What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Spencer asks if Ava thinks they can put the past behind them and start fresh. Is it possible they can declare a truce? He holds out his hand, and she hesitates for a moment, but takes it, and they shake. She says she appreciates the offer, but he doesn’t have to worry about forging a relationship with her. She’s out of Nikolas’s life now. He says, it didn’t look that way a little while ago.

Jason comes into the MetroCourt, and asks if Carly is ready to go. She asks if he’s ready for this, and he says, for Wiley’s birthday party? Sure. He managed to get all the gifts in the car. She says, there weren’t that many, and he gives her a face. She says he knows what she’s talking about. This is their first family thing as a couple. He asks if she’s nervous.

Michael knocks at the gatehouse door, and Willow motions him in. He hands her some cellophane tape, and she thanks him, saying, she thought she’d have to break out the masking tape. He says he’s surprised he found any, considering the mounds of presents and all the decorations. She asks if they’re spoiling him, and he says, absolutely, but it’s Wiley’s birthday, so they get a pass. They’ll let him have all his presents and balloons… She says, don’t forget about cupcakes, and he says Wiley reminded him this morning. Now everything’s all set for their birthday boy.

Brook comes in to find Chase messing with some balloons, and says, look at him. She looks around the room, and says, look at this. He says, this is Olivia’s work. He followed her around with a tape dispenser. It is funny how Brook reappeared just when the decorating is finished. She says, timing is everything. She sent Yuri down to help. He says, good thing. He couldn’t help hang the banner for anything. She says, it will happen soon enough, and he says, not soon enough for him. He can’t wait to walk up to Willow, and show her that he’s back.

Shawn meets Sam in the park, and she hands him some coffee. She says she hopes he didn’t mind meeting her there. She had to drop Scout off at Lila’s Kids. He says he loves it outdoors; he can’t get enough of it. She says she’s the same way, and it sure beats the exercise at Pentenville. He asks why she wanted to meet, and she says she’s afraid she has bad news.

There’s a knock at Elizabeth’s door, and she lets in Nikolas, who asks if she’s okay. She sounded stressed on the phone. She mentioned Hayden; has she heard from her? She says, unfortunately, no. He asks, what’s going on? and she says Sam was there, asking about the time Hayden was shot. It made her remember something. He says, dammit. He knew this was going to happen.

Chase tells Brook, Willow is at the gatehouse and he’s upstairs. He doesn’t feel like they can start their life together yet. He’s so sick of this chair; he can’t do anything. She says, excuse me. He’s the one who sang Bailey to sleep, which is more than she can manage, and Bailey loved it. He says, she did seem pretty blissed out, which is puzzling to him since Brook took so long to get her settled. Brook tells him, let it go, and says, this place looks like a birthday party on steroids. They didn’t need her help. Kids Wiley’s age are more interested in the boxes anyway. (Truth!) He bets her 50 bucks it doesn’t hold a candle to the parties she’ll throw for Bailey, and she says, he’s on. They shake, and she says they’ll see if Wiley’s more interested in the gifts or the boxes. Valentin walks in with Austin, and says, look who he found. Brook asks what Austin is doing there.

Elizabeth says, so Nikolas knows what she’s talking about, and he says, Sam spoke to him as well. He told her that he didn’t know where Hayden was, and she should just leave it alone. The last thing he wanted was for Sam to come there and upset Elizabeth with questions about her sister, on top of everything else. She says he’s right; she’s upset. Shawn has spent all those years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Nikolas says, Alexis explained the situation. Of course (🍷) Shawn shouldn’t pay for a crime he didn’t do, but he pled guilty. She says, now that Shawn denied shooting Hayden, it made her wonder, who did? She remembered something Nikolas said back then; something she didn’t want to believe – that he had Hayden shot.

Ava tells Spencer that she and Nikolas plan to keep their divorce civil and drama free, but make no mistake, the marriage is over. He says, let him guess. Father doesn’t agree. She says, well, he knows his father. He wants what he wants, and doesn’t take no for an answer. Spencer says, sounds like him.

