There wasn’t any news either. Until the actual news was on. So the whole thing was for naught.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Crystal is putting appetizers together for the women, and I love her tea towel that says, I’m not bossy, I just have better ideas. Garcelle just had a shoot for The Real where she interviewed Kathy, and we see a clip. They toast to nothing in particular. Sutton is absent, since she has a business meeting, and Kyle talks about her new store opening. Dorit goes to the bathroom, which is a signal for Kyle to talk about her, and play the voicemail she got from Dorit, saying she’s having a bad morning and has chest pains. Kyle says, it’s a classic panic attack. Dorit comes back, and she probably doesn’t notice it, but the silence is a little deafening. Garcelle asks how she is, and Dorit says she’s experiencing it in waves; physical and emotional trauma. She took a Xanax, but it didn’t help. In Dorit’s interview, she says she doesn’t know how to manage a panic attack. She doesn’t want it to affect her for the rest of her life; she won’t let it. But she has to do a lot of work to get there. Kyle says, Dorit can call her any time, and BY THE WAY, she had a conversation with Sutton. She doesn’t want to spark any issues (ha-ha-ha! Kyle is so funny), but Sutton said she was having a bad day too, and she’s sorry she didn’t have a gun put to her head. She thought it was insensitive. Dorit agrees it’s a tad insensitive, and Garcelle says she’s not comfortable talking behind Sutton’s back. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, Sutton should be there to defend and/or explain herself. No one ever gives her the benefit of the doubt. Dorit says she doesn’t want to bring it up tonight. She’s dealing with bigger issues.
Kyle gets ready to drive to La Quinta, and when she opens the back of the car to put a garment bag in, she realizes she never cleaned it out from the last trip. Then Kyle’s dogs Bambi and River decide to jump in, even though she’s saying, no, no, no. I die laughing because pets are always the great leveler. They could give a flying how much money you have; they’ll poop on your carpet anyway. On the way, Kyle phones business partner Shahida, and in her interview, she says, when they opened the Beverly Hills store, retail was doing amazing. We flash back to that, and she says, they opened two more stores, then the retail world crashed. She and Shahida wanted to have one brick-and-mortar store, and decided to open in a less expensive area.
Garcelle gets an art delivery of humongous amethyst butterfly cathedral wings, and in her interview, she says, after what happened to Dorit, she all the crystals and cameras. The sculpture could fall on a burglar and kill them. Erika is picking out clothes with the help of her assistant or stylist or whatever he is. In her interview, she says, she used to resell clothing to buy new stuff, but she can’t because of the bankruptcy. Wearing an outfit twice is not worst thing. The one percent of First World problems. When she gets to the house, Kyle talks to Mauricio on the phone, and tells him that she came by herself since Dorit had a tough night. We see a clip of PK calling Kyle, and saying that Dorit had a bad night, and she’s going to be late. Kyle says, after they were burglarized, it was at least six months before she felt safe. We flash back to Kyle talking about the burglary at the Reunion, and she says she was walking around with keys, locking everything like a crazy person. When she got in bed, she’d picture people coming in, even though she never saw them. She wonders how Dorit is going to get through this. It changes you.
Don’t laugh. During the commercial, I get up and check to make sure the front door is locked. I was burglarized when I lived in my first NYC apartment. It never really leaves you. Thank God I was at work, although I had no window gates, and might as well have invited them in. My door was open when I got home, but I saw my TV was there, so at first I thought someone had mistaken me for someone else, and tossed my apartment looking for a hidden… something. The thief would have been in for a big surprise if they’d taken the TV, since it had no sound. I had a radio that got TV channels and would synchronize it. What can I say? I was broke AF. Anyway, it wasn’t until a neighbor suggested they might have taken jewelry did I even know anything was missing. I had nothing to speak of except costume jewelry (mostly, there were a couple things I cried over), however, the feelings are still the same as if they’d taken a Birkin or two.
In Erika’s interview, she says she hasn’t had good luck in La Quinta, and we flash back to her breaking down during the last trip. She asks, can it get any worse? Maybe. The women meet at Erika’s, and LisaR suggests a roadie of vodka and soda. In LisaR’s interview, she says she loves a good roadie, and in Crystal’s interview, she says, a roadie puts her in a party mood. In Diana’s interview, she says she doesn’t know what a roadie is, but she’ll take one. Don’t feel bad, Di, I never heard of it either. In the car, Crystal talks about going to the outlets in Palm Springs, but Diana says she’s never been to one. In her interview, Diana says, she doesn’t go out shopping. Designers send clothes to the house, and she keeps what she likes and sends back the rest. Nothing humble about it; she owns it. Crystal says, she’ll wait three years until something is on sale. I hear you, sister. Kyle says, her Manolos from several seasons ago are so out, they’re in. (Spencer wouldn’t think so, but unless you watch General Hospital, you won’t get that joke.) They women bring their luggage to their rooms, and there’s zero drama, unlike when Ramona (RHONY) is involved. Diane, Sutton, and Crystal are staying at the La Quinta Resort, and in her interview, Diane says, when she travels, she sends a team ahead of her to check out the safety, the view, the bedding and sheets, and general coziness, so it feels like home. I dunno. When I sleep somewhere else, I don’t want it to feel like home. I thought that’s the whole point of vacation. We see a clip of Dorit going to Kyle’s store, and Dorit tells Garcelle that it felt good to want to style again; she’d been feeling uninspired. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, for Dorit, getting dressed is presenting herself. It’s what she loves. We flash back to some of Dorit’s various moments. Garcelle says, to see her not that interested is a little sad. Sutton and Crystal room together, and Crystal says she likes the path their friendship is taking, but they have to maintain transparency and honesty. Kyle told her that something Sutton said when they were talking about the burglary freaked her out. In Sutton’s interview, she says, when she was a teenager, her mother woke up to a man standing in front of Sutton’s bedroom door. Her mother screamed to her father to get the gun, and it’s not something you want to wake up to. She doesn’t want to think about it. Between the home invasion, and the thought of a gun pointed at Dorit, it strikes a nerve. Her father put a gun in his mouth, and pulled the trigger. She’s shaken… She can’t… (Told you.) She sarcastically tells Crystal that she can’t wait for tonight, but Crystal says, it’ll be fine.
Teddi comes to the store opening – ugh – but I’m guessing they must have to pay her if she’s actually on camera, because we never quite see her face. In Kyle’s interview, she says, normally, and opening takes a long time to prepare, but she’s always last minute, and scrambling to get it together. Everything has to be perfect. In Diana’s interview, she says, this is her first store opening, like this is a regular thing to do, and we flash back to her saying she doesn’t shop; she’s allergic to stores. She finds the clothing very pretty, something she would wear, even at her own house. I have no clue what she means by that last part. Wouldn’t any clothes you wear be worn in your own house? WTH? Kyle takes the mic, and says, she’s proud to have a store in the desert, her second home, and appreciates their support. Spread the word. She blesses the space with good energy, success, and happiness, and tries to cuts a ribbon adorned with tropical cutouts, but it takes her several tries since it won’t cut. Sutton asks how Dorit is, and Dorit says, she’s having panic attacks. Sutton apologizes, and says she’d never want to be insincere. Dorit says, Kyle told her Sutton said she was sorry she didn’t have a gun held to her head, and Sutton says, it was a terrible thing to say. She gets upset about guns and break-ins, and was triggered from her childhood. When she’s upset, she says weird things, then gets uncomfortable, and says uncomfortable things. Dorit says she appreciates the apology, and in Sutton’s interview, she says she can still hear the man who broke in; she can’t imagine what Dorit hears. She’s going to hear it for the rest of her life. Everybody buys stuff, and Diane says she’s picking up the tab for Crystal’s. Erika suddenly mentions a Cartier ring that Diana must buy, since she can’t afford it. Crystal mentioned earlier that she didn’t have her Amex with her, but Erika wouldn’t have known that, and I’m wondering if she thinks Diana would give her the ring. Kyle is less stressed, and more excited, and says, the more creative she is, the happier she is, and the more at peace.
Back at the house, caterer Gus has prepared an amazing spread. Diana tells Kyle that her birthday is August 23rd and she’s a Leo, but Kyle says, that’s Virgo. Diana insists she’s a Leo, and says she’s had many charts done. In Kyle’s interview, she says, Diana can be whatever she wants to be. Diana shows them a video of Baby Eliyanah walking, and in her interview, Kyle says she’s excited for Farrah to have a baby, but in her mind, Kyle is 25, so it’s strange. LisaR sits down to eat, and pup Bambi takes her steak right off her plate. In Kyle’s interview, she says, clearly, her dog training didn’t work out. Garcelle says, they can talk about Sutton while she’s here. They can clear the air. She hands the conversation over to Kyle, but Kyle says she already talked to Sutton, and Sutton says she apologized to Dorit. She’s as genuine as she can be. Kyle says she knows, but by the way she says it, I’m not sure if she’s being shady. Dorit says, Sutton’s apology felt genuine, and Sutton says she shouldn’t have put herself first. Kyle says, there’s no way you can’t be empathetic in this situation, and you can always reach out, but Sutton says, boundaries are powerful. When her father shot himself, she didn’t want people around. In Sutton’s interview, she says, when her father died, there were an influx of people coming over, and she felt she had to be the hostess. She also had a nine month old. She knows Dorit would want to put out a platter. Diana says she doesn’t know Sutton well, but she feels Sutton is clumsy with her words and behavior, and it comes off as weird and wrong. She says things that hurt people. In Diana’s interview, she says, she’s forgiving, but doesn’t forget. We flash back to Sutton and LisaR discussing the charity event, and Diana says she doesn’t think Sutton knows how her words affect the other person. She’s working on herself, and she apologized. Sutton says, she was empathetic, but Kyle insists she wasn’t, and Crystal says, the hypocrisy is annoying. In Crystal’s interview, she says, it’s inappropriate to tell someone their feelings are wrong. It’s gaslighting, and it’s distressing. She says, she and Sutton had their stuff, and we flash back to the whole violation thing. She tells the women that they went on a strong campaign in saying she was wrong. We flash back to several of them saying violation is a strong word, and in her interview, Crystal says she wasn’t given understanding. She was told she was wrong. She says, now they’re going against Sutton, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, Crystal is always dramatic, and always has something to complain about. Kyle says, Crystal can’t compare the situations; this situation needs more defending than Crystal’s did. Dorit’s life was threatened. Garcelle asks why Kyle didn’t say something to Sutton, and Kyle says she did. Sutton says, the biggest lesson she learned was respecting how someone feels is important, and Erika asks if Sutton respects how she treated her. Everything she said wasn’t true. In Sutton’s interview, she says, Erika is acting like she was exonerated, and has everyone believing it. She tells Erika, all she did was ask questions, and Erika says, Sutton called her a liar. Sutton asks if Erika feels good about how she treated her, and Erika says, Sutton is the common denominator in all their issues. LisaR says, they’re getting away from the issue. Dorit was held at gunpoint, and saved herself and her children. Her feelings are valid. In LisaR’s interview, she says, why aren’t they just supporting Dorit and being there for her? Dorit asks, what’s upsetting Crystal right now? and Crystal says, there’s only so much she can express how she feels. If someone doesn’t accept it, you have to let it go. Kyle says, it’s not the same. You can react to different situations differently. Garcelle tells her, she can’t say that; feelings are involved in both situations. Crystal says her feelings are irrelevant to these idiots women, and Dorit asks if she’s out of her f***ing mind. Garcelle says, they’re not validating how she’s feeling, and Dorit says she’s trying to understand how she’s feeling. Crystal says she doesn’t want do this anymore; she’s leaving. It’s not a safe space for her. In Dorit’s interview, she says, it’s a poor choice of words considering what just happened to her. No one is more empathetic, sympathetic, whatever than I am to Dorit’s situation/feelings, but I think changing word definitions is a bit much. Crystal says, the women never validate anyone’s feelings unless they understand them. She doesn’t need validation, but this isn’t an okay place for her to be. Diana says she’s Crystal’s bodyguard, so she has to go, and Sutton says, they’re her ride. Dorit says, they care about Crystal’s feelings, and Garcelle says, then let her have them. While everyone is distracted, Bambi steals more food. Bambi is the best part of this episode. Kyle says she wants everything to be happy with Crystal, but Erika says, she doesn’t feel validated. Then she adds, the truth was told tonight, like she’s some kind of oracle. In the car, Sutton says she had to really listen to how Crystal felt, and Crystal says, she also had an eating disorder. She’s not looking for validation, but a gang of people saying you can’t feel the way you do is intense. Diana says, you shouldn’t feel alone with friends. At the house, Garcelle says, they have to let everyone feel how they want to feel, whether they like it or not. Erika says, let’s not judge in the moment, and LisaR calls her the voice of reason.
Next time, Garcelle feels Sutton was set up; Dorit tells PK that she needs to hold it together for the kids; Dorit has a therapy session; and Garcelle tells Sutton to watch her back with her new friend.
The problem is, Teresa wouldn’t understand a word Caroline was saying, and would just out-shout her anyway. She’d be better off taking Teresa on in a boxing ring.
Tomorrow stop by for soap, tea, and a melodious moment. Until then, stay safe, stay not being afraid to change your mind, and stay never telling someone their feelings are wrong. It’s gaslighting and it’s distressing.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Chase tells Brook that he needs more context. He’s going to help her take back her life how? She says, Linc not only owns the rights to her songs, he’s turning them into trash; just imitations of what they were meant to be. He says, the hell with Linc. Write some new songs; better songs. She says, because it’s just that easy, and he says, she makes it look that way. She says she doesn’t want to start over from scratch. She wants her old songs. She poured her heart and soul into them, and she’s not giving up until she gets them back.
Outside the courtroom, Carly gets a text saying the DNA test results are ready, and she can pick them up at her earliest convenience. Inside, Nina tells Sonny that she’s grateful he’s here. He tells her that he said he’d be here, and she says she knows he did. It’s just the looks he’s getting from Michael and Willow, maybe it’s best he goes. If he takes her side today, he’s burning the last bridge that connects him with this son. He says, there’s too much at stake; he ain’t leaving. Carly comes in, and says, he’s right about the stakes. Everything else can wait.
At the park, Violet asks Gregory when they can see Aunt Elizabeth, and he says, when her daddy tells them it’s okay. In the meantime – he takes out a frisbee – have at it. He unpacks some food, and picks up a copy of The Invader. He looks at the cover, where there’s an article about the hearing, and Violet tells him to put that down and come play with her. Seriously, what is she going to do with a frisbee by herself? He says, her wish is his command, and she says, Uncle Chase taught her; he’s really good. He asks who she thinks taught Uncle Chase, and takes the frisbee, telling her, watch and learn. He tosses it, and says, oh. Did he hit someone? Alexis brings back the frisbee, and says, good thing she isn’t a lawyer anymore, or she might be tempted to sue him.
Laura sees Cameron at the hospital, and hugs him, saying, she’s sorry she couldn’t be here sooner. How’s his mother? He says he doesn’t know. She’s in there with Finn and Doc. At least she’s not talking about ghosts anymore. Laura says, that’s a good thing, but he says, is the real thing any better? All the weird stuff that was happening, how scared they all were; that was just mom stalking herself the whole time?
Finn says, there’s nothing to be afraid of anymore, but Elizabeth says, there’s her. He says, that’s not true, and she says, yes it is, and he knows it. She started a fire that could have burned down a whole building, a whole block, and landed Chase in the hospital. Who’s next? Her boys? Violet? She’s a threat to everyone she cares about. So she has to go away, and stay away.
Marshall wakes up in a panic, and Curtis says, it’s him; it’s your son. Marshall says he must have been dreaming, and tries to get up, but Curtis says he’s going to get the doctor. Marshall tells him to wait, and asks how long he’s been out. Curtis says, ever since he got jumped, ever since he was in that alley, and Marshall says, Curtis means since he came out of nowhere, and beat those guys’ butts. Curtis says, TJ’s the real hero.If he weren’t there, it could have been a whole lot worse. Marshall says, they’re both his heroes. He pats Curtis’s hand, and says, his son and his grandson. To think he could have lost them both. Curtis says he’s not going anywhere, and neither is Marshall.
Carly goes to Michael and Willow, and Michael thanks her for coming. She says, where else would she be? and Nina walks over. She says, it’s not too late. Can they just try to settle this between them? Willow says, after Nina threw Harmony in her face, and Carly says, that’s nice. Diane tells them, don’t engage, and Scotty leads Nina away, saying, don’t fraternize with the enemy. This is war. Diane says, she told Michael and Willow, if they want to win, there’s only one way to play this thing. Are they in? Scotty says, so Nina is in, no matter where it leads? Michael takes Willow’s hand, and says, they’re in. Nina tells Scotty, all or nothing.
Finn says, Elizabeth needs more time with the people who care about her, not less, and she asks, what if she hurts them? He says, she won’t, but she says, he doesn’t know that. What if she can’t stop herself next time, and she does more than rip up one of Violet’s drawings? She burned down Franco’s art studio. Who’s to say she won’t do that to her own house? Laura and Cameron come in, and Laura hugs her. She says she knows Elizabeth is scared, but trust her, it will be okay, if she just faces whatever it is inside and deals with it. Can they agree on that? Doc says he’d listen to Laura if he were Elizabeth, and Elizabeth says she always does. She just doesn’t know how to do this. Laura says, that’s why she has all of them to help her, and Elizabeth says, what if the resources at GH don’t cut it? Laura says, then they’ll find a place that will; a place where she feels safe and can get the care she needs. Elizabeth asks if Finn heard that. He’s going to have to let her go. It’s the only way she’ll find her way back.
Brook tells Chase, she doesn’t know what’s worse, the watered down lyrics or the generic techno beat, which any twelve year old can produce on an app, and probably did. He asks what she’s going to do. Sue Linc to get her songs back? He knows an attorney who specializes in intellectual property, who helped Gregory get one of his academic papers back. She says, unfortunately, that’s not an option. She spoke to Diane a few years back, and the contract is airtight. He says, that was a few years ago, but she says she double-checked this morning. She can’t sue Linc. They need a Plan B. He says, and that’s where he comes in?
Curtis says he’s done a lot of soul searching. It would have been easy to blame Marshall, like he did the first time Marshall walked out, but when he looked in the mirror, he didn’t see a scared little boy anymore, holding his mother’s hand; he saw a grown man, who was so bound and determined to get answers, that he essentially drove Marshall away. Marshall says, it wasn’t Curtis’s fault. He wasn’t able to, or couldn’t be honest with Curtis, or himself. So he ran away – again. Curtis says he has questions, and Marshall says he’s sure Curtis does. Curtis says, but whether or not he gets answers, he just wants Marshall to come home, to his family. No strings, no conditions, just a chance to start fresh for all of us. He really hopes Marshall wants that too.
Gregory tells Alexis that he’s sorry. He was trying to make Violet’s frisbee boomerang. It didn’t quite work out as planned. She says, he might want to work on that, and he says he will. He suggests Violet show off her bubble blowing skills, and Violet runs off. He tells Alexis, why don’t they start over? What brings her to the park today? She says she was just finishing up a Tai Chi class down at the duckpond, and he says he’s always wanted to try Tai Chi; the movements look so beautiful, therapeutic. She says she needs all the therapy she can get. She doesn’t know if Finn told him, but it’s been quite a year. He says, his son’s not a talker; she might have noticed. She says, he would enjoy the Tai Chi; the silence is deafening. Gregory picks up the paper, and asks if this is her way of expressing her opinions these days. She says, he’s a reader, and he says, he is. He can’t quite say he’s a fan.
Scotty says, nice work, getting Sonny here today, but Nina says she didn’t do anything. Scotty says, what’s she talking about? If he gets Sonny up on that stand, he’s not going to be in her corner? She tells him not to put Sonny in that position, and he says, come on. She told him to do what he needed to do, let him do it. The bailiff says, all rise, and Nina looks at Sonny, who shakes his head. The bailiff says, the honorable Judge Foster presiding, and Michael takes Willow’s hand. Nina looks at Sonny again, and he gives her a nod. Carly sees them and doesn’t like it, and looks at the text again. The judge tells Scotty to present his petitioner’s request, and he says, his client, the mother of Nelle Benson, is seeking visitation with her grandson Wiley Corinthos, as permitted by state law. He’s presenting a precedent in the Abercromby versus Higgins case. Diane interjects, saying, as the court is aware, there are numerous other precedents to deny visitation, and her clients are going to explain why that’s the case. Judge Foster says, they’ll get their turn. She’s read the petition, but she’d like to hear Scotty’s client’s request in her own words. She calls Nina to the stand, and she’s sworn in.
Alexis says, she guesses she just assumed that as a professor of history and journalism, Gregory might approve of the changes she made at TheInvader. Unless of course (🍷) it’s her inexperience that’s giving him pause. He says, experience doesn’t equal talent, and she says, agreed. He says, look at Dickens and Hemmingway; they both started out as journalists in their teens, and she says, something to aspire to. He suggests she might aim smaller, maybe local coverage, specifically her feature on Nina Reeves. She says she finds that interesting. She was very proud of that story; it was very truthful and unbiased. He says, wasit? and she asks if he preferred The Invader the way it was before; tabloid fodder opting for the sensational? He says, at least as a reader, you knew where you stood. It seems like she wants her journalism both ways.
Cameron says, Laura wants to send his mom away? but Laura says, no, that’s not what she wants, but if it’s what Elizabeth needs to get better, they’ll do it. Elizabeth thanks her for being realistic, and tells Cameron that she’s a danger right now, to herself and everyone around her. It’s just not safe for them to be together right now. He says, she would never hurt them, but she says, they don’t know that for sure. She knows it’s awful and scary, and makes her feels so out of control, but it’s the truth. She just loves him so much. He says he loves her too, and she says she refuses to let whatever’s doing this to her harm him or his brothers; it’s just not an option. She tells Finn that she needs him to have her back on this, and he says he does. Always. He just can’t see the benefit of locking her away from the people who care about her. Laura tells him, she knows how hard this is, but right now, they have to do what’s best for Elizabeth.
Marshall asks if Curtis knows what he’s setting himself up for, and Curtis says he does. Marshall says, he ran away not once, but twice. Who’s to say the next time he feels the walls closing in on him, he won’t lace up his sneakers yet again? Curtis says, because there won’t be any walls, at least not between them. There’s nothing Marshall can say that will scare him off or turn him against Marshall. He’s Curtis’s father, Marshall Ashford, flesh and blood. Nothing is going to come between them unless they let it. TJ comes in and says, granddad, you’re awake, and Marshall says, it’s going to take more than a couple of muggers to get the better of the Ashfords. Curtis says, damn straight, and Stella walks in. Marshall says, oh Lord, and she says, Marshall better be thanking Him too. Curtis hugs her, and asks what she’s doing here. She says, taking care of her family, since it’s obvious they need her. Curtis asks, how? and she says, Portia told her, and she was on the first flight out. Does Marshall know how lucky he is that it wasn’t worse? Marshall says, no luck was needed. He had his son and his grandson by his side. He takes Curtis and TJ’s hands.
Scotty asks Nina to tell the court why they’re here today, and Nina says, they’re here in court because Wiley’s her grandson and she loves him. It’s really that simple. He asks how well she knew Nelle Benson, and Nina says, not really well. Nelle worked with her in different capacities. Nelle was a troubled soul. She made countless mistakes and damaged a lot of lives, but no life was as damaged as Nina’s daughter’s. He asks when Nina found out Nelle was her daughter, and she says she didn’t know Nelle was her daughter until after Nelle died, and that’s when she realized Wiley was her grandson, all that she had left of Nelle in this world. He asks if she got to see him, and she says, she did. He asks how that was, and she says, it was great. Love at first sight, at least for her. He asks how Wiley felt about her visits, and she says, Wiley made it really easy; he has such a warm, inviting spirit. They built block houses, colored together, read together. Every moment she got to spend with that little boy was a precious gift. Scotty asks, what happened? Why did Wiley’s parents cut her off? She says, because they decided she was a bad influence for Wiley. She’s not perfect, far from it, but she is a good grandmother and she loves Wiley, and he loves her. It’s that simple. Wiley is her family, and no matter how much they want to, they can’t change that.
Finn suggests they all get on board with this plan. Where would Elizabeth even go? Doc says, Shadybrook. It’s perfect. It’s excellent, it’s close, it’s comfortable. Cameron says, they’re not going to lock her up in a padded cell or something? but Doc says, it’s not that kind of place, and Cameron asks, what kind of place is it? Doc says, Elizabeth can expect a week or two of intensive conversation and exploration, then hopefully she can transition to outpatient care. Laura asks how that sounds, and Elizabeth says, she’s more concerned with what Finn thinks. She wants to do this with his support. He asks if she really thinks this is what’s best, and she says she does. He says, okay, let’s give it a shot. He’ll take her there, and come visit as often as he can. She says, he can’t. She has to do this on her own.
Brook says, she was thinking, since Chase has two weeks on his suspension, he could shadow Linc; catch him doing something shady they could use to get her music back. What does he think? He tells her that she’s crazy.
Stella says, three strangers to three amigos. When did this happen? Curtis says, he’s just trying to convince Marshall to come back to Port Charles with them. TJ says, is that even a question? and Curtis says, apparently. Stella says, she didn’t fly all this way to let Marshall go back to a loner life, and Marshall says, some people like to be alone, but she says, he’s not one of them. He’s a fool if he doesn’t grab this chance with both hands. The doctor asks if it’s okay for him to take a look at the patient. He won’t take long. They leave, and outside, Stella asks if Marshall ever explained why he left… this time, and Curtis says he didn’t want to push Marshall. He takes the prescription bottle out of his pocket, and says, but TJ may have answers based on what he found in Marshall’s hotel room. TJ says, these aren’t for his blood pressure; they’re anti-psychotic medication. Curtis says, but Stella knew that already, didn’t she?
Alexis says, if by both sides Gregory means telling the truth and turning a profit, guilty as charged. She’s not a professor, who sits in an ivory tower. She’s the editor-in-chief of a paper, so she has to tell stories about real people with real problems. He says, so she thinks he doesn’t know anything about real life? but she tells him, that’s not what she said. He just used Dickens and Hemmingway as an example, and this is the 21st century. She’s competing with 24 hour news cycles. She’s competing with social media. She’s competing with instant – and she means instant – information. He says, and he admires he for that, but she says, she’s not getting that impression. He says, isn’t there a danger in mixing titillation with the truth? It seems to him that you end up accomplishing neither. She says, if he bothered to read the latest article, which he clearly did not, he’d see she bent over backward to be objective and not take cheap shots like his ex, Jackie. He says, they’re talking about Alexis’s journalistic integrity, not Jackie’s, when Violet comes over, and says she doesn’t think Gregory is playing nice
Scotty asks if Nina is Wiley’s only grandparent, and she says, no. He asks if she can tell them who else is, and Diane says, relevance? Scotty says, he’ll tell her the relevance. His client is being denied access to her grandson. It seems like there’s a standard for her, and another for everybody else. Judge Foster says she’ll allow it, and Nina says, Wiley has two other grandparents who are here in the courthouse, Carly Corinthos and Sonny Corinthos. Scotty says, so Sonny Corinthos can see his grandson any time he wants, but she’s been deemed a bad influence. Diane objects, and Scotty says, withdrawn. Is that it as far as grandparents go? Nina says, Wiley had another grandmother, Harmony Miller, but she recently passed away, and Scotty says, Harmony Miller who killed Neil Byrne and his brother, and attempted to kill two other people? Nina says, that’s correct, and he says, so Harmony was able to see Wiley, and Nina’s not. Wow. They’re done. Diane says, if it please the court, she has a few questions for the petitioner. Carly smirks, and Sonny looks grim.
Diane says, Nina testified that she didn’t know Nelle was her daughter until after her death. Did anyone else know Nelle was her daughter before she did? Nina says, yes. Carly Corinthos and Jasper Jax. Diane asks if they knew Nelle was her daughter before her death, and Nina says, Carly claimed she didn’t know, but she has her doubts. Diane says, that’s probably upsetting, and Nina says, to find out she had a daughter only after she died? Yeah, it was upsetting. Diane says she imagines Nina regretted all the time she didn’t spend with her daughter, and Nina says, of course (🍷) she did. If she had known… Diane says, what? and Nina says, things would have been different. She could have raised Nelle, and given her the love she deserved to have, and Nelle wouldn’t have turned out the way she did. None of this would have been set in motion. Diane says, correct her if she’s wrong, but wasn’t Nina in a coma from prior to her daughter’s birth until she was in her 20s? and Nina says, yes. Diane says, so this regret is all just a delusional twisted fantasy? and Scotty objects. He says he doesn’t hear a question in there, and Diane says, how’s this for a question? Isn’t this petition of Nina’s an act of revenge? Scotty objects, and says, leading the witness. Diane says, she’ll rephrase. Isn’t this petition of Nina’s yet another act of revenge? She doesn’t have Wiley’s best interests at heart at all, does she?
Laura suggests they give Finn and Elizabeth some privacy, and Doc says he’ll call Shadybrook. He, Laura, and Cameron leave, and Finn says he’s not second guessing her decision. She asks if he’s sure, and he says, if he is, it’s because he’s part of this too. His presence in her life has played a part in bringing forth this… She says, crisis? and he says, they’ll go with that. She says, doesn’t he see? That’s why he can’t be a part of this. He was so convinced there was someone out there trying to split them up, and she was equally convinced it was Franco’s ghost. They were both really wrong. Is it her? Is there something buried deep down that feels threatened by her feelings for him? As scary as this is, as much as she wants him to hold her hand through all of this, they can’t. She has to do this on her own.
Brook says she thought Chase was on her side, and he says he is, but she says, obviously not. He asks if she has any idea how many laws she’s asking him to break. One, they have no warrant; two, she’s talking about blackmail here. And four… She says, he was on three, and he says, and three, yes, he’s on suspension, but he’s still a cop. Not for long if he goes along with this highly unethical plan of hers. She says, she’s unethical? and he says, in this moment. She’s asking him to coerce a suspect into committing a crime; it’s called entrapment. She says, she doesn’t care what it’s called. She can’t sit back and do nothing. He says he gets that, but she says, he doesn’t. These songs are her babies, and she will not let someone take them away from her. He says, babies? and she says, yes. She created them and nurtured them. She cried when they failed and celebrated when they were genius. That’s how much they mean to her. He says, that explains it. She’s not just mourning her songs; she’s mourning Bailey.
Curtis tells Stella, there’s a story here; a story that started about 40 years ago. TJ says, and if he still has a prescription for these kind of drugs, the story continues to this day. Stella says, she knows they want answers, and they deserve them. And yes, there’s a story, but like she said, it’s not hers to tell. The doctor wheels Marshall out, and says, it looks like a concussion, but he wants to run a few more scans before approving Marshall’s discharge. TJ says, if he’s afraid Marshall will be alone… Curtis says, don’t worry; he won’t be.
Gregory tells Violet, you know how sometimes you go to the playground, and get on one end of the seesaw? Alexis says, and someone gets on the other end of the seesaw? and Gregory says, then they lift you up and don’t let you down. Violet says she doesn’t like that, and Gregory says, you get upset, then they get upset. Alexis says, and then you’re arguing about a silly seesaw. Violet asks if they were being silly, and they say that they were. Gregory tells Alexis that he apologizes for his criticism, and she asks if he retracts it. He says, no, and she says, no retraction necessary. She has an idea. Why doesn’t he put his money where his mouth is? Why doesn’t he state his opinion in print, on the record? Unless he’s all talk.
Scotty says, this is character assassination at its worst, and the judge tells Diane to get where she’s going. Fast, or drop the line of questioning altogether. Diane says, Nina’s character is the sole reason they’re here. But of course (🍷). Is Nina familiar with the series of articles in The Invader? Nina says, yes, she skimmed it, and Diane says, so she knows, in addition to the other details of her rich and full life, it speaks about the time she spent in a little town called Nixon Falls. Is that portion of the story a lie? Nina says, like she said, she skimmed it. Diane says, is it a lie to say, while Nina was in Nixon Falls she ran into Wiley’s grandfather, Sonny Corinthos, when everyone else presumed him dead? Nina says, that’s true, and Diane says, and did Nina keep the knowledge from Mr. Corinthos that he was presumed dead, and at the same time keep the knowledge that he was alive from his wife and family, including precious Wiley, knowing the pain and suffering it caused? Scotty says, badgering the witness, and Judge Foster says, sustained. Nina says, at that moment, she wasn’t thinking about the pain and suffering, and Diane says, of course (🍷) not. Nina was thinking about revenge; getting back at Carly Corinthos because she possibly kept Nelle’s existence a secret from her? And isn’t it that same revenge that’s driving her today?
Finn says, Elizabeth is right, and she says she loves it when he says that. He says, he’s not crazy about the idea of letting go, and she says, her neither. He says, but in this case, he has to. He doesn’t want to impede her recovery. Would it be okay if he said he’s really going to miss her? She says, she’s going to miss him, but he heard Doc. It might only be afew weeks. He says, she’ll be back in no time, and she says, good as new. He says he liked the old version, and she says, then good as old. He says, even better, when Doc comes back with Laura and Cameron. He says, she’s all set, and Laura says, she and Doc will drive Elizabeth over. Cameron says, just get better. He’ll make sure Jake and Aiden stay in line while she’s away. Elizabeth says she knows he will. She’s never been more proud of him than she is right now. He says he’s proud of her too, and Laura says, they all are.
