Tag Archives: Michael Easton

November 21, 2025 – GH Weekdays, Laura Gets a Post-Election Surprise, Soap Suds, This Week In Reality, Weekend Watching, Watching Soon, Running To Watch, Holiday Watch, Award Watch, How Bizarre How Bizarre, Two Quintets Of Quotes & Restaurant

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What I Watched Today

(Weekday bites, Friday’s whole GH enchilada & media minutiae)

General Hospital

🥢 Weekday Bites…                                                                           

Monday:

Alexis wondered when Portia could have gotten access to Edward Quartermaine’s gun, and Felicia said, she visited Monica frequently and could have taken it at any time prior to the shooting. Alexis said that meant she had means and opportunity, but what reason would she have to shoot Drew?

In her office. Portia looked at her sonogram, when Curtis knocked at the door. He said he’d heard she had a check-up and asked how it went.

Kai met Trina at the gallery, and she said her parents deserved to know the truth. She was going to tell them that she and Kai were at Drew’s the night he got shot.

Dante came into the hospital and Brook asked how it went at the courthouse. He said he watched his son get taken off to juvie in handcuffs.

Laura went to vote, and Elizabeth asked how the arraignment went. Laura said, horribly wrong.

Gio and Emma went to the hospital, when Britt grabbed Emma. Emma said, get off me, but Britt said, not until they got a few things straight.

Lulu found Carly at Bobbie’s and told her that Rocco had been taken into custody, and he may go to prison unless she did something drastic to stop it.

Ric told Sonny that he had a deal. Six months community service, no felony charges, and no incarceration. Sonny asked, what went wrong? and Ric looked at Turner. Sonny asked why she double-crossed his grandson.

Felicia told Alexis that Drew’s enemy list was long and everyone had a good motive. Why wasn’t Portia on the list? Alexis said Curtis and Drew had public issues, but Portia had no direct conflict with Drew that would put her on the PCPD’s radar. Felicia said, based on the information they knew, and Alexis said that’s why she needed Felicia.

Portia said so far everything was great and on track, but Curtis needed to remember it was considered an older pregnancy. It didn’t mean they should worry, but she wanted to make sure it was safe before telling anyone. Curtis said he thought she should know that someone already figured it out.

Turner said her duty was to prosecute the case based on evidence and the law, but Sonny said she ambushed Ric with so-called evidence and worse, she ambushed a child. He thought she was better than that. Turner said she couldn’t ignore the evidence Dalton provided, and Sonny said he wanted his grandson released. She said the prosecution wouldn’t oppose bail, and Ric said, she was telling them that now, but she’d proved to be unethical and unreliable. Who was to say she wouldn’t pull the same stunt at the bail hearing?

Lulu told Carly about the charges, and Carly said they were all felonies. Lulu said Rocco swore there was no damage, and everyone believed him except the judge. She wasn’t going to let one mistake destroy her son’s life. Carly told her to do what she could. Prison would change her son forever.

Britt said, right now, she and Emma needed to have some girl talk, and Emma told Gio that she’d be fine. She’d meet him upstairs. He left, and Britt said she knew Emma got Rocco to steal the key fob and now he was headed to prison.

Elizabeth wondered how the case had escalated, when Nathan came in and told Laura that he made sure Rocco was relatively insulated. Laura asked how he was, since he’d seemed terrified, and Nathan said he thought Rocco had calmed down. Laura said this happened because of Dalton.

Dante told Brook that all he could do was stand and watch. As he was taken out, Rocco was yelling to them that he hadn’t done anything wrong. He was terrified. Gio came out of the elevator, and heard Brook saying, Rocco was a good kid and she wondered how he’d gotten involved. Gio said he was the reason Rocco broke into the lab.

Britt said Emma had been in the office when Dalton gave her the key fob. She’d told Emma to stay away from Dalton and the lab, and she set Rocco up. Emma said she thought Dalton was doing animal testing, but it turned out she was wrong. Britt said Emma didn’t break into the lab. Rocco did and was suffering the consequences. That was on Emma.  

Alexis said she couldn’t rest Willow’s case on Michael alone, and Felicia said other suspects helped shift the focus. Alexis said the PCPD rushed to judgment. She needed to present other viable suspects to create reasonable doubt in the hopes the jury wouldn’t convict Willow.

Portia asked who knew, and Curtis said, Aunt Stella. She worked with Portia every day and figured it out. She was less shocked about Portia’s pregnancy and more concerned about their divorce.

Kai asked what had Trina so upset that she changed her mind, and Trina said, not what, who. Jordan had been circling her dad like a shark. Jordan knew the strain her parents’ marriage was under, but it hadn’t stopped her going after a married man. If she told her parents that Drew’s blackmail material was gone, the strain would disappear, they’d stay together, and Jordan would be left out in the cold where she belonged.

Ric said Turner wanted to publicly persecute the grandson of Sonny Corinthos and Mayor Collins. He thought she would do what it took to secure her position. He left, saying, it wasn’t over, and Sonny told Turner that Rocco said he hadn’t trashed the lab. Dalton had set up his grandson, and she was falling for it.

Laura told Nathan that when she’d questioned Dalton, at no point did he mention the lab was vandalized. It didn’t happen. Rocco was someplace he shouldn’t have been, but she knew he didn’t lie. Elizabeth said she was sure Laura wouldn’t stop until Rocco’s name was cleared, and Laura said she hoped it was enough to get him out of the situation. She stepped away to vote.

Gio told Dante that he’d joined Students Against Animal Testing, and they’d thought Professor Dalton was doing testing at the university. They needed to create a diversion in order to break into the lab, and he recruited Danny, Rocco, and Charlotte to help.

Felicia told Alexis that she’d keep looking. Portia lying about her whereabouts begged the question, what was she hiding? Ric came in and said he needed to speak to Alexis about Rocco Falconari. Felicia said she’d be in touch, and left. Alexis said she heard Ric was representing Rocco, but assumed it was a rumor, since Sonny hated him. Ric said they were making peace for their daughter’s sake. Maybe he and Alexis should do the same.

Sonny said Turner didn’t strike him as a bully who would go after a child, and she said she was just doing her job. Any chance he just didn’t want to believe Rocco was guilty? Sonny told her, if Rocco said he didn’t do it, he didn’t do it, but she said kids lied all the time. Did he think Rocco never had? How sure was he that Rocco was telling the truth?

Emma said she brought Rocco in, but he had his own ideals and backbone, and Britt said, not only was he capable of making his own decisions, he could manipulate with the best of them. He’d shown interest in her since she’d been working with Dalton and had been playing her the whole time.

Lulu told Carly that it was Dalton’s word against Rocco’s, but Rocco said he didn’t damage anything. She could prove Dalton’s evidence was fake if a witness came forward and she had two – Danny and Charlotte.

Laura thanked Nathan and was about to leave for lunch with Elizabeth, when Dalton came in. He told Laura that it would be tough for her to protect her grandson when she’d lost the election, but she suggested they wait to see what the voters said. He was also kidding himself if he thought she needed to be mayor to protect her grandson.

Dante said Gio recruited three kids to criminally trespass? but Gio said they were just supposed to create a diversion, distract security while he broke in. Dante said, but that didn’t happen. Gio wasn’t in the lab. His brother was.

Dalton said it would be harder for Laura’s grandson to skate if she lost the election, but the upside was that he and his grandfather could now swap prison stories. Laura said he was enjoying what he’d done, and Dalton said he was the victim. Her grandson was the one who broke in. Laura said Dalton was a liar.

Sonny told Turner that he knew Rocco didn’t trash the lab because he knew who Rocco was. He was honest and kind, and anybody who knew him would say the same. Turner said Dalton was adamant the lab was trashed and produced photographic evidence as proof, but Sonny said, the police didn’t investigate the lab themselves. Dalton would know what to break that didn’t affect his research. Turner asked, why? and he said Dalton was hiding something and framing his grandson. She said those were arguments that could be presented at trial. She wasn’t happy about it, but didn’t have the luxury of choosing what cases to prosecute based on her feelings. Her job was to see that people paid for breaking the law.

Emma said Britt had it wrong. She asked Rocco to steal the key fob, then realized he was the worst person to do it. He was honest to a fault and for reasons she didn’t understand, liked Britt – for real. He wasn’t a user or a liar and said he wanted to get to know Britt, who, despite evidence to the contrary, he believed was a good person. Britt said she was sure Emma provided her unbiased take, but Emma said she’d suggested Rocco get to know Britt for himself. Maybe she’d changed from The Britch who threw her doll on the barbecue. The jury was out though.

Alexis said a lot had happened since she and Ric came to a truce. Forgive her for not accepting his olive branch. Ric said he was willing to let bygones be bygones. Maybe she should get on board. He’d heard from multiple sources that Charlotte and Danny were with Rocco when he broke in the lab. They needed to come forward.

Gio told Dante that they no longer needed a distraction. The debate was happening and everyone’s attention was on that. Then Ned had a heart attack, and they called it off. Dante said, but Rocco went anyway. So Gio was there at the hospital, and his little brother went in his place.  

Kai asked if Trina thought once her parents realized the blackmail was gone, they’d figure things out, and she said it had driven a wedge between them. She thought they’d have room to breathe if they weren’t waiting for Drew’s other shoe to drop. Kai said, maybe the strain had nothing to do with the blackmail.  

Portia said Curtis told Stella about the divorce? and he said, she’d inevitably find out. She didn’t take it well and thought they should stay together and raise the baby with two loving parents. Portia asked if he was going to suggest they stay together for the baby’s sake. He should know she saw him and Jordan kissing.

Laura said her grandson didn’t vandalize Dalton’s lab and Dalton was unfairly targeting him, and Dalton said she was going to use her position, so he didn’t face the consequences. He wondered if her constituents would appreciate it, but she said she didn’t give a damn about the election. He was trying to railroad an innocent teenager and he’d be sorry. He asked if she was threatening him. It was a blatant misuse of her power. She said any use of her power against him would be warranted.

Dante said Gio hadn’t learned anything. Rocco had almost died from the alcohol poisoning. Gio said he felt terrible, but Dante said Gio only cared about himself. Rocco had been arraigned and there were charges against him when it should be Gio. Gio said he was sorry, and Dante said Rocco would do anything Gio wanted. Even if Gio didn’t want to be a part of Rocco’s family, all Rocco cared about was being part of his.

Carly said Danny and Charlotte could corroborate Rocco’s account and clear him, and Lulu said, or be charged alongside him. She knew they could help Rocco, but couldn’t let them come forward unless she knew they were protected. Carly asked how she’d know, and Lulu said she wasn’t sure. She’d believed her son had a deal in place and now he was in the juvenile detention center.

Britt said Rocco was facing felony charges because of Emma. The next time Emma wanted to come after her, have the guts to do it herself and don’t use a child. Emma said she was wrong to involve Rocco. For what it was worth (🍷), she was sorry. Britt said something she may learn from someone who’d been sorry and made mistakes was that not everything could be cleaned up with an apology. Some mistakes you have to live with. She walked away.

Kai said Drew knew there was no longer leverage and Trina’s parents were smart people and noticed. Trina said, then what was keeping her parents from finding their way back besides Jordan? and he said they didn’t see who else was at Drew’s, but they knew both of her parents had reason to want him dead. Her dad had an alibi – Trina said, Jordan – but her mom… She said, doesn’t.  

Alexis told Ric, if Danny came forward, it would help Rocco, but it might hurt Danny. She was representing Danny and had to say no. Ric said he understood her worry, but he’d make sure Danny got out from under Drew Cain. She said she wasn’t putting her grandson in his hands. It wasn’t like him to turn the other cheek and what better way to hurt her than putting Danny in jeopardy? He said, she’d realize it was a great legal strategy if she’d just hear him out, but she said, pass. He said, what if he offered her something else?

Portia said she’d wanted to speak to Jordan and saw her and Curtis kissing in the hallway, and Curtis said, sorry. (Why?) She said it was okay. They’d made their decision to go their own ways and she knew his way would lead to Jordan. He said they’d given it a shot and didn’t work as husband and wife, but they worked as parents. They were a great team for Trina, and he knew they’d be the same for the baby. She said she thought he was a great father. They needed to be a strong united front to get past Stella’s matchmaking. He said, Stella was a force, and saw the sonogram. He asked if it was hers.

Portia said it was from today’s check-up, and Curtis looked at it. She said it was too early to tell if it was a boy or girl, and he said, whoever they were, they were perfect. Could he keep it? She said, of course (🍷).

Trina asked if Kai thought her mother shot Drew, and he said it was hard to imagine. She said, secrets could destroy a marriage, especially with her father, but her mother knew life was sacred and spent every day saving lives. He said it was hypothetical, and she said she thought she knew what both of her parents were capable of, but it was pretty obvious she didn’t know them, maybe at all. He said she did know her parents. It was just another theory. They didn’t know anything for sure, except that Trina’s parents loved her and their instinct was to protect her. So if she told them about being at Drew’s… She said maybe it would force them to tell her the truth, and he asked if it was a truth she really wanted to know.

Ric said he was prepared to sweeten the deal, and Alexis said, how so? He said she was representing Willow who’d allegedly shot Drew. What if he could insure she’d win the case? She asked if he was going to confess, and he said, no, but he had another viable suspect other than Willow and Michael. She asked, who? and he said, Portia Robinson. She asked, what possible reason would Portia have? and he said he could give her several.

Sonny told Turner that he wanted people to be accountable for their actions too, but they both knew the law wasn’t black and white. Turner said, generally speaking, it was, but the law wasn’t always applied the way it should be, and he said, sometimes, the justice system just failed. She said, yes. Innocent people went to jail for crimes they didn’t commit and the guilty went free. Maybe Dalton’s evidence would hold up, maybe not, but Rocco was a sympathetic defendant and Dalton was… Sonny said, a liar? and she said, not as sympathetic. Sonny asked if she was telling him that it would come down to Dalton’s word against Rocco’s, but she said it was too early to tell. If it did, the jury might be more inclined to believe Rocco. Sonny asked if she’d at least go easy on Rocco, and she said she was going to do her job, nothing more. But this part was black and white. Dalton was the victim of record and as long as he pushed the case, she’d pursue justice on his behalf. He asked if she was sure she was pursuing justice or was she trying to help herself professionally by putting his grandson’s future on the line? and she says, the former. He said, make sure the justice system didn’t fail his grandson.

Lulu wondered if she should risk her daughter to save her son and told Carly that there were no guarantees that if Danny and Charlotte came forward, Rocco would go free. What if she put something in motion that, instead of saving one, condemned all three? Carly said there was no easy answer, and Lulu said, when that happened to Michael, she and Dante were sure they were doing the right thing. They thought Michael would be okay and they were wrong. So wrong. They hugged, and Lulu said she couldn’t afford to be wrong again. Rocco had too much to lose.  

Emma approached the group, and Dante said Gio was making excuses for being stupid and selfish again. He’d thought Gio would learn from Rocco’s alcohol poisoning, but he got Rocco involved in something reckless and dangerous. Emma asked what was going on, and Dante said Gio’s brother had been arrested. Whatever happened to him was on Gio. Emma said it wasn’t Gio’s fault. She talked Rocco into helping and roped the kids into it. It was on her. Dante said he got it now. Gio screwed over his little brother and potentially ruined his life to impress a girl. Get out of his face before he said or did something he regretted. Gio walked away and Emma followed.  

Laura said, every word in Dalton’s statement was a lie. Rocco went into the lab, but any vandalism was done by him. Dalton said he’d pay good money to see her prove that, and she said he thought he’d get away with it why? Because Rocco was a kid and he was a professor with the power of the university behind him? She’ll fight him with every resource she had, as well as every member of her family, and the Quartermaine family.  When she saw Dalton wasn’t listening, she smacked him in the face and said he was trying to frame her grandson for a crime he didn’t commit. She promised it wouldn’t end well for him. She looked around to see all the people filming with their phones.

Tuesday:

Carly went to see Jack at the hotel bearing wine. She said she’d found it in the MetroCourt wine cellar and remembered he’d ordered it once upon a time. She remembered everything about him.

In Laura’s office, she told Sonny that her political career might be over. She’d lashed out at Dalton in public. Sonny said he saw it. It was beautiful.

Dante told Lulu that Nathan got Rocco settled in, but Rocco wouldn’t be there if he hadn’t been following his brother’s lead. It was all Gio’s doing.

Alexis asked why Portia would shoot Drew, but Ric wanted assurance that Danny would go on record on Rocco’s behalf. She said, absolutely not, and he said his strategy would keep Rocco and Danny out of trouble. He’d had a come to Jesus moment and evolved. She told him, Portia’s motive or the door.

Jason went to see Britt and she said she needed his help. Danny had to come forward and corroborate Rocco’s story. Jason said he was sorry. He’d do anything, but not that. (Meat Loaf played in my head.)

Danny and Charlotte went to the station to see Nathan and said they were there to turn themselves in.

At Windymere, Marco told Sidwell that it appeared Dalton had jeopardized their entire operation.

Carly and Jack drank the wine, and Jack said Carly showing up was the best gift. It had felt like there was distance between them and she’d made the first move. Or was he wrong?

Marco said Dalton had produced photographic evidence of the damage Rocco Falconari had done in his lab, and Sidwell said, obviously, Dalton trashed the lab himself to stick it to the kid, but Rocco’s fingerprints wouldn’t be found. Marco said Dalton had claimed there were hazardous materials in the lab and told ADA Turner that injuries and fatalities could have resulted. Now Rocco was charged with several felonies. Sidwell said, now unwanted attention would be focused on the lab. He’d take it from there. Marco said maybe it was time for Sidwell to request assistance from the guy he was running the operation with.

Britt said of course (🍷) Jason wouldn’t help her. She wasn’t Carly. But then again, since it was Danny, he probably would have told Carly no too. He said he would have, and she said, Rocco was so scared. He said, no way Rocco vandalized the lab, and she said Dalton was lying and Danny could prove it, but Jason said it would just make things worse.

Nathan asked, what for? and Danny said they were with Rocco when he broke into the PCU lab. Nathan asked if they were sure they wanted to do this, and Charlotte said, absolutely. He was their brother. Nathan left, and Charlotte asked if Danny was sure. Danny said it was the only way to save Rocco, and she said Rocco couldn’t be the only one to take the blame. Danny said his dad would be so mad, and Charlotte said her wouldn’t be thrilled either, but they had to do what they had to do.

Dante said Gio roped Danny, Rocco, and Charlotte into breaking in, and Lulu asked, why? He said, Emma admitted she was in on it. She thought Dalton was doing illegal animal testing and their son was paying the price because Gio wanted to impress a girl. When he came down on Gio after Rocco got alcohol poisoning, everyone told him that he was wrong. But if he’d kept Gio at arm’s length, he wouldn’t have gotten close enough to Rocco to potentially ruin his life.

Laura said, if he saw it, Sonny knew what a disaster it was. She attacked and threatened Dalton and no way it would go well with the voting public. He asked if she’d read the comments. They were saying she was a badass. They loved her fire and how relatable she was, how real. She stood up for her grandson and went to bat for him, and they felt she’d do the same for the city. Laura thanked him, but still felt she’d tanked her own campaign. He said they’d hope for the best and prepare for the worst, and she said she thought what might cost her the election was her own bad temper.

Ric said Alexis won and told her about Heather’s cobalt tests. One had been done at GH and one done at an independent lab. The independent lab showed Heather’s levels as normal, which proved she was no longer dangerous, but the GH test showed the levels were still toxic, implying she was still violent and dangerous, unfit to be released. Had he relied on the GH test, Heather would still be in prison. He imagined whoever altered them had access to the test and a vested interest in Heather staying in prison. Alexis said, like the mother of Heather’s would be victim. Like Portia Robinson.

Sonny told Laura to stop being hard on herself, and she said she didn’t regret standing up for Rocco, but she may be handing over the city to Boyle. He said the voters and the people of the city valued her protecting her family. It wasn’t her first rodeo, and the people of Port Charles knew what kind of person she was. She said losing the election not only meant handing over the city to Boyle. She’d be handing it over to Sidwell too.

Sidwell told Marco that he considered his partner’s identity to be on a need-to-know basis. He needed to focus on making the necessary changes to their operation. He’d put Britt in charge of the lab, the research, and Dalton, and Britt had suggested she could run everything herself. In light of recent events, maybe she was right. Britt came with her own set of complications, but unlike Dalton, she wasn’t stupid. Marco said, but Dalton knew where the bodies were buried… figuratively.

Britt told Jason that Danny was guilty, but so was Charlotte. Why should Rocco face the consequences alone? Jason asked if she’d talked to Lulu and Dante, but she said, no. They hated her. He said if Danny admitted to the crime, Drew would use all his resources to keep Danny from his sister and put him behind bars. He told Britt about Danny giving Scout a ride home and Drew saying Danny tried to kidnap her, and Britt said that was a bad kidnapping. It was the opposite of kidnapping. Jason said, after that, Drew filed a restraining order against Danny to prevent him from seeing Scout, and she said, so if Danny came forward… He said Drew would do what he could to put Danny in prison and he couldn’t let that happen. And it wasn’t just that. A long time ago, Michael went to Pentenville and he followed Michael inside to protect him, but it was too late. Michael was scarred in ways that never healed. That couldn’t happen to Danny. She said she didn’t want that to happen to Rocco either, and he said neither did he. They had to come up with a way to save him.

Dante told Lulu that he’d come down hard on Gio. He thought Gio knowing he was his father made the words cut deeper. Lulu said she wasn’t happy with Gio either, but even though he might be responsible for drawing the kids into that mess, she didn’t think he deserved all the blame for all of them. Gio and Emma roped them in, but Danny, Charlotte, and Rocco chose to get involved. Dante asked if she was saying Rocco did this to himself, and she said she did, and so did Charlotte and Danny.

Nathan began to record, and Danny said, Rocco didn’t break in by himself. They were with him from the beginning. Charlotte said, Dalton showed up unexpectedly, so they hid, and Danny said, Dalton was about to find them, so Rocco made a noise. Charlotte said, he did it to save them, and Nathan asked why they broke in. Charlotte said they’d heard Dalton was doing illegal experiments on animals, and Nathan asked where they got that idea. Danny said, did it matter?

Alexis told Ric, the only reason Portia would alter the tests would be to keep her in jail. Heather tried to kill her daughter, so it was reasonable to think Heather would hurt her again, but what was the connection to Drew? How did Portia’s grudge against Heather put a gun in her hand pointed at Drew? Ric said, hypothetically, imagine an ex had her daughter dead to rights for trying to kill someone. Even worse, the louse gets involved. She said, he’d hold it over her head and blackmail her, and he said, what would she do, hypothetically? She said, chain him up in a basement and put a ball gag in his mouth, and he said, failing that? She said she might have to shoot him dead.

Carly told Jack that she’d needed time to process. She got it in her head why he didn’t tell her about Vaughn being an agent, but it hurt. When she was hurt, she pulled back. He said he was so sorry. He’d done a lot of midnight runs and cold showers trying to figure out how to fix it. She said she’d spent a few sleepless nights herself, but she missed him. She missed talking to him and confiding in him and the ease of being together. He said it was on him, but she said, no. It was on her. She knew she’d been sending him mixed signals. Understanding, but not forgiving. She thought it came down to acceptance. Could she accept who he was? He asked if she could and she said she was there, wasn’t she?

Nathan asked if they’d found anything before they got caught, but Charlotte said, no. There were no animals or evidence of anything. Danny said he picked up some notes, but put them back, and Nathan asked if they broke or overturned anything. Charlotte said they didn’t damage anything in any way, and Nathan said he knew it was hard, but thanked them for the information. Rocco was lucky to have them. He said he’d be right back, and in the squad room, he asked an officer for Jason’s contact information.  

Sonny said Laura’s reputation spoke for itself. Meanwhile, everybody saw Dalton manhandle a teenager. He didn’t just act like a bully, but he was slimy. It rolled off him. Sometimes you had to trust that voters knew the truth. They weren’t fools. Laura said she’d feel better if she’d had the chance to debate Boyle, and he said she had the chance, but chose her grandson. It was the right thing. They both knew Rocco would never destroy the lab. She said, he wouldn’t, but he did break in, and Sonny said, but he didn’t destroy it. No way. That meant that bastard framed their grandson.

Nathan called Jason and asked him to come to the PCPD. It was about his son.

Lulu told Dante not to think she’d forgotten her daughter. Charlotte and Rocco knew better, or they should, and neither one of them gave consideration to Dante being Police Commissioner or that their grandmother was mayor. Dante said, they did. They used the debate as a diversion. She said she thought what was troubling her was there being a pattern. Rocco had lied to them before about keeping in touch with Charlotte, who protected him. Dante said, and he met with Obrecht, and she said, and now Britt. And Charlotte was there every step of the way. He said they’d address that later on. Right now, they had to get Rocco out, which may involve Danny and Charlotte. Nathan came in, and Lulu asked if Rocco was okay, but Nathan said it was about Charlotte.

Sonny said he was able to get the information from Turner that Dalton came to her privately with pictures of the damage, and Laura said, Dalton never once mentioned it when he was trying to get Danny arrested. Did he know if the PCPD had looked into it? He said, not yet, and she asked how charges were filed if the police hadn’t verified everything. He said, Turner told him that she had to come forward fast because things were rolling really good. Ignoring it would mean she favored Rocco. Laura said, whose grandmother was the mayor and father was the Police Commissioner, and he said, it was a bad look. Turner felt like she had to pursue it despite the plea deal. Laura asked if he trusted Ric, and he said, most of the time, no, but he did with the Rocco situation. Ric was hellbent on making peace with him and right now nothing was more important than getting Rocco home safe.

Alexis said, finding out Drew was holding the test results over Portia’s head explained the fallout between Curtis and Drew, and Ric said it would be one helluva bomb shell in court. It would cast doubt on Willow’s guilt and blow the case out of the water. She was welcome. Now it was her turn. Was she ready to talk to Danny about Rocco?

Marco told Sidwell that Dalton proved he’d take matters into his own hands when he felt wronged. All the more reason not to anger him more by taking him away from the research. He’d seen too much. Sidwell said Dalton may be privy to their intel, but if he went away, so did their problems. They heard the door and Britt came in. She asked to speak to Sidwell alone, and Marco said, of course (🍷). He left, and Sidwell wondered what he was accused of this time. She said she’d been the backbone of the operation. She came to Sidwell when Dalton wanted to double-cross him and given him everything. And her reward had been watching Sidwell help Dalton railroad an innocent kid.

Charlotte told Danny that it was one thing to talk about it, but being in an interrogation room made it all too real. The possibility of going to juvie was hitting her. Danny said it was worth it. It was only fair to sacrifice for Rocco doing the same. Nathan came back with Jason, Dante, and Lulu.

Jack asked how Carly knew he was there. Was her staff spying on him? Since they were being honest, did she really come across the wine by accident? Carly said, the wine wasn’t in the MetroCourt wine cellar. She had her sommelier hunt it down in case she needed an excuse. He said, not ever, and she said she did, because she didn’t have the guts to come and tell him that she was ready to put everything behind them. He took her glass out of her hand, set it aside, and knelt down in front of her. He said, good. Was she sure? She kissed him.

Nathan said, unfortunately, he was a little rusty on procedure. Danny and Charlotte were minors and needed a parent or guardian present to make a statement. Danny asked if their confessions meant nothing, and Charlotte said they couldn’t trust the police even when they were doing the right thing. Lulu said, at least it was over now, but Danny said now they could confess for real. Jason said, absolutely not, and Lulu said they’d been given a second chance. Dante said, and they weren’t going to let them blow it.  

Alexis told Ric that it was a great strategy, but the witnesses hinged on parental consent. It wouldn’t be easy. Jason called her and told her to come to the PCPD. He was with Danny. She asked what was going on, and he said Danny was determined to go down with Rocco breaking into the lab. Alexis suggested Ric come with her to the PCPD. It looked like they didn’t have to convince Danny to do anything. She thought he was going to confess.

Jack and Carly got busy, when his phone rang. He told the caller that they needed to have the conversation on a secure line. He’d call from the office. Carly said, duty calls? and he said, unfortunately so. She said, okay. Nothing was more important than the WSB. Jack asked if there was any chance she’d be there when he got back, but she said she didn’t think so, but she might come back later tonight. She left.

Laura said the election results were starting to roll in, and Sonny said she had this. She said she appreciated his optimism, and he said he believed in her. So why didn’t they get her reelected, and with any luck, Measure C would burn down in flames. She said it was out of their hands now. That’s how she felt about Rocco. She couldn’t do anything about the election, but she couldn’t stop thinking about him. Sonny said, Rocco might not be there for too long. Dalton could change his story, or somebody could change it for him.

An officer told Dante that Ric was in his office and said it was important. Dante and Lulu left, and Laura came in with Alexis. Jason said he’d called Alexis because Danny refused to let it go, and Alexis said she’d been hoping not to have this conversation with Danny. Never speak to the police without an attorney present. And by attorney, she meant either her or Diane. She asked to speak to Danny in private, but Danny said he had to do this. He got that they were trying to protect him, but Rocco was in trouble. He wanted to take full responsibility for his part. Alexis said that was admirable, and Danny said Rocco would do the same for him.  He knew it was what his mom would want. Jason said it was his choice. (I like Jason more as time goes on.)

Sidwell said he’d just learned the extent of Dalton’s actions, and Britt said he was just behind in the backstabbing. Sidwell said he’d never sanction such recklessness. It would bring attention to their work from the authorities. He was becoming more unruly. Britt said she guessed she wasn’t surprised that Dalton was doing stupid things, and Sidwell said Dalton was doing it on his own. She said she was relieved he had nothing to do with it and Sidwell said he was as unpleasantly surprised as she was, but for a different reason. Rocco could have ruined their project and uncovered evidence of what they were hiding. She said he wouldn’t have understood it even if he found it, and Sidwell asked if she thought Rocco would connect anything, but she said she didn’t think Rocco even knew she worked there. She’d never breathe a word to anyone, but Dalton made it personal. Even though Rocco wasn’t technically her son, he meant more to her than any of this. He said, meaning? and she said he had to put Dalton on a leash and get him to drop the charges today or she’d torch the entire operation.  

Ric told Lulu and Dante, as far as he knew, Rocco was okay, and he had a way to save him.

Alexis told Danny, when it was a misdemeanor, it made sense, and Danny said, quit protecting him. Charlotte asked if it was better that one fall than all three.

Ric said Dalton escalated this using manufactured evidence. Now Rocco was facing felony charges that could land him in a juvenile facility and give him a record that could follow him for the rest of his life.

Alexis said, if Danny and Charlotte both came forward and corroborated Rocco’s story, they’d prove Dalton’s was a fabrication.

Ric said they’d establish Dalton’s story was false and force him to be prosecuted for a false report and obstruction of justice.

Alexis said, they’d turn the tables and make Dalton the defendant.

Wednesday:

Just the Meat🥩and Potatoes🥔because, see Wicked: For Good Below.

Josslyn met Vaughn at the Brown Dog and told her to shake a tipsy Dalton down for information.

Sidwell told Britt that he was her savior. Without the medicine, what kind of life would she have?

Alexis told Danny and Charlotte to tell the truth.

Sonny joined Dante and Lulu, and Ric told Sonny his strategy. Dante didn’t want to sacrifice Danny and Charlotte.

Laura told Jordan that if protecting Rocco cost her the election, she’d spend her last few hours doing as much as she could for him. Boyle had taken an early lead.

Gio wondered if Rocco felt the same way Dante did, but Emma told him to stop blaming himself.

Josslyn provided a sympathetic ear to Dalton, who said, animals were a tool. (I said he was a tool.) He didn’t do any testing on campus after what had happened in California. He did all of his important work in a lab that PCU knew nothing about.

Britt said, one minute she was dying in her mother’s arms, and the next she woke up at the Five Poppies. Sidwell said she’d been saved and all he asked in return was that she finish her father’s work. He asked how much she’d told Jason.

Alexis asked Nathan what he thought about Danny and Charlotte’s confession, and he said they’d be good witnesses if their parents allowed it.

Ric said Alexis agreed with him. If it went to trial, odds were the jury would believe Danny and Charlotte. Sonny asked Dante and Lulu to hear Ric out.

Josslyn urged Dalton to talk more, saying he could win a Nobel prize. He told her there were no neighbors near his secret lab, so they couldn’t hear the dogs barking, but he wasn’t a monster. Josslyn said she never thought he was. Gio and Emma came in and saw them.

Alexis talked to Jason, who agreed that Danny’s mom would want him to do what was right.

Charlotte told Danny that she wanted to go over the story, since what they’d told Nathan couldn’t be used. She wanted to make sure Rocco walked and Dalton paid.

Emma thought Josslyn was trying to get her research position back, and Josslyn suggested she and Dalton leave. He asked if she wanted to try out the comfy couch in his lab, when Gio asked if Josslyn wanted to have a drink with them, and she told Dalton that she’d be right back. Emma told Josslyn about Rocco and told Dalton that he should be locked up instead of Rocco.

Laura apologized to Jordan for not touching base, but Jordan said she’d failed to find anything illegal Sidwell was doing. Drew came by and told Laura it was obvious a new mayor had been chosen by the voters. Jordan said he was premature and wondered what had happened to Drew. Most people took stock after a near-death experience, and she hoped he took a hard look at himself. Drew was dismissive of her, and Laura said she wanted a word alone with the congressman.

Emma wondered why she never got in the lab. She knew Dalton was doing something wrong like he did at the old university. She told him that she was behind both break-ins and when he threatened her, she threw her drink on him.

Britt said she’d told Jason nothing, and Sidwell said Jason couldn’t save her from the bomb in her DNA. Only he could.

Charlotte wanted to destroy Dalton and suggested they say Dalton hit Rocco. Danny agreed, and Charlotte practiced a convincing argument. He said her parents had no idea how much trouble she was.

Sonny said he thought the only way to set Rocco free was for Danny and Charlotte to confess, and Alexis said Jason was on board. Lulu said she couldn’t sacrifice one of her children for another, and Dante said he’d follow her lead. Alexis said they could see what happened with Danny, and Lulu went to talk to Charlotte.

Laura said if she lost the office, it would be up to Drew to protect the people of Port Charles. He wanted her to endorse Ezra, but she said he was in Sidwell’s pocket. Drew flashed back to Sidwell saying Drew would do his bidding. From now on Drew worked for him. Step out of line and his life would go down. Drew told Laura that Sidwell’s record was spotless and she turned a blind eye to Sonny’s. Laura said she believed Drew was motivated by pure spite against Sonny Jason and Michael.

Vaughn wanted to speak with Dalton alone and suggested he come to the station and straighten things out. Dalton agreed, and Vaughn said if he was even late, an armed agent would be sent to get him. Dalton left and Vaughn followed. Emma asked if the WSB had been investigating Dalton the whole time.

Jason thanked Nathan for protecting the kids. Jason said he respected Danny’s decision, but Charlotte couldn’t do anything without her mom’s okay. Lulu fretted to Nathan about the possibility of things going wrong.

Sonny said Turner would claim the kids were lying, and Alexis said, that’s where forensics came in. Dante said they had a great legal team, and Ric said all they needed was reasonable doubt. He wanted to make Dalton lose it on the stand.

Lulu told Charlotte that Rocco was fine and Danny’s word might be enough, but Charlotte said she had to do this for Rocco. Trust her.

Britt said she’d felt trapped, but wouldn’t let Dalton ruin Rocco’s life. Dalton ran in and said the WSB was after him now.

Josslyn said Vaughn had lied to her too, and Emma said none of this had to happen because he was already on the WSB radar. Rocco getting locked up was for nothing. Josslyn said it wasn’t.

Laura said she’d been thrilled when Drew was elected, but she hadn’t expected him to abuse his power by going after people he didn’t like. He said she’d appointed her ex-son-in-law as acting Police Commissioner, but she said Dante was the next best senor detective on the force after Mac. He said she constantly supported Sonny, when accusing him of promoting his personal interests. She was no better than him.

Jordan said the race was about to be called and showed Laura her phone. Jordan said, congratulations. Four more years.

Josslyn told Emma and Gio that Dalton had another lab. She had respect for Emma. She left and Gio said the WSB would find Dalton’s hidden lab. Outside, Josslyn met Vaughn, who said, good job with Dalton, and kissed her.

Lulu agreed to Charlotte turning herself in, and Jason said he was proud of both of them. Nathan said they were free to go, but how did they get the key fob? Danny said they took it from Britt’s purse.

Sonny didn’t like the odds, but Ric told him not to give in to the temptation to help out. Sonny said, no Dalton, no case, but Ric said their strategy would work.

Britt said Sidwell needed to cut Dalton loose, and Sidwell said Dalton had become a liability. Britt said Dalton was a useless tool. He was sloppy and lied. Who needed that? Sidwell agreed and shot him.

Thursday:

At Windymere, Dalton harangued Sidwell about getting the WSB to back off him, and Britt said he’d lied to the PCPD, trashed his lab to frame a teenage kid, and put their operation at risk to throw a tantrum. Sidwell said he was a liability, but Dalton argued that he was an asset. Britt said he was a useless tool and she could do his work and her own. He was sloppy and lied. Who needed him? Sidwell said he had to agree and shot Dalton. Britt asked why he did that, and Sidwell said he took her advice and cut him loose.

Lulu congratulated Laura, and Laura asked how Rocco was. Lulu said he hated being in juvenile detention. She hated it more, but Alexis and Ric had a strategy that could make this go away. It was risky and involved… Boyle walked in and said Laura thought she’d won, but he wasn’t going down without a fight.

Willow went to see Alexis and said she wanted to take a more active role in her defense.

Nina met Chase at the Brown Dog, and he said he wanted to learn more about her new assistant.

At the MetroCourt, Michael gave Jacinda a picture of a spider that Wiley drew for her. Sonny came over to the table and asked if Michael was going to introduce him to his friend.

At a table nearby, Ava and Marco waited for Lucas. Ava said if Marco ever broke Lucas’s heart, they’d have a serious problem.

Carly got in the elevator with Lucas, and he said he was dining there with Marco, but if it was an issue, they’d leave.

Britt tried CPR, but Sidwell said she was wasting her time. Dalton was dead before he hit the ground.

Laura said the voters had spoken and Boyle lost. Try to be gracious about it. Boyle said the voters were idiots. She’d said her grandson was more important than they were, and the fools voted for her anyway. She said she stood up for her grandson, and he said her grandson broke into the lab and she’d pressured Dalton to drop the incident. She reminded him about due process, and he said Rocco would get what he deserved. She asked if he didn’t have a concession speech to write, and he said Sonny bought Laura the election.

Michael introduced Jacinda to Sonny, and Sonny said Michael spoke highly of her. He told Michael that the voters of Port Charles had done the right thing, and Michael asked if he had an update on Measure C. Sonny said it was too close to call, but it would be nice if they got two miracles in one night.

Alexis suggested it was better that Willow do nothing, but Willow said it was hard to sit back. Alexis said it was best for her to stay out of trouble and away from the spotlight. Stay away from Michael and the kids. Willow said she’d already screwed up that last part. She’d found out Nina was at the MetroCourt Gardens with Wiley, but saw Michael, her son, and Michael’s alibi acting like the perfect little family.

Ava said she and Lucas had connected during his stay with her, and Marco said he understood, but Lucas might be the best thing that ever happened to him. He’d never do anything to hurt Lucas and would do everything in his power to make Lucas happy.

On the phone Sidwell asked someone to come upstairs. He seemed to have made a mess. Britt said he murdered Dalton just like that, and he said, you’re welcome. She said she wasn’t thanking him. She’d wanted him to pay Dalton off and let him leave. He said she must have known she’d sealed Dalton’s fate when she ratted him out. This is what happened when you betrayed him. It’s what happened when you became more trouble than you were worth.

Chase said Jacinda was an odd choice for assistant, and Nina said she wasn’t talking without a lawyer. Chase said he wasn’t there as a cop, but as Willow’s friend. It was off the record. He wanted to help her daughter and clear her name. She said, one way was to invalidate Michael’s alibi. The only reason she’d hired Jacinda was because Michael forced her to.

Jacinda said she’d met Michael’s son and dad, and Michael said she’d been great with both. She said, it was so easy, sometimes she forgot it was pretend. Was their fake relationship feeling like it was getting pretty serious?

Laura said Boyle tried to use her connection to Sonny, but the voters saw through it. It was time to give it up. Lulu said, speaking of that, could she get a preview of his concession speech and reaction to the election results? He said, go to hell, and she asked if she could quote him. He said it wasn’t over, but Laura said the voters had rejected him and his toxic politics. A tantrum wouldn’t change that. She steered him out the door, telling him to go tantrum all he wanted, but not there. She slammed the door behind him.

Carly said Lucas and Marco didn’t have to leave, and apologized for what she’d said earlier. Lucas said he’d meant what he said. If she couldn’t accept Marco as a part of his life, he’d have to cut her out. The elevator door opened.

Carly sat down with Sonny, and he asked if she’d seen their son with Jacinda. Carly said she was distracted. It was weird in the elevator with Lucas and if she didn’t keep her big mouth shut, she may lose her brother.

Marco asked Lucas if everything was okay, and Ava said, it was his sister, wasn’t it? Carly had a lot of nerve, having a problem with them moving in together. Lucas said he hoped that Carly would see they were happy and they’d figure out a way to repair their relationship. Right now, he had no bandwidth to fight. He thought he was going to enjoy living in Windymere again.

Sidwell told Britt that he’d hired Pascal as his new butler, and she said Pascal strapped a bomb to her ankle and threatened her. Pascal said, it was nothing personal, and she said, it was annoying. Sidwell said Pascal had his uses. He wanted Pascal to escort her home. She was shaken up and he’d hate for her to do anything unwise.

Willow told Alexis that she couldn’t believe Michael exposed her son to a sex worker. She had to help prove her innocence. Alexis said if she wanted to help, it was simple. Tell her where she was when Drew was shot.

