What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Willow wonders how the State Department can have no record of her birth. That’s just wrong. She had a copy of her birth certificate, and she lost it. This is a bureaucratic nightmare. She hopes her mom can find her copy, so she can prove she was born in the US. Michael says, Harmony’s been putting Willow off about her birth certificate. Could it be that she just doesn’t have it? She asks if he means could it be more than a clerical error, that her mother is hiding something about her birth, and he says, maybe that’s why she’s been so evasive. Willow says her mother’s been lying to her the whole time.

Alexis says, not to sound distrusting, but she knew there was something Harmony wasn’t telling her. Harmony says, she’s sorry, but she kept this secret from her daughter her entire life, so it’s hard to just come out and say it. Alexis says, this is a safe place; Harmony can talk to her. Harmony says, the reason she can’t tell Willow that she forged the birth certificate is because she’s not Willow’s mother.

Felicia tells Louise that she’s her Mimi, and asks if she can hold her. Brook says, of course (🍷), and gives her to Felicia, who makes baby talk.

Josslyn visits Carly’s room at the MetroCourt, and Carly says, it’s good to see her. Josslyn says, her too, but it hasn’t been that long, and Carly says she’s still getting used to Josslyn not living at home. Josslyn says, Carly isn’t living at home either. Is she okay? Carly says she’s fine, and doesn’t want Josslyn to worry. Josslyn says, it’s kind of hard not to when Carly is living here, and not with Avery and Donna. Carly says she saw them for breakfast, and Josslyn says she knows. Avery told her, right before she asked when Carly would be home to stay.

Portia meets Curtis at Kelly’s, and he says, happy day after Valentine’s day, and hugs her. She says she’s so sorry, but he tells her, stop. She’s a doctor and she was needed. They can still celebrate. She sits, and asks what he had in mind, and he says, that depends on what the rest of her evening looks like. She says, barring another emergency, she’s off the clock for the next 32 hours, and he asks how she feels about a quiet evening in. She asks what he means by quiet, and he says, let him rephrase that, but she says she’s kidding. She would absolutely love some private time. So where does he want to go? Her place, his place… He says, what if there was another option?

Willow tells Michael that Harmony didn’t pick up. She guesses she’ll have to track her mother down after class. Michael says, Paris isn’t going anywhere; they’ll be other trips. She says she knows, but this isn’t even about the passport anymore. She thinks he’s right. She thinks her mom’s been keeping something from her, but she can’t dwell on that right now. She has to get to the hospital. She doesn’t want to be late. He tells her that he loves her, and gives her a hug, saying, they’ll get to the bottom of this. She leaves, and Sonny walks in. He asks if Michael has seen his mother. He needs to find her before she does something they’re both going to regret.

FYI, there’s been a musical tweak and some new photos in the credits.

Felicia tells Louise that she has no idea how happy this makes her. And wait until her Grandpa Mac sees her. He’ll be putty in her hands. She thanks Brook for taking such good care of her granddaughter, and Brook says, except when Peter kidnapped her. Felicia says, all that matters now is that she’s here, and that she’s safe, and that her mommy’s going to be home very soon. Nina sees them from down the hall, and Brook tells Felicia that she might want to give Louise some time with her name. She’s used to being called Bailey. Felicia says she will, but she can tell Louise is one smart cookie. Just like her mama. Brook says, what else? When she rubs her ears, she’s ready for a nap. Felicia says, good to know, and Brook says, she usually sleeps through the night, but she might need some time in a strange… a new place. Chase says, they just spent a few nights at the beach house, and Brook says, she got it though. But if she’s ever upset, Felicia can just give her Mr. Snuggles. That’s her stuffed doll. Felicia says, sure thing. She can tell how hard this is for both of them, but she promises them that Louise will be well taken care of. Chase says they know she will, and Felicia says she’s going to take Louise to their place after she visits with Mac, and then get her all settled in. Then they can come and visit any time they want; she means that. Brook thanks her, and says she should go. She jets, and Nina follows her. Felicia tells Chase to make sure Brook is taken care of, and he says, good call. He tells Louise, see you later, and leaves.

Alexis says, why doesn’t Harmony start from the beginning? and Harmony says, she and Douglas used to live at a commune in Colorado. It was called Friends of Peace and Love. It was led by the prophet Josiah. This pregnant woman named Joan joined their community, and she and Harmony became friends. About a week after Joan gave birth, Harmony woke up one morning, and Joan was gone. Alexis says, so Joan left the baby there, and Harmony says, Josiah told them that God wanted her and Douglas to raise the little girl as their own. Alexis says, and so they did, and Harmony asks, who was she to question God?

