Tag Archives: Oscars

March 16, 2023 – Obrecht Gets Good News and Bad News, Happy Returns, Guesting, They’re the Top, Everything Academy, Holiday & Unicorn

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Spencer asks why Dex is staying at Sonny’s, but Sonny says he doesn’t have to explain anything to Spencer. They’re both his guests. Dex leaves the room, and Spencer says he can’t deal with Dex right now. Sonny says he knows Spencer has a lot going on, but he has to watch his tone. Sonny’s not his enemy; he’s here for Spencer. Sonny says he appreciates that and he’s sorry, but he’s a bit of a mad mood right now, and Dex is the last person he needed to see.

Josslyn says she doesn’t want to fight with Cameron, but Cameron says he’s asking her to listen to him. She told him so many times that she hated living her life around Sonny’s business. All the times she was in lockdown or had bodyguards trailing after her, that’s her future with this man. She flashes back to Dex telling her that he was hired to work his way into Sonny’s inner circle to gather evidence his employer can use against Sonny. She tells Cameron, Dex is different than Sonny. She doesn’t want him to worry about her. She wants him to go to Stanford and be the star that he is. She’ll be fine. He asks if she promises, and she says she does.

Esme comes back to the rec room with Ace, looking for his binkie, when Trina says, looking for this? and holds it out to her. Esme says, she’s Spencer’s friend, and Trina says, that’s right; she’s Trina. Esme says, Trina Robinson. She knows who Trina is.

Alexis cleans up the drink Gregory spilled when he stumbled, and asks if he’s all right. He says he just lost his footing. Isht no big deal. She asks if he’s been drinking, and he says, it’s 11 am. She says, it never stopped her, and he says, it’s orange juice; period. He had a momentary attack of clutch… klutziness. She says, he’s slurring his words. Drinking just orange juice doesn’t do that.

Nina lets Obrecht in to her apartment, and asks if she’s heard from Terry, but Obrecht says, not yet. She’s waiting on the results of the last round of tests. The lab ran much faster when she was in charge. Nina says, they already know she’s a match. She doesn’t understand the hold-up. Obrecht says, they can’t take chances for Willow’s sake. They have to be patient. Nina says she feels like she’s unraveling, and feels guilty because Willow is the one going through this. Her body is shutting down. How long is she going to be able to hold on?

Carly comes into the Quartermaine sitting room with Amelia, and Maxie says, next on their list is vendors. Did Carly send her the list of vendors who have donated to the Nurses Ball in the past? Carly snuggles Amelia, and Maxie says, hello? Willow tells her, give it up. It’s a fight she won’t win.

Brook comes downstairs when the doorbell rings. She opens the door to Chase. He asks if she’s seen Willow and Michael, then says, who is he kidding? He came to get a peek at Amelia. Brook tells him, get in here. She’s the cutest little thing. She reminds Brook of Bailey when she was that age.

Maxie suggests they take a break. She can’t compete with all that cuteness. She’ll go check on Olivia, and then it will be back to business… Right? She goes over to Carly and Amelia, and Carly asks if Amelia isn’t the cutest.

Brook says she can’t believe Chase didn’t realize he’d shampooed with Bailey’s bubble bath, and he asks if he doesn’t always smell like lavender and chamomile. Besides, it was an honest mistake. Between her and Bailey, there were 50 bottles on the bathtub. Maxie comes out and asks if she’s interrupting, but Chase says he came to see Willow and the baby. Maxie says, the lovefest is in there, and he goes in. She tells Brook, it looks like there was a lovefest going on out here too.

Sonny asks, what’s going on? and Spencer says, Cam’s leaving. He got a scholarship to Stanford to play soccer, and they want him there spring quarter. Sonny says he knows Spencer is going to miss him, and Spencer says, for sure. Cameron’s been there for him despite their stupid rivalries, and now he’s leaving, and Dex is staying here? Sonny asks what this has to do with Dex, and Spencer says, because Joss broke up with Cam to get with Dex.

Alexis leads Gregory to a private area, and says, this is a nice spot. Nobody can see or hear them. Why doesn’t he talk to her? If he’s not drunk, why is he slurring his words? He says he wasn’t aware he was slurring, but he can assure her, he hasn’t been drinking. She says, well, there’s something off with him, and she’d like him to talk to her because she’s his friend. This is a safe space, and she’ll understand. He says, this is ridiculous, and insulting. He’s not drunk. She asks if they can just sit down and talk about this, but he says, no. He has an appointment. She says she’ll drive him. Why doesn’t he just give her his car keys? She holds out her hand.

Obrecht tells Nina, when Britta revealed her diagnosis, she had to sit by and watch her deal with the symptoms, even when Britt pretended not to have them. It was hard, but she had to follow Britta’s lead and respect her choices, and give her the support she needed whenever she needed it. Nina says, of course (🍷) Obrecht is right. She’s so sorry. Obrecht’s phone rings, she looks at it, and puts it down. She says, it’s Scotty; the tenth call today. Why won’t he get the hint? Nina says, Scotty loves her, and Obrecht loves him, but Obrecht says, if he loved her, he would have told her about Elizabeth’s role in harboring Esme Prince. Her silence made the police waste too much time believing Esme was The Hook, instead of looking for the real killer. Her Britta paid with her life. Nina says, Scotty only knew after the fact, but Obrecht says, it doesn’t matter. He helped Elizabeth get away with it. He chose Elizabeth over Obrecht and her family. Nina says, Obrecht just got done giving her some sound advice, so allow her to return the favor. Don’t shut out people who love her. Scotty can support her during this time she’s dealing with Britt’s death. Life is so fragile. They need to spend the little time they have with the people they love.

Sonny says, Josslyn broke up with Cameron, that’s her decision, and Spencer says, maybe he just wants someone to be mad at, and Dex is a convenient target. Sonny asks why Spencer needs a target, and Spencer says, because Cam is leaving, Britt is dead, and his little brother’s in prison bonding with Esme when he should be bonding with his real family. Is that long enough of a laundry list for Sonny? Sonny says, Spencer has Diane working her magic. She’ll get him custody of his baby brother. Spencer says, it can’t happen soon enough, and Sonny puts on his coat. Spencer asks if he’s leaving, and Sonny says he’s going to see Nina. Lay off Dex. Spencer asks how long Dex is staying, but Sonny says he doesn’t know. It’s open-ended, but he wants both of them to co-exist peacefully. Got it? Spencer says he’s got it, Sonny says, good, and leaves.

Trina says, Esme knows who she is? and Esme says, Trina’s one of the people she did terrible things to. Trina says, so she remembers? but Esme says, not even a little. Her lawyers told her about the charges she’s facing, and the people she’s hurt. Trina says, Esme framed her, and she almost went to prison, and Esme asks why she hated Trina so much. Trina asks if Esme is admitting she’s guilty, and Esme tells her, she can’t say that, but people told her about the person she was before. Everybody says she was a terrible excuse for a human being. Trina asks what Esme thinks, and Esme says, if she really did what she’s accused of, she thinks they’re right. But it’s like they’re talking about someone else, someone who terrifies her, and she’s glad she doesn’t have to think what that person thinks or feel what they feel anymore, and she prays to God she never has to. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone. She just wants to be free so she can raise Ace. Trina says, Spencer’s baby brother; he’s a real cutie. Esme says, he’s her baby, not Spencer’s. Spencer can’t have him. She asks if Spencer sent Trina. Is he outside? Trina tells her to chill. Spencer isn’t outside. He doesn’t even know she’s here. Esme asks if Trina’s his girlfriend, and Trina says, they’re friends. Esme says, if Spencer didn’t send Trina, what is she doing here? and Trina says she wanted to see how Esme and the baby were doing for herself. Esme asks why she cares, and Trina says, they all want what’s best for the baby. Esme says, his name is Ace. Doesn’t she think it’s best for a baby to stay with its mother? Trina says she thinks Esme is really lucky that Spring Ridge is letting her have him with her, but is it really the best place for Ace to be raised in a prison? Esme says, of course (🍷) not, but she’s not giving up her baby. He needs her, and she needs him. She can hardly believed he’s hers, but he is, and she can’t imagine life without him. She loves him so much. Trina says she can see that, and Esme says she’s sorry for everything she did to Trina and her friends, but she’s not that person. She doesn’t even remember who that person was, so to go to prison now for something she doesn’t even remember doing, it doesn’t seem fair, to her or Ace. Trina says she wishes they could all forget that too, and Esme says her parents were insane, and her lawyer says she’s not responsible because her dad was influencing her. Trina says, no one forced Esme to drug her, or to record Joss and Cam having sex, and Esme asks if she knows that for sure.

Gregory says, Alexis wants his car keys? and she says, if he doesn’t want to talk about it, that’s on him, but she doesn’t think he’s in any condition to drive. He says, for the last time, he’s not drunk, and she tells him, which is what she said every time she was drunk. He says, not everyone is a drunk like her, and she says she’s not trying to embarrass him or cause a scene… and he says, but she will, won’t she? Because Alexis Davis never admits when she’s wrong. He gives her his keys, and says, he’ll call a car. She says, they’ll be in her office when he wants to pick them up, but he says, leave them with the concierge. He never wants to see her again. He walks out.

Dex asks if Sonny left, and Spencer says, yeah. He asks where Sonny went, and Spencer says, Dex is off duty; it’s not his problem. Dex says he won’t get in Spencer’s way again, but Spencer says, don’t worry. He promised Sonny that he’d play nice. Dex says he’s not worried, and Spencer says, then why is Dex lying to his uncle.

Chase says, Amelia is so beautiful; she looks just like Willow. He’s so happy for her. She’s so lucky… He’s sorry. Willow says, don’t be. She is lucky. She has so much love in her life. Two beautiful healthy children, a family that’s embraced her, good friends and co-workers wishing her well, and a team of doctors doing everything they can. The least she can do is do her part and keep the faith. They should know today if Dr. Randolph approves using Liesl Obrecht as a stem cell donor.

Nina lets Sonny in, and they hug. Obrecht says, before he asks, there’s no word yet. Would he like some tea? He says he’s more of a coffee guy. Corinthos Coffee. Nina asks why there are two bodyguards outside, and he says, they’ll talk about that later. Has Obrecht seen Michael or Willow? Obrecht says, not recently; nothing to report. Obrecht’s phone rings, and Nina says, she’s going to have to talk to Scotty sooner or later. Pick up the phone. Obrecht looks at it, and says, it’s not Scotty; it’s the hospital.

Esme asks Trina, what if her father really was threatening her? He’s dead, and she can’t remember anything. How will they ever know the truth? Trina says, without Esme’s memories, it’s definitely a complicated situation. Esme says, it’s time for Ace’s nap, and Trina says she’ll go. Esme asks if she passed the test, and Trina says, what test? Esme says she may have lost her memories, but she’s not stupid. (She also said that to Doc, but it’s still just as amusing.) Trina came here to see if she was lying, didn’t she? Trina says, Esme’s always been an excellent liar, and she’s never been stupid, and neither has Trina. So yes. She came here to judge Esme for herself. Esme says she appreciates Trina’s honesty, and hopes Trina can appreciate hers. She’s not lying. She doesn’t have any memory of her life before this, and doesn’t think she ever will. She’s not wrong. I’ve read amnesiacs usually recover their memories quickly or not at all. Esme leaves with Ace.

Cameron says he should get back to work, and Josslyn says she should leave. They look at each other for a moment, and he says, awkward. She says she’s getting middle school flashbacks. She asks if they’re good, and he says, be happy. She says, him too, and her phone rings. It’s Trina, who asks, is she still with Cam? Josslyn says, he’s finishing up his shift, and she’s about to leave. What’s up? Trina says she has something important to tell Josslyn, Cam, and Spencer. Spencer said they could come to Sonny’s place. Can they meet her there? Josslyn asks, what’s going on? and Trina says she’ll tell Josslyn when she sees her, then hangs up.

Maxie tells Brook, everyone’s got their assignments, so she’s going to head out, and Brook says, they’ll talk tomorrow. Maxie says, one quick question before she goes. Why isn’t Brook in the sitting room? Brook says she just wanted to give Chase a little alone time with everyone, and Maxie says, this isn’t residual weirdness about him and Sasha, because she thought they cleared that up. Brook says, sort of. She knows nothing was going on; she talked to Sasha. Maxie says, not Chase? Why doesn’t Brook just be honest with him? Chase comes out, Maxie says, here’s her chance, and jets. Chase says, Brook is still here, and she says she wants him.

Willow is asleep on the sofa, and Carly tells Michael, mother and baby are down for a nap. How is he? He tells her not to worry about him, but she says she does worry about him. She knows it’s not easy playing the waiting game, or watching Willow struggle to do the simplest things. It’s got to be heartbreaking. He says, sometimes he has to leave the room, just for a moment, long enough to get himself back under control, so he can be the partner Willow needs him to be. She says, he is, and he says he can’t lose her. They can’t lose her. She has to be okay. Carly hugs him, and says, it’s going to be okay.

Dex asks what Spencer thinks he’s lying to Sonny about, and Spencer says, Joss for starters. He was told to stay away from her, correct? But as soon as he heard she broke up with Cam, there he was, moving right on in. Dex asks where he’s getting his information, and Spencer says, he’s denying it? and Dex says, yeah. Spencer says, so Dex hasn’t been sneaking around with Joss, and Dex says, Spencer’s known Josslyn a long time. Spencer says, that’s correct, and Dex asks if she seems like the type to sneak around. Spencer says, no, and Dex says, there’s his answer. There’s a knock at the door, and Dex opens it to Josslyn and Cameron.

Obrecht is still on the phone, and Nina asks how long it takes to say you can donate or you can’t. Sonny says, Liesl’s a doctor; she’ll want to know the details. Obrecht thanks Terry for calling her personally, and she has a really serious face. I don’t love Willow all that much, but I want Obrecht to saved the day, and Nina doesn’t need any more daughter heartache. Nina says, well? and Obrecht says, she’s going to be Willow’s stem cell donor. (Yay!) Nina squeals and says, oh thank God, grabbing Sonny’s hand. Obrecht says, but (uh-oh) there’s a problem.

Alexis tosses Gregory’s keys on the table, and Sam asks, whose are those? Alexis says she took Gregory’s car keys, and Sam says, Alexis doesn’t want him driving? Alexis says she doesn’t think it’s a good idea when you’re intoxicated, and Sam asks if he was over the legal limit. Alexis says she doesn’t know; she doesn’t have a breathalyzer with her. He was slurring his words, and he was unstable on his feet. I hate to tell her, but that could be any number of things from a diabetic attack to a stroke. Sam asks if Alexis smelled alcohol, and Alexis says, no, but she didn’t think he was in any condition to drive. Sam asks if she’s seen him like this before, and Alexis says, never. It’s completely out of character. Sam says, maybe Alexis is seeing another side, and Alexis says, maybe she never knew him in the first place.

Josslyn asks why there are so many guards here. Is Sonny in? Dex says, no, he’s out, and in a regal voice, Spencer says, don’t just stand there. Show his guests inside. Dex moves his arm, and winces, and Josslyn almost says something, but doesn’t. She asks if Trina is here, and Spencer says, she texted; she’s on her way. He asks Dex to give them some privacy, and Dex says he’ll be in his room. Spencer asks if they know what this is about, but Cameron says, no clue. Is Dex living here now? Josslyn looks like she has a headache, and Spencer says, yeah, unfortunately. Sonny invited him; can they believe it? Josslyn tells him, Trina said she had something important to tell all three of them, but she hung up before Josslyn could find out what it was. Spencer says, when she texted, he assumed she was still at Kelly’s with them, but Cameron says, she took off right after Spencer left. Spencer asks if she said where she was going, and Cameron says, no. Spencer says, did she sound okay? when there’s a knock at the door, Spencer opens the door, and asks if Trina’s okay. Trina strides in, and says she’s fine. She went to see Esme. Josslyn asks, why? and Trina says she wanted to see the new and improved version for herself. Spencer says, a delight, he’s sure. Is his baby brother okay? Trina says, he’s adorable. She’s holding him, and rocking him, and loving him. Spencer says, she makes a big show of that, doesn’t she? and Trina says, he doesn’t believe she loves her baby? He asks what she thinks, and Trina says she thinks it’s amazing how differently Esme acts now. He says, acts being the operative word? and Trina says, if Esme is acting, she’s very convincing. Which is why she wants to go to the DA, and asks him to drop the charges against her.

Chase says, Brook wants him? and she says, for the Nurses Ball. She’s organizing the musical acts, and she wants him and Blaze to perform for free. He says, of course (🍷). He can only speak for himself, but he’s in, with or without Blaze. The Nurses Ball is a great cause. She says, and he’s a great guy, when the doorbell rings. It’s Obrecht, and Brook invites her in. She says she has to speak with Willow, and Brook says she’s in the living room. I was calling it a sitting room. There’s no TV that I can see, so how can it be a living room? Obrecht goes in, and says she’s sorry to disturb them, but Michael says, not at all. Willow sits up, and asks if it’s good news. Obrecht says, yes. Dr. Randolph has cleared her to donate. However, they can’t harvest her stem cells right away. The transplant has been put on hold. Willow asks, for how long? and Michael takes her hand.

Sonny tells Nina, the good news is, Willow still has a donor. It’s huge. Nina agrees, but says, every second counts, and now they have to wait for Aunt Liesl’s medication to get out of her system. She didn’t even know Obrecht was taking anti-coagulants. He says, the doctors are taking her off of it, but it’s not safe to donate until it’s completely out of her system. Nina says, they’re running out of time. Her daughter needs a transplant now. They can’t afford to wait.

Alexis tells Sam that Gregory is furious with her. He accused her of being self-righteous and not being able to admit when she’s wrong… which is not wrong. He said she was projecting her alcoholism on everyone else because she’s one. Sam says, she doesn’t do that, and Alexis admits she does. She’s hyper sensitive about problem drinking for obvious reasons. Maybe she just went too far. Sam says, he did seem unstable, but one day of day drinking doesn’t mean you’re an alcoholic. Alexis says she knows, but something’s not right. What triggered her instinct was how he reacted when she asked if he’d been drinking. He was immediately hostile and defensive. That’s a classic alcoholic trick; self-righteousness, then a stormy exit. Sam says she knows it well, and Alexis says she’s sorry. Given her history, she’s telling Sam, he’s hiding something.

Josslyn tells Trina, the DA isn’t just going to drop the charges against Esme because they asked. He certainly didn’t drop them against Trina when they asked. Trina says, as long as Esme’s in prison, so is Ace. They have to do something. Spencer says he is doing something, and it doesn’t include dropping the charges against Esme. She needs to pay for what she did to all of them. Trina says, that’s exactly why she can’t be charged right now.

Esme sits down to read in the rec room, and a guard hands her a letter, saying, she’s got mail. Esme sees it’s from Heather in D’Archam, and literally drops it like it’s hot.

Nina tells Sonny that she wishes she could talk to Willow. Don’t worry; she’s not going to. Willow doesn’t want to talk to her, and she’s not going to upset her. She asks if Sonny wants to tell her why there’s two bodyguards out front, and he says he’s adding extra security. She asks, why? and he says, they can talk about it later. She says, they can talk about it now, and he says, there was an incident last night, and she asks if he’s hurt. He says, she can see he’s not, and she asks, what happened? He says, she’s the one who said she didn’t want to know anything about his business.

Cameron says, Trina lost him, and Josslyn says she’s in no way anxious to sit through a trial, but she’ll happily do it. Esme needs to face justice. Trina says, what if justice is impossible right now? Think about it. Esme is this poor, young, single mother who doesn’t remember anything about her crimes or the person she used to be. What if the jury feels sorry for her, and lets her off? And if that happens, and Esme goes back to being the old Esme one day, she can’t be tried for the same crimes a second time. Josslyn says she gets it. If the DA holds off on prosecuting Esme, Esme will still have her old crimes hanging over her head. One slip-up that shows her memory is back, she can be tried and convicted. Trina says, exactly. Prosecuting her right now is too big of a risk. Besides, there’s Ace to think about. Esme could be stuck in Spring Ridge until the trial starts, and that could be months from now. Spencer says, months of his brother being raised by security guards and surrounded by criminals. Is Trina sure she wouldn’t mind seeing Esme walking around free? Trina says she’s sure, and asks what Cam and Joss think. It’s their call too. Cameron says he’s in, and Josslyn says, her too. For Ace’s sake, Esme needs to go free.

Brook says, Dr. Obrecht didn’t seem so happy, and Chase says, does she ever? Brook says she hopes it’s not bad news. Willow and Michael couldn’t take another disappointment. He takes her hand.

Obrecht says, when her medication is out of her system, they can proceed. Willow says, but is it safe for her to donate? and Obrecht says, once her blood can clot again normally, there’s no danger to her. She’s so sorry for the delay. Willow says, don’t apologize. She already owes Obrecht so much. Michael thanks her for coming by in person, and Obrecht says, full transparency. She was with Nina and Sonny when she got the news; they know. Willow says, that’s okay. She agreed to keep Nina in the loop about her health. Obrecht says, Nina is very grateful, and gets up. Carly asks if Willow wants to go to the gatehouse and get some rest, but Willow wants to wait until Amelia wakes up. Carly says she’ll walk Obrecht out, and Willow asks Carly to fill everyone in. Carly says, of course (🍷), and Obrecht says she’ll be in touch. They leave, and Michael asks how Willow really feels. Willow says, fine, really, and Amelia makes a cute sound. Michael goes over to the bassinette.

Brook walks Chase out, and he says he’ll let her know what Blaze says about the Nurses Ball. Is she okay? She says, sure. Him? He says, take it easy, and leaves. She looks at him longingly.

Carly asks if Willow wants her to take Amelia, but Willow says, she’s enjoying having Amelia with her. Could she bring Wiley down from the playroom? Carly says, that’s a great idea, and Michael asks if she needs help, but she says she’s pretty good at bribing little boys away from their toys. She’s also good at listening. If he’s ready to talk, she’s here. She leaves, and Michael watches Willow with Amelia.

Sam tells Alexis that she talked to Trish, and she said, Gregory was served no alcohol here today. Alexis says she doesn’t know what it is. Maybe it’s pills… something. He’s hiding something. Sam says, it’s true he lied to her about not working at PCU anymore, and Alexis says, that’s what addicts do. They lie – a lot. Must. Have. Alexis’s. Plaid. Duster.

Trina thanks someone on the phone, and she tells the others that Diane has time right now. Spencer says, let’s do it, and thanks her for trying to help his baby brother. He and Trina gaze at each other, and Josslyn tells them, when Diane says now, she means now. Trina says she’ll meet them in the lobby, and Spencer tells Cameron not to think for a second he’s leaving without a goodbye party. Cameron and Josslyn leave, and Spencer tells Trina, he can’t believe he’s doing this for his brother’s sake, but prison is no place for an infant. She says, at least from what she can tell, Esme’s not a threat to anyone, and he says he sure hopes she’s right.

Esme looks at the letter on the floor, approaches it cautiously, and picks it up. She tears it open, and reads it.

Michael tells Willow that his mom said Wiley needed a quick clean-up; he was fingerpainting. Willow says, that’s all right. This is nice. She meant what she said about keeping the faith. She’ll hang around as long as necessary. Her family gives her strength.

Nina says, something happened that worried Sonny enough to increase his security, and he says, he’s not worried; he’s handling it. She says, if she knew the details, would she be worried? and he doesn’t look at her. She says she takes that as a yes, and he reminds her, she said she didn’t want to know. She says she didn’t think she did. Now she’s not so sure.

Tomorrow, Laura says, life is full of surprises; Diane is about to make someone’s day; Phyllis asks Nina if this is a relationship she can sustain; and Carly tells Sonny, they both know he can’t make that promise.

🐑 Return To the Soap Fold…

If there was ever a time for the heads of GH fans to explode, it’s now.

🚑 After the Hospital…

They just missed Britt.

🔪 Bringing Their Knives…

The latest season of Top Chef started last week, but it’s not too late to ketchup.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/top-chef-season-20-cast-premiere-date-trailer

https://parade.com/tv/top-chef-season-20

🏆 All About Oscar…

Better late than never. The winners.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/12/entertainment/oscar-winners-2023/index.html

The best and worst moments. I’m sure it’s debatable. There seemed to be a bunch of flack about Lady Gaga singing the song from Top Gun with too much passion for a song about a plane. Maybe it means something different to her.

https://mashable.com/article/oscars-2023-best-worst-moments

The parties.

https://ew.com/oscars/oscars-2023-after-party-photos/

https://deadline.com/gallery/2023-oscars-parties-photos/

And of course, the fashion.

https://people.com/style/every-must-see-outfit-change-from-the-2023-oscars-photos/

🍀 Top O’ the Mornin’…

All about St. Patrick’s Day. When I worked in NYC, I hated it. Not just because the parade would block 5th Avenue for half the day, but teenagers would be sitting on the curb getting drunk sick at 11 am. I think they’ve put an end to a lot of that, but I still get flashbacks.

https://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/history-of-st-patricks-day

🍺 Making My O’Exit…

On the menu tomorrow is soap, tea, words of the wise (or not), and the joy of music. Until then, stay safe, stay in the eye of the hurricane mentally, and stay remembering that life is fragile, and you need to spend the little time you have with the people you love.

March 13, 2023 – Dante Learns a Secret About Cody, Surprisingly Humongous Tip On Deck, Awfulness Tomorrow, Winner Winner & Winner

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Victor comes out of an exam room, and sees Elizabeth. He says, hello, and she looks at him like he has two heads.

Felicia sees Doc and Laura at the MetroCourt restaurant, and asks if they’re there for a late lunch or early dinner. Laura says, it just the first moment they’ve gotten to slow down, and Doc says he had to deal with his brother’s remains today.

Mac asks if Cody is up for another round, and Cody says, no reason not to. Cody gets up, and the paternity test falls to the floor. Mac picks it up, telling Cody he dropped something, and asks, what’s this? as we all do when something’s not any of our business.

On the phone, Drew thanks Michael, and says he believes it’s for the best. The doorbell rings, and Drew says he’ll check in later. He opens the door to Dante and Scout. He picks Scout up, and says he missed her so much. He tells her that Wiley and Olivia are upstairs, and word is, they have a new game for her to play. She asks if Carly is upstairs, and Drew asks why she’d say that. She says, Carly is always with him now. Told you.

Ava says, now Nina has important information about Carly, like Carly had important information about her. The question is, what’s she going to do with it? Nina says, they don’t really know anything for sure; they’re speculating. Ava says, there’s no other explanation. Carly and Drew committed insider trading. Nina says, and if anyone powerful found out, they might end up in prison.

Carly says she’s not trying to break Josslyn’s spirit. She knows Josslyn is hopeful Dex is going to leave Sonny’s world, and she wants Josslyn to be realistic. Josslyn says she appreciates Carly being direct with her, but what else is Dex supposed to do? If he wants out, he has he at least try. She thinks Dex is willing to do what it takes.

Sonny and Dex walk into the warehouse, and Dex says, it’s isolated, which is good; less chance someone will notice the shipment when it arrives. But Sonny will need to put cameras up. Sonny says he’s got someone on that, when a sniper trains a gun on Dex. Dex asks, how many points of entry? when he hears the gun cock. He pushes Sonny down, and tells him to stay down; there’s a sniper. Sonny pops up and shoots, ducking back down again, and Dex asks what he’s doing. He says, the guy will blow Sonny’s head off if he gets a clear shot, but Sonny shoots at the sniper again.

Josslyn says, Dex needs to be strategic about it, and Carly asks if she even wants to know, when Bobbie walks in with Donna. And hallelujah – the moss bowl 🎍is back! Donna hugs Carly, and Carly says she thought Donna was going to the zoo with grandma. Bobbie says, that was the plan, but Donna said her ears hurt. Carly says she still has a refill for Donna’s drops. She’ll go to GH, pick up the prescription, and Donna will feel better. If only she could fix Josslyn’s problems that easily.

Drew tells Scout that Carly isn’t always around, and Dante says, Carly has been helping to take care of Wiley’s mom, since she hasn’t been feeling well. He suggests she go upstairs and play; he wants to go to the stables and say hi to Cody. Scout asks him, say hi to the horses too, especially Thor, and he says, deal. They high-five, and she runs upstairs. Drew thanks Dante for bringing her, and Dante says, of course (🍷). Drew says, they grow up so fast, and Dante says, Danny and Rocco are teenagers; it’s crazy. Drew asks if he and Sam are thinking about having another one, but Dante says he thinks that chapter’s closed. He’s looking forward to the next chapter, whatever that is. Drew says he found out the hard way how short life is. He can’t wait to find out what the next chapter is himself.

Nina admits, bringing Carly down is so tempting, and Ava says, she and Carly have actually been on better terms lately, so personally, it woudn’t please her as much to see Carly in an orange jumpsuit as it would have a few years ago. Nina says, they don’t know if Carly and Drew would definitely go to prison. Maybe they’ll just pay a fine. Are you kidding? Nina runs a magazine, and never heard of Martha Stewart? Ava says she’s pretty sure people go to prison for insider trading, and Drew and Carly colluded to raise Aurora’s value. Nina says, they don’t know… and Ava says, theoretically colluded. Admit it. There has to be a part of Nina that’s glad to have Carly’s life in her hands again. Just like she did when she was in Nixon Falls.

Victor says, how lucky for him to bump into Elizabeth. They simply must continue their conversation from the other day. She says, sorry, she’s on duty, and he says, they previously discussed her involvement with his nephew’s ridiculous plot to keep Esme prisoner. He got the distinct impression there was more she wasn’t telling him. Elizabeth says she’s sure by now he knows it’s over. The police must have questioned him. He has no more leverage over her. He says, the police? and she says, he doesn’t know, does he? She made a deal with the PCPD in exchange for immunity. She told them everything, including his role in the cover-up. Not that he’s asking, but her advice to him is, get a good lawyer.

Felicia is sure dealing with Ryan’s remains wasn’t easy for Doc, and he says he appreciates that. He doesn’t think anyone should have to pretend they’re upset Ryan’s gone, especially her, and she says she can still acknowledge it’s hard for him. Ryan was his twin brother. Laura says, given the situation, they thought the best thing they could do was give Doc a private moment to spread Ryan’s ashes. Doc’s phone rings, and he says, a patient; he has to take this. He leaves, and Felicia asks how he’s really holding up. Laura says, he brought up his parents’ divorce for the first time in years. Doc stayed with his father when they split, and Ryan went with their mother. Felicia says, the mom who wound up molesting him, and Laura says, Doc told her that he could remember the day he said goodbye to his brother like it was yesterday; when he was young and he seemed so innocent. Even though he knows better, she thinks Doc still struggles with this notion that he could have done more. She knows he’s upset about Lucy. Felicia asks if Laura’s told him that she’s still alive, but Laura says, no. She feels like she needs to protect him right now. She feels like that situation could go south at any moment, but the longer it goes on, the harder it’s going to be. Felicia says she feels the same way about Mac. He knows there’s more going on with Anna. Maybe it’s time they bring their husbands in on what they’ve been up to.

Mac partially opens the paper, sees it’s from the lab, and says he guesses it’s personal. Cody grabs it back, and says, it’s nothing; just forget about it. He puts it back in his pocket, and Mac asks if everything is okay with him. Cody says, he was a little short of money this month, so he donated some plasma for cash. It’s just a little embarrassing, that’s all. Mac says, there’s nothing embarrassing about having money trouble. Been there and done that himself. If Cody needs help getting work, he and Felicia don’t have the bar anymore, but he knows a lot of people and can help. Cody says he’s the last person Mac should be helping.

Dex shoots back, and the sniper shoots again. Dex says, they’ve got to move. The longer they stay here, the worse their chances. From outside the door, Tony says, boss! and Sonny says, Tony? Tony asks what they’re looking at, and Dex says, a sniper with a rifle. Sonny calls out that his guys are here, and there’s more on the way. He wants to live, put his rifle down, and give himself up.

Mac says, Cody is the last person he should help? What does that mean? Cody says, they probably shouldn’t have that second round of beers, picking up the bottles. He still has work to do. Mac says, they were just having a nice talk. Why does he get the sense Cody is blowing him off? Dante comes in, and says, he didn’t mean to interrupt. Cody says, it’s fine, and tells Mac, sorry. He totally forgot he had plans with Dante. Mac says, no problem. He’s supposed to meet with his wife anyway. Cody says, about that friend of Mac’s. He knows things might be awkward and uncomfortable, but he thinks they should talk it out. If they don’t, things are just going to get more difficult to fix. In his experience, a really good friend who’s done right by you is hard to come by in this world. Mac says, good to know, and leaves. Dante asks, what was that all about?

