What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Anna looks in Valentin’s room window, and Porta tells her, Dr. Haddad said the surgery was very successful. She was able to remove all the bullet fragments. Anna says, good. So Valentin’s going to be all right? Portia says they have reason to be optimistic, and Anna says, he’s astonishingly resilient. Can she go in and see him? Portia says, sure. As Anna knows, she and Brook have been given familial privileges. Just encourage him to get some rest. Anna says she’ll try, but she’s not promising he will.

Anna goes in, and sits next to Valentin’s bed. She puts her hand over his, and he opens his eyes, saying, Anna. She asks if he missed her.

Chase walks past the reception desk, and Elizabeth says, looking good. How’s he feeling? He says, great. Too bad the doctors don’t agree.

Carly and Olivia walk into The Savoy, and Carly says, so this is their competition. Olivia says, hardly; they don’t serve food. They sit at a table, and Olivia says she’s so glad Carly agreed to come out tonight. She hears they have a spectacular bartender. Maybe they can make her an offer and steal her for the MetroCourt. Curtis says, not going to happen. He knows how to keep his employees happy. Olivia says he can’t blame a girl for trying, and Carly says, this place is great. She’s only heard good things. He thanks her, and says, stay tuned. He’s just getting started.

Marshall sits in Kelly’s, and looks at something on his phone about November 11. Maxie walks in, and joins Brook at a table. She asks where Yuri is, and Brook says, in the kitchen. The chef is from Belarus; go figure. She looks at her phone, and says, Gladys has been blowing up her phone all day. Please tell her that she’s come up with a plan to stop Gladys blackmailing her, so she doesn’t have to declare bankruptcy.

At the Savoy, Austin sits at the bar, when Gladys approaches, and asks for the house special cocktail. She tells Nika to only use the good stuff and keep her tab open. She puts Brook’s credit card on the bar, and says she doesn’t have to worry about the credit limit on this baby. She sees Austin, and says she knows him from GH. She was visiting a friend in ICU, Valentin Cassadine. He says she was, and she said she was family. She says, yeah, she shouldn’t have done that, but she really needed to talk to him. He laughs and says, of course (🍷) she did. It’s nice to see you again, Gladys Corbin. She says he remembered her name. It’s just Gladys, by the way. He says, any friend of Valentin’s…

Olivia tells Carly, it feels so good to be a customer instead of a host. They don’t have to take care of all the details. Carly asks what’s going on with her, and Oliva asks what she’s talking about. She’s just looking forward to relaxing with a lovely cocktail. Any chance of getting Sonny out for a drink? She’s barely spoken to him since he came back from the dead. Carly says, Sonny’s out of town. He’s catching up with an old acquaintance.

At Flatland Federal Prison, the guard tells Sonny that his phone has to be off for the duration of the visit, and Sonny shows him it’s off, saying, it’s going to be a short visit anyway. Sonny sits across from Cyrus, and they pick up the phones. Cyrus says, Sonny Corinthos. How does it feel to return from the dead? Sonny says, better than being locked up in here for life, and smiles.

Chase tells Elizabeth, he just had another check-up, and the doctor still won’t sign off on him going back to active duty. This extra caution has Finn written all over it. She says, he may be a little overprotective, but he’s just looking out for Chase. Finn wants to make sure Chase can go full-throttle without any relapses. Isn’t that what Chase wants too? Chase says he’ll try to be a more patient patient, and she laughs. He says, just don’t tell Finn he said that, and she says she wouldn’t dream of it. He says Finn is lucky to have her by his side.

On the phone, Brook says, thanks for letting her know. Keep her posted. She tells Maxie, Valentin’s awake, thank God. Anna said the surgery went well, and the doctors are optimistic. Maxie says she’s so relieved, and Brook says she is too. Let’s hope it continues that way. Maxie asks if Anna said anything about the search for Peter, and Brook says, only that the trail is cold. They haven’t seen any signs of Peter since Anna and Valentin saw him in Crete. Maxie says, great. That means Peter could be anywhere, including on his way to Port Charles.

Anna looks at her phone, and Valentin asks if he was sleeping. She says, just a little nap, and he says, it was rude of him; he’s sorry. She says he needs his rest to recover. She’s glad to say the surgery was very successful, and he says, of course (🍷) it was. She didn’t think he’d die on the operating table? That’s not his style. Anna says, she gave Brook an update; she sends her love. She’s going to bring Charlotte over tomorrow. He says, that’s very kind of her. Charlotte’s the only medicine he needs. She says, he does need actual medicine. The doctors are recommending a recovery protocol for him, and he says, no bouncy castle? She says, not yet, and he asks if Peter has resurfaced. Has Victor been of any use at all? She says, Victor wants to make a deal.

