Tag Archives: quotes

October 14, 2022 – Sam Confronts Cody, Welcome Back, Moonlighting, In a Spin, a Farewell, He Remembers, Salty Talk, Scary, They’re Back, Pets (!), Decemvir Of Quotes & Midnight Shari

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Dante walks into Kelly’s where Cody is eating, and asks if Cody is having breakfast for lunch – because no one eats an omelet outside of breakfast. Cody says he had a late night, and slept in because he didn’t have to work today. Dante says, it must be nice. He’s been up since the crack of dawn, chasing down leads. Cody says he can tell by Dante’s face, and asks if anything panned out. Dante says, no. Cody should take his job since Cody’s on a roll; he’s hitting nothing but dead ends. Cody says, no way, man. Dante is too stubborn to quit. He’s going to get this guy. Dante says, woman, and Cody says, damn. Dante says, Diane Miller identified her assailant as a woman, and Cody says, Dante will find her, no doubt. Dante thanks him, and asks, what’s up with the late night? Was he with Britt? Big date? Cody says, hardly.

Maxie sees Britt at the hospital, and asks if she has a minute. Maxie needs to talk to her. Britt says, sure, then says, wait. Maxie has that look, like it’s a private thing. Follow her. They go where there are no people, and Britt asks, what’s up? Maxie says she needs Britt’s honest opinion about Cody Bell, and Britt says, she means the invisible man? She hasn’t seen Cody in days, and she’s happy to never see him again.

Also at the hospital, Sam says, Diane was really touched by the flowers Spinelli brought. Especially when he explained the language of the flowers; how the bouquet said, best wishes, get better, and a deeper friendship. He says, all heartfelt sentiments. He’s beyond relieved that Diane is doing so well. Actually, now that he has Sam here, he owes her an apology. She says, he doesn’t, but he says, when he was telling her about Cody blackmailing him, he fears he said too much. He doesn’t want to drag her into his legal woes, especially since she’s cohabitating with a cop. He made her an accessory after the fact. She tells him, stop. She doesn’t want to hear it.

Lucy answers her office phone, and it’s Anna, who says she’s just checking in to make sure they understood each other after last night. Do they? Lucy says, she understood Anna. It didn’t seem like Anna understood her though. She looks at the bracelet Victor gave her, and says, she’s a grown woman who’s perfectly capable of making decisions about how to handle Victor. Anna says, but some of those decisions can have unexpected consequences, and Lucy says, like diamonds. Anna says, like death, and Lucy says, wow, and they call her dramatic. Anna’s phone beeps, and Lucy says she’s going to let Anna get that because she’s got to go, but Anna says, listen to her. Lucy says, thanks for calling. Ciao.

Johann hands Victor a velvet box, and Victor says, any problems? Johann says, all set. Has he decided what to do about Miss Coe? Victor says, not yet, and Johann says, something should be done. Lucy was listening in on Victor’s conversation with the Deputy Mayor. He’ll take care of it, if Victor wants… Victor says, need he remind Johann of who works for who around here? He’ll take care of it as he wishes, and in his own time. Johann says, yes, sir, and Victor says, Lucy Coe will be taught a lesson, the severity of which will be decided depending on if she was just overly curious, or working for someone else.

Robert goes to Anna’s place, and asks, what was so important she couldn’t tell him over the phone? She says, they have a lead on one of Victor’s accomplices, and he says, don’t leave him hanging; who? She says, Deputy Mayor Eileen Ashby. He says, I’ll be damned. He never did really trust her. With Laura working remotely, she has no overseer, and way too much power. Anna says, this just shows them how far Victor’s reach goes, and he says, tell him everything she knows, and let’s start with the source.

At the hotel in Jacksonville, Carly asks what Bobbie is doing here, and Bobbie says, checking up on her. Carly asks how her kids are doing, and Bobbie says, everybody in Port Charles is safe and sound, but they miss her. Carly says, not half as much as she misses them, and Bobbie asks, where’s Drew? Carly says, he’s up in his room; he’s on a conference call with Aurora business. She can’t believe Bobbie is here. Bobbie says, she just figured with everything Carly has been up against, she could use a little backup, and Carly asks how she knew. Bobbie says, Michael fixed her phone so when Carly’s name pops up, she’ll know. Carly has been ruffling a few feathers. Carly says, ya think? and Bobbie says she happens to know the folks in this town, and taking on the Beautification Guild is no easy feat. She really wishes she could have made it in time for the meeting yesterday. How did it go? Carly says she did everything she could to convince them to scrap their plans for the parkway, but she doesn’t know if it was enough. She’s up against a determined woman with a powerful grudge.

Sam says, if Spinelli had come to her the second Cody threatened him, he woudn’t be apologizing to her at all, and Spinelli says, this mess is entirely of his own making. He threw himself into the creation of this dating app, and it became kind of a calling, or a healing, after Ellie. But he was so focused on perfecting the app, he didn’t see that he was creating a tool that could be used for nefarious purposes. His algorithm is basically a master key to the internet. She says she knows, and she always knew he was too brilliant for his own good. He says, Dr. Frankenstein. He got so caught up in the creation, he failed to see what his monster could beget. She says, first of all, he has to stop and listen to her. No matter how reckless he thinks his algorithm is, it’s amazing. He’s a genius. And second, he wasn’t trying to hurt anyone. That’s not him. He asks if there’s a third, and she says, yes. He can never, and she repeats never, tell anyone about this. The NSA can never find out. He says he understands, and thankfully, the only thing Cody demanded of him for his silence was a fake match with Society Set-Ups. She says, so far.

Maxie asks if Britt and Cody aren’t dating, and Britt says, they had the one disaster date, which ended with her upending her wine on his head. Then they had a non-date the night of the Quartermaine picnic, when she actually agreed to second real date. She showed up, and Cody was really distracted. Maxie says, that’s weird, and Britt says, since then, he’s texted her a handful of times, but only, what’s up? No mention of future plans. Maxie says, he ghosted her? and Britt says, kind of, yeah. After being so annoyingly persistent, now he can’t be bothered? Maxie says, he has had a lot on his mind lately, and Britt says, like combing out horse manes, or ointment for saddle sores. Maxie says, Britt doesn’t know?

Dante says, if it’s over for Cody and Britt, he thinks Cody dodged a bullet, but Cody says, Dante has to admit, she’s never boring. She’s smart as hell, she’s got killer legs, and a fiery sense of humor. Dante says, while he pleads the fifth on the legs, he agrees with Cody on the rest. The thing about her is, she’s always looking out for number one. Cody says, so is everyone, but Dante says, not Cody. Say what he will, Cody is here for his friends; he was for Dante anyway. Cody tells Dante not to get sappy on him, or he’s going to regret asking Dante to sit down. How did such a gifted prankster become so conventional? Dante says, there are benefits to having a job on the right side of the law, and Cody says, name one. Dante says he never has to look over his shoulder. What’s happening with Mac Scorpio? Is he still gunning for Cody?

Bobbie and Carly sit at the restaurant, and Carly says, she wasn’t sure by the looks on their faces if she’d gotten through to them or not, but Bobbie says, of course (🍷) she did. Their hearts would have to be made of stone to not be moved by her words. Carly touched hers. Carly says she hopes Bobbie understands why she’s fighting so hard to protect Virginia’s grave; it’s no reflection on her. Bobbie says, Carly doesn’t have to reassure her. Virginia was Carly’s mother when she couldn’t be. Virginia raised Carly, and she loved her, and Carly loved Virginia. Bobbie will always be grateful for that. She’d like to think Virginia handed her the baton when she couldn’t hold it anymore. She’s so glad Carly found her in time, so she could take it… even if the hand-off was a little bumpy. They laugh, and Carly says, that was an understatement. She hopes Bobbie knows that she’s really grateful for the relationship they have now. Bobbie says, her too, and takes Carly’s hand across the table.

Victor knocks at Lucy’s office door, and says, looking lovely as ever. She thanks him, taking his hands, and says, she’s a bit surprised. She didn’t think she’d see him so soon. He hopes he’s not imposing, and she says, not at all. It was she who imposed on him last night, but she’s much better now. He says, of course (🍷) she is. She’s the brilliant, resilient, unsinkable Lucy Coe. But in case she had any lingering blues, he thought he would drop by and bring her a bit of cheer. He opens the velvet box, revealing a beautiful, delicate diamond necklace. Lucy says, oh my.

Anna tells Robert that her source is Lucy Coe, and he says, she brought in a civilian? A Lucy Coe civilian? She says she didn’t have a lot of options, and Victor was already enamored of her. So she saw her opportunity, and took it, but Lucy’s part in this operation is done now. He says, she’s not too good at taking orders, and Anna says, she’s reluctant to distance herself from him. He says, any sane woman would run screaming, and Anna says, she knows, but apparently Victor has been a bit generous with diamonds and such. He says, oh yeah, Lucy’s Achille’s heel, and she says, don’t worry about her. She’s handling Lucy. They need to focus on Victor. She thinks Ashby is their in. He says, that would explain the sudden interest in transparency, and she says, maybe Victor realizes they’re getting close, and wants to limit their resources. Robert says he has no qualms about using his position as DA to take this bastard out. As far as he’s concerned, Victor is a total menace to the public. Anna says she believes Ashby’s connection to Victor is going to give them leverage, and he says, do tell. They’re going to use this how?

Carly tells Bobbie that a local station did a piece on her, and at the meeting, Peyton made her out to be some out-of-town troublemaker who flies in to mess with decent people’s lives. Bobbie asks if Peyton really said decent people? and Carly says, and more. She is a bitter spiteful woman determined to make it Carly’s fault that her family imploded. Bobbie says, some people just don’t want to face the truths, and that woman doesn’t want to admit she was married to a depraved creep. Peyton’s life is Peyton’s responsibility. Bobbie doesn’t want Carly letting Peyton inflict her garbage on her. Carly says she won’t, but it’s just so sad. Peyton can’t see, by holding onto the past, it keeps her from moving on. Bobbie says, the news feature touched on Reese’s accident. That must have been hard for Carly. Carly says, dredging up the accident made her sick to her stomach, but it helped her realize the accident wasn’t her fault, and she can forgive herself and let go of the guilt. Bobbie says, that’s huge; she’s so proud of Carly. Maybe this detour was destined to be. It has more meaning than a leadership seminar. Carly says, coming to Jacksonville gave her closure, and Drew being with her is what made all the difference.

Maxie tells Britt, it’s not absolutely 100% for sure until the DNA test is done, but the dates match up, and her mom and Mac seem pretty convinced. It’s looking like Cody is Mac’s son. So Britt can see why he’s been a little distracted. Britt says, that is so unfair. Her long lost relative was Peter August, and Cody gets Mac Scorpio, who according to Maxie is the best dad ever. Maxie says, yes. If there was a competition for best long lost relative, Cody would definitely win. That’s what’s so puzzling. Cody hit the dad jackpot. So why won’t he take that DNA test to lock that down? Britt says, a new family member can throw you for a loop, and they are talking about Cody’s potential father. Maxie says she sees Britt’s point, and Britt says, look what Peter did to their lives; what he’s still doing. Maxie asks what she means, and Britt says, that box of his effects. Maxie says, she still has that? and Britt says, it didn’t feel right to just get rid of it. Maxie says, that’s why they should have gone with their original instinct, which was to let her get rid of it. She was two seconds away from throwing it out, when Britt wanted it back. Britt says, Peter didn’t do anything without an agenda. There had to be a reason he left her that box, and one day she wants to take the opportunity to go back to it, and figure out what the hell he was up to. Maxie says, the only good thing Peter ever did was give her Bailey Lou. Other than that, his existence was meaningless. Britt says she thinks they’re getting a little off course. All she was saying is that she can see how this would be a lot for Cody to take in. It’s not just Mac. A new guy comes with a whole new family. Maxie says, right; her and her kids. She and Cody are going to be quasi siblings. That’s why she wanted Britt’s opinion of him. Britt says, maybe he didn’t blow her off. Maybe he really has a lot on his mind. Maxie says, Britt actually likes him, doesn’t she?

Sam tells Spinelli, good thing she has a little time before she has to play peacemaker between her mom and Kristina. He says, more mother/ daughter friction? and she says, they’re on the outs again, but it’s going to give her a little time to go talk to Cody. He says he wishes she woudn’t, and she says, Cody happens to be a really good friend of Dante’s, and she thinks he’s an okay guy. He may play fast and loose with the law, but so do all of them. This blackmail thing is troubling though, so she wants to look him in the eye, and find out what he really wants.

Cody says, he’s not worried about Mac Scorpio trying to put him away anymore, and Dante says, good. He told Cody that Mac was a nice guy. Cody says, about that… and Dante’s phone dings. Dante says he’s got to go, and Cody says, kitten up a tree? Sorry. His bad. Have fun… helping old ladies cross the street. Dante says he will. That’s hilarious. Don’t quit his day job though. He starts to go, and Cody tells him, be safe out there. Catch this knife wielding maniac. Dante says, you bet, and leaves.

Robert says, it could work, and Anna says, it will work. It’s her plan, and it will work. He says, too bad she doesn’t have a bit of backup, and she says, another dig at Valentin? He says he sees this guy for who he is. He’s double-crossed everybody he’s ever had as a partner. He’s out for himself, and doesn’t care who picks up the tab for whatever he does. He’s even about to double-cross his worthless father. She says, because he doesn’t have any illusions about who his father is, and he says, treacherous, a liar, untrustworthy… She says, Robert doesn’t have all the facts, and Robert says, because she’s never given them to him. And here they are, about to use this guy in a plan where he’s front and center, and Robert doesn’t trust him this much. He holds his thumb and forefinger a millimeter apart, and Anna says she knows she’s given Robert reason to doubt her judgement in the past, but she and Valentin have been working together recently. If Robert doesn’t trust Valentin, that’s fine. Can he at least trust her? He says, he always trusts her. She wants justice for Luke as much as he does. Victor killed him, and Victor’s going to pay big time. She says, exactly. That’s why they have to do whatever they can to stop Victor before he hurts someone else.

Lucy says, he shouldn’t have, and Victor says, let’s try it on, shall we? He puts the necklace on her, and something about it strikes me weird. She turns around, and asks how it looks, and he says, absolutely stunning. She says she has no idea how to thank him, and Martin walks in, and says he’s sure Victor has a couple of ideas.

Britt asks what Maxie thinks of Cody, and Maxie says, she’s not sure. At first, she liked him, and then she didn’t, and now, she kind of likes him again, but there’s definitely something sketchy about him. Britt says, there is. She wishes his actions matched up with his words. Maxie asks, what kind of actions? and Britt says, just a kiss. Maxie says, a good kiss? Go for it. Talk to him. Put all her cards out on the table. He likes poker, right? Britt says, Maxie is right. She’s a grown woman; accomplished, professional. What’s the big deal? At least Cody’s sexy. Better than the other duds who’ve been interested in her lately. She turns her head, and Spinelli is standing there.  

Sam joins Cody at Kelly’s, and thanks him for agreeing to meet with her. He says, of course (🍷). It was an intense sounding text: We need to talk. He asks if she wants a bite of his food, but she says she’s more in the mood for a conversation. He asks if he’s in trouble, and she says, yeah. He says, for what? and she says, blackmailing her friend Spinelli was a huge mistake.

Bobbie asks if Drew is still hung up on Aurora business, and Carly says, he’s wrapping up now, then he’s going to the gym. Bobbie asks how Aurora is doing, and Carly says, it’s coming back, slowly though. She doesn’t know how Drew does it; managing his business and helping her out at the same time. Bobbie says she’s glad Drew is here for Carly, and Carly says, her too. She and Drew really get each other, and everything seems clearer after she talks to him. Bobbie says, that sounds really special, and Carly says, it is. Drew’s an amazing friend. Bobbie says, is that all he is?

Martin says, when the cat’s away, but Lucy says, there’s no cat; no kitten even. He’s home; he’s here. She fusses over him, and asks when he got here. He says, apparently, not soon enough, breaking away from her, and walking toward Victor. He says he gets the distinct impression that he interrupted something, and Victor says, Lucy came to see him yesterday. Lucy says, she did. She was upset. She was distraught after Brando’s funeral. Did Martin hear about that? Martin says, uh-huh, and she says, good… not about the funeral, but the fact that he knows. She hasn’t known what he’s known because he hasn’t called or really stayed in touch that much. She sought out Victor, and he’s become a friend. Martin looks at her bracelet, and says, a very generous friend. Very. He tells Victor, now that he’s up to speed on recent events, what exactly is Victor doing here? Victor asks if Lucy is going to tell him, or shall he?

Maxie says, Spinelli! Look, Britt. Spinelli. Spinelli tells them, good afternoon, and Maxie asks how he is. He says his life is excellent; he wants for nothing. Britt says, good for him, and excuses herself. He says, thank God, and Maxie asks if he’s sure he’s over Britt, because that level of awkward was exceptionally high, He says, believe him. He has no designs on Britt. That discomfort was a function of not having seen Britt since the unfortunate revelation of his interest. He and Britt haven’t spoken of it, and never will. Maxie asks if he’d like her to make sure Britt knows he’s over her, and he says, yes, but how did his name come up? Britt doesn’t talk about him, does she? Maxie says, no, don’t worry. If she’s anything, it’s discreet. Ha-ha! His face.

Dante sees Britt, and she asks if he got the Haggerty autopsy report. He says he just picked it up. He’s going to see Diane if that’s cool. She says she won’t stop him, and he starts to walk, but she says, wait. Has he heard from Cody? He says he was just with Cody at Kelly’s; why? She says, no reason. She just hasn’t heard from him, and thought she’d give him a call. He says, great, and she asks, what’s his problem? Does he think she’s not good enough for his friend?

Cody says, look… but Sam says, save it. She knows he threatened to sic the NSA on Spinelli if he didn’t create a fake match between him and Britt. The kind guy she thought she knew would never do something like that. Unless… Is she completely wrong about him? He says, blackmail is too strong of a word; he just asked for an exchange of favors. If you think about it, Spinelli got the better deal. All Cody got was a date. He’s keeping Spinelli’s intrusive, highly illegal, algorithm a secret, which kind of makes Spinelli the criminal mastermind, not him. Sam asks if Cody is going to keep his word, and Cody says, as far as he’s concerned, he and Spinelli are square. He hasn’t asked Spinelli for anything, and he won’t; nothing more. She says, okay, but why was it so important for him to get set up with Britt? Cody flashes back to Dante telling him about Britt being on the run with her father, Cesar Faison, and Sam asks, what’s the con?

Lucy says, Victor came to her with a proposition, and Martin raises his eyebrows. She says, a business proposition. Victor wanted a partnership with Deception. Martin asks why Victor would be interested in partnering with a cosmetics company, and Victor says, not the company, the woman behind it. Lucy says, her brains. He’s interested in her brains. Victor also admires her business sense. Martin asks if Victor will excuse them, and kindly get the door on his way out. Victor says, of course (🍷), and tells Lucy, they’ll talk later. He leaves, and Lucy says she promises it’s not what it looked like, but Martin says, from where he’s standing, it looks like Lucy’s been making a fool out of him. What else is there to say except, congratulations on trading up. She asks how he can say that. Has he lost in her; in them? He says, that’s a relevant question, because he doesn’t want to leapfrog over another man giving her diamonds. What the hell happened? Was he gone too long? Did she just lose interest? She says, not any of that. She’s been working with Anna. When Anna lost Martin spying on Valentin, Anna pressured her to spy on Victor. He says, and getting diamonds is a door prize? It’s all part of the spy game? She says, Victor is just kind of into her, and Martin is like, what? She says she did it for him, so he could come home. Anna forced her to do this. He says, Anna never said a thing to him about it, and she says, he talked to Anna? When? He says, she called him last night, and told him to come home, and he caught the first flight. Lucy says, that little witch. She did all of this on purpose.

Robert tells Anna, once upon a time, being a public servant meant serving the public. Nowadays, everyone’s got an agenda. How long does Anna suppose Eileen’s been in Victor’s pocket? Is she recently corrupt, or did he bring her into the dark side? Anna gives him some tea, and says she doesn’t know; it’s difficult to say. Victor plays the long game. He’s very patient and strategic. This could have been in the works for years. He says, there’s nothing worse than a sneaky Cassadine. Helena was like that. Stavros, and Mikkos? No. They’d get a crazy idea and jump right in. None of this dillydallying. Anna says, he sounds a bit nostalgic. Does he miss being in the field? He says, there are times he thinks of the good old days. Some of the crazy, mad missions they went on. She says, good times. They were a hell of a team. He says, damn right. She had a partner she could rely on. She laughs, and says, there he goes, ruining it, and he says, is she sure her relationship with Valentin isn’t compromising her judgement here? She says, he could do with a little compromising himself. This whole salty curmudgeonly persona he has going. It might work at the DA’s office, but it’s not doing him any favors. He asks, what that’s supposed to mean? and she says, it’s obvious. He hasn’t been anyone’s partner for a long time. Doesn’t he miss it?  

Carly says, she and Bobbie have already had this conversation. She and Drew are just friends; the timing is off for anything more. Bobbie tells her, so she keeps saying, and Carly says she doesn’t know what she’s doing with her life. Bobbie says, she’s only been here a short while and can already sense a difference. Carly is lighter. There’s a sparkle in her eye. This experience has changed her. She has her self-confidence back. Carly says she doesn’t know if she saved the cemetery, or if she accomplished anything here, and Bobbie asks if she really needs the Guild to tell her that.

Maxie tells Spinelli not to disturb Georgie’s crystals. She’s been growing them for her latest science project, and they have to stay in the laundry room. Spinelli says, of course (🍷), the warmth from the drier. Georgie’s blazing through these science kits. He’s already had to dip into her Christmas stash. Maxie says, he already started Christmas shopping? How does he beat her every year? He says, because she waits until after Halloween, and that’s when the official season starts, and she misses all the deals. She says, so he’ll be there on Saturday by 6, and she’ll leave something out for dinner. He says he can bring something. Georgie and James love Noodle Buddha, and they can mash up some noodles and peas for Bailey. Where is she going anyway? She says, she and Austin have tickets for the symphony, and he gives her a look. She says, it was Austin’s idea. She can like the symphony. She has a great symphony outfit. He says, he’ll enjoy his Saturday with Georgie and her siblings, and she says she’s glad he can help out, but she wishes he had plans of his own. He says, make up her mind, and she says she thinks he’s making a mistake. He says, she’s the one going to the symphony, and she says she’s talking about his Society Set-Ups algorithm.

Dante tells Britt, Cody is a grownup. It doesn’t matter what he thinks; Cody is going to make up his own mind about things. She says, Dante just looks on disapprovingly, and he says, he and Britt have a sketchy history. Maybe she’s changed, maybe she hasn’t; he doesn’t know. But Cody will figure it out for himself. He’s a good guy, and a friend of Dante’s. Just don’t jerk him around.

Cody tells Sam, obviously he and Britt got off on the wrong foot, like literally. He landed on top of her, and dragged her… Sam says she was there; she saw the whole thing. But to resort to blackmail… He says, they’re not using that word, remember? Some information fell into his lap, and he leveraged it, that’s all. She says, that’s a long way to go for a date, and he says, normally, he doesn’t need to resort to those tactics, but he’s not stalking Britt. If she tells him to get lost, he’ll walk away. But there’s something about her… He doesn’t know; maybe it’s the challenge. She says, okay, and he says appreciates her not telling Dante about this. She asks, what makes him think she hasn’t said something to Dante? and he says, he saw Dante earlier. He didn’t have his I’m-disappointed-in-you-Cody face, which he would have had if he knew. And he knows she wouldn’t put Dante on the spot like that. She says, like what? and he says, she can’t tell Dante about him without revealing Spinelli’s dive into illegal hackerdom. Then Detective Falconari would have to inform the NSA about Spinelli’s universal key that apparently unlocks all of the internet. She says, the thought has crossed her mind, and he says, so it’s better not to tell Dante. She says, for now. She’s going to take Cody at his word, but if he hurts Spinelli, he’ll wish he’d never been born. She leaves, and he says, good chat.

Lucy says, Anna didn’t get what she wanted, so she brought Martin home to catch her. Martin says, doing what exactly? and she says, not cheating. He has to believe her. Everything she did, she did for them, for their future. He says, letting a man like Victor Cassadine refurbish and fawn over her? and she says, Martin has nothing to worry about. He’s 16 times the man Victor will ever be. She missed him so much. Does he believe her? He says he supposes, and they kiss. She grabs her bag, and he says, she’s leaving? She says, she’s got to go. She’ll explain when she gets back. They’re going to get everything they want, as soon as she gets Anna the hell out of her way. She blows him a kiss, and dashes out.  

Robert says, he takes it Anna isn’t referring to a work partner, and she asks if she was being subtle. She was referring of course (🍷) to his love life. He says what about it? and she says, he doesn’t have one. He says he’s fine, and she says, what kind of an answer is fine? He says, just because she’s chosen to stick her neck out again… She says, any relationship is risky, and he says, especially with a Cassadine, but she says, stop. Don’t do that. He’s not changing the subject. Because the truth is, along the way he’s walled himself up in work. Doesn’t he want more? Doesn’t he miss having a relationship? He says, there are times he… misses… not waking up next to one of those nice soft bodies. Having somebody to talk to besides the dog. Someone to come home to at night. She says she wants that for him. Could he break down a bit of this wall, and live a little? He says, okay. He’ll think about dating again. Just as soon as they take out Victor.

Johann and Victor go back to the hotel room, and Victor takes out a laptop. He plugs something in, along with some earbuds, and listens. I knew it.  

Bobbie tells Carly that she can check into her room now, and wants to make sure she gets a room with a view. They get up, and Carly says she knows a few tricks of the trade on getting an upgrade. She’ll meet Bobbie at the front desk. Bobbie leaves, and Cary tells the manager that she’d like to settle her tab, and charge it to her room. She signs the receipt, and turns to leave, coming face-to-face with Peyton.

Maxie asks if Spinelli is all right, and he says, she just caught him off-guard. She said there was a mistake in his algorithm. She says she just thinks he should consider using his algorithm to find a match of his own, and he says, doctors don’t operate on themselves. She asks if he’ll at least think about it. She wants him to be happy. He says he wants the same for her, calling her Maxinista.

Britt walks into Kelly’s, and Cody says, fancy meeting her here. She says she was looking for him

Carly asks how the Guild voted, and Peyton says, it’s over. The parkway will not be rerouted. Virginia Benson’s remains must be moved. Carly failed.  

Lucy repeatedly rings Anna’s doorbell. In the hotel, Johann asks if it’s transmitting, and Victor holds up his hand for Johann to hush. Anna says, what in the world… and Lucy says, we have to talk. Victor says, turnabout is fair play, Miss Devane. That bauble was worth every penny. Anna asks, what’s going on? and Lucy says, she’s really sick of butting into her life. Anna says she thought Lucy would be happy to see Martin, and Lucy says, of course (🍷) she’s happy to see Martin, but after everything she’s done for Anna, this is the way Anna is treating her? We see a close-up of the necklace. Just in case we hadn’t caught on.

On Monday, Britt asks why Cody won’t take the DNA test; Felicia asks if anything jogs Scotty’s memory; and Victor tells Valentin, he’s not the only one who’s been holding back.

🚪 When We Left Her…

Sounds like a tough road, but it’s good to hear they’re being accommodating. I’m looking forward to her return.

📺 Dante At Night…

They give no clue as to his character, so will it be a stretch? Who knows?

🌪 It’s Brando, Auntie Em…

Most people run away from tornados.

🥀 Leaving a Legacy…

I’m not familiar with her work, but she had quite the soap career.

⌨️ Memories…

Marc Singer guest starred on that show too. Just saying.

🧂 Needs Some Salt…

Some updates from the Utah franchise.

😱 Yikes…

Add good mom instincts to the list of her many talents.

https://www.avclub.com/angela-lansbury-saved-daughter-charles-manson-cult-1849653141

❄️ Ugh…

If you must know about Winter House. See what I mean? They’re just awful.

And immature.

🐕 Petting the Rich…

The best part? They couldn’t care less.