Laura tells Felicia that she thinks it’s time they check in with Robert and Anna. She can’t help this feeling that things are about to blow up. Her phone rings, and she steps away to take the call. In a private area, she says, hello, Drew, and he says, sorry to bother her, but can they meet today? He has a proposal he wants to run by her.

Doc comes back to the table, and asks if he lost his wife. Felicia says, she had to take a call, and Doc sits down. She says she doesn’t want to make a big deal out of this, but she’s been trying to reach out to him for the last couple of days, and he hasn’t responded. He says he should have called back, and she asks why he hasn’t. He says he didn’t know what to say. Mac did what he had to do. His brother was a killer, and had to be stopped. His head knows that, but his heart is grieving and he can’t explain that. He looks at the people his brother terrorized, and many of those people are people he loves. He doesn’t want to mourn Ryan. Felicia takes his hand.

Victor says he wants to know exactly what Elizabeth told the police about him, and she says she told him that he wasn’t part of the kidnapping, but once he found out, he had no qualms about covering up his nephew’s tracks. She can imagine he did play a pivotal role in Nikolas leaving town. He says he had absolutely no part in this ill-conceived mess that she and Nikolas got themselves into, and she says, what’s that saying? It’s not about the crime; it’s about the cover-up? And he’s all over that. All she did was tell the truth, something his family is unfamiliar with, so consider this conversation over. He grabs her arm and says, they’re finished when he says they’re finished, but Carly stomps over and tells him, lay the hell off, Cassadine.

Sonny loads his gun, and tells Dex, he’s almost out. Dex says, Tony’s at the door. He and Tony can keep the shooter busy, and it’s Sonny’s best chance to get out. Sonny says, Dex knows what he’s doing, right? and Dex says, this is what he was trained to do. On three. One… two… three. He and Tony start to shoot, and Sonny ducks out the door. There’s gunfire back and forth, and Dex gets hit.

Bobbie says, Donna is down for her nap. Now she can get some work done. She salutes the moss bowl 🎍 as she goes past, and Josslyn says she thought this was Bobbie’s day off. Bobbie says, it is, but Maxie asked her to help plan the Nurses Ball, and Josslyn says, that’s awesome. She didn’t know they were doing it this year. Bobbie says, this year, not only is the Ball going to help fund research for HIV/AIDS, it’s also going to honor the hospital’s 60th anniversary, and the GH staff they’ve lost. Josslyn says, it’s a beautiful way to keep their memories alive, and Bobbie says, providing she can come up with enough musical acts. She’s going to reach out to the GH nurses, like Epiphany, Felix, Amy, and Deanna, but she’s also going to ask some non-GH staff, like Ned, Chase… and Cameron. Josslyn says she’s not so sure Cam would be up for performing this year. He’s been through a lot, and she hasn’t helped.

Carly asks if no one ever taught Victor not to put his hands on a woman, and Victor says, it’s lovely to see her again, calling her Mrs. Corinthos. She says, it’s Carly Spencer; a name she knows he’s familiar with. He says he’s just waiting for his test results, and she says, then he can wait somewhere else. He says, until next time, and tells Elizabeth that he hopes the situation with Esme doesn’t come back to haunt her. He leaves, and Elizabeth thanks Carly, but says she had it under control. Carly says, no offense, but it didn’t look like it, and asks what Victor was talking about; what situation with Esme?

Victor makes a call, saying, he may be in a spot of legal bother. Apparently, Elizabeth Baldwin made a statement to the PCPD and brought up his name. He needs them to find out exactly what she said.

Elizabeth says, it will all be coming out, so she may as well tell Carly. When Esme showed up at Windymere, she was pregnant with Nikolas’s child. Carly says, wow. When you think a man can’t sink any lower, he sleeps with his son’s girlfriend. Elizabeth says, at the time, everybody thought Esme was The Hook killer, even the police, and Carly asks why they didn’t go straight to the police with it. Elizabeth says, because Nikolas didn’t want his baby being born in prison, and they thought she was dangerous, so he came up with an alternate plan. He kept Esme locked up in one of the Windymere towers, and she provided Esme with medical care. She already told Cameron everything – not Jake or Aiden yet – but because she made a deal with the DA’s office, this is all going to be public very soon. She doesn’t know what came over her. She can only imagine what Carly must be thinking about her right now. Carly says she’s thinking she would have done the same thing.

Nina says, there’s no part of her that enjoys being put in this position again. Don’t get her wrong; she’s happy things worked out with Sonny. But her desire to get revenge against Carly has cost her so much. Although she supposes it would serve Carly right to serve a little time in prison, given Carly kept her from her daughter for the better part of a year. Ava says she’s not going to kill anybody or call anybody, but Nina is. She hands Nina her phone, and says, it’s the number for the SEC; she’s going to call. Isn’t this what she wants? What is she waiting for?

Felicia says she knows Doc isn’t mourning the man who stalked her or terrorized Ava. He’s mourning the little boy he still remembers, before bad things happened to Ryan. Can she tell him a secret? He says, always, and she says, when she heard Ryan was taken to the morgue, she snuck down to see him. After all the pain he put her through, she had to see his dead body for herself. Doc says he understands, and she says she told herself, if she could see he was really gone, and he was no longer a threat to her, maybe she might be able to forgive him, but she’s ashamed to say she couldn’t. She cries, and Doc tells her, don’t ever feel that she has to forgive him. Don’t ever be ashamed for how you really feel. Felicia is immediately together, and says, exactly. Doesn’t the doctor think it’s time he take his own advice? Mac approaches the table, and says, sorry he’s late; the day got away from him.

Dante says, it seems like Cody was trying to get rid of Mac. Why? Cody says he found out what happened with Mac and Ryan, so he sent Mac a couple of texts to make sure he’s okay. Then out of nowhere, Mac shows up where he works. Mac’s clearly trying to be best buds, but he was like, hey man, I got enough friends, thanks. Dante laughs, and says, Cody’s got so many friends, he can count them on one hand, and still have a finger left over. Cody says he hopes Dante knows what finger he’s saving for him, and Dante says he does, and that’s not very nice. Cody took the time to text Mac, and Mac came over to see him. He’s not Cody’s father, but he can still be a friend. He’s known Mac a long time; he’s a stand-up guy. Cody says he knows. Dante’s told him. Everyone’s told him. Maxie’s told him, Sam has told him, which is exactly why he doesn’t deserve to have Mac in his life. Not after what he’s done to Mac.

Nina asks what Ava’s doing. She’s trying to take the high road here. Drew comes over, and says, sorry to interrupt, but does Nina have a second? Nina says, sure, and he says he just wanted to touch base now that her Aunt Liesl is going to be Willow’s bone marrow donor. Nina says, they’re very grateful. She’s doing more tests actually. I’m wondering when Drew became Michael’s spokesperson. Drew says, it’s amazing that Obrecht is stepping up, and Nina says, Obrecht’s always been her rock. It was very difficult to find out Willow was her daughter, then find out she’s fighting leukemia. Drew says, Nina doesn’t have to explain to him. He lost a child to cancer, and although their situations are very different, he wouldn’t wish it on his worst enemies. Nina thanks him, and he asks if he can offer her some hard-won advice. She says, what’s that? and he says, while she’s trying to take care of Willow from a distance, don’t forget to take care of herself. He leaves, and Nina and Ava look at each other.

Elizabeth says, there’s no way Carly can understand why she helped Nikolas the way she did, and Carly says, help Nikolas? No, but she can certainly understand Elizabeth’s instincts. They’ve had their issues over the years, but she could never fault Elizabeth the loyalty she has to her children and family. Carly would move heaven and earth to protect hers; they have that in common. Elizabeth agrees, and Carly says, if Jason asked her to help him the way Nikolas asked Elizabeth, she wouldn’t hesitate to say yes. Although Jason never would have been duped by Esme. Elizabeth says, much less slept with her, and Carly says, and more important, he would never have vanished when the heat was on and left her holding the bag. He would never have done that to Elizabeth either. She knows Nikolas is a good friend of Elizabeth’s, and she’s really sorry Nikolas betrayed her like this. She’s not going to turn this into a therapy session, but this is one of the things that frustrates her about Elizabeth. They’re so much alike, but Elizabeth never learns the tough lesson Carly learned a long time ago – be careful who you give your loyalty to. They may not return it in kind.

Dex checks the wound in his upper arm, and puts a new clip in his gun. The sniper continues to fire, and Dex fires back, Sonny now firing from the doorway. Sonny hits the sniper, who falls to the floor. Tony goes to check on him, and Sonny asks if Dex is all right. Dex says he’s glad Sonny came back.

Josslyn says she and Cam broke up, but she has the feeling Bobbie already knew that, and Bobbie says, a grandmother has a way of figuring these things out, like Carly wouldn’t have told her. But she’s noticed that Josslyn’s been acting a lot lighter lately, so does that mean someone else is making her happy? Josslyn says, she and Cam had been growing apart for almost a year, and Bobbie says, because of the revenge porn? Josslyn says, that certainly didn’t help. Maybe there’s a world where they would have stayed together out of sheer momentum, but a lot happened this year, and they just feel like two different people. They both lost a lot. Bobbie says, the whole town lost a lot this year, and that’s why it’s so important they all come together and celebrate. Not only the amazing achievement of General Hospital being around for 60 years, but also the fact it’s still thriving. And they’re going to honor those they lost; Lucy, Valentin, and Britt. I guess Anna is chopped liver? Josslyn says, and Uncle Luke, and takes Bobbie’s hand.

Victor paces an exam room, and looks at his watch. The doctor some in, and apologizes for keeping him waiting. The results are in. They found something concerning in his bloodwork.

Elizabeth tells Carly that she doesn’t want to be hardened by this, and certainly doesn’t want Nikolas’s actions to change who she is. But this experience has definitely changed her perspective. She can almost see, in a warped way, how her parents thought they were protecting her. Ultimately, her dad’s actions were about protecting himself from embarrassment, but she could see how they were tempted to go down that path. Carly says, Elizabeth would never do that to her kids, and Elizabeth says, never, but the anger she had toward her parents? She’s not there anymore. She wants to just hold on to the good memories, before it all went to hell. Carly says she was hoping Elizabeth would come to that decision at some point, and takes a photo out of her wallet. It’s the photo of Elizabeth’s parents that she swiped.

Drew meets Laura in a private area at the MetroCourt, and she asks what the mysterious proposal is. He says he’ll keep it simple. In the wake of Valentin’s death, Charlotte has been left with a large portion of ELQ voting stock. Obviously, Charlotte isn’t of voting age, so this falls on Laura’s shoulders, at least for a few years. She says she still hasn’t heard a proposal, and he says, so he and Ned have agreed on a plan to buy back Charlotte’s stock at a very good price, provided Laura is on board.

Nina says she’s not going to tattle on Carly today, and Ava says she didn’t think Nina would, especially after that conversation. Nina says, her issues are with Carly, not with Drew. He’s a stand-up guy (maybe he should hang out with Mac), and if she says anything, he’s going to go to prison too. No matter what she thinks or feels about Carly, Carly has been the main source of support for Willow and Michael during this really difficult time, and there’s nothing worth taking that away from Willow.

Felicia says she thinks Mac and Doc should spend some time alone, and leaves the table. Doc says, have a seat, and Mac sits, saying, he’s been avoiding Doc for the last few days. Doc says he thinks they’ve both been doing their share of avoiding. That’s not really like them, is it? Mac says, no. He’s taken a life in the line of duty before, but to see Doc’s face, to see his grief… there has to be a part of him that blames Mac for killing Ryan. Doc says, there isn’t. He’s been avoiding Mac and Felicia because he sees the relief on their faces. He feels it too. Relief that they’re safe, that the burden of his brother has finally been lifted from his life, but he still feels guilty. Mac says, Doc thinks they’ve been avoiding each other to ignore the voices in their head, and Doc says, if he were diagnosing, he’d say it was a classic case of avoidance. Be that as it may, Ryan was his brother at birth, but his brother in life, the one he can count on, his best friend, that’s Mac. Mac goes over to Doc, and hugs him. Felicia stands at the bar and smiles.

Dante says, Cody doesn’t deserve Mac? He has the feeling this has nothing to do with Cody’s past. If Cody doesn’t tell him something, he can’t help. Cody asks if Dante can keep a secret, and Dante says, to the grave. Cody hesitates, and Dante asks, how bad is this one?

Felicia says, everything worked out okay? and Mac tells her, he’d say so. In the 30 years they’ve been friends, this is the most they’ve ever talked about their feelings. He can’t take the credit. Cody was the one who suggested they talk it out. He thinks they had Cody all wrong when he first came to Port Charles.

Cody says, to the grave, right? and Dante nods. Cody gives him the paternity test, and Dante reads it. He says, so Mac is really Cody’s father.

Josslyn says, it’s been almost a year since Uncle Luke passed. Bobbie doesn’t talk about him much. Bobbie says she just can’t accept it. She keeps thinking he’s going to show up at her house one day (where does Bobbie live anyway? have we ever seen her place?), and say, hey, Barbara Jean, have I got one helluva story for you. They laugh, and Bobbie says she also knows that if Luke were still around, he would have reached out by now. There’s no way he would have let her, or Tracy, or his kids, grieve this long. Josslyn says she knows Bobbie misses him. Does she feel unsettled? Bobbie says, Josslyn’s Uncle Luke was larger than life, and there’s no way she’ll ever believe he died in some random accident. Someone out there is to blame.

Victor says, now the doctor’s got his attention. What exactly is wrong with his bloodwork? The doctor says, what he found was out of his purview, which is why he brought Dr. Finn on board for a consult. Victor asks what that means, and the doctor says, the lab results show a pathogen in Victor’s bloodstream.

Laura says, Drew’s given her a lot to think about, and he says, what does she say? Will she sell him the shares of ELQ? She says she’s sorry. She can’t do that. He looked so confident, I laugh. Why on earth would he think she’d just hand them over?

Ava says she’s impressed; this is like growth for Nina. Nina says, maybe not. Selfishly, she doesn’t want to do anything to hurt Willow. Because of her health issues, but also because Nina is hoping down the line they can have a real mother/daughter relationship. Ava says she totally gets that, but still, it must be nice to know Nina has this bombshell in her back pocket, just in case.

Elizabeth asks where Carly got the photo, and Carly asks if Elizabeth remembers her coming by the house after Elizabeth got back from Monterey. Elizabeth was in a really bad place, and determined to burn every picture of her parents. She thought one day Elizabeth would regret that decision. Elizabeth says, that is such a violation. She can’t believe Carly did that… Thank you. Carly knows she’s said this to Elizabeth before, but if she ever finds herself in this spot again, and needs to talk to someone, call her. She knows they don’t like each other all the time, but they respect each other enough to get the job done. Carly walks off, and Elizabeth looks at the photo.

Sonny asks if the sniper is dead, but Tony says, just incapacitated. Sonny asks about Dex’s wound, and Dex says, just a crease. Nothing to worry about. Does Sonny think he works for Pikeman? Sonny says he doesn’t think they’d want to risk jeopardizing the deal. Too much at stake. He’s going to find out who this guy is working for.

Tomorrow, Maxie says, the Nurses Ball is not happening; Dante asks why Cody would cheat himself; Laura says, whatever happens isn’t up to her; and Nina asks what Carly is keeping from her this time.

Below Deck

Captain Lee calls Ross and Fraser to the bridge, and says he thought the guests were well-behaved at dinner. Fraser tells the captain that the guests want to turn the boat into Club St. David. They’re bringing in dancers and a DJ. In the captain’s interview, he says, pick a party, they’ve had it on the boat, but it can rock on without his ass. Dinner is Japanese, and in Rachel’s interview, she says, Japanese food is fantastic, but it takes time to do the details. She’s got to do everything she can to make it perfect. She’s got to kill this. Hayley asks if Tyler is going to call his mum [and come out to her], and Tyler says, what scares him is, he doesn’t know how they’re going to react. Hayley says, they might get upset, but it will pass, and they’ll have to accept it. Isn’t she the optimist? I guess she’s never heard of anyone becoming estranged from their family after they’ve come out. In Ross’s interview, he says, he and Katie have had their ups and downs, and we flash back to some of those. In Katie’s interview, she says, it’s a bummer that it’s the end of the season. She and Ross are doing better, and she thinks it could be something more. In his interview, Ross says he doesn’t see a long term future for them. Guest Angel falls asleep on the floating trampoline, and Captain Lee asks how much line the trampoline has. He thinks it might be fun to let him go. Angel’s so-called friends agree, and the deckhands let the line out. Captain Lee says, this is classic. Now they’re going to douche him. In Tony’s interview, he says, the guests are fun to have around. He’d do this for free. He jet skis around Angel, and the captain says, Angel still had his drink in his hand. Angel finally realizes waves of water are crashing over him from the jet ski, and tries to board it behind Tony, but falls in the water. Primary Jake says, that made the trip. He’s ready to go home. Rachel says, tonight is going to be insane, and Fraser asks the stews to help set up the club. In Rachel’s interview, she says, while working with Captain Sandy, she learned how she can be quicker. Sometimes it’s not about quantity, but quality. We flash back to Rachel and Captain Sandy discussing timing, and Rachel says, tonight, she’s making one course after another, but cutting the courses back. The guests get ready for dinner, and laugh about Angel. C Canapés come out almost as soon as the guests sit down, and food just keeps coming. The stews go disco ball happy, and Fraser says, Angel lost his voice. This is the quietest moment they’ve had. In Fraser’s interview, he says, without Angel, it changes his opinion of the guests. They were overshadowed by a hideously demanding a-hole, who’s now lost his voice. Ross picks up the dancers and the DJ. Leigh-Ann grills Hayley about Camille, asking if she and Ben slept with each other. Hayley says she wasn’t there, and didn’t see it, but Tony was in the bottom bunk. It’s not like Ben would be cheating though. He’s allowed to have some fun. Shame on her for encouraging this.

Rachel brings out Kobe beef sashimi with a quail egg she cooks at the table. The guests applaud, and Jake says, it’s the best dish he’s ever had. The DJ sets up, and Jake says, the meal was an absolute pleasure. In Fraser’s interview, he says, great food gave the guests high spirits. Angel is a lovely man… joking. The guests go to the makeshift club and dance, while Leigh-Ann tends bar. The DJ says, this is the kind of vibe you do in St. Lucia. Rachel says she’s five Red Bulls deep, and never sleeping again. The DJ leaves around 1:30, and Ben calls Camille. He tells her that he thinks he’s ready to chill in the DR, and she says, it’s the last push. In Ben’s interview, he says he didn’t tell Camille about Leigh-Ann. Nothing happened… yet, but he does feel guilty. Leigh-Ann questions Ben about Camille, and he says, she was a deck stew who was let go; it was tough. They’re not dating, but they’re seeing each other after the season to figure out where they stand. Leigh-Ann says, the last time he’d messaged, he’d asked if she was seeing someone, and she was; now it was vice versa. In Leigh-Ann’s interview, she says she and Ben chatted for a year, as well as sending voice notes. It wasn’t nice to hear, but he did say they weren’t together, so she’s going for it. Because she’s an awful person. Not as awful as Jax, but still awful.

Captain Lee tells Ross that there’s a lot more swell, so docking should be fun. Rachel thinks her field of f***s has been plowed, and she has none left to give. On deck, Katie tells the deckhands that Ross tried out for a porn video, and in Ross’s interview, he says he went to a bar owned by a porn actor who said he should try out. A producer asks, what role? and he says, just a penis. Wow. Talk about spot-on casting. The captain gazes out, and envies another boat’s tender, grumbling that they have a POS. They head into Rodney Bay with the wind pushing them. Katie says, the currents are gnarly, and in Captain Lee’s interview, he says, any place the wind can get in, it will. It’s like a game. There’s a bullseye on the side of the boat, and that’s where the wind is headed. They dock, and the guests pack. There are goodbyes and hugs, and Jake says, everything was fantastic, and the food was above and beyond. The beach and boat parties were great. He gives the captain two envelopes, and in Hayley’s interview, she says, one could contain Monopoly money. The crew meets in the Sky Lounge for the tip meeting, and Captain Lee slams the now one envelope down, calling it a fat little f***er. He tells them, job well done. He can’t thank them enough for such a great first charter back. He goes over some docking things with the deckhands, and says, they’re picking up guests tomorrow at 1:30, so it gives them time to unwind. Oh. The money. He says, it was more than he thought – drumroll – $40K or $3,076 each. In her interview, Hayley says, it was payoff for dealing with Angel, and we flash back to what an a-hole he was. She says, it probably happens every time. Sorry about him. She mimics passing out money. The captain tells them to get their asses back to work.

Everyone is in a good mood because of the massive tip, and Fraser says he fancies Jake more now. The captain radios Fraser, Ross, and Rachel for the preference sheet meeting in the Sky Lounge. He says, it’s the last charter, is just one day, and they have a late pick-up, so no lunch. Primaries Keith and his wife Jolynn are bodybuilders, and one of their guests is Dexter the Blade Jackson, who was Mr. Olympia 2008, and his wife. They want a Buns & Guns contest, with the crew as contestants and the guests as judges. In his interview, Fraser says, they look intimidating. In Ross’s interview, he says, the contest sounds like they’ll have to be pretty naked and flexing like an idiot. He’ll try to evade it as long as he can. Captain Lee says, it’s the last one, and they need to end strong. Leigh-Ann wants to see who she’s competing with, and looks at pictures of Camille. In her interview, she says, Camille is beautiful and photogenic. It sucks, but she doesn’t look like Ben’s type. She’s too much of a poppie, a dumb American blonde. It doesn’t make her feel good, but maybe she has a chance. She asks if Camille was good at her job, and Tyler says, no; that’s why he’s here.

The crew goes ashore, and in his interview, Ross says, it’s not much downtime, and probably not the best idea to rage into the night, but what’s a couple days with a hangover? They head for Jacques Waterfront Dining, and toast to one helluva f***ing crew. Ben says, they’re breaking records. Hayley and Fraser step away for a smoke, and Hayley says Fraser made everyone proud. He says, it’s a learning curve, and she says, he taught her so much with grace and patience. In Fraser’s interview, he says, Hayley’s perception makes him confident. She’s a slice of everything okay. He hugs her. Leigh-Ann talks about how her last relationship broke her heart. He ran hot and cold, and she found out he was talking to ten other chicks. In her interview, she says she was cheated on in every relationship, which makes her even more awful, since she knows how it feels. She tells Ben that she feels like she’s moving on to another chapter. They crew goes to  club Discotheque, and as Ben dances with Leigh, he takes his shirt off. He gives her a lap dance, and in his interview, he says he loves playing fire. It can’t hurt, can it?

Ross drags over some stranger named Adelina, and insists she join the group with her friends, Anna, Lisa, and Sam. In Katie’s interview, she says, WTF? She thought they were moving forward, but she guesses they’re going backward. It’s flat out disrespectful at this point. The crew heads back to the boat, and Katie tells Ross to behave, but he says he thinks they’re done. The others seem like they’re having more fun. Ross is a clear argument for not screwing the crew. Katie tells him to chill out. When they get back to the boat, she tells Ross that if he wants to play, fine. Wander, but leave her out. Fraser asks Ben about the comparison between Leigh-Ann online and in person, but Ben says he wants to see what happens with Camille. Fraser says, it’s going to be over before Ben knows it, but in Ben’s interview, he says he thinks Fraser has a better connection with Leigh-Ann than he did with Camille. It’s so hard. it’s a massive temptation, and he feels himself weakening. He tells Fraser, it’s so tricky, and Fraser says, do what’s best for himself. Katie tells Ross that she’s not trying to fight, but he has to realize that he’s a sh*tty person when he’s drinking. Ross insists he’s been nothing but nice, and wonders why she’s mad. He asks if he can kiss her, but she says, no. She’s ending it now. She walks away, and in Ross’s interview, he says, more drama. No matter what, he’s in the doghouse, and he’s over it. He tells her that he doesn’t think they were meant to be together. They’ve tried four times, and he doesn’t want her unhappy. He likes her, but even when he behaves, she pushes him away. She tells him not to let exterior people f*** with him; that’s who she is. In the crew mess, Hayley and Tyler shove cake in their faces, then throw the rest around.  

Fraser says, never again, and Hayley laughs so hard, she pees herself. There’s cake absolutely everywhere, even in fruit bowl, and Tyler says, Hayley is like Ariel on crack. She says, all she wanted was goodnight Doritos. Out on deck, Leigh-Ann asks if Ben is having a good time. She doesn’t want to mess up what he has, and he says he wasn’t expecting her; she’s awesome. In his interview, he says he can feel himself giving in more. He might be in a bit of trouble. They hug, and go to their separate cabins. Hayley wonders why she got left with the mess, and yells for Tyler.

In the morning, everyone is hung over. Ross asks if Katie wants to talk; they need to sort themselves out. Katie says she was in her head, and he says, she came at him (a gross exaggeration). She gets a weird wall up. In Ross’s interview, he says he’s definitely got conflicted feelings. He loves flirting, and can’t decide. He just wants to have fun. Katie says, they both made mistakes, and suggests they just have fun. Ross says, they missed their chance to have sex in the guest cabin. They hug it out. Fraser says he’s not feeling good to put it lightly. He has no recollection of last night, but Tony says, Fraser just disappeared, and he says he’s proud of himself. Provisions come in, and Hayley says she’s too hungover for this sh*t. Everything is incredibly hard today. Captain Lee calls everyone to the aft deck for guest arrival, and Tyler desperately looks for his trousers. The crew lines up, and when they see the guests coming, and in Fraser’s interview, he says he’s not seeing many smiles. Not one hint of emotion. There’s a slow stampede of protein and muscle incoming, and the guests look like they’re going to kill them.

Next time, the crew’s sorry attempt at body building; Rachel’s sh*t-o-meter needle is in the red; Tyler calls his mum; the last crew dinner; and Leigh-Ann and Ben make out, maybe more. How disappointing. But then again, maybe the boat turns some people awful.

🏖 Since I’m desperate to get back that hour I lost over the weekend, I’ll talk trash about Summer House tomorrow. Believe me, it was nothing to write home about. Unless your Carl’s mom.

🏆 Bottom Line…

More on the Academy Awards tomorrow, but here’s the winner’s list. Looks like Everything Everywhere was the big kahuna.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/12/entertainment/oscar-winners-2023/index.html

🌉 In All the Old Familiar Places…

Stop by tomorrow for soap, and everyone awful all at once in New Jersey and the Hamptons. Until then, stay safe, stay appreciating other cultures, and stay being careful who you give your loyalty to. They may not return it in kind.

March 10, 2023 – Drew Gives Ned a Proposal, Dear Diary, VanderMore, Southern Smarm, Awards Talk, Vegas Cat (!), Slightly More Than a Dozen Quotes & Lift

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Gladys says she doesn’t know why Sonny is so worked up, and he says he’s not, but he can be if she doesn’t give him an answer.

Nina sees Ava in the restaurant, and Ava says she was hoping to have lunch with one of the owners, and doesn’t mean Olivia. Does Nina have time for her? Nina says, they’re overdue for a proper catch-up, and she wants to hear about all the developments in Ava’s life. Ava tells her to be careful what she wishes for.

At the Quartermaines, Mac tells Michael, this form states that the PCPD has returned all the items taken from the boathouse when Ava was attacked. He just needs a signature, and he’ll be out of Michael’s hair. Another phrase they use a lot, but I never hear it IRL. Michael says he’s glad to have it behind them, and thanks Mac for catching the killer. Mac says, his sympathies for everything Michael’s family is going through, and the challenges still to come.

In the foyer, Maxie says, it’s perfect that Ned answered the door, and he invites her in. He asks, what brings her by? and she says, as a matter-of-fact, him.

Walking into what used to be Sonny’s kitchen, Carly says she and Drew made quite a mess last night. I guess she stepped over everything to get him that brownie. He says, it’s not every day they get the house to themselves. He feels they’re obligated to take advantage of that, and kisses her. She says, sooner or later, they have to clean this up, and he suggests later, kissing her again. I still don’t see the moss bowl🎍. What did she do with it???

Dex says he has to leave soon, and Josslyn says, right. His mystery boss needs evidence against Sonny. He flashes back to Michael saying, if Sonny is telling Dex about his past, he’s got nothing to worry about. He tells her that he can make a lot more than grilled cheese. He can make grilled salmon with grilled asparagus marinated in truffle oil. She says, so he can cook, and he’s just now telling her. Why was he holding out? He says, after what he ate when he was in the Marines, he promised himself he’d learn to cook when he got back to the states. The meals keep them fed, but they weren’t exactly fine dining. He’ll make her grilled asparagus sometime. He kisses her neck, and she says, it’s too cold to grill, having never heard of doing it indoors, and he says, this summer. She asks if he thinks they’ll still be together this summer, and he says, the job should be over by then, and he can spend every minute getting closer to her without worrying about Sonny. She says she can’t wait, and asks if she’ll see him later. He says, she can count on it, and kisses her again.

Mac says he’s so sorry about everything Willow is going through, especially so soon after the birth of that adorable baby. She says, hopefully, there might be some good news on the horizon. She might have a match with a bone marrow donor. He says he’ll pray everything works out, and she says she’ll take all the prayers she can get. She wants to spend as much time with her family as possible. Mac congratulates her on Amelia; she’s beautiful. Michael says he thinks so too, but he might be a little bias. Willow says, no. She’s gorgeous. Mac says, children are a blessing. Enjoy your time with them. It goes by really fast. Maxie walks in with Ned, and Mac says, case in point. He blinked, and Maxie’s all grown up. Maxie says, moral of the story; don’t blink. She asks what he’s doing here, and he says he had police business to finish up. Maxie says, good thing because she has a big announcement for all of them.

Cody says he ran into Sasha’s mother-in-law, and she asks if they’ve even met. How did he know it was her? He says, at some time in the conversation, it came out that her last name was Corbin. She was talking about selling a garage that belonged to her daughter-in-law, so it wasn’t hard to put together. Sasha says she’d been afraid Gladys would sell the garage without consulting her, but she thought she was just being paranoid. She can’t believe Gladys actually did it. Cody asks if there’s anything he can do, and she says, he can tell her who Gladys was selling the garage to.

Sonny says, Gladys was so eager to sell the garage, she wanted him to convince Sasha to get on board. How does he know she didn’t badger Sasha into taking the offer? She asks if that’s what he really thinks about her, and he says he knows how Miss Wu operates when she sets her sights on something, and if she’s pressuring Gladys, he can help her, but she has to tell him what’s going on.

Nina says she’s sorry she didn’t stick around last night, but Ava says she knows Nina wanted to see Willow. Nina says she spent the night with Sonny, but she’s glad Ava decided to stay at her place with all the drama happening at Windymere. Ava says, even with Ryan dead, she didn’t want to be on the island all by herself, and Nina says, anyone in their right mind would need a little break from Windymere for a while, and Ava says, Nina doesn’t even know the whole story. Nina says, Ava is welcome to stay with her for as long as she wants to. Sonny mentioned Nikolas threatened to take Avery. Ava says, it was a miscommunication really, and asks how things went with Willow. Nina says, better than she’d hoped. Willow opened up to her about the affects of her health issues. Liesl asked her to do it, and Willow’s grateful to Aunt Liesl, so she honored her request, but she doesn’t care. Maybe this little thaw is a step in the right direction. Ava asks, how are things with Sonny? and Nina says, they’re fine. Ava says, is there trouble in paradise? and Nina says, yes. Only it’s not her paradise. Ava asks, whose? and Nina says, Carly.

Gladys says, Sonny doesn’t have to worry about Selina Wu for her. He knows how much she loves her daughter-in-law, and she wants to do right by Brando. She always has Sasha’s best interests at heart. Dex comes in, and Sonny motions him over. Sonny tells Gladys that he has some business to take care of. She’d better know what she’s doing. Gladys smiles, and leaves.

Sasha asks, who owns the garage now? and Cody says he really doesn’t want to get anymore involved, but he doesn’t want to lie to her either. He just heard part of a conversation, and really thinks she needs to ask Gladys herself. Sasha says she intends to, and sends a text to Gladys. She says she knows he feels bad, but don’t. She appreciates him being honest with her. At least someone was.