Carly and Olivia clink glasses, and Olivia says, Flatland Federal Prison, huh? Sounds like a real five-star destination. Carly says, Sonny thinks he might find out something useful from Cyrus, and Olivia says, she’s okay with Sonny taking a work trip so soon? Carly says, she wasn’t going to tell him that he couldn’t go, and Olivia says, that’s not what she asked. Carly says she gets that Sonny needed to go, and she’s trying to be okay with it. Olivia says, coming back must be a helluva adjustment, and Carly says, it is. They’re taking it one step at a time. Olivia says she really respects the way Carly is maintaining. The staff told her that Nina showed up at the MetroCourt the other day. How in the hell didn’t Carly slap her into next Tuesday? Carly says, because if she started, she wouldn’t stop. Jason had to physically drag her away from Nina when she found her at the Quartermaines. Olivia says, good thing he did too. Carly doesn’t want that woman to have any reason to bring her up on charges of assault. Carly tells her, that’s what Jason said, and she gets it, but it’s inside of her. You know the saying, seeing red? She gets like that every time she sees Nina. Every bone in her body wants to go after Nina. Olivia says she’d be completely justified in doing it. It’s just that there’s better ways. If Carly wants to change her mind, and evict Crimson from the MetroCourt offices, she’ll back Carly 100%. And Carly has a lawyer that’s a ninja. Diane could sue Nina, into bankruptcy, assuming she’s not already in prison. Carly says, Michael’s behind those charges, and Olivia says she had a feeling. Carly says, the night Nina was indicted, Michael looked at her, and asked why she hadn’t already gone after Nina. Olivia says, and why didn’t she? and Carly says, because of Sonny.

Gladys asks Austin how Valentin is doing, and he says there’s no way she could have known this when they met at the hospital, but he’s a physician there, so he can’t discuss patient information. Gladys says, well, he’s no fun. Her drink comes, and she says, but she is, takes it, and walks off. He flashes back to Brook being upset that Gladys is visiting Valentin, and ponders it.

Cyrus says he has more lives than a cat, and Sonny asks, what’s so important that Cyrus wanted to see him in person? Cyrus says, any change is refreshing from the monotony of prison, and Sonny says, get to the point or he’ll just leave. Cyrus says, after coming all this way? He doesn’t think so. Sonny tells him, think again, because he’ll just get in his jet and fly home, and consider it a day well spent, and you know why? Because he got to see Cyrus locked up with no chance of parole. Sonny leans forward, and says, Cyrus threatened his wife, his family, and his town. He got off easy. He’s just sorry nobody killed Cyrus.

Carly says Sonny doesn’t want her going after Nina, and Olivia says she would have thought Sonny would want Nina to pay. Carly says, Sonny thinks if she goes after Nina, it could blow back on them; make a bad situation worse. Right now, he just wants to focus on rebuilding their life together, and loving his children. Olivia asks how Carly feels, and Carly says she feels like they can rebuild their life, love their children, and they can flatten Nina. But Sonny has asked her to let it go, and she’s trying. She’s trying so hard. She loves Sonny so much, but she grieved him for nine months and has to put her energy there. They have to figure out who they are now. Olivia says she just can’t get her head around Sonny wanting to turn the other cheek, and Carly says, I know, right? She used to know Sonny like the back of her hand. Be able to tell you how he was going to react, and be right 99% of the time, but not now. Nixon Falls changed Sonny. Olivia asks if they’re okay, and Carly says they’re working at it. Olivia says, and Carly’s contribution is not annihilating Nina? Carly says, that’s part of her contribution, and Olivia says she respects Carly. She’s doing a helluva job. She had no idea how much this was costing her. Carly thanks her, and says, what about her? Olivia says, what about her what? and Carly says she can tell Olivia’s going through something too.. If Olivia wants to talk to her about what she’s going through, Carly is there to listen. Olivia says, it’s just hard, and Carly asks if it’s Leo. Olivia says, why does everyone think something’s wrong with Leo? Her son is absolutely perfect. Carly says, Olivia told her that Leo was going to the doctor the other day, so she just assumed, and Olivia says, sorry, her bad. She’s all over the place. Carly asks if she can help, but Olivia says, no. She thinks she and Ned are headed for divorce.

Austin tells Curtis, he can’t believe this place is new, and Curtis says, just a couple months old. Austin says, it’s got a really great vibe, and Curtis tells Austin, he just said what every new club owner wants to hear. Why doesn’t he stick around? Austin says he will, and Curtis says, if Austin likes live music, he should come back tomorrow, because he’s booked the hottest group out of Detroit right now. Austin says he might just do that; it sounds like quite the night. Curtis says, it will be, and with the talent he’s bringing in, and fine clientele like Austin, he should have no problem putting The Savoy on the map.

Valentin asks Anna where the WSB is keeping the man now claiming to be his father. In the Hague? She says, right now they’re keeping him in Port Charles. They want him to be close to her so she has access during her investigation. He asks if she’s spoken to Victor, but she says she’s been a bit busy, sitting vigil by a friend’s bedside. He says, her friend is a very lucky man. She wonders if she can ask him a question. How does he feel about Victor’s claim to be his father? He doesn’t know. he wouldn’t put it past Helena. It does sound like something she’d do, have an affair with her husband’s brother, but he’s going to need more than Victor’s word. She says, so he’s not dismissing it out of hand? and he says he doesn’t think it matters one way or the other. It’s just a little unsettling to think, if he’s telling the truth, that makes Charlotte and Bailey his granddaughters.

