What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Two young women watch Mac swimming, and one says, oh my God, Silver Fox. Hello daddy. Felicia listens, as they watch Mac get out of the pool, and the other women says, that’s Mac Scorpio, the Chief of Detectives; she saw him at press conference. The first woman says, he can slap handcuffs on her anytime. Felicia walks over to them, and says, sorry to disappoint, ladies, but that Silver Fox has a Mrs. Silver Fox, and that would be me. She walks over to Mac, and passionately kisses him.

On the phone outside Kelly’s, Michael says he has a business associate who’s being screened with a background check, and he needs certain information to show up… They said could handle it. Just get it done today. Sam comes out, and says, whoa. Now she guesses she knows what kind of boss he is; decisive and demanding? He’s got a lot on his plate. He says, she doesn’t know the half of it.

In an exam room, TJ says he couldn’t help noticing Willow giving Michael the runaround when Michael asked why he was taking the lead and not Britt. Is there a reason she’s not telling Michael this isn’t her usual OB appointment? She says, there is nothing Michael needs to know until the test results come back… Unless there’s something more serious he found out. Is that why he looks so worried?

Elizabeth tells Finn, at least she doesn’t have to worry about getting her steps in with some of the elevators being out of commission. Finn says, he knows it’s a pain, but the functioning elevators seem to be prioritized for the patients in trauma. She says she knows, but it’s a helluva way to start her first day back. He asks how she feels about coming back, and she says, grateful. She’s got a really good support system rallying around her now that she’s recovered. He says, maybe it’s the addict in him talking, but at meetings they never talk about being fully recovered. Every day is another day in recovery. It’s okay if she’s still got some recovery to do. There’s no shame in taking more time before she comes back to work.

Judge Young says, there will be a 30 minute recess, and tells Diane to be prepared to call next witness when they return. Portia says, all this time Trina had an alibi for when the revenge porn was distributed. Why didn’t she tell them? Trina says, if push came to shove, she was going to testify about it. She never expected Spencer to do it himself; he could go back to prison. Taggert suggests she just focus herself. While Spencer’s testimony isn’t a not slam dunk, it could create reasonable doubt with the jury. Portia says, at least Spencer seemed adamant when he told the jury that he didn’t believe their daughter would do this.

In the hallway, Spencer tells Nikolas, whatever this is, it can’t take long. He needs to get back in the courtroom. He wants Trina to see him when she testifies. He needs her to know whatever sacrifice he made was worth it. Nikolas says he hopes it helps Trina, because Spencer might have just thrown away his freedom.

Ava tells Esme, playtime is over. They’ll deal with Esme sleeping with her husband another day, but right now, Esme is going to go directly to the courthouse. She’s going to exonerate Trina. She’s going to tell the world that she filmed Joss and Cam. Esme says, they’ve already had this conversation. She has no idea where Ava is getting this crazy idea from. And besides, why would she even do it? Is Ava offering to help her disappear, so she doesn’t have to go to prison? No. She has no intention of being a fugitive for the rest of her life. Ava says, darling girl, you misunderstand me. She moves closer to Esme, and says, Esme either confesses to framing Trina or she will make sure nobody finds her… not while she’s still breathing. Esme asks if Ava is threatening her, and Ava says, if one were to believe the rumors, she’s killed for a lot less. Esme says, Ava is judge, jury, and executioner, all rolled into one person, and Ava says, Esme tried to take her husband from her. She and Spencer teamed up to try and take her sanity, and now she wants to take Trina? Ava will not let that happen. Either tell the truth or it’s the end of the line for Esme Prince. You decide.

Felicia tells Mac, those two women were totally checking him out when he got out of the pool, but Mac says, they were not. He’s too old to be checked out. She says she’s not kidding. One of them called him a Silver Fox, and the other one knows he’s Chief of Detectives. She was fantasizing about him slapping some handcuffs on her. He laughs, saying, get out of here, and she says she had to get a little possessive. She let them know that Silver Fox is married – to her. He says, now she knows what he has to deal with when they go out. She’s usually the one turning heads. She says, stop, but he tells her, what can he say? They’ve still got it. He kisses her.

TJ tells Willow, he knows waiting is hard, but they don’t want to speculate about things until they get information back from the lab. Like she said earlier, raised white blood cells can mean any number of things, or it can be an anomaly in the first reading. She says, but if the results are consistent, he’s afraid the issue is serious? She’s about to graduate from nursing school; he can’t bluff her. He says he’s not trying to bluff her, which is why this makes for a good example that doctors and nurses make the worst patients. Though he has to ask, if she’s worried it’s bad news, why doesn’t she want Michael here to support her?

