Tag Archives: Real Housewives of Orange County

Nov7

November 6, 2024 – Carly Goes to Jack For Help (Again), Saying Goodbye, Salty Talk, Weekend Watching, Just Like Us, Family Project, A Few More & Summer

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Robert asks, what kind of trouble is Holly in? and she says, when she left Africa, she didn’t exactly leave empty handed. He asks what she took, and she says, Sidwell’s diamonds. And now he wants them back.

Carly goes to see Jack, and he asks, what’s wrong? She says, a woman named Sasha Corbin was just abducted at the Quartermaine estate. The man who kidnapped her said to tell her mother that he wants his diamonds back.

On the phone, Anna says, Robin is taking the idea of having a half-sister better than she did… How does she feel? Worried because wherever Holly goes, trouble seems to follow.

Portia asks how Lucas and the family are doing, and he asks if there’s been an update on Sam’s autopsy.

Alexis sleeps on the couch. She sits up and picks up a photo album. She looks at pictures of Sam, when there a knock at the door. It’s Curtis.

Brook hugs Michael and asks how he’s doing. He says he’s still in shock. He can’t believe Sam is gone. It doesn’t feel real. She says, losing someone never does, and he asks if she’s seen Willow. She left him a message and he texted her, but she’s not responding. She says she hasn’t seen Willow, and he wonders where she is. He went to the gatehouse, but she’s not there.

Willow and Drew do no basking in the afterglow. They just lie there breathing heavy.

Dante comes home and wanders around. He hears a key in the lock and runs to the door, but it’s Sonny. Sonny asks, what is it? and Dante says he thought for a second that Sam was home.  

Holly says, don’t be angry, but Robert says he’s not. She just told him that she stole millions of dollars in diamonds. She says, hundreds of millions. She was trying to keep him out of it, but now she needs his help. He says, of course (🍷) she does. He’ll do what he can. Has Sidwell been in touch with her? She says, not directly, and he says, has he been in touch indirectly? She says, her hotel room was ransacked, and he asks if the diamonds were there. She says, no. When Sidwell was spotted in Miami, she took them to a secure location. He asks, where?

Carly says, the man said he’d kill Sasha if she went to the police, and Jack says, so she came here. She says, he’s not the police, and he says, definitely not. He asks her to describe the man, and she says, bald, muscular build, about 6 feet tall, and English. Jack shows her Sidwell’s picture and asks if it’s him, and she says, yeah. He says, she had the distinct misfortune of meeting Jenz Sidwell, and she asks what Sidwell is doing in Port Charles when the WSB is looking for him. He asks what Sidwell said, and she says, tell Sasha’s mother that he wants his diamonds back. It makes no sense because Sasha’s mother is dead. Jack says he thinks he knows who can shed some light on this mystery.

Lucas asks if there are any preliminary findings, but Portia says, they want to be thorough. He says, it’s hard having unanswered questions, and she suggests he get some rest, but he says he’s covering for Dr. Welch, whose baby is sick. She asks if he thinks extra work is a good idea, but he says he wouldn’t do it if he thought he couldn’t handle it. Portia says, they’re here if he needs them, and Lucas leaves. Brad watches from around the corner.  

Sonny says he wanted to check in, and Dante says he got lost all over again walking into the apartment. It’s quiet and empty in here. It was full of love and laughter because of Sam. Now there’s a deafening silence and it’s not going to be the same home it was. Sonny says, it’s going to be different, and Dante asks him to stop trying to fix it. No one can fix it. This was Sam’s home. Sam was the reason it was a home. Who the hell decorates for Groundhog Day? Every year, he and Rocco couldn’t wait to see what she’d done. She gave his son a home again and gave him a mother when he lost his. She treated his kid like one of hers and gave him the same love she gave her kids. She invited them into her home and made them part of her family. Now she’s gone and he doesn’t know what that means. What happens to their family?

Brook tells Michael that Danny wanted to be alone, and Scout was exhausted and fell asleep. He says he hopes they get answers, and she says, Sam was young and healthy. He says he was thinking about how brave she was. When she found out Lulu needed help, she didn’t hesitate. Brook says, when she saw trouble, she stepped up, and Scout comes in. She says she had a bad dream and daddy wasn’t there. He’s gone like mommy. Brook says, he’s not gone, and Scout asks where he is. Find him.

Drew says he knows this shouldn’t have happened. He was blindsided by Sam’s death. Willow says, they both were, and he says, he shouldn’t have let it get that far, but he says, they’re both responsible. They can try to lay blame, but they’ve been fighting this attraction for months. He asks what they do, and she says, nothing. It was a one-time thing and can never happen again. (🍷) She loves Michael and loves their life. She doesn’t know what she was thinking. It was a horrible mistake, and no one can ever know about it. He says, it’s got to be their secret, and she says she’ll take the back stairs and come in the front. It will look like she’s just coming in. He thanks her for seeing that he was okay, and she leaves. We see an earring on the floor.

Brad asks, how’s Lucas? and Portia says, he’s anxious about the autopsy. Is it in yet? He says, no, not yet, and she says, let her know. Isaiah comes by and she says she’d love to speak with him.  

Curtis says he wanted to check on Alexis and say how sorry he is. She thanks him, and he says he knows when they’re in pain… She says, they make bad decisions, and he says he knows she’s not up for a meeting, so he brought a meeting to her. She says, it means a lot, and he says, she’s dealing with a lot. That’s usually when addicts go off the rails. He knows how easy it is to get lost in a bottle. Her sobriety matters, more so at times like this. She says she thought about having a drink a thousand times. She’d do anything to numb the pain, but absolutely not.

Sonny says, Dante is entitled to his anger, sadness, and confusion. It’s normal to have those feelings for a while, but don’t let himself drown in grief. Dante says, Sam was the glue that held them together, and Sonny says, they both made their family what it is. It’s a tragedy that Sam is gone, but Dante is here, and the kids need him. Dante says, what if that’s not enough? and Sonny says, they’re all here for him. Everybody is going to get him and the kids through this. He knows what Dante is going through. The whole world is dark. He doesn’t want to get out of bed, but he has to because that’s what Sam would want for him. They hug.  

Brook says, bad dreams are just dreams, and Scout says she misses mommy. Brook says she has the best cure to forget a bad dream – hot chocolate, and Scout says, with whipped cream? Brook says, of course (🍷), and takes Scout to the kitchen. Willow comes in, pretending like she just got here.

Carly tells Anna that she was at the Quartermaines, when Sidwell stormed in and kidnapped Sasha. He told her to tell Sasha’s mother that he wants his diamonds back, but Sasha’s mother is dead. He must have made a mistake. Anna says, no. Holly Sutton is Sasha’s mother. Carly asks if she’s sure. She’s known Sasha a long time. Anna says, people have been known to lie, and Jack says, Holly stole Sidwell’s diamonds, and he followed her to Port Charles. Anna says she knew it, but when she confronted Holly, Holly denied it. Carly says, just have Holly give them back. Sasha’s life is at stake. Anna says, Holly can’t always be counted on to do the right thing.

Holly says she can’t tell Robert until she has a plan. Until then, the diamonds will stay in a secure location. He says, the diamonds have put her in the crosshairs of a dangerous criminal. The best thing to do is give them back. She says, the diamonds are just as much hers, and he asks how she figures that. She says, they were mined illegally, and he says, they were stolen. Neither of them deserve the diamonds. She says she has a better purpose for them, and he says he’ll only help her if she’s honest with him. Tell him where the diamonds are and what her plan is. She says she can’t, and he says, can’t or won’t? Neither works for him.

In her office, Portia thanks Isaiah for doing Lulu’s transplant, and Isaiah says he was about to check on her. How is she doing? Portia says, they’re going in the right direction, and he says he’s glad to hear that. She says she wants to ask him about Lulu’s donor. She’s not sure if he’s aware, but her donor, Sam McCall, was stable after surgery, then passed away a short time later. He says he had no idea. What happened? She says, they don’t know. She was hoping he could help. He says, Sam wasn’t his patient, and they had little contact. He can submit his post-surgery notes… She says, she’s more interested in getting his insights. Was there any indication that Dr. Jones made any mistakes?

Lucas searches for post-surgery cardiac arrest on his laptop.

Olivia arrives at Dante’s apartment and asks Sonny how Dante is doing. Sonny says, he’s not doing too well, and Olivia says, Sam seemed healthy. What the hell went wrong? Sonny says, they don’t know. He told Dante that he’s got to get it together for the children. He’s worried he can’t handle things without her. Olivia says, all Dante thinks about is everybody else, when Dante comes downstairs. Olivia hugs him and asks what she can do. Did he eat? He says his stomach is too messed up. It’s like Sam’s still here. He can smell her perfume. Olivia suggests he stay with the kids, but he says he’s where he needs to be. She says, whatever he thinks is best, and he says, having Sam back is what’s best. She says she’d do anything to give him that, and he says, but she can’t. He feels like he’s drowning and can’t see a clear path forward.

Willow says she’s so sorry about Sam, and Michael says, where was she? He called and texted, but she didn’t answer. She says she had put her phone on silent and fell asleep on the couch. She forgot to turn it back on. She knows he’s struggling, and she wants to be there for him. She hopes he lets her. Creeper Drew comes in, and Willow says she heard about Sam. She’s sorry for his loss. She hugs him.  

Isaiah tells Portia that Sam’s liver was in excellent condition and Lucas performed a perfect procedure. She says she doesn’t doubt Lucas’s ability, but she has to follow up. It’s her responsibility to find out how a healthy patient had such a serious complication. He says, things like this happen, and she says, but this is a unique situation. Sam was Dr. Jones’s sister. It’s not something they normally do, but an exception was made. He asks if Sam signed releases, and she says, it’s crucial to the hospital’s reputation that they get to the bottom of this. He says, he’s getting the feeling that’s not the only reason. Is she asking because she wants answers or a scapegoat?

Lucas closes his laptop and looks through a book. Brad watches through the door window.

Alexis says she was in the same position Curtis is not long ago, and Curtis says, Finn when Gregory died. She says, Finn let go of his sobriety because he couldn’t handle the grief. She didn’t blame him. She would have done the same. He says, they’ve all been there, and she says she’s already had one relapse. He says, they’re all one slip away, and she says, Sam stepped in and saved the day. She staged an intervention and said she wouldn’t lose Alexis without a fight. And while she’s more tempted than ever to drink, she won’t, because she won’t dishonor Sam’s memory by using her death as an excuse to dive into a bottle. He says he sees where Sam got her strength, and she says she considers that memory to be Sam’s last gift to her. He says, if she needs anything, he’s there for her, day or night, and she thanks him. She says she has to start making decisions about the funeral. She wants Sam to be proud of her. He tells her to call anytime, and leaves. She looks at the photo album and cries.

Michael tells Drew that he’s sorry about what happened earlier. He didn’t know about Sam. Drew says he understands. Michael had other things to worry about. Have they seen Scout? She’s not in her room. Michael says, she had a bad dream, and Brook took her to the kitchen. Brook comes back with Scout, who tells Drew that she’s scared. He says, it’s important for her to know it’s okay to feel sad. Promise she’ll always remember how much Sam loved her. Scout says she will, and they hug. Michael looks at Willow.

Portia tells Isaiah that she’s not looking for a scapegoat. She’s looking for an explanation. Isaiah says, Lucas did a textbook job, and she says, Sam still died. Isaiah says, there are a million decisions only made by the surgeon. Not everyone is cut out for that responsibility, but he wouldn’t have agreed if he didn’t think Lucas was. He spoke to Lucas’s colleagues in Boston. He’s a first-class surgeon with a stellar reputation. Portia says, but Lucas had a whole other level of pressure, and Isaiah says, he operated on his sister.

Lucas showers and goes to his locker. He opens it and sees a photo of him and Sam.

Anna says, they have to focus on getting Sasha away from Sidwell, and Jack says, make sure her involvement and that of the PCPD is discreet. Carly says, Sidwell threatened to kill Sasha if she involved the police, and Anna says, then they have to make sure he doesn’t find out. Their number one priority is to get Sasha out safely. She thinks she knows where to start.

Robert says he refuses to remain in the dark, and Holly says she wants to stop Sidwell from coming after him. Robert says, he’s dangerous and after her. Anna is worried too. Their lives are complicated enough. Add Sasha to the mix, and they become more tangled. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about them having a child. He wants to know his daughter and wants Holly to be a part of that. He’s lived through losing her before and doesn’t want to again. Tell him everything so he can help her. She’s got to be honest with him.

Olivia says, whatever Dante needs, she’ll be happy to do it, and he says, taking the kids was a big help. They can’t imagine how it felt coming in. Sonny says, they would have helped him through it, and Dante says he remembers how long it took him and Sam to talk about moving in together. The day it happened, he freaked out. He thought for sure it would be the reason they broke up, but they got along like they were already a family. He and Sam never fought. Their lives combined perfectly. It was amazing. He should have known it was too good to last.

Scout wants to stay with Drew, and he suggests they watch a movie. Willow says, that’s a great idea. She’ll help Scout look for something. Michael says he missed some calls and has to check his voicemail. Willow says she’ll be here if he needs anything, and he goes into the foyer. His phone indicates there’s a video of movement on the baby monitor. He looks at it and sees Willow and Drew in the nursery. (This is beyond rut-roh.)

Anna leaves to find Jason, and Jack tells Carly not to worry. Anna is very good at what she does. If anyone can take care of it, she can. He’s curious. She couldn’t go to the police, but she has other resources – Sonny, Jason, and he’s sure she has others. Why him? She says, Sonny and Jason just lost someone close to them. They’re all shook up and he’s the next best thing. He says he’s flattered, and she says she decided to trust him. Don’t make her regret it.

Holly says, it’s her turn to protect Robert, but he says he can take care of himself. Anna walks in and says she has bad news. Jenz Sidwell is in Port Charles. Robert says, they know, and Anna says, and he wants his diamonds back. What they don’t know is, he’s kidnapped their daughter to make sure he gets them.

Lucas gets dressed and closes his locker. He turns around and sees Brad.

Alexis looks at the funeral website on her tablet, when there’s a knock at the door. She opens it to Sonny, who says he got here as fast as he could. How is she? She says she’s glad he’s here. Look at this. The funeral home expects her to make a thousand decisions. He says, it can wait, but she says, it needs to be prefect. She doesn’t think a traditional coffin is appropriate because Sam wasn’t traditional. She’s thinking of modern, but doesn’t want to make the wrong choice. There’s the service… She’ll need a picture for the church, but what picture? She needs to find the right one to represent Sam… He says, stop, and she says she wants someone to tell her it’s not true. How can her daughter be dead? How is it even possible that it happened?   

Dante comes downstairs and opens the closet. He sees Sam’s leather jacket and takes it out, holding it to him and smelling it.  

Michael watches the video, seeing Willow and Drew get nakey. Willow comes out and says, Scout is tired. The movie is off. What is he looking at? Drew comes out with Scout and says, Scout is looking for Willow. Scout asks if Willow will tuck her in with daddy, and Willow says, of course (🍷). She tells Michael that she’ll be back in a little while, and Michael says, take your time. She and Drew go upstairs, and Michael looks at the video of Willow and Drew getting busy.

Tomorrow, Portia says she never should have let Lucas operate on his sister; Alexis doesn’t want to picture a world without her daughter; and Holly tells Jason that she needs her diamonds back.

💔 Double the Goodbye…

Yeah, none of us are exactly happy about it.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-dominic-zamprogna-says-goodbye-to-kelly-monaco

🧂 Too Much Salt…

Heather didn’t waste any time telling Lisa and Meredith that Bronwyn was mean to her and didn’t invite her to Palm Springs, not quite what really happened. Someone always seems to be processing something or wanting an apology from someone. If I had their money, all I’d need to process is payment for the cashmere sweaters I’m buying, and I’d only want an apology if they didn’t have my size. Bronwyn’s husband Todd was over the drama and didn’t want it on the trip. Good luck with that. Lisa blew her nose over being called a bad mom, and said it was the worst thing she could be called. Has she seen Bad Moms? It’s not. Lisa talked about going to Europe, but said she didn’t want to stay in Italy for too long. She didn’t like the food. It was too fresh. What? Whoever heard of such a thing? Ten seconds after he got to Palm Springs, husband Seth told Meredith that he had to make a U-turn back to Ohio, which didn’t sit well with her.

Lisa missed Heather and felt the need to call her while the group was hanging at the hot tub and Bronwyn wasn’t there. Bronwyn was annoyed that the second she got up to take a leak, Lisa was on the phone. Lisa got loud, causing the husbands to dog paddle over from the pool. One of them suggested the women call Heather, but Angie said, they had and that’s why they were fighting. The husbands slunk back out of the women’s business, and Lisa said, Bronwyn and Heather needed to work it out. She didn’t want to get involved. That was where I looked at the camera like Jim from The Office. Todd finally told Lisa’s husband John that either Lisa takes it down a notch or they could leave. He’d had a weekend’s worth of drama in three hours. John relayed the information to Lisa, who again embellished a new story where she had zero fault.

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 5, Episode 8 Recap: A Trip to Palm Springs or “A Living Hell?”

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

I love Vice’s Dark Side series, and the Reality TV season has been well worth watching. Part exposé and part Memory Lane, they’ve bared it all. In this episode, Aviva Drescher was more of a pragmatist, explaining that even though they were prodded by producers, what made the show was the drama, and the drama was what brought the paycheck. On the other hand, Vicki Gunvalson came off as quite bitter, but after hearing how the show handled her mother’s death, I really couldn’t blame her. I remembered that episode well as it was so heart wrenching. Jeana Keough was another interviewee, and seemed to take everything in stride, saying she’d do it again if offered.

https://people.com/vicki-gunvalson-real-housewives-of-orange-county-deal-with-the-devil-dark-side-of-reality-tv-8736542

Au revoir, Daryl. Again, I don’t know why they have to explain everything to us, but I actually didn’t read this since I haven’t seen it yet.

https://ew.com/walking-dead-daryl-dixon-season-2-finale-ending-explained-8738006

https://www.cbr.com/the-walking-dead-daryl-dixon-season2-episode6-recap-spoilers/

And of course, my favorite. I am officially fangirling now that I bought a T-shirt that says Fromily.

FROM Season 3 Episode 7: A Breakdown of Madness and Mystery

🗳 Stars Rock the Vote…

Is it me or does Lady Gaga look like a young Courtney Love?

https://extratv.com/photos/image_jpg_20241105_f499556a0b794aa7882f384f8ac3d4eb/

🧟‍♂️ The Family That Films Together…

What fun parents!

https://ew.com/kevin-bacon-kyra-sedgwick-making-comedy-horror-movie-with-their-real-kids-8739590

👻 Halloween Hangover…

The Bob costume just kills me.

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Living/video/nyc-dogs-show-off-halloween-costumes-115344940

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/halloween-ideas/g23653854/best-halloween-costumes-of-all-time/

🍎 Crisp and Golden As an Apple…

Join me tomorrow for soap and messiness in the OC. Until then, stay safe, stay away from the topic of politics if it’s just going to start a fight, and stay checking for nannycams if you’re going to get busy in the nursery.

Nov1

October 31, 2024 – Lucas Says Sam Is Dead, Tacky 80s Bridesmaids In the OC, About That Parade, Stranger Today Things, The Other Parade, Halloween Quote & Candy

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Willow tells Drew that she doesn’t want to hurt Michael more, and more secrets lead to more pain. Drew asks if she thinks telling him about the second kiss will help, but she says, it’s the right thing to do. No more secrets. Then she’ll stop being afraid and living in constant terror that her marriage is over. He says, Ned and Tracy only know about the 4th of July and he’s handled it. No more leverage. It’s done.

Sasha says she was thinking about what Michael said, that Drew is the most to blame, but she doesn’t know. He may be responsible for the kiss, but he’s not responsible for them ending up in this hotel room.

Chase joins Dante and Rocco at the Surf Lodge and says, Sam said yes? Dante wonders why everyone is acting surprised, and Chase says, Dante knows Sam is out of his league. They figured Sam knew too. He congratulates Dante and says, if he needs any advice or tips on getting married… he’ll give Dante Brook’s number. Whatever Sam wants, give it to her. Otherwise, stay out of the way. Dante says he can do that.

Alexis tells Jason that if Sam is having an allergic reaction or a seizure, the hospital is the best place to be. They know what they’re doing, and they’re prepared. They need to stay positive. It’s what Sam would do and what she’d want them to do. Sam has her whole life ahead of her. She has a fiancé and friends. She’s going to be fine. Lucas, Portia, and Elizabeth come out, and Alexis asks, how’s her daughter? Portia says she’s so sorry.

Alexis tells Portia, don’t say it, but Portia says she’s sorry. Sam didn’t make it. Jason asks, when she says… Lucas says, Sam is dead, but Alexis says, she can’t be. She was just with Sam, and she was fine. Nothing was wrong with her. She wanted to go home. Jason looks at Elizabeth, and Alexis says she watched them checking on Sam and double checking. She was pre-checked, and she was so healthy, she donated. This can’t be right. Lucas says he’s so sorry, and Alexis says, sorry? He tells her that her daughter is gone and he’s sorry? That’s wrong because she’s Sam’s mother and would know if she was gone. She would feel it. She goes to Sam’s room.

Drew says, if Willow tells Michael about the second kiss, he’ll start to question everything and will play into Ned’s hands. Willow says she doesn’t care about Ned, the Quartermaines, or whoever is blackmailing him. She cares about her marriage. He tells her that he’s not saying to lie. Just don’t volunteer new information that will hurt Michael more. She says, so lie by omission, and he says he doesn’t want to hurt Michael more. Despite his actions, Michael is his nephew, and he loves him too. Why cause more pain over something they both agree is over and done?

Michael says, Sasha is right. Drew didn’t pour the alcohol down their throats or drive them here and get a room. She says, that’s all on them, but he says he’s here as a result of Drew’s actions. What about her? How did she wind up here? She says she was hurting and needed someone she trusted, and he says, they were both betrayed be people they love. She says, and they both lost something life changing, and he says he reached out to something safe and familiar. She says her too. No one ever has to know about this. He says, agreed.

Lucas tells Jason, they did everything they could to save Sam, and jets. Jason asks Elizabeth to tell him what happened.

Alexis goes into Sam’s room and walks to the bed. She kisses Sam’s forehead and says, she’s so cold. She’ll get a blanket. Portia comes in, and Alexis asks if Portia can get a blanket for her daughter. She just had surgery and she’s cold. She needs another blanket. Portia tries to speak, but Alexis says, get a blanket. Please. Portia says, of course (🍷), and leaves. Alexis says she doesn’t know why there’s no blanket in here, and Portia comes back with the blanket. Alexis takes it from her and says she just wants to talk to her daughter. Portia says, of course (🍷). Take all the time she needs. She leaves and Alexis puts the blanket on Sam, but says, she’s still cold. She gets in the bed and holds Sam. She says, this is all Sam needs (and rips my heart of my chest).

Sasha says, if she had to run into anyone after her life blew apart, she’s glad it was him, and Michael says he’ll let her know when he decides. She leaves and he follows.

Chase says he’s happy for Dante. He deserves good things. Dante says, Sam does, and Chase says, she loves Dante so much. They have a great life. So good, he never thought they’d go through the hassle of being married. Dante says, they never needed to. They did all the married couple things. Chase asks, what changed? and Dante says he did. He woke up and realized he wanted Sam to be his wife.

Elizabeth says, it was cardiac arrest, and Jason asks, how? Wouldn’t it show up in her pre-op tests? Elizabeth says, they don’t know what caused it, but they will, and Jason tells her, they said Sam was fine. Elizabeth says, all the labs and tests showed her coming through the surgery with flying colors, and Jason says, and now she’s dead?

Alexis says, when Sam was born, she had a lot of hair. The other babies didn’t. And it smelled – she inhales Sam’s hair – so good. She didn’t get to have Sam long, but she looked into those beautiful, brown, soulful eyes and wondered what she could have possibly done to make such a miracle. She was so young and scared. Sam was crying, and when she sang, Sam stopped crying, then smiled. She was lucky. Life gave Sam to her twice. Now it’s taking her back. You can’t just take a miracle back. Bring her back. She starts to cry and begs, please, please, please.

Alexis gets out of the bed, looks heavenward, and cries. She says, why her and not anybody else? You should have taken me. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. Parents are not supposed to bury their children, especially one so good. The only reason she was here is because she was helping someone else. She was saving another mother’s daughter and for that you took her? I hate you.  

Drew goes to the stables and tells Cody that he hasn’t come to finish what they started. He’s not pressing charges or firing Cody. Cody asks what he can do for Drew. Would he like a tour of the stables? Would he like to pet Comet? He has to warn Drew, Comet is in a bit of a mood. Drew wonders if it’s contagious, and Cody asks what he wants. Drew says he wants Cody to stand down and stop causing damage, but Cody says, that’s on Drew. He won’t stop kissing his nephew’s wife and sleeping with her mother. Those are the literal facts. The respect Drew is showing to him and Willow is inspirational. Drew says, Cody doesn’t understand, but Cody says he understands. He’s just not buying what Drew is selling. He sees Drew for who he is. He loves the hero worship from his adoring fans and would-be constituents. He needs to come down to earth with the rest of them. Drew says he’s never been anywhere else. Obviously, something is going on. Cody can take it out on him, but he’s here to ask Cody to leave Willow out of it. She’s a good person and doesn’t deserve this.

Michael goes home, and Willow says she was worried about him. He says he needed to think and rented a hotel room. She says she missed him. All she wanted was for him to come home and to tell him how sorry she is and explain everything. He asks if there’s more to explain.

Jason tells Elizabeth that he can’t wrap his head around it. He’s supposed to meet Danny and Scout at Bobbie’s. How can he tell them that they’re mom is gone? Elizabeth says, be honest. Keep it simple. They’ll probably have a lot of questions. It’s okay if he doesn’t have all the answers. He says he doesn’t have any answers, and she says, he can do this. Do it for Sam.

Alexis says she had to leave the hospital and didn’t have any say. Now that she has a say, she doesn’t want to. For years, she had Sam locked away in her heart. She knew Sam would find her one day, and then there Sam was in her life. She knows if she leaves the room, Sam will be gone, and she can’t live in a world without her in it. So she’s telling Sam that she loves her. She hopes Sam’s heard it when she’s said it. She loves Sam. She cries and kisses Sam’s forehead.

Alexis comes out and goes to Jason. She says she needs to tell Kristina and Molly and the kids, and he says he’ll tell Danny and Scout. If it’s all right with her, he’d like to say goodbye. She nods, and he goes into Sam’s room. Elizabeth hugs Alexis and she cries.

Willow says she came to tell him what happened… and Michael says, Drew beat her to it. She says, that’s not how she wanted it. She wanted to talk when it was just them. He says, here we are. Explain how an uncle he loved and trusted took advantage of her and kissed her. She says, it wasn’t like that, and he says, then what was it like? She says, it was the 4th of July, and Drew had just made his congressional announcement. Everyone was happy. They’d had a couple of drinks and the fireworks started. They got caught up in the excitement and in one stupid moment of celebration, they kissed. Michael asks if Drew kissed her.

Jason goes into Sam’s room and says, he knew she was gone when he saw her mother’s face. He knew it when Lucas said it. He heard Lucas, but it wasn’t real. He goes to her bed and says, it wasn’t real until now… but she’s not here. She left them.

Drew says, expose him and Cody will expose Willow, and Cody says, how convenient. Drew seems to get away with everything, hiding behind Willow. Drew says he thought Cody cared about Willow, and Cody says he does. Drew says, they have that in common. He’s willing to pay. How much for Cody to keep his mouth shut? Cody asks if Drew thinks he can buy him off. Guys like him think money solves everything. Drew says, it solves some things, and Cody says, Drew is right. Why shouldn’t he get something? Drew asks, how much? and Cody says, a hundred thousand, but Drew says he was thinking fifty thousand. Do they have a deal? (I was thinking 6 million for Serenity. Isn’t Drew a skabillionaire? Apparently, he’s also a cheapskate.)

Willow says, it was a blur. She can’t remember much, but it was one isolated incident. She suggests they not make a bigger deal about it than it is. Drew loves Michael. Michael says he would have believed that until yesterday, and Willow says, they made a stupid mistake, and it shouldn’t be blown out of proportion. Michael asks if that’s it. If there’s anything else, now’s the time to tell him. Willow says, only one thing. She loves him. Please tell her that he believes that.

Jason says he doesn’t make a lot of plans. At least not long-term ones. He doesn’t believe in them. He’s seen things change so fast. But he believed in long term plans for her. She was supposed to watch Danny grow up and have kids. He assumed she’d live a long life. She was brave and ready for new adventures. She liked to kick it up a notch, and he loved that about her. He loved her courage and compassion, even her stubbornness. He loved that she wasn’t a great cook, but kept trying. She never quit. He loved the look on her face when she thought she’d make him laugh… or smile. It was like a big accomplishment, but it wasn’t. Because whenever he really looked at her, he would smile. He loves looking at Danny and seeing some of her looking back. He loves so much about her.

Elizabeth asks if Alexis would like her to call someone, and Alexis says, call Portia. She wants answers about what happened to her daughter.

