Tag Archives: Real Housewives of Orange County

Jun15

June 14, 2023 – TJ Gives Olivia an Update On Ned, More VanderMess Revealed, New Old OC, They’d Better Work & Turn

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis gets out of the pool, and says, Zeke should give it a try. Zeke says he’d like to, but he has to meet with a client. Curtis says he appreciates Zeke dropping by, and Zeke says, of course (🍷). He had to wish happy birthday to his brother-in-law. Stella tells Zeke to hurry back; they’re having cake later. Zeke says he’ll so be there, and leaves. Curtis asks Portia if everything is okay, and she says she was just kind of hoping maybe… She turns to see Trina holding a gift, and Trina says, happy birthday, Curtis.

Jordan walks into the MetroCourt, and sends a text to Zeke: Zeke, it’s me from the other night… Do you have a minute to meet up? I’m at the MC.

Drew calls Michael, and thanks him for holding down the fort at Aurora… No, he hasn’t been to GH yet. Things got a little crazy last night. He’ll get there soon. He has to take care of a little business first… Let’s just say he’s taking the future into his own hands.

Gladys finds Sasha at the hospital, and is surprised she’s there already, but Sasha says she didn’t want to be late. Gladys says, they have time to take a breath, and Sasha says she knows where this is going. Please don’t start. Gladys says, there’s no reason to be terminating the guardianship, but Sasha says, they’ve been over this several times. Gladys says she just wants Sasha to think about it a little bit longer. It was just a few days ago when she went on the Home & Heart shopping channel, and almost had another break. Sasha says she was being manipulated by those sleazy producers. She wasn’t hearing a baby crying in her head. They were playing that noise in her earpiece. Gladys says, still, the worst could have happened, and Sasha says, but the worst didn’t happen. She was able to hold it together, and the producers backed off, thanks to Cody. Sam and Dante walk in, and Sam says, even Gladys has to admit it; Cody stepped up and saved the day.

Olivia prays the rosary outside Ned’s room, and Brook asks if she’s okay. Olivia says, she remembers growing up in Bensonhurst, how the mamas and great aunts would pull out their rosaries in a time of crisis. She swore she’d never be that old fashioned old lady. Then she got old, and realized how scary life can be, and she’s so grateful for her rosaries and her prayer, and for her faith. It comforts her. Brook asks why she stopped praying, and Olivia says she’s been praying all night, and doesn’t think God is listening. Not to mention, Brook interrupted her. Brook says, if God listens to anyone, it’s Olivia, and Olivia asks, then why they don’t have any news about Brook’s dad? Just give her a sign… something. Carly approaches with some coffee, and says, Drew told her what happened to Ned, and she wanted to be here for Olivia and her family. Brook says, Carly is an angel, taking the coffee, and Carly says, if she’s the last person Olivia wants to see, she can just go. TJ comes out of Ned’s room, and says, he has some news about Olivia’s husband.

Trina hands Curtis the gift, and he thanks her, adding, he’s really glad she came. Portia says, it’s nice to see Trina, hugging her, and Trina says she couldn’t miss Curtis’s birthday. Stella gives Trina a hug, and Marshall says, his turn. Stella wonders what’s keeping Thomas Jr., and Curtis says, TJ called to wish him a happy birthday, and apologized that he can’t be with them. He’s shadowing the head of neurology at GH, and couldn’t get the day off. Stella says, what a shame. She was hoping to get the whole family together, now that it’s all official.

Zeke sees Jordan at the bar, and says, here he thought she forgot about him. She says she actually has something to talk to him about. Does he have time for coffee? He says he can’t stay; he has to meet a client. She tells him that he’s going to have to come up with another excuse. That one is getting old. He says he doesn’t live in Port Charles, so when he’s in town, he’s kind of at the mercy of his clients. However, now that she’s called him, he has her digits, so… Is she free for lunch? She says she’ll see what she can do, and he says, if she can’t, he’ll call her and they’ll make other plans. Drew comes in, and Zeke excuses himself. Jordan heads for the elevator, and sees Taggert coming out. He asks if she won’t join him for a drink, but it looks like he’s already started.

Sasha says she’s come around about Cody. He seems like he’s one of the good guys. Gladys asks if she’s the only one who remembers that Cody stole an expensive bracelet from her, but Sam says, that’s yet to be proven. Gladys asks Dante if that’s true, but he says he’s not going to comment on that. Sasha asks if they’re here to see Willow, but Dante says, Ned, actually. He was in an accident. Sasha says she’s so sorry. As if his family hasn’t been going through enough. She’ll pray for them all. Dante thanks her, and his phone rings. He says, it’s the station, and steps away to take the call. Sam says she assumes they’re here to see Willow, and Sasha says, she is… after her appointment. She’s here to see a psychiatrist to talk about ending her guardianship. Sam congratulates her, and says, that’s great news, but Gladys says, just to be clear, it’s not a done deal. It’s just an initial consultation. Sam says, Gladys isn’t against Sasha regaining control of her life, is she?

TJ wants to give them an update about Ned, but Carly says she doesn’t want to intrude, and starts to leave. Olivia tells her, wait. Will she stay… please? Carly says, of course (🍷). Of course (🍷) she’ll stay with Olivia. Olivia tells TJ that they’re ready, and he says, last night, they put Ned under twilight sedation for his brain swelling. Carly says she’s sorry, but Olivia says, TJ explained that the swelling was moderate enough, they may be able to bring it down using a medication with diuretics. TJ says, they’re keeping Ned in a twilight state to manage his pain while the swelling goes down. Unfortunately, they’re not seeing as much improvement as they’d like. Olivia asks what that means, and TJ says, they’ll continue to monitor him for now, but if the swelling persists, they’ll have to bring him in for surgery. (Bring him in where? He’s already in the hospital.)

Taggert puts his arm around Jordan as they walk to the bar, and he asks, when was the last time they had a drink together? She says, it’s only 11 am, and he’s already had a few. Is he okay? He asks why he wouldn’t be okay, and Jordan flashes back to Portia asking if she’s spoken to Taggert recently; he might need a friend. Jordan tells her, the DNA test results came in. Curtis is Trina’s father. Jordan tells Taggert, what he needs isn’t found in a bottle, and he tells her, says you. She says, let’s get you back to your room.

Zeke says he’s on his way to the conference room to meet with the SEC attorneys to work out the plea deal, but it’s his job to look out for Drew’s best interests. So once again, Zeke is advising him not to do this. Drew says he hears Zeke – again. He’s not changing his mind. I can actually see this, since prison there is probably a cakewalk compared to Greece. Zeke says, but Drew wants him to hold off on finalizing the deal because of the ace up his sleeve? Correct? Drew says, right. He’s still holding on to hope. Zeke sees Jordan helping Taggert into the elevator, and Drew asks if he’s okay. Zeke says he’s not sure. He thinks he just saw his ex-brother-in-law.

Marshall wants to make a toast, but Curtis says, it’s not necessary. Marshall says he knows he doesn’t have to, but he’s going to anyway. He remembers when Curtis was born. He held Curtis in his arms, and couldn’t believe how blessed he was to be the father of another perfect son. He wanted to teach Curtis things that his father taught him. His father wanted to make sure he knew that it was just as valuable to play a musical instrument as it was to throw a ball around. He wanted to make sure Marshall was open to new experiences; explore the world. That’s what he wanted to teach Curtis, but as they all know, sadly, life turned out differently. I feel sorry for Stella who’s holding her drink the way you raise it for a toast, as Marshall keeps going. He says, but in spite of that, his son loves music anyway, and he got to cook Curtis his world famous gumbo yaya. So he guesses, how the saying goes, better late than never. Standing here today with his son on his birthday, he feels just as blessed as he did years ago. To Curtis. Everyone is like, thank God, we can drink now, and says, to Curtis. But no. Stella (of all people) says, before everyone drinks, she has something to add. The only thing that gives her more joy than being with her nephew on his birthday, is that this year they’re joined by his daughter. Welcome to the family, Trina. Curtis says, it’s quite a birthday gift, and they clink glasses. Stella says she needs to get their first family picture, and Trina excuses herself to use the restroom. Stella wonders if it’s something she said.

Gladys says, of course (🍷) she wants Sasha to heal, and not need her as a guardian anymore; that was always the goal. Sam wonders if it was everyone’s goal, and Gladys says, yes, it was. Dante comes back, and asks if everything’s all right. Sam says, of course (🍷), and tells Sasha, good luck. Sasha says, thanks, she’ll take it, and they leave. Gladys glowers, and Sasha tells her, please stop worrying. She’s ready. It’s time she took her life back.

TJ says he’ll keep them posted, and leaves. Olivia says she’s got to tell Tracy. She’s bringing Leo. He won’t stop asking about Ned. He must be so worried. She didn’t go home last night; he was alone with Tracy. Brook says she’ll go home and act as a buffer, and leaves. Carly tells Olivia, It’s going to be okay; Ned is strong. Olivia says she’s just glad Drew was there. If he hadn’t been there and acted so quickly… Carly says, there isn’t anyone Drew wouldn’t help, and Olivia asks, what the hell did you just say? Carly says she must have misspoke. She didn’t mean… Olivia tells her, just say it. It’s ironic that Drew saved Ned’s life, when she thinks Ned is trying to destroy Drew’s. Carly tells Olivia that she didn’t say any of that, but Olivia says, it’s what she’s thinking. Even though Ned saw it, he wasn’t the one who told the SEC about their insider trading. Carly says, it doesn’t matter; she’s here for Olivia. Olivia says, Ned only needs people here who are rooting for him; not people who are against him. Carly says she doesn’t wish Ned any harm. Neither does Drew. Olivia says, Ned swore to her that he’s innocent, and she believed him. So if Carly is going to be here and sit in judgement of her husband while he’s fighting for his life, just go. She doesn’t need Carly here. This is hard enough for her already. Carly says, that’s fair, when Sam and Dante join them. Carly says she was just leaving, and Dante asks if there’s bad news about Ned, but Carly says, it’s her. She’s sorry. The last thing she wanted to do was upset Olivia. She’ll be praying for Olivia, Ned, and their whole family. She leaves, and Dante asks if Olivia is okay. Olivia shakes her head, and he holds her as she cries.

Gladys sits next to Sasha, and says she hopes Sasha didn’t listen to what Sam suggested. She’s just concerned about Sasha, that’s all. Sasha says she understands, and knows Gladys feels she has to do right by Sasha out of obligation to Brando, but it’s starting to feel like Gladys can’t see how far she’s come. Like at the last Home & Heart taping. The producers were literally messing with her head, hoping she’d melt down so they could get a pathetic boost for their ratings. But she didn’t freak out. She held it together. And Gladys was the one who was against her making that appearance in the first place. She’s starting to feel like Gladys doesn’t believe in her. Gladys says, no, that’s not it, and Sasha says, then what is it?

Marshall says he knows Stella is excited about having Trina in the family. She’s a great aunt now. He’s a grandfather; he’s excited too. But they have to give Trina space. Ease up. She says, he’s right; she’s pushing too hard. She just wanted to have the family come together, and get over all this hurt between everyone. He says he understands, but the situation is still damaged. They have to give Trina time to want to be with them. Stella says she sees so much of her sister’s spirit in Trina. He does too, doesn’t he? He says, oh yeah, and she says, it just kills her that Trina will never get a chance to know Irene.

Portia says she’s worried about Trina, but Curtis says, she probably just needs a minute. And maybe they should chill on this instant family kumbaya stuff. She says she’s with him on that, but Trina’s on summer break and living with Carly. How much more space could she possibly need? He says, she’s not choosing to live with Carly over Portia. She’s already Josslyn’s roommate. She’s just extending the arrangement over the summer. They’ve got to give her that. She tells him that what he’s saying makes sense, but it’s still difficult, and he says he knows. It’s going to take some getting used to for everyone. Maybe she could explain that to Aunt Stella, but he thinks his dad’s already taken care of that. Portia says, maybe that gives them a chance to talk about them. Where do they really stand?

Jordan dumps Taggert on the couch, and he says, this is better. He looks at his phone and suggests they order room service. Does she want a Bloody Mary or a mimosa? She says, the only thing he’s drinking is water, handing him a bottle. Being an alcoholic isn’t going to solve his problems. He asks what she knows about his problems, and she says, Portia told her about the DNA test. He says, so she knows a lot, but she doesn’t know what it feels like. She didn’t have to wake up knowing TJ wasn’t her son. She says she didn’t, and he says, one minute he has a daughter, the next minute, he doesn’t, and there’s no way for him to get her back.

Drew and Carly walk out to the terrace holding hands, and he says, what happened at GH with Ned? She says, he’s not good. If they can’t get the swelling in his brain to go down, they’ll have to operate. He says, that can be a really dangerous surgery, and she says she knows. Olivia is taking it so hard. Drew bets she was glad to have Carly there, but Carly says she doesn’t know about that. She thinks she made everything worse. She said something that came out wrong. She said that Drew would risk everything to save anyone, and Olivia interpreted that to mean she didn’t want Ned to get better and deserves what’s happening to him. She doesn’t; that’s not true. Wow. Does anyone listen to anyone? He says, Olivia is just frantic with worry. She needed a place to vent, and Carly was it. They’re way to close not to figure this out. Carly says, these insider trading charges are looming over everything. And if Ned stays in the hospital, their one plan to get these SEC charges dropped isn’t going to happen. He says he’s not counting them out just yet, and she asks if he found something. He says, on Tracy.

Gladys says she made a promise to take care of Sasha. Brando was gone and she needed help. She wants to do right by her son. Sasha says she has, and so much more. She wouldn’t be doing this if she didn’t feel ready to take control of her life again. Gladys says she hopes Sasha’s right. The doctor comes out and introduces himself as Damon Montague. He’s here to discuss terminating her guardianship. Sasha says, it’s nice to meet him, and introduces Gladys. He says, nice to meet Gladys. Follow him. Gladys says she has a whole list of questions for him, but he says he’s afraid this visit is just between him and Sasha. Gladys says, she’s Sasha’s guardian, and he says, they’ll be time for that later. Today it’s just about him getting to know Sasha. Sasha follows him into his office.

Olivia tells Dante, TJ explained they’re going to try and bring down the swelling in Ned’s brain with diuretics, but if it doesn’t come down fast enough, he’s going to need surgery. Dante says, it sounds like they’re doing everything they can to avoid that route. Sam gets a call, and steps away to take it. Dante asks if Olivia wants to talk about Carly, but she says, the only thing that matters right now is Ned coming back to them. Even if he doesn’t need surgery, there could be brain damage. He tells her, stop. He knows it’s hard right now. In moments of uncertainty, she lets her mind go wild, but try to stay with him in the here and now. She says she was so upset with Ned about the stupid SEC thing, but Dante says, she already told Ned that she knew he wasn’t responsible for the anonymous tip. Don’t do this to herself. She says she was just thanking God for that. It’s the only thing making this even slightly tolerable. She can’t help thinking about the time they lost that they might never get back.

Jordan says she’s sure it was hard to hear that Trina isn’t Taggert’s biological daughter, but she isn’t gone. He’s still the man who raised her. She’s seen how much Trina loves him. That DNA test didn’t change any of that for her. He says, that’s what he told himself; nothing could break their bond. He thinks he actually convinced himself that he was prepared for the possibility she might not be his daughter. But deep down he was holding on to the hope she was really his daughter. When it was the opposite, he was crushed. She says, of course (🍷) he was. Anyone would feel the same. It will take some time to process, but the shock will wear off eventually, and he and Trina will pick right back up where they left off. He says he’s keeping a brave face up for Trina. He doesn’t want her to worry about him. She isn’t just related to Curtis. She’s related to Marshall, Stella, TJ… Wow. If Trina wants to get to know her real family, he doesn’t want to get in the way. She says, he’s Trina’s real family too. They all know that. Why won’t he let himself see it?

Curtis says, they’re figuring things out, and Portia says, but they’re not. They’re dancing around the issue; they’re not really talking about it. Now they know Trina is his biological daughter, and he missed out on her childhood. He must resent her. He says he’s not going to lie. He would have loved to see Trina grow up, but what’s done is done. He’s not going to let it hold him back, because he has every moment from here on out to connect with his daughter. And if she’ll have him, he’s here for it. She says she’ll never forgive herself for staying silent as long as she did, but he says, at some point, you have to just forgive and move on. She says, a few weeks ago, she would have never imagined they’d all be here together. Is there still hope for them to become a real family? He says, there is.

Marshall tells Stella that Trina is going to want to know all about Irene. She just has to give Trina some time.  She says, he sounds so sure, and he says, because he is. She just has to stop pushing. It’s new, but once the newness wears off, Trina’s going to want to get to know this side of the family. She says she doesn’t know. That girl really loves Marcus Taggert. He says, they have to encourage all of that. He’s gotten to know Trina, and believes she wants to be a part of them. They’ll be able to tell her all about the family she didn’t get to be with; the family she has now. Stella prays he’s right, and says she’ll wait patiently for that day to come. He says, her? Patient? She says she’s been overrun with boys in this family, and now that they finally have a girl, she’s not going to push her away.

Trina comes back out, and says, sorry about that, but Curtis says, it’s all right. It’s all new for them too. So they’ll just take it one day at a time. How’s Taggert? Trina says she saw him last night; he’s doing well. Portia says, that’s really good to hear, and excuses herself to check on the cake for later. Trina picks up her gift, and asks Curtis if he could open it when it’s just them. He says, sure, and opens the gift. He smiles.

Taggert tells Jordan that Trina was just talking to him about her plans for summer like it was normal… and he started to notice her features that he always thought came from him… When she laughed, he thought of his sister Gia, and when she was serious, she seemed like his mom and dad. Then he realized none of it was from him, or his blood. Everything that he thought made up his daughter came from someone else.

Sasha asks Dr. Montague if it’s wrong to say she’s nervous. Of course (🍷) she wants to be independent again, and she thinks she’s ready, but actually being here is daunting. The doctor says, it’s his job is to relieve some of that pressure. He gives his opinion to the court, so they can decide if she’s really ready for this. He read her file. She experienced two traumatic losses, all while living in the pubic eye. It must have been incredibly difficult. She says, it was definitely a struggle, and he asks how she characterizes her relationship with her guardian. She says she’s grateful to Gladys. When her husband Brando died, she was shattered to lose him so soon after losing Liam. She couldn’t get out of bed. Gladys really stepped up for her. They’ve butted heads a few times but she always knows Gladys has her best interests at heart. He asks her to tell him more about them butting heads.

Drew tells Carly that he was confronting Tracy about telling Ned to go to the SEC in exchange for keeping her secret. That’s when Ned came charging into the pool area. He tripped and fell, and naturally Tracy tried to pin it on him, and say he pushed Ned, but the security cameras covered him. She says, thank God she insisted on putting those cameras around the pool. That’s what happens when she runs the place. Her phone rings, and she says, hey, Diane… Really? Drew is here with her now. She tells Drew that the US Attorney called Diane. They want to meet her and Diane in their office. Back on the phone, she says, okay, so this is where they make the offer for her to go against Sonny in exchange for them dropping the charges against her and Drew, right?… She tells Drew, probably. She wants Diane to tell them that she’s not going to turn against someone she cares about to get out of this. Make sure she tells them that… Thank you. Drew says, that was very brave, but he’s got to ask her, now what?

Sam comes back, and tells Dante, it was Scout; she’s fine. She asks if Olivia needs anything. Is she hungry? Olivia shakes her head, but says she appreciates it. TJ comes out, and, ever the optimist, Olivia says, he’s going to need surgery, isn’t he? but TJ says, no. He was going over Ned’s latest test results, and he turned a corner. He won’t need surgery. Olivia jumps on TJ, hugging him.

Sasha walks out with the doctor, and Gladys asks, how’d it go? Sasha says, it was a good start, and Dr. Montague says, he’ll see Sasha soon. Sasha leaves, and Gladys says, excuse me. Damon? He says he had no idea Sasha was her daughter-in-law. It’s surprising to run into her this way. She says, definitely unexpected. Will he need to recuse himself from Sasha’s case, since they know each other? He says, why invite questions? His private life has no bearing on his work. He hasn’t seen her at The Savoy for a while. Will she be rejoining Miss Wu’s game any time soon? She shakes her head, and says, Sasha isn’t the only one trying to turn over a new leaf.

Taggert cries as he talks, and tells Jordan that he’s made a lot of mistakes in his life. He’s jealous. He chose his job over his marriage. He compromised himself in the pursuit of justice. Through all of that, he told himself that he got one thing perfect… his daughter. None of that was true. She says, he’s wrong. He made Trina who she is. no one can ever take that away from him. He says, that’s just it. They already have.

Curtis takes a frame decorated with macaroni – the kind like you make in Girl Scouts – out of the box, and Trina says, he never got any of her homemade gifts as a kid. He says, it’s perfect, and thanks her. She says, maybe one day, he’ll be able to put a picture of them in it. He says he thinks they can do something about that now, and takes a selfie of them.

Jordan looks at her phone, and says, come on, Zeke. We’ve got to sort this out before you talk to your sister.

Jordan sees Zeke walking through the restaurant, and asks if he’s ready to join them at the party. What’s that look about? He says he thought he just saw Taggert. They didn’t talk, but he didn’t see Taggert for long. He was just glad someone was there to help him.

TJ says, now that the swelling has reduced, they’ll prepare to bring Ned out of the twilight state. First they’ll make sure his vitals are stable; then they’ll bring him out of the anesthesia. Olivia says, then he just wakes up and he’s okay? but TJ says, as with any head injury, there are a lot of unknowns. Once Ned wakes up, they’ll be able to better assess the extent of his injuries, but they’re cautiously optimistic. He leaves, and Dante says he told Olivia it was going to be okay. She says, thank God, blessing herself. It’s about time this family got some good news.

Carly tells Drew, either Ned recovers, and gets the SEC to drop the charges, or they fight like hell in court. He says, but they’d both be putting their freedom on the line. They don’t have to do that. They both don’t have to go down. Only one of them does.

Tomorrow, Curtis says, everything he’s wished for is coming true; Trina tells Spencer that she has a request; and Sonny asks if Nina has a question.

Vanderpump Rules – Season 10 – Secrets Revealed

I’m not sure how this is going to go, since it’s basically unseen footage. Lisa tells us the fallout wouldn’t fit into one episode. They had no alternative but to carry on with the story. I think it’s more like they scrambled through cut footage to get more mileage out of it. Once again, I’ll be using Raquel’s given name of Rachel. Because she thinks it’s disrespectful and I have zero respect for her.

A producer asks if Lisa ever expected something like this to happen, and Lisa says she never expected to still be sitting here eleven years ago. Soon it will be Vanderpump Drools.

Our first stop is Katie and Schwartz still living together post-divorce. And still calling each other Bub, which bothers me to no end. In Katie’s interview, she says, it’s not ideal, but they’re listing their house and it’s better than cold turkey. Schwartz says, Stassi told him, as divorcees they’re f***ing gold. He asks if she’s dated, and she says, yeah, then he’s sorry he asked. In his interview, he says he had to physically walk away when Katie said she wanted a divorce. They had their dream home and were talking about having kids. He doesn’t know how to handle it. In Katie’s interview, she says she couldn’t keep waiting for him to grow up. She’ll always love him, but she’s been defending the relationship for years.

Lisa says, this season was a lot of out with the old, and in with the new, including Sandoval’s apartment. If Sandoval’s old walls could talk, he probably wouldn’t get his deposit back. In Sandoval’s interview, he says Ariana’s brother has been living there. Now her brother is moving out, and he has to say goodbye to the place he’s lived the longest in. Schwartz comes by, and they reminisce about the days when Jax lived there. I congratulate Sandoval again on replacing Jax as Worst Human Being On Earth. Sandoval says, the times he went through in that apartment made him who he is today. We flash back over his and Ariana’s time there, and Sandoval says, it will always be a part of him. They find a beer bong from Hawaii, and Schwartz drinks some out of it.🤮He says, it’s the end of an era.

The producer asks about a funnier scene that didn’t make it, and Lisa says, when Rachel broke up with Peter, he was so drunk, he had to ask her to do it again. We see Peter at See You Next Tuesday, and James swears he didn’t run to Lisa about anything. We flash back to Lisa telling James that Rachel and Peter aren’t dating. James tells Peter that Rachel said she wasn’t him, but he has his own girlfriend and doesn’t care about Peter’s middle-aged sh*t. Peter asks Rachel to talk, and tells her that he doesn’t remember anything from their conversation. We flash back to her saying she sees no future between them. She literally has to repeat to Peter that she came to the conclusion they’re not going anywhere. Peter says, James told him that Rachel was never into him and was afraid breaking his heart. No offense, but that’s not going to happen. Rachel says she’s glad they’re on the same page. I can’t exactly read him, so I’m not sure about that.

