(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Click, click, click… and the Wheel of GH Flashbacks lands on October 12th, 2005. Or as I’ve come to call it, unknown territory.
Maxie thought that Jesse (who?) was over-invested in a case. Old Brook asked Diego (who?) why he had a roofie in his pocket, and accused him of being the stalker lurking in Port Charles. He said there was a guy on campus who was a walking pharmacy, and if the dealer wasn’t the stalker, he’d been supplying the stalker. If the police could nail the dealer, he might give up who the stalker is. Diego claimed he was going to give the roofie to the police, to see if they could tie it to the stalker. Brook wondered how he’d known about the dealer in the first place, but he assured her that he just wanted to get to the bottom of things because she’d been the victim of a crime. He invited her back to his dorm to check out his cameras. When old-Mike-not-Max–Gail brought them some sodas, Diego slipped the roofie into Brook’s drink. Emily told Nikolas that she wanted to throw Lucky and Elizabeth a fairytale wedding; they deserved more than a tiny ceremony in Audrey’s living room. Nikolas said Lucky had asked him to be best man, and Emily thought Elizabeth would probably ask her to be maid of honor. Which is not too awkward since Nikolas and Emily are the middle of getting divorced. Nikolas was concerned that Lucky and Elizabeth might try to use the wedding to get him and Emily back together, since Lucky had told him not to bring Courtney.
Sam and Jason were relaxing on an island somewhere. Sam found a super soaker, and Jason threw her in the ocean when she went after him with it. Manny Ruiz (not to be confused with Father Ruiz, his non-evil twin) said trouble in paradise was a go, as he burned a photo of Jason and Sam. Sam said she was happy, and it was the most relaxed she’d ever seen Jason, so we knew trouble was right around the corner. At the hospital, Jax and Courtney talked about a program they wanted to develop for unwed mothers in the name of the baby they’d lost. Emily told Nikolas that she didn’t think it was fair to leave Courtney out, and Nikolas asked if she’d be okay with Courtney showing up, adding he didn’t think Courtney would do anything to upset the wedding. While Sam went out to do who-knows-what, Manny showed up with some thugs. He wanted to kill Jason, but since Jason had saved the padre’s life, family honor dictated he couldn’t – unless Jason tried to kill him. Jason wasn’t about to do that, and ended up being tied to a chair.
Maxie asked Jesse if his over-investment had to do with his brother, but he said, no; his sister. A pregnant Alexis assured Jax that although she’d misplaced his divorce papers temporarily, they’d been mailed out. Nikolas showed up, saying he received Jax’s divorce papers instead of his own, and wondered if Alexis had done it on purpose, so he’d reconsider. Alex said she didn’t care what went on, as long as it was mutually agreed upon, and she was an overworked attorney with a pain in the ass husband. She told both Jax and Nikolas to take the opportunity to appreciate the ones they loved. She said she was busy, tired, and hormonal, and told them to get out. Emily told Courtney that she’d heard Courtney tell Sonny that she was pregnant. Even though Emily and Nikolas were getting a divorce, she was still in shock. Courtney said Jax might be the father, and she wasn’t saying anything until she knew for sure, adding that it was none of Emily’s business anyway. Emily threatened to tell Nikolas, and Courtney said Emily had eavesdropped on a private conversation, and now Emily was blackmailing her. Emily said Nikolas deserved to know the truth, and Courtney told her that she had no idea what it was like to lose a baby. The new baby was a miracle, she’d decide what was best, and tell the father when she was ready. Emily said Nikolas was still her husband on paper, and she’d tell him whatever she wanted. She’d lost him by keeping secrets, and she wasn’t keeping anything from him again. Although why that mattered if she’d lost him already, I don’t know. She said if Courtney had half a brain, she wouldn’t keep anything from him either. Courtney said she was getting a paternity test in a few weeks, and Emily said maybe she’d give Courtney that long. I don’t really know Emily’s character very well, but everyone always acts like she was a saint. I’m not getting that from this episode.
Manny had his thugs beat up Jason, and suggested Jason not dishonor Sonny again, and shoot him. Jason refused, and got beat up some more, Manny saying, no wasn’t a word he settled for. Mac told Jesse that he blew the case, and the last thing he needed was a loose cannon on the force. Jesse asked if Alcazar owned the PCPD, and Mac said Jesse was off the case. The next time, he’d be out of a job. Diego took a woozy Brook to a walk-in freezer in the Quartermaine’s basement. He pulled out a diary that had belonged to his cousin Sage (dim memory of that one), and told Brook how much pain she’d caused Sage, saying he’d brought her back to the scene of the crime.
Jesse told Maxie about how his sister had gotten involved with a gang member who beat her. She’d make excuses about her trips to the ER, and laugh it off. She begged Jesse to stay out of it, but he didn’t listen, joined a rival gang, and started a war. He’d planned to take the gang member out, and set his sister free, but instead their brother ended up dead. Jesse then became a cop to set things right, but told Maxie, sometimes bad guys still get away with murder. Brook realized Diego was the stalker, and he’d taken pictures of her and harassed her with menacing calls. He said it was nothing compared to what she did to his cousin. All Sage wanted was to be part of the crowd, and even her boyfriend Dillon had used her before dumping her. Brook stood by while Maxie stuck Sage in the freezer, and Sage had been murdered, so he brought her there, where she’d left his cousin to die.
Jax brought the papers back to Alexis, who noticed they weren’t notarized, and Jax asked if she could misplace them for a while longer. Courtney saw Emily with Nikolas in Kelly’s, and he told her it might not be a good time. In France, a woman showed up at a hospital who had an R on her bracelet, but we didn’t see her face. One of the doctors asked if she wanted to join him for lunch, but she said she was waiting for a call. When she was in her room, she put a candle in a cupcake, and lit it. A call came in, and she thanked her Uncle Ric for sending the cupcake, promising she’d make a wish. When she blew out the candle, we saw that it was Robin. Sam came back, and saw Manny and his thugs surrounding Jason, but they didn’t know she was there.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills?
LuAnn and Sonja (The Real Housewives of New York City) watched a throwback episode of RHOBH, where the women went to NYC to celebrate Dorit being on the cover of Bella magazine for Fashion Week. Giggy! This was somewhat better than Garcelle and Dorit watching for a couple of reasons. A friend and I had just been discussing how the commentary shows were falling flat, and agreed that besides the commentary being sparse and not very engaging, the POV wasn’t balanced. Both Pillow Talk and the defunct People’s Couch are huge favorites of mine, but both are focused more on the people talking about the show than the show itself. We’ve already seen the show, and don’t need to see so much of it again. We’re there to hear what these viewers have to say. From our mouths to Bravo’s ear, tonight was a definite improvement. Either the New Yorkers had more to say, or more was edited in. One stumbling block is that the observers can’t be together because of pandemic restrictions still being in place, but regardless, IMO there was still a little too much focus on the episode.
Sonja babbled incessantly, realizing halfway through that she was being extra loud because she was wearing an earpiece, and consistently checked herself out. We also got the scoop that she and Teddi sat next to each other at Josh Flagg’s (Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles) wedding. On RHOBH, Dorit had alluded to Kyle that LVP was jealous of their friendship, so she spilled the beans to LVP herself in Union Square Park, which LuAnn mistook for Central Park, and tried to make about herself. I wondered why LVP and Dorit had such cheap umbrellas, which I hadn’t noticed the first time around. Sonja thought Dorit should be put with Ramona, so they could dig a hole together. If that ever happened, I have no doubt they’d make it all the way to China. LuAnn and Sonja both praised Erika for the way she took a meeting with Simon & Schuster, and when LisaR talked about how the delivery guy was robbed before daughter Delilah got a delivery for her new place, LuAnn made a point of saying that didn’t always happen in NYC. As Sonja watched the women get their hair and makeup done, she started messing with her own hair. She wondered who hadn’t been on the cover of Bella, and said they’d asked her. She mentioned this twice; once saying she didn’t have time, and then saying she thought it was overrated and declined. When the BH women greeted designer Marc Bouwer, Sonja let us know he was one of her best friends. They went back a long way; they were the old bitches.
Both Sonja and LuAnn seemed a little lost, not knowing the background of any ongoing issues, and since I didn’t remember some of it, I was lost too. Kyle had been upset about Erika slipping away from Teddi’s beach house for the night, and LuAnn said at least she didn’t have to sleep in the basement. She also interjected that Teddi had a voice like a cabaret singer, just to get the word cabaret in there somewhere. There were probably another twenty-three references that were edited out. What was most amusing was how LuAnn and Sonja were acting like this nonsensical arguing was foreign territory to them. A lot of the episode revolved around Kyle having heard Dorit say that LVP was needy, and perhaps jealous of Kyle’s other relationships. Since Dorit knew someone else would end up telling LVP, she told LVP herself. LuAnn wondered why Kyle was more upset about the whole thing than LVP, and proclaimed that people had said worse about her. She figured there were only two options of how the night would end; getting sick or crying. Crying it was. Sonya said she’d been happy to share the limelight with Beverly Hills, but the women were emotional vampires, and she was going to have to light a candle and do some yoga to recover. LuAnn thought Kyle was more of a pot stirrer than Dorit, and when Sonja had to get up, she said she was walking like Ramona after a night in Palm Beach. I’m not sure what that meant, and don’t think I want to know.
📺 Perfect For a Pandemic…
There are a lot of good shows on the list, ideal for binge watching.
Here we are again, in the middle of a work week, if you’re working. If you’re not, just look at where the X’s on your calendar are. Except for Sunday night TV – which, between 90 Day Fiancé and sMothered, is like a John Waters movie – things are slowing down a bit, but there’s always something to fill in the gap until the party starts again. So for now, stay safe (Billy Eilish agrees!), stay enthusiastic, and stay using whatever privilege you have for the greater good.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
🩺 Just for the record, today’s General Hospital was the episode where Nelle left Michael to die in a burning car, and gave birth in the woods. All alone. Except for Obrecht.
Shahs of Sunset
Would they please change the opening song? Or at least move on to a different verse. It’s been eight seasons now of the same six lines.
GG and Destiney want to exude good fortune, so they go to a clinic to get fillers. Destiney doesn’t like needles, and in her interview, GG says she wants to get back in the swing of things, and forget she lost the pregnancy. With the physical pain of a needle, you feel the pain, and afterwards, it’s like a release. She realizes she sounds crazy. She tells Destiney that she wants to back to her life, and Destiney wants everyone to be on good terms with positive vibes. GG says, it’s wishful thinking. A couple of people are getting along with MJ, but personally, GG doesn’t want to be around her. In GG’s interview, she says MJ used to be there for her. We flash back to them being friends, and GG says MJ was a person who she felt secure to be around, but she doesn’t feel that way anymore. Owner Nayera says Destiney looks nervous, and tells her, don’t get scared. GG tells Nayera, she wants Botox, but not a whole lot. Nayera puts numbing cream on GG’s face. In her interview, GG says she’s been doing fillers since she was twenty-seven. It makes her feel amazing and fresh. Destiney can’t watch. GG tells Nayera that she wants a little everywhere, and Destiney compares it to basting a turkey. She tells GG that she’s crazy. Nayera puts numbing cream on Destiney’s lips, and GG holds Destiney’s hand while taking pictures with her other hand. GG says she hasn’t laughed this hard in so long. She’s going to have to wear diapers next time. After what she’s been through, it’s exactly what she needed.
Reza and Mike go to an arcade, and it looks like a blast. They play games for a while, then get drinks and something to eat. Reza tells the girl at the counter that he’s going to order an obscene amount of food. She introduces him to Guillermo del Pouro, their robotic bartender. The food comes, and it is an obscene amount, but it’s all fair food, like corn dogs and curly fries, and I wish I was there. Mike says he doesn’t like corn dogs, and Reza and I say, what? Mike asks when Reza became a white guy, and Reza says, when he married Adam. Their marriage is hanging on by a shred. Mike says, it all happened after the stupid accusations, and Reza says, that’s not lost on him. In Mike’s interview, he says he’s trying to get them to admit what they’ve done wrong. They both effed up. If MJ will take responsibility, maybe they can meet in the middle, and get it done. Mike tells Reza, if he’d taken the moral high ground, everyone would have been on his side. Reza says, sometimes bitches get caught up in their feelings. Mike says, Reza was upset and hurt, and retaliated. He had misdirected anger against Ali. In Reza’s interview, he says he needs to apologize. A real Persian man stands up in his truth, apologizes, moves forward, and doesn’t make the same mistake over again. Mike tells him, fix this, please.
In the car, MJ tells assistant Sienna that Tommy wants Baby Shams to learn Spanish rather than Farsi, but anyone can learn Spanish. Farsi is hard. Tommy says, no one cares about Farsi, and MJ says, gracias. MJ tells them, Reza texted that he hasn’t been in a good place since the rumors about Adam being unfaithful. He wasn’t ready to meet up when she texted, but he is now, if she’s willing. In MJ’s interview, she says, Reza has proven he’s despicable as a friend. He verbally assaulted her, assaulted and slandered her and her husband online, called the cops on her husband, and lawyered up. He’s on a tear. Who takes a friend to court over a broken bowl? She slept on it, and decided in order for them to heal as a group, she’s going to meet him. Tommy says Reza knew she almost died. He made it seem like she was sitting around like a puppet master. If he thinks she’s capable of that, he’s not her friend. That’s the reason people stopped hanging out with OJ. They couldn’t believe he was capable of murder. In her interview, MJ says she’s going to meet with Reza because she wants to see if he has a decent bone in his body. Tommy tells her, Reza needs to grovel.
Nema meets with Annette and Vincenza, organizers of the Boots & Brew Country Music Festival. In his interview, Nema explains that they’re a multi-million dollar client, and his company creates branded content. We flash back to him helping GG with her cannabis business. He says they’re going to take an already cool thing, and make it ten times cooler on social media. Annette and Vincenza show him around the grounds. In Nema’s interview, he says he invited everyone. His invitations to Reza and MJ are personally selfish. He had to invite both of them, or the one who wasn’t invited would be mad, and he learned his lesson at Sara’s party that the element of surprise can go the wrong way. He’s hoping the collective beef will outweigh their individual beef.
In Destiney’s interview, she says she’s been seeing Sam for two months, It’s his birthday, and he’s coming to L.A. She likes nothing better than putting a smile on the face of someone she cares about. Their relationship is super casual, but that doesn’t mean she can’t be bougie and make him feel good. She goes to a swank hotel, where she’s gotten a suite. Sam arrives bearing roses. In her interview, Destiney says Sam’s sister definitely doesn’t want her talking to her brother. If Sara knew about it, she’d be flipping out. Clearly, she doesn’t give a sh*t.
Tommy calls MJ as she drives, and she tells him that she’s on her way to meet Reza. He asks, what’s the plan? and she says, to bring some sense into this sh*t. He says, she’s known Reza for thirty years, and she should handle it however she thinks she should. Reza is waiting when she gets to the restaurant. He gives her a shopping bag, and says, it’s a gift for the baby. He starts to cry, and says he originally got a baby bracelet, but flushed it down the toilet. He puts on his sunglasses to hide his tears. In MJ’s interview, she says the reason she’s skeptical is, she’s been down this road before. We flash back to Reza telling her that nothing can get between their bond, then fighting with her at the reunion, and then them hugging it out. He tells her he wanted to get a bottle of whiskey, but got something light to drink. MJ laughs, and says she didn’t know he was going to make her laugh right away. He says, it’s better than being angry, and asks how she is. She says she’s looking at her best friend of thirty years. He says he couldn’t respond after her text message. When he had to meet Ali, he thought they’d just be talking naked Jenga, but Ali brought a stack of papers. He was devastated, and asked Ali why he was doing this. He told Reza that MJ told him to do it. MJ says, that’s completely bullsh*t. She had Destiney telling her that Ali claimed she had set it up. Reza says, from that day, his life at home was a living hell. You can’t talk about things in someone’s marriage, and not think it won’t have a ripple effect. It made him a miserable human being. He didn’t have his best friend, and his husband was cheating. He was in the darkest place in his life without her. He can’t compare it with her being in the hospital, but he didn’t set out to hurt her on purpose. He was told his husband cheated, then Ali said Adam was sexually harassing other people, and that MJ had told him to bring Reza the information. He was going crazy. She asks why he didn’t call her, and he says, why didn’t she call him? She says she wishes she had. Reza blows his nose in a napkin, and MJ says he never gave her respect and love when it counted. He could have picked up the phone. It’s very effed up. Destiney lied, Ali lied, and she’s the person who fell on the sword giving birth, and lost her friend of thirty years. He popped off on her at the party, and put her personal information on Instagram. Tommy vandalized his landscaping, and here they are. He says Tommy called and said he’d kill Reza when he was on his way to Reza’s house. He and Adam were petrified in their own house. He freaked TF out. Then MJ was saying she wished everyone has a husband like Tommy, and she was glad he did that. MJ says, if she’s honest, she was holding onto things that happened at the pool party. Reza says he did the most vile thing, and he’ll try to make it up to her for the rest of his life. He wishes he could turn the clock back. He’s forgiven Tommy, and he’s not going to pursue any charges or do anything to hurt him. MJ appreciates it, and apologizes for anything and everything Reza has been through. She’s sorry they’re not closer, and could be there for each other. Reza suggests taking it one step at a time. He wants to go slow, and see where it goes. He doesn’t expect anything; just a little crack so they can text occasionally, and see what happens. MJ says she looks forward to Reza meeting Shams, but Shams needs her right now. Reza says he understands, and asks if he can have a hug. Please. They hug, and she says he kind of smells weird, which is unusual. I’m guessing it’s nervous sweat, which can really stink. She tells him, if he wants to text, don’t hesitate. In Reza’s interview, he says he misses her, and it’s very sad.
Destiney and Sam go to a private room in the hotel restaurant, and order drinks. In Destiney’s interview, she says she’s trying to make his day special. They’re enjoying their time together, and not thinking about the future, but of course she is. They kiss, and Destiney orders steak for both of them. Sam suddenly starts acting really weird, and talking gibberish. In her interview, Destiney says, something is not right. This is not the Sam she’s been talking to. She doesn’t know if he’s on something. Sam adds burping to his craziness. In Destiney’s interview, she says, this isn’t good. She’s all about manners, and she’s over this sh*t. Frankly, I don’t know what to make of it either.
Nema arrives at the festival. In his interview, he says, it’s a Rolex-free day. He gives his drone operator Cody instructions. In Nema’s interview, he says he’s a pretty amazing producer. Part of his job is to work with the talent, and sometimes the talent is eccentric. He might be the best one to produce the group’s reconciliation. Methinks Nema is a tad narcissistic, although not necessarily in a bad way.
Shervin and Reza meet at Mike’s place. Mike says Shervin looks like a gay cowboy.
Sara goes to GG’s condo, and GG says her stomach is bloated. She’s going to need to stay in a wheelchair 80% of the time. In her interview, she says it’s been less than a week since her surgery. She tells Sara, she’s dying to get dressed like a cowgirl and yeehaw.
Destiney joins the others at Mike’s, and Mike wonders why she didn’t bring Sam. In Destiney’s interview, she says, Sam was like an abstract painting. She was super intrigued, and wanted to keep looking at it. She wanted to understand it, but then things changed. We see a clip of later in the evening of Sam’s birthday. He keeps burping, and being weird, and she quietly walks out with her suitcase. She says, they’re no longer talking. GG arrives, carrying a stick pony. Everyone gets into the limo.
Nema meets MJ at the festival, riding a scooter. She tells him that he looks stupid. He supposes there will be no panty dropping.
In the limo, Reza asks when GG saw MJ last, but she doesn’t remember. She says she’s not looking forward to it. She doesn’t think MJ is a good person. Frankly, I think MJ is a confused person, who had Vida for a mother, and misses her dad terribly.
Nema tells MJ the scooter is for GG. She had some medical sh*t go down, and needed emergency surgery. He didn’t think she was going to be able to come. In MJ’s interview, she says, once Shalom came into the picture, she and GG drifted apart. We flash back to MJ and Reza setting GG up by inviting Shalom’s ex to an event. MJ says, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t care when something serious happens. She asks Nema when GG had surgery, and he says a week and a half ago. She says she saw Reza, and he was crying the whole time. She just tried to appear calm, and listened to what he had to say.
Reza says he still forgives MJ, even though he knows she was involved. The limo parks, and they all get out. Nema scooters over to them, and MJ says, hey. Nema says he’ll show them the VIP area. GG complains that there’s no cup holder, and wants to roll up like gangsters. They do the slo-mo crew walk, and go to a tent that has tables and booze. They take a group photo, and Nema says he wouldn’t have thought this would happen two weeks ago. And I’m sure he’s mentally patting himself on the back. He says, Persian has gone country, and they wander around. They stop to eat, and GG says it’s the best mac and cheese she’s ever had. Nema admits to loving country music, and Reza asks if they can turn the volume down.
Suddenly, Mike gets up, and says he wants to ask a question. He asks if MJ knew about naked Jenga. We should have had a drinking game with that phrase. We’d have stayed drunk for weeks. In Mike’s interview, he says, in the past, his honesty has been questioned, and they need to come together and get the story straight. Someone needs to tell the truth. MJ says she wanted to tell Reza about the situation as soon as sh*t went down. Mike asks if she knew about the texts, or are the other two liars? She says she knew Ali wanted to bring up an issue with Reza, but he wasn’t clear on what the issue was. Mike says, the problem is, she’s lying. Ali has diarrhea of the mouth; there’s no way he didn’t give the details. He says he loves MJ, and wants her to speak the truth.
In Mike’s interview, he says, it can all be fixed if the truth is told. Reza says, when he sat with MJ, she wanted him to believe her hands were squeaky clean. He just wants to get to a better place. MJ thanks him, and says she appreciates everything about yesterday, but her hands aren’t clean. She knew about the Jenga texts, and knew Ali had an issue about it, but she doesn’t know what happened. Ali made it bigger than it was. She apologizes that they had to go through any of it. She’s sorry that when she found out, she didn’t think it was important enough tell them that she knew. Reza thanks her for taking accountability. In MJ’s interview, she says her intentions were to fix it. She has no problem apologizing, and wants to get to a better place. She thanks Reza, and asks if they can be friends again. He says, absolutely. He’d like to get to a place where they can move forward. They have a lot of chapters, and MJ says they’ll have a lot more. In GG’s interview, she says MJ has been Reza’s BFF for thirty years, and she feels for him. She wants to open his eyes, but he needs to go through it to understand it for himself; there’s no making up with MJ. Mike says he’s proud of MJ for mending the disconnect in the friendship.
They do some line dancing, and GG says she needs to lie down flat somewhere. She goes to the limo, and the others get ice cream. Shervin follows GG, and she tells him to get an ambulance; she’s having a piercing pain. A producer asks if she wants a medic. In her interview, GG says she has a high threshold for pain, so it must be a lot. She tells the medic that she had surgery recently, and he says she has three incisions that could be open. The others run back to the limo, and Shervin tells them what’s going on. Reza thinks GG should go to the hospital, and not risk it. GG says she’d rather go closer to where she lives. She thinks it’s because she hadn’t eaten, and then ate to much mac and cheese. She’s lactose intolerant. MJ tells her to stay lying in the same position. In GG’s interview, she says she guesses MJ woke up on the right side of the bed. She’s being compassionate and caring, and wants to be the big sister. But GG knows tomorrow, MJ might not wake up on that same side. The group heads back.
Mike shakes his head, saying, too much mac and cheese? What? MJ calls to see how GG is doing, and Mike says, she’s sitting up and blowing kisses toward the phone. GG gives him the finger, and he says, now she’s making a heart sign. She tells him it’s for him, not MJ. MJ says they sound like drunken clowns, and Mike says, they are drunken clowns. GG says, it hurts to laugh.
Next time, MJ surprises Destiney by inviting Ali to their meeting; Reza says Adam doesn’t have respect for their marriage; Nema tells his mother, because his childhood was traumatic, it’s strengthened his resolve not to have children.
💰 Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles will begin their new season on May 5th.
💋 The new season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills begins April 15th.
Instead of watching the GH rerun, Bravo had a marathon of an old favorite, NYC Prep. I loved this series, and was very disappointed when they didn’t have a second season. For the most part, it was awful rich kids, who I figured would turn into equally awful adults. For whatever reason, this article also plopped a Ramona (Real Housewives of New York) video interview in the middle of it, so it’s double the fun.
The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you. – B. B. King
My morning fiber cookie has better taste than Sophie. – Han (Matthew Moy), 2 Broke Girls
To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now. – Fred Rogers
She’s at track number none. – Robert Springs, Pillow Talk: 90 Day Fiancé, referring to a cast member meeting a probable catfish
Do what is right, not what is easy nor what is popular. – Roy T. Bennett
Just because things hadn’t gone the way I had planned didn’t necessarily mean they had gone wrong. – Ann Patchett
For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. – Oscar Wilde
Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be. – Abraham Lincoln
Do one thing every day that scares you. – Eleanor Roosevelt
If I ever hear it again after quarantine, I’ll just burst in tears and curl up on the floor. – Daisy Tainton of Queens, whose neighbor keeps playing the same Ed Sheeran song, over and over, from The City
Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself. – George Bernard Shaw
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
I’ve consistently missed the beginning of the show every day this week, so why end the week any differently? <sigh> Sonny is taking Mike for a walk in the hallway, Molly has shown up to confront Jordan about TJ, and Doc pays Cyrus a visit.
On the phone Robert says, there’s nothing to be happy about, but the law doesn’t give them many choices. Laura says, that didn’t sound good, and he says, the information is going to be sent to Cyrus’s lawyers, who will ask for a writ of habeas corpus. Then a judge will look at it, and Cyrus walks. Laura says, that’s completely unacceptable. She won’t have that monster roaming free on the streets of Port Charles. He asks how she plans to stop him, and she says, watch her.
Sonny tells Mike, he’s got him, and Carly says they can come back. Brando says he just wanted to thank Mike for the summer at the track. He was ten years old, and obsessed with horses. Mike told him it ran in the family. Carly says, that sounds like Mike, and Mike says, Brando. Glady’s son. He remembers. Is Brando passing through? Carly says, Sonny is helping Brando open a garage in Port Charles. Mike says, good, and Sonny says, Brando is a nice guy. Brando says it was nice of Mike, and Mike says he appreciates him stopping by. He’s a little tired, so can Brando come by again some other time? Brando says he’d like that, and Carly tells Mike to get some rest. They’ll be there. Sonny walks Mike back to his room, and says it was a nice surprise visit. Mike says he doesn’t know Brando.
Curtis gets that Molly is upset, but it’s out of their hands. It’s time to accept it’s out of hers. TJ is a grown man, and taking time for himself. If the situations were reversed, TJ would respect her privacy. Molly says she’d make sure someone got a message to TJ, and not completely shut him out. Curtis says they don’t like how TJ is handling it, but it’s time they were all patient. She says she’s done being patient. TJ completely ghosted her, and is ignoring her texts and calls. She knows he’s disappointed, but this is vindictive and mean. Jordan says they don’t know where he is, and Molly says TJ is responding to Jordan, and asks if she’ll give him a message. She’s tired of the cold shoulder. They’re better than this, and they need to talk. Jordan says she’ll give TJ a message, but can’t guarantee when he’ll get back to Molly. Molly says Jordan knows how much she loves TJ, and Jordan says, she does, but right now, love isn’t enough. Molly says she’ll give TJ 24 hours, and then she’ll start a search herself. She’ll get Sam and Spinelli to help, and she’ll take out an ad in The Invader; have you seen this man? Jordan tells her to stop acting like a child.
