Tag Archives: New York City

January 24, 2023 – Josslyn Begs Cameron To Stay Silent About Dex, Kristina’s Pal, Opening Up, Anniversary Watch Party, No Snooki, Academy Picks & the City

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Dex goes in to see Sonny, and says, sorry for interrupting. Sonny says, as long as Dex knows, it’s always family first, and Dex says he does. Sonny asks what Dex has to tell him, and Dex says, Sonny told him to stay away from Josslyn, but he couldn’t.

Josslyn asks Cameron not to tell anybody about her and Dex, and he says, excuse me? Josslyn dumps him for Dex, and expects him to keep his mouth shut? She says, please, it has to stay a secret, and he asks, why? Because she’s ashamed of what she did? She says, no, because she’s afraid of what Sonny could do if he finds out.

Sam meets Maxie at The Savoy, and apologizes for being late. Maxie says she’s just glad Sam is there. It’s important for them to make time for each other when they can. Sam says, Maxie’s thinking of Britt, and Maxie says, yeah, and all the times she wanted to text Britt to just hang out or go shopping. But Britt was really busy, so there were a lot of texts never sent. When Sam’s name came up in her phone, she thought she’d really like to see her friend. Sam says, it’s good to see Maxie too.

Laura says, tell her what’s going on, and Elizabeth says, her mother is in town. Laura asks, why? Does Elizabeth think she wants to make almonds amends? Elizabeth says, apparently, that’s just a bonus. She’s here to consult on a patient. Laura says, and Elizabeth doesn’t believe her, but Elizabeth says she doesn’t know. After everything her mom and her dad have done, can she risk trusting her? Laura asks if her mom deliberately tried to get in touch with her, and Elizabeth says she thinks Carolyn just ran into her by accident. When they talked, she seemed sincere about wanting to make up for all the harm she caused, the lost time… It’s just that… Laura says, it’s just that with their history, it’s hard for Elizabeth to trust her, and Elizabeth says, exactly. Laura says she’s sorry. Unfortunately, she’s starting to feel that way about Nikolas.

Carolyn says she came all the way from Monterey because Nikolas said her daughter was in trouble and needs her help. Nikolas says, it’s true. He trusts she hasn’t told anybody about her trip, especially Elizabeth, and she says she hadn’t, but she ran into her daughter at Kelly’s. He asks what Elizabeth said, and Carolyn says she did as he asked and didn’t tell Lizzie about his phone call; just that she was here to consult on a case. He says he knew he could count on her discretion, and asks if she’d like a drink. She tells him, no thank you, but he could answer her question. What’s going on with Lizzie? What kind of trouble is her daughter in?

Paris, France. Valentin and Anna go into a monastery, and a monk asks if he can help them. Anna apologizes for it being late, and says, they’ve been reading about this ancient monastery, and the history is fascinating. Anna tells the monk that they’re going to pray, and she and Valentin kneel down by the altar. The monk leaves, and Anna says, if Valentin’s friend Renee doesn’t show, they’ll have to pray for a miracle. They’re running out of time to find Lucy before it’s too late.

Elizabeth asks what Nikolas did this time, and Laura says, he wants her to side with him when he sues Esme for full custody of her baby. She asks if it’s hard for Elizabeth to hear this stuff when she was recently involved with him, but Elizabeth says, no. What happened was… It ended as quickly as it began. They’re back to being friends. Laura says she’s glad to hear that. Nikolas needs all the friends he can get right now. Elizabeth says she knows the feeling, and Laura says she’s glad Elizabeth reached out to her. Would Elizabeth like her to talk to Carolyn; find out why she showed up suddenly after all these years, especially after Elizabeth told her that she didn’t want anything to do with her or Jeff? Elizabeth thanks her, but says, her mom is an expert at mind games. She played them on Elizabeth as a teenager, and she’s still dealing with the consequences. Laura says, Elizabeth knows she’s a part of her family too, right? and Elizabeth says, Laura is the mom she always wished she had. Laura takes her hand, and Elizabeth says, her birth mom wants back into her life, and she keeps asking herself, should she give Carolyn another chance?

Nikolas tells Carolyn, Elizabeth’s troubles started long before she came to Port Charles. Or does he have to remind Carolyn how young her daughter was when she and Jeff cut her loose to save their marriage? She asks if that’s what Elizabeth told him, and he says, yes. He and Elizabeth have been good friends; they tell each other everything. Elizabeth told him all about her dad’s unfortunate affair when he was supposed to be serving humanity out there in the Pacific. She says, Jeff’s not perfect, and neither is she, and Nikolas says, Elizabeth also told him about the unintended consequences that led to the death of Hamilton Finn’s wife Reiko. And how Carolyn used her skills as a psychiatrist to suppress Elizabeth’s memory of the incident. If she really wants to help her daughter, she’ll stop asking him questions, and do exactly as he says.

Maxie tells Sam, everything is set for Britt’s memorial. She’s sure if it were up to Britt, it would be another bash like her birthday. Sam says she heard it was legendary, and Maxie says, beyond. The drag emcee and shirtless waiters were just the beginning. She realizes now that Britt meant for it to be a goodbye party. Britt was diagnosed with Huntington’s disease. She knew she was terminal… She should have had more time, years more. Sam hopes it’s some consolation that Britt died saving someone’s life, but Maxie says, the only consolation will be when the police identify The Hook, and send them to jail for the rest of time. Which got her thinking, has Dante shared any details from the police investigation with Sam? Sam asks if Mac has shared any details of the investigation with Maxie, and Maxie says, Mac never shares any details of police investigations with her… but she’s sure he shares them with her mom, because they’re a couple and he trusts her. And with a high stress job like that, you need someone to confide in. Sam and Dante are a couple, which gets her thinking… Sam says, most of the time, Maxie would be wrong, and Maxie says, and this time? Sam says, Maxie’s right. She and Dante are working together.

Anna tells Valentin, they can’t wait any longer. If the entrance to the catacombs is somewhere here, they have to find it themselves. He says, they have to wait for Renee. She’s not that late; she’ll be here. She’s a cataphile. She knows the catacombs better than anyone he’s ever met. Anna asks, what is it about her? Is it her knowledge of the catacombs that fascinates him, or is it the history they share? He says he was another man; that was another life. He took huge risks, and made large amounts of money illegally for a lot of people, including Renee. He can’t say he regrets that time in his life because it was a lot better than the one he had previously. She says, and now he’s revisiting it, when Renee says, there they are. Have they brought everything they need? Anna says, everything they need is in that backpack, and in French, Renee asks Valentin if he has everything he needs. The monk comes back, and Renee says, they won’t be long; she promises. She takes Valentin’s arm, and says, they may have to find their way in the dark.

Sonny asks Dex to explain why he couldn’t stay away from Josslyn, and Dex says, on New Year’s Eve, he was crossing Pier 55, and heard the signs of a struggle. He went to check it out, and found Josslyn on the ground, and a woman who turned out to be Britt Westbourne struggling with The Hook. Sonny says, go on, and Dex says he took a shot. It was a bad angle, and he didn’t want to risk hitting Dr. Westbourne, but the attacker dropped her weapon and took off. He went to check on Josslyn; she was shaken up, but not injured. Dr. Westbourne said she was okay. She must not have realized she’d been hit. Sonny says, so this happened New Year’s Eve. Why is he just hearing about it now?

Josslyn tells Cameron that Sonny told Dex to keep his distance from her. If Sonny finds out they’ve been seeing each other… Sonny prides himself on having his own code. If you break that code, you pay with your life. Cameron asks if what she’s saying is, she wants him to keep his mouth shut to save the neck of her new boyfriend, but she says she’s asking him to save a life. It’s Dex’s life, and she understands, but she knows Cameron. He would never deliberately hurt somebody else just for the sake of payback. He says, maybe she doesn’t know him as well as she thinks.

Carolyn says she won’t allow Nikolas to question her motives. She came all the way across the country to help her daughter; nothing more, nothing less. She knew there was a chance that Lizzie wouldn’t even talk to her, but that’s between her daughter and her. He says, first of all, no one in Elizabeth’s life calls her Lizzie; no one. And second, Elizabeth’s fate and his are intertwined. They’ve played a pivotal role in each other’s lives for decades. Can Carolyn say that? She says she has the feeling if he and Elizabeth are having a problem, he’s the one to blame, not her daughter. He says he’s not going to deny that, because she’s right, but he and Elizabeth are well past the place of pointing fingers. They’re both in trouble. End of story. Unless Carolyn chooses to act, and she acts now. Or was she just lying when she said she wanted to help? She asks what he wants her to do, and he says, years ago, she went to great lengths to protect Elizabeth, or so she said. Use those same skills to save her daughter before it’s too late.

Elizabeth tells Laura that Carolyn seems to genuinely regret the choices she made. It’s not like Elizabeth has never crossed a line or done something she’s regretted. Laura says, welcome to the club. It’s called being human. The important thing is, you just can’t let your past mistakes determine your future. Elizabeth asks if that same standard shouldn’t apply to her mom, and Laura says, yeah. Let’s start by assuming her mother is sincere and just wants a fresh start with her. Does Elizabeth think she could meet her halfway, and begin the healing process? Elizabeth says she’s always dreamed of her boys knowing their grandparents, and Laura asks, what stops her? Elizabeth says, at what point can she let go of the past, and actually forgive her parents?

Josslyn tells Cameron that she understands. She didn’t handle this situation the right way. She’s given him every reason to hate her, but she can’t believe he’d stand around and let Sonny blame it all on Dex. He says, she is so selfish. She totally broke his heart, but he thought, at least she’s being honest with him. It turns out, she was lying. It wasn’t because they grew apart. She dumped him because she found a new guy, and she wants him to help Dex? The answer is no. He’s not doing a favor for her and her new boyfriend. She says, don’t call him that, and he says, he is, isn’t he? But what goes around, comes around. She got with Dex by cheating on him, and he’s looking forward to the day Dex cheats on her, because that’s what she deserves. She got Dex, but at a cost, which is their friendship, now dead and buried. Let him be perfectly clear, it was her who ended it, not him. She says, absolutely. She gets it. She waited to long to tell him how she felt, so blame her, don’t blame Dex. He says, she made her choices. He has his too, and he’ll be damned if he keeps Dex’s secret for him.

Dex says, right after New Year’s, Miss Reeves found out her daughter has leukemia, and Sonny’s been focused on that. That’s why he came here today. He’d already left it too long, and knew Sonny needed to know. Sonny says, so he took a shot at The Hook, The Hook ran off, then what? Dex says, Dr. Westbourne wanted to call the police, but he knew if he was there, they would confiscate the gun, and trace it. Since he didn’t know where Sonny got it, he didn’t want to risk the scrutiny, but he didn’t want to leave Josslyn alone; she was pretty shaken up. Sonny says, so Dex took Josslyn with him, and Dex says, he explained to her why he couldn’t stick around for the cops, and gave her a choice. She chose to come with him. Sonny says, he just left Britt there, and Dex says, she agreed to cover for them. None of them saw The Hook’s face; she was wearing some kind of mask. None of them had any other information to offer. There was nothing to be gained by him or Josslyn talking to the cops; it would have only caused complications. Sonny says, so Dex and Josslyn left the pier. Where did they go? Dex says, back to his apartment, and Sonny says, Dex took Josslyn back to his place. Dex says, she didn’t want to go to her mom’s, and didn’t feel safe at her place. She was still shaken up, and he didn’t feel she should be alone. Sonny asks how long Josslyn stayed with him, and Dex flashes back to them getting busy. He says, a couple hours. Then she asked to go to Kelly’s, and he took her back to her mom’s. Sonny says, Carly knows? and Dex says, yes, sir. Sonny says, but Dex waited until now to tell him? and Dex says, only because of Miss Reeves. She needed Sonny, and Sonny was focused on her. He figured that was more important. Sonny says he appreciates the gesture, but it doesn’t let Dex off the hook, no pun intended.

