What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Mac and Dante are at the hatchet throwing place, and Mac says, who knew Dante was such an expert? Dante says he doesn’t know if it’s his baseball skills that translate, or Sam seems to think he was a frontier explorer back in another life. Mac says, what about this life? How are things with him, and no, it’s not an official inquiry. Dante says, things are good. It took a while to acclimate to the pressures and chaos of police work, but he’s glad to be back. Mac says, the PCPD is glad to have him. He understands Dante turned down that undercover bust in Manhattan. It could have beefed his profile. Dante says he understands, but he’s a single dad, and likes to stay local if he can. Mac says he gets that, but it’s important to consider his future. Dante asks if Mac has a side hustle. Does he need a partner? Is he thinking of opening up a cop bar? Mac says, he’s thinking Chief of Detectives.

Walking into the hospital, Brando asks how Sasha feels about her first therapy session. She says, resigned, and he says, that enthusiastic, huh? She says she doesn’t see the point. It was a slip. The drugs are out of her system now; she won’t go looking for more. She just wants to move on. Brando says, talking to a psychiatrist will help her do that, and she says she knows. He says, does she? and she says she does. He doesn’t have to stay. She promises not to make a run for it the second he’s gone, and he says he wasn’t thinking that, but he doesn’t mind waiting for her. She says, she does mind.  

TJ asks if Felty has any double vision, but Felty says, nope. TJ says, it’s official; he doesn’t have a concussion. Felty says, TJ couldn’t figure that out without waking him up every hour? He’s exhausted. TJ says, better safe than sorry. He took quite the beating, The police are going to want to talk to him.

At the gym, Dex tells Sonny, looking good. He has a mean right hook. Sonny says, they have to get Dex in the ring sometime, but Dex says, MMA’s his sport; the padding just gets in the way. Sonny asks what he’s talking about. That’s not a sport; that’s like street fighting. Dex says, Sonny’s no stranger to that, right? Like that paparazzi guy. Sonny says he does what needs to be done, and Dex says, and he does it well. No one can accuse him of going soft, that’s for sure.

Taggert asks how bad Spencer’s testimony hurt Trina’s case, and Diane says, Spencer did reenforce the fact that Trina had ample time to hide the cellphone, and that she’d been drinking, and that she was angry with Cameron and Josslyn, but none of that is a surprise to her. ADA Arden is presenting exactly the case Diane expected her to present. What Arden didn’t expect is the opening Spencer just gave them, which Diane intends to take full advantage of.

Josslyn says, there’s no sign of you-know-who, and Trina says, leave it to Esme to want to make an entrance. Josslyn says, don’t worry. Diane’s not going to let her get away with anything on the stand. Trina says, Diane’s amazing, but they all know when it comes to Esme, you never know what you’re going to get.

Spencer sends a text to Esme: Where r u? ADA calling next. He looks at all the texts he’s sent to her, and says, Esme, what are you up to?

In the hallway, Arden says, it’s about time. Where has Esme been? Esme says, it may shock Arden, but she has a life too. Trina Robinson isn’t the center of the universe. Arden suggests they go over her testimony, but Esme doesn’t want it to sound rehearsed. Ava comes along, and says, don’t be silly. Esme always makes sure her lies sound completely natural. Arden leaves, and Esme says she didn’t ask to be called as a witness for the prosecution. Ava says, save the victim act. She’s the only person here, and she’s got Esme’s number. Esme says, really? Because there are a few things Ava doesn’t know. There are a few things Ava doesn’t want to know. Ava says she’ll pass, but Esme says, don’t walk away from her. She could destroy Ava’s world. Ava says, try it, I dare you, and Esme says she’s so tired of Ava looking down on her, so superior. Ava says, Esme is lucky she tolerates her at all. One word to Nikolas, and she’d be out on the street. Esme says, that’s funny, because as she recalls, when she moved in, Ava got the boot. Ava says she left of her own volition. Things are different now. She and Nikolas are better than ever. Esme says, so Ava thinks, and Ava asks what that means. Esme says, just that maybe Ava doesn’t know her husband as well as she thought. Nikolas is full of surprises. Ava says, such as? and Esme says, for starters… Nikolas appears, and says, stop, but Esme says, he’s too late. She’s ending this right here, right now.

Rory asks if he can get anything for Trina, and she says, a time machine would be nice. So when a jerk calling himself Victor tries to hit on her, she can walk the other way, and not let Spencer and Esme into her life, and not be so stupid. He says, sorry. He’s fresh out of time machines. Trusting people isn’t stupid, by the way. She says, maybe not, but it hurts when they do let you down.

