What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Spencer comes into the penthouse on the phone, saying, he needs three bedrooms. Actually, make if four; three’s sounding cramped… Two car garage?… A wine cellar is preferable, but not essential… Tomorrow… No, this can’t wait… Thank you in advance. Sonny asks what that was about, and Spencer says, it was a realtor. He needs to find a house. Asap. Sonny says he told Spencer that he could stay with him, and Spencer says he appreciates that, but doesn’t think it will look very good in court. Sonny asks what he did now, and Spencer says he didn’t do anything. It’s what he’s going to do.

Nikolas is looking at his divorce settlement, when Laura comes in. He asks, what brings her by? and she says, he invited her. He says he did, and she hugs him, saying, he’s really distracted. Did something just happen?

Esme reaches for a puzzle piece, and an inmate says, girl, you’re sitting in my seat. She puts her hands on Esme’s shoulders, and Esme says she’s sorry. She didn’t know the seat was hers. The woman says she can’t stand people like Esme. People like her think they’re entitled. Esme tells her, she said she was sorry. She had no way of knowing the seat was hers. She looks at the guard, and the woman says, she doesn’t want to do that.

Elizabeth asks what her mom is doing at Kelly’s, and Carolyn says she came in for some coffee. Elizabeth says, in Port Charles? She made it clear to dad that she didn’t want to see either one of them. Carolyn says she’s in town to consult on a psychiatric patient, and Elizabeth says, she’s here for work? Carolyn says, yes and no. She’s hoping to reunite with her daughter.

Dante comes home, and asks, where are the kids? Sam says, they’re on a sleepover with Leo, and Dante kisses her, asking if that means they have time to themselves… Dammit. He has to work tonight. He has to see Heather Webber at Spring Ridge. Sam says, the timing is perfect, and he asks how that can be. She says, because she’s coming with him.

Austin asks what Mason has done, and Mason says, take it easy. He told Austin, he just offered little Georgie a treat. She turned him down though. Either she doesn’t like lollipops, or she’s been warned against strangers. The thing is, he’s not going to be a stranger when he sees her again. Little kids can be so trusting. Austin says, he wouldn’t dare, and Mason says, then don’t make him. Austin grabs Mason by the lapels, when Ava walks in. Austin releases Mason, and Ava asks if she’s interrupting. Austin says, not at all. Can he help her with something? She says, the he told her to come by, and he says, the referral. He’s so sorry. He goes to his desk, and Ava asks if she knows Mason. He looks so familiar. Mason says he’s Austin’s cousin. He comes to visit every now and then. She says she’s having the strongest sense of déjà vu right now… She remembers. Mason was there when she was attacked.

Josslyn asks what Cameron is doing here, and Cameron says, looks like he’s interrupting. So is that it? Josslyn is with Dex now? Is he the reason they broke up? He’s out of here. Josslyn follows him, and asks if they can not do this in the hall. Please. Cameron goes in her room, and Dex says he’s sorry, but Cameron says, Dex is loving this. Dex says, trust him, he’s not, and Cameron says, they were probably laughing their asses off about how clueless they think he is. Josslyn asks if he really thinks she’d do that, but he says he doesn’t know. He didn’t think she’d dump him, and he sure as hell didn’t expect opening the door to another man tonight, so he guesses he doesn’t know what she’s capable of. What is he even doing here? Screw them both. He tells Dex to get out of his way, and heads for the door. Josslyn follows him, and stands in front of the door, saying, please.

Carolyn asks if they can sit. Please. Elizabeth sits back down, and Carolyn asks how she’s doing. Elizabeth asks if Carolyn means, now that she knows the truth, and Carolyn says she knows it’s a lot to process. Elizabeth says, finding out she’s indirectly responsible for someone’s death? Yeah, it is. Carolyn says, Elizabeth has had to process a lot of trauma. Maybe talking can help her contextualize… Elizabeth says, Carolyn is talking like a shrink, and she’s not Elizabeth’s doctor. She doesn’t get to help Elizabeth pick up the pieces, not when she’s the one who messed with Elizabeth’s head. Carolyn says she knows Elizabeth is angry. She’s here, whatever it is Elizabeth needs to say to her. Elizabeth asks why she stayed with dad.

Dante says, Sam wants to see Heather? but Sam says, God no. If she never sees that psycho again, it will be too soon. She wants to talk to Esme Prince. Dante asks, why? and she says, because of Esme’s old nanny, Maggie Fitzgerald. Spencer said Maggie was the only one Esme could count on, so she was hoping hearing Maggie’s name might jog her memory. He says he’s guessing she wants to find out something more specific, and she says, Spencer told her that Maggie had information on Esme’s biological parents. According to Spencer, Maggie wrote something in a letter implying Esme’s birth father was somewhere in New York state, possibly in Port Charles. Which means… He says, she might have made contact with her father? and Sam says, maybe he’s the overprotective sort. What if he’s behind The Hook attacks? Dante says, given The Hook is a woman, her theory is, maybe he hired this woman to get revenge on Esme’s enemies? She says, it’s a theory, and since he can’t talk to Esme without a lawyer present… He says, look at her. She’s pretty good. She says she thinks it’s a gift. So what does he say? They work together on this thing? He says, let’s do it, and kisses her.