Maxie holds up a binder, and says, the Nurses Ball is back. She wanted to commemorate GH’s 60th anniversary, and celebrate how much GH’s workers have meant to the community. She thought, what better way than the Nurses Ball. Mac says, that is a great idea, and Ned says, normally, he’d say the should skip it – the year of Lucy’s death – but 60 years of General Hospital is too big of an anniversary to ignore. Michael agrees, and Maxie says, since Lucy isn’t here to run things, she’s going to attempt to step into Lucy’s shoes and chair the event. As they can imagine, it’s a big undertaking financially, which is where Michael and Ned come in. Mac says he has some things to take care of, so he’ll leave them to it. He congratulates Willow and Michael again, and leaves. Ned says, whatever Maxie needs, she can count on ELQ and the entire Quartermaine family. She thanks him, and says she imagines things are pretty crazy at ELQ right now, with Valentin being gone also. Of course (🍷), Aurora Media will be at her service. He’s sure Drew will be on board too. She thanks them, and says, they really need sponsors for this event, not to mention musical acts. She looks at Ned, and he says he might be able to help with that, but he has to deal with this text. He leaves, and Willow asks, what about Michael? but he says his performance days are gone, so no thanks. Maxie says, that’s okay. She has a much better plan for him.

Carly thanks Drew for helping, even though he made the mess, and he says he put the mess on the floor. The mess was on the kitchen island from her. She says she doesn’t do a lot of baking or cooking, so she doesn’t see a lot of cleaning up the kitchen in their future. He says, their future; he likes the sound of that. She says, her too, and they kiss. He says he’s confident that his plan to get Charlotte’s ELQ shares and step away from the company is going to pacify Ned, and she says, Ned’s the only person they have to worry about turning them into the SEC, so they’re good.

Ava says, spill it, the dirt on Carly, and Nina says she hasn’t really been able to process it with everything that’s going on with Willow and her new grandchild… Ava says, just tell her. She could use the distraction. Nina says, remember when she told Ava about Drew and Carly hiding whatever’s going on with them? Ava says, vaguely, and Nina says she saw them hugging pretty intimately, and she heard them say they couldn’t show how they really feel about each other in public. Ava wonders why, and Nina says she’s sort of figuring it out, but it’s raising more questions than answers.

Cody sees the paper that dropped on the floor, and picks it up. He wonders if it’s the invoice he was looking for, but he sees it’s his paternity test, and wonders how it got here. He puts it in his pocket, and asks Comet if he’s pulling tricks again, when there’s a knock at the door. It’s Mac.

Gladys asks bartender Jamie why she can’t book a spa appointment from the bar. She really needs a massage. Sasha asks, why is that? Is she stressed out about something? Like Deception?

Drew says, besides Ned, the only people who know he and Carly are romantically involved are people they trust; Sonny, Olivia, Michael, and Joss. The SEC isn’t going to have any reason to look into the timing of their relationship, unless Ned tips them off. Carly says she can’t believe Ned, and Drew says, she’s an investor in Aurora, but the merger never happened. She didn’t actually profit from any inside information, and it was like, six months ago. He thinks they’re good. She says she hears him, but she can’t wrap her head around them being seen as a couple out in public. She’s used to the hiding. The majority of the time they’ve spent together is stolen moments at her house. He says, they’ve been pretty great moments, and she says, amazing moments. She suggests they enjoy the last few moments of secrecy before the whole world finds out, and he says he plans on it, when Josslyn walks in. She apologizes for interrupting, but Drew says he was just getting ready to go. Josslyn tells him not to leave on her account. It looked like they were having a good time. He says he’s going to make sure they have plenty of good times, and leaves. 1) I don’t think the SEC would care if she profited or not, it’s still a crime, and 2) they’ve been together in public plenty. The only difference will be, they’ll be holding hands now.

Dex wonders why Sonny isn’t including him in the Pikeman deal, and Sonny says, if he doesn’t, he’ll have no reason to blame Dex if the deal goes sideways.

Gladys says she doesn’t know what Sasha is talking about; she has the day off work. Sasha says, please don’t tell her that she sold Brando’s garage, and Gladys asks how Sasha heard about that. Sasha says, so it’s true. She actually sold it. Gladys says she did, and Sasha says she can’t believe Gladys would sell her husband’s garage without asking her. Gladys didn’t even tell her. How could she do that? Gladys says, it was time, and Sasha says, Gladys told her that they were going to hold off until she was ready. Gladys tells Sasha that she doesn’t have the final say; the court put her in charge. Sasha says, forget about the damn court. They had an arrangement as family, and in the spirit of that arrangement, Gladys should have consulted with her. Gladys had no right to sell Brando’s garage behind her back. Gladys says she was just trying to do what’s best, and Sasha asks, how was that best for her? Gladys says, it’s not all about Sasha. She did it for herself.

Cody asks what brings Mac here, and Mac says he had some police business with the Quartermaines and thought he’d visit. Cody reached out a few times, and he feels bad for not responding. Cody says he thought Mac might want to talk after what he went through with Ryan Chamberlain. It’s dumb. Mac’s a cop, and obviously dealt with killing a criminal before, so he’s sorry if it seemed like he was hounding Mac. Mac says he should have called Cody back, but Cody says he’s not much of a talker either, especially when it comes to emotional stuff. When he has a lot of things on his mind, he tends to hop on the back of a horse and go for a ride. Did Mac ever try it? Mac says, in his younger days, he spent some time at a ranch in the Outback. Cody asks why he stopped riding, and Mac says he hasn’t had much of an opportunity since he left Australia. Cody says, there’s nothing like it, and Mac says, something tells him that he couldn’t get this old leg over the saddle. It’s not like riding a bike. Cody says, of course (🍷) it is. Horses are just like giant bikes with minds of their own. Mac says, those were the days. Riding out into the bush with his friends, and at the end of the day, go to the pub and put back a few Bludger pale ales. Cody says, Mac drinks Bludgers? and Mac says, Cody’s heard of them? Cody says he did a stunt gig with a guy from Australia, and that’s all he drank. Cody developed a taste for them. Mac says he didn’t think anyone in the United States drank them, and Cody says, don’t tell Mama Q, but he might have put a case of Bludgers on the grocery order. He still has a couple. Does Mac want one? Mac says he’s off the clock.

Michael says, Aurora Media will be at Maxie’s disposal for the Nurses Ball, and he’ll make a personal donation as well. She thanks him, and says, she’s not just here for the money. Don’t get her wrong; she’s taking the donation. But she was hoping he’d join the planning committee. He says, she’s kidding. What about Brook? She’s the one with entertainment experience. Maxie says, but he’s a respected figure in the community. He has tons of connections to local businesses because of his work at Aurora and ELQ. Not to mention, both sides of his family have close relationships with the hospital, so he’s just the person she needs for this committee. Willow says, it is a good cause, and he says, it’s a great cause. It’s just he can’t with everything that’s going on right now. Willow says, before he rules it out, she thinks he should consider it.

Drew comes in, and Ned says he should warn him. Maxie is in there hustling up support for the Nurses Ball. Drew says, hard to imagine without Lucy, but he’s sure Maxie will do a wonderful job. Ned agrees, and Drew says, the family managed to come together for Willow and Michael’s sake, but obviously ELQ is still the elephant in the room. He’s got a proposal to make all this tension a thing of the past.

Nina tells Ava, something’s wrong; Sasha’s not happy. Ava looks over at Sasha arguing with Gladys, and asks if Nina is going to go talk to her, but Nina says, not right now. Sasha knows she’s there for her. If Sasha needs her, she knows where to find her. Ava says, then back to Carly, and Nina says she’s never thrilled when Carly and Sonny have an interaction, but she’s come to terms with the fact that, unfortunately, Carly is always going to have a presence in their lives. And despite her feelings for Carly, she can’t really blame Sonny for wanting to protect her, especially from the Feds. She is his ex-wife. Ava says, so Ned has some kind of trouble that could get Carly and Drew in trouble with the SEC. She wonders what it could be, but Nina has no idea. Ava says, they’re smart; they’ll figure it out. She knows Carly and Drew woudn’t keep their relationship quiet to spare anyone’s feelings. There’s got to be a compelling reason that they’re not going public. Nina wonders if the legal consequences Sonny mentioned could involve jail time. She’s guessing fines woudn’t matter with the Quartermaine money, but what she doesn’t get is the secrecy. The reason Nina owns half this hotel is because Carly was trying to help out Drew and Michael during that whole Aurora/ELQ merger. Ava says, that’s it. She knows what Carly and Drew are so afraid of.

Sonny says he’s leaving Dex out of the Pikeman deal because he sees Dex has potential, and wants to bring him up in the business. He wants to make sure Dex does it well. Dex says he appreciates the faith, but he’d think if Sonny saw potential, Sonny would want to give him more responsibility, not leave him out. Sonny says he just needs to be careful how he brings Dex up, because if the deal goes south, he’ll know Dex had nothing to do with it. Dex says, makes sense, and Sonny says, that doesn’t mean Dex still can’t help him.

Michael agrees the Nurses Ball is a worthy cause, and under normal circumstances, he’d do it in a heartbeat. But Willow’s bone marrow transplant is coming up… Willow says, they can’t do anything about that except wait, and he says, what about the wedding? She says she has the wedding under control, along with help from his mom, his sister, Sasha, Brook, and Olivia. Michael says, what about their newborn baby? and Willow says, they’re lucky enough to have help. Maxie says, it sounds like he’s out of excuses, and Willow says, the community really needs this, and so does she. Do it for her?

Cody and Mac clink bottles, and Mac says, this brings him back. Cody says, him too. It reminds him of simpler times in his life. Mac wonders when things got so complicated, and Cody says he can only imagine how difficult it must be, having to take someone’s life in the line of duty. Mac says he’s been a cop for about 30 years. Killing Ryan, even though it’s not the first time he’s had to take a life while on the job, this was different. He and Ryan had a complicated history. This was a man who terrorized his family for decades because of his obsession with Felicia, but he was also the twin brother of Mac’s best friend, Doc. Even as twisted and downright evil as Ryan could be, it wasn’t that many years ago, Ryan actually managed to switch places with Doc. He had Doc locked up and drugged up in Ferncliff Asylum. Ryan pretended to be Doc. Cody says, this guy sounds degenerate, malevolent, nasty, and a real piece of work pretty messed up, and Mac says, he was, but he was also Doc’s brother. He doesn’t think Doc ever gave up hope that Ryan would change one day, but that day will never come because Mac killed him. Cody says, Mac did that to save Ava and himself, and Mac says he knows they’re all better off, and the shooting was justified, but he killed his best friend’s twin brother, and he knows in some small way, Doc still loved Ryan. He hates that he caused his friend any pain. Cody says, sometimes it’s easier to talk about heavy stuff with someone you barely know, and Mac says he’s glad they’re getting to know each other. They clink bottles again, and Cody says, him too.

Gladys says, the truth is, she had every right to sell the garage, not just as Sasha’s guardian, but as Brando’s mother who’s grieving him. Sasha says she’s grieving him too, and Gladys says she knows. She’s sorry for the tough time Sasha had, but the guardianship has protected her in way she doesn’t even know. She has no idea what it’s like trying to manage all these finances. Getting bills every single month, for the garage, each one with Brando’s name on it, and then there’s when Chamber of Commerce calls the office phone and asks for Mr. Corbin. She gets faced with daily reminders that Brando isn’t here with them anymore. Sasha says she had no idea. Why didn’t Gladys tell her any of this? Gladys says, because her job is to literally protect Sasha as her guardian. Sasha lost her husband; she lost her son. It’s been hard on her too. So she needed to get rid of the garage for many reasons; not the least of which is getting on with her life. She’s sorry if that makes Sasha hate her. It’s just a chance she had to take.

Drew tells Ned, Valentin’s death opens the possibility to get ELQ back in Quartermaine control. Ned says, technically, it’s in Quartermaine control now, and Drew says, Ned is CEO, but this is an opportunity for the family to regain majority ownership of the company. Valentin’s stock went to Charlotte, which means Laura controls it. He’s sure they can negotiate to reacquire the stock that Valentin poached from them. (I’m not so sure about that, but go on.) Ned says, so Drew and Michael can ice him out again? and Drew says, Valentin drove a wedge between them, but he’s gone. The way he sees it, it’s a chance for them to start over. So in the interest of putting the family back together, he’s willing to step away from ELQ entirely. Ned says he honestly wasn’t expecting that, and Drew says, he’ll run Aurora full time; he’s okay with that. The most important thing is making this family a united front again. Last summer, they were all at each other’s throats, then they came together for Willow, and it reminded him how right it feels for them to all be on the same team. He knows they’re Quartermaines, and they’re going to bicker and backstab, but at the end of the day, when it matters, they band together. They have to do whatever they have to in order to make this family whole again, and part of that is to get ELQ back. So what does Ned say?

Ava says, Carly invested in Aurora when the plan was to merge that company with ELQ, and Nina says, right, to get ELQ under the Quartermaines’ control. It was Drew and Michael’s plan and when Carly tried to help them, she invested heavily. When the merger didn’t happen, she lost it all. Ava says, but if Carly bought Aurora’s stock knowing there was a merger on the horizon, isn’t that insider trading? And she and Drew could be open to prosecution if anybody finds out. Nina says, that’s why they have to keep their relationship at a distance, because they don’t want anyone investigating to think they discuss these sensitive business matters. Otherwise, they’re facing jail time.

Dex says, anything Sonny needs, he’s good for it, and Sonny says he wants to take Dex to the warehouse where the Pikeman shipment is going to be stored. He’s not going to tell Dex when it’s going to land; the date’s been changed. Dex asks, why take him to the warehouse? and Sonny says he wants Dex’s assessment of the place. He wants to see how good Dex identifies vulnerabilities. Sonny says, think of it as training, and leaves, Dex following.

Josslyn says, sorry for crashing Carly’s time with Drew, but Carly says, this is Josslyn’s home. She’s always happy to see her. Josslyn says she knows, but Carly and Drew don’t get to spend a ton of time together since they have to keep things on the downlow. Carly says, that may be changing, and Josslyn says she’s so happy to hear that. Carly says, it’s still in the works, but she’s cautiously optimistic. Josslyn says she hopes it works out. Carly deserves to show the world how happy Drew makes her. Carly says, so does Josslyn. A secret relationship’s a lot of fun, but it comes with baggage. Josslyn says, and we’re back to Dex, and Carly says, she’s Josslyn’s mom, and she’s always going to want to protect Josslyn and stop her from getting hurt. Forget about what Sonny would do if he found out Josslyn has been seeing Dex behind his back, but Josslyn grew up in that world. She saw Carly deal with it every day. Is she sure she wants that for herself? Josslyn says, Dex is planning on getting out of Sonny’s organization, and Carly asks if Josslyn is going to hang her future on a vague promise. Josslyn flashes back to Dex saying, option three. He gets evidence on Sonny, turns it over to his real boss, who turns it over to the Feds. Sonny goes to prison; he’s in the clear. Josslyn says, option three it is, and he says, no matter what happens, he can’t walk away from her. Josslyn tells Carly, it’s not like that. Dex has a real plan. Carly says, like what?

Ned says, Drew brings up some good points, and Drew says, it’s a win-win for Ned. They regain Valentin’s stock and he extracts himself from ELQ. Ned says, Drew’s given him a lot to think about.

Willow says, if Michael helps plan the Nurses Ball, it will give them something to look forward to. They won’t be focusing on the transplant, and have something positive to pour their energy into. Something that benefits them, GH, and the entire city. He asks how he can say no to that, and Maxie says, awesome, and thanks him. Their first meeting is tomorrow, and she’ll call him tonight to go over the details. She jets, and Willow thanks Michael. He says, she’s his world. There isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her. They kiss.

Mac asks if Cody is up for another one, and Cody says, no reason not to. He gets up, and Mac says he thinks Cody dropped something. He picks up the paternity test, and starts to unfold it. Like people do when it’s not their stuff.

Sasha says she doesn’t hate Gladys, and Gladys thanks her. Sasha says, but she doesn’t like that Gladys went behind her back, and Gladys says, understood. Sasha says she gets where Gladys was coming from, and she’s probably right. Left to her own devices, Sasha probably would never have parted ways with the garage. She couldn’t bear it. I guess running it as a profitable business wasn’t an option? Gladys says, just so Sasha knows, it wasn’t easy for her either, and Sasha says she guesses in maybe a not-so-good way, it worked out for the best. Instead of hanging over them, the garage is gone, and they’re forced to move forward. Gladys says she sees why her son fell for Sasha, and Sasha starts to cry. She says she misses him, and Gladys says she does too. They hug.

Nina says, Ava’s theory is good, but that’s all it is; a theory. Ava says, a theory that can turn the tables. Nina has important information about Carly, just like Carly had important information about her. The question is, what is she going to do with it?

Josslyn says, Carly and Drew are figuring out a way they can be together out in the open. She and Dex want that too, and she knows Dex is going to get out of the mob for good. Carly says she knows Josslyn believes that, and Dex probably believes he can leave that world, but take it from someone who has been very close to it most of her life, once you’re in, it’s really hard to leave. Josslyn says, but it is possible, and Carly says, it is, but the way out is usually death.

Sonny and Dex go into the warehouse, and Dex says, Sonny is going to have to put up cameras outside. Someone trains a gun on Dex, and Sonny says he’s got somebody on that, and Dex says, ports of entry? Dex realizes there’s a gun with a gun above them, and pushes Sonny down as the guy shoots.

On Monday, Victor says, he and Elizabeth are finished when he says they are; Cody says he’s the last person Mac should be helping; Josslyn tells Carly that Dex is willing to do what it takes; and Dex tells Sonny, the longer they stay here, the worse their chances.

Already Making Friends…

Special K? Really? By next year, she’ll be running the place, and have a Ponzi scheme involving the commissary.

https://people.com/tv/jen-shah-adjusting-to-life-in-prison-second-journal-entry/

🍸 And It’s Just the Beginning…

You’d think this was the biggest news since the moon landing. No kidding she was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I can’t even fathom having an affair with a friend’s boyfriend, and looking them in the face every day.

If LVP says it, it must be true.

I forgot all about Miami Girl.

https://www.etonline.com/vanderpump-rules-star-tom-sandoval-threatens-to-stop-filming-after-scene-with-raquel-leviss-200441

🍹 Charming Taylor…

Does he have BDE? I just don’t get it. And this show is way too incestuous.

🏆 About Uncle Oscar…

The nominees. I’m kind of surprised about Everything Everywhere All At Once. Don’t get me wrong. It was an amazing film, although a long way of basically telling me to be nice and find happiness in the small things. But it doesn’t seem like the kind of film that becomes so mainstream.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/24/entertainment/oscar-nominations-list-2023/index.html

How to watch. (Turn on TV or streaming service. Watch.)

https://people.com/movies/oscars-2023-how-to-watch-what-to-expect/

The carpet.

https://people.com/movies/oscars-2023-red-carpet-wont-be-red-this-year-details/

The gift bags. My God how I want one of these.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/10/2023-oscars-gift-bag-whats-inside.html

No Gaga. Hey, she’s a busy woman.

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/lady-gaga-perform-2023-oscars/story?id=97740301

Break points.

https://people.com/movies/oscars-2023-best-actors-nominees-big-breaks/

🐱 Viva Las Gato…

What are the odds the next guest would be a vet?

https://people.com/pets/lost-cat-found-in-las-vegas-hotel-room/

🥠 Quotes of the Week

We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet, strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers. – Kahlil Gibran

If you’re trying to achieve, there will be road blocks. I’ve had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it. – Michael Jordan (Or kick it down.)

If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think. – T. Harv Eker

Apologizing does not always mean that you’re wrong and the other person is right. It just means that you value your relationship more than your ego. – Unknown

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.Ralph Waldo Emerson

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. – Dr. Seuss

In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. – Abraham Lincoln

Life is never fair, and perhaps it is a good thing for most of us that it is not. – Oscar Wilde

Life is a long lesson in humility. – James M. Barrie

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. – Thomas A. Edison

In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on. – Robert Frost

I think you’re Mozart. – Amy Slaton, 1000-Lb. Sisters, referring to her son’s painting

💌 And the Award Goes To…

Make a return trip on Monday for some soap, what’s on Deck, and smack talk about the awful people on Summer House. Until then, stay safe, stay surrounding yourself with those who uplift you, and stay remembering, a secret relationship’s a lot of fun, but it comes with baggage.

April 12, 2022 – Preemption Junction, Princess Tale, Possible Match, Teresa Embarrasses New Jersey In Nashville, History Of the Banned & Raining

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

No GH today, but funny thing, they didn’t break into the rerun once. It was Peter and Maxie’s wedding interruptus, where Obrecht brought a video of Alex admitting she was Peter’s mother.

💎 Icy Refresher…

In case you forgot or didn’t know in the first place.

💘 Not Alone…

Apparently, I’m not the only one who thought of a Rory/Trina match.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

The big move was happening for Teresa and her girls. All of their houses are so massive, it’s ridiculous. Unless you literally have ten kids, I don’t see the point of needing roller skates to get to the bathroom. Frank and the kids were moving in together as well, and in Dolores’s interview, she said, the kids had never lived with Frank. She’d laid the ground rule of no ho’s, and was hopeful, but everyone had to be respectful. Frank was surprised to find his daughter had a pet chinchilla, with the not very original name of Chinchy. The trip to Nashville was coming up, and Traci’s realtor friend had gotten them a house to stay in. Traci said it was stressful with everyone staying in the same house, because Marge and Teresa had issues. Dolores insisted that Teresa would be in a good place because Luis was coming with her. Like that’s a guarantee.

In Teresa’s interview, she said they’d done renovations since they’d bought the house. She was excited for the girls to see their new home. She choked up, talking about Nono in the kitchen, and in her interview, she said it was bittersweet. We flashed back to the housewarming, and she said they had lots of beautiful memories. She told Gia that they were ready for a fresh new start, and told them all to make sure to label the boxes. Take it from me, she’s not wrong. We flashed back one last time to various memories in the house, and Teresa turned out the lights.

Melissa thought getting away would help Teresa chill. Teresa whined that Marge was always talking about Luis, and it was getting old. Luis had been amazing. Luis met them at the new house, which was just as gigantic as the old one. In Teresa’s interview, she said Luis had two sons. One was 20 and lived with Luis’s ex, but the younger one, Luis Jr. was going to live with them. She hoped he’d love living with the girls. In this case, maybe’s it’s good the house is the size of a small country. I can’t imagine he’ll be thrilled to suddenly be living with several teenage girls. Teresa said she’d been a single mom for five years. Both she and Luis had been on their own for a while, and it was going to be amazing doing it together. In Gia’s interview, she said, it wasn’t easy leaving her childhood home, but it was nice to see her mom in love and happy. She thought as time went on, they’d enjoy their new home. Luis said he had a surprise, and they went outside, Teresa pointing out the meditation area. He said, Teresa deserved for everything to be perfect, and uncovered a paving stone with sempre insieme (together forever) on it. He said it was for her parents, and we flashed back to the memorial service. In her interview, Teresa said, Luis saw her family as his, and her daughters felt that. They were going to fill their new home with love.

Everyone packed for the trip, and Melissa thought Nashville was somewhere in the west. In Jackie’s interview, she said, she and Evan had celebrated their ten year anniversary there, but it was going to be a different experience this time. She was apprehensive about all the tension. Marge told Joe #3 that she wasn’t going to let Teresa treat her like sh*t. The fact that Luis’s name was being dragged on social media was reason to be concerned. Dolores told Frank, there were things you don’t touch on, but Frank thought Teresa should be more understanding. Switzerland Dolores said, they should understand each other. Teresa told Luis that she didn’t want negative energy around. Marge could apologize or go f*** herself. Jackie told Evan that Marge was one of her best friends, but she had to be careful where Teresa was concerned. The stress could cause a chain reaction; the last time, she couldn’t eat because she was so upset. Melissa told Joe #2 that she prayed Marge was smart enough not to dig in about Luis. She didn’t know why Teresa couldn’t get along with any of her friends; it put Melissa in a spot. Joe said he didn’t care who was fighting, as long as it wasn’t Melissa and Teresa.

Marge told Joe #3 that she’d say hi to Teresa, even though Teresa was an a-hole. She wasn’t starting off on a bad foot. That’s the second time I’ve heard that this week, but isn’t it the wrong foot? In Teresa’s interview, she said she couldn’t stand the sight of Marge, and Marge was full of sh*t. On the way there, Traci asked what state Nashville was in. Did anyone go to school??? Melissa said she was tired from Antonia’s Sweet 16, and we saw a clip of that. Joe #2 wanted everyone to get along. He wanted a lot. In the other limo van, Teresa whined that Marge started it, and she didn’t want to talk to her. She told Dolores that she wasn’t intimidated. They arrived at yet one more enormous house, where they were met with a fabulous spread. The agent told them to go to Nashville Underground, where they had a mechanical bull. Marge thought they should put names in a hat for choosing rooms, but Dolores said she’d promised Teresa and Luis the master. In Melissa’s interview, she said, it was just tacky to demand a room. In Joe #2’s interview, he said the women sounded like a group of chihuahuas barking. The guys all went to the backyard, where they discovered a ground level trampoline. The women picked rooms, while the guys goofed off, then gravitated to the indoor basketball court.

Teresa asked if Jackie was okay, since she hadn’t seemed too talkative, and in Jackie’s interview, she said, not only had Teresa been digging around about her husband, she’d been going hard for Marge for months. She was scared to say anything, since Teresa had been vicious to her in the past. Here’s where it got complicated, unless you’re Teresa. Teresa told the other women that whenever a certain blogger came out with something big about Luis, Marge talked about it. In her interview, she said she believed in her gut that Marge was running her mouth, and told the women that Marge was telling the blogger what to write. Everyone was like, no, and Jackie said Teresa was going into a spiral. Get the love bubble back. Jackie told Marge that Teresa was on fire, and Marge said Teresa was a nutcase. In Marge’s interview, she said, Teresa mentioned this before, and we flashed back to Teresa insisting Marge must be talking to Luis’s exes. Marge said, at the time, she thought it was just nonsense, but now Teresa as spreading rumors as facts. That was her M.O.; rumors are now facts. Teresa and Luis talked smack about Marge, and agreed Marge knew what she was doing. Marge told Joe #3 that Teresa said she was making up sh*t about Luis, and now she was pissed off.

Bill arrived late, and in Frank’s interview, he said, it was great to see the Wolf Pack reunited. It hadn’t been the same without Bill. He hoped the girls would take a page out of their book, and stop with the nonsense. Another one who wants a lot. The headed out to Nashville Underground in the two limo vans.

It looked like a really cool place, and Dolores told them, they say it’s the best barbecue in the world, but I know some Oklahomans who would beg to differ. The poor mechanical bull looked like it had seen better days. They lined up to ride it, and Melissa said, being a Jersey girl, she had to take her hoops off. In Dolores’s interview, she said she knew her place in this world, and it was not on that bull. This – she indicated herself – is expensive. All of it. Frank stayed on 6.34 seconds, but Joe #2 beat him at 12.11. In her interview, Melissa said, it was the first time her husband was proud of riding something for 12 seconds. Tiki was the winner, at 14.87, and in Jennifer’s interview, she said, she enjoyed riding him… watching him ride the bull. They ordered drinks and food, and Melissa said she thought they should go to a recording studio and make their own song for fun. We heard On Display, and in Melissa’s interview, she said she wasn’t missing her chance. Teresa refused to go if Marge was going, and Traci was like, WTF? They did a shot, and Marge joked that she knew everyone everywhere. This prompted Teresa to say, Marge talked to everybody, and Marge said she heard Teresa claimed she’d spread rumors to bloggers. How would she have any information on Luis? Teresa said, Marge had been talking to people in Luis’s past, inserting herself, and Marge asked how she’d know who they were. Since Teresa had nothing, she said, maybe they’d contacted Marge, since Marge knows everyone. In Marge’s interview, she wondered where this was coming from. She’d always defended Teresa, and now Teresa was spinning the story, trying to hurt her. Marge told Teresa not to spread rumors, but Teresa insisted it was true. Marge said Teresa was a sick, disgusting liar, and Teresa went nuts; screaming and cursing, and throwing everything off the table. Luis hustled her out, and Marge reminded her that she was still on parole. Teresa called Marge white trash, which was ironic considering Teresa’s behavior, and told Marge to stay out of her face, which was idiotic, since by now Teresa was in the next room. Frank wondered what happened, and Marge said she called Teresa a sick, disgusting liar. In Jackie’s interview, she said she felt bad for Marge. All she did was ask a few questions. In Frank’s interview, he was once again the voice of reason, and said, it was Teresa who came after Marge. Teresa cursed all the way down the stairs, and back at the table, Dolores said she was going with them. Marge said she was going to be upset if Dolores did, and Dolores said she wasn’t choosing sides; they’d come together. Marge said Dolores was one of her best friends, and in Jackie’s interview, she said, Dolores would defend Teresa no matter what, but was nowhere to be found when it came to having anyone else’s back. Frank convinced Dolores that they were the hosts, and Marge said Teresa was a thug and an animal. Downstairs at the bar, proving Marge’s point, Teresa said Marge needed to be taught a lesson. She was going to beat the crap out of that bitch. She picked the wrong girl and was a white trash c-word. A word, I might add, that’s used a little too freely among the Housewives these days.

Teresa stampeded back up the stairs, and Marge told her to stay away. Teresa yelled some more, threatening and cursing at Marge. In Jennifer’s interview, she said she didn’t condone Teresa’s behavior, but Teresa was a close friend. Maybe she could be the calming voice of reason. Somehow, they got Teresa back to the van, and she said she was done with Marge. Marge was a thirsty, disgusting, vile person. Luis asked why Teresa threw things at her, and Teresa said she wanted to smash the table in Marge’s face. Melissa said Teresa was acting crazy, and in her interview, she said she felt bad for Marge, but if she didn’t leave with her sister-in-law, she’d never hear the end of it. Back at the table, things had been cleaned up, and they sat down to eat. Traci said she was mortified, and Marge said, there was no coming back from something like that. Dolores said, Marge didn’t have to express the way she felt about Luis when she knew Teresa wouldn’t take it well. Teresa was a big girl, and could handle herself. In Dolores’s interview, she said, you didn’t tell Teresa what to do or when to do it, totally ignoring the fact that every single time, it’s been Teresa who has brought it up. In the van, Teresa said it started with Marge talking about her boyfriend all the time. They got back to the house, and Melissa suggested they go to bed before the others got home. Teresa said Marge needed to stay the f*** away from her. When she was done, she was done. She and Luis were going to a hotel.

Marge said she hoped things worked out for Luis and Teresa, but at the end of the day, if it was so great, she wouldn’t act that way. Teresa couldn’t hold her composure. Marge got a text, saying, Teresa and Luis were staying at a hotel. At the house, Joe #2 went to bed fully clothed, saying he didn’t even want to changed. He was stressed out. Teresa and Luis left for the hotel.  

Next time, the guys go out for a day of fun; the women go to the music studio; Teresa says, Marge should be ashamed; and at dinner, Teresa tells Melissa to tell Marge, STFU.

🚫 Other Banishments…

Those banned, but not forgotten.

https://ew.com/movies/everyone-banned-oscars-academy/

👋🏽 Ciao For Now…

Hopefully, GH returns tomorrow, and I’ll also be visiting the OC, if you’d care to join me. Until then, stay safe, stay reasonable, and stay not letting rumors are now facts be your M.O.

March 27, 2022 – Time To Gut Up, Return Within a Return, Rick Theory, Best Zombies, Two Kinds Of Academy Wins & No Time

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

The Walking Dead

The people Carlson kicked off the roof are beginning to reanimate. Carlson radios Lance, who asks the status. Carlson says, the location is secured, and Lance breathes a sigh of relief. The shipment? Carlson says they’re searching floor by floor; the residents have been cooperative. Lance is surprised, saying, the people have regressed so far is like getting mad at a rat who can’t tell right from wrong. Carlson tells him that a small taste of law and order made them remember. A trooper tells Carlson, we have two down be the east exit, and Carlson runs inside.

Maggie hears screaming, and sneaks down the hall, followed by Aaron, Lydia and Elijah. They hear gunfire, and slip quietly toward it.