A waitress serves Marshall his meal, and Brook tells Maxie that Valentin can’t find out Bailey isn’t his daughter until Peter is caught. He’s more likely to understand if Peter is locked up or dead, which wouldn’t exactly be a tragedy. Maxie says, it would obviously be safest for Bailey, but right now, the danger is closer to home. How are they going to neutralize Gladys? Brook says, that woman’s a menace. It’s like Gladys actually enjoys causing trouble. Maxie says, since Gladys’s only priority is herself, they have to convince her that telling Valentin will cost her more than she’d gain. They need leverage. Brook says, the problem is, neither one of them can be the one to set the trap. If she smells either of them, she’ll be on guard. Maxie says, they need a third party, but Brook says, they can’t bring in another person. Maxie says they don’t have to tell him why they’re going after Gladys, and Brook says, him? Who’s him? Maxie says, what was his name? Pip?… Skip?… Trip?… Brook asks if they’re talking about a person or a puppy, and Maxie says she has to call Nina. Chase comes in, and Brook says it’s good to see him up and about. He says, it’s good to see the both of them. He’s glad he ran into Maxie. He’s been studying her daughter’s kidnapping case while he’s been on desk duty.

Cyrus tells Sonny, they’re done here. Don’t let him keep Sonny from his jet plane. Sonny says, be sure of that. This is the one chance Cyrus has of Sonny sitting across from him. If he leaves, he’s not coming back, no matter what Cyrus claims to know. Cyrus says, like he told Sonny; anything to break the monotony. Sonny says, whatever gets him through the night, and Cyrus says he thinks they should discuss terms first. Sonny asks what he wants, and Cyrus says he’s done well for himself here, but his reach has been somewhat limited. If he helps Sonny, perhaps Sonny will do him a favor somewhere down the line. Sonny says, perhaps, and Cyrus says, Sonny’s wife and Jason tried to fill Sonny’s shoes while he was away, but he thinks they overreached when they killed Novak and Buscema, and he’s not alone. Sonny says he doesn’t know what Cyrus is talking about. From what he heard, the cops don’t have a lead on who planted that bomb. Cyrus says, it’s a mystery to be sure, but he returned at a turbulent time with two heads of families gone. Sonny says he’s managing fine, and Cyrus says, for now. He hears someone is headed for Port Charles, determined to fill one of those slots, and get revenge.

At the docks, a man tells Joey, welcome back. How was Warsaw? Joey says, it was well until he got the news, and the man says, condolences on his uncle. Vincent Novak was a great man. Joey says, yes, and looks to the sky. He says, the Corinthos organization was responsible for his death. Now that he’s back, they’re most surely going to pay. Has he been following her like Joey asked? The man says, every step; he knows exactly where she is. Joey says, good. He can’t wait to see Carly Corinthos again.

Elizabeth finds Portia looking out the window in her office, and asks if something is wrong. Is it Valentin Cassadine? Portia says, no, just the opposite. She just told Anna that Valentin’s surgery was successful. Elizabeth says, that’s great. She’s sure Anna is happy to hear that. Is everything okay with Portia? Portia says she thinks she’s fighting off a stress headache, and Elizabeth asks if it has to do with Trina, but Portia says, no, thank God. It’s Curtis. She can’t shake the feeling that he might be in some trouble.

Chase says he has some more questions about the night Maxie’s daughter went missing, and Brook asks if he can be any more insensitive. Blindsiding Maxie, asking her questions about her missing child? He says he didn’t mean to blindside her; he’s just trying to plug up some holes in the investigation. Brook says, by charging in, and interrogating the victim. She tells Maxie that she’s so sorry. Does Maxie want to take a moment, and gather herself? She’ll totally understand. Maxie says, if they’ll excuse her for a minute, and leaves. Chase says he didn’t mean to upset her. Damn, that was all kinds of wrong. Is he really that rusty? She says she knows he’s not trying to hurt Maxie, but she’s struggling more than she lets on. She just finished telling Brook that she’s looking to move forward for Georgie and James’s sake, but she knows it’s all a front. Maxie’s not going to be okay until Peter is caught, locked up, and baby Louise is back in her arms. He says, that’s exactly why he’s reviewing this case. The events of the night Maxie gave birth, they don’t add up.

Anna says Valentin turned into such a wonderful father for Charlotte, and now for Bailey, and he says, parenthood has a way of shifting one’s priorities. He doesn’t have to tell her that. Look how motherhood has softened her. She’s no longer the steely, ambitious WSB agent she was years ago. She says, somehow, she doesn’t picture it softening Victor in any way. He says he doesn’t think so either, and takes it Victor hasn’t given her any more information about Peter. She says, Victor insists a deal before he tells them anything, and he says, maybe Victor will talk to him. She says, no, and he says, yes. Bring him here. He needs to see Victor.

Sonny tells Cyrus that he expected someone step in and try to take over the Novak family; also the Buscema family. Does Cyrus have any names? Cyrus says, Joey Novak’s time in Poland has come to an end, and Sonny says, Joey? He’s a hotheaded braggart. Cyrus says, what’s more dangerous than a braggart with a gun and something to prove?   

