Tag Archives: Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

December 6, 2023 – Alexis Puts Finn In the Hot Seat, What the Blip Denise, Salty Talk, Too Old For This Nonsense, Loving Paris & Drummer

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis, Marshall, and Trina go Christmas tree shopping, and Curtis says he’s been looking forward to this all week. Freshly cut pine trees are the best smell in the world. (He forgot about coffee, but I’ll let it pass.) Marshall tells Trina, Curtis always felt that way. Any time they got near one when he was young, Curtis would say it smelled like Christmas. Curtis says, it still feels that way. He tells Trina, take her pick, any one she wants, but she says, no way. This is a group effort. The three of them are picking a tree together.

Loading up a luggage carrier, Esme tells Ace that mommy is calling a Ride Share so someone can pick them up and take them to their new apartment. Spencer asks why she doesn’t just let him drive her.

Laura thanks Dante for stopping by her office, and says she’s asked Deputy Mayor Ashford to sit in. He asks what he can do for her, and she says, they’d like a full update on the Austin Gatlin-Holt murder case.

Leading Sasha and Cody into her office, Maxie says, that couldn’t have been a better public appearance. They were a hit. Everyone at Wyndham’s loved them. Cody says, it was all Sasha, but Sasha says, is he kidding? They couldn’t take their eyes off him. Maxie says, it’s the two of them together. That’s what people are responding to. They have this special chemistry that everybody can see. I’m glad Cody has his facial hair back. Shaved, he looks around 12.

There’s a knock at Josslyn’s dorm room door, and she opens it to Adam. She asks, what’s the emergency? and he says, the results are back for the Organic Chem make-up test. She asks how he did, but he says he doesn’t know. He’s too scared to look. She says, he studied really hard. She’s sure he’s fine. He says, what if he didn’t? If he got less than 85%, his life is over. Honestly, he might as well jump off a bridge. Josslyn tells him not to say things like that, and gets on her laptop. He says, sorry. He makes bad jokes when he’s nervous. She says, it’s one test, but he says, one super important test that will determine if he becomes a doctor. He’s way too stressed out. Can they please look together?

Elizabeth tells Jake, look at these beautiful trees. How can they pick just one? Jake says, one is all they can fit in the house, so… She says, he doesn’t have to be so literal. Whichever one they pick, Aiden is just going to have to be on board because it was his choice to stay home and bake. Jake says, Christmas and Valentine’s Day are his busiest time of the year. Lots of people want custom cookies. She says, this is true, but if he didn’t come pick out the tree, he can’t criticize their choice, right? Jake asks if something is wrong, and she says, no. Why? He says, it seems like she’s trying to hard to make it seem like she’s happy. Is something bothering her?

Martin and Finn show up at Alexis’s office, and she says, good. They’re right on time. She’s glad they’re here. She’s prepared and ready for them. Finn says, ready for what? He thought they were prepping his deposition. Martin says, that’s exactly what they’re going to be doing. Alexis has kindly volunteered to act as opposing counsel for the prep. Alexis says, just so Finn knows in advance, she won’t be playing nice.

Dante says, what they know so far is, the morning after Thanksgiving, a Pautuck resident noticed the door on an unoccupied residence was open. They walked in and found Austin’s body. Laura asks how he was killed, and Dante says, two shots to the chest, close range, sometime in the 48 hours leading up to Thanksgiving. Jordan asks if they know who owns the house where he was found and when it was last lived in, and he says, it was being used as a weekend short-term rental, but it hadn’t been occupied since late September. It was owned by the victim, Austin Gatlin-Holt.

Trina says, what about this one?… They don’t like it? Curtis says he knows he said she could choose any tree she wants, but is she sure she should make a decision so quickly? Why doesn’t she look around for something else? She says, why? This one’s nice and it smells amazing. What’s wrong with it? Marshall says, if her father won’t tell her about his problem with this, he will. It’s too small.

Elizabeth asks when Jake became so perceptive, and he says he’s not a little kid anymore. She says, no, he’s not. When she became a mom, she promised herself that she’d always be honest with her kids if she thought they could handle it. He’s definitely old enough and mature enough to talk about this. She’s worried about Finn. He asks, why? and she says, there’s a situation at the hospital where he’s being accused of doing something wrong. Jake says, does she mean like a malpractice suit? She looks surprised that he knows what this is, but isn’t he at least in high school?

Alexis says she might not have her legal license anymore, but she still has a lot of legal stuff right up here – she points to her head – and she’s going to use it to help Finn with his deposition. Finn says he’ll take all the help he can get, and she says, Diane is a formidable opponent. Martin says, indeed. They don’t call her Killer Miller for nothing. She’s going to try to trap Finn into making a statement about negligence, so no matter what happens, don’t let her provoke him. If Finn loses his temper, his need to defend himself may lead him to say things on the record that can’t be taken back. Such as statements that might give the impression that he’s too arrogant to admit he missed something, and now a man is dead as a result. Finn says, right, and the best way to prevent that from happening is to let Alexis beat up on him a little. Alexis says, it’s for his own good.

Esme says, they’ve been over all of this, but Spencer says, it seems crazy to him. She’s going to have to load all of Ace’s things into some stranger’s car, she’s going to have to set up his car seat, and pay someone she doesn’t know to drive her a short distance just so she can unload Ace and all of his things. His car is parked in the garage ready to go. He’s more than happy to take them and more than happy to help her carry everything she has to carry… She says, stop. She really doesn’t know how much clearer she can be. She can’t rely on him anymore.

Josslyn says she thinks she found the grades. Is Adam ready? He says, just tell him, and she says, he got a 97. Congratulations. He says, my God, and breathing heavily, makes a call. He says, hey, dad, guess what? He just got his Organic Chem make-up test back, and he got a 97%… Yeah, he did say make-up test… Why did he have to take it again? Um… No, it wasn’t anything he did wrong. Actually, it was someone else. His friend Josslyn had to go to the emergency room during the exam and they asked him to take her.

Maxie says she knows it’s been a long day, but just one more piece of Deception business, and then Cody and Sasha can go. Sasha says, don’t worry about them. She’s excited. They have a video conference call with Pavella; that’s huge. Maxie says she knows. It took her forever to convince them to take that meeting, but she has another piece of good news. Do they remember that desert photo shoot she was talking about a few months ago? Cody says, yeah, but it was a few weeks ago, and she says, well, it’s a go. They have to wait a few months because the photographer is completely booked, but they’re going on location in Monument Valley. Cody says, the Monument Valley, where all those Westerns were shot? and Maxie says, yes. She’s been told it’s even more spectacular in person. They’re going to shoot at the Pink Cliffs at sunset. Sasha says, that’s amazing. She’s seen it in movies, but never in person. Cody says, Deception is really going all out for this, huh? and Maxie says, of course (🍷) they are. The perfect photo location is so important to this campaign. Because Deception is not just selling makeup and beauty wands. We’re selling romance.

Alexis tells Finn to have a seat in the witness chair, and he sits down. She says she meant what she said; Diane Miller is one of the best. Finn says he’s aware of her reputation, and Martin says, being aware of it and experiencing it for yourself are two totally different things. Alexis says, she’ll turn his deposition into a minefield, and Finn says, it sounds like they’re going into battle. She says, they kind of are, and he says, then how do they ensure the truth comes out and they win this case? Martin says, preparation, that’s what’s key here. And they make absolutely certain that Finn abides by the Golden Rule. Finn says, which is? and Martin and Alexis both say, never volunteer anything.

Elizabeth says, it’s very humbling, trying to shield Jake from something he already knows about. Yes, Finn is being sued for malpractice. Jake asks, why? Did one of his patients die? She says, the man he was treating had cancer and he didn’t find out in time. Unfortunately, he passed away. Jake says, that must be so hard on Finn, and she says, it is. He’s really beating himself up over it. As much as they’d like to think of doctors as infallible, medicine is not a science, they’re not gods, and they can’t fix everybody all the time. He says he knows that, but if Finn is getting sued, did he do something wrong? and she says, absolutely not. Finn is an incredible doctor. He gave that man the best care possible, and what happened was not his fault. Jake says he’s glad she told him and that she realizes he can handle hearing things like this now. She says, he’s been so good with Aiden, picking up the slack since Cameron left. If she hasn’t told him enough, she’s so proud of him. He thanks her, and she says, now that he’s asked her a question, can she ask him one?

Trina says she guesses this tree doesn’t seem small to her because it’s the size she and mom always got. Small has a lot of advantages. They’re easy and cute and you don’t need a ladder to put up ornaments. Curtis says, it’s okay. They both know he won’t be climbing any ladders this year, but it doesn’t mean someone else can’t. They’ve been blessed with a beautiful big house with high ceilings. It would be a shame not to take advantage of that space by filling it with the biggest, best tree we can find.

Esme tells Spencer that after today, she and Ace are going to be on their own, and she has to get used to loading him and all of his stuff in and out of Ride Shares. He says, fine. Why can’t she just let him do this for her just one more time? She says, no. She’s sorry, but she has to get comfortable being on her own and relying on herself. The sooner she does that, the better it will be for Ace. She’s doing this for him. Can’t Spencer see that? He says he guesses he didn’t really think about it like that, and she says she knows this is hard on him. She’s sure he probably thinks she’s shutting him out and making things as difficult as possible, but he says he sees where he was wrong. And he is sorry. She says, apology accepted.

Adam tells his dad that he has to go. He has a lot of studying to do… He’ll see them at Christmas. He’ll talk to them later. Bye. Josslyn asks why he lied.

Laura tells Dante that she’s concerned they’re not further along in this investigation at this point. Austin Gatlin-Holt was a doctor at General Hospital. He was related to the Quartermaines. There are many people in this town who want to know who’s responsible for that man’s murder. Dante says he gets that, but they’re doing what they can. He wasn’t killed here. Jordan says, which means this case is officially being handled by the Pautuck PD, and Dante says, that’s right. And they’re in constant contact with them, as well as talking to Austin’s associates here in Port Charles. Laura asks if either department has come up with any suspects, and Dante says, no one officially yet, but there are a couple persons of interest. One of them is Laura’s brother.

Maxie tells Sasha and Cody that she’s explaining this all wrong. Of course (🍷) Deception’s products are amazing, the best in the business. The Deceptor? Game changer. But advertising is all about getting customers to associate selling with something that they want, even if it’s subconsciously. Whether people are willing to admit it or not, everyone wants a little romance in their lives. Cody and Sasha together, in front of a gorgeous sunset… It’s the epitome of that. Sasha says, it sounds like Maxie has a very thorough, well thought out marketing plan, when there’s a knock at the door. Felicia says, sorry to interrupt. She just didn’t want Maxie to worry. James is okay. Cody asks if something happened to James.

Trina says she had no idea Curtis was going to have such strong feelings about which tree they should get, and Marshall laughs and says, he always did. When Curtis was about three years old, he and Irene took Curtis and Tommy to pick out their tree. This is when he makes a beeline to the one he wants, this ugly, gnarly piece of tree. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. Curtis says, they ended up getting the tree, and Marshall says, absolutely. Because Curtis’s mother agreed with him. She said, Curtis picked out the loveliest tree. Trina laughs.

Jake says, sure. Elizabeth can ask him whatever she wants. She asks how things are between him and Charlotte, and he says he’s not really sure. He thinks they’re still dating, but since what happened, they haven’t seen each other that much, and she hasn’t really texted him back either. Elizabeth says, maybe she just needs more time, and he says, maybe. Even before that, she was kind of hard to read. Most girls he knows talk a lot and say everything that’s on their minds, but not Charlotte. He never knows what she’s thinking.

Adam tells Josslyn that he’s sorry. He just panicked. His dad would have been so mad that he left an important test. She says, even to help a friend? and Adam says, he would have hated that. She says, except she was the one who left for him, and he says he knows. She says, so what he’s telling her is, if she was the one who was in trouble, he would have left her and she would have been on her own. He says, she doesn’t understand. Ever since he was a little kid, his parents have wanted him to be a doctor. She asks what he wants, and he says, it doesn’t matter what he wants. It doesn’t work like that in his family. She says, so he’s just going to do what they want him to do forever? When is he going to start making decisions about his own life?

Esme tells Spencer that the Ride Share will be here in twenty minutes. She’s going to check their room to make sure she didn’t accidentally leave something. He says, don’t forget his favorite blanket, the warm fuzzy one he likes, and she says, it’s the first thing she packed. Would Spencer mind watching him? He says, of course (🍷), and she gives Ace to him. She goes in the back, and he sits on the sofa with Ace. He says, okay. This is it, buddy. Ace and his mommy are going to be getting their own place, which means they’re not going to see each other as much. Which means – he tears up – he’s going to miss Ace. But he’s still going to take Ace to the park to see the ducks, and he’ll ask if he can be the first person to give Ace some ice cream, because he knows it’s going to be his favorite too. Esme watches from the doorway, and Spencer kisses the top of Ace’s head. He says, and then next summer, they’re going to go to the pool again, because he knows how much Ace likes the water. And he knows they’re not going to live together anymore, but he wants Ace to know that he’ll always, always, always be his big brother. Okay? No matter what happens. He kisses Ace again, and Esme looks like she might cry.

Alexis tells Finn that he wants to keep his answers short. Yes or no; don’t volunteer anything. Finn says, this is all much more complicated than he realized, and she says, the law is much more complicated than most people realize. By the way, this is important, specifically to Finn’s case. It could backfire on him if he says he doesn’t remember. A man is dead, a family’s grieving, and the jury wants to feel that Finn will remember every detail leading up to the death. Martin says, but don’t lie. If there is something Finn forgot, it’s better to admit it than make up a story that’s going to come back to bite him. Finn says, nobody’s ever accused him of being overly verbose, so don’t worry. He thinks he’s got this. Martin and Alexis look at each other.

Laura says, clearly, Dante isn’t talking about Martin, and Dante says, no. Her other brother, Cyrus. Jordan says, considering his rap sheet and all the crimes she personally saw him commit, he’s certainly capable of murder. What’s his connection to Austin Gatlin-Holt? Dante says, it looks like Mason and Austin were both working for Cyrus the whole time he was in Pentenville, and Laura says, doing what? Jordan says, and how does Dante know this? and Laura says, this is a huge accusation. Does he have any proof?

Alexis asks if Finn can state his name for the record, and he says, Dr. Hamilton Finn. Martin says, wrong, but Finn says he’s pretty sure that’s his name. Martin says, it is, but that’s not what she asked. She specifically asked could he state his name for the record, to which he replies… Finn says, this is ridiculous. This is a deposition, not Simon Says. He’s not going to play lawyer games and parse every word coming out of Diane Miller’s mouth. Alexis says, he’d better, because Diane is going to parse every word coming out of his mouth, and then try to get a jury to see he’s negligent and at fault. So does he want to take a breath and they’ll start again? Can he state his name for the record? Finn takes a breath and says, yes. She asks, what is his name? and he says, Dr. Hamilton Finn.

Elizabeth tells Jake, Charlotte’s been through a lot. There are two kinds of trauma that happen after someone gets shot and she’s going through both. Obviously, there’s the physical pain, but there’s also the mental and emotional trauma of knowing she could have died. He says he guesses he didn’t see it that way, and Elizabeth says, she’s lucky though. Her physical injuries are healing, and she’s going to make a full recovery. But the other wounds? They’re going to take a lot longer to heal. Jake says he hates guns.

Trina says she’s a little scared to ask, but what do they think about this one? and Marshall says, don’t look at him. Talk to the tree whisperer here. It’s all his decision. Curtis says, getting close, but this ain’t it. Why don’t they take another look at this one? Trina’s phone dings, and she says, it’s perfect. She loves it. She can’t wait to see it decorated. She kisses Marshall and Curtis on their cheeks, and runs off. Marshall laughs and says he guesses she had someplace to be.

Felicia says, James went to the school nurse saying that his tummy hurt. When they couldn’t reach Maxie, they called her. Maxie says she can’t believe she left her phone here. They tried to call her four times. Felicia says, don’t worry. He’s okay. Cody asks, how sick is he? Where is he now? Felicia says she took him home. She put him right to bed and gave him some ginger ale and his favorite comic book. Liesl was willing to examine him and said, don’t worry. It’s just a case of the 24-hour flu that’s been going around. She’s there with him now and said he should be as good as new tomorrow. Maxie says, okay, so it’s not an emergency, and Felicia says, not at all. Cody says he’s happy to hear that.

Josslyn says she understands Adam is under pressure, but she doesn’t like when people lie about her, for any reason. She stayed because it was the right thing to do, and she wouldn’t have felt great if she’d just focused on her test and left him to fend for himself. He says he’s sorry. He owes her. She says, he doesn’t owe her anything but honesty. He doesn’t have to go around telling people what happened, but if he does, tell the truth. He says he has to get going, but he forgot to ask. What did she get on the make-up test? She says she got a 90, and he says he’s sorry. That’s too bad. He’s sure she’ll do better next time. He’ll see her later. He leaves.

Esme says, it looks like she has everything, so she guesses this is it, and Spencer asks if she wants him to put Ace in his stroller. She says she’s got it, and takes Ace from him. He says he guesses she doesn’t want him to help, and she says, it’s a production, but she’s got it. She guesses this is it, so wish them luck. He says, luck, and opens the door. Esme leaves with Ace, and Spencer watches as they get in the elevator.

Dante says he has a confidential informant, and they’re telling him Austin visited Cyrus at least one time in Pentenville, maybe more they don’t know about yet. Jordan says, that’s interesting, and Dante says, it is, especially when you consider the fact Austin testified at Cyrus’s hardship release hearing, saying that Cyrus was ill and he wasn’t a danger. Laura says, it shouldn’t be too hard to find out how many times Austin visited Cyrus in prison. There’s a visitor’s log, there’s security footage; Pentenville’s full of cameras. Dante says, in theory, that should be the case, but when he called Pentenville and asked them, they said they had no record of Austin being there at all. Jordan asks if there’s any possibility his confidential source is lying, but he says, not a chance. They’d have no reason to. He thinks someone wiped the records clean.

Alexis says, tell her about Mr. Muldoon’s first appointment. What were his symptoms? Finn says, dizziness, fatigue, gastro-intestinal distress, some weight loss, and Alexis asks if Mr. Muldoon disclosed anything that pointed him toward a preliminary diagnosis. Finn says, he’d been traveling through rural areas in the tropics and believed he’d contracted a tapeworm, and Alexis says, who initially raised the possibility of a tapeworm, him or Mr. Muldoon? He says he believes Mr. Muldoon did, and she asks, what was his response? He says he ran some tests and a culture, and she asks what he thinks those results indicated. He says, the tests revealed low hemoglobin and elevated white blood cell counts, and the culture came back positive for a tapeworm, so he… She says, you what? and he says, the tests confirmed Mr. Muldoon had a tapeworm, and she asks if he treated Mr. Muldoon per that diagnosis. He says, yes, and she says, how? He says he gave him praziquantel, and she asks if those symptoms Mr. Muldoon was experiencing could have been indicative of anything else… She asked him a question. He said his patient was complaining of dizziness, of fatigue, of low hemoglobin, of low white blood cell counts. Could any of those symptoms been indicative of another disease or illness? Finn says, only about 10,000 things.

The tree guy hangs a sold tag on the tree, and Curtis thanks him. Curtis tells Marshall that they’re going to deliver the tree this afternoon. He hopes Marshall is up for it tonight, because he’s ready to hang some ornaments. Marshall says he loves how Curtis gets so excited about Christmas. It reminds him of Curtis’s mama and how she got excited about it too. Curtis says, it was always her favorite time of the year. Even when times were tough, she always went all out, no matter what it cost.

Trina knocks on Laura’s apartment door, and Spencer answers. She hugs him.

Jake tells Elizabeth that he knows what happened with Charlotte was an accident, but it still really scared him. So he started reading about some gun control groups. He thinks he wants to get involved with one of them. She says she loves that. She loves that he’s finding something that matters to him, and he wants to make a difference. Let her know if there’s anything she can do to help. He says he will, and she says, but for right now, they have to find a tree. He says, she’s right, and they need to find the best one to send pictures to Cameron. He points at one and says he likes that one over there.

Curtis tells Marshall that when he was a kid, he used to think Christmas just happened. Mom and Aunt Stella always did such a good job at making Christmas magical for him and Tommy, it never occurred to him that it took work. It wasn’t until he was an adult that he realized they had to plan and save all year so that day could be memorable to them. Then every year without fail, they always had many gifts under the tree; good gifts too, stuff they wanted. Mama always knew how to make them the happiest. She and Aunt Stella would go without so they could make it happen for them. He asked mama one year if Christmas was any fun for her, because she didn’t get many gifts. He remembers her saying, baby, the best presents are the smiles on your faces. Marshall says, that sounds like Irene.

Trina and Spencer sit on the sofa, and Spencer says he hates to admit it, but Esme was right. It’s taken him a long time to understand this, but he thinks it’s going to be better for Ace in the long run. Trina says, it may not mean much in the moment, but she’s so proud of him for being so mature and putting Ace first. He says, that means a lot actually, and it’s better that he’s so young, because he’s never going to remember his life was any other way. But the thing is, Spencer will. He’s never going to forget all those moments of seeing Ace change and watching him grow. Watching him figure out that he’s got fingers and toes. And he’ll always remember how it felt to hold him and rock him in the chair in his room, both of them so cozy and happy while he sang Ace to sleep. She says, that’s beautiful, and she believes Ace will remember all of it. Maybe only subconsciously, but it will always be in his mind that Spencer’s voice was the first one that he heard. That Spencer’s arms used to hold him. And he’ll remember how safe and secure he felt with Spencer. That will be imprinted on his mind and in his heart. She cuddles against him.

Josslyn tries to study, but puts down the book. She puts in earplugs and gets on the bed with her phone.

Adam tries to study, but gets frustrated. He opens his desk drawer, taking out the prescription bottle. He downs a couple of pills and goes back to work.

Maxie tells Felicia that she doesn’t know what to do. She hates not being with James when he’s sick, but this video conference call is really important. Cody says, if it will help her get back to James, he can talk to Pavella’s people all day, and Maxie says she appreciates that. She really does. And it’s not that she doesn’t trust him and Sasha. They were great together on Home & Heart. It’s just that this conference call is so important. Felicia says, Cody and Sasha want to do this, and she said herself that they can handle it. So just say thank you and let them. Sasha promises they’ll call her right after and tell her how great everything went, and Cody says, yeah. Maxie says, they’ve convinced her. They’ll have to let her set them up first. She leads them over to a table and tells them where to sit. She asks Cody to scootch closer to Sasha, then tells Felicia, let’s go before she changes her mind. They leave, and Sasha opens the laptop. She asks if Cody is ready, and he says, hit it. She links in to the call and says, thank you everyone. They thank everyone for meeting with them today. She’s Sasha Gilmore and this is her colleague, Cody Bell. Cody says, nice to meet them. He and Sasha just want to fill them in on what’s going on with Deception.

 Martin slaps a twenty dollar bill on the table and tells Alexis that she was right. Broken in less than fifteen minutes. Finn says, objection. He did not break. Martin says, as much as it pains him to say it as Finn’s attorney, he definitely did. When he snapped at Alexis, it was basically admitting he took the easy way out with his diagnosis. Finn says, that is not what happened, and Alexis says, it doesn’t matter what happened. If he says that, this is what the jury is going to hear, that he took his patient’s word for it. Finn wrote him a prescription and sent him on his way without finding or treating the cancer that eventually killed him. Finn says, understand this. There are literally thousands of illnesses that present with fatigue, intestinal distress, low hemoglobin, and elevated white blood cell count. That’s a fact. Look it up. How would they like him to answer this question? Martin says, as simply as possible. When Diane asks him if those symptoms were indicative of anything else, just say yes. Alexis says, just that. Just that one word, yes. Finn says, okay. Keep his answers short. Duly noted. Thank you. Alexis says, all right. Let’s take it from the top. Can you please state your name for the record? Finn says, yes.

Laura says she’d like Dante’s opinion. Does he think Cyrus murdered Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt? He says he doesn’t have any evidence to back up that theory, but she says she’s not asking about evidence. She’s asking his opinion. He says, did Cyrus have a motive? Yeah. Sure. Austin came to see him at the PCPD before he died. He was worried that Mason was going to make it look like he kidnapped Ava. He wanted immunity. He was going to give up the name of the person he and Mason were working for and he was going to provide corroborating evidence. She says, and he thinks that person was Cyrus? and he says, just to be clear, Austin never told him that he was working for Cyrus. He found out after Austin died. Jordan says, but it certainly gives Cyrus ample motive for Austin’s murder, and Dante says, the problem is, Cyrus has an alibi. He was mopping floors at the Port Charles Grill when Austin was killed. Jordan says, this is Cyrus they’re talking about. If he didn’t want to do it himself, he certainly could have hired someone else to do it. Dante says, but that’s making a couple of assumptions. One of them is that Cyrus still has the associates and contacts that would actually murder for him; and two, that he knew Austin was going to give him up and he’s not convinced Cyrus did. Laura says, all right, and gets up. She wants Dante to keep her in the loop with everything involving this investigation; nothing is too small. Dante says, absolutely, and she says, because if her brother is the same ruthless killer he always was, she’ll make sure he never sees the light of day again.

Tomorrow, Gregory says, it’s an unfortunate coincidence running into Diane; Curtis asks if Portia is saying this is a possibility for him; and Anna tells Dante that she knows someone else is involved.

The Real Awful Housewives of Beverly Hills

We backtrack a little. Sutton says, something is going on with Kyle’s personal life that she’s not sharing with the group, and Kyle asks, with what? Garcelle, tired of circling this drain, says, her marriage. What’s with the new band? Knowing Kyle probably thinks this is about a concert, Sutton says, she’s not wearing her wedding ring. Garcelle says she thought it was a make-up band, and Kyle asks if they’re saying her husband cheated on her. Sutton asks if she said that, and Kyle asks if Sutton wants Mauricio to have cheated on her, but Sutton says she’s content with Kyle’s answers. Morally corrupt Faye feels like this is wrong, and Kyle says, when she drinks, she feels down and depressed. She can’t afford to feel that way right now. She discusses these things with her good friends. Sutton says, maybe they’re not as good of friends as she thought, and Kyle says, Sutton’s not acting like a friend. Sutton says, they just came from a quiet room, but Kyle brings up the name ‘em discussion and we flash back to that. Sutton says she had a lot going on and she’s sorry for that. And she’s sorry for how Kyle reacted as well. We flash back to Kyle literally running away from the conversation, and Kyle thanks Sutton for apologizing on her behalf. There are crickets for a while, and the next course is served. Garcelle talks about getting make-up gifts from Michael. She says, Michael is great dad and a horrible husband, but life continues after divorce. Erika says, she wants to have a love affair like you see in the movies, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, Erika had a love affair like in the movies. It was Harold and Maude, but in reverse, and will eventually be made into a Lifetime movie. The chef is barraged with questions about his personal life, and we find out he’s married before he runs from the room. In Erika’s interview, she says, Tom was established and had his own life for many years before she came along. She fit in his life. We flash back to better times, and Erika says she doesn’t want to do that again. She wants to carve her own life and meet someone with whom she can go forward together. Dorit asks if Denise missed them, and Denise says she did. She has a question for Erika. Why is it that Erika treated her a certain way after they met? When she met Erika for the first time, she thought Erika was sweet and lovely. We flash back to that, and Denise says, a year later, it was a different dynamic. Erika says she doesn’t feel anything personal toward Denise, and Denise asks what she did to Erika. Clearly, Denise is not herself. She seems more drunk than stoned though. Erika says, tell her what it is, and Denise says she’ll be clear. Erika was so kind to her… In her interview, Erika says she doesn’t know if Denise is high. She knows she’s high, but Denise seems to be on another level. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, maybe Denise had a drink before because she was nervous. In Dorit’s interview, she says she doesn’t know what Denise is partaking in, but she doesn’t want some. Denise says, then Erika was very different, and Kyle asks if there’s a specific moment Denise is talking about. Denise says, they’re grown-ass adults. Erika knows what she’s talking about. Erika says she really doesn’t, and I believe her because I don’t either. In Sutton’s interview, she says, Denise can say it. What did Erika do to her? Erika asks if it’s something specific or just the whole thing, and Denise says, the whole thing. They don’t need an example. Watch the show. In Crystal’s interview, she says, the weed dinner is kicking in. What are you talking about? Bitch, what? At the table, Crystal starts laughing like you sometimes do with weed.

In Garcelle’s interview, she wonders, who is this Erika? She’s cool as a cucumber and not lunging across the table. The old Erika would be like, bitch, what are you on? Denise says, she was so f***ing nice to Erika, then Erika was a bitch to her. Own it. Erika says, what? and Denise says, that. Now I’m laughing. In Erika’s interview, she says she’s so confused and high. They were having a good time, and this is ruining her high. She has no idea what Denise is talking about and neither does Denise. Erika apologizes because where else is there to go? and Denise thanks her, then says, you’re welcome. The chef tells the kitchen staff, Denise Richards is f***ed up. Sutton lights up a joint, stunning everyone at the table, and I’m dying here. Sutton says, it’s totally legal, and Erika says, they’re hitting the trees at the table. She never thought Sutton would love a joint. In Crystal’s interview, she says she loves Sutton, but she’s a walking contradiction. Here she is, smoking a joint, but in Vegas, she couldn’t deal with a few half naked men. That’s Sutton. Sutton says, there are things about her they don’t know, and dessert is served. Garcelle tries to talk to Denise in private, but Kyle, Annemarie, and Dorit follow them. In Kyle’s interview, she says she doesn’t understand what’s going on. Did Denise partake before she got here? Garcelle tells Denise that she thinks Erika really doesn’t understand, but Denise says, Erika is playing dumb. They all knew. Erika f***ing knew. In Sutton’s interview, she says, sometimes Denise doesn’t know how to say things she needs to say. If she was Denise F***ing Richards, she’d be walking around naked drinking tequila. She doesn’t like tequila, but that’s what she’d be doing. Dorit notices that Denise has her little, pink fuzzy coat on upside down, but Denise insists it’s fine. She tells Dorit, don’t do it. She knows what Dorit is doing, and she doesn’t give a flying about her jacket. In Dorit’s interview, she says, maybe Denise is onto something, and they’ll all be wearing them upside down. But right now, it’s a hard no. Denise leaves, and Erika tells Crystal that she doesn’t know what she apologized for. Denise ruined her buzz. Outside, Denise tells Kyle that Erika knows what she did, and gets in her limo. Erika tells Crystal, you can always count on someone here to ruin a good time. I say, yeah, and sometimes it’s you. Not today though.

Dorit tells Kyle, that was intense and not cool. Sutton was saying Kyle was in denial, and Kyle says she asked Sutton, what about? Sutton was acting like she knows something. Sutton makes the mistake of joining them, and says, it seems like Kyle is denial about something, but Sutton doesn’t know anything, so she wants to let it go. Kyle tells Sutton to quit gaslighting her, and if she knows about something, share it with her. Sutton says, she doesn’t know anything, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, Kyle is in denial about something going on with her marriage. Personally, she thinks Kyle is unhappy, but Kyle doesn’t like to talk about personal things. Kyle says she’d told them that her marriage wasn’t the best right now when they were at the retreat. Sutton says, Kyle’s been saying she doesn’t eat. She eats. Kyle says, maybe Sutton has a disorder, and in Sutton’s interview, she says she has an esophageal disorder and it’s nothing to make fun of. There are times she can’t swallow her own saliva. What’s going on in Kyle’s life that she’s not drinking? Is it because there was a problem? Sutton tells Kyle that she’s sick of fighting with her. Kyle already lost two sisters. Does she want to lose a third? Kyle says she knows the truth. Sutton had her own situation with her. She kisses her ass in public. Sutton says, so this is about Kathy, and Kyle says, Sutton just made it about Kathy. Sutton says, Kathy didn’t like that she didn’t stick up for her with the press, and we see a clip of Sutton being interviewed. The interviewer asks who Sutton believes, Kathy or Lisa, and Sutton says, it probably lies somewhere in the middle. Sutton says, Kathy called her and she felt firsthand what Kyle experienced, but Kyle says, Sutton was real quiet that day. We flash back to the Reunion, and Kathy insisting things that happened never happened while Kyle is bawling next to her. In Erika’s interview, she says, Kathy holds the key to what a lot of people want. She can lock you out of parties and social standing. Erika has always been a lone wolf on the outside. She doesn’t care if she’s on the list. They all know Sutton likes a socialization situation. That’s just the way it is. Erika tells Kyle that she doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with Kyle’s marriage, and Kyle admits it’s not great right now, but she wasn’t okay with Sutton’s sister comment. Outside, Annemarie tells Sutton that it was going good, then it was going bad, then it got going good again, then bad. Everyone leaves, and Kyle hugs the staff since that’s all she really has.

This is excruciating.

Erika and her assistant wonder how to make lemonade, and Erika suggests they look on the internet. Her assistant wonders if they don’t have to set up a stand if they make it. I only included this because I thought it was amusing that anyone would have to look up how to make lemonade. Um… water, lemons, sugar? The amount depends on how you like it.

Kyle jogs to Annemarie’s house and they play pickleball. Kyle says she doesn’t know the rules. She just hits the ball. In Kyle’s interview, she says she and Annemarie are both working moms with a lot in common. They’re both competitive, like to work out, and live down the street from each other. Annemarie speaks her mind. In Annemarie’s interview, she says, they share weird things. Like she has the same birthday as Kyle’s mom, and she and Kyle have the same surgeon. They play and it looks like ping-pong with a bigger ball and net. In her interview, Annemarie says she was into sports at five years old. She raced every grade, and in high school, she got into basketball. The janitor opened the gym at 6 am for her every day. It was no coincidence she ended up with an NFL football player. They sit down, and Annemarie says she needs a full rundown. It was her first encounter with most of the women, and she didn’t know why they were doing whatever. Sutton didn’t want to say what she was talking about and was talking circles around it. In Kyle’s interview, she says, it’s upsetting that Sutton would throw accusations at her. Garcelle, too, when she’s gone through it publicly and knows how hurtful it is. She’s disappointed. Annemarie says she feels she wants to know Sutton more.

Crystal, Garcelle, and Sutton meet for lunch, and Denise joins them, Garcelle saying, oh yeah, she invited Denise. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, Denise looks like she’s gliding through the wind. Calm, composed, and beautiful. Not like at the weed dinner. Garcelle tells Sutton that she saw a commercial where they talked about neuropathy. She hadn’t known about it until Sutton said she was experiencing it. Some cases are so severe, they have to amputate. In Crystal’s interview, she says, thank God Garcelle isn’t a doctor. You’d come in with a headache, and she’d say you have a brain tumor. Sutton says, Kyle asked if she’d had too many drinks or was it her medication, and Denise says, Kyle was judging Sutton on drinking. Sutton says, splits and ponytail on the ceiling, and Garcelle says, and sweeping the dancefloor with her coochie. They’ve all seen I t. Crystal thinks Sutton throwing sisters was hard, and Sutton admits it was a low blow. At Annemarie’s, Kyle tells Annamarie that Sutton’s remark was designed to hurt her. In her interview, Kyle says she doesn’t know if Sutton has something going on personally or has issues with her, but Sutton should stop thinking about Kyle’s life and focus on her own. She and Annemarie talk about Sutton’s eating issue, and in Annemarie’s interview, she says she’s a nurse anesthetist. She puts tubes down people’s throats, and airway anatomy is her jam. She uses the words esophagal sphincter and Kyle can’t compose herself because she’s five. At the restaurant, Crystal asks Denise what the thing with Erika was about, and Denise says, they were at a dinner party and Erika was talking about threesomes when her kids were at the other table. We flash back to that, and Crystal says, what the hell? Denise says she wants Erika to acknowledge it and apologize. Otherwise, she’s just a mean-ass bitch.

Dorit says she has to catch PK up on Kyle’s party. Something is going on, but Kyle hasn’t spoken about it in detail. PK says, Mauricio has been busy. He’s on the global domination track, and travel has put pressure on their own marriage. Just be a good friend. In Dorit’s interview, she says she’s not surprised that Kyle reacted so strongly. She understands Sutton wanting something clarified, but to come at Kyle like that felt dirty. She says she wants to talk to PK about homeschooling, but PK says, being with other kids is important for their kids’ growth. If it was up to Dorit, she’d keep them home until they were 19. In Dorit’s interview, she says, during the pandemic, they started homeschooling. Teachers come to the house. The kids are thriving, and they love their teachers. They do well one-on-one. She tells PK that she wants them to have a good transition back, and he should hear what they have to say. PK says, it’s not a consideration. School days are the best days, and their kids should experience them. Dorit says, that would be true if he was here, and in her interview, she says, when PK travels, she feels like a single mom. PK isn’t involved with the kids. He doesn’t know their needs and wants to swoop in and tell her what’s best. She asks PK for another year, but he says, no. He understands she went through a trauma, but her fears are irrational and she’s going down the wrong avenue. He heard her tell Jagger that if he goes to college, mommy is going to live on campus. A lot is coming from her need and desire for the kids to be close at all times, and she needs to own that element. In Dorit’s interview, she says, it’s a year and a half post home invasion, and PK is still not getting the gravity of the situation. She lived a moment where her kids’ lives were over. She saw it in her head, and it does something to a person he can’t understand. She tells PK that if she thought something wasn’t good, she’d change it. What’s best for the kids is at the forefront of her mind, always.

Erika meets with Mikey, and says, it’s time to turn a page. In Erika’s interview, she says she loves performing so much. She’s missed performing and the exchange of energy with the audience. The only time she’s truly present in life is on stage. That, and when she has good sex. Mikey says, they need the right room with the right capacity, and to have a residency. In her interview, Erika says she loves Las Vegas. Showgirls, costumes, money, all the steak and lobster. She tells Mikey, creating new music and creating a show and mounting a show is a big thing, but there’s nothing like it. In her interview, she says what she loves most in life is the pursuit. She’s a hunter by nature. Why not hunt the biggest game?

Dorit meets Kyle, who says, it was insane. Sutton saw a ring she’s never seen before. Kyle has a lot of jewelry Sutton hasn’t seen. Dorit says she’s trying to understand what Sutton was trying to say, and Kyle says, it was very clear. Dorit says, she was suggesting Kyle is trying to hide something, and Kyle says, it was a low blow. Kim arrives, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, their relationship is in a good place. Kim knows she’s going through a hard time and has been supportive this last year. Kim says she hasn’t left the house since lockdown, but it’s given her time to work more on herself. She also started coloring on the walls. In her interview, Kyle says, Kim had a hard time during the pandemic. She didn’t leave home and started painting murals. She’s actually really good. We see pictures, and she is. Kyle says, seeing Kim painting and out socializing makes her happy. Kim says she told Kathy that if Paris needs anything painted for Baby Phoenix, let her know. Kyle asks if she’s seen Phoenix, and Kim says she has. We see a clip of Kyle telling Mauricio that she found out about Phoenix on Instagram, and in her interview, she says, her sisters and nieces are a package deal. If she has an argument with one, she’s cut off from everybody. That’s the hardest part. Kim says, life is too short to fight. She tears up and hugs Kyle. She says she wants them to fix it, and Kyle says she doesn’t know how it got to this degree. She only had good intentions wanting Kathy to be in the group. Kim says, they both could have done something different, but even though you don’t see it in the moment, everything’s a lesson. In Kyle’s interview, she says she thinks of all the time she’s losing, the babies in the family. Normally, they’d all be together, and the kids would be close like they were when they grew up. It makes her sad. She tells Kim that sometimes you need to take a step back and take time, and Kim says, too much time becomes resentment.

Next time, Garcelle has dinner with Jaid and Ashlyn; Sutton has a party for her store; Annemarie asks Sutton about her medical issues; and Sutton wonders why she suddenly has a doctor’s appointment.

🧂 A Pinch Of Salt…

The mess that is Salt Lake.

🏂 The House That Shall Not Be Named…

I keep trying to watch this, but nope. Again, no judgement.

🩰 We’ll Always Have Paris…

While I didn’t watch the first season, Season 2 of Paris in Love is on Bravo, and I loved it. Her film This is Paris was very impressive, and if you don’t know it already, there’s a lot more to her than just being hot.

https://collider.com/paris-in-love-season-2-marital-drama/

📜 Checking My List Twice…

Come along for the ride tomorrow to soap and unreliable Charm. Until then, stay safe, stay forgetting about perfection, and stay not fighting. Life is too short.

December 1, 2023 – Ava Spills To Nina, Posing, Side Gig, Shade On, VanderUpdate, Parade Pics, Windows, Finale Of Fear, More Turkey, Holiday Pets (!), Just Over 8 Quotes & Philly

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Brook walks into the nook where Lois is chopping vegetables. Lois says, there’s her girl, and Brook says, okay, but Lios says she can do better than that. Where’s her main squeeze? Brook asks if she means Chase, and Lois says, no, her other main squeeze. Yes, Chase. Brook says, he’s probably halfway to Canada by now after grandma’s tirade on marriage.

Kristina shows Molly into her apartment and tells her to stay there while she secures the necessary provisions. She leaves and comes back with two glasses and a bottle of wine. Molly is still standing by the door, and Kristina says she didn’t expect her to still be in the same position. She leads Molly to the sofa and says, talk to her. What happened? Molly says she realized she’s never been here before.

Elizabeth and Finn are having dinner at the PC Grill (the restaurant of the moment), and Elizabeth wonders if they’re celebrating a special occasion. He says, that depends, and she says, on? He says, whether you deem the calm before the storm special.

A tall, impeccably groomed, well-dressed man walks up to the counter at Kelly’s and Carly welcomes him. She asks if she can get him something, and speaking with a British accent, he says he certainly hopes so.

Sonny and Dex walk into Pozzulo’s, and Dex says, Hume would have been waiting for Sonny if they’d have let him. Sonny asks if he was alone, and Dex says, just him and his briefcase, which he can only assume was full of cash like last time. Sonny says, okay, let’s hear what Pikeman has to say, and takes out his phone.

At Windymere, va opens the door to Nina, who says she’s completely freaked out. Ava sounded frantic. What’s going on? Ava says, this arrived in the mail today, handing her the note with the picture of dead Austin.

Elizabeth says she takes it that it didn’t go well with the hospital lawyer. What’s her name again? Finn says, Dede Clark. It went fine on the surface. She talked a lot about cooperation and implied they’re all in this together on the malpractice suit, and that he could do his part just by answering some questions. She says, but underneath? and he says, the more questions she asked, the more clear it became that GH’s plan is to sacrifice him and save themselves.