Dante says, Mac is the Chief of Detectives, and Mac says he’s not going anywhere just yet, but when he does retire, he wants to make sure his office is in good hands. He can’t think of a more stand-up guy than Dante. Dante says, Mac is irreplaceable, but Mac says, that’s not true. Chief of D’s would be a good fit for Dante, unless he’s not interested. Dante says he’s honored. He just doesn’t think past tomorrow. Right now, his life revolves around Sam and her kids. Sam walks in, and asks if Dante just said her name. Dante says he did, and they kiss. Mac asks if Sam has seen Felicia, and she tells him to check his texts, because the two of them are needed at home for babysitting duty. Mac looks at his phone, and says he sees. He guesses they’ll have to reschedule their couples hatchet throwing challenge. He asks if Felicia was able to help Sam with that case, and Sam says, Felicia gave her excellent advice. Mac says he’s sure he’ll hear all about it when he gets home. He tells Dante, think it over, and leaves. Sam says, think what over? and Dante asks if they can talk. Sam says, sure; talk about what? He says, about their future, and she says, their future? She thought they learned that with three kids between them, planning anything is pointless. He says he knows Rocco, Danny, and Scout keep them busy, but he was trying to make it easier. She asks what he has in mind, and he says, taking the next step. He gets down on one knee.

Dex says, it got his blood pumping, showing that photographer what happens when you mess with the Corinthos family, but Sonny says, Dex has to understand something. There’s a time and place for everything. He just can’t go around picking fights. Dex says, he gets that. He just meant… if Sonny ever needs something like that done, he’s Sonny’s guy. Sonny says he’ll keep that in mind.

Brando asks if Sasha wants him to leave, and she says she doesn’t, but she just doesn’t see a reason for him to hang around, especially after he’s been holed up with her all day. Go take a walk; go to the gym. What about the garage? He’s been so focused on her, she’s sure things have been piling up. He says, the garage is fine. He’s way more concerned about her. That’s why he’s here. Michael and Willow join them, and Willow asks how Sasha is feeling. Sasha says, mortified after her meltdown on live TV; otherwise, she’s good. Willow says, Sasha has nothing to be embarrassed about, and Michael says he 100% agrees. Sasha says, what about Willow? Has she been okay since she fainted? Willow says, yeah, no more dizziness, and Michael says, actually, they have some good news. Brando says, they could use some of that, and Michael looks at Willow questioningly. Sasha says, it’s okay; she won’t break. She already knows Willow is pregnant.

Ava says, Nikolas is just in time to hear Esme’s latest lie. Apparently, this one involves him. Esme says she is so going to enjoy this, and he tells her, be quiet, but she says, come on; it’s time. He says, she doesn’t want him as an enemy, and Ava says, time for what? Esme tells Nikolas to have a nice chat with his wife, and goes into the courtroom. Ava says, she doesn’t like the way Nikolas is acting. It makes her think there’s something she is in the dark about. What is it?

Spencer says, what did Esme decide? Is she going to exonerate Trina? She asks if Trina is all he cares about, and he says he certainly doesn’t care about her. Now that he’s seen her for who she really is, she’s alone in this world again. It does not have to be that way. He can give her the name of her birth mother if she gets up on that stand and tells the truth. She says, and his precious Trina just goes free, and he says, that’s right. She says, he realizes it’s a wasted effort, right? and they look over to see Trina hugging Rory. Esme says, she’s found her knight in shining armor, and it isn’t him, but Spencer says he doesn’t care. He’s not letting Trina go down for something she didn’t do. Esme can either benefit from this, or leave with nothing. It’s up to her.

Brando says, for real? and Michael says, for real. Willow says, they’re having a baby, and Sasha hugs her, saying, it really is wonderful news. Brando shakes Michael’s hand, and says, congratulations. Michael thanks him, and says, to be honest, they were nervous about telling Sasha and Brando after everything they’ve been through. Sasha says, she’s not that far gone that she can’t be happy for her friends. they should celebrate soon. Michael says, they’d love that, and Willow excuses herself for a moment. Sasha says, Brando should get out of here too, and Brando says, still newlyweds, and his wife is sick of him already. She says, never. She’ll see him after her session. He leaves, and Michael asks if it’s just him, or did Brando not want to leave. Sasha says, it’s not him. Brando has barely left her side since the… incident, which is incredibly sweet… Michael says, it’s a little overwhelming, right? and she says, a little. He says, Brando is just looking out for her, and she says she gets that. She just wants things back to normal.

TJ asks if Willow is here for those additional tests, and she says she is, but can he do her a favor? She hasn’t told Michael there could be an issue, so please don’t say anything in front of him. TJ says he’ll always respect a patient’s privacy, but as her colleague… She says she doesn’t want to worry him over what might be nothing. Once she knows what she and her baby are dealing with, she’ll fill Michael in.

Dante hands Sam her phone, saying, she dropped this, and she thanks him. He asks what the hell is the matter with her, and she laughs. She says, he started to talk about their future, then got down on one knee. He laughs, and says, she thought he was going to propose to her? and she says, he wasn’t talking about marriage? He says, hell no. They’re not ready for marriage yet, right? She says, right, but she thinks her heart stopped for a second. He says, sorry, and she asks, what was it he was talking about? He says, them living together, and she says, oh. He asks if that’s a good oh or a bad oh, and she says, a surprised oh. She guesses she hasn’t thought about them living together. He says, really? Why not?

Spencer says he has Esme’s mother’s name and current address, and she says, in Portugal. He says, she can be face-to-face with her tomorrow, and Esme says, of course (🍷) she wants to know where she came from, and who she came from, but she doesn’t need his help to do it. No deal. It turns out she’s not as alone as he thinks she is. She’ll find her birth mother a different way.

