Tag Archives: Real Housewives of Orange County

Dec27

December 26, 2023 – Nina Makes a Confession, Premature Exit, Silent Night, What They Did, Switching Wives, Paige Tells All, Christmas Lists, Merry Chickmas & My Year

Posted on December 27, 2023 by theresakp

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At the hospital, Carly tells Laura that Christmas Eve never gets old. Did she see how magical it was for the kids? Laura says, it’s the same for her. It was even more magical because she got to see Ace seeing it for the first time. Where does the time go? Carly says, Josslyn’s in college. How did that happen? Sonny joins them and says he thinks he enjoyed Laura’s reading more than the kids did. Laura says, rumor has it that Sonny funded the festivities at the hospital, even more generously than before. He says, rumor has it, and she says, a lady never reveals her sources, but thank you. It’s a shame Nina wasn’t here to see it. She remembers the year Nina headed the committee to plan the party, so obviously, it means something to her. Carly says, Sonny told them she was coming, and Sonny says, Willow told him that she decided to stay in church a little bit, but she’ll be here.

In the confessional, Nina tells the priest, really Cyrus, that she’s never been to confession before, but she didn’t know where else to turn. She wonders if it’s okay that she’s here, but Cyrus says, God is eager to help all His children. Go on. She says she did something terrible. She was spiraling out of control and knew the second she did it, that it was wrong, but she had no idea it would hurt so many people so much. He asks who she hurt, and she says, people who may not be saints, but they didn’t deserve what happened because of her. He asks who these people are, friends, family? and she asks if it matters, but he says, to truly advise her, he needs more information. Let go. Open her heart. God wants to hear everything.

Spencer tells Trina that he doesn’t think he’s ever seen Ace fall asleep that fast. He was out before his head hit the pillow. She says, he’s probably exhausted from all the excitement of the party. He was so happy being around all those people fussing over him. Spencer says, not half as happy as he was. How did he get so lucky to spend Christmas with her and his little brother? She says, Esme was generous to let him have Ace for the night, and he says, maybe this is part of her turning over a new leaf thing, and Trina says, maybe. Or maybe there’s another explanation. Maybe she wasn’t being generous. Maybe she just had plans. He says, doing what? and she says, maybe Esme had a date.

At Windymere, Esme flashes back to setting up the revenge porn, then turning in Trina for it. Then she remembers telling Spencer that he’s delusional if he thinks she’s going to let Trina off the hook, and she remembers taunting Ava, saying Ava drove Kiki to her death. Then she flashes back to setting the Christmas tree on fire in the tower room.

Ava comes into Windymere, and sees the broken window. Her phone rings, and it’s her security company. They tell her that they received a signal of a break-in, and the PCPD should be there shortly. She thanks them, takes out her gun, and says, it may be too late. Dante says, police, don’t move, and then realizes it’s Ava. He asks what the hell she’s doing here.

Spencer asks Trina who Esme would be dating. She doesn’t know that many people here, and the ones she does, know her history. Trina says, Esme’s circle might not be as small as he thinks. She’s got a new job and a new apartment. Maybe she met someone who only knows the new Esme, a co-worker or a neighbor. He says, and she thinks Esme’s on a date with that person? and she says, it’s possible. Would that bother him if she was? He says, absolutely not. Esme is a grown woman; she can do what she wants. If Esme were to start dating, the only thing he’d worry about is how that person treated Ace. Esme should feel free to go off and have a life of her own. Trina says, good, and he says, especially if it leads to more nights like tonight where Ace is asleep in the other room and they’re here alone. They have the place to themselves. Whatever will they do? She says she wonders what, and they kiss. His phone rings, and he says, speak of the devil. Trina says she’ll get them something from the kitchen, and Spencer answers. Esme says she’s so glad he picked up. She has something to talk to him about. He asks if something is wrong, and when she doesn’t answer, he says he gets it. It’s her first night away from Ace after getting the new place, and she’s naturally worried about it, but she doesn’t have to be. Ace had a fabulous time at the party, and now he’s asleep in the other room, dreaming about all the presents he’s going to open tomorrow. She says she’s glad, but that’s not exactly what… She hears Trina asks if Spencer wants cinnamon in his eggnog.