Gregory asks if Alexis is inviting him to submit something for publication, and she says, The Invader welcomes all kinds of opinions. Unless he’s afraid to hear from the readers. Violet says, grandpa’s not afraid of anything, and Gregory’s phone dings. Violet asks if that’s daddy. Are they going to see Aunt Elizabeth? Gregory says, let’s do it, and starts to pack up. Alexis tells him to give her best to Finn and Elizabeth. She hands him the newspaper, but he says, no thanks. Have a good one. She says, him too, and he and Violet leave.
The doctor tells Marshall that he’s going to set up the tests, and leaves. Marshall sees the prescription bottle in TJ’s hand, and says, he’s been less than honest about a lot of things. Stella says, it’s time; time to let go of the past. Curtis says, that can wait, and TJ says, what matters is getting Marshall better. Marshall says he appreciates that, but Stella is spot-on. Curtis deserved an explanation a long time ago. He wasn’t able to get it right with Tommy, but he can get it right with Curtis.
Nina says, what happened in Nixon Falls was more complicated than Diane is making it, but Diane says, not really. Nina either lied or she didn’t; which is it? Nina says she lied. Who hasn’t lied in here? That doesn’t make her a bad grandmother. She loves Wiley. How can she prove to Wiley how much she loves him if she’s shut out of his life? How can she prove it, not just by her words, but by her actions? Diane says, with all due respect, she had her chance, and threw it in the garbage. No further questions. The judge tells Nina to step down, and Michael says he thinks Diane did it. Diane says, let’s hope, and he tells Willow, that’s the end of that. Judge Foster asks if there’s anyone else prepared to speak for or against the petition, and Sonny tells Scotty to get him on the stand. Nina says, no, he doesn’t have to, but he says, yes, he does.
At GH, Finn tells Violet that Elizabeth is going to a place where she can get the care she needs. She’ll be home soon. Violet says she hopes Elizabeth Feels better, and Finn says he hopes so too. Elizabeth comes out, and Violet hugs her. She tells Elizabeth that she can take the frisbee, but Elizabeth tells her to hang onto it. They’ll play when she gets back. She asks for a hug for the road, and tells Violet that she loves her. She tells Cameron, don’t think he’s getting out of another one, and he says he wouldn’t want to. They hug, and she says she loves him. He says he loves her too, and Finn says, he’s not saying goodbye. Violet says, see you later, and Finn says, he’ll see Elizabeth later. Elizabeth says, not if she sees him first, and he hugs her. She says, tell the boys she loves them, and she’ll be home as soon as she can. Elizabeth gets in the elevator with Doc and Laura, and Finn holds her hand until the elevator doors start to close.
The doctor asks if Marshall is ready for the scans, and Stella tells him, be careful. He has precious cargo. The doctor says, as soon as they’re clear, Marshall can go home, and Marshall says, that’s exactly where he’s going – home with his family.
Brook says, this has nothing to do with Bailey, and Chase says, no? She says, no. It’s about her taking her life back, and everything she’s worked for. Is he going to help her or not? He says he’s sorry; he can’t. She says she’ll do it herself, and gets up.
Judge Foster says, if Scotty and his client have no more witnesses to call… Nina looks at Sonny, then nods to Scotty. Scotty says, they have one more witness to call. He calls Sonny Corinthos to the stand. Sonny gets up, and is sworn in. Everyone sits stone-faced.
Tomorrow, Josslyn tells Cameron, she finally figured out a way to stop Esme; Victor tells Ava, welcome home; and Diane asks why they should trust Sonny’s judgement.
🥀 Soap’s Loss…
I only watched Guiding Light for a hot minute, but I remember her from the soap magazines.
While the spring continues, generating pollen for all, join me tomorrow for soap and what’s happening with those who hold the diamonds. Until then, stay safe, stay letting your conscience be your guide, and stay keeping in mind, experience doesn’t equal talent.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Brook tells Chase, she’s been thinking, and he says he’s been thinking too. Now he’s thinking they should go somewhere and talk about what they’re thinking. She says she was about to suggest the same thing; let’s go. Linc walks in, and says, not without him. He has something to say too. And it won’t wait. She says, look who escaped from the me-too movement. He says, that’s water under the bridge, and she says, too bad he didn’t drown in it. Chase says, he remembers Linc. He’s Brook’s sleazy ex music producer. What does he want? Brook says, who cares? He doesn’t have a hold over her, so buh-bye. Chase says, Linc heard her; beat it. Linc says, not just yet. He may not be Brook’s music producer, but they still have unfinished business.
Curtis knocks on Portia’s office door, and says, penny for her thoughts. She throws her arms around him, and says she’s so glad he’s here.
TJ and Molly sit down in a restaurant/bar, and TJ says, now they wait for Mr. Purdy. She says, pretty impressive detective work, using that receipt in the clarinet case to hunt down the music shop and the owner. He says, Marshall was particular about his instruments; it makes sense that this repair shop was his go-to. She says, which means, Marshall spends a lot of time in Brooklyn, and maybe has a place here. TJ says, Mr. Purdy seemed tight-lipped when he spoke to him on the phone. He wouldn’t even let TJ come by; he kept saying the store was closed until TJ promised to buy him dinner. Hopefully, he actually shows up and gives them information about Marshall.
Brando looks at Sonny’s car and whistles, saying, it’s a beauty. What kind of trouble is it giving him? Sonny says, first of all, he apologizes for pulling Brando out of dinner. He didn’t know Brando was having dinner with Sasha and Gladys. Brando says, they understood. Besides, Sasha will bring something home for him. Sonny says, he knows, but family is important, and Brando says, Sonny is family too.
Gladys says, the pills are what Sasha wants, according to that vulture. It’s the real reason she agreed to give back the memory card. Sasha says she doesn’t know what Gladys is talking about. She’s saying she got those from the paparazzo? Gladys says she did, in exchange for the memory card she took out of his camera the night of the accident. Sasha says she doesn’t understand… and Gladys says, drop the act. She knows the truth. Sasha is back on drugs.
Chase asks what business Linc could possibly have with Brook, and Brook says, none. Linc is all talk and smarm. Linc says he seems to remember when Brook liked a little smarm, but she says, he remembers wrong. She never liked his attention. He was gross then, and he’s gross now. Chase says it’s time for Linc to go, and Linc says, is this the boyfriend? Brook says, yes, and he’s a cop. Does Linc really want to press his luck? Linc says he thought Chase was a singer. He has a pretty good voice. Chase says he doesn’t care what Linc thinks about his voice, and Linc says, he recognizes that song; it’s a good tune. He knew it when she cut the demo. He just can’t wait to give it the production it deserves. Brook says, dream on. She’ll never work with him again. He says, she may never sing with him again, but he owns her songs. They belong to him.
Sasha reaches for the pills, but Gladys snatches them first. Sasha says, she’s not on drugs again, and Gladys says, Sasha just can’t keep her hands off them? She wasn’t born yesterday. Sasha says, she’s the Face of Deception. People could jump to the wrong conclusion if they saw them. Gladys says, admitting she had a problem wouldn’t be wrong, and Sasha says she can’t believe Gladys is doing this now. She’s the one who’s always worried about Deception’s stock. Doesn’t she think this could be bad publicity? Gladys says, Sasha’s health is more important than her image. She’s not talking to the Face now; she’s talking to her daughter-in-law. Sasha says she’s not talking about this at all, and gets up. Gladys says, if Sasha won’t talk to her, she’ll just have to go straight to Brando.
Brando opens the hood of Sonny’s car and says, he can see why this baby is one of Sonny’s favorites. They do not make cars like this anymore. Nowadays, they’re computerized. Sonny says, refrigerators, stoves, washing machines, you name it, and Brando says he’s so glad he learned about cars without all those microchips and diagnostics on a tablet. It’s not as much fun as getting under the hood and rooting around, finding out what’s wrong. Sonny asks if Brando has always loved cars, and Brando says, ever since he was a kid. Did he ever tell Sonny that Mike was the first one to teach him about engines? Sonny says, he didn’t know his dad liked cars. He thought the only thing Mike was into was the ponies. Brando says, Mike was definitely into those, but he knew how to keep a car running. Basic automotive maintenance, but it was enough to get him started on his love for cars; pretty much anything with an engine. Sonny says he would have loved to work on cars with his dad when he was young, and Brando says, sorry he brought it up. Sonny says, no. At least Brando has the time they shared instead of him. Sometimes fathers and sons just don’t connect.
TJ tells Molly, he’ll leave a tip, but they’re getting out of here. He dragged her to Brooklyn, the least they can do is enjoy a fine dining establishment. She says she’s liking Brooklyn, when a man approaches, and says, TJ Ashford? TJ says, yes, sir. This is his life partner Molly, and he’s Mr. Purdy? Purdy shakes TJ’s hand, and says, in the flesh. Molly thanks him for coming, and asks him to join them. Purdy sits, and asks if dinner is still on TJ. TJ says, you bet, and Purdy says, even though he can’t help TJ? As he told TJ on the phone, what TJ told him ain’t ringing any bells. TJ says, that’s why he wanted to meet Purdy in person. He’s hoping Purdy remembers this. He puts Marshall’s clarinet case on the table, and opens it. Purdy says, he remembers this clarinet, and takes out a piece. He says, the bridge key was stuck. He fixed it right up. TJ asks if he can get in touch with the owner, but Purdy says, nope. He doesn’t know the guy. He calls over to Carmen behind the bar, and says, a meatloaf special and coffee. She knows how he takes it.
Curtis asks Portia, what’s wrong? What happened? She says, Trina got the report back from the PCU Title IX coordinator. He says, was it bad? and she starts to cry. He shuts the door, and she says, it looks like they have another fight on their hands. Joss and Cam’s statement saying they didn’t believe Trina was behind the video, made absolutely no difference. The report is citing circumstantial evidence against Trina, and he knows exactly what that means. She’s so worried. He takes her hands, and says, the fight is not over. They will get Trina through it. She says she’s so glad he’s here; he came at just the right time. Why is he here anyway? He said, she told him that she was probably going to stop by here on the way home, and he knew she’d probably get caught up in something. He needs to talk to her. She says, what about? and he says, to tell her he’s leaving. She asks what he means, and he says, actually, he decided to go find his father, but he can’t leave her and Trina in light of this Title IX report. She says, he’s so thoughtful and supportive, and he says, if there’s a challenge this family has, he’s in it with her. She says, and she’s grateful to him for that, but there must have been something that motivated him to decide to look for Marshall. He was pretty ambivalent about that. What’s going on? Did Marshall contact him? He says, no, and she says, Stella gave him some information about Marshall, didn’t she? What was it? He says, turns out, Marshall’s not the only one who’s been lying to him.
Brando says he has another car on the lift in the garage, so he’ll see what he can do with Sonny’s car out here. It might take a little time. He hopes Sonny doesn’t mind hanging out for a while. Sonny says he’s got time, and Brando asks, what’s been going on? Sonny says, he knows old cars have issues, but it’s the starter or the wiring, and Brando asks when Sonny first started noticing a problem. Sonny says, a couple days ago. Then today, it started misfiring. Avery got all frantic because she was going to be late for her dance performance at the school fair. Brando asks if she made it, and Sonny laughs, saying, Avery was so cute. She knew her dance moves and everything. Then Olivia and Ned showed up; their son Leo had a performance. Brando says, it must have been something. He’s sorry he missed it. It’s important to have family cheering you on. Sonny says, then Michael and Willow showed up, and Brando asks, how was that? Sonny mentioned he and Michael were having some trouble before. Is it still rough between them? Sonny tells him, you could say that.
Brook asks what Linc is talking about. He doesn’t own her music. He so much as whistles her songs, and she’ll sue him for everything he’s worth. Linc says he remembers loving that song when she cut the demo. He knew it needed work and production flair, but he let her do it the way she wanted, because he knew he was the one who would take it over the top. Brook says, he would have turned it into an electro-pop nightmare, which thank God didn’t happen, because he no longer owns any rights to her music. Linc tells her to check her old contract. Anything she wrote while he was her producer belongs to him. She says, that can’t be true. He doesn’t even make any sense. What would he want with a song from years ago that never even made it off the demo? Linc says, don’t be so modest. He can give credit where credit is due. A few of her songs are quite good. He’s been shopping them around to some mean talent. There’s been some interest, and he’s supposed to make her some deals. She says, really? Who? He says, sign with him, and she’ll find out.
From behind the wheel, Sonny says, see how it skips like that? and Brando asks Sonny to change places with him. As they switch, Brando says he’s sorry Sonny and Michael aren’t getting along, and Sonny says, it is what it is. Michael knows where to find him if he wants to apologize. Brando says, the wires are intact and the starter’s fine. It’s been idling rough? Slow acceleration? Sonny says he’s filling it up a lot more, and Brando says, sounds about right. It’s been misfiring… He thinks it’s… Sonny says, spark plugs, and laughs. Brando says, A-plus. What did Sonny need him for? So is Sonny ready to get his hands dirty? Sonny says, it won’t be the first time.
Gladys and Sasha go into Sasha’s office, and Sasha says, she appreciates the discretion, but this whole situation is insane. What did that Felty guy say to her? Gladys says, he told her that they reached an agreement; the memory card for a fresh supply of uppers. Sasha says, that’s not true. Her history of drug use is no secret, and he is using it. He imagined she’d jump at the opportunity of pills to convince her to return his memory card, but he was wrong. She never agreed to a trade. Gladys says, then why give back the memory card at all? and Sasha says, because it’s his rightful property. Gladys is the one who stole it in the first place; Sasha was protecting her. Gladys says, really? Because Sasha seemed pretty relieved that she’d taken it. Sasha says, because she didn’t want Felty to profit from harassing her; to use photos of her in an unguarded moment as clickbait or to sell papers. Gladys saw how aggressive he was. Sasha can’t believe Gladys would take that jerk’s word over hers. Gladys tells her, stop with the act. She saw the photos from the memory card – all of them.
Portia tells Curtis that she’s having a hard time wrapping her head around this. So Stella’s been sitting on the truth the whole time.She’s known Marshall was alive. He says, Stella and his mother. Marshall and his mother thought it was best if they believed Marshall was dead. She asks, why? and he says, Stella wouldn’t say. She told him it wasn’t her place. Portia says she’s sorry. This must be so upsetting and hurtful. She thinks Stella was probably only doing what she thought was best. He says he can’t believe Stella would lie to him, and Portia says she thinks Stella and his mom were probably trying to protect him from something painful that he was too young to understand. Then when his mother fell ill, Stella probably felt he’d been through enough. He says, what about when he got older? and she says, Stella probably thought by then it was too late to set things right. Never dreaming Marshall would come back in his life. The grieving had been done, so why not leave it at that?Or maybe she wanted to convince herself it was kinder to do so. He says, maybe, and she says, hasn’t he let something he regretted go on for so long, he didn’t know where to begin to make things right? He asks if she’s saying he’s doing it with Marshall, and she says, in his case, she’s saying it’s not too late. He says, Aunt Stella told him that he should ask Marshall the truth, which is all he’s ever done. But maybe now that he knows Marshall more, he’ll open up more. She says, he should go find Marshall, but he says he can’t leave her and Trina with the whole Title IX thing. She tells him, the hearing isn’t for another ten days; go find Marshall, then come back home. He says he doesn’t even know where to get started, when Jordan knocks at the door. She says she’s if she’s interrupting, and Portia asks, what brings her by? Jordan says she was checking on the status of an officer, but she’s glad to run into Curtis. Has he spoken to TJ? Curtis says, about what? and Jordan says, he and Molly went to Brooklyn. They think Marshall might be there.
Purdy says, Molly and TJ aren’t eating? and TJ says, not until they get some answers. Purdy says he’s already told them all he can. He doesn’t know the guy they’re looking for. Molly says, but he recognizes the clarinet? and Purdy says, he knows instruments, not people. He’s got a lot of customers. TJ says, it’s very important they find this man. He’s not in any trouble. Molly says, his name is Marshall Ashford, but TJ says, he could be using another name. Purdy says, they’re not sure about the man’s name? and TJ says, his grandfather uses several stage names. Purdy says, the guy who owns the clarinet doesn’t have a family, and Molly says, the guy Purdy claims not to know? TJ says, his grandfather has fallen out of touch with his family. It’s very important they find him. Please. Marshall has always bene a loner, and just reconnected with their family. He left after they had a disagreement. All they want him to know is that his family wants him home. Please, will he help them?
Chase says, Brook’s not buying what this guy’s selling, is she? She said herself, he’s all talk. Linc says, believe him, he’s not, but he’ll be the one busy raking in the money. Brook says, on her songs, and Linc says, maybe if they work together, they can come up with some arrangement. Chase says, not going to happen, and tells Brook, let’s go. She says, she’s so out of here, and tells Linc, just for the record, nothing could ever entice her to work with him again. Linc says, why hold a grudge when they both stand to gain from moving on? He admits it; he underestimated her talent. He should have recognized her potential as a songwriter. Come to his room, and they’ll explore more of that potential. Chase tells him to watch himself, but Linc says he was just picking up what Brook is putting out there. Chase says, the hell he was, and moves forward, but Brook steps in and punches Linc in the face.
TJ asks where Purdy supposes his grandfather might be if he was in Brooklyn, and Purdy says, Brooklyn is a pretty big borough. How did TJ wind up with this clarinet anyway? TJ says, his grandfather wanted him to have it. He also left this note. TJ shows the note to Purdy, who says, he never thought he’d see the day when Marshall would give up his licorice stick. TJ says, so Purdy admits he knows Marshall, and Purdy says, he goes by Marshall Parker in these parts. If he gave it to TJ, TJ must be pretty special to him. TJ says, so he’ll help them? and Molly says, it would mean the world to their family. Purdy says he hasn’t seen Marshall in a while, but he’ll ask around about him. Molly thanks him, and TJ gives Purdy his card, saying, his personal number is on the back; either he or Marshall can call him. Purdy says, so TJ is a doctor. He should have ordered dessert. TJ says, he still can, and Purdy says he’s not making any promises. He’ll deliver TJ’s message, but whether Marshall wants to get in touch is up to him. He yells to Carmen, one cherry pie to go.
Gladys says she saw the photos. She saw Sasha on the ground, on her hands and knees, picking up pills. Which is why Sasha got upset and tore out of the MetroCourt like that after being busted by that paparazzo. And it’s why Sasha was relieved when Gladys told her that she had the memory card. Sasha says she was grateful for how Gladys stepped up to protect her, and Gladys says, of course (🍷) she would. But she’s been wondering about this since she discovered the pictures. She has to ask. Was Sasha high when she hit Harmony? When she got behind the wheel of the car, was she hopped up on pills? Sasha says, absolutely not. She gets teary, and says, she admits she’s not proud of this, but she did need a little help getting through the stress of the IPO, and everything after Liam’s death. She felt eyes on her 24/7… pitying her… watching over her… waiting for her to crack. Judging her because she didn’t crack. She wanted to crawl into a hole, but at the same time being alone with her thoughts and feelings was terrifying. She had to keep moving. She had to push through the pain, and needed help to do it. Gladys says she gets it, but Sasha had the pills in her hand when she jumped behind the wheel of the car. Sasha says, pills she dropped. She didn’t take anything; she swears. She swears on her son. Gladys has to believe her. Gladys says she does, and hugs Sasha. She asks if Sasha’s pills were prescribed by a doctor, and Sasha shakes her head. Gladys says, Brando needs to know, but Sasha says, Brando has been through enough. Gladys says, he’ll want to help, and Sasha says she’s done with the drugs. It’s not an issue for her. Felty said he’d delete the incriminating photos of her, and just wanted his memory card back. Gladys says, they’re deleted; she made sure of that. Sasha says, thank God. Crisis averted. It’s over. Telling Brando now will only make him worry for no reason. Why won’t Gladys believe her? Gladys says, because she knows firsthand addiction doesn’t work like that.
Linc says, that’s some right hook, and Brook asks if he wants to meet the left one. He says, no; he got the message. She’s a tough negotiator. She says, she’s not negotiating; not now, not ever. Get out of her face. He says he likes it rough, but only to a point, and Chase suggests he leave now. Linc tells Brook, call him when she cools off. He leaves, and Chase asks why she did that. She says she deserves to be dumped, but he says, he’s not arguing with her; he wanted to punch Linc himself, but she beat him to it. She says, Linc’s her problem; she’ll handle it. He says, she doesn’t get it. He was looking forward to wiping the smirk off Linc’s face. She should have let him do it. She says, chivalry noted. As gratifying as it would have been to watch him punch Linc, but he would have gotten in trouble again for defending her honor. He’s almost off suspension. There’s no way in hell she’ll let blow it on her account.
TJ tells Molly, he knows Marshall tends to take off when things get difficult, but he’s hopeful that Marshall will still want to talk to him. Molly says, when Marshall sees the effort TJ put into this, how could he not? TJ’s phone rings, and it’s Curtis, who says, he hears TJ is in Brooklyn. Does he want company?
Sonny asks if this is how his dad taught Brando. It seems he’s getting a lesson after all. Sonny appreciates this. What they’re doing is family time; fathers passing down to sons. Brando says, that’s the way it was supposed to happen, and Sonny says he’s sorry. He believes one day Brando is going to have the same experience with his son, or maybe even a daughter. They laugh, and Brando asks when Sonny got so enlightened. He means it. He thinks Sonny and Michael are going to patch things up. Sonny says he doesn’t think so this time, and Brando says, that bad? Sonny says, Michael isn’t just angry. Michael is actively trying to take him down.
TJ says he thought Curtis might be angry at him for taking this on, but Curtis says he’s never been angry with TJ. They just didn’t see eye to eye on Marshall. TJ says, Curtis was determined not to go after Marshall; what changed his mind? Curtis says he didn’t want to see Marshall walk out of their lives again, and no matter how difficult it may be, it’s worth it. TJ says, he and Molly just met with someone who knows Marshall, but they haven’t had contact yet, and Curtis says he’s on his way.
Brando says, start her up, and Sonny says, purrs like a kitten. They laugh, and Sonny says, that was fun. Brando says, for him too. He knows he keeps bringing this up, but Michael is a pretty forgiving guy; he’ll come around. Sonny says, Michael is forgiving up to point. You push him, he’s relentless. Brando is surprised, and Sonny says, he’s not like his mother. He supposes a little bit of him. Brando says he’s still hoping for a reconciliation, and Sonny says, don’t worry about it; he’ll be all right. Brando says, he’s more hoping for Michael’s sake than Sonny’s. He shared how Mike was a big influence when he was growing up, but Sonny’s influence was just as meaningful. When Brando got to Port Charles, he didn’t know if he was going to stay; who or what he wanted to be. Now he has the garage, a beautiful wife, his mother is back in his life, and he has an extended family, all because of Sonny’s guidance and generosity. Brando wouldn’t be who he is without Sonny in his life, and it would be a shame if Michael didn’t have Sonny in his life.
Gladys says she’s not trying to shame Sasha; she’s trying to help her. And Brando. Has Sasha forgotten Brando’s history with addiction? Gladys worries that if Brando sees Sasha doing drugs, he might fall off the wagon too. Sasha says she’d never hurt Brando in a million years, and Gladys says she knows Sasha wouldn’t want to, but if she’s going to try and go this alone, making bad choices, she won’t be able to help it. Sasha promises she won’t, but Gladys says, Sasha can let Brando in; tell him what she’s going through. He will understand. Sasha says, Brando is the kindest most loving man she’s ever known. That’s why she doesn’t want to burden him further. Gladys says, it’s not a burden. Her son loves Sasha, and Sasha says, and she loves him, so much. She knows Brando. He’s so protective and so quick to take on other people’s problems. He’ll feel responsible for her. Brando is being strong, but she knows he’s hurting too. He needs to heal, and he won’t if he’s worrying about her relapsing. She promises she won’t. Gladys asks how Sasha knows that, and Sasha says, because Felty snapping those photos of her, scrabbling around on the ground like some pathetic junkie was a wake-up call. She realized just how much she has to lose. Not just Deception, but her future with Brando. She can’t let him down, or herself. Gladys says, and Sasha thinks she’s strong enough to get through this on her own, and Sasha says she knows she is. What more can she do to convince Gladys? Name it, and she’ll do it.
Chase says, Brook is right. As satisfying as it would have been to punch Linc into the middle of next week, he’d be jeopardizing his return to active duty. Thanks for having my back, slugger. She says she can’t believe that creep is back in her life, and he asks if Linc was telling the truth about owning her songs. She says she’s ashamed to say it, but he might be. She was an idiot when she signed that contract. She had stars in her eyes, and just signed on the dotted line. She didn’t read the fine print, let alone take it to a lawyer. So if Linc still owns her music, it’s on her. He tells her, it’s not her fault Linc took advantage because she was ambitious, The way Linc was talking to her, did he do that when he was her producer? She says, the sexual harassment was pretty much non-stop, and he says, the bastard. He’s glad she cut ties with him. She says, at a price. Why is it every time she thinks her life is back on track? He says he knows she’s upset, and she says, her hand hurts. He takes her hand, and says, let him help her.
On the phone, Jordan says she’s checking Officer I-Missed-It’s status. She’ll be back soon. She goes into Portia’s office, and seeing Curtis and Portia kissing, she slips back out. Portia tells Curtis, that’s such good news about TJ and Molly. Find Marshall and then come back home. He says, no matter what happens, he’ll be back in time for Trina’s Title IX decision. She says she loves him, and he says he loves her more. She walks him out, and he says he’ll call when he gets to Brooklyn. Jordan is texting in the hallway, and Curtis asks Portia to tell Trina to keep her shoulders back and her head up. He thanks Jordan for letting him know, and she tells him, good luck. He leaves, and Jordan says, he’s very protective of Portia and Trina. Portia says, Jordan should know, and Jordan says she’s not surprised. She’s happy for him. Curtis finally has the family he yearned for as a child.
As they eat cherry pie, TJ tells Molly, there’s two things he’s happy about; making the call on the pie, and receiving the call from his Uncle Curtis. Does she see what he did there? He’s glad his Uncle Curtis is coming. She says, it’s always good to have an ex-P.I. along on a search, but she’s got to say, for two amateurs, they did pretty good. He says, they made it this far. It was awesome, but he welcomes his uncle’s expertise. She says, there is something poetic about him and his uncle working together to reclaim their family, and he says, it feels right. Unfortunately, even if they find his grandfather, they still have to convince him to come back to Port Charles. Maybe his uncle can help with that. She asks what they do in the meantime, and he says he promised her a fine dining experience. What if afterwards, they go to that jazz bar they saw around the block? She says, sounds good. She can stay up all night if she wants to; she’s on vacation. He says, wouldn’t it be great if they ran into Marshall playing in a club? when Marshall walks in.
Brook says, if Chase wants to help her, find an ice pack. He says, whatever she needs, and she says she’s not helpless. He says, helpless is not the word that springs to mind when he thinks about her, but she’s not alone either. She says, he’s right about the contract. She has to call her lawyers; have them go over the wording. She’s got to find a way out of this. Her music is her heart, and she can’t let Linc have those songs. She won’t let Linc get the best of her again. She lets go of Chase’s hand.
Sonny says, this is great. How much does he owe Brando? Brando asks if he’s kidding. Absolutely nothing. It’s time for him to do something for Sonny for a change. Sonny says, Brando doesn’t owe him anything, and Brando says, the talk they had the other day about how he could help Sasha? That’s payment. Sonny asks, how’s she doing? and Brando says, he’s still worried, but thanks to Sonny, he believes he can be there for her, and do what’s right. He just needed that confidence boost, and Sonny gave him that. He feels sorry for Michael. He hopes Michael realizes how lucky he is to have a father like Sonny. They see a car pulling up, and Sasha comes into the garage with Gladys. Sasha asks if Brando got it running, and hugs him. Brando says, he and Sonny got it running. What is she doing here? Gladys says, Sasha has something to tell him. He says, what is it? and Sasha says, Gladys is moving in with them.
Tomorrow, TJ wonders if they came all this way for nothing; Epiphany thinks it’s time to give it another shot; Carly says she’ll never be over what Nina did; and Nina says, she’s sure she and Sonny can think of something.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Two days after the break-in. PK informs Dorit that he met with a detective today, and the DA wants to prosecute the home invaders to fullest extent of the law. PK wants her to know they have the full weight of the LAPD behind them. Dorit says, she thinks it’s important let have investigation, but the kids… PK shuts the door, and says, it’s the maddest thing. There are security guards all around, but the kids don’t even ask what they’re doing; they just carry on. It’s amazing the way they… Dorit says, acclimate? In Dorit’s interview, she says, her father was a paratrooper in the Israeli Army, and taught them that if they stay calm, they can get through anything. Then she tells a story about a bee that isn’t really worth retelling. Dorit replays the guy screaming at her, who else is in the f***ing house?Don’t f***ing lie or I’ll kill you. PK says he’s so proud of how she handled it. She’s so tough; tougher than he is. Dorit says she wants to go out, and laugh and smile. PK says, it was sweet of LisaR to offer to cancel Harry’s party, and we flash back to PK telling her that, in his religion, you never cancel a happy occasion for a sad one. He says, they need to go forward. If they don’t the invaders win.
LisaR meets Kyle for lunch, and informs her that Halloween Part 4,000,002 is the number one movie in the country. It’s a huge deal. Kyle tells LisaR that the director said she’d be in the next one, and they clink glasses.
Sutton and Crystal go to Lady M Cakes to indulge in a slice of pancake cake, which is actually made with crepes. They clink forks, and Crystal asks if Sutton and Erika are good. Sutton says, they’re best friends, and braid each other’s hair.
Kyle says Erika seems to be doing well, and LisaR says, at least headlines aren’t happening every day. Kyle asks how LisaR and Sutton are doing, and LisaR says she wasn’t amused about Sutton bringing up the charity thing on Watch What Happens Live. We see the clip where Sutton says she got LisaR and Harry’s tickets to some Elton John charity event, and never got a thank you.
Sutton tells Crystal that she thinks it was a miscommunication, and LisaR didn’t know. She doesn’t want any ill will, and it got turned into a landslide.
LisaR tells Kyle that she and Harry have been going as a guest of Elton’s for years. Whatever Sutton is doing, she has to stop. In LisaR’s interview, she says, Sutton talks about reputation and character, but she made Harry look bad. It’s one thing to involve her, but involving her husband? Sutton f***ed with the wrong one. Kyle says she’s bringing popcorn to Harry’s party, and LisaR says, Sutton should have kept her f***ing mouth shut.
Everyone gets ready for Harry’s birthday dinner, and Harry asks if this is a happy one. LisaR tells him, he’s alive, isn’t he? We find out new Wife Diana is coming. She was married to a banker PK knows, and had a baby a year ago at age 47. Mazel tov! LisaR and Harry go to the venue early to do place settings. LisaR wants Sutton at end, because she’s just that childish. In LisaR’s interview, she says, tonight is Harry’s birthday, and she doesn’t want Sutton bringing up the charity thing. It’s about Harry tonight. In the limo, PK says how proud he is of Dorit. He’s surprised she’s ready to go out. She says, all the women being at the house the next morning helped. Kyle and Mauricio are riding with them, and Kyle asks if Sutton texted. Dorit says she did, but they’re not really friends, so she didn’t expect Sutton to race over. Kyle points out an Instagram post Sutton made, and how insensitive it was for her to post something happy. When they talked about what happened, Sutton said she’d been putting out her own fires because some designer of hers was having a problem getting into the country. She said she was sorry she didn’t have a gun to her head. PK wishes Kyle hadn’t told him that. Me too. I always forget how much I can’t stand these women until one of them opens their mouth.
Harry tells Erika, now that Tom is out of the picture, he’s the oldest in the group. Erika says, he’s also the wisest. They find out the entrée is spaghetti Bolognese (one of Harry’s specialties), and Garcelle says she’s afraid of spaghetti sauce now. In Sutton’s interview, she says she wants to apologize on the spot, but she’ll see where things lead. It’s a big birthday for Harry, and she doesn’t want to cause problems. She tells Garcelle that she feels small-breasted in this crowd, and wonders who to stand near.
Diana comes in, and Crystal tells Garcelle that she’s a firecracker. Garcelle asks what she needs to know, and Crystal says, she’s with her fiancé Asher. In LisaR’s interview, she says she’s never met anyone like Diana Jenkins. She can’t put her finger on the accent. Is it Zsa Zsa Gabor? Marlena Deitrick? Greta Garbo? Diana’s accent is part of her mystique. I think she sounds like Sophie on Two Broke Girls. In Crystal’s interview, she says, Diana was always the It Girl in Europe, and hangs out with the Hollywood glitterati. She lives a very wealthy life. Diana had said what was cute about Crystal was that she was relatable, and Diana isn’t. That’s Diana. Diana is introduced to everyone, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, Asher is quite dashing. He should be called Dasher. PK tells his table companions that the burglars were amateurs. They weren’t the Pink Panther; it was a smash and grab, mostly purses and watches. Diana says she was with Kim Kardashian in Paris, and left the day before Kim was robbed. She slept with a chair propped against the door, and Kim asked if it was a war thing, but she said, no; it’s a rich people thing. Kyle says Diana is wearing a lot of Cartier, and Diana lets Kyle try on her Panthère de Cartier rings, which are insanely expensive. Diana says, it’s nouveau riche; when you go from poor to rich, you pile it on. In Erika’s interview, she says, Diana looks like Liberace. LisaR gets up, and says, she’s grateful Harry chose her. She wants to toast him and celebrate him. He’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. Really? She couldn’t do better than that for his 70th? In her interview, she says, it’s surreal they’ve been together nearly 30 years.
