(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Judith’s voiceover says, for the longest time, we were fighting to survive, trying to get back what we lost. This family, my family, we would do anything to protect each other. We’re fighting now for something else, something bigger… a new beginning. But that comes with a cost. There’s always a cost. I never got to know my mom Lori. My brother Carl dreamed of a day we would live in peace. My mom Michonne tried to hang up her sword. My dad Rick was searching for mercy. And me? I guess I’m a Grimes too. She holsters her gun. I keep thinking about something my mom told me. She looks at a copy of the Constitution, and rolls it up. TJ walks in. It was a secret saying she shared with my dad; it was like a good luck charm. For me and RJ too. I was afraid to say it out loud; afraid say so many things out loud. But we didn’t know when we started this, that this would be the day everything changed forever.
Maggie and the others gather at the train. Rosita says, let’s go now, and they get in. Princess asks Magna if anyone knows how to drive a train, and Magna says she thinks one of the prisoners used to be an engineer. They load supplies, and Negan asks if Maggie has any thoughts on how they’re taking out the bitch. She says, Pamela? and he laughs. He says he gets that others have reasons of their own for going back, but no one is safe as long as Pamela is breathing. He assumes she agrees. Together, they can get this done. They don’t need the others. She closes the storage compartment, and says, we’re not a we. She sees Herschel, and gives him a hug, telling him that she loves him. Annie hugs Negan from behind, and tells him, be careful. He says she knows him; he always is. He tells her to hold down the fort, and she says, make sure he comes back in one piece. He says, yes ma’am, and everyone says their goodbyes. Judith tells Daryl that she’s coming with them, but he says, no. They need her here. She says, that’s crap. This isn’t the future her brother wanted. It’s not what her mom and dad fought for. They want to help everyone, not just themselves, and she wants to be a part of that; to make what her family believed in real. Carol says, they’ve been focused on what’s in front of them for so long, Judith is thinking, what about after? Maybe they should all do a little more of that. Daryl says, all right, but stay with him. Judith agrees, and Daryl asks Nabila to watch RJ.
Mercer brings Eugene to Max and Yumiko, and Eugene says he’s safe thanks to Max’s brother. Max hugs Mercer, and Yumiko asks why he didn’t tell them. Mercer says, it was safer this way. Some of her people have saved his ass through the years, and he won’t forget it. They need to lay low for now. Yumiko says, the people heard them. They’re angry, and they need to push them. Mercer says he needs to gather enough troops on his side to get Pamela. Yumiko and Max can stir the people, but Eugene has to stay out of sight. A sympathetic trooper opens the door, and tells Mercer that he’s out of time. The trooper radios in some bullsh*t about Mercer taking a statement, and how Mercer will come over when he’s done. They leave, and Eugene locks the door.
Zombies claw at the train, as Rosita goes over plans with Gabriel. She says, they won’t stand out as much in the wards, and can go behind the children’s house to rescue them. Gabriel says, they will get their daughter back, and she asks if that’s his faith talking. He says, in her, yes, and she says she’s glad he’s here. Tyler tells Princess, it’s weird them ending up in a place like this again. He’s sorry about what happened. She thanks him, but says she has no time for sorries. They have to contact the guy who will help. Tyler raises some kind of antenna out of an opening in the ceiling to get reception. Connie signs that she’s glad they found him, and Kelly tells him what Connie said, adding, they’ve been looking for him since Pamela’s party. Magna says, society threw him away. He was desperate and mad, but they heard him. He says he wanted Pamela to hear, but he shouldn’t have hurt people. Connie signs, he can fix his mistakes. The governor might not have listened, but soon the people of the Commonwealth will.
The people shout outside Pamela’s office window, and she tells Mercer, incompetence. They have no idea how he got away. Mercer says, clearly he had help. Some people are unhappy with the verdict. It’s going to take time to narrow down the suspect list. There have been reports of people going missing for a while, and they don’t have answers. Maybe this time, they’ll get lucky. She says, just do your job, Michael – startling me, since I’ve only thought of him as Mercer – before more people get hurt. He leaves, and she tells trooper Vickers, keep an eye on him. She wants a door-to-door search for Eugene, and they’re to shoot him on sight. Vickers asks if Pamela would like them to try and disperse the crowd, but Pamela says, she’ll find some bones to throw them. If things escalate, there’s a plan in place. Vickers leaves, and Pamela takes out a super-secret radio, and says, B17.
Aaron and his group continue to walk with the zombie horde, as the trooper jeeps ride around them. The zombies follow a jeep, and Aaron says, now’s their chance. Get to the trees. The message is whispered throughout the group, and they start to move to the edge. A trooper on motorcycle goes past. Lydia is used to this, but the others look freaked. The horde follows the jeeps and bikes. From the crane shot, we see the road is long.
On the train, Ezekiel sees Negan looking at him, and says, what? Negan says he never thanked Ezekiel for getting in front of the rifles. Thank you. He asks why Ezekiel did it, and Ezekiel says, a lot of reasons. Dying like a martyr is too easy. Living and making something positive out of his days, that keeps him from giving into anger over what he lost. He doesn’t want to live out whatever days he has left in bitterness. He’s not even supposed to be here. The dead came for me, and yet I smile. War came for me, and yet I smile. He opens his collar, showing Negan the tumor, and says, cancer. And yet I smile. He tries to anyway. So why did Negan tell the warden his own name instead of Ezekiel’s? Negan says, for his wife, and his kid. He wants to leave a better story than the one Ezekiel’s been telling; when it mattered, he did something right. Not to prove anything or get anything, or to save his own ass. It was to save all of them. They’re better than him, and if Ezekiel thinks he doesn’t know that, then he hasn’t been paying attention.
Judith tells Daryl and Carol that she hasn’t heard from her mom in a long time. She tried a couple of times, but nothing came back. Carol says, there could be a lot of reasons. Judith’s mom can take care of herself better than anyone Carol knows. Daryl says, her mom would be proud of her; her dad too. Judith says, Carl too? He nods, and Carol says, Judith and Carl are a lot alike. Judith says, Carl died saving people. She wishes she’d had more time with him. She wishes they had more time to just remember them. Carol says, they will, and Daryl says, when this is over, he’ll tell her every story he remembers about all the people who loved her. He puts his arm around her, and she puts her head on his shoulder.
Mercer pretends to question Yumiko, who says, he thinks she had something to do with Eugene’s escape? He says, all they know is, he’s missing, and she was the last person to talk to him. Vickers says, if she knows where he is… and Yumiko says, she would be with him, and not stuck having this conversation. The sympathetic trooper tells Mercer that an Aurora is trying to raise him on the radio, and Mercer says he’ll take in here. Yumiko is dismissed, and Mercer says he needs the room. Vickers leaves, and he answers. It’s Princess, and he tells her that they should switch to another channel; her old apartment number. He asks if she’s all right, and she says she’s fine. How’s Eugene? Mercer says, he’s safe, for now. Where is she? She says she’s on a train headed back to him. She’s bringing people; the prisoners Hornsby and Pamela disappeared. He asks what she’s planning to do, and she says, change things; take Pamela down. Will he be okay with that? He says, yeah. Get the prisoners back to him. With them as witnesses, they’ll have legal grounds to remove Pamela. He tells her to bring everyone to an access tunnel that runs along the west wall, and tells her how to get there. He says, it leads to an industrial building. He’ll be there. It’s good to hear her voice. The trooper tells him that there’s been an alert. A swarm is coming from the east.
Aaron whispers, up ahead… to the RV, and the message is passed. They gravitate toward the van, and Aaron opens the door. They start to file in, but Jules gets moved along with the horde, and Luke decides to follow her. Eli ends up outside, and Lydia grabs for him, but gets badly bitten on the arm, and lets go. Aaron pulls her inside, and the zombies clamor at the RV door.
An alarm sounds, and the troopers get ready. There’s a PA announcement for the citizens to remain inside. Lockdown is being initiated. Max finds Mercer outside, and he tells her that he’s being sent out. She says, that doesn’t change the goal, but he tells her that she doesn’t want to give these hotheads and excuse to start trouble. Wait for him. If he’s lucky, his girlfriend is coming back, and she’s bringing her friends. Vickers watches him, and he tells Max that he’s supposed to meet them at Union Station. He hugs her, and tells her to keep them hidden until he gets back. He leaves, and Vickers looks at Max, while lockdown is being initiated repeats on the loudspeaker.
In the RV, Lydia says, they can’t leave, but Aaron says, they have no choice. She says, they can’t lose him, but Aaron says, he’ll lose her. Jerry says, they’ll find him, and Aaron checks her arm. He tells her that he made it all right. This is the hardest part. She cries, and Aaron says, she’s so loved, while Jerry gets his sword. Lydia bites down on a belt, Aaron keeps the tourniquet taut, and Jerry’s sword comes down. Lydia screams.
There are guards near the entrance to the tunnel, and Negan says, they’re sitting ducks, but Princess says, Mercer will show up. Daryl says, they’re out of time, and Carol suggests they find another place to slip in. Maggie says, there are only four of them; they can take them. Rosita says, if the guards go missing, they’ll know it’s them. One of the guards gets a radio call from Mercer, who says he needs more troops to deal with the incoming swarm. One of the troopers says, including the tunnel? Are they supposed to abandon their post? Mercer tells them, stop wasting time and move, and they leave. Daryl says, let’s go, and they go to a building where Gabriel breaks the lock. Maggie opens the door, and they go inside, Daryl going last, and closing the door behind him.
Pamela literally clutches her pearls, when Vickers come in. She tells Pamela that Mercer saw his sister, then reported to the wall. He asked for additional backup for the horde; nothing unusual. Pamela asks where he called them from, and Vickers tells her. She asks if Pamela wants her to recall any of them, but Pamela says, no. She’s sure he has his reasons.
From the lookout tower, Mercer radios Echo, asking what position they’re in. Echo says, they’re approaching now, and Mercer says, once they’re clear, double back, and work their way east. The jeeps continue to circle the horde, and a zombie jumps into the back of one of them. Theta radios Mercer, saying, they’re out of control, and Mercer asks, what happened? but Theta says, it’s unclear. Mercer hears yelling and machine guns, and looks out with binoculars. He radios all units to fall back, and regroup on him. Bring out the heavy armor. Once they regroup, they’re going to knock the hell out of this thing before it gets to their city.
Eugene paces, and hears a trooper saying, mandatory search. He bangs on the door, and says, open up. Eugene quietly slides the chain off, and gets behind the door. The trooper busts open the door, and Eugene whacks him in the head from behind. He gets the trooper down, and beats the crap out of his head. The trooper’s radio comes to life, and someone asks, Brooks, what’s your 20?
Lydia drowses as the zombies clamor outside. She wakes, and says, we have to go, but Aaron says, she lost a lot of blood. She says, they need Elijah, but Jerry says, Elijah, Luke, and Jules are all pros. They don’t need their help. Lydia insists they do, and cries. Jerry holds her, and Aaron looks sad. He tells her, don’t sweat it. She’s lost enough. Jerry says he’ll find them, and Lydia says she’s going. Jerry says, no; they’ll meet up later. I find them; I find you. Piece of cobbler. See you on the other side. He takes a deep breath, puts his hood up, goes out, and closes the door.
Maggie and the others walk through the tunnel until they come to a ladder. Maggie goes up first, and comes out in the train station. The others follow, and they slip through quietly. Daryl sees padlocks on the doors, and says, something ain’t right. Tyler says, we’re almost there, and suddenly shots ring out, and he falls.