Josslyn says she’s not trying to put Carly on the spot, but she feels like a bad big sister when she can’t answer every question. Carly says she’s so sorry, and Josslyn asks what she should tell Donna. Carly says, tell her the truth, and Josslyn says, which is? Carly says, she doesn’t know when their mom is coming home, and Josslyn asks if Carly knows. Talk to her. Carly says she thought Josslyn wasn’t going to put her on the spot, and Josslyn says she’s not a little kid anymore. She can handle it. Carly says she knows Josslyn can, and Josslyn says, she’s worried. Carly tells her, don’t worry, but Josslyn says, it’s a little late for that. She watched Carly for months fight for their family. Then when Sonny came home, what was supposed to be this happy celebration and reunion, turned out to be a bunch of lies and cover-ups. She doesn’t blame Carly for leaving, but this all must be so hard on her. She needs to make sure Carly has somebody to lean on, especially now that Jason’s gone.

Curtis tells Portia, he’s been looking for a new place. Now that Aunt Stella’s recovered from her stroke, she doesn’t need him around so much, so he was going to give Stella his place. That way, they could have some much needed privacy. She says, that’s very generous of him, and he has to do what’s best for him. He says, it’s not what’s best for him, but what’s best for them. She asks what he’s saying exactly, and he tells her, he’s saying, whatever place he finds, he wants it to belong to both of them.

Michael asks what Sonny thinks mom’s going to do, and Sonny says, he’s been calling her, but she’s not getting back to him. You’d think she’d be in the suite or the office this time of day. Michael asks, what’s the urgency? Is it about the surprise Sonny planned, because he heard it did not go very well. Sonny asks what Michael’s mom said, and Michael says, nothing. When he asked her about it, she said she didn’t want to talk about it, which isn’t a good sign. So what happened? Sonny says, he screwed up, and because of that, mom’s hurt and angry, and he doesn’t want her to do something worse. Michael says, like what? and Sonny says, hire a divorce attorney. Michael says, divorce? and Sonny says he needs to get to Michael’s mom, and tell her it’s too much too soon; they can get through this. Michael says, last time he talked to mom, she didn’t say anything about a divorce. She said she needed some time to think. Sonny says, that was before she found him with Nina.

Brook presses the elevator button like a madwoman, and Nina asks if she wants to sit or have some water. Chase has caught up, and says he thinks that’s a great idea, but Brook says she just wants to get out of here. Where the hell’s this elevator? Nina says, it must have been excruciating saying goodbye to Bailey, especially with Maxie missing, and Brook says she’s worried about Maxie. It was always the plan to give Bailey back to her family, and they did it, so yay. They should be celebrating. Nina says, if Brook needs to talk to anyone, call her, but Brook says she doesn’t think that will be necessary. The elevator comes, and Chase tells Nina, he’s got this, and gets in with Brook. Nina leans on the wall for a moment, then sees Willow. She asks Willow if something is wrong with Wiley.

Josslyn says she can’t imagine the pain Carly is in, and Carly says, it’s a lot, her losing Jason when she needs him the most. It feels like a cruel joke. Josslyn says, Carly still has her, and Carly hugs her, saying, that means everything. But she doesn’t want Josslyn worrying about any of this. She wants Josslyn to focus on her life at college, and all the amazing experiences that come with that. They haven’t even had a chance to talk about what happened at the cabin, and why they came back so early. Josslyn says, that would be thanks to Esme, and Carly tells Josslyn to sit down and tell her what Esme did now. Josslyn says, Esme made hot toddies, and insisted they play the world’s most cringeworthy game of Never Have I Ever. She manipulated Trina, and implied Trina and Cameron were in love and Josslyn stole him. Carly says, that’s a lot, and Josslyn says, it is a lot. She called Esme out on it, Esme called a car, and she and Spencer headed back to Port Charles that same night. Carly says she’s sure it was a relief to have Esme gone, but a bummer that Spencer had to leave. Josslyn says, it is a bummer. Spencer can be a bit of a pain, and he’s always been a little spoiled and entitled, but he has decent qualities, and he can be a really good friend, just not around her. He’s so far under Esme’s thumb, it’s like the girl invented sex. It’s just really disappointing that he can’t see through her. He falls for her games every time. Carly says she knows what Josslyn means.

