Tag Archives: Kyle Viljoen

Dec28

December 27, 2023 – Brook Comes To Tracy’s Defense, TempMaxie, Soap Roll Call, Her Future, But Is He, Almost Quit, News Of Us, What’s On the Eve, Holiday Pet (!) Mix & Party

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Kristina and Molly show up at Alexis’s house, and Alexis says, there they are, my pride, and most of the time, my joy. She thanks them for coming and says she knows it’s early. She asks if they want coffee, but they both say they’ve reached their limit. (I didn’t know there was a limit.) Molly asks, what’s so important she needed to see them before work? and Kristina says, her voice sounded really tense on the phone. Alexis invites them to sit down, and says she’s sorry TJ couldn’t make it, but it’s probably best they speak first, just the three of them. Molly wonders why she feels like they’ve been called to the principal’s office, but Alexis says, they’re not in any trouble… yet.

At Deception, Lucy rifles through photos and papers on her desk, mumbling, and Tracy asks if she can’t do anything quietly. TempMaxie (see below) asks if they want coffee before the senior leadership meeting, but Lucy suggests they just dive right in. Oh wait. They can’t, because the leader of their leadership meeting isn’t here. Maxie says she’s sure Brook will be here any second, and Lucy asks what kind of company Tracy and her granddaughter are running. Tracy says she lightened Lucy’s workload by 51%, which means Lucy should have 51% more time to rifle (coincidence!) through photo proofs and wrangle her spokesmodel. Lucy says, Tracy shouldn’t even be in this office, never mind breathing their rarified Deception air. Tracy says, and yet, here she is, and Lucy says, as if she could miss Tracy, but she sure would love to try.

Brook says, if her grandmother finds out she’s late for the meeting because she can’t find her… Chase says, her bag’s over there, and she thanks him. She says she’s just going to grab a coffee on the way, and he says, brewed, in her travel mug, holding it out to her. She asks if he’s psychic, and he says he doesn’t have to be; he knows her routine. She says, he’s the best. What does he have planned for his day off? He says he’s trying to find wedding venues that accommodate guests with mobility issues, and she sits next to him. He says he wants his dad to have the time of his life at their wedding, and Brook flashes back to Gregory saying that time isn’t on his side. His Christmas wish is to see his son get married to the love of his life. She tells Chase, you and me both.

Finn dashes into an exam room, where Gregory is sitting, and says he was told Gregory was in here. Does Gregory want to tell him what happened? Gregory says he’s fine. He just got a bit overheated. Finn looks at the IV bag and says, this is for aggressive fluid replacement. They don’t just give it to people who are a bit overheated. Does Gregory want to tell him what’s going on?

At Kelly’s with Felicia, Robert orders coffee, and Felicia says, nothing to eat? Is he feeling okay? He says he’s not hungry, and she says, he’s probably full because he already ate with Diane. He says, she didn’t bring him here to discuss his personal life, and she says she didn’t know that was an option, but he’s right. She’s sorry. They need to talk family. He asks if something happened with Mac, but she says, Mac is fine. There’s a mystery she wants solved before he comes back, and she needs Robert’s help.

Sasha finds Cody at the stables and says, it looks like he’s having a busy morning. He says he was just hammering out one of Comet’s old horseshoes, but he always has time for her. What’s up? She says she wasn’t sure if she could beat Comet in a contest for his attention, and he says, totally. Nobody else. What brings her by? She says she came to warn him. He’s in trouble.

Scotty goes to the counter at Kelly’s and tells the server that he hears some people try to eat their feelings. He thinks he’s going to be that guy, because he has a lot of feelings. She gives him a menu and asks what she can get him. He says, everything… from the left side of the menu. And a cup of coffee. He’ll be at his table.

Robert asks why Felicia is still on about this Cody Bell thing, and she says her instincts tell her that Cody lied about those DNA test results. He says, if that’s the case, why is his brother saddled with this jerk? and she says, Mac has a right to know if Cody is his son. She knows Cody is no choirboy, and Robert says, ya think? He hadn’t been in town five minutes, and he almost drowned Britt Westbourne. She says, there wasn’t supposed to be somebody in that pool when he parachuted into it (there wasn’t; she was near the pool and he knocked her in), and Robert tells her, let’s say for instance, he came through the front door and offered his hand and said hi, like a normal person would do. She says, it was a publicity stunt, a job he was contracted and paid for, but Robert says, it was reckless endangerment and he got arrested. She says, he apologized to Britt, and she got over it. Why can’t Robert? He says, because he knows a con man when he smells one, and she says, which proves the exact point she was trying to make. Cody came to their house over the holiday and brought all these gifts for all of them. The kids adore him, and he fit right in. Robert asks if he brought receipts for the presents, and Felicia says, he cares about their family. She can feel it. She can see it. And there’s this undeniable bond between him and Mac and James. He tells her, let’s say he believes her. If she’s right, why would Cody lie about being a part of a family he cares about?

Cody wonders how he’s in trouble, and Sasha says, after Spinelli made him leave Mac and Felicia’s on Christmas… Cody says, Spinelli didn’t make him leave, but Sasha says, Spinelli was rude, out of line, and just completely wrong. After he left, Felicia said she hates not knowing the truth about him and Mac. He says, she knows the truth… a truth. She was at the hospital when he got the DNA results. Sasha says, but he never showed Felicia the printout and she thought that was strange, and he says, Felicia is pretty invested with him being a part of the family. He guesses it makes sense that she wouldn’t accept the results. Sasha says she thinks it’s more than a case of just being disappointed. She thinks Felicia is genuinely skeptical. He says, she was a P.I. and she’s married to a cop. She’s kind of conditioned to be suspicious. She says, Maxie didn’t buy her theory, but they know she’s right. He did lie about the DNA results; he is Mac’s son. And now Felicia is wondering why he’d pretend to be the son of Leopold Taub.

Brook closes the laptop and says, about the wedding… Chase says, she hasn’t changed her mind, has she? and she says, not on your life, kissing him. He says, then what’s up? and she says, if they’re going to do everything in their power to make sure his dad has the best time on their special day, it’s going to need to happen a little faster than they anticipated.

Gregory says he was doing hot yoga on an empty stomach. Dumb idea. Finn says, yes, very dumb. Since when is he doing hot yoga? Gregory says, Finn doesn’t need to hover; the fluids are already working. Dr. Matt comes in and asks what daredevil stunt Gregory was up to this time, and Gregory says, hot yoga. They don’t call it hot for nothing. But he already has his next quest lined up. Matt says he can’t wait to hear about it and asks how Finn is. Finn says he’s fine. He’s just making sure his dad’s okay. Matt says he’s about to examine Gregory right now, if Finn will excuse them, and Finn says, of course (🍷). He’ll be right outside. Gregory says, no need, he’s fine, and Finn reluctantly leaves. In the hallway, a woman comes up to Finn and asks if Gregory is okay. Finn says, he’s fine, and asks how she knows his dad. She says she’s the yoga instructor. She’s so glad he’s all right. She’s never had anyone collapse in her class before.

Molly says she can’t take any more bad news. It’s been a rough few months. Alexis says she knows Molly’s been through a lot, and this isn’t necessarily bad news. She’s happy for Molly and TJ, that they’re soldiering on through this journey to have a baby. She knows that’s what Molly really, really wants. And Kristina, giving her the most extraordinary, generous gift. Molly says, and Kristina knows how grateful she is. Kristina says, of course (🍷). She’s honored. Alexis says she just wishes the commitment they made to each other was legally binding, but it’s not. Their surrogacy arrangement presents what could be a really big legal problem.

Chase says he thought he and Brook agreed on a summer wedding. It’s not too far away, but it still gives them time to plan. She says, too much planning’s overrated. Who says they need this whole elaborate production? He says, she said that, but she tells him, what does she know? He says, Lois told him that she used to sketch her wedding gown in her school notebook, but she says, dreams change. He says he doesn’t want to rush this. He had a quickie wedding once, and they all know how that turned out. She says, they both know why he had that quickie wedding with Willow, and those reasons have nothing to do with why they want to be together. He says he knows, but he’s only doing this one more time, and he’s doing it with her. He wants it to be special. What’s going on? She says, when his dad pulled her aside on Christmas Eve, he said his Christmas wish was to see them get married.

Gregory says, well, doc? and Matt says, at the moment, his vitals look good. Gregory says he’s not surprised. He’s feeling better already. Matt says he’s already recovering from the dehydration, and Gregory says he’s guessing Matt’s prescription for recovery is lots of rest and plenty of fluids. Matt says, it is, and he’d like to admit Gregory for observation.

Alexis says she knows Molly and Kristina have done their homework on the medical side of things and they’re clear about that. She just doesn’t know that they’re clear on the legal implications. Kristina says, well, this baby’s mother is a brilliant lawyer, and Alexis says, she is, but she’s not a specialist in family law. Molly says, true, but she can draw up a contract, and Kristina says, and she can sign it. So lawyer/contract, they’re good. Alexis says she’s not sure that’s entirely true, because there is no binding agreement that she can sign that would make that baby Molly’s.

Maxie says, everyone needs time to adjust to their new corporate reality, and Tracy says, reality, Lucy. The opposite of what’s going on in your head. Maxie says, but they do have to be professional, and Tracy says, why start now? Lucy says she knows blackmail is Tracy’s go-to, but technically, blackmail is not professional, and Maxie says, this is a critical time for Deception. A lot is at stake for everyone who works here. For people who have rent and kids and have to grocery shopping on the way home. Bottom line, they need to make this work. Lucy says, Maxie is so right, but you know what’s not working? Tracy’s powers of manipulation. Judging from the fact Brook isn’t here, her powers are a big, fat flop. Tracy says, Lucy is well-acquainted with big, fat flops, from her marriages to business ventures. She just can’t seem to stick the landing. Lucy says she knows where she’d like to stick… and Maxie says, that’s enough. She can’t believe she has to talk to them like she does her children, but five minutes of silence, both of them. This lasts about three seconds, when Lucy says, Tracy doesn’t really care about Deception at all. She’s just bored and needs a distraction. Maxie says, it doesn’t work on her kids either, and Tracy says she can think of a thousand distractions more appealing than listening to Lucy, and Lucy says, but none of them would distract Tracy from the fact she has nothing to live for since Luke died. (Ouch! That was mean.)

Sasha says she knows the whole Taub necklace scam wasn’t the only reason Cody lied about the DNA results, and he says, Mac’s a good guy. Mac doesn’t deserve a son like him. She says, that couldn’t be further from the truth, but Felicia is a good P.I., and she’s going to dig and keep digging until she discovers the truth, and the fallout from that could be massive in ways he couldn’t expect. Trust her. She speaks from personal experience. He says, that whole Nina Reeves thing, right? and she says her situation was the complete opposite from his. She was hired by Valentin Cassadine to claim she was Nina’s daughter, but looking back, she realizes she could have mitigated a lot of damage if she’d just come clean. The fact that she stayed silent and got busted made the fallout so much worse. He says, maybe he should just move to Bolivia or some other county that doesn’t extradite Americans. Coming clean is not an option, and if Felicia finds out he’s Mac’s son, he’s going to Pentenville.

Felicia says she was hoping Robert and his extraordinary skill set could help her figure out why Cody would lie about those test results, because he’s right. It doesn’t make any sense. He says, take some advice from the man with the extraordinary skill set, and leave it. She says, if he thinks she can do that, he understands her even less than he understands Cody, and he says he understood all too well what kind of a grifter Cody was when he walked into Britt’s office and found them fighting over Taub’s necklace. She asks, what about Leopold Taub? and he says, this time last year, he went to seize Taub’s necklace, the one that Victor wanted. He goes into Britt’s office and they’re both there fighting over the necklace, both claiming ownership. She asks if they ever got it sorted out, but he says he doesn’t think so. Not since it was destroyed. She wonders if Cody ever contested any of Taub’s other assets, and he says, that would be a good question for a lawyer. She looks over at Scotty and says, indeed it would.

Chase tells Brook that he can understand his dad talking about his stamina, but worrying about his death seems seriously premature. Brook says she’s just telling him what Gregory told her; he doesn’t want them waiting too long. He asks if she thinks Gregory is holding something back, but she says she doesn’t know. She’s not going to the meeting; she’s calling the office. He says she doesn’t have to do that; he’ll be fine. She should go to her meeting. The last thing they need is Tracy coming around here looking for her. She says, that’s a good point, and hugs him. They’re going to make sure they do what’s best for everyone, okay? He says, whatever that is, and she gathers up her stuff and leaves. Chase’s phone rings, and he says he’s glad Finn called. Brook just told him something… Finn says, dad’s here at the hospital. He’s okay, but he took a fall. Chase says he’s on his way.

Alexis says she should have known Molly would have done research on the child/parent security act, and Molly says she’s familiar. She hasn’t studied it. Alexis says, because it’s new, which means it can be easily challenged, and Molly says she’s aware, but it does allow for surrogacy in New York. Alexis says, it does, but the surrogate has to be using a third-party egg donor, and Kristina asks if it really makes a difference. Molly says, a big difference actually, and Alexis says, in her case, she’s not using a third-party egg donor. She’s the donor and the surrogate. In this case, it’s called a genetic surrogacy, and the contract for a genetic surrogacy is not enforceable in the state of New York. Kristina says, okay, but if genetic surrogacy isn’t enforceable in the state of New York, they’ll just get pregnant in a different state. They’ll find some other workaround. Alexis says, there are always loopholes, because Molly will tell her, regulations exist because there are precedents. Kristina says, precedents and regulations and loopholes. She’s talking to them like they’re her court case, not her children. Alexis says she’s talking to them this way because they are her children, and she wants to make sure their best interests are protected. Kristina asks if it’s their best interests, or is Alexis really just trying to protect Molly from her?

Tracy tells Lucy not to say Luke’s name ever again, but Lucy says, Tracy doesn’t own Luke’s name, just like she never owned Luke. Tracy says, don’t, and Lucy says, Luke had many, many women in his life, and Tracy was just one of them. She barely cracked the top ten. Maxie says, don’t go there, but Lucy says, why? Why can’t she just tell the truth right to Tracy’s face? Luke was the great, true love of Tracy’s life, but does she know who the great, true love of Luke’s life was? Laura. (People who don’t even watch GH know that.) In fact, Tracy is probably just an also-ran to Holly. Tracy asks where she did her research, Wikipedia? Are they just naming exes now, because two can play that game. The great love of Lucy’s life, Doc, is so happily settled down with Laura. She guesses he doesn’t miss being burned by Lucy. Lucy says she happens to be in love with Martin now. She’s with Martin, and none of her loves married her to extort her. They didn’t stay married and try to escape from her all the time. The fact is, Tracy and Luke were in totally different countries when he died. She needs to know why Tracy did all this. Why did she steal Deception? Is it because she has more to look back on than to look forward to? Is it because her family just barely tolerates her, and when she stands looking around, she has nothing and nobody? She doesn’t see anything, is that it? She can keep doing it. She can keep scheming and using sarcasm as a distraction – Brook walks in – but you know what? Tracy is going to die just like she lived – unloved and completely unlovable. Brook says, who is Lucy to speak to her grandmother that way?

Chase says, hot yoga? Hot yoga is a challenge for people in the best of health. He did it once and it almost killed him, but Finn thinks there’s more to the story? Finn says, the instructor came with him to the hospital. She said he wasn’t just a little woozy. It seemed like he lost consciousness.

Gregory says he knows he overdid it, but is a hospital stay really necessary? and Matt says, his collapse may be the result of a temporary fluid loss… Gregory says, or? and Matt says, or this may be a new symptom of the disease.

Sasha says, even if Mac could arrest Cody for lying about the DNA results, she doesn’t believe he would, but Cody says, he wouldn’t have a choice, thanks to the lawsuit Scotty cooked up. Legally, he’s on the hook. She asks if Cody was suing the WSB for the value of Taub’s necklace? She thought he dropped that lawsuit. He says he did, but only after he was deposed and signed an affidavit saying he was Taub’s son. She says, and that is considered fraud? but he says, worse. It’s perjury. He’ll have to do time for that. She says, he may not. He broke the law for her and it turned out okay. He says he was willing to risk himself, but he doesn’t want to risk Mac. The potential scandal could impact his reputation on the force. Mac’s a good guy. He doesn’t deserve what Cody would do to his life. She asks what Cody thinks Mac would want for his life if he knew he was Cody’s father.

