Tag Archives: Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

January 25, 2023 – Renee Reveals Her True Intentions, Behind the Cataphile, Why She Left, Crystal Reads the Room, New Pump, WeHo Friends, TikTok Emu & Snow

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Spencer and Trina see Laura coming out of Kelly’s, and Laura says, it’s nice to see them. She thinks Cameron needs friends tonight, and Spencer says, they’ll look after him and make sure he’s okay. Laura leaves, and Trina asks if he knows what going on with Cam. He says, Joss stabbed him in the back.

In her dorm room, Josslyn flashes back to Cameron saying he’ll keep her secret, but not to thank him for being a better person than she is. Unlike her, he doesn’t betray the people he cares about. There’s a knock at the door, and Josslyn opens it to Carly, who says she got Josslyn’s message. What’s wrong? Josslyn says she screwed up, and grabs Carly in a hug.

Drew is arm wrestling with Wiley, and asks if Wiley’s been lifting weights. Wiley says, no, and Drew lets him win, saying, then he’s definitely been eating spinach. Look what just happened. Wiley says he’s strong, and Drew says he demands a do-over. Wiley wants to tell grandma, and Drew flashes back to being on the beach with Carly and kissing her.

On the phone in a private area of the MetroCourt, Victor says he’s perfectly aware the accommodations aren’t as luxurious as their guests would wish, but they’ll have to do for the time being. Keep him apprised of any developments. She might just be his best hope of bringing his son back to him.

Anna asks if Lucy can hear them, and says, it’s her and Valentin. Valentin tells her, nod her head yes or no; is she hurt? Lucy yells a bunch of stuff, but she’s not understandable through the gag. We see she’s handcuffed to a pipe, and Anna says, they’re going to get her.

Drew says, Wiley can tell grandma about his epic win later. Right now, it’s time for bed. There’s a knock at the gatehouse door, and Drew opens it to Olivia, who has a foil covered platter in her hands. Wiley says, hi, Mama Q, and Olivia says she told him, it’s Auntie Olivia. He tells her, Cody said, it’s Mama Q, and asks if Annabelle is with her. Olivia says, Annabelle is sleeping because she’s tired out from playing with him, and Drew tells Wiley, it’s PJ time; time for bed. Olivia says, that’s why she’s here. Wiley is officially invited to a slumber party up at the main house. Drew asks how that sounds, and Wiley says, yay! Olivia tells him to pick out his favorite PJs and two toys, and Wiley runs upstairs. Olivia says, cutest kid ever… other than Leo of course (🍷). Drew says, of course (🍷), and it’s sweet of her to invite him up to the main house. She says she figured they could use a break. He’s doing a good job of hiding his feelings, but she can tell Drew is worried about Willow. He says, aren’t they all? He’s definitely gotten closer to Willow and Michael over this past year. She’s such an incredible woman, it kills him that she’s going through this right now. She says, at least now there’s hope for a donor. She assumes he knows that Nina is Willow’s mother, and he says he guesses news travels fast. She says, whatever her feelings are for Nina, she just hopes Nina is a good match, and Willow’s going to be okay. Drew says, Willow could be okay already. She could already have her bone marrow transplant, and on her way to recovery if… Olivia says, if what? What isn’t he telling her, and why does she get the distinct impression it has something to do with Carly?

Carly asks, what happened? and Josslyn asks, how’s Willow? Carly says, she’s the same, waiting to see if Nina’s a bone marrow match, and Josslyn says she should have stayed. Carly asks, what’s going on? Josslyn didn’t leave a lot of detail in her message. Josslyn says she hurt Cam all over again. She lost him as a friend. They’ve known each other forever, and she blew it. Carly asks why she says that, and Josslyn says, Cam came over here tonight, and she wasn’t alone.

Walking into Kelly’s, Trina says, Spencer has to explain it to her. What does he mean by Joss stabbed Cam in the back? Cameron looks up from the counter, and Spencer says he can’t believe Trina’s best friend didn’t tell her. Trina says, tell her what? What’s going on? Cameron says, she really doesn’t know? and Spencer says he kept his mouth shut for once. Trina says, about what? If something’s gone wrong with Cameron and Joss, she needs to know. Spencer asks if Cameron wants to tell her, or should he.

Laura brings Charlotte into the MetroCourt restaurant, and they walk over to Martin at the bar. He wonders how he could be so lucky that the two most attractive ladies in the room are paying attention to him, and Laura says, Doc is working late. She and Charlotte decided to have a girls night out. Charlotte asks if he’d like to join them, and Martin says, it’s official. She’s as well-mannered as she is beautiful, but he’d never intrude on a girls night out. Laura suggests Charlotte wash up before dinner, and Charlotte asks Martin to think about having dinner with them. He looks like he could use a friend. She leaves, and he says, out of the mouths of babes. Laura says, she’s very observant, and she’s right. He should have dinner with them. If nothing else, they’ll provide a distraction.

Still on the phone, Victor says, he wants frequent updates and a speedy resolution, when he turns to see Charlotte on her way to the bathroom. He says, hold it right there, granddaughter.

Martin tells Laura to enjoy her girls night out. He has no reason to subject his brand new niece to a serious case of low spirits. She says, he’s got to have faith. She believes Anna and Valentin are going to find Lucy, and bring her home. He says, amen to that. Truth be told, he was sitting here stewing about how he could tip things in their favor. Speaking of, has she ever pondered what was said at Pentenville when they had that little tête-à-tête with their dear incarcerated brother? She asks if he means when Cyrus suggested they work together to bring Victor down. He’s not actually considering that, is he?

In the catacombs, Renee says, she knows the way, follow her, but Anna says, wait. There’s a door right there. Is that the only entrance? Renee says, oui, and Anna says, it’s going to be guarded obviously. Is Renee sure there’s no other point of entry? Valentin says he thinks they’re looking at one. These joints are so rusted, he thinks they can yank this grate right off. He and Anna pull at the grate.

Drew says, Carly has known Nina was Willow’s mother since Harmony died, and didn’t say anything. Olivia says, she what? and he says, she thought she was protecting Willow. As soon as she found out Willow was sick, she did tell the truth. Olivia says, but in the meantime, she kept that information from everyone, including Drew, and he says, but that wasn’t the only lie. Carly was so determined that the truth didn’t come out, she actively sabotaged his search for Willow’s birth family. Olivia asks how he found out about all of this, and he says, Carly confessed once he told her that Willow had leukemia. She says, he’s dealing with some really heavy stuff here, and he says, Willow collapsing and being rushed to the hospital is heavy stuff. They have to show up for her, and that’s all that matters right now. She says, of course (🍷) that’s what matters most, but his relationship with Carly matters too. Does he think their friendship can survive this?

Josslyn tells Carly that she talked to Michael a little bit, but he was totally focused on Willow of course (🍷). She was just sitting around the hospital, and didn’t want to run into Sonny or Nina. Dex showed up, and they  rode in the elevator together. She brought him back here, and it really helped to talk with him and be with him. They decided to order food, and Dex was only in his pants. She wasn’t in much more, and when they went to answer the door, it was Cam. She cries, and says, the look on his face… Carly sits next to her on the bed, kisses her forehead, and says she’s so sorry. Josslyn says, so is she. She’s not sorry she was with Dex, but she’s so sorry she hurt Cam like that.

Trina says, Joss broke up with Cameron on New Year’s, and she’s just hearing about this now? Why didn’t Josslyn tell her? Cameron says he doesn’t know; maybe she was embarrassed. Spencer says he’d be embarrassed to break up with Cam, and I laugh, while Cameron looks like he wants to. Trina asks why Josslyn broke up with him in the first place, and Cameron tells her, she said they grew apart. Spencer says, allegedly, and Trina says, he doesn’t believe her? He says he already told Cam that he thinks there’s more going on than Josslyn’s lame reason, and judging by the look on Cam’s face, he’s guessing he’s right.

Laura says, Martin knows as well as she does that Cyrus’s good intentions also come with an agenda. He says he guesses she’s right, but don’t worry. He’s not seriously considering working with Cyrus, but he did bump into Victor earlier when he was at the hospital. It was a harsh in-your-face reminder why he’s not sitting here having dinner with Lucy tonight. She says she believes Anna and Valentin are going to bring Lucy home; she promises him. He asks how she’s in a position to promise him that, and she says, Valentin sent her a message on Christmas. He asks why she didn’t tell him sooner. Did he say anything about Lucy? She says, he didn’t, but he did say things were going well, and they’re making headway. He asks what the hell that means. They both know, the longer it takes to find Lucy, the less her chances for survival. He’s sick and tired of sitting around, putting all of his eggs in alternate baskets. He’s going to find another way to get to Mr. Victor Cassadine. She says, by representing Esme Prince?

Victor says, Charlotte, how lovely. He’s been meaning to visit her for ages now, but her grandmother has other ideas. He and Laura have their differences, but he was hoping they could put them aside where their shared family is concerned. Oh well. So how is she doing? Charlotte says she’d be a lot better if she knew where her father was.

Valentin and Anna get the grate off, and Anna runs inside. She removes Lucy’s gag, and asks if she’s all right. Lucy says, Anna saved her… after Anna tried to kill her. She doesn’t understand. What the hell is going on? Anna says, it was a set-up; she was framed. They don’t have time to explain. She works on Lucy’s handcuffs, when Renee takes out a gun and says she’s sorry, but Lucy’s not leaving, and neither are they.

Josslyn tells Carly that she asked Dex to leave. He didn’t want to, but he did, and the second she and Cam were alone, he asked her straight out if she’d slept with Dex before they broke up. She didn’t even need to say anything; he could see the truth on her face. Carly asks, what is the truth? and Josslyn says, she and Dex have been sleeping together since New Year’s. So now Cam thinks she’s a liar and a cheater, and she broke up with him for Dex, but she didn’t. Carly says, two things can be true. Her feelings for Cam could have changed at the same time she was starting to connect with Dex. Josslyn says she should have broken up with Cameron weeks ago, but she kept putting it off. Part of that is legit, because they had a lot going on. But another part of her didn’t want to hurt him, and she ended up hurting him even worse. It’s not even that he just walked in here. She had to ask him not to say anything about her and Dex. Sonny told Dex to stay away from her. If he finds out Dex disobeyed him, he could kill him. Carly says, she’s right. Dex is risking his life by being with her, but he’s also risking his life by working for Sonny. That doesn’t seem to bother Dex; does it bother her? Josslyn says she doesn’t know what Carly is asking, and Carly says she was about Josslyn’s age when she met Jason. He also didn’t have a problem with risking his life. In fact, she thinks he liked it, and she liked that he liked it; that he was dangerous, but made her feel safe. Jason would take these crazy chances, but she always knew he’d be there for her. Is that how Dex makes Josslyn feel? Josslyn says, yes, and Carly says, then she’s going down a really difficult road, and needs to be sure this is what she really wants.

Drew tells Olivia, Carly lied to him when she told him that Nina wasn’t Willow’s mother, but he had no reason to doubt her. He certainly didn’t think she’d go to such lengths to cover up the truth. Olivia says, he’s angry, and he says, she’s damn right he’s angry. On Willow’s behalf, knowing what she’s going through, and his; he trusted Carly. Olivia says she and Drew have a lot in common. They’re both straightforward people. They don’t like lies and secrets. They want everything out on the table so they can deal with it. It’s been a real challenge for her dealing with the Quartermaines, and it’s going to be a challenge for Drew dealing with Carly. She can understand why Drew is upset with her. He says, on some level, he gets why Carly lied to him. She found out about Willow’s DNA results during Wiley’s visitation hearing, and he remembers how hard it was on Willow, how furious she was at Nina. He stood up for Carly when her family was laying into her a little bit for telling the truth. Olivia says, clearly, he still cares a little bit about Carly, and he says, of course (🍷) he cares about her, but that doesn’t change the fact she lied to him.

Cameron says, Trina would have to ask Joss. He only knows what she told him. Trina says, they’re going through a rough patch (another phrase I’ve never heard anyone say IRL) right now, but they always seemed meant to be. She thinks they can work through it. Cameron tells her, drop it. He and Joss are done. He gets up, and Spencer says, go easy. Cameron asks what Spencer and Trina are even doing together right now. Esme’s been found; they can stop pretending. Isn’t there enough BS to go around already? He goes in the back, and Spencer says, wow. Sorry about that. Trina says, it’s fine. Cam’s just hurting, so maybe they should give him a break. It was nice of Spencer to stick up for her though. He says, anytime, and she asks if anyone is in his corner tomorrow for Dr. Westbourne’s memorial service. He says he can’t believe she’s gone. He doesn’t know if he’s ready to say goodbye. She asks if it would help if she tagged along, and he says, it would. She says, then it’s a lock, and he says, cool, and thanks her. He says, Cam’s right though, and she says, about what? He says, there’s no reason for them to keep pretending they’re closer than they really are.

Laura asks how Martin could take Esme’s case, and he says, number one, he didn’t have much of a choice. Number two, don’t you dare. If he had to wait around for her approval of all of his clients, he’d never work again. He seems to remember her having a really dim view of him representing Peter August, and look how that turned out. She says, Esme is no Peter August, but she did horrible things to Laura’s family – his family too. He says, which her son made abundantly clear to him when Nikolas had him assigned to this case pro bono. And just so she knows, he tried to remove himself, but Nikolas promised him triple his rate to remain her attorney. He’s been up all night. Even if Nikolas is hiding something up his sleeve, two can play at that game. Her boy and his beloved uncle have been thick as thieves lately. She says, please tell her that he’s not going to use a pregnant girl, who has traumatic memory loss as leverage, and he says, a little. He’s not a monster. They both know the information is power, and if something lands in his lap that will free Lucy, he’s damn well going to take advantage of it. She says she supposes she understands that, but consider this a warning. If he tries to out maneuver Victor, he’s only going to end up in trouble.

Victor asks Esme to join him for a bit. Can he get her a soda? She says, no, and he asks why she’d think he’d do anything to her father. She says she’s not naïve. Victor sent her to boarding school in Switzerland to keep her away from him. He says he thought she was enjoying her new school, but she says she didn’t enjoy not being able to leave or not seeing her papa. Now Victor has done something to get him out of Port Charles. Victor says, her father makes his own choices. He’s very sorry if those choices keep him away for too long, but he fully intends to bring them all back together again soon. Laura appears, and says, they’ll be skipping that reunion. She tells Charlotte, let’s go.

Renee tells Anna, step away from Lucy, and Anna backs away, holding up her hands. Renee says, Anna Devane, always looking escape plan, but there’s no escaping this. In French, she yells for Jean-Claude and Gavin to come here, and they come in. Gavin tells Valentin and Anna to kneel and put their hands behind their heads, and Valentin asks who paid Renee to sell him out. She says she needed the money; she had no choice. Valentin says, she had a choice. She just made the wrong one. Renee says, that depends on where you’re standing, or kneeling, as the case may be. Lucy says, you’re not going to kill us, are you?

Victor says, sorry for interrupting. He was just… Laura says, Charlotte, and steers Charlotte out. Victor’s phone rings, and he says, what? Gavin says, everything’s set. Would he like to speak to everyone? Victor says, put him on speaker, and asks Valentin and Anna how the reunion is going. He’s sorry it’ll be short lived.

Trina tells Spencer, the cops don’t think Esme’s the killer, which means the real Hook is out there, still attacking people who are connected to her. Which means keeping up this charade is their best bet for luring her out from whatever rock she’s hiding under. He says, so they’re agreed; they keep pretending to be a couple. She says, yes, even though her mom called her out for letting him back into her life. He says he can’t say he’s surprised. She had a strong reaction to them. Trina’s mother hates him, and he probably deserves it. She says, it doesn’t matter. She stood up to her mother; told her who she hangs out with is her business. He says, sorry to cause problems between her and her family, but she says she keeps telling them that they need to learn boundaries; that she can make her own choices. He says, her family just cares about her. A lot of people do.

Carly says she can’t tell Josslyn how to live her life. Josslyn is just like her. No one can tell her anything; she has to figure it out for herself. But Carly’s life can be divided by what happened before she met Jason, and everything that happened after. It’s going to be the same for Josslyn if she stays with Dex. That person who puts you in danger, and gets you out of it. That person who makes you want to take crazy chances. The person you want to lie for, even when he doesn’t want you to. As Josslyn’s mother, Carly doesn’t want that for her. Does Josslyn want that? Because it isn’t just some other guy. This will change her life. Josslyn says she can’t un-meet him, and she can’t un-care about him. What’s going to happen between her and Dex has already started, and she doesn’t want it to stop.

Olivia tells Drew, she understands that no one likes to be lied to, but Carly kept the truth from Willow because she was trying to protect her. Her motives could not have been further from selfish. He says, understanding Carly’s motives and trusting her are two different things, and Olivia says she’s willing to bet he was drawn to Carly for all of these traits he’s grappling with right now. Her open heart, and her determination to protect her family at all costs, even when she sometimes hurts the people closest to her. His eyes are open. There’s no pretense about who Carly is, about the things she’s done, and he chose her anyway.

Valentin asks if Victor is going to kill them while he’s half a world away. He never pegged Victor as a coward. Victor asks if Valentin thinks he could dispose of him that easily. He can’t make Charlotte an orphan. Besides, he still has hope for their relationship… Although it probably never stood a chance with her influence. Valentin asks, whose influence? and Victor says, just know that he’ll always be Victor’s son. He’ll never give up on Valentin. Gavin knows where to take Miss Coe and his son. Get rid of Miss Devane. Valentin jumps up, and says, he’ll kill Victor himself.

Drew says, Olivia is right. He wanted to be with Carly for everything she is. Olivia says she knows better than anybody that Carly sometimes goes about things in a backwards way, especially when she’s trying to protect her family. She and Carly have had some epic arguments about their sons, but Carly has also come through for her many times. He says he cares about Carly a lot, but he just doesn’t see kind of future they can have moving forward. Olivia asks if he thinks it was easy for Carly to lie about this. She and Carly have been friends a long time. Carly feels things very deeply, and she’s willing to bet Carly was at war with herself about this. Wanting to be honest with him, wanting to protect her family, not wanting to lay another secret on him. He says, she was so adamant she did right thing, and Olivia says, who knows? Maybe she did based on what she knew and didn’t know. Carly will protect the people she loves at all costs, and damn if that’s not the person she wants to have in her corner. He says, bottom line, they can’t be in relationship where lying is okay, and she says she gets that. Only Drew can decide what’s okay and not okay in his relationship. He’s got to make that decision for himself. She’s going to wrangle Wiley. She heads upstairs, asking him to lock up before he leaves.

Carly tells Josslyn that she said Dex is going to be the person Josslyn lies for, but don’t lie to her. She won’t always approve of what Josslyn’s doing or agree with everything, but she’ll always have Josslyn’s back, and needs to know Josslyn will always come to her when there’s something wrong. Josslyn says, Carly has her own problems and her own life, but Carly says, nothing is more important than being Josslyn’s mother. Josslyn says, okay, she’ll come to Carly, and Carly says, she better. Josslyn asks if Carly misses Jason, and Carly says, every day. Josslyn says, but Drew helps, and Carly says, he did. Josslyn asks if they broke up, and Carly says, not yet. Josslyn asks, what happened? and Carly says she found out Nina was Willow’s mother and didn’t say anything, and he feels betrayed. She kept things from him; she lied to him. Josslyn says, she’s just going to give up? and Carly says she’s holding onto hope they can work through this, but she does understand how he feels. Josslyn says she knows why Carly kept Nina and Willow’s relationship a secret. The same reason she kept her feelings for Dex a secret from Cam. Why inflict unnecessary hurt? Carly says, but Willow and Cam got hurt despite their best intentions, and Josslyn says, because they can’t control how other people feel. They can’t control other people’s reactions to their decisions. That’s why it’s better to tell the truth. It’s less painful than defending a lie. Carly wonders how Josslyn got so wise, but Josslyn says she’s not sure, and they hug.

Trina asks if Spencer has spoken to his father since… Spencer says, since his father got his ex-girlfriend pregnant? No. He’s tried to avoid his father as much as he possibly can, and plans to keep doing so. His father has hurt him again and again. He hates his father for it, and wants nothing to do with him. She says she gets the impulse, but it may not be feasible. Spencer’s about to have a new sibling. Is he really going to let his feelings for his father prevent him from having a relationship with his new baby sister or brother?

At a table with Martin and Laura, Charlotte asks if Laura knows where her papa is. Laura says, they know he’s safe because he sent them a message on Christmas, but Charlotte says, that’s not the same as knowing where he is, and what he’s doing. What if Grandfather Victor has done something to make him disappear, and they never see him again?  

Lucy is released, and Gavin says, let’s go. Renee wonders, what’s this? It was in Anna’s bag. She holds what looks like a tube of some kind, as Anna presses a button she’s had hidden in her sleeve. They hear an explosion, and Anna says, that would be the something-or-other she attached to the watermain. In about one minute, this whole chamber is going to be flooded. Valentin says, Anna was onto Renee from the very beginning, and Anna says, Renee changed her appearance when she left their hotel room, so she had to figure maybe Renee was more than just a cataphile. Valentin says, and he does everything Anna says. Anna and Valentin jump up, and Valentin takes care of Gavin and Jean-Claude. Anna punches Renee, knocking her out, and says she hopes Renee can swim or breathe under water.

Carly knocks at the gatehouse door, and Drew opens it.

Spencer tells Trina, of course (🍷) he’s not going to turn his back on his sibling, but his father is toxic, and he needs to make sure he doesn’t get the chance to hurt his sibling and treat them the way he treated Spencer. The best thing to do would be ensure his father doesn’t get to raise the child. She says, obviously that would be best, but Esme’s not much of an improvement. Besides, Esme’s facing criminal charges, and may be sent to prison. So his father may not be the best option, but he’s the only option. Spencer says, not necessarily. What about him?

Laura says, one thing she knows about Charlotte’s father is he would move heaven and earth to get back to her. Martin says, and the rest of them will be here for her until he does. Charlotte thanks them, and Laura says, it’s her turn to wash her hands. She’ll be right back.

Laura walks over to Victor, and says, leave Charlotte alone. He says, she can try to turn his family against him, but she won’t succeed. Charlotte will come around, if she ever wants to see her father again.

Valentin, Anna, and Lucy run out of the catacombs, coughing and gasping for air. Valentin says he doesn’t think Anna has ever been more beautiful than when she punched Renee in the mouth, and Anna says, he’s so romantic. She asks if Lucy is all right, but Lucy says she doesn’t know. Thank God for Anna, or she would have ended up like Renee and those guards. She’s not going to miss them, but seeing their dead bodies is not a sight she can get out of her mind. Anna says, it’s tragic, but it was Lucy or them. Valentin says, they’ve got to move, but Lucy says she doesn’t want to go yet. Do they have a phone that’s still working? She needs to call Marty. Anna says, she can’t, and Lucy asks, why not? Valentin says, because as far as the rest of the world knows, they’re all dead, and Anna says, and we have to stay that way.

Tomorrow, Sasha tells Nina to show up for Willow the way she showed up for her; Selina tells Gladys, it’s time to cover her debts; and Carly asks Drew where they stand.

🔦 C’est Une Cataphielle…

Two and a Half Men is my guilty (very guilty) pleasure, and although I don’t remember her, I assume she’s one of the girls Charlie dated.

🏥 Real Reason…

This must have been hard for him to hear.

💎 Casual Observer…

Crystal gets the Voice of Reason award for last season.

🗣 Not the Real Reason…

Again, are we watching the same show?

🍸 Pump Your Tinis…

What’s Garcelle doing there? Starts February 8th.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/vanderpump-rules-season-10-cast-premiere-date-trailer

👨‍👨‍👦‍👦 About Those Friends…

If you missed the premiere, you can watch it on YouTube.

https://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/real-friends-of-weho-49055137

The drama before the drama.

https://www.distractify.com/p/todrick-hall-controversy

📲 New Emu In Town…

Looks like LiMu has some competition.

https://people.com/pets/emmanuel-tiktok-famous-emu/

🤺 Moving Like Jagger…

Come join me tomorrow for soap and a cornucopia of tea. Until then, stay safe, stay not sitting on the fence, and stay telling the truth. It’s less painful than defending a lie.

January 20, 2023 – Austin Has a Visitor, Back Again, Casting For Wives, Miami Trailer, Girl Fight, New Game, Romero Ranked, Theory, NYC Ball, Puppies (!), Exactly 10 Quotes & You

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone, Nikolas says, their expertise will make all the difference, when Victor walks in. Nikolas says he has to go, but he’ll see them soon, and Victor says, that sounds important. Nikolas says, business, and Victor says, they have some pressing business to discuss. Nikolas says, such as? and Victor says, finalizing Nikolas’s divorce.

Austin tells Ava that her wound is healing nicely, and she says, uh-huh. He says, all that’s left is the ankleplasty. This cutting edge surgery replaces her with an ankle. She says, what? and he says he’s just goofing around, but is she okay? She seems a little distracted. She says she guesses she is because she loves too much. She doesn’t suppose there’s a procedure where her heart could be removed altogether.

As they approach Josslyn’s dorm room, Josslyn apologizes for being so quiet on the way over, but Dex says, she has a lot on her mind. When she’s ready to talk, he’s here. He starts to leave, but she asks if they can talk now. If he has time. He says, for her, always, and they go in her room.

Violet runs into Kelly’s, yelling that she missed Cameron. He hugs her, and says he missed her too. Finn comes in behind her, and says, Violet insisted on two things today; a brownie, and a visit with her cousin. Cameron says, in that order, he assumes, and Violet asks, if he missed her so much, where has he been?

Portia says she knows Marshall doesn’t want to hear it, but she still thinks there’s a possibility he was misdiagnosed, and he doesn’t have schizophrenia. He says he knows she means well… and she says, there’s an easy way to find out, and maybe he can show up for Curtis after all. Why doesn’t he want to take the steps to find out for sure? He says, because it’s too late. She says, it’s never too late to advocate for yourself, and he says he appreciates her interest… She says, this has gone beyond interest, and he says, but she has to understand, he’s already made peace with his diagnosis. She says she respects that, but is this really acceptance, or has it morphed into complacency at this point. If not for himself, then do it for Curtis. Marshall shouts, enough! Why can’t she just mind her own business?

At the hospital, Carly comes out of the elevator, and asks Michael, how’s Willow? He wonders why she asks, since it’s obvious she doesn’t give a damn about Willow, but she says, of course (🍷) she gives a damn. Willow’s well-being is the most important… He says, Willow’s physical well-being maybe, but Carly concealed this secret from them. She knew how important it was for Willow to find her mother. She confessed to save Willow’s life, but she couldn’t care less about Willow’s actual feelings. She says, he couldn’t be more wrong.

Austin says he doesn’t mean to disappoint Ava, but from a medical standpoint, he doesn’t think there’s a medical procedure to remove a human heart. At least not without putting in another heart. Not yet anyway. She says, darn. Keep her posted. He says he’ll let her know. He’ll be the first test patient. She says, bad break-up, huh? and he says, yeah. Her? She says, pretty bad. He may have seen some of the gory details… He says he never reads the newspaper, and she asks if he’s seen Nina around here today. He says he has seen her, and Ava wonders if Nina got the results from her bloodwork. She knows about Willow and the hopes for a bone marrow match. Nina called her while she was waiting. He says he can’t speak to the bloodwork obviously, but from what he could tell, Nina seemed to be suffering from the same affliction as Ava – heartache.

Nikolas says he hasn’t had a chance to meet with Ava about the divorce yet, but Victor says, no need. All the details have been handled. Nikolas says, by whom? and Victor says, by Ava and himself. Nikolas says, Victor and Ava discussed the end of his marriage without him? and Victor says, Nikolas has been a little preoccupied lately, hasn’t he? Not that it’s surprising, now that his pregnant mistress has escaped her captivity. Nikolas says, Ava hates him so much, she couldn’t even sit with him to talk this through, and Victor says, talk what through exactly? His marriage is over. Don’t tell him that Nikolas is still holding out hope after cheating with Esme and Elizabeth. Nikolas says, he and Ava share something special; it’s indescribable. Victor says, shared, past tense. Nikolas says he still can’t believe she didn’t come home, but Victor says, no. Ava’s coming home. It’s just that Nikolas won’t be here.

Cameron says he’s been working a lot, and Violet asks, where’s Jake and Aiden? He says, they’re in school, just like her, and she says, Aunt Elizabeth hasn’t been over in forever. Does she not like Violet anymore? Cameron asks if she’s crazy. Of course (🍷) she likes Violet. They’ve all just been really busy with the holidays, but never doubt for a second Elizabeth likes her. She loves Violet; they all do. Violet says, that’s good, because she loves them too. She asks Finn if it’s him, and Finn asks what she means. She asks if he doesn’t like Aunt Elizabeth anymore, when Elizabeth walks in.

Josslyn says, her mother kept a secret from their family, and Dex says he’s guessing a big one. She says, huge, and he says, she doesn’t have to tell him. She says, that’s okay. He’ll find out eventually. It sounds so weird to say. Nina Reeves is Willow’s biological mother. He says, damn, and Josslyn’s mom knew? She says, her mother has known for months apparently, but she didn’t want to say anything until… He says, until she realized Willow was sick, and she says, and as he can imagine, it’s made the messy things within her family even messier. He says, that explains why her mom stormed out of the chapel. He went to find Sonny, and that Sonny was pissed is an understatement. She says, Sonny’s not the only one who’s pissed. Michael is furious. He asks how she feels, and she says she feels terrible. She feels awful for Michael and Willow. What they’re going through is the worst thing that anyone could possibly face. But she still feels really bad for her mom.

Michael asks if Carly ever stopped for a second to see what impact this secret would have on Willow, and she says, Willow’s feelings were all she was thinking of. Willow told her that she did not want to know who her birth mother was, and it was clear how Willow felt about Nina. He says. how Carly feels about Nina, and she says, how they all feel. That woman tried her best to destroy their family. Can he imagine the damage she would have done if she’d known Willow was her daughter? So yes, however it much it cost her, however much she loses, she will not apologize for trying to stop her.

