(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
⚾️ In the spirit of the week, MLB came back today, and there was no General Hospital. I’m guessing we’re back to our regularly scheduled programming on Monday, but as 2020 taught us, anything can happen. In the meantime, a little tea, a little Dead, and lists for you to plan ahead.
The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them. – Ida B. Wells
The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any. – Alice Walker
Don’t lose your sense of humor. – my father – it was the only advice he gave me when I left home. I’ve come close.
Above all else, go with a sense of humor. It is needed armor. Joy in one’s heart and some laughter on one’s lip is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life. – Hugh Sidey
I’m currently standing on a pair of pants, a broken vacuum cleaner, and horse feed. – a hoarder’s son on Hoarding: Buried Alive
Life’s not a competition – it’s a collaboration. – Mike Guest
Every time I fail, I assume I will be a stronger person for it. – Joan Benoit Samuelson, Olympic marathon runner
When we show our respect for other living things, they respond with respect for us. – wisdom from the Arapaho tribe
Take responsibility of your own happiness, never put it in other people’s hands. – Roy T. Bennett
It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
You can never be overdressed or overeducated. – Oscar Wilde
Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood. – George Orwell
Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and, above all, confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained. – Marie Curie
The GPS says, idiot, go home. – Annie Suwan, Pillow Talk: 90 Day Fiancé
🏋️♀️ Preparing For War…
I have to rest up for Sunday night’s onslaught of new walking, talking, and beyond Dead shows. And somehow squeeze in 90 Day Fiancé. Sunday night vacation officially over. Whether your vacation is over, just starting, or you’re on a perpetual vacation for now, stay safe, stay occupied, and stay bringing in ‘da noise, and bringing in ‘da funk.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Alexis and Valentin arrive at Neil’s memorial, and Alexis says she appreciates Valentin bringing her, but she’ll get a car back. He says he drove her there himself, and he’ll drive her home. She wonders when he got so chivalrous, and he says he’s leveling the playing field. She was good to him when he needed it. They go inside, and she sees a photo of Neil.
On her phone at the hospital, Sasha says she needs to make a purchase. The usual. She asks them to meet her at GH, and text when they’re outside. Chase startles her.
Brook gets that it’s a shock to find out Olivia is in Monte Carlo, and Ned says, in the honeymoon suit at a glamorous hotel, with ex-spy Robert Scorpio. She says he sounds insecure and jealous. She thought he and Olivia were solid. Did something happen? He says, ELQ happened. Olivia hasn’t been happy since he took over the company, then Robert was able to get her in to see Dante. She might have had a hard time leaving him. It’s not her fault; they’ll work it out. He just wants her home safe and sound. The same goes for Brook. Can he convince her to come home? She says she doesn’t think it’s a good idea for either of them right now, but she’ll do what she said. She’ll let him know where she lands. He thanks her for trying to make him feel better about Olivia. Brook says, don’t tell Olivia that she said so, but Olivia is smart. She wouldn’t blow things up like that. He tells her, call him if she needs anything at all. She says, okay, and he says, maybe there’s hope for them yet. She says, maybe.
On a private plane with Robert and Ethan, Olivia says, well, it’s official. Her phone is nowhere to be found. She left it in Monte Carlo. Ethan says there’s no Wi-Fi anyway; it’s intentional. Robert says, the Bureau likes to get a head start on spinning the story. The casino bust is a way for them to control the narrative. Ethan says his mother is dead, buried in a shallow grave. How are they going to control the narrative for that? Olivia says she’s so sorry. Holly probably would have been saved if not for her.
Josslyn and Cameron are at the Bistro. Which, by the way, suddenly has an identifying name. I’ve been calling it the café for years now. Cameron says they just saw each other. Why did she text him to meet her? She says she’s fine. She didn’t feel like being at home. Cameron asks, why not? and she says, Mike just died and her mom is acting upbeat about homecoming. Josslyn knows it’s for her sake, but figured if she wasn’t around, they could be honest about how they’re feeling. Cameron totally gets it. It’s strange at his house too. There’s tension, and his parents are pretending there isn’t.
Scotty tells Franco and Elizabeth that he met with Ava and Nikolas. Elizabeth asks, what happened? and Scotty takes out the phone, pointing to the pictures. He says he showed them –boom… boom. Franco says the photos have remarkable composition, but he doesn’t like to look at a picture of Elizabeth with that other dude. Elizabeth says she doesn’t like to see him and Ava either. Scotty says, the make-out sessions were their idea. He thought it was hairbrained at first. However, the two of them are masterminds, and it worked out great. They’ve got Ava and Nikolas right where they want them – scared, and ready to pay. They all smile at each other.
Robert asks what Olivia is talking about, and she says Holly would be alive, but they didn’t get there in time. Robert took her to Geneva first, and it was a waste of time to try and see Dante. Ethan asks if the call didn’t come after Holly’s memorial, and Robert says he didn’t want to go to the memorial. He only went because Olivia badgered him into it. If she hadn’t, he would have been in Port Charles when Holly called. He would have had no time to get to Monte Carlo. Ethan says, and Winston would have covered his track. They wouldn’t have gotten answers, but because of Olivia, they did. Robert says, he can only speak for himself, but he’s sure Ethan feels the same. He’s more than grateful.
Chase apologizes, saying he didn’t realize Sasha was on the phone. She says, no problem; what’s up? He asks if she’s heard about Nelle. She asks if Nelle was captured, but Chase says her body was recovered. She’s dead. Sasha asks, how? and he says, her body was found on the Pennsylvania side of the river (🍷 – a new drinking game phrase for today). She asks if he’s sure, and he says the body was positively ID’d, but he’s there to get more details. She asks if Michael knows, and how he’s taking it. She guesses he must be relieved, for himself and Wiley. She’s sorry she feels this way, but she’s thankful they’re free from Nelle’s constant torment. Wiley is truly safe. She clutches her stomach a little, and he asks if she’s okay. She says she’s fine. It’s the finality of everything. It’s finally over, and it’s too late.
Scotty says they should have seen the look on Nikolas’s face when Nikolas saw it was him; like he’d seen a ghost. To be honest, Ava felt like he’d betrayed her. Franco says, if anything, she betrayed Scotty, since he’s Scotty’s son. Where’s Ava’s loyalty to Franco, and respect for his marriage? Elizabeth says Ava and Nikolas are both just as bad, using them as pawns in their chess game. All Nikolas cares about is the infidelity clause and post-nuptial agreement.
Cameron tells Josslyn, he walked in on a conversation where his parents were discussing the bills, and they froze up. They always change the subject. How interested in his soccer practice can they be? Josslyn says she knows what he means; it’s awful the way they find a way to cover, and make like everything is all right. He says he knows his parents took out a loan when the pipe burst. Britt Westbourne is Chief of Staff, and she hates his mom, so Britt cut her hours back. Franco thinks he’s going to be fired. For no reason. She says, like Monica and Bobbie were fired. Michael thinks they should sue. He doesn’t think that’s an option for his mom or Franco. He’s looking for after school jobs. He has to help out with the expenses.
Valentin asks if Neil had any immediate family, and Alexis says, he had a brother in New Jersey. She sees a man sitting down, and says, that must be him. Valentin says, why doesn’t she pay her respects? She goes over to the man, and asks if he’s Neil’s brother. He says he’s proud to say he is. She says she’s terribly sorry for his loss, and he thanks her. He asks if she worked with his brother. Valentin introduces himself, and Alexis does the same. She says, she and Neil… and Brendan (we find out his name in the course of conversation) says he knows who she is.
Alexis says, of course (🍷). He was probably told about the circumstances of Neil’s death. He says he was, and Neil used to talk about her. That surprised him, since Neil never mentioned his personal life. He didn’t have much of one. He dated, but never seriously. He kept saying he had finally met his match. Alexis says they had a special connection. He says, Neil was a wonderful, caring person, who spent his entire life helping others. She says she was extraordinarily lucky to know him. He says, she was, and he wishes to God Neil had never met her.
Olivia tells Robert, it’s ironic. She always loved spy movies. They were so glamourous and exciting. But when you really see what goes on, it’s not that glamorous anymore, is it? She starts to cry, and says, sorry. She gets up and goes (presumably) to the bathroom. Ethan asks what the story is between them, and Robert stammers a little. He says, him and Olivia? Ethan says, no, the other bombshell on the plane. Robert says, a couple of years back, he was a fugitive, and he… well, she… she’s married. Ethan says it never stopped Robert before, and Robert calls him Mr. Leap Before You Look. Ethan says, life is short. You’ve got to cut loose. Why wait in line? You should take all the chances you can, and a few more. Play the cards your dealt, and bluff if you have to. At least you know you lived. Robert says, for a moment, Ethan reminded him of Holly.
Chase tells Sasha, it’s not too late. They got exactly what they wanted. Not for Nelle to die necessarily, but be out of Wiley’s life. Michael and Willow don’t have to be married anymore. She asks, what if they don’t want to divorce? and he asks if she’s talking about the kiss. It’s natural that it would happen. They both love Wiley, but that doesn’t mean they have feelings for one another. One kiss doesn’t make a romance. She says neither one of them would take a kiss casually; that’s not who they are. As much as they’re hurt, she and Chase have to accept the truth. The kiss was a turning point.
Josslyn asks what kind of job Cameron is going to get that doesn’t interfere with school, homework, and soccer. He says all he knows is, he has to do something. They might be able to fool Jake and Aiden, but they can’t fool him. He sees how stressed they are about being able to afford college for him. She asks, what about a scholarship? and he says, soccer scholarships are mostly partial – if he gets one at all. Josslyn thinks he should get tons of offers, since he’s all-around amazing.
Elizabeth says, no party over what Ava and Nikolas did, especially Nikolas. She got her friend back, and watched him sinking lower and lower. Scotty says, he’s a Cassadine, but she says, he’s better than this. Now look at them, stooping to blackmail. Scotty says, they asked for it. Franco says, think about it. It could be the thing that keeps them afloat. Scotty says, it was a drop in the bucket. Nikolas and Ava were lowballing them. The reality is, they could probably get enough to pay off their mortgage, put Cameron through college, and have a cushion. Elizabeth asks Scotty what he’s done.
Cameron says Josslyn always knows how to make him feel better. She says, same. They’ve been through a lot together. He says, true that, and she says she hated house arrest. She was so lost without him and Trina; she felt left out. He says he missed her too. She says she knows he and Trina got closer during that time, with the whole kiss that happened. The important thing is, they got through it. It’s cool how they’re going to homecoming as a group. None of that date pressure. Everything’s back to normal, which is great, right? He says, yeah, totally.
Chase asks Sasha if she doesn’t see it. Everything has changed. Nelle is dead, and they’re free to tell the truth. She says, then what? Michael and Willow will realize she and Chase lied because they love them, and thank them for manipulating them for their own good? Now it’s over, and they can just pick up where they left off? He says he knows it sounds crazy, and she says, because it is. Stop living in a fantasy world. He says she’s acting like she wants Michael and Willow to hate them, and she says she didn’t mean to come at him. She’s not sleeping well. Launching Deception is a 24/7 job. He says, no doubt. He doesn’t think that’s all that’s going on.
Scotty says, when he saw the desperation on their faces, he knew Nikolas and Ava would pay, so he asked for $125K. Franco says, they agreed on $50K, and Scotty says, that’s not what he meant. He asked for $125K from each of them. Franco says, $250,000? What’s wrong with him? Elizabeth says, it’s a quarter of a million dollars; that’s extortion. Scotty says, what’s done is done. You don’t go back after a shakedown, and say, oops, I changed my mind. Even if they negotiate, they’ll come out ahead. Franco says there’s so much they could do. He and Scotty shake hands, and Franco says he’s got to hand it to Scotty. Bummer Elizabeth says she can’t believe what she’s hearing. It’s got to stop right now.
Robert says, Holly didn’t raise Ethan, but he’s just like her. Ethan says, coming from Robert, that’s a high compliment. Robert says he appreciated Ethan’s help at the casino. He doesn’t think he could have taken Winston down without him. Ethan says, actually, Olivia took him down, clobbering him with the Uzi. They laugh, and Robert says Ethan played a big part. Ethan says he wanted answers, and owed Robert one. Robert dropped everything to help them, leaving Port Charles and Anna behind to get them out of a jam. Robert says he got something out of it too; he reconnected to Holly. Too bad they couldn’t make it last, but they had a great time. Ethan says he didn’t hang around much after that because of his guilt. Robert says, about what? and Ethan says, about letting Robert think he was Robert’s son.
Valentin says he realizes the difficult circumstances, but Brendan’s words are uncalled for. Brendan doesn’t think so, and Alexis says, let him speak. He obviously has something say. Brendan says he wasn’t sure he’d get the opportunity to talk to her. He didn’t know if she’d dare show up. From what he can see, she caused more sorrow than joy. Neil took it hard when they broke up, and he couldn’t pursue her. He was moving on, then he bumped into her at the opera – the one night that ended his career, the one thing that kept him going after his daughter died. His practice helped others, and it drove Neil to despair. She dismantled his life and Neil took what was left, and threw it away on a drug overdose.
Josslyn tells Cameron, she’s seen the Crimson wardrobe vault – it’s the 8th wonder of the world. Cameron must be anointed to be allowed access, Cameron says it was complicated. Nina is all about the fit and the cut, and all the accessories; a shirt, the collar, a tie, cufflinks. She asks if he found anything he liked. She thinks it will pay off. He says he plans on looking smoking hot, and she says she bets he will.
Scotty says Elizabeth wants to torpedo their plan. Ava and Nikolas are the ones acting like bad guys, and messing with his family. He takes family seriously, and thought she would too. Franco says he thought what her friend did was unacceptable. He wants them to feel what’s it’s like to be used and tricked. Scotty says, if not, they can feel it in their wallets. Elizabeth says, blackmail is a crime, and she wants no part of it. Franco shouldn’t either. Scotty asks if she thinks they’re going to the cops. Franco says, come on. Technically, it’s not blackmail until money exchanges hands. They don’t know if Ava and Nikolas are going to pay at all, so maybe wait see what happens. She says, okay. When are they meeting with Scotty? Scotty says he gave them 24 hours. They’ll never know Franco and Elizabeth had anything to do with this; it’s all on him. Franco says he appreciates everything Scotty had done for them, and says, Elizabeth? She says she knows Scotty’s heart is in the right place, and she appreciates that he’s overprotective of his family, even if they don’t agree on his methods. He says, no one messes with his family. Not on his watch.
Robert says, all the same, what are the odds he and Ethan would be stuck on the same plane? Get it over with. Ethan says Robert thought Robin was dead, and Holly told him Ethan was his son, so Robert would feel obligated to save him. Robert says Ethan’s real father had a big hand it; it’s a convoluted Spencer special. Holly lied to give him hope, but without Holly and hope, he doesn’t know if he would have survived. She was almost always right. Ethan says, and she never let them forget it. Robert says, that’s for damn sure. They drink.
Chase says Sasha is trying to hide her feelings, but he can tell she’s struggling. She’s trying to convince him, but giving up Michael is too painful to admit. She says she wishes she could, and he says, she buried herself in her work, so she doesn’t have to face what’s going on. She says she never expected life to turn into this, and he says the two of them are in it together. He’s here for her anytime she wants to call, and she knows he’ll understand. She thanks him for being a good friend. Brook appears, and says, hey, roomie. Sasha says she’s on her way out, but Brook tells her, don’t jump to conclusions. She’s just crashing at Chase’s place. He’s being a sweetheart, but nothing is going on. Sasha says, nothing is going on with her and Chase either. Chase says there’s something Brook should know; Nelle is dead. Her body was recovered on the Pennsylvania side of the river (🍷). He’s going to the morgue to follow up. Brook says she should be sorry for the loss of any human life, but all she feels is relief. Chase says, him too, and he moves along. Brook says, wow. Nelle is dead. (I expect her to say, and her body was recovered on the Pennsylvania side of the river, but she doesn’t.) Sasha asks if she’s okay, and Brook says she’s just processing. Sasha doesn’t blame her, and says Brook has been through a lot. Brook says she’s on the mend, and stronger every day. Sasha says she’s glad to hear it. They need her voice for Deception. When is she recording a new song?
Valentin says, Neil was a grown man; he made his own decisions. What happened was tragic, but don’t put it on Alexis. Alexis says Brendan has a right to feel the way he does, and Brendan says, the memorial is a celebration of Neil’s life. She stripped him of everything worth living for. He doesn’t want the memorial tainted with her presence, and tells her that she’s not welcome. Alexis runs out crying. Well, he’s not making a very good first impression.
Chase orders some food to go at The Floating Rib. Valentin and Alexis walk in, and Valentin suggests she get something to eat. She says she doesn’t have much of an appetite, and he says, Neil’s brother was out of line. He’s grieving, and needs someone to take it out on. He chose her. She says Branden used words that she can’t unhear, and watches as a drink is poured.
On the phone, Josslyn says she’s glad Carly called, instead of waiting until she got home. She’s with Cameron, but she’ll see Carly soon. She loves her. Cameron says he heard her say Nelle was dead. Is she really gone? Josslyn says her mom told her they found the body on the Pennsylvania side of the river. (🍷) He asks, what happened? and she says, it’s too early to say exactly how Nelle died. He says, after everything that happened, it’s really over. Nelle is gone.
Alexis tells Valentin, she can’t be angry with Neil’s brother. He didn’t know how their relationship was. Ned comes in, and orders a double scotch, neat, at the bar. Chase asks if he’s okay, and he says, just great, throwing back his drink. He doesn’t know whether to be annoyed with Chase or grateful that he’s letting Brook stay. If he hadn’t, it might be easier to convince her to come home. Chase says he tried to give her options. At their table, Valentin says, Brendan is furious that Neil threw his life away, and is looking for someone to blame. She’s an easy target. Ned tells Chase, women like to have options, loud enough for Valentin to hear, and looks pointedly at Valentin.
Ethan says, all the stories he heard of their adventures together; Holly loved Robert, in her way. Robert says he loved Holly. That’s all he wants to say about it. He’s sorry she wasn’t a conventional mother. Ethan says conventions are overrated. They were perfect partners in crime. They could go a month not seeing each other, then she’d then send up a flare, and he’d come on the run. The cons were just an excuse. She really wanted to spend time together. Robert said she knew she could trust him, and Ethan says he doesn’t know how to get over it, but it helps knowing there’s someone else out there who remembers her too. Olivia comes back, and says, sorry for making a scene. How did the two of them manage without her? Robert says they buried a few hatchets, and Olivia asks when they’re landing. Robert tells her, he’ll check with the pilot, and goes up front. Olivia tells Ethan, when they get there, she’s putting him up at the MetroCourt; no argument. He says he appreciates it, but as soon as they touch down, he has a date in Antigua. She asks, what it would hurt to stick around Port Charles?
Sasha says she has to go, but she wants to see Brook in the recording studio asap. Geez, Brook practically just got off the operating table for an injury to her vocal chords. I know Sasha is high, but come on. Brook says she’s going to have to extend that timeline, and Sasha says Deception gained momentum from the Nurses Ball telethon. Brook says, her doctors haven’t cleared her for singing, and Sasha says, sorry. She’s just excited. She’s a partner, and brand ambassador. The projections are through the roof. It’s going to be a huge success, and she wants Brook to be a part of that. Brook says she does too. She’d love to be involved in the business aspect. Sasha says she didn’t think Brook was interested in that, but Brook says, sure she would. She’s always wanted to be part of a winning team. Sasha says Brook doesn’t have to prove her worth. They just want her voice; it’s more than enough.
Franco tells Elizabeth, it’s just a threat. They’ll destroy the picture, whether or not they pay. She says, okay, but he says she’s still angry. She thinks they deserved a scare. Marriage means nothing to them, and everything to her. She doesn’t take what they tried to do lightly. Franco says, they were just trying; no real damage was done. She says, right, and he says, checking in. Around the time of the party, things were rocky. Elizabeth says, she’s glad she overheard Ava and Nina talking about Ava’s post-nup and wanting Nikolas to cheat. She finally understood what was going on. Franco says they feel solid. Does she think they’re better than ever? Elizabeth says, yeah. They never lost faith in each other. It doesn’t matter what happens with Ava and Nikolas. Clearly, they’re the winners. They hug.
Cameron asks if Josslyn is okay. How does she feel about things, honestly? She says, conflicted. She can’t tell him how much she’d wished Nelle would disappear and not come back. Nelle deliberately set out to ruin her mom’s life, and manipulated her to go against her mom, and she let Nelle do it. She should hate Nelle, but despite all she did, she’s the reason Wiley exists, and she can’t regret Wiley. So being glad Nelle is dead is harsh, but she’s relieved that Nelle will never hurt them again. Does that make her a horrible person? He says, no, but it does add another thing to deal with. Josslyn says she should get going. She needs to start getting ready for homecoming if she’s going to keep up with him. Cameron says she always looks beautiful, and Josslyn says she should probably go.
Brook tells Sasha, she has a follow-up appointment with her surgeon, and Sasha says, her too. She means an appointment. She tells Brook, hurry up and get well. She can’t wait work with Brook. Sasha leaves, and Brook says she has to figure out how to be the voice of Deception without a voice.
Chase tells Ned that he doesn’t think Brook would be this angry if she didn’t love him. At the table, Valentin tells Alexis, she wants to blame herself, but she’s not the reason Neil did drugs. Chase tells Ned, Brook couldn’t be indifferent if she wanted to, and Ned thanks him for trying. He walks over to the table, and asks if he can have a word with Valentin. Valentin says he’s a little busy, and Alexis says she’d consider it a favor. Valentin says, okay, as a favor. He and Ned go outside, and Alexis joneses after the alcoholic drinks.
Ethan says, Port Charles hasn’t been his home in years, but Olivia says, Robert is there, and they’re both grieving Holly. They can help each other. Robert says they don’t have to be in the same city. If Ethan is in a tight spot, he’ll be there, like his mother would have. Ethan says, it goes both ways, and Olivia asks if he’s absolutely sure. Ethan says he has a score to settle, and Olivia hopes when he’s ready to settle down, Port Charles is the first place he thinks of. He says he’ll keep it in mind.
Valentin tells Ned, if he wants to talk about ELQ, call his office. Ned calls him a smug bastard, saying Valentin preyed on his daughter when she was vulnerable. He’s not letting Valentin do the same to Alexis. Valentin says Ned is drunk, and starts to walk away, but Ned grabs him and punches him.
Alexis orders a double vodka.
On… whatever day it’s on next (see below), Portia tells Curtis that he shouldn’t be asking questions, Robert asks Peter if he was missed, and Olivia tells Lulu about seeing Dante.
I liked this show, and liked the idea of a family living off the media grid, social and otherwise. It looks like the kids will be branching out some this season. You can take a trip to Plathville on November 10th.
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe. – Albert Einstein (I question as to whether he really said that, but it’s a good one.)
Believe in your infinite potential. Your only limitations are those you set upon yourself. – Roy T. Bennett
Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. – Theodore Roosevelt
Aggressive is protecting your rights, but hurting others. Assertive is protecting your rights and not hurting others. – Dr. Phil (Fat blipping chance a huge percentage of the world will ever get that.)
Everything’s funny eventually. Sometimes it takes a while but the day will come when you’re able to laugh about anything. – David Sedaris
Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten. – David Ogden Stiers (Ha-ha! Good thing we have friends.)
People dress up for funerals. Why not dress up to celebrate that you’re alive? – Gay Talese
I don’t focus on what I’m up against. I focus on my goals and I try to forget the rest. – Venus Williams
Live your vision and demand your success. – Steve Maraboli
Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. – Joshua J. Marine (Seriously though, I’d like a break from both.)
This one matches our curtains. – Eric helping Larissa choose lingerie, 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?
Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success. – Dale Carnegie
And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about. – Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore
👷🏽♀️ You Know the Drill…
It’s that time again. Those two days that may or may not have taken on a whole new meaning for you. As the Dowager Countess said, what’s a weekend? I say it too, but it’s because I never get one. I’ve questioned the validity of the word vacation for quite a while too. Regardless of how you view them, make the next two days different. Listen to music you’ve never heard before, gather some fall leaves to press or the last bloom of the summer. Get outside, and get outside your head. And while you’re at it, stay safe, stay appreciative, and stay away from the Pennsylvania side of the river. I hear they find bodies there.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Ned brings Alexis to the hospital, and Portia asks what she can do for them. Alexis says she can reassure Ned there’s nothing wrong with her. Portia says she’ll need a few more details, and Alexis says she fell at the gym and aggravated an old injury. Ned says it was weeks ago, and Alexis is still in pain. Portia says she can examine Alexis and Ned can come if Alexis is okay with it. Alexis says she wants Ned to be there when Portia tells her there’s nothing wrong.
Outside Kelly’s, TJ tells Brando he’s being too hard on himself. He just got out of the hospital, maybe it was too early for him to get out on the field. Brando says, from now on, they stick to basketball, and TJ says he should have said that earlier. Moving forward, they’ll stick to the court. Molly sees them together and looks horrified.