Mason says he’s sorry Ava was attacked, but he wasn’t there, and Austin says, perhaps she’d like to elaborate. She says, gladly. She was stabbed, or more precisely, hooked the night of the Quartermaine charity picnic, and Mason was most definitely there. Austin flashes back to the picnic, and Mason telling him, blood or no blood, when he calls, Austin answers, and it will be, yes, sir, and thank you, sir, when he gives Austin instructions. Got it? Watching them, Ava says she got it from here. Mason says he was at the picnic, but that’s all, and Austin asks if Ava is suggesting his cousin Mason was the one who attacked her. Ava says she’s not suggesting that… not yet.

Sonny tells Spencer to sit down and tell him what he’s going to do before he does something stupid. Is this about Nikolas? Spencer says, it involves his father, and Sonny says he knows Spencer is angry, but he’s too young to get revenge and ruin his life. He promised that he’d take care of Spencer, and Spencer has to trust him to do that. Spencer says, this is something he has to do on his own. He has to make sure his father doesn’t ruin anyone else’s life.

Nikolas says he just received his settlement agreement for his divorce, and Laura says she’s so sorry. Even when you’re expecting it, when it comes time to finally sign those papers, it’s hard. Nikolas says he can hardly believe it’s happening. What makes it even more difficult is, he’ll be leaving Windymere. She asks where he’s going. He’s not leaving town again, is he? He says he’s not, but he and Ava agreed she gets Spoon Island in the divorce, and she says, but Windymere has been his home ever since he came to Port Charles. Who gives that up in a divorce? And why does Ava want it anyway; just so she can tear it down? He says, spite, and she says she guesses that make sense, but why is he agreeing to it? He says, because she’s entitled to her rage. He was unfaithful. He’s having a baby with someone else. They both need a new start, and there’s no better start than a new baby, right? Laura says, Esme was arraigned today. She’s been remanded to Spring Ridge, awaiting trial. He says he’s glad the court is taking her pregnancy into consideration, and not sending her to Pentenville. She’s going to be safer in Spring Ridge.

Esme says, please don’t hurt her baby, and the woman says, she thinks she’s special just because she’s having a kid. Heather comes up behind the woman, sticking her makeshift multi-tool in the woman’s back. She asks, how you doing, Ramona? She’s right about one thing – she drives the end in harder – Esme is special, and so’s her kid. Understood? Ramona says, sorry. She didn’t realize Esme was Heather’s friend. Heather says, spread the word, and Ramona leaves. Heather sits down, and Esme thanks her for intervening. She doesn’t know what Ramona would have done. Heather says, no need to worry about that now, or ever again. Esme apologizes for being short with Heather before, and Heather laughs, saying she can be a little extra sometimes. So, friends? She holds out the friendship bracelet to Esme.

Elizabeth says, there were others besides Reiko, and Carolyn says she remembers them all. She could have divorced Elizabeth’s dad, but she chose to focus on the life they were building together. Elizabeth asks how Carolyn could let Jeff treat her like that. Does she have no self-respect? Carolyn says, they had a good marriage. They have a good marriage. Elizabeth says, as long as Carolyn looks the other way. How could she forgive him again and again? Carolyn says she loves him, and Elizabeth says, more than Carolyn loves her?

Mason says, the papers already said The Hook killer was a woman, so it’s definitely not him, but Ava says, the media gets stuff wrong all the time. The cops wanted to interview everybody she interacted with that night, and she forgot to mention… Austin says, Mason Gatlin; G-A-L-T-I-N. Ava says, of course (🍷), the same as Austin’s, but Austin says, only half. Mason says he lives in Pautuck. He doesn’t even live in Port Charles. Ava asks, so what’s he doing here? and Mason says, visiting his cousin. Ava asks how often he visits, and Mason says, only when necessary. Austin says, which is really never. Sadly, Mason has to get going now. Isn’t it time for him to be back on the road? Mason leaves, and Austin closes the door. He asks how much of that Ava heard, and she says, enough to know Austin doesn’t like his cousin very much. Austin thanks her for the assist, and she says, her pleasure. He says, don’t do it again.

Esme takes the bracelet and thanks Heather. Heather tells her, don’t worry. Ramona will make sure all the inmates know Esme is under her protection now. Esme says she doesn’t know what she did to deserve Heather’s kindness, but she appreciates it, and Heather says, the moment she saw Esme, she knew deep down they were the same. Didn’t Esme feel it? Esme says, all she feels is overwhelmed. People keep telling her that she’s a criminal, but honestly, all she is, is scared. What if she did all those horrible things she’s accused of? What if she really killed all of those people? Heather says, then she’s sure Esme had a good reason, but Esme says, what reason could she possibly have? Heather says, to protect her child. A good mother will do anything to make sure their child is safe and happy. Esme says she’s sure Heather is a great mom, and Heather says, she thinks so? She does her best.

