What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis visits Stella at the hospital, and says, someone’s got a lot of fans, when he sees all the flowers. She asks if that surprises him, but he says, not at all. There’s a lot of people in Port Charles pulling for her to be on the mend. How is she feeling? She says like she never had a stroke. He has an in with a doctor. Maybe he can pull some strings and get her released. He says he doesn’t have to; she’s released today. She wishes someone had told her, and nearly jumps out of bed. He tells her to take it easy. He wanted to do the honors, and as soon as the paperwork is completed, he’s taking her home with him. She protests, but he says, no argument. He wants to make sure her recovery goes as smoothly as possible. She says he’d do that for her, after what she’s done?

Jordan walks in with a bouquet of flowers, and Portia takes it she’s there to see Stella. Jordan asks how she is, and Portia says, on the mend. She should make a full recovery. Jordan says, that’s good news. The last time they saw each other, they had a disagreement. Portia says, same here. As much as she hates to say it, maybe it’s good Stella doesn’t remember much about the past few days.

On the phone at the gallery, Trina tells Spencer that it’s okay if he’s having second thoughts about the party, but he says, au contraire, Mademoiselle. The grand fete is still – as they say in her country – on. She says it’s his country too, but he says he’s a citizen of the world. As is his père; he’s leaving for Dubai tonight. Prepare herself for decadence not seen since the Holy Roman Empire fell victim to its own debauchery. Dress accordingly. She asks, what time? and he says, whenever she wants. The party won’t start until she gets there. Ava walks in, and says, don’t tell her that was the elusive Victor. Trina says, not Victor; Spencer.

Nikolas looks at Ryan’s letter, when the doorbell rings. He lets Laura and Doc in, and thanks them for coming, telling them, there have been a few developments. Laura says, developments? and Doc asks if it’s about his stalker. Laura says, please tell her that he and Spencer aren’t on the outs again. Nikolas says, this isn’t about Spencer, and Spencer comes out with a suitcase. Laura says, speak of the devil, and Spencer asks if they’re talking about him. Laura says they are now. She asks where he’s going, and he says he’s not going anywhere; this is father’s. Shouldn’t Nikolas be on his way?

Obrecht and Scotty lounge at the pool (🍷), and Scotty tells her to take her cover-up off. She’s got curves… like the Grand Prix. He makes an hourglass shape with his hands, and tells her to flaunt it. She says he flatters her, but the harsh morning sun on her fair skin, combined with his volatile proximity, may cause her to spontaneously combust. He says, that’s hot, and she says she sees what he did there. He says he’d like to see what he does in his penthouse. What say they go back and try out the sprinkler system? She plays with her hair, and says perhaps they can conduct their own fire drill. The passionately kiss, when Britt appears, and says, decorum please? They may have scarred her for life.

It’s lunchtime, and Jason asks if Donna can take a bite for herself. She does and he says, wow! Look at that. Good job. They fist bump, and Carly walks in. Donna says, daddy.

Obrecht says only Britt’s presence could make this morning more perfect than it already was. Scotty says, if her presence was an hour later, it would have been better, and Obrecht laughs. Britt tells him, she has to say, she’s never seen her mother this happy. He says he’s glad because he’s happy as a clam at high tide. Life couldn’t be better. Britt and her mother exchange a look, and he gets up, saying, he’s sorry. He just put his foot in his mouth. Britt says, it’s fine, but he says, it was insensitive and rude, and that’s his modus operandi. He wants to apologize. She says she really doesn’t need that, but Obrecht says she’s receiving an apology. Savor the moment. Scotty says Obrecht told him about the gift Britt’s father left her, and Britt tells him, he can say Huntington’s. He says he’s sorry she has it, and she thanks him, but she really doesn’t want to talk about it. She’s living in the moment, and for the moment. Obrecht says, and thankfully, without Jason Morgan. He would have gotten her killed faster than any debilitating hereditary disease. Britt says she doesn’t want to talk about him either, and puts her stuff on a nearby chair. Obrecht says, if it’s any comfort, she destroyed Jason.

