Tag Archives: People’s Choice Awards

February 22, 2024 – Anna Gives John a Choice, Thoughts, A Little Bit Of Soap, Reunion Scare, Volcanic House, VanderFlat, Turning 40, More Awards, Pet (!) Friendly & Revolution

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly says, Drew threatened to blackball writers and photographers if they worked with Nina on her new magazine, and he says, Nina tried to ruin both of their lives. The least he could do is return the favor. Carly says, but they’ve already gotten their revenge. He fired Nina and hired her as Editor-in-Chief of Crimson magazine. He knows it’s killing Nina to see Carly take her place. Drew says, she bounced back as the editor of a new magazine and he had to shut her down, and Carly asks, why take the bait? What is the benefit of one-upping Nina? They already have everything they want. Their happiness and success is the best revenge. Why can’t he just ignore Nina? (Because apparently, Drew doesn’t have an actual job himself and has a lot of free time.)

Sasha and Maxie come into Charlie’s and Sasha asks what Cody is doing here. She thought he had to work at the Quartermaines tonight. Cody says his plans changed. He would have let her know, but she said she was staying in to watch a movie. Sasha says she and Maxie had to blow off some steam after the day they had at work. A latte and streaming service wasn’t cutting it, so they decided to come here for a drink or two. Cody says, looks like they had the same idea, and Spinelli says, what a fortuitous happenstance. Maxie says, her mom took the kids for a movie and ice cream, so she thought she’d take advantage of a free night and let loose a little bit. Sasha says, this is perfect timing, and asks the guys to join them. Cody says, they would, but Spinelli was just about to bail on him. Sasha says, what? They just got here. Stay a little bit. They all had so much fun together at the Hatchet Range, she feels they should keep that going. She and Maxie could really use it. Maxie says, definitely. Please stay. Spinelli says, slumber can wait, and Cody says, great. The ladies need drinks. Does Sasha mind helping him? She says, sure, and they go to the bar. Sasha says she brought Maxie here like Cody asked. What tricks does he have up his sleeve?

Dante says, while they’re getting Cyrus mic-ed up, why don’t they go over the plan one more time? Anna tells Cyrus that he’s at Pentenville to preach a sermon as a volunteer chaplain. The arms dealer they’re very interested in, Philip O’Neill, is in protective custody, but they’ve made a deal with his guards to attend the sermon. So Cyrus is going to strike up a conversation with him… Cyrus says, wait. He thought time was of the essence here. He’s already agreed to their plan. Why is she talking to him like he’s an idiot? She says, maybe it’s because he likes to exploit loopholes and she doesn’t want him to weasel out of what they’ve already agreed to. So although she might have made a deal with the devil, she refuses to be damned.

Sonny approaches a house in a woodsy area with Selina, and says he thought he was supposed to come here and question her guard who betrayed her, not take a scenic tour around the property. She says, with everything that’s gone on recently, she prefers to be surrounded by security, and that’s easier on her estate. But don’t worry. His patience is about to be rewarded. He says, how so? She says she doesn’t imagine he cares about her gardening, and opens the door. He sees Li, tied to a chair and gagged, and she says, but she does all her best work here. (I’m like, whoa. Li.)

Drew says, the day after they agreed not to engage with Nina, she tried to sabotage Carly’s first issue as Crimson’s Editor-in-Chief. Is he supposed to let her get away with that? Carly says, no. He’s supposed to have faith in her, because she handled it. That magazine made it to the printer on time despite Nina’s dirty tricks. He says, that’s a testament to how good Carly is already at her job. It doesn’t excuse Nina from her behavior. Carly wants her out of their lives, but Nina has made it very clear that she isn’t going to disappear, no matter how badly they want it. She says, so what? Let her play her games. The only thing Nina wants is a reaction from them, and the best way to fight her is to not give her that reaction. He says, she doesn’t really believe that, does she? Nina was standing right here in Carly’s office, gloating about her next strategy on how to take them down. Doesn’t that infuriate her? She says, yes. It took everything in her not to smack Nina, but she knows and has learned that every time she stoops to Nina’s level, it only causes more conflict. And come on. Sonny’s dumped her. Michael and Willow don’t want her anywhere near them or their children. Nina is almost disconnected with everyone in Carly’s life, except Drew apparently. He says, she’s got a near bottomless bank account. She’s got nothing else to lose. That is a dangerous combination. He did what he did to try to get her out of their lives quicker and to minimize the damage she can cause in the meantime. She says, he just wants to humiliate her, and he says, that, too.

Cyrus says, at least let him reassure Anna that he knows what he’s doing today. After his sermon, Mr. O’Neill’s guards will delay returning him to his cell, allowing him to enlighten O’Neill as to the healing power of confession and how it frees the soul. Anna says, that’s a good start, but the goal is to get him to give up the name of whoever it is he sold the WSB stolen cache of guns to. He says, she does realize she’s asking him to betray his values and his sacred duties as a man of the cloth, and Dante says, Cyrus might want to dial back just a little bit. He’s not even ordained. Cyrus says, there are people at Pentenville who actually see him as a chaplain, with all the responsibilities that entails, and Anna says, he believes they all get closer to God by admitting their sins, right? He says he does, and she says, that’s exactly what he’s doing for O’Neill. Regardless of the motives, Cyrus is giving him an opportunity to change and be a better person. Dante says, that’s right. O’Neill isn’t talking to them. He hasn’t got a plea deal and he’s going away for a long time. They’ve got him dead to rights on an illegal weapons trafficking charge, so nothing they do today, none of the information they’ll be getting, will cause any more trouble for him. Cyrus says, and this may help others, and Dante says, 100%. Anna says, for sure, so much, and Dante says, it’s going to be putting less people in harm’s way, innocent people like Curtis Ashford, who may never walk again because of the guns that O’Neill sold. This confession they’re going to get will help a lot of innocent people. Cyrus says, the Lord does work in mysterious ways, and Dante and Anna agree. Anna says, it’s time. Is he ready? Cyrus says he is. He just hopes his Lord and his Police Commissioner remember his sacrifice. He leaves.

Selina says, Curtis Ashford’s warning that she might be open to assassination came just in time. Sonny asks, how so? and she says, between Curtis’s information and the failed attack on her, she realized she was in greater danger than she thought. He says, that’s been made clear to them already, and she says she needed to start asking questions, and wouldn’t you know, discovered that Li here had just bought a new car, a luxury vehicle. She dug a little deeper and found out he’d recently come into quite a large and unexplained sum of money. She puts her hand on Li’s shoulder, and he flinches. She says, after some convincing, Li confessed that he’d agreed to share her whereabouts, putting her in a very vulnerable position. Her loyal men also recovered a gun that was in Li’s possession, and her people examined it closely. No serial number, but there was a marking on it. Sonny says, let him guess. It’s another one of the missing guns that was stolen from the WSB. Li looks at him and he says he’ll take that as a yes. Li’s been working for the people who took a shot at him – twice.

Cody tells Sasha, so Spinelli used to sing karaoke to Maxie back when they were dating, so he figured, what better way for them to remember their history then for Spinelli to serenade her again. Sasha says, that makes sense. He wants to remind them of all the good times they had together as a couple. Smart. He’s the best.

At a table, Maxie tells Spinelli, Tracy is out of control. She’s trying to make all the decisions at Deception. Tracy thinks she knows better than her or Brook or anyone else who works there. Tracy even suggested she quit and go back to Crimson. Not that she would ever do that. She’s completely committed to Deception. Also, she can’t give Tracy that satisfaction. Spinelli says, that’s egregious. Without Maxie, Deception would crumble faster than if Thanos snapped it out of existence. Maxie thanks him and says she is working really hard to make Deception successful. They all benefit. Tracy’s just not making it easy. The MC comes by with slips of paper and pencils and tells them to remember to put in their song choices early. Maxie says, they have karaoke here now? and Spinelli says, apparently, Kristina just started it. It reminds him of their wedding. Remember? She says, how could she forget?

Sasha says she hopes getting Maxie and Spinelli together here tonight works, without betraying girl code or telling Cody anything they talked about. Cody says he would never disclose the conversations he and Spinelli have had, and Sasha says, they’re keeping their friends’ confidences, but they can have eyes. He says, they do have eyes, and she says she’s keeping her fingers crossed that a night of karaoke with Spinelli will give Maxie the clarity she needs on her feelings for him. He says, once the music starts, who knows what will happen?

Drew says he doesn’t want to fight with Carly, but he’s not going to apologize for wanting justice for what Nina did to him. He thought she would actually back him up on this. Normally, she’s the first person to want to get even with somebody who wrongs her. She says, he’s right. Payback has been her go-to reaction for most of her life. If someone hurt her, she was going to hurt them back twice as bad, but most of the time, that reaction has caused more conflict and life is short. Losing her mom so unexpectedly just brings it home all over again and she’s happy now. She’s so happy with him. They have a great life. Isn’t that enough? He says he thought it would be and it would have been if he didn’t find out who turned them in to the SEC, but he knows and he can’t pretend it doesn’t affect him. He just came back from Pentenville with so much rage. Does she have any idea what it feels like to be beaten within an inch of your life? He was lying on the floor of that shower, and he was in so much pain, he wished he was dead, but he was praying for someone to come save him. She says she’s so sorry that happened to him. That was horrible. He says, then he was freed, and he had nowhere to go with that anger. He had no one to blame until he found out who sent him there. She says, seeing Nina must be so hard every time, and he says, every time he does, he feels the rage boiling inside of him, and he thinks about how much time he lost with Scout when he was in prison. He thinks about being beaten and the pain and the recovery, so yeah, sometimes he feels like he’d like Nina to feel a little bit of that humiliation as payback. That’s true. She says she’s not asking him to forgive Nina. She would never ask him to forgive her. But this anger scares her. He hasn’t been the same since he went to prison. He says he went to prison for… She says, he can finish that sentence. He went to prison for her.

Sonny says he’s done playing games here, removing the gag from Li’s mouth. Who hired him? Selina says, unfortunately, Li seems quite loyal to his other employer. They haven’t been able to get a name out of him yet. She uncovers a table of garden tools and says, perhaps Sonny can get him to be a little more forthcoming. She tells Li, Sonny can be very persuasive, and Sonny says, Li’s working for people who are trying to have him killed. People who would put his family and the people he cares about in the crossfire of an assassin’s bullet. Whoever did this is gonna pay. He picks up a pair of shears, and Li moves around. Sonny says, hey. He usually has people who do this sort of business, but since Li’s friends took a shot at him while his little girl was nearby, he needs a more personal touch. He moves closer to Li and says, whoever did this is going to suffer; he can promise Li that. And whoever’s helping them is going to suffer unless Li gives Sonny a compelling reason to spare him.

Cody asks if Maxie and Spinelli have decided what they’re going to sing yet, but Maxie says, not her. Spinelli is the singer. Cody says he has to check something out. He’ll be right back. He leaves, and Spinelli says, if Maxie isn’t going to grace them with the dulcet tones of her voice, he’s not going to sing either. Maxie says, he can’t sit it out because of her. She knows how much he loves karaoke. He says he does, and the MC takes the mic and says, they’re going to get started, so drink some liquid courage if they need it and get ready for some great tunes. Their first singers tonight are Cody Bell and Sasha Gilmore. There’s applause, and Sasha looks surprised. Maxie tells her, get up there, and Sasha tells Cody that she hopes he knows what he’s doing. He says, she trusts him. Come on. She says, he’s never heard her singing voice, and he says, she’s never heard his, and she gets on stage with him. They sing like a pair of professional singers who’ve been singing together all their lives. They finish to lots of applause.

Anna, Dante, and some other guy listen in as Cyrus says, when we confess our sins, we’re not punished, but rewarded for having the courage to bear our souls. With penance and absolution, our conscience is freed and we’re able to step forward with a clear heart.

Sonny says he doesn’t see Li’s lips moving, so he guesses Li’s made his choice. Li asks what Sonny wants, and Sonny says, a description of the man who hired him to betray Selina and his name. Li says, he didn’t give his name. He said it was better Li didn’t know. Sonny moves the shears toward Li’s face and says he guesses Li’s out of luck, but Li says, no. That man doesn’t matter anyway. He was just a go-between working for who’s really in charge. Sonny says, that’s convenient, isn’t it? and Selina says, and Li’s telling them he never met his boss? Li says, no, never, and Sonny says, so let him guess. He never gave Li his boss’s name. Li says, the guy didn’t trust him enough, and Sonny yells, come on! Li says, but he overheard one of his phone calls. His boss goes by the name Stone. (I’m like, double whoa.)

John walks into the room where Anna and Dante are and says, starting without me?

Sasha tells Maxie that she never thought she’d like doing anything like that in front of a crowd, but it was so much fun performing with Cody. Maxie says she’s not surprised Sasha had such a great time. The two of them make a great team.

Cody asks if Spinelli isn’t glad that he stayed tonight, and Spinelli says, it has been illuminating. Cody says, Maxie looks like she’s having a good time too. Maybe Spinelli can convince her to sing a duet with him after all. Spinelli says he knows what Cody is doing, and Cody says, having a fun night out with his friends? Spinelli says, Cody is trying to get him and Maximista to spend as much time together as possible in the hopes it will lead to something, but he’s already told Cody that he has no intention of pursuing his unrequited feelings for her. Cody says, what if it isn’t unrequited? What if she feels exactly the same way he does? Spinelli says, what’s wrong with him? Please stop. Let this go. Cody says he’s just trying to help out, but Spinelli says he didn’t ask for Cody’s help. This is none of his business. Why does he care so much anyway? Cody says he just wants Spinelli to be happy. Okay, maybe he does feel bad about the way he treated Spinelli when he first came to town. Spinelli says, when Cody was blackmailing him? and Cody says he knows. He’s trying to be a better person. He feels like he owes Spinelli one. Spinelli says, then he releases Cody from that debt, making a releasing motion with his hands, but Cody says, that’s not the only reason. He cares about Maxie and her family. They mean a lot to him. And he sees how much Maxie likes Spinelli. He just wants her to be happy. Spinelli says, it’s a touching tale, but Cody isn’t that altruistic. He thinks Cody realizes the longer he plays Cupid with him and Maxie, the more time he can spend with Sasha. Cody says, Sasha is smart, fun, and he’s not going to deny he likes spending time with her, but that’s not the reason he wants Spinelli and Maxie to get together. Spinelli says, tell himself whatever he wants, just butt out of his life, and Cody says, fine. Spinelli says, now that they have that settled, he’s leaving. He gets up as Sasha and Maxie come back, and Maxie asks where he thinks he’s going. He’s not going to sneak out before he sings, is he?

Drew tells Carly that he’s sorry. He didn’t mean that. He doesn’t feel like he went to prison for her. She says, he did. He paid for her crime by losing time with his family and he almost died, and her life basically stayed the same. He says he made a choice to cop a plea to protect her and he doesn’t regret that for a second. He would do the same thing in a heartbeat because he loves her. She says she loves him too, and he says, that’s all that matters. She says, is it? She’s not so sure anymore. He asks what that means, and she says she understands his desire for revenge against Nina. If she had to go to Pentenville and found out it was because of her, she’d feel the same way. She would want to kill her. He says, it’s nice to hear her acknowledge that, and she says she knows her situation is very different. She didn’t have it as bad. She lost some money and a business, but she wants him to know she understands and truly appreciates his sacrifice. He says he knows she does, and she says, but she can’t move on with her life unless Nina is behind her. She doesn’t want to think about Nina anymore, she doesn’t want to argue with Nina anymore, and she doesn’t want to hurt Nina anymore. Because it always comes back to bite her. Nina suffers, but she suffers, and she doesn’t want to do that to herself anymore. She doesn’t want Drew to do that anymore, but she can’t make him feel the way she feels. He says, it’s obvious they’re not on the same page about Nina, but they can keep talking. They can figure things out as they move forward on how to deal with her. She says she wants Nina out of her life completely and she doesn’t know if he can do that. She doesn’t know if he wants to do that. He says he understands, and he wants her to know that he hears where she’s coming from, but he’s not just a passenger here for the ride along with her life. He’s in this relationship just as much as she is, and he gets to have just as much of a say about what to do about Nina as she does.

O’Neill sits at a table, and Cyrus introduces himself as the honorary chaplain at Pentenville. He and O’Neill shake hands, and Cyrus sits down. He says he hasn’t seen O’Neill at any of their services. He wanted to introduce himself and see if there was anything he could do for him. O’Neill says he appreciates that. He thinks he’s good. He’s only recently become incarcerated here. Cyrus says he’s sorry O’Neill finds himself behind bars. As a former inmate, he knows how disconcerting that can be. O’Neill says he didn’t realize a former felon could be a chaplain, and Cyrus says his journey has been an enlightening one. He spent years making all the wrong choices, and finally he decided to listen to what God had been trying to tell him all along. That he was not beyond saving if only he would trust in Him to guide him. And now that he’s been given a chance at redemption himself, he tries to pay it forward by helping other lost souls. O’Neill says, that’s quite a transformation, and thanks Cyrus for sharing. Cyrus says, it turns out it’s his calling, helping others find a way forward when all seems lost. He can see something’s troubling O’Neill. Maybe he can help.

