(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and a GH blow-by-blow on Fridays)
General Hospital
Anna went to see Jack at the hospital, but they were interrupted by John. John wondered what they had to discuss.
Elizabeth called Chase, but he and Brook were about to knock on Finn’s door, so it went to voicemail. The door was unlocked, and they went inside. Chase called to Finn, who came out from the back. He said it was a nice surprise, but early. What brought them by?
Spinelli told Sam that he’d gotten past the FBI firewall, but he was still no closer to getting the information they needed. He couldn’t get access to the evidentiary database unless he had an agent ID. Sam said, it was time for Plan B. She’d been tracking John and thought they could swipe his digital key without him being the wiser. If he stuck to his routine, they’d get their opportunity.
John told Anna that Jack’s fate would be decided in the courts, not by the Police Commissioner, and she said she didn’t need a lesson in protocol. He said he didn’t know what she and Jack would have to discuss, and Anna wondered if John should have more coffee or leave caffeine alone altogether (been there). He asked why Anna was there, and she said she was just telling Jack goodbye. John left, and Jack told Anna that he wanted to give her a heads up. John thought she was the secret head of Pikeman.
Aiden wondered what happened that Elizabeth and Finn broke up, although they’d broken up before and got back together. Jake said it wasn’t happening this time, and Elizabeth said she didn’t know the future, but Finn couldn’t be part of their lives. He wasn’t handling Gregory’s death well at all, but that wasn’t why they broke up. It just wasn’t going to work out. Jake said he didn’t care if he ever saw Finn again, but what about Violet?
Chase told Finn that his door had been unlocked, and Brook asked if Violet was still at Maxie’s. Finn said she was and asked if Chase had talked to Elizabeth. Chase said no, Should he? Finn said they’d ended things, and Brook wondered if the mess in his apartment had something to do with it. Finn said it was his fault and he should clean up before Violet home. Brook said she and Chase had an idea and maybe the timing was right. Chase told Finn that he and Brook were moving into the Quartermaines for a while in order to get their place ready after getting so many gifts, and Brook told Finn all about the kids who hang out there in the summer. Chase said, James would be taking riding lessons, so Georgie would be there too, and Brook said they were thinking Violet could come hang with them. It was better than summer camp. Finn asked if they didn’t think he knew what they were doing. There was no way they were taking his daughter from him.
Elizabeth said, Violet was the boys’ cousin and that would never change, but Aiden was worried they’d drift apart. Elizabeth said she wouldn’t let that happen, and Jake told Aiden that maybe their mom had a reason to be mad at Finn. Aiden said there was something he didn’t know, but Jake obviously did, and he had a right to know too. Elizabeth told him that there was no easy way to say it. Jake saw Finn coming out of a bar drunk. Jake said, and he had some drunk woman… but Elizabeth said they didn’t need the details. Aiden asked what bar was by the Cineplex, and Elizabeth said, Jake never told her how he was nowhere near where he said he’d be.
Finn told Chase that Violet was staying with him; he was her father. Chase said, no one was trying to take her away, and Brook said, they just wanted Violet to have a fun summer, especially after her grandfather’s death. Finn said, it wasn’t going to happen, and for once in Chase’s life, he had to take no for an answer. Chase wanted talk to Finn alone, and Brook left. Finn said Chase was leaving too, but Chase said he wasn’t going anywhere.
Spinelli said he’d watched John going to his room through the security cameras. He looked agitated, but that might just be his face. They watched John leaving for his morning swim, and noticed a bag he was carrying. Sam assumed it contained any credentials he didn’t want leave in his room.
Sam went to the pool wearing a caftan, big sunglasses, and high heels. She pretended to trip near John, and he caught her.
Jack flashed back to his conversation with John about Anna, while Anna asked for a delay in Jack’s transport. She got it and told Jack that they had until noontime to finish their conversation. Why did he think the FBI was after her? He said he didn’t know as it was the whole organization, but John had already been tailing her when she’d visited him. Anna told him that John did say he didn’t trust her when he came to town, but she didn’t care. Let him stew. She wasn’t hiding anything. Jack told her that she should be worried. John was a true believer, the most dangerous agent of all. She asked him to enlighten her, and he said, they believed God and the law were on their side. They thought anything they did would be justified, because it made the world a better place according to their definition of it. They’d rather wreck themselves and everyone around them than compromise their beliefs. Anna agreed that could be dangerous, but so could too much cynicism. She asked if Jack had he ever believed in anything.
Sam told John that she was embarrassed and blamed her shoes. Her pride was bruised, but otherwise she was okay. She pretended her ankle still hurt and asked him to help her. He picked her up and carried her to a lounge chair and asked an attendant for ice and a towel. Sam asked for help getting her shoe off, and wondered if he thought her shoes were cute. He said he wasn’t a shoe connoisseur, but they looked cute on her. Dressed as an attendant, but hiding his face with a bucket hat, Spinelli snuck into John’s bag as John was helping Sam. She asked if John was a guest at the hotel, and he said he was there on business. She told him that she was a local and her family came here every summer. He asked if she was married, but she said, no. She was single, divorced, with two kids. He suggested she rest her ankle for 20 minutes, and she said she was going to get bored.
Finn said, Chase was a cop, but not to make him the bad guy. Chase said, no one was calling Finn a bad guy, but maybe he could use some help and not to be too proud or stubborn to take it. Finn said he could take care of himself, but Chase said, not from what he was seeing. Finn said he’d been there alone, going through their dad’s things, and Chase picked up the bottle and said he didn’t think their dad left this out. He’d seen Finn doing shots at the memorial. Finn said he wasn’t the first person to have a drink at their father’s funeral, and Chase told him not to bring Gregory into this. Judging by the bottle, the two glasses, and the hangover Finn was wearing, he’d had quite a night. Finn said, Chase had solved the mystery, and Chase said, Finn was oblivious to the problem. But if he didn’t think there was a problem, it was a bigger problem than Chase thought.
Elizabeth told Jake that they’d talk later. He’d been someplace he wasn’t supposed to be, and it must have crossed his mind not to tell her, but she did appreciate that. She needed to know what was happening with Finn, but also because she was Jake’s mom and needed to know Jake would come to her when things were difficult. Jake promised he would, and she said she was glad he called his dad and asked for help.
Brook went to the nook at the Quartermaines, and Lois said she was just in time for breakfast and Sudoku. She could see something was wrong, and asked Brook, what happened? Did she and Chase have a fight? Brook said, Chase had a fight with his brother. She knew they both loved each other, and Gregory’s death should bring them together, not pull them apart. Lois said she’d seen it so many times. Weddings and funerals brought out the best and worst in people, but things would calm in time. Brook said she thought it was getting worse. Chase was taking care of his father’s estate and was also grieving. He needed his big brother, but Finn was nowhere to be found. Lois asked if Finn left town, but Brook said, Finn was in a full-blown alcoholic spiral. He’d been hungover and completely unreasonable. Chase had stayed to talk to him, but she knew how that was going to go.
Spinelli synced John’s ID with his phone. He said, the first time is the charm, and got access.
John introduced himself to Sam, and she did the same, using her real name, which surprised me. He asked how long she’d been divorced, and she said, six years. The less said the better. He asked if it was a bad breakup, and she said, that was an understatement. He wasn’t who she thought he was. John asked if he’d lied, and she said, all the time. What about him? He said he was divorced too, and she said, people always let you down. Her ex had everyone believing he’d died. Her son thought his father was dead, then he turned up. John said that was highly unusual. Was she at least happy he was alive? She said, sure, but she was conflicted. It brought up a lot of stuff. John said his ex passed away and sometimes he fantasized about where they’d be if she hadn’t died. How different his life would have been. He wondered what time it was and said he should get his phone.
Sam asked if she could be honest for a moment, and John said, of course (🍷). She said, after what he’d shared, she didn’t mean to come off flip. Sometimes she thought about her ex when things were good. Now they never even talk. John asked what her ex was doing now, and she said she was tired of talking about exes. Life goes on. Spinelli put John’s phone back in his bag, and Sam said she thought her ankle was good, but she wasn’t in the mood for a swim. She didn’t want to push it. She told John that it was nice getting to know him and asked if he’d be in town a while. He said he wasn’t sure, but hoped he saw her again. She asked him for help putting her shoe back on, and he put it on her. She told him that she felt like Cinderella
Jack said he’d warned Anna, and she was repaying him by probing the depths of his psyche. She said she was genuinely curious and wondered if she’d ever known the true Jack Brennan. She’d thought she did. He was a rising star, the fair-haired golden boy. It wasn’t a surprise he became director, but she was surprised he fell so fast. Why did he steal money to start the company? Did he abandon his principles? Did he ever have any? He said he believed in democracy, but at the end of the day, a man had to pay his bills. John was going to spend his nights trying to prove she was a cop by day and a mastermind by night. Anna said it wasn’t lost on her that John was trying to take her down for something Jack did.
Lois told Brook about not sending wedding invitations to an alcoholic aunt and uncle. Uncle Vito was her favorite until his drinking took over. Brook said, at family gatherings, she would see them get up and there would be ice cubes clinking in the other room. She just thought they must be really thirsty. Later, they’d be bumping into things, and she thought it was because they were old, but it was because of the drinking. Lois said, the family tried to get them into AA or to a doctor, but after years of broken promises, she realized they had to commit to their own treatment. They never did. They say that God protects fools and drunks, but she doesn’t see it. They’re still alive, but what kind of life is that? Brook said she didn’t want that for Finn and hoped Chase would get through to him, and Lois said, it was sweet of them to try and help Finn. Brook said she knew Finn was a grown man. Either he would get himself into recovery or live with the consequences, but Violet was a child. Finn was Violet’s sole parent, and he wasn’t capable of parenting. Elizabeth had kids of her own, so that left her and Chase. They were going to do everything in their power to keep Violet safe, even if it was from her own father.
Finn said, what he did in his own home was his business, and he wasn’t an alcoholic, but Chase said, Finn was a drug addict, and this would lead to the same result. He needed help. Finn said, Chase wasn’t the man because he’d gotten married, and couldn’t tell him what to do. Not everyone had his perfect life. Chase told Finn that he could keep fooling himself, but no one was buying his crap, and Finn said, Chase didn’t know the pressure he was under. Chase asked Finn to tell him. He didn’t have to do this alone. They could talk while they straightened up. Finn said, Chase wouldn’t understand, but Chase said his life wasn’t perfect. He’d nearly died a year ago. Finn said he remembered. He’d saved Chase. Chase asked if Finn had any idea how many calls he went on like this, seeing a drunk tearing their family apart. Finn’s life was a mess. Chase just lost his dad and couldn’t take losing his brother too.
Jake said he thought Elizabeth might need back-up, and asked if Finn gave her a hard time. She said, no, but when Jason showed up, she was grateful for the support. She wanted Jake to always feel he could call his dad for help. He did the right thing, and it meant a lot to Jason. Jake said he did it for her, not for Jason or himself, and they hugged. He asked if that meant he was forgiven for lying, but she said, not a chance.
Sam asked Spinelli if there was any progress, and he said, it went perfectly, but he didn’t think she fully comprehended how many records were in the database. Ask him in a month, and maybe he’ll have found out what the FBI was holding over Jason.
Jack said he hoped Anna would visit him. He missed their conversations. She said she did too, and she had one more question. She was the only witness that could tie him to Pikeman. Would he have had her killed if she hadn’t arrested him first? He struggled for a moment, then said he’d never been good with hypotheticals. She left, and Jack looked sad.
Lois said she wasn’t surprised Brook was focusing on Chase’s feelings, but she should pay attention to her own feelings. Brook also had grief over Gregory. So did she. Brook said she was so worried about Chase. He’d believed Finn drinking was a one-time thing, so he wasn’t just feeling betrayed. He was beating himself up for not seeing it. Lois said, Chase was Finn’s little brother and hoping for the best. Maybe he’d get through to Finn. Brook said, something told her it was going to be a whole ordeal for all of them, and Lois said, it wasn’t supposed to be this way. Brook and Chase were supposed to be blissfully happy in Florence and coming home to newlywed magic, not dealing with the problems of a hurt family. Brook said, Florence wasn’t going anywhere, and she and Chase were each other’s person. They would get through whatever life threw at them. Lois said she was happy Brook found that kind of love.
Finn said he was sorry that Chase was bothered. He’d try to fall in line and not be a problem. Chase asked if nothing he said was getting through to Finn, and Finn told him to stop reaching down from his pedestal; he would be with the rest of humanity. Chase said, that had nothing to do with Finn hiding in a bottle. The bottom line was, Finn was grown and made his own decisions. He couldn’t stop that, so have his trashy life. But Violet shouldn’t watch him self-destruct. Finn said, Violet was the only good thing in his life, and told Chase, get the hell out. Chase left, and Finn cried.
In Memory of Johnny Wactor. 🥺
Tomorrow, Molly says she’s been keeping something from TJ; Carly asks Jason if he thinks it was a one-time thing; and Sonny talks to Kristina.
🏥 Going Home Again…
I’m not sure if it’s me, him, the writing, how he’s being directed, or what, but I like Jason a lot more than I used to.
I loved her other reality series (It’s Complicated) and had looked forward to her joining RHOBH. Well, that was a bust, so I’m glad she’s going back to her reality roots.
I watched this twice last week (once alone and once with my SO) and it was just as good the second time. I loved the Japanese monster movies as a kid, and it’s great to see how f/x and dubbing have improved. The story is incredible too, but I don’t think this critic needs to worry. Obviously, an old film from the 1950s isn’t going to be as visually amazing as one made in the 2020s. It is possibly the first Godzilla worth paying attention to the narrative. I mean, I don’t watch Jurassic Park for the interpersonal relationship drama.
Drop by tomorrow for soap and seeing who lands on Top. Until then, stay safe, stay observing the house rules when you’re a guest, and stay never being too proud or stubborn to take help if you need it.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Anna thanks Carly for coming to her office, and Carly says, Anna’s welcome, but she doesn’t feel like she was asked as much as summoned. Anna says she’s sorry about that, and asks Carly to sit down, but Carly says she’ll save Anna some time. She really has no idea what’s going on with Sonny. She doesn’t talk to him much anymore, and when they do, it’s barely civil. Anna says she didn’t ask Carly here to talk about Sonny, and Carly says she never thought she’d live to see the day. Anna says, a friend of Carly’s is in the hospital, and Carly asks, who? Anna says, Jack Brennan. He was admitted to GH last night. Carly asks, what happened? Is he okay? Anna says, he was stabbed in the abdomen, but no major organs were hurt, and Carly says, thank, God. Anna says, God could be one explanation. Maybe Brennan was the recipient of a miracle or maybe he stabbed himself.
Ava tells Sonny, Kristina is in her third trimester now, right? So trust her when she says, his daughter is now in a swirl of emotions and all of them heightened. It’s not her fault, but right now Kristina is more than capable of taking something she saw and blowing it way out of proportion.
Dex says he knows that’s not an easy offer to make, and he does appreciate it, and Kristina says, it was the right thing to do. He says he’s not sure what he’s going to do yet, and she says, of course (🍷). She’s just so sorry for all of it. Not just the attack, but he’s saved her dad so many times and he’s proved his loyalty to him. He did not deserve this.
Alexis says, as the court already knows, she was disbarred for committing perjury, and Fergus says, there you go, your honor. Now she’s a confessed liar. Case closed. Diane says, if Mr. Byrne refuses to control himself, maybe they should adjourn until they find someone more dispassionate. Judge Caldwell asks Fergus if that will be necessary, and he says, no. Apologies.
Ned says, Brook’s mother told him that she needed him. What can he do? She hugs him, and he says he’s so sorry about the honeymoon. They can reschedule it when they’re ready. She says she doesn’t care about that. Chase just lost his dad and he’s completely heartbroken. Her dad is still here, and she just wants him to know how very much she loves him. He says he loves her too, and hugs her.
In the foyer, Chase opens the compass, looks at the engraving, and closes it.
Elizabeth says she knows Finn is in pain and he’s grieving, but she cares about him way too much to let him throw away his sobriety. He’s already lost so much. Finn says, so what she’s telling him is, put away the bourbon for her sake, but she says she’s telling him that the bourbon isn’t helping him. Whatever he does next, he has to do it for himself and that little girl in her bedroom who just lost her grandfather.
Sonny tells Ava that Kristina saw Jason grab him like he was a crazy person who needed to be held back. That’s what scared her. Ava says, and it wouldn’t help that the person she saw grabbing him was once his best friend. He says he won’t need friends. Not anymore.
Dex tells Kristina to take care of herself, her and the baby, and leaves. Blaze says, he’s right you know. She didn’t do anything wrong. Kristina says, the problem is, she did. In her own way she’s just as guilty.
Alexis says, it is true that she was under oath when she denied having sexual relations with Neil Byrne. But that oath was administered in a medical board hearing, not in a court of law. Fergus says, a distinction without a difference, but Alexis says, it’s a big difference if you ever ended up in a lawyer’s office when you should have seen a doctor. The judges and Diane laugh, which doesn’t make Fergus very happy.
Finn says, Elizabeth isn’t in charge of his sobriety; he is. She says, he’s right. He is. He says, it’s between him and that little girl every day. Her mom walked out on them five years ago, so Elizabeth doesn’t get to walk in here now and tell him if he can have a drink or tell him what’s really important to Violet. She says, they care about each other’s children, and she’s just looking out for Violet like he looks out for her boys. He says, she’s welcome to look after Violet. She can stay here, and she can make friendship bracelets with Violet. Or she can leave. Those are the two choices. You decide. He opens the door, she picks up her bag, and walks out. She turns around, but he closes the door and cries.
Anna tells Carly to just hear her out. If you stab yourself, it’s going to hurt for a minute, but you take care not to hit anything critical. You still get an acceptable loss of blood, and before you know it, you’re out of prison and in the back of an ambulance, and on your way to GH for a couple of days. It’s not the worst plan in the world, right? Carly says, right. When Anna puts it like that, she’s surprised more inmates aren’t stabbing themselves. Anna says, just to clarify, Brennan neither confirmed nor denied harming himself. He did say, however, that if he had stabbed himself, it would give him a chance to see Carly again.
Chase’s phone rings, and he says, Elizabeth? Elizabeth says she knows he’s got a lot going on right now, but his brother needs him, and so does Violet. He asks if she’s okay, but she says she doesn’t know. He asks if she’s with Finn, and she says she was, but she’s not who they need right now. He is.
Anna says she didn’t realize Carly and Jack were so close, but Carly says she barely knows Jack Brennan. They certainly don’t have a stab myself so I can see you kind of relationship. Anna laughs and says, but Carly did visit him in prison. Carly says, Jack Brennan has very little, if anything, to do with her. Are they done here? Because she has a lot going on in her life without this. She gets up and Anna says, she seems to be in a hurry to go somewhere. She trusts that it’s not to see Brennan, right? Carly walks out.
Alexis says she was notified that she was accused of perjury by affidavit. She never even saw the actual document itself, and instead, the Bar Association met without her being present. And it just so happens, Mr. Byrne was a member of that panel. Judge Caldwell says, Mr. Byrne? and Fergus says, it’s true he was a member of that panel, but when Miss Davis’s case came through for judication, he recused himself. Alexis says, and his place was taken by his law partner, and Fergus says, he has an impeccable reputation. How dare she impugn his integrity? She says she didn’t impugn his integrity, and he says he would hope not. Unlike her, he has a sterling reputation. She says, he’s impugning her reputation, and Diane says she’s sorry, but she for one doesn’t need to hear Mr. Byrne wax poetic about his law partner’s curriculum vitae. She assumes he’s brilliant. Otherwise, Mr. Byrne wouldn’t have offered him employment in the first place. The judge says she agrees. Let’s move on. Alexis says she would love to. That is, if it’s all right with Mr. Byrne. Fergus nods, and Alexis says, simply put, she doesn’t think she was given a fair hearing. Not that Mr. Byrne’s friend – excuse her, law partner – had anything to do with it, but she didn’t even know the name of her accuser. Judge Caldwell says, Mr. Byrne? and he says he submitted the accusation. She says, and? and he says, Miss Davis never requested the name of her accuser. Alexis says she’s requesting it now.
Lois makes a charcuterie board in the nook, and Ned asks what she’s doing. She says, putting something together to feed people. He says, why? What people? She says, people they know. They might want to gather here today. Besides, they have a guest coming, and Brook and Chase are here. Ned says, Brook and Chase are gone, and she asks what he did to make them leave. He says, nothing. Brook wanted to see him. He thought it was about the honeymoon, and he told her that they could reschedule it, but it wasn’t. She just wanted him to know how much she loved him. Of course (🍷) he told her how much he loved her. She says, that sounds like Brook. Where did she and Chase go? He says, Chase got a call from Elizabeth. He said he had to go over to Finn’s, like now. She says she’s glad Brook went with him. They’re each other’s family now. And Brook more than Chase will tell them what’s going on later. He says, Chase looked really upset. He didn’t say what the call was about, but he was worried. She says, every couple gets tested, but these two are just right out of the gate. What more can the universe throw at them right now? (Never say things like that because then you’ll find out.)
Finn takes another drink when Violet comes out. She says she made a friendship bracelet. She thinks it looks pretty good. He says, let him see, and she asks, where did Aunt Elizabeth go? He says, this is amazing. He thinks something came up at the hospital, but he can give Aunt Elizabeth this bracelet later. She says, it’s not for her; it’s for Aiden. Finn says, that’s what he meant, when there’s a knock at the door. Finn answers it, and Chase hugs him. Finn says he’s so sorry, and Brook hugs Violet. She sees the bracelet and says, it’s so gorgeous. Violet thanks her and says she made it for Aiden. Brook says, he’s a lucky guy, and Finn says, part of him was hoping they’d get on that plane and go to Italy. And when they came back, everything would be the same, but nothing is ever going to be the same. Chase says, the important thing is that they’re here now, together. Brook notices the bottle of bourbon.
Ava tells Sonny that Kristina is going to come around. She just needs a minute. She’ll realize he’s the same dad she’s always known and loved and adored. He says, yeah, and she says, there’s something else weighing on him, isn’t there? He says, his sons, they turned on him, and she says, sons, plural. She knows where things stand with Michael, but Dante… Sonny says, he’s a cop. That comes first. He just thought maybe it would be different. She says, it’s just terrible that Dex turned out to be the traitor that he is and that Kristina misinterpreted his actions. But really, it’s Jason’s fault, isn’t it? He says, yeah, and she says, when it comes down to it. For butting in and making the situation much worse. He says, she’s got that right, when there’s a knock at the door. Ava says she’s going to tell whoever that is to go away. He deserves some peace. She answers the door and Carly is there.
Anna looks at the police report on Jack’s stabbing, and there’s a knock at the door. She says, come in, and Dex walks in. She says, my God. What happened? He says, before he answers that, can they talk off the record? He could really use some advice, person to person, and he didn’t know who else to ask. She says, of course (🍷). Sit down. Does he need anything? He says, no thank you. He’s already been to the emergency room. She asks, what happened between the wedding and now? What the hell happened? He says, Sonny, after she left, and she hands him a glass of water. He says, Jason put a stop to it, but not before Kristina saw the whole thing.
Ned starts to pick up a piece of cheese with some tongs, but Lois snatches them away. She asks if he’s seen his mom, but he says, not for a while. Why? She says, she and Gregory were close. She thinks he needs to check on her. She’s got to be hurting. He says he’ll talk to her later. He’ll give her some time to deal with it in her own way. She’s not big on emotional displays. She says, Tracy’s got a lot of feelings and they run very deep. Maybe he hasn’t noticed them because of ELQ and how they squabble about Eddie Maine, but she thinks Tracy had real feelings for Gregory. He says, like romantic feelings? and she says, yeah. Maybe. He says, but he was sick when she met him, and Lois says, so what? He says he thought all they did was argue. He knows Gregory would push back whenever she said something. When it came to the wedding prep and rehearsal dinner, he knows flat-out Gregory told her that she had to be nice. Lois says, and she was. She was very nice and very generous. She didn’t snark at anybody. She kind of missed it. And he knows how much Tracy respects people who stand up to her. He says, some people, and she says, and those people are the people she cares about and has feelings for. He says, she’s right. He didn’t see it. He’s a terrible son. She says, of course (🍷) he’s not. Come on. If there’s anything they’ve learned in the last 24 hours, it’s that whether you’re a parent or a child, there’s an invisible clock ticking. They’ve just got to be better with each other.
Brook asks if Violet feels like going for a walk, and Chase says he thinks it’s a great idea. It gives her dad and him a chance to talk about grown-up stuff. Brook says, she knows what grown-up means, right? and Violet says, boring. Brook says, exactly, and Violet asks if it’s okay with Finn. Finn says, it’s okay by him if it’s okay with her, and Violet says, let’s go. Finn hugs Violet and says he’s going to be right here when she gets back. She says she loves him, he says he loves her too, and she and Brook leave. Finn asks if Chase is okay. Does he need anything? Chase says he just wants to know what happened, step by step. He glances at the bourbon bottle and says he means everything that happened.
Fergus says, they can see Miss Davis is attempting to turn this hearing into a personal vendetta (which is odd, since it seems like he is), and Alexis says he’s the one who tried to avenge his brother by getting her disbarred. So she thinks vendettas might be his area of expertise. He says he didn’t need to do anything. If any damage was done, it was self-inflicted. She says she’s made her share of mistakes. She should have taken responsibility for them, and she’s taking responsibility for them right here and right now. He, on the other hand, lets other people do his dirty work for him. She has a right to face her accuser. He laughs and says, apparently, his colleague can’t tell the difference between an appeals hearing and a criminal trial. Alexis starts to move toward him, but Diane stops her. Alexis tells the judges, he says this hearing is about justice and not a vendetta. So let’s let him prove that by telling her the name of her accuser, please.
Sonny says he appreciates Carly running over here, but as she can see, he’s completely fine. She asks if they can talk in private, but he says, Ava knows everything. They can talk in front of her. Carly says, does she? and Ava says, it’s a shame Dex has forgotten who his friends are. Carly says, that seems to be going around a lot. She asks if Sonny has heard from Kristina, and he says, she’s in an emotional place right now. She’s going to get over it. Carly says, his daughter, who thinks he walks on water, saw him beat a man. And when his friend tried to drag him away, he threatened to kill them both.
Blaze says, Kristina can’t make things right for her dad, and she can’t make Dex decide one way or another. Kristina says she knows, but she tried to pressure Dex into doing what she wanted him to do. She just did it through Michael. She is her father’s daughter. Blaze says, she’s much more than that, but she has to make herself and her baby her biggest priorities. Kristina says, if this priority gets any bigger, she’s not going to be able to walk, and Blaze laughs. She says, it’s beautiful. She’s beautiful. Kristina says she wants her baby to have a better world than she had and she’s not doing her part in making sure that happens by letting her dad go free – again.
Anna says, what a mess. Kristina thinks the world of Sonny. Dex says he doesn’t think so anymore, but he doesn’t want to make her testify against him. She says, that’s very compassionate of him, but is he sure? He says, if it were just her, it would be bad enough, but it’s not. There’s a baby to worry about. He respects Anna and he admires her, so he needs to hear it from her. If he decides not to press charges for any reason, is he tarnishing the badge before he even puts it on?
Ned asks if Lois wants a drink, and she says she’ll share a small glass of wine with him. She’s been weeping on and off all day. Her stomach is in knots. He says, his too, and drinks half the glass. She says, not for nothin’, his idea of sharing needs work, and takes a sip. He says, not for nothin’, but if she wants more, he’ll pour some more. They laugh, and she says she’s really glad she married him. And she’s so glad that they were young, and they were in love and they had their beautiful Brook Lynn. She wouldn’t change a thing, except maybe not having her heart broken so much. Although scrap that, because everything that happened brought them exactly to where they are right here. Exes who love each other and they’re the best of friends. And they share a beautiful daughter and years in the future, they’re going to share some beautiful grandchildren. He says he’s looking forward to that, and she says, her too. Although she has to say, she’s a little nervous. She’s going to be over the moon when she gets to hold that grandbaby, but the thought of being a nonna, ugh. She’s afraid somebody is going to ambush her and throw her into a black dress with support hose and orthopedic shoes. He says, Gloria didn’t let that happen to her. It didn’t happen to his mother either. She says, his mother’s not Italian, but he says, Gloria is, and she didn’t turn into a little old lady in a black dress. Why would Lois? She says, he’s right. She’s going to be nonna in combat boots. He says, and she will rock them, and she says, see? He’s a wonderful man. And you know what? Life is short, and we don’t know how much time we have here, so for the record, she loves him, and she appreciates him. He says, she changed his life. He met her and nothing was ever the same. It was all exponentially better. He loves and appreciates her too. She thanks him and he says, and he’s really looking forward to seeing a nonna in combat boots. She laughs and says, it’s really sad though, because someday when they get to hold that hypothetical grandchild, Gregory won’t be here to hold that baby. He hugs her.
Judge Caldwell says, upon review, it is their decision that Miss Davis does have the right to know her accuser, and Alexis says, so? Fergus says, Ava Jerome, and Alexis and I say, what? He says, the name of her accuser. Ava Jerome.
Lois answers the door, and Gio is there. She hugs him.
Diane says she requests a hearing to determine the credibility and reliability of Ava Jerome’s testimony. The judge asks, on what grounds? and Diane says, on the grounds that the revelation that Ava Jerome is the witness changes the entire complexion of this case. Fergus says, Miss Davis forfeited the right to a hearing when she failed to offer up a defense years ago, but Diane says, Miss Davis was denied information years ago. And as such, felt mounting a defense would be futile. Judge Caldwell says, a separate hearing will not be granted. This case has been settled for too long. Diane says, then she would ask for a recess so they can formulate a response to what can only be described as an ambush. Fergus says, that’s ridiculous, but the judge says, they have fifteen minutes. At that time, they’ll expect final statements. The recess starts now. She bangs her gavel and they go to the playground.
