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November 13, 2024 – Drew Is Now Congressman Quartermaine, Holly’s Exit This Time, Salting Palm Springs, Faunae News & Rose Hip

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Apparently, an election happened that we didn’t get to see, and Drew’s acceptance speech is on the TV at the Brown Dog Bar. Michael says he’ll pay the bartender 50 bucks to turn it off.

Backstage, Drew thanks various people, and Nina says, he did it. He says, we did it, and they hug. Carly walks in.

At the Quartermaines’, Lois says she thought Ned would be at Drew’s victory bash, but he says he snuck out when Tracy’s back was turned. She tells him, admit it. He’s avoiding her like everyone else in the house. Something is going on and she’s not moving until he tells her what it is.

Gio says, Sasha got a package, and gives it to her. She says, it must be the cookbook she ordered, and opens it. Chase comes flying in and says, don’t open that. We see it’s a book titled First Time Fathers.

In her office, Maxie thanks Sonny for meeting her. As soon as he signs some papers, she can go to Drew’s victory party. Natalia comes in and Maxie says, perfect timing.

In semi-darkness, Alexis sits at her desk at work and looks at a family photo. Kristina comes to the door and asks if Alexis is okay. Alexis says she’s better now, and they hug. Kristina says, good, because there’s something she has to tell Alexis. She’s fine, but yesterday she had a minor car accident. Alexis asks why Kristina didn’t tell her yesterday, and Kristina says she wasn’t going to tell her at all.

Nina says, Drew is on his way to Washington. Congratulations. He thanks her, and Carly comes over. She hugs Drew and says, now that Larry is gone, she’s glad they have another honest man in Washington. In the background, Jack walks in, and Carly tells Drew that Sam would be proud of Scout’s dad.

Jason says he thought Michael and Drew were close, and Michael says, they were until Drew started kissing his wife. Jason says, what? and Michael says he shouldn’t have blurted it out like that. Jason asks if they’re having problems, and Michael says he didn’t think so. He came into the living room, and something was going on with Tracy, Ned, and Drew… Jason says, if Michael doesn’t want to talk… but Michael says, if he doesn’t, he’ll explode. Drew was about to tell him something, when Willow and Nina came in. He could tell by the look on Willow’s face that something was clearly wrong. Then Drew said he kissed Willow. Jason asks what he did, and Michael says, he came here and ran into Sasha. Jason says, it’s good to see a friendly face, and Michael says, they were both upset, drinking, and he made everything worse. Jason asks, how? and Michael says he slept with Sasha. Now he thinks his marriage is over. (I love how Jason just never overtly reacts to anything.)

Nina finds Willow in the bathroom and asks how she’s holding up. Willow says, it’s wonderful that Drew won. He’ll make an excellent congressman. Nina says, yes, far away in DC.

Jack congratulates Drew, and Drew asks Jack’s name. Carly realizes they don’t know each other and introduces them. Drew says, Port Charles’s new WSB Station Chief. His reputation precedes him. Jack says, as does Drew’s.

At the victory party, Curtis says, what a night, and Portia says, he’s in a good mood. He says, their good friend just got elected to congress, and they clink glasses. He says, now that Drew is on his way to DC, he’ll no longer be the interim CEO at Aurora. Drew is going to make him permanent CEO.

Chase says, the packages must have gotten mixed up. That’s his. Sasha hands him the book and asks if Brook is pregnant. He says, they’re trying, and Gio says, how’s it goin’, bro? Sasha says, he knew? and Chase asks her not to say anything. Brook is under enough pressure. Gio says he didn’t tell anyone, and backs out of the room. Sasha says, she’s so happy for Chase.

Lois says, tell her what happened, but Ned says, nothing. She says, he’s lying. Something happened and she missed it. He asks if she’s suggesting drama happened in this house, and she says, and he knows what it was. Spill it. He says, yes, but he can’t tell her. Brook walks in, and Lois says, fine. Brook will tell her, won’t she? Behind Lois, Ned shakes his head and mouths, nooo.  

Sonny gives Maxie the papers and says, now she can go to her party. Natalia says she’ll lock up, and Maxie says, cool. She leaves, and Natalia asks, how’s Kristina? Sonny says, she went to the doctor and she’s fine. Thanks for calling him. She says she’s just glad no one was hurt, and he says, Kristina admitted she shouldn’t have been driving. Natalia says she’s been there. Luckily, no one was hurt during her behind the wheel meltdown. He says he’s sorry, and she says she’s sorry about a lot of things. He says, such as? and she says she wishes she’d done better by her children.

Michael tells Jason that he loves Willow, and he loves their life, but they keep lying to each other. Jason asks, why? and Michael says he doesn’t know, but they don’t trust each other. Jason asks what he wants to happen, and Michael says he wants things to work, but they both slept with other people. Jason says, Michael told him Drew and Willow kissed, and Michael says, that’s what they admitted to, but he found out they’re sleeping together.

Jordan tells Drew, congratulations. For what it’s worth (🍷), he’s doing an excellent job. He says he hasn’t done anything yet, but she says, he has the confidence to be the man his constituents expect. That’s a tall order when he’s dealing with a loss. She has experience putting on a positive public persona regardless of what was going on in her personal life.

Maxie says she’s sorry she’s late, and Spinelli says he has to meet Jason. She says she’s glad Spinelli reached out, but Spinelli says, Jason summoned him. Maxie wonders if Jason is going to rope Spinelli into another caper and says she thinks it will be good for him. He asks her to remember she said that in case there is a caper afoot, and she says, or Jason has hit an emotional rock bottom. How is he doing? Spinelli says, staying strong, but he’s sure the loss is weighing mightily on him. She says, Spinelli too, and Spinelli says, he lost his partner in truth and crime. She says, they wouldn’t be together if not for Sam. They owe her forever. She needs to talk to Nina. Go see Jason and she’ll see him at home. They kiss and part company.

Maxie finds Nina and asks if she’s told Willow that she slept with Drew yet.

Lois asks, what happened? and Ned says, Brook wasn’t there. Brook says she wasn’t there, but she knows what it is, and Ned throws up his hands. Lois says, tell her, but Brook says she can’t. Lois says, she’s Brook’s mother. She gave Brook her life. Use it wisely. Brook says, it’s not her place, and Lois asks why no one is going to tell her what’s going on. Brook says, because she can’t keep a secret.

Sasha says she won’t tell Brook that she knows, and Chase says, they’re under so much pressure since they decided to have a baby. It’s all he can think about. Sasha says, he’ll be a great dad, and Brook will be the coolest mom. Their kids will be gorgeous. Chase asks how she’s doing, and she says, about what? Cody? Her mother? He says, she was kidnapped. Start there. She says her mother already left town. She hopes she took the danger with her. He says he’s sorry about Cody, and she says she always wanted more family, but not the guy she fell for, yet here they are. Chase says, on the bright side, she has a huge, new family, and she tells him, that’s what Felicia said. He asks how she feels about it.

Natalia says, being estranged from Allison opened her eyes. She saw Sonny with Kristina, and it made her wonder if she was doing right by Allison. If she’d gotten that call, she would have swept in and taken charge, focusing on her minor injuries. She wouldn’t have seen that her daughter was in emotional pain. It’s easier to take care of burns and scratches than getting children to open up.

Kristina tells Alexis that she was driving, and she got blindsided by a wave of grief. She got into a minor fender bender, but no one was hurt. She slept at Sonny’s. Alexis says, she told her dad? and Kristina says she asked Sonny not to call Alexis, but he pointed out that it wasn’t right to keep it from her. He said, they needed each other more than ever. Alexis says she agrees and thanks Kristina for telling the truth.  

Jason asks how Michael got the footage, and Michael says, they got a new nanny, so he got a nannycam. Jason asks if Willow has seen it, but Michael says, no. He can’t believe she cheated on him. Jason asks if he thinks it’s a one-time thing, but Michael says, no. Willow’s not capable of a one-night stand. That’s not who she is. Jason asks what he thinks is happening, and Michael asks, what if Willow is in love with Drew?

Natalia tells Sonny, when Allison was little, she’d sing to herself. She immediately made plans for Carnegie Hall and the Met. She had big dreams, but it never occurred to her that Allison might have dreams of her own. He says, we all know what’s best for our kids, and she says she wanted Allison to have everything, and she knew what it took to get it. But she realized the more she tried to control, the quicker she was going to lose her daughter. Sonny says, they can’t make their children’s choices, but they can be there if they ask for help. She says, it sounds simple, but he says, it’s not, especially with Kristina. She’s the one he worries the most about of all his kids. She’s the most like his mother Adela. She was too good for this earth.

Chase says he can’t believe Sasha’s dad is the DA, and Sasha asks what he’s like. Chase says he wouldn’t want to up against Robert in a courtroom, but he doesn’t know him personally. Did they talk? She says, a little. She said she needed time, so he said call when she’s ready. Chase says, so he’s available to her. He heard Robert’s taken a leave of absence. She says, he skipped town with her mom. She’s glad he’s out of town for a while. It gives her time to get used to the idea. It’s nice to know she’s not alone in the world. She never expected to have a dad. She doesn’t know what that’s supposed to look like. He says, every father/daughter relationship is unique, and she asks if that means he’s hoping for a boy or a girl. He says, yes.