New York City. Nina asks Jax, how is it this woman who paid to have her necklace divided became her nurse twenty years later? He says, it would be quite the coincidence, and she says, there has to be a connection. She knows what happened to Nina’s child.
Josslyn tells Jason, it might sound crazy, but she wanted to feel her lungs fill up with air. He says it doesn’t sound crazy, and she wonders how long it’s been since Mike ran until he was out of breath. Little by little, everything was taken away from him until there was nothing left. She cries, and says she doesn’t even know what she’s saying anymore. He was a great grandpa. She’s going to miss him. Jason says he’ll miss Mike too, and she says Mike dies, and all she wants is to feel alive. He says, that’s what Mike would have wanted. Mike made some big mistakes, but he lived his life. He didn’t stand on the sidelines, watching and criticizing. Mike made sure he lived. He took chances and had to live with the consequences. There are people who run the race, and people who stand by and do nothing but watch. He knows she’s going to be someone who runs the race. She’s won’t know who’s going to win, but those are lessons she’ll learn. She’s going to live her life to the fullest, and it’s all Mike would have asked for.
Sonny looks at the picture of the boy on the bike, and shows it to Carly, asking if she saw this picture that Avery drew. His dad loved it, and said it looked like Sonny when he was a kid, but he doesn’t think it looks like him. They laugh, and Sonny says his dad never gave him the bike he wanted when he was a kid. He nursed that broken promise for years, and thought it was proof Mike wasn’t a good father. He didn’t know it haunted Mike. Even when his mind was gone, he needed to get Sonny the bike, and keep his word. Carly says Mike knew Sonny loved him, and Sonny says he knows. He asks if she can imagine them riding bikes together after all these years. The laugh some more, and Sonny says, it hurts.
Winston tells Ethan and Robert to keep their hands where he can see them. He says, this must be Ethan Lovett. He was afraid the calvary would come riding to the rescue when Holly placed the call. Robert says Winston knew Holly was alive.
Winston says, he takes their lack of professional detachment to mean there’s a personal interest. Robert calls Winston a smarmy bastard, and says, tell him where Holly is, or he’ll rip Winton’s throat out with his bare hands. Winston says Robert showed up for a gunfight with no gun, and tells his henchmen to restrain them, without shooting if possible. He tells Robert, Holly was investigating their less than reputable businesses that were being run from the casino. When he learned of her interest, he arranged for her ship to sink, but brought her there to manage her. They wanted to know just how much the Bureau had. Ethan tells him to take them to Holly, but Winston says she managed to distract a guard, and appropriate his phone. By the time they knew what was going on, it was too late. Robert says he knew it was her voice. Where is she? Winston says she had to be dealt with, and Robert asks what that means. Winston says, he’ll demonstrate. He raises his gun, but Olivia comes up behind him, and hits him over the head with an automatic weapon that she got from who knows where.
Nikolas tells Ava, he squandered his son’s chance at being close with this grandfather, and having a connection to his own mother. Mike knew Courtney better than he did; the things could Mike could have shared. It goes to show how messed up his priorities are. Ava says they’ve all been there, but he says, not as much as he has. The truth is, he keeps making the same mistakes. He doesn’t see how valuable something is until he lets it go.
Chase brings Brook to Turning Woods, and Brook thanks Michael for letting her know. She asks if Sonny is in Mike’s room, and Michael says he is, so she goes to find him. Chase tells Michael that he gave Brook a ride. He’s sorry about Mike. Michael thanks him for bringing Brook. He thinks it will do his dad good to see her. He knows she had a big fight with Ned, and she’s too prideful to accept help. He’s worried about her being by herself. She didn’t say anything about a plan, and he wonders if she has a place to stay. Chase says he thinks she’s going to crash with him.
Nina tells Jax, after all the years of unanswered questions, she has an actual fact. He tells her, be prepared; she might not like what Phyllis has to say. She says she knows, and thanks him. Because of his connections, she’s closer than ever before to knowing what happened to her child. It would mean the world to her. He says he’d give her the world if he could, and she says she knows he would.
Molly joins TJ and Brando, and TJ says he believes Molly is a couple of minutes late; she’s obnoxious about being on time. Brando says he’s guilty of it too; it was drilled into him in the military. Molly says she didn’t know Brando was joining them, and TJ says they’re having a drink after their game. He’s buying; a consolation prize for beating Brando in all 8 innings. Brando asks if they don’t have plans, and Molly says, just studying medicine and law. TJ says they can take one night off, but Molly says, maybe Brando has someplace to be.
Portia presses on Alexis’s wrist, and asks if it hurts. Alexis says, ow! and Portia says, it’s definitely swollen. It might be more than a sprain. Ned says Alexis got an injury last summer, and Alexis says she thinks Portia was speaking to her. He says, sorry, and she says she slipped on the porch steps, and when she tried to steady herself, jammed her wrist. It ached for a week or two, then it felt better, until she fell at the gym. Portia asks if there was any weakness, and Alexis says, some in between incidents. Portia asks if it was continuous, and Alexis says not that she can recall. Portia asks, what about this time? and Alexis says this time, it’s been aching since she fell at the gym. She’s left-handed, and trying not do things with her left hand, and icing it. Portia asks if she’s done anything besides icing it, and Alexis says, nothing stronger than taking over the counter medication. She’s a recovering addict, and also highly sensitive after Neil’s death. Portia says she can prescribe a non-narcotic pain medication. They can take x-rays, and take it from there. She’s sorry to hear about Neil. She didn’t work with him very long, but he was a good man. Portia leaves, and Ned says, it’s okay to cry. He won’t judge.
Olivia says, a little help here? and Robert and Ethan deck the guards. Robert takes the gun from Olivia, and Ethan punches a guard one more time, saying, that one was for his mother. Robert gets on the phone, and says, it’s former field agent Robert Scorpio, and he’d like a direct line to the field office for District 3. He has a prisoner of interest.
Alexis cries, and says, the last place she expected to be was an examining room. Ned says he’s sorry, and suggests she get checked out; not just her wrist, everything. She says Neil was only in her life for two years, but changed it so much. He got her to dig inside for answers, and believe she’s worth being loved without conditions, secrets, or pain. If she hadn’t met him, she wouldn’t have risked her career for happiness. Now he’s just gone, and she’s in there getting a check-up for her aching wrist, like it’s any other day. Life just goes on, but it doesn’t. It’s not fair. Ned holds her, and says he’s so sorry.
Molly says Brando doesn’t want to hang out with a couple of studyholics. He might have someone to see. TJ says, the ladies are probably lining up, but Brando says he’s going through a dry spell. TJ says Molly can hook him up with one of her friends from law school. Ashley and CJ are smart and fun. Molly says she’ll see what she can do, and TJ says he’ll grab some ice teas, and Molly can arrange something with her friends. Molly says, no pressure, and TJ goes inside Kelly’s. She says TJ and Brando are bonding all over the place, and Brando says TJ is a good guy, but he’ll start making himself scarce.
Ava comes running in, and tells Nikolas, Avery is gone. The sliding door was open, and she’s gone. He says, she couldn’t have gone far.
Looking in the phone directory, Nina says she told Jax that she just wanted a trail to follow, and this is it. The woman she remembered, and will recognize when she sees, but she still has to find her. Who knew there were so many Phillis Caulfield in NYC? He says, there’s more than one? and she says, a lot more. Jax gets a call from Josslyn, and asks if everything is okay. Josslyn says, actually, no, and he says, Mike? Josslyn says, he’s gone. She knows it’s a good thing. It was time, and he doesn’t have to suffer now, but she just wanted to call and hear his voice, and know he’s still there to talk to. He says, always.
Sonny thanks Brook for everything she did for his dad. When she would visit and sing, Mike lit up like a kid. She says she’s glad Mike liked her singing and company, but the person he lit up for was Sonny. He loved Sonny so much, and Sonny was with him to the end. He did good. So, so good.
Avery walks through the woods with a flashlight.
Molly says, so Brando is just going to take off and leave her to explain? He says, isn’t that what she wants? She says she’s asking him not to be rude. When TJ challenges him to a basketball game or whatever, he can be busy. He tells her not to worry; he’s not getting in her business. She says she and TJ are in a great place; she’s not worried. There’s not going to be a repeat them. He says, no offense, but he’s not looking for one. She says, no offense, but she’s clear about what she wants in life, and it’s TJ. He says he likes hanging out with TJ; he’s a cool guy. TJ likes hanging out with him and wants to be friends, but he doesn’t lie to friends. She says neither does she, and he says maybe they should tell TJ the truth.
Ned waits in the hallway, and Portia says she wanted to give Alexis privacy, since Ned isn’t a family member. The orthopedic specialist confirmed it’s a fracture, which explains her limited movement and pain. Alexis says it’s not like when she fell in the spring, and it healed on its own. Portia says women lose bone density rapidly after menopause, and can get a fracture easily. They’re going to put her wrist in a cast. They stay on six to eight weeks, sometimes longer, but that only addresses the immediate injury. She suggests Alexis consult with the specialist, and have more tests to see if bone loss is the reason for the break. A fall shouldn’t result in a fracture, and there could be an underlying condition.
Jax tells Josslyn that he’ll be home first thing in the morning. In between, if she needs to, what should she do? She says, call him, and he says, that’s right. He loves her. She says she loves him too.
Avery finds Nelle’s half of the heart necklace, and hears Ava calling to her. Avery says, ooh, pretty. Ava calls again, and she says, coming, mom.
A WSB agent tells Robert his people are doing a sweep of the casino. There’s a laundry list of illegal activities there, enough to put Winston and his cronies in Steinmaur until they’re old and grey. Ethan asks if they found his mother, but the agent says, there’s no sign of Holly. She’s not there, if she ever was. Robert grabs Winston by his lapels, picks him up and shoves him against the wall, saying, you bastard, where is she?
Josslyn says, it must be strange for Willow. She joined the family five minutes ago, then has to jump into this experience. Willow says it’s sad, and she’s sorry about their grandfather, but what she’s experiencing is really how close they are, and how much they love each other. She was never part of a family in that way. To see them help sustain each other makes her more grateful than before.
Winston says, Holly is gone, and Robert says, son of a bitch. The agent says, let him go, and Robert drops him. Robert says, he’s lying, but the agent says it’s out of Robert’s hands. The Bureau is taking over. Ethan says, hell, the Bureau sent her there, and kicks Winston, asking, where is my mother? Winston says, gone. Disparue. What’s Mandarin for gone? The agent tells Ethan, don’t make them arrest him. They’ll search the grounds. The WSB is grateful for their help, so they avoided running Ethan’s name and finding out he has outstanding warrants. He’d like to see Ethan walk out a free man, so don’t kick Winston again. He tells another agent to help him load the prisoner for transport, and they take Winston out. Ethan says, Winston is lying. He has to be.
Molly says she thinks about telling TJ every day, and Brando says he thinks if she tells him the actual reason – that she thought he was ghosting her – he’ll realize there’s nothing to forgive. She says, except for keeping the truth from him. He says he’ll keep his distance, and she says she doesn’t want that; obviously TJ doesn’t want that. He says TJ can’t force him to shoot hoops; he has a garage to run. And if she keeps driving her hybrid like a tank, she’s going to severely damage it. TJ comes back with the drinks, and says, sorry. He was phoning a guy in his study group. He asks if Molly gave Brando contact with CJ and Ashley.
Willow asks if Michael is going to wait for his parents, but he says he thinks his dad would like to be alone with his mom for a bit. He and Willow leave.
Carly tells Sonny that she spoke with administration, and he can have all the time he wants with Mike. Sonny asks if they’re ready to take him, and she says if he’s ready. He says, let’s do this. He goes over to Mike, and picks up the drawing. He says he got his bicycle. He loves this bike; he loves this picture. And I’ll always love you, dad. He cries a little, and joins Carly.
Back at the cabin, Ava tells Avery, no more woods. Promise her. Avery promises.
Portia tells Alexis, a nurse practitioner will come in to cast her, and she can consult with the orthopedic specialist. They might be able to run more tests tonight. Alexis says, it’s kind of her to offer, but she’d like to get home. She’s dealing with a lot, and just wants to take a moment to catch her breath. She promises to make an appointment. Portia says, obviously, it’s her call, but she doesn’t advise putting it off, since any underlying condition needs to be addressed. Alexis asks what tests the specialist will want to run, and Portia says a big term that means bone density scan. Alexis asks what condition Portia thinks she has, and Portia says, the specialist will explain in depth. Alexis says the specialist isn’t there, Portia is. What does Portia thinks she’s dealing with? Portia says, based on her symptoms, Alexis might have osteoporosis.
Brando tells TJ, the garage needs his attention; he has no time for a social life. TJ says he’s said the same thing a million times. If not for Molly, he’d have no social life. Brando says, there’s only one Molly, but TJ says, her friends are really cool. What if the set up a meeting while supporting a righteous cause? They have a group who’s standing with GH. Brando says, against what? and Molly says, not what; who. Cyrus Renault, the Chairman of the Board.
Ethan tells Robert, the agent told them they have enough on Winston to send him to Steinmaur. They can use it as a bargaining chip, and trade Holly’s whereabouts for a lighter sentence. Robert says, Holly wasn’t an agent; she did contract work. They’re not going to bargain for her return. Ethan says, they have to. They said she was investigating the casino. She risked her life for the Bureau; they have to find her. The agent comes back, and says, they did find her. They found a shallow grave, containing a woman’s body burned beyond recognition. Ethan says, it could be anyone, and the agent says, they’ll find out when they do an autopsy, but the body matches Holly’s height and build. And they found this. He gives Robert something, and says, it was on the body. Ethan asks, what is it? and Robert shows him a ring.
We see Holly and Robert back when we were all so much younger. He says she should have a ring. He bought it a while back, and after tonight, he realized she might want it for appearances sake. He puts it in her hand, and she thanks him.
Robert tells Ethan, it’s Holly’s wedding ring.
Outside Turning Woods, a staff member says they have something for Sonny. It came several weeks ago, and they put it in the back for safe keeping. Sorry no one told him. They bring out a bicycle with a big bow on it, and my heart sings. Carly says, how… and he says, who cares? He hands her the picture, and opens the card. Sonny reads, Sonny, this is late, but I hope it’s not too late. I love you. Dad. She says, it’s a beauty, and he says, it’s perfect.
Nikolas asks Ava if Avery is all right, and she says, Avery is snug as a bug in a rug. She thanks him for helping her look, and being wonderful with her. She thinks he’s got himself a fan in her daughter. He says Ava must be relieved they found her. She’s quite an adventurous girl. He wonders where she gets it from. Ava asks if he’s leaving, and he says, yeah. He thinks there’s been enough excitement for one night. He asks if she’s returning to Windymere tomorrow, and she says she is. It’s her home. He tells her, goodnight, and she says, drive safe.
Jax says he hates to bail on Nina, but she says, is he out of his mind? Of course (🍷) he has to be with his daughter. This can wait. He says she could continue without him, and she says she could, but she wants him to be with her, no matter how it ends, if he wants to be. He says he does, and she asks if he’d mind company on the flight back. He says he’d love that. We see the necklace around her neck.
Avery takes the necklace out from under her pillow, and puts it in her backpack. She gets back in bed.
Brando says he understands why the hospital isn’t thrilled by Cyrus being on the board – Molly says, Chairman of the Boar – but maybe they could volunteer for another cause. TJ says, GH is the heart of Port Charles. They can’t let Cyrus corrupt it. He’s signing up staff members, and Molly is pulling some people from law school. Brando says, Cyrus could bring them a lot of trouble, and TJ says, let him bring it. The hospital is worth fighting for. Brando asks if Molly agrees, and she says she backs TJ all the way. Brando says, okay; he’s in. TJ says he knew it. Brando might be a sorry softball player, but he’s a man with principles. Brando hopes Molly’s friends are worth the trouble.
Alexis asks if osteoporosis isn’t common in women older than she is, but Portia says, that’s a misconception. Post-menopausal women over 50 are at risk. She can’t say for certain that’s it though, until the test results come back. Alexis says she’ll make arrangements. Ned pops in, and asks if everything is okay. Alexis says she’s waiting to get a cast, and tells him, go ahead and say it – I told you so. He says he’s just thankful she’s being treated. He tells her, he’ll wait outside, but Alexis says, they’d like to run more tests; it could take time. She’ll grab a Ride Share. He says, nice try. He’s not going anywhere. For once, stop arguing and say thank you. She says, thank you, and he says he’ll be outside.
Ned calls Olivia, and says, come on. Call him back.
Olivia gives Robert a drink, saying she thinks he could use this. Ethan says Holly was wearing the ring the last time he saw her. They met in Singapore to run game on a billionaire. Robert says he gave it to her when they got married. One thing after another happened, and it wound up in a safety deposit box in Switzerland. He gave it back to her after a two-year separation, saying, while they were separated, they were never going to be done with each other. He says he never should have given Ethan false hope that she was alive, but Ethan says now they know the truth, and who’s responsible. Robert says he should have gotten there sooner, and Olivia says he did what he could, but he says, it doesn’t feel like it. The agent comes in, and says the Bureau sent for a plane to take them home; it’s waiting on the tarmac in Nice. Robert wonders why the Bureau is so accommodating, and the agent says they’ve wanted the casino shut down, and now they were given a way to do it. Olivia says, as a girl from Kansas said, there’s no place like home. Robert asks Ethan if he’s going somewhere, and Ethan says, any continent but this one. When they leave, a man comes out and makes a call.
We see a woman’s hand pick a phone up. The man says, they’re gone. Scorpio and Ethan were given proof she’s dead. The casino was shut down, but the Bureau might be able to link the place to her. Winston knows to keep his mouth shut about what she really did with Holly. On one of the screens, we see a room with a woman sitting on the floor, leaning against a bed. She gets up, and starts yelling, open the door. Holly looks at the camera, and says, you bastard, let me out of here.
On Monday, Lulu asks Curtis what his fascination with her mother is; Curtis tells Jordan that she should have skipped this visit; and Jason tells Brando, he told Sonny they need a plan, but it will take both of them.
The problem with doing nothing is not knowing when you are finished. – Nelson De Mille
It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. – Albert Einstein
Technology without morality is barbarous; morality without technology is impotent. – Freeman Dyson
You don’t develop courage by being happy in your relationships every day. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity. – Epicurus
Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself. – Harvey Fierstein
Maturity is achieved when a person accepts life as full of tension. – Joshua L. Liebman (Hmm… Apparently I’ve been mature since I was 5.)
I Call You Dog
Author Unknown
When God had made the earth and sky,
The flowers and the trees,
He then made all the animals,
The fish, the birds and bees.
And when at last He’d finished,
Not one was quite the same,
God said, “I’ll walk this earth of mine,
And give each one a name.”
And so He traveled far and wide,
And everywhere He went,
A little creature followed Him,
Until its strength was spent.
When all were named upon the earth,
And in the sky and sea,
The little creature said, “Dear Lord,
There’s not one left for me.”
Kindly the Father said to him,
“I’ve left you to the end,
I’ve turned my own name back to front,
And called you DOG, my friend.”
🍂 A New Season…
We made it to autumn, and another weekend. Or whatever name you’ve made up for what used to be your weekend. No matter the term, stay safe, stay discriminating, and stay running the race instead of watching from the sidelines.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
The doctor tells Sonny, Carly, and Josslyn, he’s seen a lot of patients in hospice. The oxygen should keep him comfortable, and they’ll monitor him for any discomfort or pain. Josslyn asks if they can see him, and the doctor says, absolutely. He encourages it
Ava and Franco kiss. Someone takes a picture. Ava says she’s sorry, and he says he’s sorry. They can’t do that. They did do that, but they shouldn’t. Ava says it brought her back to their time in the city, before their lives went haywire. He says, before they were married to other people, and she says, yeah, before that.
Nikolas kisses Elizabeth. Someone takes a picture. Elizabeth backs up, and he says he forgot how good this felt; how they just fit. Does she remember? She say she can’t do this to Franco, and he says, why not? She just told him that she thinks Franco is interested in Ava. She deserves better, and she knows it. She says she doesn’t know anything for sure, and he says he doesn’t believe that. He thinks she’s looking for a way out of her marriage.
Trina comes to the hospital, and Portia asks, to what does she owe this surprise visit? Trina says she wants to thank Portia for clearing the air with Ava, and also letting her work the extra hours. She’s excited. Portia says if it makes Trina happy, she’s all in.
Dev asks if Cameron’s problem is that he can’t choose between Josslyn and Trina? Cameron says he doesn’t know how he got in this mess, and Dev says, come on. He doesn’t want to pump Cameron’s ego, but Cameron is an athlete, he’s popular, and he’s kind of smart. He’s not surprised girls are into him. Cameron says he doesn’t know if Josslyn and Trina are into him. Maybe they just want to stay friends. Either way, the whole thing is a mess.
Sonny, Carly, and Josslyn go in to see Mike. Sonny says, all right, dad. The doctor says he’s ready to leave, so they just want him to know they’re here for him; all of them. He’s not doing this alone. Sonny smiles at his father.
Elizabeth tells Nikolas, she’s not looking for a way out of her marriage. She loves Franco. She’s trying to save her relationship, not ruin it. He tells her, explain the kiss, and she says, it was a mistake. She was feeling insecure, and it was stupid and impulsive. It shouldn’t have happened. She apologizes if she gave him the wrong idea, and he says he’s sorry for giving in to temptation. He’s missed human contact. She’s right; it can’t happen. She asks if he’s being noble, and he says he wishes. She’s not the only one with a lot to lose. She says don’t tell her that he’s comparing their marriages. There’s no contest.
Ava tells Franco, she misses that kind closeness. If anyone finds out… Franco asks why she cares. Her marriage is a sham, right? She says, true, but his isn’t. Despite their recent closeness, she knows he loves Elizabeth and the boys, and knows he would never want that for Elizabeth. She would never want that for Elizabeth. He asks if this is her version of altruism; her effort to preserve his marriage. She shrugs, and he asks if she has feelings for Nikolas.
Portia asks if going to homecoming as a group is a thing, and Trina says, it’s their thing. Portia asks if it’s like they’re each other’s dates, and Trina says, they’re each other’s friends, without the drama of who’s into who. Portia asks if she’s good with that, and Trina says, why not? Portia says Cameron took her last time, but Trina says, as a friend. Portia asks, if Cameron ends up with Josslyn at the end of the night, will she be okay with that?
Cameron tells Dev, the three of them, and now Dev, are a package deal. He doesn’t want to do anything to mess that up. They’re better off if it’s left the way things are. Dev tells Cameron, he said himself, it’s a confusing mess. Dev thinks it’s best if Cameron makes up his mind. Pick one, go for it, and set the other free. Cameron says, it’s that easy? and Dev says, kind of. Cameron asks what Dev would know, since he’s asexual.
Sonny tells Mike, they don’t know how long it will be – that’s between him and God – but Sonny will be right there with him. Carly says, her too, and Josslyn says, and her. Carly says they love him so much. She’s going to let Michael know, and promises she’ll be right back. Sonny asks if Josslyn is okay, and she says she should be asking him that. Sonny says she went through the same thing with Oscar, and she says now she sees how lucky she was. She was able to say everything she wanted to. Sonny says, it is lucky, and she says, if it’s all right with him, she’d like to be able to do that with Mike. He says, of course (🍷), and steps aside. He asks her to do him a favor, and let him know if anything changes. She says she will. She’ll be quick. He tells her, take her time, and he leaves. She says, hey, grandpa. First off, she wants to thank him for always treating her like his own. Technically she’s not, but he’s the only grandfather she’s ever known. She can’t picture a future without him, and doesn’t want to.
Epiphany asks Trina how she is, and Trina says, it’s still hard, but she’s moving forward day by day. Epiphany says she’s glad Trina has direction. She tells Portia the new Chief of Staff will be there today, and Portia says, Cyrus’s right hand. Trina looks at her phone, and says, Josslyn’sgrandfather is in hospice, and it’s not looking too good.
Carly sees Sonny in the hallway, and asks why he’s out there. He says Josslyn wanted time with Mike, and she thanks him for giving it to her. He’s says he’s grateful Mike had time to know her. Alzheimer’s is difficult for anybody, but especially for a teenager whose not blood related… Carly says, it didn’t seem to matter to Mike or Josslyn, and Sonny says, it’s just… The fact that she loved him and welcomed him… Carly puts her head on his shoulder, and says, the best part is, it went both ways.
Josslyn says she’s so thankful for the time she got with Mike; real time. All of them living under the same roof. She finally got to know what it was like to have a grandfather, and she loved it. Does he know what else she loved? She laughs, and says it might sound weird, but the one time he thought she was his childhood friend Mary, and asked her to come play stickball with him. Of course (🍷) part of her was sad that he didn’t know who she was, but the other part thought it was so cool she got meet him when he was a kid, and got to be his friend. She starts to cry, and says, it felt special to her. How many people get to do that? Know the person someone was when they were younger. Him living with them made her think about her future in a different way, and now she’ll make sure all the milestones she has, he’s right there with her.