Daryl meets Carol on his way to work, and says he’d been looking for her. She tells him that she’s been doing more of her side thing, and he asks if she’s heard anything about home. She says, not exactly… and trooper boss lady asks if Daryl is going to be joining them. He asks if Carol wants to have lunch, and she says, noon at the diner? He says, it’s a date, and goes in. Inside, the troopers are given their assignments, and Rosita and Daryl are paired for Sector D. They leaves with troopers Alves and Castle, and pass where Sabastian is hanging out with his friends. Sebastian brags that people have problems when they panic, but when he’s around the rotters, his heartrate goes down. He says, Daryl has seen how he handles himself, and Daryl says, good stuff, applauding, but Sebastian isn’t really sure how to respond. They go outside, and Alves says, a swarm was spotted by the north perimeter. Daryl wonders why the plans changed, and Alves suggests they’re being tested on what they can do outside the walls. He tells them that their sectors are covered, and says, let’s go. Daryl and Rosita go with him.

Maggie and the others go into an apartment. They hear shooting and yelling, and Maggie suddenly has a gun to her head. Annie tells her, one more step, and you die. Drop your weapons. Elijah then comes up behind Annie, and holds a gun to her head, and Lydia says, you first. Maggie says, they’re here to help, and Negan joins them. He pats Elijah on the shoulder, and says, let’s everybody put our sh*t back in our pants and zip up. He tells Lydia, hey kiddo, and she asks what he’s doing here. He stands next to Annie, and says, we live here. Aaron says, they have Gabriel, but Negan says, they don’t. He tells them, come on, and they follow him. He goes to a closet, and moves the clothes aside. There’s an opening, and he goes through, explaining that Ian walled up the doors in some of the apartments. Gabriel is there with some others from the building, and he hugs Maggie. Maggie asks if the people there hijacked the convoy, but Annie says, no. Aaron asks if she’s sure, and she says she’s sick of people asking. Negan says, him too, why doesn’t Aaron just come out and call her a liar? Aaron says, their boss has a wall of skulls, and he’s calling bullsh*t. If they didn’t do it, who did? Maggie says, it doesn’t matter. They have to get these people out of here. They hear a trooper saying they’ll sweep each floor and see who’s left. Annie says, they’re not leaving their people; they leave together. They pair up, and Negan tells Annie to go with Maggie.

Rosita and Daryl walk through the woods with the troopers, and Rosita asks, how much longer? Alves says, not long, and they get to a hill overlooking a valley where there are houses. He says, there it is, and Daryl asks, where’s everybody else? Alves says, there is no one else, and Rosita says, they expect only four of them to take all the zombies out? Sebastian appears, and says, no, she and Daryl are going to go through them. He and Cooper grew up together. Cooper lived down in the valley, and his dad was a bank president. He was also a prepper, and his office had a panic room where he kept drugs and cash – lots of it. Sebastian needs them to get it for him. Rosita says, this is a joke, right? but Sebastian says, no. His bitch mother cut off his line of credit, so he has to think of creative ways to support his lifestyle. The troopers can’t shoot their guns without the ammo being tracked. Cooper gave him the code… Daryl says, they’re not doing it, but Sebastian says, they’ll slime themselves up with guts, walk through the swarm, and get his cash. Daryl says, or what? and he and Rosita start to walk away. Sebastian asks how their kids are doing, and Daryl grabs him, putting a knife to his throat. Alves tells Daryl, drop it, or they’re both dead, but Rosita has drawn her gun, and says, not before she blows junior’s head off. Daryl says, if Sebastian threatens their kids again, he’ll gut him. Sebastian acts like it was the furthest thing from his mind, and tells Daryl that he was just saying he could make their lives easier. Alves says, or more difficult, and Rosita says, they do this and that’s it? Sebastian says, totally, and Daryl lets him go, taking the code from his hand.

Daryl and Rosita walk through the zombies, who come up to their faces, snarling. We see it from their perspective through their helmets, and it’s pretty creepy.

They go inside, Daryl shining a flashlight around. They see the keypad, and Rosita says they’ll need power for the lock. Two zombies toddle out, and she stabs both of them in the head. She says, it can’t be more than a few days since they turned. They hear a live human banging on the other side of a door, and a woman says, hey. She tells them that she was with another group, and Rosita says, they’re with the Commonwealth army. She says, she’s sorry. The money is in here, but she’s the only one left. Daryl says, Sebastian has done this before, and the woman begs them not to leave her. Rosita asks what she did, and she says she was in debt, and one day man showed up, saying he could get her out of it. She had two kids… She has two kids. Rosita asks how many people were sent in her group, and she says, twelve. Only three made it inside. They got the generator on, but then the two guys turned on each other. She ran in, and the door locked. She’s been trapped in there since. Rosita asks her name, and she says, April. Rosita introduces herself.

Negan says, they’ll make this work, okay? Lydia says, he left without saying a word, and he says, he left because he gave a sh*t. He left because it’s what everyone needed. Aaron asks how he met these people, and… What is Anna to him? He shows Aaron a wedding ring, and says, crazy, right? Aaron says, Negan being here fits, and Gabriel insists the Commonwealth is different, but Lydia says, she’d hoped it was, but it isn’t. They just want to swallow up communities. They’re like the Whisperers; they just wear different masks. Annie radios, and tells Negan that the troopers are on the fifth floor, but they’re going to spread out. He asks if Maggie is still with her, and she tells him to stop worrying. She’ll see him soon. Negan looks outside, and says, sh*t.

A trooper tells Herschel to sit and stay. He gets on the radio and tells the sarge that he found a kid hiding in a truck. Negan clocks him before he can say anymore; then kills him.   

Annie eats some ginger, and tells Maggie, she’s twelve weeks, give or take, and yeah it’s his. Not that he’d want her telling Maggie. Negan radios Annie, and says they found Maggie’s son. Maggie grabs the radio, and says, what? Negan says, they had a stowaway they didn’t know about. Maggie says she’s coming, but he tells her, stay with Annie. Her son is safe; stay focused. Maggie says, if anything happens to him… and Negan says, it will have to happen to me first. They hear more gunfire, and Annie tells Maggie, he’s in good hands. Maggie says, he’s in the hands of the man who killed his father. They hear a trooper say, he’s outside five; it’s clear. Annie says she knows who he is and he what did. He told her. Maggie says, and she’s still with him? and Annie says, none of them have clean hands. She’s seen what people do to survive. Sometimes it’s been done to her, and sometimes she did it to them. She’s not proud of it; she can just try to be better. Like him. Maggie says, he doesn’t get to forget, and Annie says, he hasn’t. What matters to her is who he is now, someone who will do what he can to protect her boy.

Herschel says, his mom told him to stay away from Negan, and Negan says, his mom’s a smart lady. Herschel asks why his mom doesn’t like Negan, and Negan says, because of something that happened a long time ago. Herschel says, something bad? and Negan says, yeah. Herschel asks if he’s a bad man, and Negan says, he was. I want to cry, this scene is so touching. Negan says, look, kid, and Heschel picks up a gun. He says his mom told him that a bad man killed his dad. It was him, wasn’t it? Negan says, yeah, and crouches down so he’s on Herschel’s level. He says, what he took away from Herschel and his mom, there’s nothing he can say or do to make that better. He knows Herschel wants to pull the trigger, and he doesn’t blame Herschel, but if he does – everyone gathers, watching from the other room – the bad people will know where they’re hiding. Maybe he deserves to die for what he did to Herschel’s family, but these people here don’t. Herschel looks at them, and lowers the gun. Lydia approaches, and takes it from him, and he runs to them.

Daryl tries to get the generator going, and flips switches like he knows what he’s doing. He does something with pliers, and sparks shoot out. The lights blink on and off, and zombies come at Daryl. They keep coming, and he keeps fighting them. Finally, he dispatches the last one, and goes back to work. The lights come on.

Rosita asks if April is still with them, and puts in the code. The door opens, and April hugs Rosita, thanking her. Daryl joins them, and April shows him the safe. He uses a crowbar to open it, and an alarm goes off. Rosita pushes buttons, but it only gets louder. April starts to freak out, saying, the zombies are going to be drawn to the house. Rosita pulls the alarm off the wall, but it’s still attached by a wire, and April yells for her to hurry. Rosita finally smashes it, and it stops. Daryl pulls out the safe, and he and Rosita stuff money into a bag. April tells them, they’re coming; hurry. They block door with a dresser, and wait.

Daryl says, they’ll go out how they came in; no sudden moves. They put zombie guts on April, and there’s banging and growling outside for a while. When it settles down, they move the dresser back, and open the door. Mercer is there, and asks if he was going to let them in. Daryl asks how he knew they were there, and Carly walks in. She says, when Daryl didn’t show for lunch, she found out where he was. Mercer asks if Daryl is looting houses now, and Rosita says, Sebastian threatened their kids. April tells Mercer that she was promised a cut of the money, but she’s the only one left. The lights blink, and Mercer asks Carol how many rounds she has. She says, maybe ten, and he says, there are more walkers than that. Daryl says, gut up.

They go out among the dead, moving slowly. April’s eyes are like saucers, and I know that one is going to freak for sure. Mercer keeps his gun drawn, and sure enough, one gets hooked on the uniform April is wearing. She panics, and stabs it. Apparently this is a dead (no pun intended) giveaway, and the zombies grab at her. There’s slicing and dicing and shooting, and Mercer is a master with the butt of his gun. All is quiet, but Rosita sees it’s too late for April, and stabs her in the forehead. Mercer opens the door to the outside.

Maggie and Annie hear gunfire at the end of the hall, and a man saying, no, please. The man is shot, and Carlson says, these people… He tells his soldiers, if they refuse to give you something useful, pop them in the in head and move on. They find the guns in the next hour or they burn the place to the ground. Maggie and Annie come out of an apartment, and Maggie radios Gabriel and Aaron. She asks if Elijah is with them, and Aaron says he is. She says she has a plan.

Troopers kick in the door to the apartment with the secret exit, and throw stuff around. A trooper goes to the closet, but the clothes have been pushed back together again. Carlson says, anything? and he says, nothing. They leave, but Carlson lingers. Negan and the others wait behind the opening. Carlson picks up a whiskey bottle, and examines it. He sees something on the floor, and whistles for his men. Negan is a couple of feet away, gun drawn, and Carlson is about to slide the clothing over, when he hears something. He says, it’s that goddam priest again, and he and his soldiers go to the roof. They find Aaron and Gabriel, and Aaron throws his gun down. Carlson slams the roof door shut, and says he’s had enough of this sh*t. What were they thinking, turning on him and the Commonwealth? For what? A tenement warlord and his followers? He thought they were smarter than that. The others come out to the roof, and Carlson calls for back-up, but his soldiers have their hands full with Elijah and his ninja moves. Carlson laughs, and says, the wisdom to know the difference, right? Things got out of hand, and they need to take a breath. Maggie and Annie join them, and Carlson says, they need to talk things… Daryl shoots him off of the roof edge, and he falls down the to the people he’s pushed off, who are now zombies. Aaron and Gabriel look down and watch, as the zombies crawl over Carlson, and have a feast. I love a fitting end.

Mercer, Carol, and Daryl go back up the hill, where Alves and Castle are waiting. Mercer says, they could have used some help, but Alves says they don’t answer to Mercer. Did they get the money? Mercer gives it to him, and Carol asks, how many others were sent to get it? Alves says, thirty or forty, he’s not sure, and in a surprise move, Mercer shoots Alves and Castle. Daryl looks at him like, respect, and I laaaugh. Mercer says, they’ll have to pay Sebastian. If they don’t, Sebastian will come after them, and it’s a fight they’re not going to win. He picks up the bags, and says he’ll carry them through the gate. They won’t search him.

Daryl, Rosita, and Mercer sit at a table, and Sebastian comes in. He says, there they are. So? Daryl points to the bag, and Sebastian practically skips over to the table. He looks inside, and he dances in a circle, and says, well done. Where are…? Mercer says, Alves and Castle didn’t make it. Sebastian takes out a packet of bills, and puts it on the table, telling Daryl, your cut. Congratulations. They did it. He’s glad they’re friends again. He smiles and leaves. Daryl looks at Mercer.  

Lance radios Open Range (i.e. Carlson), but gets nothing but static. He sits at his desk, looking like he has a headache. There’s a knock at the door, and Carol comes in. He says, it’s late, and asks where she’s been. She says, helping friends out of a jam. They were on a mission for the governor’s son. He’s been finding desperate people, and sending them through swarms to get to a stash of cash. Most didn’t make it out. Lance says, he sent her friends? and she says, yeah. He asks if they made it back, and she says, barely. He says, good. Did they get the money? She says they did, and he says, finally, and sighs. Carol asks why the other people were sent; what did they do? He says, they put themselves in bad situations, either because of stupid choices or their unwillingness to play by the rules. He tried to throw them a lifeline. This place works because everyone plays their part. If they can’t or won’t, it hurts everyone. That’s when the system breaks down, and we can’t let that happen. He asks if Carol knows what he’s saying, and she says, if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. He says he knew she’d get it, and she says she’ll let him get back to work. He says, it’s nice to be able to talk to someone who sees the big picture; not many can. She smiles, and leaves, looking like Jamie Lee Curtis, Lance picks up the radio again.

Negan looks at Herschel, and walks over to him. He says, he and Herschel have unfinished business, don’t they? Tell you what. Herschel goes back with his mom, and helps rebuild their home. When he’s grown up a bit, come find him, and Negan promises they’ll settle it. Another great scene between these two. Negan walks off, and Maggie asks Herschel what Negan said to him, but Herschel stays silent. Maggie asks what Aaron and Gabriel are going do. They can’t go back to the Commonwealth. Aaron says, Lance is going to want to know what happened, and Gabriel says, the more immediate need is the people here. It’s only a matter of time. He wonders, if Ian didn’t steal the weapons, who did?

Two weeks ago. We see the dead troopers next to the arms shipment. One is still alive, crawling down the road, leaving a trail of blood. She yells, please, no, but a woman reaches from behind, pulling the trooper’s head up, and slitting her throat. Blood gushes out. We see the murderer is Leah.

Next time, Lance wonders if the warlords weren’t strangers to Aaron and Gabriel; Max says they can change this place; and Daryl asks Maggie to trust him. Eugene wants max to steal files

🛠 What the Dickens…

More on the returning FWD and Madison.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/fear-the-walking-dead-season-7b-episode-titles-madison-clark-kim-dickens-return-amina/

🤯 Everybody Has One…

I actually forget all about Rick until I read one of these articles.

https://screenrant.com/fear-walking-dead-madison-rick-grimes-crm-brainwash-theory/

⚰️ Only the Best…

Checking my temperature… Yep, still bitter about Z Nation being canceled, even after several years.

🏆 You Know You Want It…

The winners. Oh, wait, the award receivers.

https://www.avclub.com/oscars-2022-complete-winners-list-1848710035

And the more important fashion.

https://www.avclub.com/oscars-2022-red-carpet-arrivals-gallery-1848709842

Stars Fading, But I Linger On…

Save room for some soap and what’s on Deck tomorrow. Until then, stay safe, stay pragmatic, and stay having the wisdom to know the difference.

April 30, 2021 – Unexpected Allies Plan To Stop Cyrus, Close Call, a Tribute, Switching Genres, Sonja Votes No, Lucky 13, Going Down, May Day, New Drag, a Cardinal Number of Quotes & New Jackson

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly says she doesn’t have time for Ava, but Ava says, it’s important. It’s about Avery. She’s in trouble. Carly tells her to come in, and asks, what kind of trouble? Ava says, the kind that comes from Cyrus Renault. Ava sees Laura on the couch, and Laura says, what about Cyrus? Carly’s phone rings, and it’s Britt.

Nina goes into the Tan-O, and Sonny says, hi. He asks how her friends is, and she says, on the mend. He asks how she is, and she says, fine. She was hoping he’d fill this thermos with coffee, so she could take it with her. He says, she’s going on a trip? and she says she’s bringing her friend back home. He says, he’s leaving Nixon Falls?

Jax struggles to put on his shirt, when Phyllis knocks on the door. He tells her, come in, and she rushes over to help him. She asks, how’s the shoulder? and he says, every time it flares up, he thinks about how Nina could have gotten shot, and how close he came to losing her. Phyllis says she sees. That means he’s not giving up on her. He says, he’s not, and she says, then he didn’t hear a word she said. He tells her, he heard every word she said, and he agrees with her. He has to respect Nina’s wishes. She asks if that shouldn’t be the end of it, and he says, it’s not the end; it’s a pause, a break between rounds. Because Nina’s worth fighting for.

Trina looks under the hood of the car, and Josslyn says, the dashboard light says, check engine. Trina says she’s checking, but she doesn’t know what she’s looking for. Josslyn looks at her phone and says she’ll see if she can find something online that can help. Trina says she’s sorry, but Josslyn says, what for? It’s not her fault the car overheated. Trina says she doesn’t think they’re going to get to Josslyn’s dad.

Alexis is working in the prison library, when Maggie asks if the warden is a friend of hers. Alexis says, no; why? and Maggie says, a cushy job like this needs connections. Just asking. Alexis hands Maggie two volumes, and says she pulled these books for her. They’ll help with her parole. Maggie thanks her, and says Alexis has been very helpful. She appreciates it. She adds, Alexis needs to watch out. Getting special treatment can put a target on your back. She leaves, and Alexis hears a voice saying he thinks he’s a bit overdue. She turns around to see Shawn, who says, hello, Alexis.

Britt tells Carly that she’s calling to tell her that her appointment has been rescheduled for Thursday, like she wanted. Carly thanks her, and says she’s feeling better already. Elizabeth approaches Britt and asks if she knows who installed all the new faces on the floor, like the janitor (i.e. the guy who was in Britt’s office yesterday) over there. Britt says she doesn’t know. HR approves new hires. Elizabeth asks if any of the new hires are security, or is one guard from Pentenville enough to handle Jason?

The guard says Cameron can’t be in Jason’s room, but Jason asks if he can stay. They need to talk.

Nina says, her friend can’t find his way back to Port Charles, so she’s going to drive him. Sonny says, good. The guy took a bullet. The least he deserves is a free ride, and a thermos full of Lenny’s coffee. She says she told him that she was going to drive to Port Charles; she didn’t say she was going to stay there. Sonny asks what she’s going to do. Drive there, and drop him off at his big mansion, and drive back? She says she’s going to take care of some stuff at Crimson, then she has a few loose ends to take care of. Then she’ll get in the car and drive back to Nixon Falls.  He says, it seems like a long drive to drop someone off and come back. Is her friend worth it? 

Jax tells Phyllis that he has a lot to prove to Nina, and he’s going to start by helping her be a part of her grandson’s life. He spoke to the boy’s father, and he seems open to it. Phyllis says she’s glad he’s doing what he can to help Nina see her grandson, and he says, but? She says she’s hoping it’s not just an avenue he’s using to win Nina back. He says, he loves her, and wants her back, but he wants her happiness more. She asks if he loves Nina enough to let her go.

Trina tells Josslyn, her mom’s motor club is sending someone. If they can’t fix it, they’ll tow them. They should be there within the hour. Josslyn says she’d hate to drive all this way to see her dad, and by the time they get there, he’s gone. Trina says, maybe they should have stuck to Plan A, and gone to the volleyball championship in Syracuse. At least they’d be with their friends. Josslyn says, sorry. She’d rather be pulled over there, with a check engine light. Sitting on the sidelines would be just another reminder that her final season is over, and so are her hopes for getting off the waitlist at SCU. Trina says she knows Josslyn is disappointed, but it’s Southern Coastal’s loss, and PCU’s gain. Think about how much fun they’ll have at PCU. Josslyn guesses she’s right, and Trina says, if Cameron bails on California, and joins them, that’s even better. Josslyn says she knows Trina is trying to make her feel better, but she has no idea what to do about Cameron right now. He’s convinced Jason killed Franco, and wants her to agree, but she won’t. She knows Jason didn’t do it. How do they get past that? Trina says, maybe start be realizing what’s going on between her and Cameron isn’t entirely about Jason. It’s also about Josslyn and Cameron.   

The guard says Cameron can talk to the prisoner, but the door stays open. He’ll be right outside. Cameron tells the guard, yes, sir. He says, Jason wanted to talk, so talk. Jason says, you go first. That’s why Cameron came there. Cameron tells him, he had a lot to say when he first found out Jason was there. Now that he sees Jason, he wants to see Jake’s father, the father Jake believes in so much, but he can’t. He just sees the person who killed Franco.

Britt asks if she has to remind Elizabeth that Jason is a patient there, and will be treated as such. Elizabeth says, so that guy over there has nothing to do with Jason? and Britt says, it might surprise Elizabeth, but HR doesn’t need to clear personnel decisions with the part-time nursing staff. Elizabeth says, something strange is going on. Jason is there for a minor stab wound, something that could have been treated in the prison infirmary. Why? Britt says, maybe it looked worse than it was. Maybe they were afraid of being sued by the Quartermaines. Who knows? Clearly, Jason’s presence there is upsetting Elizabeth. Maybe it’s time they had a talk about her status at GH.   

Carly asks Ava, what’s going on with Avery? and Ava says, Cyrus came by, and claimed he was there to see Nikolas. When she said Nikolas wasn’t there, Cyrus made himself at home anyway. Carly tells her to get to the part about Avery, and Ava says Nikolas thought if he got Cyrus’s mother back, Alexis would be kept safe in Pentenville. Laura says she told him he was making a deal with the devil, and Ava says, they all did. When she suggested to Cyrus that he had no further business with Nikolas, he started talking about family; how Nikolas was his nephew, and she was his niece-in-law. Then he picked up a photo of Avery, and pointed out how she bears a striking resemblance to her father. Carly says, that son of a bitch. Now does Laura see why Carly needs her help?

Nina tells Sonny that she’ll be gone two days, three tops. He says he’s glad to hear it. Who else would risk their toes being his dance partner? He asks if he can be a little pushy, and she says, why stop now? He says, it seems like she’s going out of her way for this guy who hurt her; keeping a secret about her child from her. What decent man does that? She says, he was trying to spare her some pain, which was not his decision to make. He should have trusted her enough to believe she was strong enough to face the truth. Eli comes in, and says, trust. That’s the key to every lasting relationship. Wouldn’t Mike/Sonny agree?

Jax tells Phyllis, if Nina is happier without him, of course (🍷) he’ll let her go. In the meantime, he reserves the right to at least try. She says she can tell he would move heaven and earth for Nina, if he could, and he says he would. She says, what if Nina’s not looking for a superhero, but just someone who will simply tell her the truth? He says, unlike him. He can assure Phyllis, it was an isolated incident. She says, one he can’t take back. Nina came there looking for a different life. It’s too soon to say if she found it, but if she decides she’s found a future there in Nixon Falls, then he has to let her choose it. She wishes him a safe journey, and he says, what if Nina decides her life is in Port Charles? Phyllis says, then he needs to step back, and let Nina come to him.

Josslyn tells Trina that she and Cameron were good until Franco was killed, and Cameron convinced himself Jason did it. Trina says, what if they weren’t? What if something was wrong between them already? Josslyn asks what Trina is trying to tell her, and Trina says she shouldn’t have mentioned it. It’s not her place to say. Josslyn says, since when has that stopped her? and Trina says, never, and Josslyn deserves to know. Josslyn says, know what? and Trina says, not what, who. May he rest in peace.

Alexis says, not that she’s complaining, but how did Shawn get access into the women’s wing? He says, special privilege; to access books the men’s wing doesn’t have on the shelves. Of course (🍷) he had to wait a couple of years to prove himself before they let him in. He asks what her secret is, and she says, they needed a library assistant, and everyone has always said she comes across bookish. He says, when TJ told him that she was sentenced there, he thought TJ made a mistake. She says, just a cavalcade of great personal errors, and he says, TJ told him that she pled guilty. She says she wanted to face the consequences, and as it happens, those consequences are right here. He asks if it’s true she stabbed Dante, and she says she went on a booze-fueled rampage, and almost killed Franco, but Dante got in the way. He says, that’s a lot, and she says it is. Does he remember how he couldn’t quit working for Sonny, and it ended with him being put in there? She couldn’t quit drinking, and it landed her there. He says she remembers them, and she says he’s not easy to forget. He says he doesn’t look back and try to figure out what might have been; not too much anyway. She says, eyes forward, and he says, something like that. She says, it turns out they’re family anyway; they’re in-laws. He says, Molly and TJ. Who knew when they met all those years ago as a couple of kids, they’d go the distance? She says, lucky them, and he agrees.

Elizabeth says she barely has any status left, and Britt says, the fact is, Elizabeth lost her husband, horribly and violently, and then came back to work too quickly. The head of infectious diseases asked that she be reassigned not to care for Detective Chase. If this pattern continues, Britt’s hands will be tied, and she can’t help. She thinks a leave of absence is in order – effective immediately

Cameron says, Jake keeps telling him that Jason didn’t do it. Jason says he told Jake the truth, and it’s exactly what he’ll tell Cameron. Cameron wonders if Jason is going to make him ask if he did it. He already knows the answer. Jason says, based on what? Cameron wasn’t there; he doesn’t know what happened. Cameron says, the cops think he did it. They arrested Jason and sent him to prison. Jason says, to await trial. He’s innocent until proven guilty. Cameron says that works great for Jason. He thinks he’ll get away with it, and why not? Jake thinks he’s a hero, Josslyn thinks he’s so great, but Franco is his hero, and he was an art therapist, not a killer like Jason.

Ava says, the way Cyrus was admiring that photo, you could practically hear it would be a shame if anything happened to her tanging in the air. Laura says, this has got to stop, and Carly asks if that means Laura will help her. Ava asks, help with what? but Carly says it doesn’t concern Ava. Ava tells Carly, if it concerns her mother-in-law and her daughter, she’d say it concerns her. Carly says, Ava chose to back Nikolas, who put them in the position of losing the leverage they had left, and Ava tells her, give it a rest. Carly kidnapped a sick old lady. Laura says, in fairness, Florence was well-cared for and happy, but when they had her, they had a check on Cyrus. That check is gone now. Ava says, Nikolas thought he was helping his aunt, and Laura says she knows, but the reality is that Cyrus has been unleashed. Carly says, Nikolas made a huge mistake, so if they find they have the devil at their door, that’s on them.  She’ll do anything to help Avery, but she’s not going to rescue Ava. Ava says she’s not there to ask for help. She’s there to offer it.

Sonny asks how long Eli was listening to their private conversation, and Eli says, does Sonny mean when did he walk into an open public establishment and hear the tail end of a conversation? Just now. Sonny asks where at the tail end did Eli feel there were asking him to give input? and Nina says, enough. She has to go to the clinic, get her friend, and drive him to Port Charles. While she’s gone, are they going to play nice, or does she have to call Lenny to referee? Sonny says he’s got work to do, and Eli tells her, don’t worry; they’ll behave. He hopes she hurries back. It’s not the same without her. She gets her bag, and smiles at Sonny. When she’s gone, Eli tells Sonny, Nina is right. They don’t have to be enemies. They want the same thing. Sonny says, what’s that? and Eli says, they both care about Nina, Lenny and Phyllis, and Nixon Falls, but thanks to the robbery the other night, the town he loves, the town Sonny adopted as his new home, is teetering on brink. Sonny says, and whose fault is that, Elijah?

Josslyn asks if this is about Oscar, but Trina says, it’s about Dev. She didn’t want to say anything because the loss is so fresh, but it’s been there, bubbling beneath the surface undermining Josslyn’s friendship with Cameron, and she didn’t even know it. Josslyn says, know what? and Trina says, before he died, Dev did something selfish, almost borderline creepy. He somehow found her journal, and showed it to Cameron. Josslyn asks if that’s why her journal is missing, and Trina says, yeah. She asks when Trina found out, and why she waited so long to say something. Trina says, it didn’t seem important, and happened a long time ago, but Josslyn says she thinks she should be the judge of that. Trina says she didn’t want to tarnish Dev’s memory, and Josslyn says she can see that. Trina says, and Cameron is still upset, and Josslyn says, he’s upset because Dev took her journal? Trina says, he’s upset about what was in it, and Josslyn says Trina lost her. What upset Cameron? Trina tells Josslyn that she’s already said too much. Josslyn needs to ask Cameron. The tow guy shows up, and says, Dr. Robinson? Trina thanks him for coming so quick, and tells him the car was overheating. He says, I’ll see what I can do about that, doc.  

Elizabeth says, a leave of absence is the last thing she needs. She needs more work. Britt asks if it’s about money, and Elizabeth says, of course (🍷) it’s about the money, but the only helping her heal is to work. Please reconsider. Britt says, okay. They’ll table the discussion for now, but take the rest of the day off – with pay. Britt will cover Elizabeth’s shift. Elizabeth starts to protest, but Britt says, go home. Elizabeth leaves, and the custodian watches.

Jason says he gets that Cameron needs to blame someone, but that doesn’t make it true. Cameron says, what makes it true is Jason pulling the trigger and murdering his stepfather. Britt comes in, and says, what’s going on? She asks what Cameron is doing, and Cameron says, he hopes they keep Jason nice and safe. He hopes Jason has a long life in prison, and dies and old man behind bars. He leaves, and Jason says, let him go. Britt says, he’s a charmer, and tells the guard that she needs to examine Jason, closing the door. She asks what that was about, and Jason says Cameron thinks he killed Franco. Britt says, Cameron is clearly in pain. Why doesn’t Jason help him, and tell him that it was Peter?

Ava tells Carly, Cyrus put Lulu in a coma, and put Jason in prison. She wouldn’t be surprised if he had something to do with what happened to Sonny. Now he’s threatening Ava’s husband and daughter. He’s threatening their girl. As much as Ava doesn’t like admitting it, Avery is theirs. Tell her what they’re up to, and let her help. Laura says she was on the fence until she heard Cyrus’s latest threat, against a child. They have to do something, and they have to do it now and do it together. All of them.

Eli says he hopes Mike/Sonny isn’t blaming him for Nixon Falls failing economy. Brick and mortar is suffering everywhere. Even Drummond’s Pawn Shop is struggling, and it thrives when people are forced to sell. Sonny says, hard times. He’s not blaming Eli for the economy, but he’s not sure about the robbery at the firehouse. Eli says Sonny thinks he had something… and Sonny says, Eli did leave before the shooting started. Eli says, he’s responsible because he wasn’t there? Mike/Sonny was in the thick of it, and not for the first time. Like he told Lenny, crime seems to follow Mike/Sonny wherever he goes. Why is that? What is the secret to his terrible timing?

Nina asks Jax how he’s doing, and he says he’s been released. He signed the paperwork, and back to Port Charles he goes. She asks if he’s walking back. She knows he can’t fly the plane with his shoulder like that. He says, of course (🍷), he’s made other arrangements, and she says, cancel them. She has a full tank of gas, and a thermos full of Lenny’s coffee. She’s driving him back home. She’s parked out front, and ready to roll. He says he’s sorry. He appreciates it, but he’s afraid he has to decline.

Alexis asks what made Shawn decide to get a business degree, and he says he spent the first few years proving how tough he was. Survival of the fittest. She says she’s familiar with that. Unfortunately, Darwin isn’t her friend there.  He says, he figured he had to take something from this place besides battle scars, so he started a group for inmates suffering from PTSD. That’s how he got access to the library. He started reading about business, and discovered he had a knack for it. She says, so here he is, and he says, one day, he’ll put it to use, if he lives that long. She says here’s hoping they both get out of there. She had a close call. He says, just one? and she says, a special one. He says she doesn’t look banged up, and she says, somebody intervened. He says, maybe someone got a notice from someone on the outside? and she says, something like that. She’s sure Sonny looked out for him when he was in there, and Shawn says, he was, but he knew he could trust Sonny. If someone comes to her with a deal that sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Jason says Britt saw how angry Cameron was. If he knew the truth… Britt says he’s right. Cameron would probably get in Peter’s face with the whole, you killed Franco and now I’m going to make you pay, and then Peter would kill him too. It’s good of Jason to take the hit. As long as Cameron keeps his anger directed at Jason, he should be safe. Jason says, until they can prove Peter did this. She smiles, and he says, what? She says, for an unfeeling killer, he can be kind of sweet. He says she shouldn’t be there, but she says it’s the only place they can have a private conversation. He says, Cyrus could be watching, and she says, that ship has sailed; Cyrus already called her out for spending too much time with him.