Felicia tells Scotty, sorry to interrupt. Does he have a minute? He says, yes. Sit down. She says, his breakfast companions might not feel the same, but he says, what breakfast companions? He’s alone again as usual. She asks if he tried again with Liesl, and he says he did. He presented his heart to her, and she threw it right against the wall. So they’re done, finished. She says she’s sorry. She respects him for trying. She thinks it’s really brave of him to put himself out there. He says he won’t be making that mistake again. He doesn’t know what went wrong with Liesl, but it was the last nail in the coffin of love for him. She says she’s really sorry to hear that. She just wanted to ask him a question, and then she’ll leave him to… whatever this is. He says, it’s breakfast, and what is her question? She says, Cody Bell, but he says, don’t bring up his name. She says, why? She thought they had a great relationship. He says he doesn’t have a problem with Cody. Cody just kind of goofed up his chances of getting back with Leisl a little bit. She asks, how so? and he says, Cody cost him a big payday.

Alexis says she’s trying to look out for both her daughter’s best interests, and Kristina says, really? She’s just focusing on the contract part of this because she thinks someone is going to violate it, that someone being her. Does Alexis just not trust she’ll abide by the terms? Alexis says, of course (🍷) she trusts Kristina. She’s just trying to look at all possible outcomes. Kristina says she appreciates Alexis advising them of the current statutes, but her concern isn’t really necessary. Alexis says she’s done research, and Molly says, she didn’t really have to go to the trouble, but Alexis says, it was no trouble really. She looks at some papers and says, do they know they can avoid any potential legal conflict between them by establishing parenthood after birth via adoption? (That’s what I was thinking.) Molly says she’ll look into it, but Alexis says, Molly doesn’t have to; she’s already done it. The first step is for Kristina to stipulate that she has no parental proprietary interest… Kristina says, Molly told her that she’d look into it, but Alexis says she can go over this. It’ll be really quick. Kristina says, no. Not for nothing, but Molly is the lawyer here, not her. (Another ouch.)

Cody says he has no idea what Mac would want when it comes to him, and Sasha says she could guess. Mac is a good guy, and she can’t see any world where Mac wouldn’t forgive him. And he’d never do anything to jeopardize Cody’s future. Cody says, what about Mac’s brother, Robert Scorpio, the DA? Not a fan. She says, that’s because Robert doesn’t know what she knows, and he says, what’s that? She says, how much has changed since he signed that affidavit. He put himself on the line for her, and she knows he hates to hear this, but she’ll forever be grateful. He says, they’ve been over this. Gratitude, no; friendship, yes. She says, speaking of friendships, he’s been a really good one. Dante and Sam… He says, they’ve been better to him, and she says, Maxie and all her kids, especially James. That little boy hero worships him. Cody says, he’s too young to know any better, but she says, maybe he knows Cody better than Cody knows himself. Cody has changed a lot, and the only way to prove that is to come clean. Today.

Felicia says, so Scotty and Cody were going to sue the WSB over Taub’s necklace? and Scotty says, yeah, but hush-hush. Nobody really knows about this, and he’s hoping Cody changes his mind. She says, so it was Cody who decided not to move forward, and he says, yes. After all the legal depositions and the filings, all the dirty work was done. She asks, why? and he says he doesn’t know why exactly, but the WSB blew up Cody’s asset and he felt Cody should be compensated. She says, so being Taub’s son would pay off big for Cody, and he says, huge, huge windfall. Why does she ask?

Brook says, Lucy knows nothing about her grandmother, which is insulting, because not only did she take Deception, she’s running it way better than Lucy ever did. And by the way, Lucy is sadly misinformed. Tracy Angelica Quartermaine is greatly loved by her whole family. A love Lucy couldn’t possibly understand how they express, because she’s nothing but a gold-digging outsider who managed to trap Brook’s great uncle into marriage for what, ten seconds? She’s been hanging around for years trading on her single share of ELQ, which Brook’s grandmother managed to get from Lucy, by the way. So now she’s out on the street, exactly where she belongs. Lucy says, Brook really has nothing to say… and Brook tells her, and by the way, Luke Spencer was the love of her grandmother’s life. She accepted him for exactly who he was, fought for him with everything she had, and stuck by him until the very end. Meanwhile, Lucy has thrown away every man who’s ever loved her, with both hands. So do not lecture her grandmother on love, because she understands it way better than Lucy ever will. Tracy looks at Brook proudly, and Lucy says, they can hold this meeting without her. She walks out, closing the door behind her, and Tracy tells Brook, thank you. Brook says she meant every word, and Tracy says, well, she’s still late. So what was more important than the meeting they had scheduled? Brook says, something happened with Chase’s father.

Matt says he wants to run some tests overnight. It could be that Gregory is no longer getting nutrients from food and water intake alone, or the collapse could have been because of his lung intake level falling below 50%, which the tests will show. If it has fallen below 50%, they’ll have to discuss options. Gregory says he’ll give Matt 24 hours to do anything he needs, but he has plans on New Year’s Eve, and nothing is going to stop him from making good on them.

Chase tells Finn, the yoga instructor isn’t a doctor. They don’t know what actually happened. Finn says he thought Chase should know. He left Chase out of the loop once before, and he promised not to let it happen again. Chase says, if dad believes he overdid it, doesn’t Finn think they should trust that? Finn says, dad’s not a doctor either, and Chase says he gets that. And he gets that facts are important, but so is faith. Finn says he doesn’t remember seeing that on the curriculum at med school, and Chase asks, doesn’t a patient’s state of mind effect their health? Finn says, of course (🍷) it does, and Chase says, then a little positivity can’t hurt. Matt comes out and asks why they don’t come in with him and their dad. He has an update.

Alexis says, when Kristina’s right, she’s right. It’s tough to know when to take off her legal hat and put on her mom hat, but either way, she’ll defend her daughters with everything she’s got, and that includes Kristina. Kristina says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to dismiss Alexis’s legal expertise or her concern for her daughters. Alexis says, but Kristina thinks she’s overstepping, and Molly says, it’s just that, for her and TJ, this whole journey has been about hope. Now with Kristina as their surrogate, it’s also one of implicit trust. The bond between her and Krissy is stronger than all the legal protections in the world. Kristina says, they’re sisters. Nothing is ever going to make them forget that. Alexis still looks worried.

Molly and Kristina put on their coats, and Alexis says, so it looks like her concern for her daughters has been outmatched by their belief in each other. Well done. Congratulations. Kristina says, it’s the truth, and Alexis tells them that she’s not going to say another word about it. What she did say isn’t because she doesn’t believe in them, because she does with all her heart. And she’s very proud of the way they stuck up for each other, even against her. She loves them both, and she loves the way they love each other. They have a three-way hug, and Kristina and Molly leave.

Gregory asks what Chase is doing here, and Chase says, Finn called and said Gregory was in the hospital. Where else would he be? Gregory says, Finn didn’t need to call Chase; he’s fine. Finn asks Matt, is he? and Gregory says, they’re going to admit him. They’re going to run some tests. 24-hours, that’s it, then he’s out of here. He asks Matt to tell his boys not to worry, and Matt says, an overnight stay is just a precaution. Chase says, precautions are good. He’s all for precautions. Matt says, good. He’ll go take a look at Gregory’s intake paperwork. He heads for the door, and Chase thanks him and says, and take good care of his dad. His dad promised his bride a dance at his wedding this spring. Matt leaves, and Gregory says, they decided on a date? Chase says, they did, and Gregory says he didn’t think it would happen so soon. Chase says, he and Brook decided they didn’t want to wait another minute to make it official in front of the whole family. He can’t wait to marry Brook. Gregory says he’s so happy for Chase, and Chase thanks him. Chase says he just has to… follow her orders and stay out of her way, and Gregory laughs.

Felicia goes back to the table, and Robert says he got a call from the office. He’s got to go. He asks if her conversation with Baldwin was of use, and she says, and how. He asks if she still thinks Cody is Mac’s son, and she says, more than ever. He says he’s not asking for any details, but if Cody chose not to be the son of a man like Mac Scorpio, does Mac need to know? She says, Mac has a right to know, and he says, so what’s the plan? Is she going to get Cody to ‘fess up to lying about the DNA results? She says, he’s held on to this secret for a long time, so no. Robert says he’d move on. It’s going to be hell to prove. He leaves, and she says, not for me.

Cody says he can’t just come clean, and Sasha says she guesses that’s ultimately up to him, but if he does decide to admit he’s Mac’s son, she’ll be right by his side. And if he doesn’t, she’ll keep his secret forever. He thanks her, and she says, that doesn’t mean the truth won’t come out, but it won’t come from her. She looks at her phone and says she’s got to go. She’s beyond late. He thanks her for being such a good friend, and she says, he deserves nothing less, and leaves.

Tracy asks if Gregory’s all right, and Brook says, yes. Things were just complicated. Tracy says, given the circumstances, that’s an acceptable excuse for Brook’s tardiness, but if she’s going to take the helm here, she has to follow Tracy’s example and act like a leader. If Tracy is going to give her this company, she needs to start taking it seriously. Brook says, oh, I am, granny. Very seriously.

Scotty puts more syrup on his pancakes, and Lucy says, keep that up and he won’t make it through the year. He says, who cares? and she says, oh come on. Buck up. She sits down and says she has a way for both of them to end up on top. He says, that sounds physically impossible, but he’s willing to give it a shot. She says, stop, focus, and not on these plates of food please. What is this all about? He asks what she wants, and she says she’s proposing a plan where she’s restored all she’s lost, and Scotty could land a big, fat chunk of change. He says he’s listening, and she says, they’re going to be big winners in 2024. Big winners. And Tracy Quartermaine is going to lose big time. He asks how he fits in, and she says, as a groom. He asks if she could repeat that. Did she just say the word groom? She says, yes, she did. He’s going to marry Tracy and they’re going to take her for everything she’s got.

Tomorrow, TJ says he and Kristina have to set some things straight; Lucy tells Scotty to get ready, because she’s just getting started; and Sonny asks if this is where Alexis wants him to tell her that she’s wrong.

☎️ Today the Role Of…

Since regular Maxie was in the preview, I’m guessing it was nothing major.

That’s Nicole Paggi as the Temporary Maxie Recast on GH!

🥀 Our Loss Is Heaven’s Gain…

This made me miss Passions all over again.

Remembering the Stars We Lost in 2023

🗽 Model Of Legacy…

Some of the forgotten Wives. I met Kristen at a radio station cocktail party years ago. It was after the season where Ramona threw the glass at her. She seemed like a nice person, and I think she should run from any facet of this franchise.

Does Kristen Taekman See Future Seasons of RHONY Legacy?

🛟 Toxicity On Deck…

I just don’t see it this way. I thought Natalya was one of the worst human beings ever, but Kyle? Kyle is just gossipy and emotional, so don’t tell him anything you don’t want anyone to know. Problem solved, and hopefully, he’ll grow out of it. Whereas Natalya was deliberately mean, Kyle just gets all in his emotions and lashes out. Captain Sandy also thought he was the root of the problem, but I’ve disagreed with her before.

Everything That Makes Kyle Viljoen So Toxic

🥇 But At the Time…

It’s like Jerry said in Edward Albee’s Zoo Story, sometimes it’s necessary to go a long distance out of the way in order to come back a short distance correctly. But geez, don’t mention his stellar final season of Fear the Walking Dead or anything.

https://people.com/colman-domingo-nearly-left-acting-after-losing-big-break-role-8420368

🌁 And the Last Shall Be Divisive…

They seem to be focusing an awful lot on it being parallel to the game, but I don’t think this stuff is confirmed. What is confirmed is it not being aired until 2025… sigh…

https://screenrant.com/the-last-of-us-season-2-divisive-story-reason/

https://www.tomsguide.com/opinion/i-cant-wait-for-the-last-of-us-season-2-to-air-but-im-also-dreading-it-heres-why

There’s a blink-and-you-miss-it teaser for The Last of Us, but mostly what HBO/Max has in store for 2024.

https://gizmodo.com/last-of-us-season-2-release-it-prequel-trailer-hbo-max-1851078003

🥂 To Rock Your Eve…

Stuff to watch if you don’t want to brave the night. Like me. Been there, done that, I’m good. Dick Clark might be gone, but he’ll never be forgotten on New Year’s Eve.

https://people.com/new-years-eve-specials-2023-everything-to-know-8420122

🐕 Holiday Assortment…

Good advice all year round.

https://people.com/how-to-keep-your-pet-safe-around-the-holidays-8417416

I don’t know how I missed this, but it’s very cute.

https://people.com/pets/adoptable-animals-model-halloween-costumes/

No one can say I don’t include cats. They’re not keen on costumes though, as a general rule.

https://people.com/mandy-moore-includes-cats-in-holiday-traditions-8418338

And last, but never least, the InstaDogs of Christmas.

Spotted: 20 Ridiculously Cute Christmas Dogs on Instagram

🍇 12 Grapes For 12 Months…

Boomerang back tomorrow for soap and some New Year amusement. Until then, stay safe, stay being on time, but not early to a party, and stay not eating the entire left side of the menu if you have a lot of feelings.

Nov29

November 28, 2023 – The News About Austin Travels, Goodbye, Her Return, All Grown Up, Celebrations, Mary’s World, Salty Channel, Two Cents, All Better, Special, That Tree & 45th

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Portia asks if Elizabeth has heard from Austin. He was supposed to be in at 10 am and they haven’t heard from him yet. He’s never been late like this. Elizabeth says, no one has heard from him. She left him a voicemail and she texted him a few times. Still nothing. Portia says, could be a flat tire, a broken phone… Can she keep trying? Elizabeth says she will, and Finn approaches Portia. He asks her to sign off on the treatment he’s prescribing for a new patient.

There’s a knock at Sam’s door and she opens it to Sonny, who says, hi, neighbor. She says she can’t get used to calling him that, and he says he likes living down the hall from his son and grandson. Is Dante around? She says, of course (🍷), and invites him in. He asks how her Thanksgiving was, and she says, it was different. Dante took the boys to a football game. He says he saw Scout at Carly’s; she was with her dad. Sam was at Alexis’s? Sam says, her, Kristina, Molly, and assorted others. Where was he? He says he and Nina had a quiet Thanksgiving at the MetroCourt, and she asks if he missed cooking. He says, yeah, but next year he’s going to do it right. He’s having a Thanksgiving feast with his kids and their kids and whoever wants to show up. She can come. She can mark it on her calendar. Dante says, he can count on that. What brings him by? Sonny says, a matter of concern.

On the phone at the hospital, Molly says she has to reschedule the 4 o’clock meeting. She needs to free up some time this afternoon. TJ comes by, and she says she managed to get a postponement on the Hamlin case. He says, she came all the way to the hospital to tell him that? but she says, no. She came to tell him that they have an appointment to find a new surrogate.

Alexis meets Laura at the PC Grill, and the maître d’ seats them. Cyrus takes notice of Laura being there.

Finn tells Portia, pretty standard diagnosis and treatment. Nothing out of the ordinary. She says she agrees with his assessment. As soon as she gets back to the office, she’ll log on and okay the treatment. He thanks her and leaves. She tells Elizabeth, that was tough, and Elizabeth says, he’s a leader in his field. It’s ridiculous that he has to have supervision to treat his patients. Portia says, just a reminder, she’s not the enemy here. Finn isn’t the only one being sued for malpractice and wrongful death. The hospital is also listed as a defendant on the suit. She has no choice. She’s just following procedure. Elizabeth apologizes and says she’s sorry if she made it seem like it was all Portia’s doing. She knows it’s not. It’s just that this whole situation is very frustrating. Portia says she knows, when her phone dings. She asks if Elizabeth can try Austin again. In the meantime, they’ll have to give his patients to other doctors. She leaves, and Elizabeth picks up the phone.

Sam tells Dante that she and Scout are running late, so he can fill her in on this matter of concern when she gets back. She calls to Scout, who comes down the stairs and asks Sonny, guess where she’s going today? Sonny says, the museum, but she says, nope. She’s meeting daddy at the MetroCourt and she’s going to interview him about his job for a report for school. Sonny says, wow. That’s a big girl assignment. Maybe when she’s finished with the report, she can show it to him. Scout says, okay, and she and Sam leave. Dante asks, what’s this matter of concern? and Sonny says, it’s about the man who tried to kill Avery’s mother.