On the phone, Laura tells someone she wants it as soon as possible. Robert asks if she’s going to keep him in suspense, or tell him. She says she’ll tell him when the time is right, and he says he hates being blindsided. She says Mac is out following leads on the warehouse and waterfront shootings, hoping they find something that ties it into Cyrus. Robert says, it’s more likely they won’t be able to, and Laura saysm the goal is to keep Cyrus locked up long enough to find evidence to make the charges stick. He says, suppose she succeeds? They know Cyrus can run his operation from behind bars. Laura says she told him that she wants to keep Cyrus locked up, but not in Pentenville.
Cyrus says, they brought in a shrink to get inside his head? Let him help Doc. No, he didn’t like to pull the wings off of flies. Doc says, but he did it anyway? Cyrus says they both know that’s not what he means, and Doc asks, what does he mean? Cyrus asks if this is how it’s going to go, and Doc says Cyrus’s first impulse was to insist he didn’t do something he thought Doc might ask about. Why that specific question? Cyrus says it’s what people like him ask, and Doc says, people like him; psychiatrists? Cyrus says, no, Methodists. I see we have another comedian behind bars. Doc says he’s interviewed many criminals like Cyrus, and Cyrus says, everyone wants to see what makes him tick. Why is that? Doc says he read Cyrus’s file. Cyrus says, and Doc has a fascination with him. Doc says, not necessarily fascination, and Cyrus says, but at least a healthy interest. He’s sure Doc has somewhere else he could be, but here he is. Doc says Cyrus’s second assessment was correct; an interest, not a fascination. Doc says he’s interviewed a lot like of men like Cyrus, and Cyrus says, but Doc has never met anyone like him.
Sam tells Jason that Spinelli followed Delores to her rendezvous. She’s having an affair with a councilmen, but they caught Spinelli taking pictures. Jason asks if it was in a hotel or motel, and Sam says, in the back of her car. Not the most discreet, but Delores threatened to arrest and charge Spinelli if he didn’t keep her secret. This also made it worse for Sam. Now Delores is determined to find something that will get her ass thrown back Pentenville. Jason says it’s time to stop looking for a way out; she was lucky she wasn’t thrown back in. She says her mom said the same thing, and he says she’s got to listen. If she thinks waiting is bad, it will be worse if she has to finish the rest of her sentence back in prison. Sam says they won’t see each other for a year and half. Is that what he wants? He says, no, but that’s what has to happen to keep her out of prison.
Mike tells Sonny, they’re trying to get one over on him, pretending they’re family. He needs Sonny to do something. Tell his boss that he needs to have security keep an eye on those two. Whoever they are, they’re up to no good.
Brando asks Carly if Mike is always like that, and she says, pretty much. She’s glad Mike recognized him, and he says, him too. That summer at the track is a good memory. She says, as Mike slips away, it’s important to remember the man he was. He says, Sonny is patient with him, and seems devoted. She says, when Mike was first diagnosed, Sonny worried that he couldn’t handle it, and couldn’t do what Mike needed. She never had any doubt. Family is everything to Sonny.
Molly says, it’s not being childish to want answers, but Jordan say she’s behaving like brat. Because TJ isn’t talking to her, she wants to call TV stations. She needs to get over it. She doesn’t want to see that her actions have consequences. She broke TJ’s heart, and he doesn’t want to be with her.
Doc tells Cyrus, that’s an intriguing statement. Does Cyrus think he’s more dangerous than other prisoners? Cyrus asks if that’s what Doc would like him to think, and Doc says he wants to know what Cyrus thinks. Is he more dangerous, or more of a threat? Cyrus tells Doc, he said he was more interesting, and Doc says, so he’s not dangerous? Cyrus says, he didn’t say that. Doc writes something, and Cyrus asks if Doc thinks he’s got him figured out. Doc says he’s documenting Cyrus’s veiled threat. When he asked if Cyrus was more dangerous, he refused to confirm it. Cyrus says, Doc thinks that’s a threat? and Doc says, a veiled one. It’s like when someone says, nice car. It would be a shame if something happened to it. Cyrus says, if he threatens Doc, he’ll know it. Cyrus wonders if he can ask Doc a question, and Doc says, of course (🍷); ask away. He asks if Doc could be perceiving an innocuous statement as a threat because of a manifestation of his own insecurities. Doc says, touché. He bets Cyrus is an excellent chess player. Cyrus says he never loses. Doc says, it’s been insightful, and thanks him. Cyrus says Doc never told him why he’s there. Doc says he’s doing a study about men behind bars, specifically solitary confinement. He’s been speaking to a lot prisoners. Cyrus has been helpful. Cyrus says, Doc’s name is Collins? Doc says, it’s a common name, but Cyrus probably recognizes it because his wife is the mayor. Cyrus says, Laura. She’s the reason he’s in solitary. Doc says, is she? Cyrus says, be sure to send his regards, and Doc leaves.
Trina tells Ava, after her dad died, Jordan went back over the files, and says her dad faked evidence. She told the Justice Department, and they’re going to let Cyrus out of prison. Ava says, that’s unlikely; it would be a major reversal. Trina says she doesn’t know the legal term, but her father is dead, and Cyrus is going to be out. How is that justice? The media is going to trash her dad, when he’s not a bad cop. Her father was a good man. Ava says she didn’t have a chance to know him, but from what Trina has said, she bets there’s only one person whose opinion mattered to him – Trina’s.
Jason takes Sam’s hands. He says it doesn’t matter how much they hate this. What’s important is she’s free, and home safe with the kids. She says, of course (🍷) it’s important, but so is finding a way to be together. He asks if it’s worth the risk? Her chance of going back to prison is worse than ever, especially now. She asks, what’s going on? and he says, Cyrus is attacking Sonny on all fronts. Out here, he can make sure she’s protected, but if she goes back, she’ll be in the middle of a war zone. Is Pentenville a co-ed prison?
Sam says she thought Sonny was handling Cyrus, and Jason says he’s working on it. It’s tough. Cyrus is powerful, and has a lot of people. Sam asks what that means, and he says, Sonny and Cyrus handle things differently. There are things Sonny won’t do that cross the line, and there’s no line Cyrus won’t cross.No one is off limits. Sam says she knows. He kidnapped Cameron and Trina, and used them as leverage. He says, they weren’t the only ones. Cyrus has TJ Ashford.
Brando tells Carly, he mostly focused on the horses, but he got the impression that Mike and Sonny weren’t close. Mike was sorry for that. Carly says, if Mike hadn’t gotten sick, Sonny would have been okay with the distance. They both would have, but with Alzheimer’s, the distance isn’t up to them. You have to fight for every single moment. Brando says he doesn’t think he could do it, and Carly prays he never had to find out what it’s like. Sonny wanted to make peace with Mike before he slips away. Brando says, as much as he wasn’t happy at first about them keeping him there, he has to admit, it’s been good to connect with family. Carly says they enjoy having him there, even though they’re taking time to get to know him. Brando needs to get back to the shop, and Carly says she’s good. He leaves, and someone with very LOUD shoes goes by. Sonny comes back, and says he just left his dad. Mike doesn’t know who Brando is.
Ava tells Trina, nothing and no one can tarnish the love her father had for her. He’s her hero, and that’s all that matters. In a way, Taggert is Ava’s hero too. Trina says Ava didn’t know him, but Ava says she knows Trina. Her father saved her. He put his love for her above everything else, even his own life. That’s the true test of a hero and parent, putting everything aside for their child. Trina wishes there had been some other way, and Ava says she knows how important it is for Trina to keep her father on a pedestal. Trina says she didn’t put him there; it’s just where he always was. He was always a hero to her.
Molly tells Jordan, her not wanting to get married to anyone has nothing to do with how much she loves TJ. Jordan says, maybe not, but TJ gave her his heart and life, and she threw it back in his face. He got the message. She made a choice that served her, and didn’t care about TJ’s feelings. Molly says, that’s not true, and Jordan says Molly could have fooled her. Molly says Jordan made her point, and Jordan says, has she? Before Molly launches a search, remember TJ didn’t leave; she pushed him away. Molly says she’s got it. She never expected to break up with TJ, and she sure didn’t expect him do it through his mother. She leaves, and Jordan leans against the door. She tells Curtis, she had to do it. She had to stop Molly from searching. Curtis says, it will be okay, and she says she prays it worked.
Sonny tells Carly, his dad was scared. He thought Brando was going to hurt him. He wants Sonny to tell his bosses to beef up security. Carly says she’s so sorry, and Sonny says he’s got to go tell his dad that his boss is getting more men. He laughs, and she asks if there’s anything she can do to help? He says she’s done a lot already, and thanks her.
There’s a knock at the garage door, and Brando opens it to Molly. He says they’re closed, and she says, of course (🍷). It’s that kind of day. She guesses she’ll have to call a tow. She drives a hybrid, since it’s better for the environment. He asks what she hit, and she says, nothing; she went over a curb. The undercarriage is making a grating noise, and she doesn’t want to wreck the engine. He asks if there was any chance she was drinking, and she says she wishes; she’s totally sober. He asks if any other cars were involved, and if she needs the police, but she says it was just her. Sorry to bother him. She should have called a tow to begin with since the garage was closed. He says, on second thought, he’ll check it out.
Laura asks how it went, and Doc tells her, as expected. Cyrus is a narcissist. He made a subtle, veiled threat when his pride was hurt. He took exception to Doc minimizing how dangerous he was. She asks if they can lock him up, and Doc says, he’s sane. Under ordinary circumstances, he’d be opposed to that, but he has no problem recommending that he be moved to a psychological facility under medical supervision. Robert comes in and asks if that’s the plan. Laura asks how much he heard, and he says, enough to know it’s not going to work. Laura says she can have Cyrus transferred to Ferncliff, and Robert asks, for how long? She says they can keep him long enough for an extensive evaluation. Long enough to come up with a fresh case against him. Robert says Cyrus’s lawyers are going to take one look, and see it’s a ploy to keep Cyrus behind bars. Laura says she’ll argue that she wants him to get the care he needs. Robert says, and Doc will argue that it’s in his best interest. Doc says, exactly, and Laura says she’s not above doing what she has to, to keep Cyrus off the street, including having him committed. Robert says, it’s not going to work.
Mike recognizes Sonny, and asks, what took so long? Sonny apologizes, and Mike says, it’s all right; Sonny is there now. He hates hospitals. Can Sonny get him out? He just wants to go home. Sonny says, as soon as the doctors say it’s okay, he’ll take Mike back to Turning Woods. He remembers Turning Woods, right? Mike says, it’s a great place, but after that they get to go home, right? He doesn’t want to be around these people anymore; it doesn’t feel right. Sonny tells him to rest, and Mike says he’s tired. Sonny says, take a break. Close his eyes, and don’t worry. They’ll be waiting. Mike takes Sonny’s hands, and says, everything is going be all right. Sonny will see when they get back Bensonhurst; it will be all right. Mike lies down, closes his eyes, and drifts off.
Sonny goes back out, and Carly asks how Mike is doing. Sonny doesn’t know, and tells her to go home; he’s got to stay tonight. She says she knows how hard it is when Mike doesn’t recognize him, but Sonny says, he did. He knew Sonny’s name, the whole thing; he was great. Sonny sits down, and says, his dad wanted him to take him back to Bensonhurst. He looked Sonny in the eye, and he hasn’t done that in days. He said all he wants to do is go home.
Brando tells Molly, it’s not bad. It just needs some front end work. She asks if she should take it to the dealership, and he says, it’s up to her. She says he was nice enough to take a look, and she’d rather give him the business, assuming he can do the repair. He says, sure, and she says he doesn’t sound enthusiastic. He says he’s happy for the business, but she didn’t chose to come there, and he wasn’t recommend. She came out of desperation, and he doesn’t want to take advantage of that.
Ava says, any time Trina wants to talk, or even if she doesn’t, she’s available. Right now though, she’d like Trina to do something for her. Trina says, name it, and Ava says, call her mother. Let her know she’s safe. Ava knows what it’s like to worry about a daughter, no matter how angry she is. Trina takes out her phone, and calls. Ava gives her privacy.
Curtis tells Jordan, Molly will get over it, but Jordan says she can’t get over the look on Molly’s face. He says, when this is over, Molly will know Jordan was trying to protect her, and understand that Jordan loves her. She says here’s hoping it worked. Not just for Molly. Everyone needs to believe TJ is just dealing with rejection and disappeared. Curtis says, it makes sense, and she says she has to break Molly’s heart and destroy the reputations of the finest agents she’s ever met to make sure Cyrus and his drug dealing are off the streets.
Brando tells Molly, there’s no website yet; he just opened. She asks if it was a surprise, and he says he didn’t plan on opening a garage, not in Port Charles anyway. Long story. She says she loves them; the more convoluted, the better. He asks if she’s a novelist, and she says she’s a published author. She was sixteen at the time. He says, that’s even more impressive, and she says, it was a romance novel. Looking back, it was arrogant to think she could write about life and love, when she knew nothing. He asks if she still writes, but she says, not any more. Now she’s a law student. He says, so if she doesn’t like the repair, she’ll sue him. She asks if he can repair it, and he says he can. She says, at a fair price? and he says, absolutely. She says she’ll have no grounds. He says not to act grateful yet. He hasn’t drawn up the estimate. She says, it’s the perfect rotten end of a perfectly rotten day.
Trina tells Ava, her mom was glad she checked in, and Ava says she’s sure Portia would like to keep Trina at home, and not let Trina out of her sight. Trina says, normally, she’d hate that, but now, it’s not so bad. All of it is going to be coming out; the evidence her dad supposedly planted. It will be all over the news, and his name will be dirt. She’ll be the only one who remembers what a good man he was. Ava says, even if everyone loses faith, Trina won’t, and she’s the only person who matters. Trina says, it doesn’t feel like enough, and Ava says, she is; she was for him. Her father left behind an incredible legacy. Not just with his work as a cop, but with the way Trina saw him walk through the world. He shaped her, and she’s extraordinary. Trina is his legacy. They hug.
Curtis promises it will end, and Jordan will take Cyrus out. She wonders what’s taking so long. They have everything they need for Cyrus to vacate. He says she knows how it goes. They have to get the order in front of a judge. She says, and once they do, the most evil man she’s ever known is going to go free.
Laura asks if Robert is suggesting they just sit back and let Cyrus go free. He says the justice system isn’t perfect, but they can’t disrespect it. Doc says, not even if it was a random drug lord, whose body count was strangers? It’s a legitimate course of action. Robert says, it’s nothing to be happy about, but they have to get used to the fact Cyrus is getting out. And when he does, Laura will be in his crosshairs for what she did to him in Pentenville. Laura says she’s not worried about herself, but her city. Port Charles is going to see a spike in drug trafficking. She asks if there’s any other option to delay Cyrus’s release.
Sonny tells Carly, he thought watching his father fade away would be the hardest part. His father knowing him, looking him in the eye, father to son, and pleading that all he wants to do is go home; it’s the one thing Sonny can’t give him. This is hell. He can’t do it. Carly holds him, and says, yes, he can. She’s got him.
On Monday – tomorrow they’ll be airing their 56th Anniversary episode (originally aired on April 3rd, 2019) – Josslyn wants to find Trina, Jason tells Sam that he can’t do this anymore, and Carly asks Sonny what the hell he’s going to do.
We begin with the news of Bethenny’s exit, and how the cast found out, since apparently, Bethenny didn’t let anyone know. She could be caustic, but she was also intelligent, funny, and knew her way around a kitchen. And most important, every once in a while, blew her stack and said what was on all our minds. Life. Is. Not. A. Cabaret. Sonja feels abandoned all over again, and Ramona thinks it will be better; the women will be freer in spirit. In LeeAnn’s interview, a producer asks how she feels. LuAnn says, it’s hard to say. She’ll miss Bethenny, but the show must go on – without her.
LuAnn leaves the criminal court building, accompanied by Sonja. They hug on the steps, and LuAnn says, it’s finally over. She stops by a coffee cart on the corner, telling Sonja it’s her coffee guy. He says he thought she was finished, and in her interview, she says, it’s finally over; her probation is finished. It’s been almost two years. We flash back to LuAnn looking sad in court, and explaining to the others that she had to use a breathalyzer to drive. She says what people don’t understand is that she wasn’t fully present. This was always on her mind. It’s like someone lifted a ton of bricks. They sit and chat, and Sonja says, when LuAnn was first arrested, she didn’t care. She hit bottom, and thought things were great. Then she started becoming a cabaret star, and she wasn’t there for them. LuAnn says, what about her? Ugh. Same old. Sonja says she treated them like fans. In Sonja’s interview, she lists some of the ways LuAnn was a brat last season. The tantrum in the fish room, dumping Sonja after the AA meeting to go see her own poster, and coming back without truffle fries. That’s the real misdemeanor. LuAnn didn’t understand Sonja’s pain. As they hug, Sonja eats a pretzel behind LuAnn’s back.
Tinsley meets friend, and new cast member, Leah at the gym. In Tinsley’s interview, she says the summer was all about her. She moved on from Scott, worked on her lash line, and went to China, bringing back two puppies, Strawberry and Shortcake. She’s been focusing on herself, and it feels liberating. She met Leah a couple months ago, and Leah brings out her wilder side. She says what she feels, and has no filter. She also has a twelve-year-old daughter. Tinsley takes her hoops off, saying she feels like she’s losing part of herself. Boxing trainer Martin says, nobody gives a f***. After the session, Tinsley and Leah sit and talk. Tinsley tells Leah that she only knew Chicago through Scott, but met Bruce while she was there. She doesn’t like his name, but she can’t change it. He’s been married twice and has three kids. In her interview, Tinsley thinks it’s the best way to have children; she can give them back. She tells Leah, she’s usually all-in immediately, but it’s the first time she’s being guarded, and not thinking too far ahead. Leah says she’s enjoying being single. She and her last boyfriend went to France, and on the flight home she asked what was going on with his divorce. He said it was on hold, so she told him that her p*ssy was on hold too. Ha! Good one.
Dorinda is still with John, and she’s prepping for his cooking class – i.e. her teaching him how to make lasagna. She tells him the doctor says she’s healing like a twenty-year-old, and he says she still acts like a twenty-year-old. In her interview, Dorinda says Carson Kressley was teaching her some Dancing with the Stars moves at a dinner party, flung her over a balcony, and she broke a rib. There was no mention as to whether alcohol was involved. She tells John, it forced her to look at things, and become dependent on him. In Dorinda’s interview, she says her injury made it necessary for her and John to spend time together. It’s been good, but weird; she’s not used to it. She confirms that familiarity breeds contempt. They make lasagna, and Dorinda tells him about LuAnn. She doesn’t know why it’s a big deal. In Dorinda’s interview, she says she and LuAnn are in a good place, but their friendship had gone off the tracks. We flash back to mostly Dorinda being mean to LuAnn, and yelling, Jovani! during LuAnn’s cabaret show. She says, they’ve both transitioned to better places, and she’s not overthinking it.
Ramona meets friends Maria, Missy and Elyse, along with new neighbor/friend Mitchell, at a bar. In Ramona’s interview, she says she had a fabulous summer. She sold her condo, and has a new apartment on the Upper East Side, but she was living the Hamptons life. She admits she’s been escaping; masking something in her mind. She tells her friends that she feels like a youngster, but she’s sixty, and lacks direction. She feels empty and alone. In her interview, she says she has no important man in her life. Elyse says she’s surprised that Ramona feels that way, and Ramona starts to cry. Oh, yay. The bar buddy everyone wants. A weepy one. She says she wants a man to hold her, love her, and marry her, and doesn’t know if she’ll find one. I should add, an embarrassing bar buddy as well, since she’s LOUD.
Leah and daughter Kier go out to a juice bar. In her interview, Leah says, New York City is the best city in the world, and I tend to agree. She has a clothing line, Married to the Mob (which I’m actually familiar with), and lives with her daughter. They’re best friends, soulmates, and life partners. She doesn’t know if that’s healthy, but it’s the way it is. Kier is starting school soon, and Leah tells her to be herself, try her best, and don’t let the bitches get to her. Kier says her grandma told her that Leah was a horrible child. In Leah’s interview, she says their family situation isn’t traditional. Her baby daddy was her first love, and she thought they’d be together until they died, but they haven’t been together since Kier was two. Even so, he’s pretty much family.
Ramona visits Sonja, along with her pup Coco, who wants to romance Sonja’s pup Marley, even though there’s nothing they can ultimately do about it, since they’re fixed. Sonja says she’s been a recluse and has gas. Ramon tells Sonja not to send any of that her way. Sonja says she just took her daughter to college, and she lost it. In Sonja’s interview, she says when her daughter was in boarding school, she came home on weekends with her friends. The best Sonja can do now is be supportive about college, but she’s dying inside. Ramona says, when kids are away, they appreciate you more, and Sonja says she wants to give her daughter space. Sonja says, when she went to college, she flew the coop, and never looked back. The dogs continue to go at it.
Dorinda prepares for a party on the rooftop of Magic Hour restaurant. In her interview, she says she’s the entertainer of the group. You never know what you’ll get with Sonja, Ramona always invites the same thirty people, LuAnn’s parties always have a ticket booth out front, and who would Tinsley invite? Scott? We flash back to Dorinda calling Tinsley out on Scott and living in the hotel. Dorinda tells her makeup artist, Tinsley gave her a speech on how she didn’t want to hear conspiracy theories about her life, but she tells it like she sees it.
Tinsley tells her hair stylist that she’s anxious because she’s about to see the girls. The accusations about her and Scott are bullsh*t. We flash back to a Scott moment. In Tinsley’s interview, she wishes she understood why Dorinda is focused on her. Clearly something is going on in her own life that’s making her unhappy, so she’s projecting. Dorinda says she doesn’t know anything about Tinsley. The minute they go deep, Tinsley retracts like a turtle. In Dorinda’s interview, she says she doesn’t know if Tinsley has the ability to open up, but they’re not cocktail party talkers; they’re bad bitches.
Tinsley brings Leah to Dorinda’s party, and Leah wonders if there are any eligible bachelors to pick up. In her interview, Dorinda says she’s good at parties. She brings people from all different places and professions, and throws them into a room like a crazy soup, then puts the heat on high. Tinsley refuses to clink glasses because Sonja and Leah aren’t drinking alcohol, and it’s bad luck. I think that applies only to water, but Tinsley lives in her own world. She puts a drink stirrer in her drink, and then sticks it in theirs to make it okay. New rule. In Leah’s interview, she says she and alcohol have a weird relationship. She didn’t drink for nine years, and then started again six months ago. She enjoys going crazy. We see a clip of her telling Tinsley that every twenty times, she’s a hot mess and takes a loser home, wondering how he got there the next morning. The other night she drank too much, and lost Chanel bag along with her passport, so she’s putting it on pause. Everyone comments on Dorinda’s fabulous new haircut, which really does flatter her. LuAnn says she has her life back. In her interview, LuAnn says, it’s hard to wrap her head around the fact she could have gone to jail for having a drink, and now she can do what she wants. She worked hard to get where she is, and doesn’t want to give it up. She’s Lu and improved. Tinsley introduces Leah to everyone.
Dorinda welcomes everyone. She says, another summer is over, and she wanted to have an end-of-the-summer party, since they scatter during the summer. She tells them that she has a big surprise, and drag queen Chelsea Piers comes out (no pun intended), and performs Feelin’ Jovani, while LuAnn fights for the spotlight. In LuAnn’s interview, she says obviously Dorinda has gotten past this. It’s not an olive branch; it’s the whole tree. In Leah’s interview, she says she has no clue what Jovani is, and looks it up on her phone, looking confused when she finds out it’s a clothing designer. I guess she’s never watched this show. In Dorinda’s interview, she says, she loves hard, fights hard, and forgives easily. It seems ridiculous now. Leah explains she’s a native New Yorker, and LuAnn says, but she looks so normal. Leah says she doesn’t see herself tied down, but Ramona says she wants to be tied down. (Leaving those jokes for someone else.) LuAnn tells Leah, they’re kind of old school, since they were both married a long time. Leah and LuAnn compare arrests, and oddly enough, both attacked police officers. In Leah’s interview, she says she ran into a guy she had a crush on 4th of July, 2002. She was mid-kiss when suddenly five cops were beating him up. Her kneejerk reaction was to hit a cop, and he punched her, then smashed her face into the subway grate. Nice. She sued and won, and decided she’d been making bad choices, so she’d be smart with the money, and used it for her brand.
Tinsley asks Dorinda to come outside and talk. They sit, and Tinsley says she feels like they were friends, but had issues, and she wants to have a lunch date where they can talk. Dorinda says, about Tinsley’s text on conspiracy theories, she’s always trying to pull information out of Tinsley. She saw Tinsley in January, when she’d said she wasn’t with Scott, and a week later, she was having dinner with him. In Dorinda’s interview, she says, it’s about transparency. Tinsley has things going on, and they find out about them elsewhere. She thinks Tinsley is a riddle they’re never going to solve. She doesn’t know the answer. Tinsley wins. Inside, Sonja chats up hot guy William, who’s Ramona’s ex-lover. Sonja says Ramona is always going after her guys, so she’s turning the tables. She tells William that she’s not dating young guys, but if you don’t use it, you lose it. Leah doesn’t think he can handle Sonja. In her interview, Leah feels like William is the kind of guy who wouldn’t know his way around a woman’s body, rub you in the wrong place, and you’d have to explain it to him or he’ll just keep it up. Sonja says she doesn’t want to go home empty-handed. Wake up and smell the Sonja. Dorinda tells Tinsley, it’s not just her, but Tinsley says, actually, it is. Dorinda won’t listen to her, and keeps calling her a liar. Dorinda says, don’t put words in her mouth.