New custodian wheels his supplies past Jason’s room. He goes around the corner, and calls Cyrus. He says, she’s in with Jason now… He can’t hear. The door is closedOkay. He’ll let Cyrus know. He watches as Britt sits down by Jason’s bed.

Carly says she doesn’t know what part Ava can play in this, and Ava says Carly is always accusing her of being ruthless. Now’s her chance to use that ruthlessness to her advantage. Laura says, Ava is right. Carly should listen to her. The one thing Carly and Ava have in common is their love for Avery, like she and Ava have their love for Nikolas in common. Let’s be real. They all have their reasons to distrust one another, but the one thing they can all agree on is, nothing is more important than their children. This man has taken her daughter from her, and she’s not going to stand by and watch him take Nikolas too. Whatever Carly has planned, she doesn’t want to know about it, but maybe Ava can help. Carly says she thinks Laura is right. Working together is the only way to stop Cyrus. Ava asks what she can do, and Carly says, call Cyrus and invite him to dinner at Windymere tonight.   

Sonny tells Eli, great question. He goes day to day, minding his own business, and trouble seems to come out of nowhere, like somebody wants bad things to happen to him, and has the force to make it happen. Maybe it’s just his paranoia talking. Does Eli know what the one good thing about Nina leaving is? Eli won’t be able to use her to pump up interest in Nixon Falls while he drives the real estate prices down. Eli says he doesn’t follow, and Sonny says, Eli’s friends keep buying real estate, and everyone is selling. Nina’s article comes out, and everybody says, Nixon Falls is a great destination; everybody’s got to go there. And when they come, Eli will sell – at a profit. Is he right? Eli says, that’s fascinating. For a guy who doesn’t know his own name, he sure has it figured out. Sonny yells that he’s got Eli figured out, Eli yells back, and they start with the no, you stuff. Phyllis comes in and asks if this is the thanks she gets for taking both of them in, and treating them like family. Is this how they disrespect her?  

Nina says Jax came all this way to talk to her, and she offers to spend hours on the road with him, and he turns her down? Jax says, let’s be honest. The two of them in a car after all that’s been said… She says he’s probably right. It’s a bad idea. He says, besides, he’s already made arrangements for a car and driver; they’re waiting outside. Josslyn walks in, and asks if someone asked for a driver. Don’t just stand there. Come hug your daughter… or don’t. What happened to his arm? He’d said it was a minor injury. He says, it’s fine. The bullet barely grazed his shoulder.

Elizabeth asks Cameron what he’s doing there, and he asks why she didn’t tell him that he was there. She says he means Jason. Please don’t tell her that he tried to see Jason. That’s exactly why she didn’t tell him; she wanted to spare him. He says, Jake and Josslyn kept saying Jason didn’t do it. Part of him thought maybe there was something decent in Jason. Jake loves him, so he can’t be all bad. But he is.

Britt tells Jason that she’d better be on her way, before the guard thinks she’s giving him preferential treatment. She wouldn’t want it to get back to the boss. He says, this is her last chance; she doesn’t have to do this. She says she knows the risks to her or anyone she cares about. Thankfully, it’s a small list. She puts her shaking hand in her pocket, and says, nobody lives forever. It’s how you live that matters. She spent a lot of her life on the wrong side. It’s about time she tried the right one. Jason says, but there’s one more thing he needs her to do.

Ava says, excuse her? and Carly says, Ava heard her. Invite Cyrus to dinner. Ava asks if she should make it a family affair, and Carly says, even better. Ava asks how a dinner party is going to neutralize Cyrus, and Carly says, trust has its limits. Call the man. The clock is ticking, and they’re running out of time.

Jax tells Josslyn, yes, it was an act of courage and heroism, and Nina says, he’s not wrong. Jax says he can tell her the rest on the drive home, and Nina says, they have a long drive ahead of them. They should probably hit the road. Jax says, especially in an ankle boot. How did Josslyn get there? He thought she was supposed to go to the state tournaments, and that her ankle was healing. Josslyn says, they’ll talk on the way home, as soon as Trina gets back with the car. Nina says, Trina is here too? and Josslyn says they borrowed her mom’s car. Trina was starving, so she dropped Josslyn off and went to get something to eat. Nina says, so she went to a drive-through? but Josslyn says, she wanted to go to a super cute place they saw on their way here. It’s called the Tan-O.   

Sonny apologizes to Phyllis. He meant no disrespect. Eli says, him either; no excuses. He tells Mike/Sonny, no hurt feelings? and they shake hands. Phyllis says she knows they’re putting on a show right now, but she hopes they actually take the opportunity to learn how to get along. Eli says he’s willing to bury the hatchet if Mike/Sonny is, and Sonny shrugs, saying, that’s part of the show, but if it’s what Phyllis wants, it’s what they’ll do. Eli says, absolutely, and leaves. Phyllis tells Sonny, he knows she can read his tone, and he says, it’s just the fact that Eli thinks he can snow Phyllis that’s disrespectful. Phyllis asks if that’s what Sonny is doing right now, but he says at least he’s telling the truth. That takes some honesty. She says, nice save. She still needs something from him. He says, name it, and she says if he wants Nina to be happy in Nixon Falls, help make it a place where she finds peace, and harmony, not shouting and aggression. Can he manage that? He says he can do that, and she says she believes he can do better than that. He asks if she ever gets tired of being right, and she says, never. Now get to work. He laughs, and they go into the back. Trina comes in the Tan-O.    

Alexis asks if Shawn is telling her to refuse help if it comes from the inside or the outside, and he says, that depends. If it comes from someone like Cyrus Renault, that kind of favor comes at a price. She asks what she should do; quit her job the first day to get the target off her back. He says, hell no. How else could he see his favorite in-law? Just remember, she’s got a friend inside too.

Elizabeth tells Cameron, Jason’s not all bad, but Cameron asks how she can say that. She saw him looming over Franco’s body. She says she saw the way he was talking to Jake. He says Jason lied in Jake’s face. She knows Jason is guilty as well as he does.

On the phone, Ava says she was thinking about what Cyrus said about the importance of family. She’d like to invite him to dinner with her and Nikolas at Windymere. Not just the three of them. She’s invited Martin… If they’re having difficulty in communicating, she’s sure Laura will… Yes, Laura is going to be there… Oh yes, she agreed to come. Dare I say, she’s looking forward to it. It will be a true family affair.

Britt says she knows it’s a change of pace for Jason. She senses asking people for things, such as help, isn’t something he does well. What can she do for him? He says she needs to leave, and she says, and go where? He says, if things go sideways, she needs deniability, from the cops and Cyrus. She says, okay. She’ll take herself to the MetroCourt, and have a very public drink, while all hell is breaking loose there. Get that bastard of a brother of hers. And while he’s at it, try not to die. As his doctor, she would take that personally.

As Carly and Ava walk Laura to the door, Laura says, well done, and Ava thanks her. Laura says she’s going home to try and wrap her mind around what she just agreed to. It should be a night to remember. Laura leaves, and Ava tells Carly, she’ll keep Cyrus at Windymere for as long as she possibly can, and good luck with whatever Carly’s part of the plan is. Carly says, wait. She believes Ava is doing this to keep Avery safe, and believes Ava will keep her end of the bargain, but if she’s wrong, and this is a double-cross… Ava says, it’s not. For once, they’re on the same side. Cyrus won’t know what hit him.

On Monday, Cyrus wonders why they’re at Windymere, Carly tells Spinelli that she doesn’t like it at all, and the guard tells Jason, it’s time to go.

💣 It Would Have Been Chaos…

Sonny almost gave GH the slip.

🕶 Save the Date…

On May 21st, GH will pay tribute to one of our favorite spies.

🍀 Lucky Gets Lucky…

Funny though, no mention of GH.

https://screenrant.com/walking-dead-season-11-cast-jacob-young/

🦞 No Vote For You…

Not unless she gets a purse full of lobsters.

https://pagesix.com/2021/04/28/sonja-morgan-wont-vote-for-ex-rhony-star-barbara-kavovit-for-mayor/

🗽 New New York…

What’s to come on RHONY.

‘Real Housewives of New York’ Fans Will Not Believe Who Pops Up in the Season 13 Premiere

New Wife Eboni and Leah have a pregame dish.

https://extratv.com/videos/it-s-a-new-era-eboni-k-williams-and-leah-mcsweeney-dish-on-rhony-season-13/

🏆 Oscars So Low Rated…

Even lower than the Snow White fiasco.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/26/media/oscars-ratings-2021/index.html

The search for answers.

https://www.cinemablend.com/new/4-Possible-Reasons-Oscar-Ratings-Were-Down-Year-115297.html

💐 Tra-La It’s May…

The lowdown on May Day.

https://www.bhg.com/holidays/traditions/what-is-may-day/

🤯 Mind Officially Blown…

My favorite drag queen of all time does a Jackson duet. (See below for full video.)

🌬 Quotes of the Week

The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible. – Arthur C. Clarke

Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action. – William James

You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. – Jim Rohn

Rejection is an opportunity for your selection. – Bernard Branson

You’ve got to learn to leave the table when love’s no longer being served. – Nina Simone

Even if it makes others uncomfortable, I will love who I am. – Janelle Monáe

If you prioritize yourself, you are going to save yourself. – Gabrielle Union

Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is.Vince Lombardi

One child, one teacher, one pen, and one book can change the world. – Malala Yousafzai

Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn’t know it so it goes on flying anyway. – Mary Kay Ash

Confidence comes not from always being right, but from not fearing to be wrong. – Peter McIntyre

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

The soul always knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind. – Caroline Myss

We can’t even get cable TV here, and you want romance. – Linda Barrett (Phoebe Cates), Fast Times at Ridgemont High

🐧 Sliding Back Out Like…

Here it is again, those days once known as the weekend, before darkness fell on the land. But I hear they might be a thing again soon, so start practicing. And no matter which day it is, stay safe, stay lighthearted, and stay not being selfish and/or borderline creepy by stealing someone’s journal.

April 26, 2021 – Jax Swears He Saw Sonny, Disco Party On Deck, a Tower, Everything Oscar, I Want One, Long Time Coming & Fight

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Chase thanks the nurse, and she says she’ll be back to put on his gown, but Willow says she can do that. She says she thinks Chase could use some pampering, and asks how he’s feeling. He says, better. The meds knocked him out, and he slept like a rock. He tells her that she looks rested and beautiful, and she says she got a lot done. A shower and a nap, she managed a ticklefest with Wiley, and she still had time to get him some herbal tea from Perks. He thanks her, and she hands him the cup, but he drops it.

Finn runs tests on what’s left of the vial. Anna asks if she can come in, and he says, sure. He probably said things he shouldn’t have. She was right about the vial that Peter smashed. He doesn’t know if it was the antidote, but it wasn’t water. She asks if he’s had any luck.

Peter calls Maxie, and says, good morning, sunshine. If she’s anything like me, she immediately wants to punch him in the face, but she says good morning to him too. He asks how she’s feeling. Is she up for a quick visit? She says she had a restless night, and so did James. He says he can take James off her hands so she can rest, but she says, no need to. Spinelli and Georgie have James with them today. Hold on. She needs to get the cuff off of her arm. Britt gave her a blood pressure monitor, and her pressure is a little elevated. She should rest; maybe take a nap. He says, at this rate, the next time he sees her, the baby will be born. She says she’s just following doctor’s orders. Have a good day. She hangs up, and he frowns at the phone. He sends a text. 

Finn tells Anna, the compound breaks down as soon as it’s exposed to oxygen. If the vial had been intact, he might have been able to analyze the residue, but even then, whoever designed it, really didn’t want it duplicated. She asks how Chase is, and he says, stable, for the moment, but he’s not being lulled into a false sense of security. Anna gets a text from Peter, saying, time is running out for Chase. He wants to see Maxie now. She tells Finn, she’ll let him get on with it. Good luck. He thanks her, and she leaves. Elizabeth comes in, and asks Finn how it’s going. He says, not good. He doesn’t know what’s going to happen to Chase.

Olivia opens the door to Dante, and he says, before they get into why she wanted him there, he wants to thank her. She says, for what? and he says, for showing up for him and Rocco, buying Rocco clothes, and for being her. She says she’s had a lot of practice with boys. He says, she went to Mike’s grave? and she says she did. She saw Maxie there at Nathan’s grave, but Maxie didn’t see her. She’s worried about Maxie.

On the phone, Brook says, Tracy already knows she’s a great grammy… Why would she think Brook wants something?… Actually, she was calling because she’s in a sticky situation, and needs a big favor from the one family member she can trust.

Sonny pours Lenny a cup of coffee, and Lenny says he appreciates the caffeine. He was awake most of the night worrying after what happened. Sonny wonders why in the hell someone would rob a barn dance? and Lenny says, Nina’s friend was injured. Sonny asks if he’s heard anything, and Lenny says, Phyllis called and said he’ll be fine. Nina is torn up about it. She went from being angry at him to being too afraid to leave his side. He wouldn’t be surprised if Nina ends up going back to him, and Sonny says, maybe. Lenny asks how he feels about that.   

Nina sits at Jax’s bedside. Phyllis comes in, and Nina says, he hasn’t opened his eyes once, but Phyllis says, that’s normal. He’s still sleeping off the sedative. Doctor Madison said he’ll be fine. Nina should go back to the house and rest. Nina says she’s not going anywhere. Jax could have died. Phyllis says, clearly, Nina still has feelings for him. Is she going to take him back? Nina asks, who says Jax wants her back?

Dante tells Olivia, Maxie has it rough with Peter, but at least she didn’t end up marrying the guy. She asks if Dante has seen Maxie lately, but he says, not since after the wake. He’s been meaning to get around to it. Olivia tells him, then get around to it. See if he can help Maxie. She’s at loose ends like him. She overheard Maxie pouring her heart out at Nathan’s grave. She’s a lost soul, and Olivia figured he could relate.

Brook says, granny, listen. She has a plan to make the family the majority stock holders again, and Valentin agreed. But she needs a real baby instead of one strapped to her… Don’t get judgy. Tracy has done worse for less reason. Doesn’t she live in Amsterdam or somewhere? Isn’t there a black market for babies there?… Hello? She says Tracy hung up on her. On to Plan B.  

Anna knocks on Maxie’s door, and says she needs to speak to Maxie; it’s important. Maxie opens the door, and asks, what part of she doesn’t want to talk to Anna, and never will, does Anna not understand? Anna says, sorry to disturb her. How is she? Maxie says she’s okay, but if Anna was concerned, she’d know Maxie needs rest and is supposed to avoid stress, including her. So, bye. Anna says she hates to ask, but she needs a bit of a favor. Maxie laughs, and Anna asks if she’d agree to a visit from Peter. Maxie says, get out.

Willow wipes up the mess, and apologizes that the cup was so hot, but Chase says she has nothing to be sorry for. The heat wasn’t the problem. He expected to take it from her, but keeps forgetting that his hands and feet are useless. She says, they aren’t useless; temporarily impaired. And the clean-up is nothing. Wiley flung a bowl of cereal around this morning. Chase says he wishes he’d been there to see it, and Willow says, it was adorable, until she had to clean up the mess. He thanks her for taking the time to see him, and she says, Michael has Wiley at the Quartermaines’. He says he keeps hoping they give him something for the neuropathy, so he can go home while they figure the rest out. He wants to go back to some sort of normal.   

Finn says he’s trying to pinpoint the cause of Chase’s symptoms, and Elizabeth says Finn was supposed to take a leave from the case. He says he knows, and closes the door. The doctor in charge told him to do whatever he needs to, to save Chase. She says she saw Anna leave; is everything okay? He says, these days, things are always awkward. They try to make them not awkward, but… She says she gets it. It’s not that remote. It’s not the same, but she’s glad she’s not on the tenth floor. Jason was admitted. He was stabbed and sent there for treatment. Jake doesn’t know, and she doesn’t think she’s going to tell him, since Jason should make a full recovery. There’s so much tension in the house already. Cameron is still convinced Jason killed Franco. He asks if she’s still convinced. 

Nina tells Jax that she’s so sorry all of this happened. When he showed up, she realized how much craziness she was keeping in. She knows he saw Sonny, and he’s going to be on the phone with Carly so fast, Nina won’t know what hit her. She’ll face the consequences. It doesn’t matter. What does matter is, she needs him to be okay. She needs him to wake up. Please. He stirs, opens his eyes, and says, Sonny.

Sonny tells Lenny, he likes Nina; they’re good friends. Lenny says they looked smooth on the dance floor, and Sonny says, she’s a great dancer. She knows all the right moves. Lenny says Sonny does too, and not just with dancing. Phyllis told him how Sonny got the jump on the thug. According to Nina, her ex didn’t hesitate either. It’s lucky the two of them were around last night. Sonny says, something strange happened. Nina’s friend was pointing at him like he had something to say to him.

Nina says, Sonny? She certainly wasn’t expecting that to be the first name that Jax said. Jax says he thought he saw Sonny, but that can’t be possible, because… He says Nina is really there, and she says she is. He says, it’s nice to see her, and she says, likewise. How does he feel? He says, now that she mentions it, his shoulder hurts a lot. Where is he? She says, he doesn’t remember? He’s in Nixon Falls, Pennsylvania. He asks, what happened to him? and she says they were at a dance, and there was an attempted robbery. He was trying to protect her and got shot. She’s so sorry he was hurt, but thanks God that he’s going to be okay. He says he’s glad she’s safe, but she says, she’s not the one who just had surgery. The doctor says he’ll be fine, and make a full recovery. He says, it’s kind of ironic. He came there from Port Charles and got shot. It’s a sleepy town, where Port Charles is known for organized crime. He just thinks of all the violence Sonny’s business inflicted on the town before he died.

Dante tells Olivia that he hasn’t missed one of his sessions with Doc, and he’s in good shape. She says she sees he’s getting stronger all the time, and he asks why she’s saying he can help Maxie. She says he knows how hard it is to fight your way back, and he says Maxie has his number. She knows she can call him any time. Olivia says, what if he was the one who reached out? It would mean the world to Maxie if she knew he was thinking about her.

Back on the phone, Brook says, grandpa, cheerio… It’s his granddaughter… Ned’s daughter… Okay, fine. Lord Larry it is then… No thanks. She’s not interested in investing in bitcoin. She’s calling because she needs a favor. She needs his help… Needs his help… She practically shouts, I need help, and Olivia and Dante run in. Olivia asks, what’s wrong? and Dante says they heard her asking for help.

Willow ties Chase’s hospital gown, and he says she does that surprisingly well. She says he’s a breeze; Wiley is squirmier. She says she’s not sure he’ll be discharged today. They might want more mobility. He says he wishes he knew what was going on. It’s so random. He hardly gets sick. She says she has every confidence Finn will figure out a treatment. She takes his hand, and he says he’s starting to get scared.

Elizabeth tells Finn, she’s conflicted and confused. She told the police what she saw, and she’s standing be her story. Franco was shot in the chest, and Jason was kneeling over him. She didn’t see a gun, and Jason could have been helping Franco, but a witness saw Jason ditch the gun. If the witness is wrong, she’s back to the same question. If Jason didn’t kill Franco, who did? Finn flashes back to Anna telling him that Peter did it, and he tells Elizabeth that she has to trust the system works. If Jason is innocent, they’ll find the real killer. She thanks him, and says she’ll hold on to that. She knows he’s got work, but she stopped by to tell him that they got his order to draw blood from Chase again. He says he’d like it as soon ask possible. He thanks her, and she leaves.

Maxie says this is Anna’s day to be unreasonable, isn’t it? Anna showed up there uninvited, refused to leave, and now she’s asking Maxie to see Peter. Anna says, the arrangements she made to deal with Peter didn’t pan out. The only way to keep him from doing more damage is for him to visit Maxie. Maxie says, Anna is selling her out again. First, Anna was going to let Maxie marry Peter, now she’s trying to convince Maxie to see him. Is there more? Does she have to promise to be nice, or agree to other visits? Anna says she’s sure Peter is going to push for more, but Maxie says, there won’t be more because she refuses. Anna says, please. It’s not about her. It’s to save someone who is in a great deal of trouble.

Lenny tells Sonny, people in shock say and do all kinds of things that make no sense. He supposes he should be grateful Jax stepped in to save Nina, and he appreciates Sonny stepping in to save Phyllis. Sonny says he’d do anything for Phyllis and Lenny; they’ve done a lot for him. Lenny says, it’s a comfort to have a hero around the place. Jax is a hero too. He wonders which of them impressed Nina more, and Sonny says, it’s not a competition. If Nina wants Jax, so be it. Lenny asks if Sonny would miss her, and he says, sure. Lenny says he knew it, and Sonny wonders who would rob a firehouse dance. Lenny says, the police are investigating. They’re questioning everyone who was there. He got a call this morning, asking if he saw anything suspicious before he left. Sonny wonders if it’s all related. Maybe it’s the same people who trashed the place. Lenny says, the police will figure it out. It’s almost time to open. 

Nina tells Jax, she’s been so isolated, she had no idea what was happening in Port Charles, or not. He says, there’s been a downtick in crime. He doesn’t know if it will last, but it sure seems like it. She says she didn’t realize Sonny’s organization was such a threat, and he says, Sonny is a magnet for trouble. His competitors are always trying to take him down, but since he’s been gone, there’s less crime. Maybe Josslyn could have some kind of normal life, and concentrate on teen drama, instead of being pulled into mob drama. He asks if she let Carly and Josslyn know what happened to him.

Eli comes by the Tan-O looking for Nina, but Sonny says she went to the clinic. Eli asks how her friend is, and Sonny says he was wondering how all that happened. Who would do that? Eli says, the police are trying to figure out the same thing, and Sonny says, why doesn’t Eli tell him?

Brook tells Olivia and Dante, she was making a call, and the baby’s kung fu kicks startled her. Olivia says she’s worried. Brook doesn’t seem to have given a thought to what it means to be a parent; how your life changes. She seems more interested in using the baby as a bargaining chip for Valentin’s ELQ shares. She thought Brook stepped off that idea. Brook says, actually, she made the deal, and Olivia says she traded access to her child for stock shares? Brook says the way she looks at it, Valentin is the father, and already has rights and access to the baby. The Quartermaines might as well get something good out of it. Olivia says, Mary, Mother of God, and Brook says, the only problem is that he won’t give her the shares until the baby is born. Dante wonders why that’s a problem.

Elizabeth tells Chase that she needs to draw his blood for more tests. Chase says, they’re still running tests? He was hoping they were moving on to treatment. Finn says he was too, but he’s come up with zero in the area of what’s causing Chase’s symptoms. Chase asks what he knows, and Finn says they’re dealing with a toxin of some kind. Chase asks if Finn is saying he’s been poisoned.

Maxie tells Anna, she’ll bite. Who will benefit from her visit with Peter? Anna says she can’t say, and Maxie says, of course (🍷). Anna says, it’s too dangerous, but she wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. Maxie says, Anna doesn’t get it, does she? When Maxie was little, she had no idea what a godmother was. She thought Anna was her fairy godmother, but there’s no magic in her, is there? Only lies and a willingness to sacrifice others for her purposes. Anna says, yes, she should have told Maxie about Peter before the wedding, but she didn’t. She can’t change that, but she can do better, and tell Maxie the truth.

Finn says Chase was exposed to a toxic substance, and Chase says, like pesticides? Finn says, yes, but Chase says he hasn’t been around any pesticides. He hasn’t worked any cases in a warehouse or farm, and he lives in an apartment. There are no bug sprays or bugs. (Clearly, he doesn’t live in NYC.) Willow says, there was that one time, and he says he couldn’t bring himself to kill it, but Willow was freaking out; he saw her. He asks what kinds of toxins there are, and Finn says, there are toxins found in nature, bacteria, and manufactured toxins like anthrax. Chase asks where that leaves them, and Finn says he’ll do more tests to isolate the substance affecting Chase.

Maxie looks at the text Peter sent Anna, and says, Peter did this? He tried to poison Finn, and got Chase. Anna says, yeah, and Maxie says, she almost married him. Anna says she’s sorry, and Maxie asks how Chase is doing. Anna says, his condition is deteriorating. Chase’s life is in Peter’s hands. Maxie says, all over a visit to her? and Anna says she hates all of this. Maxie can do this for Chase. To literally save his life, she can agree to a visit from Peter. 

Brook says, not that she owes Olivia or Dante an explanation, she made a deal, hoping to get something positive out of the pregnancy. Olivia says, other than an actual human baby, and Brook says, of course (🍷) she loves and wants the baby, but her point is, why not also get ELQ back? Now it’s not a deal until after she gives birth. Dante asks what difference it makes, and Brook says, Valentin could change the terms. He could want to be a bigger part of the baby’s life than she’s willing to give him. Olivia asks what Brook expects, using the baby as a bargaining chip? What does she think her father would say? Dante says Olivia should give Brook credit. She’s the mother of a child, doing what she believes is best for the baby’s family, like Olivia did with him and Sonny. No one questioned Olivia’s choices.

Eli tells Sonny, enough with the accusations about what he knows. Sonny tells him not to get worked up. Doesn’t he have his ear to the ground? Why is he so defensive? Eli says he’s sick of being Sonny’s target. Take his accusations, and go back to where he came from. Sonny says he would if he could, and Eli says, convenient memory loss. Sonny says, speaking of which, Eli left before the gunman made a move. Eli says, so? and Sonny says, the cops don’t know that, and he left it out of his interview. If Eli comes around again, he won’t forget. Sonny leaves, and Lenny comes back. He asks if Eli heard about the attempted robbery, and Eli says, it was all over the news. Lenny asks, where’s Mike? but Eli says he doesn’t know, doesn’t care, and he’s glad Mike is gone. He’s worried about Lenny and Phyllis. How well do they really know this Mike?   

Nina tells Jax that she thought about calling Carly, but after the doctor said he was stable, she didn’t want to worry them. Jax thanks her, saying he wouldn’t want them to worry. They have enough stress. Josslyn is in the middle of her college admissions. Nina asks how that’s going, and he says, good. She was waitlisted on her first choice, but she got into PCU and another college. He asked her to fly up with him. Nina says, he flew? and he says he took the Cessna, but Josslyn turned him down. Good thing she did. She missed the excitement last night. Nina says, it would have been terrible if Josslyn had been there, and Jax says he doesn’t want Josslyn near anymore gunfire or shooting from now on. Maybe with Sonny being gone, it’s a real possibility.

Jax tells Nina, there’s so much he wants to say. He needs to clear something up about last night after he was shot. He said Sonny’s name when he woke up… A nurse comes in, and says she needs to check on Jax. Nina can stay if it’s okay with him. Jax says, it’s more than okay, and Nina says, then she’s staying.

Outside Jax’s room, Phyllis says it’s nice of Sonny to stop by. He asks how Nina’s friend is, and she says, a nurse is in with him at the moment. They’ll have to wait.

Dante says, Olivia doesn’t mean any harm. She’s just trying to look out for Brook. Peace? Brook says she’s good, and Olivia says, fine. Dante says, good. He’s going to go; play nice. Olivia tells him, don’t forget what she said about Maxie. He leaves, and Brook asks why Olivia is fixated on Maxie. Olivia says she knows Maxie is having a difficult time. She’s desperate to be a good mother to this child, but look who the father is. She knows Valentin is no hero, but he’s lightyears ahead of Peter. Valentin is a good father, so even if Brook isn’t as committed to the idea of motherhood as Maxie is, she’ll have Valentin. She’ll have her family around her, giving her support. Brook asks if Olivia is implying she won’t be a good mother, and Olivia says, it helps to have help. Brook asks if Olivia has forgotten that she left Brook with Leo as a newborn. Not only did she return him in one piece, she was willing to risk her life if Julian came around. She was flattered that Olivia trusted her then. She admired Olivia for doing what she had to do to keep her baby safe. Olivia says, it was the hardest thing she ever had to do, and now Maxie is facing the same nightmare. Brook asks what Maxie has to do with any of this.

Maxie tells Anna, she called Spinelli, and he’s going to keep James for the day. Anna asks if Maxie knows what she’s going to do, and Maxie says, the thing is, she’s already been playing games with Peter, giving him enough contact to keep him pacified while she figures out her next move. Anna tells her, be careful, and Maxie says, that was the plan, but plans change. She’s not going to let Peter kill Chase. Anna says she’s so grateful. She’s really sorry she let things get this far. Maxie says, Anna saw what she wanted to see in Peter, and she can’t blame Anna for that. She did the same thing. There’s a knock at the door, and Maxie says, he’s here. Anna says, Maxie called him? and Maxie says, after Anna told him about Chase, and before she called Spinelli. She’s sorry; she should have told Anna. Anna says, don’t give anything away. If Peter even has an inkling Maxie knows about the toxin, he’ll let Chase die. Maxie says she knows how to handle this, and Anna says she knows. Maxie says, show time? and Anna says, show time. Maxie answers the door, and Peter says, hello, beautiful. Is she feeling better? Maxie says she is. Her fairy godmother came and sprinkled fairy dust on her, so she’s feeling a lot better. Peter comes in and sees Anna, who smiles at him.

Finn says he doesn’t want Chase to worry. He’s working around the clock to see if any known toxins match up with Chase’s symptoms. Elizabeth says, the lab is working non-stop too, and Finn says, they have their hands full. It’s tedious work. Chase wonders why he gets the feeling there’s something Finn isn’t telling him, and Finn says, he’s doing everything he can to help Chase. He has to. He leaves, and Elizabeth tells Chase, hang in there, and follows. Willow sits on the bed, and asks if Chase can try not to worry, and trust Finn. He says he trusts her. He remembers when Michael told him that he and Sasha broke up. He thought if they couldn’t make it work, how could they? But he was wrong. That was a long time ago, and they’re married now. We’re going to make it, baby. Just you and me.

Dante calls someone, and says, Sylvie. He has something on his mind. Maybe she can help him sort it out.

Elizabeth asks a nurse to take Chase’s blood to the lab; she needs to talk to Finn. She asks if Finn wants to get some coffee, and maybe a bagel. She has the feeling he hasn’t eaten. He says, no; he can’t take the time. She says sorry he’s under so much pressure, but he says, you get used to it. She says, Chase is right, isn’t he? There’s something about his condition Finn isn’t telling him. What is it?

Willow asks what Chase is talking about, and he says, their beautiful wedding, and how happy they are. He’s the luckiest man alive. She says he’s confused. They’re not married. Chase has a seizure.

Maxie says she’ll put the flowers Peter gave her in water, and then she’ll show Anna the adorable stuffed animal Peter gave her for the baby. He said it was the only thing he had left over from his adoptive parents, and it gave him comfort as a child. He says, yes. During his darkest hours with his father, it was always there for him. Maxie goes to the kitchen, and Anna says she did what Peter asked. Now will he save Chase’s life?

Brook says, Maxie this, Maxie that. Olivia is making her out like some pathetic mother-to-be, when all she’s doing is what she needs to do for her family. Olivia says, so is Maxie. She’s making the same sacrifices Olivia had to make to save that baby from a dangerous man.

Lenny tells Eli, he was skeptical of Mike at first, but he’s over it. Mike’s a good guy, and he trusts him. Eli says, but look at what’s happened since Mike came to Nixon Falls. They were held up. Lenny says, Mike fought the guy off, and Eli says, they were vandalized. Lenny says, Mike wasn’t even there, and Eli says, the hardware store was hit, and look at what happened at the dance last night. Lenny says, Mike fought off the gunman, and saved his wife. Eli says, maybe it was all an act, to stay in their good graces. Think about it. Everything started happening around the same time Mike turned up, and the guy claims he doesn’t know himself, but he sure knows how to fight and handle a gun. He doesn’t get it. Why are Lenny and Phyllis so willing to give Mike a pass, when trouble seems to follow him wherever he goes?

The nurse finishes, and Nina asks what Jax wanted to tell her when he called. He said it was important. He says, they can get to that in a bit. Right now he can’t shake this image from last night. Right after he was shot, they had him on the gurney, and when he opened his eyes, he swears he saw Sonny. He was standing right there, clear as day.

In the hallway, Phyllis asks the nurse if she can see Jax, and the nurse says, for her, anything. Phyllis tells Sonny, working here does have its perks, and he says, good thing he’s there with her. She says, now let’s go see how Jax is doing.

