dante says he thinks Cody could have benefited from someone like Mac in his life. Felicia comes in with a to-go bag, and says she thought her two favorite detectives could use a little sustenance. Dante says he’ll go grab some coffees, and leaves. Felicia asks if they’re still looking for Anna, and Mac says, as much as he can with a US Marshal breathing down his neck. She says she overheard him outside. He’s keeping a close eye on anyone who’s friendly with Anna. Mac says, that’s near everybody. Except of course (🍷) the people he should be keeping an eye on. She tells him, be careful, and he says, that’s good advice. She asks what he and Dante were talking about, and he says, work. She says if she didn’t know him so well, she’d believe him. Did he tell Dante about Cody?
Spinelli says he couldn’t actually access Cody’s arrest record, and Sam asks how that’s possible. He’s The Jackal. He says, unfortunately, Cody’s records hadn’t been uploaded to the database yet, and she asks what he thinks is in it. He says he doesn’t know, but he’s now more determined than ever to find out.
Austin says he’s absolutely been in surgery. What does Maxie think he’s been doing? She says, avoiding her, and he says he’s sorry she feels that way. He misses her, and feels terrible that they haven’t been able to spend time together. She says, her too. She was thinking he’s keeping his distance because of her family, but he says, her family has been nothing but lovely to him. She says, not Georgie or Spinelli, and he says, technically, Spinelli isn’t really family, but she says, he’s Georgie’s father, and her oldest and dearest friend; so he’s family. He apologizes, and asks how he can put her mind at ease. Her family is important to him because she’s important. He kisses her, as Spinelli comes around the corner and sees them.
Britt tells Cody, the bottle’s expired. Want some free medical advice? Don’t mess around with expired drugs. He says he thought that was a scam to get you to buy more, and she says, he also thought putting eggs, bacon, and sausage in a booze ravaged stomach would solve problems instead of creating new ones. He asks if she’s okay, and she says she has a massive hangover, but he says he’s seen her hungover. This is something else. If she needs someone to talk to, he’s here. If not, that’s cool too. It’s less desirable, but it’s cool. She says she has a lot of work to do, and he says he’ll leave her to it. He walks to the door, and she says she’s free for dinner tonight. He says he can’t wait, and as he’s about to leave, Sam knocks. She asks if she should come back, but Britt tells her to come in. Cody asks, is this about the necklace? and Britt says she hopes so. He says, maybe he should stick around, considering it was his father’s and maybe it’s his.
Victor says he can’t tell Laura how much it saddens him, this stubborn refusal on her part to see him as anything other than her enemy. He hopes one day she can let go of this grudge. She says, and if she doesn’t, then what? He’ll frame her for murder like he did Anna? He says he did no such thing. He wants Lucy’s killer brought to justice as much as anyone else. Laura says, something they can agree upon after all, and leaves.
Robert tells Holly, that was wonderful. What was it for? She says she was sitting here having breakfast with him, after having been apart for such a long time, and it made her think of all the chances they missed. She wishes they’d made a proper go of it. He says, they had a few good years, and she says, they seemed long at the time. He says, thank you, and they laugh. She says, no, she meant full; they seemed full at the time. But then they were over, and it’s like they blinked, and here they are. She wonders if they blink again, where will they be… Never mind. They were talking about Lucy and Martin. He says, they’ll avenge Lucy; they’ll clear Anna. She says, hopefully, Anna can stay out of sight until then, and he says he wouldn’t worry. He has it on good authority that Anna is somewhere safe and sound. He heard from her last night after he and Holly parted company. His phone rings, and he asks if they’ve got the address to the safe house. Text it to him. He’s going to hook up with Anna tonight. He tells Holly, sorry about that, but she says, he’s the DA; he’s obligated to answer his phone. His phone dings, and she deliberately spills tea on herself. She asks him to get her some club soda, and as soon as he leaves, she checks his phone. She sees, 199 Hidden Hills Drive. When he comes back, she says, he’s a lifesaver, and he says he loves coming to her rescue. She says, good news. She made an appointment with Doc to help her with her memory issues. He says he’s glad to hear it, and she says, but he’s squeezing her in today, so she has to go now. They’ll talk later. He says, yeah, and she leaves. You know he’s setting her up, right?
In the elevator, Holly calls Victor, and tells him, they need to meet.
Spinelli almost leaves, but Maxie calls to him, and he says, how fortuitous. Austin says he’s glad Spinelli is here. He needs to talk to him. Spinelli says he can’t imagine what for, and Austin says he wants to plan a fun weekend for the kids; maybe take them to the mountains. Maxie says, that’s sweet, isn’t it? and Spinelli says, of course (🍷). Austin says he’s a little afraid Georgie will say no, and Spinelli says, Georgie is her own person and makes up her own mind. There’s nothing he can do. Maxie says, he can encourage Georgie to join them, but Spinelli says he’s not going to curb their daughter’s independence. Austin’s phone beeps, and he says he has to deal with this. He leaves, and Spinelli tries to get away, but Maxie says, stay. Enough. She’s really getting sick of this.
Sam says she can’t discuss anything in front of Cody without Britt’s permission, and Britt says, permission granted. It does concern him. Cody asks if that’s going to be a problem for Sam, but Sam says, whatever her client wants. She takes out her laptop, and says she’s going to forward this to Britt. She uncovered some documents from Taub’s estate. He had an itemized list of his jewelry collection to be included in his will. It included a ruby and diamond necklace matching the description of the one in Peter’s safe deposit box. Britt asks what that means, and Sam says, more likely than not, the necklace belongs to Cody.
Mac tells Felicia, Dante was supportive, and he’s appreciative, but the bottom line is, he’s not Cody’s father. She says, and it’s killing him, but he says he made peace with it. She asks if there’s any chance he’s overcompensating for his disappointment by throwing himself into work, and he says, a police transport van crashed; two fugitives escaped, one of them, their friend Anna, who’s being framed for murder. Not to mention, there’s a killer on the loose who’s slashing people up with a hook. With all that going on, who the hell cares how he feels about a DNA test? She says she wants to know, and he asks what she wants him to say, he’s disappointed? That part of him wishes he ended up with a child of his own? She says, that would be a start.
Laura walks into the station, and Whitten introduces himself. She says, he’s the new Federal agent that her Deputy Mayor brought in to take over the hunt for Anna Devane, and he says he hopes he can count on her support, regardless. She says, regardless of…? and he says, her personal relationship with the fugitive. She says, all the resources of her office are at his disposal, and he says, what about her? She says she’ll do what she can, and he says, tell him everything she knows about Valentin Cassadine. She says she knows Valentin is the father of her granddaughter, but she doesn’t see how that’s going to help his efforts. He says he has it on good authority that Mr. Cassadine knows the whereabouts of the fugitive. She says she’d like to help him, but she and Valentin aren’t close, and he says, full disclosure. He’s aware of her daughter Lulu’s condition. She asks what that has to do with anything, and he says, if Mr. Cassadine aided and abetted Miss Devane in any way, that puts a target on his back as well. She wouldn’t want her granddaughter to be without both her parents, would she?
Anna says she can’t risk Whitten catching her, and Valentin says, her ride is going to be here in an hour. She asks if that wasn’t presumptuous of him, and he says he was hoping she’d choose pragmatism over heroism for once. She says, he thinks he knows her pretty well, and he says he does, and looks forward to getting to know her better when she comes home. She asks when he thinks that will be; a rough estimate. He says, get her to safety; clear her name. She says, she thought they weren’t doing that, and he says, then they bring her home to everyone who loves her. We’ll be waiting. She says, promise? and he kisses her.
Holly meets Victor at the docks, and he says, pull up a chair, which in this case means a crate. He asks, what news does she have from the esteemed DA? and she says she knows where the safe house is. He says, go on, and she says, 199 Hidden Hills Drive. He says, well done. He was expecting more reluctance. Why is she making this so easy? She says, if she’s being forced to betray her friends, she wants this to end as quickly and safely as possible. Victor’s phone dings, and he says, change of plans. Holly is going to have to alert the authorities as to Anna’s whereabouts. She asks if he’s afraid they’ll trace his number, but he says, no. He has another matter to take care of. Actually, it’s something that could turn out to be her next assignment. He’ll be in touch.
Maxie says, the more she tries to get Georgie to accept Austin, the worse it gets, and Spinelli says, perhaps their daughter’s just an excellent judge of character. She says, or perhaps she’s taking her cues from him, and he says, she asked him to respect her relationship and he’s done so, but he can’t lie to their child. And frankly, he can’t lie to her. He doesn’t like Austin. He has no reason to think Austin’s involved in anything nefarious. He’s not the second coming of Peter August, but he doesn’t ring true. She asks what that even means, and he says, in the 18th century, they found out if a coin was counterfeit by dropping it. If the sound rang true, they knew it wasn’t lead. She asks if he thinks Austin’s made of lead.
Britt says, so Faison or Peter stole the necklace? but Sam says, not necessarily. Cody says, she told them… and Sam says, she told them that she found documentation that proves that the necklace was in Taub’s possession at the time of his death. It doesn’t not rule out Faison might have purchased it from the estate. Cody asks if there wouldn’t be a record of the sale; it’s worth $35 million. Sam says, there may be evidence of a third party legally selling the necklace, and she hasn’t found it yet; but it’s more likely that the necklace, and the rest of Taub’s collection, was left to any heirs he may have had. Cody says, that’s him, and Sam says, if there are no other heirs. Britt says, and here she thought she was getting a windfall, but it turns out it’s all Cody’s, but Sam says, not necessarily. If a sales record from Peter or Faison shows up, it could wind up being hers after all. Austin pops in, and asks Britt for a consult, and Britt leaves with him. Cody asks what else he might need to know, and Sam says she knows why Cody coerced Spinelli into matching him up with Britt. The necklace is what he was after all along, isn’t it?
Mac says, raising Felicia’s girls, and being a father figure to them… She says, he was a father, not just a figure, and he says, it was the honor of his life. But seeing her and Maxie bond, it’s become clear that’s an experience he missed out on. Then Cody shows up out of nowhere, and he thought he finally had a shot at it. She says, when he found out Cody wasn’t his son, it wasn’t just a disappointment; it was a loss. He’s allowed to grieve that loss. He says, they barely knew each other. They’d only started to make headway five minutes before the bomb dropped. Now they need to move on. She says, if only it was that simple, and hugs him.
Laura says, would she want her granddaughter to be orphaned? Is that what Whitten is asking her? He says he apologizes if his style is a bit… She says, inappropriate? Aggressive? Rude? He tells her, what he should have said was, working with him is the best way to insure both Anna and Valentin’s safety. His phone rings, and he steps away to answer. He listens for a moment, and says, they have his attention.
Anna and Valentin get busy, even though now is probably not the time.
Austin tells Britt that there’s a top specialist from Toronto who’s agreed to meet with her today, but Britt says, she can’t just meet at the last minute. He tells her not to avoid this. The specialist can tell her definitively whether or not her symptoms are the onset of Huntington’s. Isn’t that a piece of information she needs?
Cody asks how he could have known about the necklace, and Sam says, stop. She’s run dozens of cons more complicated than this one. He says he’s not running a con, and she says, he could have found out about the necklace when he found out he might be Taub’s son. He says he gets that she doesn’t trust him because he blackmailed her friend, and she says, that’s a pretty good reason. He says he apologized for it, and promised he’d leave Spinelli alone. She says, good; she told him that he’d better. He says, they used to be friends, but she says, they’re not friends. He’s Dante’s friend, and she gave him the benefit of the doubt because of that, but he’s raising major red flags right now. He says, why? Because he’s interested in a one-of-a-kind necklace that might have belonged to his long lost father? What’s wrong with that? She says, when said necklace turns up in a safe deposit box that belongs to Britt, that seems pretty convenient. Then he used blackmail to be paired with her. That certainly seems like an agenda. He says, no one’s squeaky clean. He’s not, she’s not, not even Dante.
Spinelli tells Maxie that he thinks Austin is a mix of good and bad, like everyone. And while it’s unacceptable for Georgie to be rude to him, if she doesn’t want to spend time with him, he doesn’t see why she has to. He notices Austin has returned, and he says, welcome back. Maxie asks, how’s his patient? when her phone rings. Austin says, stubborn, but he’s ever hopeful. She says, now it’s her turn; James’s school. She steps away, and Austin asks if Spinelli got a chance to run the algorithm on him and Maxie like he agreed. Spinelli says, technically, he never agreed, but Austin says, he kept Spinelli’s secret, and all he’s asking is for one tiny little favor in return. Spinelli asks why Austin even needs the algorithm. Maxie already thinks they’re compatible. Austin says he needs it. For reasons Spinelli could never possibly understand.
Basking in the afterglow, Valentin tells Anna, they’re going to get through, and when they do, he’s never going to let anything get in their way again. She says, they can’t control the world. There’s always going to be something. He says, they’ll fight it. He’ll fight for her… always. She kisses him.
Dante brings back coffee, and Felicia says, that’s not the usual swill. Dante says he might have snuck some Corinthos in there, but don’t tell anybody. Felicia tells them to stay and enjoy their breakfast. Clearly, they have their work cut out for them. Whitten comes in with Laura, and says he’s glad both Mac and Dante are there. Mac asks if there’s something they can help with, and Whitten says, the mayor wanted him to bring them in on this. They have a lead on Anna Devane. He has a task force headed to her location now. Would they like to ride with him? Dante says, sure? and Mac says, that’s the job. They leave, and Felicia asks how worried they should be. Laura says, very.
Sam says, what about Dante? and Cody says, forget it, but she says, he brought it up. What shady thing did Dante do? Britt comes back, and asks if she missed something, but Cody says, they’re all good. Sam says, she was just leaving, unless Britt needed anything. Britt says, no. Great work as always. Sam says she’ll be in touch, and leaves. Cody asks if something happened with Austin, but Britt says, they were just discussing a patient. She does have some bad news. She’ll have to take a raincheck on their plans. He says, okay, and she asks, how crazy is all this business about the necklace? He asks if she’s sure she’s okay, and she says, don’t worry about her. He just inherited some major coin. How is he feeling about all this? He says, it’s a lot to process, when in the hallway, Victor approaches the door and listens. Britt asks if Cody ever thought when he parachuted into Port Charles he’d end up inheriting part of the infamous Ice Princess diamond?
Sam says, Spinelli waited, and says he wanted to assure her that he’ll start post haste digging up Cody’s juvenile misdeeds. It’s about time someone get the comeuppance they deserve. She says she thinks they’re going to put a pin in digging up Cody’s arrest record, and he asks, why? She says she thinks it’s complicated, and they should try another angle, but he says he doesn’t understand. Why did she change her mind? She says she has her reasons. Just trust her, and leave it alone for now.
Laura tells Felicia, Valentin’s phone keeps going to voicemail. She’s going to text him. Felicia asks what she’s going to say, and Laura tells her, call me. It’s about Charlotte. That’s the quickest way to get a response. What about Felicia? Can she contact Anna? Felicia says, Anna can only contact her; not the other way around. Felicia’s phone dings, and she says, it’s Mac. He says, the van is pulling up to the house now. He says, Whitten won’t hesitate to take Anna down if she won’t come willingly. Laura says, the just have to believe that Mac and Dante will get Anna out of there safely. Because God only knows how Valentin will react if he feels he’s backed into a corner.
Anna brings down her suitcase, and tells Valentin, the good thing about being on the run is, you pack light. They hear a car.
Whitten says he has SWAT agents in position at the back of the house. He needs Mac and Dante in position also. Dante asks if Mac is ready to do this, and Mac says, let’s just hope we all make it out in one piece. They draw their guns.
Valentin goes to the door.
The agents surround the house.
Valentin opens the door.
The agents bust in. No one is there, and Whitten tells them, clear the house. Check every room, from the attic to the basement.If she’s not here, find out how she left. They’ll have to pick up her trail. Either he got a bad tip or they’re too late. Dante says, huh. Who does Mac think called? Mac says he doesn’t know, but he thinks Agent Whitten just learned a valuable lesson; not to underestimate Anna Devane.
Valentin tells Anna that the driver will have her new passport, and she says she can’t wait to see who she is now. She says, this is it, and he says, yeah, this is it. She says, it’s not forever. They’ll bring Victor down. He says, then she can come home. She leaves, and he’s about to close the door, but she pushes it back open, and kisses him.
Holly sits on pier, and hears gunshots in her head. Robert sits down next to her, and says, she’s got some explaining to do.
Tomorrow, Josslyn says Dex can’t leave yet; Scotty tells Cody to run for the hills; Robert asks how long Holly has been working for Victor; and Carly tells Drew, somebody knows about them.
Action is the foundational key to all success. – Picasso
Goals. There’s no telling what you can do when you get inspired by them. There’s no telling what you can do when you believe in them. There’s no telling what will happen when you act upon them. – Jim Rohn
On the other hand: Goals are the thing you talk about instead of the thing you do. – Cherry Darling (Rose MacGowan), Grindhouse: Planet Terror
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. – Margaret Mead
Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival. – C.S. Lewis
The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving. – Oliver Wendell Holmes
You are here for a purpose. There is no duplicate of you in the whole wide world. There never has been, there never will be. You were brought here now to fill a certain need. Take time to think that over. – Lou Austin
A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life. – Muhammad Ali
Vision without action is daydream. Action without vision is nightmare. – Japanese Proverb
You’ve got to see the pool. It’s a more realistic blue than the ocean. – Karen Calhoun (Jennifer Coolidge), The Watcher
🕺🏽 Bye Bye Bye…
Join me for the finale of the Dead, the really truly final episode, until the spin-offs start. Until then, stay safe, stay learning from your mistakes, and stay not messing around with expired drugs.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Robert walks Holly to her hotel room, and she says, he got her back to her room safe and sound. He says, he lost her once. He doesn’t want it to happen again. She say she’s grateful, but aren’t Mac and Felicia waiting for him? She thought the plan was to get Anna out of all this. He says, Holly was always good in a crisis; come with him. She says she’d love to, but she’s completely done in. So good luck, and goodnight. She goes into her room, and he leaves.
At Charlie’s, a girl tells Chase that she loves the song he sang at The Savoy, and he thanks her, but says, it’s really all Brook’s songwriting. She says, Brook did an amazing job, and thanks them for the picture. Brook and Chase sit down, and Brook says, he doesn’t really have to do that, throw credit her way. All the reviews he’s getting online, and all the in-the-flesh people who want his photograph… He says, one in-the-flesh person, but she says, he knows there’s more. Linc is going to beg to sign him. He says, and when Linc forks over the money for his contract, he’ll announce his retirement from music, and she says, or not. What if he didn’t retire from music?
Curtis and Portia arrive home, and Curtis says he’s officially stuffed. She says she’s officially grateful, and he says, for the tasting menu at the Port Charles Grill? She says, that, and that he wasn’t needed tonight at The Savoy. He says he’s grateful for that too, and she says she likes having her man all to herself. He says, guess what? Her man likes the same thing too, and they kiss.
Trina asks Jordan, a maniac is out there attacking people because of her? She’s to blame for Ava and Diane almost dying, and that bartender being killed? Josslyn says, Trina spoke to Oz Haggerty one time when they both went to The Highsider to find out if he was the one who gave Esme that phone. Carly says, it’s because of his testimony, the charges against Trina were dropped, and Josslyn asks what this means. The Hook’s attacking anybody who was involved in Trina’s trial? Jordan says, unfortunately, it’s looking that way.
Walking into her office on the phone, Maxie says she’s sorry it’s so last minute, but she doesn’t think she can make dinner tonight, and Austin asks, what’s going on?She says, Deception is in freefall. The investors are freaking out because Lucy is missing, Valentin is MIA, and Sasha has a legal guardian now. It’s just been one thing after another. He says, no worries. Mac and Felicia have the kids, right? She says, and Sasha’s on her way into the office. She just doesn’t know how long they can keep the investors from revolting. He says he has every faith in her. He’s sure she’ll figure it all out. She says she hopes he’s right.
At Maxie’s, Felicia tells Mac, the kids are asleep. She doesn’t know how, but James’s head was practically on the floor. Mac asks if she left him that way, and she says, of course (🍷) not, but she did snap a quick picture before putting him into place. He says, of course (🍷) she did, and she asks if all boys sleep like that. (I don’t think so, but my dogs like to sleep that way.) He says he remembers when he was a kid, he’d wake up completely turned around. He wonders if Cody was a restless sleeper. She says she’s sorry he missed out on the chance to tuck in his son, and he says, if Cody’s his son. They just did the DNA test yesterday. She asks what results he’s hoping for, when his phone dings. He says, Robert’s on his way, and she says, just him? He says, apparently, Holly’s exhausted and she’s going to turn in early.
Not quite. Holly peeks out of her room, looks around, and sneaks out.
Diane comes into Maxie’s office with Sasha, and Maxie says, it’s good to see her up and about. She hugs Diane, who says, it’s good to be up and about. What legal input does she require? Maxie says, before they get to that, if Sasha needs her to take the reins, it’s totally understandable. If she needs to take more time… Sasha says, no. It’s time to get back to work. Of course (🍷) she misses Brando every day – every minute really – but she’s in therapy, she’s on medication, and she’s doing better. She’s here to help, and to be a partner again.
Chase says he appreciates Brook’s faith in him, and her thinking he’s good at this singing thing – she says, he is – but this was always just a means to an end. Clearly, he’s not as passionate about this music thing as she is. He’s grateful that it’s keeping him afloat financially… She says, it’s also a means to get back at Linc, and establish her as a manager, and he says, absolutely, but let’s be real. He wouldn’t be doing this if he got his badge back. A young woman comes over to the table, and asks if he’s Harrison Chase, and Brook says, if the woman wants a photo with her client, they’ll have to make it quick, but the woman says she’s not a fan… at least, not yet. She’s Blaze. From what she hears, they’re supposed to make beautiful music together. She and Chase shake hands.
Austin sees Gladys at the hospital, and asks if she’s all right, but she says, nothing’s been right lately, but she’s not sick, if that’s what he was wondering. Sometimes she volunteers at the maternity ward. It brought her some peace after Liam passed… then Brando. But don’t go telling anybody; she has a reputation to uphold. He says, her secret’s safe with him, and he sits with her. She says, she didn’t do Brando right in so many ways. Between this and Sasha’s guardianship, it’s a chance to balance the scales maybe. Austin says, maybe. He knows Maxie is really grateful for her support. She’s at the office with Sasha. Oi. He just remembered, he’s supposed to call Maxie’s parents and check on the kids. She laughs, and he says, what? She says, they both came to town with huge chips on their shoulders, looking out for number one. Now they’re looking out for everyone else. Who says you can’t run you’re your past? Mason walks toward them, and says, hey, Austin.
Jordan says, all of the victims helped prove Trina was innocent. Ava was one of her most vocal defenders; Diane, her lawyer; Haggerty, whose testimony was responsible for her exoneration; and Josslyn, her best friend. Carly asks why she thinks they wanted to hurt Josslyn and not Brando, and Jordan says, Josslyn was in the alley before Brando was attacked. Josslyn says, Dex left his sunglasses and she wanted to return them, but he was gone. Carly says, so Jordan thinks they were targeting Josslyn, and Brando just got in the way? Jordan says, that’s the working theory, and Carly says, so Josslyn’s in danger. Jordan says she’s here out of an abundance of caution, but if they’re right, the perpetrator may be fixated on Trina and those closest to her. Josslyn asks what the new evidence is, and Jordan says, a letter from the killer.
Curtis asks if Portia has any idea when his genetic testing results will be in, and she says, maybe a week. Is he anxious about it? He says he feels better it’s done now. It was the whole do I or don’t I that was causing the most stress. She says she gets that, and he says he finally realized how important it was for him to find out if he’s predisposed to schizophrenia, especially since it could affect their kids. She says, kids-s-s-s. He keeps saying that, plural. How many kids is he considering? He says he thinks six would be fine, and she says, stop. He says, they’ve got the room for it, and she tells him, he’s out of his ever lovin’ mind. No. He says, okay, maybe he was a bit overzealous. Three should be nice. Her phone chirps, and she says, it’s an email from Olivia. The MetroCourt ballroom is available. They might be able to get married there after all. He says he thought she told him it was booked until 2024, but she says, maybe there was a cancelation, and Olivia thought of them… Never mind; it’s on Valentine’s Day. Forget it. He says, Valentine’s Day in 2023? and she says, that is way too soon, but he says, let’s do it.
Mac tells Robert, he’s got good news and bad news, and Robert says, start with the good. Mac says, no new evidence has turned up against Anna, and Robert says, what about the bad? Mac says, ADA Arden thinks she has enough to convince a jury to convict, and Robert says he’s trying to find a judge lenient enough to grant Anna bail. Felicia says, any chance of keeping Anna where she is to await trial? and Robert says, if she goes to Pentenville, they can’t protect her.
Holly stands on the footbridge, when someone joins her. Victor says, beautiful night, isn’t it? He hopes she has some news for him.
Blaze sits down, and Brook says she’s sorry they didn’t recognize her without all the makeup and wardrobe. Blaze says, the glam squad and entourage are for show; 100% property of Linc Brown Management. Hopefully, not for long. Chase says he’s listened to her music; it’s fantastic. Brook agrees, and Blaze thanks them. She says, no Linc yet. She assumes Brook has met him, and Brook says, they go way back. Blaze asks how long Chase and Brook have been in bed together, so to speak, and Brook says, she only recently started managing Chase. She sees huge potential, and sees huge potential in a collaboration with the two of them. Linc approaches the table, and says, on that, they agree. When he’s right, he’s right. Is this a match made in heaven, or what?
Portia asks if Curtis realizes February 14th is less than six months away, and he says he’s well aware of how time works. She asks if he really thinks they can pull together an entire wedding in that time, and he says, why not? She says she can think of a million reasons; the invitations, the cake, catering, music, her dress… He says, they’ll just hire a wedding planner, but she says, they’re booked years in advance. He says, they’ll do it themselves. They can make this happen… unless she thinks it’s too soon. She says, that’s exactly what she thinks.
Maxie says, the goal is to keep the investors at bay without breaching ethics, and Diane says, then in her opinion, the best course of action would be to pay an additional dividend to said investors. Maxie says she’s game, and thinks Serena would agree on Lucy’s behalf. Is that something Sasha would be open to? Sasha says, whatever it takes to keep the company afloat, but Diane says, unfortunately, it’s not up to Sasha.