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3168358/8-richest-pets-world-meet-taylor-swift-and-oprahs

🐋 Quotes of the Week

It is only when we take chances, when our lives improve. The initial and the most difficult risk that we need to take is to become honest.Walter Anderson

Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward. – Kurt Vonnegut

The only reason for time is so that everything doesn’t happen at once. – Albert Einstein

The really magical things are the ones that happen right in front of you. A lot of the time you keep looking for beauty, but it is already there. And if you look with a bit more intention, you see it. – Vik Muniz

To thrive in life you need three bones. A wishbone. A backbone. And a funny bone. – Reba McEntire

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. – Lao Tzu

He graduated from Corny University. – David Toborowsky, Pillow Talk: The Single Life

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime. – Mark Twain

All dreams are within reach. All you have to do is keep moving towards them. – Viola Davis

There are two schools when it comes to brownies. People who like them fudgy, and people who are wrong. – Zac Young, Halloween Baking Championship

💃🏽 Tapping My Troubles Away…

Take the next two days off, then come back for what’s going on with the Dead. Until then, stay safe, stay honoring old traditions while creating new ones, and stay being aware that some detours are destined to be.

October 7, 2022 – No GH, New In Town, Thanks To Tony, Reporting In, Why, Soapy Rose, Meltdown Chat, Salty Talk, About the Rules, Surreal Again, Trail This, Pets (!), Four Quotes Twice & High Noon

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

There wasn’t any because, baseball.

🌴 No Wonder…

I’m guessing she’ll be one of Peyton or Virginia’s friends.

🏥 Thank You From Me Too…

Who knew Luke led to Obrecht’s tenure?

👩🏻‍💻 Not a Stretch…

An extra paycheck never hurt anyone.

🔧 Beating a Dead Mechanic…

Face it, he was a sacrificial lamb for the storyline.

🌹 No Rose For You…

This actually looks pretty good, and it’s on TubiTV, so it’s free. Todd Franco Austin Roger Howarth is in it.

💎 Still Shooking LisaR…

Even Andy didn’t know what a drama queen she was.

She Who Can Do No Wrong weighs in.

How it went down at the Reunion.

https://people.com/tv/real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-season-12-reunion-trailer/

🧂 Worth Their Salt…

The latest on the ladies in the city of Salt Lake.

🍸 VanderSad…

Lala gives us the Season 10 scorecard.

👻 Ghosts From the Past…

It’s an odd mix, I don’t know half of them, and why are the bringing this back?

https://www.realitytitbit.com/usa-reality-tv/meet-the-surreal-life-2022-cast-on-instagram-including-stormy-daniels

🗽 Horror In the City…

A peek at the new AHS season.

🐶 Ending With a Squee…

Omg, Oscar.

https://www.yardbarker.com/lifestyle/articles/20_celebrity_pets_that_will_make_you_say_aw/s1__34563662#slide_1

🐣 Quotes of the Week

In our daily lives, we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but the gratefulness that makes us happy. – Albert Clarke

Expecting life to treat you well because you are a good person is like expecting an angry bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian. – Shari R. Barr

Observe due measure, for right timing is in all things the most important factor. – Hesiod

The really magical things are the ones that happen right in front of you. A lot of the time you keep looking for beauty, but it is already there. And if you look with a bit more intention, you see it. – Vik Muniz

The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who maintain their neutrality in times of moral crisis. – Dante Alighieri

Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring. – Marilyn Monroe (I was going to say, that’s genius, but…)

We never know when our last day on earth will be. So, love with full sincerity, believe with true faith, and hope with all of your might. Better to have lived in truth and discovered life, than to have lived half-heartedly and died long before you ever ceased breathing. – Cristina Marrero

We rise by lifting others. – Robert G. Ingersoll

🥁 Turning the Beat Around…

It’s time again for the weekend, or the next two days if you’ve loud quit. I’ll be back when the Dead Walk, if you’d care to join me. Until then, stay safe, stay going the extra mile, and stay not having public meltdowns, especially if your last name is Hilton.

Halloween is on the horizon…

September 30, 2022 – Victor Visits Spencer In Prison, Temp Brook, Arisen, He’s Dancin’, Reimagined, New Kitchen, NYC Horror, Dead Return, Explanation, Below Ten Quotes & September

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Brook bangs on Chase’s door, and says, open up. She knows he’s in there. He’s got a big… He answers in his boxers, and says, a big what? She squeezes the to-go cup she’s holding, and her drink squirts out the straw and spills over top. And I can’t believe they just did that, even though I’m laughing.

Valentin wakes Anna up, and they speak in French. He kisses down her body.

Victor sits down to visit Spencer. Spencer comes in, looking scruffy and wearing a too big shirt. Victor says, my God, what happened? Excuse me if I think this is the best Spencer has ever looked.

Nikolas approaches Finn at the hospital, and Finn asks how he can help Nikolas. Nikolas says he can start by minding his own damn business. Finn says, which is what he was doing before Nikolas stopped him, and keeps walking, but Nikolas grabs his arm. Finn breaks away, and says, whoa. Nikolas says, Finn’s been talking to his wife about their private matters. That was a big mistake, and it will cost him.

Elizabeth comes to Ava’s room, as Ava is packing to leave. She says she hears Ava’s being discharged, and Ava says, not a moment too soon. She’s grateful for the care she received here of course (🍷), but she’s glad to leave. Elizabeth says she’ll put a rush on the paperwork, and they’ll get Ava out of here. Ava says, there’s something she and Elizabeth need to settle first.

Alexis sees Gregory in the waiting area, and asks if he’s slept at all. He asks, why? Does he look exhausted and bedraggled? She says, they were at The Invader until the wee hours, so she thought he’d slept in, and he says, he knew she’d be pulling a literal all-nighter with the op-ed, so he came back here. He wanted to keep an eye on her friend.

At the MetroCourt, Sonny looks at the headline on his phone: Port Charles’s Spirit Is Stronger Than A Hook. Nina comes along, and asks if he’s okay, hugging him. He says he’s fine; he’s just worried about everybody else. She asks if there’s any word on Diane, and he says, he’s going to check on her at GH later. He asks if she’s seen The Invader, and she says, Alexis took a brave stand, letting that psychopath know that Port Charles is not a community to be messed with. What does he think? He says he thinks she’s doing it because she thinks the attacker is targeting people connected to him, and she says, and he and Alexis have a daughter who happened to see the killer in action. She’s sure he has eyes on both Josslyn and Kristina. He asks, how’s her bodyguard? and she says she’s getting used to it, but she did feel safer having him there last night. She thanks him, and he says he hopes it doesn’t last too long. She asks if he knows who’s behind these attacks.

Glad to see they’ve changed some of the photos in the opening, in particular Ava.

Still in bed, Valentin and Anna kiss. He says he wants to remember all of this, and she says, name three things. He says, being in her bed… She says, that’s one, and he says, being in her bed with her. She says, that’s two, and they’re very general. He says, all he wants to remember is the two of them doing this… always. They begin to get busy, but his phone dings. He asks if she minds, and she takes it from the nightstand, giving it to him. He looks at it, and places it face down on his chest. She asks, what’s wrong?

Victor says he’s worried about Spencer. It looks like he hasn’t eaten since he got here. Spencer says, this is the work of his fellow inmates who go out of their way to make sure that he never has the right clothes. Victor says he was assured Spencer would be protected, and Spencer says he is… physically anyway. Victor says, go on, and Spencer tells him, on his second day here he had a run-in with a guy. He said he wanted to rearrange Spencer’s face. Fortunately, a guard arrived before the he could do that, and that was the end of that. Victor asks, what’s this business with the clothes? and Spencer says, the other inmates know he’s a rich kid who’s under protection from important people, and whose cop friend got him a cushy job, so they find other ways to mess with him, like not having a uniform that fits. Stealing food and supplies he buys from the commissary, and threatening him with all manner of horrible fates. Victor says he’ll speak with the warden, but Spencer says, please don’t. It will only make things worse.

Finn says, if Nikolas is referring to him being with Elizabeth when she told Ava that Nikolas lied about his alibi… Nikolas says, Finn had absolutely no right, and Finn says, Nikolas lying to his wife is none of his concern. By which he means he literally does not care. Nikolas says, why should Finn care? and Finn says he won’t let Nikolas take advantage of Elizabeth. So find someone else to give him a fake alibi. Finn walks away, but Nikolas follows, saying, he gave himself and Elizabeth an alibi, because Elizabeth can’t account for her whereabouts when Ava was attacked. He did what he did to protect her. Finn says, Nikolas was covering his own ass. Him giving Elizabeth an alibi was just working in his favor. Nikolas says he doesn’t care what Finn believes, but does he have any idea the amount of damage he could have caused by telling Ava the truth? It’s like he doesn’t care about Elizabeth at all.

Ava says she just wants to thank Elizabeth for telling the truth about Nikolas’s so-called alibi. She knows Nikolas is one of Elizabeth’s closest friends, and knows it couldn’t have been easy. Elizabeth says she should be grateful Nikolas gave her an alibi, and Ava asks if she thinks he would have if it hadn’t provided him with one as well. Elizabeth says, the Nikolas she grew up with would have done it in a heartbeat, and Ava says, what about the Nikolas as he is now? Elizabeth says, after Ava was attacked, and everything was so uncertain, she did have her doubts about his motives. Ava tells her not to beat herself up about that. None of them were sure about Nikolas. Elizabeth says, exactly. They are now.

Nina says, from what she read the police are hoping Diane makes it through surgery to see if she can identify her attacker, but if Sonny’ s learned something new… He tells her, let’s just say, he’s working on it, and she says she heard Michael went to Pozzulo’s last night. He says, what about it? and she says, did they come to some kind of truce? He says, they just talked about what happened with Brando, and… How’s Sasha? She says, fragile, and he says, and Gladys? She says, Gladys is Gladys. She’s in a lot of pain, but she’s enduring. He says he admires that, and she says, Gladys actually convinced Sasha to start making funeral arrangements for Brando, but Sasha’s credit card was declined. He asks how that’s possible, and she says, because Sasha’s not in control of her finances right now, and it’s still unclear who is. He says, if she’s having financial problems, he’ll do what he has to do to help, and she says, she knows he will, but he doesn’t have to worry about this. She already put her credit card down for the deposit. Sonny says, let Sasha know he’s going to help her, and Nina says, Sasha does know that. Right now, she’s more concerned with Sasha’s state of mind. She’s already carrying so much, and now with this guardianship, Nina doesn’t want this to be the straw that breaks her. He says, Sasha is going to be okay, and she asks how he knows that. He says, because Sasha has her.

Alexis asks how Gregory was able to get updates if he’s not family? and he says, he has a secret weapon. She says, Finn, and he says, Diane’s still in surgery, and she says, still? He tells her, Finn says, sometimes these things can take a while, and she says she hopes that’s all it is, because she needs Diane to be okay. She guesses now they just wait and see how their op ed page pans out, and if it brings the killer out into the light. He asks if she’s eaten, and she shakes her head. He says, let’s get her some sustenance, and while they’re at it, maybe they can track Finn down and finagle another update. She says, lead the way.

Chase cleans up the mess, and Brook says she really needed that caffeine. He says he’ll make them some coffee, and she says, he can definitely make her some coffee, and she’ll definitely thank him for it, but he can’t have any caffeine. He asks, why not? and she says, because it’s murder on your vocal cords. Didn’t his vocal coach ever teach him that? Tonight, he needs to be in peak form. He asks if she’s saying he’s not, and she says, vocally. They need to get him ready. Everything they’ve been working toward is all riding on tonight. He says, all right, peak form, and moves closer to her. She says, good, but it’s really important that they stay focused. He moves even closer, and says, he’s laser focused. Is she?

We see a picture of Charlotte on Valentin’s phone, with a text that says: Bonjour, papa. I miss you. Je t’aime. Anna takes it from him, and says, she looks happy. He says, Charlotte still has no idea she’s being used as leverage. She misses him. She can’t understand why they’ve been apart so long. Anna says, he will see Charlotte again; trust her. He says, more than anyone, and she says, damning her with faint praise. He says he trusts her implicitly, and she says, believe her when she says they’ll bring Charlotte home. He says, Victor’s playing the long game; so far, he’s winning, but she tells him that she didn’t say it would be easy. Victor is a formidable opponent, and Valentin has carried this alone far too long. He has her now, and they’re changing the game, together. Is he with her? He says, to the ends of the earth, and kisses her. He asks, what’s the move? and she says, unfortunately, the best way to get to Victor is through Lucy, but he says, she’s proven to be a wild card, in every sense of the word. Anna says, the sooner they find another way, the better. He says, any thoughts on what that might be? and she says, no, but that’s okay. They’ll figure it out together. They kiss some more.

Victor says, as head of this family, it’s his responsibility to make sure Spencer is taken care of, and Spencer says, he and Uncle Sonny have people who are taking care of him, but they can’t be around him 24/7. This place is like 15 times bigger than Spring Ridge, and it’s full of angry, violent people. The best thing he can do is keep his head down and stay out of everyone’s way. The best thing Victor can do… Victor says, assassinate anyone who looks at Spencer cross-eyed. He’s sure Spencer’s Uncle Sonny would agree. Protecting Spencer is probably the only thing they agree on. Spencer says, what part of don’t is unclear? but Victor says he can’t just sit back and watch Spencer suffer at the hands of… convicts. Spencer says, Victor owes him, and Victor says, all right, but if Spencer changes his mind… Spencer says he won’t, and asks, how’s life in Port Charles? How’s Ava’s recovery? Victor says, she gets discharged today. Spencer can ask about him. Spencer says, who? and Victor says, his father.

Finn tells Nikolas, let’s get one thing clear. Elizabeth is her own person, and she decided to tell Ava that Nikolas’s alibi was a lie. She thought Nikolas might pose a danger to his wife, and decided to err on the side of the truth, a concept Nikolas isn’t familiar with. Nikolas says, Finn is the only person who’s a danger to Elizabeth. This whole thing started with him. Alexis and Gregory come out of the elevator, and Nikolas says, Finn is the reason Elizabeth is so messed up. Finn tells Nikolas, say it again, and strides toward him, but Gregory holds him back. Alexis asks Nikolas, what is he doing?

Ava says, as long as there’s a lunatic running around with a hook, she doesn’t think she’ll be sure of much, and Elizabeth says, at the risk of overstepping, at the Quartermaine picnic, Nikolas told her that the two of them were having trouble. She’s under the assumption they worked things out, but in case she’s wrong, can she say something? Ava says, of course (🍷), and Elizabeth says she’s sure Ava knows that Nikolas went through some really dark times growing up. He’s not an easy person, but he is capable of love and devotion. And honestly, she’s only seen him in love one other time before he met Ava. Only Ava can decide what she’s willing to accept, but as for Nikolas, it’s not always pretty, but it is love, unwavering love.

Nina tells Sonny, she has to get to the hospital because Ava is getting discharged. She wants to make one last pitch for Ava to stay with her. Sonny asks why Ava’s not going to Windymere, and Nina says, Ava wants to go to Windymere, but she’s worried that living with Nikolas too soon will be stressful for her. He says he wishes Ava would kick Nikolas to the curb. Nikolas is not a good person. She says, it’s okay. Nikolas and Ava have a powerful connection. He says, she calls it powerful; he calls it toxic. She says, Ava and Nikolas’s marriage is more complicated than they know. Wish as much as he wants, but she wouldn’t assume they’re done. He says, she can’t tell him that they’re good for each other, and she says, a lot people think they’re not good for each other.

Brook says, stop it, and Chase says, stop what? She says, being all sexy. They need to stay focused on the plan. He says, sexy? and she says, he needs to perform flawlessly tonight. He says, right. The more successful he is, the more Linc will want to sign him. She says, and the angrier Linc will be with her, and it will make him want to sign Chase even more. Then when they’ve got Linc exactly where they want him… Chase says, he fires her, signs with Linc, retires, and leaves Linc high and dry. She says, looking like the loser that he is, and Chase says, hopefully, he can be a cop again someday. If they’ll have him. She says, they will. He’s the best guy that’s ever been on the force, and one day, they’ll wise up to that. He says, she thinks so? and she says she knows so. He says, how? and she says, she just does. They kiss, and head for the bedroom. I think, so much for being focused, but Brook breaks away, and says, as much as she wants this – he says, they want this – they need to take this energy and put it into the show. He says, huh? and she says, and all the leftover energy will fill other arenas. Go get dressed, and they’ll talk strategy. He holds up his hands, and leaves to get ready.

Elizabeth says she’ll go get Ava’s paperwork, and Ava asks if Elizabeth is all right. Nikolas mentioned to her that Elizabeth blacked out the night she was attacked, can’t remember where she was or what she was doing. Elizabeth says, sorry. She probably should have told the police all that. Ava says she doesn’t blame Elizabeth for anything; she’s just asking if Elizabeth is okay. Elizabeth flashes back to Reiko at the bottom of the stairs. She says, she just has way too much on her mind, and leaves.

Alexis says, this is a hospital, for Pete’s sake, and Nikolas says he knows. He’s on the board. She says, really? Because he’s acting like he’s on the playground. Come with her – now. I laugh at how she orders him around. Gregory asks if that isn’t Alexis’s nephew, Nikolas Cassadine, and Finn asks how Gregory can tell; the overwhelming smell of jerk in here? Gregory says, and he’s a friend of Elizabeth’s? and Finn says, the word friend might be a little subjective. Gregory remembers Finn said he didn’t think Nikolas had Elizabeth’s best interest at heart, and Finn says, he’s only got his own best interest at heart. Gregory asks why they were going at it about Elizabeth; did Nikolas do something to her? Finn says he doesn’t like Nikolas, and doesn’t trust him. Maybe in his own ultra-privileged narcissistic way, Nikolas does actually care for Elizabeth; he said he was looking out for her. Gregory asks if Finn is taking Nikolas at his word, and Finn says, for now.

Spencer says he’d rather discuss literally anyone else, and Victor says, like his stepmother? He didn’t know Spencer cared so deeply for Ava. Spencer says he doesn’t, and Victor says, she’s the first person he asked about. Spencer says, because she’s important to people he does care about. Victor says, like his father, who Spencer refuses to discuss? but Spencer says, like Trina. Victor says he sees, and Spencer says, speaking of Trina, how is she? Victor says, Spencer should probably as his friends, and Spencer says, he would if they’d visit. Victor says, they haven’t? and Spencer says, Victor’s his first. Victor says he’s sorry, and Spencer says, why? What did Victor do this time? Victor says he should have been here sooner. He got wrapped up in other time-sensitive matters. He’ll try to do better. Spencer says he brought this on himself. The only people who care about him are Victor, maybe Britt, and his grandmother. Of course (🍷) she’s in Italy still. (Um… He left out Sonny.) Victor says, nothing is more important to him than family. If he’d only known what Spencer was going through… Spencer says, it’s not Victor’s fault, but Victor says, let him make it up to Spencer. He can get a message to Trina if Spencer would like him to.

Nina says, granted, their history… Sonny says, is nothing like Nikolas and Ava, but she says, their cheering section is roughly the same size as theirs. Sonny says he doesn’t care what people think; they’re good for each other. She says, he doesn’t have to convince her of that, and they kiss. Selina comes in, and says she was so sorry to hear about Sonny’s cousin’s passing. He thanks her, and she says she understands Nina is close to his widow. Nina says she and Sasha are very close, and Selina says she can’t imagine what that poor woman is going through, especially when her husband’s killer still roams free. If she can be of further assistance in these trying times, please let her know. Sonny says he will, and Selina says, in the meantime, she was wondering if she’d see him at The Savoy tonight. The young talent Sonny mentioned to her is performing, Harrison Chase. He says he was thinking about it, and Nina says she’s got to go. She tells Selina, it was a pleasure to see her, and she’ll see Sonny later. She leaves, and Selina tells Sonny, she’s quite lovely. He smiles, and says, she is. Selina asks if he’s convinced he can keep her safe.  

Selina tells Sonny, Diane is a formidable woman. She’s confident this is not how Diane’s story ends. She sits at the bar, and she says she supposes he has a guard watching Nina, and he says he does. She says she hopes her supposition doesn’t offend him, but it would seem these attacks are related to him. He says, it’s crossed his mind, and she says, and the police? He says, it’s crossed theirs too, and she says, it could be bad for business. Since they share a bottom line, her resources remain at his disposal. He thanks her for her cooperation, and says, anything else? She says, just one more thing. In keeping him apprised per their arrangement, there’s a game scheduled for tonight. Sonny says, she knows the place is going to be crawling with friends of the PCPD; Chase was a cop. She says, it provides her players with a convenient cover, and as an added benefit, they can watch the entertainment. Word of the game has spread, attracting even more influential players and raising the cost of the buy-in. Would he like a seat at the table? He says, it’s an interesting offer, but he already gets a cut of the door. She says he stands to gain so much more. From what she hears, he’s quite a skilled player. Can she deal him in?

Spencer says, thanks, but no, and Victor says he doesn’t know if it’s pride or obstinance, but they both know Trina is important to him. Spencer tells Victor, he never said she wasn’t, and Victor says, if he didn’t want to reach out to her, why bring her up? Spencer says, because he read an article in The Invader that there was another attack by that psycho with a hook, and he wanted to make sure she was okay. Victor says, Spencer needn’t worry. The prevailing wisdom is that these attacks are related to Sonny. Spencer says, Uncle Sonny will take care of and protect his family. He just wishes he could help. Victor tells him to just focus on helping himself. As for these gruesome attacks, there is some good news. His father is no longer… Spencer says, for the last time, he doesn’t want to hear anything about his father. He told his father that he was done with him, and he meant it. If his father is capable of betraying him the way he did, Spencer doesn’t want anything to do with him. Victor says, come on, and Spencer says, where is he? He hasn’t even tried to visit. Victor says, he takes it Spencer wants Nikolas to visit, only so he can turn Nikolas away. Maybe Nikolas is doing Spencer a favor by skipping that part. Spencer says he told Nikolas to stay away, but the man he grew up with, the father that raised him, he wouldn’t have listened. Victor says he’ll talk to Nikolas, but Spencer says, don’t waste his breath. He thanks Victor for visiting him. He has to get to the library. He doesn’t want to be late for his work detail. Victor says, very well. He’ll be back soon. In the meantime, keep his chin up, and watch his back. Spencer hangs up the phone, and leaves.

Alexis reminds Nikolas that her best friend is in the OR fighting for her life, and he says he’s genuinely sorry to upset her, especially when she’s worried about Diane. Has there been any news? She says, Diane is still in surgery, and will be there a while, and he asks if there’s anything he can do to help. She says, he can not brawl in the hospital for starters, and he says, done. Anything else? She says, there’s nothing anybody can do, and he says, he saw The Invader, her op ed, a united front in Port Charles. She says, too much? but he says, it’s perfect. She’s showing this monster that they can’t be intimidated. She thanks him, and says she needed that. He asks if she thinks the attacker is going to answer the challenge, and she says, they’ll find out soon enough. She hopes her instincts are right, and his ego is his downfall, because if it doesn’t work, she’s poked the bear, and set the bear on this path of destruction that’s going to put everyone in danger.

Gregory asks how Elizabeth is doing, and Finn says, good. All things considered, he thinks she’s making progress. Gregory says he’s glad to hear it, when Finn’s phone dings. Finn says he’s sorry, but he has to check on a patient, and Gregory tells him, go save lives. He asks if Finn is going to be at Chase’s show tonight, and Finn says, of course (🍷). He’s coming with Elizabeth, and they’re bringing Terry. Chase is going to be great, but if he bombs, it’s okay to tease him, right? Gregory says, always the supportive brother, and Finn says, always.

Now dressed, Chase calls to Brook. She comes out with a garbage bag, and he says, what’s all this? She asks if he knows how much hidden sugar is in his food, and he says he knows how much he spent on it. She says, that’s beside the point, and he says, she’s throwing out his oranges? She says, does he want to pepper spray his vocal cords; citrus is too acidic. He assumes she got rid of his peppers, and she says, nothing spicy, come on. He looks in the bag, and says, yogurt? She says, a dairy, and he says, eggs? She tells him, she said no dairy, and he says, eggs aren’t dairy. She says, they’re in the dairy section (yeah, I don’t get it either), and he says, his soy milk? She says, don’t even get her started with soy milk and singers; the phlegm. He says, so this bag basically contains everything in his kitchen, and she says, he’s right. There’s nothing in this house for him to eat. She’s got to stop by Deception, and then she’ll treat him to breakfast. Is he coming or not? She pulls him out the door, and I wonder what he’s going to eat for breakfast, since pretty much everything is out. Dry toast?

Valentin and Anna sit down in the MetroCourt restaurant, and Valentin says, he considered bugging Victor’s room, but he takes extensive precautions and would have found it immediately. If he’s learned anything, it’s that Charlotte would have been put in greater danger. They need to get Victor to lower his guard. They need to get someone he won’t see coming. Nina walks over, and says she didn’t know they’d made it official. Valentin asks if it would kill Nina to act a little jealous, and Nina says, oh yeah, and tells Anna, get your hands off my man. Anna says, no, and Nina says she’s glad she ran into Valentin. She’s been thinking about Charlotte. He says, that’s funny. He just heard from her this morning. He shows Nina his phone, and Nina says, look how grown up she is. He says he can hardly believe it himself, and Nina says she knows Charlotte is busy with her fancy school and her friends, but she misses her. Valentin says he misses her too, and Nina says, tell Charlotte to give her a ring. He says he will, and Anna tells Nina, congratulations on being the new co-owner here. Nina thanks her, and says, it’s an adventure. Valentin says, it suits her. She looks happy. She says, he looks happy too; both of them. Anna thanks her, and she says she needs to go. It was good seeing them. Nina goes to the elevator, and Valentin says, he thinks she’s the answer

Sonny tells Selina, it’s an interesting offer, but with everything going on, he doesn’t think he can make that game. She says, the seat is always available to him, when Chase walks in. She says, Mr. Chase. She’s looking forward to hearing him sing tonight. She leaves, and Sonny says he heard about Chase’s gig; congratulations. Chase thanks him, and asks if Nina’s around. He was hoping to thank her. Sonny says, for what? and Chase says, for putting in a word with Curtis about getting him an audition at The Savoy.

By she, Anna hopes Valentin is referring to Lucy and not Nina. Valentin says, Lucy’s already got an assignment. Nina’s the one. She can help them get to Victor.

Alexis asks how things went with Ava. Did Nikolas figure out what to do for her? Nikolas flashes back to Ava reading his confession letter, and says he took Alexis’s advice. He gave Ava total and complete power over him. She says, that wasn’t her advice. How did take a risk and show you care turn into, I’m turning all my power over to you? He says, it was the right thing. It was the only thing he could do. She says, never mind. She doesn’t need to know. She hopes it works. He says, there’s only one way to find out, and they get up. Alexis tells him, good luck. He’s going to need it. He says, it never hurts with Ava, and they hug. Alexis sees Victor, and says, oh look, her cue, and jets. Victor comes over to Nikolas, and Nikolas asks, what brings him by? Victor says, Ava of course (🍷). She is family. He’s here to support the both of them, and Nikolas’s son. Nikolas says, his son’s not here, and Victor says he knows; he just came from visiting Spencer. Nikolas asks, how is he? and Victor says, a visit from his father would do him a world of good. Nikolas says, Spencer made it very clear he doesn’t want to see him, but Victor says, it’s time Nikolas stepped up as a father. His son needs him more than ever.

Elizabeth looks at folders as she walks through the hospital, and flashes back to Reiko again. She nearly walks into Gregory, and says, sorry. She was… He says, somewhere else? and she says, yeah. Between work and everything else, she has a lot going on in her mind. He says he understands. He knows she’s been going through a rough time lately. Finn hasn’t told him any details or betrayed Elizabeth’s confidence, but he wants her to know Finn cares about her a great deal. She says she cares about Finn too, and he starts to leave, but she stops him, and says she needs his help.

Nina says she’s here to spring Ava, and Ava says, thank God. She needs a long hot bath and a big strong drink. Nina says, both of which Ava can get at her place. Come on. Nina knows Ava can go wherever she wants to from here, and Ava believes she can co-exist with Nikolas at Windymere, but she’s worried it’s more challenging than Ava thinks. Ava says, things are definitely still less than ideal, but she hates the idea of being thrown out of her own house. She didn’t do anything wrong; she didn’t screw up. Nina says, that is right, and she’d be more than happy to put Ava up at her place for however long she needs. Nikolas and Victor are at the door, and Nikolas says, that won’t be necessary. He and Ava are going home together.

Spencer puts some books away in the library, and the guard walks out. An inmate comes in, rolls up his sleeves, and looks through a book on the table. As Spencer walks by, he slaps the book Spencer is holding out of his hands. Spencer says, what the hell? and the inmates says, it was long overdue.