Alexis says she’s always glad to see Laura, but she’s curious. Is this a social meeting or is this about business? Laura says, actually, it’s family related. She wanted to check in with Alexis and see how Esme is doing at her job and whether or not Alexis was still happy with her work. Alexis says, actually, she is. She’s proven to be competent, organized, and efficient. She works well with the other departments and manages to stay 10 steps ahead of Alexis, which is not easy. She even asked for a raise, and Alexis gave it to her because she earned it. Laura says she’s so happy to hear this. Esme is about to move out on her own and Laura is about to sign the lease tomorrow, but she just wanted to know Esme was going to be employed in the near future. Alexis says, unless something changes, she doesn’t see why not. She’s wondering about Spencer though. He’s so attached to Ace, she’s worried about how he’ll handle Esme and Ace leaving. Laura says, so is she.

Molly tells TJ that the matching professional called her this morning. She asked how they were doing after Andrea’s miscarriage. She informed Molly that Andrea doesn’t want to try again, which she explained she already knew, but then she asked if they wanted to move forward with a new surrogate. The other women they interviewed were both successfully matched with other couples, but the matching professional had some other candidates she felt might work well for them. He says, so Molly told her yes when the matching professional asked if they wanted to try again without asking him.

Elizabeth goes to Finn’s office, and he says he just wants to finish this email reminding Portia to sign off on the treatment he’s recommending. It’s a good thing it’s not an emergency, or his patient would be dead by the time he finished all this paperwork. He finishes and says, okay. What can he do for her? She says she wants him to close his eyes and take a breath, and he asks if she thinks this is really a good time for yoga. She tells him that it’s a breathing exercise, and takes his hands. She says, close your eyes, and he does. She wants him to breathe in for a count of four, hold it for two, and breathe out for five. He asks if she’s going to keep track, and she says she’ll count for him. Ready? Breathe in, 2…3…4. Hold, 1…2. Out, 2…3…4…5. One more time. She repeats the exercise, and he says he’s not complaining at all, but what’s that supposed to accomplish? She says, it’s supposed to push all that anger and frustration out of his head and clear everything out, so he can actually hear her when she tells him this. He did nothing wrong.

Sam and Scout meet Drew at the MetroCourt, and he says he’s so excited to tell Scout about what he does at work. It’s going to be fun. He shows her a picture of her swimming plaque on his phone and says he looks at it every day. She asks if he likes it, and he says he loves it. She says her teacher said she should record the interview, so she doesn’t forget when she writes her report. She asks if that’s okay with him, and he says, of course (🍷) it’s okay. He gives her permission to record their conversation. She can asks him anything she wants. She says she’s ready to start, and he says, ask away. She says, what is the name of the company he works for? and he says, it’s Aurora Media. He works there, but he also owns it. Scout says, for how long? and he says, for six years. He and her mom bought another man’s business and then they renamed it Aurora. Scout asks why he made this company, and he says he and her mom wanted to build something for her. They wanted to have a company Scout would be really proud of and would maybe work at someday if she wanted to.

Dante says, Sonny knows he can’t discuss an active investigation, but Sonny says he’s not asking for anything privileged. Can Dante at least tell him how long before Mason Gatlin is transferred to Pentenville? Dante says he guesses when the doctors clear him, and Sonny asks when that’s going to be. Dante says, could be any day, and Sonny says he’s assuming the DA is going to make him some kind of plea deal. Dante says he doesn’t know what Robert’s plans are with this case. Why is Sonny so curious? Sonny says he doesn’t want Scorpio to let Mason off so easy. If it were up to him, Mason would be in prison for life; throw away the key. Dante says he agrees, but the theory is, Mason was working for somebody. He didn’t order Ava’s kidnapping. They’re pushing him to get the name of his boss. Sonny says, don’t waste his time. He can tell Dante right now who’s responsible for Ava’s kidnapping.

Laura tells Alexis that because Nikolas disappeared the way he did, Spencer took on a role in Ace’s life that was more like a father than a brother. So naturally, he’d want Ace to continue to live in the same house. Alexis says, obviously, he reconsidered, and Laura says, he absolutely did. He’s still very sad about it, but he’s not angry about it anymore. He’s not even fighting it. Alexis says she’s sure it had something to do with Trina, and Laura says, yes. She’s heard Trina’s a very good influence on him. Alexis says, that’s not an easy feat. She knows her family and how stubborn they can be… fatally when they actually make up their mind. And Spencer gave every indication that he was heading down that path. Laura says she actually gives Spencer a lot of credit here. She thinks he’s matured an awful lot. In part because of the role he’s played in Ace’s life. He had to put somebody else’s needs ahead of his own, so that’s made him more thoughtful and a little less impulsive. But to be honest, there aren’t many men his age who would take interest in a newborn baby brother. Alexis says, good for Spencer, and Laura says, good for him. He’s no longer the grandchild she’s most worried about. Alexis says she assumes Laura is referring to Charlotte, and Laura nods.

Molly tells TJ that she didn’t commit to another surrogate, just to entertaining more candidates. The matching professional is going to meet them at the Port Charles Grill this afternoon for a preliminary discussion. He asks why she didn’t tell him, and she says she just had the conversation this morning and she is telling him right now. He says, this is happening too fast for him. He’s still processing the loss of their baby Andrea was carrying. It wasn’t just a hypothetical; it was real. They had hopes for it. They had dreams for it. They were only a few weeks off from knowing if they were going to have a son or a daughter, and he didn’t even realize how emotionally invested he’d become, and he doesn’t know when he’s going to be up for making that kind of emotional investment again. He just knows he’s not ready now. His phone beeps and he says he has to go. He’ll see her tonight. He leaves and she flashes back to Alexis telling her that she’s here for them, whatever they need.

Finn says he wants to believe he did nothing wrong, and Elizabeth says, he didn’t. He says he keeps going over it in his head. Is there anything he missed? Was there some little thing that could have saved Muldoon’s life? She says, what’s the first hardest lesson any doctor has to learn? and he says, we’re not God. She says, right, and it’s not just doctors who think that. Sometimes it’s the patients too. They want to believe, they need to believe, doctors have all the answers, that there’s a medicine or treatment out there that’s going to give them their life back. But they both know medicine doesn’t work like that. You run tests, you make a diagnosis, prescribe treatment, and you hope it’s the right one. Between what Mr. Muldoon told him and the tests Finn ran, he provided the best treatment possible. She knows that and she’s going to keep reminding him until he knows that too. He says he wouldn’t dream of arguing with her, when there’s a knock at the door. Finn opens it, and a woman tells him that she’s DeeDee Clark. She’s representing General Hospital in the Muldoon malpractice lawsuit.

Scout says, last question. What is Drew’s favorite part of his job? Drew says, nobody’s ever asked him that before. That’s a very good question. He thinks his favorite part of the job is knowing Aurora entertains people as well as informs them. And also that Aurora is a really great place to work. People have good jobs with good benefits and are treated with respect. Scout says, thank you for your time, Mr. Cain, and he says, you’re welcome, Miss Cain. All this interviewing made him thirsty. What if they ask the waitress for some drinks? How about three ginger ales? Scout says she’ll go get them, and leaves. Drew asks if Sam thought he was too preachy, and she says she thinks Scout asked him some honest questions and he gave her some honest answers. He says, she took it so seriously. Maybe she has a future in journalism. Sam says, she could have gotten it from Alexis, and Scout comes back. She tells them, the drinks are coming, and Drew says, in the meantime, he has some big news for Scout.

Dr. Navarro sees Molly and says, this is a nice surprise. Molly says, it’s good to see her, and the doctor says she was told Molly’s surrogate suffered a miscarriage. She’s so sorry. Molly says, of course (🍷) they’re disappointed, and Dr. Navarro says she didn’t mean to upset Molly, but she should know miscarriages are always a risk in the first trimester. Does she think she and TJ will try again?

Finn invites Clark in and introduces Elizabeth, saying, she was recently named head nurse at General Hospital. Clark says, nice to meet her and congratulations on her promotion. Elizabeth thanks her, and Clark says, since Elizabeth is already here, did she have any involvement or interaction with Mr. Muldoon? Elizabeth says she’s sure she was here when he was a patient, but she doesn’t recall having any personal interaction with him. Clark says her team will be doing a comprehensive records check. So if it turns out Elizabeth had any involvement with Mr. Muldoon, they may need to interview her in the future. But right now, she’s here to speak to Dr. Finn. Elizabeth says, understood, and tells Finn that she’ll talk to him later. She leaves, and Finn asks Clark to have a seat. He says, before they begin, he’s been advised to retain his own separate counsel, and she says, as he should. His attorney will focus on his defense. She represents the hospital, but his actions with regard to diagnosis and treatment of Mr. Muldoon will directly affect her defense. That’s why she’s here. And she apologizes in advance if any of her questions seem intrusive, but the key to defending a malpractice suit is having all the information, so that there are no surprises in the courtroom.

Laura says she also wanted to thank Alexis for the discretion The Invader showed in reporting the shooting. Alexis gave all the facts and managed to leave out Anna and Charlotte’s names. Alexis says, first of all, Charlotte, the victim, is a minor, so she’s protected. And Anna has been so unfairly treated by The Sun, she just wanted to protect Anna’s privacy. Laura says she’s so grateful Alexis made that call. When she was elected, she had to learn how to deal with the media scrutiny. She thinks she’s developed a tougher shell, then reads one of these opinion articles about herself, and it’s just absolutely brutal sometimes. Cyrus brings out a tray of glasses, and Laura says, she’d never want Charlotte to be exposed to anything like that, and it’s the last thing that Anna needs. Just having to live with the fact that she knows she shot a child. Laura can’t imagine the guilt she must be feeling. (I can’t imagine talking about this with Cyrus within earshot, especially when Laura just got done saying how great it was names were left out. Erg. And I have no doubt he’s listening.) Alexis says, in truth, if the circumstances were different, she would have had a searing op ed written about gun violence. If someone as trained and skilled as Anna Devane could shoot an innocent person by accident, what better argument is there against carrying guns? (How about the argument against rooting around someone else’s apartment in the dark?) Cyrus drops the tray of glasses, and they shatter. He glances at Laura before bending down to pick up the pieces.

TJ says he can take some of Austin’s patients, and Portia says, that would be perfect. She also called Dr. Park. He should be here soon. Elizabeth says she called Austin again. Still no answer. She left a message. Portia asks, what about the texts? but Elizabeth says she got nothing. Portia asks if they checked when he was last on duty, and Elizabeth says she did. It was two days before Thanksgiving. He had the holiday off and he was due back this morning. Portia says, still, it could be anything. He could have car trouble, or his phone could be dead. Elizabeth asks if Portia wants her to go to his apartment and check on him, and Portia says she doesn’t want to ask Elizabeth to do that, but Elizabeth says she’s volunteering, and leaves.

Dante says, Mason Gatlin is working for Cyrus Renault? and Sonny says, that’s right. Dante asks how long he’s known, and Sonny says, since the day Cyrus was released from Pentenville. Does he remember Avery’s temporary nanny, Betty? Dante says, yeah. He was wondering why Sonny moved on from Pilar. Sonny says, because he knew Betty was a plant. Mason used her to spy on him, so he got Brick to dummy up the computer and put in false information. She stole the information, took it to Austin, and Austin delivered it to Cyrus at Pentenville. Dante says, hold on. Austin Gatlin-Holt was in on this too? Sonny says, it looks like Austin and his cousin Mason have been working for Cyrus all along, and Dante says, dammit. He takes Austin’s card out of his wallet and calls. A man answers, and Dante asks who he’s speaking to. The man asks who he’s speaking to, and Dante says he asked first, but Detective Falconari from the Port Charles Police Department. The man says, nice to meet you, detective. Paul Brisco with the Pautuck PD. Why is he calling? Dante says he’s trying to get ahold of Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt. He’s on staff here at General Hospital in Port Charles. Brisco says he’s sorry to inform Dante, Austin Gatlin-Holt is dead. (Boo! Hiss!)

Clark asks how Mr. Muldoon became Finn’s patient, and Finn says his daughter Violet and Mr. Muldoon’s daughter are in the same class at school. They were at a parent gathering, and Mr. Muldoon mentioned he traveled abroad for business, and he was feeling under the weather and he may have contracted something along the lines of a tapeworm. He recommended Mr. Muldoon come in and make an appointment with him here at General Hospital, and he agreed. Clark asks if he came to see Finn, and Finn says, he did. She asks, how soon after his initial conversation with Mr. Muldoon did Finn examine him?

Scout says she’s glad Drew’s office is here so they can come to the restaurant. Should she put that in her report? He says, it’s her report. She gets to decide what she puts in there. It’s good training in case she decides to become a journalist. She gets to decide what to put in her story and what she doesn’t. Sam says, if their daughter isn’t going to ask him about his good news, she will. What’s going on? He says he closed a deal with Steve Harris, and she asks if she should be familiar with that name. Drew says, he works in venture capital. He has a daughter a little bit older than Scout who attends Westwood Academy. Sam says, that’s that fancy private school, and he says, yeah. Steve’s on the board, and he told Steve about Scout and convinced him to open a spot for her, so Scout can go to Westwood too.

Molly tells Dr. Navarro that she always knew miscarriage was a possibility, but she wasn’t prepared emotionally. The doctor says, no one ever is. What are her thoughts about moving forward? Molly says, Andrea, their surrogate, made it very clear that she does not want to try again. So if they decide to move forward, they’ll have to start from scratch. Dr. Navarro says she knows it will set them back a few more months, but she’s sure Molly and TJ will find a suitable candidate. Molly says, honestly, she’s not sure they can go through this again, and the doctor says, it’s very understandable. It’s a decision only Molly and TJ can make, but while miscarriages are not uncommon, many, many surrogacies have been successful. There are lots of parents in the world, lots of people in the world, who prove that surrogacy can work. She wishes Molly and TJ the best, whatever path they choose going forward, and she leaves.

Dante thanks Brisco for the update, and Sonny says, sounded serious. Dante says, it was, but he can tell Sonny about it, because he’ll hear about it soon enough. Austin Gatlin-Holt is dead. Sonny asks if he knows how it happened, and Dante says, he was shot to death in a house in Pautuck. Does Sonny know anything about it? Sonny asks why he would know about it. He doesn’t know anyone in Pautuck. Dante says, unless Sonny arranged for it to happen, and Sonny says, Dante has known him long enough. Dante knows how he works. If he’s going to arrange for Austin to be dead, they’re not going to find his body because it will be in the Pine Barrons. And the last thing he’s going to do is come here and talk to his son the detective. Dante has to give him a little more credit than that. Dante says he’s relieved Sonny didn’t do it, but now he has to find out who did. Sonny says, no, he doesn’t.

Cyrus cleans up the glass, and the maître d’ says, if the tray is too heavy, than make two trips. Cyrus says, got it, and the wicked stepmother maître d’ says, the cost of the broken glass will come out of your paycheck. Now finish the clean-up. (Geez. A little tough on him for a place that’s supposed to be sympathetic to ex-cons.) Cyrus says, yes, sir, and Alexis tells Laura, either he doesn’t know who his new dishwasher is, or that maître d’ has a death wish.

Sam says she and Drew never discussed Scout going to a private school, and Drew says, it’s a great opportunity. Sam says she knows. Kristina went to Westwood. She remembers her mom having to do backflips to get her in. Not to mention, Sonny had to give a talk with them to get her accepted. It’s really expensive, but he could afford it. Drew says, so can he, and she says she believes the acceptance rate is 7% or something, and there’s an epic waiting list. Is Scout just going to jump to the front of the line? He says, there’s a big waiting list because it’s a great school. And it turns out there’s a student in Scout’s class that had to leave, so Scout can just slide right in there and start right after Christmas break. What does Scout say? It’s an amazing school. It’s all girls and they have one of the best swim teams in the state. She’s going to be able to study so many more subjects than she did at public school, and as she gets a bit older, they even have a study abroad program. Looking less than thrilled, Scout asks if he wants her to go there, and he says, all he’s ever wanted for her is the best life possible. Westwood is a great step up. He thinks she’s going to love it. What does she say? Scout says, okay, daddy, and I want to smack Drew. Probably Sam does too.