Blaze says, how about if she takes Kristina home? and Kristina asks if Blaze is trying to get rid of her, but Blaze says, no. She’s trying to get Kristina to relax. But while Kristina rests, she’ll whip up an omelet. Kristina says, Blaze knows how to make an omelet? and Blaze says she’s a woman of many talents. Kristina says, that she knows, and Blaze says, so she shouldn’t expect breakfast in bed anytime soon. Kristina says, not exactly. She’s a fan of Pop Tarts, right? Blaze says, come on, and they leave.
Anna says, showing compassion for Kristina under no circumstances compromises Dex as a cadet and certainly not as a cop. He says, so failure to report a crime is okay? and she says, let’s just think about this for a second. Just say they could secure a conviction of aggravated assault against Sonny, and they both know that’s not a sure thing. Dex says, understood, and Anna says, Diane Miller would work her magic, and he’d be out in what? Eighteen months, give or take? He says, right, and she says, meanwhile, his entire family would be dragged into this and there is no telling what that stress of testifying would do to Kristina and her baby. On the other hand – and this is very important – he’s the victim of a vicious assault that required medical attention. He says, allegedly. So what is she telling him to do? She says she’s not telling him to do anything. She’s just reminding him that a single crime really affects a single individual. Every crime has ripple effects that just sort of reach out and touch people who had nothing to do with the crime. Their lives, your life, will change forever. Sometimes in small ways. Sometimes in not so small ways. He’s certainly within his rights to report this assault, but he’s under no obligation to do it. And she doesn’t know if this is the right time for them to go after Sonny. He says, everything would be a lot easier if it were just black and white, but she says, life isn’t black and white. People aren’t either; they’re grey. Cops don’t have things easy. If they did, anybody could be a cop.
Carly says she thought she and Sonny came to some kind of understanding. At the very least, a truce. He says he was in a bad place, and she stopped him from going to a worse place and he appreciates that, but she didn’t see what happened. She says, okay, then tell her what happened, and he says he lost his temper. And he punched Dex. Maybe a few more punches. And he kicked him. Then Jason came in and grabbed him, and it all escalated. She says, so it’s Jason’s fault, and he says, Jason just grabbed him real tight. Jason’s a strong guy and he was furious, and he couldn’t move. He started saying things. He doesn’t even remember what he said. Then Kristina’s there. He doesn’t know what she heard, and she ran off. None of this would have happened if Jason had just stayed out of it. She says, now it’s Jason’s fault. Before, it was Dex’s. Before that, it was her and Michael. What is he going to do when he runs out of traitors? Who is he going to blame for the man he’s become?
Dex says he appreciates Anna taking the time to talk to him. He knows how busy she is. She says she doesn’t know if she helped in any way, but she’s always happy to listen. He starts to leave, and she says she hopes she didn’t discourage him from pressing charges. Because the law is the law. That actually is black and white. That’s actually a good thing because it prevents them and saves them from having to make more subjective decisions. He says he understands, but he’s not going to press charges. He’s sorry if that makes him a terrible cop, but for now, he’s going to live in the grey. She says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she thinks he’s going to be a very good cop, and he leaves.
Sonny tells Carly that she said what she needed to say. He thinks she should probably go now. She says, yeah. He seems to have everything he needs right here. She looks at Ava and heads for the door. Sonny says he appreciates what she did for him last night. He and Kristina are good. They’re going to be fine. She says she hopes so, and leaves. Ava says, after hearing that, she’s impressed by his restraint, and he nods. She says, it’s almost as if Carly wants him to be estranged from his children.
In the hallway, both Diane and Alexis rub their foreheads, and Alexis says, according to Ava, she made Ava’s brother’s life a living hell. The night he tried to kill her, she sure hopes she did. Diane knows it was Julian, right? It was Julian who announced to everyone that she was involved with Neil. Diane says, of course (🍷). And Ava takes it upon herself to call Neil’s brother Fergus, who was sitting on the bar disciplinary committee at the time. (God help me, I laugh out loud every time they say Fergus. Not very mature, I know.) Alexis says, it certainly seems that way, and Diane says, meanwhile, Counselor Byrne is sitting on his own pile of conflict of interest. Alexis says she can’t believe they went through this whole big ordeal for nothing. For nothing. All the work they did, all the legal precedents they found, all of the ethics cases, everything – nothing. And does Diane know why? Because her disbarment was never about the law and the law is not going to help her get her license back. They turn around and a guard is there. Alexis says, it’s time? and he says, yes. Alexis tells Diane, Ava Jerome, under the guise of sticking up for her sociopathic brother… Does Diane know what she did? She cost Alexis her career. And not only that, because of Ava, she lost herself.
Lois tells Gio, welcome. Let her help him with his stuff. She wheels in a big suitcase, while he brings in another two, and she asks, who helped him pack? Was it her mom or was it Zia Francesca? He says, Francesca, and he told her that he didn’t need all this stuff. Lois says, but you know what? Don’t worry about it. The room he has, the closet is huge. He’s going to be able to fit everything, no problem. He looks around in awe and says, just tell him where he’s going. Lois says, just leave it there. Yuri will bring his stuff up. He says, seriously? and she says, seriously. Sit down. She’s got to tell him something. She leads him to a seat in the foyer, and she says, he knows Gregory, Chase’s father, the one who officiated at the wedding, right? He nods, and holding back tears, she says, he passed away last night. Gio says, that’s… He’s so sorry. She says, it’s okay. It’s a loss, but Brook and Chase canceled their honeymoon and right now they’re both over at Chase’s brother’s place. He gets up and says, maybe it’s the wrong time for him to come stay. He can look for a rental… She says, absolutely not. Monica is already on board with all this and they’re getting his room ready. He says, the Quartermaines don’t even know him, but she says, they will. He’s extended family and this is on family. She missed him and she was a little worried about what kind of trouble he might be getting into without her having her eyes on him. He says he’s good as gold, and she says, he is good as gold. And she’s so happy he’s here in Port Charles. She really thinks this is the right place for him. They hug.
At Bobbie’s, Violet is coloring, and Brook says, Violet must be feeling pretty sad right now. She’s sad too. Violet can talk to her about her grandpa, but she doesn’t have to. They can just sit here and be quiet together. Violet puts her crayon down and says she’s thinking about her dad. Grandpa was his dad, so he must be especially sad right now. Brook says, he is, and Violet says, what if something ever happened to her dad? Brook says, it’s really scary to think about, isn’t it? Violet says she loves him so much, and Brook says, she doesn’t have anything to worry about. Her dad is strong and healthy, and he’ll be around for a really long time.
Finn says, step by step? and Chase says, please. Finn says he dropped Violet off at school. He came back and the apartment was quiet. It was so quiet. He called out to dad, but he didn’t answer. So he went in his room and… he was so still. He called 911 and a coroner came out not long after that and pronounced him deceased. Chase looks at the bourbon bottle, and Finn says, yeah. He had a drink. Chase says, okay, and Finn says, maybe more than one. He’s not really sure.
Tomorrow, Tracy wonders if Stella could do something for her; Alexis says, had she known any of those things, she would have proceeded differently; Elizabeth says she doesn’t want to regret confiding in Portia; and Finn says he needs a favor from Chase.
It’s really a wonder the Carl/Lindsay relationship didn’t disband earlier than it did. She’s always been an argumentative shrew. She’s one of those people who, if you say black, she’s going to say white, regardless if it’s white or not. She found the perfect lackey in Carl, who was so insecure, he took her abuse until his stepfather told him that he shouldn’t. And while I’ll give him kudos for hanging onto his sobriety in the midst of this mess, she was the poorest choice for a supportive partner. It’s not like he hadn’t known her forever. There wasn’t a chance she was going to stop drinking or even stop drinking to screaming demon excess. He walked right into the awful. This was the only available recap.
I love a celebrity who uses their power for good, and I love a senior dog. I have a Pekingese who’s 17½. He mostly sleeps, but he enjoys his meals, and I couldn’t love him more.
Drop in tomorrow for soap and a bit of this and some of that to send you into whatever the weekend holds. Until then, stay safe, stay gifting without expectations of reciprocity, and stay remembering there’s an invisible clock ticking and be better with each other.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Willow straightens up the living room, when there’s a knock at the door. She opens the door to Michael and says, he didn’t have to knock. This is his home too.
At the Hatchet Range, Spinelli throws his hatchet, and it bounces off the target. He says he must have miscalculated his variables. Which one? Angle or centrifugal force… Maxie says they’re not here to reprogram a satellite or recode the internet, and he says, you can’t recode the internet. She says, to be honest, she didn’t know if recode was a real word. Look around. Does he see any children they’re related to? Does he hear any sounds of emotional children yelling? He shakes his head, and she asks if he sees a sign for Deception, or the sounds of highly emotional grown-ups healing? He says he does not, and she says, that means they’re not at home and she’s not at work. So let’s lighten up and not take this too seriously. He says he knows, but precision and accuracy are kind of a needed… She says, no. They’re here to have a good time and throw pieces of sharpened steel at a wall. He says, she’s right. So let the unwinding begin. She thanks him. Cody and Sasha join them, and Cody says, okey-dokey. This is fun, and he loves turning walls into kindling as much as the next guy, but what do they say to raising the stakes a little? Sasha asks what he has in mind.
Josslyn and Drew look at her phone, and he says he loves that one of Spencer. She says she couldn’t tell at the time, but looking at all of these, he was so cute. It’s no wonder everybody let him get away with all sorts of stuff. Drew suggests they take a break, but Josslyn says, it’s fine. She’s fine. He asks if she’s sure, because it’s not a race. They could come back to it after they get a snack or something. She says she doesn’t even know if she should be doing this, and Carly asks, why? Josslyn says, because her posting all of these photos of her and Spencer, it’s like she’s making it about herself. Her loss, her grief. He was her friend, and he was Laura’s family, and he was the love of Trina’s life.
At The Savoy, Dex sits at the bar, when Brick and Jordan come in. Brick says, one drink and then he’ll let her get on with her regularly scheduled life, and Jordan says, when he called in a favor from the mayor’s office, she didn’t expect it to begin and end with her and a drink. He asks, why is that? Did she see him as someone who needed zoning remediations? She says she imagines he could solve those all on his own, and he says he thinks she should consider the bigger picture. This drink is all part of the plan. She says she didn’t take him for someone who plays the long game, and while watching Dex, he says, people aren’t always what they seem.
Sonny says, Jagger Cates. It’s been a long time. John says, yet still not long enough. And it’s John now. Sonny asks if that’s on his identification, and John shows Sonny his ID. Sonny asks what he calls John, Agent Cates or my old pal, and John says, they were never pals, but maybe they can change that.
Cody says he was thinking they split into two teams. Whoever gets the most points, wins. Sasha asks what they win, and Maxie says, please not a gift certificate. She has enough junk on her fridge already. How about bragging rights until the people she brags to get bored with her bragging about her triumph? Cody says he was thinking that the losing team pays for the winning team to have a night out on the town, and Spinelli asks why everything has to boil down to a competition relying on brute strength. Cody says, ax throwing isn’t about strength. It’s about finesse and teamwork, togetherness. Sasha says, yeah, come on, Spinelli. It will be fun. Maxie asks how they separate into teams, and Cody says, obviously, the two Faces of Deception have to stick together. Sasha says, absolutely. The more they’re in sync, the better for Deception’s marketing. Maxie says, fine by her. She’s happy to do her victory dance in both their gorgeous faces. Spinelli says he sees her competitive streak hasn’t diminished, and she tells him that he wouldn’t say that if he knew how many games of Go Fish she’s purposely lost to their kid. What does he say?
Michael tells Willow that he debated with himself the whole way here. Should he knock or just let himself in? She says, that’s okay. She’s been picking up for the last half hour, then she loses track of what she’s doing, and she has to start over. He says, if she’s rethinking the invitation, that’s okay. He can just pick up the papers Drew left him and go. No harm, no foul. She says she’s not rethinking it. She’s happy he’s here. He says, so she still wants him to stay the night. She said the kids wanted him here in the morning, but is it just for tomorrow or is she asking him to come home for good?
Josslyn says she was doing the dishes and one minute, she’s totally fine and the next minute, she has tears streaming down her face. Carly says, there’s nothing wrong with that. She has to feel how she feels. Josslyn says she knows, and she knows she has her own loss to grieve, but she doesn’t know how to do that and be a support system for Trina. If she posts these photos, won’t that be shocking to Trina when she’s scrolling through social media, and bam, there’s Spencer? She doesn’t want to make things worse for her. Drew says he thinks it says a lot about her friendship with Trina that she’s being so considerate about this. When Oscar died, a lot of people reached out and told him how much they missed Oscar, and there were times when that was the only thing that got him through the day. Carly says, Trina knows that she suffered a loss too. Trina wouldn’t want her to hide it. Josslyn agrees, and Drew says, what she wrote about Spencer is straight from the heart and it’s so beautiful. It’s a message to be shared.
Brick asks Jordan to excuse him for a second. He’s going to the bar. She says, the server should be here any second, and he says, a woman such as herself should never be kept waiting. He’ll be right back. He walks up next to Dex and says, good to see him. Dex says, him too, and Brick asks if he can buy Dex a drink. Dex says, not tonight. He’s on call with Sonny, so he’s sticking to soda, but how about if he buys Brick one instead? Brick looks at the champagne behind the bar and says, what he’s planning on sipping tonight might be above Dex’s paygrade. Dex says, maybe, and puts a credit card on the bar. Let’s find out. We see it’s a platinum card.
Sonny tells Frank, this won’t take long, and Frank leaves. Sonny closes the door, and Sonny says, he and John had their problems back in the day. John says, if that’s what he wants to call them, and Sonny says, whatever you want to call it, that was a long time ago. Things change. John says, it may have been a long time ago for Sonny, but for him, it was yesterday. Sonny says he did some things back then that he regrets. Losing John’s brother… John says, after everything, Sonny can’t say his name, and Sonny says he named his son Stone as a middle name because he considered Stone family. John says, wow. Well, God help Sonny’s family. Sonny says, be careful, and John says he’s not here to talk about Stone or Karen or any part of their past. Sonny says, so what is he here to talk about? Is John here to tell him that the Feds are looking into his business, or is John coming after him? John says, nothing would make him happier than to see Sonny behind bars. They both know that’s where Sonny belongs, and they both know the reasons why. Past and present. (I wish they’d tell me. In all the years I’ve watched this show, Sonny hasn’t really done anything all that bad.) Sonny says, then stop talking about it and take his best shot. John says he’s not in Port Charles to take Sonny down. He’s here to save Sonny’s life.
Josslyn closes her tablet and says, okay then. It’s out there. Carly says, it’s a beautiful post. It really is. It captures who Spencer was and her relationship with him. Josslyn says she was really lucky to know him for so many years, although sometimes he annoyed her so much she didn’t even like him. Carly says, that means they were really friends. She really saw him; the good, bad, and everything in between. Josslyn says, yeah, but the good was really good. Carly’s phone dings and she says, oh no. Not you too. Drew asks if it’s another advertiser pulling out, and she says, Triton Luxury Hotel and Cruises. She’s not dealing with it. He says he’ll handle this one. He knows the CFO. Let him handle this. It’s going to be okay. She thanks him and he leaves. Josslyn says, Trina saw all her posts and she loved it, and Carly says, she told Josslyn. Josslyn says, now everyone is sharing their memories of Spencer and it’s great. Drew was right. Carly says, he frequently is, and it drives her crazy because sometimes she wants to be right, but since it’s Drew, it’s okay. Josslyn says, when she thinks of everything he’s done for their family and the fact he can even make Carly smile through times like this, it’s amazing. Carly says, he’s an impressive guy, and Josslyn says she’s very grateful he’s in their lives.
Maxie asks if this night out includes free babysitting, and Cody says, sure. She says, and what is she potentially paying for, an entire evening or just a dinner? Cody says he was thinking four hours, enough for dinner and a movie, and Maxie says, or one night at a spa, but Cody says, the event has to be something both parties will enjoy. Spinelli says he doesn’t enjoy greasy hands poking him in the name of healing, and Maxie says, then think of something else. What about tips and parking? Someone should be writing this down. Cody says he thought a bet would be fun, not involve lawyers, and Maxie says, fine. He’s on. Spinelli asks if he might have a word with Cody, and Cody says, sure. As they step away, Cody says, no lawyers.
In the hallway, Spinelli asks what Cody is doing, and Cody says he’s helping Spinelli get a date with Maxie. Spinelli says, stop helping, and Cody asks, why? The two of them have been talking back and forth between parent mode and roommate mode for way too long. Tonight, Maxie needs to see another side of him. His sexy side. Spinelli says, his sexy side has at best been described as subtle, and Cody says he bets Spinelli’s got some moves. He’s seen how Spinelli works a keyboard. Spinelli says he doesn’t know where Cody is going with this, but please stop immediately, and Cody says, he’s an information guy, right? Does he have some incredible playlists? He bets Spinelli’s got stuff no one’s ever heard of, right? Is he an aromatherapy wiz? He’s got to have something. Spinelli says, before Cody derails his train of thoughts by detailing his failed dating profile, he was trying to relate he’s not interested in Maximista. Cody says he doesn’t believe Spinelli, and Spinelli says, so that’s it then? He says it and it must be so? Cody says, he’s a good guy, he’s a good dad, he’s a genius with tech. He’s a total catch. Why doesn’t he just go for it? Spinelli says his relationship with Maxie is purely platonic. There was a time when they tried to make it more than that, and it became very clear that they’re better off as friends. So despite Cody’s cupid-ed-ness, it’s going to stay that way. Sasha tells Maxie, in the interest of full disclosure, this isn’t the first time she’s been to a hatchet range. Spinelli watches them.
Sonny says he’s not sure he’s hearing John right. John comes into his office tossing around things that happened more than thirty years ago. John says, they were more than accusations, and Sonny says he doesn’t remember them having angel wings back then. John says, Karen did, and Sonny says, yeah, Karen did. John married her, he cheated on her, and she divorced him. He guesses none of them did right by her. John says, Sonny did a hell of a lot worse than cheating, and Sonny says, there were things he did back then that he would have done differently, but here is when John’s going to shut his mouth, because he let John come in here, get in his face, and take a couple shots because he thought John was entitled to a couple shots. But he’s done. His freebies are used up. If this were thirty years ago – and John knows this – he wouldn’t have given John this latitude. John says, he’s mellowed with age? and Sonny says he’s gotten smarter, and he doesn’t have to prove it to John. John says, that much is true, and Sonny says, then what is John doing standing here, talking about saving his life? John says, trust him. It’s nothing he wants to be doing. He’d rather see Sonny rot. That’s what he deserves, but as an FBI agent, it’s his duty to notify Sonny that he’s in danger. Sonny says, you know what? He doesn’t care. He’s doing just fine. He doesn’t need any help from the Feds. John says he guesses he’s got it wrong then, and Sonny says, he’s got what wrong? John says, imagine his concern when he and his colleagues discovered he was the target of a very public attack in an action area filled with civilians. Sonny asks if he’s talking about… John says, the MetroCourt shooting. Trust him when he says they know more than Sonny thinks. They know Curtis Ashford was a bystander, collateral damage. They know Sonny or Anna Devane may have been the intended target, but their assessment is, that bullet was meant for Sonny.
Dex says he’s been saving for a rainy day, and Brick wonders how much rain they’re going to get. It looks like Dex is fixing to build an ark. Dex says, you never know, and Brick says, that’s true, you never know. He thanks Dex for the drinks, and Dex tells him to enjoy his evening. Brick goes back to the table and says, sorry to keep Jordan waiting. It won’t happen again. The server brings them glasses of champagne, and Jordan asks what they should toast to. His secret plan? He says, they can toast to whatever she’d like – they clink glasses – and he won’t be keeping any secrets from her. She says, so much for the secret part of the plan, and he says he knows she’s only here with him because she thought she owed him a favor, but she says, that’s not true… Not entirely true. He says, that’s okay. He doesn’t mind a bit. How many chances does a guy like him get to be seen with a woman like her? Beautiful, intelligent, accomplished. He considers himself quite a lucky man, but not that lucky. But it’s all part of the plan. He smiles.
Maxie asks Sasha to tell her everything before they get back. Did she and Cody finally admit they’re crazy about each other and should be dating? Sasha says, Maxie’s romance-colored glasses are distorting her vision, and Maxie asks if she’s sure. Maybe Sasha should get herself a pair. Sasha says she and Cody did actually talk about it and they both decided it’s better they stay friends. For the time being. Maxie says, congratulations. That sounds very adult and mature of them, but she doesn’t get it. If a great guy were into her, she’d be with him in a heartbeat.
Cody says, quick question. How good is Spinelli with a hatchet? Spinelli says, how good is anyone? and Cody says he just meant Spinelli wants to have fun and not stress out about it. Okay? Spinelli says he won’t because he won’t be participating in this charade, and Cody says, what he wants to do is have kind of a firm, but loose grip on the handle. Spinelli says, that’s contradictory, and Cody says, bring it up past his ear. He doesn’t want to tilt left or right. Aim with your elbow, lead with your chest. (I do this a few times, sans hatchet, to see what he means.) Spinelli makes a feeble attempt, and Cody says, maybe he’ll find his inner Viking once they get going. He’s going to be siting this one out. Spinelli asks what that means, and Cody says, nothing. He feels an off night coming. Spinelli says, Cody’s going to cheat. That’s dishonorable. Cody says, dude, do you want a date with Maxie or not? They go back into the main room, and Cody says, ladies, pick up your hatchets and may the best team win.
Carly says, Drew was so wonderful when Josslyn’s grandmother passed away. She’s sure she could have handled it all on her own, but she didn’t have to. He was with her every step of the way. One more reason to be grateful for him. Josslyn asks if she’s okay, when Drew comes back. He says, crisis averted, and Josslyn says she’s sorry, but she has to go. She’s meeting Dex at The Savoy. Carly says she’s surprised Josslyn is up for that, and Josslyn says, so was Dex, but one of his favorite bands is playing and honestly, just being with him and listening to music is exactly what she needs right now. Drew says he hears that, and Carly and Josslyn hug. Josslyn hugs Drew and thanks him. He says, of course (🍷), and she leaves. Carly says she wishes she could spare Josslyn this kind of grief, and he suggests they add it to the list of things they want to spare their kids from. She says, it’s a long list, and he says, it’s getting longer every day. She says she appreciates what he said to Josslyn earlier. Josslyn thinks the world of him. He says he thinks the world of her too. He hopes he can always live up to her expectations. She says, if he managed to talk Triton off the ledge, he can be her hero too. He says, about that, and she asks if they’re going to extend their contract. Tell her. He says, actually, that’s up to her.
Willow says she wishes she could tell Michael, but she doesn’t know yet, and he says, that’s okay. He’ll wait as long as it takes. When… if he moves back in again, he wants her to be fully confident in her decision. She says, part of her is worried that if they rush back in and pretend nothing happened, one day they’ll end up back here in the very same position, and he says he gets it. He has the exact same fear. He doesn’t like to think about it because he dreads the thought, especially now. She says, why now? and he says, because he’s trying to put the things he wrecked back together now and do it right. Before he came here, he went to see his dad and came clean about everything. She says, that must have been difficult, and he says he owed it to Sonny to be honest, even about how he blackmailed Nina. She says, that couldn’t have been easy for Sonny to hear or for him to say, and he says, it wasn’t. It’s going to take a while for him and his dad to get back to where they were again, but at least they’re being honest with each other. She says she’s glad to hear there’s hope. Hope is where it all starts. He says, there wouldn’t have been any without her. If she hadn’t encouraged him, he wouldn’t have talked to Sonny. He thought it was a lost cause. She says, maybe she doesn’t believe in lost causes, and he says, lucky him. She says, what he did was misguided, but she knows him and nothing is more important to him than protecting her and the kids. She knows his intentions were good. He says, it’s just his methods she has a problem with, and she says, at the end of the day, it’s not what you’ve done, it’s about what you’re doing to make things right.
Sonny says, John is telling him that he’s got this string of mob hits across the country, and he thinks they’re all connected. John says, they know they’re all connected, and Sonny asks why John is talking to him. He’s a coffee importer. (Ha-ha! But I’m starting to think so.) John says, he was the target of a shooting, and Sonny says, well, the coffee business has been pretty rough the last few years; the climate changed. (A bigger ha-ha!) John says, the FBI knows the pool shooting was connected to the others. The same M.O. from the shooter, the same type of firearm, the same target profile. Sonny says, sounds like they know everything. Why don’t they go catch the guy? John says, give him a break. He knows Sonny’s not sitting around doing nothing. He’s looking for the shooter too. But John has the resources to catch this guy. Sonny says, then do it, and John says, if Sonny cooperates and tells him what he knows, they can end this quick and neat. Sonny says, Jagger, you want my help? All you’ve got to do is ask.
Drew and Carly sit across from each other with the moss bowl🎍in between them in case a referee is needed. Drew says, whenever there’s a change at the top, advertisers get a little bit nervous. He was expecting some phone calls, but there haven’t been that many. He sang her praises to the guy at Triton and explained that the hit piece Gemma wrote for the Gazette was just that, a hit piece. Carly says she hates that he has to do this for her, and he says, what? Tell the truth? She’s the right person for the job. The fact that she got Salvadore back to Deception for the cover shoot proves just that. Even Triton knew who Salvadore was. Carly says she’s not surprised, and he says he may have been a little too convincing to be honest. Drew says, Triton is going to stay at Crimson only if she’s going to be Editor-in-Chief for the long haul. She says, that was not the plan, but he says, that doesn’t mean it’s not a good plan. They show a united front, show stability. They get a little bit of growth and they’re on their way. She says she doesn’t know, and he says, she’s the right person for the job. He knows it’s early days, but he can tell she likes the work. Admit it. She says, the more she settles into the role, the more she enjoys it, but Nina’s not going to make it easy. She’s got connections in the fashion industry. Nina’s already seizing every opportunity to sabotage her. (How are they blaming Nina for this when Drew just said advertisers get nervous about a big change?) Drew says, Nina sends him to prison and nearly gets him killed, and she’s still not satisfied. Carly says, that’s because she’s Nina. She’s petty and vindictive and she’s not going to stop. He says, until they stop her. He’s going to get Michael on the phone. He bets Michael reconsiders once he hears all this. She says, reconsiders what?
Willow tells Michael that she and Drew had a chance to talk when he brought the papers. If you spend five minutes with him, you can see the kind of pain he’s in, and that pain is changing him. Michael says, he just needs some time, but she says, it’s more than that. There’s this cruel streak that wasn’t there before. He wants Nina to suffer like he suffered. Michael says, can you blame him? and she says, no, of course (🍷) not, but she also knows that payback isn’t going to help Drew heal. He says, that’s for Drew to decide. All he knows is, he can’t have any part of it. She and the kids mean more to him than anyone, and she can decide what kind of relationship she wants with Nina. He’ll accept whatever she decides. Willow says she hates what Nina did. Petty, vindictive. His mother makes Nina feel insecure and she wanted Carly out of the way. She didn’t care how much damage she did. Because at the end of the day, Nina only cares about herself. But they can’t let Nina destroy their relationship the way she’s destroyed hers with Sonny. He says he has no idea what his dad is going to do. He doesn’t even know if his dad does. She says she doesn’t want that uncertainty for them, but trust is rebuilt slowly, and they have to respect each other enough to be honest. Michael says he agrees, and she says she promises to try if he will.
Brick says he believes in positive energy. Some might call it luck. It all starts with one drink with a beautiful, gorgeous woman, but who knows what happens next? She says she’s not sure she gets it. Is he planning on winning the lottery on his way home? He says, no. It’s the little things. You get home from a long, hard day at work, and the leftovers are still good, and your favorite movie is playing. She says, so a latte from her favorite coffee shop on the house because they mixed up the order or daffodils on her birthday, and he says, see? There you go. The unexpected pleasures, like being here with her tonight.
Josslyn hugs Dex and says she’s so happy to see him. He says he saw her post about Spencer. It had to be hard to write. Is she sure she’s up for this? She says she’s fine. Fine-ish. She just wants to be with him. He says, him too, but if she changes her mind, they can go whenever. She says, okay, and he says, cranberry soda? She says, yes, and he orders.
John says, if Sonny wants to play games, fine with him. He’ll tell his boss that Sonny turned down the ask, which is what he expected. Sonny says he’s sorry John wasted his time, and John says, when they take Sonny out – which they will – he’ll have a clear conscience. Sonny says he wishes he could help John, but he can’t because he doesn’t know anything. Even if he did, why would he tell somebody who’s hated him for two decades? John says, because he’s putting all that behind him (could have fooled me). Why can’t Sonny? Sonny says he appreciates it, but this is the end of their conversation. John says, if Sonny won’t save his own skin, what about the people around him, including his esteemed colleagues who are in the line of fire? Curtis Ashford can’t walk. How does Sonny think he’s going to react when he finds out Sonny won’t do everything he can to find out who shot him?
Carly tells Drew, Willow was blindsided when she found out Michael blackmailed Nina. He’s not staying at the gatehouse. Drew says he knows, and she says, then she’s surprised. Why would he ask Michael to go after Nina? He says, because Willow was upset because Michael went behind her back instead of telling her everything Nina had done. Willow isn’t in any hurry to defend Nina. Carly says she knows that. Willow loves Drew and she’s appalled by what Nina did. He says, so why not make Nina pay? and she says she doesn’t want to make Nina pay. Focusing on Nina only gives her more power than she deserves. She doesn’t want to that. The best revenge is to make Nina irrelevant, to move on with their lives. He says, and let her get away with everything she’s done? and she says she’s not letting Nina get away with anything. She just wants to focus on what’s right for the magazine and what’s right for them. Looking a bit like a madman, Drew says he’s not sure he agrees that’s what’s best, and Carly says, is he kidding? Nina is living proof that revenge can backfire. She got everything she said she wanted. She was engaged to Sonny and found out Willow was her daughter. She could have focused on that, but instead Nina came after her. And yes, Drew was damaged in the process, but Nina was damaged. She’s all but lost Sonny and Willow too. He says, she’s got more to lose, and believe him, she will, and Carly says she understands more than he knows how he feels about Nina, but if he wants her to stay on at Crimson, he’s going to have to leave Nina alone.