Jason asks who Carly is nervous about seeing. Is it Monica? He talked with her, and they went through all the history with AJ… She says she’s not nervous that way; it’s just the transition. All the family things they’ve gone to over the years, they’re now going as a couple. She was talking to Laura last night, and wondering if it’s too soon after Sonny, and how people’s perception might bother her, how it might diminish her love for Sonny, and how it’s hard for her. She knows they have to get married, and she knows it’s the right thing to do, but it’s difficult. He says, they both know why they’re doing this. They made the best choice they could. So now they just have to move forward with it. She says she’s glad he’s in this with her.

Austin hands Brook a wrapped gift, and says he’s there because Michael invited him. He said it was a family celebration. Brook says, it’s just that he’s early, and he tells her, his mother always said, if you’re on time, you’re late. She says, that makes no sense, and he asks if she argues with her mother. She says, all the time, and he asks if she wins. She says, okay, and puts the gift with the others. Chase introduces himself, and Valentin says he should have made the introductions. Sorry about that. Monica comes in, and says she’s glad Austin could make the family celebration. Has he met everybody? Austin says he has, and Valentin says, so it’s true. Austin is a legitimate Quartermaine?

Michael holds his finger in the middle of the ribbon, and Willow makes a bow. I have to say, I’ve never made a bow that way, or seen anyone else do it. She says, and that’s that, and he asks if she’s really okay. She says, sure, and he says she’s going out of her way to make sure Wiley’s birthday celebration is happy and joyful, but he knows this is also the anniversary of her son’s death. He’s been thinking about him too. For the longest time, Michael thought Jonah was his son, so it’s a bittersweet day. She says, this morning when she was putting flowers on Jonah’s grave, the birds were singing so loudly, like they were serenading him. He wishes they could have gone together, and she says, Chase was there. Michael is glad she wasn’t alone, and she says, it was Chase who told her that her baby had died. He held her as that awful truth sunk in, and she grieved. He comforted her, and got her through this unimaginable time in her life, and she’ll always be grateful to him, but she wishes Michael had been with her.

A woman goes to Jonah’s grave, and leaves flowers.

Nicholas says, they both know he didn’t shoot Hayden, and Elizabeth says, no, they don’t both know. She remembers that time in The Floating Rib when she asked him point blank if he’d done it, praying he’d say no, but he didn’t. He said he had Hayden shot to protect her. He says, it was a long time ago; emotions were high. She says, Hayden was blackmailing them for the mess she made with Drew, lying to him to hold on to him. Nikolas says, there was plenty of upheaval back then, but when she was able to catch her breath, and asked him about Hayden again, he came clean. He admitted he’d been lying. Doesn’t she remember?

Sam and Shawn sit on a bench, and Sam says, neither Elizabeth or Nikolas know where Hayden is, or know where to find her. Any progress on finding Hayden’s mother? He says, Naomi Dreyfuss is not returning his calls, and Sam says, they’re back to square one. He says, Curtis told him that he’d check his notes from when he originally worked on the case, but he didn’t sound too encouraging. She says, what did they expect? It’s a six year old case. It’s not impossible to turn up new leads, but it’s going to take some time. They’ll have to find some witnesses and try and jog their memories. The ones that are still alive anyway. He says she’s thinking of Drew. First, his name is Jake Doe, then he’s Jason Morgan, then he turns out to be Jason’s twin Drew Cain, the man Sam married and had a child with. She says, it’s pretty ironic, isn’t it? When Shawn was the one who was supposed to kill him that night.

Spencer says he can see his father is struggling without Ava, which is a real change, considering he’d insisted their marriage was a sham, and the only reason he stayed with Ava was to preserve their family money. No offense. She says, none taken. That was exactly how their marriage started. It was a cold-blooded business arrangement. Then she and Nikolas surprised themselves, falling in love along the way. But the stalker has made it clear he won’t stop as long as they’re together, and she won’t risk Avery’s safety. He says, then she’s adamant about going through with the divorce, and she says, whether Nikolas likes it or not. He says, then why does she keep sending his father mixed signals?