Spencer tells Sonny, remember, at the pool, Nina said she was going to talk to Curtis about booking him at The Savoy? Then the two of them left, Chase thought to go talk to Curtis. Sonny says, they went to The Savoy, but he doesn’t think Nina had a chance to talk to Curtis. Chase says, maybe she spoke with him later? but Sonny says he doesn’t think so. He thinks Nina would have told him if she’d asked Curtis to book him. Chase says, if Nina didn’t talk to Curtis, how did his gig get arranged? Sonny flashes back to talking to Selina about Chase, and Selina smiles at him as she gets into the elevator.

Elizabeth says she was hoping Gregory could answer a question, and he says, absolutely; he’d be happy to. She says, how well did he know Finn’s wife Reiko?

Finn sees Alexis, and says he was looking for her. He has news about Diane.

Anna says she has no intention of including another civilian in this, but Valentin says he’s not going to put Nina in harm’s way. But she can help them without being put at risk. She asks what he’s thinking, and he says, to save Charlotte, they need access. Nina could be the key.

Nikolas says he’s made arrangements for every comfort and amenity to await Ava at Windymere. Shall we? Nina folds her arms, and stands next to Ava, and Ava says she’s not going with him. He says, Windymere is her home, and she shouldn’t be driven away because of something he did. She says she has no intention of giving up her claim to Windymere, but she’s not ready to live under the same roof as him… yet. He says he thought after everything they’d discussed… and she says, they’re not there yet. An orderly comes with a wheelchair, and Ava says, perfect timing. She’s ready to go home. Nikolas tells her, he just said… and she says, her old home. Her first home in Port Charles, where she felt safe before she got mixed up with him. If Nina’s offer still stands. Nina says, it certainly does, and Ava says, then let’s go. Nina struts out next to Ava, and Victor puts his hand on Nikolas’s shoulder.

The inmate says, pick it up, but Spencer says he’ll get it later. The inmate repeats, pick it up, and Spencer says, dude dropped it. Pick it up himself. The inmate whacks Spencer in the head with a book, and Spencer falls to the floor.

On Monday, Trina asks why Josslyn is so interested in Dex; Elizabeth tells Finn, the connection never really goes away; and Robert wishes he’d find this guy before he does it again.

📋 Interim Manager…

When someone uses the phrase scene partner, you know they went to acting school.

👻 Knew It…

Like any of us thought she was really dead.

🕺 Terry’s New Squeeze…

Who knew?

📽 New Perspective…

I love stuff like this.

https://ew.com/books/black-hollywood-reimagining-iconic-movie-moments-book-preview/

🍳 Preview Of Hell…

A new season of cooking and yelling.

https://ew.com/tv/gordon-ramsay-hells-kitchen-season-21-preview/

🗽 Start Spreading the News…

Premiering October 19th. The cast looks great. Zachary Quinto is one of the most underrated actors ever.

⚰️ While We’re At It…

Premiering October 2nd.

https://collider.com/the-walking-dead-season-11-part-3-trailer-norman-reedus-jeffrey-dean-morgan/

🦸🏻‍♂️ Leaving You Laughing…

These two are the best, and I love Deadpool.

https://ew.com/movies/ryan-reynolds-hugh-jackman-explain-how-wolverine-alive-in-deadpool-3-timeline-concerns/

🧙🏽‍♂️ Quotes of the Week

The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself. – C. JoyBell C.

The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all.Walt Disney Company (Did you expect someone like Gandhi, the way I did?)

The healthy being craves an occasional wildness, a jolt from normality, a sharpening of the edge of appetite, his own little festival of Saturnalia, a brief excursion from his way of life. – Robert MacIver

The final test of a gentleman is his respect for those who can be of no possible service to him. – William Lyon Phelps

Love is never wasted, for its value does not rest upon reciprocity. – C. S. Lewis

Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work. – Gustave Flaubert

In oneself lies the whole world and if you know how to look and learn, the door is there and the key is in your hand. Nobody on earth can give you either the key or the door to open, except yourself. – Jiddu Krishnamurti

The healthy man does not torture others – generally it is the tortured who turn into torturers. – Carl Jung

Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul. – Mark Twain

🌫 Sensing Kenneth’s Frequency…

Meet me for a condensed recap of Dead people Walking on Sunday, really Monday morning, or two days from now if you’re counting. Until then, stay safe, stay willing to look at things from a different perspective, and stay remembering only you can decide what you’re willing to accept.

September 23, 2022 – Three Victims One Hook, Saying Goodbye, Inclusion, Smoltz (!), Meltdown Theories, Interview Review, Ruined Punchline, Pets (!), 2X4 = Quotes & Van’s Moon

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

We see Brando’s empty garage. Sasha sits in the dark, and says, Brando? Can you hear me? Please tell me you didn’t leave. She hears the door open, and someone comes in.

Nina visits Ava, and says she looks a lot better. Ava thanks her, and Nina gives her some flowers, saying, she’s so glad Ava is out of the ICU. Ava says, if only she could get out of this hospital altogether. She can’t wait to get out of here. Nina says, all in due time, right? and sits down. She says, since Ava told her about Nikolas sleeping with Esme, it sounds like her marriage is over. So has she thought about where she’s going to go when they discharge her?

Gregory knocks at Finn’s office door, and Finn asks what brings him by. Gregory says, just checking to see how Finn is doing. He sees the photo on Finn’s phone, and asks if that’s Reiko, and Finn says, it was taken in the Mariana Islands a long time ago. (Okay, my bad on the wrong island, and also in thinking it was Hayden. I did think it must be Reiko at first, but I couldn’t figure out a connection to Elizabeth. Apparently, there is one.) Gregory asks what’s got Finn thinking about his late wife, when Nurse Andrea comes in, and tells Finn, Mr. Sanchez is prepped and ready for him. He tells Gregory that he’s sorry; this might take a while. Gregory says he’ll walk Finn out, and they leave.

Elizabeth studies the portrait she sketched, which we now know is of Reiko. She says, who are you?

At the MetroCourt bar, Diane and Alexis clink glasses, and Diane says, to Alexis. Alexis says, first of all, Diane doesn’t have to toast her, and Diane doesn’t have to drink an iced tea because she can’t drink. Diane says she wanted an iced tea, just like she wanted to celebrate her best friend, especially after, Two Victims, One Hook. Definite clickbait. Brava, Madame Editor-in-Chief. Alexis says she had her reservations at first, but there was a lot of traffic on the website, and Diane says, well deserved. She asks how Kristina is doing. What did she think of the article? Alexis says she doesn’t think Kristina even read it, and Diane asks what she means. Alexis said Kristina walked in on the attack. Is she having a hard time? Alexis says, just the opposite. She doesn’t think witnessing the attack put her in any danger at all. She did manage to keep Kristina’s name out of the article, but what if the attacker saw her, and didn’t realize Kristina didn’t see the attacker? Diane says she doesn’t like that Kristina is taking this so lightly, but she’s not surprised. She’s always been a very gutsy girl. Even witnessing an attack won’t bring her down. Alexis says, she has her mother to do that for her.

Victor says, alone at last, and Lucy says, he sent the waiter away. Does that mean the meal is over? He says, not at all, my dear. It just means now it’s time to serve themselves.

Anna and Valentin hide, and Johann comes out on deck, drinking a beer. Valentin has to sneeze, and Anna puts her hand over his nose and mouth, pushing him back against the wall. Johann hears them, and takes out his gun. He moves toward where they’re hiding.

Sasha says, Brando? but Sonny says, it’s him. Did she think he was Brando? She says she knows that’s impossible. She just can’t believe he’s gone. Sonny says, it is hard to believe. He was one of a kind. Sasha cries, and he holds her.

Ava says, she’s been thinking a lot about what happens when she’s well enough to leave GH, and Nina says, proud as she is of the MetroCourt – and she’s super proud of it – she hates the idea of Ava camping out in hotel rooms, so Ava will just have to stay with her. Ava thanks her, but says she doesn’t want charity, and definitely doesn’t want pity. Nina says, come on. They’re way past that. She thinks by now they’re fully ensconced in the girlfriend zone. And friends help each other. There’s no charity; there’s no pity. Ava says she knows, but… Nina says, Ava really doesn’t want to stay with her because she’d prefer to go back home to Windymere. But Nikolas is there.

Alexis tells Diane, she’s not sure how it happened, but somehow in warning Kristina about the potential danger, she sort of blurted out that Kristina wasn’t living up to her full potential. Diane says, music to her ears, no doubt, and Alexis says, then to add to that, she sort of blurted out that Kristina was risking her life for a dead end job. Diane says she’s sure that worked. Alexis didn’t bring up law school, did she? Alexis says, no. Kristina’s sharp; she knew what was happening. That’s her point. Kristina is too smart to be spending her life making schedules for the waitstaff. Diane says, she completely agrees, but it’s Kristina’s life. Alexis says, she’s painfully aware of that. She’ll try to do better in keeping her opinions to herself. Diane laughs like it’s the funniest thing ever, and Alexis says, yeah, good luck with that. Nikolas approaches, and says he’s glad he ran into Alexis. He needs her help.

Elizabeth looks at the sketch, and flashes back to her memory, but this time she moves the woman’s hair, and sees her face. Nurse Andrea walks up with Finn, and says, Elizabeth is off today. What’s she doing here?  

Dex walks into the garage, and Sonny says, call Gladys; they’re okay. Sasha asks how Sonny found her, and Sonny says, there are two places that Brando always wanted to be. One was with her, and the other was his garage. So he figured if she was looking for Brando, she would come here. She says, Brando really did love this place. She thinks Sonny giving it to him was the best thing that every happened to him. Sonny says, not at all – she was. Sasha starts to cry again.

Lucy says, so there’s more? and Victor says, whatever she desires. She deserves to be waited on hand and foot. He’s utterly at her service; her wish is his command. She says she can’t. This has all been so lovely, to ask for anything else would just be horrible. He says, please ask. She must promise to always be honest with him, no matter what.

Johann continues to move toward where Valentin and Anna are hiding. They go back toward the door to the deck, and Anna tells Valentin to give her his shoe. He says, no way; these things are Italian. He gives it to her anyway, and she throws it out the door so it hits something, and Johann turns around. He goes back to where he was, and as he reaches the opening in the railing, Valentin runs out the door, and kicks him into the water. They watch as he floats downstream.

Nikolas asks if they can talk, and Alexis says, about what? He says he’d rather speak in private, and Alexis looks at Diane, and they both say, Ava. Diane says, fear not. She has to be going anyway. She tells Alexis, it was lovely having half a drink with her. Go easy on Krissy, and herself. She nods to Nikolas, says, Prince, and leaves. Alexis says, there are therapy apps where he could find a marriage counselor, in person or virtually, but he says, that’s not what he wants to talk about. Alexis told him that Ava was too proud to forgive a stupid mistake. She understands the way Ava thinks – Alexis says, God help her – and clearly he and Ava have a volatile relationship. But when Ava was attacked, everything crystallized for him, and he wants Ava in his life. He doesn’t want to lose her. Alexis says she takes it Ava didn’t have the same epiphany, and he says, that’s why he needs some straight talk. Is it time to give up on his marriage?

Ava tells Nina, Windymere is huge, and she and Nikolas have lived there in the past when they’ve been estranged. Nina asks, is this like the strategy, keep your enemies close? and Ava says, something like that. Nina says, Ava told her before that she wanted to wait to pay for cheating on her. Now’s the time? She’s sure Scotty is just chomping at the bit to get Ava a generous divorce settlement. Ava says, she hasn’t spoken to Scotty about this yet, and Nina says, she’s stalling. Ava’s still in love with her husband.

Dex comes back, and Sonny says, he spoke to Gladys? Dex says, she told him to thank Sonny for finding Sasha, and Sasha says, she guesses she should go home. She just wants to stay here. Sonny tells her, stay, and tells Dex to go. Dex leaves, and Sasha says, it felt like Brando was here, working. Like any minute he would walk through that door with some part he forgot to order. He’d smile and kiss her, and say, thanks for waiting, like any other day. But Brando’s gone, no matter how many times she pretends, or wishes, or tries to convince herself this is just some horrible nightmare. She cries, and says, Brando isn’t here. He’s not anywhere. Sonny says, you know what? It’s like his son Morgan. With his dad it’s different; he got to say goodbye to his dad. But Morgan was like Brando; it was unexpected. It was sudden. One minute he’s here, and the next minute he’s gone. They didn’t even have a body to bury. He tears up, and says he has to confess something to her. A lot of times he goes into crowds, and wants to see Morgan. Sometimes the phone rings, and he thinks it’s Morgan. Sasha asks how long he felt that way, and he says, to tell her the truth, he still scans crowds for Morgan. He just wants to be able to see him one last time. His boy.

Victor asks, what does Lucy want from? Name it. She says, no, she can’t. He asked her not to ask him, so she can’t. She won’t ask him, but he also told her to wait, and she’s so bad at waiting. She was never good at it, and she’s just brimming with curiosity. She’s just always loved a man with a big plan. She’s so excited. Come on. Couldn’t he just give her a teensy weensy little hint? Please? The boat moves, and she says, what is that? Are they stopping? He says, they certainly shouldn’t be, and a man runs in. He tells Victor, there’s someone overboard, and Anna and Valentin hide near the inside exit to the room.

Diane comes into the garage, and Sonny asks what she wants. She tells him, Gladys said Sasha was here. She’d like to speak with her. Sonny says, she’s in Brando’s office, and doesn’t want to deal with anybody. Diane says she can wait. She needs to go over some legal issues that have arisen since Brando’s death. He says, it’s a hell of a time to be doing business, doesn’t she think? and she says she’s been asked to serve as interim counsel. Martin Grey is still out of town. He says, they’re dealing with Brando’s widow. Why should he trust her to represent Sasha when she grilled him on the stand? She says, believe her, she could have gone harder, and Sonny sees Dex lingering around, and yells at him to go. Dex goes outside, and Diane says, understand something; she liked Brando, a lot. She loved the fact that he came into town and rescued Carly. She loved the fact that he became a father figure to Dev Cerci, that boy Sonny was trying to keep in the country. He infiltrated Cyrus Renault’s organization, and saved Sasha. All he wanted was to make an honest living. Brando Corbin was a hero who deserved a much better hand than the one life dealt him. Sonny says, she’ll get no argument from him on that, and she says she’s not here to capitalize on tragedy. She’s just trying to do right by Brando by helping his widow at the request of her lawyer and Brando’s grieving mother. Sonny says, she expects him to ignore her grilling him on that stand at Nina’s hearing? How could she do that to him? She says she was fighting for Michael and Willow. She was doing her utmost to win the case for them, as she would for any client, no matter how ungrateful. She’s been through thick and thin with him; she’s been through good and bad. She’s protected him and his, and has done pretty much everything except dig a grave in the Pine Barrens. He says, she sided with Michael, and she says, Michael retained her to defend him in the petition by Nina for visitation. If Sonny recalls, he and Nina weren’t a couple formally at the time, so there was no conflict of interest. And it was Sonny who spontaneously volunteered to testify on Nina’s behalf. He asked Scotty to put him on the stand. She was only cross-examining him the way any halfway competent lawyer would. He says, she laid out his life for everyone to see. That’s personal to him. How can he forget that?

Ava tells Nina, in love with Nikolas? Hardly. She’s not the sort of woman who would let a man cheat on her and humiliate her and get away with it. Nina says, besides her, who knows Nikolas slept with Esme? and Ava says, just Spencer and Victor. Nina says she doubts they would throw it in Ava’s face if she decided to forgive Nikolas; she won’t. Ava asks why Nina is pushing her to get back with Nikolas, but Nina says she’s not. She just doesn’t want Ava’s pride to get in the way of her happiness. It’s Ava’s prerogative if she wants to expose Nikolas’s bad behavior or forgives him. She just wants Ava to be happy. Ava says she doesn’t know if she could live with herself if she gave Nikolas another chance. She’d be worried, wondering if it could happen again. She’s lived with that kind of betrayal in the past, and she lost her daughter because of it. Nina says, they’ve both made their share of mistakes, and they’ve both suffered, and paid terrible prices, but they’re still here. Ava says, just barely, and Nina says, she’s on the mend, and it’s pretty amazing how they both found love after everything they’ve been through. It’s kind of like a miracle. Whether or not Ava wants to forgive Nikolas is up to her. If she still loves him… Ava says, she blackmailed Nikolas into getting married in the first place, and that is hardly a foundation for everlasting commitment. She laugh/cries, and Nina says, Ava’s marriage may not have started as a love match, but it’s a love match now.

Alexis asks if Nikolas wants to give up on his marriage, and he says, no, but he’s at the end of his rope. Nothing he’s said has budged Ava, even a bit. She says, that’s because talk is cheap, and he asks if that’s the best she can do. She reminds him that he came to her. He’s more than welcome to vacate that barstool for a more nuanced commentary. He says he’s sorry. He’s just trying to figure out what to do. Does Alexis think he needs to take action? She says she doesn’t know what he should do. She doesn’t know what he did, and doesn’t want to. She’s just asking, whatever it is, will it cost Ava her pride to forgive him? He says, definitely, and she says, then he needs to give something back. He says, like what? but she says she doesn’t know. Something that shows Ava that he values his relationship with her; to put something on the line, to risk something for her. Just like he’s asking Ava to swallow her pride in order to take him back.

Elizabeth goes to Finn’s office, and tells him that she convinced Doc to hypnotize her again, since she was on the verge of remembering something. And then she did. She remembered the face of the woman at the bottom of the stairs. He says, that’s encouraging, and asks who she is, but Elizabeth says she doesn’t know. He says, she saw her face, but didn’t recognize her, and she says, she can’t place her. She has no memory of this person except for the moment on the stairs. Except she feels like the woman wasn’t a stranger. Finn’s phone dings, and Elizabeth picks it up to give it to him, and sees the photo. She stares at it, and he says, that’s Reiko, his late wife.

Anna and Valentin listen, and Victor asks if the man is sure somebody went overboard. The man says, he saw the body hit the water, and told the captain to stop. They’re circling back now. Victor says, what is he standing around here for? Help with the rescue operation. He hustles the man out, and Anna peeks in, gesturing to Lucy. Lucy runs to Victor, saying, oh my God. The man could drown. Victor has to help save him; he’s so strong. Victor says he should supervise. He won’t be long. She says she’ll be here when he gets back. Go… like the wind. He leaves, and she runs back, telling Anna and Valentin, he’s gone. They come out, and she says, wait a minute. Did they throw a man overboard? What happened to Valentin’s shoe? Valentin says, don’t worry about it, and Anna says, it’s just Johann; he never saw them. Valentin says, no one knows they’re here, but that could change at any moment. Lucy asks what they’re doing here, and Anna says, they’re rescuing her. Lucy says she doesn’t want to be rescued, and Anna says, they don’t have time for games. Victor could be back at any moment. They have to go now. Lucy says she’s not going right now, because then Victor will know she’s playing him, and probably know that Anna set her up to do this whole thing. He’s just starting to open up to her. Valentin says, obviously a scene of seduction; champagne petit fours… How does Lucy expect the scene is going to end? Lucy says, she can handle Victor. He is putty in her hand. She flashes the bracelet, and says she hasn’t felt this alive in years. She’s still got it.

Diane tells Sonny, there’s no need to keep discussing this. She would like to speak to Sasha, but if that’s not going to happen, please have Sasha give her a call. She starts to leave, but Sonny says, wait. Sasha needs a good lawyer. Diane says, good? when Sasha comes out. Diane says she’s so sorry about Brando. She was just telling Sonny how much she admired him. Sasha thanks her, and Diane says she doesn’t want to intrude on Sasha’s grief, but Martin Grey is still out of town, and he and her mother-in-law feel there might be some pressing legal issues that require Sasha’s immediate attention. So she’s been asked to serve as interim counsel, if that’s okay with Sasha. Sasha says she guesses, but what’s so important it can’t wait? Diane says, it’s a confidential matter, but Sasha says she can talk in front of Sonny. Diane says, it concerns her guardianship, and Sasha says, that’s settled. Brando… Diane says, Sasha’s agreement to avoid prison stipulates that she must have a legal guardian, and Sonny asks if Diane is saying it’s null and void. Sasha asks if she’s going to prison.

Gregory sees Alexis at the MetroCourt, and says, if it isn’t the women behind the headlines. How’s the response? She says, good and bad. She thinks the general public was glad they were alerted to the fact there’s a hook wielding maniac on the loose. The Police Commissioner is another matter. He says he’d like to hear more, and asks if she has time to join him for coffee. She says, sure. Why not?

Elizabeth says, this is Reiko? and Finn says, a long time ago. They were both with Doctors Without Borders; it was their first post. Elizabeth says, she looks so young. He doesn’t talk about her. Finn takes the phone, and says he knows. He was never able to make piece with how she died, infected with the same disease he was trying to cure. She says, Blackwoods Disease. What brings her up for Finn now? He says, a case he’s working on reminded him of something that he and Reiko went through when they were posted on the Mariana Islands. She says, near Guam, right? and he says, she amazes him. Most people don’t even know those islands exist. When they were there, they had a good friend, a good doctor; he died of a poisonous snake bite. She rubs her head, and he asks if she’s okay. Got a headache? She says, a little bit, and he says, from hypnotherapy? She says, probably. She’s so frustrated because she has these little pieces she can’t seem to put together to see the larger picture. He says, it’s okay. It’s coming. Every day she’s learning more. She says, none of it makes sense. She needs to go home and lie down for a little bit. He says he thinks she’s incredible, and kisses her. He says, she’s going to find the truth, and she leaves. In the hallway, she unfolds the sketch and looks at it.

Anna tells Lucy that she’s in way over her head. She can’t underestimate Victor. Lucy says, she knows, but listen to her. He actually told her that he has a plan. A big plan, and he wants to include her. Anna says, what plan? but Lucy says she doesn’t know because they interrupted. She’s getting thisclose to it. Valentin looks out the doorway to the deck and runs back, saying, someone’s coming. He keeps going out the other door, and Anna says, this is Lucy’s last chance. If she doesn’t come with them now, she’s on her own. Lucy says she’s fine. She’s got this, she promises. Anna leaves, and Lucy scrambles around, deciding to go behind the bar like she was making a drink. Victor brings in Johann, with a blanket around him, and Lucy asks, what happened? Victor says he’s not entirely sure. Johann went overboard, but he isn’t able to tell Victor how or why. He must have gotten a concussion when he hit the water. Lucy says, that’s awful. Drink this. She hands him a snifter of brandy, and Victor says, focus. Tell him what happened. Johann says he was on the deck. Maybe he lost his balance? Victor asks if he could have been pushed. Did he see anyone else? Johann says he doesn’t remember seeing anyone. He was… Victor says, what? and Johann says, having a drink. Lucy says, drinking on the job; that is really dangerous. She takes the brandy away from him, and Johann says, he wasn’t drunk. Victor tells him to go back to his stateroom and dry off. He’ll call the captain and see if they have a medic on board. Johann says he’s sorry for the trouble, and Victor says, they’ll deal with it later. Johann leaves, and Lucy says, poor Johann. Alcoholism is such a serious burden. She takes a sip of the brandy, and Victor says, something’s off.

Diane tells Sasha, the presiding judge needs to reevaluate the plea, and Sasha says she only agreed the first time because she trusted Brando. Now that he’s gone, it’s over for her. Diane says, legally it’s not, and Sonny says, Sasha shouldn’t have to go through this right now. Diane says she completely agrees. That’s why she’s prepared to file a continuance, pending Sasha’s approval. Sasha says, Diane has her approval, and Diane thanks her. She asks if Sasha knows where Brando kept his copy of the guardianship decree, and Sasha says, in his office. Or maybe their place; he didn’t say. Sonny asks if Sasha wants Diane to go in Brando’s office and check for the papers, and Diane says, the sooner they get this sorted, the better. Providing it’s okay with Sasha. Sasha says, it’s fine. She should go home. She’s tired. Sonny says, he’ll take her, and tells Diane, Brando’s office is in the back. Diane says, copy that; she’s on it. Sasha leaves, Sonny thanks Diane, and follows.  

Alexis says she has it on good authority that the Police Commissioner is unhappy with their article, and Gregory asks if she’s surprised. She says she’s not insensitive to Jordan’s concerns, she just considers warning the public to be for the greater good. Gregory says, it doesn’t hurt that the readership is up, does it? and she says, 30%. Most people were glad for the warning, but a small amount said The Invader was fearmongering. He says, the article he read didn’t sensationalize the crime; it just gave the facts. He was very impressed. She says, now she can sleep at night, and he laughs. He says he knows his opinion doesn’t matter, but she says, actually it does. It matters to her.

Sonny calls Nina, and says, he found Sasha. He could use her help. Nina says she’s confused. Sasha was missing? Why didn’t someone call her? Sonny says, they’re at Brando’s garage. He’s going to take Sasha home. Can she meet them there? She says, of course (🍷). She needs to be there. She’ll see him soon. Ava asks if Sasha’s okay, and Nina says, no. Sasha is definitely not okay. She should be with her. Nikolas comes in, and asks if he and Ava can talk. Ava tells Nina, go help Sasha. She’ll be okay. Nina leaves, and Ava tells Nikolas, say whatever it is he came here to say. But know that it’s going to take more than words to make things right between them. He says he knows. That’s why he brought this. He holds out an envelope.

Sasha hugs Brando’s coffee cup, and Sonny tells Dex to make sure he locks up when Diane is finished. He’s taking Sasha home. Dex asks if she’s going to be okay, and Sonny says, she has her family to take care of her. He asks if she’s ready to go, and she says, yeah; she’s done. She sets the cup down, which surprises me, and leaves with Sonny. Dex says, don’t worry. He’ll take care of things here.  

Finn looks at the photo of Reiko.

Elizabeth takes down a box from the shelf in her closet. She looks through it, and takes out a photo album. She turns the pages, and finds a loose photo of herself at a young age with another girl. On the back, it says, Sarah and Elizabeth, Mariana Islands, 1997.

Ava asks, what’s that? and Nikolas says he’s done talking. This is proof of how much he loves her.

Anna and Valentin walk out on Pier 54, and Anna says, the zodiac is docked. Are they coming after us? He says he doesn’t see any sign of a disturbance. He thinks they got away clean… except for his shoe. She says, he’ll live, and he says, she’s glowing. She calls him a smooth talker, and he says, she’s really in her element, isn’t she? She says, it’s fun working together. He says he’s sorry their rescue attempt fell flat, and she says she wanted Victor to be enamored with Lucy, but she’s still very concerned that putting her in his sight is such a risk. He says, it was her call. She didn’t want to leave. What can they do to keep an eye on the situation? If she needs them, they can help her. She says, her worry is that it’s not if, but when.

Lucy suggests she and Victor get back on track, and resume this date they’re having. He says he’s surprised she called it a date; she seemed determined to make it about business. She says she doesn’t know many business meetings she’s had where she’s been presented with diamonds. So she can safely assume this is a date. He says she doesn’t seem angry, and she says, she does feel compelled to tell him that she’s spoken for. She’s really very much in love with Marty. However, Victor is making it very difficult – she plays with his lapels, then his tie – to stay true. And she finds herself wondering what a future with Mr. Victor Cassadine looks like. He puts his hands on her shoulders, and says, well, let’s find out.

Alexis tells Gregory, this coffee is probably the last thing she needs right now. She’ll be up all night. Not that she needs an excuse. She’s still really worried about Kristina. She witnessed that attack, and that could make her a target. He asks if she’s given more thought to the idea of posting an open letter in The Invader to try and draw the killer out. Get them to give something away, some clue that could help the PCPD to catch them? Then Kristina will be safe. She says, she thinks if they engage the killer, keep them occupied, it could give the police more time to investigate. He says, start a dialogue; provide a distraction. She says, maintain balance though. She doesn’t want to give the attacker a platform, just enough rope to hang. She’s been a lawyer a long time, and she’s seen cases like this. And she doesn’t believe for one minute this killer is done.  

Diane comes out of Brando’s office, and looks through a folder, her back to the door. We see someone with a hook outside. A hooded figure comes in, and raises the hook.

On Monday, Gregory asks Alexis when they start; Ava says she’s going to need much more; Valentin tells Anna that he’s going to have to murder his own father; and Diane lies in a pool of blood.