Laura says she thinks this is the first time she can remember being at this party without Bobbie being here. It’s taking her so long to settle Luke’s estate (😕). Carly says she thought Bobbie would be done weeks ago, and Sonny says, estates can be complicated. Knowing Luke, he’s sure Luke left Bobbie a few surprises. Carly says she spoke to Bobbie on the phone earlier, and she sounded cheerful, but when isn’t she? She did say Luke’s affairs were a mess, but she’s making headway. Laura says she guesses they’ll hear all about it when Bobbie gets back.

Nina says, if she had one wish, it would be to turn back the clock. Then she wouldn’t do all the damage she’s done. Cyrus says, this spiteful act, did it cost someone their life? and she says, not their life, but something almost as bad. His freedom. Someone went to prison because she reported them to the authorities when she didn’t have to, and he suffered, and so did the people who love him. She’s also letting an innocent man take the blame for reporting that crime, because she’s a coward. People are so angry with him when they should be angry at her. Cyrus says he understands. Go on. She says she’d like to change it, but it’s too late to make it right. he says, it’s never too late, and she asks if he really thinks so, because she’d do anything to fix it. He says, then she needs to confess to the people she hurt, not just him in this confessional, but she says she can’t. She wishes she were strong enough to tell the truth, but if she tells her family what really happened, she might lose them. She could lose everything. He says, if she doesn’t, the guilt will continue to eat away at her conscience, and it will destroy any chance she has at future happiness. The truth will always set you free. She says, to be free of this burden, this pain, if only, and he says, anything is possible. Be courageous. Be strong and correct the wrongs she did, and remember, she doesn’t walk alone. God is always with her. She says, God is with her, and thanks him. She says she won’t forget, and leaves the confessional. He says, neither will he.

Dante says he thought Ava and Avery moved into Nina’s place, and she says, they did, but she hasn’t sold Windymere yet. It’s still her property. He says he guesses he can’t stop her from wandering around her house with a loaded weapon, and she says, so he’s not taking her in… for defending herself in her own home after a break-in? He asks if she’s defending herself or looking for an intruder to shoot.

Carly says she couldn’t get over the kids’ faces as Laura was reading, when Nina comes out of the elevator. She hugs Sonny and says she’s so sorry. She can’t believe she missed everything. How did it go? Laura says, it was amazing, due in no small part to her husband’s generosity, and Nina says, the man she married is pretty great. Did he take a lot of pictures? He says, no, but Carly took a great picture of Donna. Could she send it to him? Carly says, sure, and Laura asks if she can see. Carly shows Laura her phone, and Nina asks if Willow didn’t tell Sonny where she was. He says, at church, but he expected her sooner, and she says he didn’t have to worry. Frank drove her here and she felt totally protected and safe. He asks if she got what she needed at the church, and she says she thinks so. He tells her that Willow said she was thinking about Nelle, and she says, yes, Nelle… and others.

Esme tells Spencer that it sounds like there’s someone else there, so she’ll make it quick. Trina asks Spencer what she’s calling about, and he says he doesn’t know, but it’s not going to take long. He asks if Esme is still there, and she says she just wanted him to know that she’s not going to be picking up Ace tonight. He can wake up with Spencer on Christmas morning, and she’ll pick him up later tomorrow. He says, okay. Wow. That’s great. He’d love to be able to spend Ace’s first Christmas morning with him. Is she sure she doesn’t want to take him home? She says, positive. Merry Christmas. He says, merry Christmas, but she’s already gone. Trina asks what all that was about, but he says he’s not sure, but he’s starting to wonder. Maybe Esme does have a heart after all.

Nina tells Sonny that she really needed something tonight, and found it at All Saints, with a new understanding. He says, about what? and she says, it’s probably… His phone dings, and he says, it’s Ava. There’s been a break-in on Spoon Island. Nina says, what? and Laura says, tell her to call the police, but Sonny says, the police are there right now. Dante’s there, but Ava wants him to go because Dante’s his son and he can keep it unofficial. Laura says she might be able to help; she’ll go with him. Sonny says he doesn’t think it’s a big deal, but Laura says she wants to go. It was her son’s home and if this break-in is somehow related to him in any way… If for some reason he might be back, she wants to be there. Sonny says he understands, and asks Carly to tell Donna that he loves her and merry Christmas. Nina says she’ll take care of Avery. She wishes she could go with him. He says he’ll talk to her later and thanks her for picking up Avery. She says, of course (🍷), of course (🍷), and Sonny and Laura leave. Carly says she’s going to pick up Donna and go home, but Nina asks if she can wait a second. She has something to say to her. She stayed at the church today because she wanted to ask the priest for guidance… about Carly.