Monica says they’re still waiting for the DNA test results, and Valentin says, so this is a case of keeping your enemies close? She says she doesn’t consider Austin an enemy, and Valentin says, Ned and Michael do. A word to the wise, being a Quartermaine is a study in Darwinism, survival of the fittest. Austin says, he tries to stay reasonably fit, and Valentin says, having an ally helps. Monica says, let her guess. That would be him. Warnings, Austin; warnings all around. Valentin says he knows what it’s like to be an outsider in a powerful family, and Brook says she’s been meaning to speak to Valentin about Bailey, and drags him into the foyer. Monica thanks Chase for taking care of the decorations, and asks if she can get anybody something to drink.

In the foyer, Valentin asks if Brook really wanted to talk to him about something, or did she just want to get him away from Austin? She says, it was a big, fat attempt to stop him from sucking up to that interloper, and he says he thought he was the interloper. She tells him, stop. What he needs to do is back off. If Austin is a real Q, does Valentin really think Austin is going to side with him over his family? He says, we’ll see, and she says, overconfident much? He says he usually gets what he wants, and she says, but not always.

Willow tells Michael that they should get the gifts up to the main house. Wiley will be up from his nap soon, and the guests will be arriving. She holds open a bag, and he says, whatever doesn’t fit, he’ll carry. As they put the gifts in the bag, their hands touch, and Willow pulls away. She says, next year, on Wiley’s birthday, Chase will be walking, and they can be together. He says he’ll wake them up with a puppy, and she says, they’ll all cuddle in the bed; the puppy too. They’ll come down and make birthday pancakes. He says, they’ll see Jonah and hear the birds. They’ll have a birthday celebration with family, and when Wiley’s worn out, they’ll put him and the puppy to bed, and it’s their turn. She says, next year, and he says, next year, and they start kissing.

Elizabeth tells Nikolas, she remembers both conversations. The first one weighed on her. Then she remembers calling and asking him to meet her at work. He says, they talked in the stairwell so no one would hear them. We flash back to Elizabeth telling Nikolas that she hasn’t been able to sleep since he told her what he did to Hayden. She never asked him to do that. He says, Hayden is going to be fine. She’s talking. She doesn’t know that Jake is Jason. Elizabeth says, he had her shot, but he says, no, he didn’t. He lied. Shawn confessed that he’s the one who shot Hayden. She asks why would Nikolas say he did it? and he says, it’s stupid. He wanted her to think he’d do anything for her. She asks what she’s supposed to do with that. If he lied, how is she supposed to believe him now? He says, because Shawn confessed. Why would he confess if he’s not guilty? He’s ashamed he lied to her, but he wanted her to love him because he loves her. He sees now that’s not going to happen. In the present, Nikolas says he swallowed his pride and told her the truth. She says, told her the truth, or told her what she wanted to hear? He needs to be honest. They both know Shawn didn’t shoot Hayden. Was it him?

Monica says, Austin has met Chase, and he says he has, and asks where Chase fits in to this Quartermaine puzzle. Chase says he’s Willow’s husband, and Willow is Wiley’s mom. Dr. Quartermaine has been kind enough to let him stay there while he recovers. He tells Monica that he can’t thank her enough, and hopes to be out of there soon, but she tells him that he can stay as long as he wants. She says, Austin is a new doctor on staff at General Hospital. Chase says, that’s great, and Austin says, it is. Monica excuses herself to see if everything is ready, and when she’s gone, Austin slides closer to Chase. He says, from one outsider to another, what does he think about these Quartermaines? Does he have to watch his back like Valentin says?

Valentin says, presently, he has a beautiful new daughter, and he’s the CEO of a company that’s highly profitable, both of which he owes to Brook. She tells him, don’t count your chickens, and he asks if she really thinks the family is going to vote him out. She asks if he thinks he can stop them, and he says he thinks she’s worried he might. He believes she thinks Austin is going to prove himself and side with him, and that’s why she’s watching Austin like a hawk. She asks, who says she’s watching Austin? and Valentin says he does. He can see she’s clearly shaken by that man.