Dante tells Sonny, Austin lived and worked in Port Charles. It’s his duty to investigate, but Sonny says, Dante just told him that Austin was shot in Pautuck, the same place where Dante shot his cousin Mason. Dante says, it was in the line of duty, and Sonny asks if it isn’t going to be a conflict of interest for him to investigate Austin’s death. Shouldn’t that fall on the cops in Pautuck? Dante says, if he was running lead investigator, it would be a conflict of interest, but it’s not because Austin was murdered in Pautuck, so the Pautuck PD will run lead. But because, like he said, Austin lived and worked in Port Charles, he and the PCPD have to share information. Sonny could save them a lot of time and effort if he’d tell Dante who he suspects. Sonny says, it’s the same person Dante suspected all along – Cyrus Renault. He tells Dante that he has to go, and leaves.

Cyrus finishes sweeping up the glass, and Alexis tells Laura that she’s surprised an upscale place like the Port Charles Grill would hire an ex-con like Cyrus. Laura says, maybe the manager here believes in second chances, and Alexis asks if she thinks he can be reformed. Laura says she just had this conversation with her other brother Martin, and she’ll tell Alexis what she told him. It is entirely possible Cyrus hasn’t changed a bit and this turn toward God is just a big act, but she believes in second chances. So until Cyrus has proven himself to be a threat, she’s going to stand by her own principles and say her brother deserves a second chance, just like everybody else. Alexis thanks Laura for lunch, and they leave. Cyrus watches them go down the block from inside the restaurant.

TJ tells Portia that he checked on Austin’s patients and they’re all doing fine. They shouldn’t need to be checked on until he makes his rounds. Portia thanks him, and tells him that she hates to say this, but she may have to ask him to stay late to cover. He says, actually, the timing couldn’t be better, and she asks what that means. He says he and Molly had a difference of opinion on whether they should look for a new surrogate, and it’s not a conversation he wants to have right now. So if he can bury himself in work instead… bring it on. Elizabeth comes back and says she really needs to talk to Portia. TJ says, not a problem. He’s got more patients to see. He leaves, and Elizabeth tells Portia that she went to Austin’s apartment. No one was there, but there was food delivery sitting outside his door. She looked at the receipt and it had been delivered on Thanksgiving Day. Clearly, he never brought it inside. Portia says, now she’s starting to get concerned, and Elizabeth says she found the super and explained the situation. He let her in. No sign of him. In fact, it looked like Austin hadn’t been there since before Thanksgiving. Portia says, what? and Elizabeth asks if Portia is thinking what she’s thinking. Should they call the police?

On the phone walking to the elevator, Drew tells Steve that he has an update on his daughter. He spoke to Scout and her mom about Westwood Academy and they’re all for it… Yes. So let’s pick out a time when we can move forward and talk about Scout getting admitted.

Sam and Scout arrive home, and Sam says she knows Scout needs to write her report about dad’s job, but did she have any other homework to finish up? Scout says, no, just the report, and Sam says she was thinking maybe they could take a drive over to Westwood Academy and see what it looks like on the outside. What does she think? Scout just gives her a sad look, and Sam says, they could go by Kelly’s and get some hot chocolate. Scout says she doesn’t want to go to that school, and Sam puts Scout in her lap and strokes her hair.

Molly goes into the PC Grill and tells the maître d’ that she’s meeting someone, but they’re not here yet. She said the reservation should be under her name, Claire Brown.

Finn says, Mr. Muldoon came to visit him about a week after their conversation, and Clark asks what kind of symptoms he complained about. Finn says, he had some G.I. distress, weight loss, general fatigue, and she says, anything else? Finn says, he complained about some dizziness, but it hadn’t gotten as far as fainting, and she asks how Finn treated him. Finn says he ran some bloodwork and a culture. The tests came back with low hemoglobin and elevated white blood cell count, and the culture came back positive for a tapeworm. He treated him for the tapeworm and Mr. Muldoon called a few days later saying he was feeling much better. He also requested Mr. Muldoon come in for a follow-up just in case. Clark says, just in case what? and he says, it’s standard procedure to make sure the patient was properly treated, but Mr. Muldoon refused, saying he had to go on another business trip. She says, then what? and he says, Mr. Muldoon came in two months later, at which time he ran further bloodwork and a colonoscopy. At that time, he discovered Mr. Muldoon had cancer. She asks, what happened then? and he says he referred Mr. Muldoon to oncology. Unfortunately, it was already Stage IV. Mr. Muldoon passed away shortly after. She asks if any of the symptoms Mr. Muldoon complained about in his first visit signs for cancer? Finn doesn’t say anything, and she says, when Mr. Muldoon initially told Finn about his symptoms, did he ever think it might be cancer? Finn says, before he answers any more questions, he thinks he’d like his lawyer present.

Sonny gets in his car and makes a call. He says he’s on his way to the MetroCourt. Get over there now. There’s something you need to know. He drives away.

When Dante goes into the station, the desk sergeant says he has a Detective Brisco from the Pautuck PD waiting for him. He put Brisco in the interrogation room (where all the PCPD action happens!) Dante goes in, introduces himself, and says, they spoke earlier. Brisco says, good to meet him in person, and Dante says, him as well. Brisco says, they’re requesting interdepartmental cooperation to investigate the murder of Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt.

Tomorrow, Gloria asks when Brook and Chase are getting married; Maxie says she’s in over her head and doesn’t know what to do; Finn tells Martin that he might have just made things worse; and Sonny tells Ava, every second she wastes makes it harder for him to cover her tracks.

🩺 Roger Come Back…

It’s just a shame. They never quite knew what to do with him. Now we all lose… sniff…

Exclusive: Roger Howarth On His Exit From GENERAL HOSPITAL

https://ew.com/roger-howarth-goodbye-general-hospital-8405164

He was at his best when he was Todd with Blair. I remember when Todd putt crumpled beer cans on his Christmas tree for decoration. It was at that moment I knew I liked him.

A Look Back At Roger Howarth’s Daytime Career

🍜 G-L-O-R-I-A…

Well, somebody had to ruin the turkey.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/rena-sofer-reveals-how-she-got-ellen-travolta-back-to-gh

Exclusive: Ellen Travolta Previews Gloria’s GENERAL HOSPITAL Return!

🏥 Another Thanksgiving Return…

How ironic she’s in nursing.

Catching up With GH’s Brooklyn Rae Silzer

🦃 Turkey Talk…

How they celebrated.

See How the Stars Celebrated Thanksgiving!

And if that’s not enough, some Thanksgiving memories from soap past.

Seven Memorable Soap Thanksgivings

Rushing the season.

Soap Stars Shine at the 2023 Hollywood Christmas Parade!

👒 That’s One Word To Use…

She is kind of entertaining, but probably not if you’re in the same room.

Everything That Makes Mary Cosby a Controversial Housewife

🧂 Only a Matter Of Time…

There are certainly enough characters in the franchise to glean from.

https://ew.com/sarah-paulson-channeling-real-housewives-of-salt-lake-city-meredith-marks-for-next-role-8405859

💎 Nothing Earthshattering…

She probably just wants to stay relevant since she’s no longer on RHOBH.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1390413/kathy-hilton-weighs-in-on-possible-kyle-richards-mauricio-umansky-reconciliation

📹 Looks Blankly At the Camera…

I don’t even know what to say.  The Twitterverse (X-verse?) seems to be anti-Kyle and telling Natalya to watch out. I officially Willy Wonka strike that and reverse it.

Below Deck Med’s Kyle Viljoen Says He and Natalya Scudder Are ‘Friends Again’

👠 Demi Plus Drag…

This looks like fun because, Trixie Mattel! On Roku, December 8th.

https://ew.com/demi-lovato-a-very-demi-holiday-special-first-look-8403774

🎄 Get Ready, Get Set…

The season has officially begun. Better to watch it on TV. It’s going to be a zoo this year.

https://www.rockefellercenter.com/holidays/rockefeller-center-christmas-tree-lighting/

🎋 Jingling One Bell…

Join me tomorrow for soap and SMH at Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay not feeling pressured to feel holly or jolly, and stay remembering that doctors are not God and do not have all the answers.

Sep6

September 5, 2022 – Private Party At The Savoy, 30th Birthday On Deck, What Happened Next & Morning

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the pool, Chase says, Brook had an idea to get him a gig? but she says she has no time to explain. Just trust her. He does trust her, doesn’t he?

Near the pool bar, Sonny says, when Nina and Ava were talking at the hospital, Ava clearly seemed like something was troubling her. Nina says, it’s not important, but he says, it didn’t look that way to him. She says, he made it perfectly clear there are things that happen in his life that he can’t talk to her about. She and Ava are friends, and there are some things that need to stay between them that he can’t be a part of. He says he knows she’s Ava’s friend, but she’s also Avery’s mother. So if she’s in trouble, and Nina isn’t telling him something, he needs to know, like if Nina was in trouble.

The Savoy says, Closed for a Private Party, and Portia squeals as she walks in with Taggert. Curtis tells the bartenders, the majority of the guests just finished their freshman year of college, so they’re underage. No alcoholic beverages for anyone wearing an orange wristband. Taggert says, looks amazing, and Portia says, Trina is going to feel so special. Trina comes in with Rory, and says, this is incredible. She thanks Curtis for shutting down the club for them. He says, it’s the least he could do. They all deserve to celebrate and have a little happiness for a change. Trina says she loves it, and hugs him. Portia says, this is above and beyond, and Curtis says, his pleasure. He has some things he needs to arrange, but enjoy the party. He leaves, and Taggert congratulates Portia on her engagement. He’s really happy for her. Jordan joins them, and says, likewise. TJ told her that she was invited, but given how Trina’s troubles started, is her being here going to be a problem?

Cameron tells Trina, congrats on this very special night, and hugs her. He says, she must be so relieved this whole thing is finally over. She says she is, and thanks him. She asks, where’s Joss? She figured they’d be coming together. Cameron says, she told him that she had to stop at GH first, but he swears she should have beaten him here. He wonders what’s keeping her.

Dex says, Josslyn’s not actually thinking of crawling in the dumpster. They’re just talking about a bracelet. Why doesn’t she just buy her sister a new one? She says, no. Her sister is going through enough right now. If there’s a chance the bracelet is in there, she’s going to look for it. She opens one side of the dumpster, and says, is he going to help her or not? He opens the other side, and says, sure, why not? She hands him her bag, gets in, and starts digging around. He takes jacket off, and joins her.

Cameron says he hasn’t gotten a text from Joss, but he’s sure she’ll be here soon. Trina says, no rush, and tells Rory, it’s early, and she plans on living it up. He says, him too, and they kiss, when Spencer walks in.

TJ sees Brando sitting on a bench at the hospital, and says, feel free to tell him it’s none of his business, but he saw Brando sitting there over an hour ago. He has time to talk if Brando wants. Brando says, Sasha’s in trouble, and he doesn’t know how to help her, or if he even can.  

Sasha goes into the PC Grill, and sees Lucy sitting at a table. Sasha joins her, and says, it’s been way too long since they got together. Why here and not the MetroCourt? Lucy says she thought, let’s get a change of scenery going on. It’s good sometimes to get out of the building where their offices are. Sasha says she couldn’t agree more. So let’s be honest. They’ve been radio silent with her for about a week or so. She’s glad Lucy decided to bring her back in. She’s ready. What’s on the agenda for today’s meeting? Lucy says, that would be Sasha, and her future with Deception.

Nina tells Sonny, of course (🍷) Ava’s worried. She was attacked, she didn’t see who attacked her, and there are no suspects, so the person who did this is still on the loose. And as for her, she’s not in trouble, but she’s got a lot on her mind, given the date today. Brook and Chase join them, and Brook hugs Sonny. He asks how she’s doing, and she says she’s doing great. He say, she has a big smile on her face; what’s the reason? She says she doesn’t know if they’ve heard, but she and Chase are now officially a thing. Chase says, the thing is, they’re a couple, and Sonny says, congratulations. Welcome to the family, so to speak. Brook says, they should do dinner one night, like a double-date, and Nina asks if she thinks Michael would be okay with that. Brook says she loves her cousin, but they don’t see eye to eye on everything, and they’re adults. She thinks they should do it. It would be a blast. Sonny asks how long he’s known Brook. A long time, right? He knows when she’s buttering him up. What favor does she need?

Sasha tells Lucy, she didn’t realize her future with Deception had to be addressed. She is an equity partner after all. Lucy says, exactly, and her behavior as of late has made the company vulnerable. She doesn’t know if Sasha has noticed – she hopes Sasha has – but the business has taken a big hit. So perhaps Sasha could take a step back, just for a while, until she’s well. Sasha says she is well, and doesn’t like this one bit. She understands where Lucy is coming from though. She’ll take a step back from the fall campaign; the winter one too, if need be. All this drama should be forgotten by then… What? Lucy says, they’re going to need more than that.

TJ tells Brando that he heard about Sasha’s incident with Smoltz at the MetroCourt. He sent Brando a couple of texts, just checking in, but when he didn’t hear back, he figured Brando had a lot on his plate. Brando says, Sasha’s attorney came up with a strategy for her to avoid prison, and TJ says, it’s that serious? Brando says, it could be if they don’t find a way to address it. They had an appointment this morning with Dr. Rubin, who was going to pitch the potential solution to Sasha, but the session didn’t go as planned. TJ asks, how so? He’s not just Brando’s friend, he’s also a doctor, so any medical information Brando shares, he’ll consider privileged. Brando says, he’s felt so helpless. He couldn’t save his son, and couldn’t stop Sasha from spiraling. Now he’s worried he might have crossed a line.

Portia says she holds no ill will about Jordan’s part in Trina’s investigation. She thought she’d made that clear before. Jordan was just doing her job, and Portia knows that. Taggert says, and when push came to shove, Jordan helped lead the charge against Esme. Portia says, and all that is behind them anyway. She sees Spencer come in, and says she has to check on something. She leaves, and Jordan says she hopes she could extend the same grace to Portia if their roles were reversed, and Taggert says, he’s just glad she and Portia were able to mend fences. Maybe it’s time to leave the past in the past. Jordan flashes back to hearing Portia on the phone, saying, the genetic counseling isn’t concerning her; it concerns her daughter. Her medical history isn’t relevant. The screening is for her daughter’s paternal line. Jordan tells Taggert that she wonders if that’s ever truly possible.

Rory sees Spencer, and points him out to Trina. Cameron says, he was just with Spencer, and he didn’t mention anything about Trina’s party. He had no idea Spencer was planning to come. Trina says, neither did she. Spencer takes out the envelope containing the letter to Trina, looks at it, then puts it back in his pocket. Portia asks Trina if she needs anything from her, but Trina says she’s fine. In fact, she thinks she’d like a couple minutes alone with Spencer. Portia says, they’re here if Trina decides she needs back-up, and Trina goes over to him.

Spencer says, for a second, he thought Trina was going to have him escorted out, but she says, everyone just wants to mood for tonight to remain fun – for her and her friends. He says, which is why he wanted to congratulate her before he’s shipped off to Pentenville tomorrow, because they are friends. She says, no, Spencer, we’re not.

Dex and Josslyn dig through the garbage, and Dex asks if it’s her first dumpster dive. Or is she one of those progressive college kids who like repurposing old food? She says, gross, no. It’s her first time going through trash, public or private. He says she must love her little sister, and she says, of course (🍷) she does. Is he an only child? He says, no. He has siblings, but they don’t get along well, or at all actually. She says, sorry to hear that. She’s super close to all of her siblings. He says, it is what it is. He’s better off without them. She asks, what makes him say that? and he says, if he’d never moved on, he would have never come to Port Charles, and he woudn’t have crossed paths with the people he met here. She says, they should keep searching. They dig some more, and she tells him that her foot is stuck. He tries to help her, and she ends up falling, and pulling him down on top of her.