Spencer tells Sonny that he can’t think of worse parents than his father and Esme, and Sonny asks what he’s going to do. Spencer says he’s going to hire Diane and sue for custody, and Sonny asks if she’s going to take the case. Spencer says, she’s considering it, and Sonny asks if Spencer thinks he’s ready to raise a child. Spencer says, of course (🍷) not. Not while he’s still living here. That’s what the house is for. The kid will have his own room, and he’ll hire a live-in nanny. He has his own money now. Granted, this house will have to be on a much smaller scale than what he could afford if he had full access to his trust fund. He gets up, and says he’s going to call Ava, but Sonny tells him, sit down. He needs to slow down. Spencer says he wants Sonny to know he can take care of a little brother or sister; he really can. Sonny tells him, what he’s saying proves he can’t.

Dex tells Josslyn to call him after, so he knows she’s okay, and leaves. She goes back in the room, where Cameron is looking at the rumpled bed. She asks why he’s here, and he says, right now, he does not know. She says, he could barely look at her at Kelly’s, and he says he found out about Willow’s cancer. He kept thinking about how she’d said they were friends forever, and he wanted to be here in case she needed him, but she didn’t. She says she’s sorry that happened, but he says, she’s sorry she got caught. She says, he didn’t catch her. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. They broke up. He says, like ten minutes ago, and she says, over is over. She’s sorry she hurt him, but as far as who she chooses to spend her time with… He asks if that’s what they’re calling it now, and she says she doesn’t owe him anything. He says, tell him this. Did she at least wait until after they broke up before she slept with Dex?

Austin says, it’s not Ava’s fight, and she says, fair enough. He says, the good news is, it’s not blackmail. She says, and the bad news? He says, it’s old family business, and she says, Mason seems to think it’s current. He says he doesn’t care what Mason thinks. He lives his life the way he wants to, and that’s far away from the Gatlins.

Cameron says, Josslyn slept with Dex while they were still together, and she says she didn’t want it to happen that way. He says, but she couldn’t help herself, and she says, it was New Year’s. She went to Kelly’s to break up with him. He says he knows; he was there. She says, this was before. He was out on a catering job. So she went home to change for Britt’s party, and went to Pier 55, and she got attacked by The Hook.

Spencer asks, what did he get wrong? and Sonny says, pretty much all of it. Spencer says, this child is his sibling, so of course (🍷) he’ll pay attention and love it, and Sonny says, love is a starting point. You have to support the child, emotionally and physically. You have to let them know you’ll be there, and he’s talking from experience. It took him a long time to learn to be a father. He came to the conclusion to be a good father you have to show up. You’ve got to rock the child; you’ve got to make the child laugh. Make sure they feel safe if they fall down. You pick them up, so they can try again. You raise a child and it stops being about you; it’s all about them. So you’ve got to ask yourself, do you think you’re ready to raise a child?

Carolyn says she’s sorry she made Elizabeth feel that she chose Elizabeth’s father over her. At the time, she truly believed it was best Elizabeth forget about Reiko. She wanted to save Elizabeth from the crushing guilt she was feeling. Elizabeth asks, but still, why stay with dad when he caused so much of that hurt? and Carolyn says she was furious with Jeff of course (🍷), but the damage had been done. She did what she thought was best in an impossible situation. They’ve given each other a lot to think about. She should go. Elizabeth says, wait.

Nikolas says he’s glad Laura brought up Esme. She and the baby are why he wanted her to come by. He plans to sue for full custody, and hopes he has her support. She says she can certainly understand why he’d want to raise the child, and he says, Esme certainly can’t, especially if she’s in prison. She says she doesn’t think Esme will be charged for The Hook murders. She does think Esme will be charged for making and distributing revenge porn, and if she’s guilty, she’ll receive a relatively light sentence. He says he doesn’t care what happens to Esme, as long as he can keep her away from his child, and Laura asks if he’s saying he doesn’t even want her to have visitation rights? He says, even without her memory, Esme’s not fit to be a mother. She says, not allowing that child to see his or her mother is a mistake; one that he will regret.