Michael says, Willow told him that she loved him, and she says she does, so much. He says, they all make mistakes. He’s made his fair share and she’s forgiven him. She says, they’ve loved each other through so much, she prays he can forgive her for one moment of stupidity, and he say he believes they can get past this. He agrees that one kiss isn’t worth losing everything they have. One kiss is not worth blowing their family apart. She says she loves him so much. Not a day goes by that she’s not incredibly grateful for their family. He says, she’s an amazing mother, and she says she wants to be a great wife too. Their marriage means so much. He says he’s happy everything is out in the open, and she says she should have never done anything else.  He says, they can put it behind them, and she says, that’s all she wants. She wants to be his safe place. They kiss, and he asks how long the kids will be gone. She says, long enough, and they get busy.

Drew says, there’s $50,000 in Cody’s account, and Cody says, Drew paid for his silence. The way Drew lives his life, he won’t be the last. Drew says he asked around about Cody, and he’s not one to throw stones, and Cody says he has the unique ability to know what he’s seeing when he looks at Drew. He’s thinking he’s got away with something and maybe he did… this time. Guys like him end up tripping over their own skis and he can’t wait to watch. Drew suggests Cody buy himself something nice. It might put him in a better mood. (I don’t even know what to say to that.)

Elizabeth tells Lucas that she’s so sorry. She knows how much Sam meant to him. He did everything he could. He asks if she’s sure about that, and she says she was there with him. She watched him do everything possible. He says, then why is his sister dead?  

Alexis says, Portia told her that the surgery was a success, and her daughter would be fine. She told her daughter that she just needed to recuperate for a week, that it was standard procedure. Portia says, that’s usually true, and Alexis asks why her daughter is dead. Portia says, they’re doing an investigation… and Alexis says, don’t talk to her like a doctor. Talk to her like a mother with a daughter. When Sam died, what happened? Portia says, as mother to mother, the answer is the same. She’s so sorry. Alexis says, then by all means investigate. She wants answers, but in the end, it won’t matter. Her daughter is dead. She turns around and Danny and Dante are there.

Jason says he remembers when Sam took off to Florida. When they first met, they couldn’t stand each other. He’s not sure why he went after her, but he found her in a dive bar, A big storm rolled in and they got stranded. He told her to get some sleep, and she said she slept better when he was around. He slept better when she was around too. He never told her, and he should have. There are so many things he should have told her. So many moments he could only share with her. We flash back to Sam and Jason meeting when we were all babies and go down Memory Lane. Sam getting pregnant and losing the baby. Slow dancing at the Chinese restaurant (The Lucky Buddha or something like that), having fun, having sex, loving each other, and getting married. He remembers saving her, watching fireworks together, and escaping an explosion together. He says he loves her and always will. With the saddest face I have ever seen, he says he remembers it all. He’ll never forget. He promises. He kisses her forehead and says goodbye. He leaves and cries outside the room.

Tomorrow, Laura wonders if it’s Lulu; Kristina asks Molly what’s that supposed to mean; Drew tells Carly, it wasn’t supposed to end like this; and Dante tells Sonny that it was his fault.

🍊 A Lemon Among Oranges…

Ryan asked Jenn to marry him and she showed off her giant rock. She invited the group to their engagement party, and the women all decided to wear tacky vintage 80s bridesmaid’s dresses, with Jenn tackily dressed as the bride of course.

In Gina’s interview, she explained that Travis’s ex-wife was toxic and aggressive, and she couldn’t have that chaos around her kids. She suggested she and Travis go to therapy, since she needed to learn how to deal with it, and told him, if they were meant to be, they’d survive it.

RHOC OGs Vicki and Jo De La Rosa were at the party, and the dresses were spot on 80s tacky, and I loved them. In Gina’s interview, she said Tamra didn’t just burn bridges, but burned down the whole town. It was narcissistic behavior. Tell us something we don’t know. In Jenn’s interview, she said she knew when Shannon apologized, she was sincere and made an effort to improve, but Tamra, not so much. She was tired of circling the same drains with Tamra all the time. Not beating around any bushes, Vicki said, Tamra is who she is. She was classless with an ego the size of the state of California.

At the party, Shannon had enough of Tamra picking at her and decided she was done. On her way out the door, she had the weirdest exchange with Katie’s husband where he told her maybe it was time she got to stepping. Johnny J. – the guy who didn’t want to be on the show, yet we’ve seen every five minutes this season – also made an appearance at the party. I’m not sure if this is what caused Shannon to double back, but suddenly there she was, throwing her bouquet, which Gina caught. In Johnny J.’s interview, he said he didn’t want people believing the lies being told about him.

Since it was the finale, we saw text about what the women are up to now, but it seemed like not much had changed. Possibly the most boring updates in Housewives’ history.

But wait. There’s more. Three weeks later. We saw headlines about Ryan being accused of laundering money, and Tamra bragging that she was right. Ryan told Jenn, life throws things at you that you can’t control. That’s why it’s called life. What? I could understand if we called life target, but that made no sense whatsoever. To what I’m sure was Tamra’s dismay, we saw that Ryan had been absolved of any wrongdoing and had full immunity. However, his business partner Matt was facing up to 18 years in prison. Ryan had insisted he’d just gone along for the ride on Matt’s trips, and why not? It’s not like Matt was a hitman and, private jets, Bahamas, drinks with umbrellas in them. In their interviews and collectively, everyone called Jenn a dumbass, but that’s not stopping her from planning a wedding for 2025.

Next time, The Reunion. Brrr…

Real Housewives of Orange County Season 18, Episode 17 Recap: Trust Your Gut and Tamra Judge

And while we’re on the subject.

RHOC Season 18 Reunion Trailer Revealed: Alexis Bellino and Emily Simpson Go to War

👻 Down In the Village…

As of this post, there weren’t any photo galleries released yet, but it’s not like it changes, so here’s all you need to know should you ever be in the vicinity.

https://gothamist.com/news/spooktacle-2024-nycs-51st-village-halloween-parade-steps-off-tonight-heres-what-to-know

The Village Halloween Parade site. This year’s theme was Meow. Love Andre De Shields as Old Deuteronomy.

Home

🤡 Today In Costumes…

Now these are disturbing.

https://parade.com/tv/today-show-halloween-costumes-2024

🐩 A Pawsome Time Was Had By All…

And since there were no photos of the Village parade, have more of this.

https://parade.com/tv/today-show-halloween-costumes-2024

🎃 Quote of the Day…

Me: $**!@#$)(%&U! Halloween decorations!

The Dogs: What is she doing *now*????

🐸 Eye Of Newt and Toe Of Frog…

It’s been a looong day and night, and an all week juggling act. So join me tomorrow for soap and post Halloween treats. Until then, stay safe, stay not eating all your kid’s Halloween candy at once, and stay telling people the things you want them to hear while they’re still with you to hear them.

Oct25

October 24, 2024 – Sam Is Prepped For Surgery, Doubtful, Steven Lars, Just a Bowl Of Oranges, Salty Talk, Movie Watch, On Backwatch, Full Circle, Vampire Review, Matching & Hour   

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Jason goes to Sonny’s office and asks, what’s up. Sonny says, it’s time to tell him what went on in Africa, and holds up the diamond.

At the Surf Lodge, Alexis, Danny, and Scout talk about Sam’s surgery. Scout says, it’s a big deal. Sam is saving Lulu’s life.

Jack calls Carly, and when she answers, he says he was starting to think she was avoiding him. She says she’s in the middle of something, but he says he needs to see her right now. She says, now is not a good time. She’s at GH. Jack says he insists. This is important. She says, so is this, and goes in to see Sam.

Laura tells Lulu that she knows it’s hard to hang in there, but help is on the way thanks to Sam. She’ll be here and Lucky will be here when Lulu comes out. She can do this. Dante and Rocco arrive, and Laura says, they’ll all be here waiting for her.

Isaiah is in the locker room, earbuds in, when Lucas says, sorry to interrupt. Isaiah says he likes to visualize a procedure before he does it, and Lucas says, they all have their pre-op rituals. He knew a surgeon who had to wear the same shoes and eat two banana muffins before surgery. Isaiah asks if Lucas is ready, and Lucas says he and Sam have the easy part. Isaiah says, it’s going to take all of them to give Lulu the help she needs. He leaves, and Brad opens his locker, finding a bag from Eckerd’s. He takes out a sweet roll and bites into it. Brad comes in and says, Lucas used to always have Eckerd’s before surgery. Unless he’s hungry for something else.

Ric visits Heather and she says she misses Alexis. He says, that’s something you don’t hear very… ever, and she says, her roommate isn’t good at conversation, but she does make a delicious toilet wine. He says, you win some, you lose some, and she says she wouldn’t mind winning some. Did the judge do what he was supposed to? Ric says, he did. The judge vacated her sentence. She’s going free.

Ellizabeth tells Portia that she heard about Heather, and asks if there’s anything she can do to help. Portia says, it’s enough that Elizabeth understands how she feels, but if Plan A fails, she might take Elizabeth up on it. Elizabeth asks, what’s Plan A?

Curtis’s assistant tells him that his 9 o’clock is here, and he says, let them in. No interruptions. Steven Webber (aka Steven Lars) comes in and they shake hands. Curtis says, Heather Webber’s prodigal son.  

Portia says, they have a big day they need to focus on, and Elizabeth says, they have to get ready to make sure the surgery goes smoothly. Portia says, Curtis is taking care of Heather, and Elizabeth tells her to be careful. Heather has a powerful ally in Ric, and if he sees someone moving against his client, he’ll respond in kind. Portia says, Heather is the one who needs to be careful.

Steven says he’s not a doctor anymore, but Curtis says he was highly skilled before he was incarcerated. Steven says, and financially stable. He thanks Curtis for paying his way here, and Curtis says, it’s the least he could do. Steven says, that depends on why Curtis is asking. He doesn’t have good memories of Port Charles and he’s not planning on staying long. Curtis says he’s not planning on standing in Steven’s way, and Steven asks what he can do for Curtis. Curtis says, when Steven does leave, he wants him to take his mother with him.

Heather asks if Ric is messing with her, but he says he got the call last night. She asks if she’s going to a halfway house or a minimum-security facility with a nice volleyball court, but he says, she’s being released. As soon as the paperwork is done, she’s out of here. She asks if she has to check in with a parole officer, get drug tests, or wear an ankle monitor, and he says, her violence stemmed from a medical condition that’s been eradicated, so she no longer needs those constraints. She says she’s free? Totally free? He says, yes, and she says, oh my God. She jumps up and hugs him. She says she got her second chance, and he’d better believe she’s going make the most of him. She kisses him on the lips, like, mwah, and hugs him again.  

Lucas says he thought he made the boundaries clear, and Brad says he brought Eckerd’s for the staff and wanted to make sure Lucas had what he needed for his pre-op routine. He was just being supportive. Lucas says he doesn’t want any misunderstanding, and Brad says he’ll throw it away, but Lucas says he already took a bite. His towel falls and he grabs it, but Brad says, relax. It’s nothing he hasn’t seen before… but that mole is new. He should get it checked out.

Laura tells Dante and Rocco that Sam is going to be prepped for surgery. If there’s anything they want to say, now’s the time. Rocco goes to Lulu’s bed and sits. He takes her hand, and says, it’s me. Rocco.

Carly asks how Sam is, and Sam says she just wishes they could get this show on the road. Carly says, waiting is the worst. It will take a miracle for Lulu to pull through, but what matters is Lulu getting a chance because of Sam. Sam says she’s just doing what anyone would do, and Carly says, if Sam needs anything, tell her. Sam says, Carly didn’t come to chat. She wants something. She always does. Carly admits she does. She wants to say thank you.

Jason asks where the diamond came from, and Sonny says, Africa. The same plane that brought Jason back. How did he find Lucky? Jason hands back the diamond and says, Jenz Sidwell was holding Lucky captive. They met at a casino in Nairobi and Sidwell invited them back to the camp. Sonny says, smart, but Jason says, not really. They’d been made at the casino and Sidwell took them back to have them killed. Sonny asks how they got out, and Jason says, there was a WSB drone strike. Sonny says, it’s nice to know they’re good for something, and Jason says, it saved their lived. When everything went to hell, they got out. Sonny says, but not alone, and Jason says, Holly was working an angle with Sidwell, but at the end, she helped them escape. She  had the diamond? Sonny says, plural, and Jason asks, how many? Sonny says, enough to know Holly is trouble, but the kind of trouble that might be worth it.

Heather says, the first thing she’s going to do is go to Kelly’s for a BLT, and Ric says, she needs to think about the state of her finances. Probably look into getting a job. She says, what about the millions from the quacks who gave her a poison hip? but he says, even if they get a settlement, it could take a while. In the meantime, she needs to support herself. She says, in the words of Scarlett O’Hara, she’ll think about it tomorrow, and he says, today, she needs a place to crash. Does she know anybody who will take her in?

Steven says he was hoping to have nothing to do with Heather, and Curtis asks if he’s aware of what’s happening. Steven says, Elizabeth caught him up, and asks if Heather got a reduced sentence. Curtis says, her sentence was vacated, and she’s being released today. He’s guessing that’s not happy news. Steven says, their relationship is complicated, and Curtis says, Heather wanted his daughter killed and she’s been allowed out in the world. Steven says, without the medical device that made her violent, and Curtis asks if Steven would bet his daughter’s life on it. He wants them to reunite far away from Port Charles. Steven says, Heather gave birth to him, but she’s hardly been his mother, and Curtis says he thought Steven might feel that way. So he’s prepared to make it worth Steven’s while.

Sonny tells Jason that Holly had a bag of them she wanted him to offload. He’s thinking the haul is close to a hundred million. Jason asks what he’s going to do, and Sonny says he’s inclined to work with her. Jason asks if Sonny knows if they’re registered, and Sonny says, no. There are no qualifiers; they’re stolen. Jason says, Sidwell might disagree, and Sonny asks if he didn’t die in the drone strike, but Jason says, he survived and he’s back in the US. He’s guessing Sidwell is looking for Holly.

Alexis tells Scout to go wash up, and Scout leaves. Alexis tells Danny that he’s a good big brother, and he says he’s the oldest. It’s his job. Alexis says, it’s not easy. His sister can be a little a lot, and when he needs to step up, Danny does. She thinks Danny is awesome and so does his mom.

Carly says, it’s no small thing, and Sam says she’s doing it for Dante and Rocco. Carly says, it means the world to all of them, and Sam says she may actually start to believe Carly can dish out compliments. She may have to bank this one. Carly says, please do, when Jack pops in and says he needs a word with Miss Spencer.

Laura says, Rocco is getting so big, and Dante wonders if Lulu will recognize him. She says, he was just a kid when the accident happened that put Lulu in a coma. He’s had to spend so much time without her. Rocco tells Lulu that he brought this for her, and puts a medal in her hand. He says his first cross country meet. He won. It’s all about endurance. Sometimes you feel like you’re not going to make it, but never give up. He thinks he got that from her. They’re so close, don’t give up now.

Outside, Carly tells Jack that her cousin is having a very complicated liver transplant. She was with the woman who’s going to be her donor. Jack says, Carly’s support is commendable. Why doesn’t she do that and then come to his office? She asks what he needs, and he says he needs Jason’s cooperation in giving him vital information from the rescue. She says, just ask him, and he says, it’s clear Jason is holding something back. She says, good luck, and he says, apparently, Jason made a nasty enemy in Jenz Sidwell when he was in Africa. He’s a gem of a human being and he’s now in the US, probably on his way to Port Charles. She asks what he expects her to do, and he says, she begged him to facilitate a rescue that could turn into a full-blown international incident. Doesn’t it seem reasonable to help? She asks why he went out on a limb for her, and he says, if she has to ask, she’s not as smart as he thought she was.

Sonny wonders how Sidwell survived, and Jason says, Lucky didn’t want him dead, and after the drone strike, there was no time. Sonny says, Laura would be proud, and Luke would be rolling in his grave. If he gets it done fast, Holly can be gone before Sidwell connects them to it. But he can’t do it today. He has to be somewhere. Sonny steps out, and Jason’s phone rings. It’s Carly.

Heather says her best bet is Laura taking her in, but Ric says, Laura is going through a family crisis. Heather says she could knock on Alexis’s door. They got along and she’s sure Alexis can give her an air mattress, but Ric says, she’s going through a family crisis as well that’s connected to Laura. Heather says, Laura can drop her off at the Quartermaines. She could hang out there for weeks before they know she’s there. Ric says, when they do notice, they’ll have her arrested. Think. Is there anyone she can call?

Isaiah sees the Eckerd’s box and asks if it’s for anybody. Portia tells him to help himself, and Brad says he’s glad they’re enjoying them. Isaiah says, duty calls, and Brad says he’s just about through. He’s going to the Woodchuck’s game. Elizabeth says, he’s leaving early for a baseball game? and Brad tells them that he could say, never mind, but Portia tells him, have fun, and he leaves.

Curtis says, what if he could get Steven’s medical license reinstated? He has a friend running for office who has influence. Steven says he can’t throw Heather over his shoulder and drag her out, but Curtis says he’s sure she’ll go willingly. He knows family means everything to her and he’s all she has left. Steven says, she has a grandson, but Curtis says, Laura will give her limited access and if it’s not good, she’ll cut Heather off altogether. All Steven has to do is crack the door open. Steven says, but he’ll be the one who has to keep her in line. He doesn’t want to be responsible for what his mother does. Curtis says, then he’ll be responsible for what becomes of her.

Alexis says, Sam has visitors, and Scout gives her some flowers. Sam says she noticed they don’t have schoolwork with them, and Danny says, it’s in the car. They want to stay here and not go to school. Sam tells Alexis not to let them work her. Stay strong. Alexis says, Sam is amazing, saving a life. There’s not many who would do that, but it’s no surprise that Sam is.

Dante and Rocco are in the waiting area, when Laura joins them. She hugs Rocco, and Dante says he’s got to get Rocco to school on time. Rocco says he’s not going, but Dante says they talked about this. Laura says, it’s a good distraction. His mom will still be in surgery after school. Rocco says he wants to be here. Please? Isaiah approaches, and Dante says he’ll make a deal with Rocco. They’re going to see Sam and it’s cool if Rocco does his schoolwork here. They leave and Laura asks Isaiah if everything is okay. Isaiah says he wanted to let her know, it’s time.

Carly asks why Jack keeps helping her, and he says, chivalry. She says, he doesn’t do anything without an ulterior motive, and he says, by definition, Anna is bitter and cynical, but Carly says, she’s not wrong. Jack says, Carly is cynical too. Almost agent worthy. She asks if he’s trying to recruit her, and he says, her talents could be put to better use than a concierge. Jason arrives and says, Carly didn’t tell him that Jack would be here. Carly says, she needs a favor, and Jason says, who’s asking? Carly or Jack? Carly says, both.

Portia says she realized Terry hiring Brad was in the hospital’s best interest, and Elizabeth asks if she thinks Brad is playing Terry. Portia says, does she? and they see Lucas headed toward them. They get quiet and he asks if they’re talking about him. Elizabeth says, they were talking about Brad, and Lucas asks, what’s he done now? Elizabeth says, pastries, and he says, bastard. Elizabeth says, Brad got his job back on Terry’s recommendation. Britt was Brad’s best friend and Terry was Co-Chief of Staff with her. Britt is dead and Brad needed a job. You do the math.

Curtis tells Steven, it’s about family. He’s protecting his and Steven needs to take responsibility for his. He thinks Steven and Heather should leave town and go far away. He’ll supplement Steven’s income until he’s on his feet. Provided Heather goes with him and stays gone. Steven says, and if he can’t convince her? and Curtis says he has alternative outcomes that are much less pleasant. (Very disappointed in Curtis.)

Elizabeth answers the hospital phone, and Heather says she can’t believe she got Elizabeth on the first try. Elizabeth asks why she’s calling, and Heather says she doesn’t know if Elizabeth heard, but she’s being released from Pentenville. Before she asks, it’s 100% legal. Elizabeth says, congratulations, and Heather thanks her. She says her head is spinning, and Elizabeth asks what she wants. Heather says she was wondering if Elizabeth can pick her up at prison… for Franco’s sake, when Ric walks in.

Lucas tells Brad that he hopes the Woodchucks do better than last time in the playoffs, and Brad asks if he wants something. Lucas asks if Brad manipulated his way back into the job. People are saying he played Terry. Brad asks, which is it? Keep it professional and stay away from each other or be in each other’s business. Lucas says, Brad’s right. Sorry. Brad says he did mention Britt, but he needed a job. He’s not proud of it. Lucas says, Britt would probably be proud, and Brad says he hopes so. He’s doing the best he can.

Elizabeth asks why Ric doesn’t pick Heather up if she’s worth millions, and Ric says, he’s going to be in court. Elizabeth says she wants nothing to do with Heather, and he says, just say no. Elizabeth says, they both know if Heather is left alone, she’ll find trouble. What does he want her to do? Take Heather into her home? Ric says he doesn’t like that idea, and Elizabeth says she was looking forward to ice cream and binging Dance Moms. Ric says he has an idea. He’ll move in too. Elizabeth laughs and says, that’s the opposite of helping.

Isaiah tells Laura that Lulu has been given anticoagulants to minimize the risk, but there are no guarantees. Laura says her daughter has been fighting for her life since she was a tiny girl and winning. She takes his hands and says, if he gives her the chance today, she will win again.

Alexis tells Sam that they have a standing invite to dine at the Quartermaines. She’s torn. There’s free food, which she loves, but there’s also… Sam says, Tracy. Sonny comes in and says he should have known the party was in here. He’s proud of Sam. Alexis says, so proud, and Sam thanks him. Danny says he knows she’s tired of hearing it, but she’s a real hero. Dante joins them and asks, who made Sam cry? Rocco has something he wanted to say. Rocco says, thank you so much, and Sam says she hasn’t done anything yet. Rocco says, she’s saving his mom’s life and he doesn’t know how he’ll repay her. She says, Rocco, Danny, Scout, Dante, and her mom, all of her people, including Sonny, have been so good to her. She’s just glad to be able to return the favor.

Carly says, Jack needs to know what happened in Africa, and Jason says he told Jack, but Jack says, he omitted some key details. Carly says, Jack came through for them. He’s the reason they got home. He saved their lives, and she owes him. She thinks Jason does too. Please help him. She leaves.

Jason says he told Jack everything he knew at the time, and Jack says, very good. He’s being honest while disclosing next to nothing. There was more to Jason’s adventure than he knew at first. Jason asks if Holly is up to something, and Jack says, she took something valuable. Jason says, diamonds. She stole a fortune. Jack says, thus Sidwell’s revenge tour, and Jason asks if they’re done. Jack tells him to thank Carly and tell her to watch her step. Jason says, nobody hurts Carly. Bad things tend to happen to people who do.  

On the phone, Portia says, Curtis is taking care of Heather. She’ll call Marshall after she speaks to him. Curtis comes in and nods. Portia smiles and goes to him. She throws her arms around him.

The prison gates open and Heather says goodbye to the guard. She sees Elizabeth walking toward her, and Steven approaches from the other side. She says, Steven Lars, and he says, hello, mother.  

Curtis says, it took some convincing, but Steven is on board. He’s going to take his mom and get out of town and out of their lives. Portia asks if he thinks it will work, and he says he doesn’t think Heather will be able to resist. It’s over. It’s finally over. She hugs him and sees Brad going to the elevator.  

Sam is wheeled out, and Lucas asks if she’s ready. She says, as long as she’s got him, and he says, she’s hard to refuse. There are some people who want to wish her luck. The whole gang is there, and Laura says she can’t possibly thank Sam enough. Sam says she’s glad to do it, and Danny says, kick butt. Scout tells her, what he said, and Rocco says, she’s his hero. Alexis says she loves Sam so much, and Dante kisses her. the elevator opens and Jason joins them. He says, she’s got this, and she says, piece of cake. Jason puts his hand on Danny’s shoulder, and Lucas says, the OR is ready. There are goodbyes and I love yous, and Sam says she loves them. She holds her fist up as she’s wheeled away.

Tomorrow, Anna tells Laura that she’ll find Valentin and bring Charlotte back to her family; Nina asks why someone is confessing now; Steven tells Heather, that subject is off limits; and the paternity results are in.

🩺 But It’s Her House That Alan Gave Her…

This is a real shame. I can understand the accidents she had. I’m pretty sure I’m going to meet my end by tripping over a dog toy, a dog bed, or an actual dog.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/leslie-charleson-unlikely-to-return-to-general-hospital

🚑 The Prodigal Son Returns…

Apparently, the stars aligned.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/scott-reeves-opens-up-about-his-return-to-general-hospital

🍊 A Dose Of Vitamin OC…

Jenn confronted Tamra and in Jenn’s interview, she came to the conclusion that Tamra had no soul. I concur. She also thought Heather should get out of Tamra’s ass and be her own human being. In Emily’s interview, she said when Tamra didn’t respect someone, she had no boundaries. Shannon met with her daughters and they hung out in London.

The group had an English dining etiquette lesson, and in Tamra’s interview, she said, there were too many rules. Here’s etiquette for you. She then gave us the finger. Seriously, why bother? Immediately after the lesson, Tamra called Shannon a liar and a drunk. Gina told Tamra to stop with the alcohol thing, and Jenn seconded it. In Fancy Pants Heather’s interview, she said, everyone gets an F. As happens occasionally, I agree with Fancy Pants.

Shannon needed an enema, which Katie graciously administered. Constipation, the great equalizer. Just as uncomfortable no matter what your income. And just in case you’re ever thinking about it, I’m not that friend. Staying on brand, Tamra told Fancy Pants that Katie’s daughter was watching Emily’s kids, and they said they didn’t like Fancy Pants because she was mean to their mom. When Fancy Pants relayed this to Emily, Emily said it was Katie’s daughter who told her kids that Fancy Pants was mean. She told them not to talk like that again. She told Fancy Pants that she’d never involve her kids in an adult situation and would never talk negatively about her friends in front of them. Fancy Pants said, Katie f***ed with the wrong marine. She was done.

In a rare humorous moment, Gine hit the fire alarm in a restaurant, thinking it was a device to flush the toilet. Sitting outside, Shannon said she’d told Fancy Pants about texting Johnny J. after the accident and shown her the photo in confidence. Fancy Pants made a million excuses for passing that information along, and said she felt that Shannon was controlling the narrative, but eventually apologized for breaking Shannon’s trust. She claimed she didn’t know it was private.

Meanwhile at the table, Tamra said Shannon told her that there was a rumor about Gina throwing Travis down the stairs. I’m sure there’s a big ball joke in there somewhere, but I’ve had a long day. In Gina’s interview, she said, Travis’s ex was telling lies. She wasn’t appreciating Tamra’s interrogation since she’d just stopped living with the love of her life to get away from this insanity. Tamra said Shannon had come between her and Jenn and was now trying to come between her and Gina. When Shannon returned to the table, Gina said, Tamra told her that Shannon was trying to dig up information on her before the Reunion. Shannon said, Tamra was the one who told her about the business with the stairs, but in Tamra’s interview, she said, when the story circulated in June of 2022, she and Shannon weren’t speaking. Shannon said, Tamra always got super drunk and talked sh*t about people, and in Jenn’s interview, she said, Tamra didn’t know how to be a friend or what an apology meant. She was a mean girl bully and thrived on it.

Shannon walked out, and in one of those ironic life moments, the birthday cake came out, along with singing servers. Tamra blew out the candles, and in Shannon’s interview, she said she wasn’t allowing toxic people to penetrate her life anymore. Tamra was evil. Again, agreed.

Katie summed it up best when she said in her interview, has there ever been a dinner with these women that’s pleasant? Nope. I don’t think so.

Next time, Jenn and Ryan have a wedding (not sure if it’s real); Jenn thinks she f***ed it all up; and Gina says, Jenn ruined her own life.

If you want more:

Real Housewives of Orange County Season 18, Episode 16 Recap: Tamra Is Throwing Everyone Under the Bus

🧂 Extra Salt…

If you didn’t get enough.

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 5, Episode 6 Recap: Keep Your Frenemies Close and Your Housewives Closer

👀 Forgotten Watch…

No surprise I forgot I watched this last weekend, since I almost forgot I wanted to watch it. I did kinda, sorta watch the first two. Frankly, I saw a sex scene I can never unsee in I can’t remember which other one, and a disturbing dance with a scarecrow, so it’s doubtful I’ll rewatch those. But I love an 80s atmosphere, so I was looking forward to this one. I definitely liked this the most out of the three, and what’s not doubtful is Mia Goth’s excellent performances. She did not disappoint and the story was a good one. Probably not for those with weak stomachs though.

https://screenrant.com/maxxxine-movie-timeline-how-long-after-x/

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/maxxxine-theda-baras-walk-of-fame-star-explained-how-it-calls-back-to-pearl/ar-AA1sKVYf

https://1428elm.com/do-you-need-to-watch-pearl-and-x-to-enjoy-maxxxine-01jard0y8033

🏃‍♀️ Behind In Watching…

Obviously, there are spoilers here. While I’ve still only seen the first two episodes, they’re so short, this is really better suited for binging.

https://ew.com/agatha-all-along-aubrey-plaza-death-reveal-rio-vidal-episode-7-8733310

I’m just behind by one here.

https://ew.com/walking-dead-daryl-dixon-reunion-between-daryl-carol-changed-exclusive-8729288

🤷‍♀️ What’s Weirder…

Wearing a costume or being one?

https://ew.com/rob-lowe-received-bigfoot-costume-60th-birthday-wore-outside-8630889

https://ew.com/rob-lowe-recalls-st-elmos-fire-halloween-costumes-8727923

🧛🏻 Final Shadows…

I haven’t been a faithful watcher, but the episodes I’ve seen are very funny. I love that there’s an energy vampire and they live on Staten Island.