Michael asks what Nina was doing at the Haunted Star, and Sonny says, he guesses she was worried about him, so she wanted to see if he was okay. Michael says, she couldn’t call? She had to check on him in person? Sonny says, she showed up, and he was in a bad, bad way because he thought Michael’s mother had given up on them. And then things happened. Michael asks if Sonny wants to clarify things, but Sonny says, not really. Michael says, so mom eventually did show up for his surprise, but it wasn’t the surprise Sonny had planned. How could he do that to mom? Sonny says, because he thought she was walking away from the marriage, and Michael says, so he turned around and had sex with Nina? Sonny says, he didn’t mean to hurt Michael’s mom, but Michael asks how he thinks she’d feel. Sonny asks if Michael thinks he wanted Carly to walk in on them, and Michael says, it’s bad enough Sonny cheated – that’s disgusting – but to do it with Nina, the woman who kept him from his family for months? Sonny says, it’s complicated, but Michael says, not really. Sonny blew past his wedding vows without taking a backward glance, to sleep with a woman who’s done nothing but lie to all of them. Sonny makes this big damn deal about loyalty, and has sex with the woman who basically held him hostage. How could he be so stupid? Sonny says, watch it, and Michael says, or else what?

Felicia tells Louise that she’s had quite a life so far. She comes from a long line of adventurers, so that shouldn’t be a big surprise. And survivors. There’s no greater survivor than her mommy, and her mommy is going to come back soon, she promises. In the meantime, Louise has her and her Grandpa Mac. Deanna wheels Mac out, and she says, look who’s here, and tells Mac, look who’s been waiting for him.

Josslyn says, enough about Esme. She’s worried about Carly, and doesn’t want her going through this alone. Let her help. Carly says, she does help. Whenever she’s having a hard time, all she has to do is see the woman Josslyn’s become. It makes her so proud. From a tiny ear of corn to this. Josslyn says, her corn phase. She’ll never live it down. Carly says, never. And adult or not, it’s not up to Josslyn to answer Avery’s tough questions. She’s sorry. Josslyn says, Carly’s not coming home anytime soon, is she? and Carly says, her marriage to Sonny is over.

Sonny says he’s still Michael’s father; show some respect. Michael says, like Sonny showed his mom? and Sonny asks what Michael wants from him. Michael says, a little bit of decency would be nice, and Sonny says, he asked Michael’s mother to show up at the Haunted Star, and when she didn’t show up, that meant to him that she wanted out. Then Kristina showed up, and told him that Carly wasn’t showing up. Michael says, Kristina? and Sonny says, it’s a long story. Michael says, first of all, ultimatums? Not romantic. Sonny says, that’s where they’re at, and Michael says, secondly, mom did show up, and thirdly, even if she bailed, that didn’t give Sonny the green light to sleep with someone else. Sonny says, it’s between him and Michael’s mother, and Michael says, and Nina. Sonny says he has to stop Michael’s mother before she files for divorce, and Michael says, honestly? She should file for divorce, because Sonny clearly chose Nina over her. Sonny says, that’s not what happened. He needs to find Michael’s mother. He can’t waste any more time. He leaves.

Harmony says, the story she told Alexis about Willow’s birth is true, and Alexis says, it’s just that Harmony didn’t actually give birth. Harmony says, Joan gave birth at the commune; no doctors, no hospitals. And since Josiah didn’t recognize the authority of the US government, the thought of a birth certificate meant nothing. Alexis says, what about her? and Harmony says she didn’t care about that. She had this new little life to nurture. Alexis asks if she wasn’t worried Joan would come back and claim the baby, and Harmony says, she thought about it all the time. First, it was just curiosity. Then that turned to dread. She and Douglas fell more in love with the little girl, and when Willow was about two, they couldn’t stand the thought of losing her. They left the commune. They left Colorado altogether and never looked back. Alexis says, that’s quite a story, and Harmony says, Alexis thinks she’s awful, but Alexis says she doesn’t. She thinks there was an abandoned baby, and Harmony and her husband loved and nurtured her. Under the circumstances, it was understandable. Joan didn’t tell her who the father was? Harmony shakes her head, and says, Doug paid the forger for the birth certificate, and then, that was it. Willow was theirs. Alexis says, but not in the eyes of the law.