Jason tells Donna, he misses her daddy too. Carly says, good morning. How’s her sweet girl? She thanks Jason for feeding Donna, and he says, his pleasure. She says he’s a pro. He was so good with Michael. Jason knew how to take care of him before she did. I gaze with satisfaction at the moss bowl on the kitchen island, back home again. He says, those were some good times, and she says she knows. She takes a sip of coffee, and says, another plus of him living there. His coffee is way better than hers. She guesses they have to talk about their problem.

Curtis says, of course (🍷) he wants Stella with him, and she says that’s sweet of him, but she has the feeling that, before her stroke, she upset a whole lot of people. People he cares a great deal about. He asks what exactly she remembers, when Jordan walks in, and asks how Stella is feeling. She was so worried. Stella asks if Curtis will give them a moment, and he says if she needs anything, he’ll be a holler away. He leaves, and Jordan says Stella sure has a lot of admirers, putting her flowers with the others. Stella thanks her for them, but says, what she really needs is the truth. What happened the last time they were together?

Curtis asks if Portia had any word from Trina, and she says, Trina is staying at Josslyn’s house. She’s still not ready to talk to Portia. Ever since she heard Stella confronting her about their affair, it’s like she’s suddenly become a stranger to Trina.

Ava says there’s something she’s been meaning to ask Trina. After she saw the two of them together, Spencer came to see her. Did Trina have anything to do with that? Trina says she doesn’t know. She told him how upset she was that Ava and his father were getting a divorce, and also made it clear that they’re friends, and how much she admires Ava. Why? What happened? Ava says, nothing. She and Spencer had a surprisingly civil conversation. Considering how Spencer feels about her, and the promise she broke, he didn’t have to reach out to her at all. Trina asks what they talked about, and Ava says, her marriage to his father. But this time it was less about Spencer’s dislike of her, and more about his concern for his father’s safety. Trina says, because of the stalker? and Ava says, exactly. She promised she wouldn’t speak to Nikolas directly, and they’d only communicate through their lawyers. Trina asks if Ava is okay with that, and Ava says, no, but she’s resigned herself to it. Her point is, she was impressed with Spencer’s devotion to his dad. Trina say she thinks in his own way, Spencer loves his father as much as she loves hers, and Ava says, it’s just so unfortunate that Spencer didn’t know his mother. Trina is so lucky; she and her mom are so close. Trina says, not anymore.

Nikolas says he doesn’t need to leave quite yet, and Spencer says his luggage is waiting when he is. Doc says Laura told him Spencer is upset about the mistakes he made with his brother, and Spencer says, mistake. The one that nearly took his Aunt Lulu’s life; the one that did take Kiki’s. Ava’s not his favorite person, but she certainly didn’t deserve what Ryan did to her. Doc says Spencer is right. He never should have tried to treat his brother on his own. But if Spencer chooses to remain angry with him, there’s very little he can do about it. Spencer tells him, he’d say there’s nothing Doc can do, and Doc says, except to tell him that his enmity weighs heavily on his grandmother. Spencer says, playing the grandmother card might not be beneath Doc, but it’s certainly beneath him. Laura says she’s not a card to be played, and it does hurt her deeply. Doc is her husband. She loves him, and expects Spencer to make some effort toward making peace. Spencer says, all she has to do is ask, and holds out his hand. He and Doc shake, and she says, thank you. So, about this trip… Nikolas says, it’s just a business trip. He’s going to Dubai. Laura says, in that case, she and Doc will stay with Spencer. Spencer says they don’t need to adjust their plans on his account, but Laura says, nonsense; it’s going to be fun. Besides, it will give Spencer the opportunity to reconnect with Doc. Spencer says he thinks they’ve made enough progress for today, and he has plans of his own; solitary plans. Doc says, doing what? and Spencer says, being solitary. He’s just spent the last few years at boarding school, constantly surrounded by people. He’s going to enjoy being alone, and he’s trying to learn to love his own company. Doc says he applauds the idea, and Spencer says, so they’re not staying, but Laura says, oh yes, they are. She and Doc sit down, and Doc tells Spencer not to worry. They’ll give him a wide berth so he can experience his solitude. Spencer says, but if they’re there, he’s not going to have a any solitude. It defeats the purpose. Laura says she’s sure it will ease Nikolas’s mind to know that they’re there in case Spencer needs them, but Nikolas says, actually, it won’t.

