Tag Archives: One Life to Live

January 14, 2022 – Laura Has a Family Meeting, Back On, Anniversary, Returning, Undecided, Salty Talk, New Old Romance, Awards, Final Tally, Puppies (!), 22’s First Baker’s Dozen Of Quotes & Birthday

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Drew sits at the MetroCourt bar looking at the picture of him that Scout made. Carly comes in, and asks what he has, and he shows her, saying, it’s a portrait of him made by a budding young artist who goes by the name of Scout. It looks just like him, wouldn’t she say? She does say, and adds it’s good he appreciates the effort. He asks if she’s okay. After the other night on the bridge, he wants her to know she can talk to him. Her phone rings, and it’s Michael, so she steps away to take it. She asks, what’s up?

Laura asks Doc if he thinks there’s any chance this could work, and he says, either way, she has to try, right? She says, absolutely. She can’t just stand by and watch her family fall apart. She says they should get going on this, and calls upstairs to Spencer. He asks what he can do for her. It’s not about his take-out order of dinner, is it? She says, no. It’s about a family meeting. He says, what’s tonight’s topic? and she says, family unity. There’s a knock at the door, and Doc lets Nikolas in.

Britt says, Brad poisoned Peter? He means literally poisoned him, not a figure of speech? He says, literally, but she doesn’t believe it, and says, he’s no killer. He says he’s done some pretty horrible things, and she says, agreed; so has she. But murder? She gets up, and says, he hadn’t crossed that threshold. He says he still hasn’t. Peter’s not dead. She says, attempted murder doesn’t score him any points, and he says he didn’t know what he was doing until after the fact. She says, okay. How did he get the poison? He says, his Aunt Selena. I’m not sure why they’re both acting like this is the worst crime of the century, since, had Brad succeeded, he would have been doing the world a favor. And how come Selena wasn’t on top of this, and someone finish the job?

Ava goes to Nina’s office, and hears Martin saying that Nina’s in the clear now. It might be in her best interest to let sleeping dogs lie. Nina sees Ava, and tells her to come in. She’s just finishing up with Martin. Ava says she thought Scotty was Nina’s lawyer, but Nina says she had to fire him after he forced Willow to talk about her relationship with Sonny on the witness stand. Ava says, which got the identity fraud charges dropped. It’s thanks to Scotty that her legal problems are over, or has something new come up? Nina says, there’s nothing new. It’s still what it’s always been about; her grandson Wiley.

Michael says, Carly moved out? Where is she? She says she has a suite at the MetroCourt. She just needed some time away from Sonny so she could get her head straight. He asks if she took Donna and Avery with her, but she says, no. She couldn’t disrupt their lives, and Avery has been so clingy with Sonny since he got home. She didn’t want the girls to think she and their father were having problems. She told them that she was working a lot at the MetroCourt and had to stay over. She’ll be there at night before the go to bed, and first thing in the morning when they go to school. Michael says, that’s a lot, and she’ll probably run into dad. Won’t it be too much for her? She says, yeah, but keeping some semblance of stability and seeing the girls will be worth it. What about him? Has he talked to Sonny since Nina’s hearing? Sonny walks in, and Michael says he’ll call her back.

Ava asks how Nina expects Martin to help her with Wiley. No offense. Martin says, none taken, but maybe they should discuss this another time. Nina says they can speak freely in front of Ava, and tells Ava that she’s consulting Martin about ways to ensure she can see Wiley. Ava asks if she’s talking about taking Michael and Willow to court, and Nina says, it’s an option. Martin says, if memory serves, he and Ava were discussing the same point a while back. How in the state of New York, if a biological parent is deceased… Ava says, yes, and a biological grandparent has the right to visitation. She asks if Nina is sure she wants to start poking this hornet’s nest. She doesn’t think she and Michael can work something out between the two of them? Nina says, with Carly whispering in Michael’s ear? No, not likely.

Michael says he didn’t expect to see Sonny here, and Sonny says, he heard Michael was speaking to Frank about his whereabouts, instead of talking to him directly. Michael says he’s still processing. He couldn’t believe what he heard that Sonny said on the stand, and Sonny says he didn’t want Michael’s mom to hear that on the stand. Whatever he and Nina had is over. Michael says, what happened between Sonny and Nina is none of his business, but the look on mom’s face when she told him about it? That, he can’t forgive.

Drew finds Carly in a private lounge area, and says her name. She says, she’s sorry. It’s been a day. It’s been a really rough day. He says he really hopes things get better, and starts to leave, but she says, he’s not going to ask her what’s going on? He says, it seems like she’s got a lot on her mind, and she says, it’s because of New Year’s Eve, isn’t it? She’s sorry. She should have never put him off, and acted the way she did. He says she has nothing to apologize for. He’s not trying to take Jason’s place – been there, done that – but just know, if she ever needs a shoulder… She says she does.

Laura thanks Nikolas for coming, and Spencer says, no Ava? At least grandmother realizes she isn’t part of our family. Nikolas says, Ava is most definitely part of this family, and Laura agrees. She invited Ava, but Ava politely declined. Nikolas says, Ava was being thoughtful. She probably thought her being here would make the conversation less smooth. Spencer says, she’s probably out spending his money, and Nikolas says, what was that? Spencer says, when she summoned him to the MetroCourt to discuss the work he’d being doing for her at the gallery to make restitution – after he serves his sentence – she made it a point of throwing it in his face that she was using money from his trust fund to cover their tab. Doc comes in, and says he thinks they’re getting off track, and Laura says she’s very sorry she wasn’t here when everything fell apart between the two of them. Spencer says, translation, when Nikolas lost his mind and gave Ava control of his trust fund, and Nikolas says, because Spencer refuses to accept that Ava is part of this family. Spencer says, not his family, and Doc suggests they take it down a notch. Laura says, how about if they all sit down? but Spencer says, he’ll stand.

Brad tells Britt, his aunt told him to deliver a specific food tray to a specific cell in solitary. When he got there, he realized he was transporting a meal for Peter August, and that there might be something suspect about it. She says, he had no idea whatsoever? Why did he think his aunt was catering for anyone, let alone Peter? Brad says, he had his suspicions, but it was the only way she’d help with the parole board. Britt says, now she has leverage. Brad does her bidding or she’ll tip off the cops about Peter’s adventures in not-so fine dining. He says, nothing that satiric. He’s afraid his aunt will kill him if he tries to defy her. There’s a knock at the door, and Britt says, come in. Dante walks in, and Britt asks what she can do for him. She asks if it has something to do with a patient’s confidential medical information, but he says, no. Not currently. He has information about Peter August. She says, what about Peter? and he says he wants to discuss plans to have Peter moved to the infirmary in Pentenville. According to his doctor, he’s going to be strong enough to travel pretty soon. Brad sighs, and Dante asks if Brad has something to say. Britt says, soon isn’t now. How can she help facilitate this transfer? Dante says, that’s what he’s here to try and coordinate. They have to make sure all the boxes are checked. They need to have the medical records done by the medical director, and schedule the appropriate section meeting before they can have him released. Once that’s done, they can issue a transfer warrant. He knows it’s a lot, and he’ll walk her through it, but they can’t have anyone dropping the ball on this one. She says, agreed. Let her look at Peter’s labs, and they can talk tomorrow. Dante says, sounds good; give him a call. He stops before he goes out the door, and says, hey, Brad. What’s this he hears about Brad staying with Selena Wu? Brad says, she’s his aunt, and Dante says, that’s a good idea, right? Getting close to the head of the Wu crime family while you’re on parole. Watch your step. Britt asks why Dante is harassing Brad. Dante’s brother is the one threatening people. Dante says, Michael? and she says, yes, Michael. He threatened Brad at the MetroCourt in front of everyone. Dante asks if she was a witness to this alleged threat, and she says she heard about it. Dante says, so no, and asks if Brad wants to file a complaint, but Brad says, no need. He just wants to get on with his life. Dante says, sounds like they’re done here, and Britt says, tell his brother that Brad won’t be intimidated, and Dante says, sure. He asks her to let him know when she has those labs, and leaves. She says, that went well, and Brad pops an antacid.

Laura says, Nikolas and Spencer are so much alike, and Doc says, birds of a feather. Nikolas says he’s sorry. As the adult, he shouldn’t have let Spencer bait him. Spencer says, Nikolas keeps forgetting he’s an adult too. He has a job, and makes his own money. He’s certainly not relying on an inherited family fortune. Laura says she’s proud of him for that. She’s proud he kept his job at Kelly’s, even though it wasn’t easy for him. Spencer thanks her, and says, he’s adjusted. After he serves his time, both at Ava’s gallery and Spring Ridge, he can start saving up for his own place. Laura says, this is exactly what she wanted to talk about. He’s only got a few weeks before he goes to Spring Ridge, and serving a 30 day sentence. And going to prison, even if it’s a minimum security prison, is going to test his emotional and mental strength. She knows he can do it, and has every faith in him. Look how stubborn he’s being now. She thinks it would be better and easier if when he went to Spring Ridge, he had his whole family standing by him. She turns to Nikolas, and says, she thinks it’s important. Does Nikolas think he can reconcile with his son before Spencer goes to prison? Nikolas says, he wants that. He hates the walls between them. He misses his son. Spencer says he misses Nikolas too. He sits down, and Esme comes in. She asks, what’s going on? and Spencer says, they’re just having a meeting. Grandmother wants him to make peace with his father. She says, is that what he wants? He gets up, and says, no. She says she’s glad she came home when she did. Don’t worry. She won’t let his family gang up on him. She takes off her coat, and stands in front of them with her arms folded.

Nina tells Ava that Willow came to her last night, and suggested she give up her legal rights to Wiley as a gesture of good will to Michael. Ava says, that sounds extreme, and Nina says, she accused Willow of doing Michael’s dirty work, but Willow said it was her own idea. She promised to do everything she can to get through to Michael so Nina can still be in Wiley’s life. Ava says, Nina can’t give up her rights to her grandchild, and Martin says, he explained doing so would be irrevocable. If Nina legally abdicates her rights as Wiley’s legal grandmother, she can’t turn around and take them back if Willow failed to soften Michael’s attitude. Nina says, it’s too risky. She can’t take that chance. She picks up Wiley’s photo, and Ava says, then don’t. Do not give up her rights; listen to Martin. Nina says she did, and they were talking about the alternatives, which include going to court, so she can guarantee she has a right to see Wiley. Ava says, she’d be going on the offensive. Is she ready to do that? Nina says, what other choice does she have? She can’t just wait around for Michael’s mood to soften. She wants to be part of her grandson’s life now. Ava says, of course (🍷) she does. The question is – she looks at Martin – can Nina win? He says, she can definitely win. The problem is, is she really ready to burn down that last bridge?

Drew asks if Carly just wants to dive right in and talk about it, but Carly wants to hear about something that makes her smile. Why doesn’t he tell her about Scout? He says, she’s amazing. She’s getting more comfortable every time they see each other, just like Sonny said she would. Him, on the other hand, he’s been gone so long, half of Scout’s life. He has a lot of catching up to do, things to learn. What’s her favorite color? Her best friend’s name? He asked her what her favorite flavor of ice cream was, and she was so confused, like, you don’t know? You’re my daddy. Carly says, that must have hurt, and he says, he just told her that he had a lot to learn, and she needs to teach him. That made her happy. It brought home how much time they’ve lost and how many things they have to get back. She says, reunions are tough. As happy as you are to reconnect, you realize the person has changed since you last saw them.

Sonny tells Michael, when he came home he was hit with a lot of things. Michael’s mom was getting married. He wanted to tell her, but then Jason died. He did the best he could for his family. Michael says, Nina lied to Sonny, to them, for months. How is it best for his family to protect her? Sonny says he understands; Michael wants to hold Nina accountable. He’s not saying anything about that. Michael says, but Sonny doesn’t understand what he’s feeling, because if he did, he would have never stood up for Nina at that hearing.

Doc asks Esme to allow him to buy her a cup of coffee while the family talks, but Esme says she thinks she should be here. Spencer says, go, it’s fine. Please go. He needs to do this on his own. She kisses him, and says, if he needs her, just text her. She’ll come right back. Doc opens the door, and says, shall we? Esme snatches up her coat, and they leave. Spencer shrugs, and says, Esme seems to be the only one who’s there for him, and Nikolas says, he wants to be there for Spencer, but Esme’s attitude of us-against-them isn’t helping. Spencer says, and Ava’s idea of family unity is? Laura asks if they can please get back to where they were. It’s really only about the two of them, father and son. Do try to leave everyone else out of it. It’s really frustrating for her, because she knows how much they love each other. Nikolas says he does love Spencer, and Spencer says he felt the love all those years Nikolas let him believe he was dead.

Drew tells Carly, it amazes him how quickly Scout warmed up to him, as if nothing bad ever happened to her in her life. She’s fearless. Who knows? Maybe there will come a time in her life when she doesn’t remember daddy wasn’t around to tuck her in. She says, the father/daughter bond is so special. She’d never want to deprive Avery or Donna of it ever. He asks, why would she? and she says, she and Sonny are having a problem. He says he’s sorry to hear that. Who threw the first vase this time? She laughs, and says, nothing was thrown. She moved out.

Nina says, maybe she should give it more thought before she take legal action, and Martin says he thinks that would be advisable. Why set something like that in motion if she’s not certain? In the meantime, he’ll see if he can find any precedents that help or hurt her cause, should she decide to go forward. Nina says she likes that idea, and he says he’ll be in touch. He leaves, and Ava sits down. She says, that must have been some chat with Willow to get Nina to contemplate legal action. Nina says, Willow was her second visitor; Carly was her first. She stormed in here, and demanded all the details about what happened between her and Sonny in Nixon Falls. Ava asks, how did that go? and Nina says she went all scorched earth; she held nothing back. Ava says, define scorched earth, and Nina says, she told the truth. That if she hadn’t said no, Sonny would have made love to her.

Nikolas says he’s sorry he didn’t tell Spencer he was alive, but he didn’t want to bring Spencer into the lie, and Spencer was better off. He can’t change his past mistakes, and will always regret hurting Spencer. Laura says, part of growing up is learning to forgive the people who’ve hurt us. Does Spencer want to keep carrying this pain around with him, or does he want to have a relationship with his father now? She thinks it’s time to let bygones be bygones, and move forward as a family. Spencer laughs, and gets up, and she asks if she said something funny. Spencer says, she sounds a lot like Uncle Victor.

At the Bistro, Doc assures Esme, Spencer will be fine. It’s just a family meeting. What has her so upset? She says she’s not upset. She just doesn’t like being dragged away from her boyfriend when he needs her. Doc says, he recalls Spencer asking her to leave, but she says, that’s because he didn’t want to look weak in front of his father. He asks if she thinks Spencer is weak, and she tells him, don’t try to shrink her. She knows a thing or two about psychology herself. He says, that’s right. How is that internship at Spring Ridge going? She says she’s enjoying it. She finds the criminal mind fascinating. She’s sure Doc can relate. She’s read his books on the subject. He says, has she? and she says, which is why she doesn’t understand how he can say Spence being with family makes him safe, considering his brother is Ryan Chamberlain. It’s hard not to notice the large succulent on the table, possibly some hybrid spawn of the moss bowl🎍. I’ll be keeping an eye on it.

Brad thanks Britt for standing up for him with Dante, and she says she’ll always stand up for him, but he needs to stop popping those antacids and strengthen that spine. Get his mojo back. Never mind how he got his parole; he’s out now. Leave that prison mentality behind, and start thinking, start acting like a free man. He asks if he wasn’t clear enough. his aunt’s hospitality comes with a price tag, and a huge spotlight. The last thing he wants is police scrutiny. She asks if his aunt has threatened him outright, but he says, not directly. In fact, Aunt Selena’s been very kind, while she controls his whole existence. That’s why he had to wait until she was out of town to visit Britt. He doesn’t know how to distance himself from her without creating offense. People who offend Selena Wu tend to disappear.

Ava says, Nina told Carly that Sonny wanted to have sex with her? Nina says, she was pushing and demanding specifics. She wouldn’t shut up about it. Ava says she knows how relentless Carly can be. But that she came to Nina tells her that Carly is worried. She asks if Nina has heard from Sonny, but Nina says, not since New Year’s Eve. Ava asks if he’s still staying at his place in Harbor View Towers, and Nina says, according to Carly, he’s home. He just wants his family back. Ava says, that doesn’t necessarily have to include Carly, and Nina says, since when? Ava says, she doesn’t know when the tide turned, but the fact Carly was here talking to Nina, instead of home, working things out, reinforces what Ava told Nina the other day. Sonny is still in love with Nina, and Carly knows it.

Sonny tells Michael, he wasn’t going to lie on the stand. Yes, Michael’s mother should have heard about Nina from him, but every time he wanted to say something, it wasn’t the right time. Michael says, Sonny could have found the time, and Sonny yells, he can’t change what happened. He can only be there for the family now; reassure them that they can count on him. Michael says, he was counting on Sonny to help him put Nina behind bars. Instead, they were all blindsided by what he said on the stand. Because of Sonny, the charges against Nina were dropped. That’s not protecting his family. They start to argue loudly, when Dante comes in and says, hey, enough!

Carly tells Drew, she can’t stay in the house with Sonny, because if she does, she can’t breathe, and can’t figure out how she’s feeling. He says, she needs to trust her instincts, and she tells him, Jason used to say that. Drew says, Jason knew her best, and she says, she’s going to be there in the morning when the girls get up, and she’ll be there at night to put them to bed. She wants to keep as much consistency as possible for them. He thinks it’s great she’s thinking about the kids. She’s an incredible mother; it’s obvious the kids are her priority. But does she know how, on an airplane, they tell you to put your oxygen mask on before your child’s? She nods, and he says, that’s because you’re not going to do your kid any good if you’re passed out. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do for you. That way she can be the best mom for Donna and Avery. She says she doesn’t want to break up her family, and he says, from what he’s seen, she and Sonny are the real deal. They’ll find their way back together. She says, what if they can’t? and he says, then he refers her to his original advice of trust her instincts. She thanks him, and says she owes him an apology.

Nina tells Ava, Sonny’s in love with her? She hadn’t even allowed herself to consider that, even though Sonny did say on the stand he was in love with her in Nixon Falls. Maybe more of his feelings survived when he got his memory back than Nina thought. Ava says, there’s no maybe about it. Carly is running scared for a reason. Obviously, she sees Nina as a threat to her marriage. Nina says, everything is nuts right now, but if Sonny and Carly separate, does Ava think there’s a chance for her and Sonny to be together here in Port Charles? Ava says, not if Nina sues Michael for visitation with Wiley. If Nina goes to war with Michael, she’ll lose Sonny forever.

Dante asks, what’s going on? and Michael asks what Dante is doing here. Dante says he came to talk to Michael about something else, but never mind that. Why are they yelling at each other? Michael says, his mom is living at the MetroCourt, and Dante says, he’s sorry to hear that. Michael says, she moved out because dad refuses to leave the house, and Dante says, he thought Sonny was at the penthouse. Sonny says he’s not giving up on his marriage, but they’re at an impasse, and he called Carly’s bluff. Michael says, she wasn’t bluffing, and Sonny says he didn’t expect her to leave; he’s not giving up. He’s getting Michael’s mother back. Michael says, by ignoring what she wants? and Dante says, it’s a tough situation for everyone, okay? Michael says, that’s easy for Dante to say. His mom’s not the one who’s got to stay away.   

Ryan says, his brother is a very dangerous man, but Esme isn’t really comparing Laura and Nikolas to Ryan, is she? She says, no. She just means people go on and on about how great family is, but psychopaths have families too. He says, yes, they do, and sometimes we’re hurt by the people we love and trust. She must been hurt when her parents died. She says, of course (🍷). She was devastated. He says, Spencer told him she has siblings, but he’s never heard her mention them. Were they separated when their parents died? She says, they’re not close, but they were talking about his brother; Ryan, his twin. Does he ever visit Ryan at Spring Ridge? She’s never seen him there. He says he monitors Ryan’s progress, but he doesn’t visit, and she asks if people with Locked-In Syndrome ever recover. He asks just how much time is she spending with Ryan? but she says, barely any. His case just stands out. Doc says, Ryan is not a simple case study. He’s a man who’s killed people, and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again, given half the chance. If she ever saw who Ryan really is, she woudn’t be intrigued. She’d be terrified, and she’d be right to be so.

Laura asks how she sounds like Victor, and Spencer says, Uncle Victor gave him a whole speech on family loyalty. Laura says, this is very important. Do not fall prey to Victor’s manipulations. Spencer asks, what happened to forgiveness? She doesn’t have any of that for Uncle Victor? She says she misspoke. We forgive the people who are truly sorry for having hurt us. That’s not Victor. Spencer says, Uncle Victor might not be the most popular person, but Victor’s always been good to him. Nikolas says he knows how important family is to Spencer, but he doesn’t have to turn to Victor. Nikolas is right here. He loves Spencer. He wants his son back.

Britt says, they can figure out a way to get the better of Brad’s Aunt Selena, and he asks if she’s been paying attention. The woman is formidable. She says, so are they. Formidable, and well-versed in wiggling out of trouble. He says, except when they get caught. He just doesn’t see a way out of this. His aunt has him under her thumb, and has already warned him to stay away from Britt. Britt says, so what? She’s there for him, no matter what his control freak aunt wants. He asks if she’s sure, and she says she’s stood up to worse than his Aunt Selena, and lived to tell. He’s her best friend. She’s not letting his aunt take him from her. He says, he’s lucky to have her, even if she did betray him by getting another wingman. She says, he’s back! She just had an idea. She might know someone who could help him.

Doc hopes Esme heeds his warning about Ryan. He’s not being dramatic; it’s for her own safety. She says, got it. How much longer does she have to wait before she can go back to Spence? He says, Laura will text when they’re finished. He asks if Esme is still worried, and says, she doesn’t need to protect Spencer from his family. It seems to him, not long ago she was pushing for a reconciliation. What happened? She says, maybe it has something to do with him being sent to a correctional facility, and his family is letting it happen. Doc says, Spencer committed a crime. There was nothing they could do about that. She says, Ava never had to press charges in the first place, and he says, she wanted Spencer to take responsibility. Esme says she guesses Ava got what she wanted, and he says, they’re all on Spencer’s side. She asks if he’ll excuse her. She needs to use the ladies room. She promises not to sneak out. He says he didn’t expect her to, but thanks for the heads up. She leaves, and he makes a call. He says, it’s Dr. Collins for Warden Brewster. It’s urgent. He needs to restrict who has access to Ryan Chamberlain.

Spencer says he wants Nikolas back too – without Ava. Nikolas says, this again, and Laura says, honestly? Spencer says, those are his terms, and Nikolas says, Spencer is being completely unreasonable. Spencer says he guesses there’s nothing left to say, and walks off. Nikolas tells Laura, he tried. He needs to go. Laura loudly says, same time next week, and Spencer stops and says, they’re doing this again? She says, he thought this was a one and done? Absolutely not. She’s not giving up on the two of them. They’re going to keep talking, because talking to each other is the only way they’ll be able to work this out.

Ava says, Nina knows how Sonny is about his kids. If he has to choose between Michael and Nina… Nina says, no contest, and any hope of her having a life with Sonny will be dashed, but what about Wiley? She doesn’t want that little boy growing up with Carly’s version of her; he’ll hate her. Ava says, Sonny’s on Nina’s side. He’ll get Michael to come around. Nina says, but won’t Michael just hate her even more because she broke up his parents’ marriage? but Ava says, seems like his parents’ marriage is exploding all on its own. Nina just has to stand back and let it happen. Maybe be around to pick up the pieces. Nina says, it’s a great fantasy, but Ava says, it’s not a fantasy. Just play cool. Play her cards right, and Nina can have Wiley and Sonny in her life. Isn’t that what she really wants?

Drew says, Carly has nothing to apologize about, but she says she does. When Jason came home, she got so caught up in having him back, she was totally focused on that, when Drew was having a hard time. He says, it was a crazy situation, and looking back, he didn’t handle it well. She says, how could he? He was still trying to come to terms with what happened to him, and who he was. He says, he pulled away from her and Sonny too; it was a tough time. She says she wishes she’d been a better friend, and he says she’s a great friend. He hopes she hasn’t been worried about this; he’s long over it. She says she doesn’t really know him that well; the real Drew Cain, separate from Jason. She’s glad she got a second chance. He says, him too. Look what she almost missed. They laugh.

Dante says, Michael is being protective of his mother; he’s being protective of his father. But neither of them are in the relationship. They’re on the outside, looking in, so they can’t judge. Decisions were made, and now they all have to deal with the consequences, right? Sonny says, that’s exactly what he’s trying to do, and Michael says, now, after the truth has come out. Sonny says he loves Michael’s mother. Does Michael know that or not? Michael says he does. He loves them both, but hates seeing mom in so much pain. Dante says, they’re all just trying to protect their family, and Michael says, that’s what he’s trying to do, but dad needs to give mom what she’s asking for, which is space and… Sonny gets loud, and yells, why does Michael keep asking him to do something? He can’t make amends if Carly won’t talk to him. Dante asks if Sonny is okay, and Sonny says, he’s okay. He’s just got to talk to Carly. Michael says, but he can’t push. Sonny says he doesn’t like waiting, but for Michael’s mother, he’ll wait.

On Monday, Laura asks if Curtis is ready to accept his father back into his life, Marshall asks why Epiphany isn’t following her dream, and Diane asks Carly if this is a step she wants to take.

🏥 In and Out Item…

Apparently, GH won’t miss a beat.

💖 Ten Years…

Not exactly the anniversary you want to celebrate, but it’s nice to look back. It was always my favorite of the ABC soaps.

👸🏼 Don’t Call Her Princess…

Felicia’s back and feistier than ever. I have a dog named Felicia, but so far no reaction when they say Felicia on GH. And no, she wasn’t named after the GH character, but after a character in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

🎢 VickiCoaster…

It seems she can’t decide whether she’s happy or angry about the break-up.

🧂 Salt Shaking…

What’s happening with The Real Housewives of Salt Lake.

And what’s to come.

💏 For the Gram…

I don’t know how they came full circle here, but I don’t know if I’m picking up what they’re putting down.

🏆 Bundling Awards…

Daytime viewers will be interested.

Probably the most people are interested, since it’s somewhat of an Oscar nomination prediction.

https://www.cnet.com/news/golden-globes-2022-the-full-list-of-award-winners/

And there’s the booze.

Fewer people will care about this.

https://ew.com/awards/sag-awards/2022-sag-awards-nominations-list/

And so few people cared, it’s not even happening.

https://ew.com/awards/critics-choice-awards-postponed/

🥀 Roll Call of 2021…

Those we loved and lost.

🐶 Sending You Off With a Doggy Bag…

Puppy Bowl 2022!

https://ew.com/tv/puppy-bowl-xviii-photos/

https://ourcommunitynow.com/sports/meet-the-super-cute-puppies-competing-in-puppy-bowl-2022

🐝 Quotes of the Week

If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. – Milton Berle (Or kick one out.)

It is better to be hated for what you are than loved for what you are not.Andre Gide

Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people. – Spencer Johnson

Celery, useless except when used as a peanut butter delivery system. – Mike Baxter (Tim Allen), Last Man Standing

Tough times never last. Tough people do. – Robert Schuller

Remember to be gentle with yourself and others. We are all children of chance and none can say why some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath the August sun. – Kent Nerburn

How to sell books in 2020: Put them near the toilet paper. – New York Times

The best proof of love is trust. – Joyce Brothers

Apology is a lovely perfume; it can transform the clumsiest moment in to a gracious gift. – Margaret Lee Runbeck

To free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves – there lies the great, singular power of self-respect. – Joan Didion

Before you’ll change, something important must be at risk. – Richard Bach

Success or failure depends more upon attitude than upon capacity… successful men act as though they have accomplished or are enjoying something. Soon it becomes reality. Act, look, feel successful, conduct yourself accordingly, and you will be amazed at the positive results. – DuPree Jordan, Jr. (Getting out my tiara…)

Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear. – George Addair

🥨 Late Night Snack Time…

Whether you call the next two days the weekend, or you refuse to bow to labeling days anymore, Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Until then, stay safe, stay having a dream, and stay not judging by skin color, but by content of character.

January 7, 2022 – Sonny Goes Back Home, Postponed, Luke’s Death, an Exit, Last Bow, Possible Wife, SI DUI, Ring Clap, Ringing It In, the First Dozen Quotes This Year & a Tale

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the Deception office, Chase asks if Brook is working late. She says he didn’t have to come himself. She would have called the baby nurse to pick up Bailey. He says, now that Peter’s awake, he doesn’t want to take any chances. If it were up to him, he’d never take his eyes off this little angel. (Bailey is really cute, and one of those very aware babies who seems to know what’s expected in a scene.) Brook says she appreciates that. Unfortunately, Peter isn’t their only problem now that her grandmother is back in town. He says, her grandmother Tracy? and she says, yes. If he sees her anywhere in the house, steer clear. He doesn’t want anything to do with her. He says, so she doesn’t want him to take Bailey back to the house? and she says, kind of like at the last possible moment. He tells Bailey, it looks like it’s just you and me, kid.

Trina and Ava are seated at the MetroCourt, and Ava asks for another place setting. Trina asks if someone is joining them, and Ava says, yes. This is a working dinner with their new employee. Spencer walks in, and Ava says, he’s right on time.

At Charlie’s, Cameron tells Josslyn, there’s a lull right now, so if she wants to vent about her mom and Sonny, now would be the time. Josslyn says she’s so pissed at Sonny, and he says, keep going. She says, he totally protected Nina in court. She’ll never have to pay for what she did. He doesn’t even view it as a crime. He’s completely betrayed his family, especially her mom. Cameron asks if her mom has said anything, but she says, not directly. He should have seen her on New Year’s; she was hurting so bad. He takes her hand, and says he’s sorry her family has to go through this, but he thinks everything will be okay. How many times have her mom and Sonny been married? She says, one more time than they’ve been divorced, and he says, exactly. He thinks they’ll get through this. She says, this time, she’s not so sure. She really thinks her mom and Sonny may have broken up for real. Esme walks in, and says, oh my God. That’s terrible. Josslyn says, it is, and thanks her. Esme asks if that means they can’t use the cabin.

Phyllis knocks at Nina’s office door, and asks if she’s interrupting. Nina says, is she kidding? Of course (🍷) not. She’s exactly the person Nina needed to see. She takes Phyllis’s hands, and says, as a matter-of-fact, she was going to drop by Charlie’s when she got off work. Phyllis is glad she saved Nina a trip, and Nina says she bets Phyllis can guess what she needed to talk about. Phyllis says, the hearing? and Nina says, it was crazy. She won’t believe what happened. Phyllis says she knows exactly what happened. It finally came out that Nina and Sonny fell in love. Nina says, it was a disaster, and Phyllis says, she’s right. So what is she going to do about it?

Olivia says, Sonny told Carly how he felt about Nina, and she was honest with him about how she felt about Jason on her wedding day, but has she been honest with Sonny about how she feels about Jason still? Sonny walks in, and Carly asks what he’s doing here. He says, he lives here, and doesn’t want to leave until they settle things. He asks Olivia if he can have time with his wife, and Olivia says, of course (🍷). She was just on her way out. She tells Carly that she’s rooting for her; don’t let her down. She leaves, and Sonny asks how Donna and Avery are. She says, they miss him. She told them that he was away on business. He says he doesn’t want them to think he’s gone, and she says, unlike Nina, she has no desire to keep him away from his family. He says, good, because he wants to come home. They’ve been apart too long. He knows he made a mistake, and he should have told her from the beginning, despite his reasons. She asks, what reasons? and he says he told her, Jason died. She says, then Sasha and Brando lost their baby, and he didn’t want to cause any more pain. He says, Sasha and Brando went through a terrible tragedy, and it broke his heart. Then they lost Jason, and Carly was able to express her hurt and grief. He lost his best friend, his brother, and he had to stuff all that inside. He had to be tough for her. He didn’t want to lose her, and didn’t want this thing with Nina to come between them. He didn’t say anything, and he should have, and it made it worse. But now, he’s been apart from her for nine months, and one night. He doesn’t want to spend one more minute without her.

Elizabeth sees Finn in the hospital locker room, and he asks if they’re still on for tonight. She asks, why wouldn’t they be? and he says he doesn’t know. Emergency? Family? Friends? The weather? She laughs, and he says, maybe she’s having second thoughts? She says, no, never. There’s no way she’s missing their first official date. She even brought a dress for the occasion. Don’t tell her that he changed his mind. He says, him? No. He’s just – he takes her hand – he’s just really happy if she feels like she can move on with him. She flashes back to putting her ring away, and says she thinks Franco would want her to be happy, and she is happy, with him. He kisses her.