Selina and Sonny come out of the house, and Selina says, from Sonny’s reaction, she gathers that name means something to him. Sonny says, it was somebody he knew a long time ago who was very important to him. He’s gone now. She says, then it can’t be the same person who’s targeting them, and he says, but that name is also very important to somebody else who just arrived in Port Charles.

John says he’s disappointed in Anna. He thought they’d come to an understanding. She says, so did she. She doesn’t think she’s violating that in any way. If he’ll excuse her, she and her detective are in the middle of an operation. He says, one that was never cleared by him. Imagine his surprise when he found out Philip O’Neill isn’t available for questioning tonight because he’s in a religious service, on Anna’s orders. She says she stands on her decision, and might she remind him, this is her jurisdiction and O’Neill is a possible witness. So she’s at liberty to conduct her investigation any way she chooses. He says, she’s not at liberty to keep the FBI in the dark, which is why he’s shutting this operation down.

Dante asks if they don’t want the same thing here, to stop the attacks on these mob figures? and John says he gets that they’re all invested in this case. But it’s their methods he’s got a problem with. They’re trying to get his witness under a wire and extract information without looping him in. He can’t allow that. Dante says, so he wants to tank the entire investigation because his pride’s hurt? John says he’s been working on this case for months. He’s put everything into it. So he’s not going to allow them to blow the whole thing because they have a bias toward Sonny Corinthos. Dante says, and there it is. This whole thing, right? It’s the vendetta John has against Dante’s father. Anna says, Sonny’s been targeted twice. It’s not a bias to find out who’s responsible. It’s literally their job, and O’Neill is the best lead that both of their cases have. And the federal prosecutor couldn’t convince him to talk, so she’s taken matters into her own hands. John says, by acting without authority and going behind his back? and she says, but this could work. Why is he so willing to shut it down?

Sonny tells Selina that Stone was a kid he took in back in the 90s who was very, very important to him. He had a brother, John. After Stone died, John had a son and named him Stone in memory of his brother. John is a Fed. She says she sees, and Sonny says, they never got along. As a matter of fact, John hated his guts. The only thing they had in common was Stone, and after Stone died, he hadn’t seen John in years, until recently. And John still has it in for him. John is the agent investigating all the attacks on organized crime figures. She says, that seems like suspiciously convenient timing, and he says he feels the same way. So if whoever is coming after them is named Stone, it can’t just be a coincidence. She says, it does raise a lot of pressing questions, and Sonny says, and he’s going to get the answers.

The MC says, Damien Spinelli, you are up. Amid pats on the back and cheers, Spinelli takes the stage. He sings It All Comes Down To You to Maxie, who looks enraptured. He finishes to applause and goes back to the table. Sasha says she and Cody are going to get some fresh air, and they go outside. Spinelli and Maxie look at each other.

Carly says she doesn’t mean to make Drew feel like it’s her way or no way. He’s completely justified in wanting to make Nina pay for what she’s done to him. But not if it’s turning him into someone that the people he loves don’t recognize. If Nina accomplishes that, then she wins. He says, that’s the last thing he wants, and she says she knows. And she hates that this is where they are. When they talked about her taking the job at Crimson, her condition was that he end his war with Nina, and he agreed. She picks up the magazine and says, so consider this her first and last issue. She hands it to him and walks out. I’ve never been a huge Carly fan, but I’m liking this new Carly.

Maxie says, that was a beautiful song, and Spinelli says, maybe he should have gone for more of an up tempo, more of a crowd pleaser. She says, the song was perfect. It reminded her about how he’s been singing Lullaby and Goodnight to Baby Lou every night for the last two months. He says, two months? Time flies when you’re crashing in someone else’s abode. She’s not getting tired of that bedtime song? She says, no, never. She loves hearing him sing to her. Almost as much as she loves having him at the house and seeing him with the kids every day. They adore him and they’re all happy to have him. He’s the one who hasn’t been able to be in his own space for so long. He says, it appears the repairs have taken longer than expected, but she says she doesn’t mind. If it didn’t mean his apartment would look like a scene from Avatar: The Way of Water, she would say he should never leave. She’s sorry. She didn’t mean to… He says, no. Don’t take it back. He feels the same way. Living together the last couple of months felt so right. She says, for her too, and he says, there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her. He’s here for whatever she needs. She says, whenever her life was falling apart, he was always there for her. She knows she can count on him. He says, always. She’s one of his closest friends… Actually, he considers her more than a friend. She says, how so? and he kisses her. (Aww!) She kisses back.

Outside, Cody says, this was really fun. He’s glad they did this. Sasha says, her too. She has to admit, as much as they always say you regret your past, it’s fun watching him scheme for a good cause. He’s very good at it. He says, it’s easy when you have a great accomplice.

Maxie suddenly pushes away and picks up her stuff. She says she’s got to go, and jets, telling someone she passes that she’ll see them at work tomorrow. She comes out, and without even stopping, she tells Sasha, we have to go. Sasha says, o…kay, and shrugs at Cody, who says, bye.

Li says he told Sonny everything he wanted, but Selina says, it’s not enough. Li says, but it’s all he has. They know everything he does; he swears. Please. Sonny says, then he’s got one shot to save his life, and Li says he’ll do anything. Sonny and Selina look at each other, and Sonny says, anything.

Cyrus asks O’Neill to tell him what’s weighing him down, so they might pray on it together and find him some peace. O’Neill says he’s worried about his safety. He hasn’t slept in days and feels like there’s so many people in here who are out to get him, after all the things he’s done and the people he’s mixed up with. Cyrus says, his past doesn’t define him. He can move forward in his life. It begins by telling the truth. So give himself a chance. Tell him everything.

John says he is lead agent on this case. He doesn’t have to explain his actions to Anna. He answers to a higher authority. (So does Cyrus. ha-ha!) Anna says she wants them to work together. She’s not the enemy here. Her daughter thinks the world of him, and that’s worth something to her. He says, personally, he has no problem with her. Professionally, that’s a different story. She’s standing in the way of him tracking down a large shipment of stolen guns and possibly stopping whoever’s murdering mob bosses from consolidating their power. This ends now. Dante says, yeah… Something doesn’t feel right about this. It almost feels like John is having a personal issue with Anna or something. John says, that’s big accusation with no proof, and Dante says he’s got proof. They’ve come this far, and he can’t believe John wants to stop them from questioning this witness. Anna says, neither can she. Something else is going on here. If John forces her to shut down this operation, then her hands are tied. She’s going to go to his supervisor and tell them that he’s not fit to investigate this case. So what’s it going to be? It’s his choice.

Tomorrow, TJ asks Molly if it’s him or that was weird; Kristina tells Blaze, in that moment, she felt like the baby was hers; Elizabeth asks if Sam is worried something deeper is going on; and Cyrus asks O’Neill, who is this man who’s worth a lifetime in prison?

💭 Thoughts. This was a good one. I made noises out loud at the Li and Stone reveals. Since I remember squat about Spinelli and Maxie being together, his beautiful singing voice was a surprise too. Although seriously, the most unrealistic karaoke ever. Sasha was surprised when Cody asked her to do a duet, yet they looked and sounded like they’d practiced the song a million times. Even more unrealistic, they put on a show rather than their eyes being glued to the lyrics screen like their lives depended on it. The general consensus in my karaoke group is, if we had to sing Happy Birthday there, we’d need to see the lyrics.

Also, and hear me out here, I’m not sure if John is the man behind the shootings or they just want us to think that. Somebody could have set him up. Even though he hasn’t been in the opening credits yet, they don’t usually bring on a guy like that just to show him the door five minutes later. Just a thought.

🧴 All the Soap That’s Fit To Print…

I wonder if she gets to pet the chihuahua.

She’s living the dream.

Feelings.

Up for tons of awards, but they change the team. Go figure.

🚑 It’s Not About the Esophagus…

This really just describes the scene, but gives no new info.

🤽‍♀️ Sorry, Hamptons…

Those awful people are back for another season. No recap online yet. Maybe no one wants to watch it.

🍸 Falling Rules…

I don’t know if I agree. Certainly not that Raquel is needed. Got along without her before we met her, we’ll get along without her now.

🩰 Kick Off Your Sunday Shoes…

Iconic.

https://people.com/footloose-40th-anniversary-lori-singer-kevin-bacon-chemistry-electric-exclusive-8584419

🏆 Rewarding Their Work…

BAFTA winners.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/18/entertainment/bafta-award-winners-nominations-live/index.html

More important, BAFTA fashion.

https://www.theroot.com/our-favorite-black-celeb-outfits-from-the-2024-bafta-aw-1851272322

Everything about the Golden Globes. My dream is to get ahold of one of those swag bags.

🐶 Award Worthy Pup…

But did he pee everywhere?

https://people.com/host-david-tenant-brings-dog-named-bark-ruffalo-to-2024-baftas-8584703

💎 Shining Bright Like a Diamond…

Stop in tomorrow for some pre-weekend soap, interesting tidbits on the famous and furry, and quotes to ponder. Until then, stay safe, stay assuming three pieces per person for a pizza, and stay not reacting to someone only trying to get a reaction. It’s the best way to fight them.

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

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

🏥 In and Out Item…

Apparently, GH won’t miss a beat.

💖 Ten Years…

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

👸🏼 Don’t Call Her Princess…

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

🎢 VickiCoaster…

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

🧂 Salt Shaking…

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

And what’s to come.

💏 For the Gram…

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

🏆 Bundling Awards…

Daytime viewers will be interested.

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

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

And there’s the booze.

Fewer people will care about this.

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

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

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

🥀 Roll Call of 2021…

Those we loved and lost.

🐶 Sending You Off With a Doggy Bag…

Puppy Bowl 2022!

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

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

🐝 Quotes of the Week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The best proof of love is trust. – Joyce Brothers

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

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

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

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

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

🥨 Late Night Snack Time…

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

December 10, 2021 – Peter Feels Threatened, Back Home, Rebuttal, Holiday Duo, Busy Countess, Ouch, Pulled Over, Another One, Maybe, People’s Carpet, Before His Time, Close To 10 Quotes & So It Begins

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny finds Carly working at a table in the MetroCourt, and says she left so early, he didn’t get a chance to say good morning. She says, good morning. Christmas will be there before they know it, and it’s on a Saturday, so she thinks they’ll be busier than ever. She looks at her phone, and says, what? She tells Sonny that she just got an email from her supplier, and there’s a shortage of marzipan. She has to talk to the chef; she’ll be back. She leaves, and Celina comes in. She says, Sonny’s wife certainly throws herself into her work, doesn’t she? He says, the holidays are busy, and Celina says, true. She supposes she’d fill up her days with work too, if she’d lost a good friend like Jason. She trusts Sonny is keeping himself busy too.

Peter wakes with a start in his cell, and says, who’s there? The guard tells him, take it easy. He has a visitor. Peter says, no visitors, unless there’s bullet-proof glass between them, but the guard says, relax; it’s law enforcement. Anna comes in, and asks Peter, what’s wrong? Did he have a bad dream?

Brook opens the door to Chase, and asks, what’s wrong? He says, what isn’t? He hates being suspended from work. It was one thing when he was sick, but he feels useless. She says she gets it, and she’s so sorry. He says he can’t stop thinking about the look on Willow’s face when she found out he was the father to Brook’s baby, and Brook says, just for clarification, she didn’t make him do that. It was his choice. He says it was all he could think of to protect Maxie’s secret. That’s the most important thing, right? Keeping Peter from finding out Bailey is really Louise? She asks if he’s there to face the music, even if it means Willow will never speak to him again, but he says, no. He’s there to step up. To assume the role of Bailey’s father. Everyone has to believe he’s the real deal, so he’s going to start changing diapers, and playing with Bailey, and doing what any proud papa would do.

Brando adjusts Sasha’s covers, and she wakes up and kisses his cheek. He says, good morning. She’s in a good mood this morning. She says, isn’t he? and he says he’s a little stiff from sleeping in the chair. She says she thinks it’s a small price to pay to wake up and face this day together. Can he believe it? Today is the day their baby will be coming home.

Nina asks Britt if there are any updates on Sasha’s baby, but Britt says they’re still on hold, and if she had information… Maxie says they understand; it’s confidential, family only. She can only imagine what’s going through their minds right now; hoping for the best, and worried the worst might happen. The hardest part is not knowing. Britt takes Maxie’s hand, and says she still has faith Louise is going to come home to her. Maxie thanks her, and says she has faith too. Of course (🍷) Louise might already be home if Nina had just called the police when Peter showed up in Nixon Falls. Nina says, maybe she should just go to Crimson, but Maxie says she won’t have any of that. There’s no point in second guessing anything. Choices were made. Peter will get what’s coming to him, and her baby will come home. Britt says she truly hopes so, but at what cost? and Maxie says, whatever it takes.

Willow tells Michael that Wiley was hoping daddy had some time to help pick out a Christmas tree for the gatehouse today. Michael says, maybe tomorrow, and Willow says, so he hasn’t changed his mind about appearing at Brad’s parole hearing? He says, it’s his duty as Wiley’s father. He’s going to do whatever he can to make sure Brad never comes near their son again.

Sonny tells Celina that he instructed his friend on the board to vote in favor of Brad’s parole, but she has to understand something. Michael wants to be at that hearing. He wants Brad to serve out his full sentence. So Sonny doesn’t know what guarantee she has of things going her way. She says, things might be different if Jason were around to guarantee it, but he says, Jason might not be able to influence Michael any more than he would. She says, admirable, but she has to think others might be influenced by Jason’s presence, if he was still around. She’s avoided talking about this topic out of respect. She thinks it’s in everyone’s interest if Sonny just… He asks if she’s saying they should move on, and Carly comes out. She says, move on from what?

Sasha tells Brando, it feels like she’s been counting every second for the last 71 hours and – she looks at her phone – and 42 minutes. All the stress will be worth it when Britt and the other doctors say the therapy to cool Liam’s brain worked, and the EEG confirmed it. He rubs her hand, and she puts her hand on top of his. He asks if he’s rubbing her too hard, and she says, he’s done everything right. From holding her hand to making her laugh to sending her pictures of their sweet little boy, so she can be reminded what it’s all about. She loves this one. She shows him her phone.

Willow says she knows Michael is committed to keeping Wiley safe, just like she is. That’s their first priority. He says, but? and she says, but if his dad is willing to give Brad another chance… He says, this is just a business move for his dad. Brad’s Aunt Celina is a business associate of his father’s, and he thinks she can keep Brad away from Wiley, but Michael doesn’t agree. She says, she doesn’t claim to know all the ins and outs of his dad’s business, but it doesn’t seem smart for Brad’s aunt to break her word with his dad. He says, that might have been true before, when Jason was still there, but now that he’s gone, the level of enforcement is gone. She says she knows he’s grieving for Jason, so why don’t they forget about the parole hearing today? Forget Brad, forget Nina, and forget everyone else Michael thinks he has to protect them from. Let’s enjoy today. The three of them have a chance to shop for a Christmas tree. Wiley’s old enough to really enjoy that. Let’s celebrate that. Brook and Chase walk in.

Anna says Peter looks like something scared him half to death, and he says, not something, someone. Sonny Corinthos has all but put a bullseye on his back. Anna says, it’s hard to believe there’s room for yet another target, and he says, look around. Which one of the guards is on his payroll? Even in solitary he doesn’t feel safe. Not with a Corinthos hit out on him.

Sonny tells Carly, they were just discussing Celina’s nephew’s parole hearing, and Celina says she hopes they can move forward from the mistakes in judgement Bradley made. Carly says she knows Sonny has agreed not to interfere with Brad’s parole as a favor to Celina, but her son has a mind of his own, and plans on testifying against Brad at the hearing. Celina says, these situations have a way of sorting themselves out, as her husband knows. Sonny flashes back to telling Celina that his family is best served with Peter taken care of, so see to it that it happens. Sonny says, as long as everyone keeps up his or her end of the bargain, they’re good. Celina says, consider it done, and leaves. Carly says she always liked Celina. As the only woman running one of the families, she’s tough and she’s fair, but business is business, right? He says, agreed, and she asks, exactly what bargain did she walk in on just now.

Nina goes into Sasha’s room, and says, this isn’t fair. No one should look this beautiful after a C-section. Sasha says she has her new stylist to thank for that, looking at Brando, and Nina says they’ll just have to add that to Brando’s list of talents. Georgie forgot her lunch, so Maxie had to bring it to her, but she’ll be here in a second. She asks if there’s anything Brando can’t do, and Sasha says, if there is, she hasn’t discovered it yet. Lucy walks in, and says, hello there. She comes bearing goodies she got past the nurses station. She didn’t want to face the wrath of Epiphany, but guess what? She pulls out a bag, and says, Sasha’s favorite; gummi bears. Brando says it looks like he’s literally the odd man out, so he’ll leave Sasha with her friends. Sasha says, if he sees Britt, send her in right away, and he promises. He leaves, and TJ sees him getting in the elevator.