Kristina says, that can’t be true, but Molly says, it is. Think about it. Whenever they hang out, Kristina comes to her place, or they meet up at mom’s or Sam’s or a restaurant somewhere. Never here. Kristina says, Molly’s never been to her apartment (neither have we), and Molly says, no. Kristina says, that is weird. Well, welcome. Molly thanks her, and Kristina says, for the record, it’s not like she’s throwing parties or entertaining. Her kitchen is essentially a barren desert. It’s easier to go out. She pours the wine, and Molly says, Kristina doesn’t have to defend herself, but Kristina says, doesn’t she? Molly is her sister and hasn’t even seen her apartment. She hopes Molly knows it’s not intentional. She now has an open invitation, any time she wants to come here, day or night. Molly says, be careful. She just might take her up on that. Kristina says, she better, and they clink glasses.

Lois tells Brook, tirade is a bit of a stretch, and Canada is not that far away. Doesn’t she think she’s being a little overdramatic? Brook says, no. After some of the things grandma said to Chase, she can’t even go there. It was mortifying. Lois says, it’s a good thing to know, nobody ever died from embarrassment, and it didn’t seem to bother Chase all that much. Brook says, he was being polite, but Brook says, or maybe he was seeing Gloria for who she is, a meddling Italian grandmother whose views on modern relationships are stuck in the 1800s. Lois says, exactly, and Brook says, she and Chase have never even discussed marriage. They just moved in together. Lois says, indicating that marriage is probably the next step, but Brook says, they’re nowhere near that step and that’s okay by her. Lois says, good to know, and Brook says, it is good. Lois tells Brook that she just said that, and Brook says, she and Chase are perfectly happy the way things are. Chase walks in with a bottle of wine, and Lois says, he made it.  

The man tells Carly that he’s in Port Charles on business, and he has a craving for a burger. The concierge at his hotel recommended this place. Carly says, he must be staying at the MetroCourt, and he says, she knows it. She says she knows it well, and he says, if he were staying somewhere else, would they also recommend Kelly’s? She says, absolutely. Kelly’s is a Port Charles institution, and they have the best burgers in town, if she does say so herself. He says, wild guess. She works here. She says she owns the place, third generation. So how does he like his burger?

Nina looks at the photo and says, is this real? Ava says, as real as it gets. Austin is dead. Nina asks, how? and Ava says, he was shot to death in Pautuck. Look. She shows Nina the envelope and says, a Port Charles postmark. It could have been sent by anyone. Nina asks if it was just the picture, but Ava says, no. It came with this sweet little note. She gives Nina the paper that says, you’re welcome, and Nina says she doesn’t understand. Ava says, join the club, and Nina says, clearly, the killer wrote this. Oh my God. Would they just assume Ava would be grateful Austin’s dead? Ava says, that’s her guess, and Nina says, she has to take this to the police. Ava snatches them back and says, no. That’s the last thing she’s going to do.

Sonny says, before Hume gets here, how long did Dex tail Austin? Dex says, only when that nanny was working for Sonny. Betty? Sonny asks if anyone called Dex on it, and Dex says, a couple of times at the hospital, he was asked what he was doing there, but he always had a cover. Sonny asks if he roughed Austin up, and Dex says, when Ava disappeared, he questioned Austin. He stonewalled, Dex put him in a headlock and told him if Ava wasn’t back, he’d be back for him. Sonny says, that could be a problem. Austin was murdered and if anyone saw Dex threaten him, they could assume he did it.

Ava says, Dante has already been out here to question her, and Nina asks, why? Because of Austin? Ava pours drinks and says, there’s so much Nina doesn’t know. Nina says, then fill her in, and Ava asks if Nina remembers walking in on her and Sonny having an intense conversation a few months ago, and Nina says, yeah. She asked what was going on, and neither of them would tell her. Ava says she was being blackmailed, and Nina asks, for what? Ava says, when Nikolas went missing, she had every reason to believe he was dead, and Nina asks her to define every reason. Ava says she thought she’d killed him, and Nina says, oh my God. Ava says, he came here, and he was in a rage. He was threatening to disappear and take Avery with him. She had to do what she had to do to stop him, and she grabbed a statue and she hit him. She just wanted to stop him, that’s all, but he fell. He stopped moving and she panicked. She thought he was dead. Nina says, thank God she was wrong, and Ava says she was trying to hide his body when Austin found her. He told her that he’d help her cover it up. Then the body disappeared, and Austin’s cousin Mason claimed he had it. He said he would bring it to the police if she didn’t do everything he told her to do. Nina says, so Austin’s cousin Mason was blackmailing Ava because she killed Nikolas, but he wasn’t actually dead? and Ava says, but Mason wasn’t acting alone. It turned out, Austin was working with him.

Dex says, after questioning Austin about Ava, he never went near him again, and Sonny says, if the cops decide Dex is a suspect – and that’s a big if – tell them that he’s not talking to anybody without his attorney present, and that includes his son Dante. Dex says, understood, and Sonny says he takes care of his people. If Dex gets picked up, he has the best representation. Dex says he appreciates that, and Sonny says, let’s hope that doesn’t happen. The less attention the cops pay to Dex, the more valuable Dex is to him.

Carly presents the man with his burger and says, tell her what he thinks. Don’t spare her feelings. He takes a bite, and she says she wants to know the real deal. He makes happy food noises and says, talk about the real deal. She says, really? and he says, it’s delicious. It’s full of flavor, perfectly cooked. She tells him to enjoy his dinner. She looks at the door and says, not again, and they turn to see a homeless man hanging around the doorway. She goes outside.

Carly tells the man that he can’t be out here, and he asks her not to call the cops, but she says, that’s not what she means. It’s too cold. He needs to come inside.

Kristina asks if Molly wants to tell her what happened, and Molly says, shoot. She had a folder at the park. It’s filled with really personal information… Kristina says she’s got it. She picked it up from the ground when they were leaving. Molly thanks her and says, she’s a life saver. Kristina says, of course (🍷), and takes the folder out of her bag, giving it to Molly. What’s in it? She doesn’t have to share that. It’s 100% her right. Molly says, no, it’s fine. Open it. Kristina looks inside and says, surrogacy candidates. She doesn’t understand. Is there something wrong with them? Molly says, there’s something wrong with her, and Kristina says, watch it. That’s my sister you’re talking about. Molly says she has this whole folder of potential new surrogates and TJ has no clue she’s even looking at them.

Lois brings out glasses and thanks Chase for the wine. She says, it’s very thoughtful of him, and he asks if she wants him to open it. She says, is the Pope Catholic? and tells him to pour while she works. She goes back to the cutting board, and Chase asks if they have a corkscrew. Brook gets it for him, and he asks what they were talking about. Lois says, you, and Brook says, you and Blaze. And how you used to sing together and now she sings alone. Speaking of which, what does he think of her new song?… Hello? Chase says he’s sorry. He got distracted. It’s amazing how Lois can do all that with those nails. Lois says, there’s nothing she can’t do with these nails.

Elizabeth says, Finn has to separate the hospital from the hospital’s lawyers. Sure, it may be a good legal strategy to use him as a scapegoat, but Portia and Terry would never, and she’s sure the Board would follow suit. He says he doesn’t know anymore. If the Muldoons can prove that the hospital somehow knew he was negligent and turned a blind eye, it’s possible they’d be liable for damages. Martin thinks GH’s best plan is to say that he was negligent, but he acted without the knowledge of the hospital. She says, but he wasn’t negligent and he’s going to explain that to a jury when he testifies. They’ll have to be sympathetic to him. He says, really? Has she met him?

Finn says, his testimony alone could tank the case, and Elizabeth tells him, says who? He tells her, says his lawyer; he said it a bunch of times. She says, that’s ridiculous, and he says, really? She says, if Martin Grey doesn’t believe in Finn, fire him, and Finn says, Martin does believe in him, but he’s also a lawyer. Good lawyers point out the landmines. This case at the core is about a grieving family who are looking for answers, and really, can you blame them? She says, of course (🍷) not, and he says, then it’s possible a jury might feel that way too. She says, and it’s possible to have empathy for the family, and realize their loss wasn’t his fault. He says he doesn’t know. He just feels that when he gets on the stand, the jury’s sympathies are going to be with the Muldoons, and the only way he can win them over is to get them to… like him. She says, he did it with her and she’s a way tougher sell. A bunch of strangers? Cakewalk. He says he doesn’t know whether to take that as a pep talk, but all he heard was, she likes him. She says, very much so.

Chase asks if Lois is sure she doesn’t need any help, but she tells him, just sit back and relax and enjoy the wine, which is very good by the way. Brook says, it’s delicious, and Chase says he’s got a guy. Lois says, he’s got a wine guy? and Brook says, it’s true. His recommendations are always on point. Lois says, good to know, and she’s very glad the two of them can join her for dinner. Chase thanks her for the invite, and she says, it gives her a chance to get to know him better. And to apologize for all things Gloria. He says, get out of here, and she says, not really apologize, because God knows she loves her mother, but she does know she could be a bit much. Brook says, a bit? and Lois says, but she means well. Her mother is a romantic. She’s in love with love, and for a woman from her generation, if you’re in love, you put a ring on it. Brook chokes on her wine.

Molly tells Kristina that she was contacted by the matching professional about looking for a new surrogate, and she was excited about getting things going again. Kristina asks if TJ felt differently, and Molly says, when she told him, he said it was too soon. Kristina says, too soon for whom? and Molly says, for him. For them, she guesses. He’s not ready to get back on that roller coaster again. Kristina asks how Molly feels about that, and Molly says, deflated… frustrated. This whole thing is bad enough, but to not be on the same page as your partner. Anyway, she ran into Dr. Navarro when she was leaving the hospital, and she says so kind and steady, and she really put things in perspective. Kristina asks what the doctor said, and Molly tells her, basically, the risk of miscarriage is the chance that you take, no matter who’s carrying the child. But when you weigh that against the chance of actually having a baby, so many people have had success through surrogacy. She wants to be one of those people. Kristina takes her hand, and Molly says, she took the meeting alone. Kristina asks if it was productive, and Molly says, it was, until mom showed up.

The homeless man tells Carly that he’d rather stay outside. He doesn’t like being around too many people. She says, at least let her bring him something to eat, and he says, really? Carly says, of course (🍷), and he says, that’d be great. Thanks. She says she’ll be right back, and if he changes his mind, the door’s open. She runs inside and goes directly to the kitchen, as the man at the counter watches.

Nina says, she didn’t know Austin well, obviously, but he seemed to really care about Ava. Ava says she thought so too. She thought Austin was someone she could trust. When he tried to convince her that he was being coerced, that he didn’t want to help his cousin, that he was trying to get her out from under the blackmail, she believed him. But Nikolas wasn’t dead, and she’s convinced Austin knew all along. Nina says she just doesn’t get it. What was his endgame? Ava says, per usual, in this underworld at least, all roads lead back to Sonny.

Dex shows Hume into Sonny’s office, and Sonny says, well? Hume says, Pikeman needs him to facilitate another shipment, and Sonny says he thought he made himself clear. He doesn’t do anything for Pikeman unless they tell him who the shooter was at the MetroCourt. Hume says, they’re not the police or the WSB. Pikeman is a manufacturer. Sonny says, that exports merchandise through his channels, and Hume says, and they’re willing – he puts his briefcase on the table and opens it – to pay double this time. We see the briefcase is crammed with stacks of bills.

Kristina asks if Alexis is trying to discourage Kristina from trying again, but Molly says, no. It was just typical mom. She wants what Molly wants. But when Molly told her about taking the meeting without tell TJ… Kristina says, technically, she did consult TJ, but Molly says, Kristina knows what she means. Mom said whatever she and TJ choose to do, they have to make the decision together, but she just has this sinking feeling that TJ might never be ready. So she went to the park to clear her head and ran into Willow and Amelia. It was nice. Willow was really sweet, and she got to hold the baby. Kristina asks if it wasn’t hard for her, and Molly says, at first, but it was so amazing to hold this tiny little human in her arms. Once she left them, she couldn’t stop thinking about how she might never have the child of her own. She wants to be a mom so badly. She starts to cry, and Kristina says she knows Molly does.

Chase asks if Brook is okay, and Brook says she will be once her mom changes the subject. Lois says, in a sec. The biggest thing Chase can take away from all of this is that Gloria obviously likes him. That’s not an easy feat because that’s not a woman you can win over very easily. And for what it’s worth (🍷), Lois likes and approves of him too. Chase says, it’s worth more than she knows, and Lois says, he makes her daughter happy. She can see it in her face. She can hear it in her voice and in the way she moves. As a mother, that’s all she could ask for. Chase says, for the record, her daughter makes him very happy too, when Lois’s phone rings. She says she has to take this and asks Brook to finish up for her. She leaves and Brook asks if Chase brought his shovel for the hole he’s going to dig, where she’s going to hide for the remainder of her days. He asks if she doesn’t think she’s being a little dramatic, and she asks why everyone keeps saying that to her… Do not answer that. She’s so, so sorry. He says, why? He’s not.

Finn says, it’s too bad they can’t clone her and have a whole jury box full of Elizabeths. She says, that’s a terrifying thought, and I laugh at the mental picture. He says, not to him, and she says, truth? He says, sure, and she says, sometimes he can be a little… He says, abrasive… guarded… socially awkward, and she tells him that she was going to say standoffish. But once people get to know him, they see what she sees. He says, and what’s that? and she says, a man of the utmost integrity; a brilliant researcher; a dedicated physician; a loving, sometimes neurotic, father. He says, sometimes? and she says, a person who really cares and a doctor who never quits on his patients… and someone who needs a little work on their maple tapping skills. He says, a lot of work, and she says, he’s saved hundreds of lives, and he has the potential to save so many more. He says, not if he loses this malpractice suit.

Carly takes a to-go bag out the homeless man and says she hopes he likes goat cheese. There are fries in there, she threw in a piece of pie, and here’s a coffee. She hands him a cup, and he thanks her. He asks if it’s okay if he sits out here and eats, and she tells him, of course (🍷), and stay as long as he likes.

She goes back inside to the counter and asks the not-homeless man if he’d like anything else. He says he thought she was going to run that guy off. Instead, she fed him. How come?

Nina asks what Sonny has to do with any of this, and Ava says, Austin and Mason were working for Cyrus Renault. Nina asks if Sonny knows, and Ava says, he’s the one who told her. Nina wonders why he didn’t say something, and Ava says, he doesn’t want Nina involved. God knows she wishes she wasn’t involved. Nina says, so Cyrus is the one who had her kidnapped? and Ava says, yes. He wanted Austin to testify for him at that hearing in Pentenville. Nina says, his hardship release. So he had Mason take Ava hostage to guarantee Austin’s testimony. Ava says, helluva guy, huh? and Nina says, Austin did what Cyrus wanted and testified to save Ava. That means Ava did mean something to him. Ava says, something maybe, but not enough.

Sonny closes the briefcase and tells Hume to take it back to his superiors along with this message – he’s out. He’s not moving anything else for Pikeman for any price. Find another harbor. Hume says he’ll relay the message, and Sonny says, you do that. Hume leaves and Dex closes the office door. Sonny says, Dex is going to have an opinion on what he just did. So what does he think? Dex says he thinks Sonny made a mistake.

Finn tells Elizabeth that he thinks the biggest question is going to be why he didn’t screen Muldoon for more tests that would have indicated the presence of cancer. She says, Finn told her that he wanted to, and Muldoon didn’t want to have any more tests. Finn says, he knows, but they might say something like he didn’t explain it to him fully, or maybe he was open to the tests and Finn just didn’t bother. She says, and what? Finn told him he was fine and pushed him out of his office? Finn tells her that they might say he got busy with his research or other patients. She says, he would never do that, and he says he knows that, and she knows that, but what if the jury doesn’t know that?

Brook says, all this marriage talk has got to be wigging Chase out, and he says he’s not wigged out. And he’s pretty certain no one says that anymore. She says her family just really loves weddings, in an unhealthy co-dependent kind of way, and he asks if she’s been to a lot of them. She says, weddings? Oh yeah. Between the Cerullos and the Falconaris, there are too many to count. He asks what they’re like, and she says, big, loud, enough food to feed an army… and the people there fighting. And the dancing. Nobody dances the tarantella like her grandma. He says he’d love to see that someday, and she says, he will. Not at their wedding… She didn’t mean that. She meant at a wedding, probably one of her gajillion family members. Is it hot in here? She fans herself and he says, she needs to relax, but she says she feels terrible. Everyone’s all up in his grill. He says, nobody’s up in his anything, and she says her grandma has probably already reserved a church for them, but they can’t blame her. It’s all she knows. The moment you turn 18, every nona keeps asking when it’s going to be your turn. So she understands it from her grandma. Or at least she’s trying to. But from her mother? That’s a completely different story.

Counter man says, not to sound callous, but he can’t imagine it’s good for business to have a homeless man hanging around outside, and Carly says, probably not. She did tell him to come inside, but he didn’t want to, so she just brought him some food. He says, that was kind of her, and she says, they wrap up all the unused food and send it to the homeless shelters, so she would have been feeding him anyway. At least this time he’s getting a hot meal. The man says he’ll pay the check when she gets a chance, and can she give this to her friend outside. He hands her some cash, and she says, thanks.

Ava tells Nina that Austin came to see her at the gallery the night he died. When she found out he’d known she was held hostage… He could have gone to Sonny. He could have gone to the cops, but he did nothing. He was silent. She was furious. They fought about it. She told him to leave and he left. Nina says, and that was the last time she saw him? and Ava says, yeah. She just doesn’t have any way to prove it. Nina asks if there aren’t cameras at the gallery. Can’t they prove Ava was there at the time Austin was shot? Ava says, the cameras in the back aren’t working, and that’s where she was most of the night, and Nina says, well, that is going to be an issue. Ava says, even if the cameras were working, she doesn’t think it would help her. That’s why she can’t bring the note and picture to the cops. They’re just going to think she hired somebody to get rid of Austin. Even dead, that man is still making trouble for her.

Sonny says, Dex thinks he should have taken the deal? and Dex says he thinks it’s better to play along than make himself an obstacle that needs to be removed. When he was in Afghanistan, there were a lot of these private security groups there. Sonny says, including Pikeman, and Dex says, these are powerful people. They have connections to all the major security ops, the CIA, the WSB. If they come at Sonny, it may be at a level he hasn’t seen before. Sonny says he appreciates Dex’s insight. He’s already considered all that, and he realizes his best move right now is to get out. He doesn’t want Pikeman investing any more in him. He’s betting that they think he’s more trouble than he’s worth and move on.

Molly says, it’s like she’s lost all self-control, but Kristina says she thinks that’s a good thing. Molly says, that she’s a human walking waterworks? and Kristina says, yes actually. For the first time, Molly’s allowing herself to feel what she feels, without trying to edit it or control it. Being a mom is hugely important to her. Molly says, it’s like she won’t be her if she doesn’t, and Kristina says, that’s really beautiful. Molly says, not if TJ won’t consider these surrogates. And she won’t have a child without him. She won’t do that to him. Kristina takes her hands, and they sit down. She says, TJ will come around. She knows he will, and when he does, let Kristina help her. Let her carry a baby for them.

Chase says he doesn’t want Brook to be mad at her on his account. He thinks she’s awesome. She says, he does? and he says, Brook obviously comes by her beauty and her spark naturally. Brook thanks him for the compliment and for just being overall amazing. How’d she get so lucky? He says he asks himself that every day… about how he got lucky, not her. (Ha-ha!) She suggests they agree they’re both lucky, and he asks what she say were the three most important moments of her life. She says, when she scored Jonas Brothers tickets in 2010, and he says he’s being serious. Humor him. She says, all right. The last time she ever saw her great-grandfather Edward; that’s a big one. The first time she ever wrote a song, and when she gained a little brother in Leo. He says he wants this moment right now to be on that list, and she asks what he’s talking about. He says, Brook Lynn Quartermaine – he gets down on one knee, taking her hands – will you marry me?

Finn pulls his chair closer to Elizabeth and says, she called him caring. She says, because he is, and he says he thinks he knows that somewhere deep down. He also doesn’t like being questioned or doubted, and when he gets defensive, he gets awkward. These jurors aren’t medical professionals, and this medical jargon thing will go right over their heads, and the only thing that’s going to resonate with them is that this man is dead, and his family is grieving. And there’s this doctor on the stand saying he did everything right. She tries to interrupt, but he says, no. What if he would have pushed harder for Muldoon to get those tests? Made him. Demanded he get that colonoscopy. Would Muldoon still be alive? She says, no one can answer that question. But what she can tell him is, all they can do as medical professionals is their best, and he did that. She knows that. So they need to teach him how to project that inward kindness outward, so the jury will believe him and maybe even like him. He asks if that’s even possible and she says she thinks… Yeah. They’ve got their work cut out for him. They kiss.

Kristina takes Molly’s hand and says she knows Molly was originally against it when she offered to be their surrogate. And admittedly, she hadn’t really thought it through, not fully. Maybe there was a part of her that wanted to swoop in and be the hero. Molly tells her, when she said that before, that was her pain talking. She was disappointed and bitter that Kristina could carry a child and she couldn’t. But that was unfair and she’s sorry. Kristina says she’s sorry Molly is going through this at all, and she’s sorry Molly lost her first baby. Molly says, it’s not Kristina’s job to fix it for them, and Kristina says she doesn’t think it is. Not at all. That’s not the way she sees it. Bringing Molly’s child into this world is something she can and truly wants to give her. Not just for Molly, but for this baby who’s going to be in this family with the most incredible parents. Molly says, she’s absolutely positive? and Kristina says, 100%, no backsies. Molly says, now she knows Kristina means business, and Kristina says she does. Molly says she has to talk to TJ about it; they have to be together on this. Kristina says, of course (🍷), and Molly says, no matter what they decide it means everything that Kristina has offered. Molly thanks her, and Kristina says she loves Molly. They hug, and Molly says she loves Kristina too.

Ava looks at the photo of dead Austin, then picks up the note and puts them both in the fireplace. She watches them burn.

Dex says, so Sonny will end his association with Pikeman and hope they cut their losses, when there’s a knock at the door. Nina comes in and says, Frank told her that she could come in. Sonny asks, what’s wrong? and Nina says she just came from Ava’s. She knows about Austin and Ava said he was working with Cyrus. More importantly, she said Cyrus still may be after Sonny. Sonny says, damn. Ava has no business telling her that. Nina says, no, she doesn’t really. The person she should hear it from is him.

Carly thanks the man for coming by, calling him Mr. Brennan (I guess he used a credit card). She hopes they see him again at Kelly’s soon, and he says he can practically guarantee it. He gathers up his things and heads for the door, when Hume comes in. He tells Brennan, we have a problem. Corinthos refuses to move any more of our shipments.

On Monday, Brook says, let’s take the topic off the table and forget it ever came up; Ned says, if he doesn’t figure out how to stop him, Michael will push him out; Molly wants TJ to hear her out first; Blaze asks if Kristina wants to celebrate; and Nina tells Sonny that she’ll do whatever she can to make sure someone comes home.

📸 Meant For More…

I never knew this. That photo doesn’t even look like him.

💣 Happier Villainy…

I still haven’t seen this, but it looks like a fun show.

💎 Shades Of Mess…

While I don’t normally side with Erika, I thought this was weird too. Denise seemed drunk. Maybe she was. Maybe there’s something we don’t know. First world problems.

🍸 Take Two…

If anyone still cares.

🍂 Goodbye Autumn…

In case you didn’t see the parade.

🎁 Switching Gears…

Another thing better seen online. You would not believe how crowded this stuff gets. The tree lighting looked insane.

⚰️ Rehashing the Dead…

All about the Fear finale. The best part – if you haven’t seen it, major spoiler – Skidmark made it! Even better, when he showed up, secretly thanks to Alicia, Daniel just asked, where have you been? No, how the hell did you appear out of thin air after disappearing for years? Or even, what are the odds? It was a great moment. It was a great finale. Nothing left unsaid.

https://ew.com/fear-the-walking-dead-series-finale-kim-dickens-interview-8402455

https://ew.com/fear-the-walking-dead-colman-domingo-reacts-to-victor-strand-finale-ending-8403734

https://ew.com/fear-the-walking-dead-showrunners-explain-alycia-debnam-carey-finale-return-8404001

🦃 Twice the Thanks…

I saw Thanksgiving for my birthday. They were giving out swag and I got a poster.

While it was a good time, and Eli Roth is a great director, this news surprised me.

https://people.com/thanksgiving-slasher-film-getting-sequel-2025-director-eli-roth-8409658

🫏 Practice Run…

Warming up for pets dressed as Santa, Santa’s elves, the Grinch, and whatever other humiliating holiday costume their pet parent can find.

I have no clue who these people are, but their celebrities somewhere and they have cute pets.

https://push.abs-cbn.com/2022/12/24/celebrities-flex-their-pets-on-christmas-day-1413

🐳 Quotes of the Week

My songs will pass and be forgotten. What counts, however, is that I sang them. – Father Andrew Greeley

Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.Lou Holtz

Compassion is the ultimate and most meaningful embodiment of emotional maturity. It is through compassion that a person achieves the highest peak and deepest reach in his or her search for self-fulfillment.Arthur Jersild

No man can tell whether he is rich or poor by turning to his ledger. It is the heart that makes a man rich. He is rich according to what he is, not according to what he has. – Henry Ward Beecher

No matter who you are, we’re creatures of habit. The better your habits are, the better they will be in pressure situations. – Wayne Gretzky

The world needs a-holes. Otherwise, where would the sh*t go out? – Dusan Mirkovic (Christoph Waltz), Downsizing

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

Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.Ann Landers

Tomorrow I’m going to feel the pounds. – Andrei Castravet, 90 Day Fiancé, The Other Way: Pillow Talk

🐹 On the Holiday Hamster Wheel…

Take some time to stop and smell the pine needles this weekend, and join me on Monday really Tuesday for soap and that mess in the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping realistic expectations of yourself and others, and stay allowing yourself to feel what you feel, without trying to edit it or control it.

November 29, 2023 – Petrov Pays a Visit to Port Charles, More Gloria, Kyle Is the Least Empathetic Human Ever & Strangers

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Gloria tells Lois that she thinks everything is going to be okay. Probably. Yuri said he could fix this, right? Lois says she hopes so. These are not good people to make angry. Gloria says, it’s not her fault. She just spoke her mind and now they’re threatening Ziti, and if they don’t fix this misunderstanding, they’re going to kill him. (Well, I feel stupid. Ziti is a dog. I thought maybe they were threatening to steal her secret recipe or something.) Yuri comes in and says, no one kills Ziti. He’ll handle it. He makes a call.

Felicia tells Maxie that she’s sorry she’s late. Is James ready to go? Maxie tells her, don’t worry about it. Cody came and picked him up, and he’s going to drop him off, so she doesn’t have to go to the Quartermaines. Felicia says, that’s thoughtful, and Maxie says, isn’t it? Even though it’s not as long of a drive as it would have been from their old place. Felicia says, this place is definitely a better fit for Maxie and the kids all the way around. She looks at the living room, sees a box, and says, more new furniture? Maxie says, don’t even get her started, and Felicia says, bad purchase? Maxie says, the worst. Just another tragic example of her trying to save money and it ending up costing her more. Felicia asks what she means, and Maxie says, so she got Georgie a desk and it’s 20% off. It came unassembled, so she figured she could put it together herself. Felicia says she sees where this is going, and Maxie says, the only person who could put this thing together is a professional carpenter. She wanted to send it back, but it was on sale. Felicia says, so it’s probably not returnable, and Maxie says, just another example of a stupid financial decision she’s made.

Alexis goes into the PC Grill and tells the maître d’ that she was here earlier, and he says he remembers. She was having lunch with Mayor Collins. She says she can’t find her phone and she’s hoping she left it here, and he says, she’s in luck. One was turned in at the bar. She can ask them about it. She thanks him and heads for the bar, where she sees Molly at a table nearby.

Finn thanks Martin for coming on such short notice, and Martin says, of course (🍷). It sounded urgent. What can he do for Finn? Finn says he understands his father and Alexis told Martin about him being sued for malpractice, and Martin says, they did. Just a broad outline, but he thinks he has a basic understanding of the case. Finn says, on their recommendation, he’d like Martin to represent him, and Martin says he thought that’s what this might be about. Finn asks if he’ll take the case, and Martin says, before he agrees, he wants to be fully transparent. This case, Finn’s case, is going to be a tough one to win. Finn says he appreciates Martin’s honesty and to be honest with him right now, he thinks he might have just made things worse.

Brook says, Chase’s truck drives really well, and he says he could tell how much she liked driving it by how fast she took that last turn. They walk into the station, and she says, he can unclench his jaw now. She got them here safe and sound, didn’t she? And don’t worry. She’ll take good care of his baby. He tells her, just remember, the parking sticker goes on after it’s detailed. She says, a deal’s a deal. She’s going to get his truck detailed, and he’s going to come by the house to say goodbye to Grandma Gloria after he breaks this big case he’s working on.

Dante introduces himself to Detective Brisco, saying, they spoke earlier. Brisco says, good to meet him in person, and Dante says, likewise. They shake hands, and Brisco says he’s requesting interdepartmental cooperation to investigate the murder of Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt. Dante asks what he needs, and Brisco says he needs to know Dante doesn’t have a conflict of interest. Two months ago, Dante shot the victim’s cousin in his jurisdiction.

Ava meets Sonny in a private lounge at the MetroCourt, and he says, she made it here quickly. She says, it sounded urgent. Something tells her that she’s about to get some bad news. He says, that depends, and she says, on what? He says, her perspective. Some people might consider it good news. Austin Gatlin-Holt is dead.

Finn says, DeeDee Clark, the attorney representing the hospital in the malpractice suit, came here earlier to interview him, and Martin says he’s going to stop Finn right here. The first thing Finn has to understand is that he and the hospital are not on the same side of this thing. That’s why they have separate attorneys. Finn says he’s learning. Martin is the tenth person who’s told him that this week. Martin says, good, because there’s a process here; it’s a strategy. The hospital’s got the deep pockets, not Finn. That’s why the hospital is the one the Muldoons want the judgement against, but to do that, they have to present that not only was Finn negligent, but the hospital allowed and/or contributed to that negligence themselves. Finn says he understands, and Martin says he hopes so. Because at this point General Hospital’s first and probably only defense is that Finn and Finn alone is responsible for the malpractice that led to Mr. Muldoon’s death.

Alexis thanks the bartender for her phone and orders a club soda. At a nearby table, the matching professional tells Molly, this was a good start. She’s sorry none of the surrogates she and TJ interviewed were available, but she hopes Molly will agree there are several other amazing candidates in here. She gives Molly a folder, and Molly thanks her and says, it’s encouraging to know other options are waiting for them. She and TJ will discuss them all and get back to her. The matching professional says, take your time. It’s a big decision. When they’re ready, she’ll be here. She leaves, and Alexis asks if she can join Molly.

Felicia says she doesn’t understand. Why does Maxie owe so much money? Maxie says, because she’s run up a lot of credit card debt, and Felicia asks how that happened. Maxie says, in the beginning, Deception was doing great and she was able to pay off every balance every month on every card, no problem. Then the lawsuit happened and The Deceptor was taken off the market, and she could only afford the minimum payment. Felicia says, that’s how they get you, and Maxie says she knows, but she didn’t have a choice. And she thought all this would get resolved faster, so she was just making the minimum payments and she was still having to charge things every month. (Ugh. I feel her pain.) Now they’re living in this bigger, more expensive place, but the kids love it, so she can’t bring herself to regret it. She just feels like she’s dug herself into a hole she won’t be able to get out of.

Yuri asks if Lois and Gloria both know the plan, and they say, yes, when Brook walks in. She says, that’s never a good question to walk in on. What plan? What’s going on? Lois says, Brook’s grandma is in trouble, and Brook asks, what kind of trouble? Gloria says, it’s a just a misunderstanding, and Lois says, she had a difference of opinion with a woman who has close ties to the Russian mob. Brook asks what Gloria was thinking and says, they have to call Uncle Sonny.

Ava asks how certain Sonny is that Austin is dead, and he says, very certain. She asks how he died, and he says, maybe she should tell him. She asks what he’s implying. How the hell would she know? Sonny says, she’d know if she was there, and she says she didn’t even know he was dead until Sonny told her just now. He says, listen to him. If she killed Austin, she needs to tell him, now.

Brisco says, if Dante had reason to suspect a kidnapping victim was being held in Pautuck, they should have been his first call, but Dante says he didn’t have reason to believe anything. He acted on a civilian tip. By the time he got there, the perp was about to throw another man down a cliff. So he didn’t have time to call anyone. Brisco says, Dante’s been cleared by his department. He has no problem with that. He does have a problem with some defense attorney claiming Dante had a conflict of interest and getting any evidence he uncovers suppressed. Dante asks if Brisco wants him to recuse himself, but Brisco says, not at this time. That may change once they get a suspect and start building a case. In the meantime, he needs Dante’s help questioning the associates of the victim here in Port Charles. Chase comes in, and Dante says, good timing. He introduces Chase and Brisco, and Brisco says, let him fill them in on what they have so far. The property is rural, but the house is visible from the road. The neighbors saw the front door wide open, so they went to investigate. They saw the body and immediately called the Pautuck PD. Dante asks if they have an estimated time of death, and Brisco says, the preliminary report is 24 to 48 hours prior to Thanksgiving. Chase asks, how’d he die? and Brisco says, it was pretty brutal. Two shots to the chest, close range.

Ava says she told Sonny, she didn’t kill Austin. Why would she? She has no reason. He says, they both know that’s not true, and she says, then tell her. Why would she want to get rid of him? He says, Austin played her, strung her along, pretended to be in love with her, lied to her, when all the while taking orders from Cyrus. She says, wouldn’t that make it much more likely Cyrus killed him? Why doesn’t Sonny question him? Sonny says he doesn’t give a damn about Cyrus. She’s the mother of his child. She’s no good to Avery in prison. So if she killed Austin, she has to let him know because the police have his body. And every second they waste makes it harder for him to cover her tracks.

Brisco says he was just telling Dante that he needs help putting together a list of the victim’s known associates. Dante says, Austin’s cousin Mason is currently in the hospital at GH, but he’s also been arrested for attempted murder and kidnapping. Chase says, as soon as he’s well enough, he’s going to be transferred to Pentenville, and Brisco says, he’s injured and handcuffed to the bed and there’s a guard outside his door. Seems unlikely he’d be able to sneak out and murder his cousin. But he’d like confirmation on Mason Gatlin’s whereabouts on the night in question, just in case.

Yuri says, they’re all family. Problem go away. Brook asks if he’s sure about that, when the doorbell rings. Yuri says, Mr. Petrov is here, and Lois asks how he knows. He tells her, just stick to plan, and goes to the door. He opens the door and thanks Mr. Petrov for coming in Russian. Also in Russian, Petrov says he hopes it’s worth the trip, and Yuri brings him to the living room where Brook, Lois, and Gloria are lined up. Yuri says, this is Brook Lynn Quartermaine, and Lois and Gloria Cerullo. All good women. Brook says, hello, and Lois says, hi. Gloria nods, and Petrov says, you. She’s the one who upset his Petra. Gloria starts to move forward, but Lois pulls her back. Petrov and Gloria stare at each other.

Molly says she didn’t expect to see Alexis today, and Alexis says she was here earlier having lunch with Laura and left her phone here. She came back to retrieve it, and it looked like Molly was having an intense conversation. Molly says she was, and Alexis says she also noticed that when Molly saw her, she shut that folder really quickly. So she’s assuming whatever it is, Molly would like to keep it private. She just wants Molly to know that she loves her and she’s here for her if she needs to talk about anything. Molly says she does actually. She started looking for a new surrogate. She hands Alexis the folder.

Finn tells Martin, it’s absurd. There was no negligence, not by him, not by the hospital. Mr. Muldoon had a tapeworm like the tests showed. The only way to know he had cancer is if he got follow-up tests and Mr. Muldoon refused to do that. Martin says, listen to him. It’s one thing to be upset, but never ever tell a grieving family, people who’ve lost a husband or father, that their need for redress is absurd. The jury will hate him. Finn says, that’s not what he meant. The last thing he wants to do is downplay their pain. He grieved for this man when he died, but the GH lawyer implied that he should have been able to tell immediately that Muldoon had cancer in addition to the tapeworm. There’s a knock at the door, and Clark comes in. She says, good. Finn’s still here. She’s assuming this is his lawyer. Martin introduces himself, and Clark says, as long as he’s here, she still has a few more questions for his client.

Yuri says, let’s all take seat, and takes Petrov’s coat. They all sit, and Yuri thanks Petrov for coming. He’s sure there’s a way they can all get past this… misunderstanding. Petrov says, he come here only because his beloved nephew take trombone lessons from Yuri (Yuri plays trombone?). He plays beautiful, no? Lois says, that is so generous of him. She knows her mother is very sorry for upsetting his wife, and she’s very passionate about Bingo, but she knows she went a little overboard. Gloria says, overboard? All she asked her to do was lower her voice. Yuri says, what Gloria means is that she apologize, and Gloria says, why should she apologize? She’s done nothing wrong. Petrov says, a wasted trip. He’s leaving. He gets up, but Brook says, he can’t go.

Felicia tells Maxie, what’s done is done. She has a lot of debt to pay off. What about Deception? Now that the lawsuit has been settled and The Deceptor is a big success, won’t she be bringing a lot of money in from that? Maxie says, eventually, but during the lawsuit, Deception went into debt too. It’ll be months, maybe even years, before they’re not operating at a deficit and she’ll be making what she was. Felicia says, she’ll get back there, and Maxie says she thinks so. But in the meantime, her kids are growing and getting older and more expensive. It’s not their fault, but now they have after school clubs and sports and tutors and braces soon. That’s not even mentioning the stuff she needs. Felicia says, like what? and Maxie says, anything, everything. She’s never been good at sticking to a budget or being frugal. Now it’s coming back to bite her in a big way. She thinks she’s in over her head and she doesn’t know what to do.

Martin apologizes to Clark, but they have to decline her offer. His client won’t be answering any other questions until his deposition. Clark says, that is his right, but before Dr. Finn puts anything on the record, they need to be crystal clear about what led to Mr. Muldoon’s death. Martin suggests they save the obfuscation for the courtroom. They’re all well aware it’s her job to shield the hospital from liability and try to place it solely on his client. She says, that’s a bold accusation, but he says, not at all. He’s suggesting she change her tactic. If General Hospital hired her to stab the good doctor in the back, he can and will shift all the blame to General Hospital.

Brisco thanks Dante and Chase for the information and the copy of the coroner’s report, and Dante says, they’ll get him the list of associates. Brisco says, that reminds him. He understands the victim had family other than Mason in Port Charles. Chase says, Austin’s father, Jimmy Lee Holt, was the illegitimate son of the late Edward Quartermaine, and Brisco says he’s familiar with the name. The Quartermaines are a very influential family. People of their stature may not be happy with an illegitimate grandson showing up. How’d they feel about the victim? Chase says, as far as he knows, they didn’t associate with him much, and Brisco asks, then who did Austin associate with? Who was he close to? Dante says, the kidnapping victim, Ava Jerome.

Ava says she appreciates Sonny’s willingness to cover up a murder he thinks she committed, but she had nothing to do with Austin’s death. She still doesn’t know how the man died. Sonny says, his body was found by a neighbor in a house in Pautuck. He was shot twice at close range. Ava wonders what he was doing in Pautuck. He always told her that he was so happy to leave that place behind. She doesn’t know why he’d ever go back. Sonny says, maybe the killer lured him there. (Ooh, could it be Nikolas?)

Brook says she still wants to hear about how well Petrov’s nephew plays the trombone, and Petrov asks, why? She shows him her card and says, because she’s a music manager. One of her artists is about to go on tour, and they’re putting together a brass section of talented musicians, and they still need a trombonist. Petrov asks, who is this artist? and Brook says, Luke West and the Stacked Seven. Petrov chuckles and says he loves Luke West and the Stacked Seven, and Brook says, they’re amazing. And she can guarantee his nephew a spot on tour if he can just find it in his heart to let go of this whole misunderstanding. Petrov says, is no misunderstand, but his nephew’s the most important. He will make her cry with his beautiful music. Fine. No more Bingo for her and we forget this ever happened. Brook hands him her card and says, thank you so much. Yuri says, is good, huh? and Lois says, very good. So what does Gloria say?

Alexis tells Molly that she’s impressed with this agency. They seem to know what they’re doing. All of these women look like they’d be very good candidates for their surrogate. Molly agrees, and says, it was a very positive meeting. Alexis says, but she’s still worried, and Molly asks if it’s that obvious. Alexis says, not to other people, but she’s Molly’s mother. It’s her job to know these things. She takes Molly’s hands and says, she’s been through a lot, and she really respects Molly’s resolve to keep fighting to get what she wants. She knows Molly and TJ will look at these women and find the perfect surrogate. Molly says, that’s the problem. TJ has no idea she’s doing this.

Felicia takes out her checkbook, but Maxie says, absolutely not. She’s not taking Felicia’s money. Felicia says, Maxie needs the money and this is just a little something to tide her over for now. After she leaves, she wants Maxie to go through all her accounts and add up all her debt. When Maxie has that, she and Mac will go through their retirement portfolio and see what they can liquidate to get her the rest of the money. Maxie says, that’s really generous of her, but what part of absolutely not does she not understand? Felicia says she’s not taking no for an answer. Maxie needs the money and she’s not giving her a choice. Maxie snatches the checkbook and says she’s a grown woman. She got herself into this; it’s her responsibility to get herself out. Felicia says, not at 25% interest she can’t.

Sonny tells Ava, Pautuck is a small town. A lot of farms; a lot of isolated homes. Ava asks what he’s getting at, and he says, if somebody wanted to off Austin, that would be the place to do it. A lot less chance of somebody being a witness there than in Port Charles. Maybe more private than Spoon Island. She says she already told him, she didn’t kill Austin, but he says he’s not the one she needs to worry about. How is she going to convince the cops that she’s innocent? She asks if she’ll need to convince the cops. There won’t be any evidence that she did it because she didn’t do it. He says, really? She and Austin were associates. A lot of people saw them together. It’s not a stretch that they could be lovers. How many times did she visit him at the hospital? People don’t forget that. What about the gallery? How many times… What? What happened at the gallery? She says she didn’t kill him there if that’s what Sonny is implying. But Austin did come to see her at the gallery a couple of days before Thanksgiving and that’s the last time she saw him. And he was very much alive.