Josslyn says, that’s nice. Her mother’s marriage is falling apart, and Esme is worried about a weekend getaway. Esme says she’s right; it was insensitive of her, and she’s truly sorry. Josslyn says, apology accepted, and Esme says, it’s just that all she can think about is Spence. He’s with Ava right now to discuss restitution. It’s torture. Not only this business with Ava, but the whole going to prison thing. She sits down, and says, the only thing Spence was looking forward to was their time in the cabin. Josslyn says she’s really sorry, but the last thing she wants is to ask Sonny for anything, and Esme says she understands. She doesn’t know how she’s going to tell Spence the weekend is off. On top of everything else, how can she take this from him too?

Spencer says he didn’t know Trina was going to be there, and Trina says, same here. She’ll leave if they’re going to be discussing… He says, please don’t leave on his account. He never minds seeing her. Ava on the other hand… He sits down, and Ava says, there’s no need to flatter Trina; he already has the job. He says, a job is usually paid for; this seems like indentured servitude. Ava says, court mandated indentured servitude. He owes her. The fake blood did damage to her gallery, not to mention the art itself. She opens the menu, and suggests they have a little something to eat before they talk business. Surf, turf, or both? Spencer says, he can’t afford to eat anything there. Ava has a stranglehold on his trust fund. Ava asks who he thinks is paying for this meal? She tells Trina to order whatever she likes. It’s on Spence.

Brook asks if Chase has heard anything about his suspension, but he says, not a peep. Which is fine. Not having to work means having more time to look after this little troublemaker, and when he’s not watching her, he fills his time with working out, and looking up brand new facts. Did she know the severed head of a sea slug can grow its whole body back? She says she doesn’t find that fascinating; she finds it repulsive. He says, why can’t it be both? and she asks if he’s really okay. He says, he was just so eager to get out of the wheelchair, and now that he’s able-bodied, he’s still kept from doing what he loves. It’s beyond frustrating. She says she’s so sorry, and he says, he told her, it’s not her fault. She says she can’t help but feel responsible. He was suspended for punching Valentin in her honor. He says he would do it all over again. Olivia comes by, and says, thank God Brook’s here. Brook asks if anyone is hurt, but Olivia says, not yet, but if Brook doesn’t talk her down, she’s going to Crimson, and rearranging Nina’s lying face.

Nina says, Phyllis knows what happened at the hearing? She was under the weather, so Nina assumed she was out of the loop. Phyllis says, one thing she’ll never take for granted again, in Nixon Falls, when she and Lenny had problems with their marriage, they never ended up on the news. Nina says, what? Phyllis found out about this on the news? Phyllis says, yes, and Kristina also filled her in on what happened at the hearing. Nina is sure Kristina had a mouthful to say about her, and Phyllis says, she did, but she’s hurt and confused, like Phyllis imagines Nina is. Nina says Phyllis has to believe her. She never wanted anyone to know about her and Sonny. No one, especially not like this. Now Sonny and Carly’s marriage was in trouble, and he was a wreck on New Year’s Eve. Phyllis says, she saw Sonny on New Year’s Eve? Alone? She’s asking for trouble.

Olivia says, then Willow testified that she heard Nina and Sonny talking about falling in love in Nixon Falls, which then Sonny confirmed, also on the stand. Chase says, poor Willow, and Brook asks, how’d Carly react? Chase says he has to meet his brother at GH, so he’ll take Bailey, and leave them to talk. Brook says, he’s introducing the baby to his brother? and he says, yeah. It’s going to be fine. He hands her a paper bag, saying, he almost forgot. He thought she might be working late, so he got her turkey on rye, her favorite. He added a banana because she always seems to steal his. Brook thanks him, but says, don’t think for a second her banana stealing days are over. He says he wouldn’t have it any other way, and says, goodbye, wheeling Bailey’s carriage out. When he’s gone, Olivia asks Brook to tell her every single detail. Brook says, about what? and Olivia says, her and Chase obviously.

Ava says, she and Trina came up with a list of projects Spencer can tackle at the gallery after he serves his sentence. Spencer says, if he’d thought this plea deal meant working for her, he’d have asked for more prison time, and Ava says, that’s gratitude for you. Luckily, she has good news. He won’t be working for her. He’ll be working for Trina.

Cameron tells Esme that he’ll break the news to Spence once he finds out what’s going on with Sonny, but Josslyn says, that’s okay. Esme’s right. They promised Spencer a fun time at the cabin, and considering it’s the last fun he’ll have in a long time… Esme says, that’s so decent of her. She knows it will mean the world to Spence. Josslyn says, the way she sees it, after what he did to her mom, Sonny owes her, and she could use some time away. Esme says she knows the feeling. Before they died, her parents were in the process of splitting up. It was brutal. Cameron says, it’s never easy; he’s sorry. What happened? Esme says, what didn’t? They both know the drill. He betrayed her, and they blamed each other. It was devastating. Josslyn says she’s sorry, and Esme thanks her, but says, she’s not. She may have been just a kid, but it taught her a valuable lesson. There’s a circle in hell reserved for people who tear families apart.

Nina says, nothing happened with Sonny, but Phyllis says, trust her. When the two of them are together, something happens. They have unresolved feelings for each other, and whether they act on those feelings or not is beside the point. Right now, being together, even casually, is inappropriate. Nina says, Phyllis is probably right, but Sonny has unresolved feelings for her. Phyllis asks what point Nina is making, and Nina says, she was chatting with her friend Ava, and it got her thinking. They all deserve happiness in life, right? She knows it sounds crazy, but right or wrong and not now, what if Sonny’s happiness lies with her?

Carly says, that’s the man she married, and Sonny says he thinks that’s who he is. She says, Sonny told her that he has reasons for keeping the truth about him and Nina from her. What reasons? He says, it doesn’t matter; it doesn’t exist. She says, that’s not the truth, and he asks what she means. She says, the reason he didn’t tell her was because he knew she’d ask the inevitable question. He asks if they have to do this now, and she says, yes, they do. She says she asked him last night, and she’s going to ask it again, and if he can’t answer it this time, he can turn around and leave. Does he have feelings for Nina? He doesn’t say anything, so she shouts, does he have feelings for Nina? and he says, yeah.

Trina says, Spencer’s working for her? But it’s Ava’s gallery. Ava says she won’t be there very much in the coming months. She and Nikolas are going to renew their vows. Their first wedding was last minute, so they want to plan something elegant, and in her absence, Trina will supervise. Spencer says, that’s no better. No offense, Trina. Trina asks if he thinks she wants this. Excuse her. She jets, and Spencer says, wait. Ava tells him, sit down. They’re not finished here yet.

Cameron says he knows how it feels. His family was torn apart when Franco was killed. He almost let his anger get the best of him. Esme says, sometimes anger can be fuel, and Josslyn’s phone rings. She excuses herself, and steps away. Outside, she asks Trina, what’s up? and Trina says she’s at the MetroCourt with Ava and Spencer, and things just went totally sideways.

Esme apologizes for getting intense, but Cameron says, she’s entitled. She thanks him, and says, it’s just that she didn’t grow up with her biological family, and the family that chose her imploded. That’s probably why she’s so devoted to Spence. He’s her family now. Cameron says, makes sense, but as far as anger… She says, he doesn’t agree? and he says, he’s sure she’s right. Anger can be fuel. But they can’t let it overrun them. Wasn’t it anger that drove her and Spencer to stalk Ava?

Sonny tells Carly, it’s complicated. He has feelings for Nina, but he’s getting over it. She says, you don’t just get over that, and he asks if she’s speaking from experience. She says, don’t do that. When he asked her about Jason, she was honest. He says, but she didn’t tell him right away, and she says, she told him within days. Didn’t she answer every question he asked? And she’s been asking for months for him to tell her what happened in Nixon Falls, and he was consciously keeping it from her. He says, that wasn’t him, but when she was with Jason, that was her. She says she doesn’t blame him for what he did as Mike, but he owes her the truth. He says they’re not going to be able to get through this if they’re not under the same roof, and she tells him, he said he wasn’t Nina’s victim. Now she realizes how true that was. Sonny was Nina’s accomplice.

Nina asks how many times Phyllis has told her, she and Sonny shouldn’t ignore their feelings for each other, but Phyllis says, she advised Nina to come to terms with her feelings. That’s very different. Nina says, if Sonny and Carly separate – if – does Phyllis think it’s possible for her and Sonny to be together? Phyllis says, first, she’ll answer the question Nina asked. Yes, it’s possible. Now she’ll answer the question Nina didn’t ask. If it’s possible, does she think Nina should act on her feelings? Hell no.

Josslyn says, basically, Spencer would be working as a handyman? Has he ever even held a hammer? Trina says she doesn’t think it’s just about the work. Ava isn’t making this easy on him. Josslyn says, he and Esme stalked Ava for months. They made implied threats to Avery, and, oh yeah, set Ava’s car on fire. She knows Spencer’s their friend, but after what he’s done, he’s getting off easy.   

Ava says she admits she had a little fun at Spencer’s expense, and he says, she means, kicked him when he was down. That’s low, even for her. She says, still not quite as low as leaving a teddy bear teddy with a murderer’s voice for her child to find. He asks, why involve Trina? and she says, besides paying for what he did to her, his true task is to make restitution to Trina. Does he think she needs the money him doing odd jobs at the gallery will save her? Restitution isn’t only about money. It’s about righting wrongs. Repairing what’s broken. Restoring what’s been stolen. He says he never took anything from Trina, and she asks if he can honestly say he didn’t hurt Trina. He says, one of his greatest regrets is how he treated Trina. He should have been honest. He should have told her that he already had a girlfriend. He shouldn’t asked her to cover for him, when she didn’t realize he was actually going after Ava. He doesn’t think he’ll be able to make that up to Trina, but Ava says, he can try. Him framing a few pictures with Trina at the gallery isn’t going to fix the trust that’s broken, but trying to make Trina’s job easier could go a long way.

On the phone, Trina says she thinks they calmed down a bit. It was looking pretty intense for a while. She thanks Josslyn for letting her vent, and Josslyn says, anytime. Trina knows Josslyn’s got her back.

Esme says, Cameron is right; about the anger thing, and what she and Spence did to Ava. She’s a work in progress. He says, they all are. Trust him, he’s not judging. If she knew what anger drove him to do when Franco was killed… She says, do tell, and he tells her, all he’ll say is, he was impulsive, and he was reckless. He’s very grateful he had people around him who were patient and forgiving. She says, angry Cameron sounds quite intriguing, and he says, she’ll never meet him, not if he can help it. Josslyn comes back in, and says, that was Trina. Sounds like Spencer’s super unhappy over whatever Ava cooked up for his restitution. Esme says, Trina’s there? Spence didn’t mention she’d be at the meeting. Cameron says, maybe he didn’t know, and Josslyn says, even if she is, what’s the big deal? They’re all friends here, right?   

Chase brings Bailey/Louise to the hospital, carrying her in a baby sling, and Elizabeth says it’s so nice to see her. Is she all snuggly and comfortable with her daddy? Finn says, it’s about time he got to meet his niece, and Elizabeth says, she’s beautiful. Chase says, that’s all her mother, and Finn says, definitely, but Elizabeth says she thinks Chase has something to do with it. She has to get back to work, and tells Chase, congratulations. She tells Finn that she’ll see him later, and leaves. Finn says he can’t believe his little brother is a father, and Chase says, Bailey’s not the only good news in the family. Is he imagining things, or do Finn and Elizabeth seem… closer? Finn says, he thinks he and Elizabeth have decided to see where this can go, and Chase asks, what finally changed? Finn says, she did; mostly. She’s been through a lot, and he thinks she’s ready now. Chase says, it’s been a tough year for both of them. He’s glad they can look forward to a future together. Finn suggests they not get ahead of themselves. And what about Chase? What does his future hold?

Brook tells Olivia that she and Chase are friends; there’s nothing going on with them. Olivia says she saw the energy between them, and don’t argue with her. She has a nose for these things. Brook says, that’s not why Olivia came there. How’s Carly taking the news about Sonny? Olivia says, that’s why she’s so steamed. Carly is so angry at Sonny right now, and rightfully so, but she’s also torn. She desperately wants to forgive Sonny, but it’s a massive betrayal to get past. Brook says, if Olivia can forgive her dad… Olivia says she’s forgiven him for many things, and Brook says, then Carly can forgive Uncle Sonny, can’t she?

Phyllis says, sorry she was so blunt, but Nina says, that’s okay. She just doesn’t want Phyllis to get worked up when she’s recovering. Phyllis says, some of the responsibility of this situation lies with her, and Nina says, no. What did Phyllis do? Phyllis says, if she’d been completely honest with Nina after Sonny regained his memory, Nina might not still be fantasizing about a future with him. As Lenny would say, it’s never too late for settin’ straight. So is Nina ready to get real?

Sonny says, Nina’s accomplice? and Carly says, he’s Nina’s protector. He told Carly to lay off Nina. He says, he didn’t want a war, and she says, look where that got them. He promised Nina would stay away from their family, but that didn’t stop the two of them from reminiscing in the hospital chapel. Is he kidding her? Is he going to stand in her way now, and asks her not to go after Nina, after she fired the first shot at the hearing? Is he? He says he doesn’t know what that’s going to accomplish; just forget about Nina. She says, like he has? and he says, she doesn’t want to trust him, and doesn’t want to forgive him. Is he wasting his time? Is she saying there’s no hope for their marriage?

Chase tells Finn, fatherhood has been great, so far, but without his job, he feels useless. Like he doesn’t have a purpose. And he gets the feeling he’s starting to bug Brook. Finn says, first things first. Being a dad is the greatest job there is. There’s nothing useless about spending time with his little girl. That being said, he understands Chase’s suspension has made him feel restless, but it’s not going to last forever. Chase says, here’s hoping, and Finn says, he thought Chase and Brook were good friends. Chase says, they usually are, but lately, their vibe has been off. Hanging out with Brook is effortless, but lately, it’s just awkward. He’s not sure what’s come between them. Finn laughs, and says, you’re wearing her, bro. Co-parenting Bailey with Brook has brought a new dynamic into their friendship. There’s bound to be some bumps in the road, but they’ll figure it out. Chase says, that makes sense, and Finn says, it’s going to all fall into place. Chase asks how Finn can be so sure, and Finn says, it comes from frequently being right. Just think of all the things Chase overcame this year, and he’s still standing, literally. Chase says, thanks to him, and Finn says, and Chase’s own resilience. He knows he’ll never have Chase’s optimism, but he hopes he can learn to embrace life like Chase does. Elizabeth goes by, whispers, hi, and Chase says, it looks like he already has.

Trina comes back to find Spencer heading for the reception area, and she asks where he’s going. He says he’s going to find a waitress. He can’t stand being here one more second. So he’s going to get his dinner to go. After all, he did pay for it. Trina says, Ava ambushed both of them. She didn’t know Ava was going to have her supervise him. She’ll decline. He says, no. He’s grateful to have the opportunity to work for her, if she’ll have him. She says, why not? Good help is hard to find.

Esme gets some coffee, and asks what she owes Cameron, but he says it’s on the house. She thanks him, and says he’s a life saver. She tells Josslyn that she hopes her mom and stepdad weather the storm, and if they can’t, Josslyn emerges strong anyway. She thanks Cameron for the caffeine, and Josslyn for the cabin, and says, she knows what it’s costing Josslyn. Esme leaves, and Josslyn says, is she crazy, or did Esme almost seem sincere?

Nina says, Phyllis has always been real with her. That’s why she values their friendship so much. Phyllis says she hopes they continue to be friends after she says this. Sonny may not see himself as a victim, but what Nina did, pretend not to know who he was, and keeping him from his family, including the grandson they shared, allowing Sonny to fall in love with her, that was a violation. And the only way to make this right is to leave Sonny alone. Nina says, what if he doesn’t want to be left alone? and Phyllis says, let Sonny and Carly figure this out. Whatever the next step is, it’s not hers to take. Phyllis gets her coat, and leaves.

Carly says, if there’s any chance for them, Sonny needs to be honest with her. He says, he’s already admitted he has feelings for Nina. It’s confusing and complicated, and he doesn’t want to have these feelings. That’s as honest as he can be. She tells him, he said they didn’t have sex; did he kiss her? Did he touch her? He says, it doesn’t matter, but she says, it does to her. He asks why she wants to hurt herself; she’s already hurt. She says, she can’t forgive him if she doesn’t know what she’s forgiving. He says, it’s not going to help, and she says, it can’t be worse than what she’s imagining in her head. Tell her. He says, to move forward, you have to forget, but she says, for her to move forward, she has to know every last detail. He says, that was Mike; he’s Sonny. She points at a plate, and says, his daughter wanted him to have that cookie, and walks out of the house.

Trina goes back to the table, and says, Ava knows she’ll do anything Ava asks, but when she asked if Trina was comfortable having Spencer work at the gallery, Ava never mentioned she’d be supervising him. Ava says, she doesn’t want to supervise him, and Spencer’s the one being punished, not her. Trina asks why she’s being punished, but Ava says, she’s not; she’s being rewarded. Doesn’t Trina think it would be a little satisfying, bossing Spencer around after everything he’s done to her? Trina says, honestly, no, and Ava says she doesn’t know why she’s surprised. Trina is cut from a much kinder cloth than she is. Now she feels bad that she sprang this on Trina. Can Trina forgive her? Trina says, of course (🍷), and Ava says, good. Because Trina is going to run her own gallery one day, and she’s going to need this experience, boss’s orders. Trina says, when Ava puts it that way… They see Spencer, carrying a to-go bag, and waiting for the elevator. Trina catches his eye.

Cameron says, it was sincere for Esme, and Josslyn says, it certainly was a surprise, Esme confiding in them about her childhood. Cameron wonders if it was a good surprise or a bad surprise, and Josslyn says, that depends on whether Esme was lying or not. He says, it seemed like she was telling the truth, and she says, it did. She hates to admit this, but there may be an outside chance that there’s more to Esme than she’s given her credit for. He says, if Spencer likes her, how bad can she be?… Gotcha. He asks if they should give Esme the benefit of the doubt, just this one time, and Josslyn says, she gets an A for effort, but they’ll see if she passes the class.

A nurse hands Esme a bag at the hospital pharmacy, and asks if it’s a new prescription. Esme says, it is, and the nurse says Esme needs to speak to the pharmacist. Esme says, that won’t be necessary, but the nurse says, the dosage is strong. She advises a consultation to go over proper usage. Esme says, no need. She knows exactly how to use this.

Olivia says, thanks for the chat, and Brook says, anytime, walking her to the door. Brook says, huh, she actually meant that, and Olivia says, no one is more surprised than she is. Brook says, don’t tell everybody they’re getting along; she has a reputation. Olivia says, Brook definitely has a reputation, and thanks Brook for keeping her from punching Nina in the nose. Brook says, what Nina did was truly messed up, and Olivia says, but? Brook says, but she’s made choices she knew would hurt people. Sometimes for reasons people think are right in the moment, and dig holes that are just too big to climb out of. Olivia says, Brook’s made mistakes, and Brook says, one or two. Olivia says, but beneath all of Brook’s barbs and bluster, she’s got a beautiful heart. She loves without reservation, and Olivia thinks Brook just wants to be loved in return. Brook says, the heart is a muscle; it will atrophy without use. Olivia says, start using it, and Brook says, easier said than done. Olivia says she doesn’t know about that. Sometimes the very thing we’re looking for is right in front of us.

Finn thanks Chase for introducing him to his niece. He tells Bailey that he’s so glad to finally meet her, and Chase says he wants to get her home. Finn says he should probably go find a cure for a disease or two, and Chase says, only if he has the time. He’s thrilled for Finn. He was starting to enjoy curmudgeon Finn, but thinks he can learn to like nice Finn too. Finn tells him, don’t get carried away. He knows he and Elizabeth took their time getting here… Chase says, it took them forever. They were the last two people to realize there was a spark between them. Finn says, sometimes it works that way, right? There were some obstacles, but now it seems like nothing is standing in their way.

In the locker room, Elizabeth takes out her dress. Something falls out of the locker, and she picks up her wedding ring.

Sonny is all alone in the kitchen, without even the moss bowl 🎍 for comfort. He flashes back to when he was in the Nixon Falls clinic after the fire at the Tan-O. He remembers Nina saying, what they have is real. If he leaves, she wants him to know something. She honestly loves him. He takes a swig of his drink, then smashes the glass.

On the phone, Nina says she’s sorry. Her meeting ran late. She’s on her way. She’ll be in the conference room in five minutes. Carly comes in, and slams the door. She tells Nina, you’re gonna miss that meeting.

On Monday, Trina says she saw the Ava that Josslyn warned her about, Victor tells Spencer that it’s time he lived up to being a Cassadine heir, Sonny says he really screwed up, and Nina says there’s something else Sonny didn’t tell Carly about.

😷 Down But Not Out…

Supposedly, it won’t affect the schedule.

🧼 Good Soap Characters Never Die…

Since Tony Geary is still alive and well, and living in Amsterdam smoking weed, I’m not buying it.

https://ew.com/tv/general-hospital-killed-off-luke-spencer/

Relive the moments.

⚖️ Say It Ain’t So…

What the what? But he and Obrecht are so cute together.

🎭 Closing the Curtain…

One Life To Live liked her so much, she came back later to play a different role. I had no idea she was Arthur Miller’s sister though.

https://people.com/theater/joan-copeland-broadway-star-and-sister-of-playwright-arthur-miller-dead-at-99/

💎 Wifely Tease…

I wouldn’t mind seeing her added to the cast. I liked that reality show she had with Dave Navarro.

https://www.justjared.com/2022/01/07/carmen-electra-teases-possibility-of-joining-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-cast/

🏎 Influenced Wife…

Apparently using the Kim Kardashian filter on that IG post.

💍 In Defense Of Morganite…

It’s still a gorgeous ring, and it was still expensive. I think my engagement ring was around $500.

https://people.com/style/scheana-shay-claps-back-at-fans-who-criticized-her-pink-morganite-ring-i-didnt-want-a-diamond/

🎉 Happy Last Year…

You didn’t think I’d forget. The celebration continues, even if only in my mind.

Celebrity Celebrations.

https://people.com/celebrity/happy-new-year-2022-see-celebrities-celebrating-in-photos/

How Daytime does it.

📯 Quotes of the Week

The moment we choose to love, we begin to move towards freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others. – Bell Hooks

The question is whether any civilization can wage relentless war on life without destroying itself, and without losing the right to be called civilized. – Rachel Carson

There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. – Soren Kierkegaard

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

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

Art is not what you see but what you make others see. – Edgar Degas

We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated. – Maya Angelou

Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness. – Steve Maraboli

If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive. – Audre Lorde

The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing. – John Powell

Sometimes you make the right decision, and sometimes you have to make the decision right. – Dr. Phil

Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them. – George Eliot

🌃 Into the Night…

It’s the second weekend of the new year. That two-day break from work if you’re still doing that, and if you’re on the resignation bandwagon, call it whatever you like. But whatever you call it, enjoy a change of scenery, even if it means moving your computer to another room. You’ve got an open invite to join me on Monday for soap and Deck adventures. Until then, stay safe, stay leaving them wanting more, and stay leaving it alone, if the next step is not yours to take.

December 28, 2021 – Sonny Is Called To the Stand, Lala Gives Them a Party, All About Wu, How They Celebrated, Erika’s Edict & My Year

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Scotty asks Willow if Sonny touched on the nature of his relationship with Nina, and she says, he did. Sheridan objects, but Judge Milford says, overruled, and Scotty asks if Willow can be more specific. She says, she overheard Sonny say, whatever happened between us in Nixon Falls has to come from me, and it will. Scotty asks, and what was that? What went on between the alleged victim and the accused? Willow says, love, and Scotty asks if she’s saying Sonny and Nina fell in love in Nixon Falls. She says he’d have to ask them that question.

Brook asks if Chase thinks she wants space, and he says, what else can he think? Sometimes she’s happy that he’s around, but other times, it’s like he’s annoying her or in the way. Olivia comes in with Leo, followed by Ned, and tells Leo that Brook and Chase are in charge; they’re going to be watching him. She seats him at the counter, and Chase asks what he’s got there, looking at Leo’s fidget spinner. Brook asks how Olivia and Ned are feeling, and Ned says, they’re ready for whatever they have to learn. Olivia says, whatever Leo needs, and asks if Brook is okay with being in charge. The last time… Brook says, lose a kid once, you can never live it down, and Olivia says, Leo has two sets of eyes on him today. It’s nice having Chase around. She and Ned leave, and Brook says, too nice.

Obrecht goes to Britt’s office, and Britt says she’s early for lunch. Obrecht says she couldn’t wait one more minute for Britt to open her Christmas present, and hands Britt a thick envelope. Britt thanks Obrecht for understanding why she wanted to work on Christmas, and Obrecht says, she tried not to be offended that Britt would rather be there than celebrating the holiday with her mutter. Britt says, with Obrecht and Scotty practically fused at the hip, she would have been a total third wheel. Obrecht says, Britt could be in love too. In fact, once she opens her gift, she’ll never have to spend another holiday alone.

TJ thanks Shawn for showing him around The Invader, and Shawn says he’s determined to reboot The Invader as a reputable, credible resource for inquiring minds. TJ says, it’s a great new beginning for the paper and Shawn. Now that the PCPD has cleared him of shooting Hayden, nothing can hold him back. Shawn says, what about TJ? Did he forget about their plans to enjoy the game? He didn’t return Shawn’s texts. He’s either crazy busy or something has him preoccupied. Is there something he’s holding back?

At the Bistro, Stella wonders what Curtis wanted to ask her, and he says he just discovered something unexpected about Marshall. It occurred to him how little he knows about the man. She says, that’s not surprising, considering his father hasn’t been in his life since he was a child. So what did he discover? He says he discovered his dad is a musician, and she says, a fine one too. He says, that’s why he called her here, so she could fill in the blanks about his father. Tell him everything there is to know about Marshall Ashford.

Sheridan asks where the relevance is in this line of questioning, and Sonny tries to get Carly to leave, but she says she wants to hear every word. Sheridan asks what bearing this has on the charges, and Scotty says, there is relevance, and he can explain. Sheridan says, it’s not a trial, the witness hasn’t been deposed, and there’s been no appropriate discovery related to her testimony. Scotty says, hell. Sheridan put her on the stand, and he has every right to question her.

Ned and Olivia sit on a bench at the hospital, and she says, the waiting is making her crazy. Ned says he’s nervous too, but they’ve done the research, asked the questions, and observed Leo’s behavior. They’re as prepared as they can be. She doesn’t think any amount of preparation can really prepare a parent for the possibility they can’t… that she can’t provide for her child’s needs. He says, the diagnosis doesn’t change how they feel about their son, and she says, of course (🍷). It doesn’t change how much they love Leo, but Leo needs something she can’t give him. Dr. Newman comes out and says, it’s time to talk about Leo.

TJ says he has something to tell Shawn, but it’s a tricky topic. It’s about someone who makes his Uncle Curtis incredibly uncomfortable, and TJ didn’t feel it was his place to announce his arrival. Even though he wants to reconnect with family, TJ doesn’t want to get to know him without telling Shawn. Shawn says, so some distant family member resurfaced? but TJ says, not so distant. Marshall Ashford is here in Port Charles. Shawn says, Tommy and Curtis’s dad is alive?

Stella asks how Curtis realized his father was a musician, and Curtis says, a group of volunteers was playing for the patients at GH, and there was Marshall playing the clarinet. She says it sounds like his dad, and he says, that’s an example of what he’s talking about. He has no idea of what sounds like Marshall. He doesn’t know the guy, but Stella does. She says, when Curtis was growing up, he never asked about Marshall, and Curtis says, that’s because when his name came up, they saw how much it hurt her and their mom. So he and Tommy made a pact. They weren’t going to cause her and mom anymore grief by asking a bunch of questions about dad. She says, it breaks her heart. She and Irene never wanted them to feel they couldn’t ask questions about their daddy. He says, he and Tommy just decided to go another way, and she asks what he means. He says, it means they made up stories. In their imagination, their dad was courageous and brave; he was a hero. Then Curtis met him, and he was just a man, but he has no idea who that man is. Does she?

Scotty asks how Willow knows Sonny and Nina were in love, and she says, Nina said so. He asks what exactly Nina said, and Willow tells him, she said their love was the purest thing she’s ever known. He asks if she thinks Sonny reciprocated that, and she says, Nina told her that Mike felt the same way. He says, Mike being Mr. Corinthos, and she says, yes, but Nina also said it ended once he got his memories back. Scotty says, once he got his memories back, he decided Miss Reeves wasn’t legally at fault. How telling. No further questions. Sheridan asks for a redirect, and Judge Milford tells him, proceed. Sheridan apologizes that his colleague put Willow in this position. He only has two more questions for her. First, has she ever asked Mr. Corinthos about his alleged romantic relationship with Miss Reeves? Willow says, no, and he says, so they’re taking the defendant, a woman who’s been charged with fraud, at her word. Scotty objects, and the judge tells Sheridan, less editorializing. Sheridan says, final question. Does Willow believe the feelings Miss Reeves had for Mr. Corinthos motivated her to fraudulently conceal his identity? Scotty objects, saying, the DA is asking the witness to speculate what was going on in his client’s head at the time, but the judge overrules, and says, Scotty opened this door. The witness will answer the question.

Brook asks if Leo is ready for some breakfast, but Leo says he had breakfast hours ago. She says, they can’t all be such early risers, and asks what he wants to do today. Does he want to go to the movies, or visit the aquarium? Maybe play with some super nifty action figures his cool stepsister got him? Leo doesn’t say anything, continuing to play with his fidget spinner, and Brook says, okay. She knows what to get him next year. Chase says he thinks they’re pretty cool, and she says now she knows what to get him too. He says, going back to that boundary conversation. How much of it is her dad, and how much is her? Is he getting on her nerves? If he’s around too much, just say the word. Maybe that’s why she’s so grumpy. She flashes back to her dream, and says she’s not grumpy; she’s frustrated.

Britt says, Obrecht signed her up for a matchmaking service? and Obrecht says, not just any matchmaking service. Society Setups is an elite service catering to upwardly mobile professionals. Britt says, uck. Could this be more pretentious? Obrecht sits down, and says she knows Britt is struggling, and for good reason. For all his flaws, Jason Morgan was a remarkable man, but he’s gone; there’s no use pining. Learn from her example instead. She and Scotty bonded while mourning the loss of Franco. If she can find love in the midst of grief, who’s to say Britt can’t too?

Sheridan asks if Willow believes Nina’s personal feelings for Sonny motivated her to fraudulently conceal his identity, but she says she’s not in Nina’s head. She couldn’t tell him what Nina’s motive was, and he says, fair enough. Let him ask a less speculative question. Is it true, the man who called himself Mike in Nixon Falls was single and available to Miss Reeves, while Sonny Corinthos has a wife and a family? She says, yes, and he thanks her, saying, he appreciates her honesty. He has no further questions, and the judge tells Willow to step down. She makes a beeline for the hallway, and Michael follows her. He asks if she’s okay, and she says she never meant for him and his family to find out this way. She didn’t want them to find out at all. He says he’s having a hard time understanding this.

Shawn says, Tommy and Curtis thought that man was dead. Now he shows up? Where’s he been? TJ tells him, he won’t say. He just wants to move forward, but Curtis isn’t having it. He thinks Marshall can’t be trusted. Shawn says he completely agrees with Curtis. Showing up after all these years without any explanation? They both know the past can be complicated. TJ asks if he means like his complicated past with Tommy, and Shawn asks if Marshall knows. TJ says, Marshall knows he’s not his biological grandfather. He saw the Father’s Day post TJ dedicated to Shawn on social media, but he loved Tommy as a father, and Tommy considered TJ to be his son. Marshall knows that too. He still wants to get to know TJ, but if that makes Shawn uncomfortable… Shawn says, it’s up to TJ. He’s a grown man. Curtis is entitled to his feelings about Marshall, but so is TJ. Just be cautious. There’s a knock at the door, and Marshall comes in, saying, he’s looking for the arts and culture… TJ? What is he doing in a newspaper office? TJ says, him first, and Marshall says, he’s putting together a band, and was hoping to generate some interest from an arts and culture reporter. TJ says he’d have to talk to the publisher, who happens to be standing right here; his father, Shawn Butler. He tells Shawn, this is Marshall Ashford, and Shawn holds out his hand, saying, nice to meet him. Marshall says he has no intention of shaking hands with the man responsible for his son Thomas’s death.

Scotty would like the court to note, for the record, the DA questioned the voracity of what his client said to Miss Tate, but he didn’t recall Mr. Corinthos. Judge Milford says, so noted. While it’s the prosecution’s right to call the witnesses they deem appropriate, it’s also within his discretion to call the witness he feels are pertinent. Given there are some questions as to the nature of the relationship between the accused and the alleged victim, he recalls Sonny to the stand. Sonny gets up, and Carly looks like she might explode.