Carly says she thought Olivia and Ned were doing better, and Olivia says she can’t count the times she supported Ned in his arguments with the family. The one thing he needs him to see her side on, he can’t, or he won’t. He just keeps pushing and pushing. Carly asks what he’s pushing about. She doesn’t understand. Gladys plops herself down at their table, and Carly says, this is not the time, but Olivia says, it’s all good. She’s going to get another round. She heads for the bar, and Gladys asks how Sonny is. She left him a ton of messages, but he hasn’t gotten back to her. Carly says, then she assumes he doesn’t want to talk to her, and Gladys says, don’t be like that. She just wants to welcome him home, and let him know how much everyone missed him. Joey comes to their table, and says, not everyone. Hiya, Carly. Long time no see.

Brook tells Chase, of course (🍷) things don’t make sense. That night was complete chaos. He says, that’s why he needs to question Maxie again. Witnesses can remember things, and they don’t even realize it. She says, or his question could further traumatize Maxie. It could make Maxie feel even guiltier for not stopping that crazy fake nurse. He promises he’ll be very sensitive, but questions need to be asked to make progress in this investigation. And he’s not going to stop until baby Louise is found.

Portia says, it’s a little too coincidental that TJ’s patient disappeared, and Elizabeth says, he was asking questions about Curtis, right? Portia says he was, and the general description matched the man she spoke to. Then again, that description could match a hundred men. They can’t be sure it’s the same guy. Elizabeth says she has a sketchpad in her locker. If Portia can describe him, she can draw him. Portia says, like a police sketch? and Elizabeth says, unofficially, she’s done it before, and it’s been pretty accurate. Portia can show TJ and see if he recognizes him. Portia thanks her, and says she just needs to know one way or the other. I notice the background music is also used in Planet Terror. It’s not the first time.

Olivia sees Austin at the bar, and says, spectacular. Just what the night needed. He says, enjoying herself? and she says she was until she bumped into him. He says he’ll leave her to it. Have a great night. He leaves, but she follows him, and says, she just has to ask. What exactly did he say to her husband about her son? He says, excuse me? and she says, Ned’s got his head all turned around, looking for problems where they don’t exist, and it all started with him. He says, Ned is listed as next-of-kin, and he has access to Leo’s medical records. It was not a HIPPA violation to talk to him. She tells him, she didn’t say it was against the law, but wouldn’t he say he was sticking his nose where it didn’t belong? He says, Ned came to him. Let him ask her something. What motive could he possibly have to lie about Leo? What could he possibly gain? She says, let her think. A check with a bunch of zeros on it, or a bunch of ELQ stock? He says he’s already signed over his claim, and she says, Ned came to him after he’d already signed those papers?  

Carly says, it’s Mrs. Corinthos, and Joey says, he thought it was Mrs. Morgan. It’s hard to keep track. She says she’s not surprised that he’s stupid enough to come back to Port Charles, but even he should know not to approach her directly. He says he’s giving her a chance to pay her respects to his uncle who was murdered, and she says she’s well aware Vincent Novak is dead. She’s also aware he wanted her and Jason dead. It’s kind of ironic, isn’t it? Gladys says she thought she recognized Joey. She was with his uncle that day as his date. It’s only by the grace of God she wasn’t in the limo with him and that other guy. Carly says, yeah, tragic accident. Joey says, they both know it wasn’t an accident, and it won’t go unanswered. He considers anyone in the Corinthos family fair game. Carly laughs, and says he really wants to come after them? He says, what’s funny about that? and moves toward her. She stands up, and Curtis grabs Joey from behind. Curtis says he had Joey thrown out of there one time, but he’ll be glad to do the honors this time. Joey says Curtis doesn’t know who he’s messing with. He’s head of the Novak family. He won’t be treated like this. Curtis says, tell his story walking. He doesn’t give a damn who Joey’s the head of. Don’t come back. Joey yells that Carly will regret this.

Sonny says, Joey is a punk. He gets no respect. He can’t run the Novak organization; they’ve had one challenge after another. What about Paulie, the oldest nephew? Cyrus says, dead. An untimely car accident; break failure. (I’m laughing because they always sound like they’re from the 1970s Godfather.) Sonny asks if Cyrus is telling him the family is actually backing Joey, and Cyrus says, hasn’t he heard that saying, only a fool would underestimate someone with nothing to lose? Sonny says, message received. He’ll let Cyrus know if he’s right about the Novak family. He hangs up the phone, and starts to leave, but Cyrus bangs on the window, and motions him back. Sonny picks up the phone, and says, what? Cyrus says, just one more thing. Has Sonny seen Laura? How is his sister?