Brook asks if a girl can’t spend some quality time with her favorite non-biological uncle, and his second life partner. Nina says, she’s been called worse, and Sonny says, Brook is playing with fire now. Brook says, all right; he called her out. She does need a favor – she and Chase need a favor. She’s decided to follow in her mom’s footsteps, and become a behind-the-scenes force in the music industry. It’s been two years to the day she lost her voice, thanks to Nelle attacking her, and depriving her of the gift of singing. She may have been down, but she’s not out. She has a ton of experience in the music biz. She can still write songs, and take everything she’s learned, and help new talent and manage them, which is what she’s doing with Chase. She knows Sonny has a ton of connections, so she was hoping he could flex some of that muscle, and help her get Chase some gigs. What does he say?

Spencer says he knows he’s said some stupid and regrettable things to Trina, but this all started because they were friends last year. She says she can’t deny past; they were friends. Unfortunately, things have changed since then, and the most important thing she needs to do is to heal. She can’t do that if he’s still a part of her life. What he said on the witness stand when he tried to give her an alibi, she won’t forget that either. He sacrificed his own freedom to try and give her hers. That’s a big deal, but they both need to move on. She hugs him, and tells him to take care of himself in Pentenville. She really wants the best for him. Truly. She goes back to Rory, and Spencer takes out the envelope.

Josslyn tells Dex, 500 showers aren’t going to fix this. They were just lying in trash. Dex says, she was falling, and he tried to help her, but she’s strong. She says, the important things is, they just keep looking for the bracelet. They dig some more, and she says, ta-da! She found it; Avery’s bracelet. He asks if she’s sure, and she says she’s positive. He says, impressive, and she tells him, she had help.

TJ asks what Brando did that he thinks crossed a line, and Brando says, he was so desperate, and Sasha’s been making all kinds of rash decisions; about her health, her finances, even this legal situation. She has a problem with drugs, but she’s resisted treatment for months. That’s what led to all of this. He’s not judging; he’s speaking as a former addict himself. Sasha had a psychiatric break, and it didn’t happen privately. It happened during her appearance on the Home & Heart show. TJ says, he didn’t get to see it live, but he caught a clip on social media. It was rough. Brando says, then there was an incident with that reporter Smoltz where she lost it, and attacked his car. That’s when her attorney Martin Grey came up with the idea that the courts might be more lenient if she agreed to a guardianship. He would be her conservator. He’d be in charge of all her treatments, and he’d have power of attorney for her. TJ says he can see how an attorney would be in favor, and it could work, as long as Sasha agreed. Brando says, that’s where he screwed up. He didn’t include Sasha in the conversations, so when Dr. Rubin pitched it to Sasha, she snapped.

Sasha asks what Lucy is looking for, a public apology? Does she want Sasha to do another interview, open up a vein, and beg forgiveness? And for what? Grieving the loss of her son? For relapsing? Lucy says, it’s a lot more complicated than that, and Sasha knows it. Sasha has been struggling for some time now, and she’s made some rash decisions that have affected her well-being, and it’s also affecting the well-being of their company, She hates having to say this. It’s horrible to have to say, and horrible for Sasha to have to listen, but right now she is an equity partner in Deception, and has the power to make decisions for Deception, even if she’s not in the right head space to make them. Sasha says, enough. What’s the bottom line? Do they want to push her out of her company?

Chase asks if he can talk to Brook for a second, but she says, they haven’t even heard her Uncle Sonny’s reaction. So what does Sonny think? Sonny says he knows a few people who would book Chase as a favor to him, and Brook gets all excited, but he says, listen. The last time she came to him for a favor, it was about teaching Linc a lesson, and had nothing to do with Chase’s career. Chase says, she did what? and Brook says, Linc is a dirtball, and Chase has real talent. Booking him in some real venues, both promotes him and gets her a little payback on Linc. It sounds like a win-win to her. They’re just trying to set up their next chapter, and make sure Linc gets the punishment he deserves. Sonny says, that’s good enough for him; consider it done. Chase tells them that he has something to say.

Dex offers Josslyn his hand, but she says, she can do this herself. She gets out of the dumpster, and he says he gives her credit for finding the bracelet, but she’s probably going to have to buy her little sister a new once, since it smells so bad. Josslyn says she’s going to clean it, but she has to change her clothes before she goes to Trina’s party. He says, that’s why, no matter what the weather, it’s good to wear layers. He takes his shirt off, and she asks if he plans his day looking for chances to take his shirt off, and he says he hasn’t had any complaints so far. He could have kept his shirt clean, and let her look for her sister’s bracelet alone. She says he’s right, thanking him, and he says, anytime. He tells her to have fun at the party, and she leaves.

Spencer sits by himself, staring at the envelope, when Cameron comes by. He says he couldn’t hear what Spencer and Trian were saying, but he read their facial expression. Is he okay? Spencer says, not really, but he was just about to leave anyway. Cameron points to the envelope, and asks, what’s that? Spencer says he had this crazy idea he would confess everything in a letter to Trina. He would give it to her, and she’d read it and forgive him, and everything would be better again. Typical of him, always taking the easy way out. It was a stupid idea. Cameron says, it’s the first non-stupid idea Spencer has had all year.

Marshall congratulates Curtis on his engagement to Portia. Lord knows he’s glad he’s here to see it. Curtis says, they decided to fight for their relationship, the same way Marshall encouraged Trina to fight for her court case. Marshall says, she did the same for him. Because of Trina, he has a shot at doing something with his family. And Curtis? Curtis holds out his hand, and they bro hug.

TJ tells Brando, he can’t say he’s surprised. Who would love the idea of signing over their free will to someone else, even if it’s their spouse? Brando asks if TJ thinks he overstepped, but TJ says he’s not a psychiatrist; it’s not his place to say medically. And he’s not inside their marriage. Brando says he was going to bring up the idea of conservatorship to Sasha last week, he just… He just couldn’t muster up the courage. He convinced himself that Dr. Rubin could explain it better, being in a safe controlled environment, but that wasn’t the truth. TJ asks, what was the truth? and Brando says, it’s hard to admit, but he was ashamed of what he was asking Sasha to do.

Sasha tells Lucy that she demands an answer. Is Lucy kicking her out of Deception? Lucy says, no, they’re not voting her out, and Sasha says, what is she asking for then? Lucy says, they’re asking that she simply simple voluntarily put her fiduciary responsibilities and financial stake in Deception in a trust. Then they can monitor it until Sasha is deemed better. Sasha asks, who gets to decide when she’s better? Some doctor? Lucy?  Are they going to take a vote? Lucy says, no, but if Sasha doesn’t help them out here, cooperate, they’ll be forced to vote her out. But they don’t want to do that; they want what’s best for Sasha. So come on, just think about it. Take a step back from Deception, just for now. Sasha bangs on the table, and says, hell no!

Brando tells TJ that he never gives Sasha a chance to ask for help. He always oversteps before she’s ready, then she pushes him away. He doesn’t give her a chance to come to him. TJ says, there may be some truth to that, but the better question is, why is Brando telling all this to him and not his wife? Brando says, good point.

Chase says he means no disrespect to Sonny, but he sees Brook’s attempt at making him a popstar as more of a sabbatical. His first love is being a police officer, and he’s still holding out hope he’ll be allowed to be one again one day – if the Civilian Review Board allows it. Their lines of work don’t exactly overlap very well. Sonny says, he respects Chase’s honesty, but luckily, his business contacts in music venues are where he distributes coffee. Chase says, Sonny’s name alone has connections, and he’s on thin ice at the PCPD already. He just can’t risk it. Nina says she might have a potential solution. She’s really good friends with Curtis Ashford. She and Sonny could both put in a good word for Chase playing at The Savoy. Chase says he guesses if the ask is from Nina, he could live with that, and Brook says, that would be great. She thanks Nina, and of course (🍷) Uncle Dimples for taking the time to listen to her. Nina says she’s actually going to see Curtis because she wants to congratulate him on his engagement. She asks if Sonny will come with her, and they leave. Brook says, that worked out for the best. Chase will have a gig in no time. He tells her that she went way too far, and walks away.

Everyone is dancing, and Cameron tells Spencer, they all want Trina to have a fantastic time tonight. Spencer says, she deserves it, and Cameron says, she also deserves to know the truth. That way, she can make an accurate assessment of Spencer’s role in her life. He’s not saying because he thinks they have a chance to be together; it’s slim. He’s saying this because he learned the hard way, through his mom. Suppressing your feelings only leads to trouble. He thinks the fact Spencer came here, uninvited, to deliver that letter in person, rather than dropping it in a mailbox, says Spencer thinks that too. Cameron leaves, and Spencer ponders this.  

Brando tells TJ that Sasha has a Deception meeting at the PC Grill. He’s supposed to meet her afterward. That was, until everything blew up. TJ says he’s headed to The Savoy, and can drop Brando off at the Grill first. Brando says, it would be good for him and Sasha to talk about things when tensions are so high. Funny. You’d think that’s when you shouldn’t be talking about things.

Sasha says she’s not going to step back and be some phony figurehead, and Lucy asks her to keep her voice down. The last thing Deception needs is another public spectacle. Sasha asks if that’s why Lucy chose the Grill. Lucy thought she wouldn’t cause a scene in such an upscale place? Think again. She gets up, and screams, Lucy betrayed her. This is the company she put her blood, sweat, and tears into. Lucy gets up, and says, stop right now. Listen to her. She loves Sasha like a daughter, and Sasha knows that, but she’ll be damned if she lets Sasha jeopardize everything she’s worked her entire life to build. No way. Sasha says, like a daughter, huh? Yet at the first sign of trouble, she wants to shove Sasha off the lifeboat. Lucy says, this has been building for well over a year; it’s not the first sign. Sasha says, so Lucy just abandons her now, like everyone else? She screams, go to hell, Lucy! as a guy at the next table films her on his phone.

Jordan says, Trina’s really something, and Taggert says he’s just lucky he survived to watch her grow up. Sometimes she has a personality he doesn’t recognize. Trina’s definitely her own person. He’s a strategist, and he games everything. Portia is a healer, more holistic, but Trina leads with her heart. She’s a rescuer by nature, and wants to save the world. Sometimes he wonders where she gets it from. Jordan looks at Curtis.

Nina and Sonny come in, and Curtis excuses himself. Portia tells Marshall that she’s sorry Epiphany couldn’t make it tonight. She remembers studying for the MCATs and doesn’t envy her at all. How are things going between the two of them? Marshall says, they’re good. He told Epiphany about his diagnosis, and that woman couldn’t have been more supportive. He often wonders what could been had he been honest about his original diagnosis back in the day. He got blindsided. Maybe if he’d had symptoms when he was younger he coulda… Coulda, woulda, woulda, coulda. He might have been better prepared to handle it.

Curtis tells Nina that he’s glad she could made it. He says, Sonny, and Nina thanks him for the invitation. She knows they’re here to celebrate Trina, but she wanted to congratulate him on his engagement. She wants to congratulate Portia, and leaves. Curtis says he has to check on something, but Sonny follows him, and asks, what’s going on? Can they clear the air here? Why does he get the sense Curtis thinks he’s crashing the party? Curtis says, because he is, and Sonny says, Nina was invited, but he thought he and Curtis were friends. Curtis says, they did favors for each other, or so he thought, but it turns out it was only one-sided. Sonny asks if Curtis is still mad because he didn’t dig into Marshall’s arrest record.  

Josslyn arrives at The Savoy, and Josslyn asks why Rory didn’t tell her that he could dance. They sit at a table, and Rory says, it doesn’t really come up in casual conversation, and they’ve never gone out dancing. He usually tries to bust a move at weddings or parties with work people. There’s a cop banquet thing next month. People are supposed to bring their significant others if she’s ready for that. She says, what this whole trial thing has taught her is that she shouldn’t waste time being so cautious. So she’s ready to take the leap if he is. They kiss, and Spencer sees them through a curtain of streamers.

Cameron says, Josslyn finally made it; it’s good to see her. He was wondering what was keeping her. Did she go all the way home to change?

Filming dude tells his date that he can’t believe their catching the latest meltdown of the Basket Case of Deception. If he was my date, I’d dump my drink on his head and leave. Sasha snatches his phone out of his hand, and says, leeches. All of you are leeches. Is he just trying get a piece of her while she gets her life back on track? Dude says, it’s a public place. If you don’t want attention, act normal. She says, normal? Like he was normal filming her? She stomps on his phone, and he says, what the hell? She asks if this is crazy enough for him, and  the manager says he’s going to have to ask Sasha to leave. She yells, get your hands off me! and pushes him, but he grabs her. She freaks out, when Brando walks in. Lucy apologizes to the manager and insensitive dude, and Brando asks if Sasha is okay. She says, no, she’s not okay, and cries in his arms. She tells him that she needs help.

TJ hugs Jordan, and she says, he’s so late. Was there an emergency at the hospital? He says, no. He had to give a friend a ride, but Aunt Stella texted him. She’s on her way to the airport, and really wanted Trina to know how happy she is for her. Jordan says, maybe this will encourage Stella to stop traveling the world and stay put in Port Charles. He says he’d like that, but he’s glad Aunt Stella has the opportunity to see the world. To think that almost got taken away from her because of a technical glitch. Jordan asks what he’s talking about, and he says, she forgot? The ancestry website initially matched her with the wrong person before her cousin in London. It said she had a close relation in Port Charles.

Brook asks what Chase is talking about. She was kind of polite and everything. He says, that favor she asked Sonny; she never even asked him about it. The last thing he needs is to be associated with the mob. His reputation has to be on the up-and-up. She says, he’s right; she’s sorry. But all’s well that ends well, right? It turns out they owe Nina for the favor, not Sonny. He says he just wants to be clear. It’s important that she not put him in another compromising position again. Unless… He smiles, and she says, message received. She won’t compromise his integrity while they figure out how to take down Linc. He thanks her, and they hug.

Curtis says he doesn’t know what Sonny expected. He asked Sonny for a favor, and Sonny turned him down. He learned at that moment he can’t depend on Sonny. It’s that simple. Did everyone take unreasonable pills today? Sonny says, Curtis has no idea what he’s done to protect Curtis’s family, and Curtis says, here’s his chance… Forget about it. Sonny says he likes Curtis. Can’t they work this out? Curtis says, Sonny made the rules abundantly clear. He just doesn’t like them. Marshall asks if they’ve got a problem here.

Josslyn says she did change. She’s surprised Cameron noticed. He says he’s a little bit stupid, but she changed outfits completely. She says, it’s no big deal. She told him earlier, Avery lost her charm bracelet, and it was from Ava. She had to look for it, and Avery said she wore it to GH. So her search led her to a trash bin, and she did a bit of dumpster diving, which was pretty disgusting, but she ended up finding the bracelet. He says, his girlfriend is a certified badass. He’s sorry she didn’t call him though. He wouldn’t want her to do that alone.

Rory leaves to get some waters, and Trina gets up to walk around. She sees Spencer, and he tries to jet, but she stops him. He says he’s going to take her advice to heart. He’ll see her when he sees her. Have fun. On his way out, he drops the envelope, and she sees it. They both race to pick it up, but she gets there first. She asks, what is this?

Tomorrow, Marshall asks Sonny to leave; Spencer says, there’s something he’d like to tell Trina; Willow tells Nina that she’s here for Nelle; and Sonny says he’ll keep Selina’s offer in mind.

Below Deck Mediterranean

The title of this episode is Let Me Be Frank, and it reminds me of an old joke…

Mellieha Bay. We’re still at the wine tasting, and in Dave’s interview, he says, the guests are loving it. The problem is, he had everything ready to go up at once, and everyone could pour whatever wine they wanted. He’s trying to make interior’s life easier. The wine pairing is making everyone else’s life difficult. Dessert is served, and Storm tells the guests that he wants to go over things for tomorrow. We flash back to the preference sheet meeting, and primary Adam’s request for a water obstacle course for a friendly competition. Storm tells them to bring their drinking face and sports legs and body, because it’s going to go together. Kyle suggests the guests change into their PJs, and one of them says he should too. Kyle says, even though they’re supposed to be in uniform, he has to honor guest requests. Tasha tells Dave that the meal was hectic, but amazing, and he says, it was sh*t. In Tasha’s interview, she says, it probably wasn’t the best decision to do the wine pairing, but the guests are having the best time, and that’s all that matters. Kyle gets in his PJs, and tells Dave, well done, as he walks past.