Dante goes to Mason’s room at the hospital and tells the guard that he needs to speak with the patient. He goes in, and Mason says, get out. Dante asks what he’s yelling about, and Mason asks what Dante thinks. He’s the cop who shot him. And for no good reason. Dante says, no good reason? Mason almost killed two people. Mason says, that’s not how he remembers it. He doesn’t want to be alone with Dante. Dante might try to hurt him again. He yells, help! Police brutality! The guard pretty much ignores him, and Dante says he doesn’t know if he wants to be alone with Mason either. He asks the guard and a nurse to come in and be witnesses, and tells Mason that he wanted to inform him that his cousin Austin Gatlin-Holt has been murdered.

Clark tells Martin that she thinks they’re losing sight of the bigger picture here. The goal is to fight the Muldoons, not each other. Martin says, good. Then he’s sure she’ll agree there’s only one possible position for the hospital to take – the truth. That Dr. Finn treated his patient in good faith, in accordance with all professional and medical standards. She starts to interrupt, but he says, let him finish. And that the hospital also complied with those same standards. Mr. Muldoon’s death was a tragedy, but an unforeseen one. One that couldn’t have been prevented by either Dr. Finn or the hospital. Clark says she’s not at liberty to reveal the hospital’s position, but she can say she’s looking forward to getting all her questions answered when Dr. Finn sits for his deposition. Finn says he can’t wait, and Clark says she’ll see them later and leaves. Finn says, now he knows why Alexis speaks so highly of Martin, and thanks him, but Martin says, it’s way too soon to start thanking him. You, sir, are in a pickle.

Mason says, Austin’s dead? How? Dante says, took two in the chest, close range. Whoever did it wanted to make sure. Mason asks when this happened, and Dante says, just before Thanksgiving, in Pautuck. Mason asks if they have any suspects, and Dante says, that’s what he’s here to talk to Mason about. Does he know anyone who would want to kill his cousin? Mason says he doesn’t know everyone Austin was associated with, but Dante says, he knows most of them. He and Austin spent a lot of time together. Maybe he has information that’s important and just doesn’t know what it is. Mason says, and Dante wants him to tell him, but Dante says, that’s up to him. Mason gives him info that helps them catch and convict Austin’s killer, that works out well for him. Mason asks, how so? Dante says, Mason is looking at spending a lot of time in prison. Does he want to make a deal or no?

Gloria says she doesn’t like to be told where and when she can Bingo, and Lois laughs. She says, but Gloria will stay clear of Mrs. Petrov and St. Nicholas Church. Then she can play anywhere, anytime. Okay? Gloria gets up and says, fine. She’ll never set foot in that place again, not even for a funeral. Lois says, great, and thanks her. Yuri says, good now? and Petrov says, yes. Good. He tells Brook, now you call Luke West for nephew, and she says, consider it done. Yuri says, all is well that ends well. He’ll show Petrov out. Yuri and Petrov leave, and Lois tells Brook, that was amazing. How did she know how to handle him? Brook says, music industry execs and Russian mobsters aren’t so different really, and Lois says, her baby. Gloria looks at Brook lovingly.

Molly tells Alexis that TJ wants to wait before trying a new surrogate. He just isn’t ready to try again. He’s worried they’re just setting themselves up for more heartbreak. Alexis asks how Molly feels, and Molly says she was devastated by the loss of their baby too, and it’s not like she doesn’t get TJ’s point. The thought of going through that again scares her too. Alexis says, but? and Molly says, but then she ran into Dr. Navarro, and when she told her about the miscarriage, she was sympathetic, but she also made Molly hopeful. She said, there’s always a chance of miscarriage, but surrogacy actually has a high success rate and there are tons of loving people out there who longed to be parents and wouldn’t have the children they have today if it weren’t for surrogacy. Alexis says, it’s a wonderful, selfless thing to do, and Molly says, it is. It’s an amazing gift they’d be getting from their surrogate. And since the matching professional agreed to meet, she thought it was the least she could do was speak with her again. Alexis says, without telling TJ.

Lois puts her arm around Gloria and says, there are plenty of Bingo places in Brooklyn, and if she finds herself within three blocks of St. Nikolas Church, she wants Gloria to think of Ziti and turn the other way. The doorbell rings, and Brook opens the door to Chase. She says, look at him. Right on time. They kiss, and he says he tries. Does he even want to know who that sketchy guy he saw leaving was? Gloria says, delivery guy, and Chase addresses her as Mrs. Cerullo, but she says, Gloria. She thought they settled that. He says he just wanted to stop by and tell her what a pleasure it was to meet her. Gloria thanks him, but says, the pleasure was all hers. Now that she has him here, there’s a few things she’d like to say to him about her granddaughter.

Gloria says, Chase seems like a very nice young man, and he thanks her. She says she raised four sons, and she’s learned from experience that a lot of young men find a nice young woman and they think she’s going to wait for them forever, but sometimes that’s not the case. Brook twirls Gloria around, hugging her, and says, that’s something to think about. She loves Gloria and wishes she could stay longer, but she knows Gloria has to get back. She gestures to Lois, and Lois agrees. She says, Brook is right. She’d better hurry or she’ll miss her bus. Gloria says, and she’s got a Bingo tournament to get to… Kidding, kidding, kidding. Chase offers to take her bag, but Yuri comes back. Brook says her grandma’s ready to go, and Yuri is going to drive her to the bus station and wait with her until she gets on the bus, and Yuri says he would never leave Miss Gloria until he knows she’s safely on her way home. Brook hugs Gloria again and says she loves her. She tells Gloria to have a safe trip home, and Gloria says she will. Chase says, it was a pleasure to meet her, and Gloria hugs Lois. She’s almost out the door, but she turns around and says she’ll have to plan her trip back, so she has one question for Brook. When are she and Chase getting married?

Felicia says she knows Maxie feels bad about this, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of. It happens to a lot of people. Credit card debt is everywhere, and it’s insidious. (Preach!) The balance just keeps sneaking up on you. Maxie says, the balance sneaks up on you really fast, and Felicia says, that’s why they have to stop it now before it gets any worse. Maxie says, no. That money is for Felicia and Mac. She doesn’t want to use it. Does Felicia know how many times Mac told her to put the max in her 401k once a month? Felicia and Mac did that and they saved a lot, so they could travel and enjoy themselves. Felicia says, they can do both. They can do all those things they planned, and they can help Maxie now. Maxie will be able to pay off her credit card debt and stop her interest from compounding, and when Deception starts making money again, they can work out some kind of payment plan for her. Maxie says she thinks they should take some time and think about if this is the best solution. She doesn’t want to bail herself out at the expense of Felicia and Mac.

Molly says she only took the meeting because she wanted to see if there were more eligible surrogate candidates available. She didn’t expect for there to be so many. Alexis says, which makes it even harder, and Molly says, now she can see a path forward. Andrea wasn’t their only option. There might even be a better one out there for them, but she doesn’t know if she can convince TJ. Alexis says, Molly knows she only wants what’s best for her, and Molly says, just talking about it helps. Alexis says, that’s what she’s here for, but Molly really needs to talk to TJ about this. And if she wants to go forward with this surrogate, and have this baby, it has to be something they both want.

Martin says, since Finn is legally required to take part in this deposition, he needs to prep Finn carefully beforehand. Finn says, of course (🍷), and Martin says, it’s vitally important that no matter what they ask him, he limits his answers solely on that question. He doesn’t want Finn expanding answers, trying to defend himself, or offering up extra information that might implicate him somehow. Finn says he’ll do what Martin asks. Clearly, he’s the expert here. Martin says, if his deposition makes him look vulnerable in any way possible, the hospital might try to offer the Muldoon family a separate settlement. In other words, if they can buy their way out at a discount, they won’t hesitate to throw Finn under the bus.

Dante asks if Mason has any idea who might have killed Austin, and Mason says, Ava Jerome. Dante says, why her? and Mason says, because they were involved in not too legal activities. They were sleeping together and… Dante knows his cousin. He was high strung, and he had a big mouth. Austin never met a secret he couldn’t keep. Maybe he said the wrong thing to the wrong somebody and Ava had to shut him up permanently. Dante says he guesses they’re going with that, and Mason says, tell them he helped, okay? Dante says, he’ll get right on that, and goes to the door. He stops and says he forgot to mention, he just got word that Mason is being transferred to Pentenville tonight. You have a safe trip. He leaves, the nurse and guard following him, and the guard closes the door.

Sonny asks if Ava is telling him that nothing happened the last time she saw Austin at the gallery, and she says, well… He says, she’s hiding something. Tell him what happened. She says she was angry with Austin, livid actually, for leaving her to die at the hands of his demented cousin. That was his fault. And they fought about it. Sonny says, now they’re getting somewhere, and Ava says, Austin kept giving her excuses and his reasons for not being responsible, but she wasn’t having it, because like Sonny said, he was playing her all along. He probably knew that Nikolas wasn’t dead, and he was just using that to manipulate her to do what he wanted. Sonny asks if she knows what that sounds like to him. A motive for murder. Austin had no reason to keep that secret for her. How does she know he didn’t go tell somebody in order to get something out of it? She says she guesses she doesn’t, and he says, that’s right. For all she knows, he could have told everybody, including the cops. So whether she killed Austin or not, she could end up being a prime suspect.

Tomorrow, TJ says he might have made a huge mistake; Kristina asks Sam why she thinks it might not be a good fit for Scout; Dante asks, when was the last time Ava saw Austin; and Michael asks what Nina is trying to pull.

🍝 With Ziti On the Side…

The Gloria wiki.

https://general-hospital.fandom.com/wiki/Gloria_Cerullo_(Ellen_Travolta)

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Dorit meets Crystal and they go to Kyle’s house. Kyle has a bigger stack of unread mail than I do, and says she needs someone to help her organize. In Dorit’s interview, she says, their business manager tells her to stop shopping, but she doesn’t listen. Crystal says, when she and Garcelle came back last night, things looked good. We flash back to Dorit apologizing to Garcelle, and Dorit says, it was the right thing to do. She apologized for making Garcelle feel bad. It takes time. Kyle says she cares about Sutton, but she seemed off a couple times. The other night, Sutton insisted the elevator door opening in Vegas was planned. Dorit says, impossible, although I’m not sure why it would be. Kyle imitates Sutton imitating Erika, but doesn’t do a good job. This is why she never made it past the Halloween movies. Kyle says she told Sutton that it wasn’t planned, but Sutton said she was just defending her friend. She was so aggressive. It was mean. Dorit says she’s been there. Sutton goes from 0 to 60 quick. Dorit says, Sutton is a drinker. She wouldn’t be surprised if Sutton put vodka in her coffee. In Crystal’s interview, she says, this, from the woman who drinks a three carcass cocktail everyone knows about. Kyle says, vodka makes some people mean, and in her interview, Crystal says, Kyle stopped drinking yesterday. That doesn’t mean she can make judgments. Maybe she’s jealous that Sutton can hold them down. Dorit asks what Kyle wants to do and Kyle says she wants to repair it. Crystal wonders if it might not be different if the environment was calmer.

Garcelle meets Sutton for dinner, and Sutton says she’s having a drink, since she didn’t drink at Garcelle’s thing. Garcelle says she drank too much at her thing, and they order food. In Garcelle’s interview, she says she doesn’t think Sutton is a vegetarian. She eats bacon all the time. She tells Sutton that she couldn’t be happier with the turnout, and asks who Sutton was surprised to see. Sutton says, Jerry O’Connell, and we see a clip. They agree he’s cute, and Garcelle asks how things are with Sutton and Erika. Sutton says, they don’t have anything to talk about, and Garcelle says, it was wild. There they were and the elevator doors opened. Sutton says she told Kyle that it was a set-up, but Kyle defended Erika and got upset. It’s about Sutton and Erika, and has nothing to do with Kyle and Sutton. She thinks Kyle feels the need to insert herself when it comes to her, and it was a bit hurtful. We flash back to that, and Sutton says she told Kyle that a lot of the time when you exercise excessively and lose weight, something else is going on. Garcelle suggests Sutton hit a nerve, and Sutton says she noticed the sapphire and diamond ring Kyle is wearing is brand new. In Garcelle’s interview, she says she doesn’t know how Sutton noticed. She never pays attention to things like that. The only time she noticed jewelry was after the robbery; Dorit still had hers. She takes a sip of her drink. Sutton wonders if the ring is a make-up gift. The tabloids say there are problems in their marriage. In Sutton’s interview, she says, the news is, Mauricio may be having an affair. It’s all over the internet. She has zero interest in Kyle’s marriage, but she cares about Kyle. She though they were close enough that Kyle could come to her, but it’s hard to be close if you think someone’s hiding something. Garcelle says, just be honest and clear the air, but Kyle has to do that with Sutton too.

Erika goes to talent manager Alexis’s house, and in Erika’s interview, she says, Alexis is a talent manager with a background in publicity. Erika wants to talk strategy going forward. She’s rejuvenated her team. She and Jack decided not to work together. We flash back to the discussion on who leaked the Kathy Hilton stuff, and Erika being told it was someone who works for her. Erika says, they’re still friends, but they’re not in business together. Alexis says, Erika was at a pivotal point. She was essentially on top of the world. She was doing Broadway and had everything going for her. Obviously, she got stopped in her tracks. We flash back to all that, and Alexis says, it created uncertainty about her name and her brand. Erika says, Tom’s indictment didn’t help. Even though she didn’t get indicted, it translated into people not wanting to work with her. In her interview, Erika says, these were the worst years of her life. Her reputation was in the toilet, she was getting no offers, and defending herself was expensive. She’d always had help and now she doesn’t. Alexis says, Erika needs to take accountability, and Erika says she’s come back with a better sense of herself, because she had no choice but to face herself. We flash back to her group apology and crocodile tears, and Alexis says she imagines Erika wants to perform again. Erika says she wants to be back on stage and have a relationship with the audience. Alexis says, she’ll make some calls and see if anyone will take a meeting. They won’t know if they don’t ask.

Jax and Garcelle go to dinner, and Garcelle tells him, at his age, she couldn’t have a conversation with her mom and dad like they do. She’s from a different generation, where they didn’t talk like that. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, it’s hard parenting twins. As they get older, they have separate, different needs. Jax wants to talk things through and she’s learning to be patient with his conversation. She needs to hear him out more. She tells him that he said something that hurt her on the beach, and we flash back to Jax saying they could have used more parenting when they were younger. She says, he thought she should have kept the family together, but Jax says he knows damn well it was his dad’s fault. He’s known since he was 8. He was curious and looked it up. She asks, why not say something? and he says he’s known forever. In her interview, Garcelle says she found out about Mike’s infidelity when she borrowed his phone. She saw a text that said, I love you, and it wasn’t from her or the kids; it was from a different number. She asked him, who is it? and he said, it’s nothing, it’s nobody. They were in the car, Jax and Jaid in their car seats, and Jax said, tell mommy what? That shut them both up. Jax says he’d never hold it against his dad, even though he knows it’s his fault. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, it was all about shielding them. Hearing Jax say he’s known all this time, she’ll never be okay with that. Jax says, almost half of all marriages end in divorce, and Garcelle says she doesn’t even know who he is. In her interview, she says she realizes she needs to see the smart, brilliant, outspoken child he is. She tells Jax that she’s proud of him for being who he is. He’s helping her grow and she loves him. He says he loves her too, and she tells the waiter, he’s paying.

Kyle visits tattoo artist Stephan and says she didn’t tell Mauricio. It’s not a secret; she just didn’t tell him. Morgan Wade joins her, and Kyle introduces her to Stephan and says, she’s all covered. In Kyle’s interview, she says, Morgan is a very close friend. They talk every day. People are confused by their friendship. Stephan asks how they met, and Morgan says, Kyle stalked her. Kyle says she heard Morgan’s music and wondered, who’s the girl with the voice and these lyrics? In her interview, Kyle says, Morgan is 100% herself, no excuses. We see pictures of them together, and Kyle says, no apologies. There’s something freeing about it. She’s always worried about being together and perfect, and she was taken by that. She tells Morgan that she’s hosting a CBD/THC dinner party. Herbal chef Chris is amazing, and it will be a culinary experience even if the guests don’t participate. She sometimes feels that the women are pushing at her about not drinking. If she doesn’t do edibles, they’ll get annoyed. Morgan tells her, never feel pressured. When she got sober, she lost friends. Go and if she wants to try it, try it. If she decides no, then don’t. But don’t make a big deal about it. In her interview, Kyle says, Morgan’s been sober six years. It’s nice to have friends with things in common. They both like to work out and not drink. It’s nice to surround herself with like-minded people. Morgan holds Kyle’s hand as Stephan tattoos her hip. Morgan tells Kyle, it’s a penis, and Stephan says, maybe he did. Stephan finishes the tattoo, a little planet Saturn surrounded by stars, and Kyle and Morgan agree it’s cute. Morgan says she’ll post a picture. They need more rumors started.

When Kyle gets home, she sees Mauricio, and there’s this whole boring exchange about some book he wants her to read. Mauricio says he has to leave super early, and she says, it looks like there’s a body in his bag. (It does!) He says, it’s golf clubs, and Kyle says she would fit in there. She tells him that she got a small tattoo, and he asks if it was his name, calling her lovebean. I think that’s why Kyle is unhappy. She’s tired of that stupid nickname. She shows him, and he says he hopes he gets to see it. She says, he’s seeing it now, but he says he means often.

Sutton’s #2 assistant Zach and Avi fuss over things, when matchmaker Alessandra arrives. She wonders if Sutton’s dog Waylon will help pick a match, and Sutton says she invited Dorit, who knows more about her than Alessandra and her service is free. Dorit claims she’s figured out why no one wants date Sutton. We flash back to Dorit telling Sutton that she’s doing it all wrong, and Dorit walks in. In Sutton’s interview, she says, Dorit is the perfect person to help her pick a date. If Dorit fell in love with PK, maybe she needs to be not so picky. Alessandra says she selected three candidates for Sutton to choose from, and Dorit asks what Alessandra’s take is on it. Alessandra say she did a lot of figuring out. Sutton is very resistant, but there were so many aha moments. She believes Sutton isn’t looking for a billionaire, but Sutton tells her that she didn’t say that. Alessandra says, Sutton wouldn’t turn one down, but she thinks Sutton is self-aware. She asks Dorit’s take, and Dorit says she thinks Sutton’s lack of self-awareness is her biggest downfall. She gets snippy and is impossible to comfort her. Dorit says, Sutton needs to give the benefit of the doubt, relax, and be herself. Confidence is sexy. Sutton says she is confident, and Dorit says she’s reiterating it to her. The first candidate loves kids and travel, and the second is the CEO of an entertainment firm. Sutton says she’s swiping left. She doesn’t like a black shirt with a black tux. In Dorit’s interview, she says, like it’s the worst thing ever. It’s called the monochromatic look. Alessandra says, imagine if someone judged Sutton on what she wore, and we flash back to her kitty sweater. In Dorit’s interview, she says she’s not sure Sutton should be the judge on fashion taste, The last candidate likes classic films and a good bottle of wine, but the first candidate is the chosen one. Alessandra tells Sutton to get out of her head and into her body. Give him a hug when they meet. Sutton say she’s not hugging him.

Kyle videochats with Morgan, and they discuss the tattoo Morgan let Kyle ink on her. We see a clip, and I wonder if Morgan is nuts. Kyle does some kind of circle thing that, in the grand scheme of Morgan’s tattoos, is probably not noticeable. Still. Morgan says, no one else can say they’re tattooed by Kyle, and Kyle says, what’s one extra circle?

Everyone gets ready for the CBD/THC dinner, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, the ladies are giving her a hard time about not drinking. She’s getting peer pressure. She can drink margaritas, do the splits, say something she regrets, then wake up with a headache, or eat or smoke weed. That should shut them up. The morally corrupt Faye Resnick is there, as well as friends Annemarie and Justin. In her interview, Kyle says, Annemarie is a new friend. She’s married to ex-NFL player Marcellus Wiley. They met at a party and found out they live on the same street. Kyle asks how much Annemarie works out, and she says, six or seven days a week. Kyle tells her that Sutton said she works out too much. In Crystal’s interview, she says she doesn’t know Annemarie, but they have mutual friends. She talks a lot and asks a lot of questions. That bitch is nosy. We flash back to the Dinner Party from Hell, and drunk psychic Allison saying Mauricio will never emotionally fulfill Kyle.  Camille and Denise arrive together, and Denise suggests they get an In-N-Out Burger and go home. They’re both nervous.

In Garcelle’s interview, she says she’s somewhat of a newbie, but even she knows what went on at the Dinner Party from Hell. We flash back to Camille talking about the morally corrupt Faye Resnick, and Garcelle says, they don’t like each other. She knows that. Edibles are discussed, and I’m with Garcelle who doesn’t like them, since you never know when they’ll kick in or turn off. I tried them once. It did not sit well with me. Faye gives Camille a fake hug, and they end up seated across from each other. Kyle’s idea of a joke or is it just her stupidity? Faye changes seats, and Sutton and Kyle sit in another room for a private conversation. Sutton says, it got heated which she hated because it’s not like them. Kyle asks why Sutton said she wasn’t being herself, and Sutton says, because she wasn’t. She was with ex-husband Christian over the weekend. He got a big promotion, and he’s moving to London. He wanted her and James to move with him. Kyle says, tell him f*** off.  He doesn’t have the right to tell her what to do. Sutton says she didn’t know, and in her interview, she says, when she went through the divorce, he had a bigger team and could fight harder. It was like Princess Leia against Darth Vader and all the Stormtroopers. Christian is powerful globally. She asks Kyle if he can take James, but Kyle says, no. Sutton says she didn’t know if James would want to go, and it was weighing on her. She overreacted because her brain was somewhere else, but it’s fine. She and James aren’t going and she’s going to have James full-time, so her support will have to be increased. Kyle asks why this is a problem because she lacks any empathy whatsoever, and Sutton says she has to deal with it legally. In Kyle’s interview, she says, let her get this straight. She’s supposed to have sympathy for a move that’s not happening and Sutton getting more money and having her son all the time. Help her connect the dots. What I said about empathy. Kyle asks what was going on at Sutton’s house. She was aggressive and seemed off. Why? Because of her ex moving to London and getting extra money? Sutton wonders why Kyle can’t be sympathetic. It’s a big deal, the end of an era. Kyle asks if she’s that out of touch, and Sutton says, he’s leaving indefinitely, and she loved him. Kyle says she can fly there and back. She thinks it’s just an excuse, because Sutton makes excuses when she behaves like this. Sutton asks, what’s Kyle’s excuse? She’s not being a friend. Crystal comes in and says, everyone is waiting, and Sutton says, if Kyle can’t be honest, they can just sit. Kyle says, maybe Sutton wasn’t being a friend. She was weird and off. She wondered if it was Sutton’s medicine or if she’d had a couple of drinks. Something’s not right. Sutton leaves, and Kyle yells, if she has something to say, f***ing say it. In the kitchen, Chris wonders if he should serve dinner if they’re yelling at each other. Maybe serve the CBD first? Crystal tells Kyle that she thinks Kyle and Sutton are doing the same things to each other, and Sutton goes to the table. Erika wonders where their hostess is, and Sutton says, in denial about something.

Kyle says, Sutton is acting like she’s concerned about something she should be sharing, and Crystal reminds her again that everyone is waiting. They go to the table, and Chris explains that he’ll be serving a five-course tasting menu that will be optionally injected with cannabis, then he’ll gently bring them down with a CBD dessert. They’ll choose their own dosage, and it’s never overwhelming. His assistant Jack takes dosage orders, and Garcelle and Denise opt out. Crystal says she thinks they need to clear the air, and Kyle says she doesn’t like to feel like a friend is making a veiled threat. Sutton says, no threat, and Kyle says, if Sutton is going to ask her to be honest, have the balls to tell her what to be honest about. Sutton says she shared something personal, and Kyle made fun of her. Kyle tries gaslighting Sutton by saying she told Sutton that she understood, and it was sad, but she thought it was just an excuse for Sutton’s behavior. Sutton says, Kyle is deflecting, but Kyle says she’s explaining herself. Sutton says she was talking to Kyle, sharing with her and being honest and real. She’s asking Kyle to do the same and she’s not doing it. Kyle says she’s being honest, and Sutton says, then she’s perfect. Kyle tells her that she didn’t say that. If Sutton is going to put it out there, have the balls to say what she’s trying to insinuate. Sutton says, Kyle’s been overly working out and eating differently, and Kyle says, she has the guts to say that when Sutton doesn’t eat. In her interview, Kyle says, Sutton is making comments about her working out and not drinking, when she pushes her food around like Kyle’s kids do. Annemarie wonders if she’s the only one in the dark. Friends can say things, but they’re not saying anything right now. Be blunt, say it, and move past it. Sutton says, something is going on in Kyle’s personal life that she’s not sharing, and someone says, with what? Garcelle says, her marriage. She has a new wedding band. Sutton says, Kyle hasn’t been wearing her ring, and Kyle says, it’s in the bank. Sutton says, things add up, and Kyle says she’s been wearing a different ring that she bought herself. Garcelle says she thought it was a make-up band. Like when your husband messes up and you get a gift. Camille says she used to get cars, and Kyle says, it’s not a gift. She bought it herself. Faye says, it seems inappropriate, asking these questions at the table, even though Kyle was the one going on about having balls. Denise says she doesn’t know what this is about, and Kyle tells Garcelle, it’s a weird thing to say. Where did Garcelle get her necklace? Garcelle says, Zara, and in Erika’s interview, she says she’s glad it’s not her this time. She’s enjoying watching this show.

Sutton says, then it’s been cleared up, and Kyle asks if Sutton is saying her husband cheated. Crickets are heard, and Sutton asks if she said that. Annemarie asks if Sutton is saying Kyle can’t get new jewelry or an outfit, and Kyle says, she told them on the retreat that it hadn’t been the best year of their marriage. She shared at the retreat that they were having a hard time, and it feels like a low blow. Does Sutton want her husband to have cheated? Sutton says, no, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says, Kyle doesn’t want to address the elephant in the room. Something is going on in her marriage. The question is not, who bought the ring? Sutton says she’s content with all of Kyle’s answers, and Faye thinks it’s weird of her to say that. Kyle says, everyone is wondering what’s going on if she’s not drinking, but if she does, she feels down and depressed. And she can’t afford to feel depressed right now.

Dun dun duuun!

To be continued…

🖥 Cybering Through…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and suspect Charm. Until then, stay safe, stay making sure to take care of yourself in all the holiday chaos, and stay not letting your credit card balance sneak up on you. Credit card debt is insidious.

November 22, 2023 – Curtis’s Independent Investigation Begins, Garcelle Screens Her New Film, Salty Talk, Most Awfulest House & Restaurant

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sasha looks at the photo of her and Brando that she left in the kitchen drawer, when there’s a knock at the door. She opens it to Sonny.

Gregory asks if he can bother Alexis for a moment, and she asks when he started using the cane. He says, it’s been by his side for a couple of days now. Dr. Cramer says he’ll need it until… She says, until he may need a wheelchair, and he says, yes, before the inevitable presents itself. He actually feels secure with it because Dr. Cramer says it can keep him from damaging himself if he falls… He guesses he should say, when he falls. She says she’s in favor of him staying on his feet as long as possible, and he says, this, from the woman who always keeps him on his toes. She asks if he just came by to show her the cool cane, or can she do something for him. He says, she has to help his son.

Curtis wheels himself into the MetroCourt, and Nina runs over to hug him. She says, it’s so nice to see him out and about, and he says he’s been to the club, he’s been to the gym a few times, and he figured whether he’s in this chair or not, life goes on. What’s he going to do? He can’t sit at home every day, right? She says, that is a great attitude. She owes him an apology. She should have gotten in touch much sooner, but she’s glad he called her to meet. He says she may not be so happy after she hears what he has to say. He has a pretty big ask.

Martin thanks Laura for sorting out the building permits for him. He knew he could count on his baby sister. They fist bump, and Laura says, he’s welcome, but let’s be perfectly clear about something. Everything was above board. It wasn’t a family favor. She simply presented it for a vote and zoning approved it. He says he just appreciates the fact she did it so quickly, and so does his client. She starts to say something, and he says, and no. It isn’t Valentin Cassadine. He does have less controversial clients. It just so happens Mr. Phelps is one of the biggest real estate developers in Port Charles, and now he is thrilled with Martin’s work. She made her brother look good, and he’s grateful. He kisses her hand, and she says, speaking of brothers, what are they going to do about theirs?

In the morgue, Dante asks the coroner what they’ve got, and he says, cause of death was catastrophic internal bleeding and blunt force trauma. There were injuries to his neck and vertebrae. Fractured jaw and extensive damage to the skull. There was bleeding on the brain as well as some other medical stuff. Chase says, in English, please, and the coroner says, hemorrhaging around the heart. Dante wonders what can cause that, a fall or an attack? But the coroner says, the injuries were consistent with the pedestrian hit at a high rate of speed by a large vehicle, like a truck or an SUV. Chase asks if the deceased was impaired in any way, but the coroner says, the preliminary autopsy says no contributing factors. There was no alcohol in his system and he wasn’t under the influence of drugs. Dante says, what about any medical conditions? and the coroner says, he suffered from no maladies or illness. There wasn’t any indication in the bloodwork that he was on medication, so he can’t think of any reason a relatively healthy man would step in front of a speeding vehicle. Dante says, maybe the vehicle was aiming for him.

Anna lurks around Charlotte’s hospital room, and when she sees Elizabeth leave, she sneaks in. She tells Charlotte, shhh, but Charlotte freaks and says, no! Go away! She’s not supposed to be here. Anna says she just wants to talk. She needs to explain what happened. Please let her. Charlotte says, no, no, no.

Chase says, according to CSI, there were no tire tracks or skid marks. So if he was hit by a car, there’s nothing to indicate the driver swerved or hit the break. Dante asks, what about traffic cameras? but Chase says, unfortunately, it was at a stretch not covered by cameras. Dante says, there’s got to be a building or gas station, somewhere with a camera, and Chase says, they’re already on it. But there was something interesting. Get this. The guy had three IDs on him. Dante asks if he checked them out, and Chase says, yeah, and they’re all legit.

Charlotte says, there’s nothing to explain. Anna shot her. Anna says, it was a horrible accident, and Charlotte asks how it was an accident. Anna pointed a gun right at her. Anna says she didn’t know it was her. She didn’t expect to find Charlotte in her apartment, but she now understands why Charlotte was there. She wanted to do something to scare Anna, to drive her away, but she needs to know nothing Victor told he is true. Nothing.

Valentin asks how Charlotte is doing, and Elizabeth says, she’s had some progress, which is encouraging. They hear Charlotte yell for help, and run to her room. They find Anna there with a hysterical Charlotte.

Nina says, just name it, but Curtis says he’s not sure she’s going to feel that way when he asks. It requires they ignore the instructions of the PCPD. Nina says she’s completely confused. What’s going on? Curtis says, the shooting happened months ago, and the PCPD is no closer to finding out who shot him. She says, they still don’t have any leads? and he says, nothing credible. This is completely stalled. It’s only a matter of time before they box up his evidence to some warehouse for cold cases. She says, he can’t let that happen, and he says he’s not. He’s going to find out who put him in this wheelchair and see that they’re brought to justice. Nina says she doesn’t see where she comes in, and he says he’s starting his own investigation, and since the shooting happened at her hotel, he was hoping she’d give him complete access.

Martin says, one wonders why Laura doesn’t use her position as mayor, and banish Cyrus from the kingdom of Port Charles, and Laura laughs. She asks if he watched Robin Hood last night. He says, the original? It’s a classic. She says, this isn’t Sherwood Forest, and even if she could banish Cyrus, she doesn’t know if she’d do that. He says, she’s a highly intelligent woman. Does she expect him to believe she thinks Cyrus is reformed? She says she wouldn’t go that far. She’s been suspicious of this born-again persona ever since the beginning. He could be giving the performance of a lifetime; he could be playing all of them. Martin says he did tell her that Cyrus had him give away all his money to end recidivism. That’s another thing he was suspicious about. The Cyrus he grew up with didn’t have an altruistic bone in his body. Laura says, a judge signed off on his release, but Martin says, that doesn’t mean anything. Cyrus used to line his pockets with important people. The judge could be on his payroll, expecting some sort of a kickback. Laura says, the bottom line is, Cyrus is free, and he is their brother, so don’t they have some sort of responsibility here to acknowledge him as a sibling, to see the best in him, and support him in his effort to become a productive member of society? Martin says he can’t think of one thing Cyrus can contribute to Port Charles, but he does have to admit, part of him wants to believe Cyrus. Which is saying a lot, considering his track record. Look at the damage he’s done. There’s a knock at the door, and Jordan says she’s sorry to interrupt, but she needs to discuss something with Laura.

Gregory tells Alexis, Diane can’t represent Finn because she’s representing the plaintiff. She says, the Muldoon family hired her? and he says, yes. He met Finn at the MetroCourt as Diane was leaving. Finn seemed dejected, and when he pressed Finn, he said, she couldn’t take the case. Alexis says, that doesn’t make any sense, and Gregory says, it seems she got a phone call just before the meeting from the father-in-law of the deceased, who just happens to be a long-term client of hers. Alexis says, she’s already on retainer with the Muldoon family? This is a disaster. She’s sorry. He says, it’s not all that dire. Diane explained she couldn’t represent him, and left, no hard feelings. She says, he doesn’t understand. Diane is the disaster. She is that good. She never loses.

Sonny looks at the photos of Sasha from the photoshoot and asks how it feels to be back at work after being gone a few months. She says she was so fragile when she got out of Ferncliff, she was worried it was going to awkward going back to Deception, but it’s going really well. They did this photoshoot, and she just finished a segment on Home & Heart. He asks if that’s the show where they sell stuff, and she laughs and says, yes. She reintroduced their most popular product, The Deceptor. He says, what is that? and she says, Nina will know what it is. Anyway, it sold out in record time. He says, that’s great. Dang. She says she was so relieved. She really needs the company to do well. They lost so much money, and their stock was frozen during the lawsuit. He says, that’s what he wanted to talk to her about. He wanted to discuss her financial situation.

Nina tells Curtis, this is the master keycard, and slides it over to him. It will give him access to all the areas around the pool and the hotel room above the pool as well. He asks if there’s anyone staying in the room now, but she says, no. The PCPD requested they keep that room vacant for a while. They didn’t even want housekeeping in there. She thinks they were planning on doing another sweep of the room, so maybe they could get additional evidence, but she’s not complying. He says, this is good, but it’s not enough. Can she get him security footage of the day of the shooting? Maybe even a few days prior. She says she’s not sure about that. The police officers were all over the security system. That was the first thing they went to. And they had a warrant. But the original footage could be accessible by the MetroCourt mainframe. He says, and she knows her boy’s pretty tech savvy. He knows his way around a server. Can he use her password to log in?

Laura tells Jordan that she and Martin were just discussing the very delicate subject of their brother Cyrus, and what, if anything, to do about him. Jordan says she knows Cyrus is Laura’s family, so it’s not her place to say, but there’s nothing to be done about Cyrus for now. All signs show he’s behaving. They all know it’s just a matter of time before he breaks the law again. Then Laura and Martin won’t have to make any decisions about him. The courts will make it for them. Laura says she’s afraid Jordan’s right. It’s just a matter of time then, isn’t it? Well, Jordan didn’t come here to listen to their family problems. What can Laura do for her? Jordan says she needs Laura to look into something, but it has to be off the record.

Gregory says he’s aware of Diane’s reputation, but she’s not Clarence Darrow, and Alexis says, her nickname is Killer Miller, because she goes for the jugular. Not only is she ridiculously prepared in court, she can improvise. So she can think on her feet. He says he guesses Alexis isn’t overreacting, and she says, the hardest cases she’s ever tried have been the ones against Diane. She once had a case where Diane’s client was accused of a felony, and she was representing the plaintiff. Alexis was so on this case. She had two dozen depositions; she had witnesses like crazy. It was an irrefutable case. It was a slam dunk. And you know what happened? Diane won. She was victorious. He asks if she thinks Finn has a chance to win this, and she says, look at this case. A loving family that lost a husband and a father to an arrogant doctor that was negligent. He says his son isn’t arrogant and he’s certainly not negligent, and she says, maybe arrogant is too strong of a word, but sometimes Finn is not that personable. He comes off as overly confident, and Diane is going to convince a jury of that. He asks if she’s saying Finn is doomed, but she says, not yet. She’s going to make a call.

Valentin runs to Charlotte, who says, Anna wants to kill her. Anna says she doesn’t, as Valentin comforts Charlotte, and Elizabeth tells Anna that she has to leave. She hustles Anna out, and Valentin says, Charlotte is safe. No one is going to hurt her. In the hallway, Elizabeth tells Anna that it was very clear. She’s not allowed anywhere near Charlotte’s room. Anna says she wanted to explain what happened. She needs Charlotte to know she never wanted to harm her. She didn’t want to. Elizabeth says, she’s done just the opposite.

Chase tells Dante, this guy had three valid pieces of ID on him. One from the US, one Canadian, and one from the United Kingdom. Dante asks if they’re aliases or all the same name, and Chase says, all the same name, which makes it even more confusing. Dante says, especially since you can’t be a resident of three different countries, and Chase says, CSI is going to his hotel room. He was staying at the Metropolitan and registered under the Canadian ID. Dante says, run his DNA and check his fingerprints. Be sure to run it by intelligence services too. Chase leaves.

Anna says, the shooting was an accident. If Elizabeth believes nothing else, believe that. Elizabeth says she knows it was an accident and Anna would never want to hurt Charlotte, but deliberately walking into her room when she’s been asked to stay away is unthinkable. Valentin asks if Elizabeth will sit with Charlotte for a second, and she says, of course (🍷). She leaves, and Valentin asks what the hell Anna is doing. She says she’s just trying to undo the damage he and his father caused.

Dante asks what else the coroner can tell him about the condition of the body, and the coroner says, like he told Dante, there were multiple injuries, but there was one thing that stood out. He had a significant bruise on the left heel. Dante asks if that’s unusual, and the coroner says, actually, yes. It was starting to callous. Dante asks what that tells him, and the coroner says, it indicates it wasn’t a fresh bruise and it certainly didn’t come from the impact of the vehicle striking him. He found that odd, so they looked into his left shoe, and they found this under the lining. He holds up a key with a tag that says 18. Dante asks if the coroner will bag that, and don’t mention this to anyone. The coroner leaves, and Dante puts the bag in his pocket. Chase comes back and says, they got a hit. The fingerprints match up with the UK ID, Jameson Forsythe.

Jordan tells Laura that she really wants to do this for Curtis. Not only does he deserve to know who put him in a wheelchair, she thinks it will be good stimulation for him to put his energy into an investigation. Laura says she didn’t know him way back when he was a police detective, but she has a lot of respect for him as an investigator. Beyond that, they’re friends. Jordan says, they went through some intense experiences in Greenland, and Laura says, did they ever. Victor Cassadine was on the rampage and Curtis was pivotal in bringing him down. Jordan asks if she’s got Laura’s blessing to pursue this, and Laura says, yes, absolutely. She’s behind Jordan 100%. Jordan says, it could cut into her hours here. She may not be available for all of her duties. Laura says, it’s absolutely all right. She’s back home again, and besides that, it is vitally important to the people of Port Charles to find out who opened fire at the MetroCourt pool.

Nina gives Curtis her ID and password, and he says he knows she’s going out on a limb for him and wants her to know he appreciates it. She says she trusts him implicitly, and if this helps him, she’s happy to do it. She knows why this is so important to him and wants him to know it’s important to her as well. He says, it means a lot, and she says she heard the police don’t think he was the intended target. He says, they definitely believe the bullet was intended for Anna… or Sonny, and she says, if someone tried to kill Sonny, the man she loves, they could try again. And she wants to do everything she can to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Sasha says she knew Sonny was a coffee importer, but is he an accountant? He says, no. He just wants to help her. He came here to get permission to audit her accounts. He wants to know exactly how much Gladys stole from her. She says she doesn’t see the point. The money is gone, and so is Gladys, thanks to him. She never got a chance to acknowledge what he did to get Gladys out of town. She thanks him, but he says, no thanks necessary. She says, he could have sent Gladys to prison, but he didn’t, and she’s grateful for that. Despite all the awful things Gladys did to her, she was Brando’s mother and Liam’s grandmother, and Sonny was merciful in sending her back to Connecticut. He says, now she doesn’t have to see Gladys or even think about her, and she says, now she can move forward. Focus on the future. He says, she deserves more than that. She deserves to get her money back.

Alexis introduces Martin and Gregory, and Martin says, so Gregory was a professor over at PCU. Gregory says, yes, and before that, he was at Berkeley. Alexis says, Hamilton Finn is also Gregory’s son and he’s in need of representation. While she hasn’t had the privilege of going up against Martin in the courtroom, he has quite an impressive record. Martin says he understands she was quite the attorney, and she thanks him. She says she was also very impressed that Valentin Cassadine has him on retainer. Martin says, someone’s done her homework, but he’s not sure how that’s relevant. Gregory says he doesn’t understand either. What does that have to do with Finn’s case? Alexis says, Finn is in need of a lawyer who has experienced defending a client that may come off as somewhat indelicate, and Greogry asks if she’s putting Finn in the same category as Valentin. She’s related to him, and even she admits he’s done some reprehensible things. Martin asks how disparaging his client starts the conversation, and Alexis says, they’re both highly intelligent, but they’re missing the point. If Martin can make someone like Valentin come off as sympathetic, he should be able to do the same thing for Finn.

Curtis thanks Nina and says he’ll do his best to keep things under the radar. What if her staff starts asking questions about why he’s hanging around so much? She says, they’re not going to say anything, and if they do, just tell them that he’s helping her with a special project. Which happens to be true. He’s giving her feedback on the handicap accessible areas and telling her where she can make improvements. He says, you’re good. Maybe she should be part of this investigation. She says she thinks she already is. This has so much to do with him, but it also has to do with Sonny. And she’ll do anything she has to do to keep him safe. He says, she’s fierce about protecting her man, and she says, her husband. He says, excuse me, Mrs. Corinthos, and she says she’s happier than she’s ever been in her entire life. She’s married to the man of her dreams and she’s closer to Willow and her grandchildren. And she’s scared to death. He says, scared of what? It seems she has everything. She says she does, and that means she has a lot more to lose.