Tomorrow, Valentin visits Alexis in prison, Olivia tells Brook not to breathe a word of this to anyone, Sonny says if he didn’t know any better he’d swear Nina was trying to get rid of him, and Willow calls for help.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht

We backtrack to Sydney being drunkenly rude to Alli after the crew’s night out, and Alli says she feels weird. She’s going to bed. Dani and JL make love sounds behind closed doors. Sydney tells Colin that she was f***ing with Alli, and in his interview, Gary says he can read between the lines. Sydney is jealous, wasted, and picking a fight. It’s the exact reason for the saying, don’t screw the crew. Gary wonders why it has to be so difficult, and Colin calls his girlfriend Martina. Gary says, it’s not going to happen at all, and it sucks. Someone please enlighten me as to why this dude is desirable. Colin tells Martina that he’s going to get some sleep, and Gary wonders what to do. Dani asks if JL is okay, and he says she is. She asks if he’s sure, which has me curious as to what they’re doing where he wouldn’t be okay. It’s a guest cabin, not Kandi’s sex dungeon.

JL comes out of the guest cabin in the morning, while everyone is just waking up. Dani waits a while, then emerges. JL tells Glenn that he got some good sleep, and Glenn says, that’s good. Gary wonders where JL disappeared to, and JL just smiles, and they laugh. Gary says good morning to Dani, and asks how she is. She says, great, and he laughs. Glenn comes to the crew mess, and says he’s so hung over from partying last night… Hang on. That’s them. That sounds like something I would say.

JL predicts rain, as they clean the boat. Dani tells Daisy about spending the night in the cabin, and says she’s the one cleaning up after herself. It’s no big deal to Daisy, unlike the brouhaha with James and Elizabeth. The wind picks up. Alli tells Dani that she has a little attachment to Gary, while Gary tells Colin that he can’t read Alli, but there’s a definite chemistry. Dani says she knows about Sydney, and wonders how you can like someone so quick. Alli says Sydney told her, you can’t help who you fall in love with, and Dani says it’s way early to be throwing around the L-word. It gives her anxiety. Gary says he’s going to take it slow, and Colin says, don’t rush. Glenn calls Gary, Daisy, and Natasha to the crew mess for the preference sheet meeting.

The primaries are Sheka and Frank, and Sheka has an insanely hard-to-please refined palate. Her friends tell her that she could be a food critic. In Natasha’s interview, she says, the only thing worse than food critics, are self-proclaimed food critics. They’re bringing along friend Lizzy and her fiancé Rachel, and friend Matt and his wife Maggie. The guests also want a pizza party, and to keep the party going, a disco rave dance party. Gary reads that they’ve requested a murder mystery, and Daisy reads that they want to have cocktails in a picturesque location off the boat. Natasha says, when they get back to the boat, they want a five-course meal. Glenn says Natasha has her work cut out for her, but he’s sure she’ll do great. Yeah, as long as she doesn’t have to make eggs.

In Colin’s interview, he says, in the marina, the boat is vulnerable in high winds. The anchor starts to drag, and they can hit the dock. Colin says, it’s too close, and in his interview, he says, the wind is 30 knots, and Glenn can’t control what the boat is doing. It’s an effing nightmare. They have to leave the dock, and untie the lines. Gary says he thinks it’s a thunderstorm that’s passing, and Glenn tells JL to keep his eye on the distance. In Gary’s interview, he says, something that’s just stupid could be disastrous. He doesn’t think JL gives a f***. Something has to change.

Alli tells Dani, she found out one thing – it fits – and they laugh. Daisy and Natasha clean up the galley, and make preparations for the guests. Glenn tells the crew that they can have a couple of drinks tonight, but don’t go crazy. Oddly enough, they don’t. Sydney asks Dani, what are they doing there? and Dani says she wonders why she’s doing another season. She’s 32 and wants to have a family and a baby. Why is she there? She read something once that they need to trust the process. Her best friend passed away at 32. He was a doctor, and was shot. She’d dated him fourteen years ago, but she’d always thought they’d end up together; that he’d be the person she’d live with forever. Now he’s gone, and she can’t leave this life without doing the best she can. In her interview, Dani says that as a woman, yachting makes it difficult to find a partner. Him passing away was difficult, and she’s worried she’s going to die alone.

JL asks how Dani slept, and she says, very well, but not as well as the other night. Provisions come in, and Natasha tells Daisy that the primary has a refined palate, so she’s going to become refined for her. She’s hoping these guests aren’t like Barry and his family. We flash back to Barry being demanding, and Natasha says she’s so tired. Finishing touches are put on the boat, and Glenn thinks it looks good. Colin’s girlfriend Martina calls, and he asks if they know what’s causing the seizures. He asks what the options are, and tells her to do whatever can be done, and he’ll pay whatever it costs. Natasha asks how he is, and he says, not good. His dog Marty might have to be put down. In his interview, he says, two years ago, his friends found a puppy abandoned in a cave, and he agreed to rescue Marty. He’s been sailing with Colin around the Caribbean for two years. He’s an amazing dog.

Champagne is popped, and Glenn calls the crew to the dock. Colin is bummed, and so am I, since he’s the only crew member I actually like. The guests arrive, and Glenn introduces himself, and welcomes them to Croatia. The luggage is brought on, and Daisy gives the tour. Glenn tells the crew to drop the lines; let him know when they’re all on board. In Daisy’s interview, she says, Natasha doesn’t respond well to feedback, so she’s going to step back, and let Natasha find her own way. It’s not necessarily how she defines teamwork, but it’s better than WWIII. Gary tells JL that he wants to see an improvement. Nothing was done one night, while JL was in the bridge. He’s tired of repeating himself. In JL’s interview, he says, it’s ridiculous. He’s a hard worker, and a grown man. This short little Frodo doesn’t need to talk to him like that. First of all, JL is lazy AF, and apparently, incredibly immature as well.

The wind picks up, and Gary says it looks like they’re going to sail. Glenn asks JL to steer while the sails are put up. The guests watch the sails, mesmerized, and the boat takes off. Things start sliding, and Natasha gets on the floor so she can slide across the room. Glenn tells JL to pick something he can see, and stay on it. Dani tells a guest that they can’t bring out the shot glasses right now, and Gary tells her, never say can’t, but I can’t tell if he’s kidding. She asks how JL is doing, and Gary says he’s angry with JL. Stuff keeps not getting done. Dani says she can leave the boat, but Daisy is like, no. Daisy tells Gary that Dani thinks he’s blaming her, but Gary says he’s not. He goes back to work, and Daisy asks Dani if she’s okay. Is she going cry? Dani says, maybe, and Daisy asks, what’s wrong? Dani says she’s having a breakdown, and in Dani’s interview, she says, she likes her job, but it’s not a career. She’s hooking up with a 24 year old boy, and having a fight with a crew member. What’s going on with her life? Daisy puts her arm around Dani, and Dani asks, what is she doing with her life?

The guests are impressed with the sailing. Sheka’s dress blows up, and she wonders whose idea this was. In the crew mess, Dani tells the girls that she wonders what she’s doing here. What is going on? She’s 32, and has no proper job. Sydney says, they’re all in the same boat, but we already heard that joke this season. Dani says Natasha is a chef on land, but she’s not a stew on land. She leaves to fix her face, and upstairs, Glenn complains that the sun is always in his eyes when he’s dropping the sails. I understand this, since no matter what side of the car I’m sitting on, the sun is in my face. They drop anchor, and everyone applauds the sailing. Natasha checks out the menu, and the crew gets ready for dinner service. Daisy asks Alli to set the table. Colin asks if Natasha is going to blow their minds, and she says she’s making a Korean-Japanese-Thai fusion.

The guests are seated, and whatever it is, it looks really good; curry something. Frank pronounces it delicious, and Daisy tells Natasha that the guests are happy. In Glenn’s interview, he says, Natasha is stepping up this charter, and thinking outside the box. She’s putting in extra effort, and he’s very impressed. Frank says, the plating is incredible, and another guest says it’s the best meal they’ve ever had. It’s extraordinary. Natasha comes up with the next course, and Sheka says she far exceeded expectations. In her interview, Natasha says, she effing nailed it. Gary volunteers to wash dishes, and in Daisy’s interview, she says she’s not having to beg. Thank you, Alli. She’ll happily take it. Disco wigs are donned, and in Sydney’s interview, she  says she thrived on the dance floor with a gin and tonic in her hand. If you weren’t having as much fun as she was, you sucked.  

The guests get ready for their disco party, and Gary texts Alli, asking if she wants to hang out on the bow. She texts back, maybe they can have a real conversation for once. The guests come back in their disco outfits, and Alli meets Gary, who says, it’s like a secret hideaway there. Alli leans on him, and he puts his arm around her shoulders. He says they should start their own dance party, and she laughs. The guests are having a blast, and Alli says it’s all Gary’s fault, what happened between them. They go back downstairs, and Colin gets a call from Martina. She says, he’s gone, and we see pictures of Colin and Marty. She says she wants to hug him in the worst way. He cries, and I cry with him. Besides Glenn, he seems like the only really decent person, and his pup was only two. It breaks my heart. I think it’s the first time I’ve cared about anything on this program.

Colin asks Martina if Marty died on the table, and she says he did. He had a big, big infection, and his heart was going lower and lower. Colin can’t believe it, and she says she put a video there of Colin playing guitar, and believes Marty heard it before he passed. She thought he was waiting for Colin. He thanks her, and says he’s shocked; it doesn’t seem real. It’s devastating. He says if she can bury him, he’ll visit when he gets back. They exchange I love yous.

The guests dance around, and JL dances while working. If we want to call what he does working. Dani says it’s like when she was a teenager; she loves music. In JL’s interview, he says, at first, he was annoyed that he was on the night shift, but on the other hand, he’s building a relationship with Dani. As long as they’re doing their jobs and being professional. Colin tells Gary that he’s in shock, and Gary says he’s sorry; it sucks. The guests start going off to bed, and Dani tells them, sleep well. In the bridge, JL says he and Dani have a long way to go, and kisses Dani. She says they’ll get in trouble, and he says he’s got to get out of there.

Sydney wonders where her clean laundry is, and Dani says she must have missed the polos. Sydney says she only has the one she’s wearing, and it’s dirty and smelly. In Sydney’s interview, she says she helps them all the time, and they can’t wash the crew clothes? That’s bullsh*t, dude. JL steps in to help, and Dani does a Japanese Zen garden tablescape. Breakfast is served, and Glenn says there’s a little walled city that has a castle. The guests can have drinks at sunset there, but once they come back on board, he wants to get going. He doesn’t want to stay on that dock, since people can walk straight into the boat. Glenn asks about the laundry, saying he’s out of underwear, and he’ll have to go commando. Alli says there’s some in the machine right now.

The guests use the water toys, and Glenn says, they’re getting out of there. He wants to toys packed up. Gary tells him, anchor is in the pocket, and he gets ready to roll. Alli tells Daisy that she wants to talk to Sydney when she’s sober, so Sydney can say what she needs to. We flash back to Sydney being snarky at dinner, and afterwards on deck. Daisy says, Sydney wants to win, and Dani says she wants Sydney to go away. Sydney says it doesn’t bother her, but Alli can read between the lines. Maybe Sydney needs to get it off her chest. Sheka asks if Glenn would join them for dinner, and Glenn says, cool. In Glenn’s interview, he says, where they’re docking is a narrow channel. It’s better to back up, so that starboard is toward town. It’s a challenge. The trick is, to get as close as they can without touching the dock. The guests see the castle, and Sheka says, it feels ancient. Gary tells JL to get six chairs and two tables.

Glenn goes with some of the crew to Trogir Tower. Gary says he can imagine the old days, with soldiers shooting arrows, and falling off the parapet. Daisy says he sounds like a kid imagining the war, and they trudge to the top of the castle. On the boat, the guests change, while everything is set up at the castle. Gary says, it’s awesome. Alli approaches Sydney about the comments she’s been making, and Sydney says she apologizes about her laundry complaint. Alli says, maybe Sydney has things she’s holding in, but Sydney says she doesn’t think so. She thinks it’s a department thing, not a me and you thing. Sydney says, Gary complains that interior never helps out, and Alli seems surprised. Sydney says, the bitching isn’t instigated by her, and Alli says, maybe Gary and Daisy should deal with it.

Natasha announces the crew’s dinner is ready, and the guests go up to the castle. Gary lights tiki torches, and guest Rachel says, it’s like Game of Thrones. A guest jokingly wonders if Daisy can conjure up some wind, and Daisy says, hopefully the sun will go down soon, and they’ll cool off. One of the guests asks for water, and Gary radios JL to bring four bottles of water. JL says, he’s just finishing dinner, and he’ll be heading that way. Gary tells him to leave his dinner; it’s for the guests. JL keeps eating. Guest Nikki says, despite it being hot, she loves it. Daisy asks Gary if JL is bringing the water, but Gary says he doesn’t see JL yet. He could been there already. He runs down the stairs, and in his interview, he says, effing come on. JL doesn’t see the urgency in getting things done. We see it’s been 10 minutes since the guest request, and Gary radios that he’s there. JL says he doesn’t know where the cooler bag is, and the water isn’t cold. Gary arrives, and says, it’s not cold, and there are only three. This is ridiculous.

Later this season – more sailing and more things sliding around; a whole day off for the crew, and Natasha says, the worst case scenario, drama (I dunno. I can think of worse things than that.); Daisy is sick of being the bitch of the group; a fight among the guests; sixteen yachties get together, and Glenn doesn’t want a drunken orgy; Dani says she’s just trying to have some sex; the boat hits the dock; and JL gets chlamydia, which I guess means Dani has it too.

Trogir Tower

🥁 Drumroll Please…

Here’s a run down of Oscar night and the fashions. Mostly the fashions.

👍🏽 The winners.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/25/entertainment/oscars-winners-2021/index.html

😴 If this is what they meant by it being different this year, it wasn’t. They’ve been torturing people for as long as I can remember.

https://nypost.com/2021/04/26/oscars-2021-tortured-viewers-for-more-than-3-unbearable-hours/

💥 The highlights.

https://nypost.com/2021/04/26/oscars-highlights-the-best-and-worst-of-this-years-show/

🙇🏽‍♂️ The memoriam.

Who they missed. You’d think they had enough time to get it right. It’s not like they had a lot to set up.

https://news.yahoo.com/fans-upset-memoriam-segment-oscars-153400160.html

👠 The fashions. According to…

Parade

Vogue

https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/oscars-2021-best-dressed-celebrities

Page Six

https://pagesix.com/2021/04/25/oscars-red-carpet-2021-see-this-years-celebrity-fashion/

People

https://people.com/style/best-dressed-stars-oscars-2021/

Essence

https://www.essence.com/amp/fashion/the-best-fashion-moments-from-the-2021-oscars-red-carpet/

🍾 The After Party.

https://pagesix.com/2021/04/26/the-best-oscars-2021-afterparty-fashion-from-dua-lipa-to-paris-hilton/

🛍 What’s In It…

It’s about that swag.

https://pagesix.com/2021/04/20/oscars-swag-returning-in-2021-with-60k-gift-bags-for-celebs/

The 2021 Oscars Swag Bag Is Worth $205,000

A gift that comes with its own PSA.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a36221199/oscar-nominees-gift-bags-hammer-dogs-in-cars/

📼 Rounding It Out…

This has nothing to do with the Oscars, but it’s pretty amusing. And was it worth it? I’d also like to know why the video looks like a bootleg tape.

https://ew.com/tv/woman-vhs-sabrina-the-teenage-witch-warrant/

🚀 Lifting Off…

Now that you’re Oscared out, see you tomorrow for soap with a side of tea. Until we reconvene, stay safe, stay listening to your heart, and stay appreciating the time you have with your pets.

April 25, 2021 – Morgan Calls a Meeting, the Award Goes To & Care

Standard

What What I Watched Today

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

Fear the Walking Dead

Daniel says, beachball… elephant… grape. Should he go on? We see him sitting in a cell, and he says, they asked how he felt when the day began. He felt hopeful.

Daniel is playing a Traveling Wilburys record, and everyone is happy and building stuff. You know that won’t last long. Daniel serves soup, and Morgan says, nice lunch. Daniel asks if this is the way Morgan imagined it, and Morgan says, it’s getting there. He guesses he has Daniel to thank for it. Confined Daniel says, if he hadn’t kept everyone in the dark, he wouldn’t have been there. Now they’re all together. Grace walks up, and Daniel says his wife ate this soup all the time she was pregnant with Ofelia, but she says she doesn’t have much of an appetite today. Morgan asks if she’s all right, and she says she’ll be fine. They walk off together, and confined Daniel says he was glad to see everyone together. It felt as if everything he’d done was beginning to pay off.

Charlie says, they’re here, and Daniel says, go tell Morgan. She rides off, and Daniel looks through binoculars, seeing the tank coming. He goes out to meet them. Bald guy whose name I don’t know, and Shari get out of the tank, while Sarah rides up on a horse. Bald guy says, it’s been a while, and Sarah asks if there’s any chance of them sharing fuel. If they do, Wen can join her on the runs. Shari says, if they share with her, they’ll have to share with everybody, and they’re running on fumes as it is. Victor rides up, and says, greetings. Sarah asks how everyone has been, and Victor dumps out some empty spray cans. He says their foes from Tanktown persist. He thinks the meeting is long overdue. Morgan joins them, and Sarah says she’s looking forward to see what Morgan has done. Morgan says, it’s come a long way, and says it’s nice to see Victor. Victor says, it’s nice to see Morgan too. It’s good to know they can lend a hand in these troubled times. Morgan says, there’s a threat to their existence. Something Virginia didn’t think she could handle, and he thought they shouldn’t face down on their own. That’s why he called them. Can they work together and pool their resources, put their differences aside? Can they face the thing that threatens all of them? He only has one rule – the same one he made when they gathered there the last time. Anybody breaking it – anybody – will not be welcome here again. He tells them, come on in. We’ve got work to do. Confined Daniel says, they can see why he was hopeful. Then, everything changed.

Daniel feels Grace’s belly, and says, he is strong. Grace asks if he’s sure they’re not contractions, and confined Daniel says, the last time he felt something like that was when his wife was pregnant with Ofelia. That was the moment he decided they should move to L.A., and decided to change everything. He wanted to give his daughter the life he thought she deserved. He supposes he wanted this place to be the same, for Grace’s baby; for everyone. That’s why they didn’t take chances. Everyone checked their weapons at the door, for all of their safety. The weapons were logged and locked away. Only he and Morgan had the keys.

Victor puts his gun on the table, and Daniel says, and the knife? Victor laughs, and takes off his jacket, unbuckling the sheath, and putting it on the table. Daniel says, anything else? Victor puts a pet carrier on the table, and Daniel says, Skidmark! I laugh, and Daniel asks where Victor found him. Victor says Virginia had him at a station to hunt rats, but all he does is sit around licking his unmentionables. Daniel says the cat hasn’t changed a bit, and thanks Victor for the peace offering. He says, Victor understands why Daniel couldn’t let him in on it, and Victor says, they’ve both played games. The better man won. Kudos. It appears Daniel’s gambit paid off. Confined Daniel asks, why did hearing that mean so much to him? There’s a good reason, but they’re not there yet. They need to understand like he did.

Victor asks where Alicia is, and Morgan says, on a supply run. Victor asks if Alicia knew he was coming, but Charlie runs up, and says they need Morgan. It’s Grace. He leaves, and Daniel locks up the weapons.

Sarah is with Grace, and says, June will take a day to get there. It’s either Braxton Hicks or contractions. Grace asks how they know, and she says, they wait until the baby gets there. Morgan asks how they know the baby is okay, and Sarah tells him that they need a fetal monitor. He says he knows where he can find one. He had one in the place he had set up before this place. Daniel says he’ll get it, but Morgan says, it’s off the beaten path, and not easy to find. Morgan takes Grace’s hand, and says he’ll be there and back in a few hours.

Confined Daniel says, Morgan gave the keys to the rabbi just in case. He asked Daniel to keep the peace until he returned. Get the conversation started. Everyone sits at a big table, and Sarah asks what Dakota is doing there. Daniel says, they’re going to share information, and Morgan says, no one was closer to Virginia than Dakota. Victor says, they’ll have to take whatever she says with a gargantuan grain of salt, and Sarah says Victor was no better, lining them up to be shot. He says, if she recalls, he turned the guns the other way at the first opportune moment, but she says, only when he saw which way the wind was blowing. Daniel tells them, they’re not here to rehash the past; they’re here to protect the future together. Daniel asks Dakota if Virginia ever said anything about these people, and Dakota tells him, the last thing Virginia said about them was that they were laying low. The other stuff was just about the messages. Dwight says, the last time they listened to Dakota, someone ended up dead, but Luci says, one of those people could have become one of them, without them realizing. Charlie says, or one of them could have been turned into one of those people, and everyone starts talking at once, and arguing. Confined Daniel says, he didn’t want to believe one of them was a traitor, but he’d lied to everyone about losing his memory. They’d all lied at some point. Now when they needed each other most, they couldn’t trust each other. Something blows up outside, and everyone ducks. They go out to look.

One of the buildings in progress is gone, and Daniel explains they were using the dynamite to clear the field. A rock must have fallen, causing the explosion; it was an accident. Luci looks at Dakota, who asks why Luci is looking at her. She was sitting at the table with them. Shari says, they’re not the only ones there. She thinks the attack was from the inside, and Daniel suggests they take a break. Confined Daniel says, he wanted to believe it was an accident, but didn’t have time to make up his mind.

Zombies tumble down the hill and head toward the town. Dwight says, the explosion must have drawn them, and Shari says she wants her gun back. Daniel says, not unless it’s absolutely necessary, and Victor says he thinks this qualifies. Daniel says their weapons will only kill a fraction of the dead. Morgan is coming back with the truck and its guns. They’ll wait it out; the walls will hold. Confined Daniel says, he did think the walls would hold, but when it comes to the dead, they had to be prepared in case of a breach. He unlocks the gun shed, and Charlie asks what he’s doing. He says, what he has to do to be prepared, in case the gate doesn’t hold. They go inside, and confined Daniel says, when he saw the guns missing, he knew the explosion was no accident. Someone wanted to trap them inside, draw the dead, and leave them defenseless. The only question was, who?

Zombies keep coming, and Grace wonders what she does now. Daniel asks if she feels well enough to travel, and she laughs, and says, no, but he says she’s not safe there. He’s going to fix that, but until he does, she’s better off somewhere else. There’s a fishing shack nearby. He’s marked it on the map. He’s put the map in a bag, along with food, water, and a first aid kit. He wouldn’t ask her to go if it wasn’t absolutely necessary. She says, okay, and confined Daniel says, the reason Morgan found this place was for Grace’s child. Now it’s not safe for him. He needed to find those weapons. Charlie goes through backpacks in one of the tents, and bald guy looks in. He asks if there’s something he can help her with, and she says, no. Sorry, she… Daniel calls to her, and asks if she found the hammer he asked her to look for. She says, not yet, and tells bald guy that she didn’t realize it was his tent. She thought it was Mike’s. He tells her, anyone touches his sh*t again, they’re going to have a problem. Confined Daniel says, he lost Ofelia. He wasn’t going to lose Charlie too. He sent her away to meet Grace, where she’d be safe. So he could do what he needed to do to find out who stole the weapons.

Zombies clamor at the gate, and a few toddle into the town. Luci says they have a breach, and she and Sarah fight the zombie with metal buckets and chairs, whatever they can grab. One gets Dwight down, and he fends it off by putting a handsaw in its mouth, but another is getting close. We hear shots, and the zombies are dead. Daniel says, it was Victor, and Victor asks what Daniel means. Dwight wonders how the zombies got in, and Daniel says he let them in. Dwight asks, why? and Daniel says he needed to figure out who stole the weapons. Now he knows. He locks Victor in a cell, and asks where the weapons are, but Victor says he didn’t take them. Daniel says Victor is always lying. He doesn’t think Victor can tell the difference anymore. Victor says, this, coming from a man who hid what he’s been doing for months, but Daniel says he did it to free them from Virginia. Victor is doing it to tear them apart. What was Victor offered to betray them? Lawton? The opportunity to be a big shot? Victor says, he wasn’t offered anything. He’s there for the same reason Daniel is, but if he hadn’t kept his weapon, someone would be dead. Daniel says, Victor continues to give him every reason to hurt him.

Confined Daniel says, it’s not what he wanted. Morgan was right, if they do things in there the same way as they did them out there, nothing’s gonna change. Nothing will be different from before. Victor asks if Daniel is hearing him, and Daniel says, before more dead get inside, they need the weapons. He leaves, and Victor calls to him.

The zombies push down the door, which didn’t look all that sturdy to begin with.

The zombies get to the inside gate, and Daniel says, it’s not built to hold that much weight. Victor was with them during the explosion, so he couldn’t have done it on his own. Whichever one of them is working with him, he’s giving them a warning. A betrayal of those closest to them will come with a cost. It will come back to haunt them, and there will be consequences. Where are the weapons? He tells Dwight, they’ll search the tents, and Shari wonders where Grace and Charlie are. Daniel says, they’re not a part of this, but Sarah says Shari has a point; Charlie was on the other team. Luci says, that was a long time ago, and bald guy says he caught Charlie going through his sh*t earlier. Daniel repeats, Charlie is not part of this. They’ll have to take his word. Shari says, maybe the whole thing is a scam, and Morgan wants to keep them there. Dwight says she doesn’t believe that, but Shari says they don’t know, and need to look out for themselves. Sarah says, if they work together, they stand a chance of reinforcing the gate, but Dwight doesn’t think it will hold. Luci is right; they need the need weapons. They try to shore up the gate, and Daniel takes out the one gun he has. Sarah says, that won’t be enough, but Daniel says, yes it will.

Confined Daniel says, Morgan left his ax at the gate. Daniel thought he could be the man he once was outside too, but it wasn’t an option. He tells Victor, no more games. Where are the weapons? Victor doesn’t say anything, and Daniel says he doesn’t need to remind Victor that you can survive a shot to the face. What Victor doesn’t know is what it does to you later. He takes a plate out of his mouth, and shows Victor. He says he winces every time he takes a sip of water. You have to eat soup the rest of your life, and learn to hide the pain. You wheeze when you breathe at night, but most of all, you’ll never forget who did all of that. Where are the weapons? Victor says, forgive him. Daniel has to forgive him. Daniel points the gun at Victor, and asks again, where are the weapons? Victor says, please, he doesn’t know, and Daniel looks crazed. There’s machinegun fire outside, and Daniel goes out.

Zombies lie everywhere, and smoke obscures everything. Daniel sees someone, and says, Morgan? Morgan asks, what the hell happened?

Morgan asks if Daniel found the weapons, but Daniel says, not yet. Daniel asks if Morgan has heard from Grace; they should almost be there. He asks Morgan to let him know if he hears from her, and goes back in to see Victor. Victor says, it’s just a matter of time. He’ll wait for Daniel’s apology. He asks if Daniel meant it, and Daniel says, what? Victor says, what Daniel said about his jaw; the pain it caused him. Daniel laughs, and says, no. Victor asks what Daniel wants, and Daniel says to stop Victor, and whoever he’s working with. Victor asks why Daniel cares so much about this place working. When he found Daniel, he was happily living alone in a warehouse with a cat. He doesn’t know half of these people, and Victor is willing to bet Daniel can’t stand the other half, but he almost shot Victor in the face to protect them. Why? Daniel says, it was a fair question when Victor asked him the first time, and it still is. He couldn’t answer it then, but thinks he can now. He thinks he knows why it means so much. When he was cutting hair in Lawton, and pretending he didn’t remember anything, it’s not different from when he was in the barbershop, pretending the past didn’t exist. Ofelia never knew who her father was. Their relationship was based on a lie, a deception. Morgan’s idea made him believe he could help create the home he wanted for Ofelia. It could be a place where you didn’t have to pretend to be what you weren’t. He hoped by doing that, he could redeem himself from all the lies he told, for Ofelia’s death, but it doesn’t seem to work that way, does it? Morgan radios, saying, he’s at the shack, but Grace isn’t. Daniel says, she should be there, but Morgan says, she’s not. Where is she?

Morgan and Daniel are in the woods with some of the others, and Morgan radios Grace, but there’s no response. Sarah suggests fanning out, and Daniel asks if Morgan is sure Grace isn’t there. Morgan says, it didn’t look like anyone had been near the place in months. He tries the radio again, and Jacob says, they can’t be far. Maybe they had to leave. Maybe they heard the gunfire, and they’ll be back. Morgan tries again, but gets nothing. He says, you don’t think they suspected? but Daniel says he doesn’t know. Grace finally comes over the radio, and Morgan asks, where is she?

Grace and Charlie have joined the group; Grace sitting on a log. Morgan asks if she’s all right, and she says she thinks the contractions are getting closer. Daniel says, he told them, the shack. What happened? She asks what he’s talking about, and he says, the shack in the woods; he marked it on the map he gave her. She says he told her to avoid the shack; it wasn’t safe. Daniel says, no; he told her to go there and wait for him. Morgan asks, what’s going on? and Daniel says, Charlie says she was there. Charlie says he told her to go to the old caverns, and told Grace the same thing. Daniel asks why he’d send them there. They haven’t surveyed it yet. Grace says, he did, and she shows him the map. The caverns are clearly marked, and Grace suddenly cries out. Sarah says they have to get her back, and Morgan says they can figure this out later. Luci radios, and says, they’ve found the weapons. Morgan asks, where? and Luci says he’ll want to see for himself. He says they’re on the way.  

Luci takes the cover off of a small wagon, and reveals the weapons, saying, they found this in Daniel’s shed. Morgan asks how they ended up in Daniel’s shed, but Daniel says he doesn’t know. He locked them up like he said. Morgan asks if this is everything, and Dwight says it matches everything in the log. Daniel says, someone moved them, and Luci says she had to break the lock to the shed where the weapons are kept. Daniel says, then it was Victor and the Rangers, or whoever is working with Victor. Morgan asks, what’s going on? and Daniel says, someone is trying to make him look bad; make them go against each other. Morgan says, first sending Grace and Charlie to the shack, and now this? Is Daniel sure he didn’t make a mistake? Whatever is going on, he needs Daniel’s help to understand. Daniel says he knows what he did, and Morgan says he’s just asking; is Daniel sure? Look at him. Is he okay? Is he feeling all right? Daniel says he’s not sure. It’s confusing. Morgan puts his hand on Daniel’s shoulder, and says, it’s okay, but maybe Daniel should talk to somebody. Daniel tells him, okay.

Daniel says, now he’s talking to them. He moved the weapons, and didn’t remember. Then he sent Grace to a dangerous place. Why? June says, it’s okay. They’re going to get to the bottom of whatever is going on. She promises him that.

Daniel draws a clock, and the numbers are correct. June asks if he can tell her the words he remembers from the beginning of the session. He says, beachball… elephant… grape. He wonders what that has to do with anything, and she says, it’s a test. It’s not neurological. He asks what it is, and she says she thinks it’s psychological. He asks what that means, and she says, symptomatically, he’s experiencing memory loss and disassociated thinking, but there’s no underlying physical cause, which is good. He asks why this is happening now, and she says he’s finally slowed down, and has something to lose. Is he worried about something happening? He says, they all were, and she asks if that’s why he moved the weapons. Did he think they were a danger where they were? He says he’s spent his whole life giving people reason not to trust him, and now he can’t trust himself. He deserves this. She says, this kind of thing is far from her area of expertise. Let her educate herself, and she’ll come back. She leaves, and outside, Morgan says it’s good of her to be there for him. She says, she came as soon as she could. She’s going to check on Grace, and Morgan asks if there’s any chance Daniel is… She says, faking it? She doesn’t think so. They’d get people in the ER from time to time who were just as confused. It’s hard to fake. Morgan asks if Daniel needs anything, but Daniel doesn’t respond.

Victor says he hopes Morgan understands him taking his leave, and bald guy says, just because Daniel was wrong about this, doesn’t mean they don’t have to worry about who’s out there. Morgan says he saw graffiti on the water tower about ten miles south. If they’ve been there, they know about the town, especially after the explosion. Victor says, all the more reason to leave, and Morgan says, if they know about them, they know about Lawton. Victor laughs, and says, then he’d better get back. Shari says she’s making the same call, and Dwight tells her to be safe. She thanks him, and he gives her a lingering kiss on the cheek. Dakota says she thinks she can help. She’s been thinking about everything Virginia said about the people painting the messages. She heard Virginia telling Hill that they went underground. Dakota thought she meant they were laying low, but what if it was for real? Wes asks what she means. Like are they living in a basement, or storm tunnel? She says the last place Virginia scouted was two days south of Tanktown, and Dwight says, that’s Dallas. It’s where they found some graffiti. Morgan says, they can start there, and Luci thinks they should send out scouting parties. Morgan says, then they’ll come back together, and make a decision.