Portia tells Curtis that she wants to give Trina some time, but it’s been two whole days. She knows it doesn’t sound like a lot… He says he’s sure when it’s your child, two days seems like a lifetime, and she wonders how long she’s supposed to let this go on for. He wishes he had something useful to say, or that he could offer some advice, but he has zero experience at being a parent. What he can offer her is a shoulder to lean on.

Jordan says, the last time she and Stella met, water under the bridge. Stella says, if it’s water, she’s drowning in it. She can feel in her heart she did wrong, that she went on some sort of grand meddling mission. She knows she was in Jordan’s office, and Jordan was upset with her. Is that right? Jordan says, it is, and Stella asks if it’s because Jordan and Curtis were getting divorced. Jordan says she’s two for two. Stella was trying to convince her to give her marriage to Curtis another shot. To prove a point, she signed the divorce papers in front of Stella, put them in an envelope, and put them in her outbox. Stella flashes back to seeing Jordan do that, and Jordan asks if she’s remembering something. Stella says, there’s something about that. Like it’s right in front of her. If she could just grab it, she has the feeling it’s important.

Britt asks what Obrecht did to Jason, and Scotty says, he hopes it involved a mechanical tool, like a circular saw. Obrecht says, unfortunately, she’s left her violent ways behind, so she used the next best weapon in her arsenal; her words. She told Herr Morgan exactly what she thought of him. Scotty says, that’s like talking to a turnip, and Obrecht says, Anna Devane thought the same thing, but she saw his face when she hit him with her best shot. She reminded him that he was the first person Britt confided in about her illness. She opened her heart and shared her fears, only for the coward to leave her for his dead friend’s wife. He will never stop thinking of Britt. She’ll haunt him. Obrecht made sure of it.

Carly asks Jason, what’s going on? When she went to that meeting, the heads of the families stood with her against Cyrus, every last one of them, including the Novaks. So what’s changed? Jason says, that’s what they’re going to find out, and she says, Jax is livid about the Joey/Josslyn incident. He says, can she blame him? and she says she doesn’t blame him at all. She tried telling him it was a one-time thing, that Joey is just a punk, and it will never happen again, but she doesn’t know that’s true. Jason says, it is true. He’s going to back the families off. He’s not going to let anything happen to her or the kids. She smiles, and says, the way he said that, it’s like they were his kids. He says, they’re a family. It’s his responsibility to protect and love them, and that’s what he’s going to do.

Ava asks what’s going on between Trina and her mom, but Trina says she doesn’t want to tell Ava what happened with her and her mom. It makes her look like a bad person, which, maybe she is. Ava appreciates Trina wanting to protect her mom, but believe her, there’s nothing Portia could do that would surprise or shock her. She also knows how much Portia loves Trina, so she knows from experience that Portia is hurting too. Trina says, maybe she deserves to. Her mom cheated on her dad with Curtis. Ava says Trina’s parents have been divorced for a long time, haven’t they? and Trina says, it happened years ago. Not only did her mom betray her dad, she lied to Curtis, and never told him that she was married. Ava says, she sees, and Trina says her mom is always talking about the importance of truth and honesty. Now it turns out, she’s a total hypocrite.

Curtis tells Portia, his Aunt Stella is trying to figure out what happened before she had the stroke. Is there some way Portia can determine when she might get her memory back? Or if she can get it back? Portia says she’s afraid not. Some patients recover their memories; some never do. He says Cameron told them that Stella had an envelope she wanted to mail, but it was before she collapsed, and it was damaged, so it was thrown out. She says, and he doesn’t have any ideas what it might have been?

Stella says she remembers Jordan signing the papers, but beyond that, it’s a blur. Jordan wants her to know that after she signed the divorce papers, she went to find Curtis and fight for their marriage one more time. But she was too late. Stella thanks Jordan for telling her. She’s so, so sorry. Jordan says her too, and thanks Stella. Stella says, dear God, for what? and Jordan says, for her single-mindedness of purpose. Stella asks if Jordan means her stubbornness, and Jordan says she does. She thanks Stella for accepting her into the family – eventually – and fighting like hell to keep her in it. For inspiring her to make that last try to save it. It didn’t work out, but now she can let go, and know she gave it her all. Stella puts her hand on Jordan’s.