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/what-we-do-in-the-shadows-season-6-review-hulu

👻 It’s Not Just Me…

As long as I’ve had dogs, we’ve had a costume theme every Halloween. Last year was Barbie. This year… Well, you’ll see.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/halloween-ideas/g39918082/dog-and-owner-costumes/

🧟‍♀️ Where the Wild Things Are…

Come by tomorrow for soap, a dash of entertainment, and my own Halloween movie list. Until then, stay safe; stay keeping all Halloween treats, costume pieces, and decorations away from pets; and stay never giving up, even when you feel like you’re not going to make it.

Oct18

October 17, 2024 – Holly Reveals Sasha’s Father, Off With Their Oranges, Extra Salt, Furballween & London

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Sasha asks what her mother is doing here, but Holly says she has no excuse. Sasha says she’s always had one before and usually roped her into a scam. Who’s the mark this time? Holly says, there’s no mark. Her motive is Sasha’s well-being. Sasha is headed for disaster, and she refuses to let that happen.

Tracy goes to the stables and tells Cody that she found Sasha hitting up Michael for money. When she confronted Sasha, she said it was for him and that he’d been considering asking her. Is that true? Is he in trouble? He says he didn’t think so until she showed up.

Ava meets Ric at the PC Grill, and he says, if all goes as planned, she’ll be as free and available for dinner dates as his ex. She asks, which one?

Alexis goes to Jordan’s office, and Jordan says she was happy to hear about Alexis’s release, but she’s surprised to see her. She thought Alexis would be with her family. Alexis says, that’s why she’s here. Would it be okay for them to talk about Molly and TJ?

TJ goes into the apartment with some dry cleaning and says, Molly’s dress is ready in time for the party. She says, party? and he says, Marshall’s send-off at The Savoy. Did she forget? She says she wouldn’t miss it. She just got caught up in a case. A colleague is handling it, but she wanted to look it over. He asks, what case? and she says, Ava Jerome’s.

Sam and Dante come home, and Dante says, they can see the finish line. Rocco’s mom is going to live because of her. She’s a hero. Sam says she’s just a person doing a good thing, but he says, it’s everything, and they kiss.

Cody promises Tracy that he’s not in trouble, and she says, so he doesn’t need the money? He says, need is a stretch. Like to have it? Sure, but there’s no point in discussing it. She says, Sasha thought differently, but Cody says he didn’t ask her to do it. Tracy says, out with it, and he says, Serenity is on the market. She says, so it’s an emotional purchase. She’s not sure that’s wise. He says he always had a fantasy of buying a place, fixing it up, and turning it into something. She says, what’s the asking price? and he says, 6 million. He thought he could put down a 10% deposit. She says, the interest payments will kill him, and he says, that’s why he dropped it. She asks why he didn’t come to her, and he says he thought about it, but he gets the impression a lot of people draw from the bank of Tracy, and he didn’t want to be one of them.

Sasha says, Holly is here to cause disaster, but Holly says she’s here to rescue Sasha. Sasha says, this is her place of work and she’s on thin ice as it is. She doesn’t need trouble. Holly says she’s attempting to avoid trouble. What’s the angle? Sasha says, there’s no angle. She’s employed by the Quartermaines as their cook. Holly asks if she legitimately does things in the kitchen, and Sasha says, if by that, Holly means prepare, cook, and serve meals, yes. Holly asks if she does dishes, and Sasha says she doesn’t know why Holly is here and doesn’t want any part of it. Holly left her holding the bag in Llanview with David Vickers.😯She’s lucky she got out. Holly says, Ethan was in trouble and Sasha landed on her feet. Sasha says, that’s because Nona took her in. She’d still be waiting tables in Chappaqua if she hadn’t been offered more lucrative employment. Holly asks if she means the job for Valentin Cassadine pretending to be Nina Reeves’s daughter. She’s sorry she hasn’t been the mother Sasha deserves. Sasha says, she’s not the mother anyone deserves. Is she here to ask forgiveness? Sasha forgives her. Now go. Holly says she can’t undo her past failings, but she can stop Sasha from making a terrible mistake and getting more involved with Cody Bell.

Sam calls the kids to come downstairs, and Dante says he has news about Rocco’s mom. For the first time in a long time, everything is more than okay. They found a donor. Rocco asks if they’re definitely compatible, and Dante says, it’s a go. And the donor’s been with them the entire time in this apartment. Rocco hugs Sam.

Alexis says, Molly and TJ seem to be struggling, and Jordan says, they both know the odds of couples surviving the death of a child. Alexis says she believes they love each other very much, but the strain of losing a child is overwhelming. Jordan says, they’re white knuckling it, and Alexis says she’s worried the trial is going to push them over the edge, especially with Ric taking the case. He’s an excellent attorney and if he gets Ava off, it will be even harder on Molly and TJ. Her question is, does Jordan think they should step in and try to help? Jordan says, they can’t fix it. If Molly and TJ are going to survive, they’ll have to do it on their own.

Ric says, Ava has a strong case, and Ava says, but not a slam dunk. He says, Robert wouldn’t be prosecuting if he didn’t think he could make it stick. He has a strategy and hopes it goes as smooth as Heather’s case. It’s being ruled on tomorrow. He needs more facts in Ava’s case, especially with all the people aligned against her. Ava says, here comes one of her biggest fans now, and Kristina walks in.

Jordan says she told TJ and Molly that she was here for them, and she assumes Alexis has done the same. Alexis says, of course (🍷), and Jordan says, TJ and Molly will notify them if they’re needed. Alexis says she was hoping for a way to take the pressure off of them. What if Ava walks? Jordan says she would hate that, but the end result is the same for Molly and TJ. Alexis says, they’re left without Irene, and Jordan says, they only have to decide if they’re facing it together or apart. Alexis leaves.

TJ asks if Molly is sure her looking over the case is a good idea. Or will it cause an ethical issue or get the case thrown out? Molly says she’s just reviewing it. If anyone is going to tank the case, it’s Kristina. Her acts of self-destruction always win out.

Ava says, incoming, and Kristina comes over to the table. She asks if Ava is enjoying her night on the town since it’s one of her last, and Ric says he trusts she’s well. Kristina says she’d be better if she was home with her daughter, and he asks if she doesn’t mean Molly’s daughter. Wasn’t that the agreement? She says, he has a lot of knowledge for an absent father. She doesn’t know how Molly can look at him since he’s representing Ava. She’s the reason Adela died. He says, what happened to Irene was tragic, not criminal. It’s not Ava’s fault. It’s hers.

Cody says he’s heard things, and Tracy says, such as? He says, Ned’s dad was a fraud and swindled her. Dylan’s dad used her. There were a couple of mafioso guys, and he heard about Mitch Williams… She says, enough, and he says, it’s a pattern he doesn’t want to be part of. She says, all Finn wants is a good game of backgammon and Gregory never asked her for a dime. Not every person saw her as a means to an end. He says he’s sorry. He didn’t mean to suggest all the men in her life are the same, and she says, face it. Most are. They laugh, and she says, the one she fell the hardest for was the biggest offender.

Sasha asks Holly why she would break up with Cody. He saved her life. He found her when she was at her lowest, got her on her feet, and kept her going. Holly says she’s grateful, but Sasha has to put an end to it, and Sasha says, it’s none of Holly’s business, but she and Cody have gotten close. In fact, she’s fallen for him. Holly tells her not to say that, but Sasha says, it’s true. She’s not dumping him to help Holly make a buck. Holly says, it’s not about money. It’s for Sasha’s own good. Sasha asks, how? and Holly says, Cody is her cousin. (Didn’t see that one coming either. Her father is… Robert?)

Kristina says, Ava threatened her and came at her, but Ric says, it was the other way around. Kristina went to Ava’s room. Kristina says, the police know everything and have photos that prove Ava was the instigator, and Ava says, Kristina is making a scene. Kristina only gets louder, saying, she hopes everyone knows Ava killed her daughter. Like she killed Connie and Morgan. She got away with it, but not this time. Ava says she’s sorry Kristina is in pain. She lost a daughter herself and understands. Kristina says, Ava’s got no idea. Ava got to spend time with her daughter. See her walk, her first steps, her first words. She didn’t get to hold hers once and is going to make sure Ava is in prison for the rest of her life. Ric says, Ava’s not going anywhere, and Kristina slaps Ric, knocking the glass out of his hand. She says, Ava will pay for what she’s done, when Alexis comes in.

Rocco and Danny are excited, and Dante says, Sam is going to give Rocco’s mom a part of her liver. Sam says she wishes she’d known sooner, but Dante says, they know now. That’s all that matters. The surgery is the day after tomorrow and they’re all going to be on their best behavior while she recovers. They’re going to take the best care of her. Rocco says, whatever she needs, he’s on it, and Sam says, Scout is quiet. Scout asks if she’s going to be okay. (Oh wow. I just had a thought. What if Sam ends up in a coma?)

Tracy says, Luke was an utter scoundrel, and Cody says, sounds like a good time. It sounds like there was more to him than a scam. Tracy says, it didn’t start that way; it evolved. They found reasons to help each other, and liking turned into loving. He says he guesses his entry into Port Charles wasn’t too different. Hopefully he’s cleaned up his image since then. She asks if he’s fishing for a compliment, and he asks what she’s got. She says, he never sets out to hurt anybody, Leo and James think he hung the moon, and he takes remarkable care of the horses. He says, and how does she feel about Cody Bell? and she says she likes him okay. He says, just okay? and she says, a lot. He says he likes her a lot too (me too!) and she says, that’s settled. Is there anything he wants to ask her?

Sasha says she knew Holly could go low…. but Holly says, it’s true. She’s sorry. Sasha says, it’s impossible, and Holly says she never told Sasha who her father was. Sasha says, even though she asked a million times, and Holly says, not telling her was a huge mistake. She realizes that now, but when she was pregnant, she thought Sasha’s father was dead. When he resurfaced, she saw that trouble had a way of following him. There are people who would have thought nothing of using her against him. Sasha says, so Holly was protecting her, and Holly says, the Scorpios have enemies. Mac does and so does her father Robert. (Oh wow again.)

Cody asks if Tracy wants to take Hades out tomorrow, and she says, early. He says he’ll have Hades saddled and ready to go. If he does end up getting Serenity, he’ll have made it happen on his own and not because he borrowed money from a good, very important friend.

Holly says, it’s difficult to hear and harder to accept, and Sasha says, Holly is a liar. Why should she believe her? Holly says, Robert is her father, and Sasha says, if that’s true, why didn’t Holly tell her before? Robert has another daughter, and danger didn’t keep him from having a relationship with her. Holly says she was scared. She couldn’t imagine showing up with a 12-year-old. Sasha says, she didn’t want Robert to hate her? and Holly says, yes, but Sasha says, Robert and Anna get along fine. Holly says, Anna did a better job of raising Robin, and Sasha asks if Holly is ashamed of her. Holly says she’s ashamed of herself. Robert is the love of her life – he still is – and she betrayed him. Sasha says, now Holly is asking her to betray Cody, and Holly asks, what would be the alternative? Sasha says, another con. Robert is her target and she’s up to the same old tricks. Holly says, whether Sasha believes her or not, it breaks her heart. Felicia told her that Cody is a lovely man and they’re happy together. She doesn’t want to ruin it, but there’s no way around it. They’re cousins. Sasha says she’s done with Holly. Stay out of her life and away from Cody. She leaves and Tracy comes in. She says, look what the cat dragged in.

Molly tells TJ that Kristina’s testimony is pivotal. She has to remain composed to walk the jury through the events and emotional enough to communicate her grief and loss. TJ says, and Molly doesn’t trust her, and Molly says, does he? Composure isn’t Kristina’s strong suit and there’s so much riding on it. She’s a timebomb waiting to go off. TJ says, and Molly’s father is skilled. He’ll get Kristina to say things that detract from Ava’s culpability. Kristina found Ava at the hotel. Molly says, she had no business doing that, but a physical altercation took place and that wouldn’t have happened if not for Ava. That’s the point they need to get across. TJ asks if that’s what she’d say if she were called to testify, and Molly asks what he’d say.

Alexis tells Ric that they’re leaving, but she’s not done. Ric says he won’t be pressing charges, but he can’t say the same for the restaurant. Alexis tells Kristina, let’s go, and Ric says, congratulations. She got a lucky break with the gun showing up when it did. She must have friends in high places.

Sam says she’ll be fine, and Scout asks if it will hurt. Sam says, the operation won’t hurt, but she’ll be in pain afterward, and Scout says, after they cut her open? Sam says, it’s a tiny incision, but she’ll be asleep, and Scout asks if she doesn’t need that part of her liver. Sam says, after they remove it, it will grow back. Isn’t that cool? Scout says, like it never happened? and Sam says she’ll be good as new. Dante says, Sam will have a private room, so they can all visit, and Sam says, they’d better. Scout asks if Rocco is happy, and Rocco says, so happy. Scout thinks they should have a party, and Dante says, they’ll have the party of the century. They fist bump.

Outside the Grill, Kristina tells Alexis that she’s fuming. Ava is living her life nothing happened, and her own uncle is defending Ava. Alexis says, it’s appalling, but if Kristina wants Ava to go to prison, stop helping the defense.

Ric asks if Ava is okay, and Ava says she’s used to Kristina’s temper tantrums. It’s not easy on him. The baby was his granddaughter. Can she ask him something? He says, why is he representing her when he believes the fall was an accident? If blame is to be doled out, it falls on Kristina. She’s out of control, as every person here can attest to… on the stand. Ava says, he set this up, didn’t he? but Ric just smiles.

Tracy asks, what golden opportunity brings Holly back to Port Charles? and Holly says she came back with Lucky and thought she’d pop in and say hello. Tracy says, and get into it with their cook. Did she have a problem with the scones? Holly says she missed their hospitality. What brings Tracy back? Tracy asks why Holly cares, and Holly says she understands they have a new stable hand, the long-lost son of Mac. Tracy tells Holly that she’s to have nothing to do with Cody.

Sasha goes to the stables, and Cody says, Tracy was just here. She said Sasha hit up Michael for cash on his behalf. It was sweet, but unnecessary. She kisses him.

Tracy tells Holly that Cody works here. He’s a friend and Mac’s son. How’s Ethan? Should they expect him to visit his sister anytime soon? Holly says, he didn’t take not being a match very well, and Tracy says, so instead of being with him, she came here. Why is that? She can see herself out.  

As she and Cody are kissing, Sasha suddenly pulls away. She says she left a soufflé in the over. She’ll come back. She’s sorry. She’ll make it up to him. She jets, and he says, soufflés wait for no one. (I’m loving Sasha’s highlights. Martin isn’t the only one who got a makeover.)

Molly says, Kristina absolutely took matters into her own hands when she didn’t have to. She didn’t have to their baby at risk, but they wouldn’t have lost Irene… He says, without the Ava component. They’re on the same page. She says she missed feeling that way, and he says he’ll never forgive Kristina, but she didn’t throw herself out the window. Molly says, Ava did, TJ says, she has to pay, and they hug. (I’m just confused. Do they have a blame dartboard? I could swear just yesterday, they said it was all Kristina’s fault.)

Alexis says, Ric goaded Kristina and is going to use her behavior against her in court. He’ll say she’s unbalanced and volatile. Kristina says she’s a grieving mother, but Alexis says, it doesn’t matter. He’ll use it in court, say she’s targeting Ava, and that she created the circumstances that led to the baby’s death. If she wants the justice system to work, she needs to compose herself and let the system do what it does. Can she do that?

Ava says, Ric made that happen, but he says, more like it fell in his lap. He invited Molly, but she said she had plans. So he asked Alexis, but she said, no. She was having dinner with Kristina at the PC Grill. What better opportunity to get under her skin? Ava says she sees why Sonny hates him, and he says he’s more interested in what she thinks of him and his tactics. She says, the jury is out. Alexis is smart and knows what he’s up to. He says, fine. Kristina’s outburst is not a silver bullet, but they need all the help they can get. He’s going to break Kristina on the stand like he did tonight.

Scout says, they need a DJ and a disco ball, and Sam says she’s down for a party. Danny says, their prayers worked, but he never thought his mom would be the one to make it happen. Rocco hugs Dante, but Dante says he’s not the one to thank. Rocco says he owes Sam forever, and Dante too. Dante says he didn’t do anything, but Rocco says, Dante promised him donor and it happened. They have a group hug.

We see Lulu’s monitor, and all looks like it’s going well.

Tomorrow, Laura tells Tracy, that’s generous of her, and Tracy says she knows; Sasha says she’s not going to let her get away with it; and Felicia says, Holly needs to be honest with them.

🍊 Not From Concentrate…

Shannon said it was hard for her to be cool after Tamra wrecked her birthday dinner. She was done explaining herself, especially to Tamra. Katie and Tamra did spa stuff, and Katie wondered why Shannon couldn’t just talk like a normal human. And why was she getting plastic surgery when she couldn’t pay bills? In Tamra’s interview, she said, Shannon lived beyond her means. Tamra’s sole focus was just saving for retirement. Gina told Jenn about the text from Alexis that Shannon found. She said she couldn’t believe Tamra chose to attack Shannon for lying. In Jenn’s interview, she said Tamra would rather befriend Alexis if it meant taking down Shannon. Meanwhile, Tamra told Katie that Shannon’s superpower was making people feel sorry for her.

Fancy Pants Heather went to see Shannon. Shannon said she’d made it clear in Sonoma that she wanted the conversation to stay between them, but Fancy Pants said she heard Shannon on Jeff Lewis, and she was flippant. She thought if Shannon just paid the lawsuit, it would die away. Shannon brought out a bunch of papers ripped from a notebook with the totals of what she’d paid for during her tenure with Johnny J. She started throwing out figures and – $600 for dinner??? The only time I’ve even come close to that was on one – count ‘em, one – New Year’s Eve where there was a lot of expensive champagne involved. Fancy Pants and Emily couldn’t stop laughing about how Shannon kept her records, and in Fancy Pants Heather’s interview, she said she thought Shannon would be coming back like an accountant with ledgers and microfiche. An accountant in what year? 1972? Fancy Pants told Shannon that she couldn’t go to court with that, and Emily said, well, she could… and they both started laughing again. So did I.

Gina told Jenn that that Fancy Pants had seen Jenn’s Dolce & Gabbana tea party dress in Neiman Marcus and called Tamra about it. She said she wouldn’t buy something like that if she couldn’t make her car payment. Tamra told Katie about Jenn’s $2000 dress, bur Katie thought maybe Ryan bought it. Katie asked what the FBI business was about, and Tamra said, Ryan’s partner was a bookie and being investigated. Jenn and Ryan used to go to the Bahamas and Vegas all the time on private jets. You hear that? That’s the sound of me banging my head against the wall for my career choices and weeping. In Katie’s interview, she said she’s been where Jenn is. You get to the point where you have to trust your partner, then you get smacked with things and people think you’re an idiot. She’s learned to always have a Plan B.

Shannon aka the Duchess of Corona del Mar wore a tiara, and the group boarded a double decker bus. They rode on the top, where they did the Windsor wave, called out, ‘ello! and acted like idiots. Gina brought up the mammogram thing from last week, but Fancy Pants sent the conversation south real quick. Gina said she was made to feel bad, but Fancy Pants said, that was her problem. Some of the women went to buy chocolate where Queen Elizabeth used to get hers. I assume she didn’t shop for herself, but who knows? She was pretty feisty. Gina, Shannon, Emily, and Jenn went to a place that took old-timey photos. Gina said, the others were having all these conversations among themselves, then they got crapped on.

At lunch, Jenn called out Fancy Pants for relaying her dress info to Tamra. Fancy Pants claimed she was just worried about Jenn and told Tamra that Jenn didn’t need to wear fancy stuff to hang out with them. If you believe that, I have a bridge for sale. Jenn said, last year, the problem was her buying fake sh*t, and we flashed back to Tamra making fun of her. Emily says, Ryan bought it, and in Emily’s interview, she said she thought it was sad when women tried to be something they’re not. Same. Jenn told Fancy Pants, next time, talk to her directly, and Fancy Pants apologized. Then Jenn told Tamra that they were in a pattern. They’d get close, then Tamra would go ballistic. Tamra used the old that’s just me defense, saying that she needed to get it out and she did it wrong. In Gina’s interview, she asked how many times Jenn needed to get hit in the head before she wore a helmet.

Shannon told the group about Alexis’s text and wondered why Tamra hadn’t told them about it. Really. It’s not like she’s a stranger to spreading the word. In her interview, Emily said she was confused as to why Tamra and Heather were Team Alexis, yet held Shannon to the fire. Shannon told Tamra to stop talking about her and called her cruel. Tamra said, shut up, and whenever Shannon started to talk, she put up her hand. The 90s called. They want talk-to-the-hand back. Tamra said, bye, and Shannon said, you, bye. This is my trip. She jetted to the bathroom, and Fancy Pants said, this might be an inappropriate time, but this is the best onion ring I’ve ever had. Sometimes she is good for a laugh.

Shannon called it an early night, while the others jumped around and had PJ party, going to bed at 4 am. In Emily’s interview, she wondered why Tamra didn’t help Shannon be a better person, instead of berating and humiliating her. In Jenn’s interview, she put it more simply – Tamra has no soul. Tamra used their lives to make hers relevant, since her life was boring. Jenn told Tamra to leave her family alone. Jenn stormed out, and Heather said, that was a lot.

Next time, Windsor Castle; Shannon meets with her daughters; and Tamra wonders if Gina pushed Travis down the stairs. Which actually made me laugh.

Another perspective:

Real Housewives of Orange County Season 18, Episode 15 Recap: Off With Her Head and All That Jazz

🧂 More Salt…

If yesterday wasn’t enough.

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 5, Episode 5 Recap: Heather’s ‘Trail of Lies’

🎃 Ready For Treats…

Proving you don’t have to be rich and famous to dress your pet fabulously for Halloween.

https://people.com/celebrity/pets-in-costumes-your-spook-tacular-halloween-furballs/

🍁 Every Leaf Speaks Bliss…

Join me tomorrow for soap and a mixed bag of media amusement. Until then, stay safe, stay not sharing photos you wouldn’t want shared of yourself, and stay always having a Plan B.

Oct12

October 11, 2024 – Brad Wonders What Portia Is Up To, Glow Girl, Salty Talk, She’s a Lot, Charming Update, Villain Down, His Costumes, Upcoming Watch, Runway Worthy, 8 Solid Quotes & This

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Carly says, Lulu seems to be getting worse, and Lucas says he can’t believe none of her brothers are viable donors. Carly says, wait. Ethan was tested? and Lucas says, apparently, Holly contacted him. She says, with the three of them out of the running, finding a donor seems less and less likely, but he says, between her and Nina getting the word out and Olivia contacting everyone she knows, they still have reason to be hopeful. Ava comes by and says she had no idea Lucas was back in town. Although she can’t say she’s completely surprised considering she didn’t hear from him when he was here for his mother’s funeral. He says he was here for his family, and she says she’s family. Is there any special reason for this visit? Carly says, it’s not a visit. Lucas is home for good. Meet GH’s new trauma surgeon.

Martin visits Alexis and asks, how is his effervescently challenged client today? She says, judging from his effervescence, she takes it he gave the photo to Anna, but he says, actually, he had to leave it with her assistant, and he hasn’t heard back yet. Then again, he doesn’t remember having Alexis convinced that his picture was going to get the charges against her dropped. She says her lawyer instincts kicked in and he says, so did his. That’s why he had his P.I. do a little more digging. She says she takes it his P.I. found something, and he says, she did. As far as he’s concerned, Alexis should be out of here by the end of the day.

Anna goes to Robert’s office, and he asks what brings her by. She says, this, and drops a file on his desk. He says, and this would be? and she says, proof that Alexis Davis is innocent.

Cody sees Elizabeth at the hospital, and she says, if he’s looking for Dante, he’s not here at the moment. He says he just wanted to tell Dante in person that he’s being tested to see if he’s a match for Lulu. She says, that’s great. She’s sure he’ll be pleased. He asks how it’s going. Are people coming in? She says, yes, and people are getting tested in other places as well. He says, Mama Q strikes again. He was bummed to hear that Lulu’s brother Lucky wasn’t able to donate. She says, that was rough, and he says, especially for Dante. He doesn’t know how much longer Dante can hold out hope. She says, he’s not one to give up, and he says, but he’s realist and he knows Dante is bracing himself in case Lulu doesn’t make it.

At the station, Dex asks how Dante is doing, and Dante says, they’re hanging in there. Dex says, Joss told him that Lulu’s brother can’t be the donor. He’s really sorry. Dante says, they’re not giving up, and Dex says he has an appointment to get tested over his lunch hour. Dante thanks him, and Dex says, if Dante doesn’t mind him saying, he’s surprised Dante came in. Dante says he just has to finish some stuff up, then he’s taking a leave of absence to be with Rocco and Lulu. Is it true there was a bomb threat here yesterday? Dex says, someone dropped off a suspicious package. It turned out to be a gun. Dante says, a package with a gun in it? and Dex says, the theory is, it’s the gun Alexis Davis dropped off the bridge. He saw the ballistics report. It’s definitely not the gun that killed Cates.

Sonny thanks Kristina for coming to the penthouse, and she sees Michael is there. She says, Sonny sounded urgent on the phone. Now she knows why. Clearly, Michael told him that she went to see Anna last night. Don’t worry. She didn’t say anything because he stopped her… Sonny says, it’s not about that. He’s not mad. He loves her very much. She says she loves him too. What’s going on? Sonny says he’s made up his mind. He’s not going to let Alexis pay for his crimes. He’s going to confess to killing Jagger.

Ava says, Lucas is moving back to Port Charles. Why didn’t he tell her? Carly asks, why would he? and Lucas says, neither one of them has reached out to the other since he left. She says she sent her condolences when his mother passed, and Carly asks if she read the note that Trina wrote before she sent it. Ava says she’s hoping to have an uninterrupted conversation with her nephew, and Lucas asks if that’s really necessary. Maybe there’s a reason they’re not close, and maybe that doesn’t need to change. She says, he’s right that they’re not close, but they are family. She can’t wait for him to see Avery. She’s grown up so much. She’s so beautiful. He says he knows. Carly sends him tons of pictures of Avery, so he’s all up to date. She says, that’s so kind of Carly, and Carly says, family is important to Spencers. Ava says, Lucas may have grown up with Bobbie and Tony Jones, but there’s no changing the fact that he’s Julian’s son. Carly says, it’s funny she would bring up Julian when he’s the reason Lulu is fighting for her life, and Ava says she’s sure she and Lucas have feelings about that because they were close to Julian and Carly certainly wasn’t. Carly says she’ll tell Ava about Lucas’s feelings, but Lucas says he’d like a minute alone with Aunt Ava. Carly says, sure, and he thanks her for understanding. Ava says, her magnanimity knows no bounds, and Carly says she’ll see Lucas at home, and leaves. Ava asks if they should get a cup of coffee, but Lucas says, right here is fine. She says, okay. Was there something… He says he would like her to explain why she outed Kristina’s girlfriend Blaze.

Elizabeth tells Portia that they’re having so many people being tested for Lulu, their labs are getting backed up. Can she please approve some overtime for their techs? Portia says, consider it done. And speaking of the lab, has she had any trouble with Brad Cooper?

Alexis says, don’t keep her in suspense. What is this new information that’s going to set her free? Martin says, their P.I. was able to get a copy of Jack Brennan’s room service order. Dinner for two with champagne, i.e. ooh-la-la. He’s already emailed a copy of it over to Commissioner Devane. (Really? He’s better than this. That proves nothing except Jack was having dinner with someone.) She says, that’s it? and he asks what she means. You combine that with a picture of Carly going into his hotel suite… Alexis says, at this point, she doesn’t think that’s enough proof, and he says, she’s right. It doesn’t actually prove anything. She says, that’s the funny thing about evidence. It’s supposed to prove stuff. He says, no, it’s not. This evidence is there to cast doubt on Sonny and Carly’s alibi. That’s it. She says she just doesn’t think that Brennan’s room service order or a picture of them is going to do that. He says he’s done a heck of a lot more with a hell of a lot less, and she says she’s so glad he’s so confident. It’s a long shot at best. He says, fine. He’s open to suggestions since she doesn’t seem to like any of his. She says, the only thing that’s going to get her out of here is if Sonny confesses, and he laughs. He says, and how likely is it that a known crime boss is going to let his conscience get the better of him? and she says, not likely. Because he’s not going to put Kristina in the mix. He says, how about if they somehow tie Sonny to the murder weapon? and she says, that weapon is in a thousand pieces somewhere or it’s melted down. He says, fine. So where does that leave them? She says, with the improbable possibility that Sonny is going to put Kristina at risk and come forward and save her.

Anna says, and inside the package is a chrome nine-millimeter pistol, and Robert says, like the one Ric Lansing and Elizabeth Baldwin saw Alexis throw off the Blackstone Canyon bridge. She says, it matches the description, so she’s going to bring them in and see if they can positively ID it. He asks if it’s worth her time. There’s plenty of nine-mills out there. She says, the lab turned up minerals that are found in the Blackstone River, enough to confirm it had probably been there for several weeks. They also ran the serial number, and the gun is registered to Sonny Corinthos. He says, similar to the one that disappeared shortly after Cates’s murder, and she says, yeah. At least they’ll be able to tell if it’s the murder weapon or not. He says, if it clears Alexis, that’s all for the best. He thinks they all know she didn’t do it. She says, there are far more likely suspects, and he says, one in particular. She says, if Sonny did this, they’re never going to find the weapon that he used. The FBI is going to have to build a case without it. He says, it didn’t stop them where Alexis is concerned, and she says, it will now. She’s going to call Martin Grey and let him know. He says, let’s not be hasty.

