Tag Archives: OLTL

July 18, 2025 – GH Weekdays, Jason Spots a Familiar Face, Soap Suds, This Week In Reality, Weekend Watching, Coming Soon, Emmy Info, Bonus Material, Off the Leash, Just Over 10 Quotes & Bright

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What I Watched Today

(Weekday bites, Friday’s whole GH enchilada & media minutiae)

General Hospital

🥢 Weekday Bites…

Monday:

At All Saints, Sidwell looked at Natalia’s coffin in front of the altar. Lucy came in and he thanked her for her support. She said she was sorry he had to deal with the media coverage, and he said it made things more difficult for Marco.

Lucas sent multiple texts to Marco, but Marco didn’t respond. Alexis went to Marco’s hotel room to offer her condolences, but also to tell him that no matter what he thought, Sonny didn’t kill his mother.

Michael met Sonny, Carly, and the moss bowl 🎍 in Sonny’s old kitchen. Sonny thanked him for the heads up on the headline, and Michael said he had bad news. He was about to lose his daughter.

At the hospital, Isaiah said he and Willow would be working in the ER, but she said no way would Lucas let her work with him.

Jack left a message for Carly saying he was thinking about her. Vaugn and Josslyn came into his office and he said Anna was clearly probing Vaughn’s cover and onto them.

On the phone, Anna asked for a background check, when Felicia arrived. Outback ran out carrying a shoe of Anna’s and Anna yelled, Emma Scorpio Drake, come in here right now!

Sasha brought Daisy to the pool. Daisy looked adorable in a pool outfit and matching sun hat.

Lulu thanked Jason for coming over, and he said he should have talked to her and Dante before answering Rocco’s questions about Britt. Lulu said he needed to understand he could never talk to her son about Britt again.

Isaiah told Lucas and Willow that the three of them had to work together. Whatever was going on had to stop and they needed to clear the air – like now.

Michael told Sonny and Carly that Sasha and Daisy were leaving town asap. It had been decided because someone was targeting Daisy.

Vaughn said he wasn’t sure Anna bought his cover story, but Josslyn said, Emma did. Jack said there was a big difference, since Anna was a trained agent and brilliant. He expected she’d be looking into Vaughn. Josslyn asked what she’d find, and Vaughn said, nothing. Jack said, for a regular person, that would be a good thing, but for Anna it raised red flags. She was the sharpest, shrewdest, and most cunning agent, and crossing paths with her would make things more difficult.

Anna fought Outback for her shoe and said Emma’s dog just ate her shoe for breakfast. Emma said she must have left the door to Anna’s bedroom open, but she’d get Anna another pair. Anna said she’d gotten them in Milan before Emma was born. They were vintage, irreplaceable, and her favorites. Gio came in and said they had to get to work. He grabbed a Pop Tart out of the toaster and took a bite, when Anna said that was her breakfast… and it was the last one. Gio said, sorry, and he and Emma dashed out, along with Outback. Anna wondered what just happened, and Felicia said, a chaotic morning in a full house. It was kind of nice. Anna wondered how it had become her life.

At the pool, Dalton asked for towels, and Danny said he’d bring them when the fresh ones came out. Rocco brought out towels and told Danny that his parents said it was true that Britt had given birth to him, but the whole thing was complicated. She’d stolen him as an embryo. Danny said she was evil, but Rocco said Danny’s dad thought she was a good person. She’d died saving his Aunt Josslyn. He’d needed answers and still did.

Lulu told Jason that she’d been blindsided. She and Dante had planned to tell Rocco about how they’d trusted Britt, and she stole him as an embryo. It was a dark time, and Britt had stolen almost all of Rocco’s first year. How could Jason paint her in a positive light? He said it was the truth, and she said it was his truth. He said he’d known a different Britt and if he accepted that Lulu’s version existed, she had to accept that his did too.

Lucy told Sidwell that she’d enjoyed working with Natalia. She was a sharp, dynamic, resilient, and resourceful woman, everything that Deception was. Sidwell said, she was a force of nature. He was concerned that Marco would never know peace if he didn’t get answers, and Lucy said she couldn’t imagine that Sonny was involved, and the article hadn’t listed one source. He said it was too early to dismiss any possibilities.  

Alexis told Marco that the article was all innuendo and no facts. When she lost her daughter, all she wanted to do was anyone and everyone, but that made it worse. She was hoping Marco would steer clear of that, especially with Kristina’s dad. Marco asked if that’s why she was there, and she said he’d saved her daughter’s life and deserved the truth, not clickbait. She knew Sonny, the good and bad, and knew what he was capable of. Sonny would never have hurt his mother, him, or Blaze. Family might be the only thing that meant anything to him.  

Michael said security hadn’t found anything, and Sonny said he thought someone was sending him a message. They were proving they could do what they wanted when they wanted. There were no coincidences in his world. With the bombing, what happened in LA, and Charlie’s, someone was trying to get his attention. Carly said Michael had rights and could stop Sasha leaving, but Michael said he didn’t want to.  

Danny asked how Rocco was going to get more answers, and Rocco said he’d emailed Britt’s mom. Dalton shouted for towels, and Danny ran over with some fresh from the dryer. Dalton suggested Danny and Rocco pay more attention to the guests and less to socializing, when Gio, Emma, and Outback came into the pool area.

Lulu said she doubted anything Jason told her would change her mind, and he said he didn’t expect it to. Neither would Britt. She knew how horrible she’d been. Lulu said Jason didn’t let anyone in and wondered how he got involved with Britt, and he said the Britt he knew was different. She wasn’t the same person. Lulu said it was based on six months experience and Britt was an awful person. He said Britt wasn’t a saint, but had changed in a way that mattered. He hurt her when he’d married Carly and couldn’t change that, but the least he could do was make sure people knew Britt’s story – the good and the bad.

Isaiah told Lucas and Willow to find a way to be cordial. Work was stressful enough. Lucas said they were on opposite sides of a contentious family matter, and Willow said Lucas’s sister and his nephew stole her kids. Lucas said he’d asked her not to take Michael’s kids from him. He wanted the best for Wiley and Wiley shouldn’t be around Drew. Willow said Isaiah was right. For the sake of their patients and the staff, they should keep their personal issues outside of the hospital. Lucas agreed and said he was sorry. He’d do better. Willow said she would too, and Isaiah said, that wasn’t so hard, was it?

Jack said Anna had already asked for a background check, and Vaughn said maybe he should leave town, but Jack said it would cause more red flags. Vaughn said the public breakup was a stupid idea, but Josslyn said he’d been all in. Jack said they had to be smarter. Anna was hard to fool, but not impossible. They needed to fully commit and become the most convincing couple ever seen. They had to live and breathe it 24/7 and be real enough to convince even him.

Lulu said it didn’t matter how well-intentioned Jason was, and Jason said he wouldn’t talk to Rocco about Britt again, but she was worried the damage was already done. Rocco was distant and avoiding her. She could feel him pulling away. Jason said he thought Rocco needed time. They were great parents, and Rocco was a great kid. She had to trust Rocco to see how much they loved him. She said that was exactly the right thing to say to make her feel better – since everything is all about her – and he said he was sorry. She apologized for lashing out and admitted her anger was slightly misplaced. Jason left.  

Rocco asked Sasha if the baby knew she was talking to her, and Sasha said she liked to think so. If mothers talked to babies while they were in the womb, she thought the baby recognized the mother’s voice. It had to sound familiar.

Anna told Felicia that she liked her new roommates, and ruined shoes aside, Outback was a sweet dog, but the life she was living wasn’t the one she’d expected to live. Felicia said, aside from the chaos, how were things with Emma? and Anna said she was worried. She thought Emma might be in trouble.

Gio told Rocco and Danny that they were doing great. It was nice to get to know Rocco better on neutral ground.

Dalton (aka jerkface) found Outback sitting on his chaise lounge and called Danny over. Danny said he’d make sure the dog left, but Dalton said, forget it. Between no towels, the lack of service, and the dog, the experience had been terrible. He told Gio that he wanted to speak to the owner. Danny and Rocco needed to lose their jobs.

Lucy asked if Sidwell had reason believe Sonny was involved or did he think Natalia could have mixed the substances on her own. Sidwell said that Natalia never drank to excess when they were together, but Lucy said, maybe it had happened in the last few years or stress had led her to overindulge without realizing it. He said anything was possible. He and Natalia had problems, but they’d been in love once and she’d given him a son. For that, she’d always hold a special place in his heart. He was worried that without a clearcut answer on Natalia’s death and the reasons for it, his son would be haunted for the rest of his life. Lucy said she could call in some favors and get the story pulled out of the news cycle, and he said, anything she could do. Marco was in enough pain without his name and his mother’s name dragged though the press.

Alexis said she knew Marco had the memorial and didn’t want to keep him. If there was anything he needed, don’t hesitate to ask. Take all the time he needed. She left and he looked at the texts from Lucas.

Lucas saw there were no replies to any of his texts to Marco.

Willow thanked Isaiah for stepping in, and he said he was happy to help. He enjoyed working with both of them, and they’d clearly been looking for a fight. Willow said Lucas wasn’t the man she wanted to fight. Michael was. He was punishing her and her kids because she’d followed her heart. She and Drew would be married soon, and Michael would be a divorced dad with children by three different women. He’d look worse on paper. Isaiah said he’d never heard her talk that way, and she said Michael drove her to this. He drove her to all of it. She flashed back to taking Daisy and saying, Daisy’s mom betrayed her, and Daisy’s daddy really did. He wouldn’t let her see her children, so she was going to show him what it was like.

Sonny said he felt responsible and wanted to make sure Sasha was safe, and Michael said he’d offered to get security, but Sasha didn’t want to live that way. He had to respect that. Carly said he didn’t, but Sonny said Michael was right, and the moss bowl 🎍 agreed. Michael said Sasha had been through enough and deserved a peaceful life with their daughter. He wanted to give her that. It was the right thing to do. Sonny said whatever Michael needed, he’d give him, and Carly hugged Michael. Michael said Sasha was taking Daisy for a routine check and vaccinations. After that, Jason would escort Sasha and Daisy to their destination. Carly said, we’ve got you, and Michael said he still had to brace for the next fight. Willow and Drew’s marriage was a ploy for custody. If he lost Wiley and Amelia, there was nothing left for him. He couldn’t let them get custody – not ever.

Alexis went to Lulu’s and said she heard Lulu was back to freelancing. Had she seen the Aurora headline? Lulu said it was a hit piece on Sonny, and Alexis said it didn’t sit well with her. It didn’t seem like Curtis or Aurora’s style. Lulu said she didn’t write it and had nothing to do with Aurora, and Alexis said Lulu wasn’t involved now, but if she helped, she would be.

Anna told Felicia that the guy Emma was seeing seemed too perfect. He was also too old. Felicia pointed out that the age gap was smaller than Anna and Robert’s, and Anna said she was lucky Robert had been a good man. Felicia said, maybe Vaughn was too, and Anna said, maybe, but maybe he was a good spy living his best cover. Emma agreed she shouldn’t be dating him and that’s when alarm bells went off. Felicia said maybe Anna was projecting and being an overprotective grandma, but Anna said Vaughn worked at facilities at PCU. He was in direct proximity to Dalton, and her grandma instinct kicked in. She wondered if Vaughn had anything to do with Dalton in California and thought the professor and Emma ending up at the same university at the same time wasn’t a coincidence.

Emma told Dalton that she was so sorry. She’d snuck the dog in, and the boys had no idea. Dalton said they should have noticed before he did, but Emma said Outback was stealthier than she looked. Dalton laughed, and Emma said she’d make it up to him. Even though she didn’t get the research position, maybe she could volunteer her time and make his days more relaxing. Dalton agreed and said he needed an extra hand. So did his assistant.

Alexis asked Lulu to find out who wrote the hit piece. Since she was a reporter maybe she could approach Curtis peer to peer. Lulu asked what she wanted to know, and Alexis said Sonny was Kristina’s father and it hurt her too. She wanted to know who it was. Lulu said Alexis was protecting Kristina, and Alexis said, always. Lulu said Alexis didn’t need to convince her. She owed everything to the family and would help, for Alexis, Kristina, and Sam.  

On the phone, Anna thanked someone, and told Felicia that Vaughn’s background was squeaky clean. Not even a parking ticket. Felicia asked if that wasn’t good, but Anna said, as a P.I., Felicia knew what it meant when a record was that clean. She was going to do what it took to find out what was going on.

Jack said Vaughn and Josslyn had uncovered a major clue. When Dalton’s phone was cloned, it revealed zero digital communication. That meant he wasn’t updating anyone electronically. It meant a messenger was physically delivering information to Dalton’s employer. They needed to find the messenger.

Dalton walked into the church and apologized for being late. He was sorry about Sidwell’s ex. Sidwell told him to save it. Make it quick. His son would be there soon, and he didn’t want Marco to see them together. Their mutual friend was growing impatient and neither one of them was happy with Dalton’s progress. They were sending a courier to get answers about what was taking so long. If Dalton didn’t have an answer, there would be hell to pay.

Michael met Sasha and Daisy at the hospital, and Willow watched them.

Rocco said Emma working for Dalton was a bad idea, and Gio agreed. Danny said, let him complain. No one would get fired. Emma said nobody would talk to Carly. This was what she’d wanted. She needed access to Dalton’s work and files. She knew him from her old school, and he was a bad guy. He’d experimented on animals there and she was sure he was doing it at PCU too. She’d been trying to get proof for over a year with no luck, so she got creative. Her volunteering to work wasn’t just saving Danny and Rocco’s jobs. It was her chance to get inside and find something to stop Dalton.

Outside of Marco’s hotel room, Lucas told Carly that Marco was supposed to pick him up and never showed. He hadn’t responded to Lucas’s texts, and he was worried. Carly used a keycard to open Marco’s room, but it was empty.  

In a basement room, Marco banged on the door and said they didn’t’ want to do this. Whoever they were, they had no idea what they’d done. Jason came down the hall outside, and Marco yelled, help me! He banged on the door some more.

As he touched the casket, Sidwell told Natalia, may you find the peace in death that life rarely afforded you. He promised to take good care of their son.

The church door opened, and Sidwell said, Marco? but it was Sonny. Sonny said, sorry to disappoint him, but his son wasn’t coming.

Tuesday:

Tracy invited Nina for afternoon tea. She had a proposition that would benefit both of them.

At the hospital, Willow approached Michael and Sasha and asked how her kids were doing. Michael said Amelia was fine, but Wiley was upset and confused thanks to her.

Lucas fretted about Marco, but Carly said, maybe there was a miscommunication. Lucas said, or maybe Sonny had him.

Marco continued to bang at the door and said he knew Sonny was behind this. He was making a huge mistake. If something happened to him, his father would be out for blood.

Sidwell asked what Sonny did with Marco, but Sonny said he should be asking how he’d get his son home in one piece.

Tracy said she despised Sonny, and Nina reminded her about getting arrested on the red carpet due to her rant about him. Tracy said Sonny and Gio had a bond that she didn’t want to get any stronger. The people Sonny loved ended up in harm’s way. Nina asked what Tracy thought she could do, and Tracy said Nina could help drive Sonny from Port Charles for good.

Lucas said Sonny assumed Sidwell set the fire and was getting revenge by targeting Sidwell’s son. Carly said she’d urged Sonny not to resort to violence. He’d listened, then told her to say out of it. Lucas said he’d check the church, but they both knew it was a longshot.

Jason had to take care of something and told the guard not to leave the door and if need be, call for back-up. Most important, don’t let Marco out. He was essential to Sonny’s plan.

Sidwell said he’d done nothing to provoke this reprehensible attack on his family, and Sonny told him not to lie in church. Sidwell said he hadn’t started the fire. Selina was probably behind it. Sonny wasn’t fooled and said he’d rejected Sidwell’s offer, so Sidwell went after his daughter who almost died. That made Sidwell’s son fair game. Marco wasn’t in danger because of him, but because of Sidwell.

Carly left a message for Sonny about Marco, when Drew came by. He said it was the last chance for her to save her grandchildren.

Michael said he’d been protecting his children, and Willow suggested that one day Sasha would have to protect Daisy from Michael.

Tracy wanted Nina to use her media connection to persuade the citizens to vote yes on Measure C. If Sonny lost his base of operations, he’d have to leave. Nina said she didn’t think forcing Sonny to leave was the answer and someone worse could come in, but Tracy said Gio wouldn’t be related to them. She wasn’t sitting back and doing nothing. Sonny killed Monica’s son and she wouldn’t have him be responsible for anything happening to Gio. Nina said Sonny would protect Gio, and Tracy asked if she meant like he’d protected Michael, Kristina, and Morgan. She was sure Nina cared about Wiley and Amelia more than Sonny and would want him gone for her own grandchildren.

Jason went to the church and stood in front of the doors, when Lucas showed up. Jason said Sonny and Sidwell were inside, and Lucas asked what Sonny did to Marco.

Sonny said Sidwell had escalated the situation, and Sidwell reminded him that Marco saved Kristina. Sonny said Sidwell got his own son involved and was the one who needed to get him out. Sidwell asked what Sonny wanted, and Sonny said for Sidwell to clean up the political mess, then get the hell out of his way.

Nina said she was still fond of Sonny, and Tracy asked if she cared more about Sonny than her grandchildren. Nina said, of course (🍷) not, but she’d need an incentive to go against him. Tracy could help Willow get access to her children. Tracy said Nina had misread the situation and thought she could extort a favor. Either speak out against Sonny or she’d tell Willow that Nina slept with Drew behind her back.

Carly told Drew that the children had been removed because Willow was an unfit mother and their father was protecting them. Drew said the kids missed their mother, and Carly said if Willow could prove she’d put the kids’ best interests before her own, she could see them. Drew said he wanted her to talk to Michael. If he wouldn’t compromise, things would get very ugly.

Michael said Willow was making things worse, like what she’d done at the pool. She’d tried to manipulate things, and only made Wiley cry. It made him realize the level she’d stoop to in order to get her own way and she couldn’t be trusted. He’d told Diane to contact the court, and the visitation hearing had been postponed until October.

Jason told Lucas to stay out of it. Sonny and Sidwell couldn’t be interrupted. Lucas said he guessed Sonny was informing Sidwell that in retaliation for the fire, he’d snatched Sidwell’s son. He asked if Marco was going to die or was already dead.

Sidwell said he wasn’t responsible for Sonny’s political mess. He had Laura to thank for that when she put the referendum on the ballot. She’d wanted to duck her responsibility, gambled with Sonny’s piers, and it backfired. There was nothing he could do. Sonny said he liked Marco, but if Sidwell didn’t figure out something, he would never see his son again.

Marco paced for a while, then said he was a diabetic and needed something to eat. The guard put on a mask, got his gun ready, and opened the door. Marco was behind it and raised up a chair, bringing it down.  

Drew said he was willing to do whatever was needed to help Willow gain access to her children, and Carly said, call off the wedding, move to DC, and stay there. He said he wasn’t abandoning the woman he loved to satisfy Michael’s petty need for revenge, but she said it wasn’t revenge. Michael was looking out for the kids’ best interest. Willow had proved her devotion to Drew was more important than her kids. Drew said Carly was a fool and a hypocrite.

Willow whined that she couldn’t go that long without seeing her kids, and Michael suggested she use the time to get her life in order. It would be smart to remove Drew from her life. She said they were getting married, and he told her to prepare never to see her kids again. She asked how Sasha could just sit there. They used to be friends, and Sasha knew what it was like to lose a child. Sasha said she didn’t know what Willow expected her to do, and Willow said Sasha could see her children needed her, but Michael said they didn’t. Deanna came out to get Sasha and Daisy for Daisy’s check-up, mentioning that Daisy would be ready for international travel. Willow freaked, thinking Michael was taking her children away, but he said he wasn’t.

Nina asked where Tracy got the idea she’d been with Drew, and Tracy said, the P.I. Ned hired to follow Drew. She’d been at the Brown Dog Bar the night Cody and Drew got in a fight. She’d taken a video and Cody accused Drew of sleeping with Nina. Nina said Cody had been drunk, but Tracy asked if she thought Willow would buy that. It would at least put doubt in her mind. She’d ask Cody, who would confirm it, and she’d never speak to Nina again. Nina said Willow and Drew hadn’t been a couple yet, but Tracy said Drew had been actively pursuing Willow and professed his love for her. Nina said she and Drew had meant nothing and was over by the time Willow and Drew got together. Tracy wondered why Nina hadn’t told Willow then. Was she going to protect Sonny or her relationship with her daughter?

Jason said he was sorry, and Lucas said Marco had saved Kristina’s life and it had prevented him from getting to his own mother in time. Jason said both he and Sonny understood, and Lucas said he thought a Lannister Sonny paid his debts. Jason said he did, and Lucas said, then let Marco go. It wasn’t right to involve innocent people. Jason said, Sidwell did, and Lucas asked where it ended. With Michael, Dante, Avery, or Donna? What about Danny?

Sonny told Sidwell to pull the funding for Measure C and Boyle’s campaign for mayor and use his influence to stop the media attack on him and Laura. Sidwell said he had no control or influence, and Sonny said he hoped Sidwell figured it out for Marco’s sake. Sidwell said Sonny had terrorized the community for 30+ years and expected him to change their perception. How was this his problem? Sonny said Sidwell made it his problem when he came after Sonny’s family. He was counting on Sidwell to come through and so was Marco.

Lucas said Marco’s blood was on Jason’s hands. He and Sonny were no better than Sidwell. Sonny came out of the church.

Nina asked why Tracy didn’t use the information against Drew, but Tracy thought it was better used for leverage over Nina. People respected her and she’d been married to Sonny. It would be compelling for her as his ex to admit he was dangerous, and she left the marriage because she’d been in danger. Nina said, that’s not what happened, but she’d do what Tracy wanted. She left, and outside, she said she wouldn’t forget about this. Tracy messed with the wrong bitch.

Drew said Carly accused Willow of putting her needs ahead of her children when she’d been with a man who put her children in danger because it was what she wanted. Carly said she never let her feelings for a man be her sole focus or let him do her thinking for her, and he said if Michael didn’t reconsider, he’d have no choice but to go on the attack. She said she wasn’t impressed, and he said Michael didn’t hold all the cards and he’d cause more misery than they could imagine.

In an exam room, Sasha said the doctor told them Daisy was perfect, and Michael said she was also prepared for travel. Sasha said Willow tried to convince her that Michael would take her baby, but it was the other way around. She wished it didn’t have to be this way. He said him too, and she said if it had been any other way, she would have loved for him to be part of their daughter’s life. But it was too dangerous for them to stay in Port Charles. He said it broke his heart, but she was making the right decision. He’d miss them both.

Lucas asked Sonny not to hurt Marco. There was time to turn this around. Sonny said he’d paid his respects and was done, and Lucas said if Marco didn’t show up alive, he’d go to the police. He’d tell them about Sonny’s deal with Natalia. Sonny said it was nothing they didn’t already know, and Lucas said he’d go to Drew. Sonny told him to do what he needed to do, and Lucas went into the church. Sidwell said that Sonny had Marco, and Lucas said he knew. Sidwell said Lucas needed to intervene. Lucas needed to save his son.

Jason asked how it went, and Sonny said Sidwell got the message loud and clear. What happened next was up to him. He asked how their guest was, and Jason said, safe, secure, and not knowing where he was. There was no way he was getting out. Sonny said, make sure it stayed that way.

Carly asked Sonny where Marco was, but Sonny said he wasn’t discussing it with her. She said Lucas was frantic, and Sonny said he ran into Lucas. He understood, but it was none of Lucas’s business either. Carly said Lucas cared deeply for Marco. Marco had saved Kristina’s life and that had to count for something. She was begging him not to do anything. More people would get hurt. Sonny said he didn’t want that to happen, and he’d taken what she’d said into consideration.

Lucas said he tried to intervene, but Sonny wouldn’t listen, and Sidwell said he’d have to try harder. Lucas said he didn’t have the ability to fix this, but guessed Sidwell did. If Marco was alive, Sonny wanted something from him. Whatever it was, give it to him. Sidwell asked how he could trust Sonny. How did he know he’d get his son back alive? Lucas said it was a chance he’d have to take, but Sidwell said it would be seen as weakness. Lucas said, who cared? Marco’s life was in danger because Sidwell decided to go after Sonny. He’d set the fire and put a target on Marco’s back. Sidwell said he knew Lucas would take Sonny’s side. Sonny was the one with blood on his hands and was responsible for Natalia’s death. Now Sonny had his son. Lucas said he wasn’t on Sonny’s side. He was on Marco’s side and wanted Sidwell to do what it took to bring him back. Marco’s life was in Sidwell’s hands. Lucas left.  

Jason asked the guard, what happened? and he said nothing he couldn’t handle. We saw Marco tied to the chair and gagged.

Nina told Sasha that she’d had a boring business meeting with Tracy, and thought she’d stick around to say hello. She knew they were on opposite sides because of Michael and Willow, but she loved Sasha and wished her and Daisy every happiness. Sasha said they’d hashed things out at the hospital, but she was glad Nina stayed. It gave her a chance to say goodbye. She and Daisy were leaving town.

Michael went to see Tracy, who’d been looking for him. She said his father posed a danger to their family and she wanted him to know she was taking steps to make sure nothing happened. Michael said so was he. He was sending Daisy away to keep her safe. He was about to lose his daughter.

Drew came into the hospital, and Willow flew into his arms. He asked, what happened? and she said Michael was here with Sasha and the baby. The visitation hearing had been moved to October, and the court wouldn’t move it back. He told her not to worry. Soon they’d have everything they needed to take the kids from Michael for good.

Wednesday:

Stella went to Curtis’s office and said she had a beef with him. Why was he using his entire media company to poke the cobra?

Kai went to Portia’s office and said he wanted to thank her for her support. He wished his choice hadn’t caused her trouble. She asked if he meant he was sorry he’d betrayed them with Drew.

Jason went to the pool and told Danny he needed a raincheck. He had to leave to take Sasha and Daisy out of the country.

Nina said it seemed extreme, but Sasha said it wasn’t safe for Daisy there.

Tracy asked what Michael was talking about, and he said Sasha was taking Daisy and leaving the country. Daisy wasn’t safe in Port Charles, and he couldn’t come up with another solution. He had custody of Wiley and Amelia. What was stopping him from leaving with her?

Willow told Drew that Michael didn’t play fair and had all the power. Drew said she’d get her kids sooner than October. They were going to give Michael a taste of his own medicine and beat him at his own game.

Kai said he didn’t regret what he’d done, and Portia asked if he was okay eavesdropping on a private conversation in the home they’d invited him into and exploiting it. He said Curtis was going to lie about Drew, and Scout and Willow would be caught in the fallout, but she said she didn’t condone what he’d done to Trina. He’d made a promise to her and chose to break it. He’d taken something she’d recently gotten back – a spark, a smile, the light in her eyes that had been gone a long time. She’d get it back, but for that, Portia would never forgive him.

Danny asked if Sasha was leaving because of Daisy going missing, and Jason said that was part of it. Sasha was taking Daisy away to keep her safe and he was going to make sure they were okay. Danny said he hated that they were leaving, but glad they were going, and Jason said he couldn’t tell Danny where they were going, but if he wanted to say goodbye, do it today.

Sasha told Nina that Sonny thought it was one of his enemies sending a message. He’d offered all kinds of protection, but she didn’t want to live that way. She couldn’t risk putting Daisy in any danger, not after Liam. She was leaving to keep Daisy safe, but it was best Nina didn’t know where they were going. Nina said it sounded like the right thing, and Sasha said as much as she hated it, she knew she knew it was right. Nina said they’d been through a lot together. Their relationship had started with a lie, but it was real now, and she thought of Sasha as a daughter. Sasha said she’d miss Nina, who was always in her corner. She hoped Willow knew how lucky she was to have Nina as a mom. She promised they’d videochat, and Nina said she was the one responsible for Daisy being in danger.

Stella asked what Curtis was thinking attacking Sonny. His son owned Aurora Media. Curtis said Michael understood it was a business decision, but also understood that Sonny could take care of himself. Stella said she didn’t understand. It read more like a hit piece than real news, and going after Sonny would hurt Laura. Curtis said that wasn’t intentional, and she said he’d given that worm Ezra Boyle a boost with his Measure C campaign. He was too loyal for that. He repeated that it was just business, but she said she wasn’t buying it. She wanted the truth. Why was he really targeting Sonny?

Drew told Willow that Michael had twisted the truth, showing her to be an unfit mother. He played dirty and now it was their turn. They were going to make Michael look incompetent, weak, and a danger to his own children. She asked, how?

Tracy said relocating was something her father would have done, but she knew Michael wouldn’t go through with it. He wouldn’t do it because of Monica. It was sad enough that Sasha was leaving with Daisy, but he wouldn’t take Wiley and Amelia away too. Michael said it would feel empty. He couldn’t imagine life without Sasha and Daisy.

Curtis said it wasn’t his idea, and Stella wanted to know why. He said it was better than the alternative. He would make it up to Laura the first chance he got. She said she guessed that’s all she was getting from him, and he promised he’d do the best he could, but didn’t want her involved any further. Besides, things would work out. She said she knew what it was like to have to choose between bad and worse, and he said he was glad she was in his life. He knew if he was about to make a mistake, she’d set him straight. They hugged.

Drew said Michael’s past wasn’t spotless and they were going to use it against him, and Willow said it was hard not to get her hopes up. She couldn’t handle another disappointment. He said he wouldn’t stop until they were a family again.  

Michael said he didn’t know if he’d ever see Daisy again, and Tracy said, if that happened, it was because he put his child first. Daisy may never know his sacrifice, but others would know. She would know and most importantly, he’d know. That’s what would see him through.

Danny said, when Sasha was pregnant, he thought of Daisy as his little brother or sister, and Jason said he was impressed with how Danny helped Sasha. Danny said he was happy to help. He liked Sasha, but she must be scared to believe this was best.

Sasha asked how Nina was responsible, and Nina said she was the reason everyone knew Sonny was Daisy’s grandfather. She told Ric, who ambushed Sasha at the custody hearing. She’d never meant to harm them and would never forgive herself. Sasha said, the truth would have come out regardless. They were leaving before Daisy was old enough to miss everyone and she understood why Nina told Ric. She was doing what she could to help her daughter. She’d forgiven Nina for that already. Nina said they’d both fought to survive when everything was against them and lost more than they could bear, but kept going because they both had daughters to look out for. If Sasha needed anything, she’d always be there. Daisy was lucky to have the best mother in the whole world and she and Sasha were going to have a great life together. Nina left and Sasha wiped tears away.

Willow came into the breakroom as Isaiah discussed a septic tank replacement with someone on the phone. She said it sounded like he was doing renovations, and he said Lucky had given him a cabin, but it felt more like Lucky left him a money pit.

Jason found Tracy in the solarium and asked if she’d seen Michael. She said he’d just left, and she found out Daisy and Sasha were leaving. Michael was paying the price for being Sonny’s son. He was losing his daughter.  

Danny told Sasha that he’d talked to his dad and heard she and Daisy were leaving. She said they were, and he said he’d miss them, especially Daisy. She said he and Daisy had a connection. When no one could get Daisy to calm down, his rocking got her to stop and go to sleep. He had the magic touch. He was an incredible surrogate big brother and been an incredible friend to her. He held Daisy and said she probably wouldn’t remember him, but he’d remember her. No matter what, her big brother loved her.

Portia said Kai had been good for Trina, but he’d chosen Drew over her. He said he was sorry she felt that way (ugh. I hate when people say that), but he’d had to do what he thought was right. She said she got that and could respect it, but he’d stood on his principles and fallen on his sword for someone who wouldn’t do the same for him. Drew came in, and Kai left. Drew asked what that was about, and Portia said, him. Kai was another one of his victims. He must be so proud. Kai and Trina were happy until Drew got his hooks in Kai. Drew said lying might be second nature to her, but it wasn’t to everyone, and she said Kai would see who he was eventually. He’d realize the version of Drew he knew was not real. Drew said the version of Portia that changed test results wasn’t the same as everyone knew, and she asked what he wanted. He said he wanted her to help him take down Michael Corinthos.

Nina went to Curtis’s office and said she wanted to help with his media campaign against Sonny. It was the right thing to do, and she knew Sonny better than anyone. It would be the perfect companion piece to the last article in the PC Press, and she didn’t have to rely on vague allegations. She was Sonny’s ex and the grandmother to his grandkids. She was in the unique position to shed the worst possible light on Sonny. Curtis said he wasn’t sure it was the best idea, but Nina said she thought he’d be happy to get the inside story. He said he would if he didn’t know she genuinely cared about Sonny. He also knew it wasn’t her and she didn’t want to do this. Drew had gotten to her, hadn’t he?