Laura asks if Nikolas really thinks it’s a good idea for Spencer to stay there alone. Nikolas says, Spencer is practically a grown man, and Spencer says, he is a grown man. Laura says, what if the stalker comes back? and Nikolas says, the stalker has never shown any interest in Nikolas. And there’s a security team, not to mention the staff. Doc says, so much for solitude, and Spencer says, they’re different; they stay out of the way. Nikolas says he agrees. Spencer has lived in dorms for years, and needs to learn how to be on his own with a full staff and security team, and to keep his own counsel. Spencer says he just wants to enjoy the family homestead with a full staff and security team, and get a little bit of quiet. Laura says, well, okay then. She and Doc get up, and she says she’s only a phone call away. Spencer thanks her, and says he’s looking forward to spending quality time with her, just not tonight. She says they’ll have to make plans, and he says, can’t wait. He tells Nikolas to have a good trip, and Nikolas says he plans to. He puts his hand on Spencer’s shoulder and says he wants to apologize again. He should never have been suspicious of him. Spencer says they’ve made such progress as a family, he thinks it’s best they forget about this, and not let it get in the way. Nikolas says, let’s not, and Spencer tells them, farewell, and leaves. Laura asks what Nikolas suspected him of, and Nikolas says that’s why he called them over. He found this letter to Spencer from Ryan Chamberlain.

Ava says she doesn’t understand why Portia told Trina this in the first place, but Trina says, she didn’t. She should have, but she didn’t. She has a right to know. Ava says, no, she doesn’t. First of all, no mother is obligated to discuss any extramarital affairs with her children. Secondly, by sparing Trina the details of the mistakes she made a long time ago, Ava thinks Portia was just trying to give herself a clean slate. Trina says Portia lied to her dad, and Ava says, that’s none of Trina’s business. Trina asks how she can say that; she’s their daughter. Ava says, but it’s their marriage they’re talking about. What goes on in their marriage is their business. Sometimes affairs are a symptom of a bigger problem. When someone is feeling unloved or lonely, sometimes they do things they wouldn’t normally do. The bottom line is, she needs to show her mother some compassion. Trina says, but… and Ava says, there is no but about it. This is Trina’s mother, and she disappointed her – Ava gets and understands that – but none of them , not even Trina, is perfect.

Curtis tells Portia, he has no idea what his aunt was about to put in the mailbox, and unfortunately, neither does she. Jordan joins them, and Curtis says she’s still standing. Jordan says she and Stella had a meeting of the minds about their divorce; she’s finally accepted it. Curtis thanks Jordan for talking to her, and says he should go get her ready. He leaves, and Jordan says, the last time Stella had a stroke, was when she found out she and Curtis were together, and now… Portia says, that woman is a force of nature. First, she refuses to let Jordan in the family; now she’s going to do everything possible to prevent her from leaving. Jordan asks what else Stella did, other than trying to manipulate Portia into staying away from Curtis, and Portia says, it went way beyond that.

Stella tells Curtis, she vaguely remembers being at Kelly’s with him, and he was angry with her, but why? What had she done? He asks if she really wants to know, and she says, it’s not a question of what she wants; she needs to know. He says she confronted Portia about the affair they had all those years ago, and she says, dear Lord. She wishes not being able to remember would absolve her from all that, and he says he thinks they’d all rather put it behind them. She says, wait a minute. Something else happened when she confronted Portia. Something that made it worse. What was it? He says, Portia’s daughter Trina overheard her. Stella says, oh God.

Laura asks where Nikolas got the letter, and he says, in Spring Ridge, among Ryan’s belongings. Spencer returned it unopened, but just seeing it unsettled him. He wasn’t thinking clearly, and accused Spencer of conspiring with Ryan against Ava. She says, Spencer would never do that, and he says she’s right. The dates don’t match up, hence the apology. Laura asks Doc if he thinks Ryan was trying to use Spencer to get to Ava, and Doc says Nikolas was right to bring this to them. He thinks he needs to find out what the hell is going on at Spring Ridge. Nikolas thanks him, and says anything he could do would be appreciated. Unfortunately, he needs to get to the airport. Laura asks if he’s sure Spencer will be okay there by himself, and Nikolas says he’s sure Spencer will be fine. She says, he does seem to be growing up, and he did mention he talked with Ava, and they agreed to a truce. Nikolas asks what else he said, and she tells him, Spencer said Ava agreed to limit contact with him. Nikolas says, that explains the email he got telling him to only communicate with Ava through her attorney.