Chase suggested Michael and Jacinda had a quid pro quo arrangement and asked how Nina and Jacinda met. Nina said, when she was co-owner of the hotel, she saw Jacinda on dates, and he asked if she checked into a room. Nina said, often enough. She had to kick Jacinda out lest the hotel get a reputation. He said she knew Jacinda would be open to being paid for unconventional services, and she said she saw Jacinda with Boyle and knew she was the type of girl Drew would go for.

Jacinda told Michael that she loved working at Crimson. Nina resented her, but there was nothing she could do about it, so she was learning what she could until Nina got rid of her. He said Nina wouldn’t get rid of her, and she said she thought she was slowly earning Nina’s respect on the job. He said maybe it was her true calling, and she said it hadn’t happened because she hadn’t been given the opportunity. Boyle came by and asked why she hadn’t returned his calls.

Carly said she couldn’t stand by and watch Lucas get hurt, but Sonny said Lucas was crazy about the guy. Nothing she could say would change his mind. She said he knew Sidwell was dangerous, and he said they were still close. Her association with him came with a certain amount of risk. It almost cost Laura the election. Thank God she won.

Laura asked about the plan to free Rocco, and Lulu said, Alexis and Ric wanted Charlotte and Danny to come forward. They were hoping the corroboration of Rocco’s story along with the trace DNA would prove Dalton trashed his own lab and framed Rocco. She was proud that the kids wanted to help, but worried about the risk, and Laura said cover-ups rarely worked out and usually did more damage when the truth came out.  

Britt said she wasn’t going anywhere with Pascal and could get home fine on her own, but Sidwell said he insisted. She said, fine, and gave her keys to Pascal. She asked what Sidwell was going to do with the professor, and he said he believed Dalton still had some use.

Lulu told Laura that the decision had been made already and the kids were turning themselves in tomorrow. She prayed it made this nightmare go away. Laura said prison was too good for Dalton, and Lulu said she saw the video of Laura going off on him. Laura said it wasn’t one of her prouder moments, but he’d crossed the line and she couldn’t stand by and let it happen.

Michael said it was a private conversation, and Boyle said he’d pay triple what Michael was. Jacinda said Michael wasn’t paying her, and Boyle said the agency told him she wasn’t working there anymore, but a girl like her didn’t do anything for free. Michael got up and said he didn’t want to make a scene. Boyle needed to walk away, or he’d throw him out himself. Jacinda said it was okay. Boyle was an old friend. She told Boyle, sorry, but she’d found a new line of work. No hard feelings. Boyle said, fine, but don’t delete his number. Michael would drop her as quick as he picked her up. He left.

Carly said Lulu was worried about Rocco, and Sonny said him too, but Ric had a solid legal strategy. Carly wondered why Sonny hired Ric, and he said, Ric came to make peace and he gave Ric a chance to prove himself. She said she thought it was the worst mistake ever, but he said his eyes were wide open, but people could change – some for the better, some for the worse. He looked at Michael, and she asked if he was talking about their son. He said Michael had been through hell and back and it changed a person. He wasn’t exactly sure Michael didn’t shoot Drew and frame Willow.  

Chase asked Nina to call if she thought of something helpful, and she thanked him. She asked if he was sure he wouldn’t get in trouble with the department for going against him, but he said it was his job to insure justice was served and he believed Willow was innocent. She said she wasn’t so confident. A huge part of her wanted to shoot Drew too. He said quite a few people felt the same way, but she said, no one else fabricated an alibi for their daughter and made it worse. He promised to do his best to prove Willow innocent.

Willow told Alexis that Nina hurt her with the false alibi, but when she was questioned, she was afraid to contradict Nina. She’d thought it was Nina’s alibi. Alexis asked where she was, and Willow said, the hospital, working. Chase had just told her that the judge charged with her custody case had been murdered. She’d been led to believe the judge was sympathetic to her and she was devastated. So she went for a walk to clear her head, but it started to rain, so she sat in her car looking at pictures of her kids on her phone and crying. Alexis asked if she drove anywhere, and Willow said she’d been too much of a mess to go inside, so she drove, but didn’t go anywhere. Alexis asked if she stopped anywhere, but Willow said, no. She pulled herself together and drove back. She got soaked in the rain, but went back to work. Alexis asked if she drove by Drew’s house, but Willow swore she didn’t go anywhere near it.  

In her room above Bobbie’s, Britt said she was home. Pascal could go now. Pascal said she hadn’t changed. She still thought she was calling the shots. She’d proven she was unreliable and uncooperative. If she’d been more of a team player, he wouldn’t have had to flee the Five Poppies. She said, that wasn’t her fault, and he said she’d been given a second chance and wouldn’t be given a third.  

Laura said she had to finish some work, but Lulu suggested she give herself a night off and enjoy her victory. Laura said she thought Lulu and Charlotte should have some one-on-one time, and Lulu said she was so proud of Laura. They hugged and Lulu left.

Alexis said, the next thing would be Willow being deposed and her testimony being entered. Her whereabouts were the first step to proving her innocence.

Carly asked if Sonny believed Willow over their son, and he said Michael had a lot of reasons to shoot Drew. If he did it, it wasn’t a problem. Carly asked if he had sympathy for Willow, and he said, she made mistakes, but he didn’t think she should hang for something she didn’t do.

Jacinda said, sorry, and Michael said, that guy is a jerk. She said Michael couldn’t afford a public fight when there was a chance Willow could walk free, but he said Boyle had no right to speak to her like that, like she was bought and sold. She asked if that wasn’t what their deal was, when his phone chimed. He said, oh my God.

At the Brown Dog, Boyle ordered a whiskey.

Ava said, her treat, and Lucas said he was grateful she was supportive. She said she was happy for them, but confessed she’d miss their evenings of wine and watching trashy reality. Lucas said that was still happening. This one – he nodded toward Marco – thought he was too good for it. Ava’s phone signaled and she said Nina was on her way, so she was staying there. Marco asked if they should head home, and Lucas agreed.

Britt told Pascal that she’d do her work and keep her head down. She asked him to reiterate that she hadn’t spoken to anyone about their project, and he said, what about Jason Morgan and her mother? She said she knew her medicine would go away if she didn’t pull this off, and he said, what about the incident? She said, as far as she was concerned, she was there all night washing her hair, and he suggested she take an actual shower. There was still blood on her. He knew she was impulsive, but if she got the impulse to confide to anyone, remember they were watching her. He left and she screamed into a pillow.

While she was driving, Laura called Doc. She thanked him for his message and apologized for not getting back to him. It had been one helluva day. She knew it was midnight in Dublin, but wanted him to know his wife was still mayor. She wished he was there. She wanted to thank him for his patience, love, and support. She loved him so much. Call her. It didn’t matter what time. She’d be up. Her car began to wobble, and she said, no, not tonight, and pulled over.

Chase told Boyle, for what it was worth (🍷), he voted for him. Mayor Collins let organized crime run rampant and it was a slap in the face to law abiding citizens. Boyle thanked him and said he had nothing but the utmost respect for law abiding citizens. Would Chase like to join him in a drink? Chase said, yeah.

Willow thanked Alexis and they hugged. Willow said, it wasn’t a good alibi, was it? and Alexis said it wasn’t the best, but it was more believable than Michael’s fabricated alibi. Believability would work in her favor.

Nina joined Ava, and Ava said she didn’t know if they were drowning their sorrows or celebrating good news, but martinis were good for both. (Agreed.) Nina said she did something to help clear Willow, but she had to throw somebody under the bus. She had no choice, but she felt guilty. Jacinda may be the way to obliterate Michael’s alibi.

Sonny asked if Carly wanted to meet Michael’s new friend, but she said there was something she had to take care of first. She looked at a text from Jack asking if he was seeing her tonight.

Sonny went over to Michael’s table, and Michael said he had great news. It wasn’t public yet, but his sources at Aurora told him that Measure C didn’t pass. Sonny could keep his piers.

Marco said, welcome home, and he and Lucas went into the living room where Sidwell was reading. Marco said he thought Sidwell would be glued to the TV about Measure C., but Sidwell said he was trying not to stress about it. Pascal was working hard to put his mind at ease.

Britt took out her medicine and prepared a shot. As she was about to plunge in the syringe, her hand started to shake and she flashed back to Sidwell shooting Dalton. She sat on the floor and cried.

Laura got out of the car and discovered a screw had punctured a tire. She remembered she had flares in the trunk and opened it. She moved a tarp and revealed a dead Dalton. She backed away and screamed.

🫔 Friday’s Enchilada…

Laura opened her trunk and wondered, what on earth is this mess? She moved a tarp, uncovering Dalton’s dead body, and gasped.

There was a knock at Britt’s door, and she opened it to Jason He asked if it was too late, but she told him, come in. She asked if he’d believe her if she said she was glad to see him… What’s wrong? He said he had news about Rocco.

At the Brown Dog, Molly said she couldn’t believe Kristina had convinced her to come out again, and Kristina said, it only took a gazillion phone calls and messages. What case was so important she couldn’t steal away for an hour and have a drink with her sister? Molly said, first of all, it was never going be just an hour, and Kristina said, fair. Molly said, secondly, it wasn’t a case. Kristina assumed work was her whole life and that wasn’t true. She had plenty of other things going on. Kristina said, really? Like what? Oh wait. Hobbies? Molly said she had creative outlets and passions that Kristina didn’t even know about, when Cody walked in. Kristina asked him to come have a drink with them.

Sonny told Gio to have a seat and asked why he looked upset. What was going on? Gio said, Dante didn’t want him as his son, but Sonny said, that’s not true. Gio said it was, and it wasn’t going to change.

At the hospital on the phone with Tracy, Brook said everything was fine. She was fine; Chase was fine. Just enjoy her trip and know that they love her. They’ll talk soon. She leaned on a door and Michael put his hand on her shoulder.

Chase went to Alexis’s office and said he was driving by and took s chance that she’d be here. She said she was on her way out. Could it wait until tomorrow? He said, not really, but he promised to make it quick and worth her time, and she said, it sounds intriguing. What did he have? He said, Michael gave the police a false alibi and he could prove it.

Laura freaked out, saying, oh God… Professor Dalton… Oh my God. She touched the pulse point on Dalton’s neck and said, oh God. No, no, no.

Kristina asked how Outback was doing, and Cody said she was doing great. She’s grooved in. She was now friends with Hades and they were plotting something. Thanks for asking. Molly asked if he’d gone on any hikes lately and found any dads fleeing Ayahuasca cults, and he said, no. So far, just hers. She said she honestly couldn’t believe he rescued her father. She just couldn’t imagine what would have happened if he hadn’t been in the woods. He asked, how’s Ric? and she said, amazing. He’s been so positive and emotionally available since he’s been back. She was seeing him now more than ever, all thanks to Cody. Cody said, it was nothing, but Molly said, it was everything. He said, seriously, he was just in the right place at the right time, and she asked why he refused to take credit for the wonderful things he did.

Chase said, Jacinda Bracken was still working as an escort the night of Drew’s shooting, and Alexis said, relevance? He said, just that it’s possible she could have taken a job that night and Ezra hired her before. Alexis asked how he knew, and he said, Nina Reeves told him that she’d seen them together a couple times at the MetroCourt. Alexis said she was going to stop him there, because Nina would do anything to exonerate her daughter. She’d already given Willow a false alibi and made everything worse. He said, but he got confirmation, and she said, that Jacinda and Ezra were together the night that Drew was shot? From whom? He said, Ezra himself.

Britt asked if Rocco was okay, and Jason said, he was fine. Ric came up with a new legal strategy. They were going to turn the tables on Dalton. She flashed back to Sidwell shooting Dalton and asked how they were going to do that. He said, Danny and Charlotte were coming forward tomorrow morning, and she said, they’re going to turn themselves in? He said, yeah. They were going to say they broke into the lab with Rocco, but they didn’t destroy the lab. It was in perfect condition when they left. She said it sounded straightforward enough. Alexis was in agreement? He said, yeah. She believed this was Rocco’s best chance. Britt said, okay then. That’s what they should do. She thanked him for coming back to fill her in, and he said he knew how much she cared about Rocco, and she said, he might be the only one. Was there something else? He said Danny and Charlotte stole the key fob from her purse. Why did she have the key to Dalton’s lab?

Michael said, it’s not Ned, is it? and Brook said, no. Her dad was doing great. He said, thank God for that, and she said she was just talking to her grandmother… actually lying to her. Mostly by omission, but still, it was Tracy’s son and she would not be happy to find out. He said, with any luck, Ned would be out of the hospital by the time Tracy got home. She had to understand that even if she was here, there was nothing she could do about it. Brook said he made it sound so reasonable, but it was Tracy… He said, so be prepared for anything, and she said she loved Tracy and knew she had the best of intentions, but she would just stress Olivia out and try to take over her dad’s care. He said, and give the doctors a hard time, and she said, Olivia doesn’t need that, not after everything she’d been through. He said, Brook had been through a lot too, and she said she’d been terrified for her father, but he was okay. He made it and could only improve his health from here. Michael said she still seemed so upset. Why? She said she couldn’t stand it. Her heart was breaking over Dante and Gio.  

Sonny said it was amazing how Gio came clean with Dante. That must not have been easy. Gio said, Dante was Rocco’s father and deserved to know what happened and he did rope Rocco into the whole thing. Sonny said he assumed Dante wasn’t happy, and Gio said, he’s furious.  Sonny said, especially after what happened last spring, and Gio said, Dante was back to his old opinion of him, except now it was worse because this time he wasn’t looking out for his brother. Back then, he was just a random kid. Sonny said, he wasn’t just some random kid and things were a little more complicated than that. There were moving pieces he wasn’t considering. Gio said, those moving pieces didn’t matter because Dante wasn’t wrong. He let Rocco down, and Dante had every right to be angry. Sonny said, once Rocco was out of the detention center and time passed, Dante would be fine, but Gio said he didn’t think so. Sonny said, he was with the alcohol poisoning, but Gio said this felt different though. Sonny hadn’t seen him. Dante wasn’t mad at what he did. It was like Dante was more mad with who he was. Sonny told him, things were said because things got heated in the moment. That’s what parents did with children when they worried and the worry came off as anger. Gio said there was nothing between him and Dante. Dante was his biological father, but that’s where it ended. Sonny said Dante knew Gio was his son and loved him with all his heart, but Gio said he just felt bad. He didn’t want to put Sonny in the middle or make him choose sides. Sonny said he wasn’t choosing sides, and he was glad Gio came and talked to him. He wanted Gio to know that, no matter what, he could love his son and his grandson at the same time.

Laura said, oh my God, and flashed back to saying Dalton was trying to frame her grandson for a crime he didn’t commit and it wouldn’t end well for him. She closed the trunk and hyperventilated. She took out her phone and scrolled through the numbers. She said, Doc couldn’t help her. He was in Dublin… Okay. She made a call and Alexis’s outgoing message said, sorry, I can’t come to the phone. Laura said, dammit… Ugh… She looked at her car, then made another call. She said, hi. I’m in trouble… I’m out on Route 23… I don’t know what marker… Yes, mile It’s mile 8… Okay. She ended to call and said, oh my God. She got back into the car, cried, and banged on the steering wheel, saying, no, no, no, no, no.

Chase said he was at the Brown Dog, when who walked in but the one and only Ezra Boyle, and Alexis said, thank God there was only one of them. Was that tonight? He said, yeah. After Boyle lost the election, he was drowning his sorrows. She said she was really glad Laura won because she was worried when Boyle was ahead in the polls for that hot second, and Chase told her it was fair to say Boyle did not take the news well. He thought it was an opportunity to learn something and sat next to him and they got to chatting. Alexis asked if Boyle opened up to him, and Chase said, he did. He told Boyle that he voted for him and bought him a drink. Boyle trusted him, so he bought him a few more and Boyle told him his tale of woe. She said, and Jacinda was part of the tale? and he said, she was. After losing what Boyle said was a rigged election, he needed some TLC from his old girlfriend as consolation. She said, Jacinda is his old girlfriend? and Chase said, she’s something. When Boyle ran into her, he was run off by Michael Corinthos. Alexis said that was all well and good, but didn’t refute Michael’s alibi, and he said, it did if the last time they hooked up was the night Drew Cain got shot.

Brook told Michael that she wasn’t saying Gio shouldn’t take responsibility for his part in getting Danny, Rocco, and Charlotte in trouble, but he had. It was obvious he’d never meant for them to break into the lab. Michael said he got it. Sometimes parents were so worried about their kid, the other person’s intentions didn’t matter. She said, Dante was entitled to his anger. She would never say anything different, but when he got angry, Michael should have seen the way he went after Gio. He didn’t have a shred of empathy or attempt to understand. Gio tried to explain himself, but Dante wouldn’t hear it. At the end, he ended up saying some pretty awful things. Michael said he was sorry. It must have been hard to watch. She said she didn’t think she’d ever be able to forget it. All she wanted to do is wrap her arms around Gio and tell him everything was okay, but she couldn’t. There was absolutely nothing she could do.

Britt asked if Jason pretended to care about her just to get what he wanted, and he said, believe him or not, he did care about her. She said, when it suited him, but when he was needed elsewhere, bye. This was her room and she needed him to leave. He said, okay. He would after she told him what she knew about Dalton. He had something to do with her work at the Five Poppies and now she was here in Port Charles with the key fob to the guy’s lab. Obviously, she and Dalton were working together.

Nathan pulled up behind Laura, who noticed blood on her wrist. She said, dammit, and looked for something to wipe it off with. Nathan came up to the window and asked if she was okay, and she said, yes.

Michael tells Brook, not all fathers and sons have effortless relationships. In fact, he’d venture to say most probably don’t. It took work, the constant drawing and redrawing of the boundaries all the time. Look at him and his dad. She says she knows he and Sonny had… could they call it challenging times? and he says, let’s call them that, but the thing that made the biggest difference for him was his mom. Brook says, how so? and he says, the thing between him and his dad, even at their worst, he always knew they’d wind up being okay because of his mom’s support. Before she said he sounded hypocritical, keeping Willow away from Wiley and Amelia, Willow isn’t the kind of mother the kids could count on the way he counted on his. He wished things were different, but that was just the reality of his situation. But it didn’t have to be with her. She asks if he thinks she can do for Gio what Carly did for him, and he says, just do it. Reach out to Gio. She says, in person, on the phone, text? She doesn’t know what to say that would mean anything. He says he thinks she’ll be fine, but she says she’s paralyzed. He knows her and this has never been her. But when it comes to Gio, she’s terrified of doing something wrong that will push him further away than he already is. He says, she’s right. He does know her. That’s why he has faith she’ll figure it all out. She says she’s glad one of them does, and he says he’s thirsty. He’s going to the cafeteria to get a smoothie. She says, that would be great, and he says he’ll be right back. She thanks him for listening and talking her off the ledge. Or trying to. He says he’s been leaning on family a lot lately and it feels good to do something for someone else, especially her, and he leaves.

Alexis says she sees Chase had given a lot of effort here, and he says he wants to help Willow. She says she just wishes it would do the trick, but he knows she can’t put him on the stand, and he says, hearsay. She says, yeah. She’d have to depose Ezra, who will say Chase is making up the story. Even if by some miracle, he said Chase was telling the truth, she’d have to depose Jacinda, who wouldn’t confirm it. He says she doesn’t have to depose anyone. He’s a detective. He’ll get proof.

Kristina says, there’s Jacinda, who she’s going to go talk to now. She leaves, and Cody says, not the master of subtlety, is she? Molly says, never quite has been, but that doesn’t stop her from trying though.

Kristina approaches Jacinda and says, hey. She tells Jacinda that it’s great to see her and she’s been meaning to reach out. How is she doing? Jacinda says, busy, but good busy. How is it going with the Charlie’s restoration? Kristina says, actually, really bad. They uncovered some pretty bad structural damage after the fire, so the whole building has to be razed. Jacinda says, so she won’t be reopening ever? and Kristina says, nope. Jacinda says she’s so sorry, and Kristina says her too. She’s trying to be positive. Looking at it as one door closing and another opening. Some days she’s better at it than others. Jacinda says, of course (🍷) she is, but that’s a smart way to look at it. Kristina says, yeah. Do her a favor. Speaking of opening doors, could Jacinda laugh like she just said something really funny? Jacinda laughs, then asks why she’s doing this. Kristina says she’s trying to give those dummies a moment. She looks toward Kristina and Cody and says, they’re totally crushing on each other and they have no idea. Not yet anyway.

Britt says she doesn’t owe Jason an explanation, but he says, whatever was going on at the Five Poppies almost got her and Josslyn killed. She says, and obviously he’s still mixed up in it , and he says, she works with Dalton and he knows she’s in trouble. He wants to help. She laughs, and he says, but she can’t keep him in the dark like this. He wants to help. She says, if she tells him, she has to know he’ll put her first. She has to know that it’s worth her risking her life.

Laura tells Nathan that she’s fine. She’s tired a bit overwhelmed. He says she’s been underneath a rough campaign, and she says, it’s been a lot. She’s supposed to be congratulating her team right now and got a flat tire and… He says, one thing too many, and she says, yeah. He says she should be out celebrating, not stuck with a flat. She’s got a spare, right? He moves toward the trunk and she jumps out of the car. Sonny says, hello, officer… Mayor Collins. Is she in some kind of trouble?

Gio comes out of the elevator and sees Brook. He starts to avoid her, but she says, hey. He says, hey. Is Michael here? She says, yeah. He’ll be right back. He went to the cafeteria to get something. He asks if everything is okay with Ned, and she says, better than okay. He’s doing great. Gio says, that’s such a relief, and she says, it really is. If he doesn’t want to hang around, she’ll give Michael a message. He says he’ll wait. Sonny asked him to come by. He said Michael needed him, but he wasn’t sure what for. She says she thinks he meant she needed Gio.

Cody asks if Molly’s sister is coming back, but Molly says she doesn’t know. From look of it, she and Michael’s girlfriend get along like gangbusters. He says, she’s quite the looker, and Molly says, ya think? He says he means if you’re into that whole vibe… and Molly says, okay. When she first met Jacinda, she was a little skeptical. He says, how come? and she says she thought Michael had gotten himself an alibi. He says, it would have been one of her easier jobs, and Molly says, that’s what she thought too, but she doesn’t know. She guesses that sometimes you meet people under unusual circumstances, for the wrong reasons sometimes, and it turns out there’s just something about them. He says, they end up seeing the best in you, even if you can’t see it yourself.

Sonny says, when he called Laura, he knew she was upset. She said she had a flat? Give him two minutes and he’ll have it changed. Congratulations. He’s sure the last thing she expected was to be on the side of the road. Isn’t she supposed to be celebrating? Laura tells Nathan that she told Sonny she was in trouble, and Sonny says he has a bunch of tow trucks, but since it’s a flat, he’ll change it himself.  He was in the area and takes pride in changing a tire. Laura laughs unnaturally, and Nathan says, weird, but between the two of them, they’ll have it changed in no time. His phone rings, and he says, Detective West… Yeah. He’s got it… He’s on his way. Sonny says, duty calls? and Nathan says he hates leaving. He can call for back-up… Sonny says he wants to prove he can change a tire in two minutes, and Nathan asks if he’s sure. Laura says, positive, and Nathan says, all right. He’ll be on his way. Congratulations again. He leaves, and Sonny says, what are we dealing with here?

Gio asks what he can do, and Brook says, he could stay and listen. She promises not to take too long. He says, okay, and sits with her. She says, he needs to know that Dante doesn’t speak for her. She believes him. She knows he was just trying to help Emma save those animals. Period. He never meant for Rocco to get into trouble and there’s no way he could have guessed Rocco would. Gio says, no, he wouldn’t have gotten Rocco involved if he’d known, and she says, he was just doing the right thing and it went sideways. He’s not the first person that’s happened to and definitely won’t be the last. She knows he had the best intention. He says, it wasn’t enough though, was it? Someone still got hurt. She says, sometimes, they do… What is it? He says, just her saying that about trying to do good and having things go in a way you never saw coming. It’s kind of like when she gave him up.  

Chase tells Alexis that he’ll bring Ezra in on solicitation. He’ll have cause to question him. He’ll get a statement that proves Michael’s alibi is false. Alexis says, disproving Michael’s alibi does not exonerate Willow, but he says he doesn’t see how it can be anything but good for Willow’s case. She says she just wants to be clear. What he’s doing is risky. He has every right legally to question Ezra, but if he does, he’ll be wading into murky territory, especially given his history with Willow. Boyle is a former mayoral candidate. He asks if that puts him above the law, and she says, of course (🍷) it doesn’t, but he has allies in local, state, and federal government and they can be undercut if he says he was deposed against his will. Chase asks if she’s saying they can’t use it, but she tells him that she’s saying it’s not a slam dunk. And is it worth his career?

Cody asks how Molly’s lariat research is going, and she says she got what she needed and she’s on to the next subject. He says, which is? and she says, country music. She didn’t grow up listening to it and isn’t familiar with the genre. He says, which one? and she says, which one what? He says, there are a lot of different styles of country music. There’s bluegrass, there’s pop and rock, there’s folk… He can go on and on. She asks, which one can you dance to? and he says, why don’t they give this one a try? He gets up and holds out his hand. He bows to her, and she takes his hand. They dance, and she says, it’s not that bad. He says, right. It’s not that bad.

Gio says Brook couldn’t know what her mother and grandmother would do, and she says, the fact that he was down the block the whole time, but right. There’s no way she could have known what her ma and grandmother would do. Just like he couldn’t have known the kids were going to break into the lab. Can she ask him something? He nods, and she says, if Rocco told Gio what he was going to do, what would he have said? He tells her that he would have said, absolutely not. Then he would have gone to PCU and made sure the kids went nowhere near the lab. She says, that’s the thing. Rocco didn’t tell him. He can’t know what he doesn’t know. She puts her hand on his and he covers it with his other hand.

Sonny opens Laura’s trunk, and they look at each other.

Jason says Britt can trust him, and she says, if she tells him the truth, he has to stick around, no matter what. She cries, and his phone rings. He sees it’s Sonny, and she says, now that’s impeccable timing. Go on. He’s got to take that, doesn’t he? He says, what’s up?… Sonny says he needs Jason to handle something for him, and Jason says, right now? Sonny says he wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. He’ll send Jason the location. Jason says, okay. Understood. Britt opens the door and says, go. He knows he has to. He says, sorry, and she closes the door behind him.

Sonny says, Laura did the right thing by calling him. Now they’ve gotta go. Laura says, what about her car? and he says, don’t worry. He needs to think about this. Give him a minute… Listen to him. Getting to her car and putting a body in her trunk is like kicking over the first domino. And now the rest are falling. Does she understand what he’s saying? They’ve gotta go. She says, okay, and they walk off.

Alexis asks if Chase has voiced concerns to the precinct, and he says, yes. She says, great. Then he’s done his duty. He voiced his opinion. Let it be heard and overruled. He says, no, because it’s not right, and she says, he’s taking an enormous risk, but he says, Willow’s freedom is worth it.

Brook tells Gio that she’s all for taking responsibility. It was a hard-fought lesson for her, but she finally learned it. He asks, how? and she says, life, experiences. You don’t stop growing up when you turn 18. She’s still learning. He says he guesses they all are, and she says, which makes her even prouder that he owned up to his part in what happened. That takes guts. He says he messed up and owning it doesn’t change anything, and she says, wouldn’t it be great if it did? He’s allowed to have regrets, but not allowed to blame himself. It was Rocco’s choice that night. Dante was scared and lashed out. He was wrong and she has no problem saying so. He says he bets she won’t. Thanks, mom. They hug, and Michael sees them and smiles.

Cody and Molly dance, and she moves closer to him, putting her head on his shoulder.

Britt gets in bed and pulls up the covers. She flashes back to Sidwell telling her, let this be a lesson. This is what happens when you betray me. This is what happens when you become more trouble than you’re worth. She hugs her pillow and cries.

Jason changes the tire on Laura’s car. He gets in, starts the car, and drives off.

Back home, Laura cries and tells Sonny that she’s supposed to go congratulate her team, but she can’t do that now. He says, she was planning to do that, right? and she says, it didn’t go the way it was supposed to tonight. He says, listen, if somebody wants a hug or a handshake from the mayor, it doesn’t really matter at this point, and she says she knows. It’s just that when she saw Dalton’s body in her trunk, it’s like she got frozen. And she knew she should call the police, but she just stood there. He says, listen to him. Anybody that sees a dead body gets shaken up. Did she handle the body? She says she went to see if he had a pulse. She had to check. There was blood on her. He says, good thing the body is gone. She can’t ever have Dalton tied to her car. She asks what she should do, and he says, her car will be in her driveway tomorrow morning, after it’s been detailed. Dalton is gonna disappear for good, never to be seen again. She says she can’t do this, but he says, yes, she can. Look at him. Somebody is trying to make trouble for her. She says she knows, and he says, somebody who does not like the results. Does she understand what he’s saying? She says, yes. Ezra doesn’t like the results… Drew doesn’t like the results… It’s Sidwell.

On Monday, Jason says he’s going to prove to Britt that she can trust him; Turner asks Nathan to bring someone into custody; Sonny says Laura is opening both of them up to criminal charges; and Jack says this is what happens when someone disobeys his orders.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

Well, he had to go. There was no other way.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-comings-goings-daniel-goddard-exits-as-professor-henry-dalton/

I love that they gave her the opportunity to spread her wings. GH seems very good with that.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/kate-mansi-makes-general-hospital-directorial-debut-reveals-co-star-she-was-intimidated-to-direct/

If didn’t know or need to refresh like I did.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/what-did-general-hospitals-lulu-and-dante-have-to-do-with-michael-going-to-jail/

Highly doubtful he’ll be back on GH, but good to hear.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospital-alum-michael-easton-teases-comeback-after-work-sabbatical/

No surprise here. She was absolutely adorable!

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospitals-scarlett-spears-shines-alongside-ariana-grande-at-wicked-for-good-premiere/

💉 A Dose Of Reality…

Below Deck Mediterranean

Captain Sandy was steaming when she found all the deckhands in the crew mess while they were on charter. In her interview, she said Nathan knew better and as a leader should set an example. Primary Joe selected two women for dates, but they skipped out on him, while Eyebrows Joe wanted to see both Cathy and V. Or was is Kizzy and V? Or Cathy and Kizzy? Who the hell knows and does it really matter? After getting a $25K tip, it was dinner on shore and the hot tub afterward.

Real Housewives Of Salt Lake City

A celebration of Britani with high body count hair and a teddy bear station. Todd got defensive over getting caught looking at a woman on his phone and Bronwyn showed him the door. Temporarily. Mary opened her church and was rockin’ and rollin’. Britani’s boyfriend accused her of flirting with little cabin boys. Um… did he mean the deckhands? The tip amount for the charter is as yet unknown.

Southern Charm

Patricia threw Madison a baby shower, and in Madison’s interview, she said girls who claimed to love being pregnant were liars or sociopaths. Craig went blah-blah-blah, Paige betrayed him. Molly inherited some lizards and said she now had three cats and dogs, a gecko, and a corn snake. Good on her. Craig was annoyed with Venita as she’d said he was dragging out the breakup longer than need be, and Venita said Craig was a bitch and a certified a-hole, but not to his face. Salley wanted Venita to deal with Craig at the shower, but Venita didn’t want Craig to start ranting on Madison’s day. However, Craig did make a quilt for Madison that was quite impressive. Salley claimed it would be for the good of the group, which made me wonder if that really meant, for the good of the show.  

Real Housewives Of Orange County

We revisited the Amsterdam highs and I’ll say it again, these women should just stay high, and the others should get high. They’re much more watchable. There was a lot about Gretchen liking some homophobic post and I actually believed she could be mindlessly scrolling and like something. I know because I’ve caught people liking a post of mine and making a comment that clearly showed they didn’t read it. Apparently, Gretchers had an independent company do an analysis and said the worst post had been a fabrication. Her finger pointed directly at Tamra who tried to overtalk her. Tamra and Emily got into it, Tamra starting things by calling Emily an a-hole. The best part was when Tamra – who goes directly to screeching – wailed that Emily was calling her names. In a moment of collective clarity, the others pointed out that she’d done it first. The aftermath of the Amsterdam dinner was shown and there was a lot about Tamra leaking things and plotting things. Gretchen said Tamra was mad because she got caught, and Tamra said, no you, but was the only one screeching. Even Andy told her, don’t yell at me. I also noticed Tamra’s tears dry up really fast. The teacher in Fancy Pants said, this has to stop, and Emily said it was hard enough to deal with the dynamic as it was; they shouldn’t have to deal with outside people. At the end, Fancy Pants made a toast, saying, in order to move forward, the path has to be clear. Good luck with all that.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/rhoc-reunion-explodes-over-maga-politics-and-lies/

Random Reality Items

Sure, sure. For the good of the show group.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1425112/rhonjs-melissa-gorga-on-ending-teresa-giudice-feud

Will the Tres Amigas have a reunion or will Tamra finally be given the boot?

https://deadline.com/2025/11/vicki-gunvalson-returning-real-housewives-of-orange-county-season-20-cast-1236618331/

Because, LVP.

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

End Times. Amazon Prime. Filed under zombie apocalypse, a mercenary and an entitled young woman go on a trek to get out of their quarantine zone. No surprise, although the zombies are no picnic (well, sometimes it is for them), the enemy is really us. The story was solid and I enjoyed the characters, Craig Stark’s mercenary being reminiscent of an early Clint Eastwood. Gory AF, the special effects were excellent, although I found the ending to be a wee bit depressing.

Paradise Hills. Amazon Prime. This film was like a futuristic Stepford Wives and I was there for it. Uma is set to marry a member of the elite class, but she’s not happy about it, so she’s sent to a different kind of reform school, where women are reformed into more docile beings. While there, she and three other young women (one of them Awkwafina, a nice surprise for me)

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/paradise-hills-movie-review-2019

Frankenstein. Netflix. He ain’t yo mama’s Frankenstein. Half from Victor Frankenstein’s viewpoint and half from the creature’s, horror is once again elevated in this version of Mary Shelley’s classic book. Nothing like the original with Boris Karloff, but I wished Karloff was still alive to see it. (Although he’d be like 200 years old, so hypothetical.) The scenery, costumes, effects, everything is just magnificent.

https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/hot-take-i-think-frankenstein-guillermo-del-toro-best-movie

Characters with a difference.

https://www.slashfilm.com/2031238/oscar-isaac-victor-frankenstein-netflix-version-villain/

https://www.cbr.com/frankenstein-creature-jacob-elordi-designer-mike-hill-interview/

Soulmates. Netflix. A six-episode series about a test that finds your perfect soulmate and the results thereof. Needless to say, suddenly finding your surprise match is not always a good thing, especially if you’re already married, and I love a story about technology going bad. It’s nothing new, but still an amusing watch.

https://www.rogerebert.com/streaming/amc-soulmates-tv-review

Wicked: For Good. At the cinema. Long story short, I play the game June’s Journey online and at present, they’re doing a crossover story with Wicked: For Good. They decided to have a focus group/movie party in NYC, and I was able to go. The whole thing was a blast – food, beverage, and movie candy and popcorn provided – but being able to see the film ahead of time, incredible. It’s just as magnificent on screen as the first part, perhaps even more, and every question you had about The Wizard of Oz is answered. And Scarlett Spears (Donna on General Hospital) is the sweetest thing ever as young Glinda. The best part for me were the fantastical animals, but the sets, costumes, and effects were mind-blowing, and I doubt you’ll be disappointed. Personally, I liked the story better in this one, although I liked the songs better in the first one. That could be because I know them better though. So hie thee hence to be off to see the Wizard.

https://deadline.com/2025/11/wicked-for-good-review-1236620980/

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wicked-for-good-reviews-what-critics-are-saying-1236430079/

https://www.theonlycritic.com/post/wicked-for-good-review-part-two-is-heartfelt-and-heavy-but-also-missing-a-little-magic

Where did they go?

https://ew.com/what-happened-to-the-wizard-of-oz-cast-11854142

Wicked: For Pekes

🤡 But Where’s the Clown…

I’m trying to keep up with this, but I consistently forget it’s on Sunday, and end up watching the previous week’s episode the next weekend. It might be a mental block since I’m spoiled by being able to watch whole seasons of series at once, and I resent episodes being doled out like methadone.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/welcome-to-derry-halloran-the-shining

🔮 Watch Of the Future…

This looks so good. Why are they making us wait so long? Isn’t that insanity with Stranger Things enough?

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/fallout-season-2-trailer-new-vegas

I’m definitely down for this. I missed the Shahs and if a mashup is what brings them back, I’m there for it.

https://deadline.com/gallery/the-valley-persian-style-trailer-premiere-bravo/

Oh look. Renewed before it even starts. <sigh>

https://ew.com/game-of-thrones-renewals-through-2028-house-of-the-dragon-and-a-knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-11853381

🏃‍♂️ Hoping To Watch…

Originally, I planned to wait for streaming, but after seeing the previews, this might be cinema worthy.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/the-running-man-review

🦃🎄 All the Holiday Movies…

Take your pick of Thanksgiving, Christmas, or both.

https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/best-thanksgiving-movies

https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/thanksgiving-movies-on-netflix

https://ew.com/best-black-christmas-movies-8763576

https://ew.com/greatest-christmas-movies-on-netflix-8761599

https://ew.com/best-christmas-movies-streaming-now-8751814

🏆 All Awards All the Time…

I’m not that into award shows, but if you are, here’s all the big ones.

https://ew.com/2025-2026-awards-season-calendar-when-are-oscars-11840259

🦤 More Strange and Unusual Than Lydia…

🫏 This is amazing. Mad respect for her.

https://ew.com/millie-bobby-brown-owns-62-pets-pregnant-donkey-blind-dog-11697789

🦌 I wonder if these are the same officers who mistook a dog with a weird haircut for a lion. Although, there was the time an abandoned dog was reported on my local Next Door and it turned out to be a decoration.

https://people.com/officers-respond-to-abandoned-dog-calls-find-reindeer-11853188

🐍 Oh… no. Just no. That thing is huge.

https://people.com/massive-python-crashes-through-ceiling-into-bathroom-11851217

🐕 And my last vacation was in 2004.

https://people.com/golden-retrievers-from-subaru-ads-going-on-biggest-adventure-yet-11847127

📜 Quotes of the Week

Living successfully… is a matter of solving the problems which stand between where we now are and the point we wish to reach. – Earl Nightingale

I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it. – Pablo Picasso

Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. – Lou Holtz

The way to get things done is not to mind who gets the credit for doing them. – Benjamin Jowett

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. – Melody Beattie

What and how much had I lost by trying to do only what was expected of me instead of what I myself had wished to do?Ralph Ellison

Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going. – Sam Levenson

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. – William James

Don’t be an a$$hole. If you are not sure if your comment will make you sound like an a$$hole or not, it probably does. Don’t write that. – from rules of conduct for the Clutterbug Facebook group

As I’ve said before, I prefer to handle these situations the way you handle an angry driver who honks and flips you off on the highway. You just ignore them, you know, unless you’re in New Jersey. Then, technically, that’s a marriage proposal. – Seth Meyers

🙏 Thankful For All Things…

Until next week, stay safe; stay focused on being grateful for what you have and not on what you don’t have; and stay remembering that cover-ups rarely work out and usually do more damage when the truth comes out.

Happy Thanksgiving!

March 28, 2025 – GH Weekdays, Emma Chains Herself To the Crypt, Soap Suds, This Week In Reality, Weekend Watch, Latest On Last, Outside the Norm, Only Five Quotes & Fool

Standard

What I Watched Today

(Weekday bites, Friday’s whole GH enchilada & media minutiae)

General Hospital

Note: I’ve been calling Josslyn’s WSB handler Bryce when it’s Vaughn. Why? Who knows, but it proves no one is paying attention.

🥢 Weekday Bites…

Monday:

Lucas told Elizabeth that he needed her help with something that had to stay between them. Brad was blackmailing someone at the hospital. Portia told Ava that she got Drew off her back… at least for now. Ava asked what Portia wanted to do, and Portia picked up Drew’s medical folder. At Drew’s, Nina heard something, closed the safe, and headed for the door. Alexis asked what exactly Valentin thought she could do for him, and he said he wanted her to take care of his daughter. Charlotte went to the station to find out if she could see Valentin. Drew popped up behind Nina and asked if she relocked the safe. Carly told Jason that she was used to Sonny giving her orders, but never expected it from him, and Jason said, she almost died. Josslyn was hooked up to a lie detector, and Vaughn asked who she blamed for Michael’s injuries. She said, the person who set the bomb, and Vaughn asked what she’d do if she met them face to face. Jack watched through the window.

Drew said he knew Nina wasn’t looking for money, since she was a rich, spoiled brat. Maybe she was looking for something to use against him, but there was nothing in the safe that he had any reason to hide from her. Nina said she was protecting her daughter. If Willow and the kids moved in, Willow would lose her children. Drew said she was using the kids as a cover and wanted him all to herself. If she couldn’t have him, nobody else could, especially Willow. Lucas said, Brad did this in the hopes they’d get back together, and Elizabeth told him, start talking. Ava said if Portia used something in his medical records against Drew, it would be a serious HIPPA violation. While Ava would do a lot worse, it wasn’t something Portia should do. Don’t let fear and desperation make her do dumb things. Carly told Jason to respect her choices, but he said she was being willfully naïve and in over her head. The WSB was more than Jack and she didn’t know Jack as well as she thought she did. She said Jason upset because he didn’t know Jack’s world and couldn’t control it, but Jason said it wasn’t a game. She barely knew Jack and almost died. She had to get out now.