Willow and Michael kiss some more. She starts to walk away, but he pulls her back. Carly knocks at the door, and  Michael and Willow quickly separate. Carly walks in with Jason, and Michael says they were just finishing up with Wiley’s gifts. Carly hugs Willow, saying, she can’t believe Wiley is three. She asks where the birthday boy is, and Willow says, he’s at the main house, probably just waking up from his nap any minute. Carly suggests Michael and Jason take the presents, and she’ll hang out with Willow for a minute. Michael says they can all go together, but Willow tells him to go ahead. Michael and Jason leave with Wiley’s gifts, and Carly asks, what are you two doing?

Brook tells Valentin, she’s not shaken by Austin. As far as she’s concerned, the jury is still out on the guy. Austin delivers Maxie’s baby, and then leaves the crazy nurse to run off with Louise? Valentin says, after being knocked unconscious, and she says, she just wonders if he knows more than he says. He just happens to be hiking at the exact same moment in the exact same place Maxie happens to be having her baby. And then, it just so happens he owns the house where Peter and that crazy henchwoman bring Maxie? Valentin asks if she thinks Austin is involved in Louise’s kidnapping, and she says, she won’t go that far. Let’s just say she’s keeping an eye on the guy.

Chase tells Austin, the Quartermaines have always been good to him. They have strong personalities, but big hearts. Austin says, that’s not their reputation, and Chase says, they’re an intense family. They take some getting used to, but they protect their own and band together when it counts. If Austin’s claim is legit – Austin says, it is – he’ll find his place. He can’t be thin-skinned though. Austin says he’s not afraid of a little bloodletting; he’s a doctor. He asks what Chase does, and Chase says he’s a detective with the PCPD. Austin says, super. Any leads on Maxie’s baby?

Ava tells Spencer that she’s not sending his father mixed signals. She’s been clear that they can’t be together. He says, yet he just saw them in, shall we say, a close moment. She says she didn’t mean for that to happen, and he says, it doesn’t matter what she intends. It matters what she does. She says, excuse me. Didn’t he just approach her requesting a truce? What happened to that olive branch?

Brook asks what they’re talking about, and Austin asks where her better half is. She says, Valentin is feeding Bailey, and Chase says, Austin was just asking about the search for Maxie’s baby, which he can’t talk about. But how lucky was Maxie that he was hiking in the woods when he was? Austin says he’s the lucky one. He’s glad he was there. Maxie did great. The delivery was remarkably simple given the circumstances. It’s only afterwards, that things became problematic, and even then, only for him, because he keeps having this peculiar dream. In the dream, he’s there, and helps Maxie deliver her baby, and gets conked in the head. This is where the peculiar dream gets weird. He keeps hearing these two women talking, which is so weird, because Maxie was alone when he woke up. Chase says, maybe his subconscious heard the fake nurse and Maxie, and Austin says, maybe. Brook looks pretty rattled.

Willow tells Carly that she and Michael are raising Wiley together, that’s all. Carly says she knows her son, and Michael loves her. Is Willow telling her that she doesn’t feel the same? Willow says she couldn’t live with herself if she abandoned Chase when he needed her most, and Carly says, that’s because she’s a kind and loyal person. Carly admires that about her, but sometimes the best of intentions can lead to the worst outcomes. An act of kindness can cause more harm than good. Lord knows, she’s in no position to pass out advice. She’s made more than her share of mistakes, and told more than her share of lies. At the time, she told herself that she had a good reason, and she’s sure Willow does too, but it’s clear she and Jason walked in on something. She’s just glad it was them and not somebody else. Willow has a terrible poker face. It’s almost impossible for Willow to hide her feelings for Michael, and if Carly can see how much she loves him, other people are going to see it too.

Michael wonders if he shouldn’t go back and get Willow; she’s probably being grilled by his mom. Jason says, Willow told him to go, right? and Michael says his mom means well, but… Jason asks if he has something on his mind. They sit at the patio table, and Michael says, Jason knows, right? That he’s in love with Willow. Jason says, okay. Does she feel the same? Michael says, she only married Chase because of his health. They were waiting to tell Chase until he can walk again. He feels happy and guilty at the same time. He never thought he’d be the other man. Jason tells him not to fault himself for having feelings. He has to trust himself. He’ll figure it out, and make the right decision. He never worries about Michael. Michael thanks Jason for his vote of confidence. He knows Jason has his own challenges he’s going through. Jason can always count on him. Jason says he appreciates that. And now, about all these gifts. Michael says he knows it’s crazy, but he’s not going to go overboard all the time. It’s just one day, and the rest of the days, he’s going to take a page out of Jason’s book. He hopes he can give Wiley the same sense of self and confidence Jason gave him when he was little.