Kyle gets applause when he shows up, and in Tasha’s interview, she says she thinks Kyle’s flirting is great, but she loves a good love story. She’s always been a rebellious angel. People think she looks innocent, but really she tries to get away with murder. Bad decisions make good stories. She joins the party, and they play Rose and Thorn. Guest Daniel says, meeting them was his rose, and Kyle and Tasha are like, oh, gee, aww. Someone asks about Kyle, and Kyle says he wasn’t expecting to be attracted to another individual for a while, but seeing Frank’s smile, he was shook. Frank has a warm aura that makes him feel comfortable, and he’d like to get to know him. In Kyle’s interview, he says, he could definitely be fired for this kind of interaction, but being part of the LGBTQIA+ community, it’s difficult to make this kind of connection. What’s more important, job or romance? Kyle jokes and talks with the guests as they all lounge on the couch, and in her interview, Tasha says, if Captain Sandy came by and saw this, they’d both be in trouble. As his boss, she should say something to stop it, but she feels like a bit of a c*ck block at the moment. She tells Kyle that she needs him for work stuff, and out of the guests’ earshot, she says she doesn’t want him to get into trouble. The guests go to bed, and Mzi teases that Kyle looked cozy on the couch. He likes Kyle’s commitment to the cause. The crew goes to bed.

In the morning, Courtney does her tender thing. Natalya is annoyed by how much she has to clean up, and bitches to Dave. In her interview, she says, she already has a full morning, so when Tasha and Kyle leave the place like a pig sty, she goes through the roof. Courtney and Natalya get out the outfits for the competition, and the suits for the women are red spandex with spaghetti straps and relax on the front in rhinestones. Natalya gripes to Kyle and Tasha about how much she’s had to do, and in Tasha’s interview, she says she thinks if the shoe was on the other foot, and Natalya was up until 4 am, she would have gone to bed too. It’s not the end of the world. The slide is blown up, and Storm tells Mzi if he can get to the top from the bottom, he’ll let Mzi slide for 3 hours. But of course, it’s impossible. Storm tells the deckhands to be cheerful and loud, shocking and vivey (whatever that means), and Jason says, he means American. In Storm’s interview, he says, now that he’s got a taste of being a bosun, he doesn’t want to be anything else. He wants to make the guests and the captain happy, so he can say he’s done everything he can do.

Kyle puts on the relax bathing suit, and everyone cracks up. He puts trunks over it before they go out because… you know why. Captain Sandy welcomes everyone to the mini Olympics, and introduces Team Adams Family versus Team Home. The guests get the advantage, or disadvantage, of having a shot before each challenge. They do a bunch of crazy/silly stuff, and it ends 5 to 3 with Team Adams Family winning. The captain says, back to work, but Kyle sheds his trunks and continues to frolic in the water with the guests. The captain starts repeating, back to work, like a mom boss, until Kyle gets the message. In her interview, she says, it’s a fine line when the guests want to mingle with the crew, and some of the crew don’t know when to end the fun. If you have respect for yourself and your industry, you don’t cross the line. She trusts every crew member, until they show they can’t be trusted. You just need to know where the line is, and not cross it. In Kyle’s interview, he says, he’s never been in this position before. Rule number one, don’t get intimate with guests. But he doesn’t want to lose this. He needs to figure out a way of showing interest without losing his job.

In Mzi’s interview, he says, he and Courtney have chemistry, but they like each other as good friends, nothing more. Dave makes a three-layer chocolate cake, with butter icing and white chocolate ganache, shaped like a ship. In his interview, he says, he did it once before, in all chocolate; The Black Pearl. We see a picture of him in a pirate costume holding a ship cake. Storm tells Jason to take a break for 15 minutes, which turns into 45 minutes. In his interview, Mzi says, there’s always one person in the work place who’s defiant. He has no respect for people like that. Know your job, and try to make chemistry work, not destroy it. Frank tells Kyle that he’s sad it’s the last night, but Kyle says, it’s never the last night, and they flirt some more. Natalya asks for help with decorating for the birthday party, and Storm sends Jason. Captain Sandy is impressed with cake, and says she’s loving the silver and gold décor. Kyle makes drinks that are mostly tequila based, and again I wonder, blech, why? Guest Liam turns into Bambi for the evening. Mzi and Courtney discuss Jason, and Courtney says, he should have more respect for the job. She’s had enough. She sees Jason nearby, and wonders if he heard, but Mzi doesn’t think so. In Jason’s interview, he says, they’ve got a clique, and he feels like an outsider. It sucks for sure. Courtney tells Mzi that she doesn’t want any drama. She’s keeping her mouth shut.

The guests are impressed with the dinner table, and Natalya is impressed with Bambi. In Natalya’s interview, she says, she’s not into girls, but could be for Bambi. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, she’s a child at heart, and loves cake like she loves puppies, but she also loves ships. She never had a chef make a ship cake. After the usual fabulous dinner, Dave brings out the cake, and Happy Birthday is sung badly. The guests get ready to go in the hot tub, and Natalya is overwhelmed in the laundry.  She tells Storm that she’s hit a wall, and he says he has too. In her interview, Natalya says she likes Storm, but she has trust issues. Her longest relationship was 7 weeks when she was 17. They were out for Valentine’s Day, and he left in the middle of dinner because his ex wanted him back. And he stuck her with the bill. In the hot tub, Adam says he feels like he’s in a big gay soup. Mzi tells Storm that Jason was a few minutes late for anchor watch, but he apologized. Frank goes over to where Kyle is tending bar, and says, it seems like he’s alone a lot with his job. Kyle says he is, and that’s why he struggles to find a partner. Frank says, Kyle has the gay wit he doesn’t, and Kyle says, it came from when he was growing up. It was a way out of awkward situations. Frank says, he’s like a deer in headlights, and Kyle says, that’s what makes him so cute. Guest Jennifer wonders if will happen, and in Kyle’s interview, he says, Frank is gorgeous, but giving him heart as well. Jennifer thinks they’ll be a thing, and wants to encourage them. The guests head to bed, and Kyle and Frank have a hug.

In Tasha’s interview, she says she sees messages from her boyfriend, but there aren’t enough hours in the day to chat. He’s having issues about her working with Dave, and she doesn’t know what she’s supposed to do. Frank texts Kyle, asking if they can hang out after charter, and Kyle texts back, inviting Frank to join the crew later. A pigeon tries to take up residence on deck, and nearly creams Captain Sandy when she comes out. Storm keeps trying to radio Jason, who finally emerges. Storm tells Jason that he called three times, and Jason needs to respond. In Jason’s interview, he says he’s sorry he’s not moving fast enough for Storm. He’s not a dog. Why is it a surprise to this guy that he’s an outsider? Liam wonders what they’re going to do for food rest of their lives. Courtney asks Mzi if heart palpitations are normal for docking. She’s scared, and it’s stressing her out. In her interview, she says, her brain is her biggest enemy. The more she thinks about something, the more scared she is to do it. She throws her lines, and they dock successfully. Captain Sandy tells the crew to meet for guest departure.

While hugging in the goodbye line, Frank says he wants to kiss Kyle, and Kyle says, they will later. Adam says, they made his 30th more than he could ask for go. The crew went the extra million miles. They put out all the toys, even though they seemed super complicated, and a hassle. The crew became part of their family, and he’s profoundly grateful. He gives the captain the tip envelope, and they leave. Tasha says, that was a lovely speech, and Captain Sandy tells them to get in their reds, and turn the boat around. They spiff up the boat, and the captain calls them for the tip meeting. She tells them that she’s pleased with everyone. The cake was insane. The toys weren’t easy, but they conquered the slide. The games were great, and they did an awesome job. She’s decided to make Storm bosun, and everyone goes, yay! She says, congrats; he earned it. One thing she wants to talk about is the line on mingling with the guests. When she says, get back in uniform and back to work, that doesn’t mean go down the slide. They should be friendly, but in uniform, they’re professionals, and can’t forget that. In Kyle’s interview, he says, that won’t happen again, obviously, but thanks for pointing it out. The tip is $20K, or $1800 each. In Storm’s interview, he says, it’s like a crazy dream. He’ll try his best to kick ass. He’s seriously stoked. He’s going to enjoy the night out. Kyle says, Adam told them that they were like family. How do they know where the line is? Natalya suggests someone hang off the boat to show Kyle how low he is next to the guests.  

Courtney raps as they wash down the boat. Dave asks to talk to Tasha, and in his interview, he says, it’s like they’re both treading on glass. He wants to be friends, but they need to reach an agreement that suits them both. They sit on deck, and Dave says, they don’t have to be friends, but they need to work together. Tasha says, now that they both understand nothing is going to happen between them, they can get on with each other. He says he has lots of feelings for her, and his heart was broken. He was upset, and he’s not scared to say it. He’s a big boy, and still thinks she’s an amazing person. She says, sorry, and they hug

Grand Harbour. The crew gets ready to go out. In Dave’s interview, he says, if he indulges in spirits, he can’t hold his tongue. It’s easier to get along than have bad vibes, so tonight is going to be a clear night. He’s decided to stay on the boat. The rest of the crew goes to a bar, where they see the guests from the last charter. Frank and Kyle hug, and in Tasha’s interview, she says she’s finally free to be herself, and enjoy what she loves doing most – partying. Can Dave stay on the boat every night out? Kyle says he wants to take Frank places he’s never been (literally, that’s not romantic talk), and Frank says he hasn’t traveled enough. Natalya suggests she and Storm go back to the boat for vegemite toast and a movie. I’ve had vegemite. No thanks. In Storm’s interview, he says, Natalya keeps him on his toes. She’s a fierce little lady, and he likes her a lot. They others stay and dance for a while. When it’s time to leave, there’s lots of hugging. Kyle makes a heart sign to Frank before he gets in the car. In Kyle’s interview, he gets tears in his eyes and says, he’s waited a long time to have a moment like this.  He doesn’t know what will happen in the future. You don’t want to be away from someone who makes you feel so good. He gets out of the car, and yells, Frank, I love you! They run toward each other, and passionately kiss. Everyone screams with happiness, and fireworks go off. Again, literally. Okay, maybe figuratively too.

This season, girl power; Mzi in drag; Tasha says, when the guests are away, he mice will play; Captain Sandy says, the interior has to get organized, and it’s the last time she’s saying it; Storm and Jason clash; Storm has a conflict with Natalya; Tasha says she struggles with being alone; and a huge swell where someone gets hurt.  

💓 Best episode so far this season. And if you wonder what eventually happened:

https://www.monstersandcritics.com/tv/reality-tv/below-deck-med-is-kyle-viljoen-dating-charter-guest-frank-fray/

🛌🏽 Wake Me When September Ends…

Stop by tomorrow for soap, a spot of tea, and a bit of music. Until then, stay safe, stay being a beacon of light in a dark world, and stay not suppressing your feelings. It only leads to trouble.

Jul19

July 18, 2022 – Another Win For Carly, Anniversary Party On Deck, Kyle’s Almost Kiss & Hey

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

In the steam room, Brando tells TJ that he’s going out of his mind. TJ says, he gets that, but it’s no good for Brando to be so stressed. Sit, breathe, sweat. Brando says, one out of three ain’t bad, right? His wife has been lying to him for months. What is he supposed to do with that?

Carly walks into the courtroom, empty except for Diane, and says she can’t believe this is happening. Trina is going to trial for a crime she didn’t commit. Diane says, fear not. She’s willing to poke so many holes in the ADA’s case, it will look like a doily when she’s done with it. Josslyn comes in, and Carly asks how she is. Josslyn says she’s terrified, and angry, and frustrated. She still doesn’t understand why this is even happening. Diane says, her mother just said the same thing, and her response? Carly tells Josslyn, Diane said not to worry, and Diane says, Scotty did an amazing job with the prep work. Now she’s going to bring it home. Carly says, she knows Josslyn is worried about Trina – so is she – but when she asked Josslyn how she was, she was asking about Josslyn. Josslyn says she answered, and Carly says, she answered and told her about Trina. She knows it’s going to be really awful to relive that experience. Josslyn says, obviously, she doesn’t like it, but they could play that video in open court for all she cares. Anything to exonerate Trina. Carly hugs Josslyn, saying, she’s such a good friend, and Diane says, the best kind. Josslyn says, this is such a waste of time, prosecuting Trina when the real criminal is out there, thinking she got away with it.

Esme says, Spencer does know her every desire, and she’s been aching for him to give it to her, but he says, that’s not what he’s talking about. She says, but it’s been ages. Doesn’t he want to be together again? He says, of course (🍷) he does, and she asks, then what is it? Is he still worried about Trina’s trial? He says, yes, but that’s not what he’s focused on right now, and she says, then talk to her. They used to be a team, remember? She kisses his neck, and he says he remembers everything about their time together, which is why he’s been focused so hard on this surprise for her. It took some doing, but it’s finally ready. She says, don’t keep her in suspense. What is it? He says, he found her birth mother.

Trina arrives at court, flanked by Portia and Taggert. Portia asks if she’s okay, and Trina says, what if she goes in there, and when she comes out, the only place she’s headed is prison?

Sonny spars with Dante at the gym, and Dante says, time out. What’s going on? Sonny asks, what’s the matter? Is Dante tired? Dante says, no, he’s not tired. He’s wondering why Sonny is so intense. Is Sonny trying to kill him?

Nina puts coins on Nathan’s headstone, brushes it off, and sighs. Her phone rings, and she says, Olivia?… What?… Hold on. In an hour? Why didn’t she say something earlier?… No, it’s not a problem. Olivia’s new partner wouldn’t dream of missing her first MetroCourt staff meeting. She’ll be there. She thanks Olivia for giving her ample notice, and says she’ll see Olivia soon. Obrecht walks into the cemetery, and asks if her ears are deceiving her, or has her niece made a career change?

Portia says she knows this is terrifying, but Trina is a strong, kickass young woman. Taggert says, a strong, kickass, innocent young woman, and Portia says, her father is right. She can do this. Trina says, they know she’s innocent, but what if the jury finds her guilty? Portia tells her, don’t say that. She doesn’t want Trina to even think that, but Trina says, it’s a possibility. Portia says, any sane person would take one look at Trina and know she didn’t do what she’s being accused of. Taggert says, not that it even matters. They’re going to find the evidence to clear her name. Curtis is still out there, tracking down a lead that will tie Esme to the phone she planted on Trina. Curtis joins them, and Portia asks, did it work? Did he find evidence to prove Trina didn’t do this? He says, the lead didn’t exactly pan out, and Taggert thanks him for trying, but Curtis says, they’re still working on it. Trina says, her trial is about to start; they’re out of time. Taggert asks if she’s ready to go in, and then adds, sorry, dumb question. She’s got this. He and Trina go into the courtroom, and Curtis tells Portia that he’s sorry. He really thought they were onto something. She says, he did everything he possibly could, and she’s grateful. She thanks him.

Spencer says, surprise, and Esme says, surprise is a massive understatement. She didn’t even know he was looking for her birth mother. How did he find her? He says he wishes he could take all the credit, but it was actually his Uncle Victor. He asked if Victor could use his connections from his WSB days. She says, and he was able to track down the woman who left her in the church as a baby? He says, that’s right, and she says, but she contacted that church, and was told there was no information. So how did Victor…? He says he guesses everyone has a price, and Uncle Victor spared no expense. He said he was eventually led to a nun who remembered her mother’s name. Her mother lives in Portugal now. She laughs, and says she doesn’t know why it seems fitting, but it does. Her smile drops, and he asks, what’s wrong? She asks if Victor was able to find her father too.

Diane asks how Trina is holding up; give her an honest answer. Trina says she’s freaking out, and Diane says, that’s natural. Of course (🍷) she is, but don’t lose hope. No matter what ADA Arden said yesterday, it’s far from an open and shut case. Ava comes in, and says, Diane is right. Trina is going to beat these charges, and put this entire nightmare behind her. They hug, and Ava says she brought this, showing Trina her necklace. Diane asks if it’s Trina’s lucky charm, and Trina says, yeah. Her dad gave it to her on her 18th birthday. Ava puts the necklace on Trina, and Trina thanks her for going back to Windymere to get it. Ava says she’d go to the ends of the earth for Trina, and don’t forget it.