Olivia comes back to the table, and says she heard the commotion. Is everything okay? Gladys says, that guy Joey threatened them, her included. Carly says she thinks Gladys is going to be fine, and Olivia says, what about Carly? Was the threat legit? Carly says, it was just Joey Novak’s pathetic posturing. They’ll be fine. Curtis asks if everything is okay. He’s sorry that guy harassed them. He had Nika set them up with a round of drinks. Gladys says, oh good. She’ll be at the bar. Her nerves are shot. Carly says she’s so sorry. She should have had her guys inside the club; she wanted to be inconspicuous. Curtis says, no worries. It’s his club, his responsibility. If she thinks that guy is going to be a problem later, he can set her up with an escort. Carly says, no. Her guys can handle him, and he’s really not very bright; he’s just a hothead. Curtis says he does know who Joey is, and he knows what Joey is. It’s not his first time dealing with him. Did he hear him say that he was positioning himself as head of an organization? She says, he did, and Curtis says, his advice? Never turn your back on a hothead with something to prove.

Anna says, in what universe does Valentin think she’d bring Victor there to see him? Don’t answer that question. It’s rhetorical; it’s not going to happen. He asks why they have to fight about everything, and she says, because he’s unreasonable. He says, Peter has escaped twice now. They have to stop him before he causes any more damage. If that means using Victor for everything he knows, then so be it.

Carly says, so much for their night on the town, and Olivia says, sorry she’s bad company. Carly says, that’s not what she meant. She’s the one who’s a target for Joey Novak. Olivia says, which was not her fault, and Carly says, the point of going out was to make themselves feel better. That’s not happening. Olivia thinks she’ll feel better when she talks to a divorce lawyer.

Portia comes into the club, and Curtis says she looks beautiful. He wasn’t expecting to see her tonight. She says she couldn’t stay away, and asks if anything unusual happened. He says he had to take the trash out, but it’s all good now. How’d she find out? She says she was referring to the man who was asking questions around town about him. She says they can thank Elizabeth that they have proof. TJ’s mystery patient and the man she ran into outside Kelly’s are the same man. He hasn’t seen him today at all? Curtis says, he doesn’t know what the man looks like; he’s never seen him. Portia takes the sketch out of her bag.

Marshall gets up, and leaves Kelly’s.

Maxie comes back, and Chase says he’s so sorry if he upset her. She says, it’s okay. It hits her hard sometimes. He says he can’t imagine, but he does need to ask her questions at some point. He wants to walk her through the night again. He’s hoping she remembers something she didn’t before. She says she knows the drill. Her stepdad is acting Police Commissioner, remember? She’ll do whatever it takes to get her daughter back safe in her arms.

Cyrus says he’s tried contacting Laura, but got no response. He knows she’s upset with him, but it’s unlike her to make no reply at all. Tell him she’s fine. Sonny says he’s not going to talk about Laura to Cyrus, and Cyrus laughs, saying, here he thought Sonny’s time away might have changed him. Where was he all those months? Did he really not remember his life, or did he just run away for a while? Sonny says he doesn’t run, and Cyrus says, that’s right. It would be difficult to spend your whole life looking over your shoulder.

Chase says, all he wants is to find Maxie’s baby; they’re covering all their bases. He’ll be in touch. He’s sorry if he interrupted their evening. He leaves, and Maxie says, now Chase wants to ask her questions? Brook says, definitely not good, and Maxie says she hopes Anna can find Peter soon, so the lying can stop, and she can have her baby back in her arms. Brook says, one crisis at a time. Did she reach Nina? Maxie says she did; the guy they’re looking for is Kip. Nina had his contact info, so she called him; he’s totally in. Their plan to take down Gladys is a go. Brook puts her hand on the table, and Maxie puts hers on top of it. They both look like they’re trying to laugh

Anna tells Valentin, she wants to let Victor stew by not appearing too eager. Maybe that way he’ll cooperate. He asks how that’s working for her, and she says she doesn’t think Victor realizes that she can only make a suggestion for immunity. The final decision is above her paygrade. He tells her not to sell herself short. She still has a lot of influence, but let him handle this one. Bring him Victor. She says if she brings Victor there, he’ll use his claim as Valentin’s father to manipulate him, and he says he knows that. Doesn’t she think he knows that? Victor will be manipulating him, but he’ll be manipulating Victor right back.

Austin goes back to the bar, where Gladys is ordering two shots of bourbon; the good stuff. He asks if she’s okay. Who was that guy? She says, Joey Novak. His uncle escorted her to Carly and Jason’s wedding. Worst first date ever. She doesn’t want to talk about it. Nika tells Gladys that Curtis comped her previous drink, and Gladys says, that’s real nice of him. She downs the shot, and tells Nika to give herself a good tip. Austin notices Gladys’s credit card says Brook on it, and she says Brook wanted her to have a night out for all her hard work. Austin says, she seems nice. Maybe Gladys wants to sip the next one. Gladys says, if she can handle Brook, she can handle anything. She could tell him some stories. He says, no kidding. Then the next round is on him. She says, no, and holds up Brook’s card.   

Portia says, she described the man, and Elizabeth drew this picture, showing Curtis the sketch. Curtis takes it, and she says, when she showed it to TJ, he confirmed that was his patient. Nika looks over Curtis’s shoulder, and says, that’s the music fan who was in here the other night. The one she thought she’d introduce Curtis too, but then he left. He asks if she’s sure, and she says, that’s him. Portia says, Curtis doesn’t recognize him at all? and Curtis says he’s never seen him before, but there’s something familiar about him.