Josslyn said, if she came face to face with the person who hurt her brother, she’d do her best to subdue them and call the police. Jack came in and asked how Josslyn was doing, and Vaughn said, excellent. Vaughn and the lie detector guy left, and Josslyn asked what the hell the question about her brother was about. Jack said, conditioning. Adversaries wouldn’t ask comfortable questions and she’d be in a position to be tested and challenged for her life and the lives of others while she kept her composure and lied through her teeth. Did she think she could handle that? Alexis told Valentin that Charlotte had a mother who was more than happy to make up for lost time and Laura was a wonderful grandmother. If Charlotte needed a connection to the less diabolical side of the Cassadine lineage, she’d be there. He said that wasn’t what he was talking about. She was the trustee of the Cassadine estate, and he’d been behind the funds and Windymere being taken from Ava. The estate would be better served given to the Cassadine heirs. Alexis said, well played, and Valentin said he’d wanted to make sure she was trustee and needed her to support his daughter financially. Lulu saw Anna at the station and said Charlotte had snuck out. Anna said, Charlotte was upstairs. Valentin was headed to Steinmauer, possibly for the rest of his life. This could be the last time she saw him when it wasn’t through a pain of bulletproof glass. She asked Lulu to consider letting them say goodbye.

Josslyn told Jack that she could handle it. What was next? He said her mother was in the hospital, and she asked if that was a test, but he said, Carly was admitted last night for polonium poisoning. She was going to make a full recovery. Josslyn asked if she could see her mother, and he said, of course (🍷). It wasn’t a prison, but if she left, she wouldn’t be coming back. Carly said she was aware it wasn’t a game, but Jason said he thought she was being stubborn. She saw the red flags, but was ignoring them. Only professionals like the WSB had access to the kind of explosive device that blew up the penthouse. She said if he was going to tell her that Jack had something to do with it, he’d better have proof, and he said he wasn’t ruling it out. She said he was using Michael to get her to do what he wanted, but he said he wanted her to see what was at stake with Brennan in her life. She wondered how many times she’d heard that about Sonny and Sam had heard it about Jason. Alexis said, kudos to Valentin for wrestling the money away from Ava, but she couldn’t use the money from the estate to financially support anyone. She was keeping the estate intact for Ace. Valentin said he just wanted her to carve out a portion for Charlotte. Consider it his commission for making the estate whole. She said she couldn’t do that, but could make sure Charlotte had all the love and support she needed because he’d made the ultimate sacrifice as a father by bringing her home. He’d proven his love for his daughter by doing the right thing. Lulu asked if seeing Valentin was for Charlotte’s benefit or Valentin’s, and Anna said she thought both. Lulu thought Anna was more concerned about Valentin, and Anna said she had concern about Charlotte and thought she always would. Lulu said she get her daughter, when Alexis came out. Nina said Drew was delusional if he thought she was pining away for him. Michael and Willow were headed for divorce. They had two children, and Michael had been away for months having treatment for painful burns. He would come home to his wife and children living with the man – his uncle – who blew up his marriage. Did Drew think Michael wouldn’t move heaven and earth to get the kids away from him? How was Drew going to keep her daughter from losing her children? Willow walked in and asked what Nina was doing.

Lucas told Elizabeth that Brad was blackmailing Portia. That’s how he attended the symposium. She asked what Brad had on Portia, but he said he had no clue and didn’t want to know. She said, obviously it was bad if a hospital Chief was under a lab technician’s thumb, and he said he felt responsible because Brad did it to worm his way back into his life, and Elizabeth said, did he? Portia asked if Ava was telling her that she was screwed. She couldn’t just wait for Drew to blow her life apart. Ava said Portia could tell Curtis, but Portia said, secrets ruined Curtis’s marriage to Jordan, and she didn’t want secrets to destroy her marriage. It was too late to tell him. Ava said Portia had to find a way out or cope with living under Drew’s thumb, and Portia said she was going to lose everything. Drew would only keep a secret as long as it benefited him. Ava said, or he got bored, and Portia said she could go to prison. Ava told her not to get ahead of herself. She needed resources to fight Drew that weren’t easily tied back to her and needed an ally, someone just as interested in Drew’s downfall as she was. Willow said she thought Nina left, and Nina said she realized she’d forgotten something she needed to tell Drew. Willow asked what it was, and Nina said she had concerns. Willow said Nina wanted to convince Drew that she and the kids shouldn’t move in, didn’t she? Anna stepped away, and Alexis asked if Lulu was there to see Valentin. Lulu said she was here to get Charlotte who’d come to see him. Alexis said it was nice to see her and headed for the door, but Lulu asked her to wait. She owed Alexis two things – gratitude and an apology. Anna told Valentin that Lulu was there to pick up Charlotte, and he said he wanted to see Charlotte. She said it was up to Lulu. She was trying to get Lulu to allow it, since she didn’t want him to go to Steinmauer without see her one last time. Carly said, no one had the right to tell her or Sam that the risk was too high. It was her choice and her decision. If she decided she couldn’t handle Jack’s life, she’d make that choice herself. He didn’t get to choose what was best for her. He said it was best for her to be around for her kids and she knew he was right, and she said maybe he was, but if she was wrong, she was betting he’d still have her back. He’d never quit on her. Don’t start now. Jack showed Josslyn a live feed of Carly and Jason from GH, and said she had his word. She said she was going to stay there and asked how it happened. Was someone targeting him? He said they’d ordered room service and Valentin sent champagne to the room. It was compromised and Carly drank a glass while he was in the shower. She asked if he cared about her mother or was he using her, and he asked if it mattered.

Josslyn said, clearly, Jack and her mother were seeing each other. Yes. It mattered if he was using her. It mattered if he was in their family home on Christmas Eve. He said maybe she wanted to warn her mother about him, but if she told her mother anything, she’d never be a WSB agent. She’d become another unfulfilled soul desperately searching for a place in this world. This is the job. Josslyn said she wasn’t leaving, and he said he was glad to hear it. He was headed back to Port Charles. She said, if he was using her mother, Carly would find out. She wasn’t stupid. He agreed and left. Lulu said she was sorry she hadn’t come to see Alexis. She’d been afraid to face Alexis and what her being there meant for Alexis. She was also afraid seeing her would make Alexis… Alexis said, miss Sam? and Lulu said she was truly sorry she wasn’t brave enough to face Alexis and was sorry for her loss. She was grateful to Sam for her life. Alexis hugged Lulu, and she thanked Alexis. Valentin asked why Anna was helping him, and she said he was a good father and loved his daughter. He said, no, that wasn’t it, and she said, no, it wasn’t. He said it himself. She cared about him. He said Anna had changed him in so many ways, and with tears in her eyes, Anna asked why he hadn’t left well enough alone. He was free. Why didn’t he leave it all behind – the WSB, the lies, the deception, Pikeman. Why did he let them pull him back in? He said he was never free, but Anna said he was. He could have had it all. Why put himself in the position where he’d lose it all? He said, because of her, and she said, he had her. Wasn’t that enough? He shook his head.

Nina said she was trying to explain how Willow and the kids moving in would provoke Michael, but Willow said going behind her back wasn’t okay. It was manipulative and even if she hadn’t walked in, Drew would have told her. Drew said, of course (🍷) he would have, and Nina said, whether they liked it or not, Michael would have to be accommodated. The only way was to not move in. At least not right now. She was wrong and sorry for talking to Drew behind Willow’s back. She told them that they could figure it out on their own, and left. Lucas asked if Elizabeth thought he would let Brad back into his life, and she said she knew he had a soft spot for Brad. Not that she was judging. She constantly looked for the good in Ric. She told Lucas about Ric meeting with Portia and wondered why Portia would hire him. There had been tension between them because of Heather. Lucas wondered if the meeting had something to do with Brad. If they went digging and found out there was a legal issue professional in nature, they might uncover something. Elizabeth said, what if they got caught up in something they couldn’t turn away from?

Ava let Nina into the breakroom, and said she’d brought Nina and Portia together because the most serious problem in both their lives had a common source. They didn’t have to share their reasons, but they both needed leverage to take down Drew. If they combined their resources and intellects, they’d come up with something. It wasn’t her fight, but if they needed her, they knew where to find her. She left. Drew said he would have told Willow about his conversation with Nina because it was important they tell each other everything and be truthful. Willow said she was counting on it. Tell her the truth now. Was there a risk of losing her children if she moved in? Josslyn did some stretches before sparring with Vaughn. He asked if she was ready to go another round. She was putting herself thought unnecessary hassle. He saw her with Brennan. They were always watching. She said, then he saw her keep her cool, and he said, not when Brennan told her that he was going out with her mom. Knocking her to the floor, he said, watch that temper. Jason said, Carly would do what she wanted. She always did. She said he’d been against Jack from the beginning, and he said, for good reason. Stay or don’t. It was her choice. But keep in mind that in keeping Brennan in her life, whole she should worry about her kids and family, what she really needed to worry about was what this would do to Brennan. Charlotte told Lulu that they couldn’t leave without her seeing her papa, and Alexis said it was good to say goodbye since we didn’t always get the chance. Lulu said Charlotte could go see her papa and thanked Alexis. Anna said, let them in, and Charlotte and Valentin hugged, Valentin mouthing thank you to Alexis. Jack came in and told Valentin, your chariot awaits.

Drew told Willow that he was a US Congressman and his influence outreached Michael’s, but Willow said Michael had the Quartermaines’ support, plus Sonny and Carly. Drew said, Michael almost died at Sonny’s penthouse. Wiley and Amelia’s grandfather lived a dangerous life. Willow said the Quartermaines would argue against that, but Drew said it didn’t matter in court. He fell in love with her. It wasn’t a crime. She said her kids were everything to her, and he said, of course (🍷) because she was an incredible mother. It was intense now, but at his core, Michael was a good man and would think about the kids. There was plenty of room for compromise, but even if it turned ugly, they would fight. He promised he wouldn’t let her lose her kids. They hugged, but Willow looked unconvinced. Nina told Portia that it was awkward, but that didn’t mean it could be productive. She respected Portia and trusted Ava. Portia said they had an interest in getting leverage on Drew, and Nina said they didn’t need to know each other’s reason, but for insight, hers was solely for her daughter and her grandchildren. Because there was no stopping Drew. He would always want something. He would always take something. Portia agreed and said she was already in a slow-living nightmare that she couldn’t figure out how to stop. At least not by herself. Nina said she didn’t have to be in it all alone – as long as it stayed between them, and Portia said, the hold Drew had wouldn’t end unless they ended it. So she was in.

Lucas said he couldn’t have Brad blackmailing Portia because of him, and Elizabeth said if Portia was willing to put herself and the hospital at risk, it must be bad. He said they already knew something was wrong, and she said, as professionals, they were obligated to figure out what it is. Josslyn got up and asked if Vaughn was listening as well as watching her and Jack talk. He said he was, and Josslyn pulled him to the mat by his leg. She said, it was a private conversation, and he said, welcome to the WSB. They see and hear everything. They’re even tracking her body temperature using Infared monitors. They sparred, he punched her in the face, and she fell. He asked, what was stopping her from bailing? Jason said if Carly didn’t care about saving her own life, care about saving Brennan’s. He was making her a promise. Whatever happened to her, would happen to Brennan. If she got hurt because of Brennan, Brennan would get hurt. If she happened to die because of John Brennan, he’d kill him. He left. Jack signed off on Valentin, and Anna said she was releasing him into Jack’s custody. See that he arrived safely. She was holding him personally responsible if anything happened to him. Jack told Valentin, time to go, old friend, and Valentin asked to say goodbye to his daughter. He and Charlotte hugged, and he said, I love you, ma petite. Always. Charlotte said she loved him too, and Valentin told Lulu, take good care of our girl. Lulu promised she would, and Jack led Valentin away. As he was leaving, Valentin turned and said, until next time, and smiled.

Tuesday:

Vaughn asked Josslyn what was stopping her from bailing, and she said, sorry to disappoint him, but she wasn’t quitting, and kicked him to the floor. Carly was ready to leave the hospital, but Elizabeth said she hadn’t been cleared. She asked if she should call Lucas, but Carly said she didn’t need another lecture. Elizabeth said if they were warning her to stay away from Brennan, maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea. Lulu went to see Jack and asked if he was positive Valentin was in Steinmauer. Jack said he saw Valentin board the plane himself and gave his word. No one wanted Valentin locked up more than him. If it was up to the WSB, Valentin would be dead. Lulu didn’t want to worry about Valentin kidnapping Charlotte, but Jack said there was no chance. Valentin was going away for a very long time. Lulu asked if people who wanted Valentin dead would try to use Charlotte as leverage. How could she protect her daughter. At Deception, Brook complained that Lulu kept changing her password, and Maxie said she was going to book Lois for Home & Heart, but she’d taken off to Bensonhurst. Tracy said she prayed every night for Lois to leave, and when she finally did, it created a problem. How long was she going to be gone? Brook said, at least a few days, and Tracy wondered what had gotten into Brook’s mother. Gio and Emma found Ned and Gio said they were worried about protecting the crypt and Emma came up with a plan to save it. Ava went to the hospital to see Lucas and said his father must have left him an inheritance, but Lucas said he hadn’t. Ava said Julian had a fortune. Maybe he’d stashed it in an offshore account. Lucas said, even if he had, he couldn’t be paid to touch that money. Kristina went to Sonny’s and said she’d had a run-in with Ava. She’d learned valuable information that might solve his problems with her.

Kristina told Sonny that Ava had been having money trouble, but it was more dire than they thought. She’d come to Alexis begging for a loan from the Cassadine trust. Alexis said no. She wasn’t helping Ava after what she’d done to Adela. Ava showed her hand. She was desperate and overextended. Sonny had to fight to get custody Avery. Ava asked if Lucas wouldn’t touch Julian’s ill-gotten gains to help his favorite aunt, abut he said Aunt Tiffany needed money like a hole in the head. Ava said, the aunt who was right here, and he said he knew nothing about any accounts. Ava suggested they were under an alias. She needed to pay off her debts if she was going to support her daughter. He said he was sorry. He couldn’t help, but Sonny would make sure Avery was always taken care of. Elizabeth said Carly had almost been killed, and Carly said how she moved forward was up to her, no one else. She’d already heard from Lucas, Felicia, and Jason. If one more person told her how to live her life, she was going to scream. Jack told Lulu that Valentin was locked up and could likely have no visitors. The WSB could get to him anytime, so his daughter was no longer of value to the Bureau. She was safe. It was ironic because it was what Valentin wanted all along after he’d made the fatal mistake of having a child first place. Something he cared about more than himself. Lulu guessed that was something Jack wouldn’t have to worry about ever. Vaughn said it would have been more impressive if Josslyn hadn’t injured herself, and checked her ankle. Brook said her mom and grandma wanted to spend more time together and she was sorry it cost them the Home & Heart spot. Maxie said she had an appointment and left. Tracy said it wasn’t like Lois not to say goodbye. She and Brook must have had a fight. Lois made a Broadway production about going to the dentist, much less going home to her beloved Bensonhurst. What did they fight about?

Brook told Tracy that she and Lois had a disagreement and she didn’t want to talk about it. Tracy said she’d see Brook at home and left. Emma said Drew was trying to demolish the crypt to get the land, but Ned said it was Drew’s excuse, not his reason. His reason was to drive Ned’s mother crazy. Gio said he thought they had a solution, and Emma said, what if gave the same amount land in exchange for keeping the crypt where it was. The shoreline would be even better for environmental protection. Gio said it would also generate great publicity for the family, and Ned said it was a pretty solid plan. Gio said, but Ned wasn’t sold, and Ned said before they gave away real estate, he may have a different way to handle it. Ric met Elizabeth at the hospital, and she thanked him for getting there quickly. She was worried about Portia. Being Portia’s friend, she knew something was off. Ric asked, why come to him? and Elizabeth said he’d gone to see Portia the other day and she assumed it was as an attorney. Ric said Portia had hired him as an attorney, and Elizabeth asked if he didn’t think it was strange. Portia and Curtis hated him because he’d represented Heather Webber. Ric said Portia had seen him in action. She knew he was a fantastic lawyer. Elizabeth asked how much trouble Portia was in. Maxie saw Lucas and wanted him to tell her about the Miami trip. Lucas said he’d gotten some socializing in, a lot of it with Brad. It was great at first, until Brad admitted to using shady tactics to worm his way in to the symposium. A lot of drama ensued, but there was one bright spot. Maxie asked, how bright? Sonny told Kristina that he and Ava had settled their arrangement. It was better than putting them through a trial. Kristina said, but now they knew Ava’s financial situation and could prove she didn’t have the means to care for Avery properly. Sonny said he’d think about it. Right now, Donna was staying there while Carly was in the hospital. Kristina said she’d check on Donna and went into the back. Sonny opened the front door and Ava was there.

Tracy told Ned that Gio and Emma looked like somebody kicked their puppy. Was it him? Ned said he may have rained on their parade, and Tracy said they had something more important to discuss. Lois and Brook had a bad dust up. He asked what it was about, and Tracy said she didn’t know, but she’d sure as hell find out. Lulu showed up at Deception, and Brook asked her to stop changing her password. Lulu said, done. She quits. Ric said Portia was his client, and Elizabeth said she wasn’t prying, just worried. Ric said he knew he could trust her, but it had to stay between them. Portia was facing a potential legal matter and asked him for advice. Elizabeth asked if it had to do with Portia’s position at the hospital, and Ric said he’d had experience defending Elizabeth against the hospital board, which would be helpful to Portia if certain details came to light. Elizabeth said she knew what it was like to be falsely accused when you were innocent, but Ric told her, who said Portia was innocent? Vaughn said it looked like a heel injury, and Josslyn said she’d sprained it during her endurance test. He asked why she didn’t say anything, and she said he would have called her a whining baby. No thank you. He said, next time she was injured, ask for help, but she said she thought the point was to be self-sufficient. He said the idea was to use good judgment. Fighting battles on you own only got you killed. Carly went to Jack’s office and he said he knew she wanted to end things. She almost died and he didn’t blame her, but give him a second to tell her something. She suggested that instead, he let her tell him why she was here. Sonny asked if Avery was okay, and Ava said she was perfectly fine. The reason she was here was that she needed more child support. He asked how much more. As much as she needed to pay the IRS? He knew her financial situation was in the toilet. If she wanted to ask for herself, have the guts to ask instead of hiding behind their daughter. Ava said, fine. She needed the money. He asked, how much? and she said, two million. He said that was a big ask, and she said, for him, it was a drop in the bucket. She’d pay him back plus interest. If she didn’t pay her debt, she’d lose everything. He said, okay, on one condition.

Maxie said Marco sounded like a catch, and Lucas said he was sweet, funny, and easy to talk to. Maxie asked if Marco was into the kiss, and Lucas said, from what he remembered. Then he ruined it by throwing up on Marco. Marco probably wished he’d never met him. Maxie said he knew Marco respected him enough not to take advantage of him and made sure he got home okay. She thought Lucas should give him a call. Casually check in. See what happens. You never know where it could lead. Brook said, God forbid Lulu should give a two week notice, and Lulu said, why prolong the torture? She’d been thinking about it for a while, but the visit from Brook’s husband sealed the deal. He’d said what Brook wanted him to. Brook closed the door and said she had no idea Chase went to see Lulu. When? Lulu said, last night. He told her to stay away from Brook and keep her mouth shut about the baby. If she didn’t, he’d have her arrested for breaking into Martin’s hotel room. She didn’t believe Brook didn’t know, but Brook said she had no idea. Lulu said, Chase used his position as a cop to keep Brook’s secret. That’s love. Brook said Lulu wasn’t an innocent victim. She’d broken the law and inserted herself into a situation she had nothing to do with. Lulu said it directly affected her family. Dante deserved to know he had a child and Rocco deserved to know he had a half-brother. She was being forced to lie to both of them. Ned asked how Tracy knew Brook and Lois were fighting, and she said Brook tried to downplay it, but considering how quickly Lois left, it must have been big. Ned said, Lois was gone? and Tracy said she went back to Bensonhurst. Talk to his daughter and find out what Lois did. He asked how she knew it was Lois, and she said Brook was acting wounded, not guilty. Lois did something to upset her. Ned said Brook was a mature married woman. If she wanted to talk, she knew she could come to him. Until then, he’d respect her privacy. Tracy laughed and said, since when? Says who? Ned said, if it was important, Lois would have told him. Vaughn told Josslyn that being physically strong was important, but judgement was more important. To know when you could and should trust someone to help you. He wrapped her ankle and told her about his best mentor. An older woman whose mind was sharp and she was so good at reading people, she never had to call on her training. Josslyn said, from everything she’d learned, it was a last resort. Don’t attack unless a weapon is pulled or unless it’s absolutely necessary. The minute violence is introduced, the situation can get out of control fast. Vaughn said, then you have to live with the consequences. Carly said she came to warn Jack. Jason blamed him for the poisoning. Jack said so did he, and she said Jason decided from here on out, what happens to her would happen to him too. He asked if Jason was out shopping for polonium, and she said, probably not, but she wouldn’t rule it out. He doesn’t say things just to say them. He means it. Jack thanked her for the intel. He wasn’t scared of Jason. All he cared about was her and that what just happened was because of him. Being an agent wasn’t an easy life. It was lonely and isolating, which suited him just fine… until now… until her. He needed her. Ava asked, what kind of condition? and Sonny said, in exchange for the cash, they’d revisit the custody arrangement. Ava said it was working great, but Sonny said he realized it wasn’t satisfactory. He wasn’t comfortable with 50/50 and thought she should have Avery two weekends a month. Ava said, over her dead body.

Elizabeth asked if there was anything she could do, and Ric asked if she could access the administrative records that showed the tests Portia accessed. She said she thought she could figure it out, and he said it would help the case if he could get a hard copy. Nothing that broke HIPPA laws, just names, dates, and time of access. Go back about a year or so. Elizabeth asked, how bad is this situation? and Ric said, bad enough to ruin Portia’s life. Emma said she thought Ned would go for their idea, and Gio said Ned saw the world differently. He was an awesome guy, but he was still a Quartermaine, and for better or worse, it was family first, no matter what. He doesn’t think they’d give up the land unless a Quartermaine asked. She said maybe they shouldn’t have been the ones to pitch it. Maybe he’d be more receptive if someone else in the family backed them up. Tracy wondered what was with the hands-off parenting, and Ned said he had something to cheer her. He knew how to get Drew to leave the family crypt alone. Tracy said she was cheered adjacent. How? He suggested they drop the bombshell they’d been keeping about Willow, and she said, that he was sleeping with her mother? He said, exactly. One threat, and he would be forced to back off. Tracy said, what if called their bluff? and Ned said it would blow up his relationship with Willow.

Josslyn got up and told Vaughn that her ankle felt fine. How did he become an agent? Did Brennan recruit him? Vaughn asked if she wanted to know more about him or Brennan, and she said, both. He said he got that she was concerned about her mom, but she needed to compartmentalize, and she said, forget Brennan. How did he end up an agent? He said he could tell her a bunch of cover stories, and she asked if any of them was the truth. He said, the truth was… he couldn’t tell her. Jack said he knew he was being selfish, but wanted her know, and Carly said she wasn’t walking away because she wanted to know what this was. He saved her. She didn’t want to overthink, but wanted to dive in and explore every minute with him. He said it was her life and her decision, and she said she needed him too. She wanted them to be together. They kissed. Ava asked if Sonny thought she’d give up custody for a few measly bucks. He said, two million wasn’t a few, and she said she would never. What kind of mother did he think she was? He said, the kind that would use her child to cover asking for more money for herself. That’s why he feels Avery should spend more time with him. She asked if Avery would thrive under his care. Would she be looking forward to visiting Avery in a burn clinic in Germany? How was Michael? Or did he not know since Sonny hadn’t visited? Was the airfare too high or was he overwhelmed with guilt? Ric was right. They should have fought for sole custody to protect Avery from him. Sonny told her to look in the mirror. She would see Morgan and Connie. She was the reason they were dead. He hadn’t forgotten that and would never forgive. She said she wasn’t the only one who would come up short at the pearly gates, and he said he was trying to be civil. If it wasn’t for her being Avery’s mother, he wouldn’t… He clutched his chest, and Ava asked, what’s happening? Sonny dropped to his knees and leaned on the sofa.

Tracy asked if Ned would be satisfied with annihilating Drew’s relationship, and Ned said he thought Drew was too stubborn to be blackmailed. But once they blew the secret, it was blown for good. They would sit on it for now. He had the feeling the information would be better used against Nina. Her money and influence could come in handy down the line. Tracy said they’d just wait for the right moment. Gio said he thought Emma was right. The next time they made a pitch, they’d recruit someone from the family for support. He had the perfect candidate in mind. Lulu said, all those years ago, Brook came to town to break her and Dante up, and Brook said, let it go. The key words were all those years ago. Lulu said, at the time, she thought Brook was acting on an unrequited crush. Had she known they slept together… Brook said, that’s why Lulu was mad. It wasn’t because Brook was lying to Dante. It was because Dante lied to her. Ric said, if Elizabeth could doit under the radar, great, but if not… Elizabeth said she was sure she could figure it out, and Ric thanked her for the assist. She said it was the least she could do. Lucas asked Maxie, what was the point? Marco was in Miami. She said long distance booty calls were an actual thing and so were long distance relationships. Keep his options open. Lucas said Marco put his number in the phone and invited him to keep in touch, and Maxie said, text him or she would. Josslyn said she thought she was ready for another round, but Vaughn thought they should call it a day and left. Carly said Jack still had a dangerous job and her life was still in danger, but she wanted to make it clear that if something happened to her, Jason would follow through. Jack said, he could try, and Carly said that’s what scared her. Either Jason would try to kill him, or he’d try to kill Jason, and she wasn’t okay with either scenario. He said then he’d have to make sure nothing ever happened to her, and they kissed. Ava asked what was going on, and Sonny fell to the floor, his bottle of pills falling nearby. Ava leaned over to look at the pills, then stood up. She said, my, my. Lookee here. Do you need those?

(Seems like she’s going to pull a Tracy, but Kristina is in the next room with Donna, so…)

Wednesday:

Brook said Lulu wasn’t riled up over Dante’s rights. She was just resentful and threatened. She thought she and Dante told each other everything, but Dante had a secret he’d kept from her. Lulu said she had no idea Dante had lied to her and now she’d have to lie for Brook. At the PC Grill, Jordan told Laura that Congressman Boyle was at GH for Drew’s press conference for the pediatric sports initiative (🍷), and Laura said, if there was a camera, he’d find it. Jordan said he and Drew looked chummy, but Laura said it was a good cause and good for the city, although she didn’t think the Aurora coverage was good for him. Jordan said he almost forced Curtis to cover it, and Curtis wasn’t going to take it sitting down. At the Quartermaine’s, Curtis walked into the solarium, finding Tracy and Stella there. He thanked Tracy for the invite, and she said, his was the only media outlet to fact check in covering the pediatric sports initiative (🍷). Stella said Tracy and Curtis also had a common cause so they should get to know each other. Tracy’s phone rang and she said, let him in, and told Stella and Curtis, this might be entertaining. Drew walked in and said, of course (🍷) Curtis teamed up with Tracy. As Sonny groped for his pills, Ava asked if something was wrong. Should she call 911? Did he want his pills? Wasn’t it awful to be in need with no one to help and instead they stood by and enjoyed his pain? Kristina came in and asked what Ava was doing. She went over to Sonny and asked why Ava wasn’t helping him.

Brook said Lulu was upset because of how it affected her. If she’d stayed out of Brook’s business, she wouldn’t have to lie. Lulu said she didn’t go looking for information about Brook. She was looking for something on Valentin to help her track her daughter. Now every time Dante told her that he was happy she had Charlotte back, she choked on the knowledge Dante had a son. Brook said Lulu wanted to tell Dante because Lulu hated her and wanted him to hate her to. If it upended their son’s life, so what? Lulu said she’d already agreed not to tell before Brook’s husband threatened to arrest her, when Gio and Emma walked in. Emma said they could come back, but Brook said they were just having a little disagreement. Lulu said they’d been fighting because Brook was a self-serving manip… but one thing Brook was not was her boss, and she left. Ava said, Sonny just collapsed. She didn’t know what was happening, but of course (🍷) she was going to help. Then Kristina came in. Kristina told her, go, and Ava asked if she should call 911. Kristina said, just go, and Ava left. Kristina gave Sonny a pill and said she was calling an ambulance, but Sonny said, no. Dr. Gannon. Boyle (Ezra) asked if he could join Laura and Jordan, then sat down before getting an answer. Jordan asked what was on his mind, and he said the esplanade project. A snail that tree-huggers were worried about was causing a delay, but no snail was more important than jobs and revenue. Laura said they weren’t allowed to ignore the environmental impact, and Boyle said his constituents were upset. This wouldn’t be happening if they’d moved the esplanade to Pier 55. Jordan said it wasn’t a workable option, and Laura said she made the right decision. It made no sense to move the esplanade away from the city center and Sonny would have fought it. Boyle said given how close she was to Sonny, he suggested she reconsider and avoid the embarrassment of family ties to a notorious crime lord.

Gio asked if Brook was okay, and Brook said Lulu had to be the heroine in her own drama. She wouldn’t listen to anyone, but had a lot to say about how other people lived their lives. Her grandma insisted on hiring Lulu, but she knew it would never work. Emma asked if she was firing Lulu just now, but Brook said, Lulu quit. Gio said they had something that would give Tracy what she wanted most. Curtis said he hadn’t teamed up with anyone, and Drew said Aurora had referred to him as Drew Cain in their coverage. Tracy said that was his name. He had no legal right to call himself a Quartermaine. Drew said that was never going to stand up, and Curtis said the journalists were held to the same standards Drew had put in place when he was running Aurora. Drew said Curtis thought he’d detract from him doing something good, but Curtis said the pediatric sports initiative (🍷) was trending on social media. Wasn’t that what the conference was for? To help the kids, not Drew’s ego? Drew said if Curtis wanted it get ugly, it would, and he left. Stella said she was a bit entertained, and Tracy said, well done. Stella said, what they had was the start of a beautiful friendship, and they all clinked teacups. Boyle said Laura and Sonny shared a grandchild and people would say she was protecting Sonny’s interests, and Laura said, which people? Jordan said, protect how? and Laura said she had nothing to hide. Her relationship with Sonny was a matter of public record and she disclosed her financials every year, something he’d managed to avoid. She thought they were done. Jordan said she’d meet Laura back at the office, and Laura left. Boyle said he was lucky to have an opportunity to speak to Jordan alone, but Jordan said he might feel differently when he heard what she had to say. Kristina asked, what happened? and Sonny said he lost his temper and went after Ava. He got a pain, went to grab his pills, and fell. Kristina said, and Ava just stood there? Sonny nodded, when the doorbell rang. Kristina let in Isaiah, who asked if Sonny took his pill. Sonny said, eventually. He’d dropped them. Kristina said, Ava was just standing there, but Sonny said it was better that she didn’t know what they were. Let her think he was having a panic attack. Now that he took a pill, he was fine. Kristina said he wasn’t fine until Isaiah said he was. Cody heard a ruckus in the boathouse and found Lulu beating a stuffed frog with a bat. She said she came to see Rocco and needed to blow off steam, and he asked why she was worked up. She said maybe she was as horrible as Brook thought she was.  

Curtis left, and Stella said he loved him like one of her own. Tracy asked if she and her sister were close, and Stella said they loved each other dearly. Tracy said she wished she and Alan had been closer. They just drove each other crazy. Stella said, when you were siblings, that was love. Lulu told Cody that she knew she should let it go. It killed her that Dante never said a word about Brook. Cody said, Dante didn’t know she got pregnant, but Lulu said Dante knew they’d slept together, but told her they were just friends. Cody said it was years ago when they were teens and Dante thought nothing came of it, but Lulu said, something did come of it. Something major. Isaiah listened to Sonny’s heart and said the rhythm was normal. If he went to GH, they could do nothing but monitor him. Sonny said he was sorry he scared Kristina, and she said Ava obviously provoked him. Sonny asked for a minute with the doctor, and she said she’d call to check on him later. She left and Sonny said he appreciated Isaiah coming. Isaiah said he was making an appointment for the surgery today, but Sonny said he wasn’t. Jordan said any attempt to smear Laura would blow up in Boyle’s face, and he said, if she played her cards right, she could be the next mayor. As the former Police Commissioner, how did she justify Laura’s friendship with Sonny? She said Laura was an excellent mayor and an honest politician. Ava and Ric walked in, and Boyle said all it would take for a push was one defining moment, her boss kowtowing to organized crime. Ava told Ric that he wouldn’t believe what happened with Sonny, and he asked why she was there. She said she was asking for a loan because she was desperate. While she was there, Sonny collapsed. There was something wrong with Sonny.

Brook said, so Gio and Emma proposed the family trade lakefront property for the public land the crypt was on, and Emma said, nothing would change. Gio said, and it was good for nature. They’d gone to Ned… Brook said, that was a mistake. He looked at everything from a financial perspective. They shouldn’t pursue this. Jordan went to Curtis’s office and thanked him for the flattering coverage photo. It made it seem like she was running the program. He said who wouldn’t rather look at her and Portia instead of a crooked politician, and she told him that Drew said he’d regret calling him Congressman Cain. He said it was Drew’s legal name. It just denied his ego satisfactory PR. She said, well done. Stella said the look on Drew’s face when he saw Curtis having tea with them. She was locking the image away. Tracy said she thought he’d pop something. She didn’t know Stella had that in her. She was a helpful composed patient advocate at work, but didn’t let anybody mess with her family. Stella said, would she? and Tracy said, of course (🍷) not. Stella said they also didn’t suffer fools gladly. If someone came for their family… Tracy said, they’d fight back, and they high-fived. Drew sat with Boyle at the bar and said Tracy was way too happy to help Curtis screw him over. Curtis undermined him at every opportunity and he was sick of it. Boyle had a connection at public works and the Quartermaine crypt was partially on public land. Get a bulldozer over there as soon as possible. He wanted it torn down now. (Again, that’s not how any of this works.) Cody asked if Lulu never had feelings for anyone before Dante, and she said, of course (🍷), but Dante had a relationship with Brook that he’d kept secret between them. He lied about his feelings. She thought she always knew and that’s why she couldn’t let it go. Cody said Dante picked Lulu a long time ago, but Lulu said he lied to her. Cody said, by omission, and she said, it was still a lie. He lied that he’d never had feelings for Brook. She’d thought they were so in sync, they’d never lie to each other, but that was never true. Sonny said his cardiologist told him that he could wait if he took his medication and avoided stress, and Isaiah asked how that was going. Sonny said his health meant nothing if he lost his family. He had security issues, but if he resolved them before the scheduled surgery, maybe they could move up the procedure. He owed Isaiah. Isaiah asked if he didn’t owe it to himself to get the surgery as soon as he could. He opened the door, and Laura was there. Isaiah left, and Laura asked why he was there. Sonny said it wasn’t important, and he’d appreciate it if she didn’t tell anyone. He had a heart condition and was going to have surgery.

Gio told Brook, it made sense. Tracy would get her way and their ancestors wouldn’t be disturbed. Brook said it was a good idea, but don’t get moored into the fight. It was classic Quartermaine infighting. They weren’t even hardcore Q’s and should walk away while they still could. Cody said he didn’t know why Dante didn’t come clean, but he knows Dante loved Lulu. Brook was never a threat. Lulu said she and Dante had been over for a long time, and Cody said he’d thought things were true that weren’t, and it messed him up to find out the Bells weren’t his birth parents. He got over it and moved on. Lulu wondered how Dante could care about someone like Brook. Now she had to live with Brook’s lie. Kristina went to Adela/Irene’s grave and told her about seeing Sonny. She thought he was going to die, and Ava was just standing there over the pill bottle. She could have helped him, but didn’t. By not helping him, she was killing him. Like she killed Adela. Ava asked if Ric found out anything, and he said he could confirm Sonny wasn’t admitted to GH. Ava said Kristina gave him a pill and he must have recovered, and Ric asked what happened before that. Ava said they were arguing and Sonny suddenly stopped, obviously in pain. He had a prescription pill bottle, but dropped it before he was able to take one. He fell at her feet. Ric said, and she just stood there? and she said, of course (🍷) she was going to help, but Kristina scared her. Obviously, Kristina knew what was going on and screamed at her to get out, so she left. Ric said Sonny had been on medication for years, and Ava said, mood stabilizers. Nothing for pain. He could barely breathe. Something was seriously wrong with his brother. Sonny told Laura that he was shot years ago and it damaged his heart. Only surgery could repair it. She wondered if it was safe to wait, and he said he had business to take care of before he was out commission for a couple weeks. He had Isaiah and his medication and had to avoid stress. She told him, easier said than done, and he said he was doing all right until today. Ava came by. He was trying to be cordial, but she wanted more money and thought she’d take advantage of him. They got into it and the pain hit. He couldn’t get to his pills and fell, and the pills were on the ground. Luckily, Kristina came in. Everything was fine, but he couldn’t control himself and it scared him. Gio said it was something where both sides would be happy, but Brook said, Drew wouldn’t be happy until he hurt her grandma enough and got his name back. She’d try to talk to her dad. The phone rang and she said they’d talk later. In the hallway, Gio said, the house belonged to Monica, right? Maybe she was the one they should be talking to.

Cody said Lulu could always talk to him. He’d listen and not judge. An argument didn’t make her a bad person. Lulu wasn’t sure she could trust his judgement since he picked up hitchhikers. Tracy asked if Stella wanted to check out an art exhibit, but Stella said she had a doctor’s appointment. Everything was fine, but it took two tests – urine and blood – to screen for kidney disease. Tracy asked if Stella was concerned, and Stella said she didn’t think so, but 90% of those with the disease didn’t know they had it and had no symptoms until irreversible kidney damage was done. There was high blood pressure and diabetes in ⅔ of the cases. It could also uncover cardiovascular risk. She had high blood pressure, so as they say, knowledge is power. They high-fived and laughed. Curtis said Jordan should have seen Drew’s face when Drew saw he was having tea with Tracy. He went from zero to a thousand in half a second. Jordan said Drew would assume Curtis was working against him. He was declaring war. Curtis said Drew’s pride took a direct hit and his ego was demanding retribution, and she asked if he was sure he was ready to wave a red flag in front of Drew. He said until Drew’s anger made him do something stupid where he exposed his true colors to all the world, and she said she got the logic, but it could hurt Curtis. Watch out for unintended consequences. Curtis said he’d played this game before, and Drew had better watch out for him.

Drew told Boyle that they were righting a wrong from when the Quartermaine patriarch helped himself to public land. Boyle said, we? It was Drew’s battle. <making a wah-wah sound). Drew said he thought Boyle was a champion of the people, but Boyle said it was Drew’s family. Drew said they’d been given notice that the crypt had to be moved and were using their money and privilege to stonewall. They weren’t above law. They had their chance and didn’t take it. Now he wanted the crypt razed to the ground tomorrow. Ava asked Ric, what was wrong with Sonny? How serious was it? Ric said she was enjoying this too much, and she said, Sonny told her, if not for Avery, he would have her killed, and it wasn’t the first time he’d said it. So excuse her for not getting misty over his passing. With Avery’s inheritance, she could pay all her debts and have enough left over to keep… Avery in the lifestyle she’s accustomed to. Ric said, pragmatic to a fault, and Ava wondered why Sonny was hiding his condition. Obviously, he didn’t want anyone to know so it must be serious. Laura said she hoped Sonny wasn’t carrying his burden all alone, and he said there were key people who knew. He didn’t want it made public and didn’t want his family to worry. He didn’t want his enemies to know he wasn’t 100%. He was also thinking about Port Charles. Laura said she appreciated that and would keep his secret. Kristina said no one saw how dangerous Ava was but her. Ava convinced a jury that she wasn’t guilty of killing Adela and used Avery against her dad every chance she got. They just throw their hands up and shake their heads. They tell her to walk away, but she can’t do that. That’s what makes Ava so dangerous. No one holds her accountable for what she’s done. She’s not a nuisance. Ava is a threat to everyone she loves. If she didn’t stop Ava, Ava would take away everyone she cared about… She cried, then suddenly looked up and said she had to stop her. Ava had to be stopped, and she had to stop her. She touched Adela’s gravestone.

Thursday:

Diane found Alexis on the floor in her office, but she was fine, just meditating. She needed to find peace because she was going to do something hard. She had to strike a truce with Ric or kill him trying. On the phone, Elizabeth talked to Lucas about Brad blackmailing Portia. She went to Charlie’s after hours, where lucky had prepared dinner. Stella went to the hospital for her kidney disease screen. Isaiah told Jordan that when he pictured a clandestine relationship, a five-mile hike didn’t occur to him, and she said she ran fast so she could get back and be alone with him. As Sasha’s patient advocate, Felicia asked if Sasha had given any thought to adding her baby daddy’s medical information to her file. Nina stopped by Ava’s to thank her for teaming her up with Portia. She thought they could deal with their mutual Drew problem. Ava was bringing Avery over to Sonny’s and Nina wondered why she was hurrying. Kristina left a message for Isaiah with a question about Sonny’s condition. She wanted to know the worst-case scenario if he didn’t have his meds on him. There was a knock at Sonny’s door, and Kristina opened it to Molly. Sonny told Jason that it would take more than Ava to kill him. He was going to be more careful in the future. Jason suggested Sonny get the surgery sooner, but Sonny said he wasn’t lying around while his family was in danger. Brick joined them and said he had a lead on the man who almost burned Michael to death.

Chase found Brook working at home and asked if Lulu was harassing her, but Brook said Lulu had quit because of Chase. Isaiah thought Jordan was distracting herself, and she told him about Boyle suggesting she distance herself from Laura because of Laura’s relationship with Sonny. Isaiah said, he may have a point, and Jordan said she agreed. Brick said Soliski was a contract killer, ex-intelligence. The only way to contact him was on the dark web. He was in Toronto right now. Jason said he could be there in an hour. Molly told Kristina that she wanted her sister back. Felicia said, since it came out that Jason was the father, she wondered if Sasha reconsidered, but Sasha said she didn’t want him involved. Elizabeth said it was the best chicken parm she’d ever had, and Lucky said he’d gotten it from Lorenzo’s in NYC. He reminisced about their past time together and asked if she wanted to go away for the weekend. Let him take her back to New York.

