What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

🥢 Weekday Bites…

Monday:

Laura met with Jordan and asked what was going on with Sidwell. Jordan said she thought Laura was in big trouble.

Curtis told Portia that even Willow thought the coverage about Drew was fair. It was factually accurate, and Drew hadn’t yet proved he was drugged. He asked why Portia was defending Drew and she said because she had to.

Lulu said she was trying to get Ned to endorse her mother for mayor, but Tracy said she thought it was about Lulu and Brook. Brook spoke out of fear, panic, desperation, and pain. Lulu said she didn’t know Brook and Chase were planning to adopt, and Tracy said Lulu did know Brook gave up a child when she was young. She’d found the shattered pieces of Brook’s broken heart in Martin’s hotel room and had been tormenting Brook ever since.

Brook wanted Chase and Anna go over their tango number for the Nurses Ball. Gio came in to play the violin and said he’d had a rough night last night.

Emma went to see Dalton and he told her that she didn’t get the research assistant position.

Josslyn met Carly at the MetroCourt to catch up. She asked what was going on with Carly and Sonny.

Sonny said he was considering selling the piers to Sidwell, and Jason asked if Sonny really felt comfortable handing his territory over. Sonny said it was the only chance they had to walk away from the business and for their family’s sake, he wasn’t passing it up.

During the commercial, Gio filled everyone in on Rocco and said he was good. Maxie asked Brook about a tango outfit for Chase, and Brook said Chase would rather break his own leg than wear it. Maxie suggested she just say, pass. Brook said she should never have asked Maxie to pick sides, and she was sorry. Maxie accepted her apology and asked what changed. Brook said she and Chase were starting the adoption process and she thought it was a good time to start acting like an adult.

Emma said she got the best grades in class and thought the job was hers to lose, and Dalton said, unfortunately, that’s what happened. He couldn’t have a research assistant who couldn’t put together a decent data model. Emma said it was perfect, but he said it was a mess. He showed her and she said that wasn’t her work.

Carly said nothing was going on, but Josslyn said Donna had been worried her father was sick. Carly told her that Sonny had heart surgery, and she was sorry she’d lied. The surgery was a success, but they had to keep it quiet. Sonny had been a part of her life for a long time, and she needed to be there for him, but she and Sonny were over. She was with Jack now. His supersonic ears hearing his name, Jack came to their table. Carly asked if he’d been spying on them, but Jack said he kept his business and personal life separate.

Jordan told Laura about the meeting with Sidwell. They’d all decided to put their differences aside to focus on their common goal of driving Sonny out of Port Charles. Because Laura was tied to Sonny publicly, they were probably gunning for her as well, so they could install Boyle as mayor. Laura said if Tracy hadn’t defended her, she really was in trouble. Tracy had a lot of sway in this town. Jordan said it might be Sidwell who came to Laura’s rescue.

Sonny told Jason that he could walk away with millions and put it in legitimate businesses. Sidwell bet if Sonny wasn’t associated with the piers, the referendum would go away. Jason said Sidwell would take control of their territory, and he had the feeling it was a trap.

Curtis asked why Portia had to defend Drew, and Portia said, she had to play devil’s advocate for him. If he ran the editorial, Drew wouldn’t let it stand and might bring a lawsuit. Curtis had forced Drew out of Aurora, and it had the potential to backfire in a big way.

Lulu said she wasn’t aware that Tracy knew about the baby, and Tracy said Brook told her that Lulu stumbled on the information in Martin’s hotel room and had been poking around in Brook’s life ever since. Even if they couldn’t get along, how could Lulu not have compassion for something she’d been through herself? Lulu said she did feel for Brook, but it was complicated. Tracy said Lulu’s father told her that people got to choose the burdens they carried, and she was sorry for adding to Lulu’s, but she didn’t understand why Lulu wanted to add to Brook’s.

Maxie said she hadn’t spoken with Lulu because they’d been busy, and Brook said she was sorry for asking Maxie to choose, but if she had to… Maxie said she loved them equally and would never choose.

Emma said that wasn’t the work she’d completed, but Dalton said he’d have to choose someone else. He was sorry. It wouldn’t affect her grade, and she was still his top student. She said he had no idea how important that job was to her.

Carly asked Jack to join them, and Carly said Jack knew the real reason she was in LA. He’d given her a ride home. Josslyn got a text from Dalton and said she had to leave.

Sonny told Jason, the pros outweighed the cons. There would be a power vacuum, and someone would try to take over. Jason said all the families would make a play for it and Sonny’s conditions went away if he wasn’t in charge. Sonny said selling it to Sidwell would avoid a war. Sidwell would lay down the law real fast. Jason asked if that’s what they wanted for Port Charles. Sidwell was ruthless and they’d be handing him the keys to the city and putting targets on their backs.

Lulu promised Tracy that she wasn’t judging Brook for giving up her child. The article wasn’t judging adoption. She’d pitched three ideas, and the editor had chosen that one. Tracy said Lulu had pitched the adoption article anyway and couldn’t be blamed if it was chosen. She didn’t understand why Lulu was involving herself in something that happened 20 years ago, and Lulu said she thought Brook should tell the baby’s father, but Brook didn’t agree. Tracy said it wasn’t her business and wondered if it was Lulu’s way of disagreeing with Brook publicly. How would Lulu feel if she’d been keeping a big secret for a long time, Brook found out and decided to produce a song about it? Lulu said she wouldn’t love it, and Tracy suggested she rethink things and kill the article.

Emma told Gio that she didn’t get the job with Dalton.

Dalton gave the research assistant position to Josslyn. She’d completed the course work and handed in an impressive data model in a short amount of time. She was smart, motivated, and focused, and he had high hopes for her. She said she was sure she’d learn a lot.

Curtis promised he’d consult with his lawyers before publishing, and Portia wondered how it was going to look for Aurora if Curtis slammed someone who might have been victimized. It might look like he was bullying Drew. Willow’s devotion was sincere, and she could sway public opinion. Could he please do what she was asking for her sake? Curtis asked what it had to do with her.

Jordan said Sidwell was making a move that might unintentionally make life easier for Laura. She told Laura about Sidwell’s offer to buy the piers and that Sonny said he’d think it over. The referendum would no longer be about Sonny and Laura would be a shoo-in for reelection. Laura said Sidwell would be the de facto mob boss of Port Charles, and if she had to choose between them, she’d choose Sonny.

Sonny said Sidwell was on his best behavior and if that changed, they’d let the Feds, and the PCPD shut him down. The people could vote against Sonny and send him packing, and he didn’t want that to happen. He wasn’t getting out of the business unless he sold to Jason and Jason didn’t want it, so he’d have to sell it to the highest bidder. Jason said maybe it was their one shot, and Sonny said there was just one piece of information he needed to know.

Emma wondered how her data model got screwed up, and Gio asked if the original wasn’t on her laptop. Emma said her latest work hadn’t been included and Dalton had already picked someone else. Gio asked if it wasn’t worth giving it one more shot and Emma said she guessed she could talk to Dalton.

Maxie asked Anna if Sidwell had done anything illegal lately, but Anna said not to her knowledge. Maxie said Deception was making a lot of money off his zincite and she was scared he’d do something to pull the rug out from under them. Anna told her to keep documenting their dealings with him and keep looking for other supply chains. Gio told Anna that Emma was headed back to school, and Brook said it was time for Anna, Chase, and Gio to get their act together.

Josslyn wondered when she’d get started, and Dalton said the real work didn’t start until the end of the semester, but she could help him get organized. But before she did anything, there was one condition that was a deal breaker.

Carly told Jack that Josslyn didn’t like how Sonny’s trouble seemed to rub off on her and she wasn’t wrong. She’d lose her mind if she knew Carly was anywhere near the attempted assassination, but she was fine thanks to him. He’d done Brick and Sonny a huge favor and she appreciated it. He said he’d done it for her.

Laura said Port Charles had always had an organized crime presence, and she didn’t see it changing. With Sonny in control, it had been stable and relatively peaceful. When a challenger showed up, it got ugly. Jordan said that’s why she was undercover. If Sidwell gained control and broke the law, she’d be there to catch him. Laura said his offer was an intriguing development, and Jordan said Sidwell was never dull. Laura told her to be careful, and Jordan said she knew what she was doing.

Sonny said before he made a deal with Sidwell, he had to make sure Sidwell wasn’t behind the firebomb. Jason said, if he was, he was probably behind the assassination attempt in LA, and Sonny said it was time they did some digging. Jason said he was on it.

Portia said Willow was her employee and if Curtis went hard against Drew, it could make things difficult for her and the hospital. Curtis said he couldn’t let drew have his way, but Portia said he should let the city handle it. There were legitimate arguments against Measure C and Laura’s reelection, and they should let those arguments speak for themselves. Curtis agreed to lay off Drew – for now.

Dalton said Josslyn had to sign an NDA. She couldn’t talk to anyone about the work she did as his assistant. All the research was exclusively his and she couldn’t use anything as the basis of her own work. She said she was happy to sign it, and he welcomed her on board.

Lulu said this was her journalistic comeback, but Tracy said Lulu could do anything she set her mind to do. Lulu asked if Tracy couldn’t tell Brook to let it go, and Tracy asked if Lulu would be able to let it go. Please do this for her. Lulu said, fine. She’d call the editor and pray they agreed, but she was only doing it for Tracy. She loved Tracy even though she’d gone full stepmonster.

Anna and Chase danced as Gio played that same tango music we always hear when there’s a tango. Maxie was impressed with Chase’s moves.

Carly said Jack hadn’t kept his personal and professional lives separate when he’d helped her. Wasn’t he worried he was going to get in trouble? He said he hadn’t done anything he couldn’t justify, and she wondered if he shouldn’t be doing his actual work. (My eternal question.) He told her that multitasking was the hallmark of being a good agent. Besides he was doing what needed to get done. He’d dedicated his life to the Bureau and earned the right to take a few things for himself. She was everything. They were about to kiss when Lulu interrupted, saying she needed to talk to Carly. In private.