Daniel walks out with a horse, and Charlie asks if he’s leaving. He says he has to go; he can’t stay. It’s not safe for him to be there. He’s not worried so much about himself as about them. He let the dead in, and would have shot Victor if Morgan hadn’t returned. He put Grace and the baby in danger. He thinks for a while, and says, the last time things happened in his mind, he set a place on fire. He can’t risk that happening now. Charlie asks where he’s going to go, and Daniel says, the warehouse, if it’s still there. (BTW, he is taking Skidmark.) Charlie says, if not? and he says he’ll find a place. Victor tells him, come to Lawton, and Daniel asks, why go there? Victor says he’ll have a better chance at survival. He can keep Daniel safe, and everyone around him. He’s not doing this for Daniel. He’s doing it for Ofelia. Daniel can lead an honest life. So…? Shall we? Victor heads for his horse, and Morgan asks if Victor is really going to help Daniel. Victor wonders what Morgan thinks of him, and Morgan says Daniel just put a gun in Victor’s face; he has a right to ask. Victor says he thinks Daniel would be better off with him, than there with Morgan, or wherever else. Morgan says he’s going to hold Victor to this, but Victor says Morgan doesn’t have to hold him to anything. He said what he said. Victor gets on his horse, and Daniel tells Morgan, it’s for the best. Morgan shakes Daniel’s hand, and tells him to take care of himself. Daniel says he’s sorry, and Morgan says, it’s okay. Charlie hugs Daniel, and says, he’ll get better. He says, he promises, and tells her not to worry. He leaves with Victor, and we’re all sad.   

Next time, the end is the beginning, Dakota wants to help, a zombie tree, and John Glover joins the cast. I’m psyched.

🎭 The Envelope Please…

The more important stuff, like the fashions, tomorrow, but for now, here’s the list of winners.

https://ew.com/awards/oscars/oscars-2021-winners-list/

🛶 Rowing This Boat Ashore…

Hope you were able to change it up a little for the past two days, or what we once called the weekend. Are we back to that yet? Until the sails on tomorrow’s yacht unfurl, stay safe, stay uninhibited by convention, and stay leading an honest life.

April 23, 2021 – Brook Gives Her Baby Daddy Her Terms, Real Transformations, a Baby Bottle At Brunch, Marysol Marries, All You Need To Know, Quote Octet & Speak

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly strides into the hospital, and Cyrus says, what a nice surprise. She says she’s not interested, and he says she seems to be in a hurry. He hopes no one in her family is sick, like her mother. She says her mother is fine, and he says, so is his. It’s such a weight off of him to have her back. He hadn’t realized how preoccupied he was, worrying about her. Well, that’s over. Whatever will he do with all his free time?

Michael and Brook go into the Quartermaine mansion, and Brook thanks him for the ride. It’s one less trip she had to make with Yuri, her unwanted bodyguard. He says, no problem, and she says he can talk. He didn’t say a single word on the way home. He says he didn’t feel like talking, and she says she’s glad he’s over that. Now tell her what happened between him and Willow.

An intern hands Britt a folder with the lab results she requested, but she says, too late, the man is dead. She should say, the boy is dead. He was seventeen. The intern says he’s sorry, and leaves. Britt looks in the folder, and says, a chemical compound the same as the drug Cyrus tried to get the board to pass. She sees Jason going by in a wheelchair, and asks what happened to him. He says, nothing, but she’s like, come on, and he says he was stabbed.

The Pentenville warden says he’s surprised the Commissioner is there to investigate an inmate stabbing, and Jordan says, the inmate was sent there to await trial, so of course (🍷) she’s concerned with his stabbing. Was there something that incited it? The warden says, must have gotten off on the wrong foot, and lets her in to see Shawn. Shawn says, Commissioner, it’s been a while.

Laura sees Martin at the MetroCourt, and says hello. He says she’s speaking to him now? and she says she was concerned about Florence, now that she’s back in Cyrus’s care. He says it’s nice of her to inquire since it was her son who had Florence abducted, and handed back over to his brother.

Curtis gets in the elevator, and Valentin dashes in before the doors close. He says he doesn’t suppose Curtis has heard from Nina.

Nina tells Jax that he needs to leave, but he says he’s sure if she listens to what he has to say, they can work through some of this. He doesn’t want her to carry around all this pain. She tells him not to pretend he’s there for her. He just wants to make himself feel better. He says he really wants to work things out, and if that’s not possible, please let him repair some of the damage that he caused by his actions.

Phyllis tells Sonny, enough with this nonsense about Eli. Have some fun. Dance again. He says she hasn’t danced with him yet. He holds out his hand and asks if she’ll do him the honor. She takes his hand, and says, tempting, but it’s her turn to man the raffle table. He walks her over, and she says she’s fine. Go find Nina. As Sonny is about to leave, the man with the bandana, now has it pulled up over his nose (nothing unusual in our world these days), and his gun in his hand. Sonny says, nice costume, but he might be taking the authentic thing too far. Dude draws a gun, and says, this ain’t pretend.

Jordan says, Shawn stabbed Jason? and Shawn says, it was in self-defense. She says she doesn’t see any cuts or bruises. It can’t have been much of a fight. He says he can take care of himself, and she says she doesn’t understand. She thought he and Jason were friends. They used to work together. He says, working with Sonny is what got him there in the first place. Things change. People change. She says, it’s her; cut the act. What’s really going on? He asks if she doesn’t want to figure it out on her own. Isn’t that the way she does things? She asks what he’s saying, and he tells her that he heard Cyrus had TJ kidnapped and tortured, and she didn’t tell him.

At the hospital, TJ says he got Molly’s text, but he only has a twenty minute break. She throws her arms around him, and says, congratulate her. He says, congratulations. What’s up? She says her internship really paid off. DA Scorpio just told her that when she graduates, a position of Junior ADA will be waiting for her. He says, that’s terrific. He’s so proud of her. She says, of course (🍷) the minute she heard the news, the first person she wanted to tell was her mom. He says, she’s going to be thrilled, and Molly says she knows, but she’s had a hard time scheduling a visit. She doesn’t know all the ins and outs of Pentenville. It seems unreal that she has to visit a parent in prison. He says, take it from him, unfortunately, you get used to it.

Michael tells Brook, Willow is supporting Chase while he’s in the hospital, and he’s picking up the slack with Wiley. Why don’t they talk about her and Valentin? She says, that’s pretty subtle, but it’s not a bad idea. She actually invited Valentin to come over tonight. Michael asks if she’s changed her mind, and wants Valentin to be part of the baby’s life, but she says, tonight is more about talking terms.

Laura tells Martin, Nikolas felt he had no choice but to return Florence to Cyrus. He says, for his aunt’s safety, he knows. However, the only reason she’s in Pentenville is because she chose to plead guilty. Still, he’s sure Alexis is safe… at his mother’s expense; at their expense. Nikolas might be sleeping easier, but he’s not. Cyrus claims their mother is well and safe, but since he won’t let Martin see her, he’s just going to have to take Cyrus’s not-so-reliable word for it. She says, Cyrus cut Martin off from his mother? and he says, completely. He’s punishing Martin for inadvertently orchestrating the interview with Jackie. He wishes he hadn’t asked Cyrus for help. It wasn’t until he heard the interview answers that he was aware his mother was unhappy the first time around. Cyrus had her locked away in that house in Oregon. Laura says, Martin didn’t visit her there? and he says, of course (🍷) he did, but she put on a brave face since she didn’t want to worry him. Thanks to Nikolas, they’re back where they started; in the same circumstances. He’s sure Cyrus will meet Florence’s medical needs, while Martin tortures himself about her peace of mind. Since Cyrus holds all the high cards, his only recourse is to stay on Cyrus’s good side, in hopes that one day Cyrus will give him access to his own mother. That’s him. What is Laura going to do? She asks what he means, and he says, Cyrus wants a relationship with his new sister, the mayor. Laura is worried about blood on the streets. Is she willing to placate their brother for the good of Port Charles?  

Curtis says he hasn’t heard from Nina since she left town, and Valentin says, but Curtis wouldn’t tell him if he had. Curtis says, nope, so why ask? and Valentin says Curtis doesn’t know where she is. He’s not the reason Nina left. Jax broke her heart. Curtis says, this time. Valentin will just have to be content with waiting. He doesn’t think Nina is coming back until she’s damn good and ready.   

Jax tells Nina that he’s owned up to his mistake. Don’t let his bad judgement overshadow what they had together. She says, okay, he wants to talk, and suggests they go somewhere else. Where’s his car?

Phyllis says, oh my God, and Sonny advises Dude to put the gun down. Dude says, give him the cash box, but Phyllis says, it’s for a fundraiser. The town can’t afford to lose the money. Dude says, the hell with the town. He’s the one with the gun.

Cyrus tells Carly the Five Families pitted olives are meeting soon. He could use the time to prepare. It’s too bad Jason won’t be able to attend. It’s such a shame. Jason could have been released, and Gladys could have recanted her testimony, but Carly refused his offer. Now his mother is back with him, and Jason is going to be tried for murder. Funny how things work out. She asks if he’s done; she has a prescription to pick up. He says, lovely speaking with her as always. She punches the elevator buttons like a madwoman.

Britt goes to Jason’s room, and tells the guards that they can wait in the hall. They leave, and she says Jason has lost some blood; that’s why he has an IV. He has a few stitches, but otherwise should be okay. It’s unfair that he has to wait for his trial in Pentenville, since he hasn’t been found guilty yet. Not that she’s saying he is guilty, but he knows what she means. He says she seems stressed, and she says, her boss is a psychopath, there’s been another death from an OD tonight – a seventeen-year-old – and Jason shows up stabbed. She knows prison is a dangerous place, but he’s a super skilled fighter. Can’t he protect himself better? He touches her hand, and says, it’s going to be all right. Carly comes in, and says, excuse me.  

Michael says it sounds like Brook is negotiating a merger, not making provision for a baby. She says, can’t it be both? She wasn’t expecting to get pregnant, but here they are, so she’s going to make the most of it and get ELQ back. He says, with all due respect, Brook needs to adjust her priorities, or alter her perception, or something. She says, because…? and he says she’s due any moment, and she’s acting like it’s not real.   

Laura tells Martin that she doesn’t know what Cyrus wants. He’s got his mother back, and it seemed like he was playing mind games; then she thought he wanted to bond. Now she thinks everything is a manipulation. Martin says, just because Cyrus is a manipulator, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want Laura in his life. His mother threw him out of the house at seventeen, and he wants a family. Laura says she knows that. Otherwise, why would he pay for Florence’s medical care after she rejected him for decades? Martin says, it’s the same reason Cyrus punishes him rather than having him killed. Family is his one blind spot, so she can choose to be a positive influence on Cyrus. All she has to do is allow Cyrus in her life. She says, Cyrus is the man who put her daughter in a coma, but Martin tells her, he’s not saying she should love Cyrus, or even accept him, but don’t shut him out. Valentin approaches their table, and says he’s sorry to interrupt, but he and Martin have a meeting to attend. Martin gets up, and says Laura may want to think about it for all their sakes. He leaves with Valentin.

Jordan wonders how Shawn would have felt, knowing TJ was in danger. He would have just been worried sick, like she was, but there was nothing he could have done about it. He says, because he’s there for a crime he didn’t commit. He didn’t shoot Hayden Barnes. She says, no one put the gun in his hand. He pled guilty; he made his own choice. He says, she sent TJ to him because she couldn’t handle a rebellious teenager, and she says she acknowledges that Shawn played a huge role in turning TJ’s life around. He was there when she wasn’t, but she didn’t abandon TJ; she was on an undercover assignment. She tells him that she’s grateful, but he says he doesn’t want her gratitude. He loved TJ like a son long before he knew he was TJ’s biological father. That she chose to keep from him.

Britt asks how Carly got past the guards, but Carly ignores her and asks how Jason is. He says he’s still breathing, and Britt says, it’s a clean wound. There’s no permanent damage; Jason will barely have a scar. It must have looked worse than it was, for them to bring him to GH, instead of treating him at the prison infirmary. Carly says, their tax dollars at work, and Britt wonders, why bring Jason to a hospital that Cyrus runs, when Cyrus wants him dead? Carly asks if it isn’t riskier for Cyrus to go after Jason there. He’d have to tarnish his GH image, when he worked so hard to be respectable. Jason has more allies there than enemies – no thanks to Britt. Britt tells Carly that she and Jason need to discuss something private. Carly can wait in the hall.

Sonny tells Dude that an armed robbery carries a heavy sentence. He’ll be locked up for years, and for what? A hundred dollars? Walk away. No one has seen the gun but them. They’ll let him go, but he can’t have the money. Dude tells Sonny, stop talking or he’ll shut him up.

Jax tells Nina that she won’t regret it. It’s not a car, but it’s an easy walk. Dude #2 approaches them (surprise!), and says they’re not going anywhere. Why he drug them into it, I have no clue.

Brook asks if Michael is mom shaming her, and he says, of course (🍷) not. She says, it’s not the life she planned. If it was, she’d be on the road, headlining a world tour, but things change. Pregnancy is a personal thing, and every woman deals with it differently. He says he just wants her to be sure. The doorbell rings, and she says, it’s her baby daddy, right on time. Michael answers the door, and Valentin is there with Martin. Michael says Valentin brought his lawyer? and Valentin says, apparently. They have some things to iron out. The baby will be there before they know it. Michael invites them in, and tells them to go to the living room.

TJ tells Molly, this calls for a celebration. As soon as he’s not on call, he’ll take her to her favorite restaurant. She says she still has to pass the bar, and he says, is she kidding? She’s going to nail it. A couple of years in the DA’s office, and she’ll learn the ins and outs of the prosecution, which will make her a better defense attorney. She says she hasn’t had the chance to mention it, but she’s given it some thought. She wants to be a DA.

Jordan says she’s not going to defend her life choices, and Shawn agrees. He says, what’s done is done. He has a father/son relationship with TJ, and the monthly visits are the one thing he has to look forward to. Jordan says, that’s the reason she’s there. Why risk time added to his sentence by attacking another inmate? Shawn says, Jason came at him with a chair; he was just defending himself. She guesses Jason will claim the same thing, and he says, yeah.

Carly says what Britt has to say can wait, and Britt asks Jason if Carly has to be there for everything. Carly says she does, so Britt should say what she needs to, or leave. Britt says, it’s her hospital. If anyone is leaving, it’s Carly. Jason says Britt can talk in front of Carly, and Britt says, fine. The bloodwork from the OD was like Sasha’s when she was brought in with a heart attack. He says, from the drug Cyrus tried to manufacture at GH? and Britt says she has to do a more detailed study, but at first glance, yes. Carly suggests Britt get her facts straight, and then come back and give a report, and Britt says, or she could call Pentenville and say Jason has an obnoxious, unauthorized visitor. Jason says, if Britt can prove it’s the same drug, maybe they can use it against Cyrus, and Britt says, okay. She leaves, and Jason asks what the hell Carly was thinking, getting him stabbed? She says, sorry. It was the only way. I wonder how Jason puts up with this tiresome shrew.

At the MetroCourt, Curtis thanks Laura for meeting him. He has good news. The sound engineer he’s been pursuing hard finally returned his call. The current system is okay, but he doesn’t want just loud. He wants top if the line quality. She says she’d expect nothing less from him, and they sit at the bar. She tells him that she’s glad they have a chance to get together and catch up. He says, him too, but unfortunately, it’s not all good news. He wants her to hear it from him first. He and Jordan are getting a divorce. She says she’s so sorry. She knows they both tried hard to make their marriage work. He says, they did, but at a certain point, they had to face the truth and let go. He’s glad it happened before one of them had to leave town.

Jax struggles with Dude #2, and tells Nina to run. She starts to go, and hears a shot. Sonny knocks Dude down, and takes his gun, holding it on him.  

Valentin tells Brook, in the spirit of transparency, he’s been honest about his lengthy contentious battle over Charlotte. He doesn’t want to go through that again, so he wants everything to be above board. She says, like what? and he says he assumes she’ll give birth at GH, but she says, actually, she’d like to be closer to her mother. She’s going to a hospital in Bensonhurst. Valentin says, okay. He’ll make arrangements, and she says, for what? He says, accommodations. If she’s going to be in Brooklyn, he will too. Brook asks if a father can demand that, and Martin says, legally he can’t be in the delivery room without consent, but Valentin says he’s not demanding that. He doesn’t expect to be in the delivery room, holding her hand and feeding her ice chips, but he will be in the hospital, anxiously awaiting the birth. She says, that’s not happening.

Michael asks if they mind if he has a moment alone with his cousin, and Valentin says, it’s Michael’s house; knock himself out. Michael and Brook go into the foyer, and he asks why she’s freaked out about Valentin going to the hospital. She says, they’re not married. They’re not even a couple, and she’d like to cherish the first moments with her baby without Valentin pressing his face against the glass. He says, if she wants control of ELQ back, she’s going to have to give up on this point. Unless she’s changed her mind, she’ll have to be okay with that. She says she hasn’t changed her mind, and they go back into the living room. She tells Valentin, it’s okay for him to be at the hospital, but not the delivery room. He agrees, and she says, if he wants to be a real dad, involved with the child’s health decisions, etc., he’ll have to give back ELQ. He says, all of the shares in exchange for access to his child? Michael says he was willing to give them up for Nina, but Valentin says, not all of them. Brook says, that’s her offer, and he says, if it’s her final one, he’ll see her in court then. Michael says the Quartermaine’s lawyers are the best in the business. They can draw the case out for years. Valentin says he doesn’t need another hostile relationship, certainly not with the mother of his child, but a lengthy court battle doesn’t faze him. Martin says, more billable hours for him, and Valentin says, being the father gives him certain rights, and he’s willing to protect those rights.  

TJ says he know Molly is loving her internship, but what about her dreams of becoming an activist lawyer? She says she still wants to be an activist, but she’ll be acting within the system instead of fighting against it. Seeing the decisions the DA makes about who gets what charges, and who gets offered a plea deal made her realize that she doesn’t want to right wrongs within the system, so much as prevent them from happening in the first place. He tells her, good luck with that. The system is broken. Otherwise, Cyrus wouldn’t be free.

Jason says Carly had no right to call in a favor from Shawn. She put Shawn in a position where he had to stab Jason, and Jason had to let him. She says she was right. She wasn’t going to let him stay in Pentenville. Sooner or later Cyrus’s men were going to kill him. The meeting of the Five Families anchovy paste is going to take place soon, and he has to take Sonny’s place at the table. He asks if this why she set it up, so he could be at the meeting with the Five Families soft breadsticks? She says she set it up because she wasn’t going to let him die because he’s too stubborn to accept her help. He says, this is the opposite of help.

Britt gets on the computer, and looks up the new drug Cyrus invented. Cyrus comes up behind her and asks what she’s doing.

Jordan tells Shawn that he should stay out of Carly and Jason’s battle with Cyrus. He tells her, guys like Renault need to be stopped. Hasn’t she heard? The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. She asks if that’s what he is. A good man who stabbed his former friend? He asks if she’s saying good men don’t end up in prison, and she says she knows plenty of good people who made mistakes, but decisions made in the moment can be regretted later. He asks if she regrets lying to him about TJ, but she says, no.

Jax punches Dude #2, knocking him out, while Sonny tells the first one, stay down. He tells Phyllis, they have to find a way to tie him up. Nina puts her foot on Dude #2, and says she and Jax make a good team, don’t they? Phyllis tells Sonny to give her the gun. She doesn’t like them, but she knows how to use one. Nina asks Jax is he’s all right; he’s bleeding. He says he’s okay, but then drops to the ground.  

Laura tells Curtis, if he needs to talk, she’s only a phone call away. He thanks her, and says he appreciates it. He’s in a strange place now. He’s sad his marriage has ended, but he feels a tremendous amount of satisfaction in The Savoy coming together. She asks if that’s the name of the club, and he asks if she likes it. She says she does, and thinks it will be the place to be. He says he doesn’t need it to be trendy, and it would be nice if it was successful, but he wants to provide good music, good ambience, and a place where people can set their everyday troubles aside, at least for a little while. Laura thinks it sounds perfect.

Jordan tells Shawn, Tommy was a good father. TJ loved him, and she doesn’t regret lying. She does regret how much she hurt Shawn, and he thanks her for saying that. She tells him, he said himself that he already loved TJ like a son before he knew he was TJ’s father. Could Shawn have loved TJ any more if he’d known they were blood? He says he doesn’t think that’s possible, and she says, TJ got two fathers who loved him. How can she regret that?

Molly tells TJ, she was so scared when her mom pled guilty. The maximum could have been a decade in prison, but the judge took into account the mitigating circumstances, and Alexis got three years. To her, it’s a perfect example of the system working. He says, this is one of those times when they’re just not going to see things the same. Her mom’s biggest mitigating circumstance is that she’s white. He’s happy Alexis only got three years, but Shawn pled guilty to the same crime, and could be there ten years before he gets out. So he would say, the system doesn’t work for everyone the same. Does she really want to be a part of that?

Britt tells Cyrus she’s working; she’s pulling another 12-hour shift. She reaches behind her back, changing the page, and tells Cyrus, she wants to change the lag time between lab orders and results. They can’t have a delay when doctors are waiting for important information. He says she’s so thorough; that’s why he hired her. She thanks him, but says she has work to do. She leaves, and he closes laptop. I’m thinking he’s going to look at the history.

Jason says, Carly made it easier for him to escape, but what good is he to her, the business, or anyone as a fugitive on the run? She says he can go to a safe house, and run the business from there. He says, why doesn’t he just go to the island? and she says, absolutely not. He can’t leave her. They’re going to prove Gladys is lying, and that Peter killed Franco. Once Jason’s name is cleared, he can come home. He says he knows that’s what she wants, but it’s not that easy. Britt comes back, and says she checked on the data from the drug trial, and the chemical compound in Cyrus’s drug and the lab results from her patient are a 90% match. Jason says, they stopped Cyrus from distributing the drug through GH, so he took it to the streets. Britt says, Cyrus interrupted her, but she covered, and had to make herself scarce, so she came there. Clueless Carly says they got Britt’s update, she can leave now, and Britt tells Jason to let her know if he needs a sedative. She’s sure he’ll need one after Carly’s visit. She leaves, and Carly says she can’t believe who Jason is working with. He tells her, stop. It’s not too late to go back on this. They can run a bunch of tests, send him back to Pentenville, and Shawn can be his cellmate; they’ll watch each other’s backs. She asks if he’s out of his mind. She called in every favor Sonny was owed. There are no favors left to get him out of Pentenville a second time. Cyrus comes in, and says, Jason Morgan and the widow Corinthos, together again at last. I laugh because I love the way he talks.

Michael says he knows Valentin can afford a lengthy battle, but does he want to miss out on the first months of his child’s life? The Quartermaine lawyers can drag things out for months, or even years. Valentin says he has a counteroffer. He’ll return Brook’s shares to her, which will allow them to retain full control of the company, assuming they can quit bickering and infighting long enough to act as one. Martin says he’s seen it, and it’s a big assumption. Brook says, it’s a deal. Does he have the shares with him? She’ll sign on the dotted line right now. Valentin says he’s not signing anything until the baby is born.

Nina tells Jax to stay with her, and we hear sirens. She tells him, it will be okay, and yells, hurry! There’s a man shot! The paramedics come, and she tells them Jax needs help. One of them asks about the other guy, but she says, he’s just knocked out; Jax has been shot. They tend to Jax, and Nina says, please wake up. Sonny joins her, and asks if she’s all right.  

Brook says she wants the shares now, and Valentin says he’s always wanted to be two inches taller. (He’s apparently been watching Judge Judy.) They can’t have everything they want. He’ll give her the shares when the baby is born. That’s his final offer. Brook says, deal; when the baby is born. They shake hands, and Valentin says he’ll have the papers drawn up. He and Martin leave, and Michael says, on behalf of the whole family, thank you for returning control of ELQ to the Quartermaines. He’s going to call Ned, unless she wants to do the honors. She tells him, go for it, and he leaves. She wonders, where am I going to find a baby? Hmm… who’s really having a baby and needs somewhere for it to go?

Laura tells Curtis, she’s worried that Cyrus will prevent Martin from seeing their mother. Despite his shortcomings, Martin loves his mother very much, and they’ve always been in close contact, even if just by phone. She wonders if she should reach out to Cyrus on Martin’s behalf, and Curtis says it doesn’t surprise him; she’s got a big heart. She asks if he’s saying she’s a pushover, but he says, far from it. She’s anything but naïve, but she knows if she wants something from Cyrus, he’ll want something in return. She says she does know that. Her son returned Florence to Cyrus, and she feels like she should do something to help Martin.

Molly tells TJ, she’s just as angry and frustrated as he is at the systemic unfairness of prison sentences, but she thinks working within the system is the best way to enact positive change. If the system gets the better of her, she can always switch back to working for a non-profit, or as a defense attorney who has a working knowledge of the ins and outs of the prosecuting psyche. He says he’d never bet against her. If anyone can change the system from within, it would be her. He says he’s proud of her, and they hug.

Shawn tells Jordan, TJ is the most important thing; he’s an amazing kid. Wait. TJ is going to be a doctor soon. He’s an amazing young man. She says she can’t believe TJ is all grown up. Her baby is graduating medical school soon. He says, Dr. TJ Ashford. He wishes he could be there to see it. She says she does too, and he says, so Commissioner, are you going to arrest me? She tells him, he said it was self-defense, right? No charges. But before she goes, life is hard enough in there. Steer clear of Cyrus’s people. He says he’ll do what’s necessary to protect his family, and she leaves. He watches her go.

Cyrus says he can’t think of why the guard let Carly into Jason’s room. Clearly, he doesn’t take his job seriously. He’ll reach out to the prison, and have him replaced immediately. He says Jason looks robust for an assault victim. Rest assured, he’ll be well taken care of in Cyrus’s hospital.

Britt goes back to the computer, and tries to bring up the page she’d been on. It says, access denied.   

Sonny asks if Nina is sure she’s all right, and she says she’s just shaken up. He asks if it’s someone she knows, and she says, just a man from her past. It’s the guy she broke up with. A paramedic says they’re ready to take Jax to the clinic, and Nina says she needs to go. Sonny says, he’ll go with her, but she says, no. Jax sees Sonny, but his vision is blurry. He points at Sonny, says, what the hell? and passes out. Nina says she needs to go, and Sonny asks if she’s sure she doesn’t want him to come, but the paramedic says they can only take one extra in the ambulance. Nina says she’ll call Sonny, and leaves with them.

On Monday, Chase says he’s starting to get scared; Anna asks if Maxie will agree to a visit from Peter; Sonny tells Eli, if the cops come around again, he won’t forget to tell them; and Jax says, Sonny.

📺 On this week’s For Real: The Story of Reality TV, transformation shows were the topic. People makeovers, like The Swan, The Biggest Loser, and Celebrity Rehab were examined first, along with interviews with past contestants. The second half of the show covered business/home makeovers, like Tabatha Takes OverTabatha Coffey saying that she opened the door for business shows, but didn’t really know what she was doing, since it was uncharted territory. Kitchen Nightmares, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition were two of the others included, with Chip and Joanna Gaines getting their own segment. Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and interviews with the original cast rounded out the show. Next time, Shock and Awe

🍸 On Overserved, LVP’s guests Lala Kent and Anna Camp were the Ladies Who Brunch. Lala was pregnant at the time, and is sober anyway, so she couldn’t indulge, but she doesn’t need to in order to spill her guts. They did baby bottles (Lala’s not-so-guilty pleasure) and had fabulous breakfast food. My favorite meal. Anna told a story about how she’d been a shoo-in for a part in a school play, but had it stolen from her by a real bitch. Since Anna ended up on the business end of the stage, when a pitcher of water was required, she took it from the toilet, the bitch having to chug it on stage. Later, said bitch told Anna to make sure she washed the pitcher out next time, since there was sh*t floating in it. Little did she know how literal that might have been. I’ve never done anything like that, but if I had, I don’t think you could get me drunk enough to tell that story. They went inside for a game of Pop Star Charades, and pup Schnookie proceeded to hump LVP’s arm the entire time. The best part was how none of them could stop laughing. As parting gifts, Anna was given a bottle of rosé, and Lala got a quart of milk. Next time, Sherry Underwood and Mario Lopez will be visiting Villa Rosa.

🌴 Real Miami Wedding…

In a weird way, I still miss them.

https://extratv.com/2021/04/23/reality-star-marysol-patton-quietly-marries-steve-mcnamara/

🏆 All You Need To Know…

The best dressed.

https://www.purewow.com/fashion/best-oscar-dresses

The red carpet of the 90s.

https://www.stylebistro.com/This+Is+What+The+Oscars+Red+Carpet+Looked+Like+In+The+’90s

All the information on who, what, and how to watch the ceremony.

https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2021

Where to stream the contenders.

👄 Quotes of the Week

Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face. – Carol Moseley-Braun

Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations. – Mae Jemison

Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.Daniel Patrick Moynihan

No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow. – Alice Walker

Comfort can be dangerous. Comfort provides a floor but also a ceiling. – Trevor Noah

You don’t shoot animals with collars. That’s how Yogi Bear has lasted so long. – Mike Baxter (Tim Allen), Last Man Standing

Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up. – Pablo Picasso

The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof. – Richard David Bach (Ain’t it the truth?)

⌚️ Out of Time…

Somehow the day… oh, you know the rest. Until we meet on the Deadside, stay safe, stay changing the scenery once in a while, and stay changing the system any way you can.

March 15, 2021 – Valentin Offers Michael the Deal Of a Lifetime, a Feverish Guest Is a Quarantined Guest, Grammy Winners, Oscar Noms, Academy Snubs, Going For the Gold, Empty Apple & Cheap

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

I missed the very beginning, but all you need to know is… Sam and Alexis met at Kelly’s, and Maxie was released from the hospital. She’s packing up Peter’s stuff, and Olivia and Dante are with her. Chase went to see Willow, Valentin went to see Michael, and Ava went to see Nina. Finn, Gregory, and Jackie are at the hospital, discussing the DNA test results, and Jason has just walked in on Anna and Peter’s conversation in Peter’s office. And away we go.

Peter says he was wondering when Jason would show up. Predictable as always. Jason says, that’s right, and Peter says he’s aware of the lies Anna and Valentin are speaking about him. That’s all they are, lies, so go for it. He saved Jason the trouble of breaking in, but – spoiler alert – there’s nothing to find. He leaves, and Jason closes the door. He tells Anna, let’s do a sweep.

Olivia asks if Maxie was checked out, and Maxie says she and the baby are fine. Olivia says, thank God, and Dante says, Peter is going to look for Maxie, but Maxie says he already did. He came to the hospital. Anna and Valentin ran interference, but she wanted to face him. Dante asks how it went, and she says she told him it was over. Olivia asks how she feels, but Maxie isn’t sure how she feels about anything. She loved him. Olivia says, of course (🍷) she did, and Maxie says, but the man she loved wasn’t real.

At Kelly’s, Sam asks if Alexis is sure she’s okay, and Alexis says she has coffee. She’ll be okay. Sam asks if she’s sure, and tells Alexis that she can stay, but Alexis says, there are people who have it much worse. Go see Maxie. She can’t imagine what Maxie is going through. Sam says she loves Alexis, and Alexis says she loves Sam too. Sam says she’s really proud of her mom, and leaves. Ned walks in, sees Alexis, and says, on second thought, he’ll head to Perks. Alexis says, for God’s sake, get some coffee, and keep her company. He asks if everything is all right, and she says, perfect. Couldn’t be better.

Chase tells Willow, sorry for just showing up, and she says, stop apologizing. She’s glad he came. He says he knows this is the part where he tells her everything, but he doesn’t know where to start. She says, wherever he wants, and he says, Finn slept with his mom. She says, wow. Okay. When was this? He says the night before she married his dad. Now he doesn’t know if his dad is his father, or Finn is. Willow takes the glass of water out of his hand, and he asks what she’s doing. She says she’s getting them some wine. For a moment, I actually entertained a notion of what I’d do if I found out my father wasn’t my father. Then I remembered, we all look so much alike in my family, I couldn’t even pretend I was adopted when I was little, like you do when you’re mad at your parents.