Marshall apologizes for raising his voice, and Portia says she shouldn’t have pushed him. Curtis comes in, and asks if everything’s okay. Why did he hear yelling? Marshall says, that would be him, but Portia says, it’s her fault. Marshall says, no. He should have never spoken to her that way. Please accept his apology. She says, only if he accepts hers. Curtis asks what they’re apologizing for. If the two of them are at odds, why don’t they squash it now? Marshall says, they’re having a difference of opinion, and Curtis says, about what? Marshall says, Portia thinks he should get a second opinion about his diagnosis. She has this crazy notion that he may not have schizophrenia at all. Portia says, aside from the episode that precipitated Marshall’s arrest all those decades ago, he hasn’t suffered any other signs of acute mental illness. No signs of psychosis associated with schizophrenia; hallucinations, delusions, paranoia. Curtis says, okay, but his dad’s been on medication all those years. Aren’t they designed to repress those symptoms? She says, yes, absolutely, but how do you explain that Marshall hasn’t had an episode in nearly 40 years? Marshall says, couldn’t that just be because the illness is being managed properly? and Portia says, or it could mean he never had the illness at all. And then factor in Curtis’s genetic testing results, completely devoid of any of the markers for schizophrenia. Curtis says, that’s not that unheard of; it’s not always inherited. Portia says, the simple fact is, Marshall’s answers to her many, many inquiries has led her to believe in general, that his life and behavior don’t fit any clinical diagnosis. Has he ever suffered from any cognitive challenges? Marshall says, no, and she says, depression that’s escalated to suicidal ideation? He says, that would also be a no, but with all due respect, she’s not a psychiatrist. Curtis thinks maybe it’s time Marshall saw one.

Josslyn tells Dex, Michael is losing his mind right now, because the woman he loves might die. She remembers that feeling. He says, with Oscar, and she says, you’re going crazy because you feel there’s nothing you can do, and you’re getting angry, and picking a fight. She gets it. Michael just wants to feel like he’s making an impact. Dex says, and who’s a safer place to unload on than her mom, and she says, exactly. There’s nothing Michael could do to ever make their mom stop loving him. So eventually, he has to understand that their mom was just trying to protect Willow. She wasn’t trying to hurt her. He says, Josslyn’s good at that. Seeing all the different sides, and where everybody is coming from. (Really???) She says she’s had practice, and he says, this isn’t the first time people in her family have been at odds? She says, shocking, she knows. She just hates that her mom is taking all the heat, when the people who are really to blame are Sonny and Nina. Oops. A side she forgot to see it from.

Elizabeth tells Violet to stop growing; she’s getting out of control. They hug, and Finn says, tell him about. He asks Violet to grab them a table, and Violet asks if Elizabeth wants to have a brownie with them. Finn says, if she has the time, she’s welcome to join them, and Cameron gets the brownies, while Violet gets the table. Elizabeth says, clearly, she walked in on something, and Finn says, Violet had some questions about them. She asks what he told Violet, and he says, not much. He wasn’t sure what to say, but he’ll figure something out. She says, how about we’ll figure something out – together.

Michael says, so Carly isn’t sorry, and she says, for trying to protect Willow, him, and his family? No, but she’s very sorry for how she went about it. Michael says, and how did she go about it? He already knows she lied by omission. She conducted a DNA test without consent, but something tells him that’s not the whole story. She says, it’s going to do no good to keep going over this, but he says, just tell him the truth. Now. They sit down, and Carly asks what he wants to know. He asks if she enlisted that firefighter to talk to Drew about who Willow’s mother was? She says, yes, and he says, and when she offered to assist Drew with his investigation? She says, her goal was to obstruct it.

Finn asks Violet if she remembers asking if they were going to live with Aunt Elizabeth in the house together, and she says, will they? He says, no. She says, oh, obviously disappointed, and he says he’ll try this another way. Does she know how he and Anna almost got married, but they didn’t? She says, he and Aunt Elizabeth are going to get married? and he says, no. He’s really bad at this. She agrees that he is.

At the counter, Elizabeth asks how Cameron is, and he says he’s doing good. He’s done better, but he’s not falling apart over the break-up. She says she knows he’s not, but it’s still hard. Especially since he’s always been such a big source of support for Josslyn. It must feel weird not being there for her when her family’s going through this nightmare. He asks, what nightmare?

Josslyn tells Dex, her family is so fractured right now. They’re in no position to handle this type of crisis. She’s sorry, but that’s on Sonny. Sonny dropkicking all of them to run away with Nina didn’t exactly leave them on stable ground. He says, she doesn’t want him back with her mom? and she says, never. She wishes she never had to hear his name or see his face ever again. She wants to choke every time he says they’ll always be a family. She can’t stand Donna and Avery growing up idolizing that man when she knows he’s going to fail them, like he failed all of them. She just wishes… It doesn’t matter. He says, tell him anyway, and she says she wishes he would quit. She wishes he would hand Sonny back his gun, and tell him that he’s not taking orders anymore, and walk out. He says he’s going to, and she says, when? He says, within six months, hopefully a lot less, he will no longer be working for Sonny. She asks why he doesn’t quit now, and he says, there’s something he has to finish first. He says he’ll tell her once it’s done, but until then, she’s going to have to trust him.

Austin says, if Ava wants, he can give her a referral for a plastic surgeon to look after the scar she got from The Hook, and she thanks him. She says she doesn’t know him very well – she doesn’t know him at all – but from what she can tell, she thinks it would be a real shame to remove that heart of his. He thanks her, and leaves.

Curtis says, what about a mental health evaluation? and Portia says she can get Marshall a referral. Marshall asks if Curtis is jumping on this bandwagon too, and Curtis says, Portia made some good points. Marshall says, you young people think you know everything, but Curtis says, that’s not it. Marshall says, the treatment he got back then worked. Why mess with it now? Curtis says, because Marshall had an episode, and it could be tied to his meds. Who knows what the long term effects could be, or even if he needs to take them at all. Marshall says, the pills help, and Curtis says, or maybe he just thinks they do. Marshall says, he was able to perform without anxiety as long as he wasn’t trying to solo, and Portia says, that could be psychosomatic. He said himself the illness doesn’t effect his music, just his ambition. It could be that what’s held him back all these years isn’t schizophrenia, but the mistaken belief that he has it. Marshall says, that’s quite a leap, and Curtis says, maybe it isn’t. All they’re asking is for him to find out.

Michael says, so Carly actively tried to prevent Willow from discovering she had a family, and Carly says, yes. He says, she delayed Willow’s cancer treatment, and Carly says, unknowingly; she didn’t know Willow was sick. He says, it doesn’t matter. Doesn’t she get it? She made decisions for Willow without even considering the consequences. She played God with Willow’s life. She says, he can’t possibly think she’d want to hurt Willow, and he says he doesn’t think she did it out of malice, but she thought Nina was the enemy, right? So Willow wouldn’t have wanted her as a mother in the first place. Carly says, Willow told her… and Michael says, what Carly has done – the lying, the manipulation, the double dealing – sounds an awful lot like Nina. If Nina is the enemy, what does this make Carly? Carly says she believed Willow needed protecting from Nina; she still does. He says, she’s not in the wrong about Nina. Willow told him that Nina is already lobbying for a relationship. Carly says, with Willow? and he says, and the kids. She says, that woman can’t help herself, and Michael says, they need her. She’s their best chance. Just so they’re clear, the last 24 hours hasn’t changed his opinion about Nina. She’s self-centered, greedy, and unstable, and she’s the last person he would have chosen to be Willow’s mother. He’s not going to pretend he doesn’t understand why Carly did what she did. If he’d been the one Harmony confessed to, he would have considered hiding it himself.

Josslyn says, so in six months, when Dex isn’t working for Sonny anymore, he’ll give her the details. He says, when it’s over, he’ll tell her everything, and she says she’ll trust him. She thanks him for telling her, and he says, it’s a relief. She agrees, and says, he won’t be around Nina and Sonny. It might even help her to bite her tongue when everyone is pointing fingers at her mom, saying she’s out for revenge; that’s not the reason she kept the secret. He says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he thinks she’s handling it well, and she says, really well. Her family is in the middle of a crisis, and instead of being with them, she’s cooped up here with him, hiding. He says, she’s not hiding. There’s a reason soldiers are rotated home for R&R; why they all sleep at night. You need a break from the physical, the mental, the emotional. You’re allowed to take a breather. She says, so she’s not being selfish? Good. Being right here with him is the only place she wants to be. They kiss.

Cameron says he had no idea Willow was sick, and Elizabeth says, no one did. He says, Josslyn was just here, and he was so cold to her. He takes off his apron, and she asks where he’s going. He says he’s going to find Joss, and make sure she’s okay. He asks her to deliver the brownies for him, and she says, of course (🍷). He runs out the door, and Elizabeth gives Violet and Finn the brownies. Finn asks if Cam is okay; he rushed out of here pretty quickly. Elizabeth says, Josslyn, and he says, got it. Violet says she’s going to draw a picture of Cam and his girlfriend, and Elizabeth says, actually, Cameron and Josslyn aren’t dating anymore. Finn asks if Violet knows what that means when people break up, but she shakes her head.

Austin goes into his office to find Mason at his desk, enjoying a lollipop. He asks what the hell Mason is doing, and Mason says he could ask Austin the same thing. He turned away a patient he was ordered to treat. Austin says he doesn’t turn away patients. If he can’t treat them, he refers them to another physician. Mason says, semantics, but Austin says, it’s his job. Mason says, Austin isn’t doing his job. He defied a direct order from the boss. Austin says he’s not playing this game anymore. Tell the boss that he’s done taking orders.

Nikolas says, Victor promised to give Ava Spoon Island? and Victor says, including Windymere, and most of its contents. He excluded some of the more important Cassadine family mementos naturally. Nikolas says, naturally, and Victor says he’s sensing a little sarcasm. Nikolas says, he’s also sensing complete and utter shock. How could he? Victor says, quite easily actually. When Ava let it be known she was in possession of information and materials that could seriously damage the Cassadine family name. Windymere is a small price to pay for the family name. Nikolas says, not only does he disagree, he strenuously objects, but Victor says, it’s too late now. How long does Nikolas think it will take to pack all this up and move out? Nikolas says, not long, considering he’s not going anywhere. Victor can’t take away his home.

Curtis asks how long Marshall and Portia have been talking about this genetic thing, and Marshall says, a few months. Curtis asks if Marshall trusts that Portia has his best interest at heart, and Marshall says, of course (🍷). Curtis asks if Marshall trusts her expertise, and Marshall says, implicitly. Curtis says, that’s where Marshall loses him. Why the resistance? Marshall says, his reasons are his alone, but Curtis says he wants to understand, and Portia says, so does she. She promises to never bring it up again if that’s what he wants. Marshall says, this damn disease ruined his life. It forced him to abandon his family. He missed out on precious years with his sons. If he was misdiagnosed, that means all those sacrifices were for nothing.

Basking in the afterglow, Josslyn thanks Dex for telling her it’s okay to take a break. Life is so strange. You can feel so many things at once. He asks what she’s feeling, and she says, safe and happy, and worried and guilty. He says, why guilty? and she says, for feeling safe and happy when her brother is in hell. Michael has a pretty rough romantic history. To think he found love – the real thing – to possibly have it ripped away… He says, they’re not there yet, but she says, the thought that they could be, she can’t stand it. He tells her, think about something else. R&R, remember? She says she’s not a soldier, and he says, she’s way tougher than those guys. She says, you know what else she is? Starving. He says, him too, and she says, sushi or pizza? He asks if that’s even a question. Sushi.

Elizabet tells Violet that she and Finn just needed a little time apart, and Violet asks, why? Finn says, because sometimes people realize they’re not meant to be together. Violet says, like him and Anna? and Finn says, yes. Violet says, and now him and Aunt Elizabeth, and Elizabeth says, that doesn’t mean they don’t like each other. Finn says, quite the opposite, and Violet asks if that means maybe they’ll get back together, but he says, not this time. Elizabeth says, they can still be friends, and he says, Elizabeth will always be family. Elizabeth is Violet’s aunt and her sons are Violet’s cousins, and that will never change. Elizabeth says, they all love Violet so much, and Violet asks if they can go camping. Elizabeth says she’d like that, and Finn says, as soon as it warms up. They can ask grandpa and Uncle Chase too. Elizabeth asks, how’s that brownie? and Violet says, delicious. She should get one. Finn tells Elizabeth that she can share his.

Marshall chokes up, and says, he walked away from his life and his sons, breaking all of their hearts in the process. To protect them, not just from the violent instincts, but the stigma. He stayed away for it all. TJ’s birth… Tommy’s death. He cries, and says, Curtis’s struggles with addiction. All because of one diagnosis, he avoided being close to anyone for over half his life. So when she tells him that he may not have schizophrenia, that he may not be sick… Curtis says, it forces him to face painful questions, and Marshall asks if he’s wasted his entire life… or worse. Was it stolen from him? Curtis says, genetic testing is the first step, and no matter the result, it’s not Marshall’s fault. Portia says she knows this is terrifying; the prospect he’s been operating on misinformation this entire time. But think about the other side of it. Think about how freeing it could be to be out from under this diagnosis. She knows Curtis wouldn’t tell Marshall this, but he’s already shared his fears with her that this disease could steal Marshall away from him again. Curtis says, wouldn’t it be nice to know this is something they didn’t have to worry about? and Portia says, please, for his family, but Marshall says he doesn’t think he can.  

Michael says, Carly knew what blood ties with Nina could do to their family, and she says she was so afraid to let Nina in. He says she was right to be, and he would have felt the same way, but unlike her and what she did, he would have let Willow decide. Why not give her all this information, and let her decide where to take it from there? Carly says, now she sees that’s what she should have done. She was trying so hard to protect their family because Nina has hurt them all so much. She had tunnel vision, and it seemed like the only option. She’s so sorry. He asks where things stand with Drew, and she says, he’s disappointed and has every right to be. She’s really great at ruining things. He says, Drew is a very forgiving guy. Don’t give up hope. She says, what about him? Can she hold out hope for him, or is he as done with her as he is with his father?

Nikolas says he may have lost his wife and son, but he won’t lose his home, and Victor says he has a storage locker full of evidence that he held Esme against her will. Nikolas says, that junk may be damning, but it’s not definitive, and Victor says, as is his written confession to pushing Esme off a parapet, not to mention the recorded version in Ava’s possession. Nikolas says, not to mention a very alive Esme, and if she can’t remember, she can’t testify. Victor says, Hayden Barnes. His patience with Nikolas is nearing an end. After all he’s done for Nikolas. Nikolas says, what about after all he’s done for Victor? He sheltered Victor on Cassadine Island. Victor says, that’s the only reason he hasn’t washed his hands of Nikolas altogether, and Nikolas says, here he thought it was because Victor is such a family man. Victor says he does have big plans for this family, but Nikolas keeps throwing a monkey wrench into them. Nikolas says, plans, you have to follow through on. He calls Victor’s bluff. Victor tells Nikolas that he’ll say it once more. The next time Nikolas defies him will be his last.

Mason says, the boss doesn’t like a quitter, and Austin says, that’s too bad because he quits. Why can’t she just find another doctor who’s amenable to the cause? Mason says he knows Austin doesn’t take well to being strong-armed – Austin says, nobody does – so how about this? The next time they send him a patient, take care of them. Austin says, or what? What’s going to happen? Basically, the answer’s no. He recently lost a good friend, and got dumped by his girlfriend. He’s starting to feel like he has nothing left to lose. Mason says he guesses he’s been told. So why doesn’t he leave Austin to his legal doctoring? Austin says, hallelujah, and Mason offers him a lollipop, but Austin says, no thank you. Mason says he’s starting to take it personally. Maxie’s daughter wouldn’t take one either.

Carly says, she made a mistake. It would kill her if Michael cut her out of his life. Michael says, dad made more than one mistake. He chose Nina over his family again and again. What Carly did was wrong, but she did it for their family. She says, the second she heard Willow was sick… and he says he knows. She asks if he can forgive her, and he says, Willow already has. She asks if he ever wonders if they deserve her, and he says, every day. He has a long way to go to be as forgiving as Willow. He does know he needs Carly in his life, and his children need her, and Willow needs all of them. She says she needs him too, more than he knows. She hugs him and cries.

Curtis says he has to believe Marshall is strong enough to face a future that’s different from what he’s used to, and Portia says, one that includes Curtis, TJ, Stella, Trina, Epiphany, and her. Curtis says, and anyone else who comes along, and Marshall asks if he can have all that without unraveling the past? Curtis says, he can try, but he has the feeling the past will always come back to haunt Marshall. Portia says, he can’t go back; no one can. Curtis says, but if he gets these answers, the next chapter could be a whole helluva lot better than the one before it.

Austin asks when Mason saw Georgie, and Mason says, this morning, with her brother and little sister at the playground. They were with a very attractive older couple; Maxie’s parents he bets. Austin asks what Mason has done, but Mason says, take it easy. He already told Austin. He just offered Maxie’s daughter a treat, but she turned him down. Either she doesn’t like lollipops or she’s been warned against strangers. The thing is, he’s not going to be a stranger when he visits her. Kids can be so trusting. Austin says, he wouldn’t dare, and Mason says, don’t make him. Austin grabs Mason by the lapels, when Ava walks in. Austin releases Mason, and she asks if she’s interrupting.

Nikolas says he’ll take what Victor told him under advisement. Now if Victor is finished he has a meeting. Victor says, of course (🍷). He’ll make himself scarce. He takes out some paperwork, and says, before he forgets, Nikolas’s divorce settlement papers. In addition to the standard provisions, there’s a paragraph ceding the deed to Spoon Island over to Ava. He tosses it on the table, and says, please have it signed before he returns.

Violet says she’s going to draw a new family picture, and put Cameron in it. Cameron, Jake, and Aiden will be on a log. Grandpa and Uncle Chase will be in the lake. She asks if Elizabeth and Finn can sit next to each other in her drawing, and Finn says, as long as they’re not in the fire, he’s good. She says, they’ll be by the fire, roasting marshmallows, and Elizabeth asks Violet not to make her too short next to Finn. Violet says, she’ll be wearing heels, and Elizabeth says, heels camping? Violet says, fashion first. Maxie taught her that. Elizabeth says, of course (🍷) she did, and Finn says, it’s getting late. He suggests Violet finish her drawing at home, and they leave. Elizabeth sits looking at her phone when Carolyn comes in and says, hi, Lizzie.

Dex and Josslyn kiss when there’s a knock at the door. She says, that would be the food, and he says, the delivery person has horrible timing. She asks if he’ll get it so she can put something on. He asks if she has to, and she says, yes. He puts his pants on, and opens the door. No surprise, it’s Cameron.

On Monday, Sonny tells Spencer, what he’s saying proves he can’t; Cameron asks Josslyn if Dex is the reason they broke up; and Ava says, Mason was most definitely there.  

🏥 Beaming Back In…

Looks like she left Jeff at home this time.

🧂 Salt Shaker…

Well, it wasn’t like we thought Jen would be back.

🏝  The Latest In Miami…

Looks like there will be sufficient drama.

🥊 It’s a Knockout…

I’d pay to see this fight.

⚔️ Changing Games…

I can’t wait to check this out this weekend.

https://ew.com/tv/the-last-of-us-pedro-pascal-bella-ramsey-game-of-thrones/

🎥 Ranking George…

I’d say they’re spot-on. While I actually liked the remake of Dawn of the Dead, it didn’t have the same satiric wit of the original.

https://ew.com/movies/george-romero-movies-ranked/

🐯 Ongoing Tiger Tale…

The sequel wasn’t nearly as good as the first series. The first collective diversion during the pandemic lockdown.

🎸 If You’re In the Neighborhood…

The Governor’s Ball line-up and deets.

🐕 More Bowl Please…

What you need to know about the upcoming Puppy Bowl XIX

https://www.whattowatch.com/watching-guides/puppy-bowl-date-dogs-and-everything-we-know-about-the-pet-centric-event

First flag.

🦩 Quotes of the Week

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.Corrie ten Boom

The expert in anything was once a beginner. – Helen Hayes

I’m a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it. – Thomas Jefferson

The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible. – Arthur C. Clarke

It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste. – Henry Ford

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. – Aristotle

Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. – T.S. Eliot

Being funny is a very serious business. – Soupy Sales

Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.Franklin D. Roosevelt

Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. – Stephen Hawking

🍨 Chillaxing and HBO Maxing…

Whatever the next two days hold for you – be it streaming service or rowing merrily down a stream – enjoy. Hope to see you back after that for soap and a less than full Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay curious, but not intrusive, and stay knowing, it’s never too late to advocate for yourself.

January 19, 2023 – Sonny Questions Carly’s Motives, a Memoir, Holy Cannoli, Overrated Kyle, It’s a No For Andy, Spike Gets the Record & Bizarre

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Portia says, they’ve officially finished the seating chart for their wedding and Curtis says, it only took three hours, twelve minutes, and sixteen seconds. But who’s counting? She tells him, tease all he wants to, but checking things off their to-do list makes her feel like their wedding is coming up faster than she thought. He says, and the honeymoon, and she says, Florence, Verona… She can’t wait to walk those ancient streets hand-in-hand with her husband. He says, and he can’t wait to celebrate beautiful her as his wife all day. He kisses her hand, and they both say, and all night. They kiss.

Sonny starts to walk into the chapel, and sees Carly. He says he didn’t know anybody was here, and starts to leave, but she tells him, stay. They’re both here for the same thing; praying that Willow is going to be okay. He says, which she will be if Nina’s a match. Which they would have known a long time ago if Carly hadn’t let her hatred for Nina blind her.

Nina waits in the exam room, and flashes back on Carly telling her that she’s Willow’s mother, and that she’s known since Harmony died – last year. Austin comes in, and says he’s so sorry. He thought this room was empty. He asks if she’s okay. Is she waiting for someone? She says she’s just waiting for her blood test results. She’s surprised he hasn’t heard already. She’s a potential bone marrow match for Willow Tate. He says, that’s a very generous gesture for somebody who, until recently, she was fighting in court. She says she didn’t have a choice. Willow’s her daughter.

Cameron runs into Kelly’s, where Spencer is getting some coffee. Spencer says, late night, and Cameron says he forgot he picked up this extra shift, and just left class. Spencer says, Cameron’s been doing that a lot lately, picking up extra shifts. His psyche professor would say he has an avoiding detachment disorder. Cameron says, and what would his psyche professor say he’s avoiding? and Spencer says, what about a break-up? Cameron says he’s so mad at Joss for ending things with him, but he misses her so much. He just wishes he could go one day without thinking about her. Josslyn walks in.

Dex comes out of the hospital elevator, as Michael goes to the reception desk. The nurse asks if she can help Michael, and he asks for another blanket and some water for Willow. The nurse says, of course (🍷), and leaves. Michael goes over to Dex, and asks what Dex is doing here.

Curtis asks how many more items they have to check off the list, and Portia says, just a few. Maybe they can do it later. They start to kiss, when Marshall walks in, and says, don’t mind him. He’s going up to his room, and trying to stay out of the almost newlyweds hair. Curtis asks if he has a minute. They’d like his help with the ceremony.

Michael and Dex go out to the stairwell, and Michael asks what Dex is doing at GH. Dex says, looking for Sonny. He texted that something was going on with his family, and to meet him at GH. Michael asks what Sonny wanted, but Dex says he doesn’t know. He couldn’t find Sonny, so he thought he’d check the third floor. He heard about Willow’s diagnosis. Michael asks if Sonny told him, but Dex says, no. He overheard Sonny tell Josslyn. Is Willow okay? Michael says, not really, and Dex says he’s sorry. Dex asks if there’s anything he can do to help, and Michael tells him, just stay on top of the plan to bring his father down. Dex says, on it, and Michael says, as long as Dex is here, Dex had called him and said there was a problem. What is it? Dex flashes back to Josslyn getting dressed, and saying she’s going to Sonny’s office to tell him she can see who she wants to, and it’s none of his damn business. Dex tells Michael, it’s nothing to worry about, and Michael asks if Dex is sure it isn’t something he needs to know.

Josslyn says she’s sorry about Britt, and Spencer says, thanks. She says, it’s nice to see Cameron, and Cameron says, is it? She says, of course (🍷), and Spencer asks what she’s doing here. She says she came to get Willow her favorite slice of pie. She didn’t know Cam would be working today. Spencer says, he’s always working, but Cameron says, that’s not true. He has a life. Josslyn says, if this is awkward for Cameron… but Cameron says, whatever. He just has to clock in. He goes in the back, and Spencer asks, what’s Josslyn’s problem? She says, her problem? and he says, the guy is heartbroken. It might be a good idea to steer clear of this place and Cameron for a while.

Austin asks when Nina found out Willow was her daughter, and Nina says, yesterday. He asks why she’s hiding out in here. Shouldn’t she be with Willow? She says she wishes she could be, and he says he would think they’d have a lot to talk about, but she says she thinks she and Willow have said everything they need to say to each other. The only thing she can do now is try to save Willow’s life. She won’t accept anything else from Nina. She’s sorry, but it’s been a very long day… He asks if there’s anything he can do to help, but she doesn’t say anything. He tells her to feel free to give a shout if she needs anything, and leaves. In the hallway, he makes a call, and says, Nina needs you.

Carly asks if Sonny thinks she kept the truth from Willow because she hates Nina more than she loves Willow, and he asks if she didn’t. She says she’s not even going to dignify that with an answer, and he says, she’s been aching to get revenge on Nina ever since she found out Nina knew he was in Nixon Falls. Not to mention everything else. Carly says, Nina deserves to pay for everything she’s done, but she’s washed her hands of that, and Sonny asks why she didn’t tell Nina that Willow was her daughter. She says she doesn’t owe him an explanation, but he says, she owes Nina, and she says, the hell she does. Nina’s own choices have led directly to this. The only ones she owes anything to are Michael and Willow. He says, what about the baby and Wiley? She doesn’t think she owes them an explanation if their mother dies because of the secret she kept?

Obrecht asks Austin where Nina is, and he tells her. She thanks him for calling her, and he says, no problem. It’s part of his Hippocratic Oath. She says he helped more than he knows. First her Britta, now Nina. He asks if she’s doing okay, and she tells him, one day at a time. Isn’t that what you Americans say? She heads for the exam room.

Obrecht comes in, and asks how Nina is doing, hugging her. Nina asks what she’s doing here, and Obrecht says, Austin called and said Nina needed her. Is she sick? Hurt? Nina says, physically, she’s fine, and Obrecht asks why she’s here. Nina says, there was a miracle. She found out she has another daughter. Obrecht asks how this is possible, and Nina says she’s sorry. This is probably the last thing Obrecht wants to be talking about. Obrecht says she’d never begrudge Nina discovering she has a child. Why is she upset? This is good news. Nina says, it is, but there’s complications, and Obrecht says, like what? Nina says, Carly.

Carly says, that was a low blow, and Sonny asks if he said anything untrue. She says she didn’t know Willow had leukemia, and he says, if Carly hadn’t withheld the information, Willow wouldn’t be up there now, fighting for her life. She says, he can’t possibly think she’d keep this secret if she knew Willow was sick. Michael and Willow didn’t tell anyone. She had to make a decision based on the information she had. He says, that wasn’t her decision to make. On Willow’s behalf and Nina’s behalf. Nina deserved to know she had a daughter. It meant so much to her. Can Carly imagine? Thinking your daughter was stolen and you could never raise her? That does a lot of damage. But Carly still decided to punish her. Carly says, this was never about Nina. She did this for Willow because she knew the pain it would cause if she knew the truth. Nina pushed Willow so far, Willow didn’t even want to find her biological family. She did this for Willow. He says, a lot of good that did, didn’t it? and she says, he has a lot of nerve going around with all this concern for Willow now, because he sure as hell didn’t have any when Nina was harassing and torturing Willow in court.

Dex tells Michael not to worry about the call. He has enough to deal with. Besides, it’s been handled. Michael says, tell him anyway, and Dex says he hasn’t heard anything more about the Pikeman deal. Sonny took him to the meeting, so he assumed he’d have access, but if Sonny is still negotiating or they set a date for the first shipment, he doesn’t know about it. And unless Sonny tells Dex himself, he has no way to find out. He’s never in the room when Sonny and Brick have a call. Pikeman isn’t going to pull out of the deal, and Sonny’s already taken their cash, so he can’t either. When the shipments start, that’s when Sonny will need him, and that’s when he’ll know. He just got a little jumpy. The sooner this is over, the better for him. Michael says, him too, and Dex says, sorry about the false alarm. He won’t keep Michael from Willow. Just give him a minute before he comes out. Michael says, with everything going on with his family, it’s nice to know he can trust Dex.

Josslyn asks if Spencer doesn’t think it’s a good idea to mind his own business, and he asks if she really wants to run into Cameron just to get coffee and pie. Josslyn says, her grandma owns Kelly’s. She’s not going to avoid the place just to avoid Cam, and she didn’t know he was working here today. They don’t talk much since they broke up. Spencer asks why they did break up. He got Cameron’s explanation, but never got hers. She says she doesn’t have the bandwidth to deal with him today. Her life is crazy enough, and like she said, it’s none of his business. He says, Cam is his friend, so it is a little bit his business, and she says, Spencer’s supposed to be her friend too. She’s known him since they were five years old. She’s seen him make more mistakes than she can count, but she’s still here talking to him. He says, and he’s still her talking to her. What’s her point? She says she’d never make him choose sides, but clearly he has. So he’s saying that she’s completely lost his friendship. He tells her that he never said that, but that doesn’t mean he gets it. Cam is the sweetest kid on the planet. She says she knows. That’s what makes this so hard. She’s known Cam her whole life. Does Spencer think just because they broke up she doesn’t care about his feelings anymore? Cameron comes back, and she says she’ll go somewhere else, but Cameron says, wait. She leaves, and Cameron tells Spencer, what the hell, dude? He thought he told Spencer to stop fighting his battles for him.

Curtis tells Marshall that he and Portia feel very strongly that their wedding isn’t just about them. It’s about this whole blended family they’ve created with their wonderful relationship. Portia says, Marshall, Stella, and TJ have been so welcoming to her, and she’s proud to call them her in-laws. Marshall says he likes the sound of that, calling her future daughter-in-law. Curtis says he got to thinking the last time he got married, Marshall wasn’t a part of his life. Marshall says he is now, and he hopes Curtis realizes how happy he is to witness Curtis and his lovely lady saying their vows. Curtis says, it would mean a lot to them if Marshall was involved in the ceremony, and Marshall says he’s too old to be a groomsman. Portia thanks him for helping with the music; the songs and the arrangement he chose. But they were just wondering if he could take it a step further. Curtis asks if Marshall would play a clarinet solo at the ceremony. Would he do them that honor? Marshall says he’s honored that they asked, but he doesn’t think he can. Curtis asks, why? Did he get a better offer somewhere else? Marshall says he wouldn’t know what to play, and Portia says she and Curtis have a request; a favorite song they share. Marshall says, the wedding is in a few weeks. He won’t have enough time to prepare new music. Curtis says he hears Marshall in his room playing every night. He’s constantly working on his craft. He hears Marshall riffing; it’s definitely in his wheelhouse. Marshall says, that’s him just keeping his skills up. Learning new music is a while ‘nother ball of wax entirely. Portia says, it doesn’t have to be perfect. He can have the sheet music with him if he likes. Curtis asks Marshall to lay it on him straight. Does he not want to perform at their wedding?