Josslyn walks into the living room, wearing a formal gown. Mike sees her and says he always knew she was a stunner, but wow. She should be declared homecoming queen right now. She thanks him, but says she decided not put her name in. There are other girls who want it more. He says she’s the queen for him, and tells her to look around. There’s something there for her somewhere. She goes to the bookcase, and says, a corsage. He says, of course (🍷). That’s what grandfathers do. She says, it’s gorgeous, and thanks him. He puts it on her wrist, and she says, how beautiful, and thanks him again. She says he’s always watching out for her, and he says, he always will be.
Josslyn tells Mike, she was going to have a good time at homecoming. She still will, because she knows that’s what he’d want her to do, but she’s going to miss him so much. He looks at her, and smiles a little.
Elizabeth tells Nikolas, there’s no comparison. She and Franco are in love. He says he and Ava are definitely not, and she says, the ridiculous post-nup trapped him in a marriage he doesn’t want to be in. All because he wants to hang on to his money. How can they be so mutually destructive? What’s wrong with him?
Ava tells Franco, she doesn’t have feelings for Nikolas. She despises the air he breathes. Franco says, so it’s a match made in heaven. She should find another outlet; somebody to take care of what she needs. She says, like a gigolo? and he says Nikolas would probably be grateful for something to keep her occupied. She says, he’d love it, but not because it kept her occupied. If she gets caught cheating, he gets everything; all the money, all the property, and she gets nothing. Franco asks how she signed off on something like that, and she says, it goes both ways. Whoever gets caught cheating loses it all. He tells her, that’s one crazy situation she got herself into, and she says, ain’t it though? He says so she can’t be with another human being; not at all? She says, until Nikolas screws up. Franco says, but what if he doesn’t?
Dev tells Cameron, what the hell’s with the asexual comment? and Cameron says Dev never talks about being interested in anyone. But now that they’re talking, is there a girl, or… someone he’s into? Dev says Cameron seems to have his hands pretty full with Josslyn and Trina. If he were Cameron, he’d stay focused on them. Dev walks away, and Cameron says he’s welcome for the soda. Dev yells back, thanks.
Finn asks if Epiphany is okay. He knows she’s tight with Sonny and his family. She says, Mike Corbin is a beautiful human being. Finn says he knows. It puts the fear of their new Chief of Staff in perspective. Britt appears, and says, she’s glad to hear it. Because she’s looking forward to working with him again.
Elizabeth says, wild guess, but she supposes Ava and Nikolas aren’t sleeping together. He says, God no, and she says, neither of them have had sex all this time? He asks if she thinks he wanted this. It was the only way to ensure Ava didn’t get his fortune. She says, it’s so twisted and dark. No sex or love until one of them cracks. She knows him, and he won’t be able to do it. He says he’s had practice. He was alone when he was recovering in Greece, and can do this. Ava will be first. She says, what if it doesn’t work? and he says, it has to. Do him a favor. Ava can never find out they kissed, and Elizabeth says Ava’s not going to hear it from her. She can’t risk Ava telling Franco. She says, Nikolas needs to fix this. He can’t keep living like this; he just can’t. She walks off, leaving him to ponder.
Ava tells Franco, she doesn’t know how she’s going to keep this up. Their kiss was a stark reminder of what she’s missing. She says, Nikolas can’t hear about it, and Franco says, Nikolas won’t hear it from him. She says, it will be their little secret, and Franco says she should reconsider the marriage. Find a way to fall in love with Nikolas, or make him fall in love with her. Franco leaves the gallery.
Carly tells Sonny how wonderful Josslyn has been with Mike, but it’s also been rewarding for her. To think back when Mike moved in, the man with the twinkle in his eye, and his amazing ability to enjoy life; Josslyn got to be around that. Even when Mike started to deteriorate. It was something else she had to go through with him, and learn from. Mike never disappointed Josslyn. She just got to enjoy and love him. Sonny says, what an incredible gift.
Josslyn tells Mike, after Oscar died, she let her grades slip. Everybody told her it was normal and she shouldn’t worry, but he knows her; she was worried. She’s been working at every extra credit project, and she’s almost at the top of her class again. If she continues – which she will – she’ll graduate with honors. If only he could be there to see it.
Josslyn walks into the living room wearing a cap and gown. Mike says, there’s their valedictorian. Is her speech ready? She says, of course (🍷), and he asks how he got such brave and brilliant granddaughter. She says he got lucky, and he says he sure did. He says there’s something for her somewhere in the room, and she sees a jewelry box in a bowl on the coffee table. She takes out a watch, and says, it’s beautiful; she loves it. He says, it belonged to Sonny’s mother. She says, Adela? Maybe he should give it to Donna or Avery. He asks, why? She’s every bit as much his as any of the grandkids. He doesn’t want her to ever think she’s different. He puts the watch on her wrist, and says he wants her to wear it to remember how fast time flies, and make the best of it, always.
Josslyn tells Mike that she wants to make him proud. She takes his hand and promises she will. She doesn’t know yet what she wants to do when she’s older, but she thinks that’s a good thing. It weirds her out when kids her age have their whole careers planned out, when they haven’t even left the house yet. She does know this. Whatever work she ends up doing, she’ll always make room for love in her life, just like he did, even toward the end.
Mike waits in a lounge area of the MetroCourt, when Josslyn comes out in a wedding dress. She says, the party is in the ballroom, but he says, it’s too crowded. He wanted to have her all to himself for a minute. She says he can have more than a minute. He says she’s the most beautiful bride ever, and she’s sure he says that to all the ladies. He says, not today. Today he only has eyes for her. He had a talk with that husband of hers. She looks a little panicked, and he says, nothing bad. He just let him know how important she is to him, and told him to take care of her heart for the precious cargo it is. She asks what she’d do without him, and he says she’d be fine. Fortunately, they don’t have to find out for a long time. Give him a twirl. She does, and he says, that’s my girl.
She tells Mike, whatever she does, however life turns out, she’ll always be his girl.
Carly tells Sonny, in the time since Mike came to live with them, he’s experienced love and joy, and given it right back. He’s got to know in his soul that he made his family’s life better just by being there.
Finn says Britt is the new Chief of Staff? and she says, yes, indeed. She congratulates Portia on being new Chief of Internal Medicine; she knew Portia had what it takes when they worked together. Epiphany says, when she ghosted the hospital a few months back? and Britt suggests Epiphany might want to rethink her attitude. Epiphany says Britt sounds like her mother, but Britt says, she’s nothing like her mother. The only thing they have in common is that she too, runs a tight ship. It’s a whole new day at General Hospital. Finn says, is it? Elizabeth joins them, and says she didn’t know Britt was back. Britt says, Dr. Westbourne to her. Epiphany tells Elizabeth that Britt was about to tell them about this new day she has planned for the hospital. Elizabeth says, she has plans? and Britt says, as the new Chief of Staff, it’s her job is to get the hospital whipped into shape.
Trina comes into the gallery, and Ava says she wasn’t scheduled, but Trina says she could use a distraction. She thought it was also a good time to start her extra hours, if it’s okay with Ava. Ava says, of course (🍷), and asks if Trina wants to tell her why she needs a distraction. Trina says homecoming is coming up, and it’s hard not to think about the last dance she went to. Ava says she knows it’s not going to happen again, right? and Trina says, it’s going to be different. All four of them are going – her, Josslyn, Cameron, and Dev – as friends. Ava says, so she and Cameron never kissed again? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
Franco sees Nikolas sitting on a bench in the park, and says it looks like he had a rough day. Nikolas says he could say that. What’s up with Franco? Franco says, not much. He was supposed to meet Elizabeth for lunch. Has Nikolas seen her?
Britt says, everyone seems shocked that she’s the new Chief of Staff. She’s almost offended. Epiphany says, let her guess. Cyrus appointed her. Britt says, yes. He reached out to her in person. Elizabeth says, Britt knows he’s an accused drug lord, right? and Britt says she does. She kept up with the news, and remembers reading that he was framed by the Commissioner’s former colleague. Some cop named… Portia says, Taggert, and Britt says, Cyrus lost years of his life, and now he’s trying to do good. Finn says, tell them how she’s going to whip GH into shape, and she says she’s been studying the state of affairs there, and was horrified at how mismanaged the hospital has been since she’s been gone. As a former employee, she takes it personally. Finn says their reputation was good until Cyrus bulldozed his way in. Britt says, the way she sees it, the unethical actions of Monica and Bobbie put the hospital at risk. Elizabeth says, the surgery was successful, and Finn says, not to mention necessary. Britt asks if they’re both willing to go on record to condone the circumventing of law and parental rights. Epiphany tells Britt to let them know when she’s ready. She and Elizabeth have patients to attend to. She tells Elizabeth, they should go before they say something they’ll regret, and Britt says they might want to check their schedules. There’s been some reassignment, and Epiphany says, by whom? Britt says, the new head nurse.
Elizabeth tells Britt, Epiphany has been head nurse since 2006, and Finn says, the hospital won’t last eight minutes without her. Portia says she’s really new there, but Epiphany is the heart of the hospital. Britt says she has no intention of stripping Epiphany of her unofficial title, and Epiphany says, just her official one. Britt says, the Chairman thought it was time to make some changes. Elizabeth wonders if it has anything to do with Britt’s past history with Epiphany, but Britt says she’s not as petty as some people. The Chairman makes the decisions. It’s not her place to intervene, unless she disagrees, which she doesn’t. Finn says he has a long history of substance abuse, and asks if it’s going to be a problem with the Chairman. Britt says she’s not interested in personal issues; she’s interested in how he runs his department. She’d like to set up a meeting, but he says he’s booked solid. She tells him to make an appointment, and come prepared. Portia asks if her job is on the line too. Epiphany and Elizabeth look at the bulletin board, and Elizabeth says Epiphany has been bumped to an administrative position. Epiphany says, no patients? and Elizabeth says, just paperwork. Epiphany says, not for long. She’ll fight it. Elizabeth says, she’s no longer full time. She’s on the satellite crew, and has a whopping two shifts a week.
Nikolas tells Franco, he hasn’t seen Elizabeth. Franco says they were supposed to have lunch. Weird, since Elizabeth texted him that she ran into Nikolas. Nikolas says, strange, and Franco says, it is. Nikolas suggests Franco call her and sort it out, and Franco says he’s embarrassed to say it, but it’s his bad. It’s later than he thought. They probably just missed each other. The time does seem to get away when he’s hanging out with Ava.
Trina tells Ava that she doesn’t want to mess up her friendship with Cameron, and Josslyn needs them now. Her grandfather is in hospice, and probably won’t be with them much longer. Ava asks if Trina can hold down the fort. There’s something she needs to do. Call if she needs anything. Ava runs out.
Carly tells Sonny, she knows it doesn’t feel like it right now, but all the memories they’ve made with Mike are there with him. Sonny says he knows. She says, his dad is thinking how lucky he is he got be a part of the family, and Sonny gave that to him. He says, they did it together, and they hug.
Josslyn says she knows it sounds silly, but she wanted Mike there for all of it.
Mike and Josslyn play checkers, and she says he should really take it easy on someone in her condition. He says, you don’t mean… and she says she had a doctor’s appointment this morning. Guess who’s going to be a great-grandfather again? He hugs her, and says she’s having a baby. Boy or girl? She says they don’t know yet. She doesn’t think they’re going to find out. He says, it’s the best surprise there is. He can’t wait. She says she can’t wait for Mike to meet him or her. He tells her, congratulations. She’s going to be a great mom. What a blessing. Josslyn says, it really is.
Josslyn tells Mike, he’s the blessing.
Portia asks Britt, so what’s her fate? Britt says she has no ill will toward Portia. She doesn’t believe Portia was involved in the Monica and Bobbie shenanigans. She has every faith that Portia will do right by General Hospital. So does Cyrus. Elizabeth tells Finn, she’s been demoted, and Epiphany says, two whole shifts a week. He says, that’s insane. Why? Elizabeth says Britt is carrying out Cyrus’s orders. He’s trying to marginalize anyone who’s been there a long time. Finn says, anyone who knows the history of the hospital. Epiphany says, what that indicates to her, is that Cyrus is going to be messing with stuff he shouldn’t be messing with, and putting everyone, especially their patients, at risk.
Nikolas says Franco is going to be late because he was hanging out with Ava? Franco says they had a little disagreement about the portrait, but they sorted it out. Franco starts to leave, and Nikolas says, good luck. Franco asks why he would need luck, and Nikolas says he just means he hopes Franco finds Elizabeth. Franco says he’ll find her.
Trina flashes back to telling Cameron that she researched PTSD, and that’s what happened. Things got scrambled. It’s fine, but what’s not fine is making the kiss something it’s not. Nothing has changed between them. She sits down.
Sonny tells Carly, he couldn’t have done it without her, and she says he’s always got her. She’s going to grab coffee, and asks if she can get him anything. He says he’s fine. She says she loves him, and he says he loves her too. She leaves, and Ava comes along. She says she hopes she’s not intruding, and Sonny asks what she wants. She says she heard about Mike. Sonny wipes tears away, and she asks if there’s anything she can do to help.
Josslyn asks Mike if he wants to know a secret. She’s super competitive. She tells him, okay, it’s the opposite of a secret. It’s the challenge of making mistakes and trying to make up for them, like him trying to make up for leaving Sonny and his mom. She hopes she never has to do that, but if she does, she prays she can deal with it the way he showed her, and learn from the lessons he taught her. More than anything, she hopes he can hear her right now. She says, thank you, grandpa, for everything. I love you so much. His hands move, and he gives Josslyn two thumbs up.
We all cry like babies.
On Monday, Britt asks if she gets no welcome back from Felix, Olivia tells Robert that she’s going with him, Ava asks Sonny to trust her, and Jason says someone has his word.
What you’re thinking is what you’re becoming. – Muhammad Ali
It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. – e.e. cummings
He got distracted by a clapping ass; it happens. – Cynthia Decker, Pillow Talk: 90 Day Fiancé
I’m gonna give you a prostate exam with this foot. – Medea (Tyler Perry), Boo! A Medea Halloween
Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well. – Mark Twain
A room without books is like a body without a soul. – Marcus Tullius Cicero
Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. – Mahatma Gandhi
A day without sunshine is like, you know, night. – Steve Martin
Make a pact with yourself today to not be defined by your past. Sometimes the greatest thing to come out of all your hard work isn’t what you get for it, but what you become for it. Shake things up today! Be You…Be Free…Share. – Steve Maraboli
Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11. – Barack Obama
🗑 There Goes Another One…
Crossing another week off the calendar, and hoping we’re closer to a pandemical solution. Or even just some bars opening. Regardless, venture out into the world, but stay safe, stay observant, and stay making room for love in your life.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Finn gives Alexis some water, and says, drink this. Doctor’s orders. She asks if he has some rubbing alcohol to chase it with, but he says, the bar’s closed. He tells her to talk to him about Neil, and she says when she went to sleep, he was alive, and when she woke up, he wasn’t. He asks how she found out, and she says she brought coffee to him in bed.
Molly goes to the hospital, and asks TJ if he’s all ready to go. He says he is; today was a train wreck. She says she sees beers with their name on them at The Floating Rib, and he asks if she’d be okay with take-out. He’s going to have batting practice before work, and see what Brando is made of.
Not much right now. Cyrus’s two thugs beat the snot out of him. They start to leave, and one grabs a wrench to finish Brando off, but the other one stops him, and they jet.
Jordan walks toward her office while on the phone with Taggert. She tells him, stay out of Port Charles until they’re done with Cyrus. It’s hard enough without him coming back from the dead. She’s handling it. She opens her office door, and Curtis is waiting by a beautifully set table, wearing a chef’s hat and glasses. He says her table awaits, and she sits. I have to add, he looks super cute.
On the phone with Trina, Portia says sorry she’s going to be late, and tells Trina to order out healthy. She asks who Trina is hanging out with, and says, of course (🍷) she trusts Trina. It’s other people she doesn’t trust.
At the MetroCourt, Anna looks at the sonogram picture, and Maxie says she can’t stop staring at it either. Peter tells her it was too early to tell the sex, and I wish they’d stop saying that, since it looks like it’s practically ready for kindergarten. Maxie says James is neutral on the subject, but she thinks he’s too young to understand. She wants a sister for Georgie though. Valentin comes by, and says, be careful what you wish for. Sisters can be a handful. Like Anna’s sister, right?
Jason runs into the garage, gun drawn, and looks around. Sam and Spinelli come in, and Sam runs to Brando. Jason checks his pulse, and she asks if he’s alive. Jason says, for now. They worked him over pretty good. He tells Spinelli to call an ambulance, but Sam says they can take him themselves. Jason tells Spinelli to help get him to the car, then come back and get the camera. They take Brando out, and Sam closes the door.
Curtis lights the candles on the table, and Jordan says, what is all this? Did he think she’d be raiding the vending machine for dinner? He says they can’t have that, and welcomes her to Chez Cop, where they pride themselves on fine dining. Would she like sparkling water, or still water from the great state of New York? She says, sparkling, and he says, like her eyes. She laughs, and he says, tonight, the chef has insisted on picking out her entrée himself. She says, what a welcome surprise, and he says he just works there. She can take it up with her dinner companion. He excuses himself.
Molly asks if TJ and Brando are hanging out, and he says he thought he’d take a break and they could visit the batting cages. He can take out his obsession on someone else. She likes Brando, right? She flashes back to sleeping with Brando, and says she doesn’t know him well enough to like or dislike him; he seems like a good guy. TJ says she told him that he should widen his circle outside if the hospital. She thinks he should be a little careful, and he says, of who? Brando? Why? She tells him, Sam said he was recovering from an injury. He doesn’t want Brando to get hurt. She’s seen TJ transform into a relentless and dirty player as soon as he steps on the field. He says he’ll take it easy, but not too much. You never know when you’ll get blindsided. She says he should discuss it with Monica, but he says she’s no longer there. She and Bobbie were fired. Molly says, impossible, but he says the board fired them under orders from their new benefactor.
Curtis comes back in, after changing clothes, and tells Jordan, sorry he’s late. He hopes she hasn’t been waiting long. She says, no, but she might run off with the hot waiter. She’s going to give him a big tip. (I sit hard on a joke here.) He says he heard the cuisine is great, and lifts the cover on her plate. She says, lake trout, and he says, and sweet tea, straight from Baltimore. Like old times. She says, it’s not their anniversary or her birthday. What gives? He says he doesn’t need an excuse pamper his wife, but she says she was just wondering if he has one.
Finn tells Alexis that he’s sorry for her loss, and she says she is too. She’s sorry she doesn’t know what to say or how to feel. The worst part is… never mind. He says he’s calling a meeting here and now, but she says, that’s against the rules. You can’t have a meeting with two people. He says, it’s an exclusive club, and pulls out a chair. She sits, and he says she has a safe space. What’s the worst part? She says she and Neil finally decided to go forward together, and he died in her bed. She takes it very personally.
Valentin hopes he’s not interrupting, and Anna says she’s sure she’s held on to these lovely people way too long. Maxie says she has a meeting with Lucy, and Valentin asks if it’s about Deception. She says, it’s more of a concept meeting, but she’ll let him know what comes of it. Anna tells them, you two take care, or should she say three? They leave, and Valentin asks if he can join her. She says, please, and he says she’s happy to see him. She’s only happy to see him when she needs something. Does she need something? She says she’s going after Alex, and needs him as back-up.
Spinelli tries to reach camera, but can’t, so he gets a toolbox to stand on. He hears Peter and Maxie coming, and runs to sit in a chair. They walk in, and he says, Maxinista… and companion. Maxie asks why he’s there, and he says, car trouble. His van is increasingly temperamental. She says she thought he used his electric bike in warmer weather, but he says he didn’t want the van to suffer from lack of use. Peter says he needs a new crankshaft. The dealer said it would take two weeks to install, so he thought he’d try his luck with the local mechanic. Maxie sees the mess, and says, if this is the way he keeps his shop, she’s not sure Peter wants him working on the car. Peter says he can call the other company tomorrow, but Spinelli assures him, it’s worth the wait. He’s sure Brando just stepped out for a few minutes. In the meantime, they can chat; catch up, as it were. Peter looks like, huh?
Valentin says Anna is going after Alex? and she says she thought that would get his attention. He says Alex betrayed him. She exploited his infatuation with Anna, and performed a treasonous act, leaving him holding the bag. If not for her, he might have spent his career with the WSB. Anna says Alex wasn’t solely responsible for his fall from grace. He says she’ll never see him as a victim, and she says he may very well have been set up, but he crossed the line on his own. He says this is no way to ask him a favor, but she says she’ll be doing him a favor; he can bring Alex to justice. The waitress brings the drinks, and Anna wonders where to start. Valentin says he thought she lost Alex’s trail last year. She says she found it again, and he asks, why him? She says, it’s a two person job, but he says there are plenty of other agents. She says they would get in her way. She needs his talent. She needs his special brand of selective ethics. He asks how old the lead is, and she says, less than an hour old. Alex wants to meet her in Berlin. Alex claims she wants to stop running. He asks, why now? but Anna tells him, she didn’t say. Anna wants to find out, and she’s going to Berlin. She wasn’t sure about it, but then she saw him, and it all clicked. She wants him to come with her, and they can both bring Alex in together. Valentin doesn’t know who the greater fool is; her for going, or him, for going along with her.
Alexis tells Finn, before he met her, Neil had a career and a life. Now he has no career and no life. She can’t help but think she sent him to an early grave. Finn says she didn’t; she can’t bring on someone’s death by loving them. She says she cared about Neil. They had something. Finn tells her, then honor that.
Curtis wonders if all wives are this suspicious, or is it a hazard of the job? She says she should know better than to question a romantic gesture, and Curtis says he figured she was due for an interlude, given all the hours she’s been putting in, and the pressure. She says the main priority has been to find Nelle, and make sure she’s not out there plotting. Curtis says, and she has Cyrus to contend with. Does she have any idea what he’s up to? She says she knows he seized GH for the sole purpose of upping his PR, but she needs to uncover his plan, and put him away for good. He says, sounds obvious, but Cyrus is never far behind her – or him. No matter how hard he tries, he just can’t let it go. Every time he sees Trina, he asks himself, if he had made a different call, would her father still be alive? She takes it Trina is still giving him a hard time, and he says, only when she sees him. She says she knows him, and he needs to stop tiptoeing around. He says he tried confronting Trina. He tried talking things through, and tried to apologize, but no matter what he does, he just makes it worse. She thinks Portia might be able to help. If anyone can bring him and Trina together, it’s her mother.
Portia sees Brando in the ER, and asks what they have. Sam says they found him like this, and brought him in. She asks if he’s spoken, and Jason says, he has, but he’s not making sense. Portia tells them to get out, and Sam says, but… Portia says now. Outside, Sam says, this is Cyrus. Cyrus had to have done it.
Cyrus messes with his phone, and Molly tells TJ, you’d think someone who was a benefactor for the hospital would have asked Monica and Bobbie for guidance instead of firing them. They’re pillars of the hospital. If her mom was still practicing, she’d file a wrongful termination suit. TJ says, there’s always Diane, and Molly says, if Monica and Bobbie want to fight, it’s their choice. She’s going to mind her business, and behave. TJ says, she can if she wants, but he won’t. Cyrus approaches and tries to introduce himself, holding out his hand. TJ says he knows who Cyrus is, and don’t offer his hand unless he wants TJ to spit on it.
Finn tells Alexis, if she needs anything, she can call anytime. She says she knows that, and thanks him. He suggests she go to a meeting. She doesn’t have to share. She says she is going to go to a meeting – later. He says, later is the first step toward never, but she says she’s not avoiding it. She’s meeting the medical examiner. They owe her a favor, and she’s getting the preliminary report on Neil’s autopsy. Finn asks if Neil ever mentioned an underlying condition or family history, but she says, nothing. He asks if she and Neil had regular contact, and she says they’d been actively avoiding each other. Finn says it would have given Neil time to develop something, and she says, something she would have picked up on if she’d acted on her feelings sooner.
Cyrus says he has no idea what he’s done to merit TJ’s hostility. TJ says Monica and Bobbie deserved better than what Cyrus gave them. Cyrus says they opened the hospital up to a massive lawsuit, and were fired for cause. TJ asks if he considered the lives they’ve saved, their work in the community, and inspiration to others to work in the medical profession, like him. Cyrus says he had no idea they’d had such an impact on TJ, using his name. TJ says, Cyrus knows him? and Cyrus says he would recognize his mother’s fire anywhere.