Taggert asks what Diane thinks. Is Spencer’s testimony enough to cause reasonable doubt with the jury? Diane says, they definitely made progress in the right direction. Although, as the ADA demonstrated, Spencer’s alibi isn’t foolproof. Trina says, she doesn’t understand. Why put Spencer back on the stand? Why have him admit he snuck out of prison if it isn’t going to do her any good? Diane tells her, like her father said, it creates reasonable doubt in the mind of the jury, and that’s like money in the bank for them. It actually didn’t help that Spencer said he bribed an official in order to sneak out of prison. It’s not a good look for a star witness, but it just means Trina has more work to do.

Spencer tells Nikolas, he had to do it. He can’t stand by and let Trina take the fall for this. Nikolas says, that’s where Spencer lost him. All this time, Spencer and Esme have been insisting they thought Trina was responsible. Spencer says, it was just an act to try and get Esme to slip up and admit she was guilty. Does Nikolas think for one second Spencer thought Trina would hurt Joss and Cam that way? It was Esme who was insisting Trina was guilty.

Ava says she woudn’t hesitate to give up her life to save Trina. She certainly wouldn’t think twice about sacrificing Esme’s. So Esme had better think very hard about how she’s going to play this. Trina is like a daughter to her, and she won’t allow Trina to go to prison, where someone as demented as Esme belongs, locked up. Esme says, Ava’s devotion is touching, but where was all this motherly devotion to her daughter Kiki? Is that why Ava is obsessed with Trina? Because she’s filling the void of the real daughter Ava drove away? She certainly can’t blame the dashing and gorgeous Dr. Griffin Monroe for upgrading to a younger model, especially when the current model is Ava, because Ava is just downright awful. Ava drove away her daughter, just like she drove away Nikolas. The only problem is, when she drove away Kiki, she didn’t just skip town. Ava drove her to her death. Ava cracks Esme across the face, and the envelope flies out of her hand.

Felicia asks if this means Mac is having second thoughts about Dante  taking over for him as Chief of Detectives when he retires, and Mac says, he told her. He only mentioned it to Dante as a possibility; something to think about down the road. He’s not planning on retiring anytime soon, but this day off has its appeal. He’s had so many careers. He’s been a mercenary, he’s owned a bar; he’s been a P.I. and a Police Commissioner. He’s always been a bit nomadic when it comes to his career. He’s looking for what comes next. She says she agrees with all that, so she’ll ask him directly; what does come next?

Sam suggests she and Michael take a seat and talk about it. She has the feeling she knows what’s going on. He says, she does? and she says, it doesn’t take a P.I. to know what he’s up to. It’s Aurora, isn’t it? Michael says, she’s got him. The stock price went into free fall when the merger with ELQ fell though. She says he heard about that. How bad is it? He says, the bleeding stopped, but it will take a while for Aurora to get back to where it was a few months ago; not to mention his mom inflated the price. He’s just a hired CEO, but he takes it personally. He had big plans for the merged company, plus he feels like he let Sam down. She says, her? How? He says, Aurora only started because it was her dream with Drew, and she says, that was like, five lifetimes ago, and they only did that for Scout’s future. She’s not saying that to pressure Michael or make him feel bad. She knows he’ll do everything it takes to get it back for Scout, and for Wiley too. He says he thinks she means Wiley and his new sibling. She puts her hands over her mouth, and he says, yeah, he and Willow have some exciting news to share

Willow tells TJ, Michael is going through a lot right now. His parents’ divorce, his anger at Sonny choosing Nina over his family, and Aurora’s in trouble ever since the merger with ELQ didn’t happen. TJ says he’s aware of all of that, but he’s also aware she just lost her mom, and she’s about to become a nurse. Her plate is pretty full too. She says she knows, but Michael’s finally got some good news when he found out they were having another child. She doesn’t want to take that happiness away from him, not until there’s an actual reason to worry. He says, that’s a heavy burden to be carrying all by herself. If she doesn’t want to talk to Michael, isn’t there someone she can confide in? What about Sasha? She says, talk about someone who has a lot on her plate. Besides, it’s hard for Sasha to be around her, knowing she’s pregnant. He says he gets her point. What about Michael’s mom? She says, no. Carly is dealing with her divorce, and the loss of the MetroCourt. She’s telling him, she can handle this. It’s not going to be a very long wait. The test results will come back, and fingers crossed, TJ will tell her it’s nothing, and she and Michael will laugh about this later… right?