Sonny says, Gladys was his dad’s cousin, so he feels responsible for what happened, but Sasha says, none of this was his fault. Gladys lied to him as well. He says, but he pretty much knew Gladys was not a good person from the start. All she wanted was a quick buck. He should have sent her back to Bridgeport, but because she was family, he couldn’t see what was right in front of him and gave her the benefit of the doubt. She didn’t deserve it, and that part is on him. Sasha tells him not to beat himself up over this, but he says he never should have let Gladys be her guardian. That was his mistake, compounded by the fact that he didn’t keep an eye on her to make sure she did the right thing. That’s on him and he wants to pay her back for that. He wants to reimburse every dime Sasha lost.

Charlotte tells Elizabeth, Anna wasn’t allowed in here. Anna came to hurt her. Elizabeth promises that Anna won’t be back.

Anna asks if Valentin doesn’t think he kept enough from her and Charlotte. His actions have caused this whole mess. He says his actions? and she says, yes. Charlotte needs to know the truth, that Victor lied to her, that he planted seeds in her head that Anna is dangerous and wants to hurt her. She was just trying to explain. He says, let’s get some things straight. His daughter is convinced Anna tried to kill her intentionally. Does she think she can explain that to a child, his child, in her hospital bed? He doesn’t know how many years of therapy she has ahead of her to get through all this, but if Anna really wants to help, stay away. She says, my God. He blames her for this. He says, no, he blames himself, and leaves.

Anna’s phone rings, and Dante asks where she is. She says she’s at GH; why? He asks if she can meet him at the morgue. There’s something here she’s got to see.

Gregory says, while he appreciates the suggestion, it’s not his place to hire a lawyer for his son, and Alexis says she doesn’t want to rush him. But right now, Diane is preparing a case against his son, so the sooner he puts a lawyer on retainer, the better. Gregory says he guesses she’s right. He wants to give Finn the option, so is Martin interested? Martin says, Gregory is going to have for forgive him. It’s a little too cart before the horse for his taste. Normally, he likes a little information about the case before he signs on anything. Alexis says, it’s a malpractice suit, and Gregory says, his son is an infectious disease specialist. A patient named Mr. Muldoon came to see him, concerned he might have contracted something in his travels; apparently, his work sent him out to remote locations. He thought he might have picked up a parasite. His son ran some tests and confirmed he had a tapeworm. He thought it would be an easy fix, but then about two months later, Mr. Muldoon came back. That was when Finn discovered he had Stage IV cancer. Martin says, so his son missed something important and now a man is dead as a result, but Gregory says, absolutely not. And he takes offense at Martin assuming his son made a mistake. He is not responsible for that man’s death. Martin asks Alexis if this is how Dr. Finn reacts when someone questions his expertise, and she says, worse. Much worse.

Laura says, there are a lot of files to go through. This has been an ongoing investigation. Have Jordan and Curtis figured out where they want to begin? Jordan says she thinks it’s best to start with a clean slate. It’s not that she won’t consider the information the police have compiled, but this case needs fresh eyes. Laura says, okay. Hopefully, she and Curtis will find something they overlooked. Jordan says, the first thing she needs to do is request the evidence the PCPD has gathered. She doesn’t anticipate any roadblocks, but should she hit some red tape… Laura says, she won’t hit any red tape. The mayor’s office will be backing her completely. Jordan thanks her and says she knew she could count on Laura. And this is exactly what Curtis needs.

Curtis assures Nina that Sonny can take care of himself. He heard Sonny’s been a target for decades, yet he’s still standing. So he doesn’t think there’s a reason that’s going to change. She says she guesses he’s right. She should stop worrying so much. It takes her away from enjoying the here and now. He says, exactly. When he was in rehab, Aunt Stella came to visit him. She told him, Curtis, stop focusing on the negative. Take advantage of the good moments right in front of him now. She asks if he was able to do that, and he says, it took a while to sink in, but he got it eventually. She says, things are good for her right now. She just doesn’t want it to change. She doesn’t want anybody to take her family away. He asks why he has the feeling they’re not talking about Sonny anymore. Something’s bothering her. What is it?

Dante thanks Anna for coming, and she says, dead body? He says, yeah. A jogger found the body by the side of the road this morning. Multiple injuries. Looks like a hit and run. At the scene, they couldn’t find any evidence that the driver avoided hitting the deceased, and the injuries are consistent with a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed. She says, murder, and he says, looking that way. She asks what that has to do with her, and Dante says, the guy had three IDs on him from three different countries. She asks if they were legit, and he says, yeah. Dante was thinking maybe he worked for the WSB. it’s a long shot, but does she want to take a look and see if she recognizes him?

Martin says, while he completely respects Gregory’s need to protect his son, he’s got to understand what goes into a malpractice suit. When dealing with accusations of wrongful death, often the facts of the case are far less important than how the jury feels about the plaintiff versus how they feel about the defendant. Gregory says he’s been teaching for decades and he always makes sure his students are presented with all the facts before he asks them for an opinion. Martin says, with all due respect, there are times when perception is reality, and Alexis says, especially in a courtroom. Martin says, where he sees a doctor doing his job to the best of his ability, they’re going to see a grieving widow. And if this man had young children – Alexis says, he didthat could be the nail in Finn’s coffin. If he overreacts, if he gets defensive on that stand, says he did nothing wrong, he’s going to lose. Greogry says, but if Finn admits he may have overlooked signs of cancer, which he didn’t, he’s going to lose anyway. His hands are tied, so what is Martin suggesting they do? Martin says, the best approach is to present his son as an exceptional doctor, who did everything he could to save his patient, by the book. A talented, dedicated physician who’s already saved many lives, who has the potential to save countless more. He has to make the jury see that finding him liable will do more harm than good. Alexis says, if she were trying this case, that’s the angle she’d go with, and Gregory thanks her. He says he thinks they found a lawyer for Finn.

Sasha tells Sonny, it’s not that she doesn’t appreciate the gesture. She really does, but she can’t let him do this. He says, yeah, she can. All she has to do is accept the offer and move on. She says she’s touched he would do this for her, but honestly, she doesn’t need the money back. If this ordeal had taught her anything, it’s that she’s resilient. She’s stronger than anyone thought, including herself.  And she’s excited for the challenge to continue being Deception’s spokesmodel. He says he believes she can do it and he’s happy for her. She says she’s drug free and she’s enjoying herself for the first time in ages. She really feels like there was a weird silver lining in all this. Because now she sees every day as a gift. She looks at herself in the mirror and sees a survivor who can stand on her own. He says, she is, but he thought he still owed her and he’s somebody who likes to pay off his debts. She says, this isn’t his debt. She has an idea. Take the money and give it to a charity, something that supports mental health. Make the donation in Brando and Liam’s name, and they can call it even. What does he say? He holds out his hand, and they shake. He says, deal.

Nina says, it’s nothing really. Just a little edginess in the family. Curtis says he thought things were solid between her and Sonny, but she says, it doesn’t have anything to do with Sonny. It’s Michael. Not that they’ve ever gotten along. They’re making an effort now, for the sake of Willow and the children, but they’ve definitely hit a rough patch. Curtis says he sees Michael at the gym from time to time. He doesn’t want to get in her business, but he could talk to Michael, try to smooth things over. She says she knows he means well, but she has to handle this on her own. She thinks if she brings him in, it will just add to the friction. He says he knows his friend and he knows when she’s not telling him everything, but that’s okay. He won’t push, because she’s done him a huge favor here today. He just wants her to know if she needs help with Michael or anything, he’s here. No questions asked. She thanks him and says, and if she needs extra love and support, he’ll be the first person she calls.

Jordan wishes Laura could have seen Curtis’s face when he told her about the investigation. It was the first time since the shooting that he wasn’t only alert and engaged, but he was enthusiastic. He got his old drive back. There was a light in his eyes again. Laura says she’s glad to hear that. She went to visit him a few days ago and it was really sad to see him in that wheelchair, but she thinks he was happy she came over. Jordan says she can’t even begin to understand what he’s going through or know what it’s like to face life with such a daunting disability, but to see him focus on what he can do instead of what he can’t, is incredible. Laura says, he’s really lucky to have someone like Jordan helping him, and Jordan says, but this was his idea and that’s what makes this investigation so important. Curtis is taking action. Laura says, both of them have her full support, and Jordan says she appreciates it, especially since Laura has so much on her plate.

Elizabeth tells Valentin that she’s sorry, but he says she doesn’t have to apologize. This is on Anna and no one else. Elizabeth says, what was she thinking? and he says he’s starting to believe Anna doesn’t like anyone thinking she’s wrong. He goes into Charlotte’s room and says he’s going to stay with her for the rest of the day to make sure she feels safe. She says she’s still afraid of Anna. What if Anna tries to hurt her again? He says, they have some things to talk about, but they can wait until she feels stronger. Just know this. She’s in no danger from Anna Devane. Charlotte says she knows he believes that, but he’s wrong.

Dante lifts the sheet and Anna looks at the body. The coroner slides it back in the vault, and Anna asks Dante if one of the IDs was Jameson Forsythe. He says, it was, actually. She knows him? She says, that was his name. At least it was when they worked back in the WSB. She hasn’t seen him for 30 years or more. He asks, so what was the deal? Was she working a case? She says, yeah. That was the op. The one that went bad. That’s the guy she found all the evidence on; the paperwork and files that show there was some really shady stuff that went on back then. He asks if that’s what went missing the night Charlotte was shot, and she says, right. He asks if she thinks this guy got into her apartment, and she says, he must have. Dante says, of course (🍷) he’d want to destroy the files, and Anna says, the question is, who killed him? And where is that evidence now?

Tomorrow, Thanksgiving; Charlotte asks how someone could think that of her; and a surprise arrives.

About that. I’ll be taking the whole day off tomorrow, but on Friday, we’ll have a quickie.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

When we left, it was in the middle of Sutton telling Kyle, name ‘em, and Kyle says, be quiet and she will. She names ‘em while we flash back to ‘em. It suddenly dawns on me that Kyle acts like she’s Sutton’s big sister, and it’s probably the way she wants to act toward Kathy. In Kyle’s interview, she says, this isn’t kooky, It’s flat out bizarre. Apparently, her bizarre bar is pretty low. She asks what’s going on with Sutton, and Sutton asks what’s going on with her. In Sutton’s interview, she wonders what’s going on in Kyle’s life, since she never talks about herself. Her life is perfect. Kyle says, bring it on. She’s happy to answer questions. Sutton says she’s not bringing it on, and Kyle says, they’ll talk another time and jets. In Kyle’s interview, she says she needs to get out before she hits the point of no return. Sutton says she’ll walk Kyle out, but Kyle says, she’s good. I have no words. I didn’t like Kyle much to begin with and now she’s insufferable.

Erika’s mom Renee is visiting, and in Erika’s interview, she says she and her mother have had good times and bad times, and there were times Erika didn’t want to talk to her. She visits Erika in Los Angeles once a year for a couple of days. After that, they get on each other’s nerves. She says, they’re very close… in age. A lot of times, her mom felt like a sibling, instead of a parent. She had a good time going clubbing with her mom and her mom’s friends. She was living like she was 20 at 15. At the old place, her mom could be on the other side of the house when she visited. Now they’re sleeping in the same bed. She doesn’t want to do this. She’s grown.

In Garcelle’s interview, she says, Jaid can be a like her boyfriend; he’s very protective. He doesn’t like drama, and it’s easier with him. He doesn’t challenge her as much as Jax does. They have a lot of fun. We flash back to Jax at the beach, and Garcelle says she feels that she wants them to express themselves because she couldn’t with her mother. She doesn’t just want to be a parent; she wants to have a relationship with her kids. She asks if Jaid wants more freedom, and he says he wants Ashlyn to sleep over, but Garcelle says, Ashlyn’s mom wouldn’t allow her to and neither would Garcelle. She couldn’t even date at his age. In her interview, she says she wasn’t allowed to talk to boys, so she had to sneak around. One night she told her parents that she was at Debbie’s, and then Debbie’s mom called looking for Debbie. She was in her mom’s car with a guy, and her dad followed her. She got to a light where he couldn’t catch up, and kicked the guy out of the car. When her dad caught up to her, he said, follow me home. It wasn’t pretty. She’s so excited about Black Girl Missing, because she’s executive producer and has the say-so. We flash back to a to meeting with Lifetime where Garcelle introduces director Delmar Washington. She tells Jaid that all the ladies will be at the screening, and he asks which ones she likes at the moment.

Crystal and Rob send the kids off to watch a movie while they linger over dinner. In Crystal’s interview, she says, her brother Jeff and Rob are close and often travel together. Rob needed to check on their house in China, and Jeff went along. It was hard on him because it was his first time seeing his ex-fiancé. Rob says, Jeff has not moved on, and in her interview, Crystal says, Rob was engaged and in China when the pandemic happened. She and her mom were desperate to get him home, and forced him into coming back to the US. Vivi couldn’t come, and the distance was the reason they broke up. Rob says, Jeff is at war with himself; he’s conflicted. He should have said no, but he was more worried about what his family thought than Vivi. Crystal says, it’s the Chinese way, and Rob says, he gets that, but for Jeff to start his own family, he has to break away. He thinks Crystal is competitive with Vivi about who has the more primary relationship with Jeff. Crystal says, who asked for his f***ing opinion? but he just laughs. In Crystal’s interview, she says, Rob doesn’t know what he’s talking about. She’s not competitive. She just knows what’s best for her brother. Rob calls Jeff and gives Crystal the phone. He says he encourages her to tell Rob how she feels, and tells Jeff that Crystal is feeling some regret. Crystal says she feels bad, and Jeff says he needs to talk to Vivi. He doesn’t want to cry, so he ends the call, and Rob says, one step at a time.

Jennifer Tilly and Sutton go to the stables to meet Sutton’s new horse, Santos. In Sutton’s interview, she says, her mani/pedi lady has a horse, and she thought she wanted one too. She saw Santos online and it was a perfect match, so she hit buy. We see a picture of Santos, who is gorgeous, brown with white markings, and also cost $47K. She says, her father was from Texas. From 8 years old, she was on a horse, and she would snap green beans with her mom. That’s who she is. She’s Southern. Sutton meets the trainer and feeds Santos carrots which he promptly throws up. Sutton and Jennifer have lunch, and Jennifer says, Sutton travels so much, she’s glad to have her happy Sutton time. Sutton says she wishes others felt that way. Kyle was incensed and it escalated. Kyle said something was going on with Sutton, but Sutton said no, something was going on with Kyle. And she doesn’t think it’s just her. Kyle has gotten very thin. When they were in Las Vegas on vacation, Kyle was going gym for three hours. She’s eating differently and not drinking, and Sutton hasn’t seen her wedding band. In her interview, Sutton says, Kyle’s acting in a way she’s never seen, and there’s been a rumor in the tabloids about Mauricio cheating. She feels like all of these numbers add up to something wrong. Jennifer thinks maybe Kyle is going through something extreme. When people make extreme changes like with self-improvement or cutting their hair, they’re moving on to a new phase or trying to regain control of their lives.

Erika gets on her mom for not washing the dishes, reminding her that Belle only comes in once a week; it’s all Erika can afford. In Erika’s interview, she says, they’re only good for 24 hours, and Renee needs to start packing. We see it’s been 31 hours so far. They talk about changes in NYC, and Erika says, it’s sad. (Agreed.) Renee says she’s glad she saw Erika’s show, and Erika says, it was somewhat of an ambush. In her interview, Erika says, her mom just showed up after they hadn’t been talking for a year. They argue about why they argued, and Renee says, Erika didn’t like a question she asked about Tom, and in Erika’s interview, she says, her mom didn’t know things were so bad. She was just trying to get through the shows and back in L.A., Tom was MIA. She was trying to sing and dance, and there was Renee waiting to f*** it up for her. Erika tells Renee, it’s like cutting open old wounds, and Renee says, at some point, she has to let it go. Erika says she’s happy it’s behind her, and in her interview, she says she loves seeing her mom being grateful and supportive, but she’s grateful her mom is leaving. She’s reached her limit. See you at Christmas.

Everyone gets ready for Garcelle’s screening. On the phone, Sutton tells Garcelle that Kyle’s visit didn’t end well. Kyle is on the phone with Dorit, and says, Sutton thinks Erika set her up. I do too. Kyle acts out Sutton acting out Erika, but Sutton did it better. She tells Dorit about Sutton asking her, what’s going on? and makes insane animated faces when she talks. Dorit says, it feels like a threat, and Kyle says, Sutton is talking about the rumors. How they can get all that from someone asking, what’s going on? is beyond me. Dorit says she’s riding with Sutton tonight, and Kyle says, have fun with that.

In Sutton’s interview, she says she’s learning that social media is the venue for sales and exposure, and her store needs that constantly. So she’s bringing Dimitri in to take good pictures. Sutton gets her picture taken a thousand times, while Dorit is parked outside whining about Sutton’s tardiness. When Sutton gets in the limo, Dorit scolds her.

The screening is at a gorgeous theater, and Garcelle says she’s excited but nervous. Kyle arrives looking like she’s dressed for a safari, and carrying a $16K Hermès bag. In Kyle’s interview, she says she appreciates how difficult it is to get a project sold and made. Garcelle’s not just producing, she’s starring in it, and the story is an important message. Sutton tells Dorit that Garcelle invited 100 people. That’s herding cats. In Dorit’s interview, she says she was under the impression it was an intimate screening. She needs to prepare mentally and emotionally. At the venue, Dorit says, she gets jumpy around a lot of people, and in Sutton’s interview, she says she had no idea Dorit’s PTSD was this bad. They’re just watching a movie… about a girl who gets kidnapped and goes missing. Other than that, it’s going to be fun. Dorit tells Garcelle that she’s having a hard time, and Jax tells Crystal that he’s nervous Erika is here, but he might as well talk to her. He asks if Crystal wants to come, and in Crystal’s interview, she says she’s proud that Jax wants to approach Erika. We flash back to Erika being a drunken a-hole to Jax, and Crystal says, in Vegas, Erika showed them a side that was more open, and she wants to make an effort to help other people see her in a better light. Jax says, Crystal can be his back-up.

Hors d’oeuvres food porn! Jax goes over to Erika and says he wanted to let her know that everything is okay between them. Erika says she apologizes from the bottom of her heart. She was totally out of line. (I do believe she’s actually sorry for this) She says she spoke to his mom, but she’s glad he can hear it from her. He says he accepts her apology, and in Erika’s interview, she says, he’s a class act to walk up to her and say, no hard feelings. Garcelle did a beautiful job. Garcelle asks everyone to take their seats for the movie, and Jax tells her about approaching Erika. In Garcelle’s interview, she says she wishes Erika had approached Jax, since she’s the adult and was in the wrong, but she’s glad Jax was confident enough to approach her. She thanks everyone for taking the time to come out, not just to support her, but the idea of when Black and Brown people go missing, it’s important they be seen and heard and supported. In her interview, she says, the subject is important to her. So many times, Black and Brown women are overlooked – getting jobs, getting paid, going missing. They want the same passion and compassion when they go missing. We see pieces of the film and the audience reaction. It looks good (it’s on Amazon). Denise arrives, and she and Garcelle hugs. She thanks Garcelle for inviting her, and they watch from the back. The film ends with applause, and in her interview, Dorit says she’s excited that Garcelle gets to see her dream coming to life. There are lots of hugs and congrats, and Denise says hi to Dorit and Crystal. She says, it feels like forever, and in  Dorit’s interview, she says she hasn’t seen Denise in years. We flash back to Denise walking off the Zoom Reunion, and Dorit says, their contact became less and less. Sutton sits down near Kyle and says, they’ve got to talk. Kyle raced out of her house. Kyle says, Sutton got so aggressive and not nice, and Sutton says, Kyle is doing that now. Kyle asks if Sutton wants to hear the truth or a lie, and Sutton says, she was being calm. Garcelle brings Denise over to Erika, and there’s hugs and catching up. Kyle tells Sutton that she seemed off, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, Kyle is supposed to be her friend, but she’s using words she knows cut to the core… and take your safari hat off. Kyle says, Sutton is full of sh*t. For the billionth time, is it me? Kyle is sooo nasty. Even her face is all twisted up. She’s creeping me out.

Sutton tells Kyle that there sometimes seems to be a lack of respect. Kyle treats her like a little sister. (That thud is me fainting, since I said that in beginning. Kyle says, don’t flatter yourself, and Sutton says, these are her feelings. She doesn’t know if Kyle is mad about the Kathy thing. Kyle says, that hasn’t even registered to her. She doesn’t care. In her interview, Sutton says, she’s lying. If someone was friends with her sister and not with her, she would care. Kyle says, that’s between her and her sister, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, if Kyle admits she’s upset, it will mean she doesn’t like Kathy.  It’s love triangle gone awry.  Garcelle asks to talk to Dorit, and tells Dorit that she felt when she shared how she was feeling, Dorit took it on the defensive and wasn’t hearing her. We flash back to Dorit saying, that’s hurtful. Garcelle says, in the moment, she knows Erika was drunk, but she didn’t feel Dorit reprimanded her in the moment. Dorit says, their relationship moved slower then backward, and Garcelle says, they had a great time in Cannes, but she feels like her kids are disregarded. All she did was share her feelings. Dorit also asked her why she wasn’t over it. We flash back to that, and Dorit says she takes it back. Garcelle says she would never tell that to Dorit. It was insensitive. Dorit says she’s sorry. She wants Garcelle to share her genuine feelings. In Garcelle’s interview, she says she likes Dorit. She doesn’t think Dorit is malicious or mean, but she gets in her own head. She just wants Dorit to hear her. They hug it out.

Kyle says, Sutton was obviously talking about the rumors. She could tell by the look in Sutton’s eye. Sutton says she wonders who Kyle is now, but Kyle says, the change is just physical. Sutton says, it’s more than that. Kyle is very different from last year. In Sutton’s interview, she says she’s not sure why Kyle can’t confide in her. Friends confide in one another. This friendship is a farce. Kyle says, she had a rough year, and Sutton says she thinks that’s fair. Maybe Kyle can say Sutton could be right about this.

Next time, Kyle goes country; Garcelle talks to Jax one on one; Denise and Camille join a dinner; Sutton and Garcelle confront Kyle about her marriage; and Kyle says she can’t afford to be depressed.

🧂 Passing the Salt…

The latest on RHOSLC.

🏂 Awful In Winter…

The preview alone creeped me out. I had to change the channel.

Happy Thanksgiving!

🦃 Grateful For You…

Enjoy your Thanksgiving, no matter how you spend it. I’ve spent it nearly every way possible – with family, with friends, with strangers, volunteering at a soup kitchen, and one year with my cat, who stole a turkey leg when I wasn’t looking. I’ll drop in for a note on Thanksgiving in Port Charles, but come by on Monday really Tuesday for the full soap treatment and a Deck possibly without Kyle. Until then, stay safe; stay being grateful for what you have, not just on Thanksgiving, but every day; and stay not worrying so much. It takes you away from the here and now.

November 21, 2023 – Charlotte Makes a Confession, Sniff, Seeya Eddie, Legacy, What’s On, Bravo’s Con, To the Curb, Truth, Heritage, The Parade, Adorable Pilgrims & Love

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Cody goes to Maxie’s office and asks why she’s blowing up his phone. What does she need? Ferdinand for another shoot? She says, no, she needs him, and drags him over to a table littered with photographs of him and Sasha. She tells him to feast his eyes. Aren’t they gorgeous? He says, gorgeous, focusing on one with only Sasha in it.

At the MetroCourt, Finn thanks Diane for meeting him. He knows she’s juggling a lot of clients, and he can’t tell her how grateful he is that she agreed to take his case. She tries to interrupt, but he keeps going, wanting to show her what he has with him, but she says, nope. She doesn’t want to see it. Can’t see it. He says he thinks these notes are crucial to his defense, and she says she’s sure they are, but let’s cut to the chase. She can’t possibly represent him.

Curtis thanks Jordan for coming by, and she says, of course (🍷). What’s going on? He asks if she’s thirsty, but she says she’s sure he didn’t invite her over here for a tea party. So tell her, why is she here? He says, because she’s the only one who can understand what he’s discovered.

Carly looks in Kelly’s window from the courtyard, and Drew asks if she’s spying on her employees. She kisses him, and he asks what that was for. She says, just celebrating.

In a private area of the MetroCourt, Valentin thanks Anna for coming and she gives the standard answer, of course (🍷). They sit down, and Valentin asks what she’d like to drink, but she says she’s fine. He says, is she? and she says she’s just trying to find her footing. How’s Charlotte? He says, she’s healing, getting stronger every day. He’s hoping to have her home by Thanksgiving. She says, thank God, and he says he now knows why she was targeting Anna.

Nina goes into Charlotte’s hospital room, and gives her a giftbox, saying, it’s a little special something for a very special lady. Charlotte says, Nina didn’t have to do that. Her being here is gift enough. Nina says, it’s nothing. Just an excuse to see her really. Charlotte opens the box and says, riding gloves. They’re so soft. She loves them. Nina says, they’ll go riding again soon. It seems like it’s been forever since their last adventure. Charlotte says she’d love that. Nina is always so good to her. Some people are just nice because of papa, but she thinks Nina really cares about her. Just her being her. Nina says, by some people, does she mean Anna?

Cyrus scrubs the floor at the PC Grill, when Sonny walks in.

Drew and Carly sit at a table, and Drew asks if the celebration has anything to do with her buying back her half of the MetroCourt, but she says, no. As tempting as it was, she couldn’t do it. She turned down the offer. He says, so she decided to come to her restaurant to do a little people watching? but she says she was just appreciating what she has. She went to the MetroCourt today to turn down Nina’s offer and when she stepped off the elevator, she had a sense of déjà vu. She found herself staring into the dining area, watching the activity of the day, and then she saw Nina. It was hard watching her stand where Carly used to stand, like she owned the place. And she knows Nina does, but it was hard watching her live the life Carly used to live. She knows it must sound awful to him. He says, it doesn’t sound awful. It sounds human.

Valentin says, read this, it explains everything, and hands Anna Victor’s letter to Charlotte. She says, it’s from Victor? What’s he doing writing to Charlotte? Valentin says, it’s all in there, and Anna reads: It is with a heavy heart I must write to you and share my concern about our family’s future… Anna has completely manipulated your father. She’s taken advantage of his infatuation with her… She’s used [her charms] to control your father. Her extensive training in espionage has afforded her the ability to mask who she really is. I tell you this, Anna Devane is not who she seems. Do not trust her. Not for a minute.

Charlotte says, Anna pretends to be nice, but it’s just a way to get closer to papa, and Nina says, her grandmother Laura told her and Charlotte’s papa that Victor warned her about Anna, that he said she was dangerous. Charlotte says, because she is. She tricked him. He can’t tell that she’s using him.

Cyrus says he’s sorry to disappoint Sonny, but they don’t open until 5, and Sonny says, that’s all right because he already ate lunch. Cyrus can keep working while they talk. Cyrus says, they’re going to talk? but Sonny says, he’s going to talk; Cyrus is going to listen. He thinks he’s so slick. Father Teresa. Mr. Clean. It doesn’t matter what part he plays, they both know who he is. Get used to that mop because it’s the last job he’s going to have in Port Charles, and Sonny’s going to make sure of that. Cyrus says, then he guesses he’d better get back to it, and Sonny says, stay focused. Because if he gets a glimpse or hears a whisper that Cyrus is back to his old tricks, he will shut Cyrus down permanently.

Jordan asks, what’s this new discovery? and Curtis says, meditation. She says, TJ’s been trying to get her to try it, and he says, it’s a great way to quiet the noise in your head and to slow down your thoughts and just be still. She says, it sounds profound, and he says, she’d be surprised what comes from stillness. He got this memory of a case they worked on in Baltimore. He doesn’t remember the details, only how he felt. Following the lead, putting the clues together, connecting the dots… that spark, and the answer comes.

Finn asks, why the sudden reluctance? and Diane says, it’s very complicated. Under other circumstances, she’d be all in to represent him, especially since she doesn’t want to disappoint Alexis. He asks, what’s holding her up? and she says, when Alexis called her this morning, she was running around. She didn’t quite understand all of the details, and after they hung up, she got a call from the Muldoons, the family that’s suing him.

Maxie tells Cody, every shot is a masterpiece. She can’t stop thinking about their next Deception campaign. Sasha is about to come in, but stops and listens from outside. Maxie says, Salvadore’s people are already on board, and Cody asks if she’s sure about him. She says, he can’t stop talking about how much camera chemistry Cody and Sasha have. Cody says, listen, he just… She says, picture this for the next Deception campaign. Think, sophistication meets untamed allure. He says, untamed allure? and she says, yeah. Him, in a tux, with a twist. Shirt slightly undone, showcasing rugged charm. Then there’s Sasha opposite him, looking exquisite in a radiant ballgown. Think, cowboy meets elegance. Sasha continues to listen, and Maxie says she can see it now. Stark desert landscape. The sunset painting the sky. He says, at least it will be a short shoot, and she says, they’ll spend the holiday setting up for that moment. He says, good luck. He’s sure it’s going to be great, whoever they get to stand next to Sasha by that sunset is going to look… Maxie says, come on. It screams Cody. He says, sorry. No can do. He’s out.

Anna continues reading: She will use your father and lead him into danger. She will lead him to his death. My dear Charlotte, you are the only one who can protect your father from Anna Devane. She puts the letter down and asks Valentin, what did he do? He put so much fear into a young person’s mind like that. Charlotte was just trying to protect him from her. He says, Laura finally got Charlotte to open up. Victor didn’t just write a letter. He visited her in boarding school. He filled her head with stories that Anna was a threat, that her motive was to ruin him and put him in prison or worse. Anna says, so all of her actions were just a young girl desperately trying to save her father, and he says, yeah. She thought by getting Anna out of Port Charles, she was keeping him out of harm’s way. Anna asks if she admitted to everything. Burning her house or…

Nina asks why Charlotte didn’t tell anyone about Victor’s letter, and Charlotte says she didn’t think anyone would believe her. Nina says, that’s a lot for her to carry, isn’t it? She thought Anna was a threat, so what did she do? Charlotte says, Nina already knows, doesn’t she? Grandmother must have told her. Nina says, Laura told her that she wanted Anna to leave Port Charles. Will Charlotte tell her? What did she do to make Anna want to go?

Curtis says, that memory of him and Jordan working on that case. It was not just nostalgia; it was a wake-up call. Jordan says, from what? but he says, not from, to. It reminded him of who he is deep down. He thought he left the P.I. world behind him. She says, he was finding a new path, and he says he just didn’t want to get pigeonholed. And he’s still doing that work, badge or no badge. Helping Drew figure out where Victor Cassadine took Trina and Ace was a huge part of him. That’s who he is at the core. He wants to live to uncover the truth, to seek justice. She asks if he thinks he lost that part of himself, and he says, not lost. Just sidetracked, especially after the shooting. The PCPD hasn’t made any progress, and he can’t just sit here waiting for something to happen. He’s got to dig in. He’s got to take matters into his own hands and figure out who put him in this wheelchair. But to do that, he needs access to the police investigation. She says, and that’s where she comes in.

Finn says, Diane is going to represent the family that’s suing him and General Hospital for malpractice? and she says, yes, she is. The deceased, Dennis Muldoon, she and his father-in-law go way, way back. He was her client before she was even truly established. The Muldoons have her on retainer. Finn says, oh, that’s nice, and she says, so they should probably cut this chat a little short, considering they will soon be on adversarial sides in a courtroom. However, she does have some unsolicited advice for him. He says, by all means, and she says, he may trust the higher ups at General Hospital, but trust her, when push comes to shove, the GH lawyer will focus solely on the hospital’s reputation, not his. He’ll be an afterthought. He tells her, Alexis said the same thing, and she says, Alexis was right. Gregory comes in, using a cane, and Diane says she does wish him the very best of luck. She gets up, and Gregory says, don’t let him interrupt. If they need more time, he can wait at the bar. She says, not at all. Her business with Dr. Finn is done, for now. She leaves, and Finn says, yeah, that went well.

Maxie says, come on. She doesn’t understand why Cody is being so obstinate. She will pay him. In fact, she has his last paycheck around here somewhere. She digs it out, and says, see? handing it to him. He says he appreciates… Oh wow. That is a hefty sum. She says, it’ll be heftier when he signs on as the male Face of Deception, but he says, sorry. This face has seen its last paycheck. He appreciates it, but he can’t do this. Sasha looks worried, and Maxie says, fine. She’ll give him a sign-on bonus, double what’s on that check. He says, it’s not the money. It’s Sasha.

Cyrus says he doesn’t imagine Sonny will believe it, but this is him trying to start fresh. Every move he’s made since his release has been by the book. This job is a genuine attempt to go straight. His past issues with Sonny, water under the bridge. Sonny says, that’s hard to believe after everything Cyrus did to set him up, and Cyrus says he has no idea what Sonny is talking about. Sonny says, maybe there’s too much bleach in his brain. Let him refresh Cyrus’s memory. His boys Austin and Mason blackmailed Ava Jerome to put a mole in his house, his daughter’s nanny, Betty. She did a perfect job. She did what she had to do. She got to the computer, grabbed the information, brought the information to Austin, and Austin brought it to Cyrus at Pentenville. Then Cyrus gave it to the Feds because he thought it would take Sonny down. Cyrus says, that’s a hell of a story, and Sonny says, here’s the punchline. All the information Betty stole was a lie. It was all a trap. And guess what? Cyrus walked right into it.

Carly tells Drew that she’s not going to keep dwelling on everything Nina did. She’s moving on from the past. He says, that sounds very healthy, and she says, look at everything she has. Him. He’s back from Pentenville, and this amazing business her mother gave her with a major connection to her family history. Her kids are healthy and happy, she has an amazing moss bowl🎍home. She has so many blessings. He says, and she’s so resilient and strong. He’s got to be honest here. Her optimism inspires him. She says she gets that from him. He always teaches her to see the bright side, to move forward. He says, moving forward doesn’t mean she pushes Carly down, and it especially doesn’t mean she lets the people that hurt her have another shot.

Curtis tells Jordan that he knows it’s a grey area. He’s not asking for a free pass to the evidence locker. He’s just asking if she can bend the rules, just a little bit. She says, it’s a thin line, but given he was the victim, the one who got affected, it seems to her he has the right to know what’s happening with the investigation. She’ll get him access to the statements, evidence, leads, the works, but… He says, thank you, but she says, hold on. Don’t go getting all grateful just yet. There is a catch.

Finn says he sees Gregory brought a friend. How’s that working out? Gregory says, these things really do make you feel older, but it does provide a grounding and he’s more steady on his feet. Finn says, stability is everything, and Gregory says, not to pry, but did something happen with Diane? Finn says, that? Just some legal nonsense. Of greater importance, Violet had her first school debate. She and her team defended humans against robots as better helpers. Violet pointed out that although robots might be better at following instructions, humans have intuition. That we are better able to sense when something’s off. We can adapt and provide comfort. And more important, no batteries required. Gregory says, sounds like Violet is talking about the difference between Finn and Elizabeth, and Finn says, ha-ha-ha. That’s a good one. Gregory says, as much as he enjoys talking about his intuitive granddaughter, it doesn’t take intuition to see something’s bothering Finn. Was it the meeting with Diane? Finn says, yeah. It didn’t go the way he’d hoped.

Charlotte tells Nina that she never did anything to hurt Anna. She was just trying to scare her. Nina says, by doing what? Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone. She’s done some foolish things when she was upset. Charlotte asks if Nina remembers the article coming out about Anna being a double-agent, and Nina says she does. Charlotte says, one night, after she saw that article, she went to Anna’s house and painted the word murderer on her door. Nina says, and? and Charlotte says, and after the fire at her house, she got another idea and went to Anna’s hotel. She snuck in with a keycard she borrowed from papa and messed up Anna’s stuff. She even wrote on Anna’s bathroom mirror with lipstick. Then on Halloween, she was going to spray paint another message in her apartment, but then Anna found her, and she had a gun. Anna shot her. Charlotte starts to cry.

Valentin tells Anna that he hasn’t discussed it with Charlotte. He just knows she told Laura that she was trying to drive Anna away. Anna says, Charlotte tried to terrorize her… He says, she needs professional help, and Anna says she thinks Charlotte needs intensive deprogramming, doesn’t he? He says, but everything she did was to protect him. She wasn’t acting out of malice. Anna says, it’s powerful conditioning, and he says, it can be fixed. Have faith. As soon as Charlotte is on the road to healing, then the three of them can move forward together. She says she’s really not sure how that’s going to happen.

Cody says he doesn’t know if Maxie heard, but Sasha said she doesn’t want to work with him anymore. She was crystal clear. Maxie says, once she understands… Cody says, no way. He’s not going to let Maxie force Sasha into doing something she’s uncomfortable with. Maxie says she wouldn’t do that to Sasha. This is just business. He says, well, it’s personal to Sasha. She’s been through hell. She was being used by Gladys for months and controlled by Montague. She’s just now getting her life in order. She deserves to have her wishes respected. He’s not going to interfere with anything like that. He already told her, he’s out. He heads for the door, when Sasha appears and says, maybe not.

Finn tells Gregory, there’s a situation at the hospital that he’d rather not discuss. It’s nothing to worry about, especially with everything else on his plate. Gregory asks if Finn means his ALS. While he can’t alter his condition, he can alter how he chooses to deal with it. Like this cane. Speaking of which, Finn should have seen Violet’s face. She doesn’t think less of him because of it. In fact, she said she thought it makes him look like a dapper snowman. Finn laughs and says, classic Violet. Greogry says, if Finn is grappling with something, share it. He may not be able to provide an answer, but maybe it will give him a break from his own troubles. Finn says, okay. Gregory asked for it. Yesterday, he got some unsettling news. Gregory says, he’s not sick, is he? but Finn says, nothing like that. It’s work. He was informed that he, along with GH, are being sued by the family of a former patient for malpractice.

Carly asks Drew, so what’s going on? He’s usually the one telling her to let things go. He tells her that he’s just saying to be aware and stand on guard. She never told him what that kiss was celebrating. She says, the fact that he’s free to show up out of the blue, that means she can kiss him whenever she wants. Compared to a month ago, her life is so much better. He says his too, and she says, then what was that comment about, not letting people hurt you again. He says, Ned. Ned’s pushed him one step too far.

Sonny says, Cyrus must have seen the headlines about his arrest. Corinthos in Hot Water; FBI Brews Trouble for Coffee Kingpin. It was basically a comedy of errors. Cyrus handed them watered down espresso for that bogus data. Cyrus says, Sonny gives him too much credit, and Sonny says he was actually in shock at how much credit they gave Cyrus, but he got his release, right? Cyrus says, because of his poor health, nothing else, and Sonny tells him to make sure he takes good care of that precious health. Because it’s going to get a lot worse if Cyrus crosses him.

Valentin tells Anna that they can get through this. Charlotte wasn’t acting in her right mind. It wasn’t truly her. Anna says she doesn’t have a problem with Charlotte. But he’s known since the night her hotel suite was ransacked that his daughter was the one threatening her, and he said nothing. He tells her that he was hoping… She says, hoping what? That he could manage it from behind the scenes? Like they did when they were agents in the field? He decided not to tell the woman he claims to love that instead of fearing professional assassins, she was merely facing a misguided teenager. He says he didn’t know how to handle it, and she says, because he has no faith in her. If he’d told her the truth from the start, then they could have talked about it. They could have handled it themselves. And she would have never pulled a weapon that night. It’s all because he doesn’t believe in her. Does he know why he doesn’t trust anyone? Because he himself cannot be trusted.

Nina says, other than the spray paint and the hotel, did Charlotte do anything else to try and frighten Anna away? Charlotte says, no, she promises, and Nina says, okay. Anna’s house. It was just the spray paint? Charlotte says, yes, and Nina takes her hand. She says, this is her that Charlotte is talking to. There is nothing she could ever say or do to get Nina to stop loving her. She will never stop loving Charlotte, but in order for them to make this right, Charlotte has to be honest with her. Did she have anything to do with the fire in Anna’s house?

Drew tells Carly, let’s just say, Ned is back to his old self, as arrogant as ever, and she says, wow. What did he do? Drew says, he stopped by Aurora, and everything seemed fine at first, until he found out Michael had salvaged a deal for ELQ. And he kind of freaked out. Instead of being grateful for it, he said Michael had no authority to broker that deal. She says, even though he wasn’t around to do it himself? and Drew says, exactly. Instead of thanking Michael, Ned told him to keep his nose out of ELQ business. She says, it’s unbelievable, but it sounds just like Ned, and he says, it does. Proving once again, Ned puts his pride, puts his ego ahead of what’s best for the company. Carly asks what he’s going to do about it.

Jordan says, she and Curtis are both investigators at heart. She wants to be right there in the trenches with him. He asks if she isn’t Deputy Mayor, because digging could ruffle some feathers and cause embarrassment to the whole city, which could make her life very difficult. She says, difficult is relative. She can handle the heat. And she’s happy to ruffle any feathers if it means putting the person who shot him behind bars for twenty to life.

Gregory says, so Alexis arranged for Diane to represent Finn, only to discover Diane is representing the family suing him? Finn says, yeah, that’s pretty much the gist of it. Gregory says, Finn’s always been an outstanding doctor. This is his first brush with a lawsuit, right? Finn says, yes, and Gregory asks if he believes the suit has merit. Finn says, no, but sometimes in cases like this, grieving families have sway with the jury. Gregory asks if he has his bases covered with malpractice insurance (FYI, if he didn’t, it’s doubtful the hospital would have him on staff), and Finn says, of course (🍷). If for some reason the jury favors the Muldoons, the insurance will pay out a settlement. Gregory says, that’s a silver lining at least. Finn won’t be staring down the barrel of financial ruin. Finn says he doesn’t know. If the insurance company has to pay out because of this case, they’ll find a reason to drop him. Without malpractice insurance… Gregory says, he won’t be able to practice medicine, and Finn says, this lawsuit could be the end of his career.