At the docks, Joey tells his buddy, the Corinthos organization is going down. He yells that he’s going to run this town. The Savoy will make a good cover business, doesn’t dude think? Dude says, Joey wants to take over the place they just got thrown out of? and Joey says, he’ll enjoy giving Curtis an attitude adjustment. He’ll sell that club to him or else. He tells dude to schedule a meeting with the family, and dude says he’s got it. Dude runs off, and Joey turns to leave. He sees Marshall standing in the entrance.

Sonny says he’s had enough of Cyrus, so he’s done. If Cyrus gets bored, Sonny wants Cyrus to think of him; celebrating holidays, taking vacations, going to great restaurants and eating good food, being with his family. Something Cyrus will never do for the rest of his life. Cyrus says he’ll be in touch about that favor, and Sonny says, don’t hold his breath. Sonny leaves, and takes out his phone in the hallway, looking at his messages. He calls Carly, and asks, what’s up? She asks if he’s done with his visit, and he says he is. He’s heading to the plane. She says, guess who’s back? and he says, Joey Novak. She says, yep, and he asks if Joey has given her any problems. She says he tried to hassle her at The Savoy a little while ago and got tossed out. How did he know Joey was back? He says he’ll explain when he gets home. Call Tony to make sure she gets home without any problems. She says, already done. Fly safe. She loves him. He says he loves her too. He’s back, and he’s going to take care of everything.

Tomorrow, Alexis tells Spencer that going to his father is a terrible idea, Valentin wonders what the catch is, Ned asks if Ava has something in mind, and Esme says Harmony knows better than anyone.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills – The Reunion – Part Four

Andy asked for a show of hands on who thought Erika had no idea what Tom was up to, and everyone agreed she hadn’t. Crystal wondered where Erika’s anger at Tom was, causing Erika to get angry at Crystal, and ask if she was angry enough now. Andy said when Erika was being asked what were reasonable questions, she was lashing out at everyone. Erika’s answer was, why wouldn’t she? How would he feel if he was accused of the same things she was? He said he’d be furious, but if a friend was asking, he’d try to make them understand without isolating them. Erika said she wasn’t showing the emotion people wanted her to, but Andy said it was about understanding, and that Erika shouldn’t think they were against her. Erika said, she’d been controlled about what she said at Kyle’s dinner, but she’d been hurt by Sutton saying she wasn’t buying what Erika said, and that Erika had made a deal with the devil. We flashed back to all that, and Sutton saying when you make a deal with the devil, the devil always comes knocking. Erika said they could read about it, or talk to her about it instead. Dorit told Erika, if she’d said it like that the first time, she wouldn’t get the same reaction. Erika asked if Dorit would like being called a liar, and being sued every day. People said incredible things about her, but she was bothered when it came from the people closest to her. Several of the women pointed out that Erika’s main issue had been with Sutton, who she wasn’t close to. Erika said she as thinking about the dinner where Dorit, PK, Kyle, and Mauricio laughed at her life. Kyle said she couldn’t control what other people did, although Kyle didn’t say, hey, don’t talk like that, either. Erika said she couldn’t control what Tom did or didn’t do, and Andy asked who believed the article that said Erika’s divorce had been a sham. No one did.

Dorit said the LA Times article was the first time they’d heard about any of it, and Erika hadn’t been there. Emotions were high because they didn’t have answers. Erika said they should have had her there, and Andy said that was a good point, but she’d just left. Garcelle said, Erika had left because of something she’d asked. Should they have brought her back to ask more questions? A viewer asked when Erika realized there was money trouble, and she said when she was on Broadway. Andy said he’d heard that Tom was having financial trouble years ago, and we saw a headline about Bethenny revealing this. Andy said Twitter had gone nuts about her not using waterproof mascara, and Camille had weighed in. Jamie from Albany said she wasn’t buying the pity party; it was acting. Erika said she had allergies with mascara, and she didn’t need sympathy, pity, or someone who wasn’t on the show anymore giving their two cents. Andy asked if she’d spoken to Tom since he’d gone to assisted living, and she said, it was sad. She got teary, and told Andy, after the pictures came out where Tom had a black eye, she wanted to make sure he was in the right place. We flashed back to Garcelle bringing up Tom calling Erika to the rest of the group, and Andy asked why she’d been upset when she’d said something that was on camera? Erika said she hadn’t been wearing a mic, didn’t answer those calls, and didn’t want to give the impression she was talking to him. People would say they were in cahoots. Andy asked if he was still calling, and she said he’d called five times today. Andy asked if she’d expressed her anger to Tom, and she said she asked how he could put her in this position. Andy wondered if she’d asked if he did it, and she stopped and started like a broken robot on Westworld for a moment. She finally said, she asked why he would leave her with millions of dollars of lawsuits pointed at her. She did that crying like when the tears just fall out of your eyes individually.