Michael says he’s in 100%, and Willow says, good. He says he knows moving back in doesn’t mean they still don’t have work to do, and he’ll do all of it. She asks if it has to be all work though, and he asks what she has in mind. She says she doesn’t know. Maybe they could talk, catch up, have a glass of wine. He says he would love all that, when Wiley comes stomping down the stairs, saying, daddy. Michael asks what he’s doing awake, and Wiley says he has to show Michale his new magic trick before he goes. It’s incredible. Willow says, guess what? Daddy’s staying tonight. Wiley says, in that case, his three new magic tricks, and Michael asks if they’re all incredible. Wiley nods, and Michael says, now? Wiley says, now, and Michael says, ask his mommy. Willow says, it’s more than okay, and Wiley says, it’s really four magic tricks. Michael says he had a feeling. Lead the way. They head upstairs, and Willow says she’ll wait up until after the show.
Cody tells Sasha that they have a lot riding on this bet. He can give her some pointers if she wants. She says, sure. What’s he got? He says, the thing people don’t know about hatchet throwing is, it’s all about mind/body connection, and it’s spiritual. She laughs.
Spinelli tells Maxie, in order to come through for her, he’ll do everything in his power, including – but not limited to – prayer and soul selling. She says she really doesn’t care if they lose. She’s just happy to get out of the house. He says he’s trying to stay out of her way at home, but he can do more if she tells him. He’s so beholden to her as a tenant. She says she was worried about how their living together would work, but it’s been kind of great, right? She’s almost hoping the pipes in his apartment never get fixed. That’s crazy, right? He says, no.
Sasha says Cody should build a hatchet range on that estate he wants to buy, and he says, at Serenity? Sure. If he’s ever in a position to buy that place, first thing to go in will be a hatchet range. She asks why he’s doubting it. She knows he can make it happen. He says he sure hopes so. These good looks aren’t going to last forever. She says, there’s a lot more to him than his good looks, and he says, like what? Maxie asks if they’re going to throw the hatchet or what, and Cody tells her to chill out and wait her turn. Sasha gets a bullseye, and Maxie says, what? They’ve been hustled.
Sonny tells John, what happened to Curtis is a tragedy and whoever did that is going to pay. But he’s been around long enough to know when a Fed is trying to provoke him. John says, then let him give Sonny a warning. Whoever this shooter is, he knows Sonny’s world. He knows how Sonny moves. If he’s come for Sonny, that only means one thing. It means he’s already in Sonny’s house. So watch your back.
Dex asks Josslyn to tell him the truth. Does she really want to be here?
Brick says, so, Jordan mentioned daffodils, and she says she did, didn’t she? He asks if it’s her favorite flower and she says, it’s definitely on the list. His phone dings, and he asks her to excuse him. He looks at the phone, then looks at Dex.
Josslyn says she wants to be with Dex, and he says, here, with all these people? She says, no, and he says, then let’s get out of here. They leave as Brick watches. He gets up and tells Jordan that he hates to do this more than she knows. He has to go. He can’t tell her what a wonderful evening it was. She says, maybe their paths will cross in the future, and he says, that’s the plan. He hands her a card and says he has her number. Now she has his private line. Maybe his luck will hold. He leaves.
Sonny says, this is the last time he and John are going to be alone together like this. If John wants to talk to him, he has to call Sonny’s lawyer Diane Miller. He’ll like her. John says, so that’s it? That’s the way it’s going to be? Sonny says, that’s the way it’s going to be, and John heads for the door. Sonny says, hey, Jagger, and John says, for the last time, it’s John. Sonny says, hey, John, welcome back, and Jagger John leaves.
Michael comes downstairs, apologizing that it took so long. He doesn’t think Wiley’s magic act is quite ready for Vegas yet. He sees Willow asleep on the couch and covers her with a blanket.
Cody says, Sasha did pretty good on that last one and she says, it must have been his tutelage. Also, she comes here a lot. He says, really? He wouldn’t have pegged her as a frequent thrower. She says, it’s been a tough couple of years. Some days she would come in here and she wouldn’t even care about throwing. She could have just chopped up the furniture or anything else she could get her hands on, but she’d settle for throwing the hatchet as far as she could. He says, she means at the target, and she says, does she? They laugh and she says, a few visits later, voila. He says, thankfully, one of them had a good night. He’s sorry. He feels like his game let them down. She says she noticed that his game was off. It was almost like he didn’t want them to win.
Maxie throws, and she and Spinelli get all excited. Maxie says she doesn’t want to brag. Who is she kidding? Of course (🍷) she wants to brag. She’s on fire tonight. She tells Spinelli that it’s his turn, and Spinelli gets a bullseye. Maxie squeals and they hug. Cody gives Spinelli a thumbs up.
Drew says, if it’s that important to the moss bowl🎍and Carly, he’ll put a pause on anything to do with Nina, but he doesn’t want Carly staying at Crimson if she’s unhappy there. She says she’s not unhappy. In fact, she’s warming up to the idea of staying on as Editor-in-Chief long term. She loves the people she gets to work with, and the fashion industry is thrilling. He says, she’s going to be blown away by the artists she gets to meet, and she says she can’t wait. She just wants to stay for the right reasons. Not to get back at Nina, but to build something great with him. He says he loves the sound of that, and they hug.
Dex and Josslyn spoon in bed, and she turns to him and says she’s sorry about him missing the show. He kisses her and says he’s right where he wants to be. She goes back to being the little spoon.
Brick walks into Sonny’s office and says he found something. Someone in his organization has an offshore bank account. He counted too many zeros. Three guesses as to who it belongs to. Sonny says he just needs one. Dex?
Smelled that one coming as soon as Michael paid Dex.
On Monday, Carly needs to talk to Diane and says, it’s an emergency; Trina tells Ava that she can’t live with this family; Michael tells Josslyn, someone Sonny trusts sold him out; and Drew tells Nina, keep playing with fire and see where it gets her.
🌹 She Could BeHanding Out Roses…
At best it was just hinted at by somebody who told somebody, but it’s a great idea. I never watch these shows as I always feel embarrassed for the contestants, but I’d watch it if she was on it.
If I don’t go into that office every day, who am I? – Freddy Rumsen (Joel Murray), Mad Men
There is always light. If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it. – Amanda Gorman
Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards. – Søren Kierkegaard
What’s the matter? You guys can’t do regular crack? – Judge Mathis to guys doing combo drugs, Judge Mathis
Take the attitude of a student. Never be too big to ask questions. Never know too much to learn something new. – Augustine “Og” Mandino
We need to give each other space so that we may both give and receive such beautiful things as ideas, openness, dignity, joy, healing and inclusion. – Max de Pree
Life is about making an impact, not making an income. – Kevin Kruse
Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do. – Potter Stewart
When she says jump, you say, I wish I could. – Peggy Biggs (Rondi Reed), Mike & Molly
🐲 Dragon In the New Year…
Enjoy a Bowl this weekend even if it’s a cereal bowl, then join me on Monday really Tuesday for soap and what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay not taking any game too seriously (unless you’re a professional player), and stay knowing the best revenge is to make someone irrelevant by moving on with your life.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sonny and Nina wait for news on Willow. Nina wonders why she’s still in the OR, but Sonny says, the good news is, Willow’s having a healthy baby girl; their shared grandchild. (Weird how that worked out.) Curtis comes by, and he and Nina hug. He says, Drew just told him about Nina and Willow, and Nina says, Curtis, more than anyone, knows the disappointments she’s had searching for her daughter. Now her new daughter has a new daughter, and this miracle is a long time coming. He says he’s thrilled for her, and they hug again.
Stella tells Jordan that she’s not just Curtis’s aunt; she’s the officiant at his wedding to Portia. How can she stand before the Almighty, and ask Him to bless a marriage, when she knows the bride is lying to the groom? How can she be solid when she knows Portia hasn’t told Curtis that Trina might be his daughter? Portia walks in.
Spencer tells Trina that Ava was right; this changes everything. His father actually confessed on record that he thought he killed Esme. Trina says, there had to be a reason he confessed, but Spencer asks if it matters. He plays the confession again.
Esme says, her boyfriend’s father is also her baby’s father, and Nikolas says, it’s a complicated situation. He’ll answer her questions as best he can, but she has to know that she can trust him.
Elizabeth says, there’s nothing Carolyn can do for her, but Carolyn is right that she’s exhausted, and she’s too tired to listen. Carolyn says, Elizabeth won’t have to worry about seeing her again, since she’s flying back to California and out of Elizabeth’s life for as long as Elizabeth likes. Elizabeth asks if she wasn’t consulting on a case, but Carolyn says, now that she’s met the patient, she’s decided she wants nothing to do with the case, or the person who requested her help. And neither should Elizabeth.
Michael tells Josslyn, despite everything, his daughter is healthy and happy, when Carly runs in, asking, where’s her favorite new person on the planet? They all look at the new baby through the window.
Austin runs into the ER, asking, what’s going on? and Dr. Navarro says, Willow’s still hemorrhaging. Willow drifts out of herself, and sees Harmony in the clouds. Harmony holds out her arms, and tells Willow not to worry; mama is here.
Nina tells Curtis that Willow is still in the OR, and he says, Drew told him how Willow risked everything to have the baby. She has one brave daughter. Nina says, sometimes it takes more than bravery; look at Britt. He says, part of the reason he’s here is to support Nina at Britt’s memorial, and she says, he knows what a long, strange journey it’s been for her. He says he still regrets letting Valentin play them about Sasha, but she says, that’s water under the bridge. Sasha’s not her daughter, but she still considers Sasha family. Sonny says, almost a daughter. Curtis is going to know what that’s like one day. Curtis says, from his lips, but first there’s a wedding, and he’s counting on them to be in attendance.
Jordan says she knows Portia and Stella are picking up Stella’s dress, and hopes all goes well. She tells them that she should get going to Britt’s memorial, and Portia says to give Britt’s friends and family her condolences. She would have been there, but things with the wedding got backed up. Portia and Stella leave.
Spencer says, his father actually tried to kill Esme, and Trina says, so Spencer is going to use the confession to force his father to drop any claim to Esme’s baby, and let Spencer have custody. Spencer says, absolutely, and she says, what if he refuses? but Spencer says, how can he?This confession is evidence of a crime. Not only did his father seduce his ex-girlfriend, he tried to murder her. This isn’t just an accusation, but his father’s own incriminating words. He’s not the one who threw Esme off the parapet; his father did. She says, they both know Esme is a monster, and the way his father described it, it wasn’t premeditated, but a fit of rage. He says, that makes it okay? and she says, of course (🍷) not, but if he goes down that path, he’ll be deliberately destroying his father’s life; using his own words to take his child away. He asks what she’s suggesting; that he does nothing, and lets his father get away with it?
Esme says, Nikolas paid for her defense, and brought in a psychiatrist to consult on her case, who within ten minutes, just takes off. Now he informs her that she made this baby with him, her boyfriend’s father, and she’s supposed to trust him? He says, before her memory loss, she trusted him, and said there was a connection between them that they couldn’t deny. They were both in extremely vulnerable situations; Spencer had just broken up with her, and he thought his marriage was over. What they did was wrong, but they couldn’t resist. She says, if he’s the father, why would Spencer say he is?
Michael says his baby is gorgeous, and Carly says, of course (🍷) she is; it runs in the family. He says he can’t wait for Willow to see her. He wonders why he hasn’t heard from the OR, but Carly says, he’ll hear soon. Josslyn asks if he has a name for the baby, but he says, they hadn’t settled on one yet. Wiley suggested Ashoka, and he and Willow called the baby Walnut because of how she looked on the first sonogram. Josslyn says, Ashoka Walnut Corinthos is an option, but Carly is sure Michael and Willow have some alternatives in mind. Bobbie comes out, and asks Michael to come with her to meet his daughter.
Willow says, Harmony isn’t her mother, and Harmony – who’s dressed in black, which I find a weird color choice for heaven – says, in life no, but it wasn’t all a lie. No one loved Willow more than she did. Willow says, she knows what love is and isn’t, and Harmony asks if she thinks Nina loves her. Nina loves only Nina, but Harmony was there for her. When they moved from one temporary home to another, and it seemed impossible to make new friends. When Willow got lost, who found her? Who did their best to dry her tears? She calls Willow Kali, but Willow tells Harmony that her name is Willow. We see the staff in the OR working on her, and Harmony says, Willow is still her Kali.
Curtis says he’ll see Nina at the memorial, and she thanks him for his good wishes. He says, of course (🍷), and leaves. Nina thinks there should have been an update by now, but Sonny says, when Willow is in recovery, they’ll be told.
Trina says she’s not defending Nikolas, or suggesting he get away with attempted murder, but before Spencer uses the confession, ask himself why Nikolas confessed in the first place. His father’s not a fool; he must have had a reason. She loves Ava, but Ava wants Nikolas to pay for breaking her heart. This confession might not even be true. It might be another game between the two of them, and if Spencer uses this confession as leverage, he could get caught in the middle. He says, if it saves his little brother or sister, he doesn’t mind, and she says, he might not mind, but she does.
Elizabeth says, Nikolas brought Carolyn to town? and Carolyn says, he told her it was on Elizabeth’s behalf. He said she was in trouble. Elizabeth asks why Carolyn didn’t say anything when they ran into each other, and Carolyn says, Nikolas told her it was imperative Elizabeth not know. From her perspective, she was flying blind, and wanted all the facts before she went to Elizabeth. Once she’d spent time with him, it became clear that any trouble Elizabeth was in, started with Nikolas. Elizabeth asks what Nikolas told her, and Carolyn says, enough to sense that what Nikolas roped Elizabeth into doing was wrong, maybe even illegal. He said Carolyn could atone for any harm she’d done to Elizabeth in the past. He said she could use those same skills to keep someone else from remembering something that would end up hurting Elizabeth and her boys. Elizabeth says, and that someone is Esme Prince, right? and Carolyn says, yes.
Bobbie brings out the baby for Michael to hold, and Carly and Josslyn watch. They remark how little she is, but she really isn’t, so it’s weird. Michael tells the baby he’d give her anything. There’s so many people who want to meet her, starting with her mommy.
Sonny calls Carly, who tells him that they’re in the NICU visiting with the new baby. He asks if Michael is with her, and she says, he’s holding the baby; why? Sonny says, the doctors in the OR are looking for Michael, and she asks, what happened?
Willow says that she’s Willow, Michael’s fiancé, the mother of his children, but Harmony says, where they’re going, names don’t matter. There’s nothing to tie you to the past. Don’t be afraid. Come with her. Harmony holds out her hand, and I yell, go into the light, Carol Anne Willow!
On the phone, Jordan says she thinks she should attend Britt’s memorial herself. She wants Britt’s family to understand that Britt’s sacrifice won’t be in vain. Curtis says he couldn’t help but overhear. It takes a lot of courage to face Britt’s family on a day like today. She says, they deserve answers. She just wishes she had better ones to give them. He says, Obrecht has a temper, and he’d hate to see her take incoming fire, but she says, it goes with the badge. If she’d lost a child, she’d feel the same way. Curtis says, so would he.
A woman leads Stella and Portia to the dress viewing area (I have no idea what it’s called), and Portia says she’s a grown woman with a daughter in college, and her butterflies have butterflies. She suggests they start with Stella’s dress, and the woman leaves to get it. Stella wonders if there’s a reason Portia is so nervous, and Portia says, the last time she got married, she was in her 20s. She asks how many weddings Stella has been a part of, and Stella says, enough to know they’re not all the same. They all start off beautifully, with the dress, the cake, the music of course (🍷)… Portia says, it seems like something is on Stella’s mind, but she’s not saying it, which is unlike her. She seemed cheerful and supportive of the wedding until now. Has something changed?
Trina tells Spencer that she cares about that baby too. That poor thing never asked to be born, let alone have Esme and his dad as parents. He says, then she understands why he can’t just turn the other way, and why he needs to fight using any weapon he can find. His father can’t afford for this information to become public, and a judge or the police will want answers. That’s why his father is going to bow out and give him custody. She says, if that’s really his endgame, why leverage his dad? Why not go straight to the cops?
Esme asks why it isn’t possible that Spencer is the father of her baby, and Nikolas says, timing-wise makes it impossible. Esme says, Spencer disagrees, but Nikolas says, because she has no way to know he was lying. His son has a good heart, but sometimes he ends up hurting the people he wants to help. He’ll deal with his son, but right now they need to focus on the baby. Esme has other challenges she’s facing, like her precarious legal situation. The reason he brought Carolyn to see her is because he wanted to take one of those burdens off her hands. He takes out a document, and says, all she has to do is sign it, and he’ll make sure her baby is waiting, until she’s free once more.
Carly thinks she should be with Michael, but Bobbie says, Willow is getting the best care. Josslyn says, Michael can’t lose her, and they have a three-way hug.
Michael asks Sonny, what’s going on? and Sonny says, Willow’s in the OR; they’re waiting for an update. All he knows is, Willow’s a fighter, and that kind of runs in the family.
Willow’s blood pressure continues to drop, and she asks where Harmony is taking her. Harmony says, to a better place; the kind of place they’ve been searching for. A place of peace and tranquility. A place of love. Take her hand. Willow says, what about her family? but Harmony says she’s Willow’s family. Trust her. Willow takes her hand, and Harmony says, that’s my girl.
Jordan says she ran into Curtis’s Aunt Stella. She and Portia are on their way to the bridal boutique. He says, everyone’s excited. Between Aunt Stella and his father, you’d think they were going to be at the top of the cake. He apologizes, and says he didn’t mean to sound insensitive, but Jordan says she wants him to be happy. That’s why… nothing. She starts to walk away, but he says he knows her. If it’s not about the wedding, what’s wrong?
Stella says she’s going to stand before God, and Portia’s family and friends, but Portia says, our family. She used to think all she needed was her medical degree and Trina, but then Curtis came back into he life. They went from separate homes to this beautiful home of their own that they share with Trina, and were able to welcome Curtis’s dad, Stella, TJ, and Molly. She feels the more they give, the more they have. The more love, more joy, more everything. That’s why she feels this wedding isn’t just about the two of them; it’s about all of them. She gives Stella a jewelry box, and says, it’s for her. Stella opens it to find a beautiful bracelet, and Portia says, it’s been in her family for generations. She wants Stella to wear it to the wedding, but Stella says she can’t accept this, and Portia asks, why not?
Elizabeth says, Carolyn visited Esme at Spring Ridge? and Carolyn says, Nikolas insisted. The moment she saw Esme was pregnant, and realized he wanted to silence Esme for some selfish reason, she couldn’t go along with it. She refuses to ruin someone else’s life. She knows Nikolas has been in Elizabeth’s life since high school, and been around for important events that she and Elizabeth’s dad missed out on, but trust her, Nikolas is not her friend. She doesn’t believe he has Elizabeth’s best interests at heart. She wishes she’d realized it sooner, and been straight with Elizabeth the moment she got to town. She wishes so many things. All she can say in her defense is, she’s still learning. She hopes one day she earns Elizabeth’s forgiveness. Elizabeth thanks Carolyn for telling her, and Carolyn says, you’re very welcome, Elizabeth. Elizabeth thanks Carolyn for calling her Elizabeth instead of Lizzie, and Carolyn tells her, like she said, she’s still learning.
Carly wants to be with Michael, but Bobbie says, Sonny is up there, and Josslyn points out that Nina will be there too. What’s worse, Michael facing them on his own, or them going up there, and a fight breaking out? He told them to stay with the baby. Bobbie gives them scrubs, and tells them to put smiles on their faces. They’re going in to see the baby.
Sonny tells Nina to have faith. He doesn’t think God would bring her daughter into her life to take her away. Nina says, please don’t let Willow die. Please. She has two children that need their mom. Please let Willow live.
Harmony tells Willow, just one more step, and she’ll find perfect peace.
Curtis says he knows he and Jordan are past losing the divorce papers, so what is it? She says she meant what she said. She genuinely hopes there’s a happy ending for him and Portia, and Trina. She leaves, but I don’t think Curtis is convinced she’s telling him everything.
Stella says, Portia should save the family heirloom and give it to Trina for her own wedding, but Portia says, Stella can pay it forward and give it to Trina then. Please say she’ll wear it to the wedding. Stella says, the last thing she wants to do is spoil Portia’s happiness. Portia’s right. When she marries Curtis, she marries his family, flaws and all. Portia says, Stella is flawless, but Stella says, hardly. Think of what she kept from Curtis all those years; letting him and his brother think their father was dead. Portia says, Stella thought she was doing right by her sister, and asks if she’d make the same choice if she had it to do over again. Stella says she honestly doesn’t know, and no one can make that decision for you. The woman brings Stella’s dress in, and says, showtime.
Spencer and Trina go into the chapel, and he says, if he brings the video directly to the police, it becomes a legal matter. If he takes it directly to his father, then his father backs off, it stays between them, and he becomes responsible for Esme’s baby. She says, it sounds like he has it all figured out, even though they know he’s doing this for another reason. By keeping this from the police, he’s not completely shutting the door on his dad. Part of Spencer still loves him, and knows if he uses that confession, he’ll lose his father forever.
Nikolas gives Esme the papers along with a pen, and she asks if she shouldn’t have a lawyer look at it. He says, this is a mere formality, and she says she appreciates him looking out for her and her baby, but this is all overwhelming. She’s gone from thinking Spencer is the father of her baby to finding out it’s really him, and it’s a lot to process. He says, of course (🍷). He’ll leave the paper with her and come back tomorrow. She needs to be at her best so she can clear her name and come back to her… their baby. He leaves, and Esme wonders if she can really trust him.
Josslyn, Carly, and Bobbie visit with the baby, and Bobbie says, she thinks Willow’s name is perfect. Willow trees are strong. A big, strong wind can knock down a giant oak tree, but willows can weather any storm.
Michael says, if Willow can hear him right now, she has to know how much they need her. Not just him; Wiley and their new daughter. They’re waiting for her. Waiting to take her home.
Willow hears Michael say, home. We’re waiting for you. Come back to us. Harmony says, they’re almost there, but Willow turns around.
Austin comes out, and Michael asks if Willow is okay.
Trina says, Spencer has suffered some horrible losses, but he’s also lived a pretty privileged life. Remember that. Jordan walks in, but says she can wait in the hall if they want privacy. Trina says, that’s okay. She’ll give them some time alone. She thinks Spencer and Jordan have something to discuss. Nice blindside, Trina. WTH? She leaves, and Jordan says, they do?
Stella comes out, and the dress is gorgeous, but I wonder why it’s black. I get that she’s the officiant, but maybe a dark blue would have been a better choice. Portia gets all excited, and says, now all Stella needs is some sparkle – even though the dress has white lace with rhinestone accents – and puts the bracelet on her, saying, bling it up. She says, now she knows everything is going to be perfect for her wedding day, and they look in the mirror.
Curtis sees Trina outside the chapel, and asks if everything is okay.
Jordan asks what Spencer wants to talk to her about. He holds his phone with the video on it behind his back.
Elizabeth sees Nikolas come out of the elevator, and doubles back. She looks at him like she might possibly kill him.
Esme looks at the papers, playing with the pen, and wondering why she doesn’t want to sign it. Like she said before, she lost her memory, but she’s not stupid.
Austin says, it was touch and go for a while, but Willow came through just great. Nina says she can’t believe how close they came to losing her daughter, and Michael asks if he can see her. Austin says, absolutely, she’s in ICU, Michael hugs Austin, and Michael leaves. Sonny thanks Austin, and Nina thanks him for saving Willow’s life, but Austin says he can’t take credit for something Willow’s done. Clearly, she doesn’t want to leave them just yet.
Carly says, look at them. They’re so lucky. Four generations of Spencer women. Josslyn says, it’s enough to start their own sorority, and Bobbie says, Sigma Spencer Phi. Carly gets a text that Willow is in recovery, and Josslyn tells the baby that she’s a lucky girl to be born into such an amazing sisterhood, but Carly thinks they’re the lucky ones. This little angel may not have a name yet, but hopefully she has the gift that can give her mother life.
Michael takes Willow’s hand, and says he held their beautiful baby girl. Willow did the hardest part. She carried her, kept her safe, and brought her into this world. Now all she has to do is wake up, so they can give their little girl a name.
Tomorrow, Elizabeth says, the only thing she needs protecting from is Nikolas; Spencer tells sonny that his father shouldn’t be anywhere near that child; and Heather tells Esme, not so fast.
Take a load off tomorrow for some soap and tea. Until then, stay safe, stay gentle as a dove, but wise as a serpent, and stay not going into the light if someone wearing all black comes to meet you.
⚠️ Warning: Words that could be considered bad to some.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Finn says, one blanket coming up, and walks in to find Elizabeth with his ringing phone in her hand.
Anna says she doesn’t remember the last time the Quartermaines hosted such a… Mac says, rabble? but she tells him, she was going to say event. He says, doesn’t she remember her wedding to Robert, with all the fancy hats that blocked out the sun? and she says, she remembers his girlfriend crashed the party. He says, Dominique always had a flair for the dramatic, when Lucy walks in with Felicia, and says, yes she did. Felicia hands Mac a drink, and says, he needs it more than she does. Anna asks, why? and Mac says, what’s wrong?
Britt asks Austin if she missed anything. Work was no picnic; pun intended. She wants to smack something around. Austin says, the next thing that gets smacked around is going to be her boy toy if he doesn’t stop flirting with his girlfriend. At the grill, Cody asks if Maxie wants some pork, and holds out a pork chop.
Inside, Victor wonders if Valentin brought a decent bottle of Bordeaux. Valentin pours a glass of wine, and says, if he brought a decent bottle of Bordeaux does Victor think he’d be drinking this plunk? The Quartermaines save the good stuff for themselves. He’s surprised to see Victor there. He looks a bit posh for a barbecue. Victor says he’s not there for the cuisine. Their family’s out of order, and Victor has to get them in line. He needs Valentin’s help.
Nikolas kisses Ava, but she breaks away, and says, it’s too late for words. It’s too late for kisses. It’s too late. He broke them the second he had sex with Esme. They see Spencer has walked in, and Nikolas says, Spencer… but Spencer says, don’t. What is Ava talking about? She says, he heard her. His father betrayed her with Spencer’s girlfriend.
Terry sits with her feet in the pool, and Yuri says, apologies. The bar is closed. Terry says, thanks for trying, and tells him, have a seat. He takes off his socks and shoes, and she says she hopes he didn’t mind leaving the party early. He says, the Quartermaines are busy, besides, she’s much better company. He sits next to her, and says, refreshing. She says, nice, huh?
Elizabeth says Finn will want to answer this, showing him the phone. Sarah’s on California time. It might be hard to connect if he doesn’t talk to her now. He takes the phone, and puts it down. He says he’d rather talk to her, and she says, enjoy the rest of his picnic. She starts to leave, and he says, please don’t walk away. Not now. Not like this. Don’t turn away from herself and whatever burden she’s carrying.
Maxie says she’s a vegetarian, and Cody asks if he has any takers. Austin steps up to the grill, and Britt says she didn’t know Cody was a grill master as well as a horse master. Cody says he’s really not, and Britt says she didn’t know he was capable of cooking something without burning it. Cody says he has to keep some secrets before date number two, and tells them that he needs to resupply. Maxie suggests Britt go with him, and Britt and Cody leave. Maxie asks if it’s burnt, and Austin says, it’s… this, indicating the pork chop She asks him to tell her the secret to a good pork chop, and he says, it’s the rub. Mason comes along, and says, nah. Any Gatlin worth his salt knows you can dress a barbecue up, but you won’t get what you want if you don’t turn up the heat.
Mac says, Dominique had a son, and he works for the Quartermaines? and Felicia says, so it would seem. Mac says, impossible. He would have known. Lucy says, what about Scotty? He should have known next. And what about her? She gave birth to Scotty and Dominique’s daughter after all. Anna says, she never gave any indication that she had a son? and Mac says, not once. Felicia says, it’s possible she kept the child a secret to protect him from her husband. Leopold Taub was a controlling monster; he even partnered with Faison. Anna says, a mother will go to any lengths to keep a child secret from an abuser, and Lucy says, you don’t realize who that child will turn out to be as an adult, which is precisely why she called Serena and told her not to come home anytime soon. She wants Serena to stay with her whales until they know more about this Cody person. Mac says, leave it to him, and Felicia follows him out. Lucy says she’s going to help, but Anna grabs her arm, and says she thinks they’ve got it. Besides, Lucy already has one man on her plate. Wait. Make that two.
Spencer says, Nikolas and Esme? but Nikolas says, it’s not the time or the place. Spencer says he’s not moving until Nikolas tells him everything, and Nikolas says, let’s talk about this later. Ava should have been more discreet. Ava says, don’t put this on her, and he says she knew Spencer was standing there. She says she doesn’t have eyes in the back of her head; do not make her the bad guy. They start screaming at each other, and Spencer yells, shut up! He needs to know. If this is just another one of Ava’s lies, that’s fine. Tell him. He knows what she is, and he knows who Nikolas is – his dad. Please… He starts to cry. Please say something. Nikolas says, it’s not a lie. He slept with Esme.
Cody says, it was right here, and Britt says, what? He says, the cooler, packed with burgers, hot dogs, ears of corn. Someone must have swiped it for one of the other grilling stations. She asks if this means his grilling duties are over, and he says, that’s up to Mama Q. She asks, he answers. She says she can’t see Olivia being okay with that nickname, but he says, she loves it. She knows it’s a term of affection. Does Britt have a nickname? She says she does. It’s definitely not a term of affection. He asks what her mother calls her, and she says, a disgrace, but Cody doesn’t believe it. He says, even when Obrecht was smacking him down, he could see her love for Britt. Britt says, mutter has gotten more sentimental these days, but she doesn’t want anyone to know. He says, all right. If she doesn’t want to share her mother’s nickname for her, what was her dad’s?
Maxie tells Mason, welcome. She didn’t think he was going to make it. Mason says he wouldn’t miss it. He needed to see how the other half grills. Besides, Cousin Austin insisted. He didn’t want Mason sitting around twiddling his thumbs. She asks if he’s an expert griller too, and he says, everyone in Pautuck is; some are better than others. He asks if Austin wants to flip over that chop, and Austin suggests Maxie take some food orders; see if her parents want something. Mason says, her parents are here? She should bring them over. He’d love to make their acquaintance.