Ava and Nikolas go into an office, and she says she’s beginning to feel very foolish. He asks, why? and she says, because she was so confident Esme was bluffing, spewing her regular dose of lies and nonsense. But then he came tearing in the way he did, and it’s obvious there’s a secret. He says he’s so sorry. He should have gone with his first instinct to tell her right away. She says, tell her now, and he says he loves her so much… but he made a huge mistake. She asks, what kind of mistake? He says he thought they were… over, and he… slept with Esme.

Dante says, he and Sam do kind of spend all of their time together, and their kids get along great together. The thought never crossed her mind? She says she guesses so… yes, the thought has crossed her mind, and he says, so she has thought about it. She says, fleetingly. He asks if she’s still thinking, and she says, their life is really, really good, great together. Why change it? He says, maybe they can make it even greater, and kisses her. He says he’s got to go, but she says, he just can’t throw that on her and leave. He says he didn’t mean to have a huge conversation about it. It’s the logical next step, no? She says she’s not opposed to it, and he says, that’s a ringing endorsement. She says, don’t be mad at her. She’ll start thinking about it more frequently, and less fleetingly. She loves their life together. He says he does too, they kiss, and he leaves.

Brando comes into the gym, and Sonny tells Dex that he can go. Dex leaves, and Brando asks if something’s up. Sonny asks how he’s doing. It’s good to see him out. Brando says, it wasn’t exactly his choice. Sasha practically forced him to leave the hospital. She’s got her first therapy session today. Sonny says, that’s a good thing, right? How is she doing otherwise? Brando says, better. She’s getting back to her old self. Sonny says, he seems worried, and Brando says he is.

Arden says, Esme was at the cabin on the night in question; is that correct? Esme says, yes, ma’am, and Arden says, in her opinion, how was the defendant acting? Esme says, Trina was drinking – they all were – and Esme was worried about her. Trina was definitely the most affected. Then she got very upset with Josslyn and Cameron. Arden says, upset about what? and Esme says, Trina admitted that she felt shut out and betrayed when Joss and Cam got together. She stormed off to her room… Stumbled is probably a more accurate description. Trina tells Diane, Esme was the one saying those things. She put those words in Trina’s mouth. Diane says, don’t react. They’ll get their chance, and when they do, watch out.

Willow says she’ll see Michael later, and he tells Sasha to take care of herself. He leaves, and Sasha says she hopes Willow’s not too stressed out about telling her that she’s pregnant. Willow asks how Sasha found out, and Sasha says she overheard the nurses talking the day Willow fainted. It wasn’t too hard to put two and two together. Willow says, so Sasha has known almost as long as she has… which means she knew before going on Home & Heart. She hugs Sasha, and Smoltz comes by. He asks, what brings them to General Hospital? and Willow asks Sasha what they call that. Sasha says, none of his business, and Willow says, right. None of his business. He says, they were looking pretty cozy. Does that mean Willow has forgiven Sasha for mowing down her mother? Reminding myself again to never check into this hospital, as they have more lax security than a crack house or a port-a-potty.

Ava says, Nikolas had sex with Esme, and he says, yes. He regretted it immediately. He has no other excuse other than he was weak. She says, so weak he cheated on his wife with his son’s girlfriend, and he says, Esme manipulated him. She says, more excuses, and he says, Ava was having serious doubts about them. It felt like he lost… She says, stop talking. How long has he been slithering into Esme’s room on the regular, as they say? He says, it was only one time, and she says, how noble and restrained of him. When? Where? Did he take Esme into their bed? He says, he would never… and she says, never what? Betray her that way? He says he thought they were over. He couldn’t believe it when she showed up, wanting to give them another chance. She says, and she found him in the sitting room. And the door was closed and locked… Oh God. He said it was the wind, and she believed him. He said he’d fallen asleep, and that’s why he was so disheveled. Was she there? He says, who? like he just came into this conversation, and she says, Esme. He says, she was on the turret, and Ava starts to cry, saying, of course (🍷) she was. So have the two of them been making fun of her all this time? He says, it’s not like that, and she says, what was it like? He says, it was a moment of madness. Things were so cold between them. Ava was talking about walking away. He thought he’d lost her; he was devastated. She says, and Esme kissed him and made it all better, but he says, she saw her chance, and she took it. Ava knows how that girl is. Ava says, poor you. Seduced by a high school graduate. He says he knows he’s responsible for his actions. He said it; he was weak. She says, he’s stupid, and he reaches for her, but she says, oh no. Never again. He’s touched her for the last time.