Kristina says, Sonny can’t do this. She knows he’s doing this because of her. He says he’s doing this so her mother doesn’t have to pay for something she didn’t do, and she says, it’s not going to work. Mom said so herself. She talked to her about it and she said, if Sonny goes to the FBI, they’re going to think it’s only to protect her. Sonny says he’s got it under control. He’s got a meeting with the FBI today. She says, no. She can’t lose him. He says, she’s not going to lose him, but she says she will if he goes to prison. He says, she has to understand something. This is the right thing to do. She says, there has to be another way, and Michael says, this is the only way to keep her mother out of prison. Sonny says, they both know Jagger came at him. Jagger couldn’t get him, so he went after everybody Sonny loves. Jagger wanted to hurt them, and he hurt Kristina in the lowest moment of her life. He had to be stopped. She asks if that’s what he’s going to tell the Feds, and he says he’s going to tell the Feds the truth. He doesn’t want anyone else paying for Jagger Cates’s death.

In the lab, Brad says, it’s good to see Cody, and Cody says he takes it Brad is back at GH. Brad says, on a probationary basis. He really wants this to work out, so no capers, no schemes, no altering lab results. Just doing what he loves where he loves doing it. Cody asks if his aunt is okay with this career change, and Brad says, she finally realized he wouldn’t be a good fit for her business. Cody says he knows Britt would be happy to see him back here, and Brad says, full disclosure. He invoked her name to get his foot in the door. Cody laughs and says, she would have loved that, and Brad says, damn right she would. Cody says, it sounds like Brad is all good, and Brad says, mostly. His ex-husband Lucas is also back at GH.

Lucas says he knows Ava recorded Natalia Ramirez and gave her audio to The Invader, and Ava says she’s sure Carly could wait to tell him. He says, she had no right to out Blaze. Nobody should be forced to come out before they’re ready. She says she agrees with him completely. She had no intention of outing Blaze. She’s spent half her life in the art world. You don’t do what she’s doing without being an ally to the gay community. He says, then why did she do it? and she says she was trying to protect Avery. He says, from what? and she says, Sonny. She was trying to get any proof she could that he was incapable of providing a suitable home for her. He asks what Natalia had to do with that, and she says, Sonny was trying to take Avery away from her. He says he’s still not following, and she says she thought by exposing his companion Natalia for the bigot she is, it would reflect badly on Sonny, and it would help her with her custody case. It didn’t help at all. He says, she’s just like Julian. He never thought about anybody but himself either. She says, he doesn’t think Sonny would do the same to her? Or worse? He asks if Sonny is really the best person to use as a moral barometer, and she says she supposes not. But when it comes to Julian, he was a deeply flawed man, but he loved Lucas with everything he had, and Lucas knows it.

Elizabeth says, don’t hate her for saying this… and Portia says, let her guess. Brad’s work has been flawless. Elizabeth says, it has. Sorry. Portia says, what about his attitude? His demeanor? Elizabeth says, beyond reproach. Trust her. She’s as shocked as Portia is. Portia says she just doesn’t understand why he’s working here. Brad puts the entire hospital at risk. Elizabeth says she’s certainly not going to defend Brad as a person, but since he’s been back, his work has been excellent. For all his faults, he knows his job.

Walking into the hospital, Kristina says, Michael didn’t have to escort her to therapy, and he says he wants to make sure she’s all right. She asks how she could possibly be all right. Their father is about to go to prison. He says, Diane is going to get him the best deal possible, and she says, she’s not a miracle worker. He says, they have to trust dad knows what he’s doing, and Diane knows how to get it done, and she says she knows he’s right. He says, pick her up in an hour? and she asks if he has a real job. (My question exactly!) He says he doesn’t want her to be alone right now, and she says she appreciates that. She means this lovingly, but please just go home. He says, fine. He’ll check on her later. She says, much later, and watches as he leaves. She takes out her phone and sends a text to Dante asking, where are you?

Dante’s phone dings, and he answers, headed to GH soon. She texts back, good. I’m already there. He gets up to leave, and Dex asks if he can talk to Dante for a second. He spoke to the Commissioner, and she wants to keep the ballistics report on the gun confidential for now. Dante asks, why is that? and Dex says he’s not sure, but he probably shouldn’t have said anything, so can they keep this between them? Dante says he already forgot about it, and Dex thanks him. Dante gets another text from Kristina that says, we need 2 talk ASAP!!!

Robert says, Diane has requested a meeting between Counselor Reynolds and her client Sonny Corinthos, and Anna says, to talk about the Cates murder? He says, they both know Sonny killed Cates. His conscience has never bothered him until now. Why bother talking? She says, now this is making sense. Because Kristina came to see her to tell her that she had information about the night Cates was killed. He says, she told him Michael stopped her, and she says, yeah, he did. So whatever it is that Kristina was going to say… He says, Michael knows what it is and they’re both covering for Sonny, and she says, if anything could make Sonny talk, it would be his kids. He asks if she really thinks Sonny would give up his freedom to protect his kids, and she says she thinks it’s possible. What time is this meeting? He says, noon today, and she says, so he wants her to keep the ballistics results under wraps until after Sonny has met with the FBI? He says he doesn’t know about her, but he can’t wait to hear what Sonny has to say, and she says, if he finds out what’s in the report, he’s going to change his mind about talking. Robert says, and the last thing they need is to give Sonny an excuse not to confess.

Anna says, they better get busy then, and Robert says, doing what? She says, breaking Sonny’s alibi. If Carly finds out Sonny is going to confess, then she might change her statement. She’d hate to see Carly go down covering for him. He says, she’d be an accessory to murder of a federal agent, and she says, even so. Sonny’s kids don’t deserve to lose both their parents.

Coming out of the lab, Brad says, enough about him. What’s up with Cody? Cody asks where he begins, and Brad says, how about the rumor that he’s Mac Scorpio’s son? Hospital gossip. Is it true? Cody says, yeah, it’s true, and Brad asks, how’s that been going? Cody says he almost ruined it right off the bat, and Brad says, naturally. Cody says, but Mac’s such a great guy, Mac forgave him, and Brad says he’s sure saving Maxie’s son from drowning probably scored Cody a few points. Cody says, it didn’t hurt, but he’s not really comfortable being seen as the hero. Brad says, why? He looks good in a white hat. Cody says he’s just glad everything turned out okay, and Brad says, because Mac is the best guy he knows. Cody says, he really is, and Brad says, and Lucas is the best guy he knows. So maybe Lucas will forgive him too. He hugs Cody and says, thanks. He’s the best. Portia comes out of the elevator and says, Mr. Cooper. Is this what you consider professional behavior?

Dante asks Kristina, what’s going on? What’s with all the text messages? She says, dad is meeting with the FBI at noon. He’s going to confess to killing Agent Cates. Dante says he doesn’t know anything about any meetings. Is Anna involved in this? She says she has no idea. All she knows is dad said he was meeting Diane at the PCPD to talk to the Feds. She knows Dante has figured out she knows more than she’s let on. He asks if she killed Cates, but she says, no. He asks if she saw who did kill Cates, and she says, no. Dante tells her, then she does what Sonny says. Do nothing and say nothing. She says, and just let him throw his life away? and he says, that depends. Does she trust their father enough to do what he’s asking her to do?

Sonny visits Alexis and she asks if Kristina is okay. He says, she’s fine, and she says she wasn’t expecting to see him. He says he thinks there’s something she should know, and she asks what it is. He says he has a meeting today at noon with FBI counsel Reynolds, and she says, the prosecutor in her case. Why? He says he’s going to tell him the truth.

Alexis says, and by telling him the truth, Sonny means what exactly? and Sonny says he’s going to tell him exactly what happened that night. She says, wow. She wasn’t expecting him to say that. How does he think Kristina is going to handle that? He says he already talked to her. She’s not going to put herself in jeopardy. Alexis says she hopes he’s right because they both know Kristina was at the Quartermaines and she had a gun. And if she doesn’t keep quiet, they’re going to arrest her for obstruction. He says he’s handling it, and she says, he needs to be a tad more specific. He says, before he agrees to tell the FBI everything, they’re going to have to promise him in writing that she and Kristina and Carly will be immune from prosecution.

A woman tells Elizabeth that she’s looking for the head nurse, Elizabeth Baldwin, and Elizabeth says, that’s her. How can she help? The woman says she’s with GH’s legal department. The hospital’s been issued a subpoena from the Court of Appeals regarding Heather Webber.

Portia says, when Brad is wearing this lab coat, he’s representing this hospital, and she assumes he’d act that way. He says, it was just a hug… which will not happen again. She says she’s sure she doesn’t need to remind him that he’s still on probation, and he says, no, she doesn’t. He knows he needs to prove that he deserves this job. She says, if he can, and he says he’s certainly going to try. In fact, the lab’s been really busy lately. If she needs him to work more hours… She says, no, that won’t be necessary now, and he asks if there have been problems with his work. She says, not yet, but why don’t they just keep it that way? She walks away.

At the station, Carly asks Dex, what’s up? and he asks if everything is all right. She says, you tell me. She was summoned here. Anna comes out and says, good. Carly is here. Fantastic. Just follow her. She leads Carly to the interrogation room, and Carly asks if she should call Diane, but Anna says, no. It’s just one question. Does she want to change her statement about the night Agent Cates was killed? Carly says, no, and Anna asks if she’s sure. Carly says, yes. Why would she want to change her statement? Anna says she didn’t think Carly would want to be charged again, and Carly says, charged with what? Anna says, making a false statement to the police. It’s a misdemeanor in the state of New York, as is obstruction, but the murder of an FBI agent is federal. Carly says, even so, she’s happy to stand by her original statement. She heads for the door, and Anna says, the statement is that she was in bed with Sonny the night Agent Cates was killed. Carly says, yes, and Anna says, they were seen having dinner at the MetroCourt. Are they back together? Carly asks why Anna cares, and Anna says, it just looks like maybe her interests lie elsewhere. She shows Carly the picture of her going into Jack’s room.

Cody sees Dante at the hospital and says he wanted to tell Dante in person that he just got tested. Dante says, thanks. He appreciates that. Cody asks, what’s wrong? Something tells him there’s more going on than Dante just worrying about Lulu. Dante says, there always is, but he can’t talk about this. Cody asks if it’s an ongoing investigation, and Dante says, something like that. Cody says, Dante knows he can tell him anything, and Dante says, but not this. Cody says, come on. Dante obviously needs to talk about it. What’s up? Dante says, they’ve got new evidence that could exonerate someone who’s been charged with a serious crime, and Cody says, he means Alexis. Dante asks why he’s naming names, and Cody says, sorry. Cop. Civilian. No names. Dante says, so it’s come to their attention that someone else is going to come forward and confess to this crime, and Cody asks if this other person actually committed the crime. Dante says, it’s highly likely, and Cody says, then what’s the problem? Dante says, they’re really only coming forward to get the other person off the hook, and Cody says, so if this person is exonerated, the real person wouldn’t have to confess. Dante says, that’s right. So they’re withholding this new evidence from the person in custody’s attorney. Cody says, so they have evidence that could exonerate Alexis, but the cops are keeping it from her lawyer so that Dante’s dad confesses to killing that FBI agent? And Dante is wondering if he should warn his dad before he confesses to a murder he probably committed. Is he right?

Anna says, if Carly and Sonny are trying to make a go of it again, why was she seen entering Brennan’s room? Carly says she’s co-owner of the MetroCourt. She was just checking on a guest. Anna says, Jack’s certainly getting the VIP treatment. Didn’t she find Carly in his room a couple of weeks back? Carly says, Mr. Brennan is the new WSB Station Chief, so he is a VIP, and she wants to make sure all her guests have the best stay possible. Anna says, really? Because there’s also a room service order for dinner and champagne that same night. Carly says, sounds like Mr. Brennan had big plans after she left, and Anna says, look. She really likes Carly, so she’s going to level with her. She’s making a big mistake. Carly says, it wouldn’t be the first time, and Anna says, Brennan is a dangerous man. She doesn’t want to get involved with him. Carly says, Anna isn’t going to be offended if she won’t take dating advice from her, is she? and Anna says she’s known him a really long time. She knows what he’s capable of. Carly says she’s calling Diane, but Anna says, it’s fine. They’re done. Diane is going to be very busy this afternoon anyway. So she doesn’t want to change her statement? Carly says she’s good, and Anna says, loyalty is a very commendable thing, but she thinks Carly is giving it to the wrong person. Carly says she’s going to go, and Anna thanks her for her time.

Ava says she remembers how Julian looked when he talked about Lucas. Julian was so proud of him. Lucas says, there were times he was proud of Julian too. But every time they got close, he’d find out some horrible thing Julian had done, or some new secret would come to light or he’d hurt somebody else. And it never stopped. She says, did he ever think the reason Julian made all of those bad choices was his insecurity? He was always so afraid he wasn’t good enough to be Lucas’s father.

Brad says he got Elizabeth’s page. What’s up? She hands him a paper and says, the Court of Appeals has ordered an investigation into Heather Webber’s bloodwork. He says, why? and she says, there are discrepancies between GH’s findings and the other labs. The court wants to know, was there a procedural error, is it some fault in their lab… He says, she wants him to look into it? and she says, the sooner, the better. He says he’ll get right on it, and she thanks him.

Dante says, no more helping his father. He’s a cop. Cody says, right, and he’s obligated to see justice is served. Dante says, it’s kind of his job, and Cody says, so what’s bothering him the most about this? Is it the withholding evidence thing? Because don’t cops do tricks like that all the time to get people to confess? Dante says, it’s the fact that he’s either betraying his badge or betraying his father, and Cody says, even if Dante thinks he did it? Dante says, especially if he thinks Sonny did it. If he tells Sonny what he knows, he’s lost all integrity. He literally would help him get away with murder. Cody asks if Dante wants to know what he thinks, and Dante says he doesn’t think he does. Cody says, probably not, because it’s probably not going to be helpful, but here goes anyways. After everything that FBI guy did to Dante’s family, he thinks it just comes down to one simple question. Which one’s more important to him, his family or his job?

Sonny says, the FBI is going to jump at the chance to put him behind bars. So he’s going to talk about everything that they’ve tried to pin on him. As long as they leave her, Kristina, and Carly alone. She says, because the crime in question isn’t enough, he’s going to tell them the whole story? and he says, they’re not going to play ball if he doesn’t give them something worthwhile. She says, so what about his associates in all his endeavors? What happens to them? He says he’ll deal with that. He doesn’t see another way. She says, so after all these years of him evading the authorities, he’s just going to give himself up, and he says, it’s either that or Alexis is going to spend the rest of her life in prison for something she didn’t do. Does she think he would let her do that? She says, the thought has crossed her mind, but she knows if he was given the choice between her and Kristina… He says he’s doing this for Kristina, and she says she thinks he’s doing it a little bit for her too. He says, a little bit, and she thanks him. He says, take care of our girl, and through her tears, she says she promises. Sonny gets up and leaves.

Lucas says, Julian was always his own worst enemy, and Ava says, at least they can agree on that. He says he didn’t mean it when he said all of his memories of Julian are bad, and she asks if he’d share one with her. It’s been a long time since she’s heard anyone say anything kind about her brother. He says he’s been thinking about the day Julian married Alexis. He was proud to be Julian’s best man, and he was so happy for him. And that day, he thought, maybe his dad could finally be happy. She says, and he would have been if he’d married anybody else. Alexis was literally the worst thing to happen to Julian. Lucas gets up and says, so much for fond memories, but she says she’s just trying to be honest. How many times has that woman broke his heart? He says, probably as many times as he broke hers, and Ava says, her constant judgements, her endless conditions to be worthy of her love and attention wore him down. It wore him out. And in the end, she was the reason he did all of those terrible things before he was killed. He says, she can’t blame Alexis for Julian’s actions, but she says she certainly can. He says, good talk. He’s got to run. She says, before he goes, please keep in mind that nobody should be judged entirely based on the worst thing they’ve done. His father loved him. He says he knows, and he loved him too. She thanks him for saying that. Just so he knows, she loves him too. It’s true they’re not close, but they could be. He says he’ll think about it, and she says, okay. She’d hate to think that he has so much family that he can afford to throw away his father’s side. He says he’d never throw away Avery… or her mother, and he leaves.

Portia says, Terry told her that the hospital received a court order about the lab’s testing, and Elizabeth says, it’s about Heather Webber’s bloodwork. Portia says, what about it? and Elizabeth says, Ric Lansing had her cobalt levels tested, and their lab concluded her levels were still high. Portia says, okay, that’s good, but Elizabeth says, he also had the tests run at three different labs. Portia says, it’s normal to do that, and Elizabeth says, none of the results matched theirs. So they’re just trying to prove that the error is with the GH lab, and that’s why the court is ordering an investigation. Portia says, humans make mistakes. Mistakes happen. You’d think they would drop it. Elizabeth says, a mistake like that could cast doubt over the integrity of their lab. And not just with Heather’s results, but other results in the past that have been used as evidence. Portia says, that’s a good point, and Elizabeth says, but don’t worry about it. She’s taking care of it. She’s sure it’s going to be fine.

Brad compares a paper to what’s on his laptop. He says, oh ho. Dr. Portia Robinson, what have you been up to? and he smiles.

Carly comes into the hospital, and Michael thanks her for coming. She says, something about Kristina? and he says, she’s not answering her phone. Of course (🍷) they can’t tell him whether she showed up for her therapy session or not, but he thinks she ditched it right after he dropped her off. Carly says, he didn’t watch her walk in? and he says, it felt intrusive. They have to find Kristina before she does something rash, and dad’s confession will all be for nothing.

Alexis goes into the visitor room to find Kristina and asks what she’s doing here. She wasn’t expecting to see her. Kristina says, they need to talk about dad, and Alexis says, her dad has been here. She knows what he’s going to do. Kristina asks if Alexis tried to talk him out of it, but Alexis asks why she’d do that. Kristina says she doesn’t know. This is all such a mess. She just wishes she’d told Anna everything she knew. Alexis asks what she told Anna, and Kristina says she went to see Anna to confess. Alexis says, confess to what? and Kristina says, driving Alexis’s care to the Quartermaines, stealing dad’s gun. She was trying to do anything she could to convince Anna that Alexis didn’t do this. Alexis asks if she told Anna anything, but Kristina says, no. Michael stopped her. Alexis says, don’t help. She’s just making everything worse. Kristina tells her, that’s what everyone says, but they need to stop pretending this isn’t her fault, because it is. If she never went to Ava’s hotel room, her child would still be alive. Cates would never be able to charge her with killing her daughter, and dad would have never been upset enough… Alexis says, what’s missing here is the truth and that’s what people need to hear. That her father actually did the thing he’s going to confess to, and he’s doing the right thing by turning himself in. Kristina says, but he did it because of her, and Alexis says, he did it because that’s what he does. Cates was never going to let up until Kristina was destroyed, until Michael was destroyed, until Dante was destroyed, and Sonny wasn’t going to let Cates hurt his children anymore. Kristina says, but if dad confesses, he goes to prison, and she can’t let that happen.

Sonny walks into the station, and Anna says, he’s early. He says he’s meeting Diane, and she says, someone will see her in as soon as she gets here. She asks him to follow her, when Dante runs in. He asks Sonny to wait. There’s something he should know.

On Monday, Molly tells Dex that it’s nice to know they might have some good news coming their way; Brad says he may have found something interesting; Martin asks why he wasn’t notified about Anna’s new evidence; and Alexis says, Kristina’s father got them into this and now he’s the one who’s got to get them out.

🪄 She’s All Glowed Up…

Well, she’s really no slouch before makeup either.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/kirsten-storms-shows-off-her-stunning-gh-transformation

🧂 A Dash Of Salt…

Yeah, I doubt she’d risk buying stuff from Alibaba and reselling it. And I remember the whoop-de-do about Alibaba using other merchants’ photos. That’s a big no-no on eBay, even if you’re selling the exact same item.

The RHOSLC Rumor About Whitney Rose’s Jewelry and Alibaba Accusations Explained

Apparently, she’s tamed her saltiness while in the clink.

RHOSLC Alum Jen Shah’s Prison Sentence Reduced for 2nd Time, Find Out Her New Release Date

🍊 Putting the C In the OC…

If I agree with Teddi, you know there must be something very wrong going on.

Teddi Mellencamp Finds Alexis Bellino ‘Hard to Watch’ and Calls Out John Janssen

A lot of what?

Andy Cohen Says Alexis Bellino’s Cameo “Was a Lot” at RHOC Reunion as He Teases What Went Down at Taping & Says People Will Be “Surprised”

🍸 Hope He Evacuated…

I miss Michael. He was one of the best things about the show. I’m surprised Patricia didn’t send a PJ for him.

Patricia Altschul Gives Update on Butler Michael Kelcourse Following Stroke

💣 Mustaches Twirling…

Who got the boot. This explains why that first episode seemed so long.

House of Villains Season 2, Episode 2 Recap: Salt, Shade, and No Shame

🎃 Halloween Hijinx…

Getting stuck in a hallway because of a Halloween costume sounds like something that would happen to me. Kudos on originality with Baby Forest Whitaker.

https://ew.com/jordan-peele-costume-halloween-beetlejuice-baby-forest-whitaker-8727052

💻 Thinking About Watching…

Major From vibes? I’m in.

https://www.tomsguide.com/entertainment/peacock/peacocks-new-dark-thriller-show-teacup-is-binge-worthy-tv-and-it-will-have-you-craving-more

I saw The Platform and didn’t really know what to make of it, so I was surprised it got a sequel. EmpireOnline called it a bloated, murky haze, and the reviews aren’t great, but I’ll probably watch it anyway. Not many spoilers – more of an explanation of the system.

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-platform-2-netflix-film-review

I also saw Smile and wasn’t thrilled with the ending, but again, I’ll probably watch it anyway when it comes to a streaming platform in like, five minutes. I saw the trailer when I went to Deadpool & Wolverine. It ain’t no Deadpool, that’s for sure.

Go Behind-the-Scenes of SMILE 2 in New Featurette from Paramount Pictures

🧦 Costume and Fashion…

This is one of the cutest things ever. I would love to see something for tiny hamsters as well.

https://people.com/halloween-2024-halloween-costumes-for-guinea-pigs-8726708

There is no world in which my dogs would let me put these on them.

https://people.com/pet-crocs-crocs-for-dogs-coming-soon-8725361

💼 Quotes of the Week

You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals. – Booker T. Washington

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time. – John Lubbock

To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. – Unknown

There is no room for mediocrity in karaoke. – an obviously drunk kid I met there

Persons of high self-esteem are not driven to make themselves superior to others; they do not seek to prove their value by measuring themselves against a comparative standard. Their joy is being who they are, not in being better than someone else. – Nathaniel Branden

For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.  – Ralph Waldo Emerson (Uh-oh.)

Expecting life to treat you well because you are a good person is like expecting an angry bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian. – Shari R. Barr

Let’s kill this f***ing clown. – Richie Tozier (Bill Hader), It: Chapter Two

🧚‍♀️ Dreaming Awake…

Sending those in weathertorn states safety and healing vibes (been there; done that; it sucks), and for those who are in better climes, enjoy the autumn weekend. Then return again on Monday for soap and Sailing. Until then, stay safe; stay considering battery-operated flames for your Jack-o’-lantern (hey, it’s coming faster than you think); and stay never judging someone entirely based on the worst thing they’ve done.

Oct11

October 10, 2024 – Anna Receives a Surprise Package, His Feels, Side Gig, Heavenly Birthday, The OC Invades London, The Real Thing, Watch These, All Dressed Up & Highway

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Diane goes to the coffee warehouse, and says she needs to talk to Jason. Is his staff still here? He says, it’s just them, and she says she needs him to do something. He says, it sounds serious, and she says she hates to ask, but circumstances demand it. She’s requesting that he betray someone, and he asks, who? She says, Sonny.

Carly shows up at the penthouse, and Sonny asks, what’s going on? She says, Holly is looking for him, and asks if any strangers have been hanging out nearby or if he’s seen a parked car. He says, his people would notice. Why? She says she had dinner with Jack, and someone was watching them.

Alexis says, Martin visiting her at night can’t be good, but he says, on the contrary. He has the key to her salvation. He shows her a picture of Jack and asks if he looks familiar. She says, not in the slightest, and he says, Jack Brennan is the WSB station chief in Port Charles. He’s a player and has a different girl in every town. His P.I. took this picture of Jack with Carly. Why would a known playboy host a late-night dinner in his hotel suite with Carly when she’s supposed to be reunited with Sonny? Shameful.

Kristina says she has information about the night John Cates was killed, and Anna asks if anyone knows she’s here. Kristina says, no, and Anna asks if she wants to call someone, like a lawyer. She needs to think carefully. Kristina says she feels like Anna is trying to get her not to talk, but Anna says, on the contrary. She just wants Kristina to understand the potential ramifications, not just for her mother, but for her.

Elizabeth finds Dante in Lulu’s room, and says she was just checking on him. She saw Sam leave with Rocco and thought this would be a good time. Is he staying long? He says he can leave if anyone comes to spend time with Lulu. He wants to make sure someone is always with her. She says she’s here if he needs anything, and he says, she can help him learn to keep his mouth shut. She says she’s sure whatever he said isn’t as bad as he thinks, but he says, his son will feel differently if he can’t keep his promise that Lulu will make it.

In the chapel, Lucky says, if God is listening, he could sure use some guidance. He’s pretty desperate and will take whatever He’s got. Laura comes in and says, Lucky? They hug, and she says, he’s home. He says, sorry it took so long, but she says, he’s right on time. Thank God. She’s so grateful. Now he’s able to help his sister.

Dante says he told Rocco that Lucky can’t be the donor, and he took it to heart. She says, so did Lucky, and he says he promised there would be another donor, but it’s a long shot, right? She says, it’s not impossible, and he says, she can’t get a donor from the National Registry. All of her relatives have been tested and they’re not a match. They’ve got to convince a stranger who doesn’t know Lulu to give her their liver when she’s in a coma and may not wake up.

Laura says she missed Lucky so much, and he says he missed her too. She says she heard what happened in Somalia. Does it hurt? He says, you should see the other guy, and she says, his hair is so long. He says he was thinking about cutting it, but she says, don’t. He reminds her of his father. She likes it. He says, it’s strange. He knows Luke is gone, but when he was halfway across the world, he expected to see him. She says she still has moments like that, and they sit down. She says she’s so sorry she wasn’t here to welcome him, and he says, that’s his fault. If he hadn’t gotten himself in trouble, if he’d been here with Lulu, she would be safe and healthy. She asks if he’s seen Aiden, and he says, he’s quite a kid. She says, he takes after his father, and Lucky says he hopes not too much. She says, he has so many wonderful qualities, but he says he credits Elizabeth for raising Aiden. She says she hopes their reunion was okay, and Lucky asks if Elizabeth mentioned anything. She says, no. Did something happen? He says he doesn’t know how to tell her, and she tells him, just say it. He tells her that Elizabeth said he can’t be a donor, and Laura starts to cry. She asks, why? and he says, the first round of tests checked out and he was a viable donor. Then they did a test to see if his liver was in good enough shape to donate, and it’s not. He’s so sorry. He’d do anything to save Lulu, but he can’t help.

Kristina says she appreciates Anna’s concern, but she’s thought about this a lot, and Anna asks where she was the night John Cates was murdered. She says she was at her mother’s house, and Anna says, not all night. Kristina says she went to visit her daughter’s grave, but Anna says, that’s not the only place she went. According to Chase, she drove that night or got a Ride Share or possibly Sam’s car. She had trouble remembering. Kristina says she remembers now, and Anna asks if she drove Sam’s car, but Kristina says, no. Anna says, hers? and Kristina says, no. Anna says, whose car? They know Alexis had hers. It was caught on camera entering the Quartermain estate. Kristina says, that’s not true. Alexis didn’t drive her car. Anna says, did she? when Michael barges in and says, stop talking. They’re leaving now.

Diane says she’s already committed several ethical violations by talking to Jason. Alexis is probably going to be convicted if she doesn’t do something. A trial date has been set and they need to put an end to this travesty. She wants him to convince her client to confess to a murder they both know he committed. She knows it’s a bad idea, but doesn’t see any other way to help. Alexis is her best friend, and she can’t let Alexis go down for a murder they know she didn’t commit. He needs to convince Sonny to do the right thing. He’s the only one Sonny will listen to. He says, Sonny already decided to turn himself in, and she asks if he’s at the PCPD. He says, he’s with Carly, filling her in, and she says, that makes sense. There are big implications for Carly. He says, that’s why they need to stop him.  

Sonny asks why Carly thinks a P.I. is tailing her, and she says, at the very least, they know she was in Jack’s hotel room. He says, she’s the owner of the hotel and can explain it away, but she says, having dinner alone with him will raise eyebrows. He says, that depends on who’s tailing her and why, and she says, maybe it’s the false alibi. She bets it’s Martin. He wants to prove Alexis is innocent by proving Sonny is guilty. Sonny says, smart play. Alexis’s trial is coming up fast and Kristina’s not doing well. She’s going to do something to get the Fed’s attention. The whole thing is getting out of control. There’s only one thing to do. He’s going to confess to killing Jagger. She says she’s his alibi, and that means she’s going down with him.