Elizabeth says, Finn doesn’t know when to quit, does he? She told him… He says, if he brought up whatever’s troubling her again, they’d be over, and she says, so he brought it up with her sister instead? He tells her, he hasn’t said a word to Sarah, and she says, don’t argue semantics with her. He says he’d argue any point he could if he knew it meant helping her, and she says she never asked for his help. She never wanted it; she never needed it. She was just fine without it, but somehow he’s still meddling in her life.
Ava suggests Nikolas talk to his son in private. Here or at Windymere; she doesn’t care. She’s done. Nikolas says she should stay and watch the results of her ambush, but she says, he did this; no one else. He says, this is what she’s always wanted, to see his relationship with his son destroyed. It killed her to see them get close. She says, that’s absolutely not true, and he says, knowing she’d never get the chance to heal with Kiki the way he did with Spencer, but she’s the only one to blame for that. She smacks him across the face, and he says, the truth hurts, doesn’t it? She says, ask his son, and walks out.
Lucy says she agreed to make certain inquiries, so Marty wouldn’t ping on the government’s radar, and Anna says, or more important, his third ex-wife. Lucy says, this is going beyond the pale, but Anna says, not for Lucy. She could lead a master class extract secrets out of people. Lucy says, the old her, not now, and Anna says she’s not asking Lucy to do anything she wouldn’t do. She’s just asking Lucy to exploit the attention that Victor can’t wait to lavish on her. Just shake the tree until information about Valentin comes loose. Lucy asks, what makes Anna so sure she can get Victor to let his guard down? and Anna asks if Lucy has seen the way Victor looks at he. Lucy has the necessary assets to be her asset. Lucy says, nope. Flattery isn’t going to get her anywhere. Anna says, let’s hope for Marty’s sake she’s wrong.
Victor tells Valentin, he’s not asking for much; just another pair of eyes on a developing situation in Nikolas’s family. Valentin says, Nikolas, Ava, and Spencer all loathe him with varying degrees of justification, and Victor says he can’t do everything himself. It’s time his son stepped up and did his duty. If not for him, then for Valentin’s daughter. Valentin says, they agreed to leave his daughter out of this, and Victor says, her temporary stay in that boarding school could easily become permanent. Valentin says, you bastard, when Lucy walks in and asks if she’s interrupting.
Spencer asks Nikolas to please tell him this didn’t happen. He doesn’t understand. Nikolas says, of course (🍷) he doesn’t. Ava vomited that all up… Spencer says, she didn’t know he’d be here. She didn’t know he was standing right behind her. Nikolas says, Spencer doesn’t know that; he doesn’t know that. Never credit or defend Ava; she’s capable of anything. Spencer says, so is Nikolas. When did it start? How long have he and Esme been going at it? Nikolas says, just one time in May. They never repeated it. It was a mistake. Spencer says, Nikolas slept with his girlfriend, and Nikolas tells him, she said they’d broken up. Spencer asks if Nikolas is trying to justify this, but Nikolas says he’s just trying to explain. Spencer says he had his reasons. He had to keep Esme close because he was trying to help Trina. Nikolas says he knows that now; he didn’t know it then. All he knew is Spencer accepted Ava’s offer and took his inheritance over him. Spencer says, is that what this is about? Revenge? Nikolas says, no. He didn’t want to hurt Spencer. Spencer says, it may have actually meant something if Nikolas tried to hurt him, but they’re in the same place they’ve found themselves time and time again. Nikolas didn’t think. He didn’t think about Spencer at all.
Finn tells Elizabeth, he’s in the wrong. She asked him to honor her wishes, and obviously he didn’t. He’s sorry, but the truth is, she’s not the only one he’s concerned about. He’s worried about Violet. She says, how so? and he says, Violet loves Elizabeth and her cousins. When they’re all together, it’s all she talks about for days. Elizabeth makes her so happy. She brings light into Violet’s life, but less so lately. He knows the handling of her health is her decision alone, but he has a decision to make too, and he doesn’t know how to ignore the clear signs that she’s in some sort of distress. She says, it’s her distress, her burden, not his, and he sits. She says, what? and he says, at least they’re finally getting somewhere. She finally admitted she has a burden.
Terry says, Yuri worked for the Quartermaines as a bodyguard. Was it dangerous? He tells her, more, how you say… frustrateous? She says, frustrating, and he says, that. She says, from what she’s heard about the Quartermaines, she’s not surprised. Although she likes and respects Monica. He says, him too, and she says, it looks like they have something in common. She plays with her necklace, and he says, pretty. She thanks him, and says, it was a gift. He says, from a special someone? and she says, her mother. There’s no special someone in her life right now. He says, this is crime.
Austin tells Mason, Maxie’s dad is a cop. He’s Chief of Detectives at the PCPD. Mason says, if there’s any trouble, Austin only has himself to blame. He has obligations to fulfill. To whom much is given, much is required. Austin says, thanks for that, fortune cookie. His dept is repaid. Mason says, his creditors disagree. Ingratitude isn’t a good look on him. He doesn’t think Maxie would find it attractive. Austin says, leave Maxie out of this, and Mason says, he’s the one who brought her up. Or her father, or rather her Chief of Detectives father. He only wants what’s good for Austin. Austin says, the feeling’s mutual, and grabs Mason’s head with both hands, and says, that’s why he’s only going to say this one time. Leave Maxie and her family out of this, or the pain Mason is feeling right now will not be fleeting.
Anna says, she hates being lied to, but Valentin says he’s not lying. She tosses a cornhole sack, and we see his head popping out of the hole, like Whack-a-Mole. It hits him, and he says, ouch. She says, it didn’t look like it hurt quite enough. She’s trying again. Stay still. She hits him with another sack, and he says, ouch. She says, yes, and Maxie joins her. Maxie says, looks like fun, and Anna says, yeah. She gets a sack into the hole, and says, that’ll do.
Lucy says she’s so sorry. She certainly didn’t mean to interrupt a family moment. Victor says, it’s all sorted, and Valentin says, it isn’t, but Victor asks what he can do for her. She says she’s looking for… She sees a jar on the counter, and says, pickles. Outside, gherkins, gherkins everywhere, and not a dill to eat. He says, here you are, sliding the jar over, but slides it back when she reaches for it. She says, he’s playing with her, and he asks how he can resist. Valentin says, will he give the woman her pickles? He’ll see her for s’mores. Victor gives her the jar, but says, no need to rush away, and Valentin says, Martin Grey is probably looking for her. Victor remembers Martin, doesn’t he? Lucy’s boyfriend?
Britt says, back to her father. Surprise, surprise. Cody says, it was an innocent question, and she says he knows she doesn’t like talking about him. Cody says, he thought the boundaries were the Dr. Evil stuff. He didn’t realize, and wasn’t aware, her father was entirely off limits. She says, he’s aware now, and he says, okay, no dad talk. What about her brother? She says, Peter? and Cody says, is he out of bounds, or should they just avoid her whole family and stick with his? She says, good idea, when Felicia and Mac come alone. Felicia says, they’re sorry to interrupt. They’re looking for someone. Mac says he thinks they found him.
Maxie gets her toss in the hole, and Anna says, she’s a natural. Maxie is a natural leader as well. She never said congratulations yet about Deception’s IPO. Maxie thanks her, and says, it was a lot of work, but it helps to have a great team behind you. Anna says, including Valentin? and Maxie says, shockingly. He was a little more involved than she would have liked at the beginning, but he had some great ideas. He’s has been quiet lately. Anna says she noticed that too. She thinks he’s still convalescing from the injury he had a few months ago, and Maxie says, sometimes she thinks he still hasn’t recovered. It’s like his mind is someplace else. With Anna? Anna says, maybe, and Maxie says, what is she doing? She’s supposed to be taking orders. Has Anna seen her mom and dad? Anna says she hasn’t seen them in a while, but there here somewhere, and Maxie asks if she’d like something, but Anna says, she can’t eat when she’s thinking.
Lucy says, it’s the darndest thing. Martin is still out of town. Victor asks if he’s left Lucy unattended again. The man should be tarred and feathered. There is a solution though; allow him. Lucy says she was one leg short for the three-legged race, and he says, all his legs are at her service. Valentin says he’s been trying to reach Martin. Where is her one and only? She says, his mother. He’s so busy taking care of her, he’s had no time to answer her calls or texts. Victor says, a woman of advanced age does need a lot of attention. A dutiful son can be away for some time. Valentin says, he should be back soon, and Lucy tries to open the pickles, but she’s unsuccessful. She says she can’t get this lid unscrewed. Valentin snaps a picture on his phone, and says, if Martin can’t be reached, he’s sure this message will get his attention.
Cody asks if he knows Mac, and Mac says, not exactly. Felicia asks if he’s Cody Bell, and he says he is. She introduces herself and Mac, and Cody says, they’re Maxie’s parents. Nice to meet them. She’s great; he loves that girl. Did they hear about him through Maxie, or… Britt says, don’t be modest. Mac is Chief of Detectives. She’s sure his cops told him how they arrested Cody. Felicia says, to be honest, they only just heard about him, and came right over to meet him. Cody says, why is that? and Felicia looks at Mac. He doesn’t say anything, and she says, they knew Cody’s mother.
Austin keeps his grip on Mason’s head, and says, hurts, right? That’s the parotid nerve. It’s super sensitive nerve, and it hurts even more if you press on it like this. He presses Mason’s head down, and Mason says, let him go. Austin says, he’ll let Mason go as soon as he feels like they they’re understanding one another. Mason says, he can live with the pain – he grabs a knife from the cutting board – but can Austin live with a nicked artery? Austin lets go, and Mason says, blood or no blood, when he calls, Austin will answer, and it will be, yes, sir, and, thank you, sir, when he gives Austin instructions. Got it? Ava comes along, and says, loud and clear.
Nikolas says he knows sleeping with Esme was wrong, and Spencer says, Captain Obvious did it occur to him, not owning up to the truth was also wrong? Nikolas asks, what would be the point in telling Spencer? and Spencer says, not lying would have been the point, but Nikolas says he was more concerned with not hurting Spencer. And it didn’t matter to Esme. Spencer says he knows Nikolas didn’t do this on his own. Esme’s just as responsible. Nikolas says, that’s not what he’s saying. It shouldn’t have happened. Spencer says, he’d really like it if Nikolas would start calling it what it is. It is a betrayal, and there have been so many, including the years Nikolas let Spencer believe he was dead. He’s sick. Nikolas says he’ll never forgive himself for that, but how does sleeping with Esme compare to that? Spencer told Nikolas himself that he was just using her to get Trina out of prison. Spencer says, that is the worst part. Because he stopped loving Esme. She didn’t matter to him, but Nikolas did. He loved Nikolas. Nikolas was his dad and meant everything to him. No longer.
Finn tells Elizabeth, now is the time to get out in front of this thing before it digs in any deeper, before it harms her or someone else. She asks if he’s suggesting she’d hurt someone like she did Chase, and he says, not intentionally, but it’s clear to him that she has a problem. And despite all the denials, he thinks it’s clear to her too. Does she think maybe it’s clear to her boys? How does she think it is for them, seeing their mom struggling, and they can’t help her and don’t know how? And what’s going to happen if they reach out to somebody she doesn’t want them too, like her father? She says, don’t talk about her father. Why can’t he just leave her alone? He says, because he’s been there. He’s been in denial; he’s an addict. He’d probably be dead right now if certain people hadn’t fought through his lies and helped him. That’s why he can’t turn a blind eye when he sees someone in pain. What’s the point of being a doctor? She says, he’s not her doctor. He’s not her anything. She runs out, and he calls after her.
Elizabeth comes out of the woods, and feels her head. She sees blood on her hands. She hears Finn’s words about her boys, and him asking, what if they reach out to her father? She flashes back to being at the top of the stairs with someone, and saying, don’t talk about my father. The woman asks what she’s doing; they probably don’t want her involved. Elizabeth says, don’t talk about her father. You’ll see what happens if you do. She keeps walking, then stops and looks back.
Cody asks how they knew his mother, and Felicia says, she didn’t know Dominique well, but Mac… Mac says, he and Dominique were friends. He met her when she was married to Cody’s father. Cody says, Mac has his deepest sympathies. From what he’s heard, Leopold Taub was a real piece of work. Mac says, no doubt about that, and Cody promises he’s nothing like that guy, at least as far as he knows, He’s definitely not in a criminal cartel, trying to hold Port Charles hostage. Mac says he doesn’t see a bit of Taub in Cody; plenty of Dominique though. She was a good person. Cody tells him, if you say so, and Mac says he does. Felicia says she’s starving, and suggests they rustle up some ribs. Cody says, the barbecue by the boathouse is out of supplies, so they’ll have to hit up another one. He asks if he can interest Britt in a beer inside, and she guesses it woudn’t hurt. He says, it never does, and tells Mac and Felicia, nice meeting them. Felicia says, him too, and Britt and Cody go into the stable. Cody says, weird guy. Outside, Felicia asks if Mac is okay, and Mac says, why wouldn’t he be? She says, he just lied to Cody.
As she plays with her necklace, Terry tells Yuri, a crystal’s a symbol of transformation. Her mother says, it’s a reminder that change is ongoing. We’re always creating or discovering new parts of ourselves. Sometimes change is big and visible, and sometimes you have to look closely to find it. He says, this crystal is helpful to her? and she says, yes. The clasp is loose, and she needs a new chain, because every time she plays with it – the chain opens and the necklace falls in the water – that happens. Yuri dives in.
Lucy says, Valentin doesn’t have to send Victor those pictures. In fact, she bets she could get ahold of him right now, and make sure he contacts Valentin immediately. As for Victor, she’s so sorry. She just remembered she has to meet Brook, but she sure hopes they can do this again sometime maybe. He holds a pickle spear out to her, and says, no maybe about it. She takes her pickle, thanks him, and leaves. Valentin says, Victor always wants what he can’t have, and Victor says he gets what he wants. It just takes a little patience. But rather than concerning himself with Victor’s personal affairs, perhaps Valentin should focus on his own. Or is Anna proving too hard to handle?
Ava says, good evening, as she walks closer, and Mason puts the knife back. She says, is everything okay here? Mason says, he and Austin were just arguing the merits of medium rare versus well done. She asks what they decided, and Austin says, well done. She says she came out to find a refill, but it looks like she’s out of luck. She looks at them weird, and says, so carry on, gentlemen. She leaves, and Mason starts to follow, but Austin says, don’t even worry about her. Mason says he doesn’t worry, and leaves. Austin follows. I actually get confused for a moment, thinking, aren’t Ava and Austin good friends? But that was Ava and Todd. I mean, Franco.
Nikolas says, Spencer doesn’t mean that. They’ve come too far to let their relationship go. Spencer says, everything he’s done since he came home was to bring them closer; every gamble, every stupid mistake, every act of contrition. All to get his dad back. And for every step he took closer to Nikolas, Nikolas took two steps backwards. There’s no closing that gap now. He thought he knew who Nikolas was, but he doesn’t. He’s done with Nikolas. He walks out.
Mac asks how he lied to Cody, and Felicia says she’s not sure the word friend accurately captures Mac’s relationship with Dominique. He says, ancient history. They guy obviously has mother issues he needs to work out. There’s no reason to add one more thing to his list.
Cody hands Britt a beer, and says, where were they? Oh yeah. She was about to tell him about her brother. She says, no. He was about to ask her if he was allowed to ask about Peter. He says, is he? and she says, stick to your favorite color crayon, worst remake, best Toto song. He says, burnt sienna, he never watches remakes and never will, and Rosanna. She says, Africa, and he says, too obvious. And how is it fair her brother is off-limits, just like when he brings up any of her other family members? She says she thinks about Peter and Faison nearly every day, and talking about them only makes it worse. He takes her beer, and puts it on the table with his, and says, fine. Enough talking. He moves closer to her.
Lucy finds Anna, and Anna asks how it went with Victor. Lucy says, Victor fell for her, hook, line, and pickles, but Valentin was there, so there wasn’t anything of interested revealed.But there’s a heck of a lot of tension between father and son. Anna asks, how so? and Lucy says, she would recognize a thwarted and disgruntled Valentin, but it wasn’t just that. Valentin was going for the jugular when she interrupted them. So her sense is, big daddy has Valentin on a very short leash, and that leash is beginning to chafe. She takes a bite of her pickle, and walks off.
Victor says, he’s noticed Valentin and Anna have become close since Valentin’s return from Tahiti. Has it clouded Valentin’s judgement? Valentin says, he told Victor, he has Anna well in hand, and Victor says, with a little cultivation, he’ll have the lovely Lucy in his hand soon. So a be chum, and delete that photo. Valentin says, yes, father, and does. Victor says, Charlotte would be proud, pats Valentin on the shoulder, and leaves.
Spencer chugs a beer, and goes into the cooler for another. Nikolas asks how much he’s had to drink, and Spencer gives him the standard answer, not nearly enough, but Nikolas says, he’s had plenty. He tries to take Spencer’s beer, and grabs him. Spencer says, let him go, and they struggle. Nikolas says, he’ll never let Spencer go, and Victor comes along, as Spencer breaks away. Spencer says, he’s let Nikolas go. He’s done his last good deed, and now Nikolas can go win Ava back, without even considering Spencer. Good luck. Spencer leaves, and Victor says, what the hell? What just happened? Nikolas says, Ava happened. Oh, I see. Nikolas has changed not-at-all, and is going to blame all his mistakes on Ava.
Mason walks through the boathouse, and says, he thought she came this way. Austin says, can’t he just let this go? but Mason says, she heard them. Austin says, she heard a family squabble, but Mason says, it was more than that. Austin says, Ava doesn’t know that, and Mason says, he can’t take the chance, and neither can Austin.
Yuri brings back Terry’s necklace, and sits next to her again. He says, it’s only water; it will dry. She laughs, and he says, wear it? She says, of course (🍷), and he puts it on her.
As Ava walks, we see someone take a pair gardening gloves, and a hook is taken from a row of them. Ava says, to Windymere. Living there was nice while it lasted. Hook guy comes up behind her, and she says, if Scotty’s worth his fee, he’ll pry it from Nikolas before the divorce. To divorce. The hook comes down, Ava doubles over. She looks down to see it sticking out of her stomach.
On Monday, Cody asks Britt, what’s so awful about them being into each other; Finn tells Elizabeth, don’t shut him out; Sonny tells Anna, he can neither confirm nor deny that; and Ava asks someone not to leave her.
Look around you. Everything changes. Everything on this earth is in a continuous state of evolving, refining, improving, adapting, enhancing and changing. You were not put on this earth to remain stagnant. – Steve Maraboli
It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. – Frederick Douglass
I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man. – George Washington
People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use. – Søren Kierkegaard
I have seen many storms in my life. Most storms have caught me by surprise, so I had to learn very quickly to look further and understand that I am not capable of controlling the weather, to exercise the art of patience and to respect the fury of nature. – Paulo Coelho
The outer conditions of a person’s life will always be found to be harmoniously related to his inner state… Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are. – James Allen, As a Man Thinketh
My responsibility to myself, my neighbors, my family and the human family is to try to tell the truth. – Toni Cade Bambara
We were good before things went bad. – Silas Clay (Michael Easton, 2013-1015), General Hospital
🏃🏽♀️ Never Gonna Break My Stride…
Time to kick back and fill your head with good things. Take in some nature. Or if you’re a rural dweller, take in some concrete. Inviting both city and country mice to join me on Monday for some soap and what’s on Deck in the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay not limiting your friendships to those who think like you, and stay not keeping all the good stuff for yourself.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sonny punches the heavy bag, when Brick walks in. Sonny says, it’s been a few months since he’s seen Brick in person, and Brick says, Sonny asked him to assess the west coast family situation. Sonny asks what he found, and Brick says, so far, all’s quiet on the western front. He’s not sure that robbery had anything to do with the west, but things have died down. That means he can give his full attention to finding a replacement, somebody to fill Jason’s shoes. Sonny says he thinks he may have found someone.
Michael tells Dex that he’s tired of Sonny taking whatever he wants. It’s time to face the consequences. Brando comes out, and bounds up the stairs, seeing them. He asks what they’re doing here, and Michael says he’s telling Dex for the last time, stop following him. He doesn’t know if Dex is following his dad’s orders, or he’s showing off, but Sonny’s new errand boy won’t stop harassing him, and it ends today. Dex says, no law against taking the stairs. Last time he checked, Michael didn’t own them.
Sasha thanks Willow for letting her vent. It helps so much to know that Willow understands what happened to her mom was truly an accident. Still, hearing about it can’t be easy. Willow says, no easier than for Sasha to talk about it she imagines. Accidentally hitting someone with her car has to be traumatic for her. Sasha says, it is for sure, especially when those tabloid people keep implying she was driving under the influence. Willow says, those jerks didn’t get to her, and Sasha says she doesn’t know what she did to deserve a friend like Willow. She’s hurt Willow in so many ways, always unintentionally, but still, Willow has never wavered in supporting her. A lot of people would have walked away. Willow says, the feeling’s mutual. She hopes Sasha knows that, because she knows Sasha will have her back, just like she has Sasha’s. Sasha says, Wiley is so lucky to have Willow as his mother, and so will this little one. Willow flashes back to TJ telling her that she has an elevated white blood cell count, but he doesn’t think it’s related to her pregnancy.
At Windymere, Esme says she has to get the hell out of here. She finds a book, and takes a paper out of it. She puts the paper into a manila envelope, and puts that in her suitcase. As she’s zipping up the suitcase, Ava walks in, and says, you conniving little whore. Esme says, as the saying goes, it takes one to know one. Ava says, Esme’s not going to try and talk her way out of this? So unlike her normal lying ways. But even for Esme, this is a new low, sleeping with her boyfriend’s father. That is beyond tacky. Esme asks if it was beyond tacky when Ava was having an affair with Morgan Corinthos, then slept with his father. How old does Ava think Avery should be when Ava informs her that she’s the product of hate sex? Ava asks how she knows about those things, and Esme says, Ava didn’t think she’d do her research? She likes to know what she’s dealing with. Ava asks where Esme thinks she’s going, and Esme says she may have had sex with Nikolas, but Ava is still going to get what she wants. Esme is leaving town, and Ava will never have to see her again. Ava grabs Esme’s arm, and says, she’s not going anywhere; not until she pays for the damage she’s done.
Judge Young tells Diane to call her first witness, as Portia hurries in. She tells Taggert that she got here as quick as she could, and Diane calls Spencer Cassadine. Everyone is like, wha-a-at? and Portia asks, what the hell is happening here? Taggert says he has no idea, and Spencer is sworn in.
Brick holds the bag as Sonny punches, and asks if Sonny’s been looking at candidates without him. He’ll try not to take it personally. Sonny says, this guy kind of fell into his lap. A low-level guy he has working for him. His name is Dex; he’s a military vet. Brick asks where Sonny found him. He knows Sonny ain’t running help wanted ads in the classifieds. Sonny says, when Chet was away, Dex was running the gym, and Brick asks what Sonny likes about him. Sonny says, he’s hungry; it’s like he’s chasing something more. Brick says, so he reminds you of you, and Sonny laughs, saying, not just him. He’s like Stone, Jason… Brick says, far be it for him to question Sonny’s judgement – which he won’t – but allow him to question Dex’s. There’s no shortage of people who want to get in this business, thinking they know what they’re getting themselves into. But he and Sonny both know, there’s no way to know what it actually does to someone until they live it.
Brando steps between Michael and Dex, and says, that’s enough. He tells Dex to back off Michael. Go for a walk. Dex says, fine, whatever. He’ll see Michael around. Dex leaves, and Michael says he appreciates Brando stepping in, but he could have handled this. Brando says, he’s confused. Dex just followed Michael to the hospital and tried to intimidate him? Michael says he has no idea. Other than maybe Dex thinks he’s impressing Sonny, Michael has no idea what this guy wants from him. Brando says, maybe Michael is right; maybe Dex is just trying to impress Michael’s dad. He can backchannel to Sonny that Michael is having issues with Dex, but Michael says, absolutely not. Brando says he was just trying to help, and Michael says he appreciates it, but he doesn’t want Sonny involved in this. Besides, Brando has bigger things to focus on.
Sasha says, honestly, she doesn’t know what she’d do without Willow’s friendship, when TJ comes out. He says he’s ready for Willow, and Willow tells Sasha, they’ll talk soon. Willow leaves with him, and Sasha’s phone dings. She looks at it, and says, am I keeping my counseling appointment today…
In an exam room, TJ thanks Willow for coming back. He just needs another blood sample. She asks why they need another blood test, and he says, to make sure the first wasn’t an anomaly. She says, doctors aren’t usually the ones who take blood samples, and he says she’s his friend. Sue him if he’s a little invested. She says, raised white blood cell counts can indicate any number of things, but it’s clear he’s worried about something specific. Can he tell her what it is he’s looking for?
Esme says, well, well. It seems Ava’s Prince Charming finally decided to be honest, and tell her that he’s just another slimy frog. Ava says she’s had Esme pegged from the very start. She’s selfish and entitled, but she’s very, very smart; Ava will give her that. Esme helped Spencer torture her for months, and it all came quite naturally to her, didn’t it? She knows Spencer says he put Esme up to setting her car on fire, but Ava saw that look of fear in his eyes. Spencer didn’t do that. He’s selfish, self-centered, and self-serving, but he’s no psychopath; not like Esme. And Esme couldn’t just set it on fire. She had to go a step further and put Ava’s dead daughter’s ID next to it, and that is just sadistic. And Esme made that revenge porn video of Joss and Cam. Again, only a demented mind like Esme’s would do something like that. And she framed Trina to take the fall, but all of that wasn’t enough, was it? Esme had to seduce her husband. She had to trick Ava’s husband into falling into bed with her. Esme says, Nikolas hardly had to be seduced. All thanks to the shrewish ways Ava’s been treating him. Every day Ava came up with new and creative ways to emasculate him. Ava made him feel like less man. All Esme had to do was be there to catch him when he fell.
Diane says, they danced around this during Spencer’s previous testimony, so let’s just cut to the chase, shall they? Does he believe Trina Robinson filmed and distributed an intimate video – Nikolas walks in and sits behind Trina – of Josslyn Jax and Cameron Webber? He says, no, he doesn’t. He knows for a fact Trina couldn’t have distributed that video. Portia tells Taggert, Spencer is defending their daughter, and Diane asks if he can tell the court why he’s so certain. He says he knows for a fact Trina couldn’t have distributed that video because she was with him when the video was released via email.
Willow says she knows TJ doesn’t have any firm answers yet, but what is he worried about? There’s a knock at the door, and Michael comes in. He says he’s sorry to interrupt, but the nurse said they were in here. Willow says, he’s not interrupting, and TJ says, he’s done here. He says he’ll be right back, and leaves. Michael says he’s confused. He thought Willow had an OB appointment; why was TJ here and not Britt? She says, it’s nothing. He was just being a good friend.
Esme says, Nikolas felt unappreciated. In name, he and Ava were husband and wife, yet they were sleeping in separate bedrooms. Who does that? I tell her, probably more people than she thinks, and she says, Ava drove him away, just like she drove away every single person she cared about. Ava says, all the research Esme has done on her, Esme doesn’t know her. Esme says, doesn’t she? She knows Ava turned her back on her brother before he died. Ava says she loved her brother very much. Julian was self-destructive. She had no choice but to walk away. Esme says, just like Ava walked away from Kiki when she found Kiki sleeping with her boyfriend Griffin Monroe. She’s hardly the catalyst for what happened with all of them. Ava does see that the common denominator in all of those twisted scenarios is herself? Ava says, that’s enough. Don’t try to make this about her. Nikolas is Spencer’s father. Did Esme think she was going to trade up to more money by targeting him? Esme says, one more time, she did not target Nikolas. He came running to her. Ava says she knows better. Esme is a stalker. Esme and Spencer played their sick mind game with her; they made her fear for her daughter’s life. The ways they attacked her…. She stops for a moment, then says, all this time, she thought Esme was just her stepson’s obnoxious entitled girlfriend. So why then does this all feel so very personal? Why does Esme hate her so much? There has to be more to this story. There has to be. Esme glances at the envelope sticking out of her suitcase.
Diane asks if Spencer is saying, he was with Trina at the moment that email was distributed to the PCU. He says, that’s exactly what he’s saying, and Diane says, correct her if she’s wrong, but that day her was serving a sentence at the Spring Ridge Minimum Security Prison, was he not? He says, yes, that’s correct, and she asks if Trina was visiting him on that day. He says, no, and she says, he’s going to have to help all of them out here. If he was with Trina in person and not in prison, where was he? He says he arranged for a kind of off-the-books day pass to leave prison. You might say Trina saw him when he escaped.
Sonny says, good workout, and Brick says, all he did was hold the bag. Dex comes in, and asks if it’s a good time, or does Sonny want him to come back later, but Sonny says, no. Actually, it’s a good time. They were just talking about him. This is a good time for Brick and Dex to meet. Sonny introduces them, and says, Brick is a trusted friend, second in command. Brick and Dex shake hands, and Dex says he wanted to give Sonny an update on that thing they discussed when he has a moment. Sonny tells him, whatever he’s got to say, he can say in front of Brick. Brick is like family to him. So how’s their good friend the photographer doing this afternoon? Dex says, he’s not going to be selling anything to anyone again. He definitely won’t be opening his mouth. Dex made sure of that before the cops showed up. Sonny says, Dex talked to the cops?
Michael asks if Willow can tell how excited he is, and she says she can; she is too. He says he can’t stop thinking about how lucky they are. Everything is going to be different this time. They’ll both be there from the very start, and they’re not going to miss any moments with their child.
Brando sees Sasha, and says, there she is. She asks what he’s doing back at the hospital, and he says he felt guilty leaving her behind. Is she going to be late? She says,; she’s not going. He asks, why not? and she says she ran into Willow. It turns out the photographer, the one who harassed her and got in his car and chased her, which led her to hit Harmony, is here at GH. It kind of forced her and Willow to unpack a lot of things they needed to discuss. She was very sympathetic, and in a way, it was therapeutic. He says he understands. Why don’t they reschedule her therapy appointment? She says, no. She’s all talked out.