Josslyn says, Cameron is right. He doesn’t owe Dex anything, but she’s not asking for his sake. She’s asking for the sake of what they’ve meant to each other. He says, what is that exactly? It’s clear to him that she didn’t give a crap about him. She says, that’s not true. She does care about him. She’s talking about before they broke up. He says, before she slept with Dex, and she says she hates seeing him this hurt; that’s on her, she knows.  She knew what her feelings were, and didn’t say anything. She was trying to shield him, and made everything worse. She’s sorry. He’s a good guy. They’ve been friends forever, so she’s asking for the sake of those two friends who shared everything, the good and the bad. He asks if Dex means that much and him so little that she’s willing to compromise herself, and expect him to do the same.

Sam says, the reason she was late is that she just got back from Spring Ridge, and Maxie asks who she was visiting. Sam says, Esme Prince, and Maxie says, ugh. Because? Sam says, there’s a connection between Esme and the victims of The Hook attacks, and Maxie says she read all about it in The Invader. Sam’s mom’s coverage is must read journalism. Sam says, her mom is actually the reason she went to Spring Ridge. She wants Sam to track down Esme’s nanny. Maxie says, that’s not random or anything, and Sam says, it’s kind of a convoluted story, and the details are part of the investigation and privileged, so she can’t share them. But she can share that the nanny raised Esme after Esme’s adoptive parents died. The nanny Maggie Fitzgerald could potentially have information about a suspect in The Hook attacks. Maxie says, that’s a lot of mights and potentials, and Sam says she knows it’s a long shot. Maxie asks where Dante fits in, and Sam says, the police are on a parallel track. She and Dante are going to London to track down the last known address…  Maxie asks when Sam was going to tell her about this, and Sam says she was just telling her. Maxie says she knows. They’re going to track down the nanny who might have information, blah-blah-blah, but Sam and the man she loves are going to England. It’s exciting. Sam says, yes, actually. It’s really exciting.

Laura says she’s not suggesting Elizabeth give her mother a free pass, but she thinks Elizabeth might regret it if she doesn’t at least try to work things out with her mom. Ultimately, it’s Elizabeth’s decision, and she’s here for Elizabeth, no matter what she decides. Elizabeth says, Laura doesn’t play fair, all this appealing to her better angels. She’ll do her best. Laura says, it’s all any of them can do.

Nikolas says, there’s a young woman currently being held in a minimum security prison known as Spring Ridge, and Carolyn says, it’s where Ryan Chamberlain is being held, correct? He says, yes. He’s the most infamous inmate, but the young girl he mentioned is fascinating in her own way. Carolyn asks, how so? and he says, before she was sent to Spring Ridge, she showed up at GH very pregnant, with no clue how she got that way. She asks if he’s saying the girl has memory loss, and he says, so it seems; she’s a total blank slate. But more important, she has to stay that way. She says, important to who? Him? He says, and Elizabeth, and she asks, what exactly doesn’t he want this poor young woman to remember? He says, it’s better if she doesn’t know, and it’s better for her daughter if this poor young woman never gets her memory back.

The monk closes the doors, and Valentin says, the coast is clear. Where’s the entrance to the catacombs? Renee asks if he can feel it too, and he says, feel what? She says, the thrill, the rush, just like it used to be it. It can be that way again, and he says, she knows him; first, they finish the job. She says, and then? Anna joins them with the backpack, and asks what they’re waiting for. They go inside the catacombs.  

Carolyn says, Nikolas is asking her to medically manipulate an already damaged young woman to serve his needs? He says he’s asking her to use her expertise for the greater good, while serving Elizabeth’s needs. She says, if her daughter agreed to that, Elizabeth would have asked herself, and he says, Elizabeth has a good heart; that’s partly why she’s in this mess. She needs her mom to help her out, using her skills and training to suppress Esme’s painful memories like she once did for Elizabeth. She says, when did that procedure on Lizzie, she was thinking about her emotional well-being, but Nikolas says he doesn’t think Elizabeth thought it was in her best interest. They both know how much she’s suffered since then. Isn’t that what lured Carolyn back here, the opportunity to make it right? Carolyn says, and Nikolas calls himself a friend, and he says he’s a better friend than she is a parent, but she has the chance to atone for that. He’s offering her one last chance.

Josslyn says, their friendship is something she cherished, and Cameron says, stop pretending she has any respect for him. All this crap about how they couldn’t make it as a couple didn’t mean anything because she didn’t want to make it work; she found someone else. And now she wants him to keep her dirty little secret. She says, Dex works for Sonny; that complicates things. What she did hurt Cameron, and she hates that. If their friendship has to take a time out because of that, that’s fine; she understands. But she wants their friendship to have a future, somehow somewhere down the road. She wants him to want that too. He says, what if he doesn’t want that? What if he can’t ever find it in himself to forgive her? What then? She says, then she has to tell Dex before this gets back to Sonny.

Dex tells Sonny that he picked up the casing, so there’s nothing to tie the gun to what happened on New Year’s. He puts the casing and gun on the table, and says he understands if Sonny doesn’t trust him with it anymore. Sonny says, keep it, but he wants Dex to spend more time at the shooting range, because he doesn’t want Dex to miss next time. As long as Dex can look him in the eyes and swear he’s telling him everything.

Valentin says, the smell brings back memories, and Renee says, the smell in the catacombs is very memorable. He says, and not in a good way. They’ve been walking for a while now; how far have they gone? She says, they’ve gone at least one mile underground, and he asks if they’re getting closer to the compound where Victor is holding Lucy. She says, it can’t be far now, and he calls to Anna. He says, Anna was right behind them, and Renee says, it’s easy for people to get lost, especially when it’s their first time. He says, they have to go back and look for her, and Renee says, or they could celebrate that it’s just the two of them now.

Dex says he’s told Sonny everything. He can ask Josslyn. Sonny says he plans to, but he does appreciate Dex showing him respect, especially with what’s going on with Michael and Willow; they’re going through a tough time. Dex says, if Sonny doesn’t mind him asking, how are they doing? and Sonny says, they’re waiting to see if Nina’s a match so she can be a marrow donor for Willow. Dex says he hopes everything works out, and Sonny thanks him for looking out for Josslyn that night. He’s not officially her stepfather anymore. She wants nothing to do with him and he has no say, but she’s still important to him. Dex says, it goes with the job, right? Protecting everyone who’s important to Sonny. Sonny says, that’s the same thing he used to say when he was young, and had to prove himself. Dex is doing good. The sky’s the limit for him.

Cameron tells Josslyn, all this talk about cherishing their friendship is just BS. She just wants to  butter him up so he’ll stay quiet about her wannabe mobster boy toy. She says she hurt Cameron, and now he wants to hurt her; maybe she deserves that. But that doesn’t change the fact that if Sonny finds out she slept with Dex, he could turn on Dex. He might even have Dex killed. Does Cameron get that? He tells her, don’t dare try to make this his fault. She screwed him over, and he doesn’t owe her a damn thing. He walks to the door, and she asks where he’s going. He says, to Kelly’s, to go to his normal, boring, non-mafia job, and she asks what he’s going to do. He says, what does she think? Does she really believe he’s going to go on the internet and tell everyone his girlfriend left him for some stupid criminal? Her secret is safe with him. She thanks him, but he says, don’t dare thank him for being a better person than she is. Unlike her, he doesn’t betray the people he cares about. He leaves.

Laura says, it’s pretty clear there’s something else weighing on Elizabeth. Does she want to talk about it? Elizabeth says she doesn’t want to involve Laura in any more of her troubles. As much as she’d love to blame her parents, she’s not that 15 year old girl they shipped off. She’s a grown woman with three kids of her own. At some point, she needs to take responsibility for her own decisions. Laura says, that’s something they all need to do, but if what Elizabeth is struggling with involves Nikolas, she’s already involved. He’s her son, and she loves him. She always will, but she knows how persuasive he can be. Nikolas can make a bad idea seem reasonable. Elizabeth says she knows, and Laura asks if he’s imposed on their friendship. Elizabeth says, he talks a good game, but the choices she’s made are the choices she’s made, and she has to live with them. Laura says, she can always change her mind. Whatever it is, Elizabeth can tell her.

Maxie says she’s happy Sam found love again. To have been hurt so badly and grieve, then risk her heart again? She really admires Sam. Sam says, falling in love with Dante wasn’t some courageous act. It was actually the easiest most natural thing she’s ever done. They were friends, and she liked him; then she was like, wow, I love him. He told her that he loved her, and it just felt right. Don’t get her wrong. There have been plenty of bumps in the road along the way. Maybe she could have taken the pressure off with the whole moving in situation. Maxie says, because it was so important, she might screw it up? Like moving in together might be the beginning of the end? Sam says, pretty much, but moving in together wound up being wonderful. They fit really well together as a family. Maxie says, that’s awesome… and dangerous.

Nikolas says, what does Carolyn say? Does she want to put her psychiatric skills to use to help her daughter? She says, go to hell. All those years ago, when she used her skills so Elizabeth could forget that traumatic experience, she told herself that she was doing what was best for her daughter, but that wasn’t true. She was taking the easy way out for her and her husband, and she’s spent a lifetime wishing she could undo that mistake. The one and only reason she came to Port Charles was to make it right with Elizabeth. She’s not going to compound her mistake at the expense of another poor, young, innocent woman. Nikolas says, the woman in question is hardly innocent, and Carolyn says, the trouble is, she doesn’t trust him. And she absolutely will not use her knowledge of the human mind to play God with someone else’s life. She made that mistake decades ago, and it’s a mistake she’ll always regret. She picks up her stuff, and walks to the door. Nikolas says, maybe this time, Elizabeth will regret it, and Carolyn stops, turning around.

Valentin says, Renee is right. It is just her and him, and that’s a problem for him. They have to turn around and find Anna. Renee asks, what’s the rush? If Anna is as resourceful as he’s been telling her, doesn’t he think she’ll catch up… eventually, that is. She knows he can feel the heat between them. Those old feelings don’t just evaporate. She can still remember those wild times they had. She doesn’t think it’s possible to forget them. It can be like that again – she moves closer, about to kiss him – only better, if you play your cards right. A flashlight shines toward them, and Anna says, there they are. She took a wrong turn and thought she lost them… Did something happen while she was gone?

Carolyn says she can’t believe Nikolas calls himself her daughter’s friend, and he says, when Elizabeth graduated high school, he was there. Where was she? When Elizabeth graduated nursing school, he was there. Where was she? When the three boys were born, when Franco died, for all those times, he was there to hold Elizabeth’s hand, to wipe her tears away, to celebrate her victories. He was there for all of it. She was there for none of it, so don’t take that sanctimonious tone with him, because that flag won’t fly. She says, what she and Jeff did to Elizabeth all those years ago, broke their hearts, but at least they were able to tell themselves that Elizabeth had her grandmother to look out for her when they couldn’t. And her friends. Or so they thought. Now she sees how wrong they were. He says, they can agree on one thing, Audrey was a saint. She took great care of Elizabeth, and so did her friends, including him. If Elizabeth needs anything, day or night, all she has to do is call, and he’ll be there. Carolyn says, please. He’s just out to save himself. He says, she’s partially right. He does want to save himself, but he wants to save Elizabeth  too. Can Carolyn say that? She walks out.