Portia called Drew. She said she thought she made some inroads, and he’d get what he wanted.

Jordan met Curtis at the Brown Dog Bar, and he said he needed someone he could trust. He though his wife was lying to him.

Emma went to Dalton’s office and found Josslyn there. Josslyn said she worked there.

Jason met Tracy at the MetroCourt, and she said she thought he could put his skills to good use for their family. She wanted him to find her great-grandson.

Maxie said she thought it was going to be the performance of the night and took Anna to find her costume. Chase told Gio that he wanted to dance the tango with his wife. Brook said she didn’t know how to tango, but he said, just follow his lead. Gio played and they kissed.

Carly went to Lulu’s house, and Lulu said Carly had warned her not to blow things up the way Robin did, but there was a difference between keeping a secret and perpetuating a lie. Right now, someone was lying – Lois or Brook or maybe both – which was why she needed to find Dante’s son.

Sonny thanked Laura for coming by and said he wanted to discuss a few things. She asked if he was okay, and he said he was doing great. The doctor said he’d make a full recovery. Sidwell wanted to buy his piers and he was considering it. It would solve his problems and hers.

 Tuesday:

Maxie, Lucy, Anna, and Felicia wanted to rehearse their number for the Nurses Ball, and Felicia wondered where their fearless leader was.

Josslyn told Emma that she was Professor Dalton’s research assistant, and Emma said Josslyn stole her job.

On the phone in her office, Portia told Drew that she’d gotten through to Curtis, but couldn’t be at his beck and call 24/7. Trina showed up.

At the Brown Dog Bar, Jordan said she thought Curtis would be better off confiding in someone else about his wife.

Sonny said selling could solve both his and Laura’s problems, but Laura said Sidwell was a horrible man and Sonny couldn’t sell to him. Sonny said she had to see the bigger picture. He didn’t trust Sidwell, but sometimes it was worth making a deal with the devil.

Carly said the child wasn’t Lulu’s and Lulu might think she was doing the right thing, but she was making a huge mistake.

Tracy told Jason that he couldn’t give the information to anyone and explained that Brook had a baby boy she gave up for adoption in high school. She needed Jason to find him.

Josslyn said she’d earned the position fair and square, but Emma said Josslyn should have told her, especially when she’d opened up about how important it was to her. Josslyn promised she didn’t tell Dalton anything that Emma had confided in her, and Emma said Josslyn had stabbed her in the back.

Maxie said she’d fill in for the absentee player, and Lucy said she wanted the number to be a showstopper. They really had to bring it. Sidwell walked in as they were about to rehearse. He said he thought he’d make sure things were running perfectly. (Because he puts on shows in the barn on Spoon Island.)

Jason said it must have been hard on Brook, and Tracy said Brook went to her mother for help, but Lois never told anyone except her own mother. They’d arranged a closed adoption. Jason asked if Brook wanted Tracy to find her son.

Sonny said Sidwell was willing to pay a lot of money for the waterfront property. If he sold, Measure C became a non-issue, and Laura would be free of him. He was a burden to her politically. Laura said she was strong enough and tough enough to do it. She didn’t want Sidwell to build a powerbase in Port Charles, and was surprised Sonny would allow it. If he was willing to sell his property, it could only mean one thing. He was planning his exit strategy.

Lulu said she wanted to find out who Dante’s son was. Then she’d decide if they should be reunited. (Now I remember why I hated this character so much before she went into a coma.) Carly said Lulu was playing God with other people’s lives and looking for a way to justify it. Lulu said she was pretty sure she already knew who Dante’s son was. She thought he was in Port Charles and Dante had been interacting with him without knowing they were related. It was Gio.

Curtis said Jordan was the only one he could talk to about this, and she asked if Portia was in trouble. He said he hoped not and was hoping Jordan would tell him that he was misreading the situation. Portia had become a Drew apologist overnight.

Portia asked what brought Trina by, and Trina said Kai was in physical therapy, so she thought she’d hang out with Portia. Kai had to put on a good front because of the cameras in his face. All she wanted to say was how she felt about Drew. Portia said it wasn’t their job to convince people about Drew’s true nature. Aurora was going to print a negative editorial about Drew and she talked Curtis out of it. Trina asked, why?

Josslyn admitted she should have been more upfront and apologized. Emma said Josslyn had used her daddy’s influence and asked if Josslyn had brought Dalton a check. Josslyn said her father had nothing to do with it and if she found out Dalton was doing anything unethical, she’d let the authorities know. Emma said she’d been an idiot to trust Josslyn and thought they’d bonded. Josslyn said they had, but Emma said she was right about Josslyn all along. Josslyn was nothing more than a selfish, spoiled, untrustworthy bitch. She left and Josslyn had tears in her eyes.

Lulu said Gio was the right age, but Carly said Gio wasn’t adopted. Lulu said, when Camilla died, Gloria and Carmine had taken Gio in with Lois’s help. Carly said it was a huge leap, but Lulu said not if Carly had seen what she did last night.

Sonny told Laura that he thought it was time for him to step back from the business and concentrate solely on family. She wondered if guys in his line of work got to retire, and he said it would be tricky. He wasn’t leaving Port Charles and would have a target on his back. He’d need some security, but he thought it was time for a fresh start. Laura said she had to think about what his retirement meant to Port Charles, especially if he was handing off his territory to Sidwell. He said Sidwell claimed to be legit, and they both laughed. He told Laura that she and the PCPD would keep an eye on him, plus they had the WSB. If he sold to Sidwell, the transition would be peaceful and prevent wars. She said he was selling to a dangerous man, and she was concerned about what Sidwell was planning to do in Port Charles.

Lucy said they’d show Sidwell what they’d been working on, when Emma came in looking for Gio. Anna asked if they could take five so she could talk to Emma, and she and Emma left. Lucy told Sidwell that everything would run like clockwork at showtime, and thanked him for underwriting the Nurses Ball. He said it wasn’t completely selfless and admitted to having an ulterior motive.

Josslyn locked Dalton’s office door and checked the office for bugs. She looked in Dalton’s desk and found a notebook. She started looking through it, then heard someone at the door.

Curtis told Jordan that Portia talked him out of printing an editorial that said Drew hadn’t proved his innocence. She’d said he’d be asking for trouble if he used Aurora Media to attack Drew. Jordan thought maybe Portia was just looking out for him, but he said he’d walked in on several of their private conversations. Something felt off. 

Jason said Tracy couldn’t look for Brook’s kid without her permission, but Tracy said she had a great-grandson out there. Didn’t he think the boy deserved to know his family’s legacy? Jason said it didn’t matter what he thought. It wasn’t his business, and he didn’t want to get involved.

Carly asked why Lulu was convinced Gio was Dante’s son, and Lulu said Dante had ripped into Gio and it got heated. Then Lois intervened, but it was more than meddling. It was over the top protective and Lois said Dante didn’t know who Gio really was. She tried to cover, but Lulu thought it was a slip of the tongue. Carly wondered if Brook knew, and Lulu said Brook was a good liar and she was 50/50 about it. Her theory made sense, and if Gio was Brook and Dante’s son, she had to tell Dante.

Emma told Anna about Josslyn getting the research assistant position. There was no way Josslyn had time to put together a data model that was as good as hers, and Dalton said hers had been corrupted. She told Anna about dropping the thumb drive at the beach, and said Josslyn had sabotaged her.

Dalton’s office door opened, and Vaughn came in. Josslyn asked why he was there, and he said he thought she could use help from the maintenance department. She told him that Emma was upset, but he said it wasn’t their concern. Let’s get to work.

Carly asked if Lulu had thought about what Brook and Dante’s son needed. She had to consider how profoundly she’d turn Gio’s life upside down. Lulu said she’d be giving him a family, but Carly said Gio would learn everyone he loved had lied to him, including his mother. It would be devastating. Lulu asked if it wasn’t better for Gio to know the truth than live a lie, and Carly said even if Lulu was right, she had to let it go. It wasn’t her secret to tell.

Tracy said in exchange for Jason’s services, she would withdraw her support for the anti-Sonny campaign and advocate for Sonny to keep his waterfront property. That’s how much it meant to her. She trusted Jason to do whatever it took, even if it meant breaking the law. Brook’s son was a Quartermaine and deserved to know that.

Sidwell told Lucy that she’d pointed out his donating might change people’s perception of him, and she was right. People had been more welcoming. She was a fantastic ambassador, and he couldn’t thank her enough. She said, in the beginning, she’d had some misgivings, but when she saw how generous he was and how much he loved his son, it became her mission to let everyone else know how special he was.

Laura said Sonny’s presence kept the peace among the local crime bosses and she didn’t think Sidwell gave a damn about it. She thought he’d usher in a new level of crime in the city. Sonny said they both had reservations, but was it his responsibility to make sure Sidwell didn’t get out of line or was it up to her? Laura said she hadn’t been fair in asking him to put the city ahead of his family and himself. If he thought it was time for him to walk away, she fully supported him.

Portia told Trina that she didn’t want Curtis or Aurora to be open to a libel suit. If Drew proved he was drugged, Curtis would be on record casting doubt on the victim. She hadn’t been in favor of Kai’s surgery, but it worked out. Maybe they should back off Drew a little bit. Trina said Kai seemed happy, and Portia said she’d love for their family to find middle ground with Drew. Trina asked if Portia wanted Curtis to make peace with Drew.

Curtis told Jordan that he believed Portia hated drew, and felt she was taking a kinder, gentler position because she had to. That meant Drew had leverage on her.

Vaughn and Josslyn snooped around, took pictures, and copied data.

Anna said maybe Emma was being paranoid, but Emma was positive Josslyn had stolen her data model and passed it off as her own. She wanted to tell Dalton, but Anna said she couldn’t without proof. Why was it so important? Emma said she needed to be a part of Dalton’s groundbreaking research, but Anna said a decision had been made. She knew Emma was disappointed, but felt Emma should let this go.