Alexis asks how Martin got the photo, and he says, the P.I. he had tailing Carly. She asks what else he found, and he says, nothing yet. Brennan is no fool. He thinks Brennan already made his investigation. Alexis says, he’s kidding. Shocking. He says, it doesn’t matter, but she says, it does. Carly knows they’re onto her and she’s not going to get caught again. It’s not enough.

Anna says, they’re in the middle of an interview, but Michael says, the interview is over. Kristina knows better not to talk to the police without a lawyer and so does Commissioner Devane. Let’s go now. Kristina looks at Anna, who nods, and she and Michael leave. Michael looks at Anna and shakes his head as he closes the door.

Jason says, this can’t be the only way to save Alexis, but Diane says, it’s the only option. A trial won’t end well. Jason says, they could still find the gun. They just need time. Diane says, the Feds aren’t going to agree to a continuance, but Jason says, this can’t be how it ends for Sonny. She says, it’s not what she wants either. She loves Sonny too. She hasn’t worked all these years agreeing to be his lawyer because he pays her well. Underneath that gruff exterior lies a heart of gold. Jason says he had a deal with Cates. He finds out about Pikeman and Cates leaves Carly alone. Diane says, Cates was using him to bring Sonny down, and he says he created the situation. He should have done his job and killed Cates when he had the chance.

Sonny says he’s not going to let Carly go down. If he’d known what was going to happen, he wouldn’t have asked her to get involved. She’s got to see it a different way. She says she knows he’d never let the mother of his child go to prison for something he did, but Kristina’s not going to let that happen. If Alexis goes to trial, she’s going to start talking and get all of them convicted of something. He says he can’t promise there will be no consequences for her, but Carly’s not going to prison. He’s got to get things under control. He’s got a plane on standby. All she has to do is get Donna. She says, he wants her to leave the country? and he says, there are places with no extradition where she can’t be touched. She says, that means he’ll never see Donna again, and he says, Donna will be better off losing him than losing both parents, but Carly says she can’t do that.

Laura asks why Lucky can’t be a donor, and he says, there’s an anomaly in his liver from a parasite. It’s not dangerous to him, but it could kill Lulu. Laura asks if he’s sure he’s okay, and he promises he’s good. He’s healthy, but not good enough to save Lulu. The whole reason he came back was to help Lulu. He thought he could make up for not saving her when she was a baby. He already failed her once. Now he’s failing her again. She says, he’s not. He can give her his love and strength and use his incredibly strong will to convince her to pull herself through. He says, whatever happens is on him, but she says, he didn’t create Lulu’s illness. He’s not responsible for her recovery. He says, the reason he can’t donate is that he spent the last 13 years in combat zones. Everything he was exposed to, affected his body. It’s not a freak accident. It was the reckless life he chose to lead.

Dante says he was convinced Lucky was their miracle, and Elizabeth says, they’ll use every available resource to find a donor. If he needs anything, let her know. He thanks her, and she opens the door to find Olivia. Elizabeth says she’s glad Olivia is here. Her boy needs her. Elizabeth leaves, and Dante tells Olivia that Lucky can’t be the donor. She says she’s so sorry, and he says, that was their last shot. Now what do they do? She says, they’re going to do more than hope.

Laura says she’s not going to let Lucky beat himself up. It’s not going to do his sister any good. He had no way of knowing what was coming when he left, and he deserved to live his own life wherever it took him. He says his responsibility was here, but she says he also had dreams that had a profound effect on other people. Where would those doctors and patients be if he hadn’t provided security? He saved lives. Lucky says, but he can’t save the life that matters most, and she says, if his sister knew, she’d say she was proud of him for the work he’s done in this world.

At the café, Michael says he knows Kristina is worried about her mom, but that was a bad idea. She asks how he knew where she was, and he says he had Spinelli put tracking software on her phone. She’d asked for help. She says she didn’t ask him to invade her privacy, and he says, she refused to listen. Telling the police what she did could put her future in jeopardy, and likely make it worse for Alexis. She could be convicted for a murder that their father did.

Sonny says, it’s not easy, but they’ll fight this out, and Carly says she’ll support the family while it collapses. He asks what she’s talking about, and she says, Elizabeth called. Lucky’s not a viable donor. He says he’s sorry, and she says, Lulu is too sick to use the registry, and finding a private donor is a long shot. She’s going to die and there’s nothing they can do. That’s why she can’t leave the family. And Rocco and Dante need Sonny. She knows beating the charges is a long shot, but she has a chance while he doesn’t have one.

Diane asks when Jason could have changed the outcome, and he says, the minute Cates said Carly’s name. She says, he would have been thrown in solitary and his family would have believed he’d died in Greece. He says he had plenty of opportunity, and she says, Cates was a federal agent. The government is going to great lengths to find his killer. He can’t presume he could have walked away. He says, what happens to him isn’t as important as what happens to Sonny and Carly, and she says she doubts his sons agree.

On the phone, Anna says, it seemed like Kristina was about to admit to killing Cates, or admit to knowing who did… Of course (🍷) she knows what that means. Alexis is going to be convicted for a crime she didn’t commit. What are they going to do about that? Suddenly, an alarm goes off, and Chase comes in. He says, they have to evacuate, and she asks if it’s a fire. He says, no. A bomb.

Laura says, they all have flaws. Ask her husband about hers. Lucky says, she’s one of the strongest people he’s ever known. If he winds up half the person she is, he’d be good. She says, he is good. He’s a good man and strives to be better all the time. He helps others. He says he could have done that here, but she says she’s not so sure. She’d always known the day would come when he’d leave Port Charles and her. He’s so much like his father. Lucky was on the run with them when he was a just a little baby. By the time he was crawling, he was going off on his own adventures. Does he remember when they had the Triple L? Eventually, trouble caught up with them there too. We flash back to the diner explosion, and she says, Lucky was separated from him for weeks. Any other parents would have been beside themselves with worry. Of course (🍷) they knew, even at his tender age, he could take care of himself. Lucky says, they taught him how to survive, and she says she hopes they taught him how to thrive. The day came when he couldn’t thrive in Port Charles, but she’s always known he’d come back one day when he was ready. And here he is. Just when she and his sister need him the most.

Chase tells Anna that they’re checking the cameras in the garage now. Everyone has been moved back 200 feet and the hazard team is working on it. She asks how they knew, and he says, the dogs reacted to a suspicious package. They pulled the surveillance footage, and it looks like the package was placed in a blind spot so they wouldn’t get caught. Anna says, whoever did this knew what they were doing.

Michael says, Kristina going to the police was an impulsive decision. She didn’t count all the possible consequences. She says, just like she didn’t count all the possible consequences when she went to see Ava.  

Jason says he hates how the fallout affected his sons, but they’re used to living without him, and Diane says, they’ll lose more than they’ll gain. There are people who love and need him, and it’s no longer a luxury for him to decide his life isn’t worth more than someone else’s. Imagine how hurt his sons will be. Think about that the next time he decides to sacrifice himself for someone else.

Carly says, Sonny will have to get his affairs in order and warn Dante. He doesn’t want Dante to be blindsided by this. She’ll talk to Josslyn. Sonny asks her to tell Josslyn that he’s sorry, and Carly says she agreed to help him. Now she has to deal with the consequences, but Cates is gone, and their kids are safe. He says, all it cost them was their parents.

Alexis says, one picture doesn’t prove anything, but Martin says, all he has to do is call into question the US Attorney’s narrative of the crime. They’ll never go for a conviction with a hole this big in the case. They’ll have to let her go and reopen it. Alexis says she’ll still be seen as a suspect, but he says, she won’t be their number one suspect. They’ll have to redirect their attention back to the real killer. It’s their only card to play. Alexis tells him, do it, and he says he’s already on it. She says, when he turns the photo over, if he feels tempted to suggest Sonny is covering for Carly, go ahead.

Lucky wishes there was something he could do, and Laura says, so does his brother. He was crushed to find out he wasn’t a viable donor. She thinks he felt like if he could do that, it would help make up for the bad choices that put him in prison. Lucky says he knows it’s hard for Laura to see Nikolas behind bars. He can understand Nikolas wanting to make almonds amends. She says, no one can bear every burden, and he says he’d settle for just one. Lulu went through so much when he was away. He wishes he’d been here for her to lean on at least once. They hug, and Laura says she thinks she’ll be leaning on him plenty before this is over.

Olivia tells Dante, done. She left a message for Nina to have her media contacts get the word out about Lulu’s condition. She texted an SOS to everyone on her contact list – friends and family, people in the old neighborhood, vendors, contractors, dishwashers… Just wait. People will roll up their sleeves in droves to get tested. He says he hopes it’s soon. Lulu is looking weak. She says she knows Lulu is in trouble, but so were the Mets in Game Six, and look how they turned out. Dante says, but they like the Yankees, and she says, today, they’re Mets fans. The same rules apply. Miracles happen. Like the Mets say, you gotta believe.

Kristina tells Michael that she wishes she could change what happened, but she can’t. He’s right to say she’s impulsive and there could be consequences she’s not prepared for. She’s living them now, so she’s going to listen to him and keep quiet – for now. But if it comes down to it, she’s not letting her mom stay in prison when she’s innocent.

On the phone, Anna says, if there are any changes, she’ll let them know. She tells Chase that Brennan is the last person they need help from. A guy from the hazard team tells them they can go back inside, and Anna asks if the bomb was disarmed. He says, it was a false alarm. There was no trace of explosive material. An officer brings the box and Anna wonders, what the hell is it? Chase suggests they open it and find out. (This is why he’s a detective.)

Jason says he doesn’t want to fail his boys again, but he doesn’t want to fail Sonny either. Diane says she gets that sacrifices come with the job description, but he can only make sacrifices if he’s here to do it. He says, they’re in danger of losing Sonny, and she says, Sonny chose this life. So did Carly. Jason says, still, she shouldn’t have to pay the price, and Diane says she promises if the day comes, she’ll stand up for Carly to the best of her ability. He asks, what are the odds of success? And she says, not great, but that doesn’t mean they don’t try. Her phone rings, and she says, speak of the devil. Sonny tells her that he’s with Carly and they need to talk now.

At the penthouse, Jason asks, what’s going on? and Carly says she’ll let Sonny tell him. On the phone, Sonny says he’ll let Diane know when it’s time. He asks if Carly filled Jason in, but she says she thought he should. He says he’s putting an end to this. He’s turning himself in. Diane is making a deal right now. Jason asks, what kind of deal? and Sonny says he’s confessing to Jagger’s killing and everything else. Everything the Feds want, and the statute of limitations allows. Jason says he knows it’s Sonny’s choice, and Sonny says, he’s going to give them everything, cop to it all, everything they’ve always wanted. In exchange for one thing. No one pays for Jagger’s death but him.

Alexis lies in her bunk when the guard yells, lights out!

Outside Anna’s office, Chase tells Martin that Anna is unavailable, but Martin says he’s got to see her now. It’s vital in getting Alexis out of prison. Chase tells him to take it up with the US Attorney, and goes into the office. Anna says, it’s not what she expected, and shows him a gun. She says, it’s a nine-millimeter, and he says, like the one Elizabeth and Ric saw Alexis dump from the bridge. Anna says, the gun Alexis said would exonerate her if it was found.

Laura tells Lucky that his sister’s body has been though an awful lot. Time is not on her side. He said he wanted to do something. If the worst should come to pass and they have to let their girl go – she cries – please stay with her and hold her hand when she says goodbye. He says, of course (🍷), and they hug. She thanks him and cries.

Tomorrow, Martin tells Alexis that she’ll be out by the end of the day; Ava asks someone if there’s a reason for this visit; Anna asks if Carly wants to change her statement; and Sonny says, someone has to be stopped.

🩺 Nothing More Than Feelings…

I’m still preferring the old Lucas, but I like his attitude.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/van-hansis-opens-up-about-taking-over-as-lucas-on-gh

🚑 After His Schedule Was Cut…

Another underused character. I’d love to see him have an actual storyline. I’d love to just see him show up again.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/ghs-marc-anthony-samuel-stars-in-a-new-netflix-movie

💖 Sweet Remembrance…

It was so sad when he passed away. They really seemed to be in love, even after all those years.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/all-my-children/susan-lucci-remembers-her-late-husband-on-his-birthday

🍊 Down In the OC So Low…

After receiving her un-invitation, Alexis suggested if Shannon could host a trip, she could afford to pay the money she owes Johnny J. The women got mammograms and Fancy Pants Heather found out she had a 39% chance of getting breast cancer because of familial history. She was surprised that no one asked her how hers went when they were all swapping results. In Jenn’s interview, she said, an apology from Tamra was just words, but in Tamra’s interview, she said she was just being honest. She wondered if she should give Ryan a tampon since he was a little bitch, and Eddie told her, just stop. Good luck with that.

When I saw the amount of luggage, I wondered how long the trip was going to be. Six months? On the plane, Fancy Pants announced that it was Shannon’s 60th birthday and she was single. I could feel Shannon cringe. They stayed at an amazing, humongous penthouse where a tea was already set up, and drew keys for rooms. If Ramona had been there, she would have checked all the rooms, removed the key to her first choice, and had her suitcases unpacked before anyone else even got to the bowl.

Shannon gave all the women a bag of English-themed gifts, including a Burberry scarf that retails for $595. I knew this before the text showed us, since I thought, maybe I can afford a scarf, but nope. In her interview, Tamra wondered why Shannon was dishing out scarves like candy when she claimed she had no money to pay the lawsuit. Tamra and Fancy Pants discussed Shannon’s appearance on Jeff Lewis’s podcast, and the inconsistencies with what she was saying now. Not only did she come close to admitting the money was a loan, she said that she’d never thought about whether or not Johnny J. heard the accident. In Heather’s interview, she wondered why Shannon was telling her one thing, then saying something vastly different on Jeff Lewis. In Tamra’s interview, she said, Shannon was playing the victim.

After having some cotton candy, the women went on a Captain Rocket boat ride. The life jackets were actual long-sleeved jackets, which I’d never seen before. There was a bit of a tour, where they saw Big Ben and the new London Bridge. Tamra informed us that the original London bridge was in Havasu – so weird – and we saw a clip of that. They sped up, which some of the women enjoyed, and some not so much. Gina thought the cotton candy beforehand was a bad idea.

The women dressed for dinner, and Tamra wore a low backed jumpsuit that she compared to a mullet – business in the front and party in the back. They went to The Londoner for a five-course meal, and Fancy Pants finally spilled her feelings – as one does at a group dinner – about no one asking how her mammogram went. For maybe the first time ever, I felt badly for her when she told them her risk percentage for breast cancer. Everyone seemed genuinely surprised and sorry. They’d thought when they heard her say, yay, she was in the clear, but Fancy Pants said she’d been cheering for Gina who’d had a harmless lump.

Moving on, Katie said she and her family were going to Korea for her 40th birthday, and she would be meeting her birth mother who’d had her when she was 15. Yikes! Somehow, we circled back to the loan/gift thing, and in Tamra’s interview, she said Shannon told her it was a loan. Once more, this became a dinner table discussion. I always wonder what the servers think as they put plates in front of crying and/or screaming women. Shannon screeched that she was not a victim and was working on herself, and bolted. She went directly to the bar, not passing go or collecting $75,000. Gina followed, and Shannon showed Gina a text she’d found from 2018, where Alexis was clear that both she and her ex-husband Jim were suing Shannon and Tamra for defamation. We flashed back to Alexis insisting she’d had nothing to do with that, and Shannon said it was the smoking gun. Gina said, holy sh*t!

That’s right. She’s got receipts! Proof! Timelines! Screenshots! A text from 2018!

Next time, jazzercise; Gina says she’s trying to figure out how to be a friend to Fancy Pants; and Fancy Pants says, that was a lot.

If you’re craving more Orange.

Real Housewives of Orange County Season 18, Episode 14 Recap: Tea and Burberry Scarfs Can’t Solve Everything

🧟‍♂️ Beauty Or the Beast…

My next watch on Netflix. Because I don’t have enough going on.

https://extratv.com/2024/10/07/lyle-and-erik-menendez-s-bombshells-about-their-parents-murders-in-netflix-doc/

So how much time does she spend helping innocent nobodies on death row? Apparently, the DA is on board as well.

https://extratv.com/2024/10/04/kim-kardashian-calls-for-release-of-menendez-brothers-they-are-not-monsters/

👀 Last Weekend’s Watch…

Among the many series I’m in the middle of, I watched V/H/S Beyond on Shudder. While I love a lost footage theme, this one was hit and miss. I’d been intrigued by Justin Long’s Furbabies, but it wasn’t my favorite. There were some great moments overall, but two hours was too long. Some mild spoilers here.

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/vhs-beyond-review

V/H/S/Beyond Review: A Fantastic New Entry

When it was first on, I got lost watching Lost and gave up on it. I decided to give it another go though, and I’m not hating it. In addition to my From favorite, Harold Perrineau, I’d forgotten Naveen Andrews (Abby, Planet Terror) was in it. I love a good binge, and this has enough episodes to go on for a while.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/lost-on-netflix-a-experts-guide-to-bingeing-the-121-episodes

Speaking of From, here’s what happened this week. All spoilers all the time.

FROM Season 3 Episode 3: Boyd’s Hope and Tabatha’s Crisis

👻 Not So Roguish Gallery…

Never enough pets in Halloween costumes.

https://www.tmz.com/2021/10/29/celebrity-pets-all-dressed-up-for-halloween/

🌄 The Year’s Sunset Sky…

Come on by tomorrow for soap and what’s watch worthy (or not). Until then, stay safe, stay planning to keep your pets indoors on Halloween, and stay never letting your apology be just words.

Oct5

October 4, 2024 – Lucas Comes Home To Port Charles, A Review, Reunited, Her No Good Very Bad Look, VanderWeen, Engaged, First One, Sorry About That, Pet (!) Costumes, OctoQuotes & Thrill This

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Gino plays his violin outside of Bobbie’s, when Trina puts a dollar in his violin case. She asks if he knows any Billy Eilish.

Chase says he can’t put his finger on it, but something is different around here, and Brook says, good different or bad different? He says, definitely good. Listen… It’s quiet. She says, the kids are all in school, Tracy is out on a ride, Olivia is at the MetroCourt. Somehow, all of the planets are finally aligned, and they have this entire place to themselves. He says he has the afternoon off work. The planets can’t get any more aligned than that. He kisses her, when her phone rings. He asks her to ignore it, but she says she can’t. She looks at her phone and says, it’s Violet’s school. They’re sending her home.

Ric asks if Ava is suggesting someone at General Hospital altered Heather’s test results, and she says, it wouldn’t be the first time. He asks, who would do that? and she says, somebody who wants Heather kept behind bars. He says, lab tech?… Someone with maybe a little bit more authority. Somebody who could go in and out of any room in the hospital without being stopped. It’s also got to be somebody who is so invested in keeping Heather in prison, they’d be willing to risk anything to keep Heather behind bars.

Lucky knocks on Sonny’s office door and says, sorry to disturb him. He knows it’s been a long time. They hug.

Carly tells Josslyn, the doctors need to do a secondary screening of Lucky’s liver to make sure everything is okay, and then they can move forward with the transplant. Josslyn says, but Lulu’s going to be okay, and Carly says, it’s looking that way.  There’s a knock at the door and Carly opens it to Lucas. They hug, and he says, she’s looking good. She says, he’s home.

On the phone, Brook says, of course (🍷) … Absolutely. They’re on their way. She tells Chase, Violet’s fine. Physically fine. He says, so she’s not sick or hurt? and Brook says, no. He asks why they called, and she says, she hit a boy in her class. He laughs and says, no. Violet wouldn’t do that. She says, her teacher saw her do it, and he says, she got in a fight or something? Brook says she doesn’t know. Violet wouldn’t tell the teacher what happened. He says, since when does Violet not talk about anything? Something’s up. He’s going to go get her. Brook says, they’ll both go. It might take the both of them to get the truth out of her.

Ric asks if there’s someone at the hospital who was attacked by Heather, because that person would definitely want her to stay where she was, and Ava says, Heather and her hook put her in the hospital. So she won’t exactly be shedding any tears if she stays where she is. He says he’s sorry, and she says she’s just saying, the hospital is a big place and there are probably a lot of people who weren’t too excited about the possibility of running into Heather at the supermarket. He says, that’s a fair point, but if he’s going to prove GH’s tests are untrustworthy, connecting it to somebody might be helpful. She tells him to go ahead and prove his grand conspiracy. In the meantime, his client Heather will be rotting in Pentenville. He says, not if he connects the dots real fast, and she says, if he accuses a hospital employee with tampering with the tests, every lawyer GH has is going to come running, and nothing about his case will move fast. He asks if she thinks he should ditch the whole tampering theory, and she says she thinks if he wants things to move quickly, he should give GH an easy out. Just tell them up front that he thinks it’s probably an honest lab mistake. The hospital is sure to agree it’s a faulty test. He asks when she became such an expert in legal strategy, and she says, just giving him an alternative. If he wants to do it his way, do it his way. She doesn’t care. She has no dog in this fight. He says he thinks she does. So who is she protecting?

Lucas and Josslyn hug, and he says he’s missed her so much. He can’t wait to hear all about her life. He wants pictures, videos, all of it, especially the embarrassing stuff. She says, that’s most of it. She’s going to just reschedule with Trina. He says, go be with her friend. They have plenty of time to catch up. She says, it’s going to take a lot of time to get him fully caught up, and he says he’ll block out three hours. She leaves, and Carly says she knows they’ve been talking about him coming back for a while now, but until he texted her that the plane had landed, she just didn’t believe it. He says, it was time, and she suggests they sit down and talk. They go into the living room, and she asks if it was hard leaving Boston, but he says he didn’t have many ties there. Boston’s great, but he was working all the time. It made him a better doctor, but he didn’t want to live like that. He missed the family. She says, they missed him too. She’s so happy he’s here. He can stay as long as he likes, but just be warned. Donna is really into crafts, and he’s going to find beads and glue everywhere. He says he’ll keep an eye out, and she says she’s so glad he’s home. She knows it’s hard for him to be in Port Charles. He says he’s sorry he didn’t stick around after mom’s funeral, but she says, it’s okay. She gets it. He says he knew she would, and she says she just wants him to be okay. He says he’s getting there, and she says she knows he’s excited about the job. It’s just that after everything he’s been through, is he sure he’s up for it?

Sonny says he can’t express how happy he is that Lucky is home safe, and Lucky says he’ll never be able to repay Jason or Anna or Carly for everything they did to get him back here. Sonny says, even though Lucky got all the help, he heard it was hell to get back. He’s sure Lucky’s dad would be very proud that he did this for his sister. Lucky says, his dad might be relieved, but he’s not so sure he’d be proud. Sonny asks, what makes him say that, and Lucky says, because they both know he should have been here all along.

Gio finishes playing, and Trina applauds. He says, thanks, but he still needs to work on that bridge. She says, it sounded perfect to her, and he says he’s glad, but he needs something perfect to both of them. She says, that’s fair. What is he even doing out here? He says, change of pace. It’s a nice vibe. Fresh air, sound of the birds, the wind. Kids laughing, people talking. She says, so he likes to play surrounded by… life, and he says, when he plays outside, he feels like he’s part of this big orchestra that’s always playing, but they forget to listen to it. She says, and here she thought it was just about the acoustics. She’s glad she ran into him. She felt terrible that his performance at the gallery got canceled. He says, it wasn’t her fault, and she says she knows, but she’s been working overtime getting Harriet Nakia’s show back on the book and she finally did. She’d love to rebook him. He thanks her for the offer, but says he has to pass, and she asks, why? He says he knows how much she cares for Ava, but she pushed Uncle Sonny’s pregnant daughter out of a window and killed her baby. He’d never work for that woman now.

Ava says she’s not protecting anyone, and Ric says, she’s right. He doesn’t need to find out who did this. She says, really? Two seconds ago, he was Columbo. Now he’s going to walk away? He says, no. He’s just reevaluating the new information. She asks, what new information? and he says, the fact that she doesn’t want him to know who did this. He’s not going to pressure her into telling him who it is. She says, that would be a waste of time because it isn’t anyone, and he says he thinks he’s gotten to know her pretty well, and he knows she wouldn’t stick her neck out for anybody. So this person must mean a lot to her. He guesses he’s just going to have to figure out Heather’s case with what he’s got. He says he’ll see her later, and leaves.

Lucas asks if she’s questioning his skills as a surgeon, but Carly says, not at all. She just knows it isn’t easy for him to be back in Port Charles. He says, when he saw an opening for a trauma surgeon at GH, he didn’t even think about it; he just applied. She says, if there’s anything she can do for him to make it easier, let her know, and he says, just her being here makes it easier and better. He thinks this job was the universe telling him that he can’t run away forever. He doesn’t want to be that kind of man. She says, a man who runs from difficult situations? and he says he knows he will never be Wiley’s father, but he’d sure like a shot at being uncle. He thinks he could really nail that. (Isn’t Wiley, like, in college by now?) She says she thinks he’ll be a great uncle. Has he talked to Michael? He says he emailed Willow and Michael before he accepted the position. They’re both completely on board. She says she knows it’s going to be difficult to see Wiley, but if anyone can navigate that situation, it’s him. Speaking of navigating a difficult situation, has he been in touch with Brad? He says, no, and he’s not going to be. But while they’re on the subject of past relationships, what is this he hears about her and Sonny?

Sonny says, they all make the best decisions at any particular moment, and Lucky says he can’t help wondering how his dad would feel about him letting Lulu waste away in that bed. Sonny says, if Aiden messed up, would Lucky judge him? and Lucky says, of course (🍷) not. He loves Aiden. Sonny says, there’s his answer, and Lucky says, that’s just part of being a parent. Sonny says, not all parents. Even with him. He made that same mistake with Michael and still regrets it to this day. He can tell Lucky something about his father. He wouldn’t judge Lucky because he loved him. Lucky thanks him for saying that, and Sonny tells him that he’s saying it because it’s true. Don’t beat himself up. He’s here. That’s all that matters. Lucky says he has a lot of work to do, and not just the stuff with Lulu, and Sonny says, then do it. Has he seen Aiden? Lucky says, not yet. He’s been to some of the most dangerous places in the world, and here he is in Port Charles afraid to see his own son.

Trina says, Gio really won’t play at the gallery? and he says he’s sorry. Uncle Sonny’s been good to him. Maybe if Ava gets cleared, he’ll consider it. Trina says, it’s fine. If that’s how he feels about it, she’ll just ask someone else. But don’t worry. She’ll never ask him to play at the gallery again. She goes inside Bobbie’s.

Brook and Chase walk into the nook with Violet, and Chase says he knows Violet didn’t want to tell her teacher about what happened today, but she can tell them anything. Brook says, they love her like crazy, and Violet says she doesn’t want them to get mad. Chase says, she must have been pretty mad to hit that kid. What was his name? Violet says, Garth, and Brook says, what’s the story with Garth? Violet says, he’s a mean bully and he lies, and she hates him, and Chase asks what he lied about. Violet says, her dad, and Chase asks what he said. Violet tells him that Garth said her dad’s a drunk.

Carly says, Lucas is in town all of two hours. How does he know what’s going on with her and Sonny? He says, Joss, and she says she should have known. He says, she really should have. So? She says, so, it’s complicated. Can they just leave it at that? He says, for now. She’s going to tell him eventually. She says, probably, and he says, Joss also told him about Ava and Kristina. Does she think Ava did what they’re accusing her of? She says she doesn’t think Ava is innocent of anything, but to be honest, nobody knows what happened in that hotel room except for Kristina and Ava. And it’s a whole mess right now. Molly and Kristina are… Is he sorry he came back yet? He says, no. He thinks it’s good he came back when he did. He’s sorry if he sounded judgmental about her relationship with Sonny. After the relationship he had with Brad, he has no right to judge anyone. She says she understands, but she also knows he’s not going to let her off the hook that easily, and he says, definitely not. Now while she comes up with her Sonny story, he’s going to GH to fill out some forms and get his new ID. She says she’s happy he’s home. Their family really needs him right now. He says, somebody’s got to keep an eye on her, and leaves.

Lucky says he doesn’t even know if Aiden wants to see him, and Sonny asks why he wouldn’t want to. Lucky says, because he dropped the ball. They used to email and videochat every couple of weeks and he hasn’t made contact in a long time. Sonny says, Aiden still cares what Lucky thinks, but Lucky says he doesn’t know about that. Sonny asks if Lucky cared about what Luke thought about him, and Lucky says, more than anyone. Sonny says, then that’s what’s got to be at the front of his mind. Not what he wants to change, but what Aiden needs from him. Lucky says he doesn’t even know what that is, and Sonny says, he’s not going to get it by sitting here talking to him. He’s just got to show up no matter how tough it is. He’s got to show up. Lucky says, Sonny is right. He’s going to go see Aiden. Sonny says, he’s probably in school, right? and Lucky says, something else he should have known. Sonny says, he’s going to figure it out sooner or later, and when he does, they’ll change the start time of school and change the vacation schedule, and he’ll have to start all over. Lucky says, good to know. He guesses he’ll swing by GH and check up on Lulu and his buddy Isaiah. He thanks Sonny, and Sonny says he’s glad Lucky is back. Lucky says, him too. It’s good. Sonny says, that means he’s supposed to be here, and Lucky leaves.