Spencer goes to the pool (🍷), and says hello to Obrecht, adding it’s a pleasure to see her again. Cassadine family lore hints at a romance between her and his Great Uncle Victor. Obrecht says, like much Greek lore, it’s ancient and filled with horrors. Spencer says, nevertheless, he’s quite fond of her magnificent daughter, and wishes things could have worked out between her and his father, but alas, his father is a very stubborn and unforgiving man. (Kettle, meet pot.) Britt says, trust her; things worked out for the best. He disagrees, and says, Mr. Baldwin. If memory serves, he’s quite an impressive attorney. Scotty thanks him, and says if he ever gets into trouble, come see him. Spencer says he’ll keep that in mind, and Britt suggests they go somewhere and catch up. She steers him toward the bar, and Scotty says, Victor Cassadine? Obrecht says she spent decades in a romantic stupor over Cesar Faison. All things considered, Victor was a step up. He says, even so, and she says she’ll put it this way. Cesar was, as Britta would say, rock bottom. Victor was top soil. And Scotty is the stars. Aww! I love them so much.

Britt tells Spencer, he has to stop trying to put her and his father together. He says, can he help it if he thinks they belong together? and she says, yes, he can. Because he did it to weaponize her against Ava, and friends don’t treat each other like that. He says she’s right; he’s sorry. She says, that’s mature of him. Forgive her if it takes her a moment to buy it. He says take all the time she needs. By the way, she should know, he’s decided to spend less time worrying about his father’s life, and focus on his own. In fact, he was just over at the restaurant, taking advantage of their excellent catering service. She says, special occasion? and he says he’s having the party to end all parties, and he wants her to come. Feel free to bring a plus one.

Obrecht says, she’s been meaning to ask Scotty this… Even now, she hesitates. He says she can ask him anything, and she says, very well. She’s attending a medical conference on new research and advancements in treatment of hereditary diseases, including Huntington’s. He asks, where? and she says, St. Lucia. He asks, how long? and she says, a week. He says he’s going to lose her for a whole week? and she says, not if he comes with her.

Britt says she assumes Spencer’s stubborn and unforgiving father is unaware of his par-tay plans, and he says Nikolas is going to be in Dubai. Please come. She says, to chaperone a bevy of Gen Z’ers? No thanks. He says she’d hardly be a chaperone. Maybe she’ll meet someone. She says she thinks she’ll steer clear of romance with eighteen year olds, and he says, so she’s not seeing anyone. She says she’s serious about that party. He knows how his father can be.

Portia tells Jordan, Trina overheard the whole exchange, and Jordan says, oh no. Portia says, yeah, and now Trina sees her as someone who stepped out on her father with Curtis. She spent the last two nights at Josslyn’s house. Jordan’s probably thinking this is what she gets, right? Jordan says she’s in no position to judge Portia or anyone. She kept from TJ that Cyrus was behind his abduction, and he was furious. Rightfully so. But look at her and TJ now; they’re close again. She promises Portia, if she and TJ can find a way past her mistakes, Trina can find a way past Portia’s. Portia says, any idea how? and Jordan says, whatever she does, don’t push. It never works. Let Trina come to her.

Stella asks what she’s done to that poor child, and Curtis tells her, take it easy. The last thing she needs after a stroke is to elevate her blood pressure. Trina will come around. If there’s one thing Stella always taught him, it’s that they all have the capacity to forgive. She says she’s going to need all the forgiveness she can get.

Ava says, Trina told her that her mother didn’t tell her about the affair. How’d she find out about it? Trina says she overheard Miss Henry unloading on her mom about it. Then not too long after, Miss Henry had a stroke. She’s going to be okay, but the whole thing is just a mess. Ava can see how it seems that way, especially since Trina is at the heart of it. Which means, if she wants things to get better – Trina says, which she does – then Trina has to be the one to start making them better. Go talk to her mom. Trina doesn’t know if she’s ready to do that, and Ava says she doesn’t have to be ready. At least not right this minute, but soon. She’s learned the hard way that they can’t let things like this fester, and to set things right as soon as they can.