Brook says Chase has a lot to learn. Can they believe this guy doesn’t even know the name of their diaper service? Willow says she just thinks they’re lucky to be able to afford to use one. Cloth diapers are so much better for the environment than disposable ones. Chase says he couldn’t agree more. Violet was way past the diaper stage when she came into Finn’s life. This is all new to him. Michael says, too bad he didn’t come forward as Bailey’s dad. Instead, Chase focused on making Willow feel guilty for wanting to be with him and Wiley while she was married to him. I used to not like Michael because he was boring; now I don’t like him because he’s a jerk. Chase says he didn’t come forward because he didn’t know, and Michael says, but he did know he slept with Brook around the same time she got pregnant. The fact that he didn’t ask is a pretty clear indication that he just didn’t want to know. Brook picks up the monitor, and asks if Chase heard that. Bailey really needs them. Chase says, here’s the deal. The other day when Michael and Willow rushed off to be with Sasha and Brando, it was before they could deal with this news, but they can’t keep avoiding this forever. Is there any way they can get past this?

Anna says she’s not going to deny she has some satisfaction in seeing Peter like this, but the reality is, he’s safer there than the gold in Fort Knox. He says, Sonny wants him dead, and she says, she’s sure he does; so do a lot of people. But Sonny’s hands are tied. He knows that since he got back to town, he’s been in the spotlight. Peter asks if she really expects him to believe there’s no credible threat on his life, and she says, Sonny is too smart to risk it. Trust her. Sonny knows law enforcement has been watching his every move. Still, they both know Peter has made a lot of enemies. He says, meaning what? and she says, meaning, if he wants to stay alive, he’s going to have to save himself.

Sonny says, Celina suggested it’s time they start thinking about replacing Jason, and Carly says, replace Jason? That’s impossible. He’s… Sonny says, irreplaceable. She says he knows that, and he says, Jason was like a brother to him, but like his dad always said, the graveyards are full of indispensable men, and Jason was one of them. She says she knows, and Sonny is irreplaceable. Nothing was the same, or could be the same, without him. She means that. Sonny says, she had to carry on for the family and the life they built together. Nobody understood that more than Jason, but when he came back, it threw him that they were together. It doesn’t matter, because there was a void, and Jason had to fill it. Now that he’s gone, because of how much they loved him, and how much he loved them, they have to do the same.

Lucy says, Deception has been doing absolutely great lately, and it’s largely because of Sasha’s role as the Face of Conception. The public is so excited, and everything is turning out so well. There’s a financial institution that really wants to get behind them, so – drumroll – they’re thinking of taking the company public. They’ll all get their initial investment back, not to mention, Sasha has to think about the future. Sasha says, it sounds very exciting, and she’s glad Lucy shared the news with her, but the only future that matters to her right now is lying in an incubator in the NICU.

Britt calls Dr. Fleming to confirm they can go ahead with the EEG on Liam. She says, great. Please send her the results as soon as she gets them.

In the chapel, Brando kneels, and says he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He can’t remember the last time he came to church. He certainly can’t remember the last time he made a confession. Liam has opened his heart in so many ways he never thought possible. He doesn’t know why Liam was born with so many obstacles to overcome. TJ stands in the doorway and listens, and Brando says he guesses that’s why he’s there. Until he can hold Liam in his arms, will God make sure Liam feels loved, and feels safe? Let him know that his mom and dad are here for him, and always will be, and they need him too. He crosses himself and gets up, seeing TJ.

Britt asks what brings Nina back to her office, and Nina says, she thinks there were some things they didn’t get a chance to say last night. Or more accurately, avoided saying. Britt says she was just trying to be gracious, and avoid having this conversation. Nina says, Britt is a doctor. She knows it’s not healthy to stuff those feelings deep down inside. Britt says, no, but talking about it isn’t going to change anything. So what’s the point? Nina asks if Britt doesn’t want to say it to her face; that her life could have been different if Nina had just told  the truth about Peter. Britt says, okay. Nina wants to go down that road, they’ll go down that road. Why didn’t Nina call the cops when Peter showed up in Nixon Falls?

Michael asks why Willow should make it easier for Chase. Chase wanted them to feel guilty for being in love, and the whole time he knew he’d slept with Brook. Brook says, Michael is her cousin and she loves him, but she’s not going to let him call Chase out for this. He didn’t lie about being Bailey’s father; he didn’t know because Brook deliberately kept it from him. She needed to get her ELQ shares back from Valentin, and couldn’t think of another way. So if he’s looking to blame someone, blame her. Willow says she knows how betrayed Chase felt when he learned about her and Michael, but eventually he was able to make peace with it. She’d be a hypocrite if she didn’t do the same with him. But Brook is a whole different story.

Peter asks Anna what she expects him to do now. What deal could he possibly cut? She tells him, who said anything about a deal? He has to confess. He says she can’t possibly mean that, but she says he has to own up to everything he’s done. Every single crime, and they’re not going to stop there. He’s going to give up his rights to his daughter, so that Maxie can have some peace of mind that somewhere down the line, whoever has Louise will return her. In more simple terms, he has to take his punishment, and he has to do it like a man. He asks why he’d do all of that, and she says, because if he faces up to it and stops all his endless games, maybe, just maybe, there’s something she can do for him.

Carly says no one could ever replace Sonny; Jason didn’t even try. And now, there’s no way they can replace Jason. It’s impossible. Sonny could find someone to take on Jason’s responsibilities, someone he trusts, but they’re just going to be following in Jason’s footsteps, right? Sonny can’t replace Jason, and if he thinks he can, he really did change while he was in Nixon Falls.

Lucy says she’s sorry. She thinks it was just her misguided way of taking Sasha’s mind off things for a little minute. Being a mom is tough, huh? It’s sometimes the most healing, breathtakingly beautiful thing in the world, and other times, it breaks your heart. She doesn’t talk about this too much, but she had several miscarriages, and wanted to be a mom so badly. She’s not the only woman in the world who ever had a miscarriage, but that’s why she’s so grateful, because her friend Dominique asked her to carry Serena, and also asked her to help raise Serena with Scotty. She can’t tell Sasha what that meant to her, and even though her girl is living all the way across the ocean, Serena will always be her daughter, in every way that counts. What she’s trying to say is, she knows this is overwhelming and so hard, but eventually, somehow you manage to cherish each and every moment, no matter how very, very scary. Sasha thanks her, and says she’s trying to do that; cherish every single moment.

TJ says he didn’t man to intrude. He heard Brando’s baby is in the NICU, and wanted to see if Brando was okay. There was a time they used to be friends, then stuff happened. Brando says, TJ rearranged his jaw, and TJ says he hopes they’re past that now. He saw Sasha’s friends in her room talking, and thought, if Brando needed someone to talk to… Brando says he was actually talking to someone, and TJ asks if they talked back. They laugh, and Brando says his mom wanted to be an altar boy so bad. Father Hogan would make him say ten Hail Marys and run ten laps if he made a joke like that. TJ says, his Aunt Stella would have made him wash his mouth out with soap for sure. Brando thanks TJ for making him forget for two minutes that his son’s in the NICU fighting for his life. All he can do is wait for him to win.

Nina tells Britt that Peter was blackmailing her. He said he’d hurt James. He also said he was going to tell Carly that Sonny was alive and well Nixon Falls. Britt says, and avoiding trouble with Carly was more important than making sure Peter was stopped. Nina says she thought she could do both, and Britt says, by turning to her mother instead of the police? Nina says, in retrospect, she knows what she did was wrong. She was desperate and needed someone she could trust and confide in. It was Obrecht’s idea to go after Peter, and Britt knows better than anyone else, once Obrecht gets something in her mind, there’s no stopping her. Britt says, too bad Nina didn’t think of that before she got her mother involved. Nina says she’s sorry, and Britt says, Nina does realize, she could have gotten her mother killed. Nina says she does. She loves Obrecht. At least Peter’s in prison. Britt says, Jason is dead, and Nina says Carly believes his blood is on her hands. She’s sure Britt does too.

Chase says Brook didn’t tell him because she knew how he felt about Willow. She kept silent about Bailey’s paternity so they could be together. Willow says, there’s a little more to it than that. She also did it so the Quartermaines could regain control of ELQ. Michael says, that’s what they were taught their entire lives; put the company first. Willow says, obviously, she grew up with a warped idea of what family is supposed to be. She thought other families, real families were different. Maybe not this one. Chase tells Brook that he came to see their daughter, and she suggests they go upstairs. Willow asks them to wait. She says, their kids are around the same age. They’re both Quartermaines, so they’re going to grow up together. She can’t speak for Michael, but for the kids’ sake, she promises to get past this. Brook thanks her, and says she hopes Michael can forget about it too.

Peter can’t believe Anna would suggest he give up his parental rights to Louise. That would mean giving up all hope of being a family with Maxie. Anna says, come on. That was an illusion; it died a long time ago. He says, Louise and Maxie are what keep him human. He won’t give them up. The guard says, time’s up, and Anna says, that means Peter’s arraignment is starting soon. All the pain he’s caused, all the lives he’s ruined and cut short, that isn’t good enough for him. The trouble with her is, she still believes in the justice system. If he owns what he’s done, she’ll do what she can. She leaves.

Sonny says he can’t say the time away from Carly didn’t change him. But when he came back, it wasn’t to pick up where they left off; he wanted them to get closer and just be better for their kids. She says she wants that too. It doesn’t matter what Celina Wu wants, or the people who think they know what’s best for them. They know what’s best. They know what they want. He says he wants her, and she says, she wants him; only him. No one’s here; we’re not open yet. He asks if she thinks that’s going to stop him, and kisses her.

TJ tells Brando, try not to let his imagination get the best of him. Enjoy the fact that Sasha survived a difficult birth, and she’s doing better. Focus on the positive. Brando says, the tests will also come when they come. He thanks TJ, and says he’s been trying to do that. They walk to Sasha’s room, and Brando says, when he left, Sasha’s friends had her laughing. They go in, and Sasha says, Lucy was just showing her the latest Deception baby care products. Lucy says, organic, hypo-allergenic, of course (🍷), and adorable if she does say so herself. Brando says he hates to ruin the party, but they should be hearing from the doctors soon. Lucy says, she didn’t know she’d been there that long, and hugs Sasha. She says she’s rooting for Sasha; for all of them. Then she says, bye, instead of ta, and I puzzle over this longer than I should. TJ says Brando has his number. If he has any questions with medical lingo or anything, call him. Brando says he appreciates it, and TJ leaves. Sasha says, Lucy did a terrific job of distracting her, but they can’t avoid it any longer. It’s almost time, right?

Britt says she’s not playing the blame game with Nina. Nina made choices, and so did she. She’s pretty sure if Nathan was still here, he’d probably tell her to go pay it forward, and go help Nina. Nina thanks her, saying, she sounds exactly like Jay. Britt says, if she can come back, so can Nina. Nina says, Britt will be there for her? and Britt says, Nathan wouldn’t have it any other way. Britt’s phone rings, and she says she’ll be right there. Nina asks if it’s news about Sasha’s baby.

Brook says, that went well, and Chase says, as opposed to what? A firing squad? She says, they have to take what they can get. It seems like Willow is going to give him a pass, whereas everyone thinks she’s the next Cruella de Vil. Chase says he hopes Brook knows what she’s doing is very noble, and she says, that’s not exactly a word used to describe her – ever. He says, one day, her family will know the good thing she’s done, but while Peter is still a potential threat to Maxie and Louise, they’re in this. She says, what other choice could they have made?

Michael kisses Willow, and she says she’s not complaining, but what was that for? He says he’s amazed at how generous she is, and willing to forgive. She says, let’s be clear. Forgiving Chase is one thing. Brook is a whole other story. Michael says, that’s going to be a longer road for sure, and Willow says, while they’re on the topic of forgiveness, if she forgave Chase, and hopefully soon, Brook, does he think he could find it in his heart to forgive Brad?

Peter’s breakfast is slid into the opening in the door by an inmate worker, but he says he doesn’t trust it. The guard says, fine; they’ll give it to the next inmate. It’s removed, and Peter says, wait. Bring it back. The inmate puts the tray back, and Peter takes it.

Carly says, the happiest day of her life was when Sonny came back, and Sonny says, that makes two of them. It all started with the dreams. A blonde woman in the dream; then she became a reality.

Michael says he has to feel consistent, and do what he can to keep his family safe, and that includes keeping Brad in prison and away from their son. The same rules apply to Nina. This is a black and white subject for him; there’s nothing grey about it. Willow flashes back to hearing Sonny tell Nina, that what happened in Nixon Falls has to come from him – and it will. She remembers Nina saying that the love she and Sonny shared was the purest thing she’s known in her life, and she’s so sorry, but she can never regret that. Michael says he understands how Willow can give Chase a pass, and someday forgive Brook. He also gets that she and Brad were close in the past, but he can’t help but wonder how she’s so forgiving about Nina.

Brando says he knows he and Sasha can lean on each other, but it’s nice having friends who can back them up too. Sasha says, when the doctors give them the news, they’ll deal with that. Whatever it takes to give Liam a long and happy life. Starting today. Dr. Fleming and Britt come in, but they don’t look happy. Britt closes the door.

Brook asks if Chase is ready for some diaper changing 101, and he says he’s up for the challenge. He thinks with a little practice, he could be good. He does hope for Maxie’s sake, all the lies stop soon. She says, her too, and they head upstairs. She says, it isn’t enough that Peter’s in custody. It seems that Maxie and her baby won’t be safe until Peter is dead and buried.

Sonny says the second he remembered Carly, he remembered all of it, and all he wanted to do was come home. He just wanted to be with her, his family, and his life. This is where he belongs; this is his home. Anna comes in, and says, she’s sorry to interrupt. She tells Carly that she just wanted to say how sorry she is about Jason. Carly thanks her, and tells Sonny that she has some things she needs to do. She goes behind the bar, and Celina comes in. Carly says, she’s back, and Celina says, the more she thought about it, the more she recognized that the subject of Jason might have caused a miscommunication. But it’s all about wanting to protect Carly and her family. That’s what she and Sonny both want, right?

Anna says, if Sonny wanted to put the fear of God in Peter, mission accomplished. She just came from Pentenville, so can he leave it at that, and let the law run its course? He says she gives him too much credit. Peter is behind bars 24/7, with guards. Even if he wanted to get his hands dirty, how would he do it?

Peter finishes his breakfast, and starts choking. He falls to the floor.

The inmate worker brings back empty trays, and wheels them away. We see it’s Brad.

On Monday, Stella asks TJ what’s going on with Curtis, Trina tells Portia that she doesn’t want to blow this, Epiphany tells Maxie that it’s a bad idea, and Sonny thinks Carly deserves to know the truth.

👯‍♀️ Coming Home For Two…

Kristina on GH.

And the Christina of Christmas fame.

🗣 Ingo Rebuts…

I don’t think his itchy Twitter finger helped him much.

🦚 Days On Peacock…

A look at DOOL’s Christmas movie.

https://ew.com/tv/days-of-our-lives-christmas-movie-peacock-first-look/

🎄 Not a Hallmark Movie…

This actually looks intriguing. Like The Big Chill gone sideways.

🎤 She’s Keeping Busy…

I’m not sure which is a worse sounding project.

❗️ Long Island Real…

Gina doesn’t mince words.

🍷 He Should Have Had a V-8…

I doubt he only had a glass of wine with dinner.

🎃 It Keeps On Ticking…

Yet another Halloween movie in the works, including Kyle.

🏖 Make It Stop…

New, no doubt awful, people added to the already awful cast.

https://ew.com/tv/meet-the-cast-of-bravos-summer-house/

👋🏼 Lala Hints Bye-Bye…

I don’t know how much of a loss she’d be, but surprisingly, she’s been the voice of reason this time around. They probably need one of those. LVP has enough to do.

👠 Color the Carpet Red…

The best part of any awards show.

https://www.eonline.com/photos/33624/peoples-choice-awards-2021-red-carpet-fashion

🎸 Leaving the Stage…

IMO, he was the most talented of the group. He was doing music videos long before MTV was a thought. And his mother invented Liquid Paper. Micky Dolenz must be getting pretty nervous though.

https://people.com/music/monkees-star-michael-nesmith-dead-age-78/

https://people.com/music/heartbroken-micky-dolenz-pays-tribute-to-monkees-bandmate-michael-nesmith/

👩🏽‍🏫 Quotes of the Week

When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. – Viktor Frankl

The best protection any woman can have is courage. – Elizabeth Cady Stanton

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

Mistakes are part of the game. It’s how well you recover from them, that’s the mark of a great player. – Alice Cooper

It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something. – Franklin D. Roosevelt

When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is. – Oscar Wilde

True terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country. – Kurt Vonnegut

I still believe that the unexamined life is not worth living: and I know that self-delusion, in the service of no matter what small or lofty cause, is a price no writer can afford. His subject is himself and the world and it requires every ounce of stamina he can summon to attempt to look on himself and the world as they are.James Baldwin

If you’re going to be able to look back on something and laugh about it, you might as well laugh about it now. – Marie Osmond (Who knew she was such a philosopher?)

