Tag Archives: nighttime drama

Dec30

December 29, 2023 – New Year’s Eve In Port Charles, A Return, On Or No, Real Top, Dead Talk, He Can Dance, Eve TV, Something For Everyone, Zoo Baby, Pets (!) Of the Gram, 12 Quotes For 12 Months & Another

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the Port Charles Heliport, jump instructor Denice tells Gregory that they have to get going before the sun goes down. Otherwise, they’ll have to cancel the jump. Is she coming? People cancel all the time. Gregory says, she’ll be here, and a man says, they’re losing daylight, when Alexis comes running up. She says she’s here, and the man asks if they’re doing this. She says, yes. She’s a woman of her word. She’s doing it. Even if it kills her.

Spencer knocks on Trina’s dorm room door, and she answers wearing a robe. He says, she’s not dressed for a party, and she brings him in, kissing him. He says, good point. What party? She says, they’re going. She just needs two more minutes. He says, that’s a big ask, and she says she’s sure he’ll be fine. Entertain himself. He picks up a magazine and flips through it, then sees a letter that’s been opened. Trina asks if he can zip her up, and he says, of course (🍷). If he must. She turns around, and he says, she looks perfect. So who is writing her from the Sorbonne? She says, he wasn’t supposed to see that.

Esme waits in the visitor room at Pentenville (?). Heather – our New Year’s gift! – joins her and says she knew Esme would be back.

Sonny goes to Nina’s office, and says, the party’s about to start, but she says she has to get these end-of-the-year bonuses done. She’s so sorry. It’s just a magazine; business is very difficult. Their team managed to keep their numbers up with online revenue, and she needs to show them that she appreciates them. He says, they’re lucky to have a kind-hearted boss, and she says she thinks he’s a teensy bit biased in her favor. He says he’s finding out what it means to be married to a generous, thoughtful woman, even though he’s not sure what her priority is tonight.

On the phone at The Savoy, Carly tells Sam, it’s okay. The flu is going around. Just give her love to Scout, and she and Dante take care. And happy New Year. Michael joins her, apologizing for being late, but she says, that’s okay. Where’s Willow? He says, she got stuck covering at GH. There’s a lot of callouts. Carly says, it’s the flu. Sam just called. Scout has it, and she and Dante can’t make it. He says, that’s unfortunate. So… She says, it looks like it’s just the two of them.

Olivia comes in with Lois and Ned, and she asks if it reminds Lois… What’s that place in the city they used to sneak in… Lois says, Area on Barrett Street. She can see the resemblance. Ned tells them to get a table while he gets the drinks. What would they like? Olivia says she’s a Cosmo girl tonight, and Lois says, champagne for her.

Carly says, it’s already New Year’s in Australia, and Michael says, it’s a shame Drew’s trip got extended. She should be celebrating with Drew, not him. She says, what about him? Willow’s at work. He’s spending New Year’s with his mother. They’re a pathetic pair, huh? He asks if she wants more champagne, and she says, yes, so he leaves to get it. She gets up and calls, make it a prosecco, please, when Ned passes by. She says she’s been waiting to talk to him, but he says he really doesn’t have time for this. She asks if he’s been busy since he got his memory back. Because ever since he pointed the SEC at her and Drew, and Drew went to prison, she’s been meaning to ask him a question. How would he like her to return the favor?

Nina says, Sonny is her priority – always. She promises she’ll hurry up and meet him way before midnight. He says, don’t worry about it. He was just being sentimental. She says, of course (🍷). It’s their first New Year’s Eve together as husband and wife. She wants to be with him too. She’ll leave this here and come in early tomorrow. He says, no. She’s going to wrap that up and she’s going to meet him at The Savoy. They’re going to have a midnight kiss… They’re going to have so many New Year’s Eves together. She says she likes the sound of that, and they kiss.

Heather says she knew Esme wouldn’t be able to stay away from her forever, but why is it today? Doesn’t she have plans for New Year’s Eve? Esme says, not really, and Heather says, there’s something different about her. Did she change her hair? Esme says, no, and Heather says, well, something’s different. Anyway, how’s her little grandbaby Ace? Baby’s first Christmas. She bets he got loaded up with presents from all those rich people, right? Esme says, probably. She doesn’t know. He spent the holidays with Spencer and Trina. Heather says, she’s always been cagey on the details when it comes to Ace. Now Esme is telling her that she let him spend his first Christmas without her? And that look just now on her face when she said Trina’s name. That’s not remorse. That was contempt… Oh, she remembers, doesn’t she?

Trina tells Spencer that one of her professors told her about this art program at the Sorbonne, and she just applied on a whim. She got waitlisted, then she got accepted. Let her just grab her bag. He says, wait a minute. This is a massive opportunity for her. She says she knows, but she can’t go. Not with Curtis about to start his treatment, and she’s really excited about her spring classes, and then there’s him. She’d miss him so much. He says, he’s going to miss her too (um… it’s not like he has a job; he could go), and she says she can travel when she graduates. Paris will always be there. She can wait. He says, this opportunity at the Sorbonne won’t be. She has to go. She has to do this.

Denice says, since this is a tandem dive, Gregory and Alexis will each share a harness with their instructor, and the instructor will release the parachute. Any questions so far? They need to get going. Alexis says she has a question. Did Gregory tell them about his recent stay in the hospital? Gregory says he did, and his doctor signed off on this. It was pure dehydration, that’s all. Alexis tells Denice that she’s done an extensive search on Denice’s safety records with this organization. Alexis knows pretty much all there is to know about her, but she doesn’t know much about the harness. Is it safe, and when was the plane last serviced? Denice promises to answer those questions on the way to the plane, but Alexis tells her that she just wants to say, the gentleman who showed her how to do everything seems very nice and very capable, and she thinks she’ll be safe enough with him. Denice says, that was Dan. He’s gone for the day. Alexis will be fine with Falcon. There he is. Falcon looks like the drummer in a rock band, and Alexis says, no. Gregory says, why don’t they switch? She’s already familiar with Denice. They’ll be fine. Alexis says, no. She’s sorry. Every molecule in her being is telling her not to jump out of that plane. Please forgive her. She said she could do it, but she can’t. She just can’t.

There’s a knock at Nina’s office door, and she says, come on, Sonny. She needs more time than that. She’s not a miracle worker. Cyrus walks in, and says, oh ye of little faith.

Olivia asks Lois, what was the name of that Russian place in Brighton Beach? Talk about dicey. Good vodka though. Hello? Is she talking to herself over here? Lois says, Olivia might have a problem, and Olivia tells her to forget about the secret and just have some fun, but Lois says, no. Look. They see Ned and Carly arguing.

Ned says, Carly wants to send him to prison? Take her best shot. Except he didn’t actually commit a crime, unlike her and Drew. She says, Drew was nearly beaten to death in prison, because of Ned. Ned has to live with that, but if he doesn’t care about that, maybe he cares about his precious company. Valentin Cassadine is MIA. Ned had amnesia, thinking he was some faded rock star. Maybe ELQ deserves a visit from the SEC. He says he doesn’t have to take this. She wants the truth? He’ll tell her exactly why Drew was sent to Pentenville. Michael arrives with the drinks.

Esme asks how Heather could tell just like that, and Heather says she’s been studying Esme since the first moment she laid eyes on her in Spring Ridge. She knows Esme’s face. She knows Esme’s mannerisms. Esme used to look so lost, but just now, she saw something in Esme’s eyes, a glint, a sense of purpose. It’s nice to meet the real Esme. She pats Esme’s hand, and Esme flinches. Heather says she didn’t mean to upset her. It’s a good thing. Esme says she’s just glad to be able to talk to someone about it, and Heather says, Esme has her. Trust her. Pour her heart out. Esme cries a little and says, it’s like she’s two different people. She doesn’t know what to do or what to think. Is she this horrible person who did these things to Spencer and Trina, or is she this mom who loves her son more than anything in the world? And she doesn’t know how she can be both. Heather says, everything’s going to be okay. Does Esme know how she knows? Because Esme did the right thing. She came to see her mother.

Spencer says, there’s so much for Trina to do in Paris when she’s not studying at the Sorbonne. It’s one of his all-time favorite cities, and the best part is that she’s in close proximity to so many other great cities. She’s next to Berlin, Copenhagen, Barcelona… It’s a train ride for her. She says, yeah, but she doesn’t have a command of the language, and he says, it’s not going to be a thing after the first semester. She’s going to be the toast of the town. Every guy is going to falling head over heels for her. Is she kidding him? As a matter of fact, why is he encouraging her to do this? Maybe she should stay. Never mind. Bad idea. She says, you know what could work? He could come with her.

Nina asks what Cyrus is doing here. Does he need something? He says, it’s not what he needs. He’s here to help her. She says she’s fine, and she’s very busy, so if he needs to talk to her for some reason, he should talk to her assistant, and she’ll set up… He picks up a magazine and says, isn’t it amazing how they distract themselves with the mundane in order not to ponder the great mysteries of life? Taking the magazine, Nina says, if they just sat around pondering that, they wouldn’t get anything done. So like she said, she’s busy. He says, very well. He’ll leave her to her work, but remember, she doesn’t walk alone. She flashes back to being in the confessional, and the priest saying, and remember, she doesn’t walk alone. God is always with her. Cyrus says, so, has she set herself free? and Nina looks like she might have a stroke.

Michael asks Ned, so what is the truth? Why exactly did he get himself involved, and more importantly, what exactly did he get out of it? Ned flashes back to Michael giving him the voting proxy on half of Michael’s ELQ shares for keeping his silence about Nina. At the table, Lois looks at Olivia, when Sonny walks in. Ned says, only the satisfaction of being a good citizen. He was looking out for the little guy. Carly says, come on. He was looking out for himself. He wanted power, and he didn’t care who he had to hurt to get it. Ned asks Carly, if he’s such a menace, why is she provoking him? and Michael says, watch it, but Carly says, don’t stop him. What is he going to do to her? Sonny walks up and asks if Ned doesn’t think he’s caused enough damage.

Lois says, great, now Sonny’s involved, and Olivia says, Lois told her that she wanted to stay out of the Quartermaine’s affairs, so why doesn’t she do that? Lois says, because she hates seeing Ned being called out in public for something he didn’t do, and Olivia says, it’s complicated. Lois doesn’t understand. Ned is doing what he thinks he has to do for the family. Could she please just accept that and move on?

Ned says, Sonny is going to lecture him about damage? The man who’s left a swath of broken lives and destruction in his wake? Michael says, this isn’t the time or place. They don’t want to make a scene. Can they all agree on that? Sonny says he’s good, and Michael suggests he and Ned talk in private. They leave, and Sonny asks if Carly is okay. She says she was. Now she’s not so sure.

Lois asks if that looks like positive momentum to Olivia? How is it that another war between the Corinthos and Quartermaine families better than the truth?

Gregory tells Alexis that he’s sorry. He thought this would be fun. She shouldn’t feel obligated to do something she doesn’t want to do. He tells the instructors, thanks. He appreciates the prep and the time, but he’s calling off the jump. Falcon says, it’s all right, but Alexis says, no, it’s not all right. Hold on. Don’t go anywhere. She tells Gregory that she’s all over the place. It’s not even just the jump. It’s the girls. She’s worried. She just has a lot on her mind. Does he think they could talk by themselves, just for a minute? Gregory asks if they can be given one more minute and gets the okay signal from Falcon. Gregory asks, what’s going on? and Alexis says, it’s the girls. She’s worried. There’s been a new development. Sam is savvy. If Alexis dies, she’ll be fine, but Kristina and Molly, no. They cannot exist without her. They need their mother. They need her to protect them. He says, so she wants to protect her kids and keep them from getting hurt if they jump, but they’re adults. And as adults, they can choose when and if they jump, and if they do, they’re going to have to pull their own ripcords. She says, did he just do a skydiving analogy? It was good. He says, letting their kids go is the ultimate test. He tried to shield Chase from his illness with disastrous results. Remember? But Chase forgave him. Their kids are full of surprises. They never know what they’ll become or what they’re capable of. He has to believe his kids are going to grow and learn and thrive and make mistakes, but survive. And that belief, that faith, gives him great comfort, and great courage. Alexis says, Denice, Marlon… Gregory says, Falcon, and she says, Falcon, let’s get a move on. Gregory asks if she’s sure, and Alexis says she’s sure… No, she’s not sure, but she said she was going to jump out of the damn plane, so she’s going to jump out of the damn plane. Damn it. They head to the damn plane.

Heather asks if anyone else knows about Esme’s memory coming back, and Esme says, not really. She tried telling… Heather says, but she didn’t, and Esme says, no, but… Heather says, absolutely not. Zip it and keep it zipped. Esme asks how she can go one pretending that she doesn’t remember anything, and Heather says, she inherited the familial talent for misdirection. Besides, she’s done it before. Esme says, but not like this. Pretending she’s sorry for all the bad things the old Esme did. Heather says, and she really doesn’t feel bad about it, and Esme says she did. When she didn’t remember any of it, it was horrifying. But now that she remembers why she did it and felt so justified, it’s because it was justified. Heather says, exactly. So just keep telling them exactly what they want to hear. She’s made a fresh start and now she’s a different person. Esme asks where that gets her. She’s still a single mom, Alexis Davis’s drudge, and a witness to Spencer and Trina’s insipid happily ever after. And she’s unable to do a thing about it. Heather smiles. (Just for the record, although I’m thrilled with the visit to Heather, I’m not loving Esme’s 180. Or is it really a 360?)

Trina says she knows Spencer can’t come with her, but when she opened it, she started daydreaming about how amazing it would be if they could be together. But she knows he can’t leave Ace, so just forget she said it. He says, she knows how much he loves her, and he’d never want her to think he’s prioritizing Ace over her. She says she doesn’t, and he says, but Esme’s moved out and she’s Ace’s primary caregiver. Maybe they can find a way. He can fly back on weekends as long as Esme will let him see Ace. She says, wait a minute. What is he saying? He tells her that he’s saying, when the woman you love invites you to go to Paris, you say yes. They kiss.

Nina says, Cyrus was at All Saints. That’s just so wrong. He’s not a priest. She doesn’t know what he thinks he heard… He says, more than enough. He and Drew Cain became friendly when they were Pentenville. Drew saved his life actually, and after Drew was attacked, he was able to return the favor. Drew had a very hard time inside. All he wanted to do was get back to the woman he loved, the woman he sacrificed his freedom for. Carly Spencer, formerly Carly Corinthos, her husband’s ex-wife, the mother of his children. She says, he’s a hypocrite. He listened to her confession? How could he be so dishonest? She thought she was talking to a man of God. He says, she was. Just as she is now. So how can he help her?

Sonny asks if Carly wants to tell him what that was all about, and Carly says she told Ned what she thought about him, for obvious reasons. Sonny says, good. Now it’s his turn. Carly stops him, and says, he’s not worth it. And she needs something stronger than this. She picks up her champagne glass and heads for the bar.

In the hallway, Ned tells Michael, it’s New Year’s Eve. He doesn’t want to talk about it. Sonny comes by and tells Ned, it’s not over between them, then disappears. Michael says, they had an agreement.

Lois tells Olivia, if Sonny thinks Ned harmed Carly, he’s not going to let it go. He’s going to finish it. Now what’s going on with those two? They look over to see Michael and Ned talking, and Olivia says, probably talking about ELQ. Lois says she thought Michael was trying to push Ned out, but Olivia says, quite the opposite. Ned has been taking on more responsibility. Michael’s even given him his proxy. It’s all good. Lois says, wait a second. Michael handed over his control of ELQ? Why would he do that? Olivia asks why she cares. She swears Lois always does this. She gets something in her head, and she can’t leave it alone. Like the time Lois’s mother was planning a surprise party for her for months and she ruined it. Lois says, okay. Let her think. Did Michael do this to keep Ned quiet? Because it must be something big… Ooh. Oh my God. Did Michael turn his own mother in to the SEC?

Sonny tells Carly that he’s sorry. He had to interfere. He just doesn’t like Ned treating her like that. He knows she can hold her own, but… She says, that’s okay. She needed the distraction. It stopped her from throwing her drink in Ned’s face. That would have been a perfect ending to a perfect year, right? He says, the night’s still young, and she says, not for her. She’s going to go. Will he tell Michael that she left and have a happy New Year? He says, she’s not going to stay for the countdown? Come on. She says, it’s going to make her miss Drew even more, so have a happy New Year. She leaves.

Olivia tells Lois, no. Michael did not turn his own mother in to the SEC. Lois says, then make it make sense. Why would Michael hand over control of ELQ to Ned? Does Tracy have something on Michael? Or are Ned and Tracy planning something? Olivia says, stop this. Stop overthinking it. Just let it go. Lois says she can’t, because it stinks to high heaven. But Olivia was right about one thing. She is overthinking this. She thinks the answer is right here in front of her face. And here’s what she thinks. She thinks Ned has something on Michael, and Michael is paying off Ned to keep him quiet. Is she right?

Nina asks what Cyrus wants. Money? He laughs and says, of course (🍷). No, he doesn’t need money. He has the riches of the kingdom of God. What he wants is for her to confess. Not to a priest in a cubicle, but to the people she hurt. She says, what good would that do? Drew is free, Carly is moving on, the Corinthos family is coming together. What good would it do dredging up the past? He says, did she or did she not send a good man to prison? Where he was beaten to a pulp. Did she or did she not try to separate a mother from her children and separate a man from his child, all out of spite and wickedness. She tells him, cut the sermon. Please. He’s more a man of the orange jumpsuit than a man of the cloth (ha-ha-ha!). He’s a criminal, a blackmailer, so what’s his angle? What is he planning to do with what he knows?

Basking in the afterglow, Spencer says, there’s a church over there that he and Trina should go to. It’s got a little walled-off garden next to it, then down the street, there’s this really quaint and cute restaurant. It makes the best crepes she’s ever had in her life. They’re simple, but they’re very delicious. He thinks she’ll like them. She says, sounds like heaven, but it’s one thing to daydream and another to live in reality. Maybe he should think about this. He says, no. They’re doing this. This is happening. He’s not letting them back out of this. She says, okay, and he says, because he was in Europe once and when he was, it was very, very lonely and depressing. So hopefully, this will give him a new opportunity or new chance to experience it with fresh eyes with someone he loves. So he doesn’t need any time to think about it. He knows exactly what he wants. He wants to be in Paris with her. She kisses him, and he says, fireworks. She says, he got that right… but he says, no, the real ones up there. They can make it if they hurry. He jumps out of bed.

Heather tells Esme, forget those twerps. She was always way too good for Spencer anyway. She won. She got Ace, and that’s everything. She’s still got the upper hand, so don’t blow it by admitting she got her memory back. She’s a really good mother to Ace, right? Esme says, yeah, she is, and Heather says, then just keep up the charade, for his sake. And be sure to practice a little self-care. Esme says, what? Like a spa day? Heather says, no. Like she’s young. She’s beautiful. Smart as a friggin’ whip. Go put on a party dress and get out there. Maybe she’ll meet somebody new. It’s New Year’s Eve. Meet somebody who’s worthy of her. Come and see her mother again. She’ll help Esme keep her head on straight. Keep her memories to herself. As much as she’d like to see more of Esme, she has way too bright of a future to squander it in this place. Esme takes Heather’s hands and says she will, and thanks her. Heather says, anytime. It was a pleasure to finally meet her daughter… all of her.

Ned says he and Michael may need to revisit the terms of their agreement if Carly’s going to start harassing him in public. Michael says, Ned is being well-compensated for his trouble. Michael’s proxy gives him controlling interest of ELQ. If that’s not good enough for him, he’ll go get Willow. Because she deserves to hear the truth about Nina before Ned announces it to the entire world. Ned says, you’re bluffing, and Michael says, try me.

Lois says, what on earth could Ned have on Michael that would make him give up control of ELQ? and Olivia shushes her and says, stop it. She calls over to Sonny, and he joins them. He says, you ladies look marvelous, and Lois thanks him. They hug, and Sonny kisses Olivia on the cheek. She says, he’s looking handsome as always. Where’s Nina this evening? He says, she’s working. She said she’ll be here by midnight. Lois says, no. He has to get her here, because the person you kiss at midnight is the person you’ll be with for the rest of the year.😱 He says, in that case, he should call and see what’s going on. He excuses himself, and leaves. Lois says, ho-ho. Like she said. Right in front of her face. It was never about Drew getting in trouble with the Feds. The intended target was always Carly. Olivia says, Lois… Lois says, Carly, who acted on inside information. So whoever tipped off the SEC had to believe that Carly would be the one who would wind up in prison. And who had the incentive of getting rid of Carly. How about the person who is currently married to her ex-husband? Nina. Nina’s the one who tipped off the SEC. Olivia looks worn-out, but Lois breathes a sigh of relief and drinks some champagne.

Out in the middle of somewhere, Alexis tells Falcon that her heart is still beating outside her chest. Will it stop? Will it be regulated? Or did she live so that she can die now? He says, probably. Pretty rad, huh? They do a fancy handshake, and Falcon starts to walk away. She asks, where’s Gregory? Did he jump? Is he dead? Falcon leaves, and Alexis calls to Gregory. Gregory says he’s here. Sorry he’s late. Traffic. She hugs him, and he says, easy does it. She says she loved it, and he laughs. She says, it was amazing. Soaring through the sky and the perspective that she saw of the world looking down. It was so beautiful. It was amazing. It was extraordinary. It was transformative. It was probably the most transformative moment of her… He kisses her. Then she kisses him.

Carly walks into Sonny’s old kitchen and throws her bag on the counter, knowing she’s never alone when the moss bowl🎍is there. She goes to the sink and is startled by an air horn. She moves toward the door, when Drew comes in. He says, happy New Year, and she runs into his arms. She says, it is now, and they kiss.

Nina asks what Cyrus is planning to do with this information, but he says, nothing. She says, so he doesn’t want anything in exchange for him keeping quiet, and he says he’ll settle for her redemption. She asks if he knows that Carly and Drew aren’t the only injured parties here. She almost lost the only daughter she had left before she even knew she was her daughter. He tells her, look at what a tangled web she’s woven. Did she really think it would never unravel? The guilt is already weighing on her and pulling her down closer to the gates of hell. Hell is a state of mind. It robs you of your peace and your chance to experience real joy. All this bartering and deal making to avoid telling the truth. She asks why he’s here. He doesn’t know her. He doesn’t give a damn about her. He says he’s been her. He’s justified his lies, and it only makes for more lies and moving further away from everything that matters. That’s why he tries only to tell the truth now. She tells him, so this is his way of saying, if she doesn’t confess, he will, and he says, karma, fate, providence, they all point to the same thing. That is, your actions determine your life’s destiny. Just think of all the hurt she can undo with just a few simple words. All the clarity she can give to Carly and Drew and her husband, Sonny Corinthos. Nina’s phone rings and she sees it’s Sonny. She picks up the phone, looking pained.

Olivia says she’s begging Lois, please do not say a word about this to anyone. Lois says, how could she not have told Sonny this? Nina, his wife, called the cops on Carly and Drew. Why hasn’t Ned said anything? Olivia says, because he knows how many people would be hurt if he did. Sonny is happy with Nina. Nina and Carly have a truce off sorts. Drew is out of prison and his life is back to normal. What good could it possibly do to dredge all this up again? Ned comes back and asks if Olivia is ready to go. Olivia says, they’re in the middle of a conversation here, and Ned says, let’s take that conversation on their way to the docks. They’ve got fireworks. Lois says she’ll meet them out there. She’s going to powder her nose. Ned says, see her over there, and steers Olivia out. Sonny comes over to Lois and says, he left a message for Nina. She’s going to meet them. Does Lois want to walk with him over to the docks? She say she’s sorry, but he’s going to miss the fireworks this year.

Drew and Carly kiss their way into the bedroom as the fireworks go off. The real ones, outside. They get busy.

Gregory and Alexis smile at each other and look up at the sky. She puts her head on his shoulder.

Spencer and Trina watch from the rooftop. He says he’d follow her anywhere. Esme watches from behind them, her hand balled into a fist.

Cyrus says, Nina didn’t answer her call, and she says she should have handed him the phone. It was Sonny. He says he won’t tell Sonny. He wouldn’t want to rob her for her chance at salvation. She has to confess; no one can do it for her. She says she didn’t want him to know. It’s going to hurt him. She prayed that he would never, never know. He says, try praying for the truth to set her free, and she says, if anyone should tell Sonny, it should be her. He says, that’s right. That’s good. That’s all he wanted to hear. New year, new beginnings. He says he has faith that she’ll do the right thing. Until then, he won’t be far.

Sonny asks if Lois has something on her mind, and she says, he has a right to know what’s going on. He says, get to the point, and she says, they’re lying to him. He says, who? and she says, his family. They’re all lying to him.

Next week, Carly says, this is gonna be a good year; Olivia tells Ned, get back there, now; Brook tells Chase, better to ask for forgiveness than ask for permission; Willow asks for Nina’s help; and Lois tells Sonny that she knows who really ratted Carly and Drew out to the SEC.

🥜 Sometimes She Feels Like a Nut…

She’s back and brought her crazy with her.

Alley Mills Opens up About Her Return to GENERAL HOSPITAL

🧼 Who’s Ringing It In…

Spoiler: GH is not on.

Find Out if Your Favorite Soaps Are Airing on New Year’s Day

🎪 Matter Of Opinion…

And were there really any top moments?

#RHOA’s Divorce Drama, #RHOP’s Hotel Room Receipt Ruckus & The Other Wildest Reality TV Moments Of 2023

🪦 What’s Up With the Dead…

Coming in February.

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/is-the-rick-michonne-series-the-walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-a-limited-series

It’s coming. They just don’t know when.

https://undeadwalking.com/2023/12/10/walking-dead-city-season-2-whats-coming/

Sometime in 2024.

https://undeadwalking.com/2023/12/18/walking-dead-daryl-dixon-season-2-premiere-2024/

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/the-walking-dead-daryl-dixon-wraps-season-2-cast-post-images

And the rest.

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/the-walking-dead-universe-what-s-to-come-in-2024

🩰 Something Random…

You can’t blame her for taking a shot at relevance.

https://ew.com/dance-moms-abby-lee-miller-travis-kelce-better-dancer-taylor-swift-8418858

📺 Give Me the Remote…

Coming to a small screen near you on New Year’s Eve.

https://nypost.com/2023/12/29/entertainment/how-to-watch-the-ball-drop-on-new-years-eve-a-guide-to-all-the-tv-specials/

How To Watch The New Year’s Eve Specials On TV & The Times Square Ball Drop Live Online

🎊 All About Eve…

If you’re going to a party or giving one.

https://www.southernliving.com/holidays-occasions/new-years/new-years-eve-party-guest

https://bestlifeonline.com/new-years-eve-party-etiquette/

New Year’s Eve Party Etiquette: Dos and Don’ts for Hosts and Guests

For party goers or not.

https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/holidays-celebrations/g42099986/things-to-do-new-years-eve/

But I’m not going around the block with an empty suitcase.

https://www.womansday.com/life/g34886062/things-to-do-on-new-years-eve/

https://www.popsugar.com/smart-living/fun-ways-to-celebrate-new-years-eve-at-home-48052534

If you’re spending it alone.

https://www.verywellmind.com/how-do-i-cope-when-i-am-alone-on-new-years-eve-3024303

Keeping it stress free for the pets.

https://www.four-paws.org/our-stories/publications-guides/new-years-eve-minimising-your-pets-stress

https://barkio.com/en/blog/article/how-to-spend-a-stress-free-new-year-s-eve-celebration-with-your-pet

🦏 Born On Christmas Day…

Unbelievably cute. Those little ears!

https://people.com/zoo-atlanta-welcomes-first-white-rhino-calf-ever-on-christmas-eve-8420147

🐩 Slide Into Their DMs…

Pets are influencers too.

https://people.com/celebrity-pets-with-their-own-instagram-accounts-7567698

https://influencers.feedspot.com/pet_instagram_influencers/

🦜 Quotes of the Week

A good education is not so much one which prepares a man to succeed in the world, as one which enables him to sustain a failure. – Bernard Iddings Bell

You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins. – Jim Stovall

If you don’t sleep, you go loco. – Max Salvador, Below Deck Mediterranean

In our world, old friendships are hereditary. – Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski), The Gilded Age.

If you hear a voice within you say, you cannot paint, then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. – Vincent Van Gogh

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. – Robert Brault

There’s not much to see actually. We’re inside a Chinese dragon. – Howard (Ryan O’Neal), What’s Up, Doc?

Maintain composure in times of heightened emotion, reacting only when thoughts are calm and clear. Being sensible will open doors for solutions and creativity. – Jaren L. Davis

You know how to stop this? Stop it. – Dr. Phil

Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor. – Sholem Aleichem

I don’t want to be a man. I want my cereal – Jordan Thomkins (Jeremy Suarez), The Bernie Mac Show

Sometimes a person has to go a very long distance out of his way to come back a short distance correctly. – Jerry, The Zoo Story by Edward Albee

El Wray sez: Happy New Year!

🥂 Auld Lang Syne-ing Off…

Wishing you all good things in the New Year and no pressure on the Eve beforehand. Make a resolution, don’t make a resolution; party, don’t party. You do you. Join me for going back to the old soap grind after New Year’s Day. Dare I say it? See you next year. Until then, stay safe, stay following your own path, and stay remembering, your actions determine your life’s destiny.

Dec13

December 12, 2023 – Ned Wants To Make a Deal With Nina, She Shines, Daytime Emmy Info, Speaking Out, Mishap, No Snow, Not So Pretty, VanderTrailer, Stay Healthy, Holiday Pets (!) & Feliz

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Tracy walks into the nook and sees Ned on his guitar. She says she knew it was too good to be true. Eddie Maine has clearly not left the building.

Brook is about to knock on Maxie’s office door, when she hears Maxie talking to Felicia on the phone. Maxie says, her mom and dad have already helped her so much. She can’t allow them to jeopardize their financial future to get her out of this mess.

There’s a knock at Nina’s office door, and she says, come in. Willow walks in and asks if it’s a bad time, but Nina says, never. She’s so happy to see Willow. Willow asks if she’s sure, because lately, it feels like she’s been pulling away.

Obrecht meets Scotty at Kelly’s, and he asks her to have a seat, but she says she’s not sitting. She’s not staying. State his business. He says, coffee. He thought they agreed if they ran into each other in public, they’d be civil. She says, they did, but this is not a chance encounter where they can nod their heads regretfully to each other in passing and continue on. He says, you call that civil? and she sits down. She says, he asked her here to what end? and he says he thinks their relationship ended too soon.