Moss bowl! Carly tells Jason, Donna is down for her nap. She heard Donna earlier, when she called Jason daddy. He doesn’t think she knows what she’s saying, but Carly says she does. She doesn’t remember Sonny, but she knows what daddy means, and to her, Jason is daddy. Is he okay with that? He sighs.

Stella asks, why? and Curtis says because he loves her. He was always going to forgive her. And because she was fighting for something she believed in, something he’d asked her to believe in. But his marriage to Jordan is over, and he needs her to accept that. She says it took a stroke to get her there, but she finally accepts it. He says, let’s get you out of here, and she asks how Portia and Trina will ever get over what she did to them? He says, they’re resilient, strong women, just like her. He’s sure things will work themselves out over time.

Jordan says Portia is a good mother. Just give Trina a little time to remember that. Because she will. Portia thanks her, and says, maybe there’s hope for their friendship yet. I guess she didn’t hear that part about not pushing. Jordan smiles, and gets in the elevator, giving a little wave as the doors close. Curtis comes out of Stella’s room, and says he just wanted Portia to know he had to tell Stella what happened with Trina. Portia says, oh no. She was hoping they could protect her from that. He says, him too, but she insisted, and she knows when his Aunt Stella insists. She says she gets it, and asks how Stella is taking it. He says, she’s embarrassed, but most of all, she’s worried about how this affected Trina. Portia says, her too.

Scotty says, a week in St. Lucia… Does he have to go to the lectures? Obrecht says, of course (🍷) not. She has to pay close attention, and he’s far too distracting. But there will be plenty of extra time – she dances her fingers up his arms – to socialize. He says, count me in, mein schnitzel, and she laughs.

Spencer asks Britt to tell him all about her broken heart. Sharing is healing. He takes off his shirt, and she sees the KICK ME on his back, and says she’ll share this with him. His back says kick me. He says, huh? and tries unsuccessfully to look. She asks who was the last person who put sunscreen on his back? and he flashes back to waking up and seeing Trina in the chair next to him, laughing. He says, from this angle, it almost looks like it says, kiss me.

Curtis asks if Portia is sure there isn’t something he could do to help her with Trina, and she says she’ll let him know if she thinks of anything. She’d probably storm over to Josslyn’s house and bring her home if Jordan hadn’t convinced her not to. Curtis takes her hands, and in a stroke of bad timing, Trina shows up. They look at her.

Doc tells Laura, the truth is, Spencer has every right to be upset with him. He never should have tried to handle Ryan on his own. She says he paid dearly for that, and she shouldn’t have to remind Spencer of that. He thanks her, and says, this whole business about Harmony writing letters for Ryan has him worried. He thinks he should go to Spring Ridge, and find out what he can. They can’t afford any mistakes with Ryan. She says, he won’t make any more. She has total confidence in him. He says, that’s nice to hear, and she tells him that she loves him. He says, and he loves her too.

Ava is working at the gallery, and flashes back to getting busy in the cabin with Nikolas. Nikolas walks in, and she says he can’t be there. He says, actually, he can, but she says he can’t. If the stalker finds out, it can get a lot worse for them. He says, it won’t. Because he knows who the stalker is.

Spencer tells Britt, now that his father is on his way to the Emirates, he needs to finish with the party plans. She says, you kids have fun, and he says he means it; please come. It’ll heal what ails her. She says she’s always been a physician heal thyself kind of gal, and he asks how that’s working out for her.

Jason tells Carly, they should probably teach Donna to call him Jason – moss bowl! – and she says, okay. He says, Sonny is her father. She probably won’t remember him, but it just feels wrong to take his place. Carly says, yeah, and Jason says, whatever Donna wants to call him, as long as she knows he loves her and he’s going to protect her. Carly says, she senses that already, and he asks if she’s sure she’s not imagining things. She says, no. Because he’s one of Donna’s favorite people. Like mother, like daughter. They stare at the moss bowl, as we all would.

Tomorrow, Nikolas tells Ava that the stalker is his son, Stella asks if there’s been some complications, Trina says Stella did her a favor, and Josslyn wonders when this wedding is going to happen.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

The Wives I don’t love to hate, but just hate.