Mason says he’s sorry to interrupt, but needs to talk to his cousin, and Gladys says she didn’t know Austin had family in town. She introduces herself, and Austin suggests he and Mason talk in his office, hustling Mason away.
Jordan says, the article in The Invader seems to have elicited a response from the Hook, but Carly says, that article was published weeks ago. Tons of crazy people must have responded. What makes Jordan think the actual killer is reaching out now? Jordan says, the letter was originally sent to the wrong address, hence the delay in delivery, and there were details that indicate the letter was genuine. Trina asks if their names were on it, and Jordan says, no, but it was very clear the attacks weren’t random; the killer has a score to settle. Josslyn says, with Trina? This makes no sense. Trina says, oh my God. Is Esme back in Port Charles attacking people with a hook?
Robert says, he ran into Sonny in Rice Plaza, and he offered to help Anna, and Felicia asks, help how? Robert says, he didn’t ask for details. He just said no, Anna doesn’t need Sonny’s assistance. Felicia asks if he’s sure that was a good idea, and Mac says, Felicia. She tells him, she’s just saying, isn’t Anna’s safety most important? They have less than 24 hours before she’s transferred to Pentenville. Mac asks Robert if everything is okay, and Robert says he’s just debating if he should call or see Holly. There was something off about her when he said goodnight.
Victor asks, what’s Robert’s latest plan for Anna? and Holly asks where his pet is. He says, Johann’s not far. He knows better than to be alone with the Holly Sutton. She was disappointingly vague on the phone earlier. Does Robert have a plan to keep Anna out of Pentenville, or not? She says, he’s trying to get a new judge assigned to Anna’s case; one who would be open to granting bail. Victor says, that’s easily taken care of. Anything else? She is keeping up her end of the bargain, isn’t she? Her friends don’t suspect she’s lying to them with every breath. She says, as if he’s given her any choice, and he says, admit it. She’s having just the teensiest bit of fun. She says, betraying her friends isn’t fun; it’s torture. He says, not as bad as being back in that cell, and she says, two years in that prison was more than enough. He says, then be a good girl, and do what she’s told. She says, what if she doesn’t? and he says, then he’ll do the same thing he did to Lucy Coe.
Brook says, Chase brings an innocence to the music, while at the same time, having no lack of sex appeal. Blaze says, sexy innocence, huh? And here she thought the boy band craze was dead. Linc puts his hand on hers, and says she brings a good counter-balance. She slips her hand away, and Linc says, Blaze is more, been there, done that. Brook says, what she meant to say is, Chase isn’t naïve. He’s a rock star. He’s a performer and an artist, just like Blaze. Chase says, and a person who can occasionally speak for himself, believe it or not. Brook suggests they give Chase and Blaze some time to get to know each other. She and Linc have some details to discuss. Linc says, happy bonding, and he and Brook step away.
Trina says, who else could it be? It’s Esme. Diane told Jordan that she was attacked by a woman. Jordan says, slow down. They have reason to believe Esme was in the south of France at the time of Ava’s attack. Have either of them seen or heard anything that leads them to believe Esme’s back? Josslyn says, no, and Carly says, Esme is capable of violence. She torched Ava’s car, and tried to kill Haggerty with a drug overdose. Jordan says, which absolutely puts her on their radar as someone they’re trying to bring in, but it’s too soon to focus on one suspect, since they don’t know anything for sure. She tells Trina and Josslyn, they really should be on their guard just in case, and she doesn’t think they should go back to PCU.
Portia says she can’t wait to be Curtis’s wife. It’s just not a lot of time to plan a wedding. She’d marry him tomorrow. She loves him. He says he loves her too, and they kiss. He says, since they’re both ready to get married right away, why not Valentine’s Day? He can’t think of a better way to celebrate their love. Can she?
Robert says he’s worried about Holly. The fact she’s been through two years of her life, and can’t account for it… Is somebody making her forget? Mac says, maybe she’s blocking out something she can’t stand to remember, and Felicia says, she tried to get Holly to open up, but she didn’t want to talk about it. Maybe she’s afraid of what will happen if those memories come back. Robert says, whatever she’s been through, he’s going to be there for her, and Felicia says, they all will.
Holly says, Robert’s not easily deterred, and Victor says, that’s why she’s here, to distract him. Otherwise, he’d have to take Robert out permanently. She says she’ll take care of Robert. Damn him for making her do this. He says he thought she’d be more grateful. He bought her freedom from Winston Rudge, after all. If he hadn’t done that, she would have died in that explosion. She says she’ll never thank him for letting her loved ones think she was dead all this time, but he tells her, be reasonable. He couldn’t have her running around spoiling his plans. Besides, he thought she would come in handy, and look, here we are. She says, once Anna is in prison, he’ll let her go; that’s the arrangement. He says, once Anna is convicted of Lucy’s murder, she’ll be free, but remember who she left behind. She says, you hurt him, and I’ll kill you myself.
Trina says, Jordan wants them to stop going to classes? but Jordan says, no. They can still attend classes but she’d like them to live at home for the time being. Carly says, she’s right; they’re way too accessible in the dorms. Jordan says, and when they’re on campus, make sure they’re not alone. Carly says she wants eyes on Josslyn 24/7, and knows Trina’s mother feels the same way about her. Trina guesses that makes sense, and Josslyn agrees. Jordan says she’ll take Trina to get her things, then drop her at her mom’s. Carly asks, what about Josslyn? and Josslyn says she has stuff to spend the night, and she’ll get the rest tomorrow. Trina says she can’t believe this. Just when life was starting to get back to normal. She and Josslyn hug, and Josslyn says, they’ll deal with it like they’ve dealt with everything else, okay? Carly thanks Jordan, who leaves with Trina, and Josslyn and Carly hug.
Curtis tells Portia, come on, take this leap with him, and she says, a Valentine’s Day wedding is such a ridiculous idea, but he says he thinks it’s fantastic. She says, everybody is going to have plans, but he says, ain’t nobody going to miss it. It’s going to be the party of the year. She says she hasn’t started shopping for a dress yet. What if he has to see her walk down the aisle in something he’s seen her wear 1000 times before? He says he already knows she’ll look beautiful in it, because he’s never seen her look otherwise. She says, okay, yes. Valentine’s Day wedding, here we come, and they hug.
Austin shoves Mason in his office, and says, Mason needs to watch it. Mason asks if he’s not allowed to introduce himself to Austin’s friends, and Austin says, just stop. Stop harassing him; this is where he works. Mason says he’s just here to inform Austin, there’s a patient coming in from up north. Poor guy had an accident playing with his kid’s BB gun. Those things are dangerous as all get out. Austin says he’s heard you can shoot your eye out, and Mason says, luckily, the family was able to stop the bleeding, but he’s going to need medical care. Austin says, and no medical professional would think the injury came from an actual bullet. Mason says, gee, he didn’t think about that, but if that were the case, he guesses the hospital would have to inform the authorities. He guesses that’s why the boss wants it handled discreetly. She knows she can count on Austin. Austin asks, what if he says no? What happens then?
Gladys comes to Maxie’s office, and says she got here as soon as she could. What’s the emergency? Diane says, in order to keep Deception investors from bailing, the partners are willing to take temporary salary cuts and forego bonuses in order to pay additional dividends. Sasha says, which she’s all for, but right now her financial decisions are up to Gladys, since Gladys is her guardian. Diane says she’ll let them sort it out, and shows Maxie her crossed fingers before she leaves. Sasha says, it’s just a formality, but Gladys says, there’s no way she’s signing off on this, and Maxie looks like she has a headache
Mac pours them all glasses of wine, and Felicia asks if he’s going to tell Robert. Robert says, tell him what? and Mac says, Robert has enough on his mind. Robert says, this will be one more thing, so spill, and Mac says, it turns out he might have a son. Dominique’s son showed up in town, and the timing fits. Robert says, when? and Mac says, when they might have… but Robert says, no. When did the kid show up in town? Felicia says, a few months ago, and Robert says, Mac is just telling him now? Mac says he didn’t know at first, then Cody didn’t want anything to do with him. Robert says, Cody Bell? That dude Mac pointed to at the MetroCourt? Mac says, he agreed to a DNA test, and Robert asks what Mac thinks. Mac says, about possibly having a son who’s a complete stranger? and Felicia says, he won’t be a stranger for long if he turns out to be part of their family. Robert smacks Mac on the back of the head, and says, that’s for not telling him. Mac knows he hates secrets.
Victor says, his guest isn’t the worse for wear, and Holly says, he better stay that way. He says, complete her assignment, and he’ll happily bid the pair of them adieu. She says, you bastard, and he tells her to watch her tone. Remember, he has his life in his hands. One misstep from her, and… He claps his hands together, rubs them, and flicks an invisible something away like it’s a bug.
The elevator door opens, Robert says, room for one more? and Diane says, it’s good to see him. He says, it’s good to see her out and about, and she thanks him for his support while she was in the hospital. She asks if she can buy him a drink, but he says he’ll have to take a bit of a raincheck. He’s off to pick up Holly. She says she heard about Holly’s reappearance. It’s so fascinating. They spent one whole afternoon talking about their past glories, and voila! One of his returns to the fold, as if he willed it into existence. He says he’s very grateful, and she says she hopes it’s everything he wants, and pats his hand. He gets out of the elevator, and Diane looks tearful.
Sasha asks what Gladys means, she won’t sign off, and Gladys says she means exactly that; the answer’s no. Maxie says, Austin’s not picking up, so she’s going to check on him, and leave them to figure this out. She leaves, and Sasha says, my money, my choice. Gladys says she agrees, but it’s her job legally to make sure it’s a good choice, and Sasha says, if Deception stock tanks, there will be no company. Please understand, what she and Maxie are going is for the best.
Blaze says, Chase got discovered by some cosmetics tycoon who heard him singing in the shower, and he says he guesses so. She’s a good person. Blaze says, it’s like how Marilyn Monroe was discovered in a munitions factory; it all sounds so fake, made up. He says, like a stage name, or is she going to tell him Blaze is on her birth certificate. She says, fine. She’s Ally, or more formally Alison. He says, and she’s giving him grief for his sweet innocent vibe, and she says, in this era where labels are meaningless and streams are king, everyone needs a schtick. She’s guessing his ex-boy-in-blue thing is going to take him pretty damn far. Linc tells Brook, their talent is hitting it off.
Robert knocks at Holly’s door, but there’s no answer. He starts to leave, as she comes around the corner, and she asks if it’s her imagination, or didn’t they already say goodnight? He says, she looks freezing. Where has she been? She says she put her head on her pillow, and found herself wide awake, of course (🍷), so she went for a walk. She thought the fresh air might help, but no gloves. He takes her hands in his, and says, she always forgot her gloves. She says, so she’s the problem, is she? It’s Port Charles; it’s too cold. He says, she never complained before… Wait a minute. She did, a lot. She says, at least he was there to keep her warm, and he says, they were the days, and they kiss.
Blaze leaves, and Brook tells Chase, she seems nice. He says he’s not sure she feels the same way about her manager, and Brook says, does anyone feel that way about Linc? He tells her, he’s just saying, the way things went down between Brook and that guy… but she says, they don’t know anything is wrong. They might just be projecting based on her experience with Linc. Just stop being a cop for one night. He says, copy that, and she says, the best way to neutralize Linc is to make sure Chase is the next big thing, and that’s what they’re going to do.
Josslyn tells Carly, she can’t stop thinking about Brando. The killer was there to attack her, not him. Carly says, he’s not dead because of her, and Josslyn says she knows, but it’s so strange. Carly says she’s so sorry Josslyn is going through all this. She’s sorry this is happening to her. Josslyn says, they just wanted this to be a somewhat normal year. Her and Trina being regular college students, and hanging out with their friends on campus. Now someone’s targeting them? Carly hugs her, and says she’ll never let anyone hurt Josslyn.
Jordan brings Trina home, and Curtis asks, what’s up? Trina says she needs to stay here for a while, and Portia says, okay. Why? What happened? Jordan says she thinks for the time being, it might be safer for Trina to stay here than in the dorms, and Portia says, safer? Trina says, there was a letter. Esme Prince may be trying to kill her. Curtis says, what letter? and Jordan says, he knows the letter Alexis printed in The Invader. He says, baiting the killer? and Jordan says, Alexis heard back, but they’re not certain Esme is the one attacking people; it’s just one possibility. Trina says, who else hates her enough to attack the people associated with her? and Curtis says he noticed the connections to Trina, but what about Brando? That just doesn’t fit. Jordan says, they think the killer was after Josslyn in the alley, and Brando just got in the way. So whoever the attacker is, they’re punishing those they feel wronged them. They think their cause is just. Portia says, she is literally gutting people with a hook. She’s insane. Now Jordan is telling her that she’s focused on Trina? Jordan says, that’s one theory they’re pursuing, but they don’t have enough evidence to merit police protection. So she’d feel better if Josslyn and Trina were extra cautious, just until the killer is caught.
Gladys says, okay, Sasha wins, and Sasha thanks her. Gladys says she’s just looking out for Sasha’s best interests. She takes her role as guardian very seriously. She may have failed her Brando in life, but she will do right by his family in death. That’s what he would have wanted, for Sasha to be healthy and happy and secure. They hug.
Austin says he paid his debt, but Mason says, Austin knows that’s not possible. Austin says, Mason needs to hear him; he’s done. He’s done with Mason. He’s done with Mason’s boss. He’s a different person. Mason says he’s sure Austin is. Tell him, why is that? Maxie walks in.
Mac says, he loved raising Robin, Maxie, and Georgie, and Felicia says, those girls were so lucky. He says, no luckier than him. He will admit there were times, especially in those high school years, he thought raising a boy would be easier; maybe then he wouldn’t be so out of his depth. Now that he’s facing the possibility of actually having a son, he has no idea how to reach out to him. She says, he’ll find way; he always does. He says, so many people told him, biology doesn’t matter. That not being related to the girls doesn’t make them any less his. She says, those people would be correct, and he says, now he’s on the other side of that. Just because he and Cody share the same DNA doesn’t mean that bond will magically appear. She says, it doesn’t mean it won’t either, and he says, if Cody is his son, they have plenty of time to make up for. She asks if he wants the chance to be Cody’s father, and he says, yeah, he does, and they hug.
Holly says, that was unexpected, and Robert says, some things just never change. He kisses her hand, then asks if she’s all right. She says, there’s something she hasn’t told him.
Still on the footbridge, Victor’s phone rings. He asks if they were able to convince the bank manager to release the information, and looks at his phone. He sees a photo of the necklace, and says, this might finally be it. My thought: the Ice Princess.
Robert says, Holly knows she can tell him anything, and she says she may not remember much of the past two years, but this she’s certain of. It was him, and the thought of seeing him one day, that kept her going. They kiss again, and she yawns. He says, definitely not the best result he’s ever had, and she laughs. She says she promises there was nothing about that kiss that was boring, but that walk is catching up with her now; she’s exhausted. He says, maybe she should go to bed. They’ll talk tomorrow. She says, of course (🍷), he kisses her cheek, and they go their separate ways, Holly watching as he walks down the hall.
Tomorrow, Jordan asks how Portia is going to go into this marriage with a big secret hanging over her head; Mason asks if Austin wants to tell her, or should he; and Carly tells someone, they have to leave.
⛷ Having gotten done with other work early, and because I’m a glutten for punishment, I paid a little more attention to Winter House. I’m happy to report it’s still just as awful. Maybe more because, Craig. At Austen’s sinner’s party, everyone was supposed to repent about something they’d done to someone else at the table. No doubt this list is longer than Santa’s, but no one said much of anything. Craig told Paige that he knew it wasn’t easy dating him, which was the understatement of the year. Austen pulled Ciara aside, and she said she had feelings for him, but she wanted to have fun. He said he’d been a ticking time bomb in the summer, which she amended to a complete a-hole, and we flashed back to that. In Austen’s interview, he said he was drunk and single last summer, but it wasn’t the person he wanted to be. In other words, he didn’t want to be Shep. Ciara suggested therapy, and after their conversation, Austen promptly peed out the door and into the snow. I’m not even kidding. Paige suggested Ciara be aloof, then had to explain what she meant. Jess kept calling Kory Craig, which pissed him off highly. In Kory’s interview, he basically said nice guys finished last, and Luke and Austen should take a page from his book. The morning after was literally horrifying to look at, but no surprise. Paige hoped moving forward, good things would happen with Craig, and she could push all the bad stuff down. I ask you, is this any way to live? In Jess’s interview, she said she didn’t know if Kory didn’t like her or was playing a good game of chess. Kudos to him, because it’s working. Ugh.
The Toms – Schwartz and Sandoval – arrived, Sandoval looking like a matador or silent movie star. And I mean neither in a complimentary way. In their interview, Schwartz said he thought this would be a safe place for him to crush a beer can on his head. Probably. Everyone put on odd, wintry costumes, and had an Arctic Games Biathlon – the Polar Bears vs the Snow Crushers – where they did nonsensical challenges in the snow. This kind of stuff always looks like fun. It’s when they go indoors that it turns into Idiot Kingdom. Or if they get around a bonfire. Really any time they’re drinking. Craig fell and hurt his knee, and even though it was nothing major, he didn’t want to play anymore. In Kyle’s interview, he wondered if Craig was always a little bitch, so make that, it could turn into Idiot Kingdom anywhere at any time. Baby Craig cried and whined, and I missed who won. Not that it matters.
Sandoval wanted everyone to have fun, and not worry about things like dishes. He thought if he started cleaning and having fun, everyone would, which ended up being three people. Schwartz told Kyle that he was in his own little stress bubble, and in his interview, he said, it was the most stressed he’d ever been in his life. The guys from the Polar Bears team did snow angels wearing only their underwear, so I assume they lost. Rachel wasn’t sure if she really liked Jason, or it was just the vacation vibe.
At dinner, Ciara wondered why Craig was being a jerk, and he said he was just expressing himself. She suggested he figure out anther way do it, and in Paige’s interview, she said, Craig was wearing on her, but she didn’t want to add to stress he was giving the house, which was already at a level 10. They went to a bar that looked like it was in a sports arena or a school cafeteria. It was weird. Kyle went on and on about being in the honeymoon stage to Schwartz, who said it was complicated with Katie, but in his interview, said he wasn’t ready to admit Katie had left; not to his friends, or even himself. Many shots were taken. Paige told Rachel that Jason was into her, and in Rachel’s interview, she said she didn’t like to be confused about who was interested in her. Maybe he should pass her a note. Sandoval talked to Austen about Olivia, and asked if he was free to hook up with other girls, as Austen eyeballed Ciara dancing on the bar. Austen gave Sandoval the old we haven’t put a title on it, and said, if he grew balls, he’d ask Olivia to marry him in two years. Sandoval said, that’s okay. He wasn’t hooking up either. I hope not, since Adriana will probably watch this. After they got back, it just got sloppy. Jess thought she’d get lucky, but grossed out by the filth in her room, Kory backed away. Rachel kissed Jason goodnight, and he wondered what happened. in his interview he said he wasn’t a first move kind of guy, and wondered if a fling was in the works.
The did some skiing and snowboarding at a resort, and Kory told the guys that he could have hooked up, but he denied her. Jess told the girls that she was in love, only half-kidding, because we’re 14. Paige talked to Amanda about Craig being an a-hole, and not acknowledging that other people had feelings. Amanda said she’d been where Paige was, and we flashed back to Kyle being a-hole #1 in the house. Paige said, it weighed on her. I just don’t get it. If a guy had acted like that much of a d*ckhead to my friends when we were dating, we would have no longer been dating. Nope. No Craig’s or Kyle’s in my past.
Next time, Jess and Kory (I think) hook up; Austen says, Olivia is joining them; and Jess is at odds with the other children.
🎬 Playing It Real…
Emma Samms talks about being true to Holly’s character.
Someone please stop me from consuming all the leftover mini Tootsie Pops. And while you’re at it, join me tomorrow for soap, tea, probably more costumes, quotes & a melodic moment. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping the faith of your choice, and stay knowing biology doesn’t matter. Not being related to someone doesn’t make them any less yours.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Brook wakes up, and Chase is already up. He says he wanted to let her sleep in, and she asks why she’d want to when she could spend her morning with him. He gets back in bed, and they kiss.
On the phone at the hospital, Britt says, if an inmate needs treatment, bring her in. Just make sure she has a guard and orderly with her at all times. TJ asks for a private word, and they go where there are no people. She asks, what’s on his mind? and he says he hasn’t heard from Willow in several days. He’s starting to get concerned.
In the nook, Willow says, her one and only cup of coffee for the day, and Michael says he loves how conscientious she’s being with this pregnancy. He can’t believe it’s time for her second trimester check-up. She says she almost felt like they woudn’t get here, and he says, here’s hoping they get wonderful news today. She says, there’s a lot she wants to share with him today, when Ned comes in, saying, Michael saved him a phone call. Valentin has been missing in action for several days, so ELQ is still without it’s CEO. Is that something Michael orchestrated, or was it Drew?
Drew and Carly kiss in her kitchen, and she says, they’re back. She thanks him for helping her, and he thanks her for letting him help. He kisses her again, and I look desperately for the moss bowl 🎍, since I’m bored. He asks if she’s ready to hear some I told you so’s from their friends, and she says, all the people who said they saw sparks between them? No. She wants to hold off on telling anyone. She kind of likes having him all to herself.
Before Josslyn leaves, she asks Cameron if he’s sure Jake and Aiden don’t know she spent the night. He says, they were asleep when she got here, and left early for some pre-school activities, so he thinks they’re good. And she’s perfect. He kisses her, and says he knows this last year was rough for them, but he’s glad they’re finding their footing again… unless he’s going too fast. She says, not at all. She just remembered it’s Oscar’s birthday. He says he understands, and they walk out on the porch to find Finn.
Sitting alone in Terry’s car, Elizabeth remembers when she was a teenager, saying, she hates her family and hates everyone. Terry gets in the car, and says, Elizabeth’s mom and dad were shocked to hear from her, and more shocked to find out she was in town. Elizabeth asks if they’re going to meet with Terry, and Terry says, yes. She asks if everything is okay, and Elizabeth says, they’re at her parents’ house. She hasn’t been anywhere near them in decades. Terry says, it’s okay if she wants to go back, but Elizabeth says, no. She needs to find out the truth about what happened, once and for all.
As Brook gets dressed, she wonders why it can’t be the weekend. She and Chase could just stay in bed, and never leave this room. Still in bed, Chase says, that would be absolutely fine with him, but she’s the one who said they have to prep to meet Linc’s big pop star. Although he’d be happy to push that. She says, not on his life, but there’s no reason they can’t prep for the meeting in here. She goes to the door, and he asks where she’s going. She says, to get them some coffee and pastries. Don’t bother getting dressed.
Michael says, Valentin is a Cassadine, and they tend to go missing under murky circumstances, so what exactly does Ned think he did to Valentin? Olivia walks in with some pastries, and Ned says, called immigration; had him stopped at customs. Just like his dad did to Jax. Michael says he’s nothing like his father, but Ned says, he and Sonny are exactly alike, and Olivia says, that’s enough. Willow asks where she’s going, and Olivia says, to get reinforcements. She leaves, and Willow says, come on. It’s a big day for her and the baby. Can they focus on that?
Drew leaves, Bobbie comes in, and I see the glorious moss bowl 🎍, so all is right with the world. Bobbie asks, who was at the door? and Carly says, Drew. Bobbie says she didn’t realize they were flying back this morning, and Carly says, now that everything is reconciled with Virginia, she can focus on her family here. Bobbie says she thinks it’s really beautiful what Carly did for Virginia; scattering her ashes by the ocean. Carly says, it felt right. Bobbie coming to Jacksonville meant a lot. She knows it couldn’t have been east with that local station dredging up her past with Aunt Ruby. Bobbie says, she knows who she is, and owns her past, even the unsavory parts. She was more concerned about it being weaponized against Carly, but when she got to Jacksonville, she realized Carly already had all the support she needed with Drew.
Finn apologizes to Cameron for stopping by unannounced, but he was on his way to the hospital, and thought he’d stop by to check in. How are Aiden and Jake? Cameron says, they left already; they had some stuff to do before school. His mom asked Finn to check on them, didn’t she? Finn says, maybe. Got any proof? Josslyn says she’s going to go. She tells Cameron she’ll see him on campus, and tells Finn, it’s good to see him. She leaves, and Cameron invites Finn inside. He says, Josslyn just stopped by to drop off some books he needed before class, and Finn says, that’s his story, and he’s sticking to it? Cameron says, yeah, and Finn says, Cameron is a sophomore in college. He gets the plot. Joss spent the night here, didn’t she? Cameron says, maybe. Got any proof?
Terry says she thinks Jeff and Carolyn are going to have as many questions for her as she does for them. The coffee shop they agreed to is just around the corner, so they can’t count on traffic delays. She’ll stall them as long as possible. Is Elizabeth sure she knows her parents’ alarm code? Elizabeth says, they’ll see, but they never changed it when she was growing up, and Terry asks what she’s looking for, but Elizabeth isn’t sure. She thinks it’s one of those she’ll know it when she sees it kind of things. Both of her parents kept diaries of their years abroad. She’s just hoping it’s enough to help her connect the dots. Like how they all knew Reiko, who turned out to be Finn’s first wife. How could she have forgotten? Terry says, Elizabeth has been raising three boys, mostly by herself, along with a full-time career as a nurse. It makes sense to her why Elizabeth forgot the connection. Elizabeth says, they’re literally sitting in front of her parents’ house. There’s no way she can turn back now.
Out of the shower, Chase loses his towel and gets back in bed, striking a sexy pose. Olivia walks in, covers her eyes, blesses herself, then covers her eyes again.
Ned says, the merger was nothing more than an excuse to marginalize him, and Michael says, they offered Ned the job of COO; that’s hardly marginal. He asks if Brook can weigh in here, because her dad is going in circles. She says, just pretend she’s not here. She’s just getting a little breakfast to go. Ned asks why she’s holding two cups of coffee, when Olivia walks in, saying, it’s her bad, Chase following. She tells him, please forget she saw anything, and he says, he’s so sorry she saw anything. He thought she was – he sees everyone looking at them – Brook Lynn. Ned asks, what’s going on? and Olivia says she was looking for Brook and forgot to knock, and walked in on Chase. Ned says, in a guest room, and Brook says she and Chase spent the night together.