After dinner, the guys sit at another table, drinking and talking. Someone asks what Asher does, and he says, he’s putting out an album. He did Broadway when he was growing up. At the other table, Dorit says, she’s blessed and grateful to be here. She wants to take every opportunity to celebrate. Sutton says, speaking of thankful. She and LisaR had a thing, and she was over-spoken. I gotta say, I’ve never heard anyone use that term before. Sutton says she didn’t mean to hurt LisaR or Harry. She spoke of something in public, when she normally doesn’t, and it was her mistake. LisaR says she appreciates Sutton saying she’s sorry, but Sutton didn’t buy a table at the event. She wants to be clear about that. Sutton canceled at the last minute, and she and Harry had to scramble to get tickets. Sutton asks, who told her that? and LisaR says, Harry’s publicist. Sutton says, they’re lying, and LisaR says, they gave their tickets away because they were at Sutton’s table. She received and email saying Sutton had canceled, and the tickets were sold out. However, if they gave a half-hour interview to IMDb, they could sit at their table. It was embarrassing to the charity. In Sutton’s interview, she says, she’s a very philanthropic person, and that’s not what happened. Garcelle says, Sutton must have a receipt for the table, and LisaR asks if she brought them. Sutton takes the receipt out of her purse, and Diana says, this is classless. LisaR says, don’t do it, but Garcelle says, LisaR is the one who brought it up. Diana tells them to find a different subject, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, LisaR has her own receipt, and does an imitation of Diana saying, put it away, it’s tacky, and LisaR agreeing, and throwing it over her shoulder. I literally lol, which I rarely do while watching these unappreciative ingrates. Again, LisaR says, it’s embarrassing to the charity. Sutton should know better. Sutton says she knows slander, and she didn’t cancel the table. LisaR asks if Sutton is going to sue her, and insists Sutton canceled at the last minute. Garcelle tells Sutton, show it, and in her interview, Sutton reads from the receipt that Harry and LisaR’s tickets were processed, and shows us that it was $11,500. Crystal says, Diana underwrites the event, and in her interview, Kyle says she sees why LisaR invited Diana; she’s both a friend and a character witness. In Diana’s interview, she says she’s been the main sponsor for a long time. Elton and husband David are good friends of hers. Here’s where I’m not sure if I missed something, since it turns out Sutton and LisaR were both there, and sitting at the same table. WTF? In her interview, LisaR says, Sutton thinks too much about herself. She thinks she can one-up LisaR at Harry’s birthday party with her receipt, and their good friend was just held up at gunpoint. If Sutton is worried about a receipt, something is off with her empathy meter.
At the dude’s table, they discuss the custom of shaking hands, while Kyle says, Sutton and LisaR both had good intensions, and upset each other, but at the end of the day, they supported the charity. She thinks it was a miscommunication. LisaR says, Sutton did apologize, and Sutton says, LisaR knows what it’s like to step in it and she did. Erika asks if she gets an apology, and Sutton says, no. She doesn’t like Erika. Erika says, the feeling is mutual. Sutton can go f*** herself. Sutton says, no, you, shut up, and Erika says, no, you. It’s a tough call, but this might have been the stupidest exchange ever on this show.
In Garcelle’s interview, she says, it’s obvious Erika isn’t over her beef with Sutton, and we flash back to the Reunion. She says, it’s petty, and it’s too much. Sutton says she’s out, and Garcelle says, her too. She wonders how they can get past it. Some of them are being nasty just to be nasty. LisaR says she can move on, and accepts Sutton’s apology. She’d like to move on, and not make a big deal out of it. Sutton says she adores LisaR, and wouldn’t want to hurt her, but Garcelle thinks that’s going a bit too far. She doesn’t think Sutton adores LisaR, but Sutton insists she does. In Sutton’s interview, she says she likes LisaR and wants her to act right, and she didn’t act right. She and Garcelle sit back down, and Garcelle says, Erika is enjoying herself too much. In Kyle’s interview, she says, it’s the phoniest reconcile she’s ever seen, and Sutton and LisaR hug it out.
We see Diana at home with her son, baby, Asher, and teeny weeny adorable pup Pearl, who’s either a small Pomeranian or a long-haired chihuahua. In Diana’s interview, she says she lives a big life. She travels a lot, and it gets complicated because she wants to take everybody with her. She has a set of houses she moves around in; five/six houses. Not to sound pretentious, but she grew up poor Sarajevo, a communist country. She grew up a tomboy; she was tough and got in fights. Asher says, the baby has Bosnian DNA, and Diana says, when she was young, a gang leader was picking on her brother, and she kicked the sh*t out of him. She thought he might kill her, but she got a reputation, and nobody messed with her. In her interview, she says, when she was 19, war broke out, and her dad was determined to get her out. She left her family behind, and when she got to London, she had no money or passport. She did anything to get anything, and for ten years, it was excruciating; just survival. She met her ex in London. He was one of the top investment bankers in the world, and she went from extreme poverty to extreme wealth. She felt rich with her first $1000, and rich with her first $10K, but realized she hadn’t scratched the surface. Why did she get divorced? Why does anyone get divorced? She wasn’t happy, and wanted to be on her own with her own identity. They had two children; a son who’s 22 and just graduated (I assume college), and a daughter who’s 19, and in England studying horseback riding. She’s hoping to enter the Olympics. Diana was single for five minutes, then met Asher at a Victoria’s Secret party. They kept having fun, and here they are. There’s a 15 year age difference, and she tells us, he’s 33; do the math. He looks older with a beard, but she loathes the beard.
Sutton and Kyle check out Sutton’s store, and Kyle asks what Sutton is planning for her event. Sutton says, her designer Alexis Mabille was finally allowed to come in from Europe. She’s doing a play on An American in Paris, and calling it, A Parisian in LA. She tells Kyle that she’s a real Francophile, then has to explain that it’s someone who loves France. Kyle asks if everything is okay with Sutton, and Sutton says she’s fine. Kyle says, there’s something that’s been bothering her. When they met at Kyle’s old house after what happened to Dorit, Dorit had a gun held to her head, and Sutton said she’d been putting out her own fires. Sutton says, sorry, she’d had a busy morning, and Kyle says, her reaction was very strange. She said she was sorry she didn’t have a gun held to her head when Dorit’s life had been threatened. Sutton wonders why Kyle would think it was weird. She was working; maybe her brain was there. She doesn’t even remember. Kyle wonders if this is a new Sutton, or a side of Sutton she didn’t know. Sutton seems a little off. In Kyle’s interview, she says she doesn’t know what planet Sutton is on, but she doesn’t think it’s this one. Sutton says, nothing is up, and Kyle says, it seemed like she didn’t give a sh*t. Sutton says, that’s not true. She doesn’t deal well with… Kyle says, emotions? and Sutton says, guns and burglaries. Kyle says, nobody does (now who’s being insensitive?), and Sutton says, her house was broken into when she was 14, and her father shot himself. Is that what Kyle wants? Kyle says, it’s not about Sutton, and now Sutton is doubling down and it’s freaking her out. In her interview, Kyle says, part of her wants to say she knows Sutton isn’t like this, and knows she can be better. The other part says, if someone shows you who they are, believe them. Kyle asks how Sutton can be so insensitive. Is she just wrapped up in her own world or does she not care? Sutton says she’s not seeing it.
Next time, La Quinta, Versace, Crystal is triggered, and Dorit asks if someone is out of their f***ing mind.
❗️ I’m guessing this isn’t popular opinion, but I like Sutton. Granted, she can be self-centered, but I think in this case there are deeper issues. I believe she does not want to think about what happened to Dorit because it’s triggering for her. I have no clue what happened when she was 14, but yeah, her father killed himself with a gun, and we know she has difficulties regarding his suicide. I think she’s put up one big wall here. Surprising/Not surprising is Kyle not grasping this, since she has anxiety issues of her own, but she’s also stupid AF.
🐝 Buzzing Off…
Tomorrow’s forecast is for soap and tea, so stop by for a little. Until then, stay safe, stay always thirsting for knowledge, and stay cheering on your family members. It’s important.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Spencer goes to Britt’s office, and says, my hero. She tells him, hold on a moment. What’s this going to cost her? He says, only a minute of her time and expertise. He promises he’ll make it worth her while. She says she doesn’t need his money, and he says, then his sparkling wit and companionship. She says she’d love that, but won’t his little Esme be jealous?
An orderly puts Ryan on his cot, but he falls over sideways. Esme comes running in like she’s a helpful person.
On the phone at Maxie’s apartment, Felicia says, Mac was giving her clear and present baby vibes… Yes, she took biology in high school. She didn’t really know what to tell him. She was completely taken aback and surprised. There’s a knock at the door, and she says, she doesn’t really know if it’s an issue; it hasn’t come up since. If she and Mac wanted to make their family bigger back in the day, they lost their shot… For some – she opens the door – it’s just not in the cards. She sees Nina standing there.
Carly sneaks back downstairs with Willow’s toothbrush in a plastic bag. Far be it for me to tell Carly how to be sneaky, but won’t Willow miss her toothbrush? Is there something about her hygiene I don’t know? As they’re about to leave, Michael and Willow walk in. Michael asks what they’re doing here, and Carly slips the bag into her purse. Willow wonders if they forgot to lock the door, but Michael says, it was locked. Drew says, sorry to break barge in. He’d like to say it was his fault, but it’s all on Carly.
On the phone at the hospital, Finn says, just because Elizabeth never spoke to Nikolas, doesn’t mean she’s not staying there. It’s a big place. Isn’t there a west wing where no one would even see her…Okay. No… They’re right. He’ll let them know when he finds her. Laura comes in and asks if he’s seen Elizabeth, but he says, he was about to ask her the same thing.
Chelsea tells Elizabeth, this presence is very clear. They don’t want this new family to be formed in this house. Elizabeth refuses to believe that. The Franco she knew and loved would want to see her happy. Is he here now? Can he hear her? Tell him that she believes he’s here. Tell him she’s ready to listen. She sees there’s a call from Finn, but ignores it, and Chelsea gets up, saying, there’s so much turbulence. Elizabeth says, she’s here, and Chelsea tells her to be careful. Elizabeth says she didn’t believe it before, but she’s listening now. Send her a sign. The door blows open, and the wind blows out the candles.
Carly says she’s pretty sure they came in together, and Drew says, if she’s not going to come clean, he will. He was walking up the driveway, and saw Carly messing with the door. If he didn’t know any better, he’d have thought she was a burglar, but it turns out she wanted what can’t be stolen. She just wanted face time with them. She knows there going through it and wanted to help. Carly says, she couldn’t get through, and just wanted to be here. Drew says, he had the key, so he thought she’d be more comfortable waiting there than in the main house. Willow says, that’s sweet of her, and thanks her. Carly says, of course (🍷), and Willow says, they were just at the cemetery, visiting Jonah’s grave. Carly says she hopes it brought Willow some solace, and Michael says, it would have if they hadn’t run into dad and Nina.
Felicia says she’ll call them later, and Nina says she was on her way home from work, and thought she’d pop by to see Maxie and the kids. Felicia says, Maxie is burning the midnight oil at Deception and the kids are asleep, and Nina says, as they should be at this hour. She didn’t realize how late it was; she’ll come back at a more appropriate time. She’s sorry; kiss the kids for her. She starts to leave, but Felicia asks if she likes popcorn. Nina says, who doesn’t like popcorn? and Felicia says, with real butter, not the fake kind. Nina says, like the only kind? and Felicia invites her in.
Spencer says, Esme has no issue with their friendship, but even still… Britt says, just don’t tell her about this conversation. Secrets and lies, the hallmark of a healthy relationship. Spencer says, come on, and she says, you come on. It’s just so Cassadine. She supposes he comes by it naturally. He asks if she’s finished, but she says she doesn’t think so. This is the most fun she’s had all day. He says, he needs her help, and she says, she’ll help him, but only if… He groans and says, oh my God, and she says he has to ask her nicely. Three words, and the voice. She takes out her phone and holds it out, and he says, pwiddy pwease, Bwitt? She laughs hysterically, and says, he was so darn cute, and almost as bratty. He says, she’s wicked, and she asks if he wants to hear it. He says, no, but she plays it anyway. He says, awesome, great, and she says, perfect. Her new ringtone. So what does he need? He takes out the pill he swiped from Esme, and asks if she can tell him what this is.
The orderly says, Esme wasn’t on the schedule tonight, but she says she had an hour. He says he has it from here, and she asks what the mess is in the hall. Is one of the inmates sick? She hopes the supervisor isn’t making rounds. He says he’ll be right back, and leaves. She closes the door, and says, not with that mess he won’t. Ryan sits up and laughs, saying, well played, my sweet child.
Finn tells Laura, Elizabeth gave him the impression she’d spoken to Nikolas about staying at Windymere, but when he talked to Nikolas, Nikolas said he hadn’t spoken to her. Ordinarily, he wouldn’t be concerned… Laura says, under these circumstances, he’s right to wonder. She just spoke to her brother Martin, and he said, Elizabeth has been looking for answers from an unlikely source. Apparently, Lucy gave Elizabeth the name of her medium. He says, and that’s where Elizabeth is. She says, shall we? and he says, we shall, and they leave.
Chelsea seems to have the chills, and Elizabeth tells her, say something. Chelsea says, so cold, and Elizabeth closes the door. She asks if Chelsea is all right, and Chelsea says, she’s not Chelsea. Elizabeth says, Franco?
Britt asks what Spencer is doing, walking around with loose meds, and he says he found it. She says, just lying on the ground? He asks if it really matters, and she says, it could, depending on what it is. He says, that’s where she comes in, and she says, give it to her. He asks if she can tell him what it is, and she says, yes, you just research the code. He says, no way. It’s really that simple. She asks what they taught him in that fancy French boarding school, and he says, Latin, Greek, table manners, conversation. She says, he has so much to learn, and scrolls on her tablet. She stops, and he says, what is it? She says, no more messing around. Whose is this?
Esme says, she thought she could finagle seeing Ryan more often, but his brother is like a human roadblock. Ryan says, Kevin is a wart. The good news is, warts can be treated. Besides, they have other priorities. How are things proceeding? She says, they’re definitely coming along. Ava and Nikolas are on the rocks, and she brought Spencer back into the fold, as promised. He says, then why is she here? and she says, she just wanted to keep him abreast. He says, rule number one, and she says, she knows the rules. He says, prove it, and she says, no unplanned, no uncontrolled communication. He says, no unplanned communication because it increases the risk of him being found out. No one can know he’s in fighting form. So he’s asking her again, why is she here? How badly did she screw things up for him?
Felicia brings out the popcorn, and sprinkles something on it. Nina asks what it is, and Felicia says, parmesan garlic. Nina approves, and says she didn’t learn much about cooking growing up, but at take-out, she’s a master. Not so much in the kitchen. Felicia says, first of all, she should know this is snacking, not cooking, but she’s happy to share her tips. She doesn’t get it when people have secret recipes and they don’t want to share. If it’s so delicious, why not share it with the world? People are funny. Nina thanks her, and Felicia says, it’s just popcorn, but Nina says, thank you for inviting me in.The Invader is set to run a huge story on her soon. Felicia says, she heard, and Felicia says, Bobbie Spencer is one of her best friends. Nina says, Carly’s mother, and Felicia nods. Nina says, and Michael’s grandmother, and Wiley’s… Felicia says, two more times. That’s who she was talking to when Nina got here. Nina wonders why Felicia didn’t slam the door in her face.
Carly says, Jonah’s grave? Is anyplace sacred to Nina? Willow says, Nina was at the cemetery to visit her daughter, and Michael says, Nina’s still clinging to this fantasy that she would have had a beautiful relationship with Nelle if she’d just been there in time to save her. Carly says, as if Nelle could have been saved, and Michael says, that ends the whole nature versus nurture debate, because Nelle clearly inherited her crazy from Nina. This conversation is creepily gossipy in tone, and it’s making me uncomfortable. Drew seems like he’s not comfortable either, and says, that’s one way to look at it. He’s just saying, if Michael is right, and it doesn’t matter by whom you’re raised, then Wiley would have inherited the crazy gene too, and he knows Michael doesn’t believe that. Michael says, no, he doesn’t.
Elizabeth says, Franco, and Chelsea touches her face, saying, as beautiful as the day I laid eyes on you. Elizabeth asks if it’s really him, and Chelsea/Franco says, no matter how many times he puts the brush to the canvas, he could never capture all of her. He could never show the world what she meant to him. Elizabeth says, she’s missed him so much, and Chelsea touches her face again, saying, don’t cry. She needs to be strong. Elizabeth says, for what? Why is he doing these things? Chelsea/Franco says, Elizabeth can’t move on until she’s at peace, and Elizabeth asks how she can be at peace without him. He says he’s always with her. Believe in herself. No matter how hard she tries, don’t look away. Elizabeth says, don’t look away from what? What does that even mean? Talk to her. Finn and Laura walk in, and Chelsea sits down on the couch, asking, what happened? Elizabeth says, Franco, come back, and Finn asks, what’s going on? Laura says, Chelsea? and Chelsea says, Mayor Collins; it’s been a long time. Elizabeth asks why they’re here, and Finn says, she never showed up at Windymere, and he got concerned. Laura mentioned she’d hooked up with this… person, so they came here looking for her. Elizabeth says, they came at the worst possible time. She was just communicating with.. Finn says, Franco’s spirit? and Elizabeth says, he was here.
Drew says he’s not defending Nina, and Michael says he knows. Drew says, but Nina is Wiley’s grandmother, and of course (🍷) they can keep him from her right now – that’s their right – but when Wiley gets older, he might want to know Nina. Michael says, when that happens, if that happens, Wiley will be armed with the knowledge of Nina’s history; what she’s done, and what she’s capable of doing. And here’s another fact, Nina is a horrible person and no amount of PR can change that. Carly says, that’s right, and suggests Michael and Willow can use some time to decompress. Michael says, that’s a good idea, and Carly says, sorry for just showing up. She promises to be in touch next time. Willow says she has an idea. Why don’t they make this easier? She gives Carly a key, and says, Carly can let herself in next time. Michael says, but still call, and Carly says, she will. She hugs them, and she and Drew leave.
Britt asks, whose is it? and Spencer says, what is it? She says, she asked him a question, and he says, he asked a question first. Answer his and he’ll answer hers. She says, it’s an opioid analgesic, and he says, so it’s like heroin? She says, not quite, El Chapo. It’s a controlled substance and it definitely can become habit forming. It shouldn’t be rolling around on the ground for a teenager to find or swipe from someone’s medicine cabinet. He asks if it’s for pain, and she says, severe pain management. Now it’s his turn. He says, it’s Esme’s, and Britt asks if she gets headaches. Does she complain about indigestion or a dry mouth, because those are some of the side effects. She hands it back to him, and he says, are there others? She says, yes. It can make you tired, nervous… He asks, what happens when you mix it with alcohol?
Keeping her wrist being her back, Esme says, everything’s fine. She hasn’t failed Ryan, she swears. He says, she could never fail him. She’s his one and only. But something’s clearly amiss. Come on. Tell daddy what it is. She says, Spencer has been behaving strangely, and he asks, in what way? She says, he’s been reluctant to be with her, and Ryan asks how long it’s been. She says, they haven’t been intimate since Spencer got out of Spring Ridge. Spencer says, it’s because they’re learning to trust each other again, and he wants it to be special. Ryan says, and it’s unusual for Spencer to be distant? and she says, yes. He says, it’s unusual for any man of his age and appetites, especially with such a willing partner. He supposes it’s possible Spencer has a romantic streak. What else? She says, it’s probably nothing, but he says, spit it out. She says she went to find Spencer at Kelly’s today, but he wasn’t there. Cameron said he was running an errand for work, but she found him at Windymere, and he was going through her things. Ryan asks if Spencer found anything, and she says, the meds she used to drug Trina were in there, and her nanny Maggie’s letters. He gets up, and says, you fool. Spencer is on to her.
Chelsea says, Franco was here? Was she his vessel? That would explain why she lost time. Elizabeth says, it’s true. She reached out to him and he came. Finn says, that’s wonderful, and Elizabeth says, she spoke with him through Chelsea. He told her to be strong and believe in herself, and not look away. Finn says, and that means something to her, and she says, it just happened. Doesn’t he see? All the strange things that were happening; it was Franco sending them a message. He was here. He’s been here all along.
Britt wonders why Spencer is asking about mixing the pill with alcohol, and he asks if that would be a problem. She says, a very big problem. Just one of those on top of booze would make a person very sloppy. He says, sloppy how? and she says, they’d stagger. They’d fall behind in conversation. They’d just not be themselves. Think of it like this. Take normal drunken behavior and amplify it two or three times. It could even give you a seizure. He asks if it could make you forget things, and she says, it can cause short term memory loss, like blacking out after drinking. She asks if he’s seen this in Esme, and he says, no, not in Esme. Britt says, enough of this – she closes the door – pharma consult he has her doing. This is serious. What’s going on?
Esme doesn’t see how Spencer could know anything, and Ryan says, he’s sleeping alone. He’s drawn to another girl; he’s looking through her things. She says, there was nothing to find. She got rid of the prescription label, and Maggie’s letters don’t refer to him. He says, it doesn’t matter what Spencer did or didn’t find; he looked. He’s as false as she is – worse. He shared his suspicions with Elizabeth Baldwin’s whelp. She says, they don’t know that, but he says, of course (🍷) they do. Otherwise, Cameron wouldn’t have lied about where Spencer was. It was right in front of her, but she was too arrogant to see it. He warned her about that boy. He told her to remain on task, but she just couldn’t give up her little toy. Now here they are, and everything they’ve built is in danger of crashing down. She says, wrong. Everything he’s built. There’s still time for her.
Nina says, as Bobbie’s best friend, she’s surprised Felicia didn’t sic the police on her, or at the very least, her husband. Felicia says, Mac has bigger fish to fry, and as James’s grandmother, she has a responsibility to uphold. Maxie loved Nathan, and Nathan loved Nina. Nathan was Nina’s brother, and James is Nina’s nephew. That makes them family. Nina says, that acknowledgement could cost her, and Felicia says, with Bobbie? She thinks they’ve gotten past that. They have their differences, and they’ve gotten down in the mud now and then, but there’s a bond there. The sacrifice Bobbie and Tony made is always just under the surface. Some ties just can’t be cut. Nina says, including the tie with her? and Felicia says, she knows the pain of motherhood when it’s staring her in the face, and she’d be a liar if she didn’t say that in looking Nina in the eye, she doesn’t see a bit of herself.
Michael asks Willow, what’s wrong, besides the obvious of course (🍷)? She says she was glad to see he and Drew could have a civil conversation about Nina. He says, he and Drew have a solid relationship. They respect and trust each other, and Willow says she can tell. He says, even though Drew has more grace where Nina is concerned, he knows Drew is just looking out for Wiley. She says she got nervous when the subject came up, and he asks, why? She says, after what happened with his father, she didn’t want the same thing to go down with him and Drew.
At the hospital, Drew asks if Carly wants to tell him why she didn’t talk to him the whole way home. She says, because that was some stunt he pulled back there, and he says, here he thought he came to her rescue – twice. She says, if she has some explaining to do, let her explain, and he says, she was like a deer in the headlights; he had to come up with something. She asks if he had to sing Grandma Nina’s praises, but he says he didn’t. She says, he knows what she means. What was the point of that? He says he believes it’s in her purse right now; DNA from a stolen brush and a glass, that together might prove Nina is Willow’s mother.If that’s the case – she says, it’s a big if – isn’t it better that Michael and Nina aren’t in a battle right now?
Elizabeth says, she’s telling Finn, Franco was here. He doesn’t believe her. He says, that’s not it. He gets that she wants to believe it. She says, he thinks she’s losing it, and Laura tells her, no one said that. Finn says he thinks she’s frustrated and angry after months of searching for answers and coming up empty. Laura says, she thinks Elizabeth is considering some solutions that are… Elizabeth says, crazy, but Finn says, unorthodox; that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Laura tells Elizabeth to come home with her, but Elizabeth says, there’s nothing to be afraid here of anymore. It was Franco all along.
Britt says, if Esme is in any way misusing these drugs, Spencer needs to help her put a stop to it. He says he doesn’t know anything for sure, and she says, even if he suspects it… He says, he’ll take care of it, okay? She asks, how? and he says, he’ll take care of it. He starts to leave, but she grabs his arm, saying, they’re not done. She can’t stand by in good conscience and not do anything. He says, it’s a little late in life for her to grow a conscience, and she says, ouch. He says he’s sorry, but he came to her for information, not a lecture. Now that he knows what’s what, he’s good. She says, enabling Esme does no good. If he wants his girlfriend to be healthy and be in a healthy relationship, he can’t let this go on. He wonders what the hell she would know about a healthy relationship.
Ryan asks if Esme is threatening him, but she says she’s just exploring her options. She’s sure the authorities would rather learn about his status update than come after her. He says, she’d sacrifice him just like that? and she says, if that meant saving herself, in a heartbeat. He says she reminds him of her mother, and she says, how so? He says, he learned early never to turn his back on her. He’s glad see she inherited her mother’s instinct for self-preservation. Now let’s start over, shall we? They’re all each other has; they have to stick together. He pats the spot on the bed next to him, and she sits. She says, she can’t believe Spencer would do this to her. It hurts so much. He says he knows the feeling. You give yourself so much to someone. You lay yourself at the mercy of another person and they just exploit it. She says, manipulate it, and he says, crush it between their forefinger and thumb. He flashes back to a physical fight with a woman (presumably Esme’s mother), who’s about to stab him with a kitchen knife. He says, pure agony. There’s only one thing to do in return; make them all pay.
Nina asks what Felicia sees of herself in her, and Felicia says, a gorgeous, badass woman with feet made for kicking butt. She sees a woman who’s made a lot of mistakes; the kind not easily lived down. Nina says, Felicia did, and Felicia says she didn’t have a choice. Nina says, there’s always a choice, and Felicia says, not a good one. It was either spending the rest of her days in the shadow of her mistakes, and watch her daughter walk away, or facing her and fixing things. The only real shame is in giving up. Nina wonders what she’s going to say to James if he comes to her with a fist full of Invader newspapers, demands answers. Felicia jokes, they’ll be dead then, and Nina asks what she tells him. Felicia says she imagines Nina will tell him the same thing she’ll tell Wiley when he asks the same questions. That day is coming too.
Michael says he thought Willow was on the same page about his dad. She said she was behind him 100%. She says she meant it. She completely supports his decision, even if she’s not sure it’s the right one. He loves his father. Can he honestly say it doesn’t hurt? He says, of course (🍷) it hurts, and she says, when he hurts, she hurts too, and so does Wiley. Their son is sensitive; he knows when something is wrong. They can’t shield him from every bad feeling, every loss – they wouldn’t want to – but they can shield him from some of them. It takes sacrifice and compromise on their part, but isn’t Wiley worth it? He asks who she wants him to compromise with – his dad, Nina, or both?
Drew asks Carly to think about it one second. If Michael goes too far with Nina, and she turns out to be Willow’s mother, it will change things for Willow, whether she wants it to or not. He’s just trying to turn down the temperature. She says she appreciates that, and appreciates his help, but his services are no longer needed. He says, so he’s dismissed now? and she says, it doesn’t involve him, but he says he begs to differ. He can’t unknow what he knows. They’re in this together. She asks what that means. Is he going to blow this whole thing wide open? He says, no; is she? She tells him, she’s certainly not going to say anything right now. If Nina turns out to be Willow’s mother, it’s going to be a huge problem for Michael and Willow. What if the whole thing turns out not to be true? She’ll have set a hideous chain of events in motion for no reason. He asks, what if it is true?What if what Harmony said turns out to be legit? What is she going to do?
Laura tells Elizabeth that she and Doc have been trying to keep Jake and Aiden well entertained, but she thinks it would help if they saw their mother tonight. Elizabeth says it would help her to see them too, and Laura says she’ll get Elizabeth’s purse. Elizabeth says she’ll call Chelsea; they’ll do this again. Chelsea says she’s sure Elizabeth has a lot of questions. The answers are there for the taking. Elizabeth asks if she’ll see Finn later, and he says, absolutely. He’ll make sure everything is locked up. She thanks him, and leaves with Laura, and I wonder why they’re leaving two people who don’t live there to lock the door. And why is Laura treating Elizabeth like a psychiatric patient? Chelsea gets her purse, and Finn says, leaving so soon? She says she’s parched, and he says, I’ll bet. Channeling spirits must drain you. She says, it does actually, and he says, what about lying to a vulnerable woman. What does that do to you? She says she wouldn’t know, but he would.
Esme asks, is that even possible, if Spencer is on to her? and Ryan says, he is, but he hasn’t found anything useful yet, or he would have used it. She got rid of the evidence that would implicate her in the video scheme, yeah? She says she did, and he says, then the best Spencer can hope for is to exonerate Trina. That doesn’t mean Esme can rest on her laurels. Time’s running out; she needs to recommit herself to the task. She says, destroying Ava and Nikolas, and he says he knows she’s disinclined, but sacrifices have to be made. The only way to truly break their bond is to seduce the prince. She can do that, can’t she? For him? She says, if only to see the look on Spencer’s face when he finds out, and Ryan says, good. She says, and when that’s done? He says, then they turn their attention to the rest of their enemies. Each and every one.
Spencer says, he and Esme have been together a long time, and Britt says, so? He says, so what about her? What’s the longest relationship she’s had? She asks what he’s doing, and he says, just pointing out facts. She had that weird obsession with Emma’s dad, and the blink-and-you-miss-it engagement to his father. She says, wow. So much for Spencer wishing Nikolas realized what he had in her. Spencer says, he was trying to be nice, and she says, noted. He says, has she ever been in love, and had that love returned? She doesn’t say anything, and he says he didn’t think so. She says, he’s right. She knows nothing about love, and at this rate, she never will. He asks what that’s supposed to mean, and she says, good luck with his girlfriend. And when it explodes in his face, don’t come crying to her.
Finn says, Madame Nutjob, or whatever her name is, he’s not the one lying to Elizabeth. Chelsea says, really? Elizabeth asked if he thought she was crazy, and he did everything in his power to dodge the question. He says, she can’t flip this around; she’s not smart enough to do that. She’s preying on a very fragile human being. She says, she gave comfort and support to someone who asked for it. Can he say the same? He tells her, don’t ever contact Elizabeth again, and opens the door. Chelsea says, Elizabeth said she’d call, and when she does, she’ll save him a seat. Who knows? Maybe this time he can come with an open mind and actually help the woman he claims to care about find the answers she so desperately craves. She walks out.
Willow says she’s nowhere near entertaining a truce with Nina, but she won’t give up on him and Sonny, and hopes he doesn’t either. He says, his father put someone who actively hurt his wife and children ahead of his family. He can’t act like that didn’t happen or ignore that. He’s Sonny’s son, but first and foremost, he’s Wiley’s father. She and Wiley will always be his priority. And he’ll never let anything come between them.
Nina says, if Wiley asks about the things she’s done, she’ll own them, and Felicia says she sees no reason to treat James any differently. Just make sure she sticks around to answer those questions. Nina takes Felicia’s hand, and says, don’t worry. She’s not going anywhere.
Drew asks if Carly is going to tell Willow and Nina what she knows, but she says she doesn’t know anything. He says, when she does know, and she says, if the unthinkable happens, if Nina turns out to be Willow’s mother, she’ll do the right thing. She sees Britt, and runs over to her. She asks who she sees about a DNA test, and Britt looks at Drew.
Tomorrow, Ned tells Brook, they’re planning for a future with no place for him; Martin tells Valentin, if the family remains a united front, he doesn’t stand a chance; Jordan asks if TJ has something to report; and Sonny says he’s got to put a stop to that.
It still doesn’t exactly explain things, but it sounds like she’s in a lose-lose situation. Will she go the way of Carlton, and be a one season Housewife?
Whether winding up a work week or enjoying your part in the Great Resignation, stop by tomorrow for some soap, tea, words to take note of, and a musical selection. Until then, stay safe, stay taking in your local culture, and stay remembering the only real shame is in giving up.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Elizabeth says Finn doesn’t have to check on her, but he says he likes checking on her. It’s the one time he wishes she was working a double-shift. He’s there, the hospital has security cameras… She says, fortunately, Nikolas asked her to stay at Windymere. She doesn’t love the fact Esme is there, considering what she did to Cameron and Josslyn, filming a sex tape and putting it out there for the world to see, but at least Cameron is safe at the dorm with friends, Jake and Aiden are staying with Laura, and as for her, there’s no place safer than Spoon Island. He says, it wouldn’t be his first choice. Is she headed there now? She says she just has to make a stop first. She has to go, but she’ll talk to him later. She lets herself into her house.