Diane says, Spencer Cassadine testified that Esme left the room after she argued with Josslyn and Cameron. Is that true? Esme says she might have; she doesn’t really remember. Diane says, it would have given her ample time to plant that cellphone, wouldn’t it? and Esme says, it would, just like everyone else. Diane asks, who’s idea was the ski trip? and Esme says, hers. She wanted Spence to have a last fun trip before he went to Spring Ridge. Diane says, a nice trip with his friends, and Esme says, yes. Diane says, but they’re not her friends, and Esme says she doesn’t understand. Diane says, Trina, Cameron, Josslyn, they’re not Esme’s friends, and Esme says, she tried to befriend them. Diane says, she didn’t include them in the planning. The trip, the drinks, the drinking game, that was all Esme’s idea. In fact, the entire evening Esme orchestrated; all of it. And she’s jealous of Spencer’s friends, especially his friendship with Trina. Arden objects, and says, is there a question in here, or is the defense simply going to tell the witness how she feels? Diane says, the ADA’s own witness testified that Esme would never hurt Trina because she knew he and the defendant were so close. In doing so, he opened the door to the question of motive. Judge Young says, he’ll allow it, and Diane says, it must have been intimidating, joining that foursome; a group of friends so close for so long. Esme says she held her own, and Diane asks if Esme thought they welcomed her with open arms. Esme laughs, and Diane says, she finds that funny? Esme says, no, she wouldn’t say that, and Diane asks, what would she say? Esme tells her, that she was met with hostility and resentment, and no matter how hard she tried, they never gave her a chance. Diane says, that must have been frustrating, and Esme says, it was. Diane says, so frustrating, Esme intended to teach them a lesson, and Arden objects. Diane says, withdrawn. No further questions. Arden asks Esme, when she and Spencer left the cabin, where were Josslyn and Cameron? Esme says, in the living room, and Arden says, and Trina? Esme says she assumes Trina was in her bedroom, but she didn’t see Trina, so she can’t confirm. Arden thanks her, and says, no more questions. The judge tells Esme to step down, and Josslyn says, Diane did it. She cracked Esme’s mask. Rory says, let’s just pray it’s enough.

Michael meets Dex in a stairwell, and Dex says, hey, boss. Michael says, don’t call him that. They shouldn’t even be meeting right now, but he needs a progress report. How are things going with Sonny? Dex says he has Michael’s father right where he wants him.

Willow says, her mother’s death was a tragic accident. If Smoltz wants any further comment, he can contact her attorney Diane Miller, or he could always speak to Michael. She’ll be sure to tell him that Smoltz has been asking. Smoltz asks if she’s implying Michael might punch him again, but she says, why would he do that when it’s so much easier to sue Smoltz for libel? Smoltz says, what about Sasha? Did the guilt over killing Willow’s mother contribute to that televised breakdown of hers? Willow says she’s getting security, and leaves. Sasha says, Smoltz is nothing more than a disgusting vulture. Go feed on someone else’s unhappiness. She’s fresh out. He says he’s just giving the public what it wants, and sees Willow talking to the guard. He says, that’s his cue, and jets. A worker comes by, and puts an out of order sign on one elevator, and a for emergency use only on the other. Willow tells Sasha, that man might be the literal worst, and Sasha says, Willow had no problem handling him. Willow says, Michael gave her a tutorial; when in doubt, invoke her lawyer. Sasha says she’ll be sure to remember that, and Willow asks if she’s sure she’s all right. Sasha says she’s fine, and Willow says, they’ll sic Diane on him if he writes one word of that garbage, but Sasha says, let’s be real. Nothing he said was a lie.

Judge Young says, they’ll take a brief recess, and be back in 20 minutes. Josslyn says she thinks that went pretty well. How about Trina? Trina says she hopes so, and Taggert asks Diane if they’re still planning on using the same defense strategy. Diane says she intends to call one witness, and one witness only – Trina. He says he still doesn’t think that’s a great idea, but she says, trust her. This case comes down to character. Whether or not the jury thinks that Trina is so jealous of her friends, she would actually set out to humiliate them. Taggert says, then call character witnesses to speak on her behalf, but Diane says, Josslyn and Cameron did that when they testified. Josslyn was especially adamant in her defense of Trina. Josslyn says, hostile witness here, and Diane says, the jury knows Josslyn thinks Trina is a friend worth defending. Now this is Trina’s chance to show them why; who she is, and who she is not. Trina says she wants to do it, and Taggert asks if she’s sure. Trina says, it’s like Diane said, it’s not enough for people to talk about her. She needs to show the jury the kind of person she is. Josslyn says, the best kind. Taggert says, it’s a lot of pressure, but Trina says, it’s her future on the line. She should be the one to defend it.

Dante goes into Felty’s room, and introduces himself. He asks if Felty remembers him, and Felty says he does. Dante says, Felty really got worked over. What happened? Felty says he got mugged, but Dante says, yet his phone and wallet are still here. Not a very successful mugging. Felty says he guesses he got lucky, and Dante says he knows it’s Felty’s job to get in people’s in faces and snap photos, and sell them for money… Felty says, it’s a living, and Dante asks if he’s sure he doesn’t know who his attacker was. Felty laughs, and says, like he’d tell Dante of all people if he did. Dante says, why not? What’s special about him?