Bobbie says, now that they have their coffee, back to Drew, and Carly says, she didn’t ask Drew to come to Florida; he showed up on his own. And it turns out, he was exactly the friend she needed. Bobbie says, so Carly is telling her that he’s just a friend? and Carly asks what’s going on with Bobbie’s wrist here? Bobbie says, it’s nothing serious. She was on her laptop on the plane, and her carpal tunnel’s been acting up. Carly massages Bobbie’s wrist, and asks how it feels. Bobbie says, better, thanks, and Carly says she still remembers some of her physical therapy training. Now that she’s starting over, she could renew her PT license, or finish her nursing degree. Bobbie says, that’s a very different path than running a luxury hotel, and Carly says, maybe not nursing school, but physical therapy can be fun. At least until she figures out her next passion project. Bobbie says she’s sure it won’t be long before Carly finds her next inspiration.
Drew goes to the rock in Oscar’s Meadow, and says he got back just in time for Oscar’s birthday. He didn’t want Oscar to think he’d forgotten. Oscar still inspires him. When things were bleak and so hopeless, he would just think that Oscar never gave up – never – and neither should he. On those bad days, he would close his eyes, and visualize Oscar’s face; his and Scout’s. And that’s the only way he survived, and managed to see the light again, even if it shines more dimly in a world without him in it. Josslyn arrives with flowers, and hugs Drew.
Britt says, Willow is TJ’s friend, but not his patient, and TJ says, but he’s been staying in regular touch with Willow about her condition. Unofficially, of course (🍷). He knows Willow is in her second trimester, and from what he understands, that’s what she was waiting for before starting her leukemia treatment. Britt asks what he’s looking for from her, and he says he noticed Willow had an appointment this morning. He was hoping he could sit in on a consult. She says, Willow does have an appointment with her this morning about her pregnancy. If Willow wants him to be there for moral support, it’s Willow’s choice, but let her be very clear. He would be there as Willow’s friend only. He says, yes, but, and she tells him, there are no yes, buts. She knows it’s a very difficult situation. On their best days as doctors, they provide a binary option of right and wrong, but on other days, the patient is left with an option of doing the least harm. And what they might think is the most palatable outcome, won’t be the same for every patient. It might not even be the same course they’d use for themselves or advise for their loved ones. It’s what’s right for that patient. And as doctors, they might not always agree, but they must respect the patient’s choices.
Elizabeth says, it’s been so long, she can’t remember the last time she saw her parents in person, and Terry asks, how long has it been again? Elizabeth says, over 20 years, and Terry asks why Elizabeth never told her that she was hurting. Elizabeth says, how do you explain your parents put the greater good over their own children? and Terry says, she doesn’t owe anyone an explanation. Elizabeth says, not to the world, but she owes one to herself. There are way more secrets being kept from her than she realizes. She thanks Terry for helping her, for coming all this way, and giving her the space to process it all, and Terry says, sometimes all a person needs is a little space and grace. She’s got Elizabeth. Terry’s phone dings, and she says, it’s Jeff and Carolyn. They’re at the coffee shop. Elizabeth says, this is it.
Josslyn says she didn’t know Drew was back in town, and he says, he and her mom just landed a couple hours ago; he just dropped her off at the house. He knows she’d love to see Josslyn. She says she hopes she didn’t interrupt his visit, but he says, no. He and Oscar just had a nice little chat, and he was on his way out. He’ll give her some privacy. He starts to leave, then says, his son’s life was cut way too short, but it was rich and full of meaning because she was in it. He thanks her for that, and leaves.
Bobbie says she’s always admired Carly’s resilience, her fierce spirit, and especially her tenacity. Carly says, even on days Bobbie wanted to kill her? and Bobbie says, it’s not always easy being Carly’s mother. That’s something she and Virginia Benson both understood. Still, she knows it won’t be long before Carly discovers her next chapter, and she can’t wait to read it.
Chase says, this is beyond embarrassing, and Brook says, now every woman in this house has seen her boyfriend naked. Olivia laughs nervously, and says, she doesn’t think Monica has, and it’s her house. Chase says, Alan gave it to her, and I die laughing. I love an ongoing soap joke. Michael tells Chase, it sounds like he’s going to fit in fine here, and suggests they go outside. On the patio, he tells Chase, welcome to your latest super awkward Quartermaine family moment. He’s sure Chase had plenty of those while pretending to be Bailey’s father. Michael’s phone rings, and he says, it’s Aurora. He has to take this. He steps away, and Chase tells Willow, he’s sorry. He didn’t mean to make things weird. She says, no. She’s happy for him; for him and Brook both. She kisses his cheek, and he says he hopes she knows how happy he is for her and Michael. Olivia comes out, and says, that felt like a father/daughter moment. What happened to Michael?
Brook tells Ned not to get patriarchal on her. If he has issues with this going on under the same roof, there’s nothing preventing him from moving out. He says he’s sorry if he made her feel like she needed to sneak around. Did she feel that way because of his reaction to her and Valentin? She says, Ned sure had an about-face on Valentin.
Willow says, Michael had to take a work call, and Olivia asks if Willow doesn’t have a doctor’s appointment. She’ll drive Willow over, and Michael can meet them there. Text him their plan. She goes back in, and Chase says, before she goes, maybe he can be Uncle Chase to her new little one. Put in a good word for him.
Terry says she’ll stall them for as long as she can, and Elizabeth thanks her. They hug, and Terry asks if Elizabeth is sure she knows how to pick her front door lock. Elizabeth says, it’s been a while, but she used to be good at it. If she remembers, she taught Terry that skill in high school. Terry says, Elizabeth was a bad influence on her back then, but she hasn’t been that girl for a very long time. Does she think she still has it in her? Elizabeth flashes back to when she was a bad girl and smoking cigarettes, and says, she better be. She gets out of the car.
Cameron says, Finn was right before. It’s actually none of his business. Finn tells him, relax. He’s not here to give Cameron the talk; clearly, he knows the drill. And it’s not his place to tell Cameron’s mom either. Although Cameron might want to come clean at some point. Cameron says, Finn is probably right. He can’t imagine his mom is going to be in the best headspace when she comes back. Finn says he thinks she’ll be more relaxed after enjoying the spa and hotel, and Cameron says, maybe, but it might not be easy spending time in the city where Grandpa Jeff and Grandma Carolyn live. Finn says, what? and Cameron says, Finn didn’t know, did he?
Willow checks in with Britt, who says, Dr. Ashford asked to sit in on their check-up if she’s comfortable with that. Willow says, of course (🍷). TJ is her friend, and she knows he’s still deciding on a specialty. Britt says, let’s go to an exam room, and Olivia asks if Willow wants her to stick around. Willow says, it’s sweet of her to offer, but no.
Ned says he can see Brook is still upset with him about siding with Valentin against Michael and Drew, and she says, sometimes it feels like it was all for nothing. He says he doesn’t want her to ever feel that way, and she says, she also learned there’s a different side to Valentin, when they were raising Bailey together. It really proved the point to her that none of us are all good or all bad. He says he appreciates her saying that, when Drew comes in. He says he’s sorry; he didn’t mean to interrupt. Brook says, she and her father were just having a moment of understanding, but she has to grab Chase and get to work. She leaves, and Ned says, the staff expected Drew back a few hours ago. Drew says, it’s Oscar’s birthday today, so he stopped by Oscar’s marker in the Meadow. Ned says, of course (🍷). He’s sorry. He didn’t remember the date. Drew says he hasn’t forgotten how incredible Ned and Olivia were to Oscar in his final days. So for Oscar’s sake, can they find a way to put aside their differences and fix what’s broken in this family?
Cameron can’t believe his mom didn’t tell Finn that she was going to be staying in the same town her parents live in. Did he just cause trouble for them? Finn says, not at all. There’s no need to make a big deal out of this. Cameron says, it’s probably nothing, but what are the odds she’s seeking out her parents after all these years? Finn says, he doesn’t know; he wishes he did. He’s been trying to help where he can, but he doesn’t want Cameron’s mom to resent him. To be honest, sometimes he knows what he’s doing, and other times, he doesn’t get it. Cameron says he thinks he does. He and his mother struggle with a lot of the same baggage. The people they care about tend to underestimate their family and what they’re capable of handling.
Josslyn puts the flowers on Oscar’s rock, and says, she knows it’s been a while since she visited, but she carries Oscar in her heart every day. If he’s been checking in, then he knows she and Cam are together. Although with all of the recent drama they’ve been a part of kind of threw them off. Things haven’t been the same since their first time went viral on the internet. Since then, she feels like she’s in this current. Not a riptide; nothing scary. She just feels herself drifting further away from Cam. She knows she should tell him that, and they should talk through it, but if she does… She’s just so scared he won’t be able to handle it.
Cameron tells Finn, people tend to confuse their manners with being weak, fragile even. His mom isn’t weak, and when Finn tries to fix her problems, or make decisions for her because he thinks she’s a victim, it takes her back to a time in her life when she did feel powerless. And trust him. She doesn’t want to go back there again, even if that means shutting things and people out. He knows Finn’s heart is in the right place, but she doesn’t need a hero. She’s already her own hero. Finn thanks him, says, good talk, and leaves.
Elizabeth gets into the house. She hears the alarm beeping, and puts in the code. It stops.
Carly says she’s been doing a lot of thinking lately, and she and Bobbie have come a long way. Bobbie had every reason to hate her forever, yet Bobbie still found a way to forgive her, and made a place in life for Carly. She’s always heard the stories about Bobbie’s upbringing, and going back to Jacksonville, and hearing again about Ruby and her house of ill repute, she was reminded that Bobbie started off with even less than she did. Bobbie made a name for herself, and Carly admires her so much. Bobbie says, first of all, Carly needs to visit Jacksonville more often. Secondly, right back at her. Carly says she told Drew that she felt like she was in an identity crisis, literally. She was no longer Sonny’s wife, and no longer the co-owner of the MetroCourt. Who is she anymore? But sitting here with her mom, she’s more sure of who she is than ever.
Michael walks in, as Drew tells Ned, maybe they can schedule another vote on Valentin’s leadership. What they need is for Ned’s vote to switch. Then Valentin is out. Ned says, what about the role of CEO? and Michael tells Drew, forget it. Ned’s too far gone to think of family over himself. Ned says, that’s rich. Biologically, Michael is AJ’s son, but whose last name does he use? Corinthos. He’s only a Quartermaine when it’s convenient. Drew says, there’s no reason for things to get escalated here, and Ned says, and Drew. His insistence on being the nice guy is really starting to wear thin. Drew says, Ned is tired of him being a nice guy? Fine. The gloves are off, and Ned’s not going to like the moves he makes to get Ned and Valentin out. Ned asks how Drew plans to do that when he’s fighting an insider trading charge.
Carly tells Bobbie, part of the reason she felt so lost is because her name didn’t provide any answers for her. She can’t be Carly Corinthos anymore because she doesn’t want people thinking her goal is to get back with Sonny, because it’s not. She can’t be Carly Benson or Carly Roberts because… she just can’t. Bobbie asks, what’s left? and Carly says, sitting here with Bobbie, looking into her eyes, she knows what the right answer is. She’s a Spencer. She thinks it’s time she took Bobbie’s name, if it’s okay with her. Bobbie says, it’s more than okay, it’s as it should be, and they hug.
Britt says, everything looks good with the baby. Developmentally, they’re right on track. Willow says, that’s good news, right? She asks Britt, what is it? and Britt says she’s feeling Willow’s lymph nodes, as she places her hands on Willow’s neck. Willow asks, why? and Britt says, oncology isn’t her specialty, but she noticed certain areas of the surrounding tissue appear inflamed. Just to be clear, this has nothing to do with that baby, but she wants to be extra cautious given Willow’s other health concerns. Dr. Randolph is away for a few days, but Britt’s going to give her a call. Hang tight. She leaves, and Willow asks TJ what Britt is concerned about.
On the phone, Terry tells Britt, she’s kind of in the middle of something with some family friends. What’s up? Britt says, she just did an ultrasound on Willow, and the baby is fine, but she noticed inflamed tissue nearby, and swelling in the lymph nodes. Terry says, Britt is worried about the enlargement of Willow’s liver, isn’t she? and Britt says she is, but Terry’s the expert. Terry says, have Dr. Carmichael do her bloodwork, and schedule and ultrasound on her liver. She should be back by the time the results are in. Britt thanks her, and Terry looks around for Jeff and Carolyn, but they’re gone.
Elizabeth sees family pictures on the mantel, and remembers her angst when she was younger from her parents being absent, and being expected to be like her sister Sarah. She remembers things she said about her parents as an adult, how the world needs them more than the family does. She focuses on a particular picture, and says, her and Sarah, 25 years ago.
Finn runs into Olivia at the hospital, and says, if she talks to Tracy, tell her that he’s waiting. She hasn’t made a move in their virtual backgammon game in weeks. Olivia says she’s not surprised. You’d never know Tracy is retired. She still keeps getting into all kinds of trouble. She puts her hand to her forehead, and he asks if she’s okay. She says, it’s so weird. Does he ever get the feeling like someone walked over his grave? The inmate is brought in, a woman in shackles, between an officer and an orderly, and she says, hello, Olivia. Olivia turns around, and lets out a blood-curdling scream.
Brook listens at the door, and Drew asks what Ned is talking about. Ned says, it’s right there in the name; insider trading. Brook steps away, telling Chase that she thinks talking’s a lost cause. Chase says he knows something to perk her up, and kisses her. Her phone dings, and he says, go ahead. She says, it’s Linc. He wants them to meet with his pop star today. Chase says, it’s so soon, but she says he has to get to know her if they’re doing a duet. He says he’s never met a pop star; any advice? She says, don’t mess this up for them.
Bobbie says, Carly Spencer has a nice ring to it, and Carly says, it really does. Josslyn walks in, and hugs Carly, saying, you’re home. Carly puts her arms around both of them, and says, I’m home.
Ned tells Drew, Michael’s mother knew about the potential merger. That’s why she bought the stock. That’s called insider trading, and it’s illegal. Martha Stewart went to prison for much less. Lucky for Michael and Drew, no one’s really looked into it, but it’s something they need to consider, and never forget. He walks out, and Michael says, Ned is bluffing; he wouldn’t go there. He has to meet Willow, but he can see Drew is worried. Don’t be.
TJ says, if she noticed inflamed tissue, Dr. Westbourne might be concerned that Willow’s liver is enlarged as well. Willow says, and that means? and TJ says, if her liver and lymph nodes are swollen, and her blood cell count has dropped even further, it may mean she’s advanced to stage 3, which may limit her treatment options. Britt says, she’d like Willow to come with her upstairs. They’d like to run some more tests.
Finn asks Olivia, what’s all this? Is she okay? The woman says, now there’s the scream she loves so much. And here she thought Olivia had gotten too classy to let her emotions out. After Olivia let her son rot in prison, and traded up to marry a Quartermaine. The officer says, sorry, ma’am. D’Archam patient. Don’t pay her any attention. The woman says, nice seeing you. Oops. I mean, I’ll be seeing you. She laughs as she’s led away, and Finn says, what’s going on? Who is that woman? Olivia says, doesn’t he know? That’s Heather Webber.
Elizabeth hugs the photo to her chest, and hears the door. She quickly puts it back, and Jeff comes in. He says, Elizabeth, and she says, dad.
On Monday, Anna says, as soon as she gets out of this cell, she’ll put Victor in his; Robert tells Olivia, she looks like she’s seen a ghost; and Elizabeth says, Jeff’s not supposed to be here.
💣 Wrong Guess Of Jacksonville…
I have to admit, I’m surprised. Not that I can’t see her in the role, but what happened to the old Heather?
I could have sworn it was the c-word, but in my defense, it was bleeped and I’m no lip reader. Ugly for sure, but it doesn’t make Kathy wrong about Erika and LisaR looking for a storyline.
I doubt this will be rebooted, but if it is, I doubt any previous cast members will be invited back. Although I did love Kameron’s stick figure graphics of the ping-pong ball show in Thailand.
I’ve seen enough horror movies to know that any weirdo wearing a mask is never friendly. – Lizabeth (Nancy McLaughlin), Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives
We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones. – Stephen King
Where there is no imagination, there is no horror. – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Villainy wears many masks, none so dangerous as the mask of virtue. – Ichabod Crane (Johnny Depp), Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Halloween is not only about putting on a costume, but it’s about finding the imagination and costume within. – Elvis Duran
If human beings had genuine courage, they’d wear their costumes every day of the year, not just on Halloween. – Douglas Copeland
Being normal is vastly overrated. – Aggie Cromwell (Debbie Reynolds), Halloweentown
Some people are born for Halloween, and some are just counting the days until Christmas. – Stephen Graham Jones
There is a child in every one of us who is still a trick-or-treater looking for a brightly-lit front porch. – Robert Brault
Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see. – Edgar Allan Poe, The System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether
Listen to them – the children of the night. What music they make! – Dracula, Bram Stoker
Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere. – Linus, Charles M. Schulz, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
🦇 Going Batty…
Decorations are ready to be hung, costumes ready to be worn, and candy ready to be put in bags. Let’s hope it makes it there. In the meantime, you have an invitation to join me for some Dead on Sunday. Until then, stay safe, stay approaching life with a sense of adventure, and stay giving a little space and grace when a person needs it.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sonny says he wants to make things right with Michael, whatever it takes, and Michael says, Sonny thinks he can suddenly make things right between them. Sonny says he always wanted to make things right, and thinks deep down inside, Michael does too. Nina slips out to answer a call, and says, everything okay?… She’ll be right there. Michael tells Sonny, it’s too late, and Sonny says, if Michael can look him in the eye, and make him believe he doesn’t want anything to do with him, he’ll walk, and Michael will never have to deal with him again.
Dante says, he wants to ask Dex a few questions about what went down with him and Sonny after Brando was killed, and Dex asks if he should call a lawyer. Dante says, not this time. He’ll keep it simple. Dex has bruises on his face, and his wrists look pretty bad. The way he’s standing there, Dante can tell his ribs are in bad shape too. Want to tell him what happened?
Robert walks into his office to find Anna sitting in his chair, and she says, about bloody time. He says he didn’t know he was expecting company; most people call first. She says, he didn’t pick up. She tells him, close the door and listen to her. If they’re going to bring Luke’s killer to justice, they’ve got a lot of work to do.
Outside Kelly’s, Victor asks if Ava is sure he can’t give her a lift, but she says she doesn’t think that would be very wise. He says, it’s no trouble, but she says, he’s nothing but trouble, and goes inside.
Ava meets Trina, and they hug. Ava says, two days in a row, and Trina thanks her for coming. Ava asks if everything is okay, and Trina says, she heard from her mom that Oz Haggerty was attacked and killed. She wanted to see how Ava is holding up. Is she freaked out? Ava says, don’t worry about her; she’s resilient. Trina’s phone dings, and Ava says, don’t ignore it on her account. Trina says, it’s just Rory. She can’t deal with him right now. Ava says, if there’s a problem, Trina shouldn’t ignore it. She shouldn’t let it fester. Take it from someone who knows. Victor looks through the window. Outside, he tells Johann that he’s just about had it with these distractions. Nevertheless, they should keep an eye on Ava. She’s unpredictable. And of course (🍷) there’s that other loose end they have to take care of, convincing the authorities that Esme Prince is alive and well, and nowhere near Port Charles. Hmm…
Nikolas comes in as Esme is opening the safe, and says, who the hell are you? She makes a mad dash for the patio door, but he grabs her, pulling off her hood. He says, Esme, and she turns around, saying, hello, lover. Did you miss me?
Dex lets Dante into his apartment, and Dante asks if Dex wants to tell him how he got those bruises. Dex says he doesn’t know (really? that’s the best he can do?), and Dante asks if it was from Sonny. Dex wonders why he’d ask that, and Dante says, let’s say, a concerned citizen said Dex was kidnapped and assaulted by his boss. Does he want justice?
Michael says, Sonny is so far away from the man he once called his father, he doesn’t even recognize Sonny anymore. Sonny says, Michael doesn’t know what he’s talking about, and Michael says, he knows Sonny had his employee tortured. Sonny says, they’re not talking about Dex; they’re talking about them. Michael said he wanted to destroy everything that Sonny built, and Sonny has to hand it to him; he did a pretty damn good job of that. He got the harbormaster fired, and he got every major client stop buying Corinthos Coffee. Michael is looking everywhere but at Sonny, and Sonny says, he’s looking Michael in the eye right now. He’s just saying, let’s come to an understanding. Michael says, he’s past an understanding, and Sonny says, they’ve both hurt each other so much, but they just watched Gladys bury her son. They both know what that’s about; the finality of a life cut short. Sonny tears up, and says, the last time he saw Morgan, he was running out the door, and Sonny never got a chance to tell Morgan that he loved him. And he prays to God that Morgan knows, and he wants Michael to know he’ll always love him. Can they just figure out a way to end this – his voice cracks – so they can be a family again? Michael says, Sonny can’t just throw the word family out there, and expect it to erase everything he’s done, and Sonny says, maybe not, but it’s a good place to start.
Nina walks down a hallway at the MetroCourt, when Valentin taps her on the shoulder. She jumps, and he says he didn’t mean to startle her. She tells him, fine. He said it was important. What is it? He says he needs her help getting into Victor’s room, and she asks why he didn’t ask at the front desk. He says he doesn’t want Victor to know about it. It’s a delicate situation. She says she thought they were thick as thieves these days, and he says, maybe that’s what he wants Victor to think. She says, whatever parlor game the Cassadines are playing these days, she doesn’t have the time. She has a lot on her plate. He says, he knows that. He needs her help. And she can’t ask questions, for everyone’s safety… for Charlotte’s safety. She says, I’m in.
Anna says she feels like she’s hit a dead end, and Robert tells her, he can’t say that surprises him. Vic is slick. She says, he’s cunning. He’s spent his entire life honing his reputation for ruthlessness, and now it’s really paying off. Robert takes it his contacts didn’t pan out, and she says she just mentioned Victor’s name and they evaporated; they ran scared. He says, understandable, but disappointing, and she says she’d hoped at least one of them would be up for the challenge. He says, what’s the next step? and she says, this is where he comes in. He asks what she needs from him, and she says, a warrant.
In Victor’s room, Johann says, Esme Prince just posted from San Tropez, and Victor says, good. Keep leaving those digital footprints of Esme’s idyll in the south of France. This mess has already interfered with the plans he’s been making for years. This ends now. There’s a knock at the door, and Johann opens it to find a weeping Lucy. She shoves the bouquet she’s holding at Johann, and falls into Victor’s arms.
Esme says, Nikolas looks like he’s seen a ghost, and he says he thought… they thought… She says, that she was dead? Ava sure tried her damnedest when Ava threw her off the parapet. He says, that’s not what happened, and she says, how would he know; he wasn’t there. She’s sure Ava has him all roped into her scheme. She’s sure Ava spun some tale, making herself out to be the victim, when she was the one being swallowed by cold, dark water. They both left her for dead. She’s sure they celebrated. He got what he wanted – her, gone. Except she’s not. She’s back. He’s really going to have to try harder next time.
Ava says she can tell something is on Trina’s mind. Trina can tell her anything. Trina says, what’s on her mind feels so trivial with what’s been going on. People are dying, and the maniac who attacked Ava is still out there. Ava says, Trina doesn’t need to remind her of that, but here she is. She’s still alive and she’s going to live her life, and Trina should do same. Frankly, she’d like to hear about something other than life and death. So tell her; what is going on with Rory? Trina says, he asked her to go to a comic book convention, and Ava says, that’s cool. Does she like comics? Trina says, yeah, but it’s out of town, and Ava says, that is a significant invitation. Trina says she’s not sure how she feels about going on an overnight trip with Rory yet. She really likes him, and wants to get closer, but she can’t help thinking about the last time she went on a weekend trip. Ava says, this is nothing like when Trina went to Sonny’s cabin; this would just be the two of them. Trina says, she knows, but she can’t shake the feeling that something horrible is going to happen. Ava says, she understands. It’s hard coming back after a traumatic experience like Trina had. It’s hard to trust again; other people, her own judgement. Maybe she’s afraid she’d be leaving herself open to more pain, more hurt. She has to ask herself, does she really want to let what Esme Prince did to her dictate the rest of her life?
Nikolas says, so Esme came back looking for money, and she asks if she doesn’t deserve something after what Ava did to her. While they got to carry on with their lives, she drifted further and further into deep water. She thought she was going to die, just like he wanted. He says he didn’t want her to die. He searched for her. He had to fight to stay alive when he was adrift at sea. She says, thankfully, a fisherman found her, and put her up in a Canadian hostel until she could regain her strength. He says he supposes the fisherman ran out of money, and she couldn’t access her funds, but coming back here was a mistake. She should have stayed out of the country. She says, of course (🍷). That’s exactly what he wanted; to get rid of her. He says he’s talking about the PCPD. They’re looking for her for attempted murder because she drugged that bartender. She says, the cops have it all wrong, and they certainly can’t prove a thing, and he says, Oz Haggerty gave pretty convincing testimony of Esme’s guilt at Trina’s trial. Interestingly enough, he was found murdered this morning. Is that why she really came back? To finish what she started?
Lucy says she thinks she’s ruined Victor’s jacket, but he says, that’s inconsequential. Why is she in such a state? Is it Morton? She says, it’s Martin. No. He’s still incommunicado, and it’s not him. It’s just her; it’s all on her. He leads her to the couch, and she sits. She tells him, it’s just that, Sasha Gilmore, one of her partners, her husband’s funeral is today, and she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t face Sasha, so she wanted to bring her flowers, and now it’s too late. He says he’s sure it’s not too late, and she says, it is for Brando. He gently tells her, calm down. He’s sure Johann can deliver the flowers for her. She asks if Johann has been drinking (ha-ha! poor Johann), but Victor says, he’s perfectly sober. She says, okay. That would be very nice. The reception is downstairs in the gardens. Victor asks Johann to please oblige Miss Coe, and Lucy thanks Johann as he leaves. Victor asks if she feels better, and she says she does – she puts her head on his shoulder – now that she’s with him.
In one of the hotel rooms, Valentin tells Nina, the less she knows, the better. To get the information he needs out of Victor, he has to put a listening device in his room – this room. That’s where she comes in. As co-owner of the hotel, he needs her to call Victor, and say there’s a problem with his suite, and he needs to move into this suite. She asks why he doesn’t just put a bug in the room Victor’s staying in right now? but he says, that’s not possible, because he has a security guard named Johann who does a daily sweep. Johann is busy, so if they can get Victor into this suite right now, it might buy Valentin a day or two before the bug is discovered. She says, what then? and he says he’ll handle it, but that’s all he’s going to tell her right now. She says she knows Victor is Valentin’s father, but he’s a very dangerous man. She doesn’t like that Valentin is taking him on alone. Valentin tells her, don’t worry about him; he has backup. Multiple partners, each playing integral roles. Hopefully, that includes her, but he needs her to make a phone call.