Josslyn asks, how was Carly’s last day at the MetroCourt? Was it brutal? Carly says she doesn’t want to talk about that. She wants to focus on Josslyn right now. Josslyn says she’s ready. They can ask her anything, and her only answer is, Trina didn’t do it because she didn’t. Carly says, and that’s what the jury is going to hear, and Josslyn says she can’t even think about what will happen if they don’t, but Carly says, Trina is going to get through this. How could she not with amazing friends like Josslyn and Cameron by her side. Josslyn says, where is Cam anyway?

Dante says, Sonny must have had quite the morning, and Sonny says he got into it with Nina about Carly. Dante says, that explains it, and Sonny asks if Dante’s mom told him that Carly lost her half of the hotel. Dante says, yeah. He kind of assumed she and Ned were going to buy it back for Carly, and Sonny says, Olivia offered, so did he. Not to buy it personally but to give Carly the asset so she could do it herself. She turned them both down. Dante says he’s sorry to hear that; it sounds like they made a reasonable offer to help. Sonny says, Carly’s not interested in being reasonable. He hates that it’s come to this. Dante says, the divorce? and Sonny says, not just that; it’s the lack of understanding. Obviously, he has feelings for Nina. He just wants to move forward, but Carly thinks he’s siding against her, and her attitude is starting to spread, especially toward Michael. Dante says, Sonny didn’t choose what happened to him. He didn’t chose to lose his memory. He didn’t choose to separate himself from his family. He does get to choose what the aftermath is; what he gets to do next. He chose to hold Nina accountable, but stopped short of hating her. Dante admires that because it’s the only way to heal. Sonny asks how Dante got so wise, and Dante says, he had his own homecoming, remember?

Nina says, Obrecht heard correctly. She’s the new co-owner of the MetroCourt. Obrecht asks, who’s out, Olivia or Carly? and Nina says, Carly. Obrecht says she never thought she’d see the day Carly parted with her precious hotel, but Nina says, she didn’t give it up willingly. They sit on a bench, and Obrecht says, she needs details this instant. Nina says, Carly made a bad business deal and lost her half of the MetroCourt in the fallout, and Obrecht asks where Nina fits in. Nina says, she bought Carly’s half of the stake, with the full intention of gifting it back to her, and Obrecht says, a very generous gesture. She’s sure one that stood to benefit Nina as well. Nina says, it sort of backfired, and might have ended her and Sonny before they even started.

Cameron says he’s so sorry he’s late. He got held up at home. Aiden is a little bit sick right now and his mom is taking care of him. She’s so sorry she can’t be here; she sends her love. Trina says, if he needs to be with his brother… but Cameron says, there’s no other place he’s supposed to be than right here. Josslyn says, they’re with her all the way to the end, and Cameron says, and whatever comes after. They have a three-way hug, and Carly tells Portia, those three have stuck together through some really tough times. Taggert says, a bond that can’t be broken, and Portia says, it has to turn out okay; it has to. Carly says, it will, and Esme Prince will regret the day she ever messed with our kids.

Spencer says he doesn’t know anything about Esme’s father; the only name Uncle Victor discovered was her mother’s. Esme says, it’s just… She can’t believe it, after all of this time. He says, it’s a lot to process, isn’t it? and she says, it’s like she doesn’t know what emotion to feel first. She thinks for a moment, and asks, why did he do this for her?

Brando says, TJ is a good friend, and TJ says, Brando would do this for him. Brando says he’s a recovering addict. How did he not see Sasha was using again? TJ tells him not to blame himself, and Brando asks, was he blind to it, or is she just that good at hiding it? And which of those options is better? TJ says he doesn’t know, and Brando says he really thought he and Sasha were getting their relationship back on track after they lost Liam. He really believed they were on the same page. TJ says he’s sure in a lot of ways they were, but Brando says, she was lying to his face. What does that say about their marriage? Is he supposed to trust her again? TJ says he’s sorry, and Brando says he loves Sasha more than anything. He just wants her to be okay. She’s in denial, and of course (🍷) his instinct is to run in and fix everything for her. TJ says, Brando can’t help Sasha unless she helps herself, and Brando says he doesn’t know where to go from here, but TJ tells him, it’s like he said; he loves Sasha and she loves him. He’s not saying it’s going to be easy, but he believes everything will work out. Brando says he hopes TJ is right.

Nina says, once Carly shot her down, she decided to keep her half of the MetroCourt, and Obrecht asks how Sonny feels about that. Nina says, not great. He says it will make her look like she’s spiteful. He insists they’re together and wants to move forward with their relationship, but the minute Carly is in trouble, he rushes to her rescue. Obrecht takes Nina’s hand, and asks, then why keep the hotel? Surely she’s busy enough with Crimson. Nina says, don’t call her Shirley she is busy, but it’s an amazing business opportunity. The MetroCourt is hugely profitable, and it’s a huge success. Obrecht says, not to mention, owning half lessens the chances of Crimson being evicted from its office space, and Nina says, exactly. She never intended for this to happen, but now that it’s fallen into her lap, is she supposed to just back away from it because Carly’s feelings got hurt? She offered to give it back to Carly, but Carly said no. So if you look at it from that perspective, 50% is Carly’s doing, and 50% is hers. Obrecht says, but the satisfaction is 100% Nina’s.

Dante says he really struggled when he came home; Sonny of all people knows that. Different circumstances obviously, but they both know what it’s like not being able to fit back into their old life. Dante’s was self-inflicted. He volunteered for that op that set everything in motion. Sonny says, Dante wanted to do the right thing, and paid a hell of a price, and Dante says, Sonny understands because he’s going through it. Trying to piece together a new life; trying to figure out what matters to you now, because everything changes based on your experiences. It did for him, and now Sonny has feelings for Nina which he can’t deny because that would be a lie. A lie is a crappy foundation to build a life on. Sonny says, the truth comes with its own problems, and Dante asks if Nina is pissed because Sonny offered to help Carly. Sonny says, that’s part of it, and Dante asks, what’s the other part? Sonny asks if Dante’s mom told him that Nina is her new partner at the MetroCourt, and Dante asks how that happened. Sonny says, Nina bought Carly’s half of the hotel intending to give it back to make amends, and Dante says, and Carly shot her down? Sonny says, yeah. Now Nina owns half of the MetroCourt. She could have sold it to someone else, which would have been really bad, but she’s keeping it. Dante says he understands how that could make Carly feel, and Sonny says he told Nina that people are going to think she’s sticking it to Carly. Nina got all upset, and said, it feels like there are three people in the relationship. Dante says, there are, and Sonny says he doesn’t want any trouble with Carly. Dante says he’s not talking about Sonny and Carly, but Nina and Carly.

Diane tells Josslyn and Cameron that ADA Arden is going to call them as witnesses to try to get ahead of her defense. Answer truthfully, and she’ll make it work during the cross-examination. The bailiff says, all rise. The honorable Judge Young presiding. Arden tells the jury, they’re here today to obtain justice for two victims of the insidious crimes of revenge porn and illegal surveillance. Opposing counsel will have them believe the defendant is above reproach, a straight A student from a good family. That may be true, but does that give her a pass to act out of jealousy when things don’t go her way? No, it doesn’t. And as they’ll see, the defendant had the means, the motive, and ample opportunity, which she intends to prove beyond a reasonable doubt.

Spencer says, he got the idea when he saw Esme’s letters to Maggie, and she says, her private letters, that were never meant for his eyes. He says he told her it was an accident. He wasn’t snooping around, but he’s glad he read them. He thought she’d made peace with not knowing who her birth parents were, but those letters made him realize that he was wrong. Ever since, he’s been looking for a way to find them. She says, even though he accused her of filming Joss and Cam? but he says, it’s because of that. He never should have attacked her the way he did, but he can’t think of a better way to make it up to her. Can she?

Obrecht asks if Nina wants her opinion, and Nina says, uh… Obrecht says, if Nina wants to be at peace with her reasons, don’t concern herself with optics. Zur holle nit (to hell with) to anyone who criticizes her decisions. This is her life. Nina says, but Sonny’s part of her life; at least she wants him to be. This whole hotel stuff doesn’t sit well with him. Obrecht is right; it’s her life, her choices. But what if this choice brings her nothing but misery?

Dante says, Michael is coming in a bit, and asks if Sonny is going to stick around. Sonny says, he’s not going to let his own son run him out of his own gym, and Dante says, good, and Sonny asks what Dante means about Carly and Nina. Dante says, Nina kept the fact that Sonny was alive away from all of them. Carly’s not going to forget that – ever. Neither is Michael. Toss in the fact Nina and Carly had their own stuff going on before this whole mess… Sonny says, and? and Dante says, whatever happens with Sonny and Nina, Carly and Michael are always going to be part of it. That kind of history you can’t untangle; it’s impossible. Michael comes in, and Dante says, good to see him. Michael says, him too, and thanks Dante for making the time. Dante says, always, and Sonny says he’s going to go, but Michael says he’d like Sonny to stay. There’s something he needs to hear. Sonny is going to hear about it eventually. Willow is pregnant, and he’s only telling Sonny this because he wants to make it perfectly clear, Sonny will have no role in this child’s life. He’s not their grandfather. For all intents and purposes, Sonny is a stranger to them. Dante says, don’t do this, and Sonny asks if Michael is just going to erase him from his life. Michael says, pretty much, and Sonny asks if Michael just had a set back in his business. Michael says, Sonny’s girlfriend took advantage of it to screw over his mother, but Sonny says, he offered to help Carly. Michael says, she doesn’t need his help. She’s not Sonny’s concern anymore; neither is he. So they need him to stay the hell out of their lives. Dex comes in, and asks if there’s a problem, and Michael says, is this where they’re at? He pushes back, and Sonny sics his attack dog on him?

Willow visits Jonah’s grave, and says she has big news. She’s having another baby, which is very exciting, but it also makes her think of him. She wishes she could have been a mother to him too; to love and protect him, and watch him grow up. Every single day she wishes he were here. He and Wiley would be thick as thieves, driving them all crazy… in the best possible way of course (🍷). She misses him, but the good news is, he’s always with her and will always be a part of her family. What does he think? Does he think he would have made a great big brother to the new baby? She does. Nina and Obrecht appear, and Nina says, new baby? Is Willow pregnant?

Michael tells Dex to take his best shot, but Sonny says, stand back. Michael says he doesn’t need Sonny’s protection. Come on, let’s do this. Dex says, Michael should respect his father, but Michael says he has a horse more worthy of respect. Dex lunges for Michael, but Sonny and Dante hold him back. Brando flies in, and gets in Dex’s face, saying, Sonny gave him an order. He suggests Dex follow it or deal with him.

Cameron is on the stand, and Arden says she understands he and the defendant are friends. He says, that’s correct, and she asks if their relationship ever turned into more than friendship. He says, briefly. They both went through something traumatic, and things got confusing, but in the end, they decided they were better off as friends. She says, and he’s currently in a relationship with the other victim, Josslyn Jax. Is that correct? He says, yes, and she asks if Josslyn is a friend of the defendant as well. He says, they’re best friends, and she says, so he and the defendant developed feelings for each other, then he ended up dating her best friend. Is that a problem for Miss Robinson? Diane objects, saying, Mr. Webber can’t speak for the defendant, and the judge sustains. Arden asks if anyone else was present the night Cameron and Josslyn were recorded, and he says, yes; Trina was there, along with Spencer Cassadine and Esme Prince. She asks if all of them were in the cabin when he and Josslyn were intimate, and he says, no. She asks who else was there, and he says, just Trina.

Spencer asks if Esme is okay, but she says she’s not sure. He says he thought this was what she wanted, and she says she just assumed she would never find her mother. Everyone told her to just let it go, but somehow he made the impossible possible. He says, nothing is impossible for a Cassadine, and she says, even when he fell out of love with her? Or at least she thought he did. It was like, no matter how hard she tried to reach him, it didn’t matter. He says he’s sorry. He’s been carrying around this secret for so long, he guesses it blended in with everything else. He didn’t mean to shut her out. She says she guesses he didn’t want to get her hopes up. Oh my God. Knowing who she is and where she came from… He’s right. It’s everything she ever wanted, but how does she know it’s real? That this name his Uncle Victor found is really her mother; anyone could say that. He says she’s right. He was worried about the same thing, so he had a DNA test done. He takes out the envelope, and shows her. He says, here is the only proof she needs… if she wants it.

Sonny tells Brando, everything is fine. He and Michael are finished here. Dante calls Michael over to the side, and Michael says, this is definitely not the way he planned on telling Dante he was a father again. Dante says, it’s Sonny’s gym. Michael knew there was a chance he’d be here, but Michael says he didn’t want to wait to share the good news with his brother. Dante says, okay, but maybe a part of Michael couldn’t wait to share the good news with his father. Brando says he takes it things haven’t gotten better between Sonny and Michael, and Sonny shakes his head. Brando asks if Sonny wants to talk about it, but Sonny says he’s done talking. It’s time for action.

Willow says, not that it’s any of Nina’s business, but yes, she and Michael are having a baby. Obrecht asks if that’s why Willow fainted at the MetroCourt, and Willow says, yes. She heard Obrecht helped, and thanks her. Nina says, congratulations. She and Michael must be thrilled. Willow says, they are, and Nina asks how Wiley reacted. Willow says she’s not talking to Nina about her son, and Nina says, her grandson. Willow asks if they’re really going to do this every time, when her phone rings. She steps away, and says, hey… Now?… Okay, she’s leaving now. She’ll be right there. She tells Nina and Obrecht, she has to go, and jets. Nina says, Willow is pregnant, and Obrecht says, that appears to be the case. Nina says, fantastic; another win for Carly. She may be down, but that woman will never be out.

Diane asks how long her client and Cameron dated, but he says, they never dated. She asks if they ever acted on any feelings the may have had for each other, and he says, they kissed twice, months apart, two years ago. They both decided they were better off as friends. She asks when he started dating Josslyn, and he says, last July. She says, so a long time after he and her client… She would have said, ended things, but they never really began, and he says, correct. She asks what his relationship is with Trina now, and he says, she’s one of his closest friends. He believes her, and believes in her. Diane has no further questions, and Cameron steps down. Josslyn is called to the stand, and Curtis tells Portia, this is going well. Diane’s got this. Arden asks Josslyn to describe events leading up to her and Cameron being recorded without their consent, and Josslyn flashes back to telling Cameron that she wants her first time to be with him, and him saying he feels the same way. She says, then tonight’s the night. On the stand, she says, they went skiing during the day, came back to the cabin at night, and played games, and Arden asks, what kind of games? Josslyn flashes back to playing Never Have I Ever, and says, a drinking game. Arden asks if the defendant drank, and Josslyn says, something very strange was going on, but Arden says, yes or no. Josslyn says, yes, and Arden says, while under the influence, did the defendant comment on Josslyn’s relationship with Cameron? Josslyn says, if this is going to make any sense, she needs to explain the rules, but Arden says, a yes or no will suffice. Josslyn says, one player says, never have I ever done something, and if you’ve done that thing, you have to drink, and all of the questions were designed to make Trina drink. Arden tells Josslyn to confine her answers to the questions, but Josslyn says, she’s not asking the right questions. Trina was set up by the person who actually did record them, and she’ll tell them exactly who that person is. Arden says she’d like permission to treat Josslyn as a hostile witness, and Judge Young says, granted, because nobody really cares about justice.

Esme snatches the envelope from Spencer, and looks at the paperwork. She tells him, it says it’s a match. He found her birth mother; this is really happening. She throws her arms around him, and asks if he met her. What’s she like? He says, not yet, and she looks again. She says, there’s no name here, and he says, she won’t find any names in the file; it was kept confidential. She says, because he wanted to tell her himself? She can’t believe he did this for her, but he says, no. She’s the last person he did this for.