Sasha told Michael that they’d said goodbye to Danny, and Michael offered to watch Daisy while Sasha packed. She said she wouldn’t be long and went upstairs. Michael said he couldn’t believe it was his and Daisy’s last night together.

Portia asked what Michael had to do with her, and Drew said Michael came to GH for bloodwork and tests for his burn treatment. Portia said she had no time for games, and he said he wasn’t asking her to do something she hadn’t done already. He needed her to doctor Michael’s bloodwork, so it looked like he had an opioid dependency that started when he was receiving treatment and in recovery and quickly spiraled out of control. Michael needed to look like an addict so it would hold up in court. She said, so he could take Michael’s kids away.

Isaiah told Willow that Lucky had inherited the cabin from his father, but no work had been done on it for many years. It needed a complete overhaul. She said it sounded expensive and time consuming. Why didn’t he sell it? He said it might sound crazy, but he didn’t want to. It meant something to Lucky, and he wouldn’t feel right selling it to a random person. He wanted to redo the cabin and turn it into a place where he could go to escape the city. It was going to be a challenge, but he thought he was up for it. Maybe one day, he’d have kids to pass it down to like Luke did to Lucky. He apologized for being insensitive and asked if there was any movement with the custody hearing. She said, not exactly, but they had a wedding date at the end of the month. Her mom insisted on a big wedding with a dress from Paris. Nina was handling everything, but she wished her kids could be there.

Jason asked, what changed? and Tracy said Gio was her great-grandson and Sonny’s grandson. She didn’t want him to be Sonny’s next victim. Jason said Sonny wouldn’t let anything happen to Gio, and she said, like he didn’t let anything happen to Michael, Kristina, and Morgan? She was worried about Gio before, but now that she knew he was family. Sonny had to be exiled from Port Charles and kept away from Gio. Jason said, Gio wasn’t a child, and like him and Michael, would make up his own mind about what kind of relationship he wanted with Sonny. She said she was going to do what she could to make sure Sonny was the least appealing option, and he said he expected nothing less. She said she remembered when he asked Jason to take Wiley and Amelia out of the house and Jason. It was a pleasant surprise. He said he didn’t do it for her, and she said he did it for Monica. It showed he had limits when it came to Sonny and valued family loyalty. With that in mind, she had a request.

Kai ran into Stella at the hospital, and she said she was about to text him. She wondered if he and Trina wanted to join her for dinner. He said he didn’t think she was going to see much more of him moving forward. He and Trina broke up. She said she was sorry. They were two of her favorite people and she loved seeing them together. She thought they had something strong and a connection. He said he did something that broke Trina’s trust, and she said, knowing Trina, that would be hard to come back from.

Portia said she wasn’t helping Drew take Michael’s children. She’d compromised her ethics before, but wouldn’t be complicit in destroying a family. He said she almost destroyed his when she’d drugged him. He’d gotten the idea from her. She said she couldn’t and wouldn’t, but he said she’d come around. Unless she wanted to kiss all this – he gestured around the room – goodbye. He left.

Nina told Curtis that Drew was a huge thorn in her side. He knew her well and she hated lying to him. He said they were friends and had to stop tiptoeing around her and Portia’s plan with Jacinda. She said Portia told him. It had failed spectacularly, and his wife was in a mess because of her. Curtis said Portia made her choices and he wasn’t judging. He knew what it was like to be stuck between two bad choices. The common denominator was Drew. They needed to devise a plan to disarm him, and it needed to happen soon.

Tracy said Michael was sending Daisy away at great personal cost and she didn’t expect Jason to help, but she was asking him to not obstruct er effort to get Sonny out of Port Charles. Allow her to protect her family in any way she could.

Stella said, so Kai lost Trina because he stood on his principle. She’d been where he was. She ended an engagement with someone she loved deeply because of an obligation to her sister and her boys. It was her choice, and she didn’t regret walking away from someone she loved to do what was right. He asked if it was worth it, and she said it was to her, but was it worth it to him?

Portia looked at her framed wedding photo and cried. She took her diploma off a shelf, smashed the frame, and screamed.

Nina told Curtis that if she knew how to disarm Drew, she would have. Instead, she had to come out publicly against Sonny, knowing they’d come a long way since their divorce. (Um… has anyone thought of telling Sonny what’s going on? Disappearing Drew sounds like a plan.) She was backed into a corner. She couldn’t say she forgot to mention she and Drew were sleeping together. Curtis said he was sure she could find a tactful way, but she said she had no to way explain how she was sleeping with Drew while Willow was following him around with stars in her eyes. She was so grateful to Drew for bringing them together, she didn’t see that all he cared about was making himself look good. Curtis said, sometimes you had to betray a friend. When there was no other choice, you did what you had to do.

Drew told Willow that his plan was in motion. She may have her children back before the wedding. She said that would be a dream come true, and he said they gave Michael every opportunity to compromise and do the right thing, but he chose not to. Now he was going to pay for that choice, and it was going to hurt – a lot.

Michael told Daisy that he was her daddy. Tomorrow, she was going on a long trip with mommy. He wished he could go with her. He didn’t think she’d remember this place and didn’t think she’d remember him. That might be better. She wouldn’t miss him. But whether she remembered him or not, he’d keep her in his heart until he saw her again. Sasha watched them from the doorway.

Thursday:

At the pool, Danny asked if Josslyn wanted anything, but she told him that she was there to work.

Felicia met with Anna, who was convinced the WSB was running an op in Port Charles. Felicia said they had no obligation to share that with her.

Jason, Sasha, and Daisy took a private jet to the new location. Sasha thanked Jason for believing her. He said she’d made the right call.

Sonny went to see Nina and asked why she lied to the press. She said Tracy was blackmailing her.

Dante met Lulu at the Bistro, and she said she needed a favor.

Rocco met Obrecht at the Bad Jen Café.

Lulu said Rocco was already dealing with a lot and the media about Sonny would confuse him even more, but Dante thought he’d be fine. Mistakes were made by all of them. Lulu said, except Brook, who knew what she was doing in going after their son.

Obrecht said when the day came that Rocco’s parents told him how he came into the world, it merited a face-to-face conversation. It spoke highly of him that he didn’t content himself with one version of the truth. Britt had been his only mother for his first seven months. Her Britta was a mess.

Anna thought the WSB should tell her about running an op in her jurisdiction as a professional courtesy. She thought Dalton was under surveillance and Vaughn was a field agent working for or against the WSB.

Dalton told Josslyn that he wanted to get a swim in before their meeting. A strange girl was there, and we saw a backpack by Dalton’s chaise lounge.

Jason told Sasha that they hadn’t wanted to take any chances because someone was after Sonny. They had no answers and whenever there was a threat, all they thought about was the family being safe.

Nina said Tracy had information that would destroy her family, and Sonny said Tracy was bitter and vindictive and wanted everyone to be like her. Nina was right in wanting to protect her relationship with her daughter. Nina told him that the PC Press had only ran the first part of their interview. There was a second part about Sonny’s questionable mental state.

Lulu said blah-blah-blah nasty stuff about Brook, but Dante thought it was an accident that Rocco found out. He took responsibility for not telling him sooner. She said there was nothing wrong with his decision. Brook knew what she was doing, and Dante was giving Brook a pass because she was Gio’s mom.

Obrecht told Rocco that Britt was brilliant, beautiful, shrewd and a great judge of character. But she had terrible people skills and self-sabotaged. Rocco said he heard she wasn’t the best person, and Obrecht said she had no illusions about who Britt was. She was a messy flawed woman, but also strong and determined. She never wasted her time focusing on what the world thought of her. Her actions were often misinterpreted, and she was special. Rocco said she was brave and loyal and maybe a better person that she thought she was. Obrecht wondered who told him that, and he said, Jason Morgan. She said, for someone who had brain damage, Jason could be wise.

Sasha said it must be tough for Jason, going between Sonny’s world and the Quartermaines, and he said he was glad to spend time with Monica, especially since she had health issues. (Yeah, like being deceased. Seriously, how long are they keeping up this non-charade?) There were years when she hadn’t known where he was or if he was okay. She loved all of them and Danny had a great relationship with her. Sasha said Danny had a beautiful connection with Daisy too. It must be tough living with Tracy who hated Sonny. Jason said Tracy wasn’t bad all the time, and Sasha said she was going to miss her. Jason said Tracy had a point about some of his choices since he was responsible for Danny, and Sasha said, it must be hard without Sam. Being Danny’s sole parent, he must look at the danger differently. He said he’d do what it took to keep Danny safe.

Nina told Sonny that she’d been asked questions about what Sonny was like when he didn’t take his meds. She’d tried to shut it down, but didn’t think they would let go of that angle. He said he knew it would happen eventually, and she said she was sorry. He said it wasn’t on her, but on Tracy, and he could deal with her. Nina told him to be careful. if felt like it might be different now because Tracy was protecting Gio. She thought he was in harm’s way. Sonny said she wasn’t wrong.

Dante said if Lulu wanted to hold onto her anger, fine, but he didn’t want to. She said he was making excuses for Brook and should tell Gio to be angry with her. Then there was a chance he’d get his son back. He said Brook felt the same way, but maybe she deserved grace.  

Sasha said Jason had made Danny a priority and Danny knew it. Danny was protective of Jason too. She got the feeling Danny was worried because he thought Jason was lonely and not happy. Jason always put everyone else ahead of himself, and she wondered if he’d ever stopped to think what he might want.

Sonny told Nina about Gio showing up and saying he’d overheard something about Sonny’s business. He’d told Gio that he loved him, but don’t go near his business. He could handle himself. He thought he hurt Gio’s feelings, but hoped he listened. He could understand Tracy. They were both afraid for Gio. But what Tracy didn’t understand was that she was being used by Sidwell.

Josslyn told Danny that her mom said the woman was a good tipper. He might want to pay special attention to her, but play it cool. Dalton joined Josslyn and they talked about some article revisions. The woman got up, and Danny offered her a fresh towel. Dalton told Josslyn that the exciting work would begin soon, but she said she was exactly where she wanted to be.

Anna told Felicia that Vaughn had a perfect cover and was working in the same building Dalton’s lab was in. He’d shown interest in Emma, the same girl who’d followed Dalton to PCU. She thought Dalton was under surveillance. Felicia said if Anna thought something was off, she was probably right and that’s why she had to drop this now.  

Sonny told Nina that he wasn’t letting anyone run him out of town and not letting Tracy get in the way. He wondered why Nina seemed to be avoiding some work, but she said it was a wedding binder for Willow and didn’t want to look at it. Maxie had left it for her before leaving town. Sonny said their families should never marry and just stay friends, but maybe Drew and Willow could work out. Nina said, nope, no, not happening, and Sonny said the story didn’t always end the way you thought it did. He left.

Danny brought the woman a drink on the house.  

Jason said he had everything he wanted, and Sasha asked if he didn’t ever get lonely. He said that was hard at the Quartermaines, but she said that wasn’t what she meant. She suggested he ask someone out, and he said, with everything going on, she thought him dating was a good idea? She said she did. She thought someone was out there for him and he was a good guy who deserved to share that with the right woman.

Rocco said he asked Jason about Britt because he wanted to talk to people who knew her, and Obrecht said he should talk to people who weren’t his parents. They were biased. He said it was more like they were angry, and they had a right to be, and Obrecht agreed, but said their anger kept them from giving credit to Britt. She’d been his mother, and it didn’t come easy to her, but she loved him very much. She called him Ben. He asked if Obrecht had known him, and she said, of course (🍷). He didn’t cry much, and she liked that about him. He was inquisitive and curious, and his first solid food was avocado. He was intrigued with the new taste and texture. She missed her daughter, and it was good to talk about her, but she was also interested in knowing more about him.

Dante said he wasn’t throwing Brook under the bus so he could have a relationship with Gio, and Lulu asked, why? He said they could either hold on to their grudges and pain or acknowledge that everyone made mistakes and move on. Blaming Brook wasn’t going to help Rocco, and it wouldn’t help Gio to hate his mom. It might feel good in the moment, but it wouldn’t make them a family, and she and Brook were his family. She said she couldn’t compromise. She wouldn’t. Not on this. she left.

Obrecht asked about Rocco’s school and career choices, and he said he had to get to work at the MetroCourt pool. How long was she in Port Charles? She said she’d be there a while, and he said maybe they could talk again soon, in person. She said she’d like that very much, and he left.

Felicia asked, how much was about Emma and how much was about Anna’s pride? but Anna said it wasn’t about her. Felicia said she didn’t blame Anna since Brennan had orchestrated her ouster. She hadn’t trusted him since he’d stabbed Frisco in the back. Anna said maybe she shouldn’t look at it as an agent and look at it more like a grandmother.

Josslyn pretended to drop her sunglasses near the backpack. When she picked them up, we saw a tracker concealed in her hand.

Sonny met Lulu at the pool, and Lulu said the media had been very damaging to him. She couldn’t keep Rocco from knowing what was going on and it was also hurting Laura’s chance at reelection. She thought he should sell the piers. If the piers were taken out of the equation, he’d take away Boyle and Drew’s power.

Dalton saw Josslyn near the backpack. She complained about her cheap sunglasses always falling off, and he left.  

Jason said they’d be landing soon, and Sasha said the flight had ruined her. She didn’t think she could fly coach again. Thanks to Jason, she and Daisy were safe, and she was grateful. She told him to remember what she’d said. He deserved more and she hoped he got it.

Obrecht went to Nina’s office, and they hugged. Obrecht said it had been too long since she heard from Nina. That meant her life was in shambles. She was here to save Nina and asked what trouble Nina had gotten herself into now and how much family mess was she expected to clean up.

Josslyn watched the woman get up. The woman gave Danny a $50 dollar tip, picked up the backpack, and left. Dalton watched from behind a partition, and Josslyn sent a text to Vaughn: Don’t come. Too late. Intercept @ secondary location.

Dante went to Anna’s office, and she said she had a favor to ask him. It involved the WSB.

Sonny told Lulu that he’d had an offer on the piers, but it was a person he didn’t want to sell to. She said it was prime real estate, and he’d find the right buyer. Then Measure C would die down and her mom could get back to campaigning. He said he was dealing with it. Trust him. He’d find a solution. She said she did trust him, and he said he got it. She was worried about Rocco and her mom. They were alike in that they’d do anything for family.

Jason knocked at a door and Robert opened it. Sasha introduced him to his granddaughter Daisy. Aww!

🫔 Friday’s Enchilada…

Robert says, welcome home, girls, and Sasha says they’re so excited to be there and see him, of course (🍷). He says, no one is more excited than Holly and himself.

Anna thanks Carly for stopping by her office, and Carly wonders if she has to call Diane before sitting down, but Anna says, no. Carly says, good to hear. What’s up? Anna says she’s going to preface this by saying she’s being a nosy grandmother, but Carly says, why? She thinks they’ve earned the right. Anna says, in that case, how much does she know about Josslyn’s new boyfriend?

At the airport, Josslyn and Vaughn kiss. She says, it’s confirmed that the courier checked out of the MetroCourt and he says, the spotter confirmed she’s on her way to the airport. They have one chance to intercept her. Let’s make it count.

In the airport security room, Dante asks that the footage for gate 14 and the surrounding area be pulled. He looks through the window above at Josslyn and Vaughn.  

Nina says she wishes Maxie was here, but she’s in New York negotiating a distribution deal for Deception. Obrecht says she’ll catch up with Maxie later. She’s missed so much. Nina says, it’s good to see her, and Obrecht says she’s sure it is. Nina wonders why she said it like that, and Obrecht says, Nina’s clearly in need of counsel. She’s gathered that Nina’s daughter’s life is falling apart in her absence. Willow comes in and asks if they mind if she joins them. Or is her falling apart life excluding her from the conversation?

Portia goes to Curtis’s office, and he says, she didn’t come home last night. She says she slept at the hospital, and he says he figured. She says she can’t take this anymore. It’s killing her. It needs to end and end now. Then Drew won’t have anything to hold over them anymore.

Sasha says she thinks Daisy needs a diaper change, and Robert says he’s got a place set up. She says, that’s incredible, and thanks him. She’s going to get Daisy cleaned up and more presentable. She tells Robert and Jason, you two behave, and leaves. Jason says he could leave if Robert wants, and Robert says there’s nothing he’d love more, but not before he says thank you.

Carly asks if Anna is talking about that Vaughn guy from PCU, and Anna says she is. Carly says, he’s not what she’d call Josslyn’s boyfriend, and Anna asks, what would she call him then? Sorry. She was just under the impression they were dating. Carly says, Josslyn has seen him a few times, but whatever they’re calling it, it blew up spectacularly and in public on the 4th of July. An employee at the MetroCourt told her that they got into it and it ended badly. She hasn’t talked to Josslyn about it, but if it were serious, she would hear Vaughn’s name a lot more than she has been. Anna says, it may not be serious, but whatever is going on isn’t over. Certainly not from what she saw. Carly says, since when is Josslyn’s dating life Anna’s business? and Anna says, since it involved her granddaughter’s future.

Obrecht says, how nice to see Willow, and Willow says, her too, but not what she walked in on. Nina says, she may have misunderstood, but Obrecht says, she understood perfectly. She’s aware Willow was recently divorced… Nina says she told Obrecht nothing, but Obrecht says, she didn’t have to. It’s a matter of public record. Just because she’s not in Port Charles doesn’t mean she’s not aware of what’s going on with her family. Nina says she didn’t realize Obrecht is still so connected, and Obrecht says, as any matriarch worth her salt would be. Willow says, if Obrecht knows she’s divorced, then Obrecht must know she lost custody of Wiley and Amelia, and Obrecht says, of course (🍷). The question she’s grappling with is how a devoted mother who carried her child to term while battling Stage 4 cancer managed to lose custody of her children. Willow says she’ll tell her how. Their father.

Curtis asks what Portia is saying, and Portia tells him that she’s saying there are lines she will not cross. She’s going to the GH medical board and confessing to altering Heather Webber’s test results and she’ll accept whatever penalty they impose. They’ll of course (🍷) be obligated to notify the New York State Medical Board as well. He says, she could be throwing away her medical license, and she says she’s aware. He says, what about criminal charges? Is she ready to face those? She says, if that’s what ends up happening, it will be worth it. She’s not spending one more day under Drew’s thumb. She is out. He wonders what Drew is asking her to do now.

Robert says, decades ago, Jason stepped up for his daughter when probably nobody else would have. Now here they are, decades later, and Jason is stepping up for his other daughter. Jason brought her where she and Daisy are safe and for that, he’s grateful.

Anna tells Carly that she was at the Brown Dog Bar and saw Emma on a date with that Vaughn guy. Alarm bells went off. Maybe it was the age difference. Maybe she thinks he’s too old for Emma. Carly asks if that makes her think he’s too old for Josslyn, but Anna says, no judgement. Anyway, she insisted on buying them a drink. Carly says, who wouldn’t love their Police Commissioner grandmother joining them on a date? That must have been fun for everyone. Anna says she was trying to get more of a sense of him, and Carly asks if she interrogated him. Anna says, not exactly, no… Yes. Before Emma could throttle her for embarrassing them, Josslyn walked in. She marched over to the table to stake her claim, and she and Vaughn went off and had an amorous reunion. Carly says she doesn’t know what to say. Josslyn has always been direct. Anna says, that remains, and Carly says, as far as staking her claim, she hopes Emma isn’t upset, but Anna says, it didn’t phase her at all, which made her wonder if Emma was interested in Vaughn in the first place. Carly asks why Emma would go out with him if she’s not really interested, and Anna says she thinks the real prize was taking him away from Josslyn.  

At the airport, Vaughn says, nice work with the courier at the pool, and Josslyn thanks him. She says, they seemed to have it down. The hand-off was clean. Dalton left the backpack and the courier picked it up. Vaughn asks if the courier saw her, and Josslyn says, she’s a professional. She’s sure that the courier saw a version of her, but she’s taken her hair down and changed her clothes. She’d be surprised if the courier could place her. Vaughn says, she’s on the move. Get in position. Josslyn asks if he’s good, and he tells her to worry about herself. Josslyn gets up and goes to the counter.

Dante watches and wonders, what are you up to?

Portia tells Curtis that Drew has definitely sunk to a new low. He wants her to frame Michael. Curtis says, of course (🍷) he does. What does he want her to do? She says, he wants her to alter Michael’s test results and make it appear as if he’s abusing opioids. Curtis says, so if the GH medical tests come back showing Michael is addicted to opioids, he’ll get destroyed at the court hearing. That’s how Drew will help Willow regain custody. Portia says, it’s pure evil. Not only will she be sabotaging Michael, a father who just went through something incredibly horrific and is still going through the process of healing, she’ll be violating her Hippocratic Oath. She knows she’s made ill-advised choices, but that doesn’t change the fact that she’s a good doctor. She helps people and heals them; she doesn’t harm them. Especially not on Drew Cain’s orders. This ends right now.

Obrecht says she doesn’t understand. Michael loves his children, yes? But so does Willow. And she has a history of being an exemplary mother. How could the court decide not to have at the very least 50/50 custody? Willow says, Michael isn’t the man Obrecht remembers. He’s not the man she married. He’s vindictive and cruel. Obrecht says, she’s right. He’s not the man she remembers. She remembers him supporting Willow through a dark time. He sat by her bedside day and night and was a steady loving partner during a time when Willow had little to no hope. Willow says she did have hope because of Obrecht. Obrecht saved her life. Obrecht says she did, didn’t she? and Willow says, so did Drew. He rescued Obrecht and brought her back so she could donate her bone marrow. He was her hero. Obrecht wonders if that’s why Willow couldn’t resist his charm. Or did she misread her own gratitude for affection? Willow says, that’s not what happened. The more she was around Drew, the more she realized how incredible he is. How kind, compassionate, and supportive. She likes who she is when she’s with him and so yes, they fell in love and Michael continues to punish her for it. Obrecht says, perhaps she should have waited to move herself and her children into his house before her marriage was officially dissolved and while her husband was in a foreign hospital recovering from life threatening injuries. Willow says she didn’t know when Michael would return home, and Obrecht says, so she was impatient, but Willow says, they were trying to make a stable home, blending their families into one. Obrecht says she takes it the judge didn’t see it that way, and Willow says, the judge held her to an entirely different standard than Michael. Because guess what? He was unfaithful too, and first no less. But no one cared about that or the fact she delivered his mistress’s baby in the courtroom. Nina says, Sasha is not Michael’s mistress, and Willow says, regardless. She put their past aside and delivered the baby safely, but the court decided she was unfit. Nina says, it was unfair, but Willow says, unfair? Michael has three children living under his roof and she has none. None. Nina says, sadly, that’s no longer the case.  

Carly tells Anna that if Emma doesn’t have a problem with Josslyn and Vaughn dating, she doesn’t have a problem either. She’s there if Josslyn wants to talk about her dating, but she’s an adult. Anna says she understands. Vaughn is too old for Emma, and she doesn’t love the idea of a grown man pitting two women against each other. They have better things to focus on. Carly says she doesn’t know Josslyn and Vaughn’s status, but he’s the first guy she’s shown interest in since Dex died. It was traumatic for her. Anna says, of course (🍷), and Carly says, Josslyn isn’t showing it in the conventional way, but she’s still grieving. Anna says, Josslyn was looking for a different outlet, and Carly says, different than what? Anna says, after Dex died, Josslyn channeled her grief into finding his killer. She’s never seen such focus. Josslyn was absolutely convinced that Cyrus Renault was guilty and fixated on proving it. Carly says, really? That’s news to her.

Jason says, Michael cares for Sasha and loves Daisy and it’s costing him a lot to let her go, and Robert says, no one can steal your heart like a little girl. Jason says, that’s why he was proud of Michael. When Sasha said she wanted to leave, he didn’t fight her on it. Michael respected her decision and knew she wanted to keep Daisy safe. Sasha comes back and says, it doesn’t look like any punches were thrown. That’s a good sign.  

Nina says she went to the Quartermaines last night, and Willow asks, why? She says she had a meeting with Tracy, and Obrecht says, lucky her. Nina says she ran into Sasha who said she was taking Daisy and leaving Port Charles, and Willow says, for good? Nina nods, and Willow says she ran into Michael and Sasha at the hospital and heard them talking about it. He’s not going and taking her kids with him, is he? He said he wasn’t, but he lies. Nina says, calm down. Michael is staying with the children, and Sasha is leaving alone with Daisy. Willow says, thank God. Where are they going? Nina says, Sasha didn’t say, but she was definitely leaning toward maybe going out of the country and putting down roots somewhere else. Willow asks if she said why. It seems sudden and she and Michael were so happy. Obrecht watches Willow like a hawk, and Nina says, there have been incidents. Willow asks, what kind? and Nina says, threats against Daisy. They believe it’s one of Sonny’s enemies sending a message. If they can reach the baby anywhere, anytime, they can reach anyone. Obrecht says, choosing an infant to send a message is sick. She doesn’t care who they are or what the reason. Nina agrees, and says, Sasha is doing whatever she needs to do to protect her little girl. Willow asks if they’re really not coming back, and Nina says, it doesn’t sound like it and if they do, it won’t be soon. Obrecht says, poor Michael, losing his daughter as swiftly as he got her, and Nina says, he’s been great. According to Sasha, he supported her decision. Willow starts to smile, then turns her back and gives an wicked smirk.  

Portia says, Curtis must think she’s a hypocrite, and he says, why? She says, because she is. She manipulated one set of blood tests. Why would Drew not think she’d manipulate another one? He says, that was different. She was afraid for their daughter’s life. She says she doesn’t know if that makes a difference, but he says, it does to him. Heather Webber was a serious problem. She was a threat, and Portia did what she had to do to protect their daughter’s life. Portia says she’d do anything to protect Trina, and he says he knows she would. She’s an exceptional mother and an even more exceptional doctor. She says, not recently. She’s been scrambling. First, at Brad’s mercy, then Drew’s. She’s desperately been treading water to stop from drowning. He says, it sounds exhausting, and she says, it has been, but she’s done doing Drew’s bidding just to placate him. It’s never going to be over and will never be enough. He says, okay, but if she stops, what’s it going to cost her? She says she doesn’t care. This is her right now at her limit. She won’t break her oath never to harm a patient. She worked hard… Scratch that. She worked her ass off, through college, medical school, an internship, and residency. She’s the Co-Chief of Staff at GH and not Drew’s puppet or his minion. She’s taking her power back and Drew can go straight to hell.  

Anna says, Josslyn never told Carly that she was convinced Cyrus killed Dex? and Carly says, no. She understands that Josslyn would want to focus on bringing the killer to justice. It’s the only way you feel in control when someone is taken from you senselessly. She gets that. Anna says, both of them have been there, and Carly says, at least Cyrus is presumed dead. That’s going to have to be good enough for Josslyn. Anna says she hopes so for Josslyn’s sake, and Carly says she doesn’t know how seeing Vaughn is serving Josslyn. If she had to guess, Josslyn is trying to throw herself into something, so she doesn’t have to sit and feel the loss. As far as she can see, Josslyn isn’t doing anything destructive. Anna says, that’s encouraging, and Carly says she had to believe Josslyn has let the whole thing go. She had to when Josslyn decided on the last-minute grad trip to Easter Island. Anna says, it wasn’t planned? and Carly says, no. It fell out of the sky. One minute, Josslyn is telling her about the opportunity, and the next, she’s on a plane. But it was the best thing that could have happened. When Josslyn came back, it was like a switch flipped and the light was back on. When she came back, she hit the ground running. She forced herself into this intense environmental physics class, then landed a research assistant position with a professor. Anna says, Dalton? and Carly says, yes, that’s his name. Anna asks if that’s around the time Josslyn started to see Vaughn, and Carly says she thinks so. They met at PCU. Vaughn works in facilities… What’s going on? Anna is freaking her out. Does Anna know something she should know? Anna says, no. Just being overly cautious. Carly says, from where she stands, it’s a good thing Josslyn isn’t sitting at home being consumed by grief. She’s out there living her life. And if Vaughn is making it happen, she’s okay with it.  

Dante watches Vaughn and asks, who the hell are you waiting for?

Vaughn asks if Josslyn is in position, and ready to move. The courier goes to the desk, and Vaughn says he’s got eyes on her. She leaves the desk, and Vaughn bumps into her, as Josslyn puts the tracker in her backpack. He says he’s sorry. He had eyes on his phone. It’s crazy what you miss when that happens. She asks if that’s a line, and he says, did it work? She says, maybe, and he asks if she’s traveling for business or pleasure. She says, both, and he says, don’t work too hard. She says she’ll try, and he asks if there’s any chance that he’s lucky enough to be on the same flight, but she says she doesn’t believe in luck. Safe travels. He says, her too, and she leaves.  

Portia says she wanted to let Curtis know what her plan was. She knows it’s a new look for her, not blindsiding him. If he or Aurora feel like they need distance from her, she totally understands. He says he’s not worried about Aurora or himself. He’s worried about her. She says she doesn’t know if she deserves that, and he says, she’s talking about throwing away the career she loves and worked so hard for. She says, if she loses it, it’s her own fault. Actions have consequences. He says, they do, but they’re not just hers. What about Trina? She absolutely admires all Portia has accomplished. When everything comes out, she’s going to blame herself. She says, then they’ll have to talk to Trina and make sure she’s okay, and he says, they can talk all they want, but Trina will feel responsible for her losing her medical license. Portia says, they’ll talk through it, but he says, that will be hard to do if she’s locked up. It’s a real possibility. She tampered with evidence in a murder case. Is she willing to risk prison time?  

Robert asks if Sasha ditched the baby already, and she says she took her chances and put Daisy down after she changed her. She fell right asleep. Jason says he should get going, and she says, he’s leaving? He says he’s got to catch a plane, and she says, let her walk him out. Robert says, get home safe, and Jason thanks him. Outside, Sasha says, when she left Daisy in the nursey, it hit her while she was closing the door that she’s not afraid anymore. She’s not looking under the bed or jumping at shadows like she was in Port Charles. Jason says he’s glad, and she says, it makes her feel like she’s doing the right thing coming here. He says, she’s a good mom. She’s putting Daisy first and she gets to spend time with her parents and know what it feels like to be a family. She says, hopefully, she doesn’t run back screaming, and he says, if she does, she’ll always have a home to come back to. Of course (🍷) if she needs anything… She says she knows who to call. She starts to cry and says, sorry. He says she doesn’t have to be, and she says, it’s like losing her security blanket. He says she’ll be okay. Better than okay. She’s going to be great. She thanks him, and ask he’s about to leave, she gives him a kiss on the cheek. She says, that’s from her, then kisses the other cheek and says, that’s from Daisy. She thanks him and Michael for everything, and he says, she’s welcome. She watches him walk away with tears in her eyes.

Nina gives Willow the wedding folder, and Willow says, thank Maxie for pulling it together. She needs to get to work, but it was great seeing Obrecht. Obrecht says, great seeing her too, and Willow asks if she’ll be in town for a while. Obrecht says, that remains to be seen, and Willow says, hopefully, they’ll have more time together. She hugs Nina, and Nina asks what that was for. Willow says, Nina has been a comfort and support for her and Drew. She couldn’t have survived any of this without Nina. She tells Nina that she loves her, and Nina says she loves Willow too. Willow leaves, and Nina says she has to get back to work, but Obrecht closes the door and says, there is something very wrong with your daughter.  

Carly tells Anna that she appreciates the heads up about Josslyn and Vaughn. She knows her kid and once she’s made up her mind, there’s no talking her out of it. If she tried, Josslyn would just dig in her heels more. Anna says, Josslyn has to make her own mistakes, and Carly says, for better or worse. Like her mom. She leaves.

Josslyn asks if the courier is gone, and Vaughn says, affirmative. They both sit down, looking at their phones, and Josslyn says, according to the tracker, she’s on the move. He says, wherever the courier is going, they’ll know.  

Robert says he’s just so thrilled that he gets to spend time with Sasha. They have a lot to make up for. She says, they do and she’s looking forward to it. He says he also gets to spend time with his granddaughter, and she says she’s happy about that. When Daisy was in danger, she was terrified. She didn’t know what to do or where to go, but then it hit her. She had him to call. A dad. Her dad. They hear Daisy cry, and she says, someone’s awake. She’ll be right back. He says he’ll be here, and she says she knows.