Dex tells Michael, he just visited Felty, and made sure he didn’t talk. Michael asks if his dad sent Dex, but Dex says, he volunteered; another chance to show initiative. Michael says, another chance? and Dex says, there was a complication when they went after the photographer. Michael’s sister Josslyn recorded the beat down. Michael asks how Josslyn got involved, and Dex says, she was out for a run. She confronted Sonny, and told him that she was going to take the recording to the cops. Sonny tried talking her down, but Josslyn wasn’t having it. When he couldn’t make any progress, he took off; left Dex standing in the alley with the unconscious photographer. He threw himself on Josslyn’s mercy, and told her, even if Sonny didn’t go to prison, he definitely would. She said, Sonny had trashed enough lives, she wasn’t going to add his to the list, and she erased the video. Michael says, stay away from his sister, understand? and Dex says he’ll keep his distance. The point is, Sonny was grateful. He thinks he can build off that gratitude. Maybe offer to be his personal bodyguard. Michael says, don’t appear too eager. Sonny is a lot of things, but stupid’s not one of them. Dex asks how he gets someone like Sonny to trust him, and Michael says, be who Sonny wants him to be; something he lost. Dex says, what’s that? and Michael says, his son.

Brando tells Sonny that he prays things go well with the psychiatrist. Sasha needs someone to confide in. Sonny says, it must be difficult if that someone isn’t him, and Brando says, he’s her husband. He’s supposed to be there for her. Sonny says, he will be, but Brando says, she’s not making it easy. Every time he tries to reach out to Sasha, she shuts him down. Sonny says he knows he tells Brando this all the time, but Brando’s got to show her that he’s not going anywhere. No matter what. Brando says, no matter what.

Nikolas asks Ava to look at him, and she says, he disgusts her. He says, he’s so sorry. He knows he keeps saying that… She says, to cheat on her with Esme of all people. A woman she can’t stand… a girl she can’t stand. Hardly a woman; young enough to be his daughter. He tells her, don’t say it like that, and she says, like what? He says, like he’s the one who took advantage. He swears she planned the whole thing. And right after, he was going to confess, and she talked him out of it. She says she’s sure it was very difficult. He’s always been a coward; scurrying away from his problems instead of facing them. He says, that’s not true. He came here today because he was going to tell her everything. She says, how convenient. When he’s caught in a rat like a trap, he confesses, mere moments before Esme could throw it in her face. She supposes he wants her to thank him, and he says, he knows she’s angry. She says, he’s right about that. She thought she married a man, but he’s not a man. He’s a spineless weakling, and she’s going to burn him to the ground. She walks out after giving him one last glare.

Dante asks why Felty feels he can’t to him in particular, and Felty says, he’s a cop, so… Are they through here? Dante says, yeah, take it easy, and Felty says, him too. Dante leaves, and Smoltz comes in, saying, my little paparazzo. Felty said he had something for him? Felty says he’s glad Smoltz cares so much, and Smoltz says, if it bleeds, it leads. Who did Felty cross? Felty says, he thinks he has a bigger story in mind.

Michael tells Dex, ask for Sonny’s advice. He loves to pass on his wisdom. Dex says, let Sonny mentor him, and Michael says, don’t fall for his act. The only person Sonny cares about his himself. He’s vulnerable now without Jason, and he knows it. Dex says, Morgan, his righthand man, and Michael says, Jason started working for Sonny when he was younger than Dex. Sonny taught Jason everything about the business. Eventually, Jason was running everything; he knew where the bodies were buried. And Jason would have died before he flipped on Sonny, and if he did, Sonny would be doing life without parole. Dex says, Michael wants him to follow in Jason’s footsteps, and Michael says, just be in the right place with the right attitude when he starts to repeat the pattern. Sonny needs someone to look up to him, so be that someone.

Josslyn asks Spencer, where’s his girlfriend? and he says, Esme’s not his girlfriend anymore. Josslyn says, he finally realized what a crazy person she is? and he says, he’s known that for a while. She says, he sure didn’t act like it, and he says, he was trying to… never mind. It doesn’t matter; it didn’t work. She says, what didn’t work? when he sees Diane go into the hallway, and says he has to go, following her.

Taggert asks how Trina is feeling, and she says, nervous, but she’s glad to be able to tell her side of the story. Josslyn says, just make sure she tells them everything, and we flash back to Trina telling Josslyn about being with Spencer at the cemetery when he was supposed to be in Spring Ridge, and that he could be her alibi.

Spencer approaches Diane, and she says, not now. He says, it’s important, and she says, they’re in the middle of a trial, in case he hasn’t noticed. He says, that’s why she needs to listen to him. He can fix this.

Michael says, Sonny has tried taking whatever he wants. It’s time to face the consequences. Brando comes out and runs up the stairs. He asks what they’re doing here.

Willow says, Sasha needs to hear her. She’s not responsible for Harmony’s death. Sasha says she was driving too fast, but Willow says, even if Sasha had been going the speed limit, her mother came out of nowhere. She was so focused on getting away, she ran into the road without looking. Who could possibly be prepared for that? It was an accident. Willow knows that, and really hopes Sasha does too.

Smoltz asks what Felty’s got, and Felty says, it’s huge. Smoltz says, he’ll be the judge of that, and Felty says, what if Sasha Gilmore, the Face of Deception, was on drugs the night she ran over Harmony Miller?