Spencer says he’s sorry. He didn’t mean to  overstep. He just hates seeing Cameron like this. Cameron says, like what? and Spencer says, all sad. Cameron says he overheard Josslyn saying it was hard on her too, and Spencer asks if Cameron really believes that. Cameron asks why he wouldn’t, and Spencer tells him, Josslyn was just saying that to save face, but Cameron says, Spencer’s known Josslyn as long as he has. BS is not really her style. Spencer says, maybe not, but something is off  with this break up. Cameron says, last time he checked, she broke up with him, not Spencer, and Spencer says, the excuse Josslyn gave him, that they grew apart. It’s like Break-up Excuse 101; what does that even mean? See? It makes as little sense to Cameron as it does to him. Plus, he’s been though more breakups than Cameron. Cameron says, no he hasn’t. Esme was his first girlfriend. Spencer says, okay, but he’s had more relationships fall apart, like with his father. And with him and Esme, they didn’t grow apart. Cameron says, Spencer found out she was the worst human being in existence next to Jax Taylor, and Spencer says, like with his father. They did things that helped him realize they weren’t who he thought. Cameron asks if Spencer is saying Josslyn isn’t who he thought she was, but Spencer says, no, but he doesn’t think she’s being straight with him.

Josslyn comes out of the hospital elevator, and sees Dex, but before she can walk over to him, Michael says, hey. She says she’s sorry she didn’t get here sooner. She talked to mom this morning, and she said Willow’s condition was stable. She thought Willow might want some pie if she’s up for eating. He didn’t respond to her text, but it doesn’t matter. She brought two forks and two iced teas. He says, Willow is sleeping now, but he’s sure she’ll appreciate it when she wakes up. Josslyn asks how she is, and he says, she’s weak. She’s going to be staying here for a while. Josslyn asks if there’s any update on a bone marrow donor, and he says, actually, they might have found one. She says, that’s great. When did he find out; mom didn’t say anything. Okay, what’s going on? Every time she mentions mom, he acts weird. Is something happening between them?

Nina tells Obrecht, as awful as Harmony was, at least she told Carly the truth on her deathbed. And Carly took it on herself to do a DNA test without her or Willow’s consent. Carly found out Willow was her daughter and didn’t say anything for months. If Willow wasn’t sick, she probably wouldn’t have. Obrecht says, how could that horrible woman keep Nina from yet another child? and Nina says she doesn’t know. She just keeps going through it until she’s dizzy. It’s the cruelty of all of it. Obrecht says, and Carly had the nerve to tell Nina that she was in the wrong for keeping Sonny from her family, and Nina says, she knew Carly had it in for her, but to sit back and watch her relationship with Willow fall apart, knowing Willow was her daughter? It’s cruel. And now when Willow needs a mother the most, of course (🍷) Willow doesn’t want anything to do with her. All she can do is wander around here, helpless, hoping her bone marrow will save Willow’s life. Obrecht says, Nina’s not helpless. She’s doing everything possible to help her daughter; what a good mother should. Nina says, all she can do is wait for the results, and the more she waits, the angrier she gets. She feels like time is slipping by. If she knew Willow was her daughter, she wouldn’t have spent all that time arguing with Michael and Willow for denying access to Wiley, because she thought Wiley was her only connection to a family that was stolen from her, but that’s not the truth. Carly knew better. Nina could kill her.

Sonny asks if Carly is seriously comparing this to what happened in Wiley’s court case, and Carly says, his feelings for Nina might have blinded him, but she saw the pain Nina caused Willow then, and many times since. Willow looked at her and said, if her mom was anything like Nina, she wouldn’t want to find her. So she wasn’t going to let Nina make Willow suffer more. He says, so she’s doing this in Willow’s best interest, and Carly says, not just hers, but Michael’s, Wiley’s, and the new baby. She made a decision for the greater good of her family. Don’t dare tell her that he doesn’t know what that’s like. He says, she can dress this up however she likes. This PR job she’s doing is great in her head, but it’s going to hurt Willow and her family. She can lie to herself, but she’s not going to lie to him. They both know, she’s not protecting anyone. Nina suffered, and she likes it.

Marshall says, it’s not that he doesn’t want to play at Curtis’s wedding, and Curtis says he understands it’s scary, but Marshall knows it’s important to him. Marshall says he’s sorry, but he doesn’t trust himself.  

Obrecht says she understands Nina’s desire to murder Carly, but doesn’t think Nina has it in her, and Nina says, not literally, but she can still make Carly pay. Carly was there from the beginning, encouraging animosity between her and Willow. She understands she’s made mistakes, and takes full ownership of them. She’s going to have to make it up to Willow, but even before Nixon Falls, before she found Sonny, Carly was trying to take Wiley away from her. Carly would undermine her to Michael and Willow, and even if Nina made the smallest mistake, Carly would plant the seed of doubt. Carly was always there trying to reinforce her angry feelings against Nina. Nina cries, and says she’s had enough of it. She’s going to make Carly suffer for this. Obrecht says she knows exactly how Nina feels, but she can’t strike back against Carly.

Carly says, Sonny has no idea how she’s feeling, but he says he knows how she thinks; he knows her better than anyone. She hates Nina because she kept him from the family; understandable. So Carly wanted to hit Nina where it hurt the most, and that’s by taking her child from her. She stole Nina’s chance at being a mother, and she knew that’s what Nina wanted the most. So congratulations. Nina’s in pain, and Willow doesn’t want to have anything to do with her. Carly hurt her, like Nina hurt Carly. Now can they end this madness? Carly says she just wants to make sure to get this straight. Sonny is blaming her for Nina and Willow’s lack of relationship. Nina has her own damn self to blame for her pain. After everything Nina put Willow through, she has every right hate Nina. And guess what? The feeling’s mutual. Nina and Willow hated each other long before she found out they were mother and daughter. Sonny tells her to stop justifying her lies.

Michael says, the potential donor for Willow is Nina, and Josslyn says she’s glad they found a donor, but why does it have to be her? He says, because Nina is Willow’s birth mother, and Josslyn says, what? He says, Nina gave birth to twins; Nelle went to the Bensons, and Willow was given to Harmony. She asks if he’s sure. Has anyone run a DNA test? There’s no way Willow could possibly be related to Nelle or Nina. He says, mom ran a DNA test, and she says, mom? He says, Harmony told her before she died, and mom ran a paternity test on Nina and Willow. She knew for months Nina was Willow’s mother; not that she said anything. She claims she was protecting Willow; that Willow was better off not knowing. If Willow hadn’t been sick, who knows if she would have said anything. They sit down, and Josslyn says, but Willow is sick, so… mom told the truth when it counted. He says, it was almost too late. Willow could have died waiting for a bone marrow donor. Josslyn says she understands why he’s upset, obviously, but he and Willow didn’t tell anybody that Willow was sick, so how was mom supposed to know? He says, the point is, mom was making choices for Willow that she had no right to make. Choices that jeopardized Willow’s life. He doesn’t think he can ever forgive her for that.

Curtis asks Marshall what that even means, and Portia asks if this is about his schizophrenia. Marshall says he can’t play solo since his diagnosis, but Curtis says he’s seen Marshall perform solo at GH. Marshall says, it’s one thing to perform for a few patients who are just looking for something to brighten their day. This is a whole ‘nother ball of wax to play at Curtis’s big occasion, his wedding. Marshall’s anxiety will act up. Portia says, this isn’t a group of anonymous strangers; this is his family and friends. He says, it doesn’t matter. After his diagnosis, he could feel himself going to this scary place every time he performed solo. He’s afraid it could trigger an episode. That’s why he only performs with a band now. He stays in the background, and just does his thing from there. She says, didn’t he tell her that he never had an episode? and he says he’s been fortunate. That doesn’t mean it won’t happen. He’s not going to risk it on their big day. Having him play is only inviting trouble. As much as he’d like to, as much as he wants to, he can’t. He needs Curtis to understand.

Josslyn says, Michael’s not going to forgive mom ever? and he says he’s so angry he can’t even think straight. She says, Willow is pregnant and has leukemia. Of course (🍷) he’s overwhelmed. Michael says, mom knew Willow was looking for her biological family, and she just kept withholding this information. Josslyn tells him, she’s not saying that she thinks mom made the right decision. Of course (🍷) she understands why he’s upset. All she’s saying is, there are extenuating circumstances here. Willow’s long lost mom is a woman she can’t stand; a woman who took him and Willow to court. He says, that doesn’t change the fact that it was Willow’s decision to make. Mom should have come to Willow the moment she found out Nina was Willow’s mother. Josslyn says she hears him. All she’s saying is, she sees mom’s side of it. There are some things people are better off not knowing. He says, but it’s not up to mom to decide what will or won’t hurt Willow. Look what happened; she’s hurt anyway. And it could have had deadly results. It still might. He says he has to get back to Willow, and thanks Josslyn for letting him vent. She tells him, feel whatever he needs to feel, but maybe don’t talk to mom right now. Maybe cool off a little first. He says he’ll try.

Cameron says, Joss breaking up with him came out of nowhere, so he understands why Spencer would think something’s up, but he doesn’t. Spencer asks, why not? and Cameron says, they loved each other; that was real. Spencer says, exactly. Those feelings don’t just disappear overnight. People who love each other don’t split up for no reason. Cameron says, sometimes people split up for a lot of reasons. He was so hurt and angry, he shut himself off to the possibility Joss might be in pain too. Seeing her just now, he believes her when she says this isn’t easy for her. Joss has always been honest with him, so if she says they grew apart, why would he think that’s a lie?

Carly says, the Sonny she used to know would have seen Nina has done nothing but torture Willow right up to the moment she found out Willow was her daughter. He was the one who taught her that sometimes you have to do questionable things to protect the people you care about. And he would understand why she did what she did. But that Sonny’s gone. He says she’s right. He’s changed. They all have. Does she know what that means? It means they don’t have to keep doing the same things they always have. She says, right, and leaves, passing Dex outside the door. Dex comes in, and says he’s sorry it took him so long to find Sonny. Sonny didn’t answer his text. Sonny says he’s been busy, and Dex asks what he can do for Sonny. Sonny says he’s got to see Nina, and leaves, Dex following.

Nina asks who this is, and what have they done to her Aunt Liesl? and Obrecht, says, normally, she would be the first one to tell Nina not to turn the other cheek. When someone wrongs you, strike back. Send a message that there are consequences for hurting you. Every fiber of her being aches to destroy the monster who murdered her Britta. But Britta’s not here, Willow is. Not only does Nina have a new daughter, she also has a new grandchild. That’s where her focus should be. Nina says she told Obrecht, Willow wants nothing to do with her, but Obrecht says, Willow needs Nina to save her life, and she can’t do that when she’s consumed with revenge on Carly. Willow must be her priority now, not Carly. Do not squander her second chance to be a mother. She’s grateful every day for a second chance with her Britta. Cherish this gift you’ve been given, Liebchen.

Dex sees Josslyn, and he asks if she’s okay. She says, not really, and he suggests they get out of here.

Spencer says he guesses Cameron has to trust his instincts. Although his weren’t so great when it came to Esme. Cameron says, maybe he wanted to see things were okay. Maybe Joss experienced their relationship differently. Spencer says, maybe, and Cameron says he has no reason not to trust her. She’s been a part of his life for forever. He would hate for that trust to go away because they didn’t work out as a couple. Maybe they’ll find their way back to being friends. We see Josslyn getting in the elevator with Dex, and Cameron says, Joss was honest with him about her feelings. It’s not like she set out to hurt him. The elevator door closes.  

Nina thanks Obrecht for talking sense into her. She needs to focus on Willow, and she’ll deal with Carly later. Sonny says, sorry to interrupt, and Obrecht says she thinks her work here is done. She and Nina hug, and Obrecht says, Nina is doing the right thing. She leaves, and Sonny asks what she was doing here. Nina says, reminding her that she shouldn’t give up on her daughter, and she won’t. He hugs her.

Obrecht asks Austin if Esme is still at the hospital, and he says, no; she was released. She asks, when? Why? Has she recovered from her injuries? Where did she go? He says he heard they took her away for an arraignment, but he can’t tell Obrecht if she was remanded to prison or out on bail. Obrecht says, Esme could be free, roaming the streets after murdering her daughter. Austin’s phone beeps, and he asks if Obrecht is going to be okay. She says she will be, and he leaves. She says, as soon as she tracks down Miss Prince.

Curtis says, it would mean a whole lot if Marshall performed at their wedding, but he understands if Marshall doesn’t want to. It’s Marshall’s choice and he respects that, but he wants Marshall to know that they believe  in him. He excuses himself, saying, he has to call The Savoy. Portia says, can’t Marshall see how badly his son wants him to be a part of his wedding? but Marshall says he doesn’t think he can. She says she knows he doesn’t want to hear this, but she still thinks there’s a possibility he was misdiagnosed and doesn’t even have schizophrenia. There’s an easy way to find out, and they can see. Then maybe he can show up for Curtis after all. Why doesn’t he want to take the steps to find out for sure? He says, because it’s too late.

Michael comes out of Willow’s room as Carly is coming out of the elevator. She asks, how’s Willow, and he wonders why she’s asking. It’s obvious Carly doesn’t give a damn about her.

Tomorrow, Austin says he’s done taking orders; Victor says, the next time Nikolas defies him will be his last; Dex tells Josslyn that he’s no longer going to be working for Sonny; and Michael tells Carly, if Nina is the enemy, what does that make her?

✍🏾 Shooting Straight…

He’s also making the talk show rounds. I was like, hey, that’s Brick!

⚓️ What She Didn’t Know…

All the captains say the same thing. They didn’t know until they watched the show.

💎 But It’s True…

I saw the show Reza was on, and I agree with him. She’s certainly overreacting.

🧂 No Salt…

What does this even mean? The reality star said she wanted to avoid “misrepresentations” to be made about her “story, relating to any and all topics, prior and during the course of my participation” on “RHOSLC.”

🐶 Gino Unseated…

There’s a new old dog in town.

https://people.com/pets/spike-the-chihuahua-new-guinness-world-records-worlds-oldest-dog/

🌃 Drawing the Curtains…

Join me tomorrow for soap and tea, with a side of wise words, and a little music. Until then, stay safe, stay open to new experiences, and stay never squandering a second chance.

January 18, 2023 – Carly Begins Her Apology Tour, Delusional, She’s Still Here, Après Prison, Bravoverse Toxicity, Victor Moonlights, Exotic Pets (!) & Outside

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Paris, France. Valentin and Anna are making out on the couch when there’s a knock at the door. She says, it must be his contact, draws her gun, and opens the door. A beautiful blonde woman breezes past her, saying, Valentin, mon amour, and kisses him.

At Spring Ridge, Esme says, there must be a mistake. She tried to explain to the judge… The guard says, someone will be here shortly to escort her to her room, and Esme sits down, putting her head in her hands. Heather smooths Esme’s hair, and says, it’ll be all right, sweetheart. Everything’s going to be all right now.

A phone with an alert from The Invader says: NEWS: Judge Holloway ordered Esme Prince to be remanded to Spring Ridge Minimum Security Prison until her trial is concluded. Ms. Prince faces… Spencer looks up from his table at Kelly’s, and thanks Ava for coming. He says he wouldn’t have blamed her if she’d blown off his request to meet. She says she considered it, and he asks why she came. She says, he knows what killed the cat, doesn’t he? She saw the news about Esme going to Spring Ridge. Does he want to throw a party? He says he wants something else, and she asks, what’s that? He says, someone he can trust.

Nina checks in at the hospital reception desk, telling the nurse that she’s here for a follow-up test to see if she’s a suitable match for bone marrow. How long does it take for her to find out she’s a match for Willow Tate, and where do they want her? The nurse says she’ll be right with her, and steps away. Sonny says he knows Nina is amped up, and she has every right to be, but she needs to slow it down, because she’s still processing the fact she’s Willow’s mother. Nina says, a fact Carly kept from her, and he says, but there is a possibility Nina will give Willow what she wants, and save her life. Nina just has a lot going on right now. She says she can handle it, and she can handle a lot more. She still can’t wrap her head around it. Yesterday, Willow was not her friend, and now she’s the daughter Nina didn’t know… She just can’t lose her.

Willow tells TJ that she let Dr. Navarro know she’s ready to have the baby. Whether that means inducing labor or having a C-section, she’s ready to move forward. TJ says, that’s such a relief, but Willow says she’s still worried about potential risks to the baby by having her prematurely. He asks, what changed her mind? and she says she doesn’t want to just give birth to this baby; she wants to raise her. She looks at Michael, and says, giving birth so she can get a bone marrow transplant increases the chance she’ll survive, so that’s what she wants to do. TJ says he’s not questioning her decision, but he doesn’t want them to get ahead of themselves. Willow says she knows. They still need to get confirmation that the woman who’s her biological… that Nina is a match, and they can go ahead with the transplant. TJ’s phone beeps, and he says, Nina just arrived for her follow-up test. Keep the faith. He’ll do everything else. Willow thanks him, and he leaves. She tells Michael that she still can’t believe it. After all the friction with Nina in her life, their whole family may depend on her. He says he can’t help thinking if they’d known sooner, this whole thing would have been over. Carly looks into the room window.

Valentin says he thinks some introductions are in order, and introduces Anna to Renee Levesque. Anna says, Valentin didn’t do her justice. She was expecting a little sewer rat. In French, Renee says, Valentin called her a rat? and he says, certainly not. He said she was a cataphile. He tells Anna that there’s a way Renee can help them find Lucy.

Heather says, she’s Esme’s m… mate, as in friend. Consider her an ally; Esme’s one woman support group. They’re all in this together at Spring Ridge. All of them are alike… misunderstood, lonely, lost… locked up. Esme says, unfortunately, that’s her, lost and locked up. She thought maybe Heather knew who she was, and why she’s locked up in this place, and Heather says she wishes she could tell Esme. She really has no memory at all of her past? Esme says, not one, and Heather says, that would explain it. Esme says, explain what? and Heather suggests they begin with introductions. She’s Heather. She shakes Esme’s hand, and Esme says she’s been told her name is Esme. Heather says, that’s a pretty name, from the French. It means beloved, loved. Esme says, Heather knows more than she does, and Heather says, she knows whoever gave Esme that special name must have loved her very much. Esme says, if they loved her so much, where are they now when she really needs them? and Heather says, who knows? Maybe they’re closer than she thinks. Esme says, they certainly weren’t there in the courthouse when the judge called her a menace to society, and sent her to come here. Heather says she sees Esme’s pregnant. Does she know how far along she is? Heather would guess her third trimester. She knows this isn’t a great prison, but it sure beats being sent to Pentenville, or the D’Archam nuthouse. Esme tells her, if you say so, and Heather invites her to sit down. Get to know each other better. They have all the time in the world.

Ava says she assumes Spencer wanted to meet to discuss the future of his family estate, and he says, Windymere. What about it? She says she thought his father or Uncle Victor would have told him. She plans to make Windymere the grand prize when she divorces Nikolas. He says, really? and she says, that wasn’t the reaction she anticipated. He says he admits there was a time when the family estate mattered a great deal to him, but now it’s more of a reminder of… She says, a reminder of what? Esme? He says, it isn’t Esme that he cares about; it’s the baby she’s carrying. Ava knows the baby is his father’s, and he knows the baby is his father’s, but Esme does not. She says, his father knows, and Spencer says, which is exactly why they have to make sure he never has the opportunity to ruin another life the way he ruined theirs.

Sonny says he refuses to believe Nina discovered she has a daughter, and she’s going to lose her. And he’s going to move heaven and earth to make sure Willow and that baby make it through this. She says she knows he can do anything he puts his mind to, but this is all on her, and whether or not she matches with Willow. TJ comes out, and asks if Nina is ready to have her blood drawn. She says she is, and asks if he’s doing it, but he says, the nurse will do the honors, but he wants to be there as Willow’s friend to supervise. Does she have a problem with that? Nina says, no, she doesn’t… Does he have a problem with it? She just wants to say again that she’s sorry… He says, someone’s life is at stake; his friend’s life. That’s all that matters. Nina agrees, and he asks her to follow him.

Michael asks what Carly is doing here, and she says she got all the way home, and realized she was taking the coward’s way out, so she came back. He says, not now. Nina is waiting for a test to confirm if she’s a bone marrow transplant match. She says, thank God, and he says, the point is, he doesn’t want anything upsetting Willow right now. Carly says, and the last thing Willow needs is her. She understands. Willow says, wait. She tells Carly, they’ve learned the hard way that keeping silent does the most harm, and Carly says, that’s why she’s back; to tell Willow that she’s really, really sorry. If she could go back to the night she found out Nina was Willow’s birth mother. If she knew then what she knows now… Michael says, so it’s Willow’s fault for keeping her condition a secret? but Carly says, no. She’s not second guessing or blaming. If she was in Willow’s shoes, she would have done the same thing. She would have done whatever it took to save her baby. Willow says, it’s the hardest decision she ever had to make, and Carly says she’s in awe of Willow’s courage, but if she’d known what Willow was facing, Willow has to believe she never would have kept secret who Willow’s birth mother was. Willow says, even if it was Nina? The woman who took everything from Carly?

In an exam room, Nina asks TJ why they have to do another test? Didn’t the cheek swab confirm she was a match? He says, the cheek swab was only an indicator she might be a match. Once they take her blood sample, they can compare it with Willow’s, and that will definitively tell them if she’s a match. Nina says, and then Willow will get a bone marrow transplant, and she’ll start to heal, and she’ll be able to have the baby. Sonny says he knows she’s excited, but they have to let TJ and the nurse do their job first. He asks TJ to give them a second, and TJ leaves with the nurse. Sonny tells Nina that Donna always gets a lollipop before she gets a shot. Is there anything he can do for her to take care of her? She says she doesn’t need a lollipop, but she does need him to do something. He says, name it, and she says, be happy for her.

Ava says, there was a time she had faith in Spencer’s father, and Spencer says, look where that faith has gotten her. He cheated on her with Spencer’s ex-girlfriend. She says, not that she believes in their marriage now, but there was a time she did. If that makes her a fool for love, so be it. At least she was happy for a time. Some people never even get that. He says, when he came back to town, he thought she was the root of all evil, and she says she knows; he was quite vocal on the subject. He says he knows now it was wrong. He thought, if only he could break up Ava and his father’s marriage, everything with him and his father would fall into place. Now he realizes the problem was never Ava; it was his father. She says, there’s no question Nikolas wronged them both, but he didn’t do all that damage on his own. He had a little help, from Esme.

Heather takes some yarn from a basket, and tells Esme, this is what we call occupational therapy. We make friendship bracelets. She pushes the basket toward Esme, saying, try it, but Esme pushes the basket away. Esme says, according to the cops and the staff at General Hospital, she has no friends. Heather says, that’s okay. Esme can have the one she’s making when she’s done with it. A gift from one new friend to another. Esme says, ever since she woke up in that hospital bed, she’s been treated like a criminal, or like this baby inside of her is some ticking time bomb, but Heather says, not anymore. She’s not going to let that happen. Esme says she doesn’t understand. They just met. Why does Heather care what happens to her?

Anna says, cataphile, that’s impressive. Did Renee go to school for that; the history and layout of prison catacombs? Renee says, but of course (🍷). She went to the school of hard knocks. She and Valentin learned together – she takes his arm – combing the catacombs at night. They’d pop up and have their pick of the finest jewelry shops in Paris. Anna asks what they did during the day, and Renee says, what the Parisians do better than anyone, and laughs. Valentin extracts himself, and says, as nice as it is to see Renee again, a woman’s life is at stake, and every second counts. He hands her a folder, and Renee says, they’ll keep it about business. Anna says, they need access to the compound. They need to gain entry, so they can get in and extract their prisoner, and then they need to get out. They’ll need to make a getaway. Valentin asks if Renee thinks it can be done, but she says, sadly, no…  except by the greatest cataphile of them all – moi. Anna asks if that means she’s willing to help them, and Renee says, for Valentin, she’ll do anything. She knows exactly which branch of the mines will afford them access to the compound. Anna says, Renee called them mines? and Renee says, it’s a common mistake to call them catacombs. The truth is, it’s a network of 15th century subterranean mines connected by large galleries. For their purposes, all that matters is she gets them where they want to go without detection. Valentin asks where she’s going, and she says, to make arrangements. Don’t worry. She’ll be back. She kisses him on both cheeks, leaving red lipstick prints. She leaves, and Anna says she’ll just clean him up a little bit, and wipes the lipstick off.

Heather says, Esme is right not to trust just anyone. Shows she has good breeding. She must come from good people. Esme tells her, if you say so. Then again, why should she trust Heather? Heather says, that’s my girl, and Esme asks what that means. Heather says she just meant, If they stick together, they can help each other. Most Ridgeans are harmless enough, but every place gets their share of riff-raff. Esme says, like who? and Heather says, like Ryan Chamberlain. She needs to avoid him at all costs. Esme tells her, Dr. Collins said he had a twin named Ryan, and he couldn’t hurt a fly, and Heather says, Ryan appears to be suffering from a physical condition that’s left him a bit declawed. But trust her. Stay away from him. He’s as sick as they come. Esme says, what about Heather? What did she do to end up in here? Heather says she loved too much. First, it was about her sons. One of them is in the slammer, and the other is six feet under. Esme says she’s sorry to hear that. Is there anyone else? Heather says, yes, a daughter; her one and only.

Spencer tells Ava, Esme is anything but an innocent victim. And even if it’s proven she’s not a killer, she’s no more fit to raise a child than his father is. That’s why he’s hoping to hire Diane Miller to sue for custody. She says, he wants custody, even though the child isn’t his? and he says, yes. It may not be his child, but it will be his half-sibling; his flesh and blood. That baby will be the only innocent person in this family, and if there’s any hope of salvaging something good out of all the pain and lies his father has inflicted on them, it lies with that baby. She asks, what was Diane’s reaction? and he says, Diane told him it’s a long shot, but she would consider going to war for him. Ava says, Diane’s no fool. If she thinks there’s a chance… She asks if he’s told his father his intentions, but Spencer says, he’ll know when the time is right. She asks what Trina thinks of his plan, but he doesn’t answer. She says, he hasn’t told Trina either, has he?

Carly tells Willow that Nina didn’t take anything from her. Sonny made his choices, and the MetroCourt is just real estate. She has her family, and Willow and her baby are a part of that family. She’d never knowingly put Willow at risk. Michael says, but she did by keeping the truth from Willow, and Carly says she was just trying to protect Willow. She was so worried about the harm Nina would cause, and she knew if Nina wormed her way into Willow’s life, she wouldn’t stop there. Michael says, just call it what it is. It was revenge. Carly says, it was not, and Willow says she needs to talk to Carly alone. Michael says, anything for her, and leaves. Carly sits down, and says, it’s just them. Say what she needs to say; don’t hold back. Willow says, don’t worry. She won’t.

Sonny says he’s happy for Nina. He just starts thinking about Carly and how she kept that secret from Nina and Willow, when it could have been life and death. Nina says, let her make this clear. She has no intentions of forgiving and forgetting what Carly did to her, but right now it’s about saving her daughter. Her whole life, she wanted a child. She thought she had a chance with Sasha, but that was just a cruel lie. Then she found out Nelle was her daughter after she was dead. It’s like this incredible gift was given to her; she gets to be a mother. And no matter how Willow feels about her, no matter their history, Willow needs her. Sonny says, Willow is lucky to have her, but Nina says she’s lucky to have Willow even more. She needs Willow just as much. TJ and the nurse come back, and TJ asks if they’re good to go. Sonny says, they’re good, and leaves. Nina says, let’s do this, and hops onto the examining table.  

Willow says, for not one minute does she believe Carly would deliberately hurt her, but it wasn’t Carly’s decision to make. Once Carly found out who her mother was, Carly owed it to Willow to tell her; to trust her to be able to handle it. She’s not made of glass. She lost a child and thought she’d die with him, but she didn’t. She found the strength to go on. And if it’s not too late, she prays she has the strength to live for Michael, Wiley, and their new baby. Carly says, Willow is right. She did the very thing she’d hate if it were done to her. She didn’t trust Willow to stand up for herself. She asks if Willow can find it in her heart to forgive her, and Willow says she’s forgiven Carly already. (Pfft!) Carly thanks her, and says she’s so sorry. She’s so grateful for Willow, and loves Willow as if she was her own daughter. She’s going to let Willow get some rest. If there’s anything she needs… Willow asks if Carly will stop by the house, and give Wiley a hug. Carly says she can do that. She truly prays that Nina comes through for Willow and the baby. Willow says, so does she.

Valentin gives Anna a glass of wine, and tells her, before she says anything, there’s nothing going on between him and Renee. Anna says she knows. Not now, but in the past. He says, remember the smash and grab robberies he told her about that he engineered in Prague, Berlin, Milan, Paris of course (🍷)? Renee was a key part of the operation because of her understanding about the catacombs. He thinks it was for the thrill; she enjoyed being a rule breaker. She says, and him? and he says, it was an opportunity to make a large sum of money by separating some very rich people from their baubles. He’s never claimed to be a choir boy. However, he’s made some very generous donations to charity, and the high end jewelry stores were heavily insured. She says, so it’s a victimless crime, but he tells her, he wouldn’t say that. But there are far uglier ways to make money. She says, and Renee? and he tells her, like he said, she was in it for the thrill, but there was never a real connection; not like he has with her. She says she just wonders if they can trust her. It’s not jealousy, but he’s climbed out of the catacombs into the light, and she wonders if Renee is in it for an easy score or to break some more rules. He says, Lucy’s life is at stake. There’s no time to find anyone else, at least not with Renee’s skills. So how does she want to play this?

Outside, somewhere in Paris, Gavin says, they took their sweet time getting there. It’s freezing. We see he’s meeting Renee, and she hands him some cash. She asks if this will keep him warm. There’s more where this came from. Does he still work for Victor Cassadine? He says, who? and she says, askMonsieur Cassadine what it’s worth to him to have his son and Anna served up en brochette.

Heather tells Esme that her little girl was taken from her when she was just a baby. Esme says she wishes someone would take hers, but Heather tells her, don’t ever say that. Getting her little girl back, and keeping her safe and happy is all she lives for. She grabs Esme’s hand, and says, there’s nothing she wouldn’t do… Esme says, Heather is hurting her, and Heather says she’s sorry. Esme asks the guard if her room is ready, but Heather says, don’t leave yet. They’ve just begun to get acquainted.

There’s a knock at Willow’s door, and Sonny says he got her message that she wanted to see him. She says she can’t believe she’s saying this, but how’s Nina?

Michael goes to the chapel, and kneels down, then gets hit by a lightning bolt. He says he’s not asking for him. He’s asking for Wiley and the baby and Willow. He knows there’s going to be a lot of baggage dealing with Nina as Willow’s mother in the future, but that’s next week’s problem. For today, please let them be a match. Just… give Willow a chance. That’s all he’s asking. He hears the door open, and Carly is there.