Sasha says she really appreciates Cody’s willingness to step away from Deception because of her feelings, but if Maxie asked him to work with any other model, would he say yes? Cody says, he… and Sasha says, they’ve been pretty honest with each other so far, so don’t stop now. Cody says, yeah. If it was another model, he’d take the job. Sasha asks Maxie if having Cody as the male Face of Deception is important to their brand, and Maxie says, only if they want to be successful. Their chemistry was off the charts. It jumped through the screen at Home & Heart. These pictures capture it perfectly. Cody looks at her, and she says, but Cody is right. Sasha’s wishes and comfort come first. Sometimes she gets a little excited. Sasha says, no. You know what? She needs to trust and pay attention to that excitement. If Maxie thinks this is for the best, then she wants to do it… for the company. Cody asks if she’s sure, and Maxie jets over to her and says, really? Sasha says she’s sure, and Maxie says, oh my God, this is so amazing. She promises it won’t be awkward. No blind gossip pieces about their pairing. This is just business. Strictly professional. Sasha and Cody look at each other and we see a photo of them with Ferdinand.

Gregory says, Finn dedicated his life, he poured his heart and soul into medicine. He can’t let them take away his calling. If GH’s lawyers won’t stand up for him, he’ll have to stand up for himself. He says, that’s what he’s trying to do, and Gregory says, someone doesn’t get Stage IV cancer out of the blue. There had to have been signs, symptoms. He knows from personal experience. When he was diagnosed with ALS, there were countless warnings. He was too stubborn to see them. Finn says he knows that… and Gregory says, listen to him. If that patient was Stage IV, then there had to have been indicators that were overlooked or ignored. Finn thanks him, and Gregory says, for what? Finn puts his hand on Gregory’s and says, for believing in him. For always feeling the weight on his shoulders and trying to lighten the load. Gregory puts his hand on Finn’s and says, always, son. Always.

Charlotte tells Nina that she never set fire to Anna’s house. She was just trying to get Anna to leave town. She had to keep papa safe. Nina has to believe her. Nina says she does, and hugs Charlotte, saying, it’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay.

Valentin says, Anna’s right. He is at his core untrustworthy. When he learned about Charlotte, his first instinct was to hide the truth. She says, it’s called lying, and he says, to protect his daughter. But also maybe to protect their love. He’s dreamed of a life with her forever. He just doesn’t have the faith. He was afraid she’d leave him when she found out. Maybe he’s afraid she doesn’t love him the way he loves her. She says she thinks he always doubted them, and he says he thinks she’s right. She sighs and wipes tears from her eyes. She says, it’s never been about how much she loves him. It’s just been this persistent mistrust that’s created this chasm. Except that now the lies and secrecy ended up with her shooting an innocent kid. He says, Charlotte will recover, and she asks what that even means. She picks up a napkin and dabs at her eyes and asks if that makes it okay. It doesn’t absolve her. Charlotte is never going to get over this trauma, ever. No matter how much deprogramming, it will never erase it. Every time Charlotte sees her, she’ll be reminded of that night. And Anna is afraid every time she sees Valentin, she’ll be forced to relive it. So she thinks if she’s going to have any peace in her life, she needs to see him as little as possible. She’s sorry. She leaves, and Valentin hangs his head.

Curtis tells Jordan that all he wanted was access to the police files. He can handle the rest alone. Besides, if he comes up empty, it will only be his time he wasted. Jordan says, it was that memory of them investigating in Baltimore that gave him this idea to begin with. That should be a clue that she’s right. They made a great team. He says, they were a force, and she says, and closed a lot of tough cases, cases that stumped everyone else. They were unstoppable because they complimented each other’s strengths. He says he remembers, and she says, so they team up. They can get to the bottom of this faster together. What does he say? He says, there’s no point in fighting her, and she says, because he knows she’s right. He says, true that. Let’s get started.

Carly says, okay. With Ned back to throwing his weight around, what’s Drew’s next move? He says he’ll tell her what he’s not going to do. He’s not going to make any more rash decisions, giving Ned more power for his pals at the SEC, so they can maneuver him back behind bars. She says, so he does think Ned was the one who tipped them off, not the FBI? He says, the theory that they were targeting Carly to get to Sonny makes sense, but sometimes things just are what they are. There’s no grand conspiracy. Ned was even going to tell him something about the SEC right before he started freaking out about Michael and ELQ. She says, with everything he just told her, Ned hasn’t changed one bit. He says, exactly. People act on raw emotions, like anger and spite, and given Ned’s ego and his obvious resentment toward him, it fits. Ned saw an opportunity for revenge, and he took it.

Sonny says, let him make himself clear. Cyrus is to stay away from him, his family, his business. And when he says his family, they’re all under his protection. Sasha Gilmore, Ava Jerome, his ex-wife. Cyrus crosses paths with them, he crosses paths with Sonny. Cyrus says, anything else? and Sonny says, yeah. Keep working on that mop. He moves closer and whispers that he’s got his eyes on Cyrus. Every hour of every day. Cyrus steps over the line, Sonny’s going to make sure no one ever sees him again. Sonny heads for the door, and Cyrus says he understands. Sonny comes back and says, one more thing. Lay off Laura. Don’t show up at the city hall. It embarrasses her. Or at her house. It’s Laura’s choice if she wants to see him, but don’t just go there uninvited. Are they clear? Cyrus says, oh yeah, and Sonny says he’s glad they understand each other. Now get back to work. Sonny leaves, and Cyrus looks like he’s barely keeping a lid on it.

Tomorrow, Curtis says, Nina may not be happy after she hears what he has to say; Gregory asks what Martin suggests they do; and Valentin tells Anna, stay away.

😢 Say It Ain’t So…

I’m so bummed! I wasn’t totally crazy about the Austin character, but Roger Howarth made it his own. IMO, he’s one of the greatest actors in daytime, if not the greatest.

👔 Different Kind Of Goodbye…

Now he has to put suits on again.

🎓 In Memory Of Billy…

His death was such a shock. I’m sure he’d be proud of the memorial scholarship.

Billy Miller’s Family Creates Memorial Scholarship in His Honor

🦃 This Thursday…

In an odd twist, GH decided to air a new episode on Thanksgiving, even though they haven’t in years. Don’t expect a recap on Thanksgiving. I’ll be busy letting out my waistband.

🎰 What Happens At BravoCon…

Maybe there was a reason Sutton ignored her.

No surprise here.

In related news.

💎 Gets My Vote…

I’ll say it again, I don’t see any new Erika. What I see is the old Erika waiting for the right moment to pounce. We got a taste of it when the elevator randomly stopped on their floor, and Erika’s Magic Mike friend just happened to be riding in it, along with her… whatever he is, Mikey.

☔️ Not To Rain On the Thanksgiving Parade…

Time to rewrite history right.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/thanksgiving-myth-and-what-we-should-be-teaching-kids-180973655/

🌻 Something To Celebrate…

The resolution.

https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/us-senate-passes-resolution-recognizing-november-2023-at-national-native-american-heritage-month

The facts.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a38083079/native-american-heritage-month-facts/

Ideas for celebrating.

https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/how-to-celebrate-native-american-heritage-month

🥁 Before It Passes By…

About the parade.

https://www.macys.com/s/parade/

The new balloons. Scroll down for the gallery.

Macy’s Parade Eve. I knew someone who used to do this every year. Nope. That’s why God invented TV sets.

https://abc7ny.com/nyc-thanksgiving-parade-balloon-inflation-upper-west-side-macys-balloons-american-museum-of-natural-history/14088735/

🐾 Good Pilgrims…

A gallery of adorable pilgrims. I just can’t.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/25-pets-in-pilgrim-costumes-photos_n_2160020

🍼 At The Kids’ Table…

Stop by tomorrow for pre-Thanksgiving soap and picking a bone with Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay taking advantage of seasonal items while you can (maple everything!), and stay knowing that sometimes things just are what they are. There’s no grand conspiracy.

November 17, 2023 – Austin Offers Dante What He Wants, Departing, Her Fans, Wedding Bliss, Diamonds Aren’t Forever, Net Worth, Coming Up, Went By, Furry Thanksgiving, Not Quite 8 Quotes & Parade

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jordan goes to Laura’s office and asks if she’s burning the midnight oil. Laura invites her in and says, they have so much to catch up on. She thanks Jordan for attending the town hall meeting of the dockworkers for her, and Jordan says, it was her pleasure. They’re very hard-working citizens that deserve to be heard. She forwarded Laura some emails about things that needed to be approved. Laura says she saw that and thanks her, and Jordan says, there are a few issues that came up while she was gone that they need to discuss. Laura says, before they get into that, she has a question for Jordan. Would she like her position as Deputy Mayor to be a permanent one?

At the hospital, Felicia tells Mr. Williams that his MRI was just approved by his insurance company, and he thanks her. She sees Robert wave to her, and she asks if Mac sent him to spy on her. He says he’s here on his own, and she says, perfect timing. She’s due for a break. What brings him by? He says he needs her help.

Spencer knocks on Josslyn’s dorm room door, and she says she’s glad he’s here. Come in. He needs to see this for himself. There’s like a wall of floral bouquets, and Spencer says he might have gone overboard. Josslyn says, he’s lucky she doesn’t have allergies. Don’t get her wrong, they’re beautiful, but unfortunately, Trina isn’t here to see them.

Curtis is lifting hand weights when Marshall comes in from the kitchen. Curtis says, he’s got dinner smelling good, and Marshall says, it’ll be ready in about a half hour. Curtis says, good, because he’s worked up quite an appetite, and Marshall says, Curtis has increased his reps. He’s not pushing himself too hard, is he? Trina comes in the front door and is obviously aggravated. Marshall asks if Curtis wants to take this one, and Trina says, where’s mom? Curtis says, she’s taking her Chief of Staff job seriously, so she’s working late, and Marshall says, dinner’s almost ready. Give him a half-hour and he’ll have the table set. Trina says, dinner smells great, but she’s not hungry. She’s going to her room. She starts to leave, but Curtis calls her back and asks if she wants to tell him what’s going on. She says, no.

Michael says, they didn’t have to come to Kelly’s to see his mom, but Willow says, just come inside. Carly greets them and asks what they want. Chili, burgers… Michael says, Willow insisted they come by to see her. Does she have something to tell him? Carly says, Nina offered to sell her back her half of the MetroCourt.

Nina tells Trish that they have a large party coming in tomorrow night and asks if she can make sure they have two bottles of their best red wine, and Trish says, will do. Nina thanks her, and Sonny walks in. Nina says, it’s great that Sonny could break away and have dinner with her and asks Trish to bring them two menus. He says he thought he’d come while she’s still co-owner. Why did she decide to sell her half of the MetroCourt back to Carly?

On the phone in the interrogation room, Dante says he wants everything from the Charlotte Cassadine shooting. An officer knocks at the door and says, there’s a guy out here demanding to see Dante, Dr. Gatlin-Holt. Dante says, send him in, and Austin says he’s here to give Dante what he wants.

Laura thanks Jordan for helping her, and thanks her for her service to the city of Port Charles. She did an excellent job while Laura was off looking for her son, and since she’s been back too. She feels bad that Jordan had to step in for her. Jordan says, Laura had some crazy circumstances thrown at her. Her granddaughter was shot and her son was missing. Jordan would have done the same thing. How is Charlotte? Laura says, physically, she’s one the mend, but emotionally, she thinks it’s going to take a little while to figure out what’s going on with her. Which is why Laura wanted to ask if Jordan wanted to stay on as Deputy Mayor. There’s no one she trusts more. Jordan says she appreciates the vote of confidence, but this isn’t an easy decision to make. As Laura knows, she spent her life in law enforcement, and she feels that there’s still a lot of good she can do for the community. There’s a knock at the door, and Laura tells Jordan that she’s so sorry. She says, come in, and Cyrus walks in. He asks if the mayor has a moment for her brother.

Dante tells Austin, have a seat. He expected to see him here. Austin says, really? He’s completely shocked to be here. But now that he is, maybe they can get this over with as quickly as possible. That’d be great. He sits down, and Dante asks if he’s ready to name the person he’s working for and testify against him. Austin tells Dante that he didn’t say anything about testifying. Dante needs to keep his name out of this. He needs complete anonymity. Dante says he doesn’t know what Austin thinks this is, but he’s not The Invader and he’s not a journalist for The Invader. Austin is already being looked at as an accomplice in the kidnapping of Ava Jerome, and now he’s the one they’re looking at as possibly having killed Gordon Stevens. Austin says he didn’t kill Gordon Stevens, but Dante says, if this keeps going the way it’s going, he’s going to be considered an official suspect. So if he wants to produce something in exchange for leniency, now is the time. Dante switches on the recorder.

Felicia asks what Robert needs her help with. Is it Anna? He says, pretty as well as smart. Yeah. Has Felicia heard from her? She says, they spoke briefly on the phone, and she’s been sending Anna texts to check in, and she always responds. But they haven’t actually talked since Anna shot Charlotte Cassadine. He says, she’s had more contact than he has. Anna hasn’t responded to any of his calls. He got a text that says, reach out when I can. He shows Felicia his phone and says, if he didn’t know better, he’d say Anna’s hiding from him. Felicia says she’s pretty sure Anna is.

Trina says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to be rude. Curtis tells her, that’s okay, but if there’s something bothering her, they just want to help… if they can. She says she knows that, and Marshall says, come on. Sit down. Whatever it is, maybe he and her father can help iron it out. She says she appreciates that, but she knows how they both feel about Spencer, so she’s just going to deal with it herself. Curtis says he’ll stay open-minded, and looks at Marshall, who says, me too.

Nina says, it was Sonny. He’s the one who advised her against hanging on to her half of the hotel. He says, but that was months ago. Since then, he’s seen her tackle every obstacle and challenge that’s been thrown her way. And now the MetroCourt is doing good. Business is booming. She says she’d like to think she helped with that, and he says, and she and Olivia are doing great. In the beginning, Olivia was tough, but Nina won her over, and that’s not easy in his experience. So she’s enjoying running the day-to-day at the hotel. Carly’s settled in at Kelly’s, right? She says, mm-hmm, and he says, so they’re all getting along, co-existing. So why would she want to rock the boat by selling her half to Carly?

Willow says, isn’t it exciting? and Michael flashes back to telling Nina that he’s not going to take away his father’s happiness. He’s sure Sonny will be happy until he finds out the kind of woman Nina really is. But he’s not risking his family. She’ll only see them when he says it’s okay, and he wants her to sell her mother her half of the MetroCourt back. Michael asks Carly when Nina decided to sell her back her half of the hotel, and Carly says, she stopped by on her way to work this morning.  That’s when she made the offer. Michael says, tell me about this offer.

Spencer says, it smells like a flower shop or a funeral. He’s not sure which. Josslyn says, really? She doesn’t think so. He should probably take some of these and donate them at GH. He says, on a scale of 1 to 10, how mad is Trina? and Josslyn says, 11. Speaking for herself, if Dex threw down with her, and told her not to ask him to choose between her and someone else because she wouldn’t like the answer? She hates to break it to him, but seems like a red flag. Possibly a relationship ender.

Marshall says, how dare Spencer give Trina an ultimatum? He’s sorry. He promised to remain neutral. She says, but now he sees why she’s so frustrated with him. Her phone chimes a few times, and she says, not to mention, he’s blowing up her phone with text messages and phone calls. She knows she needs to respond; she just doesn’t know what to say. She looks at her phone and says, stop texting me, Spencer. Curtis says he’s never seen her this upset at Spencer. He knows he hasn’t been her dad for that long, but may he offer her some unsolicited parental advice? She says, as long as it’s not telling her to talk to Spencer again. Curtis says, but that’s exactly what she’ll need to do. But first, she needs to figure out for herself what she needs to discuss with him. He believes in any romantic relationship; you have to be very clear about what you want and what you’re willing to put up with. So if she’s willing to do the hard work with her feelings, he and Marshall could help her figure some things out.

Austin shuts the recorder off and sets it aside. He says he will give Dante the name of Mason’s boss. As soon as there’s a deal in place. Dante asks, what kind of deal is he talking about? and Austin says, a deal that guarantees his freedom. Immunity from prosecution and he’s not going to set foot in a courtroom and testify against anybody. Dante says he’s not in a position to negotiate right now. So he guesses this conversation is over. Austin can see himself out. Austin says, Dante doesn’t understand the risk in coming here. If his boss finds out he’s here before Dante has a chance to bring him into custody, he’s a dead man.

Cyrus says, Deputy Mayor Ashford, it’s good to see you. You’re looking well. Jordan says, congratulations on his hardship release from prison. Not many people who’ve done what he has are given yet another chance to become a productive citizen. He says, and he’s grateful for the opportunity. He came by this evening because he wanted to share some news with his sister. Laura says, about what? and he says he found gainful employment. She says, really? Doing what? He says, washing dishes at the Port Charles Grill.

Robert asks Felicia, why would Anna be hiding from him? She can’t possibly be thinking he’s going to prosecute her for the Cassadine shooting. Felicia says she thinks the opposite. Anna probably feels he might come under scrutiny if he doesn’t prosecute her. Everyone knows the history they share. He says, it’s a hell of a time to be thinking about his reputation, and she says, maybe it’s simpler. Maybe Anna knows she got herself into this situation. It’s on her and her alone to get herself out.

Trina doesn’t know what she wants, and Marhsall says, maybe she should start by ruling out a few things first. Does she want to break up with Spencer? She says, no. Of course (🍷) not. Marshall says, there it is. Sometimes we figure out what we want by figuring out what we don’t want. Curtis says, and from what she’s told them, she doesn’t want Spencer, Esme, and Ace living together either. Trina says, it’s at least better now that Laura and Doc are back in town, but yes, in a perfect world, Spencer would not share a home with Esme and Ace. Curtis asks, why is that? and she says, because Spencer is Ace’s brother. He’s not his dad. Curtis says he spoke with Laura when she came back from Europe, and she received confirmation that Nikolas is alive. And by his own free will, choosing to stay away from Port Charles and be an active father in Spencer and Ace’s lives. So can she blame Spencer for wanting to play a role in his brother’s life? She says, yes. This whole thing is just so messy. Esme is Spencer’s ex-girlfriend, and she knows Esme doesn’t remember that part of her life, but Trina does, and there’s still that history of them being a couple together. And now they’re taking parenting classes together, they’re living together, and she’s just not comfortable with it. She’s been patient and she’s been understanding, and she’s reached her limit. She’s done. Curtis looks at Marshall, and Marshall says, there’s something she’s going to have to tell Spencer.

Spencer says he knows he blew it. He lost his temper. Josslyn says, he has a tendency to do that, and he says he knows. He put out an ultimatum and he doesn’t want to have to carry that out. She says, he’s raised an important question. If he had to choose, would he rather be with Trina or live with Esme and Ace? He says he doesn’t know. He guesses he was fooling himself, thinking that this scenario could continue on like this for forever.

Marshall says he has another question for Trina, but since he got a late start at being her granddad, let him give her a brief history on himself. Her grandmother Irene wasn’t his first girlfriend, but she was his first love. In fact, that buttermilk cornbread baking in that oven is her secret recipe. He’ll teach it to her sometime. Curtis says he doesn’t even know how to make the cornbread, and Marshall says he loved Irene. He loved her with all his heart and soul for the longest time. He thought she would be his only romantic love. That is, until he met Epiphany Johnson, may she rest in peace. Trina says she’s sorry he lost Epiphany, and he thanks her. He asks if Spencer is the first boy she’s been in love with, and she says, yeah. For the most part. Curtis says, whoa, wheeling himself over. Those answers don’t seem to go together. Can she explain what she means? Trina says, Joss has been her best friend since junior high. When Josslyn got involved with Oscar, their friend group solidified around Joss and Oscar and her and Cameron. And when Oscar got diagnosed with cancer, and eventually died, things got really intense and emotional. Marshall says he’s sorry she lost her friend to cancer, and she says, it was hard, but she and Cameron spent a lot of time being Joss’s support system, helping her deal with the loss of Oscar. And if she’s being honest, she had really strong feelings for Cam. Marshall says, she did? and she says, yeah, but that was a long time ago, and what she felt for Cam is nothing like what she feels for Spencer. He’s the real deal and she thought he was going to be her future, but… Curtis says, but what? and she says, but she thinks she might have been wrong.

Josselyn says, Spencer’s situation with Trina, Esme, and Ace can’t continue. It’s obvious. He says he loves Trina so much. The more time they spend together, the deeper the connection he feels with her. She is so smart. She’s so passionate. She’s so real. She’s a beautiful person and he’d never want to hurt her, and he’d never want to give her up. Josslyn says, then maybe that’s his answer, and he says, but she’s also an adult. She is responsible and she is capable. She survived his Uncle Victor and all the crazy that happened in Greenland when they were together. But Ace is a baby. His father abandoned him, and he knows what that feels like. And while he doesn’t think Esme is a bad person… anymore, he doesn’t think Esme can give Ace what he needs on her own. Like the support Ace is going to need growing up. She says, that’s fair, and he says he just knows in his heart that his little brother needs him. And isn’t what a baby needs more important?

Carly says, so while she was getting Nina’s to-go order ready, she saw Nina was having a very intense conversation with Martin Grey out front. But then Drew came in and surprised her and she got a little distracted. Willow says, it’s so good having him home, and Carly says, it is. It feels so good knowing he’s not in danger anymore and he’s back home where he belongs. It just makes her so happy. Drew left and she brought Nina’s order to her, and that’s when Nina offered to sell her back her half of the MetroCourt. Michael asks if Carly thinks Nina selling her back her half of the MetroCourt is what she was talking about with Martin, and Carly says, Nina did say that what she was discussing with Martin concerned her. That’s when she presented the offer and that’s when Willow arrived. Willow says she knew the second she heard about it that it was the perfect way to heal their family.

Nina tells Sonny that she got some really good advice recently. Instead of making enemies, she should start making more friends. (Wow. That must have been tough to come up with.) He says, she thought she would start with Carly? but Nina says, no. It’s not like she’s deceiving herself into thinking she and Carly will ever be friends. It’s just that they have a lot of people in common. People that they love, and they should stop clawing at each other and continuing this armed truce. Gritting their teeth and waiting to take the other one down. He says he couldn’t agree more, and Nina says she does think it’s better for everyone if they left the past in the past, right? And the best way she can do that is to sell Carly back her half of the hotel.

Felicia says, Robert knows how independent Anna is, and he says, to a fault. She says, as much as he wants to fix this for Anna, she’s the one who shot Charlotte. She needs to find her own way to deal with this and move past it. He says he hopes she’s not avoiding him because of Valentin Cassadine. He never trusted the guy. Any Cassadine. He told her over and over this relationship she had with him would end in disaster and here we are. Mind you, nobody could have predicted a disaster quite like this one. He just hopes she doesn’t think he’s going to say, I told you so. Felicia takes his hand and says, Anna knows him better than that.

Dante says, there isn’t going to be a deal until Austin gives them his boss’s name. If he doesn’t want to testify, fine, but he has to give them other evidence. Documents, records, something they can use to get Mason to flip on this guy, or something they can use in court to prove his guilt. Austin says he can do that, and Dante says, great. And he can talk to the DA about a deal. Austin looks sick and says he knows Dante doesn’t like him. He gets it. He can see why. But he’s not a bad guy. He’s just a guy who’s been coerced into doing things that he knew weren’t the right thing to do. So he thanks Dante for giving him the opportunity to do the right thing. He leaves.

Cyrus says, something Laura doesn’t know about him is, he worked as a cook back in his youth. And he believes with a little hard work and determination, he should be able to move his way up at the Port Charles Grill. Laura asks how he got the job, and he says, the manager is part of a network of businesses that work with a charity to end recidivism. They give formerly incarcerated people such as himself a chance at employment. She tells him, congratulations, but as he can see, she and Jordan were in the middle of a meeting. He’s going to have to… He says, of course (🍷). He stopped by unannounced. It’s great to see her. He nods to Jordan and leaves. Jordan says she doesn’t believe a word that comes out of his mouth. Does Laura?  

Curtis says he thinks Trina needs to talk to Spencer about priorities, because family is important and a priority. She says she gets that, but family can’t be more significant than the primary relationship, right? Curtis says, right. For example, take her grandfather. He’s very important to Curtis, and so is Aunt Stella. And Trina, she’s a huge priority for him, but her mom is his wife. She is his primary relationship, first and foremost. He’s not suggesting she go off and get married, or that she’s even ready for it, but he doesn’t know how important her relationship is with Spencer. She says, it is, and Curtis says, but is he her first priority?

Josslyn says she totally gets that Spencer just wants to take care of his little brother, and he asks if it’s so difficult for people to understand. She says, it’s not difficult for people to understand, but has he thought about what that looks like? Does that look like him, Esme, and Ace living together, while at the same time, he and Trina are a couple. They’re going on trips together, spending time together, but every night, he goes home to Esme and Ace. He asks if that would be so impossible, and she says, it wouldn’t be impossible, but it wouldn’t be fair to anyone, including him.

Willow says, Carly shouldn’t have lost her half of the MetroCourt to begin with, any more than Drew should have gone to prison for what he did. None of it was fair to either of them. The whole insider trading indictment was wrong. Michael says, but it’s over now, and Willow says, and Drew’s free, where he belongs, rebuilding his life. And when you think about it, all that’s left now to balance the scales is for Carly to get her hotel back. Carly says, if only it were that simple. She can’t just accept Nina’s offer. She has to figure out how she’s going to pay for it. Willow says, that’s where Michael comes in.

Nina says she’s assuming Sonny found out about this offer because Carly wanted to talk it over with him, and he asks why Nina didn’t tell him. She says, he has a relationship with Carly. She’s always going to respect that. She’s not going to run to him in advance to get him on her side, so he views her actions from her perspective. She’s a businesswoman. This is a business transaction between her and Carly. It really has nothing to do with him at all. He says, Nina’s not that naïve.

Michael says he can give Carly the money to buy back her half of the MetroCourt and she can return it any time she wants. She can take it as a gift if she wants. Willow tells Carly to let Michael do this for her, and Michael says he wants to, but Carly says, absolutely not. When everything was falling apart, Josslyn offered to give Carly half her trust, but she turned Josslyn down. Just like she’s turning him down. She loves him. She can’t take his money. He says, hear him out for a minute. He’s been very fortunate financially. He runs Aurora, he has the second largest amount of voting stock in ELQ, and Jason set him up with a substantial trust fund when he was a baby. What he’s trying to say is, he’s benefited greatly from the generosity of his family his entire life and he’d like to give something back to her. If anyone deserves it, it’s her. He wants to do this for her.

Sonny says, Nina just told him that offering Carly her half of the hotel was a peacemaking gesture, and she says, it’s the best one she could think of. He says, so it wasn’t just a simple business transaction. It was more than that, right? He appreciates her leaving him out of it, but he’s already involved because she’s his wife and Carly is the mother of his children. They’re going to be tied for life, so this affects their entire family. She says, he’s right. If that’s the case, did he advise Carly to take her offer?

Laura says she honestly doesn’t know what to make of Cyrus anymore, and Jordan says, Laura has to trust her instincts. Laura says she knows how dangerous he can be, but she also knows how close to death he came with this heart attack, so maybe this new perspective of his is real. He’s an older man and he’s in poor health. Maybe now he just wants a simple life as a dishwasher. Jordan says she doesn’t believe that, and she doesn’t trust him. She knows Cyrus lives for one thing and one thing only – power. And that will never change.

Robert goes into the interrogation room, and tells Dante, it’s been a long day. This better be good. Dante says he wouldn’t have called Robert here if it wasn’t, and Robert asks what he’s got. Dante says he’s been squeezing Austin Gatlin-Holt to see if he can get him to give up his cousin and the guy they work for, the guy they think is responsible for kidnapping Ava Jerome. Robert says, maybe he should squeeze a bit harder, and Dante says, he’s willing to give up his boss’s name and corroborating evidence, but he wants a deal.

Austin goes into his house and turns on the light. He sees someone and asks what they’re doing here. We hear gunshots.

Josslyn says, the longer Spencer stays in this pseudo family with Esme and Ace, the more it’s going to hurt when it blows up, and it will. He knows it will. Esme’s going to meet someone, she’s going to want a life of her own, and Trina deserves better than him fitting her in when he’s not out with them. He says, okay, so what’s the alternative? Bowing out? He just lets Esme take Ace, and they move into their little apartment, and he gets to visit on weekends? Josslyn says, yes, but he says, nope. He’s not going to do that, and he refuses to accept that as a reality. He’s not going to let Esme take his little brother away from him. Josslyn says, this is exactly how he would operate when they were children. He wanted what he wanted, and he never stopped to consider who could get hurt in the process and what it would cost. He’s an adult now. He has to slow down and realize he’s not going to get everything he wants. This time he really does have to choose.

Trina repeats Curtis’s question, is Spencer her priority? She doesn’t like the sound of that. She wanted a career and because of that, she feels her education should be her first priority. Marhsall says he doesn’t think her dad was suggesting she prioritize a man over her invaluable education, and Curtis says, absolutely not. He knows he had nothing to do with her decision to go to college or for her choosing art as her major, but he’s very proud of her for pursuing her dreams. Let him think… How can he simplify this? Who is the first person she texts in the morning and the last person she texts at night? Is it her mom? Is it Josslyn? She says, no, it’s Spencer, first and last, and Curtis says, there you go. Now she has her answer, and she has her question for Spencer. Because is it the same for him?

Sonny says he knows better than to offer Carly advice, but he hopes she takes Nina’s offer, and Nina asks, why? He says, because once Carly is running things at the MetroCourt again, they can stop rehashing the past and move forward. Nina says, that would be nice, but he says he doesn’t think Carly sees it the way he does. She just told him that she’s happy to be working at Kelly’s and that she appreciates Bobbie let her have the diner as a safety net, so she wants to stay there. But he wants to say, even if Carly doesn’t accept her offer, he appreciates what she did. She thanks him, and he says, because she is the bigger person and she’s the one trying to make peace with their family.

Carly thanks Michael and Willow so much for caring, and Michael says, that’s what family does. She says she has to admit, she was thrown a little bit off her game when Nina presented the offer. Willow says she thinks they all were, and Carly says she’s been thinking a lot about it, and she appreciates that Nina made the offer. And she believes Nina did it for Willow and the kids because she wants to mend fences and she wants to make peace. Willow says, so Carly’s going to accept the money from Michael? but Carly says she can’t. She can’t accept Nina’s offer. Michael protests, but Carly says, as badly as she wants her hotel back, it won’t feel like hers if she doesn’t get it back on her own.

Laura says, Jordan would be in a better position to keep an eye on Cyrus as Police Commissioner, and if he violates the terms of his release, she can bust him. She won’t be able to do that as Deputy Mayor, so whatever decision Jordan makes, Laura will respect. Jordan says she refuses to make Cyrus her obsession, to become Captain Ahab, chasing him down to her own detriment. He’s not worth that. Before he came in, she was about to accept the position of Deputy Mayor permanently, and she sees no reason to change her mind. Laura says she sees no reason to either, and thanks Jordan. She really believes that together, they’ll be an effective team. And together they’ll be able to do some really good things for the people of Port Charles. They shake hands, and Jordan says she’s counting on it.

Mr. Williams gets Felicia’s attention, and she asks how it went. He says, everything went smoothly. She says, that’s great. She checked, and the hospital received the approval from the insurance company, and he says he wouldn’t have been able to get his MRI if it wasn’t for her. He thanks her, and she says she was just doing her job.

Robert asks where Dante left the good Dr. Gatlin-Holt, and Dante tells him, Austin says he’s got evidence against Mason and his still nameless boss. He’s gone to retrieve it apparently, and he will hand it over if they make a deal with him and give him immunity. Robert asks what Dante thinks about this Austin. Is he on the up and up? Dante says he thinks at this point Austin is just scrambling, trying to save his own skin. But he is motivated to put his boss away before his boss turns on him. He says they should give him the deal. Robert says, the DA’s office could never make a case against Austin for abetting in the Ava Jerome kidnapping. So if he gets a name and evidence of guilt, Austin can have immunity.

We see a man leave Austin’s house. Austin lies on the floor, shot in the chest, unconscious and bleeding.

On Monday, Josslyn asks why Adam is doing this to himself; Trina says, that tells her all she needs to know; Ned says, there’s something Michael and Drew need to know about the SEC charges; and Carly asks Nina why she’s doing this.

🍭 Bye, Bye, Cuz…

Everyone says the same thing; GH is the best job they’ve ever had.

👠 Love The Look…

She’s one of my favorites too. I like a female mob boss.

👰🏻‍♀️ Relive The Moment…

Take a stroll down Luke and Laura Memory Lane, when Helena was Elizabeth Taylor.

What else happened on November 17th.

💎 The Missed And The Unmissed…

It was horrible what happened to her. I hate that mean girl stuff. Unless I’m watching Mean Girls. That movie never gets old.

One mean girl gone. But I disagree that Erika is blossoming without her. It’s more like Erika is just becoming a more subtle mean girl and sliding into LisaR’s position.

🍸 Belle Of The Bank…

I wonder if she’d like to adopt an older child. That house is big. She’ll never notice I’m there. And what’s a few extra dogs?

🏆 Awards Starting With G…

Grammy nominations. Great music, but predictable.

https://ew.com/awards/grammys/2024-grammy-awards-nominations/

When the Golden Globes will air.

https://ew.com/golden-globes-2024-will-air-on-cbs-8404310

🐎 Belated Congrats…

CMA Winners.

https://people.com/cma-awards-2023-complete-winners-list-8391737

And more important, CMA fashion.

https://people.com/2023-cma-awards-best-dressed-stars-8399491

🦃 Thanksgiving Is For Pets…

All the info on celebrating with the furbabies, including what foods they can’t have.

And you thought Halloween was the only time to dress them up. Including the cutest pilgrim in the world.

http://www.hipstercrite.com/2012/11/21/13-pictures-of-dogs-and-cats-dressed-up-for-thanksgiving/

A few repeats, but more cute pilgrims.

https://en.paperblog.com/the-most-adorable-dogs-dressed-in-thanksgiving-costumes-731831/

And should you get the notion to DIY. I don’t know if these costumes are still available, but there are great ideas here.

https://www.dailypaws.com/gear-apparel/dog-supplies/dog-clothing-accessories/dog-thanksgiving-outfits

🐚 Quotes of the Week…

Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity. – W. Clement Stone

Death floods the mind with memory, but there’s always new ones to make. – Carl (Steve Coulter), Insidious: The Red Door

My belief is that personal freedom cannot grow beyond personal responsibility. The more people that learn to be fully accountable for their lives, the more freedom each of us can enjoy and the more fulfilling all of our lives will be. – Ross Parmenter

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. – Thomas Jefferson

As to wishing it had not happened, one can’t help momentary wishes: guilt begins only when one embraces them. You can’t help their knocking at the door, but one mustn’t ask them in to lunch. – C.S. Lewis, from The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume III

I do believe that when we face challenges in life that are far beyond our own power, it’s an opportunity to build on our faith, inner strength, and courage. I’ve learned that how we face challenges plays a big role in the outcome of them.  – Sasha Azevedo

I don’t think you can shock an audience anymore [today]. If I cut my arm off and ate it, OK, that would be shocking. But you can only do it twice.Alice Cooper                                   

🧮 Counting My Blessings…

Stop by on Sunday for a finale of Fear. Until then, stay safe, stay telling your Thanksgiving host about any allergies or dietary restrictions before Thanksgiving, and stay figuring out what you don’t want, when you can’t figure out what you do want.

November 15, 2023 – Austin Discovers He’s Not Free From Cyrus, Erika Is a Lying Mean Girl, Summing Up the Salt, Awful People In Winter & Praises

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Maxie and Lucy, accompanied by Scotty, go to Home & Heart, where Morgan Fairchild Haven welcomes back the ladies of Deception, now that those issues with The Deceptor are behind them. Rumor has it, there was a problem with intellectual property theft. They can trust her with insider 411. Was that the real issue? Lucy says, everything is super dandy with Deception. There’s absolutely really no issue. Haven says, that’s great, but where is their spokesmodel? And please don’t tell her that she’s in the bathroom powdering her nose. Which is actually kind of funny, but Lucy says, Haven can take her not-so-clever innuendo and shove it up her nose, which is even funnier. Sasha is fine and wonderful and back to her glorious, gorgeous self. Does Lucy have to remind Haven that Home & Heart called begging them to come and do another sales shoot for The Deceptor? Haven says, they may have called Lucy’s office once or twice, and Lucy laughs. She says, just to let Haven know, they’ve brought their lawyer in case she pulls any of her ridiculous shenanigans.

Meeting Austin in a stairwell, Cyrus says, Austin is positively radiating stress. This is not a healthy way to live his life. Austin says, he’s late, and Cyrus says, trust him. The Lord is the way to inner peace. Austin says he doesn’t understand why they had to meet at all, or why they had to meet in public. Cyrus says, calm down. He brings Austin tidings of great joy.

Curtis is sitting in the ohm position, when Marshall comes in. Marshall says, sorry to interrupt. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say Curtis was meditating. Curtis says, trying to, and Marshall says, since when? Curtis says he’s just trying things out, and Marshall asks if it’s helping.

At the MetroCourt with Alexis, Diane says she’ll have an Arnold Palmer, and spike it with some bourbon. She asks if Alexis is okay with that, and Alexis says, spike away. Diane says, it’s been a grueling couple of days, and Alexis says she’ll also have an Arnold Palmer, hold the spike. The server leaves, and Alexis says she’s also had a grueling couple of days. So who needs to go first in talking about their misery? Diane says, rock-paper-scissors? and Alexis agrees. Alexis stares at something, and Diane says she’s lost Alexis already. They both watch Molly greeting Kristina, and Diane says, will you look at that. Alexis says she is looking at that, and to see her girls reconnect makes her week a little less bleak.

Andrea sees TJ at the hospital and says she’s glad he’s here. He asks how she’s feeling, and she asks if there’s somewhere they can talk privately. He suggests they go in one of the exam rooms, and she says she’s sorry to bother him at work. He says, it’s not a problem, and she says she knows how busy he is. She should have called. He says, it’s fine, really, and they go into the exam room. He says, tell him what’s going on. She seems a little upset. She says she is. It’s about the baby.

Diane says, so Molly and Kristina have mended fences? and Alexis says, finally. Now she gets to stop refereeing and be mom again. Diane says, don’t keep her in suspense; how did it happen? Alexis says she thinks the biggest thing is that Molly’s surrogate Andrea is almost through her first trimester. Diane says, that’s wonderful, and a great reason to broker a truce. Alexis says, at least for now. Those two have always been a little scratchy with each other on occasion, and she’s not sure this will be the last one, but Diane knows how sisters are.

Molly says she took a look at the contract, and put some notes on Post-Its, but she’s going to email Kristina more details. Kristina thanks her so much. She’s been doing some research online, but it’s so nice to have an actual attorney double-check everything. Molly says she’s happy to help. What are sisters for?

TJ says he’ll call Molly. If Andrea has an update about the baby, she should be part of this. Andrea says she’s so sorry. She lost the baby. She woke up from a sound sleep last night with cramping. It was so sudden, she knew something was wrong, but she didn’t even have time to get to the ER. He asks if she’s sure. Maybe it was just bad cramps. She says she was bleeding heavily. She went to the nearest hospital this morning. The doctor did bloodwork and an ultrasound, and they confirmed it. She miscarried. She lost the baby.

Marshall asks if it’s helping, but Curtis doesn’t know if he can answer that accurately because meditation is still so new to him. But from everything he’s read, they call it a practice for a reason because you really have to commit to it. And you have to stay consistent, and you have to calm your mind so you can let things go. Marshall tells him, easier said than done, and Curtis says he’s struggling to quiet his mind. He has to stop making everything so important, the day-to-day stuff he thought mattered. It’s counterintuitive for him because he’s a man who makes goals and achieves them, but with meditation he’s learned the more you push, the further away you are from achieving your inner silence or detachment. Marshall says, but he’s sticking with it, because it must be helping him somehow or he thinks it will. Curtis says, there are times he thinks he’s got it. He feels a sense of focus and calmness where he feels tied in. Marshall says, it sounds like the way he feels when he’s playing with his band and gets to improvise a solo on his clarinet. Diddlee-de-bop, shu-bop shebang. Right? You’re not focusing, you’re feeling. Curtis tells him, that’s it exactly. But he must say… don’t worry. He’s not going to ask Marshall to join meditation with him. He wouldn’t do that to Marshall. Marshall says he’s been meditating for years. Yeah, I tried and failed with that. Emptying my mind is not an option.

Cyrus says he thought Austin would be interested to know that his cousin Mason will be making a plea deal soon. Austin says, Mason already told him. He’s going to tell the cops it was Austin’s idea to kidnap Ava. Cyrus says, oh ye of little faith. His plan is to admit to being the only person responsible for the kidnapping of Ava Jerome. Of course (🍷) he intends to claim he had no intention of killing her. Austin says, he had every intention of killing Ava, and Cyrus says, still, Mason’s attorney firmly believes that he’ll be sentenced to no more than twenty years, with the possibility of parole after ten. Austin says, ten years is a long time. He thinks it would be a lot easier for Mason to turn him in, doesn’t Cyrus think? but Cyrus says he guesses his faith in God gives him more belief in people, because Mason has sworn to him that he won’t mention Austin’s name, and he trusts him. Which means Austin will be in the clear. Austin says, good, because Detective Falconari’s been asking a lot of questions, and he needs Cyrus to get Dante off his back. This is great. Thanks for the update. He starts to leave, but Cyrus asks if he said they were done.

Lucy pushes Scotty toward Haven, and he says he’s a big fan. Maybe he can get an autograph later, but they need to talk about that dirty trick she played on Sasha Gilmore, trying to get her to have a meltdown on her show to goose up those ratings. They can’t let that happen again. No kids untethered, no babies yelling, none of that stuff. Otherwise, he will slap a lawsuit on her that will make her head spin. Does she understand that? Haven says, oh yes. But she has to tell him that she can’t be held responsible for the bad behavior of a previous producer who went rogue on her. He says, but producers take their cue from the fifth floor, which is her, and she says, that producer is gone. They worked alone and they’ve since been fired. Right, Julie? Julie (who was there) says, yes, Miss DeHavilland, and Haven thanks her. Lucy makes hand gestures at Scotty, and he says, so anyway, no funny business. Otherwise, he’ll have to slap a lawsuit on her, and he’ll argue emotional damage. Lucy says, and by the way, Mr. Baldwin here is known throughout courthouses everywhere for being king of punitive damages. Haven says, what happened when Sasha was here for her last appearance was a minor glitch, which they’re obviously trying to grossly exaggerate. But it is a glitch that won’t be repeated. Of course (🍷) this is all a moot point if their spokesmodel doesn’t show up. Lucy asks Maxie to please let Sasha know they’re ready for her, but Maxie is transfixed by her phone. Lucy asks again, and Maxie says, right. Just one second. She sends a text, and Lucy asks, what’s wrong with her? Maxie says, just a minor hiccup. She’s handling it.