Spencer tells Trina that Ace didn’t even flinch when he stubbed his toe and said a word his grandmother definitely wouldn’t approve of. He thinks it’s safe to say he’s out for the night. Trina says she should get home because her mom is planning a whole breakfast and opening presents tomorrow morning. She has to get started early. He says, that’s a bad idea. Stay here, because it’s so much harder to be away from her, especially after their trip to New York. She say she feels the same way, and they kiss. He asks if something’s wrong, and she says, it’s just that she can’t stop thinking about something else. He says, that’s just what every man wants to hear after he kisses the woman he loves, and she says, it’s Esme. He says, of course (🍷) it is, and she asks if he really believes what he said, that she’s had a change of heart. He says he doesn’t know. He’d like to. She put his grandmother and Ace first tonight. That’s a big step for her. Trina says, it is, and he says he’d really like to think Esme’s turning a corner here, but they don’t know that. So doesn’t she think they talked about Esme enough for one night? She says, they’ve talked enough about Esme for a lifetime, and he leads her to the sofa, saying, so maybe they should stop talking about her altogether. They kiss.

Ava asks if Dante thinks she’d be reckless enough to go after a burglar all on her lonesome, and he asks if she really wants him to answer that. There’s a knock at the door, and Ava open the door to Sonny and Laura, who says she decided to tag along. They go into the living room, and seeing the broken window, Laura says, whoever did this wasn’t looking to hide themselves, were they? Ava says, and everybody knows this place has a security system. Whoever did it thought it was worth risking getting caught. Sonny says, let him take her home. Let Dante do his job. Ava says, absolutely not. She’s not leaving until she finds out who broke in here. Laura suggests she and Dante take a look around, but Dante says he doesn’t think it’s a good idea. The house has been declared a crime scene. She says she used to live here, and her son owned the property for many years. She knows her way around this very large, very confusing home. She’s happy to show him around if it doesn’t interfere with his procedure at all. He says, it probably falls under some kind of grey area, and she says, great, let’s do it, but he says, they don’t know if the house is empty. Please stay behind him. She says, sure, and follows him out.

Esme looks at a photo of Spencer on her phone and wonders what she was thinking. Did she believe she was just going to own up, and he’d forget about all the things she did to Trina? That he’d congratulate her and say, great news, and forget all about Trina, and the things she did? And she, him, and Ace would have this happily ever after? He only cares about Trina and protecting her, and if she told him what she did… She cries and hears footsteps. She puts her ear to the door.

Sonny says, so Ava thinks whoever broke in here is the same person who sent her the pictures of dead Austin? It’s possible, but there’s no way to know. She says she’s sure the intruder is long gone by now.

Carly says, Nina asked for guidance about her? and Nina says she did. Whenever they’re together, they’re always sniping and arguing, and since it’s Christmas Eve, in the spirit of Christmas Eve, she thought it would be nice if they spent some time talking. Carly says, talking about what? and Nina says, when she was sitting in church, she realized, after all the pain, everything she’s been through in her life, she’s so blessed to be able to spend Christmas Eve with her family. She never thought she’d be able to say that. Spending Christmas Eve with her daughter and her children… Carly says, she’s a lucky lady, and Nina says she is. She’s very grateful for all of her family. She and Carly thinking a lot of family in common, and she started thinking about Carly and what she’s been through this year. The accusations of insider trading and financial problems and Drew going to prison… Carly asks if there’s a point to this because she has to go get Donna, and Nina says, there is. She’s sorry, and she’s trying to ask for Carly’s forgiveness. Carly says, forgiveness for what?