At the counter, Hume asks Brennan why he keeps coming back to Kelly’s, and Brennan says he likes the ambience. Hume says, he knows this place is owned by Corinthos’s ex-wife. What if someone recognizes them?

Sam meets Kristina at Kelly’s, and Kristina gives a crazy coffee order. Sam says, it sounds like someone needs a pick-me-up. Did she have a late night? Kristina says, no. Just indulging while she can. Sam asks what that’s supposed to mean.

Dante hangs around the lockers until he’s sure no one is around. He takes out the key.

As Brook listens, Maxie says she loves that her parents want to bail her out, but if they could just make the money back, they’d have it… Okay. Let her look at the numbers. Maybe they can come up with a compromise, like a partial loan or something, but she has to go… She loves Felicia too. Bye. Brook knocks at the door, and Maxie says, it’s open. Brook comes in, and Maxie says, this is a surprise. Brook asks if she’s in the middle of something, and Maxie says, always, but it’s good to see her. Brook asks if everything is okay, and Maxie says, fine, great actually. Deception is back and better than ever. Brook asks if she’s sure, and Maxie says, yeah. Why does she ask? Brook says, because she was just eavesdropping on her.

Ned continues to play, and Tracy says, the Bridge and Tunnel twins swore up and down he was in his right mind. She doesn’t know why she let them get her hopes up. Clearly those perpetual teenyboppers prefer having Eddie Maine around. He asks if she really thinks so, and she says she knows so. The Pink Ladies from Bensonhurst are probably tearing each other’s hair out, battling over who gets to wear his leather jacket. He says, are you quite finished, mother? and she says, it’s ridiculous to… Did he just call her mother? He says he’s sure that’s not the only thing he’s called her, and she says, Ned? He says, it’s me.

Nina says she hasn’t been distancing herself from Willow. Absolutely not. It’s just with the magazine and the MetroCourt and the holidays, she’s been jammed. Willow asks if she means that, and Nina says, of course (🍷) she does. Willow says, because if this relationship is going to work, they have to be honest with each other, and Nina says, absolutely. Willow wonders if she said or did something to upset Nina, but Nina says, it’s just she’s been swamped on all fronts. She knows people were concerned when she offered to sell her half of the MetroCourt back to Carly. They thought she was doing it to score points with her and Willow, but honestly, it’s really that having two full-time jobs has taken its toll. Willow says, of course (🍷). She gets it. Nina says she’s glad Willow is here because she wanted her input. She has some ideas, but wanted Willow’s opinion. What does Willow think she should get Wiley and Amelia for Christmas?

Obrecht says, the bond she and Scotty shared was broken, and he’s the one who broke it when he chose to help Elizabeth, even though Elizabeth’s lies contributed to her Britta’s death. He says, she was his client. Confidentiality. Obrecht, as a doctor, knows it would have been unethical for him to tell her. She says, legally and medically, they’re both such paragons of ethics. She’s truly sorry, but their problems are unsurmountable. He says, they also had a lot of fun even though they have these problems. The way he sees it, they march to a different drumbeat. That’s why he thinks they are a good match. She says, that’s why they were a good match, but now… He doesn’t want her back. He just wants someone to avoid being alone. She thinks people understand that. She’s been in relationships where she felt more alone than when she was encumbered. (Truth!) That’s how she knows it’s best not to settle. He says, settle. She hasn’t even been around. She’s been galivanting all over the country to all these medical conventions and everything else. Tell him. Is she not just a little bit lonely?

Sam tells Kristina that she heard about the miscarriage. Molly is devastated. Kristina says, it’s awful. She ran into Molly in Rice Park. She was bawling her eyes out, so Kristina took Molly back to her apartment. They talked about things, and they decided she’s going to be Molly’s surrogate.

Brennan tells Hume that the only one who would recognize him is Anna Devane, and it’s been over thirty years. He doubts she’d recognize him. Hume says, spies have very long memories; it’s part of the job. Brennan is living proof.

Dante opens the locker and takes out a box wrapped in brown paper. Another man comes in, and Dante puts his hand on his gun, but the man takes out his phone and keeps walking. Dante closes and locks the locker, and leaves with the package.

Nina says, wheels. Got it. How about Amelia? Willow says she understands Amelia is too young to understand what she’s playing with, but if Nina decides to get her a doll, she prefers it to be a doll with a career. (Do baby dolls have careers now?) Nina says, all right, so like a doctor, a lawyer doll? and Willow says, or even an editor/hotelier like her grandmother. Nina says, or a nurse like her mom, and Willow says, all good ideas. Nina says she just has to tell Willow… She thanks Willow for coming here. She really appreciates it. Willow says, right back at her, and Nina says, Willow will let her know if she overdoes it, right? Willow says, total honesty means total honesty. Since they’re discussing Christmas, Michael tells her that they’re going to be spending Christmas Eve with her and Sonny. Nina says, yeah. Is that okay? Willow says, it’s great. She was thinking the kids could open up their presents from her and Sonny while they’re there. That way, Nina can see their reaction.

Tracy says she missed Ned so much, and he says he faked that amnesia for months just to hear her say that. She asks if he wants another head injury, and he says, not that he doesn’t deserve one. He’s sorry for how he behaved toward her when he thought he was Eddie. She says, no apology necessary, and he says, really? She says, actually, it’s Eddie Maine who owes her an apology, but his non-existence in and of itself is a gift. She’s so grateful to have her son standing in front of her is enough. He says, she knows he loves her, right? and she says, of course (🍷). What’s not to love? He laughs, and she says she loves him too. She punches his arm, and he says, what? She says, he’s wasted so much time, and he says, saying they love each other? She says, he let her go on and on about him being Eddie Maine still, and he says, have you ever tried to stop you? She says she wants him to put this guitar in the attic. He needs to focus and stop Michael from taking ELQ. He says he thought she wanted nothing to do with ELQ, and she says she doesn’t, but that doesn’t mean she wants to see Alan’s surprise offspring and his grandson run away with it. Ned needs to get his head in the game.

Kristina tells Sam that she doesn’t have to say anything. She knows how Sam feels about it. Sam’s already told her that she doesn’t think it would be wise for her to be Molly and TJ’s surrogate. Sam tells her that she never said that. What she meant to say was, being pregnant and giving birth are bigger than Kristina could ever imagine. They have to be experienced to be understood. She just wanted Kristina to think about it carefully before she made a commitment. Kristina says, Sam was right, 100%. She wasn’t ready. And now she is, and so is Molly.

Brennan says he knows Hume has met Corinthos face to face. Is there anyone else in town who could recognize him? Hume says, a few of his guards and business associates. Other than that… Brennan says, maybe it’s time for Hume to head back to DC, and Hume says, whatever the circumstances require. Brennan says, but before he goes, find the report that Forsythe stole from Anna Devane.

Obrecht tells Scotty that she may be alone in her travels, but she’s never lonely. She’s interacting with her peers, talking about her expertise. And she’s learning so much; discoveries and developments in disease, discoveries in technology and treatments. She can’t begin to tell him how exciting it all is. He says, that’s it. He wants her to tell him this stuff. She says, Scotty. Stuff. He says he wants to tell her something, since they may never see each other again, and she says, an ominous prologue. He says he thinks she may be doing all this traveling to hide from her grief, and she says, Auf Wiedersehen. Have a good life. She gets up, and goes outside, but he follows her. He says, hang on a second. Talk to him. he understands the grief she’s going through. More than anybody. He buried three children. Their children were forces of nature, and he thinks if they talk about them, if they share their grief – he takes her hand – that will bring them closer together. She says, that is precisely why they’re not together. He couldn’t be more wrong.

Maxie tells Brook, what can she say? At least Brook is admitting upfront this time that she’s spying. Brook says she wasn’t spying… this time. Maxie’s door was a little bit open and she just happened to hear part of the conversation. Maxie says, fine. She guesses that’s the definition of eavesdropping. Since Brook isn’t here for corporate espionage, what is she here for? Brook says she wanted to share some news, brushing her hair back with her left hand so Maxie can see the ring. Maxie says, oh my God. Brook and Chase? Brook says, they’re engaged, and Maxie squeals, running over to Brook. She says, congratulations, hugging her, and Brook thanks her. Maxie says she has to look, and takes Brook’s hand, checking out the ring. Brook asks if it meets with her approval, and Maxie says, yes, it does. That is a good stone. Her feelings are a little hurt that Chase didn’t consult with her, but whoever he did go to steered him in the right direction. Brook says, he did his research and the was thorough. Chase is so sweet that way. Maxie asks if Brook and Detective Adorable have set a date yet, and Brook says, not yet, but they’re thinking early in the new year. Maxie says she sees, and looks at Brook’s stomach. She says, for real this time? and Brook says she’s not pregnant. Maxie says, why the shotgun? and Brook says, there is no shotgun or weapons of any kind. They just… Violet doesn’t believe in long engagements. Maxie says, all right then. If she needs a wedding planner… Brook says, like she would consider anybody else. And she’s sure Maxie has planned her entire wedding already. Maxie says she has a file… and a vision board. She has color samples, dress choices, dinner and dessert menus, a DJ playlist, venues… Brook says, she hasn’t picked the band yet? and Maxie says, Brook is the one who knows all the musicians. Maxie says she’s missed them, and Brook says, her too, taking Maxie’s hand. Since Maxie is going to make her the happiest woman on her wedding day, maybe there’s something she can do for Maxie in return. Maxie says, such as? and Brook says, spill it. Tell her what’s going on.

Nina says she and Sonny would love to watch Wiley and Amelia open up their gifts, and Willow claps her hands and says, yes. Nina says, as long as Michael’s okay with it, and Willow says, it’s Christmas. She can’t imagine why he wouldn’t be. Ned knocks on the door and says, this is convenient. He can kill two birds with one stone. Willow says, he has something to discuss with both her and Nina? and he says, as a matter of fact, he does. Drew. Willow says, what about Drew? and Ned says he just wanted to make sure they both knew; Drew will be spending Christmas in Australia with a business deal. Willow says she knew that. Nina? Nina says, that’s news to her. She’ll have to make sure Sonny knows that. She thanks Ned for coming by and telling them. That might change Carly’s holiday plans, which might change their plans. Ned says, the domino effect. One decision sets in motion a whole chain of events. Willow says she’s got to run. She’ll talk to Nina if she has any more gift ideas for the kids. Nina says she’ll do the same, and Willow leaves. Ned closes the door and says he can’t tell Nina how tempted he was to let Willow know he wasn’t the one who turned Drew and Carly in to the SEC. It was her. She says, so why didn’t he?

Maxie tells Brook, when Tracy’s lawsuit stalled Deceptor sales, the stocks plummeted, and she stopped drawing salary. Brook says, no, and Maxie says, she went from paying off her credit cards monthly to only making the minimum payments, but she still had bills, so she was still charging. She basically blew through her savings and dug herself into a major hole. Brook says, but Deception is recovering, right? And Maxie’s salary is going to kick in soon. Maxie says, if only, and Brook asks what she’s going to do. Maxie says, her mom and Mac want to liquidate part of their financial portfolio to help her out of this debt, but she doesn’t feel right about doing that. They’ve worked their entire lives to earn that money so their portfolio can grow. Brook says, okay, so how about if she loans Maxie the money? and Maxie says she appreciates the thought, but she can’t accept that. Brook says, why not? She’s a trust fund baby. She has tons of funds in an account that she didn’t earn. She would be putting it into good use. Maxie thanks her for the offer, but her parents are going to help her, and Brook asks if Maxie would even be in this position if it weren’t for Tracy’s lawsuit, or her spying. Maxie says, no, she wouldn’t, and Brook says, so let her fix this. She owes it to Maxie. Maxie says, this is not Brook’s problem to solve. It’s hers and she will. Now she really needs to get back to work. Brook says, why? It’s not like she’s getting paid. Maxie says she can’t wait to plan Brook’s wedding, even more than she already has, and they hug.

Scotty says he doesn’t understand why Obrecht won’t let him comfort her, help her here. Forget about a relationship. Why won’t she let him help her? She says she doesn’t want him to. She doesn’t want anyone to. When she lost Nathan, she didn’t think she could go on, but she did. In part, because she still had her Britta. Some people might find comfort that their child died heroically. She envies them. All she feels is grief. She doubts she’ll ever make sense of why she’s still alive and her children are gone. Perhaps it’s so she can redeem herself with her grandson James. He reminds her so much of her son Nathan. She starts to cry, and he says he understands the whole grandkid thing. Elizabeth’s kids aren’t his by blood, but he is their grandfather. He likes it that way. She says, it’s good they can still count the few remaining blessings they have, and he says he thinks they can have more blessings. She says, just when they were doing so well, and laughs. He says he wants love. He thinks she does too.

Kristina tells Sam that she knew how badly Molly wanted to be a mother of course (Auf Wiedersehen), but she never really grasped it until she saw Molly in the park that day. She wants to be Molly’s surrogate. She wants to give Molly and TJ what they want more than anything.

Hume says, they’ve been attempting to reconstruct Forsythe’s movements from the night he retrieved the report until his death. Brennan asks when they’ll have actual results, and Hume says he’s been assured, very soon. Brennan says, none of this would be necessary if someone hadn’t jumped the gun quite literally and got rid of Forsythe prematurely. He was much more valuable alive.

A bank officer brings Dante a safe deposit box, and thanks him for choosing their bank. He leaves, Dante opens the box, and takes the package out of his duffel bag. He puts on gloves, takes out a pocketknife, and slices open the paper.

Kristina tells Sam that she just knows Molly and TJ want this so badly. She wants to be a good sister. She wants to give this to them. Okay, hit her. Thoughts, concerns, questions, objections. God knows Sam’s got them. Sam says she does, and she can see Kristina has thought this through, and it’s coming from a place of love. And she supports Kristina all the way.

Dante takes a box out of the paper and opens it. He takes out some papers and looks at them. It looks like it’s probably the report in question because it talks about an operation and Forsythe’s name is all over. We see Anna’s name, and something about a whole lot of money that was never recovered. At the bottom, it says, WSB. After flipping through it, Dante sets the report aside, and shakes some photos out of a small envelope. He sees a headshot of a guy I assume is Forsythe, one of Anna, and when he looks at the last picture, Dante says, who are you? I’m thinking Brennan, younger and without facial hair.

Scotty says he knows he and Obrecht were crazy about each other a while back. He thinks they can be crazy about each other again. She says, is that so? and he says, yes, it is. He has another point. Time is ticking away and they’re not getting any younger. So he says they strike while the iron’s hot. She says, he believes they should embrace this opportunity because another, better one might not come along, and he says, yeah. If they can take this opportunity, why wait for another opportunity? She says, an admirable attempt. What Maxie would call, a nice save. If one of them is settling, then they both are, and she never settles. She kisses him on the cheek and says she hopes he knows, even though they won’t have their own happy ending, she hopes he finds one himself. She leaves.

On the phone, Maxie says, they can let Haven know they’ll consider booking another segment with Sasha and Cody, but Haven will have to agree, in advance, to limit her own camera time. Lucy comes to the door, but says, sorry. Maxie’s busy. She’ll come back. Maxie signals her not to go, and says, just give Haven the message and let them know what she decides. They’re not in a hurry. She asks Lucy, what’s up? and Lucy says, nothing really. No. Nothing… She thinks she made a mistake.

Brook asks if Tracy’s got a minute, and Tracy says, for her granddaughter, always. She shows Brook her tablet and says, look at these pictures. Isn’t Sasha radiant? Brook says, she always is, and Tracy says she doesn’t really get the point of Cody though. Brook says, everyone has a different demographic, right? and Tracy says she supposes so. Sasha has the department store and boutique crowd, and he maybe increases foot traffic… Can Brook imagine? Lucy Coe wanted to replace her with a random singer? Brook says, that random singer’s name is Blaze, and she happens to be wildly popular and extremely talented. Tracy says, good for her, and Brook says, Blaze is also her client. Tracy says, good for Brook. She’s definitely not the Face of Deception, nor will she ever be. Brook says, which coincidentally, she wanted to talk to Tracy about. Tracy says, the singer? but Brook says, no, Deception.

Ned says he doesn’t know. Why didn’t he expose Nina to Willow and blow up her newfound detente with her? Nina says, there’s one thing everyone seems to be conveniently forgetting. Regardless of who turned in Carly and Drew to the SEC, that doesn’t change the fact that they committed insider trading. He says, so Drew at least got what he deserved, including a beating… She says, Drew didn’t deserve to be attacked, but that had nothing to do with the insider trading, and he says, Drew wouldn’t have been in Pentenville in the first place if Nina hadn’t turned them in. She says, if Carly and Drew hadn’t committed a crime, and he says, if this had been about justice or doing the right thing, she wouldn’t have used Martin as her go-between. So now, she’s scrambling because she wants to keep all of this quiet, because she doesn’t want to lose Sonny or lose any chance of having a relationship with Willow, her sweet, beautiful daughter. So far, it’s worked. So far. She says, if he wanted to blow up her life, he wouldn’t be talking to her right now. He’d be out there talking to Sonny or Michael or Willow or whoever. But here he is talking to her. So tell her, what does he want? he says, what he wants is to make a deal with her.

Tracy says she thought Brook wanted nothing to do with Deception. That she wanted her sole focus to be music, and she couldn’t have Deception as back-up because it would prevent her from going all-in on her dream of being a so-called manager for so-called talent. Brook says, Tracy was listening, and Tracy says she heard every word. Brook says, how else could Tracy use it against her later? and Tracy asks if Brook just dropped by to remind her that she turned her nose up at that generous offer? Brook says, actually, she dropped by to tell Tracy that she reconsidered, and Tracy says, reconsidered what?

Maxie asks, what’s the mistake? and Lucy says she had drinks with Scotty. Maxie says, she’s done that billions of times. Not literally billions, but at least in the thousands. Lucy says she’s not making herself clear, is she? and Maxie says she can’t believe she’s asking this, but can Lucy elaborate? Lucy says, Scotty asked her to join him for drinks, and like Maxie said, a billion times, so she agreed, but it quickly became clear, Scotty’s really lonely. He seemed out of sorts. He had that break-up with Liesl… Maxie says she never thought he was good enough for her, and Lucy says, what? She always thought exactly the opposite. Scotty has faults, she agrees – many, many faults – but deep down underneath, he has a big heart of gold. And therein lies the problem. Maxie says, that she thinks Scotty has a big heart of gold, and Lucy says, yes. She can’t help herself; she sympathizes with him. And sympathy always leads her down this road that she’s traveled many, many, many times. And the last time she traveled that road, she lost her Doc for good, and she doesn’t want the same thing to happen with Marty. Maxie says, of course (🍷) not, and Lucy says, she and Maxie were thinking the same thing; she and Scotty are just friends, right? They’re best friends. They’re just friendly friend, friend friends, and could never be anything else but just friends. Because if they cross that line of romance, it leads ultimately to total disaster. She ends up heartsore, humiliated, and broke; sometimes all three happen at the same time. But at the same time, it’s not Scotty’s fault. He’s a unique, funny, wonderful man. He’s also absolutely the catalyst to some of the worst decisions she’s ever made in her entire life. There’s a knock on the door, and Scotty asks if he’s interrupting.

Nina says, in return for Ned keeping quiet about her turning Carly and Drew in to the SEC, he wants what? He says he’s willing to continue taking the blame for Drew going to prison, if she gets him some insider information. She says, he doesn’t lack for audacity, does he? and he says he sees the irony hasn’t escaped her. (Me neither.) She says, okay, so this isn’t a joke. He wants her to get him insider information on what? Crimson or the MetroCourt? He says, Drew and Michael have been double-teaming him again with ELQ and Aurora. What he wants – what he needs – is an advantage, specifically inside information on Crimson’s parent company Aurora.

Kristina says she’s got to run and asks Sam if everything is okay. Sam says, yeah. She was just hoping to hear from Dante. He’s working on a case and she wants to make sure everything is okay. Kristina says, Dante is a badass. She’s sure he’s fine. Sam says, when Kristina is right, she’s right, and Kristina asks her to say it again. She wants to make that her ringtone. Sam says, when she’s right, she’s right, and Kirstina says she loves Sam. She kisses Sam on the cheek, and leaves.

Hume says, continuing to search for the report could leave them exposed, but Brennan says, that is the risk. Hume asks if it’s worth taking, and Brennan says, if that report were to fall into the wrong hands, it would not only compromise the WSB, it would compromise Pikeman. Does Hume think it’s worth it?

Sam is about to send a text to Dante: Everything okay? but she puts her phone down. Willow runs over to her table, and Sam jumps. Willow says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to startle Sam.

Dante looks through a wallet, but it’s empty. He puts everything back in the box, closes it, folds the wrapping paper, and puts it on top of the box. He puts everything in the safe deposit box, but as he’s about to close it, he takes the wallet back out. He puts the wallet in his pocket, closes the box, and locks it. He picks up his duffel bag and leaves.

Brook says, since she got engaged, she’s realized Tracy is right, but Tracy says, she’ll have to narrow that down. Brook says, until she gets more clients and gets them more gigs and more contracts… Tracy says, and until she starts making money… Brook says, it’s going to be hard to live on Chase’s salary. So it seems like a good idea to find something more stable to supplement her income. So if Tracy’s offer is still on the table… Tracy says her offer is still on the table. She’d be delighted to have Brook join her at Deception. Brook thanks her, and Tracy says, and some day in the future, the company will be Brook’s. But until then, she has a lot to learn, and Tracy can’t wait to start teaching her.

Lucy says, she and Maxie were in the middle of a very important conference, and Maxie says, Scotty’s not here on Deception business, is he? He says, no, it’s personal, and Maxie says, she and Lucy were in the middle of something. Lucy says, they were, but tells Maxie, they’re fine. Maxie thanks her for the escape, and leaves. Lucy asks what exactly Scotty wants, and he says he’s flying down to Florida to see Serina for Christmas and say hello to the manatees. She says, that’s really nice, and asks him to give Serina her love, but he says, why doesn’t she tell Serina herself. Does she want to tag along?

Nina says, Ned thinks she can get insider information on Auroa, and he says, Crimson is one of Aurora’s biggest assets. That gives her access. She says, it doesn’t. Aurora is all Michael and Drew. Michael hates her guts, and she and Drew aren’t exactly best friends. Ned says, if she thinks he hates her now, just wait until he finds out she’s the reason he almost died in prison. She says, even if she sets up a meeting with Drew to talk about Crimson and Aurora, he’s not going to talk to her about anything except Crimson. He’s not going to give her any relevant details about Aurora or ELQ. Ned tells her to think back to those bygone days in Nixon Falls, when she kept Sonny’s identity hidden from him; when she kept Sonny’s very existence hidden from everyone here. She says, he’s bringing this up why? and he says, to remind her just how resourceful she can be, especially when her back is up against the wall, which it most certainly is right now. She says, Nixon Falls is a very small town. All she had to do was not say anything, and people still found out. He says, get him that intel. Otherwise, he’ll just make that short, three-minute walk from the mansion to the gatehouse and share some insider information of his own with Willow about just how low Nina can stoop.

Willow says, Christmas Eve, she and Michael are taking the kids to Sonny and Nina’s, and Sam says, she and Dante are taking the kids to the Quartermaines on Christmas… She suddenly gets up and runs to the door where Dante has just come in. She throws her arms around him, and Willow says, perfect.

Brennan tells Hume, worst case scenario, Forsythe passed the report on to someone else. Hume says, and if that is the case… Brennan says, whoever has it now will have to be dealt with.

Tomorrow, Nina asks what’s got Ava so terrified; Sam asks if Dante trusts Anna; Kristina says she knows what she’s in for, but Alexis says, no, she doesn’t; and Brennan says, perhaps Carly can accompany him.

🌞 She’s No Slouch…

At 9 years old, I was playing with Barbies.

The Story Behind Jophielle Love’s GH Song “Shine!”

🏆 Awarding Daytime…

This Friday, December 15th, 9 pm EST, on CBS and Paramount+.

Daytime Emmys 2023: Everything You Need to Know

I like how they chose the presenter for Susan Lucci’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

This Year’s Daytime Emmy Presenters and Performers Announced

🚽 Ozempic Not OK…

Maybe it’s me, but I’m not into the side effects.

https://okmagazine.com/p/bravo-celebrities-who-have-spoken-ozempic/

🎤 Her Show Went On…

Seriously, does it really make any difference?

https://pagesix.com/2023/12/10/entertainment/luann-de-lesseps-powers-through-mic-mishap-at-atlanta-cabaret-show/

🐉 Jon Stalled…

Looks like a wall got put up on this one.

https://www.cbr.com/jon-snow-game-of-thrones-disappointing-update/

👠 And She Oughtta Know…

What she said was very accurate. I also highly recommend her new film Leave the World Behind on Netflix. It really keeps you guessing.

https://ew.com/julia-roberts-responds-pretty-woman-gift-real-housewives-beverly-hills-8413985

🍸 Prolonging the Pain…

Milking the VanderCashCow.

https://people.com/vanderpump-rules-season-11-extended-trailer-8414301

🍰 Staying the Course…

And remember, it’s not what you eat between Christmas and the New Year, but what you eat between the New Year and Christmas. Although admittedly, that eating business begins at Halloween.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/food-dining/2023/11/20/staying-healthy-holiday-tips/71570950007/

🦌 On Doberman and Dachshund…

Luckily, my newest dog doesn’t mind a hat.

Festive Pups! See Stars Celebrating Holiday Seasons With Their Beloved Pets

🐀 Not a Creature Is Stirring…

Join me tomorrow for soap and the nonsense that is Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay hydrated even in the cooler months, and stay embracing opportunities, but not settling.

Dec6

December 5, 2023 – Brennan Reveals His Intentions, Thanks, Happy Anniversary, Who He Is, Leads Lunch, Still Closed, Stupidity, On the House, About Us, Winging It, Check That Tree & Good

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Laura and Esme carry some boxes into the living room, and Esme wonders how everything is going to fit in her new place. Laura says, she can always leave some stuff here. That way it will be here when she visits, which she hopes Esme is going to do often. Esme tells Laura that she knows she doesn’t say this enough, but she’s really grateful for everything Laura’s done for her and Ace. Laura says she’s going to miss both of them, and they hug.

Mopping the floor at the PC Grill, Cyrus hears someone come in. He says, we’re closed, and Ava says, then he ought to lock the door. He says, when the restaurant’s closed, that means the bar is no longer serving, so… She laughs (me too) and says she sees his newfound devotion to the Lord hasn’t dulled what’s meant to be his wit, but he says he wasn’t joking, and he is busy. So if she’s not here for the cuisine… She says she came here for a little bit of his wisdom, and he says he’s but a simple man of God, but if he can help her on her way… She says she only has the one question. Austin Gatlin-Holt is dead. Why did Cyrus kill him?

Blaze asks if she overstepped, and Kristina asks if Blaze didn’t notice her kissing back. Blaze says she noticed, and Kristina says she’s glad to know she’s still got it. Blaze says she didn’t mean to ambush Kristina like that. The last thing she wants to do is make Kristina feel uncomfortable. Kristina says she’s not uncomfortable. In fact, she’s just the opposite.

Felicia says she’s glad Anna could make it, and Anna thanks Felicia for having her over. Felicia asks how she’s doing, and Anna says, okay. Robert surprised her for Thanksgiving with Emma. She’s so smart. She’s studying dark matter and subatomic something or other. Anna doesn’t understand any of it. Felicia says, as long as she’s not majoring in the didgeridoo, they can count their blessings, and they laugh. Anna says, Emma’s back at school now. She could really use a friend. Felicia says, she’s come to the right place.

Sam sees Dante holding an evidence bag and asks, what’s that? He says, this is literally the key to help them find out who’s after Anna, and tosses it on the table.

Hume opens the money briefcase and tells Brennan, it’s all here. Brennan says, trust, but verify. Too bad Corinthos didn’t take the money. It would have been so much easier if they could have just paid him off. He shuts the case.

At Pozzulo’s, Curtis thanks Sonny for seeing him, and Sonny says, for him, anytime. He asks if Curtis wants a drink, but Curtis says he has to stay sharp, and Sonny says he understands. What does Curtis want from him? Curtis says, specifically, names. Who would have a reason to take a shot at Sonny at the MetroCourt?  

Felicia says, after everything that’s happened, maybe a visit to Berkeley to see Robin? and Anna says, Robin will want to know everything, and she doesn’t want to… Felicia says, talk to her, and Anna starts to cry. She says she shot a kid, and Felicia hugs her.

Sam asks what it’s literally a key to, and Dante says, a private locker at the train station. The M.E. found a key on this guy named Jameson Forsythe, who was killed in a hit and run that sounds deliberate actually; the vehicle didn’t even slow down. Sam asks what that has to do with Anna, and Dante says, he and Anna were in the WSB together in the 80s. She had evidence against this guy, and recently, it vanished.

Hume asks how long Brennan will be in Port Charles, and Brennan says, as long as it takes to set up operations so that Pikeman can send shipments to Canada and do international distribution. Hume asks if he’s going to handle it in person, and Brennan says, if you want a job done right and all that. He learned that the hard way with Forsythe. He also needs to clean up that mess, since Forsythe failed to handle Anna Devane. Hume says he understands, but won’t an extended absence be a problem for the head of the WSB?

Sonny tells Curtis that there are several people who might want him gone. He’s looked into all of them, and so has the PCPD. Curtis says, nothing? and Sonny says, let’s put it this way, the case is still open. Has Curtis talked to Anna about this? Curtis says, not yet, and Sonny says, because her list of enemies is as long as his, but they’re harder to track down. Curtis says he knew this was going to be difficult from the start. He’s got to know who put him in this wheelchair. Sonny asks if he thinks he can do better than the police, and Curtis says he was a P.I. He’s done undercover work, and he’s not juggling a dozen cases. Sonny says he understands. If he were Curtis, nothing would stop him. Curtis thanks him for understanding and asks, who’s at the top of his list?