🏀 Dribbling Off the Court…

If you’re in a work mindset, another weekend has arrived. For those who’ve moved on from that, another seven Xs have been put on the calendar. And for those people who are already in a holiday panic, you’ve got two weeks until Christmas. No Dead are Walking for a while, so I’ll see you for a little soap, a little Deck on Monday. Until then, stay safe, stay respecting others’ personal space, and stay not second guessing anything. There’s no point.

November 17, 2020 – A Big Truth Is Revealed Twice, Lucas Elect, Two Good Ones, an Exit, a Dream, What’s Cooking, Country Wins, Your Choices, Something Strange & the Temp You Want

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Portia says she has an update for Britt. Britt asks if it’s about the guy who looks like a linebacker, and Portia says it is. They weren’t able to save his life. They did what they could, but couldn’t bring him back. He died a few minutes ago. He was a year older than Portia’s daughter, and now she has to face his family, and let them know his life is over. It’s all so pointless. Britt thanks her, and when Portia is gone, she bangs the desk with her hand. Jason watches.  

Ava and Nikolas are in the elevator, and Ava says they have to pick up Avery. She doesn’t want to give Carly any excuse to complain that she’s late. Nikolas says he’s been careful not to bring up Ryan, and Ava appreciates his tact. Ryan is an unpleasant subject, who’s fortunately out of her life forever. He says, it would seem so. It’s amazing how Ryan was attacked just before he was about to tell Sonny something important. She says she guesses they’ll never know what it was Ryan was going to say.

Julian says Cyrus said he has something for him; what? Cyrus says, a deal of sorts. He arranged for protection per Julian’s request. Now it’s time to settle accounts.

Cameron comes in to find a grim-looking Elizabeth and Franco, and asks, who died? and Elizabeth says, nobody died. Cameron says he knows. That’s why it’s a joke, but nobody is laughing. They look stressed. What’s going on? Franco says, nothing. Some stuff is going on, but it’s nothing that can’t wait until after the SATs. Cameron asks, what kind of stuff? He’s already distracted. If it’s a money problem… Elizabeth says, it’s not that, and Cameron says they’re kind of freaking him out. Somebody tell him what’s going on. Franco says he had bad news from the hospital. He has another brain tumor.

Trina and Josslyn are studying on the terrace, when Dev shows up. He says he’s good at cramming. He knew everything about Bridgeport in a week. Trina says they’re all set, and Josslyn says they’ve got it covered. He says he’s studying for the SATs too. The least he can do is help out. Josslyn asks if he means after the horrible things he said.

Carly tells Sonny, the clasp is loose on the necklace, and she told Avery that she’d get it fixed. Sonny says that’s nice of her, and asks if Ava has been there yet. Carly says, she’s late again, and Sonny says, good. They need to talk. He wants to talk to Michael, and she says, what about? He says he was at the hospital, and Sasha had a heart attack; they say she OD’d. Carly asks if Michael knows, and he says, Michael is with her now. She asks, what happened? Was it cocaine? He asks how she knows, and she says when they were at Nina’s the other night, she could tell Sasha was on something, and she thought it was coke. He says he’ll give her three guesses who Sasha got it from.

Michael looks at Sasha through the room window, and Willow tells him that Sasha is still in love with him. He says, it’s complicated. They were good friends, all of them. They cared about each other. That’s why it was so devastating when the friendship had to…  No one knew except Sasha, but he thinks it was more than a broken heart. The Deception launch was too much stress for her, and she had no one to talk to about it. Willow goes to get coffee.

Jason sees Britt sitting on a bench with her head down. He says, everything okay? and she says, yeah. He asks if it’s about the news Portia gave her, and she says, he heard that? Life is so unfair. He was a PCU freshman. At first, she assumed he was a party animal frat boy jock, until she met his girlfriend. It turns out he’s a poetry major, and he OD’d. He didn’t make it. She thought he would, and maybe it would be a wake-up call. He had his whole life ahead of him. It’s the one thing in Port Charles that changed. She doesn’t remember having drug related cases, and they’re up to several a day now. He asks what she’s seeing. Coke? Opioids? She says, both. He asks what caused Sasha to OD. He needs to know about the drugs in her system.

Portia looks at a chart. Taggert, disguised in surgical garb, including a mask, stands nearby, giving her the side-eye.  

Julian says he promised Cyrus loyalty, but Cyrus says if he wanted loyalty, he’d get a dog. Julian knows how this works. Loyalty is fleeting, but debt is forever. Julian says, it’s clear they’re not friends. What does Cyrus want? Cyrus says there’s no reason they can’t be civil given their new relationship. Julian says he’s not afraid of Cyrus, but Cyrus says he should be. Cyrus takes some papers out of his breast pocket, and says, Ryan may no longer be a threat, but the secrets he kept are.

Jason tells Britt, the theory is, it’s coke, but she’d have to ingest a lot of it to go into cardiac arrest. Britt says, it could be the fillers it’s cut with, and Jason says he needs to know what was in her system. Britt asks if his boss wants to cover his tracks. He says, people are dying from drugs. Doesn’t she care what’s happening? She tells him that he and Sonny should start caring about the city, and stop bringing illegal contraband across the border.  He says she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.

Cameron says Franco’s tumor was removed, but Franco says he has another one. Elizabeth tells Cameron, they didn’t want to say anything until he had more information. Cameron says, so he’ll just have surgery, but Franco says, it’s inoperable. There are a lot of people who will see the irony in that. Cameron says he doesn’t care what other people think. He needs Franco to live.

Dev says he knows he said some stupid things, and crossed the line, but in all fairness, so did Trina. Josslyn says he crossed all kinds of lines, and now he wants to blame Trina? He was talking trash about Cameron, and Trina did nothing. Trina says he’s clearly not sorry, but Dev says he is, and apologizes to both of them.

Ava and Nikolas arrive at Sonny’s, and Sonny says, Avery is upstairs, getting her books ready. Ava says she’s sure Avery will bring more than she can possibly read. Nikolas’s phone rings, and he says, it’s Spencer. Sonny points the way to the study, and Nikolas leaves to take the call. Sonny tells Ava, she knows he’s not a fan of Nikolas or their relationship, but Avery seems to like him. Ava says, she does, and Nikolas likes Avery too – a lot. Nikolas has been supportive lately. It’s nice to see that side of him, especially with what happened with Ryan. Sonny says, it’s a lot to handle, and Ava says, any time Ryan pops up in her life, it’s draining. He says he understands, and also understands how it would be tempting to want to make sure Ryan can’t pop up any time soon.

Julian asks if that’s what he thinks it is, and Cyrus says, that depends. It could be the letter Nelle sent or a contract. He sees it as a contract. Julian wanted a certain outcome, and he delivered it. Julian’s life was in his hands then, just as it is now. Either Julian cooperates, or the letter ends up in Sonny’s possession. Any questions? Julian asks, what exactly does Cyrus need him to do?

Franco asks Cameron to sit and listen for one second. Franco says, Cameron’s mom, Cameron, and the boys mean everything to him. He’s the happiest he’s ever been, and wants to do everything he can to stick around. Cameron says Franco has to fight. He can’t just give up. Now he knows what Josslyn felt about Oscar. It’s always a brain tumor. Okay, that was kind of funny – a little nod to a soap staple. Oscar’s tumor was inoperable, but he did radiation and chemo. Elizabeth says they have to make an appointment with Terry, and Cameron says, okay. She and Franco have a lot to talk about, and he’s late. Elizabeth says they want to talk to him, but he says Trina and Josslyn are waiting, and he’s got to go, and he jets.

Chase sees Willow sitting on a bench, and says he hates being the bearer of bad news, but the cafeteria is still on the first floor. She says she needed a moment, and he asks if she wants to talk. She says, that’s kind of him, and she appreciates it, but doesn’t he think it would be awkward with everything that’s happened? He says, there is no unfinished business with them. She has every right to move on with her life. All he’s wanted is for her to be happy. She says she is, but despite what he did, she never wants him to suffer like Sasha is, and prays that he won’t.

Michael is still looking at Sasha, when Carly arrives. She says Sonny told her what happened. How’s he holding up? He says, they think Sasha OD’d on coke. Why would she do that to herself? How did she fall so far so fast? He cut her out of his life, and couldn’t have known what she was going through. He’s been cold to her, but despite everything, Willow seems to think Sasha is still in love with him.

Dev says he’s sorry for not being a good friend, and Josslyn says, that’s an understatement. Maybe there are a few words on their flash cards that are appropriate. Josslyn looks through them, and says, misogyny, egotistical, vindictive… Trina says, entitled; ohh, supercilious. Josslyn says, it means lordly, superior; someone who does and says whatever they want.   

Ava wonders if Sonny is trying to ask if she killed Ryan. He was there in the room with her. He says, not personally, but she could make arrangements. She says she was just as shocked as he was, although she didn’t shed a tear. Sonny says, it was all over her face. He can’t shake the feeling something is off about this.

Jason says Britt needs to use her knowledge of the past and the city when it comes to Sonny. She says she realizes he contributed to the Nurses Ball, but Jason says the wing Sonny funded was in memory of Stone Cates. He was living on the street when Sonny found him. Britt says she was involved with Patrick; she knows the story, chapter and verse. Jason says, then she knows Stone got AIDS because he slept with a girl who was a drug user. Stone was like a brother to Sonny. To this day, it kills him. She asks, then why is Sonny trafficking drugs? but Jason says, he’s trying to keep drugs out of Port Charles. She says, that’s quite a story, and Jason says, it’s the truth. She just said it before. She doesn’t remember drugs being a problem, and they haven’t been. Until now.   

Cyrus tells Julian, the Corinthos organization is working to block him. Sonny acts with impunity as long as Jason fulfills his wishes. He’s of the opinion that the truth would be more effective if Sonny was deprived of his right hand. Julian wonders if Cyrus is asking him to kill Jason, and Cyrus says, Jason needs to be taken off the gameboard. Julian asks how Cyrus suggests he go about doing that, but Cyrus says he’s not making any suggestions. Accidents happen though. Like the accident that almost took the life of Julian’s son, and his then-husband, who’s now in jail for keeping Wiley away from his father. Julian has so much to hide, it would be in his best interest to be helpful. All he’s asking is for Julian to make a delivery.

Taggert runs from the elevator into an office, and Epiphany follows. She asks what the hell he thinks he’s doing.

Chase tells Willow, it’s not her job to shield him and Sasha from pain. Not after the pain they put her and Michael through. She says, when she said Sasha was still in love with Michael, it wasn’t a theory. Sasha all but admitted it when they had a glass of wine together at Charlie’s. She could have told Michael then, but she didn’t. She told herself it wasn’t her place to get involved. Now she wonders if it was more than that. He asks if she was worried it might interfere with her relationship with Michael, and she says, maybe. Maybe some part of her didn’t want Sasha and Michael to get a happy ending if she and Chase couldn’t.

Michael tells Carly, the last time she was in the hospital, Sasha had Nina at her bedside. Now she has no one. He knows before Carly says it, he has a right to be angry, but if he’d handled things differently, would Sasha have spiraled out of control? She says he can’t keep doing this to himself, and he says he wants Sasha to pull through, and be better. They hug, and Carly says, she does too. She truly does.

Josslyn tells Dev, she never intended to give him mixed signals. Her feelings changed. She was being honest. Trina says, what Dev is mad about is that he didn’t get who he wanted when he wanted. Life is full of disappointments. That doesn’t justify talking trash, and saying hateful things. So don’t be surprised… Cameron joins them, and says, what’s going on? Lay off him.

Ava tells Sonny, Ryan killed more than one cellmate. He wasn’t Mr. Popularity at Pentenville, and he had no shortage of enemies on the outside. Sonny agrees, but it was the timing. Ryan was about to tell him something of great interest to his family. She says he fell for Ryan’s mind games, and he asks why Ryan would play games with him, especially out of the blue?  

Epiphany locks the door, and asks Taggert what he’s doing there. She didn’t risk her life helping to make everyone think he’s dead, and patch him up after he was shot, for him to do something stupid. He says, as grateful as he is, he didn’t ask her to do any of it. He doesn’t understand why she did it. She says, then they’re even. She doesn’t get why he’s there in a two-bit disguise, just asking to be caught. She grabs his ID, and asks what his name is, and what his specialty is. That’s what she thought. What is he doing in the hospital where his ex works? He says someone else knows he’s still alive. Supposedly they’re staying quiet, but it’s just a matter of time. He’s trailing Portia and Trina, to make sure they’re safe.

Julian says, delivery, huh? and Cyrus says, a package will arrive shortly. Hold onto it. Don’t open it. Julian will receive instructions on where Cyrus wants it dropped off. When and where depends on where Jason ends up going. It’s a shame there are so many historic local buildings in disrepair. Faulty wiring, gas leaks; it’s a wonder why one of them hasn’t… He makes an explosion sound.

Jason says Britt told him the number of ODs is increasing. Is it the same at Mercy? She says she was just on a call with the Chief of Staff, and it’s affecting them more than the rest of the country. If drugs are coming into the waterfront, how are they getting into the city? He says, they’re coming through GH.

Julian says, he’s delivering a bomb? and Cyrus says, he asked Julian to deliver a package, nothing more. Julian says, what if an innocent party wanders through, or an innocent person gets killed when it goes off? Cyrus says, due diligence will be done. Like Jason did when he blew up Cyrus’s warehouse. Julian says he doesn’t want blood on his hands; either theirs or his. Cyrus says it’s the only choice Julian has. Julian flashes back to telling Sonny that he saw Taggert, and he looked healthy for a dead guy. Julian says he can offer Cyrus something else.   

Ava tells Sonny, who’s to say what goes on in Ryan’s twisted mind? Sonny says Ryan reached out her and him. He doesn’t think it’s a coincidence Ryan was attacked, and doesn’t think it was a coincidence that Ryan was about to tell him something important, but was taken out before he could. She says if he wants to ask her something, just come out and ask. He says, if she lies to him, just know there are consequences. Nikolas returns, and tells Sonny, enough. Back off.

Trina tells Cameron, no disrespect, but he doesn’t know what’s going on. Josslyn says Dev did something they didn’t appreciate. Cameron asks if it’s really that bad they can’t be friends, and Josslyn supposes not, but they have a right to be pissed for a while. Trina says they need a minute, and Cameron says, that’s valid, but don’t take too long. You never know what could happen, and can’t take anything for granted. Trina asks if everything is okay, and he says, they’re seniors. They’ll be going their separate ways soon. Why waste time being mad? Josslyn thinks they should split up, and get together tomorrow when they’ve cooled down. She and Trina leave, and Dev thanks Cameron for having his back. Cameron says, for sure. He doesn’t know what that was, but at the end of the day, they’re friends. It can’t be that serious. Dev flashes back to creating a fake journal in Josslyn’s handwriting, and says, yeah, friends.    

Epiphany says she can’t fault Taggert for wanting to look after his family. Trina is a sweet girl, and Portia is an amazing doctor and a great person. They talk about him a lot, and think the world of him. He says, both of them? Portia too? Epiphany says, Portia married him, didn’t she? He says, and divorced him. It didn’t end well, but he wants to do everything he can to make sure they stay safe. Trina is his world, and he can’t have her exposed to mob violence. She says she hears that. Her son got caught up in that world about a decade ago. He didn’t make it out alive. Taggert says he’s sorry, and she says, that’s a wound that never heals. You try to make it the best world you can every day. That’s the main reason she agreed to help him. She doesn’t want Trina to end up like her Stan.

Portia comes out of the elevator, and Michael says he knows she’s not supposed to discuss Sasha with him. She says she can, since he’s still listed as next of kin. Michael says, Sasha has no family in Port Charles, or any family left at all really. He asks if she’ll be okay, and Portia says, she’s stabilized. She can confirm Sasha had a mild cardio infarction; a heart attack. The next few days will be critical to her recovery, and depending on how long she was using, she may experience withdrawal. He asks if he can see her, and Portia says he can, but let her sleep. He goes into Sasha’s room, Carly following him. He sits next to Sasha’s bed, and tells her that he’s there.

Willow says, Chase and Michael feel they could have done more, but it was up to her. Things might have been different had she spoken up, and told Michael how Sasha felt about him. Chase says Willow bears zero blame. Sasha made her own choice. Willow wonders if Sasha would have made the same choice if she’d known how Michael felt. Maybe they would have patched things up, or at least worked toward it, and she wouldn’t have started this downward spiral. He says, it might not have made a difference, but Willow says he can’t possibly know that. Chase says, he can.

Elizabeth tells Franco that Terry can squeeze them in for tests tonight. Franco says Terry is a good friend to her, and Elizabeth says, to both of them. He says, getting the tests sooner is probably better than later. He didn’t tell her because he didn’t want to see the look on her face, or the one on Cameron’s face. He has no idea how he’s going to face Jake and Aiden. She says she doesn’t know what the boys would do if they lost him. She doesn’t know what she would do if she lost him.

Jason tells Britt, Cyrus isn’t the philanthropist he claims to be. He’s been using the hospital to run drugs without raising suspicion. She asks, is he telling her that she wouldn’t know drugs were being smuggled in right under her nose, or does he think she’s secretly allied with a drug cartel? He says, is she? and she says he took a big chance telling her his theory. How does he know she won’t run to the man who hired her? Does he think she won’t turn him over to Cyrus? He says he guesses he’ll find out.