Willow tells Michael, she wishes to God she’d never heard Sonny and Nina. She was in the wrong spot at the wrong moment. He says he’s not blaming her for happening on a private conversation, but why didn’t she tell him? She says, Nina convinced her not to say anything. That keeping quiet was somehow protecting him and his family. He says, she was wrong.

The judge asks if Sonny had a personal relationship with Nina in Nixon Falls, and Sonny says he had many personal relationships when he knew himself as Mike, the bartender. He forged friendships; he built a life. Judge Milford says, they just heard Willow testify under oath that she heard him and the defendant allude that they had a prior romantic relationship. Did she perjure herself? Sonny says, no, she did not. Willow told the truth. The judge says, that truth being what? and Sonny says he and Nina had a relationship, and they ended up falling in love.

TJ tells Marshall, that’s not fair, but Shawn says, it’s okay. He can understand why Marshall feels the way he does. Marshall says, Shawn understands because it’s true. Shawn shot his son, after he slept with his wife. Shawn says he’s made mistakes in his life, and his last encounter with Tommy is something he’ll always regret, but Marshall doesn’t have all the facts. Marshall says, fact: Shawn had an affair with his son’s wife. Fact: he fathered a child with her. Fact: when Tommy confronted him about his betrayal, Shawn shot him in cold blood. Now if he’s missing something, please enlighten him. TJ says, it was in self-defense, and Shawn says, he had no choice. Tommy wasn’t in his right mind.

Curtis asks what he doesn’t know about Marshall, and Stella says, what she knows about Marshall is limited to a few years, decades ago. He says it’s still more than he knows, and she says, Marshall was a very private person, but Curtis’s mom Irene was the center of his world. He waited on that woman hand and foot, unless he was playing that darn clarinet. Curtis will never believe this, but Marshall loved that old thing so much, he gave it a name. Curtis asks what he called it, and she says, Henrietta. He carried it everywhere he went. Irene used to scold him for leaving the case on the kitchen table. Curtis says, then what? and she tells him, like she said, Marshall was very private, but he was also very generous. It seemed Curtis and Tommy would get a pair of new shoes, and barely break them in before Marshall was donating them to the local group home. It drove his mama crazy, but Marshall would just smile and say, his sons have a daddy who can pay for a new pair of shoes with just one gig, but those other boys don’t have nobody.

Chase asks if Brook is saying he’s frustrating her, but she says, it’s not him; it’s the situation. The uncertainty is overwhelming. He says, because she doesn’t know how long it’s going to last, and she picks up an action figure. She says, even though the bad guy is out of commission, it’s only temporary, and they’re stuck in limbo. Chase says, what if the bad guy wakes up, and starts fighting the good guys again? They may have to play these roles indefinitely. She says, yes, and in a perfect world, the villain would retire forever, they could take down the bat signal, and Krypton could return to normal. He says she doesn’t know much about the superhero multiverse, does she? and she says, who cares? The point is, there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, bat signal or not. He says, that’s not true. If the bad guy loses his powers, then a woman can get her child back. She says, and another woman has to let go.

Dr. Newman says, when it comes to developmental disabilities, they can’t use straight forward diagnostic tools, like blood tests or X-rays. They rely on history and behavior for diagnosis. Based upon the recent developmental assessment, language evaluation, and the social screening he conducted recently, as well as the supplemental information they provided, it’s his diagnosis that Leo has autism spectrum disorder. Ned takes Olivia’s hand, and she asks if that’s conclusive. The doctor says they’re always free to get a second opinion, but he believes other physicians will concur with his findings. Ned asks, so what’s the next step? and the doctor says, for Leo, they talk about the many state and hospital resources available. For them, he recommends they take some time to process this diagnosis and all emotions it may bring.

Britt tells Obrecht that she doesn’t know how to say this, but she’s not interested. Obrecht says, fine, but people in control of their own romantic destiny often make ein Durcheinander (I’m guessing – it means a mess). Look at Nina. She pinned her hopes on an unavailable man, and her life is unraveling as a result. Britt asks if it’s the guy Nina was seeing in Nixon Falls, and Obrecht nods. Britt asks if Obrecht knows him, and Obrecht says, they both know him. Nina fell for Sonny Corinthos.

Judge Milford tells Sonny, should this case go to trial, the defendant may be found guilty of a crime. In the eyes law, he’d be the victim. Does he consider himself the victim of a crime? Sonny says, no, and the judge tells him, step down. Carly fumes.

The judge asks for closing statements, and Scotty says his client does not stand accused of fraud for monetary benefits. His client is charged with deliberate deception to damage a victim. In his own testimony, Mr. Corinthos, the alleged victim, claims he wasn’t one. No victim, no crime. That’s why he’s asking that the court dismiss the charges today. Sheridan says, whether or not Mr. Corinthos considers himself the victim of a crime isn’t relevant in their system of jurisprudence. This circus today doesn’t negate an undisputed fact; Nina Reeves committed a criminal and civil infraction when she deceived Sonny Corinthos and all who knew him. The state has met its burden of proof. The fact that Miss Reeves deceived a man, who we now know she was in love with, only emphasizes the depth of her depravity.

Willow says Michael parents must be devastated, and he says, Nina claims to love his dad, yet she let this happen? Willow says, she’s not sure Nina knew it would come out, but he says, of course (🍷) she did. Willow might not realize it, but in keeping Nina’s secret, she played into Nina’s hands. Nina got exactly what she wanted.   

Marshall asks what Shawn is implying, and Shawn says he’s not trying to cast aspersions on Tommy; just the opposite. Tommy had every right to  be angry with him, but that day, he went so far beyond anger. He’s sure PTSD was part of it, but Tommy was in crisis and out of control. He pulled a gun on Shawn. He had a black eye coming. It was completely justified and he owned that, but he never expected Tommy to try and kill him. And he never thought he’d have to stop Tommy the way he did. TJ says he fully believes if Tommy had gotten help for his PTSD, it never would have ended that way. It’s not Tommy’s fault, and it’s not his dad’s fault. Marshall says, he’s right. It was his fault.

Chase says he gets it. Brook has been able to keep Bailey safe for months, despite negative attitudes and assumptions coming her way, and however long this lasts, there will come a time when it’s over, and things will go back to their natural state. She’ll have to make yet another huge sacrifice; it’s heroic. She says she’s not calling herself a hero, and he says, maybe not, but he is. Whatever she needs to keep this going, he’s here to help, and when the time comes to say goodbye, he’ll be by her side. She says she appreciates that, but doesn’t want him to feel obligated. He says, they’re not just co-parents to Bailey, she’s his friend. She says, even when she’s grumpy? and he says, yes; the friendship goes both ways. She’s seen him at his worst, and didn’t give up on him. She says, she’s also seen him at his best, and he says, like the time she saw him n-a-k-e-d? Leo says he can spell, and Brook says, of course (🍷) he can, so he needs to w-a-s-h up for lunch.

Olivia gets up and says, processing emotions? It’s not about them, it’s about Leo. Dr. Newman says, learning your child is going to have lifelong disabilities can be challenging. They’ll have to readjust their expectations about how Leo will grow into adulthood, and his diagnosis will likely change what they thought their parenting experience was going to be. It’s okay to be emotional about it. Ned puts his arm around Olivia, and says, they just want to give Leo all the support and opportunities possible. Olivia says she agrees with Ned. They can handle their emotions together. She’s just afraid this will make Leo’s life so much more difficult. The doctor says, it’s an understandable fear, but the good news is, this diagnosis means they can offer appropriate intervention programs for Leo right away. Programs that will help them engage with their son, and help their son engage with the world. It may be helpful to think of raising a child with autism like a road trip. They won’t reach their destination in a straight line; there will be detours, but those detours will lead to discoveries along the way. Ned says he likes that analogy, and asks the doctor to be honest with them. Does that journey lead to Leo having meaningful relationships and living independently as an adult? Olivia says, please tell them it’s possible, and the doctor says, it’s definitely possible for Leo to lead a happy and fulfilled life. GH has extensive resources, and can work with Leo’s school to implement a plan. Ned says, so Leo will be able to remain in school? and the doctor says, every case is different, but many children on the spectrum benefit socially and developmentally from learning I non-ASD classrooms. Olivia asks, what happens next? Does Leo come in to see him again, or…? Dr. Newman says he’d like to check on Leo periodically. He’s also going to refer Leo to a geneticist for further testing. It won’t change the diagnosis, but it might help diagnose medical conditions associated with symptoms of ASD. Just for a complete picture. Do they have any other questions for him? Olivia shakes her head, and Ned thanks the doctor, saying, he’s been very helpful. Dr. Newman says, there’s no reason Leo can’t live his best life. The journey may look different now, but the goal is still the same.

TJ asks how it can be Marshall’s fault; he wasn’t even around. Marshall says, that’s his point. Perhaps if he’d been present to guide his son, Tommy might still be there. TJ says, that’s a lot to carry, but Marshall says, it’s his job to carry it, and he’s been off his job for a long time. He’s glad TJ has a dad to do what he couldn’t – protect his son.

Curtis asks if Stella thinks Marshall even wondered who bought their shoes after he left, but she says she can’t answer that. He asks what Marshall did, outside of his music gigs. Who were his friends? Did he have any other family? She says, he’s asking the wrong person; he needs to ask Marshall. He says he tried. Marshall doesn’t tell him much. She says, could it be he’s asking the wrong questions? Maybe going about it the wrong way? Nobody appreciates being interrogated. Curtis says, Marshall abandoned him, now he wants Curtis to let him back in his life. Doesn’t he deserve answers? She says, of course (🍷). It’s natural for him to be curious, but Marshall is within his right to keep his own counsel. He asks where that leaves them, and she says he should know she met privately with Marshall. She told Curtis that she won’t let anyone agitate this family, and she had to be sure of his motives. He says, and? and she says Marshall wants to get to know Curtis, and it sounds to her like Curtis wants the same thing. So talk to the man. Start small and build from there.

Michael says, Nina swore Willow to secrecy so she could use this as a bombshell, and play it to her best advantage, but Willow says she doesn’t know. Nina seemed grateful that she was keeping her secret; she seemed eager not to cause any more pain. He says, Nina played all of them. Judge Milford says they’re going to take a recess. He’s going to weigh the testimony and evidence presented, and consider the charges. Carly flies out of the courtroom, and Nina says, she didn’t want this. She’s so sorry. Sonny follows her, and Michael wonders what’s going on. Sonny says, he’s going to make this right. Don’t worry about it.

Obrecht tells Britt, Nina’s only hope of avoiding a trial is for Scotty to get someone on the stand to admit Sonny and Nina were in love. Britt says, that would explain why Nina kept going back to Nixon Falls, and what Peter was holding over her head. She wasn’t just trying to protect James, she didn’t want to lose her boyfriend. Obrecht says, now she’s in legal jeopardy, and Britt says, she’s also going to face the wrath of Carly when this comes out.

Chase says he’ll help Brook clean up. Today was a lot of fun, but he never wants to be a source of stress in her life, Maybe her dad is right. Maybe they should set some boundaries. She says. no boundaries. She wants him here.

Marshall leaves, and TJ says he’s sorry for the way Marshall treated Shawn, but Shawn says he has nothing to apologize for. He can’t blame Marshall for wanting to protect his son. He’d do the same thing, forever, if he knew someone hurt TJ. TJ says he knows his uncle has questions about all the years Marshall’s been gone, but everything he’s seen leads him to believe Marshall just wants to be part of this family. He hopes Curtis comes to see that too.

On the phone in his hotel room, Marshall talks to someone he calls Chief, and says he thought he’d be done by now, but he has some unfinished business in Port Charles. The last thing he wants to do is set their progress back… He’s following protocol. There’s a knock at the door, and he says he’ll be in touch. He opens to door to Curtis.

Chase says, he wants to be here too, but after everything Brook has given up, he also wants to respect that she’s entitled to a life of her own. She says, then they’re on the same page. He’ll be there just for appearances. He says, to co-parent Bailey, for as long as it takes. He’ll stay out of her way otherwise. She says, great. Deal. He says, deal, and she asks if there’s anything else. He says, tell their daughter he’ll see her soon.

Olivia says, the doctor seemed nice, and Ned says, yes, and very knowledgeable. Leo will be fine. She cries, and thanks him for bringing her to her senses. She asks where they go from here, and he says, home to be with their son. She tells him, like Dr. Newman said, they start their road trip today, as a family, and she hugs Ned.

Britt says, Obrecht still hasn’t heard from Scotty? and Obrecht says, nein. She has no idea if Nina’s going to get out from under the charges. Britt says, if she does, she might find out that freedom can be worse.

Nina asks what Scotty has done, and he says, he kept her out of a hamster cage. No thanks necessary. She walks out, and sees Willow and Michael. Willow says, Nina used her.  

Sonny tells Carly, wait, and she stops. He tells her to just let him explain. Will she listen to him? She says, listen to who? Mike? Sonny? Or someone else completely?

Tomorrow, Stella is afraid the reality will crush Curtis, Curtis asks if Marshall intends to play house in Port Charles, and Carly asks Sonny how he can say that to her.

Vanderpump Rules

Schwartz and Katie worked out, and in Schwartz’s interview, he said he missed working out in Sandoval’s state-of-the-art gym. Katie asked if he was going through withdrawal, but he claimed he wasn’t. He said, you can mix business with pleasure, but not pleasure with business. Although I’m not sure what the difference that makes. Raquel’s sister Kate paid a visit to Raquel, and James told her about his plan to be totally sober. She said, if he felt his good not without alcohol, imagine how he’d feel quitting everything, Raquel talked about getting Sunstone Villa and Winery for their engagement party, and Kate asked about a bachelorette party. Raquel said that was down the line, but she didn’t want any penis straws. James agreed and added, no strippers, saying, he didn’t want it to be trashy. In his interview, he said strippers were tacky, old, and boring, and we flashed back to someone’s bachelorette, maybe Scheana’s. After James left, Kate asked if he was always overprotective and stern. It sounded like he wasn’t giving Raquel opinions, but making decisions. Raquel said James thought he knew what was best for her, but Kate wasn’t cool with James’s controlling side.

In Lala’s interview, she said, Scheana needed a lot of reassurance in a friendship. Rather than telling Scheana that she had her back, she wanted to show Scheana that she was her friend. She invited Scheana over for a spa day, while a whiskey sommelier catered to their men, since Brock had said he drank scotch. In Brock’s interview, he said he was really more of a tequila guy, but scotch had sounded good at the time. Lala told Scheana about getting an assistant, and in her interview, she said it was time to elevate her brand’s game. She wanted to target an audience she hadn’t tapped into yet. Brock told Randall that he was going to propose to Scheana, and in Brock’s interview, he said, this summer, he realized this could be a thing. By a thing, I assume he means serious. He said he was getting a rooftop place, and telling everyone it was a movie premiere of one of Randall’s movies, so they’d come dressed up. His double-surprise was, they were going to get married right then and there. In his interview, Brock said, he and Scheana had both been married before, and a big wedding wasn’t for them. The surprise factor and quirkiness spoke to them both. Randall was honored and excited.

Katie came by Sandoval and Ariana’s house. Sandoval asked how Schwartz was (remember? they were taking a break), and Katie said he was a little mopey. In Schwartz’s interview, he said he was trying to look at the break as a positive thing. He’d have an opportunity to get things done, but he still missed Sandoval. Katie told Ariana, you’d think someone went off to war. Ariana asked about the sandwich shop, but Katie said Schwartz kept saying, eventually, or telling her that she should do it. Ariana said she was game, and in her interview, she said she wasn’t into owning a bar. She preferred starting and finishing early, and not dealing with stinky alcohol and people puking. In Katie’s interview, she said she was ready to move on from the Schwartz and Sandy mess. They agreed to open a shop together, and clinked glasses.

In her interview, Lala said she was grateful for the women who were helping her raise Ocean. Otherwise, there was no way she could be a mother and have a brand at the same time. James came by, and they discussed James DJ’ing Lala’s launch party. She told him that the party was from seven to ten, and he misunderstood, thinking it was seven to ten hours long, which was pretty amusing. Lala said she’d seen James step into a position of control with Raquel more than once, the latest when he shut down the bachelorette discussion. He told Lala that he wasn’t saying Raquel couldn’t have it, but he was entitled to his feelings.

Lala and Randall met with Brock in Lala’s new office space, and went over the plans for the surprise engagement. He said he had everything for the wedding, including a dress. In Lala’s interview, she said, Scheana loved surprises and a man sweeping her off her feet, but she thought  Scheana was going to be shocked. Brock said the rooftop rental hadn’t worked out, and Randall suggested using an actual movie theater. In her interview, Lala said, Brock wanted to make this happen in two days, and that wasn’t doable. Even though it was a half-baked plan, she still wanted Scheana to enjoy it. And nothing would stop her from making it happen. Randall told his assistant and Lala’s that they were on wedding duty.

In Charli’s interview, she said her feet pics were still for sale. They didn’t raise enough money for Raquel’s nose job, but she loved making money, and wasn’t ashamed of her game. Raquel was concerned about future employment. See You Next Tuesday had begun again, and there was a party for Schnookie’s birthday. In Lisa’s interview, she said she liked to do things for the men in her life. On Ken’s birthday, she did something special, and on Schnookie’s birthday, she did something incredible. Outside, behind SUR, Brock said he’d heard from Lala about James not wanting Raquel to have a bachelorette. James said he was kind of pissed that everyone was nitpicking, especially about something as petty as a c*ck straw. We saw a clip of James saying he thought Raquel liked him making the decisions, and her saying it was the one thing she couldn’t stand.

Lala invited Sandoval over to get glam before the party. Scheana met Charli for lunch, and they were both glad to end their beef. Charli said she’d gotten exhausted, having the same conversation over and over. She asked if Scheana and Brock were getting married, and Scheana said Brock had been planning a surprise, which apparently wasn’t very good as surprises go, since she knew about it. Lala told Sandoval that she was shook; Brock was talking about getting married. Sandoval said he venue fell through, and Lala said, forget the venue. He’d had nothing else planned. In Sandoval’s interview, he said he couldn’t plan a birthday party in two days. James and Raquel’s engagement took him over a month to plan. In Lala’s interview, she said her assistant reached out to Brock for his credit card number, and got radio silence. She told Sandoval that Brock wanted the James Kennedy discount, meaning for her and Randall to pay. In her interview, she said she felt bad that she’d told everyone about Brock’s past, but not bad enough to pay for a wedding. Charli asked if Scheana was down for a surprise wedding, and Scheana said she’d already gotten a couple of dresses. In Charli’s interview, she said she didn’t know the definition of surprised in the dictionary, but she was pretty sure you weren’t supposed to know about it. She asked Scheana if Brock’s visa was ending, and Scheana said he didn’t have a green card, but he’d told her mom he was marrying Scheana because he loved her. The green card was just a bonus. Lala asked if Sandoval was doing Brock’s Homebody shoot, and Sandoval said he was, and he’d signed up for tumbling lessons. He’d always wanted to do an amazing backflip. She said James had told her that Raquel couldn’t have penis straws at her bachelorette. In her interview, Lala said James was insecure when it came to Raquel. Her theory was that one day Raquel would grow a pair of hefty ovaries when she couldn’t deal with the control anymore.

Everyone came to Lala’s Give Them Lala launch party, and in Schwartz’s interview, he said it was weird seeing Sandoval. He suddenly felt self-conscious about the boundaries in their friendship. In Lala’s interview, she said tonight was a party, but it was still business. She had to work the room, and form relationships. GG and Reza from Shahs of Sunset were there, and Lala said she had to be on her effing game. James DJ’d, and Katie and Ariana talked to Lisa about opening the sandwich shop, since the boys wouldn’t let Katie in on the new bar. Lisa told them, don’t get mad, get even. Brock said the venue wanted $20K, and he just started paying child support. In her interview, Lala said, anything to do with payment, Brock drops the ball. Sandoval told James that Lala claimed he’d put a damper on Raquel’s bachelorette, and James said it had just been a suggestion. He thought penis straws were tacky and lame. Sandoval said, sometimes they were funny, and in his interview, he wondered why James was so against c*ck straws. Did he have a bad experience with one? Did he think it was a gateway drug to real c*cks? James admitted he’d been controlling in the past, but he wasn’t now. In James’s interview, he said, Lala had an opinion on literally everything. Everyone had problems, but Lala loved talking about his problems. He told Tom that he didn’t give a f*** what Lala thought of his relationship.

Surprisingly, people actually bought some feet pics. Ariana had sold two to someone she thought was called foot lover in French. She only knew two people who spoke French, and one of them was Lisa. Lisa admitted it was her, saying the phrase was lover of feet. In her interview, she said she didn’t want the girls to be embarrassed that no one bought their feet. She felt like a heel, and didn’t want to toe the line. She wanted to help them get a foot in the door, so she bought the pics. James confronted Lala, saying, Brock and Sandoval told him that she’d thought he was controlling. Lala said she wasn’t worried about anyone’s relationship other than her own, and James said, she was either worried or talking sh*t, but she said it was more casual conversation within the friend group. He seemed to accept this, and in James’s interview, he said that he wasn’t lashing out at Lala proved he wasn’t controlling, angry, and crazy. Everyone needed to mind their own business.

Randall brought out a gorgeous cake, much like a simple and elegant wedding cake, white with gold accents, a giant flower on the side. In Lala’s interview, she said, life was perfect, and wondered, how did she get here?  

Next time, Schwarz and Sandy’s gets a sign, Sandoval is ignorant about what things cost, Scheana’s engagement ring comes and it’s huge, and James gets controlling, angry, and crazy at Brock.

🕶 Meet Celina Selena…

Okay, so I’ve been spelling her name wrong. What else is new?

🎄 Ghosts Of Christmas Passed…

How the soap stars did the holiday.

📜 A Holiday Message…

Erika Slezak brings tidings of great joy.

🚶🏽‍♀️ Slipping Out the Back, Jack…

No OC tomorrow, but I’ll be here for soap and perhaps a drop of tea. Until then stay safe, stay not bothering with those pesky resolutions, and stay knowing that on every road trip, even if there are detours, there will be discoveries along the way.

December 17, 2021 – Saddest Farewell Ever, Over, Lawsuit, Big Series, Two From One, Cover Girl, Salem Holiday, Salt Lake Tea, In NYC, Stockings, Pre-Nup, Haunted, Asking Dead, The Tree, a Supreme Court Worth Of Quotes & Spice Wrap

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sam finds Drew fixing a little tree in the Quartermaine kitchen, and asks what he’s doing. He says he knows it doesn’t compare to the big one in the foyer, but he hasn’t had a tree, or lights, or anything Christmas for the past couple of years. She says she thinks it’s perfect. She brought someone along who she thinks might agree. Scout comes in, and clings to Sam.

In Portia’s office, Curtis punches the wall, and she tells him, take a deep breath. He says he did, but she says, not deep enough. He says he just can’t believe how willing his family is to accept this guy in their lives. TJ is already calling him grandpa, and, after the initial shock, he thought Stella might invite Marshall over for Sunday dinner. She asks if that would really be so terrible, and he says, yeah. The man deserted his family and let them believe he was dead for decades. Then when he shows up, he shows up without even a shred of explanation. She wonders if she can ask him a question without him getting angry… or angrier. Is trust really the issue here? Or is he just afraid of getting hurt?

Marshall tells Stella, cards on the table, huh? Since when did a nice church-going lady like herself take up poker? She says, these stakes are much higher than a poker game, and he says her secret is safe with him. She says he just doesn’t get it, and he says, tell him what he’s missing. She says, he’s making this about her, when it’s about him, and his choices; to walk away from his family, have her sister raising those boys without him, and then he asked her sister to lie, and tell her children that he’s dead. And she did, and kept her word until her dying day. He says, and what about her?

Britt and Elizabeth look at Liam in the NICU, and Elizabeth says, how is it possible an innocent baby gets to die, while Peter gets to live on? Britt says, for now. Hopefully, not for long. Elizabeth says, still, she doesn’t understand, and Britt says, sometimes it’s a blessing; sometimes it’s a curse. But it’s not their job to pick and choose. Elizabeth says, in this case, she wishes it was.

Sasha tells Brando, no more wallowing, or feeling sorry for herself. She needs to be at her best today for Liam. Their son needs them. Brando says, they’ll be there for him, and she says, what if she’s not strong enough? What if she doesn’t have the courage to do the right thing? He says, that’s why they’re doing this together.

Olivia thanks Carly for setting her straight about this neurology appointment, but Carly says she didn’t set Olivia straight. She just gave Olivia a pep talk. Olivia says, whatever she wants to call it, she just wants to be solid. If Ned sees she’s nervous, he’s going to be nervous. Carly says Olivia is going to be great, and she’s going to pull herself together to be there for Sasha and Brando. Let’s go.

Nina tells Sonny, when they came back to Port Charles, he said the man he was in Nixon Falls wasn’t real, but he was; he is. He’s one and the same, and both Mike and Sonny are men that his father would be very, very proud of. Carly and Olivia come down the hall, and Olivia tells Carly to remember what she said.

Drew tells Scout, he knows it probably feels strange, them getting to know one another again, but he was hoping it comes back to them; kind of like riding a bike. Scout says she doesn’t know how to ride a bike, and he says he’ll have to teach her. Leo comes into the kitchen with Ned, and goes straight to a plate of cookies. Ned says, just one, and asks if they mind. Leo’s going to the doctor. Sam says, and Ned’s bribing him with cookies? Ned says, guilty as charged, and Drew tells him, don’t worry about it. He was just telling Scout that he needs help eating them, and thanks Leo. Leo says, anytime, and leaves with Ned.

Curtis tells Portia, Marshall doesn’t have the power to hurt him anymore. That damage was done when he took off, and let them believe he was dead. She says, some wounds never heal. You can stitch them up, put on a bandage, sometimes there’s a scar, but deep down… He says, that wound never would have reopened if he hadn’t decided to return, and she says, okay, but he has. So now what? He says, now he’s wormed his way into TJ’s life, and he’s cozying up to Aunt Stella. She says, and he doesn’t like that, and he says, that’s an understatement. She says, but what happens now in regards to him? and he says he doesn’t know. She asks if he thinks eventually he could maybe find a place in his life for his father, and Curtis says he can’t see Marshall as that until he knows where Marshall has been, what he’s been doing, and why he’s here. She says, he’s making it sound like Marshall is dangerous, and he says, they don’t know that he isn’t. Joey Novak swears he didn’t see who jumped him outside the club. She says, whoa. He thinks that was his father?

Stella says, Marshall is right. When her sister turned to her for help, she went along with the lie, and heaven help her, it’s haunted her ever since. Marshall says he never meant for her to be part of this, but she says he knew how close she and Irene were. Did he really expect Irene to keep something that big bottled up? One night, it just became too much, and she told Stella that he was alive, but he had his reasons for leaving, and didn’t want the boys to know why. He says he did it for Curtis and Thomas, and for her and Irene, believe it or not. She says, it doesn’t matter what she believes. He and her sister had an agreement. Her sister hated it, but she went along with it, and so did Stella. But only because he said he’d never come back. He tells her, he kept his end of the bargain pretty well, wouldn’t she say? He didn’t even come back when Irene passed. She asks why he’s here now.

Olivia tells Carly that she’s got this, and asks if Nina got her message yet; she’s been trying to reach her. Nina says, no. She’s been busy, and hasn’t even checked. Olivia steers Nina away, saying, this will only take a second. Carly looks at Sonny.

Brando says they don’t have to do anything until Sasha is ready. Dr. Fleming said they could take as much time as she needs. She says, time won’t change anything; Sonny helped her see that. Brando asks what Sonny said, and she says, he mostly talked about Mike, and how difficult the decision was to let him go. He talked about how he didn’t want to, but in the end, he realized that was about him; how it would make him feel better. When in reality, he needed to focus on what was best for his father. He says, that’s true, but Mike had a long and fulfilling life, while Liam’s never going to have that. She says, Sonny said that too, that there’s no comparison, but lost is lost, right? And there will never be another time. They named their son after Mike, so they need to be as brave for him as Sonny was for his father. Can they do that? He says he can if she can, and she says, okay.

Nina tells Olivia that she can stand down. She’s not going to cause any problems for Carly and Sonny. Olivia says, yet she’s here where they are, and where they have no desire for her to be. Nina says she’s here because she’s supporting Sasha and Brando. Not that she owes Olivia any explanation because it’s none of her business. Olivia says she disagrees with that. Carly is her friend and business partner, and what affects her… Nina says, affects the MetroCourt. Don’t even pretend this is about business. Olivia says she’s doing Nina a favor right now. Does Nina have any idea how close she just came to getting wiped off the map? Maybe she hasn’t been in town long enough to know, but Olivia knows from personal experience, Carly Corinthos takes no prisoners. Nina says, is that a threat? and Olivia says, that’s a fact. The only reason Nina is still breathing air right now is because Carly loves having her husband back and alive more than she wants Nina dead.

Sonny says, he and Nina were just talking… but Carly says she doesn’t want to talk about Nina. Sasha, Liam, and Brando are all that matter.

Drew asks what Scout thinks of his tree, and she says, it’s pretty. He says he thinks it would be prettier with some ornaments, but he just can’t find any. She says, they’re all up on the big tree, and Sam says, Scout’s right, but she doesn’t think they’d mind if they borrowed some. He says, he’s looking for one in particular, but it’s not on the big tree in the foyer, and Scout asks, what is it? Sam asks if it’s the star, and Drew says she remembers. He doesn’t know what it is about it; he just loves it. Sam wonders where it went, and Drew says, maybe it got lost or broken or something, or Annabelle II ate it. Sam says, dogs don’t eat ornaments (apparently, Sam has never owned a dog), and he asks if she’s met Annabelle II. She eats everything. He suggests they go online, and Scout can help him shop for some new decorations. Scout says she’s going to find grandma, and leaves. He tells Sam, he’s doing this all wrong, isn’t he?

Marshall tells Stella, a man can change his mind, can’t he? Like a musician can improvise in the middle of a tune. A good musician anyway. She says, this is not a gig; it’s real life. He says she doesn’t have to tell him. Tommy’s gone, and Curtis is a grown man, and he has a grandson who’s a doctor and has a big, beautiful life ahead of him. Can she blame him for wanting to be a part of it? She says, no, but she can blame him for walking away in the first place. He says she knows why, and she says, yes, she does. He says he’s not trying to change the past, or even be forgiven. He’s just hoping to be understood moving forward. She asks if he really thinks there’s a way forward, and he says he thinks this homecoming is meant to be. She says, carful now. He talks like he knows what the good Lord has planned. He says he’ll leave the good Lord to her, but think about it. Curtis owns a nightclub now. She says, so? and he says, as much as music was a huge part of his life, it can’t be a coincidence.

Sasha tells Brando, this isn’t how it was supposed to be. They were supposed to raise him, and love him, and watch him grow into a man. Liam would have had an incredible life. Brando says, yes, he would have, and she says he would have been so lucky to have a dad like Brando to show him the way. He asks if she’s thinking family owned body shop, and she says, maybe, but she’s not talking about teaching him about cars. She’s talking about teaching him to be a good, decent, caring person; the kind who comes into a new town and takes a bullet for a total stranger. He says, Liam would have been lucky, but not because of him; because he had her. She could dazzle him with her beauty of course (🍷), but mostly, she could teach him what real love is. Real, unfiltered true love, so he would never settle for less. She starts to cry again, and asks how this is happening. He just got here, and now it’s over? He says, it’s not over yet, and she says she’s not ready. And she can’t even begin to explain how much she doesn’t want this, but they can still show Liam what real love is. And when they do, they’ll know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he never settled for less.

Nina says, message delivered, thank you, and Olivia says, for Nina’s sake, she hopes it was received. Nina says, if Carly even knew what she was trying to do for… Oliva says, what? but Nina says, nothing. But if Olivia suddenly has an impulse to weigh in on her friend’s marriage, from what she hears, Olivia might be better served to worry about her own. Merry Christmas.

Sonny says Carly doesn’t have to stick around. He’ll stay there as long as Brando and Sasha need him. She says she’s not going anywhere. Unless he’s trying to get rid of her. He says, never, and kisses her cheek. Nina watches.

Sam says she saw the cell they kept Drew in, and he says, nice accommodations, right? She doesn’t know how he did it, being in there for so long, staring at nothing, all alone. He says, it was tough, but the thing that kept him going, the thing that made him believe he was going to get out of there one day, was Scout. She says she saw he scratched Scout’s name in the wall, and he says, it was like the most important part of him was missing. She says, good; now he has her back. He says he does. Not quite the perfect fit. She says, not yet, but it will be. He says, it will be.

Curtis tells Portia, first, Joey Novak shows up, causing trouble at The Savoy, the kind of trouble that gives a club a bad name. Fast forward to Joey being beaten and jumped between the pier and The Savoy. She says, that doesn’t prove it was his father, and he says, right. The nightclub’s reputation takes a hit, the act that was booked suddenly cancels. She says, then a new one magically appears, and he says, he knows Marshall had a hand in Joey’s beating, but she says he doesn’t know that. He says, they do know he’s a proven liar, and she says, that doesn’t make him a criminal. He says, maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t, but he’s damn well going to find out.