Cyrus says, Dr. Gatlin-Holt is dead? When? How? Ava says, two shots, close range, shortly before Thanksgiving, and Cyrus says, well, that is a tragedy, and Ava is a callous woman. She says, at least she’s not the one who killed him. Cyrus did that, didn’t he? Cyrus says, even if he had been responsible for Austin’s death, why would he tell her? and she says, that’s okay. She expected him to deny it. He says, then why ask the question? and she says, just to see if she believed the answer. He says, and does she? but she says, he didn’t answer it. And before we get to what I believe, let’s talk about what I know, shall we? She knows, for example, that he ordered Austin’s cousin Mason to kidnap her, so that Austin would testify about his fragile health and a judge would grant him early release from Pentenville. Now look at him. He’s a free man. And how did he repay Austin for giving him his life back? By taking Austin’s?

Esme says, Laura doesn’t think she’s doing the wrong thing by moving out, does she? and Laura says, if she thought Esme was doing the wrong thing, she would have never co-signed the lease. Esme suggests it might have been a bad decision on Laura’s part, but Laura says she couldn’t be more proud of Esme, that she took a stand to create an independent life for herself and for her son. Esme says, now that it’s all happening, she’s terrified she’s going to blow it all, but Laura says she thinks that’s a good thing, because Esme will be careful. It’s the people who think they know everything who fall on their faces. Esme says she’s terrified of failure, and Laura says, let’s say for a moment it was a mistake. Esme can always move back in because Laura’s home will always be a nice, soft, landing place for her and her son. Esme thanks her and says, that’s incredibly reassuring, and Laura says she’s watched Esme grow into a competent and self-sufficient single mom. So now believe her when she says, Esme’s got this.

Kristina says she had no idea Blaze might be gay, and Blaze says, there’s a reason for that. The way her life is, she can’t be open like that, and she totally understands if that’s offensive to Kristina. She personally has so much respect for people who are out and proud, and she’s more than a little jealous of them, but for her it’s not an option. Kristina says, first of all, she’s not offended. Blaze’s sexuality is just that, it’s hers. How she chooses to express it and when is entirely up to her. So don’t ever feel like she has to defend herself to Kristina. Everyone’s on their own journey. Blaze thanks her for everything. She can’t tell Kristina how much it means to hear her say that.

Curtis says, maybe Austin didn’t tell Ava, but he paid for Austin to go to medical school. He supported Austin during his residency, so forgive him if the news of Austin’s passing is a loss for him. Ava says, he’s positively bereft, and he says, now that he’s answered her question, would she mind returning the favor? She says, has she accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior? but he says, did she kill Austin? Because from what she’s told him, she has many reasons to do so. More than he does. She says, he did it and now he’s trying to shift blame, and he asks if she’d like to speak to his manager. She says, to report a murder? but he says, to check his alibi. He’s worked past closing every night since he got this job, so he has an alibi. Does she? She walks out.

Blaze tells Kristina that she’s never been in a long-term relationship. Part of it’s her career. She sees so many artists wreck everything they had, break the heart of someone who didn’t deserve it, or get theirs broken when the person they left behind moved on. For her, it was easier, safer, to put her focus on her career. Kristina asks if Blaze really thinks her fans would have a problem with her sexuality.

Anna tells Felicia that she’s not sleeping at all really. When she does, she has these nightmares of pulling the trigger. And when she wakes up, it’s always the same. She realizes it wasn’t a nightmare; it happened. Felicia says, what happened was a tragedy, but Charlotte survived, and Anna says she doesn’t know what she would have done if… Felicia says she knows Anna. She’s a professional. She doesn’t shoot first and ask questions later. Anna says, but she did, and Felicia asks, why? What made this time different? Anna says she convinced herself that this enemy of hers from back in the WSB was the person who was after her. That he’d been stalking her and harassing her. Burned her house down. And when she got back to Maxie’s apartment that night, she thought he was the one inside waiting for her. She had no way of knowing it was Charlotte… Valentin didn’t tell her.

Brennan tells Hume, that’s the thing about being Director. Only a few people know where you actually are at any given time. Hume says, he can run the WSB as he sees fit, and Brennan says, once he was able to oust Frisco Jones, the rest was easy. Anyone who might have been an obstacle was transferred to a very out of the way station, demoted, or thrown out of the Bureau altogether. He has to fly to London now and then to keep everyone on their toes, but everything else, he can pretty much do it his way. Hume says, speaking of obstacles, who is their priority? Sonny Corinthos or Anna Devane? Brennan says, both.

Laura walks into the PC Grill and says hello to Cyrus. He says, what a surprise, and she says she just saw Ava leaving. He says, her former daughter-in-law stopped by to pay him a visit. Apparently, he’s quite popular this evening. She says, anything she should be concerned about? and he says, with Ava? No. She is a troubled soul though. Always in search of absolution it seems. That’s what comes with a guilty conscience. Believe him; he knows. Anyway, enough about him. What brings her here so late?

Kristina asks Blaze if this was Linc’s idea. Was he afraid being queer would conflict with the whole pop star image he was trying to create for her, and it would then alienate her fanbase? Blaze says, Linc didn’t know, and Kristina says, there goes her theory. Blaze says, not that he cared. He would have gone right on harassing her regardless. She never wanted to expose anything personal about herself. Kristina says, it’s good Blaze never has to deal with Linc again, but if it’s not that she’s worried about what the public would think of her… Blaze says, if she came out now, she’s pretty sure she would turn off some fans, but it’s 2023. She thinks most of them would accept her. Unfortunately, her very Catholic family would absolutely not.

Sam asks what kind of evidence it would turn up, and Dante says, Anna told him that she had a hard copy of a report on a mission, an op that went sideways, that incriminated Forsythe. Sam says, that shouldn’t be a big deal. The WSB probably has hard copies and digital copies. He says, but they wanted to bury that report, and Anna wanted to keep a copy so she wouldn’t be scapegoated into being the reason the op went bad. She had it with her the night she shot Charlotte. She was obviously distracted with Charlotte, and when she went back to get her bag, the report was gone, so were any corroborating documents that went along with it. Then Forsythe’s body turns up, and the M.E. finds a key in his shoe. Sam says, so the report is in the locker, and Dante says, most likely, but he won’t know until he checks. She asks what Anna thinks, but he says, Anna doesn’t know yet.

Felicia says, Charlotte was stalking her? and Anna says, yeah. Victor got in her head, and convinced Charlotte that she was a threat to her father. So Charlotte was trying to drive her away to protect him. Felicia says, and Valentin knew? and Anna says, yes. Valentin knew the night Charlotte broke into her hotel suite and didn’t tell her. Felicia asks, why the hell not? Valentin should have known Anna would want to be supportive and want to get Charlotte help. Anna says, Valentin doesn’t trust her. She doesn’t think he trusts anyone, because he himself is untrustworthy. It’s over. That is it for them. This whole thing with Charlotte shattered any illusions she had about him. Felicia says she’s so sorry, and Anna says, it was a risk going into a relationship with him, but she didn’t have any idea it would end this badly. Felicia says, it wasn’t her fault, and Anna says, that’s very nice of Felicia… She’s the one who pulled the trigger. Felicia says, there were very extenuating circumstances. Who was this person at the WSB who she thought was targeting her?

Sonny says he’s sure Curtis heard about his arrest this summer, and Curtis says, just that it happened, and Sonny’s time in custody was so brief. Why was that? Sonny says, because Cyrus Renault was behind it. Even though he was in prison at the time, Cyrus tried to frame Sonny. Curtis says, if he had the resources to get Sonny arrested, he could have arranged the hit, and Sonny says he doesn’t know. Curtis says, it’s worth looking into. Anyone else? Sonny asks if Curtis has access to the police investigation, and Curtis says he does. Sonny says, then Curtis knows the sniper rifle that was recovered was liberated from a WSB station in Berlin, and Curtis says, so Sonny thinks Anna was the target? Sonny says, not necessarily.

Laura says she stopped by to check in, see how the job’s going. They seem to be working Cyrus long hours. He asks if she really cares, and she says, excuse me? He says he visited her in her home, and she threw him out. He came to see her in her office, and he clearly wasn’t welcome there. Shouldn’t this be a two-way street? He’ll stay clear of her place of business, and she’ll stay clear of his. She says, it’s not really the same thing though, and he says, why not? Because she’s the mayor and he’s an ex-con whose existence embarrasses her? She says, that’s not what she means. She means, she works in a private office, and he works in a public gathering place. He thanks her for that clarification and says, now if she doesn’t mind, he knows it’s not really an important job, but it’s his and he should get back to it. Please. She says she’ll go if he wants her to. She just wanted to say that she thinks he was right when he said they were family, and because they’re family, they should look for middle ground. He says, that’s all he’s been trying to do since the day he found out who she was. Only now for whatever reason, does she deign to recognize him, begrudgingly no less, as her brother. It’s a little late.

Blaze says, Kristina knows how she went down to see her abuela in Puerto Rico when Kristina’s dad was getting married, and Kristina says, vividly. Blaze says, she adores her abuela. Obviously. She’s wonderful, loving, and also deeply old-school religious. So are Blaze’s parents, her brothers and  sisters, her aunts, uncles, and cousins. Kristina gets the picture. Kristina says, yeah, she gets it, and Blaze says, she has this one uncle who no one talks about. She can’t say with any certainty whether he’s gay or not. She hasn’t seen him since she was a little girl. Kristina asks if Blaze has tried looking him up on social media, and Blaze says she has, but it was all for nothing. There are a bunch of people with the same name as him, but she can’t be sure if any of them are him. It’s been way too long and none of their family are mutuals. Kristina says, it must be really hard, and Blaze says, impossible. And even if she did meet him, what would she even say? If he is gay and he came out to her family, he lost them because of it, and she’s not brave enough to risk a loss like that. Kristina says, revealing your true self, especially to your loved ones, can be… it is the scariest decision you can make, but it’s also a necessary one.

Sam says, right now, the only people who know about the key are… Dante says, him, the M.E., and now Sam, and she says, the M.E. didn’t put in a report for it? He says, not yet, and she says, and clearly Dante hasn’t gone to check the lock for himself. He says he doesn’t know what his approach is going to be. If somebody is watching Forsythe’s body, he doesn’t want to lead them to the locker. She says, why not just tell Anna? and he says, if she was Anna and she knew about this key and this report, what is she going to do? She says she’s going to the train station and opening the locker, and he says, which sounds like a trap. Forsythe was murdered. Whoever killed him… She says, could also be after Anna. And she’s sure the locker is under surveillance. He says, this whole thing could just be a set-up to draw Anna out, and she says, right. So why not just turn the key over to the PCPD?

Anna tells Felicia, years ago at the beginning of her career with the WSB, she was involved with this op that got blown. The original report exonerated her, which it should have, and placed the blame on the person who planned and executed the op. Felicia says, as it should have? and Anna says, her opinion was yes, and it was the Bureau’s position. At least it was at the time. Felicia says, they changed their minds, and Anna says, they did. This agent in question, Jameson Forsythe, managed to make himself indispensable to the Bureau, so… Felicia says, they buried the report, and Anna says, they did, but she kept a copy of it, just for insurance. Felicia says, just in case they tried to pin it on her, and Anna says, right. But nothing ever came of it, so she kept the report, but just put it away in this trunk that she had full of reports. She was very fastidious about stuff like that. She put in it in storage in England, where it remained for decades. Then a couple of years ago, she brought it out here, thinking she’d go through the trunk, and she never got around to it. (We’ve all been there, even if it’s just a box of stuff.) Felicia says, she has been kind of busy the last couple of years, and Anna says she supposes so. Anyway, when it was clear she was never going to go through the trunk, she put it in storage in Port Charles. Felicia says, when her house burned down, was the trunk still in storage? and Anna says, yeah. So after the fire, she wondered if there was something in there that could help her figure out who’s after her. So Robert helped her bring it to Maxie’s apartment, and as soon as she saw Forsythe’s name, she just knew it. He would kill to keep that report buried.

Hume says he has no preference personally, but why not eliminate Corinthos altogether? and Brennan says, that option’s still on the table, but only as a last resort. Corinthos has controlled Port Charles for decades. Removing him would create a power vacuum. The last thing they need is a bunch of crime families vying for control of Port Charles and its waterways. Next thing they know, state and federal law enforcement will be nosing around. Hume says, exactly the kind of attention Pikeman wants to avoid, to get their merchandise to international buyers, and Brennan says, they’re much better off securing Sonny’s cooperation. Hume says, except that hasn’t really worked so far, and Brennan says, money hasn’t worked. Sometimes it doesn’t. All that means is, they find a different kind of leverage.

Sonny asks if Curtis has ever heard of Pikeman Security Group, and Curtis says, yeah, basically corporate mercenaries and they supply weapons systems. They’ve been in the news once or twice. Sonny says, what hasn’t been in the news is, Pikeman is in bed with the WSB. They have some kind of revolving door arrangement where former WSB agents work for Pikeman. Then Pikeman personnel work for the Bureau. Curtis says, another connection to Anna, but Sonny says, guess what? Pikeman has made overtures to him. Curtis says he takes it Sonny didn’t accept those overtures, and Sonny tells him, let’s just say it didn’t live up to Pikeman’s satisfaction. Curtis says, so Pikeman may have a reason to come gunning for Sonny, and Sonny says, anything is possible.

Dante tells Sam that he thought about turning the key over to the PCPD, but then they’d have access to Anna’s files and records. This guy was WSB, and they’d want to monitor the case. Sam says, they probably are already, and he says, then they’d confiscate the key. She says, and if the report is in the locker, the WSB will grab it and destroy it forever, and he says, right. Which puts Anna in even more danger.

Hume says, Anna Devane. Again, professional curiosity. Why is she so important? Brennan says, that’s classified, and Hume says, understood. Brennan tells him, that said, he can see how this intel might help Hume help him. Back in the 80s, Anna worked a WSB op that went sideways. Forsythe was the field agent in charge and screwed it up big time. And the WSB buried the incident. Hume says, of course (🍷), and Brennan says, but Anna was thinking ahead. She kept a copy of the original mission report naming those responsible, including Forsythe. Hume says, and he imagines if this report got out, it would be embarrassing, and Brennan says, which is why Forsythe was supposed to retrieve the report and eliminate Anna. It’s too bad he failed at both.

Anna tells Felicia, on Halloween night, she took the report and a journal she had supporting it to show Robert. He agreed with the theory, so then when she returned to Maxie’s and saw the door was unlocked, she thought, oh no. There’s someone inside her home again. Felicia says, she thought it was Forsythe, and Anna says, yeah, and if it was him, he was there to kill her. So she just went through that door with her gun leveled and the safety off. She saw a figure in the shadow and yelled, freeze, but they didn’t; they turned. They had what she thought was a weapon in their hand, and she fired, thinking it was him.

Kristina tells Blaze that she didn’t mean to imply it was a requirement to come out to your family. It’s just, when she decided to come out to her parents, who again, are very different from Blaze’s… Blaze thanks her for acknowledging that, and Kristina says she tied herself up in knots over it. With her mother, it wasn’t so much her sexuality that was the problem. The problem was, she was involved with an older woman, which in hindsight, her concerns were valid. And if Blaze tells anyone that, she will deny it. Blaze says, Kristina’s secret is safe with her, and Kristina says, with her dad, he’s totally old school and traditional. She and her dad are incredibly close. Even at times when she didn’t think she and her mom were that close, her dad has always been there for her. And she was afraid, terrified, that if she revealed her true self to him that he would reject her. Blaze says, clearly, he didn’t. Did he come around eventually, or… Kristina says, he accepted her immediately. You might not think a devout Catholic and legitimate coffee importer would be that open-minded, but his love and support for her allowed her to truly explore who she is.

Cyrus tells Laura, all his life, he’s bent over backwards for his family, for his parents who were never satisfied with anything he did. His mother won’t even accept money from him unless it’s funneled through his brother first. Every single cent that’s gone for her care has come from him. As soon as he heard that Spencer was sentenced to Pentenville, he went out of his way to make sure Spencer would be protected. Not that Spencer ever asked for his help, but he’s Laura’s grandson, and that makes him family and that’s what family does. So she and Martin and his mother can continue to treat him like he’s less than dirt, but he knows, and more importantly, God knows what’s in his heart. And that’s more than enough for him.

Blaze says, she and hers aren’t there yet, and she doesn’t know if they ever will be. Kristina says she respects that, but Blaze says she thinks she’s a coward. Kristina asks if she’s met herself. She’s kind of amazing. Blaze says she kind of is, isn’t she? and Kristina says, as far as coming out to her family, if and when that’s what Blaze decides to do, the timing is totally her own. Whatever Blaze needs from her, she’s got it. Blaze thanks her, and Kristina says, of course (🍷). Blaze says, and for the record, Kristina’s pretty amazing herself. Kristina says she is, and they kiss.

Laura says she’s sorry. Cyrus is absolutely right. She had no idea what family means to him, but she does know that she hopes every single doubt she’s had about him is wrong. She thanks him for keeping Spencer safe, and he says, it’s what they do. She says, and as far as the rest of it goes, can they just wait and see? He says he’ll take that as a downpayment on a future apology, and she says she looks forward to giving it to him. He says, all right then. If she doesn’t see him around in the next week or so, don’t worry that he’s fallen back into his old ways. He’s going to be visiting his mother. She says, good for him. Give his mother her best. He says he will. He missed her while he was in prison, even if she didn’t miss him. He goes to the back with his mop and bucket, and Laura leaves.

Kristina walks Blaze to the door, and Blaze says, see you around? Kristina says, you bet, and Blaze leaves. These two have more chemistry than most of the other couples put together, especially now that Anna and Valentin are off the table.

Sam says she doesn’t understand why they would work so hard pinning this on Anna, and Dante says, maybe there’s someone implicated in the report besides Forsythe. She says, maybe that’s why Forsythe is dead. Maybe he knew who that someone was. Dante says, so the only person who knows about the report is the person who was in on the op, and Sam says, and that person was Anna. He says, she’s the only other witness. Whoever wants to bury that report, wants to bury her too.

Felicia asks if Anna thinks he’s still after her, and Anna says she thinks he was. Felicia says, was? and Anna says, when she returned to Maxie’s apartment, after the shooting, someone had been there, and they’d been through the trunk and taken anything pertaining to Forsythe and the op. It was all gone. And shortly after that, Forsythe turned up in Port Charles morgue. He was the victim of a hit and run. He was found on the side of the road, and there was no indication that the vehicle even slowed down. Felicia says, murdered? and Anna says, that’s what it looks like. She bets Forsythe died because of something that was in that report.

Hume says, their team went through Forsythe’s hotel room, his luggage, and his car. They gave Brennan everything they found. Brennan says, the last message from Forsythe, he said he had the report. So he either lied about having it or left it somewhere as insurance, which means that report is still out there somewhere. A ticking bomb.

Curtis asks, what if Sonny was the intended target and they wanted to lead the investigation away from that assumption? If Sonny had been hit by a WSB rifle, the investigators could claim that gun was bought on the black market, and no one would connect it to Pikeman. Sonny says he’s not ruling anything out. He wants to be clear. He doesn’t know for sure if Pikeman tried to kill him, but he doesn’t see a reason why they would try to kill Anna. Curtis says, that they know of. But to find out, he’s going to have to start back at square one and see where this trail leads.

Tomorrow, Maxie says, Cody and Sasha have this special chemistry that everyone can see; Esme says she can’t rely on Spencer anymore; and Jake says he never knows what Charlotte is thinking.

🏆 He’s Welcome…

The only soap fit to print.

Maurice Benard Thanks You for Helping GH Hit a Major Milestone!

💐 Deserving Of Two Bouquets…

One of the most underrated actors in daytime, but he does get double the fun. Ryan might be dead, but I fully expect him to show up again.

Jon Lindstrom Celebrates His Anniversary at GENERAL HOSPITAL

💣 New Villain In Town…

I thought I recognized him. He’s been in quite a few TV shows.

Who Was Brennan on GENERAL HOSPITAL?

🍹 Soap Ladies Who Lunch…

This is such a cool idea. It must be fun.

Inside This Year’s Lead Actress Luncheon — See the Videos!

🥪 Something About Opening Already…

To be fair, the socks are really cute. But the place looks gorgeous, so what the hell?

Something About Her Better Open Soon, Here’s Why

💉 Don’t Try This Anywhere…

Seriously, is she stupid or crazy? Is keeping up with the Housewives really worth it?

Jennifer Fessler Sent to Hospital Over Weight Loss Drug, Continues to Take It

🐉 Imagining Dragons…

The latest on House of the Dragon, Season 2.

https://people.com/bloody-war-is-coming-in-the-house-of-the-dragon-season-2-teaser-8410126

🌁 Latest On The Last…

I could see Bella Ramsey playing The Joker.

https://winteriscoming.net/2023/12/05/the-last-of-us-season-2-sets-february-2024-filming-date/

More game versus series talk.

The Last of Us Season 2 Has an Impossible Role to Cast

⚰️ Improvising the Dead…

Since there’s precious little news at this time.

https://undeadwalking.com/2023/12/02/walking-dead-ad-libbed-lines/

🦥 Double Check That Thing…

This story is hysterical, but don’t let this happen to you.

https://people.com/woman-discovers-possum-hiding-in-christmas-tree-8410211

🦌 Playing Reindeer Games…

Join me tomorrow for soap and trying to stomach Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay respecting others’ holiday differences, and stay trusting, but verifying.

Dec2

December 1, 2023 – Ava Spills To Nina, Posing, Side Gig, Shade On, VanderUpdate, Parade Pics, Windows, Finale Of Fear, More Turkey, Holiday Pets (!), Just Over 8 Quotes & Philly

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Brook walks into the nook where Lois is chopping vegetables. Lois says, there’s her girl, and Brook says, okay, but Lios says she can do better than that. Where’s her main squeeze? Brook asks if she means Chase, and Lois says, no, her other main squeeze. Yes, Chase. Brook says, he’s probably halfway to Canada by now after grandma’s tirade on marriage.

Kristina shows Molly into her apartment and tells her to stay there while she secures the necessary provisions. She leaves and comes back with two glasses and a bottle of wine. Molly is still standing by the door, and Kristina says she didn’t expect her to still be in the same position. She leads Molly to the sofa and says, talk to her. What happened? Molly says she realized she’s never been here before.

Elizabeth and Finn are having dinner at the PC Grill (the restaurant of the moment), and Elizabeth wonders if they’re celebrating a special occasion. He says, that depends, and she says, on? He says, whether you deem the calm before the storm special.

A tall, impeccably groomed, well-dressed man walks up to the counter at Kelly’s and Carly welcomes him. She asks if she can get him something, and speaking with a British accent, he says he certainly hopes so.

Sonny and Dex walk into Pozzulo’s, and Dex says, Hume would have been waiting for Sonny if they’d have let him. Sonny asks if he was alone, and Dex says, just him and his briefcase, which he can only assume was full of cash like last time. Sonny says, okay, let’s hear what Pikeman has to say, and takes out his phone.

At Windymere, va opens the door to Nina, who says she’s completely freaked out. Ava sounded frantic. What’s going on? Ava says, this arrived in the mail today, handing her the note with the picture of dead Austin.

Elizabeth says she takes it that it didn’t go well with the hospital lawyer. What’s her name again? Finn says, Dede Clark. It went fine on the surface. She talked a lot about cooperation and implied they’re all in this together on the malpractice suit, and that he could do his part just by answering some questions. She says, but underneath? and he says, the more questions she asked, the more clear it became that GH’s plan is to sacrifice him and save themselves.

Kristina says, that can’t be true, but Molly says, it is. Think about it. Whenever they hang out, Kristina comes to her place, or they meet up at mom’s or Sam’s or a restaurant somewhere. Never here. Kristina says, Molly’s never been to her apartment (neither have we), and Molly says, no. Kristina says, that is weird. Well, welcome. Molly thanks her, and Kristina says, for the record, it’s not like she’s throwing parties or entertaining. Her kitchen is essentially a barren desert. It’s easier to go out. She pours the wine, and Molly says, Kristina doesn’t have to defend herself, but Kristina says, doesn’t she? Molly is her sister and hasn’t even seen her apartment. She hopes Molly knows it’s not intentional. She now has an open invitation, any time she wants to come here, day or night. Molly says, be careful. She just might take her up on that. Kristina says, she better, and they clink glasses.

Lois tells Brook, tirade is a bit of a stretch, and Canada is not that far away. Doesn’t she think she’s being a little overdramatic? Brook says, no. After some of the things grandma said to Chase, she can’t even go there. It was mortifying. Lois says, it’s a good thing to know, nobody ever died from embarrassment, and it didn’t seem to bother Chase all that much. Brook says, he was being polite, but Brook says, or maybe he was seeing Gloria for who she is, a meddling Italian grandmother whose views on modern relationships are stuck in the 1800s. Lois says, exactly, and Brook says, she and Chase have never even discussed marriage. They just moved in together. Lois says, indicating that marriage is probably the next step, but Brook says, they’re nowhere near that step and that’s okay by her. Lois says, good to know, and Brook says, it is good. Lois tells Brook that she just said that, and Brook says, she and Chase are perfectly happy the way things are. Chase walks in with a bottle of wine, and Lois says, he made it.  

The man tells Carly that he’s in Port Charles on business, and he has a craving for a burger. The concierge at his hotel recommended this place. Carly says, he must be staying at the MetroCourt, and he says, she knows it. She says she knows it well, and he says, if he were staying somewhere else, would they also recommend Kelly’s? She says, absolutely. Kelly’s is a Port Charles institution, and they have the best burgers in town, if she does say so herself. He says, wild guess. She works here. She says she owns the place, third generation. So how does he like his burger?

Nina looks at the photo and says, is this real? Ava says, as real as it gets. Austin is dead. Nina asks, how? and Ava says, he was shot to death in Pautuck. Look. She shows Nina the envelope and says, a Port Charles postmark. It could have been sent by anyone. Nina asks if it was just the picture, but Ava says, no. It came with this sweet little note. She gives Nina the paper that says, you’re welcome, and Nina says she doesn’t understand. Ava says, join the club, and Nina says, clearly, the killer wrote this. Oh my God. Would they just assume Ava would be grateful Austin’s dead? Ava says, that’s her guess, and Nina says, she has to take this to the police. Ava snatches them back and says, no. That’s the last thing she’s going to do.

Sonny says, before Hume gets here, how long did Dex tail Austin? Dex says, only when that nanny was working for Sonny. Betty? Sonny asks if anyone called Dex on it, and Dex says, a couple of times at the hospital, he was asked what he was doing there, but he always had a cover. Sonny asks if he roughed Austin up, and Dex says, when Ava disappeared, he questioned Austin. He stonewalled, Dex put him in a headlock and told him if Ava wasn’t back, he’d be back for him. Sonny says, that could be a problem. Austin was murdered and if anyone saw Dex threaten him, they could assume he did it.

Ava says, Dante has already been out here to question her, and Nina asks, why? Because of Austin? Ava pours drinks and says, there’s so much Nina doesn’t know. Nina says, then fill her in, and Ava asks if Nina remembers walking in on her and Sonny having an intense conversation a few months ago, and Nina says, yeah. She asked what was going on, and neither of them would tell her. Ava says she was being blackmailed, and Nina asks, for what? Ava says, when Nikolas went missing, she had every reason to believe he was dead, and Nina asks her to define every reason. Ava says she thought she’d killed him, and Nina says, oh my God. Ava says, he came here, and he was in a rage. He was threatening to disappear and take Avery with him. She had to do what she had to do to stop him, and she grabbed a statue and she hit him. She just wanted to stop him, that’s all, but he fell. He stopped moving and she panicked. She thought he was dead. Nina says, thank God she was wrong, and Ava says she was trying to hide his body when Austin found her. He told her that he’d help her cover it up. Then the body disappeared, and Austin’s cousin Mason claimed he had it. He said he would bring it to the police if she didn’t do everything he told her to do. Nina says, so Austin’s cousin Mason was blackmailing Ava because she killed Nikolas, but he wasn’t actually dead? and Ava says, but Mason wasn’t acting alone. It turned out, Austin was working with him.

Dex says, after questioning Austin about Ava, he never went near him again, and Sonny says, if the cops decide Dex is a suspect – and that’s a big if – tell them that he’s not talking to anybody without his attorney present, and that includes his son Dante. Dex says, understood, and Sonny says he takes care of his people. If Dex gets picked up, he has the best representation. Dex says he appreciates that, and Sonny says, let’s hope that doesn’t happen. The less attention the cops pay to Dex, the more valuable Dex is to him.

Carly presents the man with his burger and says, tell her what he thinks. Don’t spare her feelings. He takes a bite, and she says she wants to know the real deal. He makes happy food noises and says, talk about the real deal. She says, really? and he says, it’s delicious. It’s full of flavor, perfectly cooked. She tells him to enjoy his dinner. She looks at the door and says, not again, and they turn to see a homeless man hanging around the doorway. She goes outside.

Carly tells the man that he can’t be out here, and he asks her not to call the cops, but she says, that’s not what she means. It’s too cold. He needs to come inside.

Kristina asks if Molly wants to tell her what happened, and Molly says, shoot. She had a folder at the park. It’s filled with really personal information… Kristina says she’s got it. She picked it up from the ground when they were leaving. Molly thanks her and says, she’s a life saver. Kristina says, of course (🍷), and takes the folder out of her bag, giving it to Molly. What’s in it? She doesn’t have to share that. It’s 100% her right. Molly says, no, it’s fine. Open it. Kristina looks inside and says, surrogacy candidates. She doesn’t understand. Is there something wrong with them? Molly says, there’s something wrong with her, and Kristina says, watch it. That’s my sister you’re talking about. Molly says she has this whole folder of potential new surrogates and TJ has no clue she’s even looking at them.

Lois brings out glasses and thanks Chase for the wine. She says, it’s very thoughtful of him, and he asks if she wants him to open it. She says, is the Pope Catholic? and tells him to pour while she works. She goes back to the cutting board, and Chase asks if they have a corkscrew. Brook gets it for him, and he asks what they were talking about. Lois says, you, and Brook says, you and Blaze. And how you used to sing together and now she sings alone. Speaking of which, what does he think of her new song?… Hello? Chase says he’s sorry. He got distracted. It’s amazing how Lois can do all that with those nails. Lois says, there’s nothing she can’t do with these nails.

Elizabeth says, Finn has to separate the hospital from the hospital’s lawyers. Sure, it may be a good legal strategy to use him as a scapegoat, but Portia and Terry would never, and she’s sure the Board would follow suit. He says he doesn’t know anymore. If the Muldoons can prove that the hospital somehow knew he was negligent and turned a blind eye, it’s possible they’d be liable for damages. Martin thinks GH’s best plan is to say that he was negligent, but he acted without the knowledge of the hospital. She says, but he wasn’t negligent and he’s going to explain that to a jury when he testifies. They’ll have to be sympathetic to him. He says, really? Has she met him?