Cyrus says, whatever Julian has can’t be worth more than the assignment. Julian says, information has been kept from Cyrus, but Cyrus says he has people everywhere. There’s little that can be kept from him for long. Julian says, it’s about Taggert.

Epiphany tells Taggert, sorry. All this Cyrus stuff is pulling in demons from her past. He says, no need to apologize. She’s an amazing woman. If he wasn’t clear earlier, thanks for saving his life – twice. She says if he really wants to thank her, get his butt out of the hospital before he’s spotted. Better yet, get out of Port Charles altogether. The longer he’s there, the greater the odds he’ll be exposed.

Cyrus says, what about Taggert? and Julian says he finally got Cyrus’s attention. New deal. He’ll tell Cyrus what he knows, and Cyrus gives him the letter. Cyrus says he doesn’t like playing games. Tell him what he knows about Taggert. Julian says, Taggert is alive. He knows it for a fact.  

Sonny says Nikolas just walked in on a private conversation. Nikolas says, no disrespect, but Sonny has it all wrong. Ava had nothing do with the attack on Ryan. Sonny asks if Nikolas knows who did, and Nikolas says he ordered the hit on Ryan.

Michael says Sasha probably can’t hear him right now, but he wants her to know he regrets what he said in anger. He was in pain, and knows she was too. He had no idea she was struggling like this, and that she felt so alone. Carly flashes back to talking with Sasha in Nina’s bathroom, saying, if Michael knew what Sasha and Chase had done. What they’d sacrificed… and Sasha saying, he won’t. Michael finally has Wiley, and Wiley has him, and they both have Willow. They’re a family now, and she can’t take that away from them. Neither should Carly. Michael tells Sasha that he should have never turned his back on her. People were judging her and taking sides, and he should have stopped it. That’s on him, and he’s so sorry. Carly tells him, stop. He doesn’t know what happened or why.   

Chase says Sasha would have never gotten back with Michael, even if he forgave her. That was never the point. Willow says, what wasn’t the point? and Chase remembers Sasha tearfully telling him, before Wiley’s third birthday, or maybe sooner, Willow will be madly in love with Michael, and be the happiest woman on the face of the earth. Willow asks Chase to tell her what’s going on.

Carly wrestles with her conscience for a moment, and tells Michael, Sasha didn’t sleep with Chase.

Chase tells Willow, it was a set-up. It was a lie. He never cheated on her.

Tomorrow, Jason thinks Britt will do the right thing when the time comes, Willow asks Chase how they could do something so awful, and Cyrus tells Julian that he has no one to blame but himself.

🔧 Like Pulling Teeth…

Here’s a little more information on the new face of Lucas, but not much.

📺 A little FYI. The premiere of new show Big Sky gets a big thumbs up from me. It wasn’t as weird as I thought it was going to be from the commercials, but there’s still a lot of the unexpected. I did not see the ending of the first episode coming, and they totally surprised me, which is saying a lot. I don’t surprise easily. On the second season side, His Dark Materials looks to be off to a good start. But I still hate the monkey.

🙋🏻‍♀️ No More Harmony In Port Charles…

Inga Cadranel is moving on. I’m sorry to hear this. Her part might have been somewhat thankless, but she has great screen presence.

🛫 A Guy Can Dream…

GH’s one-time Nathan has a co-star in mind.

https://extratv.com/videos/ryan-paevey-reveals-his-dream-co-star/

🔪 Virtually Obrecht…

You too, can cook with Kathleen Gati.

🏆 For the Win…

The CMA Awards winners list.

https://people.com/country/cma-awards-2020-complete-winners-list/

And the fashion.

🥇 The People Have Chosen…

The People’s Choice winners list.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1204775/peoples-choice-awards-2020-winners-the-complete-list

And the fashion. Seriously, it’s really the only reason to watch awards shows. A year from now, no one remembers who won, but they’ll remember a meat dress.

🍗 And In Weird Product News…

I’m not sure why you’d want a fire log that smells like fried chicken, but apparently, the internet does have everything.

https://www.syracuse.com/living/2020/10/kfc-fried-chicken-scented-fire-log-yes-its-real-and-heres-where-to-get-one.html

🎁 Wrapping It Up…

Tomorrow, it’s double the Wives. I’m still not sure if Salt Lake will prove to be much different, but Mary is certainly interesting. It’s not every day you meet someone who married their step-grandfather, and who loves Valentino so much. Even though some restrictions have been amped up, continue to look forward to a better year ahead. But just to be on the safe side, never say, it can’t get worse, out loud. Also continue to stay safe, stay focused on what you can do, and stay not being supercilious.  

October 2, 2020 – Strike GH, Mess Ups, Roles Forgotten, Another Life To Live, She Can’t Stop, the Dead Are Coming, After the Walk, Choices, October Offerings, If It Does Happen, 7 Pairs of Quotes & Funk It

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What I Watched Today

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

⚾️ In the spirit of the week, MLB came back today, and there was no General Hospital. I’m guessing we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming on Monday, but as 2020 taught us, anything can happen. In the meantime, a little tea, a little Dead, and lists for you to plan ahead.

🤭 Bloop This…

Oopsies from GH.

🏥 Outside the GH Box…

Proof there’s more to life than the hospital. And let’s not forget Demi Moore in 1982’s Parasite.  

🎭 Angelica Who…?

I can’t believe they mentioned Renee Elyse Goldsberry without mentioning Hamilton. It was just a Tony Award.

👀 I Can’t Stop Looking…

NeNe continues on her no-apology tour.

https://pagesix.com/2020/10/01/nene-leakes-addresses-rhoa-exit-in-tamron-hall-interview/

⚰️ Sunday Dead-day…

Take your pick of sneak peeks of The Walking Dead season 10 finale.

https://www.tvguide.com/news/daryl-rallies-the-troops-in-this-the-walking-dead-season-10-finale-sneak-peek/

‘The Walking Dead’ season 10 teasers revealed, finale features jaw-dropping scenes

🌱 Following the Finale…

Sneak peeks at The World Beyond.

https://www.amc.com/shows/the-walking-dead-world-beyond/talk/2020/01/the-walking-dead-world-beyond-premiere-date-revealed

https://www.amc.com/shows/the-walking-dead-world-beyond/videos/the-walking-dead-world-beyond-sneak-peek-season-1-episode-1–47853

🏆 Picks From the People…

Frankly, I think Margot Robbie’s jacket in Birds of Prey should receive a nomination.

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/2020-peoples-choice-awards-nominations-include-birds-of-prey-bloodshot-list/

🎃 For Your Halloween Entertainment Pleasure…

The Sy(we can’t spell)Fy network’s line-up.

https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/syfy-halloween-spooktacular-programming-lineup-2020

A concise list of their 31 Days of Halloween schedule.

For the streamers.

https://the-line-up.com/horror-movies-on-netflix-hulu-amazon-october-2020

AMC brings more than just new Dead to the table.

https://www.amc.com/talk/2019/09/amcs-fearfest-see-the-full-lineup-of-horror-classics-streaming-in-october

⛏ And Just In Case…

If a zombie apocalypse does happen, be prepared.

📞 Quotes of the Week

The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them. – Ida B. Wells

The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. – Alice Walker

Don’t lose your sense of humor. – my father – it was the only advice he gave me when I left home. I’ve come close.

Above all else, go with a sense of humor. It is needed armor. Joy in one’s heart and some laughter on one’s lip is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life. – Hugh Sidey

I’m currently standing on a pair of pants, a broken vacuum cleaner, and horse feed. – a hoarder’s son on Hoarding: Buried Alive

Life’s not a competition – it’s a collaboration. – Mike Guest

Every time I fail, I assume I will be a stronger person for it.Joan Benoit Samuelson, Olympic marathon runner

When we show our respect for other living things, they respond with respect for us. – wisdom from the Arapaho tribe

Take responsibility of your own happiness, never put it in other people’s hands. – Roy T. Bennett

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

You can never be overdressed or overeducated. – Oscar Wilde

Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood. – George Orwell

Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and, above all, confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained. – Marie Curie

The GPS says, idiot, go home. – Annie Suwan, Pillow Talk: 90 Day Fiancé

🏋️‍♀️ Preparing For War…

I have to rest up for Sunday night’s onslaught of new walking, talking, and beyond Dead shows. And somehow squeeze in 90 Day Fiancé. Sunday night vacation officially over. Whether your vacation is over, just starting, or you’re on a perpetual vacation for now, stay safe, stay occupied, and stay bringing in ‘da noise, and bringing in ‘da funk.

September 18, 2020 – Sonny Gets His Bike, Two To Know, Goodbye Chuck, Not Cast, Kenya’s Gain, Runway Shocks, an Ending, South Special, Your Choice, Season Two, Six Quotes, a Poem & Race

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

Ned brings Alexis to the hospital, and Portia asks what she can do for them. Alexis says she can reassure Ned there’s nothing wrong with her. Portia says she’ll need a few more details, and Alexis says she fell at the gym and aggravated an old injury. Ned says it was weeks ago, and Alexis is still in pain. Portia says she can examine Alexis and Ned can come if Alexis is okay with it. Alexis says she wants Ned to be there when Portia tells her there’s nothing wrong.

Outside Kelly’s, TJ tells Brando he’s being too hard on himself. He just got out of the hospital, maybe it was too early for him to get out on the field. Brando says, from now on, they stick to basketball, and TJ says he should have said that earlier. Moving forward, they’ll stick to the court. Molly sees them together and looks horrified.

New York City. Nina asks Jax, how is it this woman who paid to have her necklace divided became her nurse twenty years later? He says, it would be quite the coincidence, and she says, there has to be a connection. She knows what happened to Nina’s child.

Josslyn tells Jason, it might sound crazy, but she wanted to feel her lungs fill up with air. He says it doesn’t sound crazy, and she wonders how long it’s been since Mike ran until he was out of breath. Little by little, everything was taken away from him until there was nothing left. She cries, and says she doesn’t even know what she’s saying anymore. He was a great grandpa. She’s going to miss him. Jason says he’ll miss Mike too, and she says Mike dies, and all she wants is to feel alive. He says, that’s what Mike would have wanted. Mike made some big mistakes, but he lived his life. He didn’t stand on the sidelines, watching and criticizing. Mike made sure he lived. He took chances and had to live with the consequences. There are people who run the race, and people who stand by and do nothing but watch. He knows she’s going to be someone who runs the race. She’s won’t know who’s going to win, but those are lessons she’ll learn. She’s going to live her life to the fullest, and it’s all Mike would have asked for.

Sonny looks at the picture of the boy on the bike, and shows it to Carly, asking if she saw this picture that Avery drew. His dad loved it, and said it looked like Sonny when he was a kid, but he doesn’t think it looks like him. They laugh, and Sonny says his dad never gave him the bike he wanted when he was a kid. He nursed that broken promise for years, and thought it was proof Mike wasn’t a good father. He didn’t know it haunted Mike. Even when his mind was gone, he needed to get Sonny the bike, and keep his word. Carly says Mike knew Sonny loved him, and Sonny says he knows. He asks if she can imagine them riding bikes together after all these years. The laugh some more, and Sonny says, it hurts.

Winston tells Ethan and Robert to keep their hands where he can see them. He says, this must be Ethan Lovett. He was afraid the calvary would come riding to the rescue when Holly placed the call. Robert says Winston knew Holly was alive.

Winston says, he takes their lack of professional detachment to mean there’s a personal interest. Robert calls Winston a smarmy bastard, and says, tell him where Holly is, or he’ll rip Winton’s throat out with his bare hands. Winston says Robert showed up for a gunfight with no gun, and tells his henchmen to restrain them, without shooting if possible. He tells Robert, Holly was investigating their less than reputable businesses that were being run from the casino. When he learned of her interest, he arranged for her ship to sink, but brought her there to manage her. They wanted to know just how much the Bureau had. Ethan tells him to take them to Holly, but Winston says she managed to distract a guard, and appropriate his phone. By the time they knew what was going on, it was too late. Robert says he knew it was her voice. Where is she? Winston says she had to be dealt with, and Robert asks what that means. Winston says, he’ll demonstrate. He raises his gun, but Olivia comes up behind him, and hits him over the head with an automatic weapon that she got from who knows where.

Nikolas tells Ava, he squandered his son’s chance at being close with this grandfather, and having a connection to his own mother. Mike knew Courtney better than he did; the things could Mike could have shared. It goes to show how messed up his priorities are. Ava says they’ve all been there, but he says, not as much as he has. The truth is, he keeps making the same mistakes. He doesn’t see how valuable something is until he lets it go.

Chase brings Brook to Turning Woods, and Brook thanks Michael for letting her know. She asks if Sonny is in Mike’s room, and Michael says he is, so she goes to  find him. Chase tells Michael that he gave Brook a ride. He’s sorry about Mike. Michael thanks him for bringing Brook. He thinks it will do his dad good to see her. He knows she had a big fight with Ned, and she’s too prideful to accept help. He’s worried about her being by herself. She didn’t say anything about a plan, and he wonders if she has a place to stay. Chase says he thinks she’s going to crash with him.

Nina tells Jax, after all the years of unanswered questions, she has an actual fact. He tells her, be prepared; she might not like what Phyllis has to say. She says she knows, and thanks him. Because of his connections, she’s closer than ever before to knowing what happened to her child. It would mean the world to her. He says he’d give her the world if he could, and she says she knows he would.

Molly joins TJ and Brando, and TJ says he believes Molly is a couple of minutes late; she’s obnoxious about being on time. Brando says he’s guilty of it too; it was drilled into him in the military. Molly says she didn’t know Brando was joining them, and TJ says they’re having a drink after their game. He’s buying; a consolation prize for beating Brando in all 8 innings. Brando asks if they don’t have plans, and Molly says, just studying medicine and law. TJ says they can take one night off, but Molly says, maybe Brando has someplace to be.

Portia presses on Alexis’s wrist, and asks if it hurts. Alexis says, ow! and Portia says, it’s definitely swollen. It might be more than a sprain. Ned says Alexis got an injury last summer, and Alexis says she thinks Portia was speaking to her. He says, sorry, and she says she slipped on the porch steps, and when she tried to steady herself, jammed her wrist. It ached for a week or two, then it felt better, until she fell at the gym. Portia asks if there was any weakness, and Alexis says, some in between incidents. Portia asks if it was continuous, and Alexis says not that she can recall. Portia asks, what about this time? and Alexis says this time, it’s been aching since she fell at the gym. She’s left-handed, and trying not do things with her left hand, and icing it. Portia asks if she’s done anything besides icing it, and Alexis says, nothing stronger than taking over the counter medication. She’s a recovering addict, and also highly sensitive after Neil’s death. Portia says she can prescribe a non-narcotic pain medication. They can take x-rays, and take it from there. She’s sorry to hear about Neil. She didn’t work with him very long, but he was a good man. Portia leaves, and Ned says, it’s okay to cry. He won’t judge.

Olivia says, a little help here? and Robert and Ethan deck the guards. Robert takes the gun from Olivia, and Ethan punches a guard one more time, saying, that one was for his mother. Robert gets on the phone, and says, it’s former field agent Robert Scorpio, and he’d like a direct line to the field office for District 3. He has a prisoner of interest.

Alexis cries, and says, the last place she expected to be was an examining room. Ned says he’s sorry, and suggests she get checked out; not just her wrist, everything. She says Neil was only in her life for two years, but changed it so much. He got her to dig inside for answers, and believe she’s worth being loved without conditions, secrets, or pain. If she hadn’t met him, she wouldn’t have risked her career for happiness. Now he’s just gone, and she’s in there getting a check-up for her aching wrist, like it’s any other day. Life just goes on, but it doesn’t. It’s not fair. Ned holds her, and says he’s so sorry.

Molly says Brando doesn’t want to hang out with a couple of studyholics. He might have someone to see. TJ says, the ladies are probably lining up, but Brando says he’s going through a dry spell. TJ says Molly can hook him up with one of her friends from law school. Ashley and CJ are smart and fun. Molly says she’ll see what she can do, and TJ says he’ll grab some ice teas, and Molly can arrange something with her friends. Molly says, no pressure, and TJ goes inside Kelly’s. She says TJ and Brando are bonding all over the place, and Brando says TJ is a good guy, but he’ll start making himself scarce.

Ava comes running in, and tells Nikolas, Avery is gone. The sliding door was open, and she’s gone. He says, she couldn’t have gone far.

Looking in the phone directory, Nina says she told Jax that she just wanted a trail to follow, and this is it. The woman she remembered, and will recognize when she sees, but she still has to find her. Who knew there were so many Phillis Caulfield in NYC? He says, there’s more than one? and she says, a lot more. Jax gets a call from Josslyn, and asks if everything is okay. Josslyn says, actually, no, and he says, Mike? Josslyn says, he’s gone. She knows it’s a good thing. It was time, and he doesn’t have to suffer now, but she just wanted to call and hear his voice, and know he’s still there to talk to. He says, always.

Sonny thanks Brook for everything she did for his dad. When she would visit and sing, Mike lit up like a kid. She says she’s glad Mike liked her singing and company, but the person he lit up for was Sonny. He loved Sonny so much, and Sonny was with him to the end. He did good. So, so good.

Avery walks through the woods with a flashlight.

Molly says, so Brando is just going to take off and leave her to explain? He says, isn’t that what she wants? She says she’s asking him not to be rude. When TJ challenges him to a basketball game or whatever, he can be busy. He tells her not to worry; he’s not getting in her business. She says she and TJ are in a great place; she’s not worried. There’s not going to be a repeat them. He says, no offense, but he’s not looking for one. She says, no offense, but she’s clear about what she wants in life, and it’s TJ. He says he likes hanging out with TJ; he’s a cool guy. TJ likes hanging out with him and wants to be friends, but he doesn’t lie to friends. She says neither does she, and he says maybe they should tell TJ the truth.

Ned waits in the hallway, and Portia says she wanted to give Alexis privacy, since Ned isn’t a family member. The orthopedic specialist confirmed it’s a fracture, which explains her limited movement and pain. Alexis says it’s not like when she fell in the spring, and it healed on its own. Portia says women lose bone density rapidly after menopause, and can get a fracture easily. They’re going to put her wrist in a cast. They stay on six to eight weeks, sometimes longer, but that only addresses the immediate injury. She suggests Alexis consult with the specialist, and have more tests to see if bone loss is the reason for the break. A fall shouldn’t result in a fracture, and there could be an underlying condition.

Jax tells Josslyn that he’ll be home first thing in the morning. In between, if she needs to, what should she do? She says, call him, and he says, that’s right. He loves her. She says she loves him too.

Avery finds Nelle’s half of the heart necklace, and hears Ava calling to her. Avery says, ooh, pretty. Ava calls again, and she says, coming, mom.

A WSB agent tells Robert his people are doing a sweep of the casino. There’s a laundry list of illegal activities there, enough to put Winston and his cronies in Steinmaur until they’re old and grey. Ethan asks if they found his mother, but the agent says, there’s no sign of Holly. She’s not there, if she ever was. Robert grabs Winston by his lapels, picks him up and shoves him against the wall, saying, you bastard, where is she?

Josslyn says, it must be strange for Willow. She joined the family five minutes ago, then has to jump into this experience. Willow says it’s sad, and she’s sorry about their grandfather, but what she’s experiencing is really how close they are, and how much they love each other. She was never part of a family in that way. To see them help sustain each other makes her more grateful than before.

Winston says, Holly is gone, and Robert says, son of a bitch. The agent says, let him go, and Robert drops him. Robert says, he’s lying, but the agent says it’s out of Robert’s hands. The Bureau is taking over. Ethan says, hell, the Bureau sent her there, and kicks Winston, asking, where is my mother? Winston says, gone. Disparue. What’s Mandarin for gone? The agent tells Ethan, don’t make them arrest him. They’ll search the grounds. The WSB is grateful for their help, so they avoided running Ethan’s name and finding out he has outstanding warrants. He’d like to see Ethan walk out a free man, so don’t kick Winston again. He tells another agent to help him load the prisoner for transport, and they take Winston out. Ethan says, Winston is lying. He has to be.

Molly says she thinks about telling TJ every day, and Brando says he thinks if she tells him the actual reason – that she thought he was ghosting her – he’ll realize there’s nothing to forgive. She says, except for keeping the truth from him. He says he’ll keep his distance, and she says she doesn’t want that; obviously TJ doesn’t want that. He says TJ can’t force him to shoot hoops; he has a garage to run. And if she keeps driving her hybrid like a tank, she’s going to severely damage it. TJ comes back with the drinks, and says, sorry. He was phoning a guy in his study group. He asks if Molly gave Brando contact with CJ and Ashley.

Willow asks if Michael is going to wait for his parents, but he says he thinks his dad would like to be alone with his mom for a bit. He and Willow leave.

Carly tells Sonny that she spoke with administration, and he can have all the time he wants with Mike. Sonny asks if they’re ready to take him, and she says if he’s ready. He says, let’s do this. He goes over to Mike, and picks up the drawing. He says he got his bicycle. He loves this bike; he loves this picture. And I’ll always love you, dad. He cries a little, and joins Carly.

Back at the cabin, Ava tells Avery, no more woods. Promise her. Avery promises.

Portia tells Alexis, a nurse practitioner will come in to cast her, and she can consult with the orthopedic specialist. They might be able to run more tests tonight. Alexis says, it’s kind of her to offer, but she’d like to get home. She’s dealing with a lot, and just wants to take a moment to catch her breath. She promises to make an appointment. Portia says, obviously, it’s her call, but she doesn’t advise putting it off, since any underlying condition needs to be addressed. Alexis asks what tests the specialist will want to run, and Portia says a big term that means bone density scan. Alexis asks what condition Portia thinks she has, and Portia says, the specialist will explain in depth. Alexis says the specialist isn’t there, Portia is. What does Portia thinks she’s dealing with? Portia says, based on her symptoms, Alexis might have osteoporosis.

Brando tells TJ, the garage needs his attention; he has no time for a social life. TJ says he’s said the same thing a million times. If not for Molly, he’d have no social life. Brando says, there’s only one Molly, but TJ says, her friends are really cool. What if the set up a meeting while supporting a righteous cause? They have a group who’s standing with GH. Brando says, against what? and Molly says, not what; who. Cyrus Renault, the Chairman of the Board.

Ethan tells Robert, the agent told them they have enough on Winston to send him to Steinmaur. They can use it as a bargaining chip, and trade Holly’s whereabouts for a lighter sentence. Robert says, Holly wasn’t an agent; she did contract work. They’re not going to bargain for her return. Ethan says, they have to. They said she was investigating the casino. She risked her life for the Bureau; they have to find her. The agent comes back, and says, they did find her. They found a shallow grave, containing a woman’s body burned beyond recognition. Ethan says, it could be anyone, and the agent says, they’ll find out when they do an autopsy, but the body matches Holly’s height and build. And they found this. He gives Robert something, and says, it was on the body. Ethan asks, what is it? and Robert shows him a ring.

We see Holly and Robert back when we were all so much younger. He says she should have a ring. He bought it a while back, and after tonight, he realized she might want it for appearances sake. He puts it in her hand, and she thanks him.

Robert tells Ethan, it’s Holly’s wedding ring.

Outside Turning Woods, a staff member says they have something for Sonny. It came several weeks ago, and they put it in the back for safe keeping. Sorry no one told him. They bring out a bicycle with a big bow on it, and my heart sings. Carly says, how… and he says, who cares? He hands her the picture, and opens the card. Sonny reads, Sonny, this is late, but I hope it’s not too late. I love you. Dad. She says, it’s a beauty, and he says, it’s perfect.

Nikolas asks Ava if Avery is all right, and she says, Avery is snug as a bug in a rug. She thanks him for helping her look, and being wonderful with her. She thinks he’s got himself a fan in her daughter. He says Ava must be relieved they found her. She’s quite an adventurous girl. He wonders where she gets it from. Ava asks if he’s leaving, and he says, yeah. He thinks there’s been enough excitement for one night. He asks if she’s returning to Windymere tomorrow, and she says she is. It’s her home. He tells her, goodnight, and she says, drive safe.

Jax says he hates to bail on Nina, but she says, is he out of his mind? Of course (🍷) he has to be with his daughter. This can wait. He says she could continue without him, and she says she could, but she wants him to be with her, no matter how it ends, if he wants to be. He says he does, and she asks if he’d mind company on the flight back. He says he’d love that. We see the necklace around her neck.

Avery takes the necklace out from under her pillow, and puts it in her backpack. She gets back in bed.

Brando says he understands why the hospital isn’t thrilled by Cyrus being on the board – Molly says, Chairman of the Boar – but maybe they could volunteer for another cause. TJ says, GH is the heart of Port Charles. They can’t let Cyrus corrupt it. He’s signing up staff members, and Molly is pulling some people from law school. Brando says, Cyrus could bring them a lot of trouble, and TJ says, let him bring it. The hospital is worth fighting for. Brando asks if Molly agrees, and she says she backs TJ all the way. Brando says, okay; he’s in. TJ says he knew it. Brando might be a sorry softball player, but he’s a man with principles. Brando hopes Molly’s friends are worth the trouble.

Alexis asks if osteoporosis isn’t common in women older than she is, but Portia says, that’s a misconception. Post-menopausal women over 50 are at risk. She can’t say for certain that’s it though, until the test results come back. Alexis says she’ll make arrangements. Ned pops in, and asks if everything is okay. Alexis says she’s waiting to get a cast, and tells him, go ahead and say it – I told you so. He says he’s just thankful she’s being treated. He tells her, he’ll wait outside, but Alexis says, they’d like to run more tests; it could take time. She’ll grab a Ride Share. He says, nice try. He’s not going anywhere. For once, stop arguing and say thank you. She says, thank you, and he says he’ll be outside.

Ned calls Olivia, and says, come on. Call him back.

Olivia gives Robert a drink, saying she thinks he could use this. Ethan says Holly was wearing the ring the last time he saw her. They met in Singapore to run game on a billionaire. Robert says he gave it to her when they got married. One thing after another happened, and it wound up in a safety deposit box in Switzerland. He gave it back to her after a two-year separation, saying, while they were separated, they were never going to be done with each other. He says he never should have given Ethan false hope that she was alive, but Ethan says now they know the truth, and who’s responsible. Robert says he should have gotten there sooner, and Olivia says he did what he could, but he says, it doesn’t feel like it. The agent comes in, and says the Bureau sent for a plane to take them home; it’s waiting on the tarmac in Nice. Robert wonders why the Bureau is so accommodating, and the agent says they’ve wanted the casino shut down, and now they were given a way to do it. Olivia says, as a girl from Kansas said, there’s no place like home. Robert asks Ethan if he’s going somewhere, and Ethan says, any continent but this one. When they leave, a man comes out and makes a call.

We see a woman’s hand pick a phone up. The man says, they’re gone. Scorpio and Ethan were given proof she’s dead. The casino was shut down, but the Bureau might be able to link the place to her. Winston knows to keep his mouth shut about what she really did with Holly. On one of the screens, we see a room with a woman sitting on the floor, leaning against a bed. She gets up, and starts yelling, open the door. Holly looks at the camera, and says, you bastard, let me out of here.

On Monday, Lulu asks Curtis what his fascination with her mother is; Curtis tells Jordan that she should have skipped this visit; and Jason tells Brando, he told Sonny they need a plan, but it will take both of them.

🏥 In Case You Haven’t Met…

All about Winston.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/winston-rudge-david-s-lee

All about Courtney.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/general-hospital-courtney-matthews-alicia-leigh-willis-168882

🎸 The Boys In the Band…

Think it was creative differences?

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/steve-burton-says-goodbye-to-port-chuck

💎 Anything’s Better Than Brandi…

I don’t even know who they are and wish they’d been cast.

https://extratv.com/2020/09/14/jana-kramer-and-mike-caussin-on-auditioning-for-rhobh-and-fighting-through-the-tough-times/

🍕 She’s Not Going Out Anyway…

The quarantine twenty-five’s got nothing on Kenya.

https://people.com/health/rhoas-kenya-moore-doesnt-mind-25-pound-quarantine-weight-gain/

👠 It’s An Outrage…

Fashion scandals should be our worst problem.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1187374/relive-16-of-the-biggest-fashion-week-scandals-on-and-off-the-runway

⚰️ Explaining the Dead…

But will it line up with the show?

https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-walking-dead-comic-ending-explained/

🤡 Laughing In the Face Of Pandemonia…

Think they’ll kill Kenny?

https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/south-park-season-24-release-date-pandemic-special/

✉️ Almost Time To Vote…

For the People’s Choice Awards.

https://pca.eonline.com/window

🛸 Break It Down…

Because, Baby Yoda.

https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/star-wars-the-mandalorian-season-2-trailer-breakdown-analysis-spoilers/

🧾 Quotes of the Week

The problem with doing nothing is not knowing when you are finished. – Nelson De Mille

It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. – Albert Einstein

Technology without morality is barbarous; morality without technology is impotent. – Freeman Dyson

You don’t develop courage by being happy in your relationships every day. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.Epicurus

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself.Harvey Fierstein

Maturity is achieved when a person accepts life as full of tension. – Joshua L. Liebman (Hmm… Apparently I’ve been mature since I was 5.)

I Call You Dog

Author Unknown

When God had made the earth and sky,

The flowers and the trees,

He then made all the animals,

The fish, the birds and bees.

And when at last He’d finished,

Not one was quite the same,

God said, “I’ll walk this earth of mine,

And give each one a name.”

And so He traveled far and wide,

And everywhere He went,

A little creature followed Him,

Until its strength was spent.

When all were named upon the earth,

And in the sky and sea,

The little creature said, “Dear Lord,

There’s not one left for me.”

Kindly the Father said to him,

“I’ve left you to the end,

I’ve turned my own name back to front,

And called you DOG, my friend.”

🍂 A New Season…

We made it to autumn, and another weekend. Or whatever name you’ve made up for what used to be your weekend. No matter the term, stay safe, stay discriminating, and stay running the race instead of watching from the sidelines.

November 11, 2019 – Anna Makes Her Entrance, Abbi Bails On the Crew, Kate On Brandy, Cait’s Return, the People’s Vote, Silverware & Johnny’s Flag

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

 

General Hospital

At the PCPD, Jordan tells Jason that she can’t allow him near the Cassandra Pierce search. For one, he’s not a cop, and two, someone could say Sam helped Cassandra escape. He says Sam tried to stop her and helped the guard, but Jordan says, what transpired could be interpreted all kinds of ways. He needs to keep his distance.

Laura thanks Valentin for coming to the station. He says he didn’t have much choice. He was told he’d be arrested if he didn’t, but no one mentioned on what grounds. Laura says she asked the Commissioner to bring him in. He asks if it’s something specific, or is this just garden variety harassment? She says Cassandra escaped, and she thought he could help to find her.

Nikolas sneaks into Jax’s place via the terrace door. Jax turns on the lights, like what your dad would do if you were sneaking in after curfew. He says he left the door unlocked for Nikolas in case he was coming back. Nikolas says he tried calling Jax, but got voicemail. Jax says he got Nikolas’s message saying their situation was compromised. Nikolas asks where Jax was, and why he didn’t pick up his phone, but Jax says he’ll ask the questions. Where was Nikolas? Nikolas flashes back to picking up Cassandra at the park.

Finn sits on the couch, eating, reading, and using his laptop, as we all do. He starts to type, and the doorbell rings. It’s Hayden and Violet. Hayden asks if there’s any chance Finn is up for visitors.

At the cemetery, Julian says he hopes Lucas doesn’t mind him showing up. It’s fitting, since their first conversation as father and son happened there. Lucas says Julian rejected him for being gay. Julian says they’ve come a long way; he’s come a long way. Lucas doesn’t think so. His progress was an illusion. Julian hasn’t changed. He’s less homophobic, but he’s still a liar, and Lucas wants nothing to do with him.

Obrecht sits next to Brad at Kelly’s counter. She says he’s looking pitiful, and he says he didn’t ask her to join him. He’s not in the mood. Obrecht says his mood is irrelevant. They have a more pressing matter to discuss. Those tests he manipulated for her; what has he done to cover his tracks?

Lulu asks Maxie when Peter’s move-in date is, and Maxie says, in a couple of weeks. That gives her time to clear out a closet. She suggests planning a dinner for the four of them; her, Maxie, Peter, and hot Dustin. Peter needs more friends, and hot Dustin is great. Lulu says he is great, but she feels it’s too soon for a couples dinner. Speaking of dinner, she needs to get Charlotte home. She looks at the counter, but Charlotte isn’t there. She wonders where Charlotte went.

Valentin asks when Cassandra escaped, and Laura says, this evening. It’s very important that they find her. Like she needs to say this. That’s why Valentin was brought in for questioning. Cassandra’s first phone call was to him after she was apprehended. What did they talk about?

Jordon tells Jason that she’ll have to do a press conference. In the meantime, stay out of this. And they didn’t have this conversation. He says, got it.

Valentin says they dragged him there, and inconvenienced Nina. Nina says she wanted to come. They’re trying to make this Valentin’s fault. Laura says, no one is blaming Valentin. On his way out, Jason calls Spinelli, and tells him that Sam got a partial plate number from the van that picked up Cassandra. He thanks Spinelli, and says he’s on it. Jordan joins Laura, and Laura asks about Valentin’s meeting with Cassandra when she was in custody. Valentin says Cassandra wanted his help; she wanted to trade on their prior association. They knew each other briefly in Europe before he knew she was a criminal. When he found out, he broke it off. Jordan asks why he wouldn’t have ignored her call, unless she had leverage. Valentin flashes back to asking Cassandra if she’s threatening him with telling the police that his wife drugged her. Cassandra says, hardly. It’s not likely they’d take her word over Nina’s, but Nina doesn’t know that, does she?

Jax asks Nikolas where Cassandra is. Nikolas says he doesn’t know. He arranged for her escape, and she managed to escape from him. Jax asks, how? and Nikolas says she jumped out at a red light. He tried to reach Jax to call 911, but Jax didn’t pick up. He had to call 911 himself. Jax asks why Nikolas was helping her, and Nikolas says he thought Cassandra was cutting a deal. He couldn’t risk her telling anyone that he’s alive. He had to help her before she gave him up. Jax says, she’s a huge criminal; a drug dealer. Now he finds out, not only is Nikolas connected to her, he helped her escape prison. He didn’t sign up for this.

Violet asks if this is Finn’s house, and he says he lives there. Hayden says the hospital told her that he was gone for the day, so she thought they’d stop by. He says they saved him from a solo dinner of a turkey sandwich with a side of research. Violet says, what? and Hayden tells her, it’s Dr. Finn’s way of saying he was having a snack while working. Remember how he made her feel better? He has to study up, so he can make other people feel better. He helps lots of people. Violet is glad they’re friends, and Hayden says she’s glad too.

Julian asks Lucas, where is this coming from? Lucas says if he didn’t know better, he’d buy Julian’s innocent act. But he does know better. Brad told him everything. Brad never had an affair. Julian framed him, hoping to break them up, and didn’t care about breaking up Wiley’s happy home, or Lucas’s pain, or his love for his husband. Julian says, not true, and Lucas asks how he can say that. He deliberately set Lucas up to break his heart, thinking he’d shrug it off, and he could buy Wiley enough toys that he wouldn’t miss his other father. Julian says Lucas is wrong; it’s just the opposite. Lucas says Julian attempting to deny it, is how he knows Julian works. He denies everything until one day, the truth comes out. Is that how he wants to play this? Julian says he’ll tell Lucas the truth. He did stage the affair.

Brad tells Obrecht that he admitted to Lucas that he did extracurricular lab work for her. She asks why on earth he would do that, and he says Lucas was questioning his behavior. She laughs, and says, he’s just questioning it now? Brad has always been a furtive weasel. Brad says Lucas knew he was hiding something, and he needed a plausible explanation, so he confessed. She needs to keep her distance; no more special projects. She says Brad might repair his marriage, and perhaps that might work for him, but it doesn’t work for her at all. Brad’s marital problems will get worse when she tells Lucas that Wiley was stolen.

Lulu says she’s checked the whole building, and Maxie says there’s no sign of Charlotte outside. Lulu says, they know Charlotte is independent and impulsive, but she knows better than to wander off at night. When she calls Charlotte’s phone, it’s going straight to voicemail. Either Charlotte has the phone turned off, or she’s ignoring it.

Down by the docks – I’m not sure why anyone hides there, since it’s like Grand Central Station – Charlotte asks if Cassandra is sure Nina is okay. Cassandra says, Nina is fine, and she’ll stay that way as long as Charlotte cooperates. Charlotte says she is cooperating. She came with Cassandra, but all Cassandra has done is play with her phone. When is she going home? Cassandra tells her, be patient. If she tells the police what Nina did, Nina will go straight to prison. Charlotte says Cassandra promised not to; that’s the only reason she helped. Cassandra says, when Charlotte goes home, she’ll find Cassandra is a woman of her word, but she has to exercise patience. Charlotte’s parents put a tracking device on her phone, and Cassandra is a bit of a technical wizard. She knows how to turn it off. Charlotte says, papa needs to know where she is, and Cassandra says Valentin is lucky to have a daughter who’s so devoted. She’ll change her tune in the next year or two, but meanwhile, she suggests Charlotte try to be more pleasant. No one is finding out where Charlotte is until Cassandra wants them to.

Nikolas says he had no idea about Cassandra’s criminal past, and took the trouble to revive her solely to get information about Valentin. He thought they’d never intersect. Jax says, clearly, he thought wrong. There’s a knock at the door. It’s Jason who says he’s got to talk to Jax.

Violet skips around. She sees Anna’s ceramic bulldog with the Union Jack bandana. She asks if it’s Finn’s, and he says it belongs to a friend of his from England. Has she ever heard of England? Violet says, no, and Hayden says she’s never been there, but she’s a fan of one of their customs; the tea party. Violet asks if they can have one right now, and Hayden and Finn laugh.

Lucas says he’s impressed. He expected Julian to lie his way out. Not that it would have done any good. Brad recorded their last conversation, and he heard it himself. Julian says, all of it? and Lucas asks what he means. He knows enough to know Julian tried to frame Brad. Julian says he was trying to protect Lucas. Brad is into something shady, and he didn’t want it to blow up in Lucas’s face. Lucas asks, why not tell him? but Julian says Lucas would have confronted Brad, who would have denied it, which is what he does. Lucas would have been forced to choose between his husband and the father he just let back in his life. He would have chosen Brad, because that’s exactly what happened.

Valentin says Cassandra called him, and thought she’d blackmail him, suggesting she had incriminating information on him, and she was willing to give him up. He called her bluff. She knew nothing; he never committed a crime in his life. Jordan suggests he’s had ample time to cover anything up while Cassandra was with the WSB. He says she had nothing, and she knew that he knew that. That’s the last he heard from her. Nina says, when they thought Sasha was her daughter, Cassandra targeted Sasha, and almost killed her. Even though she’s severed ties with Sasha, she wants to see Cassandra punished. Valentin says Jordan had assured him that Cassandra had been extradited to the Hague to face trial. He’s answered her questions, now answer his. Why was Cassandra allowed to stay in Port Charles?

An officer calls Jordan over to the phone. It’s Lulu, who asks Jordan to send an officer over to Kelly’s. Charlotte wandered off, and she’s not picking up her phone. They can’t find her anywhere.

Jason continues to bang on the door. Nikolas hides. Jax answers, and says, sorry. He was out on the terrace. What’s the urgency? Jason says he’s there about Sam. She was on work detail, when Cassandra escaped. Cassandra hit the guard in the head, and Sam stayed to help. Whoever arranged her transportation could be charged as an accomplice. She met a guy driving a van, and Sam got a partial license plate number. He had it traced, and the van was rented using a credit card from Jax’s holding company, J. J. Jax Alaska.

Hayden asks Finn if he’s sure it’s okay to use the nice China. Finn says Violet seems skillful in pouring; she’ll make a good surgeon one day. Hayden says they’re using apple juice. The pour is the same, but there’s no chance of being scalded. When they have a tea party, they usually have more guests. Finn asks if Violet invites her friends, and Hayden says Bella and Otto join them; they’re stuffed toys. Bella has been around since Violet was three months old, and is very soft and well loved. Otto is an owl who came along when they were in a toy store in Italy. She told Violet that she could get whatever she wanted, and she wanted Otto. He’s wise-looking, and on the formal side; not the most approachable stuffed animal, until you get close enough to hold him. He’s soft and squishy. Finn says he’d like to meet Otto, and Hayden says she knows they’d get along great.

Julian says he was trying keep Lucas free of the hole Brad dug. Lucas asks how Julian justifies using cruelty and deception to help out? He’s not going to let Julian use family as an excuse. He’s done for good. Julian says, don’t do this, but Brad says, no; he’s done. No more lies and betrayal. It’s too exhausting. Even if he could take it, why should Wiley have to?

At Kelly’s, Lulu gives the officer a recent photo of Charlotte. He asks her to text it to him, and she does, while describing what Charlotte was wearing. She doesn’t know how it happened. Charlotte was sitting at the counter, doing her homework. Maybe she got impatient. She can be impetuous. Lulu suggests maybe she went to a pop-up T-shirt stand they passed, but Maxie says she checked there, and the stand is gone. Lulu says maybe Charlotte is out looking for it, and asks the officer, please, just find her.

Obrecht tells another officer that she didn’t see Charlotte. She’s sure she would have noticed; Charlotte is like a niece to her. Brad says he saw Charlotte earlier, but didn’t notice her leaving. He was talking with Willow, then Obrecht. The officer shows them a picture of Cassandra, and asks if they recall seeing her today around Kelly’s. Brad says there might have been a woman who looked like her, but he can’t be sure. The officer talking to Lulu shows her the photo. Lulu says her mother helped apprehend Cassandra, and he says, she’s believed to be in the general area. Lulu says her daughter is missing, and an escaped fugitive is on the loose.

At the station, Valentin is on the phone, and asks if they’ve seen or heard from Charlotte. Laura says her granddaughter is very headstrong and independent. She may have decided to head to Windymere on her own. Valentin says he just spoke to the launch captain, but he hasn’t seen her, and neither has the housekeeper. Jordan wonders if there’s anywhere else Charlotte could show up, and Nina suggests Crimson. She tells them to check the freight elevator and the sample closets. Laura asks Jordan to send a car to Lulu’s house. Maybe Charlotte went home on her own. Nina asks if Valentin is waiting for Charlotte to call, and he says, not Charlotte; Cassandra.

Charlotte tells Cassandra that her papa will give Cassandra what she wants. Cassandra can go away, and never tell about the bad thing Nina did. Cassandra says she’s going to wait, and give Valentin time to get good and scared. Charlotte says he’s never scared, and Cassandra says she has so much to learn. She’s the apple of Valentin’s eye, and he loves her without reservation. He’s terrified harm will come to Charlotte, and she’s going to take full advantage of that fear.

Jordan says there’s been no sign of criminal activity at Kelly’s, and no one remembers seeing Charlotte leave. Laura says there haven’t been any calls about Cassandra sightings since the call to 911. The PCPD is canvassing the area, but she’s concerned it was a diversion. While the authorities are concentrating on one area, Cassandra could have fled elsewhere.

Valentin tells Nina, Cassandra has Charlotte, but Nina says Charlotte was warned about her. Valentin says, Charlotte is a child, and no match for Cassandra. He doesn’t know how she did it, but Cassandra knows he’d do anything for his daughter. She’ll contact him soon enough. Nina asks if he’s going to tell the police.

Julian tells Lucas, life doesn’t go according to plan. He got to know his grandson, and Lucas. They bonded as a family, and it’s meant everything to him. When he saw Brad putting that in jeopardy, he tried to protect Lucas; it’s what parents do. He admits he overreacted, but Lucas says it’s more than making a bad choice. It was a calculated attack on his family. He’s not jeopardizing his family to give Julian another chance. He’s done. Julian asks, what if he says something to help Lucas understand? But he has to listen with an open mind. Lucas’s phone rings. It’s Brad, who says he’s at Kelly’s. Heads up. Charlotte disappeared, and they’re started to worry that she wandered into the path of an escaped prisoner.

Violet sleeps on the couch. Hayden says Violet was having so much fun, she didn’t want to break up the party. Finn hopes there will be more, but the first one will always be his favorite. She says, her too. She’ll give the dishes a quick wash, and they’ll be on their way. Finn suggests putting Violet in the guest room, and then doing the dishes together.

Jax tells Jason that he had nothing to do with Cassandra’s escape. Jason says he didn’t think Jax did, but thinks the card information was stolen. Jax says he charges most of his expenses to his Aurora credit card; the one from Alaska is only for international transactions. It could have been hacked. Jason asks if there’s any chance Jerry was involved, but Jax says, none whatsoever. Jason asks if Jax has any other ideas, and Jax asks if Jason has any leads. He takes it that he should expect a visit from the cops. Jason says Sam didn’t tell them about the license plate, but eventually they’ll trace it to Jax. Jax thanks Jason for letting him know. Jason looks around a little, and sees wet shoe prints near the fireplace. Outside on the terrace, Nikolas looks at his wet shoes.

Lulu tells Maxie that she doesn’t know how this happened; she was right there. Cassandra is at large. What if Charlotte ran into her? Maxie says, maybe Charlotte just snuck off to avoid punishment. She would have done the same thing at Charlotte’s age. Lulu hopes the worst thing is that Charlotte is avoiding a stern talking to and tough consequences.

Valentin tells Nina that the PCPD is incapable of handling Cassandra. He’s going to handle her himself, but he may need Nina’s help.

Obrecht tells Brad, she prays no harm comes to Charlotte. Brad says, she prays? She says, when the situation merits it. Brad might consider turning prayer. He could use divine intervention. Brad thinks everyone is overreacting. Charlotte is known to be a brat. She probably walked off. Obrecht says, typical. A girl who’s strong-willed and has spirit, is a brat. A boy would be considered assertive. Brad says Lucas is coming, and he and Obrecht can’t be seen together. She has to leave. Obrecht says she hasn’t had dinner. Brad is up to his neck in secrets, and expects her to keep them. Brad says, Lucas thinks it’s just one. They see Lucas about to come in, and Obrecht jets out the side door.

Jax tells Jason, the footprints could be from anybody. He has construction going on right now. People are coming and going. Jason says, none of it adds up, but Jax says Jason doesn’t think he’d help a drug dealer or jeopardize Sam’s freedom, does he? Jason says, Jax wouldn’t be withholding information, would he? but Jax says he’s told Jason everything. Jason says Carly and Josslyn are important to him, and he’d do anything for them. He and Jax aren’t always on the same side, but if Jax is in trouble and needs help, no questions asked. Nikolas watches and listens.

Nina asks Lulu what she did to upset Charlotte. Maxie says Lulu is upset about her daughter, and there’s no reason to start a fight. Nina says they all agree Charlotte probably took off. Does Lulu know the reason? Has she been repeating her allegations that Valentin is behind Sasha’s lies? Laura says, this isn’t the time or place. Nina says Charlotte wanted her and Valentin to be married, and Lulu disrupted that. Maybe Charlotte was talking about it, and Lulu scolded her. Lulu says they weren’t fighting. Charlotte was doing her homework at the counter. Nina says, so they were in perfect harmony with the family? Lulu says Charlotte asked to go to Windymere and check on Butterscotch, and she told Charlotte she’d think about it if she did her homework. Valentin gets a call from Charlotte’s phone, and asks, who is this? Cassandra says, who were you expecting, papa? and he asks where his daughter is.

Jason says maybe Jax would like to get closer to the edge, but now that he’s there, Carly and Josslyn can get hurt. Jax says he’d never put them in harm’s way, and Jason says, not intentionally, but if something went sideways… Jax says if he thought that was the case, he’d take Jason up on his offer. Jason hopes he means that. He says if Jax gets a lead on Cassandra, he wants to hear from him. Jason leaves, and Jax grabs something off the mantel and throws it, saying, son of a bitch. Nikolas comes in, and Jax says Nikolas took his credit card, and left a trail tying him to Cassandra’s escape. What was he thinking? He wasn’t thinking, was he? He’s an amateur. Give him one good reason not to hand his sorry ass over to Jason.

Obrecht listens while Brad tells Lucas that the initial theory was that Charlotte took off on her own, but Cassandra has escaped. She was spotted, and now he thinks they’re worried that she has Charlotte. Lucas says Cassandra targeted Sasha by weaponizing a virus. Does Brad think she was in there? Brad isn’t sure, but he was positive enough to ID her, so she might have been. It’s so creepy. Lucas says, it was dangerous. What if Brad had been in the middle of it? He doesn’t know what he’d do if something bad happened to Brad. Brad says he has no intention of leaving Lucas or Wiley. They hug, and Julian watches them through the door, all stalkerish, and totally creeping me out.

Hayden tells Finn that Violet is probably better off on a bed, and asks him to show her where the guest room is. He asks if it’s okay if he takes her, and Hayden says it is. He picks Violet up, still wrapped in her blanket, and takes her upstairs. Hayden follows.

Valentin tells Cassandra, he’ll meet her terms, but only if she follows his to the letter. Let Charlotte go, in public, in a safe place. Understand? He listens, and says, yes, he can do that. He’ll make arrangements.

Nina tells Lulu that her grudge has to stop. Charlotte loves her father, and she knows Lulu hates him. Laura says, that’s enough, and Maxie says it’s got to stop. Where’s Nina’s compassion? Laura calls Jordan over, and Valentin asks, what’s going on? Laura thinks it’s getting too crowded, and Valentin and Nina should wait at home. Valentin says his daughter is missing, and they’re being thrown out? Jordan says they’re being sidetracked when they’re in the middle of two active investigations. They should go. They leave, and Nina tells Valentin that she hopes it’s worth it. He says it might save Charlotte’s life.

Cassandra tells Charlotte, fate is good to bring Charlotte to her. She’s a great hostage. Charlotte wants to go, and Cassandra hates to disappoint her, but says she can’t give Charlotte back just yet. Charlotte says she heard Cassandra promise, but Cassandra says she needs to keep a close guard on Charlotte, so her papa is on good behavior. He’s a tricky one. Charlotte says Cassandra is a tricky one. She’s acting like Charlotte has a choice not to help. Charlotte starts to run, and Cassandra makes a grab for her. Charlotte kicks Cassandra in the shins, but Cassandra gets ahold of her, and says she’ll do as she’s told, or else. Charlotte says, or else what? and Cassandra says she knows how to hurt a little a little girl.

Anna appears, and says, unhand that child. Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?

Nice.

Tomorrow, Hayden has dreamed of hearing Finn say that, Peter doesn’t buy it, Jason has questions about Cassandra, and Anna tells Cassandra if she unhands Charlotte, she’ll let her walk away.