Nina says she not proud of herself, that her need for revenge is what drove her to hurt Carly and not tell her that Sonny was alive in Nixon Falls. Carly says, Nina has told her this before, and Nina says, something shifted. She wants to be a better person. She wants to be the kind of mom Willow brags about and the kind of grandmother that Wiley and Amelia are proud of. Sitting in that church – maybe it’s because of all the love around her, and support and peace – she realized there’s still a part of her that’s broken. There’s a part of her that still wants revenge for her daughter… Carly says she’s going to stop Nina right there. She knows what Nina is going to say.

Ava tells Sonny, anyone could have broken in here tonight. Maybe some kids playing a prank. He says, on Christmas Eve? and she says, why not? There’s no neighbors on Spoon Island, and it’s not exactly a professional job, right? It looks like something kids might do. He says, it’s possible, but there’s somebody out there sending her pictures of a dead guy and leaving a gun in her apartment. Now he’s broken in here. So does she think that would be kids or somebody playing mind games? She says she’s so sick of the whole damn thing, and he says, sick enough to do something reckless? That’s not going to happen, because he’s going to do everything he can to keep her safe. She thanks him, but says she thinks he knows she can protect herself. He says, what if she’s not the real target? What if he is?

Esme runs around looking for a place to hide, as Laura and Dante approach the tower room. They go in and Dante looks around with a flashlight. He says, the turret door is open. He’s going to check it out. She says, not without her, and he tells her to please just stay behind him. As they go into the turret, Esme runs out, dropping a glove.

Laura asks if Dante saw anything, but he says, nothing. Maybe forensics can find something. She says she’s sure they can. This person wasn’t really concerned with hiding their footsteps. He says, whoever was here didn’t get out by jumping off the turret, and she says, can they really be sure the intruder was in here? It’s possible Ava left the door open before she moved out. He says, it’s freezing in here. If Ava left the door open, it would be colder than the city. Someone must have left the door open more recently than that. She says, he’s right, and it is cold. She’s going in. They go inside, and Laura says she’s going to check on Ava. She seemed really shaken up. Dante says he’ll be down in a minute, and she starts to leave, but he says, wait. He picks up the glove with a pen.

Sonny tells Ava, the cops haven’t found the gunman who put Curtis in a wheelchair. The target could have been Anna, but it could have just as easily been him. She says, so he thinks whoever took that shot at the MetroCourt pool is sending her pictures of dead Austin and breaking into Windymere. He says, could be if it’s Cyrus, and she says, so he thinks Cyrus is stalking her to get to him? He says, they can’t rule anything out, but she says, as much as she’d like to blame him for her current situation, she does have enemies of her own. He says, whoever hurts her, hurts Avery, and he can’t allow that. So that’s why he’s taking a personal interest in her security.

Nina says, Carly knows? and Carly says, it’s really not that hard to figure out what’s going on here. Nina went to church and got caught up in the emotion of it all. Maybe it was the glow of the candles, or maybe it was the way the priest looked at her. She doesn’t know, but Nina’s guilty conscience started to get to her and now she feels the need to apologize. Nina says, that’s partly… and Carly says, but what’s really going on is that Nina feels that forgiveness is the last gift under the Christmas tree, and she really wants to open it and enjoy it. It makes sense because Nina’s gotten everything else she’s ever wanted. She’s got Sonny, Willow, her grandchildren, and the MetroCourt. Nina says, yes. She’s been very blessed this year. Carly says, at least Nina isn’t going to insult her by pretending she doesn’t see it. So why not feel entitled to ask for forgiveness too? She’s sorry to disappoint Nina, but she’s going to have to seek redemption somewhere else. Carly walks away.

The priest sees Cyrus and says, excuse me. Cyrus asks if there’s something wrong, and the priest says he was supposed to hear a confession and he was unavoidably delayed. Did he see a lady waiting? Cyrus says, as a matter of fact, there was someone here, but he saw her leave. The priest says he’s sorry he missed her, but hopefully, she’ll be back soon. Cyrus says he’s curious. How does he do it? The priest says, do what? and Cyrus says, when the lost come to him, unburden the heaviness of their souls, how does he help them? The priest says, it sounds like Cyrus is asking about someone in his own life, or himself, and Cyrus says, he’s very perceptive. He is asking for someone he knows, but it’s not him. He’s thinking about a friend who’s feeling lost and alone tonight. The priest says, the holidays can often make people feel that way, and Cyrus says he’s felt that way a time or two himself, but tonight he wants to help them, and he’d appreciate any advice the priest might have about how best to do that. The priest says, his friend is lucky to have him looking out for them. Confession is good for the soul. Merry Christmas. Cyrus says, merry Christmas, and the priest leaves. (Not very good at giving advice, is he?) Cyrus says, confession is good for the soul, but if Nina doesn’t do what’s good for her soul, he might have to do it for her. He dips his hand in the holy water, blesses himself, and leaves.