On the phone in Bobbie’s, Trina says she saw their ad online and she was wondering if they’re still available. Give her a call back and they can talk details.

Outside, Gio puts away his violin, when Josslyn comes into the courtyard. She says she didn’t know he’d be here, and he says he was just rehearsing. She says she was about to head inside and hang out with Trina. Does he want to come? He says, it’s probably not a good idea. Trina isn’t going to want him there. She asks, what happened? and he says, they don’t see eye to eye on something, and neither of them is going to change their mind. She says, that doesn’t sound like Trina. She’s always down to share other people’s points of view. He says, not about Ava Jerome. Trina wanted him to play at the gallery and he said he couldn’t. Not after what Ava did to Kristina. Josslyn says, that’s it. Come with her. He follows her inside.

On the phone in her office, Portia leaves a message for Trina, letting her know she was thinking about her. She hopes school is going well. Trina doesn’t have to call her back. She just wanted to let Trina know that she loves her. There’s a knock at the door, and Ava walks in. Portia asks what she can do for her, and Ava says, as Portia is probably aware, Ric Lansing is representing her in her current legal difficulties. Portia says, okay… and Ava says, he’s also representing Heather Webber. Portia says she did know that, and Ava says, what Portia may not know is, Ric had several blood panels run to test Heather’s cobalt levels, four to be exact. Three were normal. One was not. Does she want to guess which one? Portia says, not really, and Ava says, the one test that showed Heather Webber still had elevated levels of cobalt in her blood was conducted right here at the GH lab. Portia says, their lab is excellent. She’s sure if there’s a problem, they can do another test. No issue at all. Ava says she’s surprised to hear Portia say that, and Portia says, why is that? Ava says, because Ric has come to the conclusion that someone here at GH tampered with those test results. Someone with an interest in keeping Heather in prison. Someone with access. Portia says, someone like her?

Brook asks what Violet thinks Garth meant when he said that about her dad, and Violet says, a drunk is someone who drinks too much. Brook says, it’s not a nice word, and Chase says, her dad has a disease. Brook says, we don’t call people unkind names because they’re sick, and Chase says, that’s right. Violet says she told her friend Jamie her dad couldn’t take her to the pumpkin patch this year because he was in a special hospital, and Brook says, that’s right. Violet tells them that she was saying that her daddy is going on lots of hikes and talking to people. But then, Garth said he wasn’t in a hospital. That he was in rehab because he was… Chase says, got it, and Violet says, then she hit him as hard as she could, but then he poured grape juice all over her shirt. Brook says, her dad bought her that shirt, didn’t he? and Violet says, yeah, and now it’s ruined because of stupid, mean Garth. Chase hugs her and says he’s so sorry any of that happened to her. He thanks her for telling them the truth, and she says she’s sorry she hit Garth. He just made her so mad. She’s sorry about her shirt. Brook says, that’s okay. Why don’t they go upstairs? Violet can change and she’ll throw the shirt in the washing machine. She’s sure she can get the stain out. Violet leaves and Brook follows her.

Isaiah walks around on crutches in his hospital room, when Lucky walks in. He says, not bad. Now pretend the Yankees won the series and jump up and down. Isaiah laughs and says, about time. What did he do, walk from Sidwell’s? Lucky says, looking pretty smooth there, and they shake hands. Isaiah says, this is actually him improved. It’s good to see him. Lucky says, it’s good to see Isaiah too. He guesses he owes Isaiah one. Isaiah says, oh yeah, and one day, he might actually take Lucky up on it. Lucky says he knows Isaiah is joking, but he’s not. They may not be trapped in Sidwell’s compound anymore, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have Isaiah’s back. Isaiah says he knows, and Lucky says, good. Because he does and he always will.

Carly walks into Pozzulo’s, and Sonny says he can make Carly an espresso in 25 seconds. She says, that’s impressive, but that’s okay. She’d feel like she was cheating on his old machine. He says, she doesn’t know what she’s missing, and she says, one more mystery she has to live with. He says, have it her way, and leads her to his office. He says, guess what? Lucky was here earlier. She says, how’d that go? and he says, he’s adjusting to being back in Port Charles. She says she’s sure it’s a lot for him, and he says, he’s a lot like his father. He’s tough. He’s going to be okay. She says she doesn’t know if he’s heard, but Lucas is back. He says he heard. How is he? She says, he’s good. He’s ready to start the next chapter of his life. He’s also concerned that they’re getting back together. Sonny says, this is going to be over soon, and she says, good, because that’s why she’s here.

Terry lets Lucas into her office and says, everyone is excited about him rejoining the staff, and he thanks her for making his transition back so smooth. She says, they’re lucky to have him. She’s sure he had his pick of hospitals. He says, GH was always his first choice. He’s looking forward to a fresh start in his hometown. She says she wants that for him too, but there’s something she thinks he should know.

On the phone, Trina says, if they’re schedule changes, let her know. She turns around to see Josslyn with Gio, and says, whatever they’re trying to do, the answer is no. Josslyn says, Ava is not worth losing a friendship, and neither is Sonny, but Trina says, this is between her and Gio. Josslyn says, they both see good sides to Sonny and Ava. How, she doesn’t know, but it doesn’t matter. She’s not here to waste her time or her energy trying to convince them that they’re wrong. Trina says, the world won’t end if everyone doesn’t have the same opinions, and Josslyn says, she’s right, but they don’t have to fight Sonny and Ava’s battles for them. Let them screw up their own lives, but don’t let them change one thing about theirs.

Portia asks if Ava really thinks she’d risk everything to get back at Heather, and Ava says, what she thinks is, if her daughter were in danger, she’d do everything she could to protect her. Changing a test result? That’s nothing. She’d pull strings, she’d pay bribes, she’d even kill if it meant keeping her child safe. And she’d sleep very well at night. Portia says she guesses they’re different in that way, but Ava says, no, they’re not. But Trina doesn’t know how far Portia would go to protect her. She’s getting her life back together. She’s going back to school. For the first time in a long time, she’s thinking about the future. Portia says, that’s exactly what she’s been praying for, and Ava says, well, it’s happening, and Trina doesn’t need to see her mother’s career crash and burn because of something she did to protect her daughter. Portia says she appreciates Ava coming to speak with her, but she doesn’t know what Ava is talking about. Ava says, come on. It took her all of three minutes to realize it was Portia who messed with those test results. And she won’t be the only one. So like it or not, Portia is going to need her help.

Lucas walks into the lab where Brad is working. He says he heard Brad was working here.

Trina says she understands why Gio feels the way he does about Ava. She was at the pool when Kristina fell. It was horrifying. Gio says, if Josslyn hadn’t done everything exactly right that day, Kristina would have died, and Trina says, that’s why he doesn’t want to do anything with Ava, and if he doesn’t want to perform at the gallery, don’t. He thanks her, and she says she’s just asking as his friend to consider the possibility that the fall was an accident. He says he wasn’t in the room with Kristina and Ava, so he’ll let the judge in the case decide who’s guilty. As far as the gallery gig, he won’t do it for Ava, but he’ll do it for her. She asks how he knows she hasn’t found his replacement.

Brook asks if Chase wants to go beat up Garth with her. She’s kidding… mostly. He asks how Violet is doing, and she says, she’s doing better. She’s upstairs changing her clothes. She’ll be down in a minute. Has he seen her phone? He says, she left it here when she went upstairs, and gives it to her. She checks something, and he asks what she’s doing. She says she’s looking for Garth’s parents’ phone number in the school directory. She’d like to have a little chat with them. He says, that’s probably not the best idea right now, and she says, he’s right. They should drive over there and have the conversation in person. That way, they can get eyes on Garth, see what his story is. He says, that might make things worse. Although there’s nothing stopping him from putting a boot on their car. She says she likes where his head is at on this, and he says, but you know who wouldn’t? Finn. She says she hates it, but he’s right. They need to focus on Violet. He says, there’s always going to be Garths in this world. They need to teach her how to deal with them. Short of her uncle tasing them. She says, that’s a good idea. The teaching, not the tasing. They just need to put their feelings aside and listen. He says he thinks Violet misses Finn more than they realized, and Brook says, it’s her way of crying out for help.

Lucky asks what Isaiah thinks of Port Charles, and Isaiah says, all he’s seen so far is the airport, the side of the street, and inside the hospital. Lucky says, all the hot tourist spots, and Isaiah says he’s also gotten to know some people around here. Lucky says, anyone interesting? and Isaiah says, one or two. Lucky says, sounds like Port Charles is growing on him, and Isaiah says, Lucky never told him much about his life here, which is cool, but now might be the time to tell him anything he needs to know. Lucky says, like what? and Isaiah says, like anything that might keep him from putting his foot in his mouth. Lucky says, Isaiah has met his ex, and Isaiah says, she’s pretty awesome. And he’s looking forward to meeting Lucky’s son. Has Lucky seen him yet? Lucky says, not yet, but he will soon, and Isaiah asks if Aiden knows what Lucky’s been doing. Lucky says he hasn’t given him too many details. He didn’t want to scare him. Isaiah says, he should know that Lucky’s been helping people. Isaiah is happy to tell him that, and more if Lucky wants. Lucky says he might take Isaiah up on that at some point. There are going to be a lot of questions, and he certainly doesn’t have all the answers. Isaiah asks if Lucky is worried how Aiden is going to react, and Lucky says, that, and he’s focused on his sister. He’s waiting to hear if he’s a match. Isaiah asks if he’s concerned about the surgery, and Lucky says, which one? Lulu’s or his?

Brad says, Lucas is back, and Lucas says he is, but not for Brad. They’re both going to be working here, so he thought he’d make some things clear since they’re bound to run into each other. If they speak to one another, it will only be about work. No catching up, no hashing things out. Nothing. The past is the past and that’s not going to change. He’s moving forward with his life and that doesn’t include Brad. Are they clear? Brad says, crystal, and Lucas says, good. Because he wants nothing to do with Brad – ever.

Portia asks why Ava wants to help her. What’s in it for her? Ava says, Trina. She doesn’t deserve to watch her mother lose everything. She’ll think it’s her fault, and she’s been through enough without adding that to it. Portia says she was just trying to protect Trina, and Ava says, keep doing it. Do what Ava tells her to do. No one has to know she’s doing it. Portia says, it’s already too late. Brad Cooper is back working at GH. He’s working in the lab and he’s already suspicious of her. Ava says, lie low. Don’t try to cover her tracks. Don’t try to hide what she’s done. The bigger deal she makes it, the bigger deal it’s going to become. Portia asks what she does about Ric Lansing, and Ava says she’ll handle Ric Lansing. She can certainly keep him away from Portia. Portia says, it’s not going to work. Ric Lansing will get Heather out of prison. They have to stop him.

Carly says, Sam told her that Alexis is protecting Kristina by not defending herself, and Sonny says, Alexis isn’t doing herself any favors in this case. Carly says she gets that, but Alexis shouldn’t be punished for a crime she didn’t commit, and he says, that’s why he hired Martin Grey to represent her. He’s already working on her defense. She says, he’s going to let this go to trial? but he says, no. He believes Alexis’s case is going to fall apart. She says, what if it doesn’t? and he says, it will. She says she’s on his side. She always has been and always will be. He asks why she thinks he came to her for an alibi, and she says, why does he think she gave him one? She doesn’t want anyone to go down for Cates’s murder. The world is a better place without him in it. He can’t destroy another life. Sonny says, he won’t, and she says, okay. Then he needs to tell her what they’re going to do to protect Alexis.

Violet comes downstairs, and Brook asks if she feels better. Violet says, yes, and Chase says, Garth shouldn’t have said what he did, but her dad wouldn’t want her to hit someone either. Brook’s phone rings, and she says she has to take this. She steps away, and Violet says, if Garth hadn’t said those mean things about her dad first, she wouldn’t have punched him. Chase says he knows, but he needs her to believe in her dad right now. Can she do that? Violet says she guesses so.

On the phone, someone tells Brook, the principal would like to speak to Violet’s guardian as soon as possible.

Violet says she’s sorry she hit Garth. Does Chase think she’s going to get in trouble? He says, even when you have a good reason for doing something, if you break the rules, there are consequences.

Gio asks if Trina is saying she already got someone to play at the gallery. Where did she find them? Trina says, the internet? and Josslyn says, there’s no way they’re better than him. Gio thanks her, and Trina says she will tell them that the musician she found is a little sketchy, so she’d be very happy if Gio would reconsider her offer and take the job. He says he’d be very happy to accept the offer – for her, and Josslyn says her work here is done. Gio says, if the environmental science degree doesn’t work out, she could always be a talent agent, and Trina says, very true. She could.

Ava says, unfortunately, there’s nothing they can do to stop Ric from trying to get Heather released from prison, but Portia says, there has to be. Ava says, he’s got three tests that prove the GH test was faulty. Heather Webber was affected by cobalt in her system. Portia says she can’t just sit here and do nothing, but Ava says, she can’t be seen anywhere near Heather’s case. Ava’s phone rings, and she says, it’s Ric. Ric says he’s got great news. He filed a summary motion on Heather’s case. He asked that her conviction be overturned immediately, and there’s a good chance it will be. Ava says, congratulations, and he says, don’t worry. Her mystery friend will remain a mystery. She thanks him and says she means it. Can she call him later? He says, no need. He just wanted her to know about the motion. He hangs up, and Ava looks at Portia.

Brad says, Lucas must hate him, and Lucas says, all of this would be easier if he did. He does feel sorry for Brad. He understands all the reasons Brad did what he did. Brad says he still shouldn’t have done it, and Lucas says, Brad was drawn into a nightmare. But Brad pulled him in too, and it’s a nightmare he never wants to think about or experience again. So goodbye, Brad. He walks out.

Isaiah says, so if Lulu’s body accepts Lucky’s liver, it will take her back to her baseline. He’ll have given her the best possible chance to wake up from her coma. Lucky says, don’t kid a kidder. The odds of that are pretty slim. Isaiah says, slim is better than none, and Lucky says he guesses. Isaiah says, Lucky is going to need about a week in the hospital, and another six to eight weeks after than to recover from the surgery. That being said, there are risks. There’s no such thing as a routine transplant surgery. Lucky says, and Isaiah wouldn’t consider… Isaiah says he’ll give advice and offer support, but he’s never going back into surgery. Lucky says, sorry. He never should have asked. Isaiah has done more than his part. Isaiah says, he means the whole risking his life to get Lucky help thing? and Lucky says, without him, he’d still be in the desert. Whatever happens next is on him.

Sonny says, don’t worry about it, and Carly says, he does have a plan to help Alexis, doesn’t he? He says, they can protect Alexis and everybody involved. All they have to do is find the gun Alexis threw away. She says, what if he doesn’t find it? and he says, then he’ll prove Alexis didn’t kill Jagger Cates. She says, how? and he says he’ll turn himself in.

On Monday, Willow says, maybe she and Michael can figure it out together; Robert tells Diane, Holly’s back in town; Terry has Lucky’s test results; and Lucky owes someone a huge apology.

🪥 Brush Up On Your Lucas…

A refresher course or an introduction.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/abc/general-hospital-lucas-jones-ryan-carnes-158930

🎉 Mother and Child Reunion…

Laura’s head is going to explode when Lulu wakes up.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/genie-francis-returns-to-general-hospital-2024

I dunno about him being like Luke. Luke was never that altruistic.

https://ew.com/general-hospital-will-reunite-laura-with-lucky-genie-francis-jonathan-jackson-8723567

🎉 Receipts, Proof, Timelines, Lemons In a Bowl…

I really do feel badly for her, but she seriously needs to curb her drinking.

Shannon Beador Being Publicly Slammed by Spinoff Host Joel Kim Booster Isn’t a Good Look for Her: Here’s Why

Confirmation!

Jeff Lewis Believes Claims of Shannon Beador Being a “Terror” on Set Could Be True, Says He Was “Concerned” About Her Before She Left to Film Love Hotel in Mexico and Confirms She Wasn’t in a “Great Place”

🍸 Something About Horror…

It beats the horror of the last two seasons of VPR.

Ariana Madix Takes on Halloween Horror Nights 2024

💍 Charming Proposal…

She’s finally moved on from creeper Austen. Good for her.

PHOTOS: Olivia Flowers Gets Engaged to Boyfriend Alex Williams in NYC Near Family and Friends, as Southern Charm Alum Shares Photos From Romantic Proposal

🥸 That’s a Lot Of Laughs…

Wow. Fifty – 5-0 – seasons.

https://ew.com/how-to-watch-first-snl-episode-after-saturday-night-movie-8722822

💸 Regrettable Millionaire…

This came after the shame of being included in The Dark Side of Reality TV. I kinda, sorta remember it, but I’m not a fan of the finding love shows. I always feel embarrassed for the contestants. No doubt they feel embarrassed for themselves too, after it airs. And it’s rarely love that they find.

https://ew.com/joe-millionaire-producer-regrets-convincing-women-to-do-show-8714985

👻 Get Your Ideas Here…

This article shows costumes you can buy and where you can buy them, but it’s not that hard to DIY some of these ideas. I’m no seamstress, but I’ve handmade dog costumes a few times. You try to find Rocky Horror costumes for dogs.

https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/pets/best-dog-halloween-costumes

Omg, the little football.

https://blog.homesalive.ca/dog-blog/20-funny-creative-outrageous-pet-costumes

💡 Quotes of the Week

The really magical things are the ones that happen right in front of you. A lot of the time you keep looking for beauty, but it is already there. And if you look with a bit more intention, you see it. – Vik Muniz

It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it. – Abraham Lincoln

October is the fallen leaf, but it is also a wider horizon more clearly seen. It is the distant hills once more in sight, and the enduring constellations about them once again. – Hal Borland

Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right. – Terry Simpson

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. – Mike Tyson

You’re going to come across people in your life who will say all the right words at all the right times. But in the end, it’s always their actions you should judge them by. It’s actions, not words, that matter. – Nicholas Sparks

I said no cilantro. I might as well shove a bar of goddam soap in my mouth. – Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell), The Penguin (Same.)

No one knows what it is, or how it works, but everyone wants to possess it. – Nomad (Michael Berryman), Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time

🍁 Here’s To October…

Get your weekend on, then join me on Monday for soap and seeing what’s on Sail. Until then, stay safe, stay within the parameters of a party (in other words, don’t be nosy about the host’s home), and stay never calling people unkind names because they’re sick.

Oct4

October 3, 2024 – A Sliver Of Hope For Heather, Pulling Back the Curtain, Another Goodbye, Shannon’s Tea Party Birthday, Steal These Ideas & Mash

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Lucky skulks around Bobbie’s. He looks through the window and sees Elizabeth. He goes inside, and she turns around. He walks toward her.

Molly visits Alexis in Pentenville. When she’s about to hug Alexis, the guard says, no contact with the prisoner, but Molly says she’s exercising her privilege as ADA, and they hug.

Trina walks into the gallery while Ava is on the phone. Ava says she understands, and she’ll be at the gallery all day. Trina asks if it’s about a piece of art, and Ava says she wishes. She’d rather be focused on keeping the gallery in the black than keeping herself out of prison.

Ric goes to see Heather, who says she appreciates that he hasn’t given up on her. She hasn’t either.

Marshall asks what Curtis is doing at The Savoy when he has a big fancy company to run. Curtis says he does, but Marshall going back to keeping secrets distracted him.

Dante brings Portia some donuts for the staff to thank them for taking good care of Lulu. She’s hanging on and it has a lot to do with the people here. She says, they provide the medical care, but he and the family give her something to live for.

Jason sits by Lulu’s bed and says, she’s doing her part, staying strong and hanging in. He’s grateful he and Anna could help.

Lucky says, coffee is going to stunt Elizabeth’s growth, and we flash back to when they met, and they both looked like they were 12. Elizabeth says she thinks it’s cigarettes, but he says, she never gave up coffee and she hasn’t changed a bit. She hugs him.

As Jason leaves Lulu’s room, he runs into Dante coming in.

Elizabeth asks if Lucky slept on the plane, and he says, a little, but sleep has been in short supply lately. He’s hungrier than he is tired. She says, he’s in the right place, and he says he loves the name, but hopes the menu hasn’t changed. She says, Carly would never, and asks a server for a BLT with onion rings and extra pickles. She asks how the flight was, and he says, a few bumps, nothing flying on the WSB’s dime couldn’t fix. She tells him that she’s now head nurse, and he congratulates her and says, there’s nobody better for the job. She says she can think of one or two, and he says, Aunt Bobbie would be proud. She says, Bobbie wouldn’t be proud if she misses her meeting, but he says he was hoping they could talk. She says, her nurses can wait a few minutes, and he says, they have a lot of catching up to do.

Curtis asks how long Marshall was going to hold out on him. He got a phone call congratulating him on his father’s big, national concert tour. The Wynton Marsalis Quartet – that’s big time. Marshall says, it’s something. Who told him? Curtis says, a booker called, wondering why he didn’t promote Marshall, and Marshall says he’s sorry he put Curtis on the spot. Curtis says he’s sorry he ruined Marshall’s surprise, but Marshall says, there’s no surprise. He’s not taking the gig.

Ava tells Trina that John Cates’s death changed nothing. She’s still going to trial for Kristina’s accident, and she’ll need to step back from the gallery. She’d like Trina to run it in her absence. Trina says she doesn’t know if she can swing the gallery and school, and Ava says, she’s going back to PCU? Trina says, it’s time she put Spencer, Esme, and Heather behind her and gets back to her life.

Ric says he’s sorry the tests didn’t corroborate their theory, and Heather says she started envisioning a life without her grandson, but then met her new cellmate, his ex no less. He laughs and asks if Alexis swooped in with her optimism. Heather says, Alexis was accused of killing someone to protect her daughter. The only difference between them is Alexis was of sound mind. If Alexis thinks there’s a chance she’ll beat her charge, why shouldn’t she? Ric says, she can’t compare the two cases. Heather committed multiple murders, and as it stands, her brain chemistry wasn’t altered. Heather says, hogwash. She wasn’t born a serial killer. Something made her one.

Portia talks to Deanna about Lucky’s tests. Her phone dings, and she almost runs into Brad while she’s looking at it.

Alexis tells Molly not to exploit her position on her behalf. She doesn’t want Molly to lose her license. Molly says, fine, but it’s on Alexis now to do everything in her power to defend herself. Alexis says, that’s the plan, but Molly says, not if she allows herself to be put in prison so Sonny won’t be.

Lucky and Elizabeth sit at a table, and he says, he wasn’t at his former camp. She says, which camp? and he says, they’re all basically the same. She asks if he was there by choice, or he was a prisoner? If he treats it like a mystery, so will everyone else, and that won’t fly with some people. One person in particular. He says, his mother? and she says, get used to telling the story. He tells her about Sidwell and how he kidnapped Isaiah, and she says, she met Isaiah. He’s a charmer. He asks if Isaiah talked about him. Did he flirt with her? She says, back to Sidwell, and he says he got snagged trying to bust Isaiah out. She says she gets why they’d want a physician, but why did they want him? He says, it turns out Sidwell is a big gambler, and they played cards, a lot of cards. She asks if there were big stakes, and he says, just lives. Eventually, Anna and Jason showed up and here he is. No big deal. She suggests he make it a big deal to their son. He’d feel better if Lucky was away for a good reason, and that it wasn’t just easier to be there than here.

Dante tells Jason that he’s not going to make it a big thing, but he and Rocco appreciate what he did for Lulu. Jason nods and leaves.  

Alexis says, Molly has spoken to Martin, and wonders if he doesn’t understand attorney/client privilege. Molly says, they’re looking out for her best interests, and Alexis says, his job is to give her the best defense. Molly says she thinks the best thing is for Alexis to go to trial armed with evidence as to who killed John, but Alexis says she thinks her best defense is to find the gun she disposed of. Molly says, neither Sam nor the PCPD have found it, so she’ll have to proceed. Alexis says she gets that Molly wants her to point the finger at Sonny, and Molly says, but if she does, Kristina will speak up or throw herself in the crosshairs. It’s her future she’s putting on the line to protect Kristina and for what? If Kristina hasn’t already ruined her life, she will, and all of Alexis’s efforts will be for nothing.

Trina tells Ava, enough time has passed. She has to get as close to normal as she can. Ava asks if she has to or is she ready to? and Trina says, maybe both. She doesn’t know if she’ll ever be ready. She talked to her mom and Aunt Stella, and they agree. She can’t get accustomed to what feels easy. She has to push past her comfort zone. Ava asks if that’s the gallery, and Trina says she doesn’t want to disappoint Ava, but Ava says, Trina could never disappoint her. Just promise if she needs a change, she’ll honor that. She’d hate if Trina felt pressured. Trina is invaluable to her and she couldn’t run the gallery without her, but Trina is more important to her as a friend.

Heather tells Ric that something was wrong with her, and it was put right when they took out her hip. She feels different and people say she acts different. He says he understands she wants to get out and seek compensation, but she says, it’s not about the money. It’s always been about Ace. One day, he’ll be old enough to understand why she went to prison, and when he does, she wants him to know it’s not because she’s a killer at heart. It can’t be all she amounts to in his eyes. That’s why she refuses to go down without a fight. She’ll take any angle she has to take, but she can’t do it without his help.

Portia asks what Brad is doing here, and he says he works here. She says, he’s not scheduled until later, and he says, somebody called in sick. He’s trying to be a team player and a model employee. She says, they’ll see how long that lasts, and he says she can hate on him all she wants. He doesn’t blame her, but he’s not going to screw this up. He owes that much to Britt. She says, so that’s how he got Terry’s recommendation. He played the dead best friend card.

Ric goes to the gallery and tells Ava that he may have hit on something in her statement that might be able to get her case thrown out. Ava says she likes the sound of that, and he says, now if he can just have that sliver of hope for the rest of his clients. She asks if things aren’t going well with Heather, and he says, having been the town pariah, he thought she’d have some empathy, but she says, not even one bit. He says, Heather has done some horrible things, but she just wants to be treated like a human being. He knows the feeling and imagines Ava does too.

Molly says, if Alexis goes to prison, who’s going to protect Kristina when she messes up? and Alexis says, she hopes Molly and Sam. Molly says she won’t. She can’t have a relationship with Kristina until Kristina can be responsible for her actions. It’s one thing to mess up her own life, but now she’s throwing Alexis under the bus. Alexis says, it was her choice, and if it was Molly, she’d do the same thing. Molly says she would never put Alexis in that position, and Alexis says, Kristina has severe postpartum and severe post-traumatic stress. She’s not in her right mind. She can’t make sane decisions right now. Molly says, what about the terrible decisions she’s made in the past? and Alexis says she’s Kristina’s mother. She has to protect her. She wishes Molly could understand. Molly says, but only a mother could, right? and Alexis says, that’s not what she meant, but Molly gets up and walks away.

Marshall says he needs Curtis’s signature on some papers that have been piling up, and Curtis says he’s at a loss. This is what Marshall always wanted, to play with the best on the biggest stages in the country. What if the opportunity doesn’t come around again? Marshall says, maybe it won’t, but he’s not going to get another son. Curtis asks if Marshall isn’t taking the gig because of him.

Elizabeth says, Lucky doesn’t owe her anything, but Aiden is a different story. He’s growing into a special young man, but he’s not bulletproof, and Lucky needs to handle him with care. Lucky asks how else she thinks he’d handle Aiden, and she says, Lucky doesn’t know him and she knows he didn’t come back for Aiden. He came back for Lulu and that’s fine; she gets it. She’s glad Lulu has hope, but she’s not assuming that means he’s staying, and she doesn’t want Aiden to assume that. he says he won’t make promises he can’t keep. That’s the least he owes her. She asks when he plans on seeing Aiden, and he says, today, but first, he’s due back at the hospital for another test. He doesn’t suppose the head nurse would want to accompany him. She asks if needles still freak him out, and he says, very much.

Jason sees Sam, and she asks if he’s okay. He says, everyone is in one piece, and Sam says she thinks he should talk to Danny. He says, that was his next stop. He’s sorry he didn’t talk to her before he left. She says, it was probably a good idea. She would have overreacted. As a matter of fact, she owes Carly an apology about him going to Africa. She should have known he was going to go. He says, because Carly asked? but she says, because of who he is. He never pretends to be anything else and she’s grateful. So are Dante and Rocco. She thanks him and says, if anyone ever gives him hell for being himself, including her, ignore them. (Um… I think he already does that.)

Outside Bobbie’s, Lucky asks what else Elizabeth can tell him about Aiden, and she suggests he find out for himself. He says, she did a beautiful job on the sign, and she asks if Carly told him that she painted it. He says, no. He’d know her brushstroke anywhere.

Jason says, before he goes, Sam’s not wrong to be upset that he didn’t come to her. She deserved to hear it from him, not Danny. She says, that means a lot, and he says, it means a lot that she understands why he had to go. Elizabeth and Lucky arrive at the hospital.

Curtis says, Marshall is passing on a once in a lifetime opportunity, but Marshall says, it was decided he’d run The Savoy while Curtis concentrated on Aurora. He made a commitment to his son and he’s not about to go off to play his clarinet. He can do that in Port Charles, in this very club. Curtis says, not with Wynton Marsalis. He can get somebody to run the club. Marshall says, if he takes the gig, he leaves tomorrow and he’s gone for four months, and N’neka is in grad school. Curtis says he’ll do it, but Marshall says, that’s impractical at best, and foolhardy at worst. The Savoy is Curtis’s baby and Aurora is his future. He needs to be here so Curtis can pursue his dream. He was a terrible father. Curtis says, Marshall isn’t going to feel guilty about what he can’t change. If he allows Marshall to pass on his shot, he’ll be a terrible son.