Taggert asks if Portia is okay, but she says, not really. She knows their daughter is in college, and she’s growing up and not going to tell her parents every single thing, but that girl had an alibi since day one, and she’s had all of them running around, scrambling, trying to help her for months now. Portia is upset and hurt. Trina chose to protect that spoiled entitled brat over herself. He says he was shocked too, but they’ve got to remember, she said if she thought it was necessary, she’d bring it out in her testimony. She says, that’s her point; why wait until the last minute? If Trina would have been honest from the very beginning, maybe they could have gotten the PCPD to use their resources to find the real criminal, who isn’t their daughter. He says he knows. It’s tough watching their daughter suffer. She says, this is just all so completely unbelievable to her. Their daughter is on trial for a crime she didn’t commit, and for the first time in Spencer’s life, he’s decided to tell the truth, which is great, she guesses. She just doesn’t know if it’s enough at this point to help Trina.

Rory and Josslyn go over to Trina, and she says she knows what they’re thinking, but she was always planning on admitting she had an alibi for when that video was distributed. What doesn’t make sense is Spencer. Why would he admit he escaped from Spring Ridge? He has everything lose, and nothing to gain. Josslyn says, maybe Spencer couldn’t sit back, knowing what it was costing Trina, and Diane says she needs a word with Trina in private. They step away, and Diane says, Trina is up. She’s putting Trina on the stand next. Trina says she knows; she’s ready. Diane says, except things have changed. The calculus is a little different, so she needs to pursue a different line of questioning. Trina asks what she means, and Diane says, it might be a little more personal than they’d originally intended.

Esme’s lip is bleeding, and Ava says, Esme’s been begging for that for months. Esme asks if that’s all Ava’s got, because she’s not afraid of Ava. She wipes the blood with her finger, and licks it off, adding, at all. Ava says, the walls are closing in on Esme, but she’s too arrogant to understand. She’s the definition of a poor little rich girl; she will never be loved. Esme says, she’s so done with Ava and her entire family. She starts to get her suitcase, and Ava sees the envelope. She picks it up, and says, Esme seems to have forgot something, fanning herself with it.

TJ tells Willow, he predicts outcomes of professional sports or awards all the time, but a patient’s diagnosis, never. His phone beeps, and she asks if everything is okay. He says, yeah. He needs to check on a patient. He promises he’ll be right back. He leaves, and goes to the reception desk. He picks up the phone, and asks, who’s on call for oncology today?… Okay. Have Dr. Singh paged… Yes, it’s very important. He needs a consult on some lab results.

Nikolas says, Spencer believed Esme made the revenge porn, and he was just trying to get her to slip up to save Trina. He should have let Nikolas know. Esme was a guest in his house. Spencer says he understands Nikolas is confused. but the more people who knew about his plan, the greater the chance of him being found out. They both know how smart Esme is – Nikolas flashes back to you-know-what – and how quickly she can twist things to her own advantage. It’s complicated, all right? Nikolas says, he just wishes Spencer would have included him in his plans. It would have changed so much. Spencer says, they can work out this mess later, but he needs to get back into court. Nikolas says, there’s something he needs to tell Spencer, and Spencer says, when the trial is over for the day, they’ll go someplace, and talk, but Nikolas says, he has to tell Spencer now. It’s very important Spencer hear it from him, and no one else. So does Nikolas think someone might tell Spencer in court? This guy is the king of bad ideas. Which is no small achievement in Port Charles.

Ava says, the letter, the one Esme didn’t want her to see. She wonders what kind of incriminating evidence is revealed in here. Esme flashes back to writing to Maggie, saying, she doesn’t quite have everything she wants just yet, but she’s well on her way. Ava says, how does she know this is Esme’s at all? It could be a Cassadine letter she’s stolen for some kind of leverage. Esme says, it’s hers, and she wants it back. She lunges for it, but Ava holds it away from her and laughs. She says, Esme is so desperate to have it. She wonders what’s written here.

Elizabeth says, she appreciates Finn’s concern, but she’s ready to get back to work. Keeping busy is going to help her feel normal again. And she processed her grief over Franco, and as long as she doesn’t overwork herself, or self-medicate with sleeping pills, the worst is behind her. Now she just needs him and Terry to understand that she can handle this. He says, of course (🍷). He owes her an apology… She says, they’ve already talked about this. He doesn’t owe her an apology, but he says, if Terry is guilty of smothering her, so is he, and he apologizes. Maybe he’s a little gun-shy. His last relationship kind of went off the rails because of all the secrets being kept. It destroyed everything they had, and he guesses he went all-in on the truth, and no middle ground. He knows it’s a terrible excuse, but he’s still trying to find the right balance with privacy and someone he loves.