🧰 Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye…

Still nothing that really says why he left. It didn’t sound like he wanted to though. Maybe he was just a sacrificial lamb for the hook storyline. I’m really hoping Diane isn’t.

✈️ Broadening Horizons…

The answer to my dialect question. I love these two. And whoever dresses Selina is spot-on. I love her wardrobe.

📸 Nice Of Her…

Well, I guess if Alexis likes him, he’ll grow on me.

💎 Surprise DEFCON 1…

A coupla things. Kathy was pretty pissed about the tequila. Maybe she was drunk. Then again, there are those estrangement periods with Kyle. Which I can totally understand, since I find her annoying, but Kathy is her sister. Also, weren’t there others who talked about her creating a commotion at the last bar they went to?

https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/kathy-hilton-rhobh-aspen-controversy-explained

🧛🏻‍♂️ Bloody Good…

I haven’t seen the first episode, but I watched a preview special on it, and it looked good.

https://collider.com/interview-with-the-vampire-review-anne-rice-amc/

⚰️ About That Spin-Off…

He’s got a point about revealing who lives.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-jeffrey-dean-morgan-dead-city-interview/

🐕 Wag That Tail…

I’d follow them. The pets, I mean.

🧙🏽 Quotes of the Week

Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do. – Voltaire

For it’s not light that is needed, but fire; it’s not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind and the earthquake in our hearts. – Frederick Douglass

If I was the toe that broke the camel’s back, I apologize. – Kathy Hilton, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Maturity is achieved when a person accepts life as full of tension. – Joshua L. Liebman

Fear imprisons, faith liberates; fear paralyzes, faith empowers; fear disheartens, faith encourages; fear sickens, faith heals; fear makes useless, faith makes serviceable – and, most of all, fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life, while faith rejoices in its God. – Henry Emerson Fosdick

The Ukrainians don’t even want to be in the Ukraine right now. – Caesar Mack’s friend April, 90 Day: The Single Life, after finding out he was traveling there

Always look at what you have left. Never look at what you have lost. – Robert H. Schuller

There is no sincerer love than the love of food. – George Bernard Shaw

🍂 Someone Turned Off the Heat…

Switching gears for the next two days, but put it in park on Monday for soap and a Deck birthday. Until then, stay safe, stay not getting distracted by the minutia, and stay remembering, talk is cheap.

September 16, 2022 – Sasha Gets News About Brando, Madame Mayor, Reese, a Goodbye, Jersey Talk, Won’t Be Missed, Boatmance Fail, Daryl’s Spin, But Wait, Game Of Weather, Quotes Tenfold & Dance

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Lying on a chaise with her eyes closed, Britt hears someone walking near her, and says, prosecco not champagne; do you even have to ask? Selina – is she wearing Pucci??? – says she pegged Britt as more bitter than sweet.

Dante comes to the stable, and Cody says, howdy. How was the first night in the new pad? Dante says, cut short. His cousin Brando was attacked last night. Cody says, Brando; he’s married to the model, right? Is he going to be okay? Dante says he doesn’t know. Brando is in surgery. Cody says he’s sorry to hear that. Let him know if there’s anything he can do to help. Dante asks if Cody can tell him where he was last night.

Curtis sees Jordan at the hospital, and says he’s guessing she’s here because of Brando. That’s terrible news. She says, it is. She’s got to catch this person before she strikes again. Everybody’s already on edge. He says, good luck with that, and she says, him too. He says, luck? Does he need it? She shrugs, and says, you tell me.

Gladys wonders why it’s taking so long. Why haven’t they been told anything about Brando yet? Sonny says, these things take time. They’re just going to have to stay positive. She says she’d rather be informed, and asks if he can’t do something. He’s a big shot donor here; Brando is Sonny’s family. Sonny says he’ll go check, and see what he can find out. He leaves, and Gladys goes back to Sasha, who says she can’t believe they’re here again.

Dex approaches Sonny, and Sonny asks if Dex stayed out of sight like he told him to. Dex says, Josslyn never saw him. The door was pretty secure, but he kept watching her room all night. Sonny bangs the desk, and looks like he has a headache. He says he’ll be damned if he’ll let that maniac hurt anyone he cares about again. Nina joins them, and asks if there’s any word on Brando. Sonny says he was just going to ask the nurse. How is she doing? Nina says, not great. She’s worried about Sasha, and praying for Brando. She’s okay, but not great. He says he wants her to stay that way; understand him?

Kristina brings Gladys some coffee, and asks if there’s any news. Gladys says, not yet, and thanks her. Portia approaches, and Sasha and Gladys get up.

Britt tells Selina, let’s just get this over with. Selina doesn’t want Britt hanging out with Brad. Selina says, on the contrary. She’s come to realize that Britt’s association with her nephew has its advantages. Britt says, because she helped convinced Brad to work for Selina? Not her finest hour. Selina says, but look how Bradley is thriving. Britt has proved to be a good friend to him. Britt says, one who caved under pressure, and Selina says, because she mentioned the incident in 2016? Britt was free to ignore her wishes, and risk exposure of the incident in question. The fact that Britt chose the more prudent choice, makes Selina more supportive of Britt’s friendship with her nephew. Britt says, being Selina’s errand boy is only a temporary position for Brad. She may have her hooks in him now, but she assures Selina, Brad’s his own man. Brad comes back with drinks, and says he wasn’t expecting Selina. Can he get her a mimosa? Have his.

Cody says he’s sorry about what happened to Dante’s cousin, but he didn’t have anything to do with that. Dante knows that, right? Dante says, of course (🍷) he knows Cody didn’t have anything to do with that. He’s trying to see if Cody has an alibi. Cody says, probably not, unless he can take statements from the horses. He made sure they were ready for bed, did his walk-through, and went up to his room. Dante asks if anyone can verify that, but Cody says, nope. He doesn’t have an alibi for an attack on a total stranger he’s never even met. So what now? Is the Chief of Detectives going to interrogate him personally now?

As they walk to the stable, Leo asks if Brook remembered the lumps of sugar, and she says she’s got them, but maybe she should have worn different shoes. Leo says, like cowboy boots? but she says, never… Maybe if they had fringes or studs. Leo says he bets Chase would like that, and she says, you know, smarty pants… you’re right.

Curtis tells Jordan that he already feels lucky. He’d feel luckier if those divorce papers were already signed and filed. She says she couldn’t help but notice some tension between him and Sonny at Trina’s party the other night. Is everything okay? He says, it was nothing, but she says, it didn’t look like nothing. He wonders if she’s asking as the Commissioner or as his wife, and she says, neither. She’s asking as his friend. He says, he and Sonny just had a difference of opinion about favors. Why the interest? She says, just a renewed curiosity in Sonny Corinthos’s relationships, friends and enemies. Curtis isn’t the only one Sonny’s gotten on the wrong side of lately. Both Ava and Brando have close ties to Sonny, and both were attacked. It could be a coincidence, or it could be that a pattern is emerging. He says he can’t speak to that. He lifts the Styrofoam container he’s holding, and says, Portia’s breakfast is getting cold. Jordan asks if they’re good, and he says, if she’d asked him that a couple of days ago, he’d have said, absolutely. She says, and now? and he says he’s not sure anymore.

Portia says, Dr. Chang just got done operating, and wanted her to let Sasha know that her husband made it through the surgery. Gladys says, thank God, and Sasha asks how he’s doing. Portia says, the damage was extensive, but the doctor was able to repair it. The good news is, Mr. Corbin is strong, and he’s in good health. Sasha says, and the bad news? and Portia says, there are always concerns after major surgery such as Brando’s, but she wouldn’t categorize it as bad news. These are just cautions. Sasha says, like what? and Portia says, one of the common concerns after a surgery like this would be sepsis. When chemicals released in the bloodstream to fight infection, are actually triggering inflammation. But it’s highly unlikely. They’re keeping a very close eye on him. Gladys asks if they can see him, and Portia says, family only, and only one at a time. Gladys thanks her, and Portia leaves. Sonny tells Nina that he has something to take care of. He’ll be right back. He goes over to Portia by the elevator, and says he wanted to thank her for the way she handled Sasha and his cousin Gladys. They were terrified, and she was very calm. She says, there’s no need to thank her; it’s part of her job. He says he knows, but she has a good way about her. She’s very direct, so he’s going to be direct with her right now. He wants her to tell him what the chances are of his cousin pulling through.

Dante asks what Cody did here last night. Did he call anyone? Send any emails? Cody says he watched TV. What the hell is going on here? Dante says he’s helping Cody establish an alibi. He already told Cody, he doesn’t think Cody had anything to do with the attacks. Cody says, thanks, but tell his boss to back off. Dante says, his boss isn’t going to listen to him. Mac is going to run the investigation the way he sees fit. Cody says, turning it around on him? He doesn’t need this aggravation. He doesn’t need to be on the Chief of Detectives’ radar. He just wants to do his own thing. Keep it moving. Brook comes in with Leo, and says, yoohoo, buckaroos. Dante asks, what’s going on? and Leo asks, how’s Comet today? Cody says, he’s great. He’s missing his buddy. They do a fancy handshake, and Cody says, Comet is out back. He was just going to feed him. Does Leo want to help? Leo says he has the lumps of sugar, and Cody says, let’s get to it. They leave, and Brook says she hopes they didn’t interrupt. Dante says he’s always glad to see her, and she calls him a liar. What is this she hears about him and a change of address? He says, how… Chase, and she says she does live with his mom. She’s up on all things Dante. Congratulations. It’s great he and Sam are moving in together. He says, back atcha. Her and Chase. It took them long enough. She laughs, and he says he’s got to go. Tell Cody that he’ll catch him later, and don’t sweat it.

Selina says she keeps her mind sharp, and Brad asks if he can get her some coffee, something to eat, a chaise. She says, that’s not necessary. She’s just passing through. He says, right; the high roller from Easton. Speaking in Chinese, she says, do not speak of work in front of outsiders, and he responds in kind, apologizing. He asks if she needs his assistance right now, but she says, enjoy his time off. He’ll know when she needs him. Speaking in English again, Selina says, since Britt is a cocktail aficionado, Brad must introduce her to the Green Dragon sometime. Always a pleasure. She leaves, and Britt says, the Green Dragon? Brad says, it’s a green drink, popular in China. The green liqueur makes it an acquired taste. She says, like his aunt, and he says, on the bright side, he thinks she’s starting to warm up to Britt. Britt says, Selina doesn’t like her as much as she doesn’t like Brad. They’re just useful  to her. He asks how Britt is useful to his Aunt Selina.

Jordan says she thought she and Curtis were in a good place, and he says, so did he, until he found out they were still married. She says, so this is about the divorce papers? She apologized, and he seemed to understand. He says he accepted her apology; he never said he understood. How come he didn’t hear from her when she learned about those papers? She didn’t call him or send him a message; nothing. Instead, he had to come to her. She says, bottom line, they discovered the mistake before his wedding. So it’s all good, right? He says, is it? and she asks if she’s given him reason to think otherwise. He says, actually, yes. He knows her and he know how organized she is – to a fault. Yet one of the most important documents of their lives gets lost on her watch. She says, he knows good and well what kind of time she was going through. She was very ill. He says, that’s what he’s trying to tell himself, that’s all it was, and she says, what else would it be? He asks her to answer this honestly. How does she feel about him and Portia getting married? She says she wants him to be happy, but he says, that’s not what he asked. He needs her to level with him. She knows how important honesty is to him. She asks if Portia knows that, and he asks, what does that mean?

Britt asks what Brad and Selina were talking about, and he says, just business. She says, so life as a foot soldier for auntie dearest is working out for him? and he says, things are going surprisingly well. He’s no longer feeling aimless, and he’s definitely not bored. Britt says, Selina hasn’t asked him to do anything he’s uncomfortable with, right? and he says he’s adapting. So far, he doesn’t hate it. What more can he say? She asks if he regrets working for Selina, and he says he’s fine. Why? She says she’s just checking up on her bestie.

Cody asks if Dante left, and Brook says, yeah. He said to tell Cody goodbye and don’t sweat it. What exactly is he sweating? Leo says, yeah, what is he sweating? and Cody says he made a big mistake. He broke something that’s very important to him, but – he picks up a small trophy of a horse – he thinks he fixed it. Can Leo be careful? He gives it to Leo, and Leo says, he won this? Cody says he did, when he was about Leo’s age. Brook’s phone rings, and she says she needs to change her shoes. Cody says, if she’s got to take off, he’s got Leo, and she asks if Leo is good here. Leo says, with Cody? Yeah. She leaves as she answers the phone, and Leo says, Cody won this in a competition? and Cody says, someone once told him, you earn your trophies during practice; you just pick them up at competitions. It’s kind of like winning or losing. It all comes down to how well prepared you are ahead of time. He never forgot that, and never will. Leo says, neither will he.

Sonny tells Portia, give it to him straight. Should he be preparing Sasha and Gladys? Portia says, he knows she can’t tell him this, and he says he’s not asking her to give it up; he just wants to be ready. She says she gets it, and she’ll give him this. These type of wounds can have complications. It’s not unreasonable to be prepared. Is he a praying man? He says, yes he is, and she says, prayer helps. She has every reason for cautious optimism. Now if he’ll excuse her, she’s been here all night. She’s going to grab some breakfast. He gets in the elevator with her, and says, breakfast is on him

Jordan says, people getting married should be on the same page. She and Curtis weren’t, and it was their downfall. Curtis says, that’s why this time he wanted to do it differently. He and Portia have been completely transparent with each other. Jordan tells him, if you say so, and he says, that’s the second time she’s made a comment like that. Does she think because their marriage failed, he and Portia can’t succeed, or does she just not want them to? Portia and Sonny get off the elevator.

Sonny asks Jordan if there’s any word on who attacked Brando, but she says, nothing yet. Curtis asks what Portia is up to, and she says she was just going to grab a quick bite. He hands her the container (which no doubt is cold by now), and says, quick enough? She thanks him, and he and Portia get in the elevator. Curtis says he’s sorry to hear about Sonny’s cousin, and they all say their goodbyes. Sonny says he’s not used to seeing Jordan this way, and she says, what way is that? He says, rattled, and she says, it’s been a long night, when Dante comes by. He asks how Brando is, and Sonny says, the surgery went well. Jordan says, glad to hear that, and asks if Sasha and Gladys are around. Sonny says, they were on their way to ICU, and she says she’d like to ask them a few questions, but Sonny says, that’s not a good idea. They’ve had a rough night. She’ll have to make do with him.

Brad asks, what’s up with Cody? Is Britt going to give him a second date? She says, they’re in a holding pattern, since Cody is considering leaving Port Charles, and Brad asks, why? He’s got a good job, a cushy living situation – in the Quartermaine manse, no less – and he’s dating a bombshell. Why would he want to leave? She says, the PCPD has been asking too many questions about him.

Cody teaches Leo how to sit on a saddle, and tells him to pretend he has a string in the middle of his head, pulling him up, but relax his butt in the saddle. He’s a natural. Leo says, then what? and Cody says, then you take your horse to do some tests, like different gaits. The point of the competition is to show control, your mastery of the horse. Leo asks, who taught Cody all this stuff? and Cody says, there was a horse trainer on the estate where he grew up. The trainer taught him everything he knew about horses. He was the closest thing to a father Cody had. Leo says, dad isn’t his birth father either, but he’s kind too. Cody guesses they’re both lucky, and they fist bump.

In her office, Portia asks if Curtis is going to tell her what she and Sonny walked in on, and he says, just some housekeeping with Jordan. She says, the divorce papers? and he says, among other things. She says, he didn’t, and he tells her, he’s not saying Jordan intentionally misplaced the papers, but after talking to Portia and TJ, he’s thinking it’s a possibility. She asks what TJ said, and Curtis tells her, he didn’t say anything about the divorce specifically, but it’s clear Jordan is throwing herself into work and neglecting her personal life. Portia says, maybe she’s not ready to get out there just yet. With her work, she probably has no time to sleep, much less meet someone new for a coffee date.

Dex sees Kristina by herself in the waiting area, and asks if she’s okay. She says she guesses she’s more freaked out than she’s willing to admit. She can’t believe she saw that psycho stab Brando. He asks if she saw who did it, and she says, not clearly. The alley’s not lit, and it was pouring down rain. He saw she was also probably in shock, and she asks if that’s ever happened to him. He says, the first couple times he saw action. It takes a while to learn how to focus in stressful situations. She says, it’s a good thing he was there when Ava was stabbed. She heard he was calm and collected. He says, you know how they say a swan glides on the surface, but is paddling furiously underneath? She says, so he’s not as unruffled as he seems? and he says, half of keeping your cool is faking it. She says, she’ll keep that in mind, but she’s definitely had her fill of horrible situations. He says, that’s too bad. He hopes she never has to see anything like that again, but if she does, just keep paddling.

At Brando’s room, Gladys says she’ll go in after Sasha, but Sasha tells her to go in first. Gladys thanks her, and goes inside, where Brando is hooked up to machines. Nina asks Sash what she can do, and Sasha says, tell her it won’t happen again; that she won’t lose Brando too. Nina tells her, Dr. Robinson said he’s doing fine. And think about everything Brando has to live for, Sasha being at the top of that list.

Gladys sits next to the bed, and says, it’s like when she brought him home as a newborn. She was so afraid to hurt him. This time, he’s already hurt. Tell her who hurt him. Open his big blue eyes, and tell her who put him in this bed, so she can hunt them down, and give them an ounce of the hell she’s going through.

Leo asks if there are any competitions in Port Charles, and Cody says, he’ll find out if there’s a local chapter of the Stirrup Society. It’s an organization for kids that teaches riding and sportsmanship, and how to take care of horses. Leo says, Cody already taught him all that stuff, but Cody says, Leo could learn a lot more if he took lessons with the Stirrup Society. They do riding events and competitions. Maybe he’ll take Leo to one. Leo says he’s going to tell Comet, and runs off. Brook comes back, and says, Cody is so good with him. Cody says, Leo is good with him. Leo is one of the only people he doesn’t have to pretend with. She asks if he does a lot of pretending, and he says, being the new guy in town. It’s hard to make a good impression. She says he seems to have been successful. Olivia adores him, and Sam and Dante. Britt’s not complaining… much. He says he and Dante go way back. Not many people have given him multiple chances. Sometimes it seems easier to start over than fix something that’s broken. She says she’s been there. She’s run away, but wherever she arrived, there she was. He says, damn. She has layers. She laughs, and says, that’s an understatement. She doesn’t know what he’s facing, but everyone in the house is glad he’s here. She hopes he sticks around.

Britt says, then he threatened to punch Mac, and Maxie walked in, and Brad says, wasn’t Maxie on Team Cody? She says, not anymore, and he says, as the town pariah, he’s experiencing sympathy here. Cody’s reaction makes sense. Finding out your a person of interest in a brutal attack would put anyone on edge, especially when you don’t know the victim. She says, which was her point to Maxie, but Maxie wasn’t having it.  Now she thinks Cody’s not worth Britt’s time. He says, Maxie’s cool and all, but judging from her last fiancé, she might not be the best source of romantic advice. She says, and we are? and he says, speak for herself. He just exchanged numbers with a guy at the bar earlier. The mojo is back. She asks, who says mojo? and he says, whatever. Magnetism, charisma, swagger… You know who else has swagger? She tells him, don’t say it, and he says, face it. She’s drawn to that big, brash bull of a man. So why doesn’t she just cast aside all doubt, and take Cody Bell by the horns?

Curtis tells Portia, Jordan is a busy woman, but whether or not she’s dating isn’t an indicator if she’s over him or not. Portia says, but he seems to feel like she isn’t, and he says, Portia brought it up first; tell him. Portia wonders why it even matters at this point, and he says, it would explain why he gets the sense Jordan is holding back when it comes to those papers. She says she does believe Jordan still harbors feelings for him, but she doesn’t get the sense Jordan is angling to get him back. He says, then why didn’t she file those divorce papers? and Portia says, let’s say Jordan intentionally lost the papers, and wants him back. Would that change things for him?

Dante asks Sonny, where’s Kristina? How’s she doing? Jordan says, she’s on the 10th floor. Why doesn’t he go up, and she’ll meet him there? He leaves, and Jordan asks if Sonny can tell her anything about Brando that might help. Any disgruntled employees? How’s his relationship with Sasha? Sonny says, everybody loves Brando; he doesn’t have an enemy in the world. She says, what about Cyrus Renault? Brando used to work for him at some point. He asks if she’s looking at Cyrus, and she says, she’s looking at every possible scenario, including a possible link to Sonny. Has he had any business problems lately? He says, just the normal ones, but Brando and Ava don’t work for him. She says, if he wants to help her stop this maniac, stop stonewalling. The only possible connection she can find between Brando and Ava is him.

Dex tells Kristina that he usually goes to Perks, but this place is around the corner from where he lives, so he figured, why not? After waiting in line ten minutes to overpay for a pour over coffee this big – he separates his thumb and index finger about two inches – now he knows why not. She says she knows the place he’s talking about; on the corner of 8th and Van Nyes. He says, that’s it. The most pretentious, ridiculous… Dante joins them and hugs Kristina. She tells him, Brando made it through surgery, and he says he heard. How’s she holding up? She says, it’s been rough, but Dex is helping her keep her mind off of it. Dante says, Dex is a real great guy. He seems to be everywhere these days. Dex says, that’s what he gets paid for, and Dante asks if Kristina knows he works for Sonny. She says she does, and Dante asks if one of his jobs isn’t to protect the family. Dex says he does, when called upon. No one in Dante’s family is at risk from him. Dante says, they both know that’s not entirely true, right?

Gladys comes out of Brando’s room, nods to Sasha, and Sasha goes in. Nina asks how Brando is doing, and Gladys says, he’s not in any pain that she can tell. Nina says, that’s good, and Gladys says, they’re taking it for him. She would take it all if she could. She asks how Sasha is, and Nina says, desperate not to lose him. Gladys says, that makes two of them.

Sasha takes Brando’s hand, and says, he goes to bat for everyone around him; her, Gladys, Sonny and his family. She knows it must be exhausting for him. She must be exhausting. She’s asking him to rally one more time. Fight. She needs him to fight for her. She knows he’s tired, and knows he’s hurting, but he needs to push through. Fight for her. She promises he doesn’t have to worry about her anymore. She’ll do whatever she has to, to get better for him. He deserves the best because he is the best. She believes in him. She believes in him more than she’s ever believed in anyone or anything. She kisses his hand.

Britt asks Brad why she would agree to date a man who runs at the first sign of trouble. Brad says, Cody’s still in Port Charles, and she says, for the moment, but they all leave eventually. He says, maybe Cody is different, and she says, Maxie thinks Cody’s up to no good. He says, like that’s a deal breaker. No disrespect to Maxie or anyone else, but if she likes the guy, if she thinks they might be good together, take a shot. Don’t freeze him out. She asks if he’s advising her to give Cody the benefit of the doubt, and he says, a novel concept, he knows. She thanks him for saying she’s a bombshell, and he tells her, don’t be so modest. Get her swagger on. She knows she could melt dry ice. Besides she’s always looking out for him. It’s the least he can do to thank her for it.

Leo says he told Comet their joining the Stirrup Society, and Cody says, he told Leo they could go watch; there’s a big difference. Besides, he’ll need his parents’ permission to participate. Leo tells him, they’ll say yes, especially when he explains why they should. Brook laughs, and says, she thought she was the only one who could play her dad like a fiddle. She tells Leo, competition takes a lot of training and practice. Is he ready for that? Leo says, Cody will train him, and Brook wonders if he’s asked Cody. Leo asks if Cody will train him. He already knows where he’s going to put his trophy, but he can’t do it without Cody. Cody says he won’t have to, and they hug.

Curtis says, this wasn’t the conversation he expected to have this morning, and Portia says, neither did she, but they’re in it now. What if Jordan wants him back? He says, he and Jordan loved each other, and fought hard to be together, and Portia says, that type of love doesn’t just vanish when you move on. He says, no it does not. He’ll always care for Jordan. They built a history together, but that’s exactly what it is; it’s history, it’s in the past. Portia is his future; his beautiful exciting new future. She says, he once viewed a future with Jordan, but he says, that’s before he realized they had fundamental differences. Before he learned of all the secrets she kept. This isn’t about how Jordan feels about him, it’s about how he and Portia feel about each other. He couldn’t be with Jordan because he could never build a future with someone who had a problem being truthful with him. She says, but what if Jordan was truthful with him? What if she was honest about everything? Would they still be together?

Jordan says, both of the victims are related to Sonny in some way, and Sonny says, true; Brando’s his cousin, and Ava is the mother of his child. But that could just be a coincidence. She says she doesn’t believe in coincidences. Does he? She’s doing her best here, but he’s got to help her out. He says, how? and she says, tell her what’s going on. She’s heard things aren’t going right with his business, but he says, they’re regular ups and downs; nothing major. She says, is it possible his family could be under attack? and he tells her, listen to him. Does she have any evidence to suggest that? She says, no, but why else would the person who targeted Ava also attack Brando? What if this is just the beginning?

Dante tells Kristina, he and Brando caught Dex threatening Michael in the Quartermaine stables, and Kristina asks if it’s true. Dex says, he misinterpreted something her father said, and decided to follow up. He thought he was showing initiative, but he thought wrong. Dante says, so Dex got upset that they intervened, and got upset that Brando mentioned it to Sonny. Dex says, he and Sonny worked it out; so did he and Brando. Dante says, good, and Kristina says, if dad trusts Dex, that’s good enough for her. Dante says, it’s funny. This guy is literally everywhere something happens. The picnic right after Ava got stabbed… Dex says, that’s a good thing… Dante says, the alleyway right after Brando gets stabbed… Dex asks if Dante is implying something, and Kristina asks if that offer for coffee is still on the table. Dex says, that depends, and she says, they’ll go to Perks, not the place on Van Nyes. Dex asks if he and Dante are good, and Dante says, for now. Kristina says, let’s go, and Dex leaves with her.

Sasha says she’s sorry for pushing Brando away, and she’s sorry for wasting time she should have spent being with him. She’s sorry for every time she didn’t tell him how much she loves him. She can’t lose him too. Please come back to her. She cries, and he squeezes her hand. She says, Brando? and he opens his eyes.

On Monday, Sonny says he won’t be left in the dark; Elizabeth wonders why this memory is coming back to her now; Gregory has a proposition for Alexis; and Josslyn feels like someone is watching her.

✈️ Back In the States…

Boy, is she going to have a lot of catching up to do.

💣 Blast From the Past…

I must have slept through this time period. I’m surprised I don’t remember Kari Wuhrer being on GH. She’s in my favorite movie, Beastmaster 2. Stop laughing.

🥀 Before My Time…

Another GH alum departs this life.

https://www.soapoperanews.net/2022/09/ghdays-of-our-lives-alum-mark-miller.html

💋 What Happens In Jersey…

I wouldn’t mind seeing Caroline come back.

https://okmagazine.com/p/dolores-catania-caroline-manzo-think-about-returning-rhonj/

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

The old tomato.

💎 No Con For You…

They probably don’t want rotten fruit thrown at them.

Disruption On Deck…

Why are these chefs always such immature twits?

Clearly she likes toxic relationships. Case in point: Dave.

⚰️ If He Says So…

Daryl is going to be in France? Mon dieu!

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-norman-reedus-daryl-spinoff/

📝 Post Apocalyptic Credits…

It might be fun, but no doubt it will be a lead-in for one spin-off or another.

🐉 And In Weirder News…

I wonder if the forecast was, will be raining dragon poop. Seriously, how do they deal with that in Dragonstone? Is there a big litter box?

https://people.com/tv/house-of-the-dragon-star-matt-smith-takes-over-today-weather-report/

🐬 Quotes of the Week

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

The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home. – Confucius

If you’d have a drink, I’d make a lot more sense. – Nucky (Steve Buscemi), Boardwalk Empire

Where there is righteousness in the heart, there is beauty in the character. When there is beauty in the character, there is harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home, there is order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, there is peace in the world. – A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Never make someone your number one if you’re their number two. – Judge Star Jones, Divorce Court

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. – Mae West

Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that’s real power. – Clint Eastwood (Before he started talking to empty chairs.)

If I can’t eat it, bang it, or bet on it, it’s not in my phone. – Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen), Two and a Half Men

There are no regrets in life. Just lessons. – Jennifer Aniston

If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. – Bruce Lee

🖥 Buffering…

Take the next two days off from whatever you did for the last five, then join me on Monday for soap and Deck antics. Until then, stay safe, stay intrepid, and stay paddling in stressful situations. Half of keeping your cool is faking it.