Jordan tells Curtis, it doesn’t do any good for Trina to misdirect her grief about what happened to Taggert. She thinks Portia can help. Curtis says he didn’t want to confuse things, and Jordan says she thought everything was in the past. He says, it is, but he ran into Portia at Kelly’s after the Nurses Ball. They had a good talk, and he’d rather leave it there. They have enough going on with Cyrus. Why add one more burden? Jordan flashes back to being with Jason on the pier, and telling him that Curtis doesn’t know about Taggert. So much time has passed, if she tells him now, it could destroy her marriage. She tells Curtis, she and Taggert worked together on a difficult assignment, and he trusted her to have his back. She wants the gift of peace for Trina, and Curtis. Her desk phone rings, and he says, might as well get it. It will drive her crazy if she doesn’t. She answers, and says she’s on her way. She tells Curtis, sorry, and he says, don’t tell him; Cyrus.
Sam asks if they should call Sonny, but Jason says, he’s focused on Mike, and it’s more important. Sam says, maybe they should get the footage, and Jason says, it’s got to be Cyrus. It’s his way of pushing the boundaries of the truce without openly breaking it. Portia comes out, and Sam asks how Brando is. Jason asks if he’s going to be all right.
Valentin tells Anna, he has a daughter now. He has to consider things differently. He also just acquired ELQ, and the Quartermaines have the resources to take it back. He has to be there. She says, what if Alex is a threat to Peter?Peter’s grasp on happiness is fragile at best. He remade himself into a good man; he’s expecting his first child. If Alex undermines that, it could hurt Peter, Maxie, and the baby. You’d think Valentin would want to help Peter, given the way he messed up Peter’s life.
On the phone, Maxie tells Lucy, don’t sign anything until she gets there. They’re not risking Deception’s reputation on an untested product. She’ll be right there. She tells Peter, sorry she has to go. Peter says he’ll wait. If Brando doesn’t show up, he’ll go the other route. Maxie leaves, and Peter hopes it’s worth the wait, and Spinelli says, Brando should be back imminently. He tells Peter, it’s too bad Maxie had to leave, and Peter says, is it? He got the distinct impression Spinelli wanted to talk to him. Spinelli says, at the Nurses Ball, a little birdie whispered something disconcerting in his ear about Peter. He and Shiloh apparently go way back and far away, overseas even.
Cyrus tells TJ, he’s privileged to meet Jordan’s son at last. He sees they share passion. He’s grateful for her keen sense of justice. She freed him when he was wrongly sent to prison. TJ says where’s the justice in him firing Monica and Bobbie? but Cyrus says they were a liability, and had to go to preserve the hospital’s integrity. He wants to see the hospital survive and thrive. He hopes someday TJ can appreciate that, even to the point of shaking his hand. TJ holds out his hand, but fakes Cyrus out, and says, don’t hold your breath. I wonder how many times they had to do that without laughing. TJ and Molly walk off, and Cyrus goes to the elevator. Curtis is there, and says, bad strategy, when Curtis knows what he knows. Cyrus says, TJ works for him now. Sooner all later, everyone does. Cyrus goes into the elevator, and when the doors close, Curtis says Cyrus is going to find out he’s wrong about that, and a whole lot more.
Finn says he thinks Alexis is trying to make sense of something that happened to someone important to her, someone she cared about. She asks if he has any suggestion on how not to do that. He says, breathe, talk to someone, practice self-care. The verbiage is obnoxious (thank you, Finn! I think so too), but the concept is good. There’s a knock at the door, and it’s Jordan. She says she was told Alexis was with him, and asks if she can speak to Alexis alone. Alexis asks, what about? and Jordan says, Neil’s death.
Portia says Brando has multiple contusions and lacerations, and possibly fractured ribs. He’s going to get x-rays and a CT scan. Jason asks if he’s speaking, and Portia says he’s alert, and gave her permission to talk to them. Jason asks what the prognosis is, and she says, he has some healing to do, but he’ll recover. They’re keeping him for a few days for observation. Sam asks when they can speak to him, and Portia says, as soon as the nurse is finished. She leaves, and Sam says, that was convincing. Jason asks if she thinks it was staged, and Sam says, if Brando has thrown in with Cyrus, it’s what he’d want Sonny to see. Jason says no one knew Brando was being watched. His guess is that Brando is collateral damage, and they’re sending a message to Sonny. Sam says, or maybe Brando was going to come clean, and it was a way of discouraging him. Oh, come on. Brando could kill Cyrus and all of his associates, and burn down all of Cyrus’s warehouses, and Sam would still be like, I don’t know… Jason says, Brando’s story hasn’t changed. Jason believes him. Sam says, Brando admitted to Cyrus being in the garage, and Jason asks how hard would it be to tamper with his bike while Brando was distracted? Cyrus approaches, and asks how the patient is.
Molly tells TJ, that just now, was a thing of beauty. Cyrus isn’t used to someone speaking truth to power. TJ says he had no idea how Cyrus would respond. He didn’t know Cyrus would bring up his mom; it threw him off. Molly says, it didn’t work. He just kept hammering at Cyrus. Curtis joins them, and says he hopes they’re hungry. He doesn’t want the lake trout to go to waste. Molly says Curtis should have been there. TJ handed Cyrus’s ass to him, metaphorically speaking. TJ says, he doesn’t want to brag, but he was stoked. Curtis should have been there. Curtis says, yeah – to stop him.
Cyrus tells Jason and Sam, he heard Brando was in the ER. Jason asks where he heard that, and Cyrus says he takes an interest in every patient who comes through the doors of GH. He’s particularly interested with anyone who has ties to Sonny. Which reminds him. He understands Jason checked out against doctor’s orders. Jason says he’s fine, and Cyrus says, that’s more than can be said about Sonny’s father. Such a shame. So many tragedies on so many fronts. It’s all Sonny can do to keep his head above water. Jason says, that’s why Sonny has him.
Sam goes in to see Brando and asks how he feels. He says, like he should have gone back to Chicago. She tells him, the doctor says he’ll recover, which is good news. Does he remember anything? He says, besides waking up there, he remembers he got jumped. She asks if he knew the guys and if they said anything. He says, it’s fuzzy. One minute, he was fighting for his life, and the next thing he knew, he was there, with a doctor shining a light in his eyes. She says, if it makes him feel any better. She and Jason found him and brought him in. He says, great timing.
Alexis says she doesn’t know what she can tell Jordan that she didn’t tell Detective Spencer. Jordan asks if they can use Finn’s office, but he’s hesitant, so she says they can talk outside.
Valentin says Anna knows Alex is setting her up, and Anna says, of course (🍷), but she’ll never suspect Anna being with him. He asks what she’s going to do when she finds Alex. The WSB won’t prosecute; they’d rather pretend Alex doesn’t exist. They’re happier with her on the lam. Is Anna willing to arrange an untimely accident? He says Anna is hesitant and desperate; he notices her voice wavering. Alex will be waiting for her to make a mistake, and she can’t slip. Professional rule number one, objectively access the situation. Two, find the subject’s weaknesses, and three… She says, seize the initiative, and finish them. She’s going to play Alex’s game. She wants to set a trap, and wants Valentin to help her.
Peter tells Spinelli, unfounded rumors, and Spinelli says, as Georgie’s father, it’s his duty to make sure Georgie and Maxie are protected. Peter says his constant intrusion reads more like jealousy. Spinelli assures Peter that he’s content with Ellie. Peter wonders if Ellie would say the same. Spinelli says his personal life is none of Peter’s business, and Peter says Spinelli isn’t endearing himself to Maxie or him. He’s tried to get along, but Spinelli is making it hard, like he wants Peter as an enemy rather than a friend. Spinelli asks if Peter didn’t arrange for Drew’s kidnapping. Then, Shiloh used the information to make Peter help him escape. Peter asks, who’s spreading these lies? and Drew says Shiloh’s widow confided in him. Nelle is a known liar, but perhaps Peter will shed more light on it. In the meantime, sorry to trouble him. Spinelli says, good luck with his crankshaft, and leaves.
Alexis says she’s been through this with the detective, but Jordan says she wants to hear it directly. Alexis says, Neil came over, Sam was there, and Sam left. They talked. Jordan says, about anything in particular? and Alexis says they talked about their love for each other, and how they were looking forward to a happy future together. They went upstairs, made love, and went to sleep. Jordan says, Neil was happy, and asks if there was anything unusual about his behavior. Alexis says, he wasn’t hopping and skipping around. He was his usual self. Intelligent, articulate, and with a dry wit. What is this about? Jordan says she got the preliminary autopsy results, and Alexis asks how Neil died.
Jordan tells Alexis, the preliminary report says Neil died from respiratory failure of the heart and lungs. Alexis wonders what would make him stop breathing, and Jordan says, drugs. He died from an OD.
Molly tells Curtis, he doesn’t understand. Cyrus just fired Monica and Bobbie. TJ was standing up for them. Curtis says he applauds TJ’s integrity, but not his instinct. Do not pick a fight with Cyrus. TJ asks, what’s the worst Cyrus can do? Drop him from the medical program? Cyrus was exonerated. Curtis says, he’s still dangerous to a lot of people, but TJ says he refuses to be silenced. Curtis says, let it go. Nothing TJ says is going to affect Cyrus. TJ says, maybe he should take action, but Curtis says it could cost him a lot. TJ says, so he’ll be thrown out and not get a reference. He’ll transfer to Mercy Hospital.
Brando tells Sam, he had a run in with Cyrus’s lieutenant. He stopped by to ask if Brando needed help, and his implication had been clear. Sam asks what he said, and Brando tells her that he said no thank you. She can draw her own conclusions. Jason says he already has, and knows Brando had nothing to do with his accident. It was all Cyrus.
Anna comes into the hospital, and sees Finn. He says he wasn’t sure when he’d hear from her again. She says she wanted to let him know that she’s made the decision not to go to Berlin. She’ll figure out another way to deal with her sister. I’m guessing this is Alex, who is sending Anna on another wild goose chase while she wreaks havoc in Port Charles. Again.
Maxie calls Peter, who says he’s still at the garage. She asks if the mechanic ever showed, and he says, not yet. What happened with Lucy? Maxie says she got there just in time, before Lucy put them in dept to a Korean conglomerate for the next 13 years. She asks when he’s coming home, and he says he’s going to wait a little while for the mythical mechanic. He’ll let her know when he’s on his way. He hangs up, and calls Valentin. He says, Nelle Benson Jerome. He’s dealing with her. Valentin says, can he ask why? and Peter says, because she’s been running her mouth, and it could blow up his life. Spinelli watches on the laptop, and says, gotcha.
On Monday, GH will be a repeat. On Tuesday, Valentin talks to Julian, Brando thinks there’s something else behind Jason’s change of heart, and Olivia arrives at he WSB facility.
It’s sad that the best Brandi can do is talk about Denise, since she has nothing going on in her own life. No one ever said Denise was an angel. Brandi also needs to make up her mind about why she blabbed.
Do you think that’s a cultural thing?**It’s a bullsh*t thing. – Alexi and Loren Brovarnik, respectively, Pillow Talk: 90 Day Fiancé
We shall not be here forever. One day the kind old nurse will come and rock us all to sleep. Let us help one another while we may. – Unknown
Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time. – John Lubbock
You are beautiful. Your beauty, just like your capacity for life, happiness, and success, is immeasurable. – Steve Maraboli
Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success. – Dale Carnegie
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.)
If this bitch was any dumber, you’d have to water her. – Joan (Regina Hall), About Last Night
There is so much wealth and so much misery at the same time, that it seems incredible that people can endure such class difference, and accept such a form of hunger while on the other hand, the millionaires throw away millions on stupidities. – Frida Kahlo
It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them. – Ida B. Wells
Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. – Dennis P. Kimbro
Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face. – Carol Moseley-Braun
Well-behaved women seldom make history. – Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not. – Andre Gide
You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try. – Beverly Sills
🥁 In Conclusion…
It’s here. A three-day weekend. Otherwise known as three consecutive days, if you work all the time or not at all. Whatever it is to you, stay safe, stay composed, and stay making hay while the sun shines. Or even when it rains.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Clinging to the side of a cliff, Nelle calls to Carly, and says, please. She’s going to fall. Carly tells Nelle to take her hand, and Nelle does, but her grip isn’t strong enough, and she falls. I’m thinking, the police will never believe Carly didn’t push her.
Jordan meets Jason at the pier, and he asks if this location is better. She says, what’s so important that he’d risk her reputation and career by barging into her office? He says, this, and shows her a shell casing. She asks where he found it, and he says, the pier. The same place he just found Taggert.
Jax finds Carly, and asks, what happened? She says she was trying to save Nelle, but she fell. He looks over the edge, and then holds Carly, who’s freaking out. He says he’s got her.
At Kelly’s, Portia says she hopes the coffee is hot after the icy blast her daughter sent Curtis’s way. He says he doesn’t blame Trina. She’s grieving her father, and has to put her anger somewhere. She appreciates him understanding, and he says, it’s good Trina has friends to help her through it. She says, Josslyn and Cameron are terrific. It was Cameron’s idea for them to perform at the Nurses Ball. It was a gift. It took Trina out of herself for a while. She asks if he ever performed at the Nurses Ball, and he says, more than once. A few years ago, he did a magic act. She asks if he pulled a rabbit out of his hat, and he says he did dazzling illusions. It was his way of asking Jordan to marry him. She says, so the Nurses Ball is a kind of anniversary. She apologizes, saying it was the worst possible time to bring up the past, and she wishes she hadn’t said anything.
Dante tosses and turns. He dreams, and hears, complete the mission. He flashes back on loading his gun, and saying goodbye to Lulu. He sees Lulu come into the room, and he raises his gun. Complete the mission. Dr, Kirk comes in, and stands next to his bed. Dante jumps up, and grabs him, but the doctor says he’s in no danger; he’s safe. Stand down. Dante lets go.
Lulu goes to the Quartermaine mansion, and asks Willow where everybody is. She thought this would be the command center. Willow says Olivia and Ned are with Brook at the hospital. Monica is at the hospital, and Michael is searching for Wiley. Nina was there, and insisted on trying to teach her to play backgammon, but she finally convinced Nina to head home. Lulu says, Brook is through the worst of it, and she can stick around to keep Willow company.
Sonny tells Michael, the place is crawling with police searching for Nelle. Michael says, Wiley is sleeping, but as soon as he talks to the cops, he’s taking Wiley home. Sonny asks if he’s all right, and he says they still don’t know where Nelle is.
Jax asks Carly, what happened? and she says she went after Nelle. She caught up with Nelle, and tried to stop her. They fought, and Nelle got away. She heard a scream, and when she got there, Nelle was begging for her help; she said she’d fallen. Carly hesitated for a moment, thinking Nelle was trying to trick her, and Jax says, of course (🍷). She could have taken Carly with her. Carly says, Nelle was barely hanging on. She had Nelle’s hand, but she slipped and fell. Jax tells Carly to look at him and listen. They need to decide what to do next. She asks what he’s talking about. Nelle fell, and she tried to save her. She only hesitated for a second. Jax says he believes her, but the police might not.
Sam visits Alexis, and asks if Alexis is still having trouble with her wrist. Alexis says, hello to her too. It’s nothing that a little ice and aspirin won’t help. If she was working, she wouldn’t bother, but she has nothing to do, so she’s coddling it. Sam thinks maybe she should see a doctor, and Alexis says, then what would Sam have to nag her about? Sam asks if Alexis thinks she’s nagging, and Alexis says she thinks Sam cares, and she appreciates it. Sam asks if she’s seen the missing child alert. She’s worried, but also angry with Jason.
Jordan says, Taggert was shot? What happened? Jason says she’s not surprised Taggert is alive, just that he was shot. He was chasing a lead, and found Taggert slumped over on the pier along with the bullet. He said he’d stopped a man from shooting a woman, but didn’t know who they were. He took Taggert to a safe place, and called Epiphany. She wasn’t surprised either. Jordan asks where Taggert is now, and Jason says he left Port Charles. He said it was what Jordan would want. He answered her questions; now it’s her turn. How did she help Taggert fake his death?
Portia tells Curtis that she shouldn’t have dredged up ancient history. Even if it sounds like it, that’s not what ended her marriage. She and Taggert had many other problems. His job for one. He was away all the time when he was undercover with the DEA. She loves being a doctor, but it’s not her entire life. Getting involved with Curtis took away the loneliness. He asks why she eventually told him, and she said she could imagine a life with him. He wonders if she thought he’d ask her to leave, and she says he made it clear it was deal breaker, so that was the end of that.
Sonny asks Michael where his mother is, but Valerie shows up (remember her?), and tells Sonny and Michael that they have all hands on deck. Wiley is VIP status. She’ll need their statements while they’re still fresh. Michael asks if there’s any news about Nelle, and she says they have roadblocks in place. Nelle’s car is still there; she won’t get far on foot. Michael says he walked in the door, and it was dark. Nelle was waiting, and hit him in the head with something; he thinks it was a vase. He grabbed her, and they argued. She wouldn’t tell him where Wiley was, but he heard Wiley crying, and left to check on him. Valerie asks if he’s sure Wiley was unharmed, and he says, just worn out. He tried to call Willow, but there’s no cell reception. Valerie says she’ll do it from the car, and leaves.
Willow tells Lulu, the last time Michael checked in was hours ago. He was at the PCPD. Lulu understands what it’s like to wait, and be worried about a child you love. Willows phone rings, and she says, it’s the police. Valerie tells her, Wiley is safe, and Willow says, thank God. She asks where he is, and Valerie says, with Michael at a place in the mountains. There’s no cell reception, but they’re safe. Willow thanks her for calling. Thanks for finding Wiley.
Dante tells Dr. Kirk, he had a nightmare, and the doctor asks if it was the same one. Dante says, it’s always the same. He overreacted; sorry. Dr. Kirk says, if Dante is concerned, he can up the dosage of his medication, but Dante says, it’s like living in a fog; everything is dull and far away, except his dreams. They’re just as bad. Dr. Kirk says Dante refuses to participate in therapy, so there aren’t many options to treat him. Dante says, maybe he can’t be treated, but Dr. Kirk says, the trick is getting Dante to believe him. Dante’s lack of progress is a blow to his professional ego, but now the situation has changed. He’s getting pressure from his superiors. Dante says, about him? and the doctor says, yes. They want him to go home immediately.
Jax tells Carly, when he got there, Nelle was gone, and he saw her reaching over the edge. He doesn’t know what happened. She says he told her that he believed her, and he says, he does, but he’d be lying if he said the worst didn’t cross his mind. Carly says she didn’t push Nelle, and he asks if she thinks the cops would take her word for that. She’s Sonny’s wife. Every DA dreams of prosecuting and convicting him, and she’s the next best thing. Wiley is safe, but she went after Nelle anyway, and a DA would spin it for the jury. She and Nelle have had years of fighting in public, and Nelle falls off a cliff. Carly’s hair is a mess, her clothes are ripped, and she has scratches. Don’t think they won’t say Nelle defended herself. She says he can back her up, but he says, they’re exes, and on good terms. No one will believe him. Does she want to go to prison? She asks what he’s saying, and he says he wants her to volunteer as little information as possible. There’s evidence of a struggle. She can say Nelle knocked her down, and by the time she came to her sense, Nelle was gone. That’s it. That’s all she has to say.
Alexis asks why Sam is mad at Jason, and Sam says she has a new parole officer who has a heart. Alexis says, that’s great, and asks when and how it happened. Sam says she’s sorry she hasn’t kept Alexis in the loop, but she’s been under a lot of stress. Alexis says she understands, and asks how Jason is. Sam says, he was fine, but isn’t now. He checked himself out of the hospital against doctor’s orders to help Michael find Wiley. Aside from one phone call, she has no idea where he is or what he’s doing.
Jordan says she doesn’t owe Jason any explanations. He says he could have called 911, and she’d be explaining to someone else. The DA for starters. She says she let everyone believe Taggert was dead to protect him and Trina from Cyrus. He says, she knew Cyrus would still punish Taggert by using Trina, like he’s doing with her and TJ. He and Sonny could have helped. She says they have a truce with Cyrus. How does she know they didn’t give Taggert up to Cyrus, or that they’re not divvying up Port Charles? He says she doesn’t believe that, and she says, tell her what she believes. Enlighten her about herself.
Alexis asks how Sam got a sympathetic parole officer, but Sam wants to talk about anything else. Alexis asks how the Nurses Ball went; she heard there were a lot of volunteers. Sam says, Sonny and Carly were there. Maxie had a hot mic, and told the world she was pregnant. Alexis says, any other volunteers? and Sam says, Mac, Anna, Robert… She knows there’s only one name Alexis wants to hear. Why doesn’t she just ask if Neil was there?
Sonny asks Michael when Carly got there, and where she is now. Michael says, it was shortly after Nelle took off. Carly went after her. Valerie comes back, and says they have officers searching every inch of the woods; they’ll find his mother. Michael says Jax is searching for her too. Sonny looks at Michael.
Carly asks if Jax wants her to say Nelle disappeared, and she doesn’t know where Nelle went? He says, let the police find her, and Carly asks if he wants her to lie. He says, no be truthful… to a point. Nelle slashed Brook’s throat. They know she’s dangerous. He says, Nelle is dead under questionable circumstances, and she can either tell the whole truth, or take his advice, and save herself.
Curtis tells Portia, before he knew she was married, it was early in his recovery, and he couldn’t let it be serious. There’s a rule for every recovering addict. She says, don’t get in a relationship, and Curtis says he had a long way to go. He’d tanked his career as a cop. When she told him that she was married, it brought up a lot of stuff. He never wanted to be that guy who wrecks a marriage. He let himself get involved, and needed to take a closer look at what he was doing in his life. She says she knew it was wrong to deceive him; she’s so sorry. He apologizes for being harsh when she admitted the truth. It touched on personal issues for him, but one thing he couldn’t ignore was dishonesty in a relationship.
Jason says Jordan is in deep. She can’t make a move unless and until Cyrus incriminates himself. In the meantime, she’s stuck, and has to take out her anger and frustration on someone. And here he is. Jordan tells him that she’s said he should have been a cop, but maybe he should have been a shrink. He’s right; she’s pretty damn stuck. Jason says, Taggert didn’t kill Cyrus for two reasons. One, he’s hoping to get back to his daughter one day, and two, he owes Jordan, and knows she’s against it. She says, Taggert was quite chatty, and Jason says, he was. Taggert cares about her. That’s why he decided to get out of Port Charles and let her handle it her way. He asks how it went with Cyrus. He went looking for her and wound up in the hospital. Cyrus wants to get rid of him to clear a path to Sonny.
Alexis says Sam brought up Neil, not her, and Sam says, no. Neil wasn’t at the Nurses Ball Telethon. Not that Alexis would care what he does with his time. Not that it’s any of her business, but Neil came over with an opera DVD and wanted to hang out, but she sent him away. Alexis says she did, but he wasn’t supposed to listen to her.
Dante says he’s not safe to be around. He was put in there because of his PTSD. The doctor says the Bureau is willing to suspend treatment because they want him for a priority operative. Dante says, they’re going to ignore that he’s a danger to himself and others? What kind of operative is that? The doctor says he was to be given no details, unless Dante accepts the assignment. Dante wonders why they’re asking for him, and the doctor says the operative concerns someone close to him.
Willow thanks Lulu for waiting with her, and Lulu says, thanks for letting her. Now that it’s over, she can tell Willow, based on personal experience with Sonny as her father-in-law, he would have never let Nelle disappear with Wiley.
Valerie tells Michael and Sonny, they haven’t located Nelle, Carly, or Jax. Are any of them familiar with the area? Michael says Carly has been there before. Jax hasn’t, but he’s an experienced hiker. To his knowledge, Nelle doesn’t know the woods and trails at all. Jax calls Michael, and says he’s found Carly; they’re together. Michael asks if they found Nelle, but Jax says he’s having a hard time hearing. The reception is bad. He hangs up, and I laugh, since we’ve all done something like that. Michael tells Valerie and Sonny, there’s bad service even with a satellite phone. He doesn’t know if they found Nelle.
Carly tells Jax, Michael has to know Nelle is dead. He can’t spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder. Jax says, if the truth comes out, Michael could get in trouble too. She says her DNA will be all over Nelle, but Jax says, that’s okay; they fought. She’s overthinking it. She says from her experience, cover-ups never turn out the way you want. Look at Michael and Claudia Zacchara. It was justifiable homicide, and they should have turned him in. He went to prison. Jax says they wouldn’t be punishing her for killing Nelle, but to get to Sonny. She can’t let that happen. They hear the police coming, and Jax says the police can’t find them there. They have to get to the clearing where she found Nelle.
Valerie finds the fake passports Nelle had that disappeared from the evidence locker. Michael says they might never have found his son. Valerie says, Nelle has no more options, and must still be in the woods. Michael says he wants to bring Wiley back home; Willow won’t believe it until Wiley is in her arms. Sonny says Michael isn’t driving alone; he’ll go too. Valerie says, in the meantime, she’ll send a squad car to follow them home just in case.