Michael tells Sam, keep it down. He’s excited, but Willow is still in her first trimester, and they’re not telling everybody just yet. Sam says she’s really happy for him, and he says he’s so excited. The last time he found out he was going to be a father, it was turbulent to say the least. She says, that was different because it was Nelle was the one having his baby, and he says he hated the way she lorded it over him. Then after she gave birth… Sam says, it’s going to be different. He and Willow love each other. He says he’s so happy he and Willow make such a good team. This time around, he has nothing but hope for the future.

Willow paces, her hands on her stomach. She says, it’s okay, little one. It will be just fine.

Dr. Singh looks at the report, and TJ says he really hopes his diagnosis is wrong. Please tell him that he’s overreacting. Dr. Singh says, unfortunately, he thinks TJ’s diagnosis is spot-on.  

Ava says, there must be something really juicy in here. Did Esme write about how she framed an innocent woman for a crime she committed? Or how she seduced Ava’s husband? Esme says, Ava is so self-centered. Her letter said nothing about Ava, but it’s hers and she wants it back. She reaches for it, but Ava pulls it away again, and says she believes she’s detecting some real genuine emotion. Rage mostly, but fear underneath. There’s something here Esme doesn’t want her to know, and she can’t wait to see what it is. She starts to open the envelope, and Esme tackles her.

Spencer says, whatever Nikolas has to say to him is obviously weighing on him, which means it will probably be a long discussion. So it really needs to wait until the trial is done for the day. Nikolas’s phone rings, and Spencer says he really needs to go back inside. He jets, and Nikolas says, what is it?… What kind of commotion?… Who’s upstairs with his wife?

Elizabeth asks Finn what he just said, and Finn says, he thinks he said… you know… something about love. And by love, he means he really, really cares about her… and there’s no getting out of this one, is there, after his truth speech? He knows he’s been taking things deliberately slow, and he’s not sure how she feels about him, but he’s pretty sure he knows how he feels about her. He loves her. He’s in love with her. And she doesn’t have to say anything back. She doesn’t have to say anything at all. Her phone dings, and she says, TJ needs her help with something, so she should… He says, she should, and she leaves.

Trina tells Diane, don’t worry. She knows exactly what she needs to do. Diane says she’s Trina’s attorney; it’s her job to worry about Trina. She’s endured so much during this trial. She can’t imagine what it’s like, sitting there listening to that woman try to convince everyone that Trina would betray her friends in such a heinous fashion. A lesser woman would have crumbled under the pressure, but Trina’s not a lesser woman. Her mom and dad raised a strong, confident woman. Trina thanks her for the pep talk, but Diane says, it’s not a pep talk; it’s the truth. She can’t believe she’s going to say this, but Spencer actually helped their case. But the ball’s not in the end zone yet. That’s up to Trina. She needs to be the heroine in her own story. Trina says she likes how that sounds, and Diane says she thought Trina might. They go back to Portia and Taggert, and Portia says she knows Trina is testifying next. How is she feeling? Taggert says, she’ll do great, but Trina says, she’s going to do better than great. She’s going to be the heroine of her own story. She looks at Diane, and Diane says, let’s win this. The bailiff says, all rise, and Trina sees Spencer come in with Josslyn. The bailiff tells everyone to be seated. Court is now in session. Judge Young asks Diane to call her next witness, and Diane calls Trina to the stand. Trina looks at Spencer once again.

Ava and Esme struggle, knocking over furniture, and rolling around on the floor. It’s actually pretty funny. Ava gets away, and Esme pushes her down. Esme grabs the envelope, but before she can skate, Ava grabs her ankle, and she falls, the fireplace screen falling on top of her. Now I’m really laughing.

Diane asks if Trina can confirm Nikolas’s testimony that she and Nikolas were together at the very moment that revenge porn email was distributed. Trina says, yes. She was at the cemetery, working on an assignment for her Art History class at PCU, and the last person she expected to see was Spencer because she knew he was serving his sentence at Spring Ridge. She was shocked to say the least. Diane says, if she’s always had this very clear alibi, why did she wait until now to bring it to the court’s attention? Trina says, as the ADA demonstrated, emails can be sent by a timer. So Spencer being with her when the email came out, was never going to be enough to clear her name. And if Spencer came forward and admitted he bribed someone to let him go for the day so he could visit his mother’s grave, he would get into a lot of trouble. So she was hoping there would be enough of the other evidence to prove her innocence without jeopardizing Spencer’s future. Diane says, but Trina is on trial for felony charges. That’s an awfully big risk, doesn’t she think, to put someone else’s well-being ahead of her own future? Trina says, she’s sorry; what’s the question? Diane asks her to please tell the court why she put Spencer’s future ahead of her own. They’ve already established she’s an intelligent young woman; she gets excellent grades. And yet she sat on a key witness that could have provided her with a rock solid alibi because she didn’t want to harm him. She’s just trying to understand Trina’s motivation here, and she can only come up with one reason. It was an act of love. Spencer looks like he might cry, and a tear rolls down Trina’s cheek.