Today’s musical interlude is dedicated to Jennifer Coolidge.

September 9, 2022 – Yesterday Once More, Real Band, Smoltz, Salty Talk, United, Another Deck, Future Carol, Final Dead, Regulate This, Mooning, New Stars, Exactly 10 Quotes & There She Was

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

GH was preempted yesterday, so yesterday’s was today’s. You can find it at:

And on Monday, Chase asks Brook if she thinks going after Linc is still worth it; Elizabeth wonders if Nikolas wants to protect her or himself; Curtis asks what Selina is doing at the club; and Cody has a proposition for someone.

🎸 Side Gig Within Main Gig…

Apparently, Cameron has a band IRL. It is really good of GH to let him perform his own material on the show. The ultimate in product placement.

📰 So Am I…

He’s annoying AF, but I think they should start an ongoing thing like Seinfeld had with Newman, and every time he shows up, someone goes, Smoltz!

🧂 Hence the Guilty Plea…

So she chose to say this in media outlets, but not in court. Okay. I believe it if you believe it. You can also catch the trailer for the new season.

https://ew.com/tv/real-housewives-of-salt-like-city-season-3-trailer-jen-shah-played-by-stuart-smith-fraud-case/

🥤 They’re Still Here…

Former cast members united in thirst.

https://okmagazine.com/p/leeanne-locken-braunwyn-windham-burke-vulnerability-real-housewives-important-cause/

Because We Need Another One…

No crossover cast here. Check out the new crew and trailer.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1345245/heres-your-first-look-at-below-deck-adventure-bravos-thrilling-new-spin-off

💀 Life After Dead…

Carol gives you some flowers to look at.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-melissa-mcbride-carol-future-interview/

⚰️ Wrapping Up Dead…

The final season approaches.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-final-season-on-set-cover-story/

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-exclusive-comic-con-images-daryl-carol/

📽 Another Notch In His Film Belt…

Originally written under his pseudonym Richard Bachman, this is actually one of my favorite Stephen King books. I’m shocked they’re making it into a movie, since I haven’t met one other person who’s read it.

Stephen King Horror-Western The Regulators Being Adapted as a Film

https://www.fangoria.com/original/stephen-kings-the-regulators-is-becoming-a-movie/

🌖 A Moon Out Tonight…

I caught this the other night on IFC, and it’s not bad.

https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/amc-plus/moonhaven-review/

💃🏽 Latest Dancers…

Love Wayne Brady, but hoping Teresa gets the first boot.

https://ew.com/tv/dancing-with-the-stars-season-31-cast-reveal/

🏌🏽‍♀️ Quotes of the Week

There are three classes of men; lovers of wisdom, lovers of honor, and lovers of gain. – Plato

You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor. – Aristotle

Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.Joshua J. Marine

We need to give each other space so that we may both give and receive such beautiful things as ideas, openness, dignity, joy, healing and inclusion. – Max de Pree

Popularity should be no scale for the election of politicians. If it would depend on popularity, Donald Duck and The Muppets would take seats in senate. – Orson Welles (Well…)

A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.Charles Darwin

We don’t apologize for our mistakes; we erase them. – Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), Jurassic World: Dominion

We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here now, with the power to shape your day and your future. – Steve Maraboli

A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. – John Stuart Mill

Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form. – Rumi

🎶 If That’s All There Is, Then Let’s Keep Dancing…

See you on Monday, when I assume the soap will be readjusted, and we’ll see what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay always moving forward, and stay being wise, prudent, and sensible. Most of the time.

September 2, 2022 – Ava Unburdens To Nina, She’s Back, Booked, On Or Not, Jersey Switch, Cockroach, VanderEww, House Hitch, Emmys, Dragons, Barely More Than a Dozen Quotes & Opportunities

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Chase and Brook walk into the pool area, and Brook thanks him for getting her away from the house. The place is swarming with cops and people cleaning up. He says he can’t believe someone stabbed Ava at a crowded event, and she says, the good news is, Ava is out of surgery and in stable condition. He says he’s sure the PCPD will find out what happened, and she says she hopes so. She asks if they can change the subject, and he says, absolutely. Can he just say how happy he is that they both finally got out of their own ways and are doing this. They’re going on a date. She says, at least they’re giving it the old college try, but he says, they can do much, much better than that, and kisses her.

Sam is sitting in a chaise lounge when Dante approaches. He asks if the seat next to her is taken, and she says she was saving it for someone. He’s like, fifteen minutes late. Dante sits, and says, damn. What’s with this dude? He’s late? That’s so rude. She tells him, she wouldn’t say that. He probably has good reason. He’s a cop, a detective. Dante asks if she’s saying he puts his work above his personal life, and she says, he’s just really dedicated to his job.

In the home of the moss bowl 🎍, Josslyn gives Cameron something to drink, and he says he’s sorry. He feels like he should be waiting on her after everything she just went through. Is she sure she’s okay? She says she is now, since the moss bowl is back 🎍 but when she first saw Ava, she just froze. There was so much blood. Then Ava opened her eyes, and Josslyn went to reach for her phone to dial 9-1-1, but she’d left it inside. She knew she had to get help, but Ava was so scared. Ava wouldn’t let Josslyn leave her. He says he’s sorry she had to go through that, and she says, eventually, she found a towel, something to apply pressure to the wound. By that time, Ava had passed out, and she didn’t know if she should run and get more help, or stay and keep applying the pressure. And that’s when Dex showed up.

At the hospital, Sonny tells Dex that he won’t need him for the rest of the night. Dex asks if he’s sure, when Temp Michael (who always confuses me for a moment) comes around the corner. Dex tells Sonny, he knows Selina Wu has a shipment coming in. He can go to the docks and make sure things go smoothly, and Sonny says, he wants to work that bad? Dex tells him, he’s said it before; he wants to prove Sonny can count on him. Sonny says, all right then, and Dex starts to leave, but Sonny says he has something else he wants Dex to do for him.

In a room at the MetroCourt, Spencer holds his head, and says he feels like crap. He needs to take a shower. He takes off his shoes and shirt, and sits down on the bed instead. He says, maybe a nap, and lies down.

Willow leans against the wall for a moment, and Terry asks if she’s all right. Willow says, it’s the end of her shift. She’s just a little tired. Terry says, Nurse Tate, my office. Now.

Nina goes in to see Ava, and sits next to the bed. She asks if Ava is in much pain, and Ava says, at the moment, she can’t feel much of anything. That’s probably good. She’s not looking forward to the painkillers wearing off. She asks if Avery was here, and Nina says, Sonny brought her by earlier. She needed to see for herself that her mommy was all right. She figured Ava might want some company, but if she’d rather sleep, Nina can go. Ava says, no. Stay. It’s better not to be alone. Nina says, speaking of being alone, why is she alone? Where’s her husband? Ava says she told Nikolas to stay away, and Nina says, when she saw him earlier, he seemed pretty worried about her. Ava sort of laughs, and says, she bets he did. Nina asks why she doesn’t want to see Nikolas, and Ava says, he hurt her. He betrayed her in the worst possible way.

Cameron says, Dex was there, Sonny’s guy, and Josslyn says, he helped her save Ava’s life. He really knew what he was doing. Cameron says, he bets Dex did, considering his line of work, and she says, Dex was a soldier. He served in Afghanistan. He says he didn’t know that. What he does know about Dex is that Josslyn saw him pestering one of the jurors at Trina’s trial. She says, yeah, and she still thinks he’s an idiot to work for Sonny. All she’s saying is, he has a few redeeming qualities. When he found her and Ava, he didn’t panic. He knew they had to get to the hospital right away. If they’d waited for that ambulance, Ava would be dead. So, yes, she helped, but Dex saved her life. Cameron wonders where Spencer was during all this, and Josslyn says she doesn’t know, but is he implying Spencer could have attacked Ava? He says, no, of course (🍷) not. Spencer did stalk Ava, but he doesn’t think Spencer is capable of that kind of violence. If Esme were still in town, maybe she could be the one, but he only asks because Ava is Spencer’s stepmom. This attack affects him. She says she didn’t see Spencer at the picnic, but apparently, he got totally wasted.

Spencer sleeps, and dreams he’s searching for Trina, Cam, and Joss in an empty Savoy. Esme says, they aren’t here, and he sees her sitting on the bar, holding a martini. She says, neither is Trina. It’s just you and me. He says, she’s come back, and she says she never left, not really. He doesn’t have to pretend with her. She knows he missed her. He says, the only thing he missed was the police arresting her for framing Trina. He’s disappointed she was able to skip town before the cops got her. She says, liar, and hops down from the bar. She asks if he isn’t really disappointed in himself; that all his plans were for nothing? He says, at least it got her out of his life. One call to Commissioner Ashford, and she’s done. He’ll have her sent to prison. She laughs, and he says, it makes her smile, prison? She says, she’s out of his life, but she took his father and Trina with her.

Nina says, don’t tell her Nikolas is the one who attacked her, and Ava says she doesn’t know who attacked her, but she doesn’t think it was Nikolas. Nina says, then how did he hurt her? and Ava says, he betrayed her in the most basic way. Nina says, he cheated on her. She’s so sorry. He’s such an idiot. Who was it? Not that it matters; cheating is cheating. Ava says, it matters, and Nina says, who was it? Ava says, Esme, and Nina says, Spencer’s girlfriend Esme? Nikolas slept with his son’s girlfriend? That’s disgusting. Ava says, Nikolas claims he thought their marriage was over, that he’d been drinking heavily, and that Esme came on to him. Nina asks if that’s why Esme left. Did Ava run her out of town? Ava says, something like that.

Dante slides Sam’s chaise closer to his, and says, sorry he’s late. He kisses her, and she says, he’s forgiven. Besides she had plenty to keep her occupied. She points to Brook and Chase, who are still kissing, and says, his former partner and BLQ can’t keep their hands off each other. She thinks it’s in the air. Actually, she thinks it’s pretty easy to get in your own way. Like her totally overthinking the moving in thing. He says, but she didn’t do that. She had her reasons, and as long as he knows she wants to move forward, he and Rocco will move in… someday. She says, how about tomorrow?

Michael watches from a distance, and Dex asks what Sonny wants him to do. Sonny says he wants Dex to go to the ICU, and stand guard by Ava’s room until Frank gets here. Dex says, that’s it? He can do a lot more than that. Sonny asks how many times he has to tell Dex; just do what he tells him to do. Does he have a problem with that? Michael comes over, and says he heard about Ava. He asks if Sonny has any idea who attacked her, and Sonny asks if there’s any reason he should know that. Michael says, it was a fundraiser for sick children – a picnic, barbecue, games on the Quartermaine grounds – and somehow, Ava got stabbed in the middle of it. Sonny asks what Michael is suggesting, and Michael says, they both know violence tends to follow Sonny around. Was he involved?

Brook tells Chase, they have to stay focused. They have a plan. Does he think it’s time? He looks at his watch, and says, just about. He stares at her, and she says, what? He says, she’s really beautiful, and she tells him, stop. She should have known he’d become a mushball after they got together. He asks if she thinks calling him a mushball is an insult; it’s not. After all these months of hiding his feelings, he gets to say them out loud. Guess what? He yells that he thinks she’s beautiful. She’s wicked smart, and impossibly funny, and what she did for Maxie and Bailey Lou, who has a bigger heart than Brook Lynn Quartermaine? Which is why she deserves an epic first date. She says, he doesn’t have anything planned? That is a letdown. He says, he has plans; lots and lots of plans. They kiss, and Linc walks in. He says, what the hell? Is this how Brook thinks a manager services her clients? It’s hardly professional.

In Terry’s office, Willow drinks some water, and says she feels better already. Terry says she doesn’t have to tell Willow, nursing is a strenuous occupation. You spend most of the day on your feet, and it’s usually go, go, go. Willow says she knows that, but she still loves it. She’s proud of graduating, and proud of being a full-time nurse. Terry says, that’s quite an accomplishment. When she found Willow in the hallway just now, it looked like she was about to faint. Willow says, what nurse isn’t wiped out at the end of their shift? She can still do her job. Terry says, if Willow decided to take a medical leave, her job would still be waiting for her. Willow says, she’s not even out of her first trimester yet, and Terry wants her to take off the rest of her pregnancy? And maternity leave on top of that? She’d be gone almost a year. Terry says she’s not talking about Willow’s pregnancy. She’s talking about the time Willow will need to beat her leukemia. Willow says, pregnant women get tired even if they don’t have leukemia, and Terry says, and Willow is handling both, while keeping her diagnosis a secret from her partner. Willow says, it’s her choice and her mind is made up.

Michael asks if Sonny has considered that Ava was targeted because of her connection to him, and Dex tells Michael to shut his mouth. Sonny pushes Dex back, and tells him, stop that; stop jumping like that. Let him explain something to Michael. Ava is Avery’s mother, and that’s the only connection he has to what happened. The attack took place on Quartermaine property. Maybe Michael’s other family should have better security. Michael says he thinks the GH Board should reconsider their relationship with Sonny, and Sonny says, his donations built not one, but two wings to the hospital. Michael says, money can’t buy respectability, and leaves. Sonny says, what a shame, and Dex says, he has no right to speak to Sonny that way. Sonny says, when he tells Dex something, just do it. Go to the ICU now.

Spencer tells Esme, don’t talk to him about his father. He can’t believe she had sex with him. She sits at a table where a martini is waiting, and asks if he’s really that surprised. She was his first, but he was hardly her first. Deep down, he had to know he wasn’t experienced enough for her. How does she explain this in a way he’ll understand?… She knows. He just wasn’t man enough to keep her satisfied. He says, the thought of touching her physically repulsed him, and she says, it’s true she was never his top priority. He chose his friends over her, especially Trina. Is it any wonder she turned to someone else; a man of experience? He says she could have turned to anyone else, and he wouldn’t have cared, but she chose his father. How could she? How could he? She says, poor little rich boy. His father chose her over him, just like his beloved Trina chose rookie Rory over him. That makes him the biggest loser, doesn’t it? He lost his father and the girl. He says, that’s because Trina doesn’t know the truth. She doesn’t now he was on her side the entire time. Esme says, and if she did? What then? Does he think Trina is going to drop Officer Six-Pack and come running to him? Keep dreaming. He says he had to act like he didn’t believe Trina to trick Esme into admitting she’d set Trina up, and Esme says, but she was smarter. No way she’d incriminate herself. The only reason Trina got exonerated is because that rat of a bartender sold her out. Spencer’s plan didn’t accomplish anything. That’s not strictly true. Spencer played his role so well, Trina is never going to forgive him, and he knows that. So why hasn’t he told her? It’s not some noble gesture; he’s far from noble. It’s because he’s scared it still won’t make a difference. Trina still won’t want him. She made sure of that. He yells, shut up! and Esme disappears. She says, enjoy Pentenville. She’s sure he’ll make a ton of friends. He yells, shut up, Esme! as she laughs. He wakes up.

Cameron tells Josslyn, Spencer’s going to Pentenville tomorrow. He doesn’t blame him for cutting loose. She says she’d probably do the same thing if she was in his shoes. Does Cameron think they should check on him? He’s at the MetroCourt. Cameron says, he’s spending his last day of freedom at the pool? but she says, he’s staying there. She thinks he got into yet another argument with his dad. He said he was going there to shower and get some sleep. Her phone rings, she says, hey munchkin… Slow down… Where is she?… Is she sure?… Okay. She’s going to look for it. She’ll tell her if she finds it. Cameron asks what she’s off to look for, and she says, Avery’s charm bracelet. Her mom gave it to her, and she thinks she left it at GH, so Josslyn’s heading over there. She thinks she has enough time before Trina’s party. Cameron says he thinks he’ll check on Spencer. It might be the last time he can say goodbye before Spencer goes to Pentenville. He’ll see her at the party.

Dex stands guard outside, while inside Ava’s room, Nina says, so Ava’s husband slept with his son’s girlfriend, and Ava found out about it, and walked away? That doesn’t sound like the Ava Jerome she knows and loves. She would expect some epic Shakespearian payback. Ava says, believe her, she wanted to make Nikolas pay. She had to wait. Nina asks, why? and Ava flashes back to struggling with Esme on the parapet. Nina asks, where’d she go? and Ava says, it just wasn’t the right time. Nina says, it sounds like she’s talking about something specific. What is it? What made her wait?

In his room, Spencer writes, dear Trina. I want you to know the truth. I wasn’t going to tell you. I figured you were better off without me in your life, but I need you to know, from the moment I walked into that interrogation room after you’d been arrested, I knew you were innocent. Despite what I said, I believe in you. I always have.

Brook says she can’t believe a dirtbag like Linc is lecturing on professional behavior, and Linc says, didn’t he warn Chase? All Brook wants is to get Chase in bed. Chase says, actually, they’re dating. See that thing on his face? It’s a smile, because he’s happy. Linc says, a manager and a client are hooking up, and he’s calling it dating? Brook says she’s not surprised Linc doesn’t understand the concept. Dating is when a woman actually wants to spend time with you. Linc says, he and Chase have a meeting on the books. Chase is supposed to be with him right now, not Brook. They have to talk about studio musicians. Chase says, they had a meeting, but he’s canceling it. He doesn’t need 30 days to decide who his manager is going to be. He’s ready to sign with Brook. Linc says, what about the gig at The Savoy he just got for Chase? and Chase says, he’ll still do the gig, and Linc will get his cut, but Linc says, Chase thinks he’s going to promote someone else’s singer? Unless Chase signs with him, that gig is off. I’d bet dollars to donuts (I have no idea what that means, but it sounds good), Curtis would let him sing there anyway.

Sam asks why Dante is laughing, and he says he’s not laughing at her. It’s just when he brought it up, she seemed hesitant. Now she’s all gung-ho about it, which is great. He loves this change of pace, but he doesn’t want her to feel like they need to rush anything. She says she was just thinking it would be good for Rocco to move before the school year starts. Unless he’s too busy working. He says he’ll always make time for them, and they kiss.

Michael tells Nurse Andrea that he’s here to meet Willow. Has she seen her? Andrea says she saw Willow earlier, and believes she’s in Dr. Randolph’s office.

Ava tells Nina that she doesn’t know what she’s saying. She thinks it’s all the pain medication they have her on. She asks Nina to promise not to tell anyone about Nikolas and Esme. It would just be so humiliating if people knew Nikolas cheated on her with a girl young enough to be his daughter. Nina promises not to tell anyone, but says, Nikolas should be ashamed of what he did to Ava; of what he did to his own son. Ava didn’t do anything wrong. Ava says she’s not sure everybody would agree, and Nina says, Ava’s not to blame for this situation. Ava says she’s not a particularly popular person. Nikolas knows this. Even after she knew about him cheating, he tried to convince her that they still needed each other. A part of he actually believes him. Nina wonders why Nikolas is saying they need each other. What isn’t Ava telling her? What did she do? Ava looks past Nina, who turns around to see Sonny standing in the doorway.

Linc says, either Linc signs with him, and keeps his show at a first class venue, where he can guarantee Chase at least two promoters from Manhattan in the audience; or he can blow it all playing kiss-and-tell with the sequel to Clueless. Brook says, hey, who’s he calling clueless? and he asks if she’d prefer Dazed and Confused. Chase says he’s made up his mind. The Savoy gig would have been fun, but he’s sticking with Brook. Linc says, Chase is a fool. He would have made Chase a star. All Brook can do is keep his bed warm. Chase says, watch it, and moves closer to Linc. Linc tells him, enjoy his career as a wedding singer. Brush up on The Village People. People can’t get enough of YMCA at receptions. Linc leaves, and Brook says she didn’t love the insults, but they did it. Step one is complete. He says, now on to step two.

Willow says, it’s like Terry’s pressuring her to tell Michael about her leukemia diagnosis, and Terry says she’s sorry. The last thing she wants to do is add stress to Willow’s life. The decision to share her diagnosis or not is hers alone, but as her as boss and her doctor, it’s Terry’s duty to point out that if the people around Willow don’t know she’s ill, they’ll expect her to maintain her busy schedule. So it’s going to fall on Willow to take care of herself. Willow says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to jump down Terry’s throat. She’s not lying. She basically feels fine; she just lacks some energy. Her goal is to keep her life as normal as possible for as long as she can. She’s lucky. They caught it early, but her life is no longer normal. She has to face that. There’s a knock at the door, and Michael says he’s looking for Willow. Willow says she’s in here, and he asks if he’s interrupting something. Willow says, no. She’s glad he’s here. He needs to know what she’s decided.

There’s a knock at Spencer’s door, and Spencer asks who it is. Cameron says, it’s him, and Spencer puts his writing stuff under his pillow. He smooths his hair, and opens the door. He asks what Cameron is doing here, and Cameron says, nice to see him too. He came to check on Spencer. He heard Spencer got a little drunk at the Quartermaine picnic. What gives? Spencer says he’s going to Pentenville tomorrow; he thought he deserved a big send-off. Cameron asks if Spencer is sure that’s it, and Spencer says, yeah. Cameron says, in that case, why is Spencer spending his last night of freedom alone, and not with his family at Windymere?

Frank tells Dex that he’ll take over, and Dex says, the boss is inside. Josslyn joins them, and asks, how’s Ava? Dex says, Frank just got here; he’s been here a while. He walks with Josslyn to the waiting area, and says, it’s seemed quiet since he got here; no medical emergencies. What is she doing here? She says, Avery lost her bracelet. She thinks she might have left it in Ava’s room, or somewhere in the waiting area. He says he’s been here for a while, but he hasn’t seen anything like that. She looks under a couch, and says she’s going to keep looking. The bracelet is from Ava, so Avery is pretty upset. He says, a janitor took the trash not too long ago. Maybe he knows what happened to it.

Sonny says, it got quiet when he came in. Is everything okay? Ava says, for starters, some lunatic stabbed her with a hook, and the cops don’t know who it was. He asks if she has any idea who attacked her, but she says she didn’t see anything. Nina says, maybe she will when she recovers, and Ava says she hopes so. She asks if Avery is all right. It wasn’t too scary to see her like this? Sonny says, she was reassured that her mom was just sleeping, and she just wants her mommy to get better. Ava says she wants that too, but until the person who did this is caught, what’s to stop them from trying to finish the job?

Sonny comes out with Nina, and tells Frank to keep his eyes open. Frank says he’s on it, and Sonny asks what Josslyn is doing here. She says, Avery lost her charm bracelet, the one Ava gave her. She thinks she might have left it here. Dex comes back, and says he found the janitor, but it was too late. He already took the trash to the dumpster. Josslyn says, she’ll figure this out; they don’t have to wait. Sonny says he appreciates her looking out for her sister. She says she always will, and Sonny and Nina leave. Dex says he’s sorry her little sister lost her bracelet, but Josslyn says, this isn’t over. Does he know where the dumpsters are?

Willow tells Michael that she was so excited to get her nursing degree, she tried to do too much too soon. She was just talking to Dr. Randolph about cutting back her hours. He says he’s completely supportive of this. He’s been worried about Willow since she fainted. Once the baby comes, their lives will only get busier. He’s glad she’s getting her rest now while she can. Willow says she promises her goal is to be 100% when this is over.

Spencer tells Cameron, his Uncle Victor got him the room. Something about not wanting to haul his drunk ass back to Windymere. Since this is his last night of freedom, he figured he’d spend it there. He wanted some five-star luxury before his three months in maximum security. Cameron says, that makes sense. So is his dad at the hospital with Ava? Spencer says he assumes so, and Cameron asks if he’s scared to go to Pentenville. Spencer says, of course (🍷) he is; who wouldn’t be? His life is royally screwed up, and for nothing. Cameron says, it’s not for nothing. Spencer was helping his friend Trina; that matters. Spencer says, except that it turns out it was completely pointless. He didn’t do anything to help her. It was the bartender’s testimony that got the charges dropped. Cameron says, what’s important is that Spencer was helping a friend, and Spencer says, maybe, eyeing his pillow. Cameron says, if Spencer wants, he can stick around. They could play some video games. He can be a little late to Trina’s party. Trina is having a party to celebrate PCU dropping the Title IX charges; she’s going back to classes in the fall. Spencer says, that’s great; good for her. But Cameron doesn’t have to stick around. Cameron asks if he’s sure, and Spencer says he’ll see Cameron in a few months. Cameron asks if Spencer doesn’t think he’ll come visit, and Spencer says, he is? Cameron says, Spencer’s his friend, isn’t he? and they hug.

Sam asks how the investigation into Ava’s stabbing is going, and Dante says, slow. Whoever stabbed her took a big risk, doing it at a picnic with so many people around. She says, maybe it wasn’t about the risk. Maybe it was a crime of passion.

Brook says, she knew it was a good plan to make Linc want to sign Chase, then make a big deal about Chase signing with her. It’s just going to make Linc want to sign him more. He’s one of those guys who wants what he can’t have. Chase says, and on to step two. They have to find a way to make him some kind of success… as a singer. And step three, Linc will buy out his contract. She says, at a very good price, she might add, and he says, then he’ll abandon his singing career, and leave Linc in the lurch. She says, yes. That is the final step. He says, then the hard part. She’s got to make him a star. She says, easy peasy.

Dante helps Sam up, and says, let’s go for pizza, then to his place to start packing up. She asks if he’s sure Rocco will want to give up his backyard, and he says, there’s a beautiful park a block away from her penthouse. She says, what about living with two other kids? and he says, they’ve spent so much time together at the Quartermaines, they’re pretty much siblings already. They kiss, and she says, it’s a go. On their way out, the run into Brook and Chase. Dante says, look who they have here. He was going to say they should be enjoying each other more, but he doesn’t think that’s possible. Chase says, they’re that obvious? and Sam says, only in the best way possible. Dante tells them, have a good night, and leaves with Sam.

At the dumpster, Josslyn tells Dex, that smell; it’s so gross. He says, it’s garbage. What did she expect? She tells him, it says number ten, and the janitor said that’s trash, not medical waste. She brings a wooden crate over, and gets on it. He says, she’s not actually climbing in? It’s just a bracelet. Why doesn’t she buy her sister a new one? Josslyn says, no, and opens the dumpster. She says, her sister is going through enough right now. If there’s a chance the bracelet is in here, she’s going to look for it. Is he going to help her or what?

Dressed in a suit, Spencer signs the letter and puts it in an envelope. He leaves, taking it with him.

Willow thanks Terry for hearing her out, and Terry says she’s a great nurse. They want to support her any way they can. Her desk phone rings, and she says she has to take this. Willow and Michael leave, and in the hallway, Willow says, hang on. Michael asks if something is wrong, and she asks if he thinks they can skip the MetroCourt, and have a quiet dinner at home. He says, as long as they’re together, he doesn’t care where they go.

Frank comes into Ava’s room, and she asks if he’s going to be right outside her door all night. He says he will, and she says, he won’t let anyone in who isn’t approved? He says he has the list on his phone, and she asks if Nikolas Cassadine is on the list. Frank says, he is, and she says, he shouldn’t be. Take her husband’s name off.

Chase says, if it was that easy to make someone a star, wouldn’t every karaoke singer do it? She says, they’re not talking about karaoke singers. She has experiences; she has contacts. Chase is the total package. Every guy is going to want to be him, and every girl is going to have a poster of him on her wall. Anyone who hears him is going to become an instant fan. He says, is that all it’s going to take? and she says, he can be very charismatic. They kiss, and Chase says, and she can be very convincing. How are they going to get him in front of a crowd? She sees Nina and Sonny walk in, and says she has an idea. Trust her.

Sonny says he knows he interrupted something between Nina and Ava. When he walked into the room, it was tense. She says he doesn’t need to know about this. It’s just, Ava’s been through a lot, and she’s emotional right now. He says, he knows that’s not it. Tell him the truth. What were she and Ava talking about?  

On Monday, Brando says, Sasha is in trouble; Sasha asks Lucy, what’s the bottom line; and Sonny asks what favor someone needs.

🏋️‍♀️ They Never Die…

I still expect Faison to show up again, even though Doc has his brain in a jar. Or perhaps a good twin. Could happen.

📖 Sweet Side Hustle…

This looks like a beautiful book. Congrats to her! Apparently, both our Trinas are young women of varied accomplishments.

🛠 Who’s Laboring…

Hint: There will be a new episode of GH on Monday.