Willow tells Nina, Wiley is fine. She’s just there for her nursing class. Nina says, of course (🍷). Silly her, she forgot. How’s it going? It must be quite a change, going from teacher to student. Willow says, there’s a lot less construction paper and glue, that’s for sure. She asks if something is wrong, and Nina says, no, it’s just that she saw Brook and Chase hand Bailey over to Felicia. Brook plays it tough, but it must be killing her to say goodbye to that baby. Willow says, there’s nothing harder, and tells Nina that she should get to class. Nina asks her to wait one second. They talked before about her having a possible relationship with Wiley if she kept the peace between her, Sonny, and Carly. But what if there’s no chance of peace? Will she ever be able to see her grandson again?

Chase and Brook go back to the beach house, and Brook says, her dad and Olivia must have straightened up. Chase says, that was nice of them, and asks if she wants to… She says, pack his things? That’s a good idea. There’s no reason for them to be living together anymore, so he’ll be leaving too, right?

Back in his bed, Mac holds Louise, and says, she’s been under their noses this whole time. Felicia says, Maxie must have been going insane. She was so close to her daughter, and so far away at the same time. It feels so wrong to be here like this without her. He says, they’ll find Maxie, and she says she knows they will. He says, and Peter will answer for everything he’s done.

Josslyn asks what Sonny did, but Carly says she’s not going into details. Let’s just say Sonny showed her on no uncertain terms that their marriage means mean nothing to him. Josslyn asks if this has to do with Nina. Something happened with Nina. Did Carly see them together? Carly flashes back to finding Sonny and Nina in bed, and tells Josslyn she could say that. Josslyn says, were they… She’s got to  be kidding. How could Sonny do that? And Nina acting all contrite and innocent. My God, she’s a monster. She’s literally out to get their family. Carly says she knows, and she’s never going to underestimate Nina again, but Sonny is responsible for his actions. Carly’s phone dings, and Josslyn asks if it’s Sonny, but Carly says, no, it’s Michael. Carly reads, where are you? Dad at MC headed for your suite. There’s a knock at the door, Carly opens it, and Sonny is there.

Harmony says, understand why she couldn’t tell Willow that she wasn’t her daughter? and Alexis says, she believes in Harmony’s eyes and heart, Willow was her daughter, regardless of biology or the law. Harmony says, if it was a legal adoption, it would be totally different. She would have had that discussion, but she didn’t know how to explain to Willow and didn’t want to lose her, which is ironic, because that’s exactly what happened. Alexis says, but Harmony has a relationship with her now, and Harmony says, thankfully. They were starting to rebuild, but it’s still fragile, and she’s scared this news will completely shatter it. Alexis says, it was Doulas who bought the fake document, right? and Harmony says, they decided together, but he was the one who met with the forger. Does that matter? Alexis says, it may give them a little wiggle room, and Harmony says, really? Does she think Willow doesn’t have to know? Alexis tells her, she didn’t say that.

Chase asks if Brook is kicking him out, and she tells him not to be dramatic. He says, then why would he leave, and she says, they both know he was only here for Bailey. She sees Mr. Snuggles in between the couch cushions, and says, oh my God, Mr. Snuggles. How could she? They have to go to the hospital. He says, they don’t even know if they’re still there, but she says, they have to try. He suggests they call Felicia before wasting a trip, and she says, some mother she is. Letting Bailey go without her favorite toy; she must be feeling so scared. She must be so lost without it. He holds her and says, it’s okay; it’s going to be okay. She cries and says she doesn’t know how to do this. Tell her how to do this. He says he wishes he could.

Felicia tries to get Bailey to stop crying, and Mac suggests she’s hungry, but Felicia says, not yet. He wonders if it’s a dirty diaper, but Felicia says she checked. Mac asks why Felicia doesn’t take her home. The hospital’s not a restful place for anyone, especially a baby. She says, it’s not the hospital; she doesn’t know them. As much as they love her, they’re strangers to her. She needs her mother. He says, or the closest thing to it.

Sonny asks if he and Carly can talk, and Carly says she’ll call Josslyn later, and thanks her for her support. She loves Josslyn. Josslyn says she loves Carly too, and glares at Sonny as she walks out. Sonny says, if looks could kill, and Carly asks if he can blame her. He says, Carly didn’t tell her… and Carly says, did she tell her daughter that she saw him in bed with another woman? No. She figured it out. Unlike him, Josslyn sees Nina for the snake she is. She asks why he’s here, and he says, to stop her from making a huge mistake.