Mac tells Felicia, Dante is super focused on the day to day; raising Rocco as a single parent, forging a new relationship with Sam, playing the go-between with Michael and Sonny. He’s an extremely good detective, but he’s not thinking about his overall career objectives. Sometime way in the future when he wants to retire, Mac wants someone to replace him that he knows can do the job as good as he can. So the conversation he had with Dante, he was just planting a seed. He’s not turning his badge in anytime soon. She thanks him for the clarification, and he says, on the other hand, when he stepped in and hosted open mic night at the Haunted Star, it reminded him of how much he enjoyed running The Floating Rib. Sure, the insurance check they got from the explosion made a nice nest egg for them, and for that he’ll be eternally grateful. (Yikes. Did he forget it killed Dev and Dustin, and put Lulu in a coma?) He says, but he misses it as his home base. He felt anchored to the community. It’s where people came to get engaged, to celebrate an anniversary, or an entire office would come to celebrate a retirement. Or if someone was just having a bad day at work, it was someplace friendly to unwind. He loved all that. She says she knows what he means. When they lost The Floating Rib, it left such a void. She thinks she tried to fill that void by revisiting her P.I. skills. Between working with Anna and giving Sam advice, it was fun for her. He says, as he recalls, she was the best in the business. He knows they’re grandparents, but they’re still young at heart. She says, that’s true. When she was working with Sam, she felt so useful. He says, about that. She told him that Sam was struggling with a heavy case load, and she pointed Sam in the right direction concerning someone’s biological parents? She says, she suggested Sam look for a hard copy of the analog records, and he says, maybe Sam could use more than her advice. What if she stepped in and lightened Sam’s case load?

Sam tells Michael, it’s amazing news. It’s the kind of surprise she could actually use on a day like today. He says he’s surprised Dante didn’t tell her, and she says, his brother knew and was holding out on her? He says he thinks Dante was waiting for the official green light to tell anybody. It’s no secret, but the doctors tell them not to broadcast the news until they’re safely through the first trimester. And Dante’s got a lot on his plate, navigating things between him and Sonny. She says, Dante’s pretty good at keeping things close to his chest. Sometimes she feels like she needs a decoder to figure out what’s going on inside his head. She’s not saying he keeps secrets from her, but like Michael said, it’s a big job negotiating between him and Sonny, and she just thinks there’s a whole world going on inside Dante’s mind. Which means she’s always in for a surprise as they take their next steps in their relationship. He says, that sounds newsworthy. What kind of next steps are they planning?

TJ tells Elizabeth that he needs a favor, and asks her to go to the lab and print out a more detail analysis of this patient’s bloodwork, and bring it to his office. He needs to make this a priority. She says, of course (🍷), and leaves. TJ asks Dr. Singh, what happens now? and the doctor says, when he gets the results, he’ll share them with Dr. Randolph, and they’ll discuss what options Willow has. Willow steps outside the exam room, and sees them talking.

Ava grabs the envelope, and Esme gets herself out from under the fireplace screen. She grabs at it.

TJ tells Willow, the blood work shouldn’t take too much longer, and then he can answer her questions. She says she saw him talking to Dr. Singh. They both seemed extremely serious. She has to ask. Were they talking about her? She knows he doesn’t want to scare her, but she’s about to be a nurse; she can handle it. Dr. Singh is an oncologist. Does he think… Does this mean he thinks she has cancer? He says he’s worried she has leukemia.

Elizabeth finds Finn, and he says, that was really fast. She says she just had to pick up some time sensitive results. Now she has to take them downstairs. He tells her, what he said before… He doesn’t want to put any pressure on her. She’s been through a lot, and they haven’t even… She kisses him, and says she loves him. He says, she does? but she says, if she doesn’t leave right now, Epiphany is going to think she’s playing hooky. Will she see him after her shift? He says, absolutely, and she goes into the stairwell. He raises his arms in a sign of victory.

Elizabeth walks down the stairs, and stops suddenly, her pen falling from her hand. She remembers Peter lying on the landing, and taking his pulse. She drops everything, and sits down on the step.

Sam tells Michael, she didn’t mean for that to sound so big; she was talking in the abstract. She and Dante are happy, but they’re taking it slow out of necessity. They have three kids involved between the two of them, and Rocco’s mother is in a coma, and it’s complicated. And she and Dante are consumed with work and parenting, and her caseload is intense. He says, his mom told him she was looking into ways to get Trina exonerated, but she ran into a brick wall. Sam says she did, but she got some excellent advice from a veteran P.I. tis morning, and she has the feeling this tip could get them closer to the proof they need.

