Tag Archives: Nicole Snooki Polizzi

September 4, 2024 – Lucky Sees a Familiar Face, Lois’s Coach, Branching Out, This Week’s Listings, Showing For Andy, Real Bluestone, NJ’s Own, Fake At the Shore, New Dance, Introduction & Pale

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis sits in Drew’s office, and Drew tells him that Larry McConkey died. Curtis says he saw it on the news. He’s sorry. He knows they were getting close. Drew says, that’s not all that happened today.

Michael and Willow go into the bedroom, and he asks if she’s okay. She says she’s a little shaky, and he says, it’s been a helluva day. Name it, and he’s at her service. She says, what she needs is sleep, but she appreciates him looking out for her. He says he’s her husband. It comes with the territory.

Brick meets Jordan at the Surf Lodge, and she thanks him for coming. He says he knew she’d call eventually, and she asks if he’s that irresistible. He says, her words, not his, and she says she definitely owes him a date. He says, this isn’t it? and she says, this is her asking for a favor.

Lucky is brought to Sidwell, and says he thought Sidwell turned in. Sidwell says he has a touch of insomnia, and he tells the guard to take Lucky’s handcuffs off. He takes it that Lucky is a gambling man, and Lucky says, it runs in the family. Sidwell says, perfect. Deal.

Mac tells Robert, merry Christmas, and Robert says, it’s September. Mac tosses a file on his desk and says he’s early. There was a murder at the Quartermaine mansion. Robert asks if the perp is in the file, and Mac says, there are plenty of suspects, half of Port Charles. But there’s one at the head of the pack. Robert smiles.

At the station, Diane asks Anna if her client is inside, and Anna asks if she doesn’t mean clients. Diane goes into the interrogation room and sees Jason and Ava. She says she’d like a word with her client and his plus one, and Anna leaves. She says she takes it Ava has her own counsel, but Jason says he needs her to help them both tonight.

Sonny tells Carly to make herself at home in the penthouse, but she says she’s not staying. He says, the cops will be here this morning. They have to get their story straight. She says she knows where she was when John Cates was murdered. Where was he?

Sidwell says, they have to agree on the stakes, and Lucky says, if he wins, he goes free. Sidwell says, how about if he wins, he stays alive? If he loses, he dies. He was going to kill Lucky anyway. Lucky says, shall we? and deals.

Brick looks at a photo on his phone and asks Jordan, who is this? She says she was hoping he could help find out. He’s a John Doe who was the victim of a hit and run. He’s at GH, unconscious, and no ID. The police are running his prints, but there’s nothing yet. He says, she thinks he can make the guy’s ID, and she says she’s sure of it, but he says, fingerprints and a photo aren’t a lot to go on. She says she knows she’s asking a lot and he’s busy, but he says, that’s not it. By the time he tracks the ID down, the guy could wake up and tell them who he is. She says, that’s why she appreciates him getting started on the search, and he says, anything for her, but there’s a price.

Sonny says, all that matters is that Jagger is dead. Jagger can’t come after Kristina or anybody he cares about anymore. Carly says, so when someone was killing Cates, he was supposed to be with her, and he says he appreciated her having his back. She says she doesn’t appreciate him implying they were having a tryst. They’re divorced, separated. Now he’s dragged her into the middle of a murder. Why? He says, after everything they’ve been through, he still trusts her with his life.

Ava tells Diane that she was unable to reach her lawyer. He’s been incommunicado for some time. Frankly, she’s worried. Diane says, about him or her? and Ava says, both. She was hoping not to involve lawyers, but Jason wouldn’t say a word without her. Diane says, that’s why he’s her favorite client. Why did Ava think they don’t need an attorney when they’re at the police station? Ava says, they did nothing wrong. Boyle was going to kill her, and Jason stopped her. Diane says she’s on retainer with Jason, but Jason says he’d appreciate her helping Ava too. Diane asks, why? and he says, they can both prove everything they’re saying is true.  

Robert says, so Cates is dead, and Sonny is the number one suspect, and Mac says, Robin is going to take it hard. He’ll call her and be the bad cop on this one. Robert asks if that makes him the good cop, but Mac says, it makes him the father. Robert says, Cates basically lost his way, and Mac says, that’s a nice way to put it. He’s been torturing Kristina and there was nothing they could do about it. (Calling the FBI might have been an option. <heaving Jason sigh>). Robert says, so Sonny has motive, and Mac says, and plenty of opportunity.

Kristina comes downstairs and calls for Alexis, but there’s no answer. She checks her bag, and the gun isn’t there. She rifles through her stuff.