Nina asks if Ava remembers how happy she was when Michael called and asked if she’d like to spend more time with Wiley. She’s surprised she didn’t get a speeding ticket on her way there. Wiley was playing with blocks, and he was so adorable. He was constructing towers, and knocking them down; his laugh is contagious. Ava asks if Wiley was receptive to her, and she says, very much so. Willow and Michael were too; they’ve been really generous. Ava asks, what on earth happened?

Valentin tells Michael that he’s going to sign over Scout and Danny’s ELQ proxies, and Michael will have majority control of the company. Michael says, just like that? and Valentin says, just like that. Michael asks what’s in it for Valentin, and Valentin says, not much, which makes it the deal of a lifetime. Michael just allows Nina to see her grandson, and he can have control of the company. Someone watches them from outside.

Nina tells Ava, Carly arrived, and Ava says, to keep an eye on Nina no doubt. Nina says, it wasn’t a problem… Not at first. She didn’t think a problem was there. Ava tells her to get to the part where she lost Wiley, and Nina says she told Wiley that she was his grandma, but not like Grandma Carly. She wanted to make sure he understood that she’s not Willow’s mother. Ava says, she told him the truth? Nina says, yes, and then Wiley told Willow.    

Someone continues to watch Valentin and Michael. Valentin says, Nina gets to spend time with her grandson, and Michael retains control of the company. How does that sound? It’s a no-brainer. Michael says Valentin is right. It is a no-brainer. No. He’s not going to trade his son to be subject to something potentially harmful. No more than Valentin would with Charlotte.

Chase tells Willow, he’s furious at Finn and his mom, but at the same time, he can’t judge. Stuff happens. People become attracted to each other, and sleep together when they shouldn’t. Willow says, they’re not just people, and he says, how could Finn do that to his dad? What the hell? Finn disappeared and punished his father, making Gregory think it was his fault for daring to be happy after his wife died. And don’t get him started on his mom. She’s supposed to be a fearless journalist. When she saw Finn, and should have told him to get a DNA test, so he didn’t blame their father for falling in love. She asks if one is pending, and he says, it’s sitting at GH, waiting to be opened. She says, he’s not there, and he says he doesn’t know if can face it; not yet. She says he doesn’t have to.

Gregory says, there’s no undoing what’s done. Chase swore Gregory would always be his father, but if it turns out he’s not, that sort of thing wears on people. Even if they destroy the results, they’ll always wonder, every single one of them. They might as well do it, and find out who the father is. Finn nods, and leaves to get the results.   

Ned says he and Alexis made mistakes, and took the fallout, but they’ve been in and out of each other’s lives for decades. He can tell when she’s hurting. Is there anything he can do? She says, yes. Tell her the damage isn’t irreparable, and he and Olivia are back together.

Olivia asks if Maxie is sure she’s ready, and Maxie says, not really, but it’s not like she has a choice. The community center will be enjoying some custom-made menswear. Olivia says, where Peter is going, he won’t need them. There’s a knock at the door, and Maxie says, it’s probably Sam. Dante opens the door, and Sam comes in bearing carboard boxes. She says she can take them back if Maxie doesn’t want them, but Maxie says she’ll put them to good use. Sam says, well? How is Maxie holding up? Maxie says she’s still searching for the right answer to that question, and Dante says he doesn’t think there is one. Olivia says, life threw Maxie a major loop, and she needs time to adjust. Maxie asks Dante if his mom is right about where Peter is headed. Is he going to serve time?

Anna tells Jason, all clear. There’s no surveillance equipment. She didn’t expect any though. Jason says she wouldn’t put it past Peter to plant a bug, would she? and she says she knows Peter would like to be privy to their conversation, but she doubts he’d have coverage 24/7 in the office. Jason looks around Peter’s desk, and she says he’s not saying I told you so, so she’ll say it for him. He was right about Peter. She knows he told her again and again but she refused to see it. It’s part of what made Maxie willing to open up love, and believe in Peter; Anna was by his side, and strengthened his case. Maxie isn’t safe. She can see the obsession in Peter’s eyes. He’s going to turn into his father. Just the thought… Faison made her life a living hell for so many years. It’s an awful thing to say, but Peter is fully capable of the same thing. The fact that he’s this far along, and in this terrible place, is on her.

Ned tells Alexis that he and Olivia are in limbo; they’re not broken up, but they’re definitely not together. Alexis says, they should be. They love each other. He says he knows he loves Olivia, but he also hurt her deeply, and he honestly doesn’t know what’s going to happen. Alexis says she’s so sorry, but he says, don’t be. She’s not at fault. She says, they’re both at fault. They were both three sheets to the wind. They were both wrong, and both at fault. The only good thing is, her daughter stood by her, and Olivia was gracious enough to hear her out. He says, Olivia is nothing if not gracious and forgiving. She says, that gives them hope.

Dante tells Maxie that he knows the PCPD is reopening the investigation into the assassination attempt on Andre and Franco, and Olivia says, may he rest. Maxie asks, what about Drew’s plane crash? and Dante says, that too. Olivia says, something has to stick, right? and Maxie thanks them for checking on her. She appreciates it. Dante asks if she’s kicking them out, and she says, no, but she knows they have lives, and Sam is there; she’ll be fine. Olivia says she’ll put the ziti in the fridge, and Maxie goes with her. Sam says Dante isn’t being fully honest, right? He asks if it’s that obvious, but Sam says, only to her. Dante says, Peter’s had too much time to cover his tracks, and he’s good at it already. Sam says, he killed Scout’s father, but Dante says, the plane has been underwater; there’s no evidence to be had. Maybe something else will turn up. She asks what he means, and he says he thinks Peter is going to slip up. He’s desperate and panicking, and he’s going to do what he’s been doing. Sam says, making sure he stays out of prison.

Jason says he was with Anna when she was tracking Henrick. Jason saw how he messed with her head. She wanted to believe so badly that he wasn’t Faison. She was wrong, but it’s not solely on her. She’s not sure that’s true, and he says, she’s not the first person who wanted to believe someone was better than they are. Peter was good at manipulating and covering his tracks. She says, Jason didn’t believe Peter, but he says, Peter wasn’t his son. He didn’t have to believe it, even when she did. He gets it, okay? She’s human. She thanks him for that, but says he doesn’t understand how far she went. When he was putting together that the assassin and Peter knew each other, what he didn’t know was that there were records that tied them together. She pulled those from the WSB file, but instead of handing them to the authorities, she kept them. She just hoped they didn’t mean what she thought… what she knew they meant. So when she confronted Peter about it, thinking he’d tell her the truth, he didn’t. He took them from her and destroyed them.

Nina says she was just being honest, and Ava says, with a toddler? Nina says she was reading books on how to deal with sensitive issues and small children. She opens one, and tells Ava, look. The advice says, just say the thing. Ava asks if Nina doesn’t think the parents should be the people saying the thing, and Nina says, yeah. It went terribly wrong, but in her defense, she had no malicious intent. She wanted to do the right thing, and tried to convey that to Michael. Ava says she’s had too much experience. Let her tell Nina what it’s like taking on the Corinthos clan.

Valentin tells Michael, harmful? Nina? She just wants to see her grandson. She’s a wonderful person with an enormous heart. No doubt Michael knew that enough to let Nina see Wiley initially. Michael says he gets it. Nina is a loving, warm person, but it’s going to be difficult if there’s a confrontation every time. When things settle, and Nina works through the shock, she can and will have a great relationship with Wiley, but not now.

Chase tells Willow, part of him never wants to talk to Finn and his mom again, which is ridiculous, but the person he feels worst for is his dad. Maybe that’s BS. He feels worst for himself, which makes him feel insanely selfish. Willow asks, why? and he says he had a great childhood; happy, healthy, full of love It shouldn’t affect his life one way or another. She says, first of all, of course (🍷) it should affect his life; it’s his family. Secondly, two things can be true. You can have amazing parts of your life that you cherish, and still grieve the parts you lost. For what it’s worth (🍷), she’s sorry he’s going through this. He says, it’s worth more than she knows, and she puts her hand over his.

Ava asks Nina to go over it step by step. Michael and Willow brought Wiley there to visit. Nina says, correct, and Ava asks what she thinks happened after they left. Carly reminded them how awful and unhinged Nina is, and the second time she and Wiley visited, Nina proved that they shouldn’t let Wiley be around her. Now Carly has momentum, and Michael will do what she says. Nina wonders how she convinces them that Wiley will be better off having contact with her. How do they get to where they were before? Ava thinks Nina’s best bet is to divide and conquer.

Valentin tells Michael, Nina made a mistake, and said something dumb. She feels terrible, and to issue an ultimatum ultimately makes it worse. Nina will double down and Michael will double down, and no one wants that. If they talk, and learn to communicate, maybe there’s a negotiation be had. Michael says, like what? and Valentin says, maybe Nina goes to counseling; maybe they should all go, and get the tools for how to handle this intermediary step. There’s a lot between all access and no contact. He’s not doubting Michael wants what’s best for his son, and hopes Michael considers the options. He leaves, and someone watches him.   

Chase tells Willow that he keeps trying to get to a Zen place, but he can’t. Finn has to be most self-absorbed person ever. It never crossed his mind what he was doing to their dad – or mom. She’s in the wrong, but Finn did worse; he moved on. Chase doesn’t want to find out this guy is his dad for a lot of reasons, but how he handled this is at the top. Willow thinks it’s good to remember that Finn was in his early 20s. He made a choice, and over time got entrenched. Chase asks if she’s saying he should give Finn a pass, but she says, hell no. The only real advice she can give him is, don’t police his feelings. He’s been betrayed by people he trusted. She’s felt the way he feels. He says, speaking of policing, maybe he should think like a cop. She asks what he means, and he says, the evidence. Finn had just one night with his mom. The odds are in his dad’s favor. He’s got to go to GH and see the results. He tells Willow to pray his dad is his dad, since he wants him to be. Willow asks if he’ll be okay, but he says that can’t happen until he knows. She asks if he wants her to go with him, and he says he didn’t want to ask. She says that’s why she offered, and he says he’d like that very much. She says she’ll get her coat.  

Olivia tells Dante, poor Maxie. It’s so hard on her. He says, she’s tough; she’ll be fine. Olivia says with friends like him, how could she not be? He asks how Olivia is, and she says, she’s great… She’s fine… She’s hanging in. He says he knows she get to decide how to handle her life, but he can see she misses Ned. She says, of course (🍷) she misses him. He’s her husband. He asks, what’s next? but she says she honestly doesn’t know. She suggests they go into Kelly’s, and they see Ned and Alexis. Olivia asks, is she seeing this? and Ned says, it’s just coffee, he swears. Alexis says, it’s true, and Dante tells Olivia, try not to judge. Ned says he knows it’s hard because he fell victim to jumping to the wrong conclusion about Olivia and Robert. Don’t make the same mistake.

Maxie thanks Sam for helping her pack, and Sam says she’d do anything for Maxie. Maxie says she would understand if Sam decided to sit this one out. Saying she’s sorry isn’t enough, but she’s so sorry about what Peter did to Drew. Sam says, don’t. Peter fooled a lot of people for a long time. Maxie says, last night, Peter asked – insisted

Jason tells Anna that he’s sorry, and she wonders why. He says, a mistake like that, he knows it’s tough to carry, but they can’t look back. They’ve got to go forward and find a way to stop Peter. She says, there’s no evidence. What do they have on him? He says, maybe they can get him for murder. He thinks Peter is the one who killed Franco. She says, and everyone would  think Jason killed him. Jason says they know Peter has killed before, and tried to cover up what he did with Helena. Anna says, and Drew’s memories were surfacing. Jason says, at first, Franco thought he was hearing voices, but when he found out it was a memory, he told Peter. She says, Peter knew? and he says, yes. Peter knew, and not long after, he saw Britt. He played the brother card, and used her log-in to access the GH server. She had no idea what he was doing until the next day when the article came out. Anna says, Peter was desperate to instill fear and anger, and hoped someone would try to take out Franco, and Jason says, it’s a win-win for Peter. Either his problem is taken care of, or there’s a cover so he can take care of it himself. She says, it’s a compelling theory. How do they prove it?

Jackie tells Gregory that she’s so sorry, but he says, too late for that. She asks, if she’d told him 30 years ago, would it have made a difference? when Chase walks in. He asks if they know, and she says, not yet. Finn comes back, and says he has the results. Jackie asks if he’s looked, but he says, no. Chase tells him, open it, and he does.   

Nina asks what Ava means by divide and conquer, and Ava says, maybe start with Willow. Go see her, woman to woman, mother to mother. Get Willow to see what she was trying to do. Valentin comes in, and says he hopes he’s not interrupting. He just had an interesting conversation with Michael. Ava asks if he’s going to let Nina see Wiley, but Valentin says, no. Nina says, and he’s not going to. He’s firmly under mommy’s thumb. Valentin says she’s not helping the situation.

Dante says he’s glad he ran into Alexis, and asks to talk to her for a second. She says, of course (🍷), and they sit at the counter. Ned tells Olivia that he knows she has no reason to trust him, but it was really just coffee. Please. Just sit with him. She sits. Dante tells Alexis that he just wanted to give them a minute, and Alexis says she’s glad he did, for all three of them. She’s sorry for what she did to Dante, and Dante says, okay. Enough. It’s over and done with, and he’s good. It was an accident, but maybe she should figure out how she got so out of control.   

Sam says, Maxie doesn’t know where Peter is? Does she think he left town? Maxie doubts it. The last thing he said was that he wasn’t giving up. All they had was the future. Sam says, it’s going to be okay. Maxie and the baby will be fine, she promises. Maxie asks, how? How can Sam promise she’ll be fine? Sam says, because a lot of people love her, and are looking out for her. They’ll make sure everything is okay. They hug.

Anna tells Jason, it will give them a chance to put Peter away, and insure Maxie’s safety, but Jason says, it doesn’t help that he’s the prime suspect. She says she has to admit the idea isn’t shocking to anyone. Jason wasn’t exactly subtle about hating Franco. Jason says, it was a trap. He doesn’t think Franco meant it to be, but he was terrified he’d regress, and asked Jason to take him out if he exhibited the same symptoms. She says, my God. It’s an interesting position to be put in. He says he doesn’t think it was a mind game, or that Franco was trying to screw him over, and she says, no. If you’re in an uncontrollable situation, you try to get the illusion of control somehow. Franco knew if anyone was willing to kill him, it would be Jason. Jason says, he did, and didn’t think the most likely one would be Peter.  

Finn takes out the paper and looks at it. Jackie says, Hamilton… Finn says, it’s him. I gasp. He’s Chase’s father. Chase hangs his head, and Gregory turns his back.

Jackie reaches for Chase, but he shrugs her off. He tells Gregory that he’s the best dad in the world, and he loves him. Nothing will ever change that. They hug, and Chase tells Finn that he doesn’t care what that piece of paper says. He’ll never accept Finn as his father. He leaves, and Willow follows him. Gregory looks like he might cry.

Michael hears someone ask, is it safe? He turns and sees Brook inside the patio doors. She says, well, is it?

Valentin tells Nina, going to war with Carly is going to help no one. Nina said something to a small child who got confused. Think it over. If Nina pushes back, Carly will push back twice as hard. Nina says, so there’s no hope, but he tells her, he didn’t say that. Benefit from his mistake. Not long ago, he couldn’t stomach that Nina didn’t love him, but rather than give her time and space, he concocted a daughter, and they know how that turned out. It will take some time to solve the problem. Take a step back. If she’s lucky, Nina will get what she wants more than anything in the world. Let them feel safe, and come to her. He smiles, and leaves, and Ava makes a face.

Dante says he used to be a cop. If they subpoena him, he’ll be honest. She came after Franco, and he got in between them, but he forgives her. She thanks him, and he says he’ll also have to tell them she came out with a loaded syringe intending bodily harm, or worse. That’s what happened, but she wasn’t in her right mind. He guesses that’s up to a jury to decide, right? 

Ned reaches for Olivia’s hand, but she pulls it away. He says he’s so sorry. He knows how royally he screwed up, how badly he hurt her, and how much damage he caused, but he loves her and would do anything to make things right and better. He’d climb any mountain, and slay any dragon. Please. Just tell him there’s a chance.

Sam tells Maxie that she’s going run the last of the boxes to the community center, and Maxie thanks her. She asks if Maxie is sure she’s okay alone, but Maxie says she’s never alone. She has her sidekick. Sam asks if she doesn’t mean her frontkick (BA-DUM-CHH!), and tells Maxie to call if she needs anything. They exchange I love yous, and Maxie closes the door.

Jason says his and Anna’s biggest problem is Elizabeth and Scotty. They’re convinced he was just waiting to kill Franco. Anna says, and they believe he did, obscuring what really happened. He won’t take the fall for a crime Peter committed. This time, they stop him, and this time, Peter doesn’t have her to hide behind.

Maxie hears the door, and says she was about to text Sam. She forgot a tie. Peter says, it’s not Sam. He was starting to think she’d never leave. He closes the door, and locks it.    

Tomorrow, Brook tells Michael, the answer is none of his business: Brando says, the closer Cyrus gets, the more dangerous life is; and Peter tells Maxie, the past is dead; he killed it.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht

It’s the morning after the night before, and everyone struggles to get up. Behind the closed doors of the guest cabin, Sydney says Gary can’t leave her there, and asks where her bathing suit is. She tells him that she’ll leave first. In her interview, she says, it’s the worst walk of shame she could possibly imagine. She’ll just have to act like nothing happened. Gary comes out a couple of minutes later. In Gary’s interview, he says, my God. This is not happening. The captain asks if they had fun, and Gary said they had a lot of laughs. His cheeks were hurting. He tells the captain that he has a good bunch of crew on there. Jean Luc is still feeling sick, and says, this is gonna be rough today.

The girls ask Sydney, what happened? and Sydney says, nothing. Daisy asks if she hooked up with Gary, and Sydney says, no, but they slept in the guest cabin. Natasha says, and he didn’t get it? Sydney says, no, and Natasha calls her a liar. In Sydney’s interview, she says, yes, they had sex. Yeah, they hooked up. It’s their business, and no one needs to know the dirty details… and they were dirty.

Jean Luc says he’s not feeling too good, and everyone tries to straighten up. Jean Luc thinks he’s going to be forced to change rooms. Natasha tells Colin about Sydney and Gary hooking up, and in her interview Alli wonders if they’re on the same boat. She thought she and Gary were flirting, but whatever. Natasha says, never trust the quiet ones. Colin tells Gary that the water pressure is just going down, and the engine is just starting to behave properly. He asks about Gary’s night, and Gary says, not much happened; just a cheeky kiss, but he feels like a d*ckhead this morning. In his interview, he laughs and says they just cuddled. In Colin’s interview, he says, Gary got himself in a pickle. Gary says they’ll wait until the ciggies come. I’m not sure what he means by that, but I assume it’s that he’ll tell Colin the whole story when they can relax over a smoke.

Glenn calls Gary, Daisy, and Natasha for a preference sheet meeting. He hands them the sheets, saying, here’s their mission, should they chose to accept it. He tells them that he just got a message from primary Dr. Nichols (there’s no first name on the sheet, which is very weird), informing him that due to a family emergency, she and her husband weren’t able to make the flight in time. So there will be no primaries. Daisy says, someone naturally takes the lead. The other guests are Victoria, who’s a nutritionist; Ryan, a Sotheby’s salesman; and married couple, Hannah and Andy. They want an endless flow of delicious drinks. Natalie reads that they like to be surprised at dinner, and Gary says he’ll hide around the corner. Glenn says the guests will be there around 2, and the crew begins to clean the boat. Dani tells Daisy that someone used the guest head. In Daisy’s interview, she says, there’s an unspoken rule that you never use the guest head – ever. (For you landlubbers, the head is the bathroom.) She says, it pisses her off, especially when it’s been detailed. She radios the crew, asking if someone used the main saloon. Please don’t use the guest head, especially after it’s been cleaned and detailed. Gary copies, and in her interview, Daisy says she doesn’t really care if they use it when it’s dirty. Next time, maybe she’ll pee in the jacuzzi.

Daisy tells Dani that there are drops on the bathroom floor, the bowl is dirty, and the toilet paper is undone. Dani asks if Daisy is 100% sure, and Daisy says, yeah. In Daisy’s interview, she says, are you kidding her? This is over the limit. It’s so effing rude. She calls everyone to the crew mess, and Jean Luc wonders if he’s in trouble. Daisy tells them, someone used the guest head. The toilet paper was used, and there were drops on the floor. Jean Luc says he’d never do that, and she says, no one has been in there since yesterday? Everyone denies it, and in Gary’s interview, he says, maybe someone used it, and didn’t say anything about it. They’re such a d*ck. Daisy says if no one cares about her department, she’s not going to care about theirs. In her interview, she says, it’s pretty obvious that it’s them. Have a bit of consideration for your teammates. If they’re not going to admit it, she’s going to make sure they know it’s not acceptable. Glenn says they want to look after everyone’s department, but make sure it doesn’t happen again. It’s disrespecting the interior. Don’t let it become a bigger problem.

Sydney and Gary work at scrubbing the deck, and in Sydney’s interview, she says, she and Gary haven’t talked, but fine. She’s very confused. Daisy and Dani talk about the hook-up, and Dani says, they all work together; they’re going to talk. Alli thinks it’s funny, and Daisy says, it’s none of her business, but she thinks Gary should know better. Dani 100% agrees. Gary can’t find his hair tie, and Dani tells him there are two marks by the guest cabin bed that look like they could be hands. He tells her that he and Sydney just talked sh*t, and he passed out, but she obviously doesn’t believe him. In Dani’s interview, she says a detective has to be suspicious. The perpetrator always goes back to the scene of the crime. Daisy inspects the guest cabin, and says, it looks good.

One hour to charter. Provisions come in. Natasha says Daisy ordered 10 kilos of carrots, and wonders if she thought there was going to be a load of bunnies on board. Glenn radios for the crew to be dressed and on deck in 15 minutes. Dani says, there’s no ice in the ice machine behind the bar, and Colin says, give him a break. Glenn calls the crew to the aft deck, and champagne is popped. In Dani’s interview, she says, the guests behave because there’s a primary there. Without one, the guests take advantage. It’s a potential nightmare. Guest Victoria tells guest Hannah not to be too impressed, or the crew will think they’re peasants. Yep. Potential nightmare.

Gary says, number two under way. The crew greets the guests, and introduces themselves. Glenn welcomes them, and says Daisy will give them a tour. They’ll get out quick, look for wind, and do some sailing. While bringing the luggage on board, Glenn wonders if he has the one with the gold bars in it. Daisy tells them they can duke it out over the master. Natasha asks if Gary is good at shucking oysters, and he says he used to be famous for it. Victoria asks Daisy to unpack for them, and Ryan says he needs three jackets steamed. Daisy tells Dani, it’s going to be hard work. I can’t believe anyone would want someone else unpacking for them. I don’t really want some stranger touching all my stuff. Colin tells Daisy, the ice machine is broken, and Dani and Alli do the unpacking. Gary eats more oysters than he shucks. In Natasha’s interview, she says she did well her first charter, but she knows there’s a problem between her and Daisy. It’s awkward, but she doesn’t give a f***. She’s there to work, and that’s what she’s going to do. Colin says something about a bad connection, and thinks he fixed the machine.

Natasha serves oysters, and Glenn tells the deckhands to drop the lines, and let him know when they’re on board. He’s going at full speed, and wants to get sailed up as soon as possible. Jean Luc takes the wheel. The sails start to go up. Daisy asks Dani to lead dinner, and she’ll help Alli with the turn downs. In her interview, Daisy says Alli is still pretty slow. She’ll teach Alli the way she learned, and see if she sinks or swims. Get your fins on Alli. It’s time to start swimming. The sails are sticking to each other, and Glenn tells Gary to climb up, and spray them. He suggests Gary strap himself on, but Gary says he’s good. As the sail is raised, he sprays it, and Glenn tells Jean Luc, it sounds like it’s ripping, but it’s just plastic separating. Gary says, it’s coming out of the track, and Glenn says, that’s a big problem. He’ll have to go up. Something pops, and Gary nearly falls.

Gary says, the boltrope is broken off the luff, and Glenn says, that’s a big problem. In Glenn’s interview, he explains that both sails are attached to a rope that holds the sail to the mast. It’s 180 feet of sail. Are we following him? He laughs, and says, if the rope pops away , the whole thing can let go. He tells Gary, they’ll sail with the genny and mizzen. When they anchor, they’ll fix it; it should be fine. Gary tells Sydney that he almost fell. In his interview, he says he’s in a bit of a predicament. He’s attracted for sure, but you never want to go there with your [work] partner. There are circuits in his brain that are fried. Ryan asks for a fruity, but still masculine cocktail, giving Daisy too many adjectives. He narrows it down to smoldering sparkle, and in her interview, Daisy says she’ll garnish it with diamonds, top it with a mermaid’s fart, and add smoke from a volcano in Narnia. He’s getting Kir Royale. Dani serves Ryan the smoldering sparkle, and he says, it’s fired.   

Gary tells Sydney that he’ll see her at 12, and she says she expects coffee. Colin says, naughty, naughty, naughty. Gary radios for Jean Luc, but he’s in the crew mess getting coffee and ignores it. Several crew members tell him that Gary is calling him, so he finally returns Gary’s calls. Gary says meet him in the bridge, and Jean Luc says he’s getting coffee. Gary tells him to put the a hold on the coffee. When Jean Luc gets there, Gary tells him, blah-blah-blah, bringing the pin down. Which is no doubt how Jean Luc is hearing it today too.

Licice, Croatia. The container holding the lobster garbage falls on the floor, and in Alli’s interview, she says, the goo smells like death. She and Dani freak out cleaning it up. Jean Luc explains the water toys to the guests, and says the floating pads are called naughty boys. Daisy tells Natasha that dinner is at 8, and Gary instructs guest Hannah on the paddle board. Guest Victoria says she’s impressed, but Hannah says don’t talk to her, as she concentrates on balancing. Gary instructs Jean Luc about the lines, and says, a lot of times, he’ll tell Jean Luc to do something, and he just stands around. In Jean Luc’s interview, he says he hates to be micromanaged. Don’t do it. Gary tells him to drag the line to a certain spot, but Jean Luc says he was told not to drag the line across the teak. Gary says that means not the whole thing, and mumbles that they’re going to swap cabins. Jean Luc mutters, effing a-hole.

The guests get back on the boat. Dani asks if Jean Luc is moving, and he says Gary forced him to. It makes him nervous to bunk with the captain. Guest Andy says he’s tired, and wants to eat some food.  Glenn asks Gary to go back up to where the sail came up, and feed it up manually. In Glenn’s interview, he says, it’s like a zipper. You can’t start in the middle; you have to go back to the start. Fingers crossed that it lasts through the rest of the season. Natasha plates a fabulous scallop appetizer, using half a scallop shell instead of a regular plate. In her interview, Natasha says, she loves working with Dani. One, Dani’s her roommate, and two, life is easier because she’s not Daisy. Even the guests who don’t like scallops love the dish. In Alli’s interview, she says she’s going to do her best to show Daisy that she can do turndowns. She’s a diving master. If she can breathe underwater, she can make a bed.

The sail is in the track, and in his interview, Glenn says, not all first mates can repair a sail with a hangover the way Gary can. He’s impressed. After the lobster is served, Andy says he likes that there’s no shell. He doesn’t have to work for the lobster. I concur. I ordered a whole lobster once, and it was more work than it was worth. Sydney tells Gary that she wrote herself a honey-do list of deck tasks. In her interview, she says, Gary has been all work and no flirt. She doesn’t know what’s going on. Jean Luc gets in his new bed. Colin asks if Gary snores or farts, and he says he doesn’t. Like he’s going to answer some other way. Jean Luc hopes he doesn’t wake Glenn, but Glenn tells him not to worry about it. The guests go to bed, and so does Sydney.  

The next morning, Gary asks Jean Luc how the new cabin is, and Jean Luc says he definitely has more leg room. Guest Hannah tells Daisy that Andy isn’t feeling well. She thinks he has a fever. She amends that to, she knows. It’s 101. In Daisy’s interview, she says, holy f***. She tells Hannah that she’ll ask he captain what to do. She goes to Glenn’s cabin, where he’s just getting up. She tells him that Andy isn’t well, and has a fever of 101. He’s in bed. Glenn says he’ll make a call, and in his interview, he says, obviously the first thing that pops in your head is that you have covid on board. It’s the first thing you think of when someone has a fever. It’s scary. He tells Daisy to tell them to stay in their cabins until he finds out what to do. Daisy tells the guests, and says she’ll leave breakfast by the door.

Glenn calls Dr. Kelly, a medical officer, and tells her that a guest has a fever 101. He asked them to stay in their cabin. She says she’s sending Dr. Laura out to retest all four guests. She tells Glenn to keep them in their cabins. Glenn tells the crew what’s going on, and that a doctor is on route. They’ll have to keep the guests in their cabins. In Daisy’s interview, she says they’ve been through tests and quarantine. She doesn’t know how it’s possible. If the guest has covid, they’re f***ed. Daisy tells Natasha, who says, WTF?

Glenn tells Gary that a water taxi is coming with the doctor. Gary meets them, and everyone is masked. They change into hazmat suits, and tell the guests that they’re going to test the throat first, then do a nasal test. Dr. Laura tests, Andy, who’s coughing. She says his temperature is 99.8, and in Daisy’s interview, she says, it will be the biggest f*** up in the effing world if the guest is positive. Dr. Laura tells the other guests that they have to be tested, and Ryan asks if she’s serous. She tells them that they have to stay in the cabin. Dr. Laura tells Glenn, they plan to shoot the tests to the lab, and he asks what her assessment is. She says, the guests have all been in close contact and unmasked. They should be quarantined. Glenn says, it’s not pleasant, but it is what it is. The medical team leaves, and Andy coughs some more. Glenn calls everyone to the main saloon.

Glenn says, only one guest had a high temperature, so after speaking to the medical staff, he’s decided to go back to the dock. He’s going to see if they can be put in a hotel for quarantine. Natasha says, it could be that they have it as well, and wonders if they need to quarantine. Glenn tells the crew, if the guest is positive, it will take them to a whole new level. They could have been exposed. Get ready to leave. They have to take all the precautions. He tells the guests that they’ll be moving back to the dock. Daisy says the guests are going to be pissed at their friends, and Ryan bitches to Glenn that they were in quarantine for over a week, and they’ve had enough. They spent a lot of money. Because, as you know, it’s Glenn’s fault. Glenn suggests they chill out, and catch their breath. He leaves a radio in case the guests want anything. In his interview, Glenn says the guests have to isolate, and they still want to serve them, but it’s critical they adhere to protocol. It’s a delicate balance.

The anchor is in the pocket, and Daisy leaves coffee outside the guests’ rooms per Victoria’s request. Sydney says she’s shook by this, and Alli says, it’s bizarre. They dock, and Glenn asks the crew to come up. He tells them that the guests will have to take their own stuff off the boat, and go straight to quarantine. Ryan says he’s so pissed, and in Colin’s interview, he says, it’s an extra messy situation for everyone. Glenn says he’ll get the results as soon as he can, and will keep them posted. He’s sorry for the inconvenience. In Glenn’s interview, he says, they were just getting started. They can probably pull this off, but this could be it.

Next time, Glenn tells the crew they can have a couple of drinks, but don’t go crazy; Gary wants to hook up with Alli; Sydney is confused; and the test results come back.

🏆 The Winners…

Who took it home at the Grammys.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/14/entertainment/grammy-winners-2021/index.html

🎭 The Nominees…

The ones who will hear, the award goes to.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/15/entertainment/oscar-nominations-2021/index.html

🤔 The Snubs…

We can’t all be nominated, but apparently, these are the biggest offenders.

https://film.avclub.com/on-the-snubs-surprises-and-bad-terminators-of-the-202-1846477877

🍀 Blarney This…

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. Educate yourself on how to trap a leprechaun.

🗽 When the City Sleeps…

A year in a city transformed.

https://nypost.com/2021/03/14/how-i-survived-a-year-in-weird-empty-manhattan/

👗 Twirling Away Like Kenya…

Time for me to change hamster wheels. Whatever spin you’re in, stay safe, stay canny, and stay never using the guest head – ever. Unless you’re a guest.