Felicia asks how many Mai Tais Mac has had. Sam never told her that she’s looking for a partner. He asks if she’d be interested even if Sam wasn’t. They’re both Jacks of all trades, and love dabbling in everything. That doesn’t mean Felicia can’t scratch that itch by helping Sam out every now and then. She says, it could be fun. Plus, Sam told her that she needed to be stealthy about this investigation because it would hit close to home for some people. She can speed the process along by doing the legwork. It’s not like she has any connection to the client’s biological parents.

Esme grabs the envelope and runs out onto the turret, as no one with any sense would do. Ava is right behind her, and Esme balls up the envelope. She’s about to throw it over, when Ava grabs her hand, and they struggle.

Diane says, the prosecution alleges that Trina filmed that video of Joss and Cam because she was jealous of their relationship. So let’s clarify things. Was Trina ever involved with Cameron Webber? Trina says, no, and Diane says, but she once had feelings for him? Trina says, they kissed twice, and decided they were better off as friends. Diane says, and at the cabin last January, did Trina have feelings for Cameron then? but Trina says, no. Diane says, because she had feelings for someone else, and Trina says, yes. Diane asks, and who would that person be? and Trina says, Spencer Cassadine. Spencer smiles, Diane looks smug, Portia looks like she wants the earth to swallow her, Josslyn looks at Spencer, and Rory looks grim and annoyed, although I don’t know why, since it was before his time.  

Nikolas comes flying into the sitting room, calling for Ava, and hears Esme and Ava on the turret. Ava and Esme are battling over the envelope, and Esme gives it a good pull, falling back and over the turret wall, as Nikolas comes out.

Tomorrow, Jordan tells Curtis that he needs to talk to Esme; Trina says she told the truth, now her fate is out of her hands; and Ava asks if Nikolas found Esme. I’m starting to think that fall from the turret is only about four feet, since pretty much everyone survives it.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Captain Sandy tells Raygan that she needs a bosun she can trust, and who makes the guests a priority. Raygan promises to prove herself. The captain says, sometimes she sounds harsh, but she doesn’t want them to be learning in front of the guests. They should be there already. The theme of tonight’s dinner is Morocco, and Natalya says she’s ready to live her best life in Morocco, with a rich old guy about to cork it, and he has a tragic death. Raygan tells Storm that Captain Sandy’s not happy with her. They’re not organized. Storm suggests they put everything in the water, and Raygan says she’s going to have a meeting. The captain says, the weather is going to be terrible, and Raygan calls the deck crew together. Dave tries doing something nice in leaving coffee for Tasha outside their cabin, but she steps on it when she comes out. Seriously, placement is everything with liquids. She tells Dave that she’s struggling to wake up, and Dave says, she’s grumpy. She says she came out of their cabin, and kicked coffee everywhere. She wonders why he’s being weird, and in Tasha’s interview, she says, they seem in a good space, but deep down she’s struggling with this situation with Dave. She broke up with her ex just before they got on the boat, but ever since she cheated, she’s felt guilty. Now she’s trying to keep Dave from telling the crew, since a lot people have different perceptions of cheating. Some people might think she’s the worst person in the world, and she doesn’t know how the crew would react to the situation. Raygan tells the deckhands, try to be as quick as they can, and inflate everything. She says, Storm is more experienced with mega yachts than she is, and asks who’s good with smaller boats. Jason says he’s good on the tender, and in Raygan’s interview, she says she feels pressured. Captain Sandy is annoyed with her, and she feels like her job is on the line.

Breakfast happens, and guest Noah says, hangovers are bullsh*t. Why do they have to be the consequence for drinking? Ah, the age old question. We flash back to them harassing Dave the night before, and primary Emily says she’s seen them worse. Natalya tells them, a swim helps with a hangover; it washes them away. She suggests a trip to the caves for a swim or dip, and Jason packs the tender. In Jason’s interview, he says he’s used to smaller boats, and he’s comfortable taking guests out on adventures. All he’s doing is inflating and deflating things, and he could be used more in the tender role. He’ll keep working hard until his time. Tasha tells Dave they’re doing a Mexican theme for lunch, and in Dave’s interview, he says he’s struggling. The night before he and Tasha joined the boat, they made an agreement. They’d give it a week and then slowly adapt. Otherwise he woudn’t have shared a cabin with her. Now he feels like she’s avoiding him, and he can’t handle the pressure anymore.