Elizabeth tells Laura, it started off simply. She just wanted to repay a friend. Nikolas was there when her life went sideways when Franco got killed, and the more she got involved in his plan… Cameron walks in, and says, it’s great to see Laura. He hugs Laura, and says he didn’t think Elizabeth would still be here. She wasn’t waiting for him, was she? Elizabeth says, no. Laura came to meet her and they got to talking. She asks if he’s okay, and he says he’s fine; never better. In fact, he’s so fine, he wants to treat them to a special dessert. Elizabeth says, he doesn’t have to, but he says he wants to. It’s on him; on the house. He goes in the back, and Elizabeth asks if he’s trying too hard. Laura says, in a word, yes.

Maxie says, Sam and Dante really are the picture of domestic bliss. Two jobs, four kids; all they need is a dog. But all that domesticity can get in the way of romance. Tell her if this sounds familiar. Between Sam’s job and Dante’s job, making dinner, helping kids with their homework, by the time they’re alone together, they’re already in bed. It’s inevitable one of them is asleep before they turn out the light. Sam says, occasionally that happens, and Maxie says, but in London, Sam and Dante will be alone together, away from their daily lives. Yes, they’ll be investigating, but maybe they’ll have time to take a stroll through Kensington Gardens, or have a candlelit dinner, or room service in bed. Sam says she hopes they get the chance, but even if they don’t, Maxie’s right. She and Dante are going to be alone together, and this is going to be their first trip as a couple. She’s really excited about it. Maxie says she bets Dante is too. Cheers to Sam and Dante in London. Sam says, cheerio, and they clink glasses.

Sonny says he’s glad they had this talk, and Dex says, goodnight, boss. In the hallway, Dex’s phone rings, and he says, what’s up? Sitting on her dorm room floor, Josslyn says she just had a horrible conversation with Cam. He said some pretty harsh things about her. Dex says, she doesn’t sound good, and she says, she just lost her oldest friend. He asks if they’re in trouble, but she says she doesn’t think so. Cam said he wouldn’t say anything. Dex says he just told Sonny about the night Dr. Westbourne was killed, and he took Josslyn back to his place. She asks how much he told Sonny, and he says, he believes nothing happened between them. They’re all good.

On the phone, Sonny says he needs someone (probably Brick) to check on Dex Heller.

Valentin says, thank God Anna’s okay. He was afraid she’d gotten lost. They were about to circle back for her. Weren’t they? In French, Renee says, Valentin was beside himself with worry, and Anna answers in French, I understand. So what do they have here? It looks like a dead end. Valentin says he’s not so sure, and they walk over to some iron bars. He says, hang on, and they look inside with flashlights. He says, oh my God, and we see Lucy, bound and gagged.  

Tomorrow, Laura says, Martin isn’t actually considering that, is he; Olivia asks Drew why she gets the impression it has something to do with Carly; Carly says, Josslyn needs to be sure this is what she really wants; and Lucy’s rescue mission proceeds.

👯‍♂️ That’s What Friends Are For…

Not sure where I’d be without mine. Dogs help too.

🔥 Blazing Her Trail…

But what happens when he goes back to being a cop?

🔦 Look Into the Light…

If you’re a Guiding Light fan, this is Wednesday, January 25th, like five minutes from now.

👎🏽 No, Just No…

Ugh. I can’t believe these people are middle aged and still drinking until they get tossed out of a restaurant. The Jersey Housewives don’t need any help being idiots.

🏆 The Moment You’ve Been Waiting For…

The Oscar noms.

https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2023

🛒 Getting In the Express Lane…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and whatever I can dig up. FYI, the RHOSLC Reunion starts tomorrow. Until then, stay safe, stay optimistic, but practical, and stay not letting your past mistakes determine your future.

March 15, 2021 – Valentin Offers Michael the Deal Of a Lifetime, a Feverish Guest Is a Quarantined Guest, Grammy Winners, Oscar Noms, Academy Snubs, Going For the Gold, Empty Apple & Cheap

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

I missed the very beginning, but all you need to know is… Sam and Alexis met at Kelly’s, and Maxie was released from the hospital. She’s packing up Peter’s stuff, and Olivia and Dante are with her. Chase went to see Willow, Valentin went to see Michael, and Ava went to see Nina. Finn, Gregory, and Jackie are at the hospital, discussing the DNA test results, and Jason has just walked in on Anna and Peter’s conversation in Peter’s office. And away we go.

Peter says he was wondering when Jason would show up. Predictable as always. Jason says, that’s right, and Peter says he’s aware of the lies Anna and Valentin are speaking about him. That’s all they are, lies, so go for it. He saved Jason the trouble of breaking in, but – spoiler alert – there’s nothing to find. He leaves, and Jason closes the door. He tells Anna, let’s do a sweep.

Olivia asks if Maxie was checked out, and Maxie says she and the baby are fine. Olivia says, thank God, and Dante says, Peter is going to look for Maxie, but Maxie says he already did. He came to the hospital. Anna and Valentin ran interference, but she wanted to face him. Dante asks how it went, and she says she told him it was over. Olivia asks how she feels, but Maxie isn’t sure how she feels about anything. She loved him. Olivia says, of course (🍷) she did, and Maxie says, but the man she loved wasn’t real.

At Kelly’s, Sam asks if Alexis is sure she’s okay, and Alexis says she has coffee. She’ll be okay. Sam asks if she’s sure, and tells Alexis that she can stay, but Alexis says, there are people who have it much worse. Go see Maxie. She can’t imagine what Maxie is going through. Sam says she loves Alexis, and Alexis says she loves Sam too. Sam says she’s really proud of her mom, and leaves. Ned walks in, sees Alexis, and says, on second thought, he’ll head to Perks. Alexis says, for God’s sake, get some coffee, and keep her company. He asks if everything is all right, and she says, perfect. Couldn’t be better.

Chase tells Willow, sorry for just showing up, and she says, stop apologizing. She’s glad he came. He says he knows this is the part where he tells her everything, but he doesn’t know where to start. She says, wherever he wants, and he says, Finn slept with his mom. She says, wow. Okay. When was this? He says the night before she married his dad. Now he doesn’t know if his dad is his father, or Finn is. Willow takes the glass of water out of his hand, and he asks what she’s doing. She says she’s getting them some wine. For a moment, I actually entertained a notion of what I’d do if I found out my father wasn’t my father. Then I remembered, we all look so much alike in my family, I couldn’t even pretend I was adopted when I was little, like you do when you’re mad at your parents.

Nina asks if Ava remembers how happy she was when Michael called and asked if she’d like to spend more time with Wiley. She’s surprised she didn’t get a speeding ticket on her way there. Wiley was playing with blocks, and he was so adorable. He was constructing towers, and knocking them down; his laugh is contagious. Ava asks if Wiley was receptive to her, and she says, very much so. Willow and Michael were too; they’ve been really generous. Ava asks, what on earth happened?

Valentin tells Michael that he’s going to sign over Scout and Danny’s ELQ proxies, and Michael will have majority control of the company. Michael says, just like that? and Valentin says, just like that. Michael asks what’s in it for Valentin, and Valentin says, not much, which makes it the deal of a lifetime. Michael just allows Nina to see her grandson, and he can have control of the company. Someone watches them from outside.

Nina tells Ava, Carly arrived, and Ava says, to keep an eye on Nina no doubt. Nina says, it wasn’t a problem… Not at first. She didn’t think a problem was there. Ava tells her to get to the part where she lost Wiley, and Nina says she told Wiley that she was his grandma, but not like Grandma Carly. She wanted to make sure he understood that she’s not Willow’s mother. Ava says, she told him the truth? Nina says, yes, and then Wiley told Willow.    

Someone continues to watch Valentin and Michael. Valentin says, Nina gets to spend time with her grandson, and Michael retains control of the company. How does that sound? It’s a no-brainer. Michael says Valentin is right. It is a no-brainer. No. He’s not going to trade his son to be subject to something potentially harmful. No more than Valentin would with Charlotte.

Chase tells Willow, he’s furious at Finn and his mom, but at the same time, he can’t judge. Stuff happens. People become attracted to each other, and sleep together when they shouldn’t. Willow says, they’re not just people, and he says, how could Finn do that to his dad? What the hell? Finn disappeared and punished his father, making Gregory think it was his fault for daring to be happy after his wife died. And don’t get him started on his mom. She’s supposed to be a fearless journalist. When she saw Finn, and should have told him to get a DNA test, so he didn’t blame their father for falling in love. She asks if one is pending, and he says, it’s sitting at GH, waiting to be opened. She says, he’s not there, and he says he doesn’t know if can face it; not yet. She says he doesn’t have to.

Gregory says, there’s no undoing what’s done. Chase swore Gregory would always be his father, but if it turns out he’s not, that sort of thing wears on people. Even if they destroy the results, they’ll always wonder, every single one of them. They might as well do it, and find out who the father is. Finn nods, and leaves to get the results.   

Ned says he and Alexis made mistakes, and took the fallout, but they’ve been in and out of each other’s lives for decades. He can tell when she’s hurting. Is there anything he can do? She says, yes. Tell her the damage isn’t irreparable, and he and Olivia are back together.

Olivia asks if Maxie is sure she’s ready, and Maxie says, not really, but it’s not like she has a choice. The community center will be enjoying some custom-made menswear. Olivia says, where Peter is going, he won’t need them. There’s a knock at the door, and Maxie says, it’s probably Sam. Dante opens the door, and Sam comes in bearing carboard boxes. She says she can take them back if Maxie doesn’t want them, but Maxie says she’ll put them to good use. Sam says, well? How is Maxie holding up? Maxie says she’s still searching for the right answer to that question, and Dante says he doesn’t think there is one. Olivia says, life threw Maxie a major loop, and she needs time to adjust. Maxie asks Dante if his mom is right about where Peter is headed. Is he going to serve time?

Anna tells Jason, all clear. There’s no surveillance equipment. She didn’t expect any though. Jason says she wouldn’t put it past Peter to plant a bug, would she? and she says she knows Peter would like to be privy to their conversation, but she doubts he’d have coverage 24/7 in the office. Jason looks around Peter’s desk, and she says he’s not saying I told you so, so she’ll say it for him. He was right about Peter. She knows he told her again and again but she refused to see it. It’s part of what made Maxie willing to open up love, and believe in Peter; Anna was by his side, and strengthened his case. Maxie isn’t safe. She can see the obsession in Peter’s eyes. He’s going to turn into his father. Just the thought… Faison made her life a living hell for so many years. It’s an awful thing to say, but Peter is fully capable of the same thing. The fact that he’s this far along, and in this terrible place, is on her.

Ned tells Alexis that he and Olivia are in limbo; they’re not broken up, but they’re definitely not together. Alexis says, they should be. They love each other. He says he knows he loves Olivia, but he also hurt her deeply, and he honestly doesn’t know what’s going to happen. Alexis says she’s so sorry, but he says, don’t be. She’s not at fault. She says, they’re both at fault. They were both three sheets to the wind. They were both wrong, and both at fault. The only good thing is, her daughter stood by her, and Olivia was gracious enough to hear her out. He says, Olivia is nothing if not gracious and forgiving. She says, that gives them hope.