Curtis tells Portia, to be honest, if he could go back in time, he would have ended it before it began. She tells him, she can’t say she regrets the time they spent together, and Curtis says he liked her a lot. He was lonely, and being with her gave him a sense of peace and focus he hadn’t felt in a while. When she told him that she was married, he really couldn’t trust her. She says, the truth is, she didn’t trust herself. She married Taggert, and didn’t keep her vows. Instead of addressing it with her husband, she turned to Curtis for comfort. She built a huge wall between herself and Taggert, and he died without knowing it was there.
Jordan asks if Jason is angry because she didn’t tell them Taggert was alive. He says they’ve been cooperating with each other, but that doesn’t mean she owes them full disclosure. She says, almost no one knows, not even her husband. She didn’t want to implicate him if things went south. Jason says, it’s his risk, and she says that’s what Curtis would say. She’s sure he would have supported her, but she didn’t want to put him in a compromising position. If she tells him now, it could destroy her marriage.
Alexis tells Sam, her mommy is a hypocrite. Sam says her mommy sounds like she’s arguing with herself. Alexis says she always wins that way. Guys always either tell her what she wants to hear or don’t listen to her. Neil actually listened when she told him to keep his distance, but she wished he hadn’t. The doorbell rings, and surprise, it’s Neil, who looks very cute in his new beard. Unlike Michael with his new hair-do, that looks like he’s auditioning for a Flock of Seagulls cover band.
Portia tells Curtis, here she is talking honesty and she insists Trina tells the truth. She thinks it’s the most important lesson she has to teach her daughter, and Trina gets it. Curtis says, Trina has a good, strong, moral center. He knows that’s what Jordan wants for TJ too, and Portia says, from what she’s seen, TJ has those qualities. That’s what she wants for Trina; to be honest, and have integrity. She wants Trina to be a better woman than she is. She wants Trina to be more like her father.
Jordan tells Jason, Curtis will never accept that she was protecting him. She helped frame Cyrus, and everything that happened after that was her fault. Curtis is a good man, and she doesn’t want him tainted with her failures. Jason says she’s making a lot of assumptions for Curtis. If she’d just give him a chance to support her… Jordan says this is on no one but her, and she has to figure it out the only way she knows how. He doesn’t need to understand.
Neil asks if it’s a bad time, but Alexis says, not at all, and invites him in. He sees her wrist, and asks if everything is okay. She says, it’s just a gym mishap. Sam asks if Neil is just dropping by, or is there a reason for his visit? Alexis says, Sam… but Neil says, it’s okay. Sam’s phone dings, and she says, the missing child alert has been canceled. That’s good news. She should go. Does Alexis need her to stay? Alexis says they’re fine. Sam leaves, and Neil says he doesn’t want to pressure Alexis, but thinks it’s important that they talk. She says so does she.
Carly and Jax get back to the cabin. Valerie asks how Carly is doing, and Jax says he didn’t want to worry Michael, but she might need some medical attention. Carly asks where Michael and Wiley are, and Valerie says Michael was anxious to bring Wiley home to Willow. Sonny gave them a ride. She sent officers to protect the house, in case Nelle sneaks back. They’ve pulled out all the stops searching for her. Carly sits, and just shakes her head.
Dr. Kirk tells Dante, he wasn’t full briefed, but it might involve family. They want someone with access. Dante asks if it’s about his father. Is the Bureau suddenly interested in racketeering and organized crime? Dr. Kirk says he doesn’t have the details, and Dante says, give the director a message from him – go to hell.
Neil says, Sam is protective, and Alexis says her injury happened at the gym Sam forced her to go to. She feels guilty. At least Alexis doesn’t need to write a brief since she has no job. Neil says he tells himself the same thing. He’s going to read those books he’s been meaning to, and fix his boat. She says, it’s like a forced retirement, and he says they could take up knitting together. She says, that won’t work; what about bird watching? He says they’re dancing around the issue, so he’s going to come straight out and say it. She told him they couldn’t be friends. He wants to know if she still feels that way.
Portia tells Curtis, maybe Taggert wasn’t the man of integrity she’s held him up to be. He fabricated evidence to put Cyrus in prison. Curtis says, he deserves to be in prison, and she says she doesn’t disagree, but she’s the one who has to explain to Trina her father’s… mistake? Curtis says it doesn’t seem to have knocked Taggert off the pedestal Trina has him on, and Portia says, that’s the other thing. She’s glad Trina loves her father, but she can’t be civil to Curtis. He says he can handle her anger. She has to grieve in her own way. Portia says, as does she. Curtis says he has to get going. Just so she knows, he told Jordan about the conversation they had at the Nurses Ball.
Jason gets that Jordan doesn’t want anyone else to be burdened, and she asks if that means he and Sonny will let Taggert stay dead, until she can figure out how to reveal his existence. Jason says she doesn’t have to do it by herself. She says, Jason Morgan working with a cop? He says he’ll be working with her. He can handle that. He starts walking away, and she calls to him, and says, thank you.
Dante tells Dr. Kirk, even if it’s not about his father, he’ll have to betray someone he cares about. He did enough of that when he was undercover. Dr. Kirk says, all right. In that case, he has one of two choices. Sit and rot, or do the work to address his PTSD, and get back to his life. Dante says he’s spent enough time locked up for his own good. He’s ready to do the treatment. Dr. Kirk says, it’s a decision Dante had to make, but he’s glad he did. He’ll look around and see if he can find a medication to help with Dante’s nightmares without the fog. He’ll check in tomorrow. Dante asks, now that he’s willing to do the work, how long will it take? He’s been gone more than a year, and he doesn’t know how much longer his family will wait for him.
Outside Kelly’s, Lulu looks at her phone. She sees a text from Dustin: Kids in bed. Wine uncorked. How soon can you get home?She texts back, on my way.❤️
Willow sleeps on the couch, but wakes when she hears Michael on the monitor. He says he loves Wiley so much. Willow loves him too; he’ll see her in the morning. He’ll see both of them. They’re never losing him again. He promises.
Carly says she’s fine, but Jax says she isn’t. Valerie tells the paramedic they’ll still need him in case they find Nelle. She’d like to ask Carly some questions if she’s up for it, and Carly says, go ahead. Valerie says, Carly tore out after Nelle. Did she find her?
Willow goes into Wiley’s room, and says, he’s home. Michael smiles, and says, home, and they hug.
On Monday, Sam asks Jason what’s more important than finding Wiley, Neil missed Alexis and hopes she missed him, Sonny tells Mike not to stick around for him, and Valerie asks if Carly hurt Nelle when they fought.
Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles
Tracy went to look at house in West Hollywood, but a few blocks east. Tracy explained that West Hollywood was the liveliest place to live, but further east was less desirable and more affordable. She met with Michele who lived in Vegas, bought the house the year before at $3.850 million, but never lived there. It was a boxy white modern, which Tracy said was the type of house to sit on the market because it was flooded with them. The Fuller house was 4,440 square feet, with tons of skylights, a chef’s kitchen with Wolf appliances, and four-sided infinity pool and spa. Michele said what had attracted them was the openness and high ceilings. It had 4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths, and the coup de gras was a boutique style walk-in closet, Tracy saying, nothing comes between a girl and her closet. There was an open air atrium, and a 1,200 square foot rooftop deck. Tracy thought it was the quintessential (a word they use a lot) West Hollywood new construction, and felt the skylights set it apart from its competitors. Michele said the plan had been to stay there while they were building a house in Vegas, but within three weeks, discovered nine leaks. Luckily, nothing was in the closet. In Tracy’s interview, she said a lot of newer constructions had sacrificed quality for speed. Michele said they had nowhere to go, since they had renters in their old home – like someone who can pay $4 million for a house can’t afford a hotel – and were already $200K out of pocket. All of the balconies had been redone, and she was hoping to recoup at $4.3 million. Tracy thought $4.1 million was more realistic; it was competitive, but the under $4 million buyers would consider it. That would be me, but I’m about $3.95 under $4 million. Tracy’s potential commission was $102,500.
James and David headed for their Tigertail property, which had been in the Getty fires. All of the roads were closed and David James said it was like doomsday. We saw horrifying clips of the L.A. fires, and the incredible devastation. They were going to see how bad the damage was, so they knew what they were dealing with. The first word out of James’sDavid’s James’s mouth was, f***, which about summed it up. The property was burned to the ground. In James’s interview, he said living through fires was becoming a normality. It wasn’t a question of if, but when, and you didn’t know where they’d come from, where they’d go, or how quickly they’d be put out.
Josh Altman went to meet developer Ilan at a Laurel Way property he’d been waiting five years to list. In Josh’s interview, he said the business was about relationships. Ilan was a big developer, and one of his most important relationships – a VIP client, but also a good friend. He explained that everyone knew the cachet of the 90210 zip code, but there were amazing pockets where you could find the best real estate. Laurel Way was a trophy property, nestled at the top of a hill, and super exclusive. Ilan said he’d been stressed enough trying to finish, but had the added stress of Josh calling him every day and asking when he could put it on the market. At 15,473 square feet, it had 7 bedrooms and – wait for it – 22 toilets housed in 15 bathrooms. There was an open floor plan, entertainer kitchen with Miele appliances, a 65’ infinity pool, a view to die for, a million dollar outdoor kitchen featuring a pizza oven and six beers on tap. But wait, there’s more. Altogether there were 4 kitchens – Ilan said he’d built it for convenience – a four-story glass elevator, a wine cellar and tasting room, and a custom gym with a marble sauna that had radiant heating and massaging water jets. When I saw it, I cried, and ate a cookie to swallow my feelings. There was an indoor hot tub with a gorgeous blue agate wall, which the wine cellar also had. Josh’s favorite spot was the garage, which had three turntables for cars and one for a motorcycle. He was also impressed with the uplit stairs, and Ilan said, at night, this place is unreal. There was also a $75K smart shower, and a private staircase that went to a rooftop infinity pool. Ilan wanted $55 million, but Josh thought it should be more like $45 million. He knew Ilan had poured his heart and soul into it for five years, but the price still needed to reflect the neighborhood, which had nothing over $38 million. Josh suggested they wait, and test the market first, and get feedback. He thought they should have an event with a soft launch, pricing it at $48 million, and see what people who could afford it would say.
Tracy wanted to use a different approach with the Fuller house, since there were so many like it. Since the area typically attracted young professionals in their 30s, who enjoyed the nightlife, Tracy went to a trivia night to see if she could attract buyers. She hoped a traditional marketing plan, plus her outreach worked. She and team member Erika planned an open house from 11-2 pm, but at noon, no one was there. Eventually, people trickled in – local agents, as well as those from New York and Miami. As well as pointing out the panoramic view that included the Hollywood sign, Tracy said that a 3 bedroom condo, three blocks away, was the same price.
JoshA told his team that the Laurel Way house would get white glove service. Ilan was one of his best friends, and they’d been in business together for a decade. There was no room for error. He wanted to do something that was able to create a buzz without actually listing the property. In his interview, he said when he started in real estate, you listed a property in the paper, and it was still a limited audience. Today, with social media, you could reach 5 million people for free. It’s how he got his buyer for Beverly Ridge (that phenomenal castle from last week). Millennials were the largest group buying now, and were involved with social media – Instagram, Twitter, TikTok. He said he was going to boomerang that sh*t, but a producer said, that’s not how it works.
James and/or David said Tigertail was a burned mess. In his interview, James said a few weeks ago, they didn’t even know what strategy they’d be using, but how were they going to bring a buyer to a burned down structure with a hillside covered in ash. He said, for once, he was bloody speechless. They met with developer Phillip, who said in his ten years in the business, he’d never seen something like this. He literally saw his big investment go up in smoke when he was just about to sell, and might never make his money back. We saw before and after shots, and it was pretty sad. James and/or David asked how long before Phillip could clean it up, haul things out, and make it presentable? and David estimated it to be up to six months. James David said that wasn’t a bad thing, since the stigma would be more in the past. Phillip said he was fighting with the insurance company, and boy, did I understand. We were flooded during Sandy, and first it was like pulling teeth to extract what we’d paid premiums for, just to get some furniture, and then came the fight with the mortgage company who doled it out like methadone. Until they decided I was more of a pain in the ass to them than they wanted to be to me. But I digress. James said, as is, a buyer would try to lowball Phillip, and insurance companies had declared a moratorium. In James’s interview, he said it could take months to process claims. Investment comes with risk, and sometimes you were lucky to come out with your shirt. He thought in six months, it might be viable. He told Phillip, it had to be delivered and packaged correctly. The text told us that Phillip was going to demolish it, and build again with his own plans.
JoshA said he needed to up his game for the Fuller house. He needed a unique way to show a special house, so they were doing a soft launch, inviting tons of influencers. When people saw celebrities partying in a house, they wanted to own it. They partnered with Vital Proteins, which Josh said had an unbelievable social reach. He stuck to his story that a trophy property deserved a trophy price. Ilan was right; the place was absolutely unreal at night. I ate more cookies. There was a DJ and tremendous catered spread, including Vital Proteins juices. Josh gave a personal tour to Camille, a Sports Illustrated cover model, and domestic partner of Rob The Gronk Gronkowski, tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL. Many selfies were taken, and Camille pointed out that, being a model, she knew good lighting when she saw it. They took a photo in the master bath, and damn if she wasn’t right. Josh said he knew they were aggressive with the price, but it would be trending so hard when it hit the market, it would need its own social media account.
Tracy met with agent Tony about the Fuller house. Tony said his client was a powerful executive in the entertainment industry. He offered $3.75 million, and in her interview, Tracy said her client had moved back to Vegas, and she had no other offers. She thought it was priced too high, but Michelle said, anything below $3.8 million would be disappointing. I’m guessing she’d about break even. Tracy countered with $3.9 million, and better contingencies, and they settled at $3.8 million, all cash, 10 day close, and no contingencies. Lesson for this week: This is called an ACR – all contingencies removed. They decided to have a drink on it, and Tracy told Tony that he was buying.
Next time, a house designed by John Barrymore in 1920, complete with opium den, and sketches left behind. I knew someone who lived in a Barrymore house here on the beach, and had sketches. He must have left a trail.
🏀 Enjoy the Ball…
Behind-the-scenes and video performances from the 2020 GH Nurses Ball.
Make the choice to embrace this day. Do not let your TODAY be stolen by the ghost of yesterday or the “To-Do” list of tomorrow! It’s inspiring to see all the wonderfully amazing things that can happen in a day in which you participate. – Steve Maraboli
Our thoughts and actions should express our mind of compassion, even if the other person says and does things that are not easy to accept. We must practice this way until we see clearly that our love is not contingent upon the other person being lovable. – Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnamese Buddhist Monk, Author and Peace Activist (It’s that pesky loving the unlovable thing that trips me up every time.)
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
We do not remember days, we remember moments. The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten. – Cesare Pavese
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
It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting. – Paulo Coelho
You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete. – Buckminster Fuller
We’re all islands shouting lies to each other across seas of misunderstanding. – Rudyard Kipling
History is much more the product of chaos than of conspiracy. – Zbigniew Brzeziński
The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men. – Lyndon B. Johnson
It’s not easy having a good time. Even smiling makes my face ache. – Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), The Rocky Horror Picture Show
📦 Delivered As Promised…
It might be late/early, but I finally got in those million dollar houses. And wept enough tears for an infinity pool watching them. Do something different in the next two days, whether you still call them the weekend or not. Until the next yacht sails, stay safe, stay breathing deep, and stay not pretending your dead.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
😳 Oops. My bad. After the insane week I’ve had, I had a hard time reading my own shorthand yesterday and attributed Nelle and Brook’s final words backward. Sorry about that. I did question myself at the time, and should have known Brook would never back down to Nelle. The correct version is in today’s post. Moving forward…
Lucy welcomes us back, and says, once again, the 2020 General Hospital Nurses Ball telethon, a spectacular event to raise money for frontline workers’ special safety equipment. It’s a great honor to introduce everyone’s favorite nurse at GH, EpiphanyJohnson. Epiphany comes out, and explains that hospitals are a collaboration. They aren’t made up of just doctors and nurses, but orderlies, lab technicians, cleaners and other workers.Together they provide essential services. These are incredibly stressful jobs, and take their toll on service providers and their families. The viewer donations let them know that the community they support, supports them back. Lucy says the telethon is a way to say thank you to all the medical personnel and first responders, who are heroes, along with their families, and who do so much for them. While the viewers are making donations, they’ll be entertained with amazing acts still to come.
In the bathroom, Ava tells Nina, the Cassadine men do have a way of getting under their skin. Nina says, which brings her back to Nikolas. Is he trying to make Ava jealous by making a fuss over Elizabeth? Even if they’re married in name only, flirting, especially with a married woman, is just tacky. Ava says, and also profitable. If Nikolas sleeps with another woman, he’ll break the infidelity clause, and she’ll wind up with 90% of the Cassadine estate. Nikolas can shower tributes on Elizabeth to his heart’s content, and if he woos her into bed, Ava gets the payoff she deserves. Inside one of the stalls, Elizabeth listens.
Carly tells Jax that Josslyn called. He wonders if there’s something wrong, but she says she thinks Josslyn was just checking in. She might be looking for a congratulatory present. Jax asks if Carly knows Josslyn has been angling for a car, and Carly says she does. She’ll let him handle that. Before he leaves, Jax tells Nikolas, the scholarship for the nursing students in Elizabeth’s name was generous, but maybe he should have thought about it a little more. Franco says, Jax has a point. Next time a wave of generosity washes over him, he may want to shower it onto his wife.
Michael explains the Quartermaine relationships to Willow, telling her, Tracy married Luke. Michael thought it was a fraudulent marriage, but he can’t keep track. They definitely turned out to be life partners though. She asks if unconventional marriages are a thing for the Quartermaines, and he says they wouldn’t have it any other way.
Monica sits back down on the couch, and says, still sleeping; disaster averted. Julian comes up behind her, and chloroforms her, knocking her out. Wiley sleeps peacefully with Mr. Hopsicle.
Brook tells Nelle that she can’t wait until Nelle is hauled off in handcuffs in front of everyone there, and all the people viewing at home. Nelle says the police won’t believe Brook; they’ll say she’s harassing Nelle. Brook says, she’ll call Michael, and he can call the police, but Nelle smacks the phone out of Brook’s hand. Brook says, no worries. Mac is there; he can arrest her himself. Brook heads for the door, and Nelle says she’s sorry. She picks up the shears, and asks Brook to pretend that she didn’t see or hear anything. Brook turns around, and stupidly walks back to Nelle, and says she messed with her last Quartermaine. Nelle slashes at Brook, and we see blood on the shears. Why? Why do they always do that? Like Tuco said in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, if you’re going to shoot, shoot; don’t talk.
Michael sees that Brook called, but didn’t leave a message. Willow says maybe Brook wanted to make peace with him, but he say she doesn’t need to. He didn’t like the idea that she sold her shares, but so did other members of his family. At least she didn’t know she sold them to Valentin. She says he’s less worried than Ned seems to be, and he says he hates the idea of Valentin being in charge, and intends to force him out eventually, but in the short term, Valentin is a smart businessman. He doesn’t think ELQ will suffer. Willow says he doesn’t think of it as a betrayal, so maybe he should tell Brook. He tries calling.
Nelle stands over an unconscious Brook, and says she should have been nicer, more sympathetic. Her mistake. Now Nelle’s plan to have Wiley vanish has gone south. She needs to go. Brook lies on the floor in a pool of blood, next to her ringing phone. Nelle slips out.
Monica is knocked out, and Julian says, sorry. He turns off the TV, and his phone dings. He sees a text from Nelle that says, the timetable has been moved up. We need to move now. Is it done? He closes the doors to the living room, and trots up the stairs.
Michael gives Willow a bottle of water, and raises his own, saying, to Wiley, and his amazing new life. He’s safe from Nelle because of her. Willow says, because of us, and Diane. He says, to Wiley and Diane. Carly watches, and smiles. Michael smiles at Willow, and little hearts start to pop out of his eyes.
Lucy asks Amy if she’s found Jordan. Maybe she’s warming up, since she’s the next act. Amy says she couldn’t find Jordan, so she asked Curtis, who said she was called away on a case. Lucy says, no; that doesn’t work. Jordan is the Police Commissioner. She doesn’t have to solve every case. She can delegate to other police people. Lucy can’t delegate an act. Amy says she called the PCPD and the hospital, but no one has seen her. Lucy will have to cut her number. Lucy says it can’t just be her out there; she needs acts. Acts and asking for money. They need alternate activities. It’s like the NFL draft, but she doesn’t have an act to draft. Amy tells Lucy not to panic; she can panic later. She asks if Lucy wants to shut the Ball down, and Lucy asks if Amy is losing her mind. She tells Amy to find Epiphany and Deanna, and warm up. She’ll stall. She’ll do a tap dance. She doesn’t know how to tap dance. She hates tap dancing. She’ll just stall.
Anna tells Valentin that his song was beautiful, and he says, at least someone appreciates it. She says false modesty doesn’t look good on him. It was wonderful, and he knows it, as was his pledge. He asks if she’s going to chastise him for burnishing his public image. She says, isn’t he? and he says, that’s part of it. He hears congratulations are in order. She must be thrilled for Peter and Maxie. Being a parent changes everything. It makes you better. It did with him and Charlotte, and her and Robin. Maybe it will with Peter. She says, of course (🍷) it will. He hopes so, and says, some mistakes are impossible to fix.
Nina tells Ava, Franco is her friend. She hopes Ava isn’t playing with his marriage. Ava says she’s doing no such thing. She’s heard rumors that under that angelic façade, Elizabeth is chronically unfaithful. If she chooses to break her vows to her husband, Franco should know the truth. Nina sees one flaw in Ava’s big plan. The way she and Nikolas were looking at each other, either she’s getting good at pretending to love him, or something changed in the last few days. Ava says Nina is projecting her issues with Valentin onto her. They leave, and Elizabeth comes out.
Michael tells Willow, they’re supposed to take a tally, and give Lucy the paperwork. What if after that, they sneak out? She says, abandon their post? He says they’ve done more than enough. They can go home, and check on Wiley. She says he’s making her an offer she can’t refuse. She glances at Sonny, and says, did she really just say that? They leave to finish up.
Lucy says hello to all their gorgeous, generous, amazing donors. They’re doing a great job, and she hopes they realize how important it is to the frontline workers who help them every day. When they work together, they do something more than raising money. They’re building a community, and showing the medical personnel and first responders that they support them. Any amount is great. Keep pitching in, and they’ll keep entertaining. They’re in for a special treat.
Nelle dashes through the corridors in the MetroCourt, and around runs outside. Julian sends a text that says, it’s done.
As Monica sleeps, Julian comes downstairs with Wiley, and leaves with him.
Michael and Willow arrive home, and Michael says, sorry the evening crashed and burned. She says, it didn’t. She had a good time. He says, until Chase and Sasha. She says, they were fantastic (I guess we don’t get to see that), and he says, someday it won’t hurt so much. Until then, they can make some popcorn, and watch the funniest movie ever made. She says he doesn’t have to cheer her up, and he says he’s cheering himself up. They sit on the stairs.
Sonny says, Michael and Willow aren’t coming back? and Carly says, they probably went to check on Wiley; they’re such good parents. Sonny says he’s glad it wasn’t her idea; Chase and Sasha pretending to be involved so Michael and Willow would get married. Face it. It’s exactly the kind of plan that’s up her alley. She says, back in the day, 100%. She’d be seeing all of their hearts breaking and feel guilty. Instead, she’s grateful Michael and Willow got custody of Wiley, and Wiley got the best stepmother on the planet. Sonny says he knows there’s too much going on, and Carly asks if he wants to check in with Turning Woods, but he says, no. They’ll call if there’s any change. The best thing he can do for his dad is to stay and support the people who have given him such amazing care.
Olivia tells Ned, she’s trying to call Brook, but there’s no answer. He says, his problem daughter? No surprise. He tells Olivia to save the lecture for now, but she says she’s just expressing her opinion. He says, on this topic, they’re one and the same, and she says he’s scaring the hell of her. She’s heard stories about his grandfather, and his intentions were good, but his methods were toxic. She says this with love, but he’s turning more into Edward every day. He says, that’s not true, and she says, prove it. Find his daughter, and talk to her.
We see Brook lying on the floor, unconscious.
Ned asks if Dustin and Lulu have seen Brook, but Dusting says, not for a while. She might be warming up. They’ll go check. Ned thanks them.
Robert asks Olivia if she’s got a minute, and she asks if he’s okay. He says he has good news. The commissioner at the Bureau said he can get her in to see Dante. Olivia gets super excited, and asks, when? Where is he? Robert says, he’s at a facility in Geneva. No civilians are allowed, so he’ll go with her. The supervisor is waiting for his boss to return, and there’s a narrow window. They have to hurry. He’d like to leave now if they could. She throws her arms around him, and thanks him. Ned watches.