Finn says, his testimony alone could tank the case, and Elizabeth tells him, says who? He tells her, says his lawyer; he said it a bunch of times. She says, that’s ridiculous, and he says, really? She says, if Martin Grey doesn’t believe in Finn, fire him, and Finn says, Martin does believe in him, but he’s also a lawyer. Good lawyers point out the landmines. This case at the core is about a grieving family who are looking for answers, and really, can you blame them? She says, of course (🍷) not, and he says, then it’s possible a jury might feel that way too. She says, and it’s possible to have empathy for the family, and realize their loss wasn’t his fault. He says he doesn’t know. He just feels that when he gets on the stand, the jury’s sympathies are going to be with the Muldoons, and the only way he can win them over is to get them to… like him. She says, he did it with her and she’s a way tougher sell. A bunch of strangers? Cakewalk. He says he doesn’t know whether to take that as a pep talk, but all he heard was, she likes him. She says, very much so.

Chase asks if Lois is sure she doesn’t need any help, but she tells him, just sit back and relax and enjoy the wine, which is very good by the way. Brook says, it’s delicious, and Chase says he’s got a guy. Lois says, he’s got a wine guy? and Brook says, it’s true. His recommendations are always on point. Lois says, good to know, and she’s very glad the two of them can join her for dinner. Chase thanks her for the invite, and she says, it gives her a chance to get to know him better. And to apologize for all things Gloria. He says, get out of here, and she says, not really apologize, because God knows she loves her mother, but she does know she could be a bit much. Brook says, a bit? and Lois says, but she means well. Her mother is a romantic. She’s in love with love, and for a woman from her generation, if you’re in love, you put a ring on it. Brook chokes on her wine.

Molly tells Kristina that she was contacted by the matching professional about looking for a new surrogate, and she was excited about getting things going again. Kristina asks if TJ felt differently, and Molly says, when she told him, he said it was too soon. Kristina says, too soon for whom? and Molly says, for him. For them, she guesses. He’s not ready to get back on that roller coaster again. Kristina asks how Molly feels about that, and Molly says, deflated… frustrated. This whole thing is bad enough, but to not be on the same page as your partner. Anyway, she ran into Dr. Navarro when she was leaving the hospital, and she says so kind and steady, and she really put things in perspective. Kristina asks what the doctor said, and Molly tells her, basically, the risk of miscarriage is the chance that you take, no matter who’s carrying the child. But when you weigh that against the chance of actually having a baby, so many people have had success through surrogacy. She wants to be one of those people. Kristina takes her hand, and Molly says, she took the meeting alone. Kristina asks if it was productive, and Molly says, it was, until mom showed up.

The homeless man tells Carly that he’d rather stay outside. He doesn’t like being around too many people. She says, at least let her bring him something to eat, and he says, really? Carly says, of course (🍷), and he says, that’d be great. Thanks. She says she’ll be right back, and if he changes his mind, the door’s open. She runs inside and goes directly to the kitchen, as the man at the counter watches.

Nina says, she didn’t know Austin well, obviously, but he seemed to really care about Ava. Ava says she thought so too. She thought Austin was someone she could trust. When he tried to convince her that he was being coerced, that he didn’t want to help his cousin, that he was trying to get her out from under the blackmail, she believed him. But Nikolas wasn’t dead, and she’s convinced Austin knew all along. Nina says she just doesn’t get it. What was his endgame? Ava says, per usual, in this underworld at least, all roads lead back to Sonny.

Dex shows Hume into Sonny’s office, and Sonny says, well? Hume says, Pikeman needs him to facilitate another shipment, and Sonny says he thought he made himself clear. He doesn’t do anything for Pikeman unless they tell him who the shooter was at the MetroCourt. Hume says, they’re not the police or the WSB. Pikeman is a manufacturer. Sonny says, that exports merchandise through his channels, and Hume says, and they’re willing – he puts his briefcase on the table and opens it – to pay double this time. We see the briefcase is crammed with stacks of bills.

Kristina asks if Alexis is trying to discourage Kristina from trying again, but Molly says, no. It was just typical mom. She wants what Molly wants. But when Molly told her about taking the meeting without tell TJ… Kristina says, technically, she did consult TJ, but Molly says, Kristina knows what she means. Mom said whatever she and TJ choose to do, they have to make the decision together, but she just has this sinking feeling that TJ might never be ready. So she went to the park to clear her head and ran into Willow and Amelia. It was nice. Willow was really sweet, and she got to hold the baby. Kristina asks if it wasn’t hard for her, and Molly says, at first, but it was so amazing to hold this tiny little human in her arms. Once she left them, she couldn’t stop thinking about how she might never have the child of her own. She wants to be a mom so badly. She starts to cry, and Kristina says she knows Molly does.

Chase asks if Brook is okay, and Brook says she will be once her mom changes the subject. Lois says, in a sec. The biggest thing Chase can take away from all of this is that Gloria obviously likes him. That’s not an easy feat because that’s not a woman you can win over very easily. And for what it’s worth (🍷), Lois likes and approves of him too. Chase says, it’s worth more than she knows, and Lois says, he makes her daughter happy. She can see it in her face. She can hear it in her voice and in the way she moves. As a mother, that’s all she could ask for. Chase says, for the record, her daughter makes him very happy too, when Lois’s phone rings. She says she has to take this and asks Brook to finish up for her. She leaves and Brook asks if Chase brought his shovel for the hole he’s going to dig, where she’s going to hide for the remainder of her days. He asks if she doesn’t think she’s being a little dramatic, and she asks why everyone keeps saying that to her… Do not answer that. She’s so, so sorry. He says, why? He’s not.

Finn says, it’s too bad they can’t clone her and have a whole jury box full of Elizabeths. She says, that’s a terrifying thought, and I laugh at the mental picture. He says, not to him, and she says, truth? He says, sure, and she says, sometimes he can be a little… He says, abrasive… guarded… socially awkward, and she tells him that she was going to say standoffish. But once people get to know him, they see what she sees. He says, and what’s that? and she says, a man of the utmost integrity; a brilliant researcher; a dedicated physician; a loving, sometimes neurotic, father. He says, sometimes? and she says, a person who really cares and a doctor who never quits on his patients… and someone who needs a little work on their maple tapping skills. He says, a lot of work, and she says, he’s saved hundreds of lives, and he has the potential to save so many more. He says, not if he loses this malpractice suit.

Carly takes a to-go bag out the homeless man and says she hopes he likes goat cheese. There are fries in there, she threw in a piece of pie, and here’s a coffee. She hands him a cup, and he thanks her. He asks if it’s okay if he sits out here and eats, and she tells him, of course (🍷), and stay as long as he likes.

She goes back inside to the counter and asks the not-homeless man if he’d like anything else. He says he thought she was going to run that guy off. Instead, she fed him. How come?

Nina asks what Sonny has to do with any of this, and Ava says, Austin and Mason were working for Cyrus Renault. Nina asks if Sonny knows, and Ava says, he’s the one who told her. Nina wonders why he didn’t say something, and Ava says, he doesn’t want Nina involved. God knows she wishes she wasn’t involved. Nina says, so Cyrus is the one who had her kidnapped? and Ava says, yes. He wanted Austin to testify for him at that hearing in Pentenville. Nina says, his hardship release. So he had Mason take Ava hostage to guarantee Austin’s testimony. Ava says, helluva guy, huh? and Nina says, Austin did what Cyrus wanted and testified to save Ava. That means Ava did mean something to him. Ava says, something maybe, but not enough.

Sonny closes the briefcase and tells Hume to take it back to his superiors along with this message – he’s out. He’s not moving anything else for Pikeman for any price. Find another harbor. Hume says he’ll relay the message, and Sonny says, you do that. Hume leaves and Dex closes the office door. Sonny says, Dex is going to have an opinion on what he just did. So what does he think? Dex says he thinks Sonny made a mistake.

Finn tells Elizabeth that he thinks the biggest question is going to be why he didn’t screen Muldoon for more tests that would have indicated the presence of cancer. She says, Finn told her that he wanted to, and Muldoon didn’t want to have any more tests. Finn says, he knows, but they might say something like he didn’t explain it to him fully, or maybe he was open to the tests and Finn just didn’t bother. She says, and what? Finn told him he was fine and pushed him out of his office? Finn tells her that they might say he got busy with his research or other patients. She says, he would never do that, and he says he knows that, and she knows that, but what if the jury doesn’t know that?

Brook says, all this marriage talk has got to be wigging Chase out, and he says he’s not wigged out. And he’s pretty certain no one says that anymore. She says her family just really loves weddings, in an unhealthy co-dependent kind of way, and he asks if she’s been to a lot of them. She says, weddings? Oh yeah. Between the Cerullos and the Falconaris, there are too many to count. He asks what they’re like, and she says, big, loud, enough food to feed an army… and the people there fighting. And the dancing. Nobody dances the tarantella like her grandma. He says he’d love to see that someday, and she says, he will. Not at their wedding… She didn’t mean that. She meant at a wedding, probably one of her gajillion family members. Is it hot in here? She fans herself and he says, she needs to relax, but she says she feels terrible. Everyone’s all up in his grill. He says, nobody’s up in his anything, and she says her grandma has probably already reserved a church for them, but they can’t blame her. It’s all she knows. The moment you turn 18, every nona keeps asking when it’s going to be your turn. So she understands it from her grandma. Or at least she’s trying to. But from her mother? That’s a completely different story.

Counter man says, not to sound callous, but he can’t imagine it’s good for business to have a homeless man hanging around outside, and Carly says, probably not. She did tell him to come inside, but he didn’t want to, so she just brought him some food. He says, that was kind of her, and she says, they wrap up all the unused food and send it to the homeless shelters, so she would have been feeding him anyway. At least this time he’s getting a hot meal. The man says he’ll pay the check when she gets a chance, and can she give this to her friend outside. He hands her some cash, and she says, thanks.

Ava tells Nina that Austin came to see her at the gallery the night he died. When she found out he’d known she was held hostage… He could have gone to Sonny. He could have gone to the cops, but he did nothing. He was silent. She was furious. They fought about it. She told him to leave and he left. Nina says, and that was the last time she saw him? and Ava says, yeah. She just doesn’t have any way to prove it. Nina asks if there aren’t cameras at the gallery. Can’t they prove Ava was there at the time Austin was shot? Ava says, the cameras in the back aren’t working, and that’s where she was most of the night, and Nina says, well, that is going to be an issue. Ava says, even if the cameras were working, she doesn’t think it would help her. That’s why she can’t bring the note and picture to the cops. They’re just going to think she hired somebody to get rid of Austin. Even dead, that man is still making trouble for her.

Sonny says, Dex thinks he should have taken the deal? and Dex says he thinks it’s better to play along than make himself an obstacle that needs to be removed. When he was in Afghanistan, there were a lot of these private security groups there. Sonny says, including Pikeman, and Dex says, these are powerful people. They have connections to all the major security ops, the CIA, the WSB. If they come at Sonny, it may be at a level he hasn’t seen before. Sonny says he appreciates Dex’s insight. He’s already considered all that, and he realizes his best move right now is to get out. He doesn’t want Pikeman investing any more in him. He’s betting that they think he’s more trouble than he’s worth and move on.

Molly says, it’s like she’s lost all self-control, but Kristina says she thinks that’s a good thing. Molly says, that she’s a human walking waterworks? and Kristina says, yes actually. For the first time, Molly’s allowing herself to feel what she feels, without trying to edit it or control it. Being a mom is hugely important to her. Molly says, it’s like she won’t be her if she doesn’t, and Kristina says, that’s really beautiful. Molly says, not if TJ won’t consider these surrogates. And she won’t have a child without him. She won’t do that to him. Kristina takes her hands, and they sit down. She says, TJ will come around. She knows he will, and when he does, let Kristina help her. Let her carry a baby for them.

Chase says he doesn’t want Brook to be mad at her on his account. He thinks she’s awesome. She says, he does? and he says, Brook obviously comes by her beauty and her spark naturally. Brook thanks him for the compliment and for just being overall amazing. How’d she get so lucky? He says he asks himself that every day… about how he got lucky, not her. (Ha-ha!) She suggests they agree they’re both lucky, and he asks what she say were the three most important moments of her life. She says, when she scored Jonas Brothers tickets in 2010, and he says he’s being serious. Humor him. She says, all right. The last time she ever saw her great-grandfather Edward; that’s a big one. The first time she ever wrote a song, and when she gained a little brother in Leo. He says he wants this moment right now to be on that list, and she asks what he’s talking about. He says, Brook Lynn Quartermaine – he gets down on one knee, taking her hands – will you marry me?

Finn pulls his chair closer to Elizabeth and says, she called him caring. She says, because he is, and he says he thinks he knows that somewhere deep down. He also doesn’t like being questioned or doubted, and when he gets defensive, he gets awkward. These jurors aren’t medical professionals, and this medical jargon thing will go right over their heads, and the only thing that’s going to resonate with them is that this man is dead, and his family is grieving. And there’s this doctor on the stand saying he did everything right. She tries to interrupt, but he says, no. What if he would have pushed harder for Muldoon to get those tests? Made him. Demanded he get that colonoscopy. Would Muldoon still be alive? She says, no one can answer that question. But what she can tell him is, all they can do as medical professionals is their best, and he did that. She knows that. So they need to teach him how to project that inward kindness outward, so the jury will believe him and maybe even like him. He asks if that’s even possible and she says she thinks… Yeah. They’ve got their work cut out for him. They kiss.

Kristina takes Molly’s hand and says she knows Molly was originally against it when she offered to be their surrogate. And admittedly, she hadn’t really thought it through, not fully. Maybe there was a part of her that wanted to swoop in and be the hero. Molly tells her, when she said that before, that was her pain talking. She was disappointed and bitter that Kristina could carry a child and she couldn’t. But that was unfair and she’s sorry. Kristina says she’s sorry Molly is going through this at all, and she’s sorry Molly lost her first baby. Molly says, it’s not Kristina’s job to fix it for them, and Kristina says she doesn’t think it is. Not at all. That’s not the way she sees it. Bringing Molly’s child into this world is something she can and truly wants to give her. Not just for Molly, but for this baby who’s going to be in this family with the most incredible parents. Molly says, she’s absolutely positive? and Kristina says, 100%, no backsies. Molly says, now she knows Kristina means business, and Kristina says she does. Molly says she has to talk to TJ about it; they have to be together on this. Kristina says, of course (🍷), and Molly says, no matter what they decide it means everything that Kristina has offered. Molly thanks her, and Kristina says she loves Molly. They hug, and Molly says she loves Kristina too.

Ava looks at the photo of dead Austin, then picks up the note and puts them both in the fireplace. She watches them burn.

Dex says, so Sonny will end his association with Pikeman and hope they cut their losses, when there’s a knock at the door. Nina comes in and says, Frank told her that she could come in. Sonny asks, what’s wrong? and Nina says she just came from Ava’s. She knows about Austin and Ava said he was working with Cyrus. More importantly, she said Cyrus still may be after Sonny. Sonny says, damn. Ava has no business telling her that. Nina says, no, she doesn’t really. The person she should hear it from is him.

Carly thanks the man for coming by, calling him Mr. Brennan (I guess he used a credit card). She hopes they see him again at Kelly’s soon, and he says he can practically guarantee it. He gathers up his things and heads for the door, when Hume comes in. He tells Brennan, we have a problem. Corinthos refuses to move any more of our shipments.

On Monday, Brook says, let’s take the topic off the table and forget it ever came up; Ned says, if he doesn’t figure out how to stop him, Michael will push him out; Molly wants TJ to hear her out first; Blaze asks if Kristina wants to celebrate; and Nina tells Sonny that she’ll do whatever she can to make sure someone comes home.

📸 Meant For More…

I never knew this. That photo doesn’t even look like him.

Maurice Benard Shares an Amazing Pic From His Failed Modeling Career

💣 Happier Villainy…

I still haven’t seen this, but it looks like a fun show.

James Patrick Stuart Gets Into The Holiday Spirit on His Other Show!

💎 Shades Of Mess…

While I don’t normally side with Erika, I thought this was weird too. Denise seemed drunk. Maybe she was. Maybe there’s something we don’t know. First world problems.

Erika Jayne’s Shade for Denise Richards After ‘Hot Mess’ RHOBH Feud

🍸 Take Two…

If anyone still cares.

Tom Schwartz Gives an Update on Schwartz & Sandy’s After Scandoval

🍂 Goodbye Autumn…

In case you didn’t see the parade.

https://nypost.com/2023/11/23/photos/all-the-balloons-and-floats-of-the-97th-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade-photos-2/

🎁 Switching Gears…

Another thing better seen online. You would not believe how crowded this stuff gets. The tree lighting looked insane.

https://nypost.com/2023/11/24/lifestyle/nycs-best-holiday-windows-and-christmas-light-displays/
Here’s All The Beautiful Christmas Window Displays In NYC This Year

⚰️ Rehashing the Dead…

All about the Fear finale. The best part – if you haven’t seen it, major spoiler – Skidmark made it! Even better, when he showed up, secretly thanks to Alicia, Daniel just asked, where have you been? No, how the hell did you appear out of thin air after disappearing for years? Or even, what are the odds? It was a great moment. It was a great finale. Nothing left unsaid.

https://ew.com/fear-the-walking-dead-series-finale-kim-dickens-interview-8402455

https://ew.com/fear-the-walking-dead-colman-domingo-reacts-to-victor-strand-finale-ending-8403734

https://ew.com/fear-the-walking-dead-showrunners-explain-alycia-debnam-carey-finale-return-8404001

🦃 Twice the Thanks…

I saw Thanksgiving for my birthday. They were giving out swag and I got a poster.

While it was a good time, and Eli Roth is a great director, this news surprised me.

https://people.com/thanksgiving-slasher-film-getting-sequel-2025-director-eli-roth-8409658

🫏 Practice Run…

Warming up for pets dressed as Santa, Santa’s elves, the Grinch, and whatever other humiliating holiday costume their pet parent can find.

https://finance.yahoo.com/photos/12-celebrity-pets-totally-bringing-191259687/-photo-191409806.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKqWp-hqtoIAZ3W5MWd1yoVRZjQMXiAfHaihvdBphfgmOQE5UyyvIooIgsuFKXrowgKnUI1k0tzWMueGXi8qE085I77y6JSr5LrxysinZnCmgzy0Trawhg0ipOV30Go6lGaeLUdm-xgD4aLbuNePFiaZ7bGJza6JfVhgyMrUsPLA

I have no clue who these people are, but their celebrities somewhere and they have cute pets.

https://push.abs-cbn.com/2022/12/24/celebrities-flex-their-pets-on-christmas-day-1413

🐳 Quotes of the Week

My songs will pass and be forgotten. What counts, however, is that I sang them. – Father Andrew Greeley

Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. – Lou Holtz

Compassion is the ultimate and most meaningful embodiment of emotional maturity. It is through compassion that a person achieves the highest peak and deepest reach in his or her search for self-fulfillment. – Arthur Jersild

No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has. – Henry Ward Beecher

No matter who you are, we’re creatures of habit. The better your habits are, the better they will be in pressure situations. – Wayne Gretzky

The world needs a-holes. Otherwise, where would the sh*t go out? – Dusan Mirkovic (Christoph Waltz), Downsizing

If you’re going to be able to look back on something and laugh about it, you might as well laugh about it now. – Marie Osmond (Who knew she was such a philosopher?)

Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it. – Ann Landers

Tomorrow I’m going to feel the pounds. – Andrei Castravet, 90 Day Fiancé, The Other Way: Pillow Talk

🐹 On the Holiday Hamster Wheel…

Take some time to stop and smell the pine needles this weekend, and join me on Monday really Tuesday for soap and that mess in the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping realistic expectations of yourself and others, and stay allowing yourself to feel what you feel, without trying to edit it or control it.

Nov21

November 19, 2023 – Part 2 – The Final Fear & Better

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

Part 2 – The Road Ahead

Madison flashes back to Alicia as she looks for Tracy in the woods. She calls to Tracy and says, she doesn’t have to be afraid. Tracy hides in a hollow log, looking at her medal, and crying silently. Zombies start to come into view. Dwight pops out of the woods and kills one, and Tracy scootches further back into the log. June asks if they found Tracy, and Sherry says, not yet, but they found Troy’s righthand guy. He’s hurt bad, but he’ll make it. Daniel asks why they’re helping Russell, and Dwight says, the herd dispersed, and they want to keep him close to find out where they went. Daniel wants to get a car and get as far away as possible, but Luciana says, it’s over. Daniel says, not as long as the girl is out there. Troy still has his followers and they’re fanatics. They hurry Russell into the car, and Daniel asks Luciana how far the refinery is. She says, about a day’s drive, and he tells her get the car and he’ll get some supplies, and they leave. Tracy comes out, but so do a couple of wayward zombies. She knocks one down, but her pokey stick gets stuck in another, and it brings her down. She kicks at it, and Madison kills it. She says, Tracy is going to get herself killed, but Tracy says she doesn’t care. Madison killed her dad. Madison asks if she heard her mom was Madison’s daughter, but Tracy says, that’s not true. Her mom Serena died. Madison asks why Tracy’s father would tell her what he did, but Tracy says she doesn’t know. Madison insists Tracy come with her. It’s not safe; there are dead everywhere. Tracy says she’s not safe with Madison, but Madison says she did what she had to. She sees Tracy’s ankle is hurt. She says, what’s left of the herd is still out there, and she’s all Tracy’s got. She coughs and thinks of Alicia. Tracy asks where Madison is taking her, and Madison says, to find Tracy’s mother and her daughter, so her daughter can be put to rest. Tracy’s father was right about one thing. Pretending the world is different than it is gets people killed. The sooner Tracy figures that out, the better. It’s how she’ll survive. Madison figured it out too late to save her own kids and she’s not making the same mistake with Tracy.

Aww, the opening credits show everyone.

Luciana gases up a car and hotwires it. She radios Daniel to meet her, and Madison appears holding a gun on Luciana. Madison tells her, don’t say anything, and turn off the walkie. She asks if Luciana’s road network doesn’t include Fort Worth. They need Luciana to show them the way. Madison calls to Tracy, and Luciana says, she looks hurt. She asks why Madison is doing it this way, and Madison says she can’t run the risk of being taken back to the island and living the way Victor wants them to, thinking the world is different than it is. That will get them killed. Troy is out of the picture, so fix the car so they can get out. Madison takes some oxygen and remembers Alicia and Nick. Luciana says, maybe if Madison puts Alicia to rest it will help her see beyond her anger and show her there’s something more to fight for. She tells Madison that she needs to get a new fuel pump, and Madison makes her leave the walkie.

Madison tapes Tracy’s ankle, and Tracy says, pretending they’re family won’t change what Madison did. Madison says she knows it seems unforgiveable, but this way, Tracy will live long enough to understand why she did it. Tracy gives Madison the medal and tells Madison that her dad said he got it from her mom. If what he said is true, it belonged to Alicia. Madison asks, why give it to her? and Tracy says, it doesn’t work. It didn’t keep her dad safe. Madison says, apparently, it didn’t keep Alicia safe either, and Tracy grabs Madison’s gun, saying, back away. Madison says she’s not leaving Tracy, and takes the gun from her. She takes out the magazine and says, it’s not loaded. Does Tracy think she’d risk pointing it at her daughter’s kid? She puts the medal in the empty magazine and then into the breast pocket of her jacket, and Tracy asks why she’s keeping it. They both know it doesn’t work. Madison says, it’s all she has left of her daughter, besides Tracy. She can get a new chain for it. Victor shows up, and asks what they’re doing here. Madison says, Luciana told them? but Luciana says she gave Madison her walkie. Victor says he needs to take them back to PADRE, so Tracy can process what happened, and to help Madison process what Troy told her. Madison says, they can’t go back, but Victor says, it’s the safest place. Madison says, building what she and Alicia wanted will just get Tracy killed, but he asks what she’s talking about. She says, Alicia gave Troy a second chance, and he killed her and took her kid for it. Victor says he knows things seem scary, but Tracy can trust him, and holds out his hand. Madison shoots in the air and says, stay away. The shots alert the zombies heading their way, and they fight the zombies off. Daniel says he’s not letting Madison take Luciana away from him, and Madison says, nobody’s going to get hurt if they just let her and Tracy go. They’ll go on foot if they have to. The zombies are getting plentiful, but Daniel says, they don’t have enough bullets, and Victor suggests they get inside. They all go in the auto shop.

Zombies scrabble at the windows, and Madison asks if there’s another way out, but Luciana says, the back wall caved in. Victor says he’s getting help and radios Frank. He tells Frank that they’re pinned in an auto shop and need help, but Frank says, they’ve got their own problems with the dead. On the island, a barge full of zombies is headed for the dock. Dwight says, what the hell is this? and Russell says, they should have done more than disperse the herd. If Troy taught them one thing, it was how to herd the dead. They’re going to overrun this place, and there’s not a damn thing they can do. June says, they had a truce, but Russell says, then they killed Troy. Dwight grabs Russell and says, stop them, and Russell laughs and says, he can’t. Zombies begin to tumble into the water, and Dwight says, get everyone inside and close the gates now! The rain starts to pour, and the zombies start coming through the water and onto the shore. It’s pretty creepy looking.

Daniel says, there’s not enough firepower. They’ll wait them out. They’ll tire eventually. Victor says, it’s time they don’t have, and calls Frank. Frank asks if Victor is okay, and Victor says, they’re safe for now. What about Frank? Klaus tells Frank that they’re surrounded by zombies, but the walls are holding. He asks if Tracy is there, and Victor says, she is, why? Sherry sits Russell by the radio and Frank says, Troy’s man wants to talk to her. He says if they hand over Tracy, his men will draw the zombies away. Victor puts Tracy on, and Tracy asks if it’s really Russell. Russell says, it is. He promised Troy that he’d take care of her. Madison says, Troy asked her, and Russell says, after she gutted him. He wasn’t in his right mind. Madison says, Tracy is all she has left, but Russell says, that’s not necessarily true, and she asks what that means. Troy stabbed Alicia and left her for dead, but he didn’t see her die. Madison says, Troy told her that Alicia turned, but Russell says, that’s because it’s what he told Troy. Troy cut her up pretty good, but Alicia got him too. She nearly drove her arm clean through his stomach. Like mother, like daughter. He limped home with it still in his belly; that’s how he got her arm. He sent his men back to make sure the job was done, and they found a blood-soaked mattress, a bloody knife, and bloody footprints heading out the door. Victor says, that doesn’t mean she’s alive, and Madison says, he could be lying to get what he wants. Why did Russell tell Troy that she was dead? Russell says, Troy wasn’t in a forgiving mood. He told Troy what he wanted to hear. Give them Tracy, and she’ll find her daughter. Luciana tells Madison not to fall for it, but Madison tells Russell that she can’t do that. If Alicia is out there, she deserves to be with her daughter. Alicia wouldn’t want her turning Tracy over. Russell says he thought she might say that, so his men will take the island, but Dwight says, the dead can’t get in here. Russell says, they don’t have to get in. They just have to get the living out. There are some bomb blasts, and Victor says, he needs to get to the island. He’s doing it with or without them. He opens the door to the waiting zombies, and everyone scrambles. There’s slicing and dicing and whacking zombies in the head.  

Dwight asks how Russell blew off the grenades, and Russell says, they had launchers for a while, and waited for the right time to let them rip. Dwight knocks him down, and June says, they can’t stay much longer. Daniel was right; they should have left Russell to die. Dove brings June the set of pistols that belonged to John and asks what they are. June says, a little help from the past, and Dwight says, they have to leave. They’ll go through the woods. He tells Dove to take the prefects and fire as many flares as they can off the far walls. It will thin the herds and they can create their own path. Only kill zombies if they have to, and don’t stop until they get to the dock. They’re bringing Russell with them. Are they ready? Sherry says, for Finch, and Dwight says, open ‘em. Russell asks if they’re insane. They’ll be eaten alive. Dwight says, that’s why Russell is here, and uses him as a buffer in the front. Ha-ha-ha!

At the auto shop, Victor says, that’s the last of them. They have to get to the island now. Daniel says that’s the last time Victor and Madison put his family in danger to save theirs, but Victor says, Daniel would do the same thing if Luciana was on the island. Daniel says, Victor is pursuing this self-serving crusade to make himself feel better about the rotten things he’s done, and Victor says, the parts of him that Daniel hates are the things he doesn’t like about himself. Daniel asks if he’s a psychiatrist now. Every person he ever cared for, he lost because of Madison and Victor. Madison says, they’ve all lost people, and Daniel says he’s sorry he let Madison’s husband in his barbershop back in Los Angeles. He’s had bad luck since. She says she’s sorry she let Daniel into her home, and Victor says he’s sorry he let Daniel on his boat. Luciana says, they can make it to the refinery before sunrise, and Daniel says, wherever Alicia is, she’s better off without Madison. Victor says, that’s enough, and Luciana tells Madison that the car should get her where she wants to go. She hopes Madison can find peace. Daniel suggests Tracy run as far as she can from these people; Madison is losing her mind. And Victor is a selfish, pathological liar, and would have gotten them killed like every person he’s cared for. Victor radios Frank, and Frank says, there are too many. They can’t get to the dock. They’re pushing them back to the center, pushing at the fence. Victor asks why they’re not inside the fort, and Frank says, they’re fighting. They’ve got their hands full and the zombies are going to breach the net. Victor says, they need to move to the docks, but Madison says she’s not going. She has to find Alicia. Victor says, they will, after they save the island. She says, Tracy is in no shape to fight, and if she goes, she might not come back. Victor says he needs his friend to try and save his family, and she says, he is her friend, but she can’t. He doesn’t understand. She’s been seeing Alicia, Nick too. It’s like a dream, just their faces, before things went bad, back in L.A. If she has a chance to find Alicia, she has to try. Start over. Victor asks if she doesn’t think he wants that. He has his family dream; she’ll have hers too. Madison says, then he understands why she has to look for Alicia. She can’t go further with him. He says, so this is it. He came to save Tracy, to save Madison, so he could give her chance to get things right. Now Frank and Klaus might die because of it. He guesses Madison is teaching Tracy what she wants her to learn. This is how you survive. If she finds Alicia, tell her that he tried.