Curtis asks how he’s just learning about this now. How come Marshall never told him that he meditates? Marshall says he guesses it just never came up, and Curtis asks how he started meditating. Marshall says, a fellow musician told him it’s a great way to promote focus and creativity, so he tried it. He really hoped it would help keep him grounded; hold off another schizophrenic episode. Of course (🍷) now he knows he was misdiagnosed. He was never at risk for schizophrenia, but all that being said, he can’t tell Curtis how grateful he is for what meditation has brought into his life. So much in life is just clutter. Thinking things are important when they really aren’t. So he found it can be great to be in the moment. Bizzy-be-bop-boop, all of that. In the moment can be okay, but so can just stepping back and listening to the quiet. Curtis asks why Marshall never recommended it before, and Marshall says he figured after Curtis was shot… after he was injured, he was being inundated with advice from all sides. Marshall didn’t think Curtis needed another voice from him thrown into the mix. And besides, he’d always hoped Curtis would find meditation on his own, and he’s so glad Curtis did.

Diane’s scissors cut Alexis’s paper, and Alexis says, all right. Diane goes first. What was so grueling that she had to spike her Arnold Palmer? Diane says, grueling isn’t the right word; it’s a little overdramatic. It’s not about work. It’s personal. Alexis says, it’s about DA Scorpio, is it? What’s the problem? Diane says, it just seems like every time she and Robert are cruising down the highway, a blast from his past comes to run them off the road.

TJ says he’s sure Andrea didn’t do anything wrong. There could be a number of causes for the miscarriage. Did she tell Molly yet? Andrea says, no. She just couldn’t. TJ says, that’s okay. He should probably be the one to tell her. Just concentrate on healing. She’s been through a traumatic experience. He’s so sorry. Talk to her OB/GYN. They’ll wait for her to fully recover before they try again. Andrea says she’s sorry. She can’t. She can’t go through this again.

Kristina says, once this round of paperwork has been filed, renovations can actually begin, and Molly says, that’s great. Does she have a target date for the center to open? Kristina says, if everything stays on schedule, June of 2024. That’s what she’s pushing for. Molly says, by June, she and TJ will be able to bring their baby to her dedication ceremony.

Maxie says, here is their spokesmodel, and Sasha comes out, saying hi to everyone. Haven says, it’s so good to have her back at the Home & Heart studio again, and Sasha says, just so they’re clear, she’s here to promote Deception’s product. She’s not here to have her past exploited. Haven says, they’ve been all over that, and she can assure Sasha there will be no glitches or technical difficulties today. Sasha says she sure hopes not. And while Lucy and Scotty are representing the company, she speaks on her own behalf, and she promises she’ll be professional as long as Haven does the same. Otherwise, she will walk off the set.

On the phone backstage, Maxie says, do you ever answer your phone? She’s been sending text messages for hours… Never mind. She doesn’t care. Listen to what she’s about to tell them. These instructions are very important.

Cyrus says, it is only because of his goodwill that Austin is free, but Austin says he had nothing to do with Ava’s kidnapping and Cyrus knows it. He’s the victim here, and Cyrus knows that too. Cyrus knows it, and he can only hope to God that Mason knows it. Cyrus asks if Austin really sees himself as a victim, and Austin says, Mason grabbed Ava and Cyrus forced him to testify on his behalf to get his early release from Pentenville, and he did that. The only reason he did that was to save Ava. Cyrus says, Austin really disappoints him. After everything he’s done for Austin, he expected more gratitude. Cyrus walks away from Austin.

Finished with makeup, Haven says, let her walk Sasha through the show, and they go to the set. Scotty tosses an apple in the air, and Lucy grabs it. He says he hopes there are some shenanigans, because this lawsuit would file itself. This is what we call easy money. She shushes him, and says, bite his tongue. For Sasha’s sake and the sake of Deception, they have to hope this whole relaunch of The Deceptor goes off without a hitch.

Cody comes to the studio and asks Maxie, what’s the big emergency? He was just in the middle of having a horse shod. She says, a horse what? and he says, shod. Fitting a horse for shoes. How does she, of all people, not know what that means? She tells him, focus. They’re in the middle of relaunching The Deceptor. He asks if she means that funky wand thing you wave in your face, and she just looks at him.

Haven asks if Sasha is ready, but Maxie says, not yet, bringing Cody onto the set. She says, Sasha will be relaunching The Deceptor with the new male Face of Deception. Haven and Sasha both say, what?

Alexis asks if Holly Sutton is back in town, but Diane says, not Holly. Another one of Robert’s exes, Anna Devane. Alexis asks if Diane read the article in The Invader, and Diane says she did. She knows all about the shooting of a 15-year-old girl. Even though there were no names mentioned, she knows Anna Devane shot Charlotte Cassadine. Of course (🍷) all her concern and sympathy is with Charlotte. How is she doing by the way? Alexis says, from what she understands, Charlotte is on track to make a full recovery, and Diane says, excellent. She has tremendous compassion also for Anna. She thought she was shooting an intruder in her home, and the intruder turns out to be a 15-year-old girl. She can’t even imagine what Anna is going through. So she absolutely understands why Robert wants to support her during this very difficult time. Alexis says, but once again, Robert is focused on some woman from his past and not Diane, and that hurts her feelings.

Kristina tells Molly, June of 2024 is less than a year away. She’ll be running her center and Molly will have a baby. Those are huge life changes. Molly says she knows, and honestly, she can’t wait. Can she tell Kristina a secret? She’s even started thinking about leaving her job at the DA’s office. Kristina says, wait, she loves her job, and Molly says she knows, but it’s so demanding. It just makes sense. She can’t be working an 80-hour week with a newborn. She’ll need to find a less demanding job to spend time with the baby. Kristina says, those are words she never thought she’d hear coming out of Molly’s mouth.

Curtis asks if Marshall has ever received an answer from his meditation, clarity on something he’s struggling with? Marshall says, as a matter of fact, he has. Curtis says, do tell, and Marshall says, all the years he was away from the family, he never stopped missing them. So one day when he was meditating, this certain image dropped into his head. It was Curtis and his brother Tommy, playing in that park across the street from the old house. He knows just his brain went there, but it was clear. It was so clear, he could feel the sun shining on him. He could smell the grass. And Curtis and his brother – he tears up – were laughing and having a good old time. He knew at that moment he’d seen his family again, and that’s what brought him back to Port Charles. That’s what brought him back to Curtis, and Stella, and TJ, and now Trina. Curtis says he doesn’t know whether to thank meditation for giving Marshall that memory or thank Marshall for having the courage to come back to his family. But either way, he’s so glad Marshall is back.

TJ knocks at Portia’s office door and asks if she has a minute. She asks if everything is all right, but he says, no, everything is not all right. She tells him, have a seat, and they sit down. She asks, what’s going on? and he says, Andrea… She says, their surrogate, and he says, she miscarried. Portia says, no, and he says, she told him it happened last night. She started cramping and was bleeding. She went to Mercy, and they told her that she lost their baby. She lost his and Molly’s baby. Andrea was so upset, she said she couldn’t face Molly, and now it’s on him to tell her, but he doesn’t know how to do that. Molly was so upset when she found out she couldn’t carry a child herself, and when they found Andrea, they had so much hope. With tears in his voice, he asks her to tell him how he’s supposed to tell Molly. How is he supposed to tell her their child is gone?

Haven says, he is the male Face of Deception? and laughs. Absolutely not. This guy threatened to drop trou and streak on a live broadcast. Maxie says, first of all, Cody didn’t actually streak on her show; and second, isn’t The Deceptor the most popular product Home & Heart ever carried? Haven says, Maxie would have to verify that with her sales department, but Maxie says she already has. She can show Haven a copy of her sales report any time she wants. The reality is, The Deceptor has been unavailable for months, and now that it’s back, people are clamoring to get it. So Haven can either do her broadcast the way she and Lucy want, or they’re taking their bestselling product to another shopping channel.

On the air, Sasha says, in the past, The Deceptor has been marketed specifically as a product for women, but we did more thorough research and it turns out that men are just as interested in a product that will freshen up their face. Haven says, so all you men out there watching, this segment is for you, and Sasha says, yes. And she’s going to demonstrate on her good friend and former stuntman Cody Bell. She asks Cody to tell them about some of the stunts he’s done in his career, and he says he’d be happy to. He’s crashed cars, he’s jumped out of airplanes, he’s crashed motorcycles. Basically, if there was anything to break, he’s done it. Sasha says, wow. It sounds like his body really takes a beating. She bets his skin does too, and that’s where The Deceptor comes in. Because even for men who have never used a moisturizer a single day in their lives, this product will help smooth out your skin and get rid of all those fine little lines. Cody says, well, if The Deceptor can help with this beat up mug, it truly is a miracle worker. Sasha suggests they put it to the test, and Cody says, let’s do it. He sits down, and Sasha uses the red-light wand on him.

Cyrus says he guesses it’s time for them to take a trip down Memory Lane, but Austin says, that’s not necessary. Cyrus says, Austin seems to have forgotten he paid for him to go to medical school – Austin says, no – and how he continued to support Austin during his residency. Austin says he hasn’t forgotten, and Cyrus says he’s invested in Austin, and now he expects a return on that investment. Austin says, as long as they’re remembering things, this is how he remembers it. He’s spent years paying Cyrus back, doing him favors. The way he remembers it, when he lied for Cyrus at his parole hearing, Cyrus told him that he was free. Cyrus says, and so he is. Free to live his life. Free to practice medicine. Unless and until he needs Austin’s services.

TJ tells Portia, in the beginning, he had misgivings about the whole surrogacy situation. It’s a lot to process, and he felt like they rushed into the whole thing. They found out Molly couldn’t carry a child and jumped on the first solution. Then Andrea got pregnant, and that baby felt so real to him. All of his misgivings went away, all of them. He was so invested in his child. He imagined himself just holding his baby. Portia says she knows that Molly imagined the same thing, so she’s going to be just as devastated as he is. And he’s got to be the one she hears it from. She knows how difficult this thing is, but she knows he and Molly can get through it because they have each other. Take it from her. Don’t let this loss build a wall between him and Molly.

Molly tells Kristina that she knows she’s always been laser focused on her career. For as long as she can remember, she knew she wanted to be a lawyer. Kristina says, because mom was a lawyer, and Molly says, that was the original inspiration. As she got older, the more she learned, the more the law challenged her. It inspired her. But now with Andrea pregnant with their baby, things are different. It’s all about trade-offs. If she were to give herself fully to the law, she’d be neglecting TJ and the baby. She’s not willing to do that. Kristina asks what she’s going to do.

Diane tells Alexis that she hears herself saying all of this, and realizes it’s an ironic conundrum. Alexis asks how she means, and Diane says, if Robert Scorpio were the kind of man who could distance himself from the kind of troubles Anna Devane is going through – even though admittedly, the shooting is her problem to solve – then he wouldn’t be the kind of man Diane is attracted to. It’s precisely because he’s so loyal and principled and ridiculously stubborn that she finds him so compelling.

Portia comes home and gives Curtis a kiss. She asks, how was his day? and he says he just had the most enlightening and interesting conversation with his dad. As it turns out, they’re both into meditation. Portia says, really? She guesses that does fit in to Marshall’s laid-back personality, but is Curtis finding it helpful? He says he is, very much. When he starts thinking negative thoughts, it helps him stay calm and centered. She says she’s glad to hear that, and sits down. He asks if everything is okay, and she says she got some news today. He says, judging from her expression, it must not have been good news, and she says, sometimes when something bad happens, it makes you think of all the good things that are going on in your life. He asks if something happened with one of her patients, but she says, no. She just wanted to thank him for their daughter. They made that beautiful little girl together and they’re so lucky. She’s just grateful for every day they’ve spent with her.

Molly tells Kristina that she never realized how much she wanted children until she was told she wasn’t physically able to have them. It just put everything in perspective. So when Andrea told them she was pregnant, she knew her daughter or son would become her first priority and work would have to come second. Kristina says, Molly’s son or daughter is going to be the luckiest to have her as a mom, and Molly thanks her. She says, but the baby’s not coming for months, and she has to turn in a motion by Friday, so she’d better take off. They both gather up their stuff and leave.

Alexis asks what Diane is going to do about all this. Alexis knows her. When she identifies a problem, she always finds a solution. Diane says she’s doing it. She’s sitting here working it out with her best friend. Yes, what’s happening to Anna is very serious. So of course (🍷) she’s going to be understanding that Robert wants to be there for her. She also has to remember a lot has happened. Things have changed since she and Robert had their blow-up last summer. Alexis asks, how so? and Diane says, Holly and Anna are in the past and she knows Robert is making her a priority. So that of course (🍷) gives them tremendous potential for the future. It’s difficult what’s going on with Anna, but it is just a detour on the highway of love, and it is not a dead end. Alexis says she’s going to have to stop Diane right here. What is with all the driving metaphors?

Haven asks how Cody’s face feels, and he says, it actually feels great. But he’s not so sure he could do this at home by himself. Sasha makes it look so easy. Sasha promises him, anyone can do this, because The Deceptor is doing all the work. And she has to say, it’s really making his skin look fresh. Lucy says, Cody and Sasha together are golden. You can’t force that kind of chemistry. People want to feel that it’s real, and when it happens, that’s money. Deception is going to make so much money.

Austin says he doesn’t understand. He thought Cyrus was a reformed man. He thought Cyrus was a man of God. Cyrus says, that, he is, and Austin says, then why not live up to his end of the bargain, because they had a deal. He did what Cyrus said. He did what Cyrus told him to do. Cyrus said he needed someone to testify on his behalf at his parole hearing to tell the judge he wasn’t a risk, that he couldn’t possibly hurt anyone. And that’s what he did. He lied to a judge under oath, and he did that so Cyrus could walk around a free man. Here Cyrus is. And he doesn’t know what Cyrus wants from him. Cyrus shrugs and says, life is full of unexpected consequences. One never knows when one may need the services of a doctor, and how fortunate for him to have Austin in his corner. Austin says, Cyrus doesn’t own him. He’s going to pay Cyrus back every penny he laid out for him to go to med school. Cyrus says he doesn’t want Austin’s money, and Austin asks, what does Cyrus want from him? Cyrus says he gave Austin the very life he’s living. He wants Austin’s gratitude and his loyalty. And if he can’t supply those, he can deal with his cousin Mason by himself. Be very careful. It’s only his intervention that’s preventing Mason from naming Austin as the mastermind behind Ava Jerome’s kidnapping. Austin tells him that he already said that, and Cyrus says, as well as a number of other crimes that happened around the hospital last summer. Like the death of Gordon Stevens. Austin says he didn’t kill Gordon Stevens, but Cyrus says he doesn’t know. The police might come into possession of some evidence that indicates otherwise. That all depends on Austin and whether or not he fully understands the concept of gratitude. Austin says, okay. He’ll do it. Cyrus says, he’ll do what? and Austin says, whatever it is Cyrus wants him to do, he’ll do it. Cyrus says, that is so generous of him, thanks him, and goes down the stairs.

Curtis says, despite all the obstacles he and Portia made for each other and the years apart, they came back together as a family. She says she couldn’t agree more, and he asks if she wants to tell him what prompted this philosophical discussion. She says she just had a shift in perspective, and she realizes how different… no. She’s realized how empty her life would be if she didn’t have Trina in it. But they did, and for that she’s just so grateful. He says, that makes two of them, and she kisses him, snuggling in his arms.

Diane signs for the check, and Alexis thanks her for dinner. Diane thanks Alexis for lending a sympathetic ear, and Alexis says, Diane has listened to her a gazillion times. That’s what besties do. Diane says she knows, but it’s been a while since she’s had a romantic problem to solve. Alexis asks if she now has an answer, and Diane says she does, and thanks Alexis. Her phone rings, and she says, speak of the devil. Alexis says, take it because she’s got to get back to work. She leaves, and Diane asks if Robert’s ears were on fire. She was just talking about him.

Alexis heads for the elevator, but when she sees the server clearing Molly and Kristina’s table, she says, excuse me. Her daughters were having lunch here and one of them left a tablet. She’d be happy to return it. The server gives it to her and she leaves.

Molly’s phone rings while she’s working in her office, and she says, TJ. Bad news. He says, what’s wrong? and she says she met up with Kristina earlier at the MetroCourt to give her some advice on a contract, so she thinks she’s going to have to stay a little late at the office tonight. She guesses she won’t be able to do that next year when the baby’s here. He says, they need to talk right away, but she says she’s only talking about working another hour or two. He says, please. It’s important. He needs her to meet him at home.

Lucy says she thinks the shoot went really well. Didn’t Haven? Haven says, that’s putting it mildly. She’s never seen a product sell out so fast. Scotty says, that’s because Lucy does know what she’s doing, and Lucy thanks him. Haven says, yes, and they’re very eager to have Cody and Sasha come back and make another appearance. Lucy asks if she’s actually admitting she was wrong about them, and Haven says, honey, the numbers don’t lie. The audience really seemed to love them. They can’t wait to have them back. Lucy says, oh honey, I just don’t know. I’ll have to check my calendar and I will get back to you.

Julie tells Cody that he did great, and he thanks her. She says she thinks he even impressed Haven, and that’s nearly impossible to do. He laughs.

Maxie tells Sasha, that was so fantastic. It was the best sales pitch she’s ever seen. She and Cody were so natural together. They were dynamite. Cody listens in, and Sasha thanks Maxie, but says she can’t do this. Maxie says, do what exactly? and Sasha says she can’t work with Cody anymore. Maxie says, why not? and Sasha says, isn’t it obvious? She has feelings for him. Cody almost smiles and looks confused.

Tomorrow, Anna tells Sonny that she thinks Valentin keeping silent just destroyed them; Dante says, Sam might be on to something; Adam says, Josslyn helped him a lot in ways she doesn’t even know; and Ava wants to know why someone didn’t tell her.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Dorit calls PK and shows him the pool. She says she and Kyle are having lunch, and she shows him his dream TV screen. She tells him about the Magic Mike debacle and says Sutton had an overreaction. In Dorit’s interview, she says, Magic Mike is a huge show. To have a friend cause a scene there is mortifying. She asks how dinner with Mauricio was, and PK says, they had a great dinner. We see a clip of that, and PK saying that nobody who’s married doesn’t go through sh*t. Mauricio says he has no interest in fighting. As far as he’s concerned, his wife is always right. PK tells Dorit that they enjoyed catching up. Kyle calls Mauricio and says she heard he had dinner with PK. How was it? Mauricio says, they had a good time, and she asks him to give her the girl version. He says, PK was talking about what’s going on with him and Dorit. The year’s been kind of hard. Sutton and Garcelle leave for lunch, and so do Erika and Crystal. Erika tells Crystal to do what she wants. They’re in Vegas and the rules don’t really apply. They go to a restaurant, and Crystal says, everyone was having a good time last night except for Sutton. Erika says she kept looking over and certain people were gone, and Crystal says, the way Sutton’s personality is, she goes off the deep end, and it’s hard to come back. Erika says she’s worked hard to be in a place of peace (I choke on my coffee) and nothing is going to disturb that. Garcelle says she has a surprise for Sutton and takes her to an indoor gondola. Luka is their gondolier, and he chitchats a little about their trip to Vegas. He concentrates on rowing, and Garcelle says, what she needed to tell the women wasn’t received the way she was hoping. We flash back to Garcelle telling them she didn’t feel safe talking about her family, and she and Sutton start to discuss it, but Luka suddenly starts singing in Italian – loudly. Kyle and Dorit go to lunch, and Dorit says she didn’t sleep. Then on top of it, there was the conversation with Garcelle. She has to be able to be honest, but Dorit feels, like wow. Kyle orders something non-alcoholic, and Dorit wonders if Kyle not drinking is linked to her recovering from the trauma of falling out with her sister (i.e. Kathy), but Kyle says she needed to be clear about everything. Dorit says, Kyle doesn’t have to justify her choices, and in Dorit’s interview, she says she thinks Kyle’s choice not to drink has allowed her to have more control over everything. In Sutton’s interview, she says, it seems to her like a midlife crisis, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says she thought Kyle was just taking a break. She misses the old Kyle. Not the splits, just Kyle. Dorit tells Kyle that she misses the silly things, but Kyle says she felt like she needed to drink to fit in, but doesn’t feel that way anymore. This is who she is, take it or leave it. Crystal asks if Erika misses her old life, and Erika says, parts of it. Like Christmastime; the warmth of the house, the lights, the trees, having fun. She doesn’t miss the fighting, the arguing, and the pressure. I’ll bet she doesn’t miss sleeping with him either. In Erika’s interview, she says, in the end, they fought about everything. We flash back to Tom telling her to shut up when he was telling LVP a story at dinner. Erika says, there was nothing harmonious and they were living separate lives. That’s when you know the marriage is over. She tells Crystal that she’s going through this shift inside, and she’s starting to have the feeling of normalcy again. Crystal asks if she’d go back to that life, but she says, no. I believe it if you do. Dorit tells Kyle that it wasn’t a good year for her own marriage, but Mauricio said the same thing to PK about them. Kyle says she expected more from Mauricio. He has a lot of business events she’s supposed to go to, and she doesn’t want to. In Kyle’s interview, she says, Mauricio is in sales, and a big part of that is being social. She’s in a place where she doesn’t want to do that. She’d rather be home reading, especially since she doesn’t drink anymore. Dorit asks if she ever worries about the future.

Dorit asks how you can sustain a marriage, and in Dorit’s interview, she says she thinks Kyle isn’t happy. She’s working on herself inside, and it feels like Mauricio is focused on work. In that aspect, they’re kind of growing in different directions. Kyle tells Dorit that she likes doing the things she likes to do, and in Kyle’s interview, she says she doesn’t want to wake up one day and wonder, who is he and what are they supposed to talk now? Dorit says, it’s work; it’s a struggle. Garcelle and Sutton get their makeup done before meeting Oliver for lunch. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, Oliver was shown kissing Raquel, and we flash back to that. At the restaurant, Oliver says, unfortunately, he was being painted in a different light than he really is, but he doesn’t feel the need to explain himself to anybody. He’s good.

The women are going to Gilley’s after dinner, and in Sutton’s interview, she says she loves a honkytonk bar and line dancing. She loves country music and loves a good bull ride. Kyle shows Dorit her $6K cowboy hat from Kemo Sabe. She tells Dorit those are real diamonds adorning it, and Dorit says, no wonder it’s her favorite. The women go to dinner, and there are napkins embroidered with their names at each place setting. In Kyle’s interview, she says, everyone wants her to do the splits or do a helicopter with her ponytail. She’s fun no matter what. I’m on Kyle’s side for this one. Is she supposed to be getting drunk and doing the splits at 70? Garcelle and Dorit wonders how long Kyle’s dry phase is going to last. Garcelle says she has a game. No surprise, it involves questions on cards. Crystal gets the first one, and says, is monogamy natural for humans? Erika goes on and on about how female animals seek out a protector and provider who’s moving up in the pack. Female lionesses seek out strong, young males. In Dorit’s interview, she says, Erika married the oldest lion in the pack. BA-DUM-CHH! Garcelle says she has a question for the married ladies. If there’s infidelity one time, is it enough to let it go? I’m not sure if she means let the discretion go or the guy.

In Kyle’s interview, she says she and Mauricio have dealt with rumors for years that someone cheated. We flash back to the dinner party from hell and LVP telling her that there are rumors. She asks if she looks like a person who would say, just don’t let her find out. No, she’s not. Erika asks how Garcelle feels about that, and Garcelle says she thought she’d met the man of her dreams, and he was her last stop. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, it’s been some time now, but she’d found out her husband had been cheating on her for five years with a chick in Chicago. So she sent an email to his friends her friends. It was not a good day in the household. Dorit says she’d go Lorena Bobbitt. Food porn! is brought out, and Dorit reads another card. She asks, at what point does money stop making people happy, and have you reached it? Erika and Sutton both say, no, and Dorit says she knows billionaires, and she wouldn’t trade places with them. Sutton says she wouldn’t mind it, and Dorit asks, when does it stop making you happier? Erika says, when you don’t fear the next bill. She’s not ashamed to downsize, but it makes her nervous. She doesn’t want to look at the bills. She’s anxious around money. In Erika’s interview, she says, being married to Tom was great because she didn’t sweat that stuff. Cut to now. She’s not doing sh*t except building her life back. What comes in goes out. Welcome to the way most of us live. Although one thing she said I agree with. When you stop worry about the money problems, you focus on your real problems, and that can make you unhappy. Erika says she misses not being able to buy whatever she wants, but when she buys something now, she knows she earned it. But it’s frightening to be out on her own with no safety net. Again, welcome to the real world. In her interview, she says, it’s soul crushing, and I play the world’s smallest violin. She thinks, how the hell is she going to get out of this and how can she get above water? She tells the women that she did get out of a sh*t marriage, so there’s freedom. When she was accused along with Tom, it was ugly. People wanted things to be true. Now she’s regained a sense of who she is, and it’s not what they said. If she gets into thinking about it too much, it becomes overwhelming, and she goes down the rabbit hole. A server in a sparkly outfit comes over with a cake, and Erika asks Crystal, is it her birthday again? In Crystal’s interview, she says her birthday weekend was incredible. Garcelle and Sutton crushed the trip. She could do this every night.

At Gilley’s, Sutton says, abort bull mission, as soon as she sees the mechanical bull. Kyle says she’ll go, and bull operator Robert literally picks her up and puts her on the bull. She asks him to make her look good. It does some bucking, but it’s not all that fast, and more like one of those vibrating beds you find in motel rooms. I’ve never ridden a real bull, but I don’t think they vibrate like that. Sutton tells Robert to be nice to her. She’s not going over his shoulder. Go slow. He says he’s got her, and she’s on for 14 seconds before the ride is over. I missed Kyle’s time. In Erika’s interview, she says, if Sutton’s bull riding is anything like her d*ck riding, no wonder she doesn’t get a second date. She laughs like a Disney villain, and I wonder why she has to be such a mean girl at her age.

They get ready leave and as luck would have it, the elevator stops and Mikey is there, along with Erika’s old dancing partner Davis. Erika makes a big show of it, and announces, it’s Sutton’s chance to apologize. Apologize to her friend for saying the show was over the top and sh*tty. 😒Sutton says, don’t put words in her mouth. She said the dancers were amazing. It was just the one spread eagle thing. Davis encourages her to come again and see the whole thing because it’s more artful, blah-blah-blah. Davis and Mikey finally leave, and Sutton tells Erika that she never said the show was sh*tty. Erika says – wait for it – it doesn’t matter. Sutton tells her not to lie. Yes, Erika, she’s calling you a liar because you lied. In Erika’s interview, she says, her promise for Lent is still in effect, and we flash back to Erika saying, as a good Catholic <cough-cough>, she’s given up fighting with them for Lent. She tells us, God gave her a path to Sutton. After Sutton treated her like sh*t, God said, there’s your moment. She thanks God and says she’s taking it. Um… I don’t think that’s how God works. What an a-hole she is.

They go to the bus, and Garcelle says, the fact that the doors opened, and there they were, she can’t. Me neither. Dorit asks if Sutton is okay, and Sutton says, Erika deliberately embarrassing her was mean. Erika says, they were having a great time at Magic Mike (a name I’m hoping never to hear again after this, but I know I will) and she heard Sutton wasn’t. We flash back to that, and Sutton says, just because she didn’t stay, doesn’t mean they couldn’t. They’re the ones who turned it into a big deal. We flash back to her talking to Kyle and Garcelle, and Kyle calling her a bitch. There’s barely a soul around, so I’m even wondering how they could call this a scene. Erika says, Sutton took it to the point of getting heated in the lobby (after Kyle acted like someone who had a clue, but didn’t, then called her a bitch), and Sutton says, Erika has been heated so many times. Dorit says, if Sutton could do it over again, would she do it different? and Sutton says she can’t answer that. Kyle says, she seemed unhinged, and I honestly don’t get how they don’t see they’re the ones making a big deal out of something that really wasn’t. Sutton says, don’t call her unhinged, and Kyle says she had an over-the-top reaction. Sutton says she’s not talking about this ad nauseum, and Erika asks if she feels backed into a corner. She literally is, and Sutton asks if she means again. She’s sorry she ruined it and feels terribly for the dancers. Seriously, WTF? It’s not like she actually did create a scene. I’ve seen a scene, and that wasn’t it. And as for feeling bad for the dancers, if four audience members were crucial to their show, it’s not as great as everyone is saying. Sutton gets teary, and Dorit tries to sympathize. Garcelle says she wishes Dorit had gone after Sutton. She feels like it’s always her. Dorit says, Garcelle should have told Sutton that she was overreacting, and Garcelle says, Dorit wasn’t there. Dorit doesn’t know what she said, and she did say that. Acting like Garcelle is Sutton’s mom, Dorit asks why Garcelle couldn’t take Sutton from a 10 to a 2, and Garcelle says she’s not Sutton’s therapist. Sutton (who’s still there – hello?) says she’s not apologizing again. She’s sorry she was unhinged and uncomfortable, and she’s done with this conversation. Dorit asks if she feels like she’s said everything, and Sutton tells her, sometimes silence is golden. We hear crickets, and I say, how about those Mets?

Back in Los Angeles, Garcelle meets Erika for lunch, and says she’s tired from Vegas. She had a roommate. We flash back to Sutton keeping her up, and Erika says, Kyle and Dorit slept in the same bed. She’s too old for that. And Kyle said, Dorit talks in her sleep. Garcelle says she likes Dorit, but thinks they don’t understand each other. Dorit talks a lot, but doesn’t listen. Erika says she’s learned to speak Dorit. She zones out, then comes back. Garcelle says, the biggest problem she thinks she had was when she shared her feelings, and Dorit got defensive. We flash back to Dorit sternly telling Garcelle, it’s been almost a year, and Erika says she thinks they’ll come around. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, it’s shocking for her to be at lunch with Erika. She didn’t think they’d get to place where they could do a one-on-one. Erika seems to be more open and less guarded. She thinks she’s seeing a new Erika. I’m not. Garcelle says she does have a bone to pick with Erika after Vegas. She thought Erika was going to go after Sutton, but then when she did later… Erika says, they were going to Magic Mike (♫ la-la-la ♫), and Sutton had a stack of singles. Then it flipped. It’s not okay. Don’t drag everyone in. Sutton was hijacking the moment. They were having a good time, and then they were worried about her. Oh come on. I can see one person checking on her, but they all didn’t have to get on the bandwagon, and they didn’t. Erika and Crystal even stayed afterward to talk to the dancers. In her interview, Garcelle says she doesn’t know why she feels she has to defend Sutton. (Maybe because someone has to?) Maybe she should let Sutton fight her own battles. Erika says, let’s not clutch the pearls too hard.

Kyle visits Sutton, wearing the Hunter boots Sutton gifted everyone with. Avi waits on them, serving them tea, and Kyle asks how Sutton is feeling after Vegas. Sutton says, it wasn’t her favorite departure. Erika specifically and intentionally embarrassed her. Cue the elevator door. What the hell? Kyle tries to interrupt, but Sutton says she’s not done. Kyle snarks, let her know when she’s done, and in Sutton’s interview, she says she and Kyle made a promise to have each other’s backs. We flash to Sutton saying Kyle needs to have her back more, and Kyle says, they’ll do better moving forward. Sutton says she had a revelation. Kyle is not her friend, does not have her back, and never will. Sutton tells Kyle to defend her friend, and Kyle says she is Sutton’s friend. That’s why she’s sitting here gracing Sutton with her presence. Just because she sees another perspective, that doesn’t mean she’s not Sutton’s friend. Sutton says she came into the conversation when she hadn’t heard the story. Kyle says, Sutton told her that she had a habit of inserting herself. Sutton has a habit of losing her sh*t in ridiculous circumstances. Sutton says, name ‘em, and every time Kyle tries to go down a tributary, Sutton says it again. Kyle yells at Sutton to let her talk.

Sutton says, name ‘em, and Kyle asks if she’s okay. Stop doing that. She’s being incredibly rude. Sutton asks, how? and Kyle says, if she doesn’t see it… Which is what people say when they can’t answer the question. Sutton says she doesn’t understand rude, and Kyle asks if she wants a dictionary. Sutton says, name ‘em, and Kyle says, be quiet and she will. There were the ugly leather pants – we flash back to that – there was Lake Tahoe – we flash back to Sutton using her face roller because it calms her – and at the show in Vegas. Kyle says, Sutton didn’t seem okay in Vegas and doesn’t seem okay now. Funny thing is, Kyle looks insane as she’s saying this.  

To be continued…

🧂Too Much Salt…

Best line from Heather’s interview: Mary’s decor is exactly like Mary’s personality. You never quite know what you’re gonna get. Green carpet, Chanel pillows, Dr. Seuss chairs from Whoville.

House Of Mess…

Every time I think it can’t get more awful, it does.

🥧 Eyes On The Pies…

Join me tomorrow for soap and dubious Charm. Until then, stay safe, stay bringing a hostess gift even if they say the old just bring yourself, and stay thinking of all the good things going on in your life when something bad happens.

November 14, 2023 – Charlotte Wants Anna Arrested, Deep Dive, Going Country, Salty Talk, Winter Mess, Vegas Fail, Kyle’s Rant, Way To Go, Random Pups (!), Don’t Bother & Who Says

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Finn and Elizabeth get in the elevator, and he asks, what’s with all the paperwork? She says, the hospital is facing budget adjustments, and she has to get it in by the end of the year. He says, budget adjustments such as staff cuts and supply shortages? and she says, hopefully, it’s not as bad as last year, but they’ll get through it. He says, they always do. When they come out, Portia says she needs to speak with Finn, calling him. Dr. Finn. He says, that’s very formal, and she says, actually she and Dr. Randolph need to meet with him. He says, of course (🍷), and she says, Dr. Randolph is waiting in her office. She leaves and he follows her.

Carly comes to the penthouse and Sonny asks if everything is okay. She says, you tell me, and he says, everything is okay with him. She says, really? Then why is Nina offering to sell her back her half of the MetroCourt? He says he doesn’t know. It’s the first he’s hearing about it.

Valentin thanks Nina for coming over and says, Laura will be here any minute. Nina asks if something happened with Charlotte, and he says, she’s recovering. She seems to think Anna shot her intentionally. Nina says, no. Charlotte told him that? He says, no. She told Laura that last night. Nina wonders why Charlotte would think that, but he says he doesn’t know. He didn’t get much of a chance to talk to Laura before she was called away on official business. When Charlotte was removed from ICU, the nurses convinced him to go home and get some sleep. He’s going back to the hospital as soon as Laura tells them what happened. There’s a knock at the door, and Valentin opens it to Laura. She says she wasn’t expecting Nina to be here.

Spencer walks into Alexis’s office and finds Esme there. She says, his Aunt Alexis isn’t here, but he says he came here to see her.

Trina walks into the gallery, and Ava says she thought Trina had classes today. Trina says, she did, but she came straight from her last one. Ava says, she’s not on the schedule, and Trina says she just didn’t want to go back to the dorms. Ava asks if everything is okay, but Trina says, no. She got into a big fight with Spencer yesterday. Ava says she’s sorry. It seems like a pretty serious fight. Trina says, it was. He gave her an old tomato ultimatum. Ava asks what she did, and Trina says she got up and walked out on him. She’s been avoiding him ever since.

Dante goes to Austin’s office and says he wants to ask Austin a few questions about his cousin Mason. Austin says he already spoke to Chase about this, and another detective, and Dante says, and he told them to speak to his lawyer. Austin says, exactly. So he doesn’t have anything else to say to Dante. Dante says, that’s cool. Maybe he can listen. He closes the door.

The guard lets Cyrus into Mason’s room, and Cyrus says, nice talking with him. He says, hello, to Mason, and tells him, the Lord instructs us to comfort the sick and the prisoner, and in Mason, he has both. Mason asks if that’s how Cyrus convinced the cop to let him in, and Cyrus says, he’s a man of faith. Mason asks what he’s doing here, and Cyrus says he’s here to show Mason the path to his redemption.

Terry thanks Finn for giving them some time, and he asks if he had a choice. She asks him to have a seat, and he says, this must be serious. Terry says, very serious. He’s going to need to hire an attorney. He and GH are being sued for malpractice.

Esme asks if this is about Ace, but Spencer says, he’s having a ball right now in daycare; he just saw him. She says, in that case, she’s working, so if there’s anything he needs to talk about, they can talk about it at dinner… at his grandmother’s apartment. He tells her that she was going to say dinner at home, and she says she was, but she didn’t. She and Ace are currently staying with his grandmother and Doc. Home will be the apartment they move into.

Ava says she’s surprised Spencer doesn’t know Trina isn’t the kind of woman who would take kindly to ultimatums, and Trina says, who would? Ava says, right on. So why does she think he did it? Trina says, they were talking about his relationship with Esme and Ace, and how it feels like there’s no room in his life for their relationship. So she spoke up and told him how she felt. Ava says, good for her.

Dante says, it sounds like Mason’s been hanging around Austin’s office and the ER for the past year. He sits down, and Austin says, please have a seat. His cousin Mason suffers from the misconception that they’re close. Dante asks if that’s why Mason has been bringing third parties into the ER for treatment, but Austin says he has no memory of anything like that. Dante knows how busy and crazy the ER can get. Dante says, right, and it helps if you’re not keeping a record of treating your cousins, friends, and co-workers. Maybe even treating them for injuries they sustained during criminal activities. But that would make him an accessory after the fact.

Cyrus says, all he has to do is confess his sins, and Mason says, that’s a long list. Cyrus says he’s talking about Mason’s very specific, very recent sins. Abducting Ava Jerome, intending to hold her for ransom, and reconsidering that option. Ava was in Mason’s car as he tried to decide his next move. He was confronted by Dex Heller. During the struggle, he was shot by Detective Dante Falconari. Mason will still be on the hook for the kidnapping charge, but the attempted murder charges will be dropped. All Mason has to do is admit he acted alone. Mason says, but he didn’t.

Laura says she thinks Valentin might prefer this conversation be private, but he says, Nina is fully involved. She took an enormous risk, deleting the security footage of Charlotte breaking into Anna’s room at the MetroCourt. She loves Charlotte. Nina promises Laura that her only concern is for Charlotte, and Valentin says he’s already told her that Charlotte thinks Anna shot her intentionally. Laura says, so she guesses he hasn’t spoken to Charlotte yet today, and Valentin says, no. He wanted to hear what Charlotte told her last night first. Laura says, she admitted to trying to push Anna out of Port Charles and away from Valentin, and he says, why? Did Charlotte tell her? Laura says, yes. It is exactly as they suspected. He says, Victor, and she nods.

Carly says, so Nina didn’t tell Sonny that she was selling her half of the MetroCourt, and he says, no. They don’t talk much about business, but it surprised him, since she loves running the place. Now she’s better friends with Olivia, so he doesn’t know. Carly says, something’s changed, and he asks if Nina told Carly why she wanted to sell it back. Carly tells him, Nina said that she was busy, but it was really strange, so she’s not buying it. Sonny says, they’ve got a lot going on, and Carly says, Nina’s got something going on. And she’s going to find out what it is.

Valentin says, so Charlotte confirmed to Laura that Victor convinced her to go after Anna? and Laura says, she said that her grandfather had written to her, and that he came to visit her at the boarding school. She got the impression they’d had some really long conversations. Valentin says, and Victor did most of the talking, and Laura says, she seems overly obsessed with protecting Valentin… from Anna. Nina says, so Victor convinced Charlotte that Anna was a threat to him. Charlotte did everything that she did because she thought she was protecting him.

Sonny tells Carly, let’s not jump to conclusions. He and Nina just got married. She has a relationship with Willow now. Maybe she just wants to spend more time with Amelia and Wiley. Maybe it’s that simple. She says, nothing is ever that simple with Nina. Ever. He says, like it is with her? (touché!) and she says, at least with her, you get full disclosure and transparency, whether you like it or not. He says, that’s true enough, and she thanks him. She says, is Crimson losing money? and he says, not that he knows of, but even if it was, why would Nina want to sell her half of the MetroCourt? Carly says, maybe she needs money to shore up the magazine, and he says, money’s not an issue for Nina. But let’s say Carly accepted her offer. Where would she get the money?

Finn asks if Terry can tell him the name of the patient who’s suing him and what the complaint is, and Terry nods to Portia. Portia says, the patient in question has died. His wife is the one filing the suit. Terry gives Finn the patient’s file, and he says, Dennis Muldoon. Terry says, they’ll need all the notes he has on the patient, and also everyone on staff who worked on the case with him. He says, of course (🍷). Does this mean he’s suspended? Portia says, he’ll still be able to practice, and Terry says, with some restrictions. He asks what they are, and she says, the hospital’s policy in a case like this is to allow the staff member to practice, but if it’s a potentially fatal case, he’ll need to request a second opinion before he can offer treatment or prescribe medication. Portia says, and because of his history of substance abuse, he’ll be required to do drug testing on a weekly basis. He says he sees. And he understands. That will be the easiest part of this process for him. Terry says, good, and Finn walks to the door. He asks how much time he has to find an attorney, and Terry says, he should start looking immediately. Finn leaves.

Ava puts two chairs near each other, and tells Trina, sit down. She says, Trina’s been a saint when it comes to Spencer spending time with Esme and Ace. She couldn’t stay quiet that long. No way. Sure, she has a history with Esme and this amnesia thing of hers is hard for her to swallow, but that aside, Trina’s in love with Spencer. And here he is, spending so much time with his ex and her baby, a baby that happens to be his brother. Trina says she does understand why he’s being so protective of Ace though, and Ava says, so does she. God knows where Nikolas is, so he’s no help at all. And he made a lot of mistakes with Spencer. She’s sure Spencer just wants to make sure Ace isn’t shortchanged the way he was. Trina said that herself. Trina says, she’s tried to justify all the time he spends with Esme and Ace, and Ava says, she’s been very patient, very understanding. Trina says she has, hasn’t she? and Ava says, she has, so what changed?