Outside Charlie’s, Drew tells Carly, they have to talk. She says, she doesn’t know what he thinks he saw… He says, he saw Nina put down her drink, she left, and he saw Carly pick up the drink and put it in her purse. The question is, why?
Nina says, it’s been a while since she visited. She thought she owed her an explanation. We see she’s at Nelle’s grave, and she says she filed for visitation rights with Wiley. Nelle probably already knows that. Michael and Willow are fighting it, so there’s going to be a hearing. They’ve also decided to fight dirty, so they paid off the reporter to do a feature on her. He’s making her look like a villain, which is ironic, since it’s the way the whole world saw Nelle. Unfortunately, everything he’s writing is true. She’s made some pretty bad choices in life; so did Nelle. She just wanted the world to know that Nelle wasn’t all bad; that her life mattered.
Michael asks how it went, and Willow says, she and Alexis had a good talk; she just left. Michael asks if she’s okay, since Alexis can be intense, and she says, it was an intense conversation. She’s going to have to get that DNA test from the police eventually. She knows it’s going to prove Harmony wasn’t her biological mother, which makes her related to no one. He says, how about a break? The boat’s out of dry dock. They could take it up to Sawyer. She asks if they can take the car instead. She needs to go somewhere.
Outside Kelly’s, Sonny flashes back to him and Carly talking about Jason, and how he wants to believe Jason is still out there. Laura comes by, and he says, he’s sorry; he was lost in thought. She says, he has a lot on his mind, and he says he doesn’t know if she’s heard, but Monica is finalizing the paperwork to have Jason declared legally dead. She says, she didn’t; she’s sorry. He says, everyone is having a discussion whether the memorial plaque should be at the Quartermaine crypt, or in the graveyard next to Morgan… She says, that’s a heavy burden. Nikolas comes along, and she says, but that’s not what she was referring to. She was talking about the feature on Nina petitioning the court for visitation rights with their grandson. He asks what she’s talking about, and she says, it’s part one of a feature that showed up on The Invader’s website about an hour ago. He asks if she think he may not like it, and she says, there’s an awful lot in there about him and Nina. Nikolas says, he read the piece. It doesn’t paint Nina in a very good light. He guesses that means her and Sonny were made for each other.
Spencer says he just feels he doesn’t know Esme as well as he thought, and he wanted to find out what he doesn’t know. She wonders why he didn’t just ask her. They used to talk about everything. If they’re going to get back what they had, they have to be honest with each other, completely transparent. He agrees, and suggests they start with this. He picks up the letter, and asks, why did Maggie write, no good can come of you having contact with your father. She told him that she fell out of contact with her nanny years ago. She says, that’s true, but… and he says, in that letter, it sounds like Maggie knows who Esme’s biological parents are. Does that mean she knows as well? Who exactly is her father?
Elizabeth lights candles, when the doorbell rings. She says, she knows it’s crazy, but she’s doing it for him. She opens the door to a woman who says, she’s Chelsea Lamb and she’s there to help Elizabeth. Elizabeth invites her in, and tells her that Lucy has said great things about her. She’s hoping Chelsea can help her get some answers. Is that possible? Chelsea says she’s not sure. She guesses they’ll find out together. What do you say we contact the spirits?
Carly says, Drew caught her; she’s up to something. He says, that’s a real shock, and she says, it’s for good reason. He says, to do with Nina, and she says she can’t give him the details. She doesn’t want him involved. He says, sounds ominous, and she tells him, the secret fell into her lap. He says, and she would prefer to carry that secret alone, and she says, she would prefer to tell her best friend. Jason would listen without judging, and let her work through things. And if she did something he didn’t approve of, he’d still support her. He says, if she’s looking for someone to be Jason, he can’t be that guy.
Nina says, if she’s honest with herself, she did want Carly to suffer a little… the way Carly made her and Nelle suffer. Although she guesses she could have done a better job at building a bridge between her, Michael, and Carly. That way, she could have had an active part in Wiley’s life, and she would have told that little boy about Nelle. But she didn’t make that choice. She flashes back to arguing with Carly about how they can’t pretend Nelle didn’t exist, that she didn’t give birth to the miracle of a grandson they both share, and Carly saying, she doubts they’ll be sharing him in the future. Nina tells Nelle (well, her gravestone), now there’s an all-out war, a war she’s not prepared to lose, and she’s going to go all the way, so that she can be part of Wiley’s life. And so that her only daughter is not forgotten. Willow and Michael walk into the cemetery.
Sonny says he doesn’t want to listen to Nikolas’s lies, and Laura says, she loves running into Nikolas, but he might adhere to the old adage, if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything. Nikolas says, he’ll remember that the next time she crosses paths with Victor, and she asks if he’s equating Victor with Sonny, but Nikolas says, no, that’s not fair to Victor. He’ll never understand the blind spot she has for Sonny. He’s just a bully. The way he went after Esme… He kidnapped her. Sonny says, here Nikolas goes, opening his mouth when he doesn’t know nothing. He was just talking to Esme, but unlike Nikolas, who buys her little innocent act. Nikolas thinks he’s a bully? You know what Nikolas is? An idiot. He tells Laura, he’s sorry; he’ll see her later. Sonny starts to leave, but Nikolas puts his hand on Sonny’s shoulder, and says, he’s not going anywhere. Sonny grabs Nikolas’s hand and twists his wrist back. He tells Nikolas, don’t you ever, ever put your hand on my shoulder, and Laura looks horrified.
Esme snatches the letter back, and says, if she knew who her biological father was, wouldn’t Spencer know too? but he says he doesn’t know how to answer that. Because the letter she’s holding basically contradicts everything she told him about her past. She says, everything she’s told him is true. She and Maggie lost contact. She hadn’t spoken to Maggie in years. Spencer asks, then how did Maggie know so much about him? She says, she started asking questions about her biological parents. She’d been so alone. Then she met him, and they started to talk about a future together, and she realized she might need answers one day. So she tracked down her old nanny, and started fishing to see what Maggie knew about her biological parents. Once it became clear that Maggie did know something, she ingratiated herself, and regaled Maggie with stories about her life at school, and her handsome new boyfriend. He says, and that worked? She says, no. Turns out Maggie did know something, but she wasn’t inclined to share. Once that became clear, she cut Maggie out of her life, and that’s God’s honest truth. He asks why she would keep the letters then.
Chelsea asks Elizabeth why she’s here, and Elizabeth says, there have been some strange happenings. They started at her home, and then at work, and most recently at the hotel where she was staying. She can’t explain what’s happening, and the police have investigated, but saw no signs of forced entry. Chelsea asks if signs of her late husband keep showing up, and Elizabeth asks if she can sense it, but Chelsea says, no, she’s not that good. Lucy gave her some background information when she referred Elizabeth. She’s not a psychic; she can’t read minds. But if she could see the Powerball numbers, she’d have a seaside retreat in Maui. However, she does believe the spirits of the universe are always talking to us. It’s just a matter of whether we stop and listen to the messages. She takes it this is the first time Elizabeth is talking to a medium, and Elizabeth says, it must be written all over her face. Her friend Terry was going to come with her to meet Chelsea, but then Chelsea said she wanted to meet here. Chelsea says, Lucy told her the majority of the happenings were in this house. If it’s her late husband’s doing, he’ll have the strongest connection here. Elizabeth says, that makes sense, but what if it’s not him?
Drew tells Carly, he’s not his brother, but he’ll try to have an open mind. But if he disagrees with something he can’t promise to be supportive. She says, good to know, and turns to leave, but he grabs her arm. He says, he’s just being honest with her. He’ll always be honest, no matter what, even if it’s not what she wants to hear. And if she’s in over her head, he’ll be there for her, to help her dig herself out. So what’s going on? She doesn’t say anything, and he says, it’s her call. He starts to walk away, but she says, wait. She’ll tell him, but she thinks he’d be more comfortable walking away, because it’s big. He says, he’s here and he’s listening, and she says, she was the last person in the room with Harmony before she died. He says, okay… and she says, Harmony told her that Nina is Willow’s birth mother.
Nina asks what Michael and Willow are doing here at her daughter’s grave, and Michael says, they’re here to visit Jonah, and before she asks, Wiley is at home with Monica. Nina tells Willow, she’s so sorry about Jonah. To find out you had a child long after they passed away is devastating. Willow thinks she’s the enemy, but she understands Willow’s pain. Willow says, if Nina doesn’t want to be thought of as the enemy, stop acting like one, and Michael says, Willow didn’t know her son had died because Nelle switched him with Wiley. So while Nina is contemplating Willow’s devastation, she should probably blame her daughter. Nina says, Michael never misses an opportunity to say something awful about Nelle, and he says, Nina never misses an opportunity to rewrite history. Nina says she doesn’t know why she’s even engaging with Michael; she was just trying to express her sympathy to Willow. Willow says, yeah, this would be the right time. In the last 24 hours, she lost her mother in more ways than one, and the stress of the hearing is only making things worse. If Nina wants to express her sympathy, then please stop this once and for all.
Laura tells Sonny and Nicolas, stop it, both of them, and separates them. Martin comes along, and Nikolas asks if he saw that; Sonny attacked him. Martin asks if Laura has the situation under control, and she says, it’s going to be fine. She tells Sonny, under the circumstances, she thinks it’s best… He says he’s going to go, and leaves. Laura looks at Nikolas, who shakes his head.
Esme tells Spencer, she saved her nanny’s letters for sentimental reasons. She knows she doesn’t have a soft spot for sappy greeting cards or cute puppies (omg – she is evil), but when you don’t have any real family in this world, you feel isolated. Yes, she cut Maggie out of her life, but those letters remind her of better days. And with Spencer being so distant, they have even more meaning. There it is. He asked for explanations, and she gave them to him. So let’s stop dancing around this. Does he believe in her? In them?
Chelsea tells Elizabeth, the candles are a good touch. Can they dim the lights, and light some more? Elizabeth tells her, go ahead, and gets the lights. Chelsea lights more candles, and says, let’s see what kind of poltergeist is behind this. Elizabeth says, poltergeist? and Chelsea says, that movie ruined a perfectly neutral term. A ghost is the spirit of someone who has past. A poltergeist could be a spirit, or it could be a psychic impression of someone who is still living. Sort of a square/rectangle situation; similar, but not the same. Does Elizabeth have anything of sentimental value to her late husband? Elizabeth says she does, and gets her wedding ring.
Drew says, Nina is Willow’s birth mother? How is that even possible? He thought Nelle was Nina’s long lost daughter. Carly says, Harmony said Willow was a twin, and he says, Nelle and Willow were twins? She says, according to Harmony, and he asks if there’s anything to back it up. Carly says, no. Supposedly Willow is months younger than Nelle, but her birth certificate was forged. That poor girl doesn’t even know her birthday. She wanted to get information from Phyllis about the night Nelle was born. Phyllis took care of Nina at the time, but it turns out Phyllis wasn’t there during the actual birth, so she wouldn’t know if there were twin babies. The only way to prove or disprove what Harmony said is a DNA test. So when she saw Nina’s glass there, she just grabbed it. He says, a DNA test without Nina knowing, and Willow’s on board with this? Carly says, Willow doesn’t know.
Nina says, she’s not heartless, but she’s not the one who started this; Michael and Willow did. And that five-part feature in The Invader. She’s sure Smoltz is going to win a Pulitzer for that. Oh wait. There isn’t an award for bias hit jobs. Michael says, there couldn’t be a feature if there was no petition in the first place. All they did was cooperate with a reporter. If anything is untrue, she can sue. Nina says, she’s always tried to compromise with Willow, and Willow says, when? The night she went to Nina’s office, she said if Nina would back off and give Michael time, and stop pushing, she’d find a way for Nina to see Wiley? Nina says, and she was supposed to trust that and sign off on her rights to her grandson? Michael says, she has no rights to Wiley. She has the right to file a petition, and she’s done that. This fight is on her. Willow says, Nina’s idea of a compromise is to get her way. That works for Nina, but it doesn’t work for Wiley. Nina says, her heart breaks for Willow, for her losses of Jonah and Harmony, but her empathy doesn’t overshadow the love for her grandson, and it definitely doesn’t overshadow her love for her daughter.
Laura asks how Nikolas’s hand is, and Nikolas says, he probably just pulled something; it’s fine. Martin says, it could be a sprain, and Nikolas says, courtesy of Sonny Corinthos. Are they just going to pretend kidnapping Esme and threatening her is okay? Laura says, Esme is prone to exaggeration, and if she didn’t know better, she’d think Nikolas was defending her. Nikolas says, he doesn’t believe Esme filmed Joss and Cam having sex, and framed Trina as the culprit. Does she?
Esme asks if Spencer believes in her, and he says, he’s sorry. He shouldn’t have doubted her. He doesn’t really know why he did. She says, he keeps letting his supposed friends get in his head. She does give Cam credit. She saw him at Kelly’s, and she was upset, and he was able to be nice to her, unlike Trina and Joss. As a reminder, she’s the one who’s always been there for him. She wants to get back what they had. He says that’s what he wants too, and she hugs him. She asks if they can put all this aside, and commit to each other again. Can they try to do that? She kisses him, and unbuttons his shirt. She pushes him toward the bed, and starts working his belt buckle, but he tells her, stop. She asks why he’s stopping. It’s been so long since they’ve been with each other. What’s wrong?
Laura tells Nikolas that she believes Trina is innocent. She can reserve judgement about Esme until after Trina is exonerated. She tells Martin that she’s sorry they’re reuniting under these circumstances, and he says, him too. He was supposed to meet with his nephew to discuss the options in his marriage. Laura says she doesn’t like the sound of that, but they’ll have to postpone it anyway. She wants Nikolas to go to GH and get his hand looked at. Nikolas says, it’s fine; he boxes. She says, humor her anyway; let her drive him. He says he has a driver, and leaves. Martin says, little sister, trouble certainly seems to follow our family, does it not? She says, it certainly seems to.
Michael says, Nina never knew Nelle. He thinks she’d be less protective of her if she did. Sonny shows up, and asks if there’s a problem, but Nina says he doesn’t have to get involved. Michael says, Nina was just giving Willow a hard time. Not that it matters, since he fully expects Sonny to defend Nina. Sonny says, he told Michael that he’d have his back at the visitation hearing. It doesn’t matter what Michael thinks of him, or whether Michael believes him or not. Michael says, oh really? Then prove it, and tell Nina to back off and stop harassing the mother of his grandson.
Carly tells Drew, she’s not going to tell Willow about this. She and Nina hate each other. They’re going head-to-head in court. Besides she can’t be sure Harmony was telling the truth. This could be one big manipulation. He says he’s seen people die, and when they see it’s the end, the last thing they’re thinking is of manipulating. Carly says, she gets that, but can’t take it on faith that Nina gave birth to twins while she was in a coma, and no one knew about it. She’s not adding to Willow’s grief and putting this on her plate unless she knows for sure. He says he sees her point, but there’s a catch. She has a sample of Nina’s DNA, but not Willow’s. She says she knows. She has to find some way to get into the gatehouse. He wonders if she’s going to drop by for a visit, and hope Willow doesn’t see her stealing her toothbrush. It’s not like she lives on the property. She says, no, but he does.
Elizabeth says, this is her wedding ring, which mysteriously ended up in her locker at work. They got their rings… Chelsea says she knows Elizabeth is trying to be helpful, but it’s better if she knows less about the background. That’s how they’ll know it’s really him. Chelsea asks Elizabeth to sit with her, take her hands, and close her eyes. She says she’s listening to see if anyone is reaching out to them, if anyone want presence to be known… She suddenly gets a little weird, and closes her eyes. Elizabeth asks, what is it? Chelsea opens her eyes, and says, there is a dark presence in this house.
Spencer says, of course (🍷) he wants to reconnect with Esme, just not right now. She asks, why not? and he says, because they hit a significant bump in their relationship. As they come back together, they need to do it right. It needs to feel special and meaningful, not some random spur of the moment thing. Esme says, that’s a sweet thought, but come on. It’s not like it’s their first time. He says he’s serious. It might as well be their first time, since they’re making a fresh start. There’s not going to be any more secrets. If they truly plan on spending the rest of their lives with each other, they need to start on the right foot. She says, okay. What does he have in mind? He says, she’ll have to wait and see, but he can promise this; he has something very, very special in store for her. He says he has to go, but she says, wait. Is there anything else he wants to ask her? He flashes back to finding the pills, and says, no. He thinks they have it all figured out.
Laura says she’s glad she and Martin had a chance to catch up; she missed him. She asks how his mother is, and he says, she’s doing well enough. He thinks she thought he was smothering her a little bit. She says, that’s the circle of life; the child becomes the parent. Can she assume things are good with him and Lucy? He says, better than good. The woman is a sexual panther. Laura says, too much information, and he says, it’s a good thing Valentin signed off on their relationship, and gave them his blessing. She says, not that he should need it, but he says, it makes things easier. It would have made his and Lucy’s reunion that much sweeter. She says, would have? and he says, they were made aware of what happened to Elizabeth at the hotel.
Chelsea says she doesn’t think Elizabeth is safe here. There’s a darkness in this house. Elizabeth says, it’s definitely not her husband. He loved her and the boys; he’d only want them to be happy. Who else could it be? Is Chelsea getting any other clues? Chelsea picks up the ring and closes her eyes, and says, the presence speaking to her doesn’t go by a first name. Perhaps a middle name, or a last name? Elizabeth says, Franco?
Carly and Drew sneak into the gatehouse, and Drew says he can’t believe he let her talk him into this. He turns on the lights, and she asks why he did that. He says, if anyone catches them, it’ll be hard to explain what they’re doing here alone in the dark, and she says, he doesn’t have to be part of this. If he doesn’t think what they’re doing is for the greater good, now would be the time to bail. He says, be quick please, just be fast, and she goes upstairs, as he looks out the window.
Sonny says, first of all, he’s Michael’s father; Michael doesn’t give him orders. Nina says she has been hard on Willow. She apologizes for some of the things she said. She prolonged the conversation more than she should. Michael says, he’s still waiting. Here’s Sonny’s chance to say Nina was wrong. Michael hears crickets, and says, nothing? He guesses when Sonny forgave Nina for what happened in Nixon Falls, she really must have begged. Sonny says, at least she had the courage to apologize, unlike someone else he knows. Michael says, he’s got nothing to apologize for, and Sonny says, of course (🍷). Michael tells Willow, let’s go, and they leave. Sonny looks at Nina.
Esme can’t wait for Spencer’s surprise. She loves a grand gesture, just like he loves making them. It’s one of the reasons she loves him. He says, him too, and leaves. She says, better than she thought. Don’t take anything at face value right now. Outside, Spencer looks at the pill he put in his pocket, and takes out his phone. He texts: Britt, can we meet? It’s very important.
Laura tells Martin that Jake and Aiden are staying with her and Doc. She wanted Elizabeth to stay too, but up until a few days ago, she insisted on staying in her own house by herself. She’s really worried about her. Martin says, it may not be a comfort, but Lucy gave Elizabeth the name of her medium. According to Lucy, she read Laura once up a time. Chelsea Lamb. And according to Lucy, Elizabeth believes she’s being haunted.
Elizabeth tells Chelsea, her husband’s name was Robert Frank, but he went by a variation of his last name, Franco. He loved her, and loved their family. He would never want to hurt them. Chelsea says, she’s sensing this presence was someone born in trauma and pain; someone who was abandoned by their family. Someone who finally found real family in these walls. That someone doesn’t much like this new family being made here now.
Finn asks what’s with Nikolas’s hand, and Nikolas says, he’s fine. He just promised his mother he’d get it checked out. Finn says, this isn’t easy for him to say, but he appreciates what Nikolas is doing for Elizabeth. Nikolas asks what he’s talking about, and Finn says, she’s staying at Windymere until they figure out who’s been breaking into her house. Nikolas says he missed a call from Elizabeth, but they never touched base. Finn flashes back to Elizabeth telling him that she’s going to stay at Windymere. For her, there’s no place more secure than Spoon Island. Finn says, if Elizabeth’s not at Windymere, then where the hell is she?
Chelsea tells Elizabeth, the presence is clear; they don’t want this new family formed in this house. Elizabeth refuses to believe that. The Franco she knew, the Franco she loved, would only want to see her happy. Is he here now? Can he hear her? Tell him that she believes he’s here. Tell him that she’s ready to listen.
Nina tells Sonny that she’s sorry she and Michael got into it. She hates being a wedge between them. He says, there’s no way around it, is there? She’s going to have to go for the jugular at the hearing. She says she knows he’s going to support Michael in court. Things are going to get pretty tense. She wishes things were simple like they are at Charlie’s and at The Savoy – remember the other night? But they’re not going to be for a while. Maybe they should keep their distance until this is all over. Then they can come back and decide what’s next… if anything is next. He says, when that day comes, save me a dance. She touches his arm, and leaves.
Carly sneaks back down the stairs with something (a toothbrush?) in a plastic bag, and Drew says, she didn’t touch it, did she? She says, no. She used a bag to pick it up. Michael and Willow walk in, and Michael says, Mom, Drew, what are you doing here?
Tomorrow, Laura thinks Finn is right; Ryan asks how badly Esme screwed things up; Drew says he’d like to say it’s his fault, but it’s all on Carly.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
We begin with Dorit’s frightening AF security tape of the break-in. Her voiceover says, she thought, this is it. This is how she’s going to die.
Three days earlier. Dorit is back from London with the kids. Kyle is having a self-defense class with Portia, who she says is vastly different from last year, when she was sleeping late, and didn’t want to leave her room. Portia was going through a difficult time, and she was struggling as a parent, not knowing what to do. She’s never been in a pandemic. You and most of the rest of the world, sister. She says, Portia is shining now, and we see photos of Portia’s Bat Mitzvah. She says, Portia has the spark back in her eyes, and she’s coming out the other side. Her Bat Mitzvah was one of Kyle’s most favorite days in her life.
Sutton and Garcelle (who I think should have their own show) are in Miami for Garcelle’s Angels for Humanity charity event. We see a clip of Garcelle giving a speech, and thanking everyone for helping to give the children of Haiti a future. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, she and Sutton are both single, they have a good time, and they trust each other. Back in Beverly Hills, LisaR says, Amelia is back from NYC, and shooting for Rinna Beauty, which has gone through the roof, even though she’s mainly selling on Instagram. We see some of her posts, including one of Harry demonstrating lip balm, and she says, it’s been a dream come true. LisaR asks Erika if she’s had any dates, and Erika says, no, but she’s had some good sex. She’s been married most of her adult life. In Erika’s interview, she says she’s back in the dating pool, but she’s more interested in having good sex with good people. LisaR tells Erika that Sutton brought her up on Watch What Happens Live, and we see a clip of Sutton telling Andy that she didn’t get a thank you from LisaR for being her guest at an Elton John gala. LisaR was shocked and not happy. Sutton tells Garcelle that it wasn’t her intention to humiliate LisaR, and Garcelle says she took it as Sutton being supportive of her. We flash back to LisaR saying she got no thank you for a jar of sauce that Garcelle actually had thanked her for. Sutton says, if it comes from the heart, you don’t need a thank you, which confuses me, since they both wanted thank yous. In LisaR’s interview, she says, it was hurtful. She’d considered Sutton a friend, and she wouldn’t do something like that. And Sutton claims to be so perfect with her etiquette. Bitch, no. Sutton tells Garcelle that she thinks LisaR will be okay with it, and LisaR tells Erika, don’t come at her on TV with that bullsh*t.
Crystal visits Sutton, who’s in the process of reconstructing her basement. In her interview, she says, it’s taking longer than anticipated, since no one told her, with a house, everything takes three times as long as you think it will. She says, it will get done, just not as soon as she’d hoped. She tells us that she and Sutton are in a good place now. They got together over the summer, and talked out their issues. In Sutton’s interview, she says she was so exasperated with fighting, they dropped the barriers, and bonded over baseball. Baseball is a powerful sport. Sutton tells Crystal that she said something about LisaR that maybe she shouldn’t have, and in her interview, Crystal says, when Sutton is being cheeky, it’s often her way to jab someone a little. Sutton says she’s dating, and Crystal asks if she wants to be fixed up. Surprisingly, she says, yes, and her requirements are handsome, tall, educated, and likes cats. Crystal wonders if there are a lot of men who say they’re a cat guy. Garcelle is getting together with Erika, and in her interview, she says she’s not sure where they stand, and has trepidations about seeing Erika. They meet for a workout, and in Erika’s interview, she says, on her darkest days, she was looking for anything to take off the pressure. The last thing she wanted to do was work out, but she was enjoying fast food and drinking more alcohol than ever. When you’ve gone to Taco Bell and don’t remember, but there are wrappers in the kitchen, there’s a problem. After the workout, Erika asks Garcelle about Miami, and Garcelle says, she saw her sisters. We see a clip of Garcelle and Sutton having dinner with them, and Garcelle asks Erika if she’s going to apologize to Sutton for threatening her. Erika insists she didn’t, and asks Garcelle to tell her what words she used. Garcelle says, Erika said she was coming for Sutton, and Erika says, that could mean anything. Garcelle is like, come on, and Erika says she was backed into a corner. She can’t apologize for not fighting sterile. Garcelle says, Sutton freaked, and she would have freaked too. Erika says, Sutton talks a lot of sh*t, and when you take swings at people, people are going to swing back.
Erika says, Sutton was repeating what’s been disproven. There was never $20 million in her account. She can never get away from it, and it’s not true; it was never in her hands or in her account. The trustee said she never touched the money. In Garcelle’s interview, she points out that this information was never in the papers or a blog; it’s nowhere. And if it’s true, why isn’t it in the press? In Erika’s interview, a producer asks how and when this happened, and Erika says, it was early on, and if they want to know, Bravo can do their due diligence, and find out themselves. The producer asks if the proof is available to the public, and Erika says, they can read everything her lawyer put out, and answer their own f***ing question. Nice evasion. Garcelle asks if it was dismissed, and Erika says, no, but it’s time to smile and have fun. In her interview, Garcelle doesn’t want to rain on Erika’s parade, but wonders if she’s jumping the gun before they know the truth. Maybe she’s in denial. Erika tells Garcelle that every day she woke up to a new accusation, lawsuit, or documentary, and all those things aren’t true. Garcelle asks if Erika can’t sue them, and Erika says, that’s later, down the road. In her interview, Erika explains that these are civil lawsuits, and she hasn’t been charged with a crime. Garcelle says, if Erika wants to share, feel free, and Erika says, Tom is in a facility, but she doesn’t know much more. In her interview, she says, they’re legally separated, but there are a lot of laws regarding divorcing an incompetent person. She has lawsuits to fight. She’ll get a divorce when she can. She tells Garcelle that she’s doing her best to sort it out.
Dorit’s kids are having a karate lesson. In Dorit’s interview, she says, she likes that discipline, respect, and confidence are incorporated in the practice. Jagger has always shown an interest in martial arts, but Phoenix has turned out to be a tough cookie. Garcelle calls, and asks how the wedding was. Dorit says, it was a whirlwind, and asks about Miami. Garcelle says, that was also a whirlwind, and Dorit says, glamorous, gorgeous, and giving back sums up Garcelle. In her interview, Dorit says, she and Garcelle were fast friends, but hit some bumps in their friendship. We flash back to Garcelle telling Dorit that she never lets anyone speak, and Dorit says, now she’s aware she needs to limit her words with Garcelle, and keep it short and sweet.
Later that night. We see the security footage again, and Dorit says, when they came into her bedroom and held a gun to her head, she thought, this is it. This is how I’m going to die. She told them to let her help. She’d show them where everything is, just don’t hurt her kids or her; they need their mommy.
We see the news reports of the robbery, the thieves getting away with nearly a million dollars in jewelry and handbags. In LisaR’s interview, she says, her gut reaction was, she had to go there to see Dorit. Of course it was. In Kyle’s interview, she says, she called PK, and he was sobbing and saying he wasn’t there. In Erika’s interview, she says, they could have killed Dorit; they could have killed her kids; they could have done a lot of sh*t. Kyle doesn’t know how you can recover from this. In her interview, LisaR says, to think you’d have to beg for your children’s lives. She can’t fathom it. LisaR tells Crystal that the kids know nothing, and Crystal says she can’t imagine feeling that way in your own home. Sutton visits Kyle, who says, it was terrifying, and PK was bawling. Sutton says she’s been putting out fires of her own all day. She has a French designer coming in who’s having problems with immigration. Kyle says, that doesn’t seem like a fire in comparison, but Sutton says, it is for her. It’s all relative. She wasn’t held at gunpoint; sorry. In Kyle’s interview, she says, what’s wrong with you? Are you that wrapped up in yourself, you’re not grasping what happened to our friend? Sutton says she feels weird energy. Wow. I like Sutton, but that was a pretty insensitive exchange. Although it could be that Sutton is deliberately ignoring something that might freak her out. I don’t think she dwells much on anything negative, and likes to play in the shallow end of the pool.
LisaR wonders how they’re going to celebrate Harry’s birthday with this tragedy having happened. She and Crystal go to the restaurant where LisaR is planning on having it, and the manager shows her the space. LisaR tells Crystal that Harry is going to be 70, and in her interview, she says, no one looks better than Harry at 70. He’s still the sexiest man alive; she hit the jackpot. I beg to differ on no one looking better. Has she seen Marc Singer? He can still park his shoes next to my bed anytime. LisaR says, Dorit is the priority, and whatever happens, they’ll plan around that. Sutton tells Kyle that Crystal is looking for guys to set her up with. She doesn’t care if they’re rich. In her interview, she says she thinks maybe Erika is seeking different qualities. She’s concerned with character and humor. She doesn’t need money to make herself feel better. Maybe Erika misses the big house, the clothes, and the lifestyle, but she wants someone who will appreciate her. Well, she might feel differently if she didn’t have more money than all of us put together. And on the other hand, Erika doesn’t look like she’s hurting for outfits. Kyle says, when they look back, they’ve argued and said things… Sutton says she disagrees already, and Kyle says she feels badly that she didn’t speak up for Sutton at Kathy’s. We flash back to Erika hammering Sutton, and telling her, STFU. She says she knows after Erika left, later, she cried her eyes out. Sutton says Kyle is feeling sorry for Erika after how Erika treated her? In her interview, Sutton says, Erika was so mean, and no one stood up for her. Are they supposed to feel sorry because Erika committed a crime, maybe? Kyle says, Erika puts on a tough bitch persona that’s not her when she’s hurt, and in Sutton’s interview, she says, there are families who are crying; it sickens her. Sutton tells Kyle, she gets in trouble, but the men don’t, and we flash back to Mauricio and PK laughing about Erika. Sutton says, it’s a double standard, and in her interview, Kyle says, she knows Erika was upset. She doesn’t need to feel that her friends are laughing behind her back. Sutton says, she’s seen who Erika is as a person and as a friend. If that’s the kind of person Kyle wants to be friends with, she doesn’t care.
Kyle gets ready to have everyone over, and in her interview, she says she doesn’t want bad feelings. Erika arrives first, and says, positive things are happening, but she’s more concerned with Dorit. She and Kyle have a drink, and Mauricio comes out. Erika says, he hurt her feelings. She’s sensitive, and last year sucked. He says, she had a sh*tty year, no question, and he’s sorry. LisaR comes in, and Kyle asks how blown away she is. Erika says she feels like she’s in shock, and LisaR says, she’s shook. Dorit comes in, and in Kyle’s interview, she says, the break-in was last night. It’s important for Dorit to surround herself with friends. She doesn’t know how Dorit left the house; she would have been paralyzed with fear. In Dorit’s interview, she says, it’s been an emotional day, but she knows her babies are safe; her husband’s assistant and security are with them. She thought it would be good to get out, so the kids don’t see mommy breaking down. She immediately tells her story.