Willow says, there’s something she wants to tell Michael. When Drew first got the news about McConkey’s death, he was very upset, and it dredged up feelings about Alan and him never having had a father figure. It brought out a side of Drew she’s never seen before. Michael’s phone rings, and he says, if it’s important, they’ll call back. Willow says, Drew was so upset, she wanted to comfort him, when… Michael’s phone rings again, and he looks at it. He says, it’s Kristina again, and she says, he should answer it. Kristina tells Michael that he needs to come here right now, but he says he can’t. She says, it’s bad, and he asks, how bad? She says she’s missing a gun.

Carly says, if Sonny trusts her, why did he blindside her with this? Why did he mess up the bed and make everyone believe they had sex? She can account for her whereabouts. Why should she believe him? He tells her that if he admits it, they don’t have spousal privilege. He can’t tell her the details unless she’s willing to marry him again.  

Michael goes to see Kristina, and she tells him that she had a gun and now it’s gone. He says, whose gun and what was she doing with it? She says she had it in her bag, and now it’s gone, and he asks if it’s possible her mom found it. She says she hopes so.

Alexis is on the footbridge with her phone and tells Diane to pick up. She wonders where Diane is and leaves a message for Diane to call her back. Her client may or may not have violated bail. She’ll give Diane five minutes. If she doesn’t call, Alexis will have to make the decision herself. She cries and says, please call back.

Ava says, Cates insisted she amend her statement and say Kristina tried to kill her, and Anna says, she appeared to be speaking of her free will, but Ava says she was coerced. Cates wanted leverage against Sonny. He knew she had reservations, and he was afraid she’d recant. He put her in a hotel room with Agent Boyle and made her believe she was in protective custody. She found a wad of cash in Boyle’s bag and knew she wasn’t an agent. Anna asks why she thinks Cates would mislead her about Boyle, and Ava says she became a liability. Boyle put her in a car and headed for the Pine Barrens. She fought Boyle for the wheel, the car swerved, and Boyle hit someone, but she didn’t stop. They reached the Pine Barrens, and she thinks Jason can take it from there. Jason says he called 911 about the guy that was hit and found Ava and Boyle not far from the car. He disarmed Boyle and called the cops. Anna says, that’s it? and he says, that’s all there is.

Drew tells Curtis that when he got the news about McConkey, it shook him up. He started thinking about his father and how he never knew him and never had a father figure. Emotions came up. Willow was there and she was there for him. Curtis asks, when Drew says she was there for him… Drew says, they kissed.

Alexis paces the bridge, crying and hyperventilating. She holds the gun.  

Carly says she wants to be clear. She’s not marrying Sonny again. He says, that’s settled, but she says, it’s not. They’re still dealing with a federal murder investigation. He says, they’re coming after him and not using his daughter. He’ll be in the crosshairs, no one else. She says, except his alibi is her, and he says, sorry. He has to admit, working together seemed like old times.

Mac tells Robert that he took statements from the Quartermaine family and others present, including the staff. Sonny might be hard to nail down. Cody was in the stable within earshot and didn’t hear anything. Robert says, a silencer used on a stormy night would be hard to hear, and Mac asks what he thinks. Robert says, it took Cody a year to come to Mac and tell him that he was Cody’s father. That hardly makes him a reliable witness.

Jordan asks, what’s the cost? and Brick says, just answer a question. Why is it important? Jordan says, if the guy has a family, they need to know, and Brick says, that’s part of it, but not all of it. She says, the way he was injured got to her. He ran out in front of a car on a road with almost no traffic. He asks if she thinks he was being chased, and she says, yeah. He says, she misses being an investigator, and she says, sometimes. He asks if she ever thinks of going back to police work, and she says, sometimes. Does he think of going back to what he did before? He asks how she knows what he did, and she says she doesn’t. He never told her.

Lucky asks what’s keeping Sidwell up, and Sidwell asks if Lucky cares about his well-being. Lucky says, no. It’s a distraction tactic. Sidwell says, there’s only one reason that costs him sleep – women. In this case, an exceptional one. They met at the tables in Monte Carlo. She has beauty, charm, and elegance. The kind of woman you never forget. Lucky flashes back to dancing with Elizabeth, and says he’s been there. Sidwell asks if he’s thinking about his own lady, and Lucky says, he doubts she’d fit in at Monte Carly, but she is a beauty. What he’d call a winner. Sidwell says, like this? and lays down his hand. Lucky says, more like this, and lays down his.

Diane says, Jason has put her in quite a pickle, having to defend Ava this time, and Jason says, Ava is innocent – this time, and Ava thanks him and Diane. Anna comes in and Ava asks, what happens after she leaves here tonight? Cates isn’t going to stop until she’s dead. Anna says she doesn’t think Ava has to worry about that anymore.

Drew says he feels awful. Michael is his nephew, and Willow is his wife and the mother of his kids. He doesn’t know how to fix the position he’s put her in. Curtis says, all they did was kiss? and Drew says, yes. Curtis says, chalk it up to an emotional moment that got out of hand, but Drew says, it’s more than that. He and Willow have been getting closer and there’s an attraction that’s only getting stronger.

Willow picks up her and Michael’s wedding picture, looks at it, and cries.

Michael tells Kristina to start at the beginning. Where did she get the gun? She says, it was dad’s. She let herself into the penthouse and took it. Then she went to her daughter’s grave. She doesn’t know. Maybe it fell out of her bag, but she has no idea where it is. Michael says, she needs to tell him why she needed it, and she says, to get justice.

Alexis stands on the bridge and takes out her phone again. She sees Diane hasn’t called, and says, time’s up. She puts her phone back in her bag and hears footsteps. She throws the gun in the water, and Ric and Elizabeth walk onto the bridge eating ice cream.

Michael asks if Kristina used the gun to shoot somebody, and she says, no, but she wanted to. Two people, Ava and Cates. She knew Cates was at the Quartermaines. She heard him telling Anna when he arrested her again. He was charging her with killing her baby. It was so cruel. Michael says, Agent Cates is dead.  

Alexis says, they startled her. She didn’t expect to see them here. Look at Ric. He has two of three of his ex-wives with him on the bridge. Ric says, small world. What brings Alexis out here? Alexis says, she was feeling stressed and wanted some fresh air and a walk. Ric says, they witnessed her littering, and Alexis says, they caught her. Her phone wasn’t working. She got frustrated and tossed it. She wishes she hadn’t. Elizabeth says, here’s hoping a new phone is better, and Alexis says, she’d better go get one and their ice cream is melting. Enjoy their walk. She leaves, and they both look in the water. Rick asks if it looked like a phone, and Elizabeth says, no. It was definitely a gun.

Mac tells Robert that Cody lied, and it was wrong. It wasn’t the best way to start off, but life is too short to hold a grudge against family. Cody saved James’s life too, so there’s that. Robert says, it’s a good thing he gave Cody a second chance, and Mac says, how about Robert? Robert asks why he should care, and Mac says, Robert was never one to cast stones. One of his two great loves had a very colorful past.

Anna tells Ava and Jason that Cates is dead. He was shot at the Quartermaine boathouse. Ava says, good riddance. He was going to have that woman kill her. Anna says, a team checked into Boyle. It’s not her real name, and she’s not affiliated with the FBI or any law enforcement. She has a checkered past, but they’ve corroborated everything Ava and Jason said. They’re both free to go. Ava thanks everybody, and leaves, but Anna says she’d like a word with Jason. Diane asks if she should stay, but Jason says, it’s fine. Diane says she was afraid he’d say that and leaves. Anna says she’s proud of Jason, and he asks, what for? She says, he called the police, and he says, it made more sense than the alternative. She says, while he’s here, what can he tell her about the murder of Special Agent Cates?

Jason says, Anna knew Cates was dead all along, and she asks if she needs to bring Diane back, but he says it’s not necessary. He doesn’t know anything about Cates. She says, what they both know is Cates went bad. There’s nothing worse than an officer of the law using the power of his badge to settle personal scores. A lot of people in this town wanted him dead. He and Sonny are at the top of the list. Jason says he couldn’t have done it, and she says, as a suspect, Jason is in the clear. Sonny is not.  

Carly says, they’re going to be grilled about their alibi at some point, and Sonny says, they need to get their one-night stand story down. She asks how he seduced her this time, and he says he thinks they should say they were at the mansion. No one was there. They saw each other and things started to heat up. She laughs and says, please. That’s a terrible story and totally unbelievable. He asks if she wants rose petals and soft music. Does she think she can do better? Be his guest. She says, they saw each other here in the morning when she dropped off the girls. It felt better being around each other than it had in a long time. They ran into each other at the Quartermaines. Sonny likes the incorporating timeline, and she says she walked him outside. They were talking and got caught in the rain. She brought him upstairs to dry off and they kissed. It was sweet and nostalgic, and they made love. Something like that. He says, yeah. He’s got to admit he likes her version better.

Curtis says, everyone makes mistakes. Drew and Willow are one of them. Drew says he feels like he’s taking advantage of Willow’s gratitude, and Curtis says, he saved Willow’s life and put his own life in danger bringing her donor back. He legitimately earned it. Drew says, he likes the way it makes him feel… and Curtis says, being someone’s hero? and Drew says, it sounds cringeworthy when Curtis says it. The truth is, he admires Willow as much as she admires him. Curtis says, now that they’ve both got the admiration out of their systems, they need to put a stop to this before it goes way too far. Drew says, before today, he might have agreed, but the kiss wasn’t just two people caught up in a moment of feelings. There are real feelings. He can’t deny it anymore.

Elizabeth wonders what Alexis was doing out here alone at night getting rid of a gun, and Rick says, it probably has something to do with one of her daughters. He’s hoping it’s not his. She says she doesn’t know, and he says, clearly, they saw something they shouldn’t. She asks what he suggests they do about it.

Kristina tells Michael that she didn’t do it. She wanted to, but she didn’t. She went to the grave instead. He says he believes her, and she asks if he’s sure Cates is dead. He says, yes, and she says, then it’s over.

Brick says he’s always worked in security, and Jordan says, thanks for filling her in. He sighs and says, the military first, then he was at a three-letter agency. He became disillusioned. Too much power in the wrong hands can be a dangerous thing. So he decided to freelance, choose who he wanted to work with and what methods he employed. He can always walk away if he doesn’t like it. She says, so he breaks the law but has a code, and he says, she’s half right. He has a code. He also has work to do if she wants her guy ID’d. Regrettably, he has to cut the evening short. Jordan says she’ll make it up to him, and he says, with a real date? She says, if that’s what he wants, and he asks if that’s what she wants. She says, yes. She really does. He says, then he’ll make it happen, kisses her on the cheek, and leaves.  

Lucky wins another hand, and Sidwell says, if he’s cheating, he can’t see it and he always sees it. Lucky says he has a little more to lose than Sidwell. Any chance they can change the stakes and play for his freedom? Sidwell says, the stakes say the same. They play until he wins and Lucky dies. Lucky says he would never have agreed to play, but Sidwell says, then Lucky would be dead, and he’d be awake and bored. This is more fun. Lucky says he hates to admit it, but sooner or later, he’s going to lose. It’s the odds. Sidwell says, then he’d better find a way to beat the odds.

Curtis says, feelings aren’t actions or betrayal, and they don’t make Drew a bad person, but Drew says he doesn’t feel like a good person. Willow is in pain because of him. Curtis says he’s sure Willow will forgive him, and Drew says, maybe she shouldn’t. She won’t forgive herself. Curtis says, maybe they should both forgive themselves and each other. Beating themselves up will only make it worse. Forget it every happened. Let it go. Drew says, one thing he can make sure of is acting on his feelings can’t happen again and it won’t happen again, ever.

Willow lies in bed, and Michael touches her face. He kisses her and they get busy. She imagines it’s Drew. She suddenly sits up, and sees that Michael’s side of the bed is empty.

Robert leaves a message for Holly and says he’s thinking of her. He hopes she’s staying out of trouble. Call him. Alexis comes in and says, they need to talk about Cates. He says he takes it she’s heard, and she says, Cates has been abusing her daughter. He’s prosecuting her and using her as a weapon in his obsession to take Sonny down. He says, Cates won’t be her problem anymore. He was shot dead tonight.

Kristina asks what Michael did when he found Cates, and Michael says he called Chase and waited for the police. Then Willow and Drew showed up. Willow was upset and shaking, so she and Drew went to the main house while he waited. Kristina says, so Cates was dead when Michael found him? and Michael says, yes. She says, he didn’t see who shot Cates? and he says, no. He had a lot of enemies. It could have been anyone.

Anna says, Sonny better have a good alibi, and Jason says, what about her? She’s not too broken up. She says she’s thankful Jason survived John Cates. Once upon a time, he was a good man, a good friend to Robin. She doesn’t know what happened, but whatever was worth saving was gone a long time ago. Nevertheless, he was an FBI agent and when they find the killer, they’ll go to prison for the rest of their life.

Sonny asks if Carly’s got everything straight, and she says, yes. She needs to get home. He says, if she stays, it will make the alibi stronger, and she says she hates that it makes sense. Okay, fine. She’ll stay in the guest room. Which one did Ava use? He says, the big one, and she says, the small one it is. She goes in the back, and he unlocks his gun box. He sees a gun missing and says, son of a bitch.

Sidwell asks what Lucky has, when the door opens. Sidwell says, if it isn’t the reason for his insomnia. A woman says, hello, darling. Is this poker? She loves poker. It’s how they met. Lucky tries to hide his expression upon seeing her, and she says, he must deal her in. We see it’s Holly, and Sidwell says, new hand. She sees at Lucky and also hides her reaction. She and Lucky look at one another.  

Tomorrow, Jordan tells Dante that she’s going to pursue every avenue of this investigation that she can think of; Ava asks if this is someone’s idea of a joke; Carly tells Sonny that she’s not taking this any further than she absolutely has to; and Kristina says, one down and one to go.

🧴 The Rain In Spain Stays Mainly On the Plane…

I’m hoping Lois comes to realize that her accent is part of her charm.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/snls-sarah-sherman-is-playing-robin-finch-on-general-hospital

🎭 His Other Endeavors…

Both of these look really good.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/a-sneak-peak-at-nicholas-chavez-in-his-two-new-shows

💰 This Week In LA…

JoshF, being a member of the Cultural Heritage Commission, said he appreciated a house with history, and checked out a Frank Lloyd Wright house that was beyond amazing. It had a hidden elevator that led to a tiki bar, theatre, and museum. We learned that hallways were wide in the old days because of the women’s dresses. He said the house was everything he stood for and represented.  

Tracy checked out a penthouse in a building where she’d sold most of the units, but the developers had decided to keep the penthouse as an investment property. Now they were looking to re-rent or sell it. In going through the apartment – which at 6000+ square feet, is bigger than my house – she found dog pee and poopy on the drapes. Seriously? Again, this just reenforces my theory that all the wrong people have the money.

JoshA showed friend Dr. Ben what he said was the quintessential Beverly Hills estate, with seven bedrooms and 11 baths and a world record for the biggest front door. I have a hard time finding wreaths for my slightly large door, so I can’t imagine. He said, they might as well put a bathroom at the property entrance, since people will sh*t themselves when they see it.

JoshF’s bestie Denise Richards did a cameo in his video for selling the abovementioned house. In his interview, he said, if he was straight, he’d be with Denise. The threesome in Wild Things had him confused. His dog George also made an appearance. No surprise, Denise was in love, and he said, George was dumb as rocks, but Denise told him, those are the nice dogs. Yep, like my Golden Retriever, the misnamed Einstein. He was the sweetest dog you’d ever meet, but literally afraid of his own shadow and as stupid as they come. When Josh’s video editor said Josh’s deadpan performance was not as spot-on as Josh thought, Josh said he was Bill Murray good, but… um… no.

After telling her mother that she was too tired to date – it was exhausting – Tracy went on a blind double-date with the Altmans and Dr. Ben, who she deemed an amalgam of all men in the LA dating pool. She told him that he’d either end up either alone or with shallow bitches until he was 50, and then still be alone. He said he had eight years, and she told him that he was the quintessential LA dude. And that’s not a compliment.

And after all that, I still don’t know what a splooge is.

Next time, the season finale.

🗽 And In Other Real Estate News…

Quick, let me give Ryan a call. I’m only $13,999,999 short.

🏰 Not Quite a Listing…

So she didn’t sell it after all. This is actually a great idea. Bluestone Manor is an amazing property and the Bravoverse misses Dorinda.

👠 The Real Jersey Devils…

The money comes, the money goes.

https://okmagazine.com/p/teresa-giudices-net-worth-real-housewife-new-jersey-made-lost-millions/

This dude helped her not at all. When awful joins up with more awful.

Yeah, I don’t remember her either.

https://okmagazine.com/p/penny-drossos-karagiorgis-rhonj-entire-cast-fired/

🤽‍♀️ Down the Shore…

It’s hardly shocking that the producers would be involved, but I’m surprised there were actual charges filed. I’m not a fan of this show, especially since I live in a Jersey shore town. The only person I’ve ever met who was even remotely like one of the Jersey Shore cast members, was also a raging alcoholic with several disorders. I tried watching this a few times. I’d stop watching, then watch again, remember why I stopped watching, and stop watching again. Yeah, yeah. I know the definition of crazy.

https://okmagazine.com/p/jersey-shore-nicole-snooki-polizzi-wheres-the-beach-scene-fakery-exposed/

🩰 Dance the Night Away…

I haven’t watched this since Mel B was a contestant, but it looks like an interesting mix.

https://ew.com/dancing-with-the-stars-season-33-cast-reveal-8706007

🐕 A New Burtka-Harris…

So very sad how one of their dogs passed away, but it’s wonderful that they were able to open their hearts to a new furbaby.

https://people.com/neil-patrick-harris-introduces-new-dog-bianca-8706480

🍂 Fall Has Unofficially Begun…

Join me tomorrow for soap and nine lemon tea in the OC. Until then, stay safe, stay remembering that first impressions do count, and stay not holding a grudge against family. Life is too short.

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.