Dante tells Maxie that he knows the PCPD is reopening the investigation into the assassination attempt on Andre and Franco, and Olivia says, may he rest. Maxie asks, what about Drew’s plane crash? and Dante says, that too. Olivia says, something has to stick, right? and Maxie thanks them for checking on her. She appreciates it. Dante asks if she’s kicking them out, and she says, no, but she knows they have lives, and Sam is there; she’ll be fine. Olivia says she’ll put the ziti in the fridge, and Maxie goes with her. Sam says Dante isn’t being fully honest, right? He asks if it’s that obvious, but Sam says, only to her. Dante says, Peter’s had too much time to cover his tracks, and he’s good at it already. Sam says, he killed Scout’s father, but Dante says, the plane has been underwater; there’s no evidence to be had. Maybe something else will turn up. She asks what he means, and he says he thinks Peter is going to slip up. He’s desperate and panicking, and he’s going to do what he’s been doing. Sam says, making sure he stays out of prison.

Jason says he was with Anna when she was tracking Henrick. Jason saw how he messed with her head. She wanted to believe so badly that he wasn’t Faison. She was wrong, but it’s not solely on her. She’s not sure that’s true, and he says, she’s not the first person who wanted to believe someone was better than they are. Peter was good at manipulating and covering his tracks. She says, Jason didn’t believe Peter, but he says, Peter wasn’t his son. He didn’t have to believe it, even when she did. He gets it, okay? She’s human. She thanks him for that, but says he doesn’t understand how far she went. When he was putting together that the assassin and Peter knew each other, what he didn’t know was that there were records that tied them together. She pulled those from the WSB file, but instead of handing them to the authorities, she kept them. She just hoped they didn’t mean what she thought… what she knew they meant. So when she confronted Peter about it, thinking he’d tell her the truth, he didn’t. He took them from her and destroyed them.

Nina says she was just being honest, and Ava says, with a toddler? Nina says she was reading books on how to deal with sensitive issues and small children. She opens one, and tells Ava, look. The advice says, just say the thing. Ava asks if Nina doesn’t think the parents should be the people saying the thing, and Nina says, yeah. It went terribly wrong, but in her defense, she had no malicious intent. She wanted to do the right thing, and tried to convey that to Michael. Ava says she’s had too much experience. Let her tell Nina what it’s like taking on the Corinthos clan.

Valentin tells Michael, harmful? Nina? She just wants to see her grandson. She’s a wonderful person with an enormous heart. No doubt Michael knew that enough to let Nina see Wiley initially. Michael says he gets it. Nina is a loving, warm person, but it’s going to be difficult if there’s a confrontation every time. When things settle, and Nina works through the shock, she can and will have a great relationship with Wiley, but not now.

Chase tells Willow, part of him never wants to talk to Finn and his mom again, which is ridiculous, but the person he feels worst for is his dad. Maybe that’s BS. He feels worst for himself, which makes him feel insanely selfish. Willow asks, why? and he says he had a great childhood; happy, healthy, full of love It shouldn’t affect his life one way or another. She says, first of all, of course (🍷) it should affect his life; it’s his family. Secondly, two things can be true. You can have amazing parts of your life that you cherish, and still grieve the parts you lost. For what it’s worth (🍷), she’s sorry he’s going through this. He says, it’s worth more than she knows, and she puts her hand over his.

Ava asks Nina to go over it step by step. Michael and Willow brought Wiley there to visit. Nina says, correct, and Ava asks what she thinks happened after they left. Carly reminded them how awful and unhinged Nina is, and the second time she and Wiley visited, Nina proved that they shouldn’t let Wiley be around her. Now Carly has momentum, and Michael will do what she says. Nina wonders how she convinces them that Wiley will be better off having contact with her. How do they get to where they were before? Ava thinks Nina’s best bet is to divide and conquer.

Valentin tells Michael, Nina made a mistake, and said something dumb. She feels terrible, and to issue an ultimatum ultimately makes it worse. Nina will double down and Michael will double down, and no one wants that. If they talk, and learn to communicate, maybe there’s a negotiation be had. Michael says, like what? and Valentin says, maybe Nina goes to counseling; maybe they should all go, and get the tools for how to handle this intermediary step. There’s a lot between all access and no contact. He’s not doubting Michael wants what’s best for his son, and hopes Michael considers the options. He leaves, and someone watches him.   

Chase tells Willow that he keeps trying to get to a Zen place, but he can’t. Finn has to be most self-absorbed person ever. It never crossed his mind what he was doing to their dad – or mom. She’s in the wrong, but Finn did worse; he moved on. Chase doesn’t want to find out this guy is his dad for a lot of reasons, but how he handled this is at the top. Willow thinks it’s good to remember that Finn was in his early 20s. He made a choice, and over time got entrenched. Chase asks if she’s saying he should give Finn a pass, but she says, hell no. The only real advice she can give him is, don’t police his feelings. He’s been betrayed by people he trusted. She’s felt the way he feels. He says, speaking of policing, maybe he should think like a cop. She asks what he means, and he says, the evidence. Finn had just one night with his mom. The odds are in his dad’s favor. He’s got to go to GH and see the results. He tells Willow to pray his dad is his dad, since he wants him to be. Willow asks if he’ll be okay, but he says that can’t happen until he knows. She asks if he wants her to go with him, and he says he didn’t want to ask. She says that’s why she offered, and he says he’d like that very much. She says she’ll get her coat.  

Olivia tells Dante, poor Maxie. It’s so hard on her. He says, she’s tough; she’ll be fine. Olivia says with friends like him, how could she not be? He asks how Olivia is, and she says, she’s great… She’s fine… She’s hanging in. He says he knows she get to decide how to handle her life, but he can see she misses Ned. She says, of course (🍷) she misses him. He’s her husband. He asks, what’s next? but she says she honestly doesn’t know. She suggests they go into Kelly’s, and they see Ned and Alexis. Olivia asks, is she seeing this? and Ned says, it’s just coffee, he swears. Alexis says, it’s true, and Dante tells Olivia, try not to judge. Ned says he knows it’s hard because he fell victim to jumping to the wrong conclusion about Olivia and Robert. Don’t make the same mistake.

Maxie thanks Sam for helping her pack, and Sam says she’d do anything for Maxie. Maxie says she would understand if Sam decided to sit this one out. Saying she’s sorry isn’t enough, but she’s so sorry about what Peter did to Drew. Sam says, don’t. Peter fooled a lot of people for a long time. Maxie says, last night, Peter asked – insisted

Jason tells Anna that he’s sorry, and she wonders why. He says, a mistake like that, he knows it’s tough to carry, but they can’t look back. They’ve got to go forward and find a way to stop Peter. She says, there’s no evidence. What do they have on him? He says, maybe they can get him for murder. He thinks Peter is the one who killed Franco. She says, and everyone would  think Jason killed him. Jason says they know Peter has killed before, and tried to cover up what he did with Helena. Anna says, and Drew’s memories were surfacing. Jason says, at first, Franco thought he was hearing voices, but when he found out it was a memory, he told Peter. She says, Peter knew? and he says, yes. Peter knew, and not long after, he saw Britt. He played the brother card, and used her log-in to access the GH server. She had no idea what he was doing until the next day when the article came out. Anna says, Peter was desperate to instill fear and anger, and hoped someone would try to take out Franco, and Jason says, it’s a win-win for Peter. Either his problem is taken care of, or there’s a cover so he can take care of it himself. She says, it’s a compelling theory. How do they prove it?

Jackie tells Gregory that she’s so sorry, but he says, too late for that. She asks, if she’d told him 30 years ago, would it have made a difference? when Chase walks in. He asks if they know, and she says, not yet. Finn comes back, and says he has the results. Jackie asks if he’s looked, but he says, no. Chase tells him, open it, and he does.   

Nina asks what Ava means by divide and conquer, and Ava says, maybe start with Willow. Go see her, woman to woman, mother to mother. Get Willow to see what she was trying to do. Valentin comes in, and says he hopes he’s not interrupting. He just had an interesting conversation with Michael. Ava asks if he’s going to let Nina see Wiley, but Valentin says, no. Nina says, and he’s not going to. He’s firmly under mommy’s thumb. Valentin says she’s not helping the situation.

Dante says he’s glad he ran into Alexis, and asks to talk to her for a second. She says, of course (🍷), and they sit at the counter. Ned tells Olivia that he knows she has no reason to trust him, but it was really just coffee. Please. Just sit with him. She sits. Dante tells Alexis that he just wanted to give them a minute, and Alexis says she’s glad he did, for all three of them. She’s sorry for what she did to Dante, and Dante says, okay. Enough. It’s over and done with, and he’s good. It was an accident, but maybe she should figure out how she got so out of control.   

Sam says, Maxie doesn’t know where Peter is? Does she think he left town? Maxie doubts it. The last thing he said was that he wasn’t giving up. All they had was the future. Sam says, it’s going to be okay. Maxie and the baby will be fine, she promises. Maxie asks, how? How can Sam promise she’ll be fine? Sam says, because a lot of people love her, and are looking out for her. They’ll make sure everything is okay. They hug.

Anna tells Jason, it will give them a chance to put Peter away, and insure Maxie’s safety, but Jason says, it doesn’t help that he’s the prime suspect. She says she has to admit the idea isn’t shocking to anyone. Jason wasn’t exactly subtle about hating Franco. Jason says, it was a trap. He doesn’t think Franco meant it to be, but he was terrified he’d regress, and asked Jason to take him out if he exhibited the same symptoms. She says, my God. It’s an interesting position to be put in. He says he doesn’t think it was a mind game, or that Franco was trying to screw him over, and she says, no. If you’re in an uncontrollable situation, you try to get the illusion of control somehow. Franco knew if anyone was willing to kill him, it would be Jason. Jason says, he did, and didn’t think the most likely one would be Peter.  

Finn takes out the paper and looks at it. Jackie says, Hamilton… Finn says, it’s him. I gasp. He’s Chase’s father. Chase hangs his head, and Gregory turns his back.

Jackie reaches for Chase, but he shrugs her off. He tells Gregory that he’s the best dad in the world, and he loves him. Nothing will ever change that. They hug, and Chase tells Finn that he doesn’t care what that piece of paper says. He’ll never accept Finn as his father. He leaves, and Willow follows him. Gregory looks like he might cry.

Michael hears someone ask, is it safe? He turns and sees Brook inside the patio doors. She says, well, is it?

Valentin tells Nina, going to war with Carly is going to help no one. Nina said something to a small child who got confused. Think it over. If Nina pushes back, Carly will push back twice as hard. Nina says, so there’s no hope, but he tells her, he didn’t say that. Benefit from his mistake. Not long ago, he couldn’t stomach that Nina didn’t love him, but rather than give her time and space, he concocted a daughter, and they know how that turned out. It will take some time to solve the problem. Take a step back. If she’s lucky, Nina will get what she wants more than anything in the world. Let them feel safe, and come to her. He smiles, and leaves, and Ava makes a face.

Dante says he used to be a cop. If they subpoena him, he’ll be honest. She came after Franco, and he got in between them, but he forgives her. She thanks him, and he says he’ll also have to tell them she came out with a loaded syringe intending bodily harm, or worse. That’s what happened, but she wasn’t in her right mind. He guesses that’s up to a jury to decide, right? 