Brad says, Britt’s name may have come up. Terry felt bad enough for him to give him another chance. What’s the big deal? Why does Portia care if he works here or not?  

Heather asks how Alexis’s visit was with her daughter, but Alexis says she’s not discussing her family, and her case is a hard no. Heather asks if the weather is off limits too. They might as well make the best of it here. Alexis asks if that’s because they’re going to be in here a while, but Heather says, Alexis is innocent, and she was under the influence of cobalt. They’ll get out sooner or later. But say it’s later. She knows her way around here and Alexis is going to need looking out for. Alexis asks what she wants in return, and Heather says, there is something she wants from Alexis.

Ric says he’s not diminishing Heather’s crimes. He only knows her as his client, but not only does she seem confused as to why she did what she did, she seems genuinely repentant. That doesn’t sound like a typical murderer to him. His phone dings, and he says, she may not be. Ava asks why he thinks that, and he says, because of the tests he had rerun in two independent labs. They contradict the numbers from GH. Ava says she’s guessing that affirms his theory, and he says, in a word, yes.

Elizabeth introduces Deanna to Lucky, and she says, one last test, and he’ll get the green light for the liver donation. He leaves with her, and Jason comes over to Elizabeth. He says, Elizabeth seems like she’s in a good headspace, and she hugs him.

Sam goes to Lulu’s room and asks, how’s the patient? Dante says, hanging tough as usual, and she says, what about him? He says he’s better now that Lucky is here. He owes Jason and Anna big time. He asks if she talked to Jason, and she says, he apologized for not telling her that he was leaving, and she apologized for the way she reacted. He says, an adult conversation. Good. Does that mean they’re turning a corner?

Marshall says he wants to do right by Curtis, and Curtis says, then go show the world what an Ashford can do. Show him, TJ, Trina, and Aunt Stella. There’s no greater reward than seeing someone you love achieve their dreams. Marshall says, so if he goes, that’s his gift to his family? and Curtis says, live his life to the fullest, and he’ll be right there with him.

Heather says, it’s something Alexis can’t give her. It’s something she’s got to earn. Alexis wonders why she feels like she’ll regret asking, and says, what is it? Heather says, someone to believe in her the way Molly believes in Alexis. Ric said Molly is her biggest advocate. Alexis says she’s fortunate, and Heather says she dreams about something like that, having someone to fight for her. Nobody sticks up for someone like her. Why would they? She’s made some big mistakes. Alexis says, they all have, but Heather says, Alexis didn’t give up her kids. Maybe if she’d had someone like Alexis to follow their lead, it would have been different. Alexis did it right.  

Brad says he’s legitimately curious as to why he bothers Portia so much, and she flashes back to changing Heather’s lab results. She says, because she’s Co-Chief of Staff and is responsible for the patients and the employees. He’s demonstrated that he’s not responsible for anyone, much less lab work. He says he’s not trying to cause trouble. He just wants to put in his 8 hours and go home. She says, he has 7 to go. After that, who knows? He’s on probation, right? He says, that’s why he wants to be the perfect employee. He leaves, and Trina comes in. She asks if Portia is okay. (If Portia tries to pin this on Brad, I can’t with her anymore.)

Ava says, so a high reading would show that the hip replacement had no impact, and Heather was of sound mind when she went on her hooking spree, and Ric says, a lower number would show the violence stemmed from her bad hip. The results were only high at GH. If he brings it to trial, he has to account for those results. Ava says, maybe it’s not a mistake at all.

Ric asks if Ava is suggesting someone at GH altered the results, and she says, it wouldn’t be the first time. He asks, who would do that? and she says, somebody who wants Heather kept behind bars.

Portia tells Trina that she’s fine. There’s just a lot going on. What about her? Trina says she talked to Ava about going back to school. The issue now is her remedial art history class at the Sorbonne. It’s messing with her schedule. She asks if that’s Brad, and Portia says, he’s back at the hospital… for now. Trina says, Aunt Stella calls Brad a bad egg, and Portia says, he casts a long shadow. Trian says, like Esme and Heather, and Portia says, yeah, but Esme and Heather are out of their lives for good.

Marshall says, Curtis wins. He’ll accept the offer on two conditions. Curtis and the family come and hear him play… Curtis says, they expect the best seats in the house, and Marshall says, done. And two. The second Curtis’s juggling here and Aurora becomes too much, call him and he’ll come running. Curtis says he will, but Marshall won’t have to. Now can he offer his dad congratulations? Marshall says, bring it in, and Curtis says he’s so proud of Marhsall. They hug, do fancy handshakes, make noises, and yell, Wynton Marsalis! over and over.  so proud hug my dad his son

Alexis asks what Ric said, and Heather tells her that Ric said her cobalt test numbers weren’t down, and currently don’t support that theory. Alexis asks if he used the term currently, and Heather asks why it matters. Alexis says, Ric might be hedging his bets. Heather needs to have more tests run. Maybe they’ll paint another picture. Technology isn’t foolproof. Heather says she knows what that is… hope.

Sam tells Dante that she’s trying to shift her perspective. It’s a work in progress. She realizes Jason did a good thing. He took a risk for Lulu and her family, for Dante and Rocco. She’s okay with that. All she wants is for Lulu to make it. Dante says him too, but it’s important for him that Sam knows the person he needs and the person he’d be lost without is her.

Jason tells Elizabeth that he’s glad he could help. Now all they need is for Lulu to pull through. Lucky comes out, and Jason says he’ll see them later and leaves. Elizabeth asks, how’d it go? and he says he didn’t faint and got a juice box. She says, so he didn’t need her, and he says, let’s not go overboard. She says she has to start work, and he says he’ll see her later. She asks if he’s going to see Aiden first, and he says, yeah. He thanks her for everything and says he has a good feeling about this. She says, so does she, and leaves.

Tomorrow, Brook tells Chase that it might take the both of them to get the truth out of her; Rick asks who Ava is protecting; and Lucky tells Sonny that they both know he should have been here all along.

🔥 Behind the Explosion…

Take a look behind the scenes with Jason, Anna, and Sidwell. Carlo Rota seems like he’d be fun to work with.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/go-backstage-at-gh-with-steve-burton-and-finola-hughes

🥀 A Hale Farewell…

Sadly, the old Mike has left the old Kelly’s for the last time.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/soap-star-ron-hale-dead-at-78

🍊 Johnny J. and the Oranges…

After Tamra ruined Katie’s dinner party by overreacting, we found out that the Ryan/FBI insinuation was regarding illegal gambling and Ryan’s business partner Matt using Ryan’s address as his business address. It seemed like the issue was really with Matt, who’s a professional gambler. Tamra said it was disgusting and Ryan was a horrible human being. Wow. She sets the bar pretty low for disgusting and horrible. How about thirsty middle-aged women who get baptized for screen time, then never act like a Christian again? Katie summed it up best when she said, what a f***ing night.

Emily went over to Gina’s new place and checked out the kids’ room. They each took turns spinning on the fireman’s pole, and in Gina’s interview, she said she wouldn’t be worthy of a stripper name because that sh*t is too much work. I concur. I can just imagine landing on my ass while trying to spin on a pole. In Fancy Pants Heather’s interview, she said she would have liked the opportunity to talk to Emily about the size issue. Here’s where I looked at the camera like Jim in The Office because she did have the opportunity. It was even in the flashback from last week. Emily started to tell Fancy Pants that she just wanted to have a conversation, when Fancy Pants interrupted her and asked her to be quiet for a minute. Oh wait. Fancy Pants meant a one-sided conversation. Otherwise known as a lecture.

Katie was discovering her Korean roots, which she wished she’d been introduced to as a child. Same with my Lithuanian/Native American roots. In her interview, she said, the only Korean phrase she knew was, f*** your mother, but the text said that she was actually speaking Mandarin, so apparently, she doesn’t even know that. I understand though. I took two years of French and all I can do is tell you how to pack a suitcase and curse you out.

Shannon had a 60th birthday age-appropriate tea. She laughed about being a spinster, but I have no doubt she’s not laughing on the inside. No surprise, Fancy Pants suddenly wanted to talk to Emily at the tea, and when Emily said she’s already tried that, Fancy Pants said, I wasn’t in the moment at the time. Because it’s all about her. Gina hit the nail on the head in her interview when she said that Fancy Pants always needed to remove herself, step away, and come up with the perfect thing to say. I think that’s because she wants to control all situations, whether they involve her or not. Alexis sent a flower arrangement with an olive branch in it, but Shannon said it was too late. She had no interest in being friendly. I can’t say as I blame her, and I agree with Emily, who said in her interview that Alexis had been making Shannon’s life hell. Shannon said, Alexis’s coach, aka Johnny J., was telling her to be nice now, and in Tamra’s interview, she scoffed and rolled her eyes, but I tend to agree with Shannon. Alexis isn’t smart enough to devise this kind of hate campaign. Shannon said she was hosting a trip to London for the group, but Alexis wasn’t invited. Everyone shared their favorite memory of Shannon, and they all involved a lot of laughter, which is something I wish we saw more of on this show. Exhausted was the word of the episode.

Katie and Jenn paid a visit to Alexis in order to gently let her down about the trip. After hopping around and flailing her arms, Alexis said she just wanted peace in the group. Katie told her to check her phone, and there was a text from Shannon saying she wasn’t interested in an olive branch. Johnny J. showed up in Alexis’s interview and said his hands had been tied, as the statute of limitations was nearly up for a loan lawsuit. Even though Katie wanted to be Asian Switzerland, she admitted in her interview that she thought Alexis had leaked the lawsuit to People.

Next time, the OC invades London.

Real Housewives of Orange County Season 18, Episode 13 Recap: No Scone for You

🐕 Dress Like the Stars….

IMO, the Beanie tag is cute, but lazy.

20 Best Celebrity Pet Halloween Costume Ideas to Steal

👟 Blame It On the Boogie…

Calling it an early (for me) night, but join me tomorrow for soap and a Friday frolic in entertainment. Until then, stay safe; stay springing for the good individually wrapped and sealed candy; and stay not getting accustomed to what feels easy and push past your comfort zone.

Sep27

September 26, 2024 – First Loser In Sidwell’s Game, New Soap Who Dis, No Party Goes Unpunished, WWDD, Teasing Us, Digipool, No Joke, Fall Films, Saved By Her Hair & Rain

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

Stella meets Tracy at the park, and Tracy says, in her book, on time is five minutes early. Punctuality is a principle she holds dear, and if Stella doesn’t agree, maybe they need to rethink their arrangement. Stella asks who Tracy thinks she’s talking to.

James goes to the stables and Sasha tells him to have fun with his Uncle Cody. Cody says, fun is his middle name.

Drew tells Ned that Valentin is wanted by the FBI. His assets have been seized and it’s not going to look good for ELQ. Ned agrees, and Drew says he wishes Ned had been in agreement when he teamed up with Valentin. They need a less controversial CEO. He can’t do it, so that leaves one person. Ned says, me, and Drew says, Michael.

Sidwell says, it would be easy to kill them all, but he wants to make it more interesting. He’ll give them a chance to keep breathing. Jason asks, what’s the game? and Sidwell says, three players. If Jason wins, he and Anna live. If Lucky’s name is accurate, he and Holly will live. If he wins, they all die. No matter what happens, he can’t lose. Holly says, this is insane. Kill them if he wants to, but not her.

Tracy asks Stella if she was harsh. Timeliness is important to her. Stella says, her too, but there was an accident on Bellmont… She’s not explaining herself. She doesn’t buy that Tracy is this angry because she was late. Tracy asks what she’s angry about then, and Stella says, you tell me. Tracy says her mood has nothing to do with Stella being late. Two staff members were insubordinate and ill-mannered, and she’s annoyed about it. The cook took it upon herself to throw an elaborate brunch for another family at their boathouse and the stable hand was involved. Stella says, that is rude. Some people have no work ethic anymore, throwing a party on the job. Tracy says, the cook wasn’t on the clock. It was her day off. Stella says, it’s a shame about the stable hand, but Tracy says, it was his day off too. Stella says she’s confused. What’s the problem? Tracy says, their blatant disregard for her. Sasha got huffy and defiant, and Cody chimed in on her behalf. Stella says, problems are like onions. You’ve got to pull back the layers to get to the root. She knows what this is really about, and bets Tracy does too.

James asks if Cody is happy to be part of their family, and Cody says, the happiest. James says he can’t believe Grandpa Mac is Cody’s dad, and Cody says he can’t believe it either. He learned to be okay with being alone and leaned into the cool parts, but having a family who he cares about and who cares about him is a lot cooler.

Maxie thanks Sasha for the brunch, and Sasha says, it was fun until Tracy. Maxie says, that was a lot of hot air over a quiche. She was checking for updates on Lulu. She’s getting worse and needs a transplant now. Sasha says she’s sorry. She knows they were close. Maxie says, Lulu is her best friend. Always has been and always will be.

Drew says, Michael is the obvious choice, and Ned tells him, says who? Who authorized him to choose? Drew says he’s a member of the family, and Ned says, he made that clear when he changed his name before his run for office. Drew says he makes no apologies, and Ned never apologized for making Valentin CEO. Ned asks if the initials SEC mean anything to Drew, and Drew says, they need to replace Valentin with Michael. Ned asks why he should support that, and Drew says, because he’s a team player. He’s supporting the family over his personal interests. Michael and Willow walk in, and Michael asks if they’re interrupting.  

Holly says she doesn’t know what these people are doing and doesn’t care. She’s not involved. He’s the one who persuaded her to leave Monte Carlo, and now she’s going to be killed if someone doesn’t win a game. Sidwell says he enjoyed his time with her, but doesn’t trust her. She knew these people and didn’t tell him. She says she explained why, but he says he doesn’t like people who keep secrets. He tells the guards to get the women out and secure Lucky and Jason. He asks if they’re ready to play for their lives.

Tracy asks if it isn’t premature for Stella to presume she knows what Tracy means, and Stella says, they’re more alike than Tracy wants to admit. It all boils down to one thing. How Tracy feels about Cody.

James asks if Sasha is part of their family because she’s Cody’s girlfriend, and Cody says, some people have a hard time believing in themselves. Sasha believed in him when he couldn’t and talked him into it. James says he believes in Cody. How can he not believe in himself? Cody says, James wrote the book on cool, but James says he hates writing. Cody tells him, it’s just a saying. For the record, Sasha is part of his family. James says, then she’s part of his too, and they get ready to go for a ride.

Holly and Anna are put in a cell, and Anna looks around. Holly says, she won’t find anything, and Anna asks if she’s supposed to sit around waiting to die. The whole reason they came was to bring Lucky home to save Lulu, but that only happens if he lives. If he wins, that means Jason can’t win. She finds a paper clip and starts to work the lock. She says, that means she’s a dead woman. Why didn’t Holly help Lucky escape when she found him? Holly asks how she would know Lulu needed a transplant. She was two months into the most odious con, and two weeks was all she needed. She would have had millions of dollars, but instead, they show up, and now their lives are at risk. Anna says, Holly always survives. She needs to ask Holly a favor. When she gets out, go to Robert and asks him to tell their daughter how much she loves her. Holly says, Anna is such a bitch. Anna knows she can’t go to Robert and tell him that she left her to die. Anna says she doesn’t see what choice Holly has. Unless Holly has a magic Get Out of Jail Free card, she’s screwed.

Sidwell says he’ll do the honors, and shuffles the cards. A guard whispers something to him, and he says, something requires his attention. In case they think of doing anything stupid, there are guards outside. He leaves, and Lucky asks what Jason and Anna are doing here. Jason says, they’re here to take him home.

Drew says he was filling Ned in on his idea for Michael to take over as CEO, and Ned says, it was more like a mandate. Drew says, does Michael have time to join them? and Willow says, it’s fine. She’ll see him at the boathouse. Michael says, if they miss their reservation, he’ll make it up to her, and she says she knows. She leaves, and Michael says he takes it Ned’s not on board, and Drew says, Ned’s creating conflict where there is none. They need to get ELQ on solid ground and it’s easier if they’re on the same page. Ned says, it’s always two against one, and Drew says, Ned’s right. Ned says, that’s a first, and Drew says, no more two against one. He’s confident they’ll figure it out on their own. He leaves, and Michael says he doesn’t have an agenda. He just wants to do what’s best for the family. Ned says he believes Michael. It’s not Michael he doesn’t trust. It’s Drew.

Tracy asks if Stella is suggesting she’s harboring romantic feelings for Cody. If so, she’s ready too many trashy novels. Stella says she’s not saying that… Not that she would blame Tracy. They’ve been meeting for several months and it’s clear by how much she talks about Cody, that they’ve become close. He even took her out on the lake in that old rowboat. They confide in each other. She was one of the first people Cody told when he found out Mac was his real father. Tracy says she’s mentioned him more than she realized, and Stella says, he’s a good friend and now he’s reunited with his family and he’s with Sasha. Tracy is afraid of losing him. And why not? Look at where they are. She points to Gregory’s plaque on the bench, and Tracy says, it’s been a difficult year. She hasn’t spoken to Finn in months. Stella says, another good friend. Loss is hard. Tracy says, losing Gregory was harder. He was one of her closest confidents. And there’s Luke. She misses him most of all. Luke, Finn, and Gregory were all so compelling, especially Luke. They’re very different, but Cody reminds her of him. Maybe she just wants to see that, but she thinks they share a lot of the same qualities. Stella says, it’s safe to say he’s important to her, and Tracy says she couldn’t stand another relationship slipping away.

Lucky says he appreciates the effort, but Jason says he doesn’t understand. Lucky says, just get himself and Anna out. Sidwell talks a big game, but he’s not going to kill him or Holly. Jason says, there’s no time. Lulu had a medical crisis and needs a liver transplant. Lucky is her best shot at a donor and has to get home as soon as possible. Sidwell comes back and says, apologies. Now, where were we?

Stella says she’s sorry about Luke, Gregory, and Finn, and Tracy says, at least Finn is still alive. Stella says, but he’s not present in the way Tracy wishes he was. Grief isn’t linear. There are ups and downs, twists and turns. Tracy says, her own personal roller coaster. She wants to get off the ride now. Stella says, you think you’re making progress and you’re at peace, then out of nowhere, it hits like a ton of bricks. Tracy says, it sounds like she’s speaking from experience, and Stella says, a few weeks ago, she heard My Girl. She and Irene used to play it over and over, and dance and sing for hours. She was in her car and just lost it. She’s convinced, the deeper the love, the longer the journey. Tracy says, there’s no bond like siblings. She had a brother. He drove her crazy like nobody else. Why get involved with people when you’re just going to lose them? Stella says, everything Tracy feels is normal. Although maybe she should temper her reaction. Tracy says she guesses she owes Sasha an apology, and Stella says, that’s a good place to start. Tracy says she’s sorry for scolding Stella. It’s not going to happen again… if there is an again. Stella asks if Tracy doesn’t recognize a good friend sitting next to her. She’s not a compelling man, but she is a compelling woman if she does say so herself. Tracy says she has to agree.

Ned says he gets that Michael is in it for the family and sees he’s willing to put aside what he wants for the greater good. Michael says, but Ned doesn’t think Drew is, and Ned says he knows Drew isn’t. Michael says, no one has come through for the family more than Drew, and Ned says, they’re grateful, but Drew is a Quartermaine through and through. He wasn’t always like he is now, but maybe his struggles changed him. He knows Drew is out for himself and will take what he wants. Michael says he’s never seen anything to indicate that, but Ned says, keep his eyes open. Just because Michael’s intentions are pure doesn’t mean Drew’s are. He’ll never fully trust Drew, and if Michael is smart, he won’t either. He leaves.

Creeper Drew goes to the boathouse, and Willow asks what he’s doing here. He says he could tell she was upset and wanted to say he’s sorry. He didn’t mean to ruin her night with Michael. She says, it doesn’t matter. She’s continually asked him to stay away, but he doesn’t care. He says, of course (🍷) he does, and she says she has feelings for him that are jeopardizing her marriage, and it makes her feel like absolute crap. He says she doesn’t want her to feel that way, and she says, then stop running into her and checking on her. She needs him to leave her alone.

Sidwell says he’ll put down first, and lays his cards out. Lucky puts his down, but Jason folds. Sidwell tells the guards to take Jason and bring Holly back. Jason’s loss is English’s gain. She always lands on her feet. Give his condolences to Anna. It was pleasure playing cards with him. Lucky says he’s sorry, and Jason says, get home safe. The guards lead him out, and Sidwell says, for a savvy card player, Jason is naïve. Lucky’s not going anywhere.

Maxie sees Ned and says she has papers for Tracy and Brook. He asks if it’s Deception business, and she says, it is. She asks if he can keep an eye on James. One time, the lake; two times, a disappearing act. Ned says he’s got it, and Maxie says she won’t take long. Good luck. Ned asks, what’s new? and James asks if Ned kisses people on the lips. Ned laughs and says he does, but only one person, his wife Olivia. James says, kissing his mom makes Spinelli happy. Why would one kiss make Willow sad?

Cody tells Sasha that he and James talked about her and how grateful he is to have her in his life. James asked if she was part of his family. He hopes he wasn’t out of turn saying yes. She says, nothing would make her happier, and they kiss.

Holly says she’ll never forget the day Anna showed up, the woman from Robert’s past. Anna was awful. Her marriage to Robert was the sweetest time of her life. She thinks she knew in her heart something that special can’t last. Anna says she remembers how at peace and content Robert was with Holly. She guesses she felt bad about getting in the middle of that. She thinks Holly made Robert happy in a way she never did. Holly says, Robert will never be happy again if she lets Anna die here, but she can’t figure out how to prevent it. Anna says she doesn’t think Holly can, but Holly says she told Anna, no way is she going back to Robert and telling him that she left Anna here to die. The guards bring Jason in, and one of the guards punches him in the stomach just because. They take Holly, and Anna says, tell Robert to tell her, but Holly says, don’t give up. Jason says he’s sorry. He lost the game. Anna shrugs and says she knew he would.

Sidwell wonders what Jason’s hand was and Lucky looks at the cards. He says, a losing one, and Sidwell says, Lucky’s trend continues. Lucky says, they did what he wanted. They played his sick game and now two people are going to die. Sidwell says, that doesn’t mean the deal changed. If Lucky loses… Lucky asks if he’s not bored, but Sidwell says, not even a little bit. Lucky says he thinks it’s time they shake things up, put in something for him. They play a hand and if he wins, he goes free. Holly is brought back, and Sidwell tells the guard to take the other two to the courtyard. He welcomes Holly back, and she says she’s glad that unpleasantness is behind them. She’ll forgive him this once. Since they’re still playing, she’ll go to her room. Sidwell tells her to stay and tells Lucky that he’s right. It’s high time they reset the terms.

Cody knocks everything off the table, and he and Sasha start to get busy. Tracy clears her throat, and they see her standing in the doorway. (Why do they continually leave this door open?)

On the phone, Michael says he’s off the grid for the rest of the night. He has plans with his wife. Maxie walks in and says, he makes his family priority. She wonders how he’s not pulled in different directions. She’s having a hard time, and she only works for one company. He says, there’s nothing more important than Willow and the kids, and she says, Spinelli usually gets the short end of the stick, but he’s patient and kind about it. She hereby declares she’s making her relationship a priority. Michael suggests a standing date night. Twice a month minimum, one a week if they can swing it. She says, they’re both lucky they found their person.

Willow says, please just go, and Drew says he will, but he wants her to know that he understands. He’s going through the same thing. She says, he’s not married. He’s amazing and her heart races when she sees him. It puts what matters at risk and she wishes she could make it go away, but she’s having trouble. He can help. He helped her in Greenland. Help her now. Stay away from her. Please. He leaves.  

James asks if sad and guilty are the same, and Ned says, sometimes. James asks what guilty means, and Ned says, it means you feel bad about something and wish you hadn’t done it. He’s confused. What does that have to do with Willow and a kiss? James says he heard Willow tell Aunt Nina that she felt guilty for kissing Drew. (Rut-roh. Congratulations, Ned. You’re the new CEO of ELQ!)

Jason says, Sidwell is going to kill them, and Anna says, he made that clear. He says, their only chance is to jump them, but she says, they’re armed. She has to get the cuffs off of him. She can’t go after them alone. He picks up the paper clip and she works at the cuffs, but she says, it’s not working. It’s not strong enough. It’s just bending. She can find a nail. She searches the bed, and says, if she can get it out… Frustrated, she lifts the bed and it bangs on the floor, and Jason says, just try again. She starts to cry and says she can’t do it. He tells her, stop, and she says, sorry. This is it, isn’t it? They’re going to die in here tonight. She hugs him, and it looks like they’re about to kiss, but they’re distracted by a door clanging. Jason listens for a moment, then kisses Anna. (I wrack my brain trying to remember if they’ve ever been involved.)

Sidwell says, Lucky isn’t just playing to keep himself alive. Holly lives as long as Lucky continues to win. Holly says she refuses, and Sidwell asks if she thinks she has a say. She smacks his face and says, he brought her to this hellhole just to be part of his sad game. He grabs her and says, does she think he didn’t know she was after his diamonds? Does she think he’d let her cheat him? She grabs his gun and tells him not to lay his hands on her. And don’t think of calling the guards. She asks if Lucky can get free, and he says he’s way ahead of her, already out of the cuffs and leg irons. He asks where Anna and Jason are, and she says, they’re in the same cell he was. Sidwell knocks the gun out of her hand.  

Tomorrow, Cody says, Tracy should know if she does, he’s going too; Robert tells Diane, don’t be too sure on that; Brennan tells Carly that he’ll do as much as he can, the rest is up to them; and Sonny says he would have hoped Martin would make that happen.

🧼 At the Starting Gates…

This sounds pretty good. Doubtful I’ll watch it during its daytime slot, but I’m sure it will stream as well. Could this mean daytime is taking a turn for the soap? Premiering on CBS in early 2025.

https://deadline.com/2024/09/beyond-the-gates-cbs-daytime-drama-casts-tamara-tunie-daphnee-duplaix-karla-mosley-1236093722/

🍊 Ti Many Martoonies For Tamra…

Fancy Pants couldn’t figure out why it was two steps forward with Gina and Emily, and said there was a piece of the puzzle missing. Yeah, the piece that’s Heather’s ego. She and Terry got in a little spat, which was interesting. He was annoyed with her talking over him (ugh, same, I hate that), and told her not to admonish him on camera. They tried to hide from the camera when they had that conversation, but Andy sees all.

Johnny J. wouldn’t settle the suit with Shannon (try saying that three times real fast) because he wouldn’t sign an agreement not to say bad things about her. I’m still confused as to who asked for this in the first place, since I thought this whole thing started because she was talking smack about him. Alexis said he’d lost everything, and it was all coming out tomorrow. While we assumed she meant the videos, which he admitted keeping for blackmail purposes (!), it was just an article in the press about the lawsuit, which is par for the course. Shannon butt-dialed Tamra, who heard her wailing about it and saying she thought Alexis’s PR team was behind it.

Katie was having a couples’ dinner party so husband Matt could make friends. It was funny when Katie listed the names of the guests for Matt. I got the feeling they went right back out of his head the second she said them. Ryan had gone on a podcast and trashed Eddie, and Shane wondered if there was going to be a boxing match. I like Shane. He seems normal. In her interview, Katie said, just be kind around the wineglasses. Emily said, Fancy Pants wasn’t invited because she didn’t acknowledge Katie’s existence, but Terry had just undergone surgery to fix his snoring nose, so that could have actually been why. Gina was away, and Katie said she didn’t want Shannon feeling like a ninth wheel, although I’m pretty sure Shannon would still be offended at not getting an invite. Especially since she was whining about being all alone… except she had Archie… sniff… Hey, you can do worse than a dog. When Eddie asked if there were name tags at the table, Emily said he was by Ryan. I literally lol’d and even Eddie had to laugh. Yeah, if I was going to hang out with anybody IRL, it would be Emily and Shane.

Tamra kept downing martinis, and in her interview, Jenn said the last time Tamra got drunk like this, she (Jenn) had a napkin thrown in her face, and we flashed back to that. They discussed Alexis being looney toons and this led to Emily weeping over the whole dress thing again. It’s a shame Emily still feels like she’s overweight. She doesn’t seem to understand that the size number doesn’t matter. Even at my thinnest, my waist only gets so small. Tamra wanted to talk about the elephant in the room, or as Emily put it, the two big elephants. Because you should always discuss these things at a dinner party. At least in Housewifeland. This led to Tamra and Ryan arguing about his love of married women. Eddie kept trying to get her to shut up, while the other husbands looked at the sky, the grass, or their drinks. It didn’t take long for Tamra’s vocal register to hit screech level, and she ended up stumbling out of the party by herself, saying, I’m done.

Real Housewives of Orange County Season 18, Episode 12 Recap: An Elephant Never Forgets

⚰️  Spinning At You This Sunday…

The latest on Daryl Dixon: The Book of Carol. No spoilers.