She says, when PK is out of town, the kids sleep with her. She was so exhausted and jetlagged, she put them to bed, and got in bed herself. When she heard the door open, she thought the kids had gotten up. She got out of bed, and saw it was a big person. He panicked, and charged her, grabbing her, and telling her to get down, or he’d f***ing kill her. He had a gun to her head, and she was hunched over, sobbing, saying, please. She’s a mother, and her kids need her. The other guy was saying, just f***ing kill her. He was the one collecting the stuff, and told the one holding her, get her to show them where the cash is. She stayed calm, and told them, take what they want, but please don’t let her kids see them. No surprise, everyone is upset, and some of them are crying at this point. I’m pretty upset. I’m not exactly Team Dorit, but I wouldn’t wish something like this on anyone. I have to mention this as a PSA as well. On WWHL, Dorit said the security alarm was not set. In Dorit’s interview, she says, she’d do anything to save her kids. They need their mommy. Don’t hurt them or her. She tells the group, she thought, this is it. This is how she dies. She envisioned them killing her, and then her kids. Erika says, she needs to get into therapy right away. LisaR agrees, and adds that they’re her friends, and will be there to help her. Kyle’s dogs bark, and Dorit freaks out, wondering why they’re barking. Kyle tells her, it’s okay. The dogs always bark (they do), and they have a security guy. Erika tells Dorit, don’t cry, and hugs her. In LisaR’s interview, she says, Dorit is a strong woman. She saved her kids, and LisaR has every hope Dorit will get through it, but it will be a lot of work. Garcelle arrives, and says, she and Dorit had just spoken; it was a normal day. Erika says, and then Dorit had a gun to her head, and Dorit says, the guys was holding her the whole time. She finally told them that they should get out while they can; they didn’t want to get caught. In her interview, Dorit says, they took bags and jewelry, whatever fit in her comforter. The items were irreplaceable, but it doesn’t matter. She asked them not to take her cell phone, and the guy told her to count to 40, and he’d leave it by the gate. He did. We see the security footage backing that up, and in Dorit’s interview, she says, she’ll always thank God for protecting her and her kids. She doesn’t care about the material stuff, and never will. She tells them that she called 9-1-1, and the police arrived about 4 am. It was like an out-of-body experience. Like she’d floated out of her body because the danger wasn’t here. Then she called PK. Kyle says, PK told her, the second he heard Dorit’s voice, he started crying. In Kyle’s interview, she says, Dorit’s initial shock is wearing off, and what happened is settling in. Dinner is served, and Garcelle gifts Dorit with some crystals and sage. LisaR says, Dorit is stronger than any of them. PK calls, and says he’s at the airport. There’s TV and press waiting. Kyle tells him to come straight there, and he does. I notice Kyle seems to be wearing pajamas. She’s still in her pandemic wardrobe phase.
PK hugs Dorit and cries. He says, he wasn’t there, and in Dorit’s interview, she says, PK is so strong in matters of the heart, but not as strong as she is… Don’t tell him. PK says, he was sleeping, and heard the phone on vibrate. He was groggy with sleep, and called Dorit back. He didn’t get what had happened. In their dual interview, PK says he asked if the kids were all right, and Dorit explained what happened. It was difficult to process; he was so far away. He cried in airport lounge. But he made it home okay. They’re going to get through this. LisaR says she’s hesitant to celebrate Harry’s birthday, but PK says, in his religion, you never cancel a happy occasion for a sad occasion. They’re not letting this ruin their lives. Dorit says, thank God he got home, and in her interview, she says she just wants to get to the other side. She knows it won’t happen overnight, but she knows they can get there. Garcelle says, Dorit is very strong, and they say their goodbyes. At the car, PK realizes he left his phone inside, and goes back to get it. Alone, sitting on a walkway bench, Dorit cries, and says, I’m okay.
This season, skiing, a trip to Mexico, the call of the conch, Birkins, and jewelry; new Wife Diana Jenkins in introduced; Garcelle tells Sutton to watch her back with her new friend; Erika is mixing alcohol with her medication, and the women are concerned; Garcelle says she doesn’t have to make Erika look bad, since Erika can do that on her own; Erika says, if everyone is going to talk about her behavior, they need to own theirs; and LisaR says, Kathy isn’t going to get away with it.
🛣 Easing On Down the Road…
Peek in tomorrow for some soap and whatever else I can dig up. Until then, stay safe, stay being childlike, but not childish, and stay remembering, when you take swings at people, people are going to swing back.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
On the phone, Sonny tells Brick that he got the latest report on the west coast competition, while I try to figure out what on earth is that sculpture or taxidermy or both in his office. What is that??? There’s knock at the door, and Frank brings in Dex. Sonny tells Brick, something just came up, but he’ll get the report to him. He says, Dex doesn’t waste any time; he just saw Dex this morning. Dex says, Sonny told him there might be more work for him, so why wait? Sonny tells Frank that he can go, and Dex says he brought his resumé. Sonny takes it, and tears it up.
In an exam room, Brando wonders, where’s TJ? and tells Sasha, they should have the results of the CT scan by now. She says, maybe he got caught up with another patient. She’s sure the CT will be fine. All she has is a headache and some jangled nerves. They shouldn’t even have bothered him. Brando says, she had a major shock last night. He’s tracking TJ down. He leaves, and Sasha’s hand shakes as she holds a cup of water. TJ comes in, and says he’s sorry it took so long; there’s a back-up in radiology. Her CT looked fine, but does she want something for the headaches?
At the MetroCourt Garden, Gladys looks at the memory card, and flashes back to Sasha trying to escape the photographer. Valentin asks if he can be of some assistance.
Curtis sees Jordan at the hospital and asks if she’s okay. She says she’s fine; she passed her latest check-up with flying colors. He asks, what’s with the concerned expression? and she says she’s following up on the Harmony Miller case. What about him? He says he was hoping to speak with TJ, but he’s been working these 24 hour shifts, and it’s been hard to get ahold of him. Jordan tells him, one thing you can say about her son, he’s no slacker, and Curtis agrees. She asks what he wants to talk to TJ about… Sorry, none of her business. Old habits die hard.
Nina peeks in the window of the nail salon, then goes inside. The receptionist asks if she can help, but Nina says she sees who she’s looking for. She whips the towel off of Scotty’s face, and asks the technician to give them a second. He says, if Nina is looking for a manicure, Veronica is her girl, but if she’s looking for her attorney, he’s busy. She says, too bad. She needs his full and complete attention, and she needs it now.
Willow says, that’s not true, and Dante says, he’s sorry, but the evidence they have that says she’s not Harmony’s biological daughter is from Dr. Byrne’s notes; what’s left of them anyway. Michael says, what’s left? and Carly says, Harmony burned most of them. She found the remaining sheets in a folder Harmony missed. Dante says, what they have are partial notes from Dr. Byrne’s therapy sessions with Harmony, and Michael says, if it’s only a partial record, maybe he misunderstood Dr. Byrne’s notes. Carly says, Harmony said Willow wasn’t her biological daughter, and Michael says, that would explain why she attacked Carly and Alexis. So no one else would know the truth. Dante says he’s sorry. He knows Willow has questions, and the PCPD will do their best to give her answers. Willow says, it’s a lie.
Sonny says he can’t rely on resumés. Chet already said all kinds of nice things about Dex, and he already knows Dex can handle himself by the way he handled those fighters that were supposed to be sparring, but ended up fighting. Dex asks if that means he has a job, but Sonny says he has to get to know Dex better before he decides if Dex is the right fit for one of his businesses. Dex says, coffee, import/export, and Sonny says, the most important thing is trust, especially in his business. He has to know if he can trust Dex. If that’s a problem, they stop right now. I’m starting to think Sonny really does deal in coffee, since we don’t see him deal in anything else really.
TJ tells Sasha, they’ll start with an over the counter, non-habit forming medication, and that should take care of the headaches. If it doesn’t work, he’ll prescribe something stronger. Brando walks in, and looks at the prescription in Sasha’s hand.
Gladys says, it’s been a while, and Valentin says, it has, sitting down. He says, he was about to leave, when he saw her sitting there staring at that memory card. He takes it out of her hand, and slides her laptop over. He asks if she wants him to open the files, but she says she can handle it. He says, what have we here? He looks at a picture of Sasha, and says, it’s the Face of Deception.
Jordan says, if she sees TJ, she’ll tell him that Curtis is looking for him. He says, wait. It’s about Marshall. She says, what about him? and he says, TJ likes the guy, and wants to know his grandfather. She says, TJ has a big heart, and he’s very forgiving. Marshall’s absence for all these years hasn’t hurt him the way it has Curtis. He says, still, there are some things TJ’s entitled to know, and she says, such as? He says, such as who and what Marshall really is.
Scotty tells Nina, for cryin’ out loud, get lost, but she says she’s not getting lost. He’s supposed to be preparing to help her fight to be in her grandson’s life, not getting a manicure. He says, judges like well-manicured lawyers. Not to mention, her Aunt Liesl likes it when his nails are clipped and polished, and ready for action. She says, the state of his cuticles isn’t a high priority right now, since she got an advance copy of the five-part series The Invader is going to run. He says he got it too, and she asks why he’s so calm. They’re trying to sabotage her, even before she sets foot in a courtroom. He says, who’s they? and she says, Michael and Willow, who else?
Michael tells Willow, it’s a lot to process. Dante can come back later. She says, Neil Byrne?He lost his medical license. He was a drug addict. Who’s to say he didn’t make up lies about her mother to feed his own fantasy; blaming her for an imaginary adoption?The man was obviously delusional. Dante tells her, as he said, the PCPD is not going to accept anything without further proof, but she has to ask herself, why would Harmony kill her psychiatrist and his brother if not to keep her secret protected? Willow says she doesn’t know, but she does know her mother loved her. Maybe she wasn’t the best mom, but she loved Willow as only a mother can love her child, especially now, before she… Michael says, his mother told them Harmony admitted the truth to her; she wouldn’t lie. Carly sits with them, and tells Willow that Harmony said it to her again; to her and Alexis at Ring-Around-the-Rosie Point. That’s why she attacked them. She was so desperate to keep her secret, and when it started coming out, she just lost it. Michael says, maybe that’s what drove Harmony to the middle of the road without looking. She had hopes of finding Willow, telling Willow what she did, and seeking forgiveness. Nice move on Michael’s part, since that will probably make Willow feel guilty. Willow says, that’s what Carly was talking about in the chapel, and Carly says, she wanted to give Willow a little time. That’s why she didn’t tell Willow last night; she didn’t tell Michael either. Willow says she didn’t lose her mother last night. Harmony was never her mother in the first place. Wow. She got past denial quickly.
Dex says, Chet warned him that Sonny might tear the resumé up. He said Sonny plays by his own rules. Sonny says, Dex brought the resumé anyway, and Dex says, he’d rather be overprepared than show up lacking. Sonny says he likes Dex’s philosophy. If – and that’s a big if – he has room for Dex in one of his businesses, he needs to know Dex can take orders and follow them. No going rogue, and never think he knows better than Sonny. Are they clear? Dex says, crystal. He just needs a chance to prove himself. Sonny asks what Dex thinks they’re doing. He knows Dex is tough; Dex already proved that this morning. But tough can only get you so far. Smart is the better way.
Brando asks if Sasha is okay, and TJ says, the CT didn’t show any serious injury, but here’s no need for Sasha to live with residual pain. He recommended a painkiller. Sasha says, over the counter, not habit forming, and Brando thanks TJ. TJ says, anytime, and Sasha says she’d love to freshen up before she goes to work as the Face of Deception. She thanks TJ, and he leaves. Brando says, pick her up later? and she says, of course (🍷). He leaves, and she dumps her bag out on the counter. The photographer walks in, and she asks what the hell he’s doing here. He says he saw her doctor and husband leave, and thought he should check up on her. Missing something? He knows just how she feels.
Valentin says he didn’t think Sasha was capable of taking a bad picture, and Gladys says, it’s not Sasha. It’s the paparazzo who wouldn’t leave her alone. He asks how she got her hands on his photos, and she says, how does he think? He says, these were taken last night; he assumes before Harmony got hit with Sasha’s car. Gladys says, it was an accident, and he says he knows that, and she knows that, but in the wrong hands, these photos tell a decidedly different story. He shows her the photo where Sasha is picking up her pills.
Jordan says she thought Curtis made peace with Marshall’s past, but he says, easier said than done. After she refused to dig up his father’s sealed arrest records… She says she gave him a good reason for that, and he says, he understood. He wasn’t happy about it, but he realized he was putting her in an impossible situation. She says, so he found someone else to help, and he says, certain information came his way. She asks, what kind? and he says, the kind she wouldn’t release to him. She asks how he managed that when she said no.
Scotty says, Nina’s case will be decided in court, not on the pages of The Invader. So he suggests she chill out and get herself a manicure. She says, the byline belongs to Grant Smoltz, and he’s painting her to be this vengeful homewrecking vixen out to get Wiley’s other grandmother, Saint Carly. He says, there’s nothing he can do about Schmaltz and his slander, because everything he said was public record. She asks if he doesn’t think the judge is going to read that, and deny her petition for visitation. Out of the two grandmothers, who does Scotty think the judge is going to have more sympathy for? He says, there are two grandmothers involved, and one just died. Compared to Harmony, Nina is Mother Teresa. She asks what he’s thinking, and he says, Harmony Miller is the suspect in two murders. She just assaulted Carly and Alexis, and she’s dead. He’s sure Willow is all over the map right now, and so is Michael. Nina says, and…? and Scotty says, they go to Michael and Willow’s barracuda lawyer, and say it will behoove them to drop this whole Invader thing; they go to court, and let the judge decide whose behavior is better, Nina’s or a double murderer’s. Diane has walked in, and says, nice try, but on behalf of her clients, they’ll see them in court.
Willow says, it makes a scary kind of sense; it explains so much. Harmony isn’t her biological mother. Is that why Harmony couldn’t find her birth certificate; there’s no official record? Dante says, according to Alexis, that birth certificate never did exist. The one Willow got from Harmony was forged. Carly says, when Willow was a baby, Harmony took her from someone else, and claimed Willow as her own. Willow says, she was kidnapped? Oh my God. What else doesn’t she know? Michael asks if she wants a break, but she says, they can’t stop now. Everything she ever thought about her childhood is a lie, and she has to know the truth.
Dex tells Sonny, he never went to college, but he served two tours. He’s seen combat, and can handle himself under pressure when everything’s on the line. Sonny says, he appreciates the ability to handle trouble, but doesn’t want his employees looking for trouble. Dex says he kept his nose clean at the gym, and only mixed it up when he had to, and Sonny says, Chet told him. Dex says, if you keep your cool, you don’t have to mix it up. If there’s no choice, he acts quickly, and makes sure he’s the last man standing. Sonny says he likes Dex’s attitude, but attitude will only get you so far. Sooner or later, you have to back it up.
Sasha says, get out, and the photographer asks if she’s going to scream for help, or scream for one of those pills she was going to pop before he took her picture? She says, those pills are for migraines, like the one he gave her when he wouldn’t leave her alone. He says, those capsules are distinctive, and they’re not for migraines. They’re not pillow mints either. She says, if he hadn’t chased after her, she… He says, she wouldn’t have turned Harmony Miller into roadkill? She says, he’s disgusting. She hadn’t taken anything. He says, only because he surprised her. Far be it for him to spoil the Face of Deception. He just wants his memory card. Those pictures are his bread and butter. She says, hers too, and he says, then he’ll delete the ones he has of her and the pills. He’ll even forget what he saw. She asks how she’s supposed to believe him, and he says, believe this. He has connections. He can get what she needs. He sends her his number, and tells her to give him a call; sooner rather than later. It’ll be their little secret.
Gladys closes the laptop, and tells Valentin, her daughter-in-law is grieving the loss of her baby. The doctor prescribed some medication to help her cope. He says she has his sympathies. The loss of her child is tragic, but Sasha has a public history of drug abuse, covered on Good Morning America no less. A photo with her and medication would cause red flags. She’s his business partner, the face of the company, and the brand ambassador, so she represents a huge part of his investment. Gladys says she couldn’t trust Sasha more if she were her own flesh and blood daughter. Now if he’ll excuse her… She goes to another table.
Jordan asks how Curtis got his hands on his father’s sealed arrest record, but then says, never mind. She won’t force him to tell her the truth, or compel him to lie; both are bad. He says she seems to care more about how he found out than what he found out, and she says, dammit. She cares about him.
Nina asks Diane to just listen, but Scotty tells her, quiet. He tells Diane, he knows her BFF’s roommate just died under mysterious circumstances… Diane says she thinks he means Alexis’s houseguest, not roommate, Harmony Miller. He says, aka Willow Tate’s mommy. If they want to play hardball, he’ll make sure the judge knows that one of the grandmas is a murderer. Diane tells him, knock himself out. Harmony Miller wasn’t biologically related to Wiley, therefore has no standing; therefore it’s a non-starter. She’s a little surprised at how fuzzy he is as counselor for the petitioner on this particular legal question. The only reason his client has any standing to bring a petition is because the biological grandmother, and the biological mother, convicted kidnapper and murderer Nelle Benson, is dead. But her clients are well within their rights to argue against the petition. And if Nina cares about this little boy like she says she does, she’ll drop the claim before The Invader article goes national.
Willow says, Carly was with her mother just before she died. Did Harmony tell her why she lied about Willow being her child? Carly flashes back to Harmony asking her to protect Willow because Nina’s love will smother her, and her promising Harmony that Willow will be okay. Willow says, please. Her whole life just became one big question mark. Did her mom… Did Harmony tell her anything?
Dex says he wouldn’t be here if he wasn’t ready to prove Sonny can trust him. Sonny says, Dex’s service is impressive, and he saw what Dex could do at the gym, but there are other factors he needs to consider. Dex says, if Sonny hires him, Sonny will what he brings. There’s a knock at the door, and Frank lets Brando in. Brando says, Sonny is having a meeting; he’ll wait outside. Sonny says, the meeting is over, and introduces Brando to Dex. He tells Frank that Dex is going to have an espresso at the bar; he’s going to wait. Dex thanks Sonny, saying he appreciates Sonny’s time. He leaves, and Sonny tells Brando, close the door. He says he heard about the accident; how’s Sasha? Brando says, emotionally, she’s fine, but emotionally, she just… She just began to deal with losing Liam and then this happened. Sonny says, it’s tough, but Brando’s helping her cope, right? Brando says he’s trying. Sasha thinks she has to be strong for him, and he can’t get through her defenses. That’s why he’s here. He hopes Sonny knows what to do.
Sasha joins Gladys, and says she thought they were going to meet at the office. It’s a little early for happy hour; they’re still on the clock. She sees the memory card in Gladys’s hand, and says, she still has it. Gladys says she was thinking of flushing it down the toilet. Sasha flashes back to flushing her pills down the toilet, and says, don’t. Gladys says, why not? and Sasha says, because the jerk wants it back. Gladys says she bets he does. Give her one good reason to say yes.
Jordan says, she cares about Curtis, but it’s not like she has feelings for him that way, like she did when they were married. She loves him, but… feel free to help her out of the hole she’s digging here. He says he gets it. She doesn’t want him to get so caught up in Marshall’s past that he crosses the line. She says, if it happened, she wouldn’t be able to look the other way, and he says he wouldn’t ask her to. She says, as long as they’re clear, and he says, they are. She asks if it was worth whatever price he paid to find out what he wanted to know about Marshall, when TJ comes along, and says, Marshall? What about him?
Nina tells Diane that she’s only doing this because she cares about Wiley. She’s not going to allow Wiley’s parents to deprive him of someone who loves him, and who he loves, especially now that Harmony is gone. Scotty says he’ll put it simply. If they go ahead with Smoltz’s hatchet job, it’s open season on Harmony. Diane says, and make Willow yet another innocent victim of Harmony? By all means, be her guest. Nina says, Willow is hardly an innocent victim. She refuses to stand up to Michael over and over again, and would cut Nina out of Wiley’s life without batting an eyelash. Diane says, perhaps Nina’s attorney neglected to tell her this – no surprise – but Michael and Willow are Wiley’s parents, and it’s their legal obligation, not to mention their moral and sacred duty to do what’s in the best interest for that child; while Nina has a documented and provable history of emotional and mental instability. If she’d like to avoid further embarrassment and public humiliation, withdraw that claim. Nina says, let her make this perfectly clear. If Michael and Willow insist on dragging her through the mud, she’ll return the favor, and drag them right along with her.
Willow asks if there’s something her mom told Carly before she died; something she should know. Carly says, she thinks Dante’s right. There are a lot of questions that need to be answered. Dante says he’d like Willow to take a DNA test; that way, they can rule out any blood relation to Harmony. Michael says, that makes sense, but Willow’s been through the wringer. Can’t it wait for a while? Dante says, it can, but if they want answers, the sooner Willow takes it, the better. Willow says, Michael is right. She needs time to digest everything she’s learned. Dante says he’ll check in tomorrow. He’s sorry to be the bearer of bad news. He leaves, and Carly says she’s going to take off too. Michael asks if she’s going to be okay, and she hugs him, saying, yeah. It’s been a crazy day. Stay strong for Willow. She hugs Willow, and says, the answers will come when she’s ready. She told Harmony that she would protect Willow, and she will. She leaves, and Willow wonders, protect her from what?
Dex tells Frank that he recognizes Brando from the gym. He’s Mr. Corinthos’s nephew? Frank says, cousin, and Dex says, Mr. Corinthos is famous for his coffee and his loyalty. He admires both.
Brando apologizes for imposing, but Sonny says, Brando can always come to him. Lesson number one. He’s family, and his troubles are Sonny’s troubles. Brando says, and vice versa. What’s lesson number two? Sonny says, when you love someone, don’t wait for them to come to you. Sasha’s in pain. Let her know he’s not scared; he’s not looking for a way out. Brando says, you take the good and the bad, just like he said in his marriage vows, and Sonny says, absolutely. Putting her first, Brando can’t go wrong. She’s going to say she’s okay, and Brando has to trust that and respect her, but if there are any warning signs, do not ignore that. Brando says, he’ll make sure Sasha knows that if she falls, he’ll catch her. Sonny says, if he does that, he can’t go wrong.
Sasha tells Gladys, the memory card has all the photographer’s photos on it, not just hers. Maybe if they give it back, he’ll leave them alone. Gladys says, as long as she has this card in her hand, they’re in the driver’s seat… pardon the expression. Gladys glances at Valentin, and says, Sasha makes her son happy, and what makes him happy, makes her happy. So if there’s something else interfering with Brando’s happiness, Gladys will protect her. Which means Sasha can trust her with anything. I’m wondering why they don’t just erase the incriminating photos and give the card back. Duh.
Jordan hugs TJ, and says, as much as she’d love to stay and chat, his uncle has something he wants to talk to him about. When was the last time he slept? He looks tired. He says he was all set to go home, Britt okayed it, and they got slammed, so he stayed. She says she admires his dedication, but don’t forget to take care of himself. He tells her that Britt just said the same thing, and Molly is board, and she says she needs to get back to her own job. She hugs him again, and leaves, and TJ asks what Curtis was saying about Marshall. Curtis says he ran into Jordan by accident, but he wanted to talk to TJ about his grandfather. TJ says, Curtis saved him a trip. There’s something he wants to show him.
Jordan waits for the elevator, when Dante comes out. He says he just came from seeing Willow. He tried to break the news to her gently. Jordan asks if she agreed to give him a DNA sample to prove she’s not Harmony’s biological daughter, and he says, no; he got pushback from Michael. She says she doesn’t blame him. Willow needs time to grieve and process. Maybe they’ll be more open to it tomorrow. In the meantime, she has a more pressing job for him. He asks, what’s more pressing than proving Harmony wasn’t Willow’s biological mother? and she says, finding out who was.
Scotty says, he’s sure it’s not going to come down to mutually shared destruction, will it? but Diane says, if Nina wants to fight to the bitter end, so be it. She’ll find a new salon. Nina says, wait. Wiley needs all of his family, now more than ever. She understands Willow’s whole world was shattered, but don’t punish that little boy because of Willow’s pain. Diane says, Nina seems to think depriving Wiley of her presence would be a punishment; the court may not agree. She leaves, and Scotty tells Nina not to let Diane get to her. Nina says, he’s right. She’s the barracuda, but whatever Michael is paying her to drive Nina out of Wiley’s life, he’s wasting his money. Scotty says, it sounds to him like it’s all-out war, and she says, it is. He says, good. Then she’s changed her mind. She says, about what? and he says, Sonny. She’s got to let him put Sonny on the stand.
Michael says, it sounds like Harmony wanted his mom to protect Willow from the truth about all the lines she crossed. Willow says, Harmony was probably delirious; most end-of-life patients are. She couldn’t prevent the truth from coming out. But now that she knows Harmony wasn’t her birth mother… Nanny Melanie comes in with Wiley, who runs to Willow. Melanie says, someone misses his mommy, and Willow says, not half as much as his mommy misses him.
On the phone with Martin, Valentin says he was hoping Drew would wait before showing an interest in ELQ. Martin’s girlfriend promised him her vote to support him as CEO, but her vote only counts as a tiebreak, so he’s afraid his days are numbered. Carly approaches, and says, bad news? and Valentin says, just business; nothing life threatening. He heard about Harmony Miller’s incident. He’s glad Carly wasn’t harmed. She thanks him, and he says he imagines Willow is badly shaken. She sits down, and asks why he would care about that. He says, she was his daughter’s third grade teacher, and after a rocky start, Willow was actually good for Charlotte. Carly says, that doesn’t surprise her; Willow’s a wonderful person. He says, who is now grieving her mother, and facing a prolonged court battle with Nina, but it doesn’t have to be that way. She says, Nina got to him, and he says, imagine if they got their priorities straight. Carly could lead the way by making peace with Nina.
Brando asks if Sonny’s learned any more about the attempted robbery at Charlie’s, but Sonny says, that’s not Brando’s concern. Take care of Sasha, and he’ll take care of everything else. He glances at Dex.
Sasha thanks Gladys for looking out for her, but doesn’t she think returning the memory card would be a gesture of good faith? Maybe one day he’ll return the favor. She’s got to get back to work, and so should Gladys. Gladys says, after she finishes her drink, and Sasha leaves.
TJ comes back with the clarinet case, and Curtis says, isn’t that…? TJ says, Marshall’s? He knows. He opens it, and hands Curtis the note, saying, this is from him too. Curtis reads: I wanted to leave you a gift, but all I have to offer is this gift of music. Like you said about surgery, it’s part of one great unfinished symphony. Your loving grandfather. TJ asks if Curtis knows what it means, and Curtis says, it means TJ’s grandfather left town because of him.
Dante says, before he can find Willow’s birth mother, he needs to know more about Harmony, and Jordan tells him to start digging into Harmony’s background before she moved to Port Charles. Somewhere out there a mother’s missing her daughter.
Nina tells Scotty, nothing has change. Leave Sonny out of it, but Michael is fair game. He says, only Michael? and she says, and Willow. Willow has the keys to unlocking the door that’s blocking her access to her grandson. What is the saying? When someone looks too good to be true… He says, they’re usually not, and she says, there must be something about Willow that they can uncover. She wants him to keep digging until he finds it.
Carly asks Valentin, what is it about Nina that makes otherwise rational men come to her defense? He asks when the hurting stops. When do they stop attacking one another, and get on with their lives? She says, he should ask Nina that question. She kept Sonny from his family for nine months, and then she slept with him. Now she’s petitioning the court for visitation with Carly’s grandson. He says, Wiley is Nina’s grandson as well, and from her perspective, Carly cost her a daughter, so why don’t they just end this?
Wiley asks why Willow is crying. Does she have a boo-boo? Willow says, they’re happy tears, because she’s sitting here with him and his daddy, the two most important men in her life. Michael says he thinks Annabelle II misses Wiley, and suggests he go back to the house with Melanie, and he and mommy will meet him there soon. Wiley leaves with Melanie, and Willow says, Wiley is lucky. He’s young, and barely knew his Grandma Harmony. Whatever pain he feels at not seeing her will heal. Michael takes her hand, and says, and hers? She says she doesn’t know. She just keeps asking the same question. If Harmony isn’t her birth mother, who is?
On Monday, TJ asks Curtis if it was worth losing his father; Cameron tells Spencer that he needs to know the hell he’s been catching is worth it; Nina tells Ava, this time it’s on her orders; and Esme intends to be happy.
Far be it for me to say how she feels, not having walked in her shoes, but it’s the timing. And this: She also curiously noted — despite saying minutes earlier that she had been blacklisted — that she had many opportunities to have her own show but that she never wanted one.
I sometimes wonder how the rest of the family feels, since I think there’s like a million of them. Frankly, I think Melissa dodged a bullet, and Joe #2 should walk away from his mess of a sister. She’s nasty, she did it on purpose to be hurtful, disown the witch.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. – attributed to Edmund Burke
It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things. – Theodore Roosevelt
Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping him up. – Jesse Jackson
Nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear. – Albert Camus
Don’t rush the brush. – Shaeeda’s mom, 90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days
🚶🏽♀️ Walking On a Dream…
Since I won’t be here until it’s time to rehash the Dead, a very Happy Mother’s Day to mothers of all kinds – birth mothers, adoptive mothers, might-as-well-be-my mothers, mother figures, and of course, pet moms. May your special day be everything you want it to be. Until we Fear, stay safe, stay distinctive, and stay not waiting for someone you love to come to you if they’re in pain. Trust and respect them, but don’t ignore any warning signs.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
At the gym, Chet thanks Sonny for the time off, and Sonny asks how the trip to the middle east went. Chet says, it was incredible. He wasn’t sure how he’d feel about being back in the country, but bringing the supplies to the non-profit and sharing his story with the other wounded vets gave him a sense of closure he didn’t realize he needed. Sonny says he’s glad Chet made the trip; he helped a lot of people. He’s also glad Chet’s back. Chet says he’s glad to be back. Turns out he has a lot more to look forward to now that he’s home.
Terry asks Elizabeth, what’s more date worthy; red or sparkly? Elizabeth asks if this is why Terry insisted she come with her to the nail salon; color consultation? Terry says, they needed a girl’s outing. Elizabeth has been working too much. Elizabeth says she’s trying to save up so Cameron can live in the dorms instead of semi-crashing with friends. Getting her nails done is a luxury she can’t afford. Terry says, no worries. It’s her treat, and hands Elizabeth the menu. Elizabeth says, normally she wouldn’t worry, but Terry never wants anyone to come with her to the nail salon. It’s her meditative time. Terry says, after meditating on it, she decided it’s time for a new tradition, and Elizabeth asks, what’s really going on? Terry says, you know, there’s paraffin treatments in there, and Elizabeth looks at her. Terry says, fine. She does have something to confess, but Elizabeth isn’t going to like it.
Britt gives TJ coffee, and says she heard it was a rough night. He says he lost his first patient, and she says, always tough. He says, she wasn’t exactly a stranger. Harmony Miller may have been bad news, but telling her daughter, so sorry, we did everything we could, was worse than he could have imagined. Britt asks if they did do everything he could, and he says, they did. She says, then he’s good, but he says, it doesn’t feel like it. She says, nothing prepares you for the first one.
Brook hugs Michael, and says she’s sorry about Willow’s mom. He says, he’ll tell her when she wakes up, and Brook tells Carly, she can’t even imagine. Carly says, it was rough[T1] , but she’s okay. Brook says she never had any doubts, and tells Wiley that she’ll see him later. Outside, her phone rings, and she says, it’s so good to hear his voice after the day she’s had, and it’s only noon. Chase asks if she’s all right, and she says, just too much reality. She needs a fantasy fix. They’re still on for the screening, right? He says, it’s May the 4th… and she asks if he forgot. He says he got the tickets ages ago, and has another commitment. She says, like what; a date? He says, yes, actually. He’s pretty sure her dad doesn’t let her watch PG movies. They’ll talk later. Violet holds up two tiaras, and says, pink or purple?
Michael tells Carly, Willow was so upset last night, he didn’t think she’d be able to sleep. She sat on the bed to take off her shoes, and when he turned around, she was asleep with all her clothes still on. Carly says, it’s a good thing Willow’s getting her rest. She’s going to need her strength for what’s to come.
Chet asks how his temporary replacement did, and Sonny says, he only met Dex for a minute, but he seems capable. Chet says, he took a chance on Dex because he’s a fellow vet, and he had experience in gym management. He just hopes he met Sonny’s expectations. Sonny says, the transition was seamless, and the staff has no complaints, and Chet says, as long as he wasn’t better at Chet’s job than he is. Sonny says, no chance of that, when Dante walks in. He shakes hands with Chet, and Sonny says, he’s here early. Dante says he left Sonny a message, and Sonny says, what’s up? Dante says, he hasn’t heard, and Chet leaves to go back to work. Sonny asks, what’s going on? and Dante says, Carly and Alexis were attacked last night.
Chase says, it’s so hard to choose, and Violet says, last time, he was pink. He says, that’s because he thought she preferred purple, and she says, she does, but when it’s on her head, she can’t see it. That’s why daddy usually picks purple. He says, speaking of which, her dad called, and said he’s so excited to see her tonight, and he blew her a big kiss. She says, Chase will have to call him back, so he can blow Finn a kiss back for her, and he says, or she could do it herself. She says, that’s true, and he says, you know what else is true? With her dad away, they can spend the whole day together. What does she want to do? She says, tea party, and he says, that’s an option. Or they could take a walk in the park, and see the ducks in the lake. She says, tea party, and he says, or they could go to the aquarium, and see the purple fish and all the sea creatures. She says, tea party, and he says, that’s three tea parties in less than 24 hours. She says, you can never have too many tea parties, and he says, noted.
Terry says, Elizabeth’s mani/pedi is actually being underwritten by a generous benefactor, one who’s concerned about the amount of stress she’s been under. Elizabeth thanks Terry for telling her, and says, now if Terry will excuse her, she’s going to kill Finn. Terry asks if she can wait until after she gets her nails done; Elizabeth needs this. Elizabeth says, one afternoon isn’t going to make her forget everything that’s been going on, and Terry asks, what exactly is everything? Elizabeth has been tired and irritable, and the fact Finn asked her to take Elizabeth on this little outing only confirms things are bigger than Elizabeth told her. Elizabeth says she can handle it, and Terry says, who done it then? Who slashed her dress and put her wedding ring in her locker? Who burned down Franco’s studio, took his portrait of her, and left it in her house? If Elizabeth is handling it, she must know this. Elizabeth says she doesn’t enjoy Terry when she’s like this, and Terry says, and yet, she should be used to it by now. Enough with the silence and pretense. Elizabeth is telling her everything, and don’t forget, she’s known Elizabeth longer than anyone, so don’t even think about holding back, because she’ll know.