Ned reaches for Olivia’s hand, but she pulls it away. He says he’s so sorry. He knows how royally he screwed up, how badly he hurt her, and how much damage he caused, but he loves her and would do anything to make things right and better. He’d climb any mountain, and slay any dragon. Please. Just tell him there’s a chance.

Sam tells Maxie that she’s going run the last of the boxes to the community center, and Maxie thanks her. She asks if Maxie is sure she’s okay alone, but Maxie says she’s never alone. She has her sidekick. Sam asks if she doesn’t mean her frontkick (BA-DUM-CHH!), and tells Maxie to call if she needs anything. They exchange I love yous, and Maxie closes the door.

Jason says his and Anna’s biggest problem is Elizabeth and Scotty. They’re convinced he was just waiting to kill Franco. Anna says, and they believe he did, obscuring what really happened. He won’t take the fall for a crime Peter committed. This time, they stop him, and this time, Peter doesn’t have her to hide behind.

Maxie hears the door, and says she was about to text Sam. She forgot a tie. Peter says, it’s not Sam. He was starting to think she’d never leave. He closes the door, and locks it.    

Tomorrow, Brook tells Michael, the answer is none of his business: Brando says, the closer Cyrus gets, the more dangerous life is; and Peter tells Maxie, the past is dead; he killed it.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht

It’s the morning after the night before, and everyone struggles to get up. Behind the closed doors of the guest cabin, Sydney says Gary can’t leave her there, and asks where her bathing suit is. She tells him that she’ll leave first. In her interview, she says, it’s the worst walk of shame she could possibly imagine. She’ll just have to act like nothing happened. Gary comes out a couple of minutes later. In Gary’s interview, he says, my God. This is not happening. The captain asks if they had fun, and Gary said they had a lot of laughs. His cheeks were hurting. He tells the captain that he has a good bunch of crew on there. Jean Luc is still feeling sick, and says, this is gonna be rough today.

The girls ask Sydney, what happened? and Sydney says, nothing. Daisy asks if she hooked up with Gary, and Sydney says, no, but they slept in the guest cabin. Natasha says, and he didn’t get it? Sydney says, no, and Natasha calls her a liar. In Sydney’s interview, she says, yes, they had sex. Yeah, they hooked up. It’s their business, and no one needs to know the dirty details… and they were dirty.

Jean Luc says he’s not feeling too good, and everyone tries to straighten up. Jean Luc thinks he’s going to be forced to change rooms. Natasha tells Colin about Sydney and Gary hooking up, and in her interview Alli wonders if they’re on the same boat. She thought she and Gary were flirting, but whatever. Natasha says, never trust the quiet ones. Colin tells Gary that the water pressure is just going down, and the engine is just starting to behave properly. He asks about Gary’s night, and Gary says, not much happened; just a cheeky kiss, but he feels like a d*ckhead this morning. In his interview, he laughs and says they just cuddled. In Colin’s interview, he says, Gary got himself in a pickle. Gary says they’ll wait until the ciggies come. I’m not sure what he means by that, but I assume it’s that he’ll tell Colin the whole story when they can relax over a smoke.

Glenn calls Gary, Daisy, and Natasha for a preference sheet meeting. He hands them the sheets, saying, here’s their mission, should they chose to accept it. He tells them that he just got a message from primary Dr. Nichols (there’s no first name on the sheet, which is very weird), informing him that due to a family emergency, she and her husband weren’t able to make the flight in time. So there will be no primaries. Daisy says, someone naturally takes the lead. The other guests are Victoria, who’s a nutritionist; Ryan, a Sotheby’s salesman; and married couple, Hannah and Andy. They want an endless flow of delicious drinks. Natalie reads that they like to be surprised at dinner, and Gary says he’ll hide around the corner. Glenn says the guests will be there around 2, and the crew begins to clean the boat. Dani tells Daisy that someone used the guest head. In Daisy’s interview, she says, there’s an unspoken rule that you never use the guest head – ever. (For you landlubbers, the head is the bathroom.) She says, it pisses her off, especially when it’s been detailed. She radios the crew, asking if someone used the main saloon. Please don’t use the guest head, especially after it’s been cleaned and detailed. Gary copies, and in her interview, Daisy says she doesn’t really care if they use it when it’s dirty. Next time, maybe she’ll pee in the jacuzzi.

Daisy tells Dani that there are drops on the bathroom floor, the bowl is dirty, and the toilet paper is undone. Dani asks if Daisy is 100% sure, and Daisy says, yeah. In Daisy’s interview, she says, are you kidding her? This is over the limit. It’s so effing rude. She calls everyone to the crew mess, and Jean Luc wonders if he’s in trouble. Daisy tells them, someone used the guest head. The toilet paper was used, and there were drops on the floor. Jean Luc says he’d never do that, and she says, no one has been in there since yesterday? Everyone denies it, and in Gary’s interview, he says, maybe someone used it, and didn’t say anything about it. They’re such a d*ck. Daisy says if no one cares about her department, she’s not going to care about theirs. In her interview, she says, it’s pretty obvious that it’s them. Have a bit of consideration for your teammates. If they’re not going to admit it, she’s going to make sure they know it’s not acceptable. Glenn says they want to look after everyone’s department, but make sure it doesn’t happen again. It’s disrespecting the interior. Don’t let it become a bigger problem.

Sydney and Gary work at scrubbing the deck, and in Sydney’s interview, she says, she and Gary haven’t talked, but fine. She’s very confused. Daisy and Dani talk about the hook-up, and Dani says, they all work together; they’re going to talk. Alli thinks it’s funny, and Daisy says, it’s none of her business, but she thinks Gary should know better. Dani 100% agrees. Gary can’t find his hair tie, and Dani tells him there are two marks by the guest cabin bed that look like they could be hands. He tells her that he and Sydney just talked sh*t, and he passed out, but she obviously doesn’t believe him. In Dani’s interview, she says a detective has to be suspicious. The perpetrator always goes back to the scene of the crime. Daisy inspects the guest cabin, and says, it looks good.

One hour to charter. Provisions come in. Natasha says Daisy ordered 10 kilos of carrots, and wonders if she thought there was going to be a load of bunnies on board. Glenn radios for the crew to be dressed and on deck in 15 minutes. Dani says, there’s no ice in the ice machine behind the bar, and Colin says, give him a break. Glenn calls the crew to the aft deck, and champagne is popped. In Dani’s interview, she says, the guests behave because there’s a primary there. Without one, the guests take advantage. It’s a potential nightmare. Guest Victoria tells guest Hannah not to be too impressed, or the crew will think they’re peasants. Yep. Potential nightmare.

Gary says, number two under way. The crew greets the guests, and introduces themselves. Glenn welcomes them, and says Daisy will give them a tour. They’ll get out quick, look for wind, and do some sailing. While bringing the luggage on board, Glenn wonders if he has the one with the gold bars in it. Daisy tells them they can duke it out over the master. Natasha asks if Gary is good at shucking oysters, and he says he used to be famous for it. Victoria asks Daisy to unpack for them, and Ryan says he needs three jackets steamed. Daisy tells Dani, it’s going to be hard work. I can’t believe anyone would want someone else unpacking for them. I don’t really want some stranger touching all my stuff. Colin tells Daisy, the ice machine is broken, and Dani and Alli do the unpacking. Gary eats more oysters than he shucks. In Natasha’s interview, she says she did well her first charter, but she knows there’s a problem between her and Daisy. It’s awkward, but she doesn’t give a f***. She’s there to work, and that’s what she’s going to do. Colin says something about a bad connection, and thinks he fixed the machine.

Natasha serves oysters, and Glenn tells the deckhands to drop the lines, and let him know when they’re on board. He’s going at full speed, and wants to get sailed up as soon as possible. Jean Luc takes the wheel. The sails start to go up. Daisy asks Dani to lead dinner, and she’ll help Alli with the turn downs. In her interview, Daisy says Alli is still pretty slow. She’ll teach Alli the way she learned, and see if she sinks or swims. Get your fins on Alli. It’s time to start swimming. The sails are sticking to each other, and Glenn tells Gary to climb up, and spray them. He suggests Gary strap himself on, but Gary says he’s good. As the sail is raised, he sprays it, and Glenn tells Jean Luc, it sounds like it’s ripping, but it’s just plastic separating. Gary says, it’s coming out of the track, and Glenn says, that’s a big problem. He’ll have to go up. Something pops, and Gary nearly falls.

Gary says, the boltrope is broken off the luff, and Glenn says, that’s a big problem. In Glenn’s interview, he explains that both sails are attached to a rope that holds the sail to the mast. It’s 180 feet of sail. Are we following him? He laughs, and says, if the rope pops away , the whole thing can let go. He tells Gary, they’ll sail with the genny and mizzen. When they anchor, they’ll fix it; it should be fine. Gary tells Sydney that he almost fell. In his interview, he says he’s in a bit of a predicament. He’s attracted for sure, but you never want to go there with your [work] partner. There are circuits in his brain that are fried. Ryan asks for a fruity, but still masculine cocktail, giving Daisy too many adjectives. He narrows it down to smoldering sparkle, and in her interview, Daisy says she’ll garnish it with diamonds, top it with a mermaid’s fart, and add smoke from a volcano in Narnia. He’s getting Kir Royale. Dani serves Ryan the smoldering sparkle, and he says, it’s fired.   

Gary tells Sydney that he’ll see her at 12, and she says she expects coffee. Colin says, naughty, naughty, naughty. Gary radios for Jean Luc, but he’s in the crew mess getting coffee and ignores it. Several crew members tell him that Gary is calling him, so he finally returns Gary’s calls. Gary says meet him in the bridge, and Jean Luc says he’s getting coffee. Gary tells him to put the a hold on the coffee. When Jean Luc gets there, Gary tells him, blah-blah-blah, bringing the pin down. Which is no doubt how Jean Luc is hearing it today too.

Licice, Croatia. The container holding the lobster garbage falls on the floor, and in Alli’s interview, she says, the goo smells like death. She and Dani freak out cleaning it up. Jean Luc explains the water toys to the guests, and says the floating pads are called naughty boys. Daisy tells Natasha that dinner is at 8, and Gary instructs guest Hannah on the paddle board. Guest Victoria says she’s impressed, but Hannah says don’t talk to her, as she concentrates on balancing. Gary instructs Jean Luc about the lines, and says, a lot of times, he’ll tell Jean Luc to do something, and he just stands around. In Jean Luc’s interview, he says he hates to be micromanaged. Don’t do it. Gary tells him to drag the line to a certain spot, but Jean Luc says he was told not to drag the line across the teak. Gary says that means not the whole thing, and mumbles that they’re going to swap cabins. Jean Luc mutters, effing a-hole.

The guests get back on the boat. Dani asks if Jean Luc is moving, and he says Gary forced him to. It makes him nervous to bunk with the captain. Guest Andy says he’s tired, and wants to eat some food.  Glenn asks Gary to go back up to where the sail came up, and feed it up manually. In Glenn’s interview, he says, it’s like a zipper. You can’t start in the middle; you have to go back to the start. Fingers crossed that it lasts through the rest of the season. Natasha plates a fabulous scallop appetizer, using half a scallop shell instead of a regular plate. In her interview, Natasha says, she loves working with Dani. One, Dani’s her roommate, and two, life is easier because she’s not Daisy. Even the guests who don’t like scallops love the dish. In Alli’s interview, she says she’s going to do her best to show Daisy that she can do turndowns. She’s a diving master. If she can breathe underwater, she can make a bed.