Michael says, Sonny isn’t the same father who put family above everything else, and Sonny says, he’s done the best he could, but Michael says, Sonny hasn’t. Don’t forget, he’s a father too. He’d never hurt Wiley the way Sonny hurt his children. Sonny asks how he knows that; life is unpredictable. How did he know he was going to lose his memory, and live in a town called Nixon Falls? Michael says, this is about what Sonny’s done since he came back. All of Sonny’s choices have led him to here. Take ownership of that. Sonny says, no! Put himself in Sonny’s shoes. What if Wiley thought Michael screwed up, and started treating Michael the way Michael is treating him? Would Michael just give up on him, or would he do everything he possibly could, and hope to God that Wiley met him halfway?
Dex says, three days ago, Dante thought he was a murderer with a hook. Now Dante is all about justice for him? Dante says, things have changed. His source tells him that Dex was the victim of a serious crime, and it’s his duty to follow up on that. Dex says he commends Dante’s commitment to protect and serve, but he’s good. Dante says, so Dex has no comment on this accusation? and Dex asks if this is an official investigation. Dante says, no, but it can be if Dex wants him to file charges. Dex was brought in as a person of interest in a series of vicious attacks. He’s been told, Dex’s boss Sonny Corinthos turned on Dex as a result. Is there any truth to that?
Anna tells Robert that she needs a warrant for Johann Bauer. She knows Robert has been keeping tabs on him. It can be for unpaid parking tickets; it can be for anything. He asks if she doesn’t think he’d have brought Johann in already if he had something, and she says, he drinks. He fell overboard off the Haunted Star, and the crew had to stop and pick him up. Robert says, and she knows this how? and she says, the point is, can they not use that? Say another boater reported it? He says, intentionally jumping into the water from a passenger vessel would be considered unsafe operation of said vessel, and it would be illegal. However, she’s implied that the jump wasn’t intentional. She says she just wants him detained. Bring him in for questioning. The charges don’t have to stick. He says, so they not only abuse his office, now they’re going to waste taxpayers’ resources for… nothing. She says she thinks taking Victor off the street is for the greater good. And this is for Luke. He says, something about this tells him there’s more going on. Annie, it’s Bobby. Tell him the whole story. She says she wants to, but she can’t. So please help her, because she’s running out of time. He says, that bastard did kill their friend. Okay. He’ll make the call, but this the last time. She says, okay, and Deputy Mayor (or whatever she is) Eileen walks in. She asks if she’s interrupting something.
Lucy tells Victor, she didn’t know who to talk to. Martin is still with his mother, and she kept thinking he would know exactly the right thing to say. He tells her that he’ll do his best, and the room phone rings. Nina introduces herself, and says she’s the new co-owner of the MetroCourt. She’s so sorry to bother him, but they’re going to have to shut the water off in his room. She knows it’s a complete inconvenience, but they’ll have to move him to another suite, at least temporarily. He says, now is not a good time, and Nina says she understands, and she’s sorry for the disturbance, but they have no choice because a room on his floor has a leak. She’ll have a staff member there momentarily to help him move his things. Valentin holds up a bottle, and she says, and there’s a bottle of wine, complementary, waiting for him. She thanks him for his cooperation, and he says, if she’s sure there’s no other choice. She tells him, once again, their sincere apologies, and he says, very well. He hangs up, and tells Lucy, apparently, there’s a water leak somewhere, and they’re going to have to temporarily move him to another suite… Something feels off. She says, that completely explains when she was rushing up to see him, she saw some maintenance men in the lobby. That must be why. She guesses he has to get ready, so she’ll leave him to it. She thanks him, and says, she just feels so alone. He says she’s not alone. If she can just wait until he’s figured this room changing mess out, he promises her his full attention.
Esme says, she was the one who was left to drown, and Nikolas is accusing her of being a murderer? He says, her timing seems suspicious. She shows up in town, and the witness who pointed a finger squarely in her direction, winds up dead. She says, the only thing she’s guilty of is loving his son and trusting him. When she was in that Canadian hostel, that man tried to pin everything on her. How do they know he wasn’t hired by Trina’s people or Sonny’s? He says, give it a rest. He’s done buying the victim act, and she says, he knows her intimately. He doesn’t really believe all those horrible things about her, does he?
Dex says he has no idea what Dante is talking about, and Dante says, that’s his story, and he’s sticking to it, huh? Dex says, Mr. Corinthos didn’t do anything but give him a ride home after he was released. Any other questions? Dante says, just one. Is Dex afraid of retaliation? He knows how his father works. Word is, Dex went through something hellacious. Dex opens the door, and Dante says, if Dex was threatened to keep his mouth shut, he’s in a position to make sure his father doesn’t get to Dex for telling the truth. Dex says, whoever told Dante that Mr. Corinthos tried to harm him is a straight-up liar, and Dante thanks him for his time.
Michael asks how he can meet Sonny halfway when he doesn’t know who Sonny is anymore. Sonny turned his back on everything he once believed in. Sonny says, Michael keeps saying that he doesn’t know him anymore. Michael has known him his whole life; that doesn’t count for anything? A lifetime of being a father? He gets it. Betrayal, anger, disappointment. He lived with that his whole life with his father. You think I wronged you; I think you wronged me. It’s like never-ending circle. One thing Sonny wants Michael to know is that he still loves him. This has got to end before it’s too late. They’ve buried too many people already; Jason… Brando… my father. He cries, and says she doesn’t want it to be them. Michael says, look… dad, when Nina has the bad timing to walk in.
Robert says, his door was shut for a reason, and Eileen says, his assistant told her that he didn’t have any appointments. Anna says she was just leaving. She doesn’t want to keep Robert from his work. She believes he was about to make a phone call. She’ll be in touch. She leaves, and Robert says, she’s right; he’s in the middle of something. Eileen says, his call can wait. She’s here on mayoral business. He says, if Laura wants to speak to him, all she has to do is reach out directly, and she says, Laura may be working remotely, but she needs someone on the ground to keep an eye on things. What was his ex-wife doing here? He says, it’s none of her business, but since she stuck her bid in, they’re planning a trip to Australia, and taking their granddaughter, who wants to play the digeridoo. She says she hopes that’s the case, and he asks what that means. She says, Miss Devane has been known to pull the PCPD into WSB business. Laura confided to her that he and Anna were working on the investigation into Luke Spencer’s death. He says, Spencer was a dear friend, and what he does on his own time is his business. She says, they both know that’s not what he’s doing, and she intends to stop it.
Victor opens the wine, saying, voila! He tells Lucy, at least they had the decency to pick out a very nice vintage. He asks if he can pour her a glass, and she says, after the day she had, she’d love some. He tells her to make herself comfortable. She sits on the sofa, and he says he considers himself a good judge of character. He sits down, handing her the wine, and says, although he’s still getting to know her, he’s already recognized she’s a strong, capable woman; the kind who won’t lose her head when the going gets tough. She says, it’s served her well as a woman in business, and he says, which is why it is so out of character that a floral arrangement would reduce her to a hysterical puddle. She says, doesn’t he know, a scheming vixen such as herself sometimes has a very bad day. He says she’s not a scheming vixen. Nor is she being honest with him. So why doesn’t she tell him what’s really going on here?
Michael says, maybe Sonny doesn’t see how much he’s changed. Maybe Sonny hasn’t changed, and Michael is just now seeing him for who he is. Sonny says, don’t back off now; Michael just called him dad. Michael says he was wrong. Sonny isn’t the man he knew. He abandoned his family; he abandoned his code. He’s capable of anything. Sonny says, Michael has no right to judge him, and Michael starts to walk away. Sonny yells, don’t turn your back on me! and Dante walks in. He says, that’s enough. This ends now.
Ava says, Trina’s safety is important, but it shouldn’t be a motive for going away with her boyfriend. Only she can decide if she’s ready to make that step. Trina says she’s so confused. In her heart, she feels like she’s safe with Rory. She doesn’t feel like he’ll hurt her. Ava says, that’s not insignificant. That’s a lot. Trina says, but what if they go away, and that all changes?
Nikolas says, a lot has happened since Esme’s been away, and she says, he makes it sound like she was on holiday, instead of recovering from his wife trying to kill her. He says, Trina has been exonerated, and Spencer is in Pentenville. In an attempt to give Trina an alibi, he testified that he broke out of Spring Ridge. And Oz Haggerty isn’t the only person who was stabbed recently. She says, that’s terrible; crime’s really up. Do the police have any leads? He says, the killer used a large hook, and she says, sounds gruesome. He says, it was. Ava was the first victim. Esme says, but she survived, and he says, thankfully. She says, karma’s a bitch, and he says, Diane Miller was also stabbed. She gave Esme a pretty tough time at Trina’s trial. She says, remind her, what’s his point? and he says, it’s a pretty big coincidence that three of the victims happen to be people Esme thought wronged her in some way. She says, now he knows not only what she thinks, but how she thinks, and he says, he thinks she’s capable of murder, and he thinks she came back for revenge. She says, that would mean he’s next.
Dante says he paid a little visit to Dex Heller, and Sonny asks, why? Dante asks if he can talk to Michael, and Michael says, Dante is here for him, not Sonny? Sonny goes over to Nina at the bar, and Dante tells Michael, Dex said Michael lied about everything. Michael asks what he’s talking about. Sonny kidnapped Dex, and tortured him to force him into a confession, which they know now would have been false. Dante says, this vendetta with Sonny has gotten out of hand. Now Michael is lying to the police about a crime. Michael says, he came to Dante brother to brother, and Dante says, Michael has a family to protect. This beef he has with Sonny is going to lead him to do things that are destructive. Let it go. Dante’s phone rings, and he says he’s on his way. He tells them, looks like we have another victim, and Sonny says, another stabbing? Dante says, yeah. The wound’s consistent with a hook. It looks like they have a serial killer on their hands. You two are on your own.
Robert says, the mayor’s office does not oversee the DA’s office, but Eileen says, she has the authority to initiate an internal review. It’s called checks and balances, and if she finds anything the least bit off, she’ll hold him accountable. Their citizens deserve better. He says, she’s abusing her power and wasting human resources on this pointless review, and she says, we’ll see.
Anna joins Valentin on a park bench, and asks if everything is going according to plan. He says, yes. Robert? She says, detaining Johann. It’s all up to Lucy now. He says, that’s the part that worries him.
Lucy tells Victor that she’s had some hard times in her life. She thinks they’ve shaped he into the woman he seems to admire, but they also left some scars. Sometimes she feels so helpless and scared, and wants someone who makes her feel safe, and Victor does. He says he’s flattered she feels she can talk to him, and she says, the last time she saw Sasha was the day before her husband died. She basically asked Sasha to give up her financial stake in Deception, which she thought was a good idea at the time, and still does, but it really hurt Sasha. Lucy just couldn’t face her, and it started her spinning, thinking about her future, and what will happen in her life. She tells him, she knows it sounds selfish, but he says, they all have fears that can be illuminated by tragedy. She says, she can’t stop thinking about the future. Will she be all alone? He tells her, not if he has anything to say about it, and she says, that was another reason where she thought she could come to him. When he talks about his plans and his future, he sounds confident, like he’s figured everything out. She finds that so comforting. He says he has his own anxieties. That’s why he made the plans. She says, the plans; right. Can he tell her more of them? It’s really what she needs right now. Could he tell her, just for her?
Esme laughs at Nikolas, and says, sorry; she couldn’t help it. What he’s suggesting is ridiculous. He says, is it? and she says she didn’t intend to stay this long, even though she’s enjoyed their little chat. Don’t worry. As soon as she can afford it, she’ll be out of his hair. He blocks her, and says she’s not going anywhere. She tells him, he’s going to let her go. Unless he wants the police to know about her little tumble off the parapet. He says, what tumble off the parapet? Does she think they’ll actually care when they find out she’s connected to three of the stabbing victims? If anything, her alleged fall gave her a motive. He takes out his phone, and she says, he’s not going to do that. He says, why the hell not?
Sonny asks if Nina is okay, and she says, no. Just when she thought this day couldn’t get more brutal, there’s another victim. What are they going to do? He says he doesn’t have all the answers right now, but he’s going to tighten security, and Nina is going to have to keep her bodyguard for a while longer. She says, that’s no problem. She’s glad Sonny is looking out for her, but what about him? How is he doing, dealing with this after ten rounds with Michael? He says he can handle it, and she says she can’t believe Michael, lying to the police about Sonny. She never thought he’d stoop so low.
Michael bangs on Dex’s door, and walks in when Dex opens it. Michael says, Dex lied to protect Sonny, and Dex says, he told Dante that Sonny didn’t abduct or injure him. Michael says, well done. They have Sonny right where they want him.
Robert leaves a message for Anna, saying, they’ve got a problem. They can’t arrest Johann. Whatever she’s doing, stop it. This mission’s got to be aborted and now.
Anna listens in, and says, you’ve got this Lucy… Don’t overplay your hand. We see the missed call from Robert on her phone.
Lucy says, Victor is going to tell her a little bit more about his plans, and she’s going to pretend it’s a bedtime story. So, once upon a time… He says, for many years now, he’s been working on… The phone rings, and he says, if this is about another room change… He picks up the phone, and says, what now? Eileen says, they’ve got a problem.
Johann knocks on the old room door.
Ava says, it’s Trina’s call. If she’s not ready to go away with Rory, then don’t. That’s perfectly fine, but just know that all romance is a leap of faith. You have to be willing to take the chance. Trina says she doesn’t want to miss out on something great with Rory because she’s scared. Okay. She’s ready. She should text him now and tell him. She picks up her phone, and Ava says she just wants Trina to be happy and have fun. Get herself a light saber. Trina says, too bad she can’t get a real one. Then no one would have to worry about her safety. At least she’ll be with a cop, so there’s that.
Nikolas tells Esme to give him one reason he should let her go, and she says she didn’t want to tell him so soon, but he’s forced her hand. You’re not going to call the cops on us. He says, us? and she says, me and our baby. She opens her coat and rubs when could possibly be a baby bump, or a heavy lunch.
I sigh heavily. Didn’t we just have this storyline? And on the off-chance she is pregnant, Nikolas could just say she’s crazy, and the baby is Spencer’s.
Tomorrow, Anna says, Lucy needs to get out of there – now; Johann says, Lucy isn’t leaving until he’s done; Esme says, it’s her get-out-of-jail-free card; and Sonny says, nothing is going to change Michael’s mind.
📜 Regarding the Day…
I love when an actor uses their celebrity for good, rather than exerting undue influence in arenas where they’re no expert.
I’ve always admired her career. She did it all, and didn’t compromise. I was blessed to see her in Sweeney Todd on Broadway, and she was absolutely brilliant. There was no one like her, and she will be missed.
Come set a spell tomorrow for some soap and Reunion insanity. Until then, stay safe, stay remembering your manners, and stay not judging others, because life is unpredictable.
In our daily lives, we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but the gratefulness that makes us happy. – Albert Clarke
Expecting life to treat you well because you are a good person is like expecting an angry bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian. – Shari R. Barr
Observe due measure, for right timing is in all things the most important factor. – Hesiod
The really magical things are the ones that happen right in front of you. A lot of the time you keep looking for beauty, but it is already there. And if you look with a bit more intention, you see it. – Vik Muniz
The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis. – Dante Alighieri
Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring. – Marilyn Monroe (I was going to say, that’s genius, but…)
We never know when our last day on earth will be. So, love with full sincerity, believe with true faith, and hope with all of your might. Better to have lived in truth and discovered life, than to have lived half-heartedly and died long before you ever ceased breathing. – Cristina Marrero
We rise by lifting others. – Robert G. Ingersoll
🥁 Turning the Beat Around…
It’s time again for the weekend, or the next two days if you’ve loud quit. I’ll be back when the Dead Walk, if you’d care to join me. Until then, stay safe, stay going the extra mile, and stay not having public meltdowns, especially if your last name is Hilton.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sonny gives Gladys lavender tea to help her relax. She asks what he knows about tea; he’s a coffee importer. He says, maybe he’ll branch out, and she apologizes, adding, it does smell good. Sasha comes out, and Nina asks if she got any sleep, but Sasha says, every time she closes her eyes, all she can see is Brando in that hospital bed. Nina hugs her.
Curtis goes to the hospital, and Portia hugs him, saying, she’s so glad to see him. He asks, what’s going on? and she says, Diane Miller was brought in with a stab wound tonight. He says, wow. First Ava, then Brando, now Diane. She says, looks that way, and he asks if Diane is okay. She says, they’re operating right now, and that’s all she knows, but it’s got her really on edge. He says, of course (🍷) it does. She says she wanted to tell Trina, but she was with Rory, and Portia didn’t want to tell her then. He says, it’s going to be okay, but she says, how? When? He says he doesn’t know, but thanks to that Invader article, at least they’re all watching their backs. She says, speaking of that, Jordan feels some type of way about whoever leaked it to the press, and he asks if Jordan said something to her. Jordan comes out of the elevator, and Portia says, Jordan wasn’t very happy that she defended the source. Jordan says, because she’s trying to capture a violent criminal. And to that end, she needs Portia’s help.
Dante comes into the interrogation room, and sits across from Dex. He says he’s been briefed on the Diane Miller attack. Dex was the first person at the scene? Dex says he got there just before Miss Davis and Mr. Chase. He’s sorry; he won’t be able to tell Dante much. Dante says he doesn’t know about that. He bets Dex has plenty to tell him.
On the phone, Carly tells Olivia, she feels so bad… Because her family was going through hell and couldn’t get in touch with her… She already talked to everybody, and wanted to jump on the first plane home when she heard about Brando… Yeah, she and Sonny agreed it’s probably safer if she stays here… She knows. There’s a knock at her hotel room door, and she tells Olivia that she’ll call her back; someone’s at the door. She opens it, and Drew asks if someone ordered room service, holding up a six-pack. Yes, we could make a lot of jokes here.
Josslyn, Cameron, Trina, and Rory go to the hatchet throwing place, and Trina says, wow. She didn’t even know places like this even existed. Josslyn says, her mom told her about it. She said it’s super fun. Cameron tells Rory that they should start collecting their weapons, or can he even say that to a cop? Rory says he’s off-duty, and they go to make their selection. Josslyn says, finally they get a little double date action with the guys, and Trina says, it’s so cute. Josslyn says she likes Rory. She’s so happy Trina ended up with him. Trina says, as opposed to Spencer? and Josslyn says, Rory’s definitely preferable… isn’t he?
Dex says he wants to speak to a lawyer, and Dante says, that’s his right, and he should. Dante points to his neck, and asks what Dex has here, and Dex takes out his dog tags, asking if they quality as a lethal weapon. Dante says he certainly hopes not, but you tell me. Dex says he doesn’t know what happed to Miss Miller. He doesn’t know how many times, or how he can say that until they actually believe him, and Dante asks, what makes Dex think he doesn’t believe him? Dex says, the way Dante came at him just now, and how he questioned Dex at the hospital. It’s clear Dante’s made up his mind. Dante says, so far, Dex is the only person who could have seen what happened, and Dex says, but he didn’t. When he came in, she was on the ground bleeding. Dante asks what Dex was doing in the garage in the first place. This is his chance to go on the record and clear up any misconceptions. Dex says he was working, and Dante says, doing what? Dex says, Dante’s father asked him to lock up behind Diane while he took Sasha home, and Dante says, so Dex was there when she was attacked? Dex says he must have been, and Dante says, the garage is a big open space; how could Dex not have seen it? Dex says he was outside, and Dante says, Dex is good at his job, right? Dex says, ask his dad, and Dante says he will, but right now he’s asking Dex. When Sonny ordered Dex to stick around, how could he not see someone enter the garage? It feels to Dante like Dex is lying about something. What is it?
Trina says, now that Spencer’s not in her life, she’s happier than she’s been in a while, and Josslyn says, with Rory. Trina says she’s ready for a fun, uncomplicated relationship, and Josslyn says, Trina deserves it. Trina says, Josslyn’s turn. She and Cam went through a rough patch, and Josslyn says, yeah, but they’re out of it. Trina asks if Josslyn told Cam about the dumpster thing with Dex, and Josslyn says, just because they’re together doesn’t mean they have to tell each other everything. Didn’t Cam prove that by keeping Spencer’s secret? Cameron and Rory come back, and Cameron asks what they’re talking about. Josslyn and Trina both say, nothing, and Cameron tells Rory, nothing means them, right? Rory says, 100%, and Josslyn says, the egos on these two.
Sasha says she really appreciates Nina and Sonny being here, but please go; get back to their lives. Sonny says he can stay, but Gladys says, he’s done enough. The truth is, nothing’s going to make this better. They just have to live through it as best they can. Sonny says he’ll go, but if she needs anything, call him at any time. That goes for Sasha too. He hugs Sasha, and Nina says she’ll walk Sonny out, but she’ll be back. They can’t get rid of her that easily. In the hallway, Nina says she didn’t want to broach this in front of Sasha, but what are they going to do about the guardianship? He says, Diane’s filing a continuance with the judge right now, but the thing is, Sasha is still under guardianship. She asks what that even means without Brando. Is the court going to appoint some interim person, a stranger? Sonny says, no. They’ll give Sasha some time to grieve before they get into the details. Nina says she just can’t believe on top of everything else, Sasha has to contend with that. Sonny’s phone rings, and it’s Alexis. He says, whoa. Hold on… What?
Jordan says she knows Dr. Finn was on hand when Diane was brought in, but he was called on a patient emergency. She was hoping, since he and Portia worked together on Brando’s case, Portia might be able to provide some helpful information. Portia says, Finn did brief her, so she thinks she can help Portia, and Jordan says, and this conversation will stay at GH this time? Curtis asks what that’s supposed to mean, and Jordan says, he saw the article in The Invader. The leak came from the hospital. She’s just reiterating the need for discretion to keep important details under wraps. He says, that was always her area of expertise, wasn’t it? He’ll leave them to it. Portia tells Jordan, sorry. The divorce paper situation has him a bit… Jordan says, Portia doesn’t have to explain Curtis to her, and suggests they go somewhere private to discuss Diane.
Carly asks what Drew is doing here, and he says, what is he doing here as in, it’s so good to see you? She says, of course (🍷) it’s good to see him, and he says, phew. She says, but she told him that she was fine, and he says, he was already on the plane at that point. She says, to Jacksonville? How did he know she was here? He says, it wasn’t easy, but lucky for her, he’s got skills. She says, he’s got Spinelli on the case, and he says he was going to call Spinelli next, but he called Mia. She says, at the seminar, and he says, Mia told him that Carly’s flight had an emergency landing in Jacksonville, and here he is. She says, he came all the way down here for her? and he says he came all the way down here for her. Is she going to invite him in or what? She tells him, come in
Sonny tells Alexis, thanks for letting him know, and Nina asks if it’s another attack. He says, Diane. He’s got to get to GH. She says, of course (🍷), and he tells her to stay safe. She says, him too, and he leaves.
Drew gives Carly a beer, and says, he’s assuming she spoke to her family, and she says she knows about Brando. He says he’s so sorry, and she says, so is she. She feels so awful for Sasha. First her son, now this? He says, it’s unfathomable, and she says, it is. She’s so sorry she was out of touch. He says, she lost her phone; it happens. She says, during a family emergency? She was going to be on the first flight home when she found out about Brando, but she talked to Sonny, and he thought it was safer for her here. He says, he’s sure she hates that, but Sonny’s right. With a violent psychopath on the loose, it’s better she stays here. She says, but just hearing that, she feels like she’s abandoning her kids, and he says he gets that, but Sonny’s never going to let anything happen to them. She says she knows. He’s got security on Michael, he’s doubled security on Josslyn, and Donna and Avery live with him. Drew says, the penthouse is like a fortress; it’s fine. She says she knows. She still can’t believe he tracked her down just to tell her about Brando. He says, it’s not just that, and she says, okay.What else?
Gladys shows Sasha some photos on her phone, and Sasha says, Brando as a baby. Gladys says, ababy who was so proud to serve his country. That war made a mess of him. She barely recognized him when he got back. They lost so much time. If only she’d known how little time they had. Sasha says, but when they did reconnect, she’d say they made the most of it; woudn’t Gladys? Brando loved her. Gladys says she drove Brando crazy, and Sasha says, he didn’t love her any less. Gladys says she just wishes she had one more chance to tell him how much he meant to her, and Sasha says she wishes that too. Gladys gets to pictures of Brando and Sasha in Niagara Falls, and says, their wedding… which no one was invited to. Sasha says, if she could do it again, she’d celebrate with the whole world, all their friends and family… It’s just hitting her that she’s completely alone now. Without Brando, she has no family left. Gladys takes her hand, and says, listen to her. She and Sasha became family the second Sasha married her son, and that doesn’t change now. She’s got news for Sasha; Sasha’s stuck with her. Sasha says she’s so glad.
Sonny goes to the hospital reception desk, and asks where Diane’s room is, and what condition she’s in. The nurse says she can’t share information with anyone but family, when Curtis comes along, and says, Diane is in surgery. Sonny asks how he knows, and Curtis says he has his sources. Sonny says he’s surprised Curtis is sharing that with him. The last time they saw each other, it was a one-sided friendship. Curtis says he owes Sonny for what Sonny did for his father. His father told him that Sonny knew he was on antipsychotic meds and kept quiet. Sonny says he knows something about that diagnosis, and Curtis says he appreciates it. Sonny says, the truth be told, he wasn’t just looking out for Marshall. He respects the hell out of Curtis.
Trina gets a bullseye, and says, it’s so satisfying. Josslyn suggests they make it a friendly competition, and Trina says, here we go. Josslyn says, what? and Trina tells Rory, if he hasn’t picked up on it yet, Josslyn is totally extra in the competitive department. Josslyn says, what is the point of throwing these things unless someone is keeping score? and Rory says he’s game. Josslyn says, see? She told Trina that she liked him. Why don’t they do a tournament? They’ll pair up, and the winners get to compete for the ultimate glory. Trina says, sounds good, and Josslyn says, let the games begin.