Stella says, Curtis may have inherited some positive traits from Marshall, like his love of music. Does he still play? He says, sure do, and she says, don’t tell her he still has that old clarinet. He says he likes to think of Henrietta as vintage, but no, he lost her too. He lost her a long time ago. She says, Henrietta. She’d almost forgotten his first love. He says, you never forget your first, and laughs. In any case, he learned his lesson. He pats his clarinet case, and says, this baby never gets left in a car. She says she’s sure they’ve made some improvements over the years, and he says, the newer models are nice. Maybe it’s him, but his fingers don’t fly like they used to. But he has to believe if the mood was right, and he was holding Henrietta, he could still make her sing.

Olivia meets Leo and Ned, and asks how they’re doing. Ned says, good. Just doing what everyone does in a doctor’s office – wait. Olivia asks if Leo knows why they’re here, and he shows her his cookie. Ned says, it’s family tradition, bribery, and she says, if Leo is going to take the Quartermaine name, she’s going to have to accept the family traditions. A doctor walks up, and says he’s going to take a wild guess and assume this is Leo. Olivia says, that’s the guy, and he introduces himself as Dr. Newman, and his nurse, Nurse Meyers. He asks how Leo is doing, and Olivia repeats the question. Leo says he’s good, and Dr. Newman asks if he’d like to play some games and talk for a bit. Leo says he loves games, and the doctor says, great; come with him. He tells Olivia and Ned that they can wait there; they won’t be long. Ned tells Leo to have fun, and Olivia says if he needs anything, she’ll be right here. The doctor and nurse leave with Leo, and Olivia says, no big deal. Ned hugs her.

Britt asks if Nina is okay, and Nina glances at Sonny and Carly. She says she’s just worried about Sasha and Brando, and Britt says, it must be difficult for her; a reminder of Nelle being taken away from her; getting to know her, but it was too late. She knows it’s not the same, but Nina still lost a child. Nina says, and all the mistakes she made because of that.

Carly says she can’t imagine how Sasha and Brando feel, and Sonny says he understands why she stood up for Sasha. Behind that face, she’s got a lot of grit. She’s going to need it. Carly says she understands why he feels so close to Brando. She knows he’s family, but he was practically raised by Sonny’s father. (Wow, has that story changed.) Sasha and Brando come out, and Britt tells them to follow her.

Sam says Drew and Scout will find their way back to each other. It’s just going to take some time. They have to get through the holidays, and then in a couple of months, it’s her birthday. He says, so he’s buying his way back? but she says, that’s not what she’s saying. He says he’s just kidding, and she says, there are going to be so many moments; little ones, big ones, and all the ones in-between. He says he likes the sound of that, when his phone rings. It’s Curtis, and Drew asks, what’s up? Curtis says, what Drew told him, that he’d help look into his father’s reappearance? Does that offer still stand?

Marshall says he’s determined to put down roots, and get back with the family he left behind. She says he can be as determined as he wants, that doesn’t mean Curtis will let him in. He tells her, Curtis may say no, but he’s sensing a definite maybe from TJ, and he’d like to build on that, and have a relationship with his grandson. He could use some help if she’s willing to give it.

Ned says he was wondering if Olivia balked and canceled the appointment, and she says, it crossed her mind. He says he’s proud of her, and she says, he might not be when they get their diagnosis… if they’re getting a diagnosis. She looks at him, and says, they’re getting a diagnosis, and he says, most likely. She says, that’s okay, because their son’s alive and strong and thriving, and it’s more than a lot of people get. He’s unique, and it just makes him more special. Ned says, absolutely, and she says she wants him to know she’s all in on this. Whatever the doctor tells them, she’s here to give Leo all the help that he needs. He says he knows she will, and she asks if he can forgive her. He says, for what? and she says, for making him the bad guy because she was too afraid to look at the facts. He says he was afraid too. The unknown is scary. That’s why they’re here, to figure out what’s going on, and come up with a game plan. If they have that, and each other… She says, they have everything, and he says they do, and they hug.

Carly asks if Sonny is hungry or thirsty, but he says, no; maybe some water. She leaves, and he takes a rosary out of his pocket. He sits down and begins to pray the Hail Mary, as Nina watches.

Dr. Fleming tells Brando and Sasha, once they disconnect the respirator, they’ll give Liam an injection of morphine. Sasha says, so he won’t be in any pain, and Brando says, that’s why we’re doing this. So there’s no pain, no suffering, and he can be with his namesake. Sasha asks if she can hold him. Once he’s off of those machines, can she hold him in her arms? She doesn’t want him to be alone. The doctor says, of course (🍷), and Sasha says, he was with her when he came into this world. She wants him to be with her when he leaves it. Elizabeth and Dr. Fleming help Brando and Sasha get ready, and Britt goes out to the hallway, and leans on the wall. They go into the NICU.

Drew tells Curtis, they’ll talk soon, and Sam says, she’d ask what that was about, but she’s assuming it’s confidential. He says, just a background check. It seems pretty cut and dried actually. She says, how many times she’s said that and it’s been anything but, and he says, don’t worry. She says, too late, and he says he wouldn’t have gone through all that hell just to come back and put a bunch of trouble on her doorstep, or his. She says, no more risks, and he says, no more risks… within reason. He’s got too much to lose. Scout comes in, and Sam says, there she is. He says he was just about to fire up the laptop and shop for some new decorations. Does Scout want to help? Scout asks Sam if they can go home.

Curtis tells Portia, if there’s any dirt on Marshall, he trusts Drew to dig it up. She says, what if he comes up empty? but Curtis says, he won’t. He may not be a P.I. anymore, but those instincts don’t just evaporate. Marshall is hiding something. He looks at her, and says, what? She says, nothing, but he says, it’s definitely something, so say it. She says she knows he’s prepared to hear the worst about Marshall, but what if the big discovery is just that Marshall wants to be his father? Is he prepared for that?

The doctor brings Leo back, and Leo says, it was fun. Dr. Newman says, they had a really great talk. They’ll schedule a follow-up to discuss everything; just call his office. Ned says they will, and the doctor tells Leo, it was nice to meet him. He hopes to see Leo soon. Leo waves, and the doctor leaves. Olivia asks if Leo knows how much she loves him, and she hugs him. Leo says he knows, and she tells him, don’t you ever forget it.

Carly brings Sonny some water, and asks if anything happened while she was gone. Britt comes out, and they go over to her. Carly asks, is it over? Britt just looks sad, and at a distance, Nina closes her eyes.

Sasha holds Liam, and says, Liam Mike Corbin, you were here for such a short time, but you made quite the impact, and you were so, so loved. She has to believe he felt that, and hopes with everything in her that he still does. She kisses him, and says she’ll love him forever. She starts to cry, and Brando kisses Liam. He says, their first born, their son. He looks up, and says, look after him, okay, Mike? Mike appears, and I lose it. Mike tells them, like he said, with everything he’s got.

Marshall sits in his hotel room, and plays his clarinet. We hear his music over the final scenes.

We see Sasha place her baby down, and start to walk away with Brando. She turns back, and Brando puts his arms around her. She cries on his shoulder, and they leave. Mike holds Liam.

Stella comes into the hospital, and sees Curtis with Portia and smiles.

Sam says goodbye to Drew, and Scout hands Drew the star. He gives it to her to put on the tree, but she says she can’t reach. He lifts her up, and she puts it on the tree.

Olivia holds out her hand to Leo, and he takes it, holding out his other hand to Ned. The three of them walk out, hand-in-hand.

Brando and Sasha come out. Everyone looks sad, and Sasha starts to cry. Brando holds her. In the NICU, Mike holds Liam, and asks if he’s ready to go. He says, me too, and walks until he disappears.

On Monday, Chase says Willow can feel however she wants to feel, Laura tells Cyrus not to play games with her, Michael says he’s going to protect his family no matter the cost, and Phyllis asks Nina if she’s still in love with Sonny.

😭 Thanks, General Hospital. Because the holidays aren’t depressing enough. Although I was glad Mike showed up.

💔 That Was Quick…

And their wedding looked so cool. I wonder if he’s taken on too much of the Michael persona at home.

🎾 Ball Changes Court…

I can’t help but wonder if he practices his religion in other areas. Or is he like the people who screech if you eat meat, but wear leather shoes?

💼 Branching Out…

What Diane does on her off-time.

👯‍♀️ BFFs IRL…

I recently wrote an interview for Jessica Morris on Mupo & Friends (YouTube). She is a Lifetime queen, and real life BFF of Melissa Archer.

👠 Going Glam…

First Co-Chief of Staff, now this.

🎄 Christmastime Is Here…

At least in Salem.

🧂 Pass the Salt…

What’s going on in Salt Lake City.

Usually, it’s Jen doing the denying.

🗽 Sticking Around…

They’re not going anywhere.

Unless it’s running out of a restaurant.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/luann-de-lesseps-dines-real-housewives-of-new-york-dashes-out-of-dc-restaurant-le-diplomate

🎅🏽 And You Get a Piece Of Coal…

Apparently Leah is not happy with her co-stars.

⚖️ Little Did She Know…

Suckerfish Hoppy does kind of look like Christian Bale in American Psycho.

🍸 Haunting Split…

What is wrong with that guy?

⚰️ Burning Questions…

The skinny on the mid-season finale of Fear the Walking Dead.

https://ew.com/tv/fear-the-walking-dead-midseason-finale-708-interview-padre-alicia-strand-war/

🌟 Behold…

This years Rockefeller Center contribution to the Christmas spirit.

https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/photos-it-aint-christmas-season-until-2021-rockefeller-center-christmas-tree-has-been-lit

☄️ Quotes of the Week

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. – J.R.R. Tolkien

The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.Rachel Carson

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea. – Robert A. Heinlein

The most common form of despair is not being who you are. – Soren Kierkegaard

Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch.  – Orson Welles

I had an epiphany a few years ago when I was out at a celebrity party and it suddenly dawned on me that I had yet to meet a celebrity who is as smart and interesting as any of my friends. – Moby

A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to be well-known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized. – Fred Allen

There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed. – Ernest Hemingway

True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice. – Martin Luther King Jr.

🦌 On Dasher…

Why is it the weeks seem to go faster just before the new year? Here we are at another weekend, or for those of you who are on permanent robe duty, those two days you used to get off work. If nothing else, at least change your slippers for 48 hours. Maybe even live it up and put on real shoes. Until we meet for some soap and whatever’s on Deck, stay safe, stay taking some time for yourself, and stay not settling for less, be it love, or whatever it is you need.

December 8, 2021 – Willow Confronts Nina About Sonny, It’s Sort Of Real, Heather Shuts Down Her Sushi Party & Love

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Martin picks up Laura’s plate, and she says, yummy. She can see why hummingbird cake is his mother’s favorite. She’ll have to remember to order one when she gets home. He says, maybe. Or maybe they could just order another one and have it brought here. She says she still has to get back, but he says, she still can’t. Not while there’s a threat out there. She says if she chooses to assume the risk, that’s her business, and he asks if they have to keep going over this. Does she really want him to tell Silva that she’s going to make a break for it? She says his devotion to her is astounding, and he says he is devoted; live with it. They’re stuck here, and they’re going to make the best of it. As a matter-of-fact, he has a surprise for her later.

Gladys looks through the NICU window at baby Liam, and dabs at her eyes. Carly hugs her.

Michael goes to Sasha’s room, and sees she’s sleeping. Brando dozes in a chair, but hears Michael, and wakes up. They go outside, and Michael says he didn’t want to wake Brando. Sorry he got there so late. Brando says he wasn’t sleeping, and Michael asks how he’s holding up. Sasha calls to Brando, and says she’d like to see Michael too.

Willow and Nina go into an office, and Willow says she thinks this conversation calls for privacy. Nina says, she and Sonny thought they had privacy in the chapel too, but that turned out not to be the case. Willow was there. Willow says she wishes to God she hadn’t been. She wishes she hadn’t heard a single word.

Maxie goes to Austin’s office, and asks if she can come in. He says, of course (🍷). He’s just a little surprised to see her. Is she there to tell him that he’s wrong again? She wouldn’t be wrong; he was wrong. He really shouldn’t have interfered with Brook and Valentin. He asks why she’s there if they’re not friends, and she says she doesn’t know where she is with that, but there is someone who thinks they’re friends. Maybe even more than that. He says, her ex, Peter August.

Peter dozes in the interrogation room, when Sonny comes in, slamming the door and startling him awake. Peter asks how he got in there, and Sonny laughs. He says, funny thing about Jason. Some of the cops hated him, and some of the cops liked him, but they all respected him. Peter asks if Sonny really expects him to believe the police thought Jason was an honorable man, and Sonny says he doesn’t give a damn what Peter thinks. Look around. Nobody’s there but the two of them. He killed Jason; all rules go out the window. Nobody wants to protect him, and everybody wants to see him pay. So it looks like Sonny is going to do the honors.

Silva tells fake cleaning lady that he called the management office, and it seems Nancy called in sick. She’s good to go. He’s sorry she had to wait and stay later. She says, it’s okay; she can use the overtime.

Inside, Laura says, nothing in the news about Victor Cassadine’s release. Then again, she supposes they wouldn’t tell the press. Most people don’t know him anyway, but she… Martin says, there is nothing she can do about Victor from here. She’s not leaving. It’s final. It’s too dangerous. She says, it’s not just Victor; she misses her family. He says he empathizes. He feels bad that he selfishly has her to himself. It’s not like he has anybody to miss back home like she does. They hug, and he says he’s sorry. He’s going to make sure Agent Silva gets a slice of this wonderful hummingbird cake, since he’s the one who arranged it. He opens the door, and Silva tells him to close the door and stay inside. Fake cleaning lady digs in her pseudo cleaning supplies, and Martin says he just wanted to make sure Silva got a slice of hummingbird cake. Enjoy.

Austin says he was on duty when Peter came in, so he treated him. Peter saw his name on his ID badge, and recognized him as the one who delivered her baby. Then he insinuated Austin kidnapped Louise. Maxie says, he did what? She’s so sorry. What did Austin say? He tells her that he reacted with professional detachment. Until he didn’t. Because he kind of reacted like an angry middle schooler. He stuck Peter a couple extra times with the syringe when he was drawing blood. Maxie tries not to laugh, and asks what he said about her and him, and their friendship, or lack thereof. He says he told Peter the truth. He told Peter that he’d do anything to keep him from hurting Maxie.

Sonny asks if Peter doesn’t get it. They’re all their friends. They want him gone, and he has the power to make that happen. Peter says he didn’t kill Sonny’s precious Jason, and Sonny says, Peter shot at him, and caused a cave-in, and Jason was buried in that godforsaken island. He doesn’t deserve another breath. Peter says, yet here he is – he takes a deep breath – still breathing. Sonny says, not for long. Peter says, Sonny’s not going to kill him, because if he does, his little secret is going to come out.

Carly tells Gladys, she knows it must be terrifying to see her grandson like that, and Gladys says she wasn’t prepared. She knew there were issues, but she was trying to be good about giving Brando and Sasha space. She didn’t visit. Then Brando gave her the okay, and she came straight here. He’s so little. Hooked up to all those tubes and machines. Carly says, it’s overwhelming. The first time she saw him, she was visiting with Sasha, and Brando brought Sonny there. Gladys asks if Carly heard the name they gave him – Liam – and Carly says, it’s a nice name. Gladys says, it’s not rugged, or stylish like Brando. It sounds like a character in a fairytale book. Not like Brando, one of the most fantastic movie stars in all of movie history. Carly says, Liam Neeson’s a pretty big movie star too, and Gladys says, not like Brando. She tried to offer names, but did they listen? No. Liam, it’s such a lackluster name. It must be a millennial thing. Probably Sasha’s idea.

Michael gives Sasha a giftbag, and says he got this for Liam. She thanks him, and says she loves getting gifts for Liam. She can’t wait to see him in his nursery, playing with all of them, making a mess. Maybe his cousin Wiley can show him how to play blocks. She remembers Wiley being obsessed with them, and Michael says he can’t wait to see them together. She asks if Willow is there, and he says they showed up together, but when he was talking to his parents, she must have wandered off. He’s sure she’ll be here soon.

Nina says, Willow must have misunderstood what she heard, or maybe took it out of context. She and Sonny were talking about Peter, and they were both really upset. She doesn’t know if Willow knows this, but Peter tried to kill her. He set the bar on fire when she was in there, and Sonny rushed into the burning building, and saved her life, so they had a friendship back in Nixon Falls when he didn’t know who he was. They had a bond… Can Willow just tell her what she overheard? Willow says enough to know that Nina and Sonny fell in love, and Nina doesn’t regret it, because it was the purest thing she’s ever known.

Maxie tells Austin that she appreciates chivalry, but Peter might have interpreted it as something more. He says, Peter kind of fished around about that, and he told Peter that he’d be proud to be her friend. She asks what Peter said, and Austin tells her that he thinks Peter senses he’s not in that hallowed circle, and said he’s going to do everything he can to keep it that way. She says, he threatened Austin? and he says, Peter mewled like a cornered little kitty cat, instead of yowling. What’s going on? Why is she asking him all of these questions? She says she went to see Peter, and he asks why she’d do that to herself. She says she needed to prove to herself that she could stand in front of Peter and show him that she’s not afraid of him anymore. She wanted him to know he means nothing to her; that she feels nothing for him but contempt. He says, how’d that go?

Michael says, Liam is a great name, and Brando says, Liam Mike Corbin. Michael says, Mike goes on, and Brando says, he was a helluva guy. Michael says he’ll put the gift with the rest of the collection, and Brando says they’d like to ask him something. Michael asks, what’s up? and Sasha says, it involves Willow too. She takes Brando’s hand, and says, it would mean so much to them. Brando asks if they’d do them the favor of being Liam’s godparents, and Michael says he thinks he can speak for Willow in saying, yes, absolutely. They’d be honored to be there for Liam. He and Brando hug.

Gladys tells Carly, she likes the Mike part of his name; she’s going to call him Mike. Carly suggests she let Sasha and Brando decide what they want people to call their son. Gladys says she’s not people; she’s the grandma, the one and only. She doesn’t have to share him with anybody. She bets Carly hates having to share hers with that awful Nina Reeves after what Nina did to her and Sonny. Carly says she’s just glad Wiley has a lot of people who love him, and Gladys says, depends on the people. Carly says, you know what? Liam’s going to have a big extended family. He’s going to have tons of people who love him. Gladys says she can’t wait to take him to the park, or show him off at Carly’s restaurant. Carly laughs, and Gladys says she wants to be there for his first smile, his first steps, his first word. Wouldn’t it be good if it was grandma? Carly says she bets Gladys will stop at nothing to make that happen, and Gladys says she was so young when she had Brando. She wasn’t ready for a baby, and she missed so much. She hopes she can make up for it. They look in the NICU window, and Gladys says, he looks like Brando, don’t you think? Carly says she sees both Sasha and Brando in him. Both of his parents have strong, fighting spirits.

Nina says, Willow deserves to know the truth. She was good to Nina when she didn’t have to be. Willow says, when she didn’t know the whole story. She was willing to bend the rules for Wiley, even though Carly kept pounding it into her how toxic Nina was to their family. She just didn’t realize how toxic, and my God, Sonny’s been insisting that Michael and Carly let go of their hostility toward her. Is it because they’re in love? Have they been sneaking around all this time? Are Nina and Sonny having an affair? Nina says, no, it’s not like that. Yes, they were in love, but as soon as Sonny found out who he really was, it ended. Willow says, so they had an affair in Nixon Falls? but Nina says, no, they never went that far; it never went to that level. It’s exactly what Willow heard her say; it was pure. It was just love. Willow says, and Nina’s not over it.

Sonny says, are you trying to run a bluff on me, Petah? and Peter says, look at Sonny. So calm, and cool, and collected. Nothing like Mike in Nixon Falls. Poor Mike. He was too simple to even know he was being duped by Nina. Does he remember… Can he remember how righteous he was? Telling Peter all about how he found himself in that little town. What he found for himself was a whole lot of Nina, and guess what? He recorded all of it. He has a great picture of that kiss too. It’s all on a thumb drive, safe in a vault, locked away, ready to be opened in the event of Peter’s death. So if Sonny kills him, he’s just going to breathe life into that little secret about Nina and him.

Martin says he doesn’t know how Laura does it, and she says, do what? He says, maintain a stable marriage. He never could. She asks, why not? and he says, simple. He was a terrible husband. She asks if he thinks it’s because his father was a terrible role model, and he says, possibly. Possibly it was because he was always overly attached to his mama, especially after the family went sideways. On the upside, if it wasn’t for his daddy’s philandering ways, he would be without his magnificent sister. He holds up his coffee cup, and says, to you, beautiful. They clink cups, and she says, if he’s trying to cheer her up, it’s working. He says, excellent, and she nearly does a spit-take. He asks if she’s ready for her surprise, and she wonders if it’s a new video game. He says, no. It’s something to get them in the holiday spirit with everyone’s favorite holiday classic Christmas film. He puts on the TV, and she says, not Christina Comes Home for Christmas? (I wonder, is that a real thing? See what I found below.) She can’t watch that movie; she just can’t. She’s sorry.  

Maxie tells Austin, she doesn’t believe she didn’t see through Peter until now. She used to try and protect him, change him. She’s such a fool. Austin says, he doesn’t think so. Don’t beat herself up. She’s a generous person, kind-hearted, and Peter took advantage of that. From the little time he spent with Peter, he can turn the charm on when he wants to. She asks what he means, and he says, Peter has this way of talking, like heightened language, pretty words. He does seem certain the two of them will be together someday. She says, that’s all Peter’s got; dreams and delusions. He says, Peter mentioned fate, but he doesn’t believe in fate, and told him so. She wishes he hadn’t done that. He probably made himself Peter’s newest obsession. He says he’s not worried about that, and she says, make no mistake. Peter sees him as a rival for her, and that could be dangerous for him.

Peter says, Carly won’t have to know anything about Sonny and Nina, as long as he stays alive. Sonny says, Carly will know everything, when the time is right. Peter can keep his little threats to himself. He doesn’t believe for a second Peter has anything stashed in a vault. Even if he did, does Peter think Sonny would let him hold Nixon Falls over his head? This is bigger than Nixon Falls. He took Jason away from him and his family; he terrorized Maxie. Does Peter think Sonny would let him hurt anyone else? Peter asks if Sonny is going to kill him right here in the police station, but Sonny says, no. He’s going to let Peter wait, and wonder, when he hears those footsteps approaching his cell. He’s going to think to himself, did he send somebody? Am I going to die tonight? Hopelessly obsessed with a woman who despises him, he’s never even met his daughter, and doesn’t know where she is… dead or alive. Peter jumps up, and tells Sonny, don’t say that. Don’t you dare say that to me. Sonny tells him, sit down; relax. Wherever she is, she’s better off there than with him.

Gladys tells Carly, Brando was born so healthy. She didn’t know how lucky she was. Then when he succumbed to drugs, she told everyone he was dead, instead of supporting him through it. How could she have done that to her own son? Maybe this is punishment for her being such a bad mother. Carly says, it’s not punishment. Gladys was a young mother, who probably didn’t have the support she needed, and did the best she could under the circumstances. Brando arrives, wheeling Sasha, and hugs Gladys. Gladys says she was giving them space. Their baby is gorgeous. She asks how Sasha is feeling, and Sasha says she should be up and around in a day or two. Gladys says, that’s great. Now will the two of them tell her when her sweet little grandson gets to come home?

Nina tells Willow, it doesn’t matter how she feels about Sonny. He doesn’t love her; he never did. It’s Mike who fell in love with her. Willow says, because Nina didn’t tell him who he really was; that he had a family here, missing him, grieving him. Nina says she swears she didn’t want it to happen. She fought against it. She tried leaving Nixon Falls, but it would always draw her back. When she left Port Charles, she was in such deep pain and confusion, and she found peace in Nixon Falls; a new life, a new her, and Mike was a part of that. Then Michael called, and told her that she could be part of Wiley’s life again. She thought she’d go back to Port Charles and tell the truth, but that didn’t happen. Willow says, all that time, Nina knew Sonny was alive, and never told them. She played with their son, and never said a word. Nina says she wanted to tell them about Sonny, but then Mike would call, and say he missed her or Phyllis needed support. She couldn’t turn her back on them, and went back to Nixon Falls, and there he was. Mike behind the bar, this man that was so sweet and good. He didn’t want to know who he really was. She tried to stop it, but she fell in love with him. Willow says she knows, and Nina will never regret it. But what about Carly? She understands why Nina hasn’t said anything, but why hasn’t Sonny? Nina says, because it’s over. Why would he tell her? There’s no reason to. Willow says, because they’re still sneaking around, having hushed conversations. Nina says, okay. Willow knows the truth now. What is she going to do? Is she going to tell Michael and Carly?

Carly says she’s going to find Michael, and Sasha says, he’s in her room. He was kind enough to offer to pack up the gifts, and take them to Liam’s nursery. Carly says she’ll lend him a hand, and tells them to call if they need anything. She leaves, and Gladys says, sometimes she’s not so bad. What’s the matter with her little Mikey? Brando says, he was deprived of oxygen, and there was a problem with Sasha’s placenta. No one knew what was happening until Sasha went into labor, and that’s when things turned serious for her during the delivery. Gladys says, but Sasha’s okay now, right? And what about the baby? He’s okay too, right? Aren’t they taking him home soon? Sasha leans on Brando’s arm.

Austin says Maxie doesn’t have to worry about him. Peter is under constant supervision; the PCPD, the WSB. Even if he does somehow manage to escape and come after him, Austin will just kill him, and call it self-defense. He thinks Peter has a lot of enemies. Probably someone else will do him in before it comes to that.

Sonny says, Peter really messed up this time. He has two little girls that are a delight. Thank God Peter’s daughter never has to know the horror show he is. When Sonny is playing with his little girls, and his whole family is loving him back, Peter is going to be meeting his maker. He’s going to be in his cell, alone, asking for mercy, and he ain’t gonna get it. Peter says, Sonny, of all people, feels like he’s qualified to judge him, and end his life? Sonny says he’s doing this with peace in his heart, in the name of all the people Peter has hurt and killed. Jason is at the top of that list. He wants Peter to remember that when they come for him, Sonny sent them. They’ll tell when it’s finished, and he’ll smile, and guess what? Everybody is going be so happy that Peter is done, and it’s the end, especially Maxie. They never have to think about him again. He tells Peter, have a nice life, whatever’s left of it, and leaves.

Michael tells Carly, it’s so unfair. Brando and Sasha should be laughing and having fun, planning where they’re going to put all this in Liam’s nursery, not terrified he’ll never get to play with any of it. She says, it’s hard, and she’s sure it brings up painful feelings for Michael over Jonah. He says he grieved for over a year until he got his miracle. He hopes Sasha and Brando don’t have to wait as long for theirs.

Willow tells Nina that she knows about running away and starting over. She also knows something about secrets and loss. She’s been both the recipient and perpetrator, and knows how they can fester and grow. She knows how you can feel trapped in them and by them. Nina says, that’s how she feels, but Willow says, the thing is, someone always gets hurt, and that pure love of hers was based on deceit. She kept Sonny’s identity and whereabouts a secret. Was it because Nina fell for him, and didn’t want him to leave? Nina says, not at first, but toward the end… it got kind of confusing. She knows what she did was wrong. There’s no excuse for it. Keeping Sonny away from his family caused so much pain, but why should Willow compound it by telling people what she overheard; that Nina and Sonny fell in love in Nixon Falls, when it’s over? Willow says, is it? and Nina says, yes. Sonny is with the woman he loves. He’s with his wife and his family, and she respects that. The fallout from all this has been brutal. Why make it worse for Carly and Sonny’s family? Willow asks if Nina means why make it worse for her?

Martin says he doesn’t understand. Everyone loves Christina Comes Home for Christmas; why doesn’t Laura? She says she does love it. She watches it every year. It’s part of their family Christmas tradition, and she can’t do it this year. He says, because she watches it with Doc, and she says, because it reminds her too much of home. It reminds her of her children and her grandkids, her family and friends, everything she’s missing right now. Going out Christmas shopping, the tree lighting in Rice Plaza. She can’t watch a movie where a woman is struggling to get home when she can’t get home. He says, it might be cathartic. How about they watch it tonight, have a good cry, and wake up feeling better tomorrow? She says, but they’re not going to feel better tomorrow, because Christina gets to go home. She gets her happy ending, and they’re going to be stuck there in this damn house. He says he knows that. He’s trying to make the best of the situation. She says, he’s not. She can’t take it anymore. She’s getting out of here. She gets up, and he gets up, saying, stop talking about it, dammit. Don’t do this. He’s begging her. She just has to hold on a little bit longer. She has to do the right thing, the responsible thing, and that means keeping the faith and sitting tight. This too shall pass, but not if she does something stupid. What good will it do for all those people in Port Charles who she loves and misses, who love and miss her, if she gets herself killed? She says, he’s a pretty good lawyer, and he says he has his moments. She says, she does too apparently. She’s sorry she freaked out. She wants to do the responsible thing, for him and herself, but she can’t watch that movie. He says, understood. How about if he pours her a nice glass of cognac, and she can have a nice soak in that oversized tub? She says, for about two hours? He’s totally going to watch that movie, isn’t he? He says, oh yeah, and she says, pour her a glass. She’ll give him the room. They hug.

Nina says, it’s true. If Willow shares what she overheard, that she and Sonny fell in love in Nixon Falls, it will make her bad situation even worse. Carly despises her, but Sonny loves Carly, and Carly loves Sonny. Does Willow really want to drive a wedge between that? One that doesn’t need to be there? Willow says, the secret is driving the wedge between them. Nina asks if Willow has ever heard it’s best not to confess everything to your partner that’s going to hurt them. It might even be selfish to do so, but she’s begging Willow to keep quiet. Not for her sake; she can take whatever Carly throws at her. Carly already hates her, and Michael got her arrested, and told her that he doesn’t want her to see Wiley anymore. She’s begging Willow to keep the secret. Willow doesn’t owe her anything, and she gets what Willow thinks about her, but just let her do this one good thing. Please keep it to herself. Willow says she doesn’t know what she’s going to do, but she has to go, and leaves.  

Michael tells Carly, he knows the situation is hard enough without Nina hanging around, but Carly says she’s not going to let it get to her. There are more important things. She just came from visiting little Liam. Has Michael seen him? It’s heartbreaking. Michael says he wanted to give Brando and Sasha some alone time, but Carly says, they’re not alone. He asks if Willow is with them, but she says, no, Gladys. She thought Willow was with him. The elevator opens, and Willow comes out. Michael says he told Sasha and Brando they’d bring Liam’s things to his nursery, and she says, Liam is such a beautiful name. How is he, and Sasha? Michael says, Sasha is on the mend. She and Brando are hanging in there, waiting for word on their baby’s heath. They have a long night ahead of them. Carly says they were wondering where Willow was. Nina almost comes around the corner, but ducks back, and Willow sees her.

Austin says he wanted to keep an eye on Peter, and volunteered to be his physician, but Maxie says, undo that. He says he wants to do it for her sake. There’s nothing she can say that will change his mind, so save her breath. It’s the least he can do. She asks what he means, and he says, this whole Brook baby daddy thing; he gave her a hard time. He’s not sure why she’s so invested in Bailey’s paternity, but it doesn’t matter. He’s truly sorry, and he can see now that for whatever reason she and Brook are very close. Maxie asks if they can stop talking about it, and he says, that would be great, because he’s been thinking about it a lot, and like he told her ex, he’d do anything to get back in her good graces. She says, and could he stop talking to Peter and asking questions. He asks, why? and she says, anything and everything. He says, cool, and asks if they can be friends, and she says, sure. He says, congratulations by the way, and she asks, for what? He says, facing Peter, and she says, thanks. It feels pretty good. She leaves.

Sasha says Gladys raised a terrific son. She couldn’t have gone through this alone. She can’t believe she even considered it. Being a single parent must have been hard for Gladys. She can understand why Gladys was worried that she wouldn’t be prepared. Gladys thanks her, and says, she was just telling Carly, she hopes she can make up for her mistakes with Brando with her new grandson. She doesn’t want Sasha to worry. She’s going to be around all the time to take care of their little guy. Brando says, they need to wait and see what Liam’s prognosis is. Then they’ll know when they can take him home.

Michael asks if Willow was checking her nursing schedule this whole time, and Willow says she should have known she’d get caught up in things. She should have come straight here. Michael says, she’s here now. He hopes she doesn’t mind, but Sasha and Brando asked them a big favor, and he took the liberty of answering for both of them. They want them to be Liam’s godparents, and he said yes. She says she’s glad he did. Of course (🍷) they will. He says, as their first official act, they should get the gifts to the car, and go see the baby together. Nina continues to listen in, as Carly redistributes the packages. Carly says she’s so happy they’re so supportive of Brando and Sasha. They need to be surrounded by them right now. Family’s really important. Willow says, yes, it is, and glances at Nina.  