At the tower, Mercer says he’s lost contact, when Vickers shows up with some other troopers. She says, he’s under arrest, and resistance will get him life in prison or death. Mercer tells his troopers to lower their weapons, and tells Vickers, he’ll go, but they need to fortify the city’s defenses before the swarm hits. She says, Governor Milton insists the walls will hold, but he says, this is bigger than Pamela’s bullsh*t. They need to stop the dead before it’s too late,
At the station, everyone scrambles, and there’s a gunfight. The part of the group not shooting bellies under the benches to safety. Pamela comes out, and takes a gun from a dead trooper. Trying to shoot Maggie, she hits Judith, and everything stops. Daryl tries to rouse Judith, and tells the rest that they’ve got to go. Maggie shoots the trooper next to Pamela, making her freak out. Pamela yells, you did this, and Carol says, they’ve got to go now. Daryl tells Ezekiel, throw it, and Ezekiel rips a fire extinguisher off the wall. He throws it with the strength of ten, nearly all the way to the balcony, and Daryl shoots it in midair.
On the street, Yumiko and Max see what’s going on in the station, and join the group as they come out, Daryl carrying Judith. Eugene comes out another door, and follows a trooper, knocking him out. They run down an alleyway. The zombie horde is at the city wall, and a trooper in the tower radios, where the hell is the backup? They need every available… He sees a zombie halfway up the wall, and says, Christ! They’re climbing the walls. He shoots it, but another is already on the platform. He radios that they need back up; the east gate. The rotters are climbing… Arrgh! The other troopers are like, WTF? over and over. The trooper at the top gets his face eaten, and in an ironic twist, pushes the button to open the gate. Alarms go off, and zombies stream into the Commonwealth.
Pamela fixes her makeup, clearly not reading the room. Vickers comes in, and says, the parameter has been breached. They’ve lost 15 troops; and even more civilians are dead in the Commonwealth. Pamela says, that’s not possible. They have a standard. They’re supposed to be in lockdown. Vickers says, they’re climbing the walls and flooding in, but… They can still make a stand if they hold here, and save a big portion of the city. Pamela tells her to pull the forces back, and add troops to defend her home. They’ll divert the swarm to the lower ward. Vickers says, that will leave thousands of citizens unprotected. It’s a death sentence. Pamela tells her, protect the estate, and seal the rest off.
Daryl runs at the head of the group with Judith. A truck blocks their path, and Ezekiel says, this way, leading them around a corner. As they run, trucks go past, and Ezekiel realizes they’re blocked. He tells them, fall back, and Carol says, the trucks aren’t following them. Magna says, what is that? and Connie signs, they’re not coming for us. They’ve got bigger problems. The lightbulb comes on that there’s a zombie horde in the Commonwealth, and Negan voices what’s on everyone’s mind – what the f***? Luke and Jules magically appear, and Daryl tells everyone, move. Carol says, they’ll cut them off, and they shoot and slash zombies as they run through the throng. Carol grabs Daryl, pulling him and Judith through. Judith opens her eyes slightly, says, daddy? then closes her eyes again. It’s a mess
Next time, the series finale – zombies infiltrate the house where the children are being held; Ezekiel says, people might not think this place is worth saving, but it is to him; Daryl yells for help at the infirmary; and everybody dies. Just kidding.
⚰️ Things are getting weepy already on Talking Dead, and it looks to be a great episode next week for TWD finale, starting with a red carpet at 8:30. Tonight, the guests were asked to give three words about the finale. Michael James Shaw (Mercer) said, bunnies, blood, and sherbet. Cooper Andrews (Jerry) said, eat more cobbler. And executive producer Denise Huth said, massive, ridiculous, and she thinks we’ll cry.
🧛🏼♂️ Final Interview For the Season…
Recapping this week’s Vampire. It was pretty gory.
Come take a load off tomorrow with some soap and a charter on the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay always bringing a hostess gift to a party, and stay making something positive out of your days, and not live them out in bitterness over what’s been lost.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Drew hears something, and tells Jason, heads up. A guard comes in, and undoes Drew’s shackles. Drew asks where he’s going, and the guard says he’ll know soon enough. Drew flashes back to telling Jason that he can’t stop himself; Jason has to stop him. He remembers Jason saying, it won’t come to that, and him telling Jason, if it does, he’d rather die at Jason’s hands, than carry out another one of Peter’s orders. In the present, he says, Jason knows what he wants, and said he would do it. Jason says, it’s not going to come to that, and Drew is hustled out.
Valentin says he hates that Robert struck a deal with the WSB, and Anna asks why Robert didn’t give them a heads up that this deal was imminent. Robert says, it was the Bureau’s call; Victor didn’t give them much choice. He knows all manner of damning information. Besides, his attorney threatened a press conference. Anna asks who his attorney is, and Robert says, Scott Baldwin. Valentin says, Scott Baldwin is an ambulance chaser, and Robert says, the ambulance chaser is smarter than he looks.He didn’t give them any room to negotiate. Anna says, the Bureau would have negotiated if Robert had told them sooner, and Valentin says, he and Anna know where Peter is, and it’s a place he knows like the back of his hand – Cassadine Island.
Peter tells Britt that he still hasn’t heard from Victor. It’s possible he’s alluding the WSB now too. She treats his hand, and he tells her that it’s not safe there anymore. They need to leave. She says, leave the island? And go where? There’s a knock at the door, and Peter says, come in. A guard comes in with Obrecht, and Britt asks if she’s allowed to greet her mother. Peter says, go ahead, and Britt and Obrecht hug. He says, you’re welcome.
Cameron asks Trina how many books she wants on the display table, and she says, as many as they can carry. They’re selling like crazy. He says he’s so sorry for dropping postcards on the floor, but she says, it’s fine. She nearly dropped a pitcher of water on herself before she came in. He says, nerves? and she asks if he can tell. He says she looks calm, cool, and composed, and she says, liar, but she appreciates the support. Cameron says, if Josslyn was here, she’d say the same. They’re both extremely excited for her. She says, thanks for the love, and hugs him. He says, anytime, and Esme lurks in the doorway.
Nikolas tells Joel Sartore, theses photos are amazing, and Joel thanks him, saying, if he likes these, look at the frog over here. Nikolas says he loves frogs, and follows Joel.
Ned tells Ava, he can’t decide which of these photographs he admires more, and she says, there wouldn’t be any photos at all if he hadn’t underwritten the exhibit. She thanks him for making this more than just a dream for Trina, and he thanks her for thinking the photo exhibit was worthy of her gallery. ELQ always welcomes the chance to champion a worthy cause. She says, and if it helps him score points with Olivia, all the better, right? Olivia comes in with Leo.
Sasha says she did a bad thing, and Brando says he knows. When she left his apartment last night, he noticed some butter pecan was missing from his freezer. She says, okay, two bad things. She knows they didn’t want to know the sex of their baby until he or she was born… He says, she found out, and she says, she didn’t ask, but she knows.
Gladys says Kip isn’t fooling her. He’s no more Bailey’s father than Valentin is. He says, he is the father. He’s just posing as a cater waiter and amateur actor to keep an eye on Gladys. If she slips up, there will be consequences. She laughs, and says, like what? He’s going to spill his tray on her? Don’t bother staying in character. That gun he threatened her with was fake, wasn’t it? Brook sees them talking, and says, Pauly. She didn’t expect to see him there tonight. Gladys tells her, next time, don’t pick out somebody who has to pass out canapes to pay his electricity bill, and Brook says, Pauly has two jobs. It’s called a side-hustle. She’s sure Gladys is familiar with the term, considering she’s been hustling her entire life. Gladys says, and the fact that his fellow cater waiters call him Kip? That’s only question number one. She has so many more about Brook’s baby daddy. Kip says, these kabobs aren’t going to serve themselves, and jets. Brook tries to hand Gladys her credit card, but Gladys says, this little charade she tried to pull, just upped the stakes.
Anna says, she’ll establish a team to raid the island, and Valentin says, the place is a fortress. The WSB is going to need help; he’s going with her. Robert tells him, says the man who was shot, and can’t get to the bathroom without help, and Valentin tells him to go file a brief. Anna says, she doesn’t think there’s room enough on the plane for both their egos. She’ll be going to Cassadine Island, and she’s not taking either one of them.
Ned says he’s glad they came, and Olivia says, Leo wanted to see the animals. Ned says he can’t wait to show Leo the photographs; he’s going to love them. Olivia says, hopefully, Leo’s favorite animal is here, and Ned says, what about her? What is she hoping for tonight?
Trina and Cameron come out, and Esme asks what they were up to. Trina says, what does it look like? Cam’s helping her. Esme says, it looks like he was holding a lot more than her books, and Trina asks what she’s talking about. Esme says she just thinks it’s so sweet that Cameron supports her, and Cameron says he’s right here. Trina says, that’s what friends do. Not that Esme would understand.
Nikolas says he’s surprised to see Spencer, and Spencer says he’s there to support Trina. No other reason. Nikolas says, Ava’s fine with that, and Spencer says, and him? Nikolas says he went by Kelly’s the other night, but Spencer wasn’t there. Spencer says, now is not a good time. He’s not going to ruin the night with their family dysfunction. It’s nice to have a night off serving tables. He’d like to enjoy the peace. He leaves, and Ava tells Nikolas, baby steps, my love.
Britt tells Obrecht that she’s okay, and says she wants to check Obrecht’s bandages. Peter says her mother was very well taken care of, and Britt says, there’s no sign of infection. She thanks Peter for giving her and her mother this time together, and Peter says, see? He’s not really the monster people think he is. Now that he’s done this little favor for Britt, she can repay him. He takes a paper out of his pocket, and says, Britt and Jason will be recorded reading this statement, verbatim. She looks at it, and says, please tell her this is a joke. Obrecht asks what it says, and Peter says he doesn’t trust Jason. He was much to docile during his demonstration. Britt remembers that, right? The part where Drew almost killed Jason, but decided to hurt himself instead? Britt says she has to give it to their late and unlamented father, he was the best at mind control. He really messed up Drew, and now Peter gets to reap the benefits. Kind of like finding a sportscar waiting in your garage that you did nothing to earn, and probably don’t know how to drive, but you take it anyway. He says, just make sure Jason says what’s on the paper, or this next time, Drew will kill Jason, and he’ll make her watch. The guard comes in and takes Britt. Obrecht tries to follow, but Peter grabs her arm, and she tells him not to touch her. If he harms her daughter, she will kill him. He tells her, calm down. He’s now secured the lab, so no more throwing any dangerous substances at him. Which now brings him to the part where he tells her, there’s not anything she or anyone else can do to stop him.
Britt is brought in to join Jason, and the guard gives her the paper, saying, stick to the script. She tells Jason that Peter wrote it, and the guard takes out his phone to film. Britt reads, today in Port Charles is Tuesday, November 16th. She’s Britt Westbourne, and she’s being held with Jason Morgan and her mother Liesl Obrecht.
Obrecht says, Peter craves power and control, just like his father, but Peter says, the only thing he craves is his family. She laughs, and asks if he really thinks Maxie would take him back after everything he’s done. How many people has he killed? How many lives has he destroyed? He says she’s not here for her opinion; he needs her medical expertise. Drew is brought in, and Peter says he needs another check-up. He wants Drew in tip-top shape. Drew asks, why? and Peter says, because Drew has another job to do, where failure is not an option.
Looking at a bird photo, Olivia says, it’s so striking the way he’s captured the gold in the feathers, and Ned tells her, it says dancing is part of their mating ritual. She says, it’s breathtaking. She doesn’t know how Joel Sartore does it. Ned wonders if she’d like to ask him herself, and she asks if he can make that happen. He says, doesn’t she know by now, he’d do anything for her.