Diane says she needs Spencer to understand this doesn’t guarantee the jury will find Trina not guilty, and it will put him in jeopardy. He says he knows, but it will help, right? She says, it will help, and he says, then he wants to do it. He has to. The bailiff says, court is back in session, and Diane tells Trina, slight change in plans. The judge tells Diane that she may call her first witness, and Diane thanks him. The defense calls Spencer Cassadine. Everyone looks confused, and as Spencer walks to the stand, he nods to Trina.

Nikolas looks at a picture of Ava and him on his phone. He sighs, and says, no. He’s not losing her without a fight.

At Windymere, Esme grabs her suitcase, and says she’s getting the hell out of here. She takes a piece of paper out of a book, puts it in a manila envelope, and puts that in the suitcase. As she’s zipping up the suitcase, Ava walks in, and says, you conniving little whore.

Tomorrow, Brick says he and Dex have a lot to talk about; Spencer says he knows for a fact Trina couldn’t have distributed that video; Portia wonders what’s happening here; and Brando says, maybe somebody does need to control Sasha.

Southern Charm

Charlotte, North Carolina. Austen tells Craig, it was a successful night in Charlotte, and Craig agrees it was a lot of fun. Austen says he thinks he’s still drunk. He’s going to call the valet for the car, and tells Craig to meet downstairs in 15 minutes. Shep examines his belly, and says, yeah, he’s fat. He tries calling Taylor, and when the call is forwarded to her mailbox, the recording says it’s full. She picks up, and he tells her to do something about the full mailbox, but she says she deleted everything, but it’s still full. She asks if he’s having fun, and he says, there are girls everywhere; so many girls. He laughs, and she says she’s glad. He tells her that he’s kidding. They’re about to get the day started. They’re going to Austen’s parent’s house to raid their furniture, Taylor suggests he get a new couch, but he says, no, for Austen. He’s also going to have lunch with his little nieces. Life is good. He gets up, scratching his butt.

In the car, Craig remarks that the girl waiting behind them is cute, and Shep says he thought Craig didn’t think about other girls while he’s dating, but Craig says he and Paige appreciate hot people. Austen says, they moved here when he was eight or nine, and Shep wonders if Austen’s mother is making egg salad. He doesn’t like egg salad. Austen phones his mom, and says he’s wondering what they’re having for lunch. She says she got a nice ham (that’s such a mom thing to say – it’s always a nice ham), turkey, Swiss, and she just made egg salad. He says, it’s got Shep’s name all over it, and in Shep’s interview, he says he can’t tell us what his problem with egg salad, other than it’s slimy and cold, and it smells; it’s the smell. Austen tells his mom, love you, and the guys have a discussion over it, after Shep tells them, he never says that. On a personal note, I always end a conversation with loved ones by saying it. If something happens to them, and it turns out to be your last conversation, you’ll regret it if you don’t. Craig says his jaw hurts from laughing so much, and Austen points out various streets and his relationships with them. Cutting through someone’s yard with his car, egging a house at Halloween, and learning to rollerblade in a cul-de-sac. Shep says, rollerblading isn’t cool, but Austen says, he was cool. Shep says, there’s no such thing as a cool rollerblader, and I think he’s an idiot.  

They arrive at Austen’s parents, and Shep says, he’s not an egg salad person, but he has to try it. He admits it’s pretty good, and Wendy makes sandwiches. She has a box of stuff to show Austen, and they look at pictures. In Austen’s interview, he says, they lived there 25 years, and have some great memories. It’s easy to think about the good things that happened, but there were definitely some dark times that happened in that house. We flash back to Austen telling Chelsea about  his older sister passing away. When they’d first moved there, she fell off the side of Chimney Rock. They look at more pictures, and in his interview, Austen says, a beautiful thing that happened in the house was Katie being born there. New life was brought into their home, and for the first time, they had a time to heal together. Craig announces he’s found Austen’s Poetry Notebook, and they read some and laugh. Shep asks if he can have it, and begs Austen’s parents to put it in their new house.

Venita has coffee outside with dog Charles – well, she has coffee; he chases a toy – and calls Olivia. She says she thinks they had a rocky start, and we flash back to the garden party. Olivia says she would have rather not been invited, than go somewhere people didn’t want her. Venita says she’s sorry Olivia felt that way, but they need to have the talk, confusing this with the talk parents have with their kids to explain sex. She asks if Olivia wants to do it over lunch, coffee, or cocktails, and Olivia suggests a happy hour somewhere. Madison calls, and Venita asks Olivia to hang on. She tells Madison that she’s talking to Olivia, and Madison says, call her when she’s done. She gets back on with Olivia, who says, she’s sure Venita will hear about her family throwing an oyster party. Initially, everyone was on the guest list, but Olivia feels it would be fake to have Venita there. Venita says, she’s not invited; got it (which seems to be one of her catch phrases). They need to figure this out. In Venita’s interview, she says she’s never dealt with something so childish. She’s a Southern girl, and understands keeping it cordial when at someone’s parent’s house, but Olivia isn’t giving her the opportunity. She tells Olivia that she hopes they have a good party, and they’ll chat soon. Venita calls Madison back, and says she doesn’t ever thinks she’s not been invited to something her entire life. She asks if Madison got a personal invite, and Madison says, Olivia called. It was weird, since she hasn’t seen Austen since she got engaged. In her interview, Venita says, Olivia doesn’t want drama, but invites Madison. She wonders how much Austen has told her. If they can’t work it out, she’ll let it go, but it’s stupid. I dunno. Some people can’t just jump right into heavy discussions when they’ve only known you five minutes.  