The sail is in the track, and in his interview, Glenn says, not all first mates can repair a sail with a hangover the way Gary can. He’s impressed. After the lobster is served, Andy says he likes that there’s no shell. He doesn’t have to work for the lobster. I concur. I ordered a whole lobster once, and it was more work than it was worth. Sydney tells Gary that she wrote herself a honey-do list of deck tasks. In her interview, she says, Gary has been all work and no flirt. She doesn’t know what’s going on. Jean Luc gets in his new bed. Colin asks if Gary snores or farts, and he says he doesn’t. Like he’s going to answer some other way. Jean Luc hopes he doesn’t wake Glenn, but Glenn tells him not to worry about it. The guests go to bed, and so does Sydney.  

The next morning, Gary asks Jean Luc how the new cabin is, and Jean Luc says he definitely has more leg room. Guest Hannah tells Daisy that Andy isn’t feeling well. She thinks he has a fever. She amends that to, she knows. It’s 101. In Daisy’s interview, she says, holy f***. She tells Hannah that she’ll ask he captain what to do. She goes to Glenn’s cabin, where he’s just getting up. She tells him that Andy isn’t well, and has a fever of 101. He’s in bed. Glenn says he’ll make a call, and in his interview, he says, obviously the first thing that pops in your head is that you have covid on board. It’s the first thing you think of when someone has a fever. It’s scary. He tells Daisy to tell them to stay in their cabins until he finds out what to do. Daisy tells the guests, and says she’ll leave breakfast by the door.

Glenn calls Dr. Kelly, a medical officer, and tells her that a guest has a fever 101. He asked them to stay in their cabin. She says she’s sending Dr. Laura out to retest all four guests. She tells Glenn to keep them in their cabins. Glenn tells the crew what’s going on, and that a doctor is on route. They’ll have to keep the guests in their cabins. In Daisy’s interview, she says they’ve been through tests and quarantine. She doesn’t know how it’s possible. If the guest has covid, they’re f***ed. Daisy tells Natasha, who says, WTF?

Glenn tells Gary that a water taxi is coming with the doctor. Gary meets them, and everyone is masked. They change into hazmat suits, and tell the guests that they’re going to test the throat first, then do a nasal test. Dr. Laura tests, Andy, who’s coughing. She says his temperature is 99.8, and in Daisy’s interview, she says, it will be the biggest f*** up in the effing world if the guest is positive. Dr. Laura tells the other guests that they have to be tested, and Ryan asks if she’s serous. She tells them that they have to stay in the cabin. Dr. Laura tells Glenn, they plan to shoot the tests to the lab, and he asks what her assessment is. She says, the guests have all been in close contact and unmasked. They should be quarantined. Glenn says, it’s not pleasant, but it is what it is. The medical team leaves, and Andy coughs some more. Glenn calls everyone to the main saloon.

Glenn says, only one guest had a high temperature, so after speaking to the medical staff, he’s decided to go back to the dock. He’s going to see if they can be put in a hotel for quarantine. Natasha says, it could be that they have it as well, and wonders if they need to quarantine. Glenn tells the crew, if the guest is positive, it will take them to a whole new level. They could have been exposed. Get ready to leave. They have to take all the precautions. He tells the guests that they’ll be moving back to the dock. Daisy says the guests are going to be pissed at their friends, and Ryan bitches to Glenn that they were in quarantine for over a week, and they’ve had enough. They spent a lot of money. Because, as you know, it’s Glenn’s fault. Glenn suggests they chill out, and catch their breath. He leaves a radio in case the guests want anything. In his interview, Glenn says the guests have to isolate, and they still want to serve them, but it’s critical they adhere to protocol. It’s a delicate balance.

The anchor is in the pocket, and Daisy leaves coffee outside the guests’ rooms per Victoria’s request. Sydney says she’s shook by this, and Alli says, it’s bizarre. They dock, and Glenn asks the crew to come up. He tells them that the guests will have to take their own stuff off the boat, and go straight to quarantine. Ryan says he’s so pissed, and in Colin’s interview, he says, it’s an extra messy situation for everyone. Glenn says he’ll get the results as soon as he can, and will keep them posted. He’s sorry for the inconvenience. In Glenn’s interview, he says, they were just getting started. They can probably pull this off, but this could be it.

Next time, Glenn tells the crew they can have a couple of drinks, but don’t go crazy; Gary wants to hook up with Alli; Sydney is confused; and the test results come back.

🏆 The Winners…

Who took it home at the Grammys.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/14/entertainment/grammy-winners-2021/index.html

🎭 The Nominees…

The ones who will hear, the award goes to.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/15/entertainment/oscar-nominations-2021/index.html

🤔 The Snubs…

We can’t all be nominated, but apparently, these are the biggest offenders.

https://film.avclub.com/on-the-snubs-surprises-and-bad-terminators-of-the-202-1846477877

🍀 Blarney This…

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. Educate yourself on how to trap a leprechaun.

🗽 When the City Sleeps…

A year in a city transformed.

https://nypost.com/2021/03/14/how-i-survived-a-year-in-weird-empty-manhattan/

👗 Twirling Away Like Kenya…

Time for me to change hamster wheels. Whatever spin you’re in, stay safe, stay canny, and stay never using the guest head – ever. Unless you’re a guest.

December 3, 2020 – Cyrus Gives Trina Surprising News, a Not-So Charming Pandemic, About That Emoji, Seasonal Happenings & Collective December

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the bistro, Trina tells the man to stop saying her name. She doesn’t know him, and has no business with him. He says, even if it’s about her father?

Sonny asks if Cyrus thinks Julian is responsible for bombing The Floating Rib. Cyrus says he’s not 100% sure, but it’s a well-informed guess. Not long ago, Julian reached out to him. He was desperate, and convinced that Sonny was sending Jason to kill him. Cyrus is aware of Julian’s many transgressions against Sonny and his family, and although Sonny had reasons to eliminate Julian, he chose not to. He thinks Julian feared Sonny was going to uncover a new transgression. He’d begged Cyrus to get rid of Jason before Jason got rid of him. Sonny asks what Cyrus’s response was, and Cyrus is surprised Sonny needs to ask.

Carly runs into Taggert outside, and he wonders where Trina is. Carly says she’s in school, and he hopes she has a bodyguard. He’s aware of the bombing at The Floating Rib, and says, Trina could have been there. Carly says, Trina could have, but she wasn’t. Jason was the target, and it had nothing to do with Trina. Portia didn’t want a guard, but she’s taking extra precautions to protect Trina, who’s eager to have some normalcy in her life. Taggert says he doesn’t want Trina to be in any more danger, and Carly asks what he’s going to do. Blame himself for framing Cyrus, blame Cyrus for retaliating, or use his default, blame Sonny for everything?  

Trina tells the man to go before she calls the cops. She knows the Commissioner personally. (That’s funny, considering she wants nothing to do with Jordan.) The man says he doesn’t want any trouble, but he has important information about her dad.

Portia sees Laura, and asks how she’s doing. Laura says she’s managing, and tells Portia that she talked to Lulu’s caregivers; she’s settled in and comfortable. She’s glad to have Curtis and Jordan back, and Portia says she’s been consulting with Jordan on her medical condition. Jordan says the mayor knows the details, but they should continue their conversation in the examining room, since they don’t know who might be lurking. Portia and Jordan go into the exam room, and Laura asks Curtis if they found anything. Curtis says, a name, but it remains a mystery as much as the PCPD file Cyrus wanted. Laura says she wants to be honest about what she knows about the file, and Curtis wonders how much she could know about a homicide case from the 70s. She says she knew the victim. She’s the one who killed him.

Ava stands on the parapet, thinking about being there with Julian the night before, when Nikolas comes out. He says he’s sorry for startling Ava, and she says she supposes she has a bit of PTSD. Valentin pushed her from the parapet. It was blind luck that she hit the water, and not the rocks, and blind luck that Nikolas was on the bluff and rescued her. Without him, she surely would have drowned. Nikolas says he saw her walking on the bluff earlier, like a Thomas Hardy character. She looked like she was looking for something, maybe someone. Ava says she was thinking  about the explosion at The Floating Rib, and wondering how anyone could plant an explosive device for the express purpose of harming as many people as possible. She was trying to make sense of what happened to his sister, and searching for a way to comfort him, and ease the pain she saw on his face when they took Lulu away. She hugs him.

Martin walks into his office while he’s on the phone. He says he’ll get the files over asap. Funny… Not them. He could have sworn he left the blinds open when he left last night… No, everything else seems as it should be. He tells them they’ll talk later. Someone comes up behind him, but he turns and sprays them in the face with something. We see it’s Julian, who says, what the hell…?

Laura tells Curtis, it happened when she was a teenager. David Hamilton was a friend of her stepfather’s, and he seduced her as a way to get back at her mother. There was an ugly confrontation. She shoved him, and he hit his head and died. Curtis says, it was an accident, and she says she was hysterical. She didn’t even remember it for months, and her mother took the blame. When it came out, she got a suspended sentence. He says he’s sorry; she was so young. It must have been painful. She says, it did a lot of damage to her and her mother. When they showed her the file, she was stunned, but she didn’t say anything. Curtis says she needs to know that she can tell him anything, and she thanks him.

Nikolas tells Ava, he has to believe Lulu will fight with everything inside her. Somewhere in her mind or soul, she knows Rocco and Charlotte need their mother. Ava says it’s okay for him to admit he needs Lulu too, and he says he doesn’t think he realized how much he depended on Lulu as his moral compass. She says, as angry as Lulu was because he let them believe he’d died, she’s still his sister. Sisters forgive their brothers. At least they’re supposed to, right? That’s what being a family is. Nikolas asks if she’s talking about Lulu and him, or her and Julian.   

Martin says Julian has to forgive him. Since he was mugged in the parking garage and his briefcase was stolen, he keeps pepper spray at the ready to make him feel safer. Julian wouldn’t know anything about that, would he? Julian says, no, sorry, and Martin says, normally he doesn’t offer refreshment to people who break into his office, and if Julian doesn’t make his point soon, his manners are going to evaporate. Julian asks if their conversation is under attorney/client privilege, and Martin says, for the right price. Julian says, the price is right; trust him. Sonny and Jason want him dead; his sister does too. Martin asks what gave rise to this belief, and Julian says Ava tried to shoot him, and he thought the best way to get away was to jump from the turret. Which he did, as Jason and Sonny arrived, also brandishing pistols. They think he’s dead, but they’re going to keep looking for him until they find his body. He needs to leave town or they’ll kill him, and if not them, Cyrus. Martin says this doesn’t fall under his job as an attorney. What’s his role? Julian is glad he asked. He needs Martin to help him get out of town.

Sonny tells Cyrus, it’s a simple question. Julian asked him to murder Jason. What was his response? Cyrus says he flatly refused. Eliminating Jason would be a violation of the truce, and downright stupid. He has no desire to provoke a war. Enough people have been hurt already. He turned Julian down, but clearly Julian was desperate. Cyrus assumes Julian took the matter into his own hands. Sonny says, so Julian bombed The Floating Rib? and Cyrus says, Julian was willing to blow up the whole city if that’s what it took. No one has seen Julian, and he imagines Julian is making his way to some country that won’t extradite him. Good luck to the police. He hopes they succeed in tracking him. He tells Sonny that he’ll see himself out. He calls for Brando, and says, let’s go. Brando looks at Sonny, and they leave. Sonny tells Jason, Cyrus really wants them to go after Julian, doesn’t he?