Portia wonders if Curtis is asking her to move into his place with him, and he says, as soon as he finds one. But technically, it wouldn’t be his place, it would be their place. She says, then maybe they could look for a place together. They can find a place they both like, and it will belong to both of them. He asks if that’s a yes to moving in together, and she says, it’s a definite yes, he kisses her.

Josslyn sits with Michael at the MetroCourt, and says she’s glad he was there, and not across town. He asks if she’s okay, and she says, not really. The tension was unreal when Sonny showed up. It was all she could do not to lose her mind on him. Sorry. He says, don’t apologize. He’s pissed at his dad too. She asks if Sonny admitted to Michael that he cheated on mom, and Michael says, he tried to justify it of course (🍷). She says, right. Like he tried to justify Nina letting them believe he was dead. How is this happening? Is Sonny just a completely different person now? He says, completely? No, but his time in Nixon Falls really changed him. She says, and not for the better. He and mom have split up before, but this is different. Sonny is different. It’s like he doesn’t even care about mom’s feelings or what she’s been through, but he’s super worried about Nina. He went from protecting her to sleeping with her. And Nina, with all her fake remorse and wanting to make amends, which lasted right up until she got in bed with Sonny. How could she? He says he doesn’t know, and she says, it doesn’t matter what Nina says, or how many times she insists it’s not true, Nina wanted to tear their family apart. She wanted to take Sonny away from mom, and she’s not going to stop until she gets what she wants.

Nina says, it’s clear she and Carly can’t co-exist peacefully, and she’s wondering where that leaves her and Willow. Is there something she can say or do to convince Willow to let her stay in Wiley’s life despite that? Willow says, honestly… and Nina says she doesn’t have much family, or children to speak of, so if she loses that piece of her life… Willow says she understands the importance of family, and Nina says she can tell Willow does, and she’s not just saying that to win her over. It’s obvious Willow put a lot of thought in what’s best for Wiley. Because if she didn’t do that, she wouldn’t let Nina spend any time with that little boy at all. Willow says, it’s simple. She just wants her son to grow up never doubting that he’s loved. Nina says, it would be nice if they all had that. From what she gathers, Willow had a pretty unconventional childhood. Willow says, that’s putting it mildly, and sits with Nina on a bench. She says, there were times she felt so lost. You’d think it would get better as she got older, but… it is what it is, right? Nina says, yeah. When she was growing up, her mother was not the warmest person. She valued appearance over real feelings. Without her brother Jay, she would have felt very much alone. Willow says, in the commune, there were always people around. It was more that her mom was so wrapped up in the community, she couldn’t be bothered with Willow. Then when they were actually together, her mother was more focused on her being a good follower. Her mother didn’t really know who Willow actually was. Nina says she hears Willow. Her mother used to trot her out at parties like she was a show dog. But if you’d asked her anything meaningful about Nina, like her hopes and dreams, or her favorite color, she wouldn’t know how to answer that. It was really hard, growing up with a mother you think doesn’t care about you at all. Willow says, and even harder, knowing you can’t trust her.

Carly says, pushing her is a bad idea, but Sonny says he’s not pushing. He’s trying to talk to his wife. She says, don’t call her that. He doesn’t treat her like a wife, so he doesn’t get to refer to her as one. He says he’s sorry she found him with Nina, and she says, but he’s not sorry it happened. He says he’s sorry for all of it, and she says she doesn’t want to talk about Nina. He says he just wants to know what happens next, and she says, he means, with life? It’s divorce. He says, really? That’s what she wants? She says she thinks it’s a little late to care about her feelings. Doesn’t he? He says he knows she’s angry… and she says, she’s beyond angry. She’s furious, she’s heartbroken, and she’s disgusted. And all she wants to do is hurt him the way he hurt her. He says, he understands that, and she thanks him for his understanding, sarcastically saying she appreciates that. He asks if there’s nothing he can say to make it right. She asks what he’s doing here, and he says, she met with a divorce lawyer. She says, he was spying on her? and he says, no; she put it on the shared calendar. Do him a favor. Do not hire a lawyer. Let’s talk. She says, no. They’re not going to talk.