In French, Renee tells Valentin, it’s all been arranged. She’ll lead them tomorrow through the underground network. Through the twists and turns until they reach the compound. From there, they can find the prisoner and set her free. He says he knew he could count on her. What did he tell Anna? She’s one of a kind. Anna tells him, she’s everything he said she’d be, and more so. Renee says, just like old times. N’c’est pas, mon amour? She touches his face, and asks Anna if they’re in this together.

Spencer tells Ava, looping Trina in would only complicate her life, which is something he’s done plenty of already. She says, he can’t have it both ways. He can’t try to renew his friendship with Trina, and keep her in the dark about such a big move. Or hasn’t he learned anything from the last time, when he came back to town with Esme? He asks if Ava really thinks he should tell Trina, and she says she does. Tell her, and let her make the choice if she wants to be involved. He says, she’s right, but he didn’t ask her here to get advice. She says, then what? She knows Diane is expensive, but he certainly doesn’t need her money or approval. He says, if he’s going to go up against his father, he can’t do it alone.

Heather follows Esme to the other side of the room, and says she’s sorry if she came on too strong. Seeing Esme in the family way pushed her buttons. Does she know if it’s a boy or a girl? Has she picked any names? Esme says she just met Heather, and what she decides to do with this baby is strictly her business. Does Heather understand? Heather says she understands completely. That baby isn’t just an inconvenience to Esme, no matter how she tries to pretend. Esme cares about her child. Almost as much as Heather cares about hers.

Carly says she’ll keep her distance, but Michael says, Willow needs all of their prayers. She tells him that he keeps saying what Willow needs; what about him? Does he have room in his heart for her?

Valentin tells Anna, they have to move quickly before Victor learns of their plan and moves Lucy to another location. It’s now or never. Anna looks at Renee, and says, then it’s now.

Michael says he knows what Carly wants to hear, but he can’t deal with her right now. All that matters is Willow, and he needs to be with her. He walks out.

Willow says she doesn’t know if there will be a happy ending for her, but Sonny tells her, don’t say that. She’s going have beautiful baby, and get much better. Trust him. She says, even he can’t guarantee that. So if it turns out she’s not here for her family, she needs him and Michael to stop being enemies; become father and son again. She’s not saying it will be easy. Sonny will have to earn it, but please do whatever he can to win Michael’s forgiveness. Because she knows Michael needs him, and Sonny needs Michael. He takes her hand, and says he’s going to do what he can. Take care of his grandchild, understand him? She nods, and Sonny leaves.  

Ava says, Diane already warned Spencer that he’s in for a fight. She knows Nikolas, and he won’t hesitate to play dirty when it comes to the custody of his child. Spencer says he’s ready. After all, his father taught him all those same dirty tricks. She says she admires his initiative, but he’s right. He’s going to need all the help he can get. He’s going to have to count on somebody who’s willing to get down and dirty too. Spencer asks if she has anyone in mind, and she points to herself.

The guard says, Esme’s room is ready, and Esme jets. Heather says she knows it’s just Esme’s hormones talking. She understands what Esme is going through. The guard escorts Esme down the hall, and Heather yells that she’ll be here when Esme needs her. She goes back to the table, and yells, wait. Esme forgot her bracelet. She clutches the bracelet to her chest.

TJ comes back to the exam room, and says he thought Nina would be long gone by now. He personally made sure the lab has her bloodwork, so there’s nothing more she can do until they get the results. She says she just wanted to know what’s next. She knows she’s going to be a match. Does he know how soon Willow can get her transplant? He says, nothing can happen until Willow gives birth. After that, she’ll go through another round of chemotherapy to kill the diseased cells. After that, they take stem cells from Nina, and inject them in Willow’s bloodstream. Nina says, okay, and then? and he says, if all goes well, Willow will produce healthy new blood cells. Nina says, all has to go well.

Michael goes back to Willow’s room, and asks if there’s any news. Is Nina a match? She says, nothing yet, and he tells her that he said a prayer for her and the baby. She says she needs all the prayers she can get, and he says, that’s what he told his mom. Willow might be able to forgive her, but he’s not sure he can. They hug.

Carly is in the chapel when Sonny walks in.

Tomorrow, Curtis says they’d like Marshall’s help with the ceremony; Josslyn says she’d never make Spencer choose sides, but clearly he already has; Dex says, the sooner this is over for him, the better; and Sonny says, Carly might be able to lie to herself, but not to him.

😵 Wow…

There are no words. It’s scary that some people can’t separate reality from fiction.

💋 Overstaying Her Welcome Now…

Andy hopes she comes back. I don’t.

Yet one more weighs in.

🧂 Kind Of Late…

If they’re worried about her mental health, it’s probably not a good idea to wait six and a half years.

☠️ Most Toxic…

Another matter of opinion. While Jax is definitely the worst human being on earth, why weren’t Teresa and Melissa on this list? Or Teresa and Joe #2? Or Teresa and that Solo cup?

👰🏾 Look Who’s Officiating Now…

And doing the Electric Slide.

https://people.com/movies/anika-noni-rose-marries-jason-dirden-colman-domin/

🦔 Besides the Usual…

A capybara and a fennec fox please.

https://www.journiest.com/bizarre-pets-around-the-world-2547432805.html

🍩 Time To Make the Donuts…

Come for a visit tomorrow, where there will be soap and a selection of fine tea. Until then, stay safe, stay disagreeing respectfully, and stay not doing the very thing you’d hate if it were done to you.

January 12, 2023 – Carly Finds Out There’s No Donor, Tribute, Coming Back, New Ball, Final Bow, Details, Bravoliance, What Now, Après Globes, Historical Pets (!) & Ice

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly and Drew walk into the hospital, and Josslyn thanks Carly for calling her. She asks if Willow is okay, but Carly says she doesn’t know; she just got here. Drew says, there’s someone who might know, and they walk over to TJ at reception. Carly asks if Willow is okay.

Elizabeth comes into Kelly’s while Cameron is cleaning up for the night. She says, he missed a spot, and he asks what she’s doing here. She says wondering why she has to track him down at work to find out what’s going on with him. And don’t say nothing.

Alexis finds Gregory in her office, and he says he wasn’t expecting to see her here. She says, he wasn’t expecting to see her in her own office? and he says he spoke to her assistant. She said Alexis had some family matter to attend to, and he didn’t think she’d be back tonight. She says she didn’t think he would have made himself at home in her office. Why doesn’t he tell her what’s going on.

Cody comes back with Sasha, and says, he told her it was a good idea to raid the kitchen. The Quartermaines literally have everything. He has to give this biscotti another try once he soaks it in some wine. She wonders where Chase and Brook went.

Outside the gatehouse, Brook tells Chase that Michael said they had to rush Willow to the hospital, and he was forced to leave Wiley with Nina. Wiley is clinging to Nina’s side, and Michael woudn’t like that. What should they do? He says, the most important thing is to keep Wiley happy. She doesn’t have to kick Nina out. Just thank her for watching Wiley, but she can take over. Brook says she’s just hoping Nina plays along.

Inside, Wiley asks, what’s wrong with his mommy? and Nina says, his mommy’s going to be okay. His daddy will make sure his mommy is being taken care of. He took her to the hospital, and the doctors there will make sure she’s better. He says, his baby sister too? and she says, his baby sister too.

Brook says, Nina is really taking advantage of this crisis to get closer to Wiley. This is the last thing Willow would want. They have to put a stop to it. Chase says, she’s right. They just have to hope if they’re calm and upbeat, Nina will play along too. Brook says, calm and upbeat. She can do that. She thinks. Geez, they act like Nina is luring the kid into her car with some candy.

Michael looks in the window of Willow’s room, and says, don’t leave me. Come on, fight for us.

On his phone and getting in the car, Sonny says, everything’s okay. He’s on his way.

TJ says he’s not the best person to ask about Willow’s admission; he just got here. But he’ll make sure someone updates them soon. He leaves, and Josslyn says, Willow and the baby have to be fine. Carly hugs her, and says, Willow is going to be fine; the baby too. She looks at Drew.

Gregory says, Alexis sets a high standard. He always wants to impress her, so he’s here double-checking. She says, diligence and proper documentation are a way to her heart (mine too), and he says he would assume that’s especially true on a good day like today; the return of Esme Prince, the tragic demise of Dr. Westbourne. He figured it was all hands on deck. She says, which is why she needs his help. She knew that when she got that call. He says, lucky for him that he was there when she got it. It was a right place, right time kind of thing. She says, not that she doesn’t enjoy his company or his instinct, but he’s gone above and beyond. He says, the way he sees it, he owes her one, and he always repays his debts. She asks how he owes her, and he says, the night she talked his son off the proverbial ledge. She got through to him when Gregory couldn’t. So if he can lend a helping hand, it’s the least he can do. Plus the added benefit of spending more time with her. She says, consider us even. He doesn’t have to stick around if he doesn’t want to. He says, here’s your hat; what’s your hurry? She says, no, because if he’s going to stick around, he’s going to tell her why he wants to stick around. So sit down and spill, professor. They sit, and Gregory says, after all these years teaching journalism at colleges, he’s finding the actual work invigorating. Being here when a big story breaks. Telling the truth and a strong narrative; separating fact from speculation. He’s really enjoying being in the thick of things. She says, that’s because this is his first time. Tell her about it a month from now. He asks if she’s telling him that she’s not feeling any of the adrenaline rush he is, and she says she is.

Cameron says, nothing’s up with him. He’s just taking a couple of extra shifts at Kelly’s so he can pay for a new guitar amp. She says she knows when something’s wrong. Is it because Esme’s back in town? She’s sure it was a shock to find out Esme had been found. She knows she was shocked. He says he doesn’t care if Esme is pregnant or has memory loss. He hopes she goes away a long time after what she did to him and Joss. Elizabeth says, he certainly has right to be angry. Esme did unspeakable things to him and his friends. He says, and to her; Esme attacked her. She says she wouldn’t really call it an attack. Esme went for her phone and she fell. It was more like an accident. He says, nothing Esme has ever done has been an accident. Everything she’s done has been deliberate; from the revenge porn to framing Trina… Setting Ava’s car on fire. He hopes she gets what she deserves and he hopes they take that baby far away from her. She says, this is so not like him. Please tell her what is going on.

Michael joins the others, and Carly asks, how’s Willow? Josslyn asks, how’s the baby? and he says, Willow is stable and the baby seems fine. Dr. Navarro is doing an ultrasound as a precautionary measure. How did Carly know they were here? Carly says, Nina called her, and he says, right. Nina said she’d call Carly and watch Wiley until someone from the main house could come. He’s sorry. He’s just been so focused on Willow, everything else is a blur right now. Carly tells him, the only thing Nina said was that Willow collapsed. What happened? Drew tells Michael, it’s okay; it’s not a secret anymore. He told Carly about the leukemia. Josslyn says, and Sonny told her, and Michael asks how Sonny knew. Josslyn says she doesn’t know. She asked, but he didn’t say. Carly asks if it matters. They’re here for him. What does he need? Michael promises he’ll explain everything, but right now, he has to take care of something.

Sonny comes into the gatehouse through the back, and Nina tells Wiley, look who’s here. Sonny says he told her he’d be here in no time, and tells Wiley, get over here. Wiley hugs him, and he says, grandpa’s here. Everything is going to be okay. Brook walks in, and asks what Sonny is doing here. Nina says she called Sonny to let him know what happened, and she thought Wiley would like to see his grandpa. Sonny says he rushed over, and asks what Brook is doing here. Brook says, Michael texted, and wanted her to check up on Wiley. Wiley says he’s okay, and Chase asks if either one of them know what’s going on with Willow. Brook suggests Wiley brush his teeth and get ready for bed, but Wiley says he already did. She says, do it again, and she’ll give him five bucks, and he says, deal. He runs upstairs, and Nina asks if they should tell them. Brook says, they should. Willow’s baby is her family. Chase asks if there’s a problem with the baby. It’s too early for her to go into labor, right? Sonny says he hasn’t heard anything since they went to the hospital, but there’s a lot more going on than Willow just being pregnant. She has leukemia. Brook says she had no idea. Poor Willow. Poor Michael; he must be going crazy. Sonny says, they just found out, and Chase says, she’s going to be okay, right? Willow is going to be treated and be okay. Nina says, they don’t know the details, but from what they can tell, Willow’s leukemia is in Stage IV.

Cameron says he’s fine, really, but Elizabeth says her mother’s instinct tells her differently. He says, maybe he’s not fine, but there’s nothing she can do about it. There’s nothing anyone can do. She says, talk to her. Whatever it is, they can figure it out. He says, Joss broke up with him, and she says she’s so sorry. He says, and it’s all Esme’s fault. Her plan to send Trina to jail failed, but she succeeded in ruining his life. He and Josslyn never got back to where they were before. Everywhere they went, people were staring at them, talking, and laughing at them. Even when things died down, that feeling between them stayed. Elizabeth asks if that’s what Josslyn said.

Cody says, still no word from Chase? and Sasha says, nothing since he texted they were at the gatehouse, and Michael and Willow went to the hospital. She hopes Willow and the baby are going to be okay, and he says he’s sure everything will work out. He asks where she thinks Ned keeps the good wine. He looks in the credenza, and says, supposedly biscotti is better if you dip it in there. Is this even the kind of room you’d keep wine? What kind of a room do they call this? She says she believes Michael told her that they call it the solarium, and Cody laughs, saying, rich people and their fancy names. In that case – he puts on a British accent – would she care to join him for some biscotti in the solarium? She says, first of all, he’s very good at distracting people from their worries. Secondly, she’d love some biscotti.

Drew tells Carly, Willow and Nina deserve to know the truth. If Willow has taken a turn… She asks him to keep his voice down. She’s not going in there and telling her right now; Willow’s unconscious. Besides, he said they found a match. He says, Carly still has to tell her, and she says she knows that. She’s just not going to do it right now; now’s not the right time. He says, there’s never going to be a right time, and let him be clear. He’s not going to sit on this secret forever. She says she doesn’t expect him to, but right now, can’t they just pray for Willow and the baby? Because Willow making it through is all that matters.

Wiley comes back downstairs, and asks Brook, where’s his five bucks? Brook says, a promise is a promise, and gives it to him. Sonny tells Nina that he has to go to GH. He needs to see Michael, even though Michael doesn’t want him to. Michael’s his son, and he has to be there for him. Nina says, of course (🍷). She’ll go with him. Sonny asks Wiley to give him a big, big hug, and they say goodbye. Wiley tells Nina goodbye, and she tells him, even if he doesn’t see her for a while, she’s always with him. She touches her heart, and says she loves him so much. They hug, and she and Sonny go to the door. Nina turns for a moment, Wiley waves at her, and they leave.

Alexis says, Gregory is a natural at this type of work, and he says he hopes so. He taught it long enough. It’s nice to know he can put what he teaches into practice. She asks why he’s always taught journalism, and not gone out into the field. His wife was a journalist. He says, it’s just the path he took. He felt the adrenaline rush a couple of times, helping Jackie with her stories, but they were raising Chase. One of them had to have a more grounded job. She says, that was the past. He’s certainly not raising Chase now. Has he thought about giving up the lecture hall, and becoming a reporter? He says, does it sound exciting? Of course (🍷). But he thinks boots-to-the-ground reporting is a young person’s job. These days, he’s content watching from the sidelines. She says she thinks that’s bull. She thinks he’s being self-deprecating, and she thinks he doesn’t believe that. And he’s talking to somebody who found a second act. She didn’t have any choice. She blew up her first act, but that’s another story. He says, point taken, and she says, if he wants to teach, teach, but if he wants a change, go for the second act, third act. He can go for as many acts as he wants. She’s just trying to say he’s really good at this, and she would hate to see him write off possibilities for his future without ever having gone there. He says she’s definitely given him something to think about, and she says, good. If he’s going to stay here, he’s going to work. So take a look at the layouts, and tell her what he thinks.

Brook tells Wiley that he’s been through a lot tonight. Talk to her. He asks why mommy said Grandma Nina was bad, and Brook says, she actually said that? Wiley nods, and says he loves Grandma Nina. Is she bad? Brook says, his Grandma Nina has made some mistakes, but that doesn’t mean she’s bad. She and mommy just want the best for him, even though she messes up sometimes. He says he misses mommy, and Chase says, his mommy misses him too, and she’s doing everything she can to get back to him. Brook suggests Wiley make Willow a get well card.

Sonny and Nina come into the hospital, and Carly looks like she wants to disappear. Sonny says, Nina still hasn’t told him why she was at the Quartermaines, and Nina says she was worried about Wiley when they heard about Willow’s diagnosis. Unfortunately, she had words with Michael. She knows she should have stayed away. Michael comes out of Willow’s room, followed by Dr. Navarro and Terry. Terry says, they just wanted to give them and update, and Dr. Navarro says, the baby is fine. They’re going to keep monitoring her, along with working with Dr. Randolph on Willow’s treatment. Terry says, Willow is critical, but in stable condition. She’s going to look into clinical trials for her, but they’re running out of options. She wishes she had better news. Her pager goes off, and she excuses herself. Josslyn says she knows Michael is only focused on Willow right now, but she’s here if he needs anything, or Willow needs anything. Carly tells him, it’s going to be all right. They have to believe that. Drew asks why they’re looking into clinical trials. He thought Willow already had a match for a bone marrow donor. Michael says, she did. They found out at her last appointment that the donor isn’t healthy enough to go through with the transplant. Carly looks at Nina.

Cody says, Sasha lost her baby. She entered into a guardianship, and lost her husband. And he thought he had some problems. He asks if that was insensitive, and she says, pretty much, but also weirdly refreshing. She’s so used to everyone treating her with kid gloves, it’s nice to know she won’t fall apart if someone sets her off. He says she looks pretty tough to him, and she says she’s guessing he doesn’t watch the Home & Heart Shopping Network. He says he never heard of it, and she says she went on it to plug some products for Deception. They spontaneously added her to the next segment, about a papoose style baby carrier, and she wound up having a nervous breakdown on live television. He says he’s guessing that’s where the guardianship came in, and she says, originally, it was Brando, but when he died, his mother Gladys took over. He says, her mother-in-law’s name is Gladys? and she says, why? He says he knows a woman named Gladys, but it’s probably not her mother-in-law. She says, he’d know if he met her mother-in-law. She’s pretty memorable.

Brook says, Wiley’s mommy is going to love this picture. It’s just what she needs to brighten up her hospital room, and remind her of how much he loves her. Wiley says, all done, and asks if Chase will read him a story. He tells Wiley to pick one out, and Wiley runs upstairs. Chase says, Brook is really good with him, and she says, so is he. The kid loves him. He says, they shouldn’t be surprised. Does this feel familiar to her? It wasn’t that long ago, they were living together, taking care of Bailey. She says, they make a good team… He doesn’t have to stay.

Cameron tells Elizabeth, it doesn’t matter what Joss said. That sex tape was when all their problems started. She asks him to stop calling it that. It makes it sound like they made it willingly. He says, she’s right; they didn’t. It’s revenge porn, which is a crime, which Esme should rot in jail for. Everything was perfect before that. She says, he’s right in that she can’t fix this for him, but he knows she’s had her fair share of experience with heartbreak. She’s not going to pretend to know how things were with him and Josslyn. Maybe things were perfect before that video came out, but in her experience, rarely is it just one thing that breaks up a couple.

Josslyn asks why someone would put themselves on a bone marrow transplant list if they can’t go through with it, and Michael says, they must have had a condition they weren’t aware of when they signed up. Carly asks what this means for Willow and the baby, and Michael says, Willow needs a bone marrow transplant period. The doctors are just buying time until they find another match. He’s got to take a walk. Nina tells Sonny that she’s going to the chapel to say a prayer for Willow, and he says he’ll go with her. They leave, and Drew tells Carly, they need to put an end to this madness now. She nods, and says she knows what she has to do.

In the chapel, Nina asks how Sonny is doing. It must be pretty devastating for him to know what Michael is going through. He says, it’s never easy watching your kids suffer. He and Michael are estranged, and he wants to give Michael a hug, but Michael doesn’t want it. They’re just going to concentrate on Willow. They care about her so much, and she and Michael are good together. He’s just feeling like he doesn’t know what to do. She says, Sonny’s going to be there for them, and that’s enough. That’s a lot. He says he can’t abandon his son. He needs to let Michael know that. She says she’ll be here for him, and as much as they don’t want it, she’s here for Michael and Willow too.

Chase says, Brook’s the one who called him over about changes in a song he’s going to be singing tomorrow. Now she’s kicking him out? That makes perfect sense. He gets up, and she says, come on. She wasn’t born yesterday. She knows the only reason he came over was because he was worried about Willow, and wanted more information. Now they know Willow has leukemia, and she knows he wants to go to GH and see her. He says, when Nina and Sonny told them the news, his initial reaction was to rush over there, but is that what’s best for Michael and Willow? It’s already got to be awkward over there because of how Michael feels about Sonny. Not to mention how Carly and Joss feel about Sonny and Nina. Do they really want Willow’s ex-husband in the mix? He doesn’t think so. She says she knows how much he cares about Willow, and he, Michael and Willow are friends-ish again, right? He says, something like that, and she says, his mind must be going crazy with worry. Go be with them. She can take care of Wiley by herself, and cancel tomorrow’s performance. He asks if Linc won’t throw a fit, but she says she’ll handle Linc. Do what he needs to do. He says, if he goes to GH, he’ll only be in the way. If the best way to help Michael and Willow is to help her keep Wiley happy, then that’s what he’ll do

Elizabeth tells Cameron, maybe it’s easier to blame Esme for the break-up. God knows she played a big enough role. It must feel like she’s responsible for everything. It’s easy to look at one catastrophic event, and say that was it. Trust her; she’s been there. It will only drive him crazy if he keeps asking himself, what if this never happened? He says, if Esme never made the revenge porn, if Trina had never gone to trial, if none of those things would have happened, he’s certain he and Josslyn would still be together. She says, but if he really thinks about it, there were other issues too. Didn’t he keep Spencer’s secret that he was only pretending to believe Esme, and didn’t tell Josslyn? Regardless of the reasoning, that hurt the communication between them. He says, maybe, but it still doesn’t make it hurt any less. She says she knows Josslyn was his first girlfriend, and his first love; it’s going to hurt. But she also knows that one day he’ll be able to look back on the time he had with her, and instead of all this pain, he’ll feel grateful for what he did have.

Josslyn hugs Michael, and he thanks her for being here. She asks, where else she would be? Why didn’t he tell them? He says, first of all, because Willow didn’t tell him. Chemo is dangerous for a baby in the first trimester so she decided to wait. She didn’t want him to worry, so she didn’t tell him. By the time she told him, it was safe to start chemo, but the leukemia had already advanced. She says she’s so sorry, and he says, it’s Willow’s fight and she can do this the way she has to, but even after she told him, she didn’t want anyone else to know. She thought it was the best way to protect Wiley, so he wouldn’t be afraid. He’s reaching that age now where he’s more perceptive. She thought if Josslyn or their mom looked at her with worry, Wiley would pick up on it and realize something was wrong. She says, it makes sense; he’s a smart little boy. Her phone dings, and she sees a text from Dex: Thinking about you. Hope everything is okay. He says, Cameron? but she says, no, someone else. Is there anything she can do? She knows it feels like an empty gesture, but she’d do anything. He says, just be here with him, and she says, done. He puts his arm around her, and she puts her head on his shoulder.

Carly goes into Willow’s room, and asks TJ, how is she? He says, her vital signs are stable, but they’re not sure when she’s going to wake up. She’d appreciate Carly being here either way. He leaves, and Carly sits by the bed. She says she needs Willow to wake up. She’s so sorry. If she had known… She never intended for anything like this to happen. She loves Willow like a daughter. Please wake up. She has to tell Willow something that may save her life. Willow stirs a little, and Carly says, if you can hear the sound of my voice, it’s Carly. Please wake up. Visibly uncomfortable, Carly leaves.

Carly tells Drew, Willow’s still sleeping. She tried to wake Willow up. He says, she can tell Willow later, but she says, they’re past that. Will he stay with Michael? He says, of course (🍷), and she says, will he tell him? Tell Michael she’s so sorry… please. She starts to leave, and he asks where she’s going. She says she’s going to do what she has to do.

Chase reads, all you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. True courage is in facing danger when you’re afraid, and that kind of courage, you have in plenty. He looks at Brook and Wiley sleeping, and says, goodnight, Wiley. Goodnight, Brook Lynn. Don’t worry. He’ll stand watch.

Cameron thanks Elizabeth for the talk, and she says, even if he didn’t like what she had to say? He says, she was just telling him the truth. If he continues to blame Esme for the break-up, it’s just going to fuel his anger. Now that he realizes he and Josslyn both played parts in them ending, it’s just making him sad. She says she’s so sorry, and he says he’s got to finish up, and she says, before he goes, she wants to remind him that she loves him. She’s always here for him. She starts to leave, and he says he loves her too, and they hug.

Sasha tells Cody, she read in The Invader that Britt died because she stepped in to rescue someone from The Hook. She actually saved a life, and not just by being a doctor; by being a kickass hero. He says, and that was just a week after she delivered a miracle baby on Christmas in the Quartermaine house. She says, Brando died protecting someone too. He was following Josslyn Jax to make sure she was safe. Cody says, sounds like he was a hero also. He’s grateful Britt was in his life, even if it was for a short time. She says she and Brando survived a lot of problems, but she still loved her life with him. Even knowing how it ended, she’d do it again in a heartbeat. He says, to Britt and Brando, and they clink their biscotti.

Gregory says, finished. He’ll get out of Alexis’s hair. She thanks him for his help, and says she couldn’t done without him. He says, now who’s being falsely modest? and she says, okay. She could have done it without him, but she’s glad she didn’t have to. He says, it was a pleasure. He likes spending time with her. This was fun. Have a good night. She says, him too, and he leaves. Her phone rings, and she says she just got back in the office. Can this wait?… Well now you’ve got my attention.

Josslyn sits by Willow’s bedside, and says she’s so sorry this is happening to her. She and Michael are so good together, and Wiley is such a happy little boy. This baby could not be born into a better family. And she will be born. And she will be healthy. And Willow will be there with her. Willow’s got to believe that. All of this, the doctors, the medicine, is all important of course (🍷), but so is believing. She’s going make it, and they’ll all be here for her. Her phone rings, and she says, right now?… Okay, she’ll be there.

Michael thanks TJ, and says he knows TJ has done a lot to support Willow. TJ says, that’s what friends do. If he needs anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask. Michael says he appreciates it, and TJ leaves. Michael sees Drew, and asks if Drew knows where his mom went. Drew says, she went to see Nina, and Michael says, this night’s bad enough already. Why would she want to talk to Nina of all people? Drew says, there’s something Michael needs to know.

Still turning herself inside out, Carly goes to the chapel. She asks if she can talk to Nina alone, and Sonny leaves. Carly closes the door.

Tomorrow, Jordan asks why someone didn’t come forward; Alexis tells Spencer that she’s looking for the truth; and Carly tells Nina, she may be the only person on earth who can help. I can’t wait.

💟 Glad To Hear It…

That little tribute at the end of yesterday’s episode must have been to keep the fans at bay until they could put together something more befitting Epiphany.

🧨 And Don’t Call Her Granny…

Good soap actors never really retire.

💃🏽 Welcome To the Nurses Ball…

It’s going to be quite a spring in Port Charles.

🥀 First Farewell…

Passions was a great show – so much fun.

🍊 Close, But No Cigar…

Good thing Ramona is on the east coast.

🕶 Traitors Among Traitors…

I love it. There are 20 contestants comprised of 10 reality stars and 10 normal people.

👠 Life After Housewives…

Do we care? Here it is anyway.

👗 After the Ball Is Over…

Golden Globes afterparty fashion.

🐊 And Of Course There Was a Peke…

No Corgi for Queen Victoria.

https://www.historyextra.com/period/tudor/anne-boleyns-lapdog-and-john-quincy-adamss-alligator-10-famous-people-in-history-and-their-bizarre-pets/

🧺 Housekeeping Stuck In 2023…

Will Carly spill her guts tomorrow? Come back and find out, as well as enjoy some tea, quotes, and music. Until then, stay safe, stay asking for help when you need it, and stay going for as many acts as you want.

January 10, 2023 – Drew Confronts Carly About the Search, Bye From Britt, Sonja’s Sunset, Get Out, You Too, Traitors Coming, Eli’s Thanksgiving, Special Pups (!) & Family

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Willow stares at the fireplace, when Michael and Wiley come in with a plate of cookies. She says, just what the doctor ordered, and Wiley asks if the doctor told her to have dessert. Michael says, it’s just something people say, and Wiley asks, why? Willow tells him, in this case, it means she can’t think of a better way to spend time; just the three of them. Wiley says, when his little sister is born, it will be four of them. That’s a lot.

Drew walks into Sonny’s ex-kitchen and current home of the great moss bowl🎍, and Carly says, he’s right on time. He takes off his jacket, and she asks if everything is okay. He says he’d feel like an ass if he kissed her, and then ambushed her with a question, and she says, ask her the question. He asks why she doesn’t want to find Willow’s birth mother.

Sonny asks Nina, where did these papers come from? and she says, Aunt Liesl cleaned out Britt’s office, including some papers she shouldn’t have. She was going to sort through it and return the papers that belonged to the hospital… Why? He says, see for herself, handing her a document, and she sees it’s Willow’s chemotherapy report. She says, Willow’s getting chemotherapy.

Josslyn knocks at Dex’s door, and she asks if she can come in. He says, of course (🍷), and she walks inside, saying, she can’t stop thinking about Britt. If Britt hadn’t held off The Hook, she would be dead by now. He tells her, stop, but she says, listen to her. She couldn’t have held The Hook off by herself, and by the time Dex got to the pier, it would have been too late. Britt got cut saving her. The Hook was after her. It all happened because of her. He says, what you’re feeling is survivor’s guilt, and if you’re not careful, it can really mess you up.

Esme wonders if she can ask Elizabeth a question, and Elizabeth says she doesn’t know if she can answer it, but she’ll try. Esme asks if Elizabeth thinks her lawyer is any good. She’s being accused of all these terrible things, and he thinks if they can find out where she’s been hiding out these past few months, she’ll have an alibi.

Spencer asks why Laura is at the hospital, and she says she wanted to see him. He says, maybe she doesn’t approve of him moving in with Uncle Sonny, but he had to get out of Windymere, and she says she’s happy he’s with Sonny. She just wanted to see for herself how he’s doing. He says, truthfully, he’s heartbroken that Britt is dead, and if Esme killed her, if she’s The Hook, then she needs to be held accountable.