Willow says, popcorn and the funniest movie ever? and Michael says, if only to cheer him up. Feel free not be cheered, since it’s only about him. He asks what she’d like to see, and she asks him, promise not to laugh, but he says, that’s the point. She says it’s a kid movie, with silly humor, and he tells her, cue it up, and he’ll check on Wiley. They go into the living room, and see Monica asleep. Michael tries to wake her, but she stays out.
Julian waits at the pier, and says, sorry, Wiley; you deserve better than this. Unfortunately, your crazy birth mother has other plans. Why is he going along with it? He’s the world’s biggest coward. He should have told Sonny that he knew all along, but Sonny can kill someone. He’s run out of options. He flashes back to telling Ava, go ahead. Tell him what an idiot he is for getting mixed up with Nelle. Ava asks what on earth was he thinking, and why hasn’t he killed her yet? He says he wouldn’t be there if she didn’t have him over a barrel. Ava says if he thinks Nelle will release him when it’s over, he’s a damn fool. On the pier, Julian says, maybe not.
Lulu says, if she’s not backstage, Brook probably bailed, but Dustin says, she might have stage fright, but she wouldn’t run away. They go into the makeshift dressing room, and see Brook on the floor. Dustin runs to check her pulse, and Lulu says, oh my God. Dustin tells her, call 911, and tells Brook to wake up.
Lucy tells the viewers that the Nurses Ball is still so passionately committed to HIV and AIDS. Sonny and Nikolas’s generous donations will be going to those charities. She wants to introduce a woman committed to both causes, and welcomes Anna. Anna thanks the viewers for their donations. She’s been answering the phones, and got to speak to some of them; they’ve been lovely. She’s grateful for their generosity. The Nurses Ball has a special place in her heart, and not just because she received a lovely marriage proposal on this very stage a year ago from Dr. Hamilton Finn (I always forget he has a first name). She says, it’s special because so many lives have been touched by HIV and AIDS. She’s the mother of an HIV survivor. She was diagnosed at a time when the prognosis wasn’t as optimistic; a time when prejudice and fear were more rampant. Her daughter Robin, and countless others, are alive today because of medical research. Perhaps that’s why Robin became a doctor herself. This leads her to tell them how important the telethon is. She served as Police Commissioner, and saw how closely first responders and medical staff work together. Their work is vitally important. The police, doctors, the ambulance crew, the hospital cleaners; no one does their job alone. They need each other, and we desperately need them. So give what you can. Any donation, whatever size. I have a friend who was diagnosed with HIV many years ago, like Robin, and he’s doing fine today.
Elizabeth tells Franco, Nikolas isn’t the problem, Ava is. She’s playing emotional chess with Nikolas, and they’re the pawns.
Robert tells Olivia he has to go back inside. Anna is going to have a fit because he wasn’t there during her speech. Olivia says, tell her the truth. He found a way for her to see her son; Anna will understand. He says he’ll be waiting, and she says she doesn’t know how to thank him. He leaves, and Ned comes out. He says, amazing. They have a fight and she runs to Robert because he says the right things. Olivia says it has nothing to do with their marriage. Robert found a way for her to see Dante. Ned says, that’s great news, and Olivia says, he’s at a facility in Geneva. Robert knows the guy in charge. Ned says he’ll change his schedule, and they’ll go, but Olivia says Robert has to sneak her in as it is. Only one person can go. Ned says, okay, and Lulu comes running in. She says, Brook has been attacked.
Michael begs Monica to please wake up. Monica opens her eyes, and asks if everything is all right. He says she scared him half to death. Is she okay? She says she must have dozed off, and Michael says she was sleeping pretty heavily. Where’s Wiley? She says she doesn’t remember. The phone rang, and she’d left it in the foyer. She came back in, and heard Wiley. Michael asks if Wiley was downstairs or did she hear him on the monitor? Willow says she’ll check the nursery.
Nelle goes to meet Julian, and asks where Wiley is. He says Wiley is safe in his car, and she asks if he’s saying he’s giving her a set of wheels. That’s totally nice, but unnecessary. Just put Wiley in her car, and they can get going.
Elizabeth tells Franco, Ava is encouraging Nikolas to cheat, so she can get the Cassadine fortune. Franco says she has it backward. Nikolas is the one who’s playing them.
Lucy thanks everyone, saying the Nurses Ball was a resounding success; just amazing. She’d like to thank the volunteers who jumped in at the last minute, and gave generously of their time, and the amazing performers backstage who pitched in and made this happen. She thanks her rack of gowns on stage with her, and goes behind the rack, coming out in a volunteer T-shirt and jeans. She says the most deserving of all is their amazing audience. It’s her great pleasure to introduce the intrepid nurses of GH. Epiphany, Amy, Deanna, and an unidentified flying nurse sing. I’ve had zero luck with finding the titles of songs I don’t recognize, but if I can find a list, I’ll post them. They sing in front of a grid with candles everywhere on it, and I think, that’s impressive for something done on the fly.
Backstage, Lucy smiles at her success.
Brook is taken out on a stretcher, while Mac gathers evidence. He asks if Dustin and Lulu saw anybody. Did anyone look like they were fleeing the scene? Lulu says, they didn’t see anyone. Ned tells Brook to hang in there. He won’t leave her side. He’ll be right there. They leave, and Finn goes with them. Mac tells Lulu and Dustin, if they remember any detail, no matter how small, call him.
Michael asks what Monica was doing before she fell sleep. Was Wiley downstairs, or in the nursery? She says she doesn’t remember, and Willow runs down the stairs. She tells them, Wiley’s not in his room, and Monica says, what?
Nelle says, all right, hubby; it’s been fun, but it’s time go. Julian says, sorry, but she’s not going anywhere. She asks what he’s talking about, and he says she pushed him too far. Now he’s pushing back. He takes out a gun.
To be continued…
On Monday, Portia has an update on Brook, Nina tells Jax not to hate her for what she’s going to say, Julian tells Nelle that someone has to stop her, and Sonny says someone is going to tell him right now.
Sunday August 30th, starting at 6 pm, AMC will also be showing the first episode of each season of The Walking Dead. I still think the very first episode was the best one. Rick’s WTF? face can’t be topped.
I didn’t know you could scream that loud after smoking cigarettes. – Cynthia Decker, Pillow Talk: 90 Day Fiancé, referring to Angela screaming at Michael
Tough times never last. Tough people do. – Robert Schuller
Remember to be gentle with yourself and others. We are all children of chance and none can say why some fields will blossom while others lay brown beneath the August sun. – Kent Nerburn
How to sell books in 2020: Put them near the toilet paper. – NY Times
An invisible thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break. May you be open to each thread that comes into your life – the golden ones and the coarse ones – and may you weave them into a brilliant and beautiful life. – Unknown
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
Do one thing every day that scares you. – Eleanor Roosevelt
The noisiest thing in the world is someone trying to be quiet. – me
People tend to be generous when sharing their nonsense, fear, and ignorance. And while they seem quite eager to feed you their negativity, please remember that sometimes the diet we need to be on is a spiritual and emotional one. Be cautious with what you feed your mind and soul. Fuel yourself with positivity and let that fuel propel you into positive action. – Steve Maraboli
Luckily for me, I have all my best ideas drunk. – Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Birds of Prey
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. – Confucius
Immature love says: ‘I love you because I need you.’ Mature love says ‘I need you because I love you.’ – Erich Fromm
Do not fear failure but rather fear not trying. – Roy T. Bennett
🏍 Moving Forward…
Next week has to be better, right? Right? Enjoy your weekend, or pretend it’s the weekend, depending. Until Monday, stay safe, stay supportive of the front line, and stay away from psychopaths with fabric shears.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Ava calls to Nikolas, telling him, the guests are starting to arrive. She’s wearing a black sequined number and he says, quite the outfit. He’s only wearing a towel, and she says, him too, trying not to look. She tells him, you should probably get chest… dressed. He says, don’t worry, and she says they need to sizzle tonight. If he ruins the night for her, he’ll regret it for a looooong time.
Franco thinks about Elizabeth saying he’s about money like everyone else. He took Ava’s commission for it, and he’s playing into her hands. Scotty comes in and says, the man of the hour, and Franco thanks him for coming. Scotty says he wouldn’t take the ferry if not for Franco. He’s sure Franco would like to see some nice friendly faces for his big comeback. Franco says, Ava calls it a revival, and Scotty says, a lucrative reboot. Franco’s got to get work, make money, and pay the bills. Where’s his wife?
At the hospital, Terry sees Elizabeth, and says, just the person she needs. Enlighten her; rumors are flying. Elizabeth says, the rumors are true. Unfortunately, Cyrus is on the board. Terry asks why it’s unfortunate. Now they have enough money to run the hospital. Elizabeth says, money is all they care about. Cyrus is involved in the drug trade, and now he’s right in the heart of the hospital.
Lucy walks up to the door at Windymere with Maxie and Peter, but says she’s afraid she’s not up for a party. The Nurses Ball is tomorrow, and she has a million things to do. Maxie says she thought Lucy would want to be there for Deception. They need to see and be seen, and talk up the company. Lucy says Maxie is more than capable of doing that by herself. Go schmooze. She’ll see Maxie later. Ta-ta! Maxie grabs her arm, and says she’s staying. They go inside, and Lucy says she’ll be right there, and pretends to look at the artwork in another room. Maxie tells Peter that she thinks Lucy is hiding something, and Peter thinks she’s right. Maxie hopes it’s not too terrible.
Lulu thanks Dustin for letting her drag him there, and he tells her to stop acting like he’s doing her a favor. Talent is talent, despite the subject matter.
Franco tells Scotty that Elizabeth isn’t coming. She’s upset that Ava is dredging up his past. It’s the ten year anniversary of Francophenia. Scotty says he can see why she’d be upset, but there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Franco says he tried to explain that, and Scotty says, but she’s not buying it? Franco says, not at all. Even worse, he thinks Elizabeth would prefer to pretend his past never happened at all.
Anna and Finn go over their wedding list at The Floating Rib. Anna says, Chase and Sasha? but Finn isn’t sure of their status. Anna says, just Chase then. He suggests she add Robin and Patrick, but she says they’re not finished with his family yet. He says, Violet? and she asks if he isn’t going to invite his father.
Peter goes to get drinks, and Lulu says, Maxie didn’t tell him she was pregnant? Maxie says, shhh. Nina comes in with Jax, and he says, it can’t be easy, being back. She says this big, drafty house is part of the gloomy past that she’s glad to forget. She’d rather focus on her bright, handsome future.
Ava says, shall we, darling? And tells Nikolas to smile. It’s going to be a night to remember. I think, so was the sinking of the Titanic.
Lucy tells Ava, some people would think it was tasteless to have a private function just before the biggest, brightest charity event of the year. Ava says, you’d think Lucy would be at home before the one night of the year when she’s actually socially relevant.
Nina tells Franco that she’s glad he’s painting again. She’ll make sure he and Ava are in their Out and About page. He thanks her for her support. Lulu tells Maxie, she hates to point out the obvious, but Peter is the dad, and the longer she keeps the secret, the worse it will be. Maxie says, it’s not a secret. She just hasn’t found the time to tell him. Lulu says, really? and Maxie amends that to, the right time. Lulu asks what time will be right, but Maxie says she doesn’t know. Like she said, she and Peter have never even discussed having a child; not once. She’s not sure how Peter feels about it. Lulu says she knows how to find out, and Maxie says, how? Lulu says, by telling him.
Terry tells Elizabeth that Lucy almost single-handedly organizes the Nurses Ball. You’d think she’d vote with the Quartermaines. Elizabeth says, apparently Valentin backed the relaunch of Deception, and Lucy couldn’t jeopardize it. Terry asks if there was no one except the Quartermaines who could help, and Elizabeth tells her, Nikolas stepped up, but it was too late. At least he was willing to do it. It’s too bad he won’t get rid of Ava. He’s going to be at her side when her portrait is unveiled. Ava made tonight about resurrecting the old Franco, who couldn’t tell the difference between good and evil, because he had a brain tumor. He became famous for the wrong reasons, and that’s not her husband. She’s not supporting or celebrating him.
Ava tells Franco, sorry. He deserves better, especially from his wife. Nikolas says Ava is all about being a supportive spouse, and she tells him, not now. Nikolas says, sorry. He’s out of sorts since Spencer said he wants nothing to do with him unless he has the Cassadine money. Franco says, it’s got to be rough, being rejected by a kid he lied to for three years. Ava says she’s sorry Spencer took a hard line with Nikolas, and Nikolas says, they both lost a child. As much as they’d love to be celebrating with Kiki and Spencer, it’s not meant to be. Ava says they’ve all made their choices, haven’t they? She says she needs some air, and leaves. Franco says, what the hell? Spencer thinks Nikolas is an ass, but Kiki is dead. There’s no comparison. Nikolas says, Ava barely bated an eyelash, but Franco says, she finds any mention of Kiki devastating. Anyone who cares about her knows that.
Lulu and Maxie go outside, and Lulu asks if that’s the only reason Maxie hasn’t told Peter. Or is she on the fence about having a baby? Maxie says, the timing is all wrong. She thinks about how incredible it would be, having a child with Peter, but she’s not sure Peter feels the same way. Lulu asks if they don’t get along, and Maxie says, growing up with Faison caused Peter to doubt himself. What if he’s made the choice not to be a father? Well, I’m guessing Peter knows how babies are made, so wouldn’t he have thought about that before?
Finn says he hasn’t seen his father since he diagnosed him with Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome, and Anna asks if Finn isn’t happy about that. He says, he is, but they mostly communicate through Chase. She says, what about Violet? Doesn’t she deserve to have a relationship with her grandfather?
Nina asks how well Jax knows Lucy, and he says, not that well, but he’s known her forever. She asks if he has any idea why she voted for Valentin to be in charge of ELQ. He says, of course (🍷) he does, and so does she. He bought into Lucy’s company to have leverage. He has no respect for Valentin, but admits it was a good business move. Elizabeth shows up, and Nikolas says he thought she wasn’t coming. She says she changed her mind, and needs to find Franco. He thinks Franco is out on the parapet, and says he’ll take her.
Franco finds Ava in the stables, and tells her that Nikolas is out of line, but she says he can’t get to her. He asks what she’s doing out there then, and she tells him, like she said, she just needed some air. Franco says, if she was looking for fresh air, it’s probably better in the stables, and she laughs. She sits, and wonders if she’ll ever be able to hear Kiki’s name without it breaking her heart. Franco says Nikolas was deliberately trying to wound her, and she says, maybe with cause. She thinks she’s gone too far.
Lulu says Maxie has to figure out what to do. Peter is a father, and needs to know. Nikolas and Elizabeth come out, looking for Franco, and Maxie grabs Lulu, saying they’re going to start their own search party. Nikolas tells Elizabeth, sorry. He thought Franco was there, but since they are, they might as well enjoy the view. He can have a nice moment where he can pretend his life is fantastic. She says, Spencer will come around, and he says he hopes so. He tells him that he did the right thing, offering to help the hospital financially. He says, if only Cyrus hadn’t gotten there first. He can’t believe the hospital is taking money from him. She says, it gets better. Cyrus is the new chairman.
Dustin shows Peter a little toy car that Rocco gave him as a present. He wanted to come, but Dustin asked if he really wanted to listen to grown-up conversation while looking at a painting, and Rocco decided video games and pizza were better. Peter says, kids never stop surprising you. James and Georgie keep him on his toes. Dustin asks if Peter didn’t ever want kids, and Peter says he’d never thought about it until Maxie came into his life. Maxie and Lulu come out, and he says, there she is; the love of his life.
Scotty tells Lucy, with all the problems Monica has caused, maybe the family can finally earn some money now. Lucy says, the most important thing is that GH was saved, no matter where the money came from. He says, that’s crazy talk. They don’t want a new benefactor coming in, and changing the policies and the staff. They could change what makes the hospital special. Lucy says, no more hospital talk, and suggests they focus on Deception. It was no walk in the park, reviving a company from the 90s, but she did it. She had help, but it was her vision and inspiration that made it happen. Finances don’t fall from the sky. Entrepreneurs make compromises sometimes. He says, Lucy… What have you done?
Nikolas tells Elizabeth, sorry he was too late, but she says, at least he was willing to provide the funding. That’s the Nikolas she remembers. He says he’s trying to get back to who he was. She tells him, hurry up; she misses him. He says he misses her too. He hates the distance between them. She says she needs to find Franco. There are some things between them she needs to clear up.
Lucy tells Scotty, Valentin was adamant about ELQ not bailing out the hospital, and she voted with him. Scotty says, what? She repeats that she voted with Valentin. She knew there was someone else who was going to help. He says, that Cyrus guy. He’s a threat to the community. Lucy tells him, the Commissioner said he’d been framed, wrongly jailed, and was focused on doing good for the community. So she voted with Valentin. Scotty says, she owed him, and knew the day would come when he’d need her tie-breaking vote. She says, it’s not her fault he got controlling interest. It’s on the shoulders of the family members who sold him their shares. The hospital will be fine. ELQ couldn’t do it, so Cyrus did. He says, you can’t trust him; especially since he’s a guy with a ponytail, for cryin’ out loud. She says she doesn’t know anything about that, and Maxie asks for a word with her. Scotty leaves, and Lucy says she knew this would happen, and one day she’d be the town pariah again. Maxie asks if that’s why she didn’t want to come, and Lucy wonders why no one can understand why she did it. She had no choice. She knew if she didn’t, Valentin would pull his money out. There would be no Deception, no launch; they’d have nothing. Jax asks if Lucy minds if he talks to her for a second. She says, that depends. Is he going to harp on her betraying the Quartermaines too?
Anna says she knows for a fact Chase told Finn’s father about Violet. He asks if his father has made any effort to get to know Violet, and Anna says he’s respecting Finn’s boundaries, and waiting for an invitation. Finn says he’s uncomfortable with his father and his father’s wife, and thinks Violet will pick up on it. Say he does let his father in, they don’t get past it, and it gets more uncomfortable. It’s the last thing Violet needs; someone being there, and suddenly gone. Anna thinks there’s another obstacle, and it’s not just because his father remarried.
Ava tells Franco that she’s ashamed to admit it, but she turned Spencer against his father. He says, if there’s anyone to blame, it’s Nikolas, but she says Spencer sees her as a traitor, and gave Nikolas an ultimatum. He’ll be in Nikolas’s life if she’s out. He says, then why not walk away? and she says, money. According to their post-nup, if Nikolas divorces her, she gets 90% of everything. Franco asks if she’s serious, and she says, the remaining 10% would be put in a trust for Spencer, but the kid wants to inherit the entire estate. So if she stays married to Nikolas, Spencer stays on the other side of the world. Franco says, it’s not her responsibility. The person to blame is Nikolas. Ava says she contributed to the problem and can solve it. If she ends the marriage, and doesn’t take the money, Spencer will take his father back. He asks if she can do it, and she says, just imagine if Kiki was still out there. If there was a possibility of Ava seeing her face again, it would be worth anything. What if she could do that? Give Spencer and Nikolas the healing and closure she and Kiki never had. Elizabeth listens in.
Elizabeth says hi to Ava, who says they weren’t expecting her. Elizabeth says, surprise, surprise, and Ava says, it’s good to see her. She has to get back to her guests, but she’s glad Elizabeth made it. She goes inside, and Franco thanks Elizabeth for changing her mind. She says she came to stand by her man and see his masterpiece unveiled. He says she’s made him happy. She’s made his whole night.
Anna says Finn’s father has been married for a decade. She understands, but thinks Finn’s estrangement from his father is going to affect Violet. Finn disagrees. He thinks Violet should know her grandfather, but he lives in California. It’s not like he has a presence in her life. Anna says she lives the same distance from Robin, but they stay in touch. Kids live half their lives on a screen, and it’s made long distance relationships easier. Although she does wish she lived closer. There’s nothing she loves more than giving her grandchildren a hug.
Maxie stumbles, and Peter asks if she’s okay. She says she just slipped on her heel.
Lucy thanks Jax for being a gentleman, and not berating her. He says he’s a businessman, and understands the deal she made, but Cyrus is another story. She says, that’s not her fault, and he says, that may be true, but she defended him earlier. She needs to understand, Jax’s daughter was almost caught in the crossfire when Cyrus went after Sonny’s family. She could have been killed; Laura too. She says, that was Cyrus? and he says, there’s no official proof, but Sonny is convinced, and on this subject, he trusts Sonny. Lucy tells him, butJordan said… and he says he doesn’t pretend to understand why Jordan did that, but technically, it’s true. Cyrus was wrongfully imprisoned, but he’s still a dangerous criminal. If he were her, he’d be careful.
Ava sees Nina on the parapet, and asks if Nina was looking for her. Nina says she wondered where Ava disappeared to, but came out for a breath of fresh air. She loved coming out there when she lived at Windymere. Ava asks if she misses it, and Nina says, parts of it. She misses family time with Charlotte, but she’s accepted the fact that a relationship based on lies and secrets can’t last. Ava says she’s starting to think a relationship based on extortion can’t last. They laugh, and Ava says, trapping Nikolas into a loveless marriage seemed like a good idea at the time, but now she sees it’s not only hurting Nikolas, but Spencer too.
Lulu tells Nikolas, she wanted to check in with him about Spencer. Nikolas hopes their relationship is improving, and Lulu asks, how? He says Spencer told him that he wanted to be his son again if he divorced Ava. She says, clearly, that’s not happening, and he says he’d rather not go into detail. She asks, why? He’s her brother, and she knows he loves his son. It makes zero sense, accepting what’s going on. He says he’s not accepting it, and she asks if keeping one secret is more important than their relationship. Is it more important than regaining her trust? He says, no; it isn’t.
Maxie says she takes full responsibility for dragging Lucy there, but she neglected to inform Maxie that she totally sold out the Quartermaines. Lucy says she did it to save Deception, their bread and butter. Maxie says, no judgement, but Lucy needs to leave. She’s not the best brand ambassador right now. Lucy says, sorry, and Maxie says, this too shall pass. Go rest, so she can be her dazzling self at the Nurses Ball. Lucy suggests Maxie also call it an early night; she’s looking peaked. They need to knock them dead, and be on point tomorrow. Scotty says he got a new convertible; let’s go. Lucy leaves with Scotty, and Peter says, Lucy is right. Maxie looks pale. Is she sure she’s okay? Maxie says she just wants to schmooze the artist, and get it over with. She asks Franco, how long until the great unveiling? How much did Ava pay him to glorify her, and make himself relevant again? Franco says, hostile, and she says she remembers him, but he proved he’s a changed man. He convinced a judge he was a changed man, and now he’s free to be living his best life. Instead, he’s reliving his bad boy genius. The whole thing makes her nauseous. Elizabeth says Maxie has a point. He says the only important thing is, he’s the guy who gets to be married to her, but she wonders where that guy is. The only important things seem to be about everything except the man she loves.
Lulu says Nikolas recruited Spencer to be involved in his power struggle with Ava, but Nikolas says, Spencer jumped at the chance. She says he’s not understanding. He needs to have faith in Spencer that he’ll choose his father over money, not recruit him to be his accomplice. Nikolas says, Spencer is fighting for his inheritance, but Lulu says he’s bonding with Spencer by making his son his partner in crime.
Ava tells Nina, she never had the opportunity to see Spencer and Nikolas together, but she did see how Spencer mourned his father. They had a special bond, and seeing how upset Spencer was when he found out Nikolas was alive spoke volumes. She sees how Nikolas is taking their estrangement. Nina says, it’s one thing to help them reconcile, but the question is, can Ava give up her revenge? Ava doesn’t know. Nikolas made her think she was crazy, and that she saw his ghost. He used Kiki against her, and said they were in hell together. Although she wasn’t much better. The only thing stopping a reconciliation is the stupid post-nup she forced Nikolas to sign. Nina says, revenge is not all it’s cracked up to be. At least for her it wasn’t. Even if you hurt the person, it just ties you more closely to them. She exposed Valentin’s lies at the altar, and got zero satisfaction. It was only when she turned away from the bitterness and ugliness that she found peace. Ava knows what she has to do.
Franco says he thought Elizabeth was there to support him. She says she was, but she’s not comfortable with any of it. She can’t stay. He says he’ll try not to be late, then wonders if she wants him to come with her.
Maxie tells Peter, Franco and Ava are in there all smug and satisfied. She couldn’t help herself. Franco was dishonest. Elizabeth married him and brought him in as a stepfather, but he’s loving his first chance in the spotlight. Franco isn’t like Peter. Peter put in hard work to turn his life around. He says he hopes he never disappoints her, and she says he won’t, as long as he’s honest. She thinks her water smells weird, and he asks, what’s going on with her? She says this is working her last nerve, and he says she’s been dizzy and lightheaded recently. He’s seen her navigate a playground in stilettos. Is she okay?
Jax asks if Nina found Ava. She says she did, and dared to give Ava advice. He says, giving advice can be tricky, but she says she was willing to risk it. It was because of him. He’s proof she can make smart life decisions. Ava comes out wondering where her husband disappeared to.