Watching Lucy and Sidwell with their heads together, Maxie noted that Lucy had gotten over her reservations about Sidwell. Felicia asked, what about her? and Maxie said Sidwell’s zincite had made Deception a lot of money, but she was worried their association with him would come back to haunt them. Felicia said if Maxie kept her eyes open, things would be fine. Sidwell had to leave, and Lucy promised it would be worth the wait to see their performance at the Nurses Ball.

Laura didn’t want Sonny using her political future as a factor in his decision making. He deserved to be secure and happy, and that should be the only thing guiding his thoughts. He wasn’t sure if that meant walking away or staying with the status quo. There was risk in both. She said he was smart and would make the right decision. Whatever he decided, he’d always have her love and respect. He said he wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but he’d let her know.

Jason said he felt for Tracy, but he couldn’t help. Brook made a decision, and he had to respect that. If Brook wanted his help, she could come to him, but he had to hear it from her. Tracy said she’d have to find her great-grandson through other means, and trusted Jason would keep this to himself. He had sealed Sonny’s fate. She was willing to back off, but now she wasn’t going to stop until she ran Sonny out of Port Charles for good. Jason walked away.

Lulu told Carly that the secret affected a lot of people she loved besides Dante and Rocco. Gio would be Tracy’s great-grandson and Sonny’s grandson. Carly said she felt bad, but would still keep it from Sonny, and Lulu said Sonny being in Gio’s life only proved she was right. She didn’t think Sonny knew, but thought Lois went to Sonny for help because he was Gio’s grandfather. Carly said, if Lulu was right, it was one huge mess, and Lulu said, if she was wrong, she’d stop searching. If she was right, she had to tell Dante. Carly said Lulu needed proof and if she didn’t get it, this would blow up in her face.

Portia told Trina that she’d settle for coexisting. Let Drew do his thing, and they’d do theirs. She made her pitch, and it seemed like Curtis was listening.

Jorand said Curtis had good instincts, but needed to talk to Portia. It was better than wondering and being suspicious. But a word of caution from someone who’d caused friction between them by telling him lies. After the first lie, it was hard for her not to dig herself in deeper. There didn’t seem to be a way out. Maybe Portia fell into the same trap, and he should hear her out. Curtis said he’d try, but prayed he was wrong.

Vaughn said he’d have the Bureau run an analysis, but didn’t think Dalton would leave anything incriminating lying around. Josslyn said she signed an NDA about working in the lab, and Vaughn said what they were looking for wasn’t in Dalton’s office… She said, it was in the lab, and they smiled at each other.

Lulu said Ned didn’t know, but she’d fished for info. Like where Lois and Brook were around the time Gio was born. They’d been on a tour with Miguel Morez. Brook claimed she gave birth in San Francisco, but Lulu wondered if the tour stopped in LA where Gio was born. Carly said, good start, but don’t whisper a word until she could back it up. Lulu said she knew she needed proof and knew just where to find it.

Tracy saw Sidwell and said she was doubling down on her effort to rid Port Charles of Sonny. Sidwell said he was just as determined, and she said they’d talk later. She was late for rehearsal. She went into the rehearsal room and told the women, let’s get this show on the road. She wouldn’t be dancing, but would stay put and sing while they danced around her, Maxie said that was how they were doing it and they took their places.

Sonny said Laura’s friendship and support meant everything, and Laura said she felt the same way. She told him to take care of himself, and when Sonny opened the door, Jason was there. Laura left, and Sonny said he told Laura about Sidwell’s offer and how it solved all their problems. Laura didn’t like it, but understood and accepted it. Jason said Tracy offered an alternative. She would cut off her support for Measure C if he did a personal favor for her, but it wasn’t something he was comfortable with. He turned her down, so it still left them in a bind. Sonny said, in spending time with Laura, he got clear on a few things. One thing she’d said was that he needed to take care of his family and that’s what he was going to do.

Wednesday:

Kai’s PT coach was impressed with his progress. Stella stopped by and Kai said he needed a huge favor.

Josslyn told Trina about getting the job with Dalton, and Trina wondered if that wasn’t the job Emma wanted.

Nina showed up at Willow’s and asked if she could come in. Willow said that depended on whether or not Nina accepted her and Drew.

At the MetroCourt, Boyle wanted to gossip with Drew about Laura, who was at a nearby table with Lulu and Lucky, but Drew wanted to focus on Measure C. Boyle asked what Drew had done with Jacinda.

Laura told Lulu not to be too hard on Rocco, and Lucky said Elizabeth was getting better every day. Lulu said they wanted to know the good stuff. Were he and Elizabeth officially back together?

Ric stopped by to see Elizabeth and noticed Lucky’s absence.

At Lulu’s, Kristina told Dante that her mom didn’t think she turned out too great.

Spinelli went to see Alexis, who said she had a job for him.

Jason thanked Carly for helping with Danny while he was gone, and Carly said he was a lot like Jason. He was wild at times, but a good kid. Diane came by and said they had a disaster on their hands of Carly’s making.

Lucky said things between him and Elizabeth were great, and Laura was glad he was there to help Elizabeth. He said it felt right, and Laura asked Lulu how the adoption article was going. Lulu said she put it on hold.

Boyle said he’d never known Jacinda to leave town and wondered if Drew had paid her off. Drew asked if Boyle had seen the press conference where he said he thought she was hired to drug him. Boyle said Willow’s mother had come up to him and Jacinda when they were hanging out.

Willow made it clear she was standing by Drew, and Nina said seeing Willow at the press conference was inspiring. She trusted Willow’s judgment and if Willow believed Drew, she did too.

Diane told Jason and Carly that a court date had been set for June 2^nd. Did Carly think Michael would be healed and stronger by then?

Spinelli was intrigued, and Alexis said she was the client and confidentiality was crucial. He said not a day went by when he didn’t think of fair Samantha and he’d do anything for anyone she loved. Alexis said what she was going to ask him to do might save Kristina’s life.

Kristina told Dante that Alexis was trying to have her committed without her consent, but he said that didn’t sound like her. Kristina said she’d seen it for herself. She thought Alexis believed she was overwhelmed, since she’d had a hard year, losing a baby and Sam. Dante said no one would judge her if she decided to get better. Kristina said it would have been different if someone else had come to her, but it was her mom. She couldn’t move past it and didn’t know if she could forgive and trust Alexis again.

Elizabeth told Ric that Lucky was having breakfast with his family. They couldn’t spend every second together. Ric asked if she needed anything and she said she was fine. She noticed he bought a Porsche, and it made her think about the accident. She said before they crashed, he’d said something about the brakes.

Stella said she couldn’t get Kai released if the doctor wouldn’t sign off on it, but Kai said he wanted to support Trina at the Nurses Ball like she’d supported him.

Josslyn told Trina that she felt terrible about Emma. She hadn’t thought she’d actually get the job. She never thought Dalton would choose her. Emma wasn’t happy and Josslyn didn’t blame her. Trina said it wasn’t like Josslyn stole the job. She got it fair and square.

Carly said family court usually took forever, and Diane said the judge had an unexpected opening. Carly said she had to get the kids out of Drew’s house as soon as possible. It was what Michael would want.

A server came by Drew’s house and served Willow with the divorce papers. Michael was filing for divorce and wanted full custody of the kids.

Lucky left, and Laura asked Lulu why she’d put off the article. Lulu said writing the piece might hurt the people she loved.

Dante said Alexis loved Kristina, but Kristina said that didn’t make what she’d done okay. Dante said he didn’t trust Sonny for a long time, but through talking and connecting, they got past that. If it was possible for them, it was possible for Kristina and Alexis. Kristina just wanted to bring their family back together. It’s what Sam would have wanted. When she’d confronted Alexis, Molly had her back, and they were closer than ever. Dante said she had him too, but he felt like something else was bothering her.

Alexis said Spinelli had to find Ric’s totaled car. No one seemed to know where it was. He asked what she wanted with Ric’s car and what did she think she’d find, but she preferred not to say. Could he find the car or not? He said her annoyed exasperation made him feel like he was talking to Sam, and he thought he could find the car by lunch.

Elizabeth said Ric wasn’t able to slow down, and Ric said it was because of the black ice. The insurance company had collected the car, and it was gone. He thought the best thing to do was put it behind them, but if Elizabeth had been seriously injured, he would have made sure someone paid for it.

Drew came home and looked at the papers. Willow said it didn’t make sense, but Drew thought Michael was being vindictive. They needed a lawyer, and he knew exactly who to call.

Diane said she could ask for a postponement, but it risked giving Drew and Willow ammunition. They would say Michael’s health prevented him from raising his children, and it was a persuasive argument. Jason said they may have opened the door for Willow to get full custody.

Josslyn and Trina discussed the Nurses Ball and Josslyn wondered if they should go to The Savoy afterward. Trina said she was excited about performing with Josslyn, but when they were done, she was leaving.

Kai wanted to walk the red carpet with Trina, but Stella said she was sorry. That wasn’t going to happen.

Willow gave Ric the background on her and Michael’s breakup and said Michael had agreed to let her take the kids. Nina said, just for the night, not forever, and Willow said when she went to DC without telling Michael, he filed for full custody. Drew said it had Carly’s fingerprints all over it, and Ric agreed to come on as counsel. If the whole thing aggravated Sonny, all the better.

Carly said they’d keep the court date, and Diane said she’d contact Michael, but Carly said he couldn’t rush his recovery. She’d fight on his behalf.

Stella said the doctor told her, no way Kai could be released this soon, but Kai said he felt great. Stella told him to keep working hard. Tomorrow was another day.  He wondered if he could still be discharged in time for the Nurses Ball, and she said anything was possible.

Trina told Josslyn that Kai had been going through a lot and needed her. He’d handled everything so well, but football and his team were everything. She knew what it was like to have your world ripped away from you and also have somebody there for you at your lowest point. Josslyn had been that person for her, and she wanted to pay it forward.