Andy asked again about Tom stealing, and she said he didn’t acknowledge anything. It didn’t matter what he said anyway, since he was declared incompetent. Dorinda said, so he wasn’t capable of understanding, and Erika said, not when she presses. She probably shouldn’t even be telling them this. Andy said the big bombshell was the $20 million that was transferred to her LLC. Erika insisted that never happened, and said her lawyer wrote to Page Six and everyone else, but there was no response. She’d spent $14 million over twelve years, which came out to two million a year; about the same as everyone else in the group spent. At this point, Kathy refreshed her lipstick, and I’ll bet she’d been eating off a TV tray in her head this whole time. Erika said she was being sued by everyone who thought she had a magical pot of gold. She asked if everyone at the firm should take a hit. There was more discussion about the timeline of Tom’s cognizance and him ripping people off, and she said, by all accounts, he’d been an upstanding man in the community. If she’d known anything, she woudn’t have gone on a reality show. There wasn’t a master plan, just a tragic sequence of events. Andy brought up Sutton saying one of the partners had left because their wife thought something was off. Erika wanted to know where that came from, and Sutton said she didn’t know. Erika said she’d like a name, that it would help her, and Sutton said she’d find out. Andy asked, aside from the meeting, what had surprised Erika most, and she said why they believed what they heard when the source was right there. She’d worked hard to be open and honest, and felt like she got sh*t on. Clearly, she was not angry or sad enough. She couldn’t win. I actually don’t think that she knew anything illegal was going on. Did she not want to know is another question, but it’s irrelevant. The problem I have, and I think a lot of viewers have, is Erika’s visceral reaction to being questioned at all.

Crystal thought her question had been reasonable, and LisaR said she knew better than anyone that talking behind someone’s back never worked. Andy brought up LisaR’s accusation that Yolanda had Munchausen’s (something we will never, ever be allowed to forget), and questioned that Kim was sober, saying she was near death. Garcelle wondered why LisaR pushed Sutton to question Erika, and Kyle said that was on Sutton. Andy said Erika was pretty scary, saying she was coming after Sutton. Erika said – get this one – that when she meant is that everyone had their own personal stuff they could be dealing with, and when it was Sutton’s turn, she wouldn’t give Sutton the grace she’d asked for. Sutton said she’d been through it this year too. Andy said that wasn’t how it came off, and we flashed back to Erika saying she’d be coming for Sutton. Erika said, it was just slang, and said if this exchange had happened on one of the other shows, it would be called a conversation. It was only in Beverly Hills where they were so precious. Andy showed a tweet with a screenshot of Erika’s angry face, and the poster saying Erika wasn’t once called a bully. Underneath, Garcelle had replied, thank you. Garcelle said she regretted not intervening and deescalate the situation. Sutton said she’d hired security for a while, which Erika found funny, but Sutton said Erika had told her that she was coming after her and her family. Erika said Sutton had come after her and her family. It wasn’t okay to say she was a liar, and had made a deal with the devil. Sutton said she had her opinion, and Erika said she had hers. Sutton was like, cool, but bring it to the table like an adult. Erika said she was an adult, and Sutton said it didn’t seem like it. In response, adult Erika said it seemed like Sutton was being a bitchy effing c-word. Alrighty then.

Sutton said she didn’t know Erika well, and Erika said Sutton didn’t know her well enough to call her a liar. She shouldn’t read an article and jump to conclusions. Sutton said Erika pretended to be her friend in Del Mar, and we flashed back to Erika being all apologetic. Sutton said she’d thought Erika was sincere, but she was lying. Erika said she wasn’t lying, she was just playing Sutton’s ass. Which is lying, but okay. Everybody thought liar was a strong word, which made me think maybe Erika was right about the precious thing. Erika said it was a vulnerable moment where the consequences were big. They talked about Tom’s car accident, and Erika said she’d left things out to protect Tom. When he was declared incompetent, everyone got the full story. Andy said viewers questioned that LisaR had questioned Yolanda, Kim, and Denise, yet it was crickets when it came to Erika. We flashed back to all those things, and LisaR said she regretted everything, and wished she could take it back. It haunted her and she had to live with herself and the consequences of her actions. Andy said the group had a lot of conversations about LVP, and Erika said, LVP ran, she didn’t. That’s because LVP can do whatever she damn well pleases. She is the Queen.

Andy reminded Erika that Sutton had flown everyone out by private jet to see Chicago when Erika was in it. He didn’t understand why she’d flipped on Sutton. Erika started off by saying Sutton was so worried about her reputation, then they got to the part I hate the most – everyone talking at once. I have no idea what any of them said, but it ended with Erika yelling if anyone was going to back her TF up, and everyone agreeing with her because they were terrified. She asked why Andy was smiling at her, and he said because she was a piece of work, and he’d never met anyone like her. They talked about the car accident again, and Erika told this long, drawn out story, and got pissed when Dorit interrupted to ask a question. It was weird though, when Andy asked how it was snowing where her son had been when Tom had the second accident, and she said she wasn’t getting into it. Now I’m curious. We found out Tom’s children don’t speak to her, and this had driven a massive wedge between them. I don’t imagine they’ve ever been in love with the age difference. She told Andy that she could serve the  victims best by cooperating with the investigation, and Dorit told her that she should have said that in the first place. Erika claimed her lawyer already had. Andy said she’d answered every question, and thanked her. Erika thanked everyone for hearing her, and said it was a situation that wasn’t going to be resolved easily. Then Kathy suddenly apologized to Garcelle for missing a dinner, saying she was still in covid quarantine. Because she was off visiting in the man in the moon while Erika talked.