Lois says, Brook doesn’t trust her, but Brook says, it’s about discretion. Lois says, name one time she hasn’t been discreet, and Ned says, when she told Sonny that it was Nina, not him, who called the SEC. Olivia specifically asked her not to tell Sonny. Lois says she had no choice morally. Why are they assuming she’ll spill? Ned says, because she’s terrible at keeping a secret. Right, Gio? (Gio is no doubt sorry he walked in just now.)

Michael tells Jason that he never thought Willow would be unfaithful. He’s a hypocrite too, since he slept with somebody. Jason says, that doesn’t make it hurt any less, and Michael says, she broke her vows. She must be in love with Drew. Jason says, he won’t know unless he talks to Willow and listens to what she has to say, but Michael says he’s afraid she’ll say they have no future.

Curtis says, congressman, and Drew says, them being here means a lot. He thanks Curtis for everything he’s doing at Aurora, and Curtis he’s having the time of his life, but it’s only the beginning. Drew suggests they talk another time, and Curtis agrees. Tonight is about Drew. (As is probably every night from Drew’s perspective.)

Jack says, Carly is on good terms with her ex and a newfound politician’s influence can help business. Carly says, they’re friends. She doesn’t care about that. He says, but now Drew is in a position to be useful if she needs something. She says she doesn’t use her friends, and he says, she’s never asked for a favor? She says she doesn’t consider that using. It’s sad that he does. He says, everybody uses everybody, and she says she doesn’t and neither does Drew. Jack says, so Drew has no possible ulterior motive for getting romantic with her?

Willow and Drew see each other across the room and smile.

Nina tells Maxie that she hasn’t told Willow, and Maxie asks how well keeping secrets has worked out for her. Nina assures Maxie that nothing is going on, and Maxie says, anymore. Nina says, never again. She’s going to wash that man out of her hair. Maxie says, this is the classiest way to run someone out of town, and Nina says, despite Drew’s flaws, he’ll be an excellent congressman. Maxie says, he made out with his nephew’s wife and slept with her mother, but Nina says, plenty of politicians have indiscretions. Maxie says, oh my God. Nina is still sleeping with him.

Willow says, Drew’s acceptance speech was wonderful, and he says he wouldn’t be here if she hadn’t convinced him to run. Her faith in him pushed him to be better, to do better. She says she has faith that he’ll do great things. She’s sorry Sam isn’t here to see it. He says, she knows him. She always does. He was thinking about Sam. She asks when he’s headed to Washington, and he says, after the funeral. She says she’ll miss him, but it’s for the best, and he says he’s hoping this makes it easier, although he’s not sure anything will. She says she needs to find Michael and congratulates him again.

Lois asks if Gio is in on this too, but Brook says, he’s not in on anything. Gio says he has no idea what he walked in on and he’s going to stay out of it, and Brook says, good instinct. She needs to check on her husband. Gio says, he’s with Sasha in the kitchen, and Brook leaves. Lois looks at Gio and he jets. She tells Ned that she always does what she thinks is right, and he says, that’s admirable, but what’s right for her may not be right for the family. Please drop it. Lois says, fine, and leaves.

Kristina says, Alexis wasn’t at home, so she figured… Alexis says she was distracting herself at the office, and Kristina says, she’s lucky she has an office to go to. She’s going out of her mind. Alexis says, Kristina has to find something to try and occupy her mind, and Kristina says she has no purpose. She’s not working at the foundation, and she has no child to care for. Alexis asks what she can do to help, but Kristina says, nothing. She suggests they get a burger. Forget what she said. Alexis says, Kristina promised to be upfront with her, and Kristina says she was thinking about Danny and Scout. They’re going to grow up without a mother. And Dante is so completely lost without Sam, who died while trying to save Lulu. Alexis says, there are so many questions and there will never be answers, but Kristina says she just has one. Why did she live, and Sam died?

Jason thanks Spinelli for meeting him, and Spinelli says, Maxie thinks some intrigue will be good for him. What’s the quest? Jason asks if they’re any closer to finding Valentin, but Spinelli says he’s scoured the digital world, but there’s no trace of the errant Cassadine. Jason says, he probably had help from the WSB, and Spinelli asks how he knows. Jason says he doesn’t, but Jack Brennan said, if they find Valentin, it will be bad for Anna. Spinelli says, challenge accepted. How should he proceed? Jason tells him to focus on Brennan. See if there’s any indication of contact with Valentin. Spinelli says, the WSB’s anti-hacking measures don’t make it easy. That’s where Sam would get involved. Jason says, she was great at that, and Spinelli says he misses her so much. Jason pats Spinelli’s shoulder.

Portia says she’s proud of Curtus, and he says he can’t wait to take Aurora to the next level. He has big plans, and not just for Aurora. (You see where this is going, right?)

Drew finds Michael and says, just the man he wants to see.

Brook finds Chase and sees the book. He says, due to a mix-up, Sasha knows they’re trying, but Sasha says she won’t say a word. Sasha tells them that she has an early morning. Goodnight and good luck. She leaves, and Brook says, Chase doesn’t need a book. She’s seen his incredible dad skills with Violet and Bailey Lou. He says, they’ll do everything for Project Baby Bump, but she says, they’re not calling it that. He says he can’t wait to see her pregnant, for real this time, and she says, he’s lucky he’s cute, and kisses him.  

Sonny tells Natalia that anything good in Kristina comes from his mother. She was caring, loving, and amazing. She forgave everyone even when she shouldn’t have. Kristina is like that. She sees the best in people when sometimes they don’t. Natalia says she thinks that’s why Kristina is easily disappointed, and he says he wishes his mother had recognized how strong she was. She didn’t deserve what she got and kept on getting it. She gravitated to men who treated her horribly and she put up with it because she felt like she couldn’t make it on her own. Natalia says, from what she knows about Kristina, that’s where she and Sonny’s mother are different, and Sonny says, yeah. Kristina doesn’t put up with anything from anybody. It’s one of the things he most loves about her.

Alexis says, Kristina’s sister would never want her to wish it was her, but Kristina says, Sam was loved by so many and had so many dependent on her. She has nobody. Alexis says, the list is too long to name, but Kristina says, it’s not the same. Alexis says, all she knows is, Sam died, and Kristina didn’t. That means she’s here. Don’t waste it. Kristina says, that’s her point. Sam never wasted a moment. She’s wasted plenty. Alexis says she doesn’t want to argue. Kristina matters. Her life matters. She has a beautiful heart. She’s fierce and kind and gets under people’s skin like nobody else Alexis has known. Kristina matters to her, and she needs her. Don’t forget that. She wanted to ask Kristina something else. Was the car accident an accident? Kristina says, yes. It wasn’t even an accident. It was a minor fender bender. If Alexis is asking if it happened because she was trying to hurt herself, the answer is no. In fact, she’d been thinking how much worse it could have been when she got hit. Her answer is what she has to live for.

Michael asks what else Drew wants, and Drew says, since he won the election, he wants clarity for the future of Aurora. Curtis has done great things in the interim, but there’s one person whose vision and savvy will take Aurora to great heights. Will Michael do it? Willow comes over and says she was looking for Michael. Michael tells Drew that he needs to talk to his wife, and Drew steps away. He asks if Willow can leave, and she says she has her car. He says he’ll meet her at home.  

Carly says, Jack is disgusting, and Jack tells her to stop flirting. They’re in public. She says she and Drew are friends, nothing more, and he says, Drew waltzes back into town… She says, after being a captive in a Cassadine dungeon, and he says, Drew was on the outside looking in and there she was, his friend and a heavy hitter in Port Charles social circles. She asks his point, and he says, Drew got his social standing back because of her. Now he’s moved on. She says, he went to prison for her and was nearly killed, and he says, Drew never expected prison. He thought he’d get a slap on the wrist. It’s not the heroic sacrifice she thought it was. She asks if that’s how he sees friendships, as potential assets ready to be used. Is he using her now?

Maxie says she doesn’t want to see Nina hurt, but Nina says, Drew can’t hurt her. She doesn’t care enough. Maxie says she didn’t say Drew would be the one to hurt Nina, when Drew joins them. Maxie says, they were just talking about all the good he’ll do in DC, and he says he’s looking forward to it. She says, aren’t we all? Drew says he still has a list of donors he needs to thank and asks if Nina is available now. She says, perfect.  

Spinelli asks if Jason needs to talk, and Jason says he’d like to run something by Spinelli as a father. Spinelli asks what’s on his mind, and Jason says, Danny wants to live with him. Spinelli says, Jason is his father, and he has much to time to make up for, and Jason says, Danny also wants to stay with Scout and Rocco. Spinelli asks how that would work, and Jason says, it wouldn’t. He doesn’t want to turn Danny down and keeps struggling. He wants to let Danny make his own decision. Maybe the right move is to not move in with him. If that’s what’s best for Danny, then maybe he should take a step back again. Spinelli asks if that wouldn’t be painful, but Jason says he’s not worried about himself. He just needs to protect the people he loves.

Chase suggests they take it upstairs, and Brook approves of the plan. He says he’s bringing the book, and she says she loves how thorough he is. He says he’ll show her how thorough he is, and they leave.  

Portia says, it sounds like Curtis has big plans, and he says he’s aware of things that haven’t been considered important. Kids need varied experiences and need to discover what they love on their own terms. He got to thinking how music shaped his dad’s life, and it’s the first thing eliminated from school curriculums. He’s thinking with the new income, he could start a music program for kids in the community center. She says she loves the idea.  