Brook asks what Gladys wants. A raise? A spectacular vacation package? Shares in Deception? Gladys says, how about a controlling interest? and Brook says, not only is that outrageous, she doesn’t have the power to do that. Gladys says, then make it within her power, or Valentin learns he’s not the biological father of his beloved Bailey. Olivia approaches with Ned and Leo, and tells Brook that Ned is going to introduce them to Joel. Would she like to join them? Leo says he wants to show Brook his favorite picture, and Olivia asks if he doesn’t want to meet the photographer. Leo shakes his head, and says he wants to look at the picture, and Ned says, sounds like Leo has his priorities straight. Brook tells them to go ahead; she’ll show Leo his picture. Olivia tells Leo to stick with Brook, and leaves with Ned. Brook tells Leo to give her a second, and tells Gladys, they’ll talk terms later. Gladys says she doesn’t think so. She doesn’t like Brook’s attitude, and her friend Valentin deserves the truth. She’s sure he’ll be appropriately grateful. Gladys walks off, and Leo pulls at Brook.
Esme says, Trina is right. She doesn’t always understand friendship, especially since she hasn’t had any close friends in her life. Cameron says, not even at boarding school? and Esme says, it was just Spence and her. She thinks the other girls were jealous. Cameron says he’s going to put the books on the display table, and Trina says she’ll be right behind him. Esme tells Trina, congratulations again on the exhibit, and getting ELQ to underwrite it. Very impressive. Trina thanks her, and Esme says, Spence could bankroll future exhibits, if only he had his trust fund. Trina says, Spence will make his own money by not relying on his dad, and working hard, but Esme says, Spence isn’t going to generate much of revenue stream working at a diner. Trina says, he’s making an honest living. Something Esme knows nothing about.
Brando asks how Sasha knows the sex of their baby, and she says, by accident. She fully intended to stick to their agreement, but a nurse accidentally revealed the baby’s sex when she scheduled an appointment by email. He asks if she’s disappointed it won’t be a surprise, but she says, actually, now that she knows, she’s even more excited. The baby seems more real to her. He puts his hand on her bump, and says, this isn’t real enough? What about the constant trips to the bathroom and butter pecan cravings? She says, true, but now she can really picture their baby. Does he want to wait until the baby is born, or should she tell him what they’re having?
Nikolas tells Trina, congratulations on the exhibit; it’s fantastic. Trina says she couldn’t have done it without Ava’s support, and Ava says, it’s her pleasure. She saw Trina’s mother, and she loves the photos. She’s so proud of Trina, as is Ava. Nikolas asks if Trina is at least going to enjoy her moment in the sun, but Trina says she can’t relax until after the presentation. Does Ava still want her to give it; it’s her gallery. Ava says, it’s Trina’s exhibition; Trina takes the credit. Nikolas’s phone rings, and he excuses himself to take the call. Trina tells Ava, her art professor came by earlier, and said she aced the class, and Ava says, her hard work and dedication have already paid off. Please do herself a favor and enjoy this moment. Trina says she’ll try, but can’t make any promises. How about Ava? This is as much her night as Trina’s. Is it going well? Ava looks over at Nikolas on the phone, and says, it seems her night might be taking a turn for the worse.
Britt reads that she, Jason, and Obrecht haven’t been harmed. They’ve been treated fairly, and have been assured by Peter August that they’ll remain safe as long as his instructions are followed. Peter has no interest in hurting them. He just wants justice for himself. While Peter works to attain that justice, these are his requirements to all of them. She shows Jason the paper. I always think these statements are so useless, since it’s always obvious the hostage is just reciting what they’ve been told.
Olivia tells Joel, the photographs are spectacular… fantastic. She asks Ned to help her out; she’s running out of adjectives. Ned says, he thinks she’s trying to say she loves Joel’s work. Olivia asks if those are his books on display, and Joel says, indeed. That’s Photo Ark Wonders; it’s celebrating diversity in the animal kingdom. She says she’ll have to pick one up for her son Leo; he’s fascinated with animals. Joel says, he might also like the children’s book they do, Photo Ark ABC. It’s never too early to get kids involved in conservation. Ned says he couldn’t agree more, which is why he already purchased both of the books. Joel says, outstanding, and excuses himself to sign some books. Olivia says, just incredible, and Ned says he couldn’t agree more. Mr. Sartore’s mission is truly incredible. She says she was talking about him. She knows he was thinking about her and Leo when he underwrote the exhibit. Then he bought the books. She’s running out of adjectives to describe him too. He says, that counts for something, and she says, that counts for a lot.
Brando tells Sasha, he’s torn. He wants to know the sex of their baby, but was looking forward to the surprise. She says, he doesn’t have to make up his mind right now. They have a little time before her due date. He says, so she’s going to be planning for the baby in secrecy? She says, like buying baby clothes, thinking about names… He says he thought they were coming up with names together, and she says, they will. What about Charlie? Or Parker? He says, those names can be used for boys and girls.
Spencer looks at a tiger photo, and Esme says, isn’t he beautiful? Spencer says, so proud; arrogant even. She says, like the Cassadines, and he says, he thinks they’re both on the verge of extinction. She says, he’s in a mood. Let her cheer him up. Guess who she saw snuggled up in the back room of the gallery? He says, he should care why? and she says, because it was Cam and Trina. Poor Joss. Her best friend and her boyfriend? He says, whatever she thinks she saw, it couldn’t have been that deep. Cameron and Josslyn are happy, and Trina would never betray a friend. She says, Trina’s not as perfect as he thinks, and he says, but she is honest. She doesn’t deal in dirty tricks. Esme says, unlike her.
Ava asks if everything is okay, and Nikolas says, apparently, Scotty convinced the WSB to cut Victor a deal. She says, what kind of deal? and he says, the kind that grants him full immunity. It’s possible Victor gave up Peter or something else of value, but whatever it was, Victor is walking the streets of Port Charles a free man.
Anna asks where Victor is now, and Robert says, the Bureau has him under surveillance. She says, he’s the former director; he created the surveillance protocol. He knows how to evade them. Valentin says, they can’t risk Victor warning Peter, and Anna says she’s leaving now. Her phone beeps, and she looks at it. She says, they have to see this, and they all look at the screen. Jason says, do not attempt to find Peter August and apprehend him. Do not attempt to find Britt Westbourne, Liesl Obrecht, or himself. Peter has the ability to monitor the activities of the WSB, as well as rogue individuals who attempt to find them. Any attempt to catch Peter or free his hostages will result in their deaths.
Britt hugs Jason, and says she hates leaving him. He says he’s got this, and she says she knows he does. She walks out, and the guard follows.
Drew says he refuses to feel like a trained lap dog anymore, and Peter says, refuse all he wants; it won’t make any difference. He’ll still do what Peter says; he literally holds all the cards. Drew says, go to hell, and Peter shoves Obrecht’s medical bag at her, causing her to double over. She says, he’s incapable of earning loyalty. He believes the stick is better than the carrot. How alone he must be, surrounded by minions instead of friends. Drew says he heard Maxie can’t even bear to be around Peter, and Peter says he and Maxie will be reunited. Drew will be the one to make it happen, or he’ll die trying.
Ava says, so much for Nikolas’s assurances that Victor won’t be a problem, but Nikolas doesn’t think Victor threw him under the bus, or he’d be in custody already. She says, what about mercenary being treated at GH? Does he know anything that could implicate Nikolas in any way? Nikolas says he’s fine. He just wishes he knew how Victor managed his immunity deal. What’s that look on her face mean? She says, it’s not the best time right now, and he asks if she’d feel better if he found out what Victor offered for his immunity. It means he’ll have to leave now. Ava tells him, go. She can’t be looking over her shoulder. If it’s not Spencer stalking her, it’s some other Cassadine crawling out of the woodwork ready to wreak havoc in their lives. He promises that’s not going to happen, and kisses her. He tells her, congratulations again on the exhibition, and leaves.
Spencer says, when he said Trina didn’t deal in dirty tricks, he wasn’t implying Esme did. She asks what he did mean, and he says, that Trina isn’t wired the way most people are; she’s not petty. She tells him, he should have heard what Trina said to her about not knowing what it’s like to work a real job. It sounded kind of petty to her. He says, Esme doesn’t know what it’s like to work a real job. He says he has no interest in fighting with her, especially when they have the opportunity for a rare night out. She looks incredible, not to mention there’s free food and the champagne is flowing, and they don’t have to pay for any of it. She says, the exhibit’s not so bad either, and he says, it doesn’t get any better than this. She says, and Trina arranged all of it, and he says, she probably had help from Ava. He can give credit where credit is due. Why can’t she? She says, he’s right. She hopes Trina has a night she never forgets.
Brook asks what Leo likes about the photo of the octopus, and Kip comes out. She goes over to him, and he says he’s really sorry about what happened. She says she told him to lie low. Working as a cater waiter at an exhibition isn’t lying low. He says he knows, but you never know who you’ll meet at these things. Chris Pratt was discovered working at a shrimp restaurant. She says, Chris Pratt has talent. He asks if she smoothed things over with Gladys, and she says, don’t worry about it. It’s not his fault. Who’d have thought Gladys would show up here? Her idea of good art is kitten videos. He says, so she’ll recommend him to her friends? She says, don’t push it, and goes back to the picture, but Leo is gone.
Sasha asks if Gladys is enjoying the exhibit, and Gladys says, you betcha. Sasha wouldn’t believe what she’s learning. She leaves, and Brando wonders why he gets the feeling his mother is up to something. Sasha says, maybe because she always is up to something. They look at the panda photo, and Sasha suggests buying a print for baby Riley or Billie’s nursery. He says, why not? The truth is, he doesn’t need to know who or what their baby will be, to be prepared for the baby’s arrival. All he cares about is that little Reese or Jamie or Blake turns out just as magnificent as their mother.
Trina asks if Ava is okay, and Ava says she’s fine. Isn’t it about time for Trina to make her presentation to Mr. Sartore? Trina says she just needs to grab the flowers and check from ELQ in the back room. Ava tells her, do that while she makes the introductions.
Esme starts to follow Trina, but Cameron intercepts her. She says she can’t talk right now, but he asks if she has a minute. There’s something he needs to clear up.
Joel tells Ned, the Arabian cobra was the 12,000th species in the Photo Ark Project. He didn’t like Joel too much. It was photographed two weeks ago in the Arab Emirates at the Arabian Wildlife Center. Only 8000 more to go. Ned says, Joel’s going to be busy, and Joel says, he is.
Trina gets the flowers, and opens the door to find Gladys. She tells Gladys the ladies room is in the other direction, but Gladys says she was hoping to make a call in private, but Trina says, the back room is off limits to visitors. Gladys says, it’s a matter of life and death, and paternity. She promises not to steal any of the artwork. It’s not her taste anyway. Trina says, all right, but please be quick. Gladys thanks her, and goes inside, but her phone says, no service. She frets that she needs to reach Valentin.
Valentin says, apparently, it’s a rescue mission now, and Robert says they have to make sure they’re not walking into a trap. Anna says, of course (🍷) they are. She wonders how Peter got Obrecht, Britt, and Jason, and Robert says he has to make a call. He leaves, and Valentin says the WSB will have ground plans and schematics, but he knows the island better than they do. Anna says he just got out of surgery, but he says he thought she knew him better than that. She says she does, and knows he’d risk his life for the hostages, but she prefers him alive, if it’s all right with him. He says he hates to say it, but if she’s not going to take him, take Robert. He can make a contribution though. He knows how to get on the island undetected.
Brando asks if Sasha is all right, and she says, it was just a twinge; she gets then once in a while. He says, they can leave, but she says, this is probably one of their last nights out before the baby comes. She’s not ready to cut it short. However, she does need the ladies room. She hands him her phone, and says, the email from the nurse is in her inbox, should he want know what their future looks like.