Dorinda tells Tinsley not to be tricky with her. Don’t ride up on her and make a statement. I have no idea what that means. Tinsley says she doesn’t give a sh*t, and what she thinks is that Dorinda doesn’t want to be her friend. Dorinda says she wants to know who Tinsley is, but Tinsley just wants to make a big statement, and it’s not going to work. Dorinda flounces off, and plops down next to LuAnn on a couch. She tells LuAnn that Tinsley came up on her hot, and told Dorinda not to be all gangster, but Dorinda said she is gangster. I think maybe she’s just mean. Tinsley said everybody knows her except Dorinda. Tinsley sits down in between Ramona and Leah, and says she only said she wanted to talk to Dorinda, and Dorinda said she was fake. In Tinsley’s interview, she says if she’s not talking, Dorinda says she’s hiding something, but if she asks for a private conversation, she’s fake. She can’t win. Leah asks, what’s going on? and Dorinda and Tinsley continue to bicker. In LuAnn’s interview, she says, she’s already been there, and the last thing she’s doing is inserting herself into this dog fight. She tries to switch seats with Tinsley, but Tinsley isn’t moving. Dorinda gets in Tinsley’s face, and tells her to shut her mouth. Leah asks if Tinsley is going to let Dorinda talk to her like that. Tinsley says she doesn’t care what Dorinda has to say, and Dorinda says, kindergarten is starting. In Leah’s interview, she says, Dorinda is like the snake in Beetlejuice, but scarier and meaner. Dorinda says this is boring her, and starts to walk away, but her heel gets stuck. Tinsley says, don’t trip (totally missing the opportunity to say, have a nice trip; see you next fall). Dorinda gets up close and personal again, and says her heel got stuck. The difference is, she bought her shoes. She didn’t lie on her back for them. She twirls around, but not nearly as well as Kenya, and walks away. Tinsley says, you’re a jealous bitch, bitch.
And away we go.
This season – parties, costumes, Ramona on a swing, Sonja falling, Leah says they’re all hot effing messes, LuAnn is back at cabaret, Tinsley wants to move to Chicago, Dorinda pretends everything is okay, LuAnn forgot how good vodka tastes, a trip to Mexico, a trip to a cornfield, revisiting the fish room, LuAnn swears she never screwed the pirate, and Dale wonders what’s wrong with her and Tinsley?
👨🏽🍳 On Top Chef, comedian chefs Ali Wong and Randall Park, who met during a fried rice competition where they went to school, gave the chefs their quickfire challenge of creating a fried rice dish, the winning chef getting immunity. The chefs had thirty minutes to make the best damn fried rice that was creative and inventive. Given a display table of ingredients, they were also to use at least one ingredient from the choices. You’d have thought they were going for rolls of toilet paper, the way the chefs grabbed the components they wanted. Kevin was the winner, using flaming hot Cheetos, hot dogs, and bourbon. I assume it tasted better than it sounds, since Ali said it was like a party in her mouth.
The elimination challenge was next, with the chefs going to the Getty Museum for inspiration. The challenge was to interpret a work of art on a plate, using four movements; baroque, neoclassicism, renaissance, and rococo. Since Kevin won the Quickfire, he got to choose first, and selected baroque. The rest of the contestants took knives from a block, each with a movement on it. After the museum, it was on to Whole Foods to shop for ingredients. Someone pointed out LOUD shoes, and I had to laugh, since I’d just mentioned that in the GH recap, and I wonder if it’s a thing now. The chefs were to tell a story through their choice of ingredient, and Ludo Lefebvre was introduced as guest judge.
Padma said they had some glorious, artful food, but had to choose one masterpiece. The winning spot went to Melissa’s won ton soup.
When the chefs on the bottom were called out, Padma told Karen that she ended up in the bottom because Kevin had immunity. In her interview, Karen made it clear how pissed she would be if she was out for that reason. She creeped me out a little during this episode. Not only did she practically hiss her displeasure about possibly losing, she most definitely glared at Kevin when he got the immunity in the first place. I also highly doubt had he not had it, he would have taken any chances. Joe said while the dish chosen didn’t lack artistry, it lacked the technique to present the artistry. Jamie had to pack up his knives and go for his dish being too dry. He said it sucked to leave this early, and wished he had delivered better cookery; there was no greater sin. His hope was in the Last Chance Kitchen, and to get back in the competition, doing the type of food he wants, the way he wants to do it. Next time, Kelly Clarkson is guest judge, and the chefs are challenged with a vegetarian menu.
🥠 The best quote came from Brian: I am not making baby Jesus today.
🐐 On Watch What Happens Live, we learned from Melissa and Joe Gorga that during quarantine in Italy, Joe Giudice is picking broccoli and chasing goats. Alrighty then.
👠 Don’t Pandemic Me…
One of LuAnn’s employees passive/aggressively called her out on Instagram.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sonny comes in along with Michael, who’s holding Wiley. Carly says it’s good to see Wiley, and asks, what about Nelle? Sonny says, the cops have her. Lucas comes up to Wiley, and says, hey, buddy. Michael says Wiley is a lucky guy. So many people love him. Julian says, he’s happy and safe, and asks Lucas if he needs anything. Sonny says, it’s been a tough night; Julian should probably go. Julian tells Lucas to call or drop by if he needs anything. Michael says they have a lot to figure out, and they will, but one thing they agree on is making this okay for Wiley.
Curtis says, body count? Is Jordan in danger? Taggert says he and Jordan both are, and Jordan says she doesn’t want Curtis involved, but Taggert says, he already is by being married to her. Jordan tells Curtis, it was an undercover operation for the DEA. Curtis says, and it came back to haunt them. Jordan says they were part of a four agent team, assigned to investigate a major drug trafficker, who covered the entire Pacific Northwest. He brought drugs in from Russia through the Canadian border, and distributed them to the western states. Taggert says, he sold drugs to everyone, from CEOs to middle school kids. Jordan says, they infiltrated the organization to get evidence and bust him. Curtis asks, what happened? and Taggert says, he covered himself well. Whenever they found someone who’d turn on him, they’d turn up dead. Curtis says, but here they both are; alive and unharmed. Taggert says, they got the break they needed, and Jordan says, they took the dealer down, and left with their covers intact. Curtis says, no one knew who they were? and Jordan says, that’s what they believed. Taggert says, until their partners turned up dead.
Nelle is put in the cell across from Brad. Brad asks where Wiley is, and what she did with him. She tells Brad, he’s despicable.
Willow wakes up, and Chase says she has a minor concussion, but she’s going to be all right. She asks, what happened? The last thing she remembers, she was watching Wiley. She sits up, saying, oh my God. Nelle was there and wanted to take Wiley. Chase says she was arrested, and Willow asks if Wiley is okay. He says, Wiley is fine; he’s with Michael, and she says, thank God. He says he has a lot he needs to tell her, and she says, it’s bad? He nods and she says, okay. Just give her a minute to be glad her son is okay.
Carly says, Michael is right. Wiley has had a confusing, big night. She knows he’s tired, and it’s past his bedtime. Maybe he’d like a snack first. Michael asks if Lucas wants to give Wiley a snack; they’ll talk later. Lucas says, yeah, and takes Wiley, asking if he’s if hungry. He tells Michael, he’s so sorry.
Carly tells Lucas that he has nothing to be sorry for. He didn’t do this. Bobbie says, no one is blaming him, least of all Michael. Michael says Lucas isn’t responsible, and Bobbie suggests giving Wiley his snack. She and Lucas go into the kitchen, and Carly says, what Michael did just now, giving Lucas time with Wiley, was so generous. Michael says he needs their help, and thinks Lucas could use Carly right now. Carly asks if Michael is okay, and he says he’s still figuring it all out, but he’ll be fine. Carly says Michael is a good man, and she loves him. She hugs him, and he says he loves her too. She goes to the kitchen, and Michael tells Sasha that he forgot to thank her for calling Chase. She says she’s glad she could help in a small way. Sonny says, now that Wiley is in the other room, tell him what the hell happened. How did Brad get his hands on Michael’s son, and keep it a secret for more than a year?
Curtis says, Bob Endicott, Jordan’s former boss, the one she said couldn’t have possibly OD’d. He was part of the team too? She says, and Mark Simon is also dead. Taggert says, also from a drug overdose. Two down, and him and Jordan left. Curtis says Jordan thought she shouldn’t tell him she has a target on her back?
Julian pours a shot of whiskey, and Ava runs in, asking if he’s all right. Is he hurt? He says, no, and she asks, what is it? He said he needed her, and it was an emergency. He hung up, and she thought she’d find him bleeding to death. He says, it’s nothing that simple, and she asks, what’s going on? He says, Brad confessed, and she says, to what? He says, Wiley isn’t Willow’s son; he’s Michael’s son, and Sonny’s grandson.The baby Lucas and Brad adopted was Nelle’s baby. He only saw the baby once. Lucas was in surgery, and Brad took the baby home. He laid the baby in his crib, and when he came back, the baby wasn’t breathing; sudden infant death syndrome. From there, things happened, and Nelle gave Brad the baby she’d had with Michael. Ava asks what he means by things happened, and he says, they switched babies by the side of the road. Somehow, Nelle convinced Brad to take the baby home that she’d had with Michael. Ava asks if Sonny knows, and Julian nods. She asks where Brad is now, and he says, in jail. She says he’s got to be terrified, and Julian says, he’s not the only one. She says, please tell her that he didn’t help Brad steal Sonny’s grandchild. He says he didn’t but… She says, if Sonny finds out… Julian says, he’s a dead man.
Chase tells Willow, it’s going to be confusing. She’s going to have a lot of questions, but he’ll do his best to answer them. The details are pretty hazy, but the central factor is undeniable. She says, okay… and he says Wiley isn’t her son. Nelle and Michael are his birth parents.
Nelle asks if Brad knows how she felt, waking up on a cold, damp road to find a dead baby in her arms. He asks what she’s talking about, and she says Jonah meant everything to her. He was the only thing she had left of Michael, and Brad stole him from her. Brad says, no. She said he had to take the baby. She asks if that’s the story he’s going with; he’s the innocent victim. He says she knows it was her idea, and she tells him to stop lying to save himself. She was overwhelmed with grief, and so was Michael. They were mourning a child they thought was dead because of him. Brad says she told him the baby would be better off if he and Lucas raised him. She didn’t want the baby anywhere near Michael. She says Brad was her only friend; stop pretending. Stop pretending he cares, when on the worst night of her life, he stole her child.
Julian tells Ava, a few days afterward, Brad told him that it wasn’t the original baby, and the first baby died. He said he’d gotten a new baby from some random homeless woman. Ava asks if he believed that, and Julian says he thought it was convenient, but it didn’t occur to him that Brad had helped himself to Sonny’s grandson. She says, Brad eventually told Julian the truth? and Julian says, eventually. She asks what the hell he was thinking. Why not go to Sonny the minute that loser told him that he’d switched babies? He says, unfortunately, Brad is his son-in-law, and when Brad came clean, Wiley was more than a year old. Lucas had time to bond with Wiley, and he wasn’t taking Wiley away from his son.
Willow tells Chase, someone made a mistake, and he says he’s sorry, but it’s true. Wiley is Michael’s son. She says, it doesn’t make sense, and he says he can explain. When Willow gave birth at Mercy Hospital on July 29th, 2018, Alexis brought the infant to GH, and delivered him to his adoptive father Brad. Lucas was in surgery, and Brad brought the infant home. Willow asks him to stop calling the baby the infant; his name is Wiley. Chase says, Brad placed Wiley in the crib, but when he came back to check on him, he wasn’t breathing. She says, no, and keeps repeating it as Chase talks. He says, Brad tried CPR, but the baby was unresponsive. Willow gets up, but sinks to the ground, yelling, no! He holds her, and says, it’s okay. I guess because he can’t think of anything else to say, since it’s clearly not okay.
Bobbie says she could wring Brad’s neck, and Lucas says he wishes he could hate Brad as much as she does, but he knows Brad. He knows Brad loves him and Wiley. Bobbie says, forgive her for not being kind and understanding, but Brad created incredible harm. That’s not love; it’s selfishness. Carly agrees, and says what Brad did was wrong, but at least they know Wiley spent his first year in a loving home. Lucas says Wiley gave it right back; he misses Wiley already. Bobbie says he’s Wiley’s father. It’s not like ripping off a name tag and moving on. Carly says Bobbie is right. No one expects him to stop loving Wiley. Lucas asks, what happens now? Wiley chomps on a cracker, oblivious to all the anxiety around him.
Julian tells Ava, the look on Lucas’s face when Brad confessed… He’d give anything not to see it again. She says, it was never going to end well. The problem is, eventually Brad is going to tell everyone that Julian was in on it. Julian says, it’s going to kill Lucas, and Ava says, Sonny is going to kill Julian. They have to get him out of town; out of the country. He says, if Sonny wants revenge, Sonny will hunt him down until he gets it. He’s not running. She asks what the brave act is for, and he says she should know more than anyone what it feels like to fail your own children. When Lucas became a father, he saw a crack in Lucas’s armor, and thought the relationship could be repaired. She says, with Brad in a constant state of panic, and him keeping the secret? He says he had a plan to shut Brad out, and the constant threat. She takes it the plan didn’t work, and he says, none of it would have happened if Lucas hadn’t gotten in that car.
Jordan says she was managing things, but Curtis says that’s not how they do things. When trouble is coming for her, he’s her first line of defense, not Taggert. Taggert says they were traying to figure things out without worrying their families. Curtis says, call Anna, but Jordan says, no. Taggert says they have to do it alone, and Curtis says he can’t believe this. As major drug trafficker has them in his sights, and they don’t want to call for backup? There’s something they’re still hiding. Taggert says Curtis is still jumping to conclusions, but Jordan says Curtis is right. They are.
Willow asks Chase how it happened. How did her baby get switched with Michael’s? He says, Brad was heading back to the hospital, but he was too emotional to drive. He pulled over same road where Michael and Nelle had the accident. Michael was trapped in the car; Nelle left him there. She must have given birth a short time later, since she had the baby with her when she knocked on Brad’s car window. He sits on the floor next to her. Willow says, which one came up with the idea? He says, Brad swears it was Nelle, and she says, of course (🍷) it was. She says that twice, so (🍷)
Michael says, when he and Chase got to the apartment, Nelle was on her way out with Wiley. He distracted Nelle long enough so Chase could grab her, and he took Wiley. He was holding Wiley like he’d done a thousand times before, but now he knew he was Wiley’s father. Sonny tells him to get used to the feeling like his heart is going to burst and he wants to give everything to his child. It doesn’t go away. Michael says he feels for Lucas, and Sasha tells him, they all feel terrible, but don’t let it stop him from feeling joy. It’s not selfish to be happy that his boy is alive. Sonny says both sadness and happiness in your heart is called being human. Michael says it’s not just about him. Wiley is losing the only parents he’s ever known. Sasha says, he’s gaining a father he already knows and loves, who’s always been present in his life. Michael says being the special occasion guy is a whole different thing than being Wiley’s dad, the one he trusts the most. Blood didn’t make Sonny his father. It was the way Sonny took care of him, and how he trusted Sonny. Sonny says, Wiley feels the same way, and knows in his heart Michael loves him. Michael wonders if the right way to love Wiley is to make him leave a house he already knows, with one of the fathers who he already loves.
Brad says Nelle knows what she’s doing won’t work. He’s not taking the blame for what she did. She says, all she did was pass out with a baby in her arms. Brad says she was wide awake when she told him to take the baby. She said it would make Lucas happy. It never would have entered his head if she hadn’t put it there. She says, now she’s a liar? He says that’s what she does. She cons people, and plants thoughts in their heads, so they don’t know right from wrong anymore. She says she’d just delivered a baby. She was weak and unconscious when he took Wiley from her. He says, what about Obrecht? She delivered Nelle’s baby; Nelle wasn’t alone in the woods like she told Michael. She says she had no idea what happened when she was alone. Waking up on the side of the road, all she remembers is that she had a dead baby in her arms. Brad says she has no idea what it’s like to lose a baby, and she says she lost Jonah. First Brad steals him, and now he’s telling her that Wiley loves him more than her. Brad says, that’s not true, and she says he robbed her of time with her son. He knew the truth, that her baby was alive. He says he’s going to make sure everyone knows Nelle gave him to Brad. He and Lucas gave him a home and family, and she’ll never love him the way they do. She calls the guard, and says Brad is antagonizing her. Get him out.
Taggert says, wait, but Jordan says, they started this. That means they’re going to finish it. Curtis says, she’s right. Taggert can’t come up in there saying they were working undercover with the DEA, and not give him the whole story. Jordan says, they’re not guessing about the attacks. The dealer knows who they are, and came there to burn her city down. She knows this because she went to see him at Pentenville. Taggert asks, when? and Jordan says he didn’t come out and say he was after them. It was what he didn’t say that alerted her to what he was doing. Taggert wonders what Cyrus is doing in Pentenville, and Jordan says he got moved. He was always good at making political connections. Curtis asks, who is this guy? and Jordan hands him a file, saying, Cyrus Renault. Curtis looks through it, and says, sounds like a good dude. She says they believe he’s behind the attacks on Sonny, but Curtis says, drugs are not Sonny’s thing. She says, Cyrus gets a fresh new market in taking over Sonny’s territory. Taggert says, after everything they did to put him away; now he’s back. He’s not going to surprise them anymore. He’s going to check with some people. He tells Curtis, now that he knows everything, go easy on her. She was just trying to protect him. Taggert leaves, and Curtis says Jordan never fails to surprise him. Tell him the full story. She says he won’t be happy she did.
Carly tells Lucas, whatever happens next, they’ll get through it together. Bobbie says, his sister is right. Don’t let what Brad did push him away from his family. Carly says, it’s hard. Lucas has every right to be angry, mad, and hurt. Let them be his safe space. Bobbie tells him, never forget he’s done an amazing job raising Wiley. Carly says, nothing can change that. Everyone came together to keep Wiley safe and make him feel loved.
Willow says, of course (🍷) it was Nelle. She hates Michael, and wanted to hurt him. What could be worse than… Chase says, Brad took the baby home, and when the police found Nelle, she had her baby in her arms. The took her to the hospital, where she gave the baby to Michael. Willow says, Michael talked about it in their grief support group. How still the baby was. He wanted to tell himself the baby was just asleep, but he could feel the truth. Even then, he didn’t want to let the baby go. He went to the chapel to ask God why, but God didn’t have an answer. Eventually, the nurse came, and he had to give the baby up. He said it was the worst moment of his life, and she thought she understood. She had to give her baby up when the nurse came to take him for the adoption. She was just missing her baby. Michael was grieving his. Now it’s her turn to grieve her child. She starts to cry.
Jordan tells Curtis, the four of them worked their ways into different parts of Cyrus’s business, but they couldn’t gather enough evidence to bring him up on charges. All that work for nothing. Curtis says he knows the feeling. She says she was in too deep, and losing touch with who she was on the inside. He says, the part of her that’s a mother, and she says she needed to go home, see her kid, and remind herself of what’s truly important. He says it sounds like she reached a turning point, and she says they’d been involved long enough to manufacture evidence, and leave a trail for the FBI to find. So that’s what they did. They framed Cyrus crimes he actually committed. Curtis says, it worked; Cyrus got life, but Jordan says, because they broke the laws they swore to uphold. They were just as dirty as Cyrus. Curtis says, no, no, no, no, no. They didn’t sell drugs to little kids; they saved lives. She says he should be upset, and he says he is. How could she not tell him, and shut him out when trouble came? If the roles were reversed, she’d be furious with him. She says he’s right. She was selfish, and didn’t want her undercover work to touch the life she has with him. He says she’s got to be all in, or it’s not going to work. She says, on the other side, he doesn’t know Cyrus. He’s a monster, and just set up base in their backyard. Curtis holds her.
Sonny says Michael is thinking of giving up his son? All he’d be doing is dragging out the pain. Everyone knows, and more important, Michael does. Even if Lucas moves to China, there’s no amount of distance that can sever that tie. They can’t fix what Brad and Nelle did, but can give Wiley the best life they can. Michael says he’s right about everything, but how does he tell Lucas? Sonny says, say the words, and Lucas will respect that.There’s only one way this can end. Michael knows this. Michael says he still wants Lucas in Wiley’s life, and Sasha says, tell him. It will be a different relationship, but that doesn’t make it any less meaningful. Sonny says, she’s wise; listen to her. Michael says he does. It just hit him, Lucas isn’t the only one facing a loss. Chase is telling Willow that the child she loved all this time isn’t hers, and her own son is gone.
Willow tells Chase, now she understands why Brad was so tense around her. She thought he was afraid she’d change her mind and take Wiley back. If she’d gone through with rescinding the adoption, she would have taken a baby that wasn’t hers, and when Shiloh tried to get custody, Brad could have stopped it at any time. All he had to do was tell the truth. Chase says, Brad’s weak, and easily manipulated. He’s been under Nelle’s thumb since they switched the babies. That’s why Brad was at Nelle’s parole hearing, and let her stay at his apartment. She’s been blackmailing him. Willow says, he let her.
Bobbie asks if Lucas believes it was all Nelle’s idea, and he says, Brad has told his fair share of lies, but it seems like something Nelle would come up with. Carly says it was the perfect opportunity to hurt Michael, and by extension, hurt her. She’s Nelle’s real target; the focus of Nelle’s envy and obsession. They’re collateral damage. Lucas says Wiley likes to be read to after his snack. Brad usually packs his favorite book. He digs in Wiley’s bag, and brings out a sippy cup. He says if you freeze them, it’s good for teething. Carly says, that’s sweet, and Wiley laughs. Lucas asks if she remembers when he asked her what the hardest part of parenting was, and Carly says, knowing what’s the right thing to do.
Jordan thanks Curtis for loving her, and he says, of course (🍷). He always will. Anyone who comes for her, will have to go through him. She says that’s not what she wants. She doesn’t want him to be the price she pays for her mistakes. He says he can protect himself, and she says, do that, and keep an eye on TJ as well. It will be easier for her to do what she has to. He asks, what is it she’s going to do? and she says she’s the Police Commissioner. No one is going to burn Port Charles down on her watch.
Julian tells Ava, she’ll want to steer clear. Brad is spineless, and could break at any point, and spill his guts. Ava says then they’ll have to intervene before Brad has a chance to give him up.
Nelle says she finally had a chance to be with her son, and now she’s trapped because of Brad’s terrible lies. The guard says they can’t have him badgering other prisoners, and takes him out. Brad says, she’s lying, and when he’s gone, Nelle smiles.
Willow tells Chase, she tried to like Brad over and over, but she didn’t; she couldn’t. Part of her knew what he was like. Brad is a lying coward who cares more about himself than Wiley. Wiley could have had his father the whole time, had Michael raise and love him, and now… He’s so young, and his whole world is upside down.Brad did this to him, his so-called father; the man she chose to raise her son. Chase says, she picked Lucas, but she says, no. She trusted her son to Brad, and Brad let him die. She says, oh my God. Brad traded him in like a faulty appliance. She cries, and says, there was no one there who loved him. No one knew him. She sobs, and Chase takes her in his arms.
Lucas brings Wiley out, and Michael asks if Wiley enjoyed his snack. Lucas says, he did; he ate all of it. Michael says, he loves his animal crackers. Lucas tells Wiley, hey, buddy. He knows his Uncle Michael, and knows how much he loves to play games with Wiley and tell him stories. He has a nice surprise. Wiley is going home with him. He gives Michael Wiley’s bag, and says, there’s more snacks, a bedtime book, and diapers. He tells Wiley, I love you buddy, and kisses the top of Wiley’s head. He gives Wiley to Michael, and tries not to cry. He says, take good care of your son, and Bobbie hugs Lucas. Everyone looks sad.
The acting was so good, even though I can’t relate at all, they had me tearing up.
On Monday, Nikolas needs Elizabeth’s help, Ava asks Franco if Nikolas and Elizabeth had an affair, Julian tells Brad that it’s on him, and Carly tells Sonny that Nelle is the mastermind
🍑 Like She’s Ever Going Anywhere…
They’ll have to pry that peach out of her cold, dead hand.
It takes a lot of time to be a genius. You have to sit around so much, doing nothing, really doing nothing. – Gertrude Stein (I might have found my calling!)
Confidence is 10 percent hard work and 90 percent delusion, just thinking foolishly that you will be able to do what you want to do. – Tina Fey
If his grades get any lower, we’ll have to start renting him out as a speedbump. – Charlie (Charlie Sheen), Two and a Half Men
Every now and then I like to do as I’m told, just to confuse people. – Tamora Pierce
The worst part of success is trying to find someone who is happy for you. – Bette Midler
I’ll try anything once, twice if I like it, three times to make sure. – Mae West
Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door. – Coco Chanel (Love that! Now if I can just learn it…)
There is no passion to be found in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living. – Nelson Mandela
The price of greatness is responsibility. – Winston Churchill
Death, taxes, and childbirth! There’s never any convenient time for any of them. – Margaret Mitchell
So, your kids must love the iPad? I asked Mr. [Steve] Jobs, trying to change the subject. The company’s first tablet was just hitting the shelves. They haven’t used it, he told me. We limit how much technology our kids use at home. – Nick Bilton
Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. – Dr. Seuss
👠 Friday Night…
I went to see a revival Mack & Mabel on Broadway. I couldn’t find a version of this from the performance I saw, but close enough. Since no good time goes unpunished, this is an appropriate song for today. See you when the Deadreturn.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
So what do General Hospital and the trial coverage have in common? General Hospital has been on for fifty years, and the same information is being repeated for what feels like fifty years. Seriously, when this is over, these people should get newscaster jobs. They also love to repeat things over and over.
I figured since GH is on hiatus, and this Friday had a gap (I will forever miss you, Z Nation <sniff>), I’d give you the skinny on the latest 90 Day Fiancé couplings. I am obsessed with this franchise. So much so, I can’t even recap it – I want to take in every second. While I love all of the spin-offs (this could give Law and Order and CSI a run for their money, even put together), my favorite is Pillow Talk/Watch Party, where former cast members watch the latest show, and give commentary. The only thing better than watching TV, is watching other people watch TV. The original is back for a new season, and here’s where they are, in case you want to take the plunge.
American dude Mike and Natalie, a beauty from the Ukraine, seemed to be on shaky ground from the start. Mostly because Natalie’s method of communication is to bore holes in Mike with her eyes, and expect him to know what’s going on in her head. And what’s going on in her head is ridiculous. Mike went to the Ukraine to help her get a K-1 visa, and his time ran out while it was still hung up in the process. During a joint interview, where they were asked if they loved one another, Mike was quick to say yes, while Natalie hemmed and hawed, and said love would come as they got to know one another. Since they were already engaged, this didn’t exactly thrill Mike, causing Natalie to react like a petulant child. She literally threw the ring into his suitcase, but then ended up accompanying him to the airport when she didn’t get the desired response – which was that he should put the ring back on her finger, apologize (for what, was unclear), and sweep her into his arms. She ended up accompanying him to the airport, where she continued to bore holes into him until he left. This was definitely left up in the air.
Finnish lovely Jasmin arrived in America to meet with her fiancé Blake, and so far, it’s a match made in disaster. They have absolutely nothing in common (that I can see anyway), and even worse, Jasmin is a teetotaler/health nut who gets miffed every time Blake dares to have an alcoholic beverage. It doesn’t stop there though. Jasmin refused to get to know his friends, and answered all their questions with barely monosyllabic answers. The topper came when Blake’s best friend was having a birthday. They were supposed to go to a more intimate dinner with just the two couples and on to a party, but Jasmin begged Blake for a dinner alone with him first. This wouldn’t have been so bad if she hadn’t then refused to go the party, and decided to visit her sister instead, who happens to live nearby. I don’t think it takes a Sherlock to figure out there might be some ulterior motive here. Even the sister is telling her that she’s behaving badly. I would have packed this one back to Finland by now.