Tracy and Madison are in the car, and Madison looks at a map. Tracy says, if Madison is so sure the world is sh*t, why was it so important for Alicia to believe differently? Madison says she doesn’t know. She thinks parents just try to give their kids the things they didn’t have. Tracy asks if Madison had nothing to believe in when she was a kid, and Madison says, her daddy used to drink. When he drank, he hurt her mama. He hit her. He would apologize and claim he’d stop drinking, but he never did. She watched it happen for a long time, when she was around Tracy’s age. One day it went too far. She saw too much, like all those moments built up. She knew he was going to kill her mama eventually and she wanted it to stop. She wanted it to stop so bad, she shot him. Tracy puts her hand on Madison’s and says, she did it to protect her mom. She didn’t want Alicia to have to do anything like that. Madison says she thought she could build a place where Alicia wouldn’t have to, where she and Madison’s son could feel safe. But all she ever did was put them in danger. Tracy says, so Madison gets it. Why she has to do this. She shoots Madison in the side, and Madison falls out of the car. She laughs, and says, Tracy finally understands this is what happens when you try to build something better. You end up giving people hope and putting them in danger and getting them killed. Find Alicia and make sure she understands too. Tracy says, Alicia’s not her mom. She’s done listening to Madison. She runs away.

Victor and the others run to the island, and Victor radios for help. Luciana and Daniel hear him, but Luciana says, they can’t get there in time. They’ll have to fight on their own. Victor says, it can’t end like this. Nooo!

On the island, the dead are being burned in funeral pyres. Troy is now a zombie and stuck in a tree. Tracy sees him, and says she’s been looking for him all night. She shot Madison; she had to. She thinks everyone died on the island. She loves him. She aims the gun and shoots.

Tracy buries Troy, and says, he was all she had left. She looks at the gun, when Victor comes along. He tells her to put the gun down, but she says, leave her alone. He says, if that’s what she wants, but first he’d like to help clean her up, and there’s something he needs to tell her. Zombies are heading their way, and Victor picks up the gun and holds out his hand. He says he knows a place that’s safe.

Tracy asks what Victor wants. Why is he still here? He says, because she still has something left to fight for. She just doesn’t know it yet. She asks how he can say that. How is he even alive? He says, Madison saved him. She saved all of them. He promised he’d find Tracy and tell her what Madison did. Tracy says, no, no, no. She shot Madison. She killed her. We see Madison after Tracy shot her. She gasps and gets up. Victor says, she thought she was dying too. She thought it was all over. Tracy asks, what happened? Madison takes the magazine out of her pocket, and Victor says, something stopped the bullet, the St. Christopher’s medallion, Alicia’s medallion. Tracy says she doesn’t understand, and Victor says, after Tracy shot her and Madison realized Tracy wanted everything to end, she knew she was wrong. She knew she had to do something big, something monumental, if there was any hope in restoring Tracy’s faith in what’s worth fighting for. We see the fighting on the island and Dwight yelling, move! Victor says, for the people they love, for the people they have, for the things that are bigger than all of them. We see June tending wounds, and Victor says, for the things they’d give their up lives to protect. Tracy says, no way she saved them all with that many dead, but he says she did. The same way she did before. Like a repeat of the stadium. We see Madison drawing the zombies’ attention with a flare, and leading them away, and Victor says, she led the dead into PADRE’s walls so they could escape to the docks and live. Madison breaks open fire extinguishers, and Tracy asks why she did that for them, and he says, it wasn’t just for them. It was for her too, so she would know. She says, know what? and Victor says, that her dad and Madison were right. They knew fighting for something better could get you killed, but it also does something that just fighting to survive can’t. It can let you live forever. Madison sets fire to the horde and blows up everything. Tracy says she’s got no one left, but Victor says, she has him and all the others. Tracy says, Madison died for her and so did her father. She can’t. She pushes Victor and takes the gun. She says she can’t be here, and runs out into the dark woods.

Tracy picks a flower among the rubble and brings it to a sleeping Madison. She takes out the medal and tells Madison that she found a chain in the supplies. She wishes it still worked. She puts it in Madison’s hand, and Madison stirs. Tracy takes out the gun, and Madison wheezes, then coughs. She asks, where is she? and Tracy says, she’s awake. She’s thought Madison was going die and had to drag her up here on a stretcher. She got antibiotics. She thought Madison’s lungs were infected. Her dad trained her in all fields of medicine. Madison says, the fort collapsed, and Tracy says, it took her half a day to dig Madison out. If she hadn’t had this one mask, Madison would have suffocated. Madison sits up, and says, Tracy came back. Tracy says, Madison is the only family she has left. Victor told her what she did. Madison says she’s sorry about Tracy’s dad, and Tracy says she knows. She’s sorry she shot Madison. Madison says she doesn’t think she gave Tracy much choice and sits up. She did good. She did real good. A woman asks if anyone is there, and Tracy grabs the gun, telling her, stop. No closer. The woman says she’s not here to hurt anyone, and Tracy says, put your hands up and move slowly, but the woman says, she can put the gun down. She’s just here to bury her… We see it’s Alicia and she says, mom? They hug and cry.

Madison says she can’t believe it’s real, but Alicia promises it is. She asks if Madison is okay, and Madison says she will be. Meowing comes from Alicia’s duffel bag, and Tracy runs over, opening the bag and petting… Skidmark! I nearly burst into tears. I forgot all about him. Alicia says, it’s a very old friend she came across searching a warehouse for supplies. She’s trying to return him to his rightful owner. Madison asks how she found them, and Alicia says, a story woman about a woman who sacrificed herself here. The person who told her said her name was Madison. It didn’t make sense, and she didn’t know how Madison could possibly be alive, but she had to be sure. She saw the fort over there. How is Madison still here? Madison says, Alicia’s daughter came back and saved her, and Alicia asks what she’s talking about. Madison says, Tracy, the child Troy took, but Alicia says she never had a kid. Tracy says, Alicia’s not her mom? and Alicia says, no, but she knew Tracy’s mom when Tracy was a baby. Her name was Serena. She was a pretty amazing woman. Madison wonders why Troy lied; she doesn’t understand. Tracy says, Troy knew how hard Madison fought for her own kids and gave Madison a reason to for her. Madison asks who Alicia heard the story from.

On a bridge overlooking a highway, Alicia says she’d been picking up outside chatter on the road. She would have looked for Madison if she’d known she was alive. Madison says she would have looked for Alicia too; she would have never stopped looking. Alicia says, after Troy attacked her and she got back on her feet, she went to find the people she’d been saying with, and she saw something on the road; women dressed like her, using the weapons she was using, doing the things she was doing, helping people. Madison says she met some of them, and Alicia says, it was like the story of what she’d done was doing more good than she could do on her own. So she went somewhere else and used a different name so Troy couldn’t find her. If she hadn’t, maybe they’d have found each other. Madison says she made the right choice. She gave people something to believe in. Tracy runs over with binoculars, and they duck down. They see several trucks coming down the road, and Alicia says, the people who told her what Madison did had one of those containers. We see the trucks said PADRE, but now the P is changed to an M, and they say MADRE. Madison wonders if it’s because of her, and Alicia says, they don’t even know she’s alive.

The four trucks meet at a crossroads. Luciana asks if everyone has a mask and knows where to refuel, and June says, yes. Dove asks what direction June is going in, and June says, there’s a cabin in Texas she needs to visit, someone she hasn’t seen in a while. Dove asks if she wants company, and June says, it’s far, but Dove says it will give June time to teach her medicine. What June did for her when she was shot, she wants to learn to do the same for other people. June says, then she’s going to the right place. The cabin belonged to her husband. It’s where she met him. Where he taught her to shoot and survive and to live again. If he can do that for her there, maybe she can do the same for… Odessa. Ada says, the repeater stations will allow them to stay in touch, and Dwight says, they’ll be hearing from him. He’s going to be looking for the parents who are still out there. Sherry says, they found each other against all odds, they’d like to do the same for the kids. Odessa asks, after they find them, what then? and Sherry says, they’ll figure it out. Everyone disperses into their vehicles, and Sherry asks what Dwight is thinking. He says he’s thinking about the Sanctuary. They could take everybody there. She asks, why go back there? and he says, they know it’s defensible, and the streets are still intact. She says she lost him to that place before. She can’t lose him again. He says, she’s not going to. They’re a family. Maybe they can take the place and make it worthy of its name. Make Finch proud. Sherry nods, and says, okay. Let’s try. He says he loves her; she says she loves him too, and they kiss.

Daniel says he was thinking about what he told Victor, and he was wrong… in some parts. Victor did save him and his family when the world fell apart. Thanks for the Abigail. Victor says, don’t thank him for something people should do for one another. Daniel caught him on a good day. Daniel says, maybe Victor does remind him of the worst parts of himself. He doesn’t know if people like them can act differently. Maybe that’s why he has a problem with Victor. But for the sake of the others and their own sakes, he guesses they’ve got to try and change. Victor thinks he has, but whether Daniel has is up to him. In German, Daniel says, I’m tired of war. All the best. He puts his hand on Victor’s shoulder and moves on. Victor hugs Luciana and tells her to take good care of herself. She says, him too. Gracias. He kisses her hands, and goes to the truck. Daniel hears a cat, and Skidmark comes out from under the truck. He asks, where did you come from? and laughs, picking the cat up and hugging him.

Victor sees a freshly picked flower in the truck and asks if Klaus put this in here. Klaus says, no. Why? Victor says, nothing, and they get in. Frank says, he did all he could. If Tracy wants to be found, she will. They’ll comb the area a few more times. He gets in, and Victor looks out the window. He sees Madison, Alicia, and Tracy walking away through a yard, and Frank asks what he’s looking at. Victor says, nothing, and starts the truck. He asks, where to? and Klaus puts his finger randomly on the map. Victor says, onward. I wonder if Victor will tell them one day.

Madison and Alicia lean against the truck, and Tracy asks if Madison is sure she’s okay with this. Madison says, they don’t need her. They’re like the people who step in for Alicia. They’ll do better if they think she’s gone. Before she gives them a reason to stop believing. Alicia asks, where to? and Madison says she’s been having visions of Alicia and Nick, before everything went bad. Alicia asks, where? and Madison says, Los Angeles. Alicia says, they saw it get bombed, but Madison says, that was a long time ago. It’s probably still pretty rough there, and people could use their help. She puts her hand on the cannister holding Nick’s ashes and remembers the old days. She says, it will never be what it was, but that doesn’t mean they can’t start over. Alicia says, let’s go, and Madison asks if Tracy is in. Tracy says, yeah, let’s go, and they get in the truck.  

The song, Mama Tried plays as they drive away.  

There are thank yous for the cast to the fans. Thank You #WalkingDeadFamily.

🌊 See you later for soap and awful people on Deck.

Nov20

November 19, 2023 – First Part of Fear Finale & Dog

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What I Watched Today

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

Disclaimer… or something. To do this amazing but very, very long finale justice in editing, I give you Part 1 right now and will post Part 2 tomorrow. Or later today. Or… I’m tired.

Fear the Walking Dead

Part 1 – Fighting Like You

Mississippi Queen plays, and we see a fire being set and bright lights coming on. The zombie horde is led out of the woods by Troy and company. He radios Russell who says, they’re in formation. He’ll see Troy at the rendezvous. Tracy asks how they’ll get to PADRE, since it’s an island. They can’t walk the zombies in. Troy asks, who said they were walking? Russell came through with the perfect way to get them there. They’ll finally have a home. Tracy says, her mom pulled loose, and zombie Serena scrabbles at the back window of the truck. Troy says, she won’t hurt them. She’s going to be the one to make Madison pay for everything she’s done. He asks Tracy, what’s wrong? and Tracy asks why her mom has to kill Madison. Troy says, Alicia’s mother put the thinking into people’s heads that got them killed, and they can’t let that happen to anyone else. Tracy says, Victor told her the St. Christpher medal belonged to Alicia, but Troy asks if she knows how many St. Christopher medals are out there. He was mistaken. Her mother gave it to him when she died and made him promise to give it to her and keep her safe. That’s what he’s been doing ever since. Tracy yells, look out! and the truck flips over an embankment.  

Tracy tells Troy, wake up, and he opens his eyes. She says, he’s been out for hours, and he asks, what happened? She says, they went over an embankment. She thinks he ran over a trap. Troy has been impaled with a tree branch, which is sticking out of his upper chest, and he says he’s pinned to the seat. He asks, where’s the gun? and she says, he lost it when they crashed. She can’t find it. He says, they have to catch up with Russell, and tries pulling the branch out, but he can’t. He says, Tracy has to go meet Russell. He’ll give her the coordinates. But she says she’s not leaving him. He says she has to. It’s everything they’ve fought for. If she doesn’t make it to PADRE, everything they’ve done won’t mean anything. Tracy says she’s going to find help. She doesn’t want to live there if she’s not with him. She gives him the medal to keep him safe like, and says she’ll come back for him. Then they’ll make PADRE their home together. She runs off, zigzagging through the zombies headed for the truck.  

A zombie is squashed by the MRAP tank, and Madison gets out. Victor radios, as Madison realizes the zombie horde is gone. He asks where she is, and she says she can’t help him. Enough people died because of her and she can’t put the rest at risk. He says, it’s just him and his newly found friends. She says she has the tank, ammo, and guns, and doesn’t need help. Unlike him, she has no one to disappoint. He should build PADRE into what Alicia wanted. Victor says, she thinks it’s one thing, then can’t stop. He learned the hard way at the Tower. There was always one more thing he had to do to keep it safe. Before he knew it, he was the thing people needed protection from. There’s another way. Madison opens the back door to the tank, and sees Tracy. She asks what Tracy is doing here. Where’s Troy? Tracy says, he’s hurt, and Madison says, bullsh*t, but Tracy says, he crashed the truck. Madison asks, why Russell didn’t help, and Tracy says, he couldn’t. He’s leading the rest of the herd. Madison asks, where? but Tracy says she doesn’t know. Madison asks, who does know? and Tracy says, her dad is going to die if she doesn’t help him. Madison asks why she’s here, and Tracy says she thought she could use the radio. Madison asks where the truck is, and Tracy hesitates, but Madison says, Tracy can’t use her radio and she’s running out of options. Tracy says, it’s down an embankment, about a mile east of here. Madison sits her down, and zip ties her wrist to the tank. She radios Victor and says, change of plans. She’s leaving the MRAP. Victor asks, where she’s going, and she says, to kill Troy. Tracy says, no! What happened to, no one’s gone until they’re gone? She told Victor to build what Alicia wanted. If Madison gave Victor a second chance, why not her dad? Madison says, he doesn’t deserve one, and Tracy says, that’s not what Alicia believed. Help her dad the way Alicia helped her. She gestures toward Alicia’s mechanical arm, displayed in the tank, and Madison leaves.  

Russell radios Troy and says he’s picking up stragglers. How is Troy in the same place? Troy says, by the looks of it, he’s not going anywhere. Promise him something. Russell says, anything, and Troy tells him whatever happens, find Tracy and make sure she gets there. Russell promises she’ll finally have a home. The zombies coming closer to Troy are whacked in the head, as Russel says, they’ll take the island. Madison says, no, they won’t, and neither will Troy. He pulls the branch out of the seat, but not his chest, and he launches himself at Madison. They tumble down, and he pushes her toward zombie Serena. Madison twists the stick, pulls it out, and shoves it in zombie Serena’s head. Troy says, she had no right. Madison picks up the hammer, and says she’ll bury him next to her, and he says, she thinks killing him will help build the island. She says, he killed her daughter. She has to do what she has to, to make sure Alicia’s memory didn’t die with her. People like them are no longer in this world, but Troy says, she can’t kill him. She wants to stop the herd, and he’s the only person who knows where they’re going. She says, her people will figure it out, but he says, not in time. She needs to do something for him. He needs to see his daughter. He needs to tell her something. Madison brings out the radio, and says, tell her now, but he says he needs to see her. She says, nice try, a-hole, and he says, let him bury his wife. Bring him to his daughter, and he’ll take her to Russell. She asks what he has to tell Tracy that’s so important, and he says, it just is. She asks how she knows he’ll hold up his end of the deal, and he says, she doesn’t. Just like he doesn’t know she won’t kill him. She says, okay. She takes him to Tracy, who asks, what happened to him? He says he was doing what it takes to protect PADRE and get to see his daughter one more time. Madison radios Victor and says she’s coming back. She’s bringing Troy and he’s going to lead them to the herd. And she’s bringing Tracy. She tells Troy, hold still, and pulls out the stick. He falls over.

Tracy watches one of Alicia’s video tapes, when Victor opens the tank. He asks what she’s doing here, and she says, waiting for her father. He agreed to tell them where the herd is heading. Victor says, whether he’s lying or not remains to be seen. Why would her father help when PADRE is everything to him? Why would he give it up? He supposes they’ll find out. Tracy says, he’s going to kill Madison when he gets what he wants. She thinks he doesn’t deserve a second chance. One of the Alicia clones asks, how many tapes has Tracy seen? If she watches more, she’ll see that Madison gave a lot of people second chances, whether they deserved them or not. Tracy says, like who? and Victor tells her that Madison never gave up on him, but Tracy says, Madison’s not her anymore. Madison radios Victor and says, they’ll be there shortly. Troy buries Serena, and she tells him, it must be nice to bury the person you love. He says, Alicia can rot on her feet forever, and she asks if he wants her to put the branch back in. Keep talking. He says, his wife is dead because of her, and she asks, why? Troy says, it’s not important, and Madison says, it was important enough for him to kill her daughter over it, and he says, Serena was pregnant, and they were still looking for a place live since Mexico. She got bit. Madison says, and that’s Alicia’s fault? but Troy says, nope. Alicia’s the one who saved her. Madison asks, how? and he says he put out an SOS on the radio. Alicia was the last person he thought would respond, but she did. Madison says, she helped him? and he says, that surprises her, especially after how they parted ways in Brokejaw. Serena was bitten on the arm like Alicia, so she knew where to cut and how to do it… Then, when Serena was out of the woods, Alicia got back in the MRAP and left to help more people. Madison says she’s having a hard time seeing how this led to him killing Alicia, and he says, Serena changed after that; Alicia changed her. She wanted to be just like Alicia. Madison asks if she was, and he says, yeah. She tried to help as many as she could. One day, they got a call, and SOS on the radio. A guy said he needed help, and when Serena showed up, he shot her and robbed her. He took everything she owned and left her for dead. When Troy went looking for her, he found her holed up in a strip mall, but it was too late to save her; she’d lost too much blood. He held while she died. He listened to her weep about how she’d never watch their daughter grow up. She allowed herself to get wrapped up in Alicia’s bullsh*t, and she made him promise to never let Tracy hurt the way she did. So he never let his daughter believe the same bullsh*t Alicia put in Serena’s head. Madison says, that’s why he killed Alicia? and he says, yep. He made a promise. An errant zombie tumbles down the hill toward them and Troy shoves Madison, who gets tangled with it. He runs, but trips on a wire and falls into a trap. Madison extracts herself and goes over to the pit. She says, today is not his day, and Crane comes up behind her. He says, it’s not hers either, and hits her in the back of the head.

Madison wakes up on a barge, tied to Troy. Crane says, welcome back. Does she like his new digs? It doesn’t measure up to what they have in PADRE, but it was handy to get supplies to the cargo ship when he ran out of gas. Troy asks, who the hell is he and what does he know about PADRE? Crane says, he is PADRE. Or he was. Him and his sister. Lark got his sister killed. Madison says, she got herself killed, and Crane says, and Blue Jay spared him. Madison asks what he wants, and he says he’s looking for a way to get paid back. Today he found it. He heard them on the radio, and he’s prepared to give Troy what he wants. Troy asks, what’s the catch? and Crane says, he can start by telling his friend to call off the dogs, and Troy laughs. He asks why he’d do that, and Crane says, he’ll let Troy and his daughter live in PADRE. Madison says, he’s lying, but Crane says, Troy has more of a chance with him than Madison. Do they have a deal? He holds out the radio, and Madison yells to Victor that they’re on a barge near the docks, but Crane knocks her in the face. She says she should have killed him when she had the chance, and Crane says, this is what happens when you show mercy. She says she was trying to save his people from him and his sister, and Crane says, change of plans. Troy is going to tell his friends to call off their army in person and take him to the herd. If either one of them tries anything, he’ll kill them both. He tells his men to get the truck ready.

They drive, and Victor comes on the radio, saying, they’re at the barge… Crane turns off the radio and asks, what changed? Madison risked her life to reunite Wren and Nightingale. Now she’s using a father against his daughter. What happened to, family is worth fighting for? She says, it still is. She’s just fighting his way. Zombie blood hits the windshield, and Daniel, Luci, et al come out. Crane tries to overpower them, but zombies start coming. Luci calls to Madison, who shoots at Crane’s guys, and a couple of zombies get Crane down.

Luciana leads them into a nearby building, and Madison tries to radio Victor, but Troy says, he can’t hear. They have to get to higher ground. Daniel says, he’s not going anywhere, and Luciana says, they’re here for a reason. To do to him what he did to them at her truck stop. Daniel says, and Ofelia and Charlie and anyone else he hurt. Madison says, he can’t be the only one who knows where the herd is, and Luciana says, they can find it without Troy. Madison says she needs to find the MRAP and meet Victor on the road. Daniel is about to cut the bond tying Troy to Madison, but Madison stops him. She says, they can’t have him getting away when this is over. She has to make sure he doesn’t hurt anyone else. Daniel says, if she doesn’t, he will, and he and Luciana leave.

Troy and Madison walk, and Troy tells Madison that Crane isn’t going to take the herd. He sent Crane in the wrong direction. Madison asks, why? and he says he’s dealing with her, not them. Madison says, she’d kill him just as quick, but he says he doesn’t think so. He knows her, or maybe he knows what it is to believe in something so hard, you can’t let it go. They get to a footbridge that’s basically rope and boards, hanging over a lagoon where zombies are lurking. Troy wants to cross, but Madison says, something is pulling them down, probably quicksand. If the bridge breaks, they’re both dead. A shot fires, and Crane says he found them. They run to the bridge, which looks pretty shaky, and they start to go across. It breaks, and the zombies look up, ready for an easy lunch. Crane takes the trusty ax he just happens to have, and cuts one of the ropes. Madison and Troy fall in.

Crane tells Madison that he thought she needed to be paid back after what she did to his sister. It’s what she deserves. Troy asks what he’s talking about, and Crane says, she let Shrike get bit over and over. Her and Nightingale let it happen. Troy says he wants to get his daughter, and Crane says, that’s why the right people need to protect them from themselves, and especially from the kids. Why does Madison think they saved her at the stadium? They heard her on the radio; no one is gone til they’re gone. They found her in the water truck, gasping for air, surrounded by zombies. They didn’t hesitate to pull er out. If she was willing to die for them, they knew they could get her to do just about anything. She thought her beliefs would save her kids, but in the end, it’s what got them killed. Madison yells, come on! to the zombies toddling around in the woods, and Crane’s so busy being full of himself, they get him down and he’s out. Troy says he’s sorry, but Madison says, that’s not going to get them out. Troy says, they’re not that different, but she says she’s nothing like him. He says, the northwest corner is where he was leading them, to the swamp. He was hoping the current would sweep them to the island. She asks why he’s telling her this. Maybe she doesn’t deserve a second chance. Troy says, she does, but not if they’re not found in time. He didn’t want it to end like this. Madison says, the truth is, PADRE is better off without people like them, and they duck underwater.

Victor tells Madison, stay with them, and she coughs up water. She says, they found them and saved her, but he says, Daniel and Luciana found them. Luciana says, they’re not the ones who saved her. Tracy did. Troy says she grabbed a root and pulled them out. They used Crane’s ax to snap the cuffs. Troy says he wasn’t telling Madison the truth about what Serena said, that she regretted following Alicia. After Alicia helped Serena, Alicia gave Serena the medal and said it would bring them luck. Tracy says, he told her… He says, he knows: he lied. Serena made him promise to let Alicia believe she was alive, so she’d always know what she was fighting for. He broke that promise. Daniel says, he’s a liar, and Luciana asks why they should believe him. Troy says, he knew what it was to believe hard in something and not want to let it go. He saw it in Serena’s eyes. She never let go. She believed in it even though it got her killed. When she was going under, something in her eyes, the look of someone dying believing in nothing. He couldn’t let that happen, not for Tracy’s sake. He didn’t do what Serena asked and keep it alive. Maybe he could if he was given a second chance. Madison gets up and says, like Troy did for Alicia? He said he’d take them to the herd. It’s time for him to hold up his end of the deal.

The song Hair of the Dog plays, and Russell radios Troy. He says he’s here. He caught up to the herd. Troy should see it. Troy says he does, and Russell might want to get down. The MRAP barrels in, and the machine guns open up on the zombies. Russell says, it’s going to take more than that, and Madison says, they know. A truck caravan pulls by, with Dove in the last truck bed. The caravan leads the herd away, and big baby Russel whines, nooo.  

Madison takes some oxygen, and Victor asks how she is. June says she has fluid in her lungs, and they need to get back to the island. Dwight says, they broke up the herd, and June says, they have to get back to PADRE. Victor thinks they should give Troy the benefit of the doubt, but Luciana asks how they can trust him. Victor asks, what about second chances? He and Daniel are just as guilty for what they’ve done. Daniel asks if willing risk that. Troy tells Tracy that it worked. It kept him safe. He gives her back the medal. He did what he said and found them a home and kept her safe. He’s sorry he lied for so long. Madison says, they have to get ready to head out and help the others and tells Tracy that she wants to talk to her dad. Tracy goes to help, and Madison says she’s been thinking about Alicia and how she gave Troy a second chance despite everything. She shows him Alicia’s mechanical arm and says, it’s all she has left. Troy says, it doesn’t have to be. He’ll do everything in his power to make sure he’s worthy of a second to everyone on the island. Things have changed. She has to believe him. She says, that’s just it. She doesn’t. She stabs him with the arm, and Tracy yells, no! and runs off. Victor wonders about second chances, and Madison says, Troy was right. That’s what got Alicia killed. If she hadn’t done this, she’d be putting them at risk. It’s how they survive. As he’s dying, Troy tells Madison to fight for Tracy. She’s not his daughter. Serena died before the baby was born. Madison asks who her mother is, and he says, Alicia. He took her child to make up for what he lost. Madison yells, no! and Troy dies. She asks where Tracy has gone, and everyone looks confused or lost or both.

🐊 See You Later, Alligator…

Since this thing got away from me, come back again for Part 2. Until then, stay safe, stay remembering family is worth fighting for, and stay believing no one is gone until they’re gone.

Nov13

November 12, 2023 – What Would Alicia Do & Monsters

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What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

At PADRE kids are doing obstacle courses, food is being served, math lessons are being taught. June marches in with Dwight, Sherry, Dove, et al. A couple stops them, and tells them that no one is coming in. June asks, under whose orders? when Victor walks out and says, his. June asks where Tracy is. They know he has Troy’s daughter. Victor suggests perhaps discussing this in a more civilized manner, but Dwight says, this seems pretty civilized. Victor tells Dwight, long time, and asks Frank to bring Klaus to their room. June asks why Victor brought the girl here, and he says, Troy wouldn’t attack if he knew his daughter was here. Dwight says, or it’s the perfect reason to attack, but Victor says, Troy doesn’t know they’re here. It’s not like she’s tagged for migratory purposes. June says, if Victor was doing more than playing father, he would know the lengths a parent would go for their child, but Victor says, they still don’t know him. June says she does. She watched him make bad decision after bad decision. People lost their lives because of what he did. John’s father lost his life because of what he did. She’s not making the same again. He says, many people lost their lives because of her. They’ve all done things to survive, and no one can throw stones. When Tracy went missing, he saw an opportunity. He had to make a call. June says, no one asked him to, and he says he’s not the man he used to be. She asks how she knows that, and he says, she’s not the woman she used to be. Right, Naomi? Frank says, Victor told him everything, and Dwight asks who he is. Victor says, this is his husband, and June says, show them if he’s changed. Dwight says, help them bring Tracy back to her father, and Victor asks if they think that would satisfy Troy. June says, it might, if they bring him the man who kidnapped her too, and Dwight says, start walking. Victor says, they don’t know Troy like he does. He lost the hotel, and it’s his last chance to do good on what he promised Alicia. Dwight says he wishes he believed Victor, and June says, if he wants to show them that he’s changed, now’s the time. Victor looks at Frank, who shakes his head, but Victor says, let’s walk. Dove goes to get Tracy, and Frank says he won’t let Victor do this. He saw what that man did at the hotel. He’ll kill Victor. Victor says, these people will kill him if he doesn’t go, and he doesn’t want Frank in the crossfire. Wait for him. He’ll come back. Frank says he’ll be waiting. Victor leaves with June and the others, looking back one last time.

On the water in a boat from PADRE, June radios Troy that they have his daughter. She’s safe and they’ll return her if they agree to terms. Tracy asks if the blindfold is necessary, and Victor laughs. He says, it’s not going to work. They’re not going to remove it. The reason the settlement has lasted so long is that no one knows where it is. Tracy tells him to stop trying to be friends with her. He’s the one who brought her in. June radios Troy again, saying, Tracy is safe and will be returned. Victor tells her, no matter what Troy says, Troy is going to kill him and hurt Tracy. Tracy says, her father would do anything to protect her, but Victor says, her father’s not the man she thinks he is. June says, Victor can change, but not Troy? and Victor says, Troy is a sociopath on a revenge tour. He has issues. There’s a difference. Why is he the only person looking after Tracy? Sherry says, the only person he’s looking after is himself, but he says, it’s not about that. It’s about building PADRE the way Alicia wanted him too. Troy radios, and asks, who is this? Who has his daughter? June says he doesn’t know her, but she freed Madison and Victor from the hotel. She asks Tracy to talk to Troy, and Tracy says, it’s okay. They’re bringing her back. June says, they will, provided he gives them assurance he won’t take PADRE. Troy says, they took his daughter, but June says, they didn’t. Victor did, and they’re bringing him back too. Troy says, there’s one problem. They need a place to live. June suggests they stay at the hotel. Madison is no longer at PADRE, and his beef with her isn’t a beef with them. Does he want his daughter or not? He says, they have a deal. Bring her and Victor to the hotel. Victor says, it’s a trick, but June says, they’ll be there. Victor says, don’t do this, but Dwight says, it’s too late. Victor looks scared and grabs the blindfold off of Tracy. He says, now she knows where PADRE is, and Tracy takes a dive over the side of the boat. Victor jumps up and runs to the bow, pulling out wires and plugs as he goes. He too jumps off the boat, and Sherry tells Dwight to turn around, but he says he can’t. There’s no power.  