Lulu says, so Nikolas and Spencer are working together, and he says he has his son back. She asks if she should be happy about him dragging Spencer into the game he’s playing with Ava. He asks, what’s the alternative? Let Ava walk away with 90%? It’s unacceptable to Spencer and him. She asks if it ever occurred to him that Spencer just wants to please him. Spencer isn’t going along for the money, but for his father. Nikolas is missing his moment to turn this around, and stop manipulating. Choose his son, and let Ava decide if she’s going to keep the money. He says he can’t take that risk. Ava has to give up before the marriage ends. She says, he’s pulling Spencer into a lie, and he says, Ava forced his hand. He has to get back out by manipulating the situation. Lulu says, wow. He’s as set on revenge as much as he was when he first came back, and refuses to see what it’s costing.
Anna says she and Finn have been telling Violet that the wedding is about family. Having his father there will show her that he’s part of the family. Finn says maybe he would like them to get to know each other, but that’s not the only problem. He’ll leave it at that. She says, she’s not leaving it at that; it’s about his stepmother. He says he can’t imagine her at their wedding. It will take away from the day – for him anyway. If he invites his father, he can’t exclude her. It’s too complicated. She says she hates to break it to him, but families are complicated. His father is still family, so can’t he put their differences aside for one day? For Violet’s sake?
Dustin says Lulu looks pissed, and she says, once again, her brother has gone below her worst expectations. Ava tells Nikolas, it’s showtime. Franco tells Elizabeth that Ava can take over after the unveiling, but she says she has to leave. Is he coming or not?
Ava tells her guests, on behalf of herself and Nikolas, she thanks them for coming to this celebration of revival and redemption. She teased the return of a talented artist for some time, and would like him to come join her next to her portrait. Franco looks at Elizabeth, but she doesn’t look at him. He goes up front, and Ava says she was going to make a speech, but she realized what she had planned doesn’t seem important anymore. So she’s just going to say she was so happy when Franco agreed to paint her portrait. She’s proud to share it with them tonight. So without further ado… Franco unveils the portrait, and everyone looks shocked. Elizabeth shakes her head, and Franco and Ava look at each other.
Is she naked maybe?
On Monday, Maxie says she has something to tell Peter, Elizabeth tells Nikolas that Ava will destroy what good is left in him if he’s not careful, and Ava says she plans to remedy the situation perfectly.
Every time I hear Clare Crawley, I think they’re talking about Downton Abbey. I’m not a huge fan of The Bachelor franchise, only because I can smell the desperation, and become embarrassed for the contestants, but no judgement.
MEN: Can she steal you for a sec? According to Glamour, Bachelorette Clare Crawley “will have extra men on hand, just in case” anyone gets coronavirus during taping. Meanwhile, we will have extra men on hand, just in case we can’t reach the Tate’s cookies we forgot were on the top shelf of the pantry… – Newsette
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. – Oscar Wilde
It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then. – Lewis Carroll
What you’re thinking is what you’re becoming. – Muhammad Ali
Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. – Dennis P. Kimbro
A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes. – Mark Twain
If you can’t laugh at yourself, at least let me do it. – Charlie (Charlie Sheen), Two and a Half Men
People will always have opinions about your decision because they’re not courageous enough to take action on their opinion. – Steve Maraboli
Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction. – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
I’d rather regret the things I’ve done than regret the things I haven’t done. – Lucille Ball
🌃 Hey, It’s Still Dark Out…
Long story short, the new site editor causes difficulty for some links. So until I have a minute to figure out a way around it, I switched back to the classic version, an upscale word for the way it was done before. Thank God it’s Friday. We still call it that, right? Keep that weekend sacred, and change your environment for a moment. But while you’re doing that, stay safe, stay authentic, and stay like Bill Murray in Meatballs, telling yourself, it just doesn’t matter.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Maxie waits in an exam room. The nurse says the doctor will be a while, and Maxie says maybe she doesn’t need one. She needs a time machine, or a boyfriend who shoots blanks.
Peter meets Anna at the MetroCourt. He says he has a big favor to ask. She tells him not to worry; Finn isn’t a bachelor party type of guy, but Peter says, it’s the seating chart. Please tell him that he’s not sitting next to Robert.
At the hospital Finn shows Portia something he got from Violet on his phone, and says, kids are funny. She tells him, cherish the time. Kids fall out of love with their parents in the preteen years. Trina seems to be the exception.
Chase asks if Curtis found Jordan, but he says he asked her assistant, and she has no scheduled appointments. Is Chase sure she didn’t say anything else? Chase says Jordan wanted to talk to Jason, and sent him on his way.
Jordan asks Cyrus why she’s there, and he says to show he can count on her, for everyone’s sake. She says she arranged for his release, and he’s walking free. He says she got the job done, but needs to step up her performance and dazzle him. She says she has to be careful; there’s only so much she can do. He suggests she take the initiative, and show him how far she’s willing to go. He doesn’t lack problems, so pick one and solve it. Ha-ha! That sounds like me talking to my husband.
Sonny goes to the garage, and asks if Brando is working late. Brando says he’s just finishing up, and Sonny asks if business is good. Brando flashes back to Cyrus saying his car is fine; he’s there to discuss another matter. He tells Sonny that he just missed Jason.
Sam sees Peter and Anna, and asks Carly how Peter gets a free pass. He’s the guy who kept Drew and Jason prisoner for five years. Carly gathers he’s not Sam’s favorite guy.
Jason lies unconscious on the road, his motorcycle laying next to him.
Carly tells Sam, there are two reasons Peter gets a free pass – his mother and his girlfriend. Anna and Maxie believe in him, and nothing or no one is going to change their minds. Sam says Carly realizes Peter was exonerated, right? He’s responsible for Drew’s death, and it doesn’t make sense. He framed her when he broke Shiloh out of prison, and there he sits, basking in Anna’s appreciation. Carly agrees the hypocrisy is staggering. Robert approaches Anna and Peter’s table, and Anna wonders why he’s there. He says, it’s a work day, but she says she doesn’t think people would mind if he took time off. He supposes she’s referring to Holly. It would be nice if his closest friends would tell him what actually happened to her. Peter wants to leave them to their conversation, but Robert says, sit. He has questions, and he’ll start with this one. He shows Peter a tablet with an article on Holly; Holly Sutton: Death is Her Last Great Adventure. He asks why Peter is exploiting Holly’s death in this rag of his.
Maxie tells the nurse that she needs a pregnancy test. The nurse asks how late she is, and Maxie says, late. Speaking of late, she has a meeting she needs to get to for Deception. She says the nurse may have heard of it. It was huge in the 90s, and now it’s back. She should try their new moisturizer. It’s going to be a major seller once she locks down the distributor, which is what she should do now. She can do this later. She starts to leave, and says she knows it goes without saying, but the nurse isn’t going to talk to anyone about it, right? She can’t have this getting around. She runs into Lulu, who says, she can’t have what going around?
Sonny says, Jason is a customer? and Brando says Jason needed a stabilizer for his bike. Sonny says, Jason is family. Speaking of family, he’s there about a family matter. Brando asks if it’s Mike, and Sonny says he wanted Brando to know they’re getting close to the end.
Curtis asks Chase to run through what happened again. Chase says he stopped by the courthouse, and saw Jason, who said he was there to get permits. They suspect Jason was involved with a warehouse explosion on February 19th, but have zero evidence. He wanted to talk to Jason, but Jordan saw them, and said Jason could sue them for harassment, and sent him back to the station, while she stayed to chat with Jason. Curtis asks if he has any idea what they were talking about, and Chase says, maybe Cyrus. They have reason to believe Cyrus was behind the attacks on Sonny’s family, and Jason blew up the warehouse in retaliation. Maybe she was trying to Jason to finger Cyrus. Curtis thanks Chase for the information.
Jordan says she doesn’t want to climb the ranks of Cyrus’s rancid organization, and he says, like she once did? He tells her that she hates admitting it, but she enjoyed the power, prestige, and influence. She still does. That’s why she’s Commissioner. Jordan says she’s going along with him to keep people safe, but he says she’s not going along; she’s taking orders. She says she’ll do what she must, but she’s not part of his organization, and never has been. He appreciates her candor and says maybe she’ll appreciate some in return. The safety of those close to her is in direct proportion to him, and grows with each success. She says just tell what he needs now, and he says his philanthropic endeavors are being blocked; he needs a clear path. She says blocked by who, and he says their esteemed mayor. Take care of her.
Finn asks Portia if her daughter is a mommy’s girl, but Portia says, no; she’s a daddy’s girl through and through.Her father could do no wrong. She’s sure Violet will be the same way, and idolize her dad. Trina had difficulty with the revelation that Taggert framed Cyrus. She wishes she could do more to help, but Trina is shutting her out. Finn says, it’s tough, and she says she doesn’t mean to scare him. She doesn’t think he’ll have the same challenges with Violet, but Violet might have an issue with his fiancé. Finn says, Violet and Anna get along well, and Portia says, that’s good. She’s just saying the day may come when Violet resents Anna for not being her real mom. Finn says, that’s not Anna’s fault, and Portia says, no, but it’s something kids go through in their tween years. They need to blame someone for the missing parent, and mythologize the absent one. He says he knows about that, and hopes history doesn’t repeat itself.
Anna asks Robert if the article is inaccurate, and he says, it’s a hatchet job. He reads: Holly Sutton was known for her colorful past, and proclivity for wit, her ability to get in and out of Dodge, and being comfortable in dangerous situations. Anna says, it sounds like her, and Robert says, it sounds like an article about a woman they’re better off without. Peter apologizes for not consulting Robert, and says he’ll confer with the editor and they can revise the article. He leaves, and Robert asks what Anna thinks Peter is getting out of asking him to contribute. She calls him an idiot, and says Peter is trying to be his friend.
Maxie has a bandage on her arm, and the nurse says she’ll have the results soon. Lulu says they’ll both wait. Maxie wonders if she should call Peter, and let him know his star reporter is trolling the hospital instead of doing her job. Lulu says she’s researching a story on the hospitals finances, but maybe she should call Peter and tell him why she’s all up in Maxie’s business. Maxie tells her to go uncover some facts to report, but Lulu says, not until Maxie tells her something. If she thought she was pregnant, why not take a home test? Maxie says she took three, and Lulu asks if she got different results, but Maxie says they were all positive. Lulu asks if Maxie thought there was inconsistency in that. Maxie says the tests can be unreliable. It can happen, especially to her. She says, she’s totally pregnant, isn’t she?
Carly tells Sam, she understands Maxie is grieving. Peter was there, and only showed her what he wanted her to see. She’s a civilian, but Anna knows better. Sam says Carly is missing the point. Anna doesn’t want to know.She wants to think her son is a good man. Carly says she can empathize; Anna isn’t the first mom to convince herself her kid has changed. She hates that Peter kept Jason prisoner, but he was under Faison’s thumb, and that’s over. If Jason is willing to let it go, and Anna has hope that the bad stuff is behind him, what about Sam? Sam says, after what happened to Drew, Peter is still a threat. Why is Anna still protecting him?
Sonny tells Brando, his dad stopped eating. He’s at the point where he can’t even swallow anymore. Brando says he didn’t know that could happen with Alzheimer’s patients; he thought it was just a memory thing. Sonny says, so did he, at first. Brando asks what the options are, and Sonny says, a feeding tube. Brando says, that’s rough, and Sonny says, he considered it, but then he reconsidered. That’s not living, it’s existing, and he knows his dad wouldn’t want that. Brando asks if they talked about it, and Sonny says they didn’t get the chance, or maybe he didn’t want to go there. When he wanted to, it was too late, so he made the choice for his dad. He’s praying it’s the right one.
Jordan says Cyrus isn’t asking her to kill Laura, is he? He laughs, and asks what he’d do with a murdered mayor. Port Charles needs her, and he’s fond of her, but she’s getting in the way of him acquiring GH. Jordan says Laura is lobbying for Federal funding, and he says her daughter has a public platform. She asks why he doesn’t drop it, but he says, it’s too rich a prize to pass up, and they may never be this vulnerable again. Nelle is suing for unauthorized surgery on her son, and the insurance doesn’t want to cover it. If she wins, the hospital will be even more vulnerable, and it will be the perfect opening for him. Jordan says, Monica rallied the Quartermaines to give the hospital resources. The board will refuse him if they’re told he’s a known drug trafficker. There’s nothing she can do. He says he needs a champion to vouch for his character.
Curtis finds Jason, and asks if Jason can hear him. Jason doesn’t respond, so he calls 911, saying he needs paramedics on Harborview Drive at the Greenville turnoff. There’s a motorcycle rider down, and he’s completely unresponsive.
Jordan tells Curtis that she can’t offer her endorsement. How would it look? She has no business stepping outside her role. He says, but she can speak out for a man wrongly convicted. She discovered the miscarriage of justice, so who better to vouch for him? When she talks, Port Charles listens. She says Laura isn’t staying away indefinitely, and will wonder why she’s advocating for a man she despises. What good will it do for her to lose Laura’s trust and get fired? He says, good question. Make sure it doesn’t happen.
Portia says she hopes she didn’t offend Finn with her amateur psychology, and he says, no offense taken. She says she’s just projecting. She thinks Violet will be fine. She’s growing up with two attentive parents, and will be happy and well-adjusted. Finn says, in his humble opinion, he thinks Trina will be fine too. She has a loving, caring mother. Elizabeth joins them, and says a patient has been brought in who had an accident. He was unresponsive on arrival, and a head injury is possible. Finn asks if she’s okay, and Elizabeth says, it’s Jason.
Anna tells Robert that Peter tried. He knows how Robert feels about him. Does he think anything will change? He’s never given Peter a fair shake, and likes to look for excuses to hate him. Now he’s using Holly’s death. It’s pathetic. Robert says the only reason Peter wrote the article was to get under his skin. Anna says, which is looking thin. If Peter wanted to sensationalize or exploit Holly, he would have highlighted her past deeds. Robert says he’s not arguing, but a lot was left open to interpretation. She says, another reporter might have skewed the story, but Peter wrote it himself. Robert says Peter spun the story, and threw it in his face, and she says she guesses it’s easier to take his anger out on Peter, rather than deal with his feelings. Robert says, what feelings? and she says, grief, loss, anger, regret, pain. She could go on; she’s got all day.
Carly sees Peter at the bar, and asks how he’s enjoying his day. He says, it’s been trying, and she asks if there’s a problem with the service. He says, no, it’s fine, and she tells him to let her know if it’s otherwise. The Invader is an important tenant and she wants to give them her full attention. Peter says she’s thoughtful, and she says she prides herself in troubleshooting and avoiding problems. Sonny is the same way, but his way is more inflexible. Sam gets a call from Curtis, who tells her, Jason was in an accident; he’s on his way to GH. Carly really needs to stop making veiled threats to people about Sonny.
Brando says he doesn’t know about right or wrong decisions in situations like this, but he knows a bit about Mike. Things he learned the summer Mike spent in Connecticut. Sonny says he’d like to hear it, and Brando says, he was ten and crazy about horses. Mike would pick him up and take him to the track. The thoroughbreds were too valuable to have a kid around them, but there were working horses, and he spent his time with one horse in particular, Smoky. Smoky would see him coming, and come over. He knew Brando had an apple or carrot. One day at the end of summer, Mike picked him up and he knew something wasn’t right. Mike told him Smoky got hurt and wouldn’t recover. They went to say goodbye, and Brando tried, but he started crying and said he was ready to leave. Mike asked if he loved Smoky. He said he did, and Mike said, if you love something, you love it all the way to the end. (Yep. Here come the waterworks.) So he stayed, and the last thing Smoky heard before he was put down, was Brando saying he wasn’t going to hurt anymore. Lesson learned. Whatever choice Sonny makes for Mike, Mike will understand. Sonny says he appreciates Brando telling him, and Brando says, Mike is no stranger to making tough decisions. Sonny’s phone rings, and it’s Carly. She tells him that he needs to meet her at GH. Jason was in an accident. He says he’ll be right there, and tells Brando that he’s got to go. Brando says, Mike? but Sonny says, Jason. He leaves, and Brando looks stunned. I really appreciate them stomping on my heart about Mike and a horse.
Lulu says she takes it Maxie and Peter weren’t planning on this. Maxie says they haven’t been living together that long. They’ve never even had a conversation about having kids, and the only time marriage came up was when they were arguing with Spinelli. Lulu says, that’s a lot to unpack in one statement, and Maxie says she has no idea how she feels. Before they moved in together, Peter had a total crisis. He was confused, and afraid to be happy, but he moved in anyway, and lived through the fear. Lulu bets he would love to be married to Maxie and have kids. The family would be over the moon. Maxie says, Spinelli and Robert not so much. Lulu asks if she really cares what Spinelli thinks, and Maxie says, of course (🍷). Spinelli is Georgie’s father, but she doesn’t have to clear her decisions with him. Her feelings are complicated. Lulu asks if it’s because of Nathan, and Maxie says, she’s always thinking about Nathan, but this has nothing do with him. Lulu says, she and Peter are okay, right? Maxie says she loves him, and he loves her, and James and Georgie. They’re building a life. Lulu asks, what is it? Maxie can tell her. Maxie says, the timing couldn’t be worse. She feels selfish, but what if she’s not ready? What about her career?
Robert says he hates when Anna tells him what’s in his soul, and she say he does it to her, and she hates it more. Too bad. He’s bellyaching now because he knows she’s right. He’s afraid of his feelings, and he’s ashamed about not ending things properly with Holly. He says, rubbish, and she says she heard there’s a memorial service in England. Has he made plans to attend? He says, no, and she says she didn’t think so. He should go. It will give him a chance to say a proper goodbye, mourn Holly, and pay his respects. Robert asks why should he mourn an empty grave?
Jordan tells Cyrus. ELQ is capable of pulling GH back from the brink, but he says, they’re prone to infighting. The board will be open to an alternative donor, providing it’s someone in good standing with the community who they can trust. Build that trust. Chase calls, and asks if she’s okay; he’s had a hard time reaching her. She says she’s in the middle of something. Is there a problem? Chase says, Jason was in a motorcycle accident, and was just brought into GH. Jordan says she’s going back to the office, and tells Chase to head out to the accident site and get a full report. Cyrus says he knows she has to keep up appearances, but don’t misplace her priorities. She says she knows what her priorities are.
Carly and Sam run into the hospital, and Sam tells the reception nurse that they’re looking for Jason. The nurse says, he’s being treated now, and Sam says she wants to see him. The nurse says Sam can’t, but she’ll relay the new information as soon as they have it, and Sam and Carly sit in the waiting area. Curtis arrives, and Sam asks, what happened? He says he spotted a rider down, but didn’t know it was Jason. He called 911, and waited until the paramedics got there. Sam thanks him, and he says he’ll go to the station and find out what he can. Elizabeth comes out, and says she was there when they brought Jason in; he was unconscious. There don’t seem to be any internal injuries, but they’re running a battery of tests to see if he’s had a traumatic brain injury.
Carly calls Diane, and tells her, they don’t know anything yet, but they’re running tests. She asks if Diane is sure the paperwork was filed, and asks her to put it in a PDF file and email it. She doesn’t want any problems. Elizabeth tells Sam that she can’t go in while the doctors are working on Jason. The best thing is to just wait. She’ll let them know if she hears anything. Peter comes by, and tries to say something to Sam, but Sam says, back off. Brando has joined them, and tells Peter, listen, but Carly says Jason wouldn’t want them going at each other. She tells Peter that he shouldn’t be there, and Peter says he didn’t mean to intrude; sorry. Elizabeth leaves to get an update, and Sonny gets off the elevator. He asks, what’s going on? How’s Jason? Carly says they don’t know, and no one is telling them anything.
Maxie says she’s sure this isn’t the first baby who’s misdirected a career move someone has been waiting forever to happen. There’s a lot at stake at the moment that she has to evaluate; it’s a big deal. She knows Nina would kill to be in her situation, and Lulu says, if Maxie has a baby, it should be because she wants to. It’s her body, and her priorities are her own. The nurse comes back holding a paper, and Maxie asks if those are the results.
Anna says, now they get to the real issue; Robert’s fixation that Holly is still alive. He tells her that he didn’t say that, and she says, but he’s thinking it. He says he’s thinking a lot of things. What was Holly doing working for the WSB, why the ship went down, who was on the ship, and what happened to Holly’s body? Anna suggests he go get answers rather than feeling empty, and directing his pain at Peter. It’s not doing Holly or her memory any good.
Cyrus’s main dude asks how the meeting with the Commissioner went. Cyrus says he gave her clarification of their respective positions. She wasn’t happy, but she’s going to comply. Dude asks if she should be on the guest list, and Cyrus says he’d be disappointed if she wasn’t. Dude asks how he should handle it, but Cyrus says he has confidence that Jordan will do what she’s asked – for the time being. He has a bigger target in mind. With Jason out of the way, there’s nothing left between Sonny and a bullet between the eyes.
Sonny says Brando told him Jason was just in the garage, and Brando says, Jason was there to pick up his bike. He’d just finished working on it.
Robert says Anna is insufferable, and she says, thank you. He always says that when she’s right. Who else would call him on it? He says, Holly, and Anna says, she’s not there; sorry. She thinks Holly would be appalled at his behavior. He needs to find another way of dealing with the pain before it eats him up. He’s going to RSVP to her wedding, and no is unacceptable. She leaves, and he looks at the article again.
Peter sees Lulu and Maxie, and tells them, Jason was in a motorcycle accident. Maxie says, poor Sam. He says he came to look for Lulu because he thought she could write the story. She says she doesn’t think she could be objective, and he says he’ll call the desk to send someone else. Maxie wants to check on Sam, but he tells her that they want to be left alone. What’s she doing there? Maxie doesn’t know what to say, and Lulu says, Nurses Ball stuff for Deception, and Maxie repeats, for Deception, leaving us with a double entendre.
On the phone, Chase says he wants pictures right away. He wants to review them before he leaves. He also wants the site kept secure. He tells them not to let CSI touch anything until he gets there. The Commissioner wants him to deal with it personally. He receives a picture the road, with Jason’s overturned bike at the end of a skid mark. He says, none of this makes sense.
Curtis is waiting for Jordan outside her office, and she says, before he starts, she saw he called, but she was wrapping up something and couldn’t pick up. He says she has a lot of irons in the fire, and she says, now isn’t a good time either. He says, because of Jason? and she says, he heard? He tells her that he was the one who found Jason when he was out looking for her. Does she mind telling him where she’s been hiding?
Cyrus asks Dude, what’s in the bag? Dude says he thought Cyrus would like to celebrate, and pulls out a bottle of Jack. Cyrus says, the demise of Jason, and Sonny’s loss of his human fireball is cause for celebration.
Portia says, the news is good. Nothing is broken, there’s no indication that Jason has internal injuries, and his vitals are strong. Sam asks if he’s still unconscious, and Finn says his pupils are good, but they need to rule out a possible TBI. He consulted with someone in neurology, and they recommended an immediate exploratory procedure. If Jason is hemorrhaging, the worst case is that he’s brain dad. Sonny says, that can’t happen, and Finn says Sam has to sign a consent form. Sam says, it’s not up to her, and Carly says she has power of attorney, and pulls out the confirmation. Elizabeth gives her the form, and she signs it, saying they’d better damn well save him. Everyone looks at each other, but Sonny looks hard at Brando.
For what it’s worth (as they would say on GH), I don’t think it’s Brando. Way too easy.
On Monday, Franco says Elizabeth is planning on not going, Ava asks Nelle how she’s blackmailing Julian, and Sonny asks if Brando has something else to tell him.
I kind of thought it was Hannah, and that it was her prescription, but the way this was handled was appalling. I checked out Malia’s Instagram, and fans are not happy. Apparently, she removed the text on the post in question, and disabled the comments. That didn’t stop anyone from commenting on the post. Malia’s excuse for outing Hannah was baloney, since when Captain Lee found out Kat was taking a prescription, there was none of this. Very disappointed in CaptainSandy and Malia.
I don’t even know what to say anymore. Whether or not Denise and Brandi hooked up, only they know, but, next to Jax, Brandi is the worst human being in the world. As Judge Milian from People’s Court says, I wouldn’t believe her if her tongue came notarized.
It takes 30 seconds to make an impression that last 30 years. – Loren Brovarnik quoting her father, Pillow Talk: 90 Day Fiancé
Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’! – Audrey Hepburn
A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you. – Elbert Hubbard
Be the change that you wish to see in the world. – Mahatma Gandhi
Without music, life would be a mistake. – Friedrich Nietzsche
I call her BF, which doesn’t stand for best friend. It stands for bitch face. – woman whose sister slept with her boyfriend on Dr. Phil
When two opposite points of view are expressed with equal intensity, the truth does not necessarily lie exactly halfway between them. It is possible for one side to be simply wrong. – Richard Dawkins
The man who insists on seeing with perfect clearness before he decides, never decides. – Henri-Frédéric Amiel
I learned…that inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic striving, but it comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness. – Brenda Ueland (I’m all for solitude & idleness.)