American born Tania and Syngin from South Africa would be a match made in heaven, if it weren’t for the fact that Tania is a self-centered twit. Syngin has it all; he’s good-looking, articulate, funny, and a hard worker. While he’s not allowed to have a job until he has a green card, he’s still proven his diligence by doing anything and everything that needs to be done, from garden work to revamping a shed for their living space on her mother’s property. A shed Tania was supposed to have finished by the time he got there, but surprise! there was nothing done. As a reward for being such a great guy, Tania took off for 30 out of their 90 days to attend a workshop on natural healing in Costa Rica. Since this is her chosen career, and they agreed it was an investment in their future, Syngin was cool with it. He wasn’t so cool with Tania getting sh*tfaced on the weekends with her classmates, and refusing to call him when she got back to where she was staying. It wasn’t even her getting wasted that he minded, although what he didn’t see was her also flirting shamelessly with any halfway decent dude at the bar. All he wanted was to know she was safe after her night out, because, you know, she was getting blackout drunk in a foreign country. Because her world revolves around herself, Tania failed to see how this was anything but being possessive and harshing her buzz. And even though Syngin had toted and fetched for her mother 24/7 while she was gone, when she came back, Tania was pissed that Syngin hadn’t investigated woodworking courses as she’d instructed him to. Never mind he’s in a foreign country where he knows no one, has no real money, and she left him hanging five minutes after he got there. My advice: Run, Syngin. Run.
Angela from America and Michael from Nigeria are back and badder than ever. I never thought they’d last, much less be riding the Fiancé franchise for this long. Sadly, Michael’s K-1 visa was denied, although it’s unclear as to why. This often seems to be the case, where the applicant is kept in the dark over important particulars. When a visa is denied, the couple has two options. They can appeal the denial or get married in the country of the applicant, and reapply. No surprise, Michael’s family is pushing for the marriage in Nigeria, while Angela wants to be surrounded by her family and friends. Michael shed real tears while giving the news to Angela, so she hopped on the next flight to see him. In the meantime, Michael also told his friends, who have given him grief about the relationship and had gotten in an altercation with Angela on her last trip, to piss off. This is when I started thinking maybe he actually cares for her. With the two being at odds as to how to approach the denial, their reunion started off on shaky ground. It didn’t get any better when, at a gathering of his relatives, their age gap (22 years, with Angela being older) became an issue when the subject of children came up. Michael’s uncle suggested that if Angela’s one remaining egg couldn’t produce progeny, he should have kids with someone else. Needless to say, this didn’t go over too big with Angela. It’s just one more argument in the long line that is their relationship.
American Robert and Anny from the Dominican Republic are a perfect match, just not for each other. Robert has a four-year-old son who he co-sleeps with, while Anny is more interested in another type of threesome. While Anny isn’t behaving like any prize, Robert also misrepresented himself, telling her that he’d buy her clothes when she got there and not to bring anything, and saying he’d take care of all her needs. If her needs were a small one-bedroom for two and a half people, and clothing from the second-hand store, then they were met, but her dreams were a little bigger than that. While their trip to a strip club for her birthday, at her suggestion and complete with a lap dance for her, was a little awkward; him taking her to look at an apartment, only to tell her he’d just signed a one-year lease where they already were, was downright mean. He gave her a give-it-time speech, but I’m not so sure she’s willing to wait. And to be fair, it’s not what she signed up for. I’m also not so sure he wants the stepmother of his son to be quite so freewheeling sexually.
Emily from America met Russian Sasha while she was teaching English in his country. They got to know each other so well, she was pregnant by the time they were on the show. Now they’re living in America, preparing to wed, and Emily has had the baby, but hasn’t shed the baby weight. Fitness coach Sasha has taken this as a personal challenge to get his family healthy, which I think is code for getting Emily to drop a few pounds. In a bold move, he started tossing anything he deemed junk into the garbage, while Emily wailed that the veggie chips were fat free. He doesn’t exactly seem too hands-on with being a father either, and did I mention he has two ex-wives who he also got pregnant before marriage? Sounds like a pattern to me. Still, I think this could go either way. We’re down to getting the wedding dress.
American Michael met Brazilian model Juliana while in Croatia. After a rocky start, and a denied visa, Juliana is now in the US. Another couple with a big age gap (19 years, with Michael being older), Michael has an ex-wife and two children. You’d think this would be a hurdle, but you’d be wrong. His children are a delight, wise beyond their years, and his ex has become Juliana’s biggest ally, even going wedding dress shopping with her. Juliana has also been married before, but it was more of an arranged situation, where she was mistreated, and she split. There was a shaky moment, where Michael suggested a prenup (he has a few bucks), but seriously failed in explaining it to Juliana, who freaked out because he’d dropped out of her life once before when she was still in Brazil. Wisely, he scrapped this idea, and we’re at the wedding. Since I read they’re in the process of adopting her niece and nephew, hopefully, this one lasts.
The one that already didn’t last was Anna from America and Mursel from Turkey. I would have bet the farm on this one at the beginning too. Drawn together online with a shared love of beekeeping, neither one knew the other’s language when he arrived to begin the 90 days. Her two sons weren’t thrilled, mostly the older one, but how could two beekeepers not make it? They were so cute together in their bee suits. Anna had picked out her dress, when she decided Mursel keeping her children a secret from his family was a no for her. She insisted he tell them, and the reaction was not good. During FaceTime with his mother, Mursel got honest, and his mother told him to come home, saying that Anna was no good. As if this wasn’t bad enough, he made it sound like he’d just found out, when he knew all along. When his mother called Anna a deceptive liar, he made no move to correct her. No matter how much Anna cried and begged, Mursel packed his bags, and went home to mommy and daddy. The worst part was, as he was headed to the plane, he turned around and came back to Anna. Both Anna and the viewers thought he’d changed his mind, but he had only returned for another tearful goodbye. I’m all for respecting one’s family, but he’s 35.
I’m using the fact that she was on GH to justify including this, but I swear, every time I see Donna Mills, I’m startled. She’s nearly 80, and doesn’t look much different than she did when she was on Knots Landing. Either she has one helluva plastic surgeon or miracle genes.
We are all equal in the fact that we are all different. We are all the same in the fact that we will never be the same. – C. JoyBell C.
The individual who says it is not possible should move out of the way of those doing it. – Tricia Cunningham
Hey, fellas – stop manspreading. – Awkwafina, the new voice of an NYC subway train. And the voice of reason.
Always forgive, but never forget, else you will be a prisoner of your own hatred, and doomed to repeat your mistakes forever. – Wil Zeus
Until you make peace with who you are, you’ll never be content with what you have. – Doris Mortman
If you have a boy, you only have to worry about one penis. If you have a girl, you have to worry about them all. – Herb (Ryan Stiles), Two and a Half Men
I am not good at noticing when I’m happy, except in retrospect. – Tana French
If you ask me I don’t think there are any such things as curses. I think there is only life. That’s enough. – Junot Diaz
Luck affects everything. Let your hook always be cast; in the stream where you least expect it there will be a fish. – Ovid
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Nina tells Jax, she’s sorry, but she has no time to talk. He tells her, just listen. Whatever she’s planning, don’t. The only option that will leave any of them standing is for her to walk away – now.
In bed with Chase, Willow says she can’t believe he got a hotel room. They have a perfectly good bed. He asks if it’s a complaint, and says they can go, but she pulls him back, and says, don’t you dare. She likes the hotel and the bed, and loves the guy in the bed. Chase says that guy loves her too.
Sam tells Jason that this is the last time she can see him, and he asks, what happened? She says the only way she can stay free, is if she stays away from him.
Ned and Brook sit with Diane at the MetroCourt. Brook says she knows Diane is a master. If anyone can find a way out of her contract, it’s Diane. Diane asks if Brook consulted an attorney before signing it, and Brook says, no. Diane says she should have.
Michael asks if he’s told Sasha how good she looks. She says when she got there, and when they took their first drink, and he says, it’s not enough. He tells her to hit him with her New Year’s resolution, and she says she’s so excited to start over. She’ll be leaving Nina and Charlotte behind, but she’s grateful to have him. He says she’s stuck with him, and she says, promise? They kiss.
Maxie tells Obrecht that she looks beautiful; Maxie loves her dress. Obrecht thanks her, and drains her glass. Maxie asks if everything is okay, and Obrecht says she’s anticipating the festivities, whatever they may be. Peter says he thinks it’s called a wedding. Obrecht tells them that despite her sordid history with Valentin, he makes her niece happy. She hopes Nina chooses happy, and Maxie asks if that isn’t why they’re there. Obrecht says, from her lips, and moves on. Peter asks, is it him, or is Obrecht stranger than usual? Maxie says she’s not and never will be a Valentin fan, but obviously, Nina loves him. If a liar like Valentin can turn things around, maybe there’s hope for the rest of them.
Up on the tower balcony, Valentin tells Ava that he doesn’t change plans. He acts with precision, and she gave him an opportunity he can’t pass up. She asks, what opportunity? and he says she’s been drinking heavily, she’s in a fragile emotional state, and it’s icy up there. He pushes her over the parapet, and Charlotte appears. She asks what he’s doing out there. I am so angry about the turn this took. Why must Valentin continue to be a jerk?
Valentin asks Charlotte what she’s doing out there, and from behind her, Lulu says they came to look at the moon. Valentin says, it’s cold. Why don’t they look from the conservatory inside? Lulu says, that’s not a bad idea, and Valentin says he has a job for Charlotte. He tells Lulu that he’s glad she came, and asks Charlotte to check on the bride. He’ll see Lulu downstairs. Charlotte tries to look over the edge, but Valentin pulls her along.
Laura tells Doc, she tried to convince Charlotte that her bodyguard wasn’t real, but Charlotte insisted she saw him, and he was wearing the Cassadine crest ring. She compared it to her father’s tattoo, and described it perfectly. Doc asks if she’s certain it was a ring, and if there’s any chance Charlotte had seen it before. Laura says she’s never seen Valentin near one, and Nikolas was dead long before Charlotte came to town. None of it makes sense.
Sam tells Jason, it’s all her fault. If only she hadn’t gone undercover to take Shiloh down. Look what it’s done to them. Jason says, back it up for a second, and asks the officer’s name. Sam gives him Delores’s card, and he asks if she came in hostile at all. Sam says Delores was definitely expecting her to make a mistake. Jason says Sam didn’t do that. She just showed Delores the house. Sam says, yeah, but Delores got fixated on the stockings. She asked about Danny, and knew Jason was his father. Then she asked if Jason was living there. Jason says, first, Sam needs to understand it’s not her fault. Nothing could have been done to stop it. The officer saw his file, and knew he was Danny’s father. She came to the house gunning for him, not her. Sam asks if there’s any way to fight it.
Willow tells Chase, it’s been an amazing year, and Chase says, except for going to jail. She says, apart from that, she met him, they fell in love, and moved in together. He says, it’s been a pretty good year, and Willow says, she has the feeling 2020 will be even better. Chase thinks they both have that feeling, and they kiss.
Diane tells Brook, the contract is tightly written, and gives little wiggle room. Brook asks if it isn’t Diane’s job; she’s gotten Sonny out of worse. Diane says, not really. All of her clients are well-advised not to sign anything unless it’s been reviewed by her or another competent attorney, which Brook neglected to do. Her manager has exclusive rights to everything, until she provides her obligation. Ned asks if they have any options, and Diane says, if it was anyone else, she’d say there are none, but since they’re Quartermaines, the only straightforward solution would be to buy him out. Her phone dings, and she says she has to run, telling them, happy New Year. Brook says they’re in the middle of something, but Diane says she got a call to consult with a client who has her on retainer. As she leaves, Brook says, it was a text; not a call.
Sasha tells Michael that she keeps telling herself that Lucy is a good businesswoman, and she made the right choice. Is she boring him? He says, no; he’s interested. She says, if he’s so interested, why has he been looking over there the whole time? He apologizes, saying he’s close to his cousin Ned, who’s hands down the most Quartermaine of all of them; whatever good and bad that entails. Ned was distracted before, when he was mayor, but now that Ned’s daughter is back, Michael has the feeling they’re gearing up for some Quartermaine infighting. Sasha asks if that’s a thing, and he says, it is in their family. If he’s right, he could use favor from her. She says, anything, and he says he needs help keeping his perspective. He needs to appreciate the good things around him, and once in a while, she can make him smile. She kisses him, and says, like that? He says, yeah; just like that.
Jax tells Nina that she has two options; marry Valentin or destroy him, and neither is worth it. She says he doesn’t know that, but he says he does. Valentin is dangerous. He’s lied so many times already, does she want to marry into a dysfunctional situation because Valentin is a good father, and there have been a few moments he made her feel good? To be honest, plan B, her big revenge, is probably worse. Charlotte will get caught in the middle. Nina says she thinks about that constantly, and Jax says she should. Charlotte is on cloud nine about Nina marrying her father. If she takes Valentin down, she’ll take Charlotte too, and she doesn’t want to do that. She says, no, she doesn’t.
😠 There was a brief interruption here for remarks about the airstrike in Iraq. Sorry, I just didn’t have time to backtrack later, but I didn’t miss much.
Laura tells Lulu that Charlotte could end up resenting her, and Lulu says, true, but it’s hard. Laura gets it. She knows, no matter what else Valentin has done, he’s the father of someone they love. She’s not saying they should turn a blind eye to it, but Lulu needs to let go of some of the rage, at least around Charlotte. Not long ago, Charlotte blurted out that she knew they hated each other. Lulu says she hasn’t done a good job of hiding it, and Laura tells her to do better, for Charlotte’s sake. Inch toward the middle. She’d like to think, if Nikolas lived, it’s what he would want them do. I laugh, knowing how wrong that is.
Charlotte asks what Jax is doing in Nina’s room, and he says he came to talk to his friend. It’s an exciting night for her, so he’ll leave them to it. Nina tells Charlotte how beautiful she looks, but Charlotte says there’s no one prettier than Nina. She’s excited for Nina to be her forever stepmother. They hug, and Charlotte says she needs Nina. Papa needs her. It will be his happily ever after once Nina marries him.
Jason says he’s never been convicted, but Diane says, one nolo contendere is all that’s needed. He knew when he took the plea bargain, that it was going to follow him, and someone might use it as ammunition. He says, they let him out, and Diane says, because the police needed his help to apprehend Franco. In the eyes of the law, he’s a felon, and the officer is within her rights to make it a condition of Sam’s parole. Sam says, it’s fine. It’s nothing they haven’t dealt with before. They’ll deal with it again.
Martin tells Valentin, it’s almost midnight. Is he ready? Valentin says he never thought he’d be getting married in a room of his enemies. Martin says, it’s a humdinger, and Valentin says, if anyone had made the guest list other than Nina, he’d be worried. Charlotte runs in, and Jax isn’t far behind. They both sit.
Brook asks if Ned heard what Diane said about the option they have. Ned asks if she wants him to pay the guy off, and she says, yes. He says, no, and she asks, why not? He says she had a manager; her mother. It was her choice to leave, and go out on her own, signing with a supposed brilliant producer. Brook says he hit on her. After she signed. She realized it was less about her being a recording artist than arm candy. Ned asks if the producer forced himself on her, and she says, no, but he made it clear there were terms not specified in the contract that he wanted met. Ned calls him a pig, and Brook says, now he understands why she needs him to give the producer the money. He says, sorry. His answer is still no.
Sasha asks Willow what it’s like having someone head over heels in love with her. Chase is obsessed with her, in the most sincere way. She has the feeling when the time it right, they’re going to make the best parents.
Chase says Michael and Sasha seem good. Michael says it’s crazy, after all that happened, and Chase says he’s relieved that he didn’t have to testify in the fraud thing. Michael must be glad it’s over. Michael says, the lies are done, and Sasha has the Deception thing going on. The sky’s the limit for Sasha, and it’s all he wants for her.
No Nina yet. Martin looks at his watch. Everyone waits. Nina stands outside the door for a moment, and walks in. She and Valentin smile at each other.
Diane says she’s speaking not only as an attorney, but someone who has a vested interest in Sam and Jason’s happiness, and that of their children. In all these years, it hasn’t sat well with her that Sonny’s children have paid in a million different ways for the choices he made. If they’re going to do this, sneak around, and try to circumvent the stipulations of parole, Sam could be locked away for the full two years, possibly more. She has to ask if that’s a risk they’re willing to take.
Michael, Sasha, Willow, and Chase clink glasses at the MetroCourt, saying, happy New Year. Michael says, it really is, and kisses Sasha. Chase says, get a room, and Sasha says, like they did? Michael says Chase is making him look bad. Sasha asks what he and Chase were talking about, and Michael says, lies. He’s happy the drama is behind them. They clink glasses again, and Sasha says she has enjoyed so much of her time there though. She obviously fell in love with Nina as a maternal figure; she’s an amazing mom to Charlotte. But the whole time, she kept thinking, it’s not real; she can’t trust it. Willow says she gets it. Giving up Wiley was hard, but the second hardest thing was the lying and covering up, especially with Michael. When they would meet at the grief group, and she wasn’t telling him the truth, she hated every minute. They all turn to Chase, and he says, don’t look at him. He’s a cop; honesty is always the best policy. Michael says neither one of them would last in his families. The Corinthoses lie about facts, and the Quartermaines lie about everything, but the love is real.
Ned tells Brook and Olivia, happy New Year to the two most important women in his life. Brook says the countdown isn’t going to make her forget. She asks if he doesn’t believe that the guy was inappropriate with her, but he says he does. She can’t work with him again, but he doesn’t think throwing money at him is the solution. Now, he has the leverage, and can set the price, if he knows she’s desperate to get out. If she’d just read the fine print. Brook says it sounds like he thinks she asked for it, and Ned says, of course (🍷) he doesn’t think she wanted sexual harassment by a loser. She says, why not then? and he says if thought she was in danger, they’d figure something out. What happened was inexcusable, but she can stay there and regroup. Brook asks why she should give up her dream, but Ned says, the contract will eventually expire. Brook says, years from now, when she’s dead, or worse, married. Ned says the uncomfortable truth is, they’re Quartermaines, and there’s a world full of people who want to take advantage of them. If they give in just once, everyone knows they can be taken advantage of. Brook asks if he can’t just do it one time, but he says, that’s not how it works. Sorry. She leaves, and Olivia looks at Ned.
The Wedding March plays, as Nina walks down the aisle, which doesn’t take long since they’re in the living room.
Diane says she doesn’t want to know how good Sam and Jason are at avoiding surveillance. They only need to be caught one time. The parole officer is gunning for Sam, probably to get at Jason. The best option is to get Spinelli involved. Have him do a deep dive on the parole officer, and see if he can come up with something, like a conflict of interest. Get Sam assigned to someone new. It has to be done behind-the-scenes, or the officer could get more combative, or make a worse report. Sam says, so Diane is telling them the officer has total control. Diane says, for the moment, and Jason says, the best way to beat her, is to make her think she’s winning.
Ned asks Olivia what she thinks, and Olivia says, it was an amazing speech, but not one word landed. Ned asks, why? and she says, because Brook may have a tough exterior like Lois, but the Quartermaine who Brook is most like is Ned’s mother.
Martin officiates, but Valentin tells him, before the official stuff, he’d like to say a few words. He tells Nina, in this world, two things changed his life forever. First, his beautiful daughter, and then there’s her. He wasn’t certain she and Charlotte would ever meet; he thought they’d be separate parts of his life always. But then Charlotte came to live with him, and the most remarkable thing happened. He met the side of Nina that loved his daughter. She introduced him to a new level of happiness. She’s a wonderful mother, and he can’t imagine sharing his daughter with anyone else; like he can’t imagine sharing his life with anyone else. She’s it. She’s the one.
Ned says, it’s amazing how clearly Olivia sees his family. Does she want out? Olivia asks if he thinks his family drama is going to scare her away. He hugs her, and says she’s still getting her feet wet when it comes to the Quartermaines, but Olivia says she thinks she’s waist deep. Ned says they have a lot of flaws, but the one virtue in the midst of the chaos and backstabbing, is that they can take a moment to enjoy themselves, and see the big picture. He’s glad Brook is back in his life, and he can spend time with her. And he has Olivia, her love and acceptance, and her kicking him in the ass when he needs it. Olivia tells him, don’t ever forget it, and they kiss.
Jason asks how Diane got there, and Diane says, an Uber. Jason tells her, they’ll openly leave together. Sam says, it’s the last time, and Diane agrees. She says they can’t come face to face unless accompanied by their attorneys. Sam says, it’s not fair. This is how they’re supposed to bring in the New Year? He’s Danny’s father. Jason says, if there’s a fix, Diane will find it. He hates it, but they can deal with it. What they can’t deal with, is the kids missing her. He’d go prison for her, but they can’t risk her going back. They’re parents, and what’s right for Scout and Danny is to be with her, which means… He kisses her, and tells her that he loves her so much. She says she loves him too, and they hug. He leaves with Diane, gesturing to Sam with his index finger and pinky on his way out the door, which I assume means he loves her, and not that he loves heavy metal. Sam cries. In the hallway, Diane asks if Jason is okay, but he says, no.
Nina guesses she’ll say something too. Valentin has made her happier than anyone else in her life. She didn’t know what love was until she fell into it with him. What they learn when they’re kids, they think love is a fairytale. A happily ever after, permanent state of bliss, but that’s not love. Love has its ups and downs; beautiful transcendent moments alongside heart wrenching ones. But the happiness is worth the pain. On thing she’s learned, and knows for sure, happiness with him is so sweet. So no more secrets between them, right? He says, no, and I feel sick. Martin says, on that note, and reads the vows.
Just as Nina is about to say, I do, the door is kicked open. Nikolas stands there with Ava in his arms. Everyone is shocked, including me. I have to admit, that was good.
On Monday, Cameron says Trina should have stayed out of it, Lulu accuses Jax of being behind everything, and Nikolas tells Valentin that he loses everything.
🏰 To The Mansion Reborn…
To be honest, I didn’t even notice until Tracy mentioned it. I just thought it was a different part of the house.
Hey, as long as they’re not nasty or sloppy, if someone wants to drink to excess, that’s their business. Although LuAnn seems to be both. Just sayin’. I was surprised when she got brought back to court after outing herself about those two mimosas. I’ll bet she was surprised too.
The Haves and the Have Nots begins a new season this Tuesday, January 7th. As does Vanderpump Rules. I’ll have to see how I’m going to finagle that, since they’re both on at 9 pm. I’ll be glad to see HAHNagain, and just as glad to stop seeing the ad for it on OWN every five minutes.
👂 A Yearworm…
I know it’s way off, but every time I hear 2020, this song pops into my head. Somebody make it stop.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Kelly is out in the woods. We see tattered rags on a clothesline, and a wild boar. Kelly gets her slingshot ready, but she’s having trouble hearing. The boar is down, but not dead, and she has to stab it. A zombie sneaks up on her, and she stabs that too. Zombies fall on the boar, devouring it, so Kelly has to abandon that idea. She runs, and a zombie follows. She tumbles down a hill. She’s hurt, and crawls forward. She leans against a tree, and a seriously creepy-looking zombie reaches for her from behind.
Negan looks at his reflection in the creek, and splashes water on his face. He debates drinking some, but decides not to. A voice says, gotcha. Don’t try anything. Negan turns around to see Brandon, who says, the look on his face. He was just messing with Negan. Brandon tosses him a canteen, and says Negan is fast. It took forever to catch up to him. Negan smiles. Damn he’s handsome.
Yumiko and a couple of others are still working on killing straggling zombies outside the wall. Yumiko goes inside to check in with Eugene. Aiden says Eugene has come up with a zero waste plan, and Eugene says, it seems as good a time as any to master the Pueblo art of basket weaving. On the side, Aiden suggests to Yumiko that they make weapons and catapults. She thinks it’s a good idea, just not now. Things are too complicated. Yumiko moves on, and Earl tells Aiden, the Whisperers toppled their wall with a tree, and now they’re throwing walkers at them, but they’re twiddling their thumbs. Breanna tells Yumiko that Connie was in the root cellar again in the middle of the night. Yumiko asks, who was on watch?
Yumiko goes inside her house to find Magna listening to music and reading. Yumiko shuts off the gramophone. She tells Magna that someone stole the crate of fish they got from Oceanside. Breanna said it was gone from the root cellar. Magna says, everything is strange at the moment. Yumiko says it would help if they stuck to the jobs they were given. Magna turns the music back up, and goes back to her book.
Ezekiel leans against a fence and ponders. Daryl rides in on his bike, and Siddiq follows behind on a horse. Connie waves, and signs talk later to Daryl. Ezekiel says, no sign of Negan? and Siddiq says they searched day and night, thinking about what he took from them, and they didn’t take from him. Ezekiel says they could use a hand in the infirmary, and Siddiq says they were planning on leaving tomorrow, but of course he’ll help.
A group of hunters comes back, and Connie writes, Kelly? Aiden says, she’s not there? She was tracking something, and said she’d meet them back at Hilltop. She should be back by now.
Negan cuts little sucker branches off of a big branch. Brandon whistles, and asks Negan if he got it. His dad used to tells him how the Saviors whistled back and forth. He asks how Negan got out of the cell, but Negan doesn’t say anything. Brandon says at least tell him what they’re looking for, but Negan says he wants to play it safe. Brandon says he heard how badass the Sanctuary was. Then Rick comes along, and talk about a hypocrite. He kills their parents, drags them to Alexandria, and gives them a lecture on community. He heard Negan made Rick cut his own kid’s hand off, and then killed him. Negan says he never did that. Carl was… He would never kill a kid. Brandon says they’re both Negan. Negan starts walking again. Brandon follows.
They come across a mess of barbed wire, and Brandon asks, who would do this? Negan says, the skin freaks. Brandon asks if they should cross. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Negan says, no, and a zombie comes out of nowhere, knocking Negan down. He holds it off with his newly fashioned stick, pushes it off of him. and uses the barbed wire to cut three-quarters of its head off through the mouth. Then he smashes the head with his foot. He says, thanks for the help, and Brandon says, sorry. He needed a second to wrap Negan’s gift. He holds out Lucille, wrapped in barbed wire. He says he swiped it from Alexandria, and was waiting for the right time to surprise Negan. He takes Negan’s leather jacket out of his backpack, and says, it took forever to find it. It was in the back of an old storage garage. His dad said he never saw Negan without it. Negan tells Brandon to put it in his backpack. He doesn’t want to be recognized. Brandon asks if he likes it though, and Negan says it’s a big hit.
Aaron looks around on the bridge, and hears something. He goes into the woods, and watches Gamma dispatch a zombie. She cuts it open, and blood flows into the creek. She shoves the body into the water; its entrails popping out.
Negan and Brandon stare at some zombies meandering around, and Brandon tells Negan that he’d say she’s a seven. Negan just looks at him, and he asks if this isn’t this kind of stuff the Saviors did to kill time. Negan tells Brandon that he can’t say he remembers rating walkers on their hotness. And she’s clearly a three. They hear screaming, and Negan takes off, Brandon following. Negan runs to a bus, where the screaming is coming from, and slams a zombie against the side of it. He breaks the knife in the process of stabbing it in the head. He looks at the handle, and says, you’ve got to be kidding me. He goes inside the bus, where he finds a woman screaming and fending off several zombies. Negan kills one, and she takes down another. Negan smashes the third zombies head in the bus door until there’s nothing left. A little boy peeks out from behind one of the seats. Brandon says, damn. Classic Negan.