On land, a zombie grabs Tracy and she falls, but she scuttles away. Four of them surround her, and Victor arrives, whacking them in their undead heads. He tells Tracy that he’s not going to hurt her, and she says she’s not worth anything dead. He holds out his hand and sees a St. Christopher medal around her neck. He asks where she got the necklace, and she asks, what’s it to him? June calls to him, and he says, they’ve got to go. He’s not taking her back. Tracy asks where he is taking her, and he says, to the one person who can help both of them. Dwight begins to call their names, and Victor helps Tracy up.  

Madison plays loud music on a boombox in a forest clearing, and as zombies come out, she sledgehammers them. Apparently, she’s found her calling. When all the zombies are down, Victor calls Madison’s name. He brings Tracy out, and Madison asks what he’s doing here. She told him that she couldn’t help him build PADRE. He says, they’ll have agree to disagree on that, but that’s not why he’s here. She turns the music off, and he says he heard she was looking for Alicia. She says, Alicia deserves to be at rest. She did it for Nick and wants to do it for Alicia. She asks, who’s his friend? but Tracy says she’s not Victor’s friend. Victor says, she’s Troy’s daughter. He found her wandering and saved her life. Tracy says, he kidnapped her, and Victor says, perhaps the truth lies somewhere in the middle (as it almost always does). Madison asks, what’s her name? and she says, Tracy. Madison says, she has her father’s eyes, but don’t worry. She won’t make Tracy pay for his crimes. Tracy asks, what crimes? and Madison says, he killed her daughter on top of other sh*t he probably didn’t tell her about. Tracy says, he told her everything. How Madison killed his father and turned his brother against him. And how she left him for dead at the dam. She also killed Tracy’s mother. Madison says she doesn’t know what Troy told Tracy, but she didn’t know Tracy’s mother. She asks why Victor brought Tracy here, and he says, he took her to PADRE. It was the only play he had, but the peasants revolted, saying it was too risky to keep her there. Madison asks why he brought her here, and he says, it’s Madison’s best shot at finding Alicia. Tracy is wearing a medal that belonged to her. Madison asks how he knows, and he says, because he gave it to her. Madison asks, why? and he says, it doesn’t matter. What does, is that it may lead to Alicia. Madison asks if that’s true, and Tracy says, maybe. Madison says she’s not getting pulled in for a maybe, and Victor says, Tracy might be more forthcoming when she realizes they’re the only ones who can save her. Madison asks, from what? and he says, PADRE. June, Dwight, and Sherry want her because she knows where PADRE is. Madison asks why there was no blindfold, and Tracy says, Victor pulled it off. Victor says, they were going to send Tracy back to her father, and he had to make it impossible for them to turn her over. It’s what Alicia would have done. Tracy says, he did it because they going to hand him over too, and he brings her over to Madison. He says, Madison is the only person who knows the man he used to be. It’s not about saving his own skin; he’s saving Tracy’s too. Madison asks if she knows where to find Alicia, and Tracy says she doesn’t think she has a choice. Madison says, smart girl. All right. First, Tracy takes her to Alicia. Tracy asks, what happens after that? but Madison says she doesn’t know. But Victor’s right about one thing. She can’t go back to her father. They leave, and I envision a buddy series with Victor and Tracy. Kind of like The Last of Us or Arya and the Hound on Game of Thrones.

Madison hotwires a car with a full tank of gas at Luciana’s truck stop. Victor finds a gun in the glovebox, and says, thanks, Luci. Madison asks if he thinks Luciana will mind, and he tells her, the sign says, take what you need. They look at a map with Tracy, and hear Troy on the radio, but Victor says, he’s nowhere near them. He’s looking for June. They hear some people looking for Madison, and Madison wonders who they are. Victor asks if they’re Tracy’s father’s people, but Tracy says she doesn’t know who are. She says, they need a bigger map. Her dad’s fight with Alicia happened further than this. Victor looks in the car, and Tracy grabs the radio, trying to get Troy and shouting where she is. Madison snatches it back, and tells her, don’t do it again. Victor says, it’s okay. Troy’s people are by the hotel. They still have time. Tracy points at a spot on the map, and Victor asks if she’s sure.

A gas truck pulls in, followed by some other vehicles, and Daniel and Luciana get out. Luciana asks what they think they’re doing. She’s been monitoring radio chatter. Why did they bring Tracy here? Madison says, they’re just stopping by, and Luciana says she thought she made it clear she doesn’t want to get dragged into their fight. Daniel asks if Tracy is in their car, and Victor says, they’ll make sure Troy knows they had nothing to do with it. Luciana says, Troy won’t believe them, and Madison says, they need to pass through. Luci says, they’ve been put in danger already. She can’t let them travel this road. She has people who are still breathing that she needs to protect. They need to give Tracy back to Troy. Madison says, she knows where PADRE is, but Luciana says, that’s not her problem. Victor says, she knows what Troy is like, and she says, that’s why she’s giving Tracy back. Step away. Everyone draws their guns, but Daniel says, let them go. Even if they return Tracy, Troy will attack them; that’s his nature. They need to set a defensive perimeter. It’s easier to do now. On the side, Luciana says, what if they made a deal with Troy? but Daniel says, he needs to find out what’s going on. Luciana tells her men to lower their weapons, and Victor asks why they want to help. Daniel says he knows what it’s like losing a daughter. He wants to help Madison find Alicia and bury her. Daniel leaves with Madison, Victor, and Tracy.  

In the car, Tracy looks at the map and tells Victor to slow down. Daniel says, she’s been looking at the map for 15 minutes, and Victor says, she’s a child, not an atlas. Tracy says, he’s Daniel Salazar. Her dad told her about him. Daniel asks if her dad told her why he wants to kill him, and Victor asks him not to scare her. Daniel says, even children need to learn what we do and don’t do has consequences. They need to learn that no one gets a free pass. Tracy says, her dad said Daniel’s daughter died because she tried to poison a lot of people, but Daniel says, his daughter died because Tracy’s lunatic father led a herd of the dead to destroy his own settlement. She died defending that settlement. She died because of Tracy’s father. Victor asks why Daniel is here. He doesn’t give a sh*t about the girl. He wants Troy to feel what he feels. Madison says, there’s something fundamentally wrong with Daniel (touché!), and Victor stops the car, getting out his gun. He says, they’re leaving, and starts to get out. He asks why he’s the only one doing the right thing. They know how far he’ll go for what he believes is right. Daniel pushes the gun aside, and it goes off. The bullet hits the headrest, and Daniel tells Madison to go. She guns the engine, and Victor flies out into the road. Daniel asks if Madison wants to find Alicia or not, and Victor curses as zombies come toddling out. He says he’s really not in the mood today, and goes between tight trees. He gets to the road, but more come and he’s surrounded. One grabs him and then another, but he pushes them away. Yet another comes from behind, and we see it’s like a tent city for zombies along the road. I say, he can’t end this way, as he struggles with one, and a truck rattles down the road. Automatic weapons shoot from the top of the truck, and I wonder if it’s Al. Remember her? Victor is down, but the zombie on top of him is knifed in the head. A hand reaches down, and it looks like a mechanical arm, but it’s a metal sleeve on a normal arm. He asks who she is, and a young woman wonders if he thought she was Alicia Clark. She gets that a lot. She asks if he’s coming or not, and helps him up. He asks how many are with her, but she suggests they save the introductions for inside, and he gets in what’s essentially a tank.

Madison, Daniel, and Tracy get out of the car, and Madison asks if this is where they find Alicia. Tracy says, it’s what she said she wanted, but Daniel doesn’t think it’s a good idea. Madison says, it’s the only one she’s got, and they look down onto a bridge across a ravine where tons of zombies are standing around. Madison says, the herd is stuck. She’s seen that before. Daniel says, the ground is frozen, and Tracy says, Alicia is in the herd. Her father led it here before it got cold. The herd was following them, and he didn’t want it near the hotel. When the temperature dropped, he knew the mud froze. Madison says, Troy told her that he didn’t know where Alicia was, but Tracy says, he lied. He didn’t want her to find Alicia and bury her. Madison asks how she knows, and Tracy fingers the medal. She says, it doesn’t matter, and Madison says, let’s go.

The tank barrels along, and driver Della says, they’re a sitting duck until the guns are reloaded, but Troy doesn’t know they’re here. For now. Sitting in the back, Victor looks at his savior’s arm, and he says, the last time he was in here, he was with someone he never thought he’d see again. She says, Alicia told them before Troy killed her, and he asks if they knew her. She says, briefly. She passed through all their lives. He asks why they’re dressed like Alicia, and she says, it’s more than dressing like her. They’re keeping Alicia alive. They’re doing for others what Alicia did for them. The driver says, when they’re settlement was under siege, Alicia made their attackers regretted shaking them down. Passenger Sara says she had pneumonia, and Alicia found antibiotics for her. Victor says, what about the girl who saved him? and she says, he doesn’t remember her. They spoke when she was a kid. They were on a roof. Victor says, they were interviewed at the Tower, and she says she was with her dad. Victor turned them away. She thought they were going to die. They had no source for food and water that wasn’t contaminated. They had no shelter, and the air was bad. They heard a voice transmit a message. Alicia said, come to the Tower and we’ll build something better. When they got there, the fire was burning, and the Tower was destroyed. Not being able to help himself, Victor jokes that he should have left it in a better state than he found it, and she says, they weren’t the only ones who showed up. There were dozens of survivors, and they watched the Tower burn. She was thinking, this is where they’re going to die. Then a figure emerged on the horizon. Victor says, Alicia went back in the Tower after she put them on rafts, but she says, Alicia did more than that. She went in to get the fuel generator and drove them out of the wasteland and radiation. Her father died from exposure a few months after. Victor gets teary and says he’s so sorry. Her father died because of him. Why did she save him? She says, it’s what Alicia would have done, and he asks, how was she? Was she still sick from the bite? She says, the fever stopped, but Alicia didn’t spend much time with them after they were settled. Della says, Alicia never stayed in one place very long. She gave people hope, so they’re trying to do the same. Victor asks, what the girls name is, but she says, Alicia’s legacy will better continue if people believe she’s alive. Victor asks why they came here, and she says, they heard Madison’s message, and knew Troy wasn’t far behind. Victor asks why Troy killed Alicia, but she says, they don’t know. She wasn’t the only person Troy killed. Word spread. There used to be more of them. Victor tears up, and tries the radio. He says, it’s Victor, and asks Madison to please respond. They need to talk about Tracy. He says, they could be anywhere, and Alicia 2.0 says, they’re not going to find them driving blind. Troy comes on the radio and says, where is she? Madison better not have lost her. Victor says, he knows exactly where they’re going.  Where Troy hid Alicia. He can help, but Troy has to tell him where to go. Troy asks why he’d do that, and Victor says he could be Troy’s last chance. Troy says, Victor is the one who took her, and Victor says, and he’s the only one saving her. Troy will never catch up on foot. Troy says he won’t be on foot much longer.

At Luciana’s truck stop, she asks where Troy thinks he’s going. He says he remembers her, and in Spanish, he says, it’s a shame about Nick. She says she doesn’t want trouble. They can use the roads as long as none of her people get hurt. Troy asks if she’s going to help him, even though Nick chose the ranch over her? She says, her people are more important than her pride, and Troy says, then stand down. They’re outnumbered and outgunned. He tells his men, fan out and take what’s worth taking. Luciana says, don’t, and he says, it doesn’t end well. She says, for you, not us, and Dwight and the others come out. I’m thinking, now Troy is outnumbered, and Troy says, so this was all bullsh*t. Luciana says she needed to get close to him. Stand down. Troy says he’s trained all his men, and they’ll take out more of Luciana’s people than vice versa. Dwight suggests they test that theory, and Frank says, he’s looking to make room in the hotel again, Troy says he has no time for this. His daughter’s in danger. Luciana says, stand down, and June says, his daughter’s as good a reason as any to lower his weapons. Troy says, no, and reaches for something. Everyone gets tense (or more tense than they are already), but Troy says, it’s just a walkie. He radios for Victor, and says, fortunately for Victor, he’s the only person who can help him make sure his daughter is okay. Victor says, tell him where they are.

A cowboy walker gets kneecapped by Madison, and literally breaks off at the knees. She says, he’s a long way from home, and Daniel says, he’s not the only one. He asks Tracy how long the herd had been following them, but she says she doesn’t know. She didn’t know about it until they got here. Daniel says, something’s not right. It doesn’t make sense. Madison says, the zombies can’t hurt them, and asks where Alicia is. Tracy says, somewhere in here, and points. Daniel says, the man led a herd of dead against his own people, and Madison tells him, go back then. She’s got Tracy. Daniel says he’s not letting Tracy out of his sight, and they walk through the stuck zombies. Tracy says, there, and they walk through into the forest where the zombies were headed. Daniel asks if Madison wants help, and Madison says, give her a minute. She walks up to a zombie who looks like she could be Alicia from behind and says she’s so sorry. She would come if she’d known. Daniel draws his gun, and Madison says she would have stopped Troy from doing this. She pushes the zombie’s hair away from its face and thinks of Alicia. She gets a good look and says, it’s not her. Tracy pushes her into the zombie, who breaks off at the feet. They both fall, and Madison says she can’t believe she listened to Tracy. Where’s her daughter? Why lie? Tracy says, that’s her mother, and she wanted her to make Madison pay. Extracting herself, Madison says she’s never seen her before, and Tracy says, her mother saw Madison and Alicia, and believed what they believed. That’s why she’s dead. Madison asks what that means, and Tracy says, no one’s gone until they’re gone. It killed her, like it killed Madison’s kids. Madison takes in some oxygen, and Daniel says, they should leave, but Madison says she needs to figure out what to do. Daniel wonders if she’s going to use Tracy to make Troy pay for what he did to her daughter, and Madison says, she knows where PADRE is. There’s only one way to protect the island. Looking at her sledgehammer, Daniel asks if she’s got the stomach for that, and Madison says, Tracy just tried to use her own mother to kill her. Daniel ties Tracy’s wrists together, and Tracy says, no. They can’t do this. Madison says, she should have thought about that before she brought them out here, and God forgive me, I laugh. Tracy begs as Daniel ties her to a tree. She says she knows where her dad killed Alicia. The old mansion off Route 26 near Fort Worth. Madison says, she’s lying, but Tracy says, it’s the truth. Madison says, that doesn’t change the fact that she knows where the island is. Victor yells, stop! and Madison tells him, it’s a lie. Alicia’s not here. Coming out with the three girls, Victor says, Alicia’s body may not be here, but Alicia still is in the women carrying on her legacy. A zombie grabs Madison and they kill it, Tracy frees herself from the tree, and starts to sprint off. Victor says, wait, but she tells him, it’s just like her dad said. They’re going to kill her. She takes off, and Madison says, they have to go after her. The zombies are starting to pry themselves loose from the frigid ground, some of them breaking and falling, but some getting free. Alicia 2.0 says, they knew Madison’s daughter wouldn’t want her to die like this. Alicia would her to help and protect Madison. Madison says, let’s go, and they run.

At Luciana’s truck stop, there are small fires burning, and trucks pulling up. Luciana radios Daniel, who says he’s glad she’s alive. How bad was it? She says, Troy’s men had them surrounded. He and his men didn’t care if they lived or died. Victor looks at Frank, who’s tending to a gravely wounded older man, but Victor says, it’s too late. Frank says he can save him, and calls for more dressing, but the man has already turned zombie. Victor takes care of it and says he’s sorry. Frank says, we need to stop this man who did this to all our friends, and Victor says, we will. Madison asks, where’s Troy? and Luciana says, he’s not here. He stole a truck, but he’s lost most of his men. What matters is if he knows where PADRE is. Madison says, he’s going to do what he did to the ranch, and Daniel says, that’s what the dead were for, his army. Dwight says he’s taking a headcount, and Madison tells Luciana where Tracy said Alicia was. Luciana says she’ll take Madison there after this is over. Alicia 2.0 stares at Madison and says, Madison has no idea what this means. Until she heard the message, she thought Madison was dead. Madison asks how they know her, and Sara says, the interview tape. They listened to it so many times, they wore it out. Madison asks if Victor put them up to this, but he shakes his head. She tells the girls, none of it means anything, but Victor says, when he came to her in the library, he thought he needed her to face what was coming, but he didn’t. She needs him. She almost killed a little girl. Madison says, to protect everyone else. She doesn’t have anyone left to disappoint, so she can get her hands dirty. Victor says he pushed Alicia away, so she didn’t have to get her hands dirty. He gave her the medal, so she’d remember who she was, because he didn’t know if he’d be able to. He was wrong. He wasn’t protecting her. He was using it as an excuse not to be a better man, and he won’t let that happen to Madison. Madison gets in the back of the truck, and Victor says, let him come with her. Luciana says, she needs help, and Victor says, she’s got it. Daniel says, it doesn’t look like it. He hates Troy as much as she does. Use him. Madison says, he may end up dead. There’s only one way. She’s going to finish what she started ten years ago at the dam. She pulls away, as Victor yells her name. Daniel says, that’s not the way to end this.  

Next time, Madison says, killing Troy is how PADRE survives; Victor says, Madison never gave up on him; and Madison faces Troy with her sledgehammer.

☮️ Peace In Rest…

Boomerang back on Monday really Tuesday for soap and that mess on the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay considering volunteering at your local soup kitchen on Thanksgiving, and stay remembering that what you do and don’t do has consequences, and no one gets a free pass.

Nov11

November 10, 2023 – Spencer Explodes At Trina, Lolly Lover, Not Gone, Soap Fun, Final Date, The Best, Resilient, VanderNo, Not Yet, Downhill, Dead Revival, Roommates, One More, Nonagon Of Quotes & Battle

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Olivia gets to Eddie/Ned just in time, and extracts him from the tangle of seaweed and netting he’s in. Although I wonder why he’s wearing shoes when he left them at the boathouse.

At the MetroCourt, Alexis says, another precious minute lost. Where are you, Kristina? Blaze comes by and introduces herself as a friend of Kristina’s. She says she was supposed to meet a friend, but it seems fate has other ideas today; they just cancelled. She was on her way out, saw Alexis, and thought she’d introduced herself. Alexis says, that’s nice… Not that Blaze’s friend cancelled, but that Blaze introduced herself. Would Blaze like to join her? Maybe it’s fate. Blaze says, maybe it is, and sits down.

Drew sees Curtis at another table, and says, it’s nice to see him. Curtis says, likewise, and they hug.

Carrying a takeout bag, Trina joins Spencer outside Dex’s apartment, followed by Josslyn and Dex. She says, sorry he had to wait, but they have extra crunchy prawn, and Josslyn says, there was a delay in ordering because someone – she looks at Dex – had to weigh out the whole Marvel movie to catalog Monica’s powers. He says, in the last edition… and she says, yes, she understands. Trina asks Spencer, what happened? and he says, Esme happened. And this time she has his grandmother on her side.

Anna sees Valentin outside of Charlotte’s room and asks, how is she? He says, sleeping. The doctors say she’s going to make a full recovery. She says, thank God. There’s something he needs to know. He asks, what is it? but she says, not here, and they go to the stairwell.

Olivia gets Eddie to the surface and struggles to bring him to shore. She tells him, don’t make this hard. He’s got to be okay. She pounds on him, trying to get him to cough up water, then does chest compression and mouth-to-mouth. He coughs and she asks if he’s all right. He’s alive. He sits up, and she says he’s alive. He says, it’s her. She saved him. She says, of course (🍷) she did. She’d do anything for him. He says he should have always known this, and she says, it’s okay, Eddie, hugging him. He says he’s not Eddie; he’s Ned.

Kristina walks into the MetroCourt and sees Blaze talking to Alexis. She goes to the table and says she didn’t know Blaze knew her mother. Sorry she’s late. Alexis says, only forty-five minutes, and Blaze says her plans were a no-show, and she saw Kristina’s mother. Alexis says, Blaze introduced herself. That was so 1990s. Blaze says, and a lot of fun. She tells Kristina to sit, and says she was grilling Alexis about her job. Alexis says, actually, Blaze was keeping her company while she waited for Kristina… and waited… and waited… Kristina says, okay. Sorry about that. She got caught up with some planning commission things at the youth center. Alexis says, she’s here now and Blaze is here, so why don’t they all have dinner together?

Curtis says, it must be strange, being about to get up and go to sleep when he wants to and turn off his own lights, and Drew says, absolutely. But there are a few things he can think of that he missed more than that. Curtis says he knows that must have been hard. He’s sorry he didn’t visit Drew. Drew says, Curtis had a few things going on. What he went through is nothing in comparison to what Curtis went through. Curtis protests, but Drew says he’s serious. Doesn’t he think it’s silly for either one of them to feel they need to apologize to each other? They’ve been through it. Curtis has been there for him more times than he can count. This friendship is forged in fire. It’s brotherhood born in battle. Curtis says, wow, and raises his glass. To the battle… and to freedom. Drew says, and to survival, and they clink glasses.

Josslyn says, Esme again, and Spencer asks if Josslyn and Dex can give him a minute. Josslyn says, gladly, and she and Dex go into his apartment, Josslyn touching Trina’s shoulder as she passes. Trina asks what Esme did, and Spencer says, it’s nothing that Esme did; it’s what she’s going to do. She’s going to take Ace and she’s going to move into another apartment. Trina says, finally.

Laura looks in the window to Charlotte’s room. Elizabeth is with Charlotte, sees Laura, and comes out. Laura says, she looks so fragile in that bed, and Elizabeth says she knows, but Charlotte’s just sleeping right now. It’s best to let her rest as long as possible because her system is still fighting. But her vitals are excellent. She’s on track to make a full recovery. Laura breathes a sigh of relief and says, that’s fantastic. Where’s Valentin? She can’t imagine he’d leave her alone. (Geez, the poor guy doesn’t even get a bathroom break?) Elizabeth says, no. He’s been here the entire time. In fact, she just saw him walking down the hall with Anna just a little bit ago. Laura asks how Jake is handling all of this. She knows they all went trick-or-treating together, and heard he was the first one back to Anna’s house right after it happened. Elizabeth says she’s never seen him like this. It’s like he’s caught in this loop of feeling upset and feeling guilty that he lost track of her. He promised Valentin they would stick together, and that’s why he went looking for her. And now he’s scared and confused and doesn’t understand how Anna could have shot Charlotte. And honestly, neither can she.

First of all, didn’t anyone notice Charlotte was wearing a huge, dark, hooded robe and the apartment was dark? And on another topic, Jake knows that Charlotte had the keys and what she’d said about them getting her everything she wanted. This hasn’t come up yet, but I’m thinking it might give him a clue she was up to no good.

On a landing in the stairwell, Valentin asks Anna what it is he needs to know. She says, he has to believe her when she tells him, what happened with Charlotte was an accident. She had no way of knowing Charlotte was in that apartment. He says he knows that. She says she’s not making an excuse, because she understands this is killing him, and he says, there’s nothing she could have done. She says, when she left the apartment, she locked it, and when she returned, it was unlocked. So she knew there was someone inside there, and she thought she was going to be ambushed. That’s why she pulled her gun, and that’s when she made a terrible mistake. And she wishes she could make it all go away. When she saw Charlotte lying on the ground like that, and his face when he came in… He says, it was an accident. It was a tragic accident. She says, yes… How did he know to come to the apartment?

Ned and Olivia are dripping wet and sitting on the ground. Olivia asks what Ned is saying. Her Ned? Is it really him? He says, it’s really him. He saw her. He doesn’t even know how it happened. His mind was rushing like a whirlwind. Literally. The next thing he knows, he’s in the water, and stuck. And there she was. And now they’re here. She says, Lois told her that he was depressed. She went to the boathouse and saw his guitar and his shoes(🤷🏽‍♀️), and she thought… She cries, and he takes her face in his hands and says, it’s okay. They made it. She made it. They’re going to be okay. She says she thought she lost him, and he says, but she didn’t. She found him. It was her all along. She says, what? and he says, in the song. He knows how it ends. She asks what he’s talking about, and he says, the siren song. He knows how to finish it. She says, Eddie… Ned, let’s not do this right now, and he says he’s not Eddie. He’s Ned. She says, if he’s not Eddie, how did he remember the song? He says he remembers everything, and they kiss. So is he going to kind of be like Sonny/Mike now?

Spencer says, finally? Trina didn’t really just say that. She says, yes, she did. She knows he’s going to miss living with Ace, but it’s way past time that Esme go live on her own. He yells, who cares about Esme? He’s talking about Ace. Ace is the one he’s worried about in this instance. Josslyn and Dex come out, and Josslyn asks, what the hell is going on out here?

Kristina asks if Alexis knows that Blaze just signed with BLQ Management, and Alexis says, Brook Lynn Quartermaine. Blaze says, makes a refreshing change from that sleaze Linc Brown, and Alexis says she remembers his public takedown at the Nurses Ball. To Catch a Predator anyone? Blaze says, oh, we caught him, and Alexis says, and then he disappeared, and as she recalls, the whole thing went radio silent. She’s curious. How long before the abuse started?

Curtis asks how it feels to be back in the real world, and Drew says, he has no idea. Although he has to say, some things are more challenging than he anticipated. Curtis says, Drew has been out of the mix for a while, but Drew says, compared to when he broke out of captivity in Greece, the life he came back to this time hasn’t changed nearly as drastically. But Curtis’s has. What about him?

Elizabeth tells Laura that she knows Anna would never intentionally hurt Charlotte. Obviously, it was just a terrible mistake. But what was she doing carrying a gun around on Halloween? With people in costumes and kids jumping out at each other, acting all crazy. Laura says, she’s right, and Elizabeth says, and you add a gun in that mix? It only increases the odds that something tragic is going to happen. Yes, Charlotte is going to recover physically, but what about her emotional scars? And Jake is going to have to deal with this as well.

Valentin says he was supposed to pick up Charlotte and the other kids after trick-or-treating. Apparently, Charlotte went off on her own, and according to Georgie and Danny, Jake went after Charlotte in the direction of Maxie’s place, so he thought she was heading there. Anna says, well, he was right. She couldn’t figure out why Charlotte would come to the apartment. The police found her backpack, and in it was the keychain she showed him to Maxie’s apartment. Remember the one that had the shoe on it? In there were also these two cans of spray paint that were the same color that was used to paint the word murderer on her door. He says, Charlotte told him about the keychain; she didn’t tell him about the paint. She says, that doesn’t matter. What she’s trying to tell him is, she’s figured out who’s after her. He says he’s so sorry, and she says, and it is the WSB. Former WSB. She figured out the connection, and it’s a man called Jameson Forsythe. Old guard Bureau. They crossed swords ages ago. He says, no. She doesn’t understand… but she says she does. She found evidence, and Forsythe is trying to discredit, destabilize her, and somehow he’s involved Charlotte. She doesn’t know how he’s done it, but he’s using Charlotte to get to her.

Olivia and Ned go into the boathouse, and Ned puts a towel around her shoulders, then takes one for himself. She says she’s a little behind the curve. He has to catch her up. He’s not Eddie Maine anymore. He says, no. He’s just plain old Ned, her husband. She says, they have to get back to the house. They have to get him to a doctor. He says, you know what? He doesn’t want to go to the house. He wants to stay right here with her because it’s been too long. He just wants to enjoy this moment with her, okay? She says, okay, and they sit down. She says she doesn’t understand. He remembers everything? He says, it’s a bit fuzzy, a little disjointed, but he was here the whole time, like he was on autopilot. Or like playing one of Leo’s video games. He’s Ned, but he’s a little fuzzy. She asks if he remembers his daughter, and Tracy, and Leo. He says, yeah. He remembers everyone. He’s a Quartermaine. They were married in 2017. It’s now 2022. She says, 2023, and he says, right. He told her that things were fuzzy. She says, that’s just the small stuff. The important thing is that he’s here. They hug, and she says she was praying so hard for this, and he came back to her. He says, but she was willing to let Eddie stay, wasn’t she?

Blaze tells Alexis, at first, she was starstruck around all the beautiful people, all the glitz and glamour of the industry. She was so lost in it. When Linc began to overstep, she thought, maybe that’s just the way this world works; maybe he’s that way with all his artists. She didn’t want to seem uptight, so she stayed quiet and avoided being alone with him. Alexis says, Blaze made it her problem, not his, and Blaze says, exactly. One more layer of pressure to being in the public eye. Backstage, where you’re supposed to let your guard down, she was constantly looking over her shoulder. Alexis says, so she’s spending her downtime dodging him, and Kristina says, no one should have to do that. Alexis says, women are conditioned to normalize that kind of behavior, and then that message gets passed down to other artists. Blaze says she gets that entirely. By keeping her mouth shut, she was basically endorsing him.

Curtis tells Drew that his life is upside down for sure. Simple things like walking, running, even standing up, he can’t take for granted anymore. Drew says, but he’s not alone in this. He has family, friends. Curtis says he does and he’s grateful for that, but everything has shifted. The dynamic is different. Hell, he’s different.

They all go into Dex’s apartment, and Josslyn says she gets it. Spencer’s upset. One thing she’s learned about living in the dorms is, you have to be considerate of your neighbors and your own business. The whole building doesn’t need to know what’s going on right now. Spencer asks if she really thinks he cares what the building thinks. He gets louder, and says, Esme just told him that she’s taking Ace and moving into a new apartment, and his grandmother is going to co-sign the lease because they think Ace shouldn’t be a part of his life anymore. And when he comes to Trina with this, saying he’s going to be losing his baby brother, all she can say is, finally.

Anna tells Valentin that this is her past catching up to her. And somehow, it’s caught up to Charlotte, and she never wanted that. Forsythe has gotten to her somehow. Valentin says, there is no Forsythe. At least not the way she’s thinking. She asks what he’s trying to say, and he says his daughter’s been stalking her for months. And he’s been covering for her.

Laura sits next to Charlotte’s bed and says she’s here. How does it feel? Charlotte says her stomach hurts, but not too bad, and Laura says, she’s such a brave girl. Charlotte asks, where’s papa? He promised to be here. Laura says, he’s been here the whole time. He just went for a walk with Anna. Charlotte gets agitated, and says, it’s dangerous. They can’t trust Anna. She’ll hurt him.