Cameron thanks Esme for all the planning she’s done for the weekend trip, and she says, they can talk arrangements later, but he says, there’s something he wanted to get clear. He doesn’t want her opinion or advice on whether he and Josslyn should share a room. She says, whatever, and jets.
Ava asks for everyone’s attention. She thanks them for being there. The Jerome Gallery is honored to present the National Geographic Photo Ark, led by National Geographic explorer and photographer Joel Sartore. Everyone applauds, and she says, the National Geographic Photo Ark is an extraordinary multi-year effort to document all species living in zoos, and aquariums and wildlife sanctuaries. And these awe inspiring images around them are just a fraction of the Photo Ark. In fact, Joel announced today that he’s taken portraits of 12,000 species of animals on this planet. There’s more applause.
Gladys keeps trying to get service, but it’s not working. She opens the door, and Sasha is there. Sasha asks what Gladys is doing there, and Gladys says she’s trying to get a phone signal. Her? Sasha says she told Brando that she was going to the ladies room, but she really needed a place to sit quietly for a minute. Does she mind? Gladys says, be her guest, and Sasha sits. Gladys asks if she’s okay, and Sasha says, she just can’t seem to get comfortable anywhere. Gladys says she remembers those days. Brando was a very active baby. She couldn’t wait for him to be born. Brook opens the door, and Gladys says, she’s off the clock. Brook jets, and Gladys says, for the life of her, she doesn’t know how Sasha, Lucy, and Maxie put up with Brook. The three of them actually make a contribution to Deception. BLQ just swans around, giving everyone orders, and wasting everyone’s time. In the hallway, Esme kicks something under the door to keep it from opening, and smiles. Wow, girl. You stupid.
Joel thanks everyone for being there, and says, unfortunately, about a million species are threatened with extinction. He and National Geographic partnered about fifteen years ago to start documenting all 20,000 they think are in the world’s zoos, wildlife sanctuaries, and aquariums. They turned a big corner with their 12,000th species recently, the Arabian cobra that they can see around the corner. The goal is to engage the public, and to also fund long-term conservation efforts. He wants to take this opportunity to thank Trina Robinson for reaching out to their staff, which led to all this, and also Ava Jerome of Jerome Galleries, also all of them for being there today and caring. Everyone applauds, and he thanks them. Spencer asks Esme where she was, and she says, long line at the ladies room. Ava is sure everyone is eager to buy a print or two for this worthy cause, but first, she knows Trina has something she’d like to present to Mr. Sartore. As many of them know, Trina was the first to make her aware of the Photo Ark Project, and it’s thanks to her efforts that this exhibit is happening at all. She calls for Trina to come out, and they all applaud again.
Drew asks how he’s going to reunite Peter with Maxie, and Peter says he’s going back to Port Charles, and bringing her to him. Obrecht asks if he’s out of his mind. He’s going to kidnap Maxie and bring her back to this godforsaken island against her will? Then what? He says, then Obrecht will use his father’s methods to influence Maxie on his behalf, but Obrecht says, Faison never told her how he did it. Peter tells her, don’t be modest. He knows she’s up to the task, and when she’s finished, Maxie will know she belongs to him.
Ava calls Trina again, and Trina says, she’s here. She comes out with the flowers, and thanks Joel for allowing the gallery to display his fabulous photos. He thanks her, and also wants to thank ELQ for underwriting this. Trina says, ELQ Industries would like to acknowledge the great work he and National Geographic are doing by making a donation to the Photo Ark. Joel thanks them, and says he’s sure it’s generous. Donations are critical to their work. Trina says, all species deserve to be protected. No matter how big or small, they are all beautiful. Brook pulls Ned and Olivia away, and says, she thought Leo might be with them. Olivia says she thought he was with Brook, and Brook says, he was, until he wasn’t. He was looking at a photo, and she only looked away for one second. Olivia says, one second is all it takes for a little boy to disappear, and Ned says, let’s not panic. He has to be somewhere in the gallery. Brook says, she already looked, top to bottom. Elsewhere, Brando looks at Sasha’s phone, and smiles.
Gladys asks how Sasha is feeling, and Sasha says, better, thanks. The quiet helped. She’s ready to get back to the exhibit. Is Gladys coming? Gladys says she is; maybe she’ll get better service outside. She tries to open the door, but it’s locked. She says, the door is stuck. Don’t sweat it. She’ll get them out in a jiff. She tries again, with no luck, and bangs on the door, asking, is anyone out there? The door is stuck. Let them out.
Anna tells Robert, all set. The Bureau is sending a rescue team to Cassadine Island under her command. Her flight is arranged, and Valentin is working on the intel for how they breach the island undercover. He says he’s secured time off work, unless she thinks his ego is too big for the mission. She looks at him, and he says, come on. She knows he has certain skills and expertise useful on this adventure. She says, then it’s just as well she saved him a seat next to her on the plane, isn’t it? Let’s end this. Let’s really end this once and for all.
Obrecht says, there’s no way Maxie is coming back to Peter, when the guard comes in with Britt. He asks Peter for a word, and Peter tells them, feel free to search the room for lethal weapons to use for their escape. They won’t find any. He leaves with the guard, and Drew asks Obrecht if Peter is right. Can she condition Maxie? She says, she can, and Peter knows it. He threatened Britt to force her to cooperate. Britt says, he’s not going to get that far. Jason is going to stop Peter.
The guard says, preparations are underway for relocation, and Peter says, excellent. Begin the countdown for leaving Cassadine Island. They won’t be coming back. Is that all? The guard says, they’re not sure about the restraints on Jason, but Peter says, Jason won’t be a problem. He’s not coming with them. Jason puts The Chariot tarot card in his pocket.
Tomorrow, Carly thinks she and Phyllis should get to know one another, Ned thinks he knows where Leo is, and Sasha’s water breaks. Like we didn’t figure that was going to happen.
Vanderpump Rules
Lala told Ocean that she was going to meet James today, and James came bearing gifts; a super soft bunny and Ocean’s very first pair of Uggs. I’m sure they were way more than you should ever pay for shoes that will never see the ground, and will be grown out of in three weeks, but they were really cute. Lala asked about the party at Charli’s that was really at Tom and Ariana’s, and he said, Raquel ended up falling asleep on the floor. She was really wasted. Lala asked if that was tough for him, and he said it didn’t affect him, but couldn’t play drinking games. In his interview, he asked if he was that annoying when he drank. How embarrassing. Ariana told Raquel that James’s fuse seemed short, and he was being a bit of a brat. At Lala’s, James said, if Raquel’s nose job didn’t go right, what was going to happen to the relationship? Raquel admitted to Ariana that James often thought about himself before he thought of other people. Ariana asked if Raquel could bring it up to James, and in Raquel’s interview, she said all she wanted was for James to recognize his mistakes. He couldn’t act like that and be impatient when they had kids. James told Lala that he didn’t want a fiancé with a botched nose. Which, if that happened, would be really ironic, since Paul Nassif (Botched) was the surgeon being considered. In James’s interview, he said when he met Raquel, all he knew was that she was a super model from California. Lala said he couldn’t weigh in; it was Raquel’s face. He told her that he’d gotten his face by not doing a single thing, and she said, not all of them were that blessed.
The Toms met with Lisa at Villa Rosa. Puffy! Schwartz said they felt great about the concept for the new bar, but wanted her take on it. They were having trouble selling Greg on it. We flashed back to Greg saying, if they couldn’t tell him what her vision was, how could they move forward? In Schwartz’s interview, he said, Lisa was the only one who could help them nail it. Greg was going to wash his hands, and walk away if they didn’t have something. They showed her a fabric swatch they wanted for the bar stools, and Lisa asked how much it was. Sandoval said, thirty, but was unsure if that was a square foot or yard. In Lisa’s interview, she said, if you’re ordering 100 yards, you can’t afford to be off by 900%. Tom went on a tangent, telling her that it was a funkadelic dive lounge, where you could check your worries at the door. An escape from reality, where they bridge the reality of your best night out with the déjà vu of your future fantasies. He talked about archways on the way to the bathrooms, and conflicting colors with lights that highlighted the hard edges. Then he went on to vines and hanging plants. Lisa said they had to trust her. She knew they had great intention and vision. It wasn’t that she didn’t like what they were telling her, but there was nothing definitive. Greg wasn’t going to put his money and confidence behind something unless he knew it would be a success. When they wanted to deviate, think of her foot firmly up their ass.
Brock explained how to make a baby dress from an old shirt to Scheana’s mom Erika, and in his interview, he said his mom had sewn clothes for him and his siblings. He wanted to teach his family that something old could be turned into something new. Ariana came by, and asked if Scheana wanted to have another baby. Scheana said she’d like Summer to have a sibling, but was concerned about putting her body through pregnancy again because of the issues she’d had. She was thinking of freezing her eggs like Ariana had. In Ariana’s interview, she said, yes, she’d frozen her eggs. She and Scheana were going together, but then Scheana became pregnant. It didn’t mean she was jumping on the baby train, but it was about agency over her own body. And also a f*** you to those who questioned her values or choices. Scheana asked if Ariana was going to use a surrogate, and thought it would be fun if she and Ariana did that at the same time. Ariana was like, no. Katie sent Scheana a text, saying she was throwing a soiree, and the theme was Man of Mystery and Femme Fatale. Ariana thought it was a ruse to get Scheana and Lala in the same room, and Scheana wished Lala was still the cool chick from five years ago. In her interview, she said, Lala had ruined every friendship, but she continued to come around because she had no other friends. Ariana googled Man of Mystery and got Austin Powers.
Raquel told James it wasn’t cool to call her and Charli dumb at the party, and he said it had been the peak of his tantrum. She told him that he thought about himself before he thought about others. The comment that had most disturbed her was when he said he was the one who had to look at her effing face for the rest of his life. In his interview, James said he saw how the Beverly Hills moms got work done, and didn’t want Raquel to turn into that. James told Raquel that if his nose got botched, she’d leave him, and she said, would he leave her? He said no, and she suggested he not vocalize whatever was in his head. His number one job as her fiancé should be to support her, not add to her stress. He admitted he was wrong, and said it was a learning curve for him. The Toms were meeting with Greg and designer Lucinda at the new bar, and Schwartz brought Katie. In Schwartz’s interview, he said he wanted her to be impressed. In Sandoval’s interview, he said, Katie invited herself. She thinks it’s a seat in the boardroom, but she’s just there for bring your wife to work day. Greg asked if everything was ready, and Sandoval went on a mini tangent, saying it was going to be a vibrant, funky dive lounge; featuring Americana food, and simple, fresh, and playfully unique mixology. Greg said he liked the concept, and they showed Greg some expensive décor choices. Sandoval said it was all about the details, but Greg said, give him the same wow for less. He wanted a mission statement, and Sandoval said it was a funkadelic dive lounge, where you could check your worries at the door. An escape from reality, where they bridge the reality of your best night out with the déjà vu of your future fantasies. They clearly didn’t understand the concept of a mission statement, and Greg said it was a word salad; he got lost. Katie asked what did they want to accomplish, and how were they going to accomplish it. Greg thought Katie should take their place, which pissed Sandoval off royally. In Katie’s interview, she said she knew what she was doing, saying, and talking about. To piss Sandoval off even more, Greg said Katie was going to help them.
Everyone got ready for Katie’s soiree. James figured his London accent was half the costume, and he didn’t need to wear a shirt. In Katie’s interview, she said they’d all been wearing sweatpants for the last year and a half. She wanted to class this bitch up. Katie mentioned Scheana having been in a show called Femme Fatales, and said it was very racy. There’s a word I haven’t heard in a long time. In her interview, Katie said they’d all come there to get into entertainment. While the rest of them were pulling double shifts at SUR, Scheana was doing what she could to make her dream come true. In Scheana’s interview, she wondered why it had to be brought up. Now everyone would google it, and see her boobs. Which was really her way of saying, google it so you can see her boobs. Everyone looked fabulous, and in Schwartz’s interview, he said it was like being in his own spy fantasy. He wished Lisa was there. Ariana asked about the meeting, and Sandoval said it went well. Katie told them about her part in it, and in James’s interview, he said Katie knew what buttons to push when it came to Sandoval, and it was spectacular to watch. Carry on. Lala asked to borrow Scheana to talk in private. She said she know Scheana had pent up issues that she’d thought they squashed, and Scheana said she needed to know where Lala was coming from. They were good, and she’d moved on, but at Lisa’s, Lala decided to be a mean girl effing bitch. Lala said Scheana was villainizing her and then playing the victim. Scheana had brought around a lot of sh*tty guys, and Lala had been concerned about her and the baby. Scheana said she thought Lala hadn’t been genuine, and in her interview, she said it was hard to trust Lala after being the butt of Lala’s jokes for years. They had a pattern of Lala hurting her, then Scheana forgiving her. She said she needed to know that Lala genuinely cared about her, and it wasn’t an act. Lala said she was trying to make changes. She was realizing how her words affected people. Scheana was willing to move past it, and they hugged it out. In Scheana’s interview, she said she thought Lala was coming from a good place, but her delivery was f***ed up. Lala told Brock that she’d talked to Scheana, and they were good. Since he was Scheana’s SO, she wanted to make sure they were straight. She didn’t mean to come for him, but thought her concerns were valid. Brock said he hadn’t liked how she said she was sorry, but that’s just the way she was. He thought she was condescending. She said she was like a fine wine; some people liked it, and others wanted wine from a box. He said he preferred scotch.
Hanky and Panky! Schwarz visited Villa Rosa – Schnookie! – on a mission to pick up a serving platter. It took him ten minutes to explain what he wanted, and in Lisa’s interview, she said it was going to be hard to be a restaurant owner if he didn’t know what a serving platter was. She took him to the basement to look around, and in his interview, he said he was disappointed there wasn’t a sexy pink dungeon down there. He told Lisa that he was developing guilt about putting work before his family. He wanted to help them financially. In Schwartz’s interview, he said his family was having a rough go. His parents had separated, and his brother hadn’t been working since the pandemic. He’d been sending them a few hundred dollars a month to help keep their heads above water, but he was strapped. Lisa said it wasn’t his responsibility, and should wait until the business was up and running. He said he was also stressed about the loan; it hadn’t come through yet. In his interview, he said he and Sandoval were in different places. Sandoval’s parents were investing in the bar, while he was pinching pennies. It was like a cash register in his head, adding up the accumulating debt.
Brock told Charli about Lala and Scheana making up, and Scheana said Lala had seemed genuine. Brock said he’d put Lala in her place, but was still wary. In his interview, he said he wanted to give Scheana the opportunity to be friends with Lala, if that’s what she wanted. In Charli’s interview, she said she couldn’t imagine talking sh*t about someone, and being friends with them the next day. And if she knew someone who did that, she’d think they were going to do it to her too. Everyone met for drinks, and Schwartz told Katie about his finance anxiety. She said he’d just won $900, and in her interview, she said Schwartz’s gambling had been problematic. He’d gambled away the naming rights of their first born. We saw a clip of Randall saying the baby’s name would be Pickle. Katie said he needed to get it under control immediately. She thought he was putting too much pressure on himself about the family, and had to let her in to his thoughts and feelings. Charli said all the girls had WikiFeet profiles, which is new to me, but apparently it’s a feet rating. Or as Charli put it, a beauty pageant for your feet. I’d score a minus something. I wondered if Jax invented it, and Charli said they should submit Raquel’s nose, which is a terrible idea, considering Raquel’s insecurities. In Lala’s interview, she said that she didn’t want Brock to have to defend himself anymore, and she was sick of defending herself. He was the dude that her friend chose, and she’d have to trust Scheana’s judgement. Brock apologized for not moving past the situation, and Lala said she’d had some bad timing. Charli talked to Sandoval about Brock confronting Lala, and Lala wanted to make sure she and Charli were good. I guess it was some sort of mini apology tour. Charli said her problem was with not knowing what she would get. Tom said all the fights were ones Lala picked. She’d talked sh*t about Ariana, and then Brock. Lala said she’d dealt with it, but Tom said he wanted her to grow, and stop picking fights. She was being immature. In Tom’s interview, he said Lala was the one lighting the fuse, then played the victim. It was getting really effing old. In Lala’s interview, she said, the only thing growing on Tom was the heinous mustache that prepubescent boys got. (See more on that below.) She said she was going insane, and was going to have to shut him down.
Next time, swimming, shots, James goes to therapy, and Lala talks to Schwartz about Sandoval.
🐶 Vanderpump Dogs was back on at 11:30 pm for a marathon. This is the best show in the world. Lisa in her element, and dogs, dogs, and more dogs. The highlight of one episode was a pregnant pup who’d been found in a parking lot, giving birth to 13 (!) babies. The nicest bee farmer ever gave her a forever home. I wanted to go with them.
Stop by tomorrow, for soap, that godawful House I can’t stop watching, and who knows what? Until then, stay safe, stay separating the wheat from the chaff, and stay not being a cater waiter if you’re trying to lie low.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Since it’s been that kind of week, I missed the beginning, but here’s what you need to know. Alex (pretending to be Anna), Peter, and Maxie went to Charlie’s for dinner. Peter suggested inviting Finn, but Alex/Anna said Finn was busy. While Jason waited for Franco at The Floating Rib, Robert asked to talk to him about Spinelli. Lulu met a source at The Rib, and asked how he knew Cyrus. He suggested doing the interview in private at his place, and Dante appeared, saying Lulu was taken. Curtis flew into the hospital, and asked Cyrus what he’d done to Jordan, but Cyrus said he was the reason Jordan got medical attention so quickly. And that’s where I came in.
Lulu tells Dante, he may not have noticed, but she’s doing an interview. She thanks him for suggesting a secure location, but says she doesn’t need rescuing. Dante tells her, he didn’t say she did. He’s just laying the ground rules so there’s no misunderstanding. The source says he knows Dante. Is he with the PCPD? Lulu says, Dante used to work there, but he has a new job. He probably should be studying up for it. Dante says, okay, but he’ll be right over there, pointing to a nearby table. Lulu apologizes, and asks where they were. He was about to tell her how he become acquainted with Cyrus. He says, never heard of him, gets up, and jets. Dante comes back, and says he didn’t think that guy was a reliable source anyway. Lulu says they use plenty of unreliable sources, and she can just check out the information they give her. That was the next step, but now she’ll have to start over with a new source. She worked like hell to get that one. Dante says, he’s a dirtbag, and she says, at least they agree on that. Dante, of all people, should know when you investigate a crime boss, you don’t meet the best people. He says when he was investigating a crime boss, he met her, and she says, look at how that turned out. She tells him, sorry; she shouldn’t have said that, and tells him not to take it the way it sounded.
Jason says, Spinelli would rather see Maxie with a broken heart than dead, and Robert says he never thought he’d see the day Jason took the moral high ground. Jason says, Robert hasn’t changed his mind about busting Peter, even though it will hurt Maxie, has he? Robert says he owes it to the Bureau and his family. You’d think Spinelli would be a better liar. He’s a surveillance man, a hacker, and a P.I., but he constantly trips over his own feet… Jason says, when it comes to Maxie. Robert says, he told Spinelli, no more pot shots, support the marriage, support Maxie, but Jason says, it’s not easy. Robert says they’re not looking at easy; they’re looking at necessary. When it hits the fan, Maxie will see this bastard for who he is, and will need every friend she can find, especially Spinelli.
Cyrus says, he would never wish harm to Curtis’s wife. She’s far too valuable a member of the community of Port Charles. He assures Curtis, he had nothing to do with Jordan’s collapse. Portia asks Curtis to join her and his wife – privately – in Jordan’s room, where she’ll explain everything. Curtis says, they’ve wasted too much time standing with Cyrus, and goes into Jordan’s room. Cyrus asks if he can have a word with Portia, and she asks if that’s an order. He says, a request.
Curtis asks, what happened? Is she okay? There’s no response at first, but Jordan slowly turns her head and looks at him, motioning him closer. She says she’s never been better.
Franco asks Elizabeth how he got so lucky. He’s actually asking; it’s not rhetorical. He loves her, and after the life he’s led, he’s just the luckiest guy in the world. She asks if he’s okay, and he says, right this second, he’s better than okay. His life, their life… He says he has to go, and Elizabeth asks where he’s going. He says he’s got to see a guy about a commission.
Finn sees the envelope from the lab in the wastebasket. He looks inside, but it’s empty. He makes a call, and says he’s at the house. How soon can they get there?
Alex tells Peter and Maxie, she wants to hear all about the wedding plans. It means so much to share moments like this together; it’s more rare than they realize. Maxie says she doesn’t know what she’d do without Anna. It means a lot to Peter to have her in his life. Peter says, more than she knows, and Alex says, nothing or no one is ever going to tear them apart again.
Valentin tells Anna, sorry. She says, if that’s an apology there are some things she can forgive; others, not so much. He says he should have taken Alex out when she called Peter her son. He missed his shot; sorry. She says he can make it up to her by helping to get them out. He says if they do get out, he’s going after Alex immediately. Anna doesn’t want that, and he says, she won’t commit to killing Alex, even after what she’s done? Anna says she’s not killing her own sister, and Valentin says maybe Anna should send her a thank you card. Be sure to tell… He says, Charlotte, and Anna says they’ll find a way. Valentin says he may have one, and makes a Hulk noise.
Lulu tells Dante, it’s not that she doesn’t appreciate a rescue, but she didn’t need a rescue. She knows how to take care of herself. He says he just wanted her know that he never stopped wanting the best for her, even if he’s not a part of it.
Epiphany and Terry go to Elizabeth’s house, and Epiphany asks, what’s in the medicine cabinet? And she’s not talking about the bathroom. Elizabeth says she’s got a nice cabernet, and Epiphany says, perfect. They can give her input after they empty the bottle. She suggests Terry use her skilled hands to open the vino, and goes to the kitchen to get glasses. Elizabeth says she heard Epiphany gave the department head such a hard time, he went in his office, locked the door, and wouldn’t come out.
Cyrus tells Portia, he knows the hospital treats all patients equally, and she says, as equal as their medical coverage will allow, since he took over. He says, if there’s such a thing as VIP treatment, make sure Jordan receives it. She tells him not to worry. She’ll make sure Jordan gets everything she needs.
Jordan tells Curtis, she passed out in front of Cyrus, or that’s how it seemed. Portia was there to treat her like they’d arranged. They staged the whole thing. They’re going to tell Cyrus she has complications from the transplant. Portia comes in, and Curtis asks if Cyrus is still out there. Portia says she sent him on his merry way, and asks if Curtis is up to speed. Curtis says he is, about his wife. Portia, not so much. Jordan says Portia suspected she was on the take, so she told Portia the truth, that Cyrus threatened to kill TJ. Portia says, now that she knows, she’s offered to help. Curtis says, so they have a new teammate. What’s the plan? Portia says Jordan needs time to regroup; doctor’s orders. Curtis says, it’s the perfect cover. They can get away from that bastard, and turn the tables on him.
Terry asks Elizabeth where her hubby is, and Elizabeth says he’s finding out about a possible commission. He’s been networking like crazy, and lining up work. He’ll be busy for another year. She asks why Terry is so quiet.
At the Floating Rib, Franco thanks Jason for meeting him. He knows he’s not Jason’s favorite person, and it’s something he’s relying on. Jason tells him, get to the point, and Franco says he likes that Jason doesn’t waste time. He’s grateful for that, since he doesn’t have time to waste. Jason asks what Franco wants, and Franco says he wants Jason to kill him.
Robert arrives at Anna’s, and asks Finn to tell him again why he’s there. Finn asks if Robert has spoken to Anna, and Robert asks, why? Finn says he hasn’t seen Anna since yesterday. They were supposed have dinner with Chase and his mom, but Anna canceled at the last minute. She said she was waiting for test results. He shows Robert the envelope, and says, according to the lab, she got the results last night. She had them when they spoke. Why would she lie? Robert asks if something is wrong with Anna, but Finn says, the tests aren’t about Anna. They’re about Peter.
Maxie excuses herself to go to the restroom – again. She leaves, and Alex tells Peter, she remembers what it was like expecting him. He says she’s never talked about that before, and she asks why he thinks that is. He says he assumed it was too painful a subject. She says, seeing him with Maxie, and about to become a parent himself, she thinks she’s made peace with that time in her life. He asks, what changed? and she says, funny he should ask.
Valentin says he can’t use his hands, and Anna says he’s still too drugged. She fiddles with the handcuffs.
Lulu tells Dante, she knows there are no guarantees in life, but she needs them. Not for herself. When he left, Charlotte still had Valentin, but Rocco lost his dad. He needs to stick around. He says, that’s the plan, but she says she needs more than a plan. Rocco needs his father. She needs a guarantee that Dante isn’t going to leave again. It would be worse than if he hadn’t come back at all. He says he’s not going anywhere, and if she ever needs anything, all she has to do is ask.
Jason says, Franco wants to be killed by him, and Franco says, trust him. It’s as big a surprise to him as it is to Jason. Jason says, don’t call him again, and starts to leave. Franco says, don’t make him beg. How many times has Jason thought about killing him? How many times has he tried? Think it over. It’s what he’s always wanted.
Terry tells Elizabeth, it’s just been a long day with patients. Epiphany says she thought they were supposed to be cheering her up, and they wanted to take her mind off her losing her man. They could bring down the mood at a funeral. Elizabeth says she thinks she knows what it is. Terry gets the bottle of wine open, and pours. Epiphany says she’ll take that transfusion.
Portia says, Jordan needs bed rest, and time off work; and no working at home while she recuperates. Curtis asks, for how long? and Portia says, there’s no time table, but don’t press his luck. Jordan says they have to look into a homicide that from 40 years ago, and Portia asks what Cyrus has to do with that. Jordan says, that’s what she’d like to know. The file has been heavily redacted. Curtis says, for some reason it’s important to Cyrus. Cyrus asks if he can come in, and says, what happened? Is Jordan okay?
Robert asks Finn what the tests prove, and Finn says, Peter has a genetic marker that Anna doesn’t have, and neither did Faison. If Peter didn’t inherit it from them, that means he got it from Alex. Robert says, making Alex Peter’s mother. No wonder Anna was on tenterhooks. Finn wonders, why lie if she had the results? and Robert says, now she’s missing. Finn asks if it can be a coincidence that Anna and Valentin wanted to lure Alex out of hiding. Robert asks what Valentin has to do with it, and Finn says, for whatever reason, Anna trusts him to help bring Alex in.
Alex tells Peter, she realizes if not for her choices and the ruthless way she pursued her career, using Faison, she wouldn’t be sitting opposite the one person who made it worthwhile. Peter says, all of it? and she says, a lot of it. He says he’s never heard her speak this way, and she says, they’ve come so far. From here on out, she’s never going leave anything unsaid between them. Moving forward, they’re stronger together than apart. He tells her that she’s saying what he’s always wanted to hear his mother say. Alex says Peter needs to assert himself; the real him. He asks how she knows that, and she says she knows him. He’s her son, and she knows him better than he knows himself.
Valentin and Anna continue to cough. Anna gets out of the cuffs, and undoes her feet. She goes around, and helps Valentin. He’s still weak, and tells her to go, but she says, stand up, and puts his arm around her. He says there’s no time, but she drags him to the door. The pressure cooker vibrates.
Anna and Valentin make it outside, just as the building blows up. Valentin says, nice job, and she asks if he’s okay. He says he’s fine.
Lulu tells Dante, she needs him to take of the kids. She can take care of herself. After he left, it was really hard. She missed him, and doubted herself. She needed him to rescue her at that moment, but he wasn’t there. He says, but Desmond was there, and she says, Dustin was wonderful to her and the kids. She can’t set that aside or ignore it because he’s back. He says he’s not asking her to, and she says, not yet. He says he’s not going to, and she asks why he’s there.
Jason says, no matter how many times Elizabeth tells him that Franco has changed, he’s still the same sick bastard he always was. Franco tells him that the tumor is back, and it’s inoperable. He doesn’t know if it will affect him the way the other one did. He doesn’t know what he’s capable of doing, and doesn’t want to find out. This is the ask. If he starts to repeat the same behavior, will Jason stop him?
Jordan insists she’s fine, but Portia says she’s not. She needs to see a specialist. Portia tells him she thinks there might be complications with the transplant. Curtis says, Jordan needs to see the doctor who did the transplant, and Cyrus asks if they’re on staff. Curtis says, they were, but they were part of Cyrus’s cost-cutting casualties. He’d like to take her to see the doctor tonight, and Portia says she’ll arrange it. They all agree Jordan should see someone familiar with her condition. Cyrus asks if there’s anything he can do in the meantime, and Curtis says he’s done enough. They’ll take it from there. Goodbye. Cyrus leaves, and Jordan sits up. She guesses this means Curtis is in.
Alex tells Peter, it’s just the two of them right now, so she can talk. She considers them to be extraordinary people. They may blend in, but their ambitions and needs are greater than what the world is capable of offering. It’s on them to shape the world. Normal and everyday doesn’t apply to them. If he trusts her, she can help him become the man he’s destined to be. Maxie comes back, and asks what she missed. Alex says they were just talking about the future, and it’s so much brighter than they ever thought possible. She touches Maxie’s baby bump, and says, isn’t that right, Peter?
Finn tells Robert, Valentin’s phone is going straight to voicemail. Robert asks if Finn thinks Anna shared the test results with Valentin, and they concocted a plan to lure Alex out. Finn says he’d like to think Anna would let him know first. Robert’s phone rings, and he says, ooh. He’s on his way. Finn asks, what’s ooh and what’s wrong? Robert says, there was a gas explosion at a warehouse, and Finn asks what he’s thinking. Robert says, a gas explosion, Valentin and Anna are both gone. Oh yeah, it’s got to be a coincidence.
Dante says he knows he gave up on his and Lulu’s life when he left, but that doesn’t mean he stopped caring. Lulu’s phone rings, and he says, Dustin? She says, yes. He’s checking see how her interview went. He says, sorry about that. He didn’t mean to mess it up. She says, it’s okay. He really was a dirtbag. Dante gets up, and says she should go. He happens to know firsthand the risk of leaving someone waiting.
Jason tells Franco, he’ll do some research. He wants to make sure Franco is telling the truth. Maybe he wants to set Jason up to go down for his murder. Franco says he’s counting on Jason being professional, and covering all the bases. He doesn’t want Elizabeth blaming Jason or feeling any pain. Jason says that’s what Franco would tell him if he was setting him up. Franco says the only thing they have in common is Elizabeth and the boys. He’s counting on Jason to do what needs to be done for them. He’s straight up begging. Please do what he’s asking.
Elizabeth says Epiphany has been blaming herself for Milo leaving for the last fifteen minutes, and Epiphany says, she practically pushed him out the door. Elizabeth says she encouraged him to follow his dream, and Epiphany says Elizabeth is right. She was supportive and encouraging, and she was there, but now he’s gone. She starts to cry, and says, at some point, Milo stopped giving the relationship attention and love and care it needed and deserved. She was too busy to notice, until she did. Terry says she knows what went wrong. Now it’s time to dry her tears, and get back out there. Epiphany says, tonight? and Terry says, when she’s ready. They toast to new beginnings, and clink glasses.
Portia says they’re all set. She’s made up an order for Jordan to visit her neurologist, and the appointment is set up, so it’s on the books. Curtis says they’d better get out of there before Cyrus sends in one of his doctors in for a consultation. Once they get out of sight, they know exactly where they’re going. Portia says, don’t mind her; she just made it possible. Curtis says, 1257 Wilson Avenue, an arts and crafts classic. He wonders who Cyrus has stashed there, that he sends them monthly payments of five or six figures. Portia asks, what about the murder? and Jordan says they’ll work on it when they’re on the plane. They’ll come back with leads, and get Cyrus on two fronts.
Alex says she has to get back to Finn, and tells Peter to take care of Maxie; Maxie is carrying her grandchild. Peter says he will. He worked hard to get the family he deserved. Alex says, that’s something they have in common. When she’s gone, Maxie asks, is it just her, or did Anna seem different? Peter says, she did.
Anna tells a fireman, there was no one else in there; just the two of them. He says paramedics are on their way, and she says she needs to talk to the DA. Robert walks in, and says, why did he know she was involved in this? Anna says, not her; Alex.
Curtis asks if Portia is sure she covered all the bases. If Cyrus finds out they played him… Portia says, everything is done on her end, but she has no control over what happens after. Jordan says, it’s great to have another ally. Trina would be proud if she knew. Portia says, she better not. She’d march up to Cyrus and do or say something to let Cyrus know they were bringing him down. She leaves, and Cyrus sees her in the hallway. He asks if everything is all set, and she says, the arrangements have all been made. She tells him, goodnight, and walks down the hall. He looks at the closed door to Jordan’s room.
Jordan says she always wanted to take Curtis to the Pacific Northwest; her old stomping grounds. This isn’t what she had in mind though. He says, it’s not ideal, but if they pull this off and bring Cyrus down, it will be the best vacation ever. He asks what they’re waiting for, and she goes into the bathroom to get dressed.
In the alleyway, Dante takes out his phone. He reads a text that says, complete the mission, which we haven’t heard in five minutes. He takes a pill and moves on.
Jason tells Franco, he’ll do what it takes to protect Elizabeth and the boys. Franco thanks him, saying he knew he count on Jason.
Elizabeth asks if Terry and Epiphany want to wait inside, but Terry says their Ride Share is only a block away; they’ll be fine. Epiphany thanks Elizabeth for the vino and the veritas. Maybe there is life after Milo. Elizabeth says she knows there will be. Outside, Epiphany asks what’s going on between Terry and Elizabeth? Terry says, shop talk, and Epiphany says, uh-huh.
Finn calls Elizabeth, and asks if Violet is still up, but she says, Violet has been down for hours. She asks if something is wrong, and he says he’ll explain when he gets there. Lock the door, and don’t open it to anyone. He’s on his way.
Robert tells a fireman to contain the fire, and Anna asks to use Robert’s phone. Robert hands it to her, and tells the fireman, the woman who lit the fire is dangerous. There might be surprises waiting inside that they don’t know about.
Finn answers the phone, saying, Robert? but Anna says, it’s her. He says, thank God, and she asks where he is. She says if he’s at the house, he needs to leave. Alex walks in, and Anna says, Finn? What’s happening? Can he hear her?
Tomorrow, Sam tells Alexis that she’s never allowing her around the kids again, Peter tells Lulu that there’s no way he can publish this, and Sonny says he’s going to have to tell Carly someone is alive.
Southern Charm
We were still at Shep’s Dumb and Dumber party. Craig has now taken Cameron’s place as narrator, but it’s not the same. Leva and husband Lamar, who reminds me of a shorter Ving Rhames, arrived, and Leva asked to speak to Kathryn in private. Leva asked why Kathryn was going after her friend, meaning Cameron, since Kathryn had told Craig gossip about Jason having an affair. Leva said Cameron had a beautiful family, and she didn’t want this happening, but Kathryn said she had a family she thought was beautiful too, and Cameron had no problem going after her. We flashed back to that on many occasions, and it wasn’t good look. In her interview, Kathryn said, what goes around comes around. Leva said if Kathryn hurts someone she cares about, Kathryn was going to have a problem with her, and she didn’t want a problem. She was letting bygones be bygones. Kathryn said, sounded good to her, but in her interview said, if it was her or Madison, they’d get on a group text about it. Shep told Craig about Madison and Peter having hooked up. Then Peter’s girlfriend Liz tried to stir the sh*t by telling Austin that Madison had a fling with Peter, and he should be careful about who he dates. It was so stupid, since it wasn’t like Peter had cheated on her with Madison. I just didn’t get it. Maybe Peter needs to be careful about who he dates. Liz seems like she has serious insecurity issues. Patricia and Whitney took off early due to lack of food. I actively looked for a chair, or seating of any kind, and saw none. Madison said something to Shep about being a d-bag for inviting Peter, and left. Shep made a speech saying his guests were the coolest in Charleston. They were the best, and he never wanted to leave because of them. Outside, Madison told Austen about Peter.
Craig had a meeting with his partners, and distribution to Wayfair and Bed, Bath, and Beyond was discussed. I’m impressed. Kathryn’s place looked like a cyclone had hit it, since she’s renovating and moving in. She wanted to get things finished as soon as possible, so she could move the kids back. Austen said he’d felt ambushed, and in his interview, he said Shep couldn’t help himself. Now everyone was talking sh*t behind his back. Shep vowed to Taylor that he wouldn’t gossip anymore. In his interview, he said new girlfriend Taylor made him a better human being. She wasn’t trying to change him, but maybe fine tune him. Austen pouted, and Madison said they’d been through enough sh*t. It was just another test of their relationship
In Danni’s interview, she was doubtful as to whether Shep’s relationship would last. She said as soon as Shep felt cornered, it was peace out. Kathryn told Danni that John kissed her, but he was legit recently divorced, so it wasn’t happening again. We found out Kathryn and Thomas hooked up a few months ago, and I wondered why she’d want to even go near him at this point. Were they drunk? Austen got together with Whitney and Craig for dinner, and Whitney said, how lucky was he, to be with the pillow and beer magnates? Austen said he had beer on tap in the highest volume bars in Charleston. He asked what he was supposed to think about Shep inviting Peter to the party, and Whitney thought Shep had a good heart. Whitney toasted to pillows and beer, and Craig thought that sounded like a sex tape.
Leva’s son’s name is Little? I can’t imagine him not being bullied for that. In Leva’s interview, she explained that she and Lamar were restauranteurs, owning Republic, Bourbon n Bubbles, and Medu; and getting ready to open a sports bar called 1st Place. They’d wanted to bring Miami and New York to Charleston, built it, and they came. She told us when she and Lamar first started dating, people stared. There weren’t many mixed race couples in town. She’d told Lamar that she didn’t know where they fit, and he said people like themselves were needed to change the social climate.
Craig, Shep, and Austen went to the gym. Shep insisted that inviting Peter and Liz wasn’t a set-up, but he was sorry. In Craig’s interview, he said he was fascinated. He’d never seen Shep apologize. Austen wanted nothing more than for everyone to act like adults. New guy John visited Patricia, and wisely brought flowers. He asked for a vodka martini, but got a lecture on the how much better gin was instead. Michael told him that gin was botanical, and vodka came from a potato in the dirt, and Patricia added that vodka was déclassé. I don’t know about that, but I don’t drink gin. I had gin once, and had a hangover for three days. In John’s interview, he said his family had been in Charleston for eight generations. He’d gone to school with Shep, and Patricia asked if Shep was wild and crazy then. John said he was an absolute lunatic. John had come back to Charleston after his divorce because San Diego wasn’t home. Charleston put him in a good headspace, and he was a better co-parent when he was in a good headspace. I rolled my eyes at the word headspace. Patricia asked what he thought about Madison, and he said she was stunning, but also with someone. Patricia said she didn’t think for long. Madison was career driven and ambitious, and her boyfriend was lackadaisical. Whitney said Austen was making an effort, but Patricia said he only had his beer in a couple of places. He wasn’t Budweiser, and Madison deserved Budweiser.
Austen set up a booth to showcase his beer at the Charleston Food and Wine Festival, which he said was the premiere springtime festival in Charleston. Craig said he liked Austen’s merch, but hated the word merch. In Craig’s interview, he said that Madison was maybe not the best for Austen’s mental health, but invaluable businesswise. Kathryn told Danni that she’d decided she was going to act like the kiss didn’t happen when she saw John. In Kathryn’s interview, she said Madison was more John’s type. An old lady came to check out the beer, and said they were pathetically good looking. Madison said the beer must be working. In Madison’s interview, she said Austen hawking his beer was super sexy. The more beer he was slinging and selling, the more she was liking it.
Shep came by, and Austen told Madison to let him handle it. She said if Shep gave her sh*t, she was going to give it back. Shep told Madison that he felt bad, and apologized. Austen said he heavily preferred that they talk about this another time. Shep said he was coming hat in hand, and Madison asked how many times they were going to do this. Austen interrupted, saying he didn’t think this was the right place, but in Shep’s interview, he said he thought it was the perfect place. When they meet someone in the Mafia, they always pick a crowded place, where no one can do anything crazy. Shep said he wanted to stay out of their relationship, and Madison told him that she wasn’t going anywhere. Shep said he didn’t want Austen to get hurt, and Austen was crazy about Madison, so if she didn’t feel the same way, let Austen know. Madison insisted she did feel the same way. Austen said this was the last place he wanted this to happen, and Madison said she and Shep were good. They never needed to have this conversation again. Then Madison guilted Shep into buying a hat. In his interview, Shep said it was like the cold war between Russia and the United States. We have our rockets pointed at you, just so you know, but we don’t want a war. In Madison’s interview, she said she got off on the fact that she owned any conversation she had with Shep. She and Austen kissed.
Next time, Austen and Craig get on each other’s nerves, Austen asks if Shep and Taylor are an actual couple, Leva has a ladies lunch in her Persian palace, and Kathryn tells Danni about Thomas getting someone else pregnant.
👀On Watch What Happens Live, Craig and Shep were both guests. Andy is usually so stylish, but tonight he was wearing a sweater that was no, just no. It looked like a mohair turtleneck, but what it mostly looked like was bad. It was not his color (a pinkish shade of red) and it made him look fat. Maybe he got fat and he was trying to hide it with the sweater, but if so, it didn’t work. Whatever reason he had for choosing it, it didn’t work. Craig said he’d run into Naomie and Metul at the airport sky lounge, and they chatted for an hour, which made me miss Naomie and Metul.
🐶 A Peachy Pup…
I was worried that maybe Chauncy had passed away, but apparently, new pup Peaches is obsessed with him.
AOL is giving me grief tonight, so I’m off to fight with it. No matter how your technology is treating you, stay safe, stay buoyant, and stay knowing you deserve Budweiser.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
The Walking Dead
Kelly is out in the woods. We see tattered rags on a clothesline, and a wild boar. Kelly gets her slingshot ready, but she’s having trouble hearing. The boar is down, but not dead, and she has to stab it. A zombie sneaks up on her, and she stabs that too. Zombies fall on the boar, devouring it, so Kelly has to abandon that idea. She runs, and a zombie follows. She tumbles down a hill. She’s hurt, and crawls forward. She leans against a tree, and a seriously creepy-looking zombie reaches for her from behind.
Negan looks at his reflection in the creek, and splashes water on his face. He debates drinking some, but decides not to. A voice says, gotcha. Don’t try anything. Negan turns around to see Brandon, who says, the look on his face. He was just messing with Negan. Brandon tosses him a canteen, and says Negan is fast. It took forever to catch up to him. Negan smiles. Damn he’s handsome.
Yumiko and a couple of others are still working on killing straggling zombies outside the wall. Yumiko goes inside to check in with Eugene. Aiden says Eugene has come up with a zero waste plan, and Eugene says, it seems as good a time as any to master the Pueblo art of basket weaving. On the side, Aiden suggests to Yumiko that they make weapons and catapults. She thinks it’s a good idea, just not now. Things are too complicated. Yumiko moves on, and Earl tells Aiden, the Whisperers toppled their wall with a tree, and now they’re throwing walkers at them, but they’re twiddling their thumbs. Breanna tells Yumiko that Connie was in the root cellar again in the middle of the night. Yumiko asks, who was on watch?
Yumiko goes inside her house to find Magna listening to music and reading. Yumiko shuts off the gramophone. She tells Magna that someone stole the crate of fish they got from Oceanside. Breanna said it was gone from the root cellar. Magna says, everything is strange at the moment. Yumiko says it would help if they stuck to the jobs they were given. Magna turns the music back up, and goes back to her book.
Ezekiel leans against a fence and ponders. Daryl rides in on his bike, and Siddiq follows behind on a horse. Connie waves, and signs talk later to Daryl. Ezekiel says, no sign of Negan? and Siddiq says they searched day and night, thinking about what he took from them, and they didn’t take from him. Ezekiel says they could use a hand in the infirmary, and Siddiq says they were planning on leaving tomorrow, but of course he’ll help.
A group of hunters comes back, and Connie writes, Kelly? Aiden says, she’s not there? She was tracking something, and said she’d meet them back at Hilltop. She should be back by now.
Negan cuts little sucker branches off of a big branch. Brandon whistles, and asks Negan if he got it. His dad used to tells him how the Saviors whistled back and forth. He asks how Negan got out of the cell, but Negan doesn’t say anything. Brandon says at least tell him what they’re looking for, but Negan says he wants to play it safe. Brandon says he heard how badass the Sanctuary was. Then Rick comes along, and talk about a hypocrite. He kills their parents, drags them to Alexandria, and gives them a lecture on community. He heard Negan made Rick cut his own kid’s hand off, and then killed him. Negan says he never did that. Carl was… He would never kill a kid. Brandon says they’re both Negan. Negan starts walking again. Brandon follows.
They come across a mess of barbed wire, and Brandon asks, who would do this? Negan says, the skin freaks. Brandon asks if they should cross. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Negan says, no, and a zombie comes out of nowhere, knocking Negan down. He holds it off with his newly fashioned stick, pushes it off of him. and uses the barbed wire to cut three-quarters of its head off through the mouth. Then he smashes the head with his foot. He says, thanks for the help, and Brandon says, sorry. He needed a second to wrap Negan’s gift. He holds out Lucille, wrapped in barbed wire. He says he swiped it from Alexandria, and was waiting for the right time to surprise Negan. He takes Negan’s leather jacket out of his backpack, and says, it took forever to find it. It was in the back of an old storage garage. His dad said he never saw Negan without it. Negan tells Brandon to put it in his backpack. He doesn’t want to be recognized. Brandon asks if he likes it though, and Negan says it’s a big hit.
Aaron looks around on the bridge, and hears something. He goes into the woods, and watches Gamma dispatch a zombie. She cuts it open, and blood flows into the creek. She shoves the body into the water; its entrails popping out.
Negan and Brandon stare at some zombies meandering around, and Brandon tells Negan that he’d say she’s a seven. Negan just looks at him, and he asks if this isn’t this kind of stuff the Saviors did to kill time. Negan tells Brandon that he can’t say he remembers rating walkers on their hotness. And she’s clearly a three. They hear screaming, and Negan takes off, Brandon following. Negan runs to a bus, where the screaming is coming from, and slams a zombie against the side of it. He breaks the knife in the process of stabbing it in the head. He looks at the handle, and says, you’ve got to be kidding me. He goes inside the bus, where he finds a woman screaming and fending off several zombies. Negan kills one, and she takes down another. Negan smashes the third zombies head in the bus door until there’s nothing left. A little boy peeks out from behind one of the seats. Brandon says, damn. Classic Negan.
Connie and Daryl search the woods for Kelly. Daryl says it’s not her fault, but Kelly signs that she should have gone with Kelly. Daryl asks if he’s told her about his brother Merle. One time Merle took him fishing on a big lake that was private property, in a boat that was stolen. Merle was drinking and fishing, and fell in the lake. Daryl had to swim back to shore while holding onto Merle. He saved Merle’s life, and know what he says? He writes, Dummy, go get the beer. Connie laughs, and he says, idiot, right? He tells her it’s going to be all right, and Dog barks. I always get nervous when dog is on screen
They see the rock from Kelly’s slingshot, and the remains of the boar. Daryl almost shoots Magna, who comes from another direction. Kelly gives Magna a questioning look, and Magna shakes her head.
Yumiko says she should be out there with them, and Aiden says if she was lost in the woods, who would she want to find her? Somebody has to come back with her. Killjoy Earl asks if Aiden really thinks Kelly is okay, and Aiden says he hopes so. Earl says, what about them? The tree didn’t fall on its own. He thinks they might be coming back with something worse. Isn’t Aiden thinking about them at all? Aiden says, after what happened to his family, he thinks night and day about them. Earl says, don’t stop.
Ezekiel tells Siddiq, they took a quarter of the medical supplies. Ezekiel holds a metal tiger, and Siddiq says he’s sorry. Ezekiel says Henry forged it during his apprenticeship. He has a sudden coughing fit, and Siddiq says, that doesn’t sound good, but Ezekiel says, it’s nothing. The regular slings and arrows. Siddiq says it could be from smoke inhalation, and reaches out to touch Ezekiel, who slaps his hand away. Ezekiel tells Siddiq that he said he was fine. After a moment, Ezekiel pulls down his sweater to reveal a protrusion on his neck, saying, it’s grown. Siddiq touches Ezekiel’s neck, and says, it could be a lot of things, but Ezekiel says he knows what it is. Siddiq says, without a test, he can’t be sure, but Ezekiel says he knows. Siddiq sits, and Ezekiel says when he was growing up, his grandmother had it, and so did his father. The pain, the coughing, and swelling; he watched them fight it and win. There was 98% survival rate for thyroid cancer with the treatments that were out there. Now, they both know what it means. Siddiq says, it can be managed; acupuncture, hypnosis… He’s struggling with own condition. He can’t stand how everyone looks to him for some kind of answers. Maybe Ezekiel can’t get away from it, but they can talk about it. What are they there for if not for each other?
Amelia, the woman on the bus, tells Negan that she and Milo have been walking for weeks, since the Whisperers scattered everyone from their camp to the four winds. They went back to what it was before, and what it is in the end, moving from place to place, surviving. Brandon says he’s been there. Amelia asks if Milo wants to walk, and Brandon says, be safe. When they’re gone, Brandon says he knows what Negan is thinking. Negan says, people are a resource, but Brandon says, not them. He starts to go after them, and Negan grabs him, shoving him into a seat. He says he appreciates what Brandon has done for him since he left Alexandria, but it’s only going to get more dangerous from there. It’s best for him to go on alone, and Brandon should go home. Brandon says, okay, but if he goes back, everyone will want know where he’s been. What is he supposed to say? He’s never been a great liar. Negan laughs, and asks if Brandon planned that. He can go wherever the hell he wants. Brandon can go back to Alexandria and tell the whole world exactly where he is. He doesn’t give a sh*t, as long as doesn’t have to see that creepy pasty-ass face of Brandon’s again. Brandon says Negan is just like all the others. He grabs his bag, and gets off the bus.
Alpha watches as a Whisperer slices the face of off a zombie. She says, the ears are tricky. (I find out later on Talking Dead, that this is actually the zombie Kelly killed in the beginning scene.) Gamma approaches, and Alpha touches her face, saying she has something for Gamma. Gamma says she just came back from the creek, and Beta says, another one lost. Alpha says, strategy takes time. If they treat the water, and build a dam of zombies, it will crush them. A Whisperer wants to talk to Alpha, and Beta grumbles, but Alpha tells him to speak his piece. He says instead of what she’s doing, why not cut their enemies down all at once? Alpha asks if anyone agrees, and gets silence. She says, there’s democracy for you, and slices his hamstring. The Whisperer falls to his knees, and she says, the human body is fragile. All it takes to collapse it are a few nicks in the right spot. He makes a feeble attempt to stab her, and she slices his arm. She says, the strong ones know where to come to be safe, and hands Beta her knife. Beta slits the Whisperer’s throat, and Alpha says Gamma wanted another guardian.
Milo plays with a toy plane, and Negan asks how he is, telling Milo that he doesn’t bite. Milo’s mom it packing, so he has time to kill. Milo asks where Brandon is, and Negan says, he went looking for supplies. He tells Milo that he’s going to be rea; he told Brandon to get lost. It turns out he’s not the best co-pilot, if Milo catches his drift. He says Brandon doesn’t, does he? He’s never been on a plane. It’s not Milo’s fault that God turned the world into an ass pit before he was born. It feels like you’ve been sitting on the runway forever, and suddenly you hear a groan. The plane creeps along, moving faster and faster, until everything out the window turns into a blur. The wheels come up, and you’re flying, like voodoo magic. Up and up, higher and higher, until it’s like you’re floating on top of the world. The houses and cars look like toys. The food is a no. He was served beef stroganoff that looked like baby sh*t. There’s so much Milo is going to miss growing up in a screwed up world. Driving his first set of wheels, video games, nut tapping. He explains that you catch a guy off-guard. Keep your wrist loose, and snap your fingers on their nuts. You can’t go too low or too high, or you’ll get nothing but d*ck. He has Milo demonstrate the technique, and says he’s a natural. If nut tapping was a sport, Milo would be in the hall of fame. He tells Milo a fire isn’t happening without wood. Is he packed? Milo says he is, and Negan says he knows it sucks, but tells him mom that Negan knows a place where they’ll probably take them in. It has high walls, farmland, and has a mansion in the middle. They can’t tell who brought them there, but he’ll get them as close as he can. There’s one condition. Milo has to keep his fingers holstered when Negan’s nuts are around. Deal? Milo says, deal, and they high-five.
Gamma walks with the new zombie to the creek. She stabs him again and again, remembering throwing her sister into the zombie horde, and seeing Alpha kill the Whisperer. She’s stabbing so aggressively, she ends up cutting herself, and dropping the knife in the water. Aaron sees, and tosses her a bandage wrap. He says, it’s okay; it’s for her hand. He tells her that his name is Aaron. He knows they don’t do names anymore, but she’s got to be from somewhere. He’s from Vermont. Gamma jets, and he says, you’re welcome.
Connie and Daryl continue to search. Dog barks, and they find Kelly passed out, leaning against the tree. Connie wakes her up, and asks if she’s okay. Kelly signs that she couldn’t hear before, but she’s fine now. Magna gives Kelly some water, but she chokes on it. Connie signs that they have to get back to Hilltop. Daryl thinks they need to find somewhere closer. Connie walks over to a brush pile, and uncovers a big box of supplies. Daryl asks if she knew about this, and Connie takes a medical kit out of the box. She signs something to Magna, and Daryl asks what she said. Magna tells him that Connie doesn’t trust her. Daryl says Hilltop took them in. They have sick children and mouths to feed, and she steals from them. All she’s good for is talking sh*t. Connie writes not to tell them. Let her handle it.
Negan carries a small pile of wood in his arms. He hears whistling, and sees Brandon. Brandon says, that’s it, right? Negan drops the wood, and sees that Amelia and Milo are dead; their bodies next to the bus. Brandon says he remembers Negan kicked people out, but he was messing with them; keeping them in line. He realized this was a test. Negan said it was going to get a lot more dangerous, because he wanted to make sure Brandon had the balls to do what had to be done. Brandon looks at the bodies, and says, what does he think? Negan picks up a big rock, and Brandon turns around, saying, I passed. I am Negan. Negan slams the rock into Brandon’s head, and pounds his head to a pulp. He takes Lucille and his jacket, and walks.
Daryl returns with Connie, Kelly, and Magna. Yumiko runs to them, and asks, what happened? Connie signs that she’ll explain later.
Dante jokes to Siddiq on the radio. He says either Siddiq’s mic is out or he’s laughing balls off. He says he’s still there, and asks how Rosita is. Dante says he didn’t want to tell Siddiq, but she got a bump. She’ll be fine. Siddiq says he’ll leave for home tonight. He asks if Carol is around, and Dante says he’ll grab her. Ezekiel takes Siddiq’s place at the mic. He touches the metal tiger, and listens to Carol’s footsteps coming toward the radio. He shuts the radio off. Not that it’s ever in a happy place, but this show is just heartbreaking tonight.
Yumiko tells Magna it’s scary to think, but they probably wouldn’t have made it if they hadn’t found that stash. It sounds like they were far off the main road. Magna tells her, say it. Yumiko thinks she stole the supplies and hid them out there. Yumiko says, it wouldn’t be the first time, and Magna says Yumiko has thought she was selfish and stupid for the past thirteen years. That’s how she looked at Magna the day she showed up in her fancy suit. Yumiko says she was thinking, here’s an innocent person locked up for a crime she didn’t commit, and she’s never trusted anyone because no one trusted her. She was mad at everyone. Magna says her cousin was a little girl who had to go on living life when nobody came for him. So she did it. There it is. (For clarification: A man sexually assaulted Magna’s young cousin, and she killed him.) Magna tells Yumiko, they’ve both killed how many? and still that look.
Gamma approaches Alpha, and shows Alpha her bandaged hand. She says, the man with the metal arm gave to her. Seated on the ground, Alpha says, shh, and Gamma sits next to her. Alpha takes Gamma’s mask off, saying, different masks for different times. It’s kind of a sacrifice, like Gamma sacrificed her sister. Gamma says Alpha’s sacrifice was much greater, and Alpha says, the man with the metal arm could be useful. Gamma might just have to wear a new mask.
Connie walks through the stables, and hangs up a lantern. Daryl is there with his bike, and she asks if he’s leaving. He says he has to go back, and asks if Kelly is okay. Connie smiles and nods. She writes, sorry about Magna and Kelly asking him to lie for them. Daryl makes the sign for family, and Connie smiles. He gets on his bike, and she signs goodbye. He rolls out, whistling for Dog to follow.
Negan walks through the woods, wearing his jacket, and carrying Lucille. He walks past the barbed wire, and says, hey, sacks of sh*t, what does he have to do to get something to eat? Are they all scared of the big bad wolf? Little pigs, little pigs, let me in. (Which is what he also said when he first went to Alexandria.) He sees some zombies and says, there they are. He’s done talking. He whacks one with Lucille, and says he’s gonna blow their asses all the way home. He wallops a few more, and gets knocked down by Beta, who’s there with some Whisperers. I say, oh sh*t, and Negan says, all right, you big ass freak. Let’s do this.
Next time, Carol takes her gun and goes out walking, Alpha wants to test Negan, and Negan says he wants to join the Whisperers. They’re a survivor’s wet dream.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 