Britt tells TJ, as much as she hates to say this, Harmony Miller is only the first of many. He says, of patients he’ll lose in the future; he can’t wait. She says, it may not be comforting, but it’s the truth. How is he doing? Amy runs up to Britt, and Britt asks if there’s something she can help with. Amy says she hopes so. She agreed to work a double-shift, but she’s not feeling well, so she was hoping… Britt asks if she checked with Epiphany, and Amy tells her, Epiphany said it was okay with her if it was okay with Britt. She just conducted her final patient rounds and the beds in the ER are at half-capacity. Britt says, go, and Amy jets, Britt saying, feel better. She asks TJ where they were, and he says, how he was doing. He did everything he could to save his patient, and still lost her, so he feels helpless, useless; it’s eating him up. Part of him wants to scream and throw his coffee against the wall. She says, he is a doctor and this is a hospital. There are plenty of fantastic places to scream. He can pick his favorite. He says he’ll try that, and thanks her.
Dante tells Sonny, Carly and Alexis are home and recovering, but they’re pretty rattled. Sonny asks where Harmony is now, and Dante says, she’s dead. Sonny asks, how? and Dante says, she tried to get away on foot and a car hit her. That’s all he can tell Sonny right now. Sonny says he has to call Carly, and Dante asks, what’s the matter? Sonny says, it’s just there was a time when Carly would have called him about this, or the hospital would have contacted him as next-of-kin. But now, in the eyes of the law, they’re not family anymore, so… Dante says, families aren’t made or broken with emergency contact information, but Sonny says, it’s family. There should always be trust and care. He’s always going to care about Carly the rest of his life, but now she doesn’t want anything to do with him.
Michael paces, and Carly says, keep it up and he’s going to wear a groove in the floor. He says, he’s still reeling about what happened. Willow was just starting to regain trust with Harmony, and now she gets to deal with this? Wiley asks, what about Grandma Harmony? and Carly asks what color he wants to color the car. He says, blue, and she says, blue it is, giving him a crayon. Get going. He colors, and she steps aside with Michael, and tells him that he’s going to have to watch it. He says he knows, but he doesn’t understand what led Harmony to do what she did at Round the Mulberry Bush Point, but the police are investigating, which means this is going to go public. She says, and the press is going to jump all over it, and he says, he’s managed to stall Aurora’s digital press, but he can’t control all media. Eventually, this is going to come out, and he doesn’t know how to protect Willow from the fallout.
Violet asks Princess Brandywine – aka Chase, wearing his tiara – how the scones are, and with an English accent, he says, I do believe, Princess Honeycutt, these are the finest scones I’ve had the good fortune to nibble on. Violet thanks him, and there’s a knock at the door. He says, whoever they are, he owes them. He opens the door to Brook, holding two light sabers. She says, may the fourth be with you, and laughs seeing his tiara. She asks if that’s a Jedi or Sith tiara, and Violet says, Uncle Chase is Princess Brandywine. He says, Lady Honeycutt speaks the truth; he is Princess Brandywine. Brook says, then call her Han Solo, because she arrived in the nick of time.
Elizabeth tells Terry, she and the boys are living apart, Aiden is discussing Ouija boards with Lucy Coe, and she can’t even escape this menace in a hotel room. And that brings them to now. Terry says, oh my God. She can’t believe Elizabeth has been dealing with all this. Elizabeth should have told her. Elizabeth says, the police are on the case, and Finn’s been very supportive. What else could Terry have done besides worry? Terry says, offer her support, someone to vent to, her home? Elizabeth says, Finn offered his home as well, but whatever this is, it followed her to the MetroCourt. She doesn’t want it following her to Terry’s home as well. Terry asks if she doesn’t mean whoever, but Elizabeth says, Aiden believes it’s Franco’s ghost. Terry asks if Elizabeth believes he’s right; that she’s being stalked by Franco’s ghost. Amy walks in, sees them, and turns around, but Elizabeth says, Amy.
Dante suggests Sonny reach out to Carly, and Sonny says, someone tries to kill Carly, and she doesn’t reach out to him; same with Michael?That sends a message. They don’t want anything to do with him. Dante says, maybe they’re just catching their breath. Last night was a crazy night. Alexis and Carly were still being treated when Harmony was brought in. They’re all still trying to pick up the pieces, and Michael was worried about Carly and Willow. Maybe he was too distracted to contact Sonny even if he thought of it; even if he wanted to. Sonny says, he doesn’t want to; it’s his choice. Dante asks if Sonny is taking care of himself, and Sonny says, of course (🍷) he is, and Dante says, Sonny lost his best friend, his wife, and now, a son. Sonny says, thanks for reminding him, and Dante says he’s not trying to remind Sonny, but he sees Sonny getting more isolated, and sometimes when that happens, Sonny is more vulnerable.
Michael says, there’s one thing he doesn’t understand, and Carly says, just one? They go farther away from Wiley, and he says, as crazy as what Harmony did at Road Rage Point, what pushed her that far?She seemed like she was in a good place, and rebuilding what she had with Willow. What she tried to do was so outrageous, guaranteed to fail. She must have known that. So why jeopardize her relationship with Willow? Carly says, and this little guy, indicating Wiley, and he says, exactly. She was obviously desperate, and he probably didn’t help that.
Sonny asks if Dante is saying he’s vulnerable, or his business is vulnerable. Dante says, he can’t speak to Sonny’s business, for obvious reasons. He’s just saying, as Sonny’s son, he’s concerned he’ll be drinking again and get off his meds. Sonny says, he’s not wrong, and he appreciates Dante’s concern, but he has a handle. Dante says, on the drinking or the meds? and Sonny says, both. Sonny gets up to punch the heavy bag, and Dante asks, what about being alone? Does he have that handled too? Sonny says Dante doesn’t have to worry about him, and Dante says, good enough. He’s got to run to the Quartermaines, and talk to Willow. Sonny says, they’ll talk later, and Dante leaves.
TJ tells Britt that he almost wishes he could compartmentalize his emotions, but she says, no Chief wants robots populating their staff. He says, she doesn’t want doctors lined up outside the call room, waiting to have a good cry, but she says, sounds pretty good to her. It wasn’t that long ago she had to deliver devastating news to new parents. He says, Brando and Sasha, and she says, feeling too much or too little both have their drawbacks, but given the choice, she’d prefer her medical professionals using their heart as well as their head. He says his favorite professor always said, good doctors come from good listening, and listening can’t be taught. She says, it’s also not billable. The trick is to combine compassion with efficient care. He says, she makes it sound easy, and she says, it’s not, but it’s doable. Tell her. What kind of doctor does he want to be?
Elizabeth invites Amy to join them, and Amy says, thanks, but she was just getting a manicure not a pedicure. Terry says she thought Amy was doing a double, and Amy says she was, but she wasn’t feeling well after last night. Terry asks if she was prescribed a cuticle trim, and Amy says she can find another salon. Elizabeth says, no. They can save the shop talk for when they get back to work, okay? Amy says, it’s not okay, and asks why Terry is picking on her lately. They’re not even at the hospital, and Terry is all up in her business. Terry says, because as far as she knows, Amy is supposed to be at the hospital, and Amy says, Dr. Ashford lost his first patient last night. She was working with him. They couldn’t save her. It got to her. Sorry. Terry says she’s sorry to hear that, but she has a job to do. Amy says, and she doesn’t like the way Terry’s doing it, and she’s probably not the only one. Terry says, which is why staff is given the opportunity to evaluate hospital leadership quarterly, and Amy says, she may forego that, and march straight to Monica. Terry says, knock herself out; they’re done. Elizabeth says, she understands why Amy is upset… Terry says, Amy’s entitled to her anger, and Amy says, oh thank you. Terry says, she’s also entitled to file a formal complaint with the board. What she’s not entitled to is to ruin Terry’s day off. Amy walks to a manicure station, and Elizabeth says, that definitely got her mind off of her problems.
Violet plays with a light saber, and Chase says, Brook is so his hero. Did she pick these up on the way over? She asks if he’s kidding. All the light sabers are gone by the end of April. Her dad actually got these for Rocco and Leo. He couldn’t go to Star Wars, so she brought Star Wars to him. He says he’s glad she remembered, and she says, of course (🍷) she remembered. He says, why of course (🍷)? and she says, it’s a very important day in this galaxy, and it’s important to him. Violet asks Chase to come swordfight with her, and Brook says, he heard the princess. She takes the tiara off of his head and puts it on her own. He tells Violet, these are called light sabers, and they’re the ancient and sacred weapon of the warriors known as the Jedi. He and Violet duel, while Brook watches, smiling.
Michael tells Carly, he was always so guarded with Harmony. Maybe if he’d been more accepting and been honest… Carly says, stop that. No one made Harmony do what she did. She made the choice to hurt people. There’s a knock at the door, and Michael opens it to Dante. Dante goes over to say hi to Wiley, and Carly asks if he’s here to see Willow. Dante says, if she’s resting, he can come back, but Willow comes down the stairs. Michael tells Wiley, mom’s awake; she could use a hug. Wiley hugs Willow, and Carly asks what they can do for Willow. Willows says, hugs help, and Carly says, then she’s next in line. She hugs Willow, and Wiley comes back for a three-way hug. Carly tells Willow that she’s so sorry, and says, she’ll take Wiley to the main house, and come back. She leaves with Wiley, and Michael asks how Willow is holding up. She says, last night was… He says, overwhelming, and Dante says he has more information, if she feels like she’s ready for it.
Chet brings Dex over to say goodbye to Sonny, since it’s his last day. Dex thanks Sonny for the opportunity, and says he hopes his work was satisfactory. Sonny says, if he ever needs a replacement for Chet, he’ll give Dex a call. What’s next for him? Dex says he’s not sure. Ideally, he’d like to stay in another capacity. Chet says he wishes he could offer Dex a permanent position, but they’re fully staffed, and Dex says, if something opens up, he’s happy to scrub floors, fix equipment, or wash towels. No job is too big or small. All he’s asking for is a chance.
Elizabeth asks, since when is there friction between Terry and Amy? and Terry says she had to call Amy out a few times. Nurse Driscoll thinks it’s personal, but it isn’t. She shouldn’t lose her temper; it’s unprofessional. And even worse, it causes frown lines. Elizabeth suggests they talk about something that makes Terry smile. Like her sweet lovah. Terry says, he is not her lovah. It’s not a secret; she just doesn’t want to jinx it. Elizabeth says, if not his name, give her something, and Terry says, he’s funny and handsome, a real gentlemen, and he looks great in a t-shirt. She met him a few months ago. They had a drink on Valentine’s, then he had to leave town. Elizabeth says, that’s not a good sign, but Terry says, they kept in touch, and my God, the man gives great text. Elizabeth says, sounds like Terry is in trouble, and Terry says, speaking of trouble, is Elizabeth going be okay at the hotel tonight? Elizabeth says she just forgot to latch the door; it won’t happen again. Terry asks if she at least called hotel security, and Elizabeth says, she called security, the police, nothing seems to help. Maybe nothing can. Terry says, the ghost theory? and Elizabeth says, Terry is a woman of science, and so is she, but at this point, she’s willing to try everything. Terry says, whatever eases her mind, and Elizabeth says, good, so Terry will go someplace with her later this week? Terry asks if she can be more specific, but Elizabeth says, Terry already trusts her. She doesn’t need to know. Terry says, unfortunately, that’s true, and Elizabeth says, right now, she needs to get back to work, and Terry needs to prep for her hot date.
Brook says, my word, Lady Honeycutt, this tea is delicious, and Violet says, well, thank you, Queen Marshmallow. Brook asks Chase to tell please her they can put something strong and real in these cups, and he says, now she knows his pain. Violet says, the tea is orange spice, daddy’s favorite, and Brook asks if her daddy is working today. Violet says, he had an emergency at the hospital. He’s saving lives. Brook says, he helps a lot of people, and Violet says, Uncle Chase helps a lot of people too. Brook says, the police certainly help a lot of people, and her Uncle Chase is one of the best, and Chase says, he misses it. Brook puts her hand on his, and says, it’s just a few more weeks. Violet notices the attraction between them, and giggles. Brook removes her hand, and asks if Violet heard that. Her Uncle Chase will be back to saving the galaxy soon. Just like Luke… Chase says, Skywalker? and she says, how could she forget? He says, too bad they’re not going to the movie tonight. She could use a refresher. She says, maybe they can have a private screening someday soon.
TJ tells Britt that he wants to be the kind of doctor people are happy to see again. He wants his patients to trust him, and know he’ll move heaven and earth for them. He wants to be a doctor who provides solace when healing is impossible. She asks how that’s going for him so far, and he says, he did all he could to save Harmony, but in breaking the news to Willow, every bit of his confidence and all his training went out the window, and he felt completely out of his depth. Britt says, congratulations. You’re still human. You can’t tell when the losses will hit. You can go a whole year without one, then have three in one hour. He says, damn, and she says, he may need to learn not to internalize every loss; that takes a toll. He asks what she suggests, and she says, self-care. She knows, it’s an overused, crunchy granola term these days, but the concept of putting on an oxygen mask first, you have to take care of you first. She knows it sounds selfish, but it’s the first step in helping others. He says, he’ll keep it in mind, but does she have any recommendations or suggestions for self-care? She says, find something that brings him peace. For some people it’s exercise, therapy, a hobby, or time with loved ones. He’s been here all night, right? While he’s worrying about Willow’s family, has he had time to check in on his own? How’s Molly after her mom was attacked? He says, she’s upset of course (🍷), but she’s Molly. Britt says she doesn’t know what that means, and he says, she’s not only holding it together, but she’s holding everyone together. Britt says, sounds rough; he’s had a rough night. Just say the word, and she has him covered. He says, she means…? and she says, he can go home. This is a time in the beginning of his career where he has to determine what matters most. Otherwise, he can count on having many more dark lonely nights of the soul. She goes to the desk, and he ponders this.
Dante says, officially, he’s here to update Willow on the investigation, and she says, and unofficially? He says, unofficially… when Carly comes back. She asks what she missed, but Michael says, they were just starting. Dante says, unofficially, he’s here as family, and Willow thanks him, but says, please, just tell her why her mother tried to kill Carly and Alexis. Carly says, at Alexis’s house, she found papers that implicated Harmony in a crime, and to stop her from exposing that crime, Harmony attacked and drugged her. Willow says she knows all that. What she doesn’t know is why. What was her mother trying to hide? Dante says, Harmony had killed before.
Violet thanks Chase and Brook for making her tea party a delightful occasion. She’s going to clean up. Don’t have fun without her. Violet leaves with the tea party things, and Brook says, Violet wanted to clean up by herself? She’ll never raise a kid half as well-mannered as her. Chase says, she’ll be a great mom; he’s seen her in action. He asks, how’s Leo?Is he feeling any better about his upcoming performance? She says, he’s still nervous, but Chase helped. He says, we helped. They make a great team. She says, but there’s only so much they can do. Drama therapy is helping, but stage fright is very real. He says, even if you’re not the one performing? Has she written any songs lately? She says, nope, and he tells her that she’s a gifted songwriter. She says she used to be. What if the new stuff isn’t… He says, there’s only one way to find out. He gets it. He hasn’t done his job in so long; what if he can’t remember how to do it? She says, he’s a pro. It’s like riding a bike. He straightens her tiara, and says, if she can have this much faith in him, why can’t she do it for herself?
Elizabeth and Terry stride into the hospital, and Elizabeth thanks Terry for their girl’s outing. Terry says, make sure she thanks Finn too, preferably before she kills him for being considerate of her feelings. He should know by now how much kindness annoys her. Elizabeth says, what’s wrong with that guy? and Terry says, let her know the day of their mystery appointment. Elizabeth says, let her know how her date goes, and gets in the elevator. Terry sees Britt going by, and follows. She asks if Britt knows Amy blew off her second shift for a manicure, and Britt says, she told Amy she could leave early, but a manicure? Good for her. Terry says, excuse me? and Britt says, Amy lost a patient last night. Terry says, it sucks that Amy had a rough night, but it doesn’t excuse the way Amy talked to her. Britt says, she’ll discuss it with Amy, and Terry says she was going to have Epiphany talk to her, but Britt says, she’d like to have a shot at it. Using the carrot instead of the stick; it’s a thing she’s trying. Terry says, let her know how it goes, and starts to leave, when Britt says, that’s not what she’s wearing on her date, is it?
Sonny says he appreciates Dex’s hustle, but they have no jobs right now. Dex says he thought it was worth a try. You only miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Sonny says, good attitude, when Amy comes in, and Chet excuses himself, saying, family awaits. Sonny says, speaking of family, he has to make a call, but don’t be a stranger. Sonny steps away, and calls Carly. He says he heard about last night, and wanted to make sure she was okay. The guys sparring in the ring behind him get out of hand, and Dex steps in, telling them, knock it off. It’s not some back alley. Show some respect.
Dante tells Willow, the body of Brendon Byrne surfaced at Pier 54. They have evidence Harmony murdered him. Willow asks why her mother would kill Brendon Byrne. Did he have a connection to Dawn of Day or Shiloh? Dante says, the only connection they’re aware of is that he was Neil Byrne’s brother, who Harmony also murdered. Michael asks if Dante is saying Harmony murdered a man to conceal killing his brother, then tried to kill his mom and Alexis to cover it? Dante tells him, that’s what he’s saying, but Willow says, that can’t be right. Her mother had her faults, but she was kind and compassionate. She was not a murderer. Dante says, Harmony committed a crime years ago, and went to great lengths to hide it. Willow says, having to do with her past? and Dante says, her past, and Willow’s.
Terry asks how Britt knew she had a date, and Britt says, when she’s bored, she hacks into Terry’s personal calendar, emails, and browser history. She also just overheard Elizabeth. Terry says, if Britt must know, she’s going home to change, so thanks for asking. Britt says, not a fan of unsolicited advice? and Terry says, is anyone? Britt says, then Terry probably isn’t going to like what she has to say. Terry tells her, go on, and Britt says, forget about Amy, forget about the hospital, forget about everything and enjoy her date.
Dex gives the sparring guys the bum’s rush, as Chet watches. Amy says, Terry has it out for her, and Chet says he’s sure that’s not the case. She says, thanks for telling her that her feelings and perceptions aren’t valid. He’s a great brother. He says, she has a history of blowing things out of proportion, and she says, he was adopted. He says, no, she was, and she says, no, she wasn’t. He says, she and her boss are just going through a rough patch. They should just talk it out. She says he doesn’t know Terry; she’s completely unreasonable. He says he can’t imagine what that’s like, and she says, she can’t imagine talking it out; there’s no point. She’s just going to avoid Terry whenever possible.
Terry tells Britt, wait a second. She, of the caustic remarks, who freely judges the choices of others, is actually telling her to go out… Britt says, just enjoy herself, and Terry says, Britt is continually not as aggravating as she thought she’d be. Britt says, what a compliment. Get out. Terry leaves, and TJ tells Britt that she was right. Britt says, as usual. About what? He says he took her advice, and called Molly. She wants to cuddle on the couch, watch Star Wars, and eat vegan pizza. Britt says, sounds like a great way to recharge, and he says he’d like to take her up on her offer if that’s okay. She says, go, leave, be with his domestic partner. He says he just needs to tie up a few things, and she says she’ll hold down the fort. Enjoy that vegan pizza. Oh, and may the fourth be with him. He leaves, and she says, besides, it’s not like she has anyone waiting.
On the phone, Elizabeth speaks to Chelsea, saying, she was referred by Lucy Coe, and would like to schedule a session. She needs help explaining the unexplainable.
Britt tells Chase that she’ll start saying daily affirmations. She’s good enough. She’s strong enough. She will hit the first homerun in the opening game of the summer softball league. He says, in her dreams. Not even in her dreams. She says, the Deception team has something the PCPD doesn’t; a base stealer from Bensonhurst with a 350 batting average. Violet comes out and says, everything is put away, and Chase says he has an idea. If Leo is free, the four of them can go to Kelly’s for dinner. Brook says, Leo can practice his poem for Violet, and Chase says, and they can go back to rounding the bases… in terms of softball. Violet says they can bring the lightsabers, and Brook says, it’s a date. Violet repeats, it’s a date.
Dex apologizes to Sonny, and says, he gave those guys a talking to. They won’t be causing anymore trouble. Sonny says, Dex knows how to handle himself, and Dex says, he’s just doing his job… You know… Sonny says, there might be something he might have for Dex. Come by his office later, and they’ll talk about Dex’s future.
Willow says, the crime her mom committed was referenced in the papers Carly found? and Carly says, they were session notes from Dr. Byrne, who was apparently Harmony’s psychiatrist. In the notes, Dr. Byrne wrote that Harmony revealed a secret to him. Willow asks, what was the secret? and Dante says he’s going to stop Carly here. Before they go any further, he’s obligated to tell Willow that they’ve yet to verify the details. Having said that, they have no reason to doubt the voracity of the comments made by Dr. Byrne that Harmony confessed. Willow thanks him, and says she understands. Now will somebody please tell her? Dante says, Harmony is not her biological mother, and Carly flashes back to Harmony telling her that Willow’s twin is Nelle, and realizing Willow’s mother is Nina.
Tomorrow, Sasha asks what the hell someone is doing here; Jordan asks how Curtis managed that when she said no; Nina says she needs Scotty’s full and complete attention; and Willow asks if Harmony told Carly anything.
💉 She Hates To Murder and Run, But…
It’s a shame her time in Port Charles got cut short, but she sure has some great footage for her demo reel.
Let’s meet tomorrow for some soap, tea, words you should hear, and music you should listen to. Until then, stay safe, stay absorbing all the knowledge you can, and stay using your heart as well as your head, no matter what your profession.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Ava lets herself into Windymere, and Nikolas pops out of the living room. She asks if he’s been lurking there until she came in, and he says, would that be so wrong? She wonders if he doesn’t have anything better to do than wait for her to come home, and she sees he has candles lit and champagne waiting in the living room. He asks, what’s better than spending time alone with his wife?
At the gallery, Trina says she gets how being productive could be important to Spencer, and he says, she always does. She says, not like Esme gets him though, right? She says she’ll leave him a to-do list, so he can get home to his phony, twisted witch he calls the love of his life. He says, Esme is anything but that, and Esme is about to walk in and stops. Trina says, anything but what? A twisted witch or the love of his life?
On the phone at the hospital, Carly says she’s fine. They discharged her, but she’s going to wait around to see if Harmony is all right. For Willow’s sake. Her whole world has been turned upside down tonight.
Willow and Michael go into the chapel, and she tells him not to feel like he has to stay with her. She just wants to make sure her mom is okay. He says he texted Josslyn. She’s on her way, so he’s not going anywhere. Unless she wants to be alone. She says she wants him here with her, and they hug. She wonders what her mother was doing; walking down a road at night in the woods by herself. It doesn’t make any sense. He says, hopefully, they’ll know more soon, and she says, she and her mother were just getting close. If she doesn’t make it, Willow will never forgive herself for pushing her away.
Sasha digs in her bag, and takes out her pillbox, but it’s empty. Gladys says, there she is. Sasha left so fast, her shoes left skidmarks. Sasha says, Willow didn’t see her, did she? but Gladys says, no. The poor thing is a mess. Michael took her to the chapel; they were headed in that direction. It’s probably going to be a while before the doctors can tell her anything about her mom. Unless of course (🍷)… Unless it’s not as bad as they thought. She suggests they sit, but Sasha says she has to get out of here. Brando comes in and she runs to him. He tells her, it’s okay, he’s got her, but she says, no, it’s not okay. She might have killed Willow’s mother.
Nikolas pours champagne, and says, he shouldn’t have taken for granted that she was coming home. She asks if he’s wooing her, and he says, what if he is? Dinner might have been a bust, but there’s still plenty of time for dessert. They clink glass, but she says, it’s not going to work, and hands hers back. He asks, why? and she says she’s made her position clear. As long as Esme is here… He says, she isn’t here, and Ava says, since when? He says, Laura stopped by earlier. She got Sonny to give his word nothing will happen to Esme. Now Esme can go back to the mainland, and they can devote all of their time to each other.
Esme continues to listen in, and Spencer says, things with Esme are complicated, but Trina says, they’re not. Would he like her to explain what’s going on here? He’s keeping her on the hook. She let herself believe that he can be a better person. He misses that feeling, and now he’s trying to reel her in. He says, that’s not… and she says, it’s the only explanation she can come up with. He’s giving her mixed signals. He says, he’s not, and she asks what that jealous act was before. He says, he is not jealous of that guy, and she says, so what? Who cares if he’s jealous or not? He made his choice. Deal with it. Just remember, he threw their friendship away for some psycho girlfriend. Esme comes out, and says, she’s not the psycho; Trina is.
Josslyn comes into the waiting area and hugs Carly. Carly asks what she’s doing here, and Josslyn tells her, Michael said she was in the ER. Is she okay? Carly says she’s fine, and Josslyn says, Michael told her that Willow’s mom got in a car accident. Was she involved? Carly says she wasn’t there when Harmony got hit by the car, and Josslyn says, thank God. She was freaking out the whole way here. She doesn’t know what she’d do if anything happened to Carly. Carly says, it didn’t, and Josslyn asks, then what was she doing in the ER?
Willow tells Michael, you’d think at a time like this, she’d be able to focus on the good times, but with her and her mother, there are no good times not touched by the bad. It’s impossible to separate the two. He puts his arm around her, and says, she’s strong enough to forgive Harmony, and see that she genuinely wanted to make up for a lifetime of… He doesn’t have to tell her. She says, she’s accepted her mom allowed a lot of horrible things to happen to her because Shiloh manipulated her, and even though it took her a long time to forgive Harmony, Harmony never gave up on her. For the first time in a very long time, she started to feel her mother’s love. She’s not ready to be without it again. He holds her hands, and she cries.
Brando asks if Sasha wants to tell him what happened, and she says, what happened is Willow’s mom is fighting for her life, and it’s all her fault. Gladys says, it’s not all her fault, and Brando suggests she start from the beginning. They sit down, and Sasha says, this photographer, this paparazzi guy, started taking pictures of her at the MetroCourt. Gladys says, she’s underselling it; this jerk was harassing her. Sasha says, it was too much, so they left. Next thing they knew, this guy was chasing them down in his car. He was flashing his high beams, and she couldn’t see anything. Gladys says, and this woman ran right into the middle of the road, and Sasha says, she tried to swerve, but she didn’t have time. Brando says, she didn’t do anything wrong; it was an accident. Gladys tells her, that’s what she’s been saying. If that sleazeball hadn’t been coming after them, they wouldn’t have been driving so fast down that stretch of road. They should sue him; so should Willow. Michael’s got lawyers. Brando says, what he doesn’t understand is why the photographer was chasing her. She flashes back to the photographer catching her with the pills, and says, he had his reasons.
Carly says, and Harmony had a needle, and managed to inject her, and Josslyn says, oh God. Carly says she was in the back of her own SUV when she woke up, and heard Harmony and Alexis arguing. When she got out of the car, they were parked on Ramalamadingdong Point, and she jumped Harmony. They fought, and Harmony took off running when she heard Alexis call 9-1-1. Josslyn asks if Alexis is okay, and Carly says, she is; Sam took her home earlier. Alexis is okay, but Harmony jumped in front of a car. She saw Harmony when they brought her to the hospital. She and Alexis weren’t there when Harmony was hit, and she doesn’t know when she was hit. They stayed and waited for the cops, and the paramedics brought them here. Josslyn says she’s confused. Why did Harmony attack Carly in the first place? Carly flashes back to confronting Harmony about Neil’s papers, and saying, this is what Harmony meant that she wishes Willow was hers. Willow isn’t her biological daughter. Carly tells Josslyn, she found out something Harmony was desperately trying to keep secret. Something Willow does not know.
Michael says, one thing he knows about Willow’s mom is, she’s a fighter. There’s nothing she won’t do to fight her way back to Willow. Willow says, when she escaped from Dawn of Day, she would tell herself that she didn’t need a mother. At the time, she was right, but when her mother turned against Shiloh, she began to change, to make amends, and more and more she became the mother she should have been all along. He says, she tried, no question, and Willow says, she’s beginning to understand why some women say they’ll always need their mother, because right now, she needs hers.
Brando asks what reason the photographer had for chasing Sasha, and Gladys says she stole his memory card. He says, she did what? Why would she do that? Gladys says, he wouldn’t stop taking pictures of Sasha, even though every last one of us told him to knock it off. Sasha was getting extremely upset, and she wasn’t about to let some parasite with a camera exploit her daughter-in-law. Sasha says, Willow isn’t going to care about any of that. All that matters is, she hit Willow’s mother with her car, and she might die. Brando tells her, like he said, it was a terrible accident. She didn’t mean to do this. Willow will understand. Sasha says, what if Harmony doesn’t make it? Willow will never forgive her, and she’ll never forgive herself. Brando says, they don’t have any control over that, so let’s not do what ifs. Right now, she just needs to tell Willow what happened. Gladys says, does she? Willow has enough on her plate; Sasha’s a wreck. Can’t it wait? Sasha says, no, it can’t. The only reason she came here is because Willow deserves to hear the truth from her, but she doesn’t know if she can face her. Brando says, there’s no right or wrong here, and Gladys says she doesn’t know if she’d put it like that. Sasha cries, and Brando says, whatever she chooses to do, he’s behind her 100%, but if she goes to tell Willow right now, she’s the strongest person he knows. He knows she can do this. She says, let’s go, and they leave together.
Trina says, she’s the psycho? Says the girl who’s been lurking in the shadows for who knows how long. Spencer asks what Esme is doing here, and Esme says, it’s bad enough Trina has half of Port Charles blaming her for Cam and Joss’s sad little sex tape. Trina says, only half? She’ll have to step up her game. (Ha-ha! Sounds like something I’d say.) Esme says, even though all the evidence points to Trina, Trina’s lies got her kidnapped by Sonny Corinthos. Spencer says, which is why she’s supposed to be back at Windymere, right now. Esme says, that’s what she came to tell him. His grandmother, the mayor, personally intervened on her behalf, and forced Sonny to back down. She’s safe now. Spencer says, that’s great, and Trina says, she’d call it a useless waste of cement. Esme says, thank God Trina didn’t manage to poison everyone against her. How does it feel to know people finally see through her good girl act?
Ava asks why Sonny backed down, and Nikolas says, his mother didn’t tell him Sonny’s rationale, but he was here when she told Esme. So Esme is aware the threat is over. Ava asks when she’s moving out, and he doesn’t say anything. She says, tell her that he’s not letting Esme stay, and he says, they just haven’t set a date for her to move out yet. She says, they have a staff. They can pack up her stuff, put it on the launch, and it can be waiting for her on the pier tonight. He says, Esme isn’t going wait for a launch to come back from town and find her luggage waiting, and she says, so Esme went to the mainland. He says, to tell Spencer the good news, and she says, the good news is that she can stay there. He says, there’s the matter of how she’ll support herself, and Ava says, she has a trust fund. He says, she’s only given a pittance, and Ava says, she was sent to school in Paris. Her life has not been the stuff of Dickens. He says he promises, Esme will leave Windymere and Spoon Island soon. Ava says, she better, and he says, the best part is, once she’s gone, all their problems go with her. Ava caresses his face, saying, my sweet beautiful husband… She smacks him lightly, and says, no they don’t. He says, the root of their problem is that he invited Esme to move in without consulting her, but she says, the roots go far deeper than that. He says, when he invited Esme to stay here, they were planning on renewing their vows. Is she telling him she wasn’t happy? She says, she was, but when he told Esme and Spencer that they could move in, it made her realize she was ignoring some very real issues. He says, such as? Start at the top; what’s their biggest issue? She says she doesn’t trust him. Don’t look so surprised. He doesn’t trust her either. He says, this isn’t about trust. It’s about the fact that he chose his son. That’s what she has an issue with, isn’t it?
Esme says, Trina refuses to take the blame for what she did to her so-called friends, and Spencer says, enough, but she says she’s not going to stand for it anymore. She tells Trina, mark her words, the next time Trina lies about her, there will be consequences. Trina says, Esme talks a good game, but know this. Trina sees her, and soon one day, everyone is going to see her for who she really is, a needy entitled psychopath, who hurts everyone around them, and wonders where they all went. She’ll be all alone with no one left to fool, except maybe that idiot (meaning Spencer). Now she’s going to put this away, and when she comes back, Esme won’t be here. Because she’s trespassing.
Carly tells Josslyn, Harmony is still in surgery, but they don’t think she’s going to make it. Josslyn says, Carly seems pretty worried about someone who just tried to kill her, and Carly says, she’s worried about Willow. She’s got enough on her mind right now. Maybe she should wait to tell her, but Jordan knows. The last thing she wants is for Willow to find out during the course of the investigation, but they probably won’t question Willow tonight, so maybe she should wait. Josslyn says, that’s one way to look at it, and Carly asks, what’s the other way? Josslyn says, can telling Willow really make things much worse?