Tasha and Natalya do the cabins, while Storm takes the guests to the caves in Crystal Lagoon. The guests all jump off into the water, and I could cry, it’s so beautiful and looks so relaxing. On the boat, Captain Sandy says she doesn’t trust the weather, and monkey brain welcome back shots are prepared. I look this up, and it’s vodka, Irish cream, lemon juice, and grenadine. Urghhp. The captain says, the storm is coming early; she sees it building. The guests return, and take photos. Captain Sandy points out the sky, and says, they’re going back to the dock. The wind is going to be 30 knots, with 4 meter seas, which are massive. She feels bad, but it’s a safety issue. In her interview, she says she never wants to have to go back. They’re here to show the guests a good time, but it’s all about safety. It’s her responsibility, and they have to go back. She radios the crew, and Kyle says, heaven help me, probably because the pressure is now on the interior to be entertaining. Raygan eats tacos in the crew mess, and Captain Sandy says, they’ve got to hustle; the wind is picking up. The stews decorate for lunch, and the guests are bummed. The captain calls Raygan to the bridge. Noah asks Jason about his career path, and Jason says, he’s been captain on smaller boats; in particular a 60 foot sailboat. Before that, he was in corporate America. He tells Noah, America is a sh*tshow right now, and he doesn’t want go back. Captain Sandy says she wants the stern clear to swing away from the dolphins, and in her interview, she says, there are too many variables; wind, the current, too many dolphins. She has to zig-zag, and it’s difficult. Raygan tells the deckhands the plan for docking, and Noah sprays beer in his own face, trying to poke a hole in the can. Anchor is home, and they head back.

Raygan says she hasn’t eaten all day, and jets to the mess. I guess she means she hasn’t eaten since ten minutes ago. Storm radios Raygan, but she ignores it. In Storm’s interview, he says, WTF is she doing? This is bullsh*t, dude. Right now what she’s doing is eating a jam donut, which she says is proper jammy. In Mzi’s interview, he says, Storm likes to take charge. He has a big work ethic, and can be a perfectionist at times, but he always steps up. Raygan finally tears herself away from the donuts, and joins the deckhands, saying, they’ve got 40 minutes to bang this out. Dave throws down some laundry, and it hits Tasha. She says she got a G-string in her eyeball; it’s the lowest point of her life. Dave says he’s so over this. The guests decide to wait until after they dock for lunch, and in Dave’s interview, he says, delaying lunch is the worst because of the potential of the food drying out. Then if dinner is later, it’s the same nightmare, but he carries on. He has to be flexible, but this could be a disaster. The guests ask for more cocktails, and Natalya says, the laundry room makes her feel like she walked into a brothel. When the laundry is out of control, she feels out of control. The wind begins to gust, and the guests go inside. Mzi and Storm go over the docking procedure, and in Raygan’s interview, she says, she’s comfortable when it comes to docking. She knows what she’s doing. Noah makes Jason explain what he’s doing until Raygan comes along, and tells Noah that Jason has to concentrate on what he’s doing. They come into port, and wow, the dolphins are tight. Captain Sandy asks if she’s clear, and Raygan says she’s got three meters. Jason says, it’s one meter; they’re going to hit. The captain hits the dolphin, and because that’s not bad enough, Noah yells, you hit it. Captain Sandy dashes to the deck.

In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, no captain wants to hit anything. It’s the first time in her career that she’s touched anything. It’s not okay. The guests are impressed with the table décor, and the lines are thrown ashore. I see a fly, but I’m not sure if it’s on the lunch table or my TV. Jason says, it’s a bit of a sh*tshow, and in Mzi’s interview, he says, the environment makes it difficult. There’s no leadership. In the captain’s interview, she says, when she approaches the dock, she expects the bosun to have things in order. This was mismanaged, and lines were everywhere. Raygan doesn’t know her job. Tasha tells Dave that he can’t expect to function on two hours sleep, and in her interview, she says she’d like to think Dave is respecting her wishes, but she can tell it’s eating him away inside. She doesn’t want to hurt him, but she feels like she’s treading on eggshells around him. Captain Sandy tells Storm, nice job, and in Raygan’s interview, she says, they could have done a few things better. They docked safely; that’s the main thing. She tells the captain, they just slightly touched; there’s no damage. Guest Anna says, food is her love language, and this is love. Natalya tells Kyle that the laundry is like a brothel, and he says, that’s because she works there. BA-DUM-CHH! They set up a plank so the guests can go ashore, and Captain Sandy says, they have permission to take the tender down. In Storm’s interview, he says, structure is needed. It’s a new team on a new boat, in a new area. There’s a pace at which they need to do things. Jason is sucking his thumb, and packing a box that should take two minutes, and it’s taking thirty. Kyle says, when he laughs, he farts, and Natalya says, his butthole needs a plug. They pretty much banter like this all the time. Noah whines about having to dock, and Mzi says, it’s for safety. Noah says, when you don’t follow rules, life is better. Obviously he’s drunk away his hangover. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, the docking was a mess. It starts with leadership. You have to be able to lead your team. We flash back to Raygan’s lack of leadership skills, or any skills except smoking and eating, and the captain says, the docking was the straw that broke the camel’s back. She texts Norma from Yacht Staffing, and says she’s looking for a bosun. Norma says she has none available, and asks if a deckhand could work.  