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/the-walking-dead-daryl-dixon-our-best-look-yet-at-the-book-of-carol/

TWD: Carol Finds a Way to France in Exclusive Daryl Dixon Season 2 Preview

https://www.ign.com/articles/the-walking-dead-daryl-dixon-season-2-review-book-of-carol

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – What to Expect From Season 2

🌁 Something New From Last…

The latest trailer for The Last of Us. However, it’s not making the new season air any faster… sigh…

https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/last-of-us-season-2-trailer/

🦸 Straight From the Merc’s Mouth…

The Amazon version sounds awesome. When it comes out on DVD, I want the Blu-ray with the pop-up Deadpool army. Yes, I bought the Game of Thrones makeup set with the pop-up throne. I’m that kinda girl.

https://www.marvel.com/articles/movies/marvel-studios-deadpool-and-wolverine-digital-4k-uhd-blu-ray-dvd

I’m not surprised. There was really nothing like seeing this on the big screen. I would have walked on glass to get there. Not broken glass, but maybe that safety glass like they use for car windows.

https://collider.com/deadpool-wolverine-global-box-office-1-317-billion/

🃏 All Joking Aside…

Lady Gaga proves once again that she’s more talented than the rest of the world put together.

Lady Gaga Brings ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’ Energy to the Louvre, Paints the Mona Lisa a New Smile

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/lady-gaga-fiance-michael-polansky-joker-folie-a-deux-london-photos/story?id=114124780

https://ew.com/joker-folie-a-deux-clip-joaquin-phoenix-lady-gaga-kiss-prison-8713670

🎬 And the Rest…

A list of the movies that may or may not be in your future.

https://ew.com/your-guide-fall-movies-2024-joker-folie-a-deux-wicked-8717208

🐕 Nemesis Of Roadrunners Everywhere…

I saw this on the news and got an adrenaline rush just from watching it. Thank God she was right there and moved fast. We don’t have coyotes here, but we didn’t used to have deer in the backyard either.

https://people.com/tommy-lee-wife-brittany-furlan-saves-their-dog-coyote-attack-video-8717966

🍵 Autumn Is Calling…

Join me tomorrow for soap and whatever nuggets of entertainment I can dig up. Until then, stay safe, stay organizing your environment for inner peace, and stay peeling back the layers until you get to the root of your problem.

Sep21

September 20, 2024 – Sidwell Extends an Invite, First Day, OC Tea, Iconically Salty, Big Apples, Expanding His Territory, Oh No They Didn’t, An Octuplet Of Quotes & Fair

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What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts, recaps, and the whole GH enchilada on Fridays)

General Hospital

At The Savoy, Curtis says he’s glad they did this tonight, and Portia says, her too. She really needed it. N’neka brings their drinks and says, this is what she likes to see. Two beautiful people in love, and her favorite boss back where he belongs. Curtis say he appreciates it, but don’t get used to it, and N’neka says she’d hoped seeing him was a sign he’d be around more. He says, unfortunately, no. He does miss this place and he misses them all, but Aurora’s keeping him crazy busy. Portia says, maybe, but it is a Quartermaine business. They could be at each other’s throats any minute now. Drew walks in with Nina, and Portia says, unless Nina gets to Drew first.

In the nook, Michael says, let him deal with it, and Ned says, he told Michael, let him handle it. Willow says, maybe they should table the ELQ business for now, and Lois says, and discuss matters closer to home, like the fact the boathouse is still a crime scene. Michael says he’s concerned about that too, but right now, they need to get this situation squared away. Ned says he has it covered, and Michael says, nobody’s seen ELQ’s majority shareholder and it’s been weeks since he disappeared. Ned says he has their best people working on tracking him down, and Michael says, and yet, the FBI says his trail has gone cold and Ned is saying he can find him. Ned says he can, and Michael says, they can’t count on Valentin being caught. They need to lock ELQ down so Valentin can’t offload his shares to fund his new life. Ned says he doesn’t need Michael’s constant reminders about not locking down ELQ, and Michael says, maybe if Ned had sided with him and Drew instead of collaborating with Valentin, they wouldn’t be in this mess. Ned says, yes, and maybe if Michael hadn’t invited Sonny over to the house, John Cates might still be alive.

Looking very broken and beaten up, Lucky is thrown into a cell by two guards. One says, maybe that will teach him to keep his mouth shut. At least they’ll have peace and quiet until he wakes up. The other guard says, if he wakes up.

Holly says, Anna seems to have her hands on a phone that doesn’t belong to her, and Anna says, stay out of this, but Holly says she’s afraid she can’t do that. Anna is a thief, and she’s caught her red-handed. What choice does she have but to sound the alarm?

At the table, Sidwell throws down his cards and says, a straight flush. So what has Jason got? Don’t keep him in suspense. Jason folds, and Sidwell says, you fold, you lose. He’s going to collect his winnings and his woman and call it a night. Jason says, not yet. Their night isn’t over.

Portia says she loves Nina’s dress, and Nina thanks her and says she loves Portia’s dress too. 🥱 Drew says, Curtis looks okay, and Curtis says, just okay? He did his hair and everything. Portia says, they both look amazing, and Curtis says, before he forgets, he has a call for Monday. Their negotiators are closing the Tokyo deal, and he wants to run some things by Drew. Drew says he’ll make sure to be there. They’re going to get a table. Curtis tells them to enjoy their evening, and Nina and Drew go to sit down. Portia says, those two seem awfully close. She wonders what’s going on between them. Curtis says, who knows? and she says she guesses she’ll find out eventually. That stuff with the Tokyo deal sounds pretty positive. He says, she’s not disappointed, is she? and she says she wants him to succeed. She doesn’t begrudge him his success. He says, but she might wish he found it someplace else, and she says, it’s not that. It’s just that she has heard some stories at the hospital. Individually, the Quartermaines are lovely people, but as a group… He says, their family battles are legendary, but he’s noticed it’s usually confined to ELQ business. Drew and Michael get along great at Aurora. She says, still. Please have his exit plan in place. Just in case. He laughs and says, there’s no reason to leave Aurora. He has some plans for their family and it’s going to pay for it all. So stop worrying. Things are only going up from here.

Nina says, someone is in a good mood, and Drew says, why wouldn’t he be? The election’s coming up and he’s ahead in the polls. She says, don’t get cocky. He’s up by 7% with a 4% margin of error. This election is by no means a done deal. He needs to direct his full attention to the final push for votes. He says he will, but he really doesn’t want to talk about politics tonight, and she says, great. Then they’ll talk about business instead. He says, there are a lot of other things to talk about, and she says, it’s impossible for him to take that Monday call and do his debate prep at the same time. He can’t do everything. She thinks it’s time for him to turn over the reins at Aurora.

Lois says, everyone, time out. Take a few deep breaths. Willow says she thinks that’s a good idea, but Michael says, no. He thinks if Ned has evidence that his father wasn’t where he said he was when Cates got shot, he should turn that over to the police. Lois says, and if not, zip it, and Michael says, they need to focus on ELQ. They’re in a position to remove Valentin from the company and from their lives entirely. Ned says he’s instructed their ELQ lawyers to get in touch with the SEC and they’re moving to stop Valentin from making any ELQ stock transactions. Does that suffice? Michael says, all he wants is to keep ELQ growing long enough to provide for their families, and Lois says she thinks everyone can get behind that. Ned says, great. Then stay out of his way and let him do what he does best. Michael asks if that’s betraying their family, and Willow says she knows they planned to stay in tonight, but she could really use a night out. What does he say? Michael says, yeah. He’d love to take his beautiful wife out on the town. She says, great. Let’s go get ready. He says he’s right behind her, and she leaves. Michael follows, and Lois gives Ned a thumbs up and says, way to clear a room.

Sidwell says he’s had enough gambling for one night, and Jason asks if it really counts as gambling if he cheats. Sidwell says he doesn’t cheat, and Jason says he doesn’t lie. He grabs the wrist of the woman next to him, and she says, let go of me. He pulls an ace out of her sleeve, holds it up, and says, it’s a lot easier to win if you have help. Sidwell signals the guards to take the woman away, and says he doesn’t know that woman, much less be in cahoots with her. Jason says he’d like to believe that and he’s sure everyone else in the club would too. How can they be sure? Sidwell sits back down and says, deal. Jason says, he’ll take another 50,000, and a fresh deck.

Anna says, Holly doesn’t know what she’s doing, and Holly says she’s interrupting a crime. Anna say she thinks she’s doing exactly the same thing. Is Sidwell aware of Holly’s… what should they call it? Her colorful history? Maybe he would really appreciate an old friend’s perspective on her. Holly says, let’s not be hasty. Sidwell has more than enough to go around and she’s more than willing to share. She asks for Anna’s discretion, and Anna says, Holly can keep his money. She just needs help replacing his phone before he realizes she’s taken it. Holly says she wants no part in whatever WSB shenanigans Anna and Jason are cooking up right now, but Anna says, this isn’t for the WSB. This is for Luke.

Lucky groans and tries to get up, but he can’t. A woman smooths his hair back, and we see it’s Elizabeth.

Anna tells Holly, Lulu’s in trouble. She needs a transplant in order to survive and she doesn’t qualify for the national registry. Sidwell’s guard listens from outside the door, and Anna says, their best hope is to get a donation, and Lucky is their best chance. So she and Jason have come here to find him and bring him home. That’s assuming he’s still in one piece. Holly says, he was yesterday, and Anna says, she saw him? She saw him and didn’t do anything to help him? Holly says she didn’t have the opportunity, and Anna says, of course (🍷). She’s still lining up her latest score. Holly says, Sidwell surrounds himself with a small army, and he has redundancies in place of security apparatus. Anna says she’s trying to circumvent his security by getting the information off his phone, but Holly says, it won’t do her any good. He changes the passcode every day. It doesn’t matter how good she and Jason are. The chances of them getting in and out undetected are nil. Anna says, it’s going to have to be an inside job then.

Sidwell places a bet and Jason says, call, putting in more chips. Sidwell turns over his cards, then Jason turns over his. Sidwell sighs and says, damn it. Jason looks over at the bar and sees Holly.

Drew asks if he can borrow Curtis for a minute, and Portia says, go. Just don’t be too long. He says he’ll be back before Portia finishes her drink, and leaves with Drew. Nina says, Portia is a good sport. Talking business isn’t exactly how she wanted to spend her night either. Portia says she didn’t expect Nina to spend her night here with Drew, and Nina says she thinks it’s good for Drew to be seen out and about before the election, and she’s happy to help his campaign. Portia says she just doesn’t remember Nina being interested in politics before, and Nina says, she wasn’t… until Drew.

Drew thanks Curtis for getting Aurora Wellness up and running. He’s doing an amazing job. Curtis says he can’t take all the credit. He has a terrific team and great leadership from the top. Drew says, that’s what he wants to talk to Curtis about, and Curtis asks if he should be worried. Drew says, no. He’s just saying his campaign requires his full attention. So does Aurora, and neither can reach their full potential if his focus is split. Curtis says he knows Drew isn’t stepping away from the campaign trail, and Drew says he’s stepping away from Aurora effective immediately and leaving Curtis as acting CEO.

Ned tells Lois, Michael has the worst qualities of all of his parents. AJ’s self-importance, Carly’s bad faith, and Sonny’s hypocrisy. Lois says she wishes there was a way for Ned to get along with Michael. She wishes he was able to put his problems with Sonny behind him. He says, that’s not going to happen, and she says she’d be happy to sit down with him and Sonny and hash it out. He asks why she’d want to put herself in the middle of all this, and she says, the last thing she has time for is to be a peacemaker, but if it would help… He says, it won’t, and no one’s asking her to. She says, being part of a family is not waiting for an invitation. He and Michael and Sonny are a family. He says, that’s a bit of a stretch, and she says, Sonny is Michael’s father. They’re always going to be a part of Ned’s life. Why does he want to hold onto this hatred for Sonny? How does he benefit? He says he’s never going to change how he feels about Sonny Corinthos, and she says, he spent all last summer thinking he was Eddie Maine. He pushed everyone away except for one person – Sonny. He says, that was Eddie. Obviously, he was delusional. She says, it didn’t matter to Sonny. Sonny still looked out for him. Isn’t that something that family does for each other? Gio stands at the door, and Ned asks why it’s so important to Lois that he get along with Sonny. How does she benefit?

Portia says, so the man Nina sent to prison for insider trading enticed her to work on his campaign, and that kickstarted her interest in politics. Nina says, she and Drew both had to make amends for their past, but she thinks her opinion of him started to change when she saw how much Congressman McConkey respected him. It was the congressman who suggested Drew run for office. Portia says she was sorry to hear about Mr. McConkey. He was a good man. Nina says, a very rare, good man, and when she saw how much he liked Drew, she started to wonder if her combative relationship with Drew blinded her about all the good he could do. He saved the life of someone she loves more than anyone else in the world. Her daughter.

Michael and Willow come into the club, and N’neka says, it’s nice to see them both. She has a great table for them, unless they’d rather sit with their family. Willow looks over to see Drew talking to Curtis.

Drew says he knows it’s a lot to ask, and Curtis says he’s shocked. Being acting CEO wasn’t even on his radar. Drew says, Curtis is his righthand man and he knows he’s been clear about how happy he is with the work Curtis has been doing. So is he in? Curtis says, hell yeah, he’s in. He thanks Drew for believing in him and says he won’t let Drew down. Drew says, it never crossed his mind, and Curtis says, one question. How come he didn’t ask Michael to be acting CEO? He’s run Aurora. Drew says, Michael will be available if Curtis needs his help, but the better part of Michael’s attention is required elsewhere.

Lucky says he must be worse off than he thought, and Elizabeth says, contusions, bruising, and lacerations. They all need stitches. Probably internal injuries and a concussion. He says he thinks the concussion’s pretty obvious since he’s talking to someone who’s not here, and she says, let’s get you upright. He moans as she helps him sit up, and she asks, what happened? He says, she’s going to have to be a lot more specific, and she says, helping people is all well and good, but he’s right. This is as far as he can go. He’s run right up to the edge of his very own grave. Now what?

Jason says, luck must be on his side tonight, and Sidwell bangs his hands on the table. He gets up and goes to the bar, and Holly says, don’t worry. He’ll win it back. Anna goes to the table, slipping Sidwell’s phone back into his jacket pocket. Jason says, it took her long enough, and she says she knew he could handle it. He says he’d like to cash out please, but she says, so soon? Quietly, she tells him, change of plans. Keep winning. She has it on good authority that Sidwell really enjoys the competition, so if he plays his cards correctly, they’re going to get an invite to his camp. He says he can’t guarantee he’s going to keep winning, and she asks if he learned anything from his card shark ex. If he runs into a problem, just think, what would Sam do?

Gio says he’ll just grab this and get out of here, but Lois says, he doesn’t have to go, and tells Ned, if a truce between him and Sonny brings nothing more than a little peace and quiet, it would be worth it. Ned says he might actually believe that if he could trust a word she says, and she says she’s the most trustworthy person in this house. Gio says, she’s not wrong, and Ned says, she was, then she ditched her accent. She threw away something that made her unique like it was nothing. She says, words, consonants, vowels, and in her Brooklyn accent, she says, who cares? Ned says he does, because it’s her. He’s known her for years, and he loves her accent. This other person she sounds like, he doesn’t even know who she is. So does she blame him for wondering if he can trust a word that this new her says? Gio says, a little harsh, and Ned says, the truth often is, and leaves.

Sidwell tells Holly that he’s lost enough already, and he wants to be alone with her. She says she’s never known him to walk away from a table with so little to show for it, and he says he prefers to leave with something rather than leave with nothing. She says, that’s not very sporting of him. Does he really want to leave empty handed? Go back to their guest and tell him that he encountered another player as good as him and turned tail and ran?

Jason says, it’s risky, and Anna says she knows, but she thinks it’s better than breaking into Sidwell’s camp uninvited. Sidwell comes back and says, Jason has had quite a run lately. Congratulations. He puts on his jacket and says, it’s getting late. He’s done. Anna says, perhaps he can point them in the direction of the high rollers table then, and Holly says, this is the high rollers table. Anna says, oh, this is, and Sidwell sits down again. He says, maybe he has one more hand in him, and Anna and Holly exchange glances. The dealer gives out the cards and says, place your bets. Jason puts a bunch of chips into the pot, and Holly whispers to Sidwell that maybe he could draw on his credit… unless he’s reached his limit. Does he have any cash? He says he can do better than that, and takes a jewelry box out of his pocket. He opens it, displaying a diamond bracelet, and puts it on the table. Anna says, that’s beautiful, and asks Jason if he can win it for her. Jason says, done.

Portia says, Nina was just telling her about her political awakening. She said Willow had a lot to do with that. Willow says she doubts she had anything to do with it, but Michael says, she’s being too modest. Not only did she encourage Nina to get involved in the campaign, she’s Drew’s biggest cheerleader and she got the entire family together to support him. And they know how rare unity is for the Quartermaines. Portia says, here’s to hoping for unity… and victory, and Nina says, from her lips. Portia says she’s going to find her husband. Enjoy their night. Portia leaves, and Willow says, so Nina and Drew are here together. Nina says, Drew asked her to accompany him in public in the final stretch of his campaign, and Willow says, and she doesn’t mind? Nina says, no. It’s a small favor she can do for him, especially if it means helping him get to DC. Willow says, right, and looks over at Curtis and Drew. She says she needs to freshen up and asks them to excuse her.

In the hallway, Willow asks N’neka to do her a favor. She’s not feeling so well. N’neka asks if she can get Willow something, and Willow thanks her, but says she thinks she’s just going to get a car and go home. Would N’neka let her husband know she left? N’neka says, of course (🍷), and creeper Drew says, N’neka doesn’t have to worry about that. He can tell him. (Because even though he’s only about 50 feet away, Willow can’t do it. Didn’t N’Neka think this was in the least bit weird? Like, her ride is right there.)

Lucky says he needs Elizabeth to know… and she says, save his strength, but he says he needs her to know, being away from her was the hardest thing he’s ever had to do. She says, that’s interesting, because he never looked back. He struggles to speak and says he thinks about her every day, and their family all the time. She says, Aiden is great by the way, and he thanks her for taking such good care of their son. She says, he misses Lucky, and Lucky says, really? He misses Aiden too… constantly. He winces in pain and says he couldn’t be the father Aiden deserves. That’s why he had to leave. She asks if he would do it again, and he says he doesn’t know, but he did do it. He has to live with that, and helping people here was the only way he knew to atone for everything. She says, great story, but she’s not buying it. She thinks the truth is, he’s too much of a coward to face his family as anything but a hero. Easier to dodge bullets in the desert than own up to being flawed. He says he messed up, but he’s flawed, and she says, he could have come to her. She would have helped him. He says, she wouldn’t if she’d known who he really was, but she says she would have helped him anyway. He says, of course (🍷) she would have, because she’s so much better than he is. He was torn. To see the disappointment in her eyes, he couldn’t live with that. He couldn’t take it. Not from her. She says, so he just decided for all of them. No one else gets a say. He says he’s sorry, and she says, if he’s so sorry, then come home. Not as a hero, but as a man who messed up and has the guts to admit it. He asks if she thinks he can, and she caresses his face. She says, you tell me. Are you brave enough to come back to your family?

Standing to the side, Holly says, so Anna and Jason, huh? Alan would be rolling in his grave. Anna shushes her, and Holly says, does Robert know? Robin? Anna says, oh, shut up. She looks at the table and says, that’s going to look good on her wrist.

Anna goes over to Jason, and Sidwell leaves the table. Anna says, remind her to send a thank you note to Sam, and Jason says, making Sidwell angry isn’t getting them any closer to Lucky. She says, just wait for it.

Holly says, Sidwell promised her those diamonds, and he says, there will be plenty of others. She says, not like those. Get her bracelet back. He says he has nothing more to play with, and she says, he has plenty of diamonds back at the compound. If he wants to get back in her good graces, invite them to the camp and win her bracelet back. She walks away, and the guard comes up to Sidwell. He says, a word? and Sidwell says, get lost. The guard says, Sidwell will want to hear what he has to say. It’s about his competitor’s girlfriend and a conversation she had with his. (Rut-roh.)

Nina asks how Michael and the kids are adjusting to Willow being back at the hospital, and he says, it’s taking a little time. Her schedule is kind of up in the air right now. She says she’s sure it will calm down once it becomes routine. Although that might change if Drew wins the election. He asks, why? and she says, because he’s going to have to hand Aurora off permanently. He asks what that has to do with him and Willow, and she says she already told Drew that he’s going to have to step aside and name an acting CEO until the election is over and he seems like the natural choice.

Willow says, Nina told her that Drew asked her to accompany him for the final push on the campaign trail, and he says he did. She says she’s glad Nina could help, and he asks if she’s okay. He saw her notice him and kind of bolt out. She says she convinced Michael to go out tonight to get away from their… troubles. She doesn’t want to cause any trouble so she’s going to leave. He says, wait. They can’t take turns leaving every time they run into each other. People are going to start to notice and it’s going to draw attention to a problem that doesn’t exist. She asks how he can say that, and he says, because nothing is going on between them and nothing ever will. Nothing at all.

Gio asks if Lois is okay, and Lois says she stopped letting Ned get to her a long time ago. He says, as far as he’s concerned, no matter what anyone says about her accent, she’ll always be the same person who took him to his first punk show. She laughs, and he says, but he kind of misses her sounding like the Aunt Lois he grew up with. She says, he’s got her. Always have, always will. He says, she doesn’t mind? and she says, is he kidding? It’s a relief. And she’s so glad that he remembered the first show she took him to. He says he loved it, and she says, everybody remembers their first down and dirty punk rock show. Sonny took her to hers. (Somehow, I can’t quite envision that. I see Sonny as listening to Italian opera or classic rock from the 50s.) He says, that doesn’t surprise him. They both have great taste in music. Somehow (he stole my word), he can’t see Ned going to see a punk rock show. She says, Ned is a good guy. He’s just stressed. He says, that does not make it okay the way he talked to her, and she says, he’s right. No one should take their issues out on anyone. Remember that. He says, what’s his problem with Uncle Sonny anyway? and she says, there is a lot of bad history there. It’s too much to get into. He says, it seems like everyone has bad history when it comes to Sonny. Sonny has always been so nice to him, it’s hard to believe. She says, believe it.

Michael asks if Drew has seen Willow, and he says he just bumped into her a few minutes ago. Sorry to leave him stranded with Nina. Michael says, no. They had a pretty interesting conversation. She said that Drew was stepping back from Aurora. Drew says he is. Michael was next on his list to tell. Michael says, that’s okay. He’s ready to step up if Drew needs him. Drew says he appreciates that, but he just talked to Curtis and he’s going to step up as acting CEO.

Curtis and Portia clink glasses, and she says she’s so proud of him. He says he’s pretty surprised, and she says she was worried that he was spending too much time at Aurora, but she was wrong. He’s more than proved himself, and now he’s being rewarded for it. He says, if Drew wins this election, chances are the CEO job could be his permanently.

Michael says, Curtis doesn’t have much C-suite experience, and Drew says, Aurora is in a really good place right now. This is just until the election is over. He thought Michael would agree with him that his focus is better spent on the situation at ELQ. Michael says, Drew is probably right. He got into it with Ned earlier about Valentin. Drew says, he wants to act quickly on this and get ELQ back under family control, his and Michael’s. Michael says, and Aurora? and Drew says, let’s just wait and see how the election plays out. (Like Michael needs another job. What’s wrong with him and why does everyone want one more thankless position?)

Willow comes back in the club, probably confusing the hell out of N’neka, and Nina asks if she’s okay. It’s Drew. Willow says, no. She looks over at Drew and says, it’s nothing at all.

Lois says, Gio is going to hear a lot of rumors about Sonny, and he says he’s heard a lot already. She says, a lot of those rumors are rooted in fact. Not all of them, but enough. He says, it’s just hard for him to put the Uncle Sonny that he knows square in his head with the Uncle Sonny people hate, and she says, that’s because, like everyone, you can’t be reduced to just one thing. For every one of the bad things Gio is going to hear about him, there are qualities about Sonny that are admirable. Sonny is the most loyal friend he will ever have. He’s also the most reliable and the most generous. Gio needs to remember that when he starts hearing all the bad stuff. He says he hopes she doesn’t mind him saying it, but he’s heard some bad things about Ned too. She laughs and says, Ned will deny it until he’s blue in the face, but he and Sonny share a lot of the same qualities. Those two are more alike than either one of them are wiling to admit.

Sidwell says he’s impressed. Jason is the second-best player he’s ever had the pleasure of losing to. Jason asks, who’s the first? and Sidwell says, a guest in his camp. Anna says, he has a camp? and Holly says, it’s a lovely spot just a short flight away. Please come and join them. Anna says, no. They couldn’t possibly impose. Sidwell says, nonsense. Please. They never get the chance to socialize. Holly says, they’ve got plenty of room. It’s a tad rustic, but very charming and they have all the necessary comforts. Sidwell says, and cards. Please come. It will give him a chance to repay them for such an entertaining evening. Holly says, and maybe Jason will give Jenz a chance to win back everything he lost, and Anna says, how can they possibly turn down such a lovely offer?

Alone again, Lucky struggles to get up. He takes a knife out of his pocket, and crawls over to the cell door. He pulls himself up and starts to pick the lock with the knife.

Sidwell says his driver will be waiting for them outside. He’ll take them to town, and they can grab their things. They’ll be right behind them. Anna says, great. They’ll see them later then. She and Jason leave, and Holly says she’s glad they’re coming back to the camp. She’s sure he’ll find a way to win back the diamonds he promised her. Jason’s luck can’t hold on forever. Sidwell says, it wasn’t luck, and she asks what he means. He says, there’s more to those two than they’re letting on. But don’t worry. Win or lose, she’ll get her bracelet back. And Jason and Anna will get what they deserve for lying to him. Holly looks worried, as we all would be.

On Monday, Brook says, if Gio repeats that, she’ll deny it and she will hurt him; Molly says, maybe the universe is trying to tell her something; Portia asks why Terry didn’t tell her Brad was back; and Jack tells Carly, things and people aren’t always what they seem.

🧴 Getting His Soap Legs…

It’s funny how he’s hooked on the show now.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/carlo-rota-opens-up-about-learning-to-love-daytime-on-gh

🍊 All That OC Jazz…

When did she become Switzerland?

RHOC’s Heather Dubrow Weighs in on Alexis Bellino & John Janssen’s Extortion Claims, Engagement, and If Tamra Would Return to Tres Amigas, Plus Emily Spat, Jennifer’s Finances, and If She’d See Dr. Terry Dubrow for Facelift

Ugh. Jim  looks like that weird uncle who you don’t want to dance with at a wedding.

RHOC’s Jim Bellino Claims Alexis Told This “Lie” About Shannon Lawsuit, Explains His Kids Not Filming, and Talks Children’s Reaction to Alexis and John Janssen, Plus Why He’s Watching the Show

In related news. Also be sure to check out the video of Alexis’s Sorry-not-Sorry apology tour.

Shannon Beador’s Ex-Husband David’s New Wife Lesley Files for Divorce

Does she tune up her photos much?

Erika Jayne Says John Janssen Will Do What He Did to Shannon to Alexis, Plus RHOBH Star Recalls Her Own Drinking Problems Amid Tom Girardi’s Fraud Case and Shares Her Reaction to His Guilty Verdict

🧂 Just For the Salt Of It…

At least one meme included in every show!

Most Iconic Quotes From Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

🗽 Making It Here…

The new season premieres October 1st.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/the-real-housewives-of-new-york-city-season-15-photos-spoilers

Love her hair. Her life ain’t bad neither. I heard her speak at a business seminar and she was great. Definitely one of the best speakers.

https://pagesix.com/2024/09/19/style/spend-a-day-with-new-rhony-star-rebecca-minkoff-during-nyfw/

🌏 Riding Wasn’t Enough…

This sounds like fun, but I’m geographically challenged, so I’d probably be the first one out.

https://people.com/jeffrey-dean-morgan-announced-as-host-of-new-travel-competition-series-destination-x-8715507

🐼 When Is a Panda Not a Panda…

Craig Conover is going to have a field day with this one.

https://people.com/zoo-china-reveals-its-pandas-are-painted-dogs-8716240

You can see the panda pups here, but yeah, no. They’re definitely cute, but they look more like dogs than anything else.

https://people.com/chinese-zoo-dyes-chow-chow-dogs-to-look-like-pandas-8646638

🦞 Quotes of the Week

I actually want to cry, but I can’t cry on TV. – Jamal Lake, contestant on Halloween Baking Championship, when his dessert was deemed a dud

Maturity is achieved when a person accepts life as full of tension. – Joshua L. Liebman (Some of us mature faster than others.)

Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself. – Harvey Fierstein

If you are clear where you are going and you take several steps in that direction every day, you eventually have to get there. If I head north out of Santa Barbara and take five steps a day, eventually I have to end up in San Francisco. So decide what you want, write it down, review it constantly, and each day do something that moves you toward those goals. – Jack Canfield

Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone. – Lady Bracknell, The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. – Mae West

People will always have opinions about your decision because they’re not courageous enough to take action on their opinion. – Steve Maraboli

If you’d have a drink, I’d make a lot more sense. – Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi), Boardwalk Empire

🤹‍♀️ A Mosaic Of the Seasons…

Enjoy your weekend of choice, be it in the great outdoors or the adequate indoors. Then meet me here on Monday for soap and a proposal on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay not putting your summer clothes in storage yet, and stay never taking out your issues on anyone.