Walking to the porch at Windymere, Dante asks Jordan if they’re going to wait for a warrant. She says, unless they can get the judge to sign one in the next ten minutes, they’ll have to hope Nikolas cooperates, and Dante says he wishes her good luck with that one. When he questioned Nikolas this morning, the only thing Nikolas would tell him is that he’s the father of Esme’s baby. She asks if the lab turned up anything from Esme’s personal effects, and he says, the only thing she had was a Christmas ornament. She asks if he’s sure it was on her, and he says, she definitely had it; he asked the doctor. She asks if they can trace it, and he says, it wasn’t mass produced. It’s from Poland, and it’s hand-painted. If they can find out who painted it, maybe they can find out who it was sold to.

Victor tells Nikolas, there was a fire in the north tower; a Christmas tree went up in flames. Who would put a Christmas tree in an unused bedroom? His guess is, the same person who put toiletries in the bathroom, or clothes in the closet. Nothing fancy. Just some sweats, loose-fitting, suitable for a pregnant woman. Nikolas has been keeping Esme prisoner, hasn’t he? Right under Victor’s nose.

Nina says, this is personal medical information. Maybe they shouldn’t be looking at this. But Sonny says, if she thinks it’s a violation of her ethics, look at it this way; he found it, she didn’t. She asks what he’s going to do with it, and he says, Willow is Wiley’s mother. She’s carrying his grandchild. He doesn’t care what’s going on as far as the fighting goes; she’s still family. He’s going to do everything he can to find out about her condition. She says she doesn’t care about right or wrong. She only wants to help Willow.

Wiley asks what his baby sister’s name is, but Michael says, they haven’t chosen one yet. What does he think it should be? Wiley says, Annabelle III, but Michael says, that might be confusing for the baby and the dog to have the same name. Any other ideas? Wiley says, T’chooka. His sister could be a dead-eyed Padawan. Michael says, that’s interesting. They’ll have to think about that one. What does Willow think? Wiping tears from her eyes without them seeing, Willow says she thinks her eyes are bigger than her stomach. She’s going to save the cookie for a late night treat. Michael says, speaking of late night, it’s past Wiley’s bedtime. He suggests Wiley get in his PJs, and he’ll read Wiley a bedtime story. Wiley says goodnight to Willow, and she tells him, sweet dreams. He gives her bump a kiss, telling his little sister to take good care of mommy. Michael brings Wiley upstairs, as they discuss which story to read, and Willow cries.

Drew says, ever since he first told Carly that he was searching for Willow’s birth parents, he felt resistance. She pours them some wine, and he says, when he told her he tracked down a source, she questioned their credibility. When he mentioned he had some great information, she was opposed to telling Willow. She asks if he thinks she was wrong, and he says, at the time, the reason seemed to make sense to him. Once they told Willow her birth mother was dead, why get her hopes up? When they found out that was a lie, why stress her out, telling her that she might have been kidnapped, and stolen from her birth parents? But then he took a step back, and there was a pattern there, and the pattern became very clear. She doesn’t want Willow’s birth parents to be found. She says, no, she doesn’t.

Dex says, of course (🍷) Josslyn is grateful to Britt; he’s grateful too. He doesn’t even want to think about how he’d be feeling if Josslyn had gotten killed. But there’s only one person responsible for Britt’s death, and that is The Hook. He’s sorrier than he can say that he’s not a better shot, and didn’t kill The Hook when he had the chance. She says she’s sorry too. The world would be a much safer and happier place. But even if he’d shot The Hook, there’s no guarantee Britt would have survived. There was poison in her system; she didn’t even know it. Does he think it would have made a difference? They took off and left Britt to cover for them. Does that make them partly responsible for her death?

Esme tells Elizabeth, Mr. Grey seems very competent. He seems like he cares about defending her, but she’s not paying him. He’s defending her for free. How does she know if she can trust him or his strategy? He says if she can get an alibi… but she has no idea where she’s been for the past few months – or her whole life for that matter. She doesn’t know how she got here. She doesn’t know who got her pregnant… Elizabeth says, she’ll remember, but Esme says, what if she doesn’t? Elizabeth says, traumatic memory loss isn’t uncommon. Permanent memory loss does happen, but it’s pretty rare, so the chances she’ll remember are good. But to answer her question, Mr. Grey is a great attorney. She thinks Esme can trust him.

Spencer says, if Esme is The Hook, Britt is dead because of him, because he brought Esme to Port Charles, but Laura says, no. They’ve talked about this. He isn’t responsible for anything Esme does. If Esme is The Hook; that hasn’t been proven yet. She’s in her third trimester of her pregnancy. Laura thinks it’s highly unlikely she’d have the physical strength to attack Britt with a hook. He says, she doesn’t know Esme like he does. She can do a lot of damage when she wants. Laura says, there isn’t just Esme to consider. There’s also a baby.

Victor asks if Nikolas had a plan. Did he have an end game, or was he just winging it; keeping Esme prisoner because he couldn’t think of anything else to do? Nikolas says, Esme turned up alive and pregnant with his child. He had every reason to believe she was The Hook. He couldn’t allow her to harm anyone else, but he couldn’t turn her over to the police, and risk her giving birth to his unborn child while incarcerated. Victor says, so he lured her to Windymere, but Nikolas says, she was already here. She was stealing money from his safe. He took her to a tower bedroom, and locked her in. He enlisted Demetrius to take care of her, and that was his mistake. Esme was able to manipulate Demetrius. Victor says, Esme manipulated Nikolas. She fooled him into putting her somewhere she could easily escape from – which she did. Very successfully, he might add. She’s cunning, creative, and she’s able to keep a cool head. Qualities Nikolas soundly lacks. He’s been protecting Nikolas for the sake of this family, but perhaps the Cassadines would be better off if they cut their losses. The doorbell rings, and Nikolas answers it. It’s Dante and Jordan, who says, they have more questions for him about Esme Prince.

Carly and Drew gravitate to the moss bowl, and Carly says, after Willow learned the truth about Harmony, Willow made the decision not to look for her birth parents, and she was relieved. Drew asks, why? He’s confused. He and Carly both grew up without their biological family, and they both went searching for answers. Unlike him, Carly found her mother right away. He waited years to connect with the Quartermaines. The point is, she and Bobbie have a strong, loving relationship. Why doesn’t she want that for Willow? Carly says, because Willow was afraid her birth mother would turn out to be someone like Nina. And the truth is, all reunions aren’t happy; some of them are awful. And Willow has had so much loss and pain, she wanted to spare Willow any more. Drew says, that wasn’t her call to make.

Nina tells Sonny, the doctor’s notes say, Willow was originally diagnosed with leukemia in late August, but she didn’t start her first round of chemotherapy until later November. Sonny wonders, why the delay? and Nina says, when Willow was first diagnosed, she was in Stage Two. By the time she received treatment, she was in Stage Four. He says, the doctors must have warned her. You don’t get diagnosed with leukemia, and wait three months to get treatment. She says, you do if you’re pregnant.

Michael says, once again, Goodnight Moon does the trick, and Willow says, bedtime’s best friend. He sees she’s been crying, and asks, what happened? She says, chemo isn’t working, and her marrow donor can’t donate. She can barely be a mother to Wiley. She can’t join in the conversation, or ask about his day, or even eat a damn cookie. He says, Wiley will be okay, but she says, he’s not okay. He knows something’s wrong and he’s scared. It’s all her fault. The whole thing is her fault. Michael holds her as she cries.

Dex says, Josslyn was willing to stay and talk to the police. He was the one who asked Britt to cover for them; he didn’t want to explain the gun. It’s on him. She says, he didn’t drag her. She left with him willingly. And yeah, Britt told them she had it covered. There was no reason not to believe her, but she feels like she’s alive at Britt’s expense. He says, maybe there’s another way to look at this. Britt saved her life, so doesn’t she owe it to Britt to live the best life she can?

Nikolas says he already sat through one pointless investigation at the PCPD. If they want to ask him more questions, they can call his lawyer. Victor says, nonsense, and tells them to come in. He asks how they can be of help, and Dante says, Esme Prince showed up on the Haunted Star in the early morning hours of January 1st. She was soaking wet and suffering from hypothermia. Which Nikolas is aware of since he showed up at the hospital with Elizabeth. Nikolas asks if it’s a crime to show concern, and Dante says, the last time Esme was seen was back in November on Pier 55, which is near the Haunted Star, and coincidentally near where the boat to Windymere docks. Since she used to live here, they think maybe she was hiding out on Spoon Island, or even right here in this house.

Laura tells Spencer, whatever Esme has or hasn’t done, that baby is innocent. Britt is gone, and there’s nothing he can do to bring her back, but he can do something to make sure Esme’s baby is born safely. Don’t confront Esme. Don’t interrogate her about Britt or anything else. He says, what if she’s lying about the memory loss? and Laura says, she’s not lying about the pregnancy. The priority right now should be the health and safety of that baby. That means allowing Esme to rest and recover. Elizabeth comes out of Esme’s room, and Spencer asks if Esme is awake. Elizabeth says, awake and alert, and he says he’d like to see her. Laura tells the guard to let Commissioner Ashford know that she okayed the visit, and Spencer thanks her. He knocks at Esme’s door, and she says, yes? He walks in, and she asks if she knows him.

Nikolas says he thinks he’d know if Esme was living in his house, and Jordan says, it’s a big house. There must be plenty of rooms that go unused. Esme could have taken refuge in any one of them, and Nikolas would never know, which is why they’d like to search the premises. Nikolas says, absolutely not, and Dante says, come on. They search the house, find out Esme was never here, and they can move on with their investigation. Nikolas says, if they want to search his house, get a warrant. And for that, they’ll need to show probable cause, and there isn’t any. Jordan says, DA Scorpio found plenty of evidence and was able to get Judge Winters to sign off on a warrant, but she thought she’d spare them the time and trouble by giving Nikolas the option to voluntarily agree to the search. Nikolas asks what evidence Robert has, and Victor says, they appreciate the courtesy, but they have nothing to hide. So feel free to search the house. Nikolas says, it could take hours, and Victor says, best get started then. He tells Nikolas to accompany the detective and his officers so they don’t get lost.

Dex tells Josslyn, the way he gives thanks for his life is by living it. Maybe she could try it. She says, maybe she could, and they kiss.

Nina tells Sonny, apparently the danger chemotherapy poses to the fetus is higher in the first trimester because the organs are developing. It’s safer for the baby in the second or third trimester. He says, safer for the baby, but not for Willow, and Nina says she has no idea how Willow is getting through this. To find out she’s pregnant, then be diagnosed with a life threatening illness; to have to choose between your health and the health of your unborn baby? Sonny takes her hand.

Willow sits up, and Michael asks, what’s wrong? She says, it’s not fair to lean on him, and he says she agreed to marry him, and that’s what married people do; they lean on each other. She asks why he’s not angry with her. She didn’t share her diagnosis with him, and didn’t include him in her decision making. She didn’t give him a vote. She gambled with her life, with Wiley’s security and future, and with everything they planned together, and now it looks like she lost.

Drew says, Carly fights like hell when someone tries to make choices for her. He’s confused. What made her decide what Willow could or couldn’t know about her own family? Carly says, Willow didn’t want to know, and he says, she reconsidered and decided she wants to track down her family. Not only that, she asked him to help search. Carly says she gets that, but Willow was having a hard pregnancy. The last thing she needs is stress. She thought it was best not to open the door to total strangers with whom Willow shares biology and nothing else. He says, she denied Willow her own family, and Carly says, Willow has family. She has her, and Michael, and Wiley, and Drew, and the Quartermaines. He says, enough excuses. Willow’s biological family can give her things that none of them can.

Nina tells Sonny, after one of her many clashes with Willow, she tracked them down at the hospital. She found them in Terry’s office. She’s an oncologist. Nina didn’t think much about it then, but – she picks up the document – Terry is treating Willow. Sonny says, Willow and Michael probably want to keep it quiet; the family didn’t say anything to him. She says, they probably do. They probably don’t want to upset Wiley. By delaying treatment, Willow is risking leaving Wiley, leaving him without the only mother he’s ever known. It must be so difficult for her. Nina wonders how much influence Michael had in Willow’s decision to delay cancer treatment. They know Michael is very selfish. He’s focused and single-minded in getting what he wants. Sonny says, this family infighting has to stop. They have to pull it together for Willow.

Carly tells Drew, she gets it. Willow is pregnant, and she wants her medical history to be complete for her baby’s sake. She understands that, but felt the emotional consideration outweighed it, so she obstructed his efforts… pretty considerably. He says, describe considerably, and she says, when he tracked down Denise Mackenzie, the firefighter who was on the commune with Harmony, she intercepted Denise before their meeting, and paid her to back Harmony’s original story about getting Willow from some mythical Joan. Then when Denise recanted, she paid Denise off for not giving her up. He says, when she went out after Denise to give her glove back. Carly says, then most recently, she found information on the commune leader Josiah, she took it and hid it, so Drew couldn’t follow up on him. Drew says, so the whole time they were supposed to be working together, she was sabotaging him.

Michael says he understands Willow is disappointed and frustrated; he is too. But they found a bone marrow match, and they’ll find another. There’s still time. She says, there’s a lot less time than when she was first diagnosed. When she made the choice not to tell him about her diagnosis or include him in her decision to wait, which is the opposite of how he’s always treated her. He didn’t have to include her in Wiley’s life, much less let her adopt him. Michael trusted her with his son. He made Wiley their son, and now she may be leaving them both. At the very moment she should have shared with him, she shut him out. Why doesn’t he hate her for that?

Laura asks Elizabeth how Esme seems, and Elizabeth says, if this is Laura’s way of asking if she thinks Esme is faking the memory loss, her answer is, she doesn’t know. Laura says, Doc started to assess her, but her brother threw him out of the room. Doc would never violate patient privacy, so he hasn’t said anything, but she has the feeling he believes Esme. He got to see Esme in all her manipulative glory when she was living with them, so she thinks he’d know if Esme was lying. Elizabeth says, maybe they’ll get lucky and she’ll never remember, and Laura asks why that would be a good thing.

Spencer introduces himself to Esme, and says, he and his friend Trina Robinson brought her to the hospital. Esme thanks him for that, and he asks how she’s feeling. She says she’s see-sawing between numb and total panic. They say she could be charged with everything from revenge porn to attempted murder, which is really scary. She doesn’t suppose he knows where she’s been hiding these past few months. Apparently it’s the only thing that could exonerate her.

Jordan asks how much contact Victor had with Esme, and he says, minimal really. He lived at the MetroCourt until recently. He and Esme never lived at Windymere at the same time. She says, their paths never crossed? and he says, occasionally, when she was dating Spencer. Their interactions were superficial at best. She says, what about Nikolas? How would Victor characterize his actions with Esme?

In front of Esme’s old prison room, Dante asks, what’s in here? and Nikolas says, a bedroom. Dante asks if anyone is using it, and Nikolas says, it’s possible one of the staff could be staying there. Dante says, Nikolas lets the staff stay with him? He thought they’d be out on the grounds. Nikolas says, like the Commissioner pointed out, it’s a big house, and if for whatever reason one of the staff needed to stay the night, he doesn’t see the harm. Dante says he’d like to check the room out, but Nikolas says, it’s locked. Dante tries the door, and it opens.

Carly says she’s so sorry for misleading Drew, and he says, lying to him. She says she made the choice to protect Willow long before they got together, but he says, there’s no contract. There’s no pre-existing condition clause. This is about them trusting each other. He let her in on an investigation, and she took advantage of his trust to undermine it. She says she was protecting Willow. Doesn’t he understand? He says she knew damn well Willow asked him to do the search, and he gets that Willow was initially resistant to finding out her birth mother, but once Carly knew she reconsidered, didn’t that change her calculations? She says she was conflicted, but then she decided Willow was better off not knowing. Drew says, if Carly knew the complete information about Willow’s health situation, she would have reacted differently, and Carly asks what he’s talking about. Is there something wrong with Willow? He says, she has leukemia.

Michael says he could never hate Willow. He wishes she’d shared her diagnosis with him from the start, but he understands why she didn’t. He’ll never forget the pain of losing Jonah, and knows she won’t either. She chose to protect the life she’s carrying the best way she could, and he’s good with that. She says she was selfish, and he says she’s the least selfish person he knows. She says she did what she wanted and if she chose wrong, he and Wiley will be left alone. He says, they’re not going to lose her, but she says, he can’t promise that. He says he can promise this much. He’ll never regret any day he’s spent with her, or making her Wiley’s mother. He’ll never regret the love she’s given Wiley, and the place she has in his life. Even if Wiley has to grow up without her, her love will sustain him. Even if Wiley doesn’t consciously remember it, Michael will remember all of it. And he’ll love her for the rest of his life. He kisses her.

Basking in the afterglow on Dex’s couch, since he apparently doesn’t have a bed, Josslyn says, this was not the plan. He asks if she regrets it, but she says, no. He says, good. Because if he hasn’t made it clear, he doesn’t want this to be a one or two time thing. She says, neither does she. She doesn’t know what she feels for him, but she knows it’s strong. He says, him too, and kisses her. Her phone dings, and she says, sorry. It might be her mom, and she’ll freak out if Josslyn doesn’t answer. She looks at the phone and says, unbelievable. She shows it to Dex, and he reads a text from Sonny: Need to see you. My office. Important. She says, how dare Sonny summon her like that?. She starts getting dressed, and says, he has no right. Who does he think he is? Dex asks where she’s going, and she says, Sonny’s office. She’s going to tell him that she’s going to see who she wants to see, and it’s none of his damn business.

Elizabeth tells Laura, if she was Esme, she’d want to forget everything too; the crimes, the mistakes. She could almost wish that for her own life… Not really of course (🍷). She’d never want to forget her kids or the people she loves, but it would be nice to forget the ways she’s messed up. Laura asks if this would have anything to do with what’s going on between her and Nikolas.

Spencer says, sorry. He has no alibi for Esme, and she says she supposes he never laid eyes on her before he and his friend brought her to the hospital. He says, that’s not true. He knows her better than anyone else in Port Charles. She asks, how? From where? Does he know why she’s in Port Charles? Does he really think she did all this crazy stuff?

Jordan asks Dante if the search is finished, but he says, the officers are still searching. Nikolas was kind enough to show him the north wing. Victor says, don’t keep them in suspense, and Dante says, they checked out the room at the top; no sign of Esme. Nikolas tells them, he said it was a waste of time, but Jordan says, due diligence is never a waste of time. If the officers find anything of interest, she and Dante may have to return and search further. They’ll be sure to bring a warrant. Nikolas says he’ll show them out, and Jordan thanks him for his time. She and Dante leave, and outside, she says, well? Dante says, the tower room has been cleaned and painted. He could smell the cleaning agents, and smell the paint; probably in the last few hours. They’ve definitely been hiding something or someone up there. Inside, Nikolas asks why Victor agreed to the search, and Victor says, because there was nothing to find. He had Demetrius do a thorough cleaning, and put everything in storage. He kept everything; ample evidence of Esme’s imprisonment. He takes the broken ornament out of his pocket, and says, just in case he needs to ensure Nikolas’s future cooperation

Elizabeth tells Laura that Nikolas is her oldest friend. They have a lot of history, and he knows her like nobody else does. She knows him too. She knows he can be selfish and reckless, and makes foolish choices. She also knows him to be generous and loving, and for the most part, he had good intentions. Laura says, Elizabeth has always been loyal to her son. She sees the good in him, and she thanks Elizabeth for that. She treasures Elizabeth, and not just because she’s the mother of her grandchildren. She’s known Elizabeth most of her life, and thinks of Elizabeth as another daughter. Elizabeth says, that means a lot to her, and Laura says, she’s very worried right now. She feels Nikolas has backed himself into a corner, and he’s in a very dark place.

Spencer says, he and Esme went to boarding school in France: Ecole Internationale de Chatel. She says, it doesn’t ring a bell, and he says he has family in Port Charles. When he graduated from boarding school, he came back here, and he brought her with him. She says, as a buddy? but he says, they were dating. She was his girlfriend and they broke up… for many reasons. She asks, how long ago did they break up? Is this his baby? He says, possibly.

On the phone, Dex says, call me. We’ve got a problem.

Josslyn strides into Sonny’s office, and says, before he starts in, she has a few things to say about the way she chooses to live her life, and how it’s none of his damn business.

Michael tucks Willow in, and she thanks him. She tells him not to let her sleep too late. She wants to see Wiley off to school. Maybe they can all have breakfast together in the morning. Michael says, they’ll figure it out. Just get some rest. She tells him that she loves him, and he says he loves her too. There’s a knock at the door, and he goes downstairs. Nina is there, and he says, it’s not a good time. She says she realizes that, and knows he doesn’t want her here, so she’ll make it quick. She needs to talk about her grandson.

Carly says, Willow has leukemia? and Drew says, Stage Four. She says, oh my God. That’s why she’s so pale and… weak. That’s why she fainted, and why Michael has been hovering, and… Why didn’t she see it? He says, Willow has been going out of her way to keep it a secret. Michael didn’t even know until she was in her second trimester. Drew just found out a few weeks ago. She asks how he found out, and he says, at first, Willow was saying the search was for medical history, but he knew there was more to it. Then she admitted she needs a bone marrow transplant. Carly says, and the best chance for a match is with a family member. He says, that’s why he stepped up the search, and she says, he doesn’t need to search. Nina is Willow’s birth mother.

Tomorrow, Chase says, Gladys won’t have to be Sasha’s guardian much longer; Drew asks if Carly was ever going to tell Willow; and Josslyn tells Dex that her life is falling apart, and she doesn’t know what to do about it.

👩🏻‍⚕️ Last Wave…

I’m sad to see her go, but she did get quite an exit.

🥀 In Memoriam…

A beautiful tribute to one taken too soon.

👠 Please Leave Now…

Is he actually watching the show?

https://people.com/tv/harry-hamlin-says-lisa-rinna-made-the-right-decision-to-leave-rhobh-exclusive/

Bless her heart.

💎 No More Diamond For You…

Another one who shouldn’t let the door hit her on the way out.

💣 Reality Turncoats…

I guess Alan Cumming needed to pay his mortgage.

🍗 At Long Last…

It’s about time. Machete is ahead by two films and a trailer.

🐶 Something Special In the Bowl…

Ending on an adorable note. I love a dog with special needs.

https://people.com/pets/puppy-bowl-2023-dogs-with-special-needs/

🌃 Yesterday Once More…

Swing by tomorrow for more soap, tea, and a tune. Until then, stay safe, stay ambitious, but not arrogant, and stay giving thanks for your life by living it.

January 6, 2023 – Josslyn Admits Being the Target, Sad Exit, Spotlight, Salty Sentence, Get Out, She’d Rather, Traitors Trailer, Cuteness, a Handful Of Quotes & Eighth

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Nina looks through the box in Britt’s office, and takes out a photograph. She says, Britt, look at you, so beautiful. She takes out a trophy, and says, Doctor of the Year for everything you did to help people. Everything you still could have done. It’s not fair.

Going into the stables, Wiley says he wanted to stay out with Thor, but Michael says, they can go back in a bit. Wiley asks if it’s because mommy’s tired, but Michael says, it’s cold outside. They just came in to warm up. They sit down, and Wiley insists he isn’t cold, but Michael says, it’s freezing. Wiley’s nose is about to fall off. Wiley says, it isn’t, but Michael says, what about this? doing the old I-got-your-nose thing, and Wiley says, it’s his thumb. Michael asks if he’s sure, and says he better check. Wiley touches his nose, and says, when his baby sister comes, she’s going to guard his nose and he’s going to guard hers. He can’t wait for her to be here. Michael says, neither can we.

On the phone, Drew says, he knows that Claiborne County Colorado is a rural area, but he doesn’t understand how, in this digital age, there can be three Josiahs out there they can’t find addresses for… That’s a great idea. Keep on it, and remember, a woman’s life could depend on it.

The moss bowl🎍! Bigger and badder in 2023. Josslyn shuffles into the kitchen, saying, she barely slept. She sees Dex with Carly,

Spencer walks into Kelly’s, and says, Cameron looks how he feels. Cameron says he worked late last night. He wasn’t supposed to come in this morning, but someone called in sick, so here he is. He’s on his break though, so coffee? Spencer says, double espresso… He’s just kidding. Coffee’s fine. He sits down, and Cameron pours him some coffee. He says, the good news is, Esme’s in custody. The bad news is, she’s pregnant. Cameron says he’s going to need Spencer to say that one more time. They found Esme, and she’s pregnant? Spencer says, yes, which brings him to his question. Does Cameron have any tips on being a good big brother?

Obrecht goes into Esme’s room, dressed in Britt’s lab coat, and Esme says she can’t sleep. Can she get something stronger? Obrecht closes the door, and says, yes. She can arrange that.

Nikolas asks if Elizabeth is sure the baby is okay, and she says she told him; the baby’s heart pattern looks good, no signs of distress. He says he still can’t believe Esme jumped. It’s a miracle, right? Elizabeth says, she’s one lucky girl, and he says he’s glad Marty decided to take her case, but he wishes he could get in there to talk to Esme. She says, that’s not going to happen.

Esme asks who Obrecht is, and Obrecht says she’s glad Esme asked. She’s a mother whose daughter has been taken from her. Esme asks what she wants, and Obrecht says, her pound of flesh.

Elizabeth says, Nikolas needs to stay as far away from Esme as possible, and he says, if Esme is faking, he’ll know. Elizabeth asks why she would. She has all the leverage if she remembers. He could bring back those memories. Does he want to risk that? He says, of course (🍷) not, but Elizabeth went in there, and Esme didn’t remember her. Elizabeth says she’s not the father of Esme’s baby, and she’s not the last face Esme saw before she chucked herself off the parapet. He says he wants to see Esme for himself, but she says, too bad. The longer it takes for Esme to remember, the better it is for them. He tells her, it’s going to be okay. As they speak, Demetrius is cleaning every piece of evidence that Esme was in the north tower. Once he’s done, it’s going to be Esme’s word against theirs. She tells him, in the meantime, stay away from her.

Drew goes into the stables, and says hello to Michael, Willow, and Wiley. He says he came by to see if he could take Carmen for a ride, and Wiley asks if he met Thor. Drew says he didn’t, and asks if Thor brought his hammer. Michael says, Thor is what Wiley named the new foal, and Drew says, of course (🍷). He saw Thor out there; he just didn’t know the foal had a name. Wiley asks if he can take Uncle Drew to meet Thor, and Willow says, Wiley is so excited about the new horse, they can’t keep up with him. Wiley says, mommy and daddy are too old, and Drew laughs, saying, he would love it if Wiley introduced him to the one and only Thor. Wiley says, yay! and he leaves with Drew. Willow says she just needs a minute, and Michael says, she’s got it.

Josslyn asks what Dex is doing here, and he says he needed to talk to her. Did she hear about Dr. Westbourne? Josslyn says, what about her? and Carly says, there was another hook attack last night. Josslyn says, that’s awful, and asks why The Hook would attack Britt. Carly says, the way she understands it, The Hook was after someone else, Britt intervened, and the intended victim got away. Josslyn says, that’s good. No one got hurt, right? They don’t say anything, and Josslyn says, Britt’s okay, isn’t she? Carly takes Josslyn’s hands, and says, no, she’s not. Britt died. Josslyn says, but Britt was fine, and Carly says, according to The Invader, she suffered a scratch. The hook had poison on it, and Britt collapsed about an hour later. Josslyn asks if she was alone, but Carly says, she was with her mom. She knows it’s terrible… and Josslyn says, this happened because of me.

Cameron and Spencer sit at a table, and Cameron asks if Spencer knew that Esme and his father… Spencer says he found out before he went to Pentenville. He knew his father slept with Esme, but didn’t know Esme was pregnant until last night. Cameron asks how long Spencer’s father has known, but Spencer says he has no idea. However, he definitely got the impression his father knew before last night. Cameron asks if Esme admitted to attacking people with a hook, and Spencer says, of course (🍷) not. Can he imagine Esme admitting to anything, ever? She said she can’t remember a thing.

Sonny comes by Britt’s office with Frank, and Nina thanks him for meeting her there. She tells him, there are reporters all around the MetroCourt, hoping to get a quote about Britt. She had security try to… What? He says, they’re vultures, and she says she hopes they don’t get ahold of Aunt Liesl, because that won’t be pretty. Sonny asks if it’s just the one box, and asks Frank to take it to Nina’s car. He asks how Nina is doing, and she says, not great. She’s worried about Aunt Liesl. She already talked to Scotty this morning, and she’s broken. He says, she’s grieving. She lost a child; there’s no greater pain. Nina says, she doesn’t handle grief well. Who does? She’s supposed to be here. She packed that box. Where does he think she is? He asks if Obrecht knows that Esme is in this hospital, and Nina says, no, and runs out the door.

Esme says, a pound of flesh? Is Obrecht talking about her? Obrecht says, yes. Perhaps she recognizes another quote, from a Scottish tragedy, in which a certain lady says, look like the innocent flower, but be a serpent under it. Esme feels around for the call button,  but Obrecht snatches it away. She takes out a syringe, and Esme says she doesn’t know what happened to Obrecht’s daughter, but whatever did, she doesn’t remember. Obrecht asks if that’s supposed invoke her mercy? Does Esme think the taking of her daughter’s life was forgettable? Esme says, whatever happened, she didn’t do it, and Obrecht says, how does she know if she doesn’t remember? She doesn’t deserve the peace Obrecht is about to bestow on her, but the world does. Esme owes her daughter an explanation, and she’d better think of one fast, because she’s about to see her. She shoves a washcloth in Esme’s mouth, as Esme screams and bites her hand. Obrecht says, schweingen. Another peep, and I will make this exquisitely painful. You scratched her with that infernal hook. She died in my arms. Now it’s your turn. Esme shakes her head, but Obrecht says, she needs to know that nothing she says now matters. The only thing that matters is Dr. Britta Westbourne. Her daughter, murdered, poisoned, taken by her. Obrecht notices Esme’s bump, and says, she’s pregnant? Esme nods.

Cameron asks if Spencer thinks Esme is faking her amnesia to avoid being charged as The Hook, and Spencer says, she’s capable of anything. On the other hand, she’s got a baby bump out to here. Her running around stabbing people seems unlikely. But if Esme isn’t The Hook, that means someone else is out there targeting them and Trina. Cameron asks, who else besides Esme would be targeting Trina? Spencer says he doesn’t know, but he thinks him, Cameron, Josslyn, and Trina should get together and figure out what happens next. Cameron says they might have to meet without him. Just let him know what they decide. Spencer asks why he’s acting so weird. Is this about their parents? Cameron asks what he means, and Spencer says, what’s going on? Cameron says, he and Joss broke up.