Spinelli found the lot number Ric’s car was taken to after it was towed, and the lot had Ric’s car marked as destroyed. Alexis said she had reason to believe someone paid off the lot to remove the car. Could he find any tow trucks that had picked up, but not dropped off?

Lucky went home and asked if Elizabeth was doing okay. She said Ric stopped by to show off his new Porsche and she remembered something about the accident when he was there. She’d told Ric to slow down, and Ric said he’d lost control because of black ice.

Laura said both the mayor and journalist positions were similar. They had to be responsible to the people and do the right thing. Lulu said she wasn’t sure what that was. The truth could change lives, and she wasn’t sure she was ready. Boyle butted into their conversation and Laura told him to make an appointment. Or go on social media. He was such a rat. He asked if she was going to sic her best friend Sonny on him.

Diane thought they could file emergency petition for custody. They had video and photos of Drew’s debauchery, and Drew’s press release. One could argue that the children were in danger living with Drew. Carly said there was a good chance she could beat Willow and Drew and rescue her grandchildren.

Ric said he’d get the files from Martin, and Willow said Martin hired a P.I., but found nothing on Michael. Ric said they’d have to ask for a postponement, and Drew said he had the perfect strategy.

Lulu said she thought she just found her next piece, but Boyle said no one would take it seriously if it was written by the mayor’s daughter. Laura thanked Lulu, but said she’d handle it. Boyle prattled on and talked smack about Rocco. He wouldn’t stop, and Laura ended up throwing a drink in his face. She and Lulu laughed. (Me too.)

Kristina told Dante not to worry. Alexis probably picked up on her worry about Molly’s dad. His car had been smashed up and it was triggering. Thank God Ric and Elizabeth were okay. Dante wondered how she’d seen Ric’s car that night.

Spinelli said, victory was theirs. Four tow trucks had visited the impound lot three days after Ric’s car was brought there. Three went to legit destinations and one went to a storage facility on 12^th Street. Only one account was opened there that day – Jerome, Ava. They high-fived.

Elizabeth told Lucky that the insurance company had taken the car and there was nothing to do but move on. Lucky seemed surprised that Ric said an insurance company took the car.

Diane said Willow had placed the children in an unsafe environment. Keeping the children in Drew’s home reflected poorly on Willow’s judgement. All the evidence might get the children removed from Willow’s custody, but that didn’t mean Carly was going to get them. They could be placed with their other grandmother, Nina. Carly was willing to take the risk.

Drew said, judges didn’t take kids away from their mothers when they’d done nothing wrong, but Willow begged to differ. They hadn’t had the most stable home life. Drew said, judges understood people fell in love (he’s such an idiot), but Ric wanted to talk legal strategy. Drew said Michael chose to leave the country for treatment when he could have stayed close by. He hadn’t reached out to his kids once through their mother. As far as Willow was concerned, Michael was MIA. Michael had encouraged Willow to take the kids, so they’d paint him like an absentee father. There was no chance he’d get custody.

Thursday:

Outside the boathouse, Brook looked up and says she hoped her child was happy, healthy, and loved. Make today really special. Chase joined her and asked, what’s wrong? She said it was her son’s birthday.

Donna burst in on Gio practicing and asked him to play her song. He played Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

At a coffee shop, Lulu was on the phone trying to track down a Catholic adoption agency based in Brooklyn… St. Ignatius… She told them she could be reached at this number, when Cody walked in. He asked if she was still doing research for her adoption story. Tracy said she’d walked away from it.

Kristina told Dante that she was on her way to work and saw there was an accident. She didn’t know whose car it was, then Molly got the call about her dad, and she figured it must have been Ric. The car looked so bad, she didn’t think anyone was going to survive.

Alexis was getting ready to go when Ric walked into her office and asked where she was off to in such a hurry.

Elizabeth asked why Lucky cared so much about what happened to Ric’s car.

Sonny told Lois that the kids were rehearsing, and Donna heard Gio playing the violin. Lois said, then there was no stopping her. How was he? He said, hanging in, and Donna said Daddy had been sick, but he was all right now. Gio asked if she liked Sleeping Beauty, and she said that was her favorite princess. He said then she’d know this one and played The Garland Waltz by Tchaikovsky (otherwise known as Once Upon a Dream in the Disney classic). Donna danced to the music.

Brook told Chase that she couldn’t stop thinking about her son now that they were starting a family. She’d completely missed his whole life. It had been an abstract thing before, and now it was a gaping hole. Chase said for over 20 years, she’d tried to bury it, and she said, he’d be 22, older than she was when she had him. He said, after all this time, it had been dug up, so of course (🍷) she was thinking about him. She said she dreamt about him all the time now and would give anything to meet her son.

Lulu said she gave up the adoption article, and Cody asked what was with the phone call. She said she was tying up loose ends, and he said he knew she and Brook had stuff and probably always would. But Tracy said Brook was really hurt and found the article invasive and insensitive now that she and Chase were starting the adoption process. Lulu said she wasn’t looking in them, and he wondered why she was asking about agencies. He kept catching her in lies and she explained them with half-truths. He needed the whole story. Lulu said she needed more time to give it to him, but he said, no. Digging into his friends’ personal business wasn’t cool. She said she was looking into adoption agencies that were around when Brook was in high school. Brook gave birth to Dante’s baby, a boy, then gave him up. (Yep. I hated Lulu back in the day and was glad she went into a coma. Now I remember why.)

Lucky told Elizabeth that he was surprised Ric wasn’t suing half of Port Charles. He never expected Ric to let his insurance company handle it. Lucas came by with flowers (white lilies – aren’t those usually for funerals?) and said he wanted to catch up, but could come back if it was a bad time. Lucky said he had a quick errand to run and left. Lucas said he was sorry he interrupted something. He was hoping at least it was the sexy variety.

Alexis said the office was closed and she was on her way out, and Ric said they needed to adjust her investment schedule for Dolos. She said she’d offer him something he never offered her – a way out. With all of his meticulous planning, it was still embezzlement. The more they embezzled, the more likely they were to get caught, and if they got caught, they’d go to prison. He and Ava had already made s pretty penny. If they got out now, she’d let bygones be bygones. She didn’t want to see their daughter get hurt and she would be if she knew her father was blackmailing her mother. He said Ava wouldn’t care, and she asked if he did. He said, of course (🍷), but it was Alexis’s caring that mattered. She asked if he thought she’d be doing this if she didn’t care, and he said they’d now come full circle. Even if he considered her offer, what make her think Ava would? She said, leave Ava to her.

Ric said, they were in this together and would all go down together, and Alexis said don’t come crying to her when Ava dragged him to hell. Out. Now. They left.

Elizabeth said Lucas didn’t interrupt anything. Ric was showing off his new car and she was telling Lucky about it. Sorry to disappoint him. Lucas said the upside was, it sounded domestic, and she said they were living together. He said the temperature had to be rising, and she said it was, and it was incredible, but at same time, terrifying.

Chase said it was okay for Brook to change her mind, but she said she needed to let her son be. It didn’t matter how badly she wanted it. It was probably a good thing St. Ignatius was closed. He said they’d get through the fallout together, but she said, people would get hurt, especially Dante. If her son wanted to find her, she’d face any consequences, but he had to be the one who wanted to find his birth mother. Chase said she had what it took to make a good mom, putting her son’s needs before her own. He couldn’t wait to see her in action with their baby. She was going to be a wonderful mom. She said she had to go to rehearsal and thanked him for being the best husband on the planet. He said it was hard work, but someone had to do it.

Cody told Lulu that he’d assumed Brook didn’t have the baby. She never mentioned it again. Was Lulu positive? Lulu said she was, and he asked if she had proof. She said she broke into Martin’s hotel room to get information on Valentin’s whereabouts. He had nothing on Valentin and Charlotte, but she did find his notes on Brook putting her baby up for adoption. She thought he’d met with Lois, who told him everything. Dante was listed as the father, and she confronted Brook who confirmed it.

Rocco came home and Dante asked, how was school? Rocco said, fine, and Kristina told him that she was glad he was okay, and left. Dante said, now that everything had settled, tell him everything that happened at the beach party.

Donna twirled and bowed as the number ended, and asked if Gio could play another, but Sonny said she had to get to rehearsal. Donna asked if Gio could play at her birthday party, and Gio asked when it was. She said, September 30^th, and he said that was a long way away. She said she wanted to make sure no one got him to play at their party first and asked when his birthday was. He said, June 4^th, and she asked if he was having a party. He said he wasn’t sure, but if he did, she was definitely invited. Sonny said they had to get to rehearsal… now, and she left with him. Gio began to play, and Lois quietly said, Happy birthday, Gio, and left.

Lois went to the boathouse, and Chase said she’d just missed Brook. He thought she was here for the same reason. It was Lois’s grandson’s birthday.

Lulu told Cody that she tried to get Brook to tell Dante, but Brook said it was better that he didn’t know since the adoption was closed. She thought Dante deserved to know and begged Brook to do the right thing. Brook sicced Chase on her and he threatened to arrest her. Brook said she didn’t send him, but they knew she was a liar. Cody said he never thought she’d keep a secret this big from Dante. They’d been friends forever. Lulu said she tried to stay out of it, but she couldn’t. Brook knew they had a grown son, but Dante didn’t, and it wasn’t right… Forget she said anything. Cody said he’d been lied to most of his life about who he was. Now she was telling him that Dante had a son Brook had been keeping from him. That wasn’t happening. He wanted to help. (This is making me crazy, since Brook didn’t know until Lulu told her, but of course < 🍷> Lulu left that part out. And Cody should know better than to take what she says at face value.)

Rocco told Dante that it was fun at first, then he got dizzy. After that, everything was fuzzy. Danny had nothing to do with it. Dante said Danny shouldn’t have left him alone, but Rocco said Danny shouldn’t be his babysitter. Danny had no way of knowing what he’d do. Dante told him not to defend Danny or Gio, and Rocco said, Gio did nothing wrong.