Michael asks if there’s anything Willow needs, and she says, right now, she needs answers. She thinks she’s strong enough to get them. Michael says, Josslyn is here. So they should go look for her and his mom. Maybe they have an update on Harmony. As they’re leaving, Brando and Sasha walk in, and Michael says, he guesses they heard about Harmony. Brando says, they’re aware of what happened, and Willow says, they were going to check on how her mom was doing. Sasha says, she’s sorry. She knows this is a terrible time, but she needs to talk to Willow alone. Willow says, sure, and Michael says he’ll check on her mom. Willow says she’ll join him later, and Sasha thanks Brando for being here. He says, where else would he be? He kisses her forehead, says she’s got this, and leaves. Willow asks what Sasha needs to talk about.
Michael tells Brando, he saw his mom in the ER and texted Josslyn. Brando asks why Carly was in the ER, and Michael says, she didn’t tell him, but she seemed okay, so he focused on Willow. Brando says, rough night all around. Keep him posted. He’s going to wait for Sasha. As Michael is about to get into the elevator, Smoltz comes along, and says, if it isn’t the husband of the Face of Deception. His sources tell him that Brando’s wife ran down a pedestrian tonight. Any comment?
Josslyn says she’s sorry, but she knows Carly will make the best choice for Willow. Carly says she appreciates Josslyn’s vote of confidence, when Gladys comes by. Carly asks what she’s doing here. Are Sasha and Brando okay? Gladys says, physically, yes. She’s fine too. Carly says she can see that, and Josslyn’s phone rings. She leaves to take the call, and Gladys asks if there’s any word on Harmony. Is she going to pull through? Carly says she doesn’t know. Why is Gladys asking? Gladys says, because she cares deeply about the suffering of others. Carly might want to look into that sometime. Also, Sasha was the one who ran over Harmony. Carly says, oh my God, and Gladys says, believe her, she knows. She was in the car. Carly asks where Sasha is, and Gladys says, Brando took her to see Willow. She’s dreading what’s going to happen when Sasha tells her.
Willow asks how Sasha found out about her mom; did Carly call her? Sasha says, no. She knows because… It’s so hard to say. She and Gladys were driving on a back road. She was driving, and a guy was chasing them; it’s not important why. The point is, he was flashing his high beams in her rearview, and it was blinding her. She couldn’t see and the road was dark. Out of nowhere, someone ran in front of her car. She couldn’t see who it was until she get out to help, and she’s so sorry, it was Willow’s mother. Well, here’s a thought. Why don’t she and Gladys flip the script? Since the headlights were blinding, technically, it’s the jerkface photographer’s fault.
Spencer tells Esme not to let Trina get to her, but she says, Trina isn’t the one getting to her. Why is it that every time she sees him with Trina, they’re having a moment of some kind? He says, it wasn’t a moment. He didn’t say anything he wouldn’t have said in front of her. She says, even the part where he was jealous about some guy? He says, not jealous, annoyed. When he got here, she was talking to the cop who arrested him. Esme asks, why? and he says, the whole sex tape mess has the media harassing her. She says, gee too bad, and he says, he doesn’t hate that guy because he’s jealous; he hates him because he’s a jerk. She says, even so, she can’t help thinking history is repeating itself, but he says, trust him, it’s not. She’s the one he has eyes on.
Brando asks who this is, and Michael tells Smoltz, this is not a good time. Brando says, Michael knows this creep? and Smoltz says, this creep is happens to be doing Mr. Corinthos a favor, and Michael says, Smoltz is a reporter, and he and Willow are cooperating with him on a feature. Smoltz says he’s always on the lookout for the next good story. He takes out his phone, and says, Mr. Gilmore – Brando says, Corbin – about this pedestrian his wife ran down… Brando says, no comment, and Smoltz says, it’s better for him to get a quote from Sasha herself, or as his source called her, the Face of Collision. Brando lunges for him, but Michael gets between them, and pushes Brando back. Smoltz says, he has rights under the First Amendment, and Brando says, he fought in the US Military to protect Smoltz’s rights; he’s well aware of what they are. His First Amendment rights only protect him from government censorship. Michael runs a media company; does he have that correct? Michael says, he sure does, and Brando says he thought so. He gets close to Smoltz, and asks if he looks like the government. It’s a simple question. Smoltz says, no, and Brando says, which means, the First Amendment won’t protect Smoltz if he catches him even breathing the same air as his wife. Nothing personal, but he’ll make sure Smoltz is incapable of ever writing any story ever again. He doubts the other journalists will miss him, or find him if they did. Understood? Smoltz nods and leaves, and Michael asks, what happened to Sasha?
Willow says, Sasha is the one who hit her mom? and Sasha swears it was an accident. She’s so sorry. She’d do anything, give anything, to make it so it didn’t happen. Is there anything she can do? That’s so stupid. Of course (🍷) there’s nothing, but she’s here for Willow if Willow needs anything. She’s probably the last person Willow wants to see, so she’s just going to go. Willow tells her, wait. Was she with Carly and Alexis? Sasha says, what? and Willow says, Carly and Alexis were with her mom before the accident, but Sasha says, no. She was coming from the MetroCourt. Willow wants to ask Sasha a question. It might seem a little strange, but did it seem like her mom jumped in front of Sasha’s car on purpose? Sasha says she doesn’t know; it happened so fast. It felt more like Willow’s mom just didn’t see her. Willow cries, and Sasha says she knows Willow and her mom haven’t had the easiest relationship, but they were making amends. She’s so sorry this happened because of her. Willow is the last person who deserves this. She asks if she should get Michael, and Willow says, she just wants some of this, any of this, to make sense.
Gladys tells Carly that she’s worried about Sasha. She doesn’t know how much more Sasha can take. Carly says, as long as she’s known Sasha, she’s weathered crisis after crisis, and come back tougher every time. Gladys says, that was before. Since her grandson died, Sasha’s been an open wound. If Sasha killed her friend’s mother, what is she going to do? Carly says, they’ll get her through it, and Gladys says, Carly didn’t see Sasha with that photographer. Sasha has dealt with photographers before, and knows how to handle the paparazzi when they’re being jerks, but tonight she was a different person; panicked, desperate, and the way she snapped… Josslyn comes back, and Gladys excuses herself. Josslyn asks if everything is okay with Brando and Sasha, and Carly says she just needs a hug. They hug, and Josslyn asks if Carly is sure she’s okay. Carly says, it’s just been a night. So much devastation. She wants Josslyn to know she loves her, and she’s so grateful to have her. They hug again.
Ava says, she and Spencer will never be each other’s favorite people, but he’s Nikolas’s son. She meant it when she said she’d keep their issues out of her and Nikolas’s relationship. Esme though, was never part of that agreement. He says, as long as Esme is important to Spencer, she’s part of that agreement, but Ava says, not as long as Esme is a threat to Trina, she’s not.This isn’t about Spencer and Esme; this is about her and Nikolas. He says, she’s right. It’s about their marriage and their partnership. He should have consulted her before inviting Esme to live there, but when she had a problem with Esme, she went to Sonny instead of consulting him. She asks what there was to consult him about. He was giving that horrid little monster the benefit of the doubt, while she was framing Trina for something even her so-called victims know she didn’t do. He says, so she’s trying to punish him, and she says, not without good reason. He says, and her mystery plans tonight, did they involve exploring divorce? She says, of course (🍷) not. That ship sailed weeks ago. He says, when was this? and she says, the day he invited Esme into their home. He says, she can go on about not trusting him, but how is he supposed to trust her when she always has one foot out the door? She says, if he wants her to stop straddling the threshold, then stop pushing her away. He says, at least give him a heads up. Should he be expecting divorce papers soon? She says, not yet. She couldn’t go through with it. He asks, why, when she can’t trust their toxic manipulative marriage? Why the hell is she still here? She says, because she loves him, and he says he doesn’t believe it. She says, believe this, and kisses him.
Esme takes Spencer’s hands, and thanks him, saying, he’s the only one for her too. They hug, and Trina sees, but steps back. Esme says she feels close to him, and he says he’s sorry it’s taken him so long to get back on track. He thanks her for letting him take it slow, but she says she doesn’t care how long it takes, just as long as they do. He says, it’s their second chance; he wants to do things right. She says, he’s not the problem. When she thinks of how close Trina came to destroying them… He says, Esme… but she says she can’t help it. That conniving little witch drove a wedge between them. She wants a front row seat at Trina’s trial. She wants to see Trina’s face when they lock her away. She can’t wait for everyone at school to see what a backstabbing bitch… He says, stop talking about Trina like that, and she says, why? Trina continues to listen.
Brando tells Michael, Sasha’s the one who hit Harmony, and Michael asks, how? Brando says, some photographer was harassing her at the MetroCourt. He chased after her, and she was speeding to get away. Harmony ran into the middle of the road. Michael says, oh my God. How is Sasha doing? Brando says, she’s devastated. It’s enough with an accident like that, but what she’s really having trouble with is hurting Willow. Michael says, as terrible as all this is, he hopes Willow will have some answers. Sasha might not have the whole story, but he has the feeling his mom does.
Gladys presses the elevator button a bunch of times, takes the memory card out of her purse, and looks at it. The elevator comes, and she gets in.
Josslyn asks if Carly is going to talk to Willow now or later, and Carly asks what Josslyn thinks. Josslyn says, if it was her, she’d probably want to know right away, but she’d understand if Carly thinks it’s piling too much on Willow. Carly says, Josslyn doesn’t? and Josslyn says, she does, but there’s never going to be a good time.
Esme asks if Spencer is still defending Trina, but he says, for God’s sake. He doesn’t care about Trina; he cares about her. If Trina leans over any further, she’ll be in the room, and Esme says, then why? Spencer says, all of this anger Esme is holding in can’t be good for her. She’s tied in knots. She’s scowling; her forehead is scrunching up. The both of them almost laugh, and he says, he’s serious. All this stress she’s carrying around, let it go. She says, she’ll try, but she just hates that Trina is getting away with everything. He asks how she thinks he feels, but her and Trina getting in each other’s face is making it worse. She asks what she’s supposed to do. Trina is walking around free, blaming her. He tells her to look at him. Does she trust him? She says, of course (🍷), and he tells her, then trust him when he says this is all going to be over soon, and when it is, she and Trina will never have to see each other ever again. He hugs her, and Trina slips back, pondering this in the hallway.
Nikolas and Ava start getting busy on the couch, but she says, they can’t do this. She gets up and says, their problems aren’t going to go away if they keep distracting themselves with sex. He says, this isn’t a diversion. It’s them expressing their love. They do love each other, right? She says, they do, and he says, if they have problems, they can fix them. She says, they can’t fix them with sex, and he says, then just tell him what he has to do to make it good, and he’ll do it. She says she doesn’t know, and he says, while she’s figuring it out, let him prove that she can trust him. She says, trust is earned; it’s built over time. And if he thinks he can fix things with one or two grand gestures, she’s sorry; he can’t. She leaves, and he blows out the candles.
Sasha tells Willow that she wishes she could make it okay. All she can say is, it was a horrible, senseless accident. Willow wonders what her mom was doing there in the first place. Why was she in the woods, stumbling into the road? Carly comes in, and says, she can answer that. She asks Sasha if she can have minute with Willow. They need talk alone. Willow takes Sasha’s hand for a moment, and Sasha leaves.
On Monday, Austin says, if Maxie doesn’t want to hang out, all she has to do is say so; Spinelli says someone will be the first to know: Nina asks if Sonny is looking for someone; and Carly tells Willow to prepare herself.
Honest towards ourselves and towards anyone else who is our friend; brave towards the enemy; magnanimous towards the defeated; polite always: this is how the four cardinal virtues want us to act. – Friedrich Nietzsche
The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion. – Albert Camus
Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. – Carl Sandburg
Honesty is for the most part less profitable than dishonesty. – Plato (I could have told you that.)
Hope is the destination that we seek. Love is the road that leads to hope. Courage is the motor that drives us. We travel out of darkness into faith. – Dean Koontz
Look at all the things moviegoers believe – Star Wars, Spider-Man, and Transformers. You don’t think a gay man can play straight but you believe in Chewbacca? – Billy Eichner on his upcoming film featuring an entirely LGBTQ cast
We are all now connected by the Internet, like neurons in a giant brain. – Stephen Hawking (When you put it that way – yikes!)
🐼 A panda walked into a café and ordered a sandwich. He ate it and then pulled a gun out and shot the waiter. The panda then plunked a badly punctuated wildlife manual onto the table. Look me up, he growled as he walked out the door. The wounded waiter opened the book to the entry for panda. It read, Panda: Large, black and white bear-like mammal native to China. Eats, shoots & leaves.
🥁 BA-DUM-CHH…
Stop by next time, and follow me into the Dead zone. Until then, stay safe, stay hydrated, and stay understanding that trust is earned, and built over time.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
At a closed Savoy, Curtis looks at a chip in his hand, and N’neka says she’s glad the private party brought their own staff. She could have never cleaned up and then come in early. Not for a party that went until four in the morning. Jordan comes in and says, four in the morning. That must have been a helluva party.
Marshall waits on Pier 54, where they’ll soon be putting a 7/11, when Trina comes along, wearing an orange top that looks dynamite on her. She sees his bag, and asks if he’s going on a trip.
Ned thanks everyone for coming, and says, it’s days like today that remind them of the importance of family. A family, he’s glad to say, is expanding. He’s always thought of Leo as his son, but as of today, it’s official; it’s legal. The adoption of Leo has come through. Everyone is like, yay, and Olivia says, Leo wanted to have the same last name as his mom and dad. Ned says, without further ado, let’s have a toast to my son, Leo, and Leo says, Leo Quartermaine, hugging Ned.
Harmony comes downstairs, telling herself that she shouldn’t have had anything to drink last night. She sees Brendon’s bag and runs over to it, checking the files inside, when Alexis comes in with coffee. She says, Harmony looks like she’s been to hell and back. I laugh because Harmony looks better than me on my best day.
Sam says she didn’t think Carly was going to make it, and Carly says, Olivia isn’t just her partner, she’s one of her closest friends. She’s happy to be here. She’s just upset that Monica had to go to that convention, and couldn’t be here to celebrate Leo becoming a Quartermaine. Thank you, because I was wondering where she was. Dante says he needs a refill, and leaves, and Carly says she deserved that. Are things any better with Sam and Dante? Sam says they still have to hash some things out.
In the foyer, Leo tells Drew, adoption isn’t just for humans. Drew says, of course (🍷). People can adopt dogs and cats. Leo says, and animals can adopt other animals, especially animals that live by the water, like seagulls and elephant seals. Drew says he didn’t know that (me neither). That’s so cool. Brook says, her little bro is on his way to being a marine biologist. Leo says, he read it in the book Chase gave him for Christmas, and asks where Chase is. He promised he’d be here. Brook says, that’s a really good question. She doesn’t know where Chase is.
Chase is at the hospital, getting dressed. He tries to use his phone, but the screen is smashed and nothing works. He says, dammit. Portia comes in, and says, wow. He’s not going to waste any time getting out of here. He says he has somewhere to be this morning, and he’s already late. She says, he had a concussion. He’s not going anywhere until she signs off on it.
Elizabeth sees Finn, and says, she was just checking on Cameron. Finn asks how he is, and she says, if he wasn’t already 18, he’d be grounded forever. She thanks Finn for bailing Cameron out, and says, Cameron is worried about Chase after finding him unconscious in their living room. How is he? Finn says, awake and alert, and she says, thank God. She’s been a nurse way too long not to know accidents like these can be way more serious. He says, if it was an accident, and she says, let’s hope. The alternative is kind of freaking her out. He says, that the person who’s been stalking her family has now turned violent.
At the door to Chase’s room, Finn asks if it’s okay if they come in, and Portia says, patient’s decision. Chase says, please, come in, and Portia says she can confirm Chase’s concussion has passed. She’ll make arrangements for him to be discharged, but do her a favor and have somebody else drive him home. He thanks her, and she leaves. Finn says, a concussion? Really? Chase says he guesses he knocked something off the shelf when he was checking the cameras. Either that, or Aiden was onto something with his Ouija board. Elizabeth says, Ouija board? What is he talking about?
On the phone, Brook leaves a message for Chase, saying, she has a very special guest of honor who’s wondering where he is. She’s wondering too. She tells Leo that she’s sorry; she just got Chase’s voicemail. She doesn’t know where he is, but he’ll be here soon. Olivia says she knows Ned gives Chase a hard time, but he was so great with Leo, especially when he was with Brook and Bailey. That’s how she convinced Leo to participate in the whole theater therapy thing. She reminded him that Ned, Chase, and his big sister Brook Lynn are all performers. Brook says, Chase isn’t loving performing lately, and Drew asks what theater therapy is. Olivia says, it’s an after-school program for kids on the spectrum that uses theater skits to help them learn about speech, taking turns, or eye contact, that kind of thing. Ned says, and the whole thing culminates with a performance for the families for Autism Awareness Month. Drew says, that’s really something, and Olivia says, Leo’s been loving it. He’s making a lot of new friends, and he’s going to recite a poem for the show. She asks why Leo doesn’t recite his poem for everyone, but Leo says, the show isn’t until next week. Olivia says, she knows, but kind of like a sneak peek for family and friends. Why doesn’t he get his notecards? Leo says, okay, and goes upstairs.
Carly says she’s so sorry she put Sam in that position with Dante, but Sam says she’s a big girl. She chose to forward that email to Carly, so she could prove that Esme is behind that video of Joss and Cam. Carly says, she knows, but Sam has enough going on with her own family. Has she talked to Alexis this morning? Sam says, not since last night. Does Carly know what’s going on with Harmony? They’re not friends by any means, but she was a little concerned that Harmony was so drunk, she couldn’t stand. Carly says, Harmony said something really strange last night, and flashes back to saying, Willow’s her family, and Harmony saying, she wishes Willow was hers. She tells Sam, it was probably nothing. Harmony was so drunk she wasn’t making any sense. Willow asks what Carly is saying about her mom.
Alexis gives Harmony some coffee, and Harmony says she’s sure she owes Alexis an apology from last night. She was so drunk, she doesn’t even remember everything. Alexis says she doesn’t really expect anyone to abstain because she has to, but Harmony really did cross a line last night. Harmony says, she did? She’s so sorry. What did she do? Alexis says, Harmony bought her a drink and told her to drink it. Harmony says she didn’t know what she was thinking. She’s so, so sorry. It’s never going to happen again; Alexis knows that, right? She doesn’t drink. She’s not a drinker, except for the occasional glass of wine. Alexis asks why Harmony thinks she was kicking back double shots of whiskey? It’s very clear something’s bothering her. Harmony says she thinks the thought of Nina taking Willow to court, the whole situation’s going to snowball, and she’s all tied up in knots. Alexis says, she was hoping to break it to Harmony first, but she had the feeling Smoltz had gotten to her. Harmony asks what she means, and Alexis says, he’s a freelance reporter for The Invader, and he’s doing an in-depth piece on Nina’s quest to get visitation with Wiley.
Marshall tells Trina that he’s just waiting for his boat to arrive. He thought it would be a good idea to get out of town. She says, sounds great. With everything happening in her life, she wishes she could get away too. Missing school and her job and everything else is just… He says he has faith in her. All this is going to work out for her. Stay strong. He makes a fist, and she bumps it and thanks him. She looks at his bag, and says, he’s not a light packer, is he? How long is he going to be gone for? He looks at her, and she says, oh. Is he leaving for good? He says, it’s complicated, and she says, try her. He says, he had hoped to rejoin his family as if nothing had ever happened. That was foolish on his part. He has too many ghosts chasing after him. It would be easier if everyone just forgets he was here.
Curtis says, he didn’t know Jordan kept such close tabs on his nightclub. He assures her, everything was on the up and up, and he knows nightclubs can stay open for private parties well after 2 am. She says she was just teasing him. She’s really happy that the club is booming. She just stopped by to see how he and Portia were doing. He says, they’re fine. The rest is between her and Portia. She says, that was a little abrupt. She thought they were in a good place yesterday. She’s trying her best. She knows he has a lot on his plate. He says, she doesn’t know the half of it, and she asks what he means by that. Selena comes in, and says, apologies. She didn’t know he had company.
Michael tells Drew, it’s a good strategy. It’s aggressive; it’s unexpected. He can see why it would be good for business. Drew says, that’s probably why she gets paid the big bucks. Ned asks if they’re talking about Aurora, and Drew says, in a sense, but they’re also talking about ELQ. He got in touch with his lawyer, and he can reclaim Scout’s shares, which is great, but Valentin is still in control of Danny’s shares, which means he will control nearly half of the voting stock. All it’ll take is one disgruntled Quartermaine to flip, and they’ll be back in the same situation. Michael says, and they all know how easy it is for one of their family members to turn, and Ned says, that’s true, but what’s the alternative? Drew says he met with an executive business coach last night. She thought the best strategy would be for ELQ and Aurora to merge.
Elizabeth says, Finn told her that Aiden stopped by the house while she was sleeping? and Chase says, yeah. He was going to mention it this morning, but… He touches his head, and Elizabeth asks, but why did he come home? Chase says, he said he had a school project about ghosts. He had a Ouija board with him. He thought it was kind of strange, but maybe Aiden had a a project for science class. She says, he doesn’t have a project like that, and Chase says, eventually he figured that out, but not before Aiden tricked him into trying to contact someone specific. She asks if it’s who she thinks, and he says, Aiden was trying to contact Franco.
Selena asks if this is a bad time, and Jordan says, The Savoy isn’t open for business yet. Isn’t that right, Curtis? Curtis says, he and Miss Wu had a previously scheduled appointment. She wants to rent the club out for a private party. Selena says, yes. She has a family birthday coming up, and they want to celebrate in style. She tells Curtis that she can come back later, but Curtis says, this is a good time. Just let him wrap things up with Jordan. Selena goes over to the bar, and Jordan’s phone dings. She checks it, and says she has to go. She knows he can handle himself, but it would be prudent if he’s previously booked on the nights Selena wants the place. He says, duly noted, and she leaves. Selena asks if his ex-wife is always going to be hanging around, and he says, that’s why she chose this place, right? Because of his connections. He’s more than delivered on his end of the bargain. Her event was a success last night, well into the morning. Now does she have what he wants? She says, as agreed. His father’s sealed arrest record. She takes a file out of her bag, and he holds his hand out, but she pulls it back, and says, now that she’s delivered on her word, she expects him to deliver on his.
Carly says, she’s sorry. She doesn’t want Willow to think she and Sam were gossiping about her mom. She was just asking about Alexis. Willow tells her, don’t apologize, but if she could just clarify. Her mom was really drunk? Sam says, she and Carly saw Harmony at the MetroCourt, and she was definitely overserved. Willow says she saw her mom yesterday at the MetroCourt. She had a drink, and she did seem distracted, but not drunk. Sam says, sorry. She doesn’t know what to tell Willow. Maybe this happened after Willow saw her. Carly says, she did check with the bartender, and Harmony had three double whiskeys. That’s a lot of liquor. Willow says, she can’t remember the last time she saw her mom drink hard alcohol, and she’s never seen her drunk. Sam says, it definitely wasn’t just the whiskey. Harmony was upset about something. Willow says, now she’s really worried. Her mom’s been acting out of sorts for weeks now. Carly says she thinks she knows why.
Harmony says, this man is writing a feature on Nina’s petition? and Alexis says, a five-part feature, and Michael and Willow have given him an exclusive. Since Harmony is Willow’s mother, he wanted to reach out to her for a comment, and do a deeper dive into Willow’s background and family. Harmony jumps up, and says, absolutely not!
Elizabeth says, Aiden wanted to contact Franco? and Chase nods. He says, he knows it’s hard to hear, but with all the strange happenings at the house, Aiden has it in his head that Franco’s ghost is trying to reach out to her. Elizabeth says, maybe Franco doesn’t want her to move on, and Finn says, he’s just a kid, looking for an explanation. It’s probably easier for him to believe that Franco’s ghost is reaching out, rather than accept someone’s breaking into their house. Elizabeth says, maybe. It just seems like every time she and the boys start to move on, there’s another reminder of how traumatized they still are.
Jordan sees Portia at the hospital, and says, she understands Chase was brought in last night. Portia says, he’s right in there, indicating one of the rooms, and Jordan starts to go, but Portia says, wait a second. She wants to apologize for her behavior yesterday. Jordan didn’t deserve to be chewed out in that way. She knows Jordan was just doing her job. Jordan says, Portia wants to protect her kid. She’s been there, and doesn’t blame her. Portia says, Jordan can blame her for making it personal, making it about her history with Curtis, especially when he told her that Jordan is working behind the scenes to find out who really filmed Josslyn and Cam. Jordan says she can’t comment on an ongoing investigation, but for what it’s worth (🍷), she knows the type of young woman Trina is. She has a good moral compass, and a good heart, just like her mom.
Marshall says he has places to go, but Trina says she doesn’t understand. He was just getting closer to TJ and Curtis. And isn’t Epiphany fond of him too? Won’t he miss them? He says, of course (🍷) he’ll miss them. Of course (🍷). More than they will ever know, but sometimes the truth hurts so much, it’s better left buried. She says, but he told her the truth is worth fighting for. He also said it’s okay to take care of yourself. If he’s leaving because he thinks it would be easier on his family, he’s ignoring his own advice. He says, maybe he is doing it for himself. Maybe he realized it’s bad for him to be around his family again. She asks, why?
Curtis says, Selena needed a venue and he provided one. Her even was a success. She says, the first of many was their arrangement, and he says he’s not sure who she’s used to dealing with, but he doesn’t break his word. Her gambling operation may continue from time to time, as long as that’s all it entails. She says, well, it’s a start, and puts the file on the bar. She says, before she goes, let her give him some advice. Although she hasn’t read the file herself, she knows a thing or two about trust in a family. If you look for skeletons in the closet, you’re likely to find them, for better or worse. But once he crosses that line and opens that file, there’s no going back.
Elizabeth says she still can’t wrap her head around this. Aiden believes Franco is haunting them? Chase nods, and Jordan comes to the door. She asks if it’s a bad time, and Chase says, of course (🍷) not, and asks her to come in. She says she heard what happened, and wanted to follow up with him. He says, it was probably just a clumsy accident, and she says she hopes that’s all it is. He was injured in a house that was recently broken into. She’d like to rule out anything criminal. He says, it might be easier than she thinks. He staged cameras all over the house.
Harmony says, Alexis knows how messy her past is. She’s not going to let some reporter go digging around in her private life. Alexis says, Michael and Willow are key to the story; Smoltz has to do background on them. If Harmony doesn’t want to participate, fine. She’s sure Smoltz can find another way to do the interview without interviewing her. Harmony says, no. The article isn’t going to run in Alexis’s paper at all.
Carly says she thinks it’s clear the whole Nina situation has taken a toll on Harmony, and Willow says she hates to think what Harmony’s reaction to the article will be. Carly says, it’s going to be tough on Harmony, but she’ll get through it, because Willow is her daughter and Willow needs this. Willow thanks Carly for the nice words, and leaves. Carly asks if Sam will give her apologies to Olivia; she has to take off. Sam asks if everything is okay, and Carly says she just wants to follow up with Alexis. She didn’t want to worry Willow, but she has the feeling Harmony knows more about the Nina situation than she’s letting on. Sam tells her, good luck, and Carly leaves.
Alexis says, she can’t publish the story? Where’s this coming from? Harmony says, Alexis of all people should understand, the more it’s investigated, the more likely it is that someone will make the connection that Willow isn’t her biological daughter. Alexis says, Willow isn’t her biological daughter. Just tell Willow the truth. If anyone can understand how you can mother a child, and not give birth, it’s Willow. But it’s Harmony’s secret to keep, not The Invader’s. She’ll make sure nothing is said about the commune, Harmony, and Willow. She’ll make sure it’s not published. Harmony says, once it’s out there, there’s no way to control it. You don’t know who will start digging or what they’ll find. Her relationship with Willow is so fragile as it is. This article is trouble for everyone involved. Alexis asks what Harmony would like her to do; kill the story? Harmony says, yes. It’s the least Alexis can do after all she’s done for Alexis. Alexis owes her that.
Michael says, in addition to increasing ELQ’s value, and creating a new revenue stream, Valentin’s shares will be diluted, making it nearly impossible for him to have the majority again. Ned says, but that would leave Drew with the overwhelming majority of interest in the company. So where does that leave him? Drew says, they haven’t gotten that far yet. Things aren’t sorted. Why are they talking about this on Leo’s big day? They have a lot of time to work things out; talk strategy before it’s all figured out.
Olivia claps her hands, and says, all right, everyone. It’s her great pleasure to introduce the newest member of the Quartermaine family. Brook says, they’re loud, they’re crazy, but they’re very loyal, and everyone laughs. Olivia tells Leo to show everyone what he’s been practicing. Leo says, no! throws the file cards down, and runs upstairs.
Finn tells Jordan, he asked Chase to stay at Elizabeth’s to provide some security. To that end, he installed cameras in the entrances and hallways. Chase says, the plan was to pull up the footage on his phone, but – he shows her the phone – it broke last night. She says, the object that knocked him out also busted his phone? and he says, or maybe he broke it when he fell. She asks if the footage can be accessed by another device, and he says, yes, but you have to log in the first time on the home network. Jordan asks Elizabeth if they can look at the footage at her house, and she says, of course (🍷). If it gets them answers, that’d be great. Chase says he’ll come back later to sign the paperwork, and Jordan says, she appreciates his enthusiasm, but she needs him to keep his distance. He says, but he set up the cameras, and she says, if there was a crime committed, they can’t afford to corrupt the investigation. He’d be the victim, and he’s also a suspended detective. She needs him to respect the line between civilian and cop. Is that understood? He says, understood, and she says she’ll talk to him later. She and Elizabeth leave, and Finn says he’ll be back in a minute to drive Chase home. Stay put.
Trina asks why it’s bad for Marshall to be around his family, and he says, there are things a girl like her couldn’t possibly understand. She says, try her, and he says, they were raised in different eras. She says, what does that even mean? and he says, forget it. She says, whatever he’s running from, it can’t be worse than never seeing his family again. He tells her, if she’d said that a few weeks back, he might have agreed with her, and she says, what changed? He says she’s given him a lot to think about. He doesn’t want to keep her. Doesn’t she have a gallery to get to? She says, that’s not fair using work against her, and the ferry horn blows. He says, she’s an ambitious young lady. If she wants to find her dreams, remember, it’s important to prioritize. She says she’ll see him around… she hopes. He says, if he doesn’t see her again, it’s been a privilege getting to know her.
Curtis says, he appreciates Selena’s advice, but his issues with his father are none of her concern. She says she supposes not. They’ll talk soon. She leaves, and he picks up the folder. He opens it, takes out a photo and document, and looks distressed
Harmony says, when she saw Alexis was alone at Spring Ridge, and saw she was struggling, she supported her. When Alexis got out, and made sure Harmony knew she wasn’t worthy to be her friend, she still supported Alexis. So she’s asking for Alexis’s support now. If Alexis is truly her friend, she’ll do this for her; no questions asked, Please kill this story. Alexis says, if Harmony is truly her friend, she woudn’t put her in this position, She’s going to go to work. When she gets back, they need to have a serious conversation. Maybe it’s time they reevaluate their arrangement. She leaves, and Harmony picks up a vase, smashes it on the floor, and says, dammit!
Brook, Olivia, and Ned find Leo sitting on the steps, and Brook asks, what’s wrong? He says he doesn’t want to read the cards, and Olivia says, he doesn’t have to. She didn’t want to put any pressure on him. She just wants him to know how proud she is of him. He can save it all for the big show. Leo says, no. He’s not going to be in the play anymore. He runs upstairs, and Olivia tells Ned, she messed this up, but he says, he’s got it. He follows Leo upstairs, and Olivia tells Brook, she doesn’t know what happened. The counselors are all saying he’s making such great progress. She hopes he’s not regressing. Brook tells her not to jump to conclusions. This may not have anything to do with Leo being on the spectrum; a lot of kids get stage fright. Olivia hopes she’s right, and Brook says she’s been known to get stage fright herself; she recognizes the signs. Olivia says, she’s going to check on him. Maybe if it turns out to be that, Brook and Chase could give him a little pep talk, since they’re both performers. She goes upstairs, and Brook says, if Chase ever shows.
Portia tells Chase, good news. She’s got his discharge paperwork. All he needs to do is sign, and he’s out of here. He says he has to wait for his brother for a ride. Finn is playing detective with his boss. He signs, gives her back the clipboard, and asks if she happens to have any of the Quartermaine’s phone numbers. He has to reach out to Brook. She says, he doesn’t have their numbers? and he says, not memorized, no. That’s the downside of having everything stored in your phone. It’s great until it breaks. She asks why he needs Brook, and he says, the Quartermaines are having a big family day, and he promised her that he’d be there. She says she thinks Brook will understand once she finds out he was in the hospital, and he says, it’s been tricky with them, trying to out their friendship without Bailey between them. He feels like he keeps disappointing her. He guesses that bump on the head shook him up more than he realized. He doesn’t usually open up to people he doesn’t know. She says, in her experience, she’s found a little effort can go a long way, and he says, since his phone is busted, can she help him order a Ride Share?