Spencer says, he doesn’t want Esme and Ace to move out, and Esme says, he’s made that perfectly clear, but it’s not up to him. He says he just doesn’t understand why she’s leaving all of a sudden, and she says, it’s not all of a sudden. It’s what’s best for her and Ace. He says, how? Right now, Ace has everything that he needs. He doesn’t understand how her taking him and moving in to a different apartment is going to be better for him. If she does that, she’ll have to take care of him all of the time. The only time she won’t have to take care of him is when he’s here at daycare. She says, that’s what mothers do, and he says, when they’re on their own. But she doesn’t have to be. He’s more than willing to step up and help her take care of him. His grandmother and Doc love spending time with Ace, so they’ll have a back-up if they need it. She says she can still drop Ace off to Doc and Laura whenever they’re available and he can help take care of Ace. He says, okay, so what would be the point in her leaving? She says, because she and Ace need to get away from him.

Austin says, Dante asked him to listen, and he did, but Dante says he’s not quite finished. Austin says, Dante doesn’t have anything. If he did have any proof of what he’s talking about, he wouldn’t be here fishing. Dante says he’s not fishing. Security footage is proof. Sworn affidavits from GH staffers who saw Austin and Mason and his friends is proof. And now they have his cousin handcuffed to a bed upstairs, and the more they get to know about his criminal activities, the easier it’s going to be to prove Austin was working with Mason in the kidnapping and attempted murder of Ava Jerome. Austin says he’s the one who saved her.

Mason says, Cyrus ordered him to abduct Ava, and Austin would be forced to testify at Cyrus’s medical hearing so he could get himself out of Pentenville. But the moment he’s on the hook, and Ava can ID him to the cops, Cyrus tells him to let her go. With all due respect, he couldn’t take that chance. He had to get rid of her. Cyrus says, these heavy drugs they have Mason on must have addled his brain to come up with such wild and false allegations, but he understands. Mason must be frightened, but tell him, did those drugs make Mason forget his last visit and how he explained to Mason exactly how it could end for him? Mason flashes back to Cyrus telling him, the pain you felt when you were shot, any pain you’ve felt during your entire life will pale in comparison to the pain you will feel during your long, excruciating journey into death, if you ever betray me again. Cyrus says he believes Mason remembers now.

Terry says, Finn is a good doctor, and Portia says, he’s a good friend. She hated seeing that look on his face. Terry says, her too. It’s hard enough losing a patient, but then to be accused of malpractice? Portia says she’s sure he took copious notes, and Terry says she hopes Portia is right. They need Dr. Finn and GH to be cleared of any wrongdoing.

Elizabeth sees Finn at the reception desk and asks, what happened? What did Terry and Portia want to talk to him about? He says, every doctor’s nightmare. I worked for a medical clinic for a while, and I can vouch for the fact malpractice insurance is astronomical.

Carly says she doesn’t know if she wants to buy back the MetroCourt, and Sonny says, Carly loves that place. She says, but she loves Kelly’s. She’s made some great changes, and in some ways, she thinks Kelly’s is a better fit for her than the MetroCourt. He says he doesn’t see it, and she says she knows the MetroCourt seems like it was better for her, but she loves both. She knows she can’t run both and own them, so she’s going to have to make a choice. He says, seems like an easy choice to him, and she says, but it’s not. Her mom gave her Kelly’s when she was in a really bad place. It was really generous of her. He asks if Bobbie is still away, and she says, yeah. She’s in Amsterdam, taking care of Luke’s affairs, and the last thing she needs is for Carly to abandon Kelly’s. Sonny says, Carly could always find somebody dependable to run the place, and she says, but if she decides to buy back the MetroCourt, she has to find someone to finance it. He says, I can – she says, nohelp – she says, do not offeryou.

Laura says, when Charlotte first woke up after the surgery, she asked where Valentin was, and she told Charlotte that he’d gone on a walk with Anna. Charlotte seemed to be genuinely frightened for his safety. He says, and that’s when Charlotte told her what she did, and Laura says, yes. She admitted to trying to push Anna out of town and away from Valentin to protect him. He says, they know she trashed Anna’s hotel suite. Did she admit to anything else? Laura says, she didn’t get into any specifics, and after what she’d been through, Laura didn’t think it was a good time to question her. Valentin says, of course (🍷), and Nina says, when Charlotte is a bit stronger, maybe Doc can talk to her again. It seems like she opens up to him. Laura says, he’s already agreed to come and visit her whenever they decide she’s ready for it, and Valentin says, good. Nina says, this whole thing is awful, but at least they know Charlotte wasn’t acting on her own. She was motivated by Victor’s hatred of Anna. Laura says, and he knew she was at a very impressionable age. He arranged to get her far away from home and all alone. Valentin says he should have never let her go to that damn place, but Laura says, he thought he was doing something good for her. And they all did at that time. Valentin says, Charlotte told her that he wrote a letter? and Laura says, yes. He says, excuse him, and goes to Charlotte’s bedroom.

Valentin looks around the room, touching nothing yet. His eyes light on Charlotte’s journal, but he keeps looking.

Elizabeth says she remembers finding Finn on the roof the night Mr. Muldoon died. He was devastated. And now his family is suing the hospital and Finn? Why? Finn says, they believe he was negligent in not diagnosing his cancer in time, and she asks if his symptoms indicated cancer. Finn says, he had a tapeworm he picked up traveling abroad. He traveled for work extensively, mostly in third world countries. So he ordered bloodwork, and the results came back with anomalies. Anomalies consistent with a lot of causes, tapeworm among them. G.I. distress, fatigue, weight loss. So he sent Muldoon home with a plan of treatment and a request for further testing. He called a few days later and said he was feeling much better. He went on another trip, and Finn had requested further testing, including a colonoscopy. He didn’t come in for two months, and that’s when Finn expanded the scope of treatment in order to get more testing. Elizabeth says, that’s when he found the cancer, and Finn says, yeah. He didn’t see it coming. Muldoon thought he’d be here for a couple of hours and then Finn had to tell him that he had cancer, and it was too late to start any treatment. He never left this hospital again. She says, Finn didn’t do anything wrong, and Finn says he believes he didn’t, but that may not matter.

Valentin checks under the mattress, and we see he’s rifled through the drawers. He spies a pile of books and takes down the top one. He opens it and sees it’s hollowed out. The tarot cards are inside, along with the letter, which he opens and reads. He says, Victor.

Spencer says, Esme is going to take Ace and leave because she doesn’t want him growing up thinking the three of them are a family? She says, that’s right. Because the longer the three of them live together, the harder that’s going to be on Ace when it ends, and it’s going to end. Spencer asks, what makes her say that?😐and she says, because it has to. He wants his own life, and she really understands that. He wants to travel when he wants to travel. He wants to spend time with the people he wants to spend time with. And sooner or later, he’s going to want to spend all of his time with someone. He can’t have that life and Ace. He asks, why not? They don’t have to be in a romantic relationship for him to commit to Ace. Or her.

Trina tells Ava, what changed was, she said one word. And Spencer lost it. Ava says, there’s got to be more to it than that, and Trina says, when Laura and Doc came back from their trip, Esme thought it was too crowded. So she decided to rent a place for her and Ace. Ava says, so far, so good, and Trina says, that’s what she thought. And Laura supported the idea. She even offered to co-sign the lease. Ava says, go, Laura, and Trina says, but when Spencer told her that Esme was moving out, she just said exactly how she felt. She said, finally. Ava tells Trina, that sounds perfect to her, but Trina says, it didn’t sound good to Spencer.

Mason tells Cyrus that he can cut a deal if he gives up Austin. He’s the dumb henchman, and Austin’s the smart doctor who planned everything. There’s plenty evidence to back it up too. Lots of people have seen them together, and Austin slept with Ava. He can tell the cops that Austin seduced Ava to get to her money, and when that blew up in his face, he asked Mason to take her. Cyrus’s name will never be mentioned. Cyrus smiles.

Dante says, Austin saved Ava? and Austin says, what he means is, he would never hurt Ava. Dante tells him, that’s not what he said. Austin said he saved her. Austin says he did save her that night at Windymere. Ryan Chamberlain was running around like a lunatic, Heather Webber’s got a great big hook… He’s sure all of this is in Dante’s files. Go read his files. Dante says he’s read the files. The thing he can’t figure out is what Austin was doing at Windymere in the first place. What’s the nature of his relationship to Ava Jerome?

Valentin comes out with the letter, and says, it’s all Victor. There’s no question; it’s his father’s handwriting. He hands it to Laura, and she says, oh my God. She reads: My dearest Charlotte, It is with a heavy heart that I must write to you and share my concerns about our family’s future. A family I cherish and would give my life for. I’m afraid your father has gotten weak, Charlotte. I had so much hope for him, but he’s forgotten how truly important family is since he’s fallen in love with Anna Devane. Anna has completely manipulated your father… Her extensive training in espionage has afforded her the ability to mask who she really is. Nina says, no wonder Charlotte was confused, and Valentin says, he weaponized her. Laura continues: Anna Devane is not who she seems; do not trust her. Not for a minute. And it is imperative you never forget… You must use any weapon you can to defeat Anna, because your father clearly will do whatever she asks. And she will use his feelings, she will use your father, and lead him into danger. She will lead him to his death. Nina says, oh my God, and Laura reads: My dear Charlotte, you are the only one who can protect your father from Anna Devane. You, his most cherished possession, must save him. To guide you, I’m giving you these very special tarot cards. They’re powerful tools, Charlotte. You’ll find them helpful. Use them wisely. Use them to protect and save your father, a man we both love dearly. Your ally and loving grandfather, Victor Cassadine. Nina says, sick bastard, and Valentin says, Victor found the perfect revenge.

Sonny asks when Carly said Nina made her the offer, and Carly says, this morning at Kelly’s. Nina said she’d been at the hospital all night with Charlotte. He says, that was a tragic accident. Anna’s torn apart by it; so is Nina. Charlotte is like a daughter to her. Maybe it hit Nina a lot harder than he thought. Carly says, maybe, but would he think that’s the reason she wants to sell the MetroCourt?

Trina asks if it’s bad for her to think Spencer is too attached to his little brother, but Ava says she thinks this is more about Esme than it is about Ace. What was Spencer’s ultimatum? Trina says, he warned her that if she made him choose between her and Ace, she wouldn’t like the choice, and Ava says, ouch. Trina says, they were closer than ever in New York, but it never seems to fail. Something like this will happen, then they’re further apart. It’s like they’re doomed to fail.

Cyrus says, Mason is a lot smarter than he thought Mason was. That’s a very creative solution. Mason says, it’ll work, but Cyrus says, not for him. He doesn’t want Austin tainted by Mason’s crime. He’s a respected doctor and Cyrus needs to avail himself of Austin’s services and support if necessary. Mason says, so he gets to rot in prison while college boy gets everything he wants, and Cyrus says, don’t be so resentful. College boy will get everything he deserves in good time. Meanwhile, Mason will be well-protected in Pentenville and lead a very comfortable life. And who knows? He might be eligible for release sooner than he thinks, provided he does exactly as he’s told.

Austin says, he and Ava are very close, and Dante asks if she’ll corroborate that. Austin says, what relationship doesn’t have its ups and downs? and Dante says, he’s looking at a lot of downs. They have a laundry list of charges they could file against Austin. Collusion, kidnapping, attempted murder… Austin says, come on. Dante said himself, he’s got Mason handcuffed to a bed upstairs. Dante caught him red-handed. Dante shot him. Dante says he did. Does Austin think it was Mason’s idea to kidnap Ava? Austin says he doesn’t know. Ask Mason. Dante says, come on, doc. He’s not the brains behind this thing; he was the muscle. He was following someone’s orders. Maybe Austin’s. Austin says, no, but Dante says, he’s the smart guy. Come up with the name of Mason’s boss. Maybe he’ll have a chance to save himself. He walks out of Austin’s office.

Sonny tells Carly, maybe Charlotte getting shot made Nina rethink her priorities. Maybe she wants to spend less time working and more time with the people she loves. Carly says, when she heard about Charlotte, all she could think about was Josslyn and Donna. If something happened to them, it would kill her. He says, nothing’s going to happen to the kids. They’re settled, and he’s got everything under control. Carly asks if he’s sure about that. Because Cyrus is walking around scot-free, and Sonny doesn’t have Jason watching his back anymore. He says he thinks about Jason every day, but he has eyes all over town, including Dex and Brick. She says she knows how important Brick is to him, and he says, Dex actually stepped up. If it wasn’t for him and Dante, Ava would be dead. So he doesn’t want her to worry. She’s got Drew back, so just enjoy each other. She thanks him and says, maybe he’s right about Nina. He says, she should think real hard about taking Nina’s offer, and she says she will. She tells him, watch your back, and goes to the door. He says he always does, and she leaves.

Laura gives the letter back to Valentin, who says, Victor turned his daughter into a weapon. He’s weaponized Laura’s granddaughter. He convinced Charlotte to target the woman he loves. How can he fight back against a child? Nina says, Victor’s dead, and now that they have proof he was behind all of this, they can just talk to Charlotte. They tell her that Victor was wrong about Anna, that nothing in that letter was true. Laura says, yes, but they have to look at this from Charlotte’s point of view for a moment. Her grandfather told her that Anna was dangerous, that she was a threat, and now in Charlotte’s mind, Anna has proven that by shooting her. Nina says, but it was an accident, and Laura says, yes, of course (🍷), and they all know that, but because of Victor, Charlotte actually believes that Anna shot her intentionally. She believes Anna wanted to kill her, and she wants Anna arrested for it.

Esme asks exactly what kind of commitment Spencer is willing to make, and Spencer says he has money. He can see to it she’s financially taken care of. She can quit this job if she so chooses, and he can share in the childcare responsibilities with her. He just wants to make sure his little brother is happy. Does she really think moving Ace out of his grandmother’s home is what’s best for him right now? No. They’re a team. They’re just not a romantic one. She says, that all sounds great, so let’s go for it. Why don’t they get a nice little house somewhere for the four of them? He says, for the four of them? and she says, her, him, Ace, and Trina. She bets Trina will think this is a wise plan. He says, come on, but she says, no, you come on. The longer she lives in that apartment with him and his grandmother, the longer she’s putting her life on hold, and that’s not fair to her and it’s not fair to Ace. He isn’t the only one who deserves to have someone special in his life. He says, so this isn’t really about Ace at all. He didn’t realize she’s so desperate to find someone new. She says she’s desperate to start her life again. She doesn’t have to defend herself to him or anyone else. She’s going to do what’s right for Ace, and yes, what’s right for her. If he’ll excuse her, she has work to do. She picks up some files and leaves the office. He makes a call and leaves a message. Please call him. He needs them. Things have gone from bad to worse.

Portia tells Terry that she’s never been in any malpractice lawsuit situation before. What’s the next step? Does the hospital have the same lawyer Dr. Finn does? Terry says, in her experience, hospitals are advised to have a separate lawyer. Dr. Finn will need to prove he didn’t do anything negligent, whereas they’ll have to prove it was a good decision to employ Finn. And they’ll have to prove they have a solid system of checks and balances, and that they don’t have a history of malpractice suits. Portia says she wouldn’t want to be in Finn’s shoes right now. A case like this could ruin your whole career. Terry says, and lawsuits like this have taken down bigger hospitals than GH. Let’s hope that’s not the case this time.

Elizabeth tells Finn, once we find you an attorney, they’ll tell you what you’re up against and how we need to proceed. He says, we? and she says, yeah. She’s going to help him with this. She was with him the night Mr. Muldoon died. She can testify to his state of mind, and the fact that he never said anything that would indicate he might have made a mistake with his diagnosis and treatment. He says, she doesn’t have to… but she says, please don’t argue with her. She’s going to help him do everything he can to clear his name. He says he doesn’t want her risking her position, but she says she’s not risking anything. And as Head Nurse, she wants the truth to come out. So moving forward, she suggest they get back to work, and tonight, they’ll start going over his notes. He thanks her and says, maybe they can start tomorrow. He needs a day to process this. His career’s in jeopardy… She takes his hand and says, we’re not going to let anything happen to you. He says he’s lucky to have her, and she says, yeah, he is. It goes both ways. She leaves.

Trina asks what she should do, and Ava says, it’s not like she’s talking to an expert in relationships here. She’s had her share, and none of them have gone the distance. Not that she’s giving up. She still believes happy endings are possible. Trina’s just at the beginning. Trina’s phone dings, and Ava asks if she thinks that’s the same person who just tried to call her. She thinks she can guess who it was. Trina says, Spencer. She doesn’t want to talk to him right now. Ava asks how long she plans to avoid him, but Trina says she doesn’t have a plan. She just doesn’t want to argue anymore, and she’s not giving in to his ultimatum. Ava asks if Trina has told him how she feels, the way Trina just told her, and Trina says she guesses not. Ava asks if she still loves him, and Trina says, yes. Ava says, sit down with him. Talk to him and keep cool and don’t point fingers. Just tell him how she feels and why she feels that way. Then listen to him and be respectful of how he feels. Trina says, okay, and thanks Ava, hugging her. She says she knows Ava would tell her the right thing, even if it was hard for her to hear. Ava says, what are friends for? Maybe Trina should reply to Spencer’s text. Trina picks up her phone.

As Austin goes by the reception desk, Elizabeth gives him a message left for him. He opens it, and it says: DON’T BE FOOLISH. IT CAN BE DEADLY. He crumples it up, and then sees Cyrus across the hall. He continues to watch as Cyrus waits for the elevator. When it comes, Cyrus winks at him before getting in.

Tomorrow, Portia tells Curtis that she got some news today; TJ needs to talk to someone right away; Sasha says she’ll walk off the set; and Cyrus brings Austin tidings of great joy.

🧜‍♀️ Finding His Siren…

Can’t say I pictured it as a tank. Impressive.

🚜 Literally Buying The Farm…

Looks idyllic.

🧂 A Pinch Of Salt…

Since the recap isn’t out yet, here’s a few tidbits.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1389773/rhoslcs-monica-garcia-fiercely-confronts-mom-linda-for-kidnapping-her-car

🏂 Apology Tour Already…

No recap yet for this awful mess either.

https://www.distractify.com/p/casey-craig-apology-winter-house

https://stylecaster.com/lists/tom-schwartz-katie-flood-still-together-winter-house/

💎 Magic Mike Meltdown…

Fact correction: It was Crystal and Erika on the stage (Kyle came later and Sutton was nonplussed), and really Erika that she freaked about.

🤺 Rehashing The Deck Fight…

I can’t say I mind a repeat of Kyle insulting Natalya. She’s such a piece of work. Max is just clueless.

👰🏼‍♀️ She Finally Did It…

Kudos to Tinsley for finally making it to the married lady status she’s always wanted. But was he Dale approved?

https://people.com/real-housewives-new-york-city-tinsley-mortimer-marries-robert-bovard-8363397

🐶 A Tale Of Two Pups, Really Three…

I’d want this dog too.

https://people.com/kaley-cuoco-adopts-adorable-new-dog-8400793

The two that got away. Yes, I know Halloween is over.

https://people.com/kim-kardashian-dresses-dogs-sushi-sake-as-actual-sushi-for-halloween-8384168

🪧 Should Have Stayed Closed…

I watched The Open House on Netflix last weekend. Most of it wasn’t bad, but nothing stellar. Kind of like a Lifetime thriller with a bigger budget. I would have been fine with that, except the ending was like a big F-U in exchange for the time I spent watching it. Before the credits, it said the film was in loving memory of someone, and I wondered if it was the guy who was supposed to write the ending.

🦃 Tofurkey Trotting…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and snipes at Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay asking the host before bringing plus ones or more to Thanksgiving dinner, and stay not being foolish. It can be deadly.

November 10, 2023 – Spencer Explodes At Trina, Lolly Lover, Not Gone, Soap Fun, Final Date, The Best, Resilient, VanderNo, Not Yet, Downhill, Dead Revival, Roommates, One More, Nonagon Of Quotes & Battle

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Olivia gets to Eddie/Ned just in time, and extracts him from the tangle of seaweed and netting he’s in. Although I wonder why he’s wearing shoes when he left them at the boathouse.

At the MetroCourt, Alexis says, another precious minute lost. Where are you, Kristina? Blaze comes by and introduces herself as a friend of Kristina’s. She says she was supposed to meet a friend, but it seems fate has other ideas today; they just cancelled. She was on her way out, saw Alexis, and thought she’d introduced herself. Alexis says, that’s nice… Not that Blaze’s friend cancelled, but that Blaze introduced herself. Would Blaze like to join her? Maybe it’s fate. Blaze says, maybe it is, and sits down.

Drew sees Curtis at another table, and says, it’s nice to see him. Curtis says, likewise, and they hug.

Carrying a takeout bag, Trina joins Spencer outside Dex’s apartment, followed by Josslyn and Dex. She says, sorry he had to wait, but they have extra crunchy prawn, and Josslyn says, there was a delay in ordering because someone – she looks at Dex – had to weigh out the whole Marvel movie to catalog Monica’s powers. He says, in the last edition… and she says, yes, she understands. Trina asks Spencer, what happened? and he says, Esme happened. And this time she has his grandmother on her side.

Anna sees Valentin outside of Charlotte’s room and asks, how is she? He says, sleeping. The doctors say she’s going to make a full recovery. She says, thank God. There’s something he needs to know. He asks, what is it? but she says, not here, and they go to the stairwell.

Olivia gets Eddie to the surface and struggles to bring him to shore. She tells him, don’t make this hard. He’s got to be okay. She pounds on him, trying to get him to cough up water, then does chest compression and mouth-to-mouth. He coughs and she asks if he’s all right. He’s alive. He sits up, and she says he’s alive. He says, it’s her. She saved him. She says, of course (🍷) she did. She’d do anything for him. He says he should have always known this, and she says, it’s okay, Eddie, hugging him. He says he’s not Eddie; he’s Ned.

Kristina walks into the MetroCourt and sees Blaze talking to Alexis. She goes to the table and says she didn’t know Blaze knew her mother. Sorry she’s late. Alexis says, only forty-five minutes, and Blaze says her plans were a no-show, and she saw Kristina’s mother. Alexis says, Blaze introduced herself. That was so 1990s. Blaze says, and a lot of fun. She tells Kristina to sit, and says she was grilling Alexis about her job. Alexis says, actually, Blaze was keeping her company while she waited for Kristina… and waited… and waited… Kristina says, okay. Sorry about that. She got caught up with some planning commission things at the youth center. Alexis says, she’s here now and Blaze is here, so why don’t they all have dinner together?

Curtis says, it must be strange, being about to get up and go to sleep when he wants to and turn off his own lights, and Drew says, absolutely. But there are a few things he can think of that he missed more than that. Curtis says he knows that must have been hard. He’s sorry he didn’t visit Drew. Drew says, Curtis had a few things going on. What he went through is nothing in comparison to what Curtis went through. Curtis protests, but Drew says he’s serious. Doesn’t he think it’s silly for either one of them to feel they need to apologize to each other? They’ve been through it. Curtis has been there for him more times than he can count. This friendship is forged in fire. It’s brotherhood born in battle. Curtis says, wow, and raises his glass. To the battle… and to freedom. Drew says, and to survival, and they clink glasses.

Josslyn says, Esme again, and Spencer asks if Josslyn and Dex can give him a minute. Josslyn says, gladly, and she and Dex go into his apartment, Josslyn touching Trina’s shoulder as she passes. Trina asks what Esme did, and Spencer says, it’s nothing that Esme did; it’s what she’s going to do. She’s going to take Ace and she’s going to move into another apartment. Trina says, finally.

Laura looks in the window to Charlotte’s room. Elizabeth is with Charlotte, sees Laura, and comes out. Laura says, she looks so fragile in that bed, and Elizabeth says she knows, but Charlotte’s just sleeping right now. It’s best to let her rest as long as possible because her system is still fighting. But her vitals are excellent. She’s on track to make a full recovery. Laura breathes a sigh of relief and says, that’s fantastic. Where’s Valentin? She can’t imagine he’d leave her alone. (Geez, the poor guy doesn’t even get a bathroom break?) Elizabeth says, no. He’s been here the entire time. In fact, she just saw him walking down the hall with Anna just a little bit ago. Laura asks how Jake is handling all of this. She knows they all went trick-or-treating together, and heard he was the first one back to Anna’s house right after it happened. Elizabeth says she’s never seen him like this. It’s like he’s caught in this loop of feeling upset and feeling guilty that he lost track of her. He promised Valentin they would stick together, and that’s why he went looking for her. And now he’s scared and confused and doesn’t understand how Anna could have shot Charlotte. And honestly, neither can she.

First of all, didn’t anyone notice Charlotte was wearing a huge, dark, hooded robe and the apartment was dark? And on another topic, Jake knows that Charlotte had the keys and what she’d said about them getting her everything she wanted. This hasn’t come up yet, but I’m thinking it might give him a clue she was up to no good.

On a landing in the stairwell, Valentin asks Anna what it is he needs to know. She says, he has to believe her when she tells him, what happened with Charlotte was an accident. She had no way of knowing Charlotte was in that apartment. He says he knows that. She says she’s not making an excuse, because she understands this is killing him, and he says, there’s nothing she could have done. She says, when she left the apartment, she locked it, and when she returned, it was unlocked. So she knew there was someone inside there, and she thought she was going to be ambushed. That’s why she pulled her gun, and that’s when she made a terrible mistake. And she wishes she could make it all go away. When she saw Charlotte lying on the ground like that, and his face when he came in… He says, it was an accident. It was a tragic accident. She says, yes… How did he know to come to the apartment?

Ned and Olivia are dripping wet and sitting on the ground. Olivia asks what Ned is saying. Her Ned? Is it really him? He says, it’s really him. He saw her. He doesn’t even know how it happened. His mind was rushing like a whirlwind. Literally. The next thing he knows, he’s in the water, and stuck. And there she was. And now they’re here. She says, Lois told her that he was depressed. She went to the boathouse and saw his guitar and his shoes(🤷🏽‍♀️), and she thought… She cries, and he takes her face in his hands and says, it’s okay. They made it. She made it. They’re going to be okay. She says she thought she lost him, and he says, but she didn’t. She found him. It was her all along. She says, what? and he says, in the song. He knows how it ends. She asks what he’s talking about, and he says, the siren song. He knows how to finish it. She says, Eddie… Ned, let’s not do this right now, and he says he’s not Eddie. He’s Ned. She says, if he’s not Eddie, how did he remember the song? He says he remembers everything, and they kiss. So is he going to kind of be like Sonny/Mike now?

Spencer says, finally? Trina didn’t really just say that. She says, yes, she did. She knows he’s going to miss living with Ace, but it’s way past time that Esme go live on her own. He yells, who cares about Esme? He’s talking about Ace. Ace is the one he’s worried about in this instance. Josslyn and Dex come out, and Josslyn asks, what the hell is going on out here?

Kristina asks if Alexis knows that Blaze just signed with BLQ Management, and Alexis says, Brook Lynn Quartermaine. Blaze says, makes a refreshing change from that sleaze Linc Brown, and Alexis says she remembers his public takedown at the Nurses Ball. To Catch a Predator anyone? Blaze says, oh, we caught him, and Alexis says, and then he disappeared, and as she recalls, the whole thing went radio silent. She’s curious. How long before the abuse started?

Curtis asks how it feels to be back in the real world, and Drew says, he has no idea. Although he has to say, some things are more challenging than he anticipated. Curtis says, Drew has been out of the mix for a while, but Drew says, compared to when he broke out of captivity in Greece, the life he came back to this time hasn’t changed nearly as drastically. But Curtis’s has. What about him?

Elizabeth tells Laura that she knows Anna would never intentionally hurt Charlotte. Obviously, it was just a terrible mistake. But what was she doing carrying a gun around on Halloween? With people in costumes and kids jumping out at each other, acting all crazy. Laura says, she’s right, and Elizabeth says, and you add a gun in that mix? It only increases the odds that something tragic is going to happen. Yes, Charlotte is going to recover physically, but what about her emotional scars? And Jake is going to have to deal with this as well.

Valentin says he was supposed to pick up Charlotte and the other kids after trick-or-treating. Apparently, Charlotte went off on her own, and according to Georgie and Danny, Jake went after Charlotte in the direction of Maxie’s place, so he thought she was heading there. Anna says, well, he was right. She couldn’t figure out why Charlotte would come to the apartment. The police found her backpack, and in it was the keychain she showed him to Maxie’s apartment. Remember the one that had the shoe on it? In there were also these two cans of spray paint that were the same color that was used to paint the word murderer on her door. He says, Charlotte told him about the keychain; she didn’t tell him about the paint. She says, that doesn’t matter. What she’s trying to tell him is, she’s figured out who’s after her. He says he’s so sorry, and she says, and it is the WSB. Former WSB. She figured out the connection, and it’s a man called Jameson Forsythe. Old guard Bureau. They crossed swords ages ago. He says, no. She doesn’t understand… but she says she does. She found evidence, and Forsythe is trying to discredit, destabilize her, and somehow he’s involved Charlotte. She doesn’t know how he’s done it, but he’s using Charlotte to get to her.

Olivia and Ned go into the boathouse, and Ned puts a towel around her shoulders, then takes one for himself. She says she’s a little behind the curve. He has to catch her up. He’s not Eddie Maine anymore. He says, no. He’s just plain old Ned, her husband. She says, they have to get back to the house. They have to get him to a doctor. He says, you know what? He doesn’t want to go to the house. He wants to stay right here with her because it’s been too long. He just wants to enjoy this moment with her, okay? She says, okay, and they sit down. She says she doesn’t understand. He remembers everything? He says, it’s a bit fuzzy, a little disjointed, but he was here the whole time, like he was on autopilot. Or like playing one of Leo’s video games. He’s Ned, but he’s a little fuzzy. She asks if he remembers his daughter, and Tracy, and Leo. He says, yeah. He remembers everyone. He’s a Quartermaine. They were married in 2017. It’s now 2022. She says, 2023, and he says, right. He told her that things were fuzzy. She says, that’s just the small stuff. The important thing is that he’s here. They hug, and she says she was praying so hard for this, and he came back to her. He says, but she was willing to let Eddie stay, wasn’t she?

Blaze tells Alexis, at first, she was starstruck around all the beautiful people, all the glitz and glamour of the industry. She was so lost in it. When Linc began to overstep, she thought, maybe that’s just the way this world works; maybe he’s that way with all his artists. She didn’t want to seem uptight, so she stayed quiet and avoided being alone with him. Alexis says, Blaze made it her problem, not his, and Blaze says, exactly. One more layer of pressure to being in the public eye. Backstage, where you’re supposed to let your guard down, she was constantly looking over her shoulder. Alexis says, so she’s spending her downtime dodging him, and Kristina says, no one should have to do that. Alexis says, women are conditioned to normalize that kind of behavior, and then that message gets passed down to other artists. Blaze says she gets that entirely. By keeping her mouth shut, she was basically endorsing him.

Curtis tells Drew that his life is upside down for sure. Simple things like walking, running, even standing up, he can’t take for granted anymore. Drew says, but he’s not alone in this. He has family, friends. Curtis says he does and he’s grateful for that, but everything has shifted. The dynamic is different. Hell, he’s different.

They all go into Dex’s apartment, and Josslyn says she gets it. Spencer’s upset. One thing she’s learned about living in the dorms is, you have to be considerate of your neighbors and your own business. The whole building doesn’t need to know what’s going on right now. Spencer asks if she really thinks he cares what the building thinks. He gets louder, and says, Esme just told him that she’s taking Ace and moving into a new apartment, and his grandmother is going to co-sign the lease because they think Ace shouldn’t be a part of his life anymore. And when he comes to Trina with this, saying he’s going to be losing his baby brother, all she can say is, finally.

Anna tells Valentin that this is her past catching up to her. And somehow, it’s caught up to Charlotte, and she never wanted that. Forsythe has gotten to her somehow. Valentin says, there is no Forsythe. At least not the way she’s thinking. She asks what he’s trying to say, and he says his daughter’s been stalking her for months. And he’s been covering for her.

Laura sits next to Charlotte’s bed and says she’s here. How does it feel? Charlotte says her stomach hurts, but not too bad, and Laura says, she’s such a brave girl. Charlotte asks, where’s papa? He promised to be here. Laura says, he’s been here the whole time. He just went for a walk with Anna. Charlotte gets agitated, and says, it’s dangerous. They can’t trust Anna. She’ll hurt him.

Olivia tells Ned, every waking moment, with every beat of her heart, she was fighting for him. He says, no… and she says, he’s got to hear this. He needed to find his way back to them. She couldn’t push him. He needed to choose to come back to them. If he thinks she preferred Eddie Maine… He tells her, stop. She misunderstands. He’s not accusing her of being disloyal. He knows she was supporting him, and he loves her all the more for it. She says, Eddie… and realizes her mistake. He laughs and hugs her. He says he needed that space. After the accident, when he woke up in the hospital, everything was so confusing and unfamiliar, he grabbed the first thing that made him feel safe and comfortable. She says, Eddie Maine, and he says, it was his escape to a time when life was less complicated, and he wasn’t feeling the weight of his family and business suffocating him. To a time when it was just him, on stage, playing his music, no restraints, no judgements, just freedom.

Blaze says she didn’t mean to open a vein here, but Alexis says she’s the one who pried. Old attorney habits die hard. Kristina says, Blaze doesn’t know her mother; this is like catnip for her. Alexis says she’s more than curious. She’s outraged. Her nerve endings are twitching thinking about the lawsuit Blaze could file. Blaze says she doesn’t know… and Alexis says she’s serious. Kristina says, if Blaze doesn’t want to go the legal route, how about collaborating together on a piece about sexual harassment in the music industry? What does Alexis think? A feature with Blaze as the focus? Alexis says she thinks it’s a great idea; shed light on a rampant issue. Is Blaze willing to go on the record? Blaze says, it’s no secret what happened what happened to her. Anyone who was at the Nurses Ball or who saw it on television knows about it, but she wants to move forward with her career. She doesn’t want to go backward. Kristina tells her, what about what she just said? What about all of the artists who could fall into the same trap? Here’s her chance to show that predators aren’t the only way to do business. This is an opportunity for her to break that cycle.

Curtis tells Drew that sometimes he actually feels fortunate. There’s this guy, Devon, his gym buddy. Devon has it way worse than him, but this guy always stays positive. He has the most amazing outlook on life. Drew says, that’s incredible. He’s so glad to hear that. Curtis says, but to be perfectly honest, there are moments, split seconds, where he forgets about his new reality and tries to do normal things like get out of bed and stand up. Then reality slams back, so he’s learning to adjust.

Trina tells Spencer that she never meant to say it was a good thing losing Ace. She just thinks that Esme moving out is healthy for her, and ultimately for him. He says, healthy for him, to be separated from Ace. He’s losing a member of his family, and he thought she would understand that. Josslyn says, it’s not like Esme’s moving to another planet. She’s still going to be in Port Charles and so will Ace. He can see them whenever he wants. Isn’t that a good thing? Dex says, but it won’t be the same thing, and Josslyn and Trina look at him, as I would. Thanks, Dex.

Valentin says, Charlotte’s the one who vandalized Anna’s hotel suite. Security footage showed her breaking into that room with a backpack. Anna says, what? and he says he had Nina delete the footage from the server. She asks why he would have Nina do that. Why would he hide that from her? He says, the moment he saw it, he knew she was the one who spray painted Anna’s front door, that she was the one who set Anna’s house on fire. Anna says, no, but Valentin says, she knew how to get in Anna’s house. Her camp was less than an hour away. She could have gotten there easily. Anna says, it’s not possible, but he says he doesn’t know what Charlotte is capable of anymore. She says, so he knew his daughter was terrorizing her and he just let Charlotte keep doing it? and he says he was protecting Charlotte because he failed her so many times as a father. And he thinks he was protecting himself… She says, what about protecting her? Didn’t she have a right to know?

Laura tells Charlotte, it’s okay. Her father isn’t in any danger from Anna. Charlotte says, she’s wrong. Grandfather Victor warned her about Anna. He told her to protect papa. Laura asks what Victor said about Anna, and Charlotte tells her, he said she was a double-agent, and everyone would know about it soon. He visited her at school and told her to stay there where she’d be safe from Anna. He even wrote her a letter. She grabs her side, and Laura tells her, try to be still. She doesn’t want to reopen the wound. Charlotte says, Laura doesn’t understand. Grandfather told her that Anna was going to use her and pretend to be nice to her so she could trick papa. Laura says, he told her all of this in a letter? and Charlotte says, yes. He said that papa was so in love with Anna, he wouldn’t realize she was using him. Anna’s done a lot of bad things in the past, and made papa take the blame. She’s going to do it again and this time, papa’s going to end up in prison forever. He’ll be killed if she doesn’t keep Anna away from him. Laura says, shhh. It’s okay.

Olivia says she can understand Ned getting nostalgic for the past, for simpler times. So she’s got to ask him. Does Lois figure into this equation? (I laugh because Lois likes math.) He asks why she would bring Lois up, and she says, Lois was the last one he talked to before he jumped in, and everything changed. Is Lois the reason he came back to them?

Kristina says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to put Blaze on the spot. Her mother can vouch that is something she does. Blaze says, don’t worry about it. She appreciates Kristina’s passion. Alexis says, there’s no pressure here at all. It was a just an idea. She sees Drew and Curtis, and says she sees two friends over there who she’d love to say hello to. She’ll be right back. She leaves, and Kristina tells Blaze, that was not her place. Here she is, lecturing Blaze about her story when she knows better than anyone it’s an intensely personal decision. Blaze says, Kristina’s fire, her commitment to justice is infectious. It’s okay to want to make a difference. The thing she’d hate is if Kristina started editing herself and only told her what she wanted to hear.

Curtis says, Drew told him the whole story. Alexis is one gutsy reporter. Threatening to expose that judge like that? He’s glad it all worked out. They really missed Drew and he’s glad Drew’s back. Drew says he appreciates that, and there are smiles all around.

Ned tells Olivia that he was talking to Lois before he came down here to the boathouse. She was giving him a pep talk about finishing the song. Olivia says she wanted him to finish the song too, and he says he guesses he needed Lois’s no-nonsense bullying, and Olivia laughs. He says, Lois told him to take a leap of faith and go find the siren. She says, the siren, and he says, maybe she knew that was the key to getting him back to his real self. Or maybe not. But Olivia. She’s the one who actually pulled him back. She cries and he kisses the top of her head, pulling her to him. He says, turns out, she’s the siren. Hers is the only voice that could have brought him back. Lois may have had the idea, but Olivia made it a reality.

Dex says he understands where Spencer is coming from. Up to now, he and Esme have been raising Ace together. Obviously, living apart changes that dynamic, like a divorce. Spencer says, yes, a divorce where, if he wants to spend time with his own brother, he’ll have to act like a visitor. And it’s not the same as living together. He tells Trina, it’s just not, and Dex asks, what if they could get shared custody? and Spencer says, Esme’s not going to do shared custody with him, not with grandmother on her side. Trina says, Esme doesn’t have to share custody. He’s Ace’s brother, not his father.

Laura says she needs Charlotte to help her understand. She’s trying to keep her father away from Anna to protect him? Charlotte says, yes. Maybe move to London or somewhere near her granddaughter Emma. Anywhere really, as long as she’s away from papa and papa is safe. Laura says, okay, but this is what Victor wanted her to do, right? Charlotte tells her, he said it was the only way. Anna must have figured out she knew about her. That’s why Anna shot her, so she wouldn’t ruin Anna’s plans. Laura says, no, that was a terrible accident, but Charlotte says, it wasn’t. Anna saw her in the apartment. She knew it was her. Anna shot her on purpose. Anna wanted to kill her. Just like she’ll do to papa.

Valentin says he loves Anna, but Charlotte is everything to him. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her that Charlotte was targeting her. She says, so he just lied to her over and over again, and he says he wanted to tell her the truth. She says, but he didn’t. What did he think? That he could fix this? That he would just stitch this whole mess together and they would live in separate worlds, and it would all work? He says he was hoping by moving her into the house and giving her a home with him, that for once it would end her destructive behavior. They met with Doc. She was willing to have… Anna slaps him in the face, then pushes him, and says, shut up. If she’d known Charlotte was the one after her, she never would have pulled a gun. She shot a child. His child. She has to live with that for the rest of her life. She’s never going to forgive him. She storms out, and he can’t believe how stupid he is.

Ned and Olivia leave the boathouse, and he picks up his guitar. He says he thinks he knows the way the song ends now. She says she can’t wait to hear it, and they look out over the water, his arm around her. He says, she saved his life – literally and figuratively. She says, they save each other. That’s what love is. They kiss.

Drew and Curtis’s food comes, and Alexis says, that’s her cue to leave. She has to get back to her dates over there. It was such a pleasure to see Curtis, and he says, good to see her too. Drew says it was good to see her, and she leaves. Curtis tells Drew, sometimes it is so hard to just have a conversation without everyone trying to help when they know good and well they can’t. So that’s why it’s good to just hang out with a good friend who gets it. Drew says, any time, and Curtis asks what he thinks of the Nets’ chances this year, but Drew says he’s not falling for that. Curtis got him last time. Although they do have some good games coming up. Curtis agrees, and says, Boston tomorrow. Drew says, Curtis’s couch, his beer? and Curtis says he’s in… Portia may have other ideas. Drew says, then he’ll have to bring some wine, and Curtis laughs.

Alexis sits down, and Blaze says she’s decided. Kristina says she doesn’t want Blaze to feel pressured, but Blaze says, she’s in. A complete interview; nothing off limits. Alexis says, really? and Blaze says, yes. Kristina brought up some really good points. She can’t complain about what happened to her on one hand and not do everything she can to change it on the other. This is something she can do to stand up for those coming after her. Her contribution to their art, and to their voices. Kristina says she didn’t put it nearly as poetically as that, and Blaze says, that’s what collaboration’s all about. Someone comes up with an idea, someone comes up with the words, put it together, you’ve got magic. She has to make a quick call, but they can talk details when she gets back. She excuses herself and leaves, and Kristina asks what Alexis thinks. Alexis says she thinks Blaze likes Kristina, and Kristina says she likes Blaze too; she’s cool. Alexis says, no. I mean she likes you likes you.