Brook says, maybe she’s not just crying over Mr. Snuggles. She always knew Bailey would go back to her real mom. She knows she’s not Bailey’s real mom, so why is this so hard? He says, she may not be Bailey’s real mom, but Brook was her mom in every way that counts. Brook loves her. Brook says, so much, and he says, it’s really hard to say goodbye to someone you love, and she says she doesn’t want to do that anymore. He says, then don’t, and they almost kiss, but the doorbell rings. Chase open the door, and it’s Felicia with Louise/Bailey.

Alexis tells Harmony, there are other ways to acquire a birth certificate, other ways to show proof of identity for Willow, but they’re way beyond that right now. Harmony says she knows, but she’s imagining Willow’s face when she realizes Harmony lied to her again. They just started to get their groove back. Alexis says she gets that. She treasures the bond she has with her daughters, but the way she sees it, Harmony has two choices. She comes clean, and asks Willow’s forgiveness, or continues to deceive her. Harmony says, she doesn’t want to do that. She just has this sinking feeling Willow’s not going to forgive her for this one. Alexis says, up until now, Harmony has been Willow’s mother. She’s loved her, nurtured her, and tried to protect her. Harmony says, that last one is debatable, and Alexis says, she’s made mistakes, but she’s turned her life around, and she’s trying to do better. If that’s still her intent – Harmony says, it is – she’ll do what’s best for Willow, and tell her the truth.

Nina says she’s sorry Willow’s relationship with her mother was so fraught, and Willow says, her too. It would be nice to look to her as an example for how best to be a mom to Wiley. Michael doesn’t get it. He’s so close to his mother, to both his parents, he doesn’t have the same doubts she does. Nina says Willow doesn’t need an example. She’s a wonderful mother to Wiley. So much so, Nina would venture to say the example is her.

Felicia tells Brook, she and Mac decided, until Maxie comes home, it would be best for Louise to be around people who are familiar to her; namely, the two of them. Holding Louise, Brook says, she doesn’t understand. Doesn’t Felicia want Louise with her? Felicia says, more than anything in the world, but not it’s about her; it’s about Louise and what she needs, and right now, she’s looking at it. Brook doesn’t know what to say, and Chase thanks Felicia for having faith in them. Brook says, thanks so much, and Felicia says, thank Maxie. She trusted them with her daughter, and that means she and Mac can do the same. Brook says, now it’s her turn to tell Felicia, please come visit anytime. Felicia says she definitely will, and tells Louise that she’ll see her soon; she loves her. Felicia leaves, and Chase asks Bailey if she’s been missing someone, showing her Mr. Snuggles, who I think is a pig. That’s not a comment on his character, but meant literally. Brook says, finally, reunited at long last, and Chase says, it’s been two hours. She tells him, like she said, at long last. He says, it looks like he’ll be sticking around after all, and she says she guesses so.

Portia says she can’t believe this is actually happening, and Curtis says, unless she’s already having second thoughts. She says, the opposite. She feels like she’s dreaming, and she’s going to wake up in the on-call room, and realize none of this actually happened. He says, no, baby, this is happening. They’re moving in together as soon as he can find a place. She says, why do they even need to wait? What does he think about moving into her place while they search for a new place? He says, it sounds exactly right. What about Trina? Is she going to be okay with this? She says, Trina wants them to be happy, and she’s beginning her own adult life. In some ways, after solely focusing on raising Trina, she’s beginning hers again too. He asks if she’s sure she doesn’t feel like he’s rushing her into this, and she takes his hands, and says, when something feels right, there’s no need waste any time.

Sonny says, so that’s it? Carly says they’re done and they’re done? Carly says, pretty much, and he says, if they just talk, they can work through this. She says, there’s nothing to talk about. He made his choices, so she gets to make hers, and she just wants this over. He says he knows what she walked in on hurt her, and he’s sorry. She tells him, stop saying he’s sorry. She doesn’t need to hear that. He says he didn’t mean it like that, and she says, it’s over. They’re over. He says, okay, he’ll leave her alone… for now. He leaves, and they stand on opposite sides of the door.

Tomorrow, Finn asks Elizabeth if working herself to death is the answer, Victor has something of interest to Drew, and Anna says she’ll stop at nothing to bring Maxie home.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Heather and family went to Nobu for dinner. In Heather’s interview, she said she was feeling like the clock was ticking. Max and Nicki were going away, and family dinners were going to change. Daughter Kat said she wasn’t close to her siblings. She thought it was because of the age difference. She was in the middle and didn’t connect. Heather promised the relationships would change.