Sonny runs into Maxie, and she says she’s so happy to see him. He asks if she’s coming from Sasha and Brando; he was just going to see them. She says, no; she’s planning on visiting tomorrow. She wanted to talk to him about Peter. He says he just saw that son of a bitch. What’s on her mind? She says, what is Sonny going to do about him? Is he going kill him?

Laura says she’s really glad she and Martin got this time to make up for the time they lost not growing up together. He says, on the other hand, they might have driven each other crazy, and she says, there’s still time. She loves him. She gives him a hug, and he says he loves her too. She goes into the other room, and he puts the movie on. There’s a knock at the door, and fake maid says she has their laundry. He opens the door, and says they were told Nancy was sick. He appreciates it. Of all the things he misses about being home, doing laundry isn’t on the list. He sits back down on the couch, and tells her to put it wherever she sees fit. Behind him, she takes a cord out of the laundry basket, and wraps it around his throat. She tightens it, and he struggles against it.

Tomorrow, Ava says, if Nikolas has anything to tell her, the time is now; Britt wonders why she feels like she’s being judged; Nina says, Jason’s death is her fault; and Carly tells Michael, they’re not on the same page right now.

🎄 She’s Coming Home…

I don’t remember this at all. You can find the episode on YouTube, but it’s in parts.

https://daytimeconfidential.com/2008/12/10/christina-comes-home-for-christmas

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Heather’s sushi party was all fabulous, and Heather introduced Nicole to everyone. In Emily’s interview, she thought it made no sense for Heather to be friends with someone who’d sued Terry. Heather had gotten a photographer, and wanted to do a group shot, which I thought was pretty odd, but she has too much money and needs to spend it. In Shannon’s interview, she said that Nicole wasn’t the Pam Anderson lookalike she’d met 16 years ago. The skimpy dress was the same, but not much else. Meow. Because the expense just kept on coming, each place setting had a personalized box, which I assume held chopsticks. Jen and Nicole literally banged a gong, and Heather asked if they should all go have a nibble, which made me cringe. In her interview, Shannon thought it was bizarre that Nicole was friends with Heather and Terry, when she’d sued Terry. God knows what happened in 16 years, but apparently quite a bit. Gina wondered how Shannon could smile to her face, and talk sh*t about her behind her back, and told Emily the lawsuit had been over an alleged (my word; left over from RHOBH’s last season) botched boob job.  Emily engaged Nicole in a conversation about boob jobs, and Nicole said hers were a long story. It had taken four and a half years for her to get where she was. Shannon found out she and Noella went to the same healer, and Terry stopped by to get screen time. In Gina’s interview, she said she felt like she was participating in something to make someone look stupid. Taking Heather aside, she explained what Shannon had told her and Emily about Nicole.  

Emily asked Shannon if she’d told Heather about Nicole, but Shannon said she wasn’t out to hurt anyone. Shannon went to talk to Heather, and saw Gina had beat her to it. In Shannon’s interview, she said she’d made them promise that if it was the same Nicole, they wouldn’t talk about it. While all that was going on outside, inside, Emily told Nicole about what Shannon had blabbed.

Gina said Shannon always made a big thing out of nothing, and Shannon said Gina had promised to keep her mouth shut. Gina said it wasn’t the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and she hadn’t known Heather when Shannon told her about Nicole. Gina split, going back inside to Emily, and Noella came out. Shannon told Noella that she didn’t trust Gina. Heather stomped around saying the show was over. Nicole explained to Emily that she’d made a mistake as a young model. Her attorneys had forced her into a lawsuit. Heather went upstairs, and told Terry that she was leaving the show, and kicking everyone out. That didn’t take long or much.

Shannon told Noella that she became loose-lipped when she drank, and thought she could trust Gina. In Shannon’s interview, she said Gina had no place talking to Heather. They’d just met, and now she was Gina’s good friend. Who TF did Gina think she was? Emily thought if Nicole and Heather were going to be friends, they should clear the air, and in Jen’s interview, she said it was the worst thing in the world to sue your doctor. They were the ones who took care of you, and no one who’d sued her or her husband would be sitting in her house. I get the last part, but it depends on the situation whether it’s the worst or not. Nicole said they’d figure it out, and she hadn’t asked Emily’s opinion, nor did she need it right. Emily told Nicole not to get in her face when she was being a friend. Nicole said she’d only known Emily for 20 minutes, and told Emily, sit down. This was the stupidest thing ever, since, as Emily pointed out, she was already sitting. Emily told her to put her anger somewhere else, and Nicole said Emily was stupid. Go eat sushi, bitch. I might want that on a bumper sticker. Then the yelling started, and Gina suggested Emily walk away. As she walked away, Emily told Nicole that she was trash. She had no education, and had never had a job. F*** you. Then she demanded Gina come with her, which Gina did. This reminded me why I don’t like these shows. It’s not even that I mind the cat fighting, but get a thesaurus, and stop ordering your friends around.

Emily wanted to leave, but Jen coaxed her back inside. Emily joked that she’d handled it well, and Gina said at least she hadn’t called anyone a sloppy chihuahua. We flashed back to Gina calling Braunwyn that. Noella got all excited to meet Heather’s daughter Max, as they were both bi-sexual. Actually, Noella seems like she’s excited about everything all the time. Gina suggested Shannon table it, and Shannon whined that Gina had made a promise.  

Heather and Terry went hunting for Nicole, found her alone, and beat the crap out of her. Not really, but Terry said Nicole had sued him, and Heather asked why Nicole hadn’t told her; they’d been friends for years. Terry said she’d had a complication, and Nicole said she hadn’t thought Terry did anything wrong. She’d been in her 20s, and pushed by her attorneys. She started crying, and Terry said it was fine; Nicole had dropped it, and it went away. In Heather’s interview, she said doctors got sued all the time, and it wasn’t a big deal. It was years ago, and Nicole was allowed a fresh start. I worked for a clinic, and she’s right about them getting sued all the time. That’s why their insurance premiums are so high, and in turn, their fees. The more you know… I was, however, confused at how insane Heather acted, and then she was practically shrugging it off. Terry suggested they hug it out, and Heather said if Nicole left, she’d be super upset. Noella said there seemed to be love and hurt feelings on both sides. Heather asked to talk to Gina and Shannon, and told Gina that people said don’t shoot the messenger, but she was going to. If it didn’t exist in her world, she didn’t know about it. Gina only knew because Shannon told her, and she thought it was sh*tty that Shannon did this. She shouldn’t have said anything. In Shannon’s interview, she said she’d been looking forward to rekindling her friendship with Heather, and she was livid. Heather walked away, and said the party was over. In her interview, she said thousands of dollars of sushi went to waste. Is it me? Who’s fault was that? I wouldn’t have shut down my sushi party for this nonsense. Not to mention, why should Nicole stay if there was going to be no dinner?

Shannon said she hoped someday Heather would know her heart. She hadn’t wanted to hurt Heather. Heather said she was disappointed. She’d honestly thought they had a chance to be real friends. Shannon insisted she was loyal and trustworthy, but Heather said Shannon wasn’t. Shannon could have given her a heads up. She told Shannon, let’s just be done.

The next day, Emily asked Heather to have lunch with her and Gina to sort things out. Shannon called Noella, who was still processing, and thanked her for being supportive. In Shannon’s interview, she said, maybe she wasn’t on an island by herself. Part of her felt horrible. She shouldn’t have said anything, but she didn’t intentionally hurt Heather. She told Noella that she hoped one day her apology would be accepted. Terry and Heather discussed the previous night’s events, and Terry said it had been more like a misunderstanding. He wondered what prompted Shannon, and Heather said, no matter what, it was none of Shannon’s business. The only thing she could come up with was that Shannon wanted to hurt them. Terry said it was like a social acid trip, whatever that meant, and maybe Shannon was harboring something from the past. We flashed back to Shannon telling everyone that Terry and Heather wanted to take the Beadors down, and Shannon screeching that everyone would know the truth. Heather told Terry that the party had cost $36K, and they hadn’t even gotten to the entrée. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, all the wrong people have the money.

Jen met her husband for lunch, and he brought the chihuahua. I love him now. In her interview, she said, when she met him, he’d been shirtless, holding a chihuahua, and that was pretty much how he always was. He was an avoider, who didn’t handle high stress well, but she thrived on it. She was looking to have more balance in her life. Emily and Shane went out to dinner for a date night, and in Emily’s interview, she said they were in a good, loving place in their marriage and not fighting. She asked him if he could believe they’d been married 13 years, and he said he thought he’d be dead by now. Emily said she did too. We flashed back to quarantine, and Shane getting covid, and Emily said there was a time she thought he wouldn’t make it. They talked about the afterlife, and Emily said she wanted the kids to feel like they had a purpose in life. She thought Shane could give them a better example, since she didn’t have roots in any kind of faith. In Emily’s interview, she said, growing up, she’d had no structure, and it felt chaotic. She thought that’s why some of the anger she felt as an adult bubbled up. She wanted her kids to have something to turn to in troubled times.

In Gina’s interview, she said she’d f***ed up Heather’s party. As they waited for Heather at the restaurant, she told Emily that she hadn’t thought what she said would have such a domino effect. Then Heather scolded her like a schoolgirl. As soon as Heather got there, Gina told her that she felt bad about messing up the party. Again, is it me? Heather messed up her own party. Heather said she understood Gina was in a difficult situation, but there was a time and place; it wasn’t good judgement. Gina said, hindsight, and told Heather about her ex bringing her to a barbecue at the home of the woman he was having an affair with. Everyone knew, and she found out later; no one had told her. So she did what she thought was the best thing. Heather said she felt bad, and had she known, she would have treated Gina differently. In Heather’s interview, she said she and Gina had connected, and it had been disappointing and confusing. Now that she had an explanation, she was ready to move on. Emily wondered what Shannon’s goal was, and Heather said, success bred contempt. She didn’t like the J-word, but couldn’t come up with anything else. She hadn’t run over Shannon’s cat. Shannon said she’d trusted Emily and Gina with the info on Nicole, but that was a lie too. Earlier, she’d told Heather that they were manipulative and not to be trusted. Which was it? Emily said, same old Shannon, and Heather said a leopard didn’t change its spots.

Next time, Gina and Noella do cryotherapy; Heather wonders about Shannon’s goal; and Gina confronts Shannon.

🐓 Moving Like Jagger…

Tomorrow, I’ll be serving soap with a side of Runway, so come join me. Until then, stay safe, stay having high ideals, and stay cultivating a strong, fighting spirit.

November 23, 2021 – The Excavation Team Looks For Jason, Hospital Exit, Remembering OLTL, NYC Woman, Bad Behavior, All About the Parade & Macy’s

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sasha tells Dr. Navarro, their son is in an incubator and can’t be moved, right? Which means they have to go to him. She asks Brando to get her a wheelchair, and he says, she can’t even sit up right now. She says she’ll do whatever it takes to be with her son, but Dr. Navarro says, that’s not the problem. In her post-operative condition, she can’t visit the NICU right now. She needs time to heal first. Sasha says her baby needs his mother, but the doctor says, he needs his mother to be healthy and whole for what’s to come.

Gladys asks Maxie if that’s Sasha’s room, and Maxie says, Brando is with her, and they’re talking to Sasha’s doctor. Gladys stands outside the door, and Dr. Navarro says she knows it’s hard, but she strongly advises Sasha to use this time to rest. Gather her strength, so when she’s cleared to visit her son, she’ll be prepared. Brando says, prepared for what exactly?

Carly runs into the hospital and finds Sonny. She thanks him for calling her, and asks how Sasha and the baby are. He says, Sasha is out of surgery, and recovering in the ICU, and Carly says she doesn’t understand. Last she heard, everything was fine. How did he hear Sasha and the baby were rushed into surgery?

At the reception desk, Epiphany tells Valentin that the doctor wants him to spend one more night for observation, but he says he’s going to take care of himself; effective immediately. She says, that would be an ill-advised decision, but it’s his choice. He’s going to have to sign a form saying he’s leaving against medical advice. He tells her to give him the form, and she says, fine. Wait here. He asks her not to take too long, and she gives him a look. Nina comes along, and gives Valentin a hug. She asks why he’s leaving, and he says he has to move out of the Quartermaine mansion, and find the strength to say goodbye to his daughter one last time.

As they walk in, Chase asks if Brook doesn’t think it’s a little sacrilegious to hatch a plot in a chapel, and she says, a non-denominational chapel. He asks what that means, and she says they need place to talk away from Valentin. He says he’s listening, and she says, enough of his self-assured, nothing bothers you attitude. Does he have any idea what he’s gotten himself into, pretending to be Bailey’s father? If the truth is found out, he’ll have two enemies – Valentin and Peter.

Anna asks if she can call Maxie back; she’s in the middle of something. Maxie says, Peter just called her. He promised he was going to see her soon. Anna says, they have Peter in custody, and Maxie asks if she’s sure he’s in custody. Anna says, he’s in handcuffs, and waiting to be transferred back to Port Charles to stand trial. Maxie asks if Anna is saying it’s really over, but Anna says, it’s not over yet.

Obrecht examines Drew, and Britt says, let her know when she’s done. She wants to make sure Obrecht’s stitches didn’t open up when she fell in the tunnel. Obrecht says, she’s fine, but Britt is going to have to recite the alphabet backward to make sure she doesn’t have a concussion. Britt says, Z, Y, X, W, V. Is that enough? Obrecht says, for now, and asks if Drew has any other injuries he needs to tell her about. He says, just what she saw. The last time she examined him was when Peter wanted to make sure he was in tip-top shape to kidnap Maxie. She says, thankfully, that plan never materialized, and Britt says, Maxie’s safe, but at what cost to Jason?

Maxie asks, what about Liesl and Britt? Has Anna seen them? Anna says she’s with them now; they’re fine. Maxie says, thank God. She knew Jason wouldn’t let anything happen to them. She thanks Anna for bringing Peter to justice, and Anna says she owed it to Maxie; it’s long overdue. Maxie asks her to thank Jason and Britt for her too, and asks when they’re coming home. Anna says, the situation is quite fluid right now. She’ll be able to have a longer conversation when she gets back. All she wanted was to keep Maxie safe. Maxie hangs up, and sees a text from Brook, saying, must talk. 911. Where are you?

Nina tells Valentin that she doesn’t understand. Is he sending Charlotte to boarding school? He says, not Charlotte, and she asks, what’s going on with Bailey? He says, she’s not his, and Nina asks, what makes him say that? He says, Brook lied to him, and she says, he must be devastated. He says, Brook used Bailey as a bargaining chip to get her ELQ shares back. It was nothing more than an elaborate ruse to get back in her father’s good graces. Nina says, Brook actually said that? and he tells her, she said a lot of things, but it was about ELQ, plain and simple.

Brook asks if Chase has any idea what he signed up for, and he says he wasn’t thinking long term; he was thinking on the fly. She says, until they know Peter’s not a threat anymore, he’s going to have to continue with the fly. He’s going to have to tell everyone. Is he ready to tell his parents that they’re going to be grandparents again? He’s going to have to tell Finn, and how about Willow? It’s not the first time he’s had to tell a lie for the greater good. He says, and the lie worked. It kept Nelle from getting custody of Wiley. She asks if he’s ready to tempt fate again, when her phone dings. She says, Maxie is freaking out about something. She wouldn’t blame Chase if he didn’t want to take this charade any further. Maybe they should go back to Valentin, tell him the truth, and beg for his help. Then Chase wouldn’t have to be part of the charade, and get in any deeper.

Nina asks if Valentin is sure it’s about ELQ; maybe there’s another reason. He says, like what? and she suggests giving Brook the benefit of the doubt. Even his biggest detractors have to admit he’s an amazing father to Charlotte. Maybe the biological father isn’t a good guy. Could that be the reason Brook lied to him? He says, no, because Chase is the real father. Chase told him, and Brook confirmed it.

Carly tells Sonny, if there’s a problem with Sasha and the baby, Brando must be losing his mind. Sonny is the only family Brando has in town besides Gladys, so of course (🍷) Brando reached out to him. Maxie walks past, and Sonny asks, what’s the latest? Carly asks if the baby is okay, and Maxie says, which baby? Carly says, Sasha and Brando’s baby, and Maxie says, of course (🍷). She’s sorry; she has a lot going on. Sasha had a baby boy, and needed an emergency C-section. She’s fine, but the baby is in the NICU. Her phone dings, and she says she’s sorry. That’s all she knows. She walks the other way, and Sonny wonders if it’s just him, or was Maxie all over the place? Carly is sure all this reminded Maxie of the trauma surrounding Louise’s birth. He says it reminds him of what they went through with Donna, and she says, she’ll never forget, but like Sasha, she had one advantage Maxie doesn’t. He asks, what’s that? and she says, a loving, supportive partner by her side.

Elizabeth tells Gladys that she can go in; she knows Gladys is family. Gladys thanks her, but says she doesn’t want to intrude. The doctor sounds so serious. That’s never good, right? Elizabeth goes in, and Brando asks if she’s seen their baby. Sasha asks, how is he? and Elizabeth says, he’s currently in an incubated on a ventilator to assist with breathing. He also has an umbilical line to administer steroids and antibiotics. Brando says, that’s standard procedure in the NICU, right? Because babies are born with under developed lungs all the time. Dr. Navarro says, in this case, it’s not a question of lung capacity. During the placental disruption, their son was deprived of oxygen, and in some babies, that can result in <insert medical term here>, a condition that, depending on the severity, causes disabilities, brain damage, and in some cases, death. Elizabeth says, those are worst case scenarios; they don’t have all the answers. Dr. Navarro says, Dr. Fleming and the wonderful team in the NICU have started a very advanced treatment called hypothermic therapy, which calms the baby down, and has been shown to give the brain an opportunity to slow brain cell damage. Sasha cries, and Elizabeth says, they need to think positively. Sasha asks how she can think anything positive when her baby is hurting, and it’s all her fault?

Sasha says she must have missed a sign, or ignored a symptom, but Dr. Navarro says she’s not to blame. There’s nothing Sasha could have done to prevent what happened. Her placenta separated from her uterus, a completely involuntary medical condition. Sasha says she felt a twinge or something. She definitely knew she wasn’t comfortable, and didn’t reach out to the doctor. Brando tells her to listen to Dr. Navarro. She didn’t know this was going to happen. He’s not going to let her blame herself. Elizabeth says, and most discomfort during pregnancy is harmless. The doctor says Elizabeth is correct. It’s possible what Sasha felt had nothing to do with the abruption. They need to focus on the next steps, when the hypothermia treatment concludes. Brando asks how long it takes, and she says, it can take up to 72 hours. Once it’s done, Dr. Fleming will order an EEG to determine brain function. Brando can visit the NICU now, and if Sasha is strong enough in the morning, she can be wheeled down to see her son. She’ll check in on Sasha later. She leaves, and Elizabeth asks Sasha to listen to her. She knows as moms it’s easy for them to blame themselves, but Sasha  did everything right. She went to her doctor’s appointments, she had bloodwork done, she went on bedrest when she was told to. No one has a crystal ball. Sasha says, so all they can do now is wait? and Brando says, wait, and pray.

Anna says, the excavation team has landed, and they’re headed to the tunnels. Drew says he wants to help, and Britt says, her too, but Anna says, it’s too crowded and dangerous for them to go down there. This is a highly trained team, and they’re equipped with the latest technology. The best thing they can do for Jason is stay out of their way. There’s going to be a formal debriefing with the WSB, but before that happens, she needs to know what the hell went on down in those tunnels. Obrecht says, Peter activated Drew, and when Jason and Drew were fighting, Peter dragged her and Britt into those unstable tunnels, and then got lost. Anna says, by activated, she means conditioning? and Drew says, Peter used Faison’s old shortcut. Anna asks what he had Drew do, but Drew has no idea. The first time was in Crete, and he came to in his cell, grazed by a bullet and bleeding. Anna thinks he sustained the injury during the assassination attempt, and he asks how she knows. She says, she was the target.

Maxie walks into the chapel, and says, please tell her Gladys… She stops, and says, Chase. If he doesn’t mind, she’d like to speak to Brook in private. Brook says, if it’s about Bailey, anything Maxie has to share with her, she can say in front of Chase. He knows everything.

Nina says, Brook told Valentin that Chase was Bailey’s biological father? and he says, yes. She says she’s so sorry; she knows how painful it is. He says he knows she does, because she knows what it’s like to love someone like a daughter, and find out she was deceived, because he did that to her. Call it karma or poetic justice, but what he inflicted on her, Brook inflicted on him. She has every right to gloat.

Sonny says he’s happy that Donna has so much strength and is so healthy, and Carly says, they’re so lucky. She prays the same for Brando and Sasha; that whatever comes their way, they can weather it together as a team. Sonny says, they did it, and she says, they did. She knows it’s a weird time, but they didn’t get to finish their conversation earlier about Nina, and there’s something she needs to say.

Sasha says, she knows she and Brando haven’t taken the most conventional route as a couple, and there’s still so much they don’t know about each other, but he never struck her as the praying type. He says he guesses he’s old enough to admit there are things in the universe he doesn’t understand. Is there God? He doesn’t know, but he’s seen a rainbow after a storm. He’s seen some pretty awesome sunrises and sunsets. In Iraq, in the war, he saw some pretty awful things, but he also saw some of the most profound acts of human kindness. All this is a long way to say he doesn’t know what he believes, but he’ll consider anything that gets them a happy ending with their son. She says, her too. Does he think it’s possible? He says, an hour ago, he didn’t know if she and their son were going to make it. He never prayed like that, even in the war. Now she’s out of danger, and their son is alive. She tells him, people always say babies are resilient, and he says, Maxie was just telling him that James was born on the side of the road, and he’s fine now. Babies can have shaky starts and still grow into healthy strong kids. Their kid has their genes. She says, which makes him a fighter, and he says, damn right. She says, faith is not her strong suit. What if it’s not enough? He says, they have each other, and their son has them, not to mention some of the best medical care there is. Whatever the EEG tells them, he’ll be cherished and loved. If he needs a little help, they’ll provide that. There’s not a thing they can’t see him through. She says, what about what he needs right now? Being stuck in this bed, she can’t help feel… She cries, and he says, it’s okay. They’re in the same boat. They’re both first time parents, and their son is in trouble. Talk to him. She says she feels like she’s already a failure as a mother.

Nina says, when she found out Valentin hired Sasha to pretend to be her daughter, she was devastated. She was so angry and hurt, but she woudn’t wish that pain on anyone. She’s certainly not enjoying watching him lose his daughter. He says, because she’s a good person, but she says she’s done some things lately that make her question that. She does know one thing; when you’re driven by love, you’re pretty much capable of anything.

Carly says, she and Sonny have to resolve the issue of Nina. He referred to Nina as his friend, and she can’t tell him how bad it hurt her. He tells her that he didn’t exactly say that, and they sit down. She says she knows he was talking about his days in Nixon Falls when he was Mike. She wants him to know that she understands he had a life there, and it felt like home. He says, when he got his memory back, coming back there, they were his home; her, his kids, and his grandkids. She says she doesn’t want him to feel like he has to defend life he didn’t choose, but he has to understand she has a big problem with Nina, and what she did to him. She doesn’t want that to come across as her not trusting him. She has 100% faith that he’ll always do what’s best for their family. So as hard as it may be, if he feels what’s best for their family moving forward is for her to lay off Nina, she promises to do her best to try and respect that. He says, try? and she says, it’s her. He can’t expect miracles here. He says he knows it’s not easy. This whole thing… he just… He doesn’t want to talk about this anymore or fight about it. Can they not do that? She says she feels same way. She suggests they go find Sasha’s room, and see if there’s anything they can do for Sasha and Brando.

Maxie says, in this situation, Brook is going to need to define what everything is, and Chase says he knows Bailey isn’t Valentin’s daughter, or even Brook’s. She’s Maxie’s, and Maxie and Brook cooked up this plan to hide her in plain sight to protect her from her actual father, Peter August. Maxie says, sounds like everything, and Brook says, don’t look at her; she didn’t tell him anything. He figured it out on his own, and it’s a good thing. After Gladys came to tell Valentin she was deceiving him, she almost confessed everything. Thankfully, Chase walked in, and said he was the father. Chase says, the timing works. Brook was bunking with him around the time she supposedly got pregnant. Maxie says she needs a second to process this, and sits. She asks how Valentin took the news, and Brook says, how does she think he took it? He’s a wreck. He’s really angry at her for lying to him. Poor guy. Maxie says she knows how much love he has for her baby. Do they think he believed Chase is the baby’s father? Chase says, he seemed to. Chase even acted mad at Brook for lying to him. Maxie says, okay, good. Because now that Peter is coming back to Port Charles, they can’t take any chances. She called Anna, and she said Peter had been apprehended in Greece, and they were extraditing him to Port Charles. Chase says, then their problems are solved. With Peter in custody, Maxie can reveal Bailey is really Louise, and take her daughter back. Maxie says, as much as she wants that to happen, they can’t tell the truth about Bailey anytime soon.

Sonny and Carly see Gladys, and Sonny says, congratulations are in order. She’s a grandmother now. She says she hasn’t been able to see baby. She’s sure he’s beautiful; how could he not be? Carly asks if everything is okay. Did something happen to Sasha or the baby? Gladys says, Sasha is recuperating, but her grandson might not recover.

Valentin says, he wanted to protect what he and Nina had so much, that he ended up hurting her very, very badly. He doesn’t think he understood how much it hurt her to lose Sasha until now. And here she is, giving him a sympathetic ear. She’s just amazing. She says she doesn’t know about that. It’s easy to absolve someone when you realize you need absolution yourself. Maybe one day he’ll find it in his heart to forgive Brook’s deception about Bailey, the way her heart has forgiven him.

Maxie says, even though Peter is in custody, he doesn’t sound scared. He promised he’d be seeing her really soon. So she and her daughter are nowhere near safe. Chase says, she told them Peter is in WSB custody. He’s going to face charges in court. Maxie says, Peter has proved over and over again that he always eludes justice, but Brook says, try finding a jury in the state of New York that wouldn’t convict him. Maxie says, there’s one thing she’s learned from this nightmare, and that’s don’t count Peter out. Until he’s exhausted every legal challenge, and is in prison for life, she’s not comfortable revealing the truth about Bailey. Brook says, understood. What does she need from them? Maxie says, right now, she needs them both to be her daughter’s parents.

Britt suggests Obrecht call Scotty. She knows how badly he’d like to hear her voice, and know she’s coming home. Obrecht says, she will, but first, she wants Britt to tell her how she is. Britt says she’s fine, but Obrecht says she doesn’t have to put up a front for her; the stress must be affecting her. Britt lowers her voice, and says, if Obrecht is talking about Huntington’s, there’s no evidence that trauma causes early onset. Obrecht says she not talking about Britt’s physical condition. Not knowing whether Jason is dead or alive must be taking a toll on her emotions. Brit cries, and says, Jason was only there because she asked him for help. If he dies, how does she live with that?

Gladys tells Sonny, the door to Sasha’s room was open enough for her to hear what the doctor told them. She wants to be supportive to them, but they might think she’s overstepping; she knows she tends to do that. Sonny says, at least Gladys is here, and she’s thinking about them. Gladys says he doesn’t need to be so kind, given… everything. He says, hey, family’s family.

Brando says, Sasha didn’t fail their son. She took better care of herself than any mother. She bought books to read to him, put good things into her belly. The nursery she created, it’s so warm and cozy; it’s a child’s wonderland. She was a wonderful mother before their son was even born. She says she feels so helpless. She wants to hold their son so badly. She wants him to know his mother is there for him. She wants to protect him and comfort him. That’s her job. He says, that’s their job, and she asks if he’ll do something for her. He says, anything, and she says, go see their son. He says he wants to see their son, but he doesn’t want to leave her alone. He can text Maxie or Lucy… She says she’ll be fine, but their son needs at least one of his parents to be with him right now. The best thing he can do for her do right now is to do what she can’t. Go tell their son that she loves him.

Valentin thanks Nina for forgiving him. He was so caught up in his own stuff, he hasn’t seen her since she came back. Is she okay? She says, she’s good. She’s fortunate her return to Port Charles wasn’t met with a group of people carrying pitchforks. He says he can’t imagine her doing anything to deserve that. If she ever wants to talk about it… She thanks him, and says she might take him up on that, but tonight is about Sasha. She went into labor, had complications, and needed to have surgery, and that’s all she knows. He says, my God. He made this all about him. Go be with Sasha. He tells her that she set an example, taking the high road, and she says, he can do the same with Brook. At least she hopes he’ll try. She leaves, and Epiphany slams a clipboard on the desk next to Valentin, saying, was that fast enough for him? She keeps walking.

Brook says they have to decide how to break the news to everyone, and Chase says, he should probably act mad at her for a while. She asks if that’s really necessary, and he says, if she kept his baby a secret from him in reality, he’d be furious. She says, so he still has to be a liar in this scenario? and he says, in all fairness, she faked the pregnancy. She says, that’s true. So they’ll go with Valentin’s theory that she always knew Chase was the father, and pretended Valentin was the father to get back the ELQ stock. Maxie says, people will believe that, and Brook says she knows. Maxie says, please know she’s grateful to the both of them. It means everything to her to know she has at least some control over her child’s well-being, especially in light of everything going on with Sasha. Chase asks, what happened with Sasha? and Maxie says, she went into labor, but there were some complications. Chase says, she was so excited the last time he saw her, and asks if she’s okay. Maxie says, Sasha made it through the surgery, but she’s waiting for an update. Brook suggests they keep everything in perspective, and says, the most important thing is to keep Bailey safe from Peter. They can do this. Chase says, they can and they will.

Gladys sees Brando, and runs to him, saying, she was so worried. She hugs him, and Sonny asks how he’s holding up. Brando says, kind of numb actually. Sasha thought it was important that he see their son. He’s downstairs in the NICU. Gladys says she’ll go with him, and Carly asks, when was the last time Brando had something to eat or drink? He says he doesn’t know, and Carly says, then she’ll go to the cafeteria and get him something. She asks Gladys to come with her, since she knows all of Brando’s favorite things, and takes Gladys’s arm. Gladys says, he has to keep up his strength, and Carly tells Brando that she’s sending all of her love to his baby. Gladys lets Carly lead her away, and Sonny asks how Brando is feeling; talk to him. Brando says he’s scared, and Sonny says he wouldn’t be a father if he weren’t. He just has to get past all that. He’s got a brand new son coming into the world, who’s going to need his father and his love. Brando says, what if he doesn’t know what to do? and Sonny says, that’s just fear talking. When he sees that little boy, it will take care of everything. They hug, and Sonny says, got it? Brando says, yeah, and leaves. The elevator opens, and Nina goes to the reception desk. She tells Elizabeth, she’s there about Sasha Gilmore. She knows Sasha gave birth, and needed surgery. Are there any updates? Elizabeth says, Nina knows she can’t give out confidential patient information, but Sasha is recovering in the ICU. Nina says, it’s that bad? How is Sasha? What about the baby? Can Sasha have visitors? Elizabeth says, only family right now, and Nina says, she and Sasha were family once. Please? Elizabeth says she’ll see what she can do.

Brando goes to the NICU, and Epiphany tells him to get dressed so he can meet his son.

Elizabeth asks how Sasha is doing, and if she’s in any pain. Sasha says, nothing physical. She supposes that’s because of the painkillers. Elizabeth says, if Sasha ever wants to talk mom to mom, she’s just one call button away. Sasha thanks her, and says, Elizabeth has been so kind to her. Elizabeth asks if she’s up for a visitor. She’s not family, but wants to see Sasha, and Elizabeth can look the other way. Nina stands in the doorway.

Epiphany tells Brando, she’s there to help. Does he have any questions? He asks if the baby is in any pain, but she says, no; he’s sedated. He asks if it will hurt if he touches the baby, but she says, it won’t hurt; go ahead and touch him. Talk to him. Let the baby know he’s there. If he’s been talking to Sasha’s stomach, the baby is already familiar with his voice. He goes to the incubator, and says, hello, son. I’m your dad. I’m here now.

Outside, Anna tells the excavation guy, run another scan. She goes back in, and Britt asks if the excavation team found Jason. Anna says, they penetrated the tunnel, using radar based technology, to search for a heartbeat. Drew asks what they found, and Anna says, there was no signal. Nothing. Obrecht says, maybe the equipment was faulty, but Anna says, they have both audio and video devices. She’s really sorry, but there’s no sign of life in the tunnel where they last saw Jason. Britt looks out the window.

Maxie says, now that they’ve agreed on the best way to move forward, she’s going to see if she can get an update on Sasha. Chase says, keep them posted, please, and Maxie says, of course (🍷). She leaves, and Brook says, well, baby daddy, she thinks it’s time they told her family. He says, have fun with that, and she says, if he thinks she’s telling the Quartermaine clan herself, he has another thing coming. She can promise him one thing. It will be a helluva Thanksgiving.