Path-walker, your footprints and nothing else are the path; Path-walker, there is no path, the path is formed as you move. – Antonio Machado, Caminante, no hay Comino
😱 Drag Me To Hell…
Is it A) the name of a horror film, or B) the title for my week. It’s Friday, so moving on. I hope. For now, stay safe, stay diverse, and stay enjoying life no matter what the circumstances.
Laura saw Robert and said it didn’t look like he’d had much rest. She asked if he was throwing himself into work. He told her the rumors of Holly’s death had been greatly exaggerated. Maxie looked at the photos from the shoot and said they were spectacular. They’d had a bumpy start, but she should have known Sasha would find a way to rally. She was a wreck this morning, but only saw blue skies ahead. Valentin said Sasha had given them a signature look they could capitalize on. Maxie said she thought he was going to be a silent partner, and he said he wasn’t going to make a habit of it. Finance was more his style, but he’d wanted to see the literal face of Deception. Now he was off to focus on other ventures. On the phone with Tracy, Ned said another party was after Dillon’s shares? That meant they were probably searching for other parties who wanted to sell. He asked her to keep him posted. Brook overheard Olivia on the phone, saying no one had ever said anything like that to her before, and they could see through to her soul like no one else. Brook cleared her throat, and Olivia ended the call. Brook said she obviously walked in on an emotional phone call, but Olivia said it wasn’t what it seemed. Brook said it sounded like Olivia was having an affair behind her father’s back. Nina told Jax that she didn’t know if she should stand up for Nelle, but if she didn’t, who else would? In court, Nelle was sworn in.
Laura asked Robert if the ship didn’t sink, but he said that wasn’t what he was saying. Mac and Anna hadn’t given him the whole story. The Bureau had a theory about the ship. Laura asked if Mac and Anna believed Holly could have survived, and he said he didn’t say that, but they didn’t know his ex-wife like he did, and until he found out what the Bureau’s theory was, he couldn’t get out there and look for her. Olivia told Brook that she wasn’t cheating on Ned, and Brook said the phone call sounded extremely intimate. Olivia said she didn’t need to explain herself to Brook, but Brook said if she didn’t, she’d repeat what Olivia said to Ned, and let him judge for himself. Olivia said Ned had enough on his plate, including the trouble Brook had caused. She asked if there was a PCPD jail cell with Brook’s name on it, and Brook said her arrests were misunderstandings. The person causing the most trouble was her father’s faithless wife. Olivia said she wasn’t having an affair. She was talking to a psychic. Valentin told Maxie and Sasha that he was bringing Deception public; they were going to be one of the main sponsors of the Nurses Ball. Maxie said that was huge, but it was soon, and he said she should try arguing with Lucy. He was impressed with the shoot, and sure they could pull it off. Maxie told Sasha, whatever she’d done had worked, and Sasha flashed back to the assistant giving her a vial of cocaine. Jax said it seemed like Nina was having second thoughts, and Nina said he’d like if she leaned into them. He said she knew how he felt, and Nina said he thought it was a mistake, and Nelle didn’t deserve a second chance. Jax said people could change, but if Nina was wrong, Wiley would pay the price, and she’d feel responsible. She said if she didn’t stand up for Nelle, and Nelle lost her child because of it, there would be no chance of Nelle turning her life around. Martin asked Nelle to tell the court how her baby was horrifically stolen from her, but Diane objected, saying it wasn’t a question. Judge Lowe sustained it, and Martin asked what Nelle’s reaction was to finding out her baby was alive. Nelle said she was confused at first. She was overwhelmed, and incredibly hurt that Brad had orchestrated it; she’d thought he was her friend. He’d switched her son for the boy he’d adopted, and she grieved for almost two years. Then he asked Michael to be Wiley’s godfather. She couldn’t imagine anything so demented. And she wasn’t the only one who was hurt. Julian had believed he was Wiley’s grandfather. Jules believed Wiley was his grandson, and when they found out the truth, they were both shocked and in pain. It brought them closer, and gave them a connection, and possibly something more.
Brook made fun of Olivia consulting a psychic, and Ned came in, saying, enough. Olivia asked how else she was going to find out about Dante? Her letters returned unopened, and she had no way of knowing if he was okay. Brook apologized, but Olivia walked out, and Ned followed. Ned said he was sorry. He’d been obsessing over ELQ, and who was buying shares to make a hostile takeover. He didn’t see his wife was obviously in pain. Sasha told Maxie, it was important to Deception, and she wanted to prove herself; people didn’t trust her. Besides, she was a partner, and willing to use every trick in the book to make the launch successful. Maxie stumbled a little, and Peter asked if she was okay. She said she was lightheaded, but she probably had too much coffee. He suggested she take a break, and they left together. Valentin asked Sasha if she was okay. Martin asked if Nelle loved Julian, and she said Julian loved Wiley, and would do anything to protect Wiley and keep him safe. He loved Wiley abundantly, and she thought he would make an excellent co-parent. He loved Wiley as much as she did. What mother could find anything more appealing? Nelle told Jax, no one was in Nelle’s corner or hoped things worked out for her. Imagine how lonely that was. If Nelle felt there was no one there to back her up, she might lash out, and end up in prison again. Jax said it would be Nelle’s own fault; Nina wasn’t responsible. Nina flashed back on Nelle telling her about making a deal with Julian to keep Wiley safe. Martin asked why Nelle felt she deserved sole custody, and she said she’d already lost two years with her son. Then Michael kept Wiley away from her. Michael was selfish and entitled, and she didn’t want those lessons passed to her child. She had a good job, roots in the community, and a husband who loved Wiley as much as she did. She wanted to dedicate the rest of her life to giving Wiley the home and family that he deserved. Martin had no more questions. Diane said, Nelle claimed to have roots in Port Charles, and was dedicating the rest of her life to make sure Wiley had the best family possible. Why was it, that when she’d first discovered her son was alive, she raced to where Willow was taking care of him, assaulted Willow, and attempted to abduct Wiley and flee the country? Martin objected, saying it was a verbal assault based on unfounded accusations.
Laura asked if Robert had any proof, other than his gut feeling, and he said the proof was there. He just needed to find it. He could use a partner, and had called Luke, but his line was disconnected. Laura said she didn’t have a current number, but his best bet was to talk to Tracy. Brook asked Ned, since when had there been a play for ELQ? and he said he became suspicious while Nelle sold her shares to a third unnamed party. Tracy told him there had been several attempts to buy Dillon’s shares, but she rejected the offers. He suggested they talk later, and Brook left. He told Olivia that Brook had no business eavesdropping, much less criticizing her, but he wasn’t sure a psychic was the best way to get help. Olivia told him that she felt helpless, and told him about Rocco bringing Dustin to Take Your Dad to School Day. She said she confronted Lulu about it, and Lulu told her that it had been Rocco’s idea. Rocco was already finding a father figure, and it was like her son was being erased. What motivation would Dante have to get better or come home? She felt like she was running out of time. She got that people thought psychics were stupid and silly, but the psychic was the only person telling her that her son was okay. Ned asked if she thought it was possible the psychic was just telling her what she wanted to hear. Brook called Linc, and said she knew he was in Port Charles. She wanted a face-to-face with him immediately. Valentin told Sasha, he gathered that she knew Michael had married Willow, and he was sorry. Sasha said her personal life was personal, and didn’t affect her role in Deception. Valentin said he just wanted to check. He’d been where she was, and knew what it was like to lose someone based on something he’d done, but nothing was ever as black and white as it seemed on the surface. Jax told Nina that he didn’t think Nelle was capable of accepting kindness; she was too damaged. At worst, she would turn an innocent child into someone vindictive and incapable of love. Nina’s phone started to beep, and she said, if she was going to testify, she needed to leave for the courthouse now. Martin said there was no evidence that Nelle was going to flee the country, but Diane said the charges were dismissed without prejudice – like the assault against Willow. She asked if Nelle loved her husband, and Nelle said with every fiber in her being. Diane said, as of this morning, it would seem, and had no further questions. Martin called Julian to the stand. Julian told Nelle that he thought he wasn’t going to testify, and she told him, buck up; plans change. Did she have to remind him what was at stake?
Martin asked Julian if it was true he and Nelle married to create a loving, stable home for Wiley. Julian said it was, and Martin asked if he’d if Julian had experience nurturing Wiley when Lucas was in a coma. Julian said that was true. Brad had been an emotional wreck, so he stepped in. Martin asked if he loved Wiley as much as he did Lucas, and Julian said, yes. Martin suggested they talk about the elephant in the room. Had he ever been sent to Pentenville? Julian said he had, and Martin asked how long was it since he’d been released. Julian said, three years, and Martin asked if he’d had any brushes with the law since. Julian said, not so much as a parking ticket, and Martin asked what he did for a living. Julian said he ran Charlie’s, and Martin asked if it was fair to say he’d cleaned up his life. Julian said it was, and Martin had no further questions. Diane asked if Julian had been arrested for drug trafficking, extortion, and assault, and Julian said none of the charges had been proven, but she said there had been enough to convict him. She asked who Alexis was to him, and he said, his ex-wife. Diane asked if it was true that he’d held a knife to Alexis’s throat, and aided and abetted his siter in trying to blow up GH. He said he was forced to do it, and she said he was perfect for Wiley. She was done. Nelle told Martin to do something. At the MetroCourt, Peter said Maxie had barely eaten, and she said she wasn’t hungry. He suggested she see a doctor, and she said she didn’t need to. She just… He asked, what is it? Olivia told Ned, they’d have to agree to disagree. Her opinion to believe in psychics was as valid as his not to. Ned said he didn’t want to see anyone take advantage of her pain, but she said he calls were the only thing giving her comfort. The doorbell rang, and it was Robert, who promised he wouldn’t take long. It wasn’t public knowledge, but Holly had been on a boat that sunk, and was believed dead. There were discrepancies in the Bureau report, and he wanted to pursue them. He wanted to ask Luke for help, and Laura said the only way to contact Luke was through Ned’s mother. Ned said Luke got scratchy if he gave out the number, but he’d call Tracy. He went upstairs to make the call, and Olivia asked how Robert was holding up. He said the only thing worse, would be accepting he’d never see Holly again, and wondered why he had the feeling he wasn’t the only person who’d been through the wringer. Brook met Linc at the MetroCourt, and said she wanted to talk business. He thought their business had concluded, and she never wanted to see him again, but she said he’d bought her shares as a front for a third party. She wanted to know who. Sasha told Valentin, when he’d asked her to pose as Nina’s daughter, she did it for the money, but she knew she was helping him with a woman he truly loved, and Nina loved him back. So after everything that had happened, she still sympathized with him. She said, sometimes you have to do the wrong thing for the right reason, and he said he knew she was a good person. That’s why he knew she’d be a good daughter for Nina. He was sorry she was still paying the price, but if it was any consolation, Deception was going to be a massive success. She was going to be a wealthy woman. She said, too bad money can’t buy happiness, and he said, too bad, and left. Sasha remembered Michael telling her that he loved her, and telling him that she loved him too. Julian saw Sam in the hallway at court, and she slapped him across the face.
Julian asked Sam to let him explain, but she said he’d just make excuses; don’t bother. She’d been with Lucas, and told him about his new stepmom. He said he’d wanted to do that, but she said she saved him the time. When she’d told Lucas that she that he’d married Nelle, Lucas’s exact words were that Julian was dead to him. She was starting to feel the same way. The worst part was, he’d used the most painful thing that happened to Lucas against him, and allowed Nelle to weaponize Wiley. If she got custody, Julian would be dead to Sam too. He said everything he’d done was for his kids, but she said she wasn’t listening. She and Lucas would be so much better off without him in their lives, and if Leo eventually came to the same conclusion, they’d be there to support him. Olivia told Robert that Brook overheard her call a psychic, and she wound up telling Ned. He was nice about it, but thought it was a total scam. Robert said he’d spent time in the Outback, and the aboriginals were very spiritual. What we looked at as superstition, they looked at as a part of life. He asked what she hoped to find, and she said, Dante. She need to have hope that he’d be okay. The whole world was moving on without him, and she had to keep fighting and believing he’d be okay. The psychic was the only person to give her hope. He told her not to give up hope on Dante, like he wasn’t going to with Holly. There was nothing crazy about it. Ned listened outside the door. Brook said Linc had stonewalled her until she’d agreed to sell him the shares. It made sense. Of course (🍷) he was just a front man. Who was pulling the strings? Linc said it was none of her business, but she said she wasn’t leaving until she got a name. Valentin saw Laura at the MetroCourt, and she asked if he’d gotten an invitation to Windymere for the unveiling. He said he had, and thought it was a joke. She hoped he chose not to go, for Charlotte’s sake, and Nikolas didn’t need any more trouble, even if he was asking for it. He said he’d thrown the invitation away. He no longer needed the estate to prove anything. Julian went back into the courtroom, and Martin said he was expecting his next witness any moment. Nina walked in.
Martin called Nina to the stand, and Carly asked Jax what the hell she was doing. Jax said he had no idea. Peter came back from taking a call, and saw that Maxie hadn’t taken a bite of her food. He asked if she was sure she was okay, and she said she thought it was just stress from work, but maybe she would see a doctor. The assistant who’d given Sasha the cocaine, produced another vial, but Sasha said she didn’t need it. The assistant told her to keep it. She’d never know when she’d need another boost. Laura called Anna, and said she was worried about Robert. Ned told Robert that he spoke to his mother, and gave Robert the number to Luke’s burner phone. He said Luke was expecting Ned’s call. Robert thanked him, and told Olivia to look out for herself. Olivia told him to do the same. When Robert left, Ned asked if Olivia was feeling better. She said she was; you never knew who would come up with the right words. Linc told Brook, it was a one-time thing. He had zero obligation to tell her, and the person who bought the shares wanted to stay anonymous. Brook said she still hadn’t gone public with what Linc did, but she could, and he could lose his career. He asked if she was threatening him. Valentin appeared, and said he’d take it from there. Linc left, and Valentin sat with Brook. He said he’d been looking forward to this moment. He’d heard a lot about her.
Nina was swore to tell the truth – so help her God.
Next time, Ned says ELQ is at risk for a hostile takeover, Nina says Nelle confirmed her initial impression, and Laura asks Cyrus what his real interest in the hospital is.
Shahs of Sunset – Reunion Part Two
Andy opened with saying he was keeping tabs on the Shahs while keeping his distance, and asked if at the beginning of the season, MJ hadn’t talked to Reza because of a contract dispute. Through the first three quarters of the show, MJ kept hopping in and out of her seat, and Destiney fielded this one. She said when she went to visit MJ in the hospital – even though MJ had said no one visited – MJ asked her to wait until the cameras were rolling, and she hadn’t signed her contract yet. MJ said that Ali had wanted to bring up Adam’s inappropriate texts, she told him that he should, but he threw in all that stuff times twenty. Destiney said both Ali and MJ changed their stories constantly. MJ said she’d already spoken to Adam and Reza, even though they insisted she hadn’t. Andy asked if MJ was slow in signing her contract because Reza broke ranks, and signed right away. Reza said there had been an amazing vibe without MJ in the beginning episodes. Andy said viewers had a hard time believing Reza and Adam’s relationship was monogamous. Reza said MJ had started rumors, and Mike said, while it was up to them to admit if their relationship was open or not, MJ inserting herself just caused problems. Andy asked if Reza knew naked Jenga (it still sounds so stupid) was a possibility, and we flashed back to Reza’s lack of reaction when Destiney told him. Reza said there was some old sh*t about Adam that only MJ knew about, and if she wanted to apologize, he’d take her back as a friend in a heartbeat, but without that, there was no future. Adam never cheated or played naked Jenga.
A viewer asked what went through Reza’s mind when Ali pulled out all the printed texts, and Reza said he’d heard from his hairdresser that Ali and MJ were in cahoots, trying to be relevant. Andy asked if Adam took ownership for basically starting all of this. Adam admitted that if he’d never given Ali the ammunition, this never would have started, and Mike applauded. Andy asked what prompted Reza to lunge at Ali, and he said it was the moment he realized his best friend of thirty years had betrayed him. MJ started screaming at him, and jumped out of her seat. Mike said as Reza’s best friend, she should have said Adam hadn’t sexually harassed anyone. MJ said Adam hadn’t; Ali had improvised. We flashed back to when Ali told MJ what happened. Ali said, that’s when he started to improvise, and MJ seemed genuinely shocked. Adam thanked her, and MJ said she was in ICU. GG wanted MJ to talk faster; she was growing grey hairs while waiting for MJ to finish. Andy pointed out that when Reza called MJ, she was recovering. Reza said his only thought was that he’d been betrayed by his best friend of thirty years, a sentence he slipped in at every opportunity. He said he was blinded by that one fact. Here’s where MJ disappeared again, and Reza said he’d wanted MJ to acknowledge the allegation that Adam sexually harassed Ali wasn’t true, but she wanted her hands to be clean. That’s where the problem started. GG watched while eating something out of a container that looked like macaroni and cheese, but was probably some Persian chickpea concoction.
Andy asked GG, Nema, and Destiney to step away while he talked to Reza and MJ, who was now back in her chair. He thought Mike would be an excellent mediator, and needed his help. Andy asked why MJ hadn’t visited MJ in the hospital, and Reza said she didn’t want visitors. MJ said he was lying, and he said he loved her. Why was she trying to make him look bad? She said no one had any sympathy for Tommy while she was in the hospital. No one gave a f***. She thought they were waiting for a camera. We flashed back to five minutes ago when Destiney said the same thing about MJ. MJ told Reza that she’d been watching their kiki, and we saw a clip from their show, Kiki with Reza and MJ. MJ said Reza hadn’t visited, and she was done. There was no more necessary conversation. She got up, and said they’d had thirty years, and he decided to destroy it. It would never be the same. It was over, and she was done. Mike teared up (so did I), and said that wasn’t true. We went back to when Reza read Mike the texts from Tommy about how MJ was going to need surgery, and wouldn’t be able to have any more children. Mike said he texted multiple times, and Tommy said MJ couldn’t have visitors, but he’d keep them in the loop. Reza said MJ was being extra about baby pictures, as she should. There was some yelling back and forth, and Mike said he was trying to fix it, but they weren’t letting him. MJ asked what would be her reason for turning against Reza, and Reza said she’d just had a baby, and someone was willing to do her dirty work. When Ali said MJ had told him that Reza had troubles in his marriage, it sounded like something only she would know. Reza said he loved her; they were like family. That’s why he called her. MJ said Reza never loved her. We reviewed the Season Two reunion, where Reza trash talked MJ. In Persian, MJ said he was a liar from head to toe. She said he’d implied she was on something, and Mike said he’d told everyone she’d robbed a bank. Andy said, at the pool party, Reza said something he didn’t even want to repeat. He didn’t have to, because we saw the clip of Reza shouting that MJ’s uterus exploded because she’d had ten abortions, which is just a horrific thing to say. Reza said, no excuses. His behavior was disgusting. He’d apologized to her, and was crying, while she sat, stone-faced, looking at him like he was crazy. We flashed back to that, and she did seem robotic. He said he wished he could take it back, and regretted it every single day. MJ said, if he regretted it, he wouldn’t have posted what he did on Instagram. Andy said he’d posted private texts, and violated MJ’s medical privacy. We saw pictures of the posts, and Reza said they were shooting a show [where it was going to air], and he’s not a doctor. Andy told him, MJ claimed he was trying to get raise, and Reza blocked her when she was dying. Reza said he and MJ were talking all the way through; he blocked her later, after Ali made the accusations. Andy asked Mike for help, and Mike said damage had been done, but begged them to reconsider. He said Reza, being a gay, Persian, Jewish, Muslim man, they should understand each other. The Persian community was judgmental, and hearing rumors that Reza had an open, weird relationship caused problems. Reza said he loved Mike, but Mike said, f*** you. He wasn’t taking a side. They needed to continue, apologize, and fix it. They knew things about each other no one else knew, and had a bond that was beautiful and unbreakable. He asked who showed up when MJ’s dad passed away. MJ started crying, and he said, he and Reza did. They cried with her, and held her, and held her dad. We saw clips of that, with MJ saying her dad was never going to walk her down the aisle, and I cried. At the time, I had been affected by that, because my father passed away a few months before I got married. She said no one had to deal with what she did, and Mike said they still felt her pain. MJ said she thought they’d make progress today, and Mike said they did. MJ said she felt like Reza didn’t want to believe the facts, the proof, or her track record as his friend. Andy asked if she didn’t accept Reza’s apology, and she asked Reza if she came for him and his marriage. Reza said she had, and she asked if she’d ever compromised his trust during their friendship. He said, yes, and she said, then there’s not an apology. Their lives would never be the same again, like with the pandemic.
We saw clips of happier times; Reza telling MJ they were blood, and MJ standing on a bar, yelling, family! Andy wanted to end with them saying something they missed about their friendship. Reza said he missed the moments of MJ laughing. He was Robin to her Batman, and vice versa. He loved her and always would. He just wanted her to be honest. The sexual harassment accusation had never been a problem for her; coming across a certain way was more important. Andy said, what about MJ, and she said she missed every effing thing about their friendship. It was half her life. Reza said the times they had would never go away. She’d shared the best moments of his life. Now, everyone was crying. Andy told them that they’d both said horrible things. The question was if they cared enough about their thirty-year friendship to figure out a way to start over on a blank slate. MJ said she didn’t know. It was like her whole life. Off-camera, Vida said something, and MJ laughed, telling her that she wasn’t in the shot. Andy asked Vida to join them, and wondered how Vida thought they could move forward. She said honesty was important in a friendship, and there was an old Persian saying, everything is good when it’s new, except friends; friends were good when they were old. She wanted them to learn a lesson from their fight, and move forward with a positive attitude. There was another saying that one enemy is a lot, but hundreds of friends are not enough. She said friends in life were important, and Andy thought that was a great place to leave it, and hopefully next time we saw them, they’d somehow have come together and talked.
Four weeks later, Reza answered a video call. It was MJ, who said she was calling because she was willing salvage their friendship. He said he was emotionally and spiritually drained, and completely exhausted. He’d been a daze since the reunion. MJ said she felt like she’d been hit by a train, truck, plane, and planet. Reza said he did care about her, and she said she never wanted to see him be hurt. Reza said he’d learned that he didn’t communicate with her and say when he felt some sort of way. He wanted her to telepathically understand it, and got resentful when she didn’t, and the resent would grow. MJ said she was sorry he felt like she wasn’t there for him, and she 100% had his back. He said when he did try to tell her how he felt, she would shut him down, and he felt like she minimized it, and they weren’t connecting in the same way. It broke his heart. He felt like there was no time and space for it in her world. He wanted her to push his problems away, and when he thought it was a problem she could push away, she didn’t. It was heartbreaking. MJ said, aside from her husband and son, Reza was one of the most important relationships in her life. He said he was sorry he effed up and broke her heart. Nema had seen Baby Shams, and he hadn’t. MJ said Reza had held GG’s Eliza first.
He said he wished he had been the first one she saw, standing next to Tommy, when she opened her eyes in the hospital. MJ said she wanted to believe in her heart, that they could accept their differences and work through them. She didn’t want to give up on something that was more important than the past horrible year. They’d said if they had one quarter, they’d call each other if they went to jail. That was Reza’s position in MJ’s heart and head. Reza was in his own category, different from her husband. She asked if he was willing, and he said, from the bottom of his heart. She said she wanted to make an effort to salvage the friendship, and Reza said he didn’t want to act like nothing had happened, but have something pure that felt like it was real. He had no space in his heart for conflict with her. She thanked him for taking her call, and he thanked her for calling, saying it was a pleasant surprise.
It was for me too.
🏥 Glad To See You Too…
New episodes of GH will begin starting Monday, August 3rd. The world breathes a sigh of relief. Hopefully, it’s wearing a mask.
You’ve got to learn to leave the table when love’s no longer being served. – Nina Simone
Overcome the notion that you must be regular. It robs you of the chance to be extraordinary. – Uta Hagen
Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face. – Carol Moseley-Braun
I wish we were fairies. Our lives would be so much easier. – favorite kid quote from TinyBeans.com
Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else. – Les Brown (And I’d like to add, accept responsibility for your actions & quit saying it’s because of your mother, father or somebody else.)
It is so liberating to really know what I want, what truly makes me happy, what I will not tolerate. I have learned that it is no one else’s job to take care of me but me. – Beyoncé Knowles
Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit. – Conrad Hilton
You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. – Martin Luther King, Jr.
In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision. – Dalai Lama
I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life a complex matter. – Walt Disney
🐎 Happy Trails To You…
Give yourself a change of pace this weekend. If there’s newly found freedom in your state, enjoy it responsibly, and if they’re reining you back in, don’t contribute to the issue. No 700 guest house parties please. Until we meet again, stay safe, stay in control, and stay dancing like no one is watching. Or like everyone is watching, if you like it like that.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 