Tag Archives: Real Housewives of Orange County

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.

🎍 O Moss Bowl…

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

🧙🏻‍♂️ Tanzanian Devil…

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

🐶 Me Too…

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

Oh yeah.

😭 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.

🍊 Old News…

Vicki is like the next Jill Zaren.

🍹 Hilton Head Gets My Vote…

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

🎄 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.

November 4, 2022 – Joss Sneaks Out To Warn Cam, New Donna, Blaze, Finding Love, Back Together, Spotted, Reaction, Cancelled, Even More Costumes (Plus Pets!), Month Number Of Quotes & Time

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Willow and Michael are at Charlie’s, and they kiss. Michael says, this is nice; date night. She says, it’s perfect. Just them. He says he loves spending evenings with Wiley at home, but when Wiley said he wanted to spend the night at Leo’s, he couldn’t complain. Once the baby comes, these nights are going to be few and far between. He’s sorry. Things got crazy at Aurora, and he couldn’t make her GH appointment. She says, that’s okay; it was routine. She flashes back to asking TJ what Britt is concerned about, and Michael says, nothing is routine when it comes to her and their child.

Dex hangs around outside Kelly’s, while inside, Sonny shares an ice cream sundae with Nina. She says, who’d have thought big bad Sonny Corinthos, who loves fine dining, his guilty pleasure is an old fashioned ice cream sundae. He says he’s just excited they don’t have to pretend anymore. They’re out in public; no more apologies. She says she knew that was true when Sonny stood up for her with Carly. She’ll never forget him saying that he’s a part of her life, so that makes her part of his kids’ lives. He tells her, he didn’t even have to say it, the way Donna and Avery responded to her, it made him realize she’s already part of the family.

Austin tells Mason, he’s done. Done with Mason. Done with his boss. He’s a different person now. Mason says, sure he is, but tell him, why is that exactly? Maxie walks in, and says, sorry. She didn’t realize Austin was in the middle of something. Is everything okay? Mason asks if Austin wants to tell her, or should he?

Standing on a terrace at the MetroCourt on the phone, Spinelli says he doesn’t have to offer any explanation. Society Set-Ups is his business, and he needs to know how long it will take to shut it all down… Yes, he’s aware revenues are up, but that’s not the point. Trust him. He has his reasons for shutting it all down.

Curtis tells Jordan, he didn’t want to say this in front of Trina, because she’s already freaked out enough as it is; but if the police department believes Josslyn was the real target the night Brando was attacked, he’s almost certain that killer isn’t going to stop until they zero in on Trina. Portia says, they can’t let that happen, and Jordan promises them both, the PCPD is going to do everything in their power to keep Trina safe. Curtis says, they’ll all have to pull together. Someone should call Taggert. Trina’s father should know what’s going on.

Josslyn tells Carly, she’d just hoped this year would be normal. That she and Trina could go to college and be regular college students, hanging out with their friends – on campus. And now someone’s targeting them? Carly hugs her, and says, she’ll never let anyone hurt Josslyn. Josslyn says she’s glad Jordan was here, and that Trina got home safe… Oh my God. She takes out her phone, and says, if Trina and everyone who stood by her at the trial are targets, that could be Cam too. She has to tell him. She gets voicemail, and says, if he gets this, call her immediately. He could be in serious danger.

Cameron walks on the footbridge, and looks at the locks on the handrail. He flashes back to being with Josslyn in his room, about to get busy. He hears something, and says, is anyone there?

Austin tells Maxie, Mason was saying that he’s having a few problems with the GH Insurance and Billing Department, and asked him to make a few calls on his behalf, but – he looks at Mason – he’s not comfortable crossing any ethical lines. Mason says, is that so? and Austin says he supposes he could make a few calls. He’ll see what he can do. Mason says, that’s all he’s asking, and thanks him. He says, lovely to see Maxie again, and leaves. Maxie says, wow. Having a family that’s constantly asking for favors, that’s got to be exhausting. Insurance and Billing is not Austin’s specialty. He says, it’s not. Why is she here? She says she tried to call his cell, but he didn’t answer, and he says he’s had his hands full. What was she calling about? She says she knows she cancelled their date, but she thought they could grab a quick bite before she goes back to the office. He says he’d love to, but he has some things to take care of here, and she says she totally understands. She should probably just grab something from the MetroCourt and eat at her desk. She’ll see him later though. Austin says, yeah, and she leaves. His desk phone rings, and he answers. He says, yes, he did. The patient who’s been requesting him in the ER, please let everybody know he’s on his way.

Curtis says he’s going to beef up the security, both inside and outside the house, and Jordan says she’ll make sure a police car patrols their block. Portia says, Trina is not going to want to go into hiding, or put her life on hold, and Jordan says, she has the right idea. Even with the threats hanging over her head, Trina needs to live as normal a life as possible. Curtis says, how are they supposed to do that when they’re planning a wedding? and everyone looks uncomfortable.

Carly says she’s sure Jordan’s been in touch with Cam, and Josslyn sends Cameron a text: Call me back!! Important! She grabs her coat, and Carly asks where she thinks she’s going. Josslyn says, Cam is working; she has to go warn him. Carly says, Josslyn left a voicemail and sent him a text. When he calls her back, she can warm him. Josslyn says, what if the killer is scoping out the restaurant or Elizabeth’s house just waiting for him to be alone?

Cameron asks, who’s there? and Drew says, Cameron? Cameron says, Drew, and Drew asks if Cameron was expecting someone else. Cameron says, it’s just that people are getting murdered by The Hook. He’s a little jumpy. Drew says he gets it, but what is Cameron doing out here by himself? and Cameron says, it’s Oscar’s birthday. He can’t help thinking about how much he misses him. Out here, he feels closer to Oscar. Drew says, him too. Oscar’s in his thoughts on a daily basis, but when he’s out here, he misses Oscar a little bit less.

Carly grabs Josslyn’s arm, and says, if Cameron’s at Kelly’s, that means he’s in a public place. There’s lots of people around. Josslyn says she needs to see him. She can’t let anything happen to him. Carly says, Josslyn texted and called him. Why does she need to see him in person? Josslyn says, Cam is her boyfriend. She needs to make sure he’s okay.

Dex buttons up his coat, and flashes back to Josslyn saying she’d be lying if she said he hadn’t disappointed her. In Kelly’s, Nina asks Sonny if Dex can’t protect them inside; it looks pretty cold out there. Sonny says, the cold keeps him alert, and she says, Sonny is tough. She can’t get used to having a bodyguard. Sonny says, she’d better. He’s not going to let anything happen to her. She says she knows, and they kiss

Willow says, according to Dr. Westbourne, everything with the baby is fine, and Michael says he just wishes he’d been there. She says, her too. She went through her first pregnancy totally alone, and it’s a bonus that she gets to share this pregnancy with him. He says, maybe with most couples routine checkups are mundane, but he treasures them as much as she does. So believe him when he says he’ll be right there with her. She says, promise? and he says, the way he sees it, she’s stuck with him forever. She says, forever, that has such a nice ring to it. They kiss, and Michael says he’ll be right back.

Jordan says, they’ve set a wedding date. Congratulations. Portia thanks her, and says, they’re shooting for Valentine’s Day. Jordan says, that’s less than six months away; that’s not much time to plan. But since her and Curtis’s divorce is now official, there’s nothing to stand in their way.

Josslyn tells Carly, she and Trina know Jordan’s theory; Cam doesn’t. She needs to warn him. Carly asks if she’s sure that’s all it is, and Josslyn says, isn’t that enough? but Carly says she’s Josslyn’s mother. She knows when Josslyn’s keeping something from her. Josslyn says, fine. She’ll call Kelly’s then. Carly asks if something happened between Josslyn and Cameron, and Josslyn flashes back to buttoning Dex’s shirt. She tells Carly, things between them are fine, except they’re both potential targets for a killer. Carly says she understands Josslyn is concerned, so she’ll take care of it, and she walks out of the room.

Drew tells Cameron, when he made the decision to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, it was meant to be a grand farewell; to spread his son’s ashes in a majestic vista worthy of Oscar’s forever home. Cameron says he’s sure Oscar would love that, and Drew says, it’s such a magical place. When you’re at the peak, you’re so close clouds, you feel like you could reach out and touch them. Cameron says, that’s officially on the list of things he needs to do, and Drew says, when he got to the top, he just sat there for a few minutes. It felt like he was holding Oscar’s hand, and he knows it might sound crazy, but it felt like Oscar was touching his. Cameron says, it doesn’t sound crazy. If it makes Drew feel any better, he talks to Franco almost every day. Drew says, he should. They should never forget them. Drew’s phone rings, and he asks Carly, what’s up? She asks if he can do her a huge favor. Josslyn is worried about Cameron, and he’s not picking up. Could he swing by Kelly’s and make sure Cameron is okay? Drew says, no need. He’s here with Cam right now. She asks if he’s at Kelly’s, but he says, no, he’s at the footbridge. Is something wrong? She tells him, everything is okay. Just both of them get home safe.

Nina and Sonny kiss, and she says she’s not complaining, but what was that for? He says, ice cream isn’t his only guilty pleasure, and she says he’s going to spoil her. He says, that’s the plan, and she says, to think she was so concerned what other people think. He says he doesn’t care what other people think; he just cares what she thinks. She says, that’s not true; he cares what other people think. Dante, Kristina, the two little sweet ones, they’ve pretty much accepted her, but Michael and Josslyn, not so much. He says, that’s a work in progress, and he’s not giving up. She says, of course (🍷) not. That’s not his style. She thinks she loves him. He says, she thinks? She’s not sure? She says, all right. He deserves better than a half-declaration. She’s sure. He says, about what? and she says she loves him. He leans in for a kiss, but she puts a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth.

Michael says, Willow barely touched anything, and she says she’s nervous waiting for her test results. He says he thought Dr. Westbourne said the baby was fine, and Willow says, she did. The tests were just a precaution. He says, she had him worried for a second. So she knows, even if the tests are just precautionary, they’re in this together.

Spinelli says he doesn’t care about the economic ramifications. He just needs to shut it all down… Maxie walks out behind him, and he says, trust him. He has his reasons… No, that’s not soon enough. Please, just see what they can do. He turns around, and asks what Maxie is doing here, and she says she placed a to-go order; she’s having dinner at her desk. She’s got a long night ahead at Deception. It sounds like he has a long night ahead too. He says, juggling Society Set-Ups has proved more difficult than he expected. This business isn’t what he’d hoped for when he started. She says, let’s stop dancing around the issue. She knows the real story behind Society Set-Ups, remember?

Curtis says he’s going to call Taggert, and keep him in the loop. Unless Portia wants to make the call. After all, they’re both Trina’s parents. Portia says she’s fine with him calling, and he goes upstairs, which is kind of weird, but okay. Portia says she appreciates Jordan’s well wishes on the wedding. She knows this can’t be easy for Jordan. Jordan says, her marriage to Curtis is legally ended. They’re no longer in limbo. Portia thanks her, and says she owes Jordan one. Jordan says, Portia doesn’t owe her anything, but she does owe Curtis the truth.

Nina brings Dex some hot chocolate to keep warm, and he says that’s very thoughtful, but he’s working. She says, just take it, and Sonny joins her, saying, the lady insists. Dex says, she brings out the best in his boss, and Nina asks if Sonny heard that. Sonny says, Dex doesn’t need to tell him that, and Nina asks Dex if Sonny is always so tough on him, but Dex says, he’s a big softie. She says, he is, and they go back in.

Drew knocks at Carly’s door, and she asks what he’s doing here. He says, she sounded tense on the phone, he wanted to see how she was doing. She says, he can’t be here. He has to leave.

Josslyn sees Dex outside Kelly’s, and asks what he’s doing here. He says, working. The boss is inside with Miss Reeves. Josslyn says, oh crap, and looks in the window, seeing Sonny and Nina. Dex asks if she’s looking for someone, and she says, Cameron, but she guesses he’s not in yet. He says, she’s not going inside? and she says she tries to avoid Dex’s boss and his girlfriend whenever she can. It’s nice of Sonny to leave him out here to freeze after almost killing him. He says he’d like to think she’s concerned about him, but it’s just another excuse for her to hate on Sonny. She says she doesn’t need an excuse, and it’s just a waste of energy to tell him anything different when this is what he wants to do. He says, she has no idea what he wants, and she says, why doesn’t he tell her? Cameron walks up, and says, what’s going on?

Willow takes Michael’s hands, and says, they share everything, right? Good times and bad, sickness and health. He says, that sounds an awful lot like wedding vows, and she says, it does. He says, there’s are any number of late night judges who owe the Quartermaines a favor. Does she want him to call one up? They can say those words and make it official. She says, what if she did? and he asks if she’s serious. Is she saying she wants to get married, this time for keeps? She says, she’s saying she never wants to leave him, Wiley, or this new baby.

Austin walks into his office to find Mason in his chair, his feet propped on the desk. Austin says, no. Get the hell out of his office. Mason asks why Austin’s in a bad mood. He’s just here for a progress report on his friend. Austin says, there will be no phone calls or any paperwork for Mason’s boss to worry about, and Mason says, that’s very good to hear. And Austin? Austin says, crazy. He’s not going to alert the authorities and let them know he just did a completely illegally did a medical procedure on somebody with a gunshot wound. But Mason is never going to speak to Maxie again. Mason laughs, and says, so this virtuous man thing’s not an act? Who is Austin trying to be some kind of good guy for? Austin says, who does he think? and Mason says he gets it. Austin is acting out a country song. The love of a good woman is making me turn over a new leaf. Come on. He knows the real Austin. Austin can’t possibly think he and Maxie are meant to be. The lady works for a fancy cosmetics company, and Austin is more down and dirty than anyone here knows. If Maxie knew the compromises and deals with the devil Austin’s made, she’d be running for the hills. Austin says he chooses to believe Maxie cares about him enough to accept him. And if she accepts him, she’ll accept all of his mistakes. Mason says, right, because they’re meant to be. He’d love to test that theory. He says he’ll see Austin around, and leaves.

Maxie says, she may not be a computer whiz like Spinelli is, but it doesn’t take rocket science to see he went into the business of matchmaking after Ellie left him. She thinks deep down, he believes if he can help other people find love, it will mend his broken heart. He says, she’s very astute, and she says she knows he’s been in a sad place for a while, but she has faith he’ll find love again; that the right person is out there for him.

Portia comes downstairs, and tells Jordan that Curtis left a message for Taggert, and he’s talking to Trina. It’s just the two of them, and just so Jordan knows, Curtis hasn’t got the results back from his genetic counselor. So until she has confirmation that Curtis has the genetic markers for schizophrenia, there’s no reason to worry Trina about any of this. Jordan asks, what if Curtis has the DNA markers? If he’s Trina’s father, he could have passed them on to her. Portia says, if he has the markers, then she’ll be the one to figure out what to do next. Jordan says she probably should go, and Portia says she’s sorry. She does want to thank Jordan for taking care of them. She brought Trina home. Portia appreciates that, and thanks Jordan for expediting the divorce papers. Jordan says, it’s the least she could do after she lost the first set. Portia says, there’s so much Jordan doesn’t know. With everything that’s been going on – the good, the bad – can’t Jordan see she’s right in not turning everyone’s life upside down that she cares about? Not until she knows for sure.

Drew tells Carly that he doesn’t understand. He just got here. Carly says, he’s the one who said Ned could turn them in to the SEC for insider trading. He’s the one who said they should keep their relationship a secret. He says, the longer he stands out here, the better the chance of someone seeing them together, and she says, come in. He does, and she says, he was so serious about this earlier, and now he’s joking about it. He was clear they were to stay under the radar. He says, she’s right. He just wants her to know, he walked Cameron to his car. He said he was on his way to Kelly’s; he’s probably there by now. She says, can he please tell Josslyn? She’s worried sick. They go into the living room, but it’s empty. Carly calls for Josslyn, but there’s no answer. She tells Drew that she knows Josslyn left to check on Cam.

Josslyn says she’s so glad Cameron is okay, and throws her arms around him. Isn’t he getting her calls or texts? He says he was with Drew. He was going to call her when he got here. What’s going on? She says, Commissioner Ashford told her and Trina that when Brando got attacked outside of Charlie’s, he wasn’t the intended victim; she was. Cameron says, oh my God, and Dex says, the cops think she was the target? Based on what? Josslyn says, all of the victims are linked to Trina’s trial. Ava was her mentor; Diane, her attorney; and Oz Haggerty was the witness who got Trina exonerated. Cameron says, Josslyn testified that Trina was innocent, and she says, yes, she did, but so did he. So he could be a target too. Dex says, Sonny needs to hear about this, but Josslyn grabs his arm and says, no, he doesn’t. Dex says, she just told him that she and Cam are targets for the killer. Isn’t that more important than her pride?

Sonny says, it’s getting late, and Nina says, time for bed? He says, wha-a-at? and they get up. Dex comes in, followed by Josslyn and Cameron, and says he’s sorry to interrupt, but Sonny needs to hear this. Sonny asks, what’s going on? and Josslyn says, someone is out to kill her and Cam.

In an ironic twist, Michael and Willow also get ice cream sundaes. Willow says, Michael knows how much she loves him; how much she loves their family. He says, of course (🍷) he does, and he loves her just as much. He had a full life before he met her. He’d been in love, and knew what it was like to be happy. At least he thought he did. With her, his whole life has changed. She and their children are everything he wants. Til death do us part. Her phone rings, and it’s Terry. She says, it’s the hospital, and he says, it must be Britt with her test results. She answers.  

Jordan says, Trina is a sophomore in college. Portia has had nearly two decades to determine who her father is. Yet in all that time, Portia chose not to pursue it. She can’t support that. Portia says she’s not asking Jordan to support what she’s done over the years, but now is what she’s talking about. Marshall being diagnosed with schizophrenia; Curtis being tested for genetic markers. This is all about what’s happening now, and all she’s asking Jordan is for a little bit of time. Jordan says, it’s much more important than ever that Portia tell Curtis everything now. Jordan’s divorce to him is is final, and Portia and Curtis set a wedding date. Why go into this marriage with this big secret hanging over her head? Curtis is willing to put his life on the line for Portia’s daughter. Doesn’t he have the right to know if she’s actually his daughter too? Curtis c comes back downstairs, and says he spoke to Taggert, and he’s down to do whatever it takes to protect his daughter. He even mentioned rejoining the PCPD. Portia says, wow, but Curtis says, it’s not really a surprise, is it? He can’t think of a father who wouldn’t do absolutely anything to protect his child.

Carly calls Josslyn, but gets voicemail, and she says, dammit. She tells Drew, Josslyn’s not picking up because Josslyn knows she’s furious with her. The police stood here and told Josslyn to stay put. Drew says, Carly told him that Josslyn was concerned about Cameron. When Carly was her age, what would she have done? Carly says, she would have driven straight to Kelly’s, but that’s not the point. Josslyn is supposed to be smarter than she was. She’s going to Kelly’s. Drew says, they’ll take his car, but she says, he can’t take her; they can’t be seen together. He says, this is about Joss. The hell with the SEC. Carly opens the door, and Josslyn is on the porch with Sonny.

On the phone, Willow says, she’ll see them then. Michael asks what Britt said, and Willow says, Britt wants to see her tomorrow to discuss the test results. He says, that means there’s something to discuss, and Willow says, that was her impression. He says he’s coming with her, and please don’t say it’s not necessary. She says she’s not saying that. She wants him there. He says, they have a big day tomorrow, and he wants to get her home.

Maxie says she knows the way Spinelli’s mind works. It makes sense that he’d want to quantify love; make an algorithm of it, so it removes the uncertainty. But in the end, you’re still taking a risk. Austin almost comes out on the terrace, but hangs back. She says, you can trust the algorithm first, but you still have to trust your heart. Austin comes out, and asks how it’s going. He got done at GH, and Maxie said she was getting takeout here, so he took a chance. Maxie says, she and Spinelli just got wrapped up in his Society Set-Ups issues, and Spinelli says, Maxie… but she says, it’s okay. She told Austin that Society Set-Ups is his baby. Spinelli can trust him. Spinelli says, he’s not exactly comfortable with more people knowing about his level of involvement, although he’s grateful for Austin’s silence thus far. Austin says, no problem, and asks if Maxie can have dinner with him. Maxie says, sure, and goes inside to cancel her to-go order. Spinelli says he should get going, but Austin says, not so fast. He needs to ask a favor. Spinelli says, that was quick. What favor? Austin reminds Spinelli that he just said Austin kept quiet about his Society Set-Ups endeavor, so he figures Spinelli kind of owes him one. He needs Spinelli to do something for him on the downlow. Spinelli needs to run his algorithm on Austin and Maxie.

Jordan says, it’s been a long day. She’ll make sure a patrol car comes around the house. Portia and Curtis thank her, and she leaves. Curtis tells Portia, it’s not too late to change the date. They don’t have to get married on Valentine’s Day, especially with this threat hanging over Trina and her friends. She says, Trina would want them to be happy, and he says, then what Trina wants, Trina gets. They kiss, then sit on the couch, cuddled. Portia says, promise her everything is going to be all right, and Curtis says he promises to never let anything or anyone come between their family.

Cameron flips the sign to Closed, and Dex asks if Nina is ready to go. She says she is, and Dex says he can drop Cameron off, but Cameron says he’ll pass. Dex says, the boss wants him to make sure Cameron gets home safe, but Cameron says he doesn’t work for Sonny, so he’ll make his way home himself. Dex says, it’s his call, and Nina asks if Cameron is sure he’ll be okay by himself. Cameron says he’ll be just fine, and Nina and Dex leave. Cameron looks at his phone, and sees Josslyn’s text: Call me back!! Important! He flashes back to her hugging him, and smiles.

Carly asks if Josslyn is okay, and Josslyn says, she’s fine. She tells Sonny, the only reason she let him take her home was because Cameron is a potential target. Make sure he’s safe. She doesn’t want any protection… Carly pulls her inside, saying, get in the house. Sonny says, he ran into Josslyn at Kelly’s, after he heard Jordan’s theory the Brando’s death was a mistake, and the intended victim was Josslyn. So he brought her here, and had his guy Dex take Cam home. Carly thanks him, and Sonny says he guesses it’s all good here, so he’s going. He leaves, and Carly says, Drew has to go so Sonny sees him leave. He says, but first, and kisses her. He leaves, and unbeknownst to them, Josslyn has been watching, and her expression goes through a few changes.

Tomorrow, Valentin tells Anna that he has a plan; Holly asks if Robert has any details he can share with her; Nina tells Sonny, if she needs to step back, that’s what she’s going to do; and Heather says, speak now, Dr. Dreamboat, or forever hold your peace.

👧🏻 Pumpkin, Is That You…?

I have to admit, little Donna is pretty cute.

🔥 Trail Blazing…

I’m guessing Linc figures it wouldn’t hurt if she sabotaged Brook’s relationship with Chase too.

💖 The Charm…

She sounds like she’s doing well, despite the long covid.

🎞 Reunited…

This film sounds kind of interesting. Something different, yet timely.

🍊 Seen In the Wilds…

She probably stowed away.

🗽 Loser’s Club…

All I can say is, ugh. Ramona.

🐎 Not a Surprise…

It was a good show, but it was no longer Westworld after the first few seasons.

https://people.com/tv/westworld-canceled-by-hbo-after-four-seasons/

🦸🏽 More Masquerade…

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Family time. I’m so stupid. I thought, how is that kid looking out of that mask with no holes? and it was a graphic put there to block his face.

https://parade.com/news/best-celebrity-family-halloween-costumes-instagram-photos-2022

🎯 Random celebrities.

🎭 Celebrities dressed as celebrities.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanschocket2/people-dressed-as-celebs-costume

🥇 Another category that’s debatable.

https://www.tmz.com/2022/10/31/halloween-costumes-best-2022-celebrity/

🐩 And no way I’d forget.

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/top-dog-hallowen-costumes-2022-37174276

🐓 Quotes of the Week

The cow didn’t even help me. – Kimberly Menzies, when her boyfriend’s mother did not bless their union even after gifted with a cow, 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?

The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot. – Michael Altshuler

In law a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so. – Immanuel Kant

Focus on the journey, not on arriving at a certain destination. – Chris Hadfield

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.  – Viktor Frankl

If you hear a voice within you saying, you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced. – Vincent Van Gogh

Our thoughts and actions should express our mind of compassion, even if the other person says and does things that are not easy to accept. We must practice this way until we see clearly that our love is not contingent upon the other person being lovable. – Thich Nhat Hanh

Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swamps of the not-quite, the not-yet, and the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists… it is real… it is possible… it’s yours.Ayn Rand

Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.Albert Einstein

If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans. – James Herriot

The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made. – Groucho Marx

Falling Back…

Don’t forget, you gain an hour’s sleep this weekend. I’ll be back when the Dead Walk. Until then, stay safe, stay being grateful for at least one thing every day, and stay never going into a serious relationship with a big secret hanging over your head.

October 21, 2022 – Martin Accuses Anna Of Murder, Holly, Renewed, Nuclear, Non-Leak, New Side, RumbleCon, Just Go Away, Joking, Southern Touch, Story News, Pets (!), One More Than Ten Quotes & Anything

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

In Jacksonville, Carly and Drew walk on the beach, Drew carrying the urn with Virginia’s ashes. He says, it’s so beautiful. There’s no rush. She can take as much time as she wants. They can come back tomorrow if she wants. She says, that’s okay; she’s ready.

Robert goes into the boathouse and says, oh my God. Holly is there wrapped in a blanket, and says, hello, Robert. He says, Holly? (like she might be someone else) and she says, it’s me. He kneels down and asks if it’s really her. She says, don’t tell her she looks so awful, he didn’t recognize her (like she doesn’t look like she did 20 years ago), and he says, it’s really her. She’s the most beautiful sight in the world. He hugs her.

Sasha tells Maxie, no one matching Lucy’s description was brought into the ER. Maxie asks if it’s a good thing, or a bad thing, and Sasha says she doesn’t know. On one hand, it could mean she isn’t hurt… Maxie says, but where is she? She’s been worrying non-stop since she got that call from the police. Sasha wonders why the police would be looking for Lucy. Maxie says, Dante was being intentionally vague, giving her that whole, I can’t discuss an ongoing investigation thing. He just wanted to know if she’d heard from Lucy. Austin joins them, and says he got Maxie’s weird text; what’s going on? Maxie says, Lucy’s missing.