Connie and Daryl search the woods for Kelly. Daryl says it’s not her fault, but Kelly signs that she should have gone with Kelly. Daryl asks if he’s told her about his brother Merle. One time Merle took him fishing on a big lake that was private property, in a boat that was stolen. Merle was drinking and fishing, and fell in the lake. Daryl had to swim back to shore while holding onto Merle. He saved Merle’s life, and know what he says? He writes, Dummy, go get the beer. Connie laughs, and he says, idiot, right? He tells her it’s going to be all right, and Dog barks. I always get nervous when dog is on screen
They see the rock from Kelly’s slingshot, and the remains of the boar. Daryl almost shoots Magna, who comes from another direction. Kelly gives Magna a questioning look, and Magna shakes her head.
Yumiko says she should be out there with them, and Aiden says if she was lost in the woods, who would she want to find her? Somebody has to come back with her. Killjoy Earl asks if Aiden really thinks Kelly is okay, and Aiden says he hopes so. Earl says, what about them? The tree didn’t fall on its own. He thinks they might be coming back with something worse. Isn’t Aiden thinking about them at all? Aiden says, after what happened to his family, he thinks night and day about them. Earl says, don’t stop.
Ezekiel tells Siddiq, they took a quarter of the medical supplies. Ezekiel holds a metal tiger, and Siddiq says he’s sorry. Ezekiel says Henry forged it during his apprenticeship. He has a sudden coughing fit, and Siddiq says, that doesn’t sound good, but Ezekiel says, it’s nothing. The regular slings and arrows. Siddiq says it could be from smoke inhalation, and reaches out to touch Ezekiel, who slaps his hand away. Ezekiel tells Siddiq that he said he was fine. After a moment, Ezekiel pulls down his sweater to reveal a protrusion on his neck, saying, it’s grown. Siddiq touches Ezekiel’s neck, and says, it could be a lot of things, but Ezekiel says he knows what it is. Siddiq says, without a test, he can’t be sure, but Ezekiel says he knows. Siddiq sits, and Ezekiel says when he was growing up, his grandmother had it, and so did his father. The pain, the coughing, and swelling; he watched them fight it and win. There was 98% survival rate for thyroid cancer with the treatments that were out there. Now, they both know what it means. Siddiq says, it can be managed; acupuncture, hypnosis… He’s struggling with own condition. He can’t stand how everyone looks to him for some kind of answers. Maybe Ezekiel can’t get away from it, but they can talk about it. What are they there for if not for each other?
Amelia, the woman on the bus, tells Negan that she and Milo have been walking for weeks, since the Whisperers scattered everyone from their camp to the four winds. They went back to what it was before, and what it is in the end, moving from place to place, surviving. Brandon says he’s been there. Amelia asks if Milo wants to walk, and Brandon says, be safe. When they’re gone, Brandon says he knows what Negan is thinking. Negan says, people are a resource, but Brandon says, not them. He starts to go after them, and Negan grabs him, shoving him into a seat. He says he appreciates what Brandon has done for him since he left Alexandria, but it’s only going to get more dangerous from there. It’s best for him to go on alone, and Brandon should go home. Brandon says, okay, but if he goes back, everyone will want know where he’s been. What is he supposed to say? He’s never been a great liar. Negan laughs, and asks if Brandon planned that. He can go wherever the hell he wants. Brandon can go back to Alexandria and tell the whole world exactly where he is. He doesn’t give a sh*t, as long as doesn’t have to see that creepy pasty-ass face of Brandon’s again. Brandon says Negan is just like all the others. He grabs his bag, and gets off the bus.
Alpha watches as a Whisperer slices the face of off a zombie. She says, the ears are tricky. (I find out later on Talking Dead, that this is actually the zombie Kelly killed in the beginning scene.) Gamma approaches, and Alpha touches her face, saying she has something for Gamma. Gamma says she just came back from the creek, and Beta says, another one lost. Alpha says, strategy takes time. If they treat the water, and build a dam of zombies, it will crush them. A Whisperer wants to talk to Alpha, and Beta grumbles, but Alpha tells him to speak his piece. He says instead of what she’s doing, why not cut their enemies down all at once? Alpha asks if anyone agrees, and gets silence. She says, there’s democracy for you, and slices his hamstring. The Whisperer falls to his knees, and she says, the human body is fragile. All it takes to collapse it are a few nicks in the right spot. He makes a feeble attempt to stab her, and she slices his arm. She says, the strong ones know where to come to be safe, and hands Beta her knife. Beta slits the Whisperer’s throat, and Alpha says Gamma wanted another guardian.
Milo plays with a toy plane, and Negan asks how he is, telling Milo that he doesn’t bite. Milo’s mom it packing, so he has time to kill. Milo asks where Brandon is, and Negan says, he went looking for supplies. He tells Milo that he’s going to be rea; he told Brandon to get lost. It turns out he’s not the best co-pilot, if Milo catches his drift. He says Brandon doesn’t, does he? He’s never been on a plane. It’s not Milo’s fault that God turned the world into an ass pit before he was born. It feels like you’ve been sitting on the runway forever, and suddenly you hear a groan. The plane creeps along, moving faster and faster, until everything out the window turns into a blur. The wheels come up, and you’re flying, like voodoo magic. Up and up, higher and higher, until it’s like you’re floating on top of the world. The houses and cars look like toys. The food is a no. He was served beef stroganoff that looked like baby sh*t. There’s so much Milo is going to miss growing up in a screwed up world. Driving his first set of wheels, video games, nut tapping. He explains that you catch a guy off-guard. Keep your wrist loose, and snap your fingers on their nuts. You can’t go too low or too high, or you’ll get nothing but d*ck. He has Milo demonstrate the technique, and says he’s a natural. If nut tapping was a sport, Milo would be in the hall of fame. He tells Milo a fire isn’t happening without wood. Is he packed? Milo says he is, and Negan says he knows it sucks, but tells him mom that Negan knows a place where they’ll probably take them in. It has high walls, farmland, and has a mansion in the middle. They can’t tell who brought them there, but he’ll get them as close as he can. There’s one condition. Milo has to keep his fingers holstered when Negan’s nuts are around. Deal? Milo says, deal, and they high-five.
Gamma walks with the new zombie to the creek. She stabs him again and again, remembering throwing her sister into the zombie horde, and seeing Alpha kill the Whisperer. She’s stabbing so aggressively, she ends up cutting herself, and dropping the knife in the water. Aaron sees, and tosses her a bandage wrap. He says, it’s okay; it’s for her hand. He tells her that his name is Aaron. He knows they don’t do names anymore, but she’s got to be from somewhere. He’s from Vermont. Gamma jets, and he says, you’re welcome.
Connie and Daryl continue to search. Dog barks, and they find Kelly passed out, leaning against the tree. Connie wakes her up, and asks if she’s okay. Kelly signs that she couldn’t hear before, but she’s fine now. Magna gives Kelly some water, but she chokes on it. Connie signs that they have to get back to Hilltop. Daryl thinks they need to find somewhere closer. Connie walks over to a brush pile, and uncovers a big box of supplies. Daryl asks if she knew about this, and Connie takes a medical kit out of the box. She signs something to Magna, and Daryl asks what she said. Magna tells him that Connie doesn’t trust her. Daryl says Hilltop took them in. They have sick children and mouths to feed, and she steals from them. All she’s good for is talking sh*t. Connie writes not to tell them. Let her handle it.
Negan carries a small pile of wood in his arms. He hears whistling, and sees Brandon. Brandon says, that’s it, right? Negan drops the wood, and sees that Amelia and Milo are dead; their bodies next to the bus. Brandon says he remembers Negan kicked people out, but he was messing with them; keeping them in line. He realized this was a test. Negan said it was going to get a lot more dangerous, because he wanted to make sure Brandon had the balls to do what had to be done. Brandon looks at the bodies, and says, what does he think? Negan picks up a big rock, and Brandon turns around, saying, I passed. I am Negan. Negan slams the rock into Brandon’s head, and pounds his head to a pulp. He takes Lucille and his jacket, and walks.
Daryl returns with Connie, Kelly, and Magna. Yumiko runs to them, and asks, what happened? Connie signs that she’ll explain later.
Dante jokes to Siddiq on the radio. He says either Siddiq’s mic is out or he’s laughing balls off. He says he’s still there, and asks how Rosita is. Dante says he didn’t want to tell Siddiq, but she got a bump. She’ll be fine. Siddiq says he’ll leave for home tonight. He asks if Carol is around, and Dante says he’ll grab her. Ezekiel takes Siddiq’s place at the mic. He touches the metal tiger, and listens to Carol’s footsteps coming toward the radio. He shuts the radio off. Not that it’s ever in a happy place, but this show is just heartbreaking tonight.
Yumiko tells Magna it’s scary to think, but they probably wouldn’t have made it if they hadn’t found that stash. It sounds like they were far off the main road. Magna tells her, say it. Yumiko thinks she stole the supplies and hid them out there. Yumiko says, it wouldn’t be the first time, and Magna says Yumiko has thought she was selfish and stupid for the past thirteen years. That’s how she looked at Magna the day she showed up in her fancy suit. Yumiko says she was thinking, here’s an innocent person locked up for a crime she didn’t commit, and she’s never trusted anyone because no one trusted her. She was mad at everyone. Magna says her cousin was a little girl who had to go on living life when nobody came for him. So she did it. There it is. (For clarification: A man sexually assaulted Magna’s young cousin, and she killed him.) Magna tells Yumiko, they’ve both killed how many? and still that look.
Gamma approaches Alpha, and shows Alpha her bandaged hand. She says, the man with the metal arm gave to her. Seated on the ground, Alpha says, shh, and Gamma sits next to her. Alpha takes Gamma’s mask off, saying, different masks for different times. It’s kind of a sacrifice, like Gamma sacrificed her sister. Gamma says Alpha’s sacrifice was much greater, and Alpha says, the man with the metal arm could be useful. Gamma might just have to wear a new mask.
Connie walks through the stables, and hangs up a lantern. Daryl is there with his bike, and she asks if he’s leaving. He says he has to go back, and asks if Kelly is okay. Connie smiles and nods. She writes, sorry about Magna and Kelly asking him to lie for them. Daryl makes the sign for family, and Connie smiles. He gets on his bike, and she signs goodbye. He rolls out, whistling for Dog to follow.
Negan walks through the woods, wearing his jacket, and carrying Lucille. He walks past the barbed wire, and says, hey, sacks of sh*t, what does he have to do to get something to eat? Are they all scared of the big bad wolf? Little pigs, little pigs, let me in. (Which is what he also said when he first went to Alexandria.) He sees some zombies and says, there they are. He’s done talking. He whacks one with Lucille, and says he’s gonna blow their asses all the way home. He wallops a few more, and gets knocked down by Beta, who’s there with some Whisperers. I say, oh sh*t, and Negan says, all right, you big ass freak. Let’s do this.
Next time, Carol takes her gun and goes out walking, Alpha wants to test Negan, and Negan says he wants to join the Whisperers. They’re a survivor’s wet dream.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Hanging out in Sonny’s kitchen, Michael tells Carly which picture of Donna he prefers for her screen saver. She says she can’t pick just one. He says, Donna is almost as adorable as he was as a baby, and she says, and equally dramatic. They’re having a welcome home party when Donna is able to come home. Sonny suggests Michael bring Sasha, and Carly asks if they had fun at the wedding. Michael says he wouldn’t call it fun, or a wedding.
At the station, Jordan snatches Sasha’s file out of Curtis’s hands, and asks what he’s doing. He says, a little light reading. She asks how he came by it, and he says the file was sitting there, looking all unattended and stuff. She says she’ll speak to Chase about that. As for him… He says he knows he crossed the line, but the mess with Sasha is partly his fault, but she says, absolutely not. He says he’d feel better if he knew how an amateur like Sasha could pull off a con like this, and she says, this town is riddled with liars.
Lucas tells Julian, he and Brad cleared the air. Some of it, at least. Julian says, it takes work, and Lucas says, and sometimes, a third party. Therapy isn’t for everybody, but Brad says Dr. Bern has a good reputation. Julian says, Neil Bern? Lucas says, yeah, and Julian says, Brad’s therapist is Alexis’s boyfriend?
Sam tells Alexis that she’s sorry. Alexis accepts her apology, because that’s what mother’s do. However, she wants to register a formal complaint. It was difficult to hear from Diane that Sam has been arrested twice. Sam says she didn’t want worry Alexis, and Alexis says, yet here she is; worried. Sam says they didn’t think it would get this far. The evidence was bogus, and the information fabricated. Robert was just about to drop the case. Alexis says, this is a Federal case, and the Feds are going to be diligent about it. Not because they want to put Sam in prison, but they’re hoping she flips on Jason. Sam says, never, and Alexis says, they don’t know that. Jason comes in and says, the Feds are about to find out they have no case. He sat down with Brice Henderson, and laid out Brice’s options. Sam asks if Brice gave any names.
Ryan wipes his bloody hand on a towel, and says, neat and tidy. He can’t say same for his cellmate though, can he? Brice’s arm hangs down from the top bunk, dripping blood. Ryan talks to Ava’s picture, saying, sorry dear. His new cellmate was a horrible slob. He doesn’t know what the warden was thinking. They’re completely incompatible. He calls to the guard, and says, something terrible has happened.
Ava eats one of her martini olives, and stares into space. Laura says she’s a million miles away. Ava says just fifteen. Maximum security is just a hop, skip, and a jump from downtown. Laura can’t tell her that she never thinks of Ryan. Laura says she refuses to give him that power. Ava says Laura is a bonafide anti-victim. Good for her. Laura says she learned how to be strong from overcoming the obstacles in her own life. Ava says Laura is still living up to her own example, and Laura says Ava is strong too. Ava says, don’t speak too soon. there’s still plenty of time to prove Laura wrong. Someone watches.
Laura doesn’t think drinking helps, and Ava says she tried Laura’s way. Not all of them make it through on water alone. Laura asks if she has someone to talk to; Julian, or a friend? Ava says she’s boring Laura, but Laura says, not at all. She’s just concerned Ava doesn’t have enough of a support system. Ava says, concerned about her? Please don’t be. Laura says, but she is. She knows what it feels like to lose a child. She wants to help Ava. Ava says she can help by helping to get the death penalty reinstated. Laura says, killing Ryan won’t bring Kiki back, or give Ava peace. Ava says she thinks it would be a tremendous relief, knowing the man who violated her daughter was snuffed out of existence. He’s always lurking, just outside her field of vision. He’s still thinking about her; dreaming, planning. His eyes are always on her. Right now she can feel him watching her. Can Laura?
Carly asks, who left who at the altar? Her bet’s on Nina. Sonny says, Valentin might have left Nina for her own good, but Carly says, he’d never be that noble. Michael says, it was Nina who left Valentin, and Carly and Sonny laugh. Carly wants details, and Michael says, the wedding started on time. The bride walked down the aisle, and they exchanged lovely vows. Then Lulu stood up and announced that Sasha was only pretending to be Nina’s daughter. Carly says, Michael’s Sasha? It isn’t true, right?Lulu made a mistake. Michael says, Sasha confirmed she’s not Nina’s daughter. When Nina heard that, she assumed Valentin was involved, and walked out. Sonny is sorry, and says it must be hard on Michael, and Carly says, not so hard that he didn’t walk away from her right then and there. He did walk away, didn’t he?
Curtis asks Jordan if it doesn’t bother her that Sasha was able to beat more than one DNA test, and was able to fool so many people for so long? Jordan says she helped him squeeze the truth out of that dirty adoption lawyer. Yes, it bothers her. He says she doesn’t seem so bothered. She says, Andre was nearly murdered, Drew’s plane went down under mysterious circumstances, and the Feds are charging Sam with murder based on a raft of questionable evidence. So yes, it bothers her, but it’s also of decidedly low priority. She looks forward to the outcome of his investigation. Jordan’s phone rings. She says she’ll send a detective right away, and tells Chase he needs to get to Pentenville right now.
Jason tells Alexis, when Brice found out they could prove he almost killed Andre, he decided to cooperate. Alexis says, so the person who helped Shiloh escape, also stabbed Andre? Jason says Andre ID’d him, and Alexis asks what are the odds that someone would take on two high profile jobs like that at the same time? Sam says, the odds are a lot better, and work in their favor, if they’re connected. Now they just need to know what Brice thinks. Jason says, starting with who hired him. Alexis takes it that they have a theory. Jason says, Drew used to work with Shiloh in Afghanistan, and tracked down Andre to help Franco. Then Drew went missing. Alexis says, so Drew’s the connection. Sam says, yeah, and Alexis asks how it fits. Sam says, hell if she knows, and Jason says, whoever hired Brice knows.
Brad tells Julian that he didn’t know Alexis was seeing anyone, and Lucas says he didn’t either. Is that a problem? Julian says, not for him, but maybe for them. Didn’t Alexis handle Wiley’s adoption? You never know what might come up. A lot of stuff is said in therapy. Lucas says, which is confidential. Julian says, it should be. What do they know about Neil? Brad says, he helped Kristina. Lucas says, Alexis is dating him, and he doubts she’d be happy with a psychiatrist who violated confidentiality. If he’s good enough for her, he’s good enough for them. Lucas has to get to work, and leaves. Julian asks why Brad didn’t tell him that Neil was his therapist. Brad asks, why would he? Therapy is private, and it’s his business. Julian says, it’s his business too, since Brad decided to tell him the truth about Wiley. It’s too risky. He tells Brad to fire Neil, but Brad says, no. Julian says, don’t tell him no, and Brad says he just did. What’s Julian going to do about it?
Alexis asks if Sam and Jason have any idea who’s behind this. Sam says they’ve had their suspicions. Jason says, it stays in this room, and Alexis says she’s familiar with the concept of confidentiality. Sam says they think it’s Peter. Alexis says, Maxie’s boyfriend? and Sam says, Faison’s son. The man who kept Jason prisoner for five years. Jason says he’s also Anna’s son, so he’s been giving Peter the benefit of the doubt out of respect for her, but he knows how Peter works. Peter says he kept Jason alive as an act of conscience, but he was really keeping Jason in reserve to kill his father. It’s the same basic set up. Peter uses a middleman, and keeps his hands clean. Alexis says, it’s a compelling story. Do they have any evidence to support it? Jason says Brice had a big reaction to Peter’s name. Alexis asks if he confirmed that, and Jason says, not in so many words, but he said he’d talk if he can make a deal with the Feds.
Brice’s body bag is zipped up. Chase calls Jordan and tells her, Brice Henderson is dead. Jordan asks how that happened, and Chase says, if you don’t look too close, you’d think it’s self-inflicted. Jordan asks, what if you did look close? and he says he’d bet his money on Brice’s serial killer cellmate.
Ava asks if Laura feels that? The sense of being watched. Laura says she’s felt it before in life. Ava says Laura thinks she sounds crazy, but Laura says she doesn’t. She thinks it’s justified and understandable, but it’s a sign Ava needs help.
Julian puts his arm around Brad, and says he’s trying to help him. Brad says, help would have been neutralizing Obrecht when he asked Julian to. Julian says Brad asked him to kill her, and Brad says he asked Julian to keep his grandson safe. Julian turned him away, and he was on his own. His anxiety got so severe, he was having heart palpitations. He needed to do something to keep his head from popping off his neck. Julian says he’s sorry he’s not being more patient. He’ll do better, and so will Brad in treatment – with anyone else. Brad says, someone else might not give him what he wants, and it’s too late. Lucas is all in now. Neil wants him to bring Lucas in for a session; he wants to talk to them both. Julian says, the guy is already a problem. What happens when he says he can tell Brad is holding something back. Brad says he’ll cover, but Julian says Neil is too good; he’ll be able to tell Brad is lying. Brad says he knows what he’s doing. Julian may not have faith in him, but he has faith in himself, and so does Lucas. Brad walks out, and Julian says, not for long, and makes a call.
At the hospital, Lucas looks at a pamphlet on therapy. Curtis asks if he’s in analysis, and Lucas says he’s thinking about it. Curtis says, it’s not for the faint of heart. He tried it with family. He’s been shot at, blown up, been in a dumpster with rats the size of Dobermans, but nothing prepared him for getting mental with Jordan, and his auntie. Lucas says, both at the same time? Curtis says, good way to go crazy. Lucas says Curtis isn’t exactly easing his mind. Curtis says, it was rough, but ultimately, the experience was a healing one. It didn’t take right away; it took a couple of months. Lucas wonders if it helped, and Curtis says, eventually. Lucas asks if Curtis is a fan now, and Curtis says he loves expressing his thoughts and feelings so much, his wife says he’s an oversharer. Lucas says his expectations are pretty low. He’d settle for a tidbit from Brad. Curtis says, Lucas and him both.
Carly asks Michael to please tell her that he ditched Sasha. Michael says he can’t, because he didn’t. Sonny is sure Michael has his reasons, but Carly says, what reason could there be?Sasha told a church full of people that she was a fraud. Michael says, there’s more to it than that. Carly is sure there is. Sasha came from a broken home, she has a personality disorder, or Nina deserved it. It doesn’t matter. No reason is good enough. Michael asks if it would make Carly feel better to know Sasha had decide to come clean with Nina, and Carly says, is that what Sasha told him? She saw the error of her ways, and had every intention of fessing up? Michael says, it’s true. She’d already told him she made that decision. Sonny says Michael is smarter than that, but Michael says Sasha already told him that she wasn’t Nina’s daughter weeks ago.
Brad comes out of the hospital elevator, and Lucas says Curtis was just looking for him. Brad asks, what for? and Curtis says he’s curious about lab procedure. Brad says, his? but Curtis says, no, just in general. Brad says he can’t divulge protocol without clearance, and Curtis says, it’s not that heavy. It’s probably not what Brad is thinking. Lucas says, he remembers Sasha, right? Curtis says, it turns out she’s not Nina’s daughter, and Lucas says, Sasha was scamming her. Curtis says he’s the one who tracked down Sasha’s DNA sample; the one that proved the parent/child connection. Someone tampered with the sample. Lucas says, Curtis is trying to figure out how Sasha must have pulled it off, so they thought of Brad.
Ava tells Laura, it’s not paranoia or madness;it’s grief. Laura knows that, but it’s the kind of grief that can drown you if you let it. There’s no forgiving the death of a child, but you can learn to live with it. She tells Ava not to isolate herself. Talk to people; share her pain. There’s no shame in that, but there’s real danger in succumbing to it. Laura’s phone rings, and she steps away to take the call. It’s Jordan, who says she has bad news she’d prefer to deliver in person, but she can’t get away. Laura asks what it is, and Jordan says, it’s Ryan. Laura looks at Ava, who says, what?
Carly says, Michael knew Sasha was lying to Nina? Michael says Sasha told him the night she was released from the hospital. Nina was so good to her when she was sick, Sasha couldn’t take it anymore. She told him that she wasn’t Nina’s daughter, and the whole thing was a lie. Carly says, it’s awful for Nina; she was so invested. Michael says Sasha had every intention of confessing to Nina after she told him, but he convinced her not to. Carly says, what? Why would he do that? Sonny says they’re in no position to judge, but Carly says she thought they raised Michael to be better than them. Not to make the same mistakes they did. This isn’t like him. Michael says, there was another consideration. Cassandra’s trial is coming up soon. He thought if Sasha confessed, it would cast doubt on her testimony, and weaken the case. It was a difficult decision, but Sasha agreed to hold off on confessing until after the trial. A few more months wouldn’t make any difference to Nina, but it would for Cassandra’s victims. Sonny says, it was a tough call, but the right one. He’d have done the same thing. Carly says, small comfort to Nina.
Laura tells Jordan to keep her apprised. She asks Jordan to call Julian, and tell him to get to the MetroCourt. His sister needs him. Ava downs her drink.
Alexis assumes Jason and Sam haven’t told Maxie their suspicions. Jason says they need to prove it, and Sam says they don’t want to tip Peter off, or put Maxie in danger. Jason says, so they’re waiting on Brice. Sam says, he’ll cut a deal, and hopefully tell them everything. Alexis says while they’re depending on the DOJ to make a deal, her priority is to get Sam out of there. Jordan comes in and says, Sam’s ride is here. Sam asks where she’s going, and Jordan says, to await trial in Pentenville. Sam looks at Jason.
Carly says, Sasha confessed to everyone at the church. Nina could easily press charges for fraud. Michael says, she won’t. Carly says, don’t be so sure. It was cruel. Sasha gave Nina a daughter, then took her away. Michael thinks Nina can be convinced not to call the cops. Carly says, by him? and Sonny asks if Michael thinks his influence can get Nina to back off, and Michael says he knows someone. Carly asks, who would advocate on Sasha’s behalf? and Michael says, someone who stands to lose more than Sasha did if the whole truth comes out.
Lucas says, to run two DNA tests, Sasha had help on the inside, and Curtis says, she did claim she had a friend who knew their way around a DNA lab. Brad says it’s not him. It was him in the past, but he’s changed. Curtis says, no one is accusing him, but they thought he was an expert in lab procedure. Brad says, sorry. He doesn’t want to be that person again. Curtis says he’s not entirely sure Sasha is telling the whole truth. The tests were done in different labs. Could Sasha have an accomplice who helped in both places? Brad says, possible, but not probable. He has too much work on his hands to be taking on a second job. Lucas says, the samples provided would probably tell the tale, and Curtis says that’s what he was thinking. Can the test be rerun?
Alexis asks Jordan to tell the people at Pentenville to hold off. Jordan says she doesn’t like it either, but it’s not her call. It’s an FBI matter. Alexis says, Brice’s lawyer is setting up a deal that will exonerate Sam. Jordan asks, based on what? and Jason says, if he makes a deal, Brice will give up the name of the person who hired him, and information about other crimes. Jordan says, crimes other than breaking Shiloh out of police custody? and Jason says, Andre ID’d Brice as his attacker. Jordan says this is the first she’s hearing of this, and Jason says he told Andre to hold off until he could talk to Brice, before he could get a cover story in place. Jordan says, which would be acceptable if Jason was a detective, but he’s not. He has no authority to investigate, much less cut deals. Andre knows that, but she assumes he went along with it because he felt guilty for the part he played in the original memory transfer. Jason says Brice is a contractor. Somebody paid him to attack Andre, probably crash Drew’s plane, break Shiloh out of custody, and implicate Sam. Brice is apparently the busiest man in the world of crime. Jason says, Brice’s lawyer is talking to the Feds, and once the deal is done, he’ll give up the name. Jordan says, not anymore. Brice Henderson is dead.