Back in Charlotte, Austen looks at the under contract sign in front of the house, and says, it’s weird to see. Austen tells the guys, there are a few things he wants to bring, and they put stuff in the truck. Wendy asks Shep to help move some things, and Craig says, moving sucks. Agreed. A million times over. A box pops open, and Wendy says, it’s Teddy, picking up a worn stuffed bear. Austen says, Kyle never let this go, and I assume this is the sister who died. In Austen’s interview, coming home put him at ease. The fact it’s no longer his go-to place is slowly starting to sink in. He says goodbye to his parents, and Shep says he’s got to get ice cream with his little nieces. Wendy gives Craig the poetry book, and Austen says him pulling out in a U-Haul for the last time is poetic. Wendy says, that’s it.

Shep picks up his nieces, and promises his sister that he won’t give them sugar. When they get in the car, he says, he’ll get them whatever they want. They’re going to have a good time. He asks about school, and they’re pretty talkative. In Shep’s interview, he says he sees them once every three months. The coolest part is watching the little spawns’ personalities unfold. Shep tells them he got kicked out of one school. They ask about Little Craig, and he shows them pictures that Taylor took. He says, Little Craig is like his kid. Taylor visits Olivia, and Taylor says she’s excited for the party. Olivia says, she and Austen had their first one-on-one dinner, and Taylor asks if they’ve defined the relationship. Olivia says, there’s absolutely no definition. She asks if Taylor and Shep are on the same page about the future, but Taylor says, no. She doesn’t know if marriage is in the cards, and Shep says he doesn’t see himself burping a baby at 3 am. She feels like she’s talking to a 32 year old guy just figuring it out, but Shep is 42. He’s seen the rest of his family get married and have children; where’s the disconnect? Shep gets ice cream with his nieces, and they sit outside to eat it. In his interview, he says, being the fun uncle starts with a gift. You have to buy their allegiance. He tells them that he had good grades, but the teacher’s comments were sometimes of concern. One teacher in the 4^th grade wrote, Shep thinks he can get through life on charm alone… but he doesn’t have that much. He says he’s not perfect, and one of his nieces asks if that’s his excuse for everything. Out of the mouths of babes. Shep says, his problem was waiting until the last second with homework and studying for tests. A niece says, he could have changed that. Taylor tells Olivia, Shep makes her happy, but their trust was breached. It was over a year ago, but Taylor sees her, and she’s triggered. Shep brushes it off, saying, it was a long time ago. In Taylor’s interview, she says she doesn’t consider herself a jealous person, unless you cross her. It brings out a side she doesn’t like. She tells Olivia, if it happens again, she’s out.

It’s the oyster party, and I want to be there. I’m only in these shows for the architecture and the parties. There is every possible oyster, some with something called mignonette that sounds wonderful. In Olivia’s interview, she says, her mom is definitely the perfect host. She loves entertaining, and is a real Southern belle. There aren’t many occasions she doesn’t want to host a party for. Everyone gets ready, and Chleb says he’s excited for the oysters. In Kathryn’s interview, she says, they got back together, and we see a clip of them at a romantic dinner, and Chleb saying he wants to come home. They toast to a fresh start. Kathryn tells us, there’s slim pickin’s in Charleston, and this is the closest thing to a normal relationship she’s ever had. She doesn’t want to let it go so easily. She and Chleb fist bump. We finally see Marcie’s John, and Shep and Olivia wear matching lemon patterns. Shep says, they look like geeks, but IMO, only he does. In Taylor’s interview, she says she’s not surprised about Kathryn and Chleb. Kathryn changes her mind about things all the time. Chleb is one of them. Shep says, he and Taylor are a couple of lemons, and lobs an oyster shell into the water. Madison arrives while Kathryn is talking to Austen, and Austen barely hears a word, he’s so focused on Madison. Madison walks over, and Austen says, he’s getting a drink and making an exit. He jets, and Kathryn says, don’t make it awkward. She asks if Madison and Austen aren’t still friends, and Madison says, she thought so. Kathryn asks if he’s congratulated her, but Madison says, no. In Austen’s interview, he says, after all the sh*t he’s told Olivia about Madison, why is she here? We flash back to Austen babbling about Madison to Olivia, and he says, why would she want this person around? She’s not going to be friends with his ex.