Portia wonders why Trina didn’t tell them any of this, and Taggert says, she was probably protecting Cassadine. Rory says he has no idea what’s going on, and Josslyn says, she doesn’t either, but maybe Spencer is doing the right thing for once. Judge Young says, quiet in the courtroom, banging his gavel, and tells Diane to please continue. She says, to clarify, Spencer escaped from prison, and Spencer says he planned on going back. He did go back. Arden objects, saying, there’s no way to verify this, but Diane says, the same as any witness’s testimony. Now it’s up to the jury to determine its voracity. The judge says, overruled, but get to point soon. Diane asks how Spencer was able to leave undetected, and he says he’s not proud of this, but someone was bribed to look the other way. She asks why this day was so important that he obtained this unofficial hall pass, and he tears up and says, it was the anniversary of his mother’s death. His mother died when her was a baby, so he never met her. The anniversary of her death is important to him. As a boy, he always laid flowers. The last several years, he was away at boarding school in France, so he couldn’t. So to be back here in Port Charles on that anniversary, and not be able to honor her with flowers was incredibly painful. He went to the graveyard to see her. He never meant for anyone to see him. That’s when he saw Trina at the cemetery, working on a project for PCU. Diane tells the judge that her associate is currently collecting proof of Trina’s PCU assignment, which she’ll be entering as evidence. She asks if Spencer realizes, with this, he could be jeopardizing his freedom, since he was released from Spring Ridge. He says, he knows, and starts to cry, looking at Trina. He says, but at a certain point, you have to stop doing the easy thing, and start doing right thing.
Dex tells Sonny, it’s not his first rodeo, but Brick says, even veteran riders get tossed off the bull. Dex says, he knows enough to make himself scarce before the cops see him. It was Sonny’s son, the detective. Sonny says he doesn’t care who it was. Someone shows up with a badge, you don’t say anything. Dex promises, that’s exactly what he did. He’s sorry he didn’t handle it correctly, but he thought he was doing what Sonny wanted. Sonny says, Dex is right; he did the right thing. Like with Josslyn. Brick asks, what happened with Joss? and Sonny says, they were having a discussion with that reporter that gave Sasha drugs. It got a little heated, and they roughed him up a little bit. It so happens that Josslyn shows up, starts filming the whole thing, and threatening to take the footage to the police. Brick says, what? and Sonny says, she’s upset about what happened with him and her mother, and she wanted payback. Thanks to Dex… He talked her into deleting the footage. He tells Dex that he hasn’t thanked him for that. He appreciates that. Now Dex knows what the boundaries are when dealing with his kids. Dex says, Sonny is the boss; he makes the rules.
Sasha asks Brando, doesn’t he get it? She’s emotionally drained right now. She’s too spent for another therapy session. He says he does get that, but she needs to stick to her program if she’s going to get any better. She says, that’s not for him to decide, is it? and he tells her, he’s not saying that. If she wants, he’ll make the appointment for her. It’s not something she needs to stress out over. She says, oh my God. The only one stressing her out is him. He and Gladys are smothering her.
Ava asks why Esme’s attacks on her are so personal? First Esme threw Morgan in her face, then Kiki and Griffin. Esme didn’t know any of those people (and we barely remember them). Who is giving her this information and why? What the hell did she ever do to Esme? Esme says, if her time in this provincial city has taught her anything, it’s that people here love to gossip. Not many people here like Ava much. Not that Esme’s treated Ava any differently than she would have treated anyone else. It’s a lesson you learn pretty quickly in boarding school. People can be vicious, so a good defense is the best offense. So she learned things. Ava just happens to have more dirt in her past than most people. Ava says, that’s not it. She’s onto something. She knows it; she can feel it. When Spencer asked for Esme’s help torturing her, Esme jumped at the chance, didn’t she? Why was Esme so willing to help him? Spencer ended up in prison. Esme could have very well ended up there as well. If Esme was some simpleton just trying to please her crush, Ava would buy it, but Esme’s no fool, and obviously not very devoted to Spencer. Esme says she’s not the one who’s devotion wavered, and Ava says she sees she pushed a button. Let’s see if she can push a few more.
Diane says, if Trina Robinson didn’t distribute this revenge porn video of Josslyn Jax and Cameron Webber, Spencer must have some suspicion as to who did. Unless of course (🍷) Josslyn and Cameron filmed themselves. Spencer says, no way. It was their first… They wouldn’t do that. Diane asks if he had anything to do with it, but he says, no. Absolutely not. He might not have been the best friend to Josslyn and Cameron over the course of the last year, but he’d never hurt them in that way. She says, this cabin they’ve been discussing belongs to Josslyn’s former stepfather; is that correct? Spencer says, yes. This trip to the cabin was before Sonny and Carly got divorced. She says, tell her about this cabin. Is there staff? Is there anyone else who might have made this video? A cleaning crew perhaps? Spencer says, there was no staff there, okay? and Diane says, okay. Someone else then. A disgruntled neighbor perhaps. Spencer says, no. The cabin is very isolated. Diane says, all right. There were five of them there that night, Trina, who he knows is innocent. Josslyn and Cameron, also innocent. Spencer, who denies any responsibility. That leaves who? Arden objects, saying, speculation, and Diane tells Judge Young, there were five people at the cabin that night, and Spencer was one of them. His opinion has merit. The judge says, overruled, but tread carefully, and Spencer says, there was no outside staff. It had to be someone who was staying in the cabin. Diane says, uh-huh. Who? Spencer looks at Trina, and says, his girlfriend at the time, Esme Prince. Soap looks are exchanged all around.
Brando says, he and his mom don’t mean to smother Sasha. They just want to see her get better. He knows she had a good talk with Willow, and he’s glad they cleared the air. He knows Willow is a good friend to her, but Willow is not a psychiatrist. And the whole Harmony part? He knows she has guilt over that, but it isn’t her main issue. She needs to talk to a doctor about why she turns to pills when she’s already seen how cocaine damaged her life. He’s an addict too, remember? She needs to deal with the root cause. She says, he doesn’t trust her, and he says he does, but he knows how addicts think. The temptation of drugs gets the better of your brain. Sasha needs her psychiatrist’s help. He and her doctors wanted her to go live in rehab, but she didn’t want to do that. So if she’s not going to rehab, she needs to stick to her outpatient therapy. She yells at him, stop trying to control her every move, and he yells back, given the way their life together is spiraling out of control, maybe somebody does need to control her.
Sonny tells Dex to take off; he’s going to go over some stuff with Brick. Dex starts to leave, but Brick says, hang on. Sonny mentioned Dex was a vet; same here. He’s sure they have a lot to talk about. Dex says he’s sure they do, and leaves. Sonny asks Brick what he thinks, and Brick says, he’s too full of himself. Cocky. Too reckless as far as Brick is concerned. Too flippant with the way he speaks about Sonny’s family, and dealing with the cops. Sonny says, he’s young; he’s got to learn the ropes. Brick says, he deserves a shot. He’s just not sure about sending a rookie to deal with some drug dealer. Sonny says, Dex volunteered, and Brick asks if Sonny thinks someone this young and green will be effective in the enforcer role. Sonny says, Dex is about Jason’s age when Jason started working for him, and Brick says, yeah, but this generation seems to need a lot more growing up than the previous one. Sonny says, every generation needs time to mature. Isn’t that always the case?
Outside, behind a warehouse, Dex looks at his phone.
Michael tells Willow, even though they didn’t plan for the pregnancy, he thinks the timing couldn’t be better. Wiley and the new baby are only going to be a few years apart. She says, for so many years, she was desperate for a brother or sister. Someone she could talk to, play with, share the crazy of life with Harmony. What about him and Morgan? Were they close? He says, there was a time they were fighting over Kiki, but for the most part, they were close. Then there was Dante. Obviously, the didn’t grow up together, and they met as adults, but he’s very glad Dante is in his life. No one can talk him off a cliff like Dante can. His phone dings, he looks at it, and sighs. She asks if something’s wrong, and he says, no, it’s a work thing, but he really needs to handle this. He tells he that he can stick around if she wants, but she says, no. She’s fine. If this were some big step, she’d want him to be here, but it’s just another routine appointment. He asks if she’s sure, and she says, absolutely. He says he’ll see her at home, and leaves.
Diane thanks Spencer, and says, no further questions. Arden says, it’s Spencer’s testimony that he was with Trina the moment the email containing the revenge porn was distributed at PCU; is that correct? He says, that’s correct, and she says, but he has no accounting for Trina’s whereabouts at the moment the video was being filmed, does he? She reminds the court, it’s the non-consensual recording that’s the most pressing charge here. He says, um… and she says, let her repeat. Was he with Miss Robinson when the revenge porn video was filmed? He says, no, he wasn’t, and she says, and to reiterate his previous testimony, he was with Esme Prince when the video was filmed. He says, yes, he was, and once again, I wonder why he’s not bringing up Esme going back to the cabin to get whatever he’d left there, especially since he said something to Esme about it, like, five minutes ago. Arden says, okay then, moving on. Spencer audited classes at PCU last fall. Did he ever have to pull an all-nighter? (For auditing???) He says, yes, and she says, when he needed to turn in a term paper to a professor in the middle of the night, was he aware that you could schedule send an email later for a more reasonable hour using a run-of-the-mill app? Now I stamp my foot and say, that’s a dumb thing to even say, since it’s not like a new email shakes you awake to read it. Spencer says, she lost him, and Diane objects, saying, the State has lost everyone with this line of questioning. Arden says, withdrawn, and tells Judge Young that she’d like to enter into evidence an email that she personally sent to him and opposing counsel. Diane says, excuse me? and Arden says, give it a second. Diane and the judge’s phones beep, and Arden says, there it is. While Mr. Cassadine was accounting for the defendant’s whereabouts, she scheduled her email to be released later.
TJ comes back, and asks Willow if Michael had to leave. She says, it was a work issue. She told him to go deal with it. He says, if she wants to reschedule for a time they can both be here, they can do that, but Willow says she has time. He closes the door, and says he couldn’t help notice that she gave Michael the runaround when he asked why TJ was taking the lead here, and not Britt. Is there a reason she’s telling Michael this isn’t her usual OB appointment?
Michael tells Dex, he hopes this is important. He was at the hospital with Willow. Dex asks if she’s okay, and Michael says, just standard pregnancy stuff. So what’s going on? Talk to him. Dex says he just wanted to make sure Michael got things squared with Brando; he seemed pretty suspicious. Michael says, he was 100% suspicious, but he bought that he was pissed at Dex for harassing him. Dex says, good, because he has enough people looking at him suspiciously. Michael asks what that means, and Dex says, this guy Brick. He thinks Brick is going to dig into his past. Michael thanks him for the heads up, and says, but if Brick is doing a background check, that’s a good sign Dex is moving closer into Sonny’s inner circle.
Brick says, if Sonny sees something in this guy, there must be something there. Still, Brick is going to run a full background check on him. And that ain’t a request. Sonny says he’s not even going to try and stop Brick. But no matter how much they look into Dex’s past, it’s not going to tell them whether he can deal with this life. All he’s taken care of so far is a low level drug pusher, slash, tabloid photographer. Brick says, so Sonny wants to give Dex a bigger assignment to test him, and Sonny says he was thinking, why don’t they see if Dex can prove himself; trial by fire. They laugh, and Brick says, he likes that.
Brando tells Sasha that he’s so sorry. If he could take those words back, he would. He didn’t mean it. She says, didn’t he? and he says he doesn’t want to control her. He’s just worried about her. So are Michael and Willow, and his mom, and everyone at Deception. Sasha says, admit it. He finally said what he felt. He stopped walking on eggshells like he’s been doing; like everybody’s been doing. He says, that’s not true, and suggests they go home and talk privately, but she says, no. She needs space. He says, from him? and she says, from everybody. She storms out to the stairwell.
Diane objects to the ADA’s theatrics. There’s no proof to suggest that video was sent via pretimed email. Arden says, no further questions, and Judge Young tells Spencer to step down. He asks both counsels to approach the bench, and as Spencer passes her, Trina says she can’t believe he did this. He says, he can’t believe it didn’t work. He’s so sorry. He keeps walking, and Portia asks why Trina didn’t tell them that Spencer was her alibi before. Trina says she was hoping Curtis would have a Hail Mary, so she wouldn’t have to, and Taggert tells her, just keep your chin up, baby girl. Diane is right. There’s zero evidence that video was sent via email timer. Maybe Spencer was her Hail Mary. At the door, Josslyn says she knew she could trust Spencer to do the right thing… after he exhausted all other options. She leaves, and Nikolas asks if he and Spencer can talk. It’s important.
Sasha runs down the stairs, and her phone dings. She stops at the first floor, and sees a text from Sienna: Hey, feel like blowing off some steam with me tonight? Sasha texts back: Sure – I’ll meet you anywhere!
Ava says, so Esme does still have feelings for Spencer. And she’s so jealous that Spencer has feelings for Trina, she slept with his father as what? Revenge? Payback? And she and Trina were just collateral damage, or something more? Esme tries to push the envelope further into the suitcase, but Ava grabs it, and says, what is that? Esme snatches it back, and says, that, is none of your business. Ava says, forget it. Trying to find answers in Esme’s bizarre twisted behavior would have her running in circles, but make no mistake, after everything Esme has done to make the people she loves suffer, Esme is going to do the right thing for the first time in her life. Esme says, and what is that? and Ava says, playtime is over. They’ll deal with Esme sleeping with her husband another time, but right now, Esme is going to march down to that courthouse. She’s going to exonerate Trina, and tell the world that she made that tape of Joss and Cameron. Esme says, they’ve already had this conversation, and she has no idea where Ava is getting this crazy idea. Besides, why would she even do it? Is Ava offering to help her disappear, and make sure she doesn’t go to prison? No. She has no interest in being a fugitive for the rest of her life. Ava says, Esme misunderstands her. She walks closer as she talks, and says, if Esme doesn’t admit she framed Trina, she will make sure nobody ever finds her. At least not while she’s still breathing.
On Monday, TJ wonders why Willow doesn’t want Michael’s support; Portia asks Taggert, what if it’s not enough; Diane says, Trina needs to be the heroine in her own story; and Ava tells Esme, she either tells the truth or it’s the end of the line.
👩🏽🍳 Different Kind Of Gig…
Although if she’s playing herself, is it really acting?
Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I’ve done it thousands of times. – Mark Twain
To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. – Unknown
I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity. – Albert Einstein
A well-developed sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to your steps as you walk the tightrope of life. – William Arthur Ward
Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity. – Hippocrates
Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable. – Theodore Vail
You are always free to change your mind and choose a different future, or a different past. – Richard Bach
People will always have opinions about your decision because they’re not courageous enough to take action on their opinion. – Steve Maraboli
The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. – H.P. Lovecraft
A mathematical formula for happiness: Reality divided by Expectations. There were two ways to be happy: improve your reality or lower your expectations. – Jodi Picoult (I vote for lowering expectations.)
They were great. If I could only make out the words, they’d be greater. – an audience member referring to seeing The Sex Pistols in Pistols
🛌🏽 Taking It To the Sheets…
Enjoy the next two days, but boomerang back on Monday, when there will be soap and Deck doings. Until then, stay safe, stay looking after your mental health as well as your physical health, and stay not doing the easy thing, but the right thing. And don’t wait until you’ve exhausted all other options.
In watching this, I understood what it is about Diana that I don’t like. She expects others to be empathetic of her without really knowing her, but she’s quick with judgements about people she doesn’t know. There was a poll on Twitter asking if she was soulless – which I think was just a dramatic word Sutton used, and not to be taken seriously – and I read she blocked people who said yes. Why? Is she afraid she might learn something about herself?
Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all. – Dale Carnegie
Never try to outstubborn a cat. – Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough for Love
But instead of spending our lives running towards our dreams, we are often running away from a fear of failure or a fear of criticism. – Erin Wright
Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness. – Steve Maraboli
He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever. – Revelation 21:4 (NLT)
One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man. – Elbert Hubbard
I prefer peace. But if trouble must come, let it come in my time, so that my children can live in peace. – Thomas Paine
If you don’t like my shade, get out of my shadow. – Shereé (yes, that one) Whitfield, Real Housewives of Atlanta
Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less. – Marie Curie
I have more in common with a three-toed sloth or a one-eyed pterodactyl or a Kalamata olive than I have with Winston Churchill. – Boris Johnson (What?)
Music doesn’t lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music. – Jimi Hendrix
Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful.- Annette Funicello
🦛 Taking My Hunky Dory and Going…
If all goes according to plan, we’ll all be filling the next two days with activities that are gratifying and/or productive. Or not, if that’s what you like. Then we’ll reconvene on Monday for soap and yachting on the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay doing everything in moderation, but allowing for a splurge now and then, and stay trying to understand where others are coming from. You might not like them anyway, but you won’t hate them. Don’t be a Diana J.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Britt lies in bed and groans, when Brad says, wakey-wakey. Hair of the dog? He holds up a bloody Mary. Water? She says, aspirin, and Obrecht asks if her poor little head hurts. Just wait. She’ll bring the real pain.
Sonny punches the heavy bag, when Temp Brando walks in, apologizing for being late. Sonny says he’s just early. Is Brando okay? Brando says, his mother just needed help moving the furniture, and Sonny says, it’s a helluva thing, Brando and Sasha putting up with Gladys. Brando says, that’s one way to look at it, and Sonny says he could take Gladys off Brando’s hands and put her up in her own place, but Brando says, there’s no need. Sasha seems to be happy about it. Sonny says, really? and Brando asks if he can believe that. Sonny says, no, and Brando says, whatever makes Sasha happy makes him happy. Besides, Sonny’s got enough family on his plate already.
Ned is grooming the new horse, when Michael comes into the stables, and says, impressive. Ned says, he is, and Michael asks if Leo likes him. Ned says, Leo is doing backflips, and Michael says, Leo is really blossoming; the therapy sessions are doing wonders. Ned and Olivia have really come through for him. Ned says, they’re his parents. Would he expect less? Michael says, no, not at all. Ned always stands up for his family, which is how he knows, come next week at the shareholders meeting, ELQ will finally be back under family control.
Carly tells Drew to let her be his friend. Let her help him save ELQ from Valentin. He wonders if this is the first time the words save ELQ have been uttered by anyone but a Quartermaine, and she says she was a full-fledged Quartermaine at one time; twice if you count Jason. Now she’s just an honorary member. He chokes on his drink, and she says, what? He says he’s seeing a vision of Monica tossing salt over her shoulder.
Marshall tells Curtis, the police dropped him off at a psychiatric ward. There, they put him under a 72 hour hold for observation, and that’s when they were able to diagnose him. Curtis says, with what? and Marshall says, schizophrenia. Curtis asks if this is the secret Stella has been keeping from him all these years, but she says, Curtis didn’t travel all the way to New York and back for answers from her. She knows it’s hard, but they’re just getting started, and now is not the time to turn away. Talk to his father. Curtis says, schizophrenia. When he heard about Marshall’s arrest and learned they put him in an institution, Curtis thought it was because of the war; PTSD, depression, mania, something like that. Not this. Marshall says, hearing it the first time was a surprise for him too, and Curtis asks if there were any signs when Marshall was younger. Did anybody see any signs before the arrest? Marshall hesitates, and Stella says, they’ve been playing out this moment a long time; at least until he decided to look for his son. He knew it might come to this, and now it has. The moment has arrived. Time to meet it. Marshall says, okay, but don’t say he didn’t warn them.
Britt ducks under the comforter, and tells Obrecht to go away. Obrecht says, nein, and they struggle with the blanket. Britt says she’s trying to sleep, but Obrecht says, it’s nearly noon. Brad says, actually, it’s closer to ten o… Britt smacks at him, and he says, okay. Britt sits back down on the bed, and Obrecht says, here’s the deal. From them, Britt is going to receive a long overdue course direction. She’s lost her way. Brad says, no one hates this more than him, except maybe her, but welcome to your intervention. Ta-da!
Carly tells Drew, she and Monica are doing great… for them, and he says, the detente with Monica is reason enough not to involve herself. She asks if he’s really rejecting her offer, and he says, it’s a generous offer, but even her own son turned it down. She says, Michael works for Aurora; Drew is the owner. He’s really opposed to her buying in? He says he’s opposed at her putting herself at great risk on his behalf, and she says, Aurora trades on the open market, right? So she really doesn’t need his permission to buy in. She can help him whether he likes it or not.
Sonny says, Brando knows he’s always here to help, because Brando is family, and Brando says, indeed he does. Sonny says, accept his help, and Brando says, still no good with Michael? Sonny punches the bag, and says, not likely at this point. Brando says, Sasha told him things went Michael’s way at the hearing, so he thought it might have paved the way for a truce. Sonny says, not after he gave his testimony. He just wanted to get at the truth, and said some things people didn’t want to hear, but no decision is going to help him and Michael at this point. Brando says he’s sorry to hear that. Is there anything he can do to help? Maybe talk to Michael? Sonny thanks him for the offer, but he doesn’t want anything to alienate Brando and Michael, and Brando says, let him know if anything changes. Sonny says, just so Brando knows, things are going to get worse between him and Michael. Dex walks in, and says, boss, we’ve got problems.
Britt opens the door, and says, both of you, vamoose, but Obrecht says, this behavior is unacceptable. Britt says she’s not the one who barged into her hotel room. How did they even get in? Brad says, they told the desk that Britt was going to go full world tour Guns N’ Roses, and Obrecht says, and there might be alcohol poisoning. Brad says, and it would bring EMTs and cause bad publicity for the hotel. Britt says, and that load of bull made a five-star hotelier violate their guest’s privacy? But Brad says, no. She said something like blah-blah-blah, privacy policy, yada, yada; he’s paraphrasing. Britt says, how? and Brad says, he created a distraction, and Obrecht adds, while she swiped a housekeeper’s keycard. Britt says, wow. They can’t make it to 10:30 without a crime spree? and Brad says, the hotel might not be concerned about Britt’s reputation, but Britt should be, especially once that GH rumor mill gets going. She’s going to leave poor Terry defending her while the hospital board tries to take her head. Britt says, there should be a law against this much melodrama this early in the morning, and Obrecht says, this is hardly melodrama; this is tragedy. Her reputation and livelihood will be in peril once word spreads of her bravura performance. Britt says, what performance? It’s not her fault she got dunked by an exhibitionist himbo, literally dropping out of the sky. Brad says, and objectively speaking, quite hot, and Obrecht says, yes. By all accounts Cody is a specimen worthy of study, but they’re referring to Britt’s swan dive tantrum that preceded it. Britt asks, since when did speaking her truth turn into a tantrum? and Obrecht says, since it involves public displays of disorderly conduct. Britt says, she was simply calling out the romantic industrial complex, but Brad says, it was sloppy. Britt says she’s sure, like most things she says, it fell on deaf hears, and no one will notice anything. Obrecht picks up Britt’s phone, and says, it’s all over her social media feeds. Of the world of humiliations Britt has brought upon this family, this might be the most devastating. You have become – she shows Britt he phone – a meme. Britt sees a clip of herself struggling to get out of the pool, and asks who recorded her? then looks at Brad.
Marshall says, the judge sent him back to see some doctors, and the doctors told him again what was wrong with him. It took him a while to come around to it. Even now he wakes up some days wondering if it’s all just a bad dream. Stella says, but that notion doesn’t last, and he says, no. He gets up, and feels his aches and pains, and knows that’s real. He looks around and sees the same room he went to sleep in the night before, and sees his clothes where he left them, and he knows that’s real. He goes outside and smells the air, good or bad, it don’t matter; the air is the air. Good or bad weather, he steps out into the world. He closes his eyes and embraces the noise around him. And he knows ain’t nobody after him. He’s safe in his body and safe in the world, and he knows that’s real. He steps forward into his day, every day, and he walks walk toward his music, and he knows that’s real. He’s had no break with reality. He stays on his meds, and his meds keep him level. Curtis asks if he doesn’t feel anything, and Marshall says, sure, there’s side effects from the drugs, but it beats the alternative, don’t it?
Carly says, now that it’s been decided, she’ll get a bottle of champagne to celebrate, and Drew asks if she’s trying to ditch him to call her broker before Michael intervenes. Isn’t the fact that she’s trying to end run him reason enough to let this go? She says, let her help him, and he says he didn’t ask for her help. She says, but he’s getting it anyway, and he says he doesn’t need it. She says, everybody needs help, especially those who won’t ask for it. Or doesn’t it matter if they get ELQ back?
Michael says, he comes bearing gifts, and hands Ned a velvet pouch, saying, it’s to go over the stable door. He has a forger on stand-by to make something for them as soon as Ned, Olivia, and Leo decide on a name. Ned takes out a horseshoe, and Michael says, maybe the Lucky Leo Ranch? Ned says he’ll submit Michael’s suggestion to the decision makers. In the meantime, let’s not pretend he came here to look at the horse. Michael says he wanted to talk things out; he hates being at odds with Ned. Ned says, nor I you, and Michael says, Ned is the one who insisted Valentin needs to go. Ned says, he’s done an admirable job, but he’s not a Quartermaine, and Michael says, exactly. Ned says, he is; him, Michael, and Drew, all Quartermaines. Michael says, they’ve got to keep it in the family, and Ned says, they just disagree as to how. Michael says he wouldn’t go that far. They all want a lean mean ELQ, even more nimble and profitable than it is now. Ned asks how they make that happen, and Michael says, he and Drew have been negotiating against themselves. They made Ned an offer, but he hasn’t budged. Ned says he hasn’t found much in their offer worth budging on. He’s given a lifetime to ELQ, and in return they’ve offered what? Busywork and an empty title; they can do better. Michael says, tell him how, but Ned says, he knows how, but Michael says, he and Drew agree, CEO is off the table, so put something else on it. Ned must have been working on a counter, so come on, let’s hear it.
Sonny asks Brando to excuse him and Dex for a second, and they step away. Sonny asks, what’s the problem? and Dex says, last night’s coffee shipment has been held up at the docks. Sonny asks if he talked to the harbor master. Vince will clear this up… Dex says, he got fired yesterday. There’s a new guy in charge now, and he wasn’t receptive to Dex’s suggestion to speed up inspection. Sonny says, the product can sit on the docks for a while. It’s coffee – it’s not going to get impounded – but the staff change concerns him. Dex says he’ll look into it, and Sonny says, Dex told him problems. What’s the other problem? Dex says, someone is trying to cut in on Sonny’s market share. They’ve got competition.
Drew tells Carly, of course (🍷) he wants ELQ back in Quartermaine hands; it’s his daughter’s legacy. She says, it’s his legacy, and he says, maybe to a lesser degree, sure. She asks if he doesn’t feel like a Quartermaine yet, and he says, at best a Quartermaine come lately. She asks if he’s blind. Doesn’t he see the way Monica looks up to him, or the way Michael and Brook look up to him? Or how Ned is threatened by him? She’s been around many Quartermaines, and she can say from up close and personal observation, he fits right in. He says, coming from her, he’s not sure that’s a compliment, but she says, not a Quartermaine like Edward, who was very nice down deep. He’s the other Quartermaine. He’s Lila, and there’s no better compliment than that.
Sonny says, what competition? and Dex says, the managers at the Grill and every city franchise of Haven Bistro canceled their contracts. They’re declining delivery of Corinthos Coffee. They’re buying from someone else instead. He knows he’s new, and this is probably a drop in the bucket… Sonny asks what it feels like to him, and Dex says, a sign of things to come. Does Sonny think it’s Wu? Sonny says, he and Wu have an arrangement. His connections on the docks are important to her, and Vince was his guy. Dex asks if Sonny thinks they’re connected, and Sonny says he does, and he thinks he knows who’s behind both.
Britt hits Brad with a pillow, and says, he taped her. He says he didn’t tape her; the recording is digital. Obrecht takes the pillow from Britt, and says, stop. This cavalcade of indignity has gone on long enough. Britt says, dammit, Brad, why? and he says he did it for her. So she can look back on it one day and see how far she’d come. She’ll be reclining in her, as yet unmet, husband’s arms, and watching herself at her lowest. Obrecht says, they can only hope this is her lowest, and Brad says, and he and Britt will laugh and laugh. Obrecht says, or she can sit watching this with a few dozen cats looking on with distain, on a loop, over and over and over. Brad says, it’s part of historical record, and Britt asks if historical record shows she’s the wronged party; that she was divebombed by a beefcake? Brad says, nobody’s saying she knew that hunk of a man was going to Chicken Little right on top of her, but some might say this was a prayer answered. She’d just got done with saying something about love falling out of the sky. Britt asks if he thinks this is what she meant, and he says, she could do worse. Obrecht says, they’re getting way off topic. They’re concerned Britt hasn’t been herself. Brad says, she hasn’t been herself in a long time now, her mean, but in a fun way, self. She’s been mopey and aimless. Britt says, so if she’s not stealing embryos or tormenting nurses, she’s adrift? Brad asks if she really feels like she’s running at 100%, and she says she had one bad day. Obrecht says, she had a string of bad days, and Britt says, they’re her days and she doesn’t have many of them left. So if they’re bad or not, they’re nobody’s business but hers. Brad says, she’s a thoroughbred, and she asks if he just compared her to a horse. He says, horses are beautiful and noble creatures, with long narrow faces and killer cheekbones, and Britt says, why aren’t you recording this, James Wong Howe, for historical records? He says, first of all, he thanks her for referencing a cinematic genius of Cantonese descent, and she says she thought he’d like it, but she still hates him. He says, second, his point is, she’s strong and resilient. One of the bravest people there is, so why is she bellyaching about the days she has left? She knows she’s going to outlive them all. Britt looks at Obrecht.