Arden asks if, on the night in question, Trina was upset because Josslyn and Cameron were dating, and Josslyn hesitates. Judge Young says, the witness will answer or be held in contempt, and Josslyn says, they were playing a drinking game. They were supposed to be having a good time. She doesn’t remember every word Trina spoke. The judge says he’s directing her to answer the questions to the best of her ability, and reminds Arden that the witness isn’t on trial, and is in fact the victim. Get where she’s going, get there cleanly, or excuse the witness. Arden says, at some point in the course of the drinking game, did the defendant become upset? and Josslyn says, yes. Arden asks if Trina’s upset was the result of Josslyn and Cameron dating; that they were together, and she felt left out? Josslyn says, yes, but Trina wasn’t herself, and Arden asks, what happened next? Josslyn says, Trina went to her room, and Arden says, and the other guests, Mr. Cassadine and Miss Prince? Josslyn says she called Miss Prince out for the lying snake she is, Esme got upset, ordered a car, and took Mr. Cassadine with her. Arden says, so Josslyn, Cameron, and the defendant… Josslyn says, she has a name, and Judge Young says, careful. Arden says, so Josslyn, Mr. Webber, and Miss Robinson were the only people remaining inside the cabin, and Josslyn says, yes. Arden asks if Josslyn saw Trina after she went to her room, and Josslyn says she checked on Trina, and spoke to her through the closed door. Arden says, but to be clear, Josslyn didn’t see her? and Josslyn says, no. Arden asks, what about before Josslyn and Cameron got intimate? and Josslyn says, Trina felt sick, and went to sleep. Arden asks how she knows, and Josslyn says, because Trina told her and she believes Trina. Arden says, so she only has Trina’s word, and Josslyn says she trusts Trina with her life. Arden asks if that’s a yes, and Josslyn says, yes, but she would have seen Trina if she’d left her room. Arden says, so they were inside the cabin the entire time? but Josslyn says, no. They stepped out for a breath of fresh air, but… Arden asks if she can attest to the defendant’s whereabouts; not where Josslyn thinks she was, or assumes she was, but her actual whereabouts from the time Trina entered her room until the time she and Cameron entered theirs.

Esme tells Spencer that she doesn’t… Who else would want to know who her mother is? He says, just her, and she says, but he just said he didn’t do this for her, and he says, the reason he kept it confidential is so she’d have to go through him to get answers. He’s the only one who has this information. She says, aside from his uncle, but he says, Uncle Victor will follow his lead. Trust him. She says, what is this? and he says he gave her what she wanted. Now the only way she’s going to learn the identity of her birth mother is to give him what he wants. She says, which is? and he says, Trina’s freedom.

Brando says, it goes without saying, whatever Sonny needs, he’s here, and Sonny says, what Brando can do for him is stop worrying, and take care of himself and his family. Brando says, Sonny is his family, and Sonny says he gets it. Sonny loves Brando like a brother, but Brando has a lot on his plate. Let him deal with what he has to deal with. He pats Brando’s shoulder, and starts to walk out. At the door, Dex says he’s got some ice for Sonny’s hands; it should cut down the inflammation. Sonny says, good thinking, and Dex says he learned a thing or two when he was substitute manager here. Sonny gives him a thumbs up and leaves.

Dante tells Michael, it’s got to hurt underneath, or it wouldn’t have gotten as bad as it has. Is he sure he wants to cut that tie with the baby coming? Michael says, Dante is his brother and he loves Dante. And he respects that Dante wants to have a relationship with Sonny, but he needs Dante to respect that he doesn’t. Dante says he just doesn’t like seeing that it’s come to this, and Michael says, Sonny threw away his marriage to Michael’s mom with both hands, and he testified for Nina at the visitation hearing. He put Nina’s feelings above Wiley’s welfare. That’s not a grandfather he wants for his kid. It’s not a person he wants in their lives. Dante says, Sonny doesn’t see it that way, and Michael says, that’s why there’s no point in talking about it. And on the subject of a new baby, is there anything Dante would like to say to his little brother? Dante says, dad, be ready to get no sleep. Congratulations. Michael says, and there it is, and Dante says he’s really happy for him and Willow. Michael thanks him, and Dante says he gets to be an uncle again. Michael asks if he’s ready, and Dante says he can’t wait. They hug and exchange I love yous.

Willow sees TJ at the hospital, and asks, what’s going on? He suggests they go to an exam room to talk, and she says, she just assumed it was about work; this is medical? She didn’t even know he was on an OB rotation. He says, this isn’t an OB visit, and she says, then what? He says, after she fainted, he ran a series of tests. She says she remembers. That’s how they figured out she was pregnant. He says, yes, but they need to discuss the rest of her results.

Tomorrow (maybe), Josslyn says, one person did this and she knows who that person is; Esme tells Spencer, there’s no way to get around something; Cody says, there isn’t any danger, there isn’t any fun; and TJ tells Willow that he doesn’t think it’s related to her pregnancy.

Below Deck Mediterranean

I’m going to tell you right now, there’s a good chance I will be mixing up Natasha and Natalya this entire season. They look like twins. It’s unbelievable.

When we last left, the stabilizers were down, causing the boat to rock dangerously. Everything is flying, and Captain Sandy confers with Chief Officer Ray, who comes to the expert conclusion that something’s going on. He tells everyone, hang on, and they try, but it’s impossible to keep a grip on everything. The guests are freaking out, and in the captain’s interview, she says, the stabilizers are fins that stop the boat from moving side to side. Losing them is dangerous. A crew member could get hurt or a guest could fall. Anything can happen. Tasha says, oh my f***ing word, and Ray explains to Captain Sandy that the stabilizers run off the air conditioning. If one thing goes down, everything goes down. The captain says, they’re in a real pickle. They need a cold front. Interior tries to clean up, while Raygan takes a smoke break. Guest Leslie says, it’s crazy bonkers, and Captain Sandy explains they had a glitch. The boat is a hybrid, and when one cooling system starts to heat up, everything shuts down. She’s thankful no one was hurt, and apologizes. One of the guests says, this is a joke; they’re all pretty cranky. The captain tells Raygan to get the toys in the water. In Tasha’s interview, she says, she was on one boat that actually tipped. We see the newspaper article, and yeah, that’s tipped. It’s on its side. She says she thought she was going to die. She was calling the crew, and no one was answering. There were electric smells, and fuel everywhere. They finally started letting them off, three people at a time. It’s times like that, you put on a brave face and carry on; you have no other choice. Kyle cuts himself on broken glass, and Storm comes back from being out on the tender. He says he heard they had a bit of a tumble, and Captain Sandy asks if everyone is okay. In Dave’s interview, he says, he’s never experienced that before. A pot of water went into the fryer, and he tried to catch it. There’s food everywhere; it’s a nightmare. He’s going to have to work as quick as he can. Primary Chris says he’s living sex fantasies with a Walmart reality, which I don’t quite get. Jason introduces Tasha to the Americanism of using the word noodle for one’s head. In her interview, she says, she’s single, and can flirt, but it’s not too much different from when she’s not single. She’s just being herself. She’s a warm, bubbly person. We flash back to her asking if Dave wants to screw, and Dave sighs.

Kyle makes infused cucumber vodka, and in Natalya’s interview, she says she’s never been passionate about a career path. She doesn’t understand though, how people aren’t passionate about cleaning; it’s relaxing. Raygan oversees Storm hooking up a Nautiboy, and it’s starts floating away with him on it. He tries throwing her a line to pull him back, but keeps missing, and in his interview, he says, it’s so embarrassing. Jason comes to the rescue, and we see the guests have been waiting an hour and 25 minutes to get in the water. The guests cheer for Storm, and are finally able to dive in. Tasha tells Dave that he’s the quietest roomie, and Dave asks if she wants to share with Jason. She says she loves her roomie, and we flash back to them hooking up. Natalya does laundry, and Captain Sandy tells Raygan that she’s got to organize. When they get the slide and the pool, they’ll need a place to put them. She tells Jason to get the toys blown up fast. Tasha tells Natalya that they need to decorate for the Japanese party, and in Tasha’s interview, she says, her management style is trusting. She checks things, but she has a great team, and trusts them 110%. Raygan asks Mzi how it’s going, and he says he thinks they need to organize, and it would be better. Raygan agrees, saying, Mzi and Jason should be resting now. In Mzi’s interview, he says he doesn’t know what Raygan’s management style is. He’s put Malia on a pedestal. We flash back to his season with Malia, and he says, there’s no style or structure, but he doesn’t want to step on any toes. She’s the bosun. Kyle asks Dave, in what style are they serving dinner, and Dave says he’s doing sushi. Raygan sits down to do a schedule, and in her interview, she says, before she makes a schedule, she needs to know who’s capable of doing what. Figure out who has what weaknesses, so she can plan it out. I’m not sure how she’s observing this when she’s on smoke breaks most of the time, but okay. Kyle finds out the guests are going to Greece next, and says, he’s still searching for love. He asks how long Billy and Chris have been together, and they say they met seven years ago. Kyle says he had a 12 year relationship, but they left him for a woman. Guest Twanna says they need to unpack this, and Kyle says he just came out last year. They applaud, and in Kyle’s interview, he says, it’s the first time he’s worked for guests in the LGBTQIA+ community; people like himself. And it’s a chance to celebrate their anniversary, finding true love as it was meant to be. He tells them that he’s jealous, but happy.

Ray discusses engine stuff with Captain Sandy in the crew mess, while the guests enjoy the sunset. Raygan shows the captain her schedule, and the captain pronounces it, awesome, probably just glad to get anything. Interior starts decorating, and Raygan goes over the schedule with Jason. In Jason’s interview, he says, it looks like a math problem with no solution. He’s done a lot of equations, formulas, and spreadsheets, but he can’t solve this puzzle Raygan’s constructed. He’ll just see what happens. Hmm… maybe see what happens is her style.

Some of the guests jump off the boat, and Tasha asks to borrow a deckhand to help with the decorations. Mzi puts together and hangs lanterns, and Tasha tells him, it’s a super romantic Japanese night. Raygan gives Jason some instructions, and in his interview, Jason says, he’s missing some aspects of skipping his own boat. He’s a strong type A personality, and wants someone to manage, but his position is low man on the totem pole, so he can’t. In Dave’s interview, he says his plan is for today to make up for yesterday, and we flash back to Billy expecting him to be a mind reader. Dave says, he’s suppressing his anxiety, and constantly battling himself. He grew up in a rough neighborhood, and he was the guy who was bullied. It gave him the drive and courage to keep fighting. Tasha flirts with Dave, and Kyle rolls his eyes. Mzi sets up the lighting for dinner, as Natalya sets the table. Captain Sandy takes a look, and says, the decorations are absolutely beautiful. The guests get dressed up, and Happy Anniversary is sung as they walk out on deck. Billy says, it looks amazing, and I die over the sushi platters. In his interview, Dave says, it’s a lot of pressure. He’s hard on himself, and has his fingers crossed that they like it. The guests say it’s delicious, incredible, and gorgeous. Dave gives Mzi some steak tartare, and says, if they ask for it to be cooked more, just say no.

In Raygan’s interview, she says she’s disappointed. It’s not the way it should be. It hasn’t been everything that everyone, including the captain, knows she’s capable of. Obviously, she knows what she’s doing, but she’s only one person; she can’t be everywhere. Translation: she can’t smoke while she’s working, so she just avoids working. Billy and Chris go through a list of gay movies that Kyle needs to watch. They find out he’s never seen Mommie Dearest, and Billy says he’d take Kyle’s gay card if he had one. They need to usher him into the community. The cake is amazing – red with the prettiest little decorations cascading down one side. The guests stand and applaud, and Dave nearly drops the cake.

Dave recovers nicely, and the cake is saved. More applause. Natalya (I think) says, the guests are so much fun, they need to step it up. She’s got feathers, eye masks, and edible underwear. She loves being around good vibes. After dinner, the guests are having a PJ party, and Billy and Chris are met with an eye masked Kyle, being stroked by Natalya with a feather. Kyle says, their every seduction will be tantalized, and luckily, they find this humorous, since it could have gone horribly wrong. Meanwhile, Captain Sandy tells Storm that the marina is tricky. She asks how he is with calling distance. In her interview, the captain says, it’s a narrow space with the dolphins close together. It’s basically a wind tunnel, plus there’s a current. She likes how Storm took charge, and wants to see how he does calling distance from the stern. There’s no room for error. Everyone goes to bed, and in Natalya’s interview, she says, her house is a party house. She loves keeping people up all night, and even though she’s not drinking, she’s having fun. She wants a boyfriend who has his own room and gives her space. She brings a lot to the table, so if someone can’t meet her halfway, she’s happy being alone. In Storm’s interview, he says, someone like Natalya is his kryptonite. Tasha tells Dave that he’s a champ.   

Final day of charter. Captain Sandy tells the deckhands this docking is going to be difficult, and in her interview, she says she’s concerned about the wind and the current direction. Last year, they had tenders that could pull the dolphins apart so she could get in, but they don’t have that this year. She doesn’t hit things. Dave torches the eggs benedict, and I say, I’ll take three, please! In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, it’s the first docking with this crew in a new marina. It’s critical everyone do their job. She needs to get this in without hitting anything.

There’s a crane shot, and wow, it is narrow. Billy says they need a valet, and it comes close, but the boat is docked. Captain Sandy says, well done, and Storm says, thank God. The guests pack, and the captain radios the crew to get in their whites and meet on the dock. There are thank yous and hugs, and Billy says he’s never had better food. He thanks them, and says, the interior was incredible. They travel around the world, and it’s the best service they’ve had. The deck, however, didn’t seem connected, and it took a lot of time to get the toys out. Regardless, he thanks them again, and says, bon voyage. Captain Sandy tells the crew to get into their reds, and meet in the main salon for the tip meeting. Champagne is poured, and the captain congratulates the crew. She says, they were down two deckhands, and the boat malfunctioned, but they pulled it off. The interior was incredible, and carried them; and Dave is an awesome chef. She’s grateful to have him. The crew applauds, and the captain says, the deck has training to do; the client made it known. She knows they were down two, and that’s not fair, but she feels they should have pulled it up another notch. Next charter, they need to be organized. The tip is a whopping $27K, or $2454 each. The captain says, that’s all they’re drinking; work.

Mzi tells Storm that he smells like updog, and Storm says, what’s updog? Mzi just laughs. Think about it. Tasha tells Dave, well done, and Natalya asks if Kyle is going glam. He says he is, and she says she wanted to make sure they were on the same page. In Raygan’s interview, she says she gets her crazy side from her mom. They sometimes club together. She’s interested to see what mischief will be going on. Most of the guys get in one taxi, but Kyle goes with the women in the other. Dave lets fly that he dated Tasha for a short time, but says they never hooked up. Like anyone would believe that. They go to a restaurant, and order tequila shots. Why does it always have to be tequila? Doesn’t everyone think it tastes foul? Storm tells Natalya that he has a thing for Australians, and in Natalya’s interview, she says, Storm has a rugged, pirate, homeless, hot look to him. They toast to the crew, and Natalya says, everyone has a different vibe. The food comes, and Raygan goes to the restroom with Tasha. Dave tells the others that he wants to be a couple with Tasha, but they’re not a couple. In Dave’s interview, a producer says, Dave claimed he and Natasha were just friends, and now he’s telling people that he wants to be with her. Is more going on that he’s not telling? Dave says, it’s good, bro, and the producer asks what that means. Is something going on between them? Dave is very visibly uncomfortable, and says, on the last boat, they had a connection. When they got together, she asked him to keep it a secret because she was still with her boyfriend. They were basically broken up, and not getting on. Now he’s struggling to keep it a secret. It’s difficult. Tasha and Raygan come back to the table, and Natalya says, she’s going to do this, although it might take days or weeks. She tells Tasha that Dave has genuine feelings for her. They’d assumed it happened, but he said he wanted it to happen. In Tasha’s interview, she says, what is he doing? She made it clear she doesn’t want anyone to know. It’s only a matter of time before he tells everybody that they hooked up.

To be continued…

🤨 I’m starting to think to be continued is somebody’s lazy way of not editing a preview.

🛥 About That Kyle…

And the movie that I think he should see is Trick. Despite the title, it’s very sweet, and Christian Campbell and Tory Spelling are wonderful in it. Anyway, moving on…

Below Deck’s Sandy: Kyle’s Potential Kiss With a Guest Isn’t ‘Professional’

I forgot all about it, and TBH, I didn’t think anything of it at the time. So here’s the trailer if you forgot too.

‘Below Deck Med’ Trailer: Captain Sandy Struggles With New Department Heads

🖐 Making Jazz Hands…

Stop by tomorrow for what a hope is soap and a cup of tea or two. Until then, stay safe, stay being a visionary, and stay remembering, a lie is a crappy foundation to build a life on, but the truth comes with its own problems.