Lucas and Stella rehashed the information she gave us about kidney screening yesterday. Jordan told Isaiah that she respected Laura and it wouldn’t bother her except for the esplanade. A mayor not as close to Sonny might have made a stronger case for kicking a mob boss out of an area that needed revitalization. She was realizing Laura would never see Sonny as the danger he was. Alexis told Diane that her fighting with Ric upset Molly. She was going to reach a truce and asked Diane to stay as referee. Diane asked if there was time to make popcorn. Molly said people she loved, and thought would be here forever were gone, but Kristina wasn’t. She didn’t want to just see Kristina in a crisis and wanted it to be like it was. She was without Sam and didn’t want to be without Kristina. Nina asked, what changed? and Ava said Sonny was particular about times and dates, and it was good for Avery to see they were getting along. She was seeing Sonny with fresh eyes. Sonny asked if Soliski was tipped off, but Brick said there was no way to be sure. Jason said Soliski wouldn’t see him coming, and Brick said Soliski was paranoid and dangerous, but Sonny said coming after him was dangerous.

Elizabeth and Lucky rehashed when they went to NYC and missed the last bus home. We flashed back to when they were babies, and Elizabeth said she’d had the time of her life. Chase asked what he’d done to make Lulu quit, and Brook said he’d had a chat with Lulu. Chase said he was going to tell her. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t Lulu’s business; she just had to say it. Her way needed to change, and he’d dropped by to tell her. Brook said threatening Lulu and flashing his badge wasn’t who he was, but he said just because he didn’t show it often, it didn’t mean that side wasn’t there. He’d do what it took to keep her secret safe. Felicia said Sasha wouldn’t be raising her baby alone if the Scorpios had anything to say about it. Kristina wondered if things would ever be the same, but Molly said maybe they could find a new normal and suggested Little Buddha take-out and a movie at home. Kristina said she’d missed Molly even when she didn’t want to, and Molly said sometimes she just wanted to be home with Kristina and their mom. They hugged, and Ava came by with Avery. Jordan said Sonny’s generosity didn’t change his involvement in illegal activities. But then there were the supposed good guys like Drew and Boyle who she trusted less than Sonny. Sonny wanted to go with Jason, but Brick said it was a major operation, especially for someone having surgery soon. Brick left and Sonny said he was going with Jason.

A song began to play, and Elizabeth said it was the first song on the mix tape Lucky gave her that they listened to on their way to New York. They danced and he said he’d found the hotel they’d stayed at and slept on the floor. We flashed back to that, and he said he’d booked a room for them, when her phone alarm went off. She had to get to work, but he knew the answer before he’d asked. This time neither of them would sleep on the floor. Molly took Avery to the playroom and Kristina said Ava could go. Ava tried to get information on Sonny’s condition, but Kristina said it was none of her business. Ava said if Sonny wasn’t well enough to take care of their daughter full time, she would, and she was pretty sure a judge would agree. Ric told Alexis he owed her an apology, confusing her. He said he realized baiting her into arguments was unfair to her and their daughter, and he was truly sorry. They could be neutral parties with a common interest. She asked where this was coming from, and he said Cody had given him perspective. She said she accepted his apology, and he said he accepted hers, but she said she didn’t give him one. Diane suggested they quit while they were ahead and shake on it. Hesitantly, they did. Lucas said Stella was taking preventative steps and doing research and everyone be as concerned about their healthcare. She told him, knowledge is power, and he said she was pretty powerful. Felicia asked if Jason would be on the birth certificate and Sasha said they’d agreed he wouldn’t be involved, and it would only complicate things. Felicia advised her to get things settled before the baby was born so Jason didn’t insist later. Sasha said Jason would never do that, but Felicia said she didn’t know Jason wouldn’t change his mind. She didn’t want to leave anything open to interpretation. Jason said the last thing Sonny needed was going to Toronto to track down a professional killer, but Sonny said it couldn’t wait. Jason said he was going alone. It was too much risk. Sonny said he’d have his meds, but Jason said too many things could go wrong.

Lucas said he had diabetes, so he was at risk, and he’d also taken the tests. There was no reason not to be proactive. It could reduce potentially serious complications down road and also uncover cardiovascular risk. Chase said Lulu had taken things too far, but Brook said she didn’t think Lulu was upset with her. She was upset with Dante for not telling her that they had a past together. Chase said it didn’t affect Lulu, and Brook said Lulu was too self-centered and self-righteous. Chase said Lulu’s life hadn’t changed and she was just rubbing it in. Brook said she’d do anything to change it, but Chase said it wasn’t her fault. It wasn’t even a fault thing. Brook said she never expected to meet someone like him, and Chase said neither did he. She asked if he was glad they met. Molly went to Alexis’s office and asked what Ric was doing there. He said he’d let her mom fill her in. (Diane called him Richard, startling me. I don’t remember anyone ever calling him that.) Ric left and Diane said she was exhausted. It was more than she’d hoped for. She left, and Alexis told Molly that she’d invited Ric there. What she’d said at the PCPD hit home and she was going to call a truce, but he did before she had a chance. Molly asked if he was dying, but Alexis said she didn’t think so. He’d said Cody had gotten to him. It didn’t happen often, but her father was the bigger person for her sake. She was happy to accept the olive branch. Jordan told Isaiah that she didn’t want to steal Laura’s job, but if she had a choice, she’d stay as far away from Sonny as possible. Brick came by with flowers to see if Jordan was free for dinner. Jordan said she had plans, and he said he could see that. Sonny said he knew Jason was worried, but Soliski was the reason his son was in a burn clinic in Germany in unbelievable pain. He was going to be stressed if he didn’t go and make sure the job was done. Maybe it would be a stress reliever. Jason said Soliski was just the middleman. Someone hired him and they needed to know who. Sonny said he needed to know the name of his real enemy.

Brick asked if Jordan and Isaiah were a couple now, and Jordan said she needed a favor. Don’t tell anyone she knew they were dating. He asked if it was a request from her or her new boyfriend, and Isaiah said if it was up to him, the whole world would know, but Jordan had her reasons to keep it a secret and he’d promised to honor that for her sake. Brick said he’d do the same. He’d heard questionable things about Isaiah’s family and hoped Isaiah had no part of that. He left and Isaiah said he guessed Brick looked into him. Jordan didn’t ask him to, did she? She said if there was anything she wanted to know, she trusted he’d tell her himself, and they hugged. Chase said Brook was the best thing that had happened to him, and she said he was a remarkable man. No matter what anyone did, don’t compromise himself or his values. He thought they could handle it and they hugged. Molly said Alexis deserved credit for the truce with Ric and Alexis said it was easier because she was doing it for Molly. Molly said she’d gone to see Kristina and they talked for the first time in a long time. They were taking it slow, but she wanted to try and get back to how they used to be. They were having a Davis girls’ night and were hoping Alexis would come too. Alexis said she wouldn’t miss it for the world, and they hugged. (A lot of that going around today.) Ava went home and found Ric there and he said he had the most unbelievable conversation with Alexis. The last thing he expected happened. They made peace. There was knocking at the door and Kristina said, open the damn door. They were going to finish this once and for all. Sasha left Jason a message that she was finished with her check-up and everything was good, but there was something they needed to take care of. Jason saw there was a missed call from Sasha and asked if he couldn’t change Sonny’s mind. Since Soliski couldn’t kill him last time, the contract on him was still out. Sonny took out his gun, loaded it, and said he wasn’t going to let Soliski or anyone else come after his family again. They left and we saw a framed photo of Morgan and Michael.

🫔 Friday’s Enchilada…

At the café, Sasha asks if Maxie has been waiting long, and Maxie says, long enough to get tea for her sore throat and a cookie. She’s been waiting a week. In reality, less than five minutes. Sasha says she’s glad they’re doing this. She wants to show something to Maxie, but she can’t tell anyone she saw it. Maxie says, okay. Is it bad? Sasha says, it’s actually pretty miraculous, and shows Maxie her sonogram. Maxie squees.

Tracy finds Elizabeth at the hospital and says she knows Stella was coming in for tests. She thought if Stella was done, she’d ask if Stella wanted to go to dinner. Elizabeth says, sorry, but Stella already finished and left. It was a sweet idea. Tracy says she knows, and Elizabeth asks how Monica is doing. Tracy says, today’s a good day, and Elizabeth says she’s glad to hear it. Tracy says her too. She’ll let Monica know that everyone is thinking about her. Elizabeth says, tell her they can’t wait for their former Chief of Staff to get back to her old self, and Tracy says, will do. Elizabeth says she hopes Monica is better soon, and Tracy says, her too, and she hopes Monica doesn’t find out Drew is threatening to dig up her late husband.

Trina approaches the crypt, and asks, what’s going on? Boyle says, she can’t be here, but she says she lives here. She’s trying to study. Boyle says, she lives here? and she says, in the apartment over the garage. He introduces himself as Ezra Boyle, Port Charles City Council, and says he’s here on important city business. Trina says she knows who he is. They met at the press conference. He says, right. She was with Kai Taylor. She asks if he has a right to be here, and he says he does. He has a signed demolition order. Emma and Gio join them, and Emma asks, what is all this? Ezra asks if they live here, and Gio says, at the main house. Ezra says, great, and hands him a paper, saying, you’ve been served.

In Drew’s office, he says Kai has a few more speaking engagements, and Kai asks if Drew is sure he’s the right guy. Now that he’s done with football, people might not want to listen to him much longer. Drew says Kai is the reason the speaking engagements have more than doubled. People want to hear what he has to say about the pediatric sports initiative (🍷). He saw how well Kai handled himself at the press conference and people want more. He’s got more going for him than just football. Kai says, good thing because he’s never going pro, and Drew asks if he’s sure about that

Lucky brings Lulu to Charlie’s, and she wonders if everything is free since the club isn’t open. He says he can spot her an appetizer and a beer, and thanks her for coming by. She says she never sees him at their mom’s place where they live together, and he says he’s been spending time at Elizabeth’s. She asks how it’s going, and he says, pretty good. In fact, they’re going away together.

Kristina pounds on Ava’s door, and Ava tells Ric to listen to the sound of Kristina Corinthos Davis acting even more unhinged than usual. He says he just made peace with Alexis. If Kristina sees him here, it will all be blown to hell. She says, don’t let Kristina see him, but stick around. She may need a witness. He grabs his drink and goes to another room, while the banging continues. Ava tells Kristina, come in and speak her piece, but stay away from the windows. They don’t want a repeat of what happened the last time Kristina barged in. (Wow. A new low.)

On a private jet, Jason says, the flight time is 40 minutes, and Sonny says, Brick said Soliski could be in two possible locations, his apartment or a warehouse. They’ll check each one to minimize the chance of missing him. Jason says he’ll take the warehouse. They don’t know when Soliski will leave town for his next job. Sonny says, whoever hired him is responsible for Michael’s pain and he wants to make them pay.

Maxie says she’s guessing Sasha’s OB appointment went well, and Sasha says she and the baby are fine. Her pregnancy is in the honeymoon phase, so she has all this energy. Maxie asks if she needs to get away from the Quartermaines, but Sasha says she’s thinking it calmed down slightly. Maxie says she thought Sasha wanted to move out to get away from all of them, but Sasha says she’s staying for now. Maxie says, if Sasha changes her mind, she’ll make space in her house for Sasha and the baby, and Sasha thanks her, but says she’s fine at the Quartermaines. She likes her job and it’s going good. Maxie says, if she needs help… but Sasha says, like she told Maxie, she can afford to have this baby. She promises it’s not a problem. She’s just sorry she said something that made it harder for Maxie to take care of her babies.

Tract tells Elizabeth that Drew went as far as to sic the Public Land Trust on her because her family’s crypt accidentally extends maybe 20 feet onto public land. Elizabeth says she doesn’t think Edward would make a mistake like that, and Tracy says, Drew doesn’t care. He’s using it as leverage to remain a Quartermaine. Elizabeth says she assumes Monica isn’t aware of what Drew’s done, and Tracy says she’s done everything she can to shield Monica. She’s furious with Drew already for multiple reasons. Elizabeth says she thought Monica had always accepted Drew, but Tracy says, not anymore. For once, she and Monica are in complete agreement. Elizabeth says she hopes hell hasn’t frozen over, and Tracy says, Drew is no longer a member of the Quartermaine family. He has no right to that name.

Gio tells Boyle that he’s not family, just a guest. Monica is the owner. Doesn’t he have to serve her? Boyle says, another Quartermaine stall tactic, and the sheriff says, it has to be served to the appropriate party before they start demolition. Boyle tells him, walk to the front door, knock, and serve it, and Emma says, the family is fighting the order. Trina says, in case he hasn’t noticed, the Quartermaine family doesn’t lose, but Boyle says he already has the order. It’s signed and there’s nothing anybody can do to stop it. Get the crew ready. That building is coming down.

Kai says, because of his injury, he can’t play without risking paralysis, and Drew says he’s sorry. Kai says, Trina helped him come to terms with it, and Drew says he’s glad Trina is part of Kai’s life. They make a good couple. Kai says, they’re spending more time together and things are good. He has to admit, he misses playing so much sometimes, he thinks it might be worth the risk. Drew says, if there was a way for him to play safely, would he take it? and Kai says, absolutely, but the doctor said it was a non-starter. Drew says, he may be right, but he’s a big believer in active problem solving. He knows a great specialist, a fantastic doctor who does amazing things. He may be able to help. Kai says, even if it’s true, he can’t pay for what his insurance would consider elective surgery. He doesn’t have those kinds of resources. Drew says, maybe not, but he does.

Ric listens, and Kristina asks if Ava just made a joke about her baby dying, but Ava says she’d never joke about what happened to Irene. Kristina says, Adela, and Ava says, that’s not what it says on her headstone. Kristina says, stay away from her daughter. Her daughter would be here if Ava hadn’t killed her. Ava says she has no interest in relitigating something a jury already deemed an accident, and Kristina says she was there. Ava pushed her. Ava says, keep telling herself that, but stop telling her, and Kristina says she’ll tell Ava every time she sees her. She’ll be a walking remembrance. Ava says, go away, and Kristina asks where the hell Ava gets off dragging her father back to court over Avery. Ava says, he’s in a no condition to take care of Avery, a fact she’ll be all too happy to share with a judge in open court.

Lucky tells Lulu that he and Elizabeth are making a return trip to Manhattan. He booked a room in the hotel where they stayed when they were kids. Does she remember? Lulu says, it was when they were planning on moving to NYC so Elizabeth could study art, and he says, it’s only a weekend. He was hoping Aiden could stay at their mom’s. Aiden is old enough to be by himself, but he’d feel better if they kept an eye on him. She says, of course (🍷). They’d love to. Is he sure he wants to do this?

Yuri calls Tracy and says, man with official paper bring bulldozer to crypt. She says she’ll be right there.

Trina wonders why a councilman would get involved, and Emma says she’ll tell Trina why. He’s Cutthroat Cain’s dirty little stooge. Boyle says, okay. Congressman Quartermaine brought a legitimate issue to his attention, and it was his duty to rectify it to show that rich people can’t flaunt the law. Emma says, only public officials have that privilege, and Boyle sighs and says, the building violates the laws twice over. It’s a public structure built on conservancy land. There’s no construction allowed. Gio says, what construction? It’s already been constructed. The sheriff says he gave the paperwork to some Russian guy, and Emma says, he’s from Belarus. Boyle says he doesn’t care and tells the workers, get moving. Emma tells Gio and Trina to stall until she gets back. The sheriff tells Boyle, sorry about the legality of serving an order of demolition to some domestic employee instead of the owner, especially one whose English is a little shaky. Gio says, hey, Yuri’s English is just fine, but Trina says, it’s terrible. They need to go back and make sure he understands, and the order is served to the owner. Boyle says he’s a member of the City Council. Tear that thing down. Gio says, what about the people in the building? and a demolition worker says, there are people in there? Boyle says, no people, just dead bodies, and Trina starts to film on her phone. She says, desecrating the remains of a family’s loved ones is not a good look for a public official, and Gio says, besides being immoral, isn’t unearthing human remains a public health issue? (I would think so. That’s not how any of this works.)

As Ric continues to listen in, Ava says she thinks Sonny would be wise not to return to court. Doesn’t Kristina? If his health issue becomes public, his enemies could take advantage of that. She thinks he’s vulnerable enough as it is. One of his enemies already try to kill him, and Michael got barbecued instead. She’s sure Sonny would agree he was the target, and it should have been him. Kristina says, it should have been Ava, and Ava says she’s glad Avery wasn’t there. It would be far better if Sonny quietly handed Avery over to her and increased child support to sufficiently provide the kind of care Avery is accustomed to. Kristina says, oh my God. Ava has no limit. She’s using Michael’s pain to her own advantage. Ava says, as a mother, she’d do absolutely anything to protect her child. Something Kristina obviously can’t understand since she’s not a mother. (An even newer low.)

Lucky tells Lulu that he already invited Elizabeth and she accepted. It would be rude to withdraw the invite now. Lulu says, he’s right. Forget she said that. He says, she thinks it’s a bad idea, and she says she’s not passing judgment. If he wants to go, he should go. He says, it was a pretty negative reaction to a weekend getaway. What is risky about taking Elizabeth back someplace that meant so much to both of them? She says, a lot can change, including him and Elizabeth. They spent so much more time apart than together and both of them have picked up emotional baggage. He says, life happens. What can you do? She says, nothing, but it’s tough for some people to get over. He says they’re not just some people, and she says, it would be one thing not to recreate the magic, but worse if they tarnish a memory that means so much to both of them.

Sonny asks if Michael told Jason that he’s getting another skin graft, and Jason says, he did. He sounded good. Sonny says, except for the pain. He could hear it in Michael’s voice. Jason says he knows how much Michael misses Wiley and Amelia too, and Sonny says, his love for the kids will get him through. Jason says, the same way Sonny’s love for Michael is pushing him to find Soliski instead of just sending him, and Sonny says he needs the client’s name. They can’t go in there guns blazing. Jason says, when Sonny finds Soliski… Sonny wonders if Jason is asking what he’s going to do when he’s face to face with the man who set his son on fire and nearly killed him. Honestly? He doesn’t know.

Kai wonders why Drew is offering to pay for his surgery when Drew doesn’t know him, and Drew says, not yet, but he was a Navy SEAL. He appreciates Kai’s passion, determination, and willingness to put himself on the line for everyone to see. Kai thanks him, but says he’s still not explaining why, and Drew says, he thinks Kai has a bright future. He wants to do what he can to help Kai realize it. Kai says, Drew has to want something, and Drew says, why… Oh. Because Kai is close to Trina, Kai heard he and Trina’s father had a falling out. That explains why Kai is hesitant to trust him. He totally gets it. It makes perfect sense. He and Curtis did have a disagreement, and Curtis definitely has an opinion about some of his actions, which he has a right to have. But before Kai makes up his mind, at least hear his side.  

The demolition worker says he doesn’t deal with dead bodies, and walks away, but Boyle says, he works for the city. The City Council is running this and they pay him to work, not think. Come back and do his damn job. Continuing to film, Trina says, he’s not a man of the people if he talks to his workers like that, and Boyle says, put that damn phone down. She asks if he’s denying her right to record a public official performing his duties in his elected office. Gio says he’s a registered voter and a Catholic. Boyle’s religious constituents will be horrified by his callous disregard for the Quartermaines’ dearly departed. Boyle says, enough nonsense and Quartermaine grandstanding. It’s a legal order and there’s no legitimate reason to delay. Emma chains herself to the crypt and says, they’ll tear it down over her dead body.  

Maxie says her babies are fine. The only time they’re not is when they’re James. Sasha says she made things harder at Deception, so she made things harder for Maxie, but Maxie says, Deception is doing fine. Sasha says she freaked out when Jenz Sidwell showed up. She said he was a monster. Maxie says, because he kidnapped her. They need zinc desperately, but they’ll find someplace else. Sasha says, but will they find it in time? and Maxie says, they’re not doing business with someone who threatened Sasha’s life. Sasha says, that’s the thing. She may have overreacted. Maxie asks, how? Sidwell kidnapped her and threatened to kill her. Sasha says she was scared, but none of that would have happened if her mother hadn’t stolen millions of dollars’ worth of Sidwell’s diamonds. Maxie asks if they’re blaming Holly, and Sasha says, Holly is the only reason Sidwell grabbed her. He didn’t mistreat her. He wasn’t cruel. Maxie says, he tried to blow her up, and Sasha says, Holly’s greed put her in danger and it wasn’t the first time. Don’t feel they shouldn’t do business with Sidwell because of her. She wouldn’t say it if she didn’t mean it. Maxie says she’s not sure she’s okay with doing business with Sidwell, and Sasha says she is. Maxie is just being a good friend and Sasha loves her for it, but business and family are more important.

Lulu tells Lucky not to listen to her. She’s just projecting her own situation. Lucky says, what situation? and Lulu says, her life. Take your pick. Let’s talk about anything else. He says, she makes a good point. It’s risky and it could be serious if they end up disappointed, but he doesn’t think that’s going to happen. She says she hopes he’s right, and he says, they can’t erase their baggage or the years they spent in the apartment. Going back to a place that’s so important and revisiting memories they made together isn’t about reclaiming the past. It’s considering the future. She asks if he’s hoping for a future with Elizabeth.

Kristina says, this isn’t about protecting Avery. It’s about blackmailing her father. Ric listens hard, and Ava says, how is it blackmail when it’s speaking the truth? Her father has a medical condition so severe that he collapsed at her feet. Kristina says, Ava withheld his medication, but Ava says she was in shock. What if Avery had found him? She should go straight to the court. The sooner they know what happened, the sooner Avery is safe. Kristina says, Ava is making a threat out of her father’s medical issue and making him a target, and Ava says, that’s the price he pays for the life he chose. Kristina says, Ava took her brother and her daughter. She won’t let Ava take her father too. It’s too late for Morgan and Adela, but it’s not too late for her father. She will stop Ava. She leaves and Ric comes out. Ava says she’s glad he was here for that. He just heard Kristina blatantly threaten her.

A man walks into an apartment carrying a gym bag and finds Sonny with a gun waiting for him. Sonny says, Mr. Soliski. Did you have a good workout? Soliski asks what he wants.

Gio and Trina join Emma on the crypt steps, and Boyle tells her, unchain yourself right now. Emma says, not while he and Killer Cain clearly circumvent proper channels to get a demolition order so fast. Boyle says, arrest her, and the sheriff says, give him the key. Emma says she swallowed it, and Gio asks where she got the lock. She says, from her car. She always travels with the necessary tools for a peaceful protest. Trina says she likes the way Emma thinks, when Tracy arrives. She says, a bulldozer hacked the lawn. The city is going to pay for it. Boyle says, the order was served, but Tracy says she doesn’t know about any order.  She thought Gio was missing and went looking. She found people milling around with nothing to do. The sheriff says, the young lady is not moving, and Boyle says, cut her loose. Emma tells Trina, be sure to record them groping her. It will make court easier. Tracy says she’ll need his badge number for when she calls in her friend Judge Lymon, and tells Gio to call Emma’s grandma. They need her here now.  

Drew tells Kai that he and Curtis were best friends for a long time. Based on their friendship, he brought Curtis in at Aurora. He put Curtis in charge of a new division, and he made it a success. Kai asks, why not pick him to replace Drew as CEO? but Drew says, it’s confidential. He can tell Kai that Curtis had expectations that he didn’t meet, but he never lied. Kai asks if it was worth the friendship, and Drew says he wishes it hadn’t cost what it did, but that’s between him and Curtis. He’d never ask Kai to choose between them. He just wants to help. He has a lot of money and to be completely honest, he thinks it will feel good spending it to invest in Kai’s future. Kai says, also sports is big business and high profile. If a mentee is drafted to the NFL, it’s good for the mentor. Drew says, true, but it goes both ways, and Kai says, what if Drew pays for his surgery, but he still can’t play? What happens then?

Soliski says, Sonny has the wrong apartment, but Sonny says, no, he doesn’t. Don’t waste his time. Put the bag down, slowly. Soliski drops his bag, and Sonny says, take two fingers and take the gun out of your pocket. Soliski does that, and Sonny says, put it on the table and slide it to me. Soliski slides the gun over and says, happy? Sonny says, getting there. He’s made himself comfortable in Soliski’s home like Soliski made himself comfortable in his. He planted an incendiary device and got sloppy. It didn’t get him. It got his son instead. Big mistake. Lucky for Soliski, his son lived. He’ll give Soliski a chance. All he has to do is tell Sonny who hired him.

Lucky tells Lulu that he doesn’t want to get ahead of himself. All he’s planning is a weekend away someplace where they’re not constantly interrupted by loving, well-meaning family. Lulu says she hears that dodge, and he says it’s up to him, like a future with Elizabeth. Even though it’s going well, she might not want to take the chance. She says, maybe this time’s the charm, but he says he’s not making assumptions. He’s putting himself out there in the hope of a chance. She says, he’s braver than she is, and he says he thinks farther down the road and goes for what he wants. She says, exactly. He’s on the road while she’s stuck in neutral. He says he’s sure when she figures out what she wants, there will be no stopping her, and she says she does know that their mom will love having Aiden hang with them for the weekend. And if they’re having a great time in NYC and want to extend their stay, they’ve got it covered. He says, she’s great, and she says she really is, isn’t she.

Ric says, judging by Kristina’s overreaction, Sonny’s condition must be serious, and Ava says, serious enough to look weak, which he can’t afford. She’s more than willing to take full custody of Avery, plus a tidy sum to keep quiet. He says he’d advise caution. They both know Sonny is never more dangerous than when his back is against the wall. His phone rings, and Elizabeth says she has the information he wanted. She’ll drop it off at his office when she gets a Ride Share, since she doesn’t have her car. He says, she doesn’t have to, and Ava realizes he’s talking to Elizabeth. She says, that’s why he’s talking like that. Of course (🍷). It’s Elizabeth. Elizabeth says, nice to hear he’s with Ava and not toiling away at his desk, and he says, they were just working at her place. Elizabeth says she’ll drop it off there. The sooner she gives it to him, the sooner he can help Portia. The call ends and Ava says, if he’s done working, does he mind telling her what all that was about? He says, if she must know, Elizabeth is providing evidence to help protect Portia. Ava asks if Portia told Elizabeth that Drew was blackmailing her, and he says, not exactly. She knew Portia consulted with him. Ava says, because Portia trusted her with the problem, she referred Portia to Ric. Ric says, Elizabeth just wanted to help, and Ava asks if she got confidential patient files. Ric says, nothing HIPPA related. Elizabeth was much less suspect than Portia would be gathering the files. Ava says, no one would bat an eye at the saintly head nurse, and Ric says, Portia is her friend. She was just trying to help. Ava says, Elizabeth is playing him. She wants to help herself. Ric says, really? Elizabeth? Ava says, maybe she cares about Portia, but she cares about GH more. She’s snooping for the hospital and using him to do it. Because Portia went to him, Elizabeth knows she’s cornered. If he’s asking her to get specific file, she knows where to look for Portia’s problem. He’s given Elizabeth information. It goes against client/attorney privilege with Portia. He says, Elizabeth wouldn’t use that or him. She would not do that to him. Ava says, why not? Because she still loves him? She’s clinging to the hope they’ll get back together? Ric says, wrong. Elizabeth just wanted to help. He saved her from being a suspect at GH. Ava says, Lucky saved her. Ric just did the paperwork.

Kristina cries in the apartment parking garage. (Wow, another perk of Ava’s supposedly horrible apartment.) She looks at a license plate and then at the sign above it that says, #4 Jerome. She digs in a nearby took bag.  

The demolition worker says, nothing is getting bulldozed until the area is cleared, and Boyle tells the sheriff to arrest them for obstructing a lawful order. Tracy says, come near her and she’ll have his badge. She asks if Emma is all right, and Emma says she’s fine. She thinks she’ll bring more chains next time. She’ll bring them for everybody. Tracy says, not to worry, and chains herself to Emma. Trina asks what she’s doing, and Tracy says, protecting her family’s final resting place. This isn’t about the environment. It’s about Congressman Cain using city resources to wage a personal war against his former family. They will not be moved.

Elizabeth comes to Ava’s door, and Ric says he’s done more for Elizabeth than Ava knows. And she has no idea what Elizabeth thinks. Elizabeth knocks, and Ric says, that was fast. She didn’t need to come over. Elizabeth says she doesn’t want to interrupt, and he says he’ll give her a ride home. He has to talk to her. He tells Ava that he’ll be right back, and she says, take his time. There’s no reason to hurry back.

Kristina goes to Charlie’s and Lucky asks where she’s been. It’s almost time to open. She says she was at Ava’s. They had a huge fight. Ava threatened dad and she lost it, so… He asks what she did, and she says she made a mistake she’s going to fix. She can fix it. She runs out, and Lucky says, dammit, and leaves.

Soliski says he’s a professional and did a job he was hired to do, but Sonny says, no. Soliski is a problem for him and his family. Tell him who hired him, and he’ll let him go. Soliski says he never met the client. Details are always handled where they can’t be traced. Sonny asks how he got paid, and Soliski says, crypto currency, also untraceable. He’s sorry. He can’t help Sonny. Sonny says, no one in this line of work would take a job this dangerous without knowing who was involved, and Soliski says, times are tough. He had to loosen his standards. Sonny says, Soliski was sloppy, like he said. Soliski quickly opens a drawer, and Sonny says, looking for this? showing him a gun. Soliski tries to get out the door, but Jason is there with a gun and backs him up into the room. Sonny says, stop wasting his time and tell him who hired him.

Drew says, even if Kai got the surgery and didn’t go back into football, he still feels Kai is going places. He doesn’t know what Curtis told him… Kai says he respects Mr. Ashford, but he makes his own decisions, and Drew says he’s happy to hear it. He gives Kai some paperwork about the procedure and the doctor who performs it and says, if he finds anything else, he’ll send it out. Kai says, in the meantime, he’ll look on his own, and Drew says he highly encourages it and would appreciate it if Kai did. If he does want the surgery, he might want to make a move sooner rather than later. The closer it is to the original date of the injury, the more success it has. He can tell by the way Kai plays the game that he loves it. If there’s a medical procedure that gets him playing a game he loves safely, it makes sense to take the opportunity. Kai leaves.  

Maxie says she has to admit, she didn’t think Jenz Sidwell would play a big part in her night out, and Sasha says she’s sorry. With the benefit of time, she saw what happened differently and wanted to tell Maxie. Maxie says Sasha gave her a lot to think about, and Sasha raised her teacup and said, here’s to helping.

Anna thanks Gio for calling her, and Tracy says, at last. Please arrest the trespassers. Anna asks if Emma is all right, and Emma asks why she wouldn’t be. Anna says, she’s chained to a mausoleum, and Emma says she’s fighting for what’s right. Tracy says she’s fine too, and Boyle asks if there’s any chance Anna will do her job and arrest these women. Anna asks if there’s a demolition order, and the sheriff gives it to her. Tracy says she thinks Boyle’s powerplay is about to end, but Boyle says, it’s not over until the building is rubble. Tracy says, like his career, and Anna says, fetch the bolt cutter. Tracy says, she’s siding with him? and Anna says, the law’s the law.  

Soliski says if he gives Sonny his client’s name, they’ll take him out, but Sonny says, this way, maybe he’ll have a chance disappear. If Soliski doesn’t tell him, he’s going to shoot Soliski right now. He’s out of options. Either tell Sonny who hired him or Soliski is going to be the one paying for his son’s suffering.

While she’s driving, Kristina calls Ava. She says, come on. Pick up.

Ava looks at her phone, but ignores the call.

Kristina gets voicemail.  

In the car with Ric, Elizabeth says she didn’t need a ride. She would have been happy to call a Ride Share. Ric says, not when she went to the trouble to bring him the records, and she says, she told him that she’d be happy help, since he’s done so much for her. Is there anything else she can do to help Portia? Ric says, that depends. Is she trying to help Portia or get insider information out of him? He knows when she’s most deceitful. She asks if he thinks she’s being deceitful now. She went out of her way to try and help. Why would she do that to him? She looks up and says, watch out for the car! (no doubt Kristina) but when he pumps the brakes, nothing happens. He says, something’s wrong, and they crash.

On Monday, Mac tells Anna that he’s not sure she’ll feel the same way once she takes a look at this; Drew tells someone to get it done and he doesn’t care how they do it; Molly asks if Cody is sure it’s a good idea for him to be here; and Sonny tells Jason, the trail may not be cold just yet.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit to Print…

This is really nice and all, but we’re still going to pretend she’s alive? Every time they say her name, it gets weirder.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/genie-francis-previews-ghs-special-anniversary-episode

Happy Anniversary!

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/tabyana-ali-celebrates-her-gh-anniversary-see-her-backstage-pics-and-videos

She’s as bad as I am.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/general-hospitals-eden-mccoy-shows-off-whats-in-my-bag

I’d love to see Valentin back, but how he’ll get out of Steinmauer is a sticky one. Perhaps a not-so-evil twin?

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/james-patrick-stuart-on-returning-to-general-hospital

Aww! I’m getting used to him, but still, he couldn’t work up an accent?

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/watch-chris-mckenna-sing-to-his-baby-boy

I was really sad to hear Wings Hauser passed away. He was the villain in my favorite film, Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time. (Quit laughing.) I hadn’t known he gave Michael Easton his start.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/michael-easton-remembers-working-with-the-late-wings-hauser

💉 A Dose Of Reality…

Below Deck Down Under

You need one of those detective bulletin boards to keep track of who’s hooking up/wants to hook up with who.

Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

They were still in St. Lucia, and I still wanted to cry since, with a few exceptions, this is a group who likes to waste their time and money. There was a slideshow of the women picking on Sutton and a slideshow of Sutton saying out loud what had been on everyone’s mind at the time. When Sutton told Kathy, let’s pretend I don’t have an IQ of 140, it was obvious that the bottom line is Sutton’s insecurity, but who wouldn’t be insecure among this bunch of twits with superiority complexes? Anyway, once Sutton barely got past the boat trip, she mentioned to Garcelle and Jennifer that it seemed coordinated with Erika and Dorit both picking on her at the same time. As concerned actual friends, they tried to talk to Erika, who only ended up grilling Sutton about it and then bringing it up again at – all together – dinner. Their last dinner there. Yep, I’d spend that money a lot more wisely. There I am now as they argue. On the beach with an umbrella drink in hand and a pool boy fanning me with a palm frond…

She probably thought he said Lebanese.

Garcelle drops a hint.

https://extratv.com/2025/03/26/rhobh-s14-reunion-garcelle-storms-out-and-kyle-gets-grilled-about-sexuality/

Denise Richards & Her Wild Things

I read that even though fans love the series, the ratings aren’t great. I’m hoping that if it gets canceled, they’ll continue on streaming. This week, Denise acted in Patrick’s video and it was pretty impressive. Even more impressive was Aaron being so chill about Denise’s friendship with Patrick.

https://pagesix.com/2025/03/26/celebrity-news/denise-richards-claims-charlie-sheen-was-threatened-by-friendship-with-ex-patrick-muldoon/

I’m not sure which one is the plot twist.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1415223/denise-richards-daughter-sami-sheen-reveals-how-onlyfans-has-hurt-her-modeling-career

https://people.com/denise-richards-got-more-acting-offers-after-starting-onlyfans-page-husband-aaron-phypers-helps-run-11703394

Summer House

Kyle wasn’t happy with Craig having said it was just business, and Craig said, if Kyle couldn’t apologize for calling him a liar, they weren’t cool. Even though Jesse was clearly supposed to be exclusive with Lexi, who wasn’t at the house that weekend, he sure acted single with Ciara. There weren’t any passionate kisses, but they were hanging all over each other. While that for sure makes him a sh*thead, that goes double for Ciara. I used to like her, but not so much now. I wonder if that’s the way she would act if Lexi had been there. Seems like a pretty good rule. Don’t behave alone with someone’s SO in a way that you wouldn’t in front of them. The cherry on the idiot cake was Jesse walking into new guy Imrul’s threesome where… No, I can’t. Read the recap.

Southern Charm

Part 1 of the Reunion – someone forgot their cufflinks and Craig said he hated wearing underwear. Thanks for the mental picture, Craig – TMI. Madison was now pregnant, so there were lots of congratulatory hugs. It was Molly’s first Reunion, and Rodrigo and Tyler had gotten engaged. I thought they were married, so that was anticlimactic for me. Andy grilled Craig about the break-up immediately. We revisited Madison’s ups and downs, and she and JT apologized to each other, but it still seemed like Madison wasn’t satisfied. Shep claimed to have changed and said it was good to be humble, but my jury is still out. Apparently, Sienna was annoyed that Shep shared details of the relationship she claimed they hadn’t had on the show and said she hadn’t signed up for this. Didn’t she notice the cameras? We also relived Shep’s cringeworthy freckled lips text to her, and found out that he had Molly had hooked up, but I wish the rest of them would quit pushing it.  JT hit the hotseat with his Venita/secret girlfriend thing. There was a lot of hemming and hawing by him and awkward silences. It ended with Venita jetting to get her phone, which is of course in a pink case. Receipts! Timelines! More next week along with Patricia!

Random Reality Items

I was shocked that The Littlest Groom wasn’t on the list. Although blink and you missed it. Be glad.

https://ew.com/reality-shows-you-wont-believe-existed-11687123

When she was on the hook with Juicy Joe, I could believe she signed whatever papers he gave her without question, but strike two, it’s her.

And in this week’s biggest plot twist.

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

I Think We’re Alone Now. Amazon Prime. Tubi. The human race has been obliterated after an unspecified pandemic. Del (Peter Dinklage) is happy with his job clearing out the dead bodies until Grace (Elle Fanning) comes along and disrupts his peace. Beautifully acted, with a surprise ending that I still have questions about. I would have liked this a lot better if the sound on Amazon hadn’t seemed like the boom man checked out. Hopefully, you have better luck.

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/i-think-were-alone-now-2018

Scamanda. Hulu. A four-episode series documenting the scam of con artist Amanda Riley. Similar to the scam in Apple Cider Vinegar, Amanda faked having cancer, but this time, there was no product to sell but herself. Still, she roped in her church, several celebrities, and whoever else was caught up in reading her blog, into donating lots and lots of money to fund her and her husband’s lives. Again, it seemed like too much work. She literally got herself checked into ERs so she could set up photos. Eventually, people started to put two and two together and came up with fraud, with which she was eventually charged. Her husband was not, but I don’t believe for a second he wasn’t complicit.

https://ew.com/scamanda-true-story-explained-where-is-amanda-riley-now-11685263

Heretic. MAX. Again, saved the best for last. The most intriguing thing about this film, besides a house that seems to have endless mazes and rooms underneath it, is the subject matter. What is the one true religion? After a request for more information on the Mormon church, two young female missionaries visit Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant, chewing the scenery to perfection), who poses the question to them. Eventually, they realize his wife is not in the house as he’s told them, and they have no way out. The game of cat and mouse is exciting, the acting is top-notch, and the ending is a twist I never saw coming. It was a film that was actually something different and that alone made it worth my time.

https://decider.com/2025/03/06/hugh-grant-heretic-streaming-movie-review

🌁 To Be Watched Soon…

We’re almost there. The second season of The Last of Us premieres April 13th on HBO/MAX.

https://ew.com/the-last-of-us-gives-abby-backstory-earlier-explained-11703014

https://www.thepopverse.com/tv-the-last-of-us-season-2-filming-painful-for-pedro-pascal-gap-between-ellie-joel

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/last-of-us-season-2-showrunners-craig-mazin-neil-druckmann-interview

🐾 Two Dogs and a Really Old Cat Walk Into a Bar…

🐶 I hear she’s auditioning for Survivor.

https://people.com/lost-dachshund-valerie-survives-rugged-island-still-missing-11704330

🐈 I had a cat who lived to be almost 21. I was pretty sure she was going to outlive me out of pure meanness. She didn’t like anyone except me and even I was questionable.

https://people.com/man-claims-to-have-worlds-oldest-cat-30-years-11703824

🐕 He went the long way around.

https://people.com/woman-reunites-dog-11-years-after-disappearance-thanks-to-microchip-11703300

🐓 Quotes of the Week

I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear. – Rosa Parks

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. – Lao Tzu

If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it.Olin Miller

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. – T.S. Eliot

You drive like grandma when grandma smokes crack. – Alec Baldwin to Hilaria

🐙 Out Like an Axolotl…

Until next week, stay safe; stay respecting nature and following the Leave No Trace principles; and stay making sure you have enough chains for everybody when staging a peaceful protest.

January 3, 2025 – Sonny Makes a Request Of Jason, Soap Suds, Southern Talk, NJ Tirade, Hard To Do, Finished Watch, Coming Up, Holiday Hangover, Star Celebrations, Times Square, Piffle Clone, Ha-Ha, A Half-Dozen Quotes & Feeling

Standard

What I Watched Today

(The whole GH enchilada & entertainment minutiae on Fridays)

General Hospital

On Thursday:

Isaiah told Sonny that he has to see a cardiologist.

In Prague, the sniper shot through the café window, missing Valentin. Valentin grabbed Charlotte and took off, but when Lulu and Dante followed, all they found was Charlotte’s air tag in a nearby planter.

Michael told Sasha that he thought he and Willow were headed for divorce, and Sasha told Michael that she was pregnant, but she didn’t want him involved. Michael reluctantly agreed.

Drew talked Willow into coming to DC with him for his swearing in ceremony.

Alexis told Ava that the Cassadine money had really belonged to Spencer and now belonged to Ace.