Nina follows Carly and says, please. It’s Christmas Eve. It’s a time when people are supposed to come together, and Carly still won’t give her an inch? Carly says she’s given Nina more than an inch. She’s given Nina more than a mile. She’s invited Nina to family gatherings and stood there while Wiley’s given Nina a hug and a kiss, and bit her tongue until it bled. And she tells herself over and over again that for his sake, she has to try and make things work. Then she has to remind herself that Sonny’s happiness affects Donna and Avery, so she keeps things pleasant, but that’s not good enough for Nina. Nina helped herself to Carly’s husband and her hotel. Now she wants Carly’s forgiveness on top of it? And she assumes she’s entitled to it. That sappy smile and saccharine speech is going to get her everything she wants? She doesn’t get to demand forgiveness; it’s a gift, and she’s not giving it to Nina. Nina says she’s come to Carly with the best of intentions, and Carly’s decided to stomp all over them. She’s not even listening. So much for peace on earth and good will to men. What does Carly want to do next? Does she want to kick over that Christmas tree? Carly says, Nina is unbelievable. She doesn’t get what she wants, and she’s so put upon. She loves playing the victim. Nina says she doesn’t want to fight with Carly. She didn’t come here to fight with Carly. She came here to make peace, to tell Carly her truth. She’s been sincere. Carly says she’s had a really long day. She wants to grab her little girl and go home to her family and enjoy what’s left of Christmas Eve. She walks out. I just have to interject that Carly keeps making it sound like Nina stole the hotel out from under her. She stole Sonny maybe, but Nina didn’t want the hotel in the first place, Carly had to sell it because of financial problems of her own making, and I’m sure Nina paid top dollar. I’m tired of them making it sound like she swindled Carly out of it.

Spencer asks Trina to tell her mom that she couldn’t get a Ride Share. Because of all the holiday parties, they were just awesome busy, so she had to stay a little bit longer. She says, they’re trying to get her mom to like him, remember? So keeping her daughter away from her on Christmas Eve is not a good idea. He says, that’s true, and she says she stayed longer than she planned, and she promised her mom and Curtis that she’d open one present at midnight. He says, fine, but if he had it his way, he’d spend this entire holiday with her. She asks how he’s so sweet, and he says, must be the Spencer side of his DNA. They kiss, and her phone dings. She tells Spencer, it’s her car, and he says, fine. He’ll let her go as long as she promises he can see her in the morning. He kisses her hand, and she says she still has to give Ace his present. He says, then it’s a date. Merry Christmas, Trina Robinson. She says, merry Christmas, Spencer, and they kiss.

At a sparse cemetery, Esme says she doesn’t even know what she’s doing here. It’s not like he was some great father who raised her from birth, and it hurts to live without him. He was as far from that as possible. But she can’t tell anyone else that she’s got her memories back. She thinks he and crazy Heather Webber are the only people who would understand her keeping it a secret. How messed is that? Her parents would be the ones telling her to lie. She guesses it’s true what they say, Christmas Eve is the loneliest night of the year. This year, she’s talking to a serial killer who just happens to be her dad. Talk about desperate. But why is it so hard? It should be easy to be a good person. She should want to take that path, but he never showed it to her. She had to learn it all on her own, and even then, it’s only because she lost her memory. But she’s made a good life here in Port Charles. She has a good job and an amazing child and her own apartment. With Ace’s stuff scattered all around the place, it really feels like home. Their home. And she’s happy. At least she thinks she is. The feeling is still so new to her. But there is another path too, the crooked one that he showed her. It would be so easy to go back, but what if she doesn’t have a choice? What if it’s out of her control and she’s supposed to be bad because it’s in her DNA? That is the legacy he left her. She goes to put on her gloves and realizes there’s one missing.