Esme jumps up, saying, oh! and Heather asks, what is it? What happened? Esme says, nothing. The baby just kicked. Heather reaches out to touch her, and Esme backs away, saying, please don’t. Heather says she’s sorry. Seeing Esme like that reminds her of when she was pregnant with her daughter. It was such a miracle, feeling her kick for the first time. Esme says, sorry for overreacting, and Heather says, it’s the hormones, right? It happens to the best of us. May I? Esme says, maybe when she gets to know Heather better, and Heather says, sounds like a plan. They fist bump, Esme hesitating for a moment, and Heather says, she understands Esme is scared about being a mother, but she’ll be a natural. Esme asks if Heather really thinks so, and Heather says she does. She thinks that baby is very lucky. Esme says, luck isn’t a word she’d use when you have a mom in prison, but Heather says she’s not going to prison. Esme asks why she’s so sure, and Heather says, trust her. Soon the cops are going to realize there’s no way Esme is The Hook killer. Esme asks if there’s another suspect, and Heather says, the PCPD is good at following breadcrumbs. They’ll get there. Sam and Dante come in, and Sam wonders what they’re talking about. Dante asks if she wants to find out, and they go over to Esme and Heather. Dante asks if Heather wants to have a little chat, and Heather says she’s kind of busy right now, but he says, don’t make him fire up the bus to D’Archam. Heather tells Esme that she’ll be right back, and steps aside with Dante. Sam goes over to Esme, and Esme says, if she’s a cop, her lawyer told her not to talk to the police, but Sam says she’s not a cop. She’s a private investigator; her name is Sam McCall. She’s been looking into Esme’s background. Esme asks, why? and Sam says she doesn’t think Esme is The Hook. Esme says, and those other things? but Sam says, yeah, she did those. Esme says, great, and Sam says, she deserves to know who she is and what’s going on, and Esme thanks her. But she’s afraid she can’t help Sam. She doesn’t remember anything about her past. Sam says she thinks maybe there’s someone who does, and Esme says, from what she’s been told, she’s all alone in the world, but Sam says, actually, that’s not true.

Laura tells Nikolas, she thinks Esme deserves a chance to be a mother. If she fails at it, that’s a different story. Nikolas says, she’s a sociopath, and Laura says she visited Esme in the hospital, and all she saw was a scared young woman. He says, she spoke to Esme? and Laura says she was curious about the memory loss thing. She wanted to see for herself. He says, and? and Laura says, she’s pretty convincing. She only said one thing that stood out to Laura. She seems to think Spencer is the father of her child.

Sonny says he thinks Spencer’s heart is in the right place; it’s just that Spencer is figuring out what to do with his own life. Spencer says, Sonny is right. There’s so much he doesn’t have figured out, but one thing he does know is that he want to save this baby from being betrayed by his father; from being abandoned when it becomes inconvenient. Sonny says he’s sorry Spencer ever had to feel that way, when there’s a knock at the door. Dex comes in, and says, sorry for interrupting, but he needs to get something straight with Sonny.

Cameron says, The Hook attacked Josslyn? and she says, it was so scary. She kept coming for Josslyn, and she almost got away, but she fell. If Britt hadn’t shown up, she would have been dead. He says, she’s not hurt? but she says she’s fine. Britt saved her life. He says he’s so sorry she had to go through that, but what does it have to do with this? She says, Britt fought The Hook, but it wasn’t until Dex showed up that The Hook ran away. Cameron says, right. And she was so grateful to him that she had to have sex with him.

Elizabeth says she can understand how Carolyn made bad choices, and Carolyn thanks Elizabeth for hearing her. Elizabeth says she’s not forgiving anything, but she knows how someone can do something unforgiveable in extreme circumstances. Carolyn asks if Elizabeth has done something she thinks is unforgiveable, and Elizabeth says, if she did, she woudn’t talk to Carolyn about it. Carolyn says, of course (🍷). Sorry. Now she really does have to run. On the off chance Elizabeth wants to talk more, she’s staying at the MetroCourt. Elizabeth asks how long she’ll be in town, and Carolyn says, until she finishes her consultation. A few days maybe; it’s impossible to say. Elizabeth says she hopes it works out, and Carolyn says, in her experience, very few things are truly unforgiveable. Often it’s just a matter of time.

Josslyn says she didn’t sleep with Dex out of gratitude, and Cameron says he doesn’t want to know the reasons. Just admit she lied to him. She says she didn’t lie, but he says, she did. In her whole BS speech, it’s not you, it’s me, she never once mentioned Dex. She says, it wasn’t about Dex, and he says, right. They just grew apart. She says, they did. They saw each other less and less, and when they did, she was saying all the right things, but she didn’t feel the way she did before. He says, because of what Esme did? but she says, no. Because she changed. He says, because she started sleeping with Dex, but she says, no, and he says, and she broke up with him so she could continue sleeping with Dex and not feel guilty about it. She says she told him, she’d already decided it was over long before that night. She just hadn’t found the time to tell him. (Ugh. Saying she didn’t have time is so wrong.) He says, sorry he got in the way of her hook-up, and leaves.

Austin says, this is Ava’s referral. Dr. Partha is the best plastics guy on the east coast. He should be able to deal with the scar The Hook left; maybe even remove it altogether. She thanks him, and says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she knows a thing or two about family disagreements. She is the daughter of a crime boss. He says, yikes. Did she ever just want out? She says, at first, she wanted in; she wanted it all. She didn’t know she was a Jerome until she was an adult. What about him? He says he had a great childhood; it was amazing. Then things started to get a little weird when he lost his dad Jimmy Lee; he was a great guy. And he would have wanted Austin to stand his ground. So that’s what he’s going to do.