Jack asks how he’d be using Carly. He asked for her help once about Jason because lives were at stake. When has he asked anything else of her? She says, people like him trick and deceive. He could be using her right now. He says, what about her? How does he know she’s not using him? She says she guesses he doesn’t. (I tell Carly to stop picking on my Jack.)

Natalia says, Kristina is lucky to have a father like Sonny, but Sonny says he thinks he’s lucky Kristina forgives him his shortcomings. Natalia says, he thinks that’s impressive? Kristina forgave her. That’s one for the record books. He says, she has a big heart, like his mother, and she says he doesn’t give himself enough credit. The resiliency she admires in Kristina comes from him.

Kristina says, if she’d died with the baby, she wouldn’t be able to testify against Ava, and Alexis says, her something to live for is getting back at Ava? Kristina says, Ava is the reason Adela had no chance to live and she has to pay for that. Alexis says, that’s her newfound purpose? and Kristina says she’s alive to get justice for her daughter, with Alexis’s help.

Willow arrives at the gatehouse and Michael is already there. She says, he told her that he wanted to talk. What is it?  

Nina says, now Drew has to govern and then do this again in four years. They go into the Quartermaine mansion, and Jason walks out. He just stares at Drew.

Tomorrow, Brook tells Lois, that was really bad; Kristina tells Alexis, in this case, justice and revenge go hand in hand; Ric says, Ava taking the stand is the only weapon in their arsenal; and Ned asks a bleeding Drew to tell him what the hell that was about.

✈️ They’ll Always Have Port Charles…

I thought it was sweet; bittersweet for Diane. I hope Holly comes back, but even more, I hope Diane finds someone who looks at her the way Robert looks at Holly.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/emma-samms-dishes-holly-and-roberts-exit-on-general-hospital

🧂 Salting the Glass Rim…

Salt Lake descended on Palm Springs to rehash the same arguments they were having in Salt Lake. Of course, at dinner or breakfast or anywhere it can ruin a meal. At breakfast, Lisa threw Whitney under the bus, saying she was the common denominator and a sh*t stirrer. Lisa’s John came up with the scathingly brilliant idea that Lisa should have a conversation with Bronwyn one on one, since the problem was between them. What a concept! In Bronwyn’s interview, she applauded John being the man to swoop in and solve their women’s problem. Bronwyn’s Todd couldn’t take it and had to leave the table. Not blaming him one bit. Seth put on his superhero cape next, suddenly changing the subject to the smell of urine after eating asparagus and then suggesting a game of volleyball. It’s finally happened. While the Jersey husbands have often been in the mix, now the Househusbands of Salt Lake are getting involved. Again, what NeNe said. They need to get out of women’s business.

Mary wasn’t in much of the episode. She was concerned about Robert Jr’s lack of ambition and doing nothing but lying around in bed with his girlfriend all day. It was both amusing and disturbing watching Mary have a conversation with him, while his girlfriend sat next to him in bed staring straight ahead.  

Whitney wasn’t sure she could trust Lisa, but also wasn’t sure how many f***s she gave about it. At dinner, Bronwyn tried to make light of things and toasted to a good story. Angie brought out whiteboards to play The Newlywed Game after dinner, and Lisa kinda, sorta apologized to Justin, causing Whitney to say in her interview that she was putting a button on the topic of Alibaba. I think that’s the same as putting a pin in it, but fancier. In Bronwyn’s interview, she said she was willing to say it was her at this point, just to get off the subject. Because Alibaba was dead (for now), Lisa jumped back on the bandwagon of being upset with Shawn for saying she used her son as a pawn to deflect from her own situation. Shawn summed it up best in saying that everything had seemed okay. He’d thought they were good, then Lisa brought it up again. This is the case of pretty much every argument on the show, just inserting different names. Shawn didn’t feel he’d done anything wrong, and Whitney asked for proof. Seth googled it, putting the blog headline in Whitney’s face and yelling, proof, beyatch! Whoa, Nellie. WTF?

Todd tried to shut everything down, and in her interview, Bronwyn said that Todd had a stopping point and there was no going past it. In Todd’s interview, he said they weren’t having this discussion at dinner on their anniversary. His stopping point must have worked some magic, since Whitney said they had a good time for the rest of the night. She thought they were all going to be in a better place the next day. Bronwyn arranged for the group to go to an Indycar series event and mingle with famous drivers. Lisa and Bronwyn talked things out, and I’m not sure if anything was resolved, but they hugged it out.  

As of this posting, there were no recaps per se, but there was this.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/rhoslc-season-5-midseason-trailer-spoilers-details

🐾 Updates and Serendipity…

🦛 Baby Shark’s got nothing on this baby.

https://people.com/viral-baby-pygmy-hippo-moo-deng-catchy-new-song-8744558

🐧 Pesto is growing up.

https://people.com/pesto-is-growing-viral-baby-penguin-shedding-fluffy-feathers-8743191

🐎 What are the odds?

https://people.com/jonathan-bailey-s-horse-in-wicked-is-the-same-one-in-bridgerton-8744330

🌬️ A Whisper Of Autumn’s Magic…

Join me tomorrow for soap and more reuniting in the OC. Until then, stay safe, stay not wasting the autumnal sunshine by staying in the house, and stay never wasting a moment as long as you’re still here.

September 27, 2024 – A Final Battle With Sidwell, Soap Sliver, Tough Love, Boo Hoo, NYC T, In Development, Weekend Watch, Wheel Love, More To the Story, Sea Ghost, 7 Quotes Of Substance & September

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Felicia asks if there’s anything else they can do for Lulu, but Elizabeth says she thinks their only hope is for Anna and Jason to get back here with Lucky… now. Felicia asks what she’s saying, and Elizabeth tells her that Lulu is running out of time.

Sidwell asks if Holly doesn’t think he knows she was after the diamonds all along. Does she think he’d let her cheat him? She grabs his gun and aims it at him. She tells him to keep his hands off of her and don’t even think of calling for the guards. She asks if Lucky can get free and he says he’s way ahead of her. He asks if she knows where Jason and Anna are, and she says, same cell, but while she’s looking at Lucky, Sidwell gets the better of her and takes the gun. He and Lucky struggle over it, and Holly pinches the back of Sidwell’s neck like a Vulcan death grip. Lucky grabs the gun, but Sidwell grabs Holly and holds a knife to her side. He says, drop the gun, but Lucky says, can’t. He’s got somewhere he has to be. Sidwell says he doesn’t think so.

Anna says she and Jason are dying tonight and she hugs him. It looks like they’re about to kiss, but a clanging door distracts Jason. He listens for a moment, then grabs Anna’s face and kisses her. Two guards come, and one says, they’re saying goodbye. He opens the door and Jason looks at Anna. You can see the wheels spinning in both their heads.

Tracy walks into the stables, and Cody says, the only reason Sasha is here is because he invited her. Sasha says, that’s not true. She surprised him. He had no idea she was coming down here. He says, no. He’s in charge of the stables. It’s his responsibility. He shouldn’t have let it happen… Sasha says, no, stop, and Tracy says, anybody who’s not her, stop. A word of advice. In any interrogation, if you want to get to the truth quickly, you let the suspect speak. He will always eventually hang himself. Cody says he didn’t realize she spent a lot of time getting perps to sing, and Tracy says, another general rule. Do not apologize for anything until you know what you’re being accused of. Cody says, okay. Then tell them straight up. Is she going to fire Sasha? Because she should know if she does, he’s going to go too. And he’d be willing to bet she’s going to miss him, because he knows he’s going to miss her.

Sonny and Carly are at the MetroCourt, and she looks at her phone. He says, anything? but she says, nothing. It’s so weird. Martin walks in and goes to the bar. Sonny says, excuse him. He’ll be right back. He approaches Martin, who says he would have come by to say hi, but he saw the champagne and flowers and thought he could find a better time to interrupt. Sonny says he appreciates the thought. Has Martin seen Alexis today? Martin says he has. All things considered, she’s… coping? Sonny asks if they settled on a strategy, and Martin says he thinks so, but he thinks that’s best left between him and Alexis. Attorney/client privilege. Sonny says he’s paying Martin to get her out of Pentenville as soon as he can. And he would hope Martin would do whatever he can to make that happen. Martin says, whatever it takes. That’s the plan.

Also at the MetroCourt, Diane tells Robert that she met the new WSB station chief this morning, and he says, Jack Brennan? She says, he was chatting with Carly this morning when she walked into Bobbie’s. He asks what she thought, and she says she can’t say she’s that impressed. He was clearly trying to get some kind of information out of Carly, but she managed to scare him away with very little effort. He says, she’s disappointed, and she says, yeah, a little. Of course (🍷) she’s just glad he’s not somebody she has to spend time worrying about. He says, don’t be too sure on that.

On the phone in his office, Jack tells someone to wait for his order, when a woman (Colette) walks in. She asks, what order would that be? and he says, they got word that Jenz Sidwell is holding three US citizens hostage at his compound in Somalia. If the WSB doesn’t intervene now, Morgan and Devane aren’t going to make it out of there alive. Neither will Lucky Spencer. So he intends to give their escape a fighting chance. She says, with all due respect, he doesn’t have the authority to make that call.