Julian finds Ava, who asks what he’s doing there. Laura says she called him, and Ava wishes she hadn’t done that. Julian says he’s been busy putting fires out all over town; what happened? Ava says, Ryan killed again. Laura says, that hasn’t been confirmed, and Ava says, Ryan’s new cellmate stabbed himself the jugular with Ryan’s pen? Ryan killed him. Julian asks if there was a fight, but Laura says no one heard anything, and Ryan alerted the guard. Julian says, that makes no sense, and Ava says, nothing about Ryan makes sense. Ryan kills for a reason; to protect himself, or to fulfill his obsession. Ava says, or to please her
Chase shows Ryan his pen in a plastic bag, and Ryan says he was wondering where that went. Chase asks if he has a lot of writing to do, and Ryan says he has to keep up his correspondence. He doesn’t want to let his pen pal down. Chase thinks Ava wouldn’t mind if he missed a day or two, and Ryan says he’d be surprised. Can he have his pen back? Chase says, it became evidence the minute it was used to kill his cellmate. Ryan says, suicide is a terrible thing, and Chase says Brice might have survived if Ryan had alerted the guard sooner. Ryan says, what a man does with his life is his own business. It’s not much of a loss though; he lacked people skills. Chase asks how Ryan would know, since Brice just got there. Ryan says he’s a good judge of character. Probably all those years he spent as a doctor. Besides, any man who disrespects women isn’t worth the air he breathes. Chase takes down the Ava Crimson cover and says, with a photo like this staring at them, who could blame them? He bets a lot of guys wouldn’t mind disrespecting Ava. All night, every night. Ryan lunges at him, but the guard steps in.
Curtis asks Brad if they keep the original samples used for tests at GH. Brad says, most labs keep them for a couple of years, and Curtis says, so the test can be rerun. Lucas wonders why he wants to do that, and Curtis says Sasha was deliberately vague about how she pulled it off. Lucas says, maybe to protect her accomplice? Curtis says that’s what he wants to find out. If they use the same samples, this time with a trusted technician, will the results come back that Sasha’s not Nina’s daughter? Lucas says, what if the results come back the same way? and Curtis says, then something else is going on just as weird – and just as bad.
Sonny says, someone other than Sasha stands to lose? and Carly says, someone else was involved? Michael says, it wasn’t her idea. She doesn’t know how to fake DNA tests. Sonny says, Valentin does, and Carly says, of course (🍷). He and Nina were estranged, ready to get divorced. He wanted to convince Nina to forgive him. What’s more convincing than a long lost child?So he hired Sasha to go along with it. Sonny says, it makes sense, but Carly says, except for the part where Sasha confesses and takes all the blame. Why would she protect Valentin? Michael says, it was Sasha’s idea to take the blame. Sonny asks if Michael thinks he can hold this over Valentin to convince Nina not to press charges. Michael says, then Sasha has a way out. Carly says, it doesn’t change the fact that Sasha committed fraud against Nina, and Michael. She gets that Sasha confessed to him, but they’ve been dating for months. That means whatever relationship he thinks they have, is based on a lie. How is that different from Nelle? Michael says Sasha never manipulated him. She never asked for anything. Carly says, that’s what she’d do if she was playing him. Michael is a white knight, looking for someone to save. Sabrina took advantage of that, and so did Nelle. Can he tell her why Sasha is different?
Laura tells Ava, Ryan is responsible for his own behavior, not her. She gives them some privacy, and Ava says, don’t they know by now what Ryan is? Julian says the cellmate probably said something to offend him. He probably has a very low bar for irritation. Ava says he’s going to keep killing until he kills his way out. He’s going to kill his way to her, unless he’s killed first. Julian says he’ll never get out, and she says, tell Kiki that. He says he’d lay down his life before he’d let Ryan near her, but she says she can’t lose him too. He promises she won’t, but he’s afraid of losing her. She needs help that he doesn’t know how to give her. Ava says she’s too much trouble for him? He wants to get rid of her? He says he wants her back. The fierce, take no prisoners sister that he loves and fears. She asks, what if she’s gone? What if she buried that Ava along with Kiki?
Jason asks how Brice is dead, and Jordan says, his cellmate killed him. Jason says, somebody wanted to shut him up, but Jordan says, not unless Ryan was taking orders from Brice’s boss. They’re still piecing it together. He was just moved to the cell, and there’s no evidence Ryan knew of his crimes. An officer comes in, and says the van is ready. He cuffs Sam, and Alexis asks if it’s necessary. Jordan says they have to take extra precautions thanks to Shiloh. Alexis tells Sam to be strong. Sam asks Jason to tell the kids she loves them, and they exchange I love yous. Jason says he’ll get her out, and she says she knows he will.
Michael tells Sonny that he thought Carly would understand. She’s told her fair share of lies. Sonny says that’s why she’s suspicious of other liars, especially when it comes to him. Michael says if he thought Sasha had a malicious bone in her body, he’d walk away and never look back. But she’s just not the person who hurt Nina; she’s the person who wants to atone for it, even if there are criminal charges. Sonny says Michael won’t let that happen, and tells him to be careful.
Lucas says Brad seems tense, and Brad says he gets defensive when someone questions the lab’s integrity. Lucas says they can talk about it in therapy, and put that ghost to rest. Brad says he’s not the same guy he used to be. A nurse brings flowers in that were delivered to Brad, and he asks Lucas what he did to deserve them. Lucas says don’t look at him. Brad says, they’re not from him? and Lucas says he wishes he could say they were. He suggests looking at the card, but there isn’t one. The nurse says Brad has a secret admirer.
Julian thanks Laura, and says he’ll make sure Ava gets home safe. She says, Ava needs to get help. She’s been where Ava is, and knows the desperation. She suggests Julian not leave Ava alone tonight. Jordan comes in, and asks for a word with Laura. Julian asks if it’s about Ryan. He needs to know before his sister does.
Ava leans against the wall. She remembers Ryan saying that when she gave herself to him, she brimmed with life and glowed with passion. She was happy and healthy. Now look at her. She can’t deny it. She needs him as much as he needs her. Ava says, no, no, no, no. He means nothing to her. She gets her coat. Laura and Jordan get in the elevator, and Julian is messing with his phone. Ava asks if Jordan had news about Ryan, and he says they need to get her home. She asks him to tell her what’s going on, and he says she needs to stop going there to visit Ryan. He’s obsessed with her, and the visits aren’t helping things. Ava asks what Jordan said, and he tells her, the evidence suggests that Ryan killed his cellmate. She says, of course (🍷) he did and…? Julian says, he did it for her. Ava collapses.
Chase tells the guard to take Ryan out. Ryan says he has no right do this, but Chase says, actually, he does. Ryan asks if Chase thinks he can’t order back issues of Crimson. Chase says, sure he can. Just make sure they don’t get lost in the mail.
Alexis tells Jason that Diane is in touch with Brice’s attorney. Hopefully, he divulged something before Ryan killed him. Jason says, what if he didn’t? and Alexis says, Sam’s going to trial. He says, Diane needs to file a motion to keep Sam in county lock-up. There’s no telling who she’ll run into in Pentenville.
Sam is put in her cell. The guard takes the cuffs off, and tells her that her cellmate is in solitary, but she’ll be back soon. Sam asks why she’s in solitary, and the guard tells her not to worry. They’ll have plenty of time to get to know one another. After all, every day is a new dawn. I get chills.
On Monday, Ava asks if Neil thinks she’s having a nervous breakdown, Finn asks Curtis how much he knows about what Hayden was doing when she was gone, and Jax asks Nina if something happened between her and Valentin.
Black is such a happy color, darling. – Morticia Addams, The Addams Family
The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me. – Ayn Rand
It is discouraging how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit. – Noel Coward
It’s how you deal with failure that determines how you achieve success. – Charlotte Whitton
Many things—such as loving, going to sleep, or behaving unaffectedly—are done worst when we try hardest to do them. – C.S. Lewis, from Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature, compiled in Words to Live By
It’s a subway. The floor is made of rats. – Max (Kat Dennings), 2 Broke Girls
The story goes a helluva lot better when you’re the only one telling it. – Dr. Phil
Going to the woods is going home. – John Muir
I’ve come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I’m all out of bubblegum. – John Nada (RoddyPiper), They Live
👓 On Showtime Rotation…
One of my all time favorites, and before it’s time.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
On the phone, Chase asks Jordan if she’s sure about that, and says he can do it.
Alexis sits at Charlie’s bar, and tells Julian that her life coach is trying to kill her. She thinks it’s a conspiracy far and wide, since all the trainers at the gym are part of the cabal. He asks what he can get her, and she says it’s her cheat day. She orders a breakfast the size of what The Rock eats on his cheat day. Julian says before he gets it, did she get Olivia to back off? Alexis adds some more food to her order. Julian says, this is Olivia’s latest masterpiece, and shows her a flyer. Last year a dead body; this year, who knows? Alexis says, Olivia isn’t behind it. Does he have any enemies that want revenge. He says not that he knows of.
Brad goes to Nelle’s parole hearing. She says he came, and he says she didn’t give him much choice. She says, it’s going to be the best parole hearing ever. Michael shows up, and wonders why Brad is there. Nelle says they have a big surprise. Brad says, don’t, but she says now that she’s getting out of prison, it’s time Michael knows the truth about his son. Jonah didn’t die; he’s alive. She gave him to Brad and Lucas. Michael says, Wiley is his son? He gets angry, and Nelle thanks Brad for looking after their son. Now that she’s getting out, she and Michael can finally be a family with their son. Michael says, over his dead body, and pushes Brad. He walks toward the door, and Brad asks where he’s going. Michael says, to get his son. Brad wakes up, yelling, don’t go! and Lucas asks, who’s Michael, and why doesn’t Brad want him to go?
Sasha and Michael go to Kelly’s. She wonders if it bothers him to be seen with her in public, and he says he doesn’t want to hurt her feelings, but compared to the scandals in his family, hers hardly rates. Lulu is there with Maxie, and asks, what is Michael thinking? He knew Sasha was an imposter, and didn’t say anything. Maxie says, he’s non-judgmental. Maybe because he’s both a Corinthos and a Quartermaine. Michael tells Sasha, not implicating Valentin was a noble gesture. She says she couldn’t do that to Charlotte, or cause Nina any more pain. Michael says, Valentin was the mastermind, but Sasha tells him, she said yes. Michael says, so did Valentin. It’s not fair that he should skate with zero consequences. Lulu asks if Maxie has seen Nina since the wedding, and Maxie says she did. Nina was on the fence about… correction was on the fence. It looks like she climbed over, and jumped in. Nina and Valentin walk in holding hands.
Martin asks if Nelle read the notes he gave her. Nelle says she did, and thanks him, but she doesn’t need them. He asks if she thinks she can handle her first parole hearing on her own. Nelle says, first and last. Trust her; she’s got this. She’s going to be out of Pentenville by tonight.
Lucas says, Brad sounded freaked out that someone named Michael was leaving. What was he dreaming about? Brad says he doesn’t remember. Lucas says, it seemed intense, and Brad says he feels that, but as far as details, he can’t tell Lucas any more than that. Lucas says he’s been restless at night, and Brad says, sorry. Lucas says, don’t be. Just talk to him. Shiloh is dead, and Wiley is safe. No one is coming after Wiley, but Brad seems more stressed than ever. Brad says he’s trying an anti-anxiety medication, and shows Lucas the bottle. Lucas wonders why Brad didn’t tell him that he was seeing a therapist. Wiley cries, and Lucas goes to check on him. Brad calls Julian.
Julian ignores Brads call. He tells Alexis, if it’s not Olivia, he can’t think anyone else who would want to run him out of business. She tells him, think harder. Kendra walks in, and Alexis says, there she is. The woman who’s making her a better person. Julian says, even if it kills her? Alexis tells Kendra, she just had a workout, and is going to have a whole grain bowl. She leaves out the entire pig of bacon and six dozen eggs she just ordered. Kendra asks if she’s keeping up with her supplement, and Alexis says, about that. She was skeptical, so she had her GPA look at the ingredients. Kendra asks what her doctor said.
Martin didn’t think he’d have to remind Nelle that she pleaded nolo contendere to murder, attempted murder, and a host of other crimes. Even having a hearing this early is tantamount to a miracle. She asks if she should change her plea, but he says, it’s too late for that. Nelle says, it was clearly entrapment, but he says, it wasn’t. Legal terms don’t change because she wants them to. She says she was about to give birth, and was trapped. He says he has two expert’s statements on hormone disorder, as well as an OB/GYN statement on the effect of pregnancy on behavior. It’s doubtless that’s what led to her confession. He says she admitted she was the cause of her ex-fiancé’s death, and conspired to murder. She asks if he submitted it to the parole board, and he says, of course (🍷) not. All they care about is that she’s taking responsibility for her crimes. She says she pleaded nolo contendere, she’s had success in rehab, and has an impeccable record there. If that’s all that matters, she’s walking. He says, there’s no guarantee. Even if the board is inclined to rule in her favor, it can take weeks, sometime months, to get released.
Lulu says, don’t tell her Valentin and Nina are back together, and Maxie says she didn’t think it would be this fast. Lulu says, she thought they would? and Maxie tells her, Obrecht said Sasha acted alone. Sasha confirmed it, and apparently, Nina believes it. Lulu says, Obrecht was in on it, and possibly Valentin too, but Nina won’t listen to her. She tells Maxie to go to Nina, but Maxie says, no. Lulu says Maxie knows as well as she does that Valentin is behind this. Maxie says, all she knows is, Lulu made huge mess of things.
Sasha tells Michael, she knows it must seem hypocritical to tell a lie to repair the damage, but she couldn’t bear to see Nina left alone. Michael says Valentin knows what he knows. Sasha says she doesn’t expect a thank you, but she might get Valentin to convince Nina to forgive her. He says he wouldn’t hold his breath.
Nina tells Valentin about a play she wants to take Charlotte to, and says he’s staring. He says she’s too damn beautiful. It was the greatest night of his life when she showed up. Better than when she showed up with Jax. She says she’s not with Jax. She didn’t come back so he could be a jealous idiot. He’s just glad she did. Nina says, even if the reason she left is sitting there? Lulu is there too; they’re surrounded. Valentin tells her, forget them, and focus on us. He suggests they go to city hall, and she can marry him right now. Chase walks in, and Michael says he thought he was meeting Chase at Pentenville. Chase says, the plans have changed. He asks Sasha to get up, and Michael asks, what’s going on? Nina tells Valentin that she knows what Chase is about to do; his job. Chase says Sasha is being charged with identity theft, and burglary in the second degree He reads her rights, and she looks panicked.
Alexis tells Kendra that she got the all clear from her doctor. Kendra asks if it’s helping her sleep, and Alexis says, it’s a miracle. She falls asleep, and stays asleep, and she has more energy. She’s going to need a refill. Kendra says, next time they meet. Alexis’s phone dings, and she says she’s got to go. Kendra says, so much for lightening the work load, but Alexis says it’s a family issue, and leaves.
Valentin tells Nina that Jordan wasn’t going to take action unless Nina wanted to. He wishes she hadn’t, and Nina asks why he doesn’t want to see Sasha punished.
Maxie can’t believe Chase is arresting Sasha, and Lulu says, it makes no sense to be putting Sasha in handcuffs while Valentin is in the clear. Maxie says it’s all about Valentin for Lulu. She hates him because he murdered her brother. What better way to pay him back? Lulu says she’d rather him go to prison than just have a bad wedding day, but what it’s really about is Charlotte and Rocco. How can she teach them to be honest if she’s not honest herself? Maxie says, however ethical, all Lulu did was kill Nina’s dreams and have Sasha arrested.
At the station, Michael asks Chase, what’s happening? Chase says, Nina made a statement, and Jordan witnessed Sasha’s confession at the wedding. Michael says, Sasha’s grandmother was sick, and Chase asks if he knows how many times they’ve heard that, and the grandmother is fine. Michael says he checked, and Sasha’s story is true. Chase says he’ll share the information, but Sasha told Nina that she acted alone. Michael says Chase doesn’t believe that, does he? Chase says, the complaint was made, and charges have been filed. He has to do his job. Michael asks, what about Nelle’s parole hearing? and Chase says he’ll take care of it. He tells Michael to stay there. If all goes well, he’ll keep Sasha out of prison, and Chase will do his best to see that Nelle stays behind bars.
Brad texts Julian that Nelle’s parole hearing is today. Michael will be there. What if she tells him? Lucas comes in, and asks Brad to tell him more about therapy. Brad says Neil wants to see the both of them. He’ll just tell him no. Lucas says he’d be happy to go. He wants Brad to feel better, and to stop calling another man’s name in his sleep.
Nelle says Martin has been nothing but negative, and wonders why she bothered hiring him. He says she didn’t. He took the case pro bono. She asks why take it if he thinks she’s going to lose? but he says he doesn’t. He only cautioned her that she may not win today. She asks what she’s supposed to do, and he says the Nelle he met was charming and sweet. Be that Nelle today, not the one she is now.
Lulu admits it wasn’t the outcome she expected, but her conscience is clear. Maxie says, good. Sasha is on her way to jail, and Nina is with Valentin, but Lulu can sleep at night. Lulu suggests Maxie get off her high horse. She had an illegal DNA test done. Maxie says she wanted to keep Nina from being exploited, but she stopped wanting to be right. She saw how Nina would light up when Sasha was in the room. Lulu says, Nina sat by Sasha’s bedside when she was sick. She was terrified to lose a daughter that wasn’t hers in the first place. Maxie says Lulu should have left well enough alone. Lulu says Nina is James’s aunt. If this had fallen in her lap, don’t say she wouldn’t have told the truth.
Nina tells Valentin, Sasha committed fraud, and broke her heart. She doesn’t understand why he’d want to let her go. Valentin thinks holding onto anger and chasing revenge might send Nina into a negative spiral. She asks, who is he? Next, he’ll be telling her to trust karma. Valentin says Sasha hurt her, and he wants her to be whole, and choose to heal, so she can be happy with him and Charlotte. He wonders if that’s enough for her.
In the interrogation room, Michael tells Sasha that he was hoping it wouldn’t come to this. She says, her too, but Nina wants justice, and she should have it. He asks if she’s thinking of pleading guilty, and she says, maybe, but she’s just saying she doesn’t blame Nina. Michael says before Alexis gets there, she should consider making a deal. Sasha doesn’t know what she’d have to offer, and Michael says, tell her that Valentin masterminded the scheme. He had three DNA tests falsified, and is a bigger fish than she is. Robert will jump at the opportunity, so would Laura and the rest of Nikolas’s family. Alexis comes in, and says she has a copy of the charges. Sasha perpetrated fraud and pretended to be Nina’s daughter? Sasha says, it’s true, and Michael asks if Alexis can help her.
Julian tears up the flyer. Lucas comes in, and Julian asks if everything is okay. Lucas says he was hoping Julian would talk him down. Shiloh is dead, and there’s no more threat to Wiley, but Brad is still tense and anxious. He’s was talking in his sleep. He kept saying, Michael.
Chase comes into the parole hearing room, and Nelle asks where Michael is. Chase says, he had a family emergency. Lucky her, right? The board comes in and sits down. A woman says they have an initial application for parole. She thanks Chase for being there, and says they’ve read impact statements from Michael, Carly, and other members of the Corinthos family. Nelle has requested an attorney be present, which isn’t necessary, but allowed. She says they’ll hear from Chase first, and then Nelle.
Julian asks if Lucas thinks Brad is cheating. Lucas says, of course (🍷) not, but since Wiley has been in their lives, he’s been different. He’s hard to read. Lucas wishes he knew what was going on in Brad’s head. Julian doesn’t think that’s going to happen, but Lucas says, it might. Brad’s therapist wants to see them both. He’s glad Brad found a safe space to talk about what’s bothering him.
Martin says Nelle has been a model prisoner. The warden said – and he quotes – he’s never seen a prisoner turn their life around as thoroughly as Nelle, and thinks she would be an asset to the world outside these walls. The woman asks if Nelle has taken responsibility for her crimes, and Nelle says, she has now. Although her hormones were raging because of her sweet little Jonah, she can’t blame her crimes on what was going on inside her. She takes full responsibility for the heinous actions that hurt so many. When she realized what she’d done, she had a breakdown, and was sent to Ferncliff. When she returned, she had the drive and determination to make amends to so many people she’s hurt. No matter what, she’ll never stop trying.
Alexis says, Sasha entered Nina’s home with the intent to commit fraud, but Sasha says that’s not why she went to Windymere, but okay. Alexis says there’s criminal impersonation in the second degree. She pretended to be Nina’s daughter in order to benefit herself or harm someone else. Sasha says she never meant any harm, but it was about money in the beginning. Alexis says, that’s a class A demeanor, and knocks out second degree burglary. She says she needs Michael to leave now; it will compromise the case if he stays. Does he want that? He says, of course (🍷) not. He’ll see what he can do on his end. Sasha asks what he means, but he tells her, good luck, kisses her head, and jets. Alexis says now she wants the whole truth. What part did Valentin play in this?
Nina can’t see why Valentin wouldn’t want Sasha to pay, but he says, of course (🍷) he would. He’s worried about the toll it’s going to take on Nina. She’s going to have to rehash this over and over in court. Nina says, that makes it less appealing, and Valentin says she should focus on what makes her happy, like Charlotte. She says, and him. Valentin says he loves making her happy. Nina starts to say, it’s a consolation, but then says he’s so much more than that. She can’t wait to see where this unexpected new beginning takes them. Valentin says, how about city hall? They can get married today. Her phone dings, and she says, it’s Jax with his own marriage proposal. She laughs, and says she thought it was funny. Alexis is representing Sasha, and needs to speak with her. Valentin says he’ll go with her, but she says, no; stay here. It’s something she needs to take care of on her own.
Maxie tells Lulu when she sees how much the truth hurt Nina and caused her to spiral, no. She wouldn’t have dashed Nina’s hopes. Lulu says, that’s not the question. If she’d known Sasha was lying, but didn’t know how it would play out, would she have told the truth? Maxie says, no. She thinks it would be better to keep the secret. Lulu says, like Maxie did when she was her surrogate? Maxie says, oh my God. I say, I’m not surprised she brought that up. I think Lulu is kidding herself all over the place.
Nelle tells the board, because of her good behavior, she got the privilege of training a support dog, and her sweet mutt Scrapple is going to a loving person. It breaks her heart, but knowing he’s going to a good home makes it less painful to say goodbye. Nothing will ever be as painful as letting go of the child she lost. Beautiful Jonah’s lifeless body was in her arms as she was saying goodbye. The only way for her to heal is to do good for others. She’s also been working at the hospice center, helping ease their pain. As hard as it will be to let them go as well, giving them comfort gives her comfort. If the board sees fit to release her, she intends to work in a hospice. Chase says, give him a break. It sounds pretty loud, but I assume the board doesn’t hear. She says she intends to be a productive member of society, and correct her mistakes. Being in prison gave her the opportunity to fix herself, and she thinks she’s a better person. She thanks them for hearing her case, and dabs at her eyes, looking at Brad. The woman says the board is ready to make a decision.
We see flowers on a grave. Kendra says, nine and a half years, his death went unpunished. We see it’s Kiefer’s grave, and she says, everything has changed. Shiloh told her that Kristina confessed that her mother ran him down. Alexis murdered him. Now it’s time to pay her back.
Alexis tells Sasha that she spoke to Robert. He’s willing to reduce the charges, and there will be no prison time. Sasha asks, what’s the catch? and Alexis says, no doubt Valentin had something to do with the fake DNA tests. Sasha says, she has a friend, but Alexis thinks it’s more than that. She thinks Sasha is covering for him. She asks if he’s threatening her, or if she’s doing this for Nina. Sasha says she never meant to hurt Nina, even though Nina wants to hurt her now. Nina comes in, and says, Alexis wanted to speak to her. Alexis says she has a proposal, and Nina says she’s not interested. Alexis says, hear her out. She’s not undermining Nina’s pain, but doesn’t think putting Sasha in prison will lighten the load. Nina asks if Alexis wants her to drop it, but Alexis says, not at all. She can sue Sasha in civil court. Nina says, Sasha has no money, but Alexis says they can hammer it out. Sasha is prepared to pay back every penny Nina spent; whatever she thinks is appropriate. What does Nina say?
Lulu says Maxie didn’t tell them that the child was hers and Spinelli’s, not Lulu and Dante’s. Maxie can’t believe Lulu is throwing that in her face. She thought they were past that. Lulu says, they are. She’s making a point. By the time the truth came out, she and Dante were deliriously in love with Connie, but it wasn’t Connie; it was Georgie. Maxie says the truth hurt everyone, and Lulu asks if she regrets telling the truth. Maxie says, of course (🍷) not. Lulu knows the truth can tear your guts out, but sooner or later every lie comes to light. The longer you wait, the deeper the pain. Does Maxie get it?
Valentin leaves Kelly’s, and Michael is waiting. He blocks Valentin, telling him, shut up and listen. He doesn’t know if Valentin had a hand in Sasha’s arrest, but he cares about Sasha. She did the noble thing by not implicating him. Valentin says that’s because he had nothing to do with it. Michael says they both know that’s not true, and he’s a lot less charitable than Sasha is.
The board tells Nelle that they can’t recommend parole at this time. Nelle says they can’t be serious.
Brad texts Lucas about Nelle’s parole hearing, and Julian asks if she made parole. Lucas says, she’s still safe behind bars. Julian says, at least until her next hearing.
Brad tells Nelle that he’s sorry. Martin says they only need two votes. She should be disappointed, but not defeated. For the next two years, she needs to keep her eyes on the prize. Nelle balks at two years, but he says it could be sooner. She says she’s trying, but she misses Wiley. Brad says he’ll send her pictures, and she says that will ease the pain until she’s finally free.
Michael says he knows everything Valentin did. Sasha told him everything. Valentin says then she’ll be hearing from his attorney; that’s slander. Michael says, time’s up, and Valentin says, just hers. She was hoping to save herself. Michael says if Sasha doesn’t tell the DA, he will.
Alexis asks if Nina thinks it’s possible to keep this out of criminal court, but Nina says, no. Sasha knew what she was doing was wrong. She could have come clean at any time. Instead, she lied to Nina’s face. Nina mothered her. Sasha allowed Nina to love her, and all that time, Sasha pretended to love her back. Sasha says she does love Nina. Nina says if that’s how she loves someone, God help her enemies. Take her love and take her deal, and the both of them can go to hell. She leaves, and Sasha says she didn’t expect Nina to agree. Alexis says neither did she, but it was worth a try. Sasha asks, what happens next?
Kendra tells Kiefer that she’ll always miss him, but justice for his death will lighten the load. She takes a container of the supplement out of her backpack, and says, Alexis said she needs a refill. She puts something into it, and says she’ll make sure Alexis gets it.
Lulu tells Maxie, Michael better be careful. Valentin is dangerous. Maxie says, Michael has Sonny and Jason. Valentin can’t touch Michael, and they both know that.
Valentin tells Michael to do himself a favor, and stay out of it. Sasha is playing him like she did Valentin. She lied to everyone. Michael says she did lie because she didn’t implicate Valentin. She was willing to save Valentin, but if Valentin doesn’t get Nina to back off, and Sasha goes to prison, he’ll make sure Valentin goes down with her. He walks away.