Anna went to Jack’s hotel room, and he still insisted he had no information on Valentin. He got a call from Collette about Valentin escaping, and when he hung up, Anna tased him because she wanted his full attention. She told him that she knew he’d met Emma, and that Emma was off limits.

Moving on to Friday…

Prague, Czech Republic. Dante brings Lulu to her hotel room, and she tells him that he doesn’t have to stay. He escorted her back and she’s fine. He can go to his room. He says, so she can hit the streets as soon as he takes off? and she says she could promise that, but she’s not going to lie to him. He asks if she’s going to go to the town square and yell Charlotte’s name when she and Valentin are long gone. She says, thanks to him.

In a car parked somewhere, Charlotte asks if Valentin is sure he’s okay. He says he’s fine. How is she? She says she’s sorry. It’s all her fault.

Sasha comes into Michael’s office and says, she can go if he has something more important going on, but he says, nothing is more important, and asks her to have a seat. She sits, and he says he respects her decision to raise the baby alone, but he has to ask her to do something for him. Stay in Port Charles.

Nina goes to Curtis’s office and says she assumes he hasn’t spoken to Drew. He says, no and he doesn’t expect to. Nina says, he’s in Washington DC with her daughter.

At the penthouse, Isaiah advises Sonny to see Dr. Pasternak. His reputation as a cardiologist is excellent. Isaiah is still new to GH, but his referral should get Sonny in. Dr. Pasternak is usually booked up. Sonny says he’ll get checked out. Just so Isaiah knows, whoever he talks to needs to be discreet. Isaiah says, Sonny’s number one priority should be getting his heart looked at as soon as possible, when Jason comes in and says, good to see Isaish again.  

Lulu tells Dante that she promised to come alone. She kept her promise, but now she’s worried Charlotte thinks she’s a liar. Valentin certainly does. God only knows what he’s telling her. Charlotte hasn’t seen her in four years, and she’s been under the sole influence of her father. It was her one opportunity to regain Charlotte’s trust and Dante blew it to hell. Dante says he was trying to look out for her, and she says, did she ask him to? How did he find her anyway? He says he knows people, and she says, great. Just great. What gives him the right? She’s not lying helpless in a hospital bed. She doesn’t need a minder and he’s not her husband, but Charlotte is her daughter, and she’ll find Charlotte any way she damn well pleases.

Valentin says, none of this is Charlotte’s fault, but Charlotte says, he told her not to contact anyone back home. She texted Rocco and talked to her mom. She told her mom where they were. She did everything Valentin told her not to. Valentin says, her mother is awake after four years and Charlotte wanted to see her. It’s nobody’s fault. Charlotte says she was being stupid. When they were in the Christmas market, she saw families and thought it would be okay to text Merry Christmas to Rocco. Valentin says, she’s a fugitive because of the choices he made. She has to follow the rules to be safe on the run. She says she broke the rules, and he almost got killed. He says, she broke the rules because they’re not fair to her. What he’s asking her to do isn’t fair.  

Sasha tells Michael that part of her wants to stay. Even before she got pregnant, when she was pretending to be Nina’s daughter, she loved the fantasy of having a family. Now she has a family of her own and she’s starting to know them. She’d like the baby to know them too. He asks, what’s the problem? and she says, secrets have a way of coming out, so it’s best if she leaves Port Charles. She gets up, and he asks if it isn’t most important that the baby have a safe, stable life. It would be helpful to have family nearby, including himself. What about a medical crisis? Isn’t it better to have a support system in place? He won’t fight her on her decision. He’s just asking and he’s hoping she decides to stay.

Curtis says, Drew took Willow to his congressional swearing in? and Nina says, what could be more appropriate than Drew putting his hand on a Bible as Willow stares at him with stars in her eyes? Did she forget to mention that Willow brought Wiley? Drew couldn’t be more clear about his intentions. Curtis says, damn. What does Michael think? She says she doubts he knows yet, and Curtis says, she’s probably right. It’s a bold move to take Michael’s wife and son to his swearing in. He knows good and well that it’s a high-profile event and there will be press coverage. She says, what does he care if he blows up Willow’s life even more? She knows Curtis is the new CEO and understands he has more important things to worry about than Drew’s bad behavior. He says, Nina is still his friend. It’s not rocket science to know why she’s upset. Nina says, Drew will destroy Willow’s life. Willow doesn’t see what’s happening and Drew doesn’t care about the consequences. He’s not doing anything to protect Willow or her family. Curtis says, she’s not wrong. Drew will do what’s best for Drew. But they both know that’s not the only reason Nina is so upset.

Isaiah says he’s leaving, and Sonny thanks him for stopping by. He walks Isaiah to the door, and Isaiah leaves. Sonny says, Jason isn’t asking what’s wrong, and Jason says he figures Sonny will tell him if he wants him to know. Sonny says, something is wrong with his heart. He had an incident where his heart was racing and it didn’t slow down, but it passed. He had a twinge when he was with Kristina, but it passed, so he went to the gym and worked out. It felt like his chest was tightening like he never felt before and fell to his knees. He was trying to get his phone, when Dr. Gannon showed up. Jason says, good thing he was there. Sonny hasn’t gone to the hospital yet? Sonny says, no, and Jason says he can arrange for Sonny to go to a private out of state hospital, but Sonny says he thinks they’re overreacting. Isaiah gave him a prescription. Jason says, he can’t mess around with his heart. Isaiah isn’t a cardiologist. He needs to see a specialist. Sonny says he’ll see one eventually. This was a wake-up call, and he has to change how he runs the business.

Curtis says, Nina played a key role in Drew getting elected. Is any part of her pissed that it’s not her standing there? Nina says she wants no part of DC. Drew thinks he can do whatever he wants with whomever wants. She thought there was more to him than that. Curtis says, as did he. He considered Drew a good friend for a long time. He risked his life for Drew and now he’s had to reframe his perspective. Nina wonders what happened. Is Drew so slick he fooled them both or did he change? Curtis says, he definitely changed. He doesn’t know if it was prison or Drew becoming a politician. They can analyze it all night, but Drew is who he is now. The same man who’s willing to sleep with his nephew’s wife and throw him under the bus at Aurora. Nina says she’s sorry. Drew let them all down. Curtis says, he certainly did. Drew isn’t the man they thought he was and he’s going to deal with Drew the way he is now. He strongly suggests she do the same.

Sasha asks if Michael has thought about what happens with him and Willow if she stays. What if they decide to save their marriage? Michael tells her not to let him impact her decision. Let him worry about that. She says, and the Quartermaines. She’s already dreading telling them. They’ll all assume Cody is the father, and when she convinces them that he’s not, they’re going to wonder who is. What does she do? Lie and say it was some random guy she met in a bar? Tracy will love that. He says, it’s no one’s business. They’ll have to respect her privacy. She asks when the Quartermaines have respected privacy. She doesn’t know if she can keep working there and she can’t keep living there. He says, no problem. He can take care of that.

Valentin says, Charlotte admitted she contacted her mother. She trusted him with the truth. She says, because she loves him. She doesn’t want them to keep secrets from each other. He says, when she told him, he should have moved them to a new place, taken them underground. She asks why he didn’t, and he says he wanted this for her. They’ve been praying for this for years and he wanted her to see her mother. It’s his mistake believing Lulu would come alone. She asks if he thinks Lulu is responsible for this nightmare.

Dante asks if Lulu is hearing herself. She came to Prague to meet Charlotte and convince her to go home. Did she think Charlotte was going be ready with her passport? She says she doesn’t think Valentin would let Charlotte go around without proof of identification. She’s sure Charlotte had it with her. He asks if she was sure Valentin wasn’t watching them, but she says, it doesn’t matter. She was this close to Valentin letting Charlotte go with her. He asks what she’s basing that on, and she says, Valentin knew Charlotte was going to see her. Charlotte told him and he gave her permission. Dante says, because he wanted to look like the good guy, and Lulu would look like the bad guy trying to tear Charlotte away. He was manipulating them. Lulu says she was getting through to Valentin. He could see that her taking Charlotte home instead of her having a life on the run was the right thing to do. Dante says, Valentin was playing her.

Michael says, if Sasha doesn’t have the finances, he does, but she says, that’s a firm no. She intends to raise the baby on her own and she’s not asking him for a check. He says, she’s not asking; he’s offering. Before she says, no… She says she did, and he asks if she’ll reconsider. If she has money, it will mean a better life for the baby. She says she can and will raise the baby independently. She promises the baby will have a happy, healthy home and she’ll provide everything he or she needs. They’ll want for nothing, especially love. He says he believes her and in her, but if she finds herself needing anything, promise she’ll reach out. She thanks him and says she knows he means it. She’ll stay in Port Charles. He thanks her, and she says he makes some excellent points. He says, she’s a good negotiator, and she says she had inside information that she already knew the baby’s father is a great guy. He thanks her and she says if she had to get accidently pregnant, she’s glad it’s with him. He says, him too, and thanks her for staying.  

Nina says she sees who Drew is, but Willow doesn’t. She’s spellbound and doesn’t realize he’s responsible for blowing up her life. She’s falling for his act, his noble façade and longing looks, pretending he’s pining away for her. Please. If she only knew everything. He says, Nina could clear things up for Willow. There’s crucial information missing, but he’s sure Nina could provide something to make her see Drew more clearly.

Sonny says, there’s nothing like lying on the floor, helpless, thinking, what happens to his children if he dies? He thought it could be Nixon Falls all over again. Jason says, everyone thought Sonny was dead. He and Carly had to step up and take care of the business. Sonny says, Carly almost went to prison, and Jason says, it’s over. They managed. Right now, business should take a backseat, and Sonny should focus on his treatment. Sonny says he knows Jason can run the business short term, but he’s talking long term. They have to think about what’s coming.

Lulu says she doesn’t need to trust Valentin, and Dante asks if she thought Valentin would let her take off with Charlotte. The same guy who’s been fighting to keep Charlotte to himself for her whole life. She says, Valentin has changed, but Dante says, he hasn’t. She says, Dante didn’t hear him and didn’t see his face. He was a heartbeat away from letting her leave with Charlotte. He says, it’s lucky Charlotte didn’t watch her father die, and she says, the sniper followed Dante. Dante says, she doesn’t really believe that, does she? She was the one tearing through Europe, telling anyone who would listen that she was going after Valentin Cassadine. And she doesn’t think she was on anybody’s radar? The sniper hit five minutes after he got there. Does she think that was enough time for them to trail him, get in position, and take a shot? He’s sorry, but the sniper was following her.

Valentin says he doesn’t think Charlotte’s mother tried to kill him, and Charlotte asks if he’s sure. He says he thinks she’d enlist Dante’s help to get Charlotte back, but doesn’t think she’s responsible for the attempt on his life. He thinks she was followed. Charlotte asks how he knows, and he says, because it would hurt Charlotte, and that’s something Lulu would never do. But there are people who want to see her harmed. That’s why they have to keep running, to stay alive, but she doesn’t have to stay with him.

Sasha goes to the hospital and asks for an appointment with Dr. Navarro. The nurse at the reception desk asks if she’s been a patient, and Sasha says she was. Sasha Corbin. The nurse brings up her chart and says she can make an appointment, but needs to advise Sasha that there have been changes in the prenatal program since she was last here. The patient advocate can update her. Felicia comes by, and the nurse calls to her. Felicia asks if she can help Sasha, and Sasha says, yeah. She thinks Felicia can.

Nina asks how Curtis knows she and Drew were sleeping together. Did Drew tell him? He says, no. She just did. She told him that there could be more between her and Drew, and they’ve been spending more time together. It’s not a far jump. She says, they’re consenting adults and she has nothing to be ashamed of, but he tells her that he’s not saying she did. He’s saying the situation is layered. Drew bridged the gap between her and Willow. She asks if he’s saying she should be grateful that Drew brought them together and ignore that Drew blew up Willow’s married life. Does he think she’s an opportunist? Curtis says he’s not judging, but wants her to be realistic about herself and her daughter. She says, Willow wouldn’t be living with her if Drew hadn’t put it in motion. She thinks Willow is better off without Michael, but should absolutely not be with Drew. But she can’t make Willow see that. Curtis says he knows one way. Tell Willow the truth.

Lulu says, if Dante is convinced the sniper followed her, that means Valentin is being hunted with guns. Charlotte is in danger, and she has to save her. She heads for the door, but Dante stops her. She asks, what should she do, give up? Let Charlotte stay and hope they keep ahead of whoever wants Valentin dead? He says, no. He’s not telling her to give up. He’s saying, let the professionals handle it. She just got her life back and has a son who loves and misses her. She should be grateful for that right now. She says she is grateful. She loves Rocco, but she’s also Charlotte’s mother. Rocco is safe in Port Charles. She can’t stop until Charlotte is home and safe with him.  

Sonny tells Jason that he was five minutes away from going to prison. Jagger was threatening Kristina, and he was ready to confess to the whole shebang. Jason says, he didn’t, and Cates is no longer a problem. Sonny says, there are other problems. Who brought the gun to the PCPD that cleared Alexis of Cates’s murder? Who found his gun and turned it in and why? Jason says, it was too convenient, and Sonny says he just wants to know his children are taken care of. He gave Charlie’s to Kristina. Jason says he heard, and Sonny says, Alexis is worried that it will put Kristina in the spotlight, and it will be audited. Jason says, that’s going to happen. The coffee business gets audited all the time and they pass. And there’s no way Sonny would use his kids. Sonny says, the Feds don’t know that. He’s tired of being a burden to his kids. Jason says he doesn’t think Sonny’s kids think that. They love him and need him. Sonny says he knows. He thinks it’s time to take a step back and hand the business to Jason.  

Jason says, Sonny wants to hand the business to him? and Sonny says, there’s nobody else he trusts to maintain it. Jason has always been in his corner, and he could count on him. He appreciates that. Jason says he’ll always be loyal to Sonny and can be Sonny’s second. He can step up anytime and run the business on a short-term basis, but he’s sorry. He can’t take over the organization.

Felicia says, anything Sasha wants to discuss is protected by HIPPA, and Sasha says she appreciates that. She wants Felicia to know what’s going on. She’s pregnant. She adds quickly, Cody’s not the father, and Felicia says, good to know. How does she feel? Sasha says, nervous… excited. She’s moving forward with the pregnancy. Felicia asks if Sasha minds if she takes a few notes. She assumes Sasha is here because she wants to register for prenatal care. Will the father be involved? Sasha says she’s doing it all on her own, and Felicia says, okay. That’s perfectly fine. They usually access the father’s medical records, but that’s not always possible. The priority is to make sure Sasha feels cared for and she and her baby are supported.

Nina tells Curtis that she can’t just say she forgot to mention she and Drew are sleeping together, but Curtis says he’s sure she’ll find a tactful way. She says, no amount of tact will help her tell Willow that she and Drew are sleeping together while Willow follows him with stars in her eyes. What kills her is that she was so grateful to Drew for bringing her and Willow together, she didn’t see that Drew did it to make himself look good. Now he’s brazenly pursuing Willow and parading her around town, and there’s nothing she can do to stop it. Michael walks in and says, stop what? Nina says she’s not sure if Michael heard, but Willow brought Wiley to Drew’s swearing in ceremony. Willow thought it would be nice for Wiley to see the monuments and see how the political system works. Amelia is with the nanny and Nina is going home soon. Michael says, that’s fine. He wants to talk to Curtis about the projections and the Tokyo project when he has a minute. (I want to know what the Tokyo project is. They’ve talked about it enough.) Curtis says, sure, and Michael leaves. Nina says, that’s strange. He didn’t react at all to the news about Drew and Willow. Curtis says, that should concern her.

Lulu says, Dante is making this about her choosing between her children, but he says, not really. Charlotte chose Valentin, while for the last four years, Rocco has been by Lulu’s bedside willing her to wake up. When she did, she traveled halfway around the world to another continent. She says, to find Rocco’s sister and bring her home. Is he telling her that he wouldn’t do the exact same thing? He says he would, but not like this. Valentin is flying under the radar, but if she keeps chasing him, she’s going to bring attention to him, and it could cause Charlotte to get shot. She says, Charlotte was already shot, and it was kept from her. Valentin told her about Anna shooting Charlotte. Dante says, it was a horrible accident. Right now, it’s her choice to protect Charlotte and not bring her harm. She asks if he thinks she’d knowingly bring harm to Charlotte, and he says he doesn’t. He feels like she’s not hearing him. She traveled here with a sniper trailing her. She could have died. That’s what life is like in Valentin’s world. She says, all the more reason to get her daughter away, and he asks if she’s willing to risk her life. Her son lost her once. He’s not going to let Rocco lose her again.  

Valentin says he watched Charlotte with her mother. They both looked so happy. Charlotte says, it was weird at first, forced. It’s been so long since she’s seen Lulu awake. After they got going, it was great. They talked about Rocco, grandma, and the rest of the family. That’s what she thinks she misses the most, talking and spending time together. He says, she deserves moments like that. She doesn’t have to stay with him. She can go home to her mother.

Felicia says she’ll make sure Sasha gets an appointment with Dr. Navarro as soon as possible, and Sasha thanks her. Felicia says, no pressure, but Sasha should consider telling her parents. Robert is an excellent grandfather. Sasha says she’s not sure how her mother feels about being a grandmother, and Felicia says, Holly might surprise her. Sasha says she’ll think about it. They’ve got a lot on their plate. Maxie knows. She was the first person Sasha told. Felicia says she’s glad Sasha had someone to talk to. She knows Sasha said she wants to do this on her own,  but she has a family who loves her and they’re more than happy to support her. Speaking of which, she needs an emergency contact. Who should she put down? Sasha wonders if Maxie would do it, and Felicia says she’s sure Maxie would, but can’t speak for her. She’ll put herself down for now. Sasha says she likes that.  

Curtis tells Nina that his Aunt Stella says, still waters run deep. That’s Michael. Drew made a big mistake in making Michael the enemy. Nina says, Willow could be collateral damage if she stays close to Drew, and Curtis says, exactly. He knows Nina loves her daughter and she’s worried if she tells Willow the truth about her and Drew that she’ll lose her, but his advice is to come clean now. Secrets are ticking time bombs. The longer she lets it play out, the bigger the explosion will be.  

In his office, Michael looks at his phone. He sees a photo of Willow and Drew in The Invader. He calls Diane and says, Willow went to Washington DC with Drew and took Wiley without his permission. Can they use that?

Jason says, Sam’s death changed everything. Danny had a stable home with her and Dante. That’s not the case anymore. Sonny says, Jason is his only parent, and Jason says, Danny lost his mom and he’s putting Danny first. He deserves that and more, but on a practical level, that leaves Sonny without anyone to handle the organization. Sonny says, there’s nobody responsible enough for him to do that.

Valentin says he’ll put Charlotte on a flight back to Port Charles, but she can’t contact him. She says, if she’s with her mom, she’ll never see him, but if she’s with him, she’ll never see mom? He says, that appears to be the choice. He’s sorry. They both love her, but they have different situations. She says, her mom has Rocco, Dante, grandma, and so many others who love her. They only have each other. That’s how it’s been from the start. She wants to stay with him. He asks if she’s sure, and she says she is. He hugs her, and she says she can’t leave him. He says, okay then, and starts the car.

Lulu says she’s not going to agree to head back and let them handle it, and Dante says, that’s it? Nothing he said made a damn bit of difference. She says, it’s her life, and he says he gets that. It doesn’t matter who sacrificed theirs so she could have it. Sam died so she could have her life. She says, that’s not fair, and he says, she wants to talk fair? Sam is dead, his fiancé and the mother of two kids, the woman who helped him raise Rocco when Lulu couldn’t. She’s dead and Lulu is about to risk everything Sam saved. Her son is with her and she’s going to throw that away. She doesn’t care about any of it. Lulu says she’s grateful Sam died for her and she’s sorry about what he’s going through, but this is still her life. She makes her choices and she’s going to fight for her children. He says, anything she does will put Charlotte at risk or she can come home to the son who doesn’t matter so much to her anymore. He leaves, and Lulu throws a vase at the door and screams, dammit!

On Monday, Carly wonders if Willow has lost her mind; Willow is worried about Michael taking the kids from her; Portia tells Cyrus that he’s no longer welcome at the hospital; and Jack tells Collette that if Charlotte led them to Valentin once, she’ll do it again.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

He’s got some selfcare to do.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/chad-duell-reveals-why-he-left-general-hospital

This is a tease all right. He got headshots. So he has an audition?

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/michael-easton-teases-his-new-project

Farewell to the first Carmine.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/general-hospital-alum-john-capodice-dead-at-83

How they celebrated.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/general-hospital/see-how-your-favorite-soap-stars-celebrated-new-years

🧵 Sew Charming…

This week’s recap. Patricia looks amazing for 108. Her age words, not mine. She also looks amazing for 83, her real age.

Here’s hoping Craig doesn’t regress. He’s kind of been the voice of reason since Paige came along.

👠 A Celebrity In Her Own Mind…

This woman is the worst.

😢 Sniff…

I’m sorry to hear this. They seemed like a great couple.

https://people.com/trixie-mattel-david-silver-break-up-after-8-years-dating-8679753

👀 Last Night’s Watch…

I finished this last night and now I’ve started on the book. It started slow, but once it picked up speed, I was all in, and it didn’t disappoint. I love an apocalypse.

https://www.pajiba.com/tv_reviews/mgms-earth-abides-is-a-quietly-compelling-take-on-rebuilding-humanity-from-scratch.php

💻 What’s To Come…

What’s new for 2025.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/2025-new-tv-shows

🎅 Christmas Leftovers…

Amazing winter photos.

https://www.discovery.com/nature/get-in-the-holiday-spirit-in-this-winter-waterland-pictures

Christmas traditions all over the world.

https://www.discovery.com/exploration/6-global-christmas-traditions-pictures

Visit Santa’s hometown.

https://www.discovery.com/exploration/visit-santa-s-hometown-in-finnish-lapland

🎉 How They Rang It In…

How the stars celebrated New Year’s Eve.

https://extratv.com/photos/image_jpg_20250102_b4a16a250c4a49fd99dc3fbe49873fb6/

https://people.com/best-photos-stars-celebrating-new-year-2025-8767787

🗽 Having a Ball…

Waiting for the drop.

What happens in Times Square stays in The Post.

https://nypost.com/2024/12/31/world-news/new-years-2025-live-updates-photos-from-nyc-around-the-world/

🐶 Piffles All Over Again…

While it might not exactly be the same dog, it’s still amazing.

https://ew.com/queer-eye-dog-mr-piffles-cloned-by-magician-owner-piff-the-magic-dragon-8767593

My Cuddle Clone of Ralph

🃏 A Joke…

What does a polar bear eat after the dentist fixes his tooth?

The dentist.

🔊 Quotes of the Week

A good education is not so much one which prepares a man to succeed in the world, as one which enables him to sustain a failure. – Bernard Iddings Bell

You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins. – Jim Stovall

Those aren’t glasses. They’re aquariums with stems. – Molly (Melissa McCarthy), Mike & Molly

You are always free to change your mind and choose a different future, or a different past. – Richard Bach

Love what you have. Need what you want. Accept what you receive. Give what you can. Always remember, what goes around, comes around. – Unknown

Understudies are the substitute teachers of the theatre world. – Kramer (Michael Richards), Seinfeld

📆 Turning the Page…

Join me next Friday for soap and what to watch (or not). Until then, stay safe; stay leaving the problems of 2024 behind; and stay remembering that secrets are ticking time bombs. The longer you let them play out, the bigger the explosion will be.

September 17, 2024 – Alexis Is Arraigned, Soap Suds, Goodbye Dubai, VanderNew, Canceled Vows, Pieces Of Emmy, Watch These, Different Strokes & Skyline

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Trina meets Stella at the Surf Lodge, and Stella tells her about a secret menu for the nightclubbers, so they can restore themselves before crawling home. She suggests Trina memorize it for when she’s out all night, but Trina says, that’s not going to happen. Stella says, she might be surprised.

Nina discusses a catering job with Sasha, a fashion event for Drew’s campaign with high dollar donors. She’ll pay for the staff to help. Sasha says, Tracy is unhappy with her right now, and she thinks she should keep her head down and be available for the family. Nina says, Drew is a Quartermaine, and she thinks he’s going to make a fantastic congressman. Sasha says, Nina has turned into an ardent supporter, and Nina says, Drew has made quite an impression on her.

Willow is doing yoga outside the boathouse, when a shirtless Drew comes by. She almost falls, and he catches her. (Please.)

Michael lets Sam into his office, and asks, what brings her by? She says, their sister Kristina, and he says, what about? Sam asks him to tell her Kristina’s whereabouts and actions the night John was killed, but he says he wasn’t with her. Why would Sam think he knows? She says, because they’ve been joined at the hip since Cates’s murder, and he says, she’s been struggling. Sam says she thinks he knows what Kristina’s been struggling with. Did she kill Cates? he says, of course (🍷) not, and she says he seems pretty sure. Is that because he knows who did?

On the phone, Sonny says, Alexis needs help and whatever it costs, he’ll pay it. There’s a knock at the door, and he tells them to just take care of the situation. He opens the door to Molly, and says he’ll call back. He invites her in and asks if it’s an official visit or personal. She says, her mother is being arraigned today, and he says he knows. He’s going there to support her. Molly says, that’s absolutely the worst thing he could do.

Kristina comes into the interrogation room, and Alexis asks what she’s doing here. They hug, and Kristina says she’s sorry. Alexis says she’s fine, but Kristina says, nothing about this is fine. Alexis asks again why Kristina is here, and Kristina says she’s going to do what she should have done when they brought Alexis in. She’s going to confess.

Molly says, if Sonny is in the courtroom, he’ll tank Alexis by association. He says he’s going to pay her bail, but Molly says, that’s not necessary. He says he knows he’s not her favorite person, and he and Alexis have had their ups and downs, but they come together when it comes to Kristina. They both want to be there for her. Molly says, this is for her mother, and he says, Kristina needs to see that her father shows up for her mother. Molly says, it’s not about Kristina. It’s about their mother.

Alexis asks what Kristina has to confess, and Kristina says, she got home, and when Alexis went to the kitchen, she took Alexis’s keys and took her car. Then she went to her dad’s and got his gun. She’d overheard John telling Anna that he was going to the Quartermaines, and she went to kill him. She pulled into the driveway and sat. She couldn’t get herself out of the car. She couldn’t do it, so she went to Adela’s grave. Alexis knows the rest. She wishes Alexis hadn’t found the gun, but if she tells the police, they can retrace her movements. Alexis says, she can’t do that, but Kristina says, it will let Alexis off the hook. Alexis tells her, it will do the opposite. It will make her look guiltier.

Nina tells Sasha that she admits Drew surprised her. She thinks he’d be great and thinks he can actually win this. Sasha says, with Nina in his corner, she doesn’t see how he can’t, and Nina says, Sasha can make up and amazing menu and supervise the catering. If Tracy has a hard time with it, she’ll talk to her, or Tracy can take it up with Drew. He’ll convince her. He can charm the pants off of anyone. (Interesting choice of words.) Sasha says, they’ve really come far, but Nina says, not far enough.

Willow says, the yoga centers her before work, and Drew asks, how’s it going? She says she’s busy, good busy. She loves being back at the hospital. Then there was the back-to-school flurry, which is thankfully over. She should get going. She drops her water bottle, and when Drew reaches for it, she says she’s got it. She retrieves her bottle and jets.

Michael says he’s not a cop and doesn’t know any more than anyone else, but Sam says she’s been putting the pieces together. Kristina had a messy night. Cates charged her in the death of her own child, and she was a wreck, emotionally driven with the potential to be unstable. And she was probably mad as hell. He knows how impulsive she is, and she’s worried their mother is protecting her, so she framed herself for a murder she didn’t commit. Michael asks if anyone would believe Alexis would kill someone, and Sam says, the evidence has been piling up and a lot of convictions are based on circumstantial evidence. The one way to free Alexis is to find the person who killed Cates and bring them forward. Michael says he just found body, and she says, they both know Sonny killed Cates or paid for it. Which one is it?

Stella says, it’s clear Trina has an eye for art and the passion to go with it, and Trina says, it’s coming back. Stella says, don’t let it blind her to the bigger picture. Her appreciation for art is impressive and she’s great at sales, but she can’t live her life in the gallery. She needs to get her butt back to school.

Sasha asks if Nina and Drew are seeing each other on the downlow, but Nina says, it’s not about romance. They’re focusing on the campaign. Sasha says, all those long hours into the night? Nina is invested. Nina says she’s dedicated to getting him elected, but Sasha says, there’s more to it, isn’t there? Nina says she feels they could definitely pick things up after Drew wins. Willow hears them from outside on the patio.

Michael tells Sam that Sonny wouldn’t discuss that with him. Her mother is an exceptional attorney. Outside of Diane, there’s no one better, and she’s innocent. Cates hasn’t been dead long, and evidence will surface. If the gun is still in the water, the police will do a ballistics check. She says, they haven’t found it, and he says, they need the gun to prove their case. Trying to track down the guilty party isn’t the way to go. They need to find evidence that clears Alexis. Everything else is a waste of time.

Sonny says he knows what Alexis is facing, and Molly says, then focus on her. Sonny says, the truth can’t change the fact that Kristina went through something horrible. He needs to be there to support his child. She says, Alexis is not his child, and his support drove Kristina all the way to Ava’s suite.

Alexis says, it will look like Kristina is crafting a story to cover for her, but Kristina says she can’t let Alexis take the risk. If they come forward together, they can make it right. Alexis says, they need to let it play out. Neither one of them killed Cates, but if Kristina comes forward it will either make her look guiltier or Kristina will inadvertently incriminate herself. She doesn’t have an alibi, she stole the gun, took Alexis’s car, and went to the Quartermaines. She had the means, motive, and opportunity. Kristina asks how the police can do an investigation if they don’t know the truth, and Alexis says, it’s their job. Kristina’s job is to not incriminate either one of them. She said she hated Cates and wanted to kill him. Don’t let anyone else hear her say that. Kristina says she just wants to help, and Alexis says she’s begging her, do not take this further.

Willow comes in and says she could smell Sasha’s scones, and Nina says she hasn’t seen Willow for a while and misses her. Willow says she’s getting back to her routine, but thinks she has time for tea. Sasha goes to get the tea, and Willow asks why Nina is here. Nina says she asked Sasha to cater a donor event for Drew, and Willow says she saw him at the boathouse. Nina says she’ll try to catch him. She wanted to say how proud she is about everything Willow is doing at GH, but they need to make time to see each other. Willow says she would love that and will get back to her. Nina leaves, and Sasha comes back. She asks where Nina went, and Willow says, she left to find Drew at the boathouse. Congratulations on her catering job. Sasha says, Nina just offered it to her, but she’s still unsure. Willow says, there’s a lot of that going around, and Sasha asks if she’s okay.

Alexis tells Kristina to promise her, when Dex comes in and says, Alexis will be leaving for her arraignment soon. He leaves, and Alexis asks Kristina if they have an understanding. This probably won’t go to trial. The police will find real evidence and the charges will be dropped. She has an arraignment to work on and can’t be worrying about Kristina. When she makes bail, she’ll come home, and they’ll talk about it. Kristina says she’s sorry about everything she’s put Alexis through, and Alexis says, she wasn’t thinking clearly. Now let her fight the battle for both of them. She’s a mother and that’s what they do. Kristina would do the same thing.

Sonny says, there’s no way Kristina could have known what would happen, but Molly says, she went to Ava looking for fight. Sonny says, Kristina wanted to persuade Ava not to make her testify, but did she think she’d lose her child’s life? No. Molly says, if Kristina hadn’t gone at all, her child would still be alive, and he says, she knows Kristina is suffering. She says, what about her and TJ? and he says, they’re all suffering, but it’s Ava’s fault, not Kristina’s. She says, Kristina should have known there was no way she was going to change Ava’s mind. She was reckless and impulsive like always. She was there when Kristina got the subpoena and coached her through it, but Kristina wouldn’t listen. They need their mom to make bail more than seeing him offer support. That’s what’s best for his child. He says, she’s made her point. He won’t go. She thanks him, and he says, one more thing. Since he can’t be there for Kristina, he needs Molly to be there for her. He knows Molly is hurting, but she needs to put her anger away for her sister and be there. He doesn’t think Kristina can handle it otherwise. She says she can’t make any promises, and leaves.  

Michael says he’s not losing sleep over Cates’s death. Is Sam? Sam says she’s glad he’s gone, and Michael says he’s sure the Feds aren’t shedding any tears. She says, even though he went rogue, he’s still an agent and they’ll close ranks to catch the killer. She hopes they find evidence to clear her mom, but if they don’t, will he let an innocent woman go to prison? She leaves.

Stella says, it looks like Trina is maintaining, but she thinks Trina is stalling. Trina says, maybe that’s all she can manage, and Stella suggests she’s afraid taking the next step will mean losing Spencer. She said if she stopped grieving, she would lose him, but he wouldn’t want her to put her life on hold forever. It’s time to take the next step and reach for her dreams. Trina says, the last time she reached for her dreams, she went to Paris and Spencer died, and Stella says, but she didn’t. She still has her whole life ahead of her. How is she going to spend it? Hiding at the gallery or is there something bigger she wants to accomplish?

Nina knocks at the boathouse and tells Drew that Willow said he was here. She was talking to Sasha about the fashion fundraiser. It’s not the celery and carrot stick crowd. They’re serious foodies. Drew says, this is not working for him.

Willow says she’s finding a balance with her schedule, and Sasha says, Willow doesn’t have to talk to her, and if Willow tells her to mind her own business, she will. When she was cleaning up during the 4th of July celebration, she saw them kissing. She’s not judging, but she gets the sense that what happened is weighing on Willow, especially with what she just said. If Willow ever needs to talk to someone, she’s here. Willow says, there’s nothing to talk about. It was just a kiss. They got caught up in the moment. Sasha says, no big deal, and Willow says, it wasn’t… then it… happened again.

Michael asks if Sonny was able to dispose of the gun that killed John, and Sonny says, Jason handled it. Michael says, Alexis is being arraigned today, and Sonny says, Molly was here, but he knew already. Michael says, Sam came to see him. Does he think it was coordinated? Sonny says he thinks they’re worried about their mother. Molly was adamant about him not going to the arraignment. She made some good points, so he’s not going. Michael says he thinks it’s for the best. Sam is suspicious. She’s got no proof, but she’s doing the math. Sonny asks if Michael thinks she’s going to push this, and Michael says, she’ll do what it takes to clear Alexis. He encouraged her to find evidence that Alexis didn’t do it instead of focusing on who did. The problem is, Kristina has time not accounted for. Sonny says he knows. If Kristina talks, it won’t be good for either of them. Michael says, if things start going bad, Kristina won’t let her mother take the fall, and Sonny says, they need to do something that can ensure that won’t happen.

Sam and Kristina meet outside the courtroom, and Sam asks how Alexis seems. Kristina says, she’s confident that she’ll make bail, and the case will be dropped before it goes to trial. Has she seen dad? She thought he’d be here. Molly joins them and says, he won’t be. It’s for the best. Kristina says, Molly told him not to come, didn’t she?

Molly says she spoke to Sonny. He’s doing what’s best for their mom, and Kristina should too. Kristina goes into the courtroom, and Sam and Molly follow. Sam sits with Kristina, and Molly sits behind them. A man walks in, and Sam asks if Molly knows him, but Molly says, no. Alexis is brought in and the guard takes off her handcuffs. She nods to her girls and sits down. The bailiff says, all rise. The Honorable Henry Otis presiding. The judge tells them be seated. He’s unfamiliar with the man who walked in and asks him to present his credentials. The man introduces himself as Noah Reynolds, representing the FBI. He’ll be prosecuting the murder of one of their own.  

Willow tells Sasha that she doesn’t want to have feelings for Drew, but she does. Sasha knows she loves Michael, their kids, and the life they’ve built together. How could she do something so reckless? Sasha says she’s sure Willow’s feelings for Drew didn’t happen in a vacuum. Maybe something isn’t working with her and Michael? Willow says, no. They’re happy and they will be as long as she keeps her distance. Sasha says, Drew isn’t pressuring her? and Willow says, not in the least. He respects Michael and understands how important family is to both of them. Sasha asks how she’s going to keep her distance when they both live here. They’re bound to run into one another, like at the boathouse. Willow says she supposes they could move out, but if Drew is elected, he’ll spend most of his time in DC. She’s doing everything she can to keep away from him. She even went back to her job at GH, so she didn’t have to work with him. She thought that would make her remember what matters most and stop her before she stupidly destroys her life, the life she dreamed of and fought hard to have. She feels out of control and wonders what’s wrong with her. Sasha hugs her and she cries.

Drew wonders if he’s uprooting his life and putting everything on the line for his ego, and Nina says, he wanted to get into politics to do good. He asks if it’s worth it. His private life is a mess and he’s four points down in the polls. Nina says, there’s a four-point margin of error, and Drew says his opponent is a mom with a husband and kids she totes around. She’s got the family values thing locked down. He can’t compete. She says, he has Scout, and he says he thought about it, but he can’t use Scout as a prop. Nina says, then use me.

Sonny says he doesn’t regret killing Jagger. The bastard deserved to die, but he didn’t want Michael to witness it. He didn’t want Michael to carry the weight of the secret and lie or cover for him. Michael says, Sonny never asked him to, and Sonny says, the night he killed Jagger and saw Michael standing there, for a split second he thought, he’s got me. Killing a federal agent point blank is going to put him away forever. Michael says, but he didn’t, and Sonny asks, what stopped him?

Judge Otis says he understands Alexis is defending herself, and she says she’s a fully accredited attorney. He says if she thinks she’s laying the groundwork for an appeal or mistrial, she’s not. She says, that’s not her intention, and he says, she’s being charged with a felony count of murder in the first degree. How does she plead. She says, not guilty. She asks that bail be set, and because she’s an officer of the court, be released on her own recognizance. Noah asks that the request be denied. Alexis has proven she’s a danger and threat to the community, and the prosecution requests she remain in custody.

Stella says, Trina used to talk about being an art curator or an art professor. Has she given those up? Trina says, not really, and Stella asks what kind of degree she’d need. Trina says, a Bachelor’s, an MSA, and eventually a doctorate, and Stella asks if there’s anything else she’s interested in. Going back to school will broaden her options. She can just take a few classes to start moving forward. Trina says she doesn’t know if she’s ready. It scares her. Stella says, it feels scary now, but don’t do it for herself today. Do it for herself ten years from now. Give herself some options and opportunities, so she doesn’t have to remain stuck. She has the day off, so they’re heading to campus to get Trina registered for the fall semester. Trina says, Stella seems sure registration is still open, and Stella says she may have called and asked. Trina says she’s not surprised. Okay. Let’s do it. Let’s get unstick. They hug.

Sasha says she can see how Willow would have feelings for Drew. He saved her life. Willow says, that’s gratitude. These feelings snuck up on her. Sasha asks if she’s clear that she loves Michael, and Willow says, yes. It never went further than a kiss. Sasha says, so it was a mistake. They all make mistakes. Willow says, that goes for Drew too. He’s not a sleaze. He loves Michael too, and doesn’t want to hurt him. Sasha says again, everyone makes mistakes, and Willow thanks her for not judging. Sasha says she’s far from perfect. So what is Willow going to do about this? Willow says she doesn’t know what to do.

Nina says, if she and Drew are together, they can push the campaign over the top. If she’s front and center on his arm supporting him, people will jump to conclusions about their status. He asks if they’re supposed to do the no comment thing, and she says, there’s nothing wrong with potential voters perceiving that they’re the country’s newest power couple. He says, she’d do that for him? and she says she thinks she owes him one. He says, she kind of does.

Sonny tells Michael that he killed Jagger for the family. He came after Kristina and kept coming after her at the worst time of her life. He knew Jagger wasn’t going to stop and Jagger would go after all the people close to him because of his stupid vendetta. He had to be stopped. Michael asks why Sonny is telling him this, and Sonny says he never wants to put Michael or any of his children in a position to cover for him. Michael says, all that matters is protecting Kristina, and Sonny says, if Michael had called the cops, he wouldn’t have stopped him. Michael had all the power in that moment and chose him. He’ll never forget that. He touches Michael’s chest and says he loves him. Michael says he loves Sonny too, and he will always choose their family. They hug.

Noah says, it’s not the first time the defense was sent to prison for a serious assault, but Alexis says, that has no bearing on this case. Noah says, she procured a firearm, and multiple witnesses saw her illegally dispose of it, and Alexis says, alleged disposal. She thought this was a bail hearing, not a trial. Noah says, she’s a flight risk, and Alexis says, he’s reaching. Noah says, the defendant shares a child with Sonny Corinthos, who has unlimited resources, and Judge Otis says, enough. Does Alexis have anything to say on her behalf? Alexis says, plenty. The prosecution’s laundry list is rife with innuendo, speculation, and condemnation. She’s not perfect, but she’s not a cold-blooded killer. Beyond the courtroom, which she holds in the highest esteem, she’s a mother. She has three adult children and grandchildren who need her. She’s not going to risk that. She served her time honorably and with humility, and it’s with humility she asks that bail be set. The judge says he appreciates her impassioned response. She’s a gifted and talented lawyer, but he’s made his decision. The defendant is to be held without bail and remanded to Pentenville while awaiting trial.

Tomorrow, Elizabeth tells Ric that it almost sounded like an apology; Heather says, it’s a compromise she’s not going to have to make much longer; and Natalia tells Sonny that they’re going to find the actual murderer.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

Apparently, Lindsay Hartley (Temp Sam) filmed this week’s scenes at the same time she filmed Irene/Adela’s funeral scenes.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/lindsay-hartley-fills-in-for-kelly-monaco-on-gh-again

His untimely death was so sad, but I have to ask. Were they an item?

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/kelly-monaco-remembers-billy-miller

There’s not too much information here. So do they get together on the regular?