Olivia tells Ned, every waking moment, with every beat of her heart, she was fighting for him. He says, no… and she says, he’s got to hear this. He needed to find his way back to them. She couldn’t push him. He needed to choose to come back to them. If he thinks she preferred Eddie Maine… He tells her, stop. She misunderstands. He’s not accusing her of being disloyal. He knows she was supporting him, and he loves her all the more for it. She says, Eddie… and realizes her mistake. He laughs and hugs her. He says he needed that space. After the accident, when he woke up in the hospital, everything was so confusing and unfamiliar, he grabbed the first thing that made him feel safe and comfortable. She says, Eddie Maine, and he says, it was his escape to a time when life was less complicated, and he wasn’t feeling the weight of his family and business suffocating him. To a time when it was just him, on stage, playing his music, no restraints, no judgements, just freedom.

Blaze says she didn’t mean to open a vein here, but Alexis says she’s the one who pried. Old attorney habits die hard. Kristina says, Blaze doesn’t know her mother; this is like catnip for her. Alexis says she’s more than curious. She’s outraged. Her nerve endings are twitching thinking about the lawsuit Blaze could file. Blaze says she doesn’t know… and Alexis says she’s serious. Kristina says, if Blaze doesn’t want to go the legal route, how about collaborating together on a piece about sexual harassment in the music industry? What does Alexis think? A feature with Blaze as the focus? Alexis says she thinks it’s a great idea; shed light on a rampant issue. Is Blaze willing to go on the record? Blaze says, it’s no secret what happened what happened to her. Anyone who was at the Nurses Ball or who saw it on television knows about it, but she wants to move forward with her career. She doesn’t want to go backward. Kristina tells her, what about what she just said? What about all of the artists who could fall into the same trap? Here’s her chance to show that predators aren’t the only way to do business. This is an opportunity for her to break that cycle.

Curtis tells Drew that sometimes he actually feels fortunate. There’s this guy, Devon, his gym buddy. Devon has it way worse than him, but this guy always stays positive. He has the most amazing outlook on life. Drew says, that’s incredible. He’s so glad to hear that. Curtis says, but to be perfectly honest, there are moments, split seconds, where he forgets about his new reality and tries to do normal things like get out of bed and stand up. Then reality slams back, so he’s learning to adjust.

Trina tells Spencer that she never meant to say it was a good thing losing Ace. She just thinks that Esme moving out is healthy for her, and ultimately for him. He says, healthy for him, to be separated from Ace. He’s losing a member of his family, and he thought she would understand that. Josslyn says, it’s not like Esme’s moving to another planet. She’s still going to be in Port Charles and so will Ace. He can see them whenever he wants. Isn’t that a good thing? Dex says, but it won’t be the same thing, and Josslyn and Trina look at him, as I would. Thanks, Dex.

Valentin says, Charlotte’s the one who vandalized Anna’s hotel suite. Security footage showed her breaking into that room with a backpack. Anna says, what? and he says he had Nina delete the footage from the server. She asks why he would have Nina do that. Why would he hide that from her? He says, the moment he saw it, he knew she was the one who spray painted Anna’s front door, that she was the one who set Anna’s house on fire. Anna says, no, but Valentin says, she knew how to get in Anna’s house. Her camp was less than an hour away. She could have gotten there easily. Anna says, it’s not possible, but he says he doesn’t know what Charlotte is capable of anymore. She says, so he knew his daughter was terrorizing her and he just let Charlotte keep doing it? and he says he was protecting Charlotte because he failed her so many times as a father. And he thinks he was protecting himself… She says, what about protecting her? Didn’t she have a right to know?

Laura tells Charlotte, it’s okay. Her father isn’t in any danger from Anna. Charlotte says, she’s wrong. Grandfather Victor warned her about Anna. He told her to protect papa. Laura asks what Victor said about Anna, and Charlotte tells her, he said she was a double-agent, and everyone would know about it soon. He visited her at school and told her to stay there where she’d be safe from Anna. He even wrote her a letter. She grabs her side, and Laura tells her, try to be still. She doesn’t want to reopen the wound. Charlotte says, Laura doesn’t understand. Grandfather told her that Anna was going to use her and pretend to be nice to her so she could trick papa. Laura says, he told her all of this in a letter? and Charlotte says, yes. He said that papa was so in love with Anna, he wouldn’t realize she was using him. Anna’s done a lot of bad things in the past, and made papa take the blame. She’s going to do it again and this time, papa’s going to end up in prison forever. He’ll be killed if she doesn’t keep Anna away from him. Laura says, shhh. It’s okay.

Olivia says she can understand Ned getting nostalgic for the past, for simpler times. So she’s got to ask him. Does Lois figure into this equation? (I laugh because Lois likes math.) He asks why she would bring Lois up, and she says, Lois was the last one he talked to before he jumped in, and everything changed. Is Lois the reason he came back to them?

Kristina says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to put Blaze on the spot. Her mother can vouch that is something she does. Blaze says, don’t worry about it. She appreciates Kristina’s passion. Alexis says, there’s no pressure here at all. It was a just an idea. She sees Drew and Curtis, and says she sees two friends over there who she’d love to say hello to. She’ll be right back. She leaves, and Kristina tells Blaze, that was not her place. Here she is, lecturing Blaze about her story when she knows better than anyone it’s an intensely personal decision. Blaze says, Kristina’s fire, her commitment to justice is infectious. It’s okay to want to make a difference. The thing she’d hate is if Kristina started editing herself and only told her what she wanted to hear.

Curtis says, Drew told him the whole story. Alexis is one gutsy reporter. Threatening to expose that judge like that? He’s glad it all worked out. They really missed Drew and he’s glad Drew’s back. Drew says he appreciates that, and there are smiles all around.

Ned tells Olivia that he was talking to Lois before he came down here to the boathouse. She was giving him a pep talk about finishing the song. Olivia says she wanted him to finish the song too, and he says he guesses he needed Lois’s no-nonsense bullying, and Olivia laughs. He says, Lois told him to take a leap of faith and go find the siren. She says, the siren, and he says, maybe she knew that was the key to getting him back to his real self. Or maybe not. But Olivia. She’s the one who actually pulled him back. She cries and he kisses the top of her head, pulling her to him. He says, turns out, she’s the siren. Hers is the only voice that could have brought him back. Lois may have had the idea, but Olivia made it a reality.

Dex says he understands where Spencer is coming from. Up to now, he and Esme have been raising Ace together. Obviously, living apart changes that dynamic, like a divorce. Spencer says, yes, a divorce where, if he wants to spend time with his own brother, he’ll have to act like a visitor. And it’s not the same as living together. He tells Trina, it’s just not, and Dex asks, what if they could get shared custody? and Spencer says, Esme’s not going to do shared custody with him, not with grandmother on her side. Trina says, Esme doesn’t have to share custody. He’s Ace’s brother, not his father.

Laura says she needs Charlotte to help her understand. She’s trying to keep her father away from Anna to protect him? Charlotte says, yes. Maybe move to London or somewhere near her granddaughter Emma. Anywhere really, as long as she’s away from papa and papa is safe. Laura says, okay, but this is what Victor wanted her to do, right? Charlotte tells her, he said it was the only way. Anna must have figured out she knew about her. That’s why Anna shot her, so she wouldn’t ruin Anna’s plans. Laura says, no, that was a terrible accident, but Charlotte says, it wasn’t. Anna saw her in the apartment. She knew it was her. Anna shot her on purpose. Anna wanted to kill her. Just like she’ll do to papa.

Valentin says he loves Anna, but Charlotte is everything to him. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her that Charlotte was targeting her. She says, so he just lied to her over and over again, and he says he wanted to tell her the truth. She says, but he didn’t. What did he think? That he could fix this? That he would just stitch this whole mess together and they would live in separate worlds, and it would all work? He says he was hoping by moving her into the house and giving her a home with him, that for once it would end her destructive behavior. They met with Doc. She was willing to have… Anna slaps him in the face, then pushes him, and says, shut up. If she’d known Charlotte was the one after her, she never would have pulled a gun. She shot a child. His child. She has to live with that for the rest of her life. She’s never going to forgive him. She storms out, and he can’t believe how stupid he is.

Ned and Olivia leave the boathouse, and he picks up his guitar. He says he thinks he knows the way the song ends now. She says she can’t wait to hear it, and they look out over the water, his arm around her. He says, she saved his life – literally and figuratively. She says, they save each other. That’s what love is. They kiss.

Drew and Curtis’s food comes, and Alexis says, that’s her cue to leave. She has to get back to her dates over there. It was such a pleasure to see Curtis, and he says, good to see her too. Drew says it was good to see her, and she leaves. Curtis tells Drew, sometimes it is so hard to just have a conversation without everyone trying to help when they know good and well they can’t. So that’s why it’s good to just hang out with a good friend who gets it. Drew says, any time, and Curtis asks what he thinks of the Nets’ chances this year, but Drew says he’s not falling for that. Curtis got him last time. Although they do have some good games coming up. Curtis agrees, and says, Boston tomorrow. Drew says, Curtis’s couch, his beer? and Curtis says he’s in… Portia may have other ideas. Drew says, then he’ll have to bring some wine, and Curtis laughs.

Alexis sits down, and Blaze says she’s decided. Kristina says she doesn’t want Blaze to feel pressured, but Blaze says, she’s in. A complete interview; nothing off limits. Alexis says, really? and Blaze says, yes. Kristina brought up some really good points. She can’t complain about what happened to her on one hand and not do everything she can to change it on the other. This is something she can do to stand up for those coming after her. Her contribution to their art, and to their voices. Kristina says she didn’t put it nearly as poetically as that, and Blaze says, that’s what collaboration’s all about. Someone comes up with an idea, someone comes up with the words, put it together, you’ve got magic. She has to make a quick call, but they can talk details when she gets back. She excuses herself and leaves, and Kristina asks what Alexis thinks. Alexis says she thinks Blaze likes Kristina, and Kristina says she likes Blaze too; she’s cool. Alexis says, no. I mean she likes you likes you.

Spencer says, Trina… but Trina says, no. Let’s unpack this. The only way he gets to be Ace’s father is if he’s with Esme, in a relationship. If the two of them are a couple, then they get to raise him together. That is a sure-fire way to solve his problem. Is that what he wants? He says, no, of course (🍷) not. He doesn’t love Esme; he loves her. But he also really loves his little brother, and he knows in his heart that Ace needs to be in his life. Trina says, he will always be in Spencer’s life, just not in the house, but Spencer says, no, because that would be abandoning him, and she knows he’s not going to do that. She says, then he knows what the solution is for that, but where does that leave them? He tells her not to ask him to choose between her and Ace. She’s not going to like the answer. She says, don’t worry. She’ll save him the trouble. She grabs her bag and walks out.

Laura tells Charlotte, don’t worry. She’ll make sure Charlotte’s papa is safe. They’re going to figure all of this out. Charlotte says, Anna can tell that she knows she’s bad. That’s why Anna shot her. Papa can’t trust her. Laura has to tell him. Laura says, it’s going to be all right, she promises. Close her eyes and get some rest. It’s going to be okay. She kisses Charlotte’s forehead and leaves.

In the hallway, Anna says she really needs to talk to Charlotte, but Elizabeth says, it’s only family. Anna says, it will only take one minute, but Elizabeth says, it’s not possible. Laura comes out of Charlotte’s room and Elizabeth goes in. Valentin comes out of the stairwell, and Laura tells Anna that Charlotte’s just fallen back to sleep. Anna says, she doesn’t understand. It’s imperative that she speak with Charlotte right now. Laura says she really thinks Anna should wait… but Anna says, it can’t wait. She has to tell her… Laura says, Anna can’t go in there. Charlotte is terrified of her. She thinks Anna shot her on purpose. Anna cries and says she didn’t, and Valentin hangs his head, as he should.

On Monday… they show scenes from several days ago, so I’m not sure what that means. Either it’s a mistake, or we’re going to be forced to watch news-not-news.

💣 He’s Just Misunderstood…

They’ll have to dig deep to find some redeeming qualities.

Nathanyael Grey Insists GH’s Mason Isn’t All Bad

🍕 Didn’t Think So…

What would the Q mansion be without her? My money’s on her coming back for Thanksgiving pizza.

Jane Elliot Is Not Leaving GENERAL HOSPITAL!

👻 Fun And Games…

The kids always look like they’re having a good time off-camera.

Backstage at GH’s Halloween With Scarlett Fernandez

🏆 For Real This Time…

As predicted, the main event of the Daytime Emmys will be aired on December 15th.

The 2023 Daytime Emmys Ceremony Will be Held in December!

👖 It’s Not The Pants…

I knew there was a reason I liked Sutton so much. This is it.

Sutton Is The Best Housewife, Argue With The Wall

👠 Bouncing Back…

Hopefully, she can keep the momentum going. Talk about making (hard) lemonade out of lemons.

https://extratv.com/2023/11/08/ariana-madix-on-fan-support-at-bravocon-and-her-resiliency-exclusive/

🍸 Her Calendar Is Full…

Why would she come back? Just to be harassed by Erika and get offers of fake friendship from Kyle? It’s not like she has nothing to do.

Lisa Vanderpump Reveals if She Would Return to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

And while we’re on the subject.

Everything We Know About Vanderpump Rules Season 11

🌁 Lasting Long Enough For Last…

2025? Really? Although I can hardly blame Pedro Pascal.

https://ew.com/tv/the-last-of-us-season-2-everything-we-know/

https://collider.com/gladiator-2-filming-start-pedro-pascal-last-of-us/

🛟 Like They’re On A Water Slide…

The short answer: yes. The golden years with Captain Lee and Kate are over, but we’ll always have Couch Talk.

Is Below Deck Going Downhill?

⚰️ A Diabolical Plot…

Of course, he’s not against reviving the original series. It’s got to be a billion dollar franchise by now. And brilliant idea to merge all the Deads into one big kumbaya Dead.

https://winteriscoming.net/2023/11/09/the-walking-dead-boss-not-against-reviving-the-original-series/

🦥 This Guy…

I’m obsessed with 90 Day Fiancé and all its spin-offs. I don’t include it here because I already give it too much time. If this guy’s mother wasn’t living in the closet, it might be fun to live there. For about a week. I love the annoyed chihuahua.

https://people.com/90-day-fiance-clayton-introduces-5-roommates-including-two-guinea-pigs-exclusive-8386660

🐩 You Didn’t Think I Was Done…

Oh, come on, just one more.

https://www.homecrux.com/celebrity-pet-halloween-costumes/181675/

🍿 Quotes of the Week

Never trust humans just to let things be. – David (Mike Colter), Extinction

I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion. – Alexander the Great

Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow. – Ronald E. Osborn

It is never too late to be what you might have been. – George Eliot

It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end. – Ursula K. Le Guin

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. – Eleanor Roosevelt

Many things—such as loving, going to sleep, or behaving unaffectedly—are done worst when we try hardest to do them. – C.S. Lewis, Studies in Medieval Literature, compiled in Words to Live By

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. – Thomas Edison

An idea is a fart your brain makes. But if you patent an idea, it’s an asset. – Rufus Griswold (Michael Trucco), Fall of the House of Usher

🍠 Keep Your Yams To Yourself…

On Sunday, stop the scaries by dropping in for some Fear. Until then, stay safe, stay considering going out for Thanksgiving dinner (nothing says Thanksgiving like Oysters Rockefeller!), and stay toasting to the battle, freedom, and survival.

Nov8

November 7, 2023 – A Lot Of Guilt To Go Around, Healing Thoughts, Boys Of GH, Take a Stroll, Emmy News, Oops, More Maurice, Viva Las Bravo, Next Year, Holiday Treats & Celebrate

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Doc and Laura come out of the hospital elevator, and Valentin thanks them for coming. Laura says, of course (🍷), and Doc asks, where is Charlotte? Valentin says, she’s in surgery, and Laura asks, what happened? Valentin says, she was shot, and Doc and Laura look stunned. Laura asks, who would do something like that? and Valentin says, it was Anna. Laura says, oh my God, no.

Anna stands on the terrace at Sonny’s penthouse. He tells her, good morning, but she’s not sure what’s good about it. He asks if she got any sleep, but she says, every time she closes her eyes, it just plays like a movie in her head, over and over again. Her finger on the trigger, the gun recoiling, the shot. It was just so loud in that small apartment. It just kind of echoed down the hallway. She can still hear it.

Gregory goes to Alexis’s office and says, he wanted to see her? She thanks him for coming, and he asks if everything is all right. She says she needs his input, and he says, she knows how he loves to share his opinion. What’s the problem? She says, it’s a question of journalistic ethics, and he says, that sounds heavy. She says, it is. Is she required to report the shooting of a child?

Jordan comes into the station, and Mac says, they’ve been waiting for her. She says she got there as soon as she could, and he tells her, Dante was the detective on the scene last night. They go into the interrogation room, and Jordan says she has a lot of questions for Dante. Mac says, tell them exactly what happened, and Robert adds, and why it did.

At Volonino’s Gym, Devon, who has prosthetic legs, asks Curtis, where is everybody? The gym seems quiet. Curtis says, this gym is kind of private. His good friend’s husband owns it. Sonny Corinthos? Devon says, Curtis is a lucky guy to have such good friends, and Curtis says, they’ve definitely stuck by him, even though he tried to push them away.

Sam answers a knock at the door, and says, oh my God – Drew! He says, sorry he didn’t call, and she says, it’s really him. They hug, and he asks if it’s a bad time, but she says, no. It’s never a bad time. She can’t believe he’s out of prison.

While he lifts hand weights, Devon says, this is the time you need your friends the most. Why did Curtis push them away? Curtis asks how he does it, and Devon says he thought he was the one asking a question. Curtis says, Devon’s always so positive and upbeat. He doesn’t know if he’d have made it out of rehab without him. Devon says, Curtis put in the work. He just gave Curtis a bit of inspiration. Curtis says, Devon was dealt a bad hand, but always has a smile on his face. What’s his secret? Devon says, Curtis is seeing who he is today. He wasn’t always this way. He had years of bitterness and resentments it’s taken a lifetime of work to overcome. And that work never ends.

Sam asks when Drew got out, and he says, last night. He went to see Carly, and obviously his next stop was to see his girl. He missed Scout like crazy. Is she awake? She says, she’s actually sleeping right now. Scout’s probably exhausted from the Halloween party at Kelly’s, but she can wake Scout up. He says, it’s probably better if she doesn’t. He doesn’t want her to hear this. Carly got a call that Charlotte was shot, and Danny was trick-or-treating with her before it happened. Sam says, yeah. They didn’t know she was shot when they came home last night; they only knew she was missing. Danny was really shaken up. He felt guilty and responsible. He said that he should have been the one that kept Charlotte with them. Drew says, he shouldn’t have to carry all that, and she says she told him that he doesn’t have to take responsibility for his friends, but he felt guilty. He’s just like his father. He wants to save the entire world, but he can’t. He asks if Danny knows Charlotte was shot, and she says, Dante came home this morning to tell him and Rocco. They were dreading it, but they didn’t want him to read it on social media or anything. They thought it was best if it came from them. He says, that had to have been a tough conversation. How was Rocco? She says, it hit hm pretty hard. He broke down in Dante’s arms. All Dante could do was hold him, and she could tell Danny was holding back tears, but he wanted to stay strong. Drew asks if they have someone they can talk to, like a therapist, and she says she already set it up. And she talked to Elizabeth. Jake was at the scene of the shooting. He’s pretty traumatized too. He says, that is a lot to deal with, especially at their age. Please, she’s got to tell him if there’s anything he can do. Now that he’s back, there’s so much he needs to make up for.

Alexis tells Gregory that she doesn’t know all the details, but she knows the identities of those involved, and two of them are members of her family. He asks if everyone’s all right, but she says, no. This was a tragic accident. He asks, what happened? and she says, he’s aware that Anna has been the target of harassment? He says he knows her house was burned down. The police said it was arson. She says, shortly after that, the broke into her hotel and destroyed her clothes and left her a threatening message. He asks how this relates to the shooting of a child, and she says, Anna’s been on edge for months. So last night, she comes home to an intruder in her apartment. So she takes out her gun and fires, straight into Charlotte Cassadine. He says, Valentin’s daughter was the intruder? He finds it hard to imagine a teenage girl breaking into an apartment. (Really? I don’t.) She says, the police are still trying to piece this all together, but the bottom line is, Anna shot an innocent child, so she’s going to have a lot to answer to. (Wow. A lot of assumption on her part.) He says, but the big question is, what was Charlotte doing in that apartment?

Valentin says, so he realized she had to be headed to Anna’s apartment, and Laura asks if he thinks she wanted to leave another threatening message. Doc asks how she got in, but Valentin says he doesn’t know. He doesn’t know what her intentions were, and he doesn’t know what she’s capable of. Laura says, he got there after the shooting? and he says, yeah. He wanted to intercept her, but he was too late. The door was open, and he looked inside, and Anna was leaning over Charlotte.

Robert asks if Dante talked to Anna, and Dante says, she claims when she left her apartment, she locked the door. When she got back around 9:30 pm, the door was unlocked. She drew her gun, she thought she saw an intruder in her apartment with a weapon, she fired. Robert says, let’s talk about the legal culpability here. Could Anna face criminal charges? It’s not against the law to defend your own property with a gun. Jordan says, it depends, and he says, on what? She says, on if Anna could reasonably expect Charlotte to be there. And if that’s the case, Anna could be in real trouble.

Sonny hands Anna a coffee mug, and she thanks him. He says he knows she’s a tea drinker, but he thought she’d need something stronger than that. She says she’s often wondered why Corinthos went for coffee. Out of all the legitimate businesses out there, why did he choose this? He says, Don Corleone had already chosen olive oil, so he wanted the next best thing. He laughs and says, he had a lot of contacts in South America. She says, that doesn’t sound suspicious, but he says, it’s not what she thinks. Most of the coffee in the world is grown there, and it’s a big industry. Remember when all the coffee houses were going up? He wanted to get in before the market flooded. She says, that’s smart, when Nina comes out. She asks if everything is all right, but Anna says, no, it’s not.

Doc asks if Anna said what happened, but Valentin tells him that he didn’t hear anything she said. The paramedics got there right away. Doc asks if Anna went to the police, but Valentin says he doesn’t know. He knows she came here to explain. Laura asks how you explain shooting a 15-year-old girl, and Valentin says he couldn’t talk to her. He couldn’t wrap his head around the idea she’d shoot Charlotte. He still can’t. (Is it me? Why is this all so hard to put together?)

Sonny says, Anna needed a place to stay last night, and she arrived late, and Nina says she knows Anna got a new place. Are they not ready for her to move in yet? Sonny says, it’s not like that, and Anna says she should be the one to tell her. Nina says, tell her what? What’s going on? Anna says, it’s Charlotte, and Nina asks if something happened to Charlotte. Anna starts to cry and says, it was an accident. She shot her.

Mac asks how Charlotte got into the apartment, but Dante says he doesn’t know. Maybe she had a key. There was no sign of forced entry. Like he said before, Anna said she locked the door before she left, and it was unlocked when she got back. Jordan asks if Anna would have given Charlotte a key, but Dante says he doesn’t know. Robert says he can’t imagine she would do that. She just moved into that place. She’s going to say to Charlotte, drop by after you’re finished with Halloween, and by the way, I’ll give you a key? That doesn’t make any sense. Dante says, according to Jake Webber, Charlotte did have a key in her possession. She said it was her key to getting everything she wanted. Mac asks, what the hell does that mean? and Dante says, that’s what he wants to find out. Jordan says, obviously, she had a key to the apartment, but Anna was unaware. That’s why she came in the door shooting. Robert says, well, she wasn’t expecting Charlotte. And he can tell them who she was expecting.

Sam asks if Drew knew he was getting out. Did Diane get a message to him? He says, no. The whole thing was just so sudden. He was sitting on his cot, the guards walked in and said, come on, Cain, let’s go. You’re released. He didn’t even believe it. He didn’t have to get up in front of the prison board; he didn’t have to speak to the warden. Nothing. Next thing he knew, he was in his own clothes and on his way home. She says, Carly must be really excited for him, and he tells her, you could say that. She told him who was responsible for his release. Sam says, who was it? and he says, your mother.

Gregory tells Alexis that they have to assume Charlotte was there uninvited. If Anna was expecting her, she wouldn’t have pulled a gun. Alexis says, that’s why she’s holding off on publishing. They need more facts. They can’t speculate about this. He says, her cousin must be devastated, and she say she hasn’t been able to reach him. Obviously, he’s in agony. He says, if she didn’t know any of the people involved, if they weren’t family, would she publish? She says, this is what she’s been struggling with all morning. Obviously, the shooting of a child is newsworthy. And it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks about the Second Amendment, gun violence is real, and this should be reported. He says, so she’s going to publish it? and she says she thinks she has to. But the victim is a minor and out of respect for her family, she’s not going to mention any names. He says, she’s making a good call on a difficult story, and Alexis looks like she has a headache. I disagree with that call. I think she was right the first time. They need more facts. For instance, it’s not like Charlotte was shot in her own home. She let herself into an apartment where she wasn’t invited. In the dark. In a Hermit costume.

Curtis says, a lifetime of work. He’s not sure he has the stamina for that. Devon says, it’s perfectly normal to doubt yourself, just keep pushing through it. Curtis says, but how do you do it? Devon makes it look so easy, and Curtis knows he’s going to have a struggle on his hands. Devon says, they both have disabilities, but they’re coming from very different places. He was born without legs. He doesn’t know what it’s like to walk without prosthetics. Curtis went from an active, vital man to a wheelchair. That’s a huge adjustment. He still has times of frustration and resentment. Does Curtis know how hard it was to watch the other kids run around the playground? Curtis says he’s sorry. He had no idea. He feels selfish complaining right now, but Devon tells him not to feel sorry for him. There are plenty of times he does that for himself. He tries not to wallow in it. Like it or not, it’s who he is. Just focus on moving forward. Curtis says he’s not sure he knows how to do that.

Alexis hangs up the phone and tells Gregory that she really hopes she’s making the right call. He says, she is. Don’t second guess herself. She says she’s been consumed with this all morning. She didn’t even ask. How is he feeling? Or is that a stupid question to ask somebody with ALS? He laughs and says, no. He appreciates it. Most people just tap-dance around the subject. They’re afraid to ask like it’s some dirty little secret. He’s happy with the new specialist Finn recommended. He’s a straightshooter; he doesn’t sugarcoat anything. He says Gregory’s ALS is progressing, but it’s impossible to put a timeframe on it. So he has no idea how long it’s going to be before he’s in a wheelchair. He gets up and says, which is why he needs to get moving on his bucket list. Has she changed her mind about skydiving?

Scout comes downstairs, and says, daddy? You’re home! She runs to him, and he picks her up, hugging her. Sam smiles.

Dante says, that’s some pretty cryptic sounding stuff, but Robert says he can’t tell them everything. Some of it’s classified Bureau stuff. Jordan says, he has to tell him everything he knows, and Robert says, Anna dug up this old document, which has the name of a former agent attached to it. She figured this guy has been stalking her. Dante asks if Robert has seen the document, and Robert says, Anna laid out what her theory was, and he agreed. Mac says, so this mystery person is still out there, and Robert says, yeah, and he can pull this again. But this time, it might be fatal. This guy’s prepared to do whatever’s necessary to suppress this information. Jordan says, so that means Anna definitely wasn’t expecting Charlotte to be at her apartment, and Robert says, correct. She entered the apartment, saw this figure holding what looked like a weapon, and figured, this person’s going to kill me. So she exercised the only option she had, which was to shoot. Soap looks all around.

Valentin tells Laura and Doc that Dr. Gatlin-Holt went right to work on Charlotte when they arrived. He must have gotten some information, but he couldn’t process it or tell them what was said. He doesn’t know where Charlotte was shot. What if it’s near the heart? Laura says, they don’t know any of that. Try not to speculate. It’s just going to make him crazy. He says, all he knows is that the bullet is still inside of her, and they’re going to remove it, and they’re going to repair the damage, but he can’t get his head around the idea. Doc says, let him see what he can find out, and Laura says she’ll go with him, unless Valentin wants her to stay, but Valentin says, go. They leave, and he takes out his phone. His thumb hovers over Anna’s number, and Nina comes out of the elevator. He goes to her, and they hug and cry.

Anna tells Sonny that she just doesn’t understand what Charlotte was doing in that apartment. How did she get in there? There was no sign of forced entry. She had to have used a key. He says he’s assuming Anna didn’t give her a key, and she says, no. She lost her own key. She had to get one from the super. Sonny asks if she knows what Charlotte was doing before she shot her, and Anna shakes her head. She says, there was a figure with a hood bending over this trunk that she has, and then they turned, and she saw what she thought was a weapon. He says, that’s understandable. She felt threatened. She says she’s been so on edge lately; she jumps at the slightest thing. Sonny was right. She should never have gotten rid of the bodyguard. If he had been there, this wouldn’t have happened. He says, she can’t blame herself, and she asks what he’s talking about. If she – Anna chokes up – if Charlotte… If Charlotte doesn’t make it, it’s her fault. He puts his arm around her as she cries.

Valentin thanks Nina for coming, and she says, of course (🍷). They’re in this together. She’s not letting him go through this alone. He says, this is his fault, but she says, feeling guilty is only going to make this more difficult. He says, if he’d warned Anna that Charlotte was her stalker right away, this never would have happened; she’d have never pulled a gun. Nina says, Valentin made a mistake not telling Anna right away, but Anna made a big mistake and Charlotte did too. (Why are they blaming Anna so hard? The flashlight did look like a gun.) He says, she’s a child, and Nina says she understands that, but her point is, there’s a lot of guilt to go around. He doesn’t have to carry the burden all by himself. Speculating on what he should have done isn’t going to make the situation any easier. He says, they should have confronted Charlotte the moment they saw that security footage, and she hustles him over to the waiting area, suggesting they not talk about the footage. It’s gone. He says, what if his daughter is gone? and they sit. Nina says, they have to be positive. Charlotte is alive. She’s a fighter. They have to believe in her. They have to believe she’s going to make it.

Anna tells Sonny that she’s a professional. She’s been trained in firearms. She knows when to shoot and when not to shoot. He tells her not to beat herself up, and she says she went into that apartment like she was on a mission; like she expected to be fired at. But she wasn’t. She was a 15-year-old girl. He says, she didn’t know that, and she cries some more. She says she saw movement and she reacted. She didn’t stop and access the situation the way she’s been trained to at the Academy. Not shoot first and ask questions later. Maybe she didn’t see movement. Maybe she just imagined it. But she did fire and she hit her target. And they went down, and they didn’t move. It seemed like it was in slow motion, but it could have only taken two seconds. And Jake came and said Charlotte’s name… That’s when she realized what she’d done. She begins to weep again.

Mac tells Dante to go home and get some rest, and Jordan thanks him. She knows things were intense when he was on administrative leave, but she’s glad to have him back. Dante says, just keep him updated on Charlotte’s condition, and he leaves. In the squad room, an officer tells Dante, CSI sent this up. He gives Dante an envelope and says, the inventory on Charlotte Cassadine’s back. Dante thanks him and starts flipping through it.

Alexis says she would do anything to support Gregory, but she’s not jumping out of a plane. Please don’t make her. She’s afraid of heights and she still doesn’t understand how planes stay up in the air (ha-ha! she’s me), and she doesn’t understand how anyone would think jumping out of a plane would be fun. Really. What’s wrong with them? He laughs and says, it’s supposed to be an exhilarating feeling, but he’s going to let her off the hook. She agreed to ax throwing and hot yoga, so he’s not going to push this one. Besides – he takes a paper out of his pocket and unfolds it – he thinks he still has some less risky items on his list. She says, good. Her stomach thanks him. He says, she’s in the clear. He knows she has a lot to do, so he’s going to take off. She thanks him for the talk, but he says, she doesn’t have to thank him. She says she appreciates that and thanks him again. He leaves.

Scout says she’s so happy Drew’s home. She missed him so much. He says he missed her too. He thought about her every single day. They hug, and she says, really? He says, every hour of every day. He couldn’t wait to get home to her. She asks if it’s over. Does he have to go back to prison? He says, no. He’s here to stay. And you know what made him feel so much better when he was gone? The plaque she got for swimming. Scout says, Sam really gave it to him? and Sam says she told Scout that she was going to. Drew says he’s so proud of her. Next season, he’s going to be at every single meet, he promises. She asks if he got out in time to go trick-or-treating, but he says, the lights were turned out by then. She says, that’s okay, because she got a whole bunch of candy for him. He says, that’s his girl, and she asks if he wants some now. She got all his favorites. Sam says she thinks it’s a little early for candy, and Drew says, maybe she’s right. How about if Scout gets dressed, because there’s something really important that he needs her help with. Scout says, okay, and goes upstairs.

Devon says, for Curtis to move forward, he needs to talk about his feelings and share his experience with others. If he keeps it in and hides it from the people who love him, it will destroy him. So let it out. Let his beautiful family see who he is now.

Dante comes home and tells Sam that he wishes he was still on administrative leave. Then he wouldn’t be having to deal with this. He saw Charlotte on a gurney. She asks if there’s any update on Charlotte’s condition, but he says, she’s still in surgery as far as he knows. This whole thing is unbelievable. How are Rocco and Danny? He can’t believe he had to go back to work after telling them about Charlotte. She says, they were still a mess, and they didn’t want to stay at the house. They needed a distraction, so she let them go to their friend’s house. Drew got out of prison. Scout’s with him now. Dante says, that’s good news, and she asks how it went at the station. He says, taking statements, bagging evidence… A 15-year-old girl’s been shot. None of this makes any sense at this point. It’s someone close to them too. He knows it’s extenuating circumstances, but try telling that to Anna, the one who pulled the trigger.

Anna tells Sonny, this is so surreal. It’s like she was outside of her body watching everything. Then inside her head, she was screaming, no, no, no. Please don’t let it be Charlotte, but she knew it was her. He says, unfortunately, he knows the feeling. When Dante first came to town, he didn’t know Dante was his son, because originally, Dante kept it from him for years. He didn’t know Dante was an undercover cop. So Dante gained his trust and arrested him. And he shot Dante, point blank. She says she did hear about that. That must have been just awful. Sonny says, he was bleeding out on the floor. Olivia came in. She yelled out, you shot your own son. So he knows about that moment. It’s the shot that’s unbearable. She says, even before she took the hood off of Charlotte, she thought, this is such a tiny figure lying here, and the weapon, it was a flashlight she was carrying. He says, she didn’t know that. So then her survival instincts kicked in. She scrunches down in the chair and says, this is such a nightmare. How could she have been so reckless to have fired on an unarmed child? She doesn’t know how she’s going to live with that. She doesn’t know how.

Jordan says, there’s something they need to discuss, and it’s right in this room. Mac says, what? and she says, us. Mac’s acting Police Commissioner, Robert’s the DA, she’s the Deputy Mayor. They all have closer relationship to Anna. Robert says he was married to her – he laughs – twice. She says, even Dante, who was the first investigator on the scene, has a close relationship with Anna. She just doesn’t want anyone thinking this is a cover-up. Mac says, there’s nothing to cover up. They’re not hiding anything. Nor are they giving Anna any preferential treatment. Jordan says she gets that, but they all need to recognize their connections to Anna might compromise the case. Robert asks what she’s suggesting, and she says, that they might have to bring in an outside investigator.

Curtis asks, what about Devon? Does he have any kids? Devon says, two incredible sons. They’re his whole world. They’re devoted to each other. He’s proud to say they’re great human beings. Curtis says he doesn’t doubt that they are. He has a daughter, a lovely wife, his dad, his auntie, his nephew… He has really good friends who he calls family, so he guesses that makes it a big family. Devon says, it’s time to let them in. Let them see who he really is.

Doc tells Laura that he’s sorry. He wishes he could have found out more. She says, that’s okay. She’s sure Valentin will appreciate the effort. She supposes right now all they can do is wait and pray. Doc says, they’ll need to do a lot more than pray. Charlotte’s in real trouble, and he doesn’t mean medically or legally. That child is broken. She says, then they have to do everything they can to fix her. He says, her physical recovery will be a lot easier than her emotional one, and Laura says she’ll never give up on Charlotte. She cries and he holds her.

On the phone, Alexis says, get them to her as soon as she can. Scout comes in and she says she’s got to run. She asks what Scout is doing here, hugging her, and Scout says she has a big surprise for Alexis. Alexis says, bigger than her showing up here on her own? Scout says, yep, and she’s not here on her own. Look who she brought with her. Drew walks in.

Curtis says, his wife keeps asking him how he feels, and Devon asks what he tells her. Curtis says he gives her the same standard answer; it’s all good, babe. But in reality, he’s far from good. Devon says, his wife just wants to help. Keeping her in the dark won’t do either of them any good. Curtis says, he’s right. It’s not fair. From now on, he’s going to tell his wife the truth. He wants to start moving forward. Devon says, okay. Are they done talking now? Let’s get back to work. Curtis says, he’s going to take the tens this time.

Alexis hugs Drew and says she’s so happy to see him. She tells Scout that she was right. This is a big surprise. Drew tells her that it was his idea to see her, but the set-up was all Scout. Alexis asks how happy Scout is to see her daddy, and Scout says, it’s the best. Drew says, it is the best. He got released last night, and he knows she played a pivotal role in that. He thanks her, but she says she’s not taking credit. It was Sonny, it was Carly, it was Diane, it was Gregory… He says he knows they were all involved, but his sources tell him that she was the one to seal the deal, and he’s so grateful. If there’s anything he can do to repay her, she’s got it. She says, the smile on her granddaughter’s face is good enough, and she hugs Scout. She tells Drew, get in here, and they have a three-way hug.

Valentin asks if Doc was able to find out anything, and Doc says he had to leave word for Dr. Gatlin-Holt, but he did speak to the surgical coordinator. Charlotte sustained a single gunshot wound to the abdomen. Valentin asks if there’s any word from the OR, but Doc says, nothing yet, and Nina says she’s sure they’ll hear something soon. Laura thanks her for coming, and Nina says she loves Charlotte. She wanted to be here. Valentin asks how Nina knew to come; he didn’t call her. Nina says, Anna slept over at the penthouse, and she didn’t know about Charlotte until this morning. Laura asks, how is Anna? and Nina says, outwardly, she seem calm, but underneath it all, she’s sure Anna is shattered. She thinks Anna’s still in shock. A surgeon approaches them, and Valentin asks, how’s Charlotte? Is his little girl going to be all right?

Dante tells Sam, so Charlotte took off on the kids, and Jake followed her to Anna’s house. Sam wonders how Charlotte got into Anna’s house. She can’t see Charlotte picking a lock. He says, there’s a lot about Charlotte they don’t know. What they do know is, Anna got to her house, the front door was unlocked, there was an intruder in her apartment. She pulled her gun and fired, and it’s not illegal. Sam says, but the intruder was an unarmed teenager, and Dante says, but Anna was threatened. She thought she saw a weapon. Sam says, what baffles her is what Charlotte was doing there in the first place, and he says he has a theory. He doesn’t know if it holds water yet. She asks what he’s got, and he says, they found Charlotte’s backpack. In it was red spray paint and it matched the paint that was on Anna’s front door. Sam says, murderer, and he says, and then Anna’s house burned down.

Sonny tells Anna, there are some burdens that are too heavy to carry, and some mistakes too terrible to live with. She says, but she has to live with this. She doesn’t have a choice. She has to find a way to come to terms with her actions, and she doesn’t know how to do that. He says, that’s why he prays. In his darkest hours, he gets down on his knees and asks God to give him the strength. Maybe she should try it. She says, he’s a good Catholic as all mob bosses are, but he says he doesn’t know about good, and laughs. She says, he’s a man of faith then. She’s just a lapsed Anglican. She hasn’t been in church for a while. The last time she was in church, she was on a mission actually. He says, that’s all right. God always listens to him. He doesn’t know where he’d be if he didn’t believe in Him. His phone rings, and he says, it’s Nina. He asks if she’s at the hospital, and Nina says, yes. Charlotte’s out of surgery. The doctor said she’s going to make it. Sonny tells Anna that Charlotte’s going to be okay, and Anna breathes a sigh of relief.

Tomorrow, Tracy says, Brook can have her cake and eat it too; Lois asks if Eddie/Ned isn’t curious about the rest; Maxie says, of course (🍷) they’re interested; and Sonny accuses Ava of being in bed with the enemy.

📡 Sending Good Vibes…

Here’s praying he comes through with flying colors.

Jon Lindstrom Asks for “Healing Thoughts” for John J. York

🚑 Goodbye And Happy Anniversary…

Aging Danny up and out.

Zakary Risinger Says Goodbye to GENERAL HOSPITAL

And keeping Wiley. I miss those other kids who moved to France though.

Viron Weaver Celebrates His GENERAL HOSPITAL Anniversary!

🏥 Laura’s Memory Lane…

She’s been on (and off) the show for a long time. I wonder if she dreams in Laura.

Genie Francis Shares Her Favorite GH Moments (EXCLUSIVE)

🏆 Half An Answer…

Apparently, the Daytime Emmys will be on December 16-17 – so good it takes an entire weekend? – but still nothing on when the soaps will figure in. The speculation is the 15th, but there’s nothing definite.

The 2023 Daytime Emmy Awards Are Being Rescheduled!

🍾 Random Events…

He doesn’t say if she gave him a black eye afterward.

https://ew.com/celebrity/john-stamos-elizabeth-taylor-general-hospital-set-yelling-old-lady/

📖 An Open Book…

I love this guy. He must help a lot of people by sharing his personal life.

https://people.com/general-hospital-s-maurice-benard-talks-living-with-bipolar-disorder-8387469

🥂 The Biggest Con Of All…

No recaps for RHOSLC or that horrible House yet, so here are some highlights from Andy’s Kingdom in Vegas.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/bravocon-2023-recap-real-housewives-captain-jason-1235638139/

The tears.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/bravocon-kyle-richards-cries-while-talking-about-mauricio-breakup

The boos.

https://people.com/bravocon-2023-rhonj-teresa-giudice-booed-not-leaving-bravo-8385173

Crowd Chants ‘Fire Teresa’ at BravoCon as Andy Cohen Teases RHONJ Season 14

The absentee.

RHONY’s Jenna Lyons Explains Why She Skipped BravoCon

Awards for bringing the drama.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/the-bravos-awards-at-bravocon-2023-pics-details

🐉 Dragon Their Feet…

Although it isn’t as long as we’ve been waiting for that last book. Write faster, George R.R. Martin.

https://ew.com/tv/house-of-the-dragon-season-2-summer-2024-return/

🍰 Bake Me A Cake…

It might be worth watching just for Joel McHale.

https://ew.com/tv/the-great-american-baking-show-celebrity-holiday-cast-reveal/

🤸‍♀️ Jumping In Leaves…

Join me tomorrow for soap and finding fault with Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay just pushing through it when you doubt yourself, and stay not hiding your feelings from the people who love you.

Nov6

November 5, 2023 – Dwight Tries To Make Something Good From Something Bad & Climbing

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

A man goes inside an abandoned house, kicking garbage out of his way. He lights a lantern. We see it’s Dwight. He looks at a framed photo of Sherry and himself in better days, and flashes back to Daryl telling him, make it right. He tries to rest, but is unsuccessful, so he whittles. He hears something and checks the house. He hears a man coughing in one of rooms, slips into the room, and grabs the man in the dark. The man says he thought the place was empty, but Dwight says, it’s not. The man asks if Dwight lives here, but Dwight says, it doesn’t matter. The man tells Dwight that his name is Jay, and Dwight asks if he’s going to walk out, or does he want Dwight to drag him out? Jay says he got robbed, and he’ll die if he doesn’t get what they stole back. Dwight says, there’s nothing valuable anymore, but Jay says, there is if you’re a diabetic; he had insulin in his bag. Dwight says, he’s full of sh*t. There’s no insulin left. Jay says, there was in his group. They had a guy who could make it, and he believed in miracles until the thieves killed him. They took everything, and with what he had he would have made it through the week. Dwight asks if Jay is messing with him. Does Jay expect him to believe this is a coincidence? Who told him? Jay asks, who told him what? and Dwight gets him down on the floor. He asks, who told Jay about him? Jay said he had a week’s supply. What happens after? Jay says he doesn’t know, but a week in hell is better than being dead. Please. He lost everyone. He owes it to them to make things right, however much time he has left. Dwight asks if Jay knows where the thieves are at, and Jay says he does.

Outside the old Sanctuary, zombies growl, and Dwight asks Jay if the guys who took his medicine are in there. Jay says, yeah, and Dwight says, good luck. He’s going to ask one more time, who told Jay about him? Jay asks why Dwight thinks someone else is involved, and Dwight says, the last time he helped someone get insulin, he ended up here. Jay says, at the factory? and Dwight says, they didn’t call it that then. Jay asks what it was called, and Dwight flashes back to when he lived there under Negan’s oppression. Dwight says, the Sanctuary. His life has been sh*t since he set foot in there. He doesn’t know if it’s Jay or the universe playing a sick joke on him, but he’s not going in there for anyone. Jay says, they’re not that different. His wife was everything to him. They killed her and their son too. Dwight came back alone, and Jay thinks Dwight lost someone too. If they don’t help each other, what are they even doing here? Dwight thinks a moment, and says, all right. He’ll meet Jay back at the house. Dwight looks at the zombie chained to the perimeter fence, and walks around, checking out the lay of the land.

Dwight sneaks inside, and creeps around. He sees windowed double-doors, a light shining behind them, and flashes back to Sanctuary life again. He goes into the room and rifles through the bags. He finds the insulin and finds a picture of Jay with his wife and son. He runs to the exit and sees the symbol for infinity etched on the wall. He looks through the furnace door window at the flames inside and sees the iron hanging next to the furnace and remembers Negan burning his face with the iron. A gun cocks and a voice says, turn around, a-hole. Dwight turns and guard Phil asks what he has there. Dwight says, they took someone’s medicine, and he’s here to get it back. Phil says, somebody did a number on Dwight’s face, and Dwight says, he’ll walk out, and Phil will never have to see his face again. Phil says, Dwight stole from them, and needs to be made an example. They’ll start on the other side of his face. In a lightening swift move, Dwight grabs Phil and shoves – no, shoots – him into the blazing furnace. I’m in awe. A bullet grazes Dwight, and a man asks what the hell he thinks he’s doing. A bunch of men run in and their leader Marty says, they’ll find out. Dwight jets out of the building, and wonders where Jay is. He calls to Jay and zombie Jay comes out from behind the bushes. Dwight knifes him in the head, and says, Daryl should have killed him when he had the chance. He tried make it right. He guesses he couldn’t. Daryl should have killed him. Please come and do it now. He cries – aww – and yells, please! A car approaches and pulls up. Sherry gets out, and asks what Dwight is doing here. She came to find him. June gets out and says she needs him. He passes out.

Inside somewhere, Sherry stitches Dwight up, and he says, they need to get out. Sherry asks, what happened? Who did this? The guy outside? He says, no, and she says, then who? but he says, it doesn’t matter. If they’re seen, those guys will kill them. June says, they’re almost done, and tells Sherry, pinch, pierce, then pull. Dwight asks if June shouldn’t be doing this, but June says, it’s better this way. Dwight says, they need to go, but June says, they’re not leaving without him. Sherry says, a fight is coming, and Dwight asks, what kind of fight? June says, one they can’t win without him, and Sherry says, Troy has a score to settle. He wants to take PADRE from Madison. Dwight says, sounds like her fight, but Sherry says, Madison is MIA, and Victor is in charge. Dwight says, he’s still alive? and she says, a lot has happened since he’s been gone. He asks what it has to do with him, and Sherry says, he’s trained a lot of kids. June says, they trust him and will listen to him, but he says, nothing he does or says to them will help them do any better. He asks why Dove is here, and Dove says, PADRE is the only home she’s known. Without it, she’s got nothing. Dwight gets up, and says he can’t help save those kids. He couldn’t save his own son. June says, that’s not his fault, but he says, it doesn’t matter. Every time he tries to make something right, someone gets hurt. Sherry says, that’s not true, and Dwight says, the guy outside needed insulin, just like her sister. He asked Dwight for help, and he died. The best thing he can do for PADRE and the kids is leave here alone. Sherry asks if he thinks she wanted to come. She came for their son. He says, Finch is gone, but she says, PADRE isn’t. He says, that place is the reason Finch is dead. Why fight for it? She says, maybe something good can come from something bad, and he says, it won’t. She says, they have to try, and he asks, why? She says, Finch’s life needs to mean something. Making PADRE is how they can honor him. Dwight says he can’t go back. He’ll honor Finch in his own way. He gets up, and Sherry asks what he thinks Finch would say if his father walked away from kids who needed protection, and he says, it’s not because he doesn’t care. It’s because he does. He leaves, and June says, it’s fine, but Sherry follows him out.

The three of them go outside, and June radios Dove. Dwight asks, what’s wrong? and Sherry says, Dove has been missing since they woke up. June asks Dove to tell her where she is, when a truck pulls up with Dove driving. June says, she looks hurt, and Sherry runs to the cab. Dove is slumped against the steering wheel. Dove sits back, insisting she doesn’t need help, but June says, she looks wounded. Dove lifts her shirt and shows June a bullet wound, and June checks her out. June says, there’s no exit wound. They need to get the bullet out right away. Sherry asks, who did this? and Dove says, someone tried to steal the truck. They were looking for someone that burned their friend. Dwight says, they have to get her inside, and June says she needs anesthetics. They have to get the bullet out and the wound cleaned before Dove goes into septic shock. Dwight points out that she said we, and June says, they need medical supplies. Marty says he should have known Dove would be with them, and he and his guys come out of the woods. Marty says, sorry about the girl, but what after Dwight did to Phil, it feels like a beautiful karma. Sherry asks what he’s talking about, and Dove says, Dwight’s the one who burned their friend. Marty says, Dove doesn’t look so hot. Maybe they can help. They have top notch medical supplies, but of course Dwight already knows that, since he was inside. Sherry asks Dwight, where? and Dwight says, the Sanctuary. Marty says, tick-tock. What’s it going to be? June asks what he wants in exchange, and Marty says he wants the satisfaction Phil deserves in finishing what he started, and he intends to give it to him. If Dwight hands himself over, he’ll get the girl patched up. Dwight lowers his gun, and Sherry says, nice try, a-hole. There’s a shootout, and Sherry says, they’re going to the Sanctuary now. Dwight says, that psycho will follow them, but Sherry says, they’re on foot. The Sanctuary is 20 miles. They’ll be in and out before Marty knows it. Dwight says, another kid needs surgery. When does it end? June says, they have to help Dove, and Sherry says, they have to go now. Zombies begin toddling out of the woods, and Marty shoots at them. Dwight drives the truck out.

They bring Dove into the Sanctuary, and Dwight tells them, be careful; there could still be people here. Sherry flashes back to Negan, and Dove coughs. Shots ring out, and Dwight shoots back, but runs out of bullets. Zombie Phil scrabbles at the furnace window from inside the furnace, and June says, they need to move. She grabs supplies, and she and Sherry shove stuff in their bags, while Dwight checks the place out. He tells them, the place is clear, but they have to hurry. June says she needs lidocaine. The best they can do is inject anesthesia around the wound. Dwight and Sherry keep flashing back to their time at the Sanctuary, and June tells Sherry to clean the wound. She gives Sherry a syringe and tells her how to do the injection. Dwight says, June should do it, but June says she told him that she can’t. He wonders if it’s about what happened in the train car, but she says, it’s more than that. She tells him, as soon as it’s numb, start the extraction. Dove says she doesn’t want Dwight removing the bullet. He couldn’t save his own son, and he’s not doing the same with her. They feel a rumbling, and the building shakes. Dwight looks out at the tons of zombies who have gotten through the fence and are now pounding at the building. He says, the gunfire must have drawn them. The fence is broken, and they’re piling in. June says, it’s not going to work. The bullet is too close to one of Dove’s arteries. They might do more damage taking it out. Sherry says, the place is hanging on by a thread, and Dwight says, he’ll stay and hold them off for as long as he can. He runs out.

Sherry follows Dwight to the ammo room, and says she knows why he wants to stay and fight the zombies. He doesn’t plan on surviving. He says, maybe Dove is right, and they’re here because of him, but Sherry says, that’s defeatist bullsh*t, and Dwight says, it is what it is, honey. Dwight loads his gun, and she tells him that it doesn’t have to be this way. He says, the guy he tried to help lost more than insulin. He had a wife and kid. He shows her the photo of Jay with his family, and says, he’s about Finch’s age. He tried to help and landed them back in this hellhole. This is not a coincidence and it’s not defeatist mentality. She asks him to tell her what it is, and he points to an infinity symbol on the wall. He says he drew that when they were living here. He put them all over the place, where Negan couldn’t find them. It was them forever. It kept him going and made him feel like they could turn something bad into something good. Maybe they can, but not if he’s with them. He’s so tired of making people suffer for it. Sherry says, so he’s going to kill himself? and he says he’s going to clear the walkers. Maybe they can save Dove and honor Finch. She calls him a selfish a-hole and locks him in the room. She says, he doesn’t get to give up like this, and she leaves as he pounds on the door.

Outside, there’s a multitude of zombies, and June hears metal creaking. She says, they have to wait until the building is more stable and they need extra hands. Dove says, it’s not about June’s finger (the one Shrike removed) or what happened on the train. What’s the real reason? June says, it’s not important, but Dove says, June is a nurse. She’s got a bullet in her, and every minute they wait is a minute she’s closer to dying. June says, Dove isn’t dying. What happened to them isn’t going to happen to her. Dove asks, who’s them? and June says, Finch, Hannah, and her daughter Rose. Dove says, June has a kid? and June says, yeah. She would have been Dove’s age. Dove asks, what happened? and June says, she had pneumonia. June went out to look for medicine, came back and… it just was too late. She cries and says she couldn’t save her daughter, just like she couldn’t save Finch. Dove says, now she knows PADRE was right. June can’t protect her; none of them can. She can’t exactly say why she wanted to get away, but she didn’t come here for Red Kite. She wanted to get as far away from PADRE as she could. She was running away. June says, she told them it was the only home she’d ever known, and Dove says, was. It’s gone now, and people like June are in charge. They just let the kids down. That’s what people do who can’t get over their own sh*t. Metal bangs, and June radios Dwight and Sherry, asking, what’s happening? Do they copy? Outside battling zombies, Sherry says she’s working on it. She just locked Dwight in their old room. June asks, why? and Sherry says, PADRE needs him. The kids will follow him. They know he’s right. June says, what about her? and Sherry says she’ll keep the zombies at a distance, but June says, she can’t on her own. Sherry says, just do what she came to do; help Dove and get Dwight back to PADRE. The zombies have been pushing at the fence between them and Sherry, and it suddenly comes down, right on top of Sherry. Sherry’s gun and radio are just out of reach, and June keeps trying to get her.

Inside, Dwight tries to get out of their old room. He breaks a chair. The zombies are right on top of Sherry, along with the fence, their snapping faces just inches from hers. Dwight looks at the infinity symbol, while June keeps trying to radio Sherry. This is all very intense. Dwight hammers at the door, and the zombies keep piling on the fence. Sherry flashes back to memories of Finch. June gets into Dwight’s room and tells him that Sherry needs him. He runs out, and Sherry flashes back to burying Finch. Dwight is there, pulling the zombies off the fence, and slicing and dicing them.

Dove stands in the bathroom and groans. She’s broken a mirror and is about to take the bullet out herself with a shard. June – who’s having quite a busy episode – says, Dove will die. She needs help. Dove says she’s not getting it from them or June, and starts to cry. She’s about to cut herself, and June says, no! Stop! Dove drops the glass and falls to the floor.

Sherry asks how Dwight got out, and he says, June let him out. Sherry says she had it covered, but he tells her that she was lying to herself about honoring Finch and keeping him alive to fight for PADRE. It’s bullsh*t. She says, he’s wrong, and he says, is he? Or did she lock him up because she was planning on doing the same thing? Sherry asks if he thinks she wants to die, and he says he knows she did. She doesn’t really believe good can come from bad. She wants to, he does too, but she can’t. She says, if that’s true, she doesn’t know how she can go on living. Marty comes back and says he had the feeling he’d find them here. Sherry and Dwight run back in, and Marty goes in shooting.

The building is still shaking like crazy, and June checks Dove’s pulse. Dwight says, their friends are here. The door is locked, but it won’t hold. Sherry says, they have to go somewhere safer, and June grabs supplies. She gets on one side, Sherry on the other, and they help Dove up and out of the room. Everything starts to crumble, and zombies are coming in. June says, they’re surrounded, and Sherry shoots as many as she can. They see Marty coming, and June says, they’ve got to get out, but Dwight says, there’s nowhere to go. The zombies are getting the better of Marty and his friends, and I laugh. Light fixtures and beams start falling, and Sherry and Dwight nearly get creamed, but they jump aside at the last second. June stabs a zombie coming for her and Dove. Zombies continue to stream in, and Marty gets Dwight up against the furnace, Phil still scratching at the window. Marty says, remember how he told Dwight about giving his friend the satisfaction? He thinks he’s going to enjoy this more than Phil. He starts to open the furnace door, but Dwight grabs the iron and whacks him away with it, into a waiting zombie’s open arms. June says, they have nowhere to go, but Dwight says, the fire’s out. Let’s go inside. The building begins to collapse.

Inside the furnace, Dove asks, what happened? June says, the building is collapsing, and Dove says, it still hurts. This is never going to work. Sherry isn’t so sure this will help, but Dwight, keeping his lighter going so they can see, says, maybe it can. They hear metal clanging, and he says, the furnace is stable and will protect them from whatever is happening out there. June can do the surgery in here. June says she can’t, but he says, yes, she can. She asks how he knows, and he says, Sherry was right. Maybe something good can come from something bad. Maybe that’s the reason they wound up here. They needed each other to see it. Prepping Dove, June says she doesn’t want to hurt her, and Dove says, then don’t. Sherry says, June can do this. What happened to her, and them, doesn’t have to happen again. Maybe they just needed to work through the bad to get to the good. She half-smiles at Dwight, and June asks if Dove trusts her. Dove says, ask her again after the bullet is out, and June says, fair enough. She takes out her supplies, and Dwight keeps the lighter going.  

The oven opens and they come out. It’s practically the only thing left standing. There are a few errant zombies wandering around, and zombie Marty lies on the floor pinned there by another zombie. Dwight says, holy sh*t. It’s over. He asks how Dove is doing, and June says, she’s still resting. She’s going to be okay. Sherry looks up, and there’s a finch perched on what’s left of a wall. Are they trying to make me cry? June says, they should probably hit the road, and Dwight asks how she’s doing. June says, better, and he says he never should have left. Maybe they can turn the place into what it’s supposed to be, the way Finch wanted it to be. Sherry says she thinks they can.

Dwight says he made something for June, and gives her a finger he’s carved. He says, back in the train car, before it went the way it did, he asked her to be part of their family. He ran away, but he’s here now, so the offer still extends to her, and Dove as well. Sitting in the driver’s seat of the truck, Dove says, thank you, Red Kite, but Dwight says, she’s family. It’s Dwight. She says she’s Odessa, and he says he likes it. They should go. They have a lot of work to do. June and Sherry get into the truck, and Dwight looks around for a moment, then gets in. They pull away.

A song plays from a 45 on a turntable, something about sailing to Spain. Over the radio, we hear Russel say, nothing yet. Sorry. Troy says, his daughter is alive and well, and they will find her. We see it’s Victor’s turntable, and a little girl screams as she’s let down the hall by a man and a woman. She’s also blindfolded, and she says she hates this place. Where is she? Where’s her dad? They bring her to Victor, and in German, the man says, they found her for him. The woman asks, what does he want them to do? and Victor says, he’ll handle it. He tells the girl that he’s going to remove the blindfold. He does, and she asks, who is he? What does he want with her? He says, his name is Victor, and her eyes get huge. He says, it’s a good thing found her. She asks, why? and he says he’s going to help her. And she’s going to help him. She says, do what? and he says, save PADRE. He tries to touch her face, but she jerks away, and he smiles.

Next time, a stuck herd of zombies; Madison thinks she sees Alicia; Victor says, it’s not about him or her, but about PADRE; Troy wonders what makes them think he’ll make a deal; Victor gets attacked by zombies; Troy says, it doesn’t end well, and Luciana says, for you.

🕰 I’ve Fallen Back and I Can’t Get Up…        

Join me tomorrow for soap and yachting in the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay working through the bad to get to the good, and stay not letting anyone down because you can’t get over your own sh*t.