Whitney and Patricia show up, and Patricia asks, where’s the bar? Craig congratulates Madison, and Austen bitches to Naomie about Madison being there. Naomie tells him to relax; it’s going to suck, but it will be fine. Patricia compliments Olivia’s parents on their house, and says, what’s not to like? A chorus of bystanders says, hurricanes, and I understand. Same here. Pringle things Austen should congratulate Madison, but Craig says, Madison has never apologized for what she did to Austen. Kathryn says, he’d be the bigger person, and Marcie says, just says, congratulations. There doesn’t have to be a discussion. In his interview, Austen says, there were real feelings, and when Madison got engaged, it hurt. He didn’t know it would hurt so much. Madison is talking to Olivia, and Pringle tells Austen, it’s the perfect spot; take a tray of shots over. Austen says, he’s not doing that, and in his interview, he says, Madison didn’t give a sh*t enough to tell him she was getting engaged. It felt like a final f*** you. Leva says she heard Olivia uninvited Venita, but Olivia says, Venita wasn’t uninvited; she was never invited. It would seem fake. She was uncomfortable at the garden party, and she’s not comfortable acting like things are fine when they’re not. Leva says, it’s not like they have a big history, and it doesn’t mean it can’t be resolved. Pringle brings over shots, and toasts to Olivia’s party, Madison’s engagement, and Leva being Leva.

Austin says he wants to talk to Olivia about WTF is going on, and follows her inside. He asks to talk to her, and says, what the hell was that with Madison? He was watching them laughing, and he felt slighted. WTF is Madison doing here? Olivia asks why he cares, and he says, no one he’s interested in should be friends with her, but Olivia says she just wants to. In Olivia’s interview, she says, it’s a Southern thing to do, and obviously they have something in common. She tells Austen that she’s waiting for the day he doesn’t care about Madison. Madison was too present in their conversation on date night. He talked through the entire meal about her. We flash back to that, and I think, he needs therapy, not a date. Olivia says, she and Madison are going to see each other, and in her interview, she says, Austen just got done saying he wanted to take it slow. Now he’s telling her who she can’t invite to parties? That’s not going to fly.

Madison leaves, and Austen tells Craig, f*** Olivia. Now she and Madison are BFFs. Let’s be forced to pretend everything is okay. Craig says, it’s the weird position sh*t of Charlton. There’s no other city where your exes are everywhere. It’s a never-ending circle of misery. He adds that Olivia’s parents are nice, and Austen says, they’re awesome. Chleb tells Naomie that a picture came up on his phone when he was at one of her parties years ago. In Chleb’s interview, he says, he’s known Naomie longer than Kathryn. Kathryn holds grudges, which means he has to have a grudge too. If Kathryn is mad at someone, he has to stay away from them, but she has a problem with so many people; it’s hard to stay away from everybody. Naomie asks how things are with Kathryn, and Chleb says, it’s hard for him to be talking about Kathryn. Kathryn tells Pringle that she wonders what Chleb and Naomie are talking about, and Pringle says, he doesn’t like that Naomie’s conversation is always about drama. He’s not good at drama. Kathryn says, her either. Chleb tells Naomie that Kathryn got deeper than what he is. He’s not shallow, but he’s simple. He doesn’t do the drama thing, When he comes home, he listens to Kathryn to a certain extent, then turns on ESPN, and tunes her out. He thinks it’s f***ing nuts. Naomie asks why he’s dating Kathryn if that’s how he feels, and he says, that’s my girl. In Naomie’s interview, she asks, is this a cry for help? She doesn’t know what she’s supposed to do. Naomie says, Chleb is a good person, and if he’s having these feelings, it’s for a reason. He says, that’s a relationship, but she says, no, it’s not. He says, she and Metul went through some sh*t, and Naomie says, they did, but when she started feeling like that, they broke up. She asks if Kathryn is going to be upset they spoke, and Chleb says, of course. She says, he doesn’t need to be dealing with a narcissist, someone toxic. Chleb says he feels like he’s the person put on this earth to break through that sh*t, and Naomie says he has a savior complex. No one can break through that sh*t. He says, we’ll see, and goes back to Kathryn. Naomie tells Leva that she had an interesting conversation with Chleb; he doesn’t like Kathryn. Chleb tells Kathryn that Naomie is a bitch. She was trying to manipulate him. Kathryn asks how it ended, and he says, with him not saying what Naomie wanted to hear, so he ended it. Naomie says, if Lamar said those things about Leva, she would gut him, but Leva says, Naomie would be the worst person to tell Kathryn anything. She’s going to freak out. Good Lord. The guy was only bitching about his relationship, nobody needs to be told anything. In Leva’s interview, she says, Chleb doesn’t go through life thinking everyone is after him; Kathryn does. Leva tells Naomie, it’s grounds for war.

Next time, Austen and Kathryn get pedicures; Patricia says, Little Craig sullied Peaches’ reputation, and she wants a wedding (omg, I can’t wait!); Venita wants to know about her dad; and Olivia and Venita talk.

🥀 You May Now Mourn…

This whole thing must have been so weird and depressing for his family and friends.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/27/entertainment/tony-dow-obit/index.html

🔖 Bookmarking the Page…

Come on by tomorrow for soap, a selection of tea, words to consider, and music for your soul. Until then, stay safe, stay making informed choices, and stay invoking your lawyer when in doubt.