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/jophielle-love-reunites-with-her-gh-parents

Our Southern gentleman returns. I love him in this role.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/michael-e-knight-returns-to-general-hospital

🐪 Two Camels and a Priest Walk Into a Bar…

As Reunions go, this one was pretty mild. While there was plenty of finger pointing, some lackluster receipts, and Lesa calling Stanbury the Wicked Witch of the Middle East, the women managed to stay seated, not fling any Solo cups, and no one called anyone a see you next Tuesday. The best part was when Andy ran a video compilation of the group’s lack of athleticism. It was especially fun to revisit the golf game.

The question of Sergio wanting a baby came up, and we found out that Sergio had never googled dealbreaker, so he didn’t actually understand what Stanbury mean when she asked if not having a baby would be one. Andy suggested Sara be a surrogate, and said it would be a Housewives first, as we could hear the cash register ringing in his head.

At the end, there was a weird gift exchange where Brooks acted like a total a-hole, refusing to open Taleen’s gift or card. Maybe she smelled the one worthy receipt of the night. The card was a copy of a Twitter post – excuse me X (can Elon Musk not spell or something?) – that Brooks made, saying, said blah-blah-blah, Taleen had a crappy wardrobe, and she wanted Taleen to show her one article of clothing that Taleen had lent to her. Inside the box was a dress of Taleen’s that Brooks had worn for sure, since Taleen also produced a photo of her in it. D’oh! Lesa made Stanbury the president of her fan club, gifting her with a starter pack, the ID showing a photo of Stanbury post facelift surgery. Stanbury took her gift with her usual good British humor. She can dish it out and she can take it. Andy said these were like gifts at a red wedding, yet no swords were really drawn.

Sara closed things out by saying if they didn’t have empathy for each other, what were they even doing here? Good question.

I hate to admit it, but I might miss this show. I don’t think Bravo has technically renewed it, but I can’t imagine them not.

🍸 VanderSpinning…

Presumably, this is a spinoff, not a reboot, but who knows? Maybe the old cast should be the ones who do a spinoff. No Rules For You.

🛟 Yachtie To the Core…

Chef Ben cannot be tied down.

🏆 Just One More…

I never watch awards shows. Rather than sit through hours of mind-numbing monotony, I’d rather just read stuff like this afterward.

https://ew.com/emmys-2024-best-and-worst-moments-8712955

💻 Last Weekend’s Watches…

I love nothing more than a dystopian post-apocalyptic film, and Uglies delivers. It’s a shame it wasn’t on the big screen though, since the action and special effects sequences are big. Another streaming selection taken from a YA novel series, there were moments when it seemed like an After School Special, but overall, I loved it. Of course, now I’m reading the books.

https://people.com/joey-king-uglies-trailer-8692521

Definite spoilers here.

https://people.com/uglies-ending-explained-8713501

The Dark Side of… is a great series, and reality TV is as dark as it gets. I never watched The Swan, as I found the premise of a plastic surgery competition disturbing. I did see a couple episodes of Kid Nation, but it just didn’t seem like a situation children should be in. Sure enough, I was right.

https://ew.com/chicago-fire-actor-daniel-kyri-recalls-drinking-bleach-on-kid-nation-8707380

🐕 They’ve Got the Look…

By God, they’re right.

https://www.dailypaws.com/pet-news-entertainment/celebrities/goldendoodle-layla-looks-like-will-ferrell-goes-viral-on-twitter

Normally, I prefer pets to have human names, but Milkshake is perfect for this one.

https://www.dailypaws.com/pet-news-entertainment/celebrities/milkshake-the-pink-pug

However, her life is never a drag.

https://www.dailypaws.com/pet-news-entertainment/feel-good-stories/meet-miss-pickles-the-drag-pug

🧘‍♀️ Of Crickets, Crows, and Retrospects…

Come by tomorrow for soap and what’s Listing in LA. Until then, stay safe, stay continuing to wear sunglasses even during the colder months, and stay giving yourself options and opportunities, so you don’t remain stuck.

September 5, 2024 – Tracy Hires a Tutor For Lois, Isaiah, Her Brothers, Remembering, Bad Johnny J in the OC, His Disorder, VanderBaby, They Will, Extra Salt, New Reality, Joker Plus One, He Lied & Gurls

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Josslyn goes home to the apartment, and Trina says, it looks like she’s wearing yesterday’s clothes. Josslyn says, she may or may not have spent the night at Dex’s. He graduated from the police academy and got his badge. He’s now one of Port Charles’s finest. Trina says, he could have broken in his badge here last night, and Josslyn says she was gone one night. What happened?

In Isaiah’s room, Elizabeth tells TJ, it’s unusual to see a patient in this state. He’s not in a coma, but not unconscious. TJ says he’s not experienced in this, and she wonders if it’s a vegetative state or twilight. He did open his eyes last night. TJ says, but it was brief, likely caused by a seizure, and she says, maybe it’s the key to finding out who he is.

Jordan asks Dante how Lulu is, and he says, she’s holding steady. She says she heard Laura met her contact. She’ll let him know if there are any leads about Lucky. Dante asks if she’s ever wished she could be in two places at once, and she says, all the time. He says, Laura is off and he’s here with Lulu. He wishes there was something he could do, that there was some way to help from here.

The Invader headline is about John’s murder with his picture underneath. Ned wonders why Cates called himself Jagger. He wasn’t in a rock band. Tracy says, he wanted a name that sounded like an adolescent body spray, and Brook says she shouldn’t speak ill of the dead. Tracy says, she’s right. You should do it face to face when they’re alive. Olivia says, it’s tragic no matter how they felt about him, and Tracy, a crime was committed in her sacred space. Her bed looked like someone wrestled a bear. Who would do that? Ned says, they all have their own beds to wrestle in, and Lois says, one guest in particular came down looking a little mussed. Tracy chokes on her orange juice, and the others laugh.  

Carly says she needs coffee, and Sonny asks how she slept. She says she slept fine, but it’s kind of hard to get a good night’s sleep if you’re worried about waking up to an accessory to murder charge.

Diane goes to Alexis’s house and apologizes for not getting here sooner. Jason’s snafus present themselves at all hours of the day or night, but Jason’s misadventure is the Davis family’s good fortune.

Nina says, Cates was going to kill Ava and she came to work? Ava says she doesn’t have the luxury of taking a me day. Cates is dead, but his legacy lives on. Robert is going ahead with the ridiculous charges involving Kristina’s accident. Nina says she found a lawyer for Ava and asked him to meet them here. Ric walks in.

Diane tells Alexis that Ava took back her revised statement overseen by the late, not great, John Cates. Alexis asks why she would do that, and Diane says, Cates tried to have her killed. Apparently, he felt she might be susceptible to pressure from Sonny to recant. Alexis says, the written affidavit to her latest statement? and Diane says, that’s the one he could have used against Sonny. Alexis asks how they dodged that bullet, and Diane says, Cates allegedly hired a third party to murder Ava, but Jason threw in a monkey wrench. She’s surprised Alexis isn’t doing a victory dance. Alexis says, Kristina is out of one murder charge, but possibly face with another, and Diane asks whose murder she’s liable for now.

Nina introduces Ava and Ric, and realizes they know each other. Ava says, he’s Sonny’s brother. He represented her in the matter of… Rick says, Connie Falconari’s murder, and Ava asks if this is Nina’s idea of a joke. Nina says, obviously, she didn’t make the connection, or she never would have requested his help. This is where they’re at. Ava needs a lawyer, and Ric is an able one. He might as well give it a go. Ava says, might as well, but Ric says, not on your life.

Sonny says he’s sorry Carly lost sleep, but neither of them is going to get charged. She says she wishes she was as sure as he is, and he tells her that her help means a lot. She says, it’s a habit she’s trying to break. If she’d just taken more time or known how far he was going to take it, it would have been a different chat about the alibi. He asks if she would have thrown him to the wolves, and she says she doesn’t want him going to jail, but she’s not taking it further than she absolutely has to. She has to go. He asks, why the hurry? Is he so terrible?   

Tracy says she’s going to be sick, and Brook tells her to take a deep breath. Ned says, stop being so dramatic, but Tracy says she’s never dramatic. Olivia says she’ll burn the sheets. She’ll buy a new bed. She’ll call an exorcist. Tracy says she can’t believe those reprehensible people made her a party to their four-legged urges by using her bed, and Ned says, that sounds like the name of a new band, Four Legged Urges. Brook says, she’s not going to catch cooties, and Tracy says she’s going to be permanently nauseous. Olivia tells her to have a croissant, and a woman comes in telling her how to pronounce it correctly. It’s far kinder on the ears.

Diane tells Alexis to find out what she can from Kristina. Not as a mother, but as a lawyer. She’ll circle back and they can compare notes. Alexis thanks her, and Diane says she’ll try not to keep Alexis waiting so long next time. She leaves, and Kristina comes downstairs. She asks why Diane was here.  

Nina asks if Ric is saying he won’t represent Ava, and he says his caseload is full. She says she thought he went to the Scotty Baldwin school of law, where it doesn’t matter as long as it’s billable, but he says, even he has his limits. Nina asks why he came if the answer was no, and he says, she was careful to omit the details. Nina says she thought he’d get over his objections when she reminded him that he owes her a favor for trying to rob her blind during their mercifully short marriage.

Olivia says she doesn’t know who the woman is or what she’s doing here. She pronounces croissant the way she eats one. The woman says, incorrectly? Brooklyn, 15th Avenue and 85th Street. Maybe further inland, but no more than 83rd. Olivia says, she’s freaking her out, and Ned asks, who is she? The woman says she’s Robin Finch, dialect theorist and tutor to the stars. Lois must be her new student. She holds out her hand as if for a kiss, but Lois shakes it.

Carly says she and Sonny have a beautiful family together, and he says, they had a lot of good years. She says, the bad ones were a special kind of hell. She loves him, but they’re done. He says he knows, but what’s the harm in playing out the alibi? She says, when the family finds out what they were doing when he was really talking to Cates.  

Trina says, Chase put the whole place on lockdown immediately, and Josslyn says, Cates was no friend of Sonny’s. Trina says, she doesn’t think… and Josslyn says she’s trying not to. There’s a knock at the door, and Gio asks if he can hang with them. Lois told him to steer clear of the big house. Josslyn says, the Quartermaines must be losing it, and Gio says, most of them. Tracy is having a meltdown because two of the dinner guests used her bed. Trina says, eww, and Josslyn says, tacky. Gio says, it was his Uncle Sonny and Josslyn’s mom.  

Lois says she’s sure Robin is great, but she doesn’t know about a tutor. Robin says, it’s tyooter, not tooter, and Olivia says, Robin said she was a coach to the stars? Robin asks if they’re familiar with Meryl Streep, and Lois and Olivia both say, a dingo ate my baby, in an Australian accent. Ned asks if Robin isn’t kind of young to have worked on A Cry in the Dark, but Robin says, she worked with Meryl as a mother. She coached her daughters. Brook says, there’s nothing wrong with the way Lois talks. She didn’t hire Robin. Tracy says she did.  

Josslyn tells Gio, her mother did not sleep with Sonny. They’re messing with him. Gio says, they seemed serious… maybe, and she asks when this happened and how. He says, last night and probably the usual way, and she says, this is a mistake. Trina agrees and says, it sounds like a big game of trashy telephone. Gio says he’s sure heard the wrong thing the wrong way, and Josslyn says she’ll be back. She leaves, and Gio asks, what happened? Trina says, Carly and Sonny’s breakup was mutual, but not amicable.

Carly tells Sonny, it was one time. They’re not back together. He says, they’ll think he’s a sleaze who preyed on poor, vulnerable Carly, but she says she’s not poor or vulnerable. She walked into this with her eyes wide open. He says he’s glad he could count on her, and he’d do the same for her. There’s a knock at the door and Diane comes in. She sees Sonny and Carly, and says, oh no.

Jordan asks if there’s any update on the John Doe, but TJ says, there’s been no change. He’ll let her know if he’s coming to. He leaves, and Dante says, no ID, no phone, and no record of prints, so he’s not ex-military or had any run-ins with the law. Jordan says she’ll call the WSB, and he asks if she thinks they’ll care. She says, possibly, if she drops Laura’s name. She intends to pursue every avenue. That man matters to someone.

Dressed in scrubs, the guy from the airport walks into Isaiah’s room. Elizabeth asks if she can help him.

Ric says, good times, and Nina says, for him, rolling around in her inheritance. He says, and she was a real blast. Almost as much as the prospect of defending Ava in front of Sonny. But Ava kicked his niece out a window and killed his grandchild. Ava says, it wasn’t that way, but he says he can’t take the case. Sorry. He leaves, and Ava asks if Nina has any other bright ideas.

Kristina asks again why Diane was here, and Alexis says, Ava recanted her statement. She’s no longer claiming Kristina tried to kill her. That means without her statement, the FBI’s case is groundless. She still has to file a petition, but she can’t imagine it won’t be dismissed. Kristina says, then it’s over, but Alexis says, not quite. John Cates was shot and killed last night. Kristina says, one down and one to go.

Elizabeth says she hasn’t seen him. Is he new here? The man says he is. He’s here to clean up. She tells him to come back later. The patient needs rest. He says, of course (🍷), and leaves with her.

Dante tells Jordan that he’s going over to the scene and see if he can find anything. He goes to the elevator, and Ric comes out. Dante heaves a Jason sigh and goes into the elevator. Ric goes over to TJ at the reception desk and asks how TJ is doing. TJ says he’s doing okay, and Ric says he’s worried about Molly. She’s putting on a brave face, but he knows she talks to TJ. He was hoping TJ could tell him what’s really going on. TJ says, they’re doing okay… he thinks. They’re in different places with the loss. He doesn’t want to put any more thought or energy into what happened at the hotel room, but that’s all Molly thinks about. She wants to assign blame. Ric says, she wants to see someone punished, and TJ says, him too, but then what? There’s no Irene at the end and they’ll just go in circles causing more pain. He hopes Molly can see it before she loses more than she already has.  

Kristina says she’s not going to cry because Cates is gone, and Alexis says, it’s probably not a good idea to applaud either when Kristina openly threatened him. Kristina says, it’s a good thing only one person heard her and it was her lawyer. Alexis says she’s also Kristina’s mother and she’s concerned. Kristina is talking about a human like he was nothing. Kristina says, she’s had no sleep, had the threat of prison hanging over her, and a daughter worth dying for. Cates was worth killing. Alexis says, did she? and Kristina says, no, but Alexis thinks she did. Alexis says she was gone a good amount of time, and Kristina says she was at the grave and forgot she had the gun with her.

Ava says, maybe she’ll skip town, but Nina says she can’t go on the run. Ava says she has the money and the means, but Nina says, she’ll be looking over her shoulder for her entire life. Ava says, instead of being behind bars. She’s been in prison and doesn’t want to go back. Nina says, stay and fight. Don’t go on the run. It won’t just be Port Charles she’ll never see again. She’ll never see Avery.

Ned says, how Lois speaks is none of her business, but Tracy says, Lois is her employee. She sells products on Home & Heart, and the sales are directly linked to her presentation. Brook says, they’re doing fine, but Tracy says, if they were, Brook wouldn’t be tripping over herself getting Sonny to invest and taking on the hoochie mama that comes with it. She believes the numbers will improve if Lois’s rough edges are smoothed out. Olivia says, what about her? Does Tracy think her numbers will improve if she spoke snob? She knows some great sign language. Brook says, no one is signing anything, when Josslyn comes in the front door. Olivia goes to the foyer, and Brook says, Tracy had no right to hire Robin without her mother’s buy-in, but Tracy says, Lois implied that she did buy-in.

Josslyn says she hopes she’s not interrupting, and Olivia says, of course (🍷) not. Josslyn says, Gio told her something insane about her mom and Sonny, so she’s checking in with Olivia. She sees Olivia’s face and says, oh my God. It’s true, isn’t it?

Diane says, so while John Cates was being gunned down, Sonny and Carly were bedding down in a Quartermaine bedroom. Carly says, they got caught up in the moment, but Diane says she doesn’t believe it and doubts anyone else will. Sonny says, no one can prove otherwise, and Diane asks if they’re sure they weren’t spotted somewhere else on the property. Sonny says, it was dark and raining and everyone was inside. There’s no way they can ID who killed Cates. Diane says she’s praying it doesn’t come to that. She doesn’t relish the idea of selling this rekindled relationship. Carly says, it’s not a relationship, and Sonny says, it was a moment. Diane says she’ll need more than that to sell it. She needs an ongoing pattern. She needs an affair.

On the phone, Jordan tells someone to thank Jack Brennan for his help. TJ asks if she doesn’t think the police can ID the John Doe, and she says, another set eyes doesn’t hurt.

Ric tells Elizabeth that John Cates was murdered not long after they witnessed someone toss a gun off the bridge.

Kristina says she went to take the gun out and it wasn’t there. She thought Alexis took it or she lost it along the way. She never used it. Alexis says she thought Kristina was going to hurt herself. (Me too.) She thought she was going to lose her.

Sonny says, an affair is a non-starter, and Diane says, they have to protect themselves. Sonny says, that’s what he pays her for. Do her job. Carly says, she doesn’t know why she’s doing this… and Diane says, don’t finish that sentence or utter a similar one to anyone. Carly says she can’t do this and leaves the room. Diane says, before she goes, she has a piece of good news. Kristina is out of the woods. Ava recanted her statement. Ask Jason. One more thing, he and Carly need to be in sync on every detail and own it. She can only hold off the police for so long. Unlike her, Anna will not suspend her disbelief. She leaves.

Trina says, Gio is incorrect. He made a mistake. Gio asks her to tell Joss how sorry he is, and leaves. Josslyn comes back and says, her mom is reading her texts, but not responding. Trina says, take a deep breath. She doesn’t know what happened, and if they did, so what? They’re consenting adults with a history. Josslyn says, Sonny has a history of hurting her mom, and Trina says, Josslyn got back with Dex. Josslyn says, he doesn’t use her, and Trina says, maybe that’s how her mom feels about her relationship with Sonny. There are multiple reasons Josslyn and Dex shouldn’t be together, but Josslyn thought it was worth it. Maybe that’s how her mom feels. Does she want to get in the middle of their dynamic? Josslyn says, she’s right. Her mom is a grown adult and it’s her choice. She’s going to focus on her own life, and if her mom wants to mess hers up, she can do it by herself.

Tracy says, Lois was open to the idea unless something changed, and Ned tells Lois that she doesn’t have to give in to his mother’s classism. Tracy says she wouldn’t have hired Robin if she didn’t think Lois was on board, and Lois says she admits that the caller on Home & Heart got to her. It’s one thing to sell a band to a record label, but it’s another to look into a camera and talk to a million people. Her accent can be… Tracy says, toneless? Offensive? Unnecessarily cruel? Lois says, different, and Robin says, different is not always better. Ned tells Lois that she doesn’t have to give in to his mother, and Olivia says, it’s better to be Lois than a phony. Robin says she doesn’t wish to rob Lois of her authenticity, just give her the tools to refine it, if and when she chooses to do so. She’s coached front facing corporate personalities who choose to deploy and drop it at will. It’s not her goal to recreate Lois. She wants to empower her.

Tracy says she’s just trying to help Lois help herself, and Brook says, she doesn’t need help, but Lois says, maybe she does. She asks Robin to stick around and show her what she’s got, and Robin says she shall.  

Jordan tells TJ that if she can find out who John Doe is, it might help her feel less powerless. He says, she’s the most powerful person he knows, but she says she couldn’t help save him from his pain. She couldn’t help save her granddaughter, but if she can just find a name, maybe it will make up for all she couldn’t do. TJ hugs her.

Dante looks around the accident scene. He takes out a handkerchief and picks up a phone.  

On the phone, the man tells someone to put him through to Sidwell. He tells Sidwell that he has eyes on Gannon. Instructions?… Understood. He will never wake up.

Ava tells Nina, of course (🍷) she can’t leave Avery, but she can’t go back to prison. She needs a lawyer. Nina says she’ll talk to Ric again, but Ava says, he made it clear he’s not going to represent her. Nina says she’s sure she can convince him, and Ava asks why Nina is helping her. She betrayed Nina. Nina says she wants Avery to have her mom and Ava can thank Willow. She gave Nina a second chance and she feels like Ava deserves one too.

Carly asks if Diane left, and Sonny says, they’ll have to talk to the police soon. She says she needs to go, and he asks if she doesn’t think they can make people believe their story. They have history on their side. She says, and necessity. She wants him out of prison and in Donna’s life. They have to make people believe what they say happened, happened. He thanks her and she says she’ll add it to his tab. She leaves, and in the hallway, she runs into Josslyn.  

Kristina tells Alexis that she’s sorry. She wasn’t going to hurt herself and never would. Alexis thanks her and says she’s relieved to hear Kristina had nothing to do with the shooting. Kristina says she’d better get the gun back, and Alexis says, back where? She says, it’s dad’s. She took it from the penthouse and he’s going to notice it’s missing. Can she have it back? Alexis says, it’s gone. Possession of a gun is a bail violation. If Kristina was found with it, she’d be in jail, so she got rid of it off the bridge over Blackstone Canyon.

Sonny calls Jason and says, they have a problem. He discovered a gun is missing from his safe.

Ric says, they were witnesses to a crime, and Elizabeth says, they saw a woman drop a gun into the water. It’s not a crime. He says, she may have killed the FBI agent. The police have to know what they saw. He and Alexis have a history, and they might not believe him on his own. Elizabeth saw it and they have to come forward with what they saw together.

Tomorrow, Lucky tells Holly that he can smell a con a mile away; Josslyn asks if Carly slept with Sonny or is she giving him an alibi; and Sonny tells Jason that this is the only thing tying him to the murder.

🎓 Smartest In the Room…

All about Isaiah.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/who-is-isaiah-on-gh-sawandi-wilson-speaks-out

👠 Rich Reunion…

I didn’t watch Dynasty during its original run, but I caught it when it was on late night in the 90s and I loved it.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/emma-samms-reunites-with-her-dynasty-brothers

🥀 Tribute To a Friend…

The Talisman is one of my favorite books.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/michael-easton-remembers-his-friend-peter-straub

🍊 Do You OC What I See…

Fancy Pants Heather invited the group to wine country where they stayed at Dawn Ranch in some sweet little bungalows. She was having a tasting of a champagne collaboration she’d done with Family Equality, the organization getting 100% of the sales profit. Four sparkling wines had been created, loosely based on four of Heather’s children. On the way there, Tamra made a big deal about an Instagram post of Shannon sitting by herself at a bar like it was no big deal. Newsflash. Women are allowed to do that now. Shannon claimed she wasn’t drinking alcohol, but in her interview, Heather said she’d never sat in a bar and ordered a mocktail. I’ve never done that either, but another newsflash. Only Shannon and the bartender know for sure, but I have friends who do that all the time. Apparently, if Fancy Pants hasn’t done it, it just isn’t done.

Alexis prompted Katie to bring hairspray on a nature hike in case they came across any bears. I’m guessing that would just annoy the bear, so drop Alexis’s IQ twenty more points. Gina spilled the beans during a small group conversation by saying something about that video thing, prompting Shannon to say, what video thing? several times while everyone looked at the floor, into space, and anyplace but at Shannon. Emily said it was the worst, longest, most drawn out, traumatic breakup ever, and in her interview, Gina wondered, why do you want to hurt someone so badly if you’re so happy in your new relationship? My guess is, he’s not that happy. He’s just a real piece of work who wants to get back at Shannon, and when he’s done, he’s going to dump Alexis. Hey, I can dream.

My biggest question was, who did Alexis give a BJ to in order to get tickets to the Oscars?

https://people.com/rhoc-recap-shannon-beador-says-ex-john-janssen-suing-her-is-extortion-8706651

🩺 Diagnosis In the Valley…

This explains a lot, but my diagnosis is, he’s still awful.

https://okmagazine.com/p/jax-taylor-diagnosed-bipolar-disorder-ptsd-checking-inpatient-facility

🍼 Giving You Lala’s New Baby…

No name yet, but I’m sure it will be something spectacular. I’m voting for Stream or Rivulet.

💏 Charming Engagement…

Aww. Rodrigo and boyfriend Tyler are two of the few cast members I like. Hoping it’s all rainbows and more rainbows.

🧂 Salt Lake City Multiplied…

I’ll probably be skipping this one. RHOSC is enough for me.

💣 Outplaying In Secret…

Another one that probably won’t be on my list. Not that it doesn’t sound good, but I get confused when Jeff Probst lists the challenge steps on Survivor.

🔥 A Match Made In Hell…

Apparently, this is a musical. I’m intrigued.

https://people.com/joker-2-first-reactions-folie-a-deux-venice-film-festival-8697650

Taking it to the Venice streets. Amazing. Joaquin Pheonix is actually smiling. And not as the Joker.

https://extratv.com/2024/09/04/joaquin-phoenix-and-lady-gaga-bring-the-joker-to-the-venice-film-festival/

🐈 No Cats Allowed…

I’m with Travis on this, but I have to admit, I laughed at Jason’s ingenuity.

https://people.com/jason-kelce-says-it-ll-be-hilarious-when-his-kids-meet-taylor-swift-s-cats-8706379

🪁 Seeing You In September…

Join me tomorrow for soap. whatever entertainment rabbits come out of my hat, quotable quotes, and perhaps an earworm. Until then, stay safe, stay embracing the change of seasons, and stay not giving into four-legged urges on somebody else’s bed.

July 23, 2024 – Ava Snares John In Her Web, Soap Bubbles, Best Doc Ever, Meanwhile In Dubai, Almost Here, Latest Dragons, Old Throne, The Cutest & Shining

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

At the stable, Tracy hears someone behind her. She says, stop right there. She’s sleep deprived, hasn’t had her second cup of coffee, and Hades bit her and she’s in a bad mood, so consider themselves fully warned. Ned says, those are pretty good odds.

Kristina meets Michael at Bobbie’s, and he says, pregnancy looks good on her. She says she should be savoring every moment. There are some great aspects of pregnancy. It’s a life enriching experience, but if this baby is one day late, she’s inducing. She senses he didn’t want to meet to discuss her birthing plan, and he says he wanted to see how she was doing, how she’s feeling. She says she’s known him long enough to know that she wants to ask her something and he’s hesitating, and he says, the last thing he wants to do is increase her blood pressure, but she says, it’s just going to make her more stressed. Just tell her. He says he thinks they have a problem, and she says, with dad?  

Carly goes to the penthouse and tells Sonny that they need to talk. He says he guesses she’s already talked to Michael, and she asks, what happened? He says, stay out of it, and she says she’d love to stay out of his problems, but all of his troubles land in her lap. She’s here to let him know that Cates wants to take him down.

Ava opens the door to John, and says, what a lovely surprise. He asks if she has a moment. It’s about Sonny. She says, of course (🍷), and invites him in.

Jason goes to Anna’s office, and she says, Carly was here. He asks what Carly told her, and she says, Carly told her that John paid him a visit and she believes it had something to do with Sonny. Jason says, she was half right.

Tracy says, if Ned has wife drama, ex-wife drama, or ex-lover in-law drama, she doesn’t want to hear it. She took a ride to clear her head and wants to hold on to the feeling for as long as she can, so spare her the agita. He says, everyone at the house is getting along fine, and asks where Hades bit her. She says, it was just a nip. He has a mean streak. He asks if she bit him back, and she says, it’s really her fault. Ned gets the first aid kit, and she says she didn’t read him right. Hades wanted to run, and she was going too slow for him. Ned takes out an ice pack and puts it on her, and she tells him to be careful of her wrist. He says she should have it looked at. Or he could call the local glue factory. She says, he’d better not touch Hades, or she’ll make glue out of him. The kids know better than to go near him without Cody. What is it this time? He says he came check on her. She can ride as far as she wants, but she can’t escape it. He knows what today means just as much as she does.

Michael says he’s assuming Kristina knows it’s tense between dad and Ava, and she says, of course (🍷). Ava got her mother disbarred, then maliciously leaked Natalia’s recording to The Invader. He says, dad told him and he’s sorry. She says, Ava baited Natalia into expressing her homophobia, then like the coward she is, extracted her own audio and turned it over to The Invader. Now their dad is out for her blood and filed for sole custody of Avery. He says, if the blow-up he just had with Sonny is any indication, he’s not going to win. He’ll be lucky if he walks away without a restraining order keeping him away from Avery.

Carly tells Sonny that Cates is on the warpath. She thinks Sonny has been his main objective all along. He has something on Jason. Sonny says, Jason is an informant, but she says she was there when Cates showed up and dragged Jason away from Danny to have a private conversation. She thinks it was about Sonny. He says, if Cates doesn’t know to keep his nose out of other people’s business. It’s about time somebody beat that lesson into him.

Jason says, the FBI lost Valentin, and Anna says, in one day. He says, Valentin is still gone, and asks if that isn’t what she wanted. She says she wanted to give him a head start, so he had a chance to disappear and make a new life with Charlotte. The FBI will mount a search that could last years. They won’t give up and declare him untraceable after one day. Jason says, it’s been long enough for Cates. According to Cates, he failed to meet the terms of their agreement, and he’s been given a new assignment out of town.

John says he thought he’d stop in and see how Ava is, and she says, that’s thoughtful of him. The last couple days has been difficult. She’s used to Avery being with her and it’s not easy being alone. She’s glad he stopped by. She and Scotty have been strategizing on how to fight Sonny’s petition for sole custody. He says, that’s no mean feat. Sonny is powerful, corrupt, and violent, and he’s convinced a legion of otherwise intelligent people that he’s just misunderstood. He’s automatically right, and anyone who opposes him is automatically wrong. Ava says, and they’re willing to take up arms on his behalf. It’s terrifying going up against Sonny, and she feels alone. He says, she’s not alone now.

Ned says, Tracy has been extra spicy and standoffish all day, and she says, hence her desire for solitude. He says, it’s Luke’s birthday. It was on Monica’s calendar. She says, he always had a soft spot for Monica. He’d be pleased she remembered. He says, Olivia and Lois’s too, and she says she guesses he had a soft spot for most women. He says, it’s on his calendar too, and Luke had no soft spot for him, nor he for Luke, but he does have a soft spot for his mother, so he knows to keep his eye on her on this particular day. He and Luke had their differences, and he definitely had reservations about their quasi-legal marriage. She says, legal or not, her marriage – or more accurately, marriages – to Luke marked a significant turning point in her life. They knew each other for years and after they each went through their separate misadventures, suddenly, they were together. And from that moment on, she realized… Ned says, he was the love of her life.

Jason says he has an assignment to infiltrate a gang in a federal prison at Lompoc. He was supposed deliver Pikeman and failed to deliver. Anna says, she gave him a phone with records of illegal arms deals and proof Valentin was in charge, but he says, as far as Cates is concerned, he delayed handing over the evidence, and he aided and abetted Valentin’s escape. Anna says, Jason was coerced by the FBI into helping and now they’re breaking their word. Go public and let the world know. It will shame them into backing down. He says, then what happens to Carly? They’ll use the recording to convict her. If he goes public, Carly will be seeing her family from behind bars for the rest of her life.

Michael says, Sonny asked to see him in the hope he’d testify on Sonny’s behalf in family court, and Kristina asks if he declined. He says, they didn’t get that far. He had to point out the problems they’ve had and the public blow-ups that could be used to Ava’s advantage, and that he could cause more harm than good. Kristina asks, what’s the problem? and he says, Sonny took it the wrong way, and said it was proof of his disloyalty. Sonny is as angry at him now as he ever was. He wants to help, but if he gets on the stand and uses the wrong word and it sets Sonny off, imagine what it will do if he loses it in front of a judge. She says she keeps hoping Sonny and Michael will mend fences, but he says he’s getting used to this kind of treatment. Obviously, it hurts sometimes. Kristina says, no matter how old you get, you never stop craving the love of your parents. And they both know, it’s good to stay on Sonny’s good side. He says, Avery is the one they have to protect. All of Sonny’s failings pale in comparison to Ava’s. She says, no question, and he says, Sonny needs someone who can testify, and if he can’t do it, who can?

Ava tells John that she appreciates having someone to talk to about this. She has to pay for her other support. Taking Sonny to court is going to cost a pretty penny. John says he’s sure she has enough. Or has she already blown through her Cassadine divorce settlement? She says he’s been looking into her finances, but he says he’s been looking into her, like any potential witness or suspect. She asks which one she is, and he says, the jury’s still out. She asks what he’s learned so far, and he says, she and Sonny are more alike than he thought. She says, if she’s like Sonny, why is he working with her? and he says, she’s turned a corner Sonny never did. He still victimizes every woman who crosses his path, and those who don’t bow down at his feet, he crushes, but she’s broken that mold. She says, she and Sonny were never a match made in heaven. Avery is a miracle born out of a moment of poor judgment. He says, they managed to co-exist until recently, and she says she had to fight tooth and nail for a truce. He says, she was living with Sonny, and she says, Sonny made her believe he respected her and considered her a friend. It felt real at the time. Maybe because she was so vulnerable, she needed to believe it. He says, maybe Sonny is that good of a liar, and she says, Sonny become so erratic and volatile. She doesn’t think he realizes what he’s doing from one moment to the next.

Carly tells Sonny not to go after Cates like last time, but he says, there was no last time. She asks if he expects her to believe it was just a coincidence that John was beat up one block from the coffee warehouse, and he says, she thinks he ordered a hit on a federal agent? She says she thinks he’s smart enough not to have it linked to him. He’d better hope John doesn’t find out about Dex. He says, that’s doesn’t fall in the FBI’s jurisdiction, and he made peace with Dex. Dex isn’t going to talk to Jagger. She asks if anybody else knows about the beating, and he says, Ava.

Tracy says, they take so much for granted in the moment. The sheer depth of happiness isn’t appreciated until later on. She feels that when she thinks about her time with Luke. She misses the buoyancy Luke created. He was so resilient and managed to stay afloat. He improvised and adapted. Without him, she feels like she’s barely keeping her head above water. Stop her please. This is getting maudlin. He says, and miss a chance for her to share her feelings? It’s as rare as a comet. She tells him to set his clock for another 75 year wait, and he says, she can go on like this anytime she likes. He won’t think less of her for being human. He’s never thought less of her for choosing Luke. He saw how happy Luke made her and he likes seeing her happy, even more than he hates seeing her sad. He asks if there’s anything he can do, but she says, no. He already has. She tries to leave, but he grabs her arm and says, come here. He hugs her, and she thanks him.

Anna says, there has to be a way to block John, and Jason asks if there’s anybody in her contacts that she thinks can rein him in. She says, sometimes interfering with an FBI investigation can backfire, and he says he’s asking a lot, like she asked him to wait two hours to turn the phone in. She says she didn’t mean for this to happen, and he says, it doesn’t matter what she meant. He’s supposed to be on a bus to Quantico tonight.

John says, the only thing he’d like more than removing Sonny from Ava and Avery’s life is removing Sonny from society and locking him up in Pentenville once and for all. Imagine the ramifications to Avery’s custody battle if it was revealed sonny was under an FBI investigation. She asks if he is, but John says, not yet. He needs something more substantial to work with. She says she has no information to give him, but he says, she was living with Sonny for months and they spent extended periods of time together. Does she mean to tell him that she has no prosecutable intel? She has to help him first before he can help her. She says she’s in a delicate situation. Put himself in her shoes. Sonny’s not happy about the custody suit, but he’d be relentless and remorseless if he saw her as a threat. He says, Sonny won’t lay a hand on her if he’s charged, but she says, what if the charges don’t stick? He murdered a Quartermaine and was pardoned. He’ll retaliate and take Avery someplace she can’t reach. Or worse, get rid of her.

Sonny says he made a mistake telling Ava about Dex, and Carly says, Ava must have told Cates by now. She wonders when they hooked up, and Sonny says, he and Ava were having an argument in Ava’s suite when Jagger walked by and came in to defend Ava. He left and he’s sure she threw herself on Jagger’s mercy. She says, it’s typical for Ava to play the damsel in distress, and he says, Jagger loves playing the hero. Carly says, if Jagger takes Ava’s side in the custody hearing, it will be a major problem for Sonny. He needs all the witnesses he can get. He says he’s already messed up with Ava. He had a meeting with Michael. He wanted Michael to be a character witness. It didn’t go well. They fought and he blew up and said things he regrets. He was wondering if maybe she could talk to Michael on his behalf and smooth things over.

Kristina asks if Carly would stand up for Sonny, and Michael says, especially if the alternative is Ava getting full custody of Avery. But her testimony could end up working against him. When they were together, there was a lot of tragedy and danger. Scotty will take anything that happened when they were together as fair game. She says, what about Brook or Dante? and he says, there’s only so much Brook can say, and Scotty will have Dante show the judge the scar from when his own father shot him. Sonny needs someone who sees the best in him, and can’t point out the ways he’s a good, loving, generous father. That person is her.

Anna says she’ll use every resource to make sure this doesn’t happen, but there are no guarantees, and Jason says he needs to know there’s a real chance of success, or Carly will take things into her own hands. Anna says, tell Carly that she’ll get him out of this. What else can she do? He says, clean up the mess she made. He ignored his own instincts and let her warn Valentin because she asked him to, and it was important to her. She asks if he thinks he’d have done a better job going it alone, and he says, if he had, and it fell apart, he’d have nobody to blame but himself. She says she did warn Valentin, which put Jason at risk. That’s on her and she’s sorry. But what’s on him and Carly? What responsibility do they bear for the decisions they’ve made that have led them here? They decided to live outside the lines, and she thinks they’re suffering the consequences of that. He says, she’s right. They did this to themselves, but he can’t change what happened and has to work with what he has now. He’s asking her to give him the same consideration she gave to Valentin. She says she will fix this, one way or another. She swears. She won’t rest until he’s out from under the FBI. He says he knows she’ll do her best, but there’s no guarantees like she said. He leaves, slamming the door.

Michael says, Sonny has the strongest, warmest relationship with Kristina, but she says, it wasn’t always like that. He says, Sonny has always been in her corner. He didn’t even bat an eye when she came out. They worked through the hard stuff when she was young, so when the court asks if he was a good father, Diane can call on her as proof. She says, what if they ask if she witnessed dad beating up Dex at the wedding? He’ll not only lose custody, he could lose his freedom. She wants to help him as much as Michael does, but she’s as much of a liability on the stand as he is. He says, that may leave dad on his own.

Carly says, it’s not up to her to fix things between Sonny and Michael. That’s Sonny’s job. He says, Michael doesn’t listen to him. He knows he said things he shouldn’t have said, but as long as she gets them in the same room, he knows they can fix this. She asks what he’s going to do. Yell at Michael again? Call him a traitor? Disown Michael as his son? Sonny says he lost his temper; he’s stressed. Michael will understand. He’s a father and this is about Avery. She says, it’s not. This is about Sonny behaving like everyone in his life is disposable. They only matter when he wants something. Everyone he hasn’t pushed away is walking away. Name one single person who will defend him who isn’t one of his children or an employee, one friend who will stand beside him no matter what. He says, her, and she says she stood in this very room, and he called her a traitor. Their years and their kids together meant nothing. It’s the way he wanted it and it’s the way it is. She’s not cleaning up his mess. He’s on his own. With tears in her eyes, she leaves

Ava says she’ll fight Sonny for Avery, but delivering him to the FBI is something she can’t do. John says he has a child too, and she doesn’t have to explain it to him. There are plenty of other people that he can get enough evidence to get Sonny another way, and when he does, she can be damn sure he’ll never see Avery again. She asks if he means that. Does he think it’s possible? He says, she seems surprised, and she says, it’s been a long time. She works up some tears, and says she forgot what it feels like to receive a kind gesture. He says he has a code too, but unlike Sonny, he sticks to his. He’s not going to let that poor excuse for a man push her around anymore. She says she almost believes him, and he asks what it would take to get her all the way there, and kisses her. (Ugh, a thousand times.)  

Anna calls someone named Jim and says she doesn’t have time to chat. She needs him to to arrange a face to face with one of the agents in his jurisdiction… John Cates. He’s out of control, and if the FBI doesn’t reel him in, she’s going to be forced to.

Michael wonders if he was being naïve, thinking there might be a way back for him and Sonny, but Kristina says, he’s not being naïve. He’s being courageous. He’d be well within his rights to write Sonny off completely, but he keeps trying and that’s admirable. Michael says he’s given a lot of thought to ignoring dad’s past and maintaining a superficial connection, but when will it get to be too much for him? He thinks about his mom and AJ and the price they paid for the lifelong grudges they held. He doesn’t want that for his kids. He wants Wiley and Amelia to know it’s okay to hold people accountable for their actions, but holding onto bitterness stunts you. She says, that’s very perceptive, and he says he learned it from Willow. She’s giving Nina another chance and it appears to be paying off. If she can do that for her mother, it’s the least he can do for his dad, She says, even if Sonny doesn’t extend the same courtesy to him? and he says, what’s happening now doesn’t erase what’s happened before. He raised, loved, and protected Michael. For him to be a good father to his kids, he needs to know he tried his best. She says, after Sonny beat up Dex, she couldn’t see him for a while. It still scares her, but like Michael said, it doesn’t outweigh the years of love. Carly comes in and says, sorry to interrupt. She heard Michael had a run-in with his father… Jason comes in and tells Carly, sorry to interrupt, but he needs to talk to her. She says, yeah, and they step aside.

Tracy finds Sonny somewhere unfamiliar outside and stands next to him. She says, Luke’s club was across the street. Is he indulging in a little walk down Memory Lane? He says, maybe it’s the day for it, and she says, it’s his birthday. He says, you were never on your own with a friend like Luke, and she says, finally, something they can agree upon. Sonny says, they didn’t just celebrate by drinking tequila. One time he woke up in a barn with hay in his hair and a horse in his face. She says, it was her house. It was a gift from Luke for her birthday. He says, Luke was very generous. He was big on gestures. She says, and he never passed up an opportunity to celebrate. He always said, if somebody was going to buy him drinks, why not accept? Sonny says, that’s the thing he loved about Luke. He always enjoyed himself. She says she thinks it’s because some of his life was just not enjoyable.