Curtis asks why Portia didn’t come home, and she says she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep, so she stayed at GH. He asks if she paced the halls, and she says, pretty much. The whole thing is suffocating. No matter what she does, what choice she makes, people will get hurt. So the real question is, can she live with herself? If she does what Drew is asking, the answer is no. The woman Curtis married would be gone and she’s not ready to give her away yet, especially not to Drew Cain. Curtis says, okay. What about the rest? She says she’s not okay with losing her medical license and she’s not okay with going to jail and she’d rather die than break Trina’s heart, but at least Trina will see her mother standing up. At least she’ll see her mother refusing to be small. Who is Drew Cain anyway? An empty man with a phony smile and a congressional seat? No. He doesn’t get to win.

Obrecht asks if Nina didn’t see Willow’s face when she told her that Sasha fled with the baby – Michael’s baby. There was a devil smile across her lips. Nina says she doesn’t know what she saw, but Obrecht says she does, and Nina doesn’t have the luxury of living in denial right now. Willow is not the same the woman as when she left. Nina says she’s so glad Obrecht is here, and she loves her, but of course (🍷), Willow’s not the same. She lost custody of her children. Obrecht says, precisely. To behave in such a reckless manner with no consideration for the fallout, and all the while her husband is recovering in a burn unit, is inexcusable. (Well, I’m glad someone finally said it.) Nina says, well, that shows how much of an influence Drew is over her. She’d never act that way otherwise. Obrecht says, if Drew is truly responsible for the metamorphosis Nina’s daughter has undergone, they must break the tie between them immediately.

Curtis says he 100% agrees, and Portia says she’s sensing a but. He says, but he’s just not sure they’re there yet. She says she’s made up her mind, and he says he understands and respects that, but they have to be strategic. She has to be certain that the steps she’s about to take are the only steps left. When she goes to the medical board, there’s no walking it back. Portia says she’s prepared to face the consequences, and he says he’s not trying to talk her out of it. She says, another but, and he says, but before she walks away from everything she worked so hard for, make sure she doesn’t see another choice. What if there is? What if there’s another way out, but they have to dig deeper to find it? She says, they’re smart people. They tried to dig their way out. If they haven’t figured a way out of this, it’s because there isn’t one. He says, before she throws away everything she’s worked so hard for, make sure she’s right and this is the one and only move that they have left.

Obrecht says she understands that it’s difficult at times to see their children for who they truly are – the good, the bad, and the ugly – and Nina asks if that’s what she had to do with Britt. Obrecht says, and Britt with her. Add to that the fact that Nina came to motherhood late. Of course (🍷) her instinct is to keep her daughter close and not push her away. Nina says she’s scared that she’s going to lose Willow every day. The fear is a constant current that runs under everything. Obrecht says, it’s all consuming, and Nina says, no one dislikes Drew and Willow together more than her. Drew makes her skin crawl. Obrecht asks if she’s told Willow, and Nina says, not in so many words. She tried to make Willow see reason over love. Obrecht says, try harder, and Nina asks what she’s supposed to do. Obrecht always has the answer. Obrecht says, Drew must have a skeleton in that walk-in closet of his. The man seduced his nephews wife for God’s sake. They need to find something they can use as leverage. Something powerful enough to destroy the hold he has over Willow.

Willow leaves a phone message for Michael. She says her mom told her that Sasha and Daisy left Port Charles. She’s so sorry. She knows how difficult it is and how painful it is to be separated from your child. She would never want that for him or any good parent, but now that he sees how awful it is, is there really no room for compromise? Please. All she wants is to see Wiley and Amelia again.

Sasha brings Daisy back with her, and Robert asks if she’s all right. Sasha says, she’s dry and just ate. She doesn’t know what the tears are all about. He says, she probably just wanted in on all the excitement, and Sasha tells Daisy, this is your grandpa. Robert says, so fragile, so sweet.  

Anna asks what Dante has got, and he says she’s right. All signs point to Vaughn being WSB. He’s pretty sure he planted a tracker. She asks if he’s working alone, and he says, no. He had help and she’ll never guess who it is. She says, Josslyn Jax.  

On the phone, Vaughn says, the courier is on the move. She’s on a flight to Paris, Charles de Gaulle Airport. They’ll wait and see if it’s her final destination.

Jason waits for his flight in the Paris airport. An announcement says a flight to Croatia is boarding, group one. Jason looks up and sees someone who looks like Britt boarding the plane.

On Monday, Dante asks if Anna thinks Josslyn has any idea what she’s getting herself into; Josslyn asks if Vaughn is telling her that Brennan can do whatever he wants and get away with it; and Jason tells an airline employee that he has to speak to a passenger on that plane.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

Here’s hoping this was the first of many more returns.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospitals-tristan-rogers-announces-he-has-been-diagnosed-with-cancer/

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/tristan-rogers-makes-surprise-return-to-general-hospital-after-announcing-his-cancer-diagnosis/

I missed her too!

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/general-hospitals-kathleen-gati-on-obrechts-return-i-missed-her-tremendously-exclusive/

I’m guessing through Obrecht, we might get a glimpse of what Britt was like with Ben.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/kelly-thiebaud-opens-up-about-her-general-hospital-return-im-a-little-nervous/

What a mess that whole thing was. They never should have cancelled OLTL.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/kassie-depaiva-on-the-gh-end-of-oltls-todd-and-blair-the-most-heartbreaking-thing-ive-ever-done/

All about those Daytime Emmy Awards.

https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/the-2025-daytime-emmy-awards-everything-you-need-to-know-about-this-years-ceremony/

💉 A Dose Of Reality…

Below Deck

Fraser’s mini Carnivale finally came together and the guests danced the night away. Kyle was still smooching with Solène, in the bathroom no less. I can’t say any… let’s call them romantic gestures in a bathroom are appealing to me, but no judgement. The guests were pretty horrible, but for all their griping, left a $27,500 tip. The crew also got two days off and the owner rented a villa for them. Despite the kudos, Fraser was not happy with the charter and thought they could do better.

Next Gen NYC

Possibly the most amusing thing is what a bunch of babies these kids are. Ava freaked out about a cockroach. In NYC. Are you kidding me? Emira was afraid sharks would get her if she swam in the ocean and kept checking a shark app like she was an addict. I’m guessing she assumes they’re all great whites.

Not really. Just kinda, sorta.

The Valley

Jax kept claiming how he just wanted to be a good father, but every sentence was me, my, me, me, me. This show gets harder to watch every week.

No warning? Really? He should have been gone before he started.

Real Housewives Of Miami

A lot of this was about who was the biggest narcissist and everyone was surprised when someone thought it was them. Another case of, really? Do they know what show they’re on?

Real Housewives Of Orange County

I love how these women act like they don’t gang up on one person. And it’s sooo shocking when someone does something at least half of them have done before. Yeah, everything’s different when it’s you. Not loving Gina, who claims she doesn’t want to get involved in others’ business, but does it anyway like it’s her duty. Shannon is dating and says she’s not a kissing bandit, but she does like a kiss… if it’s good. Gretchen’s advice to new Housewives who ask her how to deal with Tamra? Run. I concur. And poor Tamra couldn’t get Fancy Pants Heather to talk smack about Jenn. Apparently, Emily is not allowed to be friends with Gretchen because, Tamra. Once again, are we 12?

Random Reality Items

The latest in diamonds.

I’m not sure why some fans are against a reboot. The whole point was that they all worked at SUR together. Were they supposed to stay there until retirement age?

I wonder if she’s missing it after her cameos on Next Gen NYC.

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

Trainwreck: The Real Project X. Netflix. I’m really enjoying this series. I’d never heard of Project X before or the party in the Netherlands that’s the focus of this episode. In a nutshell, the moral of the story is, doublecheck your Facebook settings before sending out invites.

https://people.com/the-true-story-behind-trainwreck-project-x-11767483

Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare. Netflix. This one was a little scary and also scary believable. If you don’t know the story (I didn’t), I don’t want to give too much away, but it was quite an elaborate online scheme. Since catfish is literally in the title, I knew the online love wasn’t real, but my brain hurt with trying to figure it out. And I still didn’t.

https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/netflix-sweet-bobby-my-catfish-nightmare-review

Opus. HBO MAX. The review here is not that great and most of them thought the film was somewhat of a mess. Although one positive aspect they agreed on was John Malkovich giving a magnificent performance. A once incredibly famous pop star who hasn’t been heard from in 30 years is coming out with a new recording and he’s invited a select group of media personalities to his private island for a reveal. The island is also home to his own personal cult, and it’s not what the group expected. Personally, I thought this film was weird and captivating, and I enjoyed it immensely.

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/opus-movie-review-2025

Dirty Pop: The Boy Band Scam. Netflix. You’ve already seen this or at least know what it’s all about. The fun part was seeing members of the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC as youngsters. The awful part was them finding out they made just as much money as they did working at Outback. And not to speak ill of the dad, but Lou Pearlman, yuk.

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dirty-pop-the-boy-band-scam-netflix-review

Ziam. Netflix. A horror effort from Thailand (dubbed), I liked this so much, I might even watch it again. Combining my two favorite sub-genres, zombies and an apocalypse, this time a global climate crisis has caused a famine along with other calamities, like zombies. The protagonist, Singh, is on a mission to save his girlfriend in the middle of the zombie outbreak. I loved the use of martial arts against both zombies and the living – as usual, it had a the enemy is us component. Singh reminded me of El Wray (Freddie Rodriguez) in Planet Terror, single minded and amazing at kicking ass.

🦑 Watch Of the Future…

Apparently, they’re pulling a Squid Game with breaking up the last season, although it won’t be as long between segments.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/stranger-things-season-5-teaser-trailer

🏆 Best In TV Show…

The 77th Emmy Awards will be live from Los Angeles on September 14th.

https://extratv.com/2025/07/15/emmy-nominations-2025-the-complete-list/

https://ew.com/emmy-nominations-2025-snubs-surprises-11770868

🦸🏻‍♂️ Super Extras…

Some useless information about the new Superman movie.

https://ew.com/superman-post-credits-scenes-explained-how-james-gunn-designed-them-11769775

https://ew.com/superman-cameos-surprise-guests-11769123

🐾 Tails From the Field…

🐈 It’s an Occam’s razor thing.

https://people.com/stray-cat-found-in-michigan-missing-pet-of-person-in-germany-11772558

🐱 Next stop, Washington DC.

https://people.com/massachusetts-cats-running-for-bike-path-mayor-election-11769157

🐶 He’s an experience.

https://people.com/dog-described-as-sentient-middle-finger-viral-adoption-post-11771675

🐕 A summer PSA for your DOG.

https://people.com/when-is-it-too-hot-to-walk-your-dog-amid-heatwaves-according-to-experts-11773560

🦜 Quotes of the Week

You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice. – Bob Marley

It is really true what philosophy tells us, that life must be understood backwards. But with this, one forgets the second proposition, that it must be lived forwards. – Søren Kierkegaard

It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste. – Henry Ford

Forget yesterday – it has already forgotten you. Don’t sweat tomorrow – you haven’t even met. Instead, open your eyes and your heart to a truly precious gift – today. – Steve Maraboli

When you compare yourself to others, you are inviting envy into your consciousness; it can be a dangerous and destructive guest. – John O’Donohue

Short cuts make long delays. – J.R.R. Tolkien

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

Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it. – Gilda Radner

Be careful the environment you choose for it will shape you; be careful the friends you choose for you will become like them. – W. Clement Stone

The great danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. – Michelangelo

Go to bed, George. Wake up sensible. – Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon), The Gilded Age

🏖️ Resting Beach Face…

Until next week, stay safe; stay being mindful of your music volume when at the beach or anywhere there will be other people; and stay acknowledging that everyone makes mistakes and move on, rather than holding onto grudges and pain.

August 27, 2024 – Heather Gets a New Lawyer, Soap Suds, No Stanbury Drama In Dubai, Slammed, Guilty, She Filed, Coming Up, Troubled Reality, Gilded Girl, They Do & Turns

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Alexis is on the phone when there’s a knock at the door. She says she’ll call them back, and opens the door to Ric.

Dex sees Molly sitting near the park and asks if she’s out for a run. She says, that was the original idea, but he can see how far she’s gotten, and he says he’ll leave her alone if she prefers. He just wanted to make sure she’s okay. She says she is… That’s a lie. She’s not okay at all.

At the hospital, Elizabeth says she thought Portia would be with the family after the funeral. She was sorry to hear about the baby. Portia says, it’s been a difficult day all around.

Tracy sits in the chapel, and Dante asks if she minds if he joins her.

Deanna says she hopes Portia can decompress, when Carly and Jossln walk in. Portia says, it’s not likely, and goes over to them. Elizabeth asks Deanna to cover for her and leaves. Carly asks if Portia can tell them anything about Lulu, and Josslyn says, they’re family. Carly says, no one sticks together the way the Spencers do

Laura waits in the visiting room at Flatland Prison. Nicolas is brought in, and they hug.

Elizabeth asks Heather, what seems to be the problem? and Heather says, nothing her little Lizzie Beth can’t fix. Elizabeth asks what she’s doing at the hospital, and Heather says, she’s getting a blood test, and she missed chow time at Pentenville. She requested dinner, but they forgot the Jello and got huffy when she asked. Elizabeth says, it’s not a hotel with room service, and Heather says, they don’t have Jello at Pentenville, or pudding, or anything that jiggles, except things that shouldn’t. Elizabeth says she’ll get Heather something special if she takes it easy on the staff, and Heather says, of course (🍷). The last thing she wants is to make trouble for Elizabeth or herself. God forbid she should jeopardize… Can Elizabeth keep a secret? Soon she’ll have access to all the Jello she wants. She’s fixing to go free.

Portia explains to Carly and Josslyn that Lulu’s status has changed. A blood test showed that her liver was compromised, likely due to her medication. She has cirrhosis and needs a liver transplant to live. Josslyn says, test her.

Laura asks how Nikolas is, and he says he’s in one peace. How’s Ace? She says she brought pictures, and shows him her phone. He laughs and Laura says, Ace is a happy kid and hitting all his milestones with flying colors. He’s learned the word no in three languages because his babysitter is a language major. Nikolas says, he’s going to be cosmopolitan, and she says, like his father. Nikolas says, and like his big brother… How is she? She says, they have a problem, which is why she needs him to toe the line in here for his sister’s sake. She needs him.  

Tracy asks, to what does she owe this visit? and Dante says he just wanted company. She says, hers? and he laughs. He thanks her for being here. It helps him knowing she’s here for Lulu. She says she’s not here to make things easier for him, but he says, it still does. She stepped up for Lulu a lot of times and knew when to step aside. It’s impressive. She helped shape Lulu, then cut her loose on the world. Tracy says, Lulu became someone she doesn’t recognize.

Dex asks if Molly needs a ride, but she says she’s not ready to go anywhere. She doesn’t want to face her family. The funeral was taxing in ways she didn’t anticipate. He sits down, and she says she blew up at her mom and sister. She said awful things. He says he’s been there. There were a lot of fights before he took off. She says, he doesn’t talk to his family at all? and he says, it doesn’t have to be that way for her. She can patch things up. She says, suck it up and apologize when she’s not sorry and suppress her feelings because her sister is a walking disaster, and her mom has no time for anything else? That would be status quo, and she’d rather have nothing.

Ric says he can’t stay because he has an appointment, and Alexis says, with Satan? She tells him that Kristina is upstairs, so she suggests he keep his voice down. He says he’s glad she’s taking care of Sonny’s offspring. Molly is hurting. She’s upset with the way Alexis is treating her like an afterthought. She’s in pain and holds Alexis accountable for part of it. He suggests Alexis seize the chance to change, because she’s not getting another one.

Molly says, run, literally, while he can, but Dex says he’s absorbing it. It seems like she and her mom have a great relationship. She says, they get along well and can talk about almost anything. They have mutual respect and by many measures, Alexis defines a good mother. He asks, what about the other measures? and she says she knows some people have it worse and knows her mother loves her to the extent circumstances allow. She raised a family on her own, which is commendable, but any one individual has only so much time and energy to go around. So when one family member can’t stand on their own feet, they need more love and understanding, and the rest of them learn to live with what’s left.

Ric tells Alexis to try listening, and she says, to his absentee daddy parental advice? He says, don’t let that be an excuse not to make it right with Molly. She was crying for hours and he reassured her that Alexis would reach out and try to fix it, but she didn’t call. Alexis says she was too busy dealing with her post-op, postpartum, post arrest daughter who is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, but he says, Molly needs her just as much. All she needs to do is let Molly know that she’s on Alexis’s mind and heart. Alexis says, Molly knows that, but he says, she doesn’t feel it.

Elizabeth tells Heather that there’s no doctor/patient confidentiality. She can’t keep quiet about an escape attempt. Heather laughs and says, no. She’s Heather 2.0 and doing things the right way, the legal way. Scotty took her case and said it’s a slam dunk. They’re supposed to meet here. Has she seen him? Elizabeth says, no. No one has seen Scotty. He’s gone.

Nikolas asks if Laura is flexing her mayoral muscles by bringing her own lab tech, but she says, time is of the essence. All they need is to arrange for him to be moved back to Port Charles if the blood test proves that his liver is healthy and functioning. He says he’s already a match, and she says, they’ll fly him home within the hour, but it’s not without risk. He says he’d do anything for Lulu, and she says she hopes it’s enough. He says, it was last time.

Dante says, Lulu is the same person she was when she went into the coma, and Tracy says she’s surprised he doesn’t see it. What does he remember when he and Lulu first met? He says, she was a handful. Fiery and mischievous, always up to something. She says, Lulu was confident and didn’t take any crap, and Dante says, she kicked ass. Tracy says, then she changed. She became insecure and cautious with a conservative approach to life. Dante says, maybe he’s not so grateful she’s here, and Tracy says, he doesn’t like it when she’s holding up a mirror and showing him what he did. Lulu had spirit, determination, and courage, and he robbed her of it.

Alexis says, however Molly feels, she knows that’s untrue, and Ric says, then tell her. She says, he saw Kristina at the funeral. She was about to lose it. She almost died, the baby die, she’s recovering from surgery and postpartum, and living with the threat she might lose her freedom. She needs help navigating it. He says, Molly doesn’t? and she says, yes. Doesn’t he think she wants to spend every minute with both her daughters? One person can’t be both places at the same time. They’ve had a profound loss, and the one more equipped to handle it is Molly.

Dex asks if Molly thinks her mom would agree, and she says, no, but there’s no denying Kristina is a mess. She always has been and always will be. (I think this is unfair. Kristina is a mess off and on, like everyone else in Port Charles, except maybe Molly, who’s been a mess since she met her first real life problem, infertility. Kristina had actually been doing very well before this whole mess.) She tells Dex that Kristina couldn’t function without their mom’s oversight. She figured this out when she was young, so she learned to be strong and independent, a problem solver. It might sound vain, but she learned to be excellent. She knew if she asked for more, her mom would kill herself trying to give it to her and her sister would suffer as a result. He says, it’s the one thing she can’t talk to her mom about, and she asks about his family. He says his dad hurt the whole family, and his brothers hurt people as a result. His mom got it the worst. She asks if his mom ever thought of leaving, and he says he doesn’t know. She may have thought that’s what love was. She says she bets his mom wanted to leave, and he says, if she left, she had no one to go with her. He wishes he’d asked her on the side, but he took off instead and never looked back. Molly says she never asked for more because she assumed her mother couldn’t give it, but he says, maybe she didn’t give it because Molly never asked.

Tracy says, so Dante walked away. He’s good at that. He says he was sick. He had PTSD. She says she understands, but he sought help alone. He says he didn’t want to drag Lulu down with him, and she says, Lulu vowed to stay by his side when he was at his most vulnerable, despite the fact he slept with her cousin. But he turned her away. He says he didn’t want to, but she says, it doesn’t matter what he wanted. He shattered Lulu’s confidence. She was a shadow of herself. If she dies without reclaiming the spark she inherited from her father, Tracy will never forgive him. He says he can live the rest of his life without her forgiveness. Why doesn’t she keep it for herself?  

Nicolas says he remembers the first time he saw Lulu after the operation. He still has a mark on his back. Laura says, from the bone marrow, and he says he couldn’t wait to make sure she was okay. She says, he brought Lulu flowers, and he says, to a toddler. It’s the thought that counts. He saw a little girl who needed protection and care and told her that he was going to do that. He said that to his boys… He starts to cry and asks, is it too late for him? Will he ever be able to atone for destroying his family?

Josslyn says she knows Nikolas is a match, but she’d like to be tested. Portia asks if she isn’t already an organ donor recipient, and Carly says, she had childhood kidney cancer. Portia says, that makes her ineligible. They’d be surprised how many factors come into play. Carly asks if she can be tested, and Portia says she’ll get the ball rolling. She asks Deanna to draw Carly’s blood, and Deanna says, as soon as she’s done relieving Elizabeth. She’s sure it won’t be much longer. Portia looks toward Heather’s room, and Deanna says she can draw blood at the same time. She’ll multitask.

Heather asks what Elizabeth means, and Elizabeth says, Scotty is out of town indefinitely. She thinks it’s some big, possibly lucrative, case. Heather says she has a big, lucrative case and he’s supposed to represent her. He told her that he’d get her out of that hellhole, and she could be with her grandson. She has plans. Portia comes in and tells her, you know what they say about plans. God laughs, and so do I.

Dex sits in the MetroCourt and looks at his phone. He sees calls from his mother.

Portia asks, what brings Heather here? and Heather says, a court order. Her lawyer pushed it through. Elizabeth says, he arranged for a blood test, and Portia says she’ll be more than happy to take Heather’s blood.

Ric says, Alexis’s reasoning doesn’t change the fact that Molly thinks she’s choosing Kristina over her, but Alexis says she never has and never did. Ric asks, what about the document? and she says, it was misunderstood. He says, her and Molly’s relationship is in jeopardy, and she says she’s been in a relationship with her daughter since the day she was born. No breaks. His relationship with her is long distance phone calls and she thinks she knows better. Now he shows up with his flashy righteous arguments. Kristina needs her more and Molly understands. He says, what if she doesn’t? when Molly walks in. Ric says he prays Alexis is right, greets Molly, and leaves. Molly tells Alexis, whatever he said, she wishes he didn’t. She can fight her own battles. Alexis says she thought Molly was here to work things out with her sister, and Molly says, not with Kristina. With you.

Laura says she believes in Nikolas, and he says, that makes one of us. She says, he turned himself in and saved Ace from a life on the run. It was a selfless choice, like he did with Lulu and he’s about to do again. He says, it’s so hard to hold on to that in here, and she say she gets that he’s struggling, but he can survive that. He asks, how? and she says, serve his sentence, come home, and be a good father. The technician comes in, and she tells him to go save his sister.

Tracy says, before Dante delves into it, she’s lived too long and experienced too much to waste time dwelling on her past mistakes. He says, what about her promise to Laura that Lulu would get the best care possible? She probably promised Luke the same thing. Maybe she promised Luke that Lulu would always get top notch treatment. Or maybe she told him that she could wake Lulu up with her money and resources and treat Lulu like her own daughter. Maybe Luke thought about that when his life flashed before his eyes and found comfort in knowing she’d look after his little girl. She kept almost all of her promises, but Lulu has nothing to show for it.

Laura looks at a paper and says, Nikolas can’t do it. He can’t help Lulu.

Josslyn comes up behind Dex and puts her hands over his eyes. She says, guess who? and he says he’d recognize those hands anywhere.

Dante says, Tracy is right. Lulu wanted to stick it out and told him that if he left, it was the end, there was no coming back. That terrified him, but the alternative was worse. He was more afraid if he stayed, so he left. He knows it was wrong, but it’s done. Lulu is fading away and there’s nothing he can do about it.

Nikolas says, it must be a mistake. Lulu has his bone marrow. Laura says, it’s not that. The test shows his liver function doesn’t meet the criteria. He says he’s not sick and he’s not drinking in here, and she says, his liver is fine for him, but not fine for donation.

Elizabeth says she heard Carly got tested, and Carly says, yes. She’d also like to add herself to the registry. Maybe one day she can give someone a gift like Josslyn received. Elizabeth says she remembers how sick Josslyn was and how hard it was for Carly. Carly says, it was hard for Elizabeth too, and Elizabeth says, if someone had told her back then that they’d be friends… Carly says, they wouldn’t have believed it, and Elizabeth says, too bad so many things that tie them together are so awful. Carly says, here comes one of those things now, and they see Ric.

Heather says, Portia has a nice bedside manner when she wants to, and Portia says, Heather didn’t think she was going to hurt her. Heather says she thinks Portia was tempted, and Portia says she might have been, but she doesn’t give in to every temptation. She also took her oath seriously and wants to live up to it. Heather says she was regarding Portia as a mother, not a doctor, and Portia says, pain as vengeance isn’t her style. Heather says, it was never her goal, and Portia asks if it was just a pesky biproduct of faulty hip. Heather says, in her mind, she thought she was protecting her daughter, and Portia says, that might be something they have in common. She would go to great lengths to protect her daughter, and so would Heather.

Molly tells Alexis that Kristina is a lost cause. There’s no mending fences unless they’re both willing to put in the work, which means Kristina has to acknowledge that she’s done anything wrong and offer a sincere apology. That’s not going happen, and she has no illusions about her sister. She’s not expecting more, but she’s hopeful for more from Alexis. Alexis asks, what more does she want? and Molly says, understanding, acknowledgment of what she’s navigating. Alexis says she knows Molly is navigating hell and wants her to know she’d do anything to get her to the other side of it. Molly asks if Alexis will tell her the truth, and Alexis says, always. Molly says, if Irene had lived, would she have helped Kristina take Irene away from her and TJ?  

Josslyn tells Dex that it was too late to see Lulu and her mom kicked her out. There was nothing left for her to do, and her mom said she should go live her life. Dex says, remind him to thank her. It’s hard to turn off the worry. She says, there’s a chance Lulu will be okay. She’s trying to be optimistic, but bad things can happen, and she doesn’t want another thing to be added to the list. He says, they can pray it won’t be.

Alexis tells Molly that Kristina came to her with the document and asked her legal opinion. She told Kristina what she’s told all of them all along. If Kristina asserted herself in court, it would probably go her way, but she would not get involved at all. If she’d given Kristina a hard no, in Kristina’s condition, she would have lost her. Like she’s losing Molly now. She loves her three daughters more than anything, equally. As imperfectly perfect as they are, she can’t bear to lose any of them ever. Molly says, Alexis hasn’t lost her, and they hug.

Carly says, look what the cat dragged in, and Ric says he’s in town for an infant’s funeral. Is attacking him necessary? Carly asks if chaining her to a wall was necessary, and Elizabeth says she’s sorry for Molly and TJ’s loss. How are they dealing with it? Carly asks what he’s doing at the hospital, and he says he has business here. Carly says, the memorial service is over, and suggests he go back to whatever hole he crawled out of. Ric says, it’s good to see her. He hopes he and Elizabeth have the opportunity to catch up. He leaves and Elizabeth says, that can’t be good.

Heather says she’s not a threat anymore and Portia doesn’t need to be protective. Portia says, Scotty’s gone, and Heather is too toxic for another lawyer to take on. She’s going to spend the rest of her days at Pentenville where she belongs. Rick walks in, and Portia says, he can’t be here. He says, is she Heather Webber? and Heather says she is. He says, then he’s in the right place. Scotty sent him. He’s Ric Lansing, her new attorney. He’d like a word alone with his client. Portia leaves, and Heather asks if this is really happening. He tells her, let’s get you out of prison and make the bastards pay.

Portia fingers the vial of Heather’s blood and looks at the computer. (The wheels turning in her head tell me that she’s not so ethical after all.)

Tracy tells Dante that she shouldn’t have said what she said, and he says, apology accepted. She says she didn’t apologize. She stands by what she said, but her timing could use work. Beating him up now accomplishes nothing. Dante says he can take it. He knows she doesn’t have a whole lot of use for him and he’s not itching to be best friends, but she’s important to Lulu, which makes her important to him. She got Lulu through more than a few tough times and hopes she has one more left in her. Lulu needs her now more than ever. She almost starts to cry, but catches herself and says, Lulu needs both of them. Dante puts his hand on her shoulder.

Laura says, it will be okay. Just because Nikolas can’t help doesn’t mean no one else can. Lulu has other relatives. He says, including her mother who would do anything to save her. Laura has to find him for Lesley Lu. Find Lucky and bring him home. She nods and they hug.

Tomorrow, Laura says, it’s time the WSB repays the favor; Lucky tells Isaiah to wait for his signal, then they’ll move; and John tells Alexis that she can make her daughter’s troubles go away.

🧼 All the Soap News Fit To Print…

I’m thinking about getting in on this. Obviously, the dress would be too small for me, but it would be a unique autograph book to have.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/win-jophielle-loves-emmy-dress-autographed-by-gh-stars

What. The. Blip? It says, storyline dictated. Translation: another casualty of new writers. It will open the door to Lulu going back with Dante. Kind of lazy writing if you ask me.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/kelly-monaco-out-at-general-hospital

Not sure if anyone cares, but he felt the need to give us this information.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-rick-hearst-reveals-where-ric-lansing-has-been

Extra innings.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/watch-ghs-nicholas-chavez-in-the-first-trailer-for-monsters

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/cameron-mathison-christmas-movie-update

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/exclusive-ghs-ryan-carnes-previews-his-heart-wrenching-new-movie

Losses.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/general-hospital-phil-brewer-martin-west-dead-82-174370

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/one-life-to-live-pamela-payton-wright-dead-78-174330

🐪 A Camel Went Through a Needle’s Eye…

This episode went from one rich person event to another, from an over-the-top Bar Mitzvah to a golf game where Chanel wore a tutu and did not do badly. I often think, being rich must be exhausting. Or at least that’s what I tell myself, so I won’t cry into my coffee. Stanbury told Sergio that it was the first time she wasn’t involved with the drama, and she enjoyed it. She also found out through a hypnotherapist that boarding school isn’t her fondest memory, but keeping a stiff upper lip, she told us in her interview, that’s what rich people in England do. She explained that the family name before the war was Steinberg, Caroline’s father being Jewish, hence the Bar Mitzvah. There was a couple’s dinner where they played one of those question games, which are always about sex and other things I don’t want to know. Several of the women (not Stanbury) are consistently bitchy in regard to one another’s businesses. It’s beyond me why you’d be bitchy about anything when you’ve got millions in the bank. Chanel was confused as to what some of the conflict was about, and she’s not alone. Next time, the finale.

🍊 There’s the Door…

So far, she’s no prize and way too heavy on the Johnny J. defense.

https://okmagazine.com/p/vicki-gunvalson-emily-simpson-slam-alexis-bellino-rhoc-return/

💎 No Big Shock…

For those who are still interested in this guy or doubted the outcome.

🍼 Nothing To See Here…

This is certainly no surprise to anyone.

https://okmagazine.com/p/brittany-cartwright-jax-taylor-divorce-filed/

📺 Next Up On Bravo…

Something to look forward to. Or avoid.

📉 Predictable Outcome…

I don’t care what his wife wanted. This is bad timing to the point of being unsavory. He’s the last guy who should be doing a reality show and doesn’t seem like he even wants to, yet he brought production to court? Not a good look. No surprise.

🪭 Crossing Over and Back In Time…

I was bummed when she died on TWD, but I’m glad she found new life here. I love The Gilded Age. Maybe even more than Downton Abbey.

https://undeadwalking.com/posts/walking-dead-s-merritt-wever-joins-hbo-s-historical-drama-the-gilded-age-01j58q56zdxw

💍 Do You Take This Dog…

Shades of Giggy and Grandma Wrinkles.

https://people.com/dogs-who-fell-in-love-at-senior-community-get-married-8700654

⛅️ There Goes the Sun…

Join me tomorrow for soap and LA Millions. Until then, stay safe, stay not spreading out on public transport, and stay being confident and not taking any crap.

March 27, 2024 – Anna Asks Dex To Work For Her, Lotsa Suds, She’s Escaped, Valley Bore, Latest Chefs, Dead Shocks, More Never, My Kind Of Pack & Rise

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jason waits in the interrogation room when Sam walks in and sits across from him. Because, like the hospital, the PCPD plays fast and loose with security.

Danny opens the door to the boathouse and sees it’s empty. Jake asks if he’s looking for something.

Trina finds Josslyn at the courthouse and says, she went looking for her at the dorm. When she saw Josslyn wasn’t in their room, she figured she’d find her here. Josslyn says, it’s nice to hear Trina call it their room, even though she’s not living there right now. Trina asks if it’s okay if she sits, and Josslyn says, of course (🍷). Is she here to make sure Jason gets the book thrown at him? Trina says she’s actually not here for Jason. She’s here for Josslyn.