Sonny told Gio that apparently, parents weren’t welcome at rehearsal and thanked him for playing for Donna. She got a kick out of it. Gio told Sonny that he meant what he said about Donna’s birthday party. He heard her say Sonny wasn’t feeling well. Sonny said he had a minor surgical procedure and then someone attempted to assassinate him, but he was following doctor’s orders and on the mend. He heard it had been an eventful couple of days with Rocco. Thank God he was all right. Gio said, especially since it was all his fault.

At the storage facility, Alexis told the manager that she had an order signed by a judge. What was inside pertained to an ongoing case. He barely looked at it, and told her, whatever you say, unlocking the gate. He left, and she opened it. It was empty except for an oil stain on the floor and an envelope propped up against the wall that said, ALEXIS.

Kristina flashed back to talking to Dante and texted Lucky: You around?

Alexis took out a note that said: LOOKING FOR SOMETHING? She crumpled it and tossed it across the floor, where it bounced to where Lucky was standing.

Lois told Chase that every year on her grandson’s birthday, she allowed herself to remember. Or forced herself to. She wasn’t sure which. He said, probably a mix of both, and she said, it was so tough on Brook. Going through labor and having to give the baby up. She tried to support and comfort her. Brook had more strength in her eyelashes than most people had in their entire body. She was so proud. Chase said Brook was lucky to have Lois by her side. She was scared, but she told him that she felt safe and loved because of Lois. Lois said she wondered how he could be so kind and supportive, then remembered she’d met his dad. He said he also loved her daughter, and she said, Brook loved him too. It had to be brutal keeping it from Dante.

Rocco told Dante that he didn’t see Gio at the party and was almost positive Gio didn’t know he was there either. When Danny came to look for him, he could barely keep his eyes open. The next thing he knew, Gio was there. He didn’t want to get in trouble because of London and the debate trip. Dante said Gio was the adult in that scenario. The last thing he should have worried about was Rocco getting into trouble. Seeing the state Rocco was in, Gio should have called him first thing. Rocco almost got killed. What was Gio thinking?

Gio told Sonny that he should have called Dante or Lulu. Instead, he snuck Rocco into the boathouse. He thought Rocco could drink some water and sleep it off. Sonny asked how he could know Rocco had alcohol poisoning. He was a musician, not a doctor. Gio said, Cody knew, and Sonny said Gio did the best he could at the time. Gio said Dante didn’t see it that way, but Sonny said Dante was afraid for his son and unloaded on the nearest target. Gio said he wished he could go back and do it all over, and Sonny (and I) said, don’t we all? If he knew Gio did something wrong, he’d be angry, but he didn’t think Gio did. He appreciated what Gio did for his grandson. If he was ever in a jam, Sonny wanted to be the first person Gio called. Gio said Sonny might come to regret that, but Sonny didn’t think so.

Elizabeth told Lucky that it was nice to talk to someone about it. She loved Laura and Lulu, but clearly, they wanted her and Lucky back together. Lucas asked if she wanted them together, and Elizabeth said she loved Lucky. Lucas asked if she was in love with him, and she said she didn’t think there was ever a time she wasn’t. She’d been with other men she loved deeply, but with Lucky, there was an intense connection since the beginning and they’d been through so much, good and bad. Since he’d been back, it had been amazing with him and Aiden. It made her want to believe they could make it work this time. Lucas asked if she didn’t think they would.  

Lucky said he never took Alexis for the littering type, and she said she was just having a dramatic moment. He handed her the crumpled paper, and she asked what he was doing there. He said he thought they were there for the same thing. He was under the impression Ric’s car had been crushed at the impound, but apparently, it had been moved. She asked why he was looking for Ric’s car, and he said, the brake lines were cut. That’s what caused the accident. She asked if he knew who cut them, and he said, so did she – Kristina.  

Cody said he was in, and Lulu said it was a relief to know someone had her back. Everyone told her to stay away, but it was time to tell the truth. Her phone rang, and she thanked them for getting back to her… Really?… Were they positive?…. That was all she needed. She thanked them and told Cody that Brook said she used St. Ignatius for the adoption, but they closed their doors in 1987. There was no way Brook placed the baby with them. Cody wondered, why lie? (I guess it doesn’t occur to these two dolts that Lois might have lied to Brook. I’m sooo disappointed in Cody.)  

Brook ran into Gio’s rehearsal room, apologizing for being late. Kristina said she was hoping to watch Donna, but apparently, family members are distracting. But she got to see them. Sonny said they could watch Gio practice, unless it made him nervous. Brook said, Gio played The National Anthem in the PCU stadium, but Gio said it was worse playing for family.  

Elizabeth told Lucas that what she needed in a relationship, Lucky might not be able to give her. He was the kind of guy who always left. What would make a difference now? Lucas said, time… circumstances… life, and she said there was always a part of Lucky that wanted to be out in the world. She wasn’t like that. She liked being settled here with family, friends, and her work. Lucas suggested that in coming home, maybe Lucky realized that’s what he wanted maybe same, but she said, Lucky may not be made for a settled down life. Her biggest fear was asking him to stay and him trying, but in the end, it just not working. Luke called Lucky cowboy, and that’s basically what he was, riding off into the sunset on the hunt for his next adventure.

Lucky told Alexis that he knew it was Kristina the night of the accident. She came into Charlie’s and wasn’t making sense. Then she took off again. He was worried, so he followed her. She pulled over at the site of the crash and said, it was supposed to be Ava driving, not Ric. He realized she was responsible and told her to go back to Charlie’s and act as normal as possible. He went to the impound lot, but they said they’d crushed it already. Alexis said, if only that had been true, and he said, today, Ric told Elizabeth that the insurance company took the car. Somebody is lying. Alexis asked how he ended up here, and he said, instead of destroying it, the impound lot had it towed to this location, but he had to work for the information. What the hell was going on? Why was Ric lying?

Lucas said, what if Elizabeth talked to Lucky? and she said he honestly thinks he’s going to stay this time. Obviously, he loves her and she knows he wants to be with her, but she also thinks he’s so afraid to let her down, she can’t trust him to be honest.

Lucky told Elizabeth that he’d done what he could to protect Kristina. He’d lied to everyone, including Elizbeth. So he felt like he had the right to know. Alexis smoothed out the paper and gave it to him. She said Ava and Ric left it for her, and he said, they had the car? She nodded and said she didn’t know where. They also had footage that strongly implied Kristina cut the brakes. She had to keep paying them or they’d tell Molly what Kristina did and blow up what was left of her family and see to it Kristina was charged and convicted for attempted murder.

Dante said it was all Gio’s fault, but Rocco said, Gio didn’t know how much he had to drink. Dante said it didn’t matter. Gio should have called Rocco’s parents. Rocco had no idea how close they came to losing him. If Cody hadn’t found him, he doesn’t know what would have happened. After losing Sam, he doesn’t want to think about losing his only child. Gio screwed up big time and it’s on him.

Everyone encourages Gio to play, and he begins.

Chase told Lois that keeping it from Dante was difficult, but Brook was his wife, and he made the decision to stand by her. Lois asked if he thought she made a mistake not encouraging Brook to keep the baby, and he said, Brook was so young. Lois said she did her best to protect Brook, but sometimes wondered how all of their lives would have been had she made a different decision. He suggested they focus on the here and now. Soon – God willing – he and Brook would adopt a child and start a family. Wherever Brook’s son was, he was surrounded by a family that loved him. Maybe one day, they’d be lucky enough that he’d come looking for his birth mother.

Lulu said she thought Brook lied because she knew exactly where Dante’s son was, and Cody said that made him think she did too. Did she know where the kid lived? She said she did. He was at the Quartermaines. Cody laughed and said, that would be funny… Oh my God. She was serious. Who was he? She said she thought Gio Palmieri was Dantes son, then smiled like a cat who ate the canary. I want to smack her.

🫔 Friday’s Enchilada…

Isaiah practices a dance for the Nurses Ball when Willow comes in. She said, nice moves, Dr. Gannon, and he says, thank you, Nurse Corinthos. How about her? He assumes she’s here to rehearse. She says, honestly, right now she’s just grateful to have a distraction. He asks, from what? Her job? She says, no, her marriage. She won’t be Nurse Corinthos much longer.

Nina tells Curtis that she can’t figure out why he and Aurora Media aren’t going full court media press to take down Drew.

In her office, Portia is reading The Invader’s headline, Set Up Or Cover Up? on her tablet, when Ava comes in. She asks if it’s an okay time, and Portia says, yes. She was just perusing the latest developments of Drew’s drug fueled night out on the town. She hands Ava the tablet and Ava laughs and says, on the town, on a bar top, on a woman who for once is not his nephew’s wife. She has to admit, when the story broke, she had to wonder if this was Portia’s handiwork.

Tracy meets Drew at the boathouse and asks how he even got on the property. He says he drove over in his new boat, and she laughs. She says, of course (🍷) he did. How nautical of him. He says he figured he’d be welcome though, since they’re working together to take down Sonny.

Sonny brings Donna home to Carly’s, and Carly asks, how was rehearsal? Donna says, so fun, and Carly says she’s sure Donna had a good time. And she’s sure daddy was proud to see her. Sonny says, daddy couldn’t see her. It was a closed rehearsal. They wouldn’t let him in. The kids get too excited with dads watching. Donna says, before they rehearsed, Gio played the violin for her and daddy.

Lulu tells Cody that she knows she’s right. She just needs to slow down and think. The baby Brook was pregnant with… Cody says, Dante’s baby. She thinks the baby is Gio? Gio walks in with Brook.

Gio asks if he heard his name, and Cody says, yeah. They were just talking about what happened at the Quartermaines with Rocco. Gio says he’s sorry about what happened. He should have handled it differently. Lulu says she’s just glad Rocco is okay, and Brook says, it’s a good thing Gio got Rocco back to the boathouse. If he hadn’t, Cody wouldn’t have found them and then gotten Rocco home. Cody says, it was definitely a team effort. What matters is they were looking out for Rocco. Gio says, as long as Rocco is all right, and he asks if Brook wants to get coffee. She says, let’s do it, and they go to the counter. Lulu says, a mother/son coffee date? (Hating her more every day.)