Dante asks what Heather wants with Esme, and she asks, what kind of question is that? He says he knows she likes collecting babies, and she says, so her maternal instincts got her carried away once or twice. She wants nothing from Esme except the best for her. Dante says, good. Remember the only reason she’s at Spring Ridge is because she promised Robert Scorpio intel on Ryan Chamberlain’s connection to Esme. So what’s she got? She says, she’s got something, all right. Ryan asks about Esme every single day. He says, that’s it? This free ride’s got to end. She tells him not to be hasty. There’s an advantage to her being here, especially since Esme’s here. She can make sure Esme and Ryan bump into each other, and when they do, she’ll be their translator. All the while, she’ll act like she couldn’t care less about the content of their conversation. He’s bound to tell her something, and she thought they wanted information on whether or not Esme had a partner in crime.

Sam asks if the name Maggie Fitzgerald means anything to Esme, and Esme asks who she is. Sam says, she was Esme’s nanny. She basically raised Esme after her adoptive parents died. Esme says, that’s an interesting bit of trivia, but she doesn’t think she’s needed a nanny for a while. Sam says she has reason to believe they stayed in touch via letters, and Esme asks if she can see them, but Sam says she doesn’t have. She thinks Esme may have taken them with her when she left Windymere. Esme says, maybe. She could have done literally anything. Sam asks if she remembers riding on a boat, but Esme says, not really; sorry. Sam says, don’t worry. Just take her time. Esme says she’s starting to think it’s better if she never remembers who she is. Does she want to remember a life where the only person who cared about her was paid to do it? Sam says, Maggie mentioned in one of her letters that Esme’s biological father could be somewhere in New York state. Esme says, if that’s the case, why hasn’t he tried to contact her? and Sam says, maybe he doesn’t know she’s in trouble. Does Esme want her to try and find him?

Sonny asks if it’s an emergency, and Dex says, no, but it is important. Spencer says, he and his uncle are having a family discussion. So, errand boy, go polish a fender. Pick up somebody’s dry cleaning. Sonny says he’s got it, and asks Dex to wait outside. As Dex leaves, Spencer says he really doesn’t like that guy, but Sonny says he doesn’t have to worry about Dex. Trust him. He just wants Spencer to know he’s proud that Spencer wants to protect his baby brother or sister. There’s a lot of his mother in him, and she would have been proud of him. Spencer asks if Sonny thinks fighting for this baby is a mistake, and Sonny says, it doesn’t matter what he thinks. He just wants Spencer to know, if he takes this on, he’ll be in a fight with his father.

Nikolas wonders how Esme thinks Spencer is the father of her baby, and Laura says she doesn’t know. Esme talked to Spencer, and he probably told her who they used to be to each other, but Nikolas says, it seems like more of an Esme trick. Even without her memory, she’s still a schemer. Laura says her gut instinct is that Esme really can’t remember who she used to be, and he says, let’s  hope it stays that way. She asks, why? If she remembers, it will make his case against her stronger. Why would he… Her phone rings, and she goes into the foyer to take it. She listens, and says she’s on her way.

Cameron says, how he felt at Kelly’s is nothing compared to how he feels right now, and Josslyn says she’s sorry, but she’s got to ask him. He can’t tell anybody about her and Dex.

Spencer says he needs some fresh air, but he promises to think about what Sonny said. Sonny says he knows Spencer will, and if Spencer needs him, he’s here to talk, no matter what time. Do what he’s got to do. Spencer leaves, telling Dex that he’s up. Dex goes in, and says he’s sorry for interrupting. Sonny says, that’s okay, but it’s always family first. So what does Dex have to tell him?

Austin says he hopes things go Ava’s way, and she thanks him. She says, good luck to him too, and leaves. In the hallway, Mason suddenly shows up again.

Dante says, Heather has one week to get something solid out of Ryan, or it’s back to D’Archam. She says, not that it will be that easy, but she and Ryan do have a very special connection.

Esme says, it’s kind of Sam to offer, but she has no money to hire find her father or this nanny. Sam says, there would be no charge, and Esme asks, what’s in it for Sam? Sam says, the truth would affect a lot of people she knows. If it doesn’t pan out, neither of them is worse, but if it does, they both get answers. Esme says, let’s do it, and Sam says she’ll get right on it. Esme hopes Sam finds this nanny. She knows it may not be the happiest story, but she needs to find out anything about her father. Heather and Dante join them, and Heather says, what’s this about a nanny? Esme says, it turns out her old nanny Maggie… Sam says, Fitzgerald, and Esme says, might know where her father is.