Noella met Emily for a pedicure, and in her interview, Noella said she cared enough about the friend group to make peace, and move past what had happened in Cabo. Or wherever the hell they were. She told Emily that there was going to be a divorce mediation, and Emily wondered if James would show. In Emily’s interview, she said she liked Noella, but she could be suffocating. The conversation always had to revolve around her and her divorce. In Noella’s interview, she said she was in fight or flight mode, and fighting for every inch of her life. She felt like she was crying all the time. Emily said, in regard to what happened with Heather, Noella started it by making a snarky comment. Noella admitted she had, and in her interview, Emily said she also had to walk on eggshells with Noella, because she tended to get angry and defensive. She suggested Noella ask about the others occasionally. Noella asked if she couldn’t get a little grace, and Emily told her that she couldn’t get it if she didn’t reciprocate. In her interview, Noella said that she threatened the groups’ projection that everything was okay.  That her pain was triggering something, said something about them. Emily said Noella was beating a dead horse.

Shannon was having the women over for a luncheon, and forgot about appetizers. In Shannon’s interview, she said it was going to be a disaster. She hosted all the time, but didn’t really do lunch; she did evenings when she had all day to prepare. Now she looked like a moron who couldn’t handle it. (Now?) Gina showed up while Shannon was ironing her blouse. As she was wearing it. Gina was concerned Shannon would burn herself, and Shannon said she was trying to iron herself small.  Heather picked up Jen, who said Ryne had packed his bags and left. In Jen’s interview, she said, Ryne came back, screamed at her, and walked out again. She felt completely alone. She told Heather that she was getting a divorce. She never wanted to feel like that again. In Heather’s interview, she said, getting through it was a process. It was a test that proved the relationship.

Heather brought Shannon a hostess gift, a fancy bowl with wrapped candies in it. In her interview, Heather said, weed was legal now, and she’d been experimenting in micro-dosing with edibles. It was fabulous. Jen said she’d had a difficult day, and Heather asked if it wasn’t the first day of school. Jen said the cafeteria and recess were her kids’ two favorite subjects, but Ryne had packed and left. She’d had a challenging day, and reached out for support, which he wasn’t able to give her, and instead, he lashed out. I didn’t see it the same way, but okay. Emily said she and Shane reached their lowest point in years ten and eleven, and we flashed back to some of that. She said, they’d managed to make years twelve and thirteen the best, and Jen asked, how? Emily said, a lot of work. They’d had counseling, and gone to relationship camp. Shannon said, she and David had done that too, and we flashed back to some of those exercises. Jen said they’d done it too, and it was helpful, for a couple of weeks. Emily said she and Shane sat down and wrote out a mission statement for their marriage and family, and in her interview, she said, they’d been in a bagel shop. She’d told Shane that she thought they were both unhappy and didn’t want to be in the marriage. In creating the statement, they completely recommitted. We saw a clip from the Reunion, where Shane said they’d used words like unconditional love and acceptance, and it was a turning point for him. In Emily’s interview, she said, Shane lived by what he said since then.

At the table, Heather toasted to a fabulous hostess. Gina told Jen that they both had to want it. If only one of them was showing up, it wasn’t going to work. Shannon said they could get there. She and David were there at one point, and even though it didn’t work out for her, she still believed in it. Emily asked if Jen was to do whatever it took, and Noella suggested she have no expectations. Emily said Noella wasn’t being helpful, and thought she was jumping ahead. Jen said Ryne came across as mellow, but it was false advertising. Noella said when she’d met the women, she was still holding onto things with James, and Emily asked her a question (which I totally missed), and this somehow offended her. Emily was like, don’t talk about it then, and Noella asked if she wasn’t allowed to talk about her divorce. Emily said that was all Noella talked about. Noella tried to make it seem like she was relating to Jen, but Gina said it seemed like a totally different situation, but Noella insisted she was going through what Jen was. Heather was concerned about Jen talking divorce, and Jen said she didn’t want the relationship to fail. She loved Ryne. She wanted progress and success, but was frustrated because he wouldn’t participate.