Sonny says, Gio played Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star for them on the violin, and Donna says, it was perfectly beautiful. She can’t wait to see him perform at the Nurses Ball. Carly tells her, it’s time to tackle homework, Donna thanks Sonny, and goes upstairs. Carly says, she’s a mess, and Sonny says he can’t wait to see her perform at the Nurses Ball. Carly asks, how is he doing? She hopes he’s not overdoing it. He says, Dr. Gannon told him to stay active, and Donna is the best medicine. Carly says she hates to ruin a good mood, but since he’s here, there’s something she needs to tell him. He asks if he should take his pills, and she says, he should keep them handy. They’ve got a court date for Michael’s divorce and custody hearing.

Willow says they’ve got a date for the divorce hearing, also custody, and Isaiah asks when it’s happening. She says, June 2^nd, and he says, that soon? She says she figured it was a long way off. Michael is still in Germany getting treatment. Now the date is on the calendar and in her face. He says, when they talked, she was worried the judge might find her and Drew’s relationship unfavorable. Is that still the case? She says, no. She has complete faith in Drew. He says, even with… you know, but she says, Drew was set up and a judge will see that. Drew will do whatever he has to, to protect her and her children.

Tracy asks how far Drew is pushing this, and he says he thought he made himself clear. She gives him what he wants when he runs Sonny Corinthos out of town. When Measure C passes, they’ll take over the piers and have Ezra Boyle running for mayor on the anti-Sonny ticket. She says, Ezra Boyle is an idiot. He’s also a slob. She doesn’t understand why he, of all people, is a piece in the getting rid of Sonny puzzle. Drew says, Ezra getting elected is going to eliminate Sonny’s hold on the mayor’s office, but she says, drop it and drop him. They can get Measure C passed without removing Laura. With the exception of an obvious blind spot, she’s a good mayor. He says, clearly, she’s soft on Sonny and as long as Laura is in office, Sonny has a foothold on the city. If she truly wants Sonny gone, Mayor Collins has to be collateral damage.

Portia says, whoever tried to take Drew down seems to have failed, but Ava says she wouldn’t be too sure about that. People aren’t buying his story about being set up. Portia says, he seems to have a lot of support, but Ava says, not really. Poor, deluded Willow believes him, but that doesn’t mean anybody else does. Just think. Drew could be out of office and out of her hair in a month. Portia says, as wonderful as that sounds she highly doubts it, but Ava says, we’ll see. The people of Port Charles can be downright puritanical when comes to passing judgement against others. Portia says, here’s hoping, because right now, Drew is putting more pressure on her than ever.

Nina says she doesn’t get it. Curtis should want to nail Drew against the wall as much as she does. Curtis says he does, but Portia persuaded him not to sensationalize Drew’s story. Nina says, Drew did it to himself when he went on a ketamine bender and did body shots off a woman at a club full of people with cameras. He says, even so, Portia thinks it would make Aurora look bias, but Nina says, Drew has a financial stake in Aurora and negative coverage would show the opposite of bias. He says his feelings for Drew aren’t exactly secret, and she says, what she doesn’t get is that Portia knows better than anyone what Drew has done. She doesn’t understand why Portia would want to go easy on him. Curtis says, Portia is being blackmailed.  

Gio thanks Brook for sticking up for him with Lulu, but she says she didn’t have to. She was pointing out the truth. He was looking out for Rocco and Rocco is alive because of him. He says, because of Cody, and she says, because of both of them. If Lulu can’t see that, it’s her problem. He says, and Dante’s. Things have been tense since the night of the party. He doesn’t know how long he can keep dodging Olivia. He hates the idea of her being angry with him. She says, everything will go back to normal soon. She promises. The barista calls out, Brook Lynn and Guyo, and Brook laughs. She says, that’s us, and they get their coffee. On their way out, Brook asks if they’ll see Cody and Lulu at the Nurses ball, and Cody says, oh yeah. Lulu says she wouldn’t miss it, and Brook says, this guy will knock their socks off. Gio says he doesn’t know if he’ll do that, but Brook says, he’s a star. Cody says, he’s all right, and Brook says, see ya. They leave and Lulu says, I rest my case.

Portia tells Ava that Drew is already disappointed she hasn’t come through with more than she has, but his latest demand is impossible and ridiculous. Ava says, Drew is impossible and ridiculous. What does his majesty insist on now? Portia says, he wants no negative coverage on him in all Aurora Media outlets. That’s one. Ava says, good luck with that. What else does he want? Portia says, he wants Curtis to support him on the Measure C referendum and also wants to get Curtis’s endorsement for Ezra Boyle as mayor over Laura. Ava asks if either thing is even remotely possible, and Portia says, no. She doesn’t give a damn about Measure C and if all of a sudden she takes a strong interest, Curtis is going to get suspicious. Ava says, Drew thinks everybody is as easy to manipulate as Willow, and Portia says, as Curtis’s former friend, he should know better. Curtis is Laura’s friend and supports what she does as mayor. He’s not going to go against her. Ava says, everybody knows that. Drew certainly should. Portia says, maybe he knows and doesn’t care. No way Curtis would support a cretin like Boyle, even if Laura wasn’t running. Ava says she’s sorry to add to Portia’s already full plate, but she should know Drew appears to be making demands on Trina as well.

Nina asks why Curtis thinks Portia is being blackmailed, and he says, it’s the only thing that makes sense. She says, and he suspects that because Portia asked him to have Aurora go easy on Drew? and he says, she supported all his programs at GH. At first, the whole thing seemed innocuous, but then asked himself why Drew only asked Portia. She’s Co-Chief, and as far as he knows, Drew never approached Terry. Nina says, the Pediatric Sports Initiative (🍷) is a good program, and he says he knows. At first, he thought Portia was being objective in acknowledging the program’s merits. That’s the thing. If you look at each thing separately, you can explain it away. Nina says, but if you look at it all together… He says, it’s the only thing that makes sense. Drew has leverage over his wife. He found her at Drew’s house. Nina asks why she said she was there, and he says, she said she was there to try and talk Drew out of pressuring Kai to have his surgery. Nina says, that’s not unreasonable, but he says, then she tried to mitigate the situation by saying if Kai’s surgery went well, then it would show Drew had good intentions all along. Nina says, it doesn’t make sense. She doesn’t believe Portia would ever willingly support Drew. He says, so she’s thinking he’s holding something over Portia? but she says she doesn’t know. He tells her that he’s already said too much. He should be having this conversation with Portia. She says he knows where to find her if he wants to talk. She can’t believe how much damage Drew has done. It seems like everything rolls off that man’s back. The latest scandal should have been enough to send Willow running, but it somehow bonded her closer to him and it’s going cost Willow her children.

Willow tells Isaiah, don’t get her wrong. It’s not like she doesn’t have regrets about the way things ended with Michael. She made choices that weren’t fair to him. Isaiah says, most people in relationships can say that at one time or another, and she says, maybe. She’s genuinely sad about how she and Michael ended things, but she knows she’s finally where she’s supposed to be with Drew. He says, since they’re talking, if she doesn’t mind him asking… She says, go ahead, and he asks where the kids fit in with all this. She asks what he means, and he says, in a perfect world, what would she want after the divorce was settled – the ideal scenario for her children? She says, Michael is a good father, but she wants the kids with her, and in an ideal world, Michael would understand the children belong with their mother. He says, and Drew?

Tracy says, remind her when Laura was soft on Sonny as mayor, and Drew says, even the appearance of impropriety is unacceptable. Tracy and I laugh, and she says, sorry. Are there photos of Laura doing body shots off a hooker on top of a bar somewhere? He says he was set up. Laura is protecting the resident mobster. They revised the plans for the esplanade and the reason Laura called for the referendum is because she’s cornered. Tracy says she doesn’t like it any more than he does, but it’s not Laura’s fault law enforcement is so incompetent they haven’t put Sonny behind bars. Drew asks why she’s protecting Sonny, because that’s what she’s doing when she sticks up for Laura. She says, Laura is her friend and Lulu’s mother, and Sonny has been a plague on this city and her family – Drew says, our family – for decades. Sonny has to go. He says he couldn’t agree more. Sonny has to pay for the pain he’s caused all of them. That’s why he agreed to work with her. They have a common goal, a common enemy, but they do need to get really clear on the terms of their deal.

Sonny asks how a divorce hearing could be scheduled when Michael is out of the country, and Carly says she had Diane petition the court for the earliest possible date. Michael served Willow with divorce papers before the fire. It’s exactly what he wanted. Sonny says, when he was here, and she says, he made his wishes clear. They had the paperwork and all they did was get a date. He asks, when is it? and she says, June 2^nd. She thought they were safe until August, but an earlier date popped up, so they were slotted in. He says, but Michael’s not here. Please tell him that she didn’t ask Michael to cut his treatment short in Germany for this. She says she wouldn’t do that. She’s going to handle this herself. He says, that’s a mistake.

Back at the nook, Gio asks how Rocco is feeling, and Rocco says, good. He cleaned every inch of his mom’s house twice and is basically grounded until he’s 54, but good. Brook says, glad to hear it. Not about the grounded part. Rocco tells Gio that he wants to apologize. He put Gio in a really bad position that night and he’s sorry. Gio says, Rocco can’t take the blame. He was the adult… Rocco says, Gio didn’t make him play the game. Gio didn’t force him to get drunk. Gio didn’t even know he and Danny were at the party. He begged Gio not to call his parents, and he told that to his dad. Gio says, his dad is still mad, isn’t he? and Rocco says, yeah, but he needs to understand that Gio helped him get back here and he’s grateful to Gio for that. Gio wishes he’d done more to help him, and Rocco says, it stinks that Gio is being blamed. None of this is his fault. He’s so sorry.