Tomorrow, Lucas asks Brad what else he’s hiding, Doc says he has to determine if Franco is in his right mind, and Jason visits someone in prison.
The Real Housewives of Dallas
Brandi brings Brooklyn to cheerleading practice. In Brandi’s interview, she says when she was Brooklyn’s age, she wanted to be a Dallas Cowboy’s cheerleader, but she never pushed it on her girls. When Brooklyn came to her, she was secretly glad. Everything is a struggle in their relationship, and she has high hopes this might be a bonding experience. Brooklyn tells Brandi that her form is terrible, and Brandi says it’s been twenty years. Brandi stands at the top of a pyramid. She tells Brooklyn that she didn’t have the proper training, and it was hard. In her interview, she says, growing up, her parents couldn’t afford private lessons. She just taught herself. She tells Brooklyn, it’s all about her core.
Kameron meets Stephanie at a coffee shop. She asks how Stephanie’s weekend is going, and Stephanie says, good. She tells Kameron that they had their differences at LeeAnne’s shower, but she’d love to close that chapter and figure it out. She feels like they’re past it. She knows Kameron hasn’t felt accepted in the past, and they’ve both felt judged. She’s sorry. Kameron says she felt like their issues began when she and Brandi tangled. Brandi was screaming in her face, and saying the eff word, and Stephanie just sat there not saying anything. When someone is attacked, it’s appropriate to stick up for them. Stephanie says she’s not Jesus, but Kameron thinks Stephanie feels afraid about what Brandi will think. Stephanie says she’ll defend someone when she sees a clear-cut right and wrong. In Stephanie’s interview, she says if Kameron had just walked away, she would have stepped in, but what Kameron did was ten times worse. Kameron says, a good friend would say, sit down and don’t yell in people’s faces. Stephanie says she was having a hard time during the trip, and Kameron says Stephanie talked to Kary, who she just met, when Kameron has known her for two years. Stephanie says she didn’t feel that Kameron was the person she wanted to go to in that moment. She’d love to have the kind of relationship where they can lean on one another, and be more than surface friends. She doesn’t tell Kameron deep things. Kameron says she thought they had the kind of friendship where they could call one another about anything, and Stephanie thinks Kameron is minimizing what she’s saying. Kameron says Stephanie is telling her the friendship is just surface level. In Kameron’s interview, she says she put effort in to being friends with Stephanie. She reached out, and thought she’d worked it out with her. Now she’s saying Kameron is a surface friend? What the eff? Kameron tells Stephanie, she can’t. She was attacked, and thought her friend would be there. Now Stephanie is telling her that she’s a bad friend, when she should have been defending her friend about getting attacked. In Stephanie’s interview, she says when she’s fighting with Kameron, she feels like a hamster in a wheel. When it’s over, you feel like you got the sh*t kicked out of you. Kameron says she’s all about being a good person, and apologizes if Stephanie felt it wasn’t there. Stephanie understands that Kameron felt alone, and she’s trying honor those feelings and move on. Kameron wants to move on too. She wants Stephanie to feel comfortable, and she’s glad they talked. In her interview, Stephanie says it’s the most exhausting day of her life. She feels like she’s given birth to a six-foot blonde baby. She tells Kameron that they’ll work together to work it out, and thanks Kameron for meeting her.
Brandi and Stephanie meet for lunch. Brandi tells Stephanie that she knows Brandi is open to the spiritual realm, and thinks it would be fun if they did a haunted house. Stephanie thinks they should get a medium too. In Brandi’s interview, she says she always wanted to go to a haunted house she’s been hearing about for years. They can exorcise their demons. Stephanie tells her about meeting Kameron for coffee. It took a long time, but she thinks Kameron got it. In Stephanie’s interview, she says it’s hard for her. She’s been working with a coach on her self-esteem. She told Kameron how she felt and didn’t die doing it. It’s one small She tells Brandi that she never says how she feels. She doesn’t want to feel fake when she sees Kameron. Brandi says she wasn’t invited to LeeAnne’s bachelorette party, so she’s having a cheer party. Stephanie doesn’t think D’Andra was invited to anything, Brandi doesn’t think she was either, and Stephanie says, LeeAnne is celebrating every moment; there’s a ton of events. Everyone says what they’re invited to in their interviews, ending with D’Andra saying she didn’t get invited to anything, like Charlie Brown getting a bag of rocks. Stephanie says, LeeAnne might as well go all the way.
The bachelorette party is packed with guests. When LeeAnne arrives, everyone cheers. Steve puts a crown with a veil on her head. The veil has Rich’s face all over it. She tells the women that she got her hands filled (meaning, with fillers, not that she has stuff in her hands). She says they’re still swollen, and she slept with ice packs. In her interview, she says, they go between the knuckles with the needle. Ouch. In Kameron’s interview, she says they all know LeeAnne’s hands are not knives. LeeAnne finishes, they’re just hands. Kameron says it’s LeeAnne’s night to do whatever she wants. In her interview, Kameron says, LeeAnne is a true Texas woman, and it’s a total Texas thing to celebrate many, many times before your wedding. They all love it. Cary asks Stephanie if she and Kameron are good, and Stephanie says, peace above everything. Cary tells Kameron that she heard she and Stephanie had a good conversation, and Kameron says they’re good. Cary says she feels like Kameron is lying, and Kameron says she feels like some people are faking something. Cary tells her, go with her gut. In Kameron’s interview, she says she thinks Stephanie belittled her friendship. Kameron agreed to move forward, but she’s not moving any further forward. Steve welcomes the guests to Girls and Gays; LeeAnne’s bachelorette party. In LeeAnne’s interview, she says a tremendous amount of her friends are gay men. Drag queen Jenni P. dances for LeeAnne. In her interview, LeeAnne says she’s a drag queen trapped in an old white bitch’s body. In Kameron’s interview, she says, drag queens are better than strippers. Strippers are all sweaty, and they grab you, but you don’t know who they touched. LeeAnne gets a lap dance. The cake is brought out, and Steve says, it’s LeeAnne riding a wiener – i.e. a dark haired Barbie sitting on a penis cake. LeeAnne thanks them for coming, and there’s lots of hugging. In Kary’s interview, she says she feels guilty that D’Andra isn’t there. D’Andra introduced her to everyone, and they should both be there. She tells LeeAnne that she wasn’t invited to the wedding, and LeeAnne says she was. Her invitation must have gotten lost in the mail; 30% of mail gets lost. In Kary’s interview, she wonders why the credit card bills are always there, and jury duty notices never get lost. She asks LeeAnne why D’Andra isn’t there. Like it’s her freaking business. True story. When I was getting married, a good friend called, saying they hadn’t gotten an invitation. I sent another one, and both arrived on the same day.
LeeAnne says she’s waiting for D’Andra to reach out, and Kary says D’Andra already apologized. LeeAnne asks what if she told Kary that Eduardo was screwing other women, and she should own up to it because she owes LeeAnne that. Kary says she can’t keep bringing it up if she’s over it. LeeAnne says D’Andra committed the sin, but she should be the one that rises higher? Kary says she should be the bigger person, and LeeAnne says she always has been with D’Andra. D’Andra has the courage to talk sh*t about Rich when he’s faithful. She has the courage to trash Rich’s name, and destroy his reputation. Kary says, that’s not moving forward, and LeeAnne says Kary isn’t letting her finish. The one thing D’Andra has no courage for, is to come to her and say she misses LeeAnne as a friend. Kary says D’Andra invited LeeAnne to her party, and LeeAnne said she forgave D’Andra and wanted to move forward. We flash back to LeeAnne announcing that all she cared about was her and D’Andra taking steps to move forward. LeeAnne tells Kary, D’Andra hasn’t taken any steps to do that, and asks if Kary wants to see her phone. Actions speak louder than words. In Kary’s interview, she thinks LeeAnne is a hypocrite when she says she wants to move forward. LeeAnne says she reached out to D’Andra; now it’s D’Andra’s turn to step up and grow up. Everyone else gets it. Kary says she’ll ask them. In LeeAnne’s interview, she says Kary told her that she was the negative one, and now Kary comes to her bachelorette party and acts negative. Kary asks Kameron and Stephanie if they think it’s weird that D’Andra wasn’t invited. Kameron doesn’t think D’Andra is really making an effort, and Stephanie thinks LeeAnne and D’Andra should mend things one-on-one. Kary says, D’Andra apologized, but LeeAnne says, so did she. She’s waited 51 years to get married. She’s screwed a lot of frogs. Kary says, that’s not the point, but LeeAnne says, it is. It’s about her; it’s her wedding, and is only happening once in her life. Kary says, D’Andra’s 50th birthday was important, but LeeAnne says, so is a wedding for a woman who’s waited this long to get married. In Kameron’s interview, she says, this isn’t cool. It’s LeeAnne’s time to have fun. LeeAnne asks if Kary thinks she should invite D’Andra even though she talked sh*t about Rich. Kary says she thought LeeAnne was forgiving D’Andra, and LeeAnne says, Rich hasn’t. We flash back to him saying forgiving is the Christian thing to do. D’oh! LeeAnne says she’s not making her party about someone who’s not there. These are the people who love and want to celebrate her. Kary says, D’Andra is that person, but LeeAnne says, she’s not. Kameron says D’Andra hasn’t come to LeeAnne, and Kary says, D’Andra apologized. LeeAnne says, that’s different. In Stephanie’s interview, she thinks LeeAnne and D’Andra should just move forward, or leave each other alone. LeeAnne is sorry Kary doesn’t understand. The people there have shown her via their actions how much they love her. So when D’Andra gives her action, she’ll get an invite. Until then, she can stand in the vasectomy line. Cary is like, what? and LeeAnne says, it sounds good. LeeAnne goes to Steve, and says she’s getting flack because the great almighty fat cow isn’t there to be worshiped. Meow!
Brandi checks out the haunted house. Hill House Manor owner Linda thanks her for coming. In Brandi’s interview, she says the house is outside Dallas. You can rent it and go ghost hunting. Linda says it was purchased as an investment property, but they couldn’t keep it rented because of the tenants having experiences. She personally had a conversation with someone on the other side of the shower curtain. She thought it was her husband. She tells Brandi, they have ghost hunters there frequently, and they have all kinds of events. In her interview, Brandi says she’s been able to see into the spiritual realm since she was little. As a child, she saw her grandmother. It’s hard to open up about it without looking like she’s crazy. Linda says Brandi has her number, and if there are any problems, text her.
Kary has everyone meet at her place. D’Andra asks Kary if she’s ready. Kary says she’s just going along for the ride. She’s had no personal experiences, but she’s open to it. She explains Mexico’s Day of the Dead. (I love a sugar skull!) She asks if D’Andra has heard from LeeAnne. We see a clip of D’Andra telling Kary that she’ll send a text, but that’s it. D’Andra says LeeAnne texted back, thanking her for reaching out, and saying she thought D’Andra was upset about something that happened in Mexico, and it made her sad. She added that all weddings should be elopements, because it’s too much work. Kary asks if something happened in Mexico, but D’Andra says nothing happened. In her interview, she says she and LeeAnne got along fantastically. LeeAnne doesn’t want to see or include her, and is putting it on her. It’s complete bullsh*t. Kameron joins them, and Kary asks if she’s ready for ghosts. Kameron says she’s afraid.
Stephanie meets Brandi at the house. In Stephanie’s interview, she says she’s never encountered a ghost, but how bad could a ghost be? She thinks Southern ghosts would display good hospitality. She tells Brandi that she’s scared she’ll need an exorcism. Brandi suggests they pray, and asks God, if it’s His will, to open their eyes to things they don’t know. She asks if they should pray for the others, but Stephanie says, they can pray for themselves. Brandi says she’s so bad. I guess we’ll let it slide that this is contrary to any Christian belief.
Kary thinks some people see ghosts. D’Andra says they lived in a haunted house, but her dad always had the ghost visits. Kary asks if LeeAnne believes in ghosts, and LeeAnne says she prays there’s an afterlife. Kary tells her, Brandi says she can see ghosts. In LeeAnne’s interview, she’s not happy with Kary, so she’s ghosting her.
As they pull up to the house, Brandi flashes the lights from inside, and the women get all weird. Brandi tells them to hurry in; she saw something. Kameron says, that’s not funny, and Brandi leads them to the murder room. Kameron screams, and something moves. Kary calls Brandi a stinker, and Brandi suggests they have drinks. Kameron says she needs a lot of drinks, and LeeAnne wonders if ghosts have bars. In her interview, LeeAnne says she thinks ghosts are bullsh*t. Mostly because she grew up in a carnival, where they convinced people to believe that bullsh*t, and took their money. She had a deeply religious upbringing, and was told it was witchery. It’s anti-religious, and against Christian beliefs. What I said, but longer. Brandi says, a medium is coming, and boo! there’s a knock at the door. Medium Lisa introduces herself. Kameron says she’s not a fan. A friend once got in contact with Kameron’s dog using a Ouija board. She felt her dog’s tail brush against her, and freaked out. It’s scary for her. Lisa says on any property, there’s some sort of spirit or ghost activity. She gives each of them a pendulum, and says, it can only answer yes or no questions.
They go to a room that has toys in it, and Lisa thinks it’s a home for kids who have passed, and come back to play. Kary wants to sit on the floor, and Lisa tells her to roll the ball and see if they’ll play. Stephanie rolls the ball, and says she’d love to play, but nothing happens. Brandi says, they don’t want to play with the ball anymore, and it’s sad. The ball rolls back, and they freak out. In LeeAnne’s interview, she says, youknow what balls do? They roll. Unless they’re attached to a scrotum. They go back downstairs, and Kary asks if Lisa does readings. Lisa says she’d rather do that in private, and they go out on the porch. In Kary’s interview, she says she knows mediums are intuitive, and if Lisa is the real deal and can give her insight, why not take advantage of that? Lisa tells Kary that she had a rough start in life, but good things have happened over the years. Kary may have felt… Kary says, it’s not fair. Lisa says Kary made her way through, and is stronger. Kary asks about her husband, and Lisa says, it’s a good relationship. She sees nothing wrong. They hug. Most. Boring. Reading. Ever. And nothing I didn’t know, so I assume nothing Kary didn’t know either.
D’Andra asks the pendulum if she should have more tequila, and answers, yes. Kary comes back in, and LeeAnne asks if Lisa saw ghosts around her. Kary says Lisa told her that she had a rough start, but she’s been lucky. LeeAnne asks what was difficult about Kary’s childhood, and Kary says her parents were alcoholics. Her dad said he couldn’t live with her mom, but he was keeping Kary. Her mom had to kidnap her, and took her to Mexico, where she grew up. Since her mom was an alcoholic, she had to parent herself. LeeAnne asks how young she was when she started going to clubs, and Kary says, fourteen. LeeAnne says she was thirteen when she started having sex. Kary says she was nineteen, and LeeAnne says, people who have been sexually abused, use sex. I Kary’s interview, she says, LeeAnne thinks she’s the only one who had a tough life, and her childhood experiences are more important, but it’s not a competition. Wow. She got all that from one sentence? Kary thinks she could have made excuses, but chose to be positive and enjoy life. LeeAnne asks if that was directed at her, but Kary says, no. I say, yeah, right, and LeeAnne says people have said she uses her childhood as an excuse. Kary says, does she?
LeeAnne says she doesn’t think so, but it can be a catalyst for how she behaves. Kary says maybe people say that because she talks about it a lot. Brandi and D’Andra decide to check out the murder room. In Brandi’s interview, she says she’d rather hang out with a ghost, or the wall, than hear LeeAnne talk about this bullsh*t again. Kameron thinks it’s an explanation for some of LeeAnne’s actions. Kary says they all grew up a certain way, but that doesn’t excuse how they act. LeeAnne says how they live doesn’t have to be the same. In LeeAnne’s interview, she says comparing their childhoods is a joke. Kary needs to reserve her condescending judgement. Kary doesn’t think LeeAnne has gotten over it, and LeeAnne says she doesn’t think you ever do. Kary says, you have to forgive. When she did, she felt lucky to have what does now. There are screams from upstairs, and LeeAnne is 100% sure they’re scaring the sh*t out of each other. Kameron asks if they should get going, and LeeAnne says, she’s convinced nothing good happens after eleven.
D’Andra and Brandi come back downstairs, and D’Andra says they were trying to talk to the people in the rooms. She asks LeeAnne if she wants to go somewhere to talk, but LeeAnne says she’s fine with right there. Kameron looks like she wants to disappear. D’Andra says she sent LeeAnne a text because she was thinking about her. She doesn’t know what happened n Mexico; she thought they were fine. LeeAnne says he did too, but when she didn’t her from D’Andra, she thought maybe she said or did something. D’Andra says she knows weddings are crazy, and didn’t want to invade LeeAnne’s space. LeeAnne says she was trying to start a dialogue. In D’Andra’s interview, she says whatever LeeAnne wants from her, apparently she’s not giving it. LeeAnne is making it difficult to communicate, but maybe LeeAnne feels the same way about her. Kary says she told D’Andra about their talk, and thought she should send a text. She felt guilty about D’Andra not being at the bachelorette party. D’Andra wonders why invite Kary, who LeeAnne barely knows, and LeeAnne isn’t sure she did. Kary says Steve did, and reads his text and invite. LeeAnne says she didn’t give him Kary’s contact information, but thinks he knew she was on the list. In Kary’s interview, she says LeeAnne is trying to pretend she didn’t know Kary was invited, but she made up the list. Brandy asks if everyone is ready for night-night, because she’s used to talking to toddlers. She says, it’s been a spooktacular evening.
Next time, bunny Playboy Bun-Bun Redmond’s funeral, D’Andra thinks about taking out a loan, and Kameron suggests crashing Kary’s happy hour.
🐮 Doin’ It Big In Dallas…
Some snippets of LeeAnne’s wedding. Hint: it’s fabulous.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Hayden plays catch with Aiden in the park. As she runs backward, Finn grabs her.
Jax thinks Nina’s been avoiding him. She arrived late for the budget meeting, and left as soon as it was over. It’s clear she doesn’t want to talk to him. It’s no way to run a business. She agrees, and says professional communication is crucial. She asks if he has Crimson business to discuss. Is she falling short? He says they’re on budget, the readership is up; she’s delivered everything she promised. She says, they agree the magazine is thriving. Is there anything else he wanted to discuss? Unless he wants to discuss his campaign to undermine her fiancé.
Valentin walks into the MetroCourt restaurant, and sees Laura with Curtis. Laura tells Curtis she spoke to Spencer. He asks if Spencer was behind the search for the codicil in Mikkos’s will. She says her grandson has a casual relationship with the truth, especially if it’s something he wants. Curtis says, he denied it, and Laura says, uh-huh. He acted like it was no big deal, but she thinks he got her message. She wants to make it crystal clear that Spencer is not to be involved, or Lulu. The only person from her family who’s working with him is her.
Elizabeth runs into Charlie’s. Julian asks if something is wrong with Franco. She says she had him committed. It’s just for the time being. The more distance that’s put between him and Kim, the better, so Julian needs to leave town with her as soon as possible. Julian says he’s sorry, but he and Kim aren’t going anywhere. They’ve broken up.
Kim calls Franco from the park, and asks how he is. He says he’s been committed to Shadybrook, the latest in his humiliation. He’s glad to hear her voice though. She’s sorry Elizabeth is doing this to him; she has no right. He says, Franco is Elizabeth’s husband, and she thinks she does. He’s not insane. He’s in love with her, and what they have is real. She knows. Terry sees Kim, and asks if everything’s okay. Kim says no, but maybe she can help.
In the interrogation room, Diane says they all agreed, it was a clear-cut case of self-defense. Jordan says, that was before. New evidence has come to light. Diane says, it’s evidence based on hearsay. Jordan says, in addition to Sheri’s statement, they have evidence from another source that incriminates Sam. It’s Sam herself. Jordan plays a recording where Sam is saying she wants Shiloh dead and buried for what he’s done to her sister and the other women at DoD, and to her. She’ll do anything in her power to make that happen.
Finn tells Hayden, sorry. He thought she was going into the rocks. Aiden asks if Hayden is okay, and Hayden tosses the Frisbee back. Finn says he’s impressed, and she says he didn’t know she could throw things? She says, Aiden is great, and she’s realized, kids can be fun.
Sam says, that’s impossible, and Jason says, she’s being set up. Jordan asks if it’s her voice, and Diane tells Sam not to answer. She needs a moment with her client. Jordan steps out of the room, and Sam says, this is ridiculous. Diane tells Sam that she just moved from an uncontested, clear-cut case of self-defense to a possible charge of premeditated murder.
Valentin sees Curtis and Laura at the MetroCourt, and says, two birds with one stone. He can handle both of them. Laura asks why they need to be handled, and Valentin says he’s been a little busy planning the wedding, so it’s fortuitous to find them both in the same place. Laura says they were just discussing Cassandra. Unfortunately, the WSB won’t be able to extradite her to the Hague. Valentin says, she’s an international criminal. Laura says Cassandra will be standing trial there, and she’s going to have a front row seat. Who knows what secrets Cassandra will spill on the stand?
Terry asks what Kim needs, and Kim says Terry knows Elizabeth had Drew committed. Terry says she knows Elizabeth is concerned for her husband. Kim says Terry is Elizabeth’s best friend. Maybe she can get through. Terry isn’t sure she follows, and Kim says, what Elizabeth is doing is cruel. They sit on a bench, and Kim says, Elizabeth is punishing Drew. It’s not his fault. It was Franco’s choice to step in and save Cameron. Everything that happening is Shiloh’s fault, no one else’s. Terry asks what Kim wants her to do, and Kim says, Franco is gone; Drew is there. Her Drew. The Drew that remembers their love; Oscar’s father. Maybe she can help Elizabeth recognize that Drew is real. Pretending he’s crazy isn’t going to change anything. Terry takes Kim’s hands in her own, and says it was remarkable how Kim rallied again and again during Oscar’s illness, up until their last moment together. She was heroic Kim asks what that has to do with the pain Elizbeth is inflicting on Drew? Franco is gone, and Elizabeth needs to accept that. Terry says, maybe Elizabeth isn’t the one who needs to accept that someone is gone.Clinging to the memory of Oscar’s father won’t bring Oscar back. Kim says she should have known Terry wouldn’t understand. Terry says she understands Kim has experienced an extraordinary loss. Kim says, Franco is a memory. Drew is real, and he’s not crazy. Kim stomps off.
Elizabeth says Julian helped Kim through hell. He said he loves her, and Kim said herself that starting over with him was her only chance. Julian says, that was before she found another option. He’s sorry for what Elizabeth is going through. He thought all Kim needed was distance, but Franco has Drew’s memories, and Drew is Oscar’s father. Any connection to Oscar, no matter how tenuous, is more important to her than their relationship. Elizabeth says, so he’s just walking away? It’s clear that Kim is sick and confused. The connection she’s holding on to isn’t real. Franco is Elizabeth’s husband. Julian knows it’s a horrible situation, and he’s sorry she’s going through it, but there’s nothing he can do. Elizabeth says everyone knows who Julian is, and how willing he is to get his hands dirty. Don’t stand there and tell her that he won’t help, because he damn well will.
Julian says he’ll disregard what Elizabeth said because she’s angry. She has a right to be, but he can’t stop Kim from acting on her feelings. He’s truly sorry about that. She asks if he thinks saying he’s sorry will make it better. Sorry is when one of her kids comes home late or someone accidentally cuts her off. It’s not going to help her husband, or help Julian’s girlfriend from feeding into Franco’s illusion. She’s tired of everyone saying they’re sorry. They’re sorry they misjudged Franco; they’re sorry they didn’t catch Shiloh faster. They’re sorry there’s only a one in four chance she’ll get Franco back. She needs him to fight for Kim like his life depends on it, because hers does. She’s crossed lines she never thought she would to save her husband. She had him committed. Don’t offer her sympathy; help her.
Kim visits Drew, who says, it’s nice to see a friendly face; a beautiful face at that. He thanks her for coming, and she says, of course (🍷) she came. He needed her. He says it’s nice to be with someone who acts like they want to see him. She can’t believe it’s gone this far, and he says, Elizabeth is just desperate. She can’t accept that Franco is gone. He tried to convince Elizabeth that he’s real. Kim says they’re all victims of Shiloh, but he says he doesn’t think that helps. When he looks in Elizabeth’s eyes, he can see how she feels. Kim tells him, look into hers. He’s a good man, and she sees him. Bleh.
Jax tells Nina that he’s been dealing with the Cassadines off and on for many years. He trusts Alexis implicitly, but she’s the exception. Stephan and Nikolas tried to double-cross him, and he’d be naïve to think that Valentin isn’t a potential threat. Nina asks if he isn’t being a little melodramatic, and he says, not really. Since Valentin tried to drug him at their dinner party.
Laura asks if she said something upsetting, and Valentin says Cassandra means nothing to him. He’s too busy focusing on the wedding. Laura says she forgot what a hopeless romantic he is; always looking for his happily ever after. He says, it’s finally here. He heard Curtis is joining them at the bon voyage to his bachelorhood. Are they still on? Curtis says he can’t wait. Valentin tells Laura that Charlotte is looking forward to their visit, and asks when he should drop her off. She thinks it’s better if she spends the night at his place. Is that a problem?
Diane asks Sam, is there any chance… Sam says, none. Diane says even with their surveillance of Shiloh, which included allegedly illegal video and listening devices that she knows nothing about? Jason says, the house is clean. Diane says, it is now. Sam says she never said a word or expressed her feelings outside of there. If that’s her voice, the tape has been edited or cloned. Diane says then they’ll proceed with the argument that the tape is fake. Jason asks if they can request their own expert, and Diane says if he’s referring to Spinelli applying his illegal operations, it could be tricky. The court is about to close, and she has to act fast if Sam doesn’t want to spend the night in jail. Diane leaves, and Sam says they should have seen it coming. Of course (🍷) Shiloh would find a way to hurt them, even from his grave.
Valentin says Laura is Charlotte’s grandmother; she’s always welcome. He was under the impression that she was uncomfortable there. She says, because it was Nikolas’s home? He says, now it’s Charlotte’s home, and Laura says, that’s her point. Charlotte is excited about the wedding, and wants to help Nina get ready. Valentin thinks it’s a great idea. Charlotte will get the benefit of a good night’s sleep beforehand in her own bed. He asks what time she wants to come, and she says she’ll text what time she and Doc will be there. Valentin leaves, and Curtis says she’s good. Laura hopes it pays off. She only has one night to search Windymere.
Nina tells Jax that his statement is outrageous. He was perfectly fine at the dinner party. Jax says he told her Valentin tried to drug him. He thinks Hayden got the drink meant for him. Didn’t Nina notice how she was talking like she was given something to lower her inhibitions? Nina says maybe Hayden doesn’t know her limit. Jax says, true, he has no proof that Hayden got the drink meant for him. Nina says, or that the drink was drugged. Jax says he could press charges against Valentin for hiring Curtis to break into his office. Curtis would also be charged with corporate espionage. It’s a serious crime. Nina says he could do that, but there would be negative publicity for him. His security breached by the man he hired to run it? So much of business is the confidence people have in the CEO. Jax says, well played. They could call a truce. He likes her, and respects her judgment. Why she’s with Valentin, he’ll never understand, but she told him to stay out of her personal life, and he’s going to respect that. Nina has a better idea. Why not dive right in the middle of her personal life? If he wants to know the million reasons she loves Valentin, come to the wedding and see for himself.