Valentin asks if Maxie’s heard the news, and she says, about Peter’s capture? He says he figured Anna would reach out to her first, and she says, actually, Peter beat her to it. He used his one phone call on her, and promised he would see her real soon. He says he hopes she knows Anna would never let that happen, and she says she wishes she could wake up from this nightmare unafraid, but Peter’s pretty relentless. So far, he keeps evading justice. Valentin says, those days are over. Now Peter will pay the price for his actions. Maybe he’ll divulge some information on the fake nurse Chloe that will lead them to Louise. Whatever he can do to help, he’ll do. He knows now there is no greater pain than having a child ripped away from you.

Carly asks if Gladys and Sonny want to see if Sasha’s ready for visitors, but Sonny suggests they sit for a second. Elizabeth said it’s going to be a little more time, and Sasha’s going to get some rest. Why doesn’t Carly give Gladys some pointers on how to be a grandmother? His grandson Wiley adores Carly, just like Gladys’s grandson is going to adore her. He’s going to think she’s irreplaceable.

Sasha tells Nina, she doesn’t know if it’s in her head, but she keeps hearing babies crying. How will she know his cry? Nina holds Sasha while she cries.

Brando tells the baby that he has a message from his mom. He opens the hatch, and touches the baby. He says, she already loves him more than anything. So does he.

Tomorrow, TJ asks why Marshall is there now, Olivia tells Austin that she doesn’t want to waste more time, and Ned asks if Brook is going to tell him who the father is.

⚾️ Another One Out…

Looks like Jason might be staying under that rubble for a while.

https://people.com/tv/steve-burton-out-at-general-hospital-after-refusing-to-comply-with-covid-vaccine-mandate/

🎬 End Of Life…

I recall the end of OLTL too. <SOB!> Even though their characters changed on GH, Kristen Alderson’s final scene with Roger Howarth was made all the more poignant because they really were saying goodbye after a long working relationship.

🗽 Roxy Rocks NYC…

I met her years ago. She was funny and very down-to-earth. This is exactly how I would have pictured her home.

Tripping…

I don’t know if it’s going to be an ongoing thing, but Bravo showed the premiere episode at 8 pm tonight (Tuesday). Since that’s a bad time for me, I didn’t see much of it, but there was drama already. I don’t know why anyone should be surprised that Ramona acted like a brat. She’s been like that since forever.

🦃 That Time Again…

Everything you need to know about this year’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

https://www.macys.com/social/parade/

🌜 Wynken, Blynken, And Nodden Out…

Tomorrow, it’s a dose of soap and the horror show that is Winter House, which looks like it’s drawing to a close. It’s a short TV week for the usual, since GH will be airing a rerun on Thanksgiving – the February 5th episode – why, when they have a wealth of Quartermaine emergency pizzas? – and on Friday, it’s football. But no matter what’s on your viewing schedule, stay safe, stay aware that words hold power, and stay knowing that, although there are some pretty awful things in the world, there are also profound acts of human kindness.

July 30, 2021 – Spencer Fake Pleads With Ava, New Lease On Life, Soap Celebration, Happy Birthday, Support, Pushy Countess, Be Better, Possible Ax, New Status, Rumors, Dead Talk, Quotes Tenfold & Hello

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Spencer asks if Ava thinks they can put the past behind them and start fresh. Is it possible they can declare a truce? He holds out his hand, and she hesitates for a moment, but takes it, and they shake. She says she appreciates the offer, but he doesn’t have to worry about forging a relationship with her. She’s out of Nikolas’s life now. He says, it didn’t look that way a little while ago.

Jason comes into the MetroCourt, and asks if Carly is ready to go. She asks if he’s ready for this, and he says, for Wiley’s birthday party? Sure. He managed to get all the gifts in the car. She says, there weren’t that many, and he gives her a face. She says he knows what she’s talking about. This is their first family thing as a couple. He asks if she’s nervous.

Michael knocks at the gatehouse door, and Willow motions him in. He hands her some cellophane tape, and she thanks him, saying, she thought she’d have to break out the masking tape. He says he’s surprised he found any, considering the mounds of presents and all the decorations. She asks if they’re spoiling him, and he says, absolutely, but it’s Wiley’s birthday, so they get a pass. They’ll let him have all his presents and balloons… She says, don’t forget about cupcakes, and he says Wiley reminded him this morning. Now everything’s all set for their birthday boy.

Brook comes in to find Chase messing with some balloons, and says, look at him. She looks around the room, and says, look at this. He says, this is Olivia’s work. He followed her around with a tape dispenser. It is funny how Brook reappeared just when the decorating is finished. She says, timing is everything. She sent Yuri down to help. He says, good thing. He couldn’t help hang the banner for anything. She says, it will happen soon enough, and he says, not soon enough for him. He can’t wait to walk up to Willow, and show her that he’s back.

Shawn meets Sam in the park, and she hands him some coffee. She says she hopes he didn’t mind meeting her there. She had to drop Scout off at Lila’s Kids. He says he loves it outdoors; he can’t get enough of it. She says she’s the same way, and it sure beats the exercise at Pentenville. He asks why she wanted to meet, and she says she’s afraid she has bad news.

There’s a knock at Elizabeth’s door, and she lets in Nikolas, who asks if she’s okay. She sounded stressed on the phone. She mentioned Hayden; has she heard from her? She says, unfortunately, no. He asks, what’s going on? and she says Sam was there, asking about the time Hayden was shot. It made her remember something. He says, dammit. He knew this was going to happen.

Chase tells Brook, Willow is at the gatehouse and he’s upstairs. He doesn’t feel like they can start their life together yet. He’s so sick of this chair; he can’t do anything. She says, excuse me. He’s the one who sang Bailey to sleep, which is more than she can manage, and Bailey loved it. He says, she did seem pretty blissed out, which is puzzling to him since Brook took so long to get her settled. Brook tells him, let it go, and says, this place looks like a birthday party on steroids. They didn’t need her help. Kids Wiley’s age are more interested in the boxes anyway. (Truth!) He bets her 50 bucks it doesn’t hold a candle to the parties she’ll throw for Bailey, and she says, he’s on. They shake, and she says they’ll see if Wiley’s more interested in the gifts or the boxes. Valentin walks in with Austin, and says, look who he found. Brook asks what Austin is doing there.

Elizabeth says, so Nikolas knows what she’s talking about, and he says, Sam spoke to him as well. He told her that he didn’t know where Hayden was, and she should just leave it alone. The last thing he wanted was for Sam to come there and upset Elizabeth with questions about her sister, on top of everything else. She says he’s right; she’s upset. Shawn has spent all those years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Nikolas says, Alexis explained the situation. Of course (🍷) Shawn shouldn’t pay for a crime he didn’t do, but he pled guilty. She says, now that Shawn denied shooting Hayden, it made her wonder, who did? She remembered something Nikolas said back then; something she didn’t want to believe – that he had Hayden shot.

Ava tells Spencer that she and Nikolas plan to keep their divorce civil and drama free, but make no mistake, the marriage is over. He says, let him guess. Father doesn’t agree. She says, well, he knows his father. He wants what he wants, and doesn’t take no for an answer. Spencer says, sounds like him.

Jason asks who Carly is nervous about seeing. Is it Monica? He talked with her, and they went through all the history with AJ… She says she’s not nervous that way; it’s just the transition. All the family things they’ve gone to over the years, they’re now going as a couple. She was talking to Laura last night, and wondering if it’s too soon after Sonny, and how people’s perception might bother her, how it might diminish her love for Sonny, and how it’s hard for her. She knows they have to get married, and she knows it’s the right thing to do, but it’s difficult. He says, they both know why they’re doing this. They made the best choice they could. So now they just have to move forward with it. She says she’s glad he’s in this with her.

Austin hands Brook a wrapped gift, and says he’s there because Michael invited him. He said it was a family celebration. Brook says, it’s just that he’s early, and he tells her, his mother always said, if you’re on time, you’re late. She says, that makes no sense, and he asks if she argues with her mother. She says, all the time, and he asks if she wins. She says, okay, and puts the gift with the others. Chase introduces himself, and Valentin says he should have made the introductions. Sorry about that. Monica comes in, and says she’s glad Austin could make the family celebration. Has he met everybody? Austin says he has, and Valentin says, so it’s true. Austin is a legitimate Quartermaine?

Michael holds his finger in the middle of the ribbon, and Willow makes a bow. I have to say, I’ve never made a bow that way, or seen anyone else do it. She says, and that’s that, and he asks if she’s really okay. She says, sure, and he says she’s going out of her way to make sure Wiley’s birthday celebration is happy and joyful, but he knows this is also the anniversary of her son’s death. He’s been thinking about him too. For the longest time, Michael thought Jonah was his son, so it’s a bittersweet day. She says, this morning when she was putting flowers on Jonah’s grave, the birds were singing so loudly, like they were serenading him. He wishes they could have gone together, and she says, Chase was there. Michael is glad she wasn’t alone, and she says, it was Chase who told her that her baby had died. He held her as that awful truth sunk in, and she grieved. He comforted her, and got her through this unimaginable time in her life, and she’ll always be grateful to him, but she wishes Michael had been with her.

A woman goes to Jonah’s grave, and leaves flowers.

Nicholas says, they both know he didn’t shoot Hayden, and Elizabeth says, no, they don’t both know. She remembers that time in The Floating Rib when she asked him point blank if he’d done it, praying he’d say no, but he didn’t. He said he had Hayden shot to protect her. He says, it was a long time ago; emotions were high. She says, Hayden was blackmailing them for the mess she made with Drew, lying to him to hold on to him. Nikolas says, there was plenty of upheaval back then, but when she was able to catch her breath, and asked him about Hayden again, he came clean. He admitted he’d been lying. Doesn’t she remember?

Sam and Shawn sit on a bench, and Sam says, neither Elizabeth or Nikolas know where Hayden is, or know where to find her. Any progress on finding Hayden’s mother? He says, Naomi Dreyfuss is not returning his calls, and Sam says, they’re back to square one. He says, Curtis told him that he’d check his notes from when he originally worked on the case, but he didn’t sound too encouraging. She says, what did they expect? It’s a six year old case. It’s not impossible to turn up new leads, but it’s going to take some time. They’ll have to find some witnesses and try and jog their memories. The ones that are still alive anyway. He says she’s thinking of Drew. First, his name is Jake Doe, then he’s Jason Morgan, then he turns out to be Jason’s twin Drew Cain, the man Sam married and had a child with. She says, it’s pretty ironic, isn’t it? When Shawn was the one who was supposed to kill him that night.

Spencer says he can see his father is struggling without Ava, which is a real change, considering he’d insisted their marriage was a sham, and the only reason he stayed with Ava was to preserve their family money. No offense. She says, none taken. That was exactly how their marriage started. It was a cold-blooded business arrangement. Then she and Nikolas surprised themselves, falling in love along the way. But the stalker has made it clear he won’t stop as long as they’re together, and she won’t risk Avery’s safety. He says, then she’s adamant about going through with the divorce, and she says, whether Nikolas likes it or not. He says, then why does she keep sending his father mixed signals?

Monica says they’re still waiting for the DNA test results, and Valentin says, so this is a case of keeping your enemies close? She says she doesn’t consider Austin an enemy, and Valentin says, Ned and Michael do. A word to the wise, being a Quartermaine is a study in Darwinism, survival of the fittest. Austin says, he tries to stay reasonably fit, and Valentin says, having an ally helps. Monica says, let her guess. That would be him. Warnings, Austin; warnings all around. Valentin says he knows what it’s like to be an outsider in a powerful family, and Brook says she’s been meaning to speak to Valentin about Bailey, and drags him into the foyer. Monica thanks Chase for taking care of the decorations, and asks if she can get anybody something to drink.

In the foyer, Valentin asks if Brook really wanted to talk to him about something, or did she just want to get him away from Austin? She says, it was a big, fat attempt to stop him from sucking up to that interloper, and he says he thought he was the interloper. She tells him, stop. What he needs to do is back off. If Austin is a real Q, does Valentin really think Austin is going to side with him over his family? He says, we’ll see, and she says, overconfident much? He says he usually gets what he wants, and she says, but not always.

Willow tells Michael that they should get the gifts up to the main house. Wiley will be up from his nap soon, and the guests will be arriving. She holds open a bag, and he says, whatever doesn’t fit, he’ll carry. As they put the gifts in the bag, their hands touch, and Willow pulls away. She says, next year, on Wiley’s birthday, Chase will be walking, and they can be together. He says he’ll wake them up with a puppy, and she says, they’ll all cuddle in the bed; the puppy too. They’ll come down and make birthday pancakes. He says, they’ll see Jonah and hear the birds. They’ll have a birthday celebration with family, and when Wiley’s worn out, they’ll put him and the puppy to bed, and it’s their turn. She says, next year, and he says, next year, and they start kissing.

Elizabeth tells Nikolas, she remembers both conversations. The first one weighed on her. Then she remembers calling and asking him to meet her at work. He says, they talked in the stairwell so no one would hear them. We flash back to Elizabeth telling Nikolas that she hasn’t been able to sleep since he told her what he did to Hayden. She never asked him to do that. He says, Hayden is going to be fine. She’s talking. She doesn’t know that Jake is Jason. Elizabeth says, he had her shot, but he says, no, he didn’t. He lied. Shawn confessed that he’s the one who shot Hayden. She asks why would Nikolas say he did it? and he says, it’s stupid. He wanted her to think he’d do anything for her. She asks what she’s supposed to do with that. If he lied, how is she supposed to believe him now? He says, because Shawn confessed. Why would he confess if he’s not guilty? He’s ashamed he lied to her, but he wanted her to love him because he loves her. He sees now that’s not going to happen. In the present, Nikolas says he swallowed his pride and told her the truth. She says, told her the truth, or told her what she wanted to hear? He needs to be honest. They both know Shawn didn’t shoot Hayden. Was it him?

Monica says, Austin has met Chase, and he says he has, and asks where Chase fits in to this Quartermaine puzzle. Chase says he’s Willow’s husband, and Willow is Wiley’s mom. Dr. Quartermaine has been kind enough to let him stay there while he recovers. He tells Monica that he can’t thank her enough, and hopes to be out of there soon, but she tells him that he can stay as long as he wants. She says, Austin is a new doctor on staff at General Hospital. Chase says, that’s great, and Austin says, it is. Monica excuses herself to see if everything is ready, and when she’s gone, Austin slides closer to Chase. He says, from one outsider to another, what does he think about these Quartermaines? Does he have to watch his back like Valentin says?

Valentin says, presently, he has a beautiful new daughter, and he’s the CEO of a company that’s highly profitable, both of which he owes to Brook. She tells him, don’t count your chickens, and he asks if she really thinks the family is going to vote him out. She asks if he thinks he can stop them, and he says he thinks she’s worried he might. He believes she thinks Austin is going to prove himself and side with him, and that’s why she’s watching Austin like a hawk. She asks, who says she’s watching Austin? and Valentin says he does. He can see she’s clearly shaken by that man.

Willow and Michael kiss some more. She starts to walk away, but he pulls her back. Carly knocks at the door, and  Michael and Willow quickly separate. Carly walks in with Jason, and Michael says they were just finishing up with Wiley’s gifts. Carly hugs Willow, saying, she can’t believe Wiley is three. She asks where the birthday boy is, and Willow says, he’s at the main house, probably just waking up from his nap any minute. Carly suggests Michael and Jason take the presents, and she’ll hang out with Willow for a minute. Michael says they can all go together, but Willow tells him to go ahead. Michael and Jason leave with Wiley’s gifts, and Carly asks, what are you two doing?

Brook tells Valentin, she’s not shaken by Austin. As far as she’s concerned, the jury is still out on the guy. Austin delivers Maxie’s baby, and then leaves the crazy nurse to run off with Louise? Valentin says, after being knocked unconscious, and she says, she just wonders if he knows more than he says. He just happens to be hiking at the exact same moment in the exact same place Maxie happens to be having her baby. And then, it just so happens he owns the house where Peter and that crazy henchwoman bring Maxie? Valentin asks if she thinks Austin is involved in Louise’s kidnapping, and she says, she won’t go that far. Let’s just say she’s keeping an eye on the guy.

Chase tells Austin, the Quartermaines have always been good to him. They have strong personalities, but big hearts. Austin says, that’s not their reputation, and Chase says, they’re an intense family. They take some getting used to, but they protect their own and band together when it counts. If Austin’s claim is legit – Austin says, it is – he’ll find his place. He can’t be thin-skinned though. Austin says he’s not afraid of a little bloodletting; he’s a doctor. He asks what Chase does, and Chase says he’s a detective with the PCPD. Austin says, super. Any leads on Maxie’s baby?

Ava tells Spencer that she’s not sending his father mixed signals. She’s been clear that they can’t be together. He says, yet he just saw them in, shall we say, a close moment. She says she didn’t mean for that to happen, and he says, it doesn’t matter what she intends. It matters what she does. She says, excuse me. Didn’t he just approach her requesting a truce? What happened to that olive branch?

Brook asks what they’re talking about, and Austin asks where her better half is. She says, Valentin is feeding Bailey, and Chase says, Austin was just asking about the search for Maxie’s baby, which he can’t talk about. But how lucky was Maxie that he was hiking in the woods when he was? Austin says he’s the lucky one. He’s glad he was there. Maxie did great. The delivery was remarkably simple given the circumstances. It’s only afterwards, that things became problematic, and even then, only for him, because he keeps having this peculiar dream. In the dream, he’s there, and helps Maxie deliver her baby, and gets conked in the head. This is where the peculiar dream gets weird. He keeps hearing these two women talking, which is so weird, because Maxie was alone when he woke up. Chase says, maybe his subconscious heard the fake nurse and Maxie, and Austin says, maybe. Brook looks pretty rattled.

Willow tells Carly that she and Michael are raising Wiley together, that’s all. Carly says she knows her son, and Michael loves her. Is Willow telling her that she doesn’t feel the same? Willow says she couldn’t live with herself if she abandoned Chase when he needed her most, and Carly says, that’s because she’s a kind and loyal person. Carly admires that about her, but sometimes the best of intentions can lead to the worst outcomes. An act of kindness can cause more harm than good. Lord knows, she’s in no position to pass out advice. She’s made more than her share of mistakes, and told more than her share of lies. At the time, she told herself that she had a good reason, and she’s sure Willow does too, but it’s clear she and Jason walked in on something. She’s just glad it was them and not somebody else. Willow has a terrible poker face. It’s almost impossible for Willow to hide her feelings for Michael, and if Carly can see how much she loves him, other people are going to see it too.

Michael wonders if he shouldn’t go back and get Willow; she’s probably being grilled by his mom. Jason says, Willow told him to go, right? and Michael says his mom means well, but… Jason asks if he has something on his mind. They sit at the patio table, and Michael says, Jason knows, right? That he’s in love with Willow. Jason says, okay. Does she feel the same? Michael says, she only married Chase because of his health. They were waiting to tell Chase until he can walk again. He feels happy and guilty at the same time. He never thought he’d be the other man. Jason tells him not to fault himself for having feelings. He has to trust himself. He’ll figure it out, and make the right decision. He never worries about Michael. Michael thanks Jason for his vote of confidence. He knows Jason has his own challenges he’s going through. Jason can always count on him. Jason says he appreciates that. And now, about all these gifts. Michael says he knows it’s crazy, but he’s not going to go overboard all the time. It’s just one day, and the rest of the days, he’s going to take a page out of Jason’s book. He hopes he can give Wiley the same sense of self and confidence Jason gave him when he was little.

Shawn tells Sam, he was wondering when they’d talk about all this; get it out in the open. Yes, he was sent to deal with Drew, but he was Jake Doe back then. nobody knew who he was or what he was up to. He was doing his job. She says, on Sonny’s orders, and he says he’s just glad Jordan made him miss the shot. She says, her too. Or she woudn’t have daughter right now. She’s glad they had a chance to clear that up. Okay. Back to square one. There is some good news. The garage is still there, so she can go back to the scene of the crime. He says, six years later? He guesses… if she wants to take a field trip. She say she knows it’s a long shot, but it’s all they’ve got. He says he’ll do more work on Naomi Dreyfuss, but Sam says maybe it’s best if he doesn’t do this. He just got out of prison. Enjoy his life. Enjoy this park. Doesn’t he want that? Doesn’t he want to start a future and make a life for himself?

Nikolas says he did not have Hayden shot, and Elizabeth says, then who did? If it wasn’t him, and it wasn’t Shawn, who tried to kill her sister?

Ava says, perhaps Spencer is unclear on the concept of truce. Or maybe he’s too angry at her to make one work. He says he’s sorry; he didn’t mean to snap. He’s not angry; he’s afraid for his father. This guy got into Windymere. He must be a criminal genius to get past the security detail. Then he got into their hotel suite. Whoever this guy is, he’s a legitimate threat. Spencer already lived through losing his father once. He doesn’t want to again. Please help him protect his father from himself.

Nikolas tells Elizabeth, they may never know who shot Hayden. She has to remember who Hayden was back then. She arrived in town committing fraud. Ric paid her to encourage Drew to lie about his past. She helped herself to a fortune in diamonds from the profits of her father’s Ponzi scheme. Who knows what enemies were after her, in or out of Port Charles? Elizabeth says, she really believes Hayden wanted a fresh start there. It wasn’t until she had Violet that she turned a corner. He guesses they turned a corner too. She fell in love, and married Franco. He married Ava, and fell in love. She says, happily ever after, at least for a little while… until life got in the way.

Ava says Spencer doesn’t need to worry about his father. This divorce protects him too. As long as they’re apart, the stalker has no reason to pay attention to Nikolas at all. Spencer says he’s glad to hear her say that. Sometimes his father makes rash decisions, and doesn’t understand the consequences. She says she’s doing everything she can to protect her daughter and his father. He says he appreciates it, but the stalker is unpredictable. He heard Trina was doused in fake blood. What if the next time it’s real? She says he doesn’t have to keep reminding her. She knows what’s at stake. He says, then make him understand. Get her feelings out of it, and make his father stop fighting this divorce.  

Willow says, Carly isn’t telling her anything that she doesn’t know in her head already. She doesn’t want to hurt Chase. She truly cares about him, but her heart is with Michael. It’s getting harder and harder to hide those feelings. Carly takes Willow’s hand, and says Willow is in a tough situation. So is Michael. Willow is trying to be generous, and it seems kind and supportive, but the heart’s tricky. It can be selfish and strong-willed, and sometimes there’s no denying or reasoning with it. Hearts are stubborn that way. Willow says she’s never heard it put quite like that, and Carly say she speaks from experience. Willow is Wiley’s mom, and she’s family, and Carly is always there to talk. Willow thanks her, and says she supposes she should splash some water on her face, and Carly says she’ll get out of Willow’s hair. Willow says she’s really happy to be part of Carly’s family. Growing up, all she really wanted was to be accepted and loved for herself, even with her faults. She and her mom never had heart-to-heart talks like this. Carly asks if she means awkward and intrusive. Then she’s come to the right family, since it’s Carly’s specialty. They hug.

Valentin asks Austin how the lawsuit is going, and Austin says, great. He  asks if Austin thinks he’ll win, and Austin says, yeah. He wouldn’t be contesting Edward’s will if he didn’t think he had a legitimate cause. Valentin says they should have lunch. Discuss ELQ under his continued leadership. Austin says he does like lunch.   

Chase tells Brook that he thinks he’s going to lie down for a minute, and wheels himself out. Brook looks at Austin, and says, this is so not good. Monica brings in Michael and Jason, and says they have more guests, and more presents. Michael shakes Austin’s hand, and says he’s glad Austin could make it. Valentin says, right on time. He and Austin were just discussing ELQ and how it’s currently thriving. It’s gutsy to change CEOs; it could affect the bottom line. Michael says, it’s a strong company. One that was already thriving when Valentin took the helm. Monica says, they’re not going to discuss business today, and Michael tells her that he was just making his position clear, so Austin knows where he stands. ELQ is a Quartermaine business that should be run by Quartermaines. Ned is the CEO that ELQ needs, not Valentin.  

Chase wheels himself into another room and closes the door. He unlocks the chair, and says he can do this. He painstakingly lifts himself up.  

Shawn tells Sam, part of him wants to forget all this, and never look back. Then he sees TJ and Molly, full of hope and determination, striving so hard to make a difference in this world. They’re something else. He asks himself what he can do to make a difference. Maybe putting an attempted murderer behind bars instead of letting them get away with it. Sam says, what about him and his fresh start? He says he wants that. He wants to build a better life for himself. Of course (🍷) he wants to connect to his son, and be part of TJ’s life. But first he has to find the person who tried to kill Hayden; he has to. Who knows how many other people he’s hurt?

Elizabeth says, Nikolas is right; she has a lot on her plate right now. She’s glad to get this off of it. She hopes he’s not mad at her for grilling him. She had to know. He says he’s glad he could put her mind to rest where he’s concerned. He’s always there for her if she wants to talk about anything. She thanks him, and he says he thinks it’s best if she puts that painful time behind her. Life goes on, right? She says, right, and hugs him. He leaves, and I get the feeling she’s not buying his story.

Ava says, Spencer is right. She has been holding on to the slightest hope. Maybe even sending mixed signals, and maybe that’s why Nikolas refuses to believe this marriage is over. But that ends now. She and Nikolas don’t even need to speak. They can communicate through their lawyers. Spencer thinks that’s best, and he humbly appreciates it. He’s sorry it’s taken something this drastic for him to see her for who she truly is. She says she’s glad Spencer and his father are on better terms now. Nikolas missed him, and knows he’s glad Spencer is back. Spencer says he is too. He sees he got there just in time. Since I’m hating on Spencer right now, I wonder what such a handsome face is doing with a dad bod, especially at his age. There. I said it.

Monica says they’ve waited long enough for the guest of honor. They need to get the party started. Where is the birthday boy? Willow says, taking an epic nap. She’ll wake him. Carly asks if she can do it. She’ll take all the time she can with her grandson as possible. Willow says, enjoy, and asks where Chase is. Brook says, he decided to rest before the party, and Willow wonders if she should check on him, but Brook says, he’s fine. He’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t worry. He’s fine.

Chase struggles, and finally gets on his feet. He says, yes. How about a step? He takes a step forward. Austin watches.

Willow tells Michael that she’s going to get Chase. He’s resting before the party, but she knows he’ll want to be there when the birthday boy makes his big entrance. On her way to get Wiley, the doorbell rings, and she yells that she’s got it. She opens the door, and says, oh…

I’m guessing the woman at the cemetery? I don’t think it’s Harmony though. Maybe Shiloh’s mom?

On Monday, Jordan asks if Portia and Curtis are a couple now, Stella can’t help but worry it will end up that way, Chase says Willow honestly thought that was a good idea, Nina doesn’t know if it’s a blessing or curse

Million Dollar Listing New York

KJ brought her younger brother Alex to West 95th Street, where there were two apartments she was listing. Built in 1971, the building had gone condo, and an investor had purchase the apartments still occupied by rent stabilized tenants. As they moved, the investor revamped the apartments for buyers. I totally get this, since I lived in an apartment that did the same thing, but went co-op. We eventually bought our apartment for cheap when the investor wanted out. Ha-ha, score one for the tenant. In KJ’s interview, she said they were smaller apartments at lower price points, and she wanted Alex to help her with his digital marketing skills as a millennial. He handled her website and social media accounts. Social media was king, since they weren’t having open houses. They met with the developer, who was also Alex. Despite covid, KJ had already sold an apartment for $770K, another for almost $1.5 million, and yet another for $1.8 million, but there were two 949 square foot, 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartments with river views, lingering. Alex2 showed her newly added closet space to one of the apartments, but even so, KJ thought they should lower the price of $1.595 million to a post quarantine price point. She thought $1.495 million would get them some bites, as well as new imagery to freshen the listing. Alex2 was amenable, but needed to check with his dad, who was head of the company. In the meantime, KJ was having Alex1 help her develop a TikTok account. In her interview, she said it was like he was speaking another language. She had no idea what young people were talking about. This seemed pretty weird, since it’s not like she’s ancient, but I guess her job and kids keep her pretty busy.

Fredrik and team member Charlé went to Harlem to visit the Ali Forney Center, where they met yet another Alex. Seriously, WTF? A drop-in center for LGBTQ+ youth, complete with a disco ball, it had been named after queer youth activist Ali Forney who’d been murdered.  Alex said they did their best to create a fun environment. They also provided homes for LGBTQ+ young people, kicked out because of transphobia and homophobia. Alex3 said LGBTQ+ youth were eight times more likely to be homeless. They were converting the Bea Arthur Residence, left to them in her will, from a rental model to an ownership model, but needed even more space. A private anonymous donor had given them a $4-8 million budget, and they were looking to house 8-20 people in a 4-9 bedroom house with community space and a yard. Fredrik said they’d donate any commission back to the center.

Fredrick and Charlé met Alex3 at Hamilton House in West Harlem, where they were joined by art director Marcia and community developer Jase. This was one fabulous house, with amazing original detailing. Built in 1910, the house was 4796 square feet, and 20 feet wide, which is a thing when you’re in the city. The asking price was $4.5 million, but Fredrik thought he could get it down to $4 million. Marcia said it had a family feel, and Jase said it was truly a home. Everyone thought it was perfect, and Fredrik said it wasn’t about the commission, but helping the kids.

Tyler’s assistant Kemba had quarantined with her bae Evan (thank God his name wasn’t Alex) when they’d only been dating a couple of weeks. His parents were relocating to Florida, and selling a family home on West 87th Street. This was another gorgeous piece of real estate. Built in 1890, it was 5231 square feet, and 18 feet wide. It had 4 floors, 5 bedrooms and 5 baths, 8 gas converted fireplaces, and 2 garden terraces. Among the other fabulous details were hand printed wallpaper, a summer kitchen with high-end appliances, a garden level living room, and a wine cellar literally in the cellar. There was even an original faucet shaped like a dolphin, eventually reproduced for Sherle Wagner, a company founded by Evan’s grandmother. Tyler said Evan knew the history of the house, and that’s what got people excited. Sometimes he made up stories for buyers, but he had the real deal this time. Tyler said one advantage he had was a good relationship with stagers who could help Evan’s parents pack and move what was still in the house. He explained the other houses on the block were either in need of renovation or, if already renovated, in the $10 million range. They needed to find the sweet spot in between, and Tyler suggested $6.995 million, which made his potential commission $209K and change.   

Fredrik and the group from the Forney Center checked out the West 87th Street house, but didn’t feel it had enough space. Fredrik also showed them another house down the block with the asking price of $3.750 million. They met with broker Ronita, who told them the house had been used for an art exhibit, so be prepared for a lot of pieces that had been left behind. Most of it seemed to be sculptures of the bottom half of a female body, or as Fredrik said in his interview, the house had a lot of ass-ets. It was 4500 square feet, and 20 feet wide, 5 bedrooms and 5 baths, but the group thought too much work would have to be put into it. They were still sold on Hamilton House, and in Fredrik’s interview, he said when someone found the perfect house, seeing anything after that just made them love it even more.  

KJ’s plan to increase traffic and get bites for the West 95th Street house was a success using the new pricing and social media push. Buyers were looking for a turnkey property with outdoor space, but as it was a buyer’s market, it was hard to make it stand out when there were a lot of listings in the same price point.

Fredrik was meeting with Alex3 and company at the Hamilton House, and when Alex3 said the donor had pulled out, my mouth literally dropped open. I wondered how anybody could pull the rug out from under a bunch of kids like that. Fredrik had the scathingly brilliant idea to try and negotiate a lease with an option to buy. Alex said the rent had to be equal to what they were paying, which was $12K a month. Outside, Fredrik called broker Ian, explaining the situation, and telling him the seller would get full asking price in 6 months. By the time Fredrik went back inside, Ian was calling back to tell him that the owner loved the center’s work, and gave them the deal. Even I had tears in my eyes.  

Next time, KJ revisits her first big sale, and Ryan and Steve work together. Maybe.

💘 Happy Anniversary…

While GH has its moments, OLTL was always my favorite soap.

🐭 Terry Mouse…

She wears the ears well.

💫 He Gets It…

Being a champion of mental health is one of the things I love about Maurice Benard.

🗽 Countess In the City…

Um… no. Just no.  

https://okmagazine.com/p/luann-de-lesseps-pushing-for-kim-cattrall-sex-and-the-city-role/

🏛 A Pandemic State Of Mind…

The best piece of advice he could give is, be better? That’s right up there with just say no.

https://pagesix.com/2021/07/25/rhop-star-robyns-husband-juan-says-be-better/

🐐 Singer Scapegoat…

I doubt it’s all Ramona’s fault if the ratings have dropped.