Curtis asks if the meds could have had something to do with Marshall’s episode a few months back, and Marshall says, sometimes they yank his blood pressure around, but he doctors are always tinkering with the dosage and the cocktail. Curtis says, and they work 100% of the time, and Marshall wonders if Curtis is asking him if he hears voices or hallucinates. Curtis says, no. He just wants to know what to look for. If it was serious enough to drive him away the first time, it could drive him away again, and Curtis doesn’t want to lose Marshall a second time. They could have helped him. Family helps people that they love through illnesses like this. Marshall says, Curtis and Tommy were babies, and his mama had enough on her hands, and Curtis asks if it was her choice. Marshall says, no, it was his, and Irene’s. He’s not saying she agreed, more like acquiesced. Curtis says, him and Tommy believing he was dead, and Marshall says, he was afraid of the man he might become had he stayed. Curtis wore a badge for how many years? Curtis says, enough, and Marshall says, in all those years, Curtis never crossed paths with one of those lost people? Curtis says, he means homeless? Of course (🍷). Marshall says, not just unhoused, unmoored. Ambling down the street, words all garbled, carrying on to themselves, responding to something no one else can hear. And alone… always alone. When he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, that was his immediate fear, that he would end up being one of the lost. Curtis says, if Marshall had been at home, he’d have been with loved ones, who could have kept him moored, but Marshall says, he couldn’t take that chance. His delusions were of the paranoid type; he thought the government was after him. Curtis says, but Marshall told him that he’d never had a relapse, and Marshall says, he got lucky. At the time, there was no way to predict that. Curtis says, but there were hospitals. They still could have helped him. Marshall says he needed protect his wife and kids while he was still capable of making that choice. What if it all went wrong? What if the medicine didn’t work? What if the medicine stopped working? Maybe Curtis can’t imagine the hurt and shame Marshall could have brought down on him, but Marshall has, and it’s haunted him every day of his life. He was in danger of becoming someone else. Not the man Curtis’s mama married, not the man he knew. Not the father he wanted to be, or even have them be around. So he took the deal, and he took their meds, and he took off. He starts to cry, and says he’s sorry he hurt Curtis and Tommy, but at the time, he didn’t know what else to do.
Drew tells Carly, he wishes he’d met Lila, but he knows enough about her to take it as a compliment. She says, score one for her, and he says he doesn’t know if he’ll ever be completely comfortable in that house, but he doesn’t remember the last time he felt like a stranger. Carly tells him, that’s what Jason said, but he didn’t use those words, and he asks what Jason would say about her trying to buy into Aurora. She says, he would tell her to stay out of it, and he asks if she would if Jason told her too, but she says, no. She ignored Jason’s advice all the time, and he never held it against her. She’s sure at some point they were in a crisis of her making, and he said, I told you so, but she can’t remember. Drew says, she’s holding him to the same standard, but she says she’s not, because he schooled her on that. Jason is Jason, and Drew is Drew. Although there are definitely some similarities, Drew is his own person. He advised her to stay out of it, and she considered his advice; she’s just not going to take it. She thinks she’s going to make a lot of money on this merger, but he says, she is not doing this to make money. She’s doing it to back him and Michael. She says, right, because Michael’s her son, and it’s the least she can do to settle up with him. He asks what debt she thinks she’s repaying?
Sonny thanks Dex for the update, and Dex asks if he should look into it; figure out who’s making moves. Sonny says, check with the other clients, and see if any of them are thinking of making a switch, when Dex’s phone rings. Sonny tells him, take it, and Dex steps away. Sonny takes a swing at a hanging bag, and Brando asks if he still wants to spar. Sonny says, he thinks somebody has already taken a swing at him, and Brando asks if he has any idea who. Sonny says, yep; his own son.
Ned says, co-president, and Michael says he’s not sure about the co. He and Drew are already looking at that for a shared CEO position. Ned says he’s not referring to himself. He means the three of them. They share power and divide responsibilities. They each oversee a division according to their ability. The big decisions come down to a vote among the three of them. It’s equitable and it’s transparent, and it’s a sign of good faith that in the future they can move forward as a unit. What does Michael say?
Obrecht asks Brad to please leave them, and when he’s gone, she tells Britt, look at this place. It’s not fit for schwein. Britt says, everything is exactly how she wants it, and Obrecht says she finds that hard to believe, handing Britt a bra. Britt says, why? Because she prefers to store her bra on the lampshade? Or she’s not ashamed to single, and she doesn’t care if she dies alone? Obrecht says, pardon her intrusion. If Britt doesn’t appreciate her help… but Britt says, stop. She’s sorry she jumped down Obrecht’s throat. Obrecht says, don’t apologize. If anyone should apologize… Britt says, let her finish. She does appreciate Obrecht’s help and knows Obrecht means well, even if good intentions are a relatively new concept for her. She gave Society Set-Ups her best shot, and it didn’t pan out, and that’s okay, but she tried. Now she’s going to take a break from putting herself out there. Obrecht leads Britt to the bed, and they sit. She says, this isn’t about Britt meeting someone; it never was. If Britt doesn’t wish to share her life with another person, Obrecht will respect that. Perhaps her happiness with Scotty has made her a hopeless romantic. Britt says, Obrecht’s version of one, and Obrecht says she wants the people she cares about to be as happy as she is. Since her work scope is rather small, she can devote more time than the usual meddler. Britt says, maybe meddle with Nina? and Obrecht says, and her recovering amnesiac mafiosi? She’s getting nowhere near that schlimazel. As for Britt, she only wants Britt find the happiness she’s recently discovered. What she has with Scotty… Britt says, please, no details, and Obrecht tells her, she’ll just say, a gruff, sturdy, ethically flexible man who worships her is a nice change of pace. Britt says she’s happy for Obrecht, and Obrecht thanks her. She apologizes for attempting to foist her idea of contentment onto Britt, but she doesn’t apologize for butting in when she sees her only living child flailing. And make no mistake about it; she is.
Marshall asks if that was enough detail for Curtis, and Curtis says, for now. Marshall says, good. He’s going to take some rest. He gets up, and Curtis says, one more question. Marshall says he’s tired, but Stella says, just one, and Curtis says he’ll make it an easy one. About Marshall’s drug regimen. It’s been honed and refined over the years, right? Marshall says, It has, and Curtis says, and in all those years, Marshall never had an episode or a relapse? Marshall says, he told Curtis, he’s been lucky. Why? Curtis asks, how come Marshall didn’t come back years ago? Why now?
Drew asks what Carly could possibly think she owes him, and Carly flashes back to the courtroom, and telling Drew that Nina isn’t Willow’s mother. She tells him that she messed up his whole Victor Cassadine plan, but he says, that was an honest mistake. She says, and he’s been there for her since her marriage crashed and burned, but he says, that’s what friends do for each other. Nobody owes anybody anything. She says, he could have turned his back on her at any time, and let’s be honest. Before he went to Afghanistan, they’d grown apart. He says, that’s not how he thinks of it, and she asks, how can he not? He says, they hit a little bit of a rough spot when Jason came back. He didn’t know how or where they belonged in each other’s lives, but they navigated through that. He never once doubted them. He knew they would find their way back to each other; to the friendship they used to have. Or if they didn’t, they’d create a new one. And look at them now. They did it.
Sonny tells Brando, there’s a new angle, targeting his legitimate enterprises. Someone is throwing their weight around, interfering with his supply chain, messing with his clients. He’ll give Michael some credit. He’s smart, and he knows how to strategize. Brando asks if Michael has ever come after Sonny’s businesses before, and Sonny says, no, but Michael thinks he abandoned his family. Michael only sees what he wants to see, which is ironic, since when Michael got together with Willow, she was married to Chase.He only make allowances for himself, not for his own dad. Sonny leaves, and Dex looks at Brando. Brando says, problem? and Dex says, nothing he can’t solve. As Dex puts his phone away, Brando notices a gun in his waistband.
Marshall says, Curtis is the reason for why now. He kept his eyes on Curtis from afar. He witnessed Curtis’s struggles and his triumphs. Some made him proud, others broke his heart, but he never dared interfere. Not until Curtis gave him a sign. Curtis says, what sign? and Marshall says, The Savoy, his club. When Curtis opened a place for music, it was like God Itself was telling him that Curtis was ready. Or maybe that he was ready. He’s sorry he was late, but he’s here now. Stella says, and he’s staying, and Marshall says, he’s staying. Curtis and Marshall hug, and Marshall tells Stella, come here, girl. The three of them hug.
Britt says, she’s not flailing, but Obrecht says, Britt just doesn’t see it, and she’s certainly not living up to her potential. Look at herself; she’s letting life pass her by. One could make a convincing case that Britt is wallowing. Britt says, because none of the candidates put up by Society Set-Ups interested her? She’s raised her standards. She sighs, and says, she wants a man that will not only save her life, but who she can trust with her darkest secrets. Someone who can look her in the face and not flinch when she tells them that she has Huntington’s Disease, and she’ll inevitably die a horrible, debilitating death. Does Obrecht know any guys like that? Because the only one she’s met is buried under seven tons of rock on Cassadine Island. Obrecht says, Britt has had almost a year to make peace with Jason’s death and her diagnosis, and Britt asks, since when is there a time limit on grief? Or facing her own mortality? Obrecht says, Britt isn’t the only person who has to content herself with what time she has left. She has friends, and a cousin, and a nephew, and a mother who love her, and will miss her when she’s gone. Obrecht will be devastated. With the life she’s led, did Britt think she expected to outlive her children? Nathan is gone, and every morning she’s grateful for each and every moment left with Britt. She wonders when will Britt ever feel the same, and she leaves.
Michael says he’ll take Ned’s offer to Drew and see what he says, but Ned says, Michael doesn’t sound very enthusiastic. Michael says, to be honest, he doesn’t think it will appeal Drew. An equitable distribution of power among the three of them doesn’t account for the risk Drew is taking on the Aurora side. Ned says, Drew takes the risk, and Michael reaps the benefit. Then the two of them turn him into their underling. Drew has never even worked for ELQ. Michael says, maybe not, but he did. He was the CEO for years while Ned was doing his music and other stuff. Ned says, long before Michael found himself in the executive suite, he was changing Michael’s diapers. Michael says, let’s not get personal. If Ned loses sight of what’s at stake, they all lose. Ned walks outside and looks at Valentin in his phone contacts.
Carly says she’s glad she and Drew managed to push through, although she’s probably been doing all the pushing, since he felt like everything was fine. He says, sorry. Next time, he’ll clue her in. No more secrets. How about this? He doesn’t stand in the way of her investment, and she’s got to keep him honest; tell him if he starts veering away from Lila, and heading toward Edward. She tells him, don’t worry; she will.
Brando asks if Sonny is headed out, and Sonny says, he’s got to stop the bleeding. Brando asks how he can help, and Sonny says, just asking is plenty. Brando says he gets; it’s a sensitive situation. If he can’t talk to Michael, maybe he can talk to Dante. Maybe the two of them can get Michael to the table; see if he and Sonny can’t hammer out a peace. Sonny says, Brando is a good guy; stay that way. He doesn’t want to get involved in this. Brando tells Sonny that he said it himself, this is a legit business, which means there’s nothing Brando can’t know. Since it’s also family, he doesn’t want things to get so bad between Sonny and Michael that they can’t find their way back. Sonny says he thinks they’re a little too late for that.
On the phone with Drew, Michael says he just talked to Ned. Ned came back with a counter, but he wasn’t enthusiastic. Things got pretty tense, which is average for this family, but he was hoping Drew could come up with something better… All right. They’ll talk. He turns, and sees someone there. He asks if he can help them, and Dex says he hopes so.
Tomorrow, Sasha says Gladys is driving her crazy; Dante asks if that makes Michael any better than Sonny; and Sonny tells someone, if they touch one of his kids, and he’ll kill them himself.
Below Deck Sailing Yacht
Marcos tells Gary about his best friend Juan Carlos’s mom dying of a heart attack, and that Juan Carlos is in Miami, and couldn’t see her. In Marcos’s interview, he says, Juan Carlos is one of his oldest friends. He was there when Marco’s grandpa and grandma died, and he couldn’t go back to Venezuela because of his immigration status. Gary tells Marcos that his situation is more important than the guests, and asks if he wants company in the galley. In his interview, Marcos says, it’s not easy. He imagines it’s his mom, and hopes that sh*t doesn’t happen to him. He and Gary go to the galley, and Marcos says, business. Co-primary Lane tells Daisy that he likes to do a crew versus guests thing, and in the galley, Marcos tells Gary, this kind of stuff always happens when you’re away from home. Daisy checks out the table setting, and tells Ashley that she has the glasses the wrong way. (Ah-ha! in Nelson voice.) Daisy says, there’s a cabin that’s free, and tells Ashley to do it, then tells Marcos that the guests are sitting for dinner. It’s seafood night, and when Gary brings up a platter, he pretends he cooked it. Marcos describes the fabulous dishes, and Lane says, they’re all allergic seafood… just joking. Marcos laughs, but you know he’s thinking, not today. He goes to the galley to get dessert prepared, and Lane says, the seafood is impressive in variety. Marcos tells Colin about Juan Carlos’s mom, and says he always gets news like this when he’s cooking. That’s how it was when his grandpa and grandma died. Colin says, that’s when you realize how strong you are, and Daisy tells Marcos, the guests are ready for dessert. The guests pronounce the mean amazing, and applaud Marcos. Gary asks if Scarlett worked this hard day boats, she says, no, and they laugh. In Ashley’s interview, she says she doesn’t blame Gary; Scarlett is f***ing hot. It’s predictable though. We flash back to Gary flirting with everyone, including jokingly with Glenn, and Ashley says, it’s actually hilarious. Scarlett tells Gary that he makes her laugh.
Lane thanks the other guests for dressing up in white, and helping them celebrate. In Daisy’s interview, she says she’d love to meet someone amazing, but it hasn’t happened in 34 years, so she’s not holding her breath. Co-primary Amanda wants to saber a bottle, and does so successfully. Guest Becky asks if Glenn will join them for dinner tomorrow, and Gary tells Daisy and Kelsie about Juan Carlos. Marcos goes to bed, and Glenn tells Gary, the wind is picking up overnight. It will interesting to see how the swell comes through. Ashley says she’s pretty sure it was like this when they dragged last time, and Glenn suggests putting a couple fenders on deck. He tells Gary to keep an eye out for drifting. In Glenn’s interview, he says he’s not worried about the Parseval, but they might drag into all the little boats. Gary tells Kelsie to be vigilant, and know the surroundings.
The wind is 15 knots at midnight, and Marcos tells Gary that he spoke by text to Juan Carlos. He doesn’t believe it. Life is unfair. Gary says, that’s why you have to make the most of every day. By 1:40 am, the wind picks up 25 knots, and Kelsie thinks one of the surrounding boats is getting too close for comfort. In her interview, she says she needs someone who has the ability to move the boat if they need to get the f***ing hell out of there, and she wakes up Gary. He says, they’re stretching anchor, and if they start dragging, they’ll be deep in mud. In Gary’s interview, he says he learned the hard way, and doesn’t want it to happen again in his lifetime, let alone twice in one season. At 6:30 am, the wind is at 30 knots, and Gary tells Barnaby that he’s going to bed, and wake Glenn if he gets concerned. It’s guest Becky’s birthday, and Lane thinks it would be fun to go kite surfing. Colin thinks they should wake Glenn because they’re dragging so much, and in Glenn’s interview, he says, there’s no choice but to re-anchor. They won’t just be dragging in shallow water, but into other boats. He tells the deckhands to pull both anchors up and redrop them. In Barnaby’s interview, he says, it could be a serious problem if they keep dragging, and Colin sees there’s a chain wrapped around one of the anchors. In his interview, Barnaby says, if they can’t get the anchor up, they could end up hitting a little boat.
Colin tells them to bring the anchor up so he can screw around with it, and in Colin’s interview, he says, it’s chaotic. If this debris gets caught in the propellor, it could break something. He wants to scream. A rock and another anchor are attached to it, and as Scarlett serves breakfast, Colin curses the anchor. Gary tells Glenn that he’ll jump in the tender, and Colin says, they have to make sure nothing goes in the thruster. They manage to get all this crap off the anchor, and Colin tells Glenn, both anchors are at the water line. They re-anchor, and Lane asks if the captain was doing stunts. It was actually pretty exciting. Lane asks Glenn if it’s possible to sail if it calms down, but Glenn says, it woudn’t be fun, but maybe tomorrow. Lane jokes that he wants a second opinion from Barnaby. He tells Gary about the relay they want to do with the crew, and shows him the Seaman Cup trophy. Gary thinks it’s brilliant, and Lane tells him to come up with ideas for events. Is he up for the challenge? Gary says, game on. In the galley, Marcos tries to explain molecular gastronomy to Colin, and shows him how it’s done, which is where it finally made sense to me. Simplified, he put cantaloupe in a blender; added gelatin; heated it, then used a pipe (like you use for icing), dropping it into cold water. Boom! Caviar pearls that taste like cantaloupe. Colin asked if you could do it with any liquid, and Marcos said you could. I imagine they use molds or whatever to make the various food shapes. Ashley whines loudly about wanting to be in the relay, and Gary asks that the teams be changed from four on each to six, so there will be no tears. Ashley then tells the guests about how she whined, and afterward, Daisy says, the guests shouldn’t know that stuff unless they ask. If Ashley stood back, she’d probably get her way. Gary tells everyone to get in their swims soonish.
Daisy tells Marcos that Glenn will be dining with the guests, and Marcos says, he’ll have to change everything because he’d planned for eight people, not nine. She asks if she can help, and keeps apologizing. In Daisy’s interview, she says, f*** me. She feels so guilty. In the galley, Marcos says, f*** this.
The guests dress like pirates, and the crew like sailors. Glenn gives them instructions for the sailing course. He says, after that, they’ll bring a paddleboard around the boat once, then to the jacuzzi for the finish. This is possibly the best episode of the season. Scratch that. It is the best episode. Very little Ashley bullsh*t, and more fun. The guests are keeping the crew so busy by including them, there’s no time for Ashley’s bullsh*t. Glenn is the referee for the crew, and guest Matt for the guest. Ashley is paired with Barnaby, and in her interview, she says, no way she’s losing this race. They lag behind, and in her interview, she says, Barnaby is a sailing instructor. He should be doing his job better. When they get to the paddleboards, Glenn says he thinks it’s going to be a photo finish, with a mad dash to the jacuzzi. Everyone sits in the hot tub, and guest Romeo says, they were bested by the seaman. In Colin’s interview, he says, some people would think they’d let the guests win, but a competition is a competition. In Ashley’s interview, she says, f*** yeah; told you. The crew receives their cup, and they all drink out of it. Glenn says he’s impressed; they all did well. Marcos tells Daisy that dinner isn’t going to be as molecular because of the timing. She apologizes, and says she’ll take the bullet. In his interview, Marcos says he had a small amount of time to reinvent the dinner for nine plate. Daisy feels awful, and Ashley and Scarlett decorate for the dinner.
The guests are seated, and Glenn joins them. Glenn tells them that they don’t get many Canadians, and the first course is served – it looks like a tomato, but it’s a pepper! Amanda says, finding out the chef was excellent has been a highlight, and in Glenn’s interview, he says he doesn’t really understand it. He’s good with a regular tomato. The caviar is presented, Marcos having used prosciutto and cucumber, and Lane says, even though they told him, no holds barred, Marcos was still using their favorites. Glenn suggests Marcos might be an alien from the future. They toast to birthday girl Becky, and Amanda tells Marcos that he’s a magic man. Lane does a happy food dance, and Glenn thanks them. They suggest Glenn party with them, but Glenn says he needs his beauty rest. Lane tells the story of a man being asked if he’d ever done a hurricane. He drank a shot, got water thrown in his face, and was slapped. They want the crew to do the same to the dudes in the group, because apparently it’s some weird tradition. In Ashley’s interview, she says she has a lot of pent up frustration; it’s gonna rip. In Kelsie’s interview, she says, it feels wrong since the guests are so lovely, but if the guests ask, they provide. So they provide what the guests ask, and everyone goes to bed, a jolly good time having been had by all.
Gary bugs Scarlett to talk on deck, but she tells him it has to wait until she’s done. He talks anyway, so Ashley runs to Daisy, saying, Scarlett doesn’t need to be having a heart-to-heart with Gary when she could be helping. In Ashley’s interview, she says, she’s totally f***ing with Gary’s fun. Daisy comes up on deck, and tells Scarlett, it’s not the appropriate time. Gary says, he’s been c*ck blocked, and in Scarlett’s interview, she says, the only person causing trouble in her and Gary’s relationship is Gary. Scarlett told Daisy she tried to tell Gary later, but he said it wouldn’t take long. Daisy says, that’s Gary. Later, a shirtless Gary finds Scarlett in the laundry room, and half-asleep Daisy comes out. Gary asks if they were talking loud, and Daisy just glares at him, going back in her cabin. Gary tells Scarlett that Daisy is just jealous, and in her interview, Scarlett says, it’s easy for Gary not to care. Daisy’s not his boss. It’s effecting her work and she wants him to stop. This is why she can’t do this.
Glenn tells Colin that it’s not worth going back to drop off the guests, so they’ll take them to shore in the tender. Gary says, they were the best guests they’ve ever had, and I agree. Glenn calls the crew to the cockpit to say goodbye, and Daisy says, it feels like they’re picking up, not dropping off. Lane says, they obviously wish they could have sailed, but everything was phenomenal. He’s going to keep an eye out for Marcos, and expects to see a Michelin star near his name soon. The food totally redeemed the wind and the weather. He gives Glenn the tip envelope, and Gary goes with them in the tender. Glenn blows the horn, and the guests wave from the dock. The crew does some quick cleaning, and it’s time for the tip meeting. Glenn tells them that he’s not bias, but this was the classiest, funniest, kindest group, and they were Canadians. Not going anywhere and having to entertain guests is the hardest, and it’s the first time a chef did molecular gastronomy. Marcos has been continuously outdoing himself. They got the biggest tip of the season; $23K or $2,555 each. He hates to end the meeting with bad news, but they have a charter tomorrow, at noon. Daisy says, they’re so close to the end. How is this happening? Glenn says, they start at 8 am; it’s the final charter. He can’t allow their work to go unappreciated though, and has a caterer from a restaurant coming to the yacht. He tells them, it’s a school night, and to police themselves, so they can bang it out for the last one. Daisy asks to talk to Ashley, and tells Ashley that she can see how hard Ashley works, but the whingeing grates on her. (I’m assuming that’s akin to whining.) Daisy says, it’s inappropriate, and a part of the job Ashley needs to work on. There’s no point in decorating a beautiful table if you can’t sell it. Ashley says she knows she needs to work on that, and Daisy says she wants to see amazing, happy, and helping Scarlett. One last push. Marcos tells Colin that he has to keep going like nothing happened, and Colin asks how he can help. Glenn asks Daisy, Gary, and Marcos to join him for the preference sheet meeting.
The co-primaries are Laura and Matt, who are bringing Allegra and Gabe, who were supposed to get married in 2020, but had to cancel. They want to make up for lost time, and be married by Glenn on the beach. Gary asks if captains can really marry people, and Glenn says, to make it official, you have to follow-up with a Justice of the Peace. In Glenn’s interview, he says, he knows it’s traditional for a captain to officiate, but weddings can be a lot, and he’s nervous. Daisy reads that on day one, the guests want an astrological rave, and on day two, the beach wedding, with a reception including a multi-tiered cake. Marcos reads that another co-primary, Loren, adheres to a gluten-free diet, and Marcos says, that means she’s allergic and he has to be careful. In Marcos’s interview, he says, gluten-free, dairy-free, and a f***ing wedding cake. He’s going to have to make a gluten-free cake. This is going to emotionally destroy him; the stress is too much. Glenn says, it’s an interesting finale, and they all chant, last charter. Scarlett asks Daisy if they can wipe down the stainless tomorrow, and Daisy agrees. Daisy tries to chat with Marcos, who asks her to give him some space. The restaurant caterer arrives, and the crew gets dressed for dinner. After they’re seated, Daisy asks Marcos to go for a smoke. They go up on deck, and she asks if he’s okay. He says he’s better, but he’s sad and worried. She says, he’s an incredible chef, and to see him so low makes her heart break. She hugs him, and in his interview, he says, it’s the first time the whole season that he’s thinking he’s not going to pull it off. It’s that serious. He tells Daisy, he’s human, and in his interview, he says he may reach his limit. He’s in a glass of water, and ready to drown. Daisy says, he’ll come out shining, and hugs him.
I have my favorite episodes of the OG Below Deck (Shame Cocoon for one), but this was hands-down my favorite episode of Sailing Yacht. I’ve never been that crazy about this spin-off, although Glenn has grown on me, but these guests were so much fun, and so inclusive of the crew, there was literally no time for Ashley’s machinations, and little time for Gary’s nonsense. Gary is just an idiot, but Ashley could give Jax Taylor a run for his money as Worst Human On Earth. There was also a bit of excitement with that whole anchor thing. Best. Sailing. Episode. Ever.
Next time, party on deck; Daisy says, a hangover is tomorrow’s problem; the crew deals with tomorrow’s problem three hours before charter; Glenn says, tomorrow’s problem is self-inflicted, so it’s on them; and the beach where the wedding is to be held is crowded.
To counteract the sad news above. On a side note, Bravo finally backed themselves into an acronym corner. Because it might get confused with Dallas – RHOD – it’s RHODubai. Good thing they aren’t from Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoron-ukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu. And yes, it’s a real place in New Zealand.
Delivered as promised. Feel free to come along tomorrow for a look at some soap and some Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay pursuing at least one passion, and stay not becoming a meme.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Britt fumbles around under the parachute, and pops up, saying, what the hell was that? The parachutist pops up from the other side, and says, now that was interesting. Hello, Port Charles! Britt asks for someone to help her out of the pool.
Michael asks Carly, what is it? As long as it isn’t bad news. She looks at the envelope, and flashes back to opening it, and reading, Patient A has a 99.9999999999999 chance of being related to Patient B. Carly says, if this is true, Nina is Willow’s mother. Michael asks if she’s okay, and she lets out an audible breath.
Sonny comes into Charlie’s, and Phyllis says, that look on his face better not be disappointment. He says he’s always happy to see her, and she asks if he’d be happier if Nina was here. He asks if she came by, and Phyllis says, not today. He says, he called and texted, but she didn’t get back to him, and Phyllis asks if he’s worried about the hearing. He says, she didn’t let him know if the judge ruled, and Phyllis says, maybe it’s still going on. He could head over there and offer his support. He says he already did that, and he just made it worse.
Carly tells Michael, she’s fine. She’s just trying to decompress from the day. Willow says, tell her about it, when Drew joins them, and asks how it went. Michael says, they won, and Willow says, Nina has no one to blame but herself. Drew tells them, congratulations, and Willow takes Michael’s hand, saying, it really does feel like a victory, doesn’t it? After everything Nina put them through, and all that crap she said on the stand, it’s over. Nina can never lay claim to their family again.
At the park, Josslyn says she can’t believe Wiley beat her again. Maybe they should just play a different game. Wiley says, like what? and she says, like volleyball, but he says, no way; she’s too good. She says, finally, a little respect. Her phone dings, and she wonders who it could be. Wiley says, Cameron? and she says, he guessed it. Wiley says, Cameron texts her a lot. She reads: Don’t worry about Spencer. Will set him straight about Esme.
As they head for the room where Esme and Nikolas are, Spencer picks something up from the floor, and tells Ava, this is Esme’s jacket. He calls to Esme, and inside, she and Nikolas break apart. Nikolas says, Spencer. Spencer looks at Ava, who shrugs, and he tries the door, but it’s locked. He says, that’s funny. This door’s been locked. Who would have done that?
Brad continues to film, as Britt hoists herself out of the pool, and says, don’t worry about me. She struggles to stand up, using a table as leverage, and Maxie asks if she’s okay. Britt says, does she look like she’s okay? She tells Dante, feel free to arrest that guy at any time, but Spinelli thinks invoking the law is a little extreme. Britt says, he could have killed her, and Maxie says, don’t be dramatic. Britt says, excuse me? and Maxie says, he was obviously part of the entertainment, and did a really cool stunt. Brad says, he, for one, is thoroughly entertained, and Britt tells Dante, arrest him. Dante says, first things first, and asks the guy to get out of the pool. The guy says he’s a little tied up, and fiddles with his harness, and Dante tells him, get untied up. Come on, get out of the pool. He’ll give the guy five seconds. Britt says she’ll count. 1… 2… 3… 4… 5! Dante says, come on, and the guy frees himself, saying, all right. It’s official. He’s completely free. Britt says, not for long, and Dante says, Cody? The guy says, Dante? and Dante says he doesn’t believe this. Britt makes a face.
Carly says, if there’s one thing they’ve learned, it’s that Nina isn’t going to disappear quietly into the sunset, and Michael says, she took her best shot and lost. Can they please stop talking about Nina, and go home and celebrate with Wiley? Carly says, if only it were that simple, and Willow asks why it isn’t. Drew wonders if he can steal Michael for a minute, and they step into the hallway. Michael asks if it’s about the hearing, and Drew says, yes… and no. It’s mostly about ELQ.
Phyllis says, that hearing sounds like a nightmare, and Sonny says, it was. She says, maybe it’s naïve of her, but things were simpler back in Nixon Falls, weren’t they? If you had a problem with a neighbor, you worked it out over the fence. He says, or over a nice cold beer in town, and she says, and families duked it out at Thanksgiving not in court. He says, and lawyers get their fees, and everyone walks away like they lost, even if they won. She says, it must have been excruciating, standing up for Nina, knowing what it would do to his relationship with his son. Be honest though. If he could go back, and do it all over again, would he make a different choice?
Spencer jiggles the doorknob, and calls, Esme. Are you in there? He says he guesses not, throws the jacket on a chair, and leaves. Ava is about to knock, when Nikolas opens the door. Ava asks, what exactly was he doing in there?
Esme runs out onto the parapet in her underwear.
Brad hands a shirtless Cody a towel, and Britt says, really? Brad says, what? He looks cold. Cody says he’s sorry about getting Britt all wet, but in his defense, he was told the pool was going to be cleared. She says, well, it wasn’t, and he says he sees that now. Dante asks what Cody is doing here; working as a skydiver? Cody says, yeah, and Brad says, Jack of all trades. Cody says, exactly. Where did Dante Falconari end up, besides Port Charles? Britt says their little catch-up is cute, but can Dante arrest him now? Cody says, get out of town. Dante is a cop? and Dante says, guilty as charged. Cody says, him, an officer of the law? and Britt says she swears, if Dante doesn’t do something… Cody says, that is hilarious, and Dante puts handcuffs on him, and says, how about now? Is it funny now, or not so much?