Dante puts the glove in an evidence bag and asks if Laura recognizes it. She says she doesn’t know. Does he think it could be Nikolas’s ~~since he’s always been into ladies’ gloves~~? Dante says he knows she’s been looking for Nikolas, but he doesn’t see anything to indicate Nikolas was here, and this isn’t a man’s glove. This wouldn’t fit him. She says, of course (🍷). He’s right. She’s sorry. She’s not thinking rationally, is she? She guesses because it’s his house, she just thought maybe… She doesn’t know. He says, it’s okay. Maybe it’s Ava’s.

Ava says she doesn’t want or need Sonny’s goons following her around. Does he know what it’s like trying to get anywhere with them in tow? He says, very well actually, and she says she can handle whatever this world throws at her and he knows it. She always comes out swingin’. He says, sometimes she needs a little help. Like the help she got from Dante and Dex when she was kidnapped by Mason. She was grateful to them. He has to do what he needs to do. It’s not just about her. She asks what he has in mind, and he says he doesn’t like this any more than she does, but Avery will. She says, why? and he says, until the figure out what’s going on, she’s living with him.

Tomorrow, Brook tells Chase that it’s going to need to happen faster than they anticipated; Felicia asks why Robert can’t get over it; and Alexis tells her daughters that she doesn’t think it’s entirely true.

🥀 Too Soon For Goodbye…

So sad to hear this. I really liked him on OLTL.

ONE LIFE TO LIVE Star Kamar de los Reyes Dead at 56

https://www.soapsindepth.com/gallery/one-life-to-live/stars-remember-kamar-de-los-reyes

🎸 Channeling Eddie…

Eddie’s alter ego gives us a Christmas serenade.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/watch-wally-kurths-beautiful-performance-of-silent-night

🎄 Soapy Celebrations…

What the soap stars did for Christmas. Probably the same thing you did.

See How Your Favorite Soap Stars Celebrated Christmas!

🍊 Wait… What…?

Wow. I missed something somewhere, but yes, let’s get her on RHOC ASAP. However, a promise ring? How old are we? 14?

PHOTOS: Alexis Bellino Declares Her Love for John Janssen as He Gives Her a Ring, Plus She Reveals If They’re Engaged as Kelly Dodd Reacts & Shares Ring’s Alleged Price

🍹 Spilling Charming Tea…

Paige gives the lowdown on her relationship with Craig. It’s definitely one I never saw coming, so I’m guessing it will somehow work out.

Paige DeSorbo Discusses Surprising Scene With Craig That Didn’t Air, Why She Feels Bad for Him, and When She’ll Move to Charleston, Plus Talks Being Hesitant to Get Married

🎬 For Those Not Done Yet…

The classics.

https://ew.com/movies/essential-classic-christmas-movies/

And the not-so classics.

https://ew.com/movies/best-christmas-horror-movies/

TV episodes worthy of a ho-ho-ho.

https://ew.com/tv/best-christmas-episodes/

🐔 A Chicken For Christmas…

And they come with a lifetime of free eggs.

Victoria Beckham Gifts David Beckham Chickens for Christmas

We actually raised chickens when I was a kid, but I had no idea this was a thing.

Cluck, Cluck! Amanda Seyfried and More Stars Who Have Pet Chickens

👖 Sisterhood Of the Elastic Waist Pants…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and an assortment of useless knowledge. Until then, stay safe, stay not drinking and driving on New Year’s Eve (there are so many options today, there’s no excuse), and stay making sure it’s a priest you’re confessing to if you go to confession.

Dec9

December 8, 2023 – The Not Perfect Tree Is Lit, Her Return, The M.E., Side Gig, Barrier Breaker, Sisters, Problem, Hamster Wheel, You’re Fired, LVP Report, Hannukah Pups, Quote Octet & Hollis

Posted on December 9, 2023 by theresakp

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Elizabeth and Finn walk to his door, and he thanks her for doing this. She says she wouldn’t miss it, and from inside, Violet asks if it’s Finn. He says, it is, and she says, don’t come in until she tells him to. She says, he can come in now, and throws open the door. She says, look at her tree, and Gregory says, she picked it out herself. The tree isn’t quite Charlie Brown, but it’s pretty janky.

Molly is about to knock on Kristina’s door, when TJ asks if she really wants to do this. She asks if he’s having second thoughts, but he says, let’s call it an abundance of caution. Sometimes life doesn’t give you time to think things over. You make a snap decision and have to live with the consequences, but they have time to take a moment and review and reevaluate. She asks where he’s going with this, and he says, she’s the smart Davis daughter, Sam is the resourceful one, Kristina is the impetuous one. Are the 100% sure they want her to be their surrogate?

Anna goes to Valentin’s house and asks if Charlotte is here. He says, she’s with Laura. It helps her to spend some quality time with her grandmother. Anna says, that’s perfect really. Laura is a wonderful presence in Charlotte’s life. Charlotte’s lucky to have her. He says, she’s got a dad too, and asks what he can do for Anna. She says, nothing. She just came by to give him an update. He says, on? and she says, on the arsonist who set fire to her house. It wasn’t Charlotte.

Lois looks up the stairs and says, this is a disaster, and Olivia says she knows. Lois says, not one inch of this entire gigantic house has been decorated for Christmas.

On a plane, Tracy hears the stewardess say that they’re anticipating landing in an hour. She looks at her phone and sees her and Luke’s wedding picture. She starts to cry and puts on her sunglasses and a hat.

Lois tells Olivia that Lila would be so upset. She’d have Reginald… Olivia says, who? and Lois says, Reggie. He was the butler when she and Ned were married. She would have Reggie and the entire staff decorating this house by the first of the month. Everything would be out except for a few things that came out on Christmas Eve. She’s thinking of a specific train set that Alan was very fond of. It was a family heirloom given to him by his grandfather who was in railroads. Olivia says, like an engineer? but Lois says, no. Great-grandpa Quartermaine owned railroads going upstate into Canada, and this particular train set was an exact replica of one of his trains. Alan was so proud of it, but by then, it was an antique, so it only came out on Christmas Eve, but everything else was everywhere else. There were wreaths on the doors, there was a garland going all the way down the staircase, and everything by December 1^st. She can’t believe Olivia wasn’t more on getting the decorations up. Her family’s house, her father’s garage was like a Christmas wonderland. Olivia’s own apartment… She could tell Olivia’s room on the street just by looking up. Olivia says she still enjoys Christmas decorating, but early on in her marriage to Ned, she and Monica sort of clashed over the Christmas décor. She wanted a fresh tree; Olivia put up something more… effusive. Monica made it very clear that this was her house, it was her choice, so Olivia just let it be. She let Monica take the lead with the Christmas decorating. Lois says she appreciates the sensitivity, but they can’t leave this house bare while they’re waiting for Monica to come back from her medical conference. Olivia says, okay, then let’s go for it, and Lois says, if her vote has any weight to it, she would appreciate a natural tree as well. Olivia says, she can do natural. Look at her fingernails. If they’re going to get a tree, they’d better get moving.

Violet says, it wasn’t as pretty as the others. If she hadn’t picked it, it might have not gotten picked at all. Finn says he thinks she chose the perfect tree, but Violet says, the whole point is that it’s not perfect. Finn says, but he thinks it’s perfect for them, and Elizabeth says she agrees. Violet is really getting into the spirit of Christmas. And she promises they are going to make this tree look spectacular. Gregory says, the first step is putting on the lights. Who’s going to do the honors? Violet says, daddy, and Finn says, how about a nice cup of hot cocoa first?

Molly says, from the moment she and TJ decided to have a baby, they faced nothing but setbacks. Sometimes she thinks the universe is trying to tell them something. Maybe they’re not meant to have children. He tells her, he never said that, and she says, so he does want to have a baby. He says, absolutely, and she says, so does she. Anytime she thinks about giving up and accepting they’re not going to have kids, she gets this pit in her stomach. That’s why she was crying in the park when Kristina found her. The thought of never having a family with TJ broke her. He says he’s so sorry, and she says, that’s when everything started to shift. Think about this. She’s never in the park in the middle of the afternoon. She’d be in her office or be in court. What are the odds she’d be there and so would Kristina? About a million to one. That’s got to be fate, right? Fate that her sister would find her. Fate that her sister would offer to carry their child again. And she has no interest in fighting fate. She can feel it in her heart that this is the right thing to do, and she’s 1000% sure about Kristina. He says, then so is he. Let’s do this. She knocks on the door, and Kristina invites them in. She asks what brings them over, and TJ says, this is more of a sister thing, so he’ll let Molly explain. Kristina says, spill it, sister, and Molly says she’s here to officially ask Kristina for a huge favor, one that will dominate her life for the next nine months… Kristina says, yes, she’ll be their surrogate, and Molly asks if she’s sure. Kristina says she’s never been so sure of anything in her life, and hugs Molly.