Lucky says, Sidwell won’t do it, and Sidwell says, watch him. Last chance, and then she bleeds. Lucky slowly drops the gun, and Holly stomps on Sidwell’s foot. He lets her go, and he and Lucky struggle.

Two guards take Jason out of the cell, while another takes Anna out. Jason frees himself from their grip, and the fight is on, handcuffs or not. Anna pushes a guard into the cell, then struggles with him, while Jason fights the other two. Anna clamps her hand onto the guard’s face, then elbows his nose. He falls and she runs out. Jason tells her, go, but she runs toward him, and the guard literally picks her up from behind.

On the phone, Jack says, that’s right. Get them in the air… Yes, all of them. That area needs a little rain. Colette says, in all her years with the WSB, she’s never heard of a regional station chief calling in a dawn strike in East Africa. He says, if she sticks around, she may find that she uses the words never and unprecedented less than she has in her other postings. These are highly unusual circumstances. Sidwell and his plundering operation won’t be missed. She says, but they have no authority or formal request to be in that location. They have no treaty in place. They don’t even have a handshake agreement. He says, they’re not likely to get one now, and she says, what if the UN finds out that they took an unauthorized military action in East Africa? He says, then he’ll be tried for war crimes and his career, such as it is, will be over. She says, and hers? and he says, she’ll be fine. He’ll tell them she tried to stop him. (Drawing a heart on my notebook that says, JB + TK in the middle.)

Diane says she gets the impression that Jack Brennan is a low-level bureaucrat who was trying to get information out of Carly so he can use it to climb his career ladder, and Robert says, that’s what she’s supposed to think. She says, but in reality, he’s much more powerful and dangerous that that, and he says, smart and beautiful. She laughs.

On her phone, Carly says she’s sorry. Who are they? Deputy station chief? Sonny comes back, and she asks if she can talk to Chief Brennan. This is very, very important… What do they mean, he’s busy?… She understands that. Can they please ask him to call Carly Spencer as soon as possible? Thank you. Sonny asks, what’s wrong? and she says she thinks Anna and Jason are in trouble. He says, is Brennan going to get back to her? and she says she doesn’t know. Yesterday, she would have said yes, but she doesn’t know. She doesn’t know this guy. He tells her, just calm down, but she says, the calm ship has sailed. She has to figure this out. She’s sorry. She gets up, and he says, go, go. She kisses his cheek and leaves. Martin, Lucy and Natalia all notice.

Lucy tells Natalia, as she was saying, when Sonny came back from Nixon Falls, he and Carly, despite everything, tried to get back together. Natalia says, that sounds very adult to her, and Lucy says she guesses. The point is, does she know how many times they tried to get back together? She’s completely lost count. And every time they do, there’s some big drama, which is kind of who they are, but frankly, she finds the whole thing gets really boring after a while. Natalia says she thinks that’s usually how people feel if they’re not involved and just hearing about it, and Lucy says, true. So anyway, Sonny comes back from Nixon Falls… Sonny approaches the table from behind Natalia, and Natalia says, and what? Lucy tells Sonny, hi. It’s a lovely evening tonight, isn’t it? Natalia and Sonny smile at each other.

Felicia says she imagines Elizabeth has some feelings about Lucky coming home, and Elizabeth asks if he even considers Port Charles his home anymore. Felicia says she guesses they’ll find out soon enough. How does Elizabeth feel about Lucky coming to town? Elizabeth says she hasn’t sorted her feelings out yet, but she can say she’s nervous for Aiden. He doesn’t even know his dad, and Lucky certainly doesn’t know his son. Felicia asks if she thinks there’s a chance they’ll get to know each other while Lucky’s here, and Elizabeth says, possibly. She’s watched Jason and Danny bond. Although it helps that they’re into the same things. Felicia says, speed, fast things, extreme everything? and Elizabeth says, and for all those reasons Sam has double the same things to worry about when it comes to Danny. Felicia says, there’s always the possibility Jason might leave again, and Elizabeth says she wants to protect Aiden. But she also feels that if he wants to get to know his dad, he should have the chance to do that. Felicia says, then she might have to let Aiden and Lucky navigate this for themselves. Let Aiden figure out what kind of relationship he wants with his father. Elizabeth says she just hopes she doesn’t have to pick up the pieces.

Holly watches Sidwell and Lucky fight, when Sidwell headbutts Lucky. Lucky yells, Holly! but she’s gone. Sidwell gets Lucky down on the card table, and puts his hands around Lucky’s throat, saying, she left. He dies.

Jason and Anna are brought down some stairs to the courtyard. She wonders if Lucky made it out, and Jason says he gave him a chance. A guard tells them, on their knees, and they kneel down. The guards cock their guns.

Carly goes into Jack’s office and asks, why didn’t he call her back? Does he know if Anna and Jason are okay? Does he know if they’re safe? He points to his computer screen and says, see for herself. She asks what she’s looking at, and he says, satellite images. That’s Sidwell’s compound in East Africa. Take a mental snapshot because it’s not going to be there for long. Carly asks, what’s going to happen? and he says he got word her friends needed back-up. This was the best back-up he could get together in such short notice. He only hopes he’s in time. She says, he doesn’t know if he’s in time? and he says, not yet, no. They look at the screen, and he says, okay. This is it. See the long, rectangular building there? She says, yeah, and he says, watch closely. And three… two… one…

Jason and Anna hear the planes overhead, and there’s an explosion. Everyone is thrown to the ground and parts of the place are on fire.

Jason comes to and coughs. The guards wake up and one says, let’s go. They jet because this is above their paygrade, but one lies on the ground, presumably dead. Anna wakes up and Jason asks if she’s okay. She says, yeah. Him? He nods and takes the guard’s gun while she searches for the handcuff keys.

Tracy says, there’s no question she would miss Cody as well, which is one of the reasons why she’s not going to fire Sasha. For one, she couldn’t, because Monica would never let her. And in addition, Sasha makes the lightest pastry this side of Paris and she loves light pastry. Sasha thanks her, and Tracy says, now why is she here. She came to the unfortunate conclusion that her behavior around his family brunch was… unkind, unwarranted, and quite possibly and overreaction. Cody asks if she’s all right, and she says, of course (🍷). She’s fine. Doesn’t she look all right? Sasha says, she looks really good, and Tracy thanks her. She says she’s taking the advice of a friend who suggested she might want to… reevaluate her behavior, and Sasha says, it’s perfectly understandable. Tracy was upset that she hosted Cody’s family without her permission. Tracy says, she’s right, but it’s not that simple, and Cody asks, what’s going on with her? Tracy says she’s sure they’re both aware that she’s often at odds with her family. Which is the price she pays for being the sane one. But she digresses. When she came down to the boathouse and saw him so happily ensconced with his family, it really caught her off-guard. Cody says he’s really sorry, and she says she’s not going to bore them with the details of her journey to self-awareness. Suffice to say, she was wrong, and she’s so sorry.

Anna gets the handcuffs off Jason, and he asks if that’s who he thinks it is. She says, yeah, and heads up the stairs. At the top, she covers Jason as he follows. They go back inside.

Sonny says he didn’t mean to interrupt. He just thought he and Natalia could go over the plans for Deception. Lucy says, that’s a great idea. They’re finished anyway. He says he doesn’t want to kill the night. It’s just that they were supposed to go over the plans this morning, but it didn’t work out. He just saw her, so he thought he’d give it a shot. Natalia says, it’s fine, and so efficient, and he says, that’s a good thing, right? Lucy says, it’s a great thing. The best. She gets up, and Sonny tells her, have a good night. She says, you have a good night. Ta. She leaves and he sits down. Lucy goes over to Martin at the bar.

Jason and Anna come into the room where Sidwell is trying to strangle Lucky, and Jason hits Sidwell in the back of the head with the gun butt. Sidwell falls onto the table, and Anna asks if Lucky is all right. He says he’s fine, and she asks, where’s Holly? He says, no idea, and she calls Holly’s name. Jason says, they have to get out of here, but Lucky says, no. Just leave. Anna says, they have to get out of here before the whole place goes down, and she starts to search Sidwell. She grabs something off of him (a gun?) and they run out.

Natalia tells Sonny, here’s the thing. Over the years, she’s learned that there are two sure fire paths to misery. He says, only two? and she laughs. She says, one, never get involved with a married man, and he says he’s not married. She says, and two, never get involved with a man who’s involved with someone else. And with that in mind, what is going on with him and his ex-wife?

Tracy says she hopes they accept her apology, and Cody says, yes, of course (🍷). Sasha says, absolutely. That was very brave, and it meant a lot. Tracy says, while she’s at it, they do make a lovely couple, and Cody says, okay. She can stop now. It’s starting to freak him out a little. But thank you. He loves this job and she’s a big part of the reason why. She says, bigger than Comet? and he says, don’t make him lie to her face, but yes. In many ways, she’s made this life that he loves possible. He’s really grateful. Sasha says, they both are, and Tracy says she’s glad. Sometimes it can be very hard to find a place to call home. Cody says, it can. And sometimes you find someone, or someones, that make it a lot easier. Tracy says, that’s always the hope, isn’t it? and he says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he’s been working with her and her family for a while now, and he doesn’t think she’s at odds with them as much as she might think. She says, they have their good days. So get on with their evening and she’ll get on with hers. He says, she still owes him that backgammon game, and she says she’ll make time for him in her very busy schedule, and when she does, prepared to be schooled. He says, backgammon doesn’t really lend itself to taunting, and she says, it doesn’t. And get a room… with a door… that locks. She leaves and they laugh.

Elizabeth tells Felicia that she and Lucky only have a child together. That’s it. They’re done done. Felicia says she gets it. If Frisco were to parachute into town right now, she’d say the same thing. Elizabeth says, there you go, and Felicia says, because she loves her life, and she loves Mac, and she knows that it’s possible to move on. But it’s taken her years to get to that place. Elizabeth says, it’s been years for her and Lucky, and Felicia says, when Frisco left, she felt like she was losing a part of herself that she’d never get back. She was a mess, and she made one out of her life. She doesn’t know what would have happened if Frisco had come back before she got her life back together again. Elizabeth says she felt the same way when Lucky left. She probably would have fallen apart if it weren’t for her kids… and this place.

Lucy sits down and says, Martin looks absolutely fantastic. Whoever did his makeover should work for Crimson. It’s just so perfect. (For the record, he’s now clean-shaven, but I’m not sure I like it. I kinda liked the young Colonel Sanders look for him.) He thanks her, and she asks how long he’s been in Port Charles. He says, a few days. He was called in to represent Alexis Davis. She says, that is a tough one. So she guesses it’s kept her pretty busy. Is that why he hasn’t called her?

Robert tells Diane, Brennan plays a political game that he never could, and she says, meaning? He says, he comes across as a pushover, but make no mistake. He’s the real deal, a heavy hitter. She says she’s dealt with more than a few of those in her career, and he says, Brennan knows where all the bodies are buried. Why? Because he helped put more than a few of them there. She laughs and says she’s had experience with that type of personality, and he says he’s painfully aware that she’s a difficult woman to play. She tells him, some would say nearly impossible, and he says, but in Jack Brennan, she may have met her match. She says, hang on a second, counselor. She just has to powder her nose before he makes his closing argument.

Sonny says his relationship with Carly… Natalia says, complicated, and he says, they live separate lives that occasionally intersect. She asks if that’s what’s happening right now, when Diane comes over. She asks Sonny, where’s Carly?

Carly says, they bombed the compound. How do we know they got out safe? Jack says, the strike was to draw Sidwell’s men away from the building Anna and Jason were last seen entering. She says, what about Lucky? and he says, it’s believed he was being held there as well. Sidwell’s guards are paid mercenaries. They’ll be busy trying to get out of there and save themselves, and that should give their guys a chance to escape. She says, assuming they got out, how are they going to get out of the country? and he says, there’s a private WSB jet, fueled and ready to take off at an airstrip near the compound. She says, they have to get there on their own? and he says he’s done as much as he can. The rest is up to them. (Geez. What more does she want? Him to personally walk them to the plane?)

Jason, Anna, and Lucky go back down the stairs, and Lucky says, does anyone have a plan? They hear a horn blowing, and a jeep pulls up. Holly says, don’t just stand there. Get in. They get in, and Holly asks if they thought she was going to leave them there. Lucky says, yeah, and Holly says, where to? Anna says, the airfield, and Holly speeds away.

Sonny tells Diane that he did champagne and the whole thing, but Carly had to go, and Diane says, so he decided to replace her with Natalia Ramirez. He says, she’s his business associate, and Diane says she doesn’t care what Natalia actually is. She cares how it looks. He asks if it looked like they were talking, because that’s what they were doing, and she tells him that she said these exact words to Carly this morning. She doesn’t understand why the two of them aren’t doing everything in their power to solidify his alibi. He does realize Alexis is in prison. He says he doesn’t want Alexis in prison another minute. That’s why he got her a great lawyer. She says, so he understands her fate hangs in the balance, and he tells her that she doesn’t have to say that. She says, while Alexis is facing the prospect of life behind bars, he can’t seem to make it through even one dinner with his ex-wife, and he says, she had to go. Did Diane want him to chain her to the chair? He didn’t know what was going to happen next. She says, he understands his freedom relies on his alibi. So next time, he just might want to plan a little better. He says he knows, and she needs to know, without a doubt, Carly will not let him down. She says, he’d better pray she doesn’t, and leaves.

Elizabeth says she had to keep it together for her kids, and Felicia says, she’s fortunate that her family was there for her. Elizabeth says she is. Epiphany is the one who saved her. Epiphany taught her to put one foot in front of the other. Felicia says she wishes she’d worked here when Epiphany did, and Elizabeth says, she was amazing. She used to always remind them that they’re part of something bigger than just themselves. Felicia says, when you walk into this hospital, it’s tough not to feel that way, and Elizabeth says, and Epiphany never let them forget it. It didn’t matter how you felt when you walked through those doors. When you walked out, you always felt better. Felicia says, this job distracted her, and Elizabeth says, every day she would help people who were scared or vulnerable and she never realized at the time, she was actually helping herself. Then one day she got home from work and didn’t have that knot in her stomach, and she could breathe without that lump in her throat. It felt like she’d found herself. She doesn’t know if Lucky ever did that. She always felt that he was looking for something that was missing in himself. Felicia says she knows the feeling, and Elizabeth says, but things have changed. Maybe he’s changed. Felicia says she hopes so for his sake, and Elizabeth says she doesn’t know what it’s going to be like having Lucky back in town, but she’s just going to do what Epiphany taught her and put one foot in front of the other and just see what happens. Felicia says, she found her way through it once, and if she has to, she will again.

On the plane, Jason says, Lucky’s friend Isaiah is the reason they found him, and Lucky says he knew Isaiah would make it back to Port Charles. Anna gets up and groans, rubbing her back, and Holly asks, how bad is it? Anna says she could really use a hot bath, and Holly says, that makes two of us. Anna says, that was good work, grabbing that jeep, and Holly says she wasn’t going to walk out of there. Anna says, she could have driven off without them, but Holly says, they’ve settled this. She’s not going to be the one who tells Robert that Anna is dead. Also, she doesn’t think the WSB would have let her on this plane without Anna. Anna laughs and says she doesn’t think they would have either.

Anna goes over to Lucky and asks how he’s doing, and he says he owes them both. He doesn’t know how or if he can ever repay them, but will they take an IOU? Anna says, they weren’t the only ones. Doc and Laura were looking for him too. (Oh yeah. What happened to them?) Lucky says, what? Where are they looking? She says, his mother left before Isaiah came to town, so his last location, which was the refugee camp. He says, okay. It’s remote, but it’s out of the line of fire, so she should be safe. What can Anna tell him about Lulu?

On the phone, Jack says, thank you. He tells Carly, they made it to the plane and the wheels are up. He’s curious though. The pilot counted four passengers. She says she doesn’t know anything about a fourth passenger, and he says he guesses they’ll have to wait to find out who their mystery passenger is. She says, maybe it’s someone who helped them escape, and he says, whoever it is, let’s hope they’re a good luck charm and the plane makes it into international airspace. She asks where they are now, and he says, in prohibited airspace. If they’re spotted, the jet will most likely be brought down. She says, what? Why would that happen? He says, prohibited is prohibited. They’ll most likely be on the end of a surface to air missile. She asks if the people on the plane know this, and he says, the flight crew does. She says, and the other people? and he says, what good would it do if they did? It’s best to just let them breathe easy and pray they keep doing it. The pilot has done this many times before. He’ll do everything he can to fly them to safety.

Tracy sits down at a table in the MetroCourt, and at the bar, Martin tells Lucy, it’s true the case has been keeping him busy, but that isn’t why he hasn’t been in touch. She says, why then? and he tells her, like she said, he’s made a few changes. She says, he definitely has and it’s all good, and he says he learned a thing or two when he was out of town. She might even say he’s a new man. But make no mistake, this new version of him doesn’t want to spend time with her any more than the old one did.

Sonny says, to answer Natalia’s question, to be honest, he’s not involved with any of his exes or anybody else. But Carly will always be in his life. He knows that complicates things. She says she’s got her own complicated past to deal with, so who is she to judge? and he asks if that past is a problem now. She says, no, but the details of it tend to scare some people off. He says, she’s in luck because he’s not most people. (Ooh, I’m intrigued.)

Lucy says, no interest? and Martin says, none. She asks how he can say that to her. He says, it’s surprisingly easy, and she says she thought maybe they could let bygones be bygones. He says, they could, but one of the perks of self-improvement is knowing when to cut your losses, and she says, so this is the new and improved him, just cutting. He says, give his best to Scott Baldwin, and walks out. Lucy looks over at Tracy, who’s busy on her phone.

Sonny says, Natalia is asking a lot of questions about his personal life. Is there a reason for that? She says, no. As a matter of fact, his personal life is none of her business. He says, if there was a problem, he’d say something, and she says she appreciates that. That did just remind her of a third path to misery. He says, let him hear that, and she says, getting involved with a man you work with. She thanks him for the desert and the honesty. She tells him, goodnight, and leaves.

On the phone, Jack asks if they’re sure… Thank you. Carly says, just tell her, and he says, the plane just crossed into international airspace. She says, and they’re safe? and he says, they’ll be arriving in New York in the morning. She thanks him, throwing her arms around him and hugging him.

Two guards help Sidwell outside, and he says, they’re going after Holly. Find a car. One of the guards says, she’s probably dead, but Sidwell says, she’s not dead. She has his diamonds. Find a car.

On the plane, Holly picks up her tote bag and looks at the pile of diamonds inside. Jason comes by and sits across the aisle. She pretends to be trying to sleep.

Anna tells Lucky, Lulu has what’s called medically induced cirrhosis of the liver, which means obviously her liver is failing. He asks what they’re doing for her, and she says, they’re giving her dialysis daily. Because she’s been in a coma for so long, she’s not really eligible for the national donor registry. He says, so it has to be a family member. What about Nikolas? She says, he was a match, but for some reason, his liver wasn’t healthy enough to go through the transplant. He says, so he’s it, and she says, he is. Is there anything at all she can do for him? He says he needs to make a call, and she gives him her phone.

At the hospital, the phone rings. Elizabeth answers, 10th floor. Nurse Elizabeth Baldwin. After a pause, Lucky says, Elizabeth?

On Monday, Terry asks if any part of Lucky being back is a good thing for Elizabeth; Jack asks Robert how worried he should be about Holly Sutton; and Mac tells Holly that he doesn’t believe her.

🛀 Soap Bubbles…

What was wrong with the old Lucas? Now that Brad is back, will we circle that drain again?

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/atwts-van-hansis-is-the-new-lucas-on-general-hospital

Surprised me too, but I got the vibe it was a distraction of some kind.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/finola-hughes-opens-up-about-jason-and-annas-kiss-on-gh

In theaters today, but no doubt it will be streaming before you know it.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-tabyana-ali-cant-wait-for-you-to-see-her-new-movie

Aww!

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/watch-maurice-benard-surprise-his-wife-on-her-birthday

💎 And She’d Been Doing So Well…

It sounds like there must be more to this story, but I couldn’t find anything. Yet.

📉 Reaping What He’s Sown…

And so the karma begins.

🗽 Big Apple Picking Season…

They’re not all that impressive. I’ve heard better.

Details, details.

🌴 Selling Miami…

Fredrik can be a d-bag, but I’ve always found him entertaining. And I think the Miami vibe will be a bonus.

👀 Stuff To Watch…

Apartment 7A looks like a winner for me. My weekend plans included checking out The Penguin and Grotesquerie, along with the new episodes of From and Agatha All Along. So much streaming, so little time. If I could only stop that pesky need for sleep.

https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/streaming/9-new-movies-and-shows-to-watch-this-weekend-on-netflix-apple-tv-and-more-sept-27-29

https://www.billboard.com/culture/product-recommendations/what-to-watch-online-streaming-1235750113/

https://decider.com/2024/09/27/best-new-movies-shows-weekend-netflix-hulu-amazon-prime-hbo-september-27-2024/

👠 Her Time With the Wheel…

I know this is random, but I thought it was sweet. I’ve never actually watched Wheel of Fortune, but Vanna is a legend.

https://ew.com/vanna-white-wheel-of-fortune-does-not-need-her-but-fans-love-outfits-8715934

🦤 Fur and Feather Update…

The latest on Jennifer and her dogs🐶, Pesto the baby penguin🐧, and Moo Deng the baby pygmy hippo🦛. That livestream is going to break the internet. Who wouldn’t want to watch her?

https://people.com/how-jennifer-aniston-just-fell-in-love-with-first-dog-norman-during-joey-and-chandler-friends-scene-8718549

https://people.com/why-is-pesto-the-baby-penguin-so-big-aquarium-answers-8718471

https://people.com/how-to-livestream-moo-deng-baby-pygmy-hippo-from-thailand-8716444

🐡 Ready For the Season…

Yep. This is one creepy fish. Last year, the day after Halloween, five – I kid you not, five – buzzards were sitting on my neighbor’s roof. I was like, where were you last night?

https://people.com/new-species-of-ghost-shark-discovered-pacific-ocean-8717383

🐐 Quotes of the Week

For it’s not light that is needed, but fire; it’s not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind and the earthquake in our hearts. – Frederick Douglass

Elegance is not standing out, but being remembered. – Giorgio Armani

We can’t be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that you are in, but if you never venture out of it, you will never know that there is such a thing as an ocean, a sea. Holding onto something that is good for you now, may be the very reason why you don’t have something better. – C JoyBell C

Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable. – Theodore Vail

Make a pact with yourself today to not be defined by your past. Sometimes the greatest thing to come out of all your hard work isn’t what you get for it, but what you become for it. Shake things up today! Be You…Be Free…Share. – Steve Maraboli

We do not remember days, we remember moments. The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten. – Cesare Pavese

If it was a horror movie, she’d be the first one to die. – Rory, 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days

🍂 Gold In Autumn’s Pocket…

Hunker down if you’re in bad weather’s path, or if not, venture out and do some leaf peeping. Then come back on Monday for soap and what to watch (or not). The Med Deck is done, although there’s one of those never-before-seen shows on Deck if you’re so inclined. Until then, stay safe (extra safe if you’re in the aforementioned path); stay making an effort to do the right thing, regardless of other people’s behavior; and stay never apologizing for anything until you know what you’re being accused of.

September 19, 2024 – Anna Steals Sidwell’s Phone, Reunited, An Open Book, A Cloud Over the OC, Full Circle, Trick Or Tasty, Modern Gods, Working Hippo, Donate & Dogs

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Dante asks if Isaiah wants company, and Isaiah says, that depends on who he is. Dante introduces himself, and says, Lucky is his ex-brother-in-law. He was married to Lucky’s sister Lulu. Isaiah introduces himself, and says, Lucky is the best friend he’s ever had. He heard about Lulu’s condition. He’s sorry. Family wasn’t Lucky’s favorite topic, but it was clear he loved his sister. If he knew she needed him, he’d move heaven and earth to get home.

Going into Lulu’s room, Cyrus asks, how’s his favorite niece? He knows he’s not being fair and deserves to be called out for how long it took him to see her since she was moved to GH. He had good reason. He provides comfort to the needy and he’s been trying to help others. He knows it’s hard to believe, but he’s trying to be a better person. The jury’s still out.

Josslyn gets Jordan’s takeout order at Bobbie’s, and Jordan says, it’s not for her. She thought Isaiah could use a break from hospital food. Josslyn says, they appreciate the lead about Lucky and hope Lulu hangs on. Jordan says, where Lucky is and who he’s with, he’s not going to be easy to find or bring home, and Josslyn says, Jason and Anna are on their way to find him. Jordan says she doesn’t know Jason well, but she’d put her life in Anna’s hands any day of the week.

Sidwell and Holly are in a secret gambling establishment resembling something in Monte Carlo where everyone is dressed in formal attire. They have a champagne toast, and Sidwell says, only an extraordinary woman could put up with such primitive conditions. Holly says, he’s worth it, and he says, it won’t be much longer, and they’ll be off top Dubai. She says she’s enjoying this last-minute excursion, and he says, it’s difficult to find if you don’t know where to look. She says, he always knows where to look for everything, and she notices Jason and Anna sitting at a table across the room.

Anna orders champagne and Jason orders, beer, bottled. Anna says she thinks Brennan’s intel was spot on. They see Sidwell and Holly, and Anna says, that must be Sidwell’s girlfriend. Why is she not surprised? Jason says, Holly? and she says, yeah. When Isaiah said he called his girlfriend English, it didn’t occur to her that it was Holly, but it makes perfect sense for her to be involved with someone like Sidwell. Jason wonders if they caught a break, but Anna says, not necessarily. He asks if she doesn’t think Holly would want to help, and she says, Holly’s signature goal is to help herself.

Cyrus says he never intended to neglect Lulu, but he’s sure she’s had a lot of visitors. This is a nice change from the long-term care facility, but he wishes the reason for the transfer was more positive. He’s sorry he’s not able to be a donor, but that doesn’t mean he’s not here for her. Family never abandons family, no exceptions. (Ah, if only that were true IRL.)

Jordan tells Josslyn that she’s sorry. She knows what her family went through when she was waiting for a transplant. Josslyn says, they’re trying to hold on to hope, as long as Lucky is still out there, and Lulu is still breathing. Jodan says, hope is everything, and Josslyn says, organ donations are amazing. Jordan says, it’s the most generous donation and a debt to be honored and make good on. Josslyn says, it’s an incredible gift and makes you want to live life to the fullest to make the sacrifice worth it. Jordan says, Josslyn is doing a great job, and Josslyn says, her too. The food comes, and Josslyn says, Jordan’s money is no good. Isaiah’s meals are on the house for years and so are hers. Jordan thanks her and leaves with the to-go bag.

Dante says he wanted to talk to someone who’d been with Lucky, and Isaiah says, he could still be there, but operations were winding down at the site. Dante asks how he and Lucky met, and Isaiah says, Lucky was doing security for humanitarian organizations, but most of them aren’t strip mining. Dante says, that attracts a certain person, and Isaiah says, a ruthless and powerful one. He was coerced into treating Jenz Sidwell. He wasn’t sick, but he’s vigilant and paranoid. He was given the option to take a position or be killed, so he took the position. Even though he didn’t ask, Lucky decided to rescue him, but when they escaped, he was the only one who got out. Dante says, they’ve sent help, and Isaiah says, if Lucky will wait for it. Dante says, it’s not his style, but if anyone can get out of that mess, it’s Lucky.

Cyrus says he knows he bears the responsibility for Lulu being here. He was in such a dark place and made terrible choices, but he never meant for this to happen. If that snake Julian hadn’t botched the job… Julian is the one responsible for Lulu being taken away from her loved ones. He’s so sorry. He knows the pain of being kept from your family, but what’s here is worse. She’s caught between two worlds, and it’s not fair or natural. He puts a daisy near her hand and says, people gave up on him, but he won’t give up on her. Somehow, he will help her. He leaves.

Ric and Elizabeth go to Bobbie’s, and he says he appreciates her allowing him to buy her coffee. She says she’s just glad they’re not at the PCPD, and he thanks her for helping him interpret the lab results. She says she doesn’t understand. The differences are staggering and problematic. She’ll send the sample out to different labs if Heather is willing to cooperate. He says, Heather will do anything to have a relationship with her grandson. He identifies with that sentiment. She says she knows, and he wonders if they’ll graduate from coffee. He understands it might take a while, but she says, the speed doesn’t matter. They’re not going anywhere.

Isaiah asks if Lucky and Lulu have always attracted this type of loyalty. Several people are traveling to Africa to find Lucky, and there’s a line outside Lulu’s door, including her ex. Dante says, they have a son Rocco, and Isaiah says, so he’s here for Rocco, but Dante says, and Lulu. Not that she knows he’s here. Isaiah says he’s heard stories about patients hearing loved ones while they’re in a coma and he’s had patients say they loved the music he played during surgeries. Miracles aren’t scientifically proven, but he believes in them. Dante asks what kind of surgery he did, and Isaiah says he’s a transplant surgeon. Dante asks if he’s any good, and Isaiah says he thought he was. Lucky is a great match for Lulu. Full siblings usually are. The one thing that might be a difficulty is the condition of his liver. Dante asks if he thinks it will be a problem, and Isaiah says, Lucky drank beer on occasion, but if there’s anything he knows, it’s that anything is possible.

Looking at Anna, Sidwell says he’s never seen her. And that’s not the kind of woman you’d forget. Holly says she’s sitting right here, and he says, she pales in comparison to Holly. She says, too little too late, and he asks if he can earn her forgiveness with the sparkling things she loves. She says, how sparkling? and he says, very. He wonders who Jason and Anna are, and says, perhaps they should invite them over. Holly says she thought this was a private celebration, but he says, there’s plenty of time for that. She says, fine. If he’s so keen on making friends, she’ll order another bottle and make new friends. He says he loves that she’s possessive. He doesn’t like to share things.

Jason says he thought Anna and Holly were friends, and she says, sometimes. It’s complicated. It’s possible Holly’s interests don’t align with theirs. He asks if she doesn’t think Holly would be interested in saving Lulu’s life, and Anna says, yeah, but in her bones, Holly is a con woman. The odds that she’s pulling a con now are extremely high. He says he wonders if she knows Lucky was being held at the compound, and she says she’d like to believe if Holly knew, she’d try to get the word out. She’s resourceful. He says, so are they. Should they hit the tables? Anna says, yes. It’s time she bumped into an old friend.

Holly tells Sidwell that a spot opened up at the tables, and Sidwell takes the seat. Anna says she guesses an old friend just screwed them.

Josslyn brings over a plate of fries, telling Elizabeth that she made too many. Ric says, he may be jealous, and Elizabeth says, of French fries? but he says, she accepted food from Josslyn, but not him. She says, his food comes with questions and hopes. He should know where she stands about a romantic relationship. He says he knows, he’s just not clear on why. She says she had a hard time moving on from losing Franco. Her relationship with Finn was rock solid, or so she thought. It ended badly, and she doesn’t want to do that again to herself or her kids. He asks, who says it will end badly? and she says, odds, history, life… He says, sorry about Finn. He can beat him up. Elizabeth says, he went to rehab and she’s sure he’s beating himself up enough. Ric says, he should be. He can say that because he’s been there.

Anna says she shouldn’t be disappointed or surprised. Holly will make things interesting. Jason says, they need a new strategy, and she says, they can’t come directly at Sidwell. They’ll have to find a different way to get Lucky’s location. He says, what about Sidwell’s phone? and she says, it should have the information to find Lucky. If they can get his phone, she can copy the chip with the device Brennan gave her. Sidwell’s phone rings, and they watch as he takes it out of his pocket, then puts it back when he’s finished. Anna says she has to grab his phone, but she needs Jason’s help to do it.

Gio goes into Bobbie’s and asks Josslyn if it’s okay for him to sit at the counter. Josslyn says, of course (🍷). Why wouldn’t it be? He says he didn’t know if she was still upset, and she says she’d be doing a lousy job if she didn’t serve anyone who’d pissed her off. He orders a BLT and says he’s really sorry. He shouldn’t have said that stuff about Uncle Sonny and her mom. Josslyn asks if he means them sleeping together. He doesn’t need to apologize. It wasn’t the best news to get, but she’s glad she got it. He says, they don’t even know if anything happened. Tracy was ranting about it, but she rants about everything. Josslyn says, this time, she was ranting about something real, and he says, are they…? She says she doesn’t know what they are, but they’re something.

Dante sees the flower on Lulu’s bed, picks it up, and leaves. He stops a nurse and says he found this in Lulu’s room. Does she know who left it? She says she just came on shift, and he says he doesn’t want random people visiting his ex-wife. She says she’ll alert security, and leaves. Rocco comes out of the elevator, and Dante asks, what’s going on? What is he doing here? Rocco says he needed to see his mom.

Cyrus goes to Isaiah’s room and says, he’s awake. He thought he heard the doctor say he was unconscious. Isaiah asks if he’s a surgeon, and Cyrus says he visits patients to provide spiritual comfort and pray with them if they want. He was just visiting Lulu. Isaiah says, Spencer? Her ex was just here. Cyrus asks if he can get Isaiah anything. He’ll be happy to pray with him if he likes. Isaiah says he’s not religious, and Cyrus says, understood. Isiah says he knows he prays when the Bills play, and Cyrus says, he must pray a great deal. Isaiah asks if he’s a Giants fan, but Cyrus says, Seahawks. Isaiah asks if he needs to remind Cyrus about the Seahawks/Patriots game, but Cyrus says, it’s still too fresh.

Dante asks how Rocco got here, and Rocco says he asked Matt’s mom to drop him off. Dante asks if Sam knows, and Rocco says he told her that Dante asked to meet him at the hospital. Dante says, that’s not true, and Rocco asks if he’s mad. Dante says he doesn’t like Rocco lying, but he can’t wander around with them not knowing where he is. Rocco says he had to come. He’s the only one who hasn’t seen her since she transferred to GH. It’s not fair. Dante says he’s sorry. Rocco can come anytime. Just let them know. Why did he feel he couldn’t tell the truth? Rocco says he thought Dante didn’t want him to see his mom and he’s been more worried than usual. Dante says he’s trying to be strong for Rocco, and Rocco says, Dante has been keeping everyone together. Dante says, Rocco has the right to know what’s going on with his mom, and Rocco asks if it’s bad. Dante says, since she was transferred, she’s gotten sicker. He wants Rocco to be prepared. Rocco asks if Dante will go in with him, and Dante says he will.

Gio asks if Carly said she and Sonny were together, and Josslyn tells him, she said they were involved… whatever that means. Gio says he heard their last split wasn’t friendly. She doesn’t have to tell him anything. She says, it’s not a secret. Sonny disappeared for months and when he came back, he said he was in love with another woman. She gets the impression Gio only hears good stories about Sonny or what he wants to believe. But no matter what they think, Sonny and her mom are like a rubber band. No matter how far they’re pulled apart, inevitably, something happens, and they snap back together. He says, it’s romantic, and she says, it would be if it wasn’t toxic. He says, her mom is smart and successful. He wouldn’t have pegged her as a victim. Josslyn says, she’s not, and he asks why she keeps going back. She says she doesn’t know.  That’s what drives her crazy. He says, maybe she shouldn’t let it.

Cyrus tells Isaiah that Lulu is his niece. His sister is Lulu and Lucky’s mother. She’s formidable and wonderful, and she happens to be mayor. Isaiah says, formidable and wonderful sounds like the Deputy Mayor. She saved his life. Cyrus says, thank the Lord, and Jordan walks in. She says, he can thank Him somewhere else. Out. Now. Cyrus says, nice chatting with Isaiah, and leaves.

A seat opens up next to Sidwell, and Anna says, it’s time for Jason to put his poker face to good use. Nab the seat, and she’ll come over to wish him good luck. She’ll lift the phone, copy the chip, and put the phone back. He asks how long she needs, and she says, it’s going to take some time. He says, it’s a lot to pull off with the security cameras and bodyguards, but she tells him, just stay in the game or they’ll be done for. He can’t lose to quickly. Don’t worry. The WSB will pay his bet. He says he can pay his own. Shall we?

A woman takes the seat next to Sidwell, and Anna tells Jason, hang on. She goes over to a man near the bar and says she hopes his friend had better luck than the previous player. She lost everything. The man goes over to the table, whispers something to the woman, and she leaves. Jason sits down and tells the dealer, 50,000. He moves Sidwell’s champagne glass to the other side, and Sidwell says, that was his drink. Jason says he’s sorry, and signals for a server. He assumed the champagne was for the lady. His mistake. The server brings over a new glass, but Jason knocks it off the tray. Some of it spills on Sidwell’s jacket, and Jason says he’s sorry. The woman’s friend tells Anna, she wasn’t kidding. That chair is jinxed. Jason says he’s sure Sidwell doesn’t want to play wet, and Sidwell takes off his jacket. A guard helps to put it on the back of his chair, and Sidwell says, a little spill won’t stop him from clearing out Jason’s bank account. Deal. Jason looks at Anna.