👠 New New Jersey…

I don’t get Jackie being demoted. At first I thought maybe she’d decided to take time off, but no. Bravo has made some bad decisions lately. They’re reducing the time of the person who had the most interesting, and real, storyline last season; yet they continue to keep Teresa, who has become a liability with her temper, in the forefront. Don’t even get me started on RHOBH.

https://screenrant.com/rhonj-season-13-finale-features-screaming-match-fighting/

💎 Can’t Quit Her…

I’m like a cockroach. You can’t get rid of me. I agree with half of this statement.

🍸 Just a Little Creepy…

The word incestuous comes to mind. I also don’t know why Raquel would want to go from one bad choice to another. At least the chances of Schwartz rage texting her are slim.

https://people.com/tv/vanderpump-rules-tom-schwartz-wrote-off-raquel-leviss-during-katie-maloney-marriage/

https://www.eonline.com/news/1344541/vanderpump-rules-scheana-shay-breaks-silence-on-tom-schwartz-and-raquel-leviss-rumors

💍 Engagement In the House…

I don’t even know what to make of this. I’d actually thought Carl was a sane person. And what about Austen?

https://people.com/tv/summer-house-stars-lindsay-hubbard-and-carl-radke-are-engaged-exclusive/

🏆 So They Say…

I don’t know if it’s everything you need to know, but it’s not until September 12th, so you have time.

https://ew.com/awards/emmys/2022-emmys-everything-to-know/

🐉 Hobbit This…

I don’t know how much of a competition it is though. It’s not like you can’t watch almost anything at any time now. I personally have at least three premieres on my viewing schedule this weekend.

https://www.avclub.com/house-of-dragon-game-of-thrones-youtube-premiere-free-1849492467

🌬 Quotes of the Week

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success. – Dale Carnegie

Maybe this world is another planet’s hell. – Aldous Huxley

Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth. – Oscar Wilde

You can tell a lot about a fellow’s character by his way of eating jellybeans.Ronald Reagan

The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. – Alan Watts

It’s the friends you can call up at 4 a.m. that matter. – Marlene Dietrich

A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.Mahatma Gandhi

Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. – Thomas Jefferson

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. – George Bernard Shaw

I think the only answer is to live life to the fullest while you can and collect memories like fools collect money. Because in the end, that’s all you have – happy memories.Sarah Strohmeyer

We do not remember days, we remember moments. The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten. – Cesare Pavese

Basic cable; it’s like being in prison. – Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen), Two and a Half Men

You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. – Albert Einstein (The first guy to figure out Survivor.)

🍁 Unofficial Seasonal Change…

Soap and Deck will still be laboring on Monday, so join me for both. Until then, stay safe, stay laboring at whatever you want or not this weekend, and stay knowing that helping a friend is never for nothing. It always matters.

August 26, 2022 – Spencer Is Done With Nikolas, a Temp, Memories, Official, BH Clash, In the Book, Married, Renewed, Joining, Dead Spin, a Goodbye, Moonmen, 8 Great Quotes & Cruel

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Finn says, one blanket coming up, and walks in to find Elizabeth with his ringing phone in her hand.

Anna says she doesn’t remember the last time the Quartermaines hosted such a… Mac says, rabble? but she tells him, she was going to say event. He says, doesn’t she remember her wedding to Robert, with all the fancy hats that blocked out the sun? and she says, she remembers his girlfriend crashed the party. He says, Dominique always had a flair for the dramatic, when Lucy walks in with Felicia, and says, yes she did. Felicia hands Mac a drink, and says, he needs it more than she does. Anna asks, why? and Mac says, what’s wrong?

Britt asks Austin if she missed anything. Work was no picnic; pun intended. She wants to smack something around. Austin says, the next thing that gets smacked around is going to be her boy toy if he doesn’t stop flirting with his girlfriend. At the grill, Cody asks if Maxie wants some pork, and holds out a pork chop.

Inside, Victor wonders if Valentin brought a decent bottle of Bordeaux. Valentin pours a glass of wine, and says, if he brought a decent bottle of Bordeaux does Victor think he’d be drinking this plunk? The Quartermaines save the good stuff for themselves. He’s surprised to see Victor there. He looks a bit posh for a barbecue. Victor says he’s not there for the cuisine. Their family’s out of order, and Victor has to get them in line. He needs Valentin’s help.

Nikolas kisses Ava, but she breaks away, and says, it’s too late for words. It’s too late for kisses. It’s too late. He broke them the second he had sex with Esme. They see Spencer has walked in, and Nikolas says, Spencer… but Spencer says, don’t. What is Ava talking about? She says, he heard her. His father betrayed her with Spencer’s girlfriend.

Terry sits with her feet in the pool, and Yuri says, apologies. The bar is closed. Terry says, thanks for trying, and tells him, have a seat. He takes off his socks and shoes, and she says she hopes he didn’t mind leaving the party early. He says, the Quartermaines are busy, besides, she’s much better company. He sits next to her, and says, refreshing. She says, nice, huh?

Elizabeth says Finn will want to answer this, showing him the phone. Sarah’s on California time. It might be hard to connect if he doesn’t talk to her now. He takes the phone, and puts it down. He says he’d rather talk to her, and she says, enjoy the rest of his picnic. She starts to leave, and he says, please don’t walk away. Not now. Not like this. Don’t turn away from herself and whatever burden she’s carrying.

Maxie says she’s a vegetarian, and Cody asks if he has any takers. Austin steps up to the grill, and Britt says she didn’t know Cody was a grill master as well as a horse master. Cody says he’s really not, and Britt says she didn’t know he was capable of cooking something without burning it. Cody says he has to keep some secrets before date number two, and tells them that he needs to resupply. Maxie suggests Britt go with him, and Britt and Cody leave. Maxie asks if it’s burnt, and Austin says, it’s… this, indicating the pork chop She asks him to tell her the secret to a good pork chop, and he says, it’s the rub. Mason comes along, and says, nah. Any Gatlin worth his salt knows you can dress a barbecue up, but you won’t get what you want if you don’t turn up the heat.

Mac says, Dominique had a son, and he works for the Quartermaines? and Felicia says, so it would seem. Mac says, impossible. He would have known. Lucy says, what about Scotty? He should have known next. And what about her? She gave birth to Scotty and Dominique’s daughter after all. Anna says, she never gave any indication that she had a son? and Mac says, not once. Felicia says, it’s possible she kept the child a secret to protect him from her husband. Leopold Taub was a controlling monster; he even partnered with Faison. Anna says, a mother will go to any lengths to keep a child secret from an abuser, and Lucy says, you don’t realize who that child will turn out to be as an adult, which is precisely why she called Serena and told her not to come home anytime soon. She wants Serena to stay with her whales until they know more about this Cody person. Mac says, leave it to him, and Felicia follows him out. Lucy says she’s going to help, but Anna grabs her arm, and says she thinks they’ve got it. Besides, Lucy already has one man on her plate. Wait. Make that two.

Spencer says, Nikolas and Esme? but Nikolas says, it’s not the time or the place. Spencer says he’s not moving until Nikolas tells him everything, and Nikolas says, let’s talk about this later. Ava should have been more discreet. Ava says, don’t put this on her, and he says she knew Spencer was standing there. She says she doesn’t have eyes in the back of her head; do not make her the bad guy. They start screaming at each other, and Spencer yells, shut up! He needs to know. If this is just another one of Ava’s lies, that’s fine. Tell him. He knows what she is, and he knows who Nikolas is – his dad. Please… He starts to cry. Please say something. Nikolas says, it’s not a lie. He slept with Esme.

Cody says, it was right here, and Britt says, what? He says, the cooler, packed with burgers, hot dogs, ears of corn. Someone must have swiped it for one of the other grilling stations. She asks if this means his grilling duties are over, and he says, that’s up to Mama Q. She asks, he answers. She says she can’t see Olivia being okay with that nickname, but he says, she loves it. She knows it’s a term of affection. Does Britt have a nickname? She says she does. It’s definitely not a term of affection. He asks what her mother calls her, and she says, a disgrace, but Cody doesn’t believe it. He says, even when Obrecht was smacking him down, he could see her love for Britt. Britt says, mutter has gotten more sentimental these days, but she doesn’t want anyone to know. He says, all right. If she doesn’t want to share her mother’s nickname for her, what was her dad’s?

Maxie tells Mason, welcome. She didn’t think he was going to make it. Mason says he wouldn’t miss it. He needed to see how the other half grills. Besides, Cousin Austin insisted. He didn’t want Mason sitting around twiddling his thumbs. She asks if he’s an expert griller too, and he says, everyone in Pautuck is; some are better than others. He asks if Austin wants to flip over that chop, and Austin suggests Maxie take some food orders; see if her parents want something. Mason says, her parents are here? She should bring them over. He’d love to make their acquaintance.

Elizabeth says, Finn doesn’t know when to quit, does he? She told him… He says, if he brought up whatever’s troubling her again, they’d be over, and she says, so he brought it up with her sister instead? He tells her, he hasn’t said a word to Sarah, and she says, don’t argue semantics with her. He says he’d argue any point he could if he knew it meant helping her, and she says she never asked for his help. She never wanted it; she never needed it. She was just fine without it, but somehow he’s still meddling in her life.

Ava suggests Nikolas talk to his son in private. Here or at Windymere; she doesn’t care. She’s done. Nikolas says she should stay and watch the results of her ambush, but she says, he did this; no one else. He says, this is what she’s always wanted, to see his relationship with his son destroyed. It killed her to see them get close. She says, that’s absolutely not true, and he says, knowing she’d never get the chance to heal with Kiki the way he did with Spencer, but she’s the only one to blame for that. She smacks him across the face, and he says, the truth hurts, doesn’t it? She says, ask his son, and walks out.

Lucy says she agreed to make certain inquiries, so Marty wouldn’t ping on the government’s radar, and Anna says, or more important, his third ex-wife. Lucy says, this is going beyond the pale, but Anna says, not for Lucy. She could lead a master class extract secrets out of people. Lucy says, the old her, not now, and Anna says she’s not asking Lucy to do anything she wouldn’t do. She’s just asking Lucy to exploit the attention that Victor can’t wait to lavish on her. Just shake the tree until information about Valentin comes loose. Lucy asks, what makes Anna so sure she can get Victor to let his guard down? and Anna asks if Lucy has seen the way Victor looks at he. Lucy has the necessary assets to be her asset. Lucy says, nope. Flattery isn’t going to get her anywhere. Anna says, let’s hope for Marty’s sake she’s wrong.

Victor tells Valentin, he’s not asking for much; just another pair of eyes on a developing situation in Nikolas’s family. Valentin says, Nikolas, Ava, and Spencer all loathe him with varying degrees of justification, and Victor says he can’t do everything himself. It’s time his son stepped up and did his duty. If not for him, then for Valentin’s daughter. Valentin says, they agreed to leave his daughter out of this, and Victor says, her temporary stay in that boarding school could easily become permanent. Valentin says, you bastard, when Lucy walks in and asks if she’s interrupting.

Spencer asks Nikolas to please tell him this didn’t happen. He doesn’t understand. Nikolas says, of course (🍷) he doesn’t. Ava vomited that all up… Spencer says, she didn’t know he’d be here. She didn’t know he was standing right behind her. Nikolas says, Spencer doesn’t know that; he doesn’t know that. Never credit or defend Ava; she’s capable of anything. Spencer says, so is Nikolas. When did it start? How long have he and Esme been going at it? Nikolas says, just one time in May. They never repeated it. It was a mistake. Spencer says, Nikolas slept with his girlfriend, and Nikolas tells him, she said they’d broken up. Spencer asks if Nikolas is trying to justify this, but Nikolas says he’s just trying to explain. Spencer says he had his reasons. He had to keep Esme close because he was trying to help Trina. Nikolas says he knows that now; he didn’t know it then. All he knew is Spencer accepted Ava’s offer and took his inheritance over him. Spencer says, is that what this is about? Revenge? Nikolas says, no. He didn’t want to hurt Spencer. Spencer says, it may have actually meant something if Nikolas tried to hurt him, but they’re in the same place they’ve found themselves time and time again. Nikolas didn’t think. He didn’t think about Spencer at all.

Finn tells Elizabeth, he’s in the wrong. She asked him to honor her wishes, and obviously he didn’t. He’s sorry, but the truth is, she’s not the only one he’s concerned about. He’s worried about Violet. She says, how so? and he says, Violet loves Elizabeth and her cousins. When they’re all together, it’s all she talks about for days. Elizabeth makes her so happy. She brings light into Violet’s life, but less so lately. He knows the handling of her health is her decision alone, but he has a decision to make too, and he doesn’t know how to ignore the clear signs that she’s in some sort of distress. She says, it’s her distress, her burden, not his, and he sits. She says, what? and he says, at least they’re finally getting somewhere. She finally admitted she has a burden.

Terry says, Yuri worked for the Quartermaines as a bodyguard. Was it dangerous? He tells her, more, how you say… frustrateous? She says, frustrating, and he says, that. She says, from what she’s heard about the Quartermaines, she’s not surprised. Although she likes and respects Monica. He says, him too, and she says, it looks like they have something in common. She plays with her necklace, and he says, pretty. She thanks him, and says, it was a gift. He says, from a special someone? and she says, her mother. There’s no special someone in her life right now. He says, this is crime.

Austin tells Mason, Maxie’s dad is a cop. He’s Chief of Detectives at the PCPD. Mason says, if there’s any trouble, Austin only has himself to blame. He has obligations to fulfill. To whom much is given, much is required. Austin says, thanks for that, fortune cookie. His dept is repaid. Mason says, his creditors disagree. Ingratitude isn’t a good look on him. He doesn’t think Maxie would find it attractive. Austin says, leave Maxie out of this, and Mason says, he’s the one who brought her up. Or her father, or rather her Chief of Detectives father. He only wants what’s good for Austin. Austin says, the feeling’s mutual, and grabs Mason’s head with both hands, and says, that’s why he’s only going to say this one time. Leave Maxie and her family out of this, or the pain Mason is feeling right now will not be fleeting.

Anna says, she hates being lied to, but Valentin says he’s not lying. She tosses a cornhole sack, and we see his head popping out of the hole, like Whack-a-Mole. It hits him, and he says, ouch. She says, it didn’t look like it hurt quite enough. She’s trying again. Stay still. She hits him with another sack, and he says, ouch. She says, yes, and Maxie joins her. Maxie says, looks like fun, and Anna says, yeah. She gets a sack into the hole, and says, that’ll do.

Lucy says she’s so sorry. She certainly didn’t mean to interrupt a family moment. Victor says, it’s all sorted, and Valentin says, it isn’t, but Victor asks what he can do for her. She says she’s looking for… She sees a jar on the counter, and says, pickles. Outside, gherkins, gherkins everywhere, and not a dill to eat. He says, here you are, sliding the jar over, but slides it back when she reaches for it. She says, he’s playing with her, and he asks how he can resist. Valentin says, will he give the woman her pickles? He’ll see her for s’mores. Victor gives her the jar, but says, no need to rush away, and Valentin says, Martin Grey is probably looking for her. Victor remembers Martin, doesn’t he? Lucy’s boyfriend?

Britt says, back to her father. Surprise, surprise. Cody says, it was an innocent question, and she says he knows she doesn’t like talking about him. Cody says, he thought the boundaries were the Dr. Evil stuff. He didn’t realize, and wasn’t aware, her father was entirely off limits. She says, he’s aware now, and he says, okay, no dad talk. What about her brother? She says, Peter? and Cody says, is he out of bounds, or should they just avoid her whole family and stick with his? She says, good idea, when Felicia and Mac come alone. Felicia says, they’re sorry to interrupt. They’re looking for someone. Mac says he thinks they found him.

Maxie gets her toss in the hole, and Anna says, she’s a natural. Maxie is a natural leader as well. She never said congratulations yet about Deception’s IPO. Maxie thanks her, and says, it was a lot of work, but it helps to have a great team behind you. Anna says, including Valentin? and Maxie says, shockingly. He was a little more involved than she would have liked at the beginning, but he had some great ideas. He’s has been quiet lately. Anna says she noticed that too. She thinks he’s still convalescing from the injury he had a few months ago, and Maxie says, sometimes she thinks he still hasn’t recovered. It’s like his mind is someplace else. With Anna? Anna says, maybe, and Maxie says, what is she doing? She’s supposed to be taking orders. Has Anna seen her mom and dad? Anna says she hasn’t seen them in a while, but there here somewhere, and Maxie asks if she’d like something, but Anna says, she can’t eat when she’s thinking.

Lucy says, it’s the darndest thing. Martin is still out of town. Victor asks if he’s left Lucy unattended again. The man should be tarred and feathered. There is a solution though; allow him. Lucy says she was one leg short for the three-legged race, and he says, all his legs are at her service. Valentin says he’s been trying to reach Martin. Where is her one and only? She says, his mother. He’s so busy taking care of her, he’s had no time to answer her calls or texts. Victor says, a woman of advanced age does need a lot of attention. A dutiful son can be away for some time. Valentin says, he should be back soon, and Lucy tries to open the pickles, but she’s unsuccessful. She says she can’t get this lid unscrewed. Valentin snaps a picture on his phone, and says, if Martin can’t be reached, he’s sure this message will get his attention.

Cody asks if he knows Mac, and Mac says, not exactly. Felicia asks if he’s Cody Bell, and he says he is. She introduces herself and Mac, and Cody says, they’re Maxie’s parents. Nice to meet them. She’s great; he loves that girl. Did they hear about him through Maxie, or… Britt says, don’t be modest. Mac is Chief of Detectives. She’s sure his cops told him how they arrested Cody. Felicia says, to be honest, they only just heard about him, and came right over to meet him. Cody says, why is that? and Felicia looks at Mac. He doesn’t say anything, and she says, they knew Cody’s mother.

Austin keeps his grip on Mason’s head, and says, hurts, right? That’s the parotid nerve. It’s super sensitive nerve, and it hurts even more if you press on it like this. He presses Mason’s head down, and Mason says, let him go. Austin says, he’ll let Mason go as soon as he feels like they they’re understanding one another. Mason says, he can live with the pain – he grabs a knife from the cutting board – but can Austin live with a nicked artery? Austin lets go, and Mason says, blood or no blood, when he calls, Austin will answer, and it will be, yes, sir, and, thank you, sir, when he gives Austin instructions. Got it? Ava comes along, and says, loud and clear.

Nikolas says he knows sleeping with Esme was wrong, and Spencer says, Captain Obvious did it occur to him, not owning up to the truth was also wrong? Nikolas asks, what would be the point in telling Spencer? and Spencer says, not lying would have been the point, but Nikolas says he was more concerned with not hurting Spencer. And it didn’t matter to Esme. Spencer says he knows Nikolas didn’t do this on his own. Esme’s just as responsible. Nikolas says, that’s not what he’s saying. It shouldn’t have happened. Spencer says, he’d really like it if Nikolas would start calling it what it is. It is a betrayal, and there have been so many, including the years Nikolas let Spencer believe he was dead. He’s sick. Nikolas says he’ll never forgive himself for that, but how does sleeping with Esme compare to that? Spencer told Nikolas himself that he was just using her to get Trina out of prison. Spencer says, that is the worst part. Because he stopped loving Esme. She didn’t matter to him, but Nikolas did. He loved Nikolas. Nikolas was his dad and meant everything to him. No longer.

Finn tells Elizabeth, now is the time to get out in front of this thing before it digs in any deeper, before it harms her or someone else. She asks if he’s suggesting she’d hurt someone like she did Chase, and he says, not intentionally, but it’s clear to him that she has a problem. And despite all the denials, he thinks it’s clear to her too. Does she think maybe it’s clear to her boys? How does she think it is for them, seeing their mom struggling, and they can’t help her and don’t know how? And what’s going to happen if they reach out to somebody she doesn’t want them too, like her father? She says, don’t talk about her father. Why can’t he just leave her alone? He says, because he’s been there. He’s been in denial; he’s an addict. He’d probably be dead right now if certain people hadn’t fought through his lies and helped him. That’s why he can’t turn a blind eye when he sees someone in pain. What’s the point of being a doctor? She says, he’s not her doctor. He’s not her anything. She runs out, and he calls after her.  

Elizabeth comes out of the woods, and feels her head. She sees blood on her hands. She hears Finn’s words about her boys, and him asking, what if they reach out to her father? She flashes back to being at the top of the stairs with someone, and saying, don’t talk about my father. The woman asks what she’s doing; they probably don’t want her involved. Elizabeth says, don’t talk about her father. You’ll see what happens if you do. She keeps walking, then stops and looks back.

Cody asks how they knew his mother, and Felicia says, she didn’t know Dominique well, but Mac… Mac says, he and Dominique were friends. He met her when she was married to Cody’s father. Cody says, Mac has his deepest sympathies. From what he’s heard, Leopold Taub was a real piece of work. Mac says, no doubt about that, and Cody promises he’s nothing like that guy, at least as far as he knows, He’s definitely not in a criminal cartel, trying to hold Port Charles hostage. Mac says he doesn’t see a bit of Taub in Cody; plenty of Dominique though. She was a good person. Cody tells him, if you say so, and Mac says he does. Felicia says she’s starving, and suggests they rustle up some ribs. Cody says, the barbecue by the boathouse is out of supplies, so they’ll have to hit up another one. He asks if he can interest Britt in a beer inside, and she guesses it woudn’t hurt. He says, it never does, and tells Mac and Felicia, nice meeting them. Felicia says, him too, and Britt and Cody go into the stable. Cody says, weird guy. Outside, Felicia asks if Mac is okay, and Mac says, why wouldn’t he be? She says, he just lied to Cody.

As she plays with her necklace, Terry tells Yuri, a crystal’s a symbol of transformation. Her mother says, it’s a reminder that change is ongoing. We’re always creating or discovering new parts of ourselves. Sometimes change is big and visible, and sometimes you have to look closely to find it. He says, this crystal is helpful to her? and she says, yes. The clasp is loose, and she needs a new chain, because every time she plays with it – the chain opens and the necklace falls in the water – that happens. Yuri dives in.

Lucy says, Valentin doesn’t have to send Victor those pictures. In fact, she bets she could get ahold of him right now, and make sure he contacts Valentin immediately. As for Victor, she’s so sorry. She just remembered she has to meet Brook, but she sure hopes they can do this again sometime maybe. He holds a pickle spear out to her, and says, no maybe about it. She takes her pickle, thanks him, and leaves. Valentin says, Victor always wants what he can’t have, and Victor says he gets what he wants. It just takes a little patience. But rather than concerning himself with Victor’s personal affairs, perhaps Valentin should focus on his own. Or is Anna proving too hard to handle?

Ava says, good evening, as she walks closer, and Mason puts the knife back. She says, is everything okay here? Mason says, he and Austin were just arguing the merits of medium rare versus well done. She asks what they decided, and Austin says, well done. She says she came out to find a refill, but it looks like she’s out of luck. She looks at them weird, and says, so carry on, gentlemen. She leaves, and Mason starts to follow, but Austin says, don’t even worry about her. Mason says he doesn’t worry, and leaves. Austin follows. I actually get confused for a moment, thinking, aren’t Ava and Austin good friends? But that was Ava and Todd. I mean, Franco.

Nikolas says, Spencer doesn’t mean that. They’ve come too far to let their relationship go. Spencer says, everything he’s done since he came home was to bring them closer; every gamble, every stupid mistake, every act of contrition. All to get his dad back. And for every step he took closer to Nikolas, Nikolas took two steps backwards. There’s no closing that gap now. He thought he knew who Nikolas was, but he doesn’t. He’s done with Nikolas. He walks out.

Mac asks how he lied to Cody, and Felicia says she’s not sure the word friend accurately captures Mac’s relationship with Dominique. He says, ancient history. They guy obviously has mother issues he needs to work out. There’s no reason to add one more thing to his list.

Cody hands Britt a beer, and says, where were they? Oh yeah. She was about to tell him about her brother. She says, no. He was about to ask her if he was allowed to ask about Peter. He says, is he? and she says, stick to your favorite color crayon, worst remake, best Toto song. He says, burnt sienna, he never watches remakes and never will, and Rosanna. She says, Africa, and he says, too obvious. And how is it fair her brother is off-limits, just like when he brings up any of her other family members? She says she thinks about Peter and Faison nearly every day, and talking about them only makes it worse. He takes her beer, and puts it on the table with his, and says, fine. Enough talking. He moves closer to her.

Lucy finds Anna, and Anna asks how it went with Victor. Lucy says, Victor fell for her, hook, line, and pickles, but Valentin was there, so there wasn’t anything of interested revealed. But there’s a heck of a lot of tension between father and son. Anna asks, how so? and Lucy says, she would recognize a thwarted and disgruntled Valentin, but it wasn’t just that. Valentin was going for the jugular when she interrupted them. So her sense is, big daddy has Valentin on a very short leash, and that leash is beginning to chafe. She takes a bite of her pickle, and walks off.

Victor says, he’s noticed Valentin and Anna have become close since Valentin’s return from Tahiti. Has it clouded Valentin’s judgement? Valentin says, he told Victor, he has Anna well in hand, and Victor says, with a little cultivation, he’ll have the lovely Lucy in his hand soon. So a be chum, and delete that photo. Valentin says, yes, father, and does. Victor says, Charlotte would be proud, pats Valentin on the shoulder, and leaves.

Spencer chugs a beer, and goes into the cooler for another. Nikolas asks how much he’s had to drink, and Spencer gives him the standard answer, not nearly enough, but Nikolas says, he’s had plenty. He tries to take Spencer’s beer, and grabs him. Spencer says, let him go, and they struggle. Nikolas says, he’ll never let Spencer go, and Victor comes along, as Spencer breaks away. Spencer says, he’s let Nikolas go. He’s done his last good deed, and now Nikolas can go win Ava back, without even considering Spencer. Good luck. Spencer leaves, and Victor says, what the hell? What just happened? Nikolas says, Ava happened. Oh, I see. Nikolas has changed not-at-all, and is going to blame all his mistakes on Ava.

Mason walks through the boathouse, and says, he thought she came this way. Austin says, can’t he just let this go? but Mason says, she heard them. Austin says, she heard a family squabble, but Mason says, it was more than that. Austin says, Ava doesn’t know that, and Mason says, he can’t take the chance, and neither can Austin.

Yuri brings back Terry’s necklace, and sits next to her again. He says, it’s only water; it will dry. She laughs, and he says, wear it? She says, of course (🍷), and he puts it on her.

As Ava walks, we see someone take a pair gardening gloves, and  a hook is taken from a row of them. Ava says, to Windymere. Living there was nice while it lasted. Hook guy comes up behind her, and she says, if Scotty’s worth his fee, he’ll pry it from Nikolas before the divorce. To divorce. The hook comes down, Ava doubles over. She looks down to see it sticking out of her stomach.  

On Monday, Cody asks Britt, what’s so awful about them being into each other; Finn tells Elizabeth, don’t shut him out; Sonny tells Anna, he can neither confirm nor deny that; and Ava asks someone not to leave her.

😴 Ho-Hum…

Temp Michael is coming back. Again.

💖 Charming Remembrance…

She’s also celebrating her 45th GH Anniversary.

💑 She Likes Him…

I’m glad Sutton has found a man. He seems like a good match for her.

💎 A Feud In Them There Hills…

Diana needs to take a step back, and Garcelle needs her own show. Google me is one of the best things I’ve heard in a long time.

https://www.distractify.com/p/garcelle-beauvais-diana-jenkins-feud

I actually don’t believe this, but then again, who knows?

https://screenrant.com/why-rhobh-fans-diana-used-bots-attack-garcelle/

☎️ Another Number…

I’m not sure why this isn’t in the Who Cares? file. It’s not like they were all kinkballs. At least I hope not.

👰🏻 Knot Officially Tied…

She finally did it. I wish them the best.

https://people.com/tv/vanderpump-rules-stars-scheana-shay-brock-davies-get-married/

🐉 That Was Quick…

I’ll have to hurry up and watch this. The article also contains a recap video.

☠️ Oh Boys…

Another one I have yet to watch. Now there’s even more incentive.