Laura meets Elizabeth at Kelly’s and says, tell her what’s going on. Elizabeth says, her mother is in town, and Laura asks, why? Does she want to make almonds amends? Elizabeth says, apparently, that’s just a  bonus. She’s here to consult on a patient. Laura says, and Elizabeth doesn’t believe her? and Elizabeth says she doesn’t know. After everything Carolyn and her father have done, can she really risk trusting her?

Nikolas opens the door, and says, thank you so much for coming. We see it’s Carolyn.

Tomorrow, Anna tells Valentin they have no time before it’s too late; Nikolas tells Carolyn to do exactly as he says; Maxie asks when Sam was going to tell her; and Josslyn tells Cameron that she’s afraid of what Sonny might do if he finds out about her and Dex.

Below Deck

Rodney Bay Marina, St. Lucia’ 3.5 hours to charter. Captain Sandy tells Camille, this isn’t easy, and knowing what’s coming, Camille says, oh my God, no. The captain says she’s letting Camille go this morning. As a captain, she listens to her department heads and trusts them. Even though it’s the last thing she wants to do, she feels she has to let Camille go. She wishes her job was to give people chance after chance, but in reality, she has a charter to run. In the captain’s interview, she says, they need unison and harmony. One person is affecting them, and she gave them a chance to reset. We flash back to five or six times Captain Sandy had to deal with Camille, and she says, she’s had probably ten conversations with her, and Camille blew it. Today is her last day. Camille says, it was nice knowing the captain, and appreciates the talk, but this right here is debauchery. I’m stunned that Camille knows a big word, even if it’s overkill. In Camille’s interview, she says she’s pissed off. She’s done whatever she can do to please them, and doesn’t deserve to be fired. Camille sees Rachel in the crew mess, and says she’s been let go. Apparently her work wasn’t satisfactory, and not to Rachel’s liking. Rachel is like, huh? and Camille says she was told the department heads have an issue with her. Rachel says, they do; it’s about following through with tasks. And Camille’s drinking wasn’t an issue, but her attitude while drinking was, since she was combative. She tells Camille to move on to the next department head, and Camille tells Fraser that she was fired, like he doesn’t know. He hugs her, and asks if they can have a chat. She says she guesses, and they sit in the main salon. As she irons, Alissa sings, with everything that’s going on, I want to sh*t myself. Really. She’s singing this. Maybe there’s just something wrong with all of these people. Fraser tells Camille that he didn’t want her fired, but doesn’t feel her heart is in it. She asks where that’s coming from; she does her work. He says, her attitude’s not working for the crew. He’s sorry. She says she hopes a superstar stew replaces her. She appreciates the conversation, but she has goodbyes to make with people who actually like her. She tells the deck crew that it’s her last day. She’s been fired. Inside, Hayley asks, what happened? and Rachel says, something that needed to happen a long time ago. Ross says he doesn’t have the time, and he’s not getting involved. Katie hugs Camille, while inside, Hayley hugs Fraser, and says she knows it’s hard, but it’s for the best. Fraser says he liked Camille, and in his interview, he says he never wants to be the reason anyone’s spirit breaks, but he has to do what’s best for the bigger picture and the crew. Camille tells Ben that she’s going back to Mississippi. She’s going to miss him. He says he wanted to go on a date, and she says, he’s so sweet. Ross radios Ben, telling him that they have an hour and a half. Camille thanks Ben for his help, and says, it means the world to her. In the crew mess, Alissa says her stomach is killing her. Captain Sandy sees a mess of Camille’s stuff in the hallway, and asks who her roommate is. She radios Katie to help Camille get packed. Ross says, the deck crew has an hour to get the covers on, and chamois the boat. Fraser says he imagines there’s tension in the deck crew, but Alissa says, they weren’t Camille’s direct team. In Alissa’s interview, she says, from the first day, Camille was rude and had attitude. She didn’t do her job, and got herself fired. She was toxic – bye. In Tony’s interview, he says he feels bad for Ben, but now he’ll be able to sleep and not hear boom-boom-boom. We flash back to Camille and Ben getting busy in the top bunk while Tony tries to sleep below. In Camille’s exit interview, she says, she tried to give a f***, but she’s done giving a f***. She knows the work she did, and she’s proud of what she did. She’s walking off the boat like, try me motherf***er. Camille is out. Drop the f***ing mic.

90 minutes to charter. Fraser tells the stews that Camille is gone, but they can be stronger by working harder. And there’s no toxicity. It’s time to show what they can do. He thinks it will be an easy trip for them to start with, since the primary doesn’t drink, and his wife is pregnant. In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says she’s running Captain Lee’s boat, but it’s his crew, and she wants to keep him apprised. She FaceTimes Captain Lee, and says he looks a lot better. He says he feels a lot better boat, and she says, his crew is a bit of a tornado. She let Camille go. He says, it was a tough spot for Camille to be in, but Captain Sandy says, she put Camille in one department, and she had a schedule. It was a personality conflict. She has a mouth on her. Captain Lee says, that’s unfortunate, and she asks when he’s coming back. He says he’s working toward it, and can’t thank her enough. He asks her to say hi to the crew for him. On deck, Tony asks Ben if he’s okay, and gives Ben a hug. In Ben’s interview, he says, Camille was the first person he’s opened up to in two years. Now that she’s been taken away, his mind is scattered, and it sucks; he’s sad. Tony says he’s here for Ben.