REPORT: Ramona Singer To Be Fired From RHONY Amid Ratings Drop and Racial Tensions, Plus How Ramona Feels About Alleged Axing

⚖️ And the Award For Most Ridiculous Lawsuit Goes To…

Although I could understand them slapping her with a fine for bad taste in partners.

https://pagesix.com/2021/07/29/braunwyn-windham-burke-claims-she-was-sued-for-kissing-tamra-judge/

🗳 It’s Official…

Now if we can just free Britney.

https://people.com/tv/tom-girardi-conservatorship-made-official-court-major-neurocognitive-disorder/

👶🏼 And the Test Says…

Wow. People sure read a lot into meaningless things.

PHOTO: Is Stassi Schroeder Pregnant Again With 2nd Child? Vanderpump Rules Alum Addresses Rumors After Sharing Pic With Husband Beau Clark

⚰️ Walking Closer…

The beginning of the end starts on August 22.

The last villain.

https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a37176236/the-walking-dead-first-look-pamela-milton/

Spinning off.

https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a37154860/the-walking-dead-spin-off-daryl-carol-hint/

🧧 Quotes of the Week

I’m a werewolf, okay? Let’s not make a big deal of it. Woof. – Carolyn Collins (Chloe Mortiz) Dark Shadows

Trust is like a mirror. You can fix it if it’s broken, but you can still see the crack in that motherf***ing reflection. – Lady Gaga, Telephone video

Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead. – Charles Bukowski

Quitting can be a hard choice to make, but often it’s a brave one, as well. – Susan David

Fried chicken just tends to make you feel better about life. – Minny Jackson (Octavia Spencer), The Help (Agreed.)

The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones. – Confucius

I am big. It’s the pictures that got small. – Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), Sunset Boulevard

Threats are the resort of the uninspired and impatient. I like to think of myself as persevering and imaginative. – Cyrus Renault (Jeff Kober), General Hospital

You cannot change anyone, but you can be the reason someone changes. – Roy T. Bennett

By hero, we tend to mean a heightened man who, more than other men, possesses qualities of courage, loyalty, resourcefulness, charisma, above all, selflessness. He is an example of right behavior; the sort of man who risks his life to protect his society’s values, sacrificing his personal needs for those of the community. – Paul Zweig

🐝 Buzzing Off…

Well, the weekend is here… I think. Are we pandemicking again? Luckily, reality TV and GH march on, so see you in three days. Whatever your pandemical status, stay safe, stay knowing all situations are temporary, and stay enjoying the box as much as what’s inside.

January 20, 2021 – No Soap Or Radio, a Dallas Version Of St. Tropez, More On Moon, OC Reunites, Mormon Girls Taste the Dark Side, Sonny’s Savior, One Chris Too Many, Renewed Engine, DC Style & New

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

I tried, but alas, it was not to be. The video was there, but Skeletor from Castle Grayskull the powers that be restricted access. So tomorrow it is.

The Real Housewives of Dallas

Kameron and Fancy used side-by-side treadmills, since Fancy was supposed to walk an hour every day. Kameron was planning  a 50th birthday party for Kary, and met with some party planners. She wanted a white-themed party, evocative of St. Tropez where Kary had wanted to spend her birthday. D’Andra told her that she was pushing it, requesting they wear white bathing suits. In Kameron’s interview, she said she was shocked about Tiffany’s hosting skills, since she’d tried to force them to eat chicken feet. If I know the Housewives, this will never, ever be forgotten.

Travis took the kids fishing, and in her interview, Stephanie said she hated worms, fish, and hadn’t even eaten fish growing up, except for fish sticks. She’d started the Hollman Foundation to manufacture lockers for needy schools, and said she’d forced Travis to get involved. In her interview, she said she has a vagina, so he does what she wants most of the time. She felt that she didn’t have the facets to life that he did, and said the person with the money controls the situation in a relationship. The power wasn’t equal.

Tiffany’s parents were super quarantining, since her father suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and her mom was afraid of bringing it home to him. Tiffany went grocery shopping for her mom, and said running errands with the kids was spending quality time. She called it having an adventure. She brought a ton of groceries to her mom, who seemed disappointed that there were no chicken nuggets. In Tiffany’s interview, she said she’d once surprised her mom with a Porsche, and the first words out of her mouth were, it’s not purple?

D’Andra meditated, while Brandi’s daughters acted like the spoiled brats they are, as opposed to Tiffany’s children, who seem like a delight. In her interview, Tiffany said her mother was a better grandmother than she’d been a mother to her. There was tremendous pressure on education and to get a good job, so she could pay them back for being her parents. She said her mom was the muse for the Asian mother segment of her Tik Tok. We saw a clip, and I definitely want to see more. It looked like something Margaret Cho would do. Tiffany said her mother didn’t even know what Tik Tok was, and she intended to keep it that way.

Kameron told the party planners that Kary had wanted to go to St. Tropez for her 50th birthday, and they said they’d bring the beach to Dallas. Like one of the preference sheet instructions on Below Deck, Kameron said Kary wanted to dance on the table and be sprayed with champagne, and she wanted hot models to spray her. Meanwhile, Kary did a sexy photo shoot for her jewelry line, and Stephanie came by to give support. In Kary’s interview, Stephanie said she thought she was good cheerleader for Kary. Stephanie told Kary that she wanted something for herself after leaving her career to be a wife and mother. Kary said she hadn’t had much of a childhood, and wanted to make up for it.

Kameron used her father-in-law’s house for the party, since her house was on the market. She couldn’t afford red wine being spilled. Kameron said a pet phrase of Kary’s was, this is a situation, and it was stenciled across the front of the bar, and there were a lot of balloons and gorgeous flowers. Kameron was concerned about the seating, since Brandi had flown to Florida recently. In Kameron’s interview, she said, that wasn’t exactly socially smart. Brandi and Stephanie shared a ride over, and Brandi said she’d been super cautious, carrying a tub of anti-bacterial wipes with her. She’d laminated her test results, and put them on a lanyard to wear, and also wore a shield and gloves. She said it was time to party.

Kameron’s friend Jen was the first to arrive, and I wondered if she was bucking for a Texas star to hold, since she keeps popping up all the time. In Tiffany’s interview, she said when she got home from work at the hospital, she went through a full decontamination procedure, taking an outdoor shower, and putting on clean clothes before hugging her kids. Kameron told Jen about the chicken foot situation, and said she’d hid it under the table, Tiffany had belittled her, and tried to pressure her into doing something she didn’t want to. I’ve said it before, I’m very adventurous about food, but if someone tried to force me to eat something I didn’t want to, I’d tell them I’ll gladly do it, if first, they bend over, and I’ll force it somewhere else. I hate that kind of behavior.

Brandi also had a tape measure with her, which was pretty funny. In her interview, Kameron said she wasn’t the type to have shirtless waiters, but they couldn’t have a St. Tropez party without hot, shirtless guys. The waiters were indeed shirtless, and wore white shorts with white suspenders. Tiffany handed Kary a gift bag with a bottle of tequila, and said she didn’t know what it was, but they’d said it was good sh*t. In her interview, she said, growing up, it was all about grades and success, and this was everything she’d missed out on; parties, friends, and life. She wished she was more like Kary, and could enjoy the moment without worrying. Tiffany joked about being near Brandi, the covid girl, and in Kameron’s interview, she said she got her head chopped off when she’d made a remark at Tiffany’s dim sum party. The rules didn’t apply to her. Brandi kept trying to eat and drink through her shield, and in her interview, she said if she could make a shield with windshield wipers, she’d be a millionaire. The chicken foot struggle came up again, and Brandi thought it was the dumbest conversation she ever heard. I agreed. In Tiffany’s interview, she said she had no idea it would become Feetgate. She told Kameron that she was sorry a food her culture ate grossed Kameron out, but Kameron said it had nothing to do with Tiffany’s culture. Kary said the chicken foot situation was full of sh*t. Again, agreed. Tiffany said Kameron needed to loosen up, but Kameron was insulted, and said Tiffany didn’t respect her. She shouldn’t push people to do things they weren’t comfortable with. In Stephanie’s interview, she said the only way to get Kameron off the wheel was to apologize and move forward.

In Kary’s interview, she said it meant the world to her that Kameron had put together the party. She believed she was where she was supposed to be on her 50th.  The waiters brought out the cake, and champagne bottles with sparklers. Kary got on the table, and was sprayed with the champagne. In Tiffany’s interview, she said Kary was partying like it was her 21st birthday. Her 35 year old self was going to keep up if it killed her. Kary pushed Tiffany in the pool, and then found out Tiffany couldn’t swim. In Stephanie’s interview, she said, you can’t push someone who can’t swim in the pool after they’ve had several shots of tequila. In Kary’s interview, she said, in the Latin culture, they want to include their friends. I really hate when someone says something is their culture, when it’s something pretty much everyone does or feels the same way about. As Kid Rock so wisely said once, dude, there’s more to life than just you. Kary said when she got pushy, it meant she wanted to have fun with you and accept you. Which really means, she wants them to have her fun. In Tiffany’s interview, she said she wanted to loosen up, but at a certain time, it was her responsibility to go home and be rested so she could be a doctor the next day.   

Next time, a trip to a vineyard, Tiffany talks to her kids about being away a lot,  Kary discusses her daughter’s anxiety with her, and D’Andra and Kary argue.

🌜 Moon Over Dallas…

How Tiffany does it all – wife, mother, doctor, Tik Tok star.

The Real Housewives of Orange County – The Reunion – Part One

Can you believe it’s season 15? I rarely like the reunions though. Most of the time, they’re all talking or yelling at the same time, and I can’t understand half of what they’re saying.

No one had cool masks – they were generic – so I assumed they were provided by Bravo. There were the usual opening niceties, and then Andy said a viewer thought Shannon had seemed fake when touring Gina’s sad and depressing house. She kept saying everything was nice. This led to Shannon saying Braunwyn was good at deflection, and they started fighting two seconds in. Another viewer asked why Gina thought Sean was coming on to her, when his text hadn’t been NC-17. Shannon said Sean had to walk Gina out, and she thought he was just concerned because she was hammered. Gina said she’d thought he was trying to communicate that he’d just banged his wife in their love shack. Wow. She must have had to dig deep for that one, or it was Gina with her mind in the gutter. Emily said when Braunwyn made socio-economic comments, she felt she had to defend whoever Braunwyn’s target was, and Braunwyn said, no, you. Emily said Braunwyn’s big excuse was, she was lashing out because she’s an alcoholic. Shannon said Braunwyn had put effing lies in her mouth, but Braunwyn insisted Shannon had said it. Sean was there. Shannon said Sean was an enabler, and Andy asked where Gina and Braunwyn were now. Braunwyn said she’d gotten a text from Gina, saying Gina thought she was an a-hole, but would always be there for her. Gina said the relationship was one-sided.

Shannon said she and John had been together a year and a half. Andy asked if John and David had ever met, and Shannon said they hadn’t, and at this point, it would be awkward. David wouldn’t communicate and co-parent. Emily said when Shannon drank and called them up, they got concerned. Andy asked why Braunwyn thought John had a problem, and we flashed back to Braunwyn’s comment that a drunken John had to be taken off the golf course by his father. Shannon said John hated golf, didn’t play golf, and hadn’t seen his father in years. It wasn’t good or fair to talk about him, since he’d been nothing but kind. Andy said he’d invited John to the reunion, but he chose not to come. Shannon said he was a private person, and hadn’t even seen the show when they met. It was a lot to be in front of a camera all the time. A viewer asked Braunwyn if she thought Shannon had a problem with alcohol, and Braunwyn said she did.  

While getting a touch-up during the break, Shannon called John, and said Braunwyn was mean and crazy. She was walking around like she was in a flipping music video, and was naked under her dress. John had said she was a sobered alcoholic, and wanted to point fingers to make herself feel better. When they reconvened, we flashed back to all the pandemical stuff during the season. Kelly thinking it was no big deal; Shane getting sick; Shannon going insane. Andy asked what they were most excited about doing after it was over, and the consensus was seeing people and traveling. Andy asked what Emily’s biggest fight with Shane was, and she told him that Shane had said something about her parenting in front Annabelle. She got in the car and drove away, then realized she had nowhere to go, and came back. He asked what was Kelly’s stance on masks? and she said she hated wearing them, like probably most people, but she wore them because she had to. She didn’t know whether they were really helping, and posed the question, do pants protect you from a fart? I dunno about that, but probably more than a fart with no pants. Andy said Braunwyn did an interview, where she said Kelly wasn’t taking it seriously, and asked if Kelly said some things she regretted. Kelly said she thought it was horrific. She was taking it seriously, but she was also frustrated. Andy said he got messages saying she was uneducated, and spread misinformation. Kelly said she got messages too, saying Andy is anti-American, and yapped about his political views when people didn’t want to watch a political show. Andy brought up her remark about God thinning the herd, and she said it was a stupid thing to say, but she didn’t mean to hurt people. Andy said they got a lot of negative comments on social media. People wanted to boycott the show. Kelly said she felt horrible, but Andy was making it worse. He asked if she felt she’d be on wrong side of history, and she asked what he wanted from her. I think Kelly can be a little out there too, but I’m glad she stood up to Andy. I admire his business acumen, but he can be effing annoying. Kelly said she was sorry for hurting anyone’s feelings. It wasn’t her intent. Braunwyn said Kelly had an amazing opportunity to say that she’d learned something, and Kelly said she’d seen the adverse effects of the virus; businesses that were not coming back, suicide, alcoholism, and divorce.   

Emily talked about Shane being so sick, and said he’d texted his oldest daughter, basically saying goodbye. She said Shannon had shown concern for her, her family, and Shane, and had texted every day. It meant a lot, and she’d always be grateful. Andy introduced Elizabeth, the richest bitch in Newport, and we saw an Elizabeth highlight reel, ending with the women saying her story wasn’t adding up. Andy said Elizabeth had known Emily, Kelly, and Braunwyn before she started filming, and asked how she felt meeting the Gina and Shannon. Elizabeth said she wasn’t sure what to expect. She was warned on social media that she’d be eaten alive. A viewer asked if she’d gotten around to donating the Ferrari, and she said she will. Andy asked, now that the divorce was finalized, how was Elizabeth and Jimmy’s sex life? Elizabeth said they were having a hard time. Jimmy was an introvert, but had been there for her when no one else was. It was hard seeing everyone dogging their relationship, and questioning their sex life. It was no one’s business. He came from a conservative Mexican family, and his mother watched the show. Andy asked Elizabeth if she still loved her husband, and she said she would for the rest of her life. They’d known each other for twenty years, and he’d been very generous to her when she was broke, and given her structure. He’d changed her life. Braunwyn, who can’t stand to be left out, said a friend of hers was a friend of Elizabeth’s ex’s fiancé. Elizabeth said she wasn’t aware her ex had a fiancé, and maybe it was a girlfriend, but Braunwyn said they’d been together five years. She’d spoken with Elizabeth’s ex, and the story was very different. Emily said it had been a contentious divorce, and Elizabeth said Braunwyn was mean, and didn’t know the truth because she didn’t want to. Braunwyn said Elizabeth had lied to her, and Elizabeth told Braunwyn, don’t Judge her with her cynical behavior, backlashes, narcissism, and two-faced personality. Wow. Then she told Braunwyn, f*** you. It was wrong, and Braunwyn wasn’t her friend. She hadn’t wanted to be on the trail with Braunwyn in Arrowhead, because she knew Braunwyn was a backstabbing bitch. Andy asked why Braunwyn had looked into Elizabeth’s finances, and Elizabeth said Braunwyn was jealous. Braunwyn said she’d heard from Shannon that Elizabeth was a nice girl, but full of sh*t. Shannon said that was wrong, and when Elizabeth had been announced as a cast member, she’d gotten phone calls and texts saying that Elizabeth was full of sh*t, but she didn’t want to judge. She and Elizabeth got along great, but Gina and Emily had thought it wasn’t adding up. Braunwyn said, all she did was google Elizabeth, and Elizabeth said Braunwyn wasn’t building up women; she was tearing them down. Braunwyn claimed that she supported women, but held them accountable. Elizabeth said Braunwyn was the worst lesbian ever. After screaming at everyone to shut up and move on, Andy promised they’d get back to Elizabeth’s time in the cult later. Elizabeth said she was out, got up, and started to walk off, but then said she was kidding. That was funny.

We flashed back to Braunwyn’s climb out of alcoholism; or her journey, as we say these days. Andy asked how Jacob was doing, and if he was bullied in school. Braunwyn said he was great, and went to art school. When he wore heels, the kids said, nice shoes. He asked how the show helped her sobriety, and she said it was her third time trying to get sober, and it held her accountable. Emily said she would have thought coming from a pregnancy would have been an easy transition, but Braunwyn said, not drinking and being sober were two different things. She wasn’t dealing with her reasons for drinking, and she’s not just an alcoholic. She’s an addict who can get addicted to anything. Kelly said a lot of people were like that, and her alcoholism was for the story plan. Braunwyn said Kelly had seen her at BravoCon drunk at 7 am, and Kelly said she’d done that too. I literally lol’d. Kelly said Braunwyn was a liar, and Braunwyn said Kelly was disgusting, and it was vile, even for her. Andy said someone could be a functioning alcoholic, and Kelly had seemed to be against Braunwyn’s sobriety. Kelly said, it was contrived. Braunwyn’s agent told her to clean up her act. Braunwyn said her mom told her if she didn’t take back what she’d said about her, she’d tell everyone about Braunwyn’s drinking. Shannon said she’d blocked Deb on Instagram. Andy suggested that there were parts of her mother’s narcissism that Braunwyn shared, and Braunwyn said she had been tested, and just has a large ego. Shannon said Braunwyn was only concerned with how to make herself more famous. She’d said her and Sean’s favorite thing was to go out and get recognized. Andy said during the first season, it’s not surprising, and Kelly said the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Andy pointed out how nice Gina had been to not drink with Braunwyn, and accompany her to meetings, and Gina said no one in AA was pretending. Emily agreed with that, and said they saw a different person. Gina said Braunwyn was really an alcoholic, and Shannon said she wasn’t sure she was going to mention this, but as a mother she was going to. When Stella was 14 and at her first beach barbecue, Braunwyn went up to her, and said if Stella wanted the good stuff, to text her. What kind of good stuff? I guess we’ll have to wait and see…

Next time, the conclusion, Emily says everybody feels bad for Sean, Elizabeth talks about getting out of the cult, Kelly screams that she’s Black, and Braunwyn needs a moment.

The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

At the cash register in the grocery store, Brooks mistook dog treats for people food, and I identified. Some of them sound damn good.

Whitney’s half-brother came by, and in her interview, she said they weren’t your typical Mormon family; the dynamic was complicated. They had multi-marriages and children, and when her dad became addicted, it created a bigger divide. Will had been on the fence, but her sister Shaylee wanted nothing do with their father. We saw a clip of Whitney inviting Shaylee to dinner. Shaylee joined them, and dad Steve said by being there they’d showed that their family means something. In Whitney’s interview, she said Shaylee and Will had felt hurt and abandoned, and it was important they shared those feelings with their dad. Steve told them it was a huge motivation, and Whitney said, the point was, this time he’d taken action. He asked them if they’d participate in a process group at the sober living facility, and they agreed. It sounded like group therapy, although I’ve never heard that term before.

Jen wanted Heather to know she loved her, so she was setting her up with Sharrieff’s  friend, Big Daddy. Sharrieff told Jen that he wanted get this thing with Heather and his friend sparked out. The four of them went out to dinner, and Sharrieff said he’d known Big Daddy for 30 years; they’d played ball together. In Heather’s interview, she said he was tall, dark, handsome, and alive. Jen knew what she was looking for. He reminded me of Tyler Perry, but burlier. He ordered a Shirley Temple, and in her interview, Heather said Big Daddy was drinking like a big baby, but she’d get drunk enough for both of them. She wasn’t looking for anything long term, and it wasn’t going to be a problem. It was a big effort from Jen, who did a good thing, but… She shook her head.  

In Whitney’s interview, she said, after the party, they needed a break from each other to process, but she’d learned from her family, the longer you leave things, they get worse. She knew she wasn’t a fan favorite right now, and taking a risk, but she thought it was time to have a fun girls trip to Vegas. In Mary’s interview, she said she had a beautiful home there, but would rather be on a plane full of mice, than in Vegas with Jen. Meredith told Lisa, it wasn’t her scene, but she was game. In her interview, she said she wasn’t thrilled with Whitney engaging on any level, but it appeared to her that Whitney might just be messenger. Lisa wondered why she’d been invited when she hadn’t gotten an apology, but had business to do in Vegas.

The women met at the airport. Whitney found out Lisa had gone ahead because she had business there, but hadn’t bothered to call her. In Heather’s interview, she said it felt so good to be a bad Mormon. In Vegas, there was gambling, drinking, and debauchery; everything that was the opposite of Mormon. It was a Mormon girls taste of the dark side. Whitney called Lisa, and went to voicemail, but then Lisa called back – to Meredith. In Whitney’s interview, she said she knew Lisa was trying to make a statement, but it was rude and selfish. In Jen’s interview, she said she knew Lisa was still pissed at Whitney. She wasn’t 100% okay with Whitney. We saw a clip of Lisa telling Jen, she wanted to go just to hear how Whitney came to the conclusion she’s afraid of Jen.

They were greeted at the hotel with champagne and roses. Whitney said they were going exotic car racing, but Jen said she had a special surprise for Heather that was by appointment, and this was the only time they could do it. In Whitney’s interview, she said, first, Lisa didn’t meet her at the airport, and now her plans were being hijacked. The intention of the trip was so they would be together. If she’d wanted them to pair off, they would have stayed in Salt Lake. The suites were beautiful, and looked like small houses. Lisa met Meredith in her hotel room, and in her interview, she said she didn’t owe anyone an explanation. It wasn’t like Whitney was flying her to Italy. Whitney told Heather that she’d been excited to put the trip together, and wanted the opportunity to talk to Lisa and Meredith. Lisa told Meredith that she could chalk it up to Whitney having too much to drink, but she didn’t know what Whitney was talking about. It seemed like every time they were together, Whitney had a problem with her, and they were weird problems. We flashed back to a couple of past issues, and Lisa said Whitney had caused a problem at Jen’s party, and didn’t take accountability. Whitney told Heather that Lisa just didn’t show up, and Heather said, then she called Meredith back. Clearly, there’s an issue. Meredith told Lisa that she wanted to see what kind of a friend Heather was, and suggested they ride the trip out and see.    

When Jen’s plan of a new man didn’t work out, she decided to buy Heather a new outfit, and set up a private shopping experience. Jen tried on this dynamite tropical print pantsuit, and modeled for Heather, who was taking social media photos. While posing, Jen took a spill off the bar onto a chair with casters that she couldn’t have choreographed better, and they went back in slo-mo. She told Heather that Whitney, Meredith, and Lisa were the oddest trio for driving. The three women met at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and in Whitney’s interview, she said, it was awkward AF. She’d rather be at church. In Lisa’s interview, she said despite Whitney being the last person she wanted to be with, she was into this. She could put up with Whitney for a Ferrari. Whitney apologized to Lisa, who told her, instead of repeating what someone thinks was said, talk to the source. Meredith said it had nothing to do with Whitney, and Whitney apologized again. In her interview, Lisa said she was choosing to accept Whitney’s apology. She suggested they move forward, and have fun.

Heather asked how Jen thought Whitney was surviving, and Jen said, probably not well. Lisa wasn’t happy, and she was adamant she’d never said anything. Heather said Whitney was just looking out for Jen, but Jen said she couldn’t bring something up, and then not put closure to it. She, Lisa, and Meredith would chew Whitney up and spit her out. If she came to them with information, Whitney had to take it to the end. She couldn’t just throw something out there, and say, just kidding. In Heather’s interview, she wondered why they were talking about this again. She saw Whitney and Jen apologize, embrace, and move on. Why were they back here? Jen said, the second Whitney opened her mouth, she picked the wrong party. She was still hurt. Heather asked if Jen was blaming Whitney for throwing the glass, and Jen said it was her husband’s birthday party; the first party she’d thrown him in 25 years. In Jen’s interview, she said she was confused as to why Heather was covering for Whitney, and not understanding the pain she was feeling. Heather needed to let Whitney be a big girl. And if Whitney wanted to be a big girl, stop sitting at the kids’ table eating chicken nuggets. She told Heather that Whitney had ruined her husband’s birthday, and in Heather’s interview, she said she thought Jen’s version of a good friend was being her henchman. Whatever mood she was in, they should help pile on that person. There’s no opportunity to be objective or helpful. You were either on her team or dead to her. Jen said the only reason she hadn’t bitch-slapped Whitney was because she was Heather’s friend. Heather suggested Jen talk to her. Heather thought they were good and things were settled, and so had she. Jen said if Heather was signing up for this girl, make sure Whitney acted right. Heather was putting her name and reputation on the line for Whitney. It was only because the women cared about Heather that they were putting up with that sh*t.

Next time, Heather talks to Whitney, Meredith says no one tell her who to be friends with, Jen comes at Whitney, and Whitney beings in someone to help the women find their inner voice.

🚙 Hey Mikey…

It’s lucky he came along. Hopefully, Sonny remembers the favor when he remembers he’s Sonny.

🤯 Too Many Chrises…

It’s worse than when he messed up Ineeda Pretzel’s name.

https://people.com/movies/arnold-schwarzenegger-confuses-chris-evans-with-chris-pratt/

🚝 The Eternal Engine Returns…

Not only is Snowpiercer returning to the small screen on Monday, January 25th, it’s also been picked up already for a third season.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/snowpiercer-season-3-renewed-tnt/

👗 Inaugural Fashion…

Because it’s all that really matters.

https://www.vogue.com/article/history-of-inauguration-day-fashion

🥾 Hitting the Road…

Hopefully, balance is brought back to the soap world tomorrow, and all is right with the world. Or at least as much as it can be. Until then, stay safe, stay sociable from a distance, and stay wanting more for your birthday than being sprayed with champagne by shirtless waiters.

January 15, 2021 – Tracy’s Story Gets Shaky, Reilly Farewell, a Hoax, Double the Fun, Shannon Compares, Two Wives Down, Stalled Awards, OLTL Memories, Broadway On Soap, OctoQuotes Plus Three & I Know

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Phyllis tells Sonny, welcome to the Tan-O, the best place town. Not that there’s much competition. Sonny says he likes it, and she says she thought he would. She made him an appointment with a neurologist tomorrow, a specialist in memory loss, but for now he needs a warm place to stay, and some friendly faces. He says he appreciates her kindness, but he’s got no money. She says she covered him at the clinic, and as for this place, the bartender has a soft spot for her; he’s her husband. Sonny laughs, and Phyllis introduces her husband Lenny. Lenny tells Sonny not to let the door hit him on his way out.

Tracy sees Finn, and says, hello stranger, but Finn says he’s not the stranger. He’s been there the whole time. She’s the one who skipped town on him. She says she’s back, and taking him to dinner, and he says he’d love that, but… She says she has the feeling a paltry excuse is coming. Finn says he’s monitoring a critical patient. He heard she’s been busy since she got back, and she asks who’s been telling tales about her. He says, Alexis.   

Alexis looks over Julian’s photos again.

Sam tells Olivia, if Alexis doesn’t remember disarming the alarm, maybe it’s possible they didn’t come to the house. Olivia says she realizes she dragged Sam there to listen to Alexis’s story, and Sam asks if Olivia is having second thoughts. Olivia says she doesn’t want to believe that Tracy deliberately lied, and Sam says, then quit. Olivia says, without knowing the truth? and Sam tells her, then she has to be willing to follow where it leads, even if it’s to her own family.   

Chase sits at the MetroCourt bar, and Michael asks if the seat next to him is taken. Chase says be his guest, and Michael tells the bartender, he’ll have what Chase is having.  

Willow opens the door to Sasha, and says she wasn’t sure Sasha would come. Sasha says, to be honest, she thought about bailing a thousand times, and Willow says, since they’re being honest, part of her wished Sasha would. She asks what convinced Sasha to show up, and Sasha says she tallied the reasons to stay away, and avoid what her counselor calls emotional complications. That took time. On the other side of the ledger, she could only find one reason to come. Willow says, and that was? Sasha tells Willow that she didn’t have anything better to do.

At Pozzulo’s, Cyrus asks, how about that nightcap? and Brick says, they have hemlock and arsenic. Name his poison. Cyrus laughs, and says it’s good to see Brick again, and Jason asks what he wants. Cyrus says he wants to celebrate the life of their fallen comrade. His deepest condolences to both of them about Sonny. In this moment, he’d like nothing more than to set their differences aside – and there are many – and raise a glass to their friend. Brick says, as if Sonny was ever Cyrus’s friend, and Cyrus says all their friction is in the past. He almost said water under the bridge, but that would have been in poor taste. Now is the time for them to join together before the wrong people fill the void left behind be Sonny. May he rest in peace.

Olivia says, before she commits to anything, she wants to know how Sam is going to prove Tracy lied. Sam says the security company that installed the alarm also monitors it 24/7, and Olivia says, so they’d be able to tell her if anyone activated the alarm that night. Sam says, or if it was disarmed the night the car went off the road. Olivia says, which supports the theory that the two of them were never at the house, and Sam says, leaving Tracy’s story up for grabs. Olivia asks if they shouldn’t get Alexis involved, and Sam says, normally, she’d say yes, but her mom is walking an emotional tightrope right now. If they get her hopes up… Alexis comes downstairs, and Sam asks if she’s okay.

Tracy and Finn go into his office, and Tracy says they were talking about Alexis. Did Alexis tell him that she was with her the night she got hammered and drove her car off the road? He says, Alexis swears she never got behind the wheel. He guesses she’s in some pretty deep denial. Tracy says, they both know from bitter experience, denial can be your worst enemy. He says, tell him about it, and she says, maybe he should tell her about it. He’s about to get married, and suddenly has this grim look on his face. What’s that all about?

Chase asks if Michael is just a guy having a beer, or is this a cover for a sneak attack? Michael tells him not to worry. He thinks he made his point at the gym. Chase says, something tells him, they’re not even. He hasn’t seen Michael since the authorities called off the search for his father, and he wants Michael to know how sorry he is. Michael thanks him, and says he knows the PCPD did what they could. Chase says, what they could inside their jurisdiction. Michael says he went there, and saw what was left of the bridge. He saw where his father went into the river. It was surprisingly still on the surface, but the water is cold, and deep, with a strong current. The more he looked for a way out for his father, the more he searched for a sign of hope, it became clear that nothing short of a miracle could have saved him. Chase says, as his friend – or at least his former friend – Michael and his family have his condolences. As a cop, he’d be remiss not to caution Michael to please, watch his back. He and everybody close to him could be in immediate danger.

Willow says she was glad Sasha was there for Michael the night he found out about Sonny. She knows it meant a lot to him. Sasha says, it goes both ways. Michael was there for her too. He visited her when she was in the hospital. Willow says he told her, and Sasha says he encouraged her to go to counseling; drug counseling. Willow asks how it’s going, and Sasha says, so far, so good. She’s not doing drugs, and she’s learning a lot about herself. Before they go off on a tangent about counseling, she needs to clarify something. The night they called off the search for Sonny, she wasn’t there at the house for Michael. She was actually there for Carly. She wanted to thank Carly for lighting a fire under her when she needed help. She just happened to be there when Michael got the news, but she’s not the one who’s supposed to be comforting him. Willow asks, what if she’s wrong? What if she is supposed to be the one?

Phyllis says, Lenny Caulfield, where are your manners? Mike showed up at the clinic, half frozen to death. Lenny says he’s not in the mood for another one of Phyllis’s strays. She tells him, the Tan-O has a reputation for hospitality. So stop being a grouch, and be hospitable. She tells Sonny, don’t worry. He talks tough, but her Lenny is a puddy-tat. Lenny says, and she’s always picking up strays. He asks Sonny what line of work he’s in, and how he ended up in the woods. Sonny says Lenny isn’t going to like the answer, and Lenny says, try him. Sonny says he doesn’t know.

Cyrus tells Jason and Brick, he’s been trying to track down his mother. He doesn’t suppose they have any information as to her whereabouts. Brick asks if Cyrus tried looking for her the last place he saw her, and Cyrus says, apparently Jason hasn’t kept Brick apprised. His mother is an invalid. She was receiving the best care possible, until someone removed her from the facility. The Vermont police are looking into this, but Jason already knew that. Jason says Cyrus mentioned it in a previous conversation, and Cyrus says, and he’s still not received any reassurance. How does he know she’s all right, and hasn’t met a terrible fate? Jason says, like the Novaks? and Cyrus says, the who? Brick says, the Novaks are one of the five families. They were bringing a shipment of their product through Port Charles. Cyrus says, that’s distressing, and Brick says, it was for them at the warehouse down by the docks. Everybody dead, and the place turned upside down. Does Cyrus know anything about it?