Carly says, this is not Josslyn’s fault, and Dex says, there’s only one person responsible for this, and it sure as hell isn’t her. Josslyn says, but if they’d stayed… Carly says, stayed where? What is she talking about? Josslyn says she was the intended victim. Britt interfered with her. She got away. Carly says, oh my God. Is she okay? Josslyn says, she’s fine, thanks to Britt and Dex, and Carly asks if it was Esme, but Josslyn says she doesn’t know. The attacker was wearing a mask; she didn’t see their face. All she saw was this hook swinging around. Carly asks why she didn’t wait for the police, and Josslyn says she was so freaked out, she just wanted to get out of there, and she didn’t have anything helpful to tell them. Carly says, she left Britt alone, and Josslyn tells her, Britt said it was okay. She said she was fine; she had it handled. Carly says, she spoke to Britt? and Josslyn says, yes. She wasn’t wounded; nothing was wrong. She doesn’t think Britt knew. Carly says, that’s not what she’s asking. Why did Britt tell the police that she didn’t know the identity of the person being attacked? Dex says, because of him.

Sonny and Nina get out of the elevator across from Esme’s room, where a guard is standing. Sonny says, everything seems fine, and Nina says she’s going to find Aunt Liesl. She leaves, and Sonny goes over to Elizabeth at the reception desk. He apologizes for interrupting, and asks if she’s seen Obrecht, but she says, not since last night. Her phone beeps, and she steps away. Nikolas walks over to Sonny, who asks what he wants. Nikolas asks if Sonny has spoken to Spencer, but Sonny says, not today; why? Nikolas says, he and Britt were pretty close. He’s concerned about how Spencer’s taking her death. Sonny suggests Nikolas try talking to him, but Nikolas says, Spencer’s not taking his calls or his texts. Sonny asks what he did now, and Nikolas says, Sonny will find out soon enough. As he probably heard, Esme’s in the hospital. Turns out she’s pregnant. Sonny asks if Nikolas is telling him Spencer is going to be a father, but Nikolas says, it’s not Spencer’s baby; it’s his. Sonny grabs the front of Nikolas’s shirt, pushes him against the desk, and punches him. Esme’s guard runs over.

Obrecht plunges the needle in Esme’s IV tube, and says, out, out brief candle. Esme whimpers, and Obrecht says, her end will be far more merciful than the one she gave her daughter. Nina comes in, and tells Obrecht, stop. What has she done? Esme’s eyes are closed.

Spencer says he can’t believe Joss and Cam broke up, and Cameron says, he thinks he can’t believe it. Spencer says, when he got out of Pentenville, Cameron had said they were good, and Cameron says he thought they were. He guesses he was wrong. Spencer says, so the break-up wasn’t mutual, and Cameron tells him, Joss said they’d grown apart. Spencer asks if this is because of that jerk Dex.

Carly says, Dex made her daughter leave the scene of a crime, and she wants to know why. Josslyn says, Dex didn’t make her do anything. It was a mutual decision, and Britt agreed. She said she could handle it. Carly asks, what if the attacker had followed Josslyn? Where did she go? Josslyn flashes back to getting busy with Dex, and Dex says, the reason she didn’t go to the police is because he was carrying. It’s a gun Sonny gave him for work. It isn’t registered to him. He doesn’t know where it came from, and doesn’t know what would come back if the police put a trace on it. Carly says, at least she knows why Josslyn felt safe going wherever, and Josslyn says, Dex should probably go, but Dex says, her mom has questions, and he’s happy to explain. Josslyn thanks him, but says she’ll fill Carly in. She walks him out past the glorious moss bowl🎍 that makes all right with the world, and on the patio, she tells Dex, it’s just better if her mom hears everything from her. He says, everything? and she says, God no. She just wants to make sure her mom understands he didn’t talk her into anything; that the decisions she made were hers. He says, any regrets? and she says, other than leaving Britt alone, not one. He says he feels like he should stay, but she says, this is between her and her mom. He says, then he won’t push anymore. She knows how to reach him. She says she does, and goes inside.

Willow says, let’s go visit Thor, but Michael asks if she’s sure she’s not doing too much. She says she’s barely doing anything, and he says he just doesn’t want her to push herself too much. She says, now that the first round of chemo is out of the way, she’s getting her strength back. This morning, she was actually hungry. He says he noticed she ate a whole piece of toast, and she says, and she picked it up all by herself. She says she’s going to get through this, and he says he’s counting on it, kissing her. Drew comes back, and tells them, don’t panic. Melanie lured Wiley back into the house for some hot chocolate. They seem like they’re doing better. Willow says, they’re hanging in there, and Drew asks if they’ve heard anything from the donor registry. Michael says, nothing yet, but hope springs eternal. Willow asks how the search is going for her birth family, and Drew says he’s sorry he doesn’t have any news, but his reporters are working on it. Michael says he hopes they find a lead soon, because obviously a relative is the best bet for a donor, and Drew says, they know the urgency here. He’s glad he ran into them, because he has a question. Michael says, fire away, and Drew asks Willow if Harmony or Doug stayed in touch with the leader of the commune in Colorado; specifically, did they ever mention a guy by the name of Josiah? She says, yes. Didn’t she tell him? Harmony took her to visit Josiah after they left.

Nina runs over to Esme, taking the washcloth out of her mouth. She asks if Obrecht killed her, but Obrecht says, not yet. It was just a sedative to keep her quiet. Nina says, okay, so Esme’s fine; the baby is fine. There’s no lasting injury. Obrecht says, not yet, and Nina says, not ever. She’s got to get Obrecht out of here. Obrecht says, just give her a moment, picking up a pillow, and Nina struggles with her over it, saying, give it to her. This is not what Britt would have wanted. Obrecht says, her Britta can’t want anything anymore. She’s dead because of her. Nina says, Obrecht would kill a mother and her baby? but Obrecht says, nein. She would not. Not the baby.

Drew asks what Willow remembers about her visit to Josiah, and Willow says, sorry. She doesn’t remember much of anything. She only remembers visiting because it was her first time in an airplane. She remembers looking out at the clouds, and Harmony giving her a piece of gum so her ears would pop. That’s about it. Drew asks if it’s the only time they visited, and Willow says, as far as she recalls. Shiloh made Harmony cut ties with Josiah when they joined Dawn of Day. Michael says, of course (🍷) he did. He had to cut off their escape route, and Willow says, why? Does Drew think Josiah knew her birth father? Drew says, his reporters are still searching for other members of the commune, but they do think probably Josiah would be their best bet. In the meantime, it’s important Willow stay positive. She says she is, and he says, good. And if he could ask, if she has the time and energy, give Carly a call. She’s concerned that with the stress of the pregnancy, any more bad news about the search for Willow’s biological family could be overwhelming. Michael says, his mom doesn’t know Willow’s sick, and Drew says, Willow asked him not to say anything, and he hasn’t, but Carly is just worried. To be honest, he’s worried too, that maybe Willow is losing hope, but Willow says she’s holding onto hope with both hands. She’s determined to see their daughter and Wiley grow up

Nina asks if Obrecht is saying she would take the baby, and Obrecht says, why not? Esme took her child; she owes Obrecht another. Nina says, Obrecht knows she’s done that, and she knows from experience that is a mistake. Obrecht says, her baby is gone, and this creature took her. She doesn’t deserve a child. Nina says she will not let Obrecht do this, and Obrecht asks how Nina plans to stop her. Nina says, she’ll call for help, and heads for the door. Obrecht tells her, do what she thinks she must, picking up the pillow again. Her Britta is owed justice, and who better to administer it? Nina flies over, grabbing the pillow, and says, this is not justice. She won’t let Obrecht do this. Obrecht says, why not? and Nina says, because it’s a mistake. Obrecht’s not thinking clearly. Does she want to spend the rest of her life in prison? Obrecht says she doesn’t care, and Nina says, but she cares. James, Maxie, and Scotty, they all care. Don’t throw her life away. Obrecht says, what about Britta’s life? How can she let Britt’s killer go merrily on her way and mother a child, when her child is dead at her hands? Nina says, can she prove that? Does Obrecht know that for sure? Because if she kills Esme before it’s proven she’s The Hook killer, she’ll make Esme the martyr, and she’ll be the villain – again. She takes Obrecht’s hand, and asks if she thinks that’s what Britt would have wanted for her.

The moss bowl🎍 hypnotizes me, as Josslyn tells Carly that she kept trying to get away, but she was in heels, and couldn’t kick them off. She thought about turning and running, but then she would have been stabbed in the back. Josslyn managed to shove The Hook… and Carly says, The Hook was close enough for Josslyn to shove her? Josslyn says she shoved her multiple times. She eventually got her to the ground, and Josslyn was going to make a break for it, but The Hook kneed her, and Josslyn totally lost her breath and fell. She looked up, and the killer was just over her, and the hook was in the air. Carly says, oh my God, and Josslyn says, then there was Britt, and she was incredible. She hit The Hook with her bag, and totally knocked her out of the way. Britt told her to run, but she couldn’t; she still couldn’t breathe. Then there was a gunshot, and Dex was there. Carly asks if he shot The Hook, but Josslyn says she doesn’t know. He either shot her, or scared her enough that she dropped the hook. She left, and that’s all Josslyn cared about. Carly hugs her, and says, thank God she’s alive. Josslyn says, Britt saved her life, and it cost Britt her own.

Cameron says, Josslyn didn’t say anything about Dex. Why would Spencer jump to that? Spencer says, his father slept with his girlfriend. Forgive him if he doesn’t have a lot of faith in relationships right now. Cameron says he’s surprised to hear Spencer say that, and Spencer says, why? Because he’s always such a sunny optimist? Cameron says, no. Because Spencer and Trina went to Britt’s party together. It’s obvious Trina is giving Spencer another chance. Spencer says, as friends, yeah. They were pretending to be closer than they actually are, so they could make Esme jealous and lure her out of hiding. Cameron says, they set themselves up as bait? and Spencer says, romantic, huh? Sonny comes in, and asks if Spencer’s got a second. Spencer says, for him, always, and Sonny tells Cameron that he might want to stay. He sits down, and Spencer asks, what’s going on? Is everything okay? Sonny says, there was another hook attack last night, and Spencer asks, what time was it? Esme showed up at the Haunted Star. Does Sonny know about his father and Esme? Sonny says he doesn’t want to get into that right now. Let’s just get to The Hook attack. Someone else died; someone they know. Spencer asks, who? and Sonny says, Britt Westbourne.

Nikolas tells the guard that he doesn’t want to press charges against Sonny. It was a private squabble in a public place.

Nina and Obrecht leave Esme’s room, and Nina asks if Obrecht is sure it was just a sedative. Obrecht says, Esme will wake unharmed, and her Britta will still be dead. Nina gently pushes her into the elevator.

Elizabeth asks Nikolas, what happened? and he says, Sonny punched him. She asks if it’s because Sonny found out Esme was having Nikolas’s baby, and Nikolas says he told Sonny. She asks if he has a death wish.

Josslyn tells Carly, Britt called the cops, and Dex didn’t want explain why he had the gun, and Britt said they could go. Carly says, go where? and Josslyn says, Dex’s apartment. She flashes back to her and Dex getting busy again, and says, he lives in the Charles Street district, so don’t worry; it was close. Carly says, she went to Dex’s apartment, then what? and Josslyn says she went to Kelly’s to talk to Cam. And then she came home. Carly says, she went to talk to Cam, and with tears in her eyes, Josslyn nods, and says, she broke up with him.

Spencer tells Sonny, no. It’s not possible. They got it wrong. Sonny says, they didn’t… and Spencer says he just saw her last night. She was having the time of her life. She was happy. She was dancing; Sonny saw her. Sonny nods, and Spencer says, she was alive. Cameron asks, when did this happen? and Sonny says, it was on the docks after midnight. The paper said Britt saw The Hook attacking someone, and tried to stop it. Very brave thing to do. Spencer says, Britt’s always been brave, and Sonny says he knows they were close… Spencer asks them to excuse him, and goes to the private stairs. He sits down on the steps.  

At Nina’s penthouse, Obrecht says she never finished cleaning Britt’s office, but Nina says, don’t worry. She doesn’t want Obrecht to worry about anything. She’ll go back and make sure Obrecht didn’t miss anything. Obrecht thanks her, but says she’s not worried. What’s to worry anymore? She’s just very tired.

Willow tells Drew, they do have some good news. She’s done with her first round of chemo. Drew says, that’s incredible. Congratulations. She says she’s glad it’s over. Now it just has to work. He says, now she gets some time to recover and enjoy life a little bit, and she says, three weeks. He says he’ll make sure he gets some answers before that, and  Michael thanks him. Drew says, absolutely; they’re family. He just wishes he was a match. Michael says he knows the feeling, but they have to believe the donor registry will come through. Willow’s phone rings, and she says, it’s Dr. Randolph. She asks if Terry got her results back. Is the chemo working?

Elizabeth sees Nikolas, and says she has an update for him, calling him Mr. Cassadine. She tells him to come with her, and leads him to a more private spot. Elizabeth asks if he’s trying to get caught, and he says, of course (🍷) not. She says, he’s standing outside Esme’s door having a staring contest with that cop. He says, if anyone questions him, he has the perfectly good excuse of being concerned about the mother of his baby. She says, as guilty as he looks right now, why don’t they just go to Jordan and confess? Why wait for Esme to remember what they did to her? He says, if they do that, they both go to prison, and she says, maybe that’s for the best. He says, she’d just leave her children? and she says she doesn’t want to, but the way he’s behaving, she has no choice in the matter. He says, if he goes to prison, there will be no one left to raise his kid, but she says, that’s not true. Nikolas knows how much his Uncle Victor loves molding Cassadine children in his own image. She’s sure he’ll jump at the chance. He says, that cannot happen, and she says, then they need to hold tight – together.  

Spencer comes back, and Cameron asks if he’s okay. Spencer says, no, when Dex comes in. He comes over to Sonny, but Sonny says, give him a minute, and Dex locks eyes with Cameron, then leaves. Cameron says he’s sorry, but he has to get back to work. He tells Spencer to let him know if he needs anything, and Sonny says, go ahead. He’ll take care of this. Cameron leaves, and Spencer says, was she alone when she died? Sonny says, no. She was with her mother. Spencer says, that’s good. He’s glad she wasn’t alone. Sonny says, Spencer doesn’t have to be alone, and Spencer says, these attacks have to stop. Sonny says, his guys are on it; the cops are on it. Spencer says, Britt’s still gone, when Dex walks back in. Spencer says he’s fine. Sonny can go ahead and deal, but Sonny says he doesn’t have to do anything; he’s good. Spencer says, he’s so tired. The last thing he wants to do is go back to Windymere and see his dad. Sonny says, he doesn’t have to. Listen to him. It’s an easy fix. Just come home with him. Cameron comes out behind the counter, looking at his phone. He sees Spencer and Sonny leave with Dex, he and Dex locking eyes again. When they’re gone, Cameron looks at a photo of him and Josslyn.

Josslyn tells Carly that she tried to talk to Cameron before Britt’s party. She went to Kelly’s; she had everything prepared. When she got there, he wasn’t there. He was on some catering job. Then the attack happened, and everything became clear. She knew she couldn’t stall anymore. She knows she owed him the truth, so she went back to Kelly’s. She talked to him and… He was so hurt. Carly takes her hand, and says, she’s had some night. Josslyn says she couldn’t sleep at all. All she could do was lie there and replay everything… the attack, and the break up and… what she would have done differently. Carly says, one thing Josslyn could have done is called her, and Josslyn says she knows Carly would have been there in a second, but she felt she had to figure things out for herself. Carly says she gets that when it comes to Cam, but she needs to know if Josslyn’s in danger. Always. Josslyn has to call her, and she’ll always have Josslyn’s back. Josslyn tells Carly that she loves her, and Carly hugs her, saying, she loves Josslyn too.

Elizabeth touches Esme, who shrinks back, saying, don’t hurt me. Elizabeth says she’s okay; she’s safe. Nobody is going to hurt her. Esme says, that doctor… She was… Elizabeth says, it sounds like she was having a bad dream. Try to go back to sleep. Esme closes her eyes.

Obrecht says she just wants to sleep, and Nina says, of course (🍷). Get some rest. She tells Obrecht to lie down in her bedroom. She’ll be right here if Obrecht needs her for anything. She goes to the box of Britt’s things, and takes out the photo and trophy. We see Willow’s chemotherapy report in the box, and Nina clutches the trophy to her chest.  

Still on the phone, Willow says, really? She thanks Terry, and says she’ll see her then. Michael asks if her numbers are better, but Willow says, her results aren’t back. That’s not why Terry was calling. She matched on the registry. She has a bone marrow donor. She’s going to live. He hugs her as she cries happy tears, and Drew smiles.

On Monday, Drew tells Jordan that he thinks they can eliminate Esme as a suspect; Elizabeth says she has to tell Finn something about Esme; and Willow isn’t sure she can go through with it.

😭 In Case You Need a Reminder…

This episode was so sad, it gave me a headache.

📑 Still Around…

Like a bad penny, he keeps showing up. Whatever that means. I’m not actually sure.

💸 Shahcarceration…

That’s what you get for coming old people.

💎 So Go Already…

I said it first.

Translation: Good riddance.

https://people.com/tv/andy-cohen-reacts-lisa-rinna-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-exit-an-iconic-run/

🍑 Me Too…

You couldn’t pay me enough to endure any of the Housewives in the franchise, especially on a trip the would undoubtedly ruin for me.

https://people.com/tv/kenya-moore-would-rather-do-military-drills-than-embark-on-rhoa-trip/

🕶 New Reality…

Sounds promising. Especially the buried alive part.

https://people.com/tv/reality-stars-buried-alive-peacock-show-the-traitors-first-trailer/

🦥 To Pets and Beyond…

Something precious to send you into the weekend.

https://paradepets.com/pet-news/cute-animals

🌐 Quotes of the Week

Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. – Martin Luther

Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.Kofi Annan

I always tell young people to hold on to their dreams. And sometimes you have to stand up for what you think is right even if you have to stand alone.Claudette Colvin

Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality. – Edgar Allan Poe

Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence. – Leonardo da Vinci

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.Isaiah 9:6, NLT

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

Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress: Working hard for something we love is called passion. – Simon Sinek

If you don’t believe me, then google it. – Cesar Faison (Anders Hove), General Hospital

☄️ Catching a Falling Star…

Come on down on Monday really Tuesday for soap and what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay setting boundaries, but not limits, for yourself, and stay telling the truth to whom it’s owed.  

January 5, 2022 – Mama Bear Speeds Up the Timeline, Quickie, Twisted, Red Hot, Newbie, Buh-Bye, Not Me, On the Carpet, Best In Show, Pets (!) & Fire

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Felicia finds Cody in the stable, and he says she just missed it. He brought in the new year by staying up all night, helping a struggling filly. She was trying to give birth. It reminded him of when he helped Britt deliver the baby on Christmas Eve. If you think about it, every life is a miracle. What brings her to the Q stables so bright and early? She says, Mac has been trying to reach him. He’s in the middle of an investigation, otherwise he would have come to tell Cody himself. He says, tell him what? and she says she’s so sorry. Britt died last night.

In a hallway at the MetroCourt, a reporter asks if Maxie has a comment on Britt’s tragic death, and she asks if he could have the decency to let them grieve before hounding them with questions. Brad flies over, and says, leave her alone. Nina joins him, and says, this is her hotel. If he doesn’t leave now, she’s calling security. He starts snapping photos, and she yells at him, leave, now! He jets, and Nina hugs Maxie, who says, she can’t believe this. Nina says, neither can she, and takes Brad’s hand.

Austin goes into Britt’s office, where Obrecht is throwing things into a box. He asks what she’s doing, and she asks what it looks like; she’s saving what’s left of her daughter.

Dante walks into the interrogation room, and Nikolas says he has to make a phone call. Dante says, he already did. If his lawyer doesn’t want to show up… Nikolas says he needs to talk to his son. Britt Westbourne is dead, and she wasn’t just Nikolas’s ex-girlfriend, she was an important part of Spencer’s life, and he needs to reach Spencer before someone else tells him about it, but Spencer’s not taking any of his calls. Dante says he can do that on his own time. They have a string of murders here, and he needs answers. So why doesn’t Nikolas start by telling him about his relationship with Spencer’s girlfriend, Esme Prince.

Esme wakes up, and finds herself cuffed to the bed. She asks if Elizabeth can’t take these off her, but Elizabeth says she’s sorry; the staff can’t remove the restraints. Esme says, all she remembers is waking up here with some police detective asking her questions she couldn’t answer. Elizabeth asks if she’s sure there isn’t something else she remembers about last night.

Heather lets herself into Ryan’s room, and asks if we had a good night’s sleep last night, and make all gone with our breakfast smoothie. He asks where she was last night, and she says, her favorite security guard looked the other way again, and covered for her while she slipped out for a little night air. He asks where she went, and she says, this way and that. He asks if her walk took her anywhere near the pier, and she says she doesn’t know what he means. He says, word has it, someone sunk a hook into Britt Westbourne last night. Heather asks how she is, and he says, she’s dead. He doesn’t know how he couldn’t have seen it. He must be blind; it was right in front of his face. She says, what was? and he says, not what, who. It was her.

Curtis meets Portia at the Bistro, and she asks what he’s doing here. He says, Trina called, and said she was worried about her; that she’s having a hard time shaking the news about Britt’s death. She says, it’s just so tragic and unbelievable. Britt wasn’t just her boss. She respected Britt. Britt was her friend. He agrees it was tragic, and says he wants her to know, here and now, that he’ll stand by her side and hold her hand at Britt’s memorial service. He’s here for her, because this morning when he woke up, he watched her sleep and was overcome with gratitude for her… and for them. Life goes on. It has to. So he went to the florist, and said help him with something that will give them hope for the future, and… He takes a plant out of bag, and puts it on the table. She asks what it is, and he says, it’s a callisia. The florist says, it symbolizes new beginnings. It gave him hope – he takes her hand – because she’s his new beginning.

Cody says, Britt got hit with the hook, and the venom poisoned her, so she died on the night of her first birthday party. Felicia says, it’s tragic; it’s hard to make sense of it. He wonders why The Hook targeted her, but Felicia says, from what she understands, the attacker was targeting someone else. Britt stepped in to save a life, only to lose her own. He says, she was a doctor; she was destined to save many more lives. Her poor mother. Does Dr. Obrecht know? She says, Britt died in her mother’s arms, and he says, at least she wasn’t alone. It’s so unbelievable. As smart and beautiful as Britt was, life never seemed to give her a break. Felicia says, sounds like someone else she knows.

Nina thanks Brad and Maxie for meeting her here. She talked to the funeral home, and they need something for Britt to wear. Aunt Liesl isn’t up to it, and she’s not sure she is either. Brad asks if anyone talked to the police. Are they okay with them going into her room? Nina says she talked to Mac, and he said it was fine because Britt wasn’t the intended target. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Maxie says, wrong for her, but she saved someone else’s life. Brad says, Britt would have loved hearing people talk about her as a hero. He can just see her laughing it up, making all the haters eat every nasty word they said about her. He starts to cry, and asks, why isn’t she here? His whole life he was alone, and found a BFF in his 30s. How can he live in a world without her? Maxie says, remember the last time they saw her, how hard she pushed for them to become friends? Let’s honor her in that way, and let’s spare Liesl from having to pick out her last outfit. He says, she’s right. Let’s do this… for Britt.

Austin says, packing up Britt’s office is not something that needs to happen right now, but Obrecht says, on the contrary. It can’t wait. He asks if she wants him to call Scotty, but she says, he’s busy taking care of the arrangements, dealing with the press, attending to all the details. The least she can do is collect Britta’s things and keep them safe, even if she couldn’t keep her own daughter safe.

Heather tells Ryan, someone had to look out for their daughter; protect her from all those people out there trying to destroy her. And no offense, he’s not exactly the man he used to be stuck in the chair like that. He says, and she still can’t seem to hook the right fish. She tells him that she never said she was perfect. And when you bat 300 in baseball, even if they’re not all homeruns, you still get into the Hall of Fame. That’s her. Besides, she’s going to make it right this time. He suggests she make it right now, and she asks, but how, oh wise one? He says, confess, so their daughter can go free.

Dante puts a recorder on, and Nikolas asks if it’s really necessary. He already confessed Esme is carrying his baby. Dante asks, what happened? Esme and Spencer broke up, and he was there to pick up the pieces? Nikolas says he’s not a predator, if that’s what Dante is saying, and Dante asks, when was the last time he saw Esme? Nikolas says, it must have been Trina’s trial, and Dante asks if he knew she was pregnant. Nikolas says, of course (🍷) not, and Dante asks when he found out; before or after she allegedly went on the run? Nikolas asks where he’s going with this, and Dante says, the problem he’s having is, if Esme’s the killer, he could see her getting the drop on Diane, and maybe nick Britt with the hook dipped in venom. But he doesn’t see her taking down a military veteran like Brando, or a cop like Cabrera, especially if she’s seven months pregnant. Nikolas asks what he’s saying, and Dante tells him, he’s saying, if Esme’s the killer, he thinks she had help.

Esme says, her memory begins waking up in this hospital bed, and being pregnant… How far along? Elizabeth says, seven months. She really doesn’t remember being pregnant or who the father is? Esme says she’s sorry, but no. The police say she’s done terrible things, but she doesn’t remember any of it. Revenge porn? She doesn’t even remember her own name, or what she likes for breakfast. Elizabeth says she thinks she knows someone who could help Esme, when Doc walks in, and Esme says, wait. She knows him. She remembers that face. She knows who he is.

Maxie closes a wardrobe in Britt’s room, and says, it’s empty. Brad says, so is her closet. On the phone, Nina thanks someone for the info, and tells them, apparently Britt had some of her things shipped on her birthday to where she was going on vacation. Maxie says, her entire wardrobe? and Nina says, the front desk also told her that Britt asked for a bunch of her clothes to be delivered to GH charities. Maxie says, it’s almost like Britt knew she wasn’t coming back, but Brad says, no way. She just threw herself this huge birthday party. Maxie asks, but why have them plan it, and insist they become friends? Brad says, they’re obviously not, but Maxie says, the point is, Britt wanted them to be. It was important to her. Almost like she knew they’d need each other. Brad says, her will. She said she’d just written one and left everything to him. Who does that at her age? Maxie says, and plans a vacation out of nowhere? Brad says, and she gave Cody the heave-ho, and Maxie says, it was like she was burning all her bridges. Brad says, but why? Why couldn’t she share that with him? They were friends, best friends, but he guesses he never really knew Britt at all. Nina takes their hands, and says she wants them to sit. She knows something they don’t, but they should.

Austin promises Obrecht that no one will take anything without checking with her first. He’ll make sure everything that belongs to the hospital is returned, and everything that belonged to Britt gets to her. She thanks him, and thanks him for his birthday present to Britta. It meant so much to her. Seeing that photo montage of all the people in Britt’s life, proof that her life was worthwhile. He says, every life is worthwhile, and she says, her Britta was loved, wasn’t she? He says,  yes, of course (🍷) she was. Obrecht says, real love was in short supply when Britta was growing up. She wonders if Britt knew she was loved when she saw those faces on the screen, and he says he guesses they’ll never know for sure, but he’s choosing to believe it changed her mind. Obrecht says, about what? and he says, about leaving town for good. Obrecht says, she was just going on a vacation, and he says, that’s what Britt wanted everyone to believe. She says, Britt was going away to die, wasn’t she?

Elizabeth introduces Doc, and Esme says she remembers he’s a doctor now, but that name. She asks his name again, and he says, Kevin Collins. She asks what kind of doctor he is, and he says he’s a psychiatrist. Does she know what that means? She says she lost her memory, she’s not stupid. He laughs, and she says, he’s a shrink. Is he here to pick her brain? He says he’s here to listen. Nurse Baldwin… Elizabeth heads for the door, and Esme asks if that’s her name. Elizabeth tells her, Elizabeth Baldwin. She’ll be in the hallway if Esme needs her. Doc sits down, and asks if there’s anything Esme would like to ask or tell him, and she says he has a trustworthy face. He says, and a familiar one apparently, and she says, it’s like she knows him, but it’s just outside of her reach. She can’t put her finger on it. She asks if they’ve met before, and he says, they’re paths have crossed. He’s related to Spencer by marriage. She asks, who’s Spencer? and he says, maybe she remembers his father Nikolas Cassadine, but she says she’s sorry; it doesn’t ring a bell. Is there anyone else they have in common? He says, his twin brother Ryan.  

Heather says, so that’s Ryan’s plan? Throw her to the wolves? The next time she hooks another target, the cops are going to realize their daughter is innocent. He says, that’s a vast oversimplification of a complex problem, but she says, not if you do it right. She pokes him in the chest, and he grabs her wrist. She backs away in pain, holding her wrist, and he asks what happened to her. She says she took one for the team last night, and he asks if she’s badly hurt. She says, like he cares, and he says, it’s not like he doesn’t share her motivation. It’s her methods he has an issue with. She says, that’s the thanks she gets? You do the best you can for your child; you give her your whole heart and soul. And when it turns out she’s not only wanted for murder, but she’s also public enemy number one, she did what any good mother would do, and tried to set things right. Trust her. Their daughter will thank her. He says, not if the rest of their family has to pay the price, and she asks what he’s blathering about now.

Nikolas asks if Dante is suggesting he’s Esme’s accomplice, but Dante says he’s suggesting Esme is the key, whether or not she’s the killer. She’s seven months pregnant, so how does she go from hiding to on the run to maybe killing people, maybe not killing people, all by herself? Someone’s looking out for her; someone’s helping her. And who would have more reason than the father of her baby?

Portia says she loves the callisia, but most of all, loves Curtis’s thoughtfulness. She didn’t think she could love him any more. He thanks her, and says he loves her so much. She says, it feels like ever since Trina was arrested, she can’t stop thinking about all the bad things… Their family has been through a lot the past year, but she feels they’ve come through it stronger. Trina was acquitted, Curtis and his father’s relationship is better than ever, and Aunt Stella accepted her. He says, things are going good with him and Trina. She told him that she loved him the other day. Portia says, that was a major accomplishment. When she walks down the aisle in a few weeks, she’s going to be his wife, and she can’t wait. He leans over the table, and kisses her.

Felicia says, when you think about it, Cody and Britt had a lot in common. She’s not surprised they hit it off. He says, they had a connection, but he wasn’t straight with her. Britt had something he wanted, and he thought… It doesn’t really matter what he thought. The truth is, he used her until she caught on, and rightfully kicked him to the curb, which was a smart decision on her part. Except now, she’ll never know. Felicia says, never know what? and he says, Britt learned too late that all he wanted was her.