Provisions come in, and Ross says he know it’s tough, but they need to get the job done. In Ben’s interview, he says, Alissa had something to do with it. She got rid of Camille, what’s next? Sandy? The captain calls Norma, and says she needs a deck stew. Hayley tells Fraser that her ankle is swollen, and in her interview, she says she feels like her foot is going to spontaneously combust. Her ankle is the same width as her calf. Captain Sandy hugs Ben, and says, he and Camile will stay in touch. If he needs to talk any time, she’s here for him. She radios for everybody to get in uniform, and meet in the main salon for a pre-charter meeting. The captain says, it was a tough morning for everyone. They’re down a crew member, and she’s doing her best to get one. In the meantime, she knows it’s hard to bring the energy for this charter, but they can turn this around. In her interview, she says, it’s never a great thing to fire someone, but they have to suck it up, figure it out, and pull it off. She tells the crew, the last charter was stressful, but she thinks this one will be easier.

The guests arrive, and Ben texts Camille that he misses her. In Ross’s interview, he says, Ben just got out of a long-term relationship, and he’s been in this one a couple of weeks. He’s slightly emotional and moping, and he needs to pull it together. Captain Sandy tells the guests that Fraser will show them around, then they’ll go to their first anchorage. Fraser give the tour, and it starts to thunder. The captain says, just our luck, and the guests marvel at the scenery. Fraser tells Alissa to prioritize laundry, and primary Adam asks the captain to join them for dinner. Alissa calls her mom, and tells her, the girl who was a big bitch got fired, and her mom says, it doesn’t pay to be difficult. Alissa says, Camille’s little boyfriend is pissed at her, but you can’t get anyone fired if the actions aren’t there. Anchor is dropped at Soufriere Bay, and in Fraser’s interview, he says he feels like it’s going well; it feels normal. They’re better off without Camille. He tells Rachel that Camille was not a good apple, and Alissa says her stomach has been non-stop bubbling. She thinks it’s stress. Camille literally made her feel insecure, and she started thinking everyone was talking about her. In her interview, she says she’s conflicted. Camille latched on to her, she gave Camille reaction, and everybody saw. She’s feeling stressed and insecure. Normally, she has control over her emotions, and it sucks. She dabs at her eyes, and I roll mine. Was it last week she said she just wanted Camille gone?

The guests play on the toys, while Captain Sandy checks out Hayley’s ankle. Hayley says, it’s gone down; yesterday it was a proper cankle. In Hayley’s interview, she says, on land, she’s an esthetician, and lives the life of a Kardashian. She thinks she’s allergic to the Caribbean and work. She’d rather stick needles in people’s faces. Rachel tells Fraser that the guests want a lot. It doesn’t matter if she’s doing eight courses or ramen, she hates cutting corners. In her interview, she says she hates doing an around-the-world dinner. People who request it think it shows they have money and wealth, and that they’re well-traveled. But there’s such thing as no in the industry, so she needs to stay focused. Alissa says, her mental state is sh*tty, and there’s nothing wrong with her. Fraser suggests she has the mid-season blues. Captain Sandy gets a fax with the replacement stew’s info. Fraser and Alissa decorate the dining area with flags of the world. Tony gets something out of the mini fridge in the galley, and says he keeps expecting a head to be in there, but Rachel says, no, it would be in the freezer. Hayley ices her ankle. Captain Sandy tells the guests that she’s 32 years sober, and in her interview, she says, she was the kid who was always in trouble. For her, alcohol was trouble with a big T. Life was better beyond her wildest dreams after she quit drinking. Rachel tells Fraser, all chefs are the same way; fueled by caffeine and hatred. The starter is a Japanese inspired soup. The soup comes in little porcelain containers that the guests pour themselves, and one of them spills it. Primary Adam says, it should have been done for them, and Captain Sandy agrees. In the pantry, Alissa tells Hayley, girl poured miso soup all over the table. The captain said next time it will be poured by the server, so now it’s her fault. Next is Caribbean ceviche, which most of the guests find too spicey. The captain marches to the galley to tell Rachel that it’s too spicey, and the guests can’t eat it.