Josslyn follows Gio outside and says, he had a point. She loves and respects her mom and will never understand why she runs back to Sonny. But it’s not her choice to make.

Ric asks if there’s any exception to a romantic relationship with them sometime down the road, and Elizabeth says, no. He says he accepts that and respects her wishes, and she says, if he’s just saying that to bide his time until the next time he asks, please don’t. She has shields up. He says, she doesn’t have to shield herself from him. Other than Molly, she’s the one person he cares about and would do anything for, even if it means leaving her alone.

Isaiah asks, what just happened? and Jordan says, stay away from him. He’s a dangerous man who’s done horrible things. He says, to her? and she says, and to the people she cares about. She used to be in the DEA and went undercover to infiltrate his drug organization. They nailed him and he went to prison. In return, he killed two agents and attempted to kill another one. Isaiah says, he said he was visiting his niece Lulu, and she asks if he told Isaiah that he was the one who ordered the explosion that put her in a coma. Isaiah says, he left that part out, and she says, there’s nothing she wanted more than to take him down. She thought she’d be the one, but she failed. Isaiah says, if you fail people, they die. He gets that equation. Is that food for him or is that delicious smell for torture? She says, for him. She’s not that heartless. He says, she shouldn’t have, and they laugh.

Rocco says, she still looks like mom, and Dante says, she still is his mom. He suggests Rocco say something, and Rocco asks what he should say. Dante tells him to say what he wants, and Rocco sits next to Lulu’s bad. He says, Jason went to Africa to find Uncle Lucky. She has to hold on until he gets back. He knows it’s hard and she’s probably tired, but she can have some of his strength. He’ll be strong for both of them.

At the bar, Holly quietly says she hasn’t told Sidwell that she and Anna know each other, and Anna says, that much is blatantly obvious. Anna goes over to Jason, wishes him luck, and lifts Sidwell’s phone. She leaves, and Holly watches. Jason looks at his cards.

Isaiah tells Jordan that she can have some fries as a reward. He’ll have to get used to her being Wonder Woman. She asks if he can find a way to pay her off, and he says, one French fry at a time.

Elizabeth says, Ric doesn’t have to completely leave her alone. She has the bandwidth for a friend. She doesn’t know about him, but she could use one. He says he’s honored to take the title. He’ll take what he can get with her. Can he have a French fry? She asks if he means a friend fry, and he says, that’s bad. They laugh. (Today’s theme: French fries.)

Dante suggests Rocco tell Lulu about school, and Rocco says he has a teacher who’s a real try-hard, but he thinks they’ll be okay once they loosen up. He’s got a new unit in science and Abby Samuelson is his partner. She checked him out the other day. Dante puts his hand on Rocco’s shoulder.

Sidwell puts more chips in the pot and looks at Jason. Jason puts in more, and Sidwell says, this club and its patrons frown upon those who don’t honor their bets. The penalty is quite severe on the rare occasion it happens. Jason looks over at the guard, who moves his jacket so that Jason sees his gun. Jason says, understood, and Sidwell says, a straight flush, laying down his cards.

In a darkened hallway, Anna loads her gun, and Holly says, excuse me. Anna seems to have her hands on a phone that doesn’t belong to her.

Tomorrow, Nina tells Drew that it’s time to turn over the reins of Aurora; Ned tells Michael that he can find him; and Sidwell says he doesn’t cheat, but Jason says he doesn’t lie.

🫂 Feeling Fraternal Again…

The second guy this year who came back with an ages old grudge against Sonny.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/rick-hearst-on-reuniting-with-maurice-benard-on-gh

👬🏻 That Boy Is a Monster…

I don’t know as I’d call this a period piece. True, the 90s were before we became dependent on electronics, but I think of a period piece as more of a costume drama. I realize I’m being some kind of nitpicky. This looks excellent.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/nicholas-chavez-opens-up-about-playing-lyle-menendez-in-monsters

🍊 Follow the Bouncing Orange…

Yep. I ask myself the same question every time. Why am I watching this? It might not be as bad without Alexis in the mix, but hopefully I’ll feel it was worth it when Johnny J. dumps her. Fancy Pants Heather was co-presenter with Meredith Marks at the GLAAD Media Awards. No surprise, for Outstanding Reality Competition. In Alexis’s interview, she talked about being here to create a world that was loving, kind, and accepting. Here’s where I look at the camera like Jim from The Office. Does she ever hear herself and understand how hypocritical she is?

Vicki and Shannon rehearsed for the Dos Amigas at a comedy club. Brava to them for hanging onto their side gig despite Tamra leaving them high and dry. I get her reasons, but it is an income source. What we saw of the show was a Q&A with Shannon and Vicki, and a musical number where they were wearing little hats, like the Men On Films guys on In Living Color. Too bad I wasn’t watching that. Now that was a fun show.

Emily had enough of Alexis, saying in her interview that Alexis was annoying and looney, which is a perfect description. Jenn had an evening get together with the group – minus Shannon, who was with Vicki – at Ryan’s big ass house. Jenn has several cute dogs, one of which looks like a Pekingese mix, which would have been my comfort focus had I been at this gathering. It wasn’t long before Emily brought up her issues with Heather’s fashion event last week. Emily noticed that she was the only one asked to bring her own jeans and felt singled out. Even worse though, was that she and Alexis were given the same dress to wear. I dunno about the jeans, but I’d be pissed if I was the only one in a fashion show who wore the same thing as another model. It’s like seeing someone in the same dress as you at the prom.

Emily had legitimate gripes, and it wasn’t like she said Fancy Pants did it on purpose personally, but Fancy Pants immediately went on the defense. In Katie’s interview, she hit the nail on the head when she said, anytime Heather was viewed as less than perfect, she got defensive. Fancy Pants said she wasn’t the one who doled out the details, which was true, but IMO, she should still bear some responsibility for how Emily was treated by the staff. Or at the very least, just say she’s sorry and it shouldn’t have happened. I have to add, too, Emily was informed that a jacket she was given was oversized about 12 times. Fancy Pants whined that Emily was blaming her and it wasn’t the worst thing in the world.

Before Emily could even attempt to get her point across, Alexis jumped in and wailed that Emily was blaming her. Huh? Adding insult to injury, in Alexis’s interview, she as much as said she couldn’t help being thinner and prettier than Emily. In Katie’s interview, she said, maybe she should have gone to Shannon’s show instead. She added that instead of listening, apologizing, and moving on, Fancy Pants made it about herself. Fancy Pants had nothing on Alexis though, who went into full spiral mode, crying that she was already a broken bird. Another look at the camera. She screeched that Emily had dragged her into this when she’d clearly dragged herself in. In Tamra’s interview, she said, Heather didn’t single Emily out to fat shame her, proving she also wasn’t listening to what Emily said.

Fancy Pants refused to discuss the issue with Emily because apparently the feelings of a Snuffleupagus don’t count. Alexis would not stop ranting about how she was being blamed, and no matter how many times Emily told her to STFU, she wouldn’t. Gina said it was like there was a cloud over the group, but when hasn’t there been? The only difference is, this season, the cloud is named Alexis.

https://people.com/rhoc-recap-emily-simpson-calls-out-heather-dubrow-for-giving-her-size-12-clothes-8715653

⚰️  Another Day Another Dead…

A puppy needs to earn Daryl’s love? What? It took Dog all of ten seconds.

https://ew.com/walking-dead-daryl-dixon-book-of-carol-norman-reedus-melissa-mcbride-cover-story-8713756

🎃 Cooking Up Some Halloween…

Those who can’t do watch other people doing it. Two of my favorite seasonal treats are Halloween Wars and Halloween Baking Championship. The creations are absolutely magnificent, and I actually get a little depressed when the season is over.

https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/halloween-wars

https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/halloween-wars/meet-the-teams-competing-on-halloween-wars–season-14

https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/halloween-baking-championship

https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/halloween-baking-championship/photos/meet-the-competitors-of-halloween-baking-championship-season-10

☄️ Something Else To Watch…

I started watching Kaos last weekend, and it’s a lot of fun. I love Jeff Goldblum as the narcissistic Zues, pouting because he’s not being worshipped enough. However, Dionysus (Nabhaan Rizwan) is my favorite character, the god of all things frivolous who wants a promotion to a more serious position.  His adoption of a kitten who he brings with him everywhere didn’t hurt either.

https://www.cbr.com/kaos-gods-myths-explained/

The cast overall is stellar.

https://www.thewrap.com/kaos-cast-characters-gods-netflix/

🦛 Move Over Doug…

You can’t blame her really.

https://people.com/viral-baby-pygmy-hippo-moo-deng-working-on-patent-8715387

🌼 Welcoming Summer’s Ghost…

Join me tomorrow for soap and a Friday foray into entertainment. Until then, stay safe: stay investing in wardrobe pieces like coats and boots, and not trendy items (get those at Old Navy); and stay considering being an organ donor. It’s the most generous donation.

https://www.organdonor.gov/