After Garcelle made a faux pas by telling the others that Tom had been calling Erika, Erika cried in the bathroom like Garcelle had just done the worst thing in the world. Even Kyle didn’t know why it was that big of a deal. Erika came back out, and wept about how hard it was, and got everyone all weepy. LisaR hugged Erika, and said she was sorry it happened, and that it was effed up. In Garcelle’s interview, she said she was pissed off that LisaR wasn’t giving her the benefit of the doubt. It hadn’t been her intention to hurt Erika. Garcelle was ready to jet, but Kathy asked her to come back, and bugged her until she did. Erika told Garcelle it was okay, and Garcelle said it wasn’t intentional. In Kyle’s interview, she said, whatever was going on looked broken. There had to be something else going on. Garcelle wanted Erika to know that she wouldn’t intentionally hurt her, and Erika told her, don’t worry and hugged her, promising it was okay. In Sutton’s interview, she thought the reaction a little much, and it wasn’t about Garcelle, but Erica. It made her think Erika wasn’t being honest. Erika thought she should go home, since she had to hide assets take care of some things anyway. Kyle said she wanted Erika there, but respected what Erika needed to do. Dorit, Kyle, and LisaR walked Erika out, and inside, Sutton told Garcelle that she’d done nothing wrong and not to blame herself. Outside, Erika wailed some more, and her car seemed to come awfully fast, but no one thought that was odd.

Sutton said it was hard, but they had to pray for Erika, and help where they could. LisaR asked why Garcelle felt the need to bring it up in that moment, and Garcelle said she’d thought Erika was sharing. Dorit – who apparently hadn’t been listening to half the conversation – said Erika hadn’t want to talk about that. Crystal had to explain again that Garcelle hadn’t been there when Erika said that. Garcelle felt like there weren’t a lot of women on her side, and in her interview, she said, ever since she’d been hanging out with them, she felt they had an inner circle she was not inside. LisaR said it wasn’t their job to ask questions unless Erika wanted to share, and we flashed back to the million times LisaR grilled people who didn’t want to share. Sutton said they’d been talking about it in the kitchen before they all sat down. LisaR said there had been an article on an involuntary bankruptcy, and Dorit explained that if they got divorced, Erika wouldn’t get a dime. In Kyle’s interview, she said, Tom had been the wealthiest lawyer she’d ever met, and now it was all gone. They made plans to meet for dinner at 7.

The women regrouped for dinner, and Kyle said she’d texted with Erika. In Garcelle’s interview, she said it bothered her that Erika got upset, but her conscience was clear. Kyle said Erika wouldn’t scream at Garcelle the next time they met, but she wouldn’t trust Garcelle either. Garcelle wondered if LisaR had anything she could own in the situation, and in LisaR’s interview, she said Garcelle needed to check herself, and why she threw darts. Because LisaR can’t stand having to check herself. She claimed Garcelle wasn’t somebody who had your back. In Garcelle’s interview, she thought maybe LisaR felt she asked too many questions, and should take a look at the way she’d treated Denise. It was hypocritical and she could take her ownness and shove it. YES! Garcelle said she wasn’t sh*tting on Erika when she was at the bottom. She wasn’t that person. She wished she’d been told Erika hadn’t wanted to discuss it. It wasn’t deliberate, and she had nothing to own. LisaR was just trying to shut her up.

Food was delivered, and LisaR wanted to play a game. Kyle said games led to drama, and they hadn’t learned their lesson. We flashed back to the many games that ended up a disaster, including the poker game where Kim was way too high, and Brandi pushed Kyle down some stairs. They went through the I-don’t-see-color conversation again, and how it wasn’t cool to say. A couple of the women, mostly Dorit, were still clueless, and Garcelle asked if they’d ever been concerned about cops pulling their kids over. In her interview, Garcelle says, this world didn’t see the value of Black men. Kyle said she could claim everyone was equal, but had never walked in Garcelle’s shoes. Garcelle told Dorit just because she hadn’t grown up with it, didn’t mean it wasn’t experienced by others. In Crystal’s interview, she talks about hearing comments about her slanted eyes in elementary school, and how her parents had told them not to engage.