Below Deck

Simone wants to give Abbi a hug. Abbi just wants to leave. The guests go wild on the slide. Brian asks Abbi, what’s wrong? and she says she needs to quit. In her interview, she says it’s not the right job for her. The perfectionism and level of professionalism isn’t for her. She’s used to knowing what she’s doing, and everyone wonders what wrong with her. She cries, and tells Brian that she’s always so happy all the time.

Kevin checks over his menu. Mccall asks Kate to give everyone fireball shots. Brian tells Ashton that Abbi is crying her eyes out. She’s not happy with her situation, and wants leave. Ashton asks where she is, and Brian says, in her cabin. He told her to relax and not worry for the moment. Ashton goes to see Abbi, and she says she doesn’t like the job, and wants to leave. Ashton says she doesn’t have to stress or feel bad. It is what it is. They hug. In Ashton’s interview, he says he does care about Abbi’s happiness, and doesn’t want her to be there if it’s not what she wants, but in reality, they’ll be a man down. He asks if she’s leaving now or finishing the charter, and she says she’ll finish. In his interview, Ashton says, it’s not good. They’re in a remote location, and it’s going to be a struggle to find someone qualified to replace Abbi. Captain Lee won’t be happy. In the laundry room, Simone says, it’s like it’s raining towels.

The captain stops by to see the guests, and tells them he has a water park scheduled for them. It’s basically a lot of different water toys on a floating platform. Kate says she might need Courtney for help with the Thailand party tonight. Brian and Ashton are going to be shirtless servers. She wants to simulate the feeling of being on a lot of drugs. Ashton says he needs to talk to the captain, and Captain Lee wonders why this isn’t giving him a warm, fuzzy feeling. Ashton says he’s noticed Abbi has been feeling depressed, and she’d like to leave the boat. She’ll ride out the rest of the charter, but Ashton thinks they should find a replacement asap. The captain asks if it’s the workload, but Ashton thinks it’s just different from where she worked before. In his interview, Captain Lee says, it’s a classic example of writing a check with your mouth your ass can’t cash. You’re on a beautiful boat in an exotic location, and getting paid for what most people would do for nothing, and you think life sucks. Are you kidding? He tells Ashton, they’ll probably have to do the next charter short-handed. It’s frustrating. Ashton says, he’ll get on it.

Tanner feels like sh*t. He tells Brian that he just needs water; his mouth dries out in a second. Ashton tells them, Abbi is going to stay until the end of the charter, but then she’s leaving. In Tanner’s interview, he wonders, wtf is going on? Abbi is a tornado of emotions. She just got engaged, and now she’s quitting the boat. Tanner hasn’t eaten in three days, and feels like absolute death. He has to push himself to get anything done.

Captain Lee is eating dinner with the guests, and Kevin is nervous. After the last charter, the captain isn’t his best friend, and has him by the balls. We flash back to Captain Lee reading Kevin the riot act. He has to think outside the box, and already has an ulcer in his mouth. It’s stressful. Kate tells Simone that she’s going to the beach with the guests. In Simone’s interview, she says she loves to see amazing places, and loves getting off the boat. No more laundry. Hallelujah.

The guests head out on the tender for Railey Beach. They play on the water toys. Ashton asks Simone, what’s happening? and she says she was basically a laundry machine. Kate is trying to get her out of the laundry room. Courtney isn’t helping. Simone doesn’t think Courtney has ever ironed. In her interview, Simone says she’s feeling more like the third stew than the second. She thinks she shot herself in the foot. Just because she’s good at something, doesn’t mean she wants to do it the whole season.

Kevin talks to Kate about dinner. He’s making beef tongue. In Kate’s interview, she makes a face that makes me literally lol. She says she’s not sure she’d be super-excited to have tongue in her mouth. She laughs at her own joke. She tells Kevin that he’s a maniac. It’s an interesting menu.

Ashton radios that the guests are on the way back. Kate ask how Abbi is, and Abbi says she’s leaving. This isn’t for her. Kate asks if she’s sure; they only have four and a half weeks to go. In Abbi’s interview, she says it’s hitting her all at once. She’s letting people down, and needs to come to terms with it. The guests struggle to get from the tender to the yacht, even with Ashton and Brian helping. I’m not sure if they’re drunk or just really uncoordinated. Kevin preps the tongue. In his interview, he says most people would think it’s blech, but he’s done it many times and it’s delicious. I’m an adventurous eater; I’d try it. Simone suggests Tanner drink some warm ginger beer. He heats it, and it bubbles over. He jokes, maybe next time she could make it for him, and be a real friend.

The centerpiece is a profusion of sea/Thai themed trinkets. Kate says, it’s like a children’s room .She feels like she’s fifteen again. Tanner continues to be sick. Brian says he doesn’t sound well at all. Sitting in the sky lounge, the captain asks if the guests had fun with the water park, and remarks that Mccall has great color. She gets all happy over the compliment. Brian tells Ashton that Tanner is still sick. In Ashton’s interview, he says he has the situation with Abbi, and now this. It’s a big boat, and it’s just him and Brian. Could this day get worse? Bring it on; he’ll take it all now. He tells Tanner to stay in bed.

Kate makes drinks in buckets that have several straws in them, and mushrooms floating on top. She says there’s so much vodka and other stuff in it, they’ll never taste the mushrooms. In the captain’s interview, he says, the presentation was good last night – as it should be every night. Over the top. It needs to be consistent. Go big or go home. If Kevin doesn’t do that, it’s time to pack his sh*t and leave. The first course is a dish using local scallops, and Captain Lee pronounces it outstanding. Kate tells Kevin, they’re loving it. In his interview, he says he’s taking a huge risk on the beef tongue dish. All he needs is one person to be a loudmouth, and say it’s disgusting. It could be his last meal. It looks good, not like what it is. He visits the table, and says he’d like them to try it. He doesn’t think it’s something they’d ever order on off a menu. One guest asks if it’s a brain, and he tells them, it’s beef tongue. Another guest wants to know who put that on their preference sheet. They’re good sports though, and everyone tries it, finding it delicious. Captain Lee says, a little tongue never hurt anyone, and someone says, that’s what she said. In Kevin’s interview, he says he’s killed two birds with one stone. He got the captain off his back, and the guests are super happy. He sings in the galley.

Mccall asks if the captain has heard of ping pong shows. He says he hasn’t, but imagines it doesn’t involve paddles. I don’t believe for a second he doesn’t know what they are. Even I know what they are. Kate asks Ashton if he and Brian can get painted. In Abbi’s interview, she says it’s been a hard day, and she never wants to work on a motor yacht again. She’s going to focus on her passion, sailing around Greece with Patrick. It’s what they both want, and it’s all that matters. Ashton asks Brian if he’s had his body painted before, and Brian says it’s his first rodeo. Kate says they’re wonderful canvases. In Brian’s interview, he says being painted for a full moon party isn’t his vibe, but he’ll take one for the team. He’s glad Courtney got involved. He’d rather her paint him than Ashton.

Brian and Ashton help serve some kind of flan dessert. Mccall fans herself, and says her mouth is watering. Kate asks if Courtney saw the penis ravine on Brian. I’ve never heard this term, but she’s referring to the abdominal muscle that makes a V toward the pelvis. (Does that sound clinical enough?) Kate says she usually doesn’t like that kind of body (I say, what?), but that muscle is pronounced. It’s aggressive – in a good way. The guests applaud Kevin. Kate thanks the guys, and says they did great. In her interview, she thinks all men should get penis ravine implants. They can even have a small penis if they have a big ravine. She laughs again at her own joke. Kate is feeling her bad self tonight.

The guests go to bed, and the crew cleans up. The captain goes to the galley, and says, about dinner… Kevin stepped his game up quite well. He can find no fault with anything, and he appreciates the effort. Kevin thanks him. In Captain Lee’s interview, he says, Kevin brought his A-game, but the fact remains that the food has to be at a consistently high level. He hopes the trend continues. They don’t do mediocre on his yacht.

Kate serves coffee, mimosas, and breakfast. Mccall says she had a great time. The captain knows how to take care of his ladies. Someone says, that’s what she said, which doesn’t really work here. Courtney is on laundry, and Simone does the cabins. Courtney brings the ironing board into the crew mess, and tells Brian that she hates ironing. Kate checks on Tanner, and asks if she can bring him anything, but he says, no worries. Ashton asks Abbi to pack before they dock. She asks if he’s serious, and he says, after the guests leave, they’ll have a meeting with the captain, and then she’s off the boat. In her interview, she says, it may be impulsive and stupid, but that’s who she is and how she deals with situations. Well, I guess that says it all then. Good luck, Patrick!

Kate asks if she and Captain Lee can have a chat. He says what he needs is green tea mouthwash. She thinks that’s the least of his worries. She tells him that Tanner is pretty sick. He’s been in his cabin all morning, in the dark, in bed, and didn’t sound well. In the captain’s interview, he says, Tanner is sick, Abbi is leaving; they’re dropping like flies. He can’t afford to lose anyone else. He tells Kate that he’ll get Tanner a doctor. Brian asks what Courtney’s parents do, and she says her dad is in finance and her mom didn’t work while she was growing up. He asks if they’re still together, and she says they are. He says, very cool. His parents divorced, then his dad died. They said it was a heart attack, but he OD’d on drugs. Courtney says, that’s sad. In Brian’s interview, he says he didn’t have a good relationship with his father. He wasn’t a good person, but it’s given him the motivation to be a good father. His family has seen a little chaos, and he wants to give his daughter the life he didn’t have, and be there when she needs him.

Anchor is pulled. Ashton says Abbi is upset that he told her to pack and go. What did she think was going to happen? Free vacation for you? Abbi tells Kate that she doesn’t know where to go. They just put her on the dock, and good luck? Kate says, that’s the thing about working in yachting; you’re not just unemployed, but homeless. She suggests Abbi go to the airport.

The guests don’t want to leave. Brian tells Ashton, Tanner is still feeling like sh*t. The captain announces the final approach, and they dock. Kevin helps tie the lines. The crew goes to the aft deck to say goodbye to the guests. Mccall says, the service was fantastic and the food was amazing, every minute of every day. She gives the captain the traditional envelope. After the guests are gone, Captain Lee wanders around the wheelhouse for a while, then radios Ashton and Abbi to come there.

He understands Abbi is leaving today, and he doesn’t have time for this. Abbi says she doesn’t want them to take it personally; she loves working with them. The captain says he doesn’t take it personally, but there’s protocol. He hands Abbi her passport and her share of the tip, and tells her that’s all he’s got to say. Ashton says he’ll help her with her luggage. In his interview, Captain Lee says, what’s he going to do? There will be a lot of things in life Abbi is going to bail on. She’s not cut out for yachting; yachting’s not for quitters. Brian says he feels bad about Abbi being in a situation she doesn’t want to be in, but work is work, and this makes it more difficult. In Abbi’s interview, she says, the hardest part is saying goodbye. She knows it’s the right decision, but she’s still having feelings of sadness. She tells everyone it was awesome working with them, and wishes them good luck. Ashton hugs and thanks her, telling her, get home safe. In her interview, Abbi says, working on motor yachts isn’t for her, but she’s happy she tried. At least she knows. She’s getting married at some point. She doesn’t know what she’s doing, but she’s excited to get back on the sailboat.

The captain calls the crew to the crew mess for the tip meeting. He says as they know, they’ve lost a member of the deck crew. He didn’t get or understand it, but it’s not for everybody. She’s been compensated and she’s gone; they’re moving on. He says, the girls were great. He can’t remember the last time he laughed so hard. He says, they left a nice tip – $19,000, $1700 apiece. He tells Kevin that he nailed it; he was impressed with everything. He has a doctor coming to see Tanner, and depending on what’s wrong, it’s possible they’ll be two down. They’ll wait and see how it plays out. They know what they have to do. Let’s go.

The doctor arrives. The captain gives Tanner his share of the tip. Tanner doesn’t think he can accept it, but the captain says he has no choice. It’s the way they do things. Captain Lee says the doctor is there for him. The doctor examines Tanner, and says he has a viral infection of the stomach, and gives him an injection. In Tanner’s interview, he says he had what’s called sweet belly. It’s a common bug, and nothing serious, but he’ll never eat a cheeseburger in Thailand again. The doctor tells the captain that Tanner should be better by tomorrow, and the captain tells Tanner to get some rest. He’s glad it’s nothing serious, and Tanner says, him too. He goes back to bed.

In Kate’s interview, she says she hopes Brian and Courtney hook up. Someone needs to be banging Brian. He’s so hot. Brian takes Courtney out on the tender to go swimming. In Courtney’s interview, she says she’d like to get to know Brian better. She’s usually attracted to a guy’s mind, and notices their body in retrospect. She doesn’t notice until she gets to know them. Well, that’s just weird. I can understand it not mattering, but not to notice? That’s weird. Brian asks what she’d be doing if she wasn’t in yachting, and she says being the lady of the house. Back at the boat, Simone tells Tanner she’s glad he’s alive. He says he should be back to eating soon. In her interview, Simone says she was hoping to spend some time with him. Her parts have been ignited.

Captain Lee makes a phone call. He says he knows they weren’t available at the start of the season, but he needs them in Thailand in less than two days. Pack a bag.

Courtney says she heard Brian had a daughter. He says he does, and asks if she has any kids, is she married, or does she have a serious boyfriend? She says, no to all of the above. He says, no serious boyfriend? Isn’t she thirty? She says she’s twenty-six, and Brian is embarrassed.

Tanner tells Brian that his FOMO is off the charts. Ashton asks Brian how it went with Courtney, and Brian says, good. Ashton asks Courtney if Brian got to her. Whatever that means. In Ashton’s interview, he says Brian and Courtney have a little flower garden growing nicely, but he doesn’t mind competition. I hate to break it to him, but I don’t think she’s interested. Everyone gets dressed, and they take a taxi to a club called The Library.

This place is lit. It’s humongous, and the décor is what you’d expect – lots of books – but they’re not all on conventional shelves, some are suspended from the ceiling. The bartenders would put those guys from Cocktail to shame, doing all kinds of crazy magic with shakers and shot glasses. Simone says, this club is the one. The music is amazing, and everyone is partying. Simone dances with Ashton, then the girls dance while the guys do shots. Brian tries to convince Ashton that Kate would go for him. In his interview, he says Ashton can be a c*ck block, and he wants to flirt with Courtney. He suggests Ashton have another tequila. In Courtney’s interview, she says, Ashton is trying way too hard. Ashton sees Brian kiss Courtney (nothing real passionate), so he kisses Kate. She asks him if it’s New Year’s. Why are they doing this? In Kate’s interview, she says, no. She doesn’t want to do this. Don’t use her mouth as a receptacle for your insecurity and jealousy. This is why she has trust issues. She tells Ashton, she loves him, but not in that way. She goes to sit with Simone and Courtney, and Simone says Kate kissed Ashton; she saw it. Kate says she did not. She pulled away. It was like he was her cousin, and she was scared.

Back in the taxi, Courtney says she just wants breakfast. She has her feet over the back of Brian’s seat, and he licks her foot. She says, that’s disgusting. Kate says she doesn’t want to be a spectator to their foreplay, and Brian jokes not to make it about him when it’s about the two of them. Kate jokes back, just leave her alone. On the way back to the boat, Ashton says they’re all walking zig-zaggy.

Everyone heads to bed. Ashton makes a plate of toasted cheese sandwiches. He asks if Courtney is into Brian, and says he knows she is. She says she said no such thing, and Ashton says he’s saying it. Brian comes by, and Ashton asks him to get some hot sauce. He brings tangy barbecue instead, and tells them, goodnight. In Brian’s interview, he says when Ashton drinks, he gets way too involved. He’s pretty sure Courtney will pick the better man. Ashton tells Courtney that Brian is into her, but he went to bed. Brain is his friend, but that’s not cool. He starts not making sense, and says, wait. He’ll start again. Courtney says she’s going to bed. In her interview, she says she finds it astonishing that Ashton is thinking he has any luck at this point. She can’t imagine anyone having less of a chance than Ashton.

Back at his bunk, Ashton says he wishes they had girls who wanted to have fun and bang. He’s tired of working so hard to get his d*ck sucked (a remark that has come back to haunt him). Kevin says, these girls have standards.

Next time, beer bong, Simone is hit on by a creepy guest, a beach picnic, and a new deckhand that Ashton already knows. I can find no information on that either.

🍹  Have a Little More Brandy…

And Kate thought it was going to be easy.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/kate-chastain-captain-lee-rosbach-on-below-deck-charter-guest-brandy?cid=soc_tw_Bravo_BelowDeck_Dish

👠  She’s Still Cait…

I don’t know if this is the best choice for a comeback, but maybe the paycheck is good.

https://celebrityinsider.org/caitlyn-jenner-sparks-rumors-shes-returning-to-reality-tv-for-upcoming-season-of-im-a-celebrity-get-me-out-of-here-339502/

🏆  The People Have Spoken…

Not exactly my choice. The Kardashians over LVP in two categories? Please.

https://people.com/tv/peoples-choice-awards-2019-winners-list/

🍴  A subject line in an email I got today said, what your silver pattern says about you. I already know mine says, you got me as a wedding gift.

Flag: United States on Facebook 1.0 The Man In Black…

Salutes the red, white, and blue.