At Elizabeth’s house, Finn points out where they found Chase, and says, that was on the floor beside him. We see a metal giraffe sculpture on the floor, and Jordan says, no one saw what hit Chase, right? Elizabeth says, she was upstairs, asleep, and Finn says he was bailing out Cameron. Jordan picks up the sculpture (wearing gloves) and asks Elizabeth if she can download the app, so they can see the security camera footage. Elizabeth says, sure, and Jordan says, while Elizabeth is doing that, does she mind if Jordan looks around? Elizabeth says, of course (🍷), and Finn says, he gave the place a once over. All the doors and windows were locked. Jordan says, that didn’t stop the intruder before, so let’s cover all our bases. Jordan goes upstairs, and Elizabeth tells Finn, the app might take a few minutes to download, She sees the Ouija board, and says, she didn’t think anything of it until Chase said something. How could she have missed that? He tells her, don’t be hard on herself. She’s had a lot going on. She’s been a parent long enough to know when things get confusing, or sad, or a little scary, kids latch on to a fantasy to make sense of everything.
Curtis says, dammit Marshall, and hears Trina come in. He says, they’re not open, and she says, Curtis. He shoves everything back in the folder, and asks what she’s doing here. She says she was on her way to work, and had the feeling he might want to know, and he says, know what? She says, she saw his dad at the pier, and he had a bag with him. He said he’s leaving town.
At the pier, Marshall looks at a ticket.
Sam asks Dante if she can please take another second to apologize for putting a wedge between them. She’s trying to find the boundaries in this relationship is, and it’s been a really long time since she’s been with someone who… He says, it’s cool; she can tell him anything. She says, someone who plays by the rules. He says he’s sorry too. He feels like he came down harder on her than he needed to. She says she understands he needs to feel that he can trust her, and she fully intends to prove he can. He says he does trust her. He was disappointed that she looked at privileged information. He knows she has this impression that he’s Johnny Follow-the-Rules, but he has been known to break the rules from time to time. He’s also finding the line in the relationship. She says she thinks it’s good news that they have all the time in the world, because she doesn’t plan on going anywhere. He says, him either, because he loves her. She says she loves him too, and they kiss.
Brook opens the door to Chase, and says, he’d better have a good excuse. He brings a huge bouquet of flowers out from behind his back, and she sort of smiles.
Jordan says, she did a sweep of the entire house. There’s no sign of forced entry. She suggests they take a look at Chase’s footage, Elizabeth says, it’s ready. Jordan says, let’s see what happened last night, and Elizabeth asks if it’s fair to say she’s a little nervous, and Jordan says, of course (🍷). They’re all just trying to find answers. They see Chase reaching for the camera, and the screen goes black. Elizabeth asks, what happened? and Jordan says, it looks like the file is corrupted. Finn asks, how is that possible?
The ferry horn blows again, and Marshall gets up. He says, time to go, and picks up his bag. Curtis says, running away again, huh? and Marshall turns to see him on the pier.
Harmony takes the file folder out of Brendon’s bag. She looks at the fireplace, and says, she’ll burn it, and that will be the end of it. She pulls out all the papers, and puts them in the fireplace, but there are no matches on the mantel. She goes out of the room, and Carly knocks at the door. She calls to Alexis, knocks, and calls again. She starts to leave, and says, she knows that’s Harmony’s car in the driveway. Harmony returns with the fireplace matches, and is about to light up the papers, when Carly walks in and says, Harmony?
On Monday, Curtis asks why Marshall didn’t just tell him; Michael says he wants nothing to do with someone; Diane asks Alexis, why would she even think about that; Sonny needs to ask Willow a favor; and Carly asks Harmony, what’s going on with her and Nina?
The new season of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills begins on May 11th and the latest in the franchise, the Real Housewives of Dubai, premieres June 1st.
People are frugal guarding their personal property, but as soon as it comes to squandering time they are most wasteful of the one thing in which it is right to be stingy. – Seneca
Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn’t know it so it goes on flying anyway. – Mary Kay Ash
To leave the world better than you found it, sometimes you have to pick up other people’s trash. – Bill Nye
Confidence comes not from always being right, but from not fearing to be wrong. – Peter McIntyre
For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver. – Martin Luther King Jr.
Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude. – Thomas Jefferson
If a woman can change her mind, she can change her life. – Jennifer Allwood
Nature does not hurry yet everything is accomplished. – Lao Tzu
If my answers frighten you, Vincent, then you should cease asking scary questions. – Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), Pulp Fiction
The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life. Rarely do members of one family grow up under the same roof. – Richard David Bach
Look after the land and the land will look after you, destroy the land and it will destroy you. – Aboriginal Proverb
Early in life I had to choose between honest arrogance and hypocritical humility. I chose the former and have seen no reason to change. – Frank Lloyd Wright
I think it would be great to be born on Earth and to die on Mars. Just not on impact. – Elon Musk
The Earth is what we all have in common. – Wendell Berry
🌱 To Everything There Is a Season…
Enjoy whatever the next two days are to you, and I’ll see you when it’s time for some Fear. Until then, stay safe, stay applauding small achievements, and stay not drinking three double whiskeys when you have a several huge secrets to hide.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Chase is taking a shower, when his phone rings. He gets out to answer it, and says, he knows, he knows. He’s on his way… Hey, he’s doing them a favor. Relax. He’s got this covered.
Outside Kelly’s, Aiden reads an article about Ouija boards on his phone, when Laura comes along. She asks what he’s looking at.
Elizabeth opens the door to Finn, and asks what he’s doing here. He says he was nowhere near her neighborhood, and thought he’d stop by and say hi. She tells him, get in here, and he goes inside. He says, to be honest with him, it didn’t sit well that she talked him into her staying alone here last night. She says, it’s sweet he’s worried, and he says he’s not sweet, but he is worried about her. She says she appreciates he’s concerned, but Jake and Aiden are safe at Laura’s, and nothing happened last night. He says she can’t possibly think that the threat is over, but she says, no. Somebody’s gone to an awful lot of trouble to get her attention, and it’s working. How can she ever feel at peace until they find out who’s behind this?
Sonny tells Frank, once people find out he’s not the owner, Charlie’s isn’t going to be targeted. Carly walks in, and Sonny says, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. The most important thing is, Phyllis wasn’t here when it happened.Everything’s going to be okay, right? Carly says, it seems they agree on that. When was the last time that happened?
Nina goes to Alexis’s office, and Alexis thanks her for coming. Nina says, of course (🍷). It’s not every day that the editor-in-chief of the town’s hottest newspaper asks to speak to you in private. She’s assuming this is all off the record, and Alexis says, yes, as long as it goes in both directions. She invites Nina in, and says, Crimson has done a number of journalistic pieces over the years. Nina says, now she’s definitely intrigued. What’s this all about?
At the MetroCourt, Willow tells Smoltz that Nina completely omitted she’d been with Sonny. Smoltz says, been with him sexually, and Willow says, yeah, and the next time Nina approached her, she confronted Nina. Nina insisted she hadn’t done anything wrong, and she was upset when Willow told her that she couldn’t see Wiley. Michael says, and a few days later, Nina filed for visitation. Smoltz thanks them, and says, that’s all he needs for now. He’ll contact them if he has any follow-up questions. Michael says, it’s important that the first segment is published before the visitation hearing. Willow says, they understand judges are supposed to be impartial, and Michael adds, still, if this story is blowing up on people’s social media, it could get traction in the court of public opinion. Smoltz says, he’s on it, but just to be upfront, he has to reach out to Miss Reeves for her side of the story, so if there’s anything they haven’t told him yet, now would be the time. If there’s dirty laundry, he will find it.
On the phone in one of the private lounges, Harmony says she’s planning on meeting Brendon at 8 pm, but he says, change in plans. He’s leaving Port Charles earlier than anticipated. They need to meet now. She says, fine, and he says, that was easier than he thought. She tells him, what can she say? He has the upper hand, and they both know that. He says, get him the money, and she’ll never have to hear from him again. She says, that’s what she’s hoping for, and looks at the syringe in her bag.
Finn says he should have stayed with Elizabeth, but she says, they’ve already discussed that. He has to prioritize taking care of Violet. Besides if this person is motivated to do these things because they think she’s forgetting about Franco, having him there could make things worse. He says, she can’t keep going like this. When was the last time she had a full night’s sleep? She was probably looking over her shoulder the whole time. She says, Cameron was with her, but he says, Cameron’s in college. He has a girlfriend. He might not be here every night. So if she’s not going to leave, and she’s not going to let him stay with her, he was going to suggest a possible solution to keep her safe. He was thinking… The doorbell rings, and he says, that might be the possible solution right now. Elizabeth opens the door to Chase, who apologizes for being late.
Aiden tells Laura, this is just something stupid his friend sent him, and she asks if she can see. He shows her, and she says, the Ouija board, and laughs. He says, she knows what those are? and she says, when she was his age, they used to have slumber parties and hold a séance, and use a Ouija board to contact the dead. He says, she talked to dead people? but she says, no, not at all. It’s completely pretend. It’s a little game people would play. Clearly, one of her friends was pushing the pointer around the board to trick them into believing it was real, but it’s not. Why is he so interested in the Ouija board? He flashes back to telling Jake, what if it’s Franco? and tells her, it’s just something he saw on TV.
Willow says, their dirty laundry has already been made public, and Michael says, they have nothing to hide, but Nina does. Smoltz says, just to reiterate, they both signed over the exclusive rights to their story to him. They’re not allowed to discuss this with any other outlet; print, radio, TV, online, they’re all off the table. Unless of course (🍷) they want to hire another team of attorneys. Michael says, they understand the terms, and Smoltz says he’ll be in touch. He leaves, and Michael says, they actually pulled the trigger. He asks how Willow feels about this, and she says she doesn’t love it, but she feels like she’s doing what needs to be done. He says he feels the same, and Willow sees Harmony going to the elevator. She wonders what her mom is doing here, and walks over. She asks what brings Harmony to the MetroCourt, and where she’s going in such a hurry.
Alexis wonders if she can ask Nina about the nature of her relationship with Harmony, and Nina says, they don’t really have a relationship. She did recently talk to Harmony about speaking up for her with Willow because she was trying to avoid court proceedings to get visitation rights with Wiley, but that’s it. Alexis and Harmony are friends, right? Alexis says, they forged a friendship in Spring Ridge. Harmony confided in her that Nina used her to get Willow to back down. Nina says she didn’t use Harmony. She had a conversation with her, grandmother to grandmother. Alexis says she doesn’t want to get bogged down in the weeds about that. When Harmony talked to Carly, she said she went to bat for Nina; that she owes Nina something. Does Nina have any idea what Harmony feels she owes her? Nina says she has no idea what Harmony is talking about. She’s not holding anything over Harmony’s head, if that’s what Alexis is implying. She would think Harmony would have some sympathy for her situation because she’s also Wiley’s grandmother. Alexis says, true, but she thinks there’s more to it than that.
Sonny asks Frank to go outside and check on everything, and Frank leaves. Carly says she heard about the robbery last night, and just wanted to come by and make sure everything was okay. Sonny says, good thing Phyllis wasn’t here when it happened, and Carly says, what about Nina? She doesn’t want to get caught off-guard, so is there something she needs to worry about? He asks what she means, and she asks if it’s a sign his enemies are smelling blood in the water.
Elizabeth asks, what’s all this? and Chase says, Finn didn’t tell her? Finn says, Chase’s timing stinks. He was just about to when the doorbell rang. Chase says he knew this was a horrible idea, and starts to leave, but Elizabeth stops him, and says, what was a horrible idea? Finn says, he would have asked, but she’d just refuse, and she says, that is a horrible communication strategy. Chase says, his brother’s communication skills leave a lot to be desired, and Finn says, just as a reminder, he saved Chase’s life, so Chase owes him at least a year’s worth of slack. Chase says, he agreed to six months, so Finn’s coupon has expired. Elizabeth suggests they just let her know what’s going on, and Finn says, Chase is a cop, but he’s on suspension, so he needs to keep busy, and she needs security. So Finn thought Chase could stay here for a few days, just to keep an eye on things. She says, Dante and Jordan are sending patrol cars to check on the house, and no offense, but she doesn’t need a babysitter. Chase says, that’s not why he’d be here. He can try and find out who’s been trying to scare her family for months, and put a stop to it. I have to interject – WTH happened to Chase’s hair??? I think he’s been using Peter’s hairdresser.
Laura says she knows it’s a change in Aiden’s routine, but she promises they’ll have fun. She’s going to give him the run of the kitchen, and he can make Grandpa Kevin any dessert he wants, because he knows his grandpa has a sweet tooth. Lucy comes by, and says, that Doc, he hasn’t changed. Laura hugs her, and congratulates her on Deception’s IPO, and Lucy thanks her. She says she can’t get over it. She knew the company was good, and had high hopes, but she never thought the universe was going to grant her all of this. Laura says she bets Lucy is glad their plans to use the Deception brand as a day spa didn’t work out all those years ago. Lucy says, she appreciates Laura’s good will, but she did offer to set some stock aside for her, since Laura was a former partner in the early 2000s. Laura says she appreciates Lucy’s offer, but as mayor, she thinks it’s best she doesn’t have a vested interest in any of the local businesses, even one as successful as Lucy’s. Lucy says, it’s so crazy. She’s getting all these congratulatory bouquets from all the men in her life; Mac and Scotty and Martin… Not that Martin. She doesn’t talk to Martin. She talks too much, but she doesn’t talk to him right now. Laura says she knows Lucy is still dating her brother.
Carly says, what Nina did to Sonny is common knowledge. He didn’t retaliate and he didn’t punish her. Just the opposite. He protected her, and now he’s sleeping with her, so maybe it sent a message to the other families that he’s weak. He says, she’s overthinking it, and she asks what he’s talking about. Everyone knows he owns Charlie’s. Who would risk robbing the place? Was it one of the other families?Was it Selena Wu? He says, it’s not the Wu’s. He and Selena have an understanding. As far as the robbery, the Five Families mushroom risotto are down to two, so there’s going to be a lot of wannabes who want to make a name for themselves. She says, now that Jason’s gone… and he says, let him make her feel a little better about it. Brick is going to be taking over for Jason. She says she doesn’t want to know. She’s no longer his wife; she doesn’t want that responsibility. He asks what she does want, and she says, she wants his word that Donna and Avery are going to be safe; that they’re always going to be protected. He says, she knows he’s always going to protect his kids, and she asks if that’s equally true for his grandson.
Harmony says she guesses she has a couple of minutes, and Willow says she just wanted to give Harmony a heads up. Nina is petitioning for visitation with Wiley. There’s going to be a lot of media attention on their family. Michael joins them, and Willow says, she and Michael have had to make their peace with the press, but their interests may include their families. She’s sorry, but there’s a good chance the things Harmony has done in the past will be dredged up again. Harmony says she sees, and Willow says she just wants Harmony to know that whatever comes out, she doesn’t look at Harmony that way anymore. She made some horrible mistakes, but she was just as much a victim of Shiloh’s as Willow was. He manipulated her, but she found a way to break free, confessed to her crimes, and paid her debt to society. Michael says, that’s what makes her different from Nina, and Willow says, Harmony owned her mistakes and she’s become a better person for it; she’s grown. Harmony says that means more to her than Willow knows. She really has to go, but not before she does this. She hugs Willow, and says she always wants Willow to know that she’s the most important thing to her in this world. She loves Willow. She leaves, and Willow looks concerned.
Nina says she doesn’t know what this is to Alexis, and Alexis says, she just thinks something else is going on. Nina says, if there is, she’s just as much in the dark as Alexis is. She has no relationship with Harmony; no history with her. Except for… Smoltz walks in and says, hello, Chief. Alexis says, don’t ever call her that, and doesn’t he ever knock? He says he’s sorry for bursting in, but he has the feature of her dreams. He sees Nina, and says, talk about good timing. One of the major players in his feature is right here in front of him. He hopes Alexis isn’t poaching his leads again. Alexis asks if this is the feature he wants her to greenlight, and Nina says, what feature? Smoltz says, he was just interviewing Michael Corinthos and Willow Tate upstairs in the restaurant, about how Nina is dragging them to court, and how she’s spent the last year traumatizing their family. Any comments?
Lucy says, Laura knows she and Martin did have that one date, but then Valentin pointed out it could be a conflict of interest. So she and Martin discussed it, and decided not pursue things. Laura says, Martin is her brother; they talk. And actually, he’s very excited to see Lucy again after he comes home from visiting his mother next week. Lucy says, so when Laura talks to Martin, he mentions her? Laura says, yes. She and Martin haven’t been in each other’s lives for very long, but she can see a change in him. He’s lighter when he talks about Lucy, and Laura thinks his life is better with her in it. Lucy says, if she’s being honest, she’s quite fond of Martin. It’s been very hard, running around avoiding Valentin. It’s ridiculous. So she’s kind of been sending out this positive energy to the universe, asking the benevolent spirits if they’d help Valentin see that it’s okay that she and Martin could possibly be a couple. Of course (🍷), she’d never ask Martin to choose between his best friend, slash, most lucrative client ever. Laura says she can’t speak for her brother, but she doesn’t think it would be a hard choice for him. He’d choose Lucy hands down. Lucy thanks her, and says she thinks it’s just lovely to have Laura’s support. Laura says, of course (🍷), and tells Aiden that she’s going inside to get coffee. She asks if Lucy would mind waiting with him, and Lucy says she’d love it. Laura goes inside, and Lucy sits down. Aiden wonders if he can ask Lucy a question, and she tells him, yeah, shoot. What’s on his mind? He asks if she really believes in spirits.
Elizabeth says, she wishes Finn had run it by her first, and Finn says, she’d just turn him down. She says, yeah, because the whole point of her staying here was to show the intruder that their attempts aren’t working. He says, mm-hm, and she says, and this unknown mysterious person doesn’t get to dictate how she lives her life. He says, mm-hm, but that’s what they’re doing. She’s got Jake and Aiden staying at Laura’s. The only way to put an end to this is to expose who’s doing it. Chase says he respects everybody at the PD, but they can’t dedicate the time to this case. Somebody is still managing to sneak into her house undetected. She says, she knows. That’s the scariest part. She’s trying to convince herself this person doesn’t want to do harm to her and her boys; they’re just trying to send her a message – don’t forget me. Finn says he hopes she doesn’t mind he told Chase that her best guess is that it’s someone who doesn’t want her to move on from her husband. Chase says, but the woman who raised Franco has been cleared, as have her sons. He started thinking about other potential suspects, like Franco’s biological mom Heather Webber, but she’s still on D’Archam Island. She hasn’t even had any visitors since 2018. They can cross her off the list. Elizabeth says, whoever this is, they know intimate details of her marriage. It’s got to be someone close to her.
Nina tells Smoltz to get his phone out of her face. She gets up, and asks if Michael paid him to do a smear piece on her, but he says, no, nothing of the kind. This is a human interest story. Doesn’t she want her side of it on the record? Because Michael and Willow gave a very detailed account. These will be the first public statements made before the hearing is held. If he was her, he’d want to even the playing field, so to speak. She says she has something for him. Come close. She yells, go to hell! into his phone, and tells Alexis, great job cleaning up this sloppy tabloid. Nina storms out, and Smoltz says, when you get told go to hell often enough, it becomes meaningless. Alexis asks if Smoltz wants to explain himself, and he says he told her that he’d bring her a great feature, and here it is. Decent, upstanding young couple are being forced to defend their right to deny visitation with their child. He’s writing a legit story about the issues behind this legal battle. He thinks it will be a great read that will get him some real clout; same with TheInvader. She says she has no intention of printing this piece, but he says he thinks she’ll change her mind once she reads it, which is the least she can do, since she screwed him over with his revenge porn story.
Harmony waits in a wooded area, and flashes back to Willow saying, Harmony owned her mistakes, and she’s a better person for it. She takes the syringe out of her bag, when Brendon shows up, and she keeps it out of sight. He tells her, what does she say? Is she ready to make all this go away?
Carly says she’s sure Sonny knows Nina’s filed a petition for visitation. Apparently, she’s running around town trying to collect character references. People who will say she’s a terrific person, and she’s deserving of time with Wiley. He says, Nina assured him that she wasn’t going to put him in a compromising position. She doesn’t want him to take her side, and he wasn’t planning to. She asks what that means, and he says, does he believe Nina should be in Wiley’s life? Yes, but if Michael doesn’t want it, he’ll do what he can to support Michael’s position. She says she’s glad he’s picking his family over Nina. She really wishes he’d done that from the beginning. Sonny rubs his head, since he forgot what a headache Carly is.
Willow asks if her mom seemed nervous to Michael, and he says, jittery is the word he’d use. She says she’d hate it if this public exposure is too much for Harmony, and he says, her mom has survived much worse. He’s come to realize that Harmony has Wiley’s best interest at heart. Willow says, unlike Nina, and he says, they didn’t want this. Nina forced their hand. They’ll get through this, and so will her mom. She says, as much as she’s dreading the hearing – it can’t come soon enough – she just wants this to be over. Nina strides over to their table, and asks if Little Miss Sunshine decided to get down and dirty with the rest of them.
Alexis says, for the last time, she didn’t steal Smoltz’s story. Yes, she took the lead, but their story was entirely different than the tabloid fodder he’d written. He says, fine. If she isn’t interested in balancing the scales, at least see what he’s trying to do here. He envisions this as something you’d find in The Atlantic or New York magazine; a five-part feature bringing heavy traffic to The Invader’s website. She says, okay, and he sits down. He says, this isn’t just about a family court matter. It’s about the gaps that exist in our legal system. Nina Reeves effectively kidnapped Sonny Corinthos. She traumatized the whole family, including the child in question, Wiley Corinthos, who was deprived of his grandfather for close to a year. Now she gets to traumatize the whole family all over again by petitioning for grandparent visitation. And get this. Visitation might be granted, because technically what she did wasn’t a crime. This series is going to put a human face on the legal system that doesn’t overlap with justice. Isn’t that the kind of story Alexis has been encouraging since she started? She says, true, and he says, be honest. If she didn’t know the parties involved, wouldn’t she jump at the chance to publish this story?
Brendon asks Harmony, what’s the hold up? Doesn’t she want him out of her life? Let’s get this over with. She puts the syringe back in her bag, and hands him some money, saying, here. He asks, what’s this? and she says, his money. He says, it’s barely a thousand dollars (I guess he counts fast), and she says, it’s all the savings she has. But she’s staying at Alexis’s for free, and doesn’t have the overhead of a motel anymore, so she can pay him in installments. It won’t be today; maybe not for a few months or maybe a year. He asks if he looks like a bank. He knew she didn’t have the money. She was supposed to get it from Alexis. He guesses that settles it then. If she can’t keep her end of the deal, why should he keep his? She says, he’d be foolish to tell anyone what he knows about her, and he asks, how does she figure? She says, right now she’s in his debt. She’s already made the first payment, and will keep finding ways to pay him. Hell, he can lord it over her for the rest of her life, but the minute he tells anyone, that’s over. He’ll have no one else left to pump for money. He asks if that’s really what she thinks, because he sees it differently. What if he was to tell Michael Corinthos that information? If Nina was to find out Willow was her biological daughter, oh boy, would that complicate their visitation case. Michael hates Nina. He bets Michael would be willing to keep him on his payroll indefinitely to keep that information quiet. The guy’s loaded. Maybe he should skip Harmony altogether, and go straight to him. She says, if he’s wrong, Michael’s first call will be to his brother, the police detective, who will have him arrested for blackmail. He says he’s willing to bet Michael would rather pay to keep him quiet. If the truth does come out, it will destroy Harmony’s relationship with her so-called daughter, which is what she deserves for trying to buy him off with pennies on the dollar. Keep her down payment. He throws the money at her, and says, he can do much better. He starts to walk off, but she stops him, and says, he can’t, but he pushes her to the ground. Her stuff falls out of her purse, and he sees the syringe. He says, what the hell?
Elizabeth says, what’s unsettling is, whoever’s doing this knows her, knows her family. It’s like a horror film when the call is coming from inside the house. Chase says, she doesn’t know for sure it’s someone in her life who’s doing this. It could be some random fan of Franco’s artwork. She says, who’s getting in and out of her house without breaking in? That is not exactly comforting. Chase says, in today’s world, there are all kinds of ways to get private information on someone; bank records, social media, ID theft. She says she’s just so angry at herself for taking something to help her sleep. Clearly she knew someone was in the house, which is why she made it part of the dream. If she’d just woken up… Finn says, so she could freak out the perpetrator, and they’d hurt her or the boys? She says, or maybe she’d find answers, and Chase says, that’s why he’s here. There’s another way to find out who’s doing this. He takes a small piece of equipment out of his bag, and says, they catch them on camera.
Lucy tells Aiden, does she believe in spirits is a very cool, adult question. Where’s that coming from? He says, a book report for school, and she says, it’s great for his school to be so open minded. She’s more than happy to share what she knows with a new age enthusiast. He asks what she means, and she says, she believes the universe is a great big complicated, intricate, loving system with many, many realms within it. He says, realms. Like where dead people go? Is that where ghosts come from? She says, some people call them ghosts. You could call them spirits or fates, an energy that keep us on the right path, and keep us from following our worst impulses. Everybody calls it a different thing. He tells her, but she said she talks to the universe. Does that mean she can contact ghosts? She says, no. She doesn’t do that anymore. She learned her lesson. She doesn’t find herself so brazen to think she can talk to the dead. She leaves that to trusted, trained mediums. All this stuff can be tricky. For every loved one that just wants to fondly say hello, there are some really evil forces out there who are devious and will try to trick you, so it’s best to leave all that.Don’t even get involved. What she does, is put out positive vibes out into the universe and opens up her heart. That’s what she does instead. He says, right, and she says she hopes she didn’t confuse him too much. His grandma is coming back, so tell Laura that she had to go, but she enjoyed their chat. Ta! She leaves, and Aiden goes back to looking at the Ouija board article.
Sonny asks Carly if they have to rehash this again. He wanted to tell her about Nixon Falls. How many times has he said it. She says, then Jason died, then Sasha and Brando’s baby died; she knows. Phyllis comes out from the back, and says she found four empty cans of club soda in her office. How many is he going through a day? She and Carly say, hi, and Carly says, club soda, huh? Sonny says he told her, he cut back on drinking. Not entirely. The medication and the alcohol don’t work well together. She says she knows. She tried telling him for years, but he never listened. So what’s changed? Oh, let her guess.
Nina sits down, and tells Willow to admit she’s having a smear piece written about her. Michael says, it was a joint interview; he and Willow gave it together. Nina says, she’s come to expect dirty tricks from Michael, but now Willow’s joining in? And she’s still trying to act innocent? Willow says, she’s so fed up with Nina’s drama. There is no reasoning with her; no compromise. She wanted to go to court, so that’s where it will be decided. And if Nina has anything else to say to her, she can do it through Willow’s lawyer. Or she could always give her version of events to Smoltz. She’s sure Smoltz would love to talk to Nina. Nina says she’s in the media. She knows what they’re trying to do. They want to get it out in the press to try and influence a judge. Are these the kind of values Willow wants to instill in Wiley? Willow asks what kind of values Nina wants to teach him. How to lie to an entire family, and watch them grieve a dead man she knew was alive and well? Or maybe she could teach him how to break up a marriage, or sneak around people’s backs, like how Nina tried to use Willow’s mom to work WIllow after she turned Nina down. That’s right. She’s not going to let Nina play the victim anymore. Willow is on to her, and so is her mom.
Brendon grabs the syringe, and asks what Harmony is doing with this needle. She says, it’s not his; give it back. He asks, what’s in it? Is it heroin, like Neil was using? Is she a user too? Did she hook him on this stuff? Oh my God. His family never understood how or why Neil was using heroin. It wasn’t like him at all. He never used drugs, not even when he was experimenting as a kid. But it wasn’t Neil. Neil never shot up. It was her. She killed his brother, didn’t she?
Elizabeth says, security cameras? and Chase says he plans on sleeping during the day, and keeping watch at night, but he can’t be everywhere in the house at once. These are motion sensory cameras, and the second they sense someone walking around, they’ll start recording. He’ll place them at key points in the house. She says, she knows he’s trying to help… and turns to Finn, saying, it seems a little invasive. He says he understands, but it’s only temporary; one, two days tops, until it’s over. Elizabeth says she’s not going to fight with them. She’s willing to sacrifice some privacy if she can get answers. Chase says, if something else happens, they’ll have evidence. No one is getting in this house undetected.
Laura comes out, and asks Aiden, where’s Lucy? He tells her, Lucy said she had to run. Ta. What does ta mean? She says, it’s just another way to say goodbye, and he asks if they can stop by Logan’s on the way home. There’s something he wants to make for Grandpa Kevin, and he needs an emulsion blender. She says she guesses it’s her prerogative to spoil him. Let’s do it. She walks ahead, and he buys a Ouija board online.
Alexis says, Smoltz is right, and he says, what now? She tells him not to make her say it again. It was painful enough the first time. It is an interesting pitch, and if it weren’t for the persons involved, she’d write it. He says, before she has any ideas to write it herself, Michael and Willow gave him the exclusive. She says, fine. He can write it. But only if he uses an even hand, the human element in a non-exploitive way, and he allows Nina to tell her side of the story. Only then will she sign a deal for exclusive rights to it. He says, awesome, and she says, if she finds out he’s been underhanded or messy in any way, she reserves the right to kill it, and she will kill it. Does he understand? He says he does, but trust him, she won’t be disappointed.
Willow says, every time she’s tried being diplomatic with Nina, Nina has punished her for it. She’s done making peace with Nina. Nina says, Michael must be thrilled, and Michael says, Willow was determined to find a compromise, but Nina made that impossible. She chose this every step of the way. Up to and including going to court. Nina says, fine by her. They want a battle, she’ll give them a battle. She leaves, and Michael says, looks like it’s on.
Sonny says, his drinking or not dinking isn’t entirely about Nina, and Carly says, right. He says, okay, and walks in the back. Carly says she’s tempted to drink herself, and Phyllis says, they do make terrific bloody Marys, but she figures she’s the last bartender Carly wants to serve her. They haven’t talked much since Carly found out Phyllis knew the truth about Sonny and Nina, while she was enjoying Carly’s hospitality. Carly says, that’s what Nina does. She puts the people who make the mistake of caring about her in compromising positions. Phyllis says she loves Nina, but can’t argue against any of that. So before Carly finds out in court, she’s going to clear the air. She did vouch for Nina’s character to Willow’s mother. Carly says she didn’t know Phyllis knew Harmony. Why would Phyllis have any sway with her? Phyllis says, back in the day, she and Harmony – or Lorraine as she was called then – used to work in the same building in New York.
Brendon says, it all makes sense. Neil knew the truth about Harmony, didn’t he? And what? Did Neil threaten to do something about it? Did she kill him? Make it look like Neil accidentally overdosed himself? Does she know how much his family has struggled with that? They blamed Alexis. Harmony is living with her now. Harmony pleads for him to please listen, but he says, the police will listen to everything he now knows. Today. She tries to stop him, and they struggle. She puts her hands around his throat, and his foot slips. She shoves him off the edge of the cliff they’re conveniently standing near.
On Monday, Brad wants Britt to just tell him if the answer is no; Laura tells Felicia, that’s a Cassadine move; and Willow asks if Harmony is going somewhere.
👧🏻 Who’s Your Daddy…?
I guess when you’re on a soap, you just roll with it. I remember Anders Hove (Faison) being surprised that he suddenly had children.
I tend to agree here. I don’t know how healthy it is for the young ones to be involved in the drama. I don’t even know if it’s healthy to be watching it.
Treat those who are good with goodness, and also treat those who are not good with goodness. Thus goodness is attained. Be honest to those who are honest, and be also honest to those who are not honest. Thus honesty is attained. – Lao Tzu
I have no money, no resources, no hopes. I am the happiest man alive. – Henry Miller
If we do not maintain justice, justice will not maintain us. – Francis Bacon
It is almost always the cover-up rather than the event that causes trouble. — Howard Baker
Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts. – Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Just because you are paranoid does not mean they are not out to get you. – Henry Kissinger
This world would be a whole lot better if we just made an effort to be less horrible to one another. — Ellen Page
The only impossible journey is the one you never begin. – Tony Robbins
You know, everybody dies. My parents died. Your father died. Everybody dies. I’m going to die too. So will you. The thing is, to have a life before we die. It can be a real adventure having a life. — Jenny Fields (Glenn Close),The World According to Garp (written by John Irving)
🌳 Birds Singing In the Sycamore Tree…
For those who celebrate, a very Happy Passover and Happy Easter! There’s no spring break for the Dead, so a new season of FWD begins Sunday. Until then, stay safe, stay not consuming too many macaroons or chocolate bunnies, and stay leaving talking to the dead to trusted, trained mediums. You don’t want to invite evil, devious tricksters in. Don’t even get involved.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 