Storm takes the guests on a ride around the city in the tender. When they get back, it’s vodka/lychee/raspberry shots which is finally something that doesn’t turn my stomach. The guests get ready for dinner, and Natalya says, her life is doing laps. In Dave’s interview, he says, the guests want Moroccan; Moroccan is sick. If he was doing cooking like he did in Morocco, he’d dig a hole in the mud, and use charcoals, but he can’t. He has to settle for braising it in a big pot, and adding spices and herbs. Storm flirts with Natalya in the laundry room, and in her interview, she says she’s not on the hunt, but if it pops up, she won’t say no. He has to be cool, from a good family, with a good friendship group. She just broke up with her boyfriend, so she’s not rushing into anything, but she’s happy to ride the train and see where it’s going. In his interview, Dave says, on their previous boat, he and Tasha were always together. She was going to leave her current boyfriend, and he thought he was in the door. He’s afraid she’s regretting it now, and it’s making him feel worthless. When he falls in love, he want to talk about it, but he can’t. What a drama queen, but what he can do is make amazing food. He comes up with the dinner, and guest Kelly says, he’s the man. She’s trying so many new things. Kyle says, are we happy penis? then insists he said happiness. In Kyle’s interview, he says he’s a born service queen. The interior is excellent. Tasha’s cocktails are extraordinary, and Natalya excels in housekeeping and laundry. He’s all for supporting the team, but if the tip is whopping, it’s because of them. The guests go to the upper deck for dessert, and it’s decorated with gauzy white drapes, low tables, and floor pillows. Noah asks if this is more of that hippie sh*t. Dessert is a white chocolate pie, which Kelly says, rocked their world. I’m not a huge white chocolate fan, but I have the feeling that I’d even like things I don’t like from some of these yacht chefs. Emily says, this day of the charter was a terrible day, and she lost a sh*t ton of stocks. Noah says, she’s still rich. In their cabin, Storm bitches at Mzi for missing the toilet. Tasha asks if Dave is okay, and he says his mind won’t stop. She says, stop what? and he says, thinking about everything. Is there something she’s not telling him? She says, he’s starting to freak her out. It’s like she’s on eggshells. He asks if she’s scared of what he’s going to say, and she says she just doesn’t know what he’s going to do. It’s not stuff anyone needs to know. Dave says he feels like crying all the time, and doesn’t like it. She tells him that he needs to get some sleep, and he tucks her in. Ugh. These chefs are always so sensitive.

It’s breakfast time, and Tasha says, Dave must have slept, but he says he got no sleep. She says, that’s not all right, then they move to the topic of bread making. Captain Sandy asks Storm to meet her on the bridge for a quick chat. They talk about the docking, and she says she loves how he took charge. He understands it’s critical to get the lines on shore. She wanted to acknowledge that, and says she’ll talk to him later. Emily says they went above and beyond, and Anna says she’s so sad to leave. The guests pack and the crew changes to their whites. The captain radios the crew to meet on the dock for guest departure.

In Mzi’s interview, he says, at the end of every charter, there’s a woo-hoo. It’s been tense, so he’s looking forward to a drinky winky tonight. Emily tells them, it was unreal. They were all amazing, and the only complaint was being kept waiting to get in the water. We flash back to that, and yeah, there was no excuse. Emily gives the captain the tip envelope, and says, well done, team.

At the tip meeting, Captain Sandy says, it was a difficult docking. The lines took a long time, and she touched the mooring buoys. That can never happen. Interior, as always, did an amazing job. She hasn’t had a chef like Dave in a long time; he’s doing a great job. It was overall a great charter. The tip is $19K or $1,727 each. The crew applauds and toasts themselves. The captain thanks them, and tells them to enjoy their night out.

Captain Sandy calls Raygan to the bridge, and tells her, have a seat.

To be continued…

🥀 Final Frontier…

She was truly a trailblazer.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/31/entertainment/nichelle-nichols-star-trek-dies/index.html

👢 Walking the Line…

Drop by tomorrow for soap and a tea leaf or two. Until then, stay safe, stay away from pettiness, and stay not struggling over anything on a turret.