When Kyle asked for help with the dishes, you’d have thought she’d asked for the moon. In her interview, she said, take one dish, and just rinse it. They were acting like she wanted them to wash her car. Garcelle and Crystal cut out, and we found out that Harry had acrylic nails on one hand to play the guitar. That was his excuse anyway. In Kyle’s interview, she said, forget sexiest man alive. Harry was going for sexiest hand alive. In the morning Crystal brought Garcelle coffee, and asked if Erika had texted her back. Garcelle said she didn’t think so, but as long as Erika knew how she felt, it didn’t matter. The article about the so-called in-depth exposé on Tom and Erika came out, but everyone thought it was too long to actually read. In Kyle’s interview, she said they thought it couldn’t get worse, but both Tom and Erika had been accused of stealing millions from vulnerable clients. Tom’s lawyers admitted he’d been unable to tell them what happened to the money. In Garcelle’s interview, she said it was hard to imagine taking advantage of people like that. Sutton joined them, and said she’d actually read the whole thing, since she was used to reading things other than US magazine. She said the words Ponzi scheme had been used, and Erika could possibly go to jail. LisaR said it screamed Madoff, and asked if his wife had been implicated. Sutton said that was the tricky part. If Erika had accepted funds from Tom’s firm, she’d have to go to court.    

Garcelle said she couldn’t imagine it. Every day there was something new. Her divorce had been public, and it was hard when people knew stuff about you, but didn’t know you. It had been in the LA Times, and she couldn’t imagine Erika had no heads up. That would explain why she flipped out. Garcelle thought it wasn’t personal, and could have been anyone. Kyle said it was being implied that Erika had been implicit, and Sutton wondered how Erika could know nothing. LisaR doubted Tom had talked about his day with her, and in her interview, said she didn’t think Erika knew what was going on. Tom was in charge, and when Harry asked her to sign something, she signed it. Sutton explained that if Erika’s name was on an LLC, she was responsible, and in her interview, said, if the devil himself put money in your LLC, you were responsible. Dorit said the picture being painted was that they’d used the money to keep up their lifestyle. We flashed back to their two airplanes, and Erika’s high-end fashion and jewelry. In her interview, Sutton says she wasn’t sure where Erika was in this, but she was questioning it. Dorit said it was a hard pill to swallow. It seemed like they hadn’t known Erika. In her interview, she said, of course they wanted to support Erika, but had been blindsided. They didn’t know how to feel or what questions to ask. LisaR wondered how Erika was keeping her sanity, and Kyle wondered what else Erika was keeping from them. Dorit said it was going to be a long, very expensive road.

When Dorit got back home, she FaceTimed with PK and Boy George. PK said he’d been reading about Erika; what a sandstorm. Dorit told him she thought something didn’t add up, and Boy George said thank God it wasn’t Dorit’s drama. In Sutton’s interview, she said Erika probably knew more than she was letting on, and was wondering what the consequences would be for her.

Sutton wanted to get together with the women, sans Erika, which Kyle and Dorit thought was weird, but also agreed they should do. They met at Dorit’s house, and Dorit said she’d just put out an impromptu whatever was in her fridge spread. In LisaR’s interview, she said it was the hosting version of, this old thing? Kyle said Erika had been posting pictures of Tom’s alleged mistress, and screen shots of her sexts to Tom. She wondered why Erika hadn’t been more open with them, and didn’t know why Erika would be posting this stuff on Instagram. She thought maybe it was Erika’s way of letting everyone know the divorce wasn’t a hoax, but wondered how long Erika knew. Garcelle again brought up Erika having said there was no third party involved. In Garcelle’s interview, she said if Erika wasn’t honest about the affair, maybe she still wasn’t telling them everything. LisaR said when she did the same thing during a divorce, her lawyer said, take it down immediately.

Sutton had reservations about what happened in La Quinta, and what had been said. She’d left thinking something was amiss, and thought they’d been placed in a bad position. The stories weren’t adding up, and when she left, she’d wondered what they’d gotten themselves into. She had questions, and wasn’t sure how much she wanted to be around Erika during this time.

To be continued…

Next time, Sutton doesn’t think ignorance is an excuse and wonders about the $20 million, and Kyle asks if Erika knew.

🥁 Marching On…

Already a long week, but at least we’re over the hump. Right, Mike? Until we meet again, stay safe, stay being an asset to others, and stay allowing your words to be the best weapon in your arsenal.