Taggert says Carly is absolutely right; Cyrus is the real problem. All roads point back to him. Carly says, Sonny is on Taggert’s side. He gave Taggert a place to stay, and protected him and Trina. It might not look the way it used to, but at least he’s not really dead. He says, it’s an adjustment, relying on Sonny, and Carly says their daughters are best friends. Trina and Portia are welcome in their home anytime; their families are connected. She remembers when Taggert worked for the PCPD. He was relentless in trying to take Sonny down. He had his justifications, but today, this is where they are, united in a common enemy. Taggert says, agreed, but he wishes Sonny would work faster. He needs to get the job done now. He tells her, truth be told, he should have thrown his badge away years ago, and taken on Cyrus himself.

Trina asks the man what he knows about her dad, and he tells her, stick around. Someone will be by to tell her what she needs to know. He disappears. Not literally, but he’s gone quickly.

Jordan tells Portia, she’s so sorry. The Floating Rib was bombed on her watch. Portia says Jordan wasn’t there, and Jordan says, that’s the problem. She knows Trina and Dev were friends, and Portia says, it’s been hard, especially so close to the death of Trina’s father. Jordan says again, she’s so sorry. She and Curtis thought they were so smart, getting out of town, and out from under Cyrus’s thumb. She left in the middle of a crisis. Maybe if she’d been there, Cyrus would have given her a heads up, and she could have saved lives. Portia says, then what? If Cyrus found out she’d gone against him, he would have threatened TJ again.

Curtis says, maybe Cyrus is dredging up the case to hurt Laura, but she says, that’s the thing. It’s a matter of public record, and she’s never hidden it. He says, maybe this new piece of the puzzle will shed some light on that. He asks if the name Florence Gray means anything to her.

Ava tells Nikolas, she was thinking about Lulu. As devastating as her condition is, she’s alive, so there’s hope. There’s a chance Lulu will wake up one day, and there will be one less death on the hands of whoever planted the bomb. He says, two people are dead, and his sister is comatose. Whoever planted the bomb should go straight to hell. They just need to figure out who it is. Has she heard anything he needs to know?

Martin tells Julian, he’s not a travel agent, and Julian isn’t asking for legal assistance. Julian says Martin might want to help him. When he was hiding there, he started snooping around. He found a safe, and figured there was cash in it that Martin didn’t want to declare. Martin says that’s not Julian’s business, but Julian says, it is. He might want that cash as well as Martin’s car keys. If he goes back to his place, or uses his car or bank accounts, they’ll know he’s alive, and that’s not good. Martin asks, why on God’s green earth does Julian think he’d agree? Julian says he figured Martin would say that, so while he was snooping, he happened to find an interesting picture tucked away in one of Martin’s old law journals. It seems as if Mr. Gray has secrets of his own.   

Laura tells Curtis, Gray is a common name. He says, that’s what they  thought when they ran into Martin, but the name Florence is more distinctive. She asks if they think Florence Gray is connected to Cyrus, and he says they’re fairly certain that’s who Cyrus was keeping at the Wilson address. Laura says, and the recipient of the loving postcard? and he says, that’s the theory. They traced the medical supplies to a company in Mexico City. They looked at the records, and came up with an account at that address. Any chance she recognizes it? He tells her to remember she can tell him anything. Laura says, her biological father was married to Florence Gray.

Portia asks Jordan if Cyrus is responsible for the explosion, and Jordan says they’re almost certain. Portia says if Jordan had been in town, Cyrus would have threatened her to get her cooperation, so it’s best she was out of the equation. Mac Scorpio is sparing her grief. Jordan says, true. Cyrus doesn’t have the same history or leverage with Mac, and Portia says, maybe Mac can actually make a case, and Trina can see the man responsible for her father’s death brought to justice.

Carly says she knows Taggert is getting anxious to see his daughter, but Sonny knows what he’s doing. Taggert says he’s tired of just doing nothing, and thinking of Trina grieving another loss. He saw Dev on Halloween night , and he seemed like a decent kid. Carly says, it’s not Sonny’s fault, but Taggert says, it’s Sonny’s fault he hasn’t gotten Cyrus yet. Maybe Carly’s daughter is used to danger, but his isn’t. She says, how dare he act holier than thou with her? He would have framed Sonny if he’d had the chance. Compromises have consequences, and his didn’t just affect him, but they affected her family. All of this is on him.

Cyrus approaches Trina’s table, and she says she’s supposed to be meeting someone. He says the someone she’s supposed to meet is him, and she says she’s out of there. He says he only has her best interest at heart, and she says, like what he did to her father? Cyrus had her kidnapped, so he could ambush her father, and her dad died saving her. Why would she want to listen to him? He says she’s mistaken. Her father didn’t sacrifice his life to save her. He’s not actually dead. He’s very much alive.

Portia tells Jordan, they came to a meeting of the minds when Jordan told her the truth about her relationship with Cyrus. Is there anything else Jordan has to tell her? Jordan says, actually, there is something she hasn’t told Portia.

Laura tells Curtis, her biological father is Gordon Gray, and his wife’s name was Florence. Is it even possible it’s the same person? Curtis says, Florence Gray lived in Port Charles. Coincidence? Maybe. Laura says, they lived in Port Charles for a few years, but then they moved. She doesn’t know where they went. He takes it they weren’t close, and she says, not at all. Gordon was her mother’s mentor, and they had an affair. When she was born, they told her mother that she was dead. He says he’s sorry; that’s awful. Laura says, fortunately for her, she was raised by a wonderful family, but she didn’t actually live with Leslie until she was a teenager. He says a lot has happened in her life, and she says she was no easy teen either, but Leslie never gave up on her. That’s why they became close. She was fortunate they had such a close relationship. If Cyrus is responsible for what happened to her daughter… He says he feels the same way, but if they can figure out if Florence Gray was the woman married to Laura’s biological father, and can figure out why Cyrus was taking care of her, they might have leverage.

Carly tells Taggert, Instead of complaining that Sonny hasn’t taken down Cyrus the way he’d like, he might want to be grateful for his life. They’re doing this for Trina, not him.   

Trina asks if Cyrus really just said her father was alive. She’d be an idiot to believe anything he told her. She was there when her father died. She was at the funeral, and watched when they put the coffin in the ground. She doesn’t know where he’s coming up with this information. He says he never did anything to her father. Her father pretended to be dead to protect her from the criminals who kidnapped her to get to him.

Ava tells Nikolas, there are rumors Cyrus was involved, but he’s too slippery to let himself be implicated. Nikolas says, if evidence shows up pointing to Cyrus, he’s a dead man, and Ava tells him, let the police do their job, so when Lulu wakes up, she doesn’t have to visit him in prison. They go inside, and Nikolas thanks her for being optimistic about Lulu. Despite the miserable way their marriage started, he’s relieved to have her by his side. When Lulu was taken away, he needed her support. Ava says, by his side is where she was meant to be, and Nikolas says, not just for show? She was so late getting there, he was worried. Ava says she had to move heaven and earth to get there, and she was willing to do that. Is he? Nikolas asks, so are they married for real? She moves toward him, and says, last night she heard herself say, I love Nikolas, and she meant it. As far as she’s concerned, their marriage is as real as gets.

Martin tells Julian the photo is doctored, but Julian asks if he’s sure, considering what it says on the back. He wouldn’t mind if the picture found its way into Sonny’s hands? Martin moves for the pepper spray, but Julian grabs it. He suggests they play it nice and simple, and tells Martin to open the safe

Sonny tells Jason, he’s convinced Cyrus has something to do with the bombing, and believes Julian helped, but he doesn’t think it was Julian’s idea. Cyrus is trying to put enough air between him and Julian to make them think his hands are clean. He thinks he covered his tracks, but he’s wrong

Cyrus tells Trina, he admires the way Taggert protected her. A parent’s love for a child is the most beautiful thing in the world, and her father is brimming with love for her. She says, if it’s true, where is he?

Taggert wants Carly to know he’s truly grateful to her and Sonny for hiding him, and everything they’re doing for Trina. He’s getting angry and frustrated, and has time on his hands. He’s been thinking about how Trina had to hear he was a corrupt cop. Carly says Josslyn told her that Trina is determined to set the record straight and clear his name. She refuses to see him as anything but a hero. He says he told Sonny that the only reason he hasn’t killed Cyrus is, if he’s caught, he’ll go to prison, or he’ll be on the run his whole life, and he’ll lose Trina forever. She tells him to trust Sonny. He’ll know when the time is right. Taggert asks what if Cyrus gets rid of Sonny first?   

Nikolas tells Ava that he doesn’t want any threat to their happiness, including Ryan. She says, Ryan’s not a threat; he’s in a coma from the stabbing Nikolas claimed he arranged. Nikolas says, as long as Ryan is alive, there’s a chance he’ll continue to blackmail her, and demand they divorce, or he’ll expose what he knows about Julian. Ava says they don’t have to worry about Julian. He’s not a problem anymore. Nikolas asks what she means.   

Martin opens the safe, and tells Julian, relax. He doesn’t keep a firearm, but he’s rethinking that for the future. He does have a letter written by Julian’s late wife. The original was delivered to Ryan per Nelle’s instructions. It makes for interesting reading; how Julian helped steal Sonny’s grandson. Julian says once Sonny realizes Martin has been sitting on that information for months, he’ll kill him. Martin should destroy it for his own sake. Martin takes out a bunch of money stacks, and puts them on the desk. Julian picks them up, and Martin says he gave Julian everything he has. Now it’s Julian’s turn. Give him back his photo.

Portia asks what Jordan needs to tell her, and Jordan says they uncovered a clue that could lead to Cyrus’s vulnerability. They can use it against him, and get the upper hand. What she’s trying to say is, this could be over soon, and they can stop agonizing about their kids. She’ll know TJ is safe, and Trina will get the justice she deserves.   

Laura tells Curtis, she doesn’t know much about her biological father, and even less about his wife. She doesn’t see how there could possibly be a connection to Cyrus, and wondered why the interest in David Hamilton. What is Cyrus doing, and where is it leading? Curtis said the only pattern that jumped out was that Laura seemed to be at the center.

Cyrus tells Trina that he’s sorry; he has no idea where her father is. He only knows her father is still alive. She asks if he has any photos or videos, and he says he doesn’t, but he got the information from a trusted source. He didn’t think she should continue to hurt and grieve over someone who’s still in the land of the living. If he could locate her father, he would, but most of the people in town are hostile toward him. Trina says she wonders why, and Cyrus says he admires her spirit. He sincerely hopes she finds her father. There’s nothing better than a child reuniting with the parent they love. Trina suggests he stop acting like she believes what he’s saying; she doesn’t. Not one word. Cyrus jets.

Taggert tells Carly, the odds are good that Cyrus will kill more people than he already has, the longer Sonny waits.

Cyrus joins his righthand dude, and says he met with Trina. Mark his words, she’ll find Taggert if he’s there. And when she does, he’ll be there to kill Taggert – again.

Jason tells Sonny, Cyrus paid the bartender to call Julian, who delivered the bomb for Cyrus. Sonny says, they’re both responsible, and Jason says, Cyrus is the bigger threat. Sonny says he hopes they find him alive. They can use him against Cyrus. Jason says other people have survived the fall. There’s a good chance Julian is alive. Sonny wonders where he is, since Ava isn’t hiding him. They have to find Julian.

Julian tells Martin, no can do. He needs the photo for insurance purposes. He starts loading up Martin’s briefcase with the money, and Martin says, for heaven’s sake. Not another briefcase. He gave Julian what he wanted; that was the deal. Julian says, it wasn’t a deal, and don’t mention he saw him. If he finds out Martin mentioned his name, he’ll make sure Martin’s deep, dark secret gets exposed. He closes the briefcase, and asks if Martin isn’t going to wish him good luck and God speed. Martin says, go to hell, and Julian says he’s going to spend his life looking over his shoulder. He’s already there.

Nikolas tells Ava he knows how desperate Julian was. He kept finding excuses to stay in Port Charles. He prays Julian is gone now, and asks how certain she is. She says she knows, and wants him to leave it there. He asks where her brother is, and she says, he’s not a problem anymore. Nikolas says Ava told him that she loved him. If that’s true, tell him. She says, Julian is dead, and he’s dead because of her.

Jax asks if Nina forgives Valentin, Ava and Nikolas come to an understanding, and Carly asks Sonny to tell her that he’s going to make Julian pay

Southern Charm

A state of emergency was declared in South Carolina, and Craig’s voiceover (I guess he’s officially replaced Cameran) told us, as Georgia and the rest of the world went into lockdown, they got used to their new normal. We saw what everyone was doing at home, and the Black Lives Matter protests after the death of George Floyd. Craig said, after two months that felt like two years, restrictions were lifted, and Charleston was back – sort of

June. People were masked and cleaning like mad. Michael waited for Patricia, as she grilled him about what supplies he had in the car, like antibacterial wipes and masks. Patricia came out wearing a black lace skirt with slits up to there, and Michael joked that her skirt was indecent. She said, good; too bad no one was around to enjoy it. In Patricia’s interview, she said that both she and Michael were at an age where they were vulnerable, and had started a self-imposed quarantine in March, along with Whitney, who had come to visit. She told Michael, her hair was so long, she felt like an aging hippie, and in her interview, said Michael had been coloring her hair, and she looked like a skunk. They drove to Krispy Kreme, as we all would want to.

Craig’s new girlfriend Natalie was staying with him. In his interview, he said he was pretty sure he loved her. He said, at this point, only the major cities had problems with the virus, and he thought people were overreacting. He claimed he was careful, but we saw clips of him and Shep being not so careful. All of his major deals were on hold, and his business partner thought they should throw an HSN virtual pillow party. Craig balked at the idea, saying his chemistry was better in person, but dude was like, um… we’re in the middle of a pandemic. Shep’s girlfriend Taylor was staying with him as well, and told Shep that she couldn’t smell her armpits. In Shep’s interview, he said, at first he was crazy about taking precautions, but then started not caring. Quarantining with Taylor, he’d gotten a peek into the white picket fence life. He’d looked over the fence and didn’t hate it.

Madison said homeschooling sucked, but luckily son Hudson was smarter than her. Austen met his parents and sister for dinner, and even though they were sitting outside, it looked like no one was observing much of any kind of restrictions. In his interview, Austen said his entire business was based around bars and restaurants, and they were down 46%. The beer was sitting in a warehouse going bad. Madison got together with her mom and aunt, and told them that before quarantine, she and Austen had been good, but she had a five-year plan, and Austen had been doing the opposite. Austen griped that Madison had put him in the backseat, while she was bettering her life by doing things like going to the gym. His sister suggested maybe Madison was on to something, and he should grow up or get out. Reaching for justification, Austen’s mom wondered if Austen and Madison were really compatible. Madison said she was conflicted, and her mom said she was successful and independent. She’d done it all herself, and was a good mom. She didn’t need to have a man. She told them that she was having a birthday party for Austen on a private island.

John said he finally got his boys. They couldn’t come for spring break, but now it was dad camp. Madison called and told him about the birthday party. Leva called Danni, and asked if she’d talked to Kathryn. (This was at the time of the monkey emoji debacle.) Danni said she’d reached out, but she knew that Kathryn needs her space sometimes. Leva said Kathryn had reached out to her a lot, asking for advice. She thought maybe she was Kathryn’s only non-white friend. In Danni’s interview, she said it was a f*** you to her. She’d been there for Kathryn when her mother passed away, and had even been the one to tell her. Leva asked if Danni knew about the statue of John C. Calhoun, who was one of Kathryn’s ancestors. He’d been Vice President twice, and fought to keep slavery, it being his last dying wish. Leva said they were having a conference about taking down the statue, and invited Danni. In Leva’s interview, she thought being able to have a conversation without it being radical was like a weight being lifted. She thought it would be healing for the community, and a powerful first step.

We saw several news clips about Calhoun being 7th Vice President, and supporting slavery. The meeting was at the base of the statue, and Leva said Calhoun Street used to be Boundary Street, and Calhoun was looking down on the boundary between Black and white people. The other Madison from Gwynn’s joined them, along with a few of Leva’s friends. State Representative and minority leader Todd Rutherford gave a speech about why the statue should come down, and said it was time to move on. There weren’t that many people, but that could have been due to the pandemic. In her interview, Leva said Charleston was an old Southern city that was used to everyone being quiet and staying in their place. Leva said she thought it was a beautiful first step. They had more work to do, but taking down the symbols that triggered old pain was a start.    

Kathryn told us, during quarantine, she and Thomas were week on/week off with the kids. She had to figure out homeschooling now, and was trying to make the best of it. Madison called, and Kathryn told her that she had to be creative with entertaining the kids. Madison told her about the party, and said it was really a reason to get everyone together and have fun. Kathryn said she was super depressed about the emoji thing, but Madison didn’t know what was going on. Kathryn said it was a genuine mistake, and had nothing to do with politics or race. In Kathryn’s interview, she said a friend was promoting a Trump party, and although she wasn’t a Trump supporter, her friend was being bullied. Someone started trolling her, and she posted it along with, that’s how seriously I take this, thinking the emoji looked funny. Madison said she had to watch what she said, and think about other people. Kathryn told her that she’d gotten so much hate online, she’d been in a bubble lately.

Leva and friends went to Republic for some food and drink. Danni said Kathryn never talked about her family history, and Madison said she thought Kathryn should be doing more. They toasted to what could be an important day in history, and to change. Danni admitted to being ignorant, and everyone agreed full history wasn’t taught enough in school. Leva said they needed to remove the things that glorified enslavement, and one of the women said these historical figures lived in a time period when they fought for a right they thought existed. Germany wasn’t still flying Nazi flags. Leva said she struggled with Kathryn, and thought Kathryn had to know what was a trigger. If it was her great-grandfather’s statue, she’d know. One of Leva’s friends said Kathryn should speak out; use her voice in a positive light and move on. In Leva’s interview, she said Kathryn should have been there to say it was okay. She told the group that she informed Kathryn about the statue being taken down, and Kathryn said she didn’t care; it was ugly. Leva thought Kathryn was trying to be funny, but she was offended. Madison suggested Kathryn didn’t think that way because of her privilege, and one of the other women said she wished she knew what privilege felt like. Danni thought Kathryn was just selfish, saying, she had no empathy, and couldn’t put herself in other people’s shoes. She ignored everything. Madison said, obviously Kathryn couldn’t help who her ancestors were, but she should speak out. The monkey emoji was brought up, and Madison said there was more to it than that. Kathryn feigned ignorance, but she’d told the person to stop using their minority claim, and they were what was wrong with Charleston. Kathryn had tried to say she didn’t know who she talking to, but with a statement like that, she did, so they fired her. We saw a news blurb that said Kathryn didn’t reflect the values of the brand, and had been terminated. Leva asked if Danni was going to continue their friendship, but Danni said they hadn’t talked in months. Madison said Kathryn reached out when it benefited her, and Danni knew that. IMO, Kathryn wasn’t necessarily thinking in a racist way, but she definitely wasn’t thinking. (Read all about it in the links below, and decide for yourself.) I also think what Danni said is true; she lacks empathy, and she’s very focused on herself, but I don’t know why. She’s been through a lot, and you never know what’s really going on with a person. This is why I don’t think cancel culture is a good look. Most of the time anyway. People make mistakes, and while they should be held accountable for their actions, icing them out isn’t going to teach anybody anything, and I would hope that would be a part of the change we’d like to see in the world. Okay, getting down off my soapbox now.

Shep met with his trainer at an empty gym, and brought Lil Craig along, the real star of this show. He wondered where Austen was, and said it wasn’t like him not to show up. He called Austen, who said something wasn’t right. He was feeling flu-y, and achy. Shep said that was scary. He thought if Austen felt better the next day, he was in the clear, but he wasn’t a doctor. Austen promised he’d bounce back quick, and in Shep’s interview, he said, if you feel sick during a pandemic, and the symptoms are flu, it’s covid. He called Craig, and told him Austen had bailed because of he was feeling flulike. Shep said he was wigging out, because they’d all gone out the past weekend, and Craig said he felt fine. Shep said he did too, and wondered if Madison was still going to have the party. Shep said again that he was wigging out about Austen.

Three days later. Austen made a Zoom call to Madison, but struggled trying to tell her, since he’s such a big baby. He finally spit out that he’d recently tested positive for corona, and obviously they’d just gotten together. We saw a clip of Austen and Madison out with Craig and Shep, and Austen said he was surprised since he’d just tested negative. Madison said he and Craig went out to bars, stayed out all night, and had people over. Now she and Hudson were at risk. She called him selfish, and said she was trying to throw a party for him. The salon had been closed for months, and just reopened. Now everything was legit ruined. He said he could have gotten it from her, since she was working. That’s where I would have hung up, and never talked to him again, but Madison called him an effing idiot, and asked if he’d never heard of protection. She stayed pretty calm, but she was definitely seething, and said her son could have been exposed. Austen said he was praying Hudson wasn’t positive, and hoped and prayed the important people in his life, like her, were negative. He said they didn’t need to hash all this out right now, and she told him that he wasn’t setting foot in her house unless she knew he was negative. He said he understood she was pissed, but they’d talk when he came out of it. She hung up on him, and he said, really? Yes. Really, Austen. As Madison said, you’re an effing idiot.

Next time, Shep tests negative, but everyone else is positive; Austen says it’s not good with Madison; John chats up Madison; Craig joins QVC virtually to sell pillows; the Calhoun statue comes down; and Dani confronts Kathryn.

🐒 It’s All About That Monkey…

Take your pick of viewpoints.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/kathryn-dennis-addresses-monkey-emoji-controversy-southern-charm

https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/814462/southern-charm-kathryn-dennis-sends-monkey-emoji-to-black-activist/

🎅 Have a Holly Jolly Pandemic…

You’ve missed a few, but there are many TV specials to come.

https://nypost.com/2020/11/30/must-watch-2020-christmas-specials-to-get-in-the-holiday-spirit/

NYC preps for the holidays. Such as they are.

https://nypost.com/2020/11/27/nyc-holiday-season-is-underway-the-posts-week-in-photos/

At least the tree doesn’t look so skimpy anymore.

https://nypost.com/2020/12/02/midtown-a-ghost-town-before-rockefeller-center-tree-lighting/

🏀 Gotta Bounce…

There will be time for tea tomorrow, but for now, stay safe, stay thinking before you speak (or post), and stay skeptical of mob bosses bearing good news.