Portia asks, exactly what kind of demands is Drew making of her daughter? and Ava says, fortunately not the same kind he’s making of her, but imagine her surprise when Trina stopped by the gallery with a camera following her every move. Portia says, Drew’s documentary, and Ava says, so she knows about it. Portia says, Drew’s guy Josh wanted to be in the operating room when Kai was having his surgery. Finish telling her what happened with Trina. Ava says, Josh was quite polite and did his best to seem invisible but… Portia says, he was following Trina around with the camera, and Ava says, yes. Trina was lovely of course (🍷), as always, but she could tell Trina was uncomfortable with a camera in her face. She shooed Josh away. Portia says, thank you for that, and Ava says, of course (🍷). Then Trina told her that Drew was behind the documentary. Since he was paying for Kai’s surgery she felt a need to be a part of the project. She and Kai are sort of together now and she felt it was the least she could do. Portia says, Drew is so good at that, convincing people to do his bidding, then making them feel like it was their idea. Now he has her daughter in his tentacles. Ava says, just a little. She’s keeping an eye on things. Portia says, more than a little. He’s pressuring her and Trina to weaponize themselves against Curtis. She doesn’t want to hate anybody, but she truly hates Drew Cain and all of it. It’s got to stop. Ava says, she’s right about that. She thinks Portia has clearly reached the point where she needs to change tactics. Portia says, how? What can she do? Ava says, at this point, she needs to tell Curtis the truth.

Curtis asks Nina if there’s been any movement in Willow’s custody case. She still has the kids, right? Nina says, yes, but who knows for how long. The court date is June 2^nd, which doesn’t leave much time. Drew convinced Willow to embrace it. Curtis says, Drew doesn’t have a problem doing that, does he? and Nina says, no, he doesn’t, and now he wants Willow to push for full custody on the grounds that Michael has abandoned them. He says, because he went to Germany? and she says, yes. He has Willow believing that if she goes after Michael in court when he’s out of country for recovery treatment in a burn unit, it will somehow end with her getting permanent sole custody of her children. He says, even if that was possible, Michael’s family won’t stand for that, and she says, never ever. She has a bad feeling this is going to end in disaster.  

Willow tells Isaiah, Drew is a great father. He should see Drew with his daughter Scout and her kids. He loves them and they love him. They’re really building a new family together. Isaiah says he’s not judging. He’s happy for her. She thanks him, and he says, but he hopes she’s prepared for the possibility Michael won’t feel the same way. She says, he asked her what she wanted in an ideal world. Ideally, Michael would see what’s truly best is for the children to be with their mother. Their mother is with Drew, and being with her and Drew gives Wiley and Amelia love and stability they wouldn’t have otherwise. He asks what she means by otherwise, and she says she doesn’t want this to turn into an ugly situation where she has to fight Michael for sole custody, and he never gets to see his kids. Isaiah says, so she’s going for sole custody?

Sonny asks if Michael knows he has a court date, and Carly says, technically, no. He asks what she means, and she says, the court notified Diane, then Diane notified her, and she asked Diane not to tell Michael. Sonny says, she knew he’d want to be here, and she says, yes, but she doesn’t want him to give up one minute of his recovery. Trust her. She’s got this. He asks what she means by she’s got this, and she says, Diane is going to argue that Willow put the children in an unsafe environment. She’ll get an emergency custody order, and the kids will come home with her until their father comes home. He asks if she thinks it’s going be that easy. Willow is going to have her lawyer, Drew, and Nina there for back-up. Willow is their mother, and since Michael can’t physically be in court, she’ll be the only parent at the hearing. Carly says, that’s right. And Drew will be by her side playing hero and he’ll be the reason she loses those kids. He’s proof she’s unfit. Sonny says, he’s a congressman, and she says, a congressman who partied on ketamine and did body shots off a call girl in a bar on video. A congressman who slept with his nephew’s wife in the kids’ nursery, also on video. He says, when they show the video in court… She says, no judge will let Michael’s kids within ten feet of Willow or Drew. They’ll come home with her and stay with her until their loving father comes home.

Cody says, no offense, but when it comes to Gio and Brook, he thinks Lulu is seeing what she wants to see. Lulu says she thinks she saw what she saw, and he says, okay. Gio is a good kid with no parents. Lois helped raise him and Brook saw him grow up. He thinks the way they treat Gio is more Bensonhurst than anything else. Lulu says she’ll give him this. She’s not sure Brook knows Gio’s her son. She’s not positive. He says, she doesn’t know if Gio is Brook’s son, but she says she knows Brook is a good liar. She’s experienced it firsthand. Brook has been lying to Dante for years and lying to Cody since he came to Port Charles. He says, that may be so, but none of it adds up to Gio being Brook and Dante’s son. Lulu says, everything in her gut is telling her he is. She just needs to prove it.

Gio says he appreciates Rocco letting him off the hook, and Rocco says, he shouldn’t have been on it in the first place. Gio says he can handle Rocco’s parents being mad, but Rocco’s got to promise, no more drinking until he’s 21. Rocco promises, and Gio says, okay. He says, Rocco and his dad are lucky to have each other. Don’t let what happened with him cause it to go wrong. Rocco says he won’t. So they’re good? Gio says, they’re good, and Rocco leaves. Brook says, Gio handled that well, and he thanks her. She says, it’s big of him to protect Rocco and Dante’s relationship like that. He says, Rocco needs his dad and at this point, he can’t worry about what Dante thinks. Brook says, he’ll get over it. He’s just a hothead worried about his kid. Gio says, everyone keeps telling him that Dante is just worried about his kid, but that doesn’t mean Dante doesn’t feel the way he feels about him. Dante made it perfectly clear that he has no use for him and he’s good with that. Brook says, everyone also says it’s temporary, but Gio says, he doesn’t want her or anybody else trying to convince him that deep down, Dante really likes him. It’s obvious he doesn’t and there’s no point in pretending. He tells her that he’s got to go study, and leaves.

 Drew says, if and when he succeeds in removing Sonny, he wants the Quartermaine name back, and Tracy says, they already established that. She’s only giving him one thing. He says he wants to be clear on the terms. He gets access to the Quartermaine estate and grounds again. She says, good luck with that, and he says, as of now. She says, that’s not the way deals work. If he wants access, he’ll have to talk to Monica, and she doesn’t think what happens to Sonny is going to matter. Drew asks if she doesn’t think it will matter that he’s rid the town of the man who murdered the only child Monica had with Alan. It feels to him like it would hold a lot of weight. She says, Drew destroyed Michael’s marriage and prevented Monica from seeing her great-grandchildren. He says, that’s not what… but she says she’s not debating this. He’ll get the name back when he gets rid of Sonny. For the rest, he’s on his own. He says, that’s not good enough, but she says, it better be good enough. Find another dock. Get back on his damn barge. It’s Monica’s property… Alan gave it to her. (Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!) Tracy leaves, and Drew laughs. He’s about to leave, then doubles back.

Willow tells Isaiah that when Michael refused to see her in Germany, it sent a really clear message. She has to do whatever it takes to protect her children and get custody of them. He says he hears her. He’s sure she’s had plenty of advice from other people and doesn’t need more from him. She says she’s sorry. She shouldn’t have snapped at him. He says, it’s fine. He just wants her to know that he thinks she’s an excellent nurse and during the time he’s known her, he’s only seen her to be a good person with a kind heart. Trust it. He leaves.

Sonny says he gets that Carly has a plan, and she says, let her guess. He doesn’t like it. He says, it’s not her call, but she says, Michael can’t be here to fight for his kids, so she has to do it for him. He says, there’s no guarantee it’s going to work, and she says, with that evidence, she thinks there’s a pretty good chance, but he says, she’s overstepping. This is Michael’s life. It’s his family and he’s not going to thank her for making decisions without his permission. He’s just saying, it’s going to cost her. She says, Michael will understand she’s doing this to protect him and his family. And if he’s mad at her, she can live with that. It’s worth it to make sure her grandchildren are happy and safe, and the only way to do that is to get custody of them.

Tracy asks Brook if everything is all right, and she says she feels bad for Gio. Dante came down on him and he’s taking it hard. Tracy says, Gio is a good kid and Dante is scrupulous to a fault. They’ll figure it out. Brook says she hopes so, but that’s not the only reason she feels a little blue today. Tracy asks, what is it? and Brook says, it’s her baby’s birthday today.

Lulu tells Cody, the way Lois reacted to Dante tearing into Gio. Then she got into it with Dante. She was protective in a way that goes way beyond cousins. Cody says, like she was tapping into her primal grandmaternal instinct, grandmama bear, and Lulu says, yes, and if Brook is telling the truth, Lois handled the baby’s adoption. Paired with the fact that Gio’s mother was conveniently a Cerullo cousin, it all makes sense… Cody’s still not buying it. He says he’s not not buying it, but if it’s true, Lois went through a lot of trouble to cover this up. She wonders how they prove it. Gio’s so-called mother is Cousin Camilla. She’s the key.

Ava says Curtis already knows Portia tampered with Heather Webber’s blood tests. All she has to tell him now is that Brad and Drew found out and they’re using it as leverage. Portia says, he’s going to wonder why she didn’t tell him right away and she doesn’t have a good answer for that. Ava asks, how is, I couldn’t tell you because I was being blackmailed, not an acceptable answer? It’s the point of blackmail. Portia says, Curtis won’t see it that way. She made a choice the moment she started giving into Brad and left her whole family vulnerable. Ava says, she got in over her head. It happens. She can still fix it and Curtis can help her get out. Portia says she knows Curtis and there’s no third chance. He’ll never forgive her for this.