Carly asks how Willow is feeling, and Willow says, mainly relieved. She can’t wait to move forward, and get on with their lives. Carly says, it got pretty intense with Nina. She’s never seen Willow that angry. Willow doesn’t think she’s ever been that angry. For them to go through what they did, and have Nina come begging, after the fact. After having her lawyer say in open court that Michael is violent toward women;that Nelle, a psychotic murderer was cowering in the shadows with her baby because she was scared of him? Why would she let Nina near her child after she did that to Wiley’s father?
Drew says, he’s not going to tell Michael what to do when it comes to his dad, or anything for that matter. If Michael wants to take Sonny down, that’s his call, but he can’t have Michael distracted. This is a high risk business venture, and they need to be present and focused. If whatever’s going on with Michael’s dad gets in the way, he’s going to have a problem with that. Michael says he hears Drew, but wants Drew to know where he’s coming from, and Drew says, fair enough. Michael says, Nina lied to his family for six months. She carried on a romance with Sonny in Nixon Falls for six months, while they grieved a man they thought was dead. She also came to visit Wiley under false pretenses, and took advantage of their generosity in giving her a second chance. That’s why they fought this petition; Nina is a bad influence. She’s not a person they want in Wiley’s life, and as Wiley’s parents, it’s their choice to make. Drew says he couldn’t agree more, and Michael says, Sonny disagrees. Today, he got on the stand and testified on Nina’s behalf. Drew says, it doesn’t surprise him that Michael is furious, but he had this campaign against his dad way before this hearing. Michael admits Drew is right.
Sonny tells Phyllis, would he change anything? He kept asking himself that as he walked out of the courtroom. She says, and? and he says, no, he wouldn’t. He knows that probably makes him a traitor, especially in Michaels eyes, but he sees it as being true to what he believes. She asks if he said that in his testimony, and he tells her, he said he thought Wiley deserves more love, not less, and people should put him first. And even if you make mistakes, you should learn by them, and lead by example; no one’s perfect. She says, amen to that, and he says, that includes him, but he’s not going to apologize for who he is. He’s not going to sit back and let a loving grandmother be cut out of her grandson’s life. It’s wrong. She says, wow. Nina means that much to him? and he says, Wiley means that much to him. He just hopes Wiley grows up, and he doesn’t want Wiley to just be Michael’s son or his grandson. He wants Wiley to be his own man.
Josslyn says, Wiley is so lucky he doesn’t have a girlfriend who drives him crazy, and he says he has a girlfriend. She says, who? and he says, her. She asks if she drives him crazy, and he says, not today. She says, good to know. You know what else she knows? He’s going to be real heartbreaker when he grows up. He asks, what’s a heartbreaker? and she says she has an idea. Does he want to take a little trip? He asks, where? and she says, you’ll see.
Spencer looks at Esme’s suitcase, when the doorbell rings. It’s Cameron, who says, what the hell? Spencer says he didn’t have to come all the way out here, but Cameron says, from the sound of Spencer’s text, he did. What happened with Esme? Spencer says, things were going great, he swears. He cut a deal with Ava to get him and Esme out of the house, and in exchange, he was going to have access to his trust fund. Plus, it would have the added benefit of giving him and Esme time together. It was a win-win-win. Cameron says, it’s perfect. Where did it go wrong? Spencer says, Esme started tearing into Trina. He couldn’t help it; he lost his cool, and he took off. Cameron asks, where? and Spencer says, he went for a ride to clear his mind. He realized he’d messed up, and came back to try and talk things out, but Esme was gone. Cameron says, Esme’s left the island? but Spencer says he doesn’t know. Her suitcase is here, but he can’t find her. It’s like she vanished.
On the parapet, Esme gets her clothes on, while inside, Nikolas asks if Spencer is with Ava. He thought he heard Spencer’s voice. She says, he did. Spencer’s looking for Esme; has he seen her? Nikolas says he hasn’t, and she says, he seems nervous. He says he’s just getting his bearings. He was reading, and fell asleep. She says, with the door locked? and he says, was it locked? The wind must have blown it shut, locking it by accident. She says, it must have been some nap. His hair’s all mussed up, and he missed a button. He suggests they go downstairs, but she thinks they should stay here; it’s quiet and private. Perfect for what she has to say. He says he thinks she made her feelings perfectly clear when she threatened to walk out, and she says, about that. They hear something outside on the parapet, and Ava says, what was that? Outside, Esme curses herself for dropping her shoe.
Dante says, Cody could have hurt someone, and Britt says, yeah, here. Cody says, it was a paid gig. If there’s an issue, take it up with the people who hired him. An officer asks if Dante needs a hand, but Dante says, no, and thanks him for the cuffs. Brook says she knows Chase wants to get in there. it’s just a few more weeks. He asks if they can sit and talk, and they go to a table. Britt says she’s curious about Cody’s job description. Did it say party crasher? Cody says he was supposed to land in the pool; make a big splash… literally. But then… What is her name? Brad says, her name’s Britt, and Britt kicks at him. Cody says, then Britt was smack in the middle of his landing zone. Spinelli says, it is a brilliant marketing strategy; a singles event with eligible men literally raining from the sky. Not that he took any pleasure in how it transpired. The main thing is Britt’s okay, yes? She says, she’s fine, and Cody says, see? She says, but she could have downed, so off to jail he goes. Cody says, Dante’s not doing this, is he? and Britt looks at Dante.
Willow tells Carly, Nina is certifiable. In one breath, it’s, take pity on me; you’re wonderful parents. And in the other, it’s, just kidding; Michael is a woman and child abuser. Carly says, she’s a piece of work, and Willow says she’s just done. Nina better not show up, or try to contact them. The judge made her decision; it’s over. Carly says she couldn’t agree more, and puts the envelope in her bag. She says, all that matters now is giving Wiley the best childhood possible, and Willow says, that is 100% the plan. I can’t wait for this to backfire.
Michael tells Drew, he knew Sonny was different after he returned from Nixon Falls, but when he realized he didn’t know who Sonny was, was at Nina’s trial, when Sonny defended her. A few weeks later, Sonny slept with Nina, and a few weeks after that, Sonny and Carly were divorced. Drew says, Michael is furious on his mom’s behalf, but Michael says, he’s furious with himself. All the years wasted on believing in Sonny, his honor, loyalty, and love. But he sees Sonny for exactly what he is now; he’s a criminal with a long line of luck. This is where his luck ends, and Michael is going to see to it. Drew says, this is where he steps in. He knows what’s going on; Dante told him. Michael plans to use ELQ to go after Sonny. Michael says, and Drew wants no part of that, and Drew says, no, he doesn’t. He’s not just some guy Michael works with; he’s Michael’s uncle. Obviously, he wants to protect ELQ, but more than that, he wants to protect Michael. Michael says he’s good, but Drew says, hear him out. He’s never been that close with Sonny, even when he thought he was Jason, and he agrees Sonny has acted badly. He’s going to stop short of saying Sonny failed his family, because it’s a complicated and tricky situation. Michael says, that is exactly what he did, but Drew says, a lot of people close to Michael don’t feel the same way. So the harder he pushes Sonny, the harder it’s going to be for Dante, for Kristina, and especially for Avery and Donna. They’re too young to be able to grapple with all this. Michael says, loving his siblings, and propping Sonny up are two different things, but Drew says he’s not asking Michael to prop Sonny up. Michael says, it’s what they do every time they pretend Sonny is a legit coffee importer. Michael’s not a gangster. He’s not going to go in guns blazing. He’s a businessman. He’s going to outmaneuver Sonny, and he’s going to do it without ELQ. Drew asks if Michael is sure about that, and Michael says he’s not going to let his issues with his father get in the way of his business with Drew. Drew says, he’s going to keep them separate, right? Because their company, and the people who depend on them, can’t be used to punish Sonny. Michael says, understood.
Phyllis says she doesn’t need a transcript to know Sonny’s heart’s in the right place. She saw it in Nixon Falls. The way he stood up to Elijah when he saw Elijah was trying to take advantage of them. How he treated them like family… when Lenny got sick. He says, they are family, and she says, hell, he almost died when he pulled her and Nina out of that fire. He says, make sure she tells Wiley that one day, but she says she has the feeling he’ll get the chance to tell Wiley himself. The Pub phone rings, and Phyllis answers. It’s Scotty, and Phyllis says, no, she hasn’t come in…I see… Of course (🍷) I will. She says goodbye, and tells Sonny, Nina lost.
Cameron says he can’t believe Spencer let Esme get inside his head – again. Spencer says he doesn’t need a lecture. Not today. It was bad enough seeing Trina with Officer What’s-His-Face at the gallery. Cameron says, she was with Rory? and Spencer says, there was nothing going on, but he didn’t love it. Then to have Esme rip into her… Cameron says, Trina doesn’t need Spencer defending her honor; she can take care of herself. Spencer says he understands, but Cameron says, clearly he doesn’t. His brothers are upset enough that their mother is away, and Joss goes into combat mode every time he suggests Spencer’s not evil incarnate. Spencer says, he knows it’s rough, but Cameron says he doesn’t need Spencer’s sympathy. What he needs Spencer to do is expose his girlfriend already.
Nikolas rebuttons his shirt, and Ava heads to the door to look outside. Nikolas says, it must have been the bats. This is the time of the afternoon they come out. Because everyone knows bats come out in the daytime. Really? He says, they should be grateful the bats eat all of the insects, and Ava says she’ll be sure to send a thank you note. She steps away from the door, saying, bats, vermin with wings. Esme listens from outside, and Nikolas asks if Ava will join him downstairs. She says, in a minute. She needs to apologize. She’s sorry she threatened to walk out on him. She didn’t mean it. She’s so sorry. She shouldn’t have done that.
Spinelli asks Sam if she can’t persuade her beau there’s no need for such drastic measures, and Britt says, what? Brad says, he agrees; let muscles off with a warning. Cody says, or a good spanking, and Dante says, the law’s the law. He’ll do Cody a favor and not arrest him in front of an audience. Let’s go. Sam runs up, and says she’s coming with Dante. Cody asks if she’s Dante’s girlfriend, and Dante introduces them. Cody says, the pleasure’s all his, and Dante says, let’s get out of here. Dante leads Cody away, and Britt calls, enjoy lock up!
Brook says, so much for finding true love, huh? and Chase says, happily ever after is hard to come by. Brook wonders if it’s not better to quit while you’re ahead; save yourself the agony. Chase says, it’s definitely a smart play. Fortunately, Finn was the smart one in the family.
Going back in the courtroom with Michael, Drew asks if everything is okay, and Willow says, everything’s great. Carly says, everything turned out the way it was meant to for everyone involved, and Michael asks if Willow is ready to go home. She says, so ready, when Wiley runs in. Michael picks him up, and Willow asks what he’s doing here. Josslyn says she figured they’d want to see him. She hopes it’s okay. Willow says, it’s more than okay, and thanks her. Michael says, Wiley is a sight for sore eyes, and Wiley asks why his eyes are sore.
Sonny leaves Nina a voicemail, saying, he heard the news; he’s sorry. Call him back when she can, or text him, and he’ll be right there. He tells Phyllis to do him a favor. If Nina comes in, let him know. She asks where he’s going, and he says he’s going to find Nina. She says, they’re both worried, but possibly, Nina may not want to be found. Maybe the point is for her to be alone right now, to process, to grieve, to scream. He says, the last time she was like this, she went to Nixon Falls, and Phyllis asks if that doesn’t prove her point. He says he needs to be with her, and she says, he doesn’t even know where to start. He says, that’s where she’s wrong, and he leaves.
Nikolas flashes back to him and… please don’t make me look at this again. Ava asks if he isn’t going say something, and he says he thought it was over; that she was giving up on them. She says, no. She guesses she was thinking about it, but she went to the firing range to blow off some steam and ran into his mother. Laura told her that he’d asked her to write a letter of recommendation to the Adams Day School for Avery. He says, he knew his mother would be happy to help. Turns out she knows the headmistress. Ava tells him, that’s what she said. The letter is already sent, and she has a call in to the Director of Admissions, and that’s great. She’d really like Avery to go to Adams, but hearing what he did, without making a big fuss or wanting any credit, was a wake-up call for her. She was reminded how thoughtful and generous he can be. After her anger cooled down, she was able to hear his mother’s sage advice. He asks if she’s sure it wasn’t a lecture, and she says, maybe a little of both, but it got her thinking. Not that they don’t have real issues to work through – they do – but she’s never been a quitter, and doesn’t intend to start being one now. Does he?
Brook says, so Chase isn’t a world famous physician like his brother, but he’s smart in other ways. He asks, how so? and she says, like knowing when to step in and save her from blowing it with Valentin. He sacrificed so much to protect Bailey from Peter. He says, that’s not necessarily smart, and she says, heroic then. Maybe she was wrong. He says, about? and she says, the whole quitting while you’re ahead thing. Maybe it’s the exact opposite. You need to jump in more, think less. He says he can do that. In fact, he’s going to make the leap right now. He’ll do everything he can to help her get her music back.
Spinelli gives Britt some coffee, assuring her, it’s the best way through. He has a prediction. One day they’ll look back on the events of today, and see only fond memories. Brad says, he will, but Britt tells him, don’t get any ideas. He’s all mine.
At Charlie’s, Cody says, he thought for a second, Dante was actually going to haul him in, and Dante says, for a second, he was. They bring beers over to the table where Sam is sitting, and Dante says, a tip if he may? The next time Cody decides to jump out of an airplane for money, make sure he doesn’t jump in a pool, public or private. Cody says, noted, and Sam says, Cody is lucky Dante had an extra change of clothes in his car. (Like they’re the same size. Hint: they’re not.) Cody says, gracias, compadre, and Dante says, Cody’s welcome, but he wants them back. Cody says, that Britt woman, she’s something else, and Sam says, that’s one way to put it. Dante says, Cody should thank them. They saved him from Britt’s wrath. Cody says he’ll pay them back by letting them buy him dinner. After all this commotion, he’s starving. Phyllis comes over, and Dante introduces Cody. He asks Phyllis if everything is okay.
Sonny runs into the cemetery, calling for Nina. He goes over to Nelle’s grave, and bends down.
Michael asks if Wiley had fun with Aunt Josslyn, and Wiley says, they played a game, and he won. Josslyn demands a rematch, and Willow thanks Josslyn for taking care of Wiley while they were… Josslyn says, indisposed. Of course (🍷). Anytime. Is everything good? Wiley asks what Michael and Willow are doing here, and Carly says, Wiley wasn’t the only one playing a game. His mommy and daddy won too. Josslyn says, they did? and hugs Michael. She says, thank God, and hugs Willow. She’s so happy that the game worked out the way they’d hoped. Michael says, so are they.
Spencer says, Cameron is right. He can’t keep ping-ponging from Esme to Trina if he’s going to make this work. He needs to show Esme that he’s all in. It just drove him crazy seeing Trina at the gallery with that cop. Cameron tells Spencer, he’s going to say something and he needs Spencer to hear him. He’s going back to take care of Jake and Aiden. He will not lose Joss because Spencer can’t keep his head in the game. Do whatever it takes at this point; Cameron doesn’t care. Confess to Trina, suck it up to Esme, just make it happen tonight. Or he will.
Nikolas asks, what brought on Ava’s change of heart? and she says she just told him. He says, right; his mother and a letter of recommendation. She says, and herself, and he asks why she didn’t tell him before. She says, before what? He recovers nicely, and says, before they came so close to losing what they have. She says she’s telling him now. That’s got to count for something. He says, it counts for everything. Yes, they still have issues, and of course (🍷) they need to discuss them, but not here. Come with him. She won’t regret it. He holds out his hand, and she takes it. They leave, and Esme walks in from the parapet. She says, how wrong you are, Nikolas. Ava will regret it, and so will you.
Brad says, Britt has the hots for parachute guy? Not that he blames her, but those weren’t the vibes he was getting. She says she’s interested, but only to the extent that he helped her prove her point. What’s better evidence that true love is a lie than a cynical attempt to sell it with stunts? Spinelli says, there was nothing cynical about it, and Brad says, what’s wrong with a little romance? Bonus if it’s wrapped in a package as drool worthy as Candy’s. Spinelli says, Cody, and Brad says, whatever. His name could be Elmer for all Brad cares. Britt says she’s going to sue him for assaulting her, and Spinelli says he thinks assault is a bit of a stretch. She says, she’s going to sue him, even if she has to sue him for every stitch of clothing he’s not wearing.
Sam and Dante come back to the table, and Cody asks if everything is copacetic. Dante says, yeah; it’s just family stuff. Cody says, let him know if he can help, and Sam says, who is he? He says, Cody Bell. We met at the pool? She says, she knows, but until an hour ago, she didn’t even know he existed, now he and Dante seem to be picking up where they left off. Dante says, you know how it is when you’re friends from childhood. They literally grew up together. Cody says, and got into trouble together, and Dante says, that too.
Chase says, maybe he does think too much, and Brook says, he does. He says, maybe he should start seizing the moment, and she says, there’s no time like the present. They almost kiss, when Chase’s phone dings. He says, it’s his brother. He’s having a tough time with everything that’s going on with Elizabeth. She says, Chase should go be with him, and he says, really? She says, really, and he says, okay, thanks. And tomorrow, it will all about her and him, and getting the goods on Linc. And once they do, they can use it to get her music back. She says, she’ll see him tomorrow; she can’t wait. He says, him either, and heads for the door. Brook goes over to Britt’s table, and says, that was quite a splashdown. Brad says, Cody can splash into his bath anytime, but Spinelli says, technically, a tub is indoors, and you can’t splash down into it. Brook and Chase steal a glance at each other.
Carly asks Wiley for a hug, and says she loves him so much. Always remember that. He says he will, and Josslyn leaves with Willow, Michael, and Wiley, amid congratulations from Carly and Drew. When they’re gone, Drew says, what was that head nod? Was it because of the DNA results, or because Willow doesn’t know yet? Carly says, it was the results; she heard from the lab. He says, and? and she says, Nina’s not Willow’s mother. He says he guesses it was for the best, and Carly says, especially after the hearing; it was brutal. He says, Michael told him a little bit about it. Sonny testified for Nina. She says, that was the least of it. And the whole ordeal happened because of Nina; because of her selfishness and entitlement issues. Poor Willow is just exhausted, and she’s angry, and she wants Nina as far away from her family as possible. Drew says, it would have been awful if Nina was her mom, and Carly says, but she’s not. He wonders why Harmony said she was, and Carly says, Harmony was a troubled woman, but it doesn’t matter where Willow came from. It matters who she is today, and how much she loves Michael and Wiley, and the life they have to look forward to. I dunno. I’m not so sure Drew is buying this.
Sonny finds something on the ground, but we don’t see what it is. He looks around. I wonder if it’s Nina’s necklace.
Spencer walks into the now unlocked room, and Esme is there. He says, finally. Where has she been? She says, she’s been around, and he says he’s been looking everywhere for her. There’s something he needs to tell her. She says she has something she needs to tell him too.
Ava says, Nikolas is acting strange. What’s going on? He’s scaring her. Spit it out. He says, there’s something she needs to know.
Tomorrow, Rory can’t wait to see what else Trina introduces him to; Cameron says he has something to tell Josslyn; Sonny says, Nina may do something she’s going to regret.
📋 Exit Interview…
I’d forgotten he also writes for GH. He was co-writer of today’s episode.
Pop in tomorrow for some soap, tea of all kinds, a thoughtful collection of quotes, and a musical moment. Until then, stay safe, stay taking only your own inventory, and stay being true to what you believe.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Maxie finds Britt at the pool, and Britt says, finally. Where has she been? Maxie says, at Deception. She got stuck with Home and Heart on the phone. Britt says she thought Maxie had an attack of common sense, and decided to skip this ordeal, and Maxie says, what ordeal? It looks like everyone is having a good time. Britt says, look closer, and Maxie asks, what’s the problem? Britt says she doesn’t know what she’s doing here, and Maxie says, staying open to possibilities? If Britt would just put herself out there, she’d have guys falling all over her. Britt wonders if that’s what she even wants, but Maxie says she won’t know unless she tries. They’ve both been through hell and deserve some good karma. What’s better karma then donating to a worthy cause, while sipping cocktails by the pool? Britt says she’ll give Maxie that one; the cocktails are delicious. Maxie says, Britt just needs to follow her lead. Forget the past, and focus on the future. She’s looking forward, and likes what she sees. Austin comes over and gives Maxie a drink, saying, he’s glad she made it. Maxie asks if Britt is okay, and Britt says, better all the time. Brad is coming with her next drink… Brad spills the drink on her.
Sam says she knows Spinelli doesn’t like Austin for Maxie, and he says, that’s exactly it. She’s the mother of his child; he’ll always be connected to her. They sit, and Spinelli invites Drew to join them. Drew says, Spinelli looks amazing, and it goes without saying, Sam always looks good. Sam says, it’s always nice to hear, and Drew says, it’s the truth. Spinelli says he can’t wait to hear about everything Drew has going on.
Brook says she swears she’s not mad at Chase… Okay, she’s not mad at him anymore. They both got a little heated. He says, they definitely need to clear the air, and they both say, you first. Brook says she’ll go first, and Chase says he’s listening.
Nina tells Scotty, Judge Foster said she didn’t need a lot of time to make a ruling. Is that good or bad? He says he doesn’t know, but he’ll know shortly. Willow asks Diane why they’re not hearing closing arguments, and Diane tells her, it’s a hearing, not a trial. Judge Foster heard all she needs to make a decision. Temp Michael (see below) says, how much damage does she think Scotty did with that rewrite of what happened with Claudia? but Diane says she’s not going to speculate. They’ll just have to wait for the judge to come back. She asks where Carly is, and Michael says, his mother had an errand she needed to do. Willow says, it must be very important. Otherwise, she’d be here. Michael says, who knew the judge would come back with a decision so fast? He’s going to text her. He’s sure she wouldn’t want to miss this.
At the hospital, Carly stares at the envelope with the DNA results. She’s about to open it, when her phone dings. It’s a text from Michael, saying: Judge ready to rule. Come back ASAP.
Ava is wrapping things up at the shooting range, and Valentin walks in. He wonders why he’s not surprised to find her here, and she says, the same reason she’s not surprised to see him here. He says, it’s probably not a bad idea, brushing up on her gun skills, given the company she’s been keeping, and she asks if he has any idea what he’s talking about. He says, that wasn’t her, dining with Victor at the MetroCourt? She says she doesn’t remember seeing him there, and he says he wasn’t there, but he has sources. Apparently, they were getting pretty cozy. Is she thinking of upgrading from Nikolas? She says, Valentin’s father is certainly more charming than he is, when Anna walks in, and tells Ava, she wouldn’t say that. Valentin has his moments.
Spencer lets himself into Windymere, and flashes back on Esme saying, if he leaves, she may not be there when he gets back. He sees her suitcase, and says, no such luck.
Esme and Nikolas kiss, and he steps back, saying, he’s sorry; he shouldn’t have done that. Then they go back to kissing. I can’t say, ew! enough times. It’s not the age thing – I’m okay with that – but… I don’t know what it is. Just ew!
Carly comes back just as the bailiff is saying, all rise. Judge Foster says, it is the opinion of this court that parents have the right to decide who’s in their child’s life, just as they are responsible for anything that affects their child. However, the law in New York state is very clear. It allows a biological grandparent, such as Miss Reeves, to petition to see their grandchild. That law is why they’re here today, and the only reason she allowed this circus to go on as long as it has. The law gives Miss Reeves the right to be heard, regardless of the merits of her case. She’s heard both arguments for and against visitation. The respondent party has proven the petitioner’s presence in Wiley Corinthos’s life would be detrimental. She hereby denies the petition of Miss Reeves to visitation with the minor child. Willow says, thank God, Michael says, we won, and they hug. Nina looks devastated, and Carly looks at the envelope she’s already opened.
Brad tells Britt, he’s so sorry; somebody bumped into him. She says she knows, and he asks her not to use it as an excuse to leave. Britt says, no harm. Just get her another cocktail. Austin says, Britt has great reflexes, and Brad says, she’s like a panther. Maxie says, they’re going to sit down, and let the two singles mingle. Mingle. They leave, and Brad gives Britt his drink, saying, take mine. None of it spilled, and it’s the right price – free. He tells her, there’s a lot of hot guys here, and did he tell her how sexy she looks in that outfit? She tells him, easy. She might think he’s trying to boost her confidence. Terry joins them, and says, hello there. Britt asks if Terry didn’t say she didn’t need a singles mixer, that she was seeing someone, and Terry says, it looks like it’s not going to work out. Britt asks, what happened? Terry said they had great chemistry. Terry says, they did, but he just got a job offer in Chicago. He tried to turn it down, but she told him not to; the opportunity’s just too good. Britt sees a passing waitress with a tray of drinks, and Britt says she’s just going to take this whole tray. The waitress says, no, and they struggle for a moment. Britt says, we need them, and the waitress lets go. The drinks slop over the sides of the glasses a little, and Britt tells her, look what you did.
Valentin says, he’s here as Anna requested. He can’t wait to see what she has planned. Anna says she thinks he’s going to like it, and Ava says she’d warn Anna not to trust him, but something tells her that Anna wouldn’t listen. She leaves (wearing very LOUD shoes), and Valentin asks if Ava said something. Anna asks if he cares, and he says, he does not. He was a little worried she was going to stand him up. She asks if he was afraid she was going to pay him back for all the times he disappeared on her, and he says he has a bad habit of doing that. Sorry to be such a disappointment. Can he take her invitation to join her here as a sign she’s willing to give him a second chance? She says, a second chance? She thinks he’s on about 99 at this point. He says, yet here we are, and she says, here we are. Did he choose his weapon? He asks if he’s going to need to defend himself.
Nikolas and Esme get busy to music with a heavy beat. I don’t think I can watch.
Spinelli says, Sam tells him that Drew is going to be Scout’s swim coach. He knows Drew is a Navy SEAL, but how good of a swimmer is he? Are there going to be other kids there around Scout’s age? He assumes the pool will be heated. Drew says, Scout is in the 7 and 8 group at the country club. He just pitches in when the staff needs some help. He just wants to make it fun. He doesn’t want to make it feel like it’s Olympic training. Dante joins them, and apologizes to Sam for disappearing. She asks if he wants a drink, and Spinelli says, allow him, but Dante says he’s good. He asks if he can talk to Drew for a minute, and Drew says, sure. They leave, and Sam asks Spinelli, what’s going on? Why is he so desperate to get away from her? He says, perish the thought, but she says, stop. He’s dodging her question. What’s going on?
Brook says, she can admit she went too far, asking for Chase’s help in getting Linc. He says, she means when she asked him to entrap Linc, and risk getting thrown off the force for good, and she says, yes, that. It wasn’t a good idea at the time, asking the one on suspension to do something potentially… He says, catastrophic? and she says, not strictly legal. He’s helped her so much in the past, she guesses she got carried away, but he also overreacted. They can agree on that, right? He says, sure, and she says, great; they’re good. He says, she does realize she never said she’s sorry, and she says, I’m sorry. Now can they move on? He tells her that he has one more thing to say about that, and she says, of course (🍷) he does. He says he’s decided he’s going to help her take Linc down after all.
Britt asks Terry, what happened? and tells Brad that he should talk to that really hot waiter over there. He says, where? and makes a beeline toward the bar. Britt asks if Terry is sure it’s not going to work with this guy; she seemed so happy about him. Terry says, she’s disappointed, but it’s okay, and Britt says she’s not buying it. They both know quality men are few and far between. Terry says, she and Chet met by accident, they texted a lot, but they only went on one follow-up date. They weren’t officially a couple. Britt says, love sucks, and Terry says she’s definitely not talking about love. She and Chet had potential. She’s just sorry she’s not going to see where that leads. Britt says, this is what happens. Life offers you something, then snatches it away.
Maxie tells Austin that she loves what a happy baby Bailey is. It’s kind of incredible, considering the first year of her life was a roller coaster. Here she is again, rambling about her kids. She’s so sorry. He says, don’t be. He loves when she talks about her kids. She kind of lights up, and it looks beautiful on her.
Spencer brings out a sandwich, and says, Esme’s probably in her room, waiting for him to come looking for her. He sits on the couch, and takes out his phone. He eats, and sends a text to Esme: Where are u? He takes another bite, and sends a text to Cameron: Screwed up with Esme. Lost my cool. Preparing to grovel. Any tips?
Brook says, Chase changed his mind, and wants to help her with Linc? He says he does, and she says, he made her apologize to him. He says, because she needed to, and she says, he’s right; she did. He says, and he accepts her apology. So let’s go get that slimeball.
Drew asks if there’s a problem, and Dante says, that depends. Is Drew backing Michael’s vendetta? Drew asks what he’s talking about, and Dante tells him, Michael said he’s going to dismantle everything Sonny built. Drew says, it’s unlikely Michael is going to start firebombing Sonny’s warehouse, and Dante says, of course (🍷) not. Drew asks what it has to do with him, and Dante says, Michael is going to use ELQ to target Sonny.
Judge Foster says, Scotty’s mischaracterization of Michael bordered on slander. The court is perfectly capable of reading and comprehending a criminal record. Scotty’s distortion wasted the court’s time, tried its patience, and did his client no favors. As far as the court is concerned, this matter is closed. Court is adjourned. She bangs her gavel, and Michael says, it’s over, hugging Diane. Scotty tells Nina, it was a legitimate argument. If she’d just listened. He’s sorry. He gave it his best shot. Diane tells Michael and Willow that she’s happy for them, and Michael hugs Willow. Willow asks Carly, what’s wrong? and Nina walks over to them. She asks Willow and Michael to please reconsider.