In the courtroom, Molly goes through her documents and drops them. She starts to pick them up, when Kristina comes in and helps. Molly says she wasn’t sure if she’d see Kristina today, but Kristina says, is Molly kidding her? A chance to support her sister. Molly is looking the part. Molly says, at least she’s got that going for her, and Kristina says, and a million other things. Don’t sell herself short. Molly says she thinks she’s shaking, and Kristina takes her hand and says, breathe. It has to be tough, prosecuting someone who means so much to her. Molly says, tough would be a cakewalk. This feels nearly impossible.

Sam asks if Jason did it. Did he shoot Dante? He says, no, and she says she believes him. He says, there’s something else. It’s about Danny. She says, what about Danny? and he says, after he was shot, he hid out at the boathouse and Danny found him. She says, so he’s seen Danny? and he says, yeah. Danny helped him. He got a first aid kit from the main house and brought it down to the boathouse. She says she’s a little confused. Why didn’t Danny tell her that he saw Jason? He says he told Danny not to.

Danny asks if Aiden’s here too, but Jake says, he’s up at the main house. Danny says, why? and Jake says, why is Aiden at the main house or why are they here? Danny says, the second one, and Jake says, his mom figured if they’re all staying home to see the arraignment, they might as well all stay together. But he assumes it will go pretty quickly. They’ll see dad shot Dante, they’ll decide he’s guilty, and he won’t be granted bail. Danny says, first of all, that’s not how arraignments work. Second of all, what makes him so sure that dad’s guilty?

Molly tells Kristina, her main job today is to remain impartial. How is she supposed to argue that Jason is some awful murderer after all the history they have together? His years with Sam. He’s Danny’s father. How does she do that? Kristina says, that’s the other reason she’s here, and Molly says she thought Kristina was here for moral support. Kristina says, of course (🍷) she is. That’s what she’s here for first and foremost. Also, Molly can’t give in to her soft spot for Jason. He’s guilty. Molly asks, says who? and Kristina says, her father for starters. She saw him the last couple of times she visited Dante, and he didn’t want to believe it at first, but there’s evidence linking Jason to the warehouse shooting. So obviously, Dante followed him and that’s when Jason shot him. Molly asks if it’s obvious to Sonny or Kristina, because it certainly isn’t obvious to the police or to the DA’s office or to her personally. Kristina asks why they’d be charging Jason if they didn’t think he did it, and Molly says, there is reasonable suspicion and supporting evidence that Jason shot Dante. But there was also another unidentified individual present, and they’re not sure what part they played, so nothing is obvious. And let’s not forget, in our legal system, the defendant is innocent until proven guilty, no matter what Sonny thinks. Kristina says, that’s exactly what she was afraid of, and Molly says, what? Kristina says, Molly doesn’t want Jason to be guilty so she’s scrambling to come up with a scenario where he’s not. But as hard as this is going to be – and she knows this is going to be hard for Molly – she has to check her feelings at the door and do her job. (Are they having two different conversations?)

On the phone, Anna asks what Portia’s professional opinion is… She knows she’s not family, but she’s really worried… Okay. She appreciates that. She thanks Portia for the update and says she’ll call her back. Dex comes in, and she asks him to close the door. He does and asks if that was about Dante. How is he? She says, he’s the same, and Dex says, his family must be going out of their minds. Anna says, waiting is a special kind of torture. She appreciates him coming in. He says he assumes this is about their last conversation. He figured once she thought about it, she’d change her mind about pursuing a case against Sonny, and he’ll still testify against Sonny if that’s what she’s wondering. No matter what it costs. She says, even if it costs him his life?

Anna says, Sonny has resources. He would know Dex intended to testify against him before Dex even took the stand. Dex asks if that’s where she comes in. Is she going to offer him some kind of protection? She says she can authorize that, but it wouldn’t guarantee his safety because Sonny has a way of getting around everything. Dex says, he does, and she says, there’s Witness Protection, but from what she understands, he wants to stay in town. He asks where that leaves him, and she says, not in a courtroom, that’s for sure. She does not want him testifying. He says he doesn’t understand. If she doesn’t want him to testify, what is he doing here? She says, a thought occurred to her, a way he can ensure his own safety. He says he’s listening, and she says, he comes to work for her at the PCPD.

Josslyn and Trina both say, I’m sorry, and Trina says, jinx. Josslyn can’t talk until she says her name… That was a joke… Josslyn. They both laugh, and Josslyn says, clearly, she takes her jinx very seriously. Trina says, obviously, but for real, she is sorry. She was a total B and Josslyn didn’t deserve it. Josslyn says she kind of did deserve it, and Trina asks, why? Josslyn says, of course (🍷) she’s very relieved and happy Jason is alive, but she does really think he’s innocent. That’s her and how she feels, and Trina is more than entitled to feel differently about it. She’s really sorry if she acted like Trina wasn’t. Trina says, apology accepted, and Josslyn says, back at her. Trina tells her that she will say, her attitude wasn’t entirely about Jason being a suspect in her father’s shooting, and Josslyn says, what was it? Trina says she was… still is having a hard time with the unfairness that Jason got to come back, while Spencer’s still gone.

Molly says, thank you so much, and Kristina says she’s getting the sense Molly doesn’t mean that. Molly says she just doesn’t need Kristina coming in here moments before the arraignment to tell her something that not only she already knows, but she’s struggling with in real time. Because it’s so nice to be Kristina, right? With her advice and her nuggets of wisdom, sitting all cozy in the back of the courthouse, while Molly actually has to make the argument why somebody she loves and respects and probably has an explanation for what he did, shouldn’t make bail. Kristina says, that’s a valid point, multiple points actually, and Molly thanks her. Kristina says, Molly is an excellent lawyer. She’s also the most ethical person Kristina knows. She’s sorry. She should have just kept her mouth shut. Molly says, it wouldn’t really track for her, and Kristina says, true. Molly wonders if she can ask Kristina a question. Since when is she so anti-Jason?

Jake tells Danny not to be naïve, and Danny asks what that even means. Jake says, of course (🍷) he’s guilty. The guy took off. Danny says, now he’s the guy? and Jake says, he made them all think he was dead, then came back and shot Dante. If Danny’s waiting for him to be proven innocent, he’ll be waiting forever. Danny says he doesn’t know any of that, and Jake says, Danny doesn’t know dad left them or that they had a memorial service for him? Danny says, that’s the story Jake told himself. Unless Jake’s talked to him, or the police. Did they fill Jake in on all the evidence they’ve collected? Jake says, don’t be stupid, but Danny says, he’s the one being stupid. He’s mad at dad. Danny gets it. So Jake wants him to be guilty. Rocco comes along, and Jake says he doesn’t want any of this. Danny lives with Dante. He’s the best. He’s always fun. He’s always joking around and always has time for everybody. Now he’s lying in a hospital bed because their father put him there. Rocco tells them to stop, and Danny says he loves Dante and Rocco is like a brother to him. He’s barely left the hospital to get updates on his dad. Rocco asks if they can please… Jake asks if Danny is telling Rocco that their dad is innocent, like he doesn’t have enough to deal with already. Obviously, Danny doesn’t care about Dante or Rocco. Danny says, that’s messed up. How does he believing their dad is innocent make him not care about Rocco or Dante? Jake asks why he isn’t mad at Jason, and Danny asks why Jake isn’t giving him the benefit of the doubt. Jake says, because he doesn’t deserve it, and Danny punches him in the face. (Sorry, I thought it was Rocco in the  preview. They look interchangeable.)

Sam says, just so she’s getting this straight, Jason told their son not to tell her that he’d seen him? And he was helping Jason? Jason says, yes, and Sam says she’s Danny’s mother. She’s been raising their son on her own for most of his life. What the hell is wrong with him? Danny is just a kid, a kid that has issues. Jason asks what she means. What kind of issues? She says, don’t do that. Don’t pretend to be a father to him now. She gets up and says, he disappeared, leaving her to pick up the pieces and put their son’s life back together. And she did that, by the way. He doesn’t get to just some out of the sky out of nowhere and tell their son to lie to her, to keep secrets from her, and use him because he’s in trouble. Putting him in a situation where he… My God. Danny could be brought up on federal charges. That is their baby she’s been protecting. Say something. Don’t just sit there. Tell her that he knows she’s right about all of it. He says, she’s right, and she says, he is a danger to their son. Does he hear her? Stay the hell away from Danny. She walks out and the Jason sigh is back.

Dex says, Anna wants him to join the PCPD? and she says, don’t look so shocked. She happens to think that this is inspired. He says, until very recently, he was working on the inside of Sonny’s organization, doing all kinds of illegal things on his orders. She says, exactly. That’s what makes him an asset. He says he almost murdered an old man on Sonny’s orders, and she says she knows it’s hard for him to wrap his head around it. When Mayor Collins offered her this position again, she felt like her past disqualitfied her somehow, but now she realizes the best cops are the ones who know how easy it is to go wrong, because they’ve been there themselves. He says, so it’s fine he’s no better than the criminals she’s trying to put away, and she says, it’s more than fine. She thinks it’s a bonus.

Trina says, this all sounds so irrational, but Josslyn says, not to her. Trina says, every morning, she wakes up and the first thing she thinks is, it’s all a nightmare and Spencer’s still here. And today’s the day she’ll get that call, that they made a mistake and Spencer’s fine. And to see that scenario playing out for Josslyn and her mom and everyone that loves Jason… Josslyn says she knows. Trina wants that to happen for Spencer. It’s okay, he’s just chilling with Netflix. Trina says, so badly, and Josslyn says she’s so sorry. For her, it was different. She knew that Oscar’s death was coming, but she understands. Trina says she knows Josslyn does, and Josslyn says, that kind of grief consumes you. Trina says, and she can’t get out from under it, and Josslyn says, she will. One day, eventually, her time with Spencer, those memories will make her smile. It’s not going to break her heart anymore. Trina says she doesn’t know if she’s there yet, and Josslyn says, no one expects her to be there. Trina says she just misses him so much, in a way she didn’t even know you could miss people. And she feels like she’s gone too. Josslyn says, she very understandably lost her way for a bit, but she’s going to find her way back. Trina says, what if she doesn’t? and Josslyn says, then Trina can reach out her hand and she’ll take it, and they’ll make it through together.

Kristina says she’s not anti-Jason, and Molly says, she’s certainly not pro. Kristina says she guesses she’s not. Don’t look so surprised. Molly says she is. Kristina was literally drugged and five minutes away from being tattooed and sexually assaulted, when Jason carried her out of Dawn of Day. Kristina says she knows and she’ll forever grateful to Jason and to Sam for getting her away from Shiloh. But they don’t know what’s happened in the last couple of years. Jason could be a totally different person now, and the evidence is pointing in that direction. Molly says, evidence is subject to interpretation. That’s the whole point of the trial. The prosecution interprets it one way and the defense interprets it another. Kristina says, and the evidence shows Jason was there when Dante was shot, and Molly says, so just because Sonny believes Jason shot Dante, Kristina believes it too. Kristina says, for her father to go against Jason is a big deal and Molly knows that. So she’s inclined to believe him. Molly tells her to be careful who she talks like this around, and Kristina asks what she’s talking about. Molly says, Danny, their nephew. She knows she has to have a talk with him after today, explain that she’s just doing her job. Kristina can believe whatever she wants, but Jason is still Danny’s father. Kristina says, please. Dante has been more of a father than Jason has been or ever will be.

Diane goes into the interrogation room and tells Jason that she saw Sam leaving. She’d ask how that went, but she hates talking to herself. Let’s focus on your case. They have a hero cop in the hospital on life support, and chances are getting smaller and smaller every day that he’ll wake up to exonerate Jason. They have a DA with a working and perfectly reasonable theory that Jason shot said cop without realizing who he was. Then Jason realized it and tried to save him. Too little too late. Jason knows that’s not true. She knows that’s not true. So how do they get the rest of the world on board? Give her something she can use. Does he have an alibi? Is there a timeline? Is there someone she can call who will say, nope, Jason didn’t shoot Dante? Is there anything he can give her. Please. He says he can’t.

Rocco and Jake continue to fight, while Rocco continues to shout at them to stop. Jake knocks Danny down with a punch, and Rocco says, they’re family. They can’t do this to each other. Jake says he can’t with this, and walks off. Rocco says he’s really sorry and runs after Jake. Danny lies down on the deck.

Josslyn asks Trina to tell her something about their time together in Paris, and Trina says, like what? Josslyn says, anything. After Oscar died, nobody wanted to talk to her about him. Probably because they didn’t want to upset her, but she felt the opposite. She wanted to talk about him and wanted to relive their times together. Trina says, yes. That’s the perfect way to describe it. Josslyn says, so tell her something about Paris, and Trina says, it’s the happiest she’s ever been. Josslyn says she bets Spencer would say the same, and Trina says she thinks so too. Josslyn says, it doesn’t get more romantic than the City of Lights, and Trina says, no, it was more than that. Their ease at being together. They found the perfect rhythm with paradise as their backdrop. She felt more like herself in Paris with Spencer than she ever has before. Josslyn says, it sounds so special, and Trina says, it was, until it wasn’t. Josslyn suggests staying with the was, and Trina says, okay. Josslyn says she’s so grateful Trina got that time with him and that the time with him was so incredibly special. Trina says she’s grateful too, and Josslyn hugs her.

Dex says, Anna seems to be under the impression that he needs this job, and she says, doesn’t he? He says he’s ex-military. He’s been through his share of close calls and here he is, still standing. She says, he’s just been at the police station twice in two days, not clandestinely either. He says, so? and she says, so what makes him think that Sonny doesn’t already suspect him of being a turncoat? It’s fine. If he wants to go it alone, he’s welcome to, but she feels that the PCPD could offer him some cover. Think about it. He says he will, and goes to the door. She says, don’t take too long. Time is not on his side.

Molly tells Kristina that she keeps remembering when they decorated Sam and Jason’s apartment for Valentine’s Day. She hasn’t thought about it in years, but she can remember it like it was yesterday. Kristina wonders if they can really call that decorating. More like an absolute flooding of Valentine’s Day bling all over that place. Molly says, come on. It was beautiful. Kristina says, it was. It was also pink. A little red, but a lot of pink. Kristina says, so not Jason’s style. Candles and flowers. But it was Jason’s fault. Kristina says, it totally was. He gave them an insane budget to work with and they were so young. Of course (🍷) they were going to go full out. Molly says she just remembers thinking it was the most romantic thing he did for Sam, and Kristina says, it was romantic. It was also a really long time ago. Things change. People change. Molly says, how much? and Kristina says, a lot sometimes. She thinks Molly needs to face the fact that the Jason who came home might not be the Jason they remember. Molly says, okay. She’ll consider the possibility if Kristina considers the possibility that maybe, just maybe, she’s got this all wrong.

Jason says he wishes he could give Diane what she needs, but he can’t, and she says, they’ve known each other a long time, haven’t they? He says, they have, and she says she’s sure he’s recognized that very often she makes things sound worse than they are, so she looks like even more of a genius when she pulls off a victory at the end. But this is not that case. If Dante dies, it’s murder one. That’s as bad as it gets. The state of New York doesn’t have a death penalty, but if he’s convicted, he’ll spend the rest of his life in prison. He’s her favorite client. Difficult in his own way, absolutely, but she’d hate to see him get put away for life for something he didn’t do, especially since they just got him back. So if there’s anything at all that can help her help him – anything – he’s got her number. She leaves.

Brook comes through the revolving door to the interrogation room, and Jason says, Brook Lynn. She says, surprise. She’s guessing she’s not who he expected to see here. He says, not really, no, and she says she knows the desk sergeant. He let her in. She’s soon to be marrying one of the detectives. She sits down, and he says, congratulations. She thanks him and says she’s sorry. She doesn’t know why this is so awkward. She’s usually so good at small talk, but it’s tripping her up for some reason. He says, why doesn’t she just start with why she’s here? She says, Monica asked if she could come. She wanted Brook to give him this. She slides an envelope across the table, and he sees his name written on it.

Sam goes to the boathouse and says, Jake told her that she’d find Danny here. Danny asks if he said anything else, and she says, he just looked a little worse for the wear. She sees his face and says, ouch. Does it hurt? He says, not really, and she asks why he’d get in a fight with his brother. (Like that never happens.) He says, Jake kept saying dad was guilty and it really pissed him off, and she says she just saw him. He says, dad? and she says, yeah. He told her that he was here, and Danny was helping him. He says, she’s mad, and she says she’s furious, but not at him. What his father did was completely unfair. It’s not his fault he did what his father asked him to do, but he’s to never do that again, okay? He says, mom… but she says, ever. He says he wanted to help his dad, and she says she’s sure he did. Danny says, it’s not like dad asked him to rob a bank or anything. He just needed some bandages, so Danny got him a first aid kit. She says, listen to her. A, Jason involved him in a situation where he’s wanted by the FBI and the PCPD. And B – this is the worst part for her – he told Danny to lie to her, to keep a secret from her. It’s not okay under any circumstances, but when there are criminal charges flying around… She never thought she would actually say this about his father, but that did it for her. Any trust between her and Jason has been broken.

Anna comes into her office to find Robert there. She asks if they had a meeting, and he asks if a man has to make an appointment to meet with his ex-wife these days. She says, when he’s the DA and his ex-wife is the Commissioner. She has a lot on her plate these days. He says, why doesn’t she try delegating sometime? and she says, it’s okay. What is this about? He says he’ll be quick. He’s here to make a confession. She asks what he’s confessing to, and he says he’s a big, fat coward.

Molly says she doesn’t want to fight about this, and Kristina asks if Molly thinks she does. Molly says she wishes Kristina was less focused on the arraignment and more focused on her health, and Kristina says, she means the baby’s health. Molly asks if they’re not the same thing. Stress of any kind is not good for a pregnancy. So if Kristina really came to support her – Kristina says she did – then the best thing she can do is just go home. Kristina says she sees. Is that an order, ADA Lansing-Davis?

Trina thanks Josslyn, and Josslyn says, for what? Trina says, being a best friend when she knows Josslyn could use one right now, and Josslyn says she’s fine. Trina says, liar. What’s going on between her and Dex? Josslyn says, not much, and Trina asks if they’ve spoken since they broke up, but Josslyn says, no. He’s called her a few times, but she’s not ready to talk to him. Trina says, what about Josslyn? She still doesn’t know what happened, although she has the impression that it has something to do with Dex working for Sonny. Josslyn says, yes, it does, and that’s all she can say about it without compromising him. Trina says, then she must still care for him, and Josslyn says, of course (🍷) she does. She thinks she always will, but she also feels like she never really knew him. Trina says she’s sorry. That’s a horrible feeling. Josslyn says, anyway, she’s fine. She loves Trina for showing up here, but she doesn’t need to stay. Trina says she has nothing better to do. She lives at home and she’s not in school. Josslyn says, she has the gallery, and Trina says, but not today. So she doesn’t mind staying a little longer and hanging out. On second thought – Josslyn turns around and Dex is there – she thinks Josslyn should spend some time alone. Josslyn and Dex soap look at each other.

Trina says, so thanks for the talk. She’ll call Josslyn later. Josslyn thanks her, and Trina leaves, smiling at Dex as she passes him. Dex says, hi, and Josslyn says, hi. What is he doing here? He says he had an appointment, and she says, really? In the Hall of Justice complex? With whom? He asks if she got his messages, and she says, nice dodge. Yeah, she got them. He says he didn’t like how they left things, and she says, speaking of leaving, she thought he left town. He says, thought or hoped? He’s really sorry he let her down. She asks why he’s still here in Port Charles, and he says he thinks he was just given a reason to stay.

Molly says she knows better than to issue Kristina an order and she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to imply Kristina was putting the baby at risk. She knows Kristina never would. Just like Kristina knows she would never let her personal feelings influence her work. Kristina laughs and says, well played, sister. Molly says, if Kristina doesn’t mind, she has a little bit of time left, and she would like to prepare her argument against releasing Jason on bail. Not because of anything Kristina said, but because it’s her civic duty.

Robert says, Anna knows it’s Jason Morgan’s arraignment today, and she says she thought he told her that this wasn’t going to take up too much of her time. He says, it won’t. Normally, it would be up to him to argue against bail, but in this particular case, he thought he’d let Molly Lansing-Davis do it. She says, so he doesn’t look like the bad guy in Robin’s eyes. He’s going to let his ADA do his dirty work because he’s scared of his daughter. He says, that’s it in a nutshell, yeah, and she says she envies him. He says, she does? and she says she doesn’t have the luxury of not investigating Jason. Sadly, that is not an option for her, but it is an option for him, and she wholly supports him taking it. He says, it doesn’t bother her that he’s a coward for ducking out on the arraignment? and she says she thinks he’s a wonderful coward… She means, father.

Jason picks up the envelope, and asks if Monica is sick or hurt, and Brook says, both, but she’s okay. He knows how that driveway is; it always gets so icy. Monica took a pretty bad fall right before Christmas. She’s been in a wheelchair ever since, but she’s still considering going to work. He says, sounds like her, and Brook says, she picked up a bug at the hospital. Nothing serious, but the doctors don’t want her to push herself or she would be at the arraignment. He opens the envelope and takes out a handwritten note: Jason, I believe in you. Love, Mom. An officer comes in and says, ten minutes and he really needs to get the prisoner downstairs, and Brook thanks him. She tells Jason, good luck at the arraignment, and goes to the door. Wiping his eyes, Jason says, tell her that he loves her and he’s sorry, and Brook says, he’s got it.

Sam comes out of the boathouse with something in a plastic bag and tells Danny that she found this in the freezer. She has him hold it against his head and he says, thanks. How’s Dante? She says, no change, and he asks if she thinks… She says, what is it? Say something. He says, nothing, but she says, it’s obviously something. Talk to her. He says, Dante knows he loves him, right? and she says, yes. Of course (🍷) he does. He says, and that he really appreciates Dante and sees everything Dante does for him? She says, yeah. Why would he think Dante wouldn’t? He says he doesn’t know. Just making sure. She says she’s so sorry, and he says, for what? She says, his father coming home and being alive should be the most wonderful, amazing experience, not this. She doesn’t know if she’s changed or Jason’s changed or she’s never been able to see him clearly, but it’s just become obvious to her that she can’t rely on him to protect Danny and have his best interests at heart. She just wants him to know that she’s his mother and she’ll do everything in her power to keep him safe. And she loves him so much. He says he loves her too, and she takes his hand. She says, they’re going to get through this together because they have each other. She hugs him and says, he’s never going to have to see his dad again, okay? But from the look on his face, it’s not okay.

Tomorrow, Sam needs Portia to stop something from happening; Carly wants to know what Michael isn’t telling her; Josslyn tells Kristina that her father is wrong about everything; and Sonny says he doesn’t owe Jason anything.

🧼 All the Soap Fit To Print…

Guess who’s back? Frankly, it didn’t seem like he was gone all that long.

Easton Rocket Sweda Teases His Return to GENERAL HOSPITAL

Keeping in touch.

Side gigs. I’m all about the pup (!).

Sweet reunion. Hard to believe Todd’s daughter is now a mom.

🍸 Mya Is Now Safe…

Not my vibe, but the view sounds very cool.

🏌️‍♂️ If You Must…

IMO, this show is a real snoozefest.

🍛 Quickfire This…

So when are we going to get TVs that have tastevision?

https://people.com/top-chef-recap-episode-2-contestant-reveals-kennedys-disease-buddha-lo-8621332

⚰️ The Ones Who Didn’t Die…

Surprise and surprise.

https://ew.com/the-walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-seth-gilliam-father-gabriel-surprise-8613080

https://ew.com/the-walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-pollyanna-mcintosh-jadis-fate-8619368

Never Ever Ending…

I’ll have them know, Falcor is a luck dragon, not a dog, but luck dragons do look suspiciously like Pekingese.

https://ew.com/the-neverending-story-getting-new-movie-8611732

https://screenrant.com/the-neverending-story-movie-reboot-franchise-confirmed

🐶 Doggy Style…

I’m well aware I’m late to the party here. I’d wanted to see Strays when it was playing at the movie theater, but didn’t get the chance. Being caught up in several series on Netflix, I put it off when it came to Prime, but I recently watched it and I loved it so much. It has more crude language than a Quentin Tarantino film, but hearing it come out of the mouths of dogs, cats, and an eagle, makes it hysterically funny somehow. It’s now going to be on constant rotation for me, because it’s also one of those movies that left me smiling without taking me on a trip to the cornfield. I don’t need a Friday the 13th ending, but the worst is a horror film that has a Hallmark ending or ends up being a PSA for the environment. (Yes, I’m talking to you Mother! That’s 2 hours and 1 minute I will never get back.) Besides causing me to literally lol, Strays has a stellar cast, a heartfelt message, and of course, dogs.

👖 Caught With My Pants Up…

If you come back tomorrow, I promise soap, topics of interest in entertainment, and probably a pet or two. Until then, stay safe, stay not making/discussing plans in front of somebody not invited, and stay being a best friend even when you could use one.

December 19, 2023 – Brennan’s Secret Is Out, Erika’s Update, A Farewell, Getting Ready, All About Emmy, Don’t Sell, Rude, Menu Reveal, Thirsty Or Not, Married, Surviving, Santa Pets (!) & Farm

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Lucy meets Doc at the PC Grill. She says, no wine? and he says he thought he’d wait to order. Aren’t Laura and Martin joining them? She says she doesn’t think they’d mind them having a pre-dinner cocktail. She could use one. It’s been a rough day… week… month… year. He says, that’s a bad time. They see Scotty sitting at the bar, and Doc says, looks like Scotty’s had a rough day as well. Before she says, it, he knows the decent thing to do is to invite him over. She says, Good God, no.

Tracy holds a snow globe and says she misses Luke so much, when Lois walks in with Brook. Tracy puts the snow globe behind her back, and Lois says she spies Tracy looking at that, but don’t worry. They won’t tell anyone that they saw her showing some Christmas spirit. Tracy asks why Brook hasn’t responded to her texts, and Brook says she was Christmas shopping with Chase and Leo and Violet. Tracy says, of course (🍷). Her phone doesn’t work in the proximity of small children. Brook says, she stops looking at it when she’s celebrating the joy of the season, and Tracy says, they have a business meeting tomorrow morning to figure out how this arrangement with Deception works. Brook says, tomorrow’s Christmas Eve, and Tracy says she’s well-aware, but now that Brook is going to be her business protégé, she’s going to have to change her priorities. Ned comes in and says, what’s that? Brook says, it’s true. She’s going back to work at Deception. Tracy says, but this time, it’s going to be different. This time, she’s going to be the boss. He asks if Lois knew about this, and she says she did, and she thinks it’s great.

There’s a knock at Ava’s door, and she opens it to Nina. Ava says she thought they were meeting at Rice Plaza to watch Avery and Donna in the Living Nativity, and Nina says she knows, but she needed to see Ava in private, without Sonny and the girls. Ava asks, why? and Nina says she needs Ava’s help before her whole world comes crashing down.

Just when you think Donna can’t get any cuter, they put her in a lamb costume. She asks if she looks okay, and Sonny says, she looks amazing. Michael joins them, and Donna asks if he’s here to watch her and Avery. He says, of course (🍷) he is. She’s going to be an amazing lamb. Donna says, Avery’s a shepherd, and he says, she’s going to be amazing too. He asks if she’s excited about being in the Living Nativity, and she nods. Cyrus approaches and says he is too.

Carly pours coffee for Sam and sees the headline about Brennan being head of the WSB on Sam’s phone. She asks if that’s the guy Sam and Dante are investigating, and Sam says, yes. He’s the new head of the WSB. Carly says, really. Because he told her that he was a security consultant. Sam says, she knows him? and Carly says, John Brennan. He’s been here in the diner a few times. He was here a half hour ago. Sam asks if he said where he was going, but Carly says, no. He got a phone call, and he took off.

At the pier, Anna says her Interpol contact is going to be here in twenty minutes, and Dante asks if she’s sure she can trust this guy. She says, absolutely. She’s confident they’re on the up and up. He says, it wouldn’t be a stretch for the head of the WSB to request interagency cooperation and make them disappear, but she says, not this time. Brennan’s been trying to ruin her life for months, but that all changes tonight. He’s going down.

Lucy tells Doc, sorry. It’s just that Scotty’s been pushing her to travel with him to Florida at Christmas to see Serina and the manatees. He says, Christmas with her daughter. What’s wrong with that? She says, nothing. She’s very tempted, but Scotty didn’t bother telling Serina about his plans and she found out Serina has a brand-new boyfriend… first Christmas and all. Fortunately for her and Serina, Scotty saw reason, and decided not to make the trip. He says he’s sure it will be nice for her and Martin to spend the holidays together, and she says, yeah. Together.

Ava says, Ned is blackmailing Nina too? and Nina says, it’s like a line is forming. If she doesn’t tell Ned information on Aurora, he’s going to tell Sonny that she’s the one who reported Carly and Drew to the SEC for insider trading. Ava says she guesses Nina better find some information that Ned will find useful, but Nina says she doesn’t have access to the inner workings of Aurora. Let’s just say in a perfect world she magically comes up with something and she tells Ned, and Michael finds out. He’s going to retaliate and tell Sonny. This is an impossible situation. Ava says, it is and she feels for Nina, but she’s got problems of her own.

Cyrus tells Sonny that he’s going to be one of the Wise Men. Melchiore, he believes, but they won’t be wearing nametags. He’s just on his way to pick up his crown and robe. Michael says, Cyrus isn’t coming anywhere near his little sister, but Sonny says, that’s all right. He’s taking care of it. Michael says, Sonny knew about this? and Sonny says he’s watching Cyrus like a hawk. No robes or crowns for him today. Cyrus asks Sonny to be reasonable. It’s a Christmas pageant. Sonny asks Michael to take Donna to the Nativity, and they leave. Cyrus says he doesn’t understand. What is the harm in him participating in the celebration of the holy season? Sonny says, celebrate on his own. He’s already been replaced. (Aww.) Laura and Martin join them, Martin wearing a robe, and Cyrus says, et tu, brother? Martin says, the name’s Melchiore, and Laura tells Cyrus, please don’t make a scene. Cyrus says he’s just surprised. Martin’s been averse to Christmas pageants ever since second grade when he tripped on the robe and knocked over the manger. Laura laughs, and Martin says he’ll make sure to watch his step this time. Laura asks if Cyrus will do this for her. Not as the mayor, but as his sister. Cyrus says he wishes them all the joys of the holiday season, and he leaves. Martin says, that’s what he’d call a Christmas miracle, and Laura suggests they be grateful he decided to play nice for whatever reason. Sonny says, thank you, Lord, for making the Wise Man swap, and Martin puts on his crown. Laura says, it looks like the other kings are gathering over there. Perhaps Martin should join them. Martin asks them to say a prayer he doesn’t trip over something, and this is over before they know it. He tells Laura to remember Lucy and Doc are waiting dinner for them, and he leaves. Laura asks if Sonny thinks Cyrus knew Avery and Donna were in the Living Nativity or it was just a coincidence, and he says he’s not sure, but he’s not taking any chances. Like he said before, he doesn’t think Cyrus killed Austin, but he’s not going to trust Cyrus anywhere near anyone he cares about.

Ava brings out the locked box and puts in the combination. It opens, and Nina says, she bought another gun? Ava says she didn’t buy it. It just appeared. She found it in the drawer the day she moved in, along with an ominous note saying, you’ll never know when you’ll need it. Nina says, so someone’s stalking her, and Ava says, or trying to frame her. They’re getting bolder.

Ned asks what Brook is thinking, and Lois tells Tracy that she’s going to need Brook all day tomorrow for last minute Christmas details. Unless of course (🍷) Tracy would like to help. There are cookies to bake, presents to wrap, and then of course (🍷), she got everybody matching PJ sets. She hopes she got Tracy the right size… Tracy says she can move the business meeting to December 26th. The pajamas? That’s a hard pass. She leaves, and Brook says, matching PJs? Really? Lois says, it worked with Tracy, didn’t it? and Ned asks if Lois has lost her mind. How can she, of all people, be happy that their daughter is giving up music to be a corporate executive. Lois tells him to use the good sense God gave him. Obviously, there’s an angle. He says, what angle? and Lois says, Brook isn’t going back to work at Deception for herself. She’s going back to outsmart Tracy and make things right with her friends.

Sam asks if Brennan said why he’s in Port Charles, and Carly tells her, he just said he was a security consultant here on business. He never said he was head of the WSB, but why would he? Sam asks if he said how long he was planning on staying, and Carly tells her, he said he’d be here for a little while. He was a little flirtatious and he seemed harmless. Does Sam know different? (Seriously? Have all those years with Sonny taught Carly nothing?) Sam says she doesn’t have all the facts, but if Carly sees him again, keep her distance and call Dante. Sam jets.

Anna tells Dante, if Forsythe hadn’t come after that report, she doesn’t know if she’d have realized she still had it. It had been stuck in that trunk for decades. But Brennan sending Forsythe is kind of like he dug his own grave. Hume listens from the shadows.

Carly looks at the article again on her phone and sets it on the table. She starts to clean up when she hears the door open. She says, we’re closed, and sees it’s Brennan. He asks if she has time for one more.

Lucy says, Doc is too compassionate for his own good, and he always has been. He says, okay. He’ll bite. What does she mean by that? She says, he really doesn’t understand that they’re completely surrounded by cutthroats and thieves, and sometimes, just sometimes, you really need to look out for number one. He says, just an observation, but it seems like she’s talking about something specific. Care to share? She says, Quartermaines. They never change their spots. He probably knows Tracy stole the company from her, but now she’s given Brook a job at Lucy’s company. This is the very woman who stole all the proprietary information on Lucy’s Deceptor, so she could give it to her grandmother to allow Tracy to file this pernicious lawsuit against them. He asks if it’s possible she’s more hurt than she is angry, but she says she’s so angry… but he’s right. She’s also very, very hurt by the whole betrayal. She trusted Brook. She let Brook in on the team and she turns out to be worse than her grandmother. Even more than Lucy imagined. He says he’s glad she’s getting these feelings off her chest, rather than keeping them bottled up inside, and she asks how he does that. He’s always such a good listener. She thanks him for letting her vent, and he says, she’s welcome. It’s what he does. Just a thought, but isn’t it better that Brook is in the office every day rather than her having to deal with Tracy day in and day out? She says, good point. She guesses she could rise above it, sort of, maybe. Try to make the best out of a bad situation. Scotty comes over to the table and says he can’t believe his ears. Is Lucy going to roll over and let Tracy win?

Lois asks if Ned really thinks she’d be encouraging their daughter to work in an office instead of following her dreams if there wasn’t a hidden agenda. Brook says, mom’s been hounding her for weeks to give in to Tracy. Once Tracy hands over the company to her, then she can give it back to Maxie and make things right. He says, if she thinks her grandmother is going to make this easy, she’s in for a very rude awakening, but Brook says she knows exactly what she’s in for. She either has to convince granny that she’s totally on board, making her completely comfortable enough to give her controlling interest, or due to their close proximity, she’ll have to dig something up in order to blackmail her with. He says, spoken like a true Quartermaine, and Lois says, not that that’s always a good thing, but in this case, Brook would be blackmailing for a worthy cause. He says, as long as her grandmother doesn’t figure it out and turn the tables, and Lois asks if he’s doubting their daughter. He says, absolutely not.

Nina asks if Ava still thinks it’s Nikolas sending her these notes, and that, and Ava says, well, who else? She left him for dead. He’s not going to let that go. Nina asks why he’d send her a gun if his plan is to attack her, and Ava says, or to frame her. For all she knows, this is the gun that killed Austin. Nina says, Ava thinks he’d go that far. That he’d come all the way here just to kill Austin to frame her for murder? Ava says she doesn’t know what to think anymore. For months, she thought Nikolas was dead and she was the one that killed him, and she thought that she could trust Austin. Nina says, she needs to calm down a bit, but Ava says she doesn’t have anyone to talk to about this. Her head has been spinning since Austin died. Nina says she thinks Ava needs a distraction. Why don’t they go to Rice Plaza? Ava says she thinks that’s a good idea. She thinks seeing Avery in that Living Nativity will make her feel better.

Michael tells Donna that she’s all set, and she thanks him for fixing it. He says, of course (🍷), and she asks if they’re going to see Wiley and Amelia on Christmas. He says, yeah, and she wonders if they can hang their stockings together. He says, it’s a great idea, but he thinks she’s going to be at her mom’s on Christmas Eve, and she says, daddy says Michael’s going to be with him and Nina on Christmas Eve. Cyrus watches from the shadows, and Michael says, he, Willow, Wiley, and Amelia and daddy and Nina. Donna tells him, daddy said this is going to be the best Christmas ever now that Nina’s part of the family.

Sonny asks how Laura is holding up, and she says she’s still worried about Charlotte. Physically, she’s on the mend, but emotionally, she’s struggling. He says he thinks she’s old enough to benefit from therapy, and Laura says she agrees. What about Anna? Has he spoken to her? He says, she’s very hard to get in touch with. She blames herself for what happened to Charlotte. Laura says, it was a terrible accident, and he says, they know that, but Anna just blames herself.

Anna tells Dante, the irony is, Brennan covered his tracks so well, he didn’t even realize he was implicated in the report. He kind of just brought this on himself. Dante’s phone rings, and he says he should take this. Hume stands in the shadows, holding a gun, and Dante asks Sam, what’s going on? She tells him, Brennan is in town. Carly saw him in Kelly’s. He must have come into town to take care of Anna himself. He asks if she can call the PCPD and tell the desk sergeant what’s going on, and she says she will. She tells him to be careful, and he says, always. He tells Anna that they have to get someplace less exposed, and they start to walk, but Hume pops out and shoots at them. They duck behind some crates.

Carly says, look who’s back, and Brennan says, apologies. That call pulled him away before he could even put in an order. Now they’re closed and he’s missed his chance. She says, he can stay. The cook is gone for the night, but she can heat up some meatloaf. It won’t be fancy… He says, simple works for him. She’s very kind.

Lucy tells Scotty that she took the deal for Maxie and Sasha’s sake. And besides, 49% of a viable company is a heck of a lot better than 100% of nothing. He says, but she gave away her ELQ tie-breaking vote, and she says she did not. It was extorted out of her by Tracy. If she hadn’t given up her precious share of ELQ, Tracy would have blown the whole deal, and she, Maxie, and Sasha would have been completely bankrupt. He says, so she’s just going to let Tracy trample over the company she built, but she says, absolutely not. She has just begun to fight back. He says, it doesn’t seem like it, and Doc says, what it seems like is Scotty rubbing salt in the wound. Maybe it’s time to head home. Scotty says, all right. He’s not going to justify having to take flack for doing his job. Doc says he doesn’t even know what that means, and I’m glad he said that because I don’t either. Scotty says he’s not going to apologize for representing Doc’s wife’s criminal brother Cyrus or for representing Elizabeth. His Liesl just won’t give him a second chance. Tracy blows in and goes to the bar, where she puts down her bag. Scotty follows and Lucy gets up, but Doc says, Lucy… Stay. She sits back down, and she asks if he isn’t going after Scotty, but he says he doesn’t care about Scotty. He cares about her. Besides, he wants to watch this.

Tracy orders a dirty martini, top shelf vodka, no such thing as too dirty. Scotty sits down near her, and she says, go away. He says, as she can see, his coat was here – he indicates the coat on the back of his stool – so if he’s going to bother her, he suggests she vamoose. She says, nothing he does has any effect on her at all, and he says, fine. She says, fine.

Ava says she’s going to see Avery and will catch up with Nina later, and Nina joins Sonny and Laura. She says, nice to see them. Rice Plaza looks amazing. Laura thanks her, like she did it all herself, and says she’s very proud of their town. It’s really good to see Nina, but she has some things she needs to attend to. She leaves, and Sonny asks why Nina is so late. She says, she and Ava had some girl talk. Why? Did he miss her? He says, always, and kisses her.

Ava says she understands Martin has to learn his Wise Man duties on the job, and Martin says he was a last-minute substitution. Michael joins them, and Ava sees Cyrus going by. She asks, what is that monster doing here? She doesn’t want him anywhere near Avery. Michael says, don’t worry. His dad took care of it. She says, good. Because she doesn’t believe that man’s conversion for a second. Ava flashes back to Sonny telling her that Austin’s boss is Cyrus Renault, and she says she knows Cyrus is as dangerous as he always was.

Carly says she’s glad Brennan is okay with meatloaf. Although it’s going to take a while to heat up. He says he hopes he’s not putting her out. He can just come back another… She says, that’s okay. She wasn’t done closing down the kitchen yet, so she’ll be right back. It’ll just take a minute. She heads for the kitchen, but says, oh, her phone, and turns around. He says, is this it? and picks it up. He sees the article about himself and tells Carly that he sees she knows his secret.

Anna and Dante draw their guns, and Hume says, there’s no way out. Give him what he wants and nobody else gets hurt. She tells Dante, that’s not Brennan, and Hume says, is she willing to add Detective Falconari to her long list of collateral damage? She says she wants to talk to Brennan, and Hume says he’s here to help her before this all gets worse. He hears her latest shooting victim is out of the hospital. Charlotte Cassadine? A child? Really? I say, really? to Hume trying to psyche Anna out. He says, all because of something that happened in the 80s? Let’s end this now. Anna tells Dante, he’s right.

Brook tells Ned that she can’t let granny push her around. The only way to deal with Tracy is to face her head on. He says, sadly, it took him a few more years before he learned that particular lesson, and she says she knows working back at Deception will temporarily take her away from her music career, but she won’t let down her clients. She’ll work 24/7. She’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that granny is out of Maxie’s company. Lois says, Maxie’s company? What about Lucy? Brook says, Lucy has made it perfectly clear she won’t work with her, and Ned says, sounds like she’s facing an uphill battle. Brook says she’s not scared. Nothing is going to stop her from making this right.

Anna says, don’t shoot. She’s coming out. She stands up with her hands in the air and puts her gun down. She says she knows where the evidence is. It’s in a safety deposit box and she has the key right here. She points to her pocket, and he says, slowly. She takes a key out of her pocket, and he says, toss it to him. She says, he knows Brennan’s just tying everything off right now. Forsythe’s dead. Does Hume think he’s going to be next? He says he’s not worried. He earns his keep. She says she’s sure that’s what Forsythe thought too, but Brennan only keeps people who are useful around him. Everyone has a sell by date. Doesn’t he think his is up? In the meantime, Dante has run around behind Hume, and clocks him in the head. Hume goes down, and Sam comes out. Dante asks what she’s doing here, and she says, checking on him. Is he okay? He cuffs Hume, and Sam says, they don’t know who this is. Dante takes out Hume’s wallet and looks at his ID. He says, Roman Hume. It says he works for Pikeman. Hume comes to, and Dante hoists him up. Anna says, where’s Brennan? and Hume says, make him a deal. Dante says, not a chance, and Anna says, they have to find Brennan before he realizes they’ve got his lieutenant. Sam says she thinks she may know where he is.

Carly says, if Brennan had told her that he was the director of the WSB, she would have thought he was a liar, and crazy. He chuckles and says he’s curious as to how she figured it out. She says she looked it up on the internet. (How is he director of the WSB? Not exactly the brightest bulb in the box.) There’s many John Brennans, but only one director of the WSB. She clicked on the link and magic! his picture popped up. Anyway, she’s going to go heat up the meatloaf. He says, Hume told him that her former son-in-law was involved. Falconari, right? The connection’s in there somewhere. She asks how he knows Dante, and he says he’s director of the WSB. If there’s something he wants to know, he knows it. Just as he made it his business to know about Sonny Corinthos, his operation, the people he holds dear. There’s just one thing he doesn’t know. What is he going to do with her?

Nina sees Michael buying cookies and says, they need to talk. In private. They walk off together.

Laura tells Ava that Avery looks adorable, and Ava says, doesn’t she? She’s been talking about her costume for weeks. Laura says, she’s taking her role so seriously, and they laugh. Ava says she knows it’s a difficult topic for both of them, but does Laura have any more information about Nikolas’s whereabouts? Laura says she doesn’t unfortunately, and Ava asks if she thinks she’ll keep looking for him. Laura says she wanted to stay in Europe and keep looking, but she got that call from Valentin about Charlotte and knew she was needed at home. Also, Doc told her that Nikolas will come home when he’s ready to face the people he left behind.

In a more private area, Michael asks what Nina wants, and Nina says, Ned knows she’s the one who tipped off the SEC. He asks what that has  to do with him, and she says, he wants information on Aurora to use against Michael and Drew, and if she gives him that information, he’ll keep taking the blame. He says, she doesn’t know anything about Aurora. What was Ned thinking? She says, he’s thinking she’ll find a way. That’s why she’s talking to him. He needs to help her get Ned off her back. He asks why he’d do that, and she says, think about it. This is like Blackmail 101. If Ned tells Sonny, Michael will have nothing to hold over her head. If he wants her to continue keeping her distance from her daughter and grandchild, he’ll help her out. He says he only kept quiet to protect Willow. She’s going to be devastated when she finds out what Nina did, but maybe it’s best to get it all over with. Nina says, all right. She’ll play his game. If Ned tells Sonny the truth, then guess what? She’ll tell Carly the truth that he knew she was the real informant this whole time and he never said anything. (Wouldn’t a better idea be to tell Willow?)

People run past, startling Ava, and Sonny says, why so jumpy? She asks if he really needs her to answer that question. First of all, they still don’t know who killed Austin. Then there’s the fact that Nikolas is alive and out there somewhere. She can only assume he’s plotting his revenge against her. He asks what she’s not telling him. Did something else happen? Donna runs up and asks if Michael is back with the cookies, and Sonny says, not yet, but he’ll be here any minute. Ava asks if Donna is having fun with Avery. They’re not too cold, are they? Donna says, no. They’re having a great time. Only one thing could make this Christmas even better. Sonny asks, what’s that? and Donna says she wants to open presents with Avery on Christmas, but Avery has to be with her mom. Can Avery and Ava come over to join them? Sonny and Ava look at each other.

Scotty says, that’s a stiff one. How come Tracy is drinking alone? She asks why he cares when he’s clearly doing the same thing, and he says he just figured she’d be at the mansion with the servants and the family. Of course (🍷) they don’t like her any more than he does. She asks if he’s been overserved. Maybe he should go home before he embarrasses himself further. He says, all right. He’s going to raise the white flag right now. It wasn’t that long ago that he was her lawyer. They thought she’d killed that guy, but his assistant had done it. Then remember? They got hot and heavy. (I don’t remember. When was this???) She says she doesn’t know what he’s talking about. That doesn’t sound like something she’d do. He says he can’t believe she’d forget the look on Lee and Gail’s face when they came in and caught them going at it on top of his desk. The look was priceless. She says, the only thing she remembers was them asking her why she was slumming with him, and he says, so she does remember. She says, correction. She’s trying not to remember. He says, why the high hat all of a sudden? She’s the one who was married to Luke, that no good, criminal jackass. She throws her drink in his face.

Carly says, Brennan has seriously miscalculated. If anything happens to her… He says he knows all about the mobster ex-husband, and she says she’s talking about the Navy SEAL boyfriend, but Sonny will kill him too. He says he was really starting to like her. Now that he’s seen how she parades under duress, he likes her even more. Sadly, they seem to be the victims of rotten luck. He takes out some brass knuckles, and she says, get away from her. She grabs something off the counter and whacks him with it. He stumbles back, as Anna and Dante come in, guns drawn. Anna says, hands where they can see them, and Brennan puts his hands up.

Ava says she knows Donna wants to be with her sister on Christmas, but her family is so big and family gatherings can be tricky. Sonny tells Donna, that’s a great idea, but why doesn’t she let the grown-ups talk? Go find Avery at the Nativity. Donna says, yay! and skips off. Ava says she knows the girls want to be together on Christmas morning, but she knows the situation is prickly. So please don’t do this for her. Sonny says he’s not doing it for her; he’s doing it for his daughters. She says, right. Of course (🍷). But they won’t stay long. She knows this is his first Christmas with Nina as husband and wife. She wouldn’t want to intrude on that. He says he doesn’t think Nina would mind at all. They’re going to have so many Christmases ahead of them.

Michael says he can explain to his mother what he did and why. Can Nina do the same thing with his father? Nina says she’s sorry. She shouldn’t have said that. It doesn’t have to be this way. Willow doesn’t need to know. Can he just make up something about Aurora so she can pass it on to Ned? It helps both of them if Sonny never finds out. Cyrus listens from the shadows, which seems to be the trend in Port Charles, and Michael says, okay, fine. He’ll take care of Ned.

Ned pours some wine, and Lois says, their marriage might not have worked out, but they did raise one hell of a daughter. He clinks her glass and says, agreed. Brook comes in and asks, what’s going on? What did she miss? Ned says, she didn’t miss anything. He and her mom were just having a nice conversation. Brook says, nice conversations and Quartermaines do not go together, and Lois says, but she’s not a Quartermaine. They were just talking about how much they love her. Brook says, is that all? and Ned hugs her while Lois smooths her hair.

Detectives arrive and Brennan is cuffed. Carly asks how Dante knew to come here, and he says, Sam told him about the conversation they had about Brennan. Carly thanks Sam, and Sam says, of course (🍷). She’s just glad they got here in time. Anna hands a detective the folder, and says, this is the evidence Brennan was so desperate to get ahold of. He asks, what’s the significance of the wallet? and she says, if he pulls back the lining, he’ll see a sequence of numbers that lead to a Swiss bank account. She goes over to Brennan and says, long time, huh? She calls him ex-director Brennan and asks if he thinks they’ll invite Frisco back to clean up his mess. He says, at least she’s been exposed as a double agent. Now everyone knows who she is. She says, that’s right, but her past can’t come back to hurt her anymore. He says, she almost killed a child. What does she have left? She says she has herself, and he says, good luck then. She’ll need it. Brennan is led out, and as he goes past Carly, he says, rotten timing? Dante says, it looked like Anna was willing to risk her life for his back there, and Anna says, if it had come to that, she would have. Brennan is right about one thing. She won’t allow anyone else to get hurt because of her mistakes.

Doc tells Lucy, as if on cue. Scott Baldwin can get under someone’s skin unlike than anyone he’s ever known.

Tracy tells Scotty that she’d say she just wasted some premium vodka, but when a better use comes along, you go for it. She walks out, and he says he’ll send her the dry-cleaning bill.

Lucy watches Tracy leave, and Doc says, don’t. Whatever she’s thinking, whatever she’s scheming, he promises her it will not end well. She says, who, me? She doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He really does worry too much. Laura comes in, and asks, was that Tracy Quartermaine she just saw storming through the parking lot? Doc says, yes, and kisses her. Lucy says, so good to see her, but she thought Martin was coming with her. Laura says she’s so sorry, but Martin is still participating in the Living Nativity at Rice Plaza. Lucy says, that’s great. When Laura asked him, she encouraged him to do it. She just didn’t think it would go so late. Laura says, sorry about that. She’s afraid he’s not going to be able to join them for dinner.

Michael gives Donna the cookies and says, she did a great job being in the Living Nativity. She asks if she can share them, and Michael says she can. She goes over to Martin, who says, it’s so nice of her to offer, and takes one.

Nina runs up to Sonny, who says he was just about to look for her. She says she’s so sorry. There was a minor crisis at the MetroCourt, but she handled everything. He asks if she’s okay, and she says, everything she could possibly ever want is right here.

Martin says, serving as a Wise Man was more arduous than he thought. Donna did a stellar job as their lamb tonight. She was better behaved than the angel. He thinks the angel had a dented halo. Cyrus watches from a distance as Martin talks to Donna.

Tomorrow, Portia asks what Spencer really knows about love; Finn tells Elizabeth that he doesn’t know what to do at this point; Charlotte asks Laura, what could he possibly be doing on Christmas Eve; and Anna tells Valentin that she can’t be part of his family.

💝 Erika Thanks You…

I still miss One Life To Livesniff…

🥀 Best At Bad…

The soap world loses a great villain.

🎄 Christmas Prepping…

How the soap stars are doin’ it.

🏆 Best In Daytime…

Daytime Emmy winners.

What you didn’t see.

The fashion. Again, so much black. Thank you, Susan Lucci.

Here, I expected black.

Daytime Emmys 2023: The Guys

🏰 We’re Not Ready…

I see her point, but I’d hate to lose that house. Oh wait. I don’t really live there.

💎 In Agreement…

I’m sure Annemarie wants to be relevant, but she came across as a bully. It’s like when you have a disorder that’s not visible, and someone says, you don’t look sick.

🍔 Something About a Menu…

Now if they’d only actually open.

🫦 Giving You Lala…

While I begrudge Ariana nothing, Lala’s not wrong. I think what’s happened is, Ariana is being looked upon as an Everywoman. I also think it’s exaggerating to say her posts are thirsty. And if they are, then she’s always been thirsty.

👰🏻‍♀️ Wishing Them Happiness…

I wouldn’t have thought of pairing them up, but they’re two of my favorite celebrities. I’m a huge 2 Broke Girls fan and I’ve loved Andrew W.K. since Party Hard. I’ve often suggested he run for President. Mazel tov!

https://www.buzzfeed.com/larryfitzmaurice/kat-dennings-andrew-wk-married-wedding-details

🤪 All Those Shrinks Can’t Be Wrong…

Some practical tips to get you through the holidaze.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/life-without-anxiety/201212/10-tips-surviving-the-holidays

🎅🏽 If All Else Fails…

Dress your pet up like Santa or one of his elves or one of his reindeer. And if you don’t have a pet, get one.

https://people.com/celebrity/santa-pets-your-cats-and-dogs-in-holiday-style/

👖 Sisterhood Of the Homebody Pants…

Join me tomorrow for soap and whatever annoyances I can point out during RHOBH. Until then, stay safe, stay recognizing the beauty in imperfections, and stay watching your step if you’re a Wise Man in a Christmas pageant.

December 8, 2023 – The Not Perfect Tree Is Lit, Her Return, The M.E., Side Gig, Barrier Breaker, Sisters, Problem, Hamster Wheel, You’re Fired, LVP Report, Hannukah Pups, Quote Octet & Hollis

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Elizabeth and Finn walk to his door, and he thanks her for doing this. She says she wouldn’t miss it, and from inside, Violet asks if it’s Finn. He says, it is, and she says, don’t come in until she tells him to. She says, he can come in now, and throws open the door. She says, look at her tree, and Gregory says, she picked it out herself. The tree isn’t quite Charlie Brown, but it’s pretty janky.

Molly is about to knock on Kristina’s door, when TJ asks if she really wants to do this. She asks if he’s having second thoughts, but he says, let’s call it an abundance of caution. Sometimes life doesn’t give you time to think things over. You make a snap decision and have to live with the consequences, but they have time to take a moment and review and reevaluate. She asks where he’s going with this, and he says, she’s the smart Davis daughter, Sam is the resourceful one, Kristina is the impetuous one. Are the 100% sure they want her to be their surrogate?

Anna goes to Valentin’s house and asks if Charlotte is here. He says, she’s with Laura. It helps her to spend some quality time with her grandmother. Anna says, that’s perfect really. Laura is a wonderful presence in Charlotte’s life. Charlotte’s lucky to have her. He says, she’s got a dad too, and asks what he can do for Anna. She says, nothing. She just came by to give him an update. He says, on? and she says, on the arsonist who set fire to her house. It wasn’t Charlotte.

Lois looks up the stairs and says, this is a disaster, and Olivia says she knows. Lois says, not one inch of this entire gigantic house has been decorated for Christmas.

On a plane, Tracy hears the stewardess say that they’re anticipating landing in an hour. She looks at her phone and sees her and Luke’s wedding picture. She starts to cry and puts on her sunglasses and a hat.

Lois tells Olivia that Lila would be so upset. She’d have Reginald… Olivia says, who? and Lois says, Reggie. He was the butler when she and Ned were married. She would have Reggie and the entire staff decorating this house by the first of the month. Everything would be out except for a few things that came out on Christmas Eve. She’s thinking of a specific train set that Alan was very fond of. It was a family heirloom given to him by his grandfather who was in railroads. Olivia says, like an engineer? but Lois says, no. Great-grandpa Quartermaine owned railroads going upstate into Canada, and this particular train set was an exact replica of one of his trains. Alan was so proud of it, but by then, it was an antique, so it only came out on Christmas Eve, but everything else was everywhere else. There were wreaths on the doors, there was a garland going all the way down the staircase, and everything by December 1st. She can’t believe Olivia wasn’t more on getting the decorations up. Her family’s house, her father’s garage was like a Christmas wonderland. Olivia’s own apartment… She could tell Olivia’s room on the street just by looking up. Olivia says she still enjoys Christmas decorating, but early on in her marriage to Ned, she and Monica sort of clashed over the Christmas décor. She wanted a fresh tree; Olivia put up something more… effusive. Monica made it very clear that this was her house, it was her choice, so Olivia just let it be. She let Monica take the lead with the Christmas decorating. Lois says she appreciates the sensitivity, but they can’t leave this house bare while they’re waiting for Monica to come back from her medical conference. Olivia says, okay, then let’s go for it, and Lois says, if her vote has any weight to it, she would appreciate a natural tree as well. Olivia says, she can do natural. Look at her fingernails. If they’re going to get a tree, they’d better get moving.

Violet says, it wasn’t as pretty as the others. If she hadn’t picked it, it might have not gotten picked at all. Finn says he thinks she chose the perfect tree, but Violet says, the whole point is that it’s not perfect. Finn says, but he thinks it’s perfect for them, and Elizabeth says she agrees. Violet is really getting into the spirit of Christmas. And she promises they are going to make this tree look spectacular. Gregory says, the first step is putting on the lights. Who’s going to do the honors? Violet says, daddy, and Finn says, how about a nice cup of hot cocoa first?

Molly says, from the moment she and TJ decided to have a baby, they faced nothing but setbacks. Sometimes she thinks the universe is trying to tell them something. Maybe they’re not meant to have children. He tells her, he never said that, and she says, so he does want to have a baby. He says, absolutely, and she says, so does she. Anytime she thinks about giving up and accepting they’re not going to have kids, she gets this pit in her stomach. That’s why she was crying in the park when Kristina found her. The thought of never having a family with TJ broke her. He says he’s so sorry, and she says, that’s when everything started to shift. Think about this. She’s never in the park in the middle of the afternoon. She’d be in her office or be in court. What are the odds she’d be there and so would Kristina? About a million to one. That’s got to be fate, right? Fate that her sister would find her. Fate that her sister would offer to carry their child again. And she has no interest in fighting fate. She can feel it in her heart that this is the right thing to do, and she’s 1000% sure about Kristina. He says, then so is he. Let’s do this. She knocks on the door, and Kristina invites them in. She asks what brings them over, and TJ says, this is more of a sister thing, so he’ll let Molly explain. Kristina says, spill it, sister, and Molly says she’s here to officially ask Kristina for a huge favor, one that will dominate her life for the next nine months… Kristina says, yes, she’ll be their surrogate, and Molly asks if she’s sure. Kristina says she’s never been so sure of anything in her life, and hugs Molly.

Valentin says, Charlotte has always denied burning down Anna’s house, but she lies about a lot of things. Anna says, she didn’t lie about this, and Valentin asks how she can be sure. She says, forensics collected some scraps of fabric in the bushes around her house and they all tested positive for the accelerant that started the fire. And they lifted some DNA which matched someone who isn’t his daughter. He says, thank God, and sits down. She sit’s next to him and says, it’s a relief. She didn’t want to think Charlotte had gone that far. He wonders why he didn’t believe her. Why didn’t he have faith in his own daughter? She said there’s a DNA match. Who’s the arsonist? She says she can’t tell him that.

Gregory says, the whole point is that it’s not perfect, and chuckles. He sits on the sofa, and Finn asks if he’s all right, but Gregory says he’s fine. He just sat down a little more quickly than he intended. He really wants this to be a good Christmas. Finn says, one to remember, when Elizabeth comes back with Violet and says, cocoa’s ready. They all take a cup, and Violet says, they should put up the lights. Finn says, since she did such a good job making the cocoa, it seems a shame to gulp it down, but Elizabeth says, don’t worry. She can make more. There’s a knock at the door and Finn answers it to Chase and Brook. Finn asks how Chase is with Christmas lights.

Anna gets up and says, she just wanted Valentin to know his daughter’s not responsible for the fire at her house, and he says, if there’s a DNA match, that means the arsonist is in a data base somewhere. So who is it? She says she can’t share that information with him, and he asks if it’s classified. She says she doesn’t know. She would imagine there’s someone somewhere who considers it classified. He says he’s not talking to them, he’s talking to her, so who burned her house? She says, he doesn’t need to know, and he says he doesn’t understand. She says, really? It astonishes her that he doesn’t understand, because she feels she made herself quite clear the last time they saw each other. She can’t tell him who burned her house down because she can’t trust him.

Kristina says, Molly was so emotional the last time she saw her, she wondered if, in thinking about it more, Molly might not want her to be her surrogate. Molly says, life’s been a roller coaster since she found out she can’t get pregnant, and when Andrea miscarried, she and TJ were devastated. TJ says he can quote her the odds on miscarriage, but none of that prepared him for when Andrea told him that she lost their baby or having to tell Molly. Molly says, when Andrea miscarried, she realized she needed to do some real soul searching. For the first time in her life, something she really wanted wasn’t going to come to her because she was smart and prepared and willing to work hard. She felt entitled to being a mom. Like whenever she and TJ were ready, whenever it fit into their schedules, she’d get pregnant, and they’d have a baby nine months later. But when that couldn’t happen because of her, because she’s basically infertile – she tears up – she jumped right into finding a solution, solving the problem. She could do that, so she picked Andrea to be their surrogate and she got pregnant. Everything was going according to plan… until it wasn’t. And it’s only now she realizes she has to do the thing that scares her the most. She has to accept that she’s not in control and ask for help.

Olivia and Lois come into the mansion, and Lois says, at least they made a start. Olivia says she’ll get the other garlands and wreaths from the florist, and Lois says she’s so glad they got the tree from PC Pioneers. It makes you feel so good knowing you gave back to the community, and those kids in their uniforms, so cute. Olivia says, it makes her think of little Dante when he was that age, and Lois asks if he was a Pioneer. Olivia says, no, he wasn’t, but it’s not for her lack of trying. She signed him up and took him to his first meeting. The kid jumped out the window and escaped before she even got her car out of the parking lot. Lois says, no, and Olivia says, hand to God. She got a call from the troop leader. He was apologetic, beside himself, and she told him, calm down. She went and checked the corner lot, and who is there playing baseball but little Dante Falconari. She wanted to grab that kid by the back of his hair and drag him home, but then she said, you know what? Who is she to dictate his dream? If her kid wants to play sandlot baseball and dream of a career in the major leagues instead of learning the fundamentals of camping, who is she to say? He’s her kid and she should support him, so that’s what she did. Lois says, that’s always been one of her favorite things about Olivia. She just takes people as they come and loves them for who they are. She doesn’t try to make them who she thinks they should be. Olivia says, it’s a fine line sometimes. With your kids, you’ve got to accept them, but you’ve also got to provide some guidance. Lois says, it’s like being a carpenter and a gardener, but Olivia says she doesn’t follow. Lois says, a carpenter builds a house based on his plans. The wood has no say. But a gardener is different because he raises what he has. He may tend the soil, fertilize it, pull the weeds, give it water, a little bit of love, but he doesn’t plant a pine tree expecting it to grow into an oak. He just raises the very best trees he can. Olivia says, Lois has definitely done that with Brook. She’s a spectacular young woman. Lois thanks her, and says, Olivia’s done a pretty good job with Dante and Leo as well. Olivia says, they’re both very good gardeners, and Lois says, that they are. Olivia says, Cody is going to be here with the tree any minute. They’ve got to get the Christmas ornaments. They both race up the stairs.

Molly says, people always tell her that she’s generous, and Kristina says, and humble. Molly says, what she never realized is that the person who is giving is in charge. They’re deciding when and how much, and hopefully, they’re doing good, but they’re in control. And they all know how much she loves to be in control. TJ says, she’s being way too hard on herself, and Molly says, asking for help means giving control to someone else. And that would be hard for her under any circumstances, but it’s excruciating when the person she’s asking for help is someone she’s treated unfairly. Kristina says, if Molly means her, she’s forgiven. Not that there’s anything to forgive. Molly says, what about the fact she was a total witch the first time Kristina offered to be their surrogate? but Kristina says she didn’t really think it through. She didn’t realize what was at stake. TJ says, he and Molly were pretty raw in those first weeks. Neither of them made an effort to see where she was coming from. Molly says, especially her. She realizes her reaction back then had less to do with Kristina and a lot more to do with her being messy and irrational, things she tries to avoid. It hurt that Kristina could carry a child and she can’t. It would be easy for Kristina, which doubled down on her pain, which makes no sense, she knows. Kristina says, please. She wrote the book on being messy and irrational, and if Molly had taken her up on her original offer, it would have been a huge mistake. They weren’t ready. As painful as it was going through this process, it made them ready. She is ready and she wants to do this. Molly thanks her and says she’s so lucky to have Kristina as her sister, and as her surrogate. Kristina says she’s the lucky one, and they hug.

Anna says she really does want to be clear on this. Valentin lied to her, and because he lied, she had no idea the intruder in her apartment was his daughter. He says, she’s right and he takes full responsibility, but she withheld information too. She’s far too good an agent to shoot at pointblank range without a confirmed target. She was gunning for someone that night, wasn’t she? Charlotte got in the way. She says she guesses they both have to live with that for the rest of their lives, right? She heads for the door, but he says, wait. He’s sorry. He wishes he’d told her. He didn’t tell her that Charlotte was stalking her because he was afraid. He was afraid if she knew, she’d leave him; she’d end their relationship. She asks why she would. She doesn’t know that she would have ended the relationship, but they’ll never know because he didn’t give her a choice. He didn’t tell her the truth, so she couldn’t make her own decisions. It’s too late for them, but it’s not too late for his daughter. He needs to focus on her and get her the help she needs.

About to plug in the lights, Chase says, everybody cross your fingers, but Brook says, wait. She brings Violet in front of the tree and tells her that if she makes a wish the moment before the Christmas lights come on for the first time, it’ll come true. Get her wish ready. Violet closes her eyes, and Brook says, okay. Chase plugs in the lights, and Violet looks at the tree. She says she knew it would be beautiful.

Olivia and Lois look through the Christmas ornaments, and Lois asks what this reminds Olivia of. She holds a silver ball by each ear, and Olivia says, how about St. Finbar’s their sophomore year? Sister Joanne Claire was so mad when she realized it was them sneaking into her office and moving around pictures of the saints. Lois says, they would swap Peter and Paul, and Olivia says, they got themselves detention and they had to decorate the auditorium for Christmas all by themselves. Lois says, they were there until 3 am, and Olivia says, 3:17, but who’s counting? Lois says, when they came out that morning and their parents were waiting for them, she doesn’t think she’s ever seen her mother so angry, but her father was disappointed. Somehow, that was so much worse. Olivia says she got a speech the whole way home. She can still hear it. Your cousin Connie would never do anything like this. Lois says, that’s because her cousin Connie never stepped a toe out of line. Although she’s got to say, she wishes she’d followed Olivia’s cousin Connie, because she was grounded with a 5 pm curfew until the following April. And by the way, Olivia was supposed to be grounded too. Olivia says she was, technically. Does Lois remember her bedroom window? It was a joke. Lois says, Olivia snuck out of that bedroom window so easily, she might as well have been on the ground floor. Oliva says, right out the window and into the nightclubs in the city all night long. Lois says, her poor parents, and Olivia says, honestly, she looks back and feels bad for all the worries she gave them, but at the time, she really enjoyed herself. Lois says, yeah, she did, when Cody comes in. He says he grabbed the tree and got some garland. Where do they want them? Lois says she’s so glad he asked.

The stewardess gives the spiel to prepare for landing, and Tracy buckles her seatbelt. She looks at her phone and says, damn you, Luke Spencer. I miss you.

Valentin says he doesn’t think Anna is in a position to tell him what Charlotte needs right now, and Anna says, she needs counseling. Charlotte was stalking her for months. That is not normal behavior. He says, she saw the letter from Victor. She knows Charlotte’s actions weren’t malicious. She says, maybe not, but they are unquestionably illegal, and he says, Charlotte thought she was protecting him. She thought Anna was a threat. Anna tells him that he’s not doing Charlotte any favors by making excuses for her. He’s enabling her. He says, she was manipulated by a master manipulator. Victor exploited her love for her father and need for a family. She thought Anna was dangerous. Then of course (🍷), when he released her file, and the world knew Anna had been acting as a double agent… She says, don’t throw that in her face, please, and he says he’s not, but she can’t refute it; it was true. Charlotte thought she was protecting him. Think about that. A teenage girl standing against a master spy. So they can say what they will about his daughter, but she’s not a coward. She did what she thought she had to do. Anna says, he’s proud of her? but he says he’s appalled at what she did, but he’s proud of her courage and determination. He’s sickened that Victor twisted her for his purposes. She says, he didn’t tell Charlotte to write the word murderer on her door or break into her hotel suite and trash her clothes and write a threatening message on her mirror. Charlotte came up with that all on her own.

Molly says she can’t believe this is actually going to happen, and TJ says, sometimes the universe finds a way. She says all she knows is, she’s grateful. This feels right. Kristina comes out with three filled champagne flutes, and says, it’s time the expectant parents celebrated up.

Cody, Olivia, and Lois all help with putting a fabulous garland on the staircase banister. Lois says she’s been meaning to ask Cody, why does he call Olivia Mama Q? He says, she’s Dante’s mother. What else would he call her? Olivia says, if Lois tells him zia, she’ll murder her where she’s standing. Cody asks, what’s a zia?

Violet says, they need tinsel and ornaments, and Chase says, before they get to the real decorating, he and Brook have an announcement to make. Violet asks if he can announce fast. They have to decorate. Elizabeth says, it might be important. Don’t rush them. Violet apologizes and tells them to take as much time as they need. Brook thanks her and says she thinks Chase should do the honors. Chase says, okay. Dad, Finn, Violet, Elizabeth, Brook has agreed to be his wife, and they’re getting married. Everybody is all, yay! and Brook and Chase kiss.

Kristina hands out the glasses and says, to the baby to come. No child will ever be more loved or more welcome. TJ says, hear, hear, and they clink glasses. Molly says, it’s ginger ale. Not that there would be anything wrong with drinking right now, and TJ asks if Kristina is jump starting a healthy new lifestyle or is this the only thing with bubbles she had in the fridge. Kristina says, both. She had a friend bring a really nice bottle of champagne over actually, but it didn’t last very long in this house. Maybe she should get an early start and indulge in all the caffeine and alcohol while she can. TJ says, they know she’s giving up a lot, but Kristina says, it’s well worth it. TJ says, to Molly, to Kristina, and to this… Kristina says, to this expanding family. They all say, cheers, and clink glasses.

Valentin says, it’s true. Victor never told Charlotte how to stalk Anna. He imagines she got that off the internet or some book. Anna says, he imagines? Did he question her about this? He says he hasn’t interrogated his teenage daughter, no. She’s been traumatized. She’s recovering from a gunshot wound. Anna says she’s aware, and he says, she needs time to heal. Anna says, she needs her father to stop making excuses for her. He’s not protecting her. He can’t keep blaming Victor for what happened. He says, Victor’s to blame, and she says, if Charlotte had been arrested for the crimes she committed, what was she going to plea? My dead grandpa made me do it? It doesn’t matter what Victor wrote to her. It doesn’t matter what lies he told her. Charlotte is responsible for her own actions, and he has to make her understand that. And he has to get her the help that she needs, before she does something irrevocable.

Everyone congratulates Chase and Brook, and Gregory says, Chase is a lucky man. Brook says she’s the lucky one, but Chase says, they both are. Gregory says he wishes them both a lifetime of love, and Violet asks if Chase gave Brook a ring. Chase says he did, and Brook says she kept it hidden as to not ruin the surprise. She takes it out of her pocket, and Chase asks if Violet wants to see him put it on her finger. Violet says, yes, please, and Chase takes the ring. Violet says, wait. He’s supposed to get down on one knee. Brook says, he did when he asked her to marry him, and Violet asks if he can’t get down on one knee again. She wants the complete picture. Finn says, him too, and Chase says, of course (🍷) he can. He does and puts the ring on Brook’s finger. They kiss and everyone applauds. Violet asks when Finn is going to give Aunt Elizabeth a ring, and Finn is like, uh… Elizabeth says, time to decorate the tree.

As they decorate the tree, Cody asks, what’s so bad about being called a zia? Olivia says, nothing… or everything, depending on your circumstances. He says he doesn’t get it, and Lois says, zia means auntie, which could refer to your mother or your father’s sister. Olivia says, or your sister-in-law, and Lois says, or it could be distant cousin or any female relation. But it could also be a term of affection. Olivia says, or someone, a woman, who you’re close with, but aren’t actually related to, and Lois says, but there is a generational aspect to it. It’s for somebody older. For example, you would never refer to her Brookie as zia. He says, but he could call her zia, and she says, no. Technically yes, but absolutely no, he cannot. She would prefer it if he’d continue to call her Lois. He says he totally understands, and Olivia says, this tree looks so beautiful. It’s so nice having Cody to help out. Cody says, it’s his pleasure, and Lois asks how he likes working for the Quartermaines. He says he really likes it. It’s the first place in a long time that feels like home.

Olivia thanks Cody and says, they couldn’t have done it without him. Lois says, he gets extra points for patience, and he says, it was a lot of fun. He learned a new word, although he’ll never call either of them zia. And it got him into the spirit of the season. He might grab a tree for the stables. He thanks them for a fun time, and leaves. Lois tells Olivia, you know what? She’s got to say, this looks a lot better than the auditorium at St. Finbar’s. They laugh and clink glasses.

Anna tells Valentin, Charlotte has to know what she did was wrong, and that she can’t solve her problems by breaking into people’s houses and writing threatening messages. He says he agrees. Charlotte needs limits, and she’ll get them. She needs counseling and she’ll get that too, but they have a big problem. Victor convinced Charlotte that Anna was dangerous, and Anna shot her. So in Charlotte’s mind, Victor was right. Anna chokes up and says she hopes he gets through to his daughter, and that he gets her to understand that Victor was never right about anything. She walks to the door, and he says, wait. She turns to him, and he says he’s sorry. She says, so is she, and leaves. When she gets outside, she cries.

Brook says, that is one gorgeous tree, and Chase says, it might be the best tree he’s ever seen. Elizabeth says, it certainly is lovely, and Violet says, Brook was right. When you make a wish on a Christmas tree, your wish comes true. Hers already did. Finn asks what she wished for, and she asks if it’s okay to tell. Brook says, absolutely, and Violet says, she wished for this to be the best Christmas ever and it is. Their tree is beautiful, Uncle Chase and Brook are getting married, and she has a present for all of them. Gregory asks, what kind of present? and she says, stay here. She’ll be right back. She winks at Chase and runs off. Gregory asks if Chase has any idea what this is, and Chase says, it could be beaded necklaces. Finn says, he’s kind of secretive. Is he sure he doesn’t have any idea what this present is? Chase says he can neither confirm nor deny, when Violet comes back with a guitar. She hands it to Chase and says she’s going to sing a song that she wrote herself, and Uncle Chase will accompany her. Chase plays, and Violet sings about, when there are no lights, I want to shine for you. She’s very good for one so young. They applaud and cheer.

Kristina asks, what happens next? and Molly says, they talk to their fertility specialist, let them know they have a surrogate and they’re ready to move forward. TJ says, once they have a more concrete timetable, they’ll get back to her about scheduling, but they’re hoping it will be soon. Kristina says, the sooner, the better. Now that they know what they’re doing, there’s no point in waiting around. TJ thanks her, and they hug. Molly says she’ll be grateful to Kristina forever, and they hug. Kristina says, it’s her great honor, and Molly and TJ leave. In the hallway, TJ says, this is really happening, and Molly says, they might just get their miracle after all. They hug, and inside, Kristina sends a text to Blaze: Want 2 talk I have big news.

Olivia says, they do good work, and Lois says, Sister Joanne Claire would be proud. Olivia says, they’ve got a lot of house to go, but these two rooms look beaut-tee-ful, and Lois says, they do. They hear the front door slam, and hear Tracy say, no. Olivia and Lois go to the foyer, where Tracy is walking through with her luggage carrier, saying, no, no, no, no. She tells them, this will not do. Not at all. Lois and Olivia look at each other.

On Monday, Curtis tells Marshall, if he gets his wish, he’s never going to ask for anything again; Josslyn tells Dex not to joke about this; Tracy says, she’s home in the nick of time; and Sonny says he’ll talk to Michael on Nina’s behalf, but she says, no.

💝 Revisiting Irene…

All about Marshall’s first love.

🔬 Livingston We Presume…

I thought I’d seen him around.

🚗 Drive She Said…

When she’s not singing, she’s driving a Honda.

🥀 Goodbye To a Game Changer…

Farewell to a soap legend.

💎 Shoots Own Foot…

If she knows it’s going to cause her angst, why does she keep talking?

🍊 Spilling On Shannon…

It wouldn’t surprise me.

💐 Exes With No Charm…

These people are too weird. Although I wish I’d been a fly on the wall at BravoCon.

🍹 Not So Hospitable…

I watched this. Coupled with her poking the bear on Southern Charm, I’m starting not to like Leva so much.

🍸 All About That Pump…

I can’t wait. Chateau shenanigans

She’s basically pleading the fifth.

Six degrees of LVP.

🐶 Festival Of Dogs…

Furbabies ready for the holiday.

You, too, can include your pup.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/celebrate-hanukkah-dog-220838396.html

🐧 Quotes of the Week

Get up. Bring your butter. – Heather Gay, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

Vision without action is daydream. Action without vision is nightmare. – Japanese Proverb

Healing comes from taking responsibility: to realize that it is you – and no one else – that creates your thoughts, your feelings, and your actions. – Peter Shepherd

We can have peace if we let go of wanting to change the past and wanting to control the future. – Lester Levinson

The opportunity of a lifetime is to pick yourself. Quit waiting to get picked; quit waiting for someone to give you permission; quit waiting for someone to say you are officially qualified… and pick yourself. – Seth Godin (For those who were always picked last in gym class.)

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. – Anatole France

True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice. – Saint Francis of Assisi

You know what a gift card says? You do it. – Carl MacMillan (Reno Wilson), Mike & Molly

🤹🏽‍♀️ Jingling Only Partway…

Make a return trip on Monday really Tuesday for soap and what little the Med has to offer. Until then, stay safe, stay extending acts of kindness to those with no family, and stay taking people as they come, loving them for who they are, and not trying to make them into who you think they should be.

July 14, 2023 – Anna Has a Plan, Busy Lady, No Guard Here, Yet Another, Spilling It, VanderLatest, Daryl’s Date, Dead Rank, Already, Next Last, Record Setter, Pet (!) Fashion, Just Enough Quotes & Wild

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Anna comes downstairs, hears something, and draws her gun. She opens the door to Dante telling a guy in a hoodie not to move.

Alexis tells Sonny, the details aren’t hers to give him, but their daughter is considering doing something Alexis believes she’s completely unprepared to do. He says, and she wants him to be the bad guy.

Arriving back home, Sasha tells Gladys that she’s not sure what happened. She was so sure she could take those clothes. How could she have misunderstood Deception’s agreement with Logan’s? Gladys says, it’s all over now. The PCPD let her go, Maxie took care of everything with Logan’s, they dropped the charges, and no one’s mad at Sasha. She looks tired. Has she taken her afternoon meds? Sasha says she is tired. She’s going to splash some water on her face and take her pills. She leaves, and Gladys’s phone rings. She says she’s glad they called. She’s so sorry she rushed out of the store like that… She definitely wants the coat and the belt… You know what? She’ll take it all. Leave the card on file. Can they send it over today? There’s knock at the door, and she opens it to Cody. She says, he’s the last thing they need right now, and slams it shut.

Sam says, he scared the hell out of her, and Mac says, for the last time, he’s sorry. She says, fine. Now will he tell her why he basically abducted her and took five years off her life? He says, not until she tells him why she was following Cody, but she says she wasn’t. Actually, she was following Selina Wu, but why does he think she was following Cody? Is he in trouble? Mac says, yes. He thinks Cody’s in trouble, and from the way things look, he doesn’t think he can get Cody out of it.

Portia asks if Curtis made it through surgery, and TJ says, he did. She asks if Dr. Barnsdall (settling on this name) was able to remove the bullet, and the doctor says, they were, but the bullet left significant damage.

Anna asks, what’s going on? and Dante says he saw this guy hanging around her house. He identified himself and the guy ran. He was also carrying, so he took the guy down. He helps the guy stand, and pulls back his hood. Dante asks if Anna recognizes him, but she says she’s never seen him before. Dante says, Ricky Vasquez, and Anna asks if Dante knows him. Dante says, he works for Sonny. What is he doing here? Ricky says, taking a walk; enjoying the pretty houses. Is it a crime to take an afternoon stroll now? Dante tells him, it’s going to go one of three ways. Ricky tells him what he’s doing here, or he takes Ricky down to the station and then Ricky tells him, or he asks Sonny about it. Anna says, it’s okay. She knows why he’s here.

Stella asks if Curtis has woken up yet, but TJ says, not yet. Portia asks if they can see him, and Dr. Barnsdall says, Mr. Ashford is being moved to ICU. Once he’s settled, he can have one visitor at a time. She thanks him, he says he’ll keep them posted, and leaves. Marshall asks, what’s the best way to do this? Should they wait here or what? Portia says, there’s a waiting room outside the ICU. Maybe they can all wait there. TJ tells them to go ahead; he’ll catch up.

Sonny says, Alexis wants him to say no. That way, he’s the bad parent and Kristina’s mad at him, not Alexis. She says, Kristina never gets mad at him, just at her, and he says, maybe they should consider why that’s true. Alexis says, because Kristina thinks everything he says is awesome, and whatever she says is critical and judgmental. He says he thought things were fine between them, and Alexis says, they are. That’s why she doesn’t want to screw it up. Kristina values his opinion. He says, maybe because he doesn’t criticize or judge her, and she says, maybe because he tells Kristina what she wants to hear, and she tells Kristina what she needs to hear. She’s already weighed in on this, so he can weigh out. He says, so Alexis wants him to tell her it’s a bad idea, whatever it is, but Alexis says she’s not telling him what to say. He asks if she’s going to have cue cards for him, or feed the lines through earbuds. She says, maybe he won’t even agree with her, and he says, but she thinks he will, and she says, any normal or rational person would. Kristina is going to do something because she thinks it’s a good thing to do, but Alexis knows she’s not thinking about how this is going to affect the rest of her life. He says, this sounds serious, so she needs to tell him what kind of trouble Kristina’s in for.

Nina tells Kristina that she’s calling Sonny. She promised to update him as soon as they heard something. She steps away, and Kristina sees Molly and TJ hugging. She goes over to them, and says, what a relief. She was so worried. TJ says, his uncle is still in critical condition, so it’s a little early to start celebrating, doesn’t she think? Kristina says, he made out of surgery, so she’s being positive, and he asks if she understand his uncle could have died. And he can still… TJ storms off, and Kristina turns to Molly, but Molly says, not now, and follows him.

Back on the phone, Gladys says she wasn’t talking to them. She had some idiot knocking at her door. Cody knocks again, and she says, so they’ll send it over, right?… Thank you so much. She opens the door and asks if Cody can’t take a hint, but he says, no, sorry, and walks in. She says, it’s not a good time, and he says, good thing he’s not here to see her. Sasha comes out, and he says he got her message. He’s sorry he couldn’t answer the phone. She was at the police station? Gladys says, she called Cody? and Sasha says, Chase couldn’t reach Gladys, so she used her one phone call to call Cody. Gladys says, why? Don’t answer that. It doesn’t matter. Sasha says she’s glad Gladys sees it that way, and Gladys says, what does matter is that Cowboy Cody couldn’t bother to show up. He couldn’t even take time to answer Sasha’s call. What was more important than helping Sasha out in her time of need?

Sam asks if the PCPD is running surveillance on The Savoy, and Mac asks, what’s her interest in Selina Wu? She says she thinks Selina may have roped Cody into something shady, and he says, like what? She says, he’s a really good card player… and Mac says, she can relax. He knows all about Selina Wu’s illegal poker game.

Anna tells Dante that she gets it. He had a conceal/carry permit. He wasn’t really doing anything wrong. She knows why he was here. She knows why he was armed. Dante says, Sonny sent him here. Speaking of guns, is she always toting that thing around, or is it because of the shooting at the MetroCourt pool? She says, many reasons, and asks if he’s heard anything about Curtis. He says, Curtis is in surgery, and she says, if he hears anything, let her know. He says, of course (🍷), and she asks if she can run something by him. He says, officially? but she says, not yet. They sit on the sofa, and she says she has reason to believe she was the sniper’s target, not Sonny. He says, that would explain why she went up to the room the sniper was set up in, and she says, he knew about that? He says, of course (🍷). And officially, he has to tell her that she’s not law enforcement anymore, so she can’t do that. He’s the one to mess with this. She says, got it, and he says, now that they’ve gotten that out of the way, the reason he’s here is he wanted her impressions of the crime scene. She says, the pool area? but he says, the room the sniper was in. Think they missed anything? She says, there was nothing to notice. It was clean as a whistle. Other than what they found, the discarded rifle, the ammo… He says, it was clearly a professional, and she says, definitely. She heard the rifle was a ghost gun, so it was assembled at home, not mass manufactured. That means it’s untraceable? He says, it does, and she says, so the weapon’s a dead end, but he says, maybe not so much of a dead end as she thinks. Because he was able to trace where the weapon came from.

Alexis tells Sonny that she’s said all she can say. Now his job is to get Kristina to open up of her own accord. He says, just tell him if Kristina’s in any kind of danger, but she says, it’s nothing like that. If that was the case, she’d tell him. His phone rings, and he says, hold on. It could be about Curtis. He says, hi, and Nina says, hi. He’s out of surgery, but there were complications. He says, like what? and she says, that’s just it. The doctors don’t know just how extensive the damage was. They’re bringing Curtis to the ICU right now. He asks if she thinks Curtis could be paralyzed, but she says, the doctors didn’t say anything like that. She hopes not. She’s so worried about him. Sonny says, they all are. Is Curtis holding his own? She says, he is, and Sonny says, focus on that; that’s all that matters. She thanks him, and says, he always gives her great advice and knows how to make her feel better. He asks if she’s headed home, but she says, not yet. Maxie left her this vague voicemail. She has to follow up with her. She said something happened with Sasha.

Gladys says, he has nothing to say, but Cody says he has a few things to say. First, he doesn’t owe Gladys any explanations for anything. Gladys says she’s not asking him to explain his hurtful and negligent behavior to her. She’s asking him to explain it to Sasha, the poor woman he abandoned when she was under scrutiny by the authorities. Sasha says, that’s enough, and Cody says, and second, yes. He might not have been available when Sasha called, but the reason Sasha called him in the first place was that no one could find Gladys. So what was she up to? Care to share? Gladys says, don’t make this about her, and Sasha says, knock it off. Cody had no obligation to answer her call. They’re not even friends. Gladys says, is that right? and Sasha says she’s not even sure why she called him. Must have been an old impulse. Cody says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he’s glad she called him. He wishes he could have helped. Gladys says, if wishes were horses, he could ride them out of town, so get along, little doggy. Sasha asks to talk to Cody alone, and Gladys says, fine, but if he gives her any trouble, just let out a blood curdling scream. Gladys leaves, and Sasha says she’s so sorry about that. Cody says he’s not worried about Gladys. Is she okay? She says she screwed up. Big time.

Molly finds TJ, and says she knows it must have been rough in there, observing in the OR, while they were operating on Curtis. It must have been scary. He says, it was. Not a great sign if he wants to be a surgeon, is it? She says, this wasn’t just any surgery, and he says, now he has a greater understanding of why doctors aren’t allowed to operate on their loved ones. Seeing his uncle laying there, not knowing if he’ll ever walk again… It was horrible. She hugs him.

Portia, Trina, Marshall, and Stella go to the ICU waiting area, and Trina asks Portia if Curtis could still die. Portia tells her, from what Dr. Barnsdall said, Curtis’s condition is precarious, but they have faith in him. Stella says, they all do, and they join hands. Marshall says, they’re going to get through this together, as a family, and Stella says, including Curtis. Dr. Barnsdall comes out, and says, one of them can go in. Portia tells Trina to go in and see her dad, and Marshall says, go on in there and tell her father that they’re waiting on him. Trina says, okay, she will, and goes into Curtis’s room. He’s all hooked up to machines, and she says, dad.

Anna says, how was Dante able to traced an untraceable rifle? and he says he’s glad she asked. It was one of seventy-two rifles that were impounded back in 2021. She says, by the PCPD? but he says, by the WSB. That rifle should be locked up in Berlin, not in the streets. She says, the sniper has ties to the Bureau? Like a former agent or something? Dante says, or a current one. Maybe her resignation wasn’t enough. She asks what he’s saying; that the Bureau wants her dead?

Kristina finds Molly, and asks if TJ is okay. Molly says, he’ll be fine. He’s just upset about Curtis. She’s going to the ICU. Kristina follows her, and says, it seemed like something was off with him earlier, and Molly says, leave it alone. Kristina says, so there is something, and Kristina says, enough is enough. Not everything is about her.

Trina approaches Curtis’s bed, looks at all the equipment, and runs out. Portia says, what is it? Did something happen? Trina says, nothing happened. She’s sorry. He was just so still. She didn’t recognize him. She was so scared. She’s sorry. Portia says, there’s nothing to apologize for, and Trina says, Portia should go in. She’ll be in later. Portia asks if she’s sure, and Marshall says, they’ll take care of her. Trina says, go. She doesn’t want him to be alone.

Sam says, Mac knows about the poker game? Great. It will save them some time. How long? He says, between them, he’s known for months, which is why they’ve been staking out The Savoy. She asks if he’s going after Curtis, but he says, the target is Selina Wu. If Curtis is involved, it’s not because he wants to be. She says, so if the PCPD has been running surveillance for months, why haven’t they made their move? What’s taking so long?… Oh, it’s because he doesn’t want Cody caught in the trap they’ve set for Selina.

Sasha tells Cody that she thought Deception had a blanket agreement with Logan’s, and she could go in and take the things she wanted. She didn’t know she had to ask first. He says, it sounds like an honest mistake, and she thanks him. He says, its all over now, right? Will there be any charges? She says, no. Fortunately, the store dropped the charges. She’s just not sure she’s ever allowed back there. All she wanted was to get Willow a gift. Willow’s her best friend and she almost died. Oh my God. She needs to tell Michael and Willow… He says he bets Michael and Willow will understand. Can she finish the conversation with him right now? She says, sure, but that’s really all there is to the story. She’s so sorry she had him come all the way over here. She’ll never bug him again. He says, she can always call him if she needs him. He’s just sorry he couldn’t answer the phone. She says, it’s okay. They’re all busy people. He has his own life, right? There’s a knock at the door, and she says she hopes it’s not the police coming to arrest her again. It’s Nina, who says she’s so relieved that Sasha is okay. She is okay, right? Gladys comes out, and says, oh, it’s Nina. Cody asks if she was expecting someone else, and she says, it’s none of his damn business. Sasha asks if Gladys called Nina, but she says, no, and Nina says, Maxie left her a message that Sasha was at the PCPD, but she was coming home. What is going on? Sasha asks if Gladys would mind filling Nina in, and Gladys says, gladly. Sasha says she’s so thirsty, and asks if anyone wants anything. She and Cody go to the kitchen, and Nina takes Gladys aside. She asks if she should be worried, and Gladys says, our girl’s in trouble.

Alexis asks if Sonny is going to talk to Kristina, and he says he’ll give her a call, but if she doesn’t confide in him, he’s not going to push her. She says, of course (🍷) he’s not. She’s meeting with her editor, but she’s stopping at the hospital first. She thinks Kristina’s there… nudge-nudge. He says he was going to stop there anyway, and his phone dings. She asks if everything’s all right, and he says, there’s just something he has to take care of.

Anna says, one of the factors that contradict it being a WSB hit was that it was unsuccessful, and Dante says, but she knows even the best laid plans can go awry when you’re in the field. There’s a knock at the door, and she says she knows who this is. Sonny says, open up, and she says she was expecting him. He says he got a text from Ricky, and Dante says, saves him a trip to visit Sonny. Anna says, Sonny understood that if she needed any help, she’d ask for it, and he says, that’s what he’s doing. She says, but she didn’t ask, and he says he doesn’t apologize for putting someone on her to keep her safe. He apologizes because the person he put on her got caught. The next person he puts on her is going to be invisible and silent… Dante says, he should send a ninja, and Sonny says, so that way, he doesn’t have to apologize for keeping her safe. Anna says, that’s a shame, because he could certainly use the practice. I wonder if she means practice apologizing or keeping people safe, and Sonny says, on another note, he talked to Nina. Curtis made it out of surgery. Dante asks if he’s going to be okay, and Sonny says, it’s touch and go, but he’s alive, and that’s the only thing that matters at this point. Here’s what concerns him. The shooter. Who was he targeting? Dante says he’s happy that Sonny brought that up, since he has a question for him. Sonny asks if he needs an attorney, but Dante says, no. Can he think of any reason the WSB would want him dead?

Kristina says, so Molly is mad at her too. What did she do? Molly says, nothing… yet. She knows Kristina and she’s never going to let it go. Kristina says she’s going to need a translator for this conversation, and Molly says she overheard Kristina at The Savoy, telling Sam and mom that she can give TJ what Molly can’t. Kristina says, ew! That doesn’t even sound like her. Molly asks if Kristina’s forgetting she heard her. Kristina says, Molly knows she has no interest in TJ, and Molly says she knows that. Kristina asks what the hell they’re talking about here, and Molly says, Kristina wants to give TJ a baby since she can’t.

Portia tells Curtis that she’s right here with him and takes his hand. His dad, Trina, and Aunt Stella are right outside too. TJ is on his way with Molly, and Nina was here earlier. If she doesn’t make it back today, she’ll be here tomorrow. He’s surrounded by so many people who love him so much. His family loves him and they’re right here. They’re waiting for him to come back to them.

Trina says she can’t believe she ran out of that room like a scared little girl, and Stella asks, why? Trina says she’s supposed to be stronger than that, and Stella says, the reason she ran out of that room like a scared little girl was because, at that moment, that’s what she was. There’s no shame in that. Marshall says, none at all, and Stella says, a man who Trina just recently learned was her father was lying in front of her, hooked up to machines, and looking like the life was drained out of him. If that didn’t upset her down to her soul, Stella would think something was wrong with her. Marshall says, that’s why they keep her Great Aunt Stella around, for pep talks, and Stella says, they’ve all been here the better part of yesterday and today, praying for Curtis, all the while, scared out of their minds. Everybody’s nerves are fried, and Curtis would be the last person who’d want her beating up on herself. Marshall says, Trina can wait until he wakes up and talk to him then.

Gladys whispers, fortunately, Deception has a professional relationship with Logan’s which gave Maxie the clout to get them to drop the charges, but Nina says, Sasha insists it was just a misunderstanding. Gladys says, even if Deception had such an arrangement with Logans, which they don’t, what would make her think she could just take anything she wanted and walk out without telling anybody? It doesn’t make sense. Nina says, it doesn’t, and Gladys asks, why wouldLogan’s leave the security tags on if they knew Sasha was taking the clothes? Nina asks if Sasha didn’t set off the alarms, and Gladys says, she did, but she just showed them the receipt for the clothes she did pay for, so they thought it was just a glitch. Nina says, here’s the thing. She doesn’t think Sasha’s lying. Gladys says, that’s what worries her, as Sasha laughs in the kitchen. What if she’s getting confused again? What if she’s losing touch with reality?

Sonny says he doesn’t see any reason why he’d be on the WSB’s radar, and Anna says, it’s looking more and more like she was the intended target, not him. He asks why she’d say that, and Dante says, the gun that was used is the property of the WSB. Sonny asks if Anna thinks the Bureau feels she knows too much, and is trying to silence her. Anna says she can’t rule that out, but she can tell them both, if they were trying to get rid of her, they could just take her out like that. So efficiently, no one would be any the wiser. But shooting at her in a public pool like that, ignoring the possibility of collateral damage? It’s just too high profile for a Bureau assassination. Sonny says, then who else? and Anna says, making headline news like she has recently, internationally, because of her past as a double agent, gives any number of people a motive to want her dead. Sonny asks how they narrow down the suspects.

Mac tells Sam, even though they know about the illegal poker games, they don’t have enough to make the charges stick, especially for someone as slippery as Selina Wu. Sam says, and that’s the official reason? and he says, at least it’s legit. Also, if they’re going to catch a crime boss like Selina Wu, it has to be for something a helluva lot bigger than a casino racket. She says, it makes sense, but still… He says, still, Cody’s involvement has given him cause to hesitate. Cody may not be his son, but he is Dominique’s, and he wants to do right by him. She says, even though he’s in way over his head, and he says, especially then. Cody’s been doing pretty much whatever he wants his whole life. He’s used to doing what it takes to survive. Sam says, whether it’s legal or not? She’s not judging. She’s just saying she gets it; she’s been there. He says he thinks Cody has a good heart, and she says she’s known him only a little bit, and she thinks Cody has a well-paved road to hell. Mac says, he’s not doing himself any favors, especially with what happened with that bracelet at the Nurses Ball. Something was off about that. Sam asks if Mac thinks Cody stole the bracelet, and he says he thinks Cody’s smart enough not to put an expensive bracelet in his coat pocket, so no. She says, her neither, but she does think Selina helped Cody get the charges dropped. He asks what makes her say that.

Sasha asks if Nina and Gladys are whispering about her, and Nina says, no, but they’re worried about her. Sasha says she’s just kidding, but seriously, today could have been an even bigger disaster. After many, many public meltdowns and humiliations, the Face of Deception gets locked up for shoplifting? Throw away the keys. Does she look good in a straitjacket? Gladys says, even she has to admit it wasn’t that bad, and Sasha says she’s just grateful to Chase for bringing her in the back way to the station so photographers and reporters wouldn’t see her. Nina’s phone dings, and Sasha wonders if she talked too long, but Nina says, it’s just Ava. She was supposed to meet Ava, but she’ll cancel. Sasha says, no. Crisis averted. Everything is fine. Go meet Ava. Nina asks if she’s sure, but Sasha says she’ll be fine. Nina hugs Sasha, and says she’s going to call her a million times today. Gladys says she’ll walk Nina out. They leave, and Sasha asks if it’s just her, or was Nina being a little weird? Cody says he thinks Nina’s just worried about her. And honestly, so is he.

In the hallway, Nina says she’s assuming Gladys wants to talk about Sasha, and Gladys says she does. In fact, she needs Nina’s advice. Nina knows Sasha is seeing this psychiatrist as part of the process of dissolving this guardianship, right? Nina says, right, and Gladys says, Dr. Montague has to report to the court his professional opinion of Sasha’s mental health, and as her legal guardian, is it her responsibility to let the court know Sasha was caught shoplifting?

Kristina asks if Molly is talking about her being their surrogate, and Molly says, first, she plans a night out. Then Kristina spent the whole night talking about her shelter, her foundation. Kristina says, Molly told them she didn’t want to talk about babies, and Molly says, so Kristina automatically talks about herself? Kristina says, Molly was off-limits. Yes, she was talking about herself, because she’s actually doing something she’s proud of for the first time in her life. Is that a problem? Molly says, no. The problem is Kristina making Molly’s fertility issues all about her. Kristina asks, how? and Molly says, because if Kristina inserts herself as their surrogate, she and TJ having a baby becomes all about Kristina and her pregnancy. Kristina says, here’s a shocker for Molly. She wasn’t thinking about herself. She was thinking about her little sister and how upset she was and how she could help. She was willing to give up a year of her life, and give birth, so that Molly could have a baby, and she’s selfish?

Portia says she doesn’t know if Curtis remembers what happened, but if he does, everybody else is okay. She knows he worries about everybody else before himself, and she loves that about him. She loves his bravery and his big heart. But he’s got to look out for himself too. His family needs him. She needs him. She doesn’t want to live in a world without Curtis Ashford.

Molly tells Kristina that she doesn’t want to talk about this right now. They’re all upset about Curtis. Kristina says, they are all upset about Curtis, and now she’s upset because Molly and TJ think she’s making all of their problems about her, when she’s trying to help them have a baby. She was going to offer this to them sooner, but mom and Sam helped her realize it was too soon. Molly says, she needed mom and Sam to help her figure this out? and Kristina says she did, because she’s just Molly’s dumb, self-centered, narcissistic sister. She and TJ are right to think she shouldn’t be their surrogate, because God forbid their child is anything like her when Molly is this perfect… TJ walks up, and says he could hear them down the hall. What’s going on? Kristina says, nothing. They’re fine. Molly was just educating her on why she’s not good enough to be their surrogate. She storms off, and passes Alexis standing in the elevator. Alexis says, Kristina… but Kristina says, not now mom, and keeps walking. Alexis asks Molly and TJ, what happened?

Nina asks if Gladys is out of her mind. She wants to tell the court about this? Gladys says, of course (🍷) she doesn’t want to. The question is, should she? Nina says, no! but Gladys says, for her own good. They both know something isn’t right with her version of events. Nina wonders if Gladys is asking for her permission to tell the court about Sasha, and Gladys says, of course (🍷) not. Nina says she wants Gladys to listen to her, because nothing legally or officially happened. Gladys tells her, she wouldn’t say nothing, and Nina says, Gladys is going to say nothing. Sasha made a mistake. Logan’s is not pressing charges. Gladys wants to go to the court and tell them about this? If she does, she’s just causing Sasha trouble. Is that what she wants?

Sasha says, Cody is worried about her? and he says he is. Despite what she said before, he is her friend. She says, he’s the one who told her that they couldn’t be friends, and he tells her that he says stupid stuff all the time. If they’re going to be friends – which, hey, too late, they already are – she’s going to need to know when not to listen to him. So hold on to his number. If she ever needs anything, call. Gladys comes in with two shopping bags, and Sasha says, what now? Gladys says, don’t panic. These are for her. She ran into the delivery person in the hall. And Cody needs to leave. Sasha needs to rest. Sasha says, actually, she’s gotten her second wind, but Cody says he should get going. He has a horse to groom and a stable to clean. He tells Sasha to remember what he said, and she tells him that she will. He leaves, smiling at Gladys on his way out. Gladys says, here’s what she needs Sasha to remember. Whatever Cody said, Sasha can’t count on him. He’ll only get her into trouble.

Mac wonders why Selina would lift a finger to help Cody, and Sam tells him, at this point, the less said the better. He says, she’s probably right, and she says, he’s a good guy to worry about Cody, but she’s worried it’s too late for them to save him from himself.

Stella wants to check on Trina, but Marshall says, she’s just taking a minute to herself. She says, it’s been a long minute, and starts to get up, but then sways on her feet. Marshall says he’s got her, steadying her and helping her sit back down. He asks if it’s her heart again, but she says she’s fine. She’ll be even better once Curtis wakes up. He says, they’re in a hospital. Why don’t they get her checked out? Trina comes back, and Stella asks if she’s feeling better. Trina says, a little, and Stella says, nothing makes you feel better than a splash of water on your face. I can think of plenty of things, but okay. Trina asks if her mom is still in there, and Marshall says, she is. Stella says she knows Trina is worried, but it’s not unusual for patients to take their time waking up after surgery, especially one as difficult as Curtis’s. Trina says she knows, but until he wakes up, they won’t know how much damage the bullet did. He could be paralyzed.

Portia says, Curtis knows she hates this, not being able to do anything. But she’ll just stay right here, right by his side. She hates that she stayed away from him after she found out he kissed Jordan, because they made a commitment and she let her pride get in the way. But not anymore. Because she loves him so much. And her harsh words can’t be the last thing he hears her say. So open his eyes for her, so she can tell him how much she loves him. She squeezes his hand and says, please.

Dante says, Sonny’s got to keep his eyes open, and Sonny says, Dante knows him. He won’t drop his guard. Dante asks if there’s anything in Anna’s files with the WSB or DVX that could give them a lead, but she says she doubts any of it has been declassified, even after the leak. But they don’t need it because she remembers everyone. She remembers the name of every person who was ever compromised by her actions. He suggests they find out what they’re doing, but she says, it’s going to take too long. This person has proved they have little to no regard for human life, that they’re willing to sacrifice any innocent bystander… probably knowing she’d blame herself for that. She’s not going to let anyone else get hurt because of her. Sonny asks, what’s the plan? and Anna says she thinks they need to lure her enemy out in the open… using her as bait.

Tomorrow, Ned says, there’s only one way to settle this; Tracy says, there is only one person who can put things to right; and Sonny asks if it’s possible someone in the organization went rogue.

👵🏾 She’s His Mama…

She’s been in a million other things too.

💸 Life Imitating Art…

It sounds pretty messy.

🥀 What the What…

So many gone already this year.

💎 Keep Pouring…

Garcelle shares the tea.

🍸 Those Crazy Kids…

So should we call her Raquel now to be annoying? I bet her people told her to do this.

Bringing the new drama.

Is he still here?

🏍 See Him In September…

The latest on Daryl’s spin-off.

⚰️ Best Of the Dead…

Hard to believe there have been only four so far. It seems like there are always Dead around somewhere. No surprise about number one. It’s my favorite so far.

🗽 Rushing the Season…

Wow. We just got started.

Last On the Way…

2025… Wait. What?

🏆 Kudos…

I remember that episode vividly. He was excellent.

https://ew.com/awards/emmys/the-last-of-us-keivonn-montreal-woodard-sets-emmy-record-youngest-nominee/

🐕‍🦺 A Different Runway…

Some lovely pet fashions to usher you into your weekend.

https://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/new-york-pet-fashion-week/208

Going to the source.

www.petfashionweek.com

💐 Quotes of the Week

For most of us the problem isn’t that we aim too high and fail. It’s just the opposite. We aim too low and succeed. – Sir Ken Robinson

But instead of spending our lives running towards our dreams, we are often running away from a fear of failure or a fear of criticism. – Erin Wright

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. – Steve Jobs

No one else has access to the world you carry around within yourself; you are its custodian and entrance. No one else can see the world the way you see it. No one else can feel your life the way you feel it. Thus it is impossible to ever compare two people because each stands on such different ground. When you compare yourself to others, you are inviting envy into your consciousness; it can be a dangerous and destructive guest.  – John O’Donohue

I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles. – Audrey Hepburn

The merit of all things lies in their difficulty. – Alexandre Dumas

Looks like he wipes his arse with his house. – Gaap (Paapa Essiedu), Black Mirror: Demon 79

⚾️ Put Me In Coach…

If you still use a calendar, start your week here on Monday really Tuesday with soap and a Reunion on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay giving more positive comments than you do negative ones, and stay being brave and having a big heart, but looking out for yourself too.

July 15, 2022 – Carly’s Last Day At Work, On Leave, End Story, New Gig, OLTL Anniversary, So Sorry Not, Two Exits, Shocking, New House, Not Daytime, Just Over 12 Quotes & Time

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

There’s a knock at Carly’s office door, and she says, almost done. Drew says, then he’s right on time.

Olivia thanks her assistant Ashley for bringing something to her attention, and calls over to Nina. She wonders if she can have a word, and asks why Nina is pumping her staff for information. Nina says, she’s not pumping them for anything. She was just familiarizing herself with the operations around here. Olivia says, Nina has had her fun lording her half ownership of the hotel over Carly, but it’s got to stop. She and Ned are prepared to write Nina a check for every penny she paid, plus 3%. Nina says she’s not interested, and Olivia says, 5%, not a penny more. Nina says, Olivia doesn’t get it. Her half of the MetroCourt isn’t for sale. Sonny comes by and says, why not?

Curtis tells Marshall, Windymere is private property. If they take the launch the guards will tip off Esme that they’re coming. What they need is someone who lives there to help them out. Ava comes out onto the pier and says, hiya, gents. Going my way? Curtis says, they’re good, but maybe she can help Trina, and she says, done. Marshall says, she doesn’t even know what they’re asking, but she says, it doesn’t matter. If whatever it is, is for Trina, she’s in.

Josslyn says, Trina has to use this. This could be a real game changer. Portia walks in, and says, what’s a real game changer? and Josslyn says, new evidence that could help Trina’s case. Portia asks, what is it? Tell her; what’s the new evidence?

Oz (which we find out later is the bartender’s name) barges into Windymere, and Esme says, get out before she calls security. He says he remembers that high and mighty attitude, but he’d check himself before he called security. Because security may lead to the police, and something tells him, the PCPD will be more interested in what he has to say about her, than what she has to say about him.

At the hospital, Nikolas says he can have a plane fueled and ready by this afternoon, and Laura says she appreciates it. She can’t believe it. How much can one family take? (She’s asking that now?) Spencer comes along, and asks, what’s wrong? Laura says she just got a call from her mother in Italy, and Spencer asks if something happened to Great-grandmother Lesley. Nikolas says, the house she and Marcello lived in on Lake Como burned down. Fortunately, no one was there at the time, so one got hurt. Laura says, thank God, and Spencer says, still, that’s terrible. Is there anything he can do? Laura says, there is something he can do; actually, both of them. Spencer says, name it, and she says, put her mind at ease. They’ve both been through an awful lot in the past year. Promise her they’ll be okay with each other if she goes away.

Ava says, so Esme bought a black market phone from a bartender, and used it to record Josslyn and Cameron, and Marshall says, and incriminate Trina. Curtis says, they’ve tracked the bartender, Oz Haggarty, to Windymere. They may be conspiring to cover their tracks as they speak. She says, at Windymere… She’d love to stay and chat, but she has a witch to throw under a house

Esme says she has nothing to hide, from the police or anyone, and Oz says, impressive. She managed that with a straight face. They both know the phone he sold her is the same one she used to shoot her revenge porn. She says, he can’t prove that, but he says he doesn’t have to. That girl’s defense attorney will do it. Or at lease use the info. She asks what he wants, and he snaps his fingers, saying, what else? Cash. You. Owe. Me. 

Trina tells Portia, it’s what she was saying before, that Marshall and Curtis are looking for the bartender who sold Esme the phone. Portia says she thought Trina had some new information, and Trina says, don’t worry. She has faith it will all work out. Stella comes in, and says, so does she. Faith is what we need when all of our efforts are challenged and exhausted. What else do we have?

Carly says, that’s a look, and Drew says he was going for friendly neighborhood mover. She says she can see it, although she’s out of a job, so she doesn’t know if she can afford him. He says he’s pretty affordable. In fact, he’ll move all these boxes for the cost of lunch. She says, that is affordable, although she hired actual movers; they’re going to be here any minute. He says, what? Outbid by the pros; that’s just wrong. He guesses that means lunch is off, but she says, not necessarily. But they can’t go to the restaurant because she doesn’t have a tab there anymore. What does he say to the hot dog vendor at Rice Plaza? He says, this is not a done deal, but she says, the MetroCourt has a new owner. You can’t get more done than that. He tells her, he’s just saying, Nina’s offer is still on the table. She says he knows she turned Nina down, and he knows why.

Sonny asks why Nina wouldn’t sell the hotel to Ned and Olivia. It sounds like the best solution for everyone. Olivia says, and whoever buys the hotel is going to be her new partner. She thinks she deserves some say in the matter. Nina says she thinks Olivia misunderstands her. She has no intention of selling her half of the MetroCourt to anyone. She’s Olivia’s new partner. Olivia says, not on your life, lady, and Nina says, there’s no reason this has to be hostile. She realized she needs to learn a lot about the hospitality business. She’d be really grateful if Olivia would show her the ropes. Olivia says, this is why Nina has been slithering around her hotel, questioning her staff? and Nina says, our hotel. Olivia asks if Sonny is hearing this, and he says, every word. Olivia asks what he’s going to do about it, and Nina says, nothing. Sonny isn’t going to do anything about it, because her business dealings are her affair. Olivia says, emphasis on affair, and Nina says, running this hotel is between Olivia and her, but Olivia says, wrong. It’s between her, Nina, and their lawyers. And it’s going to be a cold day in hell before Nina fills Carly’s shoes; professionally and personally. She shoots Sonny a look, and tells Ashley that she’ll be in her office. Nina looks at Sonny, but he says, don’t look at him. She brought this on herself.

Drew says he wouldn’t expect Carly to let Nina gift her with the hotel, and she says she’s glad he’s listening. Drew says, but she can accept it from him, and she says, she got herself into this mess, and has to get herself out… or not, but either way, she doesn’t want to owe anyone. He says he knew she was going to be stubborn about this, but he had to give it a shot, and she thanks him. She says, and if there is a silver lining in all this, she knows she’s not in this alone, and he says, not by a long shot. So if she won’t let him buy her half the hotel, will she let him carry a box? She says, that she will, and puts one in his hands.

Stella says, she’ll be watching to see if any of those jurors looks at Trina sideways, but Portia says, no, she won’t. She won’t be stepping anywhere near that courtroom.

Outside, Trina asks Josslyn to promise her not to say anything about Spencer being in the cemetery. Not to anyone. Not yet. Josslyn says, sorry. She can’t.

Nikolas says he emailed his attorney in Como, and he’ll put Laura in touch with a good real estate agent. Laura can help Marcello and Lesley figure out where they want to move; if they want an apartment, or want to be out in the country. For what his vote is worth (🍷 it still counts), it might not be a bad idea for them to be in town. Laura says, he’s absolutely right, and she’ll pass that along. What was it he was going to tell her earlier, something about Doc and Esme? He says, it can wait, when Doc joins them, and says, it’s handled; the Deputy Mayor will take a meeting. Laura thanks him, and asks if she can have a word with him. He says, of course (🍷), and she pulls him down the hall. Spencer says, Doc and Esme, what’s that about? and Nikolas says, Esme’s application to the psyche program at PCU. He takes it she didn’t tell Spencer. Spencer says, there’s a lot Esme doesn’t tell him, but that changes today.

Esme brings Oz into the living room, and he says he’s always wondered about this place. She closes the door, and says, people can’t connect them, but he says, too late; they already have. Did she really think he wouldn’t have an insurance policy? Ava comes into the foyer, and Esme says she doesn’t have any money on her, but she can get it to him. He says, don’t try to play him. Meet him tonight; he’ll text the location. He starts to leave, and she says, wait. Who followed him to the motel, and what did they look like? In the worst timing ever, Ava’s phone rings in the foyer. She says, hi to Avery… Yes, tonight… She’s looking forward to it too…  Yes, cupcakes, any flavor she likes… Ava loves her. Ava hangs up, and walks into the living room. I’m loving Ava’s new haircut. She needs a better picture in the opening credits though.

Trina tells Josslyn, if the authorities find out Spencer left Spring Ridge, that could mean real prison; Pentenville. Admitting she was with Spencer at the cemetery the day the video dropped probably won’t even help her, but it will definitely hurt him. Josslyn says, but while Trina is tying herself in knots, deciding whether to save herself by outing Spencer as her alibi, consider this. Spencer already knows that he’s her alibi. He has decided to stay silent, so where is his compassion for her?

Laura tells Doc that she’s having major second thoughts about leaving. Now is not the best time to be leaving Port Charles. Doc says, but the recall was defeated; it’s over. She says, but is it really? There are still a large group of people out there who aren’t happy with her job performance. He says, yes, but fortunately Cyrus lost his voting privileges, and she says, but the detractors who remain still have theirs. Even though she’ll be working remotely, they could easily spin her absence as a dereliction of duty. Trina’s trial starts today, Elizabeth’s state of mind, not to mention Victor. He asks if she’s trying to talk herself out of leaving, and she says, no. She knows her mother needs her. He says, exactly. That’s why a pillar of strength like herself can carry the weight of the world on her own. So they just have to be practical. The first thing they do is go home and pack. Then they reschedule all their appointments for next week. Then he’ll call the bank and convert some currency, and she can call Lesley and make sure they don’t need them to bring anything. She says, he has everything under control, and he says, that’s what he does. She says, he’s amazing, and hugs him. She says, it amazes her how he can keep everyone’s needs in his mind. She’s so lucky to have his love and support. Which is why she hopes he understands… He says, that she needs him to stay here.

Stella says, of course (🍷) she’s attending Trina’s trial, but Portia says, think about it. The courtroom, the trial; it’s a very high pressure situation, and it’s not good for someone with Stella’s medical history. Stella says, Portia knows she loves Trina. She’s such an amazing young woman, and she feels like Trina is family now. Portia says, they love her too, and they love her support and appreciate it. That’s why they’d never forgive themselves if anything ever happened to her. Stella says, meaning she’s supposed to sit back and do nothing? and Portia says, she can pray, but she doesn’t want Stella to worry. Because Curtis, Taggert, and Marshall? They’re on it.

Marshall says, the trial is nerve-wracking, and Curtis says, that it is. They really need these leads to pay off. Marshall says he can see that, and Curtis says, he just doesn’t feel like he’s doing enough. Even if the bartender ID’s Esme buying the phone, that’s no guarantee it will secure Trina’s freedom. Marshall says, there are no guarantees in life. He should know that better than anyone.

Ava sees Esme, by herself, painting her toenails on the white couch. Esme says, something the matter? and Ava asks if Esme is alone; she thought she heard voices. Esme says she was listening to a podcast, and Ava asks if no one has told Esme that she shouldn’t paint her nails on the furniture. Esme says, nope, and Ava says, it doesn’t surprise her. Someone callous enough to destroy lives certainly doesn’t care about safeguarding fabric. Esme says, how wrong Ava is. She does appreciate what’s Ava’s. In fact, she’s so careful when she uses Ava’s things, Ava would never know. Ava asks, what the hell is that supposed to mean?

Drew asks, what are those? and Carly says, they’re pictures. She has a box of personal things she doesn’t trust with the movers. It’s mostly pictures of her kids over the years at the MetroCourt. She flips through them, and says, at the Nurses Ball and stuff. There’s Josslyn and Cam. Drew says, they’re all so young, and Carly says, there’s Morgan. His face… She tells Drew that she’s okay. There’s just a lot of memories here. Drew asks if she remembers when she hired him. New Year’s Eve, many years ago? She says she forgot about that, and laughs. He says, bartender. He made a mean martini; he still does. She says, he makes a terrible martini, and he asks what she means; he’s so talented. She says, their lives have changed so much since then. Drew says, lots of ups and downs, but they’re still here. That doesn’t mean change isn’t hard. She says she’s still working on that letting go thing, especially here. She was good at this. No matter what was going on in her life, the MetroCourt was her constant. He hugs her.

Nina asks if that’s Sonny’s way of telling her that she deserved the way Olivia spoke to her, and he says, she has to be realistic. She had to know there would be strong reactions to her keeping Carly’s half of the MetroCourt. She says, her half, and yes, she knew there was going to be resistance. He says, then why go through the hassle? Why not just give it to Olivia, and walk away? She says, power is the great equalizer, isn’t it? And she intends to keep hers. Not just for herself, but for Wiley. One day, all of this is going to be his. He asks if that’s all, and she says, isn’t that enough? He says, it’s just all this talk about power and Wiley’s inheritance. Is this just a business decision for her, or is this a way to… stick it to Carly. She asks if he thinks all she wants is revenge against his ex-wife. He really believes she’s that petty? He says, after everything she and Carly have been through, she’s going to tell him that she doesn’t want just little bit of revenge? She says, that’s not what this is about, and he says, let’s drop it then, but she says, he just accused her of being spiteful. He says, he didn’t accuse her of anything, and she says, let her remind him of something. She bought half of the hotel to give it back to Carly. So instead of standing here, scolding her, he should be lecturing his ex-wife for turning it down.

Carly looks at a photo, when Olivia comes in, carrying a beautiful bouquet of flowers. She says, she knows Carly said she didn’t want them to make a fuss, but the staff insisted. They all wanted her to know how much she’ll be missed. Carly says, if Olivia makes her cry… and Olivia says, don’t cry; she can take them back. Carly says, don’t you dare take them back; they’re so beautiful. Thank the staff for her. Olivia says, it’s not too late for a proper send-off, but Carly says, no fanfare. The last box is almost packed, and Drew is bringing the car around. This office is no longer hers. Olivia says, it will never be Nina’s. She doesn’t know if Carly knows, but Nina has decided to remain co-owner of the MetroCourt. Carly says, of course (🍷) she has, and Olivia says, Nina may have half the hotel, but Nina will never have her loyalty. It belongs to Carly, first, last, and always. Carly says, even after she ruined their partnership? but Olivia tells her, she’d say that honor goes to her ever-lovin’ husband. If Carly thinks Olivia doesn’t appreciate everything they’ve been through here… Carly trusted Olivia as her operations manager, and backed Olivia as her partner, and loved Olivia as her friend. Carly says she’s always going to love Olivia as her friend; that’s never going to change. And Olivia is making her cry when she told Olivia not to. They hug.

Curtis says, an arrest at a demonstration shouldn’t have resulted in Marshall being held against will at an institution. Don’t worry. He’s not going to push Marshall to talk about it. Marshall fans himself with his hat, and says, in the old neighborhood, there was this guy, Bud the barber. He gave haircuts to anyone who couldn’t afford one; kids from poor families, guys with job interviews, the homeless. Curtis says, sounds like a good guy, and Marshall says, he was. He was respected. Then suddenly people started describing Bud as touched. Every now and again you’d see him wandering around, babbling to himself about some secret mission, or aliens. When the bad days started to outnumber the good, nobody wanted to get a haircut from Bud, even for free. Curtis asks, whatever happened to ol’ Bud? and Marshall says, he’ll tell Curtis what didn’t happen. Bud never got the help he needed. Being institutionalized… Maybe it wasn’t ideal. Maybe it wasn’t even fair, but he got a diagnosis out of it. Some of us wasn’t even that lucky.

Portia says, hopefully they can get the bartender to admit to selling Esme the phone, and Stella tell her to keep telling herself the truth is on Trina’s side. Portia says, but they both know, sometimes the truth isn’t enough.

Trina says she wants Josslyn to help her, but this is her trial, her future. Can Josslyn promise to let her make the decision when and if she tells Diane about Spencer? Please? Josslyn says she’ll stay silent about Spencer for now, but if it looks like Trina is going to be convicted, she’ll stand up in her seat, and tell everybody in that courtroom exactly where Trina was when that email hit those inboxes at PCU. Even if it means Trina never speaks to her again.

Esme tells Ava, she’s sorry. That came out all wrong. Of course (🍷) she respects what’s Ava’s. Ava says, Esme respects nothing. Now let’s get to it, shall we? Esme shrugs, and says, something on Ava’s mind? Ava says, yeah, Trina, and Esme says, it is incredible how many heads that girl lives in rent free. Ava says she’s glad Esme mentioned free rent. How would Esme like to go the rest of her life never worrying about a roof over her head? Esme says, in exchange for? and Ava says, her admission that she filmed the video and framed Trina. Esme says, but she didn’t, and Ava says, okay, but if Esme agreed she did, she wouldn’t have to spend a single day behind bars. She just has to sign a confession, and get herself a ticket anywhere; anywhere but here. Esme asks, what’s the catch? There’s no way Ava would be content with letting her evade justice – if she said she did it. Ava says, she’d be willing to forego justice in this instance. She cares about the greater good, and make no mistake, Trina is greater than Esme, in every way. So what’s the magic number that will make Esme do the right thing?

Laura tells Doc that she’s still worried that Nikolas and Spencer are vulnerable to Victor’s influence. Elizabeth needs him, and he’s one of the few people who can actually keep Esme in check. He tells her, say no more. If it gives her peace of mind, he’ll stay put. She says she adores him, and he says he adores her back. She says, it’s a good deal, and they hug. Nikolas says, they’re heading back to Windymere. He’ll send Laura the flight details when she’s ready. She hugs him, thanking him for coming through for her, and hugs Spencer, saying, remember his promise. He says he hasn’t forgotten. Safe travels. Spencer and Nikolas leave, and Laura asks why she has the feeling she shouldn’t go. Doc says, she’s getting on that plane, and they’ll all be here when she comes back.

Trina asks if Josslyn really thinks she’d stop talking to her bestie, just because she’s trying to save Trina’s life. Josslyn says, she’d better not, because Trina’s her bestie too, and they hug.

Stella tells Portia that she’s not naïve. She’s lived long enough in this world to know how elusive justice can be for people who look like Trina. It’s two steps forward, and one step back, but she still chooses to have hope, because not to, is to fall into despair, and she doesn’t want to live there. There’s still a fight, but she has seen some forward motion, and she has to believe that today, in 2022, that arc will bend the right way toward their girl. Portia says she prays Stella is right. Stella doesn’t know how hard she prays. Not only for her daughter to be vindicated, but to take away this anger… No, this hatred she has for that girl who did this to her baby. She doesn’t want to walk around with this bitterness, but she’s been sitting on it because Trina has so much to handle. But she knows in her bones this is more than jealousy about Trina and Spencer’s friendship. Stella asks if Portia is saying that girl targeted Trina because she’s Black, but Portia says, she was intimidated by Spencer and Trina’s relationship, but she felt the same way about Josslyn. Trina told her that Esme went after Josslyn harder than she ever did her. But who did Esme ultimately target? Stella says, that video was of Joss and Cam though, and Portia says, yes, they were the victims. And Trina was framed as the criminal, to face the criminal justice system in the midst of everything going on in this world, in this country, everywhere. Esme had to know the ramifications of that kind of action; that Trina would have a harder time with it. People pretend it’s not real, but that’s exactly what they’re doing – pretending. Stella says she knows, but there are good people with good hearts out there, and she’s clinging to the hope eyes are opening, and the world is wising up. Portia says, but not everyone wants to wise up with it, and she’s praying to God they didn’t past Diane Miller, and aren’t sitting in that jury and passing judgement on her daughter; her innocent baby girl who didn’t do any of this. She didn’t do anything wrong – Portia starts to cry – and she feels like she didn’t prepare Trina for any of this. She just feels like she failed Trina. Stella hugs her, and she cries.

Curtis leaves a message for Ava, saying, he just saw Spencer and Nikolas get on the launch. Just giving her a heads up. Call him. Marshall says, relax, and Curtis asks how Marshall can be so calm. Marshall smiles, and says, antipsychotics? I laugh, and Curtis says, he’s glad Marshall didn’t fall through the cracks like Bud. Were Marshall’s symptoms as severe as his? Marshall says, no. He didn’t have delusions or hallucinations, or problems thinking. He was prescribed treatment and meds, and if he hadn’t been, who knows? Curtis asks if Marshall is saying his arrest saved his life, and Marshall says, he’s not saying it brought doom upon him, but he’s had a long time to come to peace with it. Besides, nothing he can do now about it anyway. Curtis thanks him for talking about it, and Marshall says, there’s something about this pier. This is where they had their last breakthrough, isn’t it? Curtis says, pier or no pier, he appreciates Marshall, and he’s glad for the progress. They bro hug, and Marshall says, now they just need to make some more progress and help Trina. Curtis says, he hears that, and wonders why he hasn’t heard from Ava.

Esme says, what a hypocrite Ava is. Here she stands, trying to get Esme to admit to something she didn’t do… Ava says, come on. Don’t play a player. Esme says, Ava is unreal. Why risk everything for an employee? (I think Esme is more elitist than racist.) Ava says, Esme knows very well Trina is much more than an employee to her, and Esme says, Little Miss Perfect inspires such unwavering loyalty. Ava says she’s counting on Esme being as opportunistic as she is bitter. Tick tock; the trial’s about to start. What’s her number? Or should Ava throw one out there to get the ball rolling? Esme says, as someone who has lost their fair share of family, allow her to extend her condolences. Ava is about to lose Trina for five to ten years. Ava says, you insufferable little bitch, and Esme says, she’s finally found her family here, and all the money in the world won’t make her give that up. There is nothing Ava could offer to make her. Nikolas and Spencer come in, and Nikolas asks, just what is Ava offering?

Sonny says he doesn’t think Nina is spiteful, but when word reaches Carly… She’s going through a tough time right now. Nina asks if he hears himself. He’s more concerned about Carly than her. He says, that’s not true; he’s here with Nina right now. She says, but who’s on his mind? Before he got a divorce, he said Carly complained there were three of them in the relationship. Nina’s not so sure Carly was wrong.

Drew tells Carly, the flowers are so beautiful. Her staff really loves her. She says, the feeling’s mutual. It’s crazy. She did not set out to own a hotel, but she came to love the daily challenges; the strategizing, putting out the fires – real ones sometimes. The weddings, the Nurses Ball; she made so many incredible memories here. And she loved every minute. She’s going to miss it, a lot. He asks if she’s ready, but she says she needs a minute. He tells her to take as long as she needs. He picks up the last box and the flowers, and she says she’ll be right down. He tells her, take her time, and leaves. Alone, she says, oh wow. She looks at her name plate on the door, touches it, and slides her name out. She leaves, closing the door behind her. Geez. We don’t even get a MetroCourt Memory Lane?

Alone with Esme, Spencer asks what he and Nikolas walked in on, and she says, more of Ava’s wild accusations. She offered Esme money to admit to filming Joss and Cam. Spencer says, really? How much? She says, not enough to get her to lie; she’s innocent. He says, it’s too bad for Ava. She may have had a chance if she knew what Esme truly wanted… like him. She says, and that is…? and he says, it’s something she wants more than anything else in the world. And only he can give it to her.

Nikolas says he knows Ava wants to help Trina, but is it worth it getting into it with Esme? She says, yes, and he says, let him act as a buffer. Try to avoid being alone with her. She says, not to worry. Esme will be out of their lives pretty soon. Nikolas leaves, and Ava takes out her phone. She calls Curtis, and he asks if she caught the bartender making a deal with Esme, and she says she knows it happened. Unfortunately, she missed it. He was gone before she arrived. Curtis asks, how he could be gone? and Marshall says, the launch never returned. Ava says, there’s another way off the island. Obviously, Esme knows about it. Curtis thanks her for trying, and Marshall says, good Lord, they lost him? All right. Now what?

Stella says, Portia did a wonderful job with Trina. Why does Portia think she failed her? Portia says, all she ever wanted was to give Trina the best life she possibly could. Being a doctor, and her father in law enforcement, they were able to do that. She was proud, so proud she was able to give Trina a comfortable life. Trina grew up with a sense of security, but she lived a sheltered life. The friends she’s made, the schools she’s went to, maybe it was a little bit too sheltered. Maybe in her quest to give Trina this ideal life, she failed to inoculate Trina against the reality of being a woman of color. Stella says, Trina knows who she is, and she’s pretty savvy about the world. She knows they want what’s best for her children, but it’s impossible to completely shield them from pain and injustice. Stop torturing herself. Knowing Trina, Stella can already see Portia taught her what’s important. Portia asks, what’s that? and Stella says, to keep her head to the sky. The world’s gonna knock you down, but what matters is that you get back up, and don’t stay down. Trina’s a fighter, and whatever life throws at their girl, she’ll get back up on her feet.

Carly sighs, and looks around the lobby. Sonny walks over, and asks if she’s okay. She flashes back to finding out Nina is Willow’s biological mother, and says, she’s okay. She has her family. She leaves with Drew.

On Monday (I think), Portia asks if Curtis found the evidence they need to exonerate Trina; Spencer says he has the only proof Esme needs, if she wants it; Carly says, Esme is going to regret the day she messed with their kid; and Sonny says he’s done with talking. It’s time for action.

🏃🏻‍♀️ Skipping Town…

Laura and Alexis are taking a break from Port Charles.

🚑 Where They Went…

I’m still annoyed about their romances with Diane and Epiphany fizzling out.

🦎 Voice Of a Komodo…

I always get a mental picture of the actors standing around in robes and fuzzy slippers.

💝 Happy Anniversary…

Llanview over the years.

💎 Yeah, Yeah…

This show is the worst this season.

🍊 Not a Shock…

All I want to know is, can we still see Mr. Puppers?

https://screenrant.com/rhoc-noella-bergener-jen-armstrong-exit/

🧂 A Shock…

I have to admit, I was pretty surprised too. Not that I didn’t think she was guilty, but I never thought she’d plead it.

But of course it’s all about Andy.

https://people.com/tv/andy-cohen-shares-thoughts-jen-shah-guilty-plea/

🐉 Enter the Dragons…

The latest on House of the Dragon, along with some gorgeous photos.

https://ew.com/tv/house-of-the-dragon-cover-story-game-of-thrones-enters-new-age/

https://ew.com/tv/house-of-the-dragon-cover-photos/?

🏆 The Other Emmys…

This year’s nominees for the non-daytime shows.

https://www.avclub.com/emmy-awards-2022-nominee-list-1849165590

🗿 Quotes of the Week

Every time I drink, I break out in handcuffs. – guest on Dr. Phil

Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself. – Og Mandino

Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth. – Henry David Thoreau (Boy, was he off.)

You are not called to be a canary in a cage. You are called to be an eagle, and to fly sun to sun, over continents. – Henry Ward Beecher, American Clergyman and Author

To be nobody but yourself — in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else — means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. – e. e. cummings

I believe the most important single thing, beyond discipline and creativity, is daring to dare. – Dr. Maya Angelou

He’s the smartest non-smart looking person I know. – Christine Alexandra Chiu, Bling Empire

But that’s what happens. Once the human tragedy has been completed, it gets turned over to the journalists to banalize into entertainment. – Philip Roth

Ask for help. Not because you’re weak, but because you want to remain strong. – Les Brown

Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant.Robert Louis Stevenson

The only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks. – Miss J

Disability is what we perceive. Ability is everything we believe! – Tamela D’Amico

The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for. – Bob Marley

Common sense is not so common. – Voltaire

🏂 Sliding Into My Own DMs Like…

Enjoy the next few days, be they a break or the same old. Meet me on Monday for soap and the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay checking yourself before you read others, and stay keeping your head to the sky. The world’s gonna knock you down, but what matters is that you get back up, and don’t stay down.

December 11, 2018 – Ava’s Sideshow, Chicken is for Poor People, Vanderpump Change, OC Feuding & Todd’s Christmas

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Yeah, yeah, I missed the beginning. Only up to the opening. I always think I’ll go back and watch it later, then it gets real later, and I don’t have a chance because of the pesky need for sleep. I had it on in the background, and the only important thing was that Laura joined Sonny in the chapel. Moving on.

Obrecht demands to be released and taken to her daughter. Finn says that’s not happening. Willow wonders if Chase wants to postpone their date, but he says he’ll take care of it. Finn tells him, get out while he can. Chase asks if things are under control, and Finn says, probably not, but they have Detective supercop Spencer there. Chase jets with Willow.

Nina tells Sasha it’s not a mistake. It’s quite the opposite. Her coming there was the ultimate gift. Sasha says, sorry she’s so shaky, but Nina says, don’t be. It’s been a draining day. Nina goes to get a drink, and Sasha and Valentin sit. Valentin knows things are difficult, and Sasha says, it was like an alternate universe. Going to the funeral for a sister who isn’t her sister. She can’t keep this up, not after putting Kiki to rest.

Sonny asks how Laura is. She says she’s been better. He’s surprised she didn’t come to the funeral with Doc. He knows there are issues, but in light of the circumstances… Laura says, rise above it and create a united front? Doc isn’t interested in that, and as a candidate for mayor, she thought her appearance might seem like she’s intruding on family grief. Sonny says it’s just his opinion, but he doesn’t think she’d ever intrude. She doesn’t think Ava would agree. Sonny asks why, and she says Ava is sleeping with her husband.

Carly knows Ava is hurting and wants to put it on her. She gets it, but the idea that it balances out Morgan – Ava interrupts, saying, Carly lost a child; so did she. Carly says she didn’t do anything to contribute to Kiki’s death, but Ava contributed to Morgan’s. Carly tells her, leave him out of it. Ava says she loved him too, and Carly keeps throwing it in her face, as if hers is the only grief that matters. She loved her daughter just as much as Carly loved her son. Maybe more. Carly suggests someone take Ava home. Not-Doc disagrees. This type of primal therapy can be the best way to get at anger and grief. Carly says she’ll go, but Ava says she’s not done.

Anna asks to be alone with the prisoner. Obrecht says, how dare Anna call her a prisoner? She’s a world renowned physician. Finn says she’s a world renowned something. Obrecht asks if he created the virus Britt has, and if he knows how to administer the cure. He says, nein. She demands to be taken to the hospital, but Anna says, there’s no rush. Unless she’s found a cure for the common cold. Finn says that would be a breakthrough, and Anna tells Obrecht that’s all Britt has.

Chase welcomes Willow to chez Chase. He’s going to light the candles, open the wine, and the shrimp scampi will be ready in no time. Willow is confused. He said he had to stop by to grab something. He says, surprise! He’s been taking an online cooking class, and with help from a meal prep service, he has a dish that will blow her mind. Willow says it’s their first date, and he thought it was appropriate to bring her back to his apartment? He says, it’s just dinner, and she says, no; it’s more than just dinner. She has no interest in being in his lair. She tells him, goodnight, and leaves. He wonders what just happened, and runs after her.

Valentin tells Sasha that he needs her to stay. She asks, why? it’s better for him if she leaves; less risk. He says, maybe, but things have changed since Kiki was killed. If she leaves, Nina will too. Sasha says, people are literally getting killed. She’s not going to be next because he’s missing his ex. Valentin tells her if not for him, do it for Nina. She’ll be devastated if Sasha leaves. Sasha says that was always the plan, but he says, plans change. Sasha says, it’s awful. She’s gotten to know Nina, and likes her. The last thing she wants to do is hurt her. Using soap timing, Nina appears, and asks what Sasha could do to hurt her.

Laura says, it’s an Interesting picture, isn’t it? and Sonny asks if Doc cheated on her. Laura says he claims he didn’t, but it doesn’t matter what she believes. She walked in on them kissing in the gallery. That’s all the information she needs. Sonny says he’s sorry, and shocked, and she says she is too. He says, maybe it’s a midlife crises, or he was caught in a moment of weakness. Laura says, he wants a divorce. He hand delivered the papers himself. Sonny asks if she still loves him, and she says she does. He says, then don’t give up. He and Carly divorced many times. Laura laughs, saying they have the record. He says they’re still standing. If they can do it, she and Doc can too.

Ava tells Julian to let her go. What more could Carly possibly do to her? Carly asks if she’s listening to herself. Me, my plan, my grief. It’s Kiki’s memorial, and she’s making it about her. Ava says she hasn’t been given the opportunity to mourn. Carly made her life miserable. Carly says, the sad, honest truth is, the only thing they can do to honor Kiki is make sure Ava doesn’t do the same thing to Avery. Ava lunges for Carly, and pushes her down, saying, Kiki was her daughter. Carly gets up and pushes back, saying, Morgan was her son.

Obrecht tells Finn and Anna, before she agreed to come, she tested the sample. It was Britt’s blood, and it was infected. Anna says, after Finn took the sample. Obrecht says, Finn did this? and he says, what goes around, comes around. Obrecht says, Britt isn’t really sick. Anna traded Obrecht’s fear for her daughter out of fear for her son. Her own daughter betrayed her.

Sasha tells Nina that she feel awkward, forcing Nina to move back to Windemere. Nina says Sasha isn’t forcing her to do anything. It’s not her first choice, but Sasha feels safe, and can forget her ordeal. Nina sees Willow come in. Valentin asks what’s up, and she says nothing she can’t fix.

Chase comes in behind Willow, and she says she can’t believe he turned on the siren. He says, it was an emergency. He just wanted to cook a nice meal, and show off his newly acquired culinary skills. She’s sorry she overreacted. He knows how it must have looked, and she says, a nice guy cooking her dinner? He says, since they’re at the bar, how about a drink? Willow gets a text from Nina. It says she hates to interrupt, but would Willow like to join them? Willow says she ordered wine, but might need something stronger.

Julian and Michael pull Ava and Carly apart. Carly says Ava is insane. The only solace in this, is that she won’t be able to torture Kiki anymore. Ava says, go to hell, and Carly says, you first.  Michael tells Carly, if Ava wants to trash Kiki’s memory, let her. She’s only hurting herself; let’s go. Ava tells not-Doc, she hates that woman. Not-Doc says, after 9/11, Queen Elizabeth said, grief is the price we pay for love. Consider the bill paid in full. Ava says he’s talking to her like Griff. Maybe he should think about joining the priesthood. He says he already found his true calling.

Laura thanks Sonny for the pep talk, but it takes two people to fight for a marriage. Although he and Carly broke up, they fought their way back to each other. Sonny asks if she doesn’t think Doc wants that, and she says he said so, several times. Sonny says, then he’s an idiot. He knows her well, and any man would be lucky to have her. If Doc doesn’t see that… Laura says when she looks at him, she doesn’t recognize him. When she looks into his eyes, it’s like a stranger looking back – or worse. Sonny asks what she means, but Carly blows in. He asks, what the hell happened? and she says, more like who. She’ll give him one guess. He says, Ava.

Anna tells Obrecht, from one mother to another, they need to stop the vicious cycle of retribution; it has to end. Obrecht snarks, says the woman locking her up. Anna says, Britt is free. She has the opportunity to start over. That was the deal. Obrecht asks if Britt even hesitated. Did any part of her want protect her mother? Anna says she’ll let Britt tell her. She wanted Anna to give her this before she left town. She gives Obrecht an envelope. Obrecht sits there looking at it, and Anna says she’s not reading it.

Willow comes over to Nina’s table, and Nina introduces her to Sasha. She tells Sasha that Willow is Charlotte’s teacher, and Sasha asks, isn’t Charlotte great? Willow says, she’s one of a kind. Nina thinks they had a productive conversation with Charlotte. Valentin says they talked to her about how one’s actions can deeply affect other people. Sasha asks if they’re sure she understood. It’s a hard concept for someone Charlotte’s age. Nina thinks Charlotte is an amazing girl, and not to be criticized. Willow says she doesn’t think that’s what’s happening, and Valentin say him neither. Nina says, Charlotte is a special girl, and should be recognized for that.

Willow sees several shot glasses lined up, and asks if Chase thinks she’s a boozehound. He tells her that she said something stronger, and he didn’t know her choice. She decides she’ll stick with wine. She says, if the meal is still salvageable, maybe they should head back to his place. She’s a sucker for shrimp scampi. She tells him, no sirens, and he says he’ll try to refrain.

Nina asks Sasha, what’s wrong? and Sasha says she’s leaving town.

Sonny tells Carly, leave it to Ava to turn Kiki’s funeral into a sideshow starring herself. Michael asks if Carly is sure she’s okay; he’s going to take off. Sonny says he knows it was a hard day, and he’s there if Michael wants to talk. Michael says he loves them, and leaves. Laura says, he’s a good son, and Carly says they lucked out. Sonny asks how it went down, and Carly says Ava homed in on her, saying Carly thinks this makes them even now, and should be happy. Sonny asks who was there, and she says, Michael, Julian, Franco, Ava, Griff, and Doc. Laura says Doc can’t be far from his new girlfriend. Carly says, what? and Sonny says, apparently, they’re a thing.

Julian tells Ava to focus on the real reason they’re here; paying their last respects to a brave, beautiful woman who inspired so much love. He says he’ll take her home, but Ava asks him not to be kind, understanding, or pity her. She tells them all to go. Julian asks her not to shut him out, but she says she knows what she needs, and right now, she needs be alone with her daughter. They all leave.

Ava says she’s so sorry, and cries. She puts her head down on the grave.

Anna says she’ll give Obrecht privacy. Obrecht opens the letter. It says, by the time she reads this, Britt will be on her way to a new life. She’s sorry she tricked Obrecht, but couldn’t see another way. She’s trying to be good, and stay on the straight and narrow. They’ll see how long it lasts. She loves Obrecht, and hopes she knows that, but if only one of them gets to be free, she’s choosing herself. Obrecht says she chooses Britt too. Anna comes back, and asks if she’s all right, but Obrecht says it’s between her and Britt. She wants her phone call. Finn says, nothing personal, but who does she have left to call? Anna says, Maxie is in Nina’s camp, and Nina is focused on her daughter. Obrecht is surprised, and anna says, she’s alive. The miscarriage didn’t happen, and there were two DNA tests to prove it. Obrecht wants her phone call now.

Sasha tells Nina, Kiki’s death was too much. She can’t be here. Nina asks if she doesn’t feel safe, even on the island. Sasha says a crazy woman drugged her, made it seem like she slept with her daughter’s boyfriend, and her daughter ends up dead. Nina asks where she’s going, and Sasha says she still has friends in Chappaqua. When she saves some money, she wants to travel. Nina says, maybe they can travel together. Sasha says, maybe, and Nina say she doesn’t want be pushy. She just wants Sasha to know she’s not getting rid of her, now or ever. They hug, and Sasha looks at Valentin.

Chase and Willow eat dinner, and Willow says it’s really good. Chase says she seems surprised. He cuts his finger while slicing off a piece of bread. She laughs, saying she’s paranoid about the killer, but he lacks the necessary knife skills. She gets a bandage out of her purse and hands it to him. He asks her to help a guy out; it’s hard with one hand. She puts the bandage on his finger.

Carly says, Doc wants a divorce to be with Ava. Laura says he insists the two aren’t related. It’s a rather cold departure from who is and what he stands for. She believes him, but can’t help worrying that something is off. It started from the moment she got back. The only thing that’s different is the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Ryan Chamberlain murders. Carly didn’t consider the affect it might have on him. Laura says, twenty-five years later, Ryan claims another victim – his brother.

Ave is glad Kiki can’t see her mess. She’s a mess, and she made a mess. Carly is right about one thing. Today was about Kiki, and she turned it into a circus. If she could trade places with Kiki, she would, in an instant. Not-Doc watches, as Ava messes with the dirt. She says, but she can’t. What she can do, is find the bastard who did this. That she will do. She promises Kiki that she’ll hunt them down and make them pay. She knows Kiki couldn’t count on her for a lot, but she can count on her for that. She cries, and not-Doc approaches.

Finn asks Anna who she thinks Obrecht is calling. Anna says, don’t know, don’t care. He asks if he can take her home, but she feels like she should check on Griff. Finn says, tomorrow might be better. He’s been where Griff is. Everyone is there on day one, and the next morning, you’re all alone. Anna is sure he’s right, and he says he’s always right. She says, no, and he suggests they agree to disagree. He remembers her mentioning something about being in love with him on the flight to Havana. Anna thinks he said first. Finn says they agree the words were said, and Anna says, they did nothing to commemorate it. She thinks they can fix that, and he says he’ll race her there.

Nina says she’ll miss Sasha. Sasha says at least they least she knows she accomplished one thing while she was here. She brought Nina and Valentin closer. He steps away to take a call. It’s Obrecht, who says they have much to discuss.

Willow thanks Chase for dinner. He’s glad she decided to come back to his lair. Willow says, it didn’t turn out too bad, and Chase says, considering how it started. Willow says she’s just keeping him on his toes. She says she should go, since there’s school tomorrow, and he says he’ll walk her home. He helps her on with her coat, and blows out the candles.

Michael sits at the MetroCourt bar. Franco comes in, and says he knows there’s no love lost between them, and there never will be, but Michael was special to Kiki. He was a hugely important part of her life. He thanks Michael for bringing her so much happiness. Michael says he may not have agreed with her, but believed she saw the best in him. He hopes Franco lives up to it. Franco does too.

Carly tells Laura, whatever is causing this with Doc, he’s going to 100% regret it. Sonny says, especially if it means losing her. Laura says they’re good for her ego, but she’s heading home. She leaves, and Sonny says, sorry about Ava. Carly says she’s survived worse. Sonny was thinking about ways to honor Kiki, and Carly says, give Avery the best life possible, and not let Ava do to her what she did to Kiki. Sonny says they’ll give her the life her sister would have wanted for her.

Laura calls someone, saying she hopes it’s not too late. She’d like to move forward with the terms of her divorce.

Ava asks how long not-Doc has been standing there, and he tells her that she’s wrong. She’s not a terrible mother. She gave her heart and soul; her all. The good and bad, the beautiful and ugly, the generous and selfish. Anything else would be a lie. Ava says, maybe she did, but he couldn’t save Kiki. Not-Doc asks, how? She’s not a mind reader. As difficult as it is to accept things beyond our control, it’s just life. She says, life is a travesty; a bitter, pointless joke. Not-Doc says, sometimes it is. Other times, it’s so glorious and radiant, you practically have to shield your eyes. She gets up, and asks him why he didn’t go. He says because she needs him. She says she never needed anybody. He says he’s here for her, and won’t go unless she tells him to get lost. She says, don’t get lost, and he says he won’t. He leads her out of the cemetery.

Tomorrow, Griff asks Finn if this is payback; Obrecht tells Valentin if he doesn’t spring her, he can say goodbye to Nina; and Carly asks what the hell is wrong with not-Doc

Below Deck

Man overboard. Ashton has gotten his foot caught in a line, and goes over the side of the boat. Rhylee radios the captain. Ashton gets pulled out into the water, away from the boat. His head pops up. Captain Lee tells them to get his ass out of water and on board. He’s okay, and the tender is sent out to him. The guests get an extra adrenaline rush that’s not on a jet ski. Ashton says he’s never been in that situation. As he was putting out the tow line, he stepped on it, and it wrapped around his ankle, pulling him off the boat. Rhylee says, thank god for Brent, the camera guy. He jumped in the water, and did what he needed to do. Ashton owes Brent his life. The whole thing is pretty intense.

The tender follows the Seanna to anchorage. Captain Lee asks what happened, but Ross isn’t sure. The captain says, it was a stupid move, and scared f**k out of him. Ross apologizes. In his interview, the captain says Ashton was thirty seconds away from dying. He doesn’t know how he’d feel, having to call Ashton’s parents to tell them that their son was dead, and he’s responsible. He has kids, and doesn’t know how he’d make that call. He needs a minute.

The guests talk about the accident. One of them says, when you’re gasping for breath, it seems like forever. In Kate’s interview, she says they don’t want people to know how dangerous the job is. That would be scary, but this was a reminder. Calling the tender, the captain asks Ashton if he’s okay physically. Ashton says his ankle is swelling. The captain says they’ll get him on board asap, and he’s already made a call to the doctor. In his interview, Captain Lee says it’s not a pleasant situation, but he can’t pick Ashton up in open water. In Ross’s interview, he says he can’t wait to see Ashton, and give him a hug, but at the same time, wants to slap him for stepping on the line.

We get a break, and look at the beauty of Tahiti.

Lunch is prepared. Aiden says, the show must go on. Their job is distracting the guests from what went on, and it starts with lunch. He makes steak and shrimp, but fancier. It looks amazing. The captain drops anchor, and Ashton boards. Ross hugs him, and tells him not to do that to him again. It’s time for the jet skis. For the guests, not Ashton.

Ashton limps to his cabin. Aiden asks if he wants company. In his interview, Ashton says he should never have been on the water side of the line. He knows that, and was trained not to do it. When he hit the water, he was fighting to get his head up, and get air. It was the most intense force he’s ever felt around his ankle. He mentally prepared himself for his foot to be ripped off. If someone hadn’t gotten to him in time, he would have bled out, but Brent got the lines off just in time. The captain stops by, and says he thought it would be worse. Ashton says, it was stupid, but the captain would rather focus on how lucky they were that someone got to him in time. He tells Ashton to elevate his ankle. In Ashton’s interview, he says when he was on the tender, he was in tears some of the time, but at other times, he was calm. Laura asks if he’s okay, and Ashton says it was his fault. He shouldn’t have been on that side.

The guests get ready to use the jet skis. Kate tells Aiden, it’s been an emotional roller coaster. He says Laura is taking care of everything, but Kate doesn’t know if she’s helpful or annoying. Aiden says she was complaining about them cutting corners, but she doesn’t know what she’s doing well enough to be negative. In her interview, Kate says Laura has a lot of opinions. If she’s been a chief stew, she should put herself in Kate’s position, and not be hot from the start.

Josiah says he’s heard horror stories about yachting, but the main thing is to make sure Ashton is okay. They need to look after him until he’s better. Kate says she’s never had a crew member almost die in front of the guests before. The tender brings the doctor to the boat. Ashton explains what happened. She asks him to try and walk on it, and says it’s not broken, but the pain is going to increase. In Ashton’s interview, he says it’s a massive relief, but he’s concerned about the pain.

Ross tells Ashton to rest up; he’ll pick up Ashton’s slack. Ashton jokes that Ross will see how much he actually does. Kate radios Laura. In her interview, Laura says she may or may not have shot herself in the foot. She forgot how mundane the job of third stew is. Although it doesn’t matter on this yacht; the bar is set kind of low. This one is a real jerk. Better than Caroline, but still a jerk.

Aiden says they had a rough start, so for dinner, he’s making chicken breast; comfort food. He loves surprising people by deconstructing everyday things, and giving them a new perspective. The guests get all weird about having chicken, even though the dish looks just as fabulous as always. They agree it’s done well, but it’s still chicken. One of them says that’s what poor people eat. Josiah asks if everything is okay, and a guest says, none of them put chicken on their preference sheet. He asks if they want something else, and she says she wants seafood. In her interview, Kate says the dish looks amazing. She thinks maybe he should have added shrimp with it, but they don’t have to act like a-holes. Josiah tells Adrian, and he makes scallops. In Adrian’s interview, he says even in the fanciest restaurants, they serve chicken. If they don’t want it, they should put it on the preference sheet. One of the guests says, chicken is not acceptable, and they keep repeating how they didn’t put that they wanted it on their preference sheets. They didn’t put lamb on their either, but they ate that just fine. Kate serves the scallops, saying Adrian made extra, everyone wins. A guest says he should have made scallops first. Here’s where I would get fired and go to jail, because I would punch them.

In his interview, Tyler says he started an agency, and crushed it, but the corporate world wasn’t for him. He lives off of adrenaline. Adrian getting pulled into the water wasn’t the kind of rush he was looking for though. Kate sees towels on the floor, and straightens up the cabins. In her interview, she says if Laura was a chief stew, and knows as much as she says she does, she’d know how to do turndowns. The guests go to bed, but a few of the ladies stay up drinking and dancing around under a disco ball.

Laura asks Aiden how service was, and he says the guests were super rude. He tells her that she forgot to do the turndown. She asks if Kate is mad, but he says, more like aggravated. In her interview, Laura says she doesn’t know what Kate’s deal is. She’s been working super hard, and would appreciate some positive feedback. Instead, she’s getting a mean girl thing. She gripes to Adrian that she has to do bitch work and clean up loose ends. Aiden says the third stew is supposed to do that and shut up about it. Some advice for her integration.

Laura asks if guest Carolyn wants to do yoga or Pilates, and then wakes up Kate to tell her that she’ll be doing Pilates with her.  Kate says there’s only one side of the bed, but it’s the wrong side she’s getting up on. Laura asks what happened with the turndowns, and tells Kate the only thing she didn’t do was the second bed. Kate explains that one guest wants water near their bed. Laura says that wasn’t relayed to her, and Kate tells her to ask. In Laura’s interview, she says she thought the vibe on the boat was not caring. Where is she getting this from? Captain Lee says no one goes past the second step, and shows Ross where the line should be. In his interview, the captain says, it’s Towing 101. This is simple. He tells Ross that no one has a reason to be down there for any reason. Ross feels good about it.

Laura sets up yoga with two guests. The anchor is secured. Captain Lee tells the deck crew to get the tender ready. Tyler tells Rhylee, ten minutes. She says she can’t do this life anymore. Adrian says when the guests act like drunken a-holes, it goes over his head. If the guests aren’t happy, it’s not his problem. Ross is paranoid about tow line now, and tells Rhylee to get away from it. Captain Lee radios to get their asses off the swim platform, and calls Ross to the wheelhouse. In the captain’s interview, he says Ashton was just swept off the deck, and they have to be told how effing stand. He asks Ross why Tyler is on the swim platform. He says it was Rhylee, and Captain Lee tells him to get her ass up there. He tells them the minute the stern line is released, they’re to get their asses off the swim platform. They can get the tender back, but not a life. He doesn’t want a replay.

Laura ends the yoga class with, namaste, and breakfast is served. Ross asks Rhylee why she wasn’t listening, and she tells him not to wake her up at the last minute. Ross starts talking over her, saying he told her to get away from the line, and she asks him to give her a second respond. He tells her, listen up, and she says it’s Chandler all over again. In his interview, Ross says she should know better, and get the f**k away from the line; leave it. He suggests they move away from the guests.

Adrian brings Ashton breakfast, and Ashton says he’s a legend. Ross says he told Rhylee to get away, and she says he told her to get behind; there’s a difference. He says he doesn’t have to explain himself, but she says if he doesn’t, she’s the one who gets reamed. He starts to walk away, and she says walking away is a bullsh*t move. He tells her to use her brain when he instructs her to do something. She suggests he instruct more than ten minutes before they do it. Now she knows what he means. He says it’s his fault. She tells him that she does what he says, and if he means something else, she can’t read his mind. In his interview, Ross says he’s tired of fighting. Sometimes you have to let things go, but with Rhylee, he’s taking the easy way out. He tells her they’ll work it out.

Kate suggests Adrian grill on the swim platform. They drop anchor. Kate tells Ashton to radio if he needs anything. Adrian is making carrot cake for the birthday dinner. In her interview, Kate thinks it’s annoying when anyone celebrates a birthday, unless they’re a child. They set up, and Kate says birthday girl Janet wants leis; it was on her preference sheet. Josiah says they all have to lay her, like we didn’t fall off our dinosaurs when that joke was told the first time. Adrian thinks the cake looks like a nipple, and tells Laura that he was inspired by her. In Laura’s interview, she says, he’s the cutest guy ever, but definitely has only one thing on his mind.

The guests arrive at the beach club, and Janet thinks the décor is cute. Adrian sets up a buffet, and Janet says her taste buds are having a party. Laura does laundry. Ashton gets up, and peeks in. He tells her as soon as his foot heals, they’ll go on the dance floor. The guests toast to Janet. Kate says they have a birthday surprise, and reveal the cake. Janet says, oh wow, so I guess it’s good.

Tyler tells Rhylee that he was engaged, but she’s married with kids now. In his interview, he says he was engaged to his high school sweetheart, but she wanted him to go into construction, and he wanted to be a firefighter. Rhylee says she was engaged, but they both cheated. Tyler tells her that she has some good years left, and she says she can still snag somebody.

Laura asks Adrian what the guests want for dinner, but he says he doesn’t talk to the guests about it. In Adrian’s interview, he says these guests want the most expensive dishes they can get. Tonight, he’s making lobster and beef. He’s going to make them the best food ever until they realize it. The dinner is pronounced delicious and perfectly cooked. The guests turn in. Wow. These people are early to bed.

Laura asks Ashton how he’s doing, and he says, soldiering on. It’s frustrating not doing anything, so he’s doing what he can. Rhylee tells Tyler that everything is ready. In Tyler’s interview, he says he has skills, but motor yachts are in a different category. He doesn’t mind Rhylee showing him the ropes. He has a lot to learn – and she’s hot. Ashton comes out, and hugs Tyler. The anchor is up, and the tender is cut loose. Even I’m nervous now, and watching the lines. I don’t know wth Adrian made for breakfast, but I’m in. Some kind of wraps with salmon cream cheese, apple turnovers, and the eternal crispy bacon.

Anchor is dropped, and they dock. Captain Lee tells the crew to get ready for guest departure. Primary Brandy says they all agree it was a wonderful, once in a lifetime trip. Her hat is off to the crew for handling a scary experience better than she would have. When the guests are gone, the crew changes out of their whites, and the deck furniture is covered. It’s tip meeting time.

The captain says, not even an hour in, and they’re out a guy, meaning Ashton. Captain Lee thought everybody did a good job. The tip is $16K, or $1300 each. Ashton thanks everyone for looking after him. Since he didn’t do any work, he doesn’t feel he deserves a tip, and wants to split it among the crew. Captain Lee says, that’s not okay; it’s not the way they roll. Rhylee says he would have done a lot of work if he could have. The captain say he’ll be having a meeting shortly, and it will be sobering.

Clean up starts. Rhylee tells Tyler that he was spot on, jumping in and listening. Captain Lee calls everyone to the sky lounge, saying it’s time for a come-to-Jesus meeting. What they’re about to watch is sobering. He’s going to show the film from Ashton’s accident. He wants them to see the actual footage, so they realize the severity of the situation. They watch, and he points to Ashton underwater. He says, Rhylee made one call, and it’s barely audible. At that point, Ashton was being dragged by his foot, and she should have said it three times. He’s still moving a boat that’s five-hundred tons, with one that’s two and a half tons behind it. As soon as the tender drew tight, it would have severed Ashton’s foot, and he would have bled out. Then he would be calling Ashton’s parents to tell them that their son is dead. In his interview, Ashton is surprised it happened so quickly. He’s been given a second chance.

The captain says it’s hard to watch, but these were the mistakes they made, collectively. In his interview, Captain Lee says it’s hard to watch, and he needs a moment. He tells the group that they’re extremely lucky; Ashton, the luckiest of all. He tears up, saying he doesn’t want to lose a crew member like that; it’s not going to happen. He tells them, carry on. Everyone is choked up. In the captain’s interview, he says they averted a catastrophe by true luck. He wants them realize how fortunate they were. They need to care about themselves and their loved ones. In the end, it’s all they’ve got.

Later this season, fireworks, boob sweat, onesies, a top-notch chef, Josiah in gold lamé, Rhylee hooks up with Tyler, nasty guests, the boat goes sideways, Ross says enough’s enough with Rhylee, a guest falls off a jet ski, Laura tells Kate to check herself, and Kate wants Laura fired or she’ll quit.

🍸 Important news – Vanderpump Rules will be on Sunday at 9 pm. Why? Who knows. Bravo likes to mess with me. According to the digital guide, it will also be rerun in its regular slot on Monday.

🍹 Angst in the OC…

Vicki really shouldn’t have said that, but what else is new?

https://radaronline.com/exclusives/2018/12/rhoc-kelly-dodd-vicki-gunvalson-fight-jealous-cocaine-accusations/?utm_source=email&em_hash=72048a93bc8188334dc1071a32fe8f3b

When is Shannon not breaking down?

https://radaronline.com/exclusives/2018/12/rhoc-reunion-recap-shannon-beador-breaks-down-fight/?utm_source=email&em_hash=72048a93bc8188334dc1071a32fe8f3b

🎄 Todd’s Christmas 2014

Even better than RudolphOne Life to Live‘s reveal that Todd Manning is the Lord heir. Todd using a crushed beer can as a tree ornament isn’t until the second link, but if you want to watch both, one leads into the other.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8W4cHLYAz0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgo7wJIetNs

OLTLTodd