⚰️ Spinning…

I see the both of them are also producers. Smart move.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/walking-dead-maggie-negan-spinoff-new-title-dead-city/

🥀 Goodbye To a Peachy Guy…

He was one of those actors who was in everything too.

https://people.com/tv/beverly-hills-90210-actor-joe-e-tata-dead-at-86/

🎶 On Sunday…

I don’t know if this is everything you need to know, but it’s a lot.

https://ew.com/awards/mtv-video-music-awards-2022-everything-to-know/

📣 Quotes of the Week

Look around you. Everything changes. Everything on this earth is in a continuous state of evolving, refining, improving, adapting, enhancing and changing. You were not put on this earth to remain stagnant. – Steve Maraboli

It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. – Frederick Douglass

I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.George Washington

People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use. – Søren Kierkegaard

I have seen many storms in my life. Most storms have caught me by surprise, so I had to learn very quickly to look further and understand that I am not capable of controlling the weather, to exercise the art of patience and to respect the fury of nature. – Paulo Coelho

The outer conditions of a person’s life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state… Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are. – James Allen, As a Man Thinketh

My responsibility to myself, my neighbors, my family and the human family is to try to tell the truth. – Toni Cade Bambara

We were good before things went bad. – Silas Clay (Michael Easton, 2013-1015), General Hospital

🏃🏽‍♀️ Never Gonna Break My Stride…

Time to kick back and fill your head with good things. Take in some nature. Or if you’re a rural dweller, take in some concrete. Inviting both city and country mice to join me on Monday for some soap and what’s on Deck in the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay not limiting your friendships to those who think like you, and stay not keeping all the good stuff for yourself.

August 19, 2022 – Austin’s Cousin Is In Town, Mason, Leaving, Wedding Aftershock, Shahnanigans, Cheshire Wives, Wedding Album, Dead Tales, Reviewing Dragons, Lucky Amount of Quotes & Time

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Cody says, Britt has questions about him? Good, because he has questions about her too. Which is why it’s good to have date number two. They can learn more about each other. Britt says, much more, and he says, for starters, how does she feel about anchovies on pizza? She says, he’s assuming she likes pizza, and he says, everybody likes pizza. She says, that’s the problem with assumptions. Everybody doesn’t parachute into a pool, then punch a mother’s boyfriend, and announce they’re the son of said boyfriend’s dead wife. He says, now she knows something about him, and she says, he asked about her father before. Why does Cody keep asking about him?

Outside Kelly’s, Alexis says, even though she provides headlines for The Invader, the only headlines she wants to know about right now are from her girls. She, Molly, Kristina, and Sam sit at an outside table, and she asks, who’s first? Molly says, Kristina; she’s got the best news. Alexis says, goodie. What’s up? Kristina says she was promoted to manager at Charlie’s, and Alexis says, congratulations. Well done. Kristina thanks her, and says she’s pretty happy about it. Alexis asks if she sees much of her dad, and Kristina says, he doesn’t own the pub anymore, but he comes in fairly often, so it’s good to spend time with him. Alexis says, even though he’s with Nina? and Kristina says, is she happy dad’s in a relationship with Nina? No, and she was clear about that. She also told him that she’s in no position to throw stones, and he appreciated that, so it doesn’t really effect their relationship. Alexis says, look at her adulting, and hugs Kristina, saying, her baby’s all grown up. Molly’s turn. How’s it going in the DA’s office? Molly says, as Alexis knows, ADA Arden maneuvered her off Trina Robinson’s case because she felt Molly was biased. Kristina says, which is untrue and unfair, but isn’t it a silver lining that Molly doesn’t have to try someone in TJ’s extended family? Molly says, definitely a silver lining, but she hates that no one gives the system a chance to work the way it actually should. As a prosecutor, it’s her job, or should have been her job, to make the strongest case against Trina, using the facts for support. Then Trina’s defense attorney – Diane in this case – makes the strongest defense, and the jury gets to decide. But Jennifer Arden wanted to prove a point. She followed the letter, but not the spirit with her case. At least it ended with the right verdict… this time. Kristina says, tell mom what she’s thinking, and Molly says, about following in Alexis’s footsteps and going over to criminal defense. Alexis says, whatever Molly does, Molly has her full support, and Molly thanks her. Alexis says, Sam’s turn. She’s awfully quiet, so is no news good news?

Dante walks in as Olivia is on the phone, asking if they remembered to order the special picnic dessert… Okay. Also, make absolutely sure that Leo’s donkey head is just what they discussed… Perfect. Thank you. She’ll be in touch. Dante asks what that was all about, and she says, the first annual Quartermaine picnic to support the GH Children’s wing is tomorrow, and her frozen desserts, the pièce de résistance. He says, with a donkey’s head thrown in? and she says, naturally. Leo’s summer theater camp is doing a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He’s playing Bottom. He says, the character that turns into a donkey. He must be so excited. He gets to play the donkey. He’s going to kill that. Does he need help with running lines? She says, he already has somebody helping him get into the role, and Dante says, let him guess; Chase? She says, Dante’s friend Cody.

Spinelli frets about management checking the chlorine level in the pool, and Maxie tells him, live dangerously. Take the plunge. He can start by forgetting about Britt, and finding someone who’s a better fit. He asks who she has in mind, and she says, no one specifically, but generally, she should be a match for his heart and his intelligence, have an appreciation for his unique perspective. A sense of humor couldn’t hurt, and it’s not absolutely necessary she be into sci/fi, but a basic knowledge of the Star Wars universe would help. So no, he’s not going to meet her at a business conference or whatever, but that’s what computer programs are for, right? She still doesn’t understand why he won’t try his own algorithm, and he says, there’s no need. His brief infatuation with Dr. Westbourne is already fading. He’s put her in the rearview mirror, so to speak. She asks if he’s been holding out on her. Who’s the lucky lady?

Finn tells Violet, she has her sunblock on, but it’s still not good to get too much sun, and she puts on her sunhat. Gregory says, translation: I know what I’m doing, dad, and Finn says, of course (🍷) she does. He situates Violet in her chaise, and gives her a book. She thanks him, and he tells Gregory that he can’t help it. He loves Violet. He told Elizabeth that he loves her. Gregory says, big step, and Finn says, that’s why he can’t look the other way, even if she hates him for it.

Elizabeth looks at the crushed tube in her bloody palm, when TJ walks in. He asks, what happened? She says she was examining Scotty’s nose… He asks how she cut her hand, but she says she doesn’t know. She clutched the tube, and it just seemed to shatter. TJ asks her to let him take a look, but she says, it’s nothing. He says, it’s a nasty cut, and there are glass shards embedded… She says she can take care of it. She’s sure he has patients to deal with. He says he does, and she’s the first one. Has this ever happened before? She asks what he means, and he says he knows she took some personal time for stress. Did Scotty say something to upset her?

Gregory asks if Elizabeth said she loved Finn back, and Finn says, she did. That’s before he blew it all to hell. Gregory asks how Finn managed that, and Finn says, there’s something going on with Elizabeth beyond the sleeping pills she was taking. Something that involves her parents, maybe her father. Gregory says, let him guess; she wasn’t forthcoming. Finn says, not in the slightest, and Gregory asks if that doesn’t tell him maybe he should drop the subject. Finn asks who he’s talking to. Isn’t Gregory the one who told him to analyze a problem from all sides, and come to a rational conclusion? Gregory says, not when it comes to the heart. There’s nothing rational about emotions. Finn says, now you tell me. There’s a million possibilities, but everything tells him that Elizabeth’s issue involves her family, especially since she keeps acting like they don’t exist. Violet asks if Aunt Elizabeth is seeing ghosts again.

Maxie says, if Spinelli doesn’t fess up, she’s going to throw him in the pool, but he asks what he has to confess. She says, if he’s over Britt, who is he pining for? and he says, a luminous creature; a beacon of warmth and intelligence… with a working knowledge of Star Wars. She asks if they know how he feels, but he says he’s only been worshipping her from afar. If things were different… Austen comes in, and Maxie says, oh my God, throwing her arms around him and kissing him.

Kristina says, they’re all concerned for Spencer, but why would Sam want to talk about him and not Dante? Molly says she kind of has the same feeling. Is everything okay with them? She just wants Sam and Dante to be as happy as she and TJ are. Sam says, she and Dante are very happy… They were happy, until… until he suggested they move in together.

Dante tells Olivia, last he checked, Cody wasn’t a drama coach. How’s he going to help Leo? She says she doesn’t know. He knows about horses and donkeys and stuff. Anyway, Dante should see Leo up on the stage, prancing around and braying. She’s never seen that kid more confident. He says he’s happy Leo and Cody have made fast friends, and he asks if she needs any help with this picnic. She says, he could find that embarrassing apron, and help her with the grill. Before she forgets, she saved seats in the front row for him and Sam for Leo’s play. He says, cool, sounds good, and she says, really? Because his face is telling a different story. He says, it’s fine, ma, and she says, now she’s really worried. He tells her, he said, everything is fine, but she says, Dante Angelo Falconari. From the time he was four years old, she knows when she hears him say, it’s fine, ma, in that tone of voice, she knows two things. A, it’s not fine, and B, he’s trying to hide something from her. Sometimes it’s something completely innocuous, like the time he broke Aunt Cia’s lamp. He says, that damn lamp again. It was hideous, and he was seven. She says, did the family offer up a silent prayer of gratitude for the lamp? Yes, but that’s not the point. The point is, she heard a crash, she asked, what happened? and he said, it’s fine, ma. Just like the time he got drunk for the first time, or the first time he got shot. He should just stop ducking and dodging the question, and tell her what’s really going on. He says he thinks he messed up with Sam.

Cody says, whoa there. He mentioned Britt’s father once, she shut him down, and he never mentioned him again. She says, he failed to mention their fathers knew one another, and he asks how she found out. She says, her mother, and he asks what Obrecht said exactly. Britt says, that Cesar Faison and Leopold Taub had – air quotes – dealings – end air quotes – with one another, and he says, isn’t it weird that their fathers knew each other? She says, weird doesn’t even begin to cover it. He could have told her that from the start. He says he barely knew her. Hell, he didn’t even know Leopold Taub was his father until a few months ago. At the same time he got poleaxed with the news that Dominique was his mother, and her mother’s schnitzel got a fortune that should have been his. She says, as he knows, that fortune belongs to a bunch of beluga whales thanks to Scotty’s daughter Serena. So he can kiss it goodbye. He says, that’s harsh, and she says, he wants harsh? Let’s talk about her family tree. Does he remember when she treated his cracked ribs after he received that beatdown outside of The Savoy? He says he’s probably not going to forget that, and she says, then does he also remember asking her about her parents? He was particularly interested in her father, and – what did he call it? – his legacy. He says, her point? and she says, her point is, why didn’t he tell her then that his father and her father not only knew each other, they did business together. What else is he keeping from her? He asks if she’s proud being Cesar Faison’s daughter, because he looked up Leopold Taub, and he’s not proud either. That whole cartel thing he had going on, and yeah, Cesar Faison was listed as one of his members. So when Dante told him that she was Faison’s daughter… She says, he smelled an opportunity, but he says, no; he smelled trouble. His first instinct was to run as far away from her as possible, and never look back. She asks, what stopped him? and he says, gratitude, for her scraping him up in that alley, giving him his 50 back, driving him all the way to Dante’s… Plus, he liked the smell of her perfume. Gardenias, right? She says, camellias, and he says, close. He liked her crooked smile, and the way she always sees the glass as half full – of strychnine. She asks if that’s a compliment or a cheap shot, and he says he just liked her. But if that’s not good enough, he’ll stick to horses. She can go back to Society Set-Ups and see if Zelda can do better next time. He brings a box into the stables, and when he comes back out, she’s still there. He asks if something is keeping her, and she says, her mother said the matchmaker may be more accurate than she thought.

Olivia says, she thought Dante and Sam were in a good place, and he says, they are. He should have left it there. She says, as opposed to… and he says, as opposed to asking Sam to move in with him. She says, it makes sense, all the time they spend together, and he says, that’s what he was thinking. They spend all this time together, they like each other, they have fun, and when the kids are together, it’s like the most perfect thing in the world. Sam thinks he’s rushing it; that he has to work through some stuff. She asks, what kind of stuff? and he says, like feelings. She says, like his feelings for Sam, or…? He says, for Lulu, and she says, he knows she loves Lulu. She prays everyday that Lulu will come out of that coma, but he’s moved on with his life. Lulu moved on with her life before the explosion. She was going to marry that teacher, wasn’t she? He says, she was. Dustin handed him the ring to give to her before he passed away. She says, Sam’s got to be aware of that, that Lulu was moving on with someone else. He says, it’s not Lulu’s feelings Sam’s talking about. She thinks he’s papered over his feelings. She says, has he? and he says, there’s a big part of him that thinks he should have been able to save her. Olivia hugs him, and says, her wonderful sweet boy. He didn’t put Lulu in that coma. That was Cyrus Renault’s fault. Even if he could go back in time, it’s still Cyrus Renault’s fault, with Julian Jerome doing his dirty work. He says, if he had just gotten there earlier, but she says, don’t do that. If he’d gotten to The Floating Rib earlier, she would have lost him too. No. They’re living in the here and now; that’s what matters. What matters are his feelings for Sam.  

Molly says, so Sam and Dante are moving in together, but Sam says, she and Dante are not moving in together. Kristina says, why not? and Sam says, like she told Spinelli, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Kristina says, moving in together doesn’t fix a bad relationship, it makes a good one better. Molly says, she and TJ had their doubts about sharing everything, even the rent… but Alexis says, let her alone. Kristina says, they’re not pressuring Sam. She’s in a committed relationship with a loving, supportive partner; not everyone gets that lucky. Sam says she knows she hit the jackpot, and Molly asks, what’s the problem? Sam asks if they can not talk about this, and Alexis says, absolutely. Now tell her what’s going on.

Maxie says she thought Austin was going to be gone for days, but he says he got through his business quickly. He tells Spinelli, in fact, he got through his business at warp speed. He came back to be with Maxie, and she says, he did? He says she sounds surprised, and she says, she thought all that talk about family… He says, what talk about family? and she glances at Spinelli, and says, never mind. The important thing is, he’s back. He says, he is. Back for good. Spinelli rolls his eyes.

Finn asks what makes Violet think Aunt Elizabeth is seeing ghosts, and she tells him, he just said,  they don’t exist. Gregory says, her daddy was just talking about her grandpa and step-grandma and how she never sees them. Violet says, okay, and goes back to her book. Finn thanks Gregory, and says, he has to get back to GH. Does Gregory mind? Gregory says, no, and Finn says, everything he needs is right there. Gregory says he’s getting kind of hungry; is Violet? She says she’s so hungry, and Finn tell her to be good for grandpa. He’ll see her back home. They exchange I love yous, and he says, eskimo? They rub noses and he leaves.  

TJ says, he’s let Epiphany know he’s sending Elizabeth home after the x-ray. She should not hold a steering wheel. He’ll call Finn. She says, don’t bother him; she’ll call a Ride Share. They leave the exam room, and in the hallway, he says he’s calling radiation to make sure they get the x-ray right away. She says, he’s very thorough, and he says he thinks the word she’s avoiding is annoying, maybe even obnoxious. She says she’s the one who should apologize for being less than cooperative, and he says he gets it. For a lot of people, it’s an automatic reflex; you’re fine, keep going. He thinks on some level, it’s a survival mechanism, because we’re afraid if we slow down and admit we’re hurt, we won’t get started again. She says she appreciates the we, and he says he’s definitely been through it, and will again, but if he goes too far, hopefully there will be someone to pull him back. He picks up the phone, and says he needs to order an x-ray for a GH staff person… As he talks, Elizabeth looks at the door to the stairs. She goes to it, opens, it, and stands on the landing. She looks down the stairs, and falls forward. It’s all in her head, and TJ asks if she’s okay. She says, absolutely, and he says, radiology can take her now. They leave, and she gives the door one last look.

Cody says, he had quite the interaction with Britt’s mother, and Britt says, when she twisted Cody’s arm behind his back for punching Scotty? He says he can see her mother’s no pushover. He bets Cesar Faison met his match with Liesl Obrecht. She says, no. Don’t let her black belt in karate fool him. Deep down, her mother is a born romantic. She’s actually the one who signed Britt up with Society Set-Ups. He says, remind him to thank her, and Britt says, he punched her boyfriend in the nose. She doubts her mother is interested in a thanks from him. She did suggest they have something in common. He says, really? Tell him something. Did her dad ever mention his?

Austin thanks Spinelli for keeping an eye on Maxie while he was gone. He hates thinking of her alone. Spinelli says, that makes them even. He hates thinking of her with the wrong people. Maxie says, Austin’s timing is perfect. Tomorrow is the first annual Quartermaine picnic for the Children’s wing at GH. Spinelli says, given Austin’s resentment of the Quartermaines, he may choose to skip the picnic, in which case he offers himself as escort to Maxinista. Austin says, that’s very kind of him, but he can handle the Quartermaines if Maxinista can. She says, how about if both of them escort her to the picnic? Mason suddenly bounds in, and asks where Austin’s manners are. Isn’t Austin going to introduce him to his friends?

Sam asks how she can move in with Dante when Lulu is still so much a presence in that house. She doesn’t go there often, but when she does, all she sees are her kitchen, her books, her furniture, or at least the furniture they picked out together. Alexis says, maybe he’s leaving those things around for Rocco’s sake; for Rocco’s comfort. Sam says, fair enough, and it all makes sense, but it’s still really awkward for her. Alexis says, she gets it. For what it’s worth (🍷), she hasn’t seen Sam this happy in a long time. Whatever Dante’s doing, he’s bringing out a peacefulness in Sam that no one else has managed to. And Sam brings joy to Dante’s life, because no one’s seen him this joyful since he came back to Port Charles. She’s pretty certain he’s not seeing Lulu when he sees Sam. Sam’s phone dings, and she says she’s got to go. She tells Alexis that she loves her, and Alexis says she loves Sam more. Sam leaves, passing Gregory and Violet on their way in. Violet says, that’s the lady in the park who grandpa hit with the frisbee, and Alexis says, that’s her.  

Finn asks, what happened to Elizabeth’s hand? and she says, it’s just a cut. TJ says, according to the x-ray, they got all the shards, and she tells Finn, she was just holding an empty collection tube, and it shattered. TJ says he has to check on a patient, and asks if Finn minds waiting until Elizabeth’s Ride Share comes. Finn says, sure, and TJ tells Elizabeth, go home and rest. She says she will, and he leaves. Finn says, forget about the Ride Share; he’ll drive her home himself. She says, what about his patients? and he says he’ll get someone to cover. It just shattered in her hand? She says, it wasn’t an accident. He deserves to know the truth. They go into an exam room, and she says she wasn’t watching what she was doing. He asks, what was distracting her? and she says, for one thing, walking in on him and Terry talking behind her back. He says, that’s his fault, not Terry’s, and they didn’t mean to upset her. She says, he upset her. He doesn’t think she’s capable of  taking care of herself. Why doesn’t he trust her? He says, he’d trust her with his life, but he’s not exactly clear on how just mentioning her family is a violation of that trust. He means no disrespect by that, but he wants to know how to fix things between them. She says, there’s nothing to fix, and he says, if that was true, she’d tell him what really caused her to cut her hand.

Kristina asks Gregory and Violet to join them. She and Molly would love to her all about the frisbee. Violet says, it was an accident, and Gregory thanks them, but says, he and Violet will find another table. Alexis says, don’t be silly. She always enjoys Violet’s company. He tells her, Finn told him that she said he was pestering her, and she asks if she actually used the word pester. He says, according to Finn. He vigorously denied it of course (🍷), but if that’s how she feels, he’ll pester her no longer. Alexis says, don’t go, and tells him to pull up chairs for him and Violet. After all, it’s not every day you get to have lunch with the Davis girls.

Dante tells Olivia, when he asked Sam to move in with him, in retrospect, it probably did catch her off-guard. They were at the Hatchet Ranch… She says, that’s romantic, and he says, it was just one of those things. He’d been thinking about it so much, and he thought Sam had to be on the same page, or at least thinking about it too. When she didn’t say yes immediately, he was thrown off. He backed off. He didn’t want to pressure her. Olivia says she thinks she knows where this is going, and Dante says, they talked it out; at least he thinks they did. He told her that he loved her, and he’d wait as long as she wanted to wait to move in together. He thought they were good. She says, but then the question of whether to move in with each other or not grows from this small manageable thing to this giant elephant that’s taken up permanent residence, not just in the room, but in his psyche. Probably Sam’s psyche too. He says, he doesn’t want to mess this up. He feels like he did, and doesn’t know what to do next. She asks if he’s open to a suggestion, and he says, please. She tells him, stick to basics. What does he want to happen with Sam? He says he wants them to have a life to together with their kids. They don’t need to live in the same place; it doesn’t matter to him. Olivia pats his chest, and says, stick with the feelings; it’s all about the feelings. The living arrangements, all that can wait. It’s all about the feelings. He says he loves her. He wants to trust her and support her, and try to make her as happy as she’s made him. Sam comes in.

Austin says, this is his cousin Mason, and Mason says, country cousin from Pautuck. Maxie says, Austin didn’t tell her that he had a cousin coming into town, but Mason says, don’t blame Austin. He’s a hot-shot doctor. Sometimes he forgets where he’s from, even though the family’s so proud of him. Spinelli asks, what brings him to their fair city? and Mason says, family, while Austin says, business. Mason says, family business. They were hoping Cousin Austin would have stayed longer. Austin says, he did what he had to do when he was there. Now he’s here in his home, Port Charles.

Britt says, whatever unholy alliance her father made with Cody’s ended before they were born. Unless there’s something else he’s not telling her. He says, their fathers knowing each other is just a random coincidence; something they have in common. But isn’t she the least bit curious about what Leopold Taub and Cesar Faison were up to? She says, he never knew his father. Unfortunately, she knew hers, and she’s been trying to live him down ever since. So if he wants to go digging for skeletons in that closet, he can do it alone. She starts to leave, but he grabs her hand, and says, she’s right. Whatever their fathers did, died with them. He’s card player… She says, not a very good one, and he says, it depends on the players, and the game. He lets her hand go, and says, his point is, he always factors the odds and figures them out. What are the odds that on that day, he would parachute into that pool… She says, and almost drown her, but he says, she got a little wet. And if he didn’t say it then, he’s saying it now – she looked gorgeous. She says, now he’s trying to flatter her, and he says, he thinks she looks good soaking wet; so sue him. She says she considered it, and he tells her, just keep in mind, he can’t afford a lawyer, so there’s no way he could pay for the damages. She says, don’t worry. She’s not going to drag him to court, and he says he knew she couldn’t be that hard-hearted. They laugh, and she says, that GIF of her climbing out of the pool is just now coming down everyone’s feed. She doesn’t need to draw more attention to it. He says, so he’s being saved by her self-interest, and she says, bingo, but he says he doesn’t buy it.

Olivia says she has Quartermaine picnic stuff to see to, and tells Dante that she’ll see him later. She tells Sam that it’s nice to see her, and leaves. Sam says, so the Quartermaine picnic fundraiser is tomorrow? and Dante says, his mom’s been going crazy with that. Plus she has Leo’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream; he’s playing Bottom. He’s pretty excited about that. She says, and him? He says, that depends on whether or not she’s going with him. I have to mention that A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a pretty ambitious play for a summer theater camp in Leo’s age group.

Alexis says, that was delicious. Anyone for desserts? Violet says, ice cream sundaes for all of us, and Alexis says she likes Violet’s style. She liked it the minute they met. Violet says, as much as Alexis likes her grandpa? and Gregory apologizes for his granddaughter; she apparently has no filter. Alexis says, don’t apologize at all. And to answer Violet’s question, Alexis likes her grandpa… ‘s writing. She doesn’t always agree with it, but it’s never boring. Violet says, never. Alexis should hear one of his bedtime stories.

Spinelli asks how long Mason is in town, and Mason say, it depends on his cousin. Austin tells him, he thinks they said all they needed to say back in Pautuck, but Mason says, not quite. He can’t leave until Austin understands how much he means to his family back home. Austin knows how much they expect from him. Besides, he was hoping Austin would show him the sights in Port Charles. Although he doesn’t have to look much further than this lovely lady. Spinelli says, this lovely lady’s not on the tour, and not reading the room at all, Maxie says she has an idea. Why doesn’t Mason come to the Quartermaine picnic tomorrow? Austin says he’s sure Mason has better things to do, but Mason says he can’t think of one. He hears the Quartermaines are practically royalty. Too bad cuz here missed out on the family jewels.

Elizabeth says, Finn is right; it wasn’t just an accident. He asks, what happened? and she says she was thinking about all the time he’s wasted worrying about her; time they’ll never get back. She just got so angry, she crushed the tube without realizing it. He says he knows what it’s like to keep that kind of anger inside. Is there any chance that’s only part of it? Could the anger be about something else, something in her past, something she barely remembers? She tells him, stick to infectious diseases, and leave the psychiatry to Doc.

Austin says he’s made peace with his father’s family, and Mason says, that’s their Austin. Some folks say money buys happiness, but Austin was raised right. Austin says, thanks, and suggests he and Maxie get out of here. Spinelli tells Maxie, Georgie, James, and Bailey Lou are with her parents, but Mac and Felicia aren’t going to want to babysit all night. Can they talk childcare before she leaves? Maxie tells Austin, one second, and they’ll go, and steps away with Spinelli. Austin tells Mason, there’s no way he’s going to that picnic, but Mason says, watch me.

Alexis says, who knew the eminent Professor Chase was capable of blushing? but he says he doesn’t blush. Violet says, yes he does. He blushed when daddy saw his name in The Invader, and said he was famous. Alexis says, he was famous already academically; he now has a wider audience. Gregory says he wasn’t looking for fame, just for fairness in journalism, and Alexis says, it’s okay to enjoy some attention. Everyone likes attention. He says, he’s not everyone, and she says, that’s for sure.  

Elizabeth asks how many times she has to tell Finn; she’s fine. Now she has to meet her Ride Share. She tells him, let’s not fight anymore. She really hates it. She kisses him, and he says he hates it too. She leaves, and Finn flashes back to Gregory saying, if he disregards Elizabeth’s wishes, it could cost him the relationship; and him saying, he could stand losing her if he knew she would be okay in the end. He makes a call, and says, this is Dr. Finn for Dr. Webber. Is she available?… Yes. Tell her Hamilton Finn called. He needs a consult with Dr. Webber about someone they have in common.

Sam says, of course (🍷) she’ll go to Leo’s play, and Dante says, cool. His mom said she’d get them good seats. She says, Olivia is going to worry about seats after everything she’s got to do tomorrow? and he says, speaking of tomorrow… and she says, she told him, of course (🍷) she’ll go to the picnic. They both start talking, and she says, him first. He says, they don’t have to rush through this. They can just take it slow. They’ll know when the time is right, and just take it slow like she wanted to. She says, yeah, and hugs him.

Cody says, Britt wants to come off as selfish and uncaring, but it’s just not true. She says, yes it is, and he asks, then why did she help him out in that alley behind The Savoy? Why didn’t she just pick up his last 50 and walk off? She says she wishes she did, and he says, really? She says, no, but he was pathetic, crawling on his hands and knees, all bruised and broken. He says he never got to thank her properly for that rescue, so let him do it now. She says, how? and he says he’d like to invite her to the Quartermaine picnic tomorrow. There will be so many people there, it’s not like a date. She says, when he words it like that… She accepts. He says, shall they shake on it? They do, and he says, see her tomorrow. She says, tomorrow, and leaves. Outside, she smiles.  

On Monday, Brook says she would never use Chase; Jordan asks why she gets the sense TJ is trying to get rid of her; Ava says she has truths that will lay Spencer to waste; and Willow won’t accept that.

🍃 Leaf From the Family Tree…

A little bit about the cousin we never knew Austin had.

https://soapdirt.com/general-hospital-comings-goings-austin-holt-shady-cousin-says-fan-fave-returns/

🩺 Nooo…

Kudos to her for prime time and all, but I hope she comes back. I like Britt.

More in depth than In Depth.

https://www.thelist.com/969983/the-real-reason-kelly-thiebaud-is-leaving-britt-and-general-hospital-behind/

🛀 Love Bubble Suds…

Teresa being her usual horrible self.

I wonder if her hair has its own IG.

🧂 Shah’s Got Guts…

No doubt it will be the highlight of the season.

https://people.com/tv/jen-shah-real-housewives-of-salt-lake-city-costar-meredith-marks-calls-her-gutsy-amid-legal-situation/

✈️ Wives From Where…?