At the shooting range, Anna says, a PPK, and Valentin says, it’s a classic. What about her? She says she has her own; it is a classic. She tells him, let’s decide on the rules for our little competition. Whoever gets the cleanest set of kills, wins. He says, what are the stakes? and she says, if he wins, she’ll have dinner with him. He says, and if she wins? and she says she doesn’t know. She’s not sure yet. He says, what if it’s a draw? but she says, it won’t be. He says, she’s using her own weapon. He’s never used this one before. She has an unfair advantage. She asks if he wants time to practice, and he says, that sounds fair. He fires one shot, and says, okay. She says, one shot; that’s it? That’s what he calls practice? He says, he only needs one. She should know that about him. Once he gets a feel for it, he always hits his target.
Nina tells Willow, please don’t cut her out of Wiley’s life completely, and Michael says, Nina was the one who brought this case to court. Her petition was denied; there’s nothing left to say. Nina says she knows that legally she has no right to see Wiley; she’s at their mercy. Willow says, now Nina is asking for mercy, after trying to destroy Michael’s reputation. Nina says, she’ll take anything. Supervised visitation. She can come to their house, and they can both can be there the entire time. Willow asks, why would she ever let Wiley spend time with a women who had her lawyer tell lies about his father on the stand? All Nina proved today was that she’ll do or say anything to get her way. When it doesn’t work out, then Nina starts crying, and says she didn’t mean it, or she was misunderstood. Nina is the one who pushed the issue by taking it to court. There’s no going back now. Michael asks if Willow is okay, and Willow tells Nina, she and Michael are Wiley’s parents, and like the judge said, it’s up to them to decide what’s best for him. And they don’t think Nina can be trusted with him. It’s really that simple. Nina says, they can’t change this; she loves Wiley, and he loves her. Michael says, he doesn’t know any better. That’s why they’re protecting Wiley, from her. Scotty takes Nina’s arm, and says, let’s get out of here, and Diane tells Willow and Michael that Nina should sue Scotty for malpractice. The stunt he pulled by attacking Michael totally alienated her from the judge. Michael says, it’s over, and the judge found in their favor, thanks to Diane. Willow thanks her, and says she didn’t want this hearing, but she’s glad that it’s now legally settled. Diane tells them to thank themselves, Michael for the most part. He held up beautifully under Scotty’s attack. And Willow was nothing short of brilliant on the stand. Willow says, she was fighting for Wiley, to make sure Nina has no chance to hurt their son. We keep seeing Carly, who doesn’t look happy, and maybe a little sad. I’m guessing she didn’t like the test results.
Spencer finishes his sandwich, and wonders why Esme isn’t texting him back. Oh, he gets it. She wants him to beg. That’s not going to happen. He hears someone come in and gets up, but it’s Ava calling for Nikolas. She says, oh, it’s you, and he says, obviously. She asks if he’s seen his father.
Ewwwwww! Nikolas wraps a blanket around Esme and himself, and she thanks him and says, he’s always been so considerate. He says he can’t believe that happened. Is she all right?
Drew tells Dante, he knew Michael was planning on cutting Sonny out of his life, but he had absolutely no idea Michael would use ELQ resources to take him down. Is Dante sure? Dante tells Drew, Michael said he was going to take Sonny down. He didn’t say he was going to use ELQ to do it, but call it an educated guess. Drew says, he gets Michael’s anger toward Sonny. His dad chose the woman who kept him away from his family for mothers over Michael’s own mother. If it’s a legitimate deal that benefits ELQ, but damages Sonny, he can’t stand in Michael’s way. But that said, he would never do anything to weaken ELQ. Dante says, but does Michael know that?
Austin says, it’s June, so he was hoping to get in some hiking, and was wondering if Maxie would like to come with him sometime. She says, absolutely. As long as it’s not in Pautuck. She’s not ready to go back there yet; she’s sorry. She knows he loves the woods there. He says, he does, but they’ll find a place in Port Charles. Someplace that’s new to both of them. She says, deal, and he says, great. Britt mocks them, saying, great, great, and drinks some more. Austin asks if there’s a problem, and Britt says, by all means, do their thing. Just explain one thing to her first. What are they even doing at a single’s mixer? Maxie says, this is also a charity fundraiser, and Britt says, oh my God. She’s officially a charity case.
Brook says she’s excited Chase is on board, and he says, not so fast. He has conditions. He’ll keep an eye on Linc, and see if he’s involved in any illegal activities, but he will not set Linc up. She says she would never ask him to do that, but he tells her, it’s what she said. She says, that was before; she’s moving on now. Any help he gives her is appreciated. She was afraid she was going to have to deal with Linc herself. He says, well now she doesn’t have to; not on his watch. She says, he’s the best, and hugs him.
Anna and Valentin finish shooting, and Anna asks how he did. He says he held his own. What about her? She says she doesn’t know. It’s less of a challenge when the target isn’t moving. Unlike him, who is so hard to pin down. He says he meant what he said. He’s ready to stay put for a while. But she’s always liked a moving target. Will it work for her? She says, it depends if there’s anything to stay put for, and he says, there will be, he promises. She asks if they should see who won, but he says he thinks they already know the answer.
Britt sees the same waitress, and says she’s just grabbing this one drink. Maxie and Austin come over, and Maxie asks if Britt doesn’t think she should slow down. Britt says, drinks help her mingle. She’s not here for charity. She sings, I’m here because I’m single, and asks why she’s talking to them. Maxie says she’s still going to be Britt’s friend after this, and they high-five. Austin suggests they leave her to it, but Maxie doesn’t know. Brad says he’ll keep an eye on Britt, and Terry says, they both will. Austin and Maxie leave, and Britt says she’s fine. She tells Terry and Brad, all right wingman and wingwoman. They need to find her someone. She looks around and says, too short… still lives with his parents… had his teeth whitened too many times… Just no; too many freckles.
Drew thanks Dante for the heads up. He knows first-hand how easy it is to let anger consume you, and Michael doesn’t deserve that. Dante agrees, Drew says he’ll talk to Michael, and leaves.
Nina fingers her heart necklace, and Scotty tells her that he’s got to sign some court documents. Does she want him to call Obrecht? She says she doesn’t want to talk to anyone. She can’t believe it’s over. He says, it’s a hard loss, and she says she thought for sure they were going to win. Maybe she just convinced herself of that because she couldn’t bear the thought of losing Wiley forever. He says, maybe Michael and Willow will reconsider, and she says she’s got to go, and jets.
Sam says she’s still waiting, and Spinelli says, okay. He cannot lie to her. Yes, something is going on, but he’s not ready to talk about his new… thing just yet. She says, just promise her that he’s not in danger, and he says, heaven forbid; it’s nothing like that. Can they just leave it at that for now? Britt says, look at that hideous shirt, and Spinelli checks himself before turning to look at her. Britt dances, and Terry tells her to lower her voice. She’s getting loud, and obnoxious. Britt asks if she’s causing a scene, and Brad says, not yet, but she’s well on her way. Britt makes a face, and says, that won’t do. She moves to the front of the room and tries to clink on her glass with a celery stick.
Chase says, he and Brook have been talking around something, and he doesn’t want to ignore it anymore. She says, her neither, and Britt whistles with two fingers. She says, listen up. This is going to blow your minds. Get ready. She drains her drink.
Spencer tells Ava that he has no idea where his father is, but there’s this hot new invention. It’s called texting. She should try it sometime. She says, he’s not responding to her texts, and Spencer says, he wouldn’t either if he saw her name. She says, never mind; she’ll find him herself. Spencer says, they need to talk, and she says, the just tried that; it didn’t work very well. He says, he and Esme are moving out, and she says, good. She saw Esme’s suitcase in the foyer. He says, the deal was, if they move out, he gets access to his trust fund, but she says, their deal is that she gives him a weekly allowance. Is there something else? He says, they’re not moving in with his grandmother and Doc, and she says she’s sure Laura will be happy to hear that. He says, they’re going to stay in five-star hotels for a while, and she says, so that’s what he’s going to do with his money. She doesn’t think it’s very wise, but you do you. He says he’s going to need his first payout, but she says, not going to happen. He says, they have a deal, and she says, they’re still here. He doesn’t get any money until he and his girlfriend are really, truly, totally and completely out. Not until they have a new place. He says, she doesn’t trust him? and she says, God no. And she trusts Esme even less.
Esme says, she can’t believe they did that, and Nikolas says, he’s so sorry. He never expected this to happen. Is she okay? She says she’s great. If she’s being totally honest, she’s been fighting these feelings for a while. Has he been struggling too? He says, he’s sorry. He feels like he took advantage of her. She says, he didn’t. If anything, he saved her. She’s been so lonely and sad. Spencer’s been so cold to her, and he’s been so kind and caring. It’s nice to feel close to someone again; to feel safe in his strong arms. <gag> She says she’s sorry Spence isn’t the man she thought he was, and she’s sorry Nikolas’s marriage is over, but she’s nothing but glad that they found each other. He says, what they did was wrong. Spencer is his son. She says, she and Spence are finished. To be clear, it was Spence’s choice, not hers. Going forward, Spence has no say in what she does. Nikolas says, Spencer will never forgive him for this, but she says, Spence never has to know. Ugh. She says, for both their sakes, Spencer should never find out, and he asks if that’s what she wants. She says, even though Spence has made it perfectly clear he doesn’t give a damn what she does, the last thing she wants to do is cause trouble for him. She just couldn’t resist Nikolas; he’s been so good to her. She kisses him, and I can’t unsee this.
Michael says, now that it’s over, how is Willow feeling? She says, it’s been draining; Nina put them through so much. But now that it’s over, she’s pretty sure she’ll sleep well tonight. Michael thanks Diane for everything. He doesn’t know how she does it; nothing seems to rattle her. She says, that’s not entirely true, but thanks him for the compliment. It’s her job not to lose her cool, and Nina gave her so much to work with. Now they have a legal ruling. If Nina comes anywhere near Wiley, they can have her arrested. Willow says, let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, but it’s good they have that protection. Diane says she loves it when the good guys win. Enjoy their victory. On her way out, Carly thanks her, and Diane says, it’s her pleasure. Carly gets bonus points for holding it together when Sonny testified. Carly says, anything for Wiley, and Diane says, of course (🍷) Carly would feel that way, but she has some idea of what it cost her. Well done. Diane leaves, and Michael says he’s glad Carly could make it back in time for the verdict. Now, they celebrate. Carly says she definitely agrees justice was served. She asks Willow, any second thoughts? and Willow says, no. Why would she? Carly says she knows Willow struggled the most in denying Nina contact with Wiley, but Willow says, not anymore. She sees Nina very clearly now, and she’s thrilled they have protection legally. They never have to see that awful woman again. Carly fingers the envelope, and Michael asks, what’s that?
Britt says, what are they doing here? Supporting a charity? She doesn’t think so. Terry tells Brad, do something, and he starts filming. Britt says, they’re shelling out their hard earned money on a search for love. They’re all suckers. Save their money, and get a pet. Spinelli says, everyone wants to find their special someone, and Britt says, once you care, they leave you. Spinelli says, you just have to find the right one, and Britt says, oh yeah, the mythical right one. The one who will complete your life. The one who will stand by you to hell and back. The one who will trust you more than you trust yourself. You’ll always have Paris, right? Wrong. Haven’t they seen how the movie ends? She flies off with the other guy. Because it’s just a sappy movie. There is no right one. They hear a plane overhead, and Dante asks, what’s going on right now? Spinelli tells Britt, have faith. Her time will come. The plane gets louder, and people are starting to look up. Britt says, Port Charles is the anti-Cupid. No, actually it’s not; it’s a place, not a person. Cupid’s not a person either; he’s just a chubby baby thing. Terry says she’s made her point; come eat. Britt says, no. These people have to understand. Maxie comes in, and says, oh my God, and Britt says, there is no love in Port Charles. All the good ones are taken or dead. You might as well wait for someone to fall out of the sky. The plane is really loud now, and Dante tells Britt, look out below. Something falls on her and pulls her into the pool.
As their targets come forward, Valentin counts Anna’s shots. He asks if she fired one less round than him, or did she miss her target entirely? That’s not like her. She points out the middle of the forehead, where she fired twice in the exact same place. He says, she won the competition. Is she going to give him a second chance to have dinner with her? She says, she’ll do him one better, and he says he’s listening. She says, she decided for her prize, they get to spend the evening together. He says, doing what? and she says, he’ll figure it out. Pick her up at 7. She leaves, and Valentin gets a call from Victor.
Spencer picks something up from the floor, and tells Ava, it’s Esme’s jacket. He calls out to Esme, and inside the room, Nikolas and Esme break apart. Nikolas says, Spencer. In the hallway, Ava shrugs, and Spencer reaches for the doorknob.
Nina goes to Nelle’s grave, and drops to her knees. She says she lost the right to see Nelle’s son. What is she going to do, now that she’s lost Nelle and Wiley?
Drew walks into the courtroom, and Michael asks Carly if it’s bad news. Carly remembers saying, sorry, Michael, and opening the envelope. She sees it’s 99.9999+ probability that Patient A is Patient B’s mother. She says, if this is true, Nina is Willow’s mother. Michael says, mom? and Drew watches.
Britt is under a parachute in the pool, and scrambles out. She asks, what the hell just happened? The parachutist pops up and says, now that’s interesting. Hello, Port Charles!
Tomorrow, Chase tells Brook, happily ever after is hard to come by; Cameron says it was perfect, and asks where Spencer went wrong; and Phyllis asks Sonny, if he could do it over, would he make a different choice?
🎡 Revolving Michaels…
Boy did this startle me. I was like, you’re not Michael.
Still in La Quinta, Kyle makes a million eggs for breakfast, and calls caterer Miguel for bloody Marys and mimosas. She tells him, it’s a 9-1-1 situation. Dorit says she didn’t sleep, and in her interview, she says, there’s a lot going on in her head. All she wants is to be able to put this behind her, and feel like herself pre home invasion. LisaR suggests Dorit talk to her mom, and we flash back to when we found out Lois had been attacked by a man she worked with, who turned out to be a serial killer. In LisaR’s interview, she says, it’s on the same level of violation, and Lois lived through it to have a beautiful life after a life altering trauma. She’s a survivor and so is Dorit. Garcelle asks if Kyle talked to Sutton, and Kyle says, Sutton is having breakfast with Crystal and Diana. Garcelle says, Crystal texted her last night that she wanted to go home. Kyle thinks there has to be more to it, and Garcelle wonders what the trigger was. Kyle says, maybe Crystal felt they cared more about Dorit than they had about her last year, even though it’s apples and oranges. She says, they’re like detectives, even though that’s not what I’d call it. Kyle goes to the front door, where the drinks have been left, and brings them in; to-go cups in a coffee holder. Very festive. Garcelle calls Crystal, and asks how she is. She says, great, but she’s being facetious. Garcelle asks if Crystal wants to talk; everybody is worried about her. They don’t know what triggered her. It’s that she didn’t feel validated, right? Garcelle moves to another room to talk, and the rest of the women strain to listen. Garcelle tells Crystal, they didn’t realize she was holding onto stuff from last year, and suggests Crystal come by and clear the air. Then they can go home feeling she’s okay. In Garcelle’s interview, she says she doesn’t want another year to go by where they don’t talk about something. She tells Crystal, ten minutes, and Crystal says, okay. Garcelle convinced her to come. Garcelle hopes the talk goes better than it did at Sutton’s party.
Kyle says she can’t believe it was a year ago when they were here, and Erika says, her life was a shamble. She hates the living room sofa. Kyle says, Erika is like night and day, and Erika says she’s so glad she’s moved past it. She thanks them for accepting her for the wild animal she was, and we flash back to that, although frankly, I’m not so sure anything is different. Erika says she felt backed into a corner every day, and in her interview, she says, it consumes every part of life, then you get over the bridge. She’s far from done, but she can catch her breath. She says she was dragged through the mud for something she didn’t do, and Garcelle says, she didn’t show compassion. Erika says, you can’t when you’re in a legal situation like that; every word counts. They’re not even sure people weren’t paid. Dorit asks if she means there’s a chance the victims are lying, and Garcelle says, no way. Erika says, way, and in Garcelle’s interview, she wonders why there would be lawsuits if there was no merit. In Erika’s interview, she says, people want it to be true. They don’t care about the truth; they just want her to fail. It’s not going to happen. She tells the women, she can’t admit to something she doesn’t know happened. The best way she can serve the rightfully wronged is to comply with the justice system.
Crystal arrives, and Garcelle says she’s tipsy. Erika says she’s lit, and Crystal tells them that Sutton and Diana are headed back to L.A. At the hotel, Diana goes to Sutton’s room, and Sutton asks if she wants to eat, since there’s an entire buffet in the room. Sutton says she hasn’t eaten meat in a long time, but there’s something about bacon she can’t resist. In Diana’s interview, she says, a bacon eating vegetarian isn’t a thing. I like Diana, but Sutton didn’t say she was vegetarian. Diana wonders, what happened last night? and Sutton says, why Crystal was crying? It came from nowhere. Diana says, everyone has different triggers. Hers is when someone makes fun of her accent. It brings her back to people laughing at her. Sutton says, it’s low, and Diana says, and saying stupid stuff about her country. She tells them to find it on a map. She’s a Leo, and relishes confrontation. Sutton says she doesn’t mind confrontation, but doesn’t like screaming. Diana says, she used to be aggressive because she was scared. In her interview, she says, she grew up in the Sarajevo ghetto, and she was angry with the world, explosive. Now she just doesn’t give second chances. Sutton tells her that she’ll have to give these women more than one chance. Maybe several. Diana wonders, how many?
LisaR asks Crystal to talk about how she’s feeling, and Crystal says she feels like this is some weird therapy. She wants to be clear that she wants to get through this conversation, and doesn’t want to talk about it again. Garcelle asks, what triggered her? and Crystal says she doesn’t actually… like being emotional… Dorit tells her to take her time, and Crystal says, what was upsetting was, when she was struggling with Sutton, they were telling her how to feel. It was like a massive campaign to negate how she was feeling. We flash back to the whole violation thing, which we will never, ever be allowed to forget, and Crystal says, it isn’t easy to pour her heart out. Then she was told she used too strong a word, and the focus shifted to something that wasn’t the focus. Garcelle asks if she means it’s not safe for her emotionally, and Kyle says, she told them it wasn’t a safe space. In Dorit’s interview, she says, it’s not a safe space just because a group of adult women don’t agree with her? This is a vacation compared to what she went through. Dog Bambi feasts on the cheese board, and we flash back to her eating charcuterie one day ago, or one week in dog years. Kyle says she’s a fixer, but Garcelle says, she’s a stirrer. In Garcelle’s interview, she says, this is Kyle’s idea of fixing, and mimes stirring a pot. Kyle tells Crystal not to wait a year holding in something that bothers her. Garcelle says, if she’s 100% honest, she’s been holding onto something she knows may be explosive. She feels that when Crystal and Sutton had their thing, no matter what Sutton said – she could have said, the sky is blue – Crystal was going to say, are you that girl?It felt like a set-up. Crystal says, now that Garcelle knows her, does she still think that? but Garcelle says she doesn’t know. In Crystal’s interview, she says, Garcelle blindsided her. After knowing her, does Garcelle really think that’s something she’d do? It’s out of her character. Crystal tells them, there was a lot more said prior to that, and it was very dark. Erika says she wishes they’d known that, and in LisaR’s interview, she wonders why Crystal didn’t just say that at the time. She’d be pissed if she was Sutton. Crystal says, Kyle was there, but Kyle says, she doesn’t remember Sutton saying anything dark. So Crystal makes a CYA move, and says, Kyle was drunk. She’s not going there. Garcelle steps away to talk to her son Oliver on the phone, and Erika asks what was said, but Crystal isn’t spilling. In Erika’s interview, she says, when you’re not specific, you allow the person you just told to fill in the blanks with the worst possible sh*t. Garcelle comes back, and announces that Oliver got a great job working with LVP. Kyle says, on that note, let’s go home, and Erika says, to Los Angeles, where they belong. It sounds like the last line in a corny movie.
Dorit tries to persuade PK to replace some of his Diet Cokes with water, and finds it stressful trying to get him to change his lifestyle. He asks how she is, and she says she’s holding it together, but something changed inside. Her reactions aren’t the way they used to be. In Dorit’s interview, she says, in her new normal, her day is filled with palpitating anxiety and navigating triggers. The kids come into her room every night, and when she hears the sound of the bedroom door, she can’t catch her breath. She tells PK that she doesn’t know how she’ll feel at any moment, and wants to process this. He suggests she take a few days off, and bring her friends to Punta Mita. She asks, what if she feels anxious, and he says, then she can come home. She says she feels like that would feel nice. He says, he’ll watch the shows they watch together, and then just watch them again when she gets back, but she gives him a hard no. He says he’s got to watch some shows, but she says, everything they watch together, he can’t watch. She suggests he watch things she wouldn’t like.
Sutton gets ready for her store event with Alexis Mabille. In her interview, she says, he’s the Paris darling of couture, and finally got in the country. We flash back to Sutton whining about the hold-up to Kyle, and Sutton says she’s having a Parisian party. How fun to have couture come to L.A. She tells us, when you do a party like this, there’s a big list of things to do. There’s the guest list, the food, and bar. We see clips of Sutton overseeing those aspects, and she says, and for this one, they needed mannequins. She gets very nervous. She tells the staff, they’ve got to watch the clothes; don’t mess them up.
Diana’s glam squad makes their magic, and her stylist Lia asks if Diana has been to Sutton’s store. Diana reminds Lia that she’s allergic to stores; she thinks it’s the chemicals. In Diana’s interview, she says, designers know her style, taste, and size. They put things aside for her, and send them over. Dorit tells PK that she spoke to LisaR. Kyle got a message saying, Lois had a stroke, so LisaR was going to Medford. She didn’t have any more information, but asked them to keep Lois in their prayers.
Kyle tells Dorit that LisaR had a serious conversation with the doctor. It’s all about making Lois comfortable now. We see a clip of LisaR saying that Lois is going into hospice, and has a strong directive not to resuscitate her or put her on a feeding tube. Kyle says, her mother knew what was going on, but had them bring her home. She didn’t want to die in a hospice. Dorit asks if they also brought in a nurse, but Kyle says, no. She and Kim did everything. It wasn’t easy. She remembers them trying to bathe her mother, and almost dropping her. She couldn’t communicate, but they were all laughing. In Kyle’s interview, she says, LisaR is where she needs to be. Hard as it was, Kyle wouldn’t have missed being there for her mom’s last breath. She checks her phone, and tells Dorit, a paparazzi was taking photos over her fence. Dorit says, that’s triggering, and Kyle says she’s sorry. It was just the paparazzi. Dorit says, it makes her thinks someone is casing Kyle’s house.
On her red carpet, Sutton says has Alexis’s spring/summer 2022 collection on display, and to celebrate they’re doing a Paris night. Garcelle asks Sutton if all the girls are coming, and Alexis asks who she’s really asking about, but Garcelle insists she’s just asking. At Erika’s place, she tells Mikey that she’s finally figured out the thermostat after a year. She tells him that Sutton is having a designer come in for a store event, but she’s not going. It was a group invitation, and when everyone was apologizing and kissing asses, she’d asked where her apology was, but Sutton said she didn’t get one, since she didn’t like Erika. We flash back to that, and in Erika’s interview, she says she has a date with a vibrator; she can’t make it. She tells Mikey that she’s glad she doesn’t have to dress up, put on a face, and pretend to be nice.
At the store, Crystal says she’s worn leather in honor of Sutton, and we flash back to the ugly leather pants incident. Dorit and Kyle get out of the limo, and Dorit wonders why the press is here. In Dorit’s interview, she says, she can’t talk about what she went through, except close friends and family. How can a friend not give her a heads up? Is Sutton that self-absorbed? I admit to being a Sutton fan, but I also call a spade a spade. I’m totally empathetic to what Dorit is going through, but she’s really expecting too much. This is the second time she believed someone should have been thinking about her situation when it’s understandable why they wouldn’t be. Kyle talks to a reporter on the carpet, saying, Dorit is unbelievably strong, but the aftermath wasn’t so easy. Kyle asks Sutton if this is the infamous border guy. There are lots of air kisses, drinking, and checking out clothes. Kyle asks if everything is okay with Sutton and Crystal, and Crystal says, it was an awkward conversation at Kyle’s house. Kyle says, Crystal didn’t tell them what Sutton said that was so dark, and in Kyle’s interview she says, either Crystal is confused or she is. Her money is on Crystal. Sutton tells Dorit, she doesn’t know why they’re going backward. She doesn’t want to relive or rehash it. They’ve grown out of it, and grown better. Let the tree stand tall, not cut it down. In Sutton’s interview, she says she’s staying calm because she didn’t say anything she’s ashamed of or that was dark. Garcelle tells Sutton, what Crystal alluded to was that it was something that would change the dynamic between them; like she’d said something crazy. Watch your back with your new friend.
In Garcelle’s interview, she says, friendship is about trust. One minute, she felt like Crystal was in Sutton’s corner, then she threw Sutton under the bus. Sutton says, she doesn’t want go backward; let’s move forward, and work together; that’s sisterhood. In Kyle’s interview, she says she’s confused. A year ago, Sutton was sensitive and emotional about everything. We flash back to that, and Sutton says, she wants all of them to be positive. In her interview, Kyle says, she doesn’t know if Sutton took happy pills, but there’s nothing there; zero emotion. Sutton says, stop talking about her behind her back, and Diana takes off her shoes, saying, she hasn’t worn heels in two years. Kyle sits with Garcelle, and says, obviously, Sutton doesn’t want to go back. Sutton and Crystal pose for pictures on the carpet, and Kyle says, Crystal is leaving it open for guessing. When you let people assume, they assume the worst. Crystal asks, what’s going on? and Kyle says, they were talking about the conversation they had earlier. Garcelle had feelings, and instead of defending herself, Crystal brought up Sutton. Kyle was there, and Sutton didn’t say anything horrific. Crystal says, maybe she doesn’t remember because it doesn’t affect her, and Garcelle says, they’re thinking the worst. In her interview, Garcelle says, again it’s Crystal’s word choice. Dark is a dangerous word. It sounds like something that would affect their friendship when it came to race. Crystal says she doesn’t want to focus on the word. Sutton said something problematic, but forgivable. Garcelle says, why bring it up then? and Crystal says, the question they asked was damaging. In Crystal’s interview, she says, Garcelle was accusing her of setting Sutton up; it’s a massive accusation. If she was accused of murder, just saying, I didn’t do it, wouldn’t suffice. It was all she had. Sutton sits with them, and Kyle says, the conversation involves Sutton; she should be here. Sutton says, normally she’s not around for that, and Garcelle says, she told Crystal that she felt like she set Sutton up when she’d asked, are you that girl? Crystal said, it wasn’t prefaced that way; Sutton had said something dark. Sutton says she’s apologized, learned, and changed a lot. She doesn’t know what was said, but she can’t take it unless they can go forward. Kyle says, sounds nice on paper, and Garcelle says, it got them thinking whatever it was, was worse than it was. In Kyle’s interview, she says, Sutton probably is afraid she said something she doesn’t remember, so she wants it dropped. She was there, and that’s not what happened. By now, everyone has gravitated to this conversation, and Diana says, in defending herself, Crystal opened a can of worms. She can defend herself without saying something she’s not prepared to say. In Dorit’s interview, she says, Crystal knows what she’s doing. She’s creating the worst case, and adding insult to injury, she refuses to say what it is. She’s playing dirty. Sutton says, the worms are dead, and Diana says, this is hard to follow. Crystal says, she had to answer a question and defend herself, and Garcelle asks why she used the word dark. In Crystal’s interview, she asks how dark is a strong word? Don’t tell her what words to use. Garcelle says, Crystal planted the seed, and they’re left in the rubble. Crystal says she didn’t want to bring it up because it’s been resolved. In her interview, Garcelle says, it’s not resolved at all, and Crystal says, they questioned her integrity. and that’s where it’s going to stop.
Dorit tells PK that she’s going to an EMDR session, and he says, it’s going to help. She says, there’s something different inside her, and PK says, George made a valid point. The thieves took their belongings, and invaded and violated their home. Don’t let them take your life. In Dorit’s interview, she says, they took so much more than material things; her ability to feel safe and whole. Knowing PK is supportive, strong, and capable means a lot. PK clears out, and therapist Val arrives. In her interview, Dorit says, this type of therapy is good for trauma victims. It reprograms the brain to think of the traumatic moment and associate it with peace and joy. Dorit tells Val about going to Sutton’s event, and Val says, Dorit’s home has been her cocoon. When she’s outside, she feels activated, and it’s a normal response. She gives Dorit some cord things to hold, and says, they vibrate, and it causes left/right brain activity like when we’re sleeping. When trauma happens, early on, we separate it into frames. She wants Dorit to think of the frame where there’s a gun to her head, and she’s thinking, it’s not safe. Where is she feeling it? Dorit says, in her chest, and Val says, allow her mind to go where it usually does, and Dorit says, she’s thinking about the kids. Val says, go with it, and Dorit starts to cry. Val tells her, let whatever comes up, come up, and Dorit says, God forbid anything happens to them. She can’t shake feeling scared, worried, afraid, and sad. Val says, Dorit knows she’s safe, here and now, and in Dorit’s interview, she says, when she closes her eyes, she sees the headline: Mother found dead in bedroom; kids shot dead in their bed. It’s a thought that’s going to haunt her for the rest of her life. Val tells her, take a breath. Dorit says, it feels like she’s far from where she needs to be. Like she has a lot of work to do.
Next time, Kyle accuses Crystal of throwing Sutton under the bus; Garcelle questions Sutton about what she said; Dorit plans a girls trip to Mexico; and LisaR says, Crystal is dangling a dangerous carrot.
💰 The Real Housewives of Dubai is definitely worth a watch. Lots of bling, and an interesting cast, including Caroline Stanbury (Ladies of London), the only blonde in the bunch. Once again, Caroline’s very cute little dog proved that pets are the great leveler by peeing on her bed. It did end up with some screaming (not Caroline), which was a little disappointing, since it’s only the first episode. Model Chanel Ayan was the instigator, and it looks like there will be more to come from that one.
Stop by tomorrow for soap and tea. Until then, stay safe, stay letting your Pride flag fly, and stay knowing, when you let people assume, they assume the worst.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 