Andy had some final thoughts, and asked if Sutton could redo anything, what would it be? Sutton said her conversation with Crystal; she would have just listened. He asked what Dorit wanted to be known for, and she said, being a good mom. He asked what surprised Kathy the most, it being her first season. She said, how real it all was, and the sisterhood. She adored all the girls, and she’d had fun. Andy said Crystal had a rough entry, but loosened up, and shared herself. He asked what it meant to have a new group of friends, and Crystal said, it was a new transition, but she kept an open mind and heart, and it was nice that it ended the way it did. We saw a clip of her toasting at the Chinese New Year party, saying, it had been the most remarkable year of her life, and they were all part of it. Andy asked if Garcelle felt more like an insider now, and she said she did. He asked if she got the resolution she was looking for at the Reunion, but she says she didn’t come in with anything particular in mind. She’d decided to just see where things were going to go. He asked what LisaR’s biggest takeaway was, and she said she didn’t know how it would go. The year before, she’d gotten no resolution, so she felt good about what happened, and insisted she was a good friend. They all agreed, and I told her, if you say so. Andy said Erika’s life had been under a microscope, and asked what she hoped to take away. She said nothing other than honoring her commitment. She came with an open heart, and appreciated telling her story. Andy asked if Kyle felt responsible for bringing everyone together, as far as both her family and the group went, and she said she did. She’d had a great time with her sister, and she was happy about that.

Andy said it had been a great season all the way around, which I translated to mean, thank God Erika had serious legal problems this season and kept a storyline going. Kathy’s butlers Patrick and Carlos passed out martinis, and Andy said he was glad Patrick hadn’t been traumatized by the group. Next to Michael on Southern Charm, Patrick is my favorite butler. Kathy said, bottoms up, and Sutton and Crystal actually drained their glasses. Crystal told Sutton that they were alike. Aww! I guess.

🏚 On the horrifying car accident I can’t look away from – aka Winter House – last week, Austen had said he loved Lindsay… like a sister, shattering her whole fantasy life. Jason announced that he was having a keg delivered, and they were having a beer bash in which they also had to choose a drinking partner. Ciara told Austen that if he and Lindsay needed to figure things out, she’d step aside, but instead, they made out. Andrea said his dream was to marry an American girl, and move back to Italy. I couldn’t figure this out, since, why not just stay in Italy? Lindsay told Luke that she and Austen could communicate through their eyeballs, and a huge, messy frat party commenced. A frat party with almost 40 year olds. Julia said just because she had a boyfriend, didn’t mean she couldn’t have fun. I kept looking for the fun, but didn’t find any. Amada whined that Kyle worked all day, then just wanted to be part of the boys group. Paige danced on a table with Andrea. After telling Julia that she liked Luke, Gabby found Julia grinding on him, and in her interview, she said, Julia didn’t want Luke; she just wanted the attention. A producer asked if Julia had ruined past relationships for Gabby, and she said, yeah. You’d think the follow-up questions would be, why are you friends, and why are you feeding her information? But no.

Amanda called her mom to vent, going into the bathroom to talk. Kyle got sh*tfaced, and hunted for Amanda to the point where he was literally crying. This prompted Lindsay to hunt Amanda down and legit carry her back to Kyle. He cried that she only used that bathroom when she pooped, so no one was going to look for her there. Yes, this is the highbrow show I’m watching. Gabby told Paige that she and her ex broke up because of Julia, and told her about seeing Julia hitting on him when Julia knew she liked him. Unlike the fantasy relationship in Paige’s head, Andrea said they were taking it easy, since he’d just come from a relationship that hadn’t ended well. Gabby confronted Julia, who said she just didn’t see it Gabby’s way. In Gabby’s interview, she said Julia’s ego didn’t allow her to be wrong. Lindsay complained that she thought it was going to be a fun, flirty vacation with her best friend, but she ended up alone, which is a good example of why you should set those expectations up ahead of time with the other person. Ciara corralled Paige to help her get dressed for a date with Austen, and in Amanda’s interview, she said she remembered those days of dressing up. Now she just rolled out of bed. Austen and Ciara doubled with Amanda and Kyle. Austen didn’t know if he was ready to move on, but decided to get involved anyway. Back at the Bad Choices House, Andrea did squats with  Paige sitting on his shoulders. In her interview, she said while her friends were on a date, she got asked to be bench pressed.

Next time, Paige gets her date, and a carriage ride.

🥤 Hands down, the best thing about this show are the tiny Solo cups. I’m obsessed.

👼🏽 I’ll Sleep In the Next Life…

Tomorrow, join me for soap, some fashion, and more costume fun. Until then, stay safe, stay reaching for the stars, and stay remembering to never turn your back on a hothead with something to prove, or underestimate someone with nothing to lose.