Alexis says, everything is not okay, especially with the photo album. It’s just begging her to get hammered for its own amusement. Olivia offers to take it off her hands, but Alexis says she has a better idea – the fireplace. Olivia says, what if Sam or her grandkids want to look at it? but Sam says, go ahead; throw it in. Think of it as purging. Alexis says, it’s more like an exorcism, and Sam says it might make Alexis feel better. Alexis says Julian bought the house. Maybe they should burn that down too. Olivia says it’s a nice idea, but it’s called arson. Alexis says, okay, let’s do this, and Sam says she’s going to check on the kids. Olivia says she has Sam covered, and asks Alexis where she wants to start. Alexis takes out a picture of her and Julian, and says, this one, putting it in the fire. Taking out another, Olivia says they look so happy in this one, but Alexis says, all lies. She rips it up, and Olivia asks if she’s sure. Alexis throws it in, and Olivia says, arrivederci.  

Outside, Sam phones Forrester Home Security. She explains that she has a question about one of their alarm systems, and hopes they can help.

Finn tells Tracy, they scaled back from the big top circus event to something more manageable. She says it sounds like it’s up his alley. What’s the problem? He says, just when it got good, things got complicated. She says, it’s a wedding, and he says, it was a wedding. Now it’s a double wedding with Maxie… and Peter. Tracy makes a face, and he says, exactly. His father is planning on staying for the wedding, and maybe indefinitely. She says she knows how complicated fathers can be, and Finn says, it’s not just him. His step mom is coming. Did he mention they were separated? Tracy asks if she’s invited or has to crash it, and he asks which she prefers. She says, crashing it, and she wants the chicken. He says, good choice, and she tells him to start with his stepmom. Does she know her? Finn says she’s Jackie Templeton, and Tracy says, Jackie Templeton is his stepmother? He says, and Chase’s mother. She asks how come he never mentioned his father was married to Jackie? He doesn’t like her? he says, that’s not what it is, and she asks, then what is it?   

Michael tells Chase, it’s not the Corinthos family’s first rodeo. Jason will make sure they’re protected. Chase says he respects Jason, but there was an incident in the warehouse district. He says he can’t talk about an ongoing investigation, but Michael says he gets the picture. Was it his dad’s warehouse? Chase says, it was leased through a holding company; they haven’t ID’d the exact tenants. Michael says he’s guessing the owner is in Panama and untraceable, and Chase says, probably. He tells Michael, be careful. He’d hate if anything happened to Michael, or anyone close to him. Michael says he’ll make sure Willow is protected too. Chase wonders if Michael needs safety protocols, and Michael asks if Chase and Willow talked safety protocols when they had dinner.

Willow says she knows how much Sasha cares about Michael. Even though he’s strong, he needs someone to turn to. Sasha says he has Willow, his wife. Willow says, of course (🍷) he does. They’ve always been friends, and she’s sure they always will be. Sasha says, hold on. Willow is talking like still it’s still a marriage of convenience, but it’s not, right? They got married to keep Wiley safe from Nelle. Nelle is gone now, and Wiley’s safe, but they’re still together. Willow says, yes, but… and Sasha says she doesn’t have to pretend. She knows they’re sleeping together. Willow sits down.

Brick says, what happened at the warehouse was strictly amateur, and Cyrus says, fascinating. In what way? Brick says, it was sloppy and unprofessional, an open invite for reprisal. Jason says, the Novaks are one of the five families, and when you attack one, the others unite against you. Cyrus says, then he’s glad he’s not the one who’s set to incur their collective wrath.  

Lenny says Sonny doesn’t remember what he does for a living, or how he ended up in the woods? Sonny says, both are a mystery, and Phyllis says, the doctor thinks his injury messed with his memory. Lenny says, so he could be anyone; a grifter or a criminal. Sonny asks if Lenny has a Marine tattoo, and Lenny says, he remembers what the tattoo stands for, but not his name? Phyllis says, that’s how memory loss works, and Lenny says, fine. What about his tattoo? Sonny says he thought the Marines never leave any men behind. Lenny says, they don’t. Did Mike serve, or doesn’t he remember? Phyllis suggests Lenny shut up and give Sonny some coffee already, and Lenny says, why not a four-course meal? She says she already fed him the bolognaise. Just give him some coffee, and friendly conversation. Lenny says, no, and Sonny says he’s not there for a handout. If Lenny gives him some coffee, he’s willing to work in the kitchen. Phyllis says, sounds like a good offer, and Lenny tells Phyllis, fine. Inform the kitchen they have a new dishwasher. Phyllis goes to the kitchen, and Lenny says, listen up, Mike. If whatever he can’t remember brings them trouble, he’ll have to answer to him.

Sam asks if Alexis feels better, and Alexis says she actually does. It felt good to purge. She thanks Sam for encouraging her, and Sam says, it’s later than she thought. Maybe Alexis wants to head up to bed. She and Olivia can clean up and lock up. Alexis says she appreciates that, and tells Sam the security code is Scout’s birthday. She thanks them, tells them goodnight, and goes upstairs. Olivia asks what Sam found out, and Sam says, according the security company, it was set in the early evening, probably before Alexis left for the MetroCourt. It wasn’t disarmed until days later. Olivia asks if there’s any other way Alexis and Tracy could have gotten inside without setting it off, or if it was set off in error, but Sam says, no. And Olivia clearly saw the coffee on the counter? Olivia says, all it needed was a neon sign saying caffeine. None of Tracy’s story holds up. Sam says, they have her, and Olivia says, except for one thing; motive.  

Finn tells Tracy, his mom had just died, and his dad remarried in a couple of months. She asks if things smelled rotten in Denmark, and he says he had a hard time accepting it. He acted immaturely, and did things he wished he hadn’t. Right now, he should feel like the luckiest guy in the world, but all he can think about are the things he should have done differently. She says, what a spectacular waste of time, and he says he knew she’d be sympathetic. She asks, what’s the point in second guessing himself now? and he says he’s thinking of coming clean and telling the truth. She asks, why now? All of the people involved are grown-ups, and his brother wasn’t even born. He says, Chase came along later, and she says he needs to ask himself, would he be helping the people he loves by easing his burden, and putting it on their shoulders? He says he knows how to answer, and she says, does he?

Chase asks how much Willow told Michael, and Michael says, they agreed to be honest, but it’s no secret she still cares. Chase says they talked about that, and decided… He doesn’t really want to hear this, does he? Michael says, no, but he probably should, and Chase says, it felt good talking with her, as if nothing had happened. Even though everything has. Michael says, things got more complicated than expected, and Chase says, some things are more clear. Willow is married, and she’s not that kind of girl… Michael says, okay. He knows what happened.

Willow says Sasha isn’t wrong. Something did happen between her and Michael that they didn’t expect. Sasha says, they consummated the marriage. Good for them. She knew it was a possibility. She and Chase pushed Willow and Michael together for Wiley’s sake, but they figured sooner or later the marriage would become real, and it has. Willow says, it’s not that simple, and Sasha asks, why? Willow says, when she’s with Chase, the feelings come back like they never left. Like how Sasha’s feelings for Michael come back when she’s alone with him. Because they never left either, did they?

Cyrus guesses he’s not getting that drink, and heads for the door. He says, look on the bright side. Regardless of whoever did the housekeeping, the problem was corrected. He thought what happened tonight might be considered a good will gesture for the unfortunate misunderstanding on the pier. Jason says he thinks they understood each other perfectly.

Lenny says, Sonny had no ID? and Sonny says, they checked his pockets, but there was nothing, and his wallet got lost. Lenny asks if he checked his wedding ring or watch, and Sonny takes off his watch, telling Lenny, it has an inscription. Check it out. Lenny reads, Mike, never enough time, Love, A. He says, that’s how they came up with Mike, huh? He’s one lucky s-o-b if he survived a winter night like this. Phyllis says, someone is looking out for him, and Lenny says, she’s always thinking there’s a guiding light looking out. She says, that’s because there is, and he says, some medical professional. Phyllis sits down with them, and says she’s had patients who thought they’d lost everything. One even lost her precious child, but the child was taken away from her, and there was nothing any of them could do about it. Sonny asks if they found the child, and she says, not yet, but as long as there’s life, there’s hope. Lenny says, see what he means? and Sonny says, there should be a lot more Phyllises in the world. A guy walks into the bar, which is not the start of a joke. He looks like a troublemaker.    

Olivia asks Sam why Tracy would frame Alexis with a DWI. What is she trying to get? Sam has no idea. She can’t think of a reason, but knows how they can figure it out. They’ll go to Tracy. They’ll be calm and firm, and just ask for her side of the story. See if she’s honest. Olivia says Sam is Leo’s half-sister, and she loves Sam, but it’s a terrible idea.   

Finn looks at his phone, and tells Tracy, duty calls. Tracy says, just as she was about to solve all his problems. Too bad. He says he’s glad she stopped by, and she says, of course (🍷) he is. Dinner and backgammon soon. He says he hopes she makes the wedding, and she asks if he doesn’t mean weddings, plural. He says he’ll be glad to have a friendly face on his side of the aisle, and she says she wouldn’t miss it. He tells her, the whole family thing is a work in progress. Violet is the best thing that ever happened to him. If he let her down, he doesn’t think he could live with himself.   

Chase tells Michael, he never intended… Just talking felt so familiar, and it happened. He’s sure Willow explained. Michael says, he’d found out they might be calling off the search for his dad; there was no time to explain. Chase says he thought Michael knew, and Michael says, he knew they’d find a way past the hurt and the lies, and it sounds like they did. Chase asks if Michael is mad, and Michael says, he’s not sure, but what he is, is late. The beer is on him.   

Sasha tells Willow, she’s never denied still being in love with Michael. She doesn’t get why Willow is telling her this. Wait. Willow has feelings for Michael and Chase, and she wants Sasha to be the reason she gives up Michael. Willow admits she doesn’t know. She hopes not. Sasha says, nothing would please her more if Willow got back with Chase, and she got back with Michael, but she doesn’t know what Michael wants. She knows she wants Michael to be happy, even if it’s not with her, and Willow says she wants that too. Sasha says, Willow and Michael need to figure out if they belong together. She’s not going to make the decision for Willow. She did that once, and look how it worked out.

Sonny asks if Phyllis knows that guy, and she says, no, but she knows the type. They come in occasionally to stir up trouble. Sonny asks what they do, and she says, Lenny used to toss them out on their ear, but he’s got a bad heart now, and worries about her. She looks at Lenny, and says, so maybe it’s best to try and get along. Lenny gets up, and goes to bar. He asks what he can get the guy, and dude takes out a gun, saying, he’ll give Lenny one guess.

Olivia tells Sam, the worst thing would be to come at Tracy too strong and too fast, and for Sam to let Tracy know she’s on to her. Sam says, doesn’t Olivia doesn’t mean we. Olivia is the one who came to her with the suspicion. She’s just doing this because of Olivia, and she’s right. Why would she want to back out now? There’s a knock at the door, and Sam wonders who it could be at this hour. It’s Tracy.  

Willow thanks Sasha for coming by, and Sasha says she knows Willow is confused and conflicted. Willow says, an understatement. Sasha says she’s sorry she didn’t help, but Willow says she did. She’s not sure how, but she’s knows Sasha helped. Sasha says she knows Willow pretty well, and knows Michael. She doesn’t think the two of them would have become as close as they did if they didn’t have something real. Willow needs to figure out if she wants to fight for it. Michael walks in.    

Cyrus says, it seems Jason’s differences with the Novaks have been addressed, yet his mother is still missing. Jason says, that’s not his problem, and Cyrus says, his problems are Jason’s problems. If he does something for Jason, he expects the favor to be returned – with interest. Brick opens the door, and Cyrus squeezes past him. Brick closes the door, and tells Jason, sorry, but he has to ask. Since when has Jason been in the business of snatching old ladies from nursing homes to use as leverage? Jason says, sometimes bad things happen to bad people.

Lenny says he doesn’t want any trouble, and dude says that makes two of them. So why doesn’t Lenny open the cash box and show him how generous he can be? Sonny looks at dude, and dude asks if Sonny has a problem.

Alexis wakes up, and looks through some documents.

Tracy is surprised to see Sam there, and Sam says Olivia was helping her out with her mom. Tracy asks how Alexis is, and Sam says, she’s not doing that well. She hasn’t been great since she ran her car off the road. Tracy says, that’s why she’s there. She was with Alexis that night, and thought she’d stop by to check on her. Sam says she’s surprised. She didn’t think Tracy cared. Tracy says, she does. Is Alexis available? Sam says, no; she’s in bed. Olivia says, after everything that’s happened, Alexis isn’t up to visitors. Tracy says, give Alexis her best, and asks if she can give Olivia a ride. Sam says they still have things to do, and Olivia says, it won’t take that long. Sam tells Tracy, she’ll drop Olivia off, and Olivia says, they’ll lock up when they leave. Tracy asks, why wouldn’t they? and Olivia says she assumed if Tracy cared enough to come by, she obviously wants Alexis to be safe and sound. Sam asks if Tracy knew that her mother got a state of the art alarm system, and Tracy says, good to know. Tell her mom she said hello. Sam closes the door, and Olivia says she’s absolutely certain Tracy never laid eyes on that keypad in her life. Sam says, another indication that she was never there. More and more her story doesn’t add up.

Finn phones Anna, saying he’ll be home soon and he loves her. Chase tosses some money on the reception desk, and Finn says, billing is on another floor. Chase tells him, take it anyway. Doesn’t he recognize it? Finn says, currency? and Chase says it’s Finn’s money from poker night. Finn asks why Chase is giving it back, and Chase says, it’s a symbol. His luck is changing. He has a chance to get Willow back. Finn says he likes the odds, but keep his winnings. Chase says he owes it to Finn. He couldn’t have gotten better advice from their dad.

Sasha tells Michael, hello and goodbye. She was just leaving. He tells her, she says that every time they run into one another, and she says, maybe next time, she’ll say something else. She jets, and Michael says, what was that? Willow says, can’t a girl be in a good mood? She asks how his meeting went, and he says, it ended early. He tells her, they need to talk, and she says she thinks so too.

Brick tells Jason, Cyrus made it sound like quid pro quo. It sounds like if his mom is safe and sound, Port Charles will have peace. If not, he thinks the message is clear. What is Jason going to do? Jason says, nothing. If Cyrus gets what he wants, he’ll just start taking more, and he’s not letting that happen.  

Dude sees Sonny looking at him, and asks if Sonny’s got a problem. Sonny says, no problem, and dude says, that’s what he thought. He’s not going to tell Lenny again; open the cash box. Phyllis gets up, and asks why he doesn’t leave them alone. They’re hard working people. He tells her to shut her mouth, and Lenny says leave his wife alone. Dude asks what he’s going to do about it. We see the gears whirring in Sonny’s mind.  

On Monday, Ava gets a terrific idea, Jax asks if someone has second thoughts, Josslyn asks why Cameron would think she’d throw away her journal, and the gunman tells Sonny, now would be a good time to shut up.

🎐 Saying Goodbye…

John Reilly’s comrades in arms pay him tribute.

So will GH.

👕 Swickard Swindled…

Apparently, someone has been using his likeness on their side hustle.

💓 Be Still My Heart…

A soap vet plus a V.C. Andrews movie times two? My head might explode. Watch V.C. Andrews’s All That Glitters and Hidden Jewel, premiering on Lifetime on Saturday, March 27th and Sunday, March 28th, respectively, at 8 p.m. ET, starring Kristian Alfonso (Hope, Days of Our Lives).

💏 He Really, Really Likes Her…

It might not be the fairytale she thought, but it’s better than that hell she had with David.

https://pagesix.com/2021/01/06/shannon-beador-compares-new-relationship-to-divorce/

😷 In Covid News…

Another two Housewives were hit with the virus.

https://pagesix.com/2021/01/06/dandra-simmons-grateful-to-be-alive-after-covid-19-hospitalization/

https://people.com/tv/rhonjs-dolores-catania-says-family-contracted-covid-19-over-the-holidays/

🎶 In Case You Were Going…

The Grammys have been postponed.

🏘 Llanview Memory Lane…

Who the blip were Fish and Kyle?

💃🏽 Tap Your Troubles Away…

This sounds like a fun time. Streaming one night, February 11th, at 8 pm, ET.

🦉 Quotes of the Week

I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light. – Helen Keller

Life is not so much about beginnings and endings as it is about going on and on and on. It is about muddling through the middle. – Anna Quindlen

If you want to become a real New Yorker, there’s only one rule: You have to believe New York is, has been, and always will be the greatest city on earth. The center of the universe. – Ellen R. Shapiro

I’m no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I’m changing the things I cannot accept. – Angela Davis

The reason I talk to myself is because I’m the only one whose answers I accept. – George Carlin

People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls. – Carl Gustav Jung

Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.Carl Gustav Jung

People get addicted to feeling offended all the time because it gives them a high; being self-righteous and morally superior feels good. – Mark Manson

📜 And Three From Dr. King

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

The time is always right to do what is right. – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

📍 In Conclusion…

Wrapping it up for this week in television, but I’ll see you when it’s time to be Below Deck. Congrats if you have a long weekend, a smaller congrats if it’s the usual two days off, and my sympathies if you’re just X’ing more days off the calendar. Or the biggest congrats if you’re happy about that. Regardless, there seems to be real light at the end of what seems like a never-ending tunnel, so think good thoughts. And while you’re at it, stay safe, stay emboldened, and stay not opening any invite for reprisal when it comes to the five families. I still say that sounds like a spaghetti sauce brand.

September 7, 2020 – Rerunning Violet’s Party, Ibiza on Deck, Reunion For a Cause, New York’s Brunch, the OC’s Return, and a Hurry

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Today’s GH was from April 14th, 2020. If it was Friends, it would be called The One Where Violet Has a Birthday Party.

Below Deck Mediterranean

Jess comes out of the water, and says her heart is palpitating bad. She sits, and Alex goes to get her some water. The brood of vipers Malia tells her to take deep breaths, and suggests a hot shower. Jess stands under the guest shower on deck, and Malia calls Captain Sandy, saying, there’s a medical issue with Jess; she’s having heart palpitations. The captain tells Malia to have Jess come see her. Rob asks if Jess is okay, and she asks if he’ll walk with her to the shower. he tells her everything is going to be okay.

At the O Beach closing party in Ibiza, Michelle straddles Aesha, pouring something from a plastic cup into Aesha’s mouth. In her interview, Aesha says Michelle has been trying to do everything to get alcohol in her. She’s not resisting much, but Michelle is strong.

Tom asks, what’s wrong with Jess? and Bugs says, she’s not feeling well. Rob tells Jess, clearly what he said made her anxious, and she’s putting on a show. A-hole. Jess gets dressed, and Captain Sandy calls her to the bridge to check things out. Jess tells her about the heart palpitations, and says that it freaked her out. She’s never had that before, but feels better now. The captain takes Jess’s blood pressure, and says she takes her own every day. She tells Jess, it’s 154/102. She’s not sure about the numbers, so she texts a friend who’s a cardiologist. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says she had that issue, and the end result was a heart attack. She says, as captain, she wants to stay on this, and make sure Jess is okay. Jess says heart disease runs in her family, and the captain says, hers too; both of her parents died from heart attacks. In her interview, Captain Sandy says she was in a cycle class when it happened. She gets a text back, and her friend says Jess’s blood pressure is not that bad. Jess says she feels fine now. She thinks riding the jet ski was too much, and Captain Sand tells her to go and rest. Alex asks if Jess is feeling better. In Jess’s interview, she says the relationship is taking a physical toll on her. Her worst fear is to be completely vulnerable, fall in love, and have it deteriorate. She tells Rob that she’s going to lie down.

In Ibiza, acrobats fling themselves in the air, while dancing girls with headdresses shimmy through the crowd. Michelle puts her crotch in Johnny’s face, and in Aesha’s interview, she says, Johnny is f***ed. Back at the boat, Bugs puts up string lights, and decorates the table for the Great Gatsby themed dinner. She asks if Captain Sandy is joining the guests, and the captain says she is. Aesha radios, saying the guests are ready to come back, and Bugs tells Malia, who bangs her head on the ceiling getting out of her bunk. No surprise, I laugh. Bugs attaches sparkly suspenders to Alex’s pants, and discusses the menu with Tom. Alex picks up the guests, and Michelle says they need to make their way back to Great Gatsby. Johnny makes an attempt to bat at some balls Alex is throwing, and strikes out twice, but gets a hit on the third try. In his interview, Alex says Johnny is in a good state of mind. He’s wasted. Johnny says he’s the best two strike hitter in baseball.

The crew gets ready, the deckhands and Malia in sparkly suspenders with bowler hats, and the stews in flapper outfits. Bugs tells Jess that she doesn’t have to be on service, but Jess says, it’s okay. Alex takes a picture of Bugs, and tells her the table looks great. The guests get ready.

Tom puts an apron on Malia that has a picture of cats and says Mallorca on it. Why? Michelle says, the tablescape is out of this world, and Johnny toasts in Spanish, saying, health, love, money; long time the tree of fruit. He announces that kids are easier than dogs, since you can’t take dogs everywhere like you can with kids. Um… never mind. In Tom’s interview, he says, in the galley, you try to do everything right, so if the guests don’t like it, it’s hard because you’ve invested yourself. You want to wow people, and that’s what hurts. Bugs brings Johnny’s steak back to be cooked a little more, and I guess Tom must be hurting. Upon return though, Johnny pronounces it perfect. Michelle says the food is fabulous, and even Captain Sandy says it’s delicious. The captain asks if the food is hot, and Johnny squeezes Michelle’s boob. I’m not sure what that means. Is that a yes? Malia tells Rob that he can turn in early and get an extra hour. Jess says she’s on early shift too, and they cuddle. Jess is worried about how much things have been changing in the last few days. He says he’s sorry about today, and she says, her too. Aesha calls Bugs a sh*t stain, and says it’s a term of endearment, but Bugs isn’t so sure. In Aesha’s interview, she says she doesn’t see bantering much with this group. Johnny, Michelle, and Adena (the one who got drunk and hurt herself last week) dance on the couches. Michelle yells, Ibiza! for no particular reason. Aesha says, they’re so fun, and the guests toddle off to bed at around 2:30 am. Johnny lingers on deck, and finally goes to the cabin. He tells Michelle, they do need not to have more babies [sic].

The early shift is up at 7 am, except for Rob. Jess tells him, it’s 7:20, and he ends up being 23 minutes late. He asks if Alex is pissed off, and apologizes, but Alex says it’s okay. In Rob’s interview, he says, it’s not okay, because it transfers to someone else’s hours of rest time. Malia sees Jess and Rob kissing, but keeps walking. Jess does the breakfast table, and Malia grumbles, the boat looks like sh*t. Rob gets coffee, and Malia radios him, saying, seriously? What the hell? She tells him that she doesn’t want to come out and see him and Jess kissing when things aren’t done. The boat looks like absolute sh*t, and he’s asking for coffee.

Malia rants that the morning is the most critical time, so they can prep the area before the guests get up. She points out various chores on a list hanging up, and says the morning people have to bust ass. In Rob’s interview, he says he knows better, but got totally lost in his romance with Jess. He’s not thinking clearly. Tom cooks breakfast, and Bugs tells Jess that the table is pretty. Jess says she’s feeling better, and Bugs says the laundry is looking great too. In Bugs’s interview, she says, the more time you invest in someone, the better they do. She’s happy she’s taken the time with Jess. She tells Jess that she’s doing really, really well. In his interview, Rob says, there’s a lot of sh*t with him and Jess, and it’s affecting his work. It’s not okay. Bugs tells Captain Sandy that Jess is doing great this charter.

The captain calls Jess to the bridge, and says she sees her clothes hanging in her closet. She thanks Jess, and tells her that Bugs says she’s killing it. Jess thinks she was never allowed the time to do her job effectively, and now she’s realizing it. in her interview, she says a compliment from Bugs and Captain Sandy. Did she die today? She tells Malia that the captain called her up for a compliment. Rob hears, and asks if it’s her first one, and congratulates her. Jess admits the structure is better, and in her interview, says she’s doing better at her job, but her relationship is getting worse. Alex asks Bugs for coffee, and she says, a special treat for a special boy. Johnny says he slept too good on the boat. The guests are just getting to breakfast, and it’s an hour before they disembark.

Jess asks Rob if he’s in his head, and he says he doesn’t want to think too much anymore with them. They should understand one another. Jess says she won’t ask anymore, so don’t think she’s ignoring him. The guests pack, and the captain gets ready to dock. Rob keeps missing throwing the stern line out. In Malia’s interview, she says, it’s like amateur hour. Losing the stern line is a disaster.

In her interview, Malia says they’re docking terribly, and are going to look like absolute fools. Malia tells Rob to do it quickly, and in her interview, she says, Rob is killing her. She tells him, it’s not locked off, and he finally gets it. Malia tells Bugs, she’s about to lose her effing mind. Rob says, everyone is allowed to make mistakes; it’s a bit rude. Malia tells Alex, from now on, she needs him on whichever side is critical.

It’s time for the guests to say goodbye. Johnny says, it was incredible, and Michelle says the food and service were amazing. The last charter was good, but this was way better. Johnny gives the captain the tip envelope, and the guests leave. Captain Sandy tells the crew to get out of their whites, and into their reds. Malia wants to talk to Rob, and tells him that the stern is super critical when they’re coming in. Once is a mistake, but he did it three times. Then they had to hustle, correcting the time he took with the line. In his interview, Rob says he’s trying to be present in the situation with both Jess and the boat, and needs to compartmentalize better. While they’re cleaning the cabins, Jess asks what happened with Aesha’s last relationship? and Aesha says, it was the same situation as Jess is in. It had been years since she’d had a boyfriend. We flash back to her and Jack, and she tells Jess, when they got back, Jack went back to his ex. Jess asks if they were at the I love you stage, but Aesha says they weren’t even at the sex stage. In Jess’s interview, she says that’s probably why Aesha doesn’t have a boyfriend.

Captain Sandy tells the crew, well done. Having Aesha on board is like a breath of fresh air. She tells Jess that the laundry situation is better, and thanks her. She says the food was so good, she was blown away, and tells them, cheers. The tip was $18,000, or 1500 euros per person. They clink glasses, and Bugs thanks Tom for a great charter. Aesha poses the question to Jess, if she fell in love, and found out the guy had a micro-penis, would she still love him? Is she trying to tell us something about Jack? Jess says, of course. Rob asks Aesha if the main export of Tunisia is sarcasm, but she says she thinks it’s sheep, or wool, or something to do with farming. Jess tries to get Rob’s attention, but he’s too busy talking sheep or whatever, so she asks if Alex wants to go shopping on shore. In Alex’s interview, he wonders if Jess is jealous. Jess asks why Rob isn’t talking to her, and he says she was having a conversation with Alex. She says, he was having one with Aesha.

Jess asks if she can talk to Rob, and they go outside. She asks if he’s looking for things to get upset about at this point, and he says sorry he was caught up in conversation and so involved. He wonders if she feels threatened, and she tells him not to get mad. She was trying to figure out how to get him some clothes, and he was ignoring her. He says, sorry he wasn’t seeing that. He was in a conversation, and there was a time crunch. She asks, WTF is this? and he says he was in a surface conversation, detaching from everything that was happening. She says she doesn’t want to bring drama into his life, and she’s sorry she’s not bringing him detached fun conversation. Geez, how old are we? It shouldn’t be this hard, or dramatic.

Alex and Bugs go shopping in Old Port Ibiza. On the boat, Rob says Jess feels like arguing, and he doesn’t want to. She says sorry she’s not bringing fun conversation to his life. Malia and Tom fool around, and he asks if she wants to have a sunset drink. Alex tries on a shirt, and Bugs says she might have to date him if he wears it. On deck, Aesha calls her brother Jared, and tells him, most of the crew are Americans. They’re lovely, but last year, there was good banter. We flash back to that, and she says, this crew is harder to get going so far. Jared tells her, give it time, and she says they’re going out drinking. He tells her to have fun. The crew gets ready to go out.

Rob tells Jess that they need to try to get better at communicating, so this doesn’t happen. In his interview, he says he thinks there’s jealousy because he was having playful conversation with someone, but it doesn’t mean anything. They apologize to each other, and Rob asks if they’re good. Malia and Tom watch the sunset, and Tom says he thinks the more prepared he is, the more ready he is for the next trip. That makes it easier, or the standard of food goes up. The last boat he worked on had three chefs; it’s a big difference. In his interview, he says he’s never had so much stress. Being the sole chef makes it three times harder. Alex tells Bugs, he wants to have a good night, and Bugs says they have to. Bugs puts glitter around her eyes.

Bugs, says, Ibiza, baby, and Aesha says she’s excited to go out. In Aesha’s interview, she says she was told she had a good time in Ibiza, but doesn’t know for sure. They go to a restaurant, and Bugs tells Alex that she’s the boss. He says, no, and Malia says, let’s get f***ed up. They order, and a mime comes by, doing some kind of illusions with a ball. In her interview, Aesha wonders how he’s doing that. The ball is literally floating. WTF? The crew applauds, and Jess asks Alex if he remembers when they worked together, and she was talking about the sexy South African who was with another guy. She thinks it was Rob, and says, it’s crazy. Rob, who seems to have lost all sense of humor and whimsy, says he’s there now, and she says, sorry. She’s just piecing it together, and realized she had a conversation about him before she knew him. In his interview, Rob says she can’t expect him to remember everything. He’s not an elephant. She asks Rob to respect it a little, and he says he does; he’s here. In her interview, Aesha says it’s the stupidest sh*t she’s ever heard. If they’re fighting this early, no way is it going to last. It is really stupid. I’m not even sure what it is they’re fighting about exactly. I look in my bag of vanilla wafers, and decide if a cookie is broken, it doesn’t count.

Jess asks if he can respect that (what? what is he supposed to respect? I’m not getting this), and he says, he does; he’s there. She asks if they can stop arguing, and he says he’s not; he’s there. She asks him to stop making her feel like this, and I want them both to stop making me feel like changing the channel. In Jess’s interview, she says, stuff happened before she got there, and he’s missing her point. Bugs announces that she’s putting face paint on everyone, and puts glitter on them. They move on to more serious drinking. In the taxi, Malia tells Tom that she doesn’t know if Rob and Jess are the best match, and he says, they’re the worst match. Rob is spiritual. Malia says, Jess is sweet, but the background on her phone is herself. That’s rich, coming from someone so completely self-centered. Tom says, Rob’s is probably spring flowers or something. They get to a club, and Rob tells Alex that Jess is acting weird. Is it me? Rob seems like the one who’s acting weird.

Rob says he can’t do anything right, and Tom asks what the actual problem is. He says he doesn’t know, and Tom suggests he have some beers and chill out. Jess is circumspect, and goes off by herself, while everyone else gets crazy. Rob sticks a beer can to Aesha’s hand. In her interview, Jess says she’s annoyed. Now she has to watch Rob flirt with Aesha. What the hell? Alex tells Bugs that he’s really into her. He’s never met a girl who made him nervous. She asks why he’s nervous, but he can’t explain. She’s the first thing he thinks of in the morning, and the last thing at night. They’re both effing weirdos. They kiss, and everyone starts dancing. In his interview, Alex says, buh-bye, friend zone.

Rob says he doesn’t like how Jess is being hot and cold. Jess thinks he’s done, and just looking for an excuse. In Malia’s interview, she says, it sucks to go out with them. It changes the mood. Rob tells Jess that he changed his ticket to go to Bali, and to stop being hot and cold; she keeps doing this to him. In his interview, Rob says he feels broken, and I roll my eyes so hard, my sister in Ohio can feel it. He asks if Jess is mad, and she asks him to get out of her face. She’s done. He says, for f***’s sake, and tells Alex, I’m an idiot, bru. No argument from me.

Next time, a guest wants cucumbers when Tom is busy giving his cucumber to Malia, Tom gets nasty with Aesha for no reason, Alex tells Rob and Jess that they have to figure out if it was real or a moment that went too far, Rob says maybe he and Jess aren’t meant to be, and the boat loses power before docking.

👠 Vicki and Her Men…

On September 17th, One Life to Live’s Erika Slezak (Vicki), Jerry verDorn (Clint), and Mark Derwin (Ben) will be having a special reunion to raise money for autism.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/one-life-to-live/one-life-to-live-reunion-raising-money-for-autism

🗽 New York New York…

I had no idea Tiffany Pollard had a chat show. It was digital, but now you can catch it on VH1. I think she’s a lot of fun.

http://www.vh1.com/shows/brunch-with-tiffany

🍊 Uno Amiga This Time…

The Real Housewives of Orange County will be back on October 10th.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-orange-county

🚴 Rushing As Usual…

It’s Monday night crunch time, while I get tomorrow’s article ready for https://mupoentertainment.com/theresa-krakauskas/, so bidding you a quick goodnight. Hope your Labor Day weekend included some fun, such as it is these days. Until next we meet, stay safe, stay keeping your boundaries, and stay not being an idiot. Or at least making sense.