Lisa thinks it’s a shame Scheana and Katie aren’t friends. Scheana instigated the Schwartz make out, but why is Rachel at the table when she offered to make out with Schwartz? It’s a girls night at SUR, and Katie’s not there yet. Scheana says she thinks she’s apologized enough, but Katie’s not changing her opinion. Katie’s telling Schwartz that he can’t make out with her. We see Scheana asking Schwartz about making out at Coachella on her podcast, and him saying he wasn’t even at Coachella. She asks if he’d like to make the rumor true. Rachel says she was prepared to be uninvited to Vegas, and Scheana says, they’ll have to reconfigurate [sic] the seating arrangement. They shuffle around before Katie arrives, and Charli sits with them. Katie invites Charli to come on the Vegas/Havasu trip, and Charli says, Havasu is white trash. Maybe. Didn’t former RHOC’s Vicki vacation there? In Scheana’s interview she says, it’s so rude for Katie to invite Charli in front of her, and she tells Katie that she wants to stay in a good place. Katie says, if she didn’t think that was possible, she wouldn’t be here, and in Katie’s interview, she says, if Scheana would own what she’s done and apologize, after dying of shock, she could move forward, but that’s not what’s happening.

Lisa says she never would have suspected Sandoval would cheat on Ariana with Rachel. Now they know why Sandoval stuck up for her so much; he was in more than her corner. Tom tells Ariana that he missed her, and plays it up that Rachel crashed guys night and it was a big drag. Rachel and Charli arrive, and we see a clip captioned, Saddle Ranch 10 hours earlier, with Sandoval and Rachel looking cozy. Charli says, they were sad Ariana had to leave the trip, and Rachel tells them about meeting Oliver. She told Lala that she thought he was cute too, and Lala said she was giving her the green light. The next thing she knew, she and Olivier were making out on the dance floor. We see Tom’s face, and he looks stoic, but you know he must be boiling under the surface; his eyes are daggers. Rachel tells them, afterward Lala said she wouldn’t feel comfortable with Rachel around her man, so she said, good thing Lala doesn’t have one. Charli says she thinks Lala was embarrassed. She f***ed the wrong guy for money. Methinks Charli better duck and run the next time she sees Lala.

A producer asks how pissed Lisa would be if she were in Ariana’s position, being taken out on a date when Sandoval was stepping out on her with one of her friends. She says she’d have Sandoval’s balls crystalized and wear them for earrings. Alrighty then. Sandoval and Ariana go roller skating, and in her interview, she says, she and Sandoval started as friends, so it allows them to rebuild the fun, romantic times. She wants him to succeed, but misses them being together. He falls. I laugh. He tells her that she does a lovely dance of hot and cute, and she says she told the girls that she invited everyone to the pool party. Katie and Rachel aren’t in a great spot, and Katie and Lala are in lockstep on it. She told Katie that she’d have to work hard for her not to love Rachel. They have this beautiful friendship family. Sandoval says, they have this transparent love, and Ariana says she hopes she never hears about it again after the pool party.🤮

Schwartz waits for a date, and in his interview, he says, it’s been 12 years since he’s been on a date someone other than Katie. He met Kendall on Hinge. They matched and decided to take it to the next level. He tells her that he’s never met someone online, and she says, it’s weird. In his interview, Schwartz says, his neurosis dissipated when she walked in. Kendall says she lives in Brentwood, and he says, she might as well live in Minnesota. Oh, I see. It’s like telling a dude living in Manhattan that you live in Queens. Schwartz says he’s slowly getting his life back together, and asks Kendall’s take on a hypothetical situation. John goes to a dear friend’s wedding in Mexico. He’s been divorced seven months, and makes out with this girl, and his ex-wife defriends him. He didn’t do it with spite. Yeah, he left out the part where she was in John and the ex-wife’s friend group. Kendall thinks John’s human, and they agree they’re having fun. In Schwartz’s interview, he says he thinks the date was a success. Kendall was super charming, and they had a connection. She’ll always be his first date after the divorce. She suggests they go for a stroll.

In Lisa’s interview, she says she wasn’t suspicious. She’d put it to bed, but others in the group were suspicious. Kristina, Katie, and Lala go to dinner at SUR. They order appetizers, and I wonder, what the hell is street corn? Lisa joins them, and the server brings her some fries to try. She says she can’t try the whole menu. It could take weeks, or years in some people’s case. We see a clip of the Schwartz & Sandy’s debacle. She says, they can talk smack indulge in this kind of conversation because none of them work for her, and Kristina says, they’re just girls having dinner. Katie recalls Ken spilling the tea about Sandoval and Rachel in the kitchen, and we flash back to that. Katie says she asked Ariana about it, and Ariana said, Rachel was friends with both of them. Lala says, the day Ariana’s grandmother died, Sandoval was with Rachel. Ariana was calling him, and she was furious. He said he was on his way, but he didn’t leave for two hours. In Lala’s interview, she says, something is going on with Sandoval and Rachel, and she tells the girls, when you get that close with someone, and you’re drinking, sometimes things happen.

Scheana and Rachel go to a resin jewelry workshop to make a necklace and earrings. Scheana asks why Rachel was late to work, and Rachel says she and the Toms carpooled. When they got back, they went in the jacuzzi – she had her bathing suit with her. They drank a little bit, and she went to the social media room and passed out. Sandoval told her to crash in the guest room. In Rachel’s interview, she says she didn’t make a move on Schwartz, and nothing happened with her and Sandoval either. It was just a fun night as friends, and she overslept. Scheana says, both Toms said she didn’t stay over, and we flash back to Brock asking, and Sandoval saying no. Scheana says, if they lie, it looks like something is going on, but Rachel says, what’s weird is everyone making it weird. Scheana says, like Rachel would act like a friend, and secretly do something with one of their guys when they’re not there.😐Rachel says, they want to paint the picture that she’s a homewrecking whore; it’s so farfetched. We go back to the final interview where Rachel is bawling her eyes out, and saying, Tom wanted to lie about it because it’s a really bad look to hook up with someone’s boyfriend in their own house when they’ve gone out of town, especially to a funeral of all things. Scheana tells Rachel that she was the OG homewrecker, then came Lala, now here Rachel is, and they laugh.

In her interview, Lisa says, she and Ariana connected over their love of horseback riding. Then Lisa sustained an injury so devastating, she didn’t think she could ride again, but Ariana encouraged her to get back in saddle. Lisa meets Ariana at the stables, and digs in her bag for loose carrots (as we all do) to feed Prince Tardon. They sit, and Lisa says she came to ride, and when she got on, Tardon was frisky. He settled down, but he tripped. She flew over him, then he jumped over her. In her interview, she says she knew her leg was broken, but it turned out to be broken in four places and shattered. She tells Ariana that she doesn’t know what to do. She feels like such a failure. She’s always been that person to say get back on the horse, now here she is. She’s strong when comes to life, but wonders, can she risk it? In Lisa’s interview, she says she hasn’t been riding, and feels like a coward. She shows Ariana where she was when it happened, and Ariana offers to do something stupid to make a different memory. She does a cartwheel, twerks, and flips the spot off. She tells Lisa, now when she thinks of the spot, Lisa will think of her. In her interview, Lisa says, when they captured the huge fallout that happened because of the affair, there was so much going on. A lot of people would let it die, but it’s their responsibility to tell the true story.

March 9th 2023. James tells Ally that Sandoval apologized a bunch of times, but didn’t really apologize to Ariana. And 1000%, Rachel didn’t write her apology herself. Not that she has the brain capacity, but she doesn’t talk like that. They can have each other; they deserve each other. They get a drink, and James says, f*** Rachel. The most traumatic thing is Graham’s life. He guesses Sandoval is his daddy now. Ally says, he’s been a fake friend, and, mixing his metaphors a little, James says, it’s like Judas stabbed him in the back. It’s betrayal. In James’s interview, he says, Sandoval is 42 and washed up. He threw away his amazing girlfriend for an airhead bimbo, who’s using Sandoval like she used him. He tells Ally that Schwartz plays dumb, but Graham knows more tricks than Schwartz.

Ally meets Lala and Katie, who’s hung over from a girls night the night before. Lala says she’d hoped the shots would bond Katie and Scheana, and Katie says she doesn’t want to kill Scheana now. So much has happened; Rachel with the restraining orders and posting pictures of her scrape. She asks what James said, and Ally tells her that he’s hurt. He said Sandoval’s not a friend; never was and never will be. Lala can’t believe someone could look you in the eye and know they’re sleeping with your ex-fiancé. Ally says, Sandoval was texting James after Ariana found out, and James had no idea. Katie says, Ariana is pretending to be cool. The most diabolical thing is them covering it up and being deceptive for so long. In Ally’s interview, she says she’s surprised they kept it a secret for so long. She doesn’t trust anyone. Lala tells Ally that she’d wanted to make sure James had gotten over Rachel.  They’d been planning a life together. They were going to get married and have babies. The whole thing happened very quickly when Ally came into the picture. She shouldn’t have to deal with things that happened with James before she was in the picture. Ally says, James felt everyone sided with Rachel, and he had no friends. He felt a deeply about his relationships, and he’d been friends with Sandoval for so long. He hasn’t talked to Sandoval yet, but he feels he was disposable. Lala says, it’s heartbreaking that Scheana and Ariana were riding hard for Rachel. You expect betrayal from a dude, but you expect to lean on your girlfriends. Ally says, it’s a bigger betrayal. That’s some deep sh*t.

The End?

🍊 Same Old Orange…

While I’m sort of watching Real Housewives of Orange County, it just looks like more of the same. I’d actually started liking it better after Tamra left, now it’s, same sh*t, different season. Tonight, they went out on a lovely day cruise, and Tamra proceeded to get drunk and screech, you’re a liar at Shannon over and over, and call her an alcoholic. 😐 And this was after they’d met for lunch and agreed to be copacetic and move forward. Tamra is such an asshat. I can’t help but think of the very first season, when I said, this is the future of TV. Seriously, I said those words, and I was right, but it’s time to retire these Wives. The only one of the franchise I still liked was RHONY, and those are the only ones Bravo replaced, despite their lame attempt at correcting that mistake with spin-offs. From what I’ve seen of the previews, the new cast looks like a potential clone of the rest of these sociopathic screamers.

https://pagesix.com/2023/06/14/rhoc-recap-tamra-judge-slams-alcoholic-shannon-beador-during-explosive-fight/

👗 On the Catwalk…

The new season of Project Runway has commenced.

‘Project Runway’ season 20 cast: Meet the 14 All-Stars competing on Bravo

🧹 Dusting Myself Off…

Join me tomorrow for soap and whatever I can pull out of the teapot. Until then, stay safe, stay being kind to those in the service industry, and stay knowing it’s never too late to make a macaroni frame for a loved one.

Jun9

June 8, 2023 – A Slip and Fall At the Pool, Incoming, His First, Remembrance, Striking, In Jersey, Reunited, No Return, All Star Chef, My VanderTake, Rocky & Walk

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Walk I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Anna arrives home to find Sonny at her door. He says he was going to give it another ten minutes, then leave a note. She asks why he didn’t text her, and he tells her, some things are better said face to face.

Dante lets Valentin into the interrogation room through the side door, and he asks why Dante wanted to see him. Dante says he needs Valentin’s help with Anna.

Michael brings Carly to the stairwell, and says, they can talk more privately here. She asks if this is where he brought Dex when he asked Dex to spy on Sonny, and he says, sometimes. Why? She says, because she wants his opinion on Dex. Is he trustworthy? Would Michael put the life of someone he loves in Dex’s hands?

Josslyn puts the pieces of the flashdrive in Dex’s palm, and says, there goes their ticket out. Pretty useless now. He asks if it’s the footage of Sonny doing the Pikeman deal, and she says, mm-hm. Michael gave it to her mom. She could have traded this footage to the Feds in exchange for them dropping the charges against her and Drew. Dex risked his life to get that footage, and Carly destroyed it, because protecting Sonny is more important to her.

As they sit down at the MetroCourt restaurant, Chase tells Brook, just say it. She hates it, doesn’t she? She says, what’s to hate? He wanted the new car; he got the one he wanted. How could she possibly hate that? He says, it’s not a car; it’s a truck. It’s got 4-wheel drive, off roading capabilities, advanced driver assistance, and you can operate the off roading capabilities in operating mode or manual. It will be perfect for them to go camping. She says, he wants them to go camping?

Tracy meets Drew at the pool, and she asks why he wanted to meet away from the house. He says, blackmail works so much better when there’s no one to overhear.

Ned comes out on the terrace, and tells Nina, poor Drew. Wrong place, wrong time, wrong girlfriend. She wasn’t after Aurora’s CEO; she wanted to take down Carly. She says she doesn’t know where he came up with this, but he couldn’t be more wrong, and he says he just overheard her conversation with her lawyer. Everyone believes he was the one who handed Carly and Drew over to the SEC, but it was her all along.

Michael asks where Carly is going with this. Has she changed her mind and decided to give the flashdrive to the FBI so she and Drew stay out of prison? Does she think Dex may have to testify because he’s on the footage? She says, the footage no longer exists; she smashed the flashdrive. He asks why she did that. She should have held onto it in case she still wanted a way out for her and Drew. She says, the footage was dangerous. It could have gotten Sonny and Dex killed. Besides, she has a much better use for Dex.

Dex puts the flashdrive pieces in his pocket, and Josslyn asks if he’s sure he wants to hold on to that. There’s no way to retrieve the footage. He says he doesn’t want to retrieve the footage; he wants to physically destroy the flashdrive. He doesn’t want anything left to imply he was ever collecting evidence against Sonny. From here on in, he has to be the most loyal, discreet, trustworthy employee Sonny has. She says, take his orders, risk his life so Sonny can get richer… and he’s okay with that? He says, it’s not about being okay; it’s about survival.

Chase says, Brook doesn’t enjoy camping? Sleeping close to nature and catching a fish in the stream, then cooking it over an open fire? She says, no. She likes sleeping in a bed, and she likes her fish to be caught and prepared by someone else, preferably a five-star chef. He says, what about fresh air, hiking, everything you need in a backpack? and she says, are they hiking, or running from the bear who’s trying to eat them?  He says, what about cuddling up next to each other in front of a roaring campfire? and she says, what about cuddling up next to each other in front of a firepit in the Q boathouse? He says he could totally see that. Her, him, a fire, Olivia bringing them lasagna, Ned going on about his beloved ELQ, and Tracy lecturing him yet again about how he’s not good enough for her. She says, the Q’s date might not be the most romantic, but there are alternatives, and he says, such as? She says, nightclubs, live music. He might even be tempted to get back in the game. He says his heart is very much out of the music biz, but it seems like hers is still in it. Tell him again why she went back to work at Deception.

Tracy says, so much for Drew’s upright and honorable routine, and he says he really didn’t want it to come to this, but a guy’s gotta do what a guy’s gotta do. Tracy understands the language of blackmail. She says she understands more about the process than he does apparently. Blackmail requires leverage, and he has none to use against her. He says, let’s start with Deception, shall we? She coerced Brook into going back to work there. She says, where Brook chooses to work is her business, and he says, his point exactly. If it were up to Brook, she’d be working in music. She’s working at Deception under Tracy’s orders, and he kind of feels Lucy Coe would like to hear that. She says, fine. Get Lucy Coe down here; tell her everything. A waiter asks if they’re looking for Lucy Coe.

Dante asks if Valentin thought he was getting arrested, and Valentin says, given their history, he couldn’t be sure. Falsifying his death… Dante says he’s sure Valentin had reasons for doing that, and Valentin says, so did Anna. He asks if this is an official inquiry, but Dante says, it’s off the record, and personal. That article in The Sun that was about Anna’s WSB file was pretty brutal. Valentin asks how Dante is hoping he can help, and Dante says, Valentin is Victor’s son, and Victor was head of the WSB for many years. He had a lot of opportunity to plant a lie in Anna’s file that could be used as a time bomb he could set off whenever he wanted to. Valentin says, his father was a mean and spiteful man. He had full faith in his plan, but he was prepared to exact revenge in case of his failure, in which he thought Anna Devane could always play a part. He was right, and now he’s making her pay for it. Dante says he wants to clear Anna’s name. So how do they prove her file was doctored?

Nina says she was curious about Carly and Drew’s legal situation, so she asked her lawyer about it. Ned must have misinterpreted. Ned says, it’s too late to save this. As soon as you eliminate him, she becomes the obvious suspect; the one that has the most to gain by sending Carly off to prison. Although she took a big risk, and maybe she’s realized that by now, and that’s the reason she called a meeting with her lawyer. She must have realized that, even though Sonny and Carly are divorced, Sonny would do anything to protect her. When he finds out Nina was the one who pointed the SEC at Carly, she and Sonny are done.

Anna asks if Sonny wants to come inside, but he says, it’s up to her. He doesn’t want to intrude. She tells him, she has the feeling that whatever he was about to say, she doesn’t want to hear it on the doorstep. They go inside, and she asks if he’d like some water, but he says, no thanks. She says she’s going to have a drink, and he says, go ahead. She pours herself something, and takes a sip. She says, go ahead, call her a hypocrite, and he asks if that’s why she thinks he came here. She says, obviously. After all the years she spent upholding the law as a special agent and Police Commissioner, investigating him for various crimes, questioning him about how he could possibly reconcile breaking the law with being a loving parent, and now he gets to find out that she was a criminal herself? Actually, worse than that. A double agent, which is to say, a traitor. He asks if she’s finished, because he wasn’t going to say any of that, and she asks what he was going to say. He says, she’s upset. He’ll come back some other time. She says, please wait. She’s sorry. Not at her best. Please stay.

Michael asks what better use Carly has for Dex, and she says, before she tells him, what’s his assessment of Dex? He says he guesses he likes Dex. He took on an impossible job and did it really well. He’s had relentless pressure for months and didn’t crack. He wormed his way into Sonny’s confidence, despite being with Josslyn, which Sonny didn’t like. She asks what he knows about Dex’s time in the military, and he says he knows Dex was discharged because of some personal issue, but his combat experience is excellent; highest rating. He had the reputation of keeping a cool head under fire, which is one of the reasons Michael hired him. Why is she interested? She says, because she wants him to hire Dex to do another job.

Josslyn asks why Dex isn’t angrier. Why isn’t he angry period? Both her mother and brother have the chance to set him free, yet they’re leaving him trapped. He says, Michael gave him a job; the job changed. It happens. She says, so he’s totally fine working for Sonny, but he says, it’s not about what’s fine. It’s the situation he’s in. He spent months earning Sonny’s trust, convincing Sonny to let him in. Just tonight, Sonny gave him a lecture on how he’s in this now; how he has to commit. He doesn’t have the option to leave. She says, actually, he might. He can just ask Sonny to let him go.

Tracy asks if the waiter always eavesdrops on private conversations, but he says he wasn’t eavesdropping. He was just doing his job. They’re about to resume poolside cocktail service. Tracy says, well don’t. She wants privacy. That means, no bartender, no guests, no staff, including himself; just her and Mr. Cain. And if anyone has any questions about that, they can contact Olivia Quartermaine, her daughter-in-law, the co-owner of this place. The waiter leaves, and Drew says, that was rude. And pointless. Chewing out a hotel employee just to make herself feel better. It’s not going to keep Brook in place at Deception. She suggests he focus on his own problems. He seems to have enough of them. He says, as it happens, she’s the answer to his problems.

Brook tells Chase, they’ve been over this. She went back to Deception because she really loves those ladies, and they really need her. He says, really? They seem like pretty savvy businesswomen. She says, they are, but they don’t really understand the nuances of social media presence, and he says, and the music? She says she’ll still be doing music on a part-time basis, and he says, music is her passion. It’s one of the first things he learned about her. What happened to change that? She says she found a new passion, and he says, Deception? She says, him, when Olivia stops by. Brook asks her to join them, but she says she thinks Ned is waiting for her on the terrace. Brook says her dad is probably on some phone calls. Please sit down. Chase can tell her about his new truck. Oliva says, a new truck? and sits down. Tell her all about it.

Ned says, in the long run, Nina’s done herself a favor. She’s much better off without Sonny Corinthos. Nina says she and Sonny are engaged, but he says, not for long. She says, gee, most people say congratulations, and he tells her, just accept the fact that she and Sonny won’t be living happily ever after. She says, that tip was anonymous. There’s no way anyone will be able to prove he did it. He says he didn’t; she did. She says, no one’s going to have to know who’s responsible for this. Just keep doing what he’s doing, insisting he didn’t do anything. The people who know him, the people who really matter will believe him… eventually. He says he has no intention of taking the fall for her. She did this, and she’d better find a way to clean it up. Nina sees Trish and shushes him. Trish tells Nina, the pool man just told her that Tracy Quartermaine shut down the entire pool area because she wanted privacy, and Nina says, for what? Trish says she doesn’t know, but apparently Drew Cain is there. Trish leaves, and Ned says, Drew’s here. He needs to talk to him. Ned dashes off, and Nina runs after him.

Dante is looking at the article about Anna, when there’s a knock at the door. He says, come in, and Sam walks in. He asks how she got in here, and she says, her boyfriend’s a cop and the desk sergeant breaks the rules for her occasionally. They kiss, and Dante says, he doesn’t blame him. He would’ve done the same thing. She says, lucky her, and he asks why she is here. Was he supposed to do something or be somewhere? She says, he was supposed to be home two hours ago, and he says he’s sorry. She says she figured he was working on a case, but he’s just sitting here and she got no text or call. She wants to know what’s going on. He says he’s just worried about a friend.

Sonny says, when the news story broke about Anna, he started thinking about all the headlines he’s been through over the years. She says, they don’t seem like headlines now; they seem like take downs. He says, two were seared in his memory. Wife of Crime Lord Dies in a Car Bomb. He saw the headline the next morning, after his wife died. And the other one was, Corinthos Son Killed in a Suspected Mob Hit. That was Morgan. He was already in hell from all the pain and grief. It was a lot to take. His private life all over the world for everybody to see, for everybody to read, for everybody to judge. (Yet no one knew who he was in Nixon Falls. Go figure.) They don’t know what happened to him. They don’t know how he suffered. Just like he doesn’t know why she did what she did. That’s why he’s here to tell her that he’s sorry for how she fell. He’s sorry for what happened to her. She thanks him for sharing that, and says she feels like sometimes she gets in her own way. He says, that headline was just a take down. She knows that, right? She says, the most difficult part of this is, the news story is true. It’s factually accurate; she did those things. There were reasons. There were justifications, excuses. There was a context then that the media has chosen to leave out, but she can’t deny it happened. She tears up, and says she made a lot of mistakes at the beginning of her career, and thinks she’s spent most of her life trying to make up for them. Now it’s come and bit her in the most public way. He says he’s done things allegedly – they both laugh – but he’s done them. Some, he felt there was a reason to do them, and others he regrets. But he always tells himself, his life, who he is now, should not be limited to the worst things he’s done in his life. Just like her. She’s a great mother, a great grandma. She’s courageous and brilliant, and no matter what, he’ll always consider her his friend… whatever that’s worth. She says, it’s worth a lot.

Michael tells Carly, the peace between him and Sonny right now is pretty fragile. He’s going to be suspicious if Michael hires Dex out from under him. She says she wants him to pay Dex to keep working for Sonny. Since Jason died, Sonny doesn’t have someone to be his right hand. Michael says, what about Brick? and she says, Brick’s great, but he’s based on the west coast. He can’t be by Sonny’s side day in and day out, but Dex can, and given Michael’s description, he’s obviously qualified. Michael says, in what way specifically? and she says she wants Dex to use all of his skills to protect Sonny; to follow orders. And if he sees trouble coming, he needs to tell Michael, and Michael needs to tell him how to advise Sonny.

Josslyn says, when she met with Sonny in his office that day and asked him to fire Dex, he told her that Dex would have to go in himself and ask him. But he never said anything about refusing to let Dex quit. Everybody knows they’re together now. Everybody’s seen them. Sonny can’t just disappear him and nobody will ask questions. Sonny already knows she doesn’t want Dex working for him. It makes perfect sense for him to quit. She’s not saying it will be easy, but it can be done. Dex just has to meet with Sonny, and tell him respectfully that he wants out. Dex says he doesn’t want out.