Curtis asks if there’s any way Willow can get a postponement, and Nina says she suggested it, but Drew shot it down and Willow fell right in line. He says, what was the reason? and she says, because this is the perfect time to steal Michael’s children right out from under him and present the children to Willow as his gift. He asks if those were Drew’s words, and she says, no, but his thoughts were so loud, they might as well be spoken words. (Love that!) Drew thinks that he and Willow are going to walk into court looking like the perfect stable couple with the perfect stable built-in family, and Michael won’t be there to defend himself, so they’ll win. Curtis says, all the more reason to make a postponement happen. If Drew won’t listen to reason, then she needs to find someone who will. Maybe a lawyer or someone who has sway over Michael. She says, there might be one person Michael will listen to. She’s got to go. She thanks him for listening and thanks him for everything. He says, anytime, and she leaves. He makes a call and says he needs to see someone in his office now.

Sonny asks if Carly thinks Willow is a bad mother. The Quartermaines would do anything they could to keep their kids safe. Carly says, hell yeah. Willow’s not the woman they thought she was. She’s not the woman Michael married, and not the woman Michael allowed to adopt his child and start a family with. Sonny says, she changed, and Carly says, hell yeah. She’s trying to take Michael’s kids from him and raise them with their great uncle. She’s infatuated with Drew, who isn’t the man they thought he was. Sonny says, they all bought his act, and she says, yeah. If he’s asking her if she questions Willow, absolutely. She doesn’t trust Willow anymore and doesn’t want Drew or Willow anywhere near Michael’s children. He says he hopes it works out for her. If it doesn’t, and Michael loses his children because of her, she could lose her own child.

Brook tells Tracy that now with everything that’s come out, all these feelings are back and coming out with a vengeance. She can’t stop them or push them away. Tracy says she doesn’t think Brook should. The only way out is through. Brook says she’s going through it all right. She can’t stop thinking about her son and wishing him a happy birthday. He’s 22. Tracy says she has something that might cheer Brook up, and Brook says, by all means. Tracy says, consider this a little birthday present for her and her boy. She spoke to Lulu and she’s dropping the adoption article. Brook says, really? How did she… It doesn’t matter. She’s so relieved. Tracy says she thought Brook might be, and Brook says she hated that Lulu was digging around with no consideration for anyone else. She doesn’t want Lulu disrupting her son’s life. Tracy says, she’s not gonna, so Brook can relax. Unless Brook chooses otherwise, no one will know she gave up a child for adoption. They hug.

While on her laptop, Lulu tells Cody that Brook said she gave birth in San Francisco. According to this, Baby Boy Cerullo was born on May 15^th, around the time Gio was born. The records also indicate the mother is Brook Cerullo. He can’t think it’s a coincidence. Cody says, no. Using Lois’s last name was probably the easiest thing to do. Lulu says, and Brook wasn’t a legal adult. Lois didn’t go to a lot of trouble to hide this. He says, why would she? She had no reason to believe anyone would dig up Gio’s real origin story. She tells him, Gio said he was born on June 4^th in LA. According to the records, a lot of baby boys were born that day in LA, but no Baby Boy Cerullo or Palmieri. He says, all this proves is there wasn’t a baby born under that name in LA County. He could have been born in Orange County or Ventura, or Camilla used a different name. She says, he’s absolutely correct, and he says, statistically, it was bound to happen someday. She says, there’s only one way to prove Camilla’s not really Gio’s mother. Find out where Camilla was and what she was doing the day Brook gave birth.

Portia says, when it comes to secrets and lies, Curtis has zero tolerance, and Ava says, he’s going to have to get over that because it’s an impossible standard. Portia says, it’s why he and Jordan broke up. They didn’t grow apart. He left because Jordan lied. Ava says, if he forgave her for keeping Trina a secret all those years, this is nothing, but Portia says, not when she’s been lying to him for months. Ava says, stop lying now and her marriage might survive. After another six months, not so much. She’s digging herself in deeper. Isaiah approaches the room and hears them, and Portia says she can’t. If Curtis finds out that she lied to him again, her marriage is over.

Drew goes to Curtis’ office and says, Curtis wanted to see him? Curtis says, yeah, he did, and Drew says he sounded stressed on the phone. What’s wrong? Curtis says, Drew’s been blackmailing his wife.

Sonny finds Willow and asks if she’s got a minute. She says, yeah… What does he need? He says he heard she and Michael have a court date, and she says, they do. He says, it’s going to get ugly, and she says she thinks so too, but he says he thinks they can stop it before it starts. She says, how? and he says he knows how much she loves her children, and she knows how much he loves his grandkids. She says, they love him too, and he says, then she should know that they can figure out a compromise. Willow wonders if they should be talking without… He says, no lawyers, no Drew, no Carly. Just cooler heads trying to figure out what’s best for the kids and also find a way to make peace.

Nina knocks on Carly’s door, but Carly says she doesn’t have time for this. Nina tells her to make time. It’s their last chance to stop this before Drew completely wrecks their grandchildren’s lives.

On Monday, Lulu tells Cody that she’s not stopping until she has proof; Drew tells Curtis that he has the situation under control; Sasha wonders why Ric Lansing is calling her to testify; and Nina slugs Carly.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

A bittersweet comeback.

https://www.tvinsider.com/1192056/general-hospital-nurses-ball-2025-details-lynn-herring-exclusive/

Lynn Herring Opens Up About Life After Loss: ‘GH Helped Me So Much’

A reminder that Monica isn’t really upstairs. And Lesley isn’t with her either.

https://soaphub.com/general-hospital/news-gh/rivals-monica-lesley-two-legends-gone/

💉 A Dose Of Reality…

Below Deck Down Under

I remember the disco ball helmet!

Below Deck Down Under Season 3 Episode 15 Recap: ‘Smoochies’ and Never Make Up

The Valley

So now that Jax has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, does that mean Brittany will get double the rage texts?

The Valley Season 2 Episode 5 Recap: Grapes of Wrath

I can’t wait to see Lala with this group.

The Valley’s Jesse Lally Brands Lala Kent a ‘Bully’

Summer House

Lexi broke up with Jesse for the last time… I think. It’s really been hard to keep score with those two. Lindsay made an Instagram post detailing what the last year had brought to her, and Carl was miffed because it all started with their break-up. I don’t see why he’d care unless he still cared, but maybe he didn’t want everyone to be reminded about how he blindsided her on camera. It wasn’t the worst episode, but the finale looks great. Not just because it’s finally the end of the season, but it’s some kind of costume party.

Summer House Season 9 Episode 14 Recap: The Ex Files

Lindsay’s Freedom Dinner.

Summer House’s Lindsay Hubbard Hosting ‘Freedom Dinner’ on Carl Radke Split Anniversary 

Random Reality Items…

They’re probably waiting to see if they get a better offer elsewhere.

BravoCon 2025 Guests Only Includes One RHOBH Star

For those brave enough to go.

BravoCon 2025 Tickets, Location, Dates

A miscommunication? Sure. I believe it if she believes it.

Sonja Morgan ‘Blacklisted’ From NYC Restaurant After Refusing To Pay $1,000 Bill — Report

I love how some of the old case shaded the reboot. Did they think they’d be on it until retirement? They don’t even work at SUR anymore.

Lisa Vanderpump Gives Pump Rule Reboot Update (May 2025)

👀 Weekend Watch…

The Ugly Stepsister. AMC+/Shudder. Subtitled. Whatever you do, don’t watch this while eating dinner. And this is coming from someone who has a strong stomach for gore. I actually loved the real Grimm’s Fairytales as a kid, and this is closer than any Disneyfied version. Cinderella’s stepsister will do anything to marry the prince, including cutting off body parts and swallowing tapeworms.

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-ugly-stepsister-horror-movie-review-2025

A Deadly American Marriage. Netflix. A true crime documentary that kept me guessing for a while.

https://people.com/a-deadly-american-marriage-true-story-11733406

The first wife.

https://people.com/all-about-margaret-fitzpatrick-jason-corbett-first-wife-11734052

The kids.

https://people.com/where-are-jason-corbett-kids-now-11730696

The killers.

https://people.com/where-are-jason-corbett-killers-molly-thomas-martens-now-11730846

Heart Eyes. Netflix. At first, I sighed and thought, typical slasher film with typical slasher film characters, but I have to admit, the ending was one I didn’t see coming. I appreciated a chaotic drive-in movie scene, but not so much the cornfield that was bigger than the one that clown is hiding in. Still, so much better than I expected it to be and not a waste of my time. Takeaway point: Never underestimate the underdog.

https://www.cbr.com/heart-eyes-netflix-streaming-hit/

https://www.pajiba.com/film_reviews/heart-eyes-is-a-killer-box-of-chocolates-you-never-know-what-youre-gonna-get.php

⚔️ No Knight Yet…

Looks like I got excited about a year too soon.

https://www.avclub.com/a-knight-of-the-seven-kingdoms-delayed-to-2026

🐾 All Pets All the Time…

🐩 The famous.

https://vocal.media/petlife/the-famous-pets-of-celebrities

🐕 The not-so famous.

https://bestfriends.org/stories/features/10-inspiring-pet-adoption-stories-2024

🦚 And the fashionable.

https://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/instagram-famous-dogs-model-springs-top-10-fashion-trends

🪇 Quotes of the Week

Gardens, scholars say, are the first sign of commitment to a community. When people plant corn they are saying, let’s stay here. And by their connection to the land, they are connected to one another. – Anne Raver

Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world. – Albert Einstein

To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves. – Mahatma Gandhi

It’s a general moral principle that the more power you have over someone, the greater your duty is to use that power benevolently. Well, who is the one person in the world you have the greatest power over? It’s your future self. You hold that life in your hands, and what it will be depends on how you care for it. – Rick Hanson

If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters. – Alan K. Simpson

Attitude, not aptitude, determines altitude. – Hilary “Zig” Ziglar (Corny, but I like the alliteration.)

Hell was made for people like you, Leslie. Enjoy the burn. – Mona Wilson (Karan Kendrick), Beyond the Gates

🌾 The Gateway To Summer…

Until next week, stay safe; stay celebrating the rebirth and renewal of spring; and stay never forgetting, the only way out is through.