Jordan and Portia go to Portia’s office, and Portia looks through some folders. She says, Diane’s wound was consistent with how Ava and Brando’s presented, and Jordan says, so it was likely a hook was used too. Portia says, the only difference was, the doctors noticed when they were operating that the wound was more precisely inflicted. Jordan says, the attacker is improving their technique. Was a tox screen run? Portia says, it confirms the presence of the same venom that was found in Brando’s system. Thankfully, Finn found an anti-venom, and was able to race it over to the surgical team quickly. The last she heard, Diane was stable and the procedure was going well. Jordan says, thank God for that, and Portia says, it seems like something is still weighing heavily on Jordan’s mind. Jordan says, the last time their victim survived, the assailant made sure the next attack would kill. She doubts this will be any different.
Dex says he’s telling Dante the truth. Sonny told him to lock up, not to keep watch, so he didn’t have eyes on the door. Dante asks, then what was he doing? and Dex says, working; answering texts and emails. Dante can check his phone; there are time stamps on everything. Dante says, good. At the Quartermaine picnic, no one can verify Dex’s whereabouts before he found Ava and Josslyn. Dex says he was bringing paperwork for Dante’s father to sign. The front drive was crowded, so he parked on the access road. Dante says, what about Charlie’s? and Dex says, what about it? Dante tells him, Josslyn said she followed him out to the back alley, but when she got there, Dex wasn’t there. Dex says, because he wasn’t there, and Dante says, Dex has been on the scene of all three attacks; that’s a pattern. Dex says, you know what else is a pattern? He gave Diane and Ava first aid, and hopefully, it helped save both their lives. Dante says he doesn’t know if that’s enough for him, and Dex says, time stamps? Dante starts to leave, and Dex asks if he’s being arrested. Does he need to make a call? Dante says he thinks Dex should call his lawyer, and leaves. Dex makes a call, and says he’s in trouble. He needs their help. Sonny asks where he is, and Dex says, the PCPD. Sonny tells Dex, he’s on his way.
Rory gets a bullseye, but Trina’s hatchet bounces off the target. Rory and Cameron chest bump. Cameron’s hatchet bounces off the target, and Josslyn says, sorry. Cameron says he doesn’t even want to talk to her, and she gets just inside the middle circle. Cameron says, you’re joking, and Trina and Josslyn do a happy dance. Rory and Josslyn are the winners.
Dante asks what Sonny is doing at the station, and Sonny says, Dex said he was in some kind of trouble. Does Dante know anything about that? Dante says, he’s being questioned. He thought Dex was calling a lawyer. Sonny asks if he needs one, and Dante says, he was on the scene of Diane’s attack. Sonny says, he asked Dex to lock up, and Dante wonders if Sonny asked Dex to stand over Diane’s body with her blood on his hands.
Jordan says she’s going to arrange for somebody to stand guard over Diane, and Portia says, good idea. Portia leaves, and Jordan calls Rory. She says she’s sorry to bother him on his night off, but she was hoping for a favor. He says, of course (🍷), and she says, there’s been another stabbing. The victim’s Diane Miller. Dex Heller was at the scene. He’s been brought in for questioning. Rory says, wow, okay, and Jordan says she’d like him to come to the hospital and stand guard over Diane. He says, absolutely. She can count on him.
Drew says he knows Carly doesn’t have the best memories of Jacksonville, and he figured something big must be going on to get her to stay here. Before she can protest, he says he knows she can take care of herself. He just wanted to make sure she was okay, and offer his support if needed. She says, that support of his… He says, completely unnecessary? but she says, completely appreciated. The fact that he flew down here, she can’t tell him how much that means to her. He says he thinks she just did. Her phone dings, and she looks at it, saying, oh no. Come on. He says, more bad news? and she says, that something big he was referring to? He was spot-on. He asks, what’s going on? and she says, they’re clearing out the cemetery Virginia is buried in to put in a parkway to the beach. He asks if she’s talking about moving the bodies, and she says, yeah. He says, for beach access? That’s unbelievable. She says, it is. That spot was so perfect for Virginia, and it was so important to Carly that she be buried there… for many reasons. He says he remembers, and she says, oh, right. She decided to fight it. He says, of course (🍷) she did, and she says she hired a lawyer, and filed an injunction. Apparently, she has no legal standing because she’s not a resident. He says, so now what? and she says she doesn’t know what to do. He says she has to keep fighting, but she says, that injunction was her Plan A, B, and C. He says, there’s got to be other options, and she says, like what? He asks if she trusts him, and they sit down with some beers. He says, she may not have legal standing, but there are other ways to enact change. She says she’s listening, and he says, hi, I’m Drew Cane, holding out his hand. He says, and you are? She says her name is Carly, and he says, that’s such a beautiful name. She says, thank you, and he tells her to ask him what he does for a living. She asks, and he says, he owns a media company. The lightbulb comes on, and Carly says, a media company they can use to raise some hell. He says, exactly. He’ll stay one or two days; he’ll help her make some noise; they lay into the Guild and the developers. She says she can’t ask him to do that, and he says, she didn’t. She says he has a family back home who needs him, but he says he’s talking about a couple of days; they’re not even going to miss him. He’d never offer if it wasn’t something he wanted to do. She asks if he’s sure, and he says, 100% positive. She says, okay, and he says, let’s make this town sorry it ever crossed you. They clink beer bottles, and she says, Jacksonville, you have no idea what’s coming.
Nina tells Sasha and Gladys, bit by bit, it will get easier.Every week that passes, the pain will lift a little more. Sasha says, but does she really want that? Then it will be like Brando will truly be gone. Nina says, no. Brando will never be gone. She feels the people she’s lost every single day. Jay (Nathan), her daughter… Sasha feels Liam, doesn’t she? Sasha says she does, and Nina says, it’s no different. Gladys says, there’s a step they can take if Sasha is ready. They can make arrangements for the funeral, and put their boy to rest.
Curtis asks how things went with Jordan, and Portia says, it was tense, but it was fine. Curtis says he sensed a little tension with her as well, and Porta says she saw that. Um… I did too, and it was because Curtis made a snide remark. Are they in the same show I’m watching? Curtis wonders if it will always be this way even if they get their divorce issue dealt with, and she says, he was going to tell her about their talk. He says, Jordan swears she didn’t deliberately sit on those divorce papers, and Portia says, but what else? He tells her, Jordan also started saying some pretty strange things, and Portia says, strange how? He says, she asked if he and Portia were on solid ground, and then she fed him a line that you can never really know someone even if you’re married to them. It felt off, like she thought they were keeping secrets from each other. But he’s sure she’s just projecting, right? Portia says, mm-hmm, and he says, because they’re about as solid as it gets.
Sonny asks if Dante is sure, and Dante says, Alexis and Gregory found Dex in the garage. He says he was helping Diane. He says he didn’t see anyone or know what happened. Sonny says, Dante doesn’t believe him? and Dante says, Dex has been on the scene of all three attacks, and hasn’t seen or heard anything. Sonny asks what Dante’s implying, and an officer says, they have the forensics report Dante wanted. Dante thanks her and says, one second. Dante tells Sonny, he knows Sonny likes this kid, but he has to ask himself, how well does he know Dex Heller?
Rory says, sorry about the forfeit, and Josslyn says, a win is a win. Rory says, there was another attack; Diane Miller was the victim. Trina says, oh my God, and Josslyn asks if she’s okay. Rory says, all he knows is that she’s in surgery. He’s supposed to go to GH and stand guard, and make sure no one gets in to see her who shouldn’t. Trina says, this is so awful, and Rory says, there is some good news; a suspect was brought in. Josslyn asks, who is it? and he says, that still doesn’t mean things are safe. Trina says, they’ve got hatchets. This is the safest place in Port Charles. Rory asks them to promise to go home together, kisses Trina on the cheek, and leaves. Josslyn follows him, and outside, she says she knows there are certain things he can’t tell her, but this feels really personal. She’s been at two of the crime scenes, and Diane’s a close family friend. Who’s the suspect? He says, all he can tell her is, it’s someone who’s been questioned before, and has been spotted at all three crime scenes. Josslyn flashes back to telling Dex the police are looking for him, and Dex saying he already spoke to Dante.
Dex thanks Sonny for coming, and Sonny asks how they’re treating him. Dex says, so far no arrest, but they think he did it. Sonny asks, what happened? Why did they bring Dex in? Dex says, they think he’s behind it because he happened to be in the vicinity of all three attacks, but he’s innocent. Sonny believes him, right?
Gladys gets on the phone, but Nina says she doesn’t think they have to do this right now. Sasha says, Gladys is right. How long can they wait? Brando deserves a proper goodbye. Gladys says, now he’s just sitting in the morgue, and Sasha says she can’t think about it. They can’t leave him there. And this will be good for them too. They’ll have somewhere to go and visit and talk to him, right? Nina does that with her brother. Nina says, and Nelle. On the phone, Gladys says she’s sorry. Are they sure?… She understands. She’ll be in touch. Nina asks, what’s wrong? and Gladys says, nothing that can’t be fixed, she’s sure. Sasha asks, what is it? and Gladys says, the funeral home won’t take Sasha’s card because there’s a hold on it at the bank. Sasha says she has more than enough… Brando was her guardian. She needs him to sign off on purchases. Nina says, there’s no problem. Why don’t they call back and use her card? Sasha says, no. He is her husband… was her husband. She’s the one who should… She cries, and Nina holds her. Sasha says, oh my God. What do I do now?
Curtis tells Portia that when he was with Jordan, he could just feel it. There was a part of her that she was holding back from him. He doesn’t feel that with Portia. Portia says she’s glad, and he says, the poor thing must think just because she’s keeping secrets, everyone does. Portia looks uncomfortable, and I question Curtis’s P.I. skills. Portia flashes back to Jordan saying she’s glad to hear they’re both on the side of truth. She remembers she and Jordan being trapped in the basement, and saying she needs to tell Trina the truth about her father. Curtis says, what is it? and she says she’s so sorry. She just remembered something she needs to take care of that’s very important. Does he mind if she… He says, of course (🍷) not, and she kisses him. She says she loves him, he says he loves her too, and she leaves.
Trina says she can’t believe it’s Diane, and Josslyn says, this is all just hitting too close to home. Trina asks if they can just get out of here, and Josslyn says she wants to check on Diane, and report back to her family. Cameron says, they’ll go with her, but she says, no, it’s fine, okay? Cameron says he won’t have her go out alone, but she says, thanks to Sonny, she won’t be. She has a guard 24 hours. She’ll have Reed take her, but please, get home safe. She leaves, and Trina and Cameron sit down. Trina asks if they should get out of here too. There’s no point in hanging around here. Cameron says, or they could talk about what’s going on between them. She says she doesn’t know what he means, and he says, she’s been avoiding him since she found out he was covering for Spencer. He gets it. She has every right to be mad. She says, good. Because she is.
Drew says he forgot. He has something he wants to send Carly. Does she have her tablet? She says, yeah, and it’s one of those looking at the camera like Jim from The Office moments. If Carly had her tablet, couldn’t she have sent everyone messages? Hell, she could have called them using it. He says he stopped on the way to the airport to send her a little message. She looks at her tablet (😐) and sees a video of Drew with Donna and Avery. The girls say they miss her, and good luck. Drew tells them, what else? and they say they love her, and can’t want to see her when she gets home. Drew tells them to blow Carly a kiss, and counts to three. He, Donna, and Avery blow a kiss to the camera, and Drew tells Carly, he was hoping she’d like that. She says she loved it, and he says, it’s getting a little bit late. She asks where he’s going, and he tells her, there are some conventions in town, and a lot of the hotels are booked. He’ll probably get a hotel out of town, but he’ll be back in the morning. She says, that’s crazy, but he says, it’s no big deal. She says she’s sure this couch pulls out. Really? I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in a hotel room with a pullout couch. She tells him to stay here, and he says, with her? She says, yeah. She’s going to be here too. He says he doesn’t know. He’s not sure it’s the best idea considering… She says, it’s fine. They’re adults. They can have an adult friendly sleepover. It’s the least she can do. Please stay. He says, okay.
Dex asks if Sonny isn’t going to say something, when Jordan comes in. She says she didn’t know Sonny was a lawyer now, and Sonny says, far from it. He came to check on Dex, and found out he has no lawyer present. Dante joins them, and says, Dex chose not to call one. Sonny asks if Dex is arrested, and when they don’t say anything, Sonny says, that’s a no. Let’s go. They leave, and as Dex passes Jordan, she says, don’t leave town. He says, got it, and she closes the door. She asks if Dex gave Dante anything, and Dante tells her, Dex swears he didn’t see or hear anything. She asks how that’s possible, and Dante says he doesn’t know, but they don’t have anything to hold him on. All the evidence they have is circumstantial. She asks if she’s wrong. There’s something about him; something off. Dante says, she’s not wrong, and she tells him, keep digging. He says, will do, and she leaves.
Outside, Dex thanks Sonny, and Sonny says he’ll give Dex a ride. Dex says, he doesn’t have to, but Sonny says, let’s go. They leave, and Dex looks worried. I’d be worried too.
Drew puts blankets and pillows on the couch, and Carly tells him that she’s sorry. She thought it pulled out. He says, it’s fine, and she says she can call downstairs for a cot. He says he thinks she’s forgetting he spent two years in a cell. This is like heaven compared to that. She says, noted, and they say goodnight. Carly goes to bed a few feet away, which seems really awkward, and Drew lies on the couch. Carly turns out the light, and tells Drew, she knows she said it before, but thanks for coming. It really means everything. He says she’s welcome. They’re going to fix the situation with her mother. She knows that, right? She says she does now.
Sasha thanks Nina for being here, and Gladys says she hasn’t always been the kindest or the most welcoming to Nina. Nina says, for legitimate reason, and Gladys says, but what Nina’s done for them, it hits her right here. Gladys touches her heart, and Nina says, well, get used to it, because she’s not going anywhere. The three of them join hands.
Portia storms into Jordan’s office, and slams the door. Jordan asks what she’s doing, and Portia says, Curtis told her about their little divorce papers chat. How dare she?
Cameron says he hated every second of lying to Trina. It’s just that he and Spencer had this history… She says, so do they. It may not be as long, but it’s pretty important. He says, so important, and if this messes it up at all… She says, it won’t. She’s not planning on holding a grudge, but it might take time to get past it. He says, that’s totally fair. He doesn’t want to give an excuse, but he wants to explain himself. He was torn between two people he care so much about, and that’s… She says, hard, and he says, extremely. Has she ever experienced something like that? She flashes back to Josslyn telling her that Cameron assumed she was alone in the dumpster, and she didn’t correct him. She tells Cameron, yeah. She guesses she has.
Josslyn strides into the PCPD, and Dante asks, what’s going on? She asks if Dex is here, and he wonders why she’s asking. She says she heard he was a suspect in all the attacks, and Dante says he can’t comment, but where did she hear that? She says, it doesn’t matter. He really can’t tell her anything at all? Dante says, Dex was brought in. He left with Sonny a while ago.
Dex gets in the car, but Sonny doesn’t look at him. Sonny just continues to look out the window, and Dex says, thanks for the ride home. Sonny finally looks at him, and says, they’re going to make a stop first. Then he stares straight ahead with an odd smile.
Tomorrow, Sam asks what Spinelli isn’t telling her; Maxie tells Austin, she’s glad it’s finally out in the open; Josslyn tells Dante that she’s got some evidence of her own; and Dex asks, how can he make Sonny believe him, as he hangs from the ceiling. It’s not looking good for Dex.
There seem to be some contradicting viewpoints here, but it all boils down to Kathy being a spoiled brat. Billie Jean must be a hot button issue though. I have a friend who once argued with a music store clerk over the lyrics. My friend thought they couldn’t possibly be that stupid.
Come back tomorrow for Dex’s dilemma and those too-old-for-this Wives. Until then, stay safe, stay learning all the information before weighing in, and stay never being spotted at more than one crime scene. It could leave you hanging.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
We see Brando’s empty garage. Sasha sits in the dark, and says, Brando? Can you hear me? Please tell me you didn’t leave. She hears the door open, and someone comes in.
Nina visits Ava, and says she looks a lot better. Ava thanks her, and Nina gives her some flowers, saying, she’s so glad Ava is out of the ICU. Ava says, if only she could get out of this hospital altogether. She can’t wait to get out of here. Nina says, all in due time, right? and sits down. She says, since Ava told her about Nikolas sleeping with Esme, it sounds like her marriage is over. So has she thought about where she’s going to go when they discharge her?
Gregory knocks at Finn’s office door, and Finn asks what brings him by. Gregory says, just checking to see how Finn is doing. He sees the photo on Finn’s phone, and asks if that’s Reiko, and Finn says, it was taken in the Mariana Islands a long time ago. (Okay, my bad on the wrong island, and also in thinking it was Hayden. I did think it must be Reiko at first, but I couldn’t figure out a connection to Elizabeth. Apparently, there is one.) Gregory asks what’s got Finn thinking about his late wife, when Nurse Andrea comes in, and tells Finn, Mr. Sanchez is prepped and ready for him. He tells Gregory that he’s sorry; this might take a while. Gregory says he’ll walk Finn out, and they leave.
Elizabeth studies the portrait she sketched, which we now know is of Reiko. She says, who are you?
At the MetroCourt bar, Diane and Alexis clink glasses, and Diane says, to Alexis. Alexis says, first of all, Diane doesn’t have to toast her, and Diane doesn’t have to drink an iced tea because she can’t drink. Diane says she wanted an iced tea, just like she wanted to celebrate her best friend, especially after, Two Victims, One Hook. Definite clickbait. Brava, Madame Editor-in-Chief. Alexis says she had her reservations at first, but there was a lot of traffic on the website, and Diane says, well deserved. She asks how Kristina is doing. What did she think of the article? Alexis says she doesn’t think Kristina even read it, and Diane asks what she means. Alexis said Kristina walked in on the attack. Is she having a hard time? Alexis says, just the opposite. She doesn’t think witnessing the attack put her in any danger at all. She did manage to keep Kristina’s name out of the article, but what if the attacker saw her, and didn’t realize Kristina didn’t see the attacker? Diane says she doesn’t like that Kristina is taking this so lightly, but she’s not surprised. She’s always been a very gutsy girl. Even witnessing an attack won’t bring her down. Alexis says, she has her mother to do that for her.
Victor says, alone at last, and Lucy says, he sent the waiter away. Does that mean the meal is over? He says, not at all, my dear. It just means now it’s time to serve themselves.
Anna and Valentin hide, and Johann comes out on deck, drinking a beer. Valentin has to sneeze, and Anna puts her hand over his nose and mouth, pushing him back against the wall. Johann hears them, and takes out his gun. He moves toward where they’re hiding.
Sasha says, Brando? but Sonny says, it’s him. Did she think he was Brando? She says she knows that’s impossible. She just can’t believe he’s gone. Sonny says, it is hard to believe. He was one of a kind. Sasha cries, and he holds her.
Ava says, she’s been thinking a lot about what happens when she’s well enough to leave GH, and Nina says, proud as she is of the MetroCourt – and she’s super proud of it – she hates the idea of Ava camping out in hotel rooms, so Ava will just have to stay with her. Ava thanks her, but says she doesn’t want charity, and definitely doesn’t want pity. Nina says, come on. They’re way past that. She thinks by now they’re fully ensconced in the girlfriend zone. And friends help each other. There’s no charity; there’s no pity. Ava says she knows, but… Nina says, Ava really doesn’t want to stay with her because she’d prefer to go back home to Windymere. But Nikolas is there.
Alexis tells Diane, she’s not sure how it happened, but somehow in warning Kristina about the potential danger, she sort of blurted out that Kristina wasn’t living up to her full potential. Diane says, music to her ears, no doubt, and Alexis says, then to add to that, she sort of blurted out that Kristina was risking her life for a dead end job. Diane says she’s sure that worked. Alexis didn’t bring up law school, did she? Alexis says, no. Kristina’s sharp; she knew what was happening. That’s her point. Kristina is too smart to be spending her life making schedules for the waitstaff. Diane says, she completely agrees, but it’s Kristina’s life. Alexis says, she’s painfully aware of that. She’ll try to do better in keeping her opinions to herself. Diane laughs like it’s the funniest thing ever, and Alexis says, yeah, good luck with that. Nikolas approaches, and says he’s glad he ran into Alexis. He needs her help.
Elizabeth looks at the sketch, and flashes back to her memory, but this time she moves the woman’s hair, and sees her face. Nurse Andrea walks up with Finn, and says, Elizabeth is off today. What’s she doing here?
Dex walks into the garage, and Sonny says, call Gladys; they’re okay. Sasha asks how Sonny found her, and Sonny says, there are two places that Brando always wanted to be. One was with her, and the other was his garage. So he figured if she was looking for Brando, she would come here. She says, Brando really did love this place. She thinks Sonny giving it to him was the best thing that every happened to him. Sonny says, not at all – she was. Sasha starts to cry again.
Lucy says, so there’s more? and Victor says, whatever she desires. She deserves to be waited on hand and foot. He’s utterly at her service; her wish is his command. She says she can’t. This has all been so lovely, to ask for anything else would just be horrible. He says, please ask. She must promise to always be honest with him, no matter what.
Johann continues to move toward where Valentin and Anna are hiding. They go back toward the door to the deck, and Anna tells Valentin to give her his shoe. He says, no way; these things are Italian. He gives it to her anyway, and she throws it out the door so it hits something, and Johann turns around. He goes back to where he was, and as he reaches the opening in the railing, Valentin runs out the door, and kicks him into the water. They watch as he floats downstream.
Nikolas asks if they can talk, and Alexis says, about what? He says he’d rather speak in private, and Alexis looks at Diane, and they both say, Ava. Diane says, fear not. She has to be going anyway. She tells Alexis, it was lovely having half a drink with her. Go easy on Krissy, and herself. She nods to Nikolas, says, Prince, and leaves. Alexis says, there are therapy apps where he could find a marriage counselor, in person or virtually, but he says, that’s not what he wants to talk about. Alexis told him that Ava was too proud to forgive a stupid mistake. She understands the way Ava thinks – Alexis says, God help her – and clearly he and Ava have a volatile relationship. But when Ava was attacked, everything crystallized for him, and he wants Ava in his life. He doesn’t want to lose her. Alexis says she takes it Ava didn’t have the same epiphany, and he says, that’s why he needs some straight talk. Is it time to give up on his marriage?
Ava tells Nina, Windymere is huge, and she and Nikolas have lived there in the past when they’ve been estranged. Nina asks, is this like the strategy, keep your enemies close? and Ava says, something like that. Nina says, Ava told her before that she wanted to wait to pay for cheating on her. Now’s the time? She’s sure Scotty is just chomping at the bit to get Ava a generous divorce settlement. Ava says, she hasn’t spoken to Scotty about this yet, and Nina says, she’s stalling. Ava’s still in love with her husband.
Dex comes back, and Sonny says, he spoke to Gladys? Dex says, she told him to thank Sonny for finding Sasha, and Sasha says, she guesses she should go home. She just wants to stay here. Sonny tells her, stay, and tells Dex to go. Dex leaves, and Sasha says, it felt like Brando was here, working. Like any minute he would walk through that door with some part he forgot to order. He’d smile and kiss her, and say, thanks for waiting, like any other day. But Brando’s gone, no matter how many times she pretends, or wishes, or tries to convince herself this is just some horrible nightmare. She cries, and says, Brando isn’t here. He’s not anywhere. Sonny says, you know what? It’s like his son Morgan. With his dad it’s different; he got to say goodbye to his dad. But Morgan was like Brando; it was unexpected. It was sudden. One minute he’s here, and the next minute he’s gone. They didn’t even have a body to bury. He tears up, and says he has to confess something to her. A lot of times he goes into crowds, and wants to see Morgan. Sometimes the phone rings, and he thinks it’s Morgan. Sasha asks how long he felt that way, and he says, to tell her the truth, he still scans crowds for Morgan. He just wants to be able to see him one last time. His boy.
Victor asks, what does Lucy want from? Name it. She says, no, she can’t. He asked her not to ask him, so she can’t. She won’t ask him, but he also told her to wait, and she’s so bad at waiting. She was never good at it, and she’s just brimming with curiosity. She’s just always loved a man with a big plan. She’s so excited. Come on. Couldn’t he just give her a teensy weensy little hint? Please? The boat moves, and she says, what is that? Are they stopping? He says, they certainly shouldn’t be, and a man runs in. He tells Victor, there’s someone overboard, and Anna and Valentin hide near the inside exit to the room.
Diane comes into the garage, and Sonny asks what she wants. She tells him, Gladys said Sasha was here. She’d like to speak with her. Sonny says, she’s in Brando’s office, and doesn’t want to deal with anybody. Diane says she can wait. She needs to go over some legal issues that have arisen since Brando’s death. He says, it’s a hell of a time to be doing business, doesn’t she think? and she says she’s been asked to serve as interim counsel. Martin Grey is still out of town. He says, they’re dealing with Brando’s widow. Why should he trust her to represent Sasha when she grilled him on the stand? She says, believe her, she could have gone harder, and Sonny sees Dex lingering around, and yells at him to go. Dex goes outside, and Diane says, understand something; she liked Brando, a lot. She loved the fact that he came into town and rescued Carly. She loved the fact that he became a father figure to Dev Cerci, that boy Sonny was trying to keep in the country. He infiltrated Cyrus Renault’s organization, and saved Sasha. All he wanted was to make an honest living. Brando Corbin was a hero who deserved a much better hand than the one life dealt him. Sonny says, she’ll get no argument from him on that, and she says she’s not here to capitalize on tragedy. She’s just trying to do right by Brando by helping his widow at the request of her lawyer and Brando’s grieving mother. Sonny says, she expects him to ignore her grilling him on that stand at Nina’s hearing? How could she do that to him? She says she was fighting for Michael and Willow. She was doing her utmost to win the case for them, as she would for any client, no matter how ungrateful. She’s been through thick and thin with him; she’s been through good and bad. She’s protected him and his, and has done pretty much everything except dig a grave in the Pine Barrens. He says, she sided with Michael, and she says, Michael retained her to defend him in the petition by Nina for visitation. If Sonny recalls, he and Nina weren’t a couple formally at the time, so there was no conflict of interest. And it was Sonny who spontaneously volunteered to testify on Nina’s behalf. He asked Scotty to put him on the stand. She was only cross-examining him the way any halfway competent lawyer would. He says, she laid out his life for everyone to see. That’s personal to him. How can he forget that?