Nina says, Britt knew for some time she had a ticking time bomb inside her, and Brad asks what that means. Nina says, she inherited something from her father… Britt had Huntington’s disease. Maxie says, oh my God, and Brad says, when he was working at GH, he saw people with Huntington’s; it took a terrible toll on their lives. Why didn’t Britt tell them? Why did she face this alone? Nina says, she wasn’t alone. She had her mom, and Scotty knew. Maxie says, why would Britt tell her or Brad, and Nina says, Britt didn’t actually tell her. Aunt Liesl told her when she was overwhelmed with everything Britt was facing. She had to talk to someone. Maxie says, Austin knew too, didn’t he? The birthday gift he gave her, the photos of her life. That’s why he did it. Nina says, seeing all the people she loved gave her courage. Brad says, at his worst moment, when the baby switch came out, Britt didn’t walk away from him, and he never would have walked away from her. He cries, and says he didn’t need her to be brave; he just needs her in his life. Maxie says she still does, and Nina puts her arms around them, saying, they all do.

Austin says he’s sorry Obrecht had to hear this from him. He begged Britt to open up to her, but he guesses she couldn’t. The only reason he knows she was leaving town is that he caught her at a particularly vulnerable moment. Obrecht says she doesn’t understand. She’s never been prouder of her Britta. Her relationship with Britt was… complicated, to say the least. There were times Britt hated her, and there were times she thought Britt betrayed her. But somehow, despite all that, they found a way back together; not just as mother and daughter, but as good friends. It’s just like her to spare the rest of them, and sail off into the sunset alone. But he said she came back for them. Why? What changed her mind?

Doc asks if Esme is sure she doesn’t remember his twin brother. He’s kind of hard to forget. She asks if his twin is as kind as he is, and Doc says he guesses his brother is being kind at the moment because he has no choice. Esme used to take care of him. She asks if she was a nurse, but he says, no. She had an internship. He hears Elizabeth say, she’s with Dr. Collins, and Martin walks in. Doc says he’s counseling with a patient, and Martin says, one man’s counsel is another man’s third degree. He’s afraid he’s going to have to ask Doc to cease and desist immediately. Doc asks, by whose authority? and Martin says, the authority of this county. This may be Doc’s patient, but as of one hour and 15 minutes ago, she’s Martin’s client.  

Maxie tells Nina to leave it to her and Brad. Don’t worry; they have it under control. Nina says she’s counting on them, hugs Brad and Maxie, and leaves. Brad asks what they do now, and Maxie shrugs. She says she was kinda hoping he’d tell her.

Austin says he and Obrecht are both doctors, and know better than most that every life ends. It’s how you choose to live your life that matters. If Britt knew Huntington’s was bringing her close to the end, let’s considered her last week. She delivered a breach baby that was born on Christmas Eve. She threw an epic party, surrounded by people who loved her and she loved; affection and support. And her final act was to save someone’s life. Don’t get him wrong; he’s incredibly sad she’s gone. But if you have to exit this world, it’s a pretty badass way to go. Obrecht says she appreciates his kind words, but her daughter is gone.

Ryan says, that’s rich. Heather spends a lifetime ignoring that their daughter even exists, and now she’s Joan Crawford? Heather says she likes wire hangers. What was he saying about the rest of their family? He says, wouldn’t she like to know, and she tells him not to push her. Is something wrong with their baby girl? He says, that depends. Does she knit? Not big things, but little things, like baby booties. The little one could probably use protection from the cold winter wind. She asks if he’s saying… and he says, yes. Our baby is having a baby.

Nikolas says he’s not sitting here while Dante goes on a fishing expedition, and Dante says he’ll probably have to ask Nikolas more questions, so don’t leave town. Nikolas says he thinks Dante’s got nothing, and Dante says, if he’s got nothing, why is Nikolas so angry? Nikolas walks out.

Martin introduces himself to Esme, and says he’s her attorney. Try not to hate him; he was assigned by Judge Holloway. She says she has no idea if she has money to pay him, but he says, it’s a pro bono case. That means it’s free. The only thing she has to do is exactly what he tells her; starting with, do not talk to anyone. She says, not even the doctor? and he says, especially the doctor. He tells Doc that he’s just doing his job, and Doc says, far be it for him to argue with the judge. He leaves, and Martin says, his first order of business is probably to get her to eat something – he looks under the plate cover – even is it is hospital food. He tells Elizabeth that he’d like to confer with his client in private, but Esme says, please don’t make her go; Elizabeth’s been so good to her. Martin says, for the time being only person in this town good to you is yours truly, and Esme says, everyone is being so sketchy about what she’s done, acting like it’s not this revenge porn thing. He says she’s done nothing until she’s proven guilty, and she says, guilty of what? he says, murder in the first degree. Esme falls back on her pillow.

Heather tells Ryan, Franco never had kids of his own, neither did Stephen Lars. This is her first grandbaby. Maybe it’s not too late for them to have a family of their own. He says, there could even be a place for Ava, and she says, dare to dream. A baby. She’s going to make up for lost time, and be there when the baby is born. She’s going to be right there in the room to support their baby girl. He says, she does know that’s impossible, right? but she says she’ll just speed up the timeline. He says, now she’s talking. Allow him to help. She says, talk about impossible. Just let mama bear finish the work she’s begun, and papa bear will sit tight until baby bear and little baby bear in the oven are free. He says he needs to prepare. When does she plan to attack? She says, the minute her friendly guard is back on duty. Don’t worry. Mama will take care of everything.

Doc goes to see Dante, who says he thought Doc would still be interviewing Esme. Doc says, their session was cut short when her lawyer showed up, and Dante says, anyone he knows? Doc says, Martin Grey, and Dante says, wow. For someone who showed up with nothing, not even her memory, she sure has friends in high places. Doc says, about Esme’s memory… and Dante asks if he thinks she’s faking it.

Martin asks, what’s wrong? and wonders if they should call for a doctor, but Elizabeth says she’s got this. She asks him to give her a minute, and he says, gladly. In the hallway, he takes out his phone, and says, thanks for nothing, Judge Holloway. Who does he have to bribe to get out of this. It isn’t even his turn on rotation. Nikolas walks up, and says, don’t blame the judge; it wasn’t his doing. Martin says, it was Nikolas, wasn’t it? Did Nikolas pull some strings to get him assigned to this crazy case? Nikolas says he did, and Martin asks, why? Nikolas says, because Esme is carrying his baby. Who better to trust than family?

Inside Esme’s room, Elizabeth says she’ll know if Esme is faking. So don’t even try.

Curtis tells Portia that when his marriage to Jordan ended, he never thought he’d get married again, he was so down on the institution altogether. But even though living with her has been a joy, he wants to make it official. He’s excited to take the vows and become her husband. She says she wasn’t going to tell him this, but she was at Wyndham’s the other day, and saw these little towels with His and Hers on them. She almost got them, but thought it was too cheesy. He says he thinks she should have gotten them. He doesn’t care if it says His and Hers, or Husband and Wife. He wants whoever comes into their house to know how absolutely proud they are to be each other’s significant other. She says she’s going to go buy those towels, and he tells her to go buy them.

Brad says, all that’s left is the hotel room. She must have felt so alone and scared. If only they knew. Maxie says, he heard Nina. That’s the way Britt wanted it. He yells that he doesn’t care what she wanted; he wants her. His one and only friend. His best friend in this lousy, messed up world. Now she’s gone, like that, without so much as a goodbye. Now all that’s left is picking out a stupid funeral get-up. Maxie says, don’t worry about it; she’s got it handled. He says, this is going to be Britt’s last look ever. He’s not letting Maxie choose some boring dress from Wyndham’s. Maxie says, if he thinks she’s letting him dress Britt in some fast fashion trash, he has another thing coming. He follows her out, saying, they need something with style and impact, and she says, style, yes.

Doc says he’d like to spend more time observing Esme, and he’d like to consult with a neurologist that TJ brought in. But his initial assessment is that Esme suffered significant memory loss. Dante asks if it’s permanent, but Doc says, no way to tell, but if so, they may never know where she’s been or who’s been taking care of her. Dante says, at seven months pregnant, Esme was in no condition to take out an officer, or kill Britt Westbourne on the pier last night. So the more pressing question is, who really is The Hook killer?

Austin tells Obrecht that he doesn’t believe Britt’s killer will go unpunished. He doesn’t know if she knows this, but the police have a suspect here at GH, under guard 24/7.

Esme says, all she remembers is waking up in here. She hasn’t killed anyone; she couldn’t. Elizabeth believes her, doesn’t she? Elizabeth says she thinks the best thing Esme can do for herself is just rest. She goes to the door, and Esme calls to her. Elizabeth turns around, and Esme says, Elizabeth does believe her, right?

Martin says, his priority is to find Lucy. He has no time for this. Nikolas says he knows Martin was assigned to the case pro bono, but he’ll double Martin’s normal fee. Esme is the mother of his child; she must be kept safe, and not hounded by the police until she gives birth. Martin says, and then what? and Nikolas says, triple his normal fee. Martin says, deal, as Elizabeth comes out, and Nikolas says, Esme is in good hands with Uncle Martin.

Heather says she’s so happy she and Ryan had this little talk. She’ll just find another hook, and then they’re back in business. He asks, what happened to the first one? and she says, it got snagged, but don’t worry. There’s no way they can trace it back to her. Just let her do what she does best, and he can look forward to the happy day when they’re all reunited as a family; the three of them. He says, she miscounted by two. There’s Ava, and… She says, a little baby bear in the oven; that makes five. She always knew he was a softy. She calls him grandpa, kisses his head, and leaves.

Obrecht sees Britt’s lab coat hanging on the back of her chair. She takes it off, and looks at the ID.

Esme pulls the tray toward her, looks at the food, and pushes it back.

Cody thanks Felicia for coming in person with the news about Britt, and she says, thank Mac; it was his idea. He would have come himself if he wasn’t so busy on the case. Felicia hugs Cody, and leaves.

Nina goes in Britt’s office, saying, she got Obrecht’s text. She looks in the box, and gets out her phone. We see Obrecht’s text: Meet at Britt’s office, and Nina texts Obrecht: Where r u?  

Obrecht goes into Esme’s room, and Esme says she can’t sleep. Can she be given something stronger? Obrecht closes the door, and says, yes. That can be arranged. She smiles.

Tomorrow, Josslyn tells Carly, this happened because of her; Spencer tells Cameron, it’s because of that jerk Dex: Drew says, a woman’s life could depend on it; and Sonny attacks Nikolas.

🎭 Behind the Mask…

The actress behind Esme.

🐻 Mama Bear Speaks…

From sitcom to serial killer, this one is just right.

🔥 Blazing a Trail…

I was hoping Chase would have more of a music career, but no. He has to go and be Dudley Do-Right. I guess a Blaze storyline is out.

🕵🏾‍♂️ New To the Force…

And he has a name!

🧹 Ding-Dong…

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

https://extratv.com/2023/01/05/lisa-rinna-exits-the-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills/

🤷🏽 Not That There’s Anything Wrong With That…

I couldn’t care less who he sleeps with, but I still want to know what he does for a living that got him a reality TV gig. Or how he steals for a living. A hissy fit isn’t a good look on anyone though. He’s pretty mean.

👠 Giving Glam…

More of the best fashion from last year.

📽 What We Watched…

Two takes on the best films of 2022. Nope was great. I could watch that a thousand times.

https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-movies-2022/

https://www.theroot.com/the-best-black-movies-of-2022-1849902905

🐕 And To the Pets…

Because I have to.

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

🧺 Wringing It In…

Stop in tomorrow for a little soap, a little tea, words of wisdom and humor for the new year, and music from the eclectic collection in my head. Until then, stay safe, stay taking satisfaction in your accomplishments no matter how small, and stay remembering, life goes on. It has to.

December 27, 2022 – Carly Sabotages Drew’s Sleuthing, This Year’s Loss, Overstayed, No More Salt, Celebrating Sobriety, He’ll Be Back, Christmas Pets (!) & My Year

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Drew catches Carly outside the gatehouse, and gives her a quick kiss. She asks him, what’s in the box? and he says, hopefully, the answer to finding Willow’s birth parents.

Inside, Michael asks if Willow is okay. Did she have enough to eat? She asks if it matters. It’s not like it’s going to stay down. Michael hugs her.

Britt says, if Cody is here to lobby for an invite to her party… He says he’s not. He hasn’t been honest with her, and intends to fix it right now.

Maxie sees Brook at the hospital, and asks if that’s the BLQ who saved Christmas, but Brook says, don’t hug her; she’s sick. Maxie says, with what? The flu? Bronchitis? Strep? Her kids have had everything. Brook says she doesn’t know, but she feels like hell. She has zero energy, she can’t sleep, and has this huge headache. She’s hoping the doctor can prescribe something to get rid of it. Maxie asks when her appointment is, and Brook says, not soon enough. Maxie says she can wait with Brook. It’s the least she can do, since she got Maxie to Georgie in time for Christmas. Brook says, with a major assist from Maxie’s ex, and Maxie tells her that she can say his name; she’s fine. Break-ups are hard, especially around the holidays, but she doesn’t have to tell Brook that, does she?

Chase walks into the MetroCourt restaurant, when his phone dings. He sees a text from Dante that says: The CCRB review your case at the Q2 2023 meeting.

At a table, Sasha tells Gladys, when that engine came to life, it was like an actual Christmas miracle. Then the fact that Britt used it to go to the Quartermaines’ to deliver a baby? Gladys says, Brando would be so proud, and Sasha says, he would be so thrilled to know his motorcycle helped someone, but Gladys says, she meant Brando would be proud of her. She is. Sasha takes her hand, and says she’s proud of Gladys too. The way Gladys has stepped up for her, she doesn’t know how thank Gladys and tell her how much it means to her. Gladys says, they’ve come a long way, and Sasha says she bets Brando is looking down on them now and smiling. Gladys says she misses him, and Sasha says, her too.

Sonny, Dex, and Frank walk into a hotel room (not the start of a joke), and Dex asks if the party Sonny is meeting is bringing their own security. Sonny says, that’s why he brought Dex and Frank. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.Dex says, and if the worst happens? and Sonny says, then they make them regret they ever crossed him. Dex asks, who exactly are they dealing with? and Sonny says, a group that wants to run exports through Port Charles. That’s all Dex needs to know. There’s a knock at the door, and Frank answers. A man with a briefcase walks in, and says, he came alone, but Frank checks the hallway before closing the door. The man introduces himself as Roman Hume. He knows Sonny is a busy man, and doesn’t want to waste his time. He suggests they get started, and they sit. Sonny says, first and foremost, he doesn’t negotiate. If they want to do business with him, they follow his rules. Roman says, or what? and Sonny says, he doesn’t want to find out.

Brook asks how Maxie knew she and Chase broke up. Has she talked to him? Maxie says, Nina told her that Chase ended up performing at Gingerbread Jam, from which she deduced he wasn’t hurt or sick. Which led her to believe something went down with the two of them for Brook to think he wasn’t coming. Brook says, that’s some sleuthing, and Maxie says, unless her relationship radar is on the fritz. Brook says she wishes. Unfortunately, it’s spot on. Maxie asks when it happened. Sometime around Thanksgiving? Brook asks how she knew that, and Maxie says, Brook was putting on a pretty good face at work, but she could tell something was going on. So what did Brook do? Brook says, what makes Maxie think it wasn’t Chase who messed up? and Maxie says she loves Brook, but Chase is basically a Boy Scout in a man’s body. Brook says, he’s not that innocent; he cheated on Willow. Maxie says, that was fake to get Wiley away from Nelle. Brook says, Maxie’s right. Chase is like the most selfless person on the planet, and she’s not. How delusional was she to think she could hold on to him?

Gladys looks in her compact mirror, and says she still can’t believe she owns actual diamond studs. What a Christmas gift, from the best daughter-in-law. Sasha says, they look fabulous on her, and Gladys says, they really do, don’t they? Chase comes by, and says he’s sorry to interrupt. He just wanted to say hi. Sasha starts to introduce him, but Gladys says, Harrison Chase, former detective turned pop star. She saw his performance at the Gingerbread Jam. Downloaded the new single right away. She sings, ♫I’ll find a way to you…♫ and says, catchy. Chase says he appreciates that, and Gladys asks if he’d like to join them, but he says he’s here to pick up a to-go order. She says, at least let her get him a mimosa while he waits, on her way back from powdering her nose. She won’t take no for an answer. She leaves, and Chase sits down. Sasha says, look at him all famous. She guesses she’ll have to say she knew him when.

Selina sees Gladys on her way to the bathroom, and says, just the woman she was looking for. Wow. I always admire how fashionably and impeccably dressed Selina is, and it looks like she forgot to comb her hair.

Britt says she doesn’t have time for this conversation. She has important party prep to plan, but Cody says, hear him out, and she’ll never have to see him again. She says, that is an offer she can’t refuse, and sits at her desk. She says, any day now, and he says he asked her to hear him out, and now he doesn’t know where to start. She says, the beginning works, and he says, when they first met, he was playing her. He had zero romantic interest in her. She tells him, wow. Don’t sugarcoat it, and he sits down, saying, she was just this uptight drunk girl that he crashed into when he was parachuting into a pool. She’s beautiful, but he tends to date girls who are more chill. She asks if there’s a point here somewhere, and he says, then he found out something that did make him more interested in her; her father. Suddenly, she became the key to changing his life, in more ways than one.

Drew says, Carly remembers Brian, right? and she says, his reporter from Claiborne County? Drew says, he did a deep dive into the county’s records, and found a photograph that was actually taken at the commune. She says she’s surprised there are any photographs of that place, and he says, there aren’t many, but there was a photojournalist who was trying to do a story on the place, and got shut out, but managed to get a photo of Josiah, the commune leader. He hands her a photo, and says he had Brian do a background check on all the Josiahs in the tri-state area that matched around the same age. Unfortunately, there was no evidence any of them were part of the commune. So their best bet is to compare their photographs with the one of Josiah. Carly says, and see if they’re a match, and Drew says, it’s their best bet of finding this guy and seeing what he knows about Willow’s birth.

Wiley asks if they’re going sledding, but Willow says, not today. He says, but she promised, and she says, they’ll go another day, okay? She and daddy have to go to the doctor now. He says, they’re always at the doctor, and Michael says he’ll take Wiley sledding when they get back. Wiley says he wants mommy to come too, but Willow says she can’t today. Wiley screams, no doctor! I want to go sledding now! just as Carly and Drew walk in.  

Cody tells Britt that he’d heard the name Faison, but had no clue he had kids, just that Faison was an associate of his father’s. She says, Leopold Taub, and he says he realized her father may have had some of Taub’s possessions, in which case they belonged to her, so he decided to get close to her. She asks if this was before or after they matched on Society Set-Ups, and he says, before. Spinelli matched them because he asked Spinelli to. She says, just like that, out of the goodness of his heart, but Cody says he didn’t really give Spinelli a choice. She says, AKA, Cody blackmailed him, and Cody says he knew Britt wouldn’t give him a chance if they didn’t. She says, okay. This proves more or less what she already knew. It certainly doesn’t change anything. So what is the point of this big confession?

Maxie says she’s not condoning what Brook did, but she’d be lying if she said she didn’t get it. Brook says, Maxie doesn’t think she’s a horrible person? and Maxie says, Brook knows she’d never think that of her, especially after what Brook did for her and Bailey. Brook bets Chase would disagree, and Maxie says, playing God with his future was probably not the best idea. Brook says, now the universe is paying her back; she probably has some rare disease. Maxie thinks Brook is being a little hard on herself. Did Brook make a mistake? Yes. Is she human? Also yes. Brook says she kept hoping Chase still might come around, and Maxie says, he might, but Brook says, Chase has made it abundantly clear their relationship is strictly professional. Karma is real. Her mystery fever got way worse after that. Maxie feels Brook’s forehead, and says, she doesn’t feel hot, but Brook says she meant it metaphorically. Maxie says, so no fever? and Brook says she’s actually having super weird symptoms. Maxie says, this is more serious than she thought.

Chase says, it was good to see Sasha again on Christmas Eve, and she says, it was good to see him too. He asks how the holidays have been, and she says, he means without Brando? He says, that time of year can be hard in general, but add to it what she’s been through… She says, it’s been a struggle, but she’s okay. It’s funny. While Brando and Liam have been on her mind, she’s also been aware of how lucky she is, surrounded by the love of friends and family. She’s barely had a chance to feel lonely. He says he’s glad, and hopes he’s included in the friends and family. She says, he is, and he tells her, if she every needs to talk, if she needs anything, he’s here. She thanks him, and he says he hopes it doesn’t sound out of bounds, but she seems good; like in a more stable place. She says she is. She’s really trying to get better. Not just for her; for Brando. He only ever wanted the best for her. For her to be whole, happy, healthy, and pursue her dreams, whatever they may be. Brando didn’t care if she was a model or veterinary assistant, as long as she was happy. Little by little, she’s finding her way, and learning to trust herself again. It feels good. He asks if that means the guardianship will be over soon.

Gladys asks how Selina’s holiday was, and Selina says, it could have been better, seeing as how Gladys owes her money. Gladys says, about that… but Selina says, don’t worry; she understands. She’s not an unreasonable woman. Gladys says she really is sorry. The last couple poker games she was at, things just got away from her. She swears it’s just bad luck. Selina says, Gladys’s luck is of little concern to her. Gladys’s debt, on the other hand, is. So should they discuss when Gladys intends to pay her back?

Michael says, Wiley is in his room for time out. He told Wiley that he can’t talk to his mother that way, no matter how disappointed he is. He tells Carly, what a welcome, huh? and hugs her. He thanks her for coming on such short notice; Melanie had a family emergency. Carly says she cherishes any time with her grandson, and Michael says, even when he’s acting out? She says she remembers how Michael was when she was pregnant with Morgan, and he says he was angelic, he’s sure. She says, Wiley probably sees all the attention the baby is getting, and he’s wondering if any is going to be left for him. She thinks it’s pretty normal. Drew says he comes bearing good news. While they’re at the doctor, he and Carly are going to be working on finding Willow’s birth parents. Willow says she couldn’t believe it when he told her the news, and can hardly believe it now. Her birth family may still be out there. She thanks Drew, and says she appreciates everything both of them are doing, but he says, no thanks needed. Michael says, they should go, and Carly asks, how long is Wiley in jail? He says, 30 minutes; text if she needs anything. She tells them to take their time, and they leave. Drew says, time to get to work.

Roman says, no disrespect intended, but there’s always room for negotiation in business. Sonny says, if they’re going to move potentially dangerous material through his territory, he’s going to need assurance, and Roman says, they acknowledge the Corinthos organization holds these ports. Their goal isn’t trouble with him; merely to ship their goods using his facilities. His superiors need assurances from him too. Sonny says, tell him what they are, and he’ll see if he can accommodate them, and Roman says, their biggest concern is discretion. They need to know the details of their operation won’t be leaked. Sonny says, discretion is mutual. He doesn’t want any blowback to him or his organization. And he doesn’t want anything to happen to any innocent civilians. Meet those conditions, and they won’t have a problem. Roman opens the briefcase, and Dex puts his hand on his gun. Roman turns the case toward Sonny, and we see it’s filled with stacks of money. Roman asks if this is enough assurance for Sonny, and Sonny says, it’s a start.

Gladys tells Selina, like she said, it was a streak of bad luck. She can recoup her losses in no time, if Selina will just have her back. Selina says, of course (🍷) she will. She’s thrilled Gladys is enjoying her poker games. The other players say she has a knack of livening up the room. Gladys says she loves those guys; they have a lot of fun. Selina says, so she’ll see Gladys at the next one? and Gladys says, the truth is, she’s running low on cash. Add that to what she owes Selina… Selina says, perhaps they can work something out.

Sasha tells Chase that she’s definitely headed in the right direction, but she doesn’t think she’s quite at the finish line yet. And shockingly, things have been pretty good with Gladys at the helm. She was nervous at first. The thought of a guardianship without Brando seemed impossible. He was pretty much the only one she trusted with her life. He says, Gladys is doing a good job? and she says, better than good. It’s actually brought them closer together. He says, who would have thought? and she says, not her. She just wishes it didn’t take a tragedy to make it happen. He says, life is kind of bizarre that way, isn’t it? Sometimes it takes something horrible to make you appreciate everything you had to begin with. She says, just so there’s no misunderstanding, he has her. She’ll always be in his corner. He says, right back at her.

Drew and Carly compare a photo, and Drew says, this is definitely not the guy. Carly wonders if they’re wasting their time looking for Josiah. What are the odds Harmony told him anything? He says, they’re running out of options. He already did a search on babies and pregnant women that went missing in the tri-state area, and he got nothing there. He doesn’t understand how a child disappears with no record of it. His phone rings, and he says, this is Aurora; he has to take this. He goes into the other room, and Carly compares the next photo. It’s a match, and she says, well, hello Josiah.

Cody says he’s telling Britt this because he’s hoping maybe to convince her to give them another chance. Britt laughs, then says, sorry; that just came out. What she meant to say is, why would she? He lied to her. He manipulated her… He says he knows, and he’s so, so sorry for all of it. He knows people say this all the time, but it’s true. If he could go back, he would. The more time he spent with her, the more he enjoyed it, enjoyed her. Who wouldn’t? She’s incredible. There’s no excuse for his actions. She says, no there isn’t, and he says he did start developing real feelings for her. By the time they found the necklace, he almost didn’t care about it anymore. She says, almost, and he says, what he really cared about is her. He didn’t know what to do. All of a sudden, the thing he’d been chasing was standing right in front of him, and he just let it go; it didn’t feel right. He didn’t want lose her either. She says, he wanted to have his cake and eat it too, and he says, the joke was on him because he ended up losing both. Unless he didn’t. He sees now how wrong his actions were; how his agenda came between them, and the real thing. What they were building was the real thing, and he thinks they could get back to if she’d let them. Unless he’s off base, and she disagrees that what they were building between them was real. She says, it was, and there’s a part of her that wishes they could get it back. He says, then just listen to that part, and forget the rest, but she says she can’t. He used her. He says he knows it’s messed up, but doesn’t it count for something that he’s owning it? She says, it does. The fact that he came to her with his heart on his sleeve, that takes guts, and she appreciates it. He says, but it’s not enough, and she says, just so they’re clear, she knows what it’s like to make mistakes, huge life-altering ones. She’s not being hypocritical here; she just can’t. He tells her, she keeps saying can’t like there’s something keeping them from giving this another shot. From where he’s standing, it’s just him and her. So what is it? What’s keeping them from seeing how good they could be together?

Maxie asks how long Brook hasn’t been feeling well, and Brook says, it’s been a while. She remembers feeling particularly bad the day Chase ended things. As if life wasn’t crappy enough, she had to get sick on top of it. Maxie asks what her symptoms are, aside from no energy, headaches, and lack of sleep, and Brook says she’s basically lost interest in everything, even things she loves, like her job. Maxie says, good to know. What else? Brook says, her chest is all tight, she has a stomachache, and her eyes are all watery; she’ll just start crying out of nowhere. She read online that could be a sign of pesticide poisoning. Does Maxie think Olivia is sneaking in non-organic products? Maxie says she doesn’t think Olivia is Brook’s problem, and Brook says she’s not pregnant if that’s what Maxie is thinking. Maxie says she wasn’t going to go there, and Brook asks, then what’s wrong with her? Maxie says, Brook isn’t sick; she’s in love.

Sasha asks if Chase is going to tell her what happened between him and Brook at the Gingerbread Jam, and he asks, what makes her think something happened? She says, they were all worried he wasn’t going to show for the performance, and then there he was at the last minute. He says, very astute, and she says she tries. He says he found out that Brook did something for him, and she says, very vague. He says he tries. Brook finally submitted a letter on his behalf to the CCRB. She says she thought the meeting already happened, and the Board made their decision, and he says, it did, but apparently they read the letter anyway, and agreed to revisit his case. She says, that’s amazing, and he says, that’s no guarantee, but who knows? At least there’s still a chance. She says, thanks to Brook, and he says, it appears that way. She says, so… Does that change things for him, knowing what Brook did?

Selina takes Gladys’s hands, and says, Gladys has dug a deep hole for herself, with no means to repay it. Gladys takes out her earrings, and says, what about… These should cover part of it, right? Selina says, they aren’t cubic zirconia? but Gladys says, they’re the real deal. Selina takes the earrings, and Gladys says, andif Selina will just extend her credit for one more game, she’ll win back the rest. Selina says she’d be happy to, and Gladys says, she would? Selina says, of course (🍷). How else will Gladys break that bad luck streak? But be warned. Her line of credit is only good for one game. After that, all bets are off… pun intended.

Carly compares the pictures, and says, that’s definitely him. She takes the background check with the photo attached, and puts it in her bag. Drew comes out, and says, Carly? She says she was just getting her lip balm; her lips were dry from the cold. He says, they felt soft to him, but she says, now they’re better. He kisses her, and says he believes she’s right. How long did Michael say Wiley’s time out was? She says, 30 minutes, and he kisses her again. She says she doesn’t want Wiley to come down and see something he shouldn’t, and he says, she’s right. They need time together, completely alone. Meanwhile, any luck when he was on his call? She says, unfortunately, no. They knew it was going to be a long shot. He says, it doesn’t make any sense. How does a child go missing, and no one files a report? If it was his child, he’d be banging on doors, and calling up news stations trying to find his kid. It’s as if this baby vanished and nobody gave a damn. She says, their theory, that Harmony took Willow from her parents, is just that; a theory. Maybe something else happened. He says, like what? This guy – he picks up Josiah’s photo – is the only answer, and who knows where he is? it’s almost like there’s another angle, and they’re not seeing it. Carly says, they’re going to have to put a stop to this.

At the hospital, Willow tells Michael that she really wants to go home; she’s exhausted. He says, this is important, and brings her over to the infant viewing window. He tells her, look at the newborns. She says, they’re beautiful, and he says, in the not too distant future, one of them will be theirs. And they’re going to be standing here not thinking about cancer or chemo, but how perfect their little girl is. Willow says, she’s going to be perfect, and he says, just look at her mom.

Brook tells Maxie, that’s ridiculous. She’s not in love. Does she care about Chase? Yes, a lot, but they haven’t been together long enough for her to fall in love. Maxie says, it doesn’t take long, and Brook says, a couple months, but Maxie says, they’ve been together longer than that. Brook faked having his baby, they lived together, Chase punched out two guys for her. Brook says she remembers, and Maxie says, now he’s gone and Brook feels terrible. Brook says, it’s the hardest she’s ever taken a break-up. The guilt she feels over hurting Chase is next level, and this feeling of emptiness; she can’t shake it. Oh God. She’s in love with Chase. Maxie says, Brook tells her like she didn’t say that exact thing to her, and Brook says she guesses she’s never been in love before. That’s so sad. Maxie says, it is, but she thinks Brook was waiting for the real thing. Brook says, she finally finds it, and promptly throws it away. Does Maxie think Chase is in love with her too?