Emily said she was confused. Noella wanted to talk about her divorce but went on the defensive when asked a question. She was trying to understand, but if Noella was getting mad, then it was bullsh*t. Emily went to sit with some nicer people, and went to sit with Heather, Shannon, and Jen. In her interview, Emily said, if you challenged Noella or disagreed with her, she turned on you. You couldn’t monopolize a conversation and make it about you, and then get mad if there were questions. The only way Noella connected to the other women was if it was something traumatic. Emily asked fi she should take a valium or Xanax before going back, and Shannon yelled, micro-dose! and ran for the new candy dish. In Shannon’s interview, she said she was never a fan of pot, but micro-dosing took the edge off. A producer asked how it was different from a joint, bong, or blunt, and Shannon asked what a blunt was. Was it a joint? She reminded me of a mom from one of those films on how drugs are bad that they show you in school. Shannon shared a candy with Heather and Emily (Jen passed), and in her interview, she said, now she had a drug dealer named Heather Dubrow. Text came up saying, 10 minutes later, and they were all laughing, Shannon and Emily comparing their derrieres. They did a weird slo-mo thing, where it looked more like they’d dropped acid. Shannon passed out cookies, and Emily told Noella that she should let people ask questions, and not take it personally. In Noella’s interview, she said she was trying to show she was good, but Emily was really testing her. Jen thanked Shannon for the invite, and said she’d been spiraling down, and the lunch helped. I thought it was probably all the champagne.

Gina and Emily took their kids to a Gymboree type place, and sat down while the kids did whatever. Emily said she was irritated when she left Shannon’s. Noella never asked about them, and only talked about herself. Gina told Emily that she thought Shannon seemed irritated with Heather’s compliments on Gina’s new skincare company. Shannon couldn’t handle it. In Gina’s interview, she said, it reeked of Shannon. Jealousy and all bullsh*t was all Shannon.

Heather and Kat did some gardening, and Kat said she’d gotten a negative comment about her rainbow flag on Tik Tok. A rainbow flag was in her bio, and sometimes it felt embarrassing. In Kat’s interview, she said, in coming out, there was always some negativity. It was inevitable, and you’re not prepared for it until it happens, and it hits you like a bus. Heather said she didn’t want Kat not to be self-confident in who she was and who she loved. In Kat’s interview, she said she’d been insecure and unsure until she got support, then she became proud and more comfortable with herself. Heather said Kat’s life was so different from when she was younger. Her parents were great, they did their best, but her mom was very 1950s. You didn’t talk about anything like feelings. She was glad for the relationship she had with her kids, and that they could tell her everything. She’d learned a lot from them; she was still growing at her age. In Heather’s interview, she said, everyone wanted love and to be accepted. It was the base minimum parents should do. It killed her when parents didn’t accept their children.

Jen, Shannon, and Emily met for cocktails and food, and Jen ordered the filthiest martini she could get. She told the women that Ryne had come back, and was sweet. They fell asleep on the couch, holding hands, but they hadn’t had a big conversation. She said they’d had three babies, then gotten married, but they’d had some big hits. When her father died, she was anxious to have her own family. In Jen’s interview, she said, when she and Ryne met, for a couple of years, it was light, easy, and breezy. That’s what had attracted her, but now it was the roadblock in their relationship. Shane couldn’t go deep. Shannon said she loved that Jen was fighting for her family. Emily asked if Shannon was jealous of Gina’s relationship with Heather, and that Gina and Heather were going to NYC. Shannon said she had her own relationship with Heather, and if she’d been invited to NYC, she’d have said she was exhausted. Wow. That doesn’t say much for her energy level. Emily said Gina had thought Shannon was jealous when Heather was praising her about her skincare line. Shannon said, that was an a-hole comment to make, and in Shannon’s interview, she asked, where in the sky was this pulled from? Shannon said she had plenty going on herself, and Emily said Gina thought she’d seemed not happy, but Emily was so pissed at Noella, she didn’t notice. Shannon said Gina needed to put a pin in her ego, and in her interview, she said she thought Emily stirred the pot. She told Emily, sorry to disappoint her. She was reeling right now. It pissed her off.

Next time, Shannon tells John about Gina suggesting she’s jealous, Shannon says Gina is starting to piss her off, and Jen gets annoyingly drunk at dinner out with Rayne, Heather, Terry, et al.

🌈 Time To Ride the Rainbow…

Come on over for soap and most likely some tea tomorrow. Bravo has nothing new to post about, but they are showing a new Galley Talk at 9 pm. That’s always good for a laugh. Until then, stay safe, stay taking new roads, and stay not wasting any time when something feels right.