Drew tells Tracy, Ned’s got connections at the SEC. He can make this investigation into him and Carly go away. She says, and he thinks he can force Ned into getting the SEC to back off, and he says, no, but he thinks she can. She laughs and says, she loves his sense of humor, and his imaginative fantasy world, but he says, no fantasy here. She either persuades Ned, or he tells Ned the truth that she dragged Brook into potential intellectual property theft, malfeasance, and corporate espionage. These are activities that carry the potential for criminal penalties. So how is her son going to react when he finds out she put her granddaughter at risk? Ned comes running in, and says, there’s something he has to tell Drew… He trips on a pile of towels, and falls into the pool, hitting his head on the side. He floats face down, and Nina stops short in the hallway, where she can see, but not be seen.

Anna sits on the steps going upstairs, when Valentin walks in. She says, he needs to not do that, and he asks why she’s not taking his calls. She says she doesn’t want to. She’d like to smash her phone actually. She’d like to put the SIM card down the waste disposal. He asks if he can join her, and sits next to her. He says he’s sorry. He’s sorry his father has done this to her. She says she hates Victor. She hated him when he was alive, and loathes him now that he’s dead. If there’s a hell, she hopes he burns there for all eternity. Valentin says, him too, and Anna says, Victor didn’t do this to her. She did it to herself.

Sam asks who Dante’s friend is, and what made them keep Dante here. He asks if she knows that hit piece about Anna in The Sun, about her being a double agent, and she says, yeah. He says, it’s true, and Sam says she just assumed it was a lie. He says, so did he, so he called Valentin over here to help him exonerate her. She says, Valentin loves Anna. Of course (🍷) he’d want to help her. Dante tells her, there were some things Valentin said about the classified information, and about how ugly it is when it sees the light of day, which is why it’s classified. Valentin said he should know, because after some of the things Dante did for the WSB, the last thing he would want is for it to be plastered on the front page of anything. He just feels bad for Anna. He doesn’t know how she’s going to build back her life again. Sam says, it’s possible. After all, he did.   

Josslyn says, Dex wants to work for Sonny? and he says he wants to work in Port Charles. Mostly for her, but he likes it here. He gravitates to the moss bowl🎍, because he likes that too, and he says he likes a lot of the people he’s met here. It’s starting to feel like home. He hasn’t had one of those since he was a kid. She says, sometimes she forgets how different their lives have been. There are so many things she takes for granted; some things Dex never had. He says, one of the advantages of not having things is that when you get them, you value them and don’t want to let them go. He likes what he has here. He wants to stay. She says, he doesn’t have to work for Sonny to stay, but he says he can’t think of anything he’d rather do.

Michael says, let him get this straight. Carly wants him to be Sonny’s guardian angel while Dex does all the legwork. She says, yes, and he says, so instead of sending Sonny to prison, she wants him and Dex to work together to keep him out of Pentenville. Keep him safe, monitor his business ventures, keep a level head, and counsel. She nods, and he says, so everything Jason used to do, he and Dex will be doing together. She says, yes, except there’s one obvious catch. Sonny can never know.

Drew turns Ned over, and Tracy asks if he’s breathing. Nina scrambles for her phone to film it for social media, and Tracy runs for her bag. Drew tells Ned, they’ve got this, and gets Ned out of the pool and onto the floor. Nina pockets her phone, as Tracy says, her adult son just fell into the MetroCourt pool and he hit his head and he’s not breathing. On opposite sides of the room, Tracy and Nina both look distraught, and Drew begins chest compression.

Anna says, Valentin knew she was a double agent, right? and he says, and she knows espionage is a shadowy thing. It’s all compromise, neither good nor bad; just varying shades of grey. And no one can claim being entirely pure of intentions, certainly not him. Not even Robert Scorpio. She says she’s not afraid to face Robert. He knew everything; found out years ago. And Robin was aware. Maybe not all the gory details, but she knew enough. He says, so who is it she’s worried about? and she says she thinks the people it’s going to affect the most, the people who are going to look at her differently, are Emma and Noah.

Michael says, what he doesn’t get is that Carly, Drew, or both could be sent to federal prison, yet her priority is to protect Sonny? Apparently, he wasn’t listening to the last speech she gave him on why Sonny can’t go to prison. She says, her problems with the SEC are for her and Drew to figure out. When she showed him that flashdrive, it proved how vulnerable his father is. Pikeman is a defense contractor, right? He says, enemies against the government, and potential enemies in the government (or something to that effect), and she says, a challenge his father has never dealt with before. When he showed her that footage of Sonny taking that delivery, it was evidence he violated national security. If Michael hadn’t changed his mind, his father would be in prison right now. Donna and Avery’s lives would be destroyed, and their lives would be in danger. She needs him to step up and protect his father. He says, what if he’s willing, but Dex isn’t?

Dex tells Josslyn, he has a high school diploma, no college courses, no interest in taking any. What kind of job can he get? Security? Doorman at the MetroCourt? She says, he was in security before, and there’s noting wrong with making a good, honest living, but he says he’s not as noble as she thinks he is. Sonny pays a helluva lot more than her honest living, and he’s good at it. Sonny is paying him to do things he already knows how to do, and he’s willing to accept a certain amount of risk. She says, and he’s willing to break the law, and he says, the worst thing he’s seen Sonny do is hang him from a meat hook. I laugh, because it’s true. Sonny is the most innocuous mobster in the world. She says, that could have been a lot worse, but he says he survived, thanks to her. Ever since he saved Sonny’s life at the warehouse, Sonny’s attitude toward him has changed. Sonny’s giving him more opportunities and trusting him more. This is his best option, and he’s going to take it. Unless it’s going to cost him her.

Brook says, Chase did all the research, and can tell Olivia all the specs. Olivia is all excited, and asks if it has 4-wheel drive, advanced driver assist, hands-free technology. Brook says, Olivia’s family used to own a garage in Brooklyn, and Chase says, nice. To answer her question, yes, yes, and yes. She says, then don’t think, do. Can she ask what’s the special reason he decided to buy this fancy new truck? He says he came into some money doing this whole singing thing – Brook says, like she promised – and now that he’s back to being a cop, he thought he’d treat himself to the truck of his dreams. Olivia says, congratulations, when Trish runs over, and tells Olivia that the paramedics are coming up. There’s been a slip and fall at the pool.

Drew continues to work on Ned, when the paramedics come in and take over. Drew says, he’s been unconscious for a couple of minutes. He’s been doing CPR. He got no sign of any pulse at all. Please… Olivia comes in, followed by Brook and Chase. She starts to run to Ned, but Drew holds her back, saying, let them do their work. The hallway is empty.

Nina pours a drink in Sonny’s office, and looks at her engagement ring. She flashes back to Sonny proposing. Then she remembers Ned saying, when Sonny finds out she was the one who pointed the SEC at Carly, she and Sonny are done. Sonny comes in, and says, Frank told him that she was waiting. What brings her by?

Anna tells Valentin that she switched her phone off because she’s a coward. Of all the people that could reach out to her, the one person she dreads is Emma. Emma is going to beg her to say it’s not true, that she wasn’t a traitor. She’s going to have to tell Emma… She starts to cry, and he puts his hand on her knee. She says, that she was, and Valentin says he thinks Anna shouldn’t underestimate her. She’s going to be hurt, she’s going to want an explanation, but Anna can give it to her. Anna can tell her that she was pulled in over her head; that she was manipulated by Cesar Faison. Anna says, she knows. She was, but how do you explain that? Maybe one day she’ll want to listen. Emma might even forgive her. But the way Emma used to look at her, with such pride, like she was the thing Emma aspired to be, that’s gone forever. He holds her as she cries. I wish my grandma had been Anna. She used to try and get us to take hard boiled eggs in a paper bag for the plane ride home. 😖

Sam says, Dante was pretty wrecked when he came back from the WSB, and he says, that’s one way to put it. She says, he managed to rebuild his life, and he says he had a lot of help; from Anna, from his family, and mostly from her. He wouldn’t have chosen any of that, but he survived. And waiting for him on the other side was Sam, someone he never expected. Now he never wants any other life, and it’s all her fault. He says he loves her, and they kiss.

Michael tells Carly, yes, Dex is qualified to protect Sonny, but who says he wants to, or that he’ll agree to take the risk of reporting back to him what Sonny does. Sure, it’s in Sonny’s best interest, but Sonny won’t see it that way. That means Dex would be a spy, and it could get him killed. Why should he take that risk when he can just take the money he’s earned and disappear? She says, he knows Dex. Would he do that? Michael says, he wouldn’t blame him if he did. He knows it would break Josslyn’s heart; she cares about him. Carly says, she truly cares about him. That’s one of the reasons she came up with this plan. Josslyn’s feelings are getting deeper and deeper all the time. The longer Dex stays in Port Charles, the more devastated she’ll be if he decides to leaved. If he decides to disappear, better it happens now. He asks if she’s sure about this, and she says, no. She’s not sure about any of this, but she does know she wants Michael to give Dex a choice, and let’s see what he decides.

Josslyn says, Dex just made this big case about why he wants to work for Sonny, but he’ll quit if she wants him to? He says he’s very clear she wants him to, but he’ll quit if it’s the only way they can stay together. She takes his hand and says, no. She’s not going to put conditions on their relationship. She’s not going to tell him what he can and can’t do. He’d only start resenting her. So she’d rather take her chances, and watch him take his with Sonny. Dex can go be his best lieutenant, risk his life, and break the law. Just remember, his life is kind of important to her. He says he’ll remember, and kisses her.

Sonny asks, what’s wrong? and Nina says, it’s all his fault. If he hadn’t given her such a spectacular ring, she wouldn’t be thinking about him all the time. So it leads her to want to see him, which led her to come here. He says, she’s always welcome, and she says, remember when they came back from Nixon Falls, and she was convinced she’d lost him forever? He hated her for withholding the truth about who he was. She thought he’d never forgive her, but what made it even worse was the memory of how happy she’d been with him. He says, they’ve all done things they regret and can’t forget the past, but what they can do is not live there. They can also think about the future they’re going to have – together. She says she wants that more than anything, but tonight, she just wants him, and they hug.

The paramedics get Ned situated on the gurney, and Olivia says she’s his wife. She needs to be riding in the ambulance with him. She tells Ned she’s here, and asks if he can hear her. She’s not leaving him, even for a second. Brook asks, what happened? and Tracy says, Drew attacked Ned and almost killed him. She tells Chase to put his badge to use; arrest him for assault.

Tomorrow, Austin tells Ava, if she doesn’t do what Mason wants, it could get them both killed; Elizabeth says, Finn’s secret is safe with her; and Drew asks if Chase is seriously going to arrest him.

🏥 Checking In…

I always liked him on AMC, but I’m hoping he’s not going to play a nice guy. We already have enough of those on the show right now.

Walt Willey Cast on GENERAL HOSPITAL!

💃🏽 Welcome To the Nurses Ball…

It must have been a blast.

Nicholas Chavez Opens up About His Very First GH Nurses Ball

📹 Sweet Share…

Such a shame. I can’t even fathom how she must feel.

Kristina Wagner Shares a Beautiful Video of Son Harrison on the Anniversary of His Death

🪧 Soap Solidarity…

Six degrees of GH. Fran Drescher is the SAG-AFTRA president, and Charles Shaughnessy (Victor) starred with her on The Nanny.

Will Soap Opera Actors Strike Next?

☯️ Yin and Yang…

Jersey Girl.

https://okmagazine.com/p/melissa-gorga-fan-post-star-rhonj-amid-nasty-feud-teresa-giudice/

Bitch Boy.

https://screenrant.com/real-housewives-of-new-jersey-luis-ruelas-lawsuit/

🍊 Angry Woman No More…

This is good… I guess.

https://pagesix.com/2023/06/03/shannon-beador-reunites-with-ex-david-years-after-divorce/

💎 Exit Stage Hilton…

Did anyone really think she was coming back after last season?

https://people.com/kathy-hilton-exits-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-not-filming-season-13-7502450

👨🏽‍🍳 Winner, Winner, Deconstructed Chicken Dinner…

This was an excellent season, and I called it. I couldn’t help thinking of what I’d do during the different challenges. Like when the chefs did elevated picnics. I would have handed the judges a to-go bag from Balducci’s.

https://people.com/top-chef-crowns-winner-in-first-world-all-stars-finale-7510110

🍸 Not Today Satan…

We all need a break from the Vanderpump Rules Reunion blues – I know it bummed me out – so I’ll just say this about that. While I blame them both, Sandoval is the worse of the two. He’s truly a sociopath with delusions of grandeur, and I don’t care how much he wails that he’s human. That wasn’t an, oops, we were really drunk, or even, I fell in love with someone else. Not that those would be an excuse to cheat. You should always close the door on one relationship before opening it to another. The thing that made it so awful was that it went on for so long. Sandoval is also nearly 40, and obviously the less sheltered of the two, and no doubt manipulating the situation.

Which brings me to the awful vapidness of the ex-beauty queen runner-up. The fact that she could pretend to be such a good friend to Ariana is extremely disturbing. I don’t know if Rachel is a sociopath, but there’s definitely something going on there in that there seems to be nothing going on there. Lisa had it correct that she seemed to be playing a role, like it was a competition. It’s what she knows, but it’s not as human as she claims. Normally, those who grow up in that life either leave it behind eventually, live off their endorsements, or when they can no longer do, they teach the next generation of contestants. Rachel is stuck in some weird groove in the movie in her head, and Ariana also had it right in that she finds her identity in men, and has no original thoughts. Why? Who knows? Hopefully, she’ll find these things out in therapy, but she’s done for on reality TV. And if she’s offered one of those villain roles in some all-stars challenge show, it would be in her best interest to steer clear. I have no clue what her parents are really like, since James’s narrative is questionable to be sure; that they started it. It would behoove them to take charge, and get her as far away from LA as possible.

As for Lisa, she who can do no wrong, I have never seen her look sadder. At least not in public. I have no clue what happens behind closed doors, nor should I, but I have never seen her look like that. Not when her mother died, not when her brother died of an overdose, not when Giggy, or any of the other dogs, or the pony died. It was the sadness of a mother whose children have seriously f***ed up. And she does look at them as her children, so I hope Ariana and Lala eventually give her a pass.

Ariana is already doing okay. Her heart’s still broken, but better now than after they got married and/or had children. I’m with her on thank God her eggs weren’t fertilized. He would have probably challenged her for them on top of it. Lala was spot on once again when she said Ariana would look back and see this as a favor.

The whole thing was just sad.

🦫 So I Leave You With This…

Because we all need a laugh, and animals are the best.

https://www.upworthy.com/flying-squirrel-faking-its-own-death

🎨 Being My Own Muse…

Stop on in tomorrow for soap, the tea du jour, quotes, and a song. Until then, stay safe, stay filling the paper tray if you’ve used the last piece, and stay not living in the past.

Jun3

June 2, 2023 – Mason Comes Calling, The Bureau, Hot Doc, Her Reality, Seeking Peace, VanderCompost, Chef Farewell, Dead Spin, Model Pup (!), Seven Solid Quotes & Born

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jordan is about to knock on Curtis’s door, when she flashes back to their kiss. As she starts to knock, Curtis opens the door, surprised to see her, and she says he’s probably wondering how she knew he was here. He says, so she came to see him? and she says, yes. His wife told her where to find him.

The bank officer tells Spencer that everything seems to be in order, and brings him the safety deposit box. Per instructions of the late Victor Cassadine, the contents of the box now belong to him. He’s sorry for Spencer’s loss. Instead of laughing, Spencer thanks him, and he leaves. Spencer tells Trina, it’s not too late. They can leave the box and walk out of here. He knows his Uncle Victor, and no good will come from opening this box. She asks if he really doesn’t want to know what this box might be protecting his family from.

Ava finds Austin at the hospital, and wonders if she can ask him a question. He says, sure, and she says, it’s about her post-op recovery. She suggests they find somewhere private, and he says, you bet. His voice gets louder, and he says, if they’re going to discuss her post-op recovery, they should probably do it in his office. They walk down the hall, and she says, they’ve got a problem.

Michael walks into Sonny’s old kitchen, and Carly says, perfect timing. She just made brownies. What brings him by? Not wanting to admit he’s there to visit the moss bowl🎍, he flashes back to Josslyn telling him to give Carly the evidence to save herself. Carly says, it’s not bad news, is it?

Josslyn goes to Dex’s apartment, and says, they’re in private, so no one can listen to them. Can he please just email her the video of Sonny taking the shipment from Pikeman? He says he doesn’t have it.

Sonny sees Dante at the pool, and asks if he’s seen Nina, but Dante says he’s been too busy looking at that pretty girl over there, indicating Sam. Sonny says, it looks like they’re in a good place, and Dante says he can’t complain. Sonny seems lighter. Sonny says, maybe it has something to do with him and Nina being engaged, and Dante hugs him, saying, congratulations. That’s awesome news. Things are looking up in Sonny’s world. Sonny says, not everything, as Ned walks in. Sonny goes over to Ned, and Sam asks Dante, what’s going on with Sonny? Dante says he doesn’t know, and asks if Sam knew Sonny and Nina got engaged. She says she just overheard him telling Dante, but she guesses she shouldn’t be surprised. This means he and Carly have truly moved on.

Carly asks if Willow is okay, but he says he spoke to her this morning, and so far, so good. She asked about Carly. She’s worried; they both are. Carly says she doesn’t want Willow worrying about her. She has to focus on herself. Would he please tell Willow that she’s fine? He says, they both know she’s not fine, and from what she told him, she doesn’t have many options. She says she’ll take her chances in court, or go for a deal, okay? and he says, which means offering up Drew or dad to the Feds. She says she knows it’s not much of a choice… and he says, so she’s going to take her chance in court? She says she doesn’t know, but it’s her decision to make. That’s why she doesn’t want him and Josslyn fighting over this. This is her problem. He says, what affects her, affects them, and she says she knows that. Whatever decision she makes will be what’s best for this family. He asks what decision that will be.

Josslyn says, Dex doesn’t have the footage? and he says he gave the only copy to Michael. She asks, why? and he says, because it’s his property. Michael paid him, he gave Michael the footage; end of story. She says, it’s not end of story, because that video’s the one shot her mom has at not going to prison. He says, then she needs to get it from Michael, and she says she can’t believe he risked his life to get this video, and he doesn’t keep a copy for insurance. He says, that’s not how he works. He provides a service. When he was in the military, he had a mission, an objective, and he completed it. He didn’t take ownership of it. It’s the exact same thing now. Michael hired him; the footage belongs to him. Even if he had a copy, which he doesn’t, he couldn’t give it to her.

Ned says, no need for Sonny to get in his face. He has no beef with him. Sonny says, only with Carly, ratting her out to the SEC? That’s low, even for a Quartermaine. Ned says he doesn’t owe Sonny any explanations. He’s here to see his wife. Sonny says, Ned’s not going anywhere until he’s done with him.

Ava tells Austin that Nikolas inherited property in the Chechen Republic, and Laura thinks that’s where he’s been hiding out. Austin asks, why? and she says, the theory is that Victor hid him there once before, and Laura wants to fly to Chechnya, find him, and bring him home. He says, she told him they have a problem. If Laura wants to go to Chechnya, she’s not going to find him. Let her go. Let her try. Ava says, it’s dangerous. She could be hurt or worse. They have to stop her. He says he’s going to push back on that just a little bit. If Ava goes to Laura and tells her not to go to Chechnya to look for her long lost son, she’s going to want to know why. He totally understands that she’s worried, but she can’t say anything to Laura. She can’t do anything to raise suspicion. She says she can’t have any more blood on her hands, especially not Laura’s.

Curtis says, Jordan spoke to Portia about him? but she says, don’t worry. She didn’t tell Portia what happened with them at The Savoy. Isn’t he going to invite her in? He says, absolutely, and she walks in the house. She says, it really is lovely here. When was he going to tell her that he moved back home? He says, actually, he was coming to find her right now. He opened the door and there she was. She says, she’s always here when he needs her, except she’s not sure it works the other way around. He says, she’s angry, and she says, he can add hurt to that. Definitely confused. After they kissed, they agreed she’d wait, and while she was waiting, he reconciled with his new wife.

Spencer puts the key in the box, and tells Trina, if Pandora had left that box closed, the world would have been spared its evils. She says, hope also came out of that box. Stop stalling. He opens it, and she asks if that’s what she thinks it is. He says, what fresh hell? and takes out a tablet. He tries it, and says, of course (🍷). No juice. Maybe it’s sign. He puts it back in the box and closes it, but she says, it just needs a fresh charge. Good thing his girl always comes prepared. She digs in her bag, and says, her dad has a rule; she should never be without a charge. She takes out a charger, and he says, remind him to thank her dad the next time he sees him. She plugs in the tablet, and he takes an envelope out of the box, pulling out a paper. She asks if that’s a receipt, and he says, from an online pharmacy. This is a prescription filled from Esme for the same drug that almost killed Oz Haggerty. She says, and poisoned her.

Carly says she’s not selling anybody out, but Michael says, maybe she shouldn’t look at it that way. She asks how she’s supposed to see it. She either turns on the man she loves or the man she used to love, who happens to be the father of her kids. He says, she told Sonny that she wouldn’t double-cross him. While that’s admirable, from where he’s standing, Sonny hasn’t exactly extended the same courtesy to her or this family. She says, that’s not true. Sonny offered to give her information that she could offer the Feds; something he could defend himself against. She turned him down. She doesn’t want to open that door. He says, what if she had something Sonny couldn’t defend himself against?

Ned suggests he save Sonny and himself some time. If he doesn’t pull some strings and get the SEC to stop the investigation against Drew and Carly, Sonny makes him pay. Is that the gist of it? Sonny says, Ned’s going to pay, and Sam tells Dante that he may want to do something about this. Ned asks if Sonny is threatening him, but Sonny says he doesn’t threaten people; he gets even. He thought they had mutual respect, until Ned went after the mother of his kids. Ned says he had nothing to do with it, and they start yelling at each other. Dante comes over, and tells them to settle down, but Ned says he’s not the one who started this. Sonny says he’ll finish it. Is that what Ned wants? Olivia comes out, and asks, what the hell is going on here?

Ava tells Austin that she’s a mother too. She understands what Laura is going through, but she can’t risk anything happening to Laura while she searches for Nikolas, especially since it’s her fault he’s gone in the first place. He says, let’s do it. Let’s figure out a way to stop Laura. She thanks him, and he says he’d like to propose some terms though. She says, like what? and he says he doesn’t see any reason to rush things. It’s probably hard for anybody to go to Chechnya, let alone an American, and it’s probably not going to be easy for Laura to get out of Chechnya. So whatever plan Laura comes up with has to be well thought out and considered, and hopefully, that will give them some time to really think about how to stop her.

Curtis tells Jordan that him moving back in with Portia isn’t a reconciliation. It’s just a first step. She asks if Portia knows that, and he says he’s staying in the guest room. She says, even so, what gives? Was he ever considering reviving what they had together, or was she just there to help him sort out his feelings for his wife? He says he’d never play her like that. What happened between them was spontaneous. It was compulsive, but it was completely organic. She says, maybe this is on her. She got wrapped up in a single kiss. She misread the situation, didn’t she?

Spencer says he wasn’t sure Trina knew that Esme drugged her that night at the cabin, and she says, her mom and Curtis suspected it. She barely drank that night, and certainly not enough to make her feel so out of it. How did he know? Did Esme tell him? He says he found pills. He was going through all Esme’s things trying to find something that would clear Trina in court, and he brought one of the pills to Britt. She told him that it was an opioid analgesic, something if mixed with alcohol could cause a person to lose consciousness. He’s so sorry. She says, so is she, and he says he means he’s sorry he didn’t tell her about this sooner, but things just kept happening, one thing on top of another, and he guesses it just got buried. He’s sorry. She says, she knows. It’s okay. it’s been a lot, but it sure comes back up though. It was such a violation, and it started the whole revenge porn case. At least she didn’t end up like Oz Haggerty in a coma. He says he wanted to be the one to save her, but he didn’t have any actual proof. She picks up the prescription, and says, until now.

Ava thanks Austin, and says she feels so much better. It really helps her that she has someone to share this with. He says, literally any time. When she said there was a problem, he thought she might have heard from Mason, but she says, not a peep. He says, that’s great, but weird, because usually when he has his hooks in somebody, he’s not inclined to let go. She says, small favors, as he opens his office door. Can they hope that Mason has given up… Just outside the door, Mason says, given up on them? Never.

Dex opens his laptop and tells Josslyn, look for herself. She says, if he tells her it’s not there, she believes him. She has to. Because if he’s lying, they’ve got nothing. He says he spent months telling her half-truths and keeping secrets. He won’t do that again. She says, even if it’s his job? Just like it was his job to get the video for Michael, and not keep a copy, and not give it to her? He says, to him, honesty and evidence are two different things. He can tell her what he’s doing, but he can’t make her a part of it.

Ned says, he and Sonny were just having a friendly chat; one where he just shuts up and listens. Olivia says, in case Sonny’s forgotten, this is her place of business, and Sonny says, so he can’t have a conversation in her hotel? Sam says she thinks what Olivia means is, they should do this more privately, and Dante says, like not at a patio with a pool full of witnesses. Sonny says, to be continued, and Ned says he gets that Sonny is pissed. Had he done what Sonny is accusing him of doing, Sonny would have every right to threaten him, but as God is his witness, it wasn’t him.

 Michael says, at least he and Sonny are in agreement about one thing; they both don’t want Carly to go to prison. Carly says she knows he has huge issues with his dad, and he says he does. Despite everything that happened, he still had to come to grips with wanting to save his mother at the expense of his father. Carly says, it’s a good thing he doesn’t have to, and Michael says, Joss is worried about her and so is he. If it came down to the choice of saving her or Sonny… She says she’s not going to sacrifice Sonny to save her own skin; she won’t do that. He says, what if he does it instead?

Trina wonders how this receipt got here. Is there something else in that envelope? Spencer takes out a folded paper, and says, it’s a letter, handing it to Trina. She reads: Dear Maggie, I need your advice. I may be in a lot of trouble… He says, that’s Esme’s nanny, takes the letter and reads: That sleazy bartender I met has been harassing me. I tried to convince him to leave me alone, and things got out of control. I slipped him something so I could get away. I may have seriously hurt him. Trina asks if Spencer realizes what this is, and he says, evidence. She says, it’s got to be Esme’s handwriting, and he says, it looks like it. She says, isn’t that just like Esme, trying to slant things to make herself look like the victim? She’s the one who purposely drugged Oz Haggerty. You could never induce that girl to tell the truth. He says, total amnesia could, and Trina says, this is amazing. A receipt that proves Esme bought the drugs that could incapacitate two people, and a written confession. What else do they need? He asks if she thinks it’s enough, and she says, only one way to find out. She opens the fastest charging tablet in the world, and they look at it.

Curtis says, Jordan didn’t misread anything. His feelings for her are real, and him moving in here doesn’t change that. I call him an idiot, and she asks, how real are his feelings for Portia? He says he’d be lying if he said he didn’t have feelings for Portia as well, and she says she’s out of here. He says, she accused him of not giving their marriage the chance it needed, and she was right. When Jordan wanted to work on things, he walked away because he wasn’t ready to handle the pain at that time. Now he’s trying to learn from his mistake. It wouldn’t be fair to her and Portia if he walked away from his marriage before he sorted out his feelings. She asks how he plans on doing that, and he says, by not avoiding Portia, by committing to having the hard conversation, by doing what he didn’t do with her, and that’s putting in the hard work. She says, that’s admirable, and great news for Portia, but where does that leave her?

Ned says, Sonny is right. They’re families have had an ugly history, but they share a family member. They both prioritize family, and granted, the Quartermaines don’t always show it. But when push comes to shove, they’re loyal and they pull together. When he threatened Drew, he was angry, but that’s where it ended. And he considers Carly family, not just because she’s Michael’s mother, but she’s Olivia’s best friend, and loved by his son Leo. He would never hurt her. Sonny suggests they not pretend Ned would never act in his own self-interest. His family loyalty took a vacation when he threw in with Valentin, and that’s the reason Carly lost half her hotel. Ned says, and he regrets that, which is why he’d never kick her while she’s down. Olivia says, she and Sonny go way back, which is why she’s not asking him to believe Ned. She’s asking Sonny to believe her. Her husband didn’t do this.

Mason says, don’t Austin and Ava look comfortable; all cozy and at ease. Did they miss him? Mason comes in, and Austin closes the office door. Mason says, sorry he’s been gone so long. He was out of town on important business. But worry not. He didn’t forget about them. He’s keeping tabs. Austin asks, how? and Mason asks if anybody ever told Austin that he worries too much. He should be more like their girl Ava. She’s been living her life; carrying on without a care in the world. It’s almost as if she didn’t miss her husband.

Dex says he’s sorry. Josslyn’s scared about her mom, and she came to him thinking he could save her, but he can’t. He feels like he’s failing her. Josslyn says she came up with a plan that didn’t work. She thought he could give her something he literally doesn’t have. So it’s not his fault. None of this is his fault. It’s her family’s mess, and she doesn’t know how to fix it. If her mom doesn’t turn in that evidence, and goes to prison, then Donna literally has nobody except Sonny and Nina, and she needs her mom. He says, Donna will have her. He thinks Josslyn needs her mom too, and Josslyn says, but she’s grown, and she shouldn’t need her mom as much as she does. He says, we always need the people who care about us the most, and she says she can’t sit here and do nothing. She has to find a way to help her mom. He suggests she start by trusting her mom.

Carly tells Michael, the Feds have been circling this family for years. She hasn’t talked, and she’s not going to start now, even for a deal. He says, she could probably send Sonny away with what she already knows, and she shrugs. He says, but there’s a way to ensure she never has to open her mouth. He takes out the flashdrive, and tells her, what’s on this flashdrive is irrefutable evidence that Sonny violated the National Security Act. Just give him the word, and he’ll make sure the relevant parties see it. Her hands will be clean. She asks, what’s on the flashdrive? and he says, video footage of Sonny and his crew finalizing a deal to transport a dangerous weapon. She asks how he knows this. How did he even get that flashdrive? He says, because he commissioned it.

Sonny says, because of Olivia, this is over, but if he hears Ned had any part of this… Ned says he won’t, and Olivia tells Sonny, see you around, and leaves with Ned. Sam gives Sonny and Dante some space, and Dante says, what the hell was that? Sonny says, from what he knows, Ned had something to do with Carly’s problems with the SEC. What does Dante expect him to do? Dante says, not that. He wants to go to bat for the mother of his children, that’s fine, but don’t go after Ned in a public place. Ned has an accident or something, and who does Sonny think they’ll want him to talk to? Sonny. Does he really want both of Donna’s parents to end up behind bars?

Carly says, Michael paid someone to spy on Sonny? and he says he needed proof of criminal liability that could send Sonny to prison for the rest of his life, and this was more than he could ask for. Obviously upset, Carly asks what he was thinking. What’s on that drive could destroy their family. He says he knows. Willow told him the same thing. That’s why, after they got married, he decided to forget about taking Sonny down anymore. She says, but he still held on to it, and he says, it’s a good thing he did. This could be the only thing that’s standing between her and federal prison.

Dex says, Josslyn can’t tell Carly how to handle this, anymore than Carly can tell her how to handle her life. Josslyn says, she definitely has opinions, and he says, about him; about her being with him. Josslyn says, she told him; her mom just doesn’t want to see her get hurt. She never directly told Josslyn not to be with him. She knows Josslyn wouldn’t listen. He says, it would have solved all their problems if he’d done what Michael wanted and left Port Charles, but she says, not really, because she offered to go with him, and she meant it. He says he knows, and the fact that she was willing to do that terrified him.

Ava says, you freak, and Austin steps between her and Mason, who says, ouch. Is that really what she thinks of him? After everything he’s done for her? Does he need to refresh their memories about what would have happened if he hadn’t stepped in to solve their little problem? They don’t like sunshine and fresh air? Because he could go to the PCPD right now, and guarantee they never see those again. Austin asks, what’s his point? Is there one? Does he have a purpose, or is he just there to torment them? Mason says, don’t rush him. Although he appreciates the go-getter attitude. He’s going to need it. It’s time for the two of them to show poor old Mason some appreciation.

Looking at the tablet, Trina says, is that… Spencer says, Esme with the bartender, and she says, this looks like a still from the security camera on the docks. What are they doing? Spencer says, that’s a hand-off, and Trina asks if this is proof Esme paid for a burner phone; the same one she filmed Joss and Cam with? He says, sure looks like it, and she says, all this time they thought Esme could cover up her tracks so well. She guesses there’s no such thing as a perfect crime. He says, no. At least not where his Uncle Victor is concerned.

Curtis says he knows this is uncomfortable for Jordan, and he knows it isn’t fair. But he never would have asked her to wait if he thought she was some consolation prize. She asks if Portia knows she’s the other half of this equation, and he doesn’t say anything. She says, for someone who hates dishonesty, doesn’t he think he should be fully transparent to both women in his life? He says he does. There’s just more at play here. She says, Portia told her the news. He’s Trina’s father. He says he is, and she says, congratulations. He thanks her, and she says, he’s navigating so much. Is there really room in his life for another complication? He says, she’s much more than that. It just took him too long to realize it. Can she give him just a little bit more time?

Mason says, if it wasn’t for him, they would both be behind bars, and Austin suggests Mason just tell them what he has in mind. Mason says he has something he needs them to do, and Ava says she’d be happy to buy him a bus ticket out of town. He doesn’t even have to ask. Mason says, Ava’s attitude will come in handy, as well as her charisma and fearlessness. Ava’s got all the charisma they need. Ava says, his needs are not her problem, and her ample charisma is none of his damn business. Mason says, so feisty, and Austin says, she is. Why doesn’t he just explain to Ava what he wants from her? Mason says, we want to work your very specific connections, and Ava says, we who? And what connections is he talking about? Does he want a deal on a piece of art? Mason says, it’s not about her art. It’s about her family.

Trina says she has so many questions. How did Spencer’s uncle obtain all this evidence, and how long was he sitting on it for? And if he hadn’t died, would Spencer have ever known? Spencer says, those are all valid questions. This safety deposit box contains a smoking gun. This is exactly what he was hoping for. Trina suggests they get everything together and go to the PCPD. He has everything he needs to get custody of his baby brother.

Jordan says she’s been living in limbo since her and Curtis’s divorce. While he reunited with Portia, fell in love, and proposed, she found herself buried in work, even resisting going out on dates. He says he never wanted that for her, but she says she’s not blaming him. It was her choice not to move on. Maybe subconsciously she was holding out for hope. He says he doesn’t want to keep her waiting. That’s exactly why they’re having this conversation, so he can find out where he stands with Portia, and find out where he stands with her. She says she knows where they stand. She hopes he can find what he’s looking for here, and hopes he and Portia can be happy, together or apart. He says, and her? and she says she has to truly let go; finally. Two years was too long to put her life on hold. She leaves.

Olivia says she’s sorry, but Ned says he doesn’t blame her. He’s let her down before. She says, he’s also been there before, like with Leo. She should have never doubted him. Can he forgive her? He says, maybe. Can she remind him what she said to Sonny again? She says, my husband didn’t do this? and he says, one more time. She repeats it with tears in her voice, and he kisses her.

Josslyn tells Dex, she gets it. This is just too much. What started as a casual thing just got way too intense. He says, they’ve never put a label on their relationship. In the beginning, he was excited to just spend time with her, but usually she was tearing into him for working for Sonny. Then she rescued him from a meat hook, patched him up when he was shot. She even covered for him when he took a shot at that killer on the docks. She says, anyone would have done that, and he says, not anyone would have gone to the lengths for him that she has.

Sonny says, Donna shouldn’t have to lose time with her mother in jail, and Dante says, okay, but Carly’s actions bear some responsibility, no? Sonny says, she didn’t do it on purpose, but whoever pointed the SEC at Carly and Drew sure as hell did. There’s an agenda. Sam comes back with drinks, and Dante says, Sonny sounds like he has someone in mind other than Ned. Sam says, that tip to the SEC was anonymous, and Sonny says, anybody could be trying to get to Carly, or use Carly to get to him.

Carly covers her face with her hands, and Michael says he’d decided this information would never serve a good purpose, but now he realizes it could save her. Does she want to use it, or does she want him to? Carly says she’d prefer it didn’t exist, and he says he respects that, but if she changes her mind… She says she won’t. This footage can never see the light of day. Who else knows about this? Wait. I haven’t seen the moss bowl🎍since that first scene. Did Michael steal it when she wasn’t looking?

Dex says, Josslyn has defended him to her mom, gone to bat for him with her brother, and even pleaded his case to Sonny. She’s special; once in a lifetime. The thought of losing her scares him because he’s in love with her. Now it’s his turn to ask; is this too much for her? She says she loves him too, and they kiss.

Pfft! for a Friday ending.

On Monday, Tracy asks what the hell someone is doing; Mason wants Ava to use her connection to Sonny; and Trina asks Spencer what he’s keeping from her.

💣 Spy Vs Spy…

What the WSB is all about.

What Is the WSB on GENERAL HOSPITAL?

🧑🏽‍⚕️ Most Wanted…

It doesn’t surprise me that everyone wants to work with him. And he’s one of the few I’ll allow to have a man bun.

Maura West Opens up About Working With Roger Howarth on GH

👏🏼 She Has the Clap…

My least favorite OC Housewife.

RHOC’s Tamra Judge Claps Back at Gina’s Drinking Claims, Offers Update on Teresa Feud, and Shares What Eddie’s Been Doing Since Gym Closure, Plus Worst Housewife Quality

💎 Good Luck With That…

These people are just weird.

Kyle Richards Allegedly Wants a Truce in Family Feud With Kathy Hilton

🍸 You Know the Drill…

Bombshells and rumors.

Scheana Shay on What Producers Said About Pump Rules Reunion Bombshell, Why Raquel Will Quit Show, Plus She Addresses Raquel Pregnancy Rumors

Ariana speaks.

Ariana Madix Shares Raquel Leviss’ Text Message to Tom, Most Hurtful Part of Affair, and Addresses Billie Lee and Open Relationship Rumors, Plus Gushes Over Daniel Wai

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Although I do think the reason she’s so vapid is that Ariana was right the first time; she finds her identity in men. Without a puppeteer, she’s a literal blank slate.

https://www.etonline.com/raquel-leviss-addresses-her-future-on-vanderpump-rules-after-scandoval-205751

Most of this isn’t shocking. It’s a little sad how Ariana feels about LVP. Of course LVP can do no wrong, but I actually see where she’s coming from. She’s a lot older than the cast, and she’s always taken on the mom role. It’s not that she condones what that awful weasel with a moustache did, but as one of her kids, she’s not totally turning her back. And seriously, is she supposed to pull out of her investment in TomTom?

https://screenrant.com/shocking-reveals-scandoval-unseen-vanderpump-rules-season-10/#production-pushed-raquel-to-text-ariana-an-apology

👩🏽‍🍳 Packing Her Knives…

Obviously I watch more than I recap, and this one’s a favorite of mine. She’ll be missed.

Padma Lakshmi Announces She’s Leaving ‘Top Chef’ After 17 Years: ‘Time to Move On’

⚰️ Spinning In Their Graves…

What’s coming up on the Dead horizon.

https://winteriscoming.net/2023/06/01/the-walking-dead-dead-city-premiere-to-air-at-an-earlier-time/
https://undeadwalking.com/2023/06/02/many-walking-dead-spinoffs/

🐕 Canine Recreation…

This is precious.

https://people.com/christie-brinkley-senior-dog-recreate-2014-people-cover-exclusive-7505871

🎺 Quotes of the Week

Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You’ll find they haven’t half the strength you think they have. – Norman Vincent Peale

Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people. – Eleanor Roosevelt (Oooh, snap!)

Every one of us is losing something precious to us. Lost opportunities, lost possibilities, feelings we can never get back again. That’s part of what it means to be alive. – Haruki Murakami

There’s diseases in mouse poops. – the son of a hoarder, Hoarders

Gardens, scholars say, are the first sign of commitment to a community. When people plant corn they are saying, let’s stay here. And by their connection to the land, they are connected to one another. – Anne Raver

I raise up my voice—not so that I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard…We cannot all succeed when half of us are held back. – Malala Yousafzai

The haunted house was a success. We made people cry. – Jonah Johnston, 7 Little Johnstons

🌿  Springing Into Summer…

Enjoy your break from the daily, unless enjoyment is your daily. If so, carry on. Perhaps there will be a dip in the Dead pool on Sunday, but definitely on Monday really Tuesday there will be soap, Deck, and awful Summer people for all. Until then, stay safe, stay keeping cool in hot situations, and stay opening any safety deposit box you’re bequeathed. You never know.

May27

May 26, 2023 – Willow’s Transplant Begins, B&B Reunion, OC Coming Up, VanderNatter, Begging, Revelations, Who Is It, Fashion Cat, Half a Dozen Quotes Plus One & We Gotta

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly tells Sonny that Donna wants pancakes tomorrow, and he says, there’s plenty in the freezer. Carly tells him that Donna also wants to save some for Willow, and he says, it’s a great kid they’ve got. Carly’s phone rings, and she steps out to take it, leaving Sonny alone with the moss bowl🎍. Drew asks if there’s any word from the hospital, but Carly says, no, but they’re about to head over there because she wants to be there when Willow has her procedure. He says, of course (🍷). He’s sending good thoughts. She says, he’s not coming? and he says he thought he should stick around to see if he can dig up any dirt on Tracy to leverage Ned to use his influence on the SEC. She says, they’re going ahead with Plan A, huh? and he says, absolutely. There’s one way out of this, and they’re going to find it. She goes back in the kitchen, and Sonny tosses her a towel, and hands her a bowl to dry.

On the phone, Nina says, the patient’s name is Willow Corinthos… She is family. Nina Reeves. She’s Willow’s mother… Her daughter was scheduled to do a bone marrow transplant, and she just wants to see how she’s doing… She knows they can’t… There’s a knock at the door, and she says she’ll call them back. She tells them, thanks – she hangs up the phone – for nothing. She lets Diane in and says, Diane’s a lawyer. Diane agrees that she is, and Nina asks if there’s any way she can sue the hospital to get information on her daughter. Diane says she never – almost never – gives out free advice, but in this instance she will for the good of everyone involved. If Nina would like to find out about her daughter, ask her. Now will Nina tell Sonny that she’s here; he’s expecting her. Nina says, he’s not here. He had to share some news with Carly. Diane says, that’s right. May I? She says she heard congratulations are in order, and looks at Nina’s ring, adding, for the jeweler.

Anna meets Robert at the MetroCourt, and thanks him for making time in his busy schedule. He says, she made it sound important. Is it a business proposal? She says, personal. Holly. She’s trying to reach Holly, but she’s gone radio silent. Given their last conversation, she’s a little bit concerned something’s happened. Robert says, something has happened, and it’s all his fault.

Tracy says, that’s gratitude for you. After all she went through to get Brook and Chase back together. Olivia says, that explains the serenade on the terrace, and hugs Brook. She says she’s happy for Brook, and Ned says he’s glad Chase finally let Brook out of the doghouse. If only they could all be that lucky. Olivia says, it’s neither the time nor the place, and Brook says, Olivia still can’t think Ned is the one who blew the whistle on Carly and Drew, but Tracy says, of course (🍷) he did, and he deserves a medal. Ned says, no he doesn’t because he didn’t. Brook believes him. Why can’t his own wife? Drew comes in, and Olivia says she’d like to believe Ned. Drew says he’d like to believe Ned too. Just give him one good reason.

Sonny asks how the SEC situation with Carly and Drew is going (didn’t they just have this conversation?), and she says, they’re not going down without a fight. Sonny says his offer still stands. If she wants to turn him in to the Feds, she can. Just let him know what she’s going to do beforehand. She thanks him, but says, it’s too big of a risk, and he says, let him be the judge of that. She says, if the situations were reversed, would he turn her in? He asks what she thinks, when Josslyn walks in and asks, what’s he doing here?

TJ tells Willow that it’s not going to hurt. The donating was the hard part. The transplant itself isn’t that different from a blood transfusion. So all Willow needs to do is sit back and relax. Wiley knocks at the window, and says, hi mommy. Michael calls, and Willow asks, who is this, and how did you get my number? He says, her fan club misses her, but she says, not as much as she misses them. Wiley says he loves her, and she says, her too.

Ned asks how he could do this to Drew and Carly when Willow is so sick. The answer is simple; he couldn’t, and he didn’t. Drew says he would believe Ned, if he hadn’t threatened to do just that, and Olivia says, he’s right. Ned said he was going to do this. Ned tells her, he said he might consider it, which was an empty threat, but even if he had considered it, he never followed through with it. Brook says, that’s enough. Get back to their corners. Shame on Ned. And shame on Drew for focusing on the SEC and that whole mess. None of that matters compared to what Willow is facing today. Tracy says, exactly, and thanks Brook for reminding this family of what’s really important. Why can’t they come together instead of pulling each other apart? Olivia can’t believe this is what it’s come to, and Tracy says, when Brook is the voice of reason, no one is more surprised than she is. Olivia says, and Tracy being the voice of family unity, but Tracy says she’s always advocated for family unity. Drew asks if she didn’t withhold medication from Edward when he was having a heart attack (ha-ha!), and Brook says, she sure did. Ned says, famously, and Tracy says, if there was one person who could attest to her devotion to the well-being and the happiness and the harmony of this family, it would be her granddaughter. Olivia laughs, and says she gets it. Tracy got Brook and Chase back together, and now she wants Brook to feel like she owes her something. Tracy says, it’s not always quid pro quo. There are such things as altruism and sacrifice. Ned asks if Tracy is feeling well, but Olivia says, trust her. Tracy is feeling just fine. How exactly is doing right by her granddaughter’s heart a sacrifice? What exactly did she give up? Or by some chance did she stand to gain something. Brook says, of course (🍷) she’s grateful for her grandmother helping get her and Chase back together – Tracy says, Brook is more than welcome – but like her dad said, kindness in this house usually comes at a price. Ned says, whatever the price was, he hopes she can afford it, and Brook says, let’s just say she’s glad she’s back at work. Olivia asks, what work? and Brook says she’s back at Deception. Ned asks, what about her music? and she says, he knows she can’t sing anymore. He says he thought she was putting together a list of artists to manage. Things were going well, right? Why give that up?

Diane says, maybe she should just wait in the lobby until Sonny gets back, but Nina says, now that she and Sonny are engaged, she was hoping his friends can be her friends. Diane says she might just have to settle for cordial, and Nina says, in the spirit of cordiality, maybe they can get past their differences and try to get along. Diane says, their differences? Like the time she shredded Nina on the stand, and got a judge to deny her visitation to see her grandson? Nina says, Diane was doing her job; it wasn’t personal. Diane says, no, it wasn’t, and Nina says, the least she can do is admire Diane’s skill. Diane says, and she admires Nina’s, and Nina says she doesn’t think Diane is as cynical as she wants the world to believe. Diane says, Nina’s got her. She’s absolutely right. In fact, what Nina sees standing before her is the warm and fuzzy Diane. Nina says, let her just throw something out there. As one woman speaking to another… Diane says she’s going to be charging Sonny for this conversation, but Nina says, this isn’t legal advice. This is just a get to know ya thing. Diane says, now she’s charging him double, and I can totally see her in a Noel Coward play. Nina says she loves her job at Crimson, but it wasn’t until she was in Nixon Falls that she realized the magazine shouldn’t be her whole life. Diane asks if she’s considered a puppy, and Nina says she has a family, a small one; a daughter and two grandchildren who are in her thoughts. Is there someone in Diane’s? Is there anyone special in her life? If not, why? I’ve never thought of it before, but other than Max being a boyfriend for a time, we’ve never seen Diane’s family.

Carly says, Sonny stopped by to talk to Donna, and Donna insisted her daddy make her pancakes. I get distracted by the way they’re standing around the moss bowl🎍, and Josslyn asks if he told Carly that she stopped by his office. Carly says, he did; he did not tell her why. Sonny says, that’s because it was a private matter between Josslyn and him, and Josslyn says, she asked him for a favor, and he said no. Sonny says he told her to have her friend come to him, but they don’t need to rehash this. He’s got to go. He asks Carly to tell Michael and Willow that he’s praying for them, and she says she will. He leaves, and Josslyn says she thought there was a schedule for visitations. Carly says, there is, but some things need to be said face-to-face, and Josslyn says, like what? Carly says, like Sonny and Nina are engaged.

Wiley asks if Willow is coming home, and Willow says she’s going to do her best. TJ scraps his sterile jumpsuit, and Michael asks if there’s anything he can do to make things easier for Willow. TJ says, it looks like he’s already doing it. Seeing all of them is the best medicine she can get. Sasha joins them, and says, looks like a party. She takes the phone, and says, how’s the guest of honor? Willow says, just happy to see everybody, and Sasha suggests she keep the kids entertained so Michael can have some time with Willow. Michael asks if Wiley wants some playtime with Aunt Sasha, and Wiley says he’ll ask Amelia. He whispers to Amelia, then listens, and tells them, she says, yes. Sasha says, let’s do it, and TJ asks if he can join. Sasha says, the more, the merrier, and they leave. Willow thanks Michael for bringing them, and he says he didn’t have much of a choice; Wiley insisted. She says she’s so scared, and he says, him too. One thing he does know is, they didn’t make it this far, they didn’t go to hell and back just to lose each other now. She says she wishes she could kiss him one last time, and he says, she will, but it’s not going to be the last time. This is just the beginning.

Carly tells Josslyn that they need to get to the hospital. Willow’s procedure is starting soon, and she wants to be there for Michael. Josslyn says she doesn’t know if Michael wants to see her right now, and Carly asks, what’s going on? Josslyn says, they had a fight. And now Sonny wants to officially make Nina a member of the family that she set out to destroy? Carly says, first of all, this family is just fine, and Sonny and Nina being engaged is kind of a relief. Josslyn asks how Carly can say that, and Carly says, Sonny’s committed to Nina, and she’s committed to Drew. Josslyn says, so no harm, no foul? but Carly says, there was a lot of harm and a lot of foul, but it’s just like a clean break. Josslyn wonders why Sonny didn’t tell her when she was alone with him in his office, and Carly asks, why would he? He knows how she feels about Nina. Josslyn says she hasn’t made that a secret, and Carly says, the secret here is why Josslyn went to see Sonny in the first place. Josslyn says, she told Carly; she was asking him for a favor. Carly says, Dex, and Josslyn says, yes. She went to see him about Dex. Carly asks, why? Did she want Sonny to give Dex a raise? Josslyn says, no. She wanted Sonny to fire him.

Anna says, so Holly just left town without so much as a farewell, and Robert says, at least she didn’t have to fake an escape from the towering inferno, third degree burns, and hospitalization. This time it was just goodbye. Anna says, it never is just goodbye with the two of them though, is it? and Robert says, they decided you can’t recapture the past, no matter how much you might want to. And this time when they said their farewells, they really meant them. Anna takes his hand, and says, sorry. Did Holly tell him about Ethan? Robert says, yeah, and all the trouble he’s in, and she asks if Holly told him that she was willing to go back to the Bureau to pay off his debts. He says, apparently, she decided on a shortcut. A deal with the devil… Selina Wu. He told her there were alternatives; that he wanted to help. She doesn’t want him involved. Anna says, Holly’s protecting him, which proves she still does really care about him. He says, caring was never the issue, and she asks, what is the issue? Is her name Diane?

Diane tells Nina that she’s sorry. There seems to be some kind of confusion that she wants to dispel Nina of. They’re not friends, and as such, questions into her personal life and relationships are unwelcome. She knows Nina is going through a tough time, wanting to see Willow and not being able to do so. She feels for Nina. Nina say she gets it. She’s never been able to make friends very easily. Just so Diane knows, she’d be with Willow right now. She’d be in the hospital room if she didn’t owe Sonny so much. She didn’t want to run into Carly or Michael, and have another clash. She doesn’t want to make Sonny’s life more complicated than she already has. Diane says she admires that restraint, and just so Nina knows, she hopes Nina really does make him happy. Nina says she does, when Sonny walks in and asks if everything is okay. Diane says, yeah. Congratulations. Sonny says, thanks, and Nina asks how it went with Carly and Donna. He says he and Donna made pancakes, and Diane suggests they talk in private, but Sonny says he was going to tell Nina anyway. Diane says, there’s talk going around town, but Sonny already knows that, and Sonny says, it looks like the DOJ may have made Carly an offer. Nina asks if they’re pressuring Carly to turn on Drew, but Sonny says, no. They’re pressuring Carly to turn on him.

Drew says, it’s no secret how Brook feels about music. She must have had a compelling reason to go back to Deception. Brook says, after all the craziness with Linc, she was craving stability and a little less drama, and Ned says, but she really enjoyed being a manager, and she was damn good at it. Brook says she realized she wants to write music, not manage it, and working back at Deception allows her the freedom to do that. Drew says, she’s got romance, she’s got freedom, she’s got creativity. It’s almost like she has her own fairy godmother. He looks at Tracy, and Brook says, you could say that. Drew asks if Tracy doesn’t wish she had one. She could wish herself straight back to Amsterdam. Tracy says she could also buy a plane ticket, and everyone says, don’t let us stop you, in unison. Tracy says, wow. If she didn’t know better, she’d say her loving family couldn’t wait to get rid of her. Drew says, come on. They don’t feel that way… Do you? Everyone gives soap looks.

Tracy says, as much as she hates disappointing her loved ones, she has no plans on leaving any time soon. Don’t all cheer at once. Brook says she’s glad Tracy is here, and not just because Tracy helped get her and Chase back together. Tracy tells her that she’d say she did a little more than help, and Olivia says, and she has. Ned says, repeatedly, and Brook says, Tracy is always there when she needs her, even if it’s just to tell her no. Tracy asks when she’s ever denied Brook anything, and Ned says, this is all too much. Olivia says, on that happy note, she has to go. Big meeting at the MetroCourt. Tracy says, no words of reassurance for her mother-in-law? and Olivia says she has plenty of words for Tracy.

Ned follows Olivia out, and tells her that he’s not the one who turned them in. How can he convince her? Olivia says, as it happens, she ran into Carly at the MetroCourt last night. It was pretty tense. Carly was demanding to know why she didn’t kick him to the curb. He says, maybe because he’s her husband, and she says, and Carly’s her best friend. That’s not nothing. And asks much as she wants to believe him, the thing she can’t get out of her mind, he flat out accused Carly and Drew of insider trading, and the next thing anybody knows, somebody blows the whistle. He says, somebody, but not him.

Nina says, to think she felt sorry for Carly that she has to worry about Michael and Willow during all this, and now she’s going to throw Sonny under the bus to save herself? Sonny says, she won’t, but Nina asks how he can know that. Diane says she really thinks she and Sonny… but Sonny says, no. He wants Nina to hear it. It’s not the first time the Feds have come after him using someone who’s close to him. Nina says she knows Carly told him that she wouldn’t do it, but what else is she going to say? He’s making pancakes for the daughter he shares with her. She had to have been tempted. He says he told her that she should do it. The Feds come after him, he’s prepared. She made it clear she won’t do it. Nina says, what if the Feds come to Carly and make her choose between her children and him?

Michael tells Sasha that Willow’s asking for her, and she leaves. TJ says he should go check on the preparations. He’ll see Michael in a minute, and Michael sees Wiley coloring. He says he’s going to let Wiley in on a little secret. Color outside the lines. That hardly seems Michael type advice.

Carly asks if Dex wants out or does Josslyn want Dex out. Josslyn says, Dex wants out, and Carly says, then Dex can tell Sonny himself. Josslyn tells her, that’s what Sonny said, and Carly says, sounds like Sonny. What did Dex say? Josslyn says, he wasn’t happy about it at first, but… Carly says, he knew her heart was in the right place. Is this what’s going on with her and Michael? Josslyn says, Michael just doesn’t approve of her and Dex, and Carly says, overprotective big brother. Josslyn says, something like that, but if he needs them, that’s all that matters, and Carly says, he needs them. So let’s go.

Willow picks up the phone, and Sasha says, she rang? Willow says she did. She thought if anyone could understand, it was Sasha. She remembers when Sasha was in isolation. Sasha says she hated it, but she made it through, and so will Willow. Willow says, ever since she’s been in here, she’s felt like a soldier in a foxhole, and Sasha says, that just means Willow is a fighter, which they already knew. Willow says, it got her thinking. You hear about soldiers that with their last dying breath, call out for their mothers. If worse comes to worse, who does she call out for? The mother who raised her and turned out to be a fraud and a murderer, or the mother who gave birth to her and couldn’t stand her until she found out they were related? Sasha doesn’t need to answer that; she’s just being silly. Sasha says, it’s not silly. It’s just something she won’t know until it happens, and it’s not going to. Willow says, they don’t know that, but Sasha says, they know they’re in the homestretch. So don’t think about dying; think about living. Think about Michael and Wiley and Amelia. Think about all the people who love her so much, and need her. Today is just like any other day in her life, except she’s been given a great gift. Willow knows how precious life is, and how quickly it can disappear, so she can be the soldier who fights for every breath, for every second, and win. Willow says, no wonder Sasha was such a hit on TV. She can sell anything. Even hope.

Carly and Josslyn find Michael, and Carly asks if they missed the kids. Michael says, the nanny just took them home, but Wiley left him a crayon so he wouldn’t miss mommy. Carly says she loves Wiley, and she loves Michael so much. He says he loves her too, and they hug. He says, hi to Josslyn, and Carly says, everything is okay, right? Josslyn says, everything is fine. All that matters is that Willow gets better, right? Michael says, right.

Sonny says, Carly isn’t giving him up, and Nina says she’s sure he knows best. She has to go to the MetroCourt. She loves him. Just let her know how he is; let her know how Willow is. He says he’ll keep her posted. Willow is in good hands; so is he. Nina leaves, and Sonny tells Diane, go ahead. Tell him what she knows that he doesn’t.

Robert says, Holly’s a friend, and Anna says, he comes barging into her house, when she’s jetlagged and exhausted, demanding they talk. He bites Valentin’s head off, all because, she thinks, he’s love torn. He says he had a moment of weakness, but she says, no, he was flummoxed about how two bright, beautiful women could be interested in him. He says he wasn’t flummoxed or love torn, and she says, conflicted, confused, whatever. She thinks maybe Holly did him a favor by bowing out. Because while it might be disappointing not to have two women vying for his affections, on the bright side, he still does have one.

Olivia says she’s doing her best to stand by Ned. She knows how much ELQ means to him, and she knows how hurt he was when he felt pushed aside. He says he sided with Valentin because it was the right thing to do for ELQ. Yes, he lashed out when he thought the company – their family legacy – was being threatened by a hostile takeover, but he’s not a snitch and he’s going to prove it to her. She asks what he’s going to do, and he says, show her once and for all that he’s the man she married; a man deserving of her love and her trust. He kisses her, and she asks him to promise her that he’s not going to do anything stupid. She leaves, and Tracy says, that’s touching, but if he asks her, he’s wasting his time.

Drew says he gets the impression Brook is less than thrilled having her grandmother back, and she says she loves her grandmother, and owes her big time. He says, for helping her and Chase get back together, and she asks where he heard about that. He says, the tenth or eleventh time it was said, he picked up on it, and Brook says, she can be very generous, and he says, but? She says, but her grandmother’s generosity usually comes with a price.

Olivia asks if she’s late or Nina is early, and Nina tells her, let’s just say, we’re both here at exactly the right moment. Olivia says she’ll take it. She sees Nina’s ring, and says, that’s quite a rock. She sees why Nina and Sonny were in such a good mood last night. Nina says, they’re engaged, and Olivia says, congratulations. She wishes them every happiness, and Nina thanks her. She says, in case Olivia was wondering, Sonny already told the news to Carly and Donna, and they all made pancakes together. Olivia says, so Carly’s taking it in stride, and Nina says, apparently. She’s sure Carly will tell Olivia how she really feels, given how close they are. Olivia says, not anymore. Carly can’t understand why she hasn’t kicked Ned to the curb for what he did to her and Drew. Nina asks, what did Ned say? and Olivia says, Ned swears up and down he didn’t turn them in to the SEC, and Nina asks if Olivia believes him. Olivia says she’d really like to, but she keeps asking herself; if Ned didn’t do it, who did?

Diane says, it’s just a rumor, but Sonny said himself, it’s not the first time the Feds have come after him using someone close to him, and who’s closer to him than Carly? Sonny asks if the rumors say who gave up Carly and Drew, and Diane says, no. The insider trading tip was anonymous, but there’s a strong suspicion that it was Ned Quartermaine. He tells her, that’s what Carly says, but why would Ned do that to Carly and Drew a year after the fact? Now that the Feds are involved, he thinks Carly and Drew are just a means to an end. Diane says, so he thinks the Feds have been monitoring him, and saw Drew and Carly mess up, and pointed the SEC in her direction in order to pressure her to flip on him? That would mean there was no insider tip, and this whole thing was just an excuse to get this investigation rolling. That means the SEC is doing the Justice Department a favor. Sonny says, maybe, but he’s not letting Ned off the hook just yet, because he’s more than capable of stabbing Drew and Carly in the back. Do him a favor. Find out how and why the Feds got involved. Anything she can come up with. She says she’s pretty much exhausted all her resources, and he says, what about the DA? She says, Robert Scorpio? Why would the District Attorney of Port Charles have any information as to the government’s investigation? He says, it’s no secret that Robert has strong ties to DC through the Bureau, and she asks, what makes him think Robert would tell her? He says, because she’s the best. She has a way of being persuasive. She says she has to go, and he says, to see Carly? She says, confidential. She can’t possibly tell him. And as for Robert Scorpio, she’ll think about it. Before she goes, he tells her, don’t think too long. She leaves, and Sonny tells the guard, bring the car around now.

Carly and Josslyn come to the window, and Michael says, more of Willow’s fan club. Carly takes the phone, and says, they just want to tell her how much they love her. Josslyn says, she’s the best sister-in-law ever. Willow says, back at her, and TJ says he’s sorry, but he means it this time. Everyone leaves except Michael, and he says he had a speech planned, all these things he was going to say, but right now all that matters is she knows how much he loves her. She says she loves him too, and he leaves. She hangs up the phone, and tells TJ that she’s ready.

Robert tells Anna that as far as he knows, Diane isn’t interested anymore, beyond them sparring in court. Diane comes in, and Anna says, why doesn’t he ask her? She’s going to take her cue. She leaves, and Diane and Robert look at each other.

Nina says, for what it’s worth (🍷), she’s sorry Olivia has cause to doubt Ned, and Olivia says, her too. Nina tells her, she can’t believe she’s saying this, but poor Carly and Drew to be put in this position, and Olivia says, what position? Nina says, it’s just rumors; she shouldn’t have said anything. Olivia says, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and knowledge is power. Why doesn’t Nina tell her the rumors, and she’ll decide for herself if she wants to believe them. Nina tells her, like she said, it’s just talk, but it seems like the government is using Carly and Drew’s legal problems to get to Sonny.

In the foyer, Ned asks if Tracy is home to stay, and she asks if that would be a problem. He says, of course (🍷) not, but you know what they say about idle hands. She says, don’t worry. She knows how to stay busy. He says, that’s what he’s afraid of.

Brook says, what makes Drew think he owes Tracy anything? and he says, maybe because she was trying so hard to sell everybody on the joys of being back at Deception. She says she loves her job; it’s steady and plays to her strengths. He says he knows what music means to her, writing it and managing artists, so if anything or anyone is making her choose… Tracy comes in and says she needs to borrow her granddaughter, and Drew leaves, turning to look at Brook before going out the door.

Sasha says, Willow may look fragile, but she’s tough as nails, and Michael thanks her for coming. She asks him to call her when Willow’s awake, and leaves. Josslyn says, Sasha’s right. Willow is unstoppable. Carly tells Michael that he and Willow love each other like crazy. Now there’s Wiley and Amelia, and their love is stronger than ever. Don’t forget that. She hugs him, and Sonny walks in.

TJ asks if Willow is ready, and she says she can’t wait. He tells her, like he said before, all she needs to do is sit back and relax. Let the bone marrow do its thing. If all goes well, she’ll have nothing but healthy cells in her body, and a whole new lease on life. The transplant begins, and Willow flashes back to bringing Amelia home, and telling Wiley that Amelia will need his help.

On (presumably) Tuesday, Curtis says he has two choices, give up or give in; Portia says she has other options; Spencer says, it’s funny how your life can change in an instant; and Drew says, the less someone knows, the better.

🕺🏻 Still Duke To Me…

He’s allowed in the clubhouse since he was once on GH.

Ian Buchanan Enjoys a Bold and Beautiful Reunion in Italy!

🍊 What Happens In the OC…

Frankly, I was glad to see Tamra go. Now we have to watch her very lit throughout the season. Cringing at the thought.

Heather Dubrow Dishes on ‘Very Difficult’ Real Housewives of Orange County Season 17
Gina Kirschenheiter Reveals Tamra Judge Was ‘Very Lit’ During RHOC Season 17

🍸 Welcome To the Cheap Seats…

He’s not just the most awful human being on earth, a title once only held by Jax, he’s also an idiot.

Tom Sandoval Attacks Female Journalist for Daring To Have an Opinion

Another genius and more tidbits.

Ariana Madix and Katie Shade “Rude” Liev Schreiber After He Apologizes for Questioning Ariana’s Media Attention, Plus Ariana Says Raquel is Still Sending Mail to Tom, and Kristen Weighs in

About that open relationship thing.

Unaired Vanderpump Rules Clip Exposes New Timeline of When Tom Sandoval Pursued Raquel as Ariana Shuts Down Claim Raquel Thought They Were in Open Relationship

Brittany deserves to be heard. Apparently she tamed the previously reigning king of awful people. Maybe. We’ll see.

Brittany Cartwright Shares What Angered Her Most About Vanderpump Rules Finale, Reacts to Tom and Raquel’s Split, and Talks Ariana’s Boyfriend Daniel Wai

🍑 Will Work For Hair Extensions…

I could definitely see her at the casino. It kind of bummed me out when the news of their divorce broke. Surprisingly, I liked their Don’t Be Tardy show with its kookie family vibe. Oh well.

‘Desperate’ Kim Zolciak Reportedly ‘Begging’ Bravo For Reality TV Job After Divorce News

👨🏻‍💼 Likes and Dislikes…

Andy reveals all. Well, some anyway.

Andy Cohen Reveals His Warning to Lisa Rinna, His Favorite and Least Favorite Housewives Husband, and Talks Shahs of Sunset Cast

⚰️ Guessing Game…

Something to ponder.

https://undeadwalking.com/2023/05/24/padre-fear-walking-dead-3/

🐈‍⬛ Karl’s Furry Muse…

It’s not always about the dog… although it should be. (Just kidding. Kind of.)

https://nypost.com/2023/05/01/karl-lagerfelds-choupette-reveals-if-she-will-attend-met-gala/

🐡 Quotes of the Week

Ends are not bad things, they just mean that something else is about to begin. And there are many things that don’t really end, anyway, they just begin again in a new way. Ends are not bad and many ends aren’t really an ending; some things are never-ending. – C. JoyBell C.

When you’re through changing, you’re through. – Martha Stewart

The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries. – René Descartes

If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free; if our wealth commands us, we are poor indeed. – Edmund Burke

Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding. – Albert Einstein

Animals are such agreeable friends — they ask no questions, they pass no criticisms. – George Eliot

🪦 By hero, we tend to mean a heightened man who, more than other men, possesses qualities of courage, loyalty, resourcefulness, charisma, above all, selflessness. He is an example of right behavior; the sort of man who risks his life to protect his society’s values, sacrificing his personal needs for those of the community. – Paul Zweig

🙃 And In Confusion…

Enjoy your long weekend if weekends are on your agenda in this new world. If not, enjoy whatever you want to call it. Join me on Monday really Tuesday for what’s on Deck and a reunion of awful Summer people – GH will be a rerun. Until then, stay safe, stay not chewing with your mouth open, and stay remembering, it’s not always quid pro quo. There are such things as altruism and sacrifice.

Apr28

April 27, 2023 – Two Uninvited Guests Come To the Wedding, Congrats, Side Gig, Oh Say Can OC, Almost Walked, VanderMadness, Crowned, Daytime Emmy Info & How Far

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Bobbie says, Donna and Avery look like little princesses, and Carly says, no princess is complete without her crown. Josslyn’s phone rings, and she steps away to answer it, while Carly gets out the flower girl headpieces and she and Bobbie put them on the girls. They show Willow, and she says, perfection. Outside, Josslyn says, it’s like you read my mind. I was just thinking how much I want you here too. I assume she’s talking to Dex. Willow says, Carly is so good with the girls. Strong and confident, yet playful and fun; the kind of mom she wants to be. Carly says, that’s the kind of mom Willow is. She’s the best.

Tracy walks into the nook as Olivia is preparing some dishes, and asks, what’s all this? Olivia says, it’s called food, but Tracy says she means, what is Olivia doing with it? Olivia says, it’s for the wedding. Initially, she was going to call a caterer, then thought, why doesn’t she do it herself, and give it that nice personal touch? Tracy says, just what all brides dream of, an all-you-can-eat wedding buffet, and Olivia says, for Tracy’s information, Willow did not want some stuffy sit-down dinner,. Brook says, it’s going to be very elegant, and Ned says, Brook doesn’t need to be here. He and Olivia have this covered. Brook says she actually prefers to stay behind the scenes right now, and Olivia says, so she can avoid Chase? Maxie comes in, and says, look alive, people. Everything’s almost ready in the living room. How are things going in here? Tracy says, not to worry. All of the food is pre-cooked just like a picnic.

The chairs are set up in the living room, and Michael tells Wiley, this is were he and mommy will be standing when they exchange rings. Wiley says he has an important job, and Michael says, extremely, and there’s no one he trusts more with it.

Dante lets in Sam and Kristina, and Sonny hugs Kristina, telling her that she looks absolutely beautiful, as usual. Dante asks if Sam is ready for this, and she says she thinks so. Michael said they’re keeping things relatively simple. She can’t believe they asked her to officiate (me neither – did she quickly hop on the internet for that?), and Sonny says he can. Dante says he can too. She’s the perfect choice, especially given her relationship with Willow and Michael. Sonny asks if TJ and Molly are on their way, and Kristina says, they should be here any minute. Michael comes out with Wiley, and Sam says, looking sharp, boys. Michael says he was giving Wiley the lay of the land, and Sam says, he’s going to crush it. Wiley runs to Sonny, who asks if he’s excited about the wedding. Wiley says, yeah, and Sonny says he bets. This is the greatest ring bearer in the world. Michael says he has the best.

Nina says she gave the SEC a heads up that a certain CEO was giving his girlfriend stock tips, and Ava says, she told the SEC about Carly and Drew? Nina says, no. She had Martin Grey pass on an anonymous tip that the CEO of Aurora Media and his secret girlfriend were engaged in insider trading. So basically, she took Ava’s advice. She’s never felt better. Ava asks how long she thinks that’s going to last.

Carly asks Bobbie to take the girls to the main house, and Willow says she’s sure they’d love to see how the preparation is going. The girls get excited, and Bobbie tells them, be careful what you wish for. They might get put to work. Josslyn takes Amelia, and follows them out. Carly asks how Willow is feeling, and Willow says, honestly? She’s scared. She so wants this to be the beginning of something, and she’s terrified it’s the end.

Molly and TJ arrive, and Dante suggests commemorating the day. He calls Sonny over, and Molly takes a photo of him, Michael, Dante, and Kristina. Kristina tells Michael, it’s his wedding day, so look like he’s enjoying it, and he says he plans to enjoy every moment of it. Bobbie and Josslyn come in with the girls, and they all pose for more pictures by the stairs. Molly sniffles a little, and TJ tells her that he can take them, but she says she’s got it. Kristina asks if Josslyn wants to get in, but Josslyn says she’s good for now, and Kristina says, suit herself. Molly takes more photos, and they file into the living room. Sam asks TJ if everything is all right with Molly.

Ned practices some scales, and Tracy says, please, but he says, Michael and Willow asked him to sing at the ceremony, and he doesn’t want to disappoint them with rusty pipes. Tracy says, they don’t want anything to derail this ultra highbrow wedding, and Olivia says she’s had just about enough of Tracy. Brook suggests Tracy go into the living room; everyone will be excited to see her. Tracy says, fat chance, but Brook says, even so, and steers her out. Ned tells Olivia to decompress, but Olivia tells him that she didn’t say a word. He tells her, which says everything, and she asks, exactly how long is mommy dearest planning on staying? He shrugs.

TJ says, Molly’s fine, and Sam says, is he sure? She seems a little off. He says he’s sure, but he’s glad she has the support of her sisters.

Kristina asks how the doctor’s appointment went, and Molly says, fine. Kristina says, that’s it? and Molly says, it’s private, but Kristina says, the Davis women don’t do private. What’s going on? Molly says, it turns out getting pregnant might be more difficult than she and TJ had hoped.

Bringing Tracy into the living room, Brook nearly smacks into Chase (again), and Tracy says, the young man Brook’s been hiding from. Brook says, no, and Tracy says, the policeman who owes her a debt of gratitude. Chase says, I’m sorry? and Tracy asks if her granddaughter moved heaven and earth to get his badge reinstated or not? Brook tells Chase that exaggeration is sort of Tracy’s thing, and suggests they find her a seat.

Dante asks if Michael has jitters, but Michael says, actually, no. How about Dante? Can he handle the rigorous best man duties? Dante says, I’m the best, man. Michael’s a great guy and he’s going to be a great husband. He’s been through hell multiple times, and has somebody who loves him as much as Michael loves them. Michael says, forever. Whether Willow’s with him or not, long short or somewhere in between, no matter what happens, this is the happiest day of his life. Dante says, the fact that Michael can see that and knows that is the greatest gift, and they bro hug.

Carly tells Willow, the world is full of beautiful things, and the truth is, none of them knows when their time is up. In her opinion, the greatest tragedy is throwing away what they have today worrying about what’s going to happen tomorrow. Willow is surrounded by her family and friends. She’s going to marry the man she loves. Willow says, loves with all her heart. It took her a while to know it, but Michael is the one. Carly asks if she knows how rare that is. Some people go their entire lives and they never experience that. She knows Willow appreciates every minute she spends with Michael and the kids, but today is the only day we get. Shouldn’t we make it the best one?

Nina says, Ava told her to call the SEC. Ava handed her the phone, and almost dared her to do it. Ava says she was playing devil’s advocate. She was trying to show Nina how way over the top the idea was. It was reverse psychology. She was trying to talk Nina out of doing it, not encouraging her. Nina says, well that backfired. Carly has yet to face a single consequence for what she did. Had she told Willow about her birth mother – Nina – then Willow wouldn’t be on death’s door right now. She could have gotten that bone marrow transplant months ago, and she’d be thriving instead of withering away. Ava says she has to stop Nina right here. Now she’s skating dangerously close to alternative facts. Nina says, tell her one untrue thing about what she said, and Ava says, it’s true Carly was wrong, and should have told Willow that Nina was her birth mother, but that’s not the reason Willow is sick. Nina says, she delayed her treatment, and Ava says, because of the baby, not because of Carly. Nina says, had Willow known… and Ava says, no one knew. Nina is forgetting the fact that Willow didn’t tell anybody about her cancer. Nina says, Ava isn’t blaming Willow now, is she? and Ava says, of course (🍷) not. She’s simply saying, no one had all the information, not even Carly. Nina says, it doesn’t matter. Carly and Drew broke the law, and is it so inconceivable that Carly should pay for her crime? Ava says, that’s just it. If Nina sends Carly to prison, it’s not Carly who pays; it’s Nina.

Olivia tells Ned, that’s it for the prep. Now she can just play hostess to the guests until the ceremony begins. Donna and Avery cut through and go outside, and she says, aren’t they adorable… as they cut a path of total destruction through the house. Ned says, she blows him away, and she says, tell her more. He says, pulling a wedding together in a couple of days, and Olivia tells him, he says wedding; Tracy says picnic. He says, don’t listen to her, when Josslyn asks if they’ve seen Donna and Avery. Olivia says, that-a way, and Josslyn goes outside. Olivia says she’s just so happy that she can do something for Michael and Willow after everything they’ve been through… and everything they’re still going through. She also had a lot of help. Maxie comes in, and asks if they’ve seen Willow.

Willow says, Carly is amazing at putting things into perspective. No more thinking about tomorrow or next week. She lives in the moment. She thanks Carly, but Carly says, thank you. She’s so grateful that Michael found her, and they found love. She prays it lasts for the next 60 years, but if God forbid it doesn’t, it doesn’t take away from the joy they’ve given each other for the past two years. Or the love she’s given Wiley and Amelia. Willow says, but doesn’t some part of Carly wish Michael had never met her, so he could be spared the heartbreak? Carly says, no. it would hurt to see her son in pain, but it would hurt even more if he’d never been in love. She’s seen his face light up when Willow walks in the room, or sees Willow with Wiley, or holding Amelia. Willow has given her son so much. She wouldn’t wish any of that away. She just wishes they had more of it. Willow says, so does she, but they’re not thinking about that. Today they bask in the joy and the love and the light. Carly asks if it’s dress time, and they get up. She says she loves Willow so much, and Willow says she loves Carly too, and they hug.

Nina tells Ava, of course (🍷) it’s her that pays; it’s always her. Ava says, that’s not what she meant, and Nina says, Carly has come between her and Willow over and over again. She’s made sure at every step, challenge, and crisis, she’s the one Willow turns to for support, not Nina. Today for example. It’s her daughter’s wedding day, and who gets to play mother of the bride? Not her – Carly. She’s not even invited to the wedding. Ava says she doesn’t need convincing that Carly is a piece of work, but she needs Nina to acknowledge what’s really going on here. Why did Nina sic the SEC on Carly? Nina asks what she means, and Ava says, just answer the question. Nina says, because Carly and Drew violated… Ava says, come on. Nina doesn’t give a damn about the Securities and Exchange Commission. She doesn’t care about laws, or statutes, or shareholders. Just admit it. She wanted revenge.

Carly wheels Willow in, and she looks really pretty, but what the hell is with that veil? It looks like they just stuck some netting on her head. It’s awful. Was that the responsibility of the wardrobe mistress who recently retired? Maxie says, Willow is the most beautiful bride she’s ever seen except for that janky veil, and Dante says, she speaks the truth. Sam says, they’ll see Willow in there, and goes in with Dante. Wiley runs over to Willow, and she asks if he’s ready to be the best ring bearer ever. He tells her that she looks pretty, and she thanks him. She says she’s sure his daddy is devastatingly handsome, but no one is more handsome than him.

Sam asks how Michael is feeling, and he says, good; he’s ready. He thanks her again for officiating, and she says, of course (🍷). Jason would be really happy for him. He says he’s been thinking about Jason a lot today, and she says, so has she, and about him and Willow of course (🍷). Willow looks so soft and sweet on the outside, and of course (🍷) she is, but Sam doesn’t think people realize how strong she is, and how much she’s been through. Just like Michael. He’s kind and easy-going, but she doesn’t think people realize he has a core of steel. She’s so glad he and Willow were able to recognize that in each other, and she’s honored to be leading them in their vows tonight. He says he loves her, and she says, back atcha, and goes to prepare.

Maxie asks everyone to take their seats. They’re about to begin. Dante says, showtime, and in the foyer, Carly asks if Willow is ready to begin the rest of her life. Willow says, so ready.

Nina says, Ava is way wrong. She’s not doing it for revenge. That’s more Carly’s M.O. Ava says, so Nina doesn’t want to wipe that sanctimonious smile off Carly’s face – Nina says, absolutely – after everything she did to Nina. Engineering it so Willow would go to her for love and support, even though Nina found her a bone marrow donor. Nina says, exactly, and Ava says, Nina is trying to pretend that’s not the reason she turned Carly in to the SEC, and she needs Nina to see that it is. Nina says, because Ava thinks what she’s doing is wrong, but Ava says she’s not going to judge Nina. If she wants revenge, go for it; get her revenge. She’s just saying it better be worth it to Nina. Because if this comes out, it’s the end of her and Sonny.

Canon in D Major (otherwise known as the main theme from Ordinary People) begins to play. Wiley comes in, carrying the rings on a pillow, and the flower girls follow, tossing their petals. Josslyn comes next, and Here Comes the Bride plays. Carly walks Willow down the aisle and hands her off to Michael. He tells her that she’s breathtaking, and she says, so is he. Sam thanks family and friends for joining them in this celebration of Michael and Willow. When they asked her to officiate the wedding, she was kind of surprised because A, she’s never done this before, and B, there’s probably a reason for that. But when she sat down and thought about it, it actually made a lot of sense. She’s known Michael since he was just a kid, and they’ve been through a lot of life together. Watching him grow into the man he is today has been one of the greatest privileges of her life. And she and Willow have had some shared experiences, which she won’t get into tonight, but it’s given her insight into the kind of person Willow is; strong, resilient, beautiful, and so, so brave. All of the traits Michael and Willow have in common will only serve them as they embark on their life together. She loves them both so very much. She tells Josslyn that she’s up, and Josslyn reads a passage from Romeo and Juliet that begins, love is not love which alters when it alteration finds. When she concludes, Sam says, that was beautiful. Now Ned will be performing a song that the bride and groom have chosen. Ned begins to play the guitar. But we never hear him sing. Rusty pipes?

Nina says, Sonny’s not going to find out, but even if he did, he’d understand, but Ava says, no, he wouldn’t. Nina says, yes, he would. No one more than Sonny has seen the way Carly’s treated her; the cruelty, the utter disrespect. What she and Sonny have is the real deal. If it wasn’t, Sonny wouldn’t have sacrificed everything for her. Ava says, that’s just it. Sonny sacrificed everything, and he kept choosing Nina over them time and time again, and at great cost. Ava has learned the hard way that Sonny and Carly have their own history, and part of that history is a blind and stubborn and even toxic loyalty. She’s not talking about romance. The two of them could be at each other’s throats, but if a threat comes for one of them, the other will step in and defend them. So if the SEC goes after Carly, and Sonny finds out Nina was behind it, she doesn’t see him backing Nina.

Sam says, Michael and Willow have made things easy on her today, and have requested a traditional ceremony. So here we go. Michael says he knows they asked for this, but as he’s standing here looking at Willow, he has to say how thankful he is for her friendship, her courage, her love, her compassion, her support. And most important, how she’s been such an amazing mother to Wiley. The fact that he gets to call her his wife… Willow says, wait, they’re getting married? and everyone laughs. He says he forgot to thank her for her sense of humor. He couldn’t love her more if he tried, but he’s going to try every single day for the rest of their lives. She says, wow. She can’t let him have his say and not get hers. It’s ironic that he would be up here thanking her, when she was a person who was alone for most of her life. Then came him. At first, he was her friend, and such a good one; supportive, and such a great advice giver. He never judged. As everyone here knows, the first time they did this, it was a legal maneuver, but then this crazy thing happened. As each day passed, she realized how happy she was to be married to him, and it quickly became something she wanted to last. It’s like her whole frame of reference shifted. What she’d refused to see before was suddenly standing in front of her. All of that time, she’d been falling in love with him, and since then, that love has only grown. She’s fulfilled in ways she never thought possible because of him, and their kids, and this amazing family of his. He says, ours, and she says she’s so incredibly lucky.

Sam asks if they’re good to move on to the vows now, and Michael says, they’re ready. She asks if Michael takes Willow to be his wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health… Willow says she’s really putting him through the paces on that one, and Sam says, until death do they part. Will he love and honor her for all the days of his life? He says he will and he does to all of it. She asks if Willow takes Michael as her husband, ditto, ditto, ditto, and Willow says she will. Sam calls to Wiley who brings up the rings.

Nina says, it’s possible that no one will find out, and Ava agrees, it’s possible. Nina says, but Ava doesn’t think it’s likely, and Ava says, she thinks it’s true what they say; secrets have a way of coming out, no matter how hard they try to bury them. Nina says, it’s not like she made up the insider trading; it happened. Anyone could have reported it. Ava says, it wasn’t anyone; it was Nina. She turned in the mother of Sonny’s children to the authorities. Nina looks miserable, and says she turned in Wiley and Amelia’s grandmother to the authorities. She sits down, and says, what will happen if Willow finds out? She’s depended on Carly for so much through all of this. Willow will never forgive her, will she?

Michael says he gives Willow this ring as a sign of their love for and commitment to each other. He promises to support her and care for her, and stand alongside her for all their days. He puts the ring on her finger, and she says and does the same to him. Sam tells everyone that she doesn’t think there’s anything left to say, except by the power vested in her and the state of New York, she now pronounces them husband and wife. Michael says he’ll take it from here, and kisses Willow.  Mendelssohn’s Wedding March plays, and everyone cheers. Michael picks up Wiley, and Willow says she’s never seen a more professional ring bearer. Has he? Michael says he hasn’t. It may be Wiley’s calling. Wiley asks what a calling is, and Michael says, a purpose. Wiley says, so mommy is his? and Michael says, yes, she is. The doorbell rings, and Brook says, that’s weird. Who’d be showing up now? Tracy says, oh please. She’ll get it. Brook says, don’t tell her that Tracy is bored already, and Tracy says, who, me?

Nina says, maybe nothing will come of it. It was an anonymous tip to a bunch of bureaucrats. Ava says bureaucrats who live for this kind of stuff, and Nina says, it could be months or years before they open an investigation, assuming they get that far. Ava says she doesn’t know much about this stuff, but she doubts the government takes kindly to citizens messing with the markets. If she had to guess, she guesses it won’t be long before the SEC is knocking on Carly’s door.

Olivia says, okay, everybody to the solarium for the reception. As I recall, the solarium is not all that big, but maybe it just sounded good and they hope we don’t remember. As the guests are moving out, Tracy brings two guys into the living room. Sonny asks, who’s this? and Tracy says she tried to put them off, but they insisted. They’re from the SEC. Michael says, if this is about ELQ, it’s going to have to wait, and Sonny says, this is his son’s wedding. One of the men says, this does concern ELQ,  but they’re not looking for Michael. Tracy asks if they can say who they are looking for, and he says, Drew Cain and Carly Spencer.

Um… I don’t think that’s how any of this works. I don’t think their first step is to just show up, and certainly not two seconds after they got an anonymous tip.

Tomorrow, Jordan asks why this is their only option; Curtis tells Drew, this is no time for anyone’s personal vendetta; Willow asks if they’ll bring charges against Michael too; Sonny needs a favor; and Brick says he’s got Dex now.

🤞 Fingers Crossed…

God knows they gave Kelly Thiebaud enough to do before she left. She’s deserving for that alone. I sometimes think Nick Chavez overacts, but he is playing a Cassadine, and those characters tend to do that. He also had the thankless job of taking over for a well-established and loved character, and rose to the occasion brilliantly. So here’s hoping for both of them.

GH’s Kelly Thiebaud Is “Overwhelmed” By Her Emmy Nomination
https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-nicholas-chavez-reacts-to-his-daytime-emmy-nomination

🎥 Anna’s Alter Ego…

Another busy woman. She’s probably glad she has scenes in a hospital bed for a while.

Finola Hughes Teases Her Exciting New Project!

🍊 The Bitch Is Back…

Already it starts. I’m so not a fan of Tamra’s. Not just because she’s a shrew of the first magnitude, but it was embarrassing for real Christians everywhere when she claimed to be one, going so far as to be baptized, and then acted like the same she-devil she’s always been. No surprise she jumped right back into it.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/rhoc-shannon-and-tamra-tease-season-17-vickis-return

Tamra Judge Comes Back Swinging in ‘RHOC’ Season 17 Trailer: Watch
https://pagesix.com/2023/04/25/shannon-beador-slams-unhinged-tamra-judge-in-rhoc-trailer/

👠 He Feels the Hate…

Yeah, for someone who claims to be all about love and family, Teresa misses the mark by lightyears. I think Melissa and Joe #2 just finally gave up after the slap in the face of deliberately leaving them out of the wedding. At the very least, Joe should have walked her down the aisle.

https://people.com/tv/andy-cohen-nearly-walked-off-rhonj-reunion-over-teresa-giudice-melissa-gorga-hate/

🍸 And They’re Up…

Because I can’t help but look. The worst thing of all for me has been watching Raquel act like she’s Ariana’s friend. Women very much not supporting women.

https://screenrant.com/vanderpump-rules-worst-scandoval-theory-open-secret/

From across the pond. The entire world is watching. I hate to say it, but this is probably the best thing that could have happened to the show ratings-wise.

https://graziadaily.co.uk/celebrity/news/vanderpump-rules-heres-the-latest-update-on-scandoval/

For those who enjoy the aftermath of a podcast. Not sure what they expected from something called Howie Mandell Does Stuff. Although the problem seemed to be that he didn’t do stuff.

https://www.podplay.com/podcasts/behind-the-velvet-rope-322969/episodes/the-fallout-from-sandovals-howie-mandel-chat-raquels-wellness-arianas-new-life-explosive-vpr-reunion-spoilers-140035975

This guy is really trying to steal Jax’s Worst Human Being in the World title. On top of his many transgressions, Sandoval keeps calling Lisa dude. Seriously, WTF?

https://pagesix.com/2023/04/27/lisa-vanderpump-calls-out-tom-sandoval-raquel-leviss-sleepover-pre-scandoval/

👑 God Save the Queen King…

Billions of people got up before the crack of dawn to watch him get married to Diana, and we saw how that turned out. But if you can’t get your fill of the royals, here you go.

https://www.etonline.com/how-to-watch-king-charles-coronation-live-in-the-us-date-time-events-attendees-and-more-202989

🏆 Love and Talk In the Afternoon…

The who, what, and where for this year’s Daytime Emmys.

https://ew.com/awards/emmys/2023-daytime-emmy-nominations/

Daytime Emmys 2023: The Nominations
Daytime Emmys 2023: Everything You Need to Know

💻 Entering the Chat…

Roll with me tomorrow in a free-for-all of soap, tea, quotes, and a tune applicable to the season. Until then, stay safe, stay never blindly following the crowd, and stay not throwing away what you have today worrying about what’s going to happen tomorrow.

Mar3

March 2, 2023 – Laura Sends Eileen To the Morgue, Poem, Bill’s Band, Through the Years, Please Go, Fakey McFake, Monstrous Loss, Everything SAG & Good

Posted on by
Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sasha puts a single rose on Brando’s grave, and says, it’s finally over. Heather Webber will never hurt anyone again. Soon they will lock her up. She hopes Heather suffers. He’s too kind to wish that on anyone, but he’s not here, so she gets to wish for what she wants. Of course (🍷) the one thing she wishes, she can’t have. Everybody talks about moving on and living her life. Easier said. She starts to cry, and says she misses him.

Maxie meets Brook at Kelly’s, and Brook asks, how’s her mom? Maxie says, hanging in there. Ryan really put her mom and Mac through the wringer. Brook says, look on the bright side. Ryan is dead, and Heather is being put away until she rots. Good riddance to the lunatics. Maxie says she’s still reeling though. Heather’s last victim was Austin. Brook asks if Maxie’s talked to him, and Maxie says she left a message, but didn’t want to push. Brook says, it’s hard to know where to draw that line with an ex, and Maxie says, now they’re talking about Brook and Chase. Is she right?

Dante comes into the steam room to find Chase rubbing his shoulder. Dante says he told Chase to take it easy. What did that punching bag ever do to him anyway? Chase says he was overcompensating. He’s sick of being in limbo. He wants to be a cop again.

Gregory reads out loud to Alexis, when the sounds of choppers faded from the air above Spoon Island, one notorious criminal was dead, another was in custody, and their legacies were cemented with the birth of their grandson and the trail of devastation each left in their wake. She takes it he has notes, but he says, just one; masterful. Congratulations. She’s nabbed the scoop of the year.

As they approach Sam’s apartment, TJ asks if Molly is up to this, but she says she’s fine. It’s probably just a touch of the bug that’s going around. She hasn’t seen her sisters in ages, and there’s no way she’s missing this brunch. Um… I guess she misses them so much, she wants them sick too? They knock at the door, and Sam tells Kristina, they’re here. Kristina comes out with a cake that has one candle on it, and Sam opens the door. They yell, happy anniversary!🎉

At the MetroCourt restaurant, Diane tells Robert, it’s so lovely, and he says, it’s been a long time coming. He really owes her, and she says, for wasting her time in court with a case that should never have been brought to trial? He says he was thinking more of a moment they shall call the elevator incident, and she says she was only doing what anyone would do when they figured out a colleague had been drugged and swindled. He says, regardless, this is an expression of his gratitude, and she asks if that’s all this is. He says, she’s got him. There was something else he wanted to talk to her about today.

Laura thanks Eileen for meeting her at the hospital, and Eileen says, of course (🍷). Laura says she’s been given a task that feels impossible to her, and she realized that Eileen is the best person to help her with it.

TJ says now he understands why Sam insisted he escort her to this so-called sister’s brunch, and Kristina says, they know TJ and Molly celebrated their anniversary at Curtis and Portia’s wedding. Sam says, the first year of domestic partnership deserves a celebration, and Kristina says, they’re borrowing from birthday tradition, lighting the candle. Sam says, make a wish, and Kristina tells them, then blow out the candle. They do, and everyone laughs.

Alexis says, right place, right time, and Gregory says, thanks to the tip from Smoltz. She says, when he’s right, it reminds her that he’d actually be good at his job if he had integrity. He says, Smoltz may have given her information, but it was her deductive reasoning that unmasked The Hook, and she says, a major get. He says, one she should be proud of, but she says, the glory isn’t all hers. She couldn’t have done it without him.

Dante says he knows Chase hates not being on the force, and Chase says, especially after an operation like the one on Spoon Island. They caught The Hook. Ryan Chamberlain is dead, Esme Prince has been recaptured, and where was he? Dante says he missed out too, but Chase says, because he was in England with Sam working on another case. Dante says, they were tracking down Esme’s nanny. She told them that Ryan was Esme’s biological father. Chase says, see? Dante’s proven his point. It was good work. Dante says, work Chase can do too when he gets reinstated. Chase says, if he gets reinstated, but Dante says he has every reason to believe the Board will reinstate Chase. Will he have some faith? Chase says he’ll try, but in the meantime, there’s another bad guy he can take down.

Brook tells Maxie, soon enough she and Chase won’t have a professional relationship, and Chase will be free of her completely. Maxie asks if he fired Brook as his manager, and Brook says, music was never Chase’s dream; it was hers. He loves police work, and he’s probably going to be reinstated in the next few months. Maxie asks how she feels about that, and Brook says, it makes him happy, and she’s happy for him. Maxie asks how she really feels, but Brook says she’s actually happy for him. He deserves to follow his passion. Maxie says, so does Brook, and Brook says she is. Aside from the ones he already sold, Linc gave her back her catalog. She can shop those around, build her slate of artists… Maxie asks why she still doesn’t seem happy, and Brook says, because she still doesn’t get what she wants.

Eileen says, whatever Laura needs, she’s at her service, and Laura says, she looks tired. Is she sick? Eileen says she hasn’t been sleeping well. Her alarm clock must have a short; it’s been waking her up at all hours. On top of which, the heat stopped working. Laura suggests she stay somewhere else until she can sort out the heat and the wiring, but Eileen says, that won’t help with the nightmares, and Laura says, what? but Eileen says, it’s nothing. Laura tells her, Anna Devane’s body has been recovered… or what the French authorities believe are her remains. Eileen says, her condolences, and Laura gets all teary and thanks her. Eileen says she hopes this gives Laura and Anna’s loved ones the closure they need. When will the body arrive? Laura says, it’s already here. Anna’s body is down in the morgue, and she’s the one who’s supposed to… identify it. She breaks down in tears.

Alexis tells Gregory, spitballing, bouncing theories off each other, that’s what led to her eureka moment with Heather. After that, it was just a matter of confirming her hunch. He says he might have helped get the wheels turning, but this was all her, and she says, take the win. Come on. They’re good together. Why bust it all up? He says he’s sensing a return to a conversation they put to bed, and she says she doesn’t understand why PCU won’t let him work at The Invader. He says he told her; a conflict of interest. (BTW, I think he’s lying to her; I don’t think he even asked.) She says she’s researched six publications, and all of them have professors working in their editorial department. So why does PCU set a different standard for their faculty specifically? He asks why she can’t let this go.

Chase tells Dante that he’s going to stop Linc Brown and his career as a music manager. Maybe get him charged just for good measure. Dante suggests Chase remember Linc was one of the reasons he was suspended in the first place. He adds harassment to assault, he’s not getting back on the force. Chase says, Brown gets handsy with his clients – he means, really handsy. He’s abusive, controlling, and manipulative, and that’s all they know about. There’s probably so much more. Dante says he knew the guy was a sleaze, but didn’t know he was doing that. That’s no good and he needs to be stopped. Why doesn’t he have a chat with Linc? Chase says, that won’t do any good, and Dante asks how working for him is going to change his behavior. Chase says, proximity gives him opportunity. Sooner or later, he’s going to slip up in a way that’s verifiable. Dante says, when he does, Chase better be far, far away from him.

Brook tells Maxie that she and Chase are over. He made that abundantly clear. In fact, she thinks he’s moved on. Maxie says, Chase is interested in someone else? Who? Brook says, Sasha, startling me, since I expected her to say Blaze. She’s not sure sure, but they’ve been spending a lot of time together lately. Maxie says, well, they’re friends, and she’s sure they’re just being supportive, and Brook says, how sure? grabbing Maxie’s hand. Maxie says, 98% sure, prying Brook’s hand off hers. She says, Brook needs to talk to Sasha, and Brook says, why? Whatever’s going on between them is none of her business. She and Chase are over. She doesn’t have him, but she does have her music back. Maxie says, she doesn’t seem that pleased, and Brook says, it came with strings. She had to sign a non-disclosure agreement. One of her main goals when she started was to nail Linc to the wall for sexual harassment, coercion, and all of the other sleazy stuff he does. Maxie says, and she persuaded Chase to help her? and Brook says she did, and he was totally into it. So when he finds out she signed an NDA and can no longer speak publicly about what Linc did to her, he could think she prioritized her career over doing what’s right. Maxie says she doesn’t think the NDA is going to be Brook’s problem. She should talk to a lawyer, but Brook needs to look into the Speak Out Act. An NDA can prevent you from talking about work product, like intellectual property… Brook says, lyrics, contracts, deals, and Maxi says, exactly, but a contract that restricts your talking about how you’ve been treated, misconduct in the workplace, or sexual harassment, those can’t be enforced anymore. Brook should look into it. Brook says she will, but that still doesn’t change what she did, and Maxie says, Chase is understanding. She’s sure he’ll forgive her. Sasha is suddenly there, and asks what Chase has to forgive Brook for. Um… none of your business?

Diane asks how offended she should be that the pleasure of her company wasn’t enough for her and Robert to meet, but he says, the pleasure of her company is reward enough, and she says, stop. He says he wanted to bring her up to speed on some recent events, and she says, he means Heather Webber being identified as the person who stabbed her with a hook. He says, she’s confessed, which means they’re removed from having to go through a trial, and Diane says, which means she doesn’t have to testify. She wasn’t looking forward to reliving that. She puts her clients on the stand every day, but it’s different… He says, when you’re the one being attacked. He gets it. She says, of course (🍷) he would. He was the victim of an attack recently.

Eileen says, shouldn’t one of Miss Devane’s relatives make the identification? but Laura says, her daughter lives all the way across the country. Eileen says, what about DA Scorpio? They were married. Laura says, they were, but the French authorities have made it clear that… the body… there’s been some decomposition. She’s sure Eileen understands why she wouldn’t want to expose one of Anna’s loved ones to a visual like that unless it was absolutely necessary. Eileen says, of course (🍷), and Laura says, unfortunately, it’s her job as city official to assist the gendarmerie, but she’s been here for hours, and she just can’t do it. Eileen says, Laura needs support, and Laura says she needs Eileen to do it.

Chase says he knows Dante isn’t telling him to look the other way while Linc manhandles his female clients, and Dante says, no, but he is telling Chase to maybe report him. He knows it’s difficult, but maybe Chase could convince some of these women to come forward. Chase says, Dante knows as well as he does, these types of allegations are hard to prove. Either everyone comes forward or no one does. Dante says he gets direct involvement, but for Chase, it’s a bad idea, and Chase says, why? These women endure this because they think if they don’t, Linc will end their music career. He doesn’t care if his music career ends; he can’t wait. He’s the perfect person to take Linc down. Dante says, Chase takes Linc down, Linc is liable to take Chase own with him. Then what happens? The CCRB gets wind of his little one-man operation, and there go his chances of reinstatement. Chase says he knows there are risks, but he doesn’t feel right leaving these women in Linc’s orbit to do this alone. Dante says, nor should he, but to be clear, are they talking women plural, or one woman in particular?

Sasha asks if everything is okay with Brook and Chase, and Brook says, nothing major; just music business stuff. Maxie stares at Brook, and Sasha sits down, saying, she admires Brook. She’s juggling two careers. Sasha crumbled under the pressure of just one. Maxie says, Sasha didn’t. What she went through wasn’t a reflection of her capabilities or professionalism. Don’t sell herself short. Maxie tells them that she left her phone in her coat pocket; talk amongst themselves. She stands behind Sasha and eavesdrops, as Sasha says she thinks it’s incredible what Brook has done with Chase’s music career. Is she taking on other clients? Brook says, actually, she thinks it’s time to explore new horizons.

Alexis asks why Gregory is willing to let this go, and he says he knows his limits. She says, the only limits he has are the ones PCU has shackled him with. He should just quit. He says, she finds journalism gratifying? and she says, certainly more than she thought. He says, when she was practicing law, if someone had told her to quit and run The Invader, or just be on the staff… She says she’d refuse, and he says, being an attorney was her first love, was it not? She admits it was, and says, and teaching is his. He says, this may sound flowery or pretentious, but he feels the knowledge he’s imparted is his bequest to a better world. If anyone should understand how hard it is to give up a career you’ve poured your heart and soul into… She says she gets it, and he says, besides, just because he’s not officially working here doesn’t mean they can’t continue to collaborate. She said herself, why bust up a good thing? He’s thinking, there must be a way to build on the momentum of this story, and his ideas are hers, free of charge.

Kristina asks, who’s ready for a toast? and Sam asks for sparkling water. She thinks she got a bit of food poisoning in England. TJ says, sparkling water for him too; he’s due at work. Kristina says, they’re both squares. Molly won’t let her drink alone, will she? Molly says, maybe just a small glass, and TJ says, his dad called to wish them a happy anniversary. Sam asks how Shawn is, and TJ says, great, and not at all surprised Alexis cracked The Hook case. Kristina hopes Heather’s capture brings Gladys and Sasha some peace, and Sam says, that’s why it’s so important for them to celebrate these milestones. To the people we love, and all of the milestones. Kristina says, to TJ and Molly, and they clink glasses.

Eileen says, Laura wants her to identify Anna Devane’s remains? and Laura says, there aren’t many people she could trust with this. Eileen says, forgive her, but she doesn’t have the impression Laura trusts her. Laura rarely calls on her for assistance, and Laura’s often dismissive of her efforts. Laura admits she was short with Eileen when Eileen talked with Warden Brewster about the Spring Ridge escapes. Eileen says, it wasn’t the first time Laura kept her out of the loop, and it was important she stay informed. Laura says, being informed isn’t necessarily being involved. Okay, she admits it. She’s been keeping Eileen at arm’s length. Eileen asks, why? and as they walk down the hallway, Laura says she owes Eileen an apology. She let her personal sensibilities cloud her judgement. They don’t have to be adversaries. Eileen is a strong administrator, and will be a great successor when Laura decides not to seek reelection, but she needs to know she can count on Eileen when it matters. Eileen says, understood. She’ll go to the morgue and make the identification. Laura presses the elevator button, and says she can’t tell Eileen how grateful she is for her stepping up in this way. It’s something she’ll never forget. Eileen gets in the elevator, the doors close, and Laura gets out her phone. She says, she’s on her way.

Diane apologizes for bringing up a sore subject, but Robert says, it’s public knowledge. Holly played him; he fell for it. Diane says she’s assuming Holly is still recovering from her burns in Europe, and he says, Holly has some challenges ahead of her. Regardless of what’s happened, he wishes her well. Diane says she may not know Holly well, but she knows this second chance meant a lot to him. She’s sorry. He asks, why? and she says, because he is. Deep as first love, and wild with all regret. He says, o death in life, the days that are no more, and she says, to Tennyson. They clink coffee cups, and she says, she was hoping Tennyson was getting him through during that time, and he says, not just Tennyson.

Sasha says she hopes Brook finds the perfect singer for every song, and make superstars out of all of them, and Brook says, that’s the dream. Sasha says, it’s hard to make many moves under this guardianship, but she’s starting to think about her future, and Brook asks if there’s anyone else in that future. Maxie jets back to her seat, babbling that her phone was in her purse the whole time, and Sasha wonders if Brook is asking her something specific. Maxie asks what she missed.

Dante says, Chase and Brook teamed up to take down Linc. Is Chase worried about his feelings for Brook coming back? Chase says, maybe they will, maybe they won’t. Either way, it’s worth it to see this through. Does Dante remember how aimless he felt when he was first suspended? For a guy who’s wanted to be a cop longer than he can remember, it didn’t feel good to lose his purpose. Dante asks, what about singing? but Chase says, that’s a paycheck, not a purpose. He wants to help people and if he can’t do it as a cop, he’ll do it this way.

Gregory says, Doc would add a good point of view to a think piece, and Alexis says, Doc is not only Ryan’s brother, he’s his twin, and his victim. Gregory says, to share your exact DNA with someone who’s both you physiological and moral opposite? It’s a great angle. She says she likes it, and he asks if Doc would be willing to talk about it. She says, there’s only one way to find out. She’d also like to interview Esme, even though she’s got some problems of her own right now. Gregory says he forgot. Congratulations are in order; Alexis is an aunt again. She says, that’s mean. She knows Nikolas is having another son, but she doesn’t know where he is. Gregory gets up, and says, it’s a good thing she’s good at solving mysteries, and she says, about the job. He says, just when they were having such a nice chat, and she says, humor her. If PCU hadn’t gotten in the way of taking the job, would he have accepted it? He says, he would have liked nothing more, and leaves.

TJ thanks Sam and Kristina for this very thoughtful surprise. Growing up, he never knew what he was missing, but through Molly, he has sisters. He thanks them for always making him feel like family, and Sam says, he is family. Kristina says, he’s trapped and there’s no escape, but it’s only because they love him. He says he loves them too, and Molly walks him to the door. He says he’ll see her tonight, and leaves. She goes back inside, and says, as they know, TJ is traditional and she’s not, but she appreciates them celebrating the commitment she and TJ made. Sam says, love should always be celebrated, and Molly says, right back at her and Dante. Kristina says, her sisters are happily in love. It almost gives a girl a complex. Sam says, when Kristina meets someone – and she will – they won’t know what hit them. Kristina says, because she’s a wrecking ball, but Sam says, she’s fantastic and smart and beautiful, and Molly says, face it, they’re magnificent. They deserve only the best, and that includes Kristina. Only good things for the Davis girls.

Robert says he’s grateful to have friends, old and new, and Diane says he’d better be calling her new. Alexis approaches the table, and says, if it isn’t her two favorite members of her former profession. Can she join them? Diane asks if it matters, and Robert says he has another appointment. My how time flies. Diane thanks him for breakfast, Alexis takes his seat, and he leaves. Alexis asks if it was business or discovery, and Diane says, it was breakfast. She thanks Alexis for alerting her before the identity of The Hook went to print, and Alexis says, it’s the least she could do. How is Diane feeling? Diane says, like she no longer has any excuses not to go out and live her life, and take a breath. And Alexis? Is she deciding what shelf to dust off for her Pulitzer? Alexis says, that’s a bit of a stretch, but Diane says, she’s on her way. Alexis says she’d be more on her way if PCU weren’t being obstructionist. The school’s administration won’t allow Gregory to join the editorial board. Conflict of interest. Diane asks, how? and Alexis says, exactly. Diane asks what Gregory has to say about this, and Alexis says, nothing. He doesn’t want to give up teaching, so he’s accepting it. Diane says she’s guessing Alexis isn’t, and Alexis says, no. Diane knows how she is.

TJ sees Laura, and says he didn’t get a chance to thank her for stepping in to officiate at his uncle’s wedding. She was incredible. She thanks him, and says, it was her honor. How’s his Aunt Stella doing? He says, on the mend. He asks what brings her by GH, and she says, closure.

Gregory asks the reception nurse to direct him to exam room 3, and she says she remembers him; he’s Dr. Finn’s dad. He says he hadn’t realized he was famous, when TJ comes by and says hello. Gregory says he’s looking for exam room 3, and TJ says he can show Gregory. Don’t tell him Gregory has caught this bug making the rounds. Gregory says, if only.

Eileen goes into the morgue. It’s empty, and she looks at the instruments on the table and shudders. She flashes back to hearing Anna say, you’re next, Eileen. You’re next. The attendant comes in, and she jumps a mile. He says he didn’t mean to startle her. Is she Deputy Mayor Ashby? She says, yes, and he says, he’s Moe (or maybe Mel); he’s been expecting her. He holds out his hand, but she doesn’t take it. She says she’s sorry; she’s just a little jumpy. He says, they get that a lot down here. Mayor Collins said she’d be identifying the Jane Doe from France. She says, that’s why she’s here, and he slides out a drawer holding a body in a body bag. He says he has to step out for a minute. Why doesn’t she take a look, and he’ll be back with the form she has to sign. He leaves, and I don’t think that’s how any of this works.

Dante says, it sounds like Chase is going to go after Linc no matter what, and Chase says, yeah. Dante says, promise if he gets into any trouble, Chase will call him, and Chase thanks him. He suggests Chase get his bum shoulder checked out, but Chase says, Dante knows how he feels about hospitals. Dante says, speaking of hospitals, he heard Willow was released, and Chase asks if that means she’s doing better. Dante says he doesn’t know, and suggests Chase stop by and see her. Chase says he has to meet little Amelia, and Dante says, his mother has fierce baby fever right now. She keeps hinting, and trying to find out if he and Sam are having kids. Chase asks if he wants them, but Dante says, they haven’t discussed it. I’m thinking either Sam, Molly, or both are pregnant.

Sam says she notices Molly switched to the sparkling water. Is everything okay? Molly says she just feels under the weather, and Kristina says she already opened the bottle. It’s a sin to let it go flat. Molly says she doesn’t want any more, but she could use something sweet. Is there any dessert? Didn’t they just have cake? Sam says, in the bag over there, and Kristina goes to get it. Molly says she wants to hear all about finding Esme’s nanny, and Sam says, it was insane. It was beautiful and rural, and they found her in this little place in Devon. She tells Molly about the crazy driving, when Kristina takes a pregnancy test out of the bag. Molly excuses herself, and Sam asks what’s taking Kristina so long. Kristina puts the test behind her back, and Sam says, she had one job. Kristina asks if there’s something Sam wants to tell her, and shows her the test. Dante comes in, and Kristina turns around, putting the test behind her back again. He asks if it’s over.

Diane says, do not meddle, and Alexis says she’s not meddling. She’s doing Gregory a favor. Diane wonders if he asked for this favor, and Alexis says, no. Diane says, then don’t do it, but Alexis says, he wants this job. Diane should have seen him. He just doesn’t want to give up teaching. Diane says, the professor is a big boy. If he wants it so badly, he’ll find a way to get it – on his own. Alexis says, not necessarily. He’s a cerebral guy. He doesn’t like to make waves. She does. She’s action oriented. Diane says, that’s Latin for meddling, and Alexis says, he wants the job, and she’s going to do something about it.

Brook says, sorry to bolt, but she has a full day, and Maxie says, stay. Sasha says, there’s been this really weird tension between them these last few weeks, but Brook says, no. Sasha says she’s sober, she’s calm, she thinks she’s rational. So she’ll be really disappointed if Brook tells her that she’s imagining this. Brook says, she brought out the big guns right away, and Sasha says, something has clearly changed between them, and she thinks it has to do with Chase.

TJ asks what Gregory means by if only, and Gregory says, nothing. It’s just a wonder he hasn’t picked it up from one of his students. Chase comes in, and Gregory asks if he’s there to see his brother, but Chase says, Finn’s off this morning. He tweaked a muscle in his shoulder, and he’s getting it checked out. What is Gregory doing here?

Robert sees Laura, and asks if Ashby went for the bait. She says, hook, line, and sinker, and he says, well done. She says, now let’s just hope it all goes according to plan.

Eileen hesitates, then remembers Laura saying how grateful she is, and it’s something she’ll never forget. She slowly goes over to the drawer, and zips open the bag enough to reveal Anna’s beat up, bluish face. The lights flicker, then go out, and Eileen says, hello? Is Moe (or Mel) there? The lights went out. Hello? The lights come back on, and she sees a ghostly Anna standing in front of her. She looks back at the table, where Anna’s body is still lying, and says, this isn’t real. This isn’t real. Anna floats toward her, looking like a demon.

Tomorrow, Chase asks if there’s a reason Gregory won’t tell him why he’s at the hospital; Kristina says she just found out Dante and Sam have been holding out on her; Laura says, Victor has no one to blame but himself; and Eileen says, please. I’ll do anything.

📜 Poets In Law…

If you want to read the whole poem.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45384/the-princess-tears-idle-tears

🎸 Rock On…

Good for him. I thought he did a wonderful job on GH, and certainly better than the Most Extras’ first song on Vanderpump Rules last night.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/william-lipton-band-the-runarounds-performs-on-netflixs-outer-banks

🎊 Another 50th…

The Y&R Memory Lane. It’s comforting to know some of the soaps we grew up with are still there.

THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS Stars Share Their Favorite Classic Scenes

💎 Here’s Your Hat…

Isn’t she gone yet? Please, take Kyle with you.

Kyle Richards Updates Fans On Her Friendship With Lisa Rinna Following Her Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Exit

Well, we agree on LisaR’s exit, but no Housewife is bigger than the franchise? I present Queen LVP. She’s still got it going on elsewhere, and the show began its slippery slope downhill after her departure.

Garcelle Beauvais Tells Former Real Housewife Of Beverly Hills Star Lisa Rinna To “Move On” Following Her Exit

🍊 Phonier Than a Three Dollar Bill…

I’m ambivalent to Kelly – although she does let fly some amusing bon mots – but I agree Tamra is fake. The worst thing was when she decided to become a Christian, made a big production out of it, then never gave a Christian hoot again. I cringe just thinking of it. The loudest wheel gets the screen time.

RHOC Alum Calls Tamra Judge ‘The Most Fake Person on the Face of This Earth’

🦐 Farewell Creature…

He was my favorite monster as a kid. My sister went through a model building phase for a hot minute, and did several classic monsters. I loved him.

https://ew.com/movies/ricou-browning-monster-creature-from-black-lagoon-dies-93/

🏆 And the Not Loser Is…

The winners.

https://ew.com/awards/sag-awards/sag-awards-2023-winners-list/

The best moments. I would usually say, these are debatable, but they’re pretty spot-on.

https://ew.com/awards/sag-awards/best-moments-sag-awards-2023/

The fashion.

https://ew.com/sag-awards/sag-awards-2023-red-carpet-photos/

Afterwards.

https://ew.com/sag-awards/see-all-the-stars-at-the-2023-sag-awards-after-parties/

My personal favorite.

https://ew.com/awards/sag-awards/james-hong-2023-sag-awards-speech-producer-said-asians-not-good-enough/

♟ Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200…

Come to my window tomorrow for soap, tea spillage, what might pass as wisdom, and music celebrating women. Until then, stay safe, stay raising your own bar, and stay celebrating milestones, big and small.

Jan19

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

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Carly is in the chapel when Sonny walks in.

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

😵 Wow…

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

Laura Wright Defends Cynthia Watros From Internet Hate

💋 Overstaying Her Welcome Now…

Andy hopes she comes back. I don’t.

Lisa Rinna Slams Kyle Richards; Says She “Wants To Be Liked” Too Much

Yet one more weighs in.

Heather Dubrow Reacts To Lisa Rinna’s Exit; Says Whether She Would Join Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills

🧂 Kind Of Late…

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

https://pagesix.com/2023/01/15/jen-shah-to-enter-mental-health-treatment-program-after-prison/

☠️ Most Toxic…

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

Bravo’s Most Toxic Relationships

👰🏾 Look Who’s Officiating Now…

And doing the Electric Slide.

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

🦔 Besides the Usual…

A capybara and a fennec fox please.

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

🍩 Time To Make the Donuts…

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

Jan13

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

Posted on by
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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

💟 Glad To Hear It…

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

How GENERAL HOSPITAL Plans To Honor the Late Sonya Eddy

🧨 And Don’t Call Her Granny…

Good soap actors never really retire.

Jane Elliot Returns to GENERAL HOSPITAL!
Jane Elliot Returns To GH, Other 60th Anniversary Plans Announced

💃🏽 Welcome To the Nurses Ball…

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

The GENERAL HOSPITAL Nurses Ball Returns!

🥀 First Farewell…

Passions was a great show – so much fun.

PASSIONS Star Ben Masters Dead at 75

🍊 Close, But No Cigar…

Good thing Ramona is on the east coast.

https://pagesix.com/2023/01/12/shannon-beador-gets-choked-up-detailing-john-janssen-breakup/

🕶 Traitors Among Traitors…

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

Bravo Stars Kate Chastain And Reza Farahan Tease “A Bravo Alliance” in The Traitors

👠 Life After Housewives…

Do we care? Here it is anyway.

What Are These Three Former Housewives Doing Now?

👗 After the Ball Is Over…

Golden Globes afterparty fashion.

https://pagesix.com/2023/01/11/golden-globes-2023-afterparty-photos-of-all-the-celebrity-outfits/

🐊 And Of Course There Was a Peke…

No Corgi for Queen Victoria.

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

🧺 Housekeeping Stuck In 2023…

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

Dec28

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

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

🥀 First Roll Call…

Soap stars we lost in 2022.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/all-my-children/remembering-the-soap-stars-we-lost-in-2022

💎 She Should Know…

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

Former Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills Star Teddi Mellencamp Feels Diana Jenkins Has “Overstayed Her Welcome” On The Show
Bravo Alum Believes RHOBH Star Has Overstayed Her Welcome

🧂 ShahJudication…

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

U.S. Government Requests Jen Shah Get 10 Years In Prison For Her Role In Nationwide Telemarketing Scheme

🍊 Pick a Lane…

This woman needs help.

Braunwyn Windham-Burke Shares First Christmas As A Single Mom In Instagram Post; Implies Sean Burke Is “Toxic” And “Controlling”

🙌 Deserving Of a Real Bravo…

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

Celebrating Sober Bravo Stars!

⚓️ Me Boat Daddy…

Like we thought he wouldn’t finish.

Below Deck’s Captain Lee Rosbach Returns Before The End Of Season 10; Says “I Wanted To Be Able To Finish What I Started”

🐶 Yule Love Them…

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

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

🍗 Combing Through the Leftovers…

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

Dec24

December 23, 2022 – Christmas In Port Charles, Ellie, MOSS BOWL, Escape, Rescue Pups (!), VanderFight, Jealousy, Unhinged, Celebrity Holidays, Pointless, Carol Quote Quartet & Twelve

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Brook and Austin clean up giftwrap, and Britt says, from the look of pure glee on his face, Leo couldn’t have liked Austin’s gift any more. Austin says, it was just a video game about marine biology, so how could he resist. Olivia says she’d thank him, but he might be responsible for them never seeing their son again. Austin says, actually, he should thank them. It was kind of them to let him stay here last night. Olivia says, no one should be alone on Christmas, especially family. Austin and Brook leave to throw the wrapping away, and Ned says, not to sound… What’s the opposite of generous? Olivia says, selfish, and he says he thought they were having an intimate Christmas dinner. The staff is off. Did they prep enough food for a guest? She asks him to form that sentence again, and he says, did she prep enough food for a guest? She says, relax. Monica is still under the weather, and made it clear she’s not coming down for dinner. So they split the Christmas goose five ways instead of four. There’s always room for one more. Remember that. The doorbell rings, and Ned says, they’re not actually having goose, right? Olivia opens the door to Cody, who says, they have a bit of a situation.

Maxie, Obrecht, Britt, and Nina are at Nina’s penthouse, and Britt says, thanks for the loot, but she has to jet. She’s sorry she missed Sonny. Obrecht says, called away to work on Christmas day; it’s unfortunate. Nina asks if Britt is sure she can’t stay, but Britt says, no time. She has the Polar Bear Pledge, the soup kitchen, and then she’s hearing Brad sing with the PC Gay Men’s Choir. Maxie says, that’s quite a Christmas, and Britt tells them to have a wonderful Christmas. She hugs everyone, and Obrecht says she’ll walk Britt out. In the hallway, Obrecht says, Britt doesn’t have to do this, and Britt says, do what? Obrecht says, act like it’s her last Christmas with them. Huntington’s or not, she still has many more years ahead of her. Inside, Maxie says she should get going too. The roads are a mess, and she doesn’t want to miss her flight. Nina says, oh no. She wanted to check in with Maxie. How is she doing? She knows Christmas is a tough time for a break up, but Maxie says, it was a good thing. She and Austin are not meant to be. Nina says, it’s still okay to be sad about it, and Maxie says she is, but it helped spending the morning with James and Bailey, and this motley crew. Now she’s going to Portland to see Georgie. Her Christmas just keeps getting better.

Georgie asks if Ellie likes her present, and Ellie says she loves it, but Georgie coming to visit was the only present she needed. Georgie leaves to try on her new sweater, and Ellie thanks Spinelli for bringing Georgie. She can’t tell him how much she missed her last year. He says, Ellie helped raise her. You’ll always be her third parent, even if we are no longer a we. He thanks her for allowing Maxie to join them tonight. It’ll mean a lot to Georgie. She says, just Georgie, huh?

Sonny comes to the garage, and asks if anyone is here. Sasha stands up from behind a motorcycle, and he asks what she’s doing here.

Outside Elizabeth’s house, Scotty gets hit with a snowball. He makes a snowball of his own, and says, all right, you little animals, here I come. Inside, Elizabeth looks at family photos on the mantel, and focuses on one of her, Finn, and Violet. Cameron comes downstairs, and asks if everything is okay. She says she’s great, and he says, it’s just that she’s been very quiet about everything that’s happened between her and Finn. He wants her to know she can talk to him about anything, and she says she knows, but she’s fine, she promises. She asks if Josslyn is stopping by, but he says, no. Her car’s still busted from last night. Elizabeth says, that’s too bad. It’s probably for the best though, with the shape the roads are in. Nobody should be behind the wheel today.

Laura goes to Jordan’s office, Jordan says, sorry to pull her away from her family. Laura says, comes with the territory, but nobody knows that better than Jordan. It was so bad out there, she had to walk here. Jordan says, last night’s storm was intense. Snow is completely covering sections of Harborview Drive. Add that to the ice damage to all the other roads surrounding the city… Laura says, it’s just a disaster, and Jordan says, and on Christmas. Laura says, a lot of people will be having an unhappy holiday because of this.

Nina says, Maxie has one more present, when Maxie looks at her phone, and says, no. She can’t believe this is happening. Her flight was canceled. She’s not going to get to see Georgie for Christmas.

Ned asks, what’s going on? and Cody says, Harborview’s totally blocked off. No one’s getting out of their main gate, unless they plan on walking. Olivia says, luckily, everyone who’s here was planning on staying here for the foreseeable future. Cody says he just wanted to give them a heads up, and Olivia asks what his plans are for the day. He says he was going to hit up Beradino’s for their holiday menu, but that’s obviously shot. No big deal. He’ll scrounge something out of the fridge. Olivia says, he’ll do no such thing. He’s staying right here. They’ll figure out something with the food. Cody says he doesn’t want to impose, but Olivia says, it’s not an imposition. Right, Ned? Back her up here. Ned says, the more, the merrier.

Britt tells Obrecht that she knows it’s not her last Christmas, but she won’t be able to live life to the fullest. Obrecht says, despite the old adage, it’s unwise to live every day like it’s your last. Racing around, desperate to check things off a list. Nein. Live every day as if it’s your first. You’ll never lose sight of all the magic and wonder around you. Britt hugs her mother, tells her, merry Christmas, and leaves. Obrecht says something in German.

Sasha says she didn’t mean for Sonny to come out here on Christmas. She thought she disarmed the security system. He asks if she comes here a lot, and she says, no, but the garage is being sold soon. And Brando’s New Year’s resolution for 2022 was to finish his bike by 2023. Sonny says, time’s almost up, and she says she thought since she used to work in her neighbor’s garage, she could figure it out. He says, not so much? and she says, not so much. He says, all right, and takes his coat off. She asks what he’s doing, and he says, she’s not the only one who can work on engines, and rolls up his sleeves. She says, no. He should be with Nina today, and he says, he’ll get to that, but he thinks if they work together, they can do this by dinnertime. Hand me that wrench.

Olivia brings Cody into the living room, and tells Brook and Austin that Cody will be joining them tonight. She tells Cody to help himself to a drink, and make himself comfortable. She goes into the foyer, and Ned says, he hates to keep harping on this… She says she knows. They don’t have enough food. (Which I find really hard to believe.) She says she’ll whip up a lasagna. It’ll probably be boxed noodles – she crosses herself – but what are you going to do? He tells her that he thinks they’ll survive, she kisses him, and runs off. He goes into the living room, and tells Cody that Leo will be thrilled to see him. Austin tells Brook, and just like that, he was replaced. She says, horse wrangler trumps doctor, and he says she must be thrilled. He knows she was never his biggest fan, so he’s guessing she’s over the moon that he messed things up with Maxie. She says, he was trying to be everything to everyone, told a white lie or two, and it got away from him. It happens to the best of us. He asks why he gets the feeling she’s including herself in the us, and she says, because she is.

Spinelli says, of course (🍷) he wants Georgie to spend time with both her mothers, but Ellie says, that’s not what she meant, and he knows it. He says he apologizes for the whirlwind nature of this visit, but he might even have time to meet that new suitor of hers. She says, new being the operative word. They’re not even official. Funny, he used to live in Port Charles… A tablet rings, and Spinelli calls to Georgie, saying, her mother is video calling her. Georgie runs out, and tells Maxie, merry Christmas. She misses Maxie. Maxie says she misses Georgie too, and Spinelli says, Maxie is cutting it close. Her flight leaves in a little over an hour. Georgie says, please don’t be fashionably late, and Maxie says she’s so sorry, but her flight got canceled, and she won’t be able to make it in until tomorrow. Georgie says, but tomorrow’s not Christmas, and Maxie says, she knows, but she’ll be there before Georgie knows it. Georgie says, it’ll be too late. Don’t even bother. She stomps off, and Spinelli says he’ll talk to her. Maxie asks him to tell her how sorry she is, and he says, it may not seem like it at the moment, but she knows.

Obrecht comes back in, and asks, why the long faces? I desperately want to make a horse joke, and Nina says, all the flights from PC International have been grounded. Maxie says she’s not going to be able to see Georgie for Christmas. She needed this. More important, Georgie needed this. She failed George. Obrecht gives a short laugh, and Maxie asks if Obrecht just scoffed at her. Obrecht says, and she’d do it again. Such a defeatist attitude. That’s not the Maxie Jones she knows. So Maxie’s flight has been canceled; there are still other options to explore. Mark her words. They’re getting Maxie to Portland to see her daughter komm hölle oder hochwasser (come hell or high water).

Scotty comes in, and says, those kids are like wild animals, and Elizabeth tells him, watch it; those kids are her boys. He says, they want him to go sledding with them, and Cameron says, why doesn’t he? Scotty says, because he doesn’t want to start the new year in traction. Cameron suggests he take over, and Scotty says he’ll slip Cameron a twenty later. Cameron leaves, and Scotty asks, which one of those good-for-nothings is Elizabeth moping over? Finn, her father, or perhaps she’s taking a little from column A, and column B. He tells her to sit, and says he wants her to know that he and Laura are worried about her, but she says she’s fine. She’s spent most of her Christmases without her parents. It never used to bother her. He says, now things have changed. So what’s the difference? She says, for the first time, it doesn’t seem like there’s a gap or a pause. This time their absence feels final.

Olivia tells Ned, the lasagna’s in the oven. Let’s just hope it’s enough. He says, because if it isn’t, Luigi’s isn’t open on Christmas, and she says, do not even put that out in the universe. This night is going to be nothing like Thanksgiving. He says, she doesn’t really believe all this universe nonsense, right? and the doorbell rings. She says, God will get him for that, and opens the door to TJ and Molly. TJ says, they’re sorry for barging in like this. They were out caroling… Molly says, but Harborview is blocked; there’s no way to get home. TJ asks if it’s okay if they hang out here, just until the road’s unblocked. Olivia tells them to get inside now. Make themselves comfortable. She tells Ned, God will get him good, and follows them into the living room.

Nina tells Maxie, that was her business manager, and the hangar they use for across the border for Crimson is still operational. And apparently, there are some private jets just hanging out there, just waiting to be used. Is there any chance Maxie knows someone who owns a plane?

Ellie asks how Georgie is, and Spinelli says, she’s not happy. She’s at that tough age; old enough to know there are things we can’t control, and still young enough to believe mommy can move mountains. Ellie says, to be fair, Maxie is quite formidable, and speaking of, he did a nice little dodge before, but she knows him better than almost anyone. He’s fallen for Maxie again, hasn’t he? He says, now is neither the time nor the place, but he was hoping getting together as a family make things right between them. Clearly it’s not in the cards. She says, it’s not like him to give up so easily, and he says, it’s not like he can change the weather in Port Charles. She says, maybe not, but Christmas is a time for magic and miracles. So what does he say they make some happen for Georgie?

Brook’s phone rings, and she asks Maxie, what’s up? Maxie says she has a problem, and she’s hoping Brook can help her. Her flight to Portland was canceled. She can still get there. She just needs a private plane from the Toronto hangar. Please tell her one of those planes has Brook’s family’s name on it. Britt says, let her see what she can do.

Cody says, not much has changed. Olivia is still mother to all the misfits. She tells him, like she said to Austin, no one should be alone on Christmas. He says he appreciates it. Let him know if there’s anything he can do to help. The doorbell rings, and she says, he can get the lasagna out of the oven. She wonders, what now? and opens the door. A young pregnant woman wearing a blue wrap is standing there, and Olivia says, holy mother of God. The woman says she’s sorry to barge in on their holiday. She was part of a live nativity scene, and the car won’t start. Not that it matters, since the roads are blocked anyway. Would it be possible for her to wait here until a Ride Share can take her home? Olivia says, of course (🍷). Come in. This must be stressful for her. She must have a houseful of people waiting. The woman says, no one actually. This is their first, and her husband’s working the plows today, so he’ll probably be late. Olivia says, she was planning on spending Christmas all alone? and the woman says, technically, she has company, but Olivia says, no, no, no, no. She’s staying right here. She’s eating Christmas dinner with them. The woman asks if she’s sure, and Olivia says she wouldn’t have it any other way. Go into the living room and introduce herself, and make sure she puts her feet up. The woman says, Olivia is so kind, and thanks her. Cody wonders where Olivia wants the lasagna, and asks, what’s wrong? Olivia says, they’re gonna need a bigger lasagna.

Sonny says, they’re getting there, and Sasha says, it would have taken days without his help. Britt knocks at the door, and asks if they’re open. She walks in, and wonders what Sasha and Sonny are going here. Sasha says, long story. Britt? Britt says, in typical her fashion, she ignored the warnings about the roads. Her car spun a few blocks away. Sonny asks if she’s okay, and she says, the only thing bruised is her ego. Sasha says, the garage is closed, but Britt is welcome to call AAA, assuming they can get here. Sonny says, that’s assuming a lot, and Britt says, this is not how she wanted to spend her last Christmas in Port Charles. Sasha says, last? Is she going somewhere?

Austin says, Brook seems a little tense, and she says she is. Maxie needs to get to Portland, but all of the commercial flights have been grounded. She’s trying to hook maxi up with her family’s private jet that flies out of Canada, but apparently, there’s a mile long line at the border. Even if she were to brave the roads, it could be hours before she takes off. He says, if she bothers to use the roads, and Brook says, something’s going on in his head; what is it? He asks her to tell Maxie to get to the pier as soon as she can, and he’ll take care of the rest. He calls Mason, and says he’s done everything Mason has asked him to do, and asked nothing in return. Now he is. He needs Mason to send a boat to the pier in Port Charles. He needs to get somebody he cares about to Canada without the hassle of border security.

Jordan thanks someone on the phone, and says, she and the mayor appreciate it. She tells Laura, those needing medical attention have been airlifted to the hospital, but there’s been no reports of serious injuries or fatalities. Laura says, it’s a Christmas miracle. What did they say about the roads? How quickly can they be cleared? Jordan says, the plows are out, but it’s going to be tough. Laura says, tough, but not impossible. Let’s get it done. Jordan says, got it, and Laura leaves.

Maxie wonders what’s taking so long, and Obrecht says, patience. Maxie says, that’s not her strong suit, when her phone rings. She asks Brook to tell her that she has good news, and Brook says, the jet is all hers, but she’s taking a boat to Canada. Maxie asks, why? but Brook says, there’s no time for questions. Just get her booty to the pier, and give Georgie a big squeeze when she sees her. Maxie thanks Brook, and says she owes her. She tells Nina and Obrecht that she guesses she’s going to the pier, and Obrecht says, she’ll escort Maxie. Nina says she’ll come with Maxie, but Maxie says, Sonny is coming over, and they need to spend Christmas together. She hugs Nina, and leaves with Obrecht.

Everyone gathers in the living room after dinner, and Ned asks Olivia, who is the incredibly pregnant young lady? Olivia says, just another guest for dinner, and he says, this is getting ridiculous. She says, it’s a little on the nose to say there’s no room at the inn. It might not be the incredibly intimate Christmas they planned, but it’s the Christmas they’ve got. Capisce? He says, capisce, and she says, her arrabbiata sauce was apparently a big hit, and he says, she made her lasagna with her arrabbiata sauce? and she says, she found some left over in the ice box. He says, that sauce is incredibly spicy, and that is an incredibly pregnant woman, but she says, even she’s telling him, that old spicy food thing is an old wives – the woman says, oh my God, and looks down – tale.

The woman says, not now, not here, and Olivia tells Ned to get some blankets, pillows, and towels. Cody says he’ll call 911, but Brook says, there’s no way they’re going to get here with all the road closures. The woman says, this isn’t happening, and Olivia says she’ll talk her through this. Brook says she pretended to give birth, and Olivia says, not helping. Ned comes back with the linens, and they situate the woman on the floor. Molly says, TJ is a doctor; he can help deliver the baby. He says he’s never done it before, but he can figure it out. Austin comes in, and asks if this is what he thinks it is, and Olivia says, another doctor. Teamwork makes dream work. Get going.

Scotty says he knows Elizabeth is a little down, but here’s the good news. She says, there’s good news? and he says, she’s the most resilient girl he’s ever met. She takes the cards that are dealt her, and she never complains… almost never. Look at the home she’s made for the kids. They feel loved and safe. For that, he respects her, and salutes her as well. She thanks him for saying that, and he says, Jeff is a fool not to see what a great daughter he’s got. Even though Franco’s gone, she’s still a Baldwin. Never forget that. She says she won’t, and they hug.

Austin tells the woman that she’s doing great. He asks TJ to watch her for a second, and TJ tells her, keep breathing like they talked about. Brook says, she’ll go get some ice, and in the foyer, Cody asks Austin, what’s going on? Austin says, this isn’t going to be easy, and Cody says, that’s obvious, but he delivered Maxie’s baby, right? Austin says, Maxie’s baby wasn’t breach, and Cody asks if that wasn’t something the mother would have known, but Austin says, not necessarily if the baby’s flipped recently. If they were in a hospital, all kinds of options would be available, including an emergency C-section. But here, what this woman needs is a trained OB.

Britt tells Sasha that she has no immediate plans to leave, but she has a job interview in Boston. Please don’t tell anyone. Sasha says, Britt’s secret is safe with her, when Britt’s phone rings. She asks what Cody wants, and he says, merry Christmas to her too. He knows she doesn’t want to hear from him, but he’s at the Quartermaines’ with Austin and TJ. She says, congratulations, and he asks her to just listen. The Virgin Mary is giving birth today; like, right now. She asks how much eggnog he’s had, but he says he’s not drunk. Austin takes the phone, and says, there’s a woman here. She’s in labor, and the baby’s breach. It’s not his level of expertise, and he needs her to talk him through this. She says, this woman needs a hospital and a specialist, and he says he agrees, but thanks to the weather, it’s not an option. Neither a car nor an ambulance can get through these roads. Sasha and Sonny get the bike started.  

TJ tells the woman that she’s doing great. Deep breaths; in through the nose, out through the mouth. When you exhale, try focusing on relaxing an area of the body. She says, he wants her to relax? and Brook says, they thought Thanksgiving was dramatic. Mr. Wattles’ got nothing on this situation. Molly says, Mr. who? and the woman screams.  

In the foyer, Olivia says, the baby’s breach? and Austin says, there’s a pretty substantial chance something’s going to go really, really wrong. Ned asks what they can do, and Austin says, TJ can treat the mother post-birth, but they need to get this woman to a hospital on foot. Olivia asks if it’s safe, but Austin says he doesn’t know what else to do without a trained OB. They hear tires screeching, and Britt comes in with Sasha through the patio door. She says, sorry about Monica’s begonias, but she heard there’s a baby that needs delivering.

Elizabeth says she didn’t think Laura was going to make it, and Laura says, it was an eventful day, but she thinks it’s calming down now. Elizabeth asks if Laura would like some tea, but Laura says, she’s okay. She asks how Elizabeth is holding up, and Elizabeth says, since her not so happy reunion with her parents? She’s okay. She wants to be okay. Laura says, she will be, and if Elizabeth needs support, she’s here. They hug.

Britt says she knows this isn’t how the woman envisioned this to go down, but she seems to be made of tough stuff, and has three MDs to coach her through it. The baby is a little upside down at the moment. The woman asks if that’s dangerous, and Britt says, no. It just means she has to push extra hard when Britt gives the word. The woman has a contraction, and Britt says, here we go. Push. The woman screams.

Maxie tells the clerk at the airport check-in that she needs to get to Portland; Oregon, not Maine. He says, this is Edmonton, Alberta, and she says she knows that, but her daughter is in Portland, and she promised they’d be together on Christmas. He says he understands her dilemma… but she says she doesn’t think he does. First, her flight gets canceled. Then she has to take a super shady boat to a super awesome private plane, which has to land because of the weather. Now she just needs to know when she’s getting back in the air. He says, there’s really no way of knowing with the storm. No one is taking off tonight. He’s sorry. He gives her a candy cane, and says, merry Christmas. She sits down, and says, merry Christmas.

The baby cries, and the woman says, that’s a good sign, right? Britt says, it’s a great sign, and hands her the baby, saying, meet her little girl. The woman says, she’s perfect. Hello, baby. It’s your first day. So much wonder for you to see. She tells Britt, live every day like it’s your first, right? Molly asks if she’s thought of a name yet, and the woman says, Noelle seems appropriate, all things considered. Olivia says, it certainly does, and the woman asks what Britt’s name is. Britt tells her, Britt. It’s short for Britta. The woman says, Britta Noelle. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t she think? If she doesn’t mind of course (🍷). Britt says she doesn’t mind at all.

Brook says, in all the commotion, she didn’t get a chance to thank Austin for what he did for Maxie. Austin says, of course (🍷). He really wants Maxie to be happy, even if she’s not happy with him. Brook tells him that she’s not saying she was wrong about him, but he might have some redeeming qualities she might have overlooked. He says, thanks; he’ll take it. Jordan comes in with an officer, and TJ asks what she’s doing here. She says she was dealing with the roads when she got a call about an incident at the Quartermaine’s, and the woman tells Britta Noelle that the incident was her. Jordan says she sees that. Here she was, worried about missing Christmas with TJ, but from the looks of it, he kept quite busy. Molly says, TJ was incredible, and Olivia says she thinks they all earned a gold star today. TJ says, Dr. Westbourne in particular, and asks Jordan if traffic is moving. She says, slowly, but yeah, and he says, they should probably get out of these guys’ hair. Ned says, after the day they’ve had, he thinks it’s only fitting they all stay, and they celebrate together. Britt asks if he’s sure, and Olivia says, positive. Jordan says, it sounds wonderful, and there are hugs all around. Cody and Britt exchange looks.

Scotty asks what Laura and Elizabeth think of his dance moves, and Elizabeth says, they were… Laura says, smooth, very smooth. Scotty says, they’re secretly laughing at him, but Laura says she’s enjoying him. He’s a terrific grandpa. He says, she’s no slouch in that department either. Elizabeth says, all this time, she was focusing on the parents who weren’t there for her, when she should have been focused on the people who were. The people who have always been by her side; the people she’s always needed. Sonny tells Laura that he thinks she’s talking about them, and they have a three-way hug, as Cameron comes downstairs. He smiles.

Maxie leaves a voicemail for Spinelli, asking why he’s not answering his phone. Call her. Spinelli and Georgie walk into the airport, and he says, Maximista? Georgie runs to Maxie, and she asks what they’re doing here. He says, he knew they wanted to see each other. The plan was to fly into Canada, and drive to Port Charles. Maxie says, great minds think alike. And Georgie is the best Christmas present ever. She hugs Georgie, and thanks Spinelli. He says, it’s nothing, but she says, it’s everything. He’s always been there for her, through all of it. She doesn’t know what she’d do without him. He says, she’ll never have to find out, and they, too, have a three-way hug.

Ellie’s phone rings, and we see it’s Griffin Munro, who I continually think is dead. She says, hey you. Merry Christmas.

There’s a knock at Nina’s door. She drags Sonny in, and kisses him.

There’s a knock at Elizabeth’s door, and Scotty opens it. Obrecht dances in, holding mistletoe over her head, and he kisses her.

At the Quartermaines’, Cody looks at Britt. She looks away, and goes to the window.

At the airport, Spinelli eats pizza, while Georgie shows off her new sweater to Maxie, and they talk and laugh.

Deck the Halls plays while we see the once-a-year full credits.

No preview.

💍 Spinelli’s Second Choice…

Actually, I can see her with Griff. He was a bit of a nerd.

Emily Wilson Returns to GENERAL HOSPITAL!

🎍 O Moss Bowl…

This article contains a picture of the moss bowl🎍. Who cares what it says?

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-maurice-benard-says-goodbye-to-marcus-coloma

🧙🏻‍♂️ Tanzanian Devil…

His name wasn’t Shiloh or Josiah, was it?

Melissa Archer Reveals How She Escaped a Cult

🐶 Me Too…

He’s definitely cute, but mine’s cuter. He’s from No Paw Left Behind. Behold El Wray.

Oh yeah.

GH Alum Teresa Castillo Rescued the Cutest Puppy!

😭 Oh Boo Hoo…

I’d actually forgotten she was on the show. And the most awful human being on the face of the earth – i.e. Jax – deserved to be fired a while ago. Maybe even on the first day.

Kristen Doute Says She And Jax Taylor “Fought The Entire Weekend” During Scheana Shay’s Wedding Because Of The Vanderpump Rules Cameras

🍊 Old News…

Vicki is like the next Jill Zaren.

Vicki Gunvalson Reveals She Was “Jealous” That Tamra Judge Returned To Real Houswives Of Orange County

🍹 Hilton Head Gets My Vote…

I’m surprised they didn’t include Ashley calling Kathryn an egg donor at whatever ball that was.

Best Unhinged Moments On Southern Charm!

🎄 Not Quite Like Us…

The cards.

https://www.purewow.com/entertainment/best-celebrity-christmas-cards

The decorations.

https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/celebrity-holiday-christmas-decorations-2022

The celebrations.

https://www.eonline.com/photos/35242/celebrities-celebrate-the-holidays-2022-christmas-hanukkah-and-more

🎅🏽 WTF…?

I have no clue what this is, but it sounds slightly intriguing.

https://www.techradar.com/how-to/how-to-watch-pointless-celebrities-christmas-special-online-stream-from-anywhere

🎩 Quotes of the Week

There are many things from which I might have derived good, by which I have not profited, I dare say,’ returned the nephew. ‘Christmas among the rest. . . . And therefore, uncle, though it has never put a scrap of gold or silver in my pocket, I believe that it has done me good, and will do me good; and I say, God bless it!

For it is good to be children sometimes, and never better than at Christmas, when its mighty Founder was a child Himself.

I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!

[A]nd it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God bless Us, Every One!

✨ – from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

🎁 Decking the Halls…

Hard to believe another year has almost gone by. Hoping that Santa has you on the nice list, and that all your Christmas wishes – or non-Christmas wishes – come true. I’m not sure about Monday’s Deck or soap, but if it airs, it will be here. Until then, stay safe, stay open to whatever the holiday weekend brings you, and stay living every day as if it’s your first. You’ll never lose sight of all the magic and wonder around you.