Ava tells Nina, in love with Nikolas?Hardly. She’s not the sort of woman who would let a man cheat on her and humiliate her and get away with it. Nina says, besides her, who knows Nikolas slept with Esme? and Ava says, just Spencer and Victor. Nina says she doubts they would throw it in Ava’s face if she decided to forgive Nikolas; she won’t. Ava asks why Nina is pushing her to get back with Nikolas, but Nina says she’s not. She just doesn’t want Ava’s pride to get in the way of her happiness. It’s Ava’s prerogative if she wants to expose Nikolas’s bad behavior or forgives him. She just wants Ava to be happy. Ava says she doesn’t know if she could live with herself if she gave Nikolas another chance. She’d be worried, wondering if it could happen again. She’s lived with that kind of betrayal in the past, and she lost her daughter because of it. Nina says, they’ve both made their share of mistakes, and they’ve both suffered, and paid terrible prices, but they’re still here. Ava says, just barely, and Nina says, she’s on the mend, and it’s pretty amazing how they both found love after everything they’ve been through. It’s kind of like a miracle. Whether or not Ava wants to forgive Nikolas is up to her. If she still loves him… Ava says, she blackmailed Nikolas into getting married in the first place, and that is hardly a foundation for everlasting commitment. She laugh/cries, and Nina says, Ava’s marriage may not have started as a love match, but it’s a love match now.
Alexis asks if Nikolas wants to give up on his marriage, and he says, no, but he’s at the end of his rope. Nothing he’s said has budged Ava, even a bit. She says, that’s because talk is cheap, and he asks if that’s the best she can do. She reminds him that he came to her. He’s more than welcome to vacate that barstool for a more nuanced commentary. He says he’s sorry. He’s just trying to figure out what to do. Does Alexis think he needs to take action? She says she doesn’t know what he should do. She doesn’t know what he did, and doesn’t want to. She’s just asking, whatever it is, will it cost Ava her pride to forgive him? He says, definitely, and she says, then he needs to give something back. He says, like what? but she says she doesn’t know. Something that shows Ava that he values his relationship with her; to put something on the line, to risk something for her. Just like he’s asking Ava to swallow her pride in order to take him back.
Elizabeth goes to Finn’s office, and tells him that she convinced Doc to hypnotize her again, since she was on the verge of remembering something. And then she did. She remembered the face of the woman at the bottom of the stairs. He says, that’s encouraging, and asks who she is, but Elizabeth says she doesn’t know. He says, she saw her face, but didn’t recognize her, and she says, she can’t place her. She has no memory of this person except for the moment on the stairs. Except she feels like the woman wasn’t a stranger. Finn’s phone dings, and Elizabeth picks it up to give it to him, and sees the photo. She stares at it, and he says, that’s Reiko, his late wife.
Anna and Valentin listen, and Victor asks if the man is sure somebody went overboard. The man says, he saw the body hit the water, and told the captain to stop. They’re circling back now. Victor says, what is he standing around here for? Help with the rescue operation. He hustles the man out, and Anna peeks in, gesturing to Lucy. Lucy runs to Victor, saying, oh my God. The man could drown. Victor has to help save him; he’s so strong. Victor says he should supervise. He won’t be long. She says she’ll be here when he gets back. Go… like the wind. He leaves, and she runs back, telling Anna and Valentin, he’s gone. They come out, and she says, wait a minute. Did they throw a man overboard? What happened to Valentin’s shoe? Valentin says, don’t worry about it, and Anna says, it’s just Johann; he never saw them. Valentin says, no one knows they’re here, but that could change at any moment. Lucy asks what they’re doing here, and Anna says, they’re rescuing her. Lucy says she doesn’t want to be rescued, and Anna says, they don’t have time for games. Victor could be back at any moment. They have to go now. Lucy says she’s not going right now, because then Victor will know she’s playing him, and probably know that Anna set her up to do this whole thing. He’s just starting to open up to her. Valentin says, obviously a scene of seduction; champagne petit fours… How does Lucy expect the scene is going to end? Lucy says, she can handle Victor. He is putty in her hand. She flashes the bracelet, and says she hasn’t felt this alive in years. She’s still got it.
Diane tells Sonny, there’s no need to keep discussing this. She would like to speak to Sasha, but if that’s not going to happen, please have Sasha give her a call. She starts to leave, but Sonny says, wait. Sasha needs a good lawyer. Diane says, good? when Sasha comes out. Diane says she’s so sorry about Brando. She was just telling Sonny how much she admired him. Sasha thanks her, and Diane says she doesn’t want to intrude on Sasha’s grief, but Martin Grey is still out of town, and he and her mother-in-law feel there might be some pressing legal issues that require Sasha’s immediate attention. So she’s been asked to serve as interim counsel, if that’s okay with Sasha. Sasha says she guesses, but what’s so important it can’t wait? Diane says, it’s a confidential matter, but Sasha says she can talk in front of Sonny. Diane says, it concerns her guardianship, and Sasha says, that’s settled. Brando… Diane says, Sasha’s agreement to avoid prison stipulates that she must have a legal guardian, and Sonny asks if Diane is saying it’s null and void. Sasha asks if she’s going to prison.
Gregory sees Alexis at the MetroCourt, and says, if it isn’t the women behind the headlines. How’s the response? She says, good and bad. She thinks the general public was glad they were alerted to the fact there’s a hook wielding maniac on the loose. The Police Commissioner is another matter. He says he’d like to hear more, and asks if she has time to join him for coffee. She says, sure. Why not?
Elizabeth says, this is Reiko? and Finn says, a long time ago. They were both with Doctors Without Borders; it was their first post. Elizabeth says, she looks so young. He doesn’t talk about her. Finn takes the phone, and says he knows. He was never able to make piece with how she died, infected with the same disease he was trying to cure. She says, Blackwoods Disease. What brings her up for Finn now? He says, a case he’s working on reminded him of something that he and Reiko went through when they were posted on the Mariana Islands. She says, near Guam, right? and he says, she amazes him. Most people don’t even know those islands exist. When they were there, they had a good friend, a good doctor; he died of a poisonous snake bite. She rubs her head, and he asks if she’s okay. Got a headache? She says, a little bit, and he says, from hypnotherapy? She says, probably. She’s so frustrated because she has these little pieces she can’t seem to put together to see the larger picture. He says, it’s okay. It’s coming. Every day she’s learning more. She says, none of it makes sense. She needs to go home and lie down for a little bit. He says he thinks she’s incredible, and kisses her. He says, she’s going to find the truth, and she leaves. In the hallway, she unfolds the sketch and looks at it.
Anna tells Lucy that she’s in way over her head. She can’t underestimate Victor. Lucy says, she knows, but listen to her. He actually told her that he has a plan. A big plan, and he wants to include her. Anna says, what plan? but Lucy says she doesn’t know because they interrupted. She’s getting thisclose to it. Valentin looks out the doorway to the deck and runs back, saying, someone’s coming. He keeps going out the other door, and Anna says, this is Lucy’s last chance. If she doesn’t come with them now, she’s on her own. Lucy says she’s fine. She’s got this, she promises. Anna leaves, and Lucy scrambles around, deciding to go behind the bar like she was making a drink. Victor brings in Johann, with a blanket around him, and Lucy asks, what happened? Victor says he’s not entirely sure. Johann went overboard, but he isn’t able to tell Victor how or why. He must have gotten a concussion when he hit the water. Lucy says, that’s awful. Drink this. She hands him a snifter of brandy, and Victor says, focus. Tell him what happened. Johann says he was on the deck. Maybe he lost his balance? Victor asks if he could have been pushed. Did he see anyone else? Johann says he doesn’t remember seeing anyone. He was… Victor says, what? and Johann says, having a drink. Lucy says, drinking on the job; that is really dangerous. She takes the brandy away from him, and Johann says, he wasn’t drunk. Victor tells him to go back to his stateroom and dry off. He’ll call the captain and see if they have a medic on board. Johann says he’s sorry for the trouble, and Victor says, they’ll deal with it later. Johann leaves, and Lucy says, poor Johann. Alcoholism is such a serious burden. She takes a sip of the brandy, and Victor says, something’s off.
Diane tells Sasha, the presiding judge needs to reevaluate the plea, and Sasha says she only agreed the first time because she trusted Brando. Now that he’s gone, it’s over for her. Diane says, legally it’s not, and Sonny says, Sasha shouldn’t have to go through this right now. Diane says she completely agrees. That’s why she’s prepared to file a continuance, pending Sasha’s approval. Sasha says, Diane has her approval, and Diane thanks her. She asks if Sasha knows where Brando kept his copy of the guardianship decree, and Sasha says, in his office. Or maybe their place; he didn’t say. Sonny asks if Sasha wants Diane to go in Brando’s office and check for the papers, and Diane says, the sooner they get this sorted, the better. Providing it’s okay with Sasha. Sasha says, it’s fine. She should go home. She’s tired. Sonny says, he’ll take her, and tells Diane, Brando’s office is in the back. Diane says, copythat; she’s on it. Sasha leaves, Sonny thanks Diane, and follows.
Alexis says she has it on good authority that the Police Commissioner is unhappy with their article, and Gregory asks if she’s surprised. She says she’s not insensitive to Jordan’s concerns, she just considers warning the public to be for the greater good. Gregory says, it doesn’t hurt that the readership is up, does it? and she says, 30%. Most people were glad for the warning, but a small amount said The Invader was fearmongering. He says, the article he read didn’t sensationalize the crime; it just gave the facts. He was very impressed. She says, now she can sleep at night, and he laughs. He says he knows his opinion doesn’t matter, but she says, actually it does. It matters to her.
Sonny calls Nina, and says, he found Sasha. He could use her help. Nina says she’s confused. Sasha was missing? Why didn’t someone call her? Sonny says, they’re at Brando’s garage. He’s going to take Sasha home. Can she meet them there? She says, of course (🍷). She needs to be there. She’ll see him soon. Ava asks if Sasha’s okay, and Nina says, no. Sasha is definitely not okay. She should be with her. Nikolas comes in, and asks if he and Ava can talk. Ava tells Nina, go help Sasha. She’ll be okay. Nina leaves, and Ava tells Nikolas, say whatever it is he came here to say. But know that it’s going to take more than words to make things right between them. He says he knows. That’s why he brought this. He holds out an envelope.
Sasha hugs Brando’s coffee cup, and Sonny tells Dex to make sure he locks up when Diane is finished. He’s taking Sasha home. Dex asks if she’s going to be okay, and Sonny says, she has her family to take care of her. He asks if she’s ready to go, and she says, yeah; she’s done. She sets the cup down, which surprises me, and leaves with Sonny. Dex says, don’t worry. He’ll take care of things here.
Finn looks at the photo of Reiko.
Elizabeth takes down a box from the shelf in her closet. She looks through it, and takes out a photo album. She turns the pages, and finds a loose photo of herself at a young age with another girl. On the back, it says, Sarah and Elizabeth, Mariana Islands, 1997.
Ava asks, what’s that? and Nikolas says he’s done talking. This is proof of how much he loves her.
Anna and Valentin walk out on Pier 54, and Anna says, the zodiac is docked. Are they coming after us? He says he doesn’t see any sign of a disturbance. He thinks they got away clean… except for his shoe. She says, he’ll live, and he says, she’s glowing. She calls him a smooth talker, and he says, she’s really in her element, isn’t she? She says, it’s fun working together. He says he’s sorry their rescue attempt fell flat, and she says she wanted Victor to be enamored with Lucy, but she’s still very concerned that putting her in his sight is such a risk. He says, it was her call. She didn’t want to leave. What can they do to keep an eye on the situation? If she needs them, they can help her. She says, her worry is that it’s not if, but when.
Lucy suggests she and Victor get back on track, and resume this date they’re having. He says he’s surprised she called it a date; she seemed determined to make it about business. She says she doesn’t know many business meetings she’s had where she’s been presented with diamonds. So she can safely assume this is a date. He says she doesn’t seem angry, and she says, she does feel compelled to tell him that she’s spoken for. She’s really very much in love with Marty. However, Victor is making it very difficult – she plays with his lapels, then his tie – to stay true. And she finds herself wondering what a future with Mr. Victor Cassadine looks like. He puts his hands on her shoulders, and says, well, let’s find out.
Alexis tells Gregory, this coffee is probably the last thing she needs right now. She’ll be up all night. Not that she needs an excuse. She’s still really worried about Kristina. She witnessed that attack, and that could make her a target. He asks if she’s given more thought to the idea of posting an open letter in The Invader to try and draw the killer out. Get them to give something away, some clue that could help the PCPD to catch them?Then Kristina will be safe. She says, she thinks if they engage the killer, keep them occupied, it could give the police more time to investigate. He says, start a dialogue; provide a distraction. She says, maintain balance though. She doesn’t want to give the attacker a platform, just enough rope to hang. She’s been a lawyer a long time, and she’s seen cases like this. And she doesn’t believe for one minute this killer is done.
Diane comes out of Brando’s office, and looks through a folder, her back to the door. We see someone with a hook outside. A hooded figure comes in, and raises the hook.
On Monday, Gregory asks Alexis when they start; Ava says she’s going to need much more; Valentin tells Anna that he’s going to have to murder his own father; and Diane lies in a pool of blood.
🧰 Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye…
Still nothing that really says why he left. It didn’t sound like he wanted to though. Maybe he was just a sacrificial lamb for the hook storyline. I’m really hoping Diane isn’t.
A coupla things. Kathy was pretty pissed about the tequila. Maybe she was drunk. Then again, there are those estrangement periods with Kyle. Which I can totally understand, since I find her annoying, but Kathy is her sister. Also, weren’t there others who talked about her creating a commotion at the last bar they went to?
Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do. – Voltaire
For it’s not light that is needed, but fire; it’s not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind and the earthquake in our hearts. – Frederick Douglass
If I was the toe that broke the camel’s back, I apologize. – Kathy Hilton, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Maturity is achieved when a person accepts life as full of tension. – Joshua L. Liebman
Fear imprisons, faith liberates; fear paralyzes, faith empowers; fear disheartens, faith encourages; fear sickens, faith heals; fear makes useless, faith makes serviceable – and, most of all, fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life, while faith rejoices in its God. – Henry Emerson Fosdick
The Ukrainians don’t even want to be in the Ukraine right now. – CaesarMack’s friend April, 90 Day: The Single Life, after finding out he was traveling there
Always look at what you have left. Never look at what you have lost. – Robert H. Schuller
There is no sincerer love than the love of food. – George Bernard Shaw
🍂 Someone Turned Off the Heat…
Switching gears for the next two days, but put it in park on Monday for soap and a Deck birthday. Until then, stay safe, stay not getting distracted by the minutia, and stay remembering, talk is cheap.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Carly leaves the plane and goes into the airport, where she hears that, due to thunderstorms, flights have been delayed. She tells desk rep Faye that she’s going to Aruba. Does she know how long until departure? Faye says she’s sorry, but until the storm passes, Carly isn’t going anywhere.
Drew leaves another message for Carly, saying, he just finished a meeting at the Grill, and thought he’d give it another shot, but since he got voicemail, that probably means she’s still on her way to Aruba. Her message said she wanted to talk, so he’s here. Call him as soon as she can. Sam comes in with Scout, and Drew picks her up. He says, she looks so beautiful. How did she know this was exactly what he needed? Sam says, lucky guess, and Scout seconds that.
On the phone, Jordan says, again, this is a procedural question. If their service told a subscriber they had a genetic match, and the other party removed their identity from the database, is there a way to contact the individual to confirm the match? Dante comes to the door, and says, the desk sergeant said she wanted to see him. Since she’s on a call, he can come back if it’s important.
Portia says she knows Curtis is anxious to talk to Jordan again, but does he think that’s the best tactic? Not having the divorce papers signed, sealed, and delivered is an inconvenience, but his lawyer has a copy. He and Jordan can sign them again, make it official, and they can plan their wedding. He says, it’s not a matter of where or how, but why would Jordan lose that paperwork? She asks why he thinks it’s intentional. Things happen; she could have misplaced them. He says, Jordan didn’t get to be Commissioner by skipping details, and he doesn’t believe for one minute that the paperwork magically disappeared from her desk while she was recuperating. There has to be a reason why she got rid of those papers. Portia says she can think of one reason, but they’ve been down that road before, and he says, try him. She says, Jordan lost the papers because she doesn’t want a divorce. She’s still in love with him.
Nikolas asks if Ava’s sure she wants to leave Sonny’s bodyguard outside. Isn’t she afraid her loving husband is going to try and kill her again? She tells him, he says that like it’s a joke, even though his alibi of being with Elizabeth the whole time turned out to be a boldfaced lie. He says he can explain, and she says she wants the truth. Is he the one who tried to kill her the night of the Quartermaine picnic?
Sasha goes to the door at Charlie’s, and Gladys tells Sonny, talk about true love. Brando’s only been gone a minute, and she misses him already. Sonny goes over to Sasha, and says he knows she’s still getting used to the idea of guardianship, but it could have been a lot worse. She loves Brando, she trusts Brando. They’ll make decisions together instead of some court appointed officer. She can rely on Brando, always. She says she does know that.
Outside, it starts to rain, and we see the hook. Brando comes out, stops, and the hook comes down. He looks up at the dark figure holding it, and it comes down again. He screams in pain.
Jordan says she understands the need for confidentiality. When it comes to someone’s identity, you can’t be too careful. She thanks them for their help, and tells Dante, sorry about that. She was just following up on a lead. Dante says, the desk sergeant told him that she has an update on the Ava Jerome case. She says, possibly. Walk her through the inventory he did at the Quartermaine boathouse. Anything missing? He says, there was actually; a gaff, a slaughter-hook used in fishing. If a fish is too large or heavy to get into the boat, they use the hook. There’s a rack with fishing equipment, and room for six hooks. Five were there; one was missing. The Quartermaines say the one that’s missing was the largest. She says she just received confirmation from the sergeant in CSI. Ava’s injuries were consistent with a curved implement with a barbed head. She wasn’t stabbed. She was speared with a hook.
Kristina is running in to work, when she sees the figure standing above Brando with the hook. She screams, and the figure jets. She runs over to Brando, and inside, Sonny says, stay here. Kristina continues to scream for help, as Brando gasps for air. Sonny runs out, and says, what the hell?
Nikolas asks if Ava really thinks he’s the one who tried to kill her, and she says, here’s a name he might remember – Hayden Barnes. He says his relationship with Hayden has nothing to do with what happened to her, and she asks why he lied about his alibi. He says he was protecting Elizabeth. She’s been having some mental health issues. Ava says, she heard Elizabeth was at Shadybrook for a time, and he says, she had some kind of a blackout while she was at the Quartermaines. She had no memory of where she was when Ava was attacked. Ava says she doesn’t believe for one second Elizabeth attacked her, and he says, neither does he, but if she would have told the truth, it would have looked suspicious. He didn’t want her to get the third degree from the cops, considering what she’s been through. So what Ava considers a lie, he calls protecting one of his oldest friends. Deep down in her heart, she believes him, doesn’t she? She says she believes he concocted an alibi. The question is, did he do it to protect Elizabeth or save his own skin?
Drew asks what Sam and Scout are doing here, looking so elegant, and Sam says, this was actually Scout’s idea. She got really high marks at Lila’s Kids. He says, congratulations, and Scout thanks him, saying, she was the best runner in her age group. He says, that’s his girl; no surprise to him. Sam says, tomorrow is Scout’s first day of school, and she promised her a special mother/daughter dessert; crème brûlée. And if he didn’t know, this place comes highly recommended. Scout asks if Drew will take on the first day of school, and he says, absolutely; cross his heart. Sam asks Scout to sit at their special table while she talks to her daddy, and Drew asks, what’s up? She takes him aside, and says, as he knows, their daughter adores him, and he says, he’s so thrilled to see Scout; she has no idea. He adores her too, but what did Sam want to talk about that they couldn’t discuss in front of Scout?
Carly tells Faye, she’s okay with being rerouted. She’ll take a connecting flight, or two. As long as it gets her to Aruba, so she can attend this seminar she’s booked for. Faye says, the weather in Jacksonville is the issue. No flights are currently taking off, and they won’t until the storm passes. Carly asks if she can keep them posted, and Faye says she will. Carly goes over to the waiting area, and says she can’t believe this. They’re not even trying to get them out of here. An older lady tells her, she’s in Florida during hurricane season. She embroiders as she talks, and says, the airline people are doing the best they can. She has to say, when a person is as eager to move out as Carly seems to be, it usually means they’re trying to run away from something. Or somebody.
Kristina calls for an ambulance, as Sonny tries to stop the bleeding. She tells the operator that Brando is bleeding very badly. They’re in the alley behind Charlie’s. Hurry. Gladys and Sasha come out, and Sasha screams, Brando! Gladys holds her back.
Dante tells Jordan, so Ava was stabbed with a slaughter-hook. Wow. So the next question is, is it a crime of opportunity – somebody saw the hook and decided to use it – or was Ava the target and the hook was the best available option? Jordan says, let’s start with the second theory; Ava was the intended target. He says, she’s got a ton of enemies, which means there are a lot of possibilities, and she says, they only need one – the right one. He says, when you think about how many people were at that picnic and the size of that property, it’s virtually impossible to figure out who was where at the time of the attack. She says, that means they’re going to have to do this the hard way. Go back over everyone’s statements, and see which ones hold up and which ones don’t. He says he’ll get on it right now, and she says, they don’t both have to pull an all-nighter. She knows he just moved into a new house. Doesn’t he have some unpacking to do? He says he does actually, but Sam will understand, and she says, take it from her, that’s a very slippery slope. First, it starts out with understanding. Then it’s wondering what’s taking so long. Until one day… He already knows how her story ends.
Curtis says, what he and Jordan had, ended a long time ago, and Portia says, for him maybe. But she wondered about it when Trina was first suspected of making the revenge porn against Josslyn and Cameron. He says, he remembers she was worried it was something personal with Jordan’s investigation, and she says, right, but she was mistaken. In fact, thanks to Jordan’s help, Trina is free now, but maybe Jordan doesn’t know how she feels about him. Maybe she thought she’d put things behind her and moved on, but she once thought she did the same thing too. Trust her. Curtis Ashford is a hard man to forget. TJ joins them, and tells Portia, he hates to interrupt, but Mr. Ferguson is asking for her. He says she’s the only doctor he trusts. Curtis says, can’t blame him, and Portia leaves. TJ apologizes to Curtis, but Curtis says, actually, TJ is just the person he wanted to talk to. It’s about his mom.
Sasha runs to Brando, and says, don’t leave her. Sonny says, Kristina called 9-1-1. An ambulance is on the way. He tells Gladys to put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding, and Gladys tells Brando, she’s here. Sasha asks, what’s taking so long? Where’s the ambulance? We hear sirens, and Kristina says, help is on the way. Sasha tells Brando, just hold on, and cries.
Carly asks if the woman minds if she joins her, and the woman says, have a seat. Carly says, the woman implied earlier that she was running from something, but actually, she’s running to something. She’s on her way to a seminar in Aruba, where she’s going to learn how to shape her future, and discover what opportunities are out there for someone with her skills and experiences. The woman tells her, if you say so, and Carly asks what’s in the carrier; a dog or a cat? The woman says, that’s her rescue dog Gretel. She travels with Gretel wherever she goes. Gretel is a good judge of character. She likes Carly. Carly asks how she can tell, and the woman says, they’ve been together a lot of years. If Gretel didn’t like her, she’d know right away. Carly looks around and says, come on, and the woman says, nobody likes to wait, but she seems downright unsettled. Carly says she grew up in Jacksonville, and the woman says, then she already knows. 42 miles of beaches, the best fish this side of Key West, and the Gator Bowl every New Year’s Eve. What made her leave? Carly says she was just looking for something else, and the woman asks if she found it. Carly says, yeah. She thinks so. She has three beautiful daughters, and amazing son, the most adorable grandson; friends and family. The woman says, yet here she is, back where she started. Life is kind of funny that way sometimes. Carly says she has a weather app on her phone. She bets it will show her when the storm is going to end. The woman says she doesn’t need that to let her know what’s going on. Like she said, this is Florida during hurricane season. Carly digs in her bag, and says, Jacksonville’s great, but she had a tough time here. When she left, she was happy to go. Oh my God. She left her phone on the plane.
Sam says, cards on the table. She heard Drew leave that message for Carly. He says, he was returning her call. She’s on her way to Aruba. Sam says, that’s a romantic destination, and he says, she’s there to attend an executive leadership seminar. Sam says, that doesn’t mean you can’t mix business with pleasure, if the right guy shows up. He asks if she doesn’t have enough on her plate, with Dante and Rocco moving in. Congratulations, although she probably had a thousand justifications for putting it off. She says, he does know her well. She thinks what happened was, Dante was trying do what she wanted, and she was trying to do what he wanted. Drew says, and they were making each other miserable, and she says, the misunderstanding was miserable; the resolution was not. He tells her, it’s okay. She can just say it; she and Dante are happy. Sam says, they are happy, and he says he’s happy for her. They hug, and Scout asks why they’re hugging. Sam says, Drew is always going to be her dad, and they’ll always be a family. And they’re friends. Drew says, the best friends, and they always will be, but he’s got to finish this conversation with her mom. Would she mind playing her game a little longer? Maybe he can convince her mom to bring home an extra desert. Scout goes back to the table, and Sam says, he’s going to spoil her. He says, that’s what they do. They love and care for them, and set rules and boundaries, then they spoil them a little bit. She says, he does all of those things, and he says, Scout makes it easy. Adult relationships are the tricky ones. Those are a bit more complicated. She says, really? Anyone she knows?
Jordan says, Drew and Sam are two of the lucky ones who get another ride on the merry-go-round. So get out of here and live his life. That’s an order. He thanks her, and says, but first, he heard Curtis and Portia got engaged. How is she doing with that? She says she appreciates him asking, but she’s fine. It was hardly a surprise. They did buy house after all. As for her, she’s ready to start the next chapter of her life. Anything else? He says, no. He’ll get out of here. He starts to leave, and she says, sometime she’d like to pick his brain, when they’re off the clock. He says, about what? and she says, a case of mistaken identity. Or it could be no mistake at all.
Curtis says, in general, how’s TJ’s mom? and TJ says, Curtis knows his mom; working 24/7 since the night of the Quartermaine picnic. There are no leads from what he understands. Curtis says he knows how dedicated TJ’s mom can be, but sometimes work is a convenient excuse. TJ says, excuse for what? and Curtis says, not getting back out there; risk getting hurt again. TJ says he doesn’t know what Curtis wants him to say. His mom doesn’t cue him in on her personal life. The divorce was barely final when she got injured, and she spent months recuperating. Curtis says, and since then? and TJ wonders why Curtis is asking him this now. What’s going on?
Ava says, Elizabeth has no memory of what she was doing or who she was with when at the time of the attack, so she can’t incriminate Nikolas, nor can she exonerate him. He says, they’re both hot blooded people, and they’ve been left with more than a few love bites. She asks if that’s what they’re calling a brutal attack now, and he says, no matter how much they hurt each other, there’s no way in hell he’d try to kill the woman he loves, and she knows it. She says, maybe he loves her too much to try to kill her himself, but they both know that wouldn’t stop him from hiring someone else, like he did with Hayden. He says, there’s a difference with Hayden. He never loved her.
Sasha tells Brando that she’s here, and asks if he hears the sirens. She loves him so much. The EMTs arrive, and tell everyone to step back. Gladys tells Sasha to give them space, and leads her away. Sonny tells Kristina that she did good. Thank God she’s okay. Tell him what happened; talk to him. She cries as she talks, and says she was on her way to work, and cut through the alley. The sky opened up, and it started pouring rain, and she saw something moving. It was a hook. Someone was swinging it at Brando. She saw Brando fall to the ground and started screaming. He asks if she saw the attacker’s face, but she says, no. It was pouring rain and it all happened so fast. It was like a shadow that came to life, and that thing, that hook… She saw it. It flashed right before he… He tells her, it’s all right, and holds her. One of the EMTs says, they’re losing him, and Sasha scream/cries.
Carly says she hates to bother Faye again, but she left her phone on the plane. She needs to reboard the plane and find her phone. Faye says she’s sorry, but the plane has been moved. She can’t reboard. Carly says, but she needs her cellphone, and Faye says she’ll have to look for it in the airline lost and found. Carly says, only in Jacksonville. (Really? Is that really what she thinks?) Carly tells her seatmate that she left her phone on the plane, and they won’t let her back on to get it. The woman says, you young people and your cellphones. It’s like you forgot how to use your imagination. If Carly has no good memories of Jacksonville, fine, but surely she can close her eyes and think of something that makes her smile. Carly says, don’t call me Shirley flashes back to kissing Drew in the boathouse.
Drew is also flashing back to the same thing, and Sam asks, what is that smile on his face? She already knows the answer, so she doesn’t know why she’s asking. He says, let’s just say that… there’s a lot at stake, and a lot depends on timing. She asks why he just doesn’t say it. They’re talking about Carly, aren’t they?
Dante asks if the case of mistaken identity was the call Jordan was on when he walked in, and she says, yes, it was. He says, she wants his opinion as a friend; what’s this about? Her phone rings, and she asks him to wait. She answers, listens for a moment, and says, she’s on her way. She tells Dante, there was another stabbing in the alley behind Charlie’s Pub. According to an eyewitness, the weapon appeared to be a hook. He says, the same thing used on Ava, and she says she’ll fill him in on the way.
Curtis tells TJ, he’s sorry. He doesn’t mean to pry. He just wants to see that Jordan finds genuine happiness like he found with Portia, or like TJ did with Molly. TJ says he knows Curtis wants good things for his mom, but it’s been almost a year since the divorce, and all of a sudden Curtis is asking him these questions. Does Curtis know something he doesn’t know? Portia comes back before Curtis can answer.
An EMT says, Brando’s got a pulse, and Gladys says, thank you God. They get ready to put Brando in the ambulance, and Sasha says she’s his wife, and she’s coming. Gladys says she’s his mother, and Sonny asks if the officer will let them go. He and his daughter will stay and answer any questions. The officer says, that’s fine, and they leave. Sonny calls out, don’t give up hope. Brando’s a fighter. Kristina says she knows he said that for their sake, but Sonny says he meant it. Brando survived addiction and combat, and everything Cyrus Renault threw at him. He’s going to make it. He has to.
Carly smiles, and the woman says, so she did find a happy memory. It works every time. Carly says, she’s a very wise woman, and Carly bets she’s speaking from experience, and has a special someone in her life. The woman says, yes and no. She had several attempts at love, but none of them could ever stick the landing. She’s learned she’s better off loving animals. She never met a man as loyal as a dog. They never disappoint you, and certainly never bounce a check. But you young people probably don’t write checks anymore. You have everything on your phones. Carly says, since her phone on the plane, maybe she should focus on her surroundings more. Maybe there is something good in Jacksonville, thanks to her and Gretel. Faye says she has an update for passengers traveling to Aruba.
Drew asks Sam if it’s that obvious to people that he and Carly are circling around each other. She says, she’s not most people, so she can’t speak for most people, but she thinks she knows him better than most. Don’t worry. His secret not-so-secret is safe with her. He asks if Carly has said anything, and Sam tells him, not a word, but when she sees the two of them together, there’s a spark; there’s a connection. He says he just hopes the connection isn’t going to be an issue for Sam, and Sam says, as long as he and Carly can get their timing right, there’s no issue for her. For the longest time, when people asked her about Carly, she would say, Carly’s Jason’s friend, not her friend. But in Jason’s absence, she and Carly gravitated toward each other. Scout tells Sam that she can’t get past this level in her game, and Sam says she thinks she can help. She tells Drew that she’ll be right back. Drew calls Carly again, and gets voicemail. He says he thought her flight might have landed by now. Give him a call when she gets the chance.
Nikolas says, he and Ava are both flawed people, with serious errors in judgments in the past. She can keep throwing Hayden Barnes in his face just like he could throw her swapping Morgan Corinthos’s bipolar meds for placebos. Are they on a level playing field now? She says she supposes they are, and he says, let’s be honest. If she knows him at all, she knows if he wanted to kill her, he wouldn’t job it out, and he wouldn’t use a weapon. He would do it with his bare hands. She says, wow. Finally. An honest conversation between them, even if it does have fatal implications. He asks if that wasn’t what they always had and makes them so damn crazy about each other? She says, a lot of people would say they’re just plain crazy, and he says, who cares what other people think? They were made for each other. She tells him, don’t look at her like that, and he says, why not? She says she doesn’t want to want him, and he asks if she still wants him. She says, of course (🍷) she does. Does he think the pain of being stabbed hurt her more than the thought that he couldn’t keep his hands off of Esme? He says, yes, he’s a man capable of sleeping with his son’s girlfriend. He’s not proud of it, but he owns who he is. He is a cad, a rat, a liar, but would she believe him if he said he was anything else? If he tried to convince her that he was some kind of hero on a white horse? That’s not who he is. He knows it, and so does she, but they can still make some good out of this nightmare. They can’t do it apart; they can only do it together.
Officer Matthews asks Kristina, what about the attacker’s height; over or under six feet? She says she doesn’t know, and Sonny asks if they can stop. He’s asked a hundred different ways for her to describe the attacker, and she’s already given him everything she knows. Officer Matthews thanks them for cooperating, and walks away. Kristina thanks Sonny for that. She just wants to go to the hospital. Dante and Jordan come on the scene, and Jordan says she heard Kristina is the only eyewitness to the attack, and Sonny says, that’s true, but she’s already given her statement to the officer. Kristina says, if Jordan needs her to come down to the station tomorrow and answer any questions, she’s happy to do it, but right now she needs to get to the hospital and check on her cousin. Sonny says, they know Brando is the victim, right? and Dante says, yeah. Sonny says, they’re very tired, so they both just want to go to GH. Jordan says she gets that. They’re both free to go. Dante asks them to tell Sasha and Gladys that he’s thinking of them, and Sonny says he will.
TJ says a bunch of medical stuff, and Portia says, he’s having trouble breathing from the left side; his lung has collapsed. TJ says, he needs to decompress Brando’s lung, and Sasha and Gladys watch through the window. Gladys takes out her rosary, and Curtis says he knows they’re both scared, and they have every right to be, but the main thing to focus on now is that Brando is getting medical care. Portia and TJ are two of General Hospital’s very best. He’s in good hands. Sasha looks in at Brando, and says, he’s just so pale. She needs him so much. Brando can’t die. He just can’t. Gladys blesses herself, and prays the rosary.
Carly says, it was nice meeting the woman and Gretel, and tells Gretel that she has a great mommy. The woman says, it was nice meeting Carly too, and Faye says, for those boarding flight 214 to Aruba, that flight has been officially canceled. There are a lot of groans from the waiting passengers, and Carly says, now what is she going to do? The woman says, looks like she’ll be spending the night as a guest of the airline. Welcome home, hon. Been there, done that. Not the welcome home part, but being a guest of the airline. I didn’t like it either. Somewhere, there’s a photo of me in Houston, giving the finger and holding up a sign that says, F-U Delta.
Sam tells Scout, there, and hands back her game. Drew says he’s got to get going, but he’s so happy that Scout’s family just keeps getting bigger. She has her and Danny, she has mom, she has Dante and Rocco, and she has him. Scout asks who he has, and Sam says, daddy has them. Drew says, that’s right. Always.Tomorrow, first day of school. He leaves, blowing Scout a kiss before going out the door. She blows one back, and he catches it.
Dante thanks Officer Matthews, and tells Jordan, Kristina saw the attack, but not the attacker’s face. She saw the weapon, and it sounds like it was this hook, the same thing that stabbed Ava Jerome. Jordan wonders how an attack on Brando fits together with Ava, but he says he doesn’t know. They have means, but no motive. She says they don’t have the time or luxury of knowing why. They need find whoever did this before they attack again.
Ava says, Nikolas isn’t playing fair, and he says he’s being honest. How is that not playing fair? She says, if he’d come in there and sworn his undying love, she would have called security and had him thrown out. But when he owns up to what a lousy rat he is, and how he can’t be trusted, it almost makes her trust him. He moves to kiss her, and she says, almost. Sonny comes in, and asks what the hell Nikolas is doing here. Ava says she told Frank to stand down. She and Nikolas had something to settle, and they’ve done that. Nikolas tells Sonny, do his worst. Not that this matters to Sonny, but he’s not the one who tried to kill Ava. Sonny says, he knows.
TJ says, he just heard from the OR. The team is ready for them. They wheel Brando out, and Sasha tells him that she loves him so much. He’ll be okay. She’ll be right here. She loves him so much. The elevator doors close and she sobs. Kristina joins them.
Tomorrow, Rory asks Trina if it changes things now that she knows the truth; Carly says she doesn’t owe someone anything; Sonny tells Ava and Nikolas that there’s been another attack; and Sasha asks TJ, what’s wrong?
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
At Kyle’s house, Kyle tells LisaR that she had to say something when Erika said alleged victims, and LisaR says, there are victims. At the rental house, Crystal says, Erika elevated thee conversation last night to something erratic, and we flash back to that. LisaR tells Kyle that Erika was so defensive, nobody could reach her. She tried when they were in the car. We see a clip of LisaR telling Erika that she could separate the legal stuff from empathy for the victims (a word with which we should play a drinking game). Erika says she acknowledged that months ago, and we see a clip of Erika telling Dorit that she won’t back down. Everyone wants her to be nice, but she’s not apologizing for sh*t. Will they apologize when all is said and done? Do they want it to be forgive and forget?
In Kyle’s interview, she says, it’s a lot easier to walk Storm than Kathy, and we see Kathy trying to walk in boots she insists are for the snow, while she’s sliding everywhere. LisaR and Kyle get on either side of her, and Kathy says, the clerk told her they were for the snow. Kyle says, they lied. Crystal, Sutton, and Garcelle go for breakfast, and LisaR and Kyle join them. Kyle doesn’t know where Kathy went, and in her interview, she says, ever since she was a little girl, Kathy would disappear. She feels like she’s her sister’s keeper. She can’t keep track of her. She tells the women that her feelings are hurt. When she came back to the house last night, Erika had cleared out. We see a clip of Erika packing her stuff and leaving, Dorit in attendance. LisaR says she checked in with Erika this morning, and asked if she was okay; she said, no. Dorit and Diana go to an upscale store, which Dorit deems so chic, which is her favorite word. The store manager says they don’t make more than 25 or 30 of every piece, and Dorit says she has a lot of their stuff. Erika meets them, and Kathy finally finds the breakfast group. Kyle says they’re going to Kemo Sabe, and in her interview, she says, it’s not just a store to buy hats and boots. It’s an experience. She hopes the women can get their act together and make nice for her, because they know it’s important. Dorit asks how Erika feels about going, and Erika says, she doesn’t want to go. She doesn’t want to be around them. In Erika’s interview, she says, it’s easy for the group to want her to express sympathy, but she has her own reasons. Whatever she says is scrutinized, picked apart, and thrown in her face. She doesn’t care if it’s Kyle’s favorite store. F*** these people. F*** this place. Diana says, what if it happened, and Erika had never married Tom, but she read about what happened. Wouldn’t she feel terrible? Erika says, justice needs to be served, but if she doesn’t fight for herself, she’ll get railroaded. She’s getting her ass kicked daily. Outside in the world, that’s cool, but not inside her friend circle. In Diana’s interview, she says, you can’t say you don’t care about the victims. She hopes Erika doesn’t mean it. Erika tells them the case in Chicago was dismissed, and in her interview, she says, that case was the beginning of all the bad press. It’s nice to have it squashed. She still has a lot of dragons to slay, but it feels good today. Tomorrow is another day. She wonders if anyone will say anything.
LisaR reads that the case was dismissed, and Sutton says, that’s the one she was called about, where they wanted a third party witness. Crystal says, they’re refiling it, and in her interview, she says, it was dismissed in Illinois, but that doesn’t mean it’s dismissed in other states. They’re refiling in California. It still exists. Kyle says she believes Erika didn’t know anything, but the conversation was about the victims. She wants to talk to Erika one-on-one. Still at the store, Erika says she doesn’t feel good sitting on someone’s plane who was screaming at her about the things that were dropped today. The breakfast group comes by, and Kathy tries the door, but it’s locked. The manager asks if he should unlock it, but Erika and Dorit say, no, because they’re middle schoolers. The other women drift on down the street.
In her interview, Kyle says, Kemo Sabe is a rite of passage. They’ll get a hat, get their initials out on it, adorn it with things, and set it on fire. It’s the best. Sheree meets them at the store/bar, and Crystal accepts that the hat she’s trying on is cute, but wonders where she’d wear it. As would I. In Kyle’s interview, she says she loves hats. She’s been collecting them for a long time, and couldn’t pick a favorite. They’re like her children. They order drinks, and Kathy is all excited because they have her tequila. In LisaR’s interview, she says she has a sneaking suspicion that Kathy brought it there herself, and we flash back to Kathy’s tequila tour this season. LisaR asks for her friend Kendall Jenner’s tequila, since she hasn’t tried it, and Kathy gets pissed. And I mean pissed. LisaR says she’s just trying it, and Kyle tells Kathy not to ruin the mood. In her interview, LisaR says, she has three friends who have tequilas, and that was the only one she hadn’t tasted. Kathy goes to the bar and orders her own tequila, and tells the bartender to pour it in front of everyone. She has to promote herself, since no one else will. She’s double-pissed because, not only did LisaR disrespect her, Kyle said nothing. In Kyle’s interview, she says, once Kathy is mad, it’s hard to turn it around. Kathy tells Garcelle and Crystal that she’s leaving; she’s pissed off. Just in case we didn’t know. In her interview, Kyle says, Kathy can be fun and funny, but she can also be very difficult. It bothers Kyle how much she lets it affect her, but that’s the difference between friends versus sisters. Mauricio shows up, and takes pictures of them in their hats, and they drink shots from glasses attached to a rifle. IMO, Kathy is way overreacting, but I don’t believe for a second LisaR didn’t know what she was doing. Oh, Kathy is all excited about her tequila, so I’ll make a show of drinking someone else’s. Come on.
Erika tells Diana to buy some jewelry so she can live vicariously. Diana says she likes to buy vintage; it’s also an investment. Erika is wearing the earrings in question, and in Dorit’s interview, she says, it takes a certain kind of person to put on the earrings that were the subject of last night’s conversation. In Erika’s interview, she says, why shouldn’t she wear them? They’ve been hers for 15 years, and until she’s told they’re not hers, she’ll wear them. (Note: She said on Watch What Happens Live that she no longer has them. They’re being held in limbo right now by the court.) They stop at Aspen Pie, which is a really cute pie shop/bar. Erika gets a hot toddy, and tries to order Dorit’s drink, since Dorit needed to use the facilities. Diana says she FaceTimed with the baby, who didn’t understand how mom could be on the screen and not with her. Dorit comes back, and says, Erika was only off by the short glass. In Dorit’s interview, she says she can’t give Erika a hard time, since PK struggles to get it right. In Diana’s interview, she says she tries to help people in distress, so she invited Dorit and Erika to stay with her, since they needed a safe house. At Kemo Sabe, the women get hats, and Sutton has hers set on fire. I’m like, WTF? I thought Kyle was joking. In Sutton’s interview, she says she’s never spent $500 on fire. She did almost burn Kyle’s house down, which was a lot more than $500, but they’re just trying to distress the hat, not the house. Dorit calls Kyle, and says she’s in a café with Erika and Diana. Erika doesn’t want to go to Kemo Sabe, and she feels bad leaving her. Kyle says her feelings are hurt, but they’re going to be hurt more if Dorit doesn’t come. Dorit asks Kyle not to put her in that position, and Kyle says, she took over the whole space, Dorit says, Kyle is with five girls, and Erika’s with two. In Kyle’s interview, she says, between Erika leaving, the way her sister spoke to her, and Dorit not showing up, it gives her a sick feeling, She’s hurt. She tells Dorit that it’s on her if she stays there, or comes and goes with the plan that’s been in place for months. She hangs up, and Dorit is like, hello? She goes back in the café, and says, it didn’t go good. She’s blown away. Erika pretends to be humble, and says, Dorit’s friendship with Kyle is bigger than her situation. Then she asks if anyone said anything about her lawsuit being dismissed. Dorit says, no, and 1) nice way for Erika to make this about her, and 2) it was like a one minute call with Kyle only. At Kemo Sabe, LisaR wonders what she can do to help, and Kyle says she thinks it’s selfish of Erika. She was happy to set their differences aside, but now she’s not coming, and is pulling Dorit with her. Neither one of them responded all day either. LisaR says she’s going over there, and promises she’ll be back shortly. In LisaR’s interview, she says she knows what this means to Kyle, and understands it’s important to Kyle to bring everyone back together. She just hopes they can do it.
LisaR strides down the street. In her interview, she says she doesn’t know exactly where they are, but it’s a small town. She’ll just walk, and pop into places and look in windows. Hopefully, she’ll find them. Dorit tells Erika and Diana that she doesn’t want to walk into a bunch of women who are going to be mean to her. She feels like she’s bearing the brunt of everything. Do they take overreaction classes or something? Erika sees LisaR going past, and tells Dorit, go get her. LisaR joins them, and Erika brags that her case was dismissed without prejudice. I don’t think that means what she thinks it means. I’ve watched a billion episodes of The People’s Court, and that just means they’re dropping it for now, but it can come back to haunt you at any time. It can happen for a variety of reasons. Dorit says she’s here to support her friend, and LisaR proposes they all sit together and talk calmly about everything. Kyle is hurt at the situation. They know how it is when you want to show people your happy place. Erika says she’ll show them something that happened to her that’s bigger than this sh*t. LisaR goes back to Kemo Sabe, and Kyle says she organized this private shopping event, and ordered pizza. In Kyle’s interview, she cries, and says, she shows up for everything. Can’t they show up for something she planned months in advance? LisaR says, Dorit got stuck with Erika, and Kyle says, Erika was an a-hole last night. In her interview, Kyles says, it’s unbelievably selfish in every way. Kathy says, it doesn’t feel good when people aren’t there for you. She knows what it’s like. Personally though, she would have left. Maybe Erika was embarrassed. Kyle says, she would have thought they were good enough friends that Erika would say that to her. LisaR says, they should be having this conversation with Erika, and Kyle says she has. Being honest gets you into trouble. LisaR says, nobody likes to hear the truth, especially me. In Kyle’s interview, she says, Kathy is acting like nothing happened. Sometimes you have to choose peace. LisaR tries on her hat.
At the rental house, Garcelle is tired of waiting for Sutton to get ready. Sutton says she only took five minutes, and Garcelle asks if that was in dog years. At Kyle’s place, Kyle is still sniffling, when Dorit knocks on the door. Kyle says she doesn’t want to talk now, and Dorit says, this is breaking her heart. Kyle says she thinks of Dorit as family, and Dorit says she feels the same. That’s why she’s here. Kyle says, Erika did it to herself last night, and Dorit says she doesn’t want to be in the middle. Kyle says, she put herself there, and Dorit says, Erika was in tears. Kyle yells that she doesn’t care, and Dorit says, when someone is in pain, she wants to be there to support them, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, Dorit is telling her that she cares more about Erika’s feelings than hers. She tells Dorit that Erika packed up and left her house, and LisaR says, they need to go to dinner. She suggests they put a pin in it for now, and I hope Shannon from RHOC is taking notes. Kyle says, Erika brought this on by her behavior last night. She and Dorit start squabbling, and LisaR says, time out. Kyle goes in the bedroom, and Mauricio asks if he can say something. He’s been listening, and on behalf of PK and himself, he wants to create peace. He knows Dorit and Kyle love each other, and what’s causing the fight is an external situation. They’re both hurt, and it’s difficult to get past, but they have to move on. Thus spake Mau, bringing forth his marijuana wisdom. Dorit and Kyle hug, and in her interview, Kyle says, she and Dorit have the type of friendship where they fight, which she hates so much. They always make up, but she hates arguing with people she cares about.
They take a limo bus to a club where they have a private room. It’s set up with charcuterie trays, and Dorit wonders if they’re just having bits. LisaR says, they’re getting pizza, and Dorit says she had pizza for lunch. Oh, excuse me. In Dorit’s interview, she says she doesn’t like what happened. It doesn’t feel good, but it’s their last night in Aspen. In Kyle’s interview, she says, the argument took a lot out of her. She didn’t want to show up, and right now, she’s just keeping it together with the plan and moving forward. Kyle tells Dorit that she’s not angry, but she’s hurt at Dorit choosing to stay with Erika. Dorit says, Erika was upset; she’s a broken woman today. In Garcelle’s interview, she says she finds that hard to believe, since Erika puts on a strong front. We flash back to Erika being loud and obnoxious, and Dorit says, Erika is very upset. They talked about a of the sh*t Erika had to go through. She was tearful and broken. They all know she’s gone though it in the last year. Erika comes in with Diana, and Dorit meets Erika at the bar. Kyle asks Garcelle to talk to her; she’s feeling uncomfortable. She hates the feeling. She goes over to the bar, and asks Dorit to give them a minute. They hug, and Kyle says, she hates feeling uncomfortable with a good friend. Erika says she is Kyle’s good friend. That’s why she was so upset. Did Kyle see what happened? Kyle congratulates he, and Erika says, Kyle can see why she fought her ass off. Kyle tells Erika that she never said Erika was guilty. She should just show empathy. Erika says, to who? and Kyle says, the victims, the look on her face saying she wonders if Erika just dropped into this several day conversation. Kyle says, that doesn’t mean Erika’s to blame, and Erika says she feels like they want something from her that can’t give now. She can’t go certain places. Kyle says she doubts a lawyer would tell her not to show empathy (I’m not so sure about that), but when Erika says, they’re not her problem… Erika says she’s not responsible for cleaning this up; Girardi Keese is. It’s a legal problem, and she’s being lumped in. It’s not her responsibility. She feels badly for those legitimately wronged, and they need to be taken care of, but that won’t happen for a while. Everything is coming at her, and she’s not the most cuddly person on the planet. She inherited the problem. It’s not her problem, but it’s being thrown in her face constantly, and it’s hard. Kyle says she doesn’t want to fight, and Erika says, it’s their first blowout in seven years. Kyle says she cried so much, and Erika says she’s just trying to get through it. They hug, and in her interview, Kyle says, Erika is her friend. They don’t agree on everything, but she doesn’t want to keep arguing with someone she cares about. She’d rather make up and move on. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, Kyle and Erika talk for two minutes, and they’re good. But Erika will hold a grudge against Sutton for years. There’s obviously a double standard. Crystal tells Dorit that Erika wants her friends to have compassion for her. Why can’t she show it for the victims? Dorit asks if Crystal read the article. Not everything is always cut and dried. Crystal says, there was no misunderstanding of Erika’s position, but she’s now understanding it’s Dorit’s position. Dorit says she doesn’t know all the information, and neither does Crystal.
Crystal tells Dorit that she lives with a moral compass. She likes to know the people she surrounds herself with people who share that. Kyle plays pool, and Kathy says she wants Kyle to do the moonwalk. She moonwalks better than she plays pool. The pizza comes, and Kyle, LisaR, and Erika make fun of Erika’s tirade the night before. Sutton tells Crystal, what happened last night was not okay, but Crystal says, Erika will always think it’s okay. In Crystal’s interview, she says she’s not surprised the three of them are making fun of the situation. Erika was screaming at her all night, but if she did that, they wouldn’t make light of it today. It would go on forever. Truth! Crystal asks Sutton, what do they do? and Sutton says, at some point, they need to talk about this. In Sutton’s interview, she says, she and Erika have had this argument. She’s retired. She tells Crystal to have the argument, and she’ll speculate. Crystal and Sutton join the group, and Crystal says she feels Erika talks down to her. Why is it a problem for her to feel the way she does, when Garcelle feels the same way? Garcelle says, she and Erika have gotten into it, and Crystal asks why Erika called her an a-hole. Erika says, because she is. They’re talking about the law, not a personal relationship. Crystal asks why they have to talk about the law, and Erika says she’s done nothing but be supportive of Crystal, yet she doesn’t do enough. She’s in a legal mess, and Crystal is making it about her and her ego. Crystal asks, why not show compassion? and Erika says, she put her arms around Crystal when she was crying in Mexico. Crystal says she’s grateful for that, and we flash back to Erika telling Crystal to stick up for herself. Erika asks, what’s the real deal? If Crystal is her true supporter, why did she choose to go there last night? Crystal says she saw the article about the earrings, and Erika says, the story is a year and a half old, but Crystal says, it came up this week, and it was about showing compassion. Erika says, that case is not the same people. It was improper use of funds, and her case was dismissed. In Crystal’s interview, she says, that’s not considered a win. Erika shouldn’t be celebrating. It still exists, no matter what Erika says. Erika tells Crystal, maybe she shouldn’t have been nice to her. She can work it out from now on. Kyle says, they’re not getting anywhere tonight. They need to put a pin in it, and go to the Caribou Club. In Erika’s interview, she says, one more bar. What could possibly happen?
Later that night. In the car, Kathy says, if she doesn’t get in, have fun, but LisaR says, she’s Kathy Hilton. She could get in wearing a bathing suit. Kyle says, the dress code is very strict, and LisaR tells Kathy to get those sweatpants fired up. Kathy insists they’re not sweatpants.
Several hours later. LisaR sends texts to Erika about Kathy having a meltdown; anger, screaming, throwing things, crying. She’s locked in her room. The hatred that just came out of her toward her sister. She’s speechless. In LisaR’s interview, she says, the world thinks Kathy is somebody she’s not. The final text is from Kathy to LisaR, and says: Silence is golden. I’m staying silent.
Come set a spell tomorrow for soap and Charm. Until then, stay safe, stay allowing yourself to change your mind, and stay loving animals. They never disappoint you, and certainly never bounce a check.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Portia says she’s going to inject Oz Haggerty with the reversal agents, and Curtis says, what if something goes wrong? and She says she knows there’s a risk of him waking up too fast too soon, but it’s her only option. She has to go through with this. He says he’s not talking about the risk to Haggerty; he’s talking about the risk to the woman he loves.
Dante leads Cody into the station, and says, next time, maybe he’ll think before he sucker punches somebody. And don’t pick a lawyer like Scotty; he sues people. Cody says, the only thing he regrets is only landing one punch. They go into the interrogation room, and Cody asks if they can ditch these cuffs. How about doing his old buddy a favor and letting him go free? Dante says he is doing Cody a favor by talking to him like this, because next time, it could be through the bars of a cell.
At Charlie’s, Britt examines Scotty’s nose, and tells him, it’s not broken, and he’s lucky it’s not. He says he didn’t deserve to get sucker punched by her boyfriend, and she says, Cody is not her boyfriend, and from what she heard, he had a score to settle with Scotty. Scotty says, he’s never seen that guy before in his life, until Cody punched him. And this whole Dominique, this cockamamie story. If Dominique had another kid out there before Serena, she would have told him. Obrecht asks if he’s sure, and he says he is, because they shared everything. Obrecht says, perhaps he didn’t know her as well as he thought.
Rory tells Jordan, no need to stick around. He’s got it from here. She says she wants to believe that, but he hasn’t answered her question. Can he put his badge above his feelings for Trina Robinson? He says, it’s because he cares about Trina that she can trust him.
Trina asks TJ to please tell her that bartender is coming out of his coma. Her attorney thinks the jury is close to reaching a verdict. Oz Haggerty is the only one who can prove her innocence. He says, Oz Haggerty’s medical team is bringing him out of his medically induced coma, but unfortunately, it’s a painstakingly slow medical process. He still has a long way to go before he regains consciousness. She says, which means the jury is going to reach their verdict without knowing Esme is the one who bought the black market cellphone. He says he’s sorry to be the bearer of bad news, and she says, the closer they get to the verdict, the harder it is to stay optimistic.
Portia tells Curtis, the only thing that matters is that Haggerty wakes up in time to tell the truth before that jury comes back with a verdict. Curtis says, is it vitally important that Oz wakes up? Hell yeah, but it’s not the only thing that matters. Even if she talks her way into that room, she won’t make it out if her attempts to wake him up go sideways. She says she already told him, she’s willing to take that risk, but he says, give herself a cover. Be smart about it. Don’t go charging in there asking to incriminate herself. She says, if anyone goes to prison, it’s better her than her daughter, but he says he won’t trade Trina’s freedom for hers.
Dante says, he and Cody have always been honest with each other, right? and Cody says, more or less. Dante says, so why doesn’t Cody be honest with him right now? How long has he been hunting down Scott Baldwin? Is that why he stuck around town? Cody swears he didn’t come to Port Charles for anything other than a paycheck. The surprise bonus was running into Dante. Dante says, Cody had to know he’d run into Scotty sooner or later, right? and Cody says, if he came to town to find Scotty, doesn’t Dante think he would have made it happen sooner? He didn’t even know who Scotty was until a couple of months ago, and believe him, when he found out who Scotty was, and what Scotty did to him, he didn’t want anything to do with that piece of trash. Today, when Scotty was standing right in front of him with that smug grin on his face, he just kept thinking about everything he’d heard, and how Scotty had taken everything that was rightfully his, and he just got so mad… He’s sorry. He couldn’t stop himself. Dante asks how Cody got to this point in his life and not know Scotty stole something from him, and Cody says he didn’t know about Scotty, because he didn’t even know Dominique was his mom. Dante asks how he found that out, and Cody says, he heard it from a dead woman.
Scotty says, he and Dominique had no secrets. If she had a son out there, Scotty would have found him, and had him live with them. Scotty would never turn his back on him. Obrecht says she knows he wants to believe in Dominique, but if they shared everything, why would she go to her grave without telling him about Cody? What would have motivated her to stay silent? Britt says, people stay silent for lots of reasons. Sometimes it’s because they don’t trust people, sometimes it’s because they’re so afraid of what they’ve kept inside, they can’t face it. Obrecht says, and sometimes we’re brave and don’t even know it. Maybe it wasn’t so much that Dominique was keeping a secret from Scotty. What if she was trying to protect him? Scotty says, maybe she was trying to protect herself.
Jordan tells Rory that she cares about Trina too, but as they were taught at the Academy, the badge comes first. He says he knows he’s just a rookie, but does it have to be either or? Can’t a police officer be true to the badge and still have compassion? Yeah, he wants Trina to be found not guilty, and the best way for that to happen is for the man inside this room to wake up, and testify that Esme Prince bought that black market cellphone, and that Trina wasn’t involved. She says, the problem is, Miss Prince is no longer living at Windymere, and they’re having trouble finding her. He says he wants to help with that too, but first, she can trust him that no one, not Esme Prince or anyone else not on the list, will enter this room and interfere with the recovery of Oz Haggerty.
Trina tells TJ, she’s usually a glass half-full kind of person, but she’s not that sure the truth is going to come out in time to vindicate her. And if Diane’s right, time’s almost up. She sits, and TJ sits next to her. He says he wants her to keep reminding herself how many people are on her side. Her mom and Curtis are doing everything they can. Joss and Cam, the victims, both testified on her behalf. That’s got to mean something to the jury. She says, but Joss and Cam don’t have any hard proof that she’s innocent. The only one who can exonerate her is that bartender Oz. She knows he’s not in a natural coma; he’s medically induced. Can’t they get him out of it faster? TJ flashes back to telling Portia that he plans on administering drugs to wake Oz up, and Portia saying, Oz was put into a coma for a reason. To forcibly wake him up would be completely denying his medical needs, and that’s the very definition of unethical. He tells Trina, even if there were such a way… She says, wait. If it was impossible, he’d have said so, but he didn’t. He just talked around it, and made it a hypothetical. Does that mean he can force Oz to wake up?
Portia asks Curtis, where was all this concern when TJ was the one who was going to revive Oz?He was willing to risk his entire career, his freedom, to inject the reversal agents. Curtis says, they were desperate. Besides, TJ stood a better chance of getting in and out of Oz’s room without suspicion. He can’t say the same about her, considering she’s Trina’s mother. She asks if he’s telling her she should give up. She should trust twelve total strangers in that jury room? He says, hell no; he’s not saying that. He’s saying they’re a team, and should share the same risks and the same consequences, which means they should stick to the original plan. While he distracts Rory, she slips into Oz’s room, and gives him that injection. She says, and if it fails? All three of them end up in Pentenville? He says, at least they’ll be together. He takes her hand, and asks what she says. She says, let’s do it.
Cody tells Dante, life could have been different. He grew up in the shadows of Serenity. It was originally owned by the Stanton family. The Bells, who he thought were his real parents, lived in the caretaker’s cottage. That’s where he learned to ride horses. It’s also where he learned he’d never amount to more in life than being a cook’s son. The love of horses came naturally to him; no other lesson ever stuck. He grew up hearing these stories about the house on the hill, where the beautiful Dominique and her shady husband Leopold Taub used to live. Dante says, it’s an interesting story, but how does Scotty fit in?
Scotty says, Dominique’s marriage to Leopold Taub wasn’t a love match. He was a social climber. The Stantons represented everything he wasn’t. Britt says, Leopold Taub. Why does that name sound familiar? Obrecht says, Leopold Taub and Cesar had certain… dealings, and Britt says, her father and Cody’s father.
Cody says, he knew Leopold was a bad man because he was cruel to the horses. Apparently, he was also cruel to his wife. It was just a story, until… Dante says, until what? and Cody says, a few months ago, he got that call you never want to get. His mom – or the woman he thought was his mom – was dying. So he dropped everything and went home to say goodbye. Dante says he’s sorry, and Cody says, thanks. He was out of a job, so it was easy to drop everything. He came home to that sad little caretaker cottage, and he was right beside her when she took her last breath. Dante says, again, he’s sorry, but at least Cody got to say goodbye. Cody says, before he did, she took his hand and told him that she couldn’t die before she told him the truth. She didn’t give birth to him. His birth mother was the beautiful, very wealthy Dominique Stanton.
Jordan looks through the window at Oz, and says, there’s no sign of him waking, is there? Rory says, not since he’s been there, and she says, part of her wants to walk in there and grab him by the shoulders, and tell him to snap out of it. He says, Trina matters to her too, right? and she says, Trina matters to a whole lot of people in this town. They know who she is, and who she isn’t, but the evidence… Rory says, Esme Prince manufactured the evidence to point to Trina, and she says, unfortunately, they can’t prove that. He says, no, but Oz can. If anything happens, Jordan will be the first to know. She thanks him, and leaves. He looks at Oz.
Trina asks TJ, if they can speed up the process and bring Oz out of his coma, why haven’t they tried? He says, because it can backfire. It can make the coma permanent or worse. She says, he means it might kill Oz, and he says, there’s always a chance. Even if the reversal agents were to work, there’s no way to guarantee Oz would wake up with his faculties and memories intact. She says, okay, so no injection. The doctors stick to whatever protocol they’re using now. How long will it take for Oz to wake up? He says, it could be days, or weeks, and she says she doesn’t have that long. He says he knows. They’re just doctors. They took an oath to do no harm. He was so determined to help her that, for a moment, he almost forgot that. Curtis and Portia come down the hall, looking guilty, and Portia asks what Trina is doing here. Curtis says, let him guess. Diane got ahold of her. Trina says, Diane messaged her that jury is close to reaching a verdict. She guesses that means she might not be coming home for dinner tonight. Portia hugs her, and TJ says he’ll let them have some family time alone. He leaves, and Portia says, Trina shouldn’t be here. She should go home and spend some time with her friends. Trina say, it’s not their fault. They’re trying to cheer her up, but she doesn’t feel like pretending it’s all going to be okay. Portia says, Trina has to have faith. Believe it or not, miracles still do happen. Trina says, Portia doesn’t have to pretend with her either. TJ told her that she stopped him from taking extreme measures to wake up Oz. Portia looks at Curtis, and it’s not lost on Trina. Trina says, don’t get her wrong, she understands. Portia didn’t want TJ risking a patient’s life or his career doing something unethical. She’s glad Portia stepped up and told him to do the right thing. Portia says, there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for Trina, absolutely nothing, and Curtis says, he hates to break up this moment, but didn’t Portia have a patient she’s worried about? Why doesn’t he stay with Trina, and she can go do what she’s got to do. She asks if he’s sure, and he says, go; they’ll be right here. She tells Trina to take care of herself, and leaves.
Cody tells Dante, that deathbed confession turned his world upside down. Even his last name wasn’t right; he wasn’t a Bell. He was a wealthy Stanton who was supposed to grow up in that house on that hill. Dante says he can kind of relate. What he got to Port Charles, he didn’t know Sonny was his father. He was undercover in Sonny’s operation, trying to take him down from the inside, and he found out Sonny was his dad after Sonny shot him. Cody says, Dante’s story beats his, and Dante says he’s not trying to one-up Cody. He’s just saying he can relate. To find out as an adult you’re not who you thought you were messes with your head. Cody says he never knew if Dominique thought about him or wanted to provide for him. After she died, Serenity was sold off, and the proceeds went to the love of her life, the father of her daughter Serena. Dante says, enter Scott Baldwin, and Cody says, does Dante want to ask him again why he punched that smug son of a gun? He stole everything Cody didn’t even know he had. Dante says, and Scotty swears he didn’t know about Cody? Cody says, yeah, but he also claims Dominique was the love of his life. If they were so close, why didn’t she ever tell him about her first born child? Dante asks if Cody is mad at Scotty, or mad at his mother for what she did to him?
Scotty ices his nose, and says, if Dominique was trying to keep her son away from Leopold, it makes sense she would give him to the Bells to raise. Obrecht says, kind of like Maxie trusting Brook with Bailey to keep her safe from Peter. Britt says, but the one big difference is, Maxie’s situation was temporary, where it sounds like Dominique’s situation was never-ending. Obrecht says, that would explain why Cody never knew who he was; Dominique kept silent to the end. Britt says, it all fits together, doesn’t it? Unless the pieces fit a little too well. Scotty asks what she’s driving at, and Britt says she hasn’t known Cody long, but from the first time she met him, he was always working some angle. So what if that’s what this is, and none of the story is true?
Curtis hands a bag from the vending machine to Trina, but she says she’s not hungry. He says, humor him. She’s got to keep up her strength because she doesn’t want to lose hope. Remember what her mom said about miracles. She takes the bag from him, and says she wants to have faith, but she doesn’t want to fool herself. Things aren’t going her way, and TJ said, even if Oz comes out of his coma, they don’t know if his memories will still be intact. He could have totally forgotten he was selling that black market phone to Esme, and even if he does, it could take weeks or months, and by then, the jury will already have decided, and she could be in Pentenville. He says he can’t promise how this is going to turn out, but he can promise that everyone who cares about her is doing everything they can to prove her innocence. She puts her head on his shoulder, and he puts his arm around her.
TJ looks at his tablet, and Jordan asks what he’s studying so intently. He says, Oz Haggerty’s chart. He’s looking for any glimmer of hope that his awakening is speeding up. She says she knows how badly he wants to help Trina; so does she, but they can’t force things. He says, that’s the thing. Just like he told Portia and Curtis, there’s a way to force Oz into consciousness.
Rory asks if Portia has heard from Trina; how is she? Portia says, she’s waiting, like the rest of us, for the patient in that room to wake up. Actually, that’s why she stopped by. She was just going to check on Oz, and see how he’s progressing herself. He says he’s sorry, but he can’t let her in, and she tells him that she’s a doctor. He says he knows it’s unusual to stop a doctor from seeing a patient, but unfortunately, her name isn’t on the approved list, and he can’t let her inside. She says, good for him, going by the book. She’s not on the list because she’s not the attending on the case and not a consultant on the case. Did he think she wanted to go in there to treat the patient? She just wanted to take a look at him with her own two eyes. Obviously, she has a vested interest in seeing everything is done to restore Mr. Haggerty to full consciousness. And he wants the same thing, doesn’t he? He says, of course (🍷). That’s why he’s grateful Commissioner Ashford assigned him this post. He promises her, nobody will interfere with the recovery of Haggerty. And when he comes out of this coma, he can ID Esme as being the one who bought the black market phone. Rory thinks that will be enough to convince the jury that Trina’s not guilty. She says, of course (🍷), but by then Trina could be in Pentenville for weeks, if not months. Can’t he… She goes to the window, and he says he doesn’t understand. Can’t he what? Is she sure he can’t help her? She says, yes, she’s sure, and walks away.
Cody tells Dante, maybe it’s easier to blame Scotty than his mother, but put himself in Cody’s shoes. Dante says, that’s what he’s trying to do. Telling Cody about Sonny, and discovering Sonny was his father. It’s not the same thing, but it still threw him for a loop. His whole career is crime fighting, and Sonny’s is the exact opposite. He’s sympathetic to Cody’s situation. Cody says, his whole life, no matter how far he’s traveled, no matter how hard he’s tried to fit in, he never felt like he belonged. And now, he finds out the home and life he was supposed to have has been sold off, and the proceeds go to Scotty and his daughter, who Cody’s mother obviously loved more than him.
Obrecht says, what if Cody made up the whole story just to get money out of Scotty? and Scotty says, there’s no money to get. Everything Dominique had, she left to Serena, and Serena spent all that money saving the whales. Britt says, if he wants her to arrange a DNA test to see if Cody is Dominique’s son, she can make that happen, but Scotty says, that’s not necessary, because he saw it in Cody’s eyes; the same thing he sees in Serena’s eyes, Dominque’s eyes. Obrecht says, that’s all the proof Scotty has? He says, it’s not just the eyes; it’s the hunger Cody has. Obrecht says, a hunger for his lost money, and Scotty says he’s not just talking about that. The hunger Cody has for the meaning in his life. He thinks Britt knows what he’s talking about, and Britt says she doesn’t think she would have described it quite like that, but now that Scotty has, she’s seen that too. Scotty says, then she knows he’s right, and Obrecht says, very well. If Cody is who he claims to be, what is Scotty supposed to do about it? He says, if she’s the Liesl he thinks she is, he thinks she already knows the answer. The question he has to ask himself is, what would Dominique want him to do? He gets up, kisses the top of Obrecht’s head, and says he’ll see them.
Jordan asks what exactly TJ told Portia and Curtis, and TJ says, that he was so laser focused on helping Trina, he considered using extreme measures to shock Oz’s system, basically to try and force him out of his coma. But don’t worry. Portia wasn’t having any of it, and reminded him that he needed to put the patient first. It’s just too risky of a procedure. She says she’s relieved to hear that, no matter how much it would help Trina. He says he knows the law is the law. He just wishes he was as confident as Jordan that justice will be done.
Trina says she knows what Curtis is thinking. He’s worried that his phone is going to ring, and it’s going to be Diane telling them the jury’s reached a verdict. She’s having the same feeling. Portia comes by, and Trina asks, what happened to her patient? She says, unfortunately, her patient’s condition remains unchanged. Trina is so lucky to have a friend like Rory. He won’t let anyone or anything compromise the witness who can clear her. He’s not letting anybody in that room who’s not on the approved list.
Rory calls Jordan, and she asks if everything is okay. He says he thought she’d like to know, something out of the ordinary happened. She says, what’s that? and he says, Oz Haggerty had a visit from a doctor not on the approved list. She says, which doctor? and he says, Trina’s mom, Dr. Robinson. She asks if Portia said why she was there, and he says, she just wanted to see if Haggerty was any closer to waking up. Being Trina’s mom, he can totally understand that, but she wasn’t on the approved list, so he didn’t let her in. When he arrested Spencer and Cameron, Jordan said he was a bit over-eager, and needed to use better discretion, so he just wanted to check in, and make sure he did the right thing. Jordan assures him, it was the right thing to do
Cody asks, what’s next? and Dante says, he’ll be taken to his cell. If he needs a lawyer, Dante can give him a couple of recommendations. If money’s an issue, he’ll be assigned a public defender. Cody says, really? He pours his heart out about how his world’s been turned upside down, and Dante can’t show his buddy a little bit of compassion? Dante asks what Cody expects him to do. He punched a guy in the face in a public setting in front of a bunch of witnesses, and now the guy’s pressing charges. There’s literally nothing he can do. Cody says, it pays to know people in high places, huh? and Dante says, it usually does. He starts to bring Cody to his cell, when Scotty comes in. Cody asks, how’s the nose? Did he break it? Dante says, it’s not a great idea to antagonize the guy who’s pressing charges against him, and Scotty says, his nose is fine. He can smell a phony baloney a mile away. Cody says, Scotty spends his inheritance, and has the nerve to call him a phony baloney? Take him away. Prison’s a step up from this guy. Scotty says he can also smell the real McCoy, and he thinks Cody is, so he’s dropping the charges.
TJ asks if Jordan is planning on being in the courtroom when the jury reads the verdict, and she says, her presence in the courtroom goes with the job, but this is one time she’d give anything not to be there. She walks away, and sees Trina talking with Portia and Curtis, and listens from around the corner. Trina says she guesses there’s no point in waiting around here. Even if Oz wakes up now, it’s probably too late to change anything. Portia says, it’s never too late, and Curtis tells Portia that he knows what they both want. What if it’s just not possible? She says, nothing’s impossible. Isn’t that what he always tells her? He’s so sweet. She hugs him, and whispers, she’s got to find a way in that room. Please just get Trina out of here. She says she keeps getting all these texts, but Trina says she didn’t hear Portia’s phone. Portia says she keeps her phone on silent at the hospital. Her patient still needs her, and she’ll catch up with the two of them later. She hugs Trina, saying she loves her, and jets. Trina asks if that seemed weird to Curtis. He says, her mom has a lot on her mind right now. She wants to help Trina, but she’s got to focus on her patients. He’s sure that’s all it is. She says, wait. She still thinks that goodbye was strange. Maybe she should talk to her mom before they go. He tells her, she heard what her mom said. She needs to focus on her patients, and tonight she can come home and worry about Trina. Trina says, if the worst happens and she goes to prison, Curtis has to promise he’ll take care of her mother, and he says, first of all, he doesn’t want her thinking that way. Whatever happens, of course (🍷) they’re going to take care of her mother. She just wants a happy and fair ending to Trina’s trial, just like all of them. Come on; let’s go. Trina says, what if Diane calls and she has to go to the courthouse, and she won’t be able to see her mom until she’s behind bars? Curtis says he promises as soon as he gets a phone call from Diane saying the verdict is in, he’ll get her mother to the courthouse, so she can be there to support Trina.
TJ sees Jordan, and says he wishes there was something more they could do for Trina and her family. If only Haggerty would wake up and tell them what he knows.
Britt asks how Obrecht let Scotty leave without her. Isn’t she afraid he’ll do something foolish? Obrecht says she was tempted to stop Scotty, but the truth is, she’s proud of him. Britt says, even if it means doing right by the former love of his life, Dominique? and Obrecht says, maybe if Dominique was still alive, she’d be concerned, but she died years ago. She’s not afraid of Scotty’s past. On the contrary. The fact that he was able to love someone so strongly, so deeply, means he’s capable of loving her even more. Britt says, either that’s a terrific spin on the situation, or Obrecht really does believe in true love. If that’s the case, she envies Obrecht. Obrecht says she never had that faith in the past, but she found it for the first time with Scotty. It may take some time, but it’s out there waiting for Britt; she’s sure of it. Britt says, true love’s not for everyone. She had a shot with Jason, briefly, but he’s gone. And let’s face it, she’s damaged goods. Obrecht laughs and takes Britt’s hands, saying, they’re all damaged in one way or another. She is, and so is Scotty. When you find the right person, you help each other heal.
Scotty asks Dante what the DA’s office said, and Dante tells him, if Scotty’s not pressing charges, there is no case, and they can let Cody go. Cody says, so he’s a free man? and Dante says, as soon as he gets the cuffs off. Scotty says he doesn’t expect Cody to thank him, and Cody says, good, because he’s not getting a thanks. Dante unlocks the cuffs, and Scotty says, Cody can choose to believe him or not, but he didn’t know that Dominique had a son. When they found out she had an inoperable brain tumor, they spent a lot of time together, and she would have told him about Cody, but she didn’t, so she must have had her reasons. Cody says, Scotty can tell himself that at night if it helps him sleep. For him, it’s a whole load of BS. Scotty leaves, and Cody says, does Dante believe that guy? Dante tells him, he hates to say it, but he thinks Scotty is telling the truth.
TJ tells Jordan that he has to get back to his rounds, but he’ll see her later. They hug, and Jordan waits for the elevator. She sees Curtis with Trina, and gets in. She flashes back to what TJ told her about using extreme measures to wake Oz up, and Portia telling him it was too risky. She remembers asking Rory about why Portia wanted to see Oz, and Rory asking if a police officer can’t be true to the badge, but still have compassion. She pulls the emergency alarm in the elevator. Aw. I want to cry. That’s so good of her.
An officer tells Rory, someone must be trapped inside the elevator, and Rory says he’s coming too. No one is around Oz’s room, and Portia – I’m sure not believing her luck – goes inside and closes the door. She closes the blinds and goes over to Oz. She says she knows he can save her daughter. He’s the only one who can. She takes a syringe out of her pocket.
On Monday, Victor says, Nikolas is hiding something, and they both know it; Josslyn tells Cameron, there’s another reason Dex is interested in Trina’s trial; Trina says, the jury has reached a verdict; and Portia asks if Oz can hear her.
☝🏽 BTW, for the past two days, the ABC affiliate here has forgotten their news is on at 4, and broken into GH to tell us nothing that couldn’t wait. Yesterday, I bounced around, piecing it together, since no one source had it in its entirety. Today, I was quick enough to catch it before ABC had a chance to pull for unlicensed content or whatever. My point is, WTF, ABC? If we’re at war, let me know, but it’s unnecessary to have everyone chiming in, including the subject’s kindergarten teacher, about a document. It can wait a half hour.
🤔 Who’s That Woman…?
All about Dominique. I have a vague recollection of the actress, but not much about the storyline.
Finally, Taylor got a clue and moved on. This dude is going to be perpetually 14, but he never made a secret of being a Peter Pan. Kudos to him for that.
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
Courage – a perfect sensibility of the measure of danger, and a mental willingness to endure it. – William Tecumseh Sherman
The man who insists on seeing with perfect clearness before he decides, never decides. – Henri-Frédéric Amiel
We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world. – Helen Keller
Being good is easy, what is difficult is being just. – Victor Hugo
My past has not defined me, destroyed me, deterred me, or defeated me; it has only strengthened me. – Steve Maraboli
Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. – Steve Jobs
Every one of us is losing something precious to us. Lost opportunities, lost possibilities, feelings we can never get back again. That’s part of what it means to be alive. – Haruki Murakami
The only real limitation on your abilities is the level of your desires. If you want it badly enough, there are no limits on what you can achieve. – Brian Tracy
I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. – John Burroughs
If you just go with the flow, no matter what weird things happen along the way, you always end up exactly where you belong. – Tom Upton
🔌 Unplugging…
It’s time to call it a week, and it’s certainly been one. Fighting technical dragons is exhausting. Plug back in with me on Monday for soap and what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay not being wishy-washy, and stay knowing, sometimes we’re brave and don’t even know it.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 