Shawn tells Sam, he was wondering when they’d talk about all this; get it out in the open. Yes, he was sent to deal with Drew, but he was Jake Doe back then. nobody knew who he was or what he was up to. He was doing his job. She says, on Sonny’s orders, and he says he’s just glad Jordan made him miss the shot. She says, her too. Or she woudn’t have daughter right now. She’s glad they had a chance to clear that up. Okay. Back to square one. There is some good news. The garage is still there, so she can go back to the scene of the crime. He says, six years later? He guesses… if she wants to take a field trip. She say she knows it’s a long shot, but it’s all they’ve got. He says he’ll do more work on Naomi Dreyfuss, but Sam says maybe it’s best if he doesn’t do this. He just got out of prison. Enjoy his life. Enjoy this park. Doesn’t he want that? Doesn’t he want to start a future and make a life for himself?

Nikolas says he did not have Hayden shot, and Elizabeth says, then who did? If it wasn’t him, and it wasn’t Shawn, who tried to kill her sister?

Ava says, perhaps Spencer is unclear on the concept of truce. Or maybe he’s too angry at her to make one work. He says he’s sorry; he didn’t mean to snap. He’s not angry; he’s afraid for his father. This guy got into Windymere. He must be a criminal genius to get past the security detail. Then he got into their hotel suite. Whoever this guy is, he’s a legitimate threat. Spencer already lived through losing his father once. He doesn’t want to again. Please help him protect his father from himself.

Nikolas tells Elizabeth, they may never know who shot Hayden. She has to remember who Hayden was back then. She arrived in town committing fraud. Ric paid her to encourage Drew to lie about his past. She helped herself to a fortune in diamonds from the profits of her father’s Ponzi scheme. Who knows what enemies were after her, in or out of Port Charles? Elizabeth says, she really believes Hayden wanted a fresh start there. It wasn’t until she had Violet that she turned a corner. He guesses they turned a corner too. She fell in love, and married Franco. He married Ava, and fell in love. She says, happily ever after, at least for a little while… until life got in the way.

Ava says Spencer doesn’t need to worry about his father. This divorce protects him too. As long as they’re apart, the stalker has no reason to pay attention to Nikolas at all. Spencer says he’s glad to hear her say that. Sometimes his father makes rash decisions, and doesn’t understand the consequences. She says she’s doing everything she can to protect her daughter and his father. He says he appreciates it, but the stalker is unpredictable. He heard Trina was doused in fake blood. What if the next time it’s real? She says he doesn’t have to keep reminding her. She knows what’s at stake. He says, then make him understand. Get her feelings out of it, and make his father stop fighting this divorce.  

Willow says, Carly isn’t telling her anything that she doesn’t know in her head already. She doesn’t want to hurt Chase. She truly cares about him, but her heart is with Michael. It’s getting harder and harder to hide those feelings. Carly takes Willow’s hand, and says Willow is in a tough situation. So is Michael. Willow is trying to be generous, and it seems kind and supportive, but the heart’s tricky. It can be selfish and strong-willed, and sometimes there’s no denying or reasoning with it. Hearts are stubborn that way. Willow says she’s never heard it put quite like that, and Carly say she speaks from experience. Willow is Wiley’s mom, and she’s family, and Carly is always there to talk. Willow thanks her, and says she supposes she should splash some water on her face, and Carly says she’ll get out of Willow’s hair. Willow says she’s really happy to be part of Carly’s family. Growing up, all she really wanted was to be accepted and loved for herself, even with her faults. She and her mom never had heart-to-heart talks like this. Carly asks if she means awkward and intrusive. Then she’s come to the right family, since it’s Carly’s specialty. They hug.

Valentin asks Austin how the lawsuit is going, and Austin says, great. He  asks if Austin thinks he’ll win, and Austin says, yeah. He wouldn’t be contesting Edward’s will if he didn’t think he had a legitimate cause. Valentin says they should have lunch. Discuss ELQ under his continued leadership. Austin says he does like lunch.   

Chase tells Brook that he thinks he’s going to lie down for a minute, and wheels himself out. Brook looks at Austin, and says, this is so not good. Monica brings in Michael and Jason, and says they have more guests, and more presents. Michael shakes Austin’s hand, and says he’s glad Austin could make it. Valentin says, right on time. He and Austin were just discussing ELQ and how it’s currently thriving. It’s gutsy to change CEOs; it could affect the bottom line. Michael says, it’s a strong company. One that was already thriving when Valentin took the helm. Monica says, they’re not going to discuss business today, and Michael tells her that he was just making his position clear, so Austin knows where he stands. ELQ is a Quartermaine business that should be run by Quartermaines. Ned is the CEO that ELQ needs, not Valentin.  

Chase wheels himself into another room and closes the door. He unlocks the chair, and says he can do this. He painstakingly lifts himself up.  

Shawn tells Sam, part of him wants to forget all this, and never look back. Then he sees TJ and Molly, full of hope and determination, striving so hard to make a difference in this world. They’re something else. He asks himself what he can do to make a difference. Maybe putting an attempted murderer behind bars instead of letting them get away with it. Sam says, what about him and his fresh start? He says he wants that. He wants to build a better life for himself. Of course (🍷) he wants to connect to his son, and be part of TJ’s life. But first he has to find the person who tried to kill Hayden; he has to. Who knows how many other people he’s hurt?

Elizabeth says, Nikolas is right; she has a lot on her plate right now. She’s glad to get this off of it. She hopes he’s not mad at her for grilling him. She had to know. He says he’s glad he could put her mind to rest where he’s concerned. He’s always there for her if she wants to talk about anything. She thanks him, and he says he thinks it’s best if she puts that painful time behind her. Life goes on, right? She says, right, and hugs him. He leaves, and I get the feeling she’s not buying his story.

Ava says, Spencer is right. She has been holding on to the slightest hope. Maybe even sending mixed signals, and maybe that’s why Nikolas refuses to believe this marriage is over. But that ends now. She and Nikolas don’t even need to speak. They can communicate through their lawyers. Spencer thinks that’s best, and he humbly appreciates it. He’s sorry it’s taken something this drastic for him to see her for who she truly is. She says she’s glad Spencer and his father are on better terms now. Nikolas missed him, and knows he’s glad Spencer is back. Spencer says he is too. He sees he got there just in time. Since I’m hating on Spencer right now, I wonder what such a handsome face is doing with a dad bod, especially at his age. There. I said it.

Monica says they’ve waited long enough for the guest of honor. They need to get the party started. Where is the birthday boy? Willow says, taking an epic nap. She’ll wake him. Carly asks if she can do it. She’ll take all the time she can with her grandson as possible. Willow says, enjoy, and asks where Chase is. Brook says, he decided to rest before the party, and Willow wonders if she should check on him, but Brook says, he’s fine. He’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t worry. He’s fine.

Chase struggles, and finally gets on his feet. He says, yes. How about a step? He takes a step forward. Austin watches.

Willow tells Michael that she’s going to get Chase. He’s resting before the party, but she knows he’ll want to be there when the birthday boy makes his big entrance. On her way to get Wiley, the doorbell rings, and she yells that she’s got it. She opens the door, and says, oh…

I’m guessing the woman at the cemetery? I don’t think it’s Harmony though. Maybe Shiloh’s mom?

On Monday, Jordan asks if Portia and Curtis are a couple now, Stella can’t help but worry it will end up that way, Chase says Willow honestly thought that was a good idea, Nina doesn’t know if it’s a blessing or curse

Million Dollar Listing New York

KJ brought her younger brother Alex to West 95^th Street, where there were two apartments she was listing. Built in 1971, the building had gone condo, and an investor had purchase the apartments still occupied by rent stabilized tenants. As they moved, the investor revamped the apartments for buyers. I totally get this, since I lived in an apartment that did the same thing, but went co-op. We eventually bought our apartment for cheap when the investor wanted out. Ha-ha, score one for the tenant. In KJ’s interview, she said they were smaller apartments at lower price points, and she wanted Alex to help her with his digital marketing skills as a millennial. He handled her website and social media accounts. Social media was king, since they weren’t having open houses. They met with the developer, who was also Alex. Despite covid, KJ had already sold an apartment for $770K, another for almost $1.5 million, and yet another for $1.8 million, but there were two 949 square foot, 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartments with river views, lingering. Alex2 showed her newly added closet space to one of the apartments, but even so, KJ thought they should lower the price of $1.595 million to a post quarantine price point. She thought $1.495 million would get them some bites, as well as new imagery to freshen the listing. Alex2 was amenable, but needed to check with his dad, who was head of the company. In the meantime, KJ was having Alex1 help her develop a TikTok account. In her interview, she said it was like he was speaking another language. She had no idea what young people were talking about. This seemed pretty weird, since it’s not like she’s ancient, but I guess her job and kids keep her pretty busy.

Fredrik and team member Charlé went to Harlem to visit the Ali Forney Center, where they met yet another Alex. Seriously, WTF? A drop-in center for LGBTQ+ youth, complete with a disco ball, it had been named after queer youth activist Ali Forney who’d been murdered.  Alex said they did their best to create a fun environment. They also provided homes for LGBTQ+ young people, kicked out because of transphobia and homophobia. Alex3 said LGBTQ+ youth were eight times more likely to be homeless. They were converting the Bea Arthur Residence, left to them in her will, from a rental model to an ownership model, but needed even more space. A private anonymous donor had given them a $4-8 million budget, and they were looking to house 8-20 people in a 4-9 bedroom house with community space and a yard. Fredrik said they’d donate any commission back to the center.

Fredrick and Charlé met Alex3 at Hamilton House in West Harlem, where they were joined by art director Marcia and community developer Jase. This was one fabulous house, with amazing original detailing. Built in 1910, the house was 4796 square feet, and 20 feet wide, which is a thing when you’re in the city. The asking price was $4.5 million, but Fredrik thought he could get it down to $4 million. Marcia said it had a family feel, and Jase said it was truly a home. Everyone thought it was perfect, and Fredrik said it wasn’t about the commission, but helping the kids.

Tyler’s assistant Kemba had quarantined with her bae Evan (thank God his name wasn’t Alex) when they’d only been dating a couple of weeks. His parents were relocating to Florida, and selling a family home on West 87^th Street. This was another gorgeous piece of real estate. Built in 1890, it was 5231 square feet, and 18 feet wide. It had 4 floors, 5 bedrooms and 5 baths, 8 gas converted fireplaces, and 2 garden terraces. Among the other fabulous details were hand printed wallpaper, a summer kitchen with high-end appliances, a garden level living room, and a wine cellar literally in the cellar. There was even an original faucet shaped like a dolphin, eventually reproduced for Sherle Wagner, a company founded by Evan’s grandmother. Tyler said Evan knew the history of the house, and that’s what got people excited. Sometimes he made up stories for buyers, but he had the real deal this time. Tyler said one advantage he had was a good relationship with stagers who could help Evan’s parents pack and move what was still in the house. He explained the other houses on the block were either in need of renovation or, if already renovated, in the $10 million range. They needed to find the sweet spot in between, and Tyler suggested $6.995 million, which made his potential commission $209K and change.   

Fredrik and the group from the Forney Center checked out the West 87^th Street house, but didn’t feel it had enough space. Fredrik also showed them another house down the block with the asking price of $3.750 million. They met with broker Ronita, who told them the house had been used for an art exhibit, so be prepared for a lot of pieces that had been left behind. Most of it seemed to be sculptures of the bottom half of a female body, or as Fredrik said in his interview, the house had a lot of ass-ets. It was 4500 square feet, and 20 feet wide, 5 bedrooms and 5 baths, but the group thought too much work would have to be put into it. They were still sold on Hamilton House, and in Fredrik’s interview, he said when someone found the perfect house, seeing anything after that just made them love it even more.  

KJ’s plan to increase traffic and get bites for the West 95^th Street house was a success using the new pricing and social media push. Buyers were looking for a turnkey property with outdoor space, but as it was a buyer’s market, it was hard to make it stand out when there were a lot of listings in the same price point.

Fredrik was meeting with Alex3 and company at the Hamilton House, and when Alex3 said the donor had pulled out, my mouth literally dropped open. I wondered how anybody could pull the rug out from under a bunch of kids like that. Fredrik had the scathingly brilliant idea to try and negotiate a lease with an option to buy. Alex said the rent had to be equal to what they were paying, which was $12K a month. Outside, Fredrik called broker Ian, explaining the situation, and telling him the seller would get full asking price in 6 months. By the time Fredrik went back inside, Ian was calling back to tell him that the owner loved the center’s work, and gave them the deal. Even I had tears in my eyes.  

Next time, KJ revisits her first big sale, and Ryan and Steve work together. Maybe.

💘 Happy Anniversary…

While GH has its moments, OLTL was always my favorite soap.

🐭 Terry Mouse…

She wears the ears well.

💫 He Gets It…

Being a champion of mental health is one of the things I love about Maurice Benard.

🗽 Countess In the City…

Um… no. Just no.  

https://okmagazine.com/p/luann-de-lesseps-pushing-for-kim-cattrall-sex-and-the-city-role/

🏛 A Pandemic State Of Mind…

The best piece of advice he could give is, be better? That’s right up there with just say no.

https://pagesix.com/2021/07/25/rhop-star-robyns-husband-juan-says-be-better/

🐐 Singer Scapegoat…

I doubt it’s all Ramona’s fault if the ratings have dropped.

REPORT: Ramona Singer To Be Fired From RHONY Amid Ratings Drop and Racial Tensions, Plus How Ramona Feels About Alleged Axing

⚖️ And the Award For Most Ridiculous Lawsuit Goes To…

Although I could understand them slapping her with a fine for bad taste in partners.

https://pagesix.com/2021/07/29/braunwyn-windham-burke-claims-she-was-sued-for-kissing-tamra-judge/

🗳 It’s Official…

Now if we can just free Britney.

https://people.com/tv/tom-girardi-conservatorship-made-official-court-major-neurocognitive-disorder/

👶🏼 And the Test Says…

Wow. People sure read a lot into meaningless things.

PHOTO: Is Stassi Schroeder Pregnant Again With 2nd Child? Vanderpump Rules Alum Addresses Rumors After Sharing Pic With Husband Beau Clark

⚰️ Walking Closer…

The beginning of the end starts on August 22.

The last villain.

https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a37176236/the-walking-dead-first-look-pamela-milton/

Spinning off.

https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a37154860/the-walking-dead-spin-off-daryl-carol-hint/

🧧 Quotes of the Week

I’m a werewolf, okay? Let’s not make a big deal of it. Woof. – Carolyn Collins (Chloe Mortiz) Dark Shadows

Trust is like a mirror. You can fix it if it’s broken, but you can still see the crack in that motherf***ing reflection. – Lady Gaga, Telephone video

Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead. – Charles Bukowski

Quitting can be a hard choice to make, but often it’s a brave one, as well. – Susan David

Fried chicken just tends to make you feel better about life. – Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer), The Help (Agreed.)

The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones. – Confucius

I am big. It’s the pictures that got small. – Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), Sunset Boulevard

Threats are the resort of the uninspired and impatient. I like to think of myself as persevering and imaginative. – Cyrus Renault (Jeff Kober), General Hospital

You cannot change anyone, but you can be the reason someone changes. – Roy T. Bennett

By hero, we tend to mean a heightened man who, more than other men, possesses qualities of courage, loyalty, resourcefulness, charisma, above all, selflessness. He is an example of right behavior; the sort of man who risks his life to protect his society’s values, sacrificing his personal needs for those of the community. – Paul Zweig

🐝 Buzzing Off…

Well, the weekend is here… I think. Are we pandemicking again? Luckily, reality TV and GH march on, so see you in three days. Whatever your pandemical status, stay safe, stay knowing all situations are temporary, and stay enjoying the box as much as what’s inside.