Rachel says she’s retiring after this, and Fraser says, the guests were complaining. Rachel says she hates her life, and in her interview, she says, the last charter, her food wasn’t hot enough. We flash back to primary Kamna telling her the food was bland, and she says, some people have different palates. It’s how they perceive it. The next course is Turkish stuffed dates, and then Mexican empanadas. Captain Sandy asks if guest Louisa is having a boy or a girl, and Louisa says, a girl. Ross makes a Cup O’ Noodles in the galley, which seems ironic. In Rachel’s interview, she says, everyone thinks a course tasting menu is a great idea until they’re sitting through one. It’s long, and she thinks she’ll make a disclaimer next charter. Almost two hours in, the captain gets up, and heads for the galley, mumbling, service is terrible. She asks, what’s taking so long? and in her interview, she says she thinks Rachel is awesome. She’s a great chef, but she can be her own worst enemy. It needs to be quicker. It’s embarrassing for a superyacht. Some Italian dish is served, and guest Imogen dances by herself on deck. Rachel says she’s so over this, and tiramisu rounds out the meal. Everyone goes to bed, and Ben is on anchor watch. He gets a VHF call from the nearest yacht starboard. The captain says, if the wind picks up, he’s concerned they’re  going stretch anchor and end up too close to the St. David. He suggests they move, and in Ben’s interview, the last thing he wants to do is wake up the captain, but he needs help. He has no power here, but that’s why the captain has four stripes. He tells Captain Sandy about the call, and says, the other boat is concerned they’ll swing and be on top of them. Captain Sandy gets on the radio, and says she understands the other captain has concerns. The other captain says, the wind kicked up to 25 knots last night, and if it happens tonight, they could come within 10 to 20 meters of the St. David. He suggests they move, but Captain Sandy says, they’ll have to keep watch, and if it happens, they’ll handle it. He tells her that it’s an interesting, but disappointing response; he’s surprised. In his interview, Ben says, the rule is, the second one at anchorage should move, but the captain doesn’t see a problem, and she’s 100% right. Captain Sandy tells the other captain that if he’s nervous, he could move, but he says, they have guests on board who are enjoying their time. He’d appreciate it if they moved. It would be the fair and thoughtful thing. She says she understands, but they have guests as well, and they’re staying here. Let’s hope we don’t speak again tonight.

In Captain Sandy’s interview, she says, being a female in the industry, she’s had challenges from men, but she also had support. This is a clear case of mansplaining. They’re fine. She tells Ben to stay on the bridge, and the wind ends up not getting above 3 knots. Ha-ha! She was right! The captain points out that the other captain was a Nervous Nelly. Ross and Fraser talk relationships, and Fraser says he wants non-complicated intimacy, but Ross doesn’t want a relationship at the moment. In Rachel’s interview, she says she doesn’t know if it’s because she’s old that she’s getting frustrated. The season sucked, but she doesn’t know if it’s her. We flash back to the culinary disasters so far, and she says she thinks she’s going to have PTSD after this season. The breakfast special is shakshuka, a North African and Middle Eastern egg dish that sounds wonderful. At the breakfast table, Louisa announces that she hasn’t pooped in three days. Nice. A medic comes and looks at Hayley’s ankle. He suggests icing, elevation, and Ibuprofen. She asks about her big toe going numb, but he says, it’s normal, and in Hayley’s interview, she says, there’s nothing wrong. She’s a massive dramatized bitch. Captain Sandy radios Rachel to meet her on the bridge. On deck, Adam says he’s stressed because Fraser works so much; he’s constantly on it. The captain says, there’s no question Rachel is incredible, but she has to work on timing. Rachel says, it was eight courses, and Captain Sandy suggests not doing those. In her interview, the captain says, Rachel is a great chef, but she’s putting too much on her shoulders. She takes on too much, and delivers less. She asks how communication is, and tells Rachel when she hears the table is being cleared, she should be plating. The guests weren’t happy.

In Rachel’s interview, she says, no one wants to hear criticism, but the captain’s feedback is valid. She needs to do better. Waiting for some water, Adam wonders if they’re a stew short, and should he help? Fraser brings the water, and Adam asks if they normally only have three stews; he seems to be working a lot. Fraser says, they lost someone yesterday, and in his interview, he says he’s totally mortified, and needs to step up. The guests are sent off for a beach lunch, and Alissa says she feels like a big fat loser. Fraser radios that the guests are hungry, and Rachel says, the food is on the way. Louisa says she’s borderline going to kill someone, and I can relate. Captain Sandy says, it looks like chaos, and needs to change. This isn’t working, and it’s unacceptable. Rachel says she hates her life.

Later this season: beauty queens and punks; what happens on the boat stays on the boat; a trip to the Pitons for the crew; Ross is waiting for a formal apology; Sandy tells Fraser, when you create cancer on the boat, the fish stinks at the head, and Fraser’s the head; Camille meets up with Ben, and he brings her to a crew dinner; Captain Lee comes back, and says, it’s like riding a bike, but it’s a big bike.

🧞‍♀️ Post-Holiday Bluing…

Join me tomorrow for soap and tea. Until then, stay safe, stay doing the right thing because it is the right thing, and stay remembering, very few things are truly unforgiveable. Often it’s just a matter of time.