Franco tells Kim, he’s being evaluated for schizophrenia, paranoia, and dissociative disorder. He has to prove his mind hasn’t been altered, and he’s capable of understanding his choices. Kim says she’ll be with him every step of the way. She’s going to help him find a lawyer to prove his competency. He thanks her, and says it would be great if he had an attorney interested in safeguarding his rights. She says he’s not alone. They’re going to face this together.
Hayden tells Aiden, nice catch, and he asks if he can get a snack. She tells him to stay where she can see him. Before he runs off, Finn says Hayden showed him Aiden’s finger-painting, and it’s a great use of color. Aiden says he doesn’t finger-paint; that’s for babies. Hayden tells Aiden to go quick, before there’s a line. She tells Finn, Aiden doesn’t like to talk about his finger-painting because it’s not age appropriate, and he doesn’t want to be compared to Jake. Finn says, you’re never too young for sibling rivalry. He asks how her stay with Elizabeth is going, and she says, good. She feels useful, like she’s helping out. He says she is. He feels terrible. Elizabeth was so happy on her wedding day. Now their lives have been turned upside down. Hayden says, and Elizabeth is watching the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with, build a future with someone else.
Sam tells Jason, it’s no secret that she hated Shiloh. Jason says the only person she told that to was him, and those weren’t the words she would use. She says what if she said it while she was drugged? He tells her not to fall into Shiloh’s trap, and doubt herself. They’re assuming the recording is fake. She just has to be patient. She says that’s his best virtue. Her, not so much. He says he’ll be with her every step of the way.
Diane tells Jordan that she’s going to make a motion that the recording be excluded as evidence. State law prevents anyone from being recorded without permission, and her client never gave it. Jordan says, only one person has to give their permission. Diane asks, who else was there? Jordan says, all in good time, and Diane says, the time is now. The recording is fake. Either Sam’s voice appears nowhere on it, or Sam’s words were pieced together. Knowing how she acquired this piece of evidence could point them in the right direction of the true criminal. Jordan says, Daisy disclosed it. She’s the one Sam is talking to. Diane says, Daisy remains an ardent supporter of Shiloh and Dawn of Day. She raided her trust fund to post Shiloh’s bail money. She’s hardly a credible witness. Jordan says that’s why Sam isn’t in jail. She made those threats… Diane says, which she ardently denies. Jordan says, until she hears back from audio forensics, Sam will remain in custody. Diane looks at Jason through the window, and shakes her head.
Jax says, Nina is inviting him to the wedding? She says he’s her boss. It’s only polite. He says she’s very generous, but he doesn’t know how her fiancé feels about that. Valentin walks in, and she says, ask him. Valentin says, ask him what? and she says she invited Jax to the wedding and he’s not sure how Valentin feels. Valentin says, clearly, Nina wants him there, so he should attend. Jax says he’d be delighted, and Nina says, it’s settled. She’s adding Jax to the guest list. He says he’ll see her tomorrow. He says he guesses he’ll be sitting on the bride’s side, but Nina says she and Valentin only have one side, and they’re on it together.
Elizabeth says she shouldn’t have gone off on Julian like that. Julian says he knows what it’s like to love someone so deeply, you start compromising what’s right. You start breaking rules before you realize it, you would risk anything. It’s a hard walk to walk. She asks if he thinks she’s going to quit, like he did with Kim. He says he didn’t quit. He just realized it’s not in his power to give Kim what she wants. Elizabeth says she knows Franco is in there, stranded behind Drew’s memories. What if he’s aware of what’s going on, and has no way of telling them. She can’t leave him like that. Julian hopes she gets what she needs, and she says, she needs her husband.
Aiden brings back a pretzel. Finn suggests mustard, but Aiden says he’s not a fan of yellow mustard; he prefers Dijon. He goes to play with the other kids, and Hayden says, he’s one of a kind. She likes the way Finn talks to Aiden, like he’s a person. Finn says he doesn’t discriminate based on height. His phone makes sounds, and he says it’s a time zone alert so he can call Anan when she’s awake. Hayden asks how Anna is, and he says, good. She can’t believe how much family Finn has accumulated in the time she was gone. He says he has a hard time wrapping his head around it sometimes. She must feel like that being with Elizabeth and her nephews. She says family is special to her, and he says he’s happy for her. He says he should go, and she says it was nice to see him.
Terry goes to see Franco. She says, hello, Franco, and he says if she’s waiting for him to recognize her, sorry. He doesn’t know her. She introduces herself, and says she and Elizabeth grew up together. She works with Kim, and she was Oscar’s oncologist. She grew fond of him and his parents. She’s there because Oscar would want her to look out for Kim. He says Kim isn’t in danger from him. On the contrary, he’s in love with her. Terry says, Kim is fragile. The strain of Oscar’s illness and death pushed her to the edge of reason. Franco asks if she thinks Kim being in love with him, and recognizing him as Drew, proves she’s crazy. She says, Kim is at her limit. Terry works with very sick kids, and knows the toll it takes on their parents. Kim is looking for healing and closure, and it takes time. She’s teetering on the edge of an emotional breakdown. The more swept up she gets in his situation, the closer she’s coming to losing herself completely.
Curtis asks Laura what that was about Valentin. Laura says, when Cassandra was arrested, she offered damaging information about Valentin in exchange for her freedom. Curtis says, and she turned Cassandra down? Laura says she didn’t see the point in exchanging on criminal for another, so she has absolutely no idea what it was, but Cassandra can provide a good distraction. Let Valentin think the threat is coming from Cassandra’s direction, while they proceed in another direction. Curtis likes the way Laura thinks. She says she only has tonight to search. Curtis says it’s a big house, and she’s looking for three sheets of paper, maximum. Laura says, hidden by Helena. She hates to admit it, but she knows how Helena’s mind works. It’s probably in a perverse location with a twist of dark humor. Helena appreciated her own sense of humor more than anyone else ever did. He asks if she thinks she can find it, and she says, if it’s hidden there, she can. Curtis appreciates how she’s staying on top of it, but they’re a team. He’s the P.I. Just lead him down the right path, and he’ll take it from there.
Hayden tells Finn there’s something she’s been keeping from him, and she can’t do it anymore. She lied about losing their child. She thought it was the right thing to do; to let him move on with his life. But there hasn’t been one day she hasn’t regretted it. They didn’t lose the baby. They have a daughter. She’s beautiful; the best of both of them. He doesn’t know how many times she’s dreamed of this moment. They hug.
Nina asks if Valentin minds that she asked Jax to the wedding. He asks if she’s kidding. He won’t even notice Jax. Nothing else matters than seeing her walking down the aisle to him. Nina says, except Charlotte and Sasha. She loves him today, tomorrow, and all the days after. Valentin says he can’t wait to give her everything, and she says, how about a hamburger? She’s starving. He says, his bride wants a burger, then a burger his bride will get.
Jax sits with Laura and Curtis, and says Hayden told him that she might have revealed the content of the document they’re trying to find. Laura says, he’s involved too? Curtis says he still needs to fill Laura in. Jax assumed Hayden would have told her. She says it’s the first she’s heard of it. But now that the cat is out of the bag, why would Jax be interested in the codicil to Mikkos’s will? He says since Valentin has been in charge, he’s decreased the value of Cassadine Industries. He’s interested in a certain elements of the company, but knows Valentin won’t sell them to him. With Valentin disinherited, he won’t be a factor. She says so he’s looking for leverage in a business opportunity. Curtis says, that sounds like a wise move. Jax says secrecy is at the request of the person they’re trying help. Laura says she understands, and Spencer is no longer involved. Her family’s involvement begins and ends with her. Jax says he respects her concerns. What’s next? Curtis says he and Laura have a plan they’ve set in motion.
Kim goes to Charlie’s. Julian asks if she needs something, and she says she found some of his things. She gives him a box, saying she thought he’d want them for the move to Manhattan. He tells her, thanks, but he’s not moving anymore. She asks what about his plans for a new bar? He says he’ll figure it out. Manhattan was about her. There’s nothing there for him anymore. She says she’s so sorry. She didn’t mean to hurt him. He says he knows, and Kim says he was right. She was lying to herself about the way she feels about Drew. Even though he’s in Franco’s body, it’s nothing she can stop or control. He says he knows it’s out of her control.
Franco says it’s not enough that Elizabeth is having him committed or thinks he’s sick for believing he’s Drew. Now Terry thinks Kim is sick for believing he’s Drew. Terry says, Kim is already emotionally fragile, and the added strain of dealing with his situation is too much for her. He says, no offense, but Terry has no idea what it’s like live in this twisted reality, and to be in the entirely wrong body. To look in the mirror and realize, you’re someone you were never meant to be. I laugh because he has no idea. He says, Kim is the only person in the world who accepts him for who he is. He loves her, and she loves him. Who the hell is Terry to tell him to give that up?
Hayden says Finn didn’t come to Rome. He says he was angry, and tried to get over her. He loves Anna, but he never stopped wishing for the life they’d planned. She says, he’s not angry? and he says he’s furious, but they’ll sort that out. He wants to see their daughter. Take him to her. They can be a family together. Elizabeth asks where Hayden was just now. Hayden says, in an alternate universe where everything works out the way it’s supposed to.
Jordan gets the forensics report. In the interrogation room, Diane tells Sam and Jason, this is a good news bad news situation. The recording is troubling, but Daisy is a less than credible witness. Audio forensics is checking it out now. Providing they can prove it’s a fake, she’ll have Sam out in no time.
Kim tells Julian that she doesn’t know how she would have made it through these last few months without his care. She does love him. Julian said he thought his love would help ease her suffering. She says, it did. As best as it could. Julian says he can’t help worrying that she’s walking into hurt. He tells her, take care of herself. She says she won’t be alone, and Julian says, yeah. Like an unconvinced yeah.
Terry tells Franco that she understands how it feels to be trapped. In fact, she thinks Kim is trapped too. She’s trapped inside her roll as a mother. She’s not seeing clearly. And Franco reminds her about a love that’s in the past. Kim won’t heal or move forward if this goes on. If he loved her, he would set her free.
Elizabeth asks Hayden to tell her about the alternate universe, and Hayden says, it doesn’t matter. What’s going on with her? Elizabeth says, the same. When she sees Franco, he’s getting farther and farther away. She’s never felt so alone. Hayden says she’s sorry. It’s a terrible thing to live with. She wants Elizabeth to know she’s there for her. Elizabeth thanks her, and says she’s there for Hayden too. They hug.
Valentin and Nina go to the MetroCourt, and see Jax sitting with Curtis and Laura. Valentin says that’s an interesting sight. It doesn’t bode well with him. Jax shouldn’t want anything to do with Curtis after Curtis was caught spying on him. Yet there they are, talking to Laura, who despises him. Nina says they’re probably saying nasty things about him, and that she’s a fool for marrying him, but all that matters is that they love each other. Valentin likes the way she thinks. They kiss, but he still has an eye on the table.
Laura says Valentin and Nina will be out of the house. As soon as Charlotte is in bed, she and Doc are free to search. Jax appreciates her help, but in a few weeks, this has spread to a few people – him, Hayden, Curtis, Laura, and now Doc. The longer they drag it out, the more people there are to mess up. They need a swift conclusion. Laura says, with a little luck, she’ll find what they’re looking for tonight.
Jordan comes back, and Diane says she assumes the tape is fake. Jordan says she ran the test twice. There’s no indication that it’s been doctored, and it matches Sam’s voice print.Daisy agreed to be recorded, so it’s admissible. The arrest stands. She’s charging Sam with the murder of David Henry Archer, aka Shiloh, and taking her into custody. Sam is cuffed, and Jordan tells the officer, take her to booking. Sam looks at Jason as she’s being led away, and he makes a worried face.
Tomorrow, Doc reveals something at Windymere, Peter asks how you throw a bachelor party for someone who has no friends, and Maxie arranges a spa day for Nina.
The Real Housewives of Orange County
We go back to last week’s ending, with Vicki saying none of them have any intention of hurting each other. Kelly says if Vicki has no intention of hurting her, why is she always looking for dirt on Kelly? In Shannon’s interview, she says she brought them there for healing, butso far, the trip is a sh*t show.
20 hours earlier. Shannon is excited to be there. 18 hours earlier. Kelly gongs Shannon’s head. 15 hours earlier. Shannon goes to the ER. 4 hours earlier. Kelly tells Tamra and Shannon that bringing Vicki was not being her friend. Vicki ruined her freaking life. 3 hours earlier. Emily and Gina argue. Not long ago. Shannon is feeling like the trip is an epic failure
Now. Kelly walks out. Vicki says Kelly is blaming her for her own bad reputation. She’s not allowed at her daughter’s school. Tamra asks what she means. Vicki says she doesn’t know if it’s still happening , but she couldn’t go to her daughter’s school. Emily asks if Vicki means Kelly is legally not allowed on the property, and Vicki nods. Tamra asks if Vicki knows this, or just heard it. Vicki says she doesn’t have a daughter who goes to that school. Emily asks how she knows, and Vicki says, schematics. Let’s just say she wasn’t allowed. At the end of the day, she didn’t damage Kelly’s reputation.
Kelly orders some food for herself, Braunwyn, and Emily. Braunwyn is glad she didn’t go. She tells Emily they’re going to be okay. In Emily’s interview, she appreciates the optimism, but feels emotionally drained. It was a difficult fight with Gina. It went deep, and things were said that were uncalled for. She still feels hurt. Kelly can’t believe what Vicki said, and Emily tells Kelly that, after she left, Vicki said she’s not allowed to set foot on the property at her daughter’s school. Kelly says she is too allowed, and Emily says she asked if Vicki meant legally not allowed, and she said yes. Kelly asks if Vicki is insane. She’ll call the school now, and prove it. She calls Michael, and asks if she’s allowed at Jolie’s school, and he says there’s no issue about her being around Jolie anytime. Kelly says, Vicki is a psycho bitch. Where does she get this information from?
Gina says she’s tired, and wants to take a nap. Tamra tells Vicki that she can’t say things like that. Don’t talk about the things she hears. Vicki says the lady sitting next to her when she was getting her hair done, has a daughter who goes to school with Jolie. She said Kelly can’t go to her kid’s school. She didn’t tell anyone. Tamra says, she just did. In Tamra’s interview, she says, Vicki brings this on herself. She throws a bomb, there’s an explosion, then she wonders what’s wrong. She tells Vicki to shut her effing mouth. If she didn’t hear it from Kelly, don’t repeat it.
Kelly calls Shannon, saying she heard Vicki said she’s not allowed on daughter’s school campus. Is she insane? Shannon has the phone on speaker, and Tamra and Vicki listen. Kelly asks how the hell she can say that. Shannon says Vicki told them it happened a long time ago. Kelly says, she’s a goddam liar. She can’t stop lying. Kelly says she told Vicki, she can’t do that, and the second she leaves, Vicki does it. She makes up lies, and she continuously goes after Kelly. Vicki says, tell Kelly to leave her alone. Tamra takes the phone, and says she told Vicki straight out, it’s not cool. Kelly says, what next? She’s a murderer? She can’t be around a psycho. Vicki takes the phone, and says she’s not a psycho. Kelly says she is. She’s a pig bitch, and a bleeping bleepity bleep. Kelly hangs up, and Vicki asks if Tamra is okay with how Kelly was talking to her. Tamra says she’s talking like that because of what Vicki said . In Tamra’s interview, she says, Vicki and Kelly are a lot alike. That’s the problem. She wants them to get along, but neither one of them is taking the steps they need get to get to that point. Vicki says, it’s Emily’s fault for repeating a rumor. She wouldn’t repeat something. Tamra says she just did.
Emily says maybe she shouldn’t have said anything, but Kelly says, it would have come out anyway. Vicki just keeps going .The food comes, and Kelly says she doesn’t know where Vicki gets it. Braunwyn thinks she makes it up. They talk about getting a text from Shannon about going to a beehive demonstration. Shannon told them they’d better bee-have. Kelly says she’s not going, and Emily says she shouldn’t be around someone who constantly says defamatory things. Braunwyn tells Kelly, don’t give her the power.
Shannon wants everyone to wear the leggings she’s gotten them. They’re going to have fun. She wanted to give everyone a fun gift, and who doesn’t like costumes? The leggings have each of the women’s faces on them. In Shannon’s interview, she says, get over it. Put the leggings on, and put a smile on your face.
A sign says, warning: active beehive. Braunwyn says Kelly is on the couch. She couldn’t even read. She’s angry. Back at the villa, Kelly gets into the pool nakey. Beekeeper Noel teaches introductory bee class. I would love this. He says the name of the game is, no exposed skin, He wants every square inch covered. Tamra tries to matchmake, saying Shannon likes him. They get into their bee suits, and Tamra tells Noel that Shannon is nice, single, and has a lot of money. Noel demonstrates using smoke to distract the bees, which makes them easier to work with. It doesn’t sedate them; it’s not that kind of smoke. Shannon says she’s afraid of bees. Vicki tells Noel to put his hood on, and he appreciates her concern, but says he doesn’t always use the gear. He takes out the honeycomb, and explains how bees work. Tamra says Vicki think she’s the queen bee, and Noel says she probably wouldn’t want to be one, since they mate with up to thirty bees, then spend the rest of their life laying eggs. Although it’s worse to be the drone she mates with, since he hurtles to his death afterward. In Gina’s interview, she says she’s not doing as well as the bees. It’s getting cold, and so they go back, and huddle under blankets to drink champagne. Tamra asks what they’re doing tonight, and Shannon says, cooking dinner. She’s annoyed that they haven’t done something as an entire group.
Kelly calls Jolie from the pool. She wishes Jolie was there. She says, the others went on a bee excursion, and Vicki is being an a-hole. She’s making up lies again, and told everyone Kelly’s not allowed at her school. Jolie tells Kelly, Vicki is making this stuff up because she has a boring life. Whatever. In Kelly’s interview, she says, Vicki has nothing going on. Her kids have moved out, and she has a boring boyfriend, so she wants to invest her time in talking about Kelly. She tells Jolie that she couldn’t find a suit, so she’s kicking it live. Jolie tells her, that’s gross.
Gina apologizes to Emily. Emily tells her that she said a lot of mean things. We flash back again to their fight. She’s been sharing things with others, and not telling Emily. It hurt her feelings when Gina said Shannon was her best friend now. In Emily’s interview, she says she’s always been there for Gina, and that’s why it hurt so deeply. Emily says she knows Gina thinks it’s weird, but it was hard without Shane, then hard when he came back. They weren’t getting along, and him surprising her was a good thing. When Gina put that down, it hurt her feelings. She felt abandoned by Gina. In Gina’s interview, Gina says, that’s not what it feels like. That’s not abandonment. She tells Emily that’s she’s been going through catastrophic emotions, and acting weird. Things happened that the others could relate to more. They were more open to it because they’ve been there. In her mind, it was separate from what was going on with her an Emily. She wants that close connection, but they both have to make the effort to fix it. They hug, and Gina says she’s sorry, but she’s glad it happened. It needed to come to a head. In her interview, Gina says she regrets their fight. She could have been kinder. Emily is one of her best and dearest friends. She’s real and authentic, and Gina can’t imagine not having Emily in her life.
The ladies dress for dinner. Braunwyn asks if Kelly had a nice break, and Kelly says she went swimming. Kelly calls Brian, who’s at dinner with friends. She tells him that Vicki drove her nuts, and he tells her to stay calm. Vicki is trying to get to her. Kelly says, she’s doing a damn good job, but Brian says, it’s silliness. Kelly says Vicki is trying to ruin her reputation. Not that she has one to uphold. He tells her to be herself. Braunwyn suggests if Kelly gets frustrated or stressed, excuse herself and call Brian. He has a calming effect.
Tamra asks Shannon what they’re doing tonight, and Shannon says, cooking some things. Vicki says she’s getting circles under her eyes, and wonders what procedure she needs to have done. Tamra says she’s tired, and needs to recover. Shannon says when she’s exhausted, the only thing that wakes her up is a drink.
Kelly says she hangs out with Shannon, and talks to Tamra every day. They hurt her by bringing Vicki.
Shannon tells them, have fun and don’t fight. They realize they’re all wearing blazers from the same designer. Shannon babbles something loudly in Spanish about the tres amigas.
Kelly says, Vicki is persona non effing grata. Braunwyn tells her, just smile and nod, and makes Kelly practice. In Kelly’s interview, she says that’s not like her. She’s more like this. She gives the finger with both hands. Braunwyn says they’ll have fun if it kills them.
In Gina’s interview, she says she just needs one fun moment. She needs it like a crackhead needs a hit. The other girls come to their villa. Kelly stays quiet. Tamra says all they have is vodka and tequila. She asks if Kelly is okay, and Kelly says she has a migraine. In Gina’s interview, she says she’s stoked that Emily and Tamra are getting along. Maybe a little too well. She wonders if she should remind them about the sh*t they said about each other, and laughs. They toast to fun. Kelly smiles and nods. They clink glasses. In Vicki’s interview, she says if Kelly wants to talk about it calmly, she’s all about it. If not, you can’t force a friendship. She’ll just ignore Kelly, and not look for her to be kind.
They go to the resort restaurant. Emily wonders why they’re not making dinner, and Tamra says she can do that at home. Inside, stations are set up to make drinks. The instructor says they’re going to start with bartending, and learn how to make the restaurant’s signature drink Kelly flips her shaker a la Cocktail. In her interview, she says she has a master’s degree in partying. She has skills that can pay the bills. Shannon says she’s ready for food. They sit, and a chef says there are stations set up for them to create the first course – salad. Gee, that’s a hard one. In Emily’s interview, she says she’s an attorney and doesn’t think they should mix knives and alcohol with these women. Kelly has already committed two assaults. You don’t provide knives to batsh*t crazy a-holes. Tamra tells Kelly that she told Vicki what she said wasn’t cool. Kelly says, it’s obnoxious, and Tamra tells her that she said if Vicki doesn’t hear it directly from Kelly, don’t repeat it. In Kelly’s interview, she says, talk is cheap. Is Tamra sincerely trying to stop Vicki from spreading rumors? Not really. Braunwyn asks if Kelly has shared the texts Jolie got, but Kelly says she doesn’t need to. She doesn’t subscribe to still being friends with someone who causes her friends trouble. In her interview, she says she’s not an idiot. She knows Tamra is playing both sides. Where does her loyalty lie? She asks Tamra how she can continue being Vicki’s friend when Vicki does awful, disgusting things.
The chef tells them to take their salads to their seats. It does look good. Shannon says, cheers to an amazing salad. It’s called teamwork. Braunwyn demonstrates that she’s still lactating, and says she’s been nursing for nineteen years. A couple of takeaway points for me. She does look incredible for basically being pregnant for twenty years, and maybe it’s a mom thing, but how can they all be so interested in her mom boobs? Tamra says they are at the dinner table. Tamra asks Kelly about what they did after Vegas. She heard they crushed a car. We see a clip of them at the Dig This Amusement Park, doing exactly that. The car says Vicki and has a drawing of the emoji pic on the hood. Kelly says, they crushed sh*t up. She put Vicki’s face on it, if they must know. Tamra says Kelly destroyed Vicki’s face? and Vicki says she’s ugly; it’s okay. Tamra says they never said that. Kelly says she thinks Vicki is pretty, and Vicki thinks Kelly is pretty too. Everyone goes, aww! Shannon says Vicki told her that Kelly’s hair looked pretty at the airport. Vicki starts crying, and Kelly says she never hurt Vicki. She’s always been on Vicki’s side, and it’s disheartening to see her. Vicki doesn’t know what she’s done to Kelly. Kelly starts to cry, and says she never did anything to Vicki. She called Vicki a pig, and knew it hurt Vicki’s feelings, but she doesn’t really think Vicki is a pig. Gina thinks they love each other. Kelly doesn’t understand it, and Vicki says she surrenders. Kelly says it’s hard to look at Vicki, and Vicki hugs her, saying, they have a history. In Vicki’s interview, she says, hearing Kelly’s pain makes her feel bad. She feels accountable for the at least I don’t do cocaine comment. They locked eyes for the first time in a long time. Kelly tells Vicki that she doesn’t do cocaine or trains, and she’s allowed at her daughter’s school. Vicki says she’s done, and Tamra says they’re both sorry. Shannon wants them to make a promise; no more low blows. In Shannon’s interview, she says they’ve both been cruel, but she knows deep down, there’s a friendship. Kelly and Vicki hug. Kelly says Vicki ruined it with Jolie; she hates Vicki now. Vicki says she’s sorry, and Kelly says her too, but she’s only had Vicki’s back. In Kelly’s interview, she says she doesn’t want to continue with the ugliness. It hurts her feelings. She’s a kind person and has a heart. In Tamra’s interview, she says, hell has frozen over. She hopes it lasts. Shannon makes a toast, saying, cheers to the miracle of Miraval. Tamra says, let’s get naked, and Shannon says she knew that was coming.
Gina says Emily is her best friend, and she would never roll on her. She just got mad. Emily says she’s allowed. Tamra and Braunwyn get in the pool nakey. Vicki tells Tamra that she’s a grandmother and a mother; she needs to stop that. In Tamra’s interview, she says, to be part of thetres amigas, you have to be able to drink all night, take your clothes off at 3 am, and be a total a-hole. That means someone is getting kicked out. Bye, Vicki. Gina and Emily go to the hot tub at Gina’s casita. Braunwyn asks if it’s warm, and gets in. Gina says she’s not a nudie, but she’s adjusting. Tamra gets in next. Gina wonders what’s happening, and why is she the only one who brought an appropriate bathing suit.
Shannon gives a hard no to being outside and wet. Kelly gripes about getting older, saying, things are changing. Vicki says she’s going to be fifty-seven. How did that happen? They somehow get on the subject of furries (google it), and Braunwyn admits to having a threesome now and then. She and her husband have been together since they were teenagers. In her interview, Emily thinks it would be weird waking up the next morning. She asks where Braunwyn finds another girl, and she says it was a friend of a friend. Emily asks if they do it at Braunwyn’s house, but Braunwyn says, no; that would be weird. Like it’s normal to begin with. She says it’s more about her; her husband doesn’t have sex with the other girl. Gina is confused, and Braunwyn says she’s definitely straight, but she likes it occasionally, like every ten years. Tamra doesn’t think Eddie would go for that. In Braunwyn’s interview, she says she’d pick Tamra out of the group, and in Tamra’s interview, she says Braunwyn does have those luscious lips. She might be a little curious. In the hot tub. Braunwyn laughs like a dolphin.
Next time, Kelly tells Michael it hurts, Emily gets together with Alexis, Shannon gets rejuvenation in her nether regions, and Gina tells Tamra it was a pity date.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 