Chase meets Brook at the Quartermaines, and asks if everything is okay; he saw the patrol car out front. She says, they found a woman in the boathouse, and he says, that doesn’t sound creepy at all. She says, they were hoping it was Lucy, since no one’s heard from her since yesterday, but Michael and Willow were just here, and apparently, it’s Robert Scorpio’s dead wife. Just another day at the Quartermaine’s.

Holly says she’s missed Robert too. Why does he look like he’s seen a ghost? He says, they all thought she was dead, and she asks why anyone would think that. He asks where she’s been for the last two years.

Victor’s attorney, Roz, says, this is so typical of Anna Devane. Everybody knows she’s made it her life’s work to send Victor to prison. Victor says he’s counting on that.

Jordan, Anna, and Martin look at the drone footage, and Jordan says, there’s Lucy. She turns, reacts, then she’s shot. Martin says, by Anna, but Anna says, she wasn’t there. Martin says, that screen says otherwise, and we see the shooter’s face. It’s Anna’s face, and she says, there’s an obvious explanation, but Martin says, she’s a murderer. She says, no. She’s being set up.

Holly tells Robert, she doesn’t know; everything is mixed up. She was on a boat… she thinks. He says he’d like to have her checked out for a concussion, but she says she’s fine. He says he’d like a doctor to tell him that. Shall we? On the side, Olivia asks how Holly got into their boathouse, but Ned says, her guess is as good as his. Dante comes in, and says, the ambulance is on the way. Holly says, ambulance? and Robert says, hospital, medical people, stuff like that. She says she just needs dry clothes and a shower, and he says, and a guy with an MD after his name. This is not negotiable. She says, still as stubborn as ever, and he says, look who’s talking. Dante introduces himself, and asks if she knows how she got to Port Charles. Olivia says, her last known location was Monte Carlo, and Holly says, she has no idea. Robert says, GH, now. She says, fine, but no ambulance. Where’s his car? He asks if she’d like to drive, and she says, is he kidding? They drive insane in this country. (Agreed.)

Austin says, if Lucy’s brought in, he’ll let Maxie know as soon as possible, and Sasha says she can’t stand to lose anyone else. Maxie tells her, it’s too soon to be thinking like that. Do they know anyone who’s tougher or more resilient than Lucy? Sasha says, no, and Maxie says, she’s a survivor. They have to think about that, and think positive. Mason comes along, and Maxie says she didn’t know he was still in town. She introduces Sasha, and Austin suggests they head home. He’ll give them a call if there’s any change. Sasha says, the thought of going back to her apartment is… and Maxie asks, when was the last time she ate? Sasha says she’s not hungry, but Maxie says, that’s not going to work for her, and steers Sasha toward the cafeteria. Austin says, Mason can’t be here, and Mason says, Austin keeps saying that like it’s his choice. They both know it’s not up to either one of them.

Anna says she didn’t shoot Lucy, and Martin says, they just watched her do it. She says, it’s not her. Jordan joins them, and says, the woman found at the Quartermaine boathouse wasn’t Lucy. Martin says, if Lucy is gone, it’s because Anna killed her, and Jordan tells him to keep his voice down. He asks why he should, and she says, he’s a lawyer. Of all people, he should know video footage can be altered. Anna says, it’s fake, and he says, of course (🍷) she would say that. Jordan asks if he really thinks Anna would shoot Lucy at point blank range, and Anna adds, and stand here and watch a video of it? Martin says, Anna is a lot more complicated, and maybe cold-blooded than she gets credit for, and why not? She’s a trained WSB operative, and he’s sure wrongfully accused is the first song they teach you in spy school. Anna says she knows he’s upset; she is too, but he needs to take a breath. She would never do anything to hurt Lucy. He says, don’t tell him to calm down. The last time he saw Lucy, she was storming off to confront Anna. Now Anna’s here and she’s not. So what happened on that pier? Lucy wouldn’t give Anna what she wanted? She threatened to turn things around, so Anna got rid of her. Anna says, this is all Victor, and Jordan says, wait here. She heads for the interrogation room, Anna on her heels. Roz says, finally, and Anna moves past Jordan, asking Victor, where is she?

Carly and Drew walk on the beach, as the cameraman perfects his crane shots. They get to a cliff, and Carly says, this is it.

Olivia tells Ned, Holly is a gutsy lady, but she could tell Holly was scared. Couldn’t he? He says, not remembering things that happened to you is scary, and she says she hopes Holly is all right. Did he see the look on Robert’s face when he saw her? Ned tells her, go to the hospital. Robert’s her friend, and could obviously use some support right now. Holly’s reappearance is a lot to wrap your head around. Besides, he can tell she’s dying of curiosity. She kisses him, they exchange I love yous, and she jets.

Mason says, he and Austin both answer to a higher power, and Austin says, God? Mason says, as far as they’re concerned, it might as well be. Face it, family’s forever, especially theirs. Robert wheels Holly out of the elevator, and she says, for the last time, she doesn’t need a wheelchair, and he says, for the last time, he wants a doctor to tell him that. And he thinks they found one. He wheels her over to Austin, who asks if he can help them. Robert says, this woman was found wandering on the Quartermaine grounds, but Holly says, she’s not this woman and she wasn’t wandering. Robert asks what she was doing there, and she says she doesn’t know. He says, memory issues. He’s concerned there might be a bit of damage there. She says she doesn’t want to be examined; she’s scared. Robert says he’s going to be with her every step of the way, and if there’s something wrong or there’s a problem, better that it happens here. She agrees, and introduces herself to Austin.

Carly says, this is her mother’s favorite spot. She would sit and watch Carly down below, catching hermit crabs. He says he can see it. Little Caroline, running around on the beach, not a care in the world. Scrambling over the rocks with a bucket. Did she ever try to take one of the crabs home as a pet? She says, she would show them to her mom, who would act impressed and amazed, and then they’d put them back because her mom said, this is their home. Then she would joke, and say, maybe one day it would be her home too. He says, now it will, and Carly says, it feels right. Laying her mother to rest at the ocean. There’s nowhere she’d rather be.

Chase wonders where Holly came from, and asks Brook if the Coast Guard found a boat nearby, but Brook doesn’t know. She brings him inside, and asks where he was this morning. He says he had an engagement with his niece, and she says, aka a tea party. She hopes Violet realizes she was having tea with a rock star. He says, let’s not go overboard, but she says, it’s not an exaggeration. Has he been following his social media accounts? He says, not really. Does that mean his set at The Savoy went well? She says, it didn’t go well; the people loved it. The video she posted has over 100,000 views already. This is huge. He’s going to be the next big thing.

Victor asks, what’s happened? Don’t tell him they found Lucy’s body. Anna says, so he killed her, and Roz tells Anna to watch her tone with her client. Jordan says, there’s no sign of Lucy’s body in the harbor. Tell them where she is. He says he doesn’t know, and Anna says, he’s lying. Jordan says, they watched the footage, and Anna says, his little show. He arranged for a drone to fly over the docks… Victor says, Anna’s become completely unhinged. Will someone tell him what’s going on here? Jordan says, they have a video of what appears to be a woman firing two shots at Lucy Coe, and Victor pretends to be mortified. He says he was clinging on to some hope that she was alive, and Anna flies around the table, but Roz blocks her from getting to Victor.

Maxie asks how Sasha is doing, and Sasha says, some days she feels like it’s going to be okay. Other days, she hangs out at the hospital because she doesn’t want to be home without him. Maxie says she remembers that. One of the worst parts of grief is that it’s not a straight line. It ebbs and flows, and she just wanted an end date. It’s unfortunate it doesn’t work like that. She’s here if Sasha wants to talk. Mason comes by, and says he was hoping to chat with Maxie before he leaves. He needs a favor.

Chase says, so Holly has zero memory of what happened, and Ned says, she doesn’t even know how she got to the US. Brook calls Chase over to show him the comments from his latest performance. That voice, those yes. I’m officially dead. Where can I get this song? Never mind the song, where can I get him? Chase says, that’s embarrassing, but Brook says, it’s incredible. They have to release the single by the end of the week, and an entire album by the end of the month. They have to give these people something to buy. Don’t worry; he’ll still be able to perform live. She misses that feeling of being in the spotlight, in front of hundreds of thousands of people. Her phone rings, and she says, it’s the studio calling about the session she booked. She steps out to the patio, and Chase tells Ned, Brook’s really in her element. Ned says, Brook’s having the time of her life. How about Chase?

Olivia gets to the hospital, and asks Robert how Holly is. He says, Austin is in with her now, and she asks how he’s doing, when Austin tells Robert he can come in. Robert says, well? and Austin says he thinks she’s great; no double vision, no headaches. No case of hypothermia. Holly says, this blanket is doing the trick, and Robert asks when she’s going to be admitted. Holly says she’s not, but Robert says he wasn’t asking her. Austin says, how about if he orders an MRI, and when he gets the results, they can discuss. Does that sound fair? Holly says it does, and Austin leaves. Robert sits down, and asks if anything has come back to her, but she says, not yet. He asks, what’s the last thing she remembers? and she says, it’s all so foggy. She was working for the WSB, and investigating a casino in Monaco. He says, Monte Carlo. He and Ethan turned the place upside down looking for her. She asks how Ethan is, and Robert says, last he heard, Ethan was pretty good, but he’ll be better once he knows his mother’s alive. She says she wants to hear his voice, but she has no way of reaching him. He gives her his phone, and says, it’s on him. He has to talk to Olivia about something. He leaves, and Holly looks at the phone.

Anna is hustled out of the interrogation room, and Jordan says, she needs to pull it together unless she wants to be arrested for assault. Anna says she just couldn’t stand looking at his smug face for one more second, and Jordan says, Anna is a professional; she knows better. Cool down. Anna tries to follow Jordan back in, but Jordan says, uh-uh. After that little display, Anna is out of this. Jordan goes in, and Roz says she wants Anna arrested. Jordan says, for? and Roz asks if Jordan didn’t see what Anna just did to her client, but Victor says, now is not the time. A woman is missing, possibly dead. Roz says, the shooter is female? and Jordan says, it looked that way, but they still have to analyze the footage. Victor says he assumes her tech experts are working on that. Lucy’s attacker has to be identified. In the squad room, Anna leaves a message for Robert to call her back as soon as he gets this. Victor has made his move. He’s trying to frame her for Lucy’s murder. Anna picks up the laptop to look closer, but Martin runs in with ADA Arden, and says, that’s tampering with evidence. Arden asks if this is the surveillance footage, and Martin tells her, watch it. Then have this woman arrested for murder.

Carly tells Drew, she hates that she lost fight to save the cemetery, but thinks Virginia would love being part of the ocean she loved so much. He says, two things can be true at the same time, and she says she’s beginning to see that. He says, life is quite the ride, and she says she hates that her mother’s life was cut short. She didn’t have the opportunity to say so many things she wanted to say. He tells her, it’s not too late to say them now. Go ahead. She takes the urn, and walks away from him. She says, Virginia, you were a good mom; you were a great mom. I’m so sorry I didn’t always make you feel that way. I wish I could say this to your face. I wish you could know my kids. I wish you could be a part of our lives, but we can’t go back, no matter how bad we want to. I hope you’ve been at peace, and I hope you continue to be. I love you, mom. She walks to the edge of the cliff, and pours out the ashes. The wind takes them out to the ocean.

Anna tells Martin, so he’s alleging she followed Lucy to a public pier, and shot her in full view of anyone who might come by. He just said she went to spy school. So surely she’d have had a more clandestine method to eliminate someone at her disposal. She basically put herself out there to get caught. Does he see that this doesn’t make any sense? He says he sees the woman who blackmailed him. The same woman who, when he refused to spy for her, threatened to destroy his life. She uses people any way she has to, to even the score in her petty grudges. With people like her and Victor, that gets dangerous real fast. He watched his own brother do it for years. When the stakes get too high, when something goes wrong, someone like Lucy gets in the way, she’s got to get rid of the problem permanently. Jordan comes out, and asks Arden, what’s going on? Arden says, nice of her to join them, and Jordan says she was questioning a suspect. Arden says, she can tell Victor that he’s free to go.  

Olivia asks how long Austin said the MRI would take, and Robert says, he didn’t. She says, he didn’t answer her question from before. How is he holding up? He says, she means with his deceased ex-wife turning up alive and well? It’s overwhelming, in a nice, warm, fuzzy way. She says, it’s a miracle. Now he gets the chance to say all the things he didn’t think he’d have a chance to say.

Dante tells Austin, he was wondering if he could get an update on Holly, and Austin asks if Dante is family. Dante says, no, and Austin says, then Dante knows he can’t tell him anything. Dante says, it’s for the investigation. He doesn’t need details. Are they going to be admitting Holly? Austin says he’s recommending she stay for observation, but you can’t make a patient stay against their will. Dante says, what about that memory loss thing? and Austin say, so much for no details. There doesn’t seem to be any physical reason for Holly’s memory loss.

Chase tells Ned, singing at The Savoy was great; connecting with the audience, getting lost in the music. Ned says he’s sensing a but, and Chase says, he spent the whole time waiting for it to be over. He enjoys singing… Ned says, but it’s not his passion, and Chase says, he enjoys making people happy, and who doesn’t love a crowd cheering for them? But at the end of the day, it’s not making a real difference. Ned says, like he would be if he were on the force, and Chase says, exactly. He wants nothing more than to be a part of that investigation, and find out who’s going around attacking people with a hook. He wants to take that killer off the streets. Ned asks if Brook knows about this, and Chase says, managing him means so much to her, and he can’t be a cop right now, which is entirely on him. He lost his cool, he punched Linc, and now he’s paying the price. Ned thanks him for defending his daughter’s honor, but Chase says, no thanks needed. He regrets the outcome, but he can’t say he wouldn’t do it again, which is why the suspension is totally merited, but it doesn’t make him miss being a cop any less. It’s pointless focusing on something he can’t have. He needs to focus on something he can control… for Brook’s sake.

Brook finishes talking to the studio, and sees an email from Dante. The subject says: Letter of support to get Chase reinstated. She deletes it, and the phone rings. She says, hello, Linc. What can I do for you?

Maxie says she’ll be glad to help Mason if she can. What does he need? He asks if she can talk some sense into Austin, and convince him to come home to Pautuck for Thanksgiving. They miss him something fierce. Austin walks up behind him, and Maxie says she didn’t mean to take Austin away from his family, but Austin says, she’s not taking him away from anything. He’s right where he wants to be. Maxie would be welcome too, of course (🍷), and her kids; Georgie, James, and Bailey, right? She says, that’s impressive, and Austin asks if Mason didn’t say he had to be on the road. Mason says, always looking out, and tells Maxie, think about Turkey Day. Austin says he’ll walk Mason out, and Mason says, gobble-gobble, as they leave. Sasha says, he’s an interesting guy, and Maxie says, yeah…  Are they cannibals??? I’m intrigued.

Victor thanks Arden for her interest in this case, and Arden says, as soon as she was made aware, she knew it required her attention. Anna tells Jordan, she’s got to get out of here. If Victor set her up – which she believes he has – he’s not going to stop with the drone footage. There’s going to be other false evidence out there against her. Jordan says, go, and Anna moves to the door, but Martin says, no. There’s no way Anna is walking out of here. Jordan says, Agent Devane isn’t under arrest. But don’t leave town. Anna says, understood, and leaves. Martin says, isn’t that sweet? Does Jordan give all her friends preferential treatment, or only the guilty ones? Victor says he’s not following. Does Martin think Anna did something to Lucy? Martin says he knows she did. You can see it plain as day on that video. Victor says, the Commissioner failed to mention that, and Arden says, since Jordan’s judgement is clearly compromised by her relationship with Anna, it’s her opinion Jordan be removed from the case.

Drew asks if Carly is okay, and she says she’s feeling so many things; mostly free. When she thinks about that emergency landing in Jacksonville, she was so frustrated. She just wanted to get where she was going, and that’s exactly what happened. Her mother needed her to be there, and she needed to be here for her mother. He says, divine intervention, and she laughs. She says, it gave her closure with Virginia, and reminded her of who she is, and what’s important to her. Her family and her friends… He says, hermit crabs, and she says, hermit crabs, and him. She’s been focused on everything she’s lost in these past couple years, and it’s been a lot, but she’s also gained something. He asks, what’s that? and she says, him. He dropped everything to help her. He slept on a really  bad couch. He says, the couch was not so bad, and she thanks him for helping her. It meant so much to her. He says, it meant as much to him. Watching her face her past made him take a good look at his own life. She says, what did he see?

Holly is wheeled back to the exam room, and Olivia and Robert join her. Robert asks, how’s the head? and Holly says, still attached. He suggests she give Ethan a call; maybe he’ll pick up now. Olivia says, not exactly the kind of message you can leave in a voicemail, and Holly says, sorry, she is? Olivia apologizes, and introduces herself, saying, she was at the boathouse earlier. She brought Holly some clothes for later. Holly says, that’s really thoughtful, and Olivia says, of course (🍷). It’s so wonderful to finally meet Holly. Although Olivia feels like she already knows her. She was in Monte Carlo with Robert and Ethan when they were looking for Holly. Holly should have seen what Robert went through to find her. She’ll let Robert tell her, but it was really something else. Holly says, he did all that for her? and he says he doesn’t know why she’s so surprised. He’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Brook comes in and tells Chase, they did it. They got him. She just knew this would work. He says, feel free to fill him in anytime, and she says, Linc called. He took the bait.

Austin tells Mason, do not involve Maxie in this, but Mason says, he’s not; Austin is. Because he deluded himself into thinking he can keep Pautuck separate from his life here. He can’t. In all honesty, Maxie and her kids would do better to stay as far away from Austin as possible.

Jordan says she’s following the evidence without making assumptions. Arden saw the video. Can she say, without question, that the shooter is Anna Devane? Arden says, without question? No. Jordan says, she’s sending the video to IT. They’ll do their best to see if it’s been altered in any way. Victor thinks it might be worth mentioning that whenever he was with Lucy and Anna’s name came up, Lucy was visibly uncomfortable. Martin agrees, and Victor says, he didn’t think anything of it at the time, but now he’s wondering if Lucy might have been afraid of Anna. Roz tells Jordan to add that to the evidence she’s following, even though it’s hearsay. Jordan asks if Victor is willing to make an official statement, and he says he supposes so. Arden asks if this means Jordan’s changed her mind, and Jordan says, if the shooter in the video proves to be Anna, she’ll reassess. Martin says he can’t listen to any more of this, and walks away. Jordan says, until then, nothing links Anna to Lucy’s presumed death

Anna puts on gloves, and opens her car. She wonders where evidence would be planted. She feels around the seats, and looks in the glove compartment.

Drew tells Carly, the life he came back to a year ago, wasn’t the one he left, and it took him a while to see it, but there’s beauty in that. She says, in new beginnings. He says, a new beginning for both of them, and she says, new beginnings can be scary. He says, they can, but they also can be exciting and hopeful, and full of possibility, and she says she likes the sound of that. He says, so does he. He smooths her hair back from her face, and asks, is this okay? She says, yes, and he doesn’t have to ask ever again. He kisses her, and we get a spinning crane shot like the one at the end of The Beastmaster when Dar kisses Kiri.

Sasha sees Martin at the hospital, and says she didn’t realize he was back in town. Has he heard from Lucy? He says, nothing, but he’s not giving up until they find her. He was actually here to check the ER. He knows it’s futile… She says, but better than sitting around waiting. He asks how she’s holding up, and she says she’s taking it day by day. It’s hard to think beyond that. He says he heard from the judge, and has an update on her future.

Brook tells Chase, right after she got off the phone with the studio, Linc called. He said he wants Chase to do a duet with one of his rising stars. Brook’s actually heard of her; she has a pretty big following. She thinks she has the perfect song for them to sing together. It will be huge boost for Chase’s career. He says, and one step closer to exposing Linc for the predator he is, and she says, that too. He says, this is really happening, and they hug.

Holly says she’d like to change into these clothes, but Robert says, she won’t be needing them, because she’s staying. Holly says, she’s not, and Olivia wisely says she’ll leave it between the two of them, and gets the hell out of there. Holly tells Robert, Austin said she’s fine, but he says, Austin never said anything remotely like that. She says, she will be once she’s had a long bath and a decent meal, neither of which she’ll get here. He says, he’s not going to win this one, is he? and she says, when does he ever win with her? She assumes the MetroCourt is still around, and he says, it is. She says, perfect. She’ll need a full English breakfast, and some tea, preferably with whiskey in it.

Arden says she’s sorry the police wasted Victor’s valuable time, but Victor says, all that matters is justice for Lucy. As the Commissioner said, just follow the evidence.

Anna looks in her amazingly neat trunk, taking out the few things in it. She lifts the bottom, where there are blankets stored underneath. Underneath the blankets, she finds a gun.

On Monday, Sasha says, the Judge made a decision on her guardianship: Mac says. Lucy may have been the victim, but is Anna the real target; and Anna tells Dante that there’s something he needs to know.

💕 And It Feels So Good…

Who Holly is, for those needing to catch up, and the feelings about her return.

🍻 Another Round…

This show sounds promising.

🧂 ShahBoom…

This does not compare to Teresa Giudice’s situation. I’m not a Teresa fan by any stretch of the imagination, but even I can see she was just a moron whose husband said, sign this, and she did. Jen is a whole other level of thief.

🍊 Was It With Paul…?

Is Noella even coming back? This is kind of a non-story.

🤸 Script Flipping…

I like Taylor, and she’s been through it. I’m interested to see what she brings to the mix.

https://people.com/tv/bravocon-2022-taylor-armstrong-went-through-so-much-rhobh-drama-different-side-real-housewives-of-orange-county/

🤼 BravoCon Smackdown…

I can’t imagine what they were like by the end of the night.

https://people.com/tv/bravocon-2022-melissa-gorga-calls-rhonj-costar-jennifer-aydin-toxic-trashy-for-throwing-drink-at-joe-gorga/

Andy isn’t going to be happy until there’s a lawsuit. And not that any of these cretins with money are any kind of role model, how did it get to be okay to throw drinks on people, shove them, and throw whatever is in front of you at them? I’ve noticed a lot of drink throwing on 90 Day Fiancé lately too. It’s not okay. Stop it. And if you do it to me, you’d best run fast.

💋 Don’t Go Away Mad…

Yeah, that’s the problem. She thinks she’s in the WME when it’s supposed to be a reality show.

💎 Not Funny…

They always say they’re joking when they realize it’s not well-received.

🍹 From Down South…

Patricia picks sides.

And makes no excuses.

https://www.bravotv.com/southern-charm/bravocon-2022/patricia-altschul-explains-whitney-sudler-smith-bravocon-absence-naomie-olindo-update

⚰️ About That Horror…

The latest on American Horror Story: NYC.

https://www.buzzfeed.com/michelelbird/ahs-nyc-cast-guide

https://ew.com/tv/american-horror-story-season-11-ahs-nyc/

🐹 But Of Course…

To make you feel warm and fuzzy after all that angst.

🌩 Quotes of the Week

Many things—such as loving, going to sleep, or behaving unaffectedly—are done worst when we try hardest to do them. – C.S. Lewis, Studies in Medieval Literature, compiled in Words to Live By

What are you waiting for? How long will you keep waiting? Don’t sit back and wait for life to happen to you. Have a plan and take the needed steps to create what you want. – Steve Maraboli (Dude is a real taskmaster.)

Healing comes from taking responsibility: to realize that it is you – and no one else – that creates your thoughts, your feelings, and your actions.Peter Shepherd

We can have peace if we let go of wanting to change the past and wanting to control the future. – Lester Levinson

Dare to be true: nothing can need a lie: A fault, which needs it most, grows two thereby. – George Herbert

Just don’t give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can go wrong. – Ella Fitzgerald

A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success.Elbert Hubbard

This adoration of an artist as a lone genius is quite misled, I think, because they are very much part of their time and their community. – Hannah Gadsby

It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it. – Benjamin Franklin

Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less. – Marie Curie

I can calculate the motion of heavenly bodies, but not the madness of people. – Isaac Newton

🛣 Easing On Down the Road…

See you when the bell tolls for the Dead. Until then, stay safe, stay getting all the facts before picking a side, and stay not being frustrated by emergency landings. Sometimes they get you where you’re going.

October 11, 2022 – Robert Wants Anna To Abort the Mission, Message From Maurice, He’s Not Joshing, It Just Keeps Going, Ex Talk, Miami Reveal, Goodbye To a Grand Lady & Rising

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny says he wants to make things right with Michael, whatever it takes, and Michael says, Sonny thinks he can suddenly make things right between them. Sonny says he always wanted to make things right, and thinks deep down inside, Michael does too. Nina slips out to answer a call, and says, everything okay?… She’ll be right there. Michael tells Sonny, it’s too late, and Sonny says, if Michael can look him in the eye, and make him believe he doesn’t want anything to do with him, he’ll walk, and Michael will never have to deal with him again.

Dante says, he wants to ask Dex a few questions about what went down with him and Sonny after Brando was killed, and Dex asks if he should call a lawyer. Dante says, not this time. He’ll keep it simple. Dex has bruises on his face, and his wrists look pretty bad. The way he’s standing there, Dante can tell his ribs are in bad shape too. Want to tell him what happened?

Robert walks into his office to find Anna sitting in his chair, and she says, about bloody time. He says he didn’t know he was expecting company; most people call first. She says, he didn’t pick up. She tells him, close the door and listen to her. If they’re going to bring Luke’s killer to justice, they’ve got a lot of work to do.

Outside Kelly’s, Victor asks if Ava is sure he can’t give her a lift, but she says she doesn’t think that would be very wise. He says, it’s no trouble, but she says, he’s nothing but trouble, and goes inside.

Ava meets Trina, and they hug. Ava says, two days in a row, and Trina thanks her for coming. Ava asks if everything is okay, and Trina says, she heard from her mom that Oz Haggerty was attacked and killed. She wanted to see how Ava is holding up. Is she freaked out? Ava says, don’t worry about her; she’s resilient. Trina’s phone dings, and Ava says, don’t ignore it on her account. Trina says, it’s just Rory. She can’t deal with him right now. Ava says, if there’s a problem, Trina shouldn’t ignore it. She shouldn’t let it fester. Take it from someone who knows. Victor looks through the window. Outside, he tells Johann that he’s just about had it with these distractions. Nevertheless, they should keep an eye on Ava. She’s unpredictable. And of course (🍷) there’s that other loose end they have to take care of, convincing the authorities that Esme Prince is alive and well, and nowhere near Port Charles. Hmm…

Nikolas comes in as Esme is opening the safe, and says, who the hell are you? She makes a mad dash for the patio door, but he grabs her, pulling off her hood. He says, Esme, and she turns around, saying, hello, lover. Did you miss me?

Dex lets Dante into his apartment, and Dante asks if Dex wants to tell him how he got those bruises. Dex says he doesn’t know (really? that’s the best he can do?), and Dante asks if it was from Sonny. Dex wonders why he’d ask that, and Dante says, let’s say, a concerned citizen said Dex was kidnapped and assaulted by his boss. Does he want justice?

Michael says, Sonny is so far away from the man he once called his father, he doesn’t even recognize Sonny anymore. Sonny says,  Michael doesn’t know what he’s talking about, and Michael says, he knows Sonny had his employee tortured. Sonny says, they’re not talking about Dex; they’re talking about them. Michael said he wanted to destroy everything that Sonny built, and Sonny has to hand it to him; he did a pretty damn good job of that. He got the harbormaster fired, and he got every major client stop buying Corinthos Coffee. Michael is looking everywhere but at Sonny, and Sonny says, he’s looking Michael in the eye right now. He’s just saying, let’s come to an understanding. Michael says, he’s past an understanding, and Sonny says, they’ve both hurt each other so much, but they just watched Gladys bury her son. They both know what that’s about; the finality of a life cut short. Sonny tears up, and says, the last time he saw Morgan, he was running out the door, and Sonny never got a chance to tell Morgan that he loved him. And he prays to God that Morgan knows, and he wants Michael to know he’ll always love him. Can they just figure out a way to end this – his voice cracks – so they can be a family again? Michael says, Sonny can’t just throw the word family out there, and expect it to erase everything he’s done, and Sonny says, maybe not, but it’s a good place to start.

Nina walks down a hallway at the MetroCourt, when Valentin taps her on the shoulder. She jumps, and he says he didn’t mean to startle her. She tells him, fine. He said it was important. What is it? He says he needs her help getting into Victor’s room, and she asks why he didn’t ask at the front desk. He says he doesn’t want Victor to know about it. It’s a delicate situation. She says she thought they were thick as thieves these days, and he says, maybe that’s what he wants Victor to think. She says, whatever parlor game the Cassadines are playing these days, she doesn’t have the time. She has a lot on her plate. He says, he knows that. He needs her help. And she can’t ask questions, for everyone’s safety… for Charlotte’s safety. She says, I’m in.

Anna says she feels like she’s hit a dead end, and Robert tells her, he can’t say that surprises him. Vic is slick. She says, he’s cunning. He’s spent his entire life honing his reputation for ruthlessness, and now it’s really paying off. Robert takes it his contacts didn’t pan out, and she says she just mentioned Victor’s name and they evaporated; they ran scared. He says, understandable, but disappointing, and she says she’d hoped at least one of them would be up for the challenge. He says, what’s the next step? and she says, this is where he comes in. He asks what she needs from him, and she says, a warrant.

In Victor’s room, Johann says, Esme Prince just posted from San Tropez, and Victor says, good. Keep leaving those digital footprints of Esme’s idyll in the south of France. This mess has already interfered with the plans he’s been making for years. This ends now. There’s a knock at the door, and Johann opens it to find a weeping Lucy. She shoves the bouquet she’s holding at Johann, and falls into Victor’s arms.

Esme says, Nikolas looks like he’s seen a ghost, and he says he thought… they thought… She says, that she was dead? Ava sure tried her damnedest when Ava threw her off the parapet. He says, that’s not what happened, and she says, how would he know; he wasn’t there. She’s sure Ava has him all roped into her scheme. She’s sure Ava spun some tale, making herself out to be the victim, when she was the one being swallowed by cold, dark water. They both left her for dead. She’s sure they celebrated. He got what he wanted – her, gone. Except she’s not. She’s back. He’s really going to have to try harder next time.

Ava says she can tell something is on Trina’s mind. Trina can tell her anything. Trina says, what’s on her mind feels so trivial with what’s been going on. People are dying, and the maniac who attacked Ava is still out there. Ava says, Trina doesn’t need to remind her of that, but here she is. She’s still alive and she’s going to live her life, and Trina should do same. Frankly, she’d like to hear about something other than life and death. So tell her; what is going on with Rory? Trina says, he asked her to go to a comic book convention, and Ava says, that’s cool. Does she like comics? Trina says, yeah, but it’s out of town, and Ava says, that is a significant invitation. Trina says she’s not sure how she feels about going on an overnight trip with Rory yet. She really likes him, and wants to get closer, but she can’t help thinking about the last time she went on a weekend trip. Ava says, this is nothing like when Trina went to Sonny’s cabin; this would just be the two of them. Trina says, she knows, but she can’t shake the feeling that something horrible is going to happen. Ava says, she understands. It’s hard coming back after a traumatic experience like Trina had. It’s hard to trust again; other people, her own judgement. Maybe she’s afraid she’d be leaving herself open to more pain, more hurt. She has to ask herself, does she really want to let what Esme Prince did to her dictate the rest of her life?

Nikolas says, so Esme came back looking for money, and she asks if she doesn’t deserve something after what Ava did to her. While they got to carry on with their lives, she drifted further and further into deep water. She thought she was going to die, just like he wanted. He says he didn’t want her to die. He searched for her. He had to fight to stay alive when he was adrift at sea. She says, thankfully, a fisherman found her, and put her up in a Canadian hostel until she could regain her strength. He says he supposes the fisherman ran out of money, and she couldn’t access her funds, but coming back here was a mistake. She should have stayed out of the country. She says, of course (🍷). That’s exactly what he wanted; to get rid of her. He says he’s talking about the PCPD. They’re looking for her for attempted murder because she drugged that bartender. She says, the cops have it all wrong, and they certainly can’t prove a thing, and he says, Oz Haggerty gave pretty convincing testimony of Esme’s guilt at Trina’s trial. Interestingly enough, he was found murdered this morning. Is that why she really came back? To finish what she started?

Lucy says she thinks she’s ruined Victor’s jacket, but he says, that’s inconsequential. Why is she in such a state? Is it Morton? She says, it’s Martin. No. He’s still incommunicado, and it’s not him. It’s just her; it’s all on her. He leads her to the couch, and she sits. She tells him, it’s just that, Sasha Gilmore, one of her partners, her husband’s funeral is today, and she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t face Sasha, so she wanted to bring her flowers, and now it’s too late. He says he’s sure it’s not too late, and she says, it is for Brando. He gently tells her, calm down. He’s sure Johann can deliver the flowers for her. She asks if Johann has been drinking (ha-ha! poor Johann), but Victor says, he’s perfectly sober. She says, okay. That would be very nice. The reception is downstairs in the gardens. Victor asks Johann to please oblige Miss Coe, and Lucy thanks Johann as he leaves. Victor asks if she feels better, and she says she does – she puts her head on his shoulder – now that she’s with him.

In one of the hotel rooms, Valentin tells Nina, the less she knows, the better. To get the information he needs out of Victor, he has to put a listening device in his room – this room. That’s where she comes in. As co-owner of the hotel, he needs her to call Victor, and say there’s a problem with his suite, and he needs to move into this suite. She asks why he doesn’t just put a bug in the room Victor’s staying in right now? but he says, that’s not possible, because he has a security guard named Johann who does a daily sweep. Johann is busy, so if they can get Victor into this suite right now, it might buy Valentin a day or two before the bug is discovered. She says, what then? and he says he’ll handle it, but that’s all he’s going to tell her right now. She says she knows Victor is Valentin’s father, but he’s a very dangerous man. She doesn’t like that Valentin is taking him on alone. Valentin tells her, don’t worry about him; he has backup. Multiple partners, each playing integral roles. Hopefully, that includes her, but he needs her to make a phone call.

Michael says, Sonny isn’t the same father who put family above everything else, and Sonny says, he’s done the best he could, but Michael says, Sonny hasn’t. Don’t forget, he’s a father too. He’d never hurt Wiley the way Sonny hurt his children. Sonny asks how he knows that; life is unpredictable. How did he know he was going to lose his memory, and live in a town called Nixon Falls? Michael says, this is about what Sonny’s done since he came back. All of Sonny’s choices have led him to here. Take ownership of that. Sonny says, no! Put himself in Sonny’s shoes. What if Wiley thought Michael screwed up, and started treating Michael the way Michael is treating him? Would Michael just give up on him, or would he do everything he possibly could, and hope to God that Wiley met him halfway?

Dex says, three days ago, Dante thought he was a murderer with a hook. Now Dante is all about justice for him? Dante says, things have changed. His source tells him that Dex was the victim of a serious crime, and it’s his duty to follow up on that. Dex says he commends Dante’s commitment to protect and serve, but he’s good. Dante says, so Dex has no comment on this accusation? and Dex asks if this is an official investigation. Dante says, no, but it can be if Dex wants him to file charges. Dex was brought in as a person of interest in a series of vicious attacks. He’s been told, Dex’s boss Sonny Corinthos turned on Dex as a result. Is there any truth to that?

Anna tells Robert that she needs a warrant for Johann Bauer. She knows Robert has been keeping tabs on him. It can be for unpaid parking tickets; it can be for anything. He asks if she doesn’t think he’d have brought Johann in already if he had something, and she says, he drinks. He fell overboard off the Haunted Star, and the crew had to stop and pick him up. Robert says, and she knows this how? and she says, the point is, can they not use that? Say another boater reported it? He says, intentionally jumping into the water from a passenger vessel would be considered unsafe operation of said vessel, and it would be illegal. However, she’s implied that the jump wasn’t intentional. She says she just wants him detained. Bring him in for questioning. The charges don’t have to stick. He says, so they not only abuse his office, now they’re going to waste taxpayers’ resources for… nothing. She says she thinks taking Victor off the street is for the greater good. And this is for Luke. He says, something about this tells him there’s more going on. Annie, it’s Bobby. Tell him the whole story. She says she wants to, but she can’t. So please help her, because she’s running out of time. He says, that bastard did kill their friend. Okay. He’ll make the call, but this the last time. She says, okay, and Deputy Mayor (or whatever she is) Eileen walks in. She asks if she’s interrupting something.

Lucy tells Victor, she didn’t know who to talk to. Martin is still with his mother, and she kept thinking he would know exactly the right thing to say. He tells her that he’ll do his best, and the room phone rings. Nina introduces herself, and says she’s the new co-owner of the MetroCourt. She’s so sorry to bother him, but they’re going to have to shut the water off in his room. She knows it’s a complete inconvenience, but they’ll have to move him to another suite, at least temporarily. He says, now is not a good time, and Nina says she understands, and she’s sorry for the disturbance, but they have no choice because a room on his floor has a leak. She’ll have a staff member there momentarily to help him move his things. Valentin holds up a bottle, and she says, and there’s a bottle of wine, complementary, waiting for him. She thanks him for his cooperation, and he says, if she’s sure there’s no other choice. She tells him, once again, their sincere apologies, and he says, very well. He hangs up, and tells Lucy, apparently, there’s a water leak somewhere, and they’re going to have to temporarily move him to another suite… Something feels off. She says, that completely explains when she was rushing up to see him, she saw some maintenance men in the lobby. That must be why. She guesses he has to get ready, so she’ll leave him to it. She thanks him, and says, she just feels so alone. He says she’s not alone. If she can just wait until he’s figured this room changing mess out, he promises her his full attention.

Esme says, she was the one who was left to drown, and Nikolas is accusing her of being a murderer? He says, her timing seems suspicious. She shows up in town, and the witness who pointed a finger squarely in her direction, winds up dead. She says, the only thing she’s guilty of is loving his son and trusting him. When she was in that Canadian hostel, that man tried to pin everything on her. How do they know he wasn’t hired by Trina’s people or Sonny’s? He says, give it a rest. He’s done buying the victim act, and she says, he knows her intimately. He doesn’t really believe all those horrible things about her, does he?

Dex says he has no idea what Dante is talking about, and Dante says, that’s his story, and he’s sticking to it, huh? Dex says, Mr. Corinthos didn’t do anything but give him a ride home after he was released. Any other questions? Dante says, just one. Is Dex afraid of retaliation? He knows how his father works. Word is, Dex went through something hellacious. Dex opens the door, and Dante says, if Dex was threatened to keep his mouth shut, he’s in a position to make sure his father doesn’t get to Dex for telling the truth. Dex says, whoever told Dante that Mr. Corinthos tried to harm him is a straight-up liar, and Dante thanks him for his time.

Michael asks how he can meet Sonny halfway when he doesn’t know who Sonny is anymore. Sonny turned his back on everything he once believed in. Sonny says, Michael keeps saying that he doesn’t know him anymore. Michael has known him his whole life; that doesn’t count for anything? A lifetime of being a father? He gets it. Betrayal, anger, disappointment. He lived with that his whole life with his father. You think I wronged you; I think you wronged me. It’s like never-ending circle. One thing Sonny wants Michael to know is that he still loves him. This has got to end before it’s too late. They’ve buried too many people already; Jason… Brando… my father. He cries, and says she doesn’t want it to be them. Michael says, look… dad, when Nina has the bad timing to walk in.  

Robert says, his door was shut for a reason, and Eileen says, his assistant told her that he didn’t have any appointments. Anna says she was just leaving. She doesn’t want to keep Robert from his work. She believes he was about to make a phone call. She’ll be in touch. She leaves, and Robert says, she’s right; he’s in the middle of something. Eileen says, his call can wait. She’s here on mayoral business. He says, if Laura wants to speak to him, all she has to do is reach out directly, and she says, Laura may be working remotely, but she needs someone on the ground to keep an eye on things. What was his ex-wife doing here? He says, it’s none of her business, but since she stuck her bid in, they’re planning a trip to Australia, and taking their granddaughter, who wants to play the digeridoo. She says she hopes that’s the case, and he asks what that means. She says, Miss Devane has been known to pull the PCPD into WSB business. Laura confided to her that he and Anna were working on the investigation into Luke Spencer’s death. He says, Spencer was a dear friend, and what he does on his own time is his business. She says, they both know that’s not what he’s doing, and she intends to stop it.

Victor opens the wine, saying, voila! He tells Lucy, at least they had the decency to pick out a very nice vintage. He asks if he can pour her a glass, and she says, after the day she had, she’d love some. He tells her to make herself comfortable. She sits on the sofa, and he says he considers himself a good judge of character. He sits down, handing her the wine, and says, although he’s still getting to know her, he’s already recognized she’s a strong, capable woman; the kind who won’t lose her head when the going gets tough. She says, it’s served her well as a woman in business, and he says, which is why it is so out of character that a floral arrangement would reduce her to a hysterical puddle. She says, doesn’t he know, a scheming vixen such as herself sometimes has a very bad day. He says she’s not a scheming vixen. Nor is she being honest with him. So why doesn’t she tell him what’s really going on here?

Michael says, maybe Sonny doesn’t see how much he’s changed. Maybe Sonny hasn’t changed, and Michael is just now seeing him for who he is. Sonny says, don’t back off now; Michael just called him dad. Michael says he was wrong. Sonny isn’t the man he knew. He abandoned his family; he abandoned his code. He’s capable of anything. Sonny says, Michael has no right to judge him, and Michael starts to walk away. Sonny yells, don’t turn your back on me! and Dante walks in. He says, that’s enough. This ends now.

Ava says, Trina’s safety is important, but it shouldn’t be a motive for going away with her boyfriend. Only she can decide if she’s ready to make that step. Trina says she’s so confused. In her heart, she feels like she’s safe with Rory. She doesn’t feel like he’ll hurt her. Ava says, that’s not insignificant. That’s a lot. Trina says, but what if they go away, and that all changes?

Nikolas says, a lot has happened since Esme’s been away, and she says, he makes it sound like she was on holiday, instead of recovering from his wife trying to kill her. He says, Trina has been exonerated, and Spencer is in Pentenville. In an attempt to give Trina an alibi, he testified that he broke out of Spring Ridge. And Oz Haggerty isn’t the only person who was stabbed recently. She says, that’s terrible; crime’s really up. Do the police have any leads? He says, the killer used a large hook, and she says, sounds gruesome. He says, it was. Ava was the first victim. Esme says, but she survived, and he says, thankfully. She says, karma’s a bitch, and he says, Diane Miller was also stabbed. She gave Esme a pretty tough time at Trina’s trial. She says, remind her, what’s his point? and he says, it’s a pretty big coincidence that three of the victims happen to be people Esme thought wronged her in some way. She says, now he knows not only what she thinks, but how she thinks, and he says, he thinks she’s capable of murder, and he thinks she came back for revenge. She says, that would mean he’s next.

Dante says he paid a little visit to Dex Heller, and Sonny asks, why? Dante asks if he can talk to Michael, and Michael says, Dante is here for him, not Sonny? Sonny goes over to Nina at the bar, and Dante tells Michael, Dex said Michael lied about everything. Michael asks what he’s talking about. Sonny kidnapped Dex, and tortured him to force him into a confession, which they know now would have been false. Dante says, this vendetta with Sonny has gotten out of hand. Now Michael is lying to the police about a crime. Michael says, he came to Dante brother to brother, and Dante says, Michael has a family to protect. This beef he has with Sonny is going to lead him to do things that are destructive. Let it go. Dante’s phone rings, and he says he’s on his way. He tells them, looks like we have another victim, and Sonny says, another stabbing? Dante says, yeah. The wound’s consistent with a hook. It looks like they have a serial killer on their hands. You two are on your own.

Robert says, the mayor’s office does not oversee the DA’s office, but Eileen says, she has the authority to initiate an internal review. It’s called checks and balances, and if she finds anything the least bit off, she’ll hold him accountable. Their citizens deserve better. He says, she’s abusing her power and wasting human resources on this pointless review, and she says, we’ll see.

Anna joins Valentin on a park bench, and asks if everything is going according to plan. He says, yes. Robert? She says, detaining Johann. It’s all up to Lucy now. He says, that’s the part that worries him.

Lucy tells Victor that she’s had some hard times in her life. She thinks they’ve shaped he into the woman he seems to admire, but they also left some scars. Sometimes she feels so helpless and scared, and wants someone who makes her feel safe, and Victor does. He says he’s flattered she feels she can talk to him, and she says, the last time she saw Sasha was the day before her husband died. She basically asked Sasha to give up her financial stake in Deception, which she thought was a good idea at the time, and still does, but it really hurt Sasha. Lucy just couldn’t face her, and it started her spinning, thinking about her future, and what will happen in her life. She tells him, she knows it sounds selfish, but he says, they all have fears that can be illuminated by tragedy. She says, she can’t stop thinking about the future. Will she be all alone? He tells her, not if he has anything to say about it, and she says, that was another reason where she thought she could come to him. When he talks about his plans and his future, he sounds confident, like he’s figured everything out. She finds that so comforting. He says he has his own anxieties. That’s why he made the plans. She says, the plans; right. Can he tell her more of them? It’s really what she needs right now. Could he tell her, just for her?

Esme laughs at Nikolas, and says, sorry; she couldn’t help it. What he’s suggesting is ridiculous. He says, is it? and she says she didn’t intend to stay this long, even though she’s enjoyed their little chat. Don’t worry. As soon as she can afford it, she’ll be out of his hair. He blocks her, and says she’s not going anywhere. She tells him, he’s going to let her go. Unless he wants the police to know about her little tumble off the parapet. He says, what tumble off the parapet? Does she think they’ll actually care when they find out she’s connected to three of the stabbing victims? If anything, her alleged fall gave her a motive. He takes out his phone, and she says, he’s not going to do that. He says, why the hell not?

Sonny asks if Nina is okay, and she says, no. Just when she thought this day couldn’t get more brutal, there’s another victim. What are they going to do? He says he doesn’t have all the answers right now, but he’s going to tighten security, and Nina is going to have to keep her bodyguard for a while longer. She says, that’s no problem. She’s glad Sonny is looking out for her, but what about him? How is he doing, dealing with this after ten rounds with Michael? He says he can handle it, and she says she can’t believe Michael, lying to the police about Sonny. She never thought he’d stoop so low.

Michael bangs on Dex’s door, and walks in when Dex opens it. Michael says, Dex lied to protect Sonny, and Dex says, he told Dante that Sonny didn’t abduct or injure him. Michael says, well done. They have Sonny right where they want him.

Robert leaves a message for Anna, saying, they’ve got a problem. They can’t arrest Johann. Whatever she’s doing, stop it. This mission’s got to be aborted and now.

Anna listens in, and says, you’ve got this Lucy… Don’t overplay your hand. We see the missed call from Robert on her phone.

Lucy says, Victor is going to tell her a little bit more about his plans, and she’s going to pretend it’s a bedtime story. So, once upon a time… He says, for many years now, he’s been working on… The phone rings, and he says, if this is about another room change… He picks up the phone, and says, what now? Eileen says, they’ve got a problem.

Johann knocks on the old room door.

Ava says, it’s Trina’s call. If she’s not ready to go away with Rory, then don’t. That’s perfectly fine, but just know that all romance is a leap of faith. You have to be willing to take the chance. Trina says she doesn’t want to miss out on something great with Rory because she’s scared. Okay. She’s ready. She should text him now and tell him. She picks up her phone, and Ava says she just wants Trina to be happy and have fun. Get herself a light saber. Trina says, too bad she can’t get a real one. Then no one would have to worry about her safety. At least she’ll be with a cop, so there’s that.

Nikolas tells Esme to give him one reason he should let her go, and she says she didn’t want to tell him so soon, but he’s forced her hand. You’re not going to call the cops on us. He says, us? and she says, me and our baby. She opens her coat and rubs when could possibly be a baby bump, or a heavy lunch.

I sigh heavily. Didn’t we just have this storyline? And on the off-chance she is pregnant, Nikolas could just say she’s crazy, and the baby is Spencer’s.

Tomorrow, Anna says, Lucy needs to get out of there – now; Johann says, Lucy isn’t leaving until he’s done; Esme says, it’s her get-out-of-jail-free card; and Sonny says, nothing is going to change Michael’s mind.

📜 Regarding the Day…

I love when an actor uses their celebrity for good, rather than exerting undue influence in arenas where they’re no expert.

🐎 On Horses & Kids…

A light side dish from the stable hand’s mouth.

💎 Like the Energizer Bunny…

It’s unbelievable how much this is being hashed over. Pick a lane or take them all.

🍊 What a Prize…

Shannon must be glad to be rid of this loser.

🌴 What Happens In Miami…

The latest on the comeback kids.

https://okmagazine.com/p/rhom-guerdy-abraira-reveals-upcoming-season-storylines/

🥀 Farewell, She Wrote…

I’ve always admired her career. She did it all, and didn’t compromise. I was blessed to see her in Sweeney Todd on Broadway, and she was absolutely brilliant. There was no one like her, and she will be missed.

https://people.com/movies/angela-lansbury-dead-at-96/

💡 Lights Out…

Come set a spell tomorrow for some soap and Reunion insanity. Until then, stay safe, stay remembering your manners, and stay not judging others, because life is unpredictable.

August 2, 2022 – The Trial Concludes With Another Surprise, Changing Camps, Upgrading Thrones & Night

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Ava and Esme struggle over the envelope. Esme grabs it and runs out on the turret, Ava right behind her. Esme crumples it, and is about to throw it over the wall when Ava grabs her arm, and they battle over it some more. Nikolas comes in, yelling for Ava, and hears them outside. Esme pulls, and yanks too hard, backpedaling right over the wall. Nikolas runs out, and sees Ava looking down. He asks, what the hell happened? Did you push Esme?

Willow waits in Terry’s office. She flashes back to asking if TJ thinks she has cancer, and TJ saying he’s worried she has leukemia.

Curtis watches as a nurse puts Oz’s chart in a file holder. Since we all know how lax security is at GH, the second her back is turned, he takes the folder, puts it under his jacket, and strolls away. When he gets around the corner, he starts taking pictures of the information. Jordan calls to him, and he tries to look innocent.

In the courtroom, Diane tells Trina, she wants to make it clear. When they were at the cabin that weekend, Trina didn’t have feelings for Cameron, because she had feelings for Spencer, correct? Trina says, yes, and Diane asks how long she had these feelings for Spencer? Trina says, they met at her high school graduation party, and he was pretending to be someone else; he called himself Victor. Diane asks if Trina was attracted to Victor, and Trina nods. Diane says, let the record show Miss Robinson has nodded in the affirmative. Yes, she was attracted to Spencer Cassadine when he was using his guise as Victor. So Trina’s had romantic feelings for Spencer for over a year. Trina says, just this past January; maybe even longer, but she doesn’t have romantic feelings for him now. Diane says, to the best of Trina’s knowledge, did Spencer ever return those feelings? and Trina says she doesn’t know. They never went on a date or anything. She thinks he saw her as just a good friend. Besides, Spencer had a girlfriend. Diane says, she would be referring to Esme Prince, and Trina says, yes. Diane says, the same Esme Prince that went to the cabin with them that weekend, and Trina says, yes. Diane asks if Esme was aware that Trina had feelings for her boyfriend.

Elizabeth walks down the stairs with Willow’s lab results, and stops, her pen falling from her hand. She flashes back to Peter lying on the landing, and taking his pulse. She drops all of the paperwork, holds onto the railing, and sits. She hears a child say, daddy.

Ava tells Nikolas, Esme was trying to leave. She had a letter she didn’t want Ava to see, and they were fighting over it. She just… went over. Nikolas says he doesn’t see her anywhere, and Ava says she has to call 9-1-1. She runs inside for her phone, and Nikolas follows. He tells her, don’t call the police. They’ll think she pushed Esme over the parapet. She says she made no secret of wanting Esme gone; she threatened to kill Esme. She looks around, and says, this room has to look pristine. He says, she can’t be here. She was never here… but the staff heard her; they called him. He tells her to go to the master bedroom, and don’t let anyone in but him. Make sure she’s not seen. He hustles her to the door, saying he has to make sure the staff doesn’t come in here. He sees the suitcase, and asks if it’s Esme’s. She says, they have to find her, but he says, Ava has to take care of herself. He checks the hallway, and says, it’s all clear. Go, now.

Trina says, Esme knew she liked Spencer, and she was suspicious of her friendship with him. Diane asks if Trina thinks Esme was jealous of her relationship with Spencer, and Arden objects, saying, it calls for speculation. Diane says, withdrawn. Would Trina describe her relationship with Esme for the court. Trina says, Esme was around because of Spencer; they weren’t friends. Diane asks, why not? and Trina says, Esme helped Spencer stalk her friend Ava Jerome. Esme set Ava’s car on fire. Arden says, objection. Spencer Cassadine pled guilty, and spent a month at Spring Ridge Minimum Security Prison for the crimes he committed against Miss Jerome. There has been no evidence Esme Prince was involved. The defendant is living in the land of wishful thinking. Judge Young says, sustained. Diane’s client can only bring up what can be proved, not what she thinks may have happened. Diane says, of course (🍷), and tells Trina, throughout this trial, the prosecution has accused her of being the kind of person who would violate her friend’s privacy in the most despicable and insidious manner. Has she ever wanted to violate a friend in such a vial manner for any reason? Trina says, no, especially not to Joss and Cam. Their friendship means everything to her. She would never do anything to jeopardize that. Diane thanks her, and says, no further questions. The judge tells Arden, her witness.

Jordan asks if she wants to know, and Curtis says, she doesn’t. She asks, how’s Mr. Haggerty? and he says, still in a medically induced coma. Was she able to draw a connection between him and Esme? She says she went to Windymere, and Nikolas wasn’t aware of Oz visiting there. Nikolas was at the hospital with Spencer when Curtis saw Oz take the launch to Spoon Island. He says, and with Esme’s help, Oz was able to get off the island without anyone seeing him. Jordan says, unfortunately, they don’t have proof Oz met with Esme, and Curtis says, he and Marshall met Ava at the dock, and filled her in on their suspicion that Oz sold Esme the black market phone she used for revenge porn. Ava hoped to find Oz and Esme at Windymere, but when she got there, there was no sign of him. She says, Esme must have helped him get off the island undetected, and he says, Oz was the loose end she needed to tie up. Before Oz lost consciousness, he said, she gave him something. He’s sure Oz meant Esme. Jordan says, to prove it, they have to find evidence that Esme was at the apartment with Oz, and he says, any chance of that happening? She says, forensics is going over the apartment, but there’s so much DNA, it could take months before they discover if any of it belonged to Esme. He says, Trina could be in prison by then, and an appeal could take years, and she says, however, she did learn something interesting.

Elizabeth sits on the steps, hearing a child say, daddy… mommy… She says, who is it? What do you want? Finn says, hey, and comes down. He asks, what happened? Is she okay?

Michael is looking for Willow, and calls her, but gets voicemail. He leaves a message saying, he just got back, but she’s not here. He hopes everything is okay. He loves her. He sees TJ, and asks if he knows what happened to Willow.

Terry comes into her office with Britt, and says she’s asked Britt to consult on Willow’s case. Britt says, unless Willow would like another obstetrician, but Willow says, no, of course (🍷) not; Britt is her OB. Terry asks if Elizabeth came in while Willow was waiting, but Willow says, no. Terry says, she should be here with the results soon, and Willow says, and the results will confirm she has leukemia. Terry says she’s reviewed Willow’s initial bloodwork, and the symptoms she’s shown over the last few months – weakness, fatigue, loss of energy and appetite – can be consistent with adult onset leukemia. Willow asks how that could be possible. She’s healthy. She’s been tired, but she’s had so much going on. Terry reminds her that her diagnosis hasn’t been confirmed yet. If she does have leukemia, it could be genetic, and many patients diagnosed with leukemia have no known risk factors. Willow asks what this means for her baby. Terry suggests they not get ahead of themselves. They need to rule out all other possibilities first. Willow asks how they do that, and Terry says she’d like to perform a blood marrow biopsy. Britt says, Willow studied that procedure in nursing class, and Willow says, they draw the blood marrow out of the pelvic bone to determine if there are cancer cells, and what type they are. Terry says, A+. She’d like to schedule the procedure as soon as possible. As Willow knows, it’s an outpatient procedure, and takes about 30 minutes. Willow says, and it’s safe for her baby? and Britt says, absolutely. They’ll give her a sedative that’s safe for both Willow and her baby. She should avoid eating and drinking before the sedative is administered. Terry says, and she’ll need someone to drive her home, and Willow asks if there’s any way they can do this now. She fits the pre-biopsy criteria; she won’t need a strong sedative. Britt says, it’s painful if she goes that route, but Willow says she doesn’t care. She doesn’t want to wait. She needs to know what she and her child are dealing with. Terry says she has room in her schedule if Willow really wants to do this now, and Willow says she does. Britt asks if she wants to call anyone to be with her, but Willow says, no. She can do this by herself.

Finn tells Elizabeth that she’s okay. He’s going to help her. He’s not going to let anything hurt her. He takes her hand, and she asks, what happened? He says he was hoping she could tell him, but she says she doesn’t know. He says, it’s okay; they’ll figure it out together. Take one deep breath. She does, and he says, better? Let’s take you out of here. He leads her away, leaving the papers littering the stairs.

Curtis sneaks around, putting the file back the same way he took it – with no one noticing, even though the nurse is at the desk. Jordan joins him, and says she spoke to Dr. Westbourne about Mr. Haggerty’s tox screen. She said he has acute opioid intoxication, and she didn’t find a prescription for it in his name. Jordan’s officers checked his motel and his apartment; no sign of drug use. He says, Oz got it from somewhere, and Jordan says, Dr. Westbourne also said someone approached her recently about identifying a drug. She looked it up, and surprise, surprise. The drug Oz ingested was the same one brought to her earlier. He says, who asked Britt about this drug? and she says, Spencer Cassadine.

Arden asks if Trina can account for her whereabouts when Josslyn and Cameron were secretly filmed having sex? Trina says she was in her room. She had too much to drink, and was sick. Arden asks how many drinks she had, and Trina says, one, but she’s not used to whiskey. Arden says, she’d have the court believe she fell ill after one drink, and Trina says, that’s what happened. She felt dizzy, hot and cold, and she went to her room and eventually went to sleep. Arden asks if she remembers the events of that evening, and Trina says, Josslyn told her what happened, but Arden says she’s asking about Trina’s own memories, not Miss Jax. Trina says, she remembers playing Never Have I Ever, but not what anyone said. Then she remembers running out of the room, and then talking to Josslyn through her bedroom door. Arden asks how Trina knows she was in her room for the rest of the evening, and Trina says, because she knows she was. Arden asks if she doesn’t remember retrieving the phone she used to film her best friends, and Trina says, she doesn’t remember because she didn’t film them. Arden asks, then how did the phone come to be in her possession? and Trina says, because she was set up by Esme Prince.

Ava looks in the mirror, and sees a bruise on her shoulder. She says, damn, and dabs makeup on it. Nikolas comes in, and she asks if he found Esme.

Michael tells TJ that he can’t find Willow. Did TJ get her test results, and is everything okay with her and their baby? TJ flashes back to Willow asking him not to say anything to Michael, and tells Michael, he hasn’t seen her, but as far as he knows, she’s still here. She probably can’t get to a phone. Michael says, she’ll get back to him when she can. He’s trying not to hover, but obviously, he needs to work on it. TJ says, Michael just found out he’s going to be a dad; he’s allowed to care. Michael thanks TJ for looking out for Willow, saying, TJ’s been good to her. TJ says, A, that’s his job, and B, it’s easy to be good to Willow; she’s a special person. Don’t you forget it. Michael says, as if he would. She’s really changed his world, and now they’re having a baby. He can’t say those words enough after how these last few months have been. TJ congratulates him, and says he wishes them every bit of happiness. Michael says, they’ve already been blessed with Wiley. Now they get to experience parenthood again. How lucky can he get?

Willow lies on the operating table, and Terry says she’s administered local anesthesia to Willow’s spine. But without the sedative, she’s about to feel a sharp pain. Willow says she knows. She’s ready.

Curtis tells Jordan, so Spencer asked about the same drug bartender Oz OD’d on. That can’t be a coincidence. She says, according to Dr. Westbourne, Spencer brought her a single capsule, saying he found it. When she pressed him, he said admitted it belonged to Esme. He says, so Esme had access to the same drug Oz took; the one she apparently gave him. What else did Britt say? She tells him, Spencer said he was concerned because he never observed Esme taking this medication. When Britt told him the side effects, he asked what would happen if someone took it with alcohol. Curtis says, the tox screening said Oz ingested the opioids with alcohol, and she says, from that medical chart he didn’t want her to know about? What’s significant about the alcohol connection? If Spencer witnessed Esme taking this drug with alcohol, he would have noticed her getting extremely ill. He says, what if it wasn’t Esme?

Arden says, as stated in multiple witness testimony, Miss Prince was not in the cabin at the time the video was taken. Trina says, she didn’t have to be. She could have put the phone on a timer, or started the video before she left the cabin. Arden says, and yet, Commissioner Ashford testified the phone was recovered in Trina’s bag, and Trina says, Esme planted it. Arden asks if she has proof, and Trina says, no. Arden asks her to speak louder for the record, even though we heard her just fine, and Trina repeats, no. She doesn’t have proof. Arden says, surely if Trina believes Miss Prince framed her, she must have some idea of when she planted the phone. Trina says, she’s done nothing but think about it, and don’t call her Shirley. There was a day when she went to Spring Ridge to visit Spencer Cassadine, and she left her bag on the  table when they were talking. It wasn’t always in her sight, and Esme was there that day interning. Arden says she has the list of staff present at Spring Ridge on the day Trina visited the facility. If Trina believes that’s when the phone was planted in her bag, isn’t it true that any of the staff members could have done it? I object on the grounds of stupidity, and Trina says, why would they? She doesn’t know them; they don’t know her. The only person is Esme Prince. Arden says, the fact is, Trina was the only one in the cabin with Josslyn and Cameron the night the revenge porn video was filmed. No one can account for her whereabouts; not even her. The phone that filmed her friends was found in her bag, and contained her credit card information. Nothing backs up this fanciful story of hers, that Miss Prince filmed the video and planted the phone on her. Diane objects, saying, Arden is badgering the witness. Judge Young sustains, and Diane adds, is there a question anywhere in their future, or is the Assistant District Attorney simply going to use her client as an excuse to expound her own absurd theories? The judge says, duly noted, and tells Arden, if she has a question, ask it. If she doesn’t, sit down. Arden says, no further questions, and Diane says, redirect. Judge Young says, proceed, and Diane says, Trina testified that she and Esme were not friends. Trina says, they weren’t, and Diane asks if Esme and Josslyn were friends. Arden objects, hearsay, but Diane says she’s going to ask her client about interactions she specifically observed between Esme and Josslyn. The judge says he’ll allow it, and Diane asks if Trina ever observed tension or hostility between Josslyn and Esme. Trina says, Josslyn hated Esme from the jump. She called Esme out every chance she got. Diane says, called her out? and Trina tells her, Josslyn said Esme is a liar, and a manipulator. She said to Esme’s face that she didn’t trust her, and they weren’t friends. Diane asks if it was just one altercation, but Trina says, it went on for months, before and after the cabin. Diane asks how Esme reacted when Josslyn called her out, and Trina says, sometimes she acted hurt; other times, she got angry. Diane asks how Esme’s anger showed itself, and Trina says, Esme told Josslyn that she was spoiled and entitled, and that she’d be sorry for what she did to Esme. Diane says, Esme Prince told Josslyn that she’d be sorry, and Trina says, yes. Diane says, and was Josslyn sorry when Esme filmed her most intimate moments, and uploaded them for the entire world to see? Arden objects, and Diane says, withdrawn. She asks if Trina loves her friends, and Trina says, with all of her heart. Diane asks if she’d ever hurt any of them, and she says, never. Diane says, no further questions, and the judge tells Trina to step down.

Nikolas tells Ava, he found the spot where Esme fell, but she wasn’t there. He did find this. He shows her a shoe, and she says, they don’t know if Esme is dead or alive. He says, between the height and the rocks, she could have broken her neck or drowned, but Ava says, they both know that fall is not necessarily fatal. Exhibit A. He says, if Esme lived, what would she say happened between the two of them?

Post operation, Terry says that she’s personally walking this biopsy to the lab, and will let Willow know the results as soon as she gets them.   The nurse will be in shortly to take Willow back to her room, so she can get dressed and be discharged. Just rest until they get here. Willow thanks her, and Terry says, they’re working to rule out other possibilities. Willow says she understands, and Terry says, she did so good. She leaves, and Britt asks if she can take Willow’s picture and hang it on her office wall with a little plaque that says, Bravest Person of the Year, and Willow says she’s hardly that. Britt pulls a stool over and sits. She says, Willow is still brave if she talks to someone and tells them what’s going on. Oversharing can be a positive experience. Willow says, not always. She doesn’t think she can handle the concern. She’s not that brave or strong. Britt tells her not to sell herself short, or Michael. All we can control is what we have now. Willow says, Britt sounds like she really understands, and Britt says, it comes with the job.

Finn gives Elizabeth some water, and asks if she needs anything else, but she says she’s good. He says, don’t hate him, but he doesn’t think she is. Can she tell him what happened? She says she was just delivering some lab reports to Terry’s office… oh, reports. She starts to get up, but he says, it’s okay. He talked to Epiphany. She got a nurse to collect the reports, and she took them to Terry’s office. She thanks him, and sits back down. He says, so she was on her way to Terry’s office… She says she was on the stairs like she’d been doing all day, and he says, and? She tells him that she lost her balance, and he asks if she fell. Is she hurt? She says, no. She caught herself, and lowered herself to the ground where he found her. He says, she was pretty out of it. She didn’t recognize him at first. She says she was just trying to get her bearings, but he says he thinks she might need more than a physical exam. She says she’s not hurt; she just pushed herself too hard on her first day back. He suggests getting a neurologist to check her out, and she says, he thinks she needs her head examined.

In her closing argument, Arden says, of course (🍷) people spin all kinds of stories to hide the truth. That’s why in law we have to rely on facts and evidence. The evidence in this case clearly points to one person – the defendant Trina Robinson. Diane gets up, and says, no one saw Trina set up the phone to record Josslyn Jax and Cameron Webber. No one saw Trina send the email. The evidence in this case is purely circumstantial, and as such, is open to an alternative interpretation. Esme Prince was threatened by Trina’s relationship with Spencer, and took revenge by framing Trina, by filming and distributing revenge porn, which of course (🍷) had the added collateral benefit of humiliating Josslyn Jax. (I have to interject that throughout this day of trial, Spencer has alternated between looking very uncomfortable and looking like he’s going to fly out of his seat.) We know Esme Prince was gone from the cabin when that revenge porn was filmed, but just as an email can be timed in advance, so can a camera on a cellphone. And Esme Prince had the means, opportunity, and a far more compelling motive than Trina Robinson. The prosecution in this case has utterly failed to meet the burden of proof. Now it’s the jury’s responsibility to see that justice is served. They must find Trina Robinson not guilty. Court is adjourned, and Arden tells Diane, nice closing, counselor. Diane says, yes, it was especially good, wasn’t it? and laughs. Portia says she’s so proud of Trina, and Taggert says, that makes two of them. Trina says she told the truth. Now her fate is out of her hands. They hug.

Jordan says, what if it wasn’t Esme? but Curtis says, think about what they know about Esme Prince. She’s sharp. She orchestrated a sex tape, and posted it without any evidence leading back to her. So let’s say she slipped Oz the pill in order to prevent him tying her to the phone. Does Jordan think it was a coincidence Oz was drinking, or did Esme set it up that way because she knew what the combination of the drugs and alcohol would do to him? Since Spencer didn’t think it was a prescription, let’s say Esme did obtain the opioids through less than legal means. Let’s say she researched it because she had another idea in mind. Maybe Spencer did see someone acting strangely after taking the pills mixed with alcohol. She says, like… He says, Trina. The one drink she had at the cabin, she got sick and blacked out. He thinks they can both agree that’s not normal. What if her reaction wasn’t from the drink? What if Esme spiked it? She says, if he’s right, they need to talk to Esme.

Ava tells Nikolas, she came back ready to pack her things and leave, and she ran into Esme. Ava flashes back to Esme saying she’s leaving town, and says, she couldn’t let Esme leave, not when Trina was being framed for her crimes. She tells Nikolas, told Esme that she had to confess, that she wouldn’t let someone who’s like a daughter to her pay for Esme’s actions. She remembers Esme asking where her motherly devotion to Kiki, and if Trina was filling the read void of the daughter Ava drove away. Ava says, she hit Esme. She cut Esme’s lip with her ring. Nikolas says, Ava came home, Esme taunted her and came at her. She had to defend herself. Ava says she knows what he’s trying to do, but she’s still going to look like the aggressor. The cops are going to want to know why she didn’t walk away, and how Esme ended up falling over the parapet. He says, there were no witnesses. Even if Esme did survive, it’s Ava’s word against hers. Ava says, everybody knows she hated Esme. He said himself, the staff heard them fighting. Ava’s DNA is probably all over her; evidence of an assault. If Esme is alive or dead, she’s certainly going to be implicated.

Jordan says, Esme is getting more desperate by the day. Curtis’s bartender is proof of that. He says, Oz is the only one who can prove Esme bought the phone that filmed Joss and Cam, but he’s in a medically induced coma, and they don’t have time for him to wake up. She says, which makes Esme their best lead at this point. She’ll do everything she can to get something out of her. Jordan’s phone rings, and she says, …okay. She’ll deal with it herself. She tells Curtis that there’s a situation that requires her immediate attention that could have repercussions for Trina.

Portia asks how Diane thinks it went; no sugarcoating. Diane says she never sugarcoats. They accomplished what they set out to do. Taggert says, create reasonable doubt in the jury’s mind, and an alternate suspect, and Diane says, a viable suspect. Now it’s just up to the jury to come to the right conclusion.

Trina asks Rory if it’s mean for her to want Arden to vanish in a puff of smoke, and he suggests throwing a bucket of water on her and seeing what happens. Spencer heads toward Trina, but Josslyn intercepts him. He says he can just walk around her, and she says, he did a really nice thing for Trina. Leave it at that. Rory says, Trina’s testimony was very impressive, and she asks if he’s just saying that. He says, she was strong and passionate. There’s no way the jury won’t believe her. She says, it doesn’t hurt she got help from the last place she expected. Josslyn says she will admit she didn’t think Spencer had the guts to stand up there, and say that Esme framed Trina, and he says he told her, Esme’s not his girlfriend anymore. She says, ex or not, she’d pay actual money to see Esme’s face when she finds out that Spencer said she framed Trina.

Nikolas says, Esme could have evidence on her that incriminates Ava, and she says, they have to strategize. He says, fact number one, Esme’s gone, and fact number two, questions will be asked, and they have to have answers, especially for Spencer. She says, answers that do not involve the police. Spencer will want to know why Esme was leaving. Nikolas says, Esme didn’t tell her; no one would expect her to. She says, and if Spencer doesn’t buy it? and he says, things were not always good between them. He just gave Trina an alibi in court. Ava says, and if Esme’s found and her DNA is on her? Nikolas says, she fell into the rocks or the water. Most of Ava’s DNA probably washed off. Not to mention, they lived in the same house. Traces of Ava’s DNA would be on Spencer and the staff… on him. She says, what about the suitcase? and he says, they’ll put it someplace so that if anyone goes looking, they’ll find Esme’s things gone. I can’t believe they’re not pawing through that suitcase, as well as whatever she was leaving behind. He says, no one ever needs to know what happened. Get dressed, and meet him downstairs. She says, wait. What if Esme turns up alive?

Finn says he doesn’t think Elizabeth needs her head examined, but they both know vertigo can stem form psychological causes, not just physical ones. She says she definitely doesn’t need more counseling; he can trust her on that. He says he does trust her, but clearly there’s something going on with her. If she doesn’t want to do it for herself, do it for her kids. They need their mom to take care of them. She says, how dare he accuse her of not being able to take care of her kids? I make the decision that a relationship with Elizabeth is just too damn much work.

Willow sees Michael, and he asks where she was. She wasn’t returning his calls, and he was starting to worry. She says, the doctor wanted to run another test, and he wonders how many tests she needs to take. She says, if she’s learned anything from her nursing class, it’s that GH insists its doctors be as thorough as possible. He says he doesn’t remember Nelle taking this many tests when she was pregnant with Wiley. Then again, she wasn’t exactly honest with him. She says, maybe procedures have changed since Nelle was pregnant, and he says, she seems off. Is everything okay? She says she’s having a baby with the love of her life. What’s not okay? he says, so the appointment went well; no surprises? She says, none worth repeating, and he says, okay.

Finn says, Elizabeth is an amazing mother, and she asks, then where’s he going with this? He says, if there’s a chance something is wrong, doesn’t she want to know for her boys’ sake? and she looks at him like he has two heads. He says, when she checked herself into Shadybrook, she said it was as much for them as it was for her. Doesn’t she want to be healthy and whole for them? She says she’s not broken, and she’s got to go back to work. She opens the door, and Terry is there. Terry asks how she’s feeling, but Elizabeth storms past her. Terry asks Finn, what happened? and he says, something is very wrong.

Nikolas says, if Esme is alive, they’ll deal with it, and Ava says, with any luck, Esme will never be found. They’ll tell the staff she left in a huff (or a minute and a huff), and that she didn’t say where she was going. They’ll look for her. He says, they’ll take care of this. The truth stays between them, he promises. He won’t let anything happen to her.

TJ says he got Curtis’s text; what’s up? Curtis says, Trina is running out of time. Her best chance at freedom is in a medically induced coma. Curtis needs him to wake up. TJ says, waking from a medically induced coma isn’t like flipping a light switch. It takes time, there can be risks… Curtis says, but can it be done? and TJ says, it can be, but he’s not authorized to do that. Curtis says, an innocent young girl could be sent to prison. If there was ever a time for drastic measures, it’s now. Or tell him what he can do. TJ says, he needs Curtis to understand, this will just as likely kill him.

Trina says she owes Spencer an apology for going off on him earlier, but he says, she owes him nothing. He should have spoken up from the start. She says, he testified on the stand that he thought Esme made the revenge porn and posted it. When did he figure that out? Jordan walks in, and says, Spencer is under arrest for escaping Spring Ridge, and Trina says, but he went back. Spencer says, it’s okay, and Jordan reads him his rights. He looks at Trina as he’s walked out the door.  

Tomorrow, Trina asks if Rory thinks they can just be friends; Josslyn tells Cameron, as his girlfriend, she has a right to know; Sonny wonders if Brando is asking him to spy on his wife; and Sasha feels like having fun tonight.

🍊 Switching Allegiances…

Although it’s still California. It’s not like she’s moving to Salt Lake City. Who wants to be around those awful women from RHOBH anyway?

https://people.com/tv/real-housewives-of-orange-county-taylor-armstrong-joins-season-17/

🐉 Movin’ On Up…

Or one more way a streaming service gets your money.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/game-of-thrones-is-getting-a-major-upgrade-on-hbo-max/

⛏  Workin’ In the Coal Mines…

I still have work from my real job to do tonight, so join me tomorrow for soap and the latest villains of Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay not getting in a rut and changing it up once in a while, and stay remembering, all we can control is what we have now. And sometimes we can’t even control that.

July 19, 2022 – In the Thick Of Trina’s Trial, Demanding Diamond, Many Spoiled Returns, Get In Line, Aussies On Deck & Hot

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

TJ lets Willow into an exam room, and she says she assumed it was about work, but this is medical? She didn’t even know he was on an OB rotation. He says, this isn’t an OB visit, and she says, okay, then what? He says, after she fainted, he ran a series of tests. She says, that’s how they figured out she was pregnant, and he says, yes, but they have to go over the rest of the results. She has an elevated white blood cell count. She says, that’s it? She knows from nurse’s training that it’s normal to have an elevated white blood cell count during pregnancy. He says, that’s true, but from what he sees, he doesn’t think it’s related to her pregnancy, and she says, he thinks she’s sick while she’s pregnant.

Michael and Dante spar at the gym, and Dante says, Rocco can do better than that. Just because Michael’s having a baby, he’s taking it easy on him? Michael says, Dante couldn’t be more wrong. Willow’s good news makes him feel like he can take on the world. Even losing the ELQ merger with Aurora, seems way more manageable now. Face it, your brother is one happy guy. Cody walks in and says, I’ll have what he’s having.

Britt walks past the elevator as Brad comes out, and he says he knows he’s early, but he figured they have time to get a drink at Charlie’s before they head over to the Haunted Star. She says she’s sorry. She should have called him, but the day got away from her. She has one more appointment. He says, that’s okay. He guesses they’ll have to start drinking when they get to the Haunted Star. Now go tell her patient to take two aspirin and call her in the morning. She says, yeah… That’s the thing. She can’t join him tonight. Something’s come up. He asks if she forgot she had plans, and she says, not exactly. He asks if she double-booked herself, and she says, sort of. He says, and it’s not work related? and she shakes her head. He says, oh my God. Does she have a date?

Esme tells Spencer, even if she could guarantee Trina goes free, why in the world would she? Trina, Joss, and Cam have been badmouthing her all across town. Why would she do them any favors? He says, because if she ever wants to know who her birth mother is, she’ll make sure that the judge knows the truth. She’s the only person who can do that.

On the stand, Josslyn says, she knows Trina was in her bedroom the entire time before she and Cameron went to their bedroom, and Arden asks if she can prove that. Were there security cameras all over the cabin? The cabin belongs to Josslyn’s stepfather Sonny Corinthos, so she can see that as a real possibility. Josslyn says, there are no security cameras inside the cabin, and Arden says, which means what exactly. Josslyn says, which means she doesn’t have proof that Trina didn’t leave her bedroom, and Arden says, to be clear, she can’t account for the defendant’s movements from the moment she went into her room to the moment she and Mr. Webber went into theirs. Because of that, won’t she concede that there was plenty of time for her so-called friend, who has already been established to have been filled with jealousy and resentment, to make sure the phone was set up to record Josslyn’s most intimate moments without her knowing? Diane objects, saying, this is pure conjecture on the ADA’s part, and the judge sustains. He tells Arden to watch her step, and Arden says, no more questions. Rory walks into the courtroom.

TJ says, he was there the first time Willow fainted at GH, and that was months before she got pregnant. That’s what prompted him to run this battery of tests; just to be on the safe side. She says, so he thinks there’s a chance something’s wrong with her? but he tells her, all he’s saying is, they need more information. He knows she just finished nursing school, and she’s been under a lot of pressure. So they might be able to chalk this up to anxiety or stress, but there’s also a chance there’s another medical explanation. They have to explore all possibilities. She says, obviously, he thinks there’s a good chance something is wrong. What isn’t he telling her?

Dante starts to introduce Cody to Michael, but Cody says, Michael’s the one who gave him the tour of the Quartermaine stables; made him feel right at home. Michael says, it’s funny Cody calls himself a mere stable hand, because to Leo, he’s already a legend, and Cody says, Leo is a great kid. He’s positively fearless with that horse of his, unlike some people that he knows. Dante asks if Cody is talking about him. He was a city kid; he did great. Michael says, that’s enough for him. They can stay and beat each other’s brains in if they want. He has to meet Willow at GH. In case Cody can’t tell by the big grin on his face, he and Willow are having a baby. Cody congratulates him, and asks Michael to give his best to Willow. Michael says he has to hit the showers. If he’s late he could catch a hard time. Cody says, really? Willow seemed like such a sweetheart to him. Michael says he wasn’t talking about Willow. He was talking about her OB, Britt Westbourne. Cody says, no kidding; small world. Michael asks if he knows Britt.  

Brad says, normally he would be upset about Britt blowing him off, but since she’s practically on the verge of spinsterhood, he’ll give her a pass – this time. She says, she’d love to argue his characterization of her love life, except he’s spot-on. He says, some friendly advice. All she needs to be is the charming, vivacious woman he knows she can be. She says, thanks for the pep talk. She feels so much better about her date tonight.  He says, if she’s not excited about her date, why is she doing it? Is she jumping back into the dating pool because she’s looking for love, or is she just tired of holding on to all her secrets? She asks what that means, and he says, whatever’s weighing on her; what she can’t tell him about? Maybe it’s past time she did.

Diane reminds the court of the difference between a sex tape and revenge porn. A sex tape is made with consent; revenge porn is made without consent. She asks if Josslyn or Cameron ever consented to being recorded, and Josslyn says, no. Neither one of them knew anything about the video; not until it popped up on the screens at PCU. Diane says, yet despite the prosecution’s best efforts to put words in Josslyn’s mouth, Josslyn claims to know her best friend could never have done this. Josslyn says she knows Trina couldn’t, and Arden objects. She says, to use Diane’s words, it’s pure conjecture on the witness’s part. Josslyn says, it’s not conjecture, because she knows exactly the type of person Trina is. She’s known Trina since middle school. Trina is her best friend in the entire world. Josslyn tears up, and says, Trina is there for her on her good days, and more important, Trina is there for her on her bad days. Trina knows right from wrong, and Josslyn knows exactly the type of friend Trina is. She is the type of friend to stick by you when everybody else turns and runs. Diane says, so knowing her best friend, could Josslyn ever imagine that Trina would go to such extreme lengths to humiliate her and Cameron? Josslyn says, never. She doesn’t think Trina would even know how to get a black market phone, let alone use it against them. Diane asks how Josslyn knows it was a black market phone, and she says she doesn’t. All she knows is, a second phone that was a black market phone was found in Trina’s purse, identical to Trina’s real phone; same model, same case. Diane says, but it’s Josslyn’s belief – her conviction – that someone, anyone, could have purchased that phone, and Josslyn says, not anyone. One person did this, and she knows exactly who that person is.

Esme tells Spencer, once Trina recorded Joss and Cam having sex for the first time – which is mind bogglingly horrific – she made it go global. Those are facts; all the evidence says so. He says he agrees with her that the evidence is stacked against Trina, but there’s one catch. Esme asks, what’s that? and he says, they both know Trina didn’t record that revenge porn or distribute it, because Esme did.

Diane says, if Trina Robinson did not make that revenge porn, who did? and Josslyn says, it’s Esme Prince. When Esme’s boyfriend, Spencer Cassadine, wanted to break up his father’s marriage to Ava, Spencer began to stalk Ava, and asked for Esme’s help. Esme lit Ava’s car on fire, and left the hospital ID badge of Ava’s dead daughter Kiki beside the car. That seems like the kind of demented mind that would make revenge porn, don’t you think? Arden objects, and says, she’s aware of Spencer Cassadine getting convicted for stalking his stepmother, but his girlfriend was never charged with anything. Can the witness provide any shred of proof of her claims? Judge Young sustains, and tells Diane, no more speculation; he just wants facts. Diane says, absolutely. She just has a few more questions. She asks what Josslyn’s GPA was her freshman year of college, and Josslyn says, 4.0. Diane congratulates her, and asks who her dorm roommate was. Josslyn says, Trina, and Diane asks who if Trina will be Josslyn’s roommate her sophomore year. Josslyn says, absolutely, and she and Trina smile at each other. Diane has no further questions.

TJ says he’s not keeping Willow in the dark about anything. There are questions though, and that’s why he’s booked her for another series of tests tomorrow. She says, to be clear, this doesn’t concern the baby. This is about her health, correct? He says, correct. Her issue, if there is one, predates the pregnancy. It’s likely the two situations aren’t related. She has an appointment with Dr. Westbourne later. Keep that, and whatever it is, they’ll deal with it.

Cody tells Michael, you might say, he and Britt ran into each other the other day, and Dante says, what Cody means is, he parachuted into the MetroCourt pool, landed on Britt, and they both fell into the water. Michael says, that was all over social media, and Cody says, to be fair, she was standing in his landing zone. Michael says, skydiver, stable hand; is there anything Cody can’t do? Cody says, plenty. Pay a mortgage, ride sidesaddle blindfolded, make babies. He’s never been able to achieve any of those things, so don’t let him keep Michael from that appointment. Dante tells Michael, good luck, and tell Willow he said hi. He’s sure mom and baby are going to be fine. Michael leaves, and Cody says, Dante’s brother seems like a nice guy. Dante says, the best, and Cody asks if he’s chopped liver, but Dante says, no. Cody is the guy who dogged Britt after he told Cody not to.

Britt tells Brad, all she wants is to give this matchmaking thing a chance. If for no other reason than to get her mother off her back. He says, fair enough. So is her date someone he knows? Someone he doesn’t know? Is he hot? She says, he’s rough around the edges, and he says, on the right person that could be hot. Is he hot? She says, he doesn’t seem trustworthy, and Brad says, not to be redundant, but that could be hot on the right person too. She says, fine. He’s hot, in a rough, rustic, scruffy way. He bruises well, and by that she means, he’s one of those guys who actually looks good beaten up. Weird. And then there’s the fact they have nothing in common, and they don’t even like each other. Brad asks how she knows, if they haven’t even met… O.M.G. It’s him, isn’t it? It’s parachute guy.

Jordan is now on the stand, and Arden asks her how this illicit video came to the attention of the PCPD. Jordan says, they received a report from PCU, where the video was first distributed. Then in the course of their investigation, their office got an anonymous tip on their hotline as to the alleged perpetrator’s identity. Arden says, by alleged perpetrator, she’s referring to the defendant, correct? and Jordan says, yes. Arden asks, what happened when they brought Trina in for questioning? and Jordan says, Trina agreed without hesitation, and never asked for legal representation. She said she would do anything to find the person who humiliated her closest friends, Josslyn Jax and Cameron Webber. Arden asks what Jordan found in Trina’s possession, and Jordan says, she had two cell phones in her purse; one that was hers, and one that was nearly identical that she couldn’t account for. Arden holds up the phone in a plastic bag, and says, this is the unaccounted for cell phone, and this is the forensics report on this phone. She gives the report to Jordan, and asks if Jordan can tell them what it says. Jordan says, the digital footprint confirms this cell phone was used to upload and send the video, also known as the revenge porn, to the PCU community. Arden says, anything else? and Jordan says, after its final usage, this phone was never turned on again. Arden asks if there’s anything else that ties the phone to the defendant, and Jordan reads, Miss Robinson’s credit card information was encrypted and used to purchase images of the artist Richard Molineaux. Arden says, in other words, according to Jordan’s own forensics department, the only person tied to that revenge porn video is the defendant Trina Robinson, and Jordan says, the evidence seems to suggest that, yes.

Spencer tells Esme, at first, he didn’t want to believe it. There was a time when he had deeper feelings for her than he ever knew possible. When he brought her home to Port Charles… She says, he means when he asked for her help with his plot to destroy his father’s marriage, and he says, and when she agreed, she raised the stakes by a thousand. He never asked her to torch Ava’s car, and would have never suggested she put Ava’s dead daughter’s hospital ID beside it. That is just so incredibly cruel. But that’s who she really is, isn’t it? Cruel. Joss warned him about her; Trina warned him about her. Hell, even Cam, who gave her the benefit of the doubt, went out of his way to warn him that she was dangerous, and even still, he wanted to believe in her. But then when that video of Josslyn and Cam came out, she couldn’t wait to show it to him. She pretended to be horrified, but he could see it written all over her face how happy she was. Then she insisted it had to be Trina who made it. That’s when he started to wonder and waver, and when he decided to voice his fears that maybe she was the one behind the revenge porn, she instantly came up with a pregnancy scare. She says, he thinks she made that up? and he says, not then. He still wanted to believe in her. But when Trina was arrested, he couldn’t look the other way anymore. Everything Josslyn was saying, and that Trina had done her best not to say, it was all true. Esme was the one who made that video, and she was the one who distributed it to the world. He yells in her face, it was you all along.

Michael finds Willow at the hospital, and says he wondered if he had the wrong time. Is she okay?  

Britt tells Brad, go on, say it. She’s going out with the bum who parachuted into her life, and couldn’t even apologize for almost drowning her. He says, honestly, he’s happy for her. She’s a smart woman. If she decided to give parachute guy a second chance, good for her. She thanks him for saying that, but they both know this will probably end in disaster, and he says, sure seems like it. So he has to ask again, why is she even doing it? and she tells him, he’s supposed to say, it’s going be great, but right now, she’s late to see a patient.

Cody and Dante go into the steam room, and Dante tells Cody to fess up now. He saw Cody all over Britt on the 4th. What’s going on with that? He warned Cody away from Britt, and first thing, his interest level goes through the roof. It’s classic. Cody says, about Dante’s warning about Britt. Given how Dante feels about Britt, his guess is, Dante isn’t going to feel too good about them going on a date.

Esme says, Spencer is right. When they first met, he was an angry, lost self-centered little boy, and thanks to her, he not only lost his virginity, he turned out to be an angry, lost, self-centered man. She can’t believe, after everything she’s done for him, standing by his side when even his own father turned his back on him, this is how he repays her. He says, all she ever did was work her own agenda, and she says, enough. He had his say, now it’s her turn. If he thinks he can just go riding back to Trina, he’s an even bigger fool than she thought. He’s even sadder and more pathetic than when she first met him. They were together at that cabin, remember? She couldn’t have planted that phone even if she wanted to, because when she’d had enough of Josslyn’s holier than thou attitude, they left – together. His precious sweet Trina could have planted that phone and did. There’s simply no way he can get around that. He says, of course (🍷) there is.

Diane says, so an anonymous tip claimed Trina Robinson filmed and distributed the revenge porn. Is there any way to identify the source of that anonymous tip? Jordan says, no. If people thought their identities could be made public, they wouldn’t get the number of tips they get. That’s why it’s anonymous. Diane says, of course (🍷). So anyone could leave a false tip and suffer no repercussions whatsoever. So how did Trina behave when Jordan hauled her into the PCPD for questioning? Jordan says, there was no hauling her in; she came in voluntarily. Diane says, voluntarily? That’s interesting. Jordan already testified that Trina asked for no counsel to be present, but when Jordan began to question her, was she defensive? Jordan says, no; she was very cooperative. She kept repeating that Josslyn and Cameron were her close friends, and she wanted to do whatever was possible to catch the person responsible for the revenge porn. Maybe it’s because her dad was a officer, but she was very eager to do the right thing. Diane says, so when Jordan opened Trina’s bag, and found the other phone… Jordan says she didn’t open Trina’s purse; Trina did. Diane says, Jordan is saying Trina herself opened her bag and produced the other phone? and Jordan says, that’s correct. Diane asks, in her many years of public service as Police Commissioner, in Jordan’s experience, is that the way a guilty person behaves? Arden objects, and says, they’re not doing a composite sketch of a common criminal. Jordan says, actually, she’d like to answer the question. She thinks it’s relevant. Judge Young says, she may answer the question, and Jordan says, Trina did not act anything at all like a guilty person. As she said, Trina’s main goal was to be helpful. Diane has no further questions, and Arden calls Rory to the stand.  

Willow tells Michael, there’s nothing wrong with her. She’s just nervous about their first consultation with the OB. Britt comes around the corner, and congratulates them. She takes it from the way they’re smiling, this is welcome news. Willow says, they weren’t trying to get pregnant, but yes, it’s exciting, and Michael says, they can’t wait to welcome the newest member of their family. Britt says, in that case, she asks the expectant father to wait here while she does a brief exam. Willow hangs back, and Britt promises it won’t take long. And she hopes to give them both a very pleasant surprise. Willow goes follows her into the exam room.

Dante says, he should have known better. Warning Cody to stay away from Britt is like catnip; it’s like forbidden fruit. Cody says, it’s just one date. What’s the big deal? She’s Co-Chief of Staff at the hospital. She can’t be that bad. Dante asks if Cody remembers when the counselors took them hiking on Olsen’s Peak, and Cody says, of course (🍷) he does. Dante was always a few steps behind him. Dante says, there was a sign that said, in big red letters, do not veer off the path. And what did Cody do? He veered them off the path, and they almost got mauled by a bear. Cody laughs, and says, he’d never seen Dante run so fast. Lighten up. There isn’t any danger, there isn’t any fun.

Esme says, at least Ava tried to buy her off. All Spencer can do is try and bluff her. He says, the truth is, he thought to himself, how can I try to twist Esme’s arm? Then it hit him. What would Esme do? For weeks she’d been pretending to sympathize with Joss because she and Cameron hadn’t slept together yet. She even made a major production  of insisting they get the master bedroom at the cabin. And when they got back from skiing, before she came in with the drinks, she was the only person not in the living room. He, Trina, Joss, and Cam were all there, but she was off by herself. He figures that would give her plenty of time to go into the master bedroom and set up that black market phone. Her back is to him, and she smiles. She says, that’s a clever theory, but he doesn’t have proof. She turns to him, and he says, but he’s not done. When they got back to town, he realized he’d forgotten something, and that gave her the very convenient excuse to go back to the cabin to pick up what he’d forgotten, as well as retrieve the phone that she’d recorded on. Once she retrieved it, she sent the video to the PCU server, and planted it in Trina’s purse. She says, okay, Agatha Christie. How could she have known Trina couldn’t handle her booze well and go to her room. Is he accusing her of being a psychic now too? He flashes back to finding the pills in Esme’s closet, and says, no, not psychic. He tries to touch her, but she backs up, and he says, she’s psycho for sure, but he doesn’t think she’s psychic. The reason she knew Trina would pass out is because Esme spiked her hot toddy with those pills of hers; the ones he found in her closet. He showed them to Britt Westbourne, and she told him what could happen if they’re mixed with alcohol. Esme drugged Trina to set her up, and Britt told him if the dosage had been off, even by a little, she could have injured Trina; maybe even killed her. He strokes Esme’s arm, and asks if she still thinks he’s bluffing.

Arden asks if, when Rory was on duty recently, he was called to a disturbance at a notorious biker bar, The Highsider. He says, that is correct. It was a fairly routine complaint; a fight had broken out. She asks what he found when he got there, and he says he’s not sure he understands the question. There was a bar fight. He arrived after another unit had broken it up. Arden tells the judge that she’s submitting an eyewitness statement from another member of the PCPD. They reported two underage girls who were caught up in this brawl. She asks Rory if they’re in the courtroom, and Diane objects, asking, what does any of this have to do with the charges against her client? Arden says, when Officer Cabrera answers the question the connection will be obvious, and Judge Young allows it. Arden repeats the question, and Rory says, yes, they’re in the courtroom. She asks him to state their names, and he says, Josslyn Jax and Trina Robinson. She thanks him, and says, there’s an even more important question she needs him to answer. Why were Josslyn and Trina in the bar that night?  Um… won’t this ultimately hurt Arden’s case?

Britt lets Michael into the exam room, and says, Willow is a bit early, but there’s a good chance they can detect a fetal heartbeat. Willow asks Michael to hold her hand, and Britt puts the gel on her. They hear it, and Willow says, that’s the baby’s heartbeat. Britt says, sure is, and Michael says, she had him worried there, but it’s strong and steady. Everything’s okay now.

Cody asks Dante why he wouldn’t date Britt. She’s beautiful, she’s successful, and she scraped him up in an alley, and gave him a ride to Dante’s place. Why can’t Dante just be happy for him? Dante says he is happy for Cody, but he’s just looking out for him, since he seems to be incapable of doing it himself. Cody says, so he’s a charity case, and Dante says he’s Cody’s friend. He gave Cody a couch, kept him out of jail, Dante’s mom hooked him up with a job at the Quartermaine stables; what does that say? Cody says, that Dante put in a good word for him, and Dante says, he didn’t do it out of charity. He did it because they’re friends. They hadn’t seen each other in a long time, but he minute he saw Cody falling out of the sky, he knew Cody hadn’t changed a bit. Cody says, Dante has. Maybe it’s because he’s a dad, or maybe it’s the badge, but Dante is different from the kid from Bensonhurst he used to know. Dante says, yeah, he is; he grew up. Maybe Cody should try it sometime.

Spencer says, Esme set up an innocent woman who could potentially go to prison, not to mention what she did to Joss and Cam with the sex tape. He backs her up as he’s talking, and says, he’ll give her this much; she was thorough in her revenge. She found a way to take them all down. She pushes him back, and says, he thinks he’s got it all worked out. What does he expect her to do, walk into that courtroom and trade places with Trina? He says, no, he doesn’t expect her to do that. Doing that would require a conscience, something she clearly doesn’t have. But if she was smart enough to frame Trina, then she’s smart enough to clear Trina without incriminating herself. She says, Trina really means that much to him, and he says he thinks the more pertinent question is, how much does Esme’s mother mean to her? She throws the paper on the table, and says, oh my God, you ass. After all the lies he told her, he expects her to believe he found a match for her DNA. He picks up the paper, and says, he has the evidence. She can look for herself. He can tell her the name. Or she can walk out and let Trina take the fall. It’s up to her. What’s more important to her; ruining Trina’s life or finding her mother?

Rory says, Josslyn and Trina were carrying fake IDs. He confiscated them, and let them off with a stern warning never to try that again. Arden says, very understanding of him, but were they only at that bar that night to drink alcohol as minors? He says he’s not sure what she means, and she puts a folder on the stand, saying, that document is a rap sheet for a bartender, Oz Haggerty, who was working at that same bar. Can he read off the crimes that bartender was arrested for? He reads, petty theft, and he had a prior for trafficking in stolen electronics. She asks if he can be more specific. What kind of electronics? He says, mostly black market cell phones, and she says, he sells black market cell phones. The kind that Trina’s best friend Josslyn, according to her testimony, said the defendant would never know how to buy. Again, Arden might be enthusiastic, but she’s not real bright. Although, outcomes aren’t always logical in Port Charles.

Michael asks if Willow is okay, and Willow says, they just heard their baby’s heartbeat. She’s never been better, or happier. They hug.

Britt thanks TJ for referring a new patient to her. Willow’s pregnancy is progressing nicely. They just heard the baby’s heartbeat. He says, that’s great to hear, but he needs her to keep him in the loop about Willow. She asks why, and he suggests they go to her office, and he’ll fill her in.

Cody tells Dante, he doesn’t have a kid or a steady career, but he’s growing up in his own way. Believe it or not, he’s already making plans for his future. Dante says, by being a stable boy? Come on, man, it’s even got boy in the title. Um… Michael said hand, not boy. Cody tells him, make as many jokes as he wants. He’s going to prove Dante is wrong about a lot of things. Dante says, including Britt Westbourne? and Cody says, the matchmaker herself matched them up. Dante says, here’s hoping the match doesn’t turn into a dumpster fire. If it does, remember his old pal warned him otherwise.

Esme says, Spencer is doing all of this because he thinks he can win Trina over? She clears Trina’s name, and Trina’s all his? Who is delusional now? Even if Trina did have feelings for him, she’s moved on. Or hasn’t he seen her with the hot rookie cop? He asks if that’s her final answer, but she says, he’s given her a lot to think about. He tells her, don’t think long, because this deal isn’t going to be on the table indefinitely, and she says, as a reminder, she’s not the one on trial. And as for him, if she hears he tried to play hero on his own, and go to Trina with this conversation, he will never get what he wants. He holds up the paper, and says, neither will she. She says, if it comes to choosing finding out who her mother is, and hurting him the way he hurt her, don’t be so sure he’ll know what she’ll choose. She leaves, and Spencer drops the paper on the table. Esme paces in the foyer, then leans against the wall, looking sick.  

Diane says she just has a few questions for Rory. When he confiscated Josslyn and Trina’s fake IDs, did he ask why they were there? He says, yes, and she asks what they told him. He says, they were looking for the bartender who sold Esme Prince a black market phone, and Diane asks if it was a referral deal. Esme Prince got a groovy phone (ha-ha) off this guy, and they wanted one too. Arden objects, saying, counsel is leading the witness, but Judge Young says he’ll allow it. He tells Diane to get where she’s going, and she asks Rory if Josslyn and Trina were in The Highsider to purchase a black market phone. He says, no. They were looking for the bartender to ID Esme Prince. Diane says, and did he? and Arden objects, saying, hearsay. Officer Cabrera wasn’t present when Miss Jax and Miss Robinson allegedly spoke to Mr. Haggerty. The officer has no idea what was said, if anything. The judge says, sustained, and Diane says she has no further questions. Judge Young calls for an adjournment, and the bailiff says, all rise, as he leaves the courtroom.

In the hallway, Curtis says he thinks there’s reasonable doubt for sure, and Josslyn says she hates the way the ADA twisted her words. Trina says she doesn’t blame Josslyn. She knows Josslyn is just trying to help her. Jordan comes out, and she and Curtis nod to each other. Rory follows, and he and Trina exchange a look. Portia tells Trina, just hang in there, and hugs her.  

Tomorrow, Cody wants to get to know Britt better, if she’ll let him; Finn tells Chase that something is too good to be true; Brook tells Linc that she’s found something she wants more than fame; Sasha insists she’s not addicted; and Sonny tells Brando that he’ll take care of something.

👠 I Loved Her Too, But…

Lois was better than LisaR on her best day, but she wasn’t a cast member, nor is this The LisaR Show. I totally understand her grief, but this is going overboard with being demanding.

https://people.com/tv/lisa-rinna-slams-rhobh-for-not-properly-honoring-late-mom/

🍊 OC Slam…

Apparently, Tamra is not too happy with Jill outing her return.

https://www.etonline.com/tamra-judge-slams-jill-zarin-after-she-seemingly-spoils-her-rhoc-return-announcement-go-fk-yourself

But Jill claims she’s not the source. They were on Watch What Happens Live together tonight, so they must have kissed and made up. I wasn’t really listening.

https://www.eonline.com/news/1338372/jill-zarin-clarifies-comments-about-tamra-judges-rumored-rhoc-return

💎 Another Day, Another Suit…

I think Erika is a little smarter than Teresa Giudice, who I believe signed things just because Juicy Joe told her too. I wouldn’t say she was in on it, but I think she turned a blind eye.

🦘 I’ve been watching Below Deck Down Under, and while it’s entertaining enough, I’m a little disappointed. Some of the crew could vie with Jax Taylor and the most recent Sailing Yacht cast for worst people ever. It looks like mostly the deckhands are d-bags, one being a very entitled bad sport. I haven’t absorbed enough of it to get a good handle on the interior, except that they flirt shamelessly with the captain. I can’t say I blame them, since he’s movie star handsome. I also love Aesha, originally from Below Deck Mediterranean. She’s the chief stew on this one, and I remember her as always being positive and fun. And of course there’s the Barrier Reef. I don’t think it gets much more beautiful.

https://www.bravotv.com/below-deck-down-under

Beating the Clock…

Join me tomorrow for soap and those awful women from Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay not beating yourself up over the past, and stay being the type of friend who sticks around when everybody else turns and runs.

June 17, 2022 – Drew Celebrates With Carly, Suits, Finished, RomaDrama, Wife Block, Unconcerned, One More, Spinning Thrones, Juneteenth, 10 Quotes For Dads & Vibe

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly sees someone swimming in the pool, and says, the pool’s closed. Drew gets out, and sexy music plays while she stares at him. Erm… He says he was hoping the owner could bend the rules a little for him.

Nina asks if everything’s all right, and Sonny says, it’s just business. It wasn’t anything urgent. He thanks her for waiting, and she says, it would have been rude, not to mention immature, if she’d just walked away in a huff (or a minute and a huff. sorry). He asks if she was tempted, and she says, a little bit. A part of her doesn’t want to hear his answer about the kiss he gave her, but then there’s another part of her that really needs to know, because it means something to her. Did he kiss her because he got into a fight with his ex-wife?

At a drive-in (!), Anna asks if Valentin has ever been here before, but he says he hasn’t had the pleasure. Her? She says, no. All the drive-in theaters she’s seen have been in movies she’s watched. He says, she wanted him to surprise her, and she says, he did. He’s kind of like this movie. He says, old or notorious? and she says, he seems to be black and white, but in reality, he’s a complex balance of shadows. She got that out of a book on Hitchcock. He says he likes it; it makes him sound classic, yet timeless. She says, this is the part where Ingrid Bergman realizes she’s been poisoned, and he says, like the old days, huh? She says, only if your nostalgic about someone being drugged in an undercover operation, and he says he thinks it’s part of their charm tonight.

Trina tells Josslyn that they have to get out of the bar before the cops check their IDs. The instigator, aka tall bald guy, is taken away, and the cops talk to bar guy. Josslyn says, now’s their chance, but as they start to leave, Rory comes in, and asks what they’re doing here.

Selina walks into The Savoy, and asks why Brad called her back here. He says, there’s a problem with the game. Linc comes out of the back and goes to the bar, while Brook stares daggers at him. He asks for a double vodka on the rocks, and Brook starts to stomp over to him, but Chase intercepts her and asks if she’s going somewhere. Brad tells Selina, Judge Abbott canceled at the last minute, so he let another player come in. She says, without vetting him first? Linc tells N’neka to put it on his tab, when Britt comes up to the bar. She says she was here earlier, and realized she can’t find her phone. Did someone turn it in? N’neka says she’ll check, and leaves. Linc says he hopes she finds Britt’s phone. He hates to see a lady in distress.

In the hallway, Brad tells Selina, when he saw the guy’s bankroll, he figured it would be okay. He knew the password. She says, just spit it out; what happened? and Cody comes out, counting a load of cash.

Sonny says, when he kissed Nina, he wasn’t thinking about Carly, and she says, but he did fight with Carly. He says, yeah. Carly and Michael think he turned his back on his family. She says, that’s ridiculous. His family is everything to him. He says, right, and when he went on the stand, it wasn’t against Michael; he was just there to tell the truth. She says, and he was gracious enough to forgive her, and doesn’t hold her responsible anymore for keeping his identity a secret. He says, the thing is, he always believed and still believes Wiley needs to have her in his life. She thanks him, and says, Carly considers that a betrayal. He says, in Carly’s mind, the biggest betrayal was, when Baldwin was going after Michael, he stood by Nina. Nina says she has to be honest. When he did that, she was surprised too.

Drew tells Carly that he just needed a quick swim. It was a crazy day at Aurora, and he didn’t get a chance to work out. She asks, how quick? and he says, only a mile. Navy SEAL. He hopes she isn’t going to revoke his membership, but she says, he’s exactly the distraction she needed after the day she’s had. He says, bad? and she says, beyond. Frustrating… heartbreaking… deeply disappointing, but also the best.

Trina tells Rory that she and Josslyn were tracking down proof Esme framed her, and he says, in a bar known for criminal activity? Trina says, just the place Esme would go to for an unregistered phone, and Josslyn promises they’ll explain everything later, but right now, they need to get out of here. An officer calls Rory over, and asks if he has ID on Josslyn and Trina.

Chase asks, what happened to their hanging out by the pool? and Brook says she’s sorry, but this was too good of a chance to pass up. Linc had a card from The Savoy, with what was obviously a password written on the back. He says, a strong indicator that something shady was going on, and she says, yes, Mr. Sarcasm. This is her chance to catch Linc in the act, and blackmail him into signing the rights to her songs back over to her. He says, there’s so much illegal in what she just said to him, he doesn’t know where to start.

Linc says he knows Britt. She’s the woman in the GIF that’s gone viral; soaking wet… climbing out of the pool. She says, yes, that’s her, and he says, she has a rockin’ bod. It’s like the beauty from the Black Lagoon. They might be able to recreate that in one of his artist’s videos. She says, excuse me? and he says, oh, did he not mention he’s a music producer?

Selina asks, is this the last minute player? and Cody says, they meet again. All the players raved about her in there. She says, did they? and he says, Brad here was kind enough to let him sit in on the game. Texas Hold ‘Em high stakes is exactly how he likes to play. It’s a shame the game ended so early. She says, isn’t it, and he says, thanks for the hospitality. Goodnight. He starts to leave, and she says, Li! A big guy comes in, and she says she’d like a word with this man – outside.

Anna says she loves this movie, and Valentin says he’s never known anyone so thrilled with this film. She says, come on. Cary Grant rescues Ingrid Bergman. The Nazis are thwarted, and the moment he goes back inside, Claude Reins is a dead man. What’s not to love? It’s so good. He says, if she likes this film, she’s going to love the second feature, and she says, he’s not going to tell her what it is? He says she wanted to be surprised. There’s a concession stand that sells bon-bons. A little pedestrian for such a momentous occasion. She says, a drive-in’s momentous? but he says, not the drive-in; us. Her agreeing to an official first date. She says, that is momentous, and he says, so – he brings out a basket from the backseat – he brought charcuterie, and caviar. She says, it’s lovely… and he says, what? She tells him, she loves popcorn at the movies, and he reaches in the back, this time pulling out a bag of popcorn, saying, it’s a good thing he brought some. This is from Japan, salted with umami, and out of this world. She says, popcorn needs to have butter, and he says he’s usually much better at this. She says, bullseye on the movie, and remembering she loves Hitchcock; that’s all perfect. He says, the master of suspense. He never got more romantic than Notorious. She says, yeah, a libeled lady and a charismatic rogue on a spy mission, longing for each other. He says, what’s not to love?

Brook says, of course (🍷) blackmailing Linc is illegal; that’s why she kept him out of it. He says, she ditched him, and she says, for his own good. He’s so close to being reinstated. He says, she asked for his help, and as soon as he agreed, she bailed on him, so she could do it on her own. Not that she got anywhere. She says she begs to differ. Something went way, way wrong. Linc came out of the back room fuming, and when he gets mad, he gets stupid. And when Linc gets stupid, which is most of the time, Linc makes mistakes, and that’s when they’ve got him.

Linc tells Britt, he manages some of the best talent in the business, and she says, he’s rolling in it? He says, private planes, yachts… and she says, he has more than one? He says, that depends where he’s heading, and she pretends to be excited, saying, which she imagines is all over the world. He says, baby, you would not believe the life I’ve lived, and she says she bets he’s seen some things. He says he’s nothing like the guys she’s used to, and she says, so true.

Li tosses Cody into an alleyway, and Cody says, what’s there to talk about? He bought into the game. He played well, he won, fair and square. Selina asks, what’s his definition of fair? What’s indisputable is, he cleaned out all of her other players in eight hands. Cody says, that’s just how the cards fell, and Selina says, when the game goes on all night, the players’ inhibitions wear down, and the stakes go up. If they lose, they ask for credit. Cody says, which she’s more than happy to extend at a far interest rate, and she says, he cut into her profits, she’ll need to recoup her losses, which will come out of his winnings. He says, now who’s not playing fair? and she says something in Mandarin. Li punches Cody in the stomach, and Cody falls to the ground, doubled over.

Nina says, she and Sonny haven’t addressed what Scotty did to Michael on the stand, and he asks if she knew what Scotty was going to do, but she says she didn’t. Scotty told her that he was going to bring up Claudia Zaccara’s death, but she had no idea about the details of how Claudia died. All she knows is, Scotty said he was going to hit Michael with his criminal record. Sonny says, so it sounds like she didn’t know how bad Scotty was going to get with Michael, and she says she didn’t, but she’s not going to get any medals either. Kidnapping Avery, and again, keeping his existence in Nixon Falls a secret. He says, let him guess. Scotty told her, in order to secure visitation with Wiley, she was going to have to level the playing field. She says, make Michael look so bad, she’d look better by comparison, and he says, listen. He just wants her to know, Michael had no intention of killing Claudia. He was just a teenager, and he was defending his little sister. She says she knows that now, and watching Scotty go after him on the stand made her stomach sink. In part because of what she set in motion, and in part because she was sure she’d lose him over it.

Drew says, it’s kind of nice having the place to themselves, and Carly says, one of the perks of co-owning the MetroCourt. He says, she knows he’s only hanging out for the perks, right? and she says she’s under no illusion. They sit, and he says he thinks he knows what she meant when she said, bad, but for the best. It’s when something crappy happens to you, but you needed it. It gives you a wake-up call and shifts your whole perspective. She says, that’s exactly what happened to her today. She hadn’t talked to Sonny since Nina’s visitation hearing. She won’t go into the gory details, but Nina and her lawyer accused Michael of being violent towards women. Can he believe that? He says he heard that, and he’s so incredibly sorry. She says, it was awful, but what was truly indefensible was Sonny. He was in the court room; he heard everything. And when it was over, he comforted Nina. Drew says, she must have felt so betrayed, and she says, yeah, and furious, and devastated. And now, weirdly grateful.

Nina says, when Scotty got done with Michael, and the judge called for a recess because she wanted to talk to Scotty and Diane in chambers, she stood up and felt so alone. She turned around, and there Sonny was, on her side. He looked so stoic, and she had no idea what he was feeling. She thought he was going to tear into her. He says, there was a lot of stuff happening. He was angry with Scotty for going after Michael, and he was disappointed in Michael for going after her. It was a lot. She says she wanted to play fair. She wanted to let everyone just cool down until Michael and Willow would allow her to see Wiley, but Michael and Willow didn’t play fair. He says, even before the five-part feature in The Invader? and she says, they were never going to cool down. Wiley would have been an adult before she was allowed to see him, and by that time, he’d be so brainwashed, he’d never want to see her. Sonny says, she had every right to go for the petition for visitation, and she says she’s made a lot of mistakes, but so has Michael. Nobody is perfect here. He takes her hand, and says, when he saw her in court, she was hurting a lot. All he could think about was making her feel better. She says she just wanted to explain to him what happened. She felt like her skin was ripped off; all her faults were exposed… and there he was. He touched her cheek – she starts to cry, and he gives her his hanky – and that small act of compassion meant more to her than he’ll ever know.

Drew says, Carly is grateful Sonny sided with Nina? and she says, the Sonny she knew would have defended his son, and the fact that he didn’t, brought it all home to her in a way nothing else could. The man she married, the Sonny she loved, the father of her kids, is gone. For as long as she’s known Sonny, he could make her angrier than anyone, and what surprised her today was the anger she didn’t feel. That’s when she realized… He says, her wake-up call, and she says, what Sonny did in that courtroom severed the last tie. They’re Donna’s parents, and will always co-exist for her sake, but they live separate lives. She’s been saying she’s free for a while, but today, she feels free. He tells her, congratulations, and she thanks him. He says, they should celebrate.

Rory says he needs to see their IDs, and Trina says, which one? The real one that says she’s underage, or the fake one that says she’s 23 and her name is Jane? Josslyn says, look, Trina can’t get arrested, even if it’s a misdemeanor. The Title IX investigation came back against her. He says he’s sorry to hear that, and Trina says, thanks, but it turns out it’s the least of her worries. Josslyn tells him, coming here was entirely her idea; she dragged Trina along. Please, just bust her and let Trina go. She hands him her fake ID.

Li kicks Cody’s ass some more, and Selina says, enough. The money. Li reaches in Cody’s pocket, and Cody says, they can’t take his buy-in money; he brought it to the table. She says he cost her far more than she recouped tonight. He’s still in her dept. He says, she can’t leave him with nothing, and she says she’s not completely heartless, and pulls out a bill, tossing it toward him. She tells Li, let’s go, and they leave. Brad tells Cody, sorry, Selina calls to him, and he goes.  

Linc says he doesn’t want to intimidate Britt or anything. He is rich and famous, but deep down, he’s just a regular guy. She says, regular just doesn’t do it for her; neither does rich and famous. She’s into a very particular type. He asks her to enlighten him, and she says, the kind who keeps his head when literal bullets are flying, who’s not overly fussy in the rule of law, and who doesn’t give a damn about pop culture. The kind of guy who can take a punch, and laugh about it. N’neka brings out a phone, and asks if it’s Britt’s, and Britt thanks her, taking it. She tells Linc, by the way, he’s a loser, even if he’s rich and famous, and walks away.

Chase says, if Britt does something illegal, and Linc can prove it, she’ll be in a far worse position than when she started. She says, look at Linc’s expression. Britt blew him off and he is livid. Now’s her chance. She heads for the bar.

Coming out of the club, Britt sees Cody in the alley.

Carly says she’s up for celebrating; what does Drew suggest? He says, how about a night swim? but she says she didn’t bring her suit. He says, they could skinny dip, but she says she owns the hotel. People could come, so… He says he doesn’t think anyone is around, and the pool’s closed. He won’t tell. She says, raincheck? and he says, absolutely. He says, at least put her feet in the water? and sits at the edge of the pool. He holds out his hand, and she says, she can do that, taking it.

Sonny tells Nina, Carly saw him in the courtroom, and that’s what they were fighting about. He guesses she felt that gesture of comfort meant he was okay with Scotty going after Michael. She says she’s so sorry she put him in that position, but he says, he doesn’t regret it. He was just doing what he felt he should do in the moment. She says, Carly can’t forgive him, but he says, she’s done, which is ironic because the divorce has been finalized for a while now. He guesses she doesn’t… She’s cutting the cord, except for Donna. He gets to see Donna as much as he wants. Nina says, no matter what Carly’s issues are, she’s first and foremost a mother. She’s never going to use Donna as a pawn. He says he never thought this would happen. He always thought he’d be connected to Carly, at least from the past and the kids… He flashes back to Carly saying he consoled the woman who initiated an attack on Michael, and she doesn’t know him anymore. He tells Nina, Carly said she doesn’t know who he is anymore, and he’s thinking, of course (🍷) she doesn’t. A lot has changed since Nixon Falls. He’s not the same person; he’s changed. And it seems like the only one who understands him in his life is Nina.

Rory says he’ll need Trina’s too, and the other officer tells Rory, the bouncer checks out. They step aside, and the officer says, his partner is waiting for him; they got a perp violating parole who needs processing at the station. Clear the scene; send everyone home. He leaves, and Rory goes back to Josslyn and Trina. Josslyn asks, what happens now? Is he going to arrest them? He says, technically, it’s not illegal to purchase a fake ID in the state of New York. Using one is more of a grey area; it’s up to the officer’s discretion whether or not he wants to file charges. Trina asks what his discretion is telling him, and he puts the fake ID’s in his pocket, saying, he’ll let them off with a warning, this time.

Cody coughs and groans. Britt picks up the bill, and says, did he lose something?

Brook tells Linc, what a coincidence. Long time, no see. He tells her, get lost. He’s expecting a call from Korea. She says, and there’s a bridge for sale in Brooklyn, and he says he should know better than to visit Port Charles. First, some cowboy took all his cash in a card game; then some woman doesn’t even have the sense to appreciate what he’s offering. His phone rings, and he says, this is it. He says, min-ho; ban nalYes, absolutely. All I Want is still available. Brook says, that’s her song, and Linc says, they will do a phenomenal interpretation, and he’s listened to plenty of boy bands. Might he say, theirs is the best in the K-Pop biz… Yeah, they can change the lyrics from him to her. They can change whatever they want; he owns the song. Brook grabs the phone, and he says, what the hell. She says, the song in question is no longer available. It’s caught up in a copyright lawsuit that could drag on for years. Bye. She hangs up, and Linc says, does she realize what she just did? She says she saved her song. He says he wants his phone back, and grabs her arm. Chase flies between them, separating them, and Linc says, if Chase doesn’t realize she’s using him, he’s dumber than he looks. He holds out his hand, and says, phone. Or he will sell her entire catalog to a porn producer he knows who’ll use it for soundtracks, She says, what a surprise; he knows a porn producer. Linc says, come to think of it, that’s a market she should explore. She can’t sing anymore, but there are other ways to perform, like lying on your back. Chase punches him in the face.

Anna’s phone dings, and she tells Valentin, sorry. She usually remembers to switch these things off. He asks if it’s important, but she says, it’s just work; it’ll keep. He asks if it’s anything to do with the Jennifer Smith case, and she wonders why he’s asking. He says, just curious. He offered his assistance, and she was strangely quiet. She says, it’s not likely she would need it. The WSB thinks the case is airtight. He says, she doesn’t agree? and she says, no. Jennifer insisted she had this French naval captain up in her room. He says, played by Gary Cooper? and she says she wishes. Anyway, they haven’t been able to locate him or confirm his identity. Valentin flashes back to pretending to be the captain, and says, he thinks he can still be of some use.  

Nina tells Sonny, she’s sorry; she didn’t mean to get so emotional. He says he didn’t call her here for consolation, and she says, she knows. She can tell he’s hurting. Why doesn’t he talk to her? He says he’s tired of hurting. He’s tired of being angry and being sorry. This is who he is. Love him or hate him, with her, it seems to be enough. She says she’s tired of hurting too. She’s tired of the loss and regret. He makes her happy, and she wants to embrace that happiness. He asks how they start, and she kisses his hand, and says, slowly.

Carly and Drew eat ice cream cones, as they dangle their feet in the water. Carly says, this is perfect, and he says she doesn’t think his idea of a celebration is kind of lame? She says, sometimes the simplest things are the best. She’s hanging out with him on this gorgeous night, and her feet are in the swimming pool that she co-owns, and she’s got chunk of stock in a media company that’s soaring by the day. He says, a bigger chunk than she expected, but she says she knows a good thing when she sees it.

Britt sits Cody up, and asks what he did to deserve this. He says, this is how it goes when he’s on a winning streak, and she says, he gets beat up and left in an alley with $50? He says, his luck turns harder and faster than a bucking bronco, and she says, there he was, picturing the hot car he was going to buy, that place in Malibu. He says, a 200 acre spread in Wyoming. Nice place; has she ever been? He was going to buy some horses. She says, purebred? but he says, no, the price is too pricey. He was going to get some workhorses to take care of and ride… He closes his eyes, and she says, he may have a concussion, so stay with her. He says he’s not sleeping; he’s just resting his eyes. She says, then she’ll leave him to it. She starts to walk away, and says, damn Hippocratic Oath. First do no harm. She goes back to him, and says she’s a doctor, so first, she’s going to check his injuries. She’s warning him now; this is going to hurt. She moves his head and he groans. She checks his eyes.

Rory says, Trina and Josslyn were looking for a lead on Esme; did they find one? Trina says, yes and no, and Josslyn says, Esme framed Trina by planting the phone in Trina’s bag. Trina says, the phone she used to record the sex tape, and then send it out in an email blast. Josslyn says, they think they found the guy who sold her the phone, and Rory asks, who is he? Trina says, he was tending the bar when they got there; they don’t know his name. Josslyn says, he was about to ID Esme, but the fight broke out, and he slipped away. Trina says, but he works here, which means he’ll be back. Next time they’ll… Rory says, next time, they won’t be anywhere near here, and Josslyn says, they need to find the guy. Rory says, he’ll ask about the bartender. He’ll get a name and description, and he’ll run it. Rory’s phone beeps, and he says he’s got another call; disturbance in progress. How are they getting home? Josslyn says, a Ride Share; they’ll be here in ten minutes. He tells then, be sure not to miss it, and leaves.

Carly thanks Drew for the ice cream, and says, it was a great suggestion. He starts unbuttoning his shirt, and she asks what he’s doing. He says, what does she think he’s doing? He’s working off the ice cream. The mile he swam isn’t going to cut it. He gets in the pool, and she thanks him for the celebration. He tells her, who says it’s over? As far as he’s concerned, it’s just getting started.

Sonny says, he and Nina have been dancing around each other for a year at least, not to mention their time in Nixon Falls. How much slower can they go? She says she wants nothing more than to dive head first into a relationship with him, and he asks, what’s stopping her? She says, herself. The feeling she had in that courtroom when she stood up and saw him. They’re hot and heavy for each other now, but what happens to her when it fizzles out? She takes his hand, and says, he’s unlike any man she’s ever known, and she wants them to build something real between them. He says he appreciates it, but she’s not the only one who’s feeling alone. Carly and Michael cut him out of their life; he can’t rely on them. There is this connection they have, but if she wants to take it slow, he’s okay with that. She says, okay, and picks up her bag. He asks if she’s going home already, and she says she is, handing him back his hanky. He tells her to keep it to remember him, and she laughs, saying, okay. If she doesn’t leave now, she never will. She’ll call him. He says he’s looking forward to it, and she leaves.

Cody asks, will I live? and Britt says, his ribs are bruised, and maybe some are cracked. She recommends an x-ray. He says he’ll get right on that, as soon as he figures out how to stand up, and she says, for pity’s sake, lean on her. She helps him up, and he grunts and groans. She says he’s such a big baby. Is he the same guy who fell from the sky and into the MetroCourt pool without a bump? He says, she cushioned his fall, and she says, she’s parked over there; she’ll drive him to GH. He says, hospitals are pricey, and he’s down to his last fifty, but she says, she’s not going to leave him in the alley. He needs help. He says he knows who can help him, and they owe him.

Anna says, familiar with a lot of French captains, are we? and Valentin says, profiling 101. First of all, how do they know Jennifer didn’t just invent this gallant seafarer? She says, they know he exists because the hotel bartender saw him, and Valentin says, okay. This is where he suggests the captain’s involvement is incidental. Miss Smith is just implicating him as a red herring. She says, no more Hitchcock for him, but he says, it’s Occam’s Razor; the simplest explanation is usually the right one. She doesn’t want to admit her guilt, so she’s claiming innocence, and pointing the finger at some poor sap she met at the hotel bar. Anna says, perhaps, and he asks what she thinks happened, but she says she’s not sharing her theories with a civilian. He asks who she’s calling a civilian. They’ve worked together on plenty of her cases. She asks what he’s doing, and he says he’s trying to help her, but she says, he’s not. She thought this was too good to be true; is this really a date? Or is this whole drive-in, Hitchcock, charcuterie just a tactic to get information out of her?

Josslyn and Trina get in the car, and Josslyn says, how crazy was that? Trina says, the bar fight? The lead on Esme? Josslyn says, the cops showing up? Trina says, they were so close to getting the bartender to ID Esme, and Josslyn says, things could be worse. We could be in the back of a squad car, charged with misdemeanor use of a fake ID… Jane. Trina says, you’re right… Kara. Rory did us a solid tonight. Josslyn says, us? That had nothing to do with her. Rory did it for Trina. He likes her. Trina says she thinks he does.

At The Savoy, Rory asks, what happened here? and Linc says, he was attacked, assault and battery, and he’s pressing charges. Take statements from all the witnesses. Rory asks if N’neka saw the incident, and she says she’s afraid she did. He asks, who did what to whom?

Brook tells Chase, it’s all her fault; she feels awful. He says, he’s the one who lost his cool, and she says, he had every right to. Linc is such a slimeball. They’ll sneak out the back door, hole up at the mansion, and call the ELQ lawyers. They’ll get them out of this. She starts to leave, and asks if he isn’t coming. He says, it will only make things worse if he leaves the scene. He’ll be labeled a fugitive with an APB on his back.

Linc tells Rory, he was the victim of a brutal and unprovoked attack, but Rory says, according to Linc’s witness here – he indicates N’neka – Detective Chase threw the first and only punch. N’neka says, Linc collapsed like wet cardboard, and laughs. Linc says, exactly. Call an ambulance. Chase broke his jaw. Rory says, excuse him, and goes over to Chase. He says, Chase was on suspension when he joined the force, but he’s heard the stories. Chase says he bets. Rory’s heard the witness, and the victim who clearly wants to press charges. He turns around, putting his hands behind his back, and Brook says, no, no. no. He was provoked. Linc had it coming. Please don’t do this. Chase says, Brook… and Rory read Chase his rights, handcuffing him.  

On Monday (which was supposed to be today), Trina tells Portia that she thinks things are going in her favor; Valentin says he’ll do anything Anna wants; Laura tells Martin, she’s narrowed the suspects down to one; and Spencer tells Victor that he has good reason to keep Esme close.

👃 Smelled This Coming…

I have to admit, I always wonder if people who use their religion to opt out are like vegetarians who wear leather shoes.

🦸🏻‍♂️ Wrapping It Up…

Valentin finishes up his side hustle.

💖 Come On Down…

If you happen to be in the neighborhood and enjoy a little romance and/or soap stars, here’s an event for you.

👉🏻 It’s Fancy Pants’ Fault…

Another one who thinks someone is making it personal, when they’re really just vial and unlikeable, and no one likes them.

⛵️ Reaping What He Sowed…

When will Gary get little Gary under control? Does he want to go the way of Jean Luc?

https://www.eonline.com/news/1334521/below-deck-sailing-yachts-gary-king-responds-to-concerns-over-ashley-marti-incident

👰🏼 Not Sure We Care…

But to round out the excuses of why <fill in Vanderpump Rules cast member> wasn’t at Stassi’s wedding, here you go.

🐉 Thrones For the Spin…

A show about Flea Bottom sounds pretty interesting.

https://ew.com/tv/game-of-thrones-every-spinoff-in-development/

💃🏾 Because It’s June…

What Juneteenth is about.

https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth

And what to watch.

🎺 Quotes of the Week

Every father should remember one day his son will follow his example, not his advice. – Charles Kettering

The strongest, toughest men all have compassion. They’re not heartless and cold. You have to be man enough to have compassion — to care about people and about your children. – Denzel Washington

A 2-year-old is kind of like having a blender, but you don’t have a top for it.Jerry Seinfeld

A father carries pictures where his money used to be. – Steve Martin

The quality of a father can be seen in the goals, dreams, and aspirations he sets not only for himself, but for his family.Reed Markham

My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, ‘You’re tearing up the grass.’ ‘We’re not raising grass,’ Dad would reply. ‘We’re raising boys.‘ – Harmon Killebrew

Just taught my kids about taxes by eating 38% of their ice cream. – Conan O’Brien

By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong. – Charles Wadsworth

The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get. – Tim Russert (Although I question who this is attributed to, since I remember my father saying it before Russert’s time.)

The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature. – Abbé Prévost

👔 Happy Father’s Day…

To all the father’s out there, be they biological, father figures, or pet dads – enjoy your day! And then get back to work. See you on Monday for soap and Sailing. Until then, stay safe, stay unregretful about the path not taken, and stay remembering, when something crappy happens to you, it could be a wake-up call and for the best.

June 16, 2022 – GH Preemptus, Dorinda’s World, He’s an Idiot, Bad Fit, Keeping It Real, Cryptically Salty, Pets (!) & Forgive

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Thanks to the not-so-patriotic heathens who attacked the Capitol, there was no GH today across the board.

🗽 Oh Yeah, John…

Dorinda gives an update on how she’s making it nice these days.

And ignoring the not-so-nice. One might even say stalkerish.

Unfortunately, there are no pie charts or graphs.

https://screenrant.com/rhugt-dorinda-medley-vicki-gunvalsons-feud-explained/

🖥 Men…

Apparently, he’s the picture of good parenting. I’m totally in agreement with how Denise is handling this. She’s right. Her daughter is 18, and she’ll do what she wants, with or without her parents’ approval. If Denise had come down on her, she’d only distance herself.

👠 You Can’t Fire Me…

When was she a good fit? When she accused the Richards sisters of smoking meth? When she slapped LVP? When she weaseled her way onto the show by attacking Denise? When?

💎 Taking Sides…

I hate that cryptic post stuff. This is what happens when they hire a twelve year old to be on the show. At best, Crystal belongs in middle school.

On the other hand, I think these two should have their own spin-off. Poor Sutton. Awkward for sure, and perhaps at times inappropriate, but not malicious.

https://okmagazine.com/p/garcelle-beauvais-rhobh-sutton-stracke-reality/

🧂 Speaking of Cryptic…

We haven’t heard too much from the Salt Lakers lately. It took them a while to hate each other. The Dubai group came in swinging.

🦥 Ending On a High Note…

I’m partial to the kinkajou.

https://collider.com/celebrity-pets-too-cute/

🦘 Bouncing On Out…

Hopefully, all will be well in the world of soap tomorrow, so stop by for some, along with tea, weekly quotes, and a piece of music from the vast catalog in my brain. Until then, stay safe, stay not making snap judgements, and stay not posting cryptic things on social media. It’s just annoying, and screams, desperate need for attention.

June 15, 2022 – Carly Says Sonny Is a Stranger, Pioneer Wyatt, Lunch Leads, In Memory, Battling Blondes, Dead Release, New Squid, All About Tony & Kiki

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Finn, the kids, and Gregory get to the camping site, and Finn says, the hike was a little longer than anticipated, steeper. Gregory says, they all did great, and Violet says she wants to tell Rachel about the guinea pig they saw (in the woods?), and Finn tells her not to forget about the gopher; and they bite! She runs off, and Aiden joins them. Gregory says, if it isn’t Aiden, PC Pioneer, and Finn asks if he’s on a break. Aiden says, until dinner, and Jake says, look at him in his uniform. Aiden says, Jake used to wear one too, and Cameron says, but who wore it better? Jake says, him, definitely, but Aiden says, no way. Cameron walks past Finn, who asks where he’s going, and Cameron says, he just needs a break from all this pretending. He’s grabbing his phone; it should be fully charged by now. Finn tells Gregory, nothing like getting away from it all.

At The Savoy, Britt joins Nina, who says, there she is. She took the liberty of ordering Britt’s usual, but Britt says she’s sticking to water tonight. Nina says she thought Britt subscribed to the hair of the dog for a hangover, and Britt says, that’s before she became a GIF. Nina says, don’t worry, it’ll blow over, and Britt says, so she’s seen it? Nina says, has anyone not seen it? and Britt says, that’s great. Thank you. Nina suggests they switch topics, and Britt says, please. She hasn’t talked to Nina since their girls night out; what’s new? Nina says, what’s new… Well, here’s something. She almost left Port Charles.

Carly brings Sonny to her office and thanks him for meeting her. He says, she told him it was about the kids, and she says, it is. This is a difficult situation for them. In some ways, it’s easier for Donna and Avery because they’re too young to fully understand what’s going on, and they just want to know their family still loves them. They’re doing everything they can to reassure them of that. Josslyn’s been terrific; she’s spending lots of time with them, but she’s got a lot going on. He says he loves Josslyn; she’s like a daughter to him, despite what Michael said. She asks what Michael said, and he tells her, he said that after the divorce, and everything that happened with Nina, he basically threw away his relationship with his kids. Can she believe that? She says she can believe it, and she agrees. He says, she didn’t call him here to fight, did she? and she says she didn’t. She just wants to talk about what they still have in common, mainly their kids, and she wanted to talk about Michael and what this rift is doing to him. Sonny says he doesn’t like it either, but Michael’s made it clear he doesn’t want Sonny anywhere near his life. No matter what Sonny says or does, nothing is going to change that.

At the pool, Zelda asks Cody if there’s a problem, and he says he’s sure it’s just an accounting error, but his paycheck was off by $500. She says, there was no mistake, and he knows it, and he says, it wastes both of their time to argue over such a small amount. She says she agrees, and he says, just pay him what he’s owed, and that’ll be it. She says, she’s fulfilled Society Set-Ups’ part of the contract, and he asks if that contract included a drunk woman wandering into his landing zone. Someone could have been hurt. She says, but they weren’t, and he says, an act of gross negligence is bad for business. What’s $500 to protect her image? She asks if he’s threatening her, and he says, she’s a smart woman; you tell me. Sam and Dante walk in, and Dante asks, what’s going on?

As Trina and Josslyn are going into Kelly’s, Josslyn’s phone rings. She says, finally. Where have you been? Cameron says, sorry. His phone was dead; he had to wait for it to charge. PCU decided against Trina? He can’t believe it. She says, her neither, but it’s going to be okay. They have a plan.

In the woods, Austin sees Wyatt piling some wood, and Wyatt asks, how was the kayak? Austin says, great. Sorry he missed it. Kim’s sick and they’re down a counselor, so that leaves Wyatt. Wyatt says, not for long. It looks like reinforcements have arrived. Austin says, good. He wonders who they sent, when Maxie says, Maxie Jones, reporting for duty.

Zelda tells Dante, this man is trying to extort her, and Cody says, if extort means getting what he’s owed. He takes out an envelope, and says, the deal was for $2000. He holds the check out to Sam, and asks, what’s that say? She says, $1500, and Zelda says, two thousand, minus the charges to his room. Cody says, the hotel room was part of the deal, but Zelda says, not including incidentals. He says, he misunderstood, and Zelda says, and it cost him. Sam says, he charged $500 worth of stuff to his room? and Cody says, yes, but he didn’t know… Dante says, okay. If they get this guy out of Zelda’s hair, can they consider the matter closed? Zelda says she supposes so, and Dante says, let’s go. He, Sam, and Cody leave.

Cameron says, what plan? and Josslyn says, they’re at Kelly’s. She thought he was working today. He says he decided to go on that trip; he’s in Pautuck. She says, for real? He’s out of town? He says he thought he should be here, and she says she gets it. She’s sure Jake and Aiden are super psyched he’s there. Maybe this trip is what everyone needs. He says, that’s what Jake keeps saying, and she says, he doesn’t agree? He says he just hates pretending like everything’s fine when his mom is in Shadybrook.

Wyatt drops off Maxie’s luggage, and she thanks him for the assist. He says, no problem, and she tells Austin, he seems surprised. He says he is, and she says, and maybe a tad befuddled? He says he’s always befuddled. It’s nice to see her. What is she doing here? She says, Georgie is a Junior PC Pioneer, and as such, she’s on the Parents in a Pinch list. He says, it needs a better name, and she says, parents volunteer to help out when they’re understaffed, even if their child isn’t participating. So while Georgie is at a sleepover at her friend Lena’s house, here she is. He says, in beautiful Pautuck. She said she wasn’t ready to come back here quite yet, and she says she’s not, but let’s be real. When will she ever be? She thought there would be plenty of people and enough distractions, she’d be able to hack it. She’s also communing with nature. He says, sure she is, and points to her suitcases, asking, what’s she going to do with all of that? She asks if he’s never heard of glamping, and he says he’s heard of it, but that’s not what this is. She says, speak for yourself. Mac says, camping is good for the soul, but she believes an air mattress is key. So where can they set up her tent?

Josslyn says she’s not upset, and Trina asks who she’s talking to right now. Josslyn says, she’s actually glad Cam is spending time with his brothers, and Trina says, but? Josslyn says, but this is just another example that she and Cam are out of sync. But they don’t need Cam. They have all the help they need. Spinelli walks in, and waves.

Finn asks if Cameron came back yet, but Jake says, he’s still on the phone. Violet says, with his girlfriend? and Finn says he’s pretty sure she’s not dating until she’s 30. Violet tells Gregory, grandpa, talk some sense into him, but Gregory says he’s not touching this. Jake thanks Finn, and Finn says, for what? Jake says, coming here was a good idea, especially since Aiden won’t be around them most of the time. Aiden says, take that back, and Jake says, make me. He runs, and Aiden takes off after him. Cameron comes back, and Finn asks if everything is okay. Cameron says, coming here was a huge mistake.

Britt says, sorry about the hearing. She knows how much Nina wanted to be in Wiley’s life. Nina says she even begged Willow and Michael to reconsider, and Britt asks how that went. Nina says, about as poorly as you’d think, and Britt says she gets the impulse to get out of town. She’s just glad Nina didn’t act on it. She has family here. Nina thanks her, and Britt says she means it. If Nina were to jump ship, it would just be her, Maxie, and her mother. Nina rounds out their little motley crew. Nina says she would miss Britt too. Obviously, she wasn’t thinking clearly. Britt says, but she was on her way to the airport, and Nina says, her bags were packed and everything. Britt asks what convinced her to stay.

Carly tells Sonny, Michael is a grown man and makes his own decisions, but that doesn’t stop her from worrying about him. He asks if Michael is in danger, and she says, you tell me. If Sonny’s rivals know they’re on the outs, they could assume Michael is no longer under his protection. Sonny says, that would be wrong. He’s not going to let anybody hurt his son. She says, okay, sure, and he asks what that means. She says, he doesn’t think it hurt Michael when he testified against him? He says he didn’t testify against Michael, but she says, he testified for Nina; it’s the same thing. How does he not see that? She doesn’t get him. She gets that he and Michael are fighting, but Sonny has been Michael’s father since Michael was two years old. Sonny raised him. Sonny says he loves Michael, and Carly says, then how he could sit there when Michael was being attacked?

Sam, Dante, and Cody go to The Savoy, and Cody says, the woman owns a company, for God’s sake. What does she care about 500 bucks? Dante suggests Cody relax, and they’ll get a drink, but Cody says, no thanks. Dante says, he’s buying, and Cody says, in that case, he’ll have a bourbon. Dante says, that’s what he thought, and Sam goes to the bar while he and Cody grab a table.

Britt says, now she gets why Nina is here and not on a plane to Tahiti. Nina says she was actually headed to Europe, but she’s not here just because of Sonny. She has family here. Not just their motley crew… Britt says, Wiley, and Nina says, Sonny helped her remember that she can’t abandon that little boy. Even though she can’t spend time with him, she has to stay here to prove to Michael and Willow that she deserves a place in that little man’s life. Britt says she hopes it works out for Nina, and Nina says she doesn’t sound very optimistic. Britt says she just thinks if she has unrealistic expectations, Nina is going to set herself up. Nina says, for what? and Britt says, at best, to get hurt, at worst, to do something that reinforces Michael and Willow’s decision to keep Wiley away from her. Nina says, thank you for the encouragement, and Britt says she wants Nina to have Wiley in her life, but realistically, Nina was the one who chose to go to court, she lost, and now she has to give Michael and Willow time and distance to come around. On the bright side, she still has James. Nina says, yeah, she can watch James grow up. She knows she’s suffered a great loss, but she’s also realized she still has a lot left. Britt says, including Sonny? and Nina says, she doesn’t think she has Sonny. Britt asks what she calls it, but Nina says she doesn’t know. They just have something between them. Britt says, ya think? and sees Cody looking at her.

Cody says, great, and Dante says, what now? Cody says, that Britt woman is here. She acts like he ruined her life when it’s obvious her life is already a disaster. Dante says, she’s not lacking in the complication department, but they were talking about Cody. Cody says, can they not? and Dante asks, what’s going on with him? Why is he hard up for cash? Is he in trouble?

Finn says, he and Cameron talked about this. Jake and Aiden needed a break, and it seems like they’re having fun. Cameron says, it’s not that. Yes, it’s hard being away from his mom right now, but the reason he wishes he was home is that the school made their decision in Trina’s Title IX case. They ruled against her. Finn asks what that means, and Cameron says he doesn’t know, but it is not good. Finn asks if he wants to talk about it, but Cameron says, not unless Finn can tell him what’s about to happen with his friend.

Josslyn says, they still think the phone is their best bet, and Spinelli says, to prove Esme was the one who recorded her and Cam. Trina says, Scotty asked him to examine it right, as an expert for the defense? and Spinelli says, he did, and the PCPD examined it as well. Josslyn says, the PCPD’s got nothing on The Jackal, and Trina says, The Jackal? He says, one of his many pseudonyms, and Josslyn asks if he thinks he can work his magic, and find something the police missed. He says, as honored as he is by their faith in him, he’s looked at it from every angle, and there’s nothing to connect the phone to the evil doer, or anyone else for that matter. It only exists to Trina as its possessor. Trina asks if he can’t find out where the phone was purchased, and Josslyn says, or when. Trina says, maybe someone remembers Esme from the store, and Josslyn says, she’s hard to forget. He says, alas, the phone has very little data on it. It was only used twice; once on the night in question, and once to send the email blast. Neither of which offer much information. Trina says, what about the serial number? That’s unique to the phone, right? He says, it is, but according to the serial number, this phone doesn’t even exist.

While helping her with the tent, Austin asks if Maxie did a lot of camping as a kid. She says, not a lot a lot, but enough. One time, Mac, her, and Georgie… He says, her sister Georgie? The original Georgie?  Maxie says, yeah, she was an original, and he says, the OGG. She says, anyway, the trip was a disaster. It rained the entire time, and their tent had seen better days. Water was leaking in on the sides, and Georgie of course (🍷) insisted she sleep in the middle. He says, that’s love, and she says, or Georgie would rather get soaked than listen to her complain. She thinks Georgie was right. Austin says, he thinks you have to work at NASA to figure out these instructions, and Maxie puts up the tent in two seconds, saying, voila. Stick with her, and he’ll be fine. He says he’s starting to see that.

Carly says, Scotty said Michael was violent against women in open court, and Sonny just sat there, and Sonny says, they were in court. Did she want him to get up, grab Scotty, and throw him against the wall? She says, it’s what happened after. There was a recess, and he didn’t even check on Michael; he went to Nina. She watched him touch Nina’s face. He says, come on, but she says, his son weathered a vicious attack, and he consoled the woman who initiated it. She doesn’t know him anymore. The man she loved, that she fought for, that she married five times would have never done that. He’s gone. The man who came back from Nixon Falls is a stranger.

Trina tells Spinelli that she’s confused. So there’s no phone? He says, the phone exists physically, as she well knows. It’s just, according to the serial number, it never made it to the store. Josslyn says, so it was stolen, and he says, or lost in transit, but she says, let’s go with stolen. Trina says, they should have known Esme was too smart to leave a paper trail, and Spinelli says he’s sorry he couldn’t offer more help. Trina says she appreciates him trying, and Josslyn says, this is insane. They were there that night. There needs to be something they’re forgetting. Something Esme did that can now be seen as suspicious. Trina says she’s not giving up on the phone angle yet, and asks Spinelli, where would you go to buy a hot phone? He says, The Highsider, and Josslyn asks, what’s that? He says, it’s a bar… somewhere that two underage amateur sleuths should not be. So feel free to share their theories with Scotty, but please do nothing else. Understood?

Gregory says, Cameron is doing a great job, covering for the kids’ sake, but something is obviously up, and Finn says, he got some bad news about a friend. He asked if Cameron wanted to talk, but he wasn’t interested. Gregory says, Cameron strikes him as an open, personable guy; not the sullen teen type. Finn says, he’s not. If Elizabeth was here, he’d talk to her. Gregory says, Elizabeth’s not here, and Finn says, of that, he’s acutely aware. Gregory says, he means, Finn is the only option; try again. If at first you don’t succeed… Finn says he might have a better idea.

Cody tells Dante, there’s no trouble. It’s just how he lives his life; gig to gig, paycheck to paycheck. Sometimes, there’s a fair amount of  time between each one. Dante asks why he doesn’t just get a steady job, and Cody says, the demand for a full-time skydiver isn’t as robust as one might think. He’s gotta go where the money is. Dante says, if Cody needs 500 bucks, he’ll loan him 500 bucks. Cody says, Dante can buy him a drink, and let him sleep on his couch. Dante can even bail him out of jail in a pinch. But Dante’s not going to pay his way. He doesn’t want to owe Dante like that. Never did; never will.

Maxie asks what gear Austin brought, and he says, he brought this, indicating his bag, and a bedroll. She says, he doesn’t even have a tent? but he says, the forecast was for clear weather, and he likes to sleep under the stars. She says, okay. What does he have in there anyway? Please tell her that he brought toothpaste. He says, all of the essential items, and he brought a change of clothes, and this. He hands her a small book, and she says, it’s a guidebook for the state park. She thought he knew every inch of these woods. He says, he does; it’s his dad’s. It has all his notes and his comments on every trail and every campsite. He knew every inch of this place. Maxie says, amazing, handing it back to him, and he says, when he’s here, it’s like his dad is with him. She says, it’s great he has a special reminder of Jimmy Lee, and he says, his father loved this place, and tried to teach him the same appreciation. She says, like father, like son, and he says, pretty much. She says she’s glad she’s here, and he says, to pitch in, in a pinch, for the win. She laughs, and he holds out his hand. She takes it, and he says he’s glad she’s here.

Carly says, that gesture of support Sonny showed Nina stripped away any illusion. He had a family that adored him, and he threw it away. He says, she gave up on them, but she says she didn’t. She walked away after she found him in bed with Nina. He says, he begged her for weeks, and she pushed him away; she said she wanted to move out. But let’s be honest, she was punishing him. The night she didn’t show up, he was a wreck. He slept with Nina – absolutely wrong – and he’s so, so sorry he hurt her, but she wanted a divorce. She wanted them to end, and she gave up on them. She says she never gave up. She asked for time and he wouldn’t give it to her. He was lying to her for months. He says, and she doesn’t know anything about lying?

Maxie paws through her stuff, and says, this is a disaster. Wyatt asks if he can be of assistance, and hands a small bag to her. She says, he’s an angel. Where did he find it? He says, near her car. He was only following PC Pioneer guidelines. When breaking camp, always recheck the area. She asks if that always includes parked cars, and he says, they moved her gear. He thought it was a little like breaking camp, and he should check to be safe. She says she’s glad he did. This is her toiletry bag; it has her toothbrush. He says, it’s important to maintain dental hygiene while camping, and she says, it says so on page 15 of the PC Pioneer’s Handbook. He says, she memorized the handbook? and she says, not yet, but she and her daughter Georgie are working on it. He says, it takes a while, but it’s worth it. She says, that lesson is true for most worthwhile things in life. If he’s learned that already, he’s way ahead of the game.

Sam brings the drinks to Cody and Dante, and asks if she interrupted something. Cody says, Dante kindly offered to help him out, but he let Dante know he’ll get the money on his own. She says she doesn’t mean to pry, but is everything okay? Is Cody in trouble? Cody says, obviously, Sam and Dante are made for each other. For the last time, there’s no trouble. He has plans. Dante says, what kind of plans? and Cody says, for the future. He’s not going to live like this for the rest of his life. He’s saving up for his dream. Sam says, which is?

Britt’s phone dings a few times, but she ignores it. Nina asks if she wants to answer that, but Britt says, no. It’s just Brad. He’s checking on her. He thinks she’s clinically depressed. Nina asks if Britt shouldn’t reassure him, but Britt says she wants to make him sweat a little. He’s the one who took the video of her at the MetroCourt pool. Nina says, Brad is the reason she’s a meme? and Britt says, a GIF. Nina says, yeah, let’s make him suffer, and they clink glasses.

Dante says, a working ranch of his own, that’s cool, and Cody says he’ll raise cattle, break horses; livin’ the dream. That’s why he’s trying to save every penny he can. Dante says, which is why he’s going to take a 4 hour bus ride to Watkin’s Glen instead of renting a car? Cody says, bingo, and Sam says, buying a ranch is quite a goal. Cody says he’ll make it happen, and she says she thought he couldn’t stay in the same place for too long, but he says, just needs to be the right place.

Gregory says he heard Cameron was worried about his friend, and Cameron asks if Finn told him. Gregory says, no specifics, and Cameron says, it’s not really a secret. One of his best friends is involved in a PCU Title IX investigation. They found her guilty. Gregory says, they found her responsible, and Cameron says, to be honest, the whole process is confusing. Gregory says, as a college professor, he’s pretty familiar with the Title IX guidelines. He can answer questions if Cameron wants. Cameron says, that would be great, and thanks him.

Spinelli says he has to depart; duty calls. Trina thanks him for meeting them, and Josslyn says, he’s the best. He says, now he’s also nervous that he’s said too much, and Trina says, they’ll tell Scotty their theory. He says, and not take matters into their own hands? and Josslyn says, they won’t do anything stupid. He says, Josslyn… She says, they won’t, and he says he’s trusting them to use their common sense here. Josslyn says she’s her mother’s daughter, and he says, that’s precisely what he’s worried about. He leaves, and Trina puts The Highsider in her phone. She says, 483 Water Street, and Josslyn asks what they’re waiting for.

Sonny tells Carly, let’s not forget when he came home, his wife was married to his best friend. She says, they thought he was dead, and he says, that’s one way to mourn. She says, it’s not like she and Jason fell into each other’s arms the next day. It took a year for those feelings to develop, and why is that? He says, let’s not bring Nina into this, but she says, that’s impossible when all roads lead to her every single time. She and Jason would have never gone there if they thought there was a chance he was still alive. He says he would have never been with Nina if he hadn’t lost his memory, and she says, why is that? His refusal to hold Nina accountable is astounding. He says, what Nina did was wrong. He hates the pain she caused Carly and the kids, but he was furious with her. Carly says, for maybe five minutes, and he says, the feelings he had for Nina in Nixon Falls happened when he didn’t know who he was. He came home and still had those feelings. He didn’t want to have those feelings, but he couldn’t shake them. The lie Nina told was wrong, but the connection they had was real. She says, and he chose that connection over his family, but he says he didn’t; she and Michael did when they shut him out. Michael’s trying to tear him down. Michael wants him forgotten; those were his words, and she’s cheerleading for him. She says, Michael’s a grown man. So if he wants to cut Sonny out of his life, that’s his decision. Just like it was her decision as an adult to file for divorce, but Donna’s a little girl. And as her mother, it’s on Carly to look out for her. He says, she’s not keeping Donna from him, is she?

Cody sees Britt at the bar, and says, last chance. She says, for what? and he says, to buy him a drink. She says, tempting… She’ll pass. Does this mean he’s leaving town? He says, tonight, and she says, it’s still a no. He says, she doesn’t give an inch. It makes it that much more unbelievable she’s letting Society Set-Ups off the hook. He thought she’d stand up for herself. He guesses he was wrong. She says, that was one weak attempt at reverse psychology, but he says he thought it was pretty good. She says, she grew up surrounded by master manipulators, and he says, sounds interesting. Her drink comes, and she says, it wasn’t. Good luck. She starts to leave, and he says he just hates to see someone leave the game with money on the table. She says, something he would obviously never do, and he says he’s not that dumb. She tells him that if he has a problem with Society Set-Ups, handle it himself, and walks away.

Wyatt says hi to Finn, who asks, what’s going on? Wyatt says he’s a junior counselor for the PC Pioneers now, and Finn says, moving up in the world. How’s school? Wyatt says, it’s great. He’s decided he wants to study music. Finn says, he plays the cello, right? and Wyatt says, sometimes, but he’s really into the guitar. He’s leading the singalong at the campfire tonight. Finn should come. Finn says, singing, huh?

Gregory tells Cameron that he knows it’s a lot of information, but Cameron says he thinks he understands it a bit better now. He thanks Gregory, but Gregory says, thank Finn. He’s the one who suggested they talk.  

Finn says, singing, huh? and Wyatt says, it’s going to be great. He walks off, and Finn looks at Cameron.

Nina suggests she and Britt go to the PC Grill for dinner, but Britt asks for a raincheck. All she wants is her sweet, sweet bed right now. She feels like she could sleep for a week. Nina says, maybe Brad’s not totally off base. Britt sounds a little down. Britt says she just needs to recover from last night… and this morning.

Cody tells Sam and Dante that he should get going. It was good to see Dante. Congratulations on the job, and the girl. Cody is really happy for him. Dante says, thanks, but he thought Cody’s bus didn’t leave for an hour. Cody says he has one loose end he needs to tie up before he leaves town, and tells Sam that it was good to meet her. She says, him too, and he and Dante shake hands. Dante says, see him around, and Cody leaves. Sam says, Dante has a really interesting friend there, and he says, she has no idea.

Austin says he thought Maxie was coming over to the Pioneer’s campground, and she says she was looking for something. He says, among her many bags? and she says, her many useful bags, with her many, many necessary items. Anyway, she found what she was looking for, and she’s ready for what’s next. Violet, Aiden, and Jake come by, and Violet says, goody! She’s not the only girl. She runs to Maxie, who says, I’ve got your back, sister. Violet says, boys are okay, but some things they just don’t understand, and Maxie says, totally. Violet is so wise. Austin suggests Aiden and Jake help Wyatt get firewood, and Aiden says, they’re on it. Violet says, let’s get this party started, and they follow.

Carly says she would never keep Donna from Sonny. For Donna’s sake, not his. He says, this is how she sees him now, and she says, yeah. He says he guesses they’ve just got nothing else to say, and she says, Donna is their only connection. He’ll live his life, and she’ll live hers. He says, all right, and leaves.

Zelda gets up, leaving the pool area, and Cody follows.

Britt asks if Dante’s little friend is gone, and he says, Cody is on his way out of town. Britt says, hallelujah. How did Mr. Law and Order end up being friends with a second-rate con artist anyway? She leaves, and Sam says she was actually wondering same thing.

Zelda knocks on a hotel room door as Cody watches from around the corner. The door opens, and he ducks back, but Zelda goes inside. Spinelli wheels a room service tray out, takes a bite of something, and dashes back in.

Carly’s phone rings, and Josslyn says she wanted to let Carly know that she and Trina are going out dancing with some friends tonight. Carly says, oh fun. She’ll be there… She’s just kidding, but it does sound like fun. (That sounds like something my father would do to me.) Josslyn says she hopes so. She might be out late, and didn’t want Carly to worry. Carly says she loves her considerate daughter. Have fun and no drinking. Josslyn says she promises. Love you. Carly says, love you, and Josslyn asks Trina, ready? Trina says, let’s do this, and they go into the bar.  

Sonny comes into The Savoy, and Britt tells Nina, goodnight. He says he took a chance that Nina might be here, and she says, he was looking for her? He asks what she’s doing tonight, and she says she was just headed home. He asks if there’s any way she’ll reconsider, and stay with him tonight.

Wyatt shows Violet a rock, and says, check this out; isn’t it cool? She asks where he found it, and he says, by the lake. She wonders if there’s more like it, and he says, they can check in the morning. Finn asks Gregory, what’s the verdict? Did he overstep, asking Gregory to talk to Cam? Gregory says, not at all. He thinks Cameron appreciated the gesture. Finn says, the kid’s got a weight on his shoulder, but Gregory says he thinks Cameron is strong enough to handle it. If he isn’t, he has Finn to help him. Finn says he doesn’t think Cam wants his help, but Gregory says, give him time. He bets Cam comes around.

Maxie runs up to Austin, and says she found sticks for roasting marshmallows. She shows him, and he laughs, saying, he doesn’t think her sticks are s’more sufficient. She asks if he’s saying her sticks are deficient, and he says he’s heard size doesn’t matter, but they do need to be sturdy enough – that’s right, he’s saying it – to stick them in the marshmallow. She says, okay. She didn’t know she’d taken up with the s’mores police. He says, stick with him, and she’ll be fine, and she says she’s starting to see that. They laugh, and we see that someone is watching.  

Tomorrow, Selena tells Curtis, their businesses are dependent on one another; Cody says he thinks he and Spinelli can help each other; Trina asks if the bartender remembers Esme; and Sonny asks, what if he makes it worth someone’s while?

🏕 Coming Up In the World…

I honestly didn’t recognize him. Five minutes from now, he’ll be in college.

🍽 Ladies Who Lunch…

The yearly tradition continues.

👨🏽‍🎓 Fitting Tribute…

It was good of them to think of doing this during what must be an overwhelmingly tragic time.

👩🏼‍🏫 Not Having It…

Dorinda does a Vicki takedown.

And Vicki says, back atcha. I don’t think she knows as many words as Dorinda does though.

⚰️ Releasing the Dead…

When Walking Dead will be coming to a close. Although there will be 47 spinoffs coming. The franchise is never going to lie down either.

https://www.gamesradar.com/the-walking-dead-season-11-release-schedule-amc-disney-plus/

🐙 Playing Games…

The latest on Season 2 of Squid Game. I can’t wait!

https://comicbook.com/anime/news/squid-game-season-2/

🎭 Tony, Tony, Tony…

Everything you need to know about the Tony Awards. First, and most important always, the fashions.

https://people.com/theater/2022-tony-awards-red-carpet-arrivals-photos/

The best moments.

https://people.com/theater/2022-tony-awards-best-moments/

And oh yeah, the winners.

https://people.com/theater/tony-awards-2022-complete-winners-list/

🚪 Checkin’ the Gate…

Click in tomorrow for some soap and what’s going on in Beverly Hills. Until then, stay safe, stay ready to stand up for what you believe, and stay knowing most worthwhile things in life take a while, but it’s worth it.

June 2, 2022 – An Old Friend Of Dante’s Drops In, More Than an Actor, Judgements, Shifting Sands, Wedding Leak, Shane Update, Pets (!) & Break Free

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Britt fumbles around under the parachute, and pops up, saying, what the hell was that? The parachutist pops up from the other side, and says, now that was interesting. Hello, Port Charles! Britt asks for someone to help her out of the pool.

Michael asks Carly, what is it? As long as it isn’t bad news. She looks at the envelope, and flashes back to opening it, and reading, Patient A has a 99.9999999999999 chance of being related to Patient B. Carly says, if this is true, Nina is Willow’s mother. Michael asks if she’s okay, and she lets out an audible breath.

Sonny comes into Charlie’s, and Phyllis says, that look on his face better not be disappointment. He says he’s always happy to see her, and she asks if he’d be happier if Nina was here. He asks if she came by, and Phyllis says, not today. He says, he called and texted, but she didn’t get back to him, and Phyllis asks if he’s worried about the hearing. He says, she didn’t let him know if the judge ruled, and Phyllis says, maybe it’s still going on. He could head over there and offer his support. He says he already did that, and he just made it worse.

Carly tells Michael, she’s fine. She’s just trying to decompress from the day. Willow says, tell her about it, when Drew joins them, and asks how it went. Michael says, they won, and Willow says, Nina has no one to blame but herself. Drew tells them, congratulations, and Willow takes Michael’s hand, saying, it really does feel like a victory, doesn’t it? After everything Nina put them through, and all that crap she said on the stand, it’s over. Nina can never lay claim to their family again.

At the park, Josslyn says she can’t believe Wiley beat her again. Maybe they should just play a different game. Wiley says, like what? and she says, like volleyball, but he says, no way; she’s too good. She says, finally, a little respect. Her phone dings, and she wonders who it could be. Wiley says, Cameron? and she says, he guessed it. Wiley says, Cameron texts her a lot. She reads: Don’t worry about Spencer. Will set him straight about Esme.

As they head for the room where Esme and Nikolas are, Spencer picks something up from the floor, and tells Ava, this is Esme’s jacket. He calls to Esme, and inside, she and Nikolas break apart. Nikolas says, Spencer. Spencer looks at Ava, who shrugs, and he tries the door, but it’s locked. He says, that’s funny. This door’s been locked. Who would have done that?

Brad continues to film, as Britt hoists herself out of the pool, and says, don’t worry about me. She struggles to stand up, using a table as leverage, and Maxie asks if she’s okay. Britt says, does she look like she’s okay? She tells Dante, feel free to arrest that guy at any time, but Spinelli thinks invoking the law is a little extreme. Britt says, he could have killed her, and Maxie says, don’t be dramatic. Britt says, excuse me? and Maxie says, he was obviously part of the entertainment, and did a really cool stunt. Brad says, he, for one, is thoroughly entertained, and Britt tells Dante, arrest him. Dante says, first things first, and asks the guy to get out of the pool. The guy says he’s a little tied up, and fiddles with his harness, and Dante tells him, get untied up. Come on, get out of the pool. He’ll give the guy five seconds. Britt says she’ll count. 1… 2… 3… 4… 5! Dante says, come on, and the guy frees himself, saying, all right. It’s official. He’s completely free. Britt says, not for long, and Dante says, Cody? The guy says, Dante? and Dante says he doesn’t believe this. Britt makes a face.

Carly says, if there’s one thing they’ve learned, it’s that Nina isn’t going to disappear quietly into the sunset, and Michael says, she took her best shot and lost. Can they please stop talking about Nina, and go home and celebrate with Wiley? Carly says, if only it were that simple, and Willow asks why it isn’t. Drew wonders if he can steal Michael for a minute, and they step into the hallway. Michael asks if it’s about the hearing, and Drew says, yes… and no. It’s mostly about ELQ.

Phyllis says, that hearing sounds like a nightmare, and Sonny says, it was. She says, maybe it’s naïve of her, but things were simpler back in Nixon Falls, weren’t they? If you had a problem with a neighbor, you worked it out over the fence. He says, or over a nice cold beer in town, and she says, and families duked it out at Thanksgiving not in court. He says, and lawyers get their fees, and everyone walks away like they lost, even if they won. She says, it must have been excruciating, standing up for Nina, knowing what it would do to his relationship with his son. Be honest though. If he could go back, and do it all over again, would he make a different choice?

Spencer jiggles the doorknob, and calls, Esme. Are you in there? He says he guesses not, throws the jacket on a chair, and leaves. Ava is about to knock, when Nikolas opens the door. Ava asks, what exactly was he doing in there?

Esme runs out onto the parapet in her underwear.

Brad hands a shirtless Cody a towel, and Britt says, really? Brad says, what? He looks cold. Cody says he’s sorry about getting Britt all wet, but in his defense, he was told the pool was going to be cleared. She says, well, it wasn’t, and he says he sees that now. Dante asks what Cody is doing here; working as a skydiver? Cody says, yeah, and Brad says, Jack of all trades. Cody says, exactly. Where did Dante Falconari end up, besides Port Charles? Britt says their little catch-up is cute, but can Dante arrest him now? Cody says, get out of town. Dante is a cop? and Dante says, guilty as charged. Cody says, him, an officer of the law? and Britt says she swears, if Dante doesn’t do something… Cody says, that is hilarious, and Dante puts handcuffs on him, and says, how about now? Is it funny now, or not so much?

Carly asks how Willow is feeling, and Willow says, mainly relieved. She can’t wait to move forward, and get on with their lives. Carly says, it got pretty intense with Nina. She’s never seen Willow that angry. Willow doesn’t think she’s ever been that angry. For them to go through what they did, and have Nina come begging, after the fact. After having her lawyer say in open court that Michael is violent toward women; that Nelle, a psychotic murderer was cowering in the shadows with her baby because she was scared of him? Why would she let Nina near her child after she did that to Wiley’s father?

Drew says, he’s not going to tell Michael what to do when it comes to his dad, or anything for that matter. If Michael wants to take Sonny down, that’s his call, but he can’t have Michael distracted. This is a high risk business venture, and they need to be present and focused. If whatever’s going on with Michael’s dad gets in the way, he’s going to have a problem with that. Michael says he hears Drew, but wants Drew to know where he’s coming from, and Drew says, fair enough. Michael says, Nina lied to his family for six months. She carried on a romance with Sonny in Nixon Falls for six months, while they grieved a man they thought was dead. She also came to visit Wiley under false pretenses, and took advantage of their generosity in giving her a second chance. That’s why they fought this petition; Nina is a bad influence. She’s not a person they want in Wiley’s life, and as Wiley’s parents, it’s their choice to make. Drew says he couldn’t agree more, and Michael says, Sonny disagrees. Today, he got on the stand and testified on Nina’s behalf. Drew says, it doesn’t surprise him that Michael is furious, but he had this campaign against his dad way before this hearing. Michael admits Drew is right.

Sonny tells Phyllis, would he change anything? He kept asking himself that as he walked out of the courtroom. She says, and? and he says, no, he wouldn’t. He knows that probably makes him a traitor, especially in Michaels eyes, but he sees it as being true to what he believes. She asks if he said that in his testimony, and he tells her, he said he thought Wiley deserves more love, not less, and people should put him first. And even if you make mistakes, you should learn by them, and lead by example; no one’s perfect. She says, amen to that, and he says, that includes him, but he’s not going to apologize for who he is. He’s not going to sit back and let a loving grandmother be cut out of her grandson’s life. It’s wrong. She says, wow. Nina means that much to him? and he says, Wiley means that much to him. He just hopes Wiley grows up, and he doesn’t want Wiley to just be Michael’s son or his grandson. He wants Wiley to be his own man.

Josslyn says, Wiley is so lucky he doesn’t have a girlfriend who drives him crazy, and he says he has a girlfriend. She says, who? and he says, her. She asks if she drives him crazy, and he says, not today. She says, good to know. You know what else she knows? He’s going to be real heartbreaker when he grows up. He asks, what’s a heartbreaker? and she says she has an idea. Does he want to take a little trip? He asks, where? and she says, you’ll see.

Spencer looks at Esme’s suitcase, when the doorbell rings. It’s Cameron, who says, what the hell? Spencer says he didn’t have to come all the way out here, but Cameron says, from the sound of Spencer’s text, he did. What happened with Esme? Spencer says, things were going great, he swears. He cut a deal with Ava to get him and Esme out of the house, and in exchange, he was going to have access to his trust fund. Plus, it would have the added benefit of giving him and Esme time together. It was a win-win-win. Cameron says, it’s perfect. Where did it go wrong? Spencer says, Esme started tearing into Trina. He couldn’t help it; he lost his cool, and he took off. Cameron asks, where? and Spencer says, he went for a ride to clear his mind. He realized he’d messed up, and came back to try and talk things out, but Esme was gone. Cameron says, Esme’s left the island? but Spencer says he doesn’t know. Her suitcase is here, but he can’t find her. It’s like she vanished.

On the parapet, Esme gets her clothes on, while inside, Nikolas asks if Spencer is with Ava. He thought he heard Spencer’s voice. She says, he did. Spencer’s looking for Esme; has he seen her? Nikolas says he hasn’t, and she says, he seems nervous. He says he’s just getting his bearings. He was reading, and fell asleep. She says, with the door locked? and he says, was it locked? The wind must have blown it shut, locking it by accident. She says, it must have been some nap. His hair’s all mussed up, and he missed a button. He suggests they go downstairs, but she thinks they should stay here; it’s quiet and private. Perfect for what she has to say. He says he thinks she made her feelings perfectly clear when she threatened to walk out, and she says, about that. They hear something outside on the parapet, and Ava says, what was that? Outside, Esme curses herself for dropping her shoe.

Dante says, Cody could have hurt someone, and Britt says, yeah, here. Cody says, it was a paid gig. If there’s an issue, take it up with the people who hired him. An officer asks if Dante needs a hand, but Dante says, no, and thanks him for the cuffs. Brook says she knows Chase wants to get in there. it’s just a few more weeks. He asks if they can sit and talk, and they go to a table. Britt says she’s curious about Cody’s job description. Did it say party crasher? Cody says he was supposed to land in the pool; make a big splash… literally. But then… What is her name? Brad says, her name’s Britt, and Britt kicks at him. Cody says, then Britt was smack in the middle of his landing zone. Spinelli says, it is a brilliant marketing strategy; a singles event with eligible men literally raining from the sky. Not that he took any pleasure in how it transpired. The main thing is Britt’s okay, yes? She says, she’s fine, and Cody says, see? She says, but she could have downed, so off to jail he goes. Cody says, Dante’s not doing this, is he? and Britt looks at Dante.

Willow tells Carly, Nina is certifiable. In one breath, it’s, take pity on me; you’re wonderful parents. And in the other, it’s, just kidding; Michael is a woman and child abuser. Carly says, she’s a piece of work, and Willow says she’s just done. Nina better not show up, or try to contact them. The judge made her decision; it’s over. Carly says she couldn’t agree more, and puts the envelope in her bag. She says, all that matters now is giving Wiley the best childhood possible, and Willow says, that is 100% the plan. I can’t wait for this to backfire.

Michael tells Drew, he knew Sonny was different after he returned from Nixon Falls, but when he realized he didn’t know who Sonny was, was at Nina’s trial, when Sonny defended her. A few weeks later, Sonny slept with Nina, and a few weeks after that, Sonny and Carly were divorced. Drew says, Michael is furious on his mom’s behalf, but Michael says, he’s furious with himself. All the years wasted on believing in Sonny, his honor, loyalty, and love. But he sees Sonny for exactly what he is now; he’s a criminal with a long line of luck. This is where his luck ends, and Michael is going to see to it. Drew says, this is where he steps in. He knows what’s going on; Dante told him. Michael plans to use ELQ to go after Sonny. Michael says, and Drew wants no part of that, and Drew says, no, he doesn’t. He’s not just some guy Michael works with; he’s Michael’s uncle. Obviously, he wants to protect ELQ, but more than that, he wants to protect Michael. Michael says he’s good, but Drew says, hear him out. He’s never been that close with Sonny, even when he thought he was Jason, and he agrees Sonny has acted badly. He’s going to stop short of saying Sonny failed his family, because it’s a complicated and tricky situation. Michael says, that is exactly what he did, but Drew says, a lot of people close to Michael don’t feel the same way. So the harder he pushes Sonny, the harder it’s going to be for Dante, for Kristina, and especially for Avery and Donna. They’re too young to be able to grapple with all this. Michael says, loving his siblings, and propping Sonny up are two different things, but Drew says he’s not asking Michael to prop Sonny up. Michael says, it’s what they do every time they pretend Sonny is a legit coffee importer. Michael’s not a gangster. He’s not going to go in guns blazing. He’s a businessman. He’s going to outmaneuver Sonny, and he’s going to do it without ELQ. Drew asks if Michael is sure about that, and Michael says he’s not going to let his issues with his father get in the way of his business with Drew. Drew says, he’s going to keep them separate, right? Because their company, and the people who depend on them, can’t be used to punish Sonny. Michael says, understood.

Phyllis says she doesn’t need a transcript to know Sonny’s heart’s in the right place. She saw it in Nixon Falls. The way he stood up to Elijah when he saw Elijah was trying to take advantage of them. How he treated them like family… when Lenny got sick. He says, they are family, and she says, hell, he almost died when he pulled her and Nina out of that fire. He says, make sure she tells Wiley that one day, but she says she has the feeling he’ll get the chance to tell Wiley himself. The Pub phone rings, and Phyllis answers. It’s Scotty, and Phyllis says, no, she hasn’t come in… I see… Of course (🍷) I will. She says goodbye, and tells Sonny, Nina lost.

Cameron says he can’t believe Spencer let Esme get inside his head – again. Spencer says he doesn’t need a lecture. Not today. It was bad enough seeing Trina with Officer What’s-His-Face at the gallery. Cameron says, she was with Rory? and Spencer says, there was nothing going on, but he didn’t love it. Then to have Esme rip into her… Cameron says, Trina doesn’t need Spencer defending her honor; she can take care of herself. Spencer says he understands, but Cameron says, clearly he doesn’t. His brothers are upset enough that their mother is away, and Joss goes into combat mode every time he suggests Spencer’s not evil incarnate. Spencer says, he knows it’s rough, but Cameron says he doesn’t need Spencer’s sympathy. What he needs Spencer to do is expose his girlfriend already.

Nikolas rebuttons his shirt, and Ava heads to the door to look outside. Nikolas says, it must have been the bats. This is the time of the afternoon they come out. Because everyone knows bats come out in the daytime. Really? He says, they should be grateful the bats eat all of the insects, and Ava says she’ll be sure to send a thank you note. She steps away from the door, saying, bats, vermin with wings. Esme listens from outside, and Nikolas asks if Ava will join him downstairs. She says, in a minute. She needs to apologize. She’s sorry she threatened to walk out on him. She didn’t mean it. She’s so sorry. She shouldn’t have done that.

Spinelli asks Sam if she can’t persuade her beau there’s no need for such drastic measures, and Britt says, what? Brad says, he agrees; let muscles off with a warning. Cody says, or a good spanking, and Dante says, the law’s the law. He’ll do Cody a favor and not arrest him in front of an audience. Let’s go. Sam runs up, and says she’s coming with Dante. Cody asks if she’s Dante’s girlfriend, and Dante introduces them. Cody says, the pleasure’s all his, and Dante says, let’s get out of here. Dante leads Cody away, and Britt calls, enjoy lock up!

Brook says, so much for finding true love, huh? and Chase says, happily ever after is hard to come by. Brook wonders if it’s not better to quit while you’re ahead; save yourself the agony. Chase says, it’s definitely a smart play. Fortunately, Finn was the smart one in the family.

Going back in the courtroom with Michael, Drew asks if everything is okay, and Willow says, everything’s great. Carly says, everything turned out the way it was meant to for everyone involved, and Michael asks if Willow is ready to go home. She says, so ready, when Wiley runs in. Michael picks him up, and Willow asks what he’s doing here. Josslyn says she figured they’d want to see him. She hopes it’s okay. Willow says, it’s more than okay, and thanks her. Michael says, Wiley is a sight for sore eyes, and Wiley asks why his eyes are sore.

Sonny leaves Nina a voicemail, saying, he heard the news; he’s sorry. Call him back when she can, or text him, and he’ll be right there. He tells Phyllis to do him a favor. If Nina comes in, let him know. She asks where he’s going, and he says he’s going to find Nina. She says, they’re both worried, but possibly, Nina may not want to be found. Maybe the point is for her to be alone right now, to process, to grieve, to scream. He says, the last time she was like this, she went to Nixon Falls, and Phyllis asks if that doesn’t prove her point. He says he needs to be with her, and she says, he doesn’t even know where to start. He says, that’s where she’s wrong, and he leaves.

Nikolas flashes back to him and… please don’t make me look at this again. Ava asks if he isn’t going say something, and he says he thought it was over; that she was giving up on them. She says, no. She guesses she was thinking about it, but she went to the firing range to blow off some steam and ran into his mother. Laura told her that he’d asked her to write a letter of recommendation to the Adams Day School for Avery. He says, he knew his mother would be happy to help. Turns out she knows the headmistress. Ava tells him, that’s what she said. The letter is already sent, and she has a call in to the Director of Admissions, and that’s great. She’d really like Avery to go to Adams, but hearing what he did, without making a big fuss or wanting any credit, was a wake-up call for her. She was reminded how thoughtful and generous he can be. After her anger cooled down, she was able to hear his mother’s sage advice. He asks if she’s sure it wasn’t a lecture, and she says, maybe a little of both, but it got her thinking. Not that they don’t have real issues to work through – they do – but she’s never been a quitter, and doesn’t intend to start being one now. Does he?

Brook says, so Chase isn’t a world famous physician like his brother, but he’s smart in other ways. He asks, how so? and she says, like knowing when to step in and save her from blowing it with Valentin. He sacrificed so much to protect Bailey from Peter. He says, that’s not necessarily smart, and she says, heroic then. Maybe she was wrong. He says, about? and she says, the whole quitting while you’re ahead thing. Maybe it’s the exact opposite. You need to jump in more, think less. He says he can do that. In fact, he’s going to make the leap right now. He’ll do everything he can to help her get her music back.

Spinelli gives Britt some coffee, assuring her, it’s the best way through. He has a prediction. One day they’ll look back on the events of today, and see only fond memories. Brad says, he will, but Britt tells him, don’t get any ideas. He’s all mine.

At Charlie’s, Cody says, he thought for a second, Dante was actually going to haul him in, and Dante says, for a second, he was. They bring beers over to the table where Sam is sitting, and Dante says, a tip if he may? The next time Cody decides to jump out of an airplane for money, make sure he doesn’t jump in a pool, public or private. Cody says, noted, and Sam says, Cody is lucky Dante had an extra change of clothes in his car. (Like they’re the same size. Hint: they’re not.) Cody says, gracias, compadre, and Dante says, Cody’s welcome, but he wants them back. Cody says, that Britt woman, she’s something else, and Sam says, that’s one way to put it. Dante says, Cody should thank them. They saved him from Britt’s wrath. Cody says he’ll pay them back by letting them buy him dinner. After all this commotion, he’s starving. Phyllis comes over, and Dante introduces Cody. He asks Phyllis if everything is okay.  

Sonny runs into the cemetery, calling for Nina. He goes over to Nelle’s grave, and bends down.

Michael asks if Wiley had fun with Aunt Josslyn, and Wiley says, they played a game, and he won. Josslyn demands a rematch, and Willow thanks Josslyn for taking care of Wiley while they were… Josslyn says, indisposed. Of course (🍷). Anytime. Is everything good? Wiley asks what Michael and Willow are doing here, and Carly says, Wiley wasn’t the only one playing a game. His mommy and daddy won too. Josslyn says, they did? and hugs Michael. She says, thank God, and hugs Willow. She’s so happy that the game worked out the way they’d hoped. Michael says, so are they.

Spencer says, Cameron is right. He can’t keep ping-ponging from Esme to Trina if he’s going to make this work. He needs to show Esme that he’s all in. It just drove him crazy seeing Trina at the gallery with that cop. Cameron tells Spencer, he’s going to say something and he needs Spencer to hear him. He’s going back to take care of Jake and Aiden. He will not lose Joss because Spencer can’t keep his head in the game. Do whatever it takes at this point; Cameron doesn’t care. Confess to Trina, suck it up to Esme, just make it happen tonight. Or he will.

Nikolas asks, what brought on Ava’s change of heart? and she says she just told him. He says, right; his mother and a letter of recommendation. She says, and herself, and he asks why she didn’t tell him before. She says, before what? He recovers nicely, and says, before they came so close to losing what they have. She says she’s telling him now. That’s got to count for something. He says, it counts for everything. Yes, they still have issues, and of course (🍷) they need to discuss them, but not here. Come with him. She won’t regret it. He holds out his hand, and she takes it. They leave, and Esme walks in from the parapet. She says, how wrong you are, Nikolas. Ava will regret it, and so will you.

Brad says, Britt has the hots for parachute guy? Not that he blames her, but those weren’t the vibes he was getting. She says she’s interested, but only to the extent that he helped her prove her point. What’s better evidence that true love is a lie than a cynical attempt to sell it with stunts? Spinelli says, there was nothing cynical about it, and Brad says, what’s wrong with a little romance? Bonus if it’s wrapped in a package as drool worthy as Candy’s. Spinelli says, Cody, and Brad says, whatever. His name could be Elmer for all Brad cares. Britt says she’s going to sue him for assaulting her, and Spinelli says he thinks assault is a bit of a stretch. She says, she’s going to sue him, even if she has to sue him for every stitch of clothing he’s not wearing.

Sam and Dante come back to the table, and Cody asks if everything is copacetic. Dante says, yeah; it’s just family stuff. Cody says, let him know if he can help, and Sam says, who is he? He says, Cody Bell. We met at the pool? She says, she knows, but until an hour ago, she didn’t even know he existed, now he and Dante seem to be picking up where they left off. Dante says, you know how it is when you’re friends from childhood. They literally grew up together. Cody says, and got into trouble together, and Dante says, that too.

Chase says, maybe he does think too much, and Brook says, he does. He says, maybe he should start seizing the moment, and she says, there’s no time like the present. They almost kiss, when Chase’s phone dings. He says, it’s his brother. He’s having a tough time with everything that’s going on with Elizabeth. She says, Chase should go be with him, and he says, really? She says, really, and he says, okay, thanks. And tomorrow, it will all about her and him, and getting the goods on Linc. And once they do, they can use it to get her music back. She says, she’ll see him tomorrow; she can’t wait. He says, him either, and heads for the door. Brook goes over to Britt’s table, and says, that was quite a splashdown. Brad says, Cody can splash into his bath anytime, but Spinelli says, technically, a tub is indoors, and you can’t splash down into it. Brook and Chase steal a glance at each other.

Carly asks Wiley for a hug, and says she loves him so much. Always remember that. He says he will, and Josslyn leaves with Willow, Michael, and Wiley, amid congratulations from Carly and Drew. When they’re gone, Drew says, what was that head nod? Was it because of the DNA results, or because Willow doesn’t know yet? Carly says, it was the results; she heard from the lab. He says, and? and she says, Nina’s not Willow’s mother. He says he guesses it was for the best, and Carly says, especially after the hearing; it was brutal. He says, Michael told him a little bit about it. Sonny testified for Nina. She says, that was the least of it. And the whole ordeal happened because of Nina; because of her selfishness and entitlement issues. Poor Willow is just exhausted, and she’s angry, and she wants Nina as far away from her family as possible. Drew says, it would have been awful if Nina was her mom, and Carly says, but she’s not. He wonders why Harmony said she was, and Carly says, Harmony was a troubled woman, but it doesn’t matter where Willow came from. It matters who she is today, and how much she loves Michael and Wiley, and the life they have to look forward to. I dunno. I’m not so sure Drew is buying this.

Sonny finds something on the ground, but we don’t see what it is. He looks around. I wonder if it’s Nina’s necklace.

Spencer walks into the now unlocked room, and Esme is there. He says, finally. Where has she been? She says, she’s been around, and he says he’s been looking everywhere for her. There’s something he needs to tell her. She says she has something she needs to tell him too.

Ava says, Nikolas is acting strange. What’s going on? He’s scaring her. Spit it out. He says, there’s something she needs to know.

Tomorrow, Rory can’t wait to see what else Trina introduces him to; Cameron says he has something to tell Josslyn; Sonny says, Nina may do something she’s going to regret.

📋 Exit Interview…

I’d forgotten he also writes for GH. He was co-writer of today’s episode.

💳 All That Glitters…

I’m not too keen on that pot stirring model. Anyone who has to tell you they’re amazing, probably isn’t.

🌇 Changing City…

I know there are worse places, but it is kind of amazing how such a cosmopolitan city still needs to catch up in so many ways.

💏 Love Bubble Coopted…

On a scale of one to hair pulling, I wonder how mad Teresa is.

⚖️ He’s Legal…

I like these two, and I’m glad things are working out all around.

🐩 On a Furry Note…

Enjoy some celebrities with their pets. Or just enjoy the pets.

⚓️ Pulling Up Anchor…

Pop in tomorrow for some soap, tea of all kinds, a thoughtful collection of quotes, and a musical moment. Until then, stay safe, stay taking only your own inventory, and stay being true to what you believe.