Spencer says, Trina… but Trina says, no. Let’s unpack this. The only way he gets to be Ace’s father is if he’s with Esme, in a relationship. If the two of them are a couple, then they get to raise him together. That is a sure-fire way to solve his problem. Is that what he wants? He says, no, of course (🍷) not. He doesn’t love Esme; he loves her. But he also really loves his little brother, and he knows in his heart that Ace needs to be in his life. Trina says, he will always be in Spencer’s life, just not in the house, but Spencer says, no, because that would be abandoning him, and she knows he’s not going to do that. She says, then he knows what the solution is for that, but where does that leave them? He tells her not to ask him to choose between her and Ace. She’s not going to like the answer. She says, don’t worry. She’ll save him the trouble. She grabs her bag and walks out.

Laura tells Charlotte, don’t worry. She’ll make sure Charlotte’s papa is safe. They’re going to figure all of this out. Charlotte says, Anna can tell that she knows she’s bad. That’s why Anna shot her. Papa can’t trust her. Laura has to tell him. Laura says, it’s going to be all right, she promises. Close her eyes and get some rest. It’s going to be okay. She kisses Charlotte’s forehead and leaves.

In the hallway, Anna says she really needs to talk to Charlotte, but Elizabeth says, it’s only family. Anna says, it will only take one minute, but Elizabeth says, it’s not possible. Laura comes out of Charlotte’s room and Elizabeth goes in. Valentin comes out of the stairwell, and Laura tells Anna that Charlotte’s just fallen back to sleep. Anna says, she doesn’t understand. It’s imperative that she speak with Charlotte right now. Laura says she really thinks Anna should wait… but Anna says, it can’t wait. She has to tell her… Laura says, Anna can’t go in there. Charlotte is terrified of her. She thinks Anna shot her on purpose. Anna cries and says she didn’t, and Valentin hangs his head, as he should.

On Monday… they show scenes from several days ago, so I’m not sure what that means. Either it’s a mistake, or we’re going to be forced to watch news-not-news.

💣 He’s Just Misunderstood…

They’ll have to dig deep to find some redeeming qualities.

🍕 Didn’t Think So…

What would the Q mansion be without her? My money’s on her coming back for Thanksgiving pizza.

👻 Fun And Games…

The kids always look like they’re having a good time off-camera.

🏆 For Real This Time…

As predicted, the main event of the Daytime Emmys will be aired on December 15th.

👖 It’s Not The Pants…

I knew there was a reason I liked Sutton so much. This is it.

👠 Bouncing Back…

Hopefully, she can keep the momentum going. Talk about making (hard) lemonade out of lemons.

https://extratv.com/2023/11/08/ariana-madix-on-fan-support-at-bravocon-and-her-resiliency-exclusive/

🍸 Her Calendar Is Full…

Why would she come back? Just to be harassed by Erika and get offers of fake friendship from Kyle? It’s not like she has nothing to do.

And while we’re on the subject.

🌁 Lasting Long Enough For Last…

2025? Really? Although I can hardly blame Pedro Pascal.

https://ew.com/tv/the-last-of-us-season-2-everything-we-know/

https://collider.com/gladiator-2-filming-start-pedro-pascal-last-of-us/

🛟 Like They’re On A Water Slide…

The short answer: yes. The golden years with Captain Lee and Kate are over, but we’ll always have Couch Talk.

⚰️ A Diabolical Plot…

Of course, he’s not against reviving the original series. It’s got to be a billion dollar franchise by now. And brilliant idea to merge all the Deads into one big kumbaya Dead.

🦥 This Guy…

I’m obsessed with 90 Day Fiancé and all its spin-offs. I don’t include it here because I already give it too much time. If this guy’s mother wasn’t living in the closet, it might be fun to live there. For about a week. I love the annoyed chihuahua.

https://people.com/90-day-fiance-clayton-introduces-5-roommates-including-two-guinea-pigs-exclusive-8386660

🐩 You Didn’t Think I Was Done…

Oh, come on, just one more.

https://www.homecrux.com/celebrity-pet-halloween-costumes/181675/

🍿 Quotes of the Week

Never trust humans just to let things be. – David (Mike Colter), Extinction

I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion. – Alexander the Great

Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow. – Ronald E. Osborn

It is never too late to be what you might have been. – George Eliot

It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end. – Ursula K. Le Guin

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. – Eleanor Roosevelt

Many things—such as loving, going to sleep, or behaving unaffectedly—are done worst when we try hardest to do them. – C.S. Lewis, Studies in Medieval Literature, compiled in Words to Live By

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. – Thomas Edison

An idea is a fart your brain makes. But if you patent an idea, it’s an asset. – Rufus Griswold (Michael Trucco), Fall of the House of Usher

🍠 Keep Your Yams To Yourself…

On Sunday, stop the scaries by dropping in for some Fear. Until then, stay safe, stay considering going out for Thanksgiving dinner (nothing says Thanksgiving like Oysters Rockefeller!), and stay toasting to the battle, freedom, and survival.

November 8, 2023 – Eddie Deep Dives To Find His Siren, Beverly Hills Infects Las Vegas, A Tale Of Two Recaps, It’s Over & Rain

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Yuri says he’ll put Tracy’s bags in the car, calling her Miss Quartermaine. She tells him to call her Tracy, and he says, of course (🍷). He leaves with the bags, and Olivia asks if Tracy is planning an escape, but Tracy says she’s going to take care of something she should have done a while ago.

Eddie/Ned works on his song, when Lois walks in. He puts his guitar down and mumbles about moving the chords. Lois asks if anyone ever told him that if he keeps making that face, it will freeze like that. He says, what? and she says, he’s obsessed. He’s cooped up in here. He’s moping around, playing that damn song over and over again. Go take a break. Go get some air. Go hang with the kid. The song isn’t going anywhere. He says he can’t take a break. Not when he’s this close. He has to finish it. She rolls her eyes.

Brook knocks on Maxie’s office door and asks if she has a minute. Sasha is there, and Maxie says, they’re in the middle of a meeting. Brook says, Sasha is back, and Sasha says, in the flesh. Maxie says, yeah, Sasha’s back, but Brook’s not.

On the phone at Aurora, Michael says, they have to up their game. Their production values are mediocre at best. There’s got to be some hidden talent at ESPN or one of the networks, itching for a chance to shine. Just find it. He goes into his office, and Carly and Drew are there. He says, they’ll touch base later, and tells Drew that he can’t believe it, hugging him. Drew says, it’s good to see him too.

Chase sees Austin at the hospital, and says, just the person he was looking for. Austin says he was on his way out to run an errand, and Chase says he’s glad he caught him. He just needs a few minutes of Austin’s time. Austin asks, why? and Chase says he’d like to ask Austin a question about his cousin Mason Gatlin. Austin flashes back to trying to smother Mason in his hospital bed.

Ava shows up at Sonny’s penthouse, and he says, it’s not a good time. She says she understands that, but it’s her life they’re talking about here. Has there been any word from Brick about Nikolas? He says, forget Nikolas. He’s the least of her problems. She asks what that means, and he says, she’s in bed with the enemy. And the worst part about it? She doesn’t even know it.

Olivia says, whatever it is, Tracy is going to miss a very nice going-away party for Lois, and Tracy says she’s sorry she’s going to miss seeing the back of Lois, but she has more pressing matters to attend to. She seems distracted, almost sad, and Olivia says, now she’s just being mysterious. What’s up? Tracy says she’s going to Amsterdam. Bobbie is going to help her sort out Luke’s affairs.

Eddie says, this song is a brick wall, and Lois says, maybe it’s time to move on to some different material, but he says, no. He can’t do that. He’s got to finish this. She says, stubborn as ever. Classic Quartermaine. He looks at her, and she says she’s sorry. That’s right. He’s not a Quartermaine. There was this time he had to come up with a B-side last minute, Lay in My Arms. That’s the song they ended up playing on the radio. He says he doesn’t remember that. Did it get any airplay? She says, number seven, College Media Journal, and he smiles and says, oh. She says, see? He doesn’t mind taking a stroll down Memory Lane if it’s about a hit song. Isn’t he even curious about the rest? He asks what she means, and she says, that Ned Quartermaine isn’t just a name. That Leo and everyone else who loves him really loved Ned.

Brook says she had no intention of coming back to Deception. She just wanted to see Maxie, and running into Sasha is just a bonus. She tells Sasha that she looks great, and Sasha thanks her, but Maxie says, this is not a good time. Sasha says she and Maxie were just discussing a new Face of Deception campaign… Maxie says, remember their privacy policy, and Brook says, if she wanted information about the company, she could just go to Tracy. She is the majority owner. Maxie says, thanks to Brook betraying their trust and spying on them, and Brook says, because Tracy was blackmailing her. Maxie says, there’s always some excuse with her, and Brook says she’s already apologized and she’s happy to do it again, but Maxie says, forget it. Unless she has some sort of time machine. Brook says, and if she did, Maxie would come right along with her for the ride after all the crap… Maxie says, she’s talking about the very distant past, but Brook says, not so distant. Sasha says, stop it, both of them. All this fighting is pointless. Can’t they see that they both miss each other?

Ava assumes Sonny is talking about Austin, and Sonny asks how much her new boyfriend has told her about his boss. She says, Austin is not her boyfriend. Maybe they got a little closer, but they’re not romantically involved at all. He says, really? No feelings? Nothing? He thought maybe they had a thing going since she’s so blind to Austin’s new role in her abduction.

Leading Chase into his office, Austin says, whatever this is, could they get it over quickly, please, because he’s really a little pressed for time. Chase says, quick question. Does he have any idea why his cousin would want to abduct Ava Jerome? Austin says, no idea. Chase probably knows this, but he’s already been over this once with another detective. Chase says, right, but the only common factor between his cousin and Ava is Austin. He figured Austin would want to open up to him considering their past. He’s just trying to tie up a few loose ends around here. Austin says, he and his cousin aren’t really that close. The only reason he tolerates Mason at all is out of some misguided sense of family loyalty. Chase says, but he’s been here at the hospital with Austin several times, and Austin says, sure, but telling him his plans to kidnap Ava, their chats don’t run that deep. Their worlds don’t intersect at all. Austin is a medical professional and Mason… he’s a kidnapper apparently. He feels like they’re done here. He opens the door and says, if Chase has any other questions for him, he’ll ask that Chase goes through his lawyer.

Drew says, Scout told him that she wants to take crossbow lessons. She’s all about Katniss now, but blink and you miss it. Michael says, exactly. They have their whole lives mapped out until the next day when they’re on to the next thing. Carly says, Drew’s only one step away from Scout wanting to take archery classes, and Drew says, at least her tastes haven’t changed when they went for Kelly’s pancakes this morning. Then they stopped and said thanks to Alexis. Michael says, it’s so great to have Drew back with them. He knows Alexis played her part, but his mom is the force behind Drew’s release. Carly protests, but Michael says, she’s the one who got leverage over Judge Kim. She says she was just grasping at straws. They were all doing whatever they could. Drew says, that might be so, but one of the things that kept him going in Pentenville – sometimes, the only thing – was knowing that she was out here, and she was fighting for him. She says she’ll never stop fighting for him, and hugs him. She says she can’t believe he’s home. It’s almost unbelievable. He says, she’s got to believe it. Now they’re going to put everything else behind them. They’ve got a lot of time to make up for. She says, that’s easier said than done. Someone turned them in to the SEC. She wants to know exactly who and why. Michael bites his tongue.

Sasha says, there’s a big difference between a mistake and a bad choice, and a betrayal, and tells Brook, spying for Tracy wasn’t right. Maxie tells Brook that she couldn’t have said it better, and Sasha says, if Maxie is ever in trouble, Brook would have her back, no questions asked. Recently, she’s had to learn that real friends, people who may not be perfect, but who truly, genuinely care, are not the same as the ones who are too selfish or hurt to show genuine concern. Now that’s not either of them, is it? Honestly, it just makes her so sad to see them both toss away a friendship they both cherish and need. Brook says, when Sasha’s right, she’s right, and Maxie says, okay, fine. She misses Brook. Brook says she misses Maxie more, and Maxie says, she probably does. Brook laughs, and Maxie says, all right, so why is Brook here? Brook says she cares about Georgie and Charlotte, and Maxie says, she has no idea. Sam dropped Georgie off, and all they knew was that Charlotte was missing and Jake went after her. And there was a shooting at her old apartment. None of it makes any sense. Brook asks how Georgie is doing, and Maxie says, she’s understandably in shock. She feels guilty, like she could have done something. Brook says, poor baby, and Maxie says she and Spinelli spent the whole night with her. He found a grief counselor for her, which is where they are now. Sam and Elizabeth are doing the same thing with their kids. They have a group text going. Brook holds out her hand and Maxie takes it. Sasha smiles.

Olivia says she’s so glad Tracy will have Bobbie there with her, while the rest of us are a little uncomfortable since Jackie Zeman passed away in the spring. Tracy says, it will be a welcome distraction from mourning Luke alone, and Olivia says she’s sure Bobbie feels exactly the same way. With Tracy gone and Monica not in the house and Lois going back to Bensonhurst, this place is going to be really quiet. Tracy says, perfect. Maybe in all that silence, Olivia will find the will to restore some normalcy to this house. Olivia says, Tracy… but Tracy says, no. Ned’s little fantasy is wearing thin, really thin.

Lois says, Eddie’s been hanging around the Qs for a while now. Aside from Tracy, who never misses a chance to talk about having wants him committed, the family’s had his back. He agrees, and she says, so he can’t go the extra mile and help them out a little bit? No. Because he’s got writer’s block. He starts to disagree, and she says, come on. That’s writer’s block. It’s indulgence. He told her that Sonny is willing to put out his album. What album? He has half a song. Without songs, you’ve got no album. Without an album, you’ve got no tour. Without a tour, there is no Eddie Maine. So ditch the siren and move on. He says he can’t just do that. This is something he really needs to follow through. She says, okay. So when she was working on the Free Radicals second album, they hit a serious sophomore slump, and they decided to turn it into a logic puzzle. She loves logic; it’s math. Here’s the puzzle. Pinpoint the problem, figure out where you’re at, and decide where you want to go. So Eddie, where do you want to go?

Lois tells Eddie that he’s doing it all wrong. He’s working from the outside, in. Music comes from the inside, out. He asks what she means, and she says, his song. What’s the problem? With the song. He says, the problem is, he can’t finish the lyrics, and holds up a sheet of paper. She says, forget about the lyrics, crumpling the paper and throwing it in the fireplace. He says, whoa, wait a minute, but she says she doesn’t want to wait. He’s got to write what he knows. So what is he afraid of? What is his problem? He says he’s afraid he’ll never find the girl… the character in the song. He knows that she’s out there, but he can’t see her – the siren. She says, so he’s looking for something he can’t see… like the prince in Cinderella. Except he has the glass slipper. So what does Eddie have? He says, just a voice calling out from the distance, and she says, then it’s simple. He has to go find the voice. That’s the where-you’re-at part. Remember? Pinpoint the problem, figure out where you’re at, decide where you want to go. He says, so… where does he want to go? and Lois says, she’s a siren, right? So he’s got to go in the water. He’s got to dive right in. It’s the only way he’s going to find the girl with the voice. Anyone could tell him that.

Tracy tells Olivia, this is ridiculous. Eddie lounges around all day with his guitar, like he’s some college kid on summer break. It’s depressing, especially for Leo. And nobody’s running ELQ, Look, she knows Olivia doesn’t want to have him committed, but he has to talk to somebody. Olivia says, they’ve been over this and over this. She’s very sorry Tracy is about to take a very difficult trip, but this situation with Eddie isn’t as simple as she’s making it sound. She saw Tracy at Eddie’s concert. Tracy saw him up on that stage. He was completely in his element. Maybe Doc is right. They just have to let this whole thing unfold naturally. Tracy says, there is nothing natural about Ned living in his own private wonderland, waiting for cosmic messages from the Cheshire Cat. Word to the wise. Keep her eye on Lois. She doesn’t trust that woman. Olivia says, Tracy is living in the 1960s in some kind of Valley of the Dolls novel. Tracy says, try the 1560s; it’s the oldest story in the book. Olivia covers her ears and says she’s not hearing this. She’s going to look for Tracy’s son. Have a safe trip. Brook walks in, and Tracy tells Olivia to look in the lounge. He’s probably watching cartoons. Brook asks if she missed the memo about Tense Tuesday.

On the phone, Maxie thanks Spinelli for letting her know. Tell Georgie to call her if she wants to, but only if she wants to… Yeah. What’s fine with him is fine with her. Just keep her posted. She tells Sasha, Georgie wants to spend tonight with Spinelli. Maxie thinks she’s just avoiding James. Sasha says, Maxie is handling this so well. She’d be a wreck. Maxie says, what else can she do? She’s connecting with Spinelli on this. She could force the issue just to let Georgie know she’s here for her, but Georgie will tell Maxie about her boundaries. Sasha says, if Maxie wants to head out, she’ll completely understand, and Maxie says, maybe that’s a good idea. She’ll respect Georgie’s boundaries another time. Maxie’s phone rings, she looks at it, and says, really? She answers, Maxie Jones… Yes. Of course (🍷) we’re interested… He’s available right now? As in like, now now?

Ava tells Sonny, don’t be ridiculous. Austin is not responsible for what his cousin did. Mason was just following orders from his mysterious boss. Sonny says, his boss is Cyrus Renault, and she asks how that’s possible. He says, you’ve got to look at the timeline. Betty steals the information he planted, hands it to Austin, Austin goes to Pentenville and gives it to somebody – he doesn’t know who, but he’s got a lot of enemies in prison. She says, he told her that he thought maybe it was with that Novak cousin, and he says, it could have been, but here’s the thing. Austin shows up at Cyrus’s early release hearing, saying that in his professional opinion, Cyrus is too sick and weak to threaten anyone. Now does she think it’s a coincidence that at the same time Austin’s at that hearing, Mason is holding her hostage?

Chase goes into Mason’s room and says, he’s still under arrest with the right to remain silent, however, if Mason wishes to cooperate, he has a few questions. Mason says, what else is there to do? It’s not like he’s going anywhere. Ask away. Chase says he’ll try to make it brief, but Mason says he’s got all the time in the world. Chase asks why he kidnapped Ava Jerome.

In the hallway, Austin looks in the window of Mason’s room and sees Chase talking to him.

Drew tells Carly, it’s got to be Ned. There’s nobody out there with a grudge who would target them. Ned had the only obvious motive to turn them in to the SEC and get him away from ELQ. Michael looks like he’s going to turn inside out, and Carly says, but he can’t confirm or deny because he has no memory. Drew says, he still hasn’t recovered? and she says, no, and it’s been really hard on Olivia. Drew says, well, then he doesn’t want to add to her troubles by accusing Ned of something he can’t even remember doing. Especially since this is all behind them now, and he wants to move forward. Michael says, what if it wasn’t Ned?

Lois says, Eddie has to put himself in the character in the song. Then he has to dive right in. It’s the only way he’s going to find this siren chick. He’s got to take a leap of faith. He says, she might be on to something, and picks up his guitar. He says he’ll be at the boathouse, and jets, grabbing his jacket on the way out. Lois sighs and rolls her eyes.

Tracy says, Brook. Somebody sane at last. Brook asks, what’s with Yuri and the car? Is he packing Tracy’s stuff? Tracy says, yeah. She’s going out of town, and maybe while she’s gone, Brook can help pull this family out of its downward spiral. Brook says, she sees. Running away again and leaving them to hold the bag. What’s the occasion this time, a riverboat cruise? Or maybe jet-setting with pretend billionaires? Tracy says she’s going to Amsterdam to close out Luke’s affairs with Bobbie Spencer.

Sonny says, connect the dots, and Ava says, he’s implying that Cyrus Renault had Mason hold her hostage to force Austin to testify on his behalf. He says, that is the picture, and she says, well, then Austin was just doing it to protect her, right? He says, probably, but he put her in the crosshairs. Never told Ava to watch her back. Did he tell her that he was going to testify for Cyrus? She says, no, he didn’t, and Sonny asks if he told her anything about him and Mason being in Cyrus’s pocket. She says, no, he didn’t, and Sonny says he guesses Austin doesn’t trust her very much, does he? And whatever Austin claims to feel for her, his first loyalty is Cyrus Renault, and that trumps everything.

Chase says, the cards aren’t in Mason’s favor. The proof has Mason looking at two decades without parole. Mason’s only hope of reducing his sentence is to tell them who’s pulling the strings. Mason says he guesses they’d better cut him a deal then. The sooner he gets a deal, the sooner he walks free. And a whole lot sooner than that, maybe he opens up about who’s running things. Chase says, fine. He’ll see what he can do. He leaves, passing Austin who’s skulking around the corner.

On the phone with her mother, Lois says, some things never change with the Quartermaines. Tracy is still a piece of work. Ugh… No, Brook is amazing… Olivia walks in, and Lois says, wait until she meets him. He is such a hunk… No. Ned is just going through a thing… She sees Olivia and says she needs to go… No. She’ll call later. She has to go. She hangs up, and Olivia says, Gloria? Lois says, the one and only. She was just filling her in on the Quartermaine circus. Olivia says, three rings. Now with even more juggling, and Lois says, she just missed Ned. Olivia asks, how is her… She doesn’t know what to call him. Her husband? Lois says, whatever he is, he’s lost in that song. But she thinks deep down inside, Quartermaine is trying to come out. Olivia asks if she really thinks so, and Lois says she does. And she thinks Olivia is doing the right thing, giving him space. She thinks that’s what Eddie needs. Olivia says, there is such a thing as too much space. Like just enough space for someone else to slip right in.

Lois says, Tracy? and Olivia says, what? Lois asks how long they’ve known each other. Let her remind Olivia; Sister Monica’s third grade class. Olivia says, don’t remind her of the woman and her rulers, and Lois says she will remind Olivia how many times they sat in detention together. She’s not here to slip into anything with Olivia’s husband. Olivia says she knows, and Lois tells her that she will say, she thinks it’s all part of God’s plan that she got here when she did, because this place is a mess, and she thinks she’s here to set some things straight. Olivia says, Lois is starting to sound like Tracy, and Lois gasps. She tells Olivia, take that back, and Olivia says, Tracy is demanding she force him to go for therapy that he doesn’t want. Lois says she doesn’t know anything about that. All she does know is, he could probably use a friendly face. Olivia asks if something happened, and Lois says, he’s been spinning out all day about that stupid song. Olivia says she knows. It seems like he’s possessed or something. Lois says, maybe Olivia, his wife, can go lift his spirits. He’s writing in the boathouse. And don’t let Tracy in her head. She likes playing games. She kisses Olivia on the cheek, and leaves.

Brook says she didn’t realize, and Tracy says, apology accepted. And maybe while she’s gone, Brook will consider her offer. Brook says she thought they settled that, and Tracy tells Brook, she heard what Brook said, but she has no interest in taking away Brook’s agency. But she can have her cake and eat it too. Brook suggests they not get into it before Tracy takes off. She told Tracy that she wants to focus on her music and really give it a good go. It’s her passion, and besides, she doesn’t want to get involved with Tracy’s old vendetta against Lucy Coe. Lois almost walks in, but stops, and Tracy says, Lucy Coe is already taken care of, and Deception is wide open for Brook to run however she wants. It’s her gift to Brook. Brook says, running Deception is a hard no. Lois comes in and tells Brook not to be so quick to turn down her grandmother’s offer. Tracy says, will wonders never cease. Even someone damaged by years of nail polish fumes can recognize a good plan.

Maxie says, this is wrong on so many levels, but Sasha says she disagrees. It’s synchronicity. Maxie says she didn’t think it through. She shouldn’t have said yes. Sasha says, she didn’t have time to think. This has been on Maxie’s vision board for as long as Sasha’s known her. Maxie says, yeah, but the timing is bad, and Sasha asks, how? Georgie is with Spinelli. She specifically wanted time to herself to process what she’s been through. The timing couldn’t be better… Unless It’s not only Georgie Maxie is worried about. Maxie says, not at all. It’s just going to be too difficult to pull this together quickly. She let her excitement take over. Sasha says, a photographer like Salvador is busy around the clock. He only became available because another project fell through. He’s not going to wait for them to be ready. Maxie says, there are other photographers, and Sasha says she saw Maxie’s face when that call came through. Maxie has been wanting to book Salvador for as long as Sasha’s known her. Maxie says, yeah… and Sasha says, and she’s had an idea for the spring campaign since before the lawsuit. So the only reason not to do the shoot is if she doesn’t think Sasha is up to it.

Carly asks what Michael is talking about. He was the first one to accuse Ned. Michael says he was. They all jumped to that conclusion, right? They tried to fit the facts to their assumptions, but what if the leak had nothing to do with Drew’s ties to ELQ and Carly was the target, and Drew just ended up being collateral damage? Carly says, that was Diane’s theory. Diane thought the FBI was coming after her just to get to Sonny. Maybe Diane’s right. Unfortunately, she’s the one who gave them ammunition by trying to cut corners with the ELQ merger. Drew suggests they just press pause and leave it alone, and Carly asks what he’s talking about. After everything Drew went through and after what happened to him in Pentenville… Drew says, nothing is going to undo it. Let’s just leave it behind. Please, both of them. Stop trying to figure out who set this all in motion because it’s not going to help anyone. Carly says, okay. If that’s what he wants, that’s what they’ll do. She hugs him and he thanks her. Michael looks all kinds of disappointed.

Eddie goes to the boathouse and sits down to play. He sighs, and flashes back to Lois telling him that he has to dive right in. He’s got to take a leap of faith. He starts to play again and pauses, hearing the song of the siren.

Ava tells Sonny that she was desperate. She was struggling to hide Nikolas’s body, and suddenly, there was Austin. He told her that he would help her. She believed him. She trusted him. Then out of nowhere, Mason showed up. He said he had Nikolas’s body. How is that even possible? Right? But Austin told her that it would be okay. Everything would be okay if she just did what Mason told her to do. And he kept telling her over and over again that his boss isn’t somebody who should be crossed, but he never told her who that boss was. And now Laura’s come back with proof that Nikolas is alive. If that’s true – and she really hopes it is true – Mason’s been lying the whole time. Ava flashes back to asking if Austin knew Nikolas was alive and Austin saying he had no idea. That’s why he did everything Mason asked him to do, to protect her. He had no idea Nikolas was alive. She tells Sonny, then Austin’s probably been lying too. Sonny says, she’s smarter than this. It’s time to admit Austin’s been playing her from the start.

Austin goes into Mason’s room, and Mason asks if Austin brought his lollypop. Austin asks what Mason told Detective Chase, and Mason says, a doctor without lollypops. Austin says, tell him what he said to Detective Chase, and Mason says, Chase was really rough on him. Chase forced it out of him. He had to tell him everything. He told him that he did it all for Austin, so he’d better start running. Austin says, there’s no way Mason just incriminated him, and Mason says, not yet. He has to make sure he gets a deal first. Austin says, the only deal Mason should be making is the one where he gives up Cyrus, and Mason says, suicide? That might be Austin’s way out, but it’s not his. Go ahead. Austin can give up Cyrus if he wants to. Chase comes back and sees Austin talking to Mason through the door window.

The siren continues to call Eddie. He puts his guitar down and looks out over the water.

Brook says, not Lois too. She doesn’t want Tracy’s gift. Lois says, don’t be so hasty, and Tracy says she’s so sorry Lois isn’t going to be around to talk some sense into her daughter. She did hear Lois was leaving. And she’s also sorry that she won’t be able to join the angry villagers running her out of town. Lois says, yeah. It is a shame. It’s going to be quite a party. Of course (🍷) if Tracy was there, her broom might catch fire, and someone might try to be a hero and throw water on it and Tracy would melt.

Yuri comes in and tells Tracy, the car is ready and it seems time to go. Tracy thanks him, and Brook hugs her. She says she’ll be thinking of Tracy, and Tracy nods to Lois and leaves.

Eddie continues to hear the call of the siren. He takes off his jacket and shoes, and jumps into the water.

Maxie says, Sasha’s been through a hideous ordeal; something that would have broken most people. She’s still piecing her life together, and Maxie doesn’t want to throw her into the deep end before she’s had time to relax and float. Sasha says, the only way she’ll know if she can handle a photoshoot, or any challenge for that matter, is by doing it. So will Maxie trust her? Maxie says she definitely trusts Sasha, and Sasha thanks her, but Maxie says, no, thank you. She thanks Sasha for holding her hand this entire day; first with Brook, then with Georgie. Now with Salvador? She can’t believe it. Are they really doing this? Sasha says, they are, and Maxie says, they have to get things together. She dashes out the door.

Olivia looks for Eddie by the boathouse and calls his name. She sees his guitar leaning against the bench, and his shoes in front of it. She looks inside, but the boathouse is empty. She comes back out and finds his coat on one of the chairs. She looks out over the water, worried.

Tomorrow, Lois tells Brook, say the word, and she’ll stay exactly where she is; Spencer asks how Laura could do this; Charlotte wants to tell someone what happened; and Olivia asks if Eddie can hear her.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

We revisit the fabulous hotel that will no doubt be wasted on this bunch. They have a room service meal, but Garcelle says she doesn’t want to eat; she wants to meet men. And she wants to do an intervention on how they date. Everyone looks at Sutton. Sutton says, when Garcelle goes on a first date, she can talk about Sutton not getting a second date. After a particularly good date, she invited him to an ABT black tie gala, and didn’t hear from him again. In Sutton’s interview, she says, they had dinner, she invited him back to her house, they played backgammon and had a nice conversation, and she never heard from him again. Dorit suggests not following up with flying across the globe, and in her interview, she says, that’s not the right thing to do. How would she feel if a man invited… She realizes the only thing wrong is her, and says, if the roles were reversed and it was a man extending the invitation, it would be sexy. They laugh over Sutton showing off her triceps in a text, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says, Sutton’s got no game, and in Dorit’s interview, she says, How To Lose a Guy in Ten Days 2, starring Sutton Stracke. Kyle FaceTimes the guy and hangs up. You know, like you do at sleepovers when you’re 13. In Sutton’s interview, she wonders why she gives her phone to Kyle. She’s dangerous. We flash back to them doing that another time, and Kyle says, Sutton is smart, beautiful, fun, and funny. If they don’t respond, tell them f*** off. It’s their loss. Garcelle suggests they take a break in their rooms, then get ready to meet for Magic Mike and dinner.

Sutton can’t find her white pants, and texts Avi. He comes in, and she says he must want to die today, but he immediately finds the pants so there’s no public hanging. In Garcelle’s interview, she says she hopes he gets paid a lot of money. Sutton says she prefers unpacking herself since she likes complete control. She tells Avi to save himself, and he runs. Dorit thinks she and Kyle are the only ones who didn’t bring a glam team, and Erika tells hers that they’re going to Magic Mike. They’re getting homegirl Crystal on stage. In Sutton’s interview, she says, when she goes out, she likes to carry Ocean Spray grapefruit juice. Beyonce carries hot sauce; she carries Ocean Spray. Southern girls know what they like. They get ready, and Garcelle wears the shortest dress ever. Trying to get everyone to move along, Sutton says, it’s like herding cats. They meet at the bar, and Sutton says she doesn’t like wearing pants. We flash back to the private jet and Erika telling them to wear pants if they want to be on stage. Sutton asks if anyone remembers dollar bills, flashing a stack of them, and Erika says, don’t let her touch any money or the IRS will say she owes it to them. Okay. That’s funny.

They walk through the Sahara and a VIP rep meets them. Erika says, they need drinks and men, and in her interview, she says, this is her contribution to Crystal’s birthday party. We see a clip of her telling assistant Mikey that she’d love for all the girls to get on stage. She says she knows most of the dancers, and Mikey’s partner is in the show. They sit in the front and in Erika’s interview, she says, Crystal needs to get out of her shell. It’s her f***ing birthday. They’re going to make this girl have some fun. There are stupid jokes about getting wet from the warm-up act, and the dudes come out, gyrating all over the place. Sutton wonders why she’s into this, and yells, we wore pants! The guys dance, and I critique in my head, since they’re not exactly in sync. There’s lots of cheering, so I guess synchronization doesn’t matter. One guy gets nakey, holding a cowboy hat over his junk. They make Crystal go up on stage, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says, his body’s amazing, and so close to her. It feels good letting their hair down. Sutton shrinks into the corner, and Erika joins Crystal on stage. Sutton says she wore pants for nothing, and Erika and Crystal get lap dances. Erika shows off, doing some exotic dancing of her own, and in Crystal’s interview, she says, jumping on one of these hot guys, maybe she can turn 40 every year. Erika lies down on the stage and spreads her legs, the dancer putting his face between them. In Erika’s interview, a producer asks if Tom had moves like that, and Erika says, Tom had other moves that landed her in hot water, but not moves like this. In her interview, Garcelle thinks Sutton’s feelings are hurt because she wasn’t the cool girl who was chosen.  And she wore pants. Kyle tells Crystal that Sutton says she’s leaving, and Dorit says, that’s not okay. As Sutton goes to the lobby, she says she’s on the Board of the American Ballet Foundation and doesn’t do that sh*t.

The way Erika presented it, it did sound like everyone would get a chance to be on stage. And whether it was up to Erika or not, she should have insisted the others go up before she did. I’m also not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but geez. It wasn’t her show.

It’s all kind of stupid, and in Dorit’s interview, she says, here we go again. Sutton always has to make herself the center of attention. She can’t help herself. Garcelle follows Sutton out and finds her in the lady’s room. Sutton says she’s pissed. Kyle tells Erika that Sutton is upset, but she’s not sure why. Garcelle wonders what happened. They were having a good time at a fun show. Sutton says, until she saw her two friends with their legs wide open, and a man’s face in one’s crotch. She’s on the Board of the American Ballet Foundation, and doesn’t have friends who get onstage and have men’s faces in their crotches. On stage, a dude puts whipped cream on Kyle’s legs and licks it off. Blech. Sutton tells Garcelle that she lives by a different standard for herself. Kyle joins them and asks, what’s wrong? Sutton says she didn’t like it, and Kyle says, Sutton really wouldn’t have liked what just happened. She had whipped cream licked off her. We see a clip of the dancer now licking it off Kyle’s cleavage, and Sutton says, that’s fine. It’s silly and stupid, but spreading your legs isn’t. In her interview, Garcelle doesn’t see why Sutton is so wound up. Even for her, it’s extreme. Kyle thinks Sutton is upset because the attention wasn’t on her. She didn’t get to dance with a naked man. This is starting to sound like some Bizarro World kid’s birthday party. Sutton says, it has nothing to do with that and nothing to do with the pants. We flash back to Sutton bitching about her pants, and Kyle says she’s pretty sure it had something to do with the pants. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, this is not normal. They were having a great time, then Sutton’s freaking in the bathroom and yelling in the lobby. Hurricane Sutton is here. Sutton says, blah-blah-blah her brand, and Kyle says, Sutton did not just say that. Sutton says she’s not blaming the pants. She was uncomfortable about the whole thing. Call her a prude, but she wears a kitty sweater on the first date. That’s who she is. Kyle feels her reaction is a little excessive, and Sutton suggests Kyle not follow her. Kyle says she was actually just going to the bathroom (did she take a wrong turn?), and Sutton says, then shut up. Kyle says, don’t be a bitch, and Sutton tells her not to say her reaction is excessive. She just went to the bathroom. In Kyle’s interview, she says, Sutton brought money to put in their pants. She’s not buying it; sorry. She’s never seen a personality switch so fast. Sutton says she never made it a big deal, and Kyle texts Crystal, who might have been able to ignore the whole thing and just have fun.

The show has moved on to acrobatics, which Erika and Dorit watch with rapt attention. Crystal says she’s got to go, but Erika says she’s here to see her friend. Sutton says, all she did was go to the restroom. They didn’t have to make a big deal. Kyle says she thinks it’s the pants, but Garcelle says, it’s about integrity. Kyle points out that Sutton mentioned her brand, and Sutton says, Kyle is a bitch and hits low. Here we are again. Kyle walked in on a conversation she didn’t hear. (Touché.) Kyle says, Sutton’s a bitch, and Garcelle says, there’s not enough tequila for tonight. I consider giving it another try if I have to hear the word pants again. Sutton ends up apologizing to Kyle for calling her a bitch, even though Kyle called her one first. Erika and Dorit talk to the dancers, and Dorit says, they were so brilliant. On the sprinter, Sutton says she’s trying to explain, so it doesn’t blow up, but Garcelle says, too late. And Erika’s not even here. In her interview, Garcelle says, because of Erika and Sutton’s history, it’s going to be WWIII. Get your popcorn ready. Erika approaches the sprinter and says, Sutton is sitting in there like Judge Judy.

Erika gets on the sprinter and asks, what’s going on? Dorit says, Sutton is offended, and Sutton says, it was the spread-eagle head in crotch. Erika says, he was her oldest dance partner forever, but Sutton says, it was too much. Erika says, they’re all adults and it was a good show. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, Erika is calm and collected, and doesn’t seem bothered at all. In Erika’s interview, she says she told them she gave up fighting with them for Lent. Dorit says, the dancers saw 80% of their group gone, and I think, isn’t that on them? In Dorit’s interview, she says, Sutton leaves in a huff and doesn’t come back. Miss Manners herself. Toughen up, buttercup. Hey, that kind of talk is reserved for Captain Lee. Sutton says she got upset seeing them, and Crystal asks how she feels at them not being upset. Dorit suggests their husbands wouldn’t care, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, Mau would never care. I just think, well…  Sutton says she’s sorry she had a visceral reaction, and in Garcelle’s interview, she wonders how Sutton got her children. Did Sutton have a stork? They walk to a restaurant, Uhu, where they have dinner. No, make that… food porn! Garcelle says, it took a turn, and Sutton says she gets very passionate. She apologizes to Erika, who says, it’s all good. In Dorit’s interview, she says she doesn’t know who this Erika is. It’s not the one they’re used to. In Kyle’s interview, she says she was not expecting this reaction. Garcelle asks, what’s the plan? then wonders why she’s asking, since it’s her trip. She tells them that she’s having lunch with Oliver tomorrow, and Sutton says, Garcelle has had a lot of moments with her boys that she’s handled so well. We flash back to the Reunion where Garcelle talked about Oliver’s addiction, and a conversation between her and Oliver. Garcelle says, she tries, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t cry at night. Dorit says she knows Garcelle will give him wise words, comfort, and love. In her interview, Garcelle says she’s not comfortable talking about her kids because of last year. We flash back to Mauricio saying it’s great Erika told Jax to f*** off, and Garcelle says, she doesn’t trust it. She feels like she’s not in a safe place. Sutton struggles to eat a fish ball with chopsticks, and Kyle says she’s beginning to understand why there’s no second date. She’s not wrong.

They play a game where they have to answer questions off of cards, and the first one is, what is your favorite song to f*** to? Sutton chooses a country song by Cody Jinks, and in Kyle’s interview, she says she was expecting Sutton to say The Nutcracker. All the questions are about sex, as they always are. While they talk nipples, a line of guys come out carrying sparklers and Happy Birthday signs and some giant ice cream concoction. After this birthday dessert extravaganza, they go back to their rooms and get ready for bed. Garcelle desperately wants to sleep, but Sutton has to get the drapes just right. She asks if it’s okay if she reads, and Garcelle says, no problem. Sutton says she’s reading a book on tantric sex and could read out loud, but Garcelle says she doesn’t want to hear anything.

Kyle works out at 6 am, and in her interview, she says, the old her would never be going to the gym in Las Vegas. She would have been exhausted, hung over, and looking for room service. She thinks the new Las Vegas Kyle is annoying. Dorit wonders how miserable you have to be on a girl’s trip to Las Vegas to be working out. Is Kyle deliberately trying to torture herself? Dorit tells Erika that Kyle is living in extremes. In Dorit’s interview, she says she’s not getting up at 5:30 am for anything or anyone except her children, and on vacation, hell no. They sit on the giant sectional sofa, and Garcelle says she wants to share. When she was talking about Oliver, she felt disingenuous. What she wanted to say was, she doesn’t know if she trusts them when it comes to her family. They’ve said nice things, but she’s still a little iffy about them laughing at Jax. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, Kyle and Erika apologized – we flash back to those – and she can accept their apology, but it doesn’t mean she forgives them. It’s not about holding on to it, but she’s still in a space that’s vulnerable when it comes to her family. She tells the women that she feels like she still wants to protect her family from the group, and in Dorit’s interview, she says she thought their issues were resolved. They seemed okay. Now for Garcelle to feel she can’t trust Dorit around her kids is hurtful and it makes her angry. Even though that’s not what Garcelle said. Garcelle tells them that she and Jax are going through stuff, and they’d feel the same way. Dorit says, it’s been over a year, which shocks me because of her PTSD issues. Garcelle says, you can’t put a time limit on it, and Dorit says, after two years, you know if someone is good people. Garcelle says, Dorit is taking it wrong. She’s not saying Dorit is a bad person. Sutton says, if you get hurt, it might take time, and in her interview, she says she understands 100%. When you watch your husband making fun of a child and don’t do anything, you’re just as responsible. We flash back to PK making fun of the Jax situation, and in Garcelle’s interview, she says, Dorit is making her feel like she needs to apologize, she’s so hurt by how Garcelle feels. Dorit says she’s just sharing her feelings, and Garcelle says she doesn’t understand why they can’t understand. It’s not about Dorit being a mom. In her interview, Garcelle says she doesn’t think Dorit listens. She makes things personal where she’s the victim. Garcelle always walks away feeling like, what just happened? Garcelle leaves to shower, when no doubt they’ll discuss why she shouldn’t feel the way she feels.

Next time, Sutton rides a mechanical bull and might have found her cowboy; Dorit asks Kyle about her marriage; Erika insists on Sutton apologizing to her friend (more middle school sh*t!); and Kyle and Sutton clash.

🧂 You Put Salt In My Winter…

What happened on RHOSLC.

What happened on the wretched Winter House, where awful people from other shows have now been added to the awful people who were already there. Please note Kory in one of the worst outfits ever.

🎉 This Is The End…

Finally, we can get The Last Of Us back.

https://www.avclub.com/hollywood-stars-react-to-end-of-sag-aftra-strike-with-j-1851006187

🫛 Hiding The Green Beans…

Join me tomorrow for soap and dubious Charm. Until then, stay safe, stay not making things personal where you’re the victim, and stay turning problems into logic puzzles; pinpointing the problem, figuring out where you’re at, and deciding where you want to go.