Chase says, he and Brook are done, and Sasha says, so he showed up at the Gingerbread Jam as a thank you? He says, and because it was the right thing to do. He made a promise to Brook to help take down her ex-manager. Not just for Brook’s sake, but for every up and coming artist he intends to prey on. And he’s committed to see it through. She says, sounds like the Chase she knows. So is Brook clear on where they stand? He says he told her their relationship was strictly professional, and they will never be in a romantic relationship again, but Sasha says, never say never.

Roman and Sonny shake hands, and Roman says, they’ll be in touch about getting things underway. Sonny says he’s looking forward to it, as long as the conditions are met, and Roman gives Sonny the briefcase. He leaves, and Sonny gives the briefcase to Frank, saying, he knows what to do with this. Frank takes it and leaves, and Dex says, that’s not how he expected this meeting to go. Sonny asks what he was expecting, and Dex says, for starters, he didn’t think the guy would show up alone. Sonny says, these guys are confident. They’re smooth. That’s why they have to keep an eye on them. Dex says he was also surprised to see the guy was ex-military, and Sonny asks how he knows that.  

Britt tells Cody that she didn’t even want to use the stupid match-making service. Her mother got a subscription to Society Set-Ups, and then nagged her until she used it; she just finally caved. He asks if she regrets it, and she says, if he’s asking if she regrets meeting him, no. But this – her voice breaks – just wasn’t meant to be. Maybe if things were different… She cries a little, and he says he gets it. He made one too many mistakes; maybe more than one too many. She says, for the record, it means a lot that he came to her, even if it doesn’t change anything. She tells him, goodbye, opens the door, and leaves.

Drew tells Carly, he can’t stop. He promised Willow that he’d find her birth parents. She says she doesn’t mean stop for good. They can just take a little break, then come back to it with fresh eyes. He asks, what kind of break are they talking about? and she says she remembers a certain someone gave her a key for Christmas. He says, that does ring a bell, and she suggests they use that key, and get away. Go somewhere where they can be alone, and do what they want. He says he’s seeing real wisdom in this plan, and they kiss. She says she’s going to check on Wiley, and goes upstairs. Drew calls Brian, and says he wasn’t able to determine Josiah’s identity, so he needs Brian to question every Josiah in the area. And do not stop until he finds the right one.

Michael says he knows he and Willow are going through a dark time right now, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel. She tells him, when he says it, she actually believes it. He says, believe it. He loves her. She says she loves him too, and he says, and Wiley loves her, and their daughter loves her. Is she sensing a theme here? She says, that’s a lot of love, and he says, there’s nothing more important in the whole world. The four of them have a long life ahead of them, full of joy, hope, and laughter. He needs her to not lose sight of that. She says she won’t if he doesn’t, and he says, deal.

Britt meets Selina in a private lounge area at the MetroCourt, and Selina says, she’s late. Britt says, sorry; she was held up. Did Selina get it? Selina says she did, but it’s going to cost Britt.

Sasha says, she’s just telling Chase that it’s not outside the realm of possibilities that he and Brook get back together, but he says he’s not there yet. And honestly, he doesn’t know if he ever will be. She says, fair enough. Whatever the future holds, she has faith it will all work out for the best. He deserves it. He says, her too, and they hug.

Maxie tells Brook that she can’t speak for Chase, but as an outside observer, he did step up for her time and time again. If he wasn’t in love with her, he certainly cared – a lot. Brook says she’s the worst, and Maxie says, there is a silver lining. Now that Brook knows how she feels, there’s only one thing to do. Brook says, go to the store, and stock up on ice cream, but Maxie says, no. If Brook really loves Chase, she’s got to win him back.

Gladys comes back, and Sasha says, that was a long trip to the bathroom. Everything okay? Gladys says, yes. She just got sidelined by a phone call. Is Sasha ready? Sasha says she’s just got to check on a friend real quick, and then they can go. She leaves, and hostess Trish brings the check. Gladys takes out Sasha’s credit card. I think we know where her thought process is going.

Britt tells Selina that she’s prepared to hold up her end of the bargain. After tomorrow night, Selina has her word, she’ll never see Brad again. Selina says, Britt has given her word before, and turned on her. How does she know it won’t happen again? Britt says, Selina has that information over her. If Britt double-crosses her, Selina can release it. Selina gives her an envelope, and says, it’s everything Britt asked for. Britt takes out a passport, and driver’s license with the name Rita Jenkins on them, and Selina says, all the documents Britt needs… to disappear.

Dex tells Sonny, trust him. He knows ex-military when he sees it, and that guy was. Sonny says, Pikeman does private military contracting. Maybe they’re promoting from within. Dex says, Pikeman Security Group? and Sonny asks if he knows them. Dex says, among others. They encountered a lot of private contractors when they were in the service. They knew to steer clear of them. Sonny asks if Dex is worried about him. Don’t be. They’ll get everything under control, and the payoff is going to be huge. Dex will see.

Tomorrow, Victor asks why Nikolas isn’t fighting for his son; Laura wonders why something sounds like a threat; Obrecht says she betrayed Britt’s trust; and Trina says, this has to end.

🥀 First Roll Call…

Soap stars we lost in 2022.

💎 She Should Know…

Teddi’s certainly had a lot to say about the show since she got the boot. Does anyone really care what she thinks?

🧂 ShahJudication…

Excuse me if I find it hard to be sympathetic. This kind of stuff boils my blood.

🍊 Pick a Lane…

This woman needs help.

🙌 Deserving Of a Real Bravo…

It must be hard to stay sober in a cast of lushes. Is James off the wagon now?

⚓️ Me Boat Daddy…

Like we thought he wouldn’t finish.

🐶 Yule Love Them…

I knew if I dug around enough, I could find celebrity pets on Christmas. No clue who these people are, but they have very cute dogs.

https://push.abs-cbn.com/2022/12/25/fresh-scoops/celebrities-flex-their-pets-on-christmas-day-1413-204610

🍗 Combing Through the Leftovers…

Bravo has shut down somewhat until the new year, but if you like some tea with your soap, stop in tomorrow. Until then, stay safe, stay not making resolutions you won’t keep anyway, and stay hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst.

November 30, 2022 – The Necklace Changes Hands, the Real Ka-Boom, Carly’s First Day, Where’s the Exit, Her Opinion, the Tree & Traditions

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the bullhorn, Jordan tells Holly that it’s her last chance and to give herself up. Inside the cabin, a woman grabs the briefcase, knocking the lantern over and starting a fire – we can’t see her face. Jordan says she doesn’t like this, and tells Mac to give the order to move, but Robert says, give her a chance to do the right thing. Jordan says, she’s had a chance, multiple ones. Time’s up. There’s an explosion inside the cabin, and debris blows everywhere. Robert says he has to get in there, but Mac holds him back.

Curtis and Portia struggle over a piece of pie, and Curtis says he promised N’neka, but Porta says, N’neka gets plenty of pies and other things from her Savoy suitors. This pie is for Terry. It’s praise-worthy pie. He says he knows; he baked it. She says, with her sweet potato pie recipe, and he says he’ll surrender that piece of pie in exchange for something just as sweet. They kiss, and Trina slips out the back door. On the patio, Marshall says, sneaking out?

Brook tells Chase that she’s starving, and Olivia will kill them if they hold things up. She starts to leave, but he says, look at him. Was she ever going to tell him about the CCRB letter she never wrote? She acts like she’s not sure what he’s talking about, and he says, the letter she told Dante that she’d write; the one that might give him a fighting chance to get his badge back.

Britt goes up to the bar at The Savoy, bumping Ava as she sits down. She orders a Cosmo, tells Ava, her bad, and asks how Ava’s Thanksgiving was. Ava says, it was great; she had Avery. Britt tells N’neka to put Ava’s drinks on her tab, and Ava says, not necessary, but very nice. She asks how Britt’s Thanksgiving was, and Britt says, amazing. It had highs, lows, my mother, cranberry from a can. It was very traditional. Now it’s time for her to get her groove on. Cody walks in, and Britt says, one more box to check. Ava says, which is? and Britt says, a little somethin’ somethin’, when Nikolas walks in, and catches Ava’s eye.

Also at The Savoy, Victor sits alone at a table, and Selina tells him, happy Thanksgiving. He says, and to her, and she asks if he enjoyed a family celebration earlier. He gestures for her to sit, and says, just with his nephew. Sadly, he couldn’t gather the other Cassadines for a celebration of turkey and conviviality. His phone dings, and Selina says she’s sorry, but he tells her not to shed any tears on his account. That’s all going to be changing going forward. He sees a text from Gavin (no doubt the guy I’ve been calling Johann): Have approx. location on Holly. En route. Victor texts back: Necklace top priority. Holly expendable. He tells Selina, he hopes soon to have the incentive he needs to bring his family together.

The woman in the cabin, now consumed by fire, runs out and flails around the yard before finally falling down. Robert screams, Holly! and breaks away from Mac, grabbing a blanket and throwing it over her. Mac runs over, and Robert looks under the blanket, and yells, no! I guess it must be her. Jordan tells an officer to cordon off the area. Canvas the cabin, and find out if anyone within a one-mile radius saw or heard anything. The paramedics tend to Holly, and Mac pulls Robert away. Robert says, she needs him, and one of the paramedics says, they need to move her, or she’s not going to make it.

Selina tells Victor, family can be so troublesome, and ungrateful. She’s been tempted to disavow herself of the whole lot. He laughs, and says, not so easily done. Biological imperative compels us to protect our clan, no matter how sorry a bunch they might be. She says, it seems they have much in common, and asks if she can call him Victor. He says, if he can call her Selina, and she says she’d like to continue their conversation. Perhaps they can compare notes. He raises his glass to her.

Ava tells Britt that she never associated Thanksgiving with trysts. Most people just want a nap. Britt says, when you’re in her position, you carpe diem and carpe dictum, and Ava asks, what position is that? Britt says, hard up. She’s been without since Jason, and before him, there was one forgettable wham-bam with Jax, then a fling thing with Ava’s brother. She hasn’t had relationship sex since… wow… 2014. Nikolas joins them, and Britt adds, with Ava’s husband.

Obrecht stomps over to Cody and says, you – with me, and he follows her out.

Curtis asks what Portia thinks about their first family Thanksgiving, and she says, definitely deserving of high marks. And the food was fantastic. She even overheard his father telling Stella that his son’s turkey was so good. It’s true; she’ll give him that. Curtis says, he’s just so grateful that he has a father to fuss with. Tommy never got that chance, and he intends to make the most of his, just in case this disease tries to take his father away again. What are the chances it rears back up? I’m guessing none, since I don’t think Marshall has schizophrenia.

Trina asks if Marshall pulled guard duty, and he says he’s just minding his own business, cleaning his clarinet. She wraps a blanket around herself, and asks if he isn’t cold. He says he’s wearing a sweater. Curtis busted his chops, and highly suggested he could keep Trina company. He figured boredom would drive her out here sooner or later. She says, here she thought she and Curtis were making progress, and Marshall says, he means well. She says she knows, but it’s not like she’s out here asking to be attacked by a freak with a hook. She just needs to breathe. She’s climbing the walls being shut up most of the time. He says he knows the feeling. Been there; done that.

Brook says, Dante told Chase about the letter? and he says, Dante assumed he knew; that Brook had looped him in. He figured she just hadn’t had the time to write it yet, what with making music and scamming Linc. She says, they’ve been crazy busy, right? Every day, all day, she’s hustling for every number Chase performs, setting up interviews and promos. She can barely breathe. He says, it’s a lot of work, and she’s thrown herself into it, and she says, letting all her responsibilities at Deception slide… He says, so maybe she wanted to and just didn’t find the  time. Maybe she thought she did tell him, or maybe she drafted the letter, and didn’t want to spring it on him until it was perfect. He’d understand anything; just tell him. When was she going to let him know Dante asked her to write a letter to the Civilian Complaint Review Board, recommending he get his badge back? She doesn’t say anything, and he says, never? She says she meant to tell him once they got Linc, but he says, that’s not a sure thing. She says, neither is her letter, but he says, Dante told him that her account of his run-ins with Valentin and Linc would go a long way in getting him right with the Board. She says, what’s to stop Linc from having his say? That liar could deny everything. Chase’s best shot at getting his badge back is after they beat Linc, and expose him for the skeeze that he is. She takes Chase’s hands, and says, once they prove Linc has no credibility, is when he can march into the CCRB with her letter, and prove he never gave up on law and order, just because law and order gave up on him. He says, that timetable doesn’t work; which he could have told her if she’d let him in on what was happening. But she didn’t. He can’t think of a single reason why she wouldn’t just tell him. She says, there is only one good reason; the only reason she needed. Us.

Trina says she didn’t mean compare being shut up with family with what Marshall went through when he was hospitalized, and Marshall says, let’s see. You can’t leave when you want to. Your mother and Curtis watch your every move. You can’t see the man in your life, Officer Cabrera. They share enough similarities to make them understand one another. She says she doesn’t think she could ever really understand what he went through, and he says he hopes she never does. She says, he doesn’t talk much about it… you know… He says, having schizophrenia. Why dwell on yesterday, when today’s so rich, and tomorrow’s so bright.

Portia says she can’t tell Curtis if Marshall is going to have another schizophrenic episode. She’s not a psychiatrist; she’s not even up on the latest science. He tells her, Marshall said he never had an episode, not since the arrest that institutionalized in the first place. Maybe Marshall caught a break, like he did, dodging his father’s genetic markers.

Ava and Nikolas gaze into each other’s eyes, and Britt says, they’re so cute. Look at them; coupled up, wedded bliss. Ava says, aren’t they though? and Nikolas says he saw Britt’s mother over there. Britt tells him, her mother says marriage is for the bourgeois. Britt thinks it would be nice if her significant other knew what toppings she likes on her hot dog, or took the wine glass out of her hand when she fell asleep on the couch. Someone who would throw her a birthday party and serve her favorite cake… or just say happy birthday. Ava says, Britt never had a birthday party? and Britt says, no birthday party, no husband. Nikolas says, she still has time, and Britt says, ain’t it the truth? She asks N’neka to get her and her friends another round.

Selina says, Victor’s nephew appears to be occupied with his wife, and Victor says, soon to be ex-wife. Selina says she’s sorry to hear that, but he says, don’t be. It was an imprudent match to begin with; harmful to both of them. It was never meant to last. Selina says, love never is, but that alone never stopped anyone from fighting for it.

Robert goes with Holly to the ambulance, saying, he loves her; hang in there. Mac stops a paramedic, and asks about Holly’s condition, and the paramedic tells him, on observation, it looks like she has burns over 75% of her body. GH is good, but she needs better, so they’re taking her to a burn unit. They’ve radioed for a medivac. Robert says he’s going with her, but Mac says, he’ll just get in the way of the paramedics. He’ll drive Robert to the airfield. Robert tells Mac to get out of his way before he belts him one, when Jordan interrupts, saying, this is a crime scene. She needs her Chief of Detectives. She tells Robert to move, and he leaves.

Portia says, Curtis and his father are lucky, no matter what the reason is. She hopes some of that luck rubs off on Trina. She can’t wait for Esme to be brought to justice. Speaking of Trina, where is she? They look outside, and see her on the patio with Marshall.

Trina says, Marshall has a way of putting things into perspective, and he says, everybody has their burdens. But no one carries it with grace such as hers. Curtis comes out, carrying the piece of pie, Portia behind him. He tells Marshall, the game is on, and Marshall gets up. He says he guesses Portia is going to watch the game with him, and she says she’ll definitely be watching. Enjoy the pie. Marshall asks if that’s the last piece of pie; he doesn’t believe this. He and Portia go inside, and Curtis puts down the pie near Trina, and sits down. She pushes it away, and he says, okay, her loss. He thought it would take the edge off after being caught in his net.

Chase says, Brook took away his best chance at getting his badge back for them? She says she’s never had this before. She’s been with other guys – she’s not exactly Snow White – but true intimacy? Not once. She was starting to think she wasn’t capable of a true connection, but then he came along. She realized, not only was intimacy possible, but it’s here, between them. Since they started working together, it’s only gotten deeper and stronger. If she never gets Linc, if she never gets her songs back, if she never exposes Linc for the creep that he is, she’d be okay. She’s be frustrated and disappointed, but she’d still be okay. Because the true gift is, every minute, she gets closer to him. She thought he felt the same way. He says he does, and she says, that’s why she didn’t tell him about the letter. She thought everything they were doing together was better than anything they’ve done alone. She thought, given enough time, he’d forget about the badge, and what he really wanted would be here with her. Just tell her she’s right.

Outside The Savoy, Cody says he thought he and Obrecht were getting along better. Is he still in the hole for punching Scotty? She says she was moved by his apology, as well as Britt’s endorsement of him. Her feelings are immaterial; only Britta’s matter. She’s a fundamentally lonely person, yearning for what she’s never had; someone to rely on. Now is no time to look for a substitute. Britt can’t do with a romantic distraction; she needs her mother. They both know Britt is headstrong, and behaves contrary to wisdom, and Cody is persistent. So… If it’s money he wants, then it’s money he shall have.

Britt asks Nikolas to be her wingman, and help scope out the sponge-worthy. She stumbles a little, and he asks if she’s okay. Ava suggests she sit down, when Selina comes over with Victor, and asks if there’s a problem. Britt says she just slipped, and Selina asks if she’s been overserved. Britt says she just had one drink, and Selina says, come with her. She tries to take Britt’s arm, but Britt throws Selina’s hand off, and almost falls again. Victor comes on the other side of her, putting her drink on the bar, and he and Selina head for a table with her.

The ambulance stops in the middle of nowhere, and the paramedics get out. Dressed as one of them, Felicia opens the back, and says, all clear. Holly sits up, and takes her head covering off. Robert asks if she’s all right, and she says, right as rain. She’s all fired up. Wow. I really thought it must be someone else, since we couldn’t see who she was. Well done.

Chase tells Brook, singing’s been a pleasant surprise. He had more fun than he thought he would. And it’s not just the performing or celebrity; it’s her. He would have never tried to be Chase the singer with anyone but her. She says, he’s got her, so there’s no problem, but he says, the problem is, he’s not Chase the singer. That’s just some face he was wearing that’s not his. She says, but it could be. She’s seen him when he gets up on stage; he comes alive. He’s so in the moment when he sings. He says, and right when he’s done, he’s checking his newsfeed. He has this fantasy that he’s the one who finds Brando’s killer; that he could still do some good at the PCPD. She says, he can. She never expected him to give up the cop forever; just put him on mute for a while. He says, until he forgets the sound of his voice altogether? Maybe she’s right. He can forget he’s a cop, and focus all his energy on singing, given enough time. But it has to be his choice. Does she get that? And she took that away from him.

Trina says she thought she and Curtis had an understanding after their discussion on boundaries, and he says he thought he’d given her a wide berth. She says, it doesn’t feel that way, and he says, they agreed he wouldn’t go behind her back and butt into her life. He did that. He even refrained from butting in from the front. He’s up for a Nobel Peace Prize. She says, which he’ll lose after assigning his father to guard her, but he says, all he did was set up a watch to keep eyes out for Esme Prince. A man is allowed to protect his castle, and all who reside in it.  

Marshall tells Portia, Trina’s not going anywhere. She’s just feeling hemmed in. She thanks him for talking to Trina, and helping her get some of that out, and asks if he’d mind possibly playing for them tonight. He says, sure, and she asks if his illness ever gets in the way of him playing. She’s sorry… He says, no, that’s okay. No one’s ever asked. The only way schizophrenia got between him and his music was when he had to go underground to protect his family from the stigma. She says, so it never inhibited his performance? and he says, just his ambitions. Why all the questions?

Mac asks Jordan if there’s any idea what caused the explosion, and she says, the theory is a faulty stove. She has to get her people inside. Hopefully there’s some evidence to explain Holly’s strange behavior. He hands her an evidence bag, and says, maybe this will help. The firefighters pulled it out. She asks what it is, and he says, the remains of Robert’s briefcase; the one he put the necklace in. She says, so where’s the necklace?

Holly thanks Felicia for the clothes, and Felicia says she’s happy she got the sizes right. She has Holly’s new passport and her international driver’s license. Does she feel better? Holly says, just a little singed around the edges. Robert joins them, and says, that was something. Holly says she’s just sorry he and Mac had to see it; she can’t imagine what it looked like. Felicia says, the danger was minimal. She and Holly worked it out to a tee. Holly tells her, thank you for that… We see Felicia meeting Holly, and Holly says, Felicia was waiting for me when I arrived at the cabin last night. They go inside, and Felicia gives Holly some things out of a duffel bag. Holly says, with fireproof garments, and fire retardant gel to make the ruse look real. Felicia tells her to put it on her face, and Holly says, we went over the instructions on how to rig the stove at the appointed time. Back at the ambulance, Felicia says, Holly flambé. She can’t believe Holly was able to work it out in time. Robert says, they had no choice, and Holly says, they were operating on Victor’s timetable. She couldn’t just hand over the necklace. Robert says, she couldn’t defy Victor either, and Holly says, or Ethan would have paid the price. She and Robert faked Robert’s drugging, so she’d have the opportunity to steal the necklace, and lay a trail to the cabin for the PCPD to find. Robert says, it only works if they have a credible witness to Holly’s injuries, and Holly says, because Ethan’s only chance of survival is if Victor believes she’s of no more use to him.

Cody says, Obrecht’s willing to pay him to stay away from Britt? and she says she’s prepared to give him six figures. He says he doesn’t want her money. He just wants what, by rights, should belong to him. She says, Dominique’s inheritance, and he says, yeah, and he wanted something else; not something, someone. She says, her daughter, and he says he thought he could have both. Boy, did he misjudge that situation. Now it looks like he can’t have either, but maybe all he wanted was Britt. Obrecht will be happy to know, he blew it big time. Her daughter wants nothing to do with him. She says, perhaps Britta’s learned some wisdom after all, and he says, she can tell Britt that he can take no for an answer, and he can take living hand to mouth. So Obrecht can keep her money, and not worry about him dogging Britt. He doesn’t want to go where he’s not wanted. Obrecht says she’ll make sure Britt knows, and he says he’s sure she will. One more thing. What’s wrong with Britt? Why is Obrecht willing to go broke just to keep him away from her? Obrecht says, sorry. Answers were never on offer.

Britt shakes off Victor and Selina as they get to the table, and Victor says he’s going to get her mother. Britt says, leave her mother out of this, and leave her alone. Selina says she’s getting Britt a cab, but Britt says, this is ridiculous. She had one drink. Victor says, not counting the drinks she had on the way over, and Britt says she can handle her liquor. Selina says, but she can’t even stand up straight unaided, and Victor says, wait. This isn’t alcohol, is it? Britt’s sick.

Ava says, Victor won’t be very pleased, seeing Nikolas consorting with the enemy, and Nikolas says he has no intention of divorcing her. She says she had no intention of becoming bait for the PCPD, but sometimes, one never knows what the day may bring. He asks what she’s talking about, and she says, Mac Scorpio thinks Ryan Chamberlain can lead them to Esme if she convinces him to.

Victor says, Faison’s legacy, and Britt says, shut up about that, when Obrecht flies in between them. She slaps Victor, and says, touch her daughter, and she’ll kill him. Selina says, everyone, calm down, and Cody hustles Victor off, suggesting they take a walk. Britt says, he’s going to tell people, but Obrecht says, he wouldn’t dare. There’s a special place in hell for men like that. Selina says, the Ninth Circle… I’ve heard it said.  

Robert gives Holly some keys, and says, the car’s untraceable. Drive it over the border to Canada, and with her new ID, she can disappear. She says, Victor will follow up, but he says, witnesses will recall there was a woman placed in a medivac. Felicia says, yours truly. She’ll be dropped off outside Port Charles, and flight plans will indicate Holly Sutton was transferred to a plane transporting her to a burn clinic halfway across the world. Robert says, very private, very secure, and Felicia says, reports will have her comatose with a long, difficult recovery. Robert says, and Victor will probably lose interest, leaving her free to rescue her son. Holly says she won’t squander their efforts, and Felicia says she knows that. Holly thanks them for everything they’ve done on her behalf and her son’s. She just wishes they didn’t have to leave Mac in the dark, but Felicia says, this way, Mac can’t lie to Jordan about Holly. Besides, he’d be the first to agree she’s worth it. Holly wonders how she can ever repay them, and Felicia hugs her, saying, get her son back, and get Victor. Holly says she’s working on it. She remembers…

Selina holds up a diamond, and says, interesting. Holly says, satisfied? and Selina says, she’d prefer the entire necklace, but Holly says, that’s all that’s available, and only in exchange for the guarantee that Victor Cassadine ingests this. She holds up a vial, and asks if it can be done. Selina says she sees Victor at The Savoy on occasion, but she can’t have the club associated with a death. Holly says, if she wanted Victor dead, he’d be dead. He’ll only feel the effects of this drug if the circumstances arise… or don’t. Selina asks, what did Victor do to earn Holly’s animosity? and Holly says, Victor fancies himself a family man, whilst he’s holding her son hostage. She’ll never get Ethan back if Victor is dead. In the meantime, a dose of this will pay him back in kind. Selina says, there’s a special place in hell for such men, and Holly says, the Ninth Circle. Will she do it? Selina says, Holly has her word, and takes the vial.

N’neka brings Victor another drink, and he raises his glass to Selina, who looks at the vial in her hand. She says, and my word is my bond.

Curtis says, Trina’s not a prisoner. He just wants to make sure she’s safe and sound while she’s here. If she doesn’t like his rules, they’re only temporary. But he does need her to respect them, just as he respects her boundaries. And while he hopes this doesn’t compromise the friendship they decided to try out, he’ll understand if it does. She says, two steps forward, one step back is still progress. Fork? He gives her the fork, and she snatches the pie away, telling him, don’t squander that progress. He says he made that pie, and she says, from her mom’s recipe. He throws up his hands in surrender.

Portia says she guesses she’s just curious that none of Marshall’s doctors ever suggested genetic counseling or screening like Curtis had. He says, things like that weren’t around back when he was in the hospital, but she says, those things are commonplace nowadays. Has he ever considered it? and he says, what’s the point? He already has a diagnosis. What would genetic counseling tell him that he doesn’t already know? Um… what I said before.

Chase tells Brook, the only way he’d want to become a singer is if he decides himself, but she never gave him that option. She says she thought he wanted it as much as she did, and he says, to take down Linc? Sure, but she knew how bad he wanted to return to the PCPD. So when Dante asked her to write the letter, she didn’t tell him because she knew he’d be all for it. She says she never thought of it like that, and he says he’s been where she is, making decisions for others, and personal experience showed him just how wrong it was. He did it with Willow. She says, so that’s it? He’s hanging up the mic? She gets it. He says, she doesn’t. It’s not just the mic; it’s us. His singing career is over, and so are they.

Nikolas tells Ava that she can’t be in Ryan’s presence; it’s too dangerous. She says, Ryan is a  turnip, and any danger would be worth it to protect Trina. Esme is out there killing people, and she has to do what she can to stop her, even if it means she pays the price for Esme going over the parapet… or he does.

Marshall asks, what would be the benefit after all these years, to get confirmation of what he already knows? when Trina and Curtis come back in. Portia says, somebody enjoyed the pie, and Curtis says, the pie that he barely got to taste. Is Marshall ready for some football? Marshall says, let’s do this, and puts on the TV.

Brook tells Chase to think about what he’s saying, and he says, she’s the most exciting person he’s ever met. She made him feel like the luckiest guy alive. She says, he made her feel the same way, and he says, but then they went in on this plan to expose Linc, and it muddied things up for the both of them. They should have set boundaries; either working together as singer and manager, or two people who can’t get enough of each other. But not both, because now they don’t work as anything. She tells him, don’t say that. That’s not true. They can work this out. He says, she lied to him. She kept him from the thing that makes him who he is. There’s nothing to work out. It’s over. He leaves, and she cries.

Britt tells Obrecht, everything was fine. She could swallow her drink, then suddenly, her feet fell out from under her. Obrecht says she’s so sorry. Let’s go home. Britt asks why Obrecht’s never thrown her a birthday party, and Obrecht says she must have some time, but Britt says, she didn’t. She’s going to throw herself a birthday party to end all parties. If she’s going down, she’s going down dancing, even if she’s dancing on her own. Obrecht helps Britt out of the club, as Cody watches.

Holly tells Robert, so this is goodbye. She’s sorry for everything. Most of all, she’s sorry for coming back to him only to leave again. If there was any other way… He says, there isn’t, and she says, this isn’t their moment. He says, it never is, but she says she recalls a certain… Goodbye, Robert. He asks if she isn’t forgetting something, and she kisses him, but he says he actually meant something else. She says, oh? and he says, the necklace.

Mac says, the firefighters didn’t see a necklace, and Jordan says, call CSU. They need to conduct their own search. They need to make sure nobody walked out with it. He says, it’s possible Holly ditched the necklace, or handed it off to Victor before holing up, and Jordan says, or she had it on her when she left with the paramedics. He says he’ll check with Robert. It’s possible it got destroyed in the fire. She says, a diamond necklace? and he says, a hot enough fire can turn diamond to ash. It might be gone for good. She says, the WSB is going to be pissed

Victor swirls his drink, and drains his glass. His phone dings, and a text from Gavin says: Holly disabled. Necklace missing. Victor shatters his glass on the table.

Holly tells Robert, oh, the necklace. She almost forgot. They laugh, and she takes it out of her pocket, giving it to him. She asks why Victor wanted it so badly. What’s so special about it? He says, it came from the Ice Princess itself. He thinks it has something to do with the diamonds. She says, the Ice Princess has a bad habit of destroying those who covet it. Be careful. He says he’s always careful, and she says, except with his heart, touching his chest. He says, be seeing you, and she slowly walks away. She turns, blows him a kiss, and walks into the mist.

Tomorrow, Sasha tells Chase, in her heart, Brook was doing it for them both; Nina says she hopes Willow can help out a friend; Carly asks Josslyn if Dex is a factor in her decision; and Sonny says, if something is too good to be true, it usually is.

🔥 Like a DVD Extra…

It was pretty impressive.

🚑 Entering the Hospital…

The final (TBD) Carly recalls her beginnings on GH.

🥱 More Old News…

Blah-blah-blah, Ramona, blah-blah-blah, Andy.

🚂 She Thinks They Can…

Why is Teddi weighing in on this? Is she a relationship coach now? Apparently, this site likes her, but still not a fan.

🎄 Light It Already…

Yeah, yeah. Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are cute, but it was like, come on and flip the switch. Not as bad as waiting for the Best Picture Oscar though.

https://www.rockefellercenter.com/holidays/rockefeller-center-christmas-tree-lighting/

🤸‍♀️ Holly Jollying…

Tomorrow, soap and another episode of that horrifying House. And I’m not talking about The Watcher. Come suffer with me. Until then, stay safe, stay serene in a stormy world, and stay not dwelling on yesterday, when today’s so rich, and tomorrow’s so bright.

⚠️ Warning: Some words not for sensitive ears: