Tag Archives: Mary Cosby

October 17, 2023 – Mason Defies the Boss’s Orders, On Their Off-Time, No Fish From You, Sweet As Pie, Legendary Losses, Update In the UK, Not Barbie & Hand

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Lois sees Eddie/Ned in the nook and says, there he is. She’s been looking all over for him. Looks like he’s avoiding her. He asks why he’d avoid her, and she says she understands the situation. In front of Olivia, who happens to be one of her best friends in the whole world, he has to pretend so he can spare her feelings. He asks what she means, and she says, they’re alone now. Come on. When he first walked in and saw her, the look on his face was undeniable. He may not remember Olivia, but he remembers her. He tells her, like he said, she looks very familiar, and she says, that’s what he needs to say in front of the family he forgot. There’s no way he could forget the times they had. We flash back to when we were all in diapers, and Lois pushed Eddie to sing. She says, he was amazing. He took her breath away. We flash back to their romance and getting married. Then Lois finding out he’s really Ned, and him telling her that he loves her and needs her in a way he’s never needed anyone. We see her during her pregnancy and subsequently leaving him. She says, come on. Their wedding, Coney Island… She can see it in his eyes; he remembers her. He says, that’s not what she’s seeing in his eyes. She looks familiar, but he really doesn’t remember her or their wedding. He was married to Olivia, and he doesn’t remember her. He’s got this great daughter – Chase and Brook approach the doorway – and he doesn’t remember her either. Chase and Brook walk in.

On the phone, Tracy asks Finn where he is. It’s backgammon night; he’s late. Gregory walks in and says, no, he’s not. Finn’s not coming. She says, he came all this way to tell her that? but he says, no. He came to settle a score.

Josslyn goes into the station with Pilar and Avery, and asks Pilar to wait with Avery. She goes to the desk and asks the sergeant if she can speak with Detective Falconari. It’s a matter of life and death.

Dex goes into the basement where Ava was being kept, and through his headset, Spinelli asks if he found her.

Carly visits Drew and asks how he’s feeling. He says, better now that she’s here, and she asks what the doctors say. He tells her that they say he’s recovered enough to go back to prison.

At the hospital, Cyrus sees Austin, who asks what he’s doing here. Cyrus says he’s happy to see Austin again too. They have some unfinished business.

On the phone with Olivia in the interrogation room, Dante says he will when he gets a chance. He he’s got to go…  Because he’s at work. There’s a knock at the door, and the desk sergeant is there with Josslyn. He says, sorry to bother Dante, but she said it was urgent. Josslyn says, it is, and Dante asks her, what is it? The sergeant leaves, and she says, Ava’s in trouble. Dante sees Pilar is there with Avery.

Spinelli says, anything? and Dex says, damn. There’s no one here. The basement is empty. No sign of Ava.

Mason stops his car in a wooded area, and in the backseat, Ava says, he doesn’t have to do this. He says, oh, but he does.

Closing the door, Dante says, so Ava never picked up Avery? and Josslyn says, no, and Pilar hasn’t been in contact with Ava. He asks if Sonny knows, and she says, no. Pilar knew he was marrying Nina in Puerto Rico. She didn’t want to contact Carly because she’s dealing with Drew in the hospital. Josslyn went to Windymere and talked to Ava’s butler. He hasn’t seen her since night before last, but yesterday morning, he found a broken martini glass on the living room floor. She found Ava’s cellphone and this. She shows him the lollypop and says, this isn’t Avery’s; she hates grape. She asked Avery, and it’s not hers. He says, so she thinks whoever dropped it is with Ava?

Dex asks if Spinelli is sure this is the final location with ties to Pautuck Trucking, and Spinelli says, affirmative. Dex has already searched the other seven. It’s a reasonable assumption, given his connection to the trucking company, that Mason would have taken Miss Jerome to one of these locations. Dex asks if Spinelli checked to see if Mason has any properties only in his name, but Spinelli says he went through all the financials available related to Mr. Gatlin; any purchases, credit cards, addresses. Everything points to him only using these properties. Dex looks up at the window and says, this may be nothing, but… He moves one of the boxes and finds a piece of material on the floor. He says, Ava was here, and Spinelli asks if he’s certain. Dex says, yes. Maybe Mason was alerted to him checking the other locations and he moved her. Spinelli says, seems like a logical conclusion, and Dex says he needs Spinelli to check the traffic around Pautuck and the surrounding highways. Spinelli says, already on it, and Dex says, maybe Mason’s using the same vehicle and they got lucky.

Ava says she knows this wasn’t Mason’s idea, and he asks, why? Is he so dumb that he can’t have one? She says, no. Because she doesn’t think he’d hurt her. She doesn’t think he’d hurt anybody. She thinks he’s following orders. She understands whoever he’s working for must be very powerful, but this is one order she thinks he should disobey. Because if he goes through with this, and Sonny finds out Mason was part of her disappearance – and believe her, he’ll find out – he’s going to be the one that pays, and she thinks he knows what that means. It’s his only chance to let her go. He says, she thinks so? and she says, yeah. She’ll cover for him. He says, she’d do that for him? and she says, of course (🍷) she would. She’ll make up some excuse for why she was gone, and Sonny will buy it. She’s gotten things over on him in the past. He says, that’s a really good offer, except she already told him that Sonny would figure out what he did because Sonny’s so damn smart. But she wants him to believe she could fool him. She says she can and he laughs. She says she can do it; she can. Right now, she hasn’t been gone long enough for anyone to even be suspicious, but if she’s gone much longer, if something should happen to her, Sonny will find out what Mason did, but if he brings her home right now, she’ll protect him. He says she’s full of it. He’s not going to let her go. They’re going to sit here quietly wait for orders.

Austin asks what Cyrus wants, and Cyrus says he wanted to thank Austin for testifying on his behalf at the hearing. As Austin can see, with his critical input, the judge determined he wasn’t medically fit to stay in Pentenville and finish his sentence. Austin says, because he’s such a feeble man, and Cyrus says, complete freedom invigorates a man. Austin says, Cyrus is a master of miracles. Why doesn’t he pull another one out of his hat and let Ava go? Cyrus asks when Austin became so cynical, and Austin says, the deal was that he would testify on Cyrus’s behalf and Cyrus would release Ava. Now live up to the end of his bargain and tell Mason to let Ava go.

Carly asks when Drew has to go back to Pentenville, but he says he’s not exactly sure. Carly says, well, that’s wrong. His doctor is being overly optimistic about his condition. She’s going to talk to the doctor and make him understand it’s way too soon to send Drew back to Pentenville. She heads for the door, and Drew says he doesn’t want her to ask the doctor to lie or exaggerate to keep him here longer. The doctor saved his life; he did his job. She says, saving Drew’s life could be a waste of time. Because if he sends Drew back to Pentenville, the people who almost killed him are going to try to finish the job.

Brook says she wanted to introduce Eddie and her mother to Chase, and Chase shakes Lois’s hand, saying, it’s nice to meet her. She tells him that he’s as gorgeous as everyone says, and please call her Lois. He thanks her, and she says she was practically a baby when she had… Brook says, ma! and Lois says, what? She’s just being honest with the man who’s making their daughter so happy. Brook wasn’t lying to her when Brook told her that, right? Brook says, of course (🍷) not. Chase is the best. Lois says, and that’s exactly what their daughter deserves. Isn’t that right, Ned… Eddie? Eddie/Ned says, what? and she says, pay attention. Seeing these two together, it feels so right. And Chase should feel honored, because her daughter doesn’t settle for anyone. Brook says, ma! and Lois says, what? She’s just saying. Brook always goes where her heart leads her, and her heart led her to Chase. Eddie asks if it was Lois’s heart that led her to him.

Tracy says, all right, let her have it, and Gregory says, thank you. She says, what? and he says, she did something that had to be done. He kept putting it off and he shouldn’t have. She says, he’s not angry? and he says, damn straight he’s angry. At her, at himself for not telling Chase, and his diagnosis. But if his illness is telling him anything, it’s that anger is a waste of time.

Tracy laughs, and Gregory says, what’s so funny? She says, sorry. She’s not laughing at him; she’s laughing at herself. She was so convinced he was going to be furious with her for telling Chase about his ALS, for which she is so sorry. But instead, here he is waxing philosophical about anger and time. He says he was hardly waxing, and he does understand the irony, but he fails to see the humor. She says she guesses she finds it funny that he thinks anger’s a waste of time, and he says, it is. She says, for her, she finds anger a powerful motivator. In fact, she considers her ability to channel anger to action an asset. He says, figures she would.

Lois says she and Eddie have a complicated romantic history. That would have been good for him to forget. He says he’d still like to hear it, but she says, some other time. Chase and his better half don’t want to sit around and listen to her yammer on about their past. Chase says he’d like to hear it, and Lois says, really? He says, absolutely, and Lois says, all right. Don’t say she didn’t warn them. She says, come on, and taps on the table, indicating they should sit. She says she guesses it all started when her heart led her to a man who didn’t exist.

Drew tells Carly that he’s going to be fine. Don’t worry. She says, how can he ask her not to worry about him? and he says he’s in Pentenville for his own actions, for his own decisions. She says he’s being his noble self and she loves him for it. It’s something she absolutely loves about him, but it doesn’t cost that doctor a damn thing to keep him here, to keep him safe. It’s not like he’s risking his medical license; he’s protecting Drew’s life, a life that he saved. Drew says he loves her for trying to rationalize it, but she’s got to let him deal with his own situation. She says, it’s not his own situation. It’s her situation too.

Ava says, Mason doesn’t have to take orders from anybody, and Mason tells her to shut up. He knows exactly what she thinks he is. He’s known ever since that fancy Quartermaine barbecue. She walked in and saw him threatening Austin and she saw the knife in his hand. It turned her on a little; he could see it in her eyes. Then she heard him talk and saw he had a little dirt under his fingernails and said to herself, hey, he’s white trash. He wasn’t worth her breath. It wasn’t until he learned she murdered her husband that he got her attention. Then he saw how phony she was. But he saw how his smartass cousin got her attention. He’s a high and mighty doctor, so she just jumped right in the sack with him. It must be disappointing. She could have had her chance to be with him, a real man, but she made a mistake, and now she’s never going to get that chance again. So she’s going to sit there and she’s going to shut up.

Pilar and Avery are in the interrogation room. Dante seats Avery at the head of the table and tells her that she’s going to sit in the important person’s chair. Avery asks if he knows where her mommy is, and he says, that’s what they’re going to figure out. He knows it’s late, but he wants her to stay there with her sister and Pilar. She says, okay, and Josslyn thanks him. He says, of course (🍷) and goes out to the squad room. He tells the desk sergeant, whatever they need, and leaves.

Cyrus tells Austin, as he said, he’s grateful for Austin’s help, and he trusts with the Lord’s guidance, everyone will be safe. Austin says, stop. He promises Ava’s not a threat to Cyrus. She has no idea he and Mason work for him. Austin’s phone trills, and Cyrus says, it sounds as if Austin’s patients need him. God speed. Austin leaves, and Cyrus calls Mason.

Pacing outside the car, Mason says, yeah? Cyrus asks if he has the passenger, and Mason says he does. Cyrus says, take her home, and Mason says he doesn’t get that. Cyrus says, the situation has been resolved to his satisfaction. Take. Her. Home. Mason hangs up and looks at Ava through the car window.

Lois says, keep in mind, she was young, practically a baby, like she told them earlier. And she was naïve. She became completely infatuated with Eddie Maine, who she thought was living a double life. Pharmaceutical salesman by day, rocker by night. Chase says, that’s quite a combination, and Lois says, tell her about it. Little did she know, he was actually Ned Ashton, who was planning on marrying another woman at that time. And get this, he actually married that woman while he was married to her. Eddie says, Olivia, but Lois says, not Livvy, that came later. Brook says, she could sell this story to 20/20, and Lois says she tried; they didn’t believe her. She asks Eddie if any of this rings a bell, because she swears it’s the God’s honest truth, but he says, no. Just so she knows, he is not living a double life now. He is himself, Eddie Maine, musician. If what she’s saying really happened… She asks if he’s calling her a liar, but he says, no. He just wants to apologize on behalf of the man he was back then and the way he treated her.

Tracy asks Gregory how Chase is handling it. Wait a minute. How is he? She asks him to sit, and he says he’s getting weaker. His hands are cramping and twitching a lot more; he drops things. He really misses being able to drive himself, but he had to give that up a while back, so he didn’t pose a danger to anyone else. And he’s probably going to have to start using a cane sometime soon because his balance is going in and out. Otherwise, he’s great. How about her? She says, how about a drink? He says, sounds good, and she says, scotch okay? He says, perfect, and as she makes the drinks, she says she’s very relieved he came by. You know how it is when you make a mistake, and you dread the consequences? He says, that’s how he felt with Chase, but she says, no. He may not have handled the situation perfectly, not telling Chase when he told Finn, but there were mitigating circumstances. She on the other hand, shoved her foot right in her mouth and blurted out something that was not hers to say. He says, clearly there was no malice intended, and they clink glasses. She says, clearly, because if there is, he’d know it. He says he’s sure, and she says, why did Finn bail on her by the way? He says, Violet has a cold, and she says she’s sorry to hear that. He says he could fill in for Finn, and she says, that’s nice. She thanks him, but Finn understands her competitive nature. He says, her, competitive? and she says, shocking, she knows. He says, who does she think taught Finn everything he knows about backgammon? and she says, in that case, let’s roll. I went through a backgammon phase, so I kind of get it.

Carly says she’s the one who acted on inside information, and it’s her fault Drew is in this situation. He says, they’ve been over this, and she’s got to stop blaming herself. She says she’d love to blame someone else, but he says, they don’t have much time left. Let’s not go over this. He knows she didn’t mean for any of this to happen. She says, but it happened, and he almost died because those inmates attacked him, and now they want to send him right back to them. He says, it’s not the doctor’s fault he’s in prison. Whoever turned them into the SEC knew that the Feds would twist what they did and make them look guilty (um… they are). She says, but it’s not them; it’s him. He’s the one taking the fall. He says, his choice, when there’s a knock at the door. Cyrus walks in, and Carly says, what the hell?

Pilar leaves to call her mother, and Josslyn says she heard Avery’s dad and Nina got married. Avery says, yeah, on daddy’s island, and Josslyn bets it was beautiful. Avery says, yeah. Donna got to go, but she didn’t. Josslyn says, Avery’s dad really wanted her to be there, and he was super disappointed about how things worked out, but she thinks when he and Nina get back, they’re going to arrange to take Avery somewhere super special. Avery says, she thinks? and Josslyn says she’ll make sure of it, hugging her. Avery says she hopes mommy can go too.

Mason gets back in the car, and Ava says, who was that on the phone? He’s about to start the car, and she asks where they’re going. What is he going to do? He says, to hell with the boss’s orders, and gets out of the car. He walks around to the passenger side and opens the backseat door. She asks what he’s doing, and he says, they’re going to do things his way. He reaches in, pulling her out, and she struggles with him.

Josslyn’s phone rings, and she asks Spinelli, what’s going on? He says he was hoping she could tell him. Has Dex been in touch with her? She says, no. She thought Spinelli was in touch with him and he was checking out those places in Pautuck. Spinelli says, he was, but now he’s not. He got a hit on Mason Gatlin’s vehicle out on County Road 21 and sent that information to Dex. She says, he’s following that maniac? and Spinelli says, yes. They had some contact in the beginning of Dex’s pursuit, but then he hit a dead zone… Sorry. Poor choice of words. She says, he has all of that fancy equipment. Use it and find Dex. He says he’s doing his best, but if she hears from Dex… She says she’ll let him know right away, and he says, copy that. Spinelli gets to work, and Josslyn calls Dante.

Mason tries to drag Ava away from the car toward a cliff, but she continues to struggle with him. They see headlights coming, and Dex comes out, aiming his gun. He tells Mason, let her go.

Lois says, that’s it? and Eddie says, that’s what? She says, what she just told him about what her Eddie put her through are just the tips of the iceberg. And he thinks I’m sorry covers that? He says he doesn’t know what else she expects him to say, and she says, her Eddie Maine was an alter-ego, but this Eddie Maine has conveniently forgotten all the schemes and schnookery that her Eddie Maine put her through. So she guesses her question with all of this is, how many Eddie Maines are in there? He says he knows she doesn’t want to hear it… and she says, of course (🍷) she doesn’t want to hear it. Because she lived it. Because even after all of that, she ended up marrying Ned Ashton Quartermaine, and they had a beautiful daughter, and they had some great memories. They were very much in love, and they were married for some time, and then they got divorced. But this Eddie Maine, he’s forgotten all of the terrible things her Eddie put her through. But this Eddie Maine has also forgotten all of the wonderful times they had. And he’s a poor man for that, and she pities him. He says, I don’t need your damn pity, lady, because I’m very happy just the way I am. He walks out, and Lois says she’s sorry. She apologizes to Chase and says she may have let that go a little too far, but Chase says, no. Now he knows where her daughter gets her spirit.

And I don’t know what schnookery is, but that’s a great word.

Cyrus says he’s sorry. He hopes he’s not interrupting. Carly asks what he’s doing out of prison, and he says he remembers she likes to get right to the heart of the matter, doesn’t she? He calls her Mrs. Corinthos, but she says, it’s Spencer, and he says, of course (🍷). Clearly, she and Mr. Corinthos are no longer together. She says, answer the question, and Drew says, Cyrus is standing here, having rolled right past the guard. If he’d broken out of Pentenville, Cyrus would be on his way to a country with no extradition treaty. Cyrus says, alas, nothing so dramatic. He was released from Pentenville earlier today. Carly asks, on what grounds? and Cyrus says, medical. The doctors determined that any further state could jeopardize his health and that he doesn’t have the capacity to harm anyone. Carly tells Drew, and he was concerned about asking the doctor to stay, when some quack let this maniac out on the streets? Cyrus says, and his first mission on said streets was to come and check on the man who saved his life, and Carly says, big mistake. Cyrus says he’s so glad Carly is here, keeping his friend Drew company, because he’s long wanted to see her.

Mason wonders who Dex is, and Dex tell him to drop the gun; he’s got a clear shot. Ava says, take the shot, but Mason shoots Dex first. Dex falls, and Ava elbows Mason, getting away from him. Dex pops back up and rushes Mason, and they roll around on the ground fighting.

Gregory says he believes that’s three to one, and Tracy says, best of seven? but he says, it’s late and he’s tired. He’d better be getting back. She says, coward, and he says, absolutely. He can see by that killer look in her eye, he should quit while he’s ahead. She says he’s a liar. He’s really good. He thanks her, and thanks her for the distraction. And the drink. She says, they’ll do it again, and he says he’d like nothing more. He didn’t realize how gratifying it could be to beat Tracy Quartermaine at something. She tells him, hold on to that feeling until next time when she wipes the floor with him, and he says, they’ll have to wait and see. Let him call a ride service. She says, Yuri will take him, and he thanks her. She says she really is sorry, but he says he told her, he’s not upset about what happened with Chase. She says she doesn’t mean that. She means his diagnosis. He moves toward her and they hug. He kisses her cheek and says, goodnight. She looks really sad as she watches him leave.

Dex and Mason continue to fight, and Mason gets Dex down, banging his head against the ground. Ava yells, no! Stop! I wonder why she’s not helping, when Mason is suddenly shot in the back and falls off Dex. Our hero Dante has arrived.

Carly tells Cyrus that she has nothing to say to him, so get out. He says he can appreciate her antipathy. After all, there was a great deal of friction between them when her ex-husband Sonny went missing, and she and Jason Morgan were running the territories. Drew asks what he wants, and Cyrus says he just wants Miss Spencer to understand that any friction back then was before he found the Lord. Carly says, is he kidding her? and he says he regrets the tactics he used, but even then, there was no personal animosity. She says she has tons of personal animosity toward him, and he says he completely understands. He just hopes that at some point in the future, he’ll have the opportunity to make almonds amends. She says, don’t hold your breath, and he says, at least she can appreciate the fact he was able to come to the aid of Mr. Cain. She asks Drew what Cyrus is talking about, but Drew says he has no clue. Cyrus says he’s sorry. He assumed they told Drew that he was the one who found him beaten in the shower. He got help for Drew. He was told Drew would have perished otherwise. So just as Drew saved his life, the Lord gave him the opportunity to save Drew’s. And seeing Drew here like this, recovering so well after the way he looked when Cyrus came to his aid… is thanks enough. God bless them both. He leaves, and Carly looks at Drew.

Eddie goes into the solarium and says, Tracy’s here. She says she lives here, and he says he knows. He was just hoping maybe… never mind. She asks, what’s up? and he says, that woman is driving him crazy. She says, Olivia? but he says, no, the other one. She says, oh. He doesn’t mean his wife Olivia; he means his ex-wife Lois. He says he doesn’t remember either one of them, but the second one. She says, Lois drives everybody a little crazy, and he says, she keeps going on and on about their past. Tracy says, the part where he married her, or the part where he married someone else while he was married to her? and he says he doesn’t need to hear this from her. She says, he’s right; she’s sorry. She’s not a Lois fan, however, he must realize how difficult the situation is for her. He says he does, but no one seems to understand how difficult this is for him. All he keeps hearing about is what an awful guy he was. Or what a wonderful guy he was. But none of it means anything to him, because he’s not that guy. Tracy says she’s sorry, and he says, him too. She asks why he came in here, and he says, when his head is spinning like this, he finds that music is the only thing that helps him. She says, be her guest, and heads for the door. He thanks her and sits at the piano.

Chase tells Lois, from the first time he arrested Brook, he could tell she was a force of nature. Lois tells him, he says that like arresting her was a romantic gesture, and he says, no, but needless to say, she didn’t appreciate his actions as a detective. Brook says, because he… but Lois shushes her and say she wants to hear what he has to say. Chase says, from the first time, even though they didn’t agree on everything… Brook says, anything, and he says, okay, anything. He came to admire Brook’s spirit and commitment. She was so eager to put everything she believed in on the line, and he always wondered where she got that nerve from. Now he knows. Lois says, aww. She didn’t do everything right as a mother, but if she taught her daughter to stand up for herself, then that makes her proud. Because her Brook Lynn has always been her own person. Brook says, with a very high tolerance for embarrassment, and Lois says she already apologized for the scene. Brook says she knows. It’s fine. She’s just glad Chase got to meet the real her. Chase says he’s glad he finally got to meet her, and Lois says, the feeling is mutual. It makes her feels so good to see her daughter so happy. And he seems like a very kind and patient man. Brook says, ma… and Lois says, both of which are good qualities if he’s going to move forward with her daughter. Brook says she’s got to break this lovefest up; they have to go. Lois asks Chase for a hug, and he obliges as Tracy walks in.

Brook walks out the door, Chase following her, and Tracy says, you’re welcome. Lois says, for what? and Tracy says, they’re together because of her. Lois says, is that a fact? Her daughter found a man who clearly adores her and she loves him back, and that joy is all because of Tracy? Tracy says, they were miles apart. She brought them together. Lois says, because Tracy blackmailed her daughter to get what she wanted.

Carly looks out the blinds, and tells Drew, that man didn’t find the Lord; he found a loophole. Drew says, they have to give Cyrus some kind of credit. He knows how to work the system. She says, the system’s a joke. That man is walking around free, while Drew is going back to Pentenville for insider trading? That he lost money on? (sigh) It’s insane. He says, it’s something they’ve got to deal with, at least for now, and she says, that man is dangerous. He can’t be out there roaming around the streets of Port Charles. Her phone rings, and she asks Josslyn, what’s up? Josslyn says, everyone is safe, but something’s happened. She needs to come home right away.

Ava asks Dex if he’s all right, and Dante phones in the report, keeping his gun on Mason. Dex takes the ties off Ava’s wrists and asks if Mason hurt her. (I just have this fleeting thought: Ava and Dex. It would work better than what they have going on now.) She says, no. She’s okay. How did he find her? He says, with a lot of help. It’s a long story. She says she’s glad she’s alive to hear it. Still on the phone, Dante checks Mason’s pulse, and says, he’s alive, but still unconscious. Two gunshot wounds to the back. He’s going to need medical attention and transport. He thanks them, and Ava asks, is the bastard gonna live? Dante says, guys like this usually do. Any idea why he brought her up here? She says, he was pretty clear when he was dragging her to the edge of the cliff before Dex showed up, and Dante says he means, does she have any idea why he abducted her in the first place? She says she guesses orders from his boss, and Dante asks, who’s his boss? Did she get a name? She says, no, but when she does, they’re going to wish she’d never heard it.

Cyrus gets in the hospital elevator, and Austin stops the doors from closing and joins him. Austin says he needs to talk to Ava, and Cyrus says, she seems to have become important in Austin’s life. Austin says he needs to know that she’s okay, and Cyrus says he’s expressed his gratitude for Austin’s help at the hearing, but gratitude only goes so far. Austin has known him a long time, and he’s sure by now Austin understands he’s in no position to make demands. It’s best to remember who’s in control here. He gets out of the elevator, but Austin stays in. The doors close.

Tomorrow, Tracy tells Lois that she couldn’t be more wrong; Josslyn asks how close Dex came to going over himself; and Carly tells someone, the kidnapping isn’t the worst thing.

🧼 Outside the Soap Bubble…

What a few of the soap stars are doing when off the soap clock.

🐠 Not Today Fish…

She’s such a wacko anyway. Why even try to communicate?

https://ew.com/tv/rhoslc-mary-cosby-refuses-fish-sandwich-ziwe-wwhl/

🩺 Stranger Things…

I like Phaedra and she probably does have a sweet side, but I wouldn’t want to be on her sour side.

🥀 Two Fallen Stars…

I loved her in the original Carrie and always preferred it over the remake.

https://ew.com/celebrity/piper-laurie-dead-carrie-twin-peaks-actress/

A true legend.

https://people.com/suzanne-somers-dead-at-76-8358227

👠 Fabulous New Project…

Whatever it is, I’ll watch it. AbFab’s Eddie and Patsy were like Lucy and Ethel on crack.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/jennifer-saunders/article-12635805/Jennifer-Saunders-Dawn-French-Absolutely-Fabolous-update-new-project.html

🤷🏻‍♂️ He’s Just Pete…

This is pretty funny.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1387905/pete-davidsons-barbie-parody-mocking-his-dating-life-and-more-is-a-perfect-10

👀 Not Looking In the Basement…

Join me tomorrow for soap and internet treats. The OC season is blessedly over, and I think RHOBH is coming soon, but tomorrow is only the Miami Reunion. I do watch Miami off and on, but never included it here. Until then, stay safe, stay watching the classic Halloween at least once this season, and stay channeling your anger into action. In a good way. Let it be a powerful motivator, but not a vengeful one.

October 13, 2023 – The Wedding Is On, Thought, Back, Fitting, MIA, A Goodbye, Salty Talk, Postscript, Hard Times, Back To the 80s, Dead Stuff, Costumed Pets (!), Totally Ten Quotes & Monster

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis lifts weights, when there’s a knock at the door. He wheels himself over to open it, and Stella asks if it’s a bad time. He says, not at all, if she doesn’t mind waiting for him to finish another set. She says, not at all, and comes in. She asks if somebody else is here, but he says, no, just him, picking up one of the weights. He asks if she thinks they shouldn’t have left him alone, and she asks if she said that. He says, no, and she says, he’s been on his own for a while now, and he’s doing just fine. He works with the weight, and says, she’s been tracking him, huh? She says she always has; she’s not going to change now. He’s working hard; very impressive. He says he’s just trying to keep it all together, and she says, he’s doing more than keeping it together. She’s very proud of him. He thanks her and says, all these exercises, in fact everything he does, is for Trina and Portia and Marshall. She says, how’s that? and he says, every morning there’s a part of him that doesn’t want to get out of bed. Then he thinks about his family. They need him, and he will not let them down. There’s a knock at the door, and Stella says she’ll get it. She opens it to Selina and says, what do you want?

TJ tells Portia he heard a rumor going around. The buzz is totally positive. She says she has no idea what he’s talking about, but he says, spill. She says she doesn’t want to talk about it yet. Not until she gets a chance to tell Curtis, and she wants to tell him in person. He’s going to be so hurt if he finds out everyone at GH knew before he did. She’s trying to sneak out of here so she can see him. TJ says, he’s going to be thrilled.

Josslyn knocks on the door at Windymere, and Giles answers. He asks if he can help her, and she says, he probably doesn’t remember her, but she’s Josslyn Jax, Avery’s older sister. He says, of course (🍷). What can he do for her? She says she’s looking for Ava. She never picked Avery up from the nanny last night. Giles invites her in.

A guard walks Cyrus to the visiting room, and Cyrus says, another visitor during off hours? He sees Laura, and she says, hello, Cyrus.

Austin sits at his desk and flashes back to him telling the judge that Cyrus is weak because of his heart attack, and no longer a physical threat to anybody. He says, yeah, weak like a great white shark is weak. He remembers telling Mason that he did what was asked and to let Ava go, and Mason saying, neither one of them call the shots. There’s a knock at the door, and Dex says, sorry to bother him, but has he seen Ava Jerome?

Puerto Rico. Here Comes the Bride plays as Nina walks to Sonny, and everyone looks all happy. The priest welcomes everyone and says, they’ve been blessed with a beautiful day to witness the joining in matrimony of Michael Sonny Corinthos and Nina Reeves. This is a joyful occasion, and a solemn one. Marriage as a traditional ceremony is an honorable one, not to be entered into lightly, but a pledge between two people to honor, support, and love one another for the rest of your lives. Is that the pledge they’re willing to make? Nina says, we are, and Sonny says, yeah, we are.

Selina says she’s here to see her friend, but Stella says, she doesn’t have any friends here. And no way she’s buying any with that gift basket. Stella looks at the bodyguard holding a basket of fruit behind Selina, and Curtis says, it’s okay. Selina’s a business associate. Stella says, uh-huh, and Selina walks in. (Oooh. The bodyguard has a bakery box too.) Selina says, his aunt is very protective. She admires that in a family. Stella excuses herself, and Curtis asks what Selina is doing here. She says, he’s been back home for a while now. She thought she’d give him some time to get accustomed to his new life. He says, that was considerate, and she says she hopes now he’s come to his senses and is ready to sell her The Savoy.

Cyrus says, what an unexpected and wonderful surprise. He didn’t know Laura was back from her trip. She says, they just got back, and he says, and she chose to come and see him. He’s touched. She says, he cut his hair, and shaved, and… He says, since he found his true calling, he didn’t find the need to hide behind appearances, and she says, he looks great. So tell her, how is he feeling? He says, their brother told her about his little medical problem, and she says she doesn’t know that she’d call a heart attack a little medical problem, and she’s glad Marty told her. He asks if Martin also told her that it was her aura that pulled him through in his darkest hour, but she says, it was Drew Cain who saved his life. He says, without the will to live, his CPR might not have been effective, but he is a good man. She says, he’s a very good man. That’s why it’s such a shame he’s in here with… Cyrus says, with men like me. He gets the feeling checking on his health isn’t the only reason she’s here. She says she heard about his application for early release, and he asks if she’s here as his sister or the mayor.

Giles says he’s also concerned about Miss Jerome’s whereabouts, and Josslyn says, so she hasn’t been here? He says, she was home when he left. That was night before last. She didn’t mention any plans to be away, but when he came to work yesterday, she wasn’t here. She never came home. Josslyn says, so no maid or no housekeeper has seen her, and he says, no one on the staff has seen or heard from her, but he did find a broken martini glass on the floor here. He points near the fireplace, and says, it could have been an accident. Perhaps she’s staying with her friend Miss Reeves? Josslyn says, no. Nina’s in Puerto Rico getting married. He says, Dr. Gatlin-Holt’s been a frequent guest recently. He was under the impression the doctor and Miss Jerome might be close.

Austin says, recently, no, he hasn’t seen Ava, and Dex asks if he remembers the last time he saw or heard from her. Austen says, two or three days ago. Why is Dex asking him this? Dex says, she hasn’t been to her art gallery, and no one has seen or heard from her, and Austin says, Dex works for Sonny Corinthos; is he right about that? Dex says, yeah, and Austin says, a couple of days ago, Ava mentioned she was thinking of maybe taking a trip to New York. She said there was an artist she was interested in signing. Dex says, that could be very helpful, and thanks Austin for his time. Austin says, no problem, and as he walks past Dex, Dex punches him in the stomach and gets him in a headlock. As Austin struggles to breathe, Dex says, Sonny has a daughter with Ava Jerome, so he cares about her. If he finds out Austin has something to do with her disappearance, he’ll be back, and he won’t be asking questions. He lets Austin go and walks out.

In the hallway, Dex’s phone rings, and Josslyn tells him that she thinks she might have found something.

The priest says, it’s his understanding Sonny and Nina have elected to say their own vows, and Nina hands her bouquet to Willow. Sonny says he guesses Nina wants him to go, and she says, yeah. They join hands, and Sonny says he spent all morning writing his vows. They’re in his pocket, but when he looked in Nina’s eyes, he felt like he didn’t need to write his vows because he can always speak from his heart to her. He thanks her for trusting and loving him, and for seeing the better man in him than he ever saw in himself. He appreciates her kindness and her strength and her willingness to fight for their love, even though everybody was against them. When they doubted they should be together, they did everything they could to get through it, and here they are. He’s convinced more now that they belong together, because of how he feels right now in the moment. How he always does; she makes him secure. He knows she loves him and he loves her that much more, and he always will.

Selina asks Curtis to just hear her out. She’ll keep the entire staff at The Savoy – Stella walks back in – and the entire name of the club will remain. He and his entire family will have VIP memberships for life, and she’ll increase her original offer to twice what he paid for the club. He says, that’s an extremely generous offer, and she says she agrees. So what does he say? He thinks a moment and asks why she’s determined to buy his club. Why doesn’t she start her own and find a location that’s half the price? Stella says, good question.

Cyrus says, in case Laura is wondering, he has no idea how the judge is going to rule. He hasn’t heard anything yet. Now that she’s back, will she oppose his release? She says, he looks as strong and healthy as the day he got in here, but that said, she’s not a doctor. And as the mayor, she doesn’t interfere with judicial decisions. He says he supposes putting in a good word for her brother is out of the question, and she says, yes. He asks if Marty also told her that he gave away all of his money.

Dex arrives at Windymere, and Giles lets him in. Josslyn introduces Giles, and says, Giles told her that Ava hasn’t been home since night before last, and nobody on the staff has seen or heard from her. Dex says, she told him that she found something, and she says, this cellphone and this lollypop. The cellphone was under the coffee table, and the lollypop was just kind of sticking out of the couch. And Giles found a broken martini glass on the floor. Giles says, Miss Avery must have dropped the lollypop last time she was here, but Josslyn says, this isn’t Avery’s. Dex asks how she knows, and she says, because it’s grape and Avery hates grape. So somebody else had to have been here. And Ava would have never left her cellphone in case Avery needed to get in touch with her. Dex says he saw cameras everywhere as he walked up to the house. There have to be more, right? Giles says, yes, and Dex says he needs to see the footage from the minute Giles left Ava.

Nina says, to be honest, she never imagined she’d be here right now with Sonny. It’s actually the last thing she ever expected or wanted, and she fought it for a very long time. She kept telling herself that they would never work, and as she kept saying that, her heart kept falling deeper and deeper in love with him. And she couldn’t fight her heart anymore, could she? Or him. His charm, his humor, his compassion, his courage, his loyalty… his dance moves. What more could a person ask for in someone they love? Then she saw him parent his children, who he fiercely loves, and how he’s willing to fight for them, for their protection. She’s always wanted that family, since she was a little girl. Her daughter is now a part of her life – she looks at Willow – and the two of them are part of his family. He’s given her so much. He’s given her a family. And she wants to give him something. She’s going to surround him with love for his entire life; she promises him that. And they can leave all their mistakes behind them. She’ll walk with him, hand in hand, right beside him, loving him, for the rest of his life.

Selina tells Curtis that she doesn’t have the time or the inclination to open a new club. It’s too much work and she has a busy schedule. The Savoy is already established; that’s why she’ll be paying him top dollar for it. Stella asks if he heard how Selina made it sound like it’s a done deal, when Portia walks in. Selina tells her, good afternoon, and Stella says, she got here just in time. Miss Wu brought them a basket filled with treats. Why doesn’t Portia have a seat and she’ll make them some tea so they can all get to know each other better. She asks what kind of tea Selina would like, and Selina says, that’s kind of her, but she has another appointment. Stella says, that’s just too bad. Maybe another time then. She opens the front door, and Selina nods to her bodyguard. She tells Curtis that she’ll be in touch, and he thanks her for the basket. I want to know what’s in the bakery box. Selina leaves with the guard, and Stella closes the door, putting her back against it, and says, amen.

Dex looks at a tablet, and Giles says, he can see the front entrance is well-covered by several cameras. Dex says, there Giles is, leaving. This is the night before last. Ava was alone when he left? Giles says, yes. Feel free to examine the rest of the footage. He must check on a delivery. Please help Miss Jerome. He leaves, and Dex points at the tablet, saying, there. Someone’s coming in. Josslyn says she sees him, but she can’t see his face; he’s wearing a hood. They keep watching, and Dex says, they’re at about twenty minutes later. Josslyn says, there’s Ava. She’s with him, but Josslyn can’t tell if her hands are tied or if she’s just walking super close to him. Dex suggests they check the dock camera around that time… They didn’t use the launch. Josslyn says, he would still have to go back to Port Charles, no? and Dex says, right there. He has his own boat. That’s what they left on. If he and Josslyn want to see where they came ashore, they need to see the harbor security cameras and the traffic cameras from that time. They can’t do that without going to the cops. Josslyn says, there’s another way.

Josslyn knocks at an apartment door, and a voice asks, who knocks? She looks up at a camera and says, Spinelli, it’s Josslyn. You’re watching us through the security camera. Spinelli opens the door and says, greetings, clever girl. What brings them to his door?

Austin gives TJ a folder and says, the prognosis was very impressive. He coughs and drinks some water, and TJ asks if he’s all right. Austin says he’s fine. He went to a concert last night and he was very enthusiastic. TJ asks, who was the band? when Mason walks in. He says he’s sorry. His cousin here wanted to see him.

Cyrus tells Laura that he’s seen so much suffering in here, he thought his money could do more good trying to help these poor souls. She says, Marty did mention to her that he’d given some of his money to a recidivism organization, but he says, not some of his money, every dime. He says, she doesn’t believe that, and she says she guesses they’ll see, won’t they, if he’s granted his early release. He says, how little faith she has in her brother. They were ill-gotten gains. He’s come to realize and appreciate that. She says she hopes so, and he says, she doesn’t seem to doubt the generosity of her friend Sonny Corinthos when he gives away his dirty money. He’s not wrong.

The priest says, Sonny and Nina’s vows were so clearly from the heart. Now please repeat after him. They say the traditional vows; in sickness and health, forsaking all others until death do us part. The rings are exchanged, and the priest says, in the presence of God and these witnesses, they’re now husband and wife. What God has joined, let no one put asunder. He thinks they know what happens next. They laugh and Donna says, you’re supposed to kiss. They do, and everyone smiles.

Portia asks what that was about, and Stella says, that woman was trying… Curtis says, Selina came to talk business, but what is Portia doing here in the middle of the day? She says she wanted to tell him something in person, but she wanted it to be official. Stella says, for what to be official? and Portia says she’s been named Co-Chief of Staff at General Hospital. Curtis says, congratulations, and she says, it’s going to be a lot more administrative work and a lot of emails, but… Stella says, Portia knows she can handle all of that, and Curtis says, she’ll be great. Portia says, and it’s going to be a little extra money. Stella says, as it should be for all that extra work, and Curtis says, they’ll be very lucky to have her. He couldn’t be more proud of his intelligent, accomplished, and very gorgeous wife. She kisses him and says, thank you.

Dex tells Spinelli that they couldn’t download the video from the system at Windymere, so all they have is the footage he had access to. Josslyn says, they also found Ava’s cellphone at Windymere, but she doesn’t know how to get in. Can he break in? He says, he can, but it will take time Ava doesn’t have, and Dex says, let’s get back to what we’ve got. The butler departed the house at 10:57 that night. At 11:18, an unidentified figure, likely male, entered the house. There’s no footage from the interior, so we don’t know what happened inside, but at 11:59, the hooded figure left by the front door with Ava. They were close together. He appears to be leading her, and from her posture, it’s likely her hands were tied. They arrived at the docks at 12:03 am and left in a single engine outboard. That’s what we have. Spinelli says, well done, and Josslyn says, what they really need to know is where they docked the boat in Port Charles. Does he think he can get access to the harbor security and traffic cameras?

Austin tells TJ that the apologizes. His cousin is unaware of hospital protocol. Mason could have just interrupted a consultation with a patient. Mason says he’s sorry. He’s just a truck driver and doesn’t know anything about hospital protocols. So he hopes TJ can forgive him. TJ says, no problem. They’re finished. He thanks Austin and is about to leave, when he says, so Mason is a truck driver? and Mason says, used to be. Now he kind of does a little bit of everything. TJ says, it was good to see him again, Mason says, him too, and TJ leaves. He pauses for a moment outside the door, then walks on. Mason tells Austin, do not get high and mighty with him about manners. Austin said he needed to see him right away, so what’s going on? Austin says, Sonny Corinthos knows.

Laura says, Sonny has nothing to do with the way she views Cyrus, but he says he’s well-aware of that. He and Sonny were in the same kind of business for years, and he ever thought much about Sonny. But then he’d see Sonny treated with such reverence, an honored member of the Port Charles community with a respected family when he’s no better than Cyrus is. Again he’s not wrong.

Kristina congratulates Nina and welcomes her to the family, hugging her. Donna goes over to Sonny and says, her turn. He says, come here, girl. Give me a hug. He wants her to know something. Daddy always loves her. She knows that, right? She says she loves him, and they hug again. These two are too cute together. Donna asks Nina if she can call her Mama Nina now, and Nina says she would love nothing more. She hugs Donna.

Willow tells Sonny, congratulations, and hugs him. He says, her mother is the best thing that ever happened to him. He just wants her to know that she means everything to Nina. Willow smiles at him, and tells Nina, congratulations. Nina thanks her, and says, it means so much that she’s here. Willow hugs her, and I feel sick thinking about this all falling apart. Michael hugs Sonny and tells Nina, congratulations. Welcome to the family. He kisses her on the cheek.  

Stella says, this is definitely cause for a celebration, and Portia agrees. Stella says she’s taking the two of them out for dinner tonight to celebrate. Marshall and Trina too. Portia says, they can actually have dinner in here tonight, have some champagne. It’ll be a little bit more relaxing, right? Curtis says, no. Auntie’s right. This is a big deal and they should celebrate it, right? Stella tells him, you said it, baby.

Laura tells Cyrus that she supposes she and Sonny have the sort of friendship that surprises some people, but she had no idea it upset him that much. He says he’s sorry. He’s not upset at Sonny. He supposes he just envies Sonny’s life, and how Sonny seems to have a closer relationship with his sister than he does. She says she’s known Sonny for a very long time, and he says, he knows it’s unlikely, but if he does get his release, perhaps he and Laura can build a bond that’s even stronger than the one she has with Sonny. She kind of shrugs and smiles, and the guard says, time’s up. Cyrus says, wish me luck, and she tells him, good luck. He laughs and pats her hand. He thanks her so much for coming. He hopes to see her again very soon. He leaves with the guard.

Just for the record, I’m aware they spell the prison Pentonville on the show, but I think Pentenville looks more like penitentiary, so, artistic license. Like with Windymere.

Dex says, there. That was the boat. Josslyn is surprised he can see it, and Spinelli says, keen powers of observation. Here they are. Dex says, Pier 17, and Spinelli, the abductor, if that’s what he is, chose his spot well. See what’s around the pier? It’s all warehouses. They’d be deserted at that hour, so even if Ava were to call for help, he doesn’t think she’d be heard. Josslyn says, wait. He took off his hood. Dex asks if Spinelli can tighten it, and Spinelli says, yes, of course (🍷), but the cameras are not high res; it might be grainy. Dex says he knows that guy. That’s Austin Gatlin-Holt’s cousin… Mason.

Austin says, one of Sonny’s guys was here asking about Ava, and Mason says, so? Austin says, what does he mean, so? No one’s heard from her in a couple of days. Mason says, because she’s locked in a basement somewhere. Who cares? Austin says he cares. He cares very much. Mason says, that’s sweet. His cousin is in love. Austin says he’s not joking around here. Don’t you hurt her. Mason says, Austin knows better than to threaten him, and Austin asks if it isn’t enough that Ava spent all this time thinking she killed Nikolas, and Nikolas is alive and well. He’s fine; he’s in Europe. Mason says he didn’t tell the guy to take off. He and Cyrus were the ones who kept him alive in the first place. Austin says, Nikolas is Cyrus’s nephew, and Mason says, forgive him. Cyrus has never struck him as the sentimental type about family, but Austin says, maybe they’re wrong about that. Mason needs to convince Cyrus to leave Ava alone. If that guy comes back for him… Mason says, put him off, but Austin says, no. He thought he already had. He punched Austin in the gut and grabbed him in a chokehold. He said, if anything happens to Ava, he’s coming back for Austin. Mason says, looks like you’ve got a problem, cuz.

Sonny and Nina, and Michael and Willow slow dance, while Kristina dances with the kids. Michael’s phone dings, and he says he has to take this real quick. He’ll be back. Willow calls Wiley over to dance with her, and Sonny asks if he can dance with his little girl. Donna says, yeah, and much cuteness happens. Willow suggests Wiley ask his grandmother to dance, and Wiley asks Nina if she wants to dance. She says, does she? Yeah. They dance as much as you can dance with a three-foot height difference. On the side, Michael says he’s at a family function. He can’t talk long. So, they have the name of the person who turned Drew Cain in to the SEC?

We don’t see his face, but a man tells Michael, the SEC was contacted by a lawyer named Martin Grey, acting on behalf of a client. Michael says, Grey was just a go-between. He needs the name of the person who pointed the SEC to his mom and Drew… He turns around and looks at Nina having a grand old time with Wiley. Ugh. I mean, I get it. She did wrong, but I still feel badly about it since it all finally came together, and everyone is so happy.

Curtis reaches for his water, and Portia tries to help, but he says he’s got it. Doesn’t she have to go back to the hospital, Co-Chief of Staff? She laughs and says she does actually, and he says he’s going to take a shower and he’ll see her tonight. She says she can’t wait, and he wheels himself out of the room. Stella suggests Portia take the basket over to the hospital for the nurses to enjoy, and Portia says, okay. When she gets closer, Stella lowers her voice and says, Portia doesn’t have to do everything. She just got a wonderful well-deserved job and she’ll be making more money. Portia says, right, and The Savoy is making money, and Stella says, but Curtis isn’t there. In his mind, he’s not making a dime. Curtis needs her, he needs all of them, to live out their lives as normally as possible and not walk on eggshells around him. He can go out the restaurant and have a fine time. Portia says she was just thinking he’ll be more comfortable here, that’s all, but Stella says, if something is making Curtis uncomfortable, he’s a grown man and he can tell them himself. Believe her. She knows Curtis and he will. Portia says, okay, and thanks her. They hug, and Stella hands Portia the basket. Portia asks if she’s sure, and Stella says, absolutely. They don’t want nothing that woman has to offer, but she will be keeping the baked goods. Portia takes the basket and leaves.

Josslyn asks if Dex is sure that’s the same guy, and Dex says, positive. Maybe Mason has ties to someone working against Sonny; he’s not sure who yet. Josslyn asks how he can tell from this picture, and Dex says, when he was following Mason, he always had a lollypop in his mouth. Josslyn says, that would explain the grape lollypop at Ava’s, and Spinelli says, here we go. The vehicle that Ava and Mason got in is registered to a Pautuck Trucking Company, Pautuck, New York. Dex says he’s going to need a list of all the employees employed by the trucking company and their addresses, as well as any properties owned or leased by the trucking company. He tells Josslyn, that’s where they’ll find Ava.

Austin says, Mason’s right. He has a problem. Because for some reason, Cyrus hates Sonny Corinthos. Can Mason please explain that to him, because he doesn’t understand. Isn’t there enough to go around for everybody? There’s plenty there. At least there used to be. Mason says he doesn’t get it either. Honestly, he thinks the whole thing started when the boss found out Mayor Collins was his sister. Austin asks, what’s that got to do with anything? and Mason says he doesn’t know. He’s just telling Austin, that’s when Cyrus started mentioning Sonny more and more. He would rant on and on about Corinthos and the life he had. Austin says, what life? They both have the same life. They’re mob bosses. Mason says, he called Sonny respectable. It’s almost as if it’s something he wanted for himself and doesn’t have. Austin says, so his life is in danger because Cyrus is jealous of Sonny Corinthos, but Mason says he thinks it goes deeper than that. Austin says, if that guy comes back, Sonny’s guy, he’s going to spill his guts. And they’re next move is to come after Mason, and then Mason will be as dead as him. Mason tells him, don’t do anything stupid. Austin’s only protection from Sonny is the boss, so just do as he’s told. Let the boss handle Sonny. He leaves.

Wiley and Donna chant, cake, cake, cake, and pound on the table. Sonny and Nina get ready to cut the cake, and Michael watches from the sidelines.

The guard says, this is it, opening the door, and Cyrus goes out into the sunshine wearing civilian clothes. He takes an envelope of the possessions he came with from the guard, and the guard says, he knows his way out. Cyrus says he certainly does, and tosses the envelope into a trashcan on his way to the gate.

Sonny and Nina cut the cake, and Sonny feeds Nina a piece. Michael watches.

Before going through the gate, Cyrus takes a deep breath and smiles.

Sonny and Nina wipe icing off of Donna and Wiley’s faces. Michael glares at Nina. This is bad.

The prison gate opens, and Cyrus walks out. He turns to look back at the prison.

Sonny and Nina kiss and drink champagne. Michael glares some more.

Cyrus gets in a car, and it drives away.

On Monday, Cody wonders if Sasha is going to walk away from her life after just getting it back; Willow says, Michael never told her who he was talking to; and Kristina asks what someone is doing here.

💭 A thought: Interesting that Nina and Cyrus have parallel goals of wanting a family and are both going about it all wrong.

🩺 The Doctor Was Out…

This is embarrassing. He’s my absolute favorite soap actor and I didn’t even realize he’d been gone for so long. Well, nice to have him back.

🧳In Sonny’s Defense…

The punishment fit the crime; being exiled to Bridgeport. And one of the funniest interactions ever, starting with her opening the door to give Sam the boot and him standing there.

🕵🏾 The Latest in Waldos…

It’s time to put him back on the canvas. Taggert is definitely underused.

🥀 Ringing Down the Curtain…

He had a wonderful run.

🗽 Her Face Is Irrelevant…

Doubtful she was joking considering her ego. Tribecca does not need her endorsement.

🧂 Four Teaspoons Of Salt…

This week in RHOSLC.

The slam.

The non-clap back.

To be filed under don’t care.

https://people.com/jen-shah-husband-sharrieff-shah-sends-50th-birthday-well-wishes-prison-exclusive-8303004

🍊 Orange You Done Yet…?

Fancy Pants Heather’s hint.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-orange-county/style-living/rhoc-season-17-reunion-recap-heather-dubrows-new-house

It was pretty bold for one just released from banishment.

Apparently not too bold though, since the status quo stays the same.

💎 Possible Final Word…

So, they’re separated, but not divorcing, and it’s no one’s fault.

👠 Those 80s Ladies…

Normally, this wouldn’t be my type of film, but I do like an 80s flashback.

https://ew.com/tv/ladies-of-the-80s-lifetime-movie-first-look-photos/

https://people.com/ladies-of-the-80s-a-divas-christmas-lifetime-first-look-photos-8305219

⚰️ News Of the Departed…

Reddest herring in the world.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-daryl-dixon-melissa-mcbride-season-2/

It makes sense since Jadis was a huge part of the Rick story.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-adds-terry-o-quinn-pollyanna-mcintosh-teaser-photos/

There better be some good explanation of why Victor went from antihero to antichrist.

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/fear-the-walking-dead-season-8-scene-madison-victor-reunite-kinda/

Dead at the con.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/new-york-comic-con-2023-recap-the-walking-dead-universe-rick-michonne-daryl-dixon-carol-fear/#1

🐩 Best In Costume…

I could look at this stuff all day.

https://www.thelist.com/646383/the-best-celebrity-pet-halloween-costumes-ever/

https://www.hola.com/us/lifestyle/20211022325485/celebrity-halloween-costumes-pets-roundup-gallery-1/

📣 Quotes of the Week

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. – Bertrand Russell

If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content. – Leo Tolstoy

I could not tread these perilous paths in safety, if I did not keep a saving sense of humor. – Horatio Nelson

Compassion for animals is intimately connected with goodness of character; and it may be confidently asserted that he who is cruel to animals cannot be a good man. – Schopenhauer

Maturity is achieved when a person accepts life as full of tension. – Joshua L. Liebman

Our experiences don’t define us. It’s what we’ve learned from them that matters. – Monkey D. Garp (Vincent Regan), One Piece

A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave. – Mahatma Gandhi,

Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence. – Henry David Thoreau

Few things will make you feel better than a job brilliantly done. – Robin S. Sharma

Whoever said money can’t buy happiness simply didn’t know where to go shopping. – Gertrude Stein

🪄 Putting a Spell On You…

Visit again on Monday really Tuesday for soap and what’s happening in the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay never blowing out a Jack O’Lantern before midnight on Halloween, and stay being aware of hospital protocol before you barge into a doctor’s office.

March 3, 2023 – Anna Threatens To Haunt Eileen Forever, For His 60th, Another Return, VanderScandal, Salty Stuff, Delays, Rescue Dress-Up, a Half Dozen Brief Quotes & Free It

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Kristina asks if Sam wants to talk, but they hear Dante’s key in the door, and she hides the pregnancy test behind her back. Dante comes in, and says, it’s over? Sam kisses Dante, and Kristina says, they’ve both been holding out. She holds up the pregnancy test.

Diane says, Alexis is going to do something ethically grey, but morally justifiable, isn’t she? and Alexis says, there’s nothing grey, but yes on the morally justifiable part. Diane says she knows how hard Alexis fights for those she feels have been wronged, but sometimes she’s in danger of overstepping. Alexis makes a call to Dean Jeffries in the journalism department at PCU, and Diane throws up her hands.

Gregory tells TJ, it’s a wonder he hasn’t caught the bug from one of his students… yet, when Chase comes along. Gregory asks if Chase is here to see his brother, but Chase says, Finn’s off this morning. He tweaked a muscle in this shoulder and he came to get it checked out. He asks what Gregory is doing here, but Gregory says, it’s nothing. He asks TJ to help Chase; he’ll find the exam room on his own. Chase asks if he’s sick.

Brook asks if Sasha thinks there’s tension between them because of Chase. She’s way off base. That has nothing to do with what’s going on here. Sasha says, then Brook admits there is something.

Spencer looks at a pamphlet along with the car seat in his lap, when Laura comes by, and says, confusing, isn’t it? He says, very, and she explains how to use it. He thanks her, and stands up holding it. He asks how he looks. She asks if she can be honest, and he says, sure. She says, like somebody who’s too young to be a parent.

Eileen backs away, saying, it isn’t real, and bumps into the drawer with the body on it. She screams, and ghostly Anna walks toward her, saying, you’re next. You’re next. You killed me. Eileen screams for help, but Anna says, there’s no one to help her. Eileen says, please. She’ll do anything. Anna says, confess. Confess to what you did to me. Confess or join me. Eileen looks at the body, then back at Anna.

Spencer tells Laura that he’s ready. At least as ready as he can be. Diane filed a petition with the court for him to take custody of his little brother, which is basically just a formality since Esme is going back to prison and his father is gone. Charlotte texted to let him know all the furniture has arrived and it’s been set up. He ordered diapers, formula, parenting books. He’s really trying. She says she knows she is, and couldn’t be more proud of him. It’s just that he’s not this baby’s parent; Spencer is his brother. He says, the baby’s father isn’t here, so it’s up to him to do right by his baby brother. His brother deserves something that ties him to his future instead of his past. She says, something that maybe severs all ties with his mother?

Sasha says, something’s been off between her and Brook. If it isn’t Chase, what is it? Brook suggests they drop it, but Maxie thinks talking things out could really help. Sasha says, Brook told Maxie, but didn’t tell her? They’re better than this. Brook says, nothing is wrong… per se. She might have mentioned to Maxie that Sasha and Chase have grown closer lately, and Sasha thinks it’s a conversation they should have in private. Maxie says, oh man, and gets up. She says she has errands she needs to run anyway, makes a call me gesture behind Sasha’s back, and leaves. Sasha says, let’s do this, and Brook asks if they have to. Sasha says, yes.

Gregory says he was just telling TJ how shocked he is that he hasn’t picked up this bug making the rounds. Now go get his shoulder treated. Chase asks if TJ can help with it, but TJ’s phone chirps. He says he has to see a patient, but tells Chase to check in at the nurse’s station and get set up. He leaves, and Chase asks if there’s a reason Gregory won’t tell him why he’s here.

Diane tells Alexis that she’s going to powder her nose and pretend she’s not hearing this. She leaves, and Alexis tells Dean Jeffries who she is, and that she’s the editor-in-chief at The Invader. She wanted to talk to him about Professor Gregory Chase; he works in the history and journalism department… Can he repeat that?… Is he sure?… No, nothing else. She thanks him for his time.

Kristina asks if Sam hasn’t told Dante yet. She’s so sorry. She shouldn’t have said anything. Dante says, someone should probably say something, and Molly comes downstairs, asking, what’s going on? Kristina says she found this, showing Molly the pregnancy test. She apologizes to Sam, and says she must have opened up the wrong bag. (And accidentally pulled out the test, looked it over, and decided to wave it around.) Dante asks if he and Sam need to talk, but Molly says, actually, it was her bag. The pregnancy test isn’t Sam’s… It’s hers.

Diane asks if it’s over, and Alexis says, yes. Diane says she sees Alexis gave Dean Jeffries a piece of her mind. So when does Gregory start at The Invader?… Is she okay? Alexis says, Gregory doesn’t work at PCU anymore. Dean Jeffries told her that Gregory hasn’t given a lecture or taught a class at PCU all semester. Diane says she doesn’t understand, and Alexis says, neither does she. His sons think he’s working at the university. It doesn’t make any sense; she knows him. Diane says, maybe not as well as she thought, and Alexis says, they’ve become very good friends. When Diane was stabbed, he wouldn’t leave the hospital, even when Alexis insisted he go. Diane says, that was very kind of him, but what kind of a friendship does Alexis think they’re building if he can’t even be honest with her? Alexis says, normally, she’d agree with Diane, but there’s something else at play here. Diane’s phone dings, and she says she has to go. Tread carefully with Gregory. No more investing in this friendship until she’s fully investigated the situation. She leaves, and Alexis says, she’s going to evaluate this all right.

Gregory explains to Chase that he thought he might run out of his migraine medication, and he needs an examination to refill the prescription. He asks about Chase’s shoulder, and Chase says he just worked too hard at the gym. He needs to lay off the heavy bag. Gregory says, Chase is usually good at pacing himself, and Chase says he has a lot going on. He’s trying to get his badge back, and there’s this thing with Brook. Gregory says he should have known. There’s only one person who gets Chase all worked up. Chase still hasn’t made peace with how he feels about her.

Brook says, they’re good, but Sasha says, obviously not. Brook says, if there are problems, they’re hers, and she’ll handle them herself, but Sasha says, it’s not healthy to bottle up your feelings. If anyone would know, it would be her. Brook says she doesn’t want to talk about this. Can’t Sasha respect that? Sasha says she can, but this is becoming a problem. Their friendship is important to her. Brook says, it’s important to her too, and Sasha says, and beyond that, they work together. At the very least, she wants to work it out so it doesn’t impact their professional relationship. Brook says, at least that’s one less thing to worry about. She’s quitting.

Spencer asks if Laura can blame him for wanting to keep his brother away from Esme. She is unfit to be a mother, and will use that baby the same way she used him. Laura says, he’s hurt, and has every right to be after the way Esme manipulated him. Remember, she was doing that on Ryan’s orders before she lost her memory. He says, so…? and Laura says, the Esme she’s witnessed in the past few days seems to genuinely care about that baby. And he knows what it’s like to grow up without a mother. Does he really want that for his baby brother? Spencer asks, what if she regains her memory? Does Laura remember what kind of person she was? Laura says she does. She’s on his side 100%, and the baby’s side, so she’s saying she doesn’t think it’s wise to completely alienate Esme. It would be better to get her to want his support. He tells Laura, say Esme never regains her memory. What kind of mother is she going to be without a past? He doesn’t want his baby brother anywhere near Esme. Period. Victor comes in, and asks, where is the newest Cassadine heir? He can’t wait to meet him.

Eileen says, what happened to Anna was an accident. It wasn’t supposed to go like that. Anna says, but it did. My death is on your hands. Eileen says she didn’t know. Please. Can Anna just leave her alone? Anna says, confess… or meet my fate. Or she’ll haunt Eileen forever. Eileen says, no, no, no, no, no. Please. Anna is right. It’s her fault, and she’ll tell Anna everything.

Kristina says, Molly’s pregnant, but Molly says she doesn’t know yet. That’s kinda what the test is for. Sam says, sorry for being weird, but she knew it wasn’t hers or Kristina’s, and figured Molly didn’t want anyone to know. Molly says, right on all fronts. Sam can’t imagine what Dante was thinking, and Dante says he’s thinking he should leave them to sort it out. He jets upstairs, and Molly thanks Kristina, but Kristina says, if Molly didn’t want anyone to find out, she shouldn’t have left it in the shopping bag. Molly says she was hiding it from TJ, and Sam tells her, she would have said it was hers, but Dante walked in. Kristina asks why Molly is hiding it from TJ, and Molly says she’s not sure how he’ll react.

Sasha says, Brook is quitting? and Brook says she didn’t mean for it to come out that way, but she did tell Sasha that she was exploring new horizons. Chase’s music career is really taking off, and she’s getting interest from a lot of new artists. Sasha says she just assumed Brook would continue to do both, but Brook says, the balancing act is a lot. If she’s going to take on new artists, she has to devote time to them. She wishes she could do both. She was going to tell Sasha and Maxie at work; give her notice. Don’t tell her yet. Sasha says she won’t, as long as Sasha is telling her the truth, and this has nothing to do with her and Chase.

Chase says, there’s no future for him and Brook, not after she lied, and Gregory says, yet he’s still working with her. Chase says, as he recalls, someone lectured him about doing the right thing on Christmas Eve. Doing the right thing is finishing what he started. Gregory says, but he still hasn’t forgiven Brook, and Chase asks, why should he? Gregory says he doesn’t want Chase to have regrets. To look back and think how much time he wasted holding onto his anger when he could maybe work things out with Brook. Chase asks if Gregory is telling him to let it go, and Gregory says, Chase was never a hothead, even as a kid. All of a sudden, he’s losing control at every turn, and it all comes back to Brook. Chase asks, what’s the point? and Gregory says, Chase is still in pain, and hasn’t resolved his feelings for her. Chase was happy with Brook. Chase says, she also drove him crazy, and Gregory says, because she challenged him. She’s different; they’re both different, but they compliment each other. Sometimes that can lead to harmony, sometimes discord. Whether the relationship is worth it is up to him. Gregory’s phone tweedles, and he says, it’s Alexis. He has to go. He’s not telling Chase what to do. He’s just suggesting Chase work out his feelings before he hurts himself again.

As he and Victor approach the nursery window, Spencer says, the baby will be discharged soon, and he’ll be taking him home. Victor says, that’s splendid news. No word from his father? Spencer shakes his head, and Victor says, he and Spencer will just have to fill that void, but Laura says, Victor’s services won’t be needed. She knows her son won’t abandon his child. Victor says he prays she’s right. In the meantime, the remaining Cassadines will step up. He’s taken the liberty of finding them a new home. Spencer can’t be expected to raise a child under Sonny Corinthos’s roof. Laura says, he’s not. Her grandsons are both staying with her. Victor says, that’s generous of her, but her plate is rather full at the moment with taking in Charlotte. She says, her grandchildren are her first priority, especially since they’re missing their fathers. Victor says, Spencer and his brother will want for nothing. He’ll arrange for round the clock care for the baby. Spencer says he appreciates it, but everything is already set up at grandmother’s house. If they’ll excuse him, he’s going to see what’s taking so long. He leaves, and Victor asks why Laura is so hellbent on keeping him from what’s left of his family. She says, her? Both Spencer and Charlotte have wisely chosen to stay away from him, and he has no one to blame for that buy himself.

Eileen says she knew Anna was being framed, and she helped. She was the one who arranged for the tourism drone to be at the waterfront at the right time. Without her, the footage of Holly Sutton shooting Lucy Coe would never have been captured. Anna never would have fled the country; she never would have been in Paris… or in that sewer. She’s so, so sorry. Please don’t hurt her. There are some electronic sounds, and Anna’s voice says, I think we’ve got enough, don’t you? The body sits up, and ghostly Anna disappears. Eileen looks like she might pass out, when Anna walks through the door. The body takes off her latex prosthetics, and Felicia says, this disguise is so convincing, it’s scary. Anna says, so scary.

Alexis flashes back to asking Gregory if he would have accepted the job had PCU not gotten in the way, and him saying, he’d have liked nothing more. There’s a knock at her office door, and Gregory says he came as soon as he could. What’s so urgent?

Maxie says, it’s so good to see Chase… unless he’s sick, but he says he just hurt his shoulder. He’s waiting for an MRI. She says, he must have been working out pretty hard to injure himself. Any specific reason why? He says, it just wasn’t his smartest moment, and she says, love does that to the best of us. He says, what? and she asks if that’s not why he’s throwing weights around; trying to impress the new woman in his life.

Brook says she would never let what’s going on between Sasha and Chase influence her professionally. She and Chase broke up. She just wants Chase and Sasha to be happy. If that’s together… yay. Sasha says, thank you, but there’s no her and Chase. They’re friends, and she’s still grieving Brando. Brook says, Sasha can still grieve and move on. She’s seen the way Chase and Sasha are together. Sasha says, what Brook’s seen is Chase being the awesome guy he is; supporting a friend in need. As for moving on, she hopes to one day. Brook says, but she’s not there yet, and Sasha says, the only romance she and Chase had was staged. He’s just being there for her as a friend. Brook says, for the record, there are more people there for Sasha than just Chase; her too.

Eileen says, this is a trick? What the hell is wrong with them? Anna says, Eileen wants to talk about tricks, after framing her for shooting Lucy? Thanks for the confession, by the way. It’s made their job a lot easier. She asks if Felicia got everything, and Felicia says, every last word, pulling a recorder out of the body bag. She plays back Eileen’s confession, and says, good thing New York is a one-party consent state. Anna says, which Eileen knows about, given her impressive political career. Eileen says she was coerced. It will never hold up in a court of law. Anna asks if she wants to take that chance. She might be right that this would be deemed inadmissible in court, but it can still be leaked to her constituents. Anna feels like the good citizens of this great city need to know what their public servants are up to. Felicia asks how long Anna thinks before Eileen is removed from office, and Anna says, not too long probably. Felicia says, Eileen can kiss her political aspirations goodbye, and Anna says, not to mention her freedom. Eileen says, there’s no need for that. She’ll see to it that Anna’s name is cleared. Anna says, thank you, but I want so much more than that.

Victor says, everything he’s ever done has been for the sake and benefit of his family, and Laura bursts out laughing. He asks what she finds funny, and she says, all of it maybe. He chased his own son away with all of his schemes, and now Charlotte is left without a father. Laura doesn’t think it’s to her benefit. Victor says, not a day goes by he doesn’t ache for his son. He’d do anything he could to bring Valentin back. She says, and Nikolas? and he says he won’t rest until he finds Nikolas and reunites him with his children. She asks if Victor didn’t help him sneak off, and he says, of course (🍷) he didn’t. She laughs again, and says, forgive her if she doesn’t believe him. He asks if she really thinks he’d keep Nikolas away from his newborn son, and she says she absolutely does. They both know the only person Victor cares about is himself. He says, that is simply not true. His family means everything in the world to him, and he’s almost lost all of them. She says, that’s because he puts his lust for power above all else, but don’t worry. His day is coming, sooner than he thinks maybe. And the fallout is going to be glorious. He asks what the hell she’s talking about, and she shrugs.

Kristina says she could be an aunt again; this is great. Sam says, is it? and Kristina says, of course (🍷) it is. She doesn’t know why Molly thinks TJ won’t react well. Molly tells her that she said she didn’t know how he’d react, not that he’d react badly. Kristina says, they’ve been together for ten years, and Sam says, maybe she’s just not ready to say anything to him yet. Kristina says, they’ve never talked about having kids? and Molly says, in the abstract maybe, but once they were established in their careers, and that day is not here yet. Kristina says, TJ won’t care; he’s going to freak. Molly says, if she’s pregnant, and honestly she doesn’t know. TJ wants to be a hands-on father. That’s going to be hard with the hours he works at the hospital, and it’s not like she’s any less busy. This is exactly why they wanted to wait. Sam says, everything is going to be okay, because they’re going to take this one step at a time. Don’t worry. Molly says, don’t say anything to anyone, and Kristina says, only mom… She’s kidding. Sam says, they won’t say anything to anyone. Right, Krissy? Kristina asks why she’s always looked at as the weak link. She’ll keep her mouth shut. Sam says, and she’ll make sure to tell Dante so they’re all on the same page. Dante comes back downstairs, and Kristina says, there’s no time like the present.

Alexis says she’s having an issue, and could use Gregory’s input. He says, all right, and sits down. She says, some of it’s clear; some of it’s obscure. She’s just having trouble sorting it out. He says, let’s hear it, and she says, actually, it might be better if he read it. She wants to turn it into an editorial, and it might be a bit one-sided. Take a look and tell her what he thinks. He says he lives for this, and starts to read.

Maxie tells Chase not to worry. He won’t get any awkwardness from her. She’s friends with Brook, but she’s also friends with Sasha, so… He says, she thinks he’s seeing Sasha? and she says, isn’t he? He says, no, and she says, now there is awkwardness, but he says he’s not dating anybody. What gave her the impression he was? She says, nothing. She just noticed he and Sasha were spending a lot of time together lately. He asks if Sasha said something, but Maxie says, no, but she was just at Kelly’s with Brook – he says, of course (🍷) – and she might have mentioned there was something between him and Sasha. Then Sasha showed up, and said there was tension between her and Brook. Clearly Maxie connected dots that shouldn’t have been connected. She’s sorry. She obviously stirred some things up. He says, it’s okay. Break-ups can be confusing. She says, doesn’t she know it, and he asks if that’s why she’s here; trying to find Austin? She says, she hasn’t spoken to him since The Hook attack, and she wanted to make sure he was okay. Chase says, but she’s debating whether or not it’s her place, and she says, wouldn’t it be great if, when relationships ended, all the feelings just went up in smoke? He says, yes, it would.

Sasha says she’s glad they talked this out, and Brook says, her too. Now she has to tell Maxie that she was right. She’s insufferable. Sasha says, maybe Maxie will surprise her… probably not. Even if she did have feelings for Chase, it woudn’t matter. It’s written all over his face how much Brook meant to him, and probably still does. She doesn’t think anyone is replacing Brook in Chase’s life anytime soon. Brook says, she’s got the past tense right, but Chase wants nothing to do with her, and honestly, it’s a relief. It took her a minute, but she’s completely over him.

Sam asks if Dante has recovered from the shock yet, and he says, almost. She says she told Molly they weren’t going to say anything to anyone, and he says, of course (🍷) not. Their secret is safe with him. She says, when he thought the pregnancy test was hers, how did it make him feel?

Laura says, sooner or later, Victor’s past is going to catch up with him, and she’s hoping it’s sooner. Spencer comes out with the baby, and says, meet the newest Cassadine. Victor asks if he has a name, and Spencer says he’s working on it, but in the Cassadine tradition, his middle name will be Niklosovich, like his. Victor says, may I? and Spencer says, of course (🍷), handing him the baby. Victor fusses over the baby, and says, technically, he’s the baby’s great, great Uncle Victor, but that’s quite a mouthful. Welcome to the family. As he’ll discover, they’re quite a formidable bunch, the Cassadines. Although he admits, in recent months, they rather lost their way. But the baby gives him hope again. Welcome to the family. Somehow, some day, his daddy is going to come back. And when he does, when they’re whole again, he’ll see how strong this family is when they come together. You, my little one, are our future, and I’m going to move heaven and earth to make sure it’s a bright and prosperous one for all of us. Spencer and Laura look at him like he’s Maleficent at Princess Aurora’s christening.

Anna says, of course (🍷) the mayor will ask for Eileen’s resignation, but she has a lot of sway with the DA. If Eileen does as they ask, and helps them to bring Victor down… Eileen asks if they’re crazy, and Anna says, help them bring him down. Working with him puts her in a unique position to get information that will help them put him away for good. Eileen says she can’t go against Victor. He’ll kill her if he finds out. Felicia says, yes, he will, because that’s the kind of monster he is, which is why they need her to get the goods on him. Anna says, they know Eileen sold her soul to Victor because of her political ambition, but she doesn’t believe Eileen is as bad as he is. Why doesn’t she do the right thing? Eileen says, it’s too risky, and Felicia says, suit herself, but once this recording goes public, how does she think Victor is going to react? Eileen says, there must be some other way, but Anna says, there isn’t. There are only two ways out of this. Either she’s with them, against Victor, or she faces the consequences of her own actions. What is it going to be?

Dante says, Sam’s definitely not pregnant, right? and she says, no, but can he just answer the question? He says, if she had been pregnant, he would have been super excited, over the moon, and she says, so would she. He says, but he looks at their life together and thinks, maybe no more kids. She says, no more kids, and he says, they’re two for two. He likes what they’ve built together. If it were to happen by accident, then bring it on, but why mess with perfection? She asks if he’s seen the playroom lately; it’s a disaster. He says, but that’s their mess, and she says, it is, kissing him.

Kristina tells Molly to stop thinking about all the reasons the timing might not be right. What does her heart say? Molly tells her, it says she really wants to have a baby with TJ, and Kristina says, her too. She means, she wants Molly to have a baby.

TJ goes into the exam room to treat Chase, but Chase isn’t there. TJ’s phone rings, and Molly asks if he has a minute. He says, for her, always, and Kristina gives Molly a thumbs up. Molly says, good, because there’s something she wants to tell him.

Outside Kelly’s, Brook tells Sasha that she was upset at first, but not only does she have zero romantic feelings for Chase, she realized not being in a relationship is the best thing that could have happened to her. Now she can focus all her energy on her management business without all the distractions. Sasha says, sounds like she’s in a good place, and Brook says she is. They leave, and Chase comes out from around the corner looking all sad.

Gregory says, Alexis’s assessment is spot-on, and she says, so it does read as one-sided. He says he made some notes as to where the argument needs to be rounded out, and where opposing viewpoints could have benefited. She thanks him for his input and for coming by at such short notice, and he says, not only does he enjoy the work, he’s her friend. She says she thinks he believes that, and he says he does. She says, then why is he lying to her?

Eileen says, fine. She’ll work with them against Victor. Anna thanks her for making the right choice, and Felicia asks if she understands the consequence of double-crossing them. Eileen says, her confession will be leaked to law enforcement and the people of Port Charles, and Felicia says, Victor included. Excellent. They’ll start tonight. Anna says, let’s nail Victor to the wall.

The nurse tells Spencer that they just need a couple of signatures, and he can take the baby home, but Diane suddenly shows up, and says, there’s been a change in plan. She’s sorry, but that baby’s not going anywhere.

On Monday, Elizabeth tells Esme that she couldn’t be more wrong if she thinks Elizabeth owes her an apology; Obrecht says she sees Willow differently; Mason pays Austin a visit; and Sonny says, that’s a lot to celebrate.

🎂 One Is Silver, the Other Gold…

And for his birthday, a blast from Sonny’s past.

🥏 Like a Boomerang…

Well, we’d better find out what the hell Mason is doing with him. I actually think this guy is a better Nikolas. He’s more believable for some reason.

🔥 Fuel For Reunion Fire…

Did not see this coming.

https://people.com/tv/vanderpump-rules-stars-slam-tom-sandoval-raquel-leviss-over-alleged-affair-causing-ariana-madix-split/

📼 That’s My Question…

And where’s the Kathy tirade footage? Is there going to be some grand lost footage special in the future?

In other Salt Lake news.

👵🏼 Because It’s Getting Old…

Honestly? I think the Real Housewives are over. Unless Andy has a magic wand that can revamp it, I think the franchise is done.

🐩 Highest Honor…

I love this.

https://people.com/pets/rescue-dogs-celebrate-jamie-lee-curtis-after-2023-sag-awards-win/

🦞 Quotes of the Week

When deeds speak, words are nothing. – Pierre-Joseph Proudhon

March is the month God created to show people who don’t drink what a hangover is like. – Garrison Keillor

Tough times never last, but tough people do.Dr. Robert Schuller

A champion is someone who gets up when he can’t. – Jack Dempsey (Apparently, I’m a champion every morning.)

When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on. – Franklin D. Roosevelt

I find your tranquility kind of irritating. – Gina Baxter (Hope Davis), Your Honor

🍒 With a Cherry On Top…

Get sidetracked on Monday really Tuesday with some soap and the right captain on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay not getting distracted by the minutiae, and stay not investing in a friendship until you’ve fully investigated the situation.

February 2, 2023 – Memorial For Britt, Renewed, Tea Time In Canada, Salty Friend, Same Old, Gotta Wait, You Get a Puppy (!) & Air

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sam and Dante meet Sasha, Maxie, and Cody at Kelly’s before Britt’s memorial, and Maxie says she could use some good news. Sam says, Willow had her baby.

Nina and Sonny look at the baby, and Nina says, look at her, not a care in the world. She has no idea she almost lost her mother. She was so scared. Sonny says, everything’s okay now, and Nina says, we have a granddaughter.

A custodian is about to take the name plate down next to Britt’s office, when Scotty and Obrecht come along. Scotty tells him that Obrecht is Britt’s mother, and asks if he can give them a minute. They go into Britt’s office, and Obrecht says, there’s nothing left. No sign Britta worked 18 hour days, that she gave people the best – and worst – news of their lives, that she gave this hospital everything, and everything to its patients. He suggests they go to the chapel, but Obrecht says, she’ll be beset by people telling her how sorry they are. As if their words change anything, or could numb this pain in her heart.

Austin tells TJ about Willow hemorrhaging after giving birth, and says, they have her stabilized now. Checking the computer, Terry says, it looks like the stem cells are being analyzed at the lab, so things are looking up.

Laura stops by Finn’s office, and says she and Doc are taking Jake and Aiden ice skating Saturday. Elizabeth thought Violet might want to join them. He says, Elizabeth ran into Violet the other day, and sensed she was upset. Just like her to try and make a bad situation better.

Nikolas says he’s there to support Spencer at Britt’s memorial, and Elizabeth says she just saw her mother. He pretends he didn’t know Carolyn was in town, and asks if she was there to see Elizabeth, but Elizabeth says, Carolyn came to see him, which shouldn’t surprise him since he asked her to come.

Esme peruses the papers Nikolas gave her, and Heather grabs them. She looks at them, and tells Esme, not so fast.

Spencer asks, what happens to the baby if Esme gives birth in prison? and Jordan says, that would be up to social services. An advocate would be assigned to the child to determine what’s best; placing the child with the father or another relative. He asks, what if the father is also in prison? and she asks why Nikolas would be in prison.

Obrecht tells Scotty, it’s a mistake to have the memorial at GH. Public displays of grief are unseemly. He says, having it at GH is a good way to honor Britt’s 18 hour days saving lives. She died saving a life. It’s good those people want to acknowledge that. Brad walks in, and says he didn’t know anyone was there. He starts to leave, but Obrecht asks why he’s here. He says he wanted to leave something, but it’s stupid. Scotty asks what he has in the bag he’s carrying, and Brad says he realized Britt spent more time here than anywhere else. He helped her fill out her Society Set-Ups profile here. Obrecht says, while it pains her to give Brad a compliment, he was a good friend to her Britta. Brad says, she was his best friend. They had a lot of good talks here, a lot of laughs, a few tears – his, not hers. He doesn’t think he ever saw Britt cry. She’s the one person he could be completely honest with. He only wishes she’d felt the same. Obrecht wonders how he can say that. He was as dear to Britt as she was to him. He asks why Britt didn’t tell him she was sick.

Esme asks for the papers back, but Heather says, it looks like she was about to sign away her baby. She asks where Esme got this, and Esme says, from the baby’s father. Heather looks at the papers again, and says, Nikolas Cassadine. Everyone knows the Cassadine family; they’re very rick, very influential, and ruthless. She can’t sign this. Esme says, it’s her own decision, and Heather says, of course (🍷) it is. She just wants to make sure Esme is doing what’s best for her and her baby before she signs away her rights forever. She asks if Esme read this, because that’s exactly what Nikolas is doing. Esme tells her that Nikolas said it would only be temporary until her legal issues are resolved. Ryan is wheeled in, and Heather says, from one mother to another, men lie all the time, and you can’t trust a single one of them. Ryan listens in.

Jordan asks why Nikolas would be in prison, and Spencer says, wishful thinking. She asks if he has any evidence Nikolas committed a crime, but he says, if he did, she’d be the first to know. She says she can’t imagine how angry he is with Nikolas, and he says, having a child with his ex-girlfriend? He’s not sure what bothers him more; the betrayal or how tacky it all is. She asks why it can’t be both, when her phone rings, and she leaves to take the call.

Laura says she’s sorry things didn’t work out between Finn and Elizabeth, and he says, him too. She says, he was such a rock for Elizabeth and the boys when they were struggling, and he says he was glad he could be there for them. They were good together until they weren’t. Laura says she’s glad they remained friendly for Violet’s sake, and he says, of course (🍷), but he doesn’t know if he’d call it friendship. It’s more like a cross between politeness and detente. She says she hopes they can be friends again; Elizabeth could use a friend like him right now. He asks if something is wrong.

Elizabeth brings Nikolas to an empty exam room, and he says he doesn’t know what Carolyn told her. She says, her mother said Nikolas flew her to Port Charles to make sure Esme would never regain her memory. He promises he didn’t trust Carolyn with Elizabeth’s secrets, but she says he’s missing the point. She confided in him, and he saw what she went through trying to regain her memories, and then he turns around and asks her mother to do the same thing to Esme. Thank God she refused. He says, he and Elizabeth agreed the best possible outcome would be if Esme never remembers, but Elizabeth says, she never said to hire her mom to block Esme’s memories. How could he think she’d ever want anyone else to go through what her parents did to her? He tells her, that’s not what she said before. Does she want to go to prison?

Sonny asks if Trina is here for Britt’s memorial, and she says she’s here to support Spencer. She tells Nina that Curtis sends his apologies; he had an emergency at The Savoy. Sonny asks if she’s seen Spencer, and Trina says she left him in the chapel. Sonny says he’s going to find Spencer, and Nina says she’s going to wait for Obrecht. She wonders where Obrecht is.

Finn asks if Laura is worried about Elizabeth, and asks if Elizabeth’s dad is bothering her again. She says she doesn’t think Jeff has contacted Elizabeth since he left Port Charles, and he asks what Nikolas has done this time. Whatever this thing is between Nikolas and Elizabeth doesn’t make a lot of sense to him. Laura says, they’ve known each other since they were… He says, teenagers. He’s heard. She says, bonds like those between Nikolas and Elizabeth are hard to break.

Elizabeth says, of course (🍷) she doesn’t want to go to prison. That’s why she prays every day Esme doesn’t remember. Nikolas apologizes for not relying on prayer. He had to take action to protect them both. She asks why he didn’t let her in on his plans then, and he says he knew she didn’t want to see her mother. Nice try, but lame. She says, he wasn’t protecting her feelings. He hid it from her because he knew she wouldn’t go along with it. He says, what’s done is done. No matter what happens, they’re in this together. She says, not anymore.

Brad says, Britt helped him through everything; losing a child, losing his marriage, prison. He wanted to be there for her like she was for him. Obrecht says, if Britt had told him about her illness, he might have become concerned and caring, and probably would have tried to take care of her. He says, of course (🍷) he would have… Oh. She says, Britt didn’t need him fawning over her, and giving her pillows. She needed him to make cruel observations about unsuspecting bystanders; to fetch her another cocktail that did her no good medically, but made her happy in the moment; to lament about his love life, so she’d know someone had a bed more desolate than her own. But more than anything, she needed someone to laugh with. He says he can live with that, and Scotty says, they have to get going. Obrecht says, there’s nothing left to see here anyway, and Brad says, he’ll catch up with them there. They leave, and he takes a pint of ice cream and two spoons out of the bag. He eats a spoonful, and says he knows Britt wasn’t planning on heaven, but it’s probably where she ended up. He hopes there’s a hot guy there, a wardrobe malfunction or two, angel feathers getting caught in harp strings. She could make a GIF of it. They must have GIFs in heaven. Surely God wouldn’t deprive them of simple pleasures. He misses her, and promises he’ll never eat ice cream, check out unattainable men, or do a single thing without thinking of her. He closes the container, and puts it back in the bag along with his spoon, leaving the other spoon on the desk. I want to cry looking at that spoon.

Spencer listens to Nikolas’s confession again in the chapel, when Sonny walks in. Sonny says he knows it’s a tough day, and Spencer says, Britt meant a lot to him. He appreciates Sonny being here, although he knows it’s mostly for Nina. Sonny says, he’s here for Spencer, and Spencer thanks him. Sonny asks if Nikolas is coming, but Spencer says he doubts it. Sonny asks if Spencer is still going for custody of Esme’s baby, and Spencer says he’s more convinced than ever that his father shouldn’t be anywhere near that child.

Dante and Sam get the hospital, and Dante tells Jordan that he and Sam are leaving soon to check out Maggie Fitzgerald’s last known address. Jordan asks, how much of this will end up in The Invader? and Sam says she and Alexis discussed it. Alexis wants The Hook stopped, so any information they gather will be for police use only. Unfortunately, the last known address they have is at least five years old. Dante hopes Esme’s nanny is still alive, and Jordan says, the more she thinks about it, the more she believes The Hook attacks are someone’s way of punishing Esme’s enemies.

Esme sees Ryan, and asks if that’s Doc. What happened to him? Heather says, it’s Doc’s twin Ryan Chamberlain, and Esme asks why he’s staring at her like that. Heather says, don’t worry, it’s all he can do, and Esme says, Heather told her to stay away from Ryan. Now Heather’s telling her not to worry? Heather says she told Esme to keep her distance, which is easy. She steers Esme to another table, and says, problem solved. He can’t see her. He can’t do anything to her because he can’t move. He’s almost completely paralyzed. All he can move is his eyes. Esme says, that’s awful, but Heather tells her not to worry about Ryan. His mind is as sharp as ever. He’s the last person who needs her sympathy.

People start to file into the chapel for the memorial, and Spencer tells Trina that he’s decided to keep his father’s confession a family matter. For now.

Elizabeth says she’s forgiven Nikolas over and over again. When he let his family believe he was dead, when he slept with his son’s girlfriend, and so many other things. She’s done being pulled into his lies, like when he said they were together at the Quartermaine picnic. He says he was giving her an alibi, but she says she didn’t need one. It’s always an excuse with him for all the lying and scheming. This isn’t who she wants to be. He says he never forced her to do anything, and she says, he’s right; she made her own bad choices. The way her mother told her the truth, and he didn’t; her mother has proven to be more trustworthy than he is. It’s made her realize she can’t be around him anymore. He says he was only trying to protect them both, but she says the only thing she needs protecting from is him, and leaves. Nikolas follows her, grabbing her arm, and says, they’re not done talking. Laura and Finn come by, and Finn tells Nikolas to get his hands off Elizabeth.

Nina goes to the front of the chapel, and says, Obrecht asked her to speak. On behalf of the family, she thanks everyone for being here. Usually, a favorite passage or a poem would be read in remembrance of the one they’ve lost, but Britt only read medical journals, so she’s out of luck. She started thinking about Britt, how she lived and who she was, and it became really clear. Sun Tzu writes in The Art of War, let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt. That was Britt, at her worst, and at her best. Unexpected and unforgettable. She didn’t know Britt nearly long enough, but she’s proud to have Britt as a part of her family. She looks up, and says, Britt, you will be missed, but you will never, ever be forgotten.

Brad says he met Britt at GH ten years ago. Neither of them was particularly popular, and back then, she had a nickname – The Britch – which she earned; she wouldn’t want him to lie. She was mean, selfish, a bully. One time, she set a little girl’s doll on fire, but by all reports, it was a total accident. When it came to people, Britt left destruction in her wake. Then one day, she was just gone, on the run, a fugitive until her luck ran out. She did her time, and when she came back, she was determined to prove she’d changed. Was she successful? All of them are here, but to him personally, she didn’t change at all. Britt Westbourne was, and always will be, his best friend.

Heather says, Esme isn’t really thinking about giving away her baby, is she? and Esme says, Nikolas made a convincing case, and genuinely seems to care about the baby. Heather says, seems being the operative word. How long has he given Esme to sign the papers? Esme says, he told her that he’d be back tomorrow, and Heather asks, what’s the rush? She’s still weeks away from her due date, isn’t she? Why is she so eager to give up this baby? Esme says she isn’t. The baby is the only thing she has in the entire world. She goes to bed and feels the baby kicking, and knows she’s not alone. Heather says, that’s beautiful, and exactly why she can’t sign those papers. She’ll never get over it if she gives up her child.

Finn tells Nikolas again to let Elizabeth go, and Nikolas says, fine, but it’s none of his business. Laura says, Nikolas! and asks if Elizabeth is all right. Elizabeth says she’s fine, and Nikolas asks if they really think he’d hurt Elizabeth. Laura says, not if he’s in control of himself, and Elizabeth says she didn’t want to cause a scene, but Finn says, she didn’t. Elizabeth asks if she and Finn can talk, and they head for his office. Laura says she and Nikolas need to talk now, and he says he knows what she’s going to say. She says, really? Because she’s at a complete loss as to how to reach her son. She walks off, and Nikolas follows.

Scotty says he’s not sure what Britt would make of all of this fuss. She was a very private person; just like her mother. He got to know both of them very well, and fell in love with her mother. Strong women; gotta love ‘em. Britt’s big secret. Now they know. She had a big heart. The world has lost a very special person.

Terry says, Britt was a fierce advocate for her patients. She sees many of them remember how fierce she was. Britt was an excellent doctor, and a smart administrator. It was a privilege to know her, to work beside her, and become her friend. Terry’s voice breaks, and she says, her life and work deserve to be honored by this hospital and this community. She asks everyone to follow her, and they file out of the chapel.

They all stand before the memorial wall of staff photos, and Terry says, this wall commemorates those who dedicated their lives to General Hospital and the people of Port Charles. It’s only fitting therefore, that Dr. Britt Westbourne be added to this wall. Nina tells Obrecht, Britt would love this, and Dante asks Sonny, where’s Spencer?

Trina asks if Spencer doesn’t want to see Terry’s big surprise, but he says he’s sure he’ll see it later. His father was engaged to Britt, and didn’t even show up. She says, they did break up when Spencer was a child, and sits next to him. She says, this, today, isn’t about his father, and it’s not about him; today’s about Britt. Just let it be that. He says, she’s right; he’ll try. He and Britt were friends, and even though he was a kid, she never talked down to him. He appreciated that about her, and doesn’t know as he’ll ever meet someone who connects with him like that ever again. She understood. Trina says, she sounds like a pretty great person, and he says, she was.

Esme promises not to make any decisions until at least tomorrow, and Heather says, now that that’s settled, she has to talk to Ryan. Esme says, Heather told her… and Heather tells Esme that she said Ryan was dangerous to her; Heather can handle him. Stay put. She goes over to Ryan, and asks, how about a little chat? picking up the alphabet board. She lowers her voice, and says, listen up. She assumes he’s known all along about Nikolas and Esme, which pisses her off. Now Nikolas is trying to steal their grandchild, and what’s worse, the cops are on to Ryan.

Nikolas asks why Laura is so scared, and she says she feels like she’s losing him. Victor has some kind of hold over him, and he won’t tell her what it is, so she can’t help him. He’s divorcing Ava, manhandling Elizabeth, and making excuses for all of it. She’d like to say he’s not acting like himself, but she’s afraid this is who he’s become; a man who is careening from one bad decision to the next, and hurting anyone who tries to help him. He says he’s sorry he’s not the son she wanted, but she says, stop it. The son she wants is inside him, and she’s seen him. She’s seen him be the man she’s proud of. A man who woudn’t give up on his own son, no matter how hard Spencer tried to push him away. A man who defied Helena Cassadine, when she tried to groom him to be the next Cassadine heir. He says he’s not sure where that man went, and she tells him to start looking, down deep into that core of goodness and strength she knows is there, that’s somehow eluded him. She needs to believe it’s not too late.

Elizabeth tells Finn that she feels like she’s lost her best friend, but she shouldn’t be talking to him about Nikolas. He says, even though they didn’t work out, he’d be lying if he said he didn’t still care about her. She says, after everything she put him through? He’s a good person, and he deserves the truth.

Nikolas says he thinks maybe it’s not too late, and Laura says she’s glad to hear him say that. Now tell her why. He says, because after everything that’s happened, he’s done listening to Uncle Victor. Instead, he’s going to focus on being a good father to this new baby, and to Spencer… if Spencer ever speaks to him again. Laura says she thinks he will, and he says he wanted to be at Britt’s memorial for Spencer. She says, maybe it’s not completely over, and they head for the chapel.

Finn asks what truth he needs to know, and Elizabeth says she lied to him. She was never pregnant with Nikolas’s baby.

Scotty asks if Brad is okay, and Brad says he will be. Otherwise her ghost will never let him hear the end of it. How is Britt’s mutter? Scotty says, she wanted to be alone.

Obrecht touches Britt’s picture on the memorial wall, and says, auf wiedersehen, mein kind. She kisses her fingers, touches the photo, and looks up.

Sonny, Nina, Sasha, and Maxie look at the new baby, and Maxie says, this was a really good idea. She needed this. Sasha says, her too. She wasn’t sure at first, but there’s no place she’d rather be. Nina says, her neither. Just look at her. Sonny says, say hello to the future.

Laura and Nikolas go into the chapel, and Laura says, oh no. She’s so sorry they missed this. She hugs Spencer, who says he knows she would have been there if she could. Besides, he thinks he knows whose fault it was. Nikolas says he really wanted to be here, but Spencer says, stop it. He asks if Trina would mind giving them the chapel; family business. Trina leaves, and Nikolas says he really did intend to be here. Spencer says, somehow, Nikolas has managed to disappoint him more than he already has, and Nikolas asks if he’s done. Spencer says, not even remotely. Because of the damage Nikolas has done to him, he’s going to make sure Nikolas can’t damage his little brother or sister the same way.

Sam tells Jordan, now that that’s over, they’re off to find Maggie Fitzgerald. Jordan says, keep her posted. Good luck. Hopefully, Maggie will finally lead them to Esme’s father.

Heather tells Ryan, Sam and Dante were here. They’re looking for an old nanny… Maggie something. She’s guessing from his stare that Maggie knows about him. He blinks once, and she says, there’s really only one thing left they can do. They’ve got to bust out of here. He glances at Esme, and Heather says, Esme? Don’t be silly. Of course (🍷) she’s coming with us.

Tomorrow, Dex says he really messed up Josslyn’s life; Spencer asks why he keeps coming in second; and Chase tells Brook that he has to be done with this, and she asks if he means done with her.

🦹🏽 Alum Makes Good…

Glad to hear the ex-Port Charles native is doing well.

🍵 Some Real Tea…

For the Y&R fans – June 4th in Toronto, Canada.

🏆 Off the Soap Grid…

Looks like there are a few GH faves here.

🧂 Thank You For Being a Friend…

She is pretty interesting, but I’m surprised after she ditched the Reunion. Isn’t that a mortal Housewives sin?

💎 Ho-Hum…

So what else is new?

⚰️ Buffering…

Personally, I can’t wait for the Negan/Maggie combo.

🐶 All Your Own…

You, too, can have your own personal Puppy Bowl.

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/puppy-bowl-xix-adopt-watch-2023-b2273064.html

🚧 Taking It Nowhere Near the Streets…

Stop in tomorrow for soap, tea, quotes, and perhaps an earworm. Until then, stay safe, stay not overthinking things, and stay falling like a thunderbolt when you move.

February 25, 2022 – News Of Peter’s Death Travels Fast, Kelly’s the Worst, Dolores’s Take, Heather Whines, Absent, Bribery, a Possibility, Dog, a Dozen Quotes For Black History Month & Taking You

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sam sees Dante near the hospital reception desk, and runs up to him. She says, Anna called, and said they were back in town. Is he a patient here? He says, no, he’s fine. He just has to do a follow-up for the hit in the head he took. He tells her that she looks beautiful, and apologizes for not calling on the way back. The WSB is debriefing him pretty much indefinitely. She says, he’s healthy; that’s the most important thing. Now will he shut up and give her a kiss? He says, yes, ma’am, and does.

Monica says she knows how disappointed Willow must be to postpone her trip to Paris, and Michael says, she doesn’t have a passport, and she’s having difficulty tracking down her birth certificate. Willow says, according to the State Department, they have no record of her. It’s almost like she never existed.

Alexis calls Harmony, and says she’s just checking in. At Charlie’s, Harmony asks if that’s what Alexis is calling giving her a gentle nudge in the right direction, but Alexis says she’s calling to offer moral support. She knows it’s a big day for Harmony. At one of the tables, cash changes hands for what’s no doubt a shady deal, and Alexis asks if Harmony is there. Harmony says Alexis is right; it’s probably one of the most important days of her life. The day she tells Willow that she’s not her biological daughter. Alexis says her boss is here, and she’s got to go. She’ll check in later. Good luck. Shawn walks into Alexis’s office, and says, Harmony, huh? She asks if he has a problem with that.

Elizabeth looks at the card from Betsy, and flashes back to finding her ring in her locker, getting stuck in the art therapy room, and discovering her dress was slashed. Finn asks if she’s okay, and she says she just zoned out for a minute. She needs some caffeine. He says, with the double-shifts she’s pulling, he’s not sure caffeine is going to do the trick. She says, maybe not, and he asks if that’s the card Franco’s mom sent her. She says, she was going to throw it out, and put the bad memories behind her, but unfortunately, she doesn’t think it will put an end to things. He asks what she means, and she says, something big is going on.

Carly looks at the family photo on her desk, along with her divorce papers. Her assistant says someone is here to see her, and Carly says, send them in. Drew walks in, and she asks, what happened?

Nina says, Sonny wouldn’t have called her if he hadn’t been drinking, but he says he would have called her sober. She says, that would have been a first. He’s looking down the barrel of a divorce because he played fast and free with his meds. He says, she doesn’t know that; he doesn’t know that. All he knows is that he’s going through a divorce, and she’s here. She says, he’s changing the subject, but he says he forgot what the subject was already. She says she can’t remember the subject right now, and he takes her hand. He pulls her to him, and they hug. Then he kisses her.

Monica says, Willow had a rather unorthodox childhood, but the fact that the government can’t produce her birth certificate is egregious. Willow says, it’s very frustrating, and Monica says, it’s ridiculous. If there’s anything she can do to help, please let her know. Willow thanks her, and the doorbell rings. Willow opens the door to Harmony, and says, hopefully, her mother can give her all the information she needs.

Shawn says he wouldn’t want someone to judge him based on the worst chapter of his life. He made a fresh start, and Harmony is owed one too. If Alexis says she’s changed… Alexis says, he’ll believe she has? He says, he’ll believe she believes it, and she says she’ll take it as a win. She’s sure he doesn’t want to talk about her personal life on company time, and he says she’s right. He has news of his own. News that’s going to change the future of this company.

Sam says, so it’s all over? and Dante says, it’s all over. Peter’s dead. Speaking of which, there’s some people he’s got to tell. She asks if she can be his back-up, and he says he’d love for her to be his back-up, but he should probably do this on his own. Can he meet her at her place afterward? She says she’s going to hold him to that, he kisses her again, and leaves.

Sonny takes Nina’s hand and starts to lead her to the bedroom, but she tells him, wait, stop. What they’re doing, it’s a huge mistake.

Carly tells Drew, she’s sorry; that wasn’t a great welcome home. She’s glad he’s back and safe, but she heard he went with Dante and Anna to find Maxie, and he has a really somber look on his face. He says, it’s all good news. Maxie is home, and she’s safe, and she’s reuniting with her daughter as they speak. Carly says, that’s wonderful news. When she heard what Maxie and Brook did to protect Maxie’s baby, it broke her heart. He says, the good news is, they never have to look over their shoulder again because Peter is dead. The nightmare he brought over all of them is over now. Maxie and her family can be together again.

Nina says she doesn’t want to cross the line with Sonny, but he says, the line’s already been crossed. She tells him not to joke this away. She thinks she’s made a lot of mistakes, and a kiss between them should mean a lot more than a distraction technique from the real issue of him and his meds. He says, it’s not a technique, and she says, the point is, he went on another bender. She doesn’t claim to be an expert here, but aside from the physical health concerns, alcohol can dull the effects of the medication. Even though he’s back on his meds, he could still be emotionally vulnerable until it kicks in. So what they were about to do would be wrong, just like it was wrong the other day. He says, what happened between them, that wasn’t drinking, and she says, no, but he was drinking heavily days before, and his body is readjusting to all the meds. That would explain what happened between them at the Haunted Star. Then Carly walked in on them. He says, what if he doesn’t want to explain it away? What if his drinking had nothing to do with what happened between them?

Finn says, something big is happening. Like what? Sam approaches them and says she’s sorry to interrupt, but have they spoken to Anna this morning? Elizabeth says, no, and Finn says he hasn’t spoken to her in a few days. Why? What’s going on? Sam says, she was in Europe, looking for Peter, and he’s gone. Elizabeth asks if he got away again, but Sam says, no. She means the other kind of gone; he’s dead. She knows she’s had a lot more time to process this, so she’ll say what they’re probably thinking. Peter has always managed to come back when they thought he was gone, but not this time. He’s finally dead, and he will never be able to hurt them, their families, or anyone else ever again.

Drew says, he knows it’s a lot to process about Peter’s death, but he thought Carly would be happy about Maxie. She says she is. She’s so happy Peter is dead. She just wishes Jason was here to see it. He says, Jason, his brother, and her… How would she describe Jason? She says, he was her person. He loved her unconditionally despite her many faults, and she loved him. She still loves him. Drew says, he died saving the lives of people he cared about. He set a course in motion that led to Peter’s downfall. He died a hero because that’s who he was. She says, he was certainly her hero. Always there when she needed him. She still needs him.

Sonny says, the medication and alcohol does explain the connection between him and Nina. They’re drawn to each other like a moth to a flame, and the night at the Haunted Star was a mistake for many reasons; the timing, hurting Carly. Then they talked that night at the chapel. He fell in love with Nina in Nixon Falls when he didn’t know who he was, and those feelings don’t just disappear. Maybe the silver lining is, they now finally get to unpack what they really mean to each other, without all the baggage and deception. She says she understands what he’s saying. They had all that baggage because she’s the one who created that. She described their love in Nixon Falls as pure, and it was, but that was only part of the story. The whole time, she was drowning in guilt. It was wrong of her to fall in love with him when he didn’t have his memory, just like it would be wrong if they explored anything between them when he’s so vulnerable. She goes to freshen up, and there’s a knock at the door. Frank says, there’s someone on the list to see him, and Dante comes to the door. He says, bad time?

Alexis says Shawn doesn’t sound very positive about that news. Should she be worried? Should she be updating her resumé? He says she knows how he keeps his cards close to his chest; it’s actually good news. The circulation for The Invader has actually increased. Aurora Media is downsizing its print division. They’re holding on to The Banner in Llannview for legacy reasons, but they’re divesting from their west coast news readers. She asks how this is affecting him, and he says he’s thinking of buying them up to expand The Invader’s reach. She says, that’s a huge deal; congratulations. He says, there’s just one catch. The offices are located in San Francisco, and he’d have to move there to make this work.

Harmony says, it’s good to see Monica, and Monica says, hopefully, Harmony can help Willow out with this birth certificate issue. Willow asks if they can use the living room, and Monica says, of course (🍷). Willow and Harmony go into the living room, and Monica asks Michael if he thinks Harmony will solve the mystery of the birth certificate. He says he doesn’t know. She’s been pretty evasive so far.

Willow says, Harmony mentioned on the phone that she has some news about Willow’s birth certificate, and Harmony says she does. Willow asks if everything is okay, and Harmony says, there’s something she needs to tell Willow.

Shawn tells Alexis that he’ll have to move his non-profit base of operations to San Francisco, at least for a while. Maybe someday, he can split his time between there and Port Charles. She says, it sounds like a wonderful opportunity. San Francisco’s a beautiful city. She’s so happy for him. He says, and yet, she doesn’t sound like she is, and she says, selfishly, she liked having him around again. She liked when they were rooming together; it was domestic and it was happy, like their happy little playing house. He says, like it would have been years ago, if he hadn’t screwed things up as a couple. She tells him, she didn’t say that, and he says, but she was thinking that. She says, they were good together… when they were good together. He tells her, he’d say they still are. He knows there are a million reasons for him to move to the west coast. He was just wondering if there was one better reason for him to stay.

Willow says, whatever it is, Harmony can tell her. She knows they’ve had their ups and downs, but she’s Harmony’s daughter; she’s here for her. Harmony says, she managed to find Willow’s birth certificate, and Willow asks, how? Harmony says she still has some connections in Claiborne County, and their record-keeping system is badly outdated, but she called in a few favors, and they’re going to send her a new copy of the birth certificate. Willow says, that’s great news, and hugs Harmony.

Elizabeth says, Peter’s dead? Is Sam absolutely sure? Sam says, according to Dante, yes. Anna saw Peter take his last breath. The WSB has possession of his body, did an autopsy, and they’re filing all of the paperwork. The reign of terror that Peter had is finally over. Finn asks if Elizabeth is okay, but she says she doesn’t know how to answer that. Peter was responsible for so much loss; Franco’s death and Jason’s death, all those months Maxie was kept away from her baby. It just feels like there should be something more. Finn agrees, and says, there’s certainly something appealing about Peter rotting in prison for the rest of his life, alone, knowing the world’s completely forgotten about him. At least there’s no possibility of escape this time. Elizabeth says she thought after all this time she’d feel some kind of closure. She’s relieved, but it doesn’t lessen what they lost. Sam says she knows how Elizabeth feels, and Elizabeth thanks her for telling them. She says, Sam doesn’t have to stick around, but Sam says, the way she sees it, her and Elizabeth had their lives significantly turned upside down in the past year and a half, but Jake and Danny are Jason’s sons, so they’re always going to be connected. Elizabeth sought her out when she found out Jason was marrying Carly, because she knew how Sam felt. What she’s trying to say is, she’ll always have Elizabeth’s back. Elizabeth thanks her, and says she’ll continue to have Sam’s. Sam says she’ll give them some private time, and leaves.

Drew says, he takes it things haven’t gotten any better between Carly and Sonny, and she says, it can’t get much worse than walking in on Sonny in bed with Nina; that was definitely a low point. And when she saw Sonny in bed with Nina, all she wanted to do was run to Jason. He had this way of making her feel like the world wasn’t going to end, even though the sky was falling. But she’s glad she ran into Drew. He has the same touch. He says he was worried he just made everything worse, considering they almost… They flash back to almost kissing, and she says, almost.

Nina is still in the bathroom, and Sonny invites Dante in. Dante says, he doesn’t know if anyone told Sonny, but Peter August is dead. Sonny says, really? and Dante says, he won’t be hurting anyone ever again. He wanted to let Sonny know before the news broke. He has to go to the Quartermaines, and let Monica and Michael know, unless Sonny wants to let Michael know. Sonny says, it’s better coming from Dante. Is he saying Anna took Peter out? Dante says, it was a team effort, and Sonny says, he’s going to check in with Anna; see what’s going on. Nina sees Dante is there, and stays hidden, and Dante says he’s not in any rush, and he knows Peter is the reason Jason is dead. So if Sonny wants to talk… Sonny says, he appreciates the offer, but he’s doing fine. Dante says, he’s not. Everything that’s going on with Carly, and his best friend that he’d normally confide this stuff in, isn’t here anymore. He’s not saying he’s Jason, but he’s here for Sonny. Sonny says he has nothing to talk about; he’s fine. He just wants to be left alone, that’s all. Dante asks if it’s a business problem, or is there another reason Sonny’s trying to get rid of him. Nina listens in.

Drew says, he and Carly made the right call stepping back that night. Whatever hole was drawing them together, he doesn’t want it to jeopardize their friendship. She says, they were both having a really bad night. She thought she’d spend the rest of her life with Sonny, and she’s sure he thought the same thing about Sam. And like that – she snaps her fingers – everything changed. He says, they’re not in the same boat; she and Sonny are married. She shows him the papers, and says, they’re getting a divorce. He says he’s sorry to hear that, and she says, her too. She feels like she didn’t have a choice. She kept asking Sonny over and over again to tell her what happened in Nixon Falls, and he just wouldn’t. He wanted to focus on the present, and she gets that, but when the truth came out, because it always does, she couldn’t believe how many secrets Sonny was keeping from her. Then when she walked in on him in bed with Nina, she had to choose herself. How could she be a good role model for Josslyn and Avery and Donna if she stayed in a marriage where she wasn’t respected? He says he can’t argue with any of that. So that’s it; it’s over? She says, they met with lawyers, and kept it as civilized as they could. They agreed, for Donna and Avery’s sake, they wanted to make it as seamless as possible, but they can’t really do that. Life is complicated. Her mouth drops open, and Drew asks, what is it? She says, she just realized. Does Sonny know Peter is dead? Does he have any idea the man who killed Jason is gone?

Dante says, Sonny should know by now, he can’t push Dante away that easy. He’s seen this before. He knows what it is, and knows walking away would be a bad idea. Sonny says, Dante is right. He shouldn’t have snapped at him like that. He had a bad day yesterday. He met with Carly and the attorneys to hammer out the divorce, and it didn’t go very well, so he’s embarrassed to say, he went out and had a lot of drinks, and he feels like hell today. He’s hung over. No big mystery. Some other time, they can have coffee and talk. Dante says he didn’t now Sonny and Carly were doing divorce proceedings. He’s sorry about that. He loves Sonny, and he’ll check in later. Call if he needs anything. Dante leaves, and Nina comes out. She thanks Sonny for not telling Dante she was here. She doesn’t feel like answering a bunch of questions. He says, she doesn’t owe anybody any explanations, and she says she’s just curious. Why didn’t he tell Dante that she was here? He doesn’t say anything, and she says, right. That’s just proof the kiss was a mistake.

Willow tells Harmony, she’s glad the answer was so simple. She was going crazy; it was like she didn’t exist. Harmony says, the way she raised Willow, it’s her fault, but Willow says, Harmony is a seeker. She asks the big questions, and sincerely wants to find a better way to live, a better way to be in the world. And the underlying impulses are good ones, even if some of the outcomes have been horrible and difficult. Harmony says she’s sorry if this process dredged up some memories of the past, but Willow says, that’s all it is now; the past. She’s glad they can move on together. She takes Harmony’s hand.

Alexis says, she’ll give Shawn two reasons; TJ and Molly. He says, TJ is a full-grown man, and his son wasn’t what he was talking about, and she knows that. When they reconnected last year, it felt like fate. She says, it did? and he says, it felt like they were given a do-over in their relationship, without repeating the same mistakes. She helped him get out of jail; now he’s helping her get some purpose back in life. They’re helping each other get back on track. They care about each other. So is he right? Has there been something bubbling up to the surface in the last few months? She says she hadn’t really thought about it, and he says, liar. She says, does she want him in her life? Absolutely. 100%. But when Neil died, a part of her shut down, and she’s not sure how to turn it back on again. He says, but she’d like to, right? when Sam comes to the door. Shawn says he’ll get Alexis those reports, and greets Sam on his way out. Sam says she hopes she wasn’t interrupting anything.

Finn tells Elizabeth that he doesn’t talk about it much, but he knows better than anyone, you don’t get over losing your spouse. It took him a long, long time to make peace with Rieko’s death. There may be a path forward for her, where she can hang onto the good Franco memories, and keep them with her, and at the same time keep the trauma of his death in the past. She says, if only it was that simple. She hasn’t told him what’s been going on with her, and Franco.

Michael asks, what’s the good word? and Willow says, her mom was able to track down her birth certificate. It should be arriving soon. Harmony says she should get going, and Willow opens the door. Dante is on the porch, and Michael asks what he’s doing here. Dante says he wanted to talk to Michael, and Harmony says she doesn’t need to be here for this, and leaves. Willow says she imagines Dante is here to talk about Sonny and Carly; she’ll give them some privacy. Dante says, actually, she should stay, and Monica as well. It involves all of them. He wanted to be the one person to tell them that Peter is dead. He’ll never hurt anyone again.

Drew tells Carly that he has no idea if Sonny knows about Peter. He’s been kind of busy getting debriefed by the Bureau. Carly hates the thought of looking at Sonny right now, but Jason’s family. She should be the one to tell him that Jason’s death was avenged. He says, if she wants some back-up, he’s happy to go with her. She looks at the family photo again, and he says, or he could break it to Sonny himself and take it off her plate.

Nina says, Peter’s dead? She can’t believe it. He made so many people miserable. What happens now that the horrible nightmare is over; it’s ended. He says, what usually follows an ending is a new beginning, and she says she should go. He grabs her arm, and says, she doesn’t have to go now, but she says she does. Whatever happens next, she hopes he considers cutting down on his drinking, or not drink at all. He deserves to have a clear mind when he figures out what he wants to do next. He says he’ll think about it because he believes he owes her that much, but she says, he doesn’t owe her anything. She touches his face, and says, he owes it to himself.

Finn says, so there was more to this besides the ring. Why didn’t Elizabeth say anything? She says, because she felt like she was imagining things, and he says, but it’s real. Tell him. She says, it was Valentine’s Day. She’d decided to donate the dress she wore when she married Franco. She wasn’t going to wear it again, and it had just been hanging in her closet in a garment bag. When the bag was opened, the dress was torn to shreds. She knows all of this seems so random on a case by case basis, but when you combine the ring, the dress, and this card… He says, it’s a pattern. She shouldn’t dismiss that. She says, she just feels like someone is doing this deliberately, and he asks if she’s sure the boys aren’t upset about them and acting out. She says, Cameron is so happy with Josslyn and PCU, his heart is not in a destructive place. He says, Jake and Aiden, and she says, she asked both of them, and they both insist they had nothing to do with the ring. She knows when her boys are lying, and she doesn’t think they are. She guesses she could ask them again. Finn’s phone dings, and he says he has to check on a patient. He’ll see her back at the house. It’s going to be okay.

Alexis asks if Peter’s death gave Sam any closure, and Sam says, closure and relief. Not only for herself, for the entire city, including Alexis. Peter was the one who gaslit Alexis into thinking Franco was a threat to her. Alexis says, she was drunk when she assaulted Dante, and can’t blame Peter for that. Prison, unfortunately, was a wake-up call that she needed to be sober. Sam says, then she reunited with Shawn. How are things going between the two of them? Alexis says, they’re just good friends. He’s also her boss, so anything beyond that would be inappropriate anyway. Sam says she can accept that, even though Alexis is the happiest Sam’s seen her since Neil died. And the way he died was so sudden and unexpected. Alexis pulled herself together, and keeps moving forward. Neil would want her happy. As a matter-of-fact, Sam thinks Shawn was probably the most stable relationship Alexis has been a part of since Sam’s known her. Alexis says, it’s a pretty low bar she’s set, and Sam says, true, but can’t Shawn be Alexis’s confidante, and not Harmony with all her baggage? She knows Alexis said she was giving Harmony a second chance, but has she really changed?

Harmony sits with the shady guy at Charlie’s, and he says, sorry. That seat’s taken. She says, yeah, by her. She’s seen him handle some shady business here and in the alley. Word on the street is, he’s good at forging documents. He says, maybe. What’s it to her? She says, how good is he at forging a birth certificate?

Elizabeth calls Betsy, and says, she knows it’s been a while. She got Betsy’s card, and has some news she thinks Betsy wants to hear. Is there any way she can come to town and talk in person?

Sam says, she freely admits that Harmony has gone above and beyond to redeem herself. She did help them track down Drew, but there is so much history between her and their family. Alexis says, they’ve been through this, and she appreciates it and understands, but she’s going to stop Sam her. Shawn is her friend, and Harmony has been her friend. She cares about both of them. That’s why she’s so grateful that Sam and the girls, including Shawn (I swear, she said it that way) are accepting the possibility that she may have changed.

Harmony gives a wad of money to shady guy, who says, it’s a pleasure doing business with her. He’ll be in touch when he has something. He leaves, and Harmony gets up. She turns around to see Shawn.

Michael says, this is a long time coming. To Jason. He, Willow, Dante, and Monica lift their glasses, and he says, and to all the people not here to see the justice they deserved. They clink glasses, and say, to Jason. Michael says, now they’ll be able to focus on putting all the people whose lives were torn apart by Peter, back together again.

Sonny says, he’ll think about cutting back for his own well-being, and wants to let Nina know it means a lot that she cares. She says she should know better, but she can’t seem to help herself. Sonny opens the door, and Carly and Drew are there.

On Monday, Shawn tells Harmony to watch her step, Alexis asks if Diane doesn’t trust her judgement, Elizabeth wonders if Jake is trying to tell her something, and Drew says he and Nina aren’t going to talk about Carly.

😲 Oh No She Didn’t…

How dare Kelly shade Queen LVP, she who can do no wrong?

👠 A Question Of Loyalty…

Has Dolores seen the show? Teresa isn’t a runner? Since when? Storming off is one of her specialties.

👶🏻 Boo Hoo…

Apparently, someone told Heather this was a sorority.

🧂 Skipping Mary…

Nothing really newsworthy, but amusing.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1320637/see-the-exact-moment-the-rhoslc-cast-learns-mary-cosbys-skipping-the-season-2-reunion

💵 No Accounting…

At least it tips her toward less boring.

💔 Not the Bubbas…

Let’s see. She doesn’t get along with his best friend and business partner, and she’s a go-getter while he’s unambitious AF. And no one saw it coming?

Katie Maloney: Did She Just Announce That She’s Divorcing Tom Schwartz?

🐕‍🦺 All About That Dog…

The article says, everybody was astonished at what the dogs could do, but I’ve had German Shepherds, and I can vouch for the fact they’re no dummies.

https://ew.com/movies/dog-co-director-reid-carolin/

👑 Quotes of the Week

Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed. – Booker T. Washington

Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations. – Dr. Mae Jemison, first African-American female astronaut

I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear. – Rosa Parks

For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. – Nelson Mandela

Racism isn’t born, folks, it’s taught. I have a two-year-old son. You know what he hates? Naps! End of list. – Dennis Leary

I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger.Serena Williams

If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair. – Shirley Chisholm

Life has two rules: number 1, never quit! Number 2, always remember rule number one. – Duke Ellington

Black history isn’t a separate history. This is all of our history, this is American history, and we need to understand that. It has such an impact on kids and their values and how they view black people. – Karyn Parsons

True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost. – Arthur Ashe

A man without knowledge of himself and his heritage is like a tree without roots. – Dick Gregory

The soul that is within me no man can degrade. – Frederick Douglass

☁️ Drifting To Dreamland…

See you at Deadtime, but until then, stay safe, stay supporting equality for all, and stay not saying, I found your birth certificate, when what you really mean is, you’re not my biological daughter.

February 23, 2022 – Maxie’s Ordeal Finally Ends, No OC, Isaac’s Fave, Salty Talk, Reaction, Paternity, a Tease, Blank Slate, Sloth Fun & Mary

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Anna and Drew approach Felicia’s car, guns drawn. The car is empty, and Drew says, it looks like there’s an abandoned car with no damage. Maybe this car crashed, and the other one stopped to help? She says, or that one ran this one off the road, and he says, maybe Maxie’s running away from Peter.

On the embankment, Peter tells Maxie, he doesn’t have much time. Someone picked up his trail. Now climb back up here… Now. She tells him to hear her. She would rather die than go one more step with him. So go ahead, pull the trigger. But when he does, it’s the end of telling himself there’s one shred of goodness left in him, or that he can turn his life around. If he’s going to kill her because she doesn’t love him, admit he’s a monster. He says, she was supposed to save him. Instead, she abandoned him. This is all her fault. Felicia runs out of the woods behind Peter, and whacks him in the head with a tire iron. He tumbles down the embankment, the gun flying from his hand. Maxie goes down the stairs, and says, Peter? She picks up his gun, and tells him that she has it, but he doesn’t move. Felicia asks if he’s dead, but Maxie says she doesn’t know.

At the hospital, Austin asks if they’ve heard anything about Maxie, but Britt says, nothing yet. He says, if it ends up Maxie gets hurt because of something he’s done, he’s never going to be able to live with himself. Brook walks up with Chase, and she says, he thinks this is his fault? She should have known. What did he do now?

Sonny goes into Charlie’s, and sits at the bar. Bartender Johnny says he hates to disappoint, but Phyllis isn’t here. Sonny says he’s sorry to miss Phyllis, but he’s not here for her. He’s here for that. He points to the scotch, and says, scotch, single-malt, make it a double.

Sasha sits in Kelly’s, working, and Nina runs into Lucy outside. Lucy fans herself (with an actual fan) and says, isn’t this warm day absolutely glorious? They could have the meeting outside if they wanted to. Nina says she thinks that might be pushing it, but it’s nice not to have a coat and gloves. She suggests they go inside, saying, maybe they have air conditioning. Lucy grabs Nina’s arm, and says she really wants to talk to Nina first. Nina asks if they can talk inside; Sasha’s waiting. Lucy says, Sasha’s what she wants to talk about.

Mac is on the phone, when Robert walks into his room. Robert asks who he’s talking to, and Mac says he’s trying to reach Felicia. He should have known better than to think she’d be okay with standing on the sidelines, when Maxie’s missing with Peter. Come on, Felicia, pick up.

Felicia asks if Peter is breathing, but Maxie says she can’t tell. Felicia comes down the stairs, and takes Peter’s gun from Maxie. Anna calls to Maxie, and asks if she’s all right. She asks Felicia what she’s doing here, and Drew runs down to check Peter’s pulse. Drew says, he’s still alive, and Anna asks what Felicia is doing here. Drew says, he’s barely breathing, and Peter groans. Anna, Felicia, and Drew keep their guns on him.

Brando says, it’s good to see Sonny, and sits next to him. Sonny says, is it? and Brando asks if everything is okay. Sonny asks if Brando wants to join him in a drink, and Brando says, okay. Sonny says he was going to call Brando, but then lost track of time, but Brando says Sonny doesn’t have to check in. After everything that went down with Liam, it’s about as well as can be expected. Sonny doesn’t need to keep tabs on him. Sonny says Brando isn’t an obligation. He’s family, and family takes care of each other when times are tough. They remind you that you’re not alone. Brando says, in that case, this family thing’s a two-way street. If Sonny ever needs to talk… Sonny says he had a bad day, but Brando has a lot on his plate; losing Liam, and Sasha pulling away from him. Brando says he did make a little progress on that front. He and Sasha actually talked. Now he’s hopeful they’ll still have a future together.

A woman comes up to Sasha’s table, and says she hasn’t seen Sasha in ages. Sasha says, hi, Sienna. She tells Sienna hat she’s really been busy with work, and Sienna says, busy, huh? If Sasha needs anything… Sasha says, no thanks; she doesn’t do that anymore. Sienna says, no worries, but if Sasha ever needs a little pick-me-up to help her with all that work, Sasha’s got her number. Sasha thanks her, and Sienna goes to the counter.

Nina says, what’s wrong with Sasha? Other than the obvious, she’s grieving over the loss of her baby. Lucy says, yeah, that’s just it. This meeting she called. It’s after hours, and Sasha called her yesterday and made her pitch. She told Sasha it was really unnecessary. They can’t move ahead with the IPO until Maxie is found, so there’s really nothing new to discuss. Except maybe she should be cuddling up to Martin right now, instead of discussing new marketing strategy. Nina says, this is what she was afraid of. Sasha throwing herself into work so she doesn’t drown in grief over losing Liam.

Brook says, after everything she and Maxie did to keep Maxie’s daughter safe, Austin blows it by buddying up to Victor Cassadine? Austin says, he didn’t buddy up. He’s not buddies with that guy, and Brook has no right to judge him after everything she’s done. She lies so much, he’s surprised she and Victor aren’t buddies and BFFs. Chase suggests taking it down a notch, and Britt agrees. They’re all stressed and worried about Maxie. The two of them sniping at each other doesn’t help. Brook says, Britt’s right. Now is not the time. Austin agrees, and says, the only thing that matters is Maxie getting home safe.

Drew says, if Peter doesn’t get medical attention soon, he’s not going to make it. He realizes it’s not going to be a great loss; he’s just saying. Anna says she’ll take care of it, and steps away. Peter says, Maxie… and Drew says, you, shut up, and steps in front of the women. He tells Peter, shut up and stay still. They’re calling him an ambulance, believe it or not. Peter croaks out, Maxie, please wait.

Sonny raises his glass, and says, to things getting better for Brando. Brando clinks his beer bottle against Sonny’s glass, and thanks him. Sonny says, he knows what it’s like to lose a child, but at least Brando has Sasha to lean on. Brando says he’s trying to, but like he said, he wants to be there for Sonny too. He asks if this is about Carly, and Sonny says, this? indicating his glass. He hasn’t had a great day. He was with Carly the last part of the day, with her attorney and his attorney to hammer out a deal. They’re getting a divorce. He doesn’t want it; she wants it. She wants to cut her losses. The only thing she wants from the marriage is the house by the lake, and joint custody of Donna. He’s going to spend time with Avery at the penthouse, so they’re going to see less of each other, and Avery, all because their dad messed up. Brando says, they know Sonny loves them, and Sonny asks how Brando knows that. Brando says he’s seen Sonny with them; it’s pretty obvious. Sonny says, you should never assume the person you love knows how you feel, and drains his glass. He says, like Brando and Sasha. He’s glad they talked. What’s next? When is Brando going to see her again? Brando says, they hadn’t really talked about anything, and Sonny turns to him with a smile, and says, Brando has to change that. They’re making progress, and Brando has to show her how much he loves her.

Nina and Lucy sit with Sasha, and Nina says, she’s intrigued. What was so urgent, it couldn’t wait until tomorrow? Sasha says she knows they’re in a holding pattern with the IPO, but they have to be ready to hit the ground running once Maxie is back. Nina says, Sasha… but Sasha barrels on, saying, she has some ideas, but they’re more of a jumping off point. She hands them some folders.

Chase and Brook come into Mac’s room with Louise/Bailey, and Brook asks if anyone is up for a visit. Chase says, they tried driving her around to get her to sleep, but no dice, so they brought her here for a visit. Mac says he’s always thrilled to see his granddaughter, and introduces Robert to his great-niece Louise. Brook says, for right now, she responds to Bailey. They’re trying to call her Louise from time to time. (Here’s a suggestion. How about calling her Bailey/Louise for a while?) Robert says, look at that face; she looks just like Maxie. Brook says, she does, doesn’t she? and Chase says, speaking of which, have they heard any news? Mac says, not yet, and Brook asks, where’s Felicia? Mac says, that’s a very good question.

Peter whimpers Maxie’s name, and she asks if he’s wanting her sympathy. She strides over to him, saying, five minutes ago, he tried to kill her. All he’s done is leave a trail of destruction and broken lives. Liesl paid for his crimes; Drew lost two years of his life. Jason and Franco are dead thanks to him. It’s his turn now, and he deserves it. Peter says, please believe him. He never wanted this to happen. Drew says, he’s so wrong. Maxie is so far out of his reach; so is his child. He doesn’t get it. He survived this, and he’s going to spend the rest of his life in a cell, which Drew has to admit he finds kind of fitting. He knows Peter will have it so much better than he and Jason did, when they were in captivity, but they knew they were innocent. They had lives to come back to. Peter has nothing. He did it to himself. There’s nobody left to care about him. Nobody. Anna comes back, and says, medics are on the way, and asks if everybody is all right. Drew says, yeah, and she tells him to lead Felicia and Maxie up to the road. Felicia asks if she’s in trouble, but Anna says, no; they’ll sort it out. It was self-defense. She was saving her daughter’s life. Peter whimpers to Maxie that he’s scared, but Maxie says she’s leaving. She, Felicia, and Drew go up the stairs, and Peter says, Maxie, please. They leave, and Anna stays behind. Peter says, it’s just you and me, and Anna says, yeah. Just the two of us.

Lucy says she’s impressed, and Nina says, her too. Obviously, Sasha has been putting in a lot of hours and research. Lucy’s phone rings, and she says, it’s Marty, and asks if they’ll excusez-moi. She says she’ll be right back, and leaves. Nina says she had no idea Sasha knew so much about IPOs, but Sasha says she didn’t until recently. It’s amazing how much information you can get online. Nina says she hasn’t seen Brando around much lately. How’s he doing? Sasha says, she’s been avoiding him… but not anymore. They had a good talk. Even though seeing Brando makes her think about Liam, she knows Brando needs her, and she wants to be there for him. She loves Brando, and doesn’t want to lose him too.

Brando tells Sonny that he and Sasha grieve differently, and he doesn’t want to push her into something she’s not ready for. Sonny says he doesn’t want Brando to push her, but he has to let her know he wants to get together. It’s not good to be alone. Brando says, Sasha told him that she’s been avoiding him because she can’t look at him without being reminded of Liam. Sonny says, they need a change of scenery. Brando’s got to take her out of town, someplace romantic, and let her know how great they are together. He’s got a place in Niagara Falls; he’ll hook Brando up. Brando says, he likes the sound of that, but Sasha might not be feeling romantic. Sonny says, if Brando thinks she’s slipping away, he has to keep her close, because time apart is not good for anyone. Brando can trust him on that.

Peter asks if Anna is staying with him to gloat, but she says he’s her responsibility. She protected him when she believed that he could change. He says she’s always been so soft-hearted, and she says she does try to find the good in people – she crouches down next to him – even though some people don’t have any good in them. They embrace their evil tendencies until it controls them. He’s so like his father. Obsessed, entitled, convinced that he can just take whatever he wants. While he’s still alive, Maxie and Louise can never truly feel safe. He says she didn’t call the ambulance, did she? and she says, no, there’s no ambulance coming. She did, however, call the WSB to tell them that he’d been apprehended. She made it clear that the location wasn’t secure, and they shouldn’t approach. He says, so, a killer in the end, but she says, it depends on your perspective. He says, so now what? She walks away and leaves him to die? She says, no one deserves to die alone, not even him. She does hope wherever he winds up, he finds some measure of peace. He lifts his hand as much as he can, and she takes it. He breathes his last, and she cries a little, and says she’s sorry. She closes his eyes, and checks his pulse. She cries a little more, and says, it’s over. Goodbye, Peter. She goes up the stairs, and Peter lies in the snow.

Brook asks Chase, can you believe it? All that driving around, and she’s still awake. Mac’s phone rings, and he says, it’s Felicia. He asks if she’s all right, and she says she’s fine, and much more important, she found Maxie. She’s fine. He says, thank God, and Brook says, what does that mean? Did she find Maxie? Mac says he’s going to put Felicia on speaker. Brook’s here and so is Robert. Can she repeat what she just said? Felicia says, she found Maxie, and they’re both fine. Someone wants to say hello. She gives the phone to Maxie, who asks, how’s Louise? Mac says, she’s three feet away from him in her stroller. He holds out the phone, and says, look, Brook and Chase are here. Brook says she’s so glad Maxie is okay, and Chase says, her daughter is safe and sound, and she’s going to be thrilled to see her. Robert says, this is great news, but he has to ask the big question. What happened to Peter? Chase says, please don’t tell him Peter got away again, but Maxie says, for once, Peter did not get away. Mac asks what that means, and Maxie says, Peter was about to shoot her, and mom attacked him with a tire iron. Mac says, that bastard didn’t hurt her, but she says she’s fine. Anna is with him. She called an ambulance and they’re waiting to go to the hospital. Robert says, she means he’s still alive? and Maxie says, for now. He’s badly injured, and might not make it.

Sonny looks at Carly’s name in his phone contacts, and says, bad idea. He tells Johnny, another one, and Johnny says, got it.

Brando comes into Kelly’s, and approaches Sasha’s table. He says, sorry to interrupt. He sees they’re having a work meeting. Nina says, Sasha wanted to talk about some issues tonight, and Sasha says, they were just wrapping things up. Lucy says, we were? We were… just wrapping things up. Good to see him. What a good meeting; they got a lot done, didn’t they? Okay, ta. She leaves, and Nina says she’s going too. She tells Sasha to call if she needs to talk, and says, it’s nice to see Brando. She leaves, and he sits down. He says he can really clear a room, and Sasha says she’s happy to see him. He says, good. It gives him some hope… that she’ll agree to run away with him.

Drew says Felicia and Maxie have to take him through what happened. How did they find each other? Maxie says, it’s all thanks to her mom. She remembered a place Peter loved, a place he was sent in his summers away from boarding school. She caught a plane to Europe to check it out. Felicia says, meanwhile, Maxie ran away from Peter. She made it to the road and flagged down a car. Maxie says she was obviously surprised to find the driver was her mom, and Felicia says, they headed to the Autobahn, when suddenly she saw headlights in the rearview mirror. They were getting closer and closer. Drew says, Peter, and Felicia says, he ran her car off the road. Maxie says she thought her mom was hurt, and wanted to lead Peter away from her, so she went to the embankment. Felicia says, she wasn’t hurt. She just had the wind knocked out of her from the airbag. But once she caught her breath, she grabbed a tire iron from the trunk. She went down to the embankment, heard gunfire, and there was Peter, ready to shoot her daughter, and she did not hesitate for one second. She swung that tire iron as hard as she could. She doesn’t think she’s ever hit anything as hard in her entire life. Peter went down the embankment, and Drew knows the rest. Anna comes out of the woods, and asks if everything is all right. Maxie says, the ambulance hasn’t gotten here yet. What’s going on with Peter? Anna puts her hands on Maxie’s shoulders, and says, Peter is dead. Maxie asks if she’s sure, and Anna says she watched him take his last breath. She holds Maxie, and I wonder if Peter is going to be like Michael Myers and disappear.

Brook tells Britt, Austin, and Obrecht, good news. They found Maxie; they’re all safe. Austin says, that’s great, and Brook says, it sounds like Peter put Maxie through quite the ordeal, but the most important thing is, she’s not hurt. Britt asks, what about Peter? Is he in custody? Chase joins them, and says, after Brook left, they got word. Peter August is dead. Britt asks if he’s sure; they’ve heard this before. He says, Anna confirmed it to Mac, and Brook says, thank God it’s over. Obrecht says, this calls for a celebration. Does Britt have any libations in her office? Britt says, the bottom left in the credenza, and Obrecht jets.

Sasha asks Brando, run away together; what does that mean? He says, Sonny knows a place in Niagara Falls, and offered it to them if they wanted to get away for a few days. Just the two of them. If that’s too much, they could maybe get a B&B in Beecher’s Corners. They don’t have to talk about Liam. He just misses them, and was hoping they could reconnect, going someplace new where they don’t have any memories. They could just focus on the here now, rather than the past. She says, let’s do it, and he says, that’s fantastic. Which option interests her most, the grand majesty of Niagara Falls, or a cozy B&B? She asks if he has a preference, but he says he’s thrilled either way. She spaces out for a moment, and he says, Sasha? She says, let’s go to Niagara Falls.

Sonny makes a call, and gets Nina’s voicemail. He says, it’s me. Does that mean Sonny or Mike? Sonny’s not doing too good these days, so Mike might be a better option for her. He knows how much she loves Mike. Damn. He’s being stupid right now. It’s him, good or bad, and it’s not really good right now. He’s at Charlie’s. Where is she? He just needs to talk to somebody, and they always had nice talks. He just wants to say… He looks at the phone, and says he doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing.

On the phone, Robert says, she was there at the end, right? and Anna says she did what she had to do. He says, that guy’s plagued this town for far too long, and she says she’s got to go. She’s got to call Valentin and break the news to him. Robert says, if she really must. Obrecht comes by with a bottle and some cups, and he asks what she wants. She says he must have heard, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, and he says, they both despise Peter. She asks if he wants to join her celebration, and he takes a cup.

Austin says, Britt shared her feelings about Peter with him, all the things he’s done, but he’s still her brother. So, checking in. Is she doing okay? She says, Peter made her life hell, just like he did everyone else, and honestly, what she’s feeling most is relief. Relief in knowing her father’s demented bloodline dies with Peter. He says, no kids for her then, huh?

Felicia asks if she can talk to Anna for a second. She knows Anna well enough to recognize when she’s holding something back. Anna says, she didn’t call the ambulance. She needed to know he was dead. It’s unlikely he wouldn’t have survived even if they got here in time, but she hopes Felicia understands. Felicia says she hopes Anna knows that she 100% thinks she did the right thing. Anna says she doesn’t know if it was right, but it was necessary. Felicia says, at one point, Anna cared about Peter; they all did. Does she regret his death now? Anna says, what she thinks she regrets is that she couldn’t figure out a way to stop him sooner. She thinks the Peter she cared for, that at one time she believed was her son, never really existed. Felicia says, he hurt too many people, and too many people are dead because of him. But now, because of Anna – Anna says, us – this nightmare is finally over.

Chase gets a bag of chips from the vending machine, and gives them to Brook. She thanks him, and says she’s so relieved Maxie is okay, she didn’t realize she hadn’t eaten all day. She’s starving. She tells him to take some; he’s probably hungry too. They eat, and he says, it’s good seeing her this happy. She says she’s ecstatic. Peter’s finally gone. Maxie can finally tell the whole world Bailey is her daughter. He says, it’s going to be hard for her to let Bailey go, and she says, when she gave Bailey to Felicia, she was a wreck. It’s going to be hard not to see that beautiful little face every day, but that was the whole point, to keep Bailey safe. Now Maxie can raise her daughter without being concerned Peter will take her away. How can she not be happy about that? He says, part of the reason this whole scheme worked is that people thought the worst of Brook; that she’d lie about her baby’s paternity to get her stock back. He can’t wait for people to know the truth, and see what a noble gesture it really was. She asks what that look is for, and he says, she’s really incredible. She says, he had a lot to do with this scheme too, and he says he knows. They made a good team. He kisses her, and she drops the chips.

Anna says, Dante’s already at the airport, so they can meet him there, and Felicia says, that’s it? There isn’t going to be any police investigation? Anna says, the Bureau has agreed to be a liaison with the Swiss authorities, so they can give their statements on the plane. Maxie says, they’re going home? It’s really over? Anna says, she knows in the past, Peter has survived and haunted them again, but he didn’t make it this time. So let’s go. The cars are here and ready to take them to the airport. Maxie says, when she and Brook made this plan, to hide Louise in plain sight, she could only imagine this moment. She can’t believe this is happening. She cries happy tears, and says, they’re finally safe. Felicia says, she can bring Louise home, and she can finally meet Georgie and James. They hug, and Maxie says she can’t believe this is happening. Felicia mouths thank you to Anna, and Anna smiles at Drew.

Robert says, so Henrik Faison is finally dead, and Mac says, and Felicia’s the one who took him out. Robert says, because he was trying to shoot Maxie, and Mac says, she’d do anything to protect her daughter. Robert says, still. He didn’t see this one coming. Mac says, him either, and tells Louise, you know what means? Her mom will be home soon.

Britt says, kids aren’t part of her future, and Austin says, you never know. She says she’s pretty sure, and tells him, he knows what this means. Maxie might be back in Port Charles tomorrow. He says, looks that way, and she says, the threat of Peter is finally over. He says, Maxie can finally be a mother to Louise, and Britt says, Maxie can go back to her life. He says he’s not sure what she means, and she says, disingenuous is not a good look for him. What’s going to happen when he sees Maxie again?

Brook says, that’s one way to celebrate good news, and Chase says, in a good way, right? She says, look at the mess she made, and starts picking up the chips. He says, let him help, and she says, it’s been quite the day. He says, they should probably get Bailey home, and she says, she’s glad Maxie’s going to be okay. Still, it’s going to be their last night as Bailey’s parents.

Brando and Sasha leave Kelly’s, and he says he’s so glad Sonny suggested Niagara Falls. It’s going to be really good for them to get away; just him and her. She kisses him, and says, she’s never been; it’s supposed to be spectacular. He asks her to text him when she gets home so he knows she’s safe. She says she will, and he leaves. She debates internally for a millisecond, and goes back inside Kelly’s. She sits next to Sienna at the counter, and Sienna says, she thought Sasha left. Sasha says, she changed her mind about what Sienna offered earlier. She definitely needs something to get her through the next few days.

Sonny gets off the barstool, and Johnny asks if he can call Sonny a car, but Sonny says he’s fine. Johnny goes back to work, and Sonny takes out his keys. He says, it’s not that far; he can drive. Nina comes in, and he smiles at her.

Tomorrow, Nina tells Sonny, they have to stop meeting like this; Maxie says it’s her turn to do something for Brook; Anna tells Robert, it’s not something she’s proud of; and Carly asks if Ava really wants to test the flavor of the month against her.

❗️ Surprise! No new RHOC tonight. They had last week’s episodes with bonus scenes, or what I call a cheap show. I definitely felt ripped off, since I’d just seen all that. The only thing of any value was Emily talking about her sister, since I didn’t know she had one.

🛥 On Watch What Happens Live, Isaac Mizrahi said Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip was the best show he’d ever watched in his life. Clearly, he needs a Netflix subscription.

🧂 Extra Salt…

The RHOSL recap.

The denial.

The blame game.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1320381/lisa-barlow-storms-off-set-after-slamming-rhoslc-producers-in-season-2-reunion-trailer

Maybe she can get time served for being on the show.

https://www.distractify.com/p/jen-shah-jail-time

🍤 Warning, Warning…

I remember Bethenny having a severe fish allergy. She gives some simple, but good advice here.

https://people.com/health/bethenny-frankel-had-medical-emergency-accidentally-eating-fish/

🍼 He Manned Up…

Here was a boatmance that never should have happened.

⛵️ Can’t See It…

Kate and Ben had a love/hate relationship too, but them I can see. I don’t know what to make of these two.

💃🏽 Not Much To Know…

An article on DWTS loaded with no information whatsoever.

https://parade.com/1339394/mikebloom/dancing-with-the-stars-2022-season-31/

🦥 On a Slow Note…

Something to make you smile.

🚪 Sneaking Out the Back Door…

I guess it must be President’s Week, since Bravo has nothing new tomorrow either. Although an episode of Galley Talk (always fun!) can be seen at 8 pm, followed by America’s Got Talent: Extreme, whatever the hell that is. I can only imagine. If you’re so inclined, you can join me tomorrow for soap and whatever the hell I can dig up. Until then, stay safe, stay knowing the difference between being honest and being mean, and stay never assuming the person you love knows how you feel.

February 4, 2022 – Carly Meets Drew On the Footbridge, Suds Sweep, AMC News, a Pledge, a Goodbye, Dating Again, Threatening, Carol Tattles, Whining, Salty Talk, Puppies (!), Practically 10 Quotes & People

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Mac asks Dante if there’s any sign of what caused Kendall (apparently the driver’s name) to lose control of the vehicle. He and Dante look around the van with flashlights. Inside, the guard tells Peter that Kendall must have hit an icy patch and gone off the road. Dante says, all four tires have been punctured. They didn’t hit ice; they’ve been sabotaged. They see headlights coming toward them, and draw their guns.

Brook tells Bailey to sleep well. Mommy loves her.

Maxie says she’s glad Austin finally knows the truth about Louise. It’s been awful lying to him. He says he can imagine she’s had to juggle a lot of lies to really well-meaning people. She says she had to do what she had to do, and he says, he can’t help but wonder if her kissing him now is just another diversion.

Nina comes in to Charlie’s and, walking past Obrecht, she asks the bartender if Phyllis is around. Obrecht asks how long Nina is going to avoid her, and Nina says, Obrecht is responsible for her relationship with Mike coming out in court, so she doesn’t know. Obrecht says she did Nina a favor, and they both know it.

Chase asks if Bailey went down, and Brook says, like a champ. She had a big day. He says, all those people cooing over her. It must be exhausting being that cute. She says he should know, and he thanks her. She says she means when he was a baby. She bets he had really chubby cheeks. She puts her feet up, and he says he’ll never understand wearing shoes that hurt you. She asks, what is there to understand? These boots make her legs look amazing. He says, they do. Believe it or not, he really enjoyed today. She says, her too. She’s just glad they got out of there before the WSB came to arrest granny. He says, it woudn’t be a Quartermaine party if the police weren’t involved, and she says, that’s so true. He says he hopes it didn’t mar Ned and Olivia’s big day, but she says, no way. Nothing could diminish their happiness after how hard they worked for their marriage. He says, she’s right. Sometimes two people just belong together.

Sonny stands on the deck of the Haunted Star, wearing a white tux and holding a red rose, when Kristina comes out. She says, look at him. Carly won’t know what hit her. She asks what he’s doing out here; it’s freezing. He says he didn’t want to wait inside. He’s getting anxious, and wants to see Carly arrive so he can greet her with his rose. She says, very romantic, and he thanks her for what she did inside. She says her pleasure, and what he did to the state room looks amazing. It definitely has an island vibe. He says, not too much? but she says, no. Carly will see all the effort he put in, and see how much this night means to him. He says he just wants everything to be perfect, and Kristina says, it won’t be if she’s still here, so she’s out. She hugs him, and says, good luck, and he says he hopes this makes it right for him and Carly.

Carly walks on the footbridge, and flashes back to Sonny saying, if she’s not ready now, maybe she never will be. Drew comes onto the bridge, and says, they meet again.

Mac says, it could be an ambush, and Kendall comes up behind Dante and slugs him.

Brook tells Chase, she and Olivia have had their issues. She’s had them with her dad too, but she’s come to appreciate how good Ned and Olivia are together. He says, he’d hoped his mom and dad would find their way back to each other, but he’s had to accept that’s probably never going to happen. Maybe they don’t have what Ned and Olivia have; that connection, that something that makes you want to fight against all odds. She says, no one’s ever fought that hard for her, and he says she deserves a love that strong. She tells him that he doesn’t have to say that, but he says he said it because he believes it. She says, it’s a mighty generous thing to say to a person like her, and he says, a person like her? What is that supposed to mean? She says, it means he can cut the act. She knows what he really thinks of her. She stomps off, and out to the patio.

Felicia tells Anna, she still wishes she could have gone with Mac and Dante. She wanted to watch Peter get locked behind bars. That way, she could have taken a picture and sent it to Maxie, and Maxie would know for sure, and get on with her life. Anna says, now that Peter has been dealt with, they can get on with finding Louise. Felicia says, Maxie’s been through so much already. A dangerous psychopath is the father of her child, and all those fruitless searches for Louise. And the whole time, she’s had to handle it alone. Anna says, maybe Austin will change that, and Felicia says she likes him. He seems like a really good man. Lord knows Maxie deserves that. She doesn’t know what she’d do without Mac. How long has it been again? Anna says, not long. She’s waiting for a message from Valentin. Felicia says, Anna told her that Valentin had a lead on Louise. Wouldn’t it be wonderful? Peter behind bars, and a chance to bring Louise home? Anna says, everything would finally come together.

Maxie says she thought Austin understood, and he says he understands she was under a lot of stress, and it was really hard for her that the people she loves were really worried about Louise. She says, and she hated every minute of it; she told him that. But that has nothing to do with their kiss. She wanted to kiss him. He says he can’t help but wonder if there aren’t other factors in play, given her state emotionally. She says, that is a very clinical assessment, doctor. She knows how she feels. He says, she’s been lying to him. She’s been keeping a secret from him since the moment they met. Did she befriend him out of some kind of necessity? Everybody in this town knows her very well, and would know something was up, so she turned to him to keep them at bay because he’s new and safe. She says, he’s anything but safe. She and Brook lived in constant fear that he was going to remember what went on in the woods that night. She should have stayed away from him like she intended to, but she was drawn to him because she feels something for him. Is she alone in that? His phone rings, and he asks if they can talk later. She says, sure, and he jets.

Nina says she would have risked prison before betraying Sonny’s trust like that, and Obrecht says, that’s easy to say now, knowing it won’t happen. Nina starts to leave, but Obrecht says she doesn’t want to fight. Nina is her niece, and knows she’s always on her side. Who did Nina call to help her with Peter in Nixon Falls? Her. Nina says she did, and Obrecht almost died because of it. Obrecht says, that’s all over. She understands what it’s like to make bad choices for love’s sake; to be condemned for following your heart. If Nina needs a friendly face, here it is. Let’s sit. Nina says she was looking for Phyllis, and Obrecht says, Phyllis isn’t here, but she is. Please? They sit down, and Obrecht asks if Nina has eaten. She was supposed to have dinner with Britt, but she was a tiny bit late, and Britt ditched her. Nina says she’s not hungry, and Obrecht says, then they’ll drink. What happened to ruin her appetite? Nina says she had another run-in with Carly. It doesn’t seem to matter where she goes, Carly is there, and no matter what she says or does, Carly takes it in the worst way possible. With good reason, but Nina gets the feeling Carly is more interested in hating her than she is in helping her own husband. Obrecht asks, why does Sonny need help?

Drew asks if Carly is missing Jason, and she says, always. He was her sounding board, her voice of reason. Even when she didn’t agree with him, he never held it against her. He says he’d be willing to listen, or he can just go and let her think in peace, but she says she doesn’t want him to go. What about him? Is he thinking about Jason tonight too? He says, actually, Oscar’s been on his mind, and she says, she and Josslyn miss him a lot. Oscar and Josslyn used to come to this bridge all the time. He says he’s grateful for the few years he had with his son; he just wishes they’d had more time. She says, life is precious, and he says, they shouldn’t waste a second. She wonders why she’s stuck on this bridge trying to make a decision, and he asks what she’s trying to decide. She says, about her and Sonny.

Sonny sets the rose down on the steps, and leans on the deck railing. He says, she’ll be here.

Felicia tells Anna, still no word from Mac. She knows it’s silly of her to try. He’s got a lot going on, but she can’t help it. He said he’d call her as soon as he got to the prison. Shouldn’t he have gotten there already? Anna says, the roads are frozen. It might have slowed them down. Felicia says, maybe. Does Anna really believe that? Anna wonders if Felicia thinks something’s wrong, and Felicia says, when has dealing with Peter ever gone right? Anna says she’ll meet Felicia in the car, and takes off, Felicia not far behind her.

Carly’s phone rings, and it’s Kristina. Kristina says, it’s probably none of her business, but she wants her dad to be happy. He’s waiting for Carly on the Haunted Star. Does she want to show up? Carly says she knows Kristina loves her father, but she’s right, this is none of her business. Kristina says, he’s standing on a freezing deck with his heart on his sleeve. Can’t Carly at least meet him halfway? She helped him put everything together, and trust her, he’s pulled out all the stops to show Carly how much their marriage means to him. She can’t turn her back; it will crush him. Carly says, that’s not what she’s doing. All she asked for was a little bit of space. Kristina says, well, just show up. Please tell her that she’ll at least hear him out. Carly says she can’t do this right now. Goodbye. Drew asks if Carly is okay, but she says, no.

Nina says she wanted to talk to Obrecht, but how could she after what happened in court? Obrecht says, she only told Scotty what she suspected to keep Nina out of prison, and it worked. Thanks to Scotty’s brilliant strategy, she’s a free woman. These are different circumstances. Whatever’s going on now, she promises not to say a word to anyone; she swears. Nina says, Sonny is having some health issues, and it got so bad, she was afraid to leave him alone. She even spent a harrowing night at his place. She’s just thankful she got him to realize that he needed some help. Right after that, she ran into Carly, and tried desperately to tell her that her husband was in trouble, but Carly refused to listen to her. Obrecht says, Nina told her Sonny was sick, and she didn’t care? but Nina says she never got that far. Carly wasn’t hearing anything Nina had to say. Obrecht says, it sounds like she wasn’t trying very hard, and Nina says she’s a little conflicted because Sonny doesn’t want Carly to know what he’s going through. Obrecht says she doesn’t care what Sonny or Carly want; she cares what Nina wants. And she doesn’t think Nina wants Sonny and Carly to get back together.

Chase comes onto the patio and says, Brook can’t just tell him something like that and storm out. He puts a blanket around her shoulders, and says, besides, he doesn’t know what she’s talking about. She says, please. He acts all nice, but she knows the truth. He asks, what truth? and she says, when they first moved in, she overheard his conversation with Dante, telling him what a horrible person she is. How he wants to protect Bailey from her influence. He says he’s been trying to figure out why she’s been so hot and cold with him lately. That was just talk; he didn’t mean it. She asks why he said it, and he says, because he slipped. He said it would be a mistake if he developed feelings for her. She says, much better. Thanks for clearing that up. He says he was referring to Bailey. That’s what they’re doing here, right? If he developed feelings for her, it would complicate things, so he had to downplay it to Dante. Dante is a sharp guy, so he said all that crap about her not being his type. She asks if he really had to take it that far. He said awful things about her character. He tells her, she said herself that he’s a terrible liar, so he went too far to make sure Dante bought it. She says, so he doesn’t think she’s a horrible person? and he moves closer to her, saying, just the opposite. He says, he’s come to realize what a truly good person she is.

Spinelli tells Sam, crisis averted. James just wanted a glass of water. Where were they? Her and destiny; choosing a path. New life with Dante; second chance with Drew… She says, things with Dante are great. She loves seeing him with Scout and Danny; he’s a great father. He’s really stepped up, and taken care of all the kids’ needs. He says, what about her needs? and she says she’s not discussing her sex life with him. Okay, no complaints; none. He says, but by her own admission, she has unfinished business with Drew, and she says, if Jason hadn’t come back, they were starting a whole new life together, so it’s hard not to say what if? He says he sees no harm in asking, when Maxie walks in. She says she didn’t know Sam was here. Are Georgie and James sleeping? Spinelli says they’re both asleep, and Sam asks if something’s wrong. Maxie says, she kissed Austin, okay? Sam says, and? and Maxie says, it was horrible.

The police radio asks what the status is; please advise. Lying on the ground, Dante reaches for the radio, and says, 10-99. He repeats, 10-99. Officers down. Multiple injuries. The radio falls from his hand, and we see another man down by the van.

Carly tells Drew that Sonny planned this elaborate surprise at the Haunted Star. He’s recreated Martinique. Drew says, which is where they got married, right? She says, second wedding. Sonny really knows how to make a romantic gesture. He asks, so what is she doing here, and not there? and she says, she doesn’t need romance right now. She needs some space to figure out her feelings. Sonny wants her to commit right here, right now to fighting for her marriage. Is she wrong for not wanting to meet him halfway? He says, back up a moment. She just said she didn’t need romance; she needs time. And she said this to Sonny? She says, yes, and he says, and Sonny went ahead and planned this elaborate surprise, and wants her to come despite how she’s feeling right now? She says, yeah, and he says, that’s not about meeting Sonny halfway. That’s just Sonny being Sonny, trying to fix things on his timetable. The fact that she’s here right now is proof she has doubts. She’s 100% justified in feeling the way she does. She thanks him, and says she’s so glad he understands. He says he thinks he does, which is why he’s going to ask this. Is she positive she doesn’t want to go?

Brook asks if Chase really thinks she’s a good person, and he says, he doesn’t think; he knows. Look what she did for Maxie. Not to mention she put herself at risk to protect Bailey from her lunatic father. She says, and she lied to her family… So much lying. He says, good thing she can lie with the best of them, and she laughs. She says she never thought she’d hear Detective Harrison Chase condone duplicity, and he says, what she did was incredible. It might not have started out for the noblest of reasons, but she came through with flying colors. She stuck to her promise, and protected Bailey. Brook treated Bailey like her own daughter, all while she was taking serious hits to her reputation and character. She says she’d do anything to protect that little girl, and he says, him too, because they’re partners, which is exactly why they can’t be any more than friends. She says, but has he considered it?

Anna walks around the van, gun drawn. She looks in the van, and sees only the guard, lying across the seat. She checks for a pulse. She says, all clear, and Felicia comes out and checks Dante. She says, he’s just unconscious, but where’s Mac? Anna says she doesn’t know; be careful. Anna turns Dante over, and asks if he can talk. Felicia sees Mac, on the ground, shot, and says, oh my God, Mac. Dante asks, where’s Peter? and Anna says, he escaped.

Sonny sits on the steps, and takes a new wedding ring set out of his pocket and looks at them. He hears footsteps, and goes to the railing. He says, Carly?

Nina says, Obrecht told her that she doesn’t want to fight, but then accuses her of not wanting Sonny and Carly’s marriage to work. She gets up and grabs her coat, but Obrecht says, slow down and calm down. She’s not accusing Nina of anything, except perhaps not going after what she wants. She’s on Nina’s side, and wants her to be happy. Tell her, does she love Sonny? Nina says, Sonny is committed to his marriage, and Obrecht says, that wasn’t her question. Nina sits back down, and says, Sonny fell in love with her when he was Mike, a man without a past. Obrecht says, he was Sonny then, and he’s still Sonny now. Scotty told her that Sonny even admitted under oath that he loved Nina; that doesn’t just disappear. Nina says, it does when you have a wife and children. She can’t forget about that little detail. Sonny loves Carly. Obrecht says, perhaps he loves Nina too, but Nina says, she cannot be the woman who breaks apart Sonny and Carly’s marriage. Obrecht tells her, don’t be ridiculous. Marriages break up all the time. Is Nina going to live her life based on what others think? Does she think Sonny and Carly do? If Nina loves Sonny, and he loves her, why shouldn’t they be together?

Kristina tells Sonny, sorry; it’s only her. He says he saw her leaving, and she says, she did, but she came back. She thought he’d see her coming up the dock, but he says he was busy. He shows her the rings, saying, when he came back from Nixon Falls, he lost his wedding band, so he bought two more, since it’s the beginning. She says she’s sorry, and he says, she doesn’t have to be sorry; Carly is always late. She knows how important this night is to him. He asks what she’s doing here, and she says she wanted to be there for him… because Carly’s not coming. She called Carly. He says she didn’t have to do that, and she says she couldn’t help herself. She knows how important this night is for him, but Carly said she couldn’t do it. He says, do what? and she says, meet him halfway. He says, Carly told her that? She didn’t even want to try?… So Carly’s not coming? Kristina shakes her head.

Carly tells Drew that she can’t decide what to do. Does she show up at the Haunted Star, or call Sonny and tell him that she can’t come? He says he gets it; let’s work it through. She says, okay. She knows this much. Champagne and candles are not going to fix what’s wrong between her and Sonny, and he should respect her request for space. Drew says, agreed but is that something Sonny would really do? She says, who knows anymore? Sonny has been all over place since he came back from Nixon Falls, but he should at least try for her her sake. He says, absolutely, and she says, this is typical Sonny though. He has to be in control of everything, and he made tonight feel like an ultimatum; show up or else. Drew says, what if it is?

Mac is on a stretcher, and the paramedics tend to him. Felicia says, they have to get him to General Hospital, but a paramedic says, if they move him before he’s stabilized, they could lose him. Felicia tells Mac, please hang in there; she loves him so much. Dante asks Anna, what’s going on? and she says, Mac was shot. They’re trying to stabilize him right now, then move him to GH. He says he can’t believe he let Peter escape, and she asks if he can tell her what happened. He says he was in the van with Peter and the guard. The van lost control and was swerving everywhere. Then it just stopped. She says, spike strips; she managed to avoid them. He says he’s glad somebody did. He got out, and left Peter and the guard in the van. Mac joined him in searching for what caused the accident. He noticed the tires had been punctured. Then a light came from over here. He points, and she says, a car? Description? He says, no. It was an SUV because the lights were too high. He sensed someone walking behind him, and it was Kendall. He hit Dante over the head. Anna asks if he knows who shot the Pentenville guard or this man, pointing the guy near the van, but he says, no. He came to, and called the dispatcher. He asks, how’s Mac? He doesn’t hear any sirens. She says, they’re still working on him, and he asks if there’s any sign of Peter, but she says, no. Her guess is, he and Kendall took someone’s car. Dante says, he could be anywhere, and she says, they’ll find him. They have to.

Spinelli says, for clarification’s sake, Austin’s kiss was not satisfying? Maxie says, what? and Sam reminds her that she said it was horrible. Maxie says, that’s not what she meant. The kiss was great. It just got really messed up afterwards. Sam says she needs to hear this, when Maxie’s phone rings. She steps away, and says, Austin, hi. Austin says, they have patients coming into the ER. There was a shooting on Route 31. Maxie says, that’s the road to Pentenville. Sam asks, what’s going on? and Maxie says, there was a shooting on Route 31. Spinelli says, he’s on it, and goes to his laptop. Maxie tells Austin that she’s putting him on speaker, and asks, who was shot? He says he doesn’t have any details, but he knows one cop was injured. Sam says, that must be the prison van, and Maxie says, oh my God, Mac and Dante. Sam asks if there’s any other information, and Austin says, this is what he can tell them; multiple injured and two fatalities.

Drew tells Carly, Sonny has to know he’s in the wrong. He’s got to know that he shouldn’t be pushing like this, but it’s almost like he can’t help it. Because he can’t stand the idea of losing her and the kids and the family. All of it is way too much for him to lose. What if it’s not an ultimatum, and it’s more of a cry for help? He’s got to believe they have a future together, so what if instead thinking of it as caving, she thinks of it as throwing him a lifeline?

Sonny closes the ring box and looks like he might pitch it into the water, but he doesn’t. He opens the box, takes one of the rings out, and looks at it.  

Brook tells Chase, what is she saying? Of course (🍷) he’s considered it. He’s hot; she’s hot. He says, that’s not what he meant, and she says, he doesn’t think she’s hot? He says, no… yes… definitely. He was talking about her as a person. He likes her – Brook Lyn. That’s why they’re friends. He moves closer, and she says, friends, right. Because anything more would be too complicated. He says, exactly. So it’s out of the question. She says she never even considered it, and he says, neither did he. They look as though they might kiss.

Nina tells Obrecht that she’s going to the ladies room. Feel free to order without her. She’s leaving her stuff; don’t steal anything. Nina leaves, and Obrecht says, a drink it is. Kristina comes in on the phone, saying, she was already late for work as it was. She gets the point; he’d rather not let her see him in pain, but she should have seen the look on his face when he realized Carly wasn’t coming. It broke her heart. He told her to leave, now her dad is all alone on the Haunted Star… Right… She knows. She’ll give him some time, but she’s calling him when she gets off work. Speaking of work, she’d better get going. Thanks for listening, mom… Love you too. She sees Obrecht standing at the bar.

A detective asks what Anna thinks, and she says she thinks Kendall saw the strip in the middle of the road and did nothing to avoid it. That he intentionally disabled the van to allow the gunman, or gunmen, to move in. She needs tire track prints from the other car on the shoulder. An officer walks up, and asks if there’s any news on the chief, and she says, he’s on his way to the hospital; thanks for asking. What about Kendell? Did they find him? The officer says, five miles up the road, and Anna says, great. She’ll follow him in her car. She wants answers. He says, she won’t get them from Kendall. Kendall’s dead.

Maxie and Sam come into the hospital, and Maxie asks Austin if there’s an update. He says he doesn’t know; he just got here. Felicia comes out, and hugs Maxie. She asks where James and Georgie are, and Maxie says, they’re with Spinelli. What happened? Is Mac…? Felicia says, Mac was shot. He’s lost a lot of blood, and it took forever to stabilize him, but he’s here now. It doesn’t look good. Maxie says, he’s going to be okay. Sam asks Austin about Dante, and he says, table two. She thanks him, and goes in. Dante is hooked up to a couple of monitors, but she hugs him anyway. He says, he’s okay; he’ll be fine. He’s sorry to put her through this though. He guesses it’s the downside of dating a cop. She says, there is no downside to having him in her life, and he says he’ll make sure she remembers that. She says she’s lucky to have him in her life. He says, he’s lucky to have her, and they kiss

Obrecht orders a vodka tonic, and goes back to the table. Nina has come back, along with a glass of wine that magically appeared. Obrecht says, now’s Nina’s chance, and Nina says, for what? Obrecht says, she just heard Sonny’s daughter on the phone. Kristina was saying Sonny is in a bad way. Perhaps he’s still sick. Nina says, she thought he got his medication, but maybe he didn’t. He could be in trouble. Obrecht says, there’s only one way to find out. Sonny’s on the Haunted Star… all alone.

The detective tells Anna, they’re checking for signs Kendall was injured here. He probably succumbed to his injuries, and was dumped where the police found him. Anna says, don’t waste your time, and the officer says, Kendall was shot point blank. He died instantly. His guess is that Kendall and Peter had a disagreement, but Anna says, no; it was planned. Peter hates loose ends. She tells them to send an update that the prisoner is traveling alone, and should be considered armed and extremely dangerous.

Maxie asks Austin, what about Mac? Can they see him? He says, one of them can go in there, and only for a minute. Maxie says, that would be Felicia, and Felicia goes. Maxie asks Austin to please tell her one of those dead bodies was Peter, but he says, no; he checked first thing. Peter’s still out there.

Carly tells Drew that she’s not ready to give up on her marriage. So this isn’t about what’s fair. It’s about what they both need emotionally. He says, okay, and what does she need right now? and she says she needs Sonny to know she’s still in this. She’s not giving up, but they can figure things out without closing the door on their marriage. Right? She thanks him and gives him a hug. She says, thanks for talking to her and clarifying things. He says, always. He’s glad they bumped into each other. She says, her too, and his phone rings. He says, Anna… Wait… What happened to Dante.

At the van, Anna asks if he can hear her. Mac and Dante were transporting Peter to Pentenville, and they were ambushed. They’ve both been hurt. He says, what about August? and she says, there’s no sign of him. He says, dammit, and Carly says, what? He tells her, Peter August escaped.

Sonny closes the ring box, and says, that’s that. He turns to leave, and sees Nina walking out onto the deck.  

Chase says, they should get back, and Brook says, of course (🍷). Chase’s phone rings, and he says, Dante, what’s up? At the hospital, Dante says, there’s something he should know. Mac was shot tonight. Chase asks, how bad? but Dante says, they don’t know. He’s on his way to surgery now. Chase asks, what happened? and Dante says, the transport van was ambushed. Peter escaped. Brook says, what? and Chase says, the transport van was ambushed. Mac was shot and Peter escaped. She says, oh no, and runs inside. Chase runs after her, and Dante asks if he’s still there. Brook and Chase run into the nursery, and Bailey’s crib is empty. Brook starts to cry, and says, no, no, no!   

In a moving car, Peter tells Bailey/Louise, hello, sweetheart. Safe and snug. They’re together, and he’s never letting her go.

On Monday, Austin says, it’s a helluva story; Chase says, all signs point to Peter; Anna asks if Robert wants to go down that path; and Sonny says, his and Nina’s time together never happened.

🧹 Sweeping Up…

What’s to come on the soaps this month.

👄 La Lucci Speaks…

The diva of Pine Valley tells all.

👩🏾‍⚕️ Front Line Help…

She might not be a nurse off-camera, but she’s just as caring.

☄️ Farewell To a Star…

Another loss to the soap world.

👠 She’s Available…

Randall is an idiot.

https://people.com/tv/lala-kent-dating-again-after-randall-emmett-split/

🍊 OC Delusion…

I wanted to like her, but I’ve come to the conclusion she’s batsh*t crazy.

🗽 Accessing Production…

Like this matters anymore.

🛥 Ultimate Complaint…

What a shock. Brandi is mean.

🧂 Rubbing Salt In the Wound…

This week’s recap.

Exit stage Mary.

Everybody is getting into the act.

🐶 They’re Coming…

All you need to know about the upcoming Puppy Bowl XVIII.

https://www.discovery.com/shows/puppy-bowl/see/puppy-bowl-announcement

🦜 Quotes of the Week

Fashion is a movie. Every morning when you get dressed, you direct yourself. – Thierry Mugler

For a New Yorker anything is possible. – Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), The Gilded Age

Don’t let anyone who hasn’t been in your shoes tie your laces. – Judge Faith Jenkins

You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. – Maya Angelou

The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them. – Ida B. Wells

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. – Alice Walker

Above all else, go with a sense of humor. It is needed armor. Joy in one’s heart and some laughter on one’s lip is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life. – Hugh Sidey

Don’t lose your sense of humor. – the only advice my father gave me when I left home. I’ve come close.

Start where you are, with what you have. Make something of it and never be satisfied. – George Washington Carver

🚶🏽‍♀️ Time To Skedaddle…

It’s here – the weekend for those still doing the 9 to 5, and the next two days for those off the work grid. Come join me on the third day for soap and a Deck Reunion. Until then, stay safe, stay pragmatic, and stay off any yacht you’re not invited aboard.

January 28, 2022 – Peter Sees His Daughter, Subbing, Connections, Parry’s Start, New Venture, Rinnafish, Salty Talk, Unfollowed, Calendar, Puppies (!), a Countdown’s Worth Of Quotes & 28th

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Brook backs into an examining room with Bailey in her stroller. Chase is there in his briefs, and she says, sorry to interrupt. TJ said he’d be in here, and it’s really important. She turns around, and says, oh, hi.

Esme asks if Spencer heard what Josslyn just called her. Trina’s a lightweight when it comes to alcohol, and somehow that makes her a manipulative bitch? Josslyn asks if she wasn’t clear. Esme’s always been a bitch from the moment she got into town. Playing that stupid drinking game is just her stupid way of proving it. Cameron thinks it’s settled; the bar is closed for tonight. No more alcohol for any of them. Josslyn says she’s not going to let Esme blame alcohol for what happened tonight. She’s jealous of Spencer’s friendship with Trina, so Esme deliberately set out to humiliate her by dredging up the past. Trina ran out of here in tears, but she’s guessing that’s exactly what Esme wanted. Esme says, really? Josslyn thinks it was her goal to hurt Trina? Josslyn says, hurt her, embarrass her, one or the other. Josslyn looks at Spencer, and says, and what about him? Can he finally see Esme for who she really is?

Stella meets Curtis at Charlie’s, and he says she looks fantastic. She thanks him, and sits down. He says, her time at the wellness center agreed with her, and she says she can’t thank him enough for arranging that. She feels better than ever. Catch her up on everything. She doesn’t need to hear about him and Portia; she can tell by the look on his face. He says, that obvious, huh? and she says she’s happy for both of them. TJ’s been texting her about the latest doings at GH, but there’s at least one empty space in her family album. How are things going with him and Marshall? He says, improving. Kind of. But at least he’s not in the dark anymore. Marshall told him everything. She says, he did what?

Marshall (temporary Marshall – see below) walks into Kelly’s, and puts a little plant on the table Epiphany is sitting at. He says, he was told he could find her here, and sits down. She asks, what’s up with the plant? and he says it’s to thank her for looking out for him after he spoiled their date. She says, he didn’t spoil anything. He had a health crisis. She’s just glad it wasn’t anything serious. He says, it was his serious chance to get to know her better. He just hopes he gets another crack at it.

Martin sees Laura at the Bistro, and she says thanks for meeting her. He sits down, and says he’s just sorry he missed Luke’s memorial. He never met the man, but he wanted to be there to support her. You know what they say about the life of an attorney; it’s either feast or famine. She says, right now, as she understands it, he’s feasting on Peter August’s retainer, and he asks, who told her? She says she’s the mayor, remember? The DA is a good friend of hers. Does he have any idea what he’s in for?

Peter pulls at his handcuffs, and flashes back to talking to Victor saying, Brook and Maxie conspired to pass off Louise as Brook and Valentin’s child, so Peter would be convinced his child had been kidnapped and disappeared into thin air. Dante comes in, and Peter asks if it’s an official visit, or is Dante just dropping by as a concerned friend? Dante laughs, and says, he’s there to tell Peter that he’s now being transferred to Pentenville tomorrow. They want to do some more tests; make sure they dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s. Peter says, they already cleared him to go, and Dante asks, what’s a few more hours? Does he have someplace to be? Peter laughs.

Valentin shows the reception nurse his driver’s license, and says, she can check Bailey’s file and see he’s her father. The nurse leaves, and Victor says he couldn’t help but overhear. What does Valentin want with Bailey’s medical records? She’s not his daughter. Valentin says, legally, she still is. For whatever reason, Brook hasn’t updated Bailey’s birth certificate or medical records. Victor says, makes you wonder, doesn’t it? and Valentin says, wonder what? Victor says, whether Brook is hiding something.

Chase puts on his pants, and asks if Brook ever knocks. She says she’s sorry. When the nurse said he was in this room, she didn’t mention he’d be doing a strip routine. He says, that tends to happen when you’re having a physical, and she asks if he’s all right. Did he have a setback? He says, no. His blood pressure’s stabilized, and he passed with flying colors. She says, good, and he says, which is ironic. If he wasn’t suspended, he’d be cleared from desk duty and back out in the field. But the upside of being suspended is, he gets more time with Bailey. He tells Bailey that she’s the best little workout buddy. He’s never run so many miles so fast. Brook says it’s too bad Chase is her father in name only. Bailey could get used to having him around.

Esme tells Spencer to say something, and he asks, how’s Trina? Is she okay? Josslyn says, no, she’s not okay. He saw her; she ran out of the room in tears. She won’t even come out of the room. Josslyn had to talk to her through the door. Cameron says, the alcohol hit her hard, but Josslyn says, the problem was not what was in the mug. Cameron says he’s never seen Trina drink before, and he thought that might have been it. Josslyn says, the problem was Esme implying Trina had feelings for Cameron, but Cameron says, it doesn’t make sense. It’s ancient history. Why would it bother her now? Esme says, maybe it never stopped bothering Trina, or she didn’t want to bother them with it. Or maybe Trina’s just a drama queen. They had plenty of those at boarding school. Spencer says he doesn’t think Trina’s a drama queen. He thinks she’s legitimately upset. Esme says, Josslyn and Cameron must be thrilled. Now they’ve even got Spence doubting her. All roads lead to Trina. Trina has Spencer wrapped around her little finger, and he doesn’t even see it. She stomps off, and Josslyn asks if Spencer heard her; how she’s trying to make this Trina’s fault. What is wrong with him? Trina is his friend. She’s given him chance after chance. Why can’t he call Esme out for the snake she is?

Stella asks Curtis, when he said Marshall told him everything, what exactly did he mean? Curtis tells her, he said he got mixed up with some shady characters, and he was afraid they were going to use his family as a bargaining chip to keep him in line. So Marshall decided, in order to keep his wife and kids safe, he would disappear and make everyone think he was dead. She sighs, and he asks if she’s okay. He knows it comes as a shock. She says, he has no idea, and he tells her, Marshall didn’t say it in so many words, but his father was in the Witness Protection Program. She says, he believes that? and he asks if she’s saying he shouldn’t.

Epiphany says, Marshall needs to keep taking those new pills the doctor prescribed, and focus on lowering his blood pressure, and she needs to get back to work and finish her shift. He says, the medication is working already; he can feel it. But why does she sound like the one with a problem? She says, no problem. The doctor that wrote him the prescription reminded her of something. That there are some dreams, no matter how sweet, that deserve to die.

Peter tells Dante, the only place he’s going is the courtroom, and the sooner, the better. His attorney is going to get all these charges dismissed, and he can move on with his life. Dante says, the only life Peter is going to have is inside a prison. The question is, is it going to be in Pentenville or Steinmaur? Peter tells Dante, he’s going to beat these charges. Then he’s going to do what everyone, including the PCPD, failed to do. Find his daughter. Dante asks, what makes him think he’s going to find Louise when no one else has? Peter says he has some resources that have yet to be tapped into, and Dante says, like what? Peter says, he could tell Dante, but then he’d have to kill him, and Dante asks if he’s threatening a police officer. Peter asks if Dante is trying to entrap an innocent man. Come on. Don’t they have some tests to run to initiate his transfer? Or is Dante going to risk getting charged with police brutality by compromising Peter’s mortality?

Valentin asks, what makes Victor think Brook is hiding something? and Victor says he’s not the one looking into Bailey’s medical records. Think about it. He starts to leave, but Valentin says, hang on. If he tells Victor something, can he trust him?

Spencer asks what Josslyn wants him to say. Esme’s his girlfriend. Back in boarding school, when he thought his father was dead, she stood by him. When they came to Port Charles, she repeatedly had his back. She thought she was going to be living at Windymere, and when he told her that he’d decided they were living at his grandmother’s house, she didn’t complain at all. Josslyn and Trina made it well-known that they don’t like Esme. She hasn’t felt accepted by any of his friends. Josslyn says she knows that Esme has some kind of hold over Spencer, but he’s got to wake up and see all the hurt she’s done. When she’s not burning down a car, she’s burning down his friendship with Trina. He asks what Cameron thinks. Cameron has always tried to mediate, and see Esme’s perspective. Cameron says he can’t believe Spencer has to ask him that. Cameron saw how Esme treated Trina. The question is, did Spencer?

Esme goes into the master bedroom, and says, perfect.

Stella tells Curtis that she’s not saying he should doubt Marshall’s story. It just really surprises her. He says he’s sorry if it upsets her, but at least now they know why Marshall felt the need to disappear. But when he tries to find out more, like who those guys were and if they’re still a threat, Marshall tells him to back off. It’s funny to him, since he was the one who wanted no part of Marshall. Now Marshall is telling him to lay off. She tells him, maybe he should do as Marshall says, and set aside his interrogation for a while. He says, wait a minute. She’s his Bible scripture quoting auntie, who’s always reminding him that the truth shall set you free. So where is it written that Marshall gets a pass?

Marshall tells Epiphany, dreams don’t die, unless you give up on them. He doesn’t know her well, but she doesn’t strike him as a quitter. She says, that’s the thing. She thought she knew what kind of treatment he needed, but that wasn’t her place. He says, her place was to speak her mind, and he’s grateful she did. She thanks him, but says, it’s the last time she’s going to tell a doctor what to do. He says, even if the doctor is wrong? but she says, that’s the thing; Dr. Rose wasn’t wrong. Marshall just needed to adjust his blood pressure medication, right?

Martin tells Laura, every defendant is entitled to legal counsel. It’s right there in the Constitution, and Peter August is no exception. She asks if he’s saying he took the case in the spirit of justice under the law, and he asks, why shouldn’t he? His little sister isn’t the only person who cares about the public good. She says, how noble of him. And does doing the public good come along with a big, fat check made out to Martin Grey, Esquire?

Victor says he’s Valentin’s father. Of course (🍷) Valentin can trust him. Valentin says, but he’s a one-time ally to Peter August, and Peter says, it was strictly a business arrangement that terminated on the Island of Crete, when Peter crossed the line. Doesn’t he remember? It was the first time he and Valentin teamed up together. And when he got back to the states, he provided information to help track Peter down. What does he have to prove? Whatever’s troubling Valentin, he shouldn’t carry this burden alone. It’s too bad lovely Anna isn’t here by his side. And why this interest in medical records of a child that’s not even his, and what has it got to do with Peter?

Chase says, he could get used being around… Bailey, and Brook says, he missed a button. She fixes it for him, and says she hopes he gets to be a real father someday. He’s got the touch. He says, so does she. She didn’t tell him why she was looking for him. Did she hear from Maxie? She says, no. She’s been sitting on pins and needles. What if being in Pawtuck somehow jars Austin’s memory, and he remembers Maxie handing Louise off to her? He says, Maxie knows what’s at stake; keeping her precious little girl away from Peter. Come on; let’s go home. They leave, as Peter is being wheeled around the corner. Peter looks at Bailey, and I wonder, did Peter get a perm???  Peter says, what a beautiful baby, and Brook says, they think so. Chase says he’s one proud dad, and Peter says he’s sure Chase is. Chase asks Dante what Peter is doing here, and Dante says, a final bit of clearance before Pentenville. Peter says, he never saw the resemblance before, but now he gets it. Bailey looks just like her mother. Chase says, get him out of here, and Dante says, sure thing, and they wheel Peter into the elevator. He stares at Bailey until the last possible second, and then gives a creepy smile.

Martin tells Laura, they were in hiding for months. He couldn’t work. It’s not like he doesn’t have expenses; his mother’s around the clock care for one thing. Then there’s the herd of ex-wives, none of whom will ever get married, because they’re having way too much fun playing the alimony mambo. Of course (🍷) there’s his private wine collection. It should be a tax deduction, since he only has it to impress his clients, but try telling that to the IRS. She asks if he’s going to tell them about the expenses of courting Lucy, and he says, no, and neither is she, especially when Valentin is around. He’s got this thing about conflict of interest. She says, as the mayor, and defender of their Constitution, she wholeheartedly believes in Peter’s right to competent legal counsel, but as his sister, does it have to be him? Peter has hurt so many people; Maxie and her baby. He says, about that. She doesn’t think Peter will ever get his hands on that little baby girl, does she? Nobody’s known about her whereabouts for months. She says, that’s her point. The only way Peter will get his hands on that little girl is if someone as smart as Martin finds a way to exonerate him. Martin says, fine. Laura is going to make a play for the cheap seats.

Valentin tells Victor that Brook used Bailey to help the Quartermaine family regain control of ELQ. He would say, turnabout is fair play, wouldn’t Victor? Victor says, so Valentin is hoping to find something in the medical records he can use to his advantage. Like what for instance? Valentin doesn’t know; he’s fishing. He’s throwing a line in the water and seeing if anything bites. Victor tells him, happy fishing. He hopes Valentin catches something. The nurse comes back with Bailey’s folder, and asks if there’s something in particular Valentin is looking for in Bailey’s records.

Marshall tells Epiphany, changing medications isn’t going to heal the family he abandoned. She says, but he came back. He’s here now, and the longer he lives, the better chance he stands of making his family whole again. He says he’d rather talk about her dream of becoming a doctor, and she says, while she appreciates his interest, she thinks he should save some of his concern for that family of his.

Stella says she’s not giving Marshall a pass. She’s just asking why Curtis can’t accept his father’s version of events, and move on. Or is he using this as an excuse to keep from letting his father into his life? He says, Marshall’s already got one foot in the door. This is about his family’s safety; him, her, and TJ. What if the trouble that caused him to leave all those decades ago is still out there? If he opens that door just a little more, and trouble follows Marshall in, doesn’t she think he deserves to know what to expect? Or is none of this news to her? Does she know something he doesn’t?

Esme comes out with her coat, and says she’s leaving, but Spencer suggests taking a minute to cool off. She says she’s not spending another minute with small-minded people who have never, and will never, accept her for who she is. Josslyn says, the problem is, they know who she is. That’s why they don’t accept her. Esme asks if Spencer is coming or not, and he says, they all had those hot toddies, and with icy conditions, he doesn’t think it’s safe for either of them to drive right now. She says she ordered a car, but it seems he’s made his choice. He’s choosing them over her. Spencer says he’ll go with her, but first, he’s going to check on Trina. Then he’ll get their bags, and he’ll meet her outside. Esme says, Trina’s asleep, and they can send for their things; let’s go. Spencer says, sorry, guys, and follows her out. Cameron says, so much for their weekend getaway. He’s so sorry this all blew up. Josslyn says she’s not. She can’t stand Esme, and she’s thrilled that she doesn’t have to pretend otherwise. She feels horrible for Trina, but remember when they got drunk on the Haunted Star? The only cure is to sleep it off, so she guesses for now, it’s just the two of them.

Outside, Cameron tells Josslyn, the stars are very beautiful tonight; very close. Josslyn says, the more she thinks about it, this whole getaway was Esme’s idea. He says, so? and she asks if he thinks this was Esme’s plan all along; to embarrass them, and humiliate Trina? He says he hopes not. The funny thing is, he always thought Esme was so sure of herself, but after tonight, he realizes how insecure and terrified she is of losing Spencer. She says, here’s hoping by the time they’re down from the mountain, Spencer realizes Esme was trying to hurt his friends, and he dumps her. Cameron says he’s tired talking of talking about Esme, and Spencer. He thinks they should stop talking altogether. They kiss, and she nods, and they go inside. 

Stella tells Curtis, honestly, until this moment, she never suspected Marshall was mixed up in dirty business. He says he’s not trying to upset her, but now that she knows, does it ring any bells? Can she think back 40 years ago, and remember any names or faces that might have been mixed up with Marshall? She says she wasn’t even there, and Irene is no longer with them. All the more reason to consider what Marshall is saying, and leave things alone.

Marshall says, things are good with TJ, and getting better with Curtis, but Epiphany says, that’s not what he said when they went out to dinner. He says, while Curtis owns a nightclub, he still thinks like a P.I.; he questions everything. But he’s sure in time, Curtis will come around. She says, remember what she told him about her son? and he says, yeah, that they don’t always have as much time as they think they do. But doesn’t that apply to her as well, with her dream of becoming a doctor?

Brook asks if Chase saw the way Peter was smiling at Bailey. It’s almost as if he knows the truth. He tells her, Peter said she looks just like her mother; he meant her. She says, did he? What If he suspects the truth? What if he was saying Bailey looks like Maxie? Chase says, she has to remember, that’s just who Peter is. He wants to get under your skin, if not with poison, than with words. But Peter can’t possibly know. Laura approaches them, and says, Peter can’t possibly know what?

Peter says he can’t wait to get back to Pentenville, and Dante says, really? The place where he was poisoned, and it almost killed him? Peter says he’ll take the risk of lax security if it means getting to trial faster. (Ha Security doesn’t get any less lax than at GH.) Martin walks in, and Peter says, speaking of which, here’s his attorney. Martin asks if Dante will do him a favor, and give him five minutes with alone with Peter. Dante says he’ll be right outside, and leaves. Peter asks, what brings Martin here? Good news he hopes. Martin says, that depends on which side of those handcuffs you’re on. He’s sorry, but he finds it necessary to recuse himself from Peter’s defense. Peter says he sees. If Martin no longer wishes to represent him, they’ll go their separate ways; no hard feelings. Martin asks, what’s the catch?

Valentin asks if he and Victor can meet later, and Victor says, of course (🍷). He’ll make a reservation at the PC Grill. Valentin thanks him, and he leaves. Valentin thanks the nurse for getting his daughter’s file, and she tells him that the file can’t leave this floor. He says, understood. He’s looking for a sonogram from the third trimester. He’s a bit of a sentimental, and wants a copy. He’ll treasure it for always. He flips through the file, and says, there’s no sonogram in the file. How’s that possible? He was there when it was taken. Did somebody deliberately remove it? She says, no, it was never in here, and he says, of course (🍷). It would be in her mother’s file. He doesn’t suppose she could let him have a look at Brook’s information without permission, and she says, no. He says, so he can be prepared in case of an emergency, his daughter’s blood type is O negative, right? She says, no, his daughter is O positive, and he thanks her.

Brook tells Laura, they were just talking about what an awful human being Peter is. How much harm he’s caused to Maxie, and Elizabeth; to her family, especially to Monica. Between Jason dying, and Drew being locked away in that prison for all that time, Peter deserves to be locked up until the end of time. Chase says, they’re hoping when Peter goes to trial, he’ll be convicted, and sentenced to life. Laura says she has the same hope. It’s really easy for young adults, new parents, to lose their sense of faith with all the responsibility, but they can’t let that happen, for Bailey’s sake. Because she will grow up in a better, safer, kinder world, where Peter can’t come back to haunt any of them. Brook says, amen to that, and Chase tells Brook, anything to protect Bailey

Peter tells Martin, there’s no catch. If Martin can’t give his defense the time and attention it deserves, he’ll find someone who will. Martin thanks him for being so understanding, and Peter says, naturally, Martin will be returning his retainer. Martin says, ordinarily, he’d deduct the time he’s already spent working on Peter’s case, but what the hell? It’s a small price to pay for his conscience. Peter says he didn’t know Martin had one, when Dante comes back. He asks if everything is okay here, and Martin tells him, he’d say so. Peter no longer requires his services. He wishes them both a good night, and leaves. Dante says, Peter fired Martin? but Peter says, no. Martin walked away from him. Dante says, smart man. He’ll leave Peter with Officer Bridges in case he gets scared. Peter tells him, sleep tight, and Dante says he’s sure he will, and leaves.

Epiphany tell Marshall that she doesn’t have time for dreams, and her break is almost over. He says he was about to go too, but not before she hears him out. Whatever Dr. Rose told her, he had his reasons, but he wants her to know that he trusts her with his life any day. He knew he was in good hands that night because she was there. He puts some money on the table, and tips his hat. He leaves, and Epiphany smiles.

In the car, Spencer asks Esme, was Joss right? Did she get everyone to the cabin to humiliate them, and blow up his friendships? She looks at him coldly.  

Cameron and Josslyn go into the bedroom, and there’s a song part. They kiss, and he asks, is she sure? She says, she’s so sure, and they get busy. I used to work at a women’s clinic, and a brochure popped into my mind that had a cartoon condom saying, wait! Stop! Put me on!

Esme asks Spencer, what difference does it make what she says? He’s so ready to believe the worst of her. He says, that’s not an answer. He needs to know if what Joss accused her of is actually true. Esme remembers going into the master bedroom, and looking in the mirror. She wipes some tears away, and takes out her phone. She sets up the phone behind some plants on a dresser, pointing the camera toward the bed, and putting it on to film. In the present, she tells Spencer, all she wanted to do was get to know his friends better, and for him to make great memories before he goes to prison. Does he think she planned this weekend to be something diabolical? It just makes her sad.

Basking in their first afterglow, Cameron tells Josslyn, wow. Don’t get him wrong. He’s glad they waited, but…  She says she’s glad they waited too, but she’s also really glad they had this moment. To think how close they came to letting Esme ruin this for them… He says he doesn’t want to think about Esme right now. He wants to focus on her. They start getting busy again, and we see the phone camera filming. I have to say, I don’t see the purpose. They’re exclusive and in college, for Pete’s sake. Even if Esme was going to doctor it in some way, both Cameron and Josslyn are sober, and who would everyone believe?

Stella says, Curtis clearly has a choice to make. Does he want answers that might tell him things he doesn’t want to know, or does he want his father back in ? Marshall walks in, and says, small world. Do they mind if he joins them?

On the phone, gliding through the hall, Martin says, la Lucy, his sexy, sexy thing. His schedule just opened up. What say they catch a flight to the Big Easy and get themselves a nice heaping helping of Mardi Gras?

Laura goes into Peter’s room, and he says, madame mayor. To what does he owe this honor? She says she just saw Martin, and he was smiling ear to ear, because he no longer represents Peter. He told her that Peter didn’t argue or put up any fight to try and keep him. She had to wonder, why so magnanimous? Peter flashes back to seeing Bailey, and saying she looks just like her mother. He says he has faith in the system. Somehow, he just knows things are going to work out for the best.

Valentin walks through the hospital parking lot, leaving a voicemail for Anna. He tells her to call him. He’s got a lead on Louise. A thug runs up behind him, chloroforming him, and knocking him out. Someone picks up Valentin’s car remote, and we see it’s Victor. He says, be careful; that’s his son. He opens a hatchback, and a fancy – and very clean and spacious – trunk opens up. He tells the thug, oh, and cancel his dinner reservations. The thug puts Valentin in the truck, and it’s closed up.  

On Monday, Phyllis asks if she knows Stella, Esme says she doesn’t want to go home with Spencer, Carly says that happiness seems further away, and Ned tells Sonny that he should reconsider whatever he’s planning.

👨🏽‍🔧 Filling In…

For how long, no one knows.

https://www.soapoperanews.net/2022/01/damien-leake-books-role-on-general.html

👥 Shared Experience…

I love how Maurice Benard has mastered his illness, and used it, and his position, for good.

🎬 First Time Out…

Before he was Brad, he danced. Sort of.

🧼 Nuevo Suds…

This looks pretty good, and it’s got some great people in it.

💋 Checking Motive…

I tend to agree that it’s probably a bad spray tan job.

https://screenrant.com/rhobh-lisa-rinna-blackfishing-image-erika-jayne-instagram/

🧂 Bringing the Salt…

What went on in Salt Lake City last week.

I have the feeling she’s not coming back.

The cast keeps getting smaller.

https://people.com/tv/bravo-fires-jennie-nguyen-from-rhoslc-after-racially-insensitive-posts-resurface/

🚫 Next Comes Blocking…

I can’t believe people keep track of this stuff.

https://people.com/tv/rhobh-sutton-stracke-garcelle-beauvais-feuding-with-erika-girardi-source/

🏆 All the Awards…

This year’s calendar of events.

https://www.etonline.com/sag-awards-grammys-and-more-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-2022-awards-season-177460

🐕 Pup Alternative…

I can’t think of better hosts.

https://people.com/pets/martha-stewart-and-snoop-dogg-hosting-puppy-bowl-2022/

A sneak peek.

https://ew.com/tv/puppy-bowl-xviii-first-look-penalty-french-bulldog/

🐘 Quotes of the Week

When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice. – Indian Proverb

It’s like a summer camp for drunk third graders. – Kate Chastain, referring to some guests on Below Deck

Always look at what you have left. Never look at what you have lost. – Robert H. Schuller

If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. – Bruce Lee

There are no regrets in life. Just lessons. – Jennifer Aniston  

Maturity is achieved when a person accepts life as full of tension. – Joshua L. Liebman

Speak out on behalf of those who have no voice, and defend all those who have been passed over. – Proverbs 31:8 (TVT)

Not what we have but what we enjoy constitutes our abundance. – Jean Antoine Petit-Senn

Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen. – Leonardo da Vinci

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. – Anatole France

🚙 Am I There Yet…?

I’ll be stepping out until another month is ripped off the calendar, if you’re still using one of those. Three sunsets for the rest of you. See you then for some soap and the Deck. Until we meet again, stay safe, stay bending, but not breaking, and stay remembering, dreams don’t die, unless you give up on them.

January 21, 2022 – Memorial To an Anti-Hero, a Return, Reunion Woes, Baby #2, Summer Tea, Moving, Loss Of a Legend, Dead Talk, Close To 10 Quotes & Objects

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Laura looks at a portrait of Luke behind the bar on the Haunted Star. Curtis comes in, and says, hello, friend. Laura says she didn’t know he was going to be here, and he says, Doc called and said he had a patient emergency. Laura says they talked about it, and she’s fine with it, and Curtis says he knows memorials can be hard. He wanted her to know he’ll be here for her, assuming she doesn’t object. She says, not at all. She’s prepared to do this solo, but she’d rather do it with a friend by her side.

Dante finds Sonny in Charlie’s, and Sonny says he and Phyllis are going to have a shot in memory of Luke. Does Dante want to join them? Dante declines, and Sonny asks if Dante is keeping tabs on him, but Dante says, no. He saw Frank outside, and figured Sonny was in here. Dante says, he knows how important Luke was to Sonny, and Sonny throws back a shot. Dante says, Luke was important to him too, as Lulu’s dad. Sonny says he knows Dante can’t be with Lulu because she’s in a coma, but he can be with Carly, and thinks they should be together when they say goodbye to her Uncle Luke.

Bobbie meets Carly at Kelly’s, and says she couldn’t bring herself to wear black. Luke would hate that. She thanks Carly for meeting her, and says she doesn’t think she could get through this memorial without Carly by her side. Carly says she was just thinking about Uncle Luke and how he always called her Caroline. He insisted on it, and not because he was trying to make fun of her. It was a reminder that he knew exactly who she was, and to never forget where she came from. She asks how Bobbie is; Luke was her big brother. Bobbie says she’s a little wobbly, but just like when Aunt Ruby died, they’ll get through this together. Carly hates that Lucas has to work; he should be here. Bobbie named him after Luke. Bobbie says she thinks Carly’s brother hasn’t quite gotten over losing Wiley, and she thinks working is easier for him than facing his family. Carly says, yeah, but they need him too. Bobbie says she needs Carly by her side, but something tells her that her bright, beautiful, incredibly brave daughter might need her even more. Carly says, more than she knows, and Bobbie takes her hand.

Felicia and Anna arrive at the memorial, and Anna says, it’s very Luke. Laura says Anna should really be saying that to Tracy. It’s her event. Laura is just here to pay her respects and see her friends. Anna says she keeps half-expecting Luke to show up (as we all do), and Felicia says, the man is a legend. Anna says, in so many ways, and Laura thanks them for coming. She tells them to help themselves to a drink. She doesn’t know where Tracy is right now. Anna and Felicia go to the bar, and Nikolas comes in with Ava. He asks how Laura is, and she says, better now that he’s here. Ava says she’s so sorry to hear about Luke, and Laura thanks her. Nikolas asks if she’s heard from Lucky and Ethan; are they going to make it? Laura says, unfortunately, they’re not. There was an outbreak of cholera in the village where Lucky is volunteering, so for him to come home, he would have to quarantine in Africa for two weeks, but Tracy is having another memorial in Amsterdam in a few weeks, so hopefully Lucky and Ethan will both be at that. Nikolas says, it’s nice for Lucky and Ethan to have each other, like he’s here for Laura now. Ava and Nikolas go to the bar, and Spencer says, hello. grandmother. Laura says she’s happy to see him, and he tells her, Esme sends her regrets. She’s interning at Spring Ridge, but he’s here for her. He hugs Laura, and Victor tells him, well said. Tonight they are indeed all one family, despite their differences. Oh Luke. In life, he always cast a large shadow. To die in such a random accident just doesn’t have the sense of poetic beauty one would have expected of him. Laura tells Victor, get out of here, and – she gestures toward his bodyguard – take his burly Doberman with him. Victor says, Yohan isn’t just there for him; he’s there for all of them. Luke may be dead, but he has a long list of enemies, and they’re all still very much alive.

Tracy stands on deck, holding a beautiful covered urn. Alexis approaches her, and asks if that’s what she thinks it is. Tracy says, yep. Luke.

Dante says he knows Sonny wants to be with Carly, and he knows it’s hard, but she’s asked for space and he has to respect that. Sonny says, Carly moved out. How much time does she need? Luke is her uncle, and his longtime friend, and they should be together. They lost almost a year of their lives. They can’t get that time back. What does Dante think Luke would do to get just a couple seconds of that time back? He’s not wasting any more time.

Alexis asks if Tracy is okay. Would she like Alexis to call Ned? Tracy asks if Alexis doesn’t think she’s capable of calling her son herself. And why wouldn’t she be okay? She’s holding Luke in a jar. Everything is peachy keen in her life. Alexis says she’ll see Tracy inside, and Tracy says, wait. She’s sorry. She didn’t mean to snap at Alexis. Alexis says, Tracy is having a hard time; she understands. Tracy says, does she? Because she wouldn’t after what she did to Alexis.

Anna says Victor knows he doesn’t belong here, and Luke would be the first to tell him that, so get out. Victor says, unless Luke is silent, and likely to remain so, and Felicia says, Mac will be happy to send a patrol car to get Victor off the boat. Victor asks if calling the Police Commissioner isn’t a bit of an overreach, and Felicia says, not when he’s her husband. Curtis tells Victor to ask himself if he really wants this to escalate. The time to tap out is before things get broken. Spencer says, a gentleman shouldn’t stay when he’s been asked to leave, and Victor says, he’s so right. He tells Yohan that they’re leaving. Do give Luke his best. Laura says, hopefully, Victor can tell Luke himself, in person, the sooner the better. Victor laughs and leaves.

Bobbie tells Carly, so much of her history with Luke is so dark. Carly knows their story. Their dad was an alcoholic and beat their mother. When mama died, she and Luke just took off; they went to Florida. They moved in with dad’s sister Aunt Ruby. They loved that woman. She did the best she could, but honestly, she and Luke raised themselves as much as Ruby did. Then when Bobbie came back to Port Charles, Luke followed her. It was like a second chance for them to make something of themselves. Carly says, and Bobbie did it. A nursing degree, a career, a family; she should be so proud of herself. Carly is extremely proud of her. Bobbie thanks her, and says, if she managed to survive, even thrive here, it was always because she knew her big brother had her back. She was the one who recruited Luke to come back to Port Charles. Granted, her plan was to have him break up Scotty and Laura, so she could have Scotty all to herself; that wasn’t exactly noble. Carly laughs, and Bobbie says, but she called Luke to help her, and he came running, just like he always did. Now she doesn’t know what she’s going to do next time she needs Luke’s help. Carly tells Bobbie, look at her. Bobbie is going to call her, or Lucas, or Josslyn, or Michael, and they’ll come running. Bobbie says, okay. That’s a two-way street. Carly says she knows, and Bobbie says she has the rest of her life to grieve her big brother. Meanwhile, her daughter is living in a hotel, trying to figure out how to save her marriage. Talk to her. Carly says, that’s the thing. She doesn’t know whether there’s a marriage left to save.

Dante says, Sonny may have lost time in Nixon Falls, but he wasn’t alone. Sonny says, Nina is not the problem, but Dante says, she is to Carly. Sonny’s got to see that. Carly’s got to know that it’s over between Sonny and Nina. When Sonny got on the witness stand and said he wasn’t a victim, that didn’t help things. Sonny says, it is over between him and Nina. What does he have to do to prove that to Carly, so she’ll give him a chance?

Robert and Scotty walk into Charlie’s, and Robert asks what they’re doing there. When they left the courthouse, the idea was to go to the Haunted Star for Luke’s memorial. Scotty says, Robert got an invitation. He’s going to have to crash that thing, so he needs a couple of cocktails to do it, and if anybody’s boo-hooing over Luke, he won’t care. Robert says, if Scotty ever loved Laura, he strongly advises against it. Dante and Sonny watch them, and Robert says, he knows Scotty hated the guy, and he probably had his reasons. Let’s just go. Scotty tells Dante and Sonny, if life was a horserace, it would probably be neck-and-neck as to who he hates more; Luke Spencer or Sonny Corinthos. Guess what? Sonny wins, by a photo finish. Sonny says he doesn’t know if Scotty knows or not, but he owns this bar, and nobody comes in there and insults Luke. Dante says he has an idea. Why doesn’t Robert take Scotty to the memorial? and Robert says, sounds like a great idea; let’s go. Scotty says he’s not going anywhere until he’s had a couple of drinks. So why doesn’t Dante take daddy here and vamoose? Sonny laughs, and tells Dante to go ahead without him. Dante asks if he’s sure about that, and Sonny says Dante should be with Laura. Dante says he wants to be with Laura, but remember, it’s a about Luke. Sonny says, yeah, and Dante leaves. Sonny tells Phyllis to give these two gentlemen whatever they want to drink on his tab, but Scotty says he doesn’t think so; they buy their own drinks. Sonny walks up to Scotty, and says, Scotty thinks he scored a touchdown at the hearing for Nina. Robert suggests he and Scotty go to the MetroCourt; he’ll buy the drinks. Scotty says he kind of feels bad for Carly, but it made his day that Sonny got caught stepping out on his wife. He pokes Sonny in the lapel, and Sonny tells Scotty not to put his hands on him. Scotty asks what he’s going to do. Come on.

Bobbie asks if Carly is going to return home, but Carly doesn’t know. The man who disappeared over a year ago is not the man who came back to her. Bobbie says, losing his memory, and living as another man changed Sonny. Carly says she gets that, but in the past, she and Sonny would have a knock down drag out fight. She never doubted that Sonny loved her. Bobbie says, now she does? and Carly says, Sonny refuses to acknowledge that what Nina did to them was awful. He refuses to acknowledge the damage, and the hell Nina put Carly and her family through for her own selfish reasons. Sonny claims Carly comes first in his life, and she told him the way he could prove it was to kick Nina to the curb, and he won’t do it. Maybe he can’t do it. And that’s a dealbreaker for her. If Sonny can’t put her and her family first, then all his promises mean nothing.

Nikolas says, with Victor mercifully gone, they can focus on the celebration of Luke’s life, and Laura agrees. Spencer says, Nikolas really is shameless. He’ll use anything, even Luke’s death, to make himself out to be the good guy. Laura asks if they can drop this for one night, and Ava says she’s going to do Laura a favor. She’s going to take these two guys out of here. Spencer protests, but Ava says, too bad, and steers them away. Curtis asks if Laura is okay, and she says, honestly, she could use some fresh air. He says, luckily, they’re on a boat; a boat with several decks. Let’s go.

Anna tells Felicia, she feels like Luke would have loved this, and Felicia says, 100%. The only thing Luke would have loved more is if someone would have punched Victor Cassadine in his smug face. Anna says she was so close.

Robert says, emotions are running rather high at the moment. Let’s all go to our respective corners. Phyllis says, he’s right. Aren’t they all honoring someone’s memory tonight? Sonny says she’s absolutely right. In memory of Luke, he’s going to teach Scotty a lesson. Scotty says, all right, then shut up and fight, and Frank asks Scotty if there’s a problem. Scotty says, there it is. Same old story. A stooge does all the fighting for you, chicken. Sonny tells Frank, back off, and takes off his jacket, saying, it’s about time he teaches this guy… Robert says, now listen, he is the DA. They don’t want to be doing this in front of him. Scotty takes off his jacket too, and says, then get lost. Phyllis tells Sonny, she’s asking, as her friend, please stop this now, when Victor comes in with Yohan. Victor says, look what we’ve just walked into, and Robert says, a Cassadine, just what they need. Victor says, the mob boss and the ambulance chaser. Too bad Luke Spencer isn’t here. He was just crass enough to enjoy this sort of thing. Sonny says, who’s he calling crass? and Scotty says, who’s he calling an ambulance chaser? Sonny tells Scotty, what do you say? and Scotty says he thinks he hates Victor more than he hates Sonny. He’s in. Victor takes his jacket off, and says, it’s time they were taught a lesson. Sonny shoves a table aside, and Phyllis yells, stop it now. They start slugging each other, and Phyllis runs out from behind the bar, yelling for them to stop.

On deck, Curtis says, better? and Laura says, definitely. He says, life sure has a lot of twists and turns, doesn’t it? and she says, tell her about it. She and Luke were quite a team. He was a part of her, and she was a part of him. Curtis says, must have been hard to let him go, but Laura says, he’s been gone for a long time. Not all at once; it was in stages. First they got separated, then divorced. Luke fell in love with Tracy, then she met Doc, thank God. She mostly feels sad about the grandkids. The only way they’ll know Luke is from pictures and stories, and some of those stories will be true.

Ava takes Spencer and Nikolas to a state room, and says, get in there, both of you. Spencer says he resents being treated like a wayward adolescent, and she says, then don’t act like one. He says she doesn’t get to tell him what to do, and she says, enough. Can the two of them please just set aside their differences for one night, and think about somebody else? Nikolas says, she’s right. He should be focused on his mother, not himself. Spencer says, with all due respect to grandmother’s loss, Luke Spencer was a grifter; he was a con man. Ava says, Luke Spencer came from nothing, and he made something of himself. People loved him, respected him, admired him. Spencer came from everything. He had everything handed to him on a silver platter, and he throws it all away.

Dante comes in to the memorial, and asks where everyone is. Did he miss it? Felicia says, they’re just walking around the boat; the memorial will start soon. Anna says, since they’re here to remember Luke, she thinks he should expect the unexpected. They hear a crash, and Felicia says, what was that? Anna says she doesn’t know, and they all go to investigate.

Tracy says she knows if Alexis had chosen to testify against her, she’d be headed to trial and quite possibly to a stay at Pentenville. And because she didn’t, Tracy gets to be a free woman and come here and say farewell. Alexis says she did what she did for Luke, because she knows he was better off with Tracy than without her. She also did it for herself, and she did it for Tracy, because everyone deserves a second chance. Tracy thanks her, and Alexis says she’s welcome. Now how about if they go in there, and get the party started? Tracy asks how she sums up a life as complicated as Luke’s, and Alexis says she can’t, but if Tracy doesn’t do it, someone else will. She understands Lucy might be making an appearance, and she has a 42 page speech prepared. Tracy asks what they’re waiting for, and they go inside.

Sonny asks what Victor is waiting for, and Phyllis pulls him away. She asks if he’s happy now, and he says, yeah. He definitely feels better. Scotty says, so does he, and Robert dabs at his mouth, saying, that’s what he gets for trying to mediate. Scotty tells Sonny that he has a helluva right cross, and Sonny says Scotty did pretty well himself. Phyllis asks which one of them is going to pay for the damages, and Sonny says he owns the bar; he’ll make up the cost. Victor says he’s got this. He insists on paying for everything, but Scotty says he’ll pay. Victor says he’s heard Scotty is as tight as a bad oyster with his money, and Robert asks if they’ve all forgotten there’s a memorial to attend. Sonny tells Frank, let’s go, and they all walk out, leaving Victor and Yohan behind. Victor tells Yohan, nice work. It looks like all those hours at the gym are paying off. He’s got a nice fat bonus coming to him. Outside, Sonny looks through the window, and says, they’re laughing. He’s going to smack Victor right now. He starts to head back in, but Robert says, enough. Carly is waiting. Sonny says, that’s right, Carly. Whatever.

Tracy puts the urn on the bar, and Ava comes back in with Nikolas and Spencer. She wonders if they missed something, when Laura and Curtis come back in. Laura hopes she didn’t keep everybody waiting, and everyone gathers. Everyone is wearing black, and even Bobbie has dark purple on. They look so solemn, and I’m thinking, Luke wouldn’t have wanted them to wear black. Tracy says they should get started, but Anna asks if she can wait a minute. Tracy asks, why? and Dante wonders if someone is trying to send them a message. Who brought in the giant TV? Tracy says she didn’t order it, and Anna says, they heard a crash. When they went to investigate, they found an envelope with a DVD and a note. Felicia takes the note out, and tells them, all it said was, play me. Nikolas says, maybe Lucky sent a message from Africa, but Laura says, he didn’t mention anything on the phone, besides, he’s in a very rural area. She doesn’t think so. Alexis says, her money’s on Luke. He always did want to have the last word. Anna says she wonders if he had an inkling this day was going to come sooner rather than later, and Dante asks what Tracy wants to do; this is her event. Tracy says, if it’s from Luke, she wants to hear it, and Dante puts the disk in the TV. Helena appears, and says, hi. We meet again. Alexis says, oh my God, and Laura says, Helena.

At the dock, Scotty asks Robert if he looks presentable, and Robert asks, why start today? He suggests they board the Haunted Star, but Sonny says he’s going to wait for Carly. Robert asks if Scotty is in, but Scotty says he doesn’t think so. He was at the Luke and Laura wedding. Robert says he remembers, and Scotty says, he caught the bouquet; he got a black eye then too. Robert says he’ll see Sonny over there, and he and Scotty go in separate directions. Carly arrives at the dock with Bobbie.

Helena asks if she surprised them, and laughs. Nikolas says, leave it to his grandmother to upstage a man at his own memorial. Helena says, if they’re seeing her now, it’s because she went first, and Luke Spencer has finally done the world a favor by following her into the Great Beyond. Tracy says, she hates that woman, and Helena says she hopes they’ll pardon her if she gloats, but she always told Luke that she would have the last word. And now, she’s going to have it. Nikolas says, here she goes, and Helena says she always considered Luke a parvenu, and since none of them is familiar with that word, let her explain. A parvenu is somebody who’s suddenly reached the level of unaccustomed power and wealth, but has not yet gained the prestige and dignity associated with it. Luke was a cheap, tawdry rhinestone, even though he fancied himself a diamond in the rough. The truth is, Luke Spencer was always destined to lose in the end. Laura pulls the plug on the TV, and says she doesn’t know about the rest of them, but she’s heard enough out of that woman to last her a lifetime. Dante says, here, here, and Anna says, thank you.

Bobbie tells Carly, they’re going to be late, but Carly tells her to go; she’ll meet Bobbie there. Bobbie goes past Sonny, giving him a look, and gets on the boat. Sonny tells Carly, he knows he’s not her mother’s favorite person at the moment, but he’s here, and she’s here, and that’s all that matters. Why don’t they go say goodbye to her uncle? He tells Frank to go get in the car, and asks Carly if she’s ready. He holds out his arm, and she asks, what happened to his hand? He says, Luke happened, and she says, he has to go to GH after Luke’s memorial and make sure he didn’t break any bones in his hand. He says, it’s fine. The night wasn’t a total loss. Does she know why? She asks, why? and he says, believe it or not, he and Scotty teamed up, and ripped Victor a new one. Forget about that; they’re here for Luke. He holds out his arm again, but she walks past him onto the boat, and he follows.

Tracy thanks everyone for coming to honor a man they all loved. Well, she guesses some of them loved him. Some of them probably hated him, but she bets most of them did both. It doesn’t matter what they thought of him. The truth is, they’re never going to forget him. Luke made her promise if this day ever came, that nobody would call him a hero, or even a good guy for that matter – no danger of that. So he was just Luke, a walking, talking contradiction. He could be cruel, then turn around and dazzle you with his kindness. He was cunning, yet caring. He was generous at the same time as impossibly selfish. He brought out the worst and the best in all of them. And she thinks ultimately, he changed them. Every one of them. Forever.

Scotty sits on a bench at the dock, and says he hopes Luke’s enjoying himself on his beloved Haunted Star… All the people singing his praises, including Scotty’s wife Luke stole from him 40 years ago. Luke is dead and gone, and Scotty’s still standing. So you lose, you son of a bitch.

Standing on the deck with the urn, Tracy tells Luke that she did it. She got through the speech. She thinks they appreciated it. Now it’s just them… She has no words. She opens the jar and dumps out the ashes. The wind carries them away.

On the docks, Scotty says, so long, Luke Spencer, and gets a face full of ashes. He says, what the…?

Sonny tells Laura that he knows it’s not the right time, but he got confirmation on the warning Cyrus gave her. She says they’ll talk later. Bobbie asks Carly is she’s sure she doesn’t want to join them, but Carly says, Avery and Donna were looking forward to their sleepover with Bobbie. She doesn’t want to crash the party. Bobbie says, it will be lovely to be surrounded with all that youth. Maybe she won’t miss her big brother so much. Bobbie leaves, and Sonny watches as Carly follows.

Laura thanks Curtis for coming, and he says he can hang out a little longer if she wants, but she says, he’s got a club to run, and she has a life to get on with. He says he just wants her to know he’s there if she needs him, and she thanks him, and says, she knows he is.

Ava tells Nikolas, this was a fitting sendoff for Luke; the roving rascal. She does have a soft spot for rascals. He says he can’t stop thinking about the way Victor left. He was so angry, even hurt, and you know what they say, a wounded tiger is twice as dangerous.

Felica says, Sonny and Scotty fought on the same side? Who would have ever thought? Robert says he guesses they hated Victor Cassadine more than they hated each other, and Anna says, good point.  

Victor helps Phyllis right a table, and says if she won’t let him pay for the damage, at least let him offer her a more conventional transaction. Give him a bottle of her top-shelf Napoleon brandy please, and a couple of glasses. She says, that will be $55. He puts a hundred dollar bill on the bar, and says, keep the change. She puts the bottle and glasses on the bar, and he says, and his apology. He pours two brandies, and puts one at the empty seat next to him. He says, here’s to you, Luke Spencer, champion of Port Charles. He should just tell Luke, the good people of his fair city are in for a big surprise. He clinks the other glass with his, and says, cheers.

Bobbie sees Scotty, and asks, what happened to him? He says, he caught the bouquet.

Alexis says, she can’t believe she’s saying this, but does Tracy need a ride home? She can be the designated driver. Tracy laughs, and says she deserved that. She has one thing to do first. She goes over to Laura with what looks like a jewelry box. Laura says, it was a very moving speech, and Tracy says, she has something that was a keepsake of Luke’s that she thinks really belongs to Laura. Laura says, if it’s the Ice Princess, she wants no part of it, and Spencer asks if it’s the actual Cassadine diamond.  Laura says, that thing has never done anyone any good, and tells Tracy to throw it into the sea when she scatters Luke’s ashes. Tracy says she can’t do that, and walks away. Laura asks Spencer if he’s disappointed, and he says he wouldn’t mind seeing it, or maybe holding it just once. She says, trust her, that thing never did anybody any good, and he says he won’t argue with her; not tonight of all nights. She thanks him for being there, and says she knows he’d rather be with his friends, but he says, of course (🍷) he wanted to be there with her. He knew tonight was going to be difficult for her, and wanted to be there. Once the bad stuff is over with, he hopes he can make her proud of him. She says she’s proud of him now, and they hug, and she says, let’s go home. They start to leave, and she looks back, and blows a kiss to Luke’s portrait. She says, goodbye, my love. A woman in a black veil comes in, and stands in front of Laura. She removes the veil, and Laura says, Jennifer Smith?

Carly stands on the deck, and says, Luke. Are you out there? Sonny comes out, and puts his hand on hers.  

On Monday, Maxie tells Brook that she’s there for her daughter, Curtis asks Marshall to stop by, Victor says he and Valentin are going to need each other for what’s coming next, and Sonny says he’s going to show Carly how much he loves her.

🕶 Old Villains Never Die…

Told you she’d be back. I don’t think Luke is dead either.

🧂 Salty Reunion…

I hear if you ditch the Reunion, you won’t be asked back. Except for LVP, who can do whatever she wants because she’s Queen of the World and can do no wrong.

Maybe she didn’t have a dress horrible enough to wear. Although I don’t think the outfits are all that bad. Except for what Meredith is wearing. What is that?

👶🏽 Friend Of Shahs Baby…

I didn’t even know about baby number one.

🏖 Summer Choices…

Paige spills the tea about Lindsay and Carl.

And about herself.

🎶 It’s Off, It’s On, It’s Moved…

The newest news about the Grammys.

https://variety.com/2022/music/news/grammy-awards-moving-to-las-vegas-on-april-3-1235156447/

🎤 Goodbye To a True Artist…

I had the pleasure of seeing Meat Loaf in concert a few times, meeting him a couple of times, and being in the audience of a special he did for VH1. (Hint: If you wear black because you think it’s slimming, you will just blend into the crowd. Go bold.) He and Jim Steinman will be forever missed.

⚰️ Look At the Flowers…

Watch your back when Carol goes domestic.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-11b-trailer-carol-cookies/

BTW, Walking Dead is sort of returning this Sunday, with something called Origins. I’ll be watching, but not recapping this one. First up is Daryl’s Story.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/the-walking-dead-origins-stories-air-amc-season-11b-daryl-carol-maggie-negan/

📋 Quotes of the Week

If you’re trying to achieve, there will be road blocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.Michael Jordan (Or kick it down.)

Sometimes you have to do what you don’t want to do to maintain the life you’ve created.Judge Lynn Toler in explaining to man why he has to work to feed his children (sigh).

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength. – Corrie  ten Boom

And that, my dear, is how you run an asylum. – Matron Grady (Judith Light), Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. – Alice Walker

Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness. – Earl of Derby (I don’t have time for illness either.)

The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. – Amelia Earhart

For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. – Nelson Mandela

The ultimate measure of a person is not where one stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where one stands in times of challenge and controversy. – Martin Luther King, Jr

🚂 Midnight Train To Dr. Phil Reruns…

It’s that time of week where either two days off work is appropriate, or you’re living the life of the resigned. I’ll be changing writing hats, and taking down those pesky decorations before I have to dust them. (I was busy last weekend, okay?) Join me on Monday for soap and what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay inquisitive, and stay knowing that, even if you’re dead, you can still have the last word.

December 7, 2021 – Maxie Confronts Peter, Can’t Keep Her Down, Schwartz Loses Two Bets, a Break-Up, Ladies Of the Lake, Miami’s Coming, Back On Fear & There

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Spencer comes into the gym and sees Josslyn. He says he heard about Jason. He doesn’t even know what to say except he’s sorry. She doesn’t think there’s much else to say, and he asks how Sonny is doing. She guesses about what you’d expect. They’re all just really, really sad… and shocked and angry. He says he was kind of surprised when she texted. He thought she’d be laying low. She says she’d rather be under her covers, but Jason would hate that. So instead of moping around all day, she decided to let off some steam; punch something. He says, and she thought of him, and she asks if he can handle it. He tosses her some boxing gloves, and says, lace up, Jax. She puts them on, and they fist bump.

Esme dashes into Kelly’s, going over to Trina’s table. She asks if Trina minds if she sits, and Trina says, sure. Trina is doing some work, and Esme points out that she looks busy. Trina says, the life of a college student, when Cameron comes over and asks if he can get Esme anything. She says, a large half-caf latte with soy milk, no foam, and Trina says, God forbid. Esme asks if he got all that, and he says they’ll see when she takes a sip. I have this vision of her getting a lukewarm cup of Sanka. Esme says she just loves Cameron’s sense of humor, and Trina says, he’s a real crack-up. Esme says, and now, down to business, and Trina says, they have business? Esme says their trip isn’t going to plan itself. They’re going to have so much fun.

At the hospital, Michael says he’s sorry he wasn’t there when Carly heard about Jason, but she says, it’s okay. She and his dad wanted to be the ones to tell him. They didn’t want to do it over the phone. He says he would have hated that. If he had to hear it from anyone, he’s glad it was Drew. She says, her too, and they sit. He says he can’t believe this is happening again. He knows they’ve survived without Jason before, but… She says, he doesn’t know how. They’ll handle it the second time like they handled it the first time. As a family. She puts her arms around him.

Willow stands outside the chapel, and hears Sonny tell Nina, whatever happened between them in Nixon Falls needs to come from him, and it will. Nina says she understands, but despite all the pain she caused people – and she knows they’ve gone on with their lives – she has to tell him that their love is the purest thing she’s ever known. She’s so sorry, but she can’t regret that. Willow is like, whoa, and jets. Sonny says he refuses to accept that what Nina did, lied to him and his family, was an act of love. She says, it wasn’t; she can see that now. But it went on for so long. She didn’t know how to get out of it. She didn’t know what words to use. How do you explain something like that? She felt like she was just trapped, like her lies were trapping her, and she was living this life she never intended. In a way, it’s like they have that in common.

Peter is sitting in the interrogation room, when Mac comes in. Peter asks, where’s his lawyer? and Mac says, he hasn’t arrived yet. Peter says he hopes Mac knows better than to question him without representation. That’s literally his job as acting Police Commissioner, isn’t it? To protect Peter’s rights? Mac says he doesn’t give a damn about Peter’s rights because he’s not there as the Police Commissioner. Right now, Peter’s talking to Maxie’s father.

Maxie comes into the station, and asks Anna, where is he? Anna asks, what’s wrong? and Maxie says, pretty much everything. She needs to talk to Peter. Anna thinks it’s a terrible idea, but Maxie says she didn’t ask for Anna’s opinion; she asked where Peter was. Anna says, he’s here, but he’s not allowed visitors, and Maxie says, is that what she is? A visitor? She thinks they can make an exception given the circumstances, but Anna says, that’s not up to her to decide. Maxie says she knows; it’s up to Mac, who they both know is going to say no, unless Anna backs her up. Anna asks, why, after everything Peter put Maxie through? All the physical, mental, and emotional torture. Why is it so important for her to see him?

Mac says he’s dealt with some cowards and lowlifes in his time, but Peter is in a class all by himself. Peter tells him, that’s sweet, and Mac says he takes it back. Peter is in a class with Faison. Peter says, like father, like son, he supposes, and Mac says, coming to town, pretending to be an actual human being. Meanwhile, manipulating Mac’s daughter the entire time, using her grief over Nathan to worm his way in. Peter says he loves Maxie, and Mac says, all the time Peter spent with her, and his grandkids. Peter says, i.e. James, the child he brought into this world with his own hands? Mac says, if only he could take Peter out of it, and Peter says, it’s too bad he’s in police custody then. Mac says, bad things happen in jail all the time, and Peter asks if that’s a threat. Mac says, just a fact, and Peter says, noted. Here’s another one. If anything happens to him, Louise stays gone for good.

Spencer tells Josslyn that he and Esme have been talking a lot about that trip she wants to take. Maybe they could do it on Josslyn’s winter break. Does she think Sonny would let them use his cabin? She says, whoa, and he asks if she thinks he wouldn’t. She says she’s sure he would, but she never agreed to this vacation. He says she and Cameron have to go; Esme really wants to get to know his friends better. She says, so let’s get coffee, or have lunch. Do they really have to go on vacation? She’s sorry, but she just doesn’t think a weekend getaway together would best improve their relationship, if he knows what she means. He says, a toddler would know what she means. Why doesn’t she cut Esme a break? She says, she set Ava’s car on fire, and he says he agrees she went too far, but she only did it for him. She says, in that case… and he says, Esme loves him. She asks if Spencer loves her, and he says, yeah. She asks, why? and he says, she’s gorgeous and exciting and passionate… Josslyn says, so she’s hot, and he says, it’s not the sex… It’s not just the sex. He knows Esme can be a lot, but so can he, right? She says, she doesn’t think he wants her to answer that, and he says, they fit, all right? He thinks if she just gave Esme a chance, she’d see how incredible she really is. She says, okay. Tell her about the real Esme.

Esme asks what Trina is studying, and Trina says, a lot of things, but right this second, nature photography. Esme says, like the exhibit at the gallery? and Trina says, something like that. Cameron brings Esme’s latte, and says, it was such a hit, Trina’s professor asked her to give a presentation to her class. Isn’t that cool? Esme says she doesn’t know; it sounds like a lot of extra work. Trina says, which is why she should get back to it. Esme takes a sip, and Cameron says, well? She says, no offending foam; it’s perfect. Cameron starts to leave, but Esme says she and Trina were just talking about their trip. She’s so excited. Spence is too. Cameron says he didn’t think anything was decided, and Esme says, they’re still batting around ideas. She was thinking winter break. She hasn’t been skiing in ages. Do they ski? Cameron says he does, and she asks if there’s a mountain nearby. He says there is, and Esme says, how amazing does that sound? Skiing by day, snuggling by the fire at night. Her and Spence, Cameron and Josslyn, and Trina, of course (🍷).

Sonny tells Nina not to text him again, because he’s not going to meet her, and she says the only reason she reached out was to warn him about Peter. It’s not like she reached out because she wanted to spend more time with him. She’s not delusional, contrary to popular belief. She knows he loves his wife. He says he does, and she says she’s trying to preserve that. She’s trying to protect his relationship with Carly from whatever this psycho may have planned to break them up. He tells her, don’t worry about Peter, and she says, she’s being honest. She doesn’t want to cost him any more than she already has. He might not believe her, so if Peter is trying to stir up more trouble… He says, Peter’s not going to cause more trouble. Trust him. That son of a bitch killed Jason, his best friend, his brother; he’s gone.

Michael asks where his dad is, but Carly says she doesn’t know where he disappeared to. She thinks he’ll be back soon, but in the meantime, distract her. Did Wiley enjoy Thanksgiving in New York? He says, Wiley enjoyed the holiday lights and the holiday windows. His favorite thing was the dogs. Carly says, the dogs? and Michael says, Wiley pointed out every single one of them when they passed them. She says, that’s a lot of dogs. She bets Annabelle is going to need a brother or sister this Christmas. Michael tells her, he said the same thing; they just have to get Willow on board. She asks if they took Wiley skating, and he says they went to the Central Park rink because Rockefeller Center was too crowded. He crushed it. She says, of course (🍷) he did. She asks if he remembers the first time he was on skates, and he says, she, Jason, and dad brought him. She says, her heart just dropped every single time he fell, but Jason was so calm. He’d just pick Michael back up, and make sure he went off again. He says, he always pictured Jason being there for Wiley. the same way Jason has always been there for him. She says she knows, and puts her arm around him.

Willow comes out of the elevator and sees Epiphany, who asks if she’s all right. Willow says she just heard some bad news, and Epiphany says, Sasha and Brando. Just remember they have a great team doing everything in their power to help that baby boy. Willow asks if she’s seen Michael.

Josslyn hits the heavy bag while Spencer holds it, and he says, Esme puts on a good show, but she’s never actually had a lot of friends. Josslyn says, shocking, and he says if she’s not actually going to take it seriously, they’re not going to talk about it. She says she’s sorry; she will. He says, Esme grew up in boarding schools, and her parents died when she was still pretty young. Josslyn says, that sounds awful, and he says, it was. Not that he realized it at first. He saw party Esme like everybody else, but she was one of the few students who stayed on campus during breaks. Josslyn says, like him, and he says, one night they started talking, and they clicked. She says, it doesn’t surprise her. It seems like he and Esme would have a lot in common. He says, they bonded over the loneliness they felt, and how hard it was to connect with other students. Ever since then, they’ve been together; just the two of them. Them against the world. She says, except the world isn’t actually out to get them. He says she knows what he means. He has Esme’s back and she has his. She says, partners in crime, and he says, so to speak. So after hearing all that, does she think she could maybe possibly give Esme the benefit of the doubt?

Esme tells Trina that she doesn’t have to come solo. She can totally bring a plus one. Trina says, she’s not really seeing anyone, so… and Esme says, it could be a fun start to a relationship. Someone must have caught her eye at PCU. Trina says, not really, and Cameron says, which is fine. This is not really a couples thing anyway. They’re just going as a group of friends. Esme says, right, and Cameron goes to wait on another table. Esme says she hopes she didn’t make Trina uncomfortable, but Trina says she’s fine. She’s sure the weekend will be fun. Esme says she feels kind of bad. She never would have suggested they go away had she known about Trina and Cameron. Trina says, what about them? and Esme says, he told her that he and Trina almost got together. Now he’s with Josslyn. Ouch.

Maxie tells Anna, she hasn’t seen Peter since he disappeared from the hospital, but knowing he was out there somewhere, was like a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from. She spent months terrified that she’d walk into her apartment or turn the corner, and he would be there. He’s taken too much from her, and she refuses to be scared of him for one more minute. Anna says, she gets it. If she was in Maxie’s position, she’d want to confront Peter too. Why should she be surprised that her fierce, brave goddaughter wants to do the same? Maxie says, so Anna will help her with Mac? and Mac comes out, saying, absolutely not. Maxie says, he doesn’t even know why she’s there yet, but he says, she wants to see Peter, and the answer is no. He’s not done fighting. Peter claims to know where Louise is. Anna says, he doesn’t. He blackmailed Nina in Nixon Falls precisely because he didn’t know where the baby was, and wanted help finding her. Mac tells her, now he’s saying that he just wanted to ascertain how far Anna and Valentin were in their search, and Maxie says, he’s lying. Mac says he’s sure he is. Peter knows his time is up, and he’s grasping at straws, but that’s his point. Anything Peter would say to Maxie would be a lie, and probably a hurtful one. Why would she want to subject herself to that? She says, it’s not about what Peter has to say to her, but what she has to say to him. Anna says, Maxie is very strong, and Mac says, and stubborn. Maxie says she wonders who taught her that, and Anna says, if Maxie says she needs to do this, she believes her.

Nina tells Sonny, it’s not fair. He’s lost so many people. His father, and now Jason. She wishes she could take his pain away. He says, that’s not how life works, and she says she tricked herself into thinking that if she could keep him away from his past, she could save him from a life of violence. He was so unburdened as Mike. He was so relaxed. She thought Nixon Falls would be a fresh start for him, and maybe a fresh start for her too. He says, it’s not a fresh start if you don’t know what came before. He was living a lie. She says she believed in her head it was real, and he says, his friends and family were stolen from him. He would take the pain of losing Jason any day, because Jason was like his brother; they would do everything together. They would protect each other… She says, she’ll regret every day of her life what her lies robbed him of, and he says, they have to move forward. Live the life they have now. She says, move forward; separate lives. He says, yeah, and leaves.  

Epiphany tells Willow that she hasn’t seen Michael. Willow says, that’s okay; she’ll text him.

Carly asks if Michael heard about Sasha and Brando, and he says, that’s why they came to the hospital. How’s the baby? She says, he’s in the NICU. They named him Liam. Michael says he likes it, and she says, he was deprived of oxygen during the delivery. It’s too soon to tell if he has any brain damage. He says, it must be hell for Sasha and Brando, waiting for news like that, and she asks if Willow is with him. He says, she went to put in a good word at the chapel, and Carly suggests they go to the nurses’ desk and see if there’s an update. They see Willow there, and Michael says, what is it? Is there news about the baby? Willow says, none that she’s aware of, and Carly asks, then what’s wrong?

Maxie says, Mac, please, and he says he’s never been good at saying no to her; why break the cycle now? She thanks him and says she loves him. He says he loves her too, but the second whatever’s going on in there feels weird to her… She says she’s out of there. He says, good, and Anna kisses Maxie’s head, saying, she’s very brave. Maxie says she feels anything but brave right now. She has to do this. Not just for herself, but for Louise.

Trina tells Esme, she’s happy for Cam and Joss; there’s no issue there. Esme says, that’s great, and Trina says she’s serious. Esme says, it’s just that, when Cameron brought it up, it sounded like… Never mind. Trina says, she’s gone this far. Just say it. Esme says, not only is it nothing, it’s none of her business. Just for the record, she’s not one of those people who thinks everyone has to be coupled up to be happy. Before she met Spence, she was perfectly fine on her own. She guesses she just never realized the beauty in having someone understand you so completely. Trina says, and that’s Spencer? and Esme says, now that she’s found him, she has no intention of letting him go.

Michael says Willow seems upset; what’s going on? Sonny comes out of the elevator, and hugs Michael, saying, he’s glad Michael is home. Michael says, so is he, and Sonny asks how he’s holding up. Michael says he’s still in shock. He’s so sorry about Jason. Sonny says, it’s good to have family, and Carly says that’s what she was just telling Michael. As long as they have each other, they can get through anything. Michael says he just can’t believe Jason is gone, and Sonny says, it’s because of Peter August. Carly says she’s glad that bastard has been caught. At least now, he’s going to pay for his crimes. Sonny says, he’s going to pay. He’ll make sure of it.

Peter says, what’s going on? and Mac says, one wrong move, and he’ll shoot Peter himself. He leaves, and Maxie comes in.

Michael says he guesses they’ll just wait for Brando, and Willow says, waiting is her specialty. He says she never answered his question; is she okay? Nina almost comes around the corner, but sees them, and stops. Willow says she’s just praying for that little boy, hoping with all her heart that Sasha and Brando can take him home soon. He says she’s been gone a while. Was she in the chapel the whole time? Willow says, she went, but she didn’t want to disturb the people inside. Nina is like, uh-oh.

Josslyn says, she guesses Spencer thinks Esme is the know all, be all, and she’s really nice – to him. But if she treats everyone else like trash, she’s sorry. She doesn’t want to hang out with her. He asks if they can be real, and she says, let’s try it. He says, it’s not like she’s been that nice to Esme either. Josslyn says, she fired the first shot, but he says, did she though? If he remembers correctly, Josslyn has been pretty cool to her from the start. She says, maybe if he’d mentioned he had a girlfriend; maybe just once instead of hanging all over Trina… He says he was not, and she says she thought they were being real. He says he likes Trina. He thinks she’s super cool. She says, and? and he says, maybe he could have been more direct when he first met her about what was happening. She says, maybe, and he says, but it has always been Esme for him. She asks, then why keep her a secret? and he says he didn’t handle things well in the beginning, okay? She says, all the lying, and the terrorizing of Ava. Ava’s not her favorite person, but even she didn’t deserve that. He says he screwed up. Why is she acting so surprised? It’s not like it’s the first time. She says, no, and she’s sure it won’t be the last, and he says, that’s what friends are, right? The people who love you anyway. She says, all right. Enough with the love talk. He says, she knows what he’s saying. They’ve been friends since forever, so as his friend, can Josslyn give Esme the chance to show her who she really is? She says she can definitely do that.

Peter says Maxie is more beautiful than he even remembered. He knew she woudn’t be able to stay away. She closes the door, and tells him, just shut up. For once, he’s going to listen to what she has to say. This little fantasy he has of them being together, living happily ever after, it’s not going to happen. And honestly, it blows her mind that he still thinks it could. After everything he’s done to her, how could he think she could feel anything toward him but hatred? He says, everything he did was out of love for her, and she says, he’s a murderer. A murderer. He hired a fake nurse to kidnap her and induce labor. That is not love. That is… She doesn’t even know what to call it. Abuse? Torture? She can’t be a mother to her child because of him. She can’t rock her to sleep, or kiss her tiny little hands. She’s missing those moments, and it’s Peter’s fault. She will never forgive him for that. He says he doesn’t believe that, but she says she doesn’t care what he believes. He says he can tell her where Louise is, and she tells him, stop it. He says he can find their little girl, and she says, he’s lying. He says, they can be a family again, and she says, oh my God. He’s in handcuffs, headed to prison, where he’ll rot in a cell for the rest of his life. He’s not going to have a family. He’s not going to have her, and he’s not going to have Louise. There’s nothing for him. Think about that. Choke on it.

Carly tells Sonny that she’d asked for a body pillow for Sasha, and he says, smart idea. She says, it felt good to do something, even if it was just a pillow. He says, every little bit helps. It’s just not easy to wait. She says, nothing is easy right now, and asks him to come sit with Michael and Willow. He says he has something to take care of, and she says, now? He says, Brando texted him, and said he didn’t need anything except good news. She says, the support of his family. What could be more important? He says, if it wasn’t important, he wouldn’t be going, and she asks, what takes precedence over a baby in the NICU? He says he doesn’t want her to worry about it. Call him if there’s an update

Mac says, the search for Louise is going nowhere, but Anna says, that can change in an instant; he knows how this works. He says he feels so hopeless right now, and she says, he’s not putting any weight on what Peter said just now? She doesn’t believe he knows where that little girl is. He says, as a cop, he knows that. Peter is just trying to save his skin. She says, but as a father and grandfather… He says he can’t discount any lead, no matter what the source.

Peter tells Maxie to look at him, and she says there’s nothing she’d rather see less. He says she made him a better man, but she says, he’s not a man; he’s pure evil. And she regrets the day she met him. Goodbye. She’s about to leave, and he says, this is about that doctor, isn’t it? Dr. Gatlin-Holt, the savior in the woods who delivered Louise. Peter met him earlier at GH. Maxie says, so? and he says, so it’s quite obvious he’s interested in Maxie. She says, this is not happening, and he says, which is of course (🍷) a no brainer to him; she’s beautiful. What surprised him is he never imagined Maxie would give him the time of day. She says, are you insane? (Yes!) This has nothing to do with Austin. He says, she’s on a first name basis with him, so they are close, and she says, so what if they were close? So what if they were dating? So what if she was dating the entire PCU football team? That is none of his damn business. She’s none of his business. He says, on the contrary, and stands up. He says, doesn’t she know by now there’s only one man in her life, and that man is him? She says, go to hell, and storms out.

Trina wonders if Cameron’s shift is over, and asks him to join them, but he says he’s meeting Josslyn at the gym. Esme says, that’s where Spence is, and asks for a ride. Trina says, it’s a bummer Esme has to leave so soon, and Esme says, Spence was so glad to have the day off. He’s been working so hard lately. Trina says, maybe Esme should get a job, but Esme laughs, and says she’s way too busy. Trina says, with what? and Esme says, all those classes she’s auditing at PCU, and her internship obviously. Cameron says he can’t imagine working in a prison, and Esme says she calls it prison light. It’s really not that terrible. Trina says, she enjoys it? and Esme says she does. It’s fascinating from a psychological perspective, but she’ll definitely be ready for a break by the time their trip rolls around.

Carly leans her forehead against the vending machine, and repeats, count to ten. Epiphany says, Carly? and Carly says she’s sorry. Epiphany says, what for? and Carly says, for blocking traffic here. There’s no one else around, and Epiphany says, there’s no traffic here. Carly says she doesn’t know why she apologized. She doesn’t usually do that. Epiphany agrees, and Carly says, she doesn’t know why she’s done half the things she’s done in the past few days. Epiphany says, grief. She heard about Jason, and she’s very sorry for Carly’s loss. Carly thanks her, and Epiphany says she means it. Jason was a remarkable person; someone she respected. Carly says, Jason respected her too, and Epiphany says she never doubted that. And she never doubted he loved Carly, without condition or reservation. He would do literally anything for her. Carly says she never doubted that either. Whatever happened, good or bad, if she was hurt, or scared, or wrong, without question, Jason would always be there. She knew he would be, no matter what. Now he’s not going be there anymore. He’s not going to be there ever again. She knows he would want her to keep going and move on, and she will, but she’s going to miss him every single day for the rest of her life. Epiphany says, when Carly is missing him, she hopes Carly thinks back on their wedding day. Jason was happy, and so was she. The love she felt that day is still there, and hers to keep.

Nina comes out, addressing Michael and Willow, and Michael asks if she shouldn’t be meeting with her lawyer. Her preliminary hearing is coming up soon, isn’t it? Nina says, Scotty is on it, but she appreciates his concern. He’s says he’s sure she does, and she says she’s just there for Sasha, not to upset them. Willow says, yet she keeps doing it, and Michael asks, what is her goal exactly? She says, to provide support for Sasha if she needs it. She’ll go wait someplace else. Willow says, good idea, and Nina moves along. Michael asks Willow if it’s selfish to say he’s glad her empathy for Nina only goes so far, and she says, his family comes first with her. He says, their family, and she says, their family. She hopes he knows that, and he says he does. It’s time like these that bring them together. With everything going on, he’s grateful for that. They hug. Wake me when it’s over.

Anna sees Sonny in the stairwell, and asks what he’s doing here. He says, one guess, and she says, she knows he’s ready to explode – they all are – but he’s got to let the authorities handle Peter. He’s being brought up on multiple charges in multiple jurisdictions; he’s not going to walk away. He says, Jason is dead because of that trash, and he wants Peter to know exactly what he’s waiting for.

Josslyn is punching the heavy bag when Cameron and Esme come in. Cameron says, nobody better mess her, and Josslyn says, that’s right. He asks, what’s up? and Josslyn says, she and Spencer were just talking about their trip. Spencer tells them, Josslyn said she thinks they can use Uncle Sonny’s cabin, and Josslyn says she doesn’t see why not, unless he and her mom are planning on using it, but she doesn’t think so. Esme says, sounds like a blast, and Josslyn says, it will for sure be memorable. Esme and Spencer go off to the side, and Esme says, good workout? Spencer says, it was fun, and she says she’s surprised Josslyn agreed to the trip. He says, they had a good talk, and she’s open to getting to know Esme better. Esme asks if he thinks she meant it, and he says, Josslyn doesn’t lie. Cameron asks Josslyn if she’s really cool about this trip thing, and she says, no, but Spencer wants her to get to know the real Esme, and she has a hunch he may be the one surprised. Cameron asks what she’s planning, and Josslyn says, her? Nothing. Esme will do all the work on her own. Until then, there’s no way Josslyn is turning her back on that girl.

Carly tells Michael that his dad had to leave. He said he had something to take care of. Willow says she’s going to check her schedule for next week, and will be right back. Michael asks Carly if everything is okay with her and his dad, but she says, they’re fine. He says, it seems like there’s tension, and she says, there is. There’s grief. Everything that’s been going on with Liam, and… It’s Nina who she’s mad at, not his dad. Michael says he just ran into her, and Carly says, she’s still here? Michael says, hopefully her trial is soon, and they’ll be sending her to jail, and out of their lives for good. She says, from his lips.

Nina sees Willow, and says she overheard that Willow was in the chapel. So was she. Funny. She didn’t see Willow there. Willow says she heard Nina with Sonny.

Peter is dozing, when Sonny comes in, and slams the door, startling him. Sonny stares at him.

Tomorrow, Maxie wishes Austin wouldn’t have done that; Brando needs to ask Michael something; Nina asks what Willow is going to do, now that she knows the truth; and Sonny says since Peter killed Jason, all the rules are out the window.

👠 What Did I Say…?

Helena will be around as long as Constance Towers is. I wonder if I’ll ever find out why Nikolas was left that painting though…

Vanderpump Rules

Brock, James, and Schwartz took a dip in some tubs of ice. Some pseudo therapist told them that it was a mindset, and Brock said it was a way to learn lessons. Yeah. Don’t get in cold water. James was trying to learn to calm down, and the foundation was learning to breathe intentionally. In James’s interview, he said he was looking past normal therapy to get out his rage and anger. He claimed talk therapists didn’t know what to say to him, but I suspect he doesn’t know how to listen. In Schwarz’s interview, he thought, since hot baths were bad for his sperm count, maybe a cold one would do the opposite. I don’t think it works that way though. James said all he could think about was that he was freezing, but it was progress. Afterwards, the guys hung out to talk, and Brock said kids had been cruel when he was young, because he only had four fingers on one hand. In his interview, he explained his hand had gotten caught in the gears of a moving gate as a child. Ouch a million times over. James said when he got in a confrontational moment, it threw him back to a defensive mindset.

Lisa visited Lala, and met dog Lily. Lala said, if Jesus had a dog, it would be Lily. Lily had high liver levels, and was on meds. Lala was waiting on some test results, and was putting out in the universe that it would be a good report. In Lala’s interview, she said Lily had been her companion, her ride or die since she was 21. Lily had gotten her through her drunken days when she couldn’t get out of bed. In Lisa’s interview, she said, Lala had come a long way, and she was happy to be part of her journey. At one time, Lala had been sneaking drinks behind the hostess stand, and now she was a mother, and it was lovely to see. Lala told Lisa about Brock’s birthday, and how she’d gone off on Schwartz for not backing Katie up. She also told Lisa about how the girls were taking pictures of their feet to raise money for Raquel’s new nose. And yes. I know how absolutely stupid that sounds.

Katie’s photographer friend Courtney came to take the foot fetish photos (say that three times real fast), and Ariana said it was the dumbest most amazing thing they’d done. In Raquel’s interview, she said she’d done everything to make the best of her bad nose job, but it needed to be redone. Ariana said she’d done a lot of weird sh*t, but never thought she’d be adding this to her resumé. Raquel told them that she was going to be hosting a picnic as a thank you,  a fancy floral scene. In her interview, she said it was an excuse to be a girly girl; she loved it. Charli brought up Brock’s friend grabbing her at the birthday party, and said she wondered why there’d been no back-up from Scheana. In Charli’s interview, she said she’d been a loyal friend, and Scheana chose a random dude’s back over hers.

Lisa escorted Schwartz to a tattoo parlor, since he’d lost a bet with her. In his interview, he said he’d been pouring his heart out to Lisa while they were drinking wine. She challenged him to a high stakes ping-pong game, and ping-pong was his forte. We saw a clip of him saying that he was going to smoke her, but if he lost, he’d have LVP tattooed somewhere on his body. She said, if she lost, she’d send some cases of wine to the new bar. He lost. He said, that’s how he ended up at the tattoo parlor, He told Lisa that the Katie Bubba tattoo had to remain prominent, since Katie wasn’t feeling supported, which didn’t surprise Lisa, since Katie had been pushed out of the new bar equation. Schwartz said he couldn’t get a home equity loan, and would have to stop with the bets. He’d bet Randall in a pickleball challenge, and if he won, Schwartz would get $2000. If he lost, Randall got a drink named after him featured prominently on TomTom’s menu. He wondered if Katie was going to kill him about the tattoo, but Lisa said Katie was going kill him for other reasons. Tell her it’s a message from God.

Raquel had her Raquel’s Dream Tea Party, and invited the usual suspects, along with her friend Paige. Everyone wore poufy dresses, except for Lala, who said, no one told her that it was going to be so chic. In her interview, she asked if she looked like a bitch who had puffy sleeves and a tutu in her closet. Ariana said she’d understood the assignment. They discussed the foot project, and Raquel said it wasn’t about the pasta; it was about the feet. She told the girls that James had been trying different kinds of therapy, and we saw a clip of him doing (I think) bioenergetics where you let the sound out. I only know about this because of a movement class I was required to take at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. The teacher was into it, and we all hated it. She was all about no one getting enough love as a child, and going back to the womb or something. We pretended to go along with it just to get through the class. But I digress. Scheana said she’d sent invites out for a photo shoot Brock was organizing to advertise his fitness start-up HomeBody. She said he’d put his heart, soul, and every penny into the company. James had been cagey about doing it for free. Charli told Scheana about the dude grabbing her at Brock’s party, and at first, Scheana claimed she didn’t see anything. Then she amended it to not saying anything because Charli had already said something. Lala said Charli had gone hard for Scheana, and Scheana expected people to defend her, but when the shoe was on the other foot, she was nowhere to be found. Charli said she was loyal and a good friend. When Scheana didn’t like someone, Charli told them to go f*** themselves, but it hadn’t been reciprocated. She thought Scheana didn’t want Brock’s friends not to like her, so she’d ignored the incident. Scheana got all teary, and wanted to go home, as she always does when anyone calls her out.

Ariana visited Katie to enlist her help with designing a drinking game, an embellished Never Have I Ever. In Katie’s interview, she said it was nice not being around an egomaniac, and being expected to kiss their ass every minute of every day. Schwartz came home in the middle of their brainstorm, and told Katie that he had one more betting gaff. He hadn’t thought Lisa would be good at ping-pong, so he hadn’t taken the bet seriously. He showed them his new tattoo, which was actually pretty small, and in Ariana’s interview, she said, Schwartz was so good at charming his way out of everything. If she had been Katie, she’d have shoved her rosé glass up his ass. Katie said Schwartz never had her back, and other people took precedent, but Schwartz said it was out of necessity, and not emotionally. He continued to try and explain himself, but she just said, no, every time he started talking.

Randall had all kinds of pickleball pros at his house for the Emmett/Schwartz 2021 Open. In Brock’s interview, he said it was like little man syndrome on steroids with Randall competing against the least competitive person. Brock wanted to talk to James, who didn’t want to do anything for free. Avoiding the tournament, Raquel and Charli got together for a workout. Afterward, Raquel told Charli that Scheana had asked her to stop being friends with Danica, and she had. Charli said she stopped commenting on Danica’s Instagram, since it offended Scheana. Scheana had been texting her about it, and she hadn’t wanted to lose the friendship over it. Charli told Raquel that when she brought up Scheana not having her back at the party, Scheana had flipped it, and played victim. She said Charli was trying to turn it into a me too moment. 

Lala came out in a cheerleader outfit, hoping they could put an end to this grandpa game. Willie, an American Idol runner-up, sang the National Anthem, and the game began. In Ariana’s interview, she said she hadn’t watched American Idol since Kelly Clarkson won, but she wasn’t going to hate on it. I haven’t watched it since Scotty McCreery won, and Lady Gaga performed at the finale. I didn’t think they could ever top that, so why bother? Randall won, scoring 11 points to Schwartz’s 4. Schwartz gave him a copy of the menu with his drink on it, but in his interview, Schwartz said it wasn’t real. Lala asked James about the photo shoot, and James called Brock over. Brock said James had told Raquel not to text him back, but James said he’d told Raquel, not yet, because he wanted to discuss it with her. I have the feeling that wasn’t the case, since James got animated, and Ariana told him to take it down a notch. Katie suggested James might need a favor from Brock one day, and in James’s interview, he said there was a time Katie was on a campaign to take him down, but she had his back now.

Lala was glad the tournament was over. It was time for Randall to get back to making those dollar signs. Ariana found out that the picture of her feet had been sold, and she tried to get a shot of Lisa’s feet, saying she’d charge extra, but Lisa said she’d better not. Charli told Scheana that she hadn’t been a good friend lately, and in Scheana’s interview, she said she’d just birthed human child, and that was her whole focus. For the unenlightened, Scheana was like this long before she had the baby. She wants to be liked so much, she’s never on anyone’s side but her own. Charli said Scheana was a dictator in friendships, and in Charli’s interview, she said if Scheana couldn’t understand where she’s coming from, they couldn’t be friends. She told Scheana that she hadn’t been getting friend energy back from her, when she’d been a good friend, and they hugged it out.

Next time, Katie and Sandoval go at it, and not in a fun way; Schwartz tells Sandoval that he needs to respect Katie; the Toms decide to take a break from each other; and Ariana has a birthday.

💔 No Festival This Time…

There aren’t many details, but according to Ariana on Watch What Happens Live, everyone was surprised.

https://people.com/tv/vanderpump-rules-james-kennedy-and-raquel-leviss-call-off-engagement-taping-reunion-bravo-breakup-split/

🏔 Salty Talk…

Bringing you up to speed on Salt Lake City.

🌴 The Wives You’ve Been Waiting For…

The Real Housewives of Miami are back.

https://ew.com/tv/real-housewives-of-miami-season-4-trailer/

⚰️ Back From the Dead…

Well, we never really did see her die.

https://ew.com/tv/kim-dickens-fear-the-walking-dead-madison-clark-return/

😌 Time For Some Shut-Eye…

Come by tomorrow for some soap and an update on Fancy Pants. Until then, stay safe, stay upfront, and stay giving back the friend energy you’re getting.