What the hell is this? How is it on Season 15 and I had no clue? And what the hell are those streaming services that carry it? Not that I need another bunch of horrible people to watch.

https://tvdeets.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-real-housewives-of-cheshire-season-15/

👰🏽 All the Weddings…

Better than attending them.

https://people.com/tv/real-housewives-wedding-album/

⚰️ Telling Tales…

I watched the first episode, and thought it was promising. Maybe a spoiler, but the dog got it a few minutes in, and I was not pleased with them leading with it. Or including it at all. That being said, I thought it improved as the episode went on. I’m just glad to be out of Georgia.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/tales-of-the-walking-dead-terry-crews-olivia-munn-parker-posey-jillian-bell-1235198520/

🐉 About That Dragon…

I actually haven’t seen this yet.

https://ew.com/tv/tv-reviews/house-of-the-dragon-review-game-of-thrones/

🐓 Quotes of the Week

Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. – Theodore Roosevelt

After a while you learn that privacy is something you can sell, but you can’t buy it back. – Bob Dylan

If you fuel your journey on the opinions of others, you are going to run out of gas. – Steve Maraboli

Dance above the surface of the world. Let your thoughts lift you into creativity that is not hampered by opinion. – Red Haircrow

Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship. – Buddha

Our lives are the only meaningful expression of what we believe and in Whom we believe. And the only real wealth, for any of us, lies in our faith. – Gordon B. Hinckley

We got a whole lot of money, but we still pay rent, cuz you can’t buy a house in heaven. – Lady Gaga, You & I

💋 Come On, Barbie, Let’s Go Party…

Before you know it, it will be hoodie weather, so take a break, whether you call it the weekend or not. Soak up some sun, walk in the park, or if you’re allergic to nature, take in a movie at the theater. I hear they’re back. See you on Monday for soap and yachting on the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay sassy, and stay not letting any giant elephants take up permanent residence in your psyche. Or the room.

August 12, 2022 – Jordan Shows Compassion, Dominique, New Gig, Reprise, Confused, a Break-Up, NYC Revealed, Dead Talk, Exactly 12 Quotes & Runnin’

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Portia says she’s going to inject Oz Haggerty with the reversal agents, and Curtis says, what if something goes wrong? and She says she knows there’s a risk of him waking up too fast too soon, but it’s her only option. She has to go through with this. He says he’s not talking about the risk to Haggerty; he’s talking about the risk to the woman he loves.

Dante leads Cody into the station, and says, next time, maybe he’ll think before he sucker punches somebody. And don’t pick a lawyer like Scotty; he sues people. Cody says, the only thing he regrets is only landing one punch. They go into the interrogation room, and Cody asks if they can ditch these cuffs. How about doing his old buddy a favor and letting him go free? Dante says he is doing Cody a favor by talking to him like this, because next time, it could be through the bars of a cell.

At Charlie’s, Britt examines Scotty’s nose, and tells him, it’s not broken, and he’s lucky it’s not. He says he didn’t deserve to get sucker punched by her boyfriend, and she says, Cody is not her boyfriend, and from what she heard, he had a score to settle with Scotty. Scotty says, he’s never seen that guy before in his life, until Cody punched him. And this whole Dominique, this cockamamie story. If Dominique had another kid out there before Serena, she would have told him. Obrecht asks if he’s sure, and he says he is, because they shared everything. Obrecht says, perhaps he didn’t know her as well as he thought.

Rory tells Jordan, no need to stick around. He’s got it from here. She says she wants to believe that, but he hasn’t answered her question. Can he put his badge above his feelings for Trina Robinson? He says, it’s because he cares about Trina that she can trust him.

Trina asks TJ to please tell her that bartender is coming out of his coma. Her attorney thinks the jury is close to reaching a verdict. Oz Haggerty is the only one who can prove her innocence. He says, Oz Haggerty’s medical team is bringing him out of his medically induced coma, but unfortunately, it’s a painstakingly slow medical process. He still has a long way to go before he regains consciousness. She says, which means the jury is going to reach their verdict without knowing Esme is the one who bought the black market cellphone. He says he’s sorry to be the bearer of bad news, and she says, the closer they get to the verdict, the harder it is to stay optimistic.

Portia tells Curtis, the only thing that matters is that Haggerty wakes up in time to tell the truth before that jury comes back with a verdict. Curtis says, is it vitally important that Oz wakes up? Hell yeah, but it’s not the only thing that matters. Even if she talks her way into that  room, she won’t make it out if her attempts to wake him up go sideways. She says she already told him, she’s willing to take that risk, but he says, give herself a cover. Be smart about it. Don’t go charging in there asking to incriminate herself. She says, if anyone goes to prison, it’s better her than her daughter, but he says he won’t trade Trina’s freedom for hers.

Dante says, he and Cody have always been honest with each other, right? and Cody says, more or less. Dante says, so why doesn’t Cody be honest with him right now? How long has he been hunting down Scott Baldwin? Is that why he stuck around town? Cody swears he didn’t come to Port Charles for anything other than a paycheck. The surprise bonus was running into Dante. Dante says, Cody had to know he’d run into Scotty sooner or later, right? and Cody says, if he came to town to find Scotty, doesn’t Dante think he would have made it happen sooner? He didn’t even know who Scotty was until a couple of months ago, and believe him, when he found out who Scotty was, and what Scotty did to him, he didn’t want anything to do with that piece of trash. Today, when Scotty was standing right in front of him with that smug grin on his face, he just kept thinking about everything he’d heard, and how Scotty had taken everything that was rightfully his, and he just got so mad… He’s sorry. He couldn’t stop himself. Dante asks how Cody got to this point in his life and not know Scotty stole something from him, and Cody says he didn’t know about Scotty, because he didn’t even know Dominique was his mom. Dante asks how he found that out, and Cody says, he heard it from a dead woman.

Scotty says, he and Dominique had no secrets. If she had a son out there, Scotty would have found him, and had him live with them. Scotty would never turn his back on him. Obrecht says she knows he wants to believe in Dominique, but if they shared everything, why would she go to her grave without telling him about Cody? What would have motivated her to stay silent? Britt says, people stay silent for lots of reasons. Sometimes it’s because they don’t trust people, sometimes it’s because they’re so afraid of what they’ve kept inside, they can’t face it. Obrecht says, and sometimes we’re brave and don’t even know it. Maybe it wasn’t so much that Dominique was keeping a secret from Scotty. What if she was trying to protect him? Scotty says, maybe she was trying to protect herself.

Jordan tells Rory that she cares about Trina too, but as they were taught at the Academy, the badge comes first. He says he knows he’s just a rookie, but does it have to be either or? Can’t a police officer be true to the badge and still have compassion? Yeah, he wants Trina to be found not guilty, and the best way for that to happen is for the man inside this room to wake up, and testify that Esme Prince bought that black market cellphone, and that Trina wasn’t involved. She says, the problem is, Miss Prince is no longer living at Windymere, and they’re having trouble finding her. He says he wants to help with that too, but first, she can trust him that no one, not Esme Prince or anyone else not on the list, will enter this room and interfere with the recovery of Oz Haggerty.

Trina tells TJ, she’s usually a glass half-full kind of person, but she’s not that sure the truth is going to come out in time to vindicate her. And if Diane’s right, time’s almost up. She sits, and TJ sits next to her. He says he wants her to keep reminding herself how many people are on her side. Her mom and Curtis are doing everything they can. Joss and Cam, the victims, both testified on her behalf. That’s got to mean something to the jury. She says, but Joss and Cam don’t have any hard proof that she’s innocent. The only one who can exonerate her is that bartender Oz. She knows he’s not in a natural coma; he’s medically induced. Can’t they get him out of it faster? TJ flashes back to telling Portia that he plans on administering drugs to wake Oz up, and Portia saying, Oz was put into a coma for a reason. To forcibly wake him up would be completely denying his medical needs, and that’s the very definition of unethical. He tells Trina, even if there were such a way… She says, wait. If it was impossible, he’d have said so, but he didn’t. He just talked around it, and made it a hypothetical. Does that mean he can force Oz to wake up?

Portia asks Curtis, where was all this concern when TJ was the one who was going to revive Oz? He was willing to risk his entire career, his freedom, to inject the reversal agents. Curtis says, they were desperate. Besides, TJ stood a better chance of getting in and out of Oz’s room without suspicion. He can’t say the same about her, considering she’s Trina’s mother. She asks if he’s telling her she should give up. She should trust twelve total strangers in that jury room? He says, hell no; he’s not saying that. He’s saying they’re a team, and should share the same risks and the same consequences, which means they should stick to the original plan. While he distracts Rory, she slips into Oz’s room, and gives him that injection. She says, and if it fails? All three of them end up in Pentenville? He says, at least they’ll be together. He takes her hand, and asks what she says. She says, let’s do it.

Cody tells Dante, life could have been different. He grew up in the shadows of Serenity. It was originally owned by the Stanton family. The Bells, who he thought were his real parents, lived in the caretaker’s cottage. That’s where he learned to ride horses. It’s also where he learned he’d never amount to more in life than being a cook’s son. The love of horses came naturally to him; no other lesson ever stuck. He grew up hearing these stories about the house on the hill, where the beautiful Dominique and her shady husband Leopold Taub used to live. Dante says, it’s an interesting story, but how does Scotty fit in?

Scotty says, Dominique’s marriage to Leopold Taub wasn’t a love match. He was a social climber. The Stantons represented everything he wasn’t. Britt says, Leopold Taub. Why does that name sound familiar? Obrecht says, Leopold Taub and Cesar had certain… dealings, and Britt says, her father and Cody’s father.

Cody says, he knew Leopold was a bad man because he was cruel to the horses. Apparently, he was also cruel to his wife. It was just a story, until… Dante says, until what? and Cody says, a few months ago, he got that call you never want to get. His mom – or the woman he thought was his mom – was dying. So he dropped everything and went home to say goodbye. Dante says he’s sorry, and Cody says, thanks. He was out of a job, so it was easy to drop everything. He came home to that sad little caretaker cottage, and he was right beside her when she took her last breath. Dante says, again, he’s sorry, but at least Cody got to say goodbye. Cody says, before he did, she took his hand and told him that she couldn’t die before she told him the truth. She didn’t give birth to him. His birth mother was the beautiful, very wealthy Dominique Stanton.

Jordan looks through the window at Oz, and says, there’s no sign of him waking, is there? Rory says, not since he’s been there, and she says, part of her wants to walk in there and grab him by the shoulders, and tell him to snap out of it. He says, Trina matters to her too, right? and she says, Trina matters to a whole lot of people in this town. They know who she is, and who she isn’t, but the evidence… Rory says, Esme Prince manufactured the evidence to point to Trina, and she says, unfortunately, they can’t prove that. He says, no, but Oz can. If anything happens, Jordan will be the first to know. She thanks him, and leaves. He looks at Oz.

Trina asks TJ, if they can speed up the process and bring Oz out of his coma, why haven’t they tried? He says, because it can backfire. It can make the coma permanent or worse. She says, he means it might kill Oz, and he says, there’s always a chance. Even if the reversal agents were to work, there’s no way to guarantee Oz would wake up with his faculties and memories intact. She says, okay, so no injection. The doctors stick to whatever protocol they’re using now. How long will it take for Oz to wake up? He says, it could be days, or weeks, and she says she doesn’t have that long. He says he knows. They’re just doctors. They took an oath to do no harm. He was so determined to help her that, for a moment, he almost forgot that. Curtis and Portia come down the hall, looking guilty, and Portia asks what Trina is doing here. Curtis says, let him guess. Diane got ahold of her. Trina says, Diane messaged her that jury is close to reaching a verdict. She guesses that means she might not be coming home for dinner tonight. Portia hugs her, and TJ says he’ll let them have some family time alone. He leaves, and Portia says, Trina shouldn’t be here. She should go home and spend some time with her friends. Trina say, it’s not their fault. They’re trying to cheer her up, but she doesn’t feel like pretending it’s all going to be okay. Portia says, Trina has to have faith. Believe it or not, miracles still do happen. Trina says, Portia doesn’t have to pretend with her either. TJ told her that she stopped him from taking extreme measures to wake up Oz. Portia looks at Curtis, and it’s not lost on Trina. Trina says, don’t get her wrong, she understands. Portia didn’t want TJ risking a patient’s life or his career doing something unethical. She’s glad Portia stepped up and told him to do the right thing. Portia says, there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for Trina, absolutely nothing, and Curtis says, he hates to break up this moment, but didn’t Portia have a patient she’s worried about? Why doesn’t he stay with Trina, and she can go do what she’s got to do. She asks if he’s sure, and he says, go; they’ll be right here. She tells Trina to take care of herself, and leaves.

Cody tells Dante, that deathbed confession turned his world upside down. Even his last name wasn’t right; he wasn’t a Bell. He was a wealthy Stanton who was supposed to grow up in that house on that hill. Dante says he can kind of relate. What he got to Port Charles, he didn’t know Sonny was his father. He was undercover in Sonny’s operation, trying to take him down from the inside, and he found out Sonny was his dad after Sonny shot him. Cody says, Dante’s story beats his, and Dante says he’s not trying to one-up Cody. He’s just saying he can relate. To find out as an adult you’re not who you thought you were messes with your head. Cody says he never knew if Dominique thought about him or wanted to provide for him. After she died, Serenity was sold off, and the proceeds went to the love of her life, the father of her daughter Serena. Dante says, enter Scott Baldwin, and Cody says, does Dante want to ask him again why he punched that smug son of a gun? He stole everything Cody didn’t even know he had. Dante says, and Scotty swears he didn’t know about Cody? Cody says, yeah, but he also claims Dominique was the love of his life. If they were so close, why didn’t she ever tell him about her first born child? Dante asks if Cody is mad at Scotty, or mad at his mother for what she did to him?

Scotty ices his nose, and says, if Dominique was trying to keep her son away from Leopold, it makes sense she would give him to the Bells to raise. Obrecht says, kind of like Maxie trusting Brook with Bailey to keep her safe from Peter. Britt says, but the one big difference is, Maxie’s situation was temporary, where it sounds like Dominique’s situation was never-ending. Obrecht says, that would explain why Cody never knew who he was; Dominique kept silent to the end. Britt says, it all fits together, doesn’t it? Unless the pieces fit a little too well. Scotty asks what she’s driving at, and Britt says she hasn’t known Cody long, but from the first time she met him, he was always working some angle. So what if that’s what this is, and none of the story is true?

Curtis hands a bag from the vending machine to Trina, but she says she’s not hungry. He says, humor him. She’s got to keep up her strength because she doesn’t want to lose hope. Remember what her mom said about miracles. She takes the bag from him, and says she wants to have faith, but she doesn’t want to fool herself. Things aren’t going her way, and TJ said, even if Oz comes out of his coma, they don’t know if his memories will still be intact. He could have totally forgotten he was selling that black market phone to Esme, and even if he does, it could take weeks or months, and by then, the jury will already have decided, and she could be in Pentenville. He says he can’t promise how this is going to turn out, but he can promise that everyone who cares about her is doing everything they can to prove her innocence. She puts her head on his shoulder, and he puts his arm around her.

TJ looks at his tablet, and Jordan asks what he’s studying so intently. He says, Oz Haggerty’s chart. He’s looking for any glimmer of hope that his awakening is speeding up. She says she knows how badly he wants to help Trina; so does she, but they can’t force things. He says, that’s the thing. Just like he told Portia and Curtis, there’s a way to force Oz into consciousness.

Rory asks if Portia has heard from Trina; how is she? Portia says, she’s waiting, like the rest of us, for the patient in that room to wake up. Actually, that’s why she stopped by. She was just going to check on Oz, and see how he’s progressing herself. He says he’s sorry, but he can’t let her in, and she tells him that she’s a doctor. He says he knows it’s unusual to stop a doctor from seeing a patient, but unfortunately, her name isn’t on the approved list, and he can’t let her inside. She says, good for him, going by the book. She’s not on the list because she’s not the attending on the case and not a consultant on the case. Did he think she wanted to go in there to treat the patient? She just wanted to take a look at him with her own two eyes. Obviously, she has a vested interest in seeing everything is done to restore Mr. Haggerty to full consciousness. And he wants the same thing, doesn’t he? He says, of course (🍷). That’s why he’s grateful Commissioner Ashford assigned him this post. He promises her, nobody will interfere with the recovery of Haggerty. And when he comes out of this coma, he can ID Esme as being the one who bought the black market phone. Rory thinks that will be enough to convince the jury that Trina’s not guilty. She says, of course (🍷), but by then Trina could be in Pentenville for weeks, if not months. Can’t he… She goes to the window, and he says he doesn’t understand. Can’t he what? Is she sure he can’t help her? She says, yes, she’s sure, and walks away.

Cody tells Dante, maybe it’s easier to blame Scotty than his mother, but put himself in Cody’s shoes. Dante says, that’s what he’s trying to do. Telling Cody about Sonny, and discovering Sonny was his father. It’s not the same thing, but it still threw him for a loop. His whole career is crime fighting, and Sonny’s is the exact opposite. He’s sympathetic to Cody’s situation. Cody says, his whole life, no matter how far he’s traveled, no matter how hard he’s tried to fit in, he never felt like he belonged. And now, he finds out the home and life he was supposed to have has been sold off, and the proceeds go to Scotty and his daughter, who Cody’s mother obviously loved more than him.

Obrecht says, what if Cody made up the whole story just to get money out of Scotty? and Scotty says, there’s no money to get. Everything Dominique had, she left to Serena, and Serena spent all that money saving the whales. Britt says, if he wants her to arrange a DNA test to see if Cody is Dominique’s son, she can make that happen, but Scotty says, that’s not necessary, because he saw it in Cody’s eyes; the same thing he sees in Serena’s eyes, Dominque’s eyes. Obrecht says, that’s all the proof Scotty has? He says, it’s not just the eyes; it’s the hunger Cody has. Obrecht says, a hunger for his lost money, and Scotty says he’s not just talking about that. The hunger Cody has for the meaning in his life. He thinks Britt knows what he’s talking about, and Britt says she doesn’t think she would have described it quite like that, but now that Scotty has, she’s seen that too. Scotty says, then she knows he’s right, and Obrecht says, very well. If Cody is who he claims to be, what is Scotty supposed to do about it? He says, if she’s the Liesl he thinks she is, he thinks she already knows the answer. The question he has to ask himself is, what would Dominique want him to do? He gets up, kisses the top of Obrecht’s head, and says he’ll see them.

Jordan asks what exactly TJ told Portia and Curtis, and TJ says, that he was so laser focused on helping Trina, he considered using extreme measures to shock Oz’s system, basically to try and force him out of his coma. But don’t worry. Portia wasn’t having any of it, and reminded him that he needed to put the patient first. It’s just too risky of a procedure. She says she’s relieved to hear that, no matter how much it would help Trina. He says he knows the law is the law. He just wishes he was as confident as Jordan that justice will be done.

Trina says she knows what Curtis is thinking. He’s worried that his phone is going to ring, and it’s going to be Diane telling them the jury’s reached a verdict. She’s having the same feeling. Portia comes by, and Trina asks, what happened to her patient? She says, unfortunately, her patient’s condition remains unchanged. Trina is so lucky to have a friend like Rory. He won’t let anyone or anything compromise the witness who can clear her. He’s not letting anybody in that room who’s not on the approved list.

Rory calls Jordan, and she asks if everything is okay. He says he thought she’d like to know, something out of the ordinary happened. She says, what’s that? and he says, Oz Haggerty had a visit from a doctor not on the approved list. She says, which doctor? and he says, Trina’s mom, Dr. Robinson. She asks if Portia said why she was there, and he says, she just wanted to see if Haggerty was any closer to waking up. Being Trina’s mom, he can totally understand that, but she wasn’t on the approved list, so he didn’t let her in. When he arrested Spencer and Cameron, Jordan said he was a bit over-eager, and needed to use better discretion, so he just wanted to check in, and make sure he did the right thing. Jordan assures him, it was the right thing to do

Cody asks, what’s next? and Dante says, he’ll be taken to his cell. If he needs a lawyer, Dante can give him a couple of recommendations. If money’s an issue, he’ll be assigned a public defender. Cody says, really? He pours his heart out about how his world’s been turned upside down, and Dante can’t show his buddy a little bit of compassion? Dante asks what Cody expects him to do. He punched a guy in the face in a public setting in front of a bunch of witnesses, and now the guy’s pressing charges. There’s literally nothing he can do. Cody says, it pays to know people in high places, huh? and Dante says, it usually does. He starts to bring Cody to his cell, when Scotty comes in. Cody asks, how’s the nose? Did he break it? Dante says, it’s not a great idea to antagonize the guy who’s pressing charges against him, and Scotty says, his nose is fine. He can smell a phony baloney a mile away. Cody says, Scotty spends his inheritance, and has the nerve to call him a phony baloney? Take him away. Prison’s a step up from this guy. Scotty says he can also smell the real McCoy, and he thinks Cody is, so he’s dropping the charges.

TJ asks if Jordan is planning on being in the courtroom when the jury reads the verdict, and she says, her presence in the courtroom goes with the job, but this is one time she’d give anything not to be there. She walks away, and sees Trina talking with Portia and Curtis, and listens from around the corner. Trina says she guesses there’s no point in waiting around here. Even if Oz wakes up now, it’s probably too late to change anything. Portia says, it’s never too late, and Curtis tells Portia that he knows what they both want. What if it’s just not possible? She says, nothing’s impossible. Isn’t that what he always tells her? He’s so sweet. She hugs him, and whispers, she’s got to find a way in that room. Please just get Trina out of here. She says she keeps getting all these texts, but Trina says she didn’t hear Portia’s phone. Portia says she keeps her phone on silent at the hospital. Her patient still needs her, and she’ll catch up with the two of them later. She hugs Trina, saying she loves her, and jets. Trina asks if that seemed weird to Curtis. He says, her mom has a lot on her mind right now. She wants to help Trina, but she’s got to focus on her patients. He’s sure that’s all it is. She says, wait. She still thinks that goodbye was strange. Maybe she should talk to her mom before they go. He tells her, she heard what her mom said. She needs to focus on her patients, and tonight she can come home and worry about Trina. Trina says, if the worst happens and she goes to prison, Curtis has to promise he’ll take care of her mother, and he says, first of all, he doesn’t want her thinking that way. Whatever happens, of course (🍷) they’re going to take care of her mother. She just wants a happy and fair ending to Trina’s trial, just like all of them. Come on; let’s go. Trina says, what if Diane calls and she has to go to the courthouse, and she won’t be able to see her mom until she’s behind bars? Curtis says he promises as soon as he gets a phone call from Diane saying the verdict is in, he’ll get her mother to the courthouse, so she can be there to support Trina.

TJ sees Jordan, and says he wishes there was something more they could do for Trina and her family. If only Haggerty would wake up and tell them what he knows.

Britt asks how Obrecht let Scotty leave without her. Isn’t she afraid he’ll do something foolish? Obrecht says she was tempted to stop Scotty, but the truth is, she’s proud of him. Britt says, even if it means doing right by the former love of his life, Dominique? and Obrecht says, maybe if Dominique was still alive, she’d be concerned, but she died years ago. She’s not afraid of Scotty’s past. On the contrary. The fact that he was able to love someone so strongly, so deeply, means he’s capable of loving her even more. Britt says, either that’s a terrific spin on the situation, or Obrecht really does believe in true love. If that’s the case, she envies Obrecht. Obrecht says she never had that faith in the past, but she found it for the first time with Scotty. It may take some time, but it’s out there waiting for Britt; she’s sure of it. Britt says, true love’s not for everyone. She had a shot with Jason, briefly, but he’s gone. And let’s face it, she’s damaged goods. Obrecht laughs and takes Britt’s hands, saying, they’re all damaged in one way or another. She is, and so is Scotty. When you find the right person, you help each other heal.

Scotty asks Dante what the DA’s office said, and Dante tells him, if Scotty’s not pressing charges, there is no case, and they can let Cody go. Cody says, so he’s a free man? and Dante says, as soon as he gets the cuffs off. Scotty says he doesn’t expect Cody to thank him, and Cody says, good, because he’s not getting a thanks. Dante unlocks the cuffs, and Scotty says, Cody can choose to believe him or not, but he didn’t know that Dominique had a son. When they found out she had an inoperable brain tumor, they spent a lot of time together, and she would have told him about Cody, but she didn’t, so she must have had her reasons. Cody says, Scotty can tell himself that at night if it helps him sleep. For him, it’s a whole load of BS. Scotty leaves, and Cody says, does Dante believe that guy? Dante tells him, he hates to say it, but he thinks Scotty is telling the truth.

TJ tells Jordan that he has to get back to his rounds, but he’ll see her later. They hug, and Jordan waits for the elevator. She sees Curtis with Trina, and gets in. She flashes back to what TJ told her about using extreme measures to wake Oz up, and Portia telling him it was too risky. She remembers asking Rory about why Portia wanted to see Oz, and Rory asking if a police officer can’t be true to the badge, but still have compassion. She pulls the emergency alarm in the elevator. Aw. I want to cry. That’s so good of her.

An officer tells Rory, someone must be trapped inside the elevator, and Rory says he’s coming too. No one is around Oz’s room, and Portia – I’m sure not believing her luck – goes inside and closes the door. She closes the blinds and goes over to Oz. She says she knows he can save her daughter. He’s the only one who can. She takes a syringe out of her pocket.

On Monday, Victor says, Nikolas is hiding something, and they both know it; Josslyn tells Cameron, there’s another reason Dex is interested in Trina’s trial; Trina says, the jury has reached a verdict; and Portia asks if Oz can hear her.

☝🏽 BTW, for the past two days, the ABC affiliate here has forgotten their news is on at 4, and broken into GH to tell us nothing that couldn’t wait. Yesterday, I bounced around, piecing it together, since no one source had it in its entirety. Today, I was quick enough to catch it before ABC had a chance to pull for unlicensed content or whatever. My point is, WTF, ABC? If we’re at war, let me know, but it’s unnecessary to have everyone chiming in, including the subject’s kindergarten teacher, about a document. It can wait a half hour.

🤔 Who’s That Woman…?

All about Dominique. I have a vague recollection of the actress, but not much about the storyline.

👾 Trina Transformed…

Is there anything this girl can’t do? Now she’s balancing school and work. Although she can come to work in fuzzy slippers.

💪🏼 Kicking It Again…

Another GH alum, but with a new/old gig.

https://www.etonline.com/cobra-kai-sean-kanan-reprises-karate-kid-iii-role-for-season-5-188786

💎 It’s Her Nickname…

I think Kathy is a ditz, but harmless. She also confused Garcelle with Kyle, so there’s that.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/morganmurrell/kathy-hilton-lizzo-precious-comment-backlash

🍹 A Real Shocker…

Finally, Taylor got a clue and moved on. This dude is going to be perpetually 14, but he never made a secret of being a Peter Pan. Kudos to him for that.

🗽 New New York…

The latest ladies from the Big Apple.

⚰️ Dead Happenings…

Fear’s final season.

https://ew.com/tv/fear-the-walking-dead-showrunners-finale-season-8/

Tales of the Walking Dead premieres this Sunday night. It sounds like it’s up my alley, so I’ll definitely be taking a look.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/tales-of-the-walking-dead-schedule-when-where-to-watch-early-amc-plus/

https://ew.com/tv/tales-of-the-walking-dead-musical-episode/

📻 Quotes of the Week

Our most significant opportunities will be found in times of greatest difficulty. – Thomas S. Monson

We are all ordinary. We are all boring. We are all spectacular. We are all shy. We are all bold. We are all heroes. We are all helpless. It just depends on the day. – Brad Meltzer

Courage – a perfect sensibility of the measure of danger, and a mental willingness to endure it.William Tecumseh Sherman

The man who insists on seeing with perfect clearness before he decides, never decides. – Henri-Frédéric Amiel

We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world. – Helen Keller

Being good is easy, what is difficult is being just. – Victor Hugo

My past has not defined me, destroyed me, deterred me, or defeated me; it has only strengthened me. – Steve Maraboli

Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. – Steve Jobs

Every one of us is losing something precious to us. Lost opportunities, lost possibilities, feelings we can never get back again. That’s part of what it means to be alive. – Haruki Murakami

The only real limitation on your abilities is the level of your desires. If you want it badly enough, there are no limits on what you can achieve.Brian Tracy

I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order. – John Burroughs

If you just go with the flow, no matter what weird things happen along the way, you always end up exactly where you belong. – Tom Upton

🔌 Unplugging…

It’s time to call it a week, and it’s certainly been one. Fighting technical dragons is exhausting. Plug back in with me on Monday for soap and what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay not being wishy-washy, and stay knowing, sometimes we’re brave and don’t even know it.