John’s phone rings, and he tells Ava that he has to take it. He says, Agent Cates… No, he wasn’t… Yes, loud and clear… Okay. He’s on it. He tells Ava that he has to go, and she asks if there’s trouble, but he says, there are a few provincial egos that need massaging. He asks if they can pick this up where they left off, and she says, they most definitely can, and soon she hopes. He leaves and she smiles.

Jason and Carly go to his room, and she asks, what happened with Cates? He says, Cates is sending him on another assignment. He leaves for Quantico tonight.

Tracy says, Luke made up his mind at a very young age that he was going to go for every opportunity that presented itself. She thinks it was her favorite thing about him. Sonny says, the last time he saw Luke was at the waterfront. They were saying their goodbyes and Luke walked off into the sunset, which she knows was Amsterdam. She says she’ll deny it until her last breath that she went to Amsterdam in search of him. She happened upon him in a little café. How could she consider that anything but fate? The time they had together, as Luke would say, they had an absolute blast. He says, Luke was always a good time, and she says, he was the best.

Kristina says, someday Avery is going to go through what she and Michael are going through with dad, and he says, she’ll find out everything there is to know about him. And just like them, they’ll see if it changes the way she feels about him and if she wants him in her life. Kristina says, that has to be Avery’s choice. Ava can’t decide for her.

On the phone, Ava asks, how much will it help her case if Sonny is busted by the FBI?

Cates bursts into Anna’s office and says, she’s been talking to his boss. She says, whatever she needs to do. Set Jason free now or she swears she’ll bury him.

Carly says, Jason’s not leaving, but he says, it’s already been decided. She says, he did what Cates wanted, and he says, she has to listen. There’s a way he can still beat Cates. There’s a way around this. But she has to stay patient and calm. She says, while Cates whisks him away to some other dangerous job where he’ll be killed? She doesn’t think so. She’s turning herself in and there’s nothing he can say to stop her.  

Tomorrow, Nina tells Ava to be thankful if the worst Sonny does is take sole custody of Avery; Carly says, Jason is out of his mind if he thinks she’s going to stand by while Cates takes him away again; and Anna says she’s going to do everything in her power to stop John.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

We should all have off days this good.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/giovanni-mazza-opens-up-about-his-disastrous-gh-audition

Love this. Style and fashion for all.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-tabyana-ali-has-a-spectacular-new-project

It’s sweet that they’re keeping in touch.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/michael-easton-reunites-with-gregory-harrison-see-the-photo

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, he was the best Nikolas.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/adam-huss-reaches-out-to-his-gh-fans

Another loss to the soap world.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/all-my-children/amc-stars-remember-esta-terblanche

And while we’re at it, the mid-year roll call.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/abc/remembering-the-soap-stars-we-lost-this-year

👺 Best Of the Worst…

Last weekend, I was finishing Season 2 of Outer Range, and since I was on Amazon, I consulted an article I’d read about the best documentaries on Prime. I chose to watch Best Worst Movie and it’s one of the best things I’ve seen lately. In 1989, a film called Troll 2 came out. It has nothing to do with the Norwegian film Troll or the film Troll with June Lockhart. Actually, it has nothing to do with trolls at all. Written by an Italian film director and his wife, it’s original title was Gremlins, but we see how that could be confusing in the USA.

Years later, when the film was shown on late night TV and cable, a cult began to form around it. Little conventions, late night showings, and watch parties sprang up, and documentary is mainly about that. I couldn’t stop smiling throughout the whole thing because, although it’s not my movie, it’s their movie, and I get it. I’ve been that person who watches something 10,000 times and just wants to watch it again. Of course I had to watch the actual film afterward, and it’s bad. So bad. Not even Ed Wood bad. But I get that too. The fans see something in it that others don’t. Been there, and I hope they never lose that. It can keep you sane.

The cast of Troll 2 is also involved, and it’s an interesting tributary to see how it affected each of their lives. For some it was a blessing, for some a curse, and one actress doesn’t want anything more to do with it, although she reenacts one of the scenes from the movie with two of her co-stars. The only one who doesn’t realize the film is bad is the director, who thinks he made an artistic masterpiece, and the actors are a bunch of whiney egoists.

So give it a whirl. I hope it brings you as much joy as it did me.  

https://theindependentcritic.com/_best_worst_movie__review

🐪 Eat, Pray, Camel…

Taleen wants you to know that she did not beg to be on the show.

🦸🏻‍♂️ A Few More Days…

I probably won’t go the first weekend if it’s crowded, but I can’t wait to see it on a big screen. A selection of everything Deadpool & Wolverine. The finances.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/deadpool-wolverine-box-ofice-1235955857/

The fashion.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/timlammers/2024/07/23/deadpool–wolverine-scenes-from-the-red-carpet-premiere/

The reviews.

https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/deadpool-wolverine-first-reviews/

The kudos.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/deadpool-and-wolverine-is-kick-in-the-nuts-the-mcu-needs

The not-so kudos.

https://ew.com/deadpool-wolverine-review-relentlessly-irritating-cheap-jokes-instead-stakes-8682433

The music.

https://ew.com/deadpool-and-wolverine-soundtrack-the-greatest-showman-song-8679476

The cutest couple.

https://www.purewow.com/news/blake-lively-ryan-reynolds-movie-releases

🐉 Dragons In the House…

Possible spoilers if you didn’t see the last episode.

https://ew.com/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-paddy-considine-viserys-cameo-harrenhal-daemon-8681112

Netflix competition.

https://www.unilad.com/film-and-tv/netflix/netflix-the-last-kingdom-game-of-thrones-364207-20240723

👑 Original Game…

We know one of them is not doing a Jon Snow spinoff.

https://ew.com/game-of-thrones-cast-where-are-they-now-8677595

🐶 Rescued By Killer Miller…

Good for her. My rescue chihuahua El Wray has issues, which he’s slowly overcoming, but I’ve never regretted adopting him.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-carolyn-hennesy-adopted-the-cutest-dog

✈️ Flight Now Boarding…

Join me tomorrow for soap, Listings talk, and whatever else is entertaining. Until then, stay safe, stay not overdoing your fragrance, and stay holding people accountable for their actions, but not holding onto bitterness.

July 11, 2024 – Felicia Hears Cody’s Side, Soap Suds, Fresh Oranges, Scary Stuff, Teresa Talk, Have Some Whiskey, Happy Half Birthday & The Park

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Felicia goes to the stable, and Cody asks, what brings her by? He’s probably the last person she wants to see. She says, now that she knows he’s been lying to her family for the last two months, she has plenty say, and asks him to promise to hear her out. He says, absolutely, and she tells him not to give up on a relationship with Mac. She believes the best way out is through, so don’t even think of leaving.

Mac arrives at Maxie’s house, and she says she’s glad he’s home and available to stop by. He asks where the kids are, and she says she had Spinelli take them to the pool so they can blow off steam and she and Mac can talk with no interruptions. He asks if it’s about Cody, and she says, of course (🍷) it is. Mac forgave her when she messed up. Now he has to forgive Cody.

Portia shows up at Jordan’s office and says she knows Jordan is busy, so she’ll get straight to the point. She’s going to gather signatures to put a measure on the fall ballot to recall the vote and remove Laura. If it passes, the new mayor will be Jordan.

At the Pentenville visiting room, Heather thanks Laura for coming. She needs to talk to her. Laura says, before she forgets, she has a photo of the most beautiful grandson. She gives Heather an envelope, and Heather takes out a picture of Ace. She says, he’s getting more adorable each time she sees him. Can she keep it? Laura says, of course (🍷). She’ll try to bring one every time she visits. Heather says she had an unexpected visitor, Curtis Ashford. He told her that Laura was looking into her case and thinking of challenging her sentence. Laura says, all she’s done is request transcripts, but it’s possible a lawyer might find grounds for a petition to reopen her case. Heather says, that’s what she wanted to talk to Laura about. She appreciates Laura caring, but don’t do it. She needs to stay locked up.

Brook lets Kristina in and says she invited her and Blaze over to explore strategies. Kristina wonders if there’s a strategy to uncancel someone, and Brook says she thinks they can mitigate the negative damage. She asks if Blaze has spoken to her mother, and Kristina says she doesn’t know if Blaze did, but she did, for all the good did. Brook asks if she thinks Blaze would be willing to make a public statement denouncing her mother’s words, and Kristina says, what Natalia did was wrong, but she’s still Blaze’s mother. Brook says she can’t imagine how Blaze feels, and Kristina says, Natalia did the damage, but Ava is the one who should have to pay.

Ava tells Sonny to howl at moon for all she cares. Then listen to himself and decide how suitable a judge will find him as a parent. Sonny says he’s not going anywhere, and suddenly, John is in the doorway. He asks if there’s a problem here, and Sonny tells him to mind his own business. Ava says, Sonny won’t leave and he’s threatening her. If John doesn’t believe it, he can listen to their conversation.  

John asks if it’s true Sonny threatened Ava on tape, but Sonny asks why he’d record Ava. She has nothing to say. He holds up his phone, and it says, no audio. He asks if John is going door to door for the FBI asking for handouts, but John says he’s staying here. He heard voices and isn’t surprised it’s Sonny fighting with someone. Ava was living with him a week ago, and she’s the mother of another of Sonny’s children. Sonny says he cares about his kids and fights to keep them safe. What about John? Where’s his son? To be continued. Sonny leaves.

Cody asks how Felicia isn’t angry, and she says she likes to hear all sides before making up her mind. It’s his chance to tell his side. Just be honest. He’s wasted enough time already lying to her family. He asks, what’s the point? Mac made it clear there’s no place in his life for him. She says, Mac is hurt and lashing out. It doesn’t surprise her. He’s been a wonderful father to her children, but he never had a biological child of his own. He accepted the fact it was something life denied him, but when he thought Cody might be his son, he was delighted. When Cody told him they weren’t a match, it was a crushing disappointment. Now that he knows Cody lied, what is he supposed to think? He doesn’t feel wanted and who can blame him? He thinks the only reason Cody came forward now is that he has an agenda. Cody asks if they think he’s hustling for a kidney, and Felicia says, is he? He says, no, and she asks if he doesn’t want to accept that he and Mac have a connection. He says, it was never that.

Kristina says, she’s sick of Ava’s petty BS. She was upset that Sonny didn’t invite her to the wedding and took Natalia. Brook says, there were no circumstances where Ava would have been welcome. She murdered Connie Falconari, and all the Falconaris and Cerullos know it. Kristina asks if she thinks Ava cares. She pretends it never happened and assumes everyone else will too. She plunked herself into Sonny’s apartment and his life, and when he wised up and kicked her out, she retaliated. She had dirt on Natalia and used it, and now Allie is collateral damage. She’s devastated that the label dropped her. Brook says, it’s their loss, and Kristina asks if there’s anything that can be done to turn it around. Is it even possible? Blaze arrives, and Brook says she’s trying to set up an interview to give Blaze an opportunity to respond, not just to Natalia’s words, but the public reaction, the online cancellation. Blaze says she thinks it’s a great idea, and Brook says, but it needs to be a joint interview. Kristina needs to be there too.

Portia says, people on the community message boards are outraged that Heather might be roaming the streets, and Jordan says, Portia may disagree with Laura, but she has to acknowledge that Laura is the epitome of fairness. She’s just asking questions. She has no specific goal or outcome. Portia says, her point is that Laura isn’t thinking about the consequences. Lives will be at risk if Heather goes free. Jordan says, Portia knows Heather’s judgement was impaired. Can she be held fully responsible for the decisions she made? Portia says, Jordan’s responses sound like something a politician would say. Not someone who used to be Police Commissioner.

Ava says she appreciates John’s assistance, and he says he was in the right place at the right time. She says she’s only been here a couple of nights, but he knows that since he’s having her followed. He says, when he’s following someone and it reaches a point where he’s not getting anything relevant or useful, he suspends the surveillance. He asks if she wants him to call security, and she says, he sounds almost chivalrous. She knows how to discourage Sonny, but does he want to stay and have a drink?

Cody tells Felicia that he asked himself the tough questions like, who would want a son like him? No one was the obvious answer. Felicia says, he couldn’t be further from truth. The first thing she noticed about him was how alike he and Mac are. They both have a sense of decency and are kind and patient people. And they’re both good with kids. The kids love Cody. She thinks they’re both teachers at heart. Cody says he spent most of his life making a buck, and played fast and loose with the truth, but she says, he’s not alone. Mac can play when he wants to. He says he doesn’t believe it, but she says, that’s because he hasn’t known Mac long. When Mac was his age, he got in all kinds of trouble. Cody says, maybe he does take after him.

Mac tells Maxie, it’s not complicated. Cody doesn’t seem like someone begging to have a relationship with him. Maxie tells him that she’s not saying Cody’s a saint, but he hasn’t screwed up nearly as much as she has, and Mac never decided she was irredeemable. He always gave her support. Why is he taking a hard line with Cody?

Sonny visits Alexis, and says, Ava served him over sole custody of Avery. Alexis says, first her, then their daughter, now him. He says he doesn’t want Ava to ever see Avery again, and she asks if that isn’t an overreach. He says he had sole custody before. He’s going to come after Ava with everything he’s got. All he needs to know is if she’ll support him.

Laura asks if Heather is saying she wants to stay in prison, but Heather says, of course (🍷) not. It’s like some kind of hell. She hates not seeing her grandchild and hardly sees the light of day. She can’t talk to the inmates, since most of them have done something horrendous, but she knows what goes on inside is real. Laura asks what she means, and Heather says, she can’t remember why she killed people. She knows she did it, and remembers doing it, and even thinking that it was somehow justified. Laura says, she was suffering from cobalt poisoning, and Heather says, from a bad hip replacement. It was removed, and in theory, she’s thinking more clearly, but she can’t be sure if she’s let out that she wouldn’t hurt anyone. She doesn’t know if she’d do it again and doesn’t want to put it to the test.  

Blaze says, Kristina’s not a public figure and it wasn’t her idea to keep their relationship a secret. She feels guilty enough dragging Kristina into the spotlight. Brook says, Blaze isn’t to blame and doesn’t need to apologize. Her personal life is nobody’s business. The public can think what they want. The interview is to engage the people who haven’t made up their minds and let the fans know what’s going on with her. Show them who she and Kristina really are; sweet, loving people who are at ease with one another. She has some contacts, and she’s confident she can find the right one. Kristina says she’ll do it, and Blaze asks if she’s sure she’ll be okay in the limelight. Kristina says, telling the truth is easier than hiding it. They’re in.

Alexis tells Sonny that she loathes Ava with the heat of a thousand suns, but as a mother, she’s uncomfortable keeping a mother away from her child completely. Is visitation out of the question? Sonny says, Ava takes every chance she can to poison his daughter against him. He’s not letting her do that anymore. Alexis says she can’t agree to help him unless he acts within the confines of the law, and he asks if she’s willing to take the stand and say he’s a good father to Kristina. She doesn’t have to talk about Ava. Diane will figure that out. She says she’ll testify that he loves his daughter, but if they ask if she approves of what he does for a living, she’ll have to tell the truth.

Felicia says, Cody made a mistake, the same one more than once, but it’s not the end of everything. Unless he can stand here and tell her that he doesn’t want any part of the Scorpio/Jones family. He tells her that he can’t say that.

On the phone, Brook says she’ll be in touch. Chase comes in and gives her a blackberry. She says she’s surprised they’re ripe already, and he says, it’s an early season because of the warm spring. He and Violet were picking blackberries. Now she’s at the gatehouse impressing Wiley and Amelia with her skills. Brook says she’s glad the kids are getting along, and Chase says, obviously, Violet misses her dad, but with all the kids and so much to do, she’s engaged now and seems happy. She says she knows he was up checking on Violet all night because she knows the kind of guy he is.

Cody says he’s been alone so long he doesn’t know how to feel part of a family, especially one he already knows, and Felicia asks if he’d like to find out. He says he got to know Maxie and the kids, and it felt watching life through a window, but she says, he’s not so far removed. When Maxie needed help, he was there. He loves the kids, particularly James who loves him already. James even told her how he asked Cody to be his brig brother and Cody accepted, and how they spit on their hands and shook on it. It’s a sacred bond. There’s no way he can go back on that. She shows him a photo of him and James eating hotdogs on 4th of July, and Cody says he couldn’t believe James asked him to be his big brother, but that was before he told Mac. Mac is furious now and told him to stay away from James. He said he can never trust Cody again. Felicia says, Mac will be fine. Give him a little time and he’ll find his way to forgiveness. Cody tells her, that’s what Maxie said, and she says, that’s because they know Mac inside and out. It will never happen overnight, but he always forgives the people he loves. Cody says, Mac doesn’t love him, but she says, Mac doesn’t know him. She believes with all her heart that if Cody is willing to give Mac time, he and his father will both get what they really want.

Maxie says, maybe Mac and Cody will have the chance to be father and son, but Mac says, Cody doesn’t want love and acceptance and to make up for lost time. He denied they were father and son. Maxie says, he made a mistake. He’s changed. She thinks he wants to be Mac’s son. Mac asks, why now? What does Cody really want? What’s his ulterior motive? He wants nothing to do with Cody.

John asks, where’s Avery? and Ava says, at Sonny’s. She’s not happy about it. Sonny is doing everything in his power to turn Avery against her. Now he’s trying to take Avery away, and it’s cruel. Avery needs her mother. John says, they seemed to be getting along. What caused the rift? Ava says she has no idea. It’s been difficult dealing with Sonny lately; he’s so volatile. John saw how he was behaving. She’s been walking on eggshells. She’s doing what she can to keep Avery safe and wants to get her away from Sonny. John asks how she plans to do that, and she says, prove Sonny is unfit. John knows how he treated Karen and must agree that he has no business having sole custody, especially of a little girl. John says, no question, and Ava says, he’s known Sonny for decades. Would he be willing to make a statement to her attorney Scott Baldwin?

Portia says, Laura has undone all the hard work Jordan and the PCPD did to get Heather off the streets, but Jordan says she doesn’t see it that way. She was proud to play her role in getting Heather off the streets, but as a cop, she realizes evidence is evidence, even if it if comes at an inconvenient time. She advised Laura against pursuing this. She knew it could be a lightning rod and could hurt Laura’s career. But unlike most politicians, Laura’s main concern was fairness. Portia laughs, and says, fair? Heather targeted Trina because Spencer fell in love with her and not Esme. Was it fair for Heather to murder people? Jordan says, she had a medical condition that compromised her judgement, and it may be fair to reconsider her case. The law isn’t just for people they like and approve of. No more than giving them medical treatment.

Brook tells Chase that she’s in the process of setting up an interview with a major outlet and thinks both Blaze and Kristina are on board. She hopes it works. He tells her that his bereavement leave ends tomorrow, and wonders what that means for Violet. Brook says, there’s no problem with childcare, but he wants to make sure Violet knows she’s their priority. Brook says she can work from home, and he says he can pitch in. She asks if he’s going to detect from the boathouse, but he says he’ll talk to Anna and Mac and see about a three-day week. They’ll do what it takes to make sure Violet has a loving home and family.

Felicia can’t find her phone and asks Maxie to call it. Maxie does, and Cody picks up. Maxie hangs up and asks if they heard anything. Maybe it’s really lost. Mac says, maybe it’s in the kids’ room, and goes to look. Maxie and Felicia smile at each other.  

Kristina goes to Alexis’s house, and Alexis asks if something else happened. Kristina says, no, but it’s going to. She and Allie have been debating how to respond, and they decided not to address Natalia’s comments directly, but show the world who they are, two people in love. There’s something wrong with the world if they can’t accept love in whatever form it takes. Alexis asks if they’re hoping the scandal dies down and cancelation moves on to someone else, and Kristina says, Brook set up an interview where they can present themselves as they are. Sonny says, it’s a good strategy. Show they have nothing to hide. Alexis says, it’s great as long as it’s handled right, and Kristina says, they always taught her to know who she is and to stand up for herself and what she believes in, and she thanks them for that.

Heather says, her blood runs cold to think she could be a killer, and Laura asks if she wants to kill again. Heather says, no, but what if she finds herself in a situation where the feelings come back and consume her and she’s doing terrible things again? She can’t risk it. Whatever Laura is thinking of doing, don’t. She’s in here for a reason and it’s where she belongs. Laura says, what if she was triggered by her medical condition and had no control? She’s just trying to help. Heather says she knows, but if Laura really wants to help, take care of her grandson. Visit once in a while and bring pictures. Let her pay for her crimes in peace, as much as she can get in a joint like this. Laura says, okay, if that’s what she really wants, and Heather nods.

Jordan says, there were toxins in Heather’s blood and Portia was on the team who diagnosed it. Portia says she was doing her job. She believes Heather should get proper medical care, but not absolution. Jordan says, Heather has rights like anybody else, and Portia says she has the right to question the legitimacy of the mayor. Jordan says, it’s just an inquiry. Laura is just asking questions. Give it time and see where it leads. Portia says, if Jordan thinks she’s going to sit around and wait for Heather to be released, she’s got another thing coming. She wonders if Heather had targeted Jordan’s son or murdered him, how Jordan would feel then. She storms out.

Kristina says she’s lucky she has parents who have experience with the press and appreciates their advice and guidance. Alexis says, of course (🍷), and Kristina says, they raised an outspoken daughter who tends to step in it. She can’t afford to make a mistake. Alexis says, it’s a good plan, and Kristina says she has to get it right. Allie’s career is at stake. Sonny says, she’ll be great, and Alexis hugs her. Kristina says she wanted to ask how they’ll feel seeing their kid doing an interview on national TV, and Sonny says, he’ll feel more proud than he already is, and hugs her.  

Brook asks if Chase wants to play croquet with her and Violet, and he asks if she doesn’t have to work. She says she’s waiting for a call back, but be warned, she’s a fearsome croquet player. He says, bring it on, and Brook says she’s a lucky girl. Most brides don’t get a preview of how their husband will be as a father. She saw him with Bailey Lou and now Violet. She picked the right guy. He says, they need to schedule time after croquet to argue about who picked who, and kisses her.

John says he knows Scotty; he was Karen’s dad. He’s an accomplished attorney and a great guy. Ava says, he’s spoken highly of John too, and John says he’s in Port Charles in a professional capacity. He has history here, but he’s not in brief to get involved in a custody battle. She says she’s not asking him as an agent, but as John, a father. She fears for Avery, and they both know she’s the one who will ultimately be hurt. She wants to keep Avery safe. Wouldn’t he want to protect his son from Sonny? He says he can’t promise anything, but he’ll think about it, and she says she needs all the help she can get. He says he doesn’t think she needs to worry too much. Before long, Sonny is going to be behind bars where he belongs if he has anything to say about it.

Maxie asks how it went with Cody, and Felicia says, he definitely wants another chance. What about Mac? Maxie says, stubborn as a mule. Mac comes back and says, there are people who lose things who don’t really lose them, and people who lose things that are gone forever. After all these years, he thinks Felicia might be the second one. There’s a knock at the door, and Maxie opens it. Cody says, Felicia left this at the Quartermaines… He and Mac lock eyes, and Felicia says, it’s not gone forever.

Tomorrow, Sasha says, if she tells Cody, she has to swear him to secrecy; Mac asks, what’s the point of this humiliating experience; and Portia tells Curtis, the worst is yet to come.

🛁 More Soap Bubbles…

I wondered if/how the latest Sonny arc was affecting him. So glad he was able to cope. Frank Valentini has always done right by his actors. I doff my cap.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/maurice-benard-reveals-why-he-had-to-take-time-off-from-gh

This sounds like a fun trip!

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/kelly-monaco-and-anthony-geary-reunite

 Extra, extra.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-cameron-mathison-has-an-exciting-new-role

What’s next.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/michael-easton-reveals-whats-next-after-gh

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/gregory-harrison-is-back-on-tv

🍊 O Say Can You C…

The messiness is back. It didn’t take long for Shannon to try and get into it with Alexis, bringing up some old lawsuit she insisted Alexis was involved with, yet she had no receipts. It was at that point, Alexis suggested the real issue was that she was with Shannon’s ex. That’s when she said, if Shannon didn’t like it – all together now – there’s the door Shannon Beador.

A little more about Beador.

https://people.com/rhoc-recap-alexis-bellino-and-shannon-beador-square-off-john-janssen-romance-past-8676867

💎 Worse Than Being Chucky’s Bride…

She’s going to be a great addition to the cast. Hopefully, she can keep her poker face on and not engage in the drama. Or if not, give as good as she gets.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/chucky-jennifer-tilly-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-friend

👙 No Love Bubbles To See Here…

Oh well. We can dream.

https://ew.com/teresa-giudice-rumor-leaving-real-housewives-new-jersey-8675092

Nice try. What’s really funny is, at one point, she said she loved the comments. So why did she disable them?

https://people.com/teresa-giudice-addresses-larsa-pippen-bikini-photoshop-fail-8675214

🐶 Never Mix Whiskey and Fireworks…

This dog. I can’t.

https://paradepets.com/pet-news/bri-bagwell-rescue-dog-whiskey-fireworks

🎂 A Very Merry Half Birthday To You…

My eldest Peke, Marco, is 17½ today. Seems like he was a puppy just yesterday.

Baby Marco

🏊‍♀️ Life’s a Beach…

Come on by tomorrow for soap, a little tea, a bit of talk, and a tune. Until then, stay safe; stay keeping an eye on your children or pets in public areas, and don’t allow them to be intrusive to others (although if it’s me, you can allow your pets to intrude); and stay always forgiving the people you love.

July 9, 2024 – Cody Tells Mac That He Lied About the DNA Test, Sudsy Newsflash, Just a Preview, Messy New Jersey, Shocking, Have Some Brisket & Born

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Sorry, I missed the beginning, but it’s always just a bit of a rehash. Basically, Drew told Willow that in another time and place, they might have meant something to each other.

Nina tells Michael that, more than anything, she wants a relationship with her daughter and grandchildren. If they continue to be at odds, that won’t happen. That’s enough motivation, but she also loves her job at Crimson, especially after being at The Invader. She’d be an idiot to continue to antagonize Aurora’s CFO. Curtis says, they share family, but they also have a similar work ethic. They’re professionals and damn good at their jobs. Their work is interdependent, they need each other, and Aurora needs them both. Michael says he’s starting to believe that, and he’s willing to put down the past and focus on the here and now. Curtis says, and hopefully, the future, and Michael says, and not just at Aurora. He’s a husband and father, and doesn’t want Willow feeling torn. Whatever she decides, he’s on board. Willow’s happiness is his top priority.

Portia says, while Laura is defending Heather’s rights, how does she know Heather won’t come after Portia’s family? Laura says, the law is for everyone, including the people they hate, but Portia says, it’s not about the law. It’s about Laura feeling bad for a family member who’s locked up. It’s uncomfortable, and sitting in discomfort is hard, but so is fearing for her daughter’s life. Elizabeth comes in and asks if they’ve seen Aiden… Clearly, she’s interrupting. Portia says, Laura’s got backup. Elizabeth came just in time to take her side.

Drew says, that was a rotten thing for him to say, but Willow says, that they might have meant something to each other under different circumstances doesn’t sound rotten. Drew says, it’s a trap when you think of things that might have been. You don’t mess up, and everyone does and says the right things. You don’t doubt your choices. When they met, Willow was already in love with Michael. Willow says she loves Michael so much, she can’t believe she did that, but Drew tells her not to put it all on her. They had a couple of drinks and got caught up in the fireworks and the proximity, and probably a little bit of election enthusiasm. Things happen. She says, it’s not the end of the world, and he says, it’s not even the end of the day. It happened, it’s over, and it will never happen again. Willow says, ever, and Drew says, they’re on the same page. Michael, Curtis, and Nina come in, and Michael says, coincidentally, them too.

Gio joins Trina and Josslyn at the boathouse, and Josslyn asks how the concert was. Gio says, good, and tells them there’s food at the house, but Josslyn says, they’re still full. She offers him a beer, and he asks, how was the barbecue? Josslyn says, eventful. Drew Quartermaine announced he was running for congress. Gio says he thought it was Cain, and Trina says, it was, 24 hours ago. Her dad said Quartermaine has a higher recognition factor. Josslyn says, Drew brought back the mayor and the congressman, but it wasn’t all business. There were friends and family there. Gio asks why Sonny wasn’t here and wonders why he wasn’t invited. Josslyn says, maybe he was and didn’t come. Gio would have to ask the Quartermaines.  

Cody says he wants to be part of Mac’s family, but Mac says, he has an interesting way of showing it. Cody says he didn’t know how to tell Mac, and Mac says, so he actively lied. Cody says he’s not proud of it, and Mac says, what upsets him most was that Cody felt he couldn’t be honest. The worst part is that he lied to Felicia. He lied to Maxie, Georgie, James, and Bailey Lou. Everyone he claimed to give a damn about. Cody says he loves them, but Mac says, if he did, he wouldn’t treat them like that. Cody asks if it helps that it was killing him. He’s eternally sorry. Mac says, it doesn’t help. He doesn’t trust Cody. For all he knows, it’s just another lie. He walks away.

Portia says, Heather was Elizabeth’s mother-in-law. Of course (🍷) she agrees with Laura. Laura says, this conversation is over, and Portia says she’ll leave them with this. Heather Webber is a serial killer, and she has every reason to believe Trina was her target. If Laura thinks she’s going to allow Trina to be at risk again and continues to try and set Heather free, the next conversation they have will be in public. She walks out.

Drew says, he and Willow were just watching the fireworks and talking politics. What’s up? Curtis says, they had an impromptu meeting about Aurora, and Nina says, they’re putting aside their differences and moving forward. Michael says, it’s time to move forward, and Nina says, everything is aboveboard, and their agendas have been put to bed. Willow says, it’s a relief to hear that, and Drew says, it feels like a new beginning, a new era, a clean slate. Nina says, with endless possibilities, and Drew asks how this came about. Curtis says, in order to move smoothly, the CFO of Aurora and the Editor-in-Chief of Crimson need to be in the for same room more than two minutes. Portia runs in and tells Curtis that she needs to go home.

Elizabeth says she doesn’t think she’s ever seen Portia so angry, and Laura says she understands. She went through hell with Heather, then Esme, and is genuinely concerned about her daughter. Elizabeth says, Esme is gone, and strange as it is, Heather’s situation has changed. Laura says, thank God she can see that. Portia can’t and it surprised her. Elizabeth says, why? Because she’s a doctor? Laura says, Portia knows Heather was sick and knows the medical ramifications. She was there when they were figuring it out, but she won’t consider the possibility that once the poison left Heather’s body, she’s no longer as dangerous. Elizabeth says, it’s easier for Laura to see. All Portia sees is a monster who tried to hurt her child. It’s like her experience with Franco. She could look past the tumor, but his victims couldn’t and never forgave him. Laura says, she thinks Portia is the same way, but Elizabeth says she hopes not. She hopes Portia realizes she’s asking questions only the court can answer. It’s not up to them. That’s why they have laws. It’s supposed to be justice for all. Laura says, that’s all she’s been saying, and thanks Elizabeth for hearing it. Elizabeth hugs Laura and says she’s proud of her, and so are her grandkids. She leaves, and Laura wipes tears from her eyes.

Maxie goes to the stable and asks if Cody has seen James’s riding gloves. He needs them for his next lesson. He’s obsessed and keeps asking everyone to watch. He even asked the grocery bagger. Cody says he doesn’t think he should keep giving James lessons, and she asks, why not? Did he say or do something? Cody says, it’s nothing like that, and Maxie says, he can’t take the lessons away from her. It’s her only leverage. He says, Mac is furious with him, and she says, her Mac? That doesn’t sound like him. Cody says, he’s our Mac, and Maxie says, explain please. Cody says he’s been lying to all of them. He’s Mac’s son. Maxie says, but the DNA test… and Cody says he lied. Maxie says she can see it, and he says he totally lied and now Mac knows the truth. She says, now Mac is unhappy, but Cody says, that’s a massive understatement.

Gio says, it’s his first boathouse party, and Trina says she hopes not his last. He tells them, keep inviting him and he’ll keep showing up, and Josslyn asks what they do in Bensonhurst on the 4th. Gio says, they have a huge block party. Everyone within 10 blocks is a Cerullo or a Falconari. They’re big Italian families. Trina asks if his mom was from Italy, and he says, she was. It was her proudest moment to officially become a citizen. She told him to never take it for granted and he never does. Neither do his relatives. That’s why the 4th is a big deal. Trina says, it means something to his family.

Curtis asks if everything is okay, and Porta says she just needs to go home. Curtis tells Drew, congrats again, and Portia says, if he wants her vote, he needs to pledge to keep Heather Webber in prison, no matter what the mayor has to say. She and Curtis leave, and Willow says, Portia is a mom and entitled to her feelings. She tells Michael that she’s exhausted and suggests they round up the kids, but Michael says, the kids are staying here, so they can head back to the gatehouse when she’s ready. Willow says she’s happy Nina and Michael made up and Nina is helping with the campaign. It’s nice being on the same side again. Nina says she couldn’t agree more, and Willow leaves with Michael, glancing at Drew on her way out the door.  

Felicia says she’s been looking everywhere for Mac. What’s wrong? Mac says, Cody is his son, but she says, no, he’s not. He says, yes, he is, but she says, he can’t be. She did her own DNA test. She’ll explain the details later. Mac says, Cody must have doctored the results and lied the first time. She asks how he knows, and he says, Cody confessed to him. She says, he’s known all this time? and Mac says, and he never said a word. Cody gave him some convoluted excuse, but he was barely listening. She asks how he feels, and he says he’s furious. He has a son. Cody knew it and lied about it on purpose. She was right about him. He’s nothing but a grifter and must have some agenda for it coming to light now. She says, he really doesn’t think Cody needs a kidney or points removed from his driver’s license, but Mac says he can’t think of another reason. Can she?

Mac says, maybe Cody doesn’t need an internal organ, but he’s coming from some kind of angle. Felicia says, Cody is his kid, but Mac says, on paper only. Felicia says, it’s Cody’s loss. It’s sad really. Mac says he would have welcomed Cody to the family, and Felicia says, he did. Mac says, it would have taken adjusting, but he would have found a way to love him. Felicia says, of course (🍷), and Mac says, now it’s too late for that.

Maxie says she feels her brain melting. Why did Cody lie? Mac is the best father in the whole world. Cody says, at first, he thought he wanted money more than family. Pathetic, he knows. By the time he changed his mind, he didn’t know how to take back the lie. Maxie says, tell the truth? and Cody says he was afraid Mac would hate him, and guess what? He was right. Maxie says, Mac is upset. He doesn’t hate Cody. Cody says he wants her to know that he’s sorry he messed this up. They’re all a terrific family. She says, especially her. She’s a fantastic sister. He says, they’re not related, but she says, Mac is her father and that makes Cody her brother, and her kids his nieces and nephew. Cody says he loved teaching James, and Maxie says, when James finds out Cody is Mac’s son, he’s going to be over the moon. He tells her to hold off telling him until she talks to Mac. James is a good rider, and you can’t beat his enthusiasm. He wants her to know that he’s grateful for all their time together. She says she sees what he’s doing. If he thinks he’s going to get rid of them that easily, think again.

Gio says, it’s not just patriotic. It’s a reason for everyone to get together. Thanksgiving and Christmas are the same, but it’s cold. On the 4th, they’re all hanging out in the street. Josslyn asks if he’s been to the soft serve truck, and Trina says, it’s easy to overlook, but there’s nothing like it. Josslyn says, it’s usually parked by Rice Park. All they have is chocolate and vanilla in cones, but there’s nothing like a classic cone on a hot day. Trina says, it’s her afternoon treat when she’s at work, and Gio asks if there are any other Port Charles traditions he should know about. Josslyn says, one is about to start, the Country Club fireworks. Now that he’s done playing, he can relax and enjoy the view. He says, the company’s not bad either.

Curtis asks, what’s going on? and Portia says she had a chat with Laura. As long as Laura continues to help Heather to go free, she’s the enemy. And so is anybody who supports her, including Drew and the Quartermaines. (Ugh. I hate when Portia puts her self-righteous hat on. She also has a habit of what my dad called, crying before you’re hurt, and it’s annoying.)

Curtis says, to be clear, he wants Heather to stay locked up until the end of time and he’ll advocate for that, but it’s not his call. No more than it is hers. Portia asks why he’s not angry, and he asks, what good would it do? He’s on her side, but regardless of how they feel, it’s the court’s decision, not theirs. She says, that sounds like spin. Trina is his daughter. Doesn’t he care? Curtis says, it’s one thing for her to fight Heather. It’s another thing to fight him. She knows he wants his daughter to stay safe. She says, he’s not the one she’s mad at. She’s sorry. They hug.

Gio, Trina, and Josslyn watch the fireworks, and Gio says, beautiful. Trina asks how they rate compared to Bensonhurst, and he says, these are tame. She asks if he misses home, and he says he misses his family of course (🍷) and his neighborhood, where he knows everyone, and everyone knows him. But he needed a change, to try something new. He likes Port Charles. It’s the perfect fit. Josslyn lifts her beer bottle and says, to finding your place. Trina says, and making new friends, and the three of them clink beer bottles.

Maxie says, admit it. In Cody’s mind, he’s packing and saying his goodbyes. Don’t do it. He says he doesn’t see what choice he has, and she says, stay. She’s had lots of experience with huge lies and life wrecking mistakes. Running just makes it worse. She once pretended to be pregnant to get a guy to be in a relationship with her. She’ll tell him about it sometime. He needs to stay and process. Give Mac time and them time to adjust. Don’t leave, for Mac and Sasha and mostly himself. Promise. He says, okay, but she says she needs him to say the words. He says he promises, but she says, too vague. What exactly is he promising? He says, not to leave, and she says, he won’t regret it. He gives her James’s riding gloves and she leaves.

Nina asks Drew if she was dreaming just now. She never thought the day would come. He says he’s happy for her, and she says, maybe she’ll get to spend time with Wiley and Amelia, be part of the family, and he says, it’s looking that way. She thanks him with tears in her eyes, and says, he built a bridge between her and her daughter. She’ll be forever grateful. He says, she’s welcome and they kiss. (Wow. Is this getting messy or what?)

Sasha is having a glass of wine and sees Michael and Willow outside on the patio. Willow says, it’s a beautiful night, and Michael tells Willow that she’s gorgeous. They kiss, and Sasha watches, flashing back to seeing Willow and Drew kissing.

Tomorrow, Sasha says, if Cody leaves, he’ll have a lot more than Maxie to worry about; Felicia wants to be wrong; and Ava says she’ll do what she wants.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

He might be gone, but he’ll never be forgotten. I still live in hope that he’ll be back. It’s happened before.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/michael-easton-pays-tribute-to-his-gh-leading-ladies

A super soap spy couple reunites.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ian-buchanan-and-finola-hughes-reunite-in-london

Sad news.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/general-hospital-star-doug-sheehan-dead-at-75

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/gh-ryans-hope-and-loving-producer-joseph-hardy-dead-at-95

Happier news.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-kate-mansi-is-engaged-to-matt-mcinnis

🐪 No Camel, Preview…

As of this posting, there was zilch on tonight’s RHODubai, but here’s a taste.

👠 They’re Not Wrong…

For once, Andy is not to blame… totally.

Me too.

Case in point.

Just for fun.

⛵️ Over the Bounding Reef…

Well, he isn’t exactly known for keeping to the rule book.

🐕 The Lassie Of His Generation…

Meet Brisket.

https://paradepets.com/pet-news/glen-powell-rescue-dog-brisket-twisters

Oh, there’s a dude in the photo? Seriously though, no on the pants like that.

https://people.com/glen-powell-shares-steamy-photo-instagram-post-about-dog-brisket-8674643

🥏 Tell Me More, Tell Me More…

Join me tomorrow for soap, and the latest in Listing and Dubai (I hope). Until then, stay safe; stay not bringing uninvited guests or pets to someone else’s event or party without asking permission; and stay being willing to put down the past and focus on the here and now, and hopefully, the future

July 2, 2024 – Natalia Causes a Backlash Tsunami, Lots About Soap, Just Caroline, Stirring the Jersey Pot, New New York, Deck Doings, Keep Them Safe & Party

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

I missed the very beginning, but that’s usually just a rehash anyway. So…

Diane tells Sonny that it’s her job to plead his case and provide counsel. It’s steep hill he’s going to have to climb. Avery isn’t a baby anymore, and if she sees him trying to take her from her mother, it could permanently alter her relationship with him. He says he’d rather she hate her father than become her mother, and Diane says, it’s his call. She records some notes for herself on her phone, and her phone beeps. He asks, what’s the problem? and she says, it’s a big one. Does he mind if she makes a phone call?

Alexis says, Kristina is in the homestretch of her pregnancy. The last part is challenging, physically and emotionally, and she wants Kristina to know she’s here for her no matter what. Kristina says she knows, but it never hurts to hear. Alexis’s phone rings, and Diane says she saw The Invader alert. What is Alexis doing? Alexis says she’s with Kristina celebrating quitting her job. She’s left the tabloid life behind. She doesn’t know what’s in The Invader, unless they’re running a picture of her face on a dartboard. Diane says, it’s not about her, but it’s bad. Go to the website now. Alexis asks what she’s looking for, and Diane says, she’ll know when she sees it. And turn up the audio. Alexis and Kristina listen to the file from The Face of Deception’s Daughter, and Diane says tell Kristina that she’s sorry.

Sonny asks if everything is okay, and Diane plays the audio file for him.

Everyone in Maxie’s office listens to the audio file, which includes Natalia talking about her fear that someone will take a picture of Blaze and Kristina holding hands. She’s scared it will be sold to the tabloids and there will be a scandal. Blaze glares at Natalia and says, don’t hold back. Tell us how you really feel.

Alexis and Kristina listen, and Kristina says, turn it off. She gets the gist. Alexis asks if she’s okay. Her blood is boiling, so she can’t imagine how Kristina feels. Kristina says she’s not the one who was just outed. Blaze was discriminated against by her own mother in public. She’s angry, but she’ll be fine. Alexis wonders if Kristina has heard from Blaze, and Kristina says, they usually text constantly, but no. Alexis says, maybe she hasn’t seen it, but Kristina says she doubts it. Deception is probably coming up with PR strategy for a response. She’ll call when she can. Alexis says she doesn’t understand how a mother could talk about her own daughter that way, and Kristina says, that’s why she’s grateful. She can forget about maternal leave from the center. After this, they won’t let her in the front door.

Ava says, her phone is blowing up, and Adrian asks if she wants to celebrate with him. She calls him a little worm and tells him to forget he knows her. Her name isn’t to cross his lips, not anytime to anyone, especially not Nina. Adrian says, sounds like a story. Does she care to dish? She says, she’ll see to it that he’s typing with his toes. Men have killed for her for a lot less. They’ve never met. They’ve never spoken. Take down the recording. There’s no reason for it to be online anymore. He says he can’t do that. It will just draw more attention to it and people will ask questions, to which every answer would be Ava Jerome. Besides, wire service has already picked it up. It’s everywhere and there’s no going back now.

Natalia says she doesn’t know what that was, and Lucy asks if Natalia is denying that’s her voice, but Natalia says, it’s obviously her. Scotty asks if Deception doesn’t have a PR master, but Lucy says she let them go when they had to save money. Lois says, that wasn’t a good idea, but Lucy says she had no idea this would happen. Scotty says he knows a guy… but Maxie says, stop. She tells Lucy to talk to the regular PR people. She’ll coordinate with Brook and have her lock down the social media. No comments. And she wants Scotty to guard the door from Tracy, who will be there soon, because the stock is going to take a nosedive. She asks Natalia where this took place, but Natalia says she never spoke to a reporter and doesn’t remember who she said it to. Blaze wonders if it’s because she says things like that so often.  

Sonny says he knew Natalia was uncomfortable with her daughter being gay, but didn’t think she’d spew that kind of garbage. He asks Diane if it could be fake, and she says, possibly, but she doubts The Invader would run it without authentication. They’d be opening themselves up to a huge lawsuit. Sonny says, it makes no sense, but she says, he’d be surprised how easily some people hide their ugliness in polite company. He says he thought she’d be smart enough not to talk to somebody who was recording it, and Diane says, sometimes hated gets the better of people. He wonders why Alexis would run such a thing, but Diane says, Alexis didn’t. She quit this morning. Sonny says, whoever did this hurt his daughter, and that means there’s a target on their back

Diane tells Sonny to take this lesson seriously. Even things said in privacy behind closed doors run the risk of exposure. Sonny says he knows the danger, and she tells him, things said in anger can work against him in a custody fight. The court needs to see him as a reliable and stand-up parent who they can trust. He asks how he can be a good parent if he doesn’t do anything about the garbage being said about his daughter? Diane says, activists on social media are calling for Kristina to resign from the center she founded. They don’t think she should be running an outreach if she’s dating someone who’s in the closet. They’re saying she has too much internalized homophobia to be trusted. People get worked up about things they know nothing about. Sonny throws his phone against the door.

Alexis tells Kristina not to jump to the worst case, and Kristina says, people are already saying ugly things. Alexis says, Natalia robbed Blaze of coming out on her own terms. She’s not going to interfere between Blaze and her mother, but she is going after the person who made this public. Alexis leaves.  

Ava says she didn’t set out to hurt Kristina, Blaze, or herself. Adrian will keep his mouth shut and she’ll have plausible deniability. If anybody asks him to identify where he got the audio file… He says, it came via the anonymous tip line. Ava tells him, get out, and he heads for the door. She asks if he’s learned nothing, and she checks the hallway. She says, okay. Go.  

Natalia says she keeps going over it in her mind, but has no memory of saying that to anyone. Maybe her phone was tapped. Lois says, it doesn’t sound like a bad connection. It sounds like it was in person, but she doesn’t think that’s the real issue. Lucy says, it’s not about the how and why. It’s about, what the hell do we do now? Blaze says she’ll need to respond. Not so much because she’s the Face of Deception, but there’s so much more. It’s going to impact her music career. Natalia says, they’ll put together a joint statement and give it to a friendly outlet, but Blaze asks why she’d publicly associate with Natalia when the whole world heard what Natalia thinks of her. Natalia says, it wasn’t specifically about her. It was more a generalization. Blaze says, Natalia mentioned both her and Kristina, but would it matter if she’d left their names out? Which gays are disturbing and offensive to her fragile sensibilities? Do drag queens on a Pride float make her angry? Do her and Kristina holding hands make Natalia sick to her stomach? Or is the problem that any two women in love disgust her? She’s quiet now. She has nothing to say now that they’re in private. Why? The whole world has heard her words by now. She should have known something like this would happen. She talks about gay people dismissively or with pity, reducing them to how they look and talk, and who they love. They’re not real people, herself included. Lucy says, it’s ironic that the same person who locked Blaze in the closet is the same person who just outed her, and Maxie tells her that she’s not helping. Natalia says she’s the victim. She was used to damage her daughter’s career. Blaze says, Natalia hasn’t heard what she said. She let Natalia convince her to portray a straight person, and now Natalia’s words are going to destroy any hope for her future life in music. Blaze walks out.

Natalia says she’s sorry. Her daughter is emotional. Lois says, she has a right to be. Does Natalia want to go after her? Natalia says she doesn’t think it would do any good, not when Blaze is in this frame of mind. She knows her daughter. Maxie says, does she? and Scotty says he has nothing more to contribute. He’s going to leave. Maxie tells him to stay. They might need legal advice. Lucy says she thinks a lawyer should be here to finalize the last addendum to Blaze’s contract, and she rips it up. Natalia says, she can’t do that. Blaze is known everywhere as the Face of Deception. If they try to get rid of her, they risk backlash in the press and in court. Maxie says she thinks they’re within their rights to change their relationship with Blaze.

Blaze knocks at Kristina’s door, and when there’s no answer, she lets herself in. Kristina is on the sofa, looking at her phone, and Blaze asks if Kristina didn’t hear her knocking. Kristina says, sorry. She was zoned out on her phone. Blaze says she’s guessing Kristina read The Invader article. She was hoping Kristina hadn’t seen it, but then she’d be the one giving the bad news. Kristina says she’s definitely seen it. The comments are awful. Instagram is particularly brutal. It looks like she’s canceled. Blaze says she thinks they both are.

Adrian goes to the pool and asks for a margarita pitcher and the guac trio, extra salty chips. And put it on Nina Reeves’s tab. He lies on a chaise lounge and closes his eyes. Someone approaches his chair, and he says, they’re in his sun. Alexis says, it’s better than being all up in his business. Which she will be if he doesn’t agree to play ball. She had to harass his assistant until he cracked to find out where Adrian was. Adrian says, note to self, fire assistant, and tells her, whatever it is will have to wait until tomorrow. She’s intruding on his hard-earned afternoon off. She says, good, since he published that loathsome recording in The Invader, and intruded on her daughter and her girlfriend. He asks if that’s what’s snapping her brassiere (really? have we been transported to the 1950s?), and she says, it will be fun to sue him and him and The Invader into oblivion.

Natalia asks if they’re saying her daughter is no longer good enough to be the Face of Deception since she’s been outed. She can’t sell their products because she’s gay? Maxie tells her that she’s saying the exact opposite. What they can’t afford to have is someone ashamed to be gay. They have a diverse clientele that they’re proud of, a lot of whom are gay and have a large social media presence. What they can’t do is align themselves with someone who’s ashamed. They’re proud to be a gay friendly company, so they need Natalia and Blaze to either get with the program or kick rocks. Lois says, they’re all parents and love their kids. A difficult situation is evolving, but it’s less about a contract than about a mother and daughter finding their way back to each other. They should be a little careful with hurtful words. Maxie says she’s telling the truth, and Lucy says, they love Blaze, but they can’t sacrifice their reputation for her. Lois agrees, but thinks they should put the negative aside for now and work on their PR response. Give Natalia a chance to try and make peace with her daughter. Natalia says, her relationship with her daughter is none of their business, but when it comes to Blaze’s contract, if they do anything to hurt Blaze, they’ll deal with her. Natalia leaves.

Blaze says she’s so sorry. People are saying horrible things and it’s her fault. Kristina says, it’s not. It’s her mother’s fault. Blaze says, they wouldn’t be having this conversation if she’d been truthful, but Kristina says, Blaze did what she thought best. Blaze says she did what was easiest. She didn’t want to rock the boat and tried to have it both ways. Now it might cost her everything, including Kristina. She knows how much the center means to her, and if Kristina can’t forgive the damage that she and her mom caused, she understands. They can go their separate ways and no hard feelings. Kristina doesn’t have to decide now. She’ll leave and let her figure it out. Kristina says, don’t you dare. She’s not going anywhere. She’s hadn’t caused any damage in Kristina’s life. She was already planning on handing over the reins of the center. The only thing she lost was the title of undercover girlfriend. She was already out and had nothing to hide. Blaze says, there might be nothing left to salvage. What if she loses everything? She hid, and people hate liars. Kristina says, Blaze is breaking her heart. She’s beating herself up when it’s not her fault. It’s going to be okay. They’re going to be okay. They’ll get through this. She has faith in them. Does Blaze still feel the same way? Blaze says she’s sorry, but she doesn’t.

Adrian tells Alexis to do her worst and laughs. If her legal skill is on par with her ability to publish a newspaper, he’ll be just fine. He has the Bill of Rights on his side. Alexis says, even the Bill of Rights has its limits. She remembers warning him to be cautious about how deploys secret recordings. He says, if Natalia didn’t know she was being recorded that’s too bad. New York is a one-party consent state. Perhaps Alexis should consult her law books before returning to court. She says, perhaps he should seek legal counsel. Nina is going to cut the tightrope he’s walking on when she finds out. There’s reasonable expectation of privacy. Adrian says, Blaze is the Face of Deception and a famous singer. Public figures don’t get to claim privacy. She says, Blaze’s mother isn’t, and he monetized and commercialized a private citizen without consent. He left a big softball hanging left for her hit out of the park. He says he wants to consult a lawyer, and Alexis says, he has one right here. She’ll even waive the retainer. She’ll make it go away in exchange for one small thing. She wants him to name the person who supplied him with the recording.

Natalia gets in her car, crying, and breathing heavily. She listens to the recording on her phone, and wonders who she was talking to. Why the hell did they record it and send it to the media? Suddenly, the lightbulb comes on.

Maxie wonders, what’s next? and Lois thinks she should cool her appearances, but Lucy says, they need her. She’s the only Face they have left. They need to show they have nothing to hide or be embarrassed about. Scotty says, Lucy is right. They have to deal with it head on. Lucy says, this might not be a popular opinion, but they can’t afford another stumble. They can’t put out that they’re not going to associate with Blaze. Maxie says she didn’t mean that part. She just said it to prompt Natalia to sacrifice herself. She underestimated Natalia’s self-absorption. Lois suggests they take a day to think, but Lucy says, they have no time. They need to make sure the public knows that’s not how they feel, or they could be inundated with candlelight vigils and marches and be canceled on social media. Scotty asks if he should draw up a statement. Is Blaze in or out?

Blaze tells Kristina that she’s not saying they should break up, but she doesn’t see a way to move forward. Kristina says she does. She’ll guide both of them. Blaze says, it’s a huge responsibility, but Kristina says she doesn’t care. Blaze is worth it, and she loves her. She refuses to accept that Blaze’s enormous talent can’t override the ugly things being said. She’s not saying that out of love, but out of love she’ll continue to say it until Blaze believes it.

Sonny tells Diane that they’ll talk again after she comes up with a strategy, when Natalia walks in. Sonny turns his back to her, and Diane says she’ll be in touch. She leaves and Natalia says she can tell Sonny heard the recording. He says he has, and she says she knows he’s pretty upset and doesn’t have a high opinion of her. He says, obviously, and she says she’s not going to force her presence on him. She’ll go, but first, she wanted him to know where the recording came from. He says, she insulted his daughter, and she says, unfortunately, those are her words, but they were said to someone close to him who secretly recorded her. He says, who? and she says, it actually took a while for her to remember who she had that regrettable conversation with. She realized the person who edited out their part is the same person who supplied the recording to The InvaderAva Jerome.

On the phone, Ava wonders where her room service is. There’s a knock at the door, and she says, there it is now. She opens the door, and Alexis is there. Alexis says, they need to have a conversion. One that won’t be recorded.

And I laaaugh because Adrian folded like a cheap suit.

Tomorrow, Sasha wants Blaze and Kristina to benefit from her hard-won experience; Lois has a suggestion; Sonny says, there are no limits to how far Ava will go; and Carly tells Josslyn there’s a good chance she could go to prison.

🧼 All  the Soap News Fit To Print…

Blaze and Kristina’s storyline today brought tears to my eyes. It almost softened the blow of Finn’s departure. Almost.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-jacqueline-grace-lopez-shares-why-representation-matters

Life imitating art.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-kin-shriner-is-recovering-from-surgery

He’s got a better perspective on his being let go than I do.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/michael-easton-puts-his-gh-exit-into-perspective

I’ll have what he’s having.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-chad-duell-shares-an-important-message-with-fans

So cool how they stay in touch. Soap stars are a different breed of actor.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-kimberly-mccullough-and-brooklyn-rae-silzer-reunite

GH won’t be on July 4th. You get the whole day off.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/soap-opera-soaps-holiday-schedule

🐪 No Camel For You…

Sorry. As of this posting, there was no recap for Real Housewives of Dubai. Stay tuned for it tomorrow, and in the meantime, there’s this. Discuss amongst yourselves.

https://www.realitytea.com/2024/07/02/caroline-stanbury-sergio-carrallo-might-not-make-it-rhodubai/

👠 What Happens In Jersey…

What happened.

What’s going to happen.

And what the Marge hopes will happen.

🗽 If They Can’t Make It There…

RHONY used to be my favorite of the franchise because, NYC, but I found the new cast to be mind-numbing, city or no city. Maybe the latest additions will make a difference. Or not.

🛟 Random Topics On Deck…

The perfect guest.

The feud.

And the fans.

🐕 Knowing the Drill…

It’s that time again. Actually, that time started here on Sunday night when I was wearing my chihuahua on my head after he heard the first firecracker.

https://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/article/10-easy-tips-happy-safe-pets-july-4th

⛲️ Summer Mood: On…

Join me tomorrow for soap, tea, and entertainment news. Until then, stay safe, stay wearing sunscreen whether you think you need to or not, and stay never reducing anyone to how they look and talk, and who they love.

June 28, 2024 – Jason Pleads With Carly, His Exit, Not Her Season, Kathy Time, Claims, Low Moments, WWDD, Dynamic Duo, Grouchy Dancer, Rescued, A Round Number Of Quotes & I Am   

Standard

What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

The moss bowl🎍is back!!! Jason walks into Sonny’s old kitchen and asks why Carly needs to see him. She says, because she knows.

Chase comes back to the Q mansion and Brook hugs him. She asks how it went with Finn, and he says, okay, he thinks. He’s really owning what happened. He apologized for the lies and the other things he said. Finn thanked him for getting the restraining order. She asks if he actually said the words, and Chase says, he did. For that and for taking custody. He realized what he’s putting Violet through and he’s kind of torn up about it. She says, good… She means that in the most supportive way possible. He says he knows, and she tells him, when Violet said, I thought you died like grandpa, she lost it. He says he had to pull over on the drive back, and she leads him into the living room. She asks how he thinks the rehab is, but he says he didn’t go inside. Finn wanted to take that step on his own. She says, he made sure Finn went in, right? and he says, yeah. He watched him go all the way inside. But the outside was nice. Even at night, it was very peaceful. She says, sounds like just what he needs, and Chase asks how Violet is doing. Is she in bed? Brook says, she was out like a light. She was exhausted. They didn’t get a chance to discuss this before when Finn was here… He says, discuss what? and she says she had a long talk with her grandmother. She made a very strong case about how she thinks they should proceed. He asks what the empress had to say, and Brook says, she thinks it would be best if the two of them move in here with Violet.

Natalia meets Sonny at the pool (the glowing pool balls are back too!), and he thanks her for coming. She says she’s flattered he asked, and he says, it’s not too late for her, is it? She says, no. She’s a total night owl, always has been. And he couldn’t have picked a better location. Her room is right downstairs. The server asks what he can get them, and Sonny says, North Sterling scotch, neat, for the lady – she says, he remembered, and thanks him – and he’ll have the same thing. The server says, coming right up, and Natalia asks, what has Sonny up so late? He says he’s been feeling a little stifled lately at his place, and she says she can imagine. He says, so he had to change the living situation. She asks if he traded in the luxurious penthouse for the MetroCourt presidential suite, and they laugh. He says, nah, and she asks what he means then. He says, Ava moved out, and Natalia says, she seemed pretty ensconced. He says, even so, it’s time to go.

Ava thanks Laura for coming by so late, and Laura says she got Ava’s message. Has she heard from Nikolas? Ava says, not since he’s been transferred. She’s sorry. Did Laura think this was about him? Laura says, more like she was hoping. She hasn’t heard from him either. Anyways, she’s here. She didn’t realize Ava was staying at the MetroCourt. Ava says, as of this morning. It turns out she’s safer here than under the same roof as Sonny Corinthos.

Kristina looks at some paperwork with Blaze and says, some of this sounds impressive, but she can’t tell if it is or it’s a total line of BS. For example, oversaw the distribution of priority communication throughout a complex interdepartmental network. Sounds impressive or… Blaze says, sounds like mailroom? Is Kristina sure she wants to hand over the day to day running of the LGBTQ center to someone else? It is her baby. Kristina says she doesn’t want to. The Corinthos-Davis House was her idea. She’s really passionate about it, but she wants someone else to take charge right now. That’s what’s best for the center. Blaze asks, how exactly is Kristina stepping back what’s best for the center? and Kristina says, because she came up with a really powerful idea, but there are people more qualified than she is who can run the center and make her vision a reality. Besides she doesn’t want to start back up again at the Corinthos-Davis House, then have to go on maternity leave five seconds later. Blaze says, maternity leave?

Chase asks if Tracy’s suggestion they move in here an invitation or a demand? and Brook says, it was a very strong invitation. He says, she decided this unilaterally? and she says, Monica and Olivia both signed off on it. He says, Monica and Olivia agreed with Tracy? Both of them? She says she knows. It’s like the Seven Seals of the Apocalypse all burst open at once. Of course (🍷) she said she wasn’t going to make any decisions without discussing it with him first. He says, okay. Let’s discuss it. What are the pros? Brook says, her grandmother first pointed out that they can’t move into his brother’s place with Violet, what with her grandfather dying there and her finding her father passed out and bleeding on the floor. Chase says, that’s a good point. So they’ll move into his place. Brook says, yeah, it’s just… He says, that it’s too small. They can get a bigger place. They’ve been talking about doing that anyway. What better time? She says, they could, and he says, where would they stay here that has more privacy than their own place? She says, there’s a suite with two bedrooms and a private bath, and there are tons of kids running around. Not to mention, Monica and Olivia and Willow and Sasha. Lots of positive, nurturing maternal energy. He tells her that she didn’t say Tracy, and she says, neither did she. He says, so those were Tracy’s talking points, and she says, pretty much. She also said, Violet needs consistency now. Not when they move, but right now. He asks if she agrees, and she says she thought they were really good points. What does he think? He says, when he was driving back from the rehab place alone, he was thinking about something Finn said to him about how he was being the big brother, taking care of him. Chase’s whole life he had his dad to take care of him. Now he’s responsible for his family, to provide for them and make sure they’re safe. When he was driving, every minute, every mile, he was coming up with a plan and revising it because he’s never had a kid, and now he has custody of one. He knows it’s just temporary, but he doesn’t know how long it will be. Not really. But the whole way back, he thought, yes. He can step up for his niece. He can give her the home she deserves.

The server brings the scotch, and Sonny thanks him. Natalia says, after what Ava did to Kristina’s mom, she can imagine it got pretty tense in the house, and Sonny says, but not for long. He doesn’t know what he was thinking, letting her move into his place. She says, he was thinking about his daughter Avery. By the way, she thinks she can guess who came up with that name. He says, she’d be right. Still, he thinks it suits his little girl. She agrees, and says, it’s none of her business but… He says, fire away, and she says, aside from this recent cohabitation, Ava doesn’t seem like she’s the one who got away. He says, Ava can’t get far away enough, and she laughs. She says, to long distance, and they clink glasses. He says, there is one person he thought he could count on until his dying day. She turned her back on him. She asks if that’s his wife Nina, but he says, no. Nina was a different mistake, but what she did happened around the same time. These people he could count on, he figured out he couldn’t count on them at all. She tells him that he said people, so more than one, and he says he discovered that these two people were the closest to him of anyone, and they were conspiring against him. At that time, he didn’t think Ava was, so he let her in. He should have known better because Ava was and always will be a treacherous viper.

Laura says she knows Ava and Sonny have a complicated history, but she thought they’d come to an understanding of late. Ava says she certainly thought so. As far as she knew, she and Sonny were closer than ever. They’d become… Friends might be too big a word, but they’d begun to let their guard down. They were confiding in each other. There was a kind of trust. Laura says, and now? and Ava says, now she’s living in a hotel, scrolling through real estate apps. Laura says, it’s not like Sonny to put the mother of one of his children out on the streets, and Ava says she’s not exactly destitute. Laura says, that’s very true. Would Ava mind telling her what happened between them? Ava says she wishes she knew. She’s sure Laura’s noticed how erratic Sonny has been lately. He’s lashed out at almost everybody, and up until now, she’s avoided being a target of his wrath. Laura says, and she has no idea why he suddenly turned on her. Ava says, none. She wouldn’t be able to correct it even if she did. Because with Sonny, any offense is a capital crime, real or imagined. Laura says she’s aware of how he feels about loyalty, and Ava says she sees Laura’s been the brunt of it herself. Don’t worry. She won’t pry. Laura thanks her, and Ava says, if anything, she’s been trying to support Sonny, and he seemed to be appreciating it. Then today, he became completely irrational. He picked a fight with her over she doesn’t even know what. It was so unsettling. It was so unmoored from reality, she had no choice but to leave. Laura says she’s become aware just recently that Sonny is not the man she thought he was. Except that lately, it seems like he’s been giving in to all of his worst impulses. But she hasn’t known Ava to be a completely helpless victim, so come on now. Why doesn’t Ava tell her what they were really fighting about?

Carly says, the FBI used her to strongarm Jason into being an informant. Which means it’s her fault he lost two and a half years of his life that he could have spent with his family. He asks, who told her? but she says, it doesn’t matter. He says, it does matter. He needs to know. She says, Sam. Sam’s not happy about it and blames her and she gets it. He asks how Sam found out, and she says, how does he think? He says, Spinelli, and she says, Sam got Spinelli to hack into the FBI’s evidence file and they found a recording of her at that meeting with Cyrus Renault and the Five Families, announcing to everyone that she was head of the Corinthos organization. Spinelli wasn’t able to delete the file. He says, that’s good. He thinks they’d notice that. She says, he was able to make a recording though, and Sam played it for her. Jason had a choice. His freedom and his family, or her. Why did he pick her? (Ugh. Just get a room at the MetroCourt already.)

Ava says, apparently, Kristina made some petty accusation against her. And because Kristina is the apple of Sonny’s eye, she got the boot. She’s sure Kristina is throwing a party somewhere as they speak. Her concern is that the person who will suffer the most from her moving out is Sonny. Laura says, how so? and Ava says she’s tried to be a stabilizing influence. She hasn’t been very successful, especially considering what happened at that wedding. Laura says, what wedding? Oh, Brook Lynn and Chase. Ava says, yeah. Sonny beat a man within an inch of his life at the reception. Laura says, oh my God, and Ava says, it’s no surprise Laura hasn’t heard about this, because as usual with Sonny, no charges were filed.

Kristina tells Blaze that she just meant maternity leave like in the sense of the time period a woman takes after she gives birth, whatever that time period is called. Blaze says, so family leave, and Kristina tells her that she said whatever. Blaze says, obviously, she will need time to recover, but isn’t that like twelve weeks? and Kristina says, yeah. Blaze says, isn’t that so the new parents can get acclimated to raising their newborn? and Kristina says, it’s for whatever they need it to be for, but yes, most importantly for that. Blaze says, but if she’s not raising the baby, can’t she return to the center in the amount of time the doctors recommend? Kristina says, six weeks, and Blaze says, why give up running the center she built from the ground up when she can just start six weeks in? Kristina says, because she doesn’t know what’s going to happen. She doesn’t know if Molly and TJ are going to break up or if they’re going to stay together. She doesn’t know if they’re maybe going to stay together and then maybe a year later, they’re going to break up. She doesn’t know. And if TJ decides that he does want full custody, and he does because it’s his biological and legal right… Blaze tries to interrupt, but Kristina says, stay with her. Molly has no legal or biological claim to this child, but she does. Blaze says, hold on a second. Is she saying she would actually try to get custody for Molly?

Natalia says she hasn’t had much interaction with Ava, but Ava always seems so disingenuous to her, and Sonny says, that’s putting it kindly. She says, if she ever crosses paths with Ava again, she’ll have her guard up, and Sonny says, do him a favor. Don’t cross paths with her. She’s going in a different direction. Natalia laughs and says she’ll keep that in mind. She doesn’t scare easily though, so she doesn’t like to give anyone that power over her to be afraid. He says he’s not telling her to be afraid. He’s just saying, don’t underestimate Ava. She says, duly noted, and enough about her anyhow, and Sonny says, here you go, raising his glass. They clink glasses, and Natalia says, on to more pleasant topics. What were they talking about before her? He says, betrayal, and she says, that’s pleasant. He says, it’s a downer, he knows, and she says, well, it’s a beautiful night in a beautiful place. And the scotch is amazing… and the company... He says, loves misery, but she says, no. Not afraid of the dark. He says, to the darkness, they clink again, and she says, and to the light that follows. She doesn’t want to belabor the topic, but there just is no pain quite like the wound of betrayal. She’s so sorry he had to go through that. He says, the same. What about her? Did she ever forgive the person who betrayed her? She tells him, who said there was just one? and he says, oh, there was more than one. He didn’t know that. She says, forgive? She doesn’t know if she forgives. She moves on. She doesn’t forget. The Lord wants her to forgive, so she tries. What about him? He says, no, and she says, just no? That’s it? They laugh and he says, actually, with family he forgives. And his family forgives him. That’s what families do, right? She says, right, but doesn’t he find it harmful not tempering anger with mercy? He says, sometimes. He’s been thinking lately about the people who turned away from him, who he trusted, that they believed in him. They all have one thing in common – me.

Jason says he never wanted Carly or the moss bowl🎍to know about this, and Carly asks, why? It’s her life. She’s the one who could be charged. He says he made sure she wouldn’t be, and she says, by sacrificing himself. He says, because he knew if she found out, she would confront the FBI and dare them to charge her, and that wouldn’t make any sense at all. She says, and him becoming an informant does? For more than two years? He says he didn’t think it would be that long. He thought it would be six months. One undercover operation and he’s out, she’s safe, but then it was another year, and another year after that. She cries, and he says, there was never a moment when it was too much. He never once thought about bailing. She says, of course (🍷) he didn’t. This is what he does. He always protects her, but this time, she was the target. She deserved to know, and she should have a say in how they handle things. He says, there is no we. He’s handling it the way he’s handling it. She says, that’s not an option anymore. She’s not going to let him throw his life away because… He says he’s not throwing his life away. He agreed to do a job and that’s what he’s doing. She asks how he knows Cates won’t double-cross him. How does he know Cates won’t say, thanks for your help; here’s you next mission? Does he honestly believe the FBI and John Cates are ever going to let him go?

Kristina says she just wants to know what her options are, and Blaze says, options that keep the baby in the family so Molly can raise it, or does she want the baby for herself? Kristina says, now who’s going into hypotheticals? and Blaze asks if she’s actually looked into these options. Kristina says, no, she hasn’t, but she did ask her mom for guidance. Her mom just didn’t want to give her opinion. Blaze says, very wise, her mother, and Kristina says, her mother did direct her to the legal statute involved, if hypothetically, she did want to pursue custody. Blaze says she guesses that’s not so bad, and Kristina says, and she did draw up a mock petition that could arguably be filed in court. Blaze says, Kristina… and Kristina says she thinks her chances are better than 50%. The baby’s not just a package you can hand over. If the courts agree with her and she gets custody, she’s the one who’s going to have to raise this child. Blaze once said she wished this baby were theirs. How would she feel about co-parenting?

Laura tells Ava that this is the first she heard Sonny attacked someone at the wedding. Who was the victim? Ava says she tried to ask him, but Sonny was pretty distraught himself over losing control in front of Kristina. Laura says, Kristina saw it? and Ava says, from what she understands, Kristina witnessed the whole thing, and she became extremely upset. Not that it matters now, because all is forgiven. Kristina and her father are once again thick as thieves. Laura thanks Ava for telling her this, and gets up. She gets her bag, and Ava says she knows it’s not the happiest news to impart, but she thought Laura should know. Although it’s not why she asked Laura here. Laura says, oh. She didn’t think so actually. Ava says, but it is about Sonny. He’s become so erratic, she doesn’t know what he’s going to do from one moment to the next. And the way they left things, she’s afraid he’s become so unhinged and paranoid, that he’s going to try and get their custody agreement overturned to keep Avery for himself. She cannot allow that to happen.

Brook says, Violet is Chase’s niece, so of course (🍷) he wants to take the lead in figuring out the best course of action for how she moves forward. She gets up, heads for the door, and says, so she’s going to tell Tracy that they’re going to leave… He says, wait, and follows her. He’s so grateful to her and her family – she says, they’re his family too – for wanting to help and take the three of them in. She says, of course (🍷). He knows how much her grandmother loves Finn, and Chase’s father, may he rest in peace, and she also loves making decisions. He tells her, what he was trying to say earlier. When he was driving and planning and worrying what to do about Violet, he walked through the front door and saw her. And it made him realize, he doesn’t have to do this alone. He has his wife – he takes her hands – the best partner and co-pilot and teammate he could ask for. She says she not only loves him, she admires him, because he shows up for the people he loves most, and he never complains. He says he complains sometimes, and she says, he’s kind and strong and gentle and he leads with his heart. He says, she should write all this down for when they renew their vows, but she says she’ll remember, and kisses him. So now that they’ve said all those things, what does he think of Tracy’s idea?

Carly says, Jason has no way to be sure the FBI will ever let them off the hook, not now, not ever, and he says, no, he doesn’t, but that’s the risk and he’s willing to take it. She says, but she’s not. That’s why she started exploring other options. He asks who she’s been talking to, and she says she talked to Diane because she wanted to know her chances of acquittal if she turned herself in. He says he hopes Diane said zero, and Carly tells him, she said 30. He says, Diane’s a great lawyer, but he would round that number down, and she says she gets it. They’re not great odds. But what are the odds of the FBI letting him go and him getting his life back? The only way to stop them is to call their bluff. He says, she keeps talking about the time that he’s lost with his family. If she turns herself in, if she goes to prison, then everything he did – he raises his voice – everything he sacrificed to protect her means nothing. So please, do not throw all of that away.

Chase says, here’s the deal. When he married Brook, he knew that a boatload of Quartermaines, Falconaris, and Cerullos came with the package. Brook says, for better or for worse, and he says, and now that he’s met them… She tells him that she knows what he’s going to say, but they really do mean well, and he tells her that he was going to say, he definitely thinks it’s to the better. She says, oh. Well, they do mean well. Except for Cousin Patty; she’s a mess. Anyway, what was he going to say? He says he came from a pretty small family to begin with, and now that his dad’s gone, his mom is off to parts unknown, and Finn is getting back on track, her loud, crazy family full of meddlers and busybodies… She says, he’s skating on thin ice, and he tells her that he’s just saying, he shouldn’t be surprised that they’d welcome him and Violet into the fold. She says, of course (🍷). They adore Violet, and she’s pretty sure they already prefer him over her. He says he thinks it’s because he’s easier to get along with, and she says, that’s a lot of words for pushover. And yeah, the Qs and the Cerullos are a crazy mixed bag, but we love each other. He says, even Cousin Patty? and Brook says, she keeps getting invited to stuff, so she guesses so. Which only proves her point. When something is up with one of them, they come together. They step up for each other, and Chase and Violet are a part of that family. He’s stuck with them. They kiss, when Gio walks in. He says he’s sorry for interrupting. Violet heard him tuning his violin. She came looking for the sound and she got lost going back to her room, so he helped her find it. She was pretty tired, so he’s pretty sure she’s asleep now. Chase thanks him for looking out for Violet, and Gio says, if nobody minds, he’s just going to go outside and practice. Brook asks if this is for Ava’s gallery, and he says, yeah. She says, play badly, and he says, if only he knew how. He leaves, and Brook asks what Chase thinks of the move. He gives her a quick kiss and says, hold that thought. He’s going to check on Violet. He dashes out.

Laura asks if Ava wants her to assist in a custody battle with Sonny, and Ava says, yes. Laura says she really shouldn’t be getting involved with that, and Ava says, Laura once told her that they’re family, even after she and Nikolas divorced. Did she mean that? Laura says she did, because she believes Ava truly loved her son, and actually, she thinks Nikolas still loves Ava. Ava says she loves him too, but oil and water, and Laura says she knows. Ava says, at this point in her life, other than Avery, Laura and Trina are the closest thing she has to family. That means something to her. Laura says, family means a lot to her too, and while she cares about Ava, don’t dare use that to work her. If there’s something Ava wants from her, be direct and ask her. Ava says, okay. Cards on the table then. She spoke to Scotty, and he said if Sonny tries to smear her in court, it could work, and she cannot let that happen. She cannot let Sonny have Avery. He’s barely fit to care for himself. Laura says, she’s right, and Ava says, as she sees it, the best defense is a good offense, right? So she’s looking for character witnesses. Just in case. So may she give Laura’s name to Scotty as someone who would be willing to appear in family court on her behalf?

Chase finds Brook asleep on the sofa, kisses her forehead, and sits on the coffee table. She wakes and asks how Violet is doing. He says, she’s fine. Seeing her sleeping peacefully up in her bed, then coming down and seeing Brook sleeping peacefully on the couch, has him thinking, there’s no better place for the three of them to spend the summer. She says, really? Is he sure? He says, it’s the right thing to do for Violet. She’ll have kids to play with, boats to ride, docks to swim off of, horses… Brook says, she’s super jazzed about the horses, and he says he’s super jazzed about spending the summer with his amazing wife and her massive family – their massive family. Tomorrow, he’ll start moving their stuff, and Violet’s too.

Laura says she understands Ava’s need to keep Avery really close to her right now, especially since lately, Sonny’s behavior has been genuinely concerning. Ava asks if that means Laura will help her. Can she give Laura’s name to Scotty? Laura says, yes, but that’s because if Avery has to have only one custodial parent right now, she believes it should be Ava. Ava thanks her, and Laura says, don’t make her regret this. Ava says she won’t. She promises. Laura’s faith and support mean everything. She’s sure Scotty will be contacting her. Laura says, okay, and goes to the door. Ava says she promises if she hears from Nikolas, she’ll let Laura know. She really does want only the very best for him. Laura thanks her and says her too, and leaves.

Jason says, if Carly goes forward with this and gets convicted, this life she has now, with the moss bowl🎍, the kids, Bobbie’s, the hotel, it’s all done. She’s probably going to go away for twenty years. Josslyn and Michael can take turns bringing Donna to visit her until she’s old enough to visit Carly on her own. And all for what? All because she wanted to turn herself in when she didn’t have to. How’s Donna going to feel when Carly abandons her for him? Carly says, Donna will always know she loves her, and he says, enough to stay out of prison for her? She says, that’s not fair, but he says, that’s a fact. Here’s another fact. If she goes to prison, he’ll blame himself every day for the rest of his life. So if she doesn’t want her daughter to grow up without her and doesn’t want him to carry that guilt, just stop. Just back off and let him finish what he started. She says, okay, fine. She gets it. She gets that he has to follow through with all this. She gets it. He breathes a sigh of relief and thanks her. She says, but what if she can’t stand it?

Kristina says, honestly, if the situation presents itself, would Blaze want to co-parent this child with her? Blaze says, does she want kids at all? She thinks, someday maybe, but right now with her career on the upswing, she just doesn’t think it’s a good time for her to be a mom. She hopes Kristina’s not too disappointed. Kristina says, no. How could she be? It’s not exactly the right time for her to be a mom right now either. In a perfect world, Molly and TJ would peacefully and blissfully raise this child on rock steady ground. She wouldn’t have to think about this. Blaze says, then why think about it at all? Couples fight. She knows, not Molly and TJ, but yes, Molly and TJ. It will all blow over and Kristina will have wasted a lot of energy over nothing. Kristina says, no. She has to be prepared. If this goes badly and TJ wants custody of this child, she has to make sure her sister has access to this baby. And the only way to do that is by suing TJ for custody.

Natalia pushes one of the glowing pool balls with her foot and asks if Sonny usually has trouble sleeping. He asks if he looks tired, but she says, no. Restless maybe. But that might just be her projecting. There are so many nights that she lies awake with a million thoughts racing through her head. It almost feels like ghosts. Has that ever happened to him? He says, all the time, and she says she thinks he has the right idea. In situations like this, when you’re being swarmed by ghosts, you need to reach out to a friend – she picks up her glass – have a drink in the night air. It’s a good way to make all that noise stop. He raises his glass and says, to finding our friends in the darkness. They clink glasses, and she says, cheers. He says, cheers, and drains his glass.

Ava walks on to the patio with her martini. She says, to new beginnings.

Carly says she admits Jason is right about all of it, and he says, good. He’ll take it from here. She says, but what if it’s too much of a cost for her? What if she can’t live with knowing she’s the reason he hasn’t had a day of freedom since November of 2021? He says, she doesn’t have to live with it. He does. She says she wouldn’t be the person she is today if not for him. Her life wouldn’t be what it is if she hadn’t met him. So how does she let the FBI use him, knowing she had the power to stop it? He says, she told him that she was going to do this his way, and she says she knows, but she changed her mind. He says, she can’t change her mind, not about this. He chose to take the FBI’s deal. So please, he’s asking her, do not get in the way of it.

On Monday, Ava says, there’s got to be something Trina’s herd that she can use; Natalia tells Maxie, this is not what they agreed to; Josslyn tells Sonny that she’s not going to make the same mistake twice; and Kristina can’t stop thinking about what’s going to happen to her.

😭 Nobody Wants This…

Get out the tissues.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/michael-easton-jophielle-loves-emotional-farewell

On YouTube June 30th.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/dont-miss-maurice-benards-interview-with-michael-easton

🍊 More About Beador…

All we know is, she wasn’t caught by the paparazzi picking up trash on the highway.

Well, she is just a wee bit volatile.

I almost feel sorry for her. It’s like they did it on purpose.

🎤 Hey Rapper Rapper Rapper…

Could his name have been Hunky Dory?

🥣 Stirring the Pot…

Not a fan of hers, but that doesn’t mean she’s wrong.

📺 Watch the Worst…

I’ll bet there were moments worse than these.

⚰️ Carol’s Turn…

The definitive date for Season 2 is September 29th. Be there or be an octagon.

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/finally-daryl-dixon-the-book-of-carol-release-date-has-been-revealed-plus-new-images-01hzq6smywpm

https://collider.com/the-walking-dead-daryl-dixon-season-3-update/

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/norman-reedus-sets-high-expectations-of-daryl-dixon-the-book-of-carol-01j08qn5shvk

🦸‍♂️ Together At Last…

How it all came to be and how it’s going to be. I don’t go to the movies a lot, but I’m definitely going to see this one.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/deadpool-wolverine-news-hugh-jackman-one-in-a-billion-idea-1235932988/

https://www.cbr.com/deadpool-wolverine-mcu-x-men-elements/

https://ew.com/sabretooth-deadpool-and-wolverine-return-first-look-teaser-8671139

🩰 Dancer Unchanged…

Still confusing children everywhere she goes.

https://ew.com/abby-lee-miller-calls-fan-obnoxious-8670388

🐈 All About Them Rescues…

Dolly looks skeptical.

https://people.com/kaley-cuoco-adopts-dog-dolly-as-newest-pack-member-8671438

Well, she couldn’t just leave them.

https://people.com/meet-halle-berrys-two-new-kittens-boots-and-coco-8671178

Life imitates art.

https://people.com/lupita-nyongo-refused-change-her-rescue-cat-name-exclusive-8669582

🐝 Quotes of the Week

Never stop just because you feel defeated. The journey to the other side is attainable only after great suffering. – Santosh Kalwar

Redemption is through service. – Judge Greg Mathis

In matters of principle, stand like a rock; in matters of taste, swim with the current. – Thomas Jefferson

No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.Heraclitus

The most effective way to do it is to do it. – Amelia Earhart

She gets what she wants. We had to give her a Sweet 16 on her 13th birthday. – Jeremy Grey (Christopher Walken), Wedding Crashers

Success does not consist in never making mistakes, but in never making the same one a second time. – George Bernard Shaw

You will never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine. – John C. Maxwell

A man who views the world the same at 50 as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life. – Muhammad Ali

If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time. – Zig Ziglar

👠 Sissying My Walk…

Join me on the first Monday of next month for soap and TMI on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay letting your Pride flag fly no matter how you identify, and stay never giving anyone the power over you to be afraid.