Valentin says, Charlotte has always denied burning down Anna’s house, but she lies about a lot of things. Anna says, she didn’t lie about this, and Valentin asks how she can be sure. She says, forensics collected some scraps of fabric in the bushes around her house and they all tested positive for the accelerant that started the fire. And they lifted some DNA which matched someone who isn’t his daughter. He says, thank God, and sits down. She sit’s next to him and says, it’s a relief. She didn’t want to think Charlotte had gone that far. He wonders why he didn’t believe her. Why didn’t he have faith in his own daughter? She said there’s a DNA match. Who’s the arsonist? She says she can’t tell him that.

Gregory says, the whole point is that it’s not perfect, and chuckles. He sits on the sofa, and Finn asks if he’s all right, but Gregory says he’s fine. He just sat down a little more quickly than he intended. He really wants this to be a good Christmas. Finn says, one to remember, when Elizabeth comes back with Violet and says, cocoa’s ready. They all take a cup, and Violet says, they should put up the lights. Finn says, since she did such a good job making the cocoa, it seems a shame to gulp it down, but Elizabeth says, don’t worry. She can make more. There’s a knock at the door and Finn answers it to Chase and Brook. Finn asks how Chase is with Christmas lights.

Anna gets up and says, she just wanted Valentin to know his daughter’s not responsible for the fire at her house, and he says, if there’s a DNA match, that means the arsonist is in a data base somewhere. So who is it? She says she can’t share that information with him, and he asks if it’s classified. She says she doesn’t know. She would imagine there’s someone somewhere who considers it classified. He says he’s not talking to them, he’s talking to her, so who burned her house? She says, he doesn’t need to know, and he says he doesn’t understand. She says, really? It astonishes her that he doesn’t understand, because she feels she made herself quite clear the last time they saw each other. She can’t tell him who burned her house down because she can’t trust him.

Kristina says, Molly was so emotional the last time she saw her, she wondered if, in thinking about it more, Molly might not want her to be her surrogate. Molly says, life’s been a roller coaster since she found out she can’t get pregnant, and when Andrea miscarried, she and TJ were devastated. TJ says he can quote her the odds on miscarriage, but none of that prepared him for when Andrea told him that she lost their baby or having to tell Molly. Molly says, when Andrea miscarried, she realized she needed to do some real soul searching. For the first time in her life, something she really wanted wasn’t going to come to her because she was smart and prepared and willing to work hard. She felt entitled to being a mom. Like whenever she and TJ were ready, whenever it fit into their schedules, she’d get pregnant, and they’d have a baby nine months later. But when that couldn’t happen because of her, because she’s basically infertile – she tears up – she jumped right into finding a solution, solving the problem. She could do that, so she picked Andrea to be their surrogate and she got pregnant. Everything was going according to plan… until it wasn’t. And it’s only now she realizes she has to do the thing that scares her the most. She has to accept that she’s not in control and ask for help.

Olivia and Lois come into the mansion, and Lois says, at least they made a start. Olivia says she’ll get the other garlands and wreaths from the florist, and Lois says she’s so glad they got the tree from PC Pioneers. It makes you feel so good knowing you gave back to the community, and those kids in their uniforms, so cute. Olivia says, it makes her think of little Dante when he was that age, and Lois asks if he was a Pioneer. Olivia says, no, he wasn’t, but it’s not for her lack of trying. She signed him up and took him to his first meeting. The kid jumped out the window and escaped before she even got her car out of the parking lot. Lois says, no, and Olivia says, hand to God. She got a call from the troop leader. He was apologetic, beside himself, and she told him, calm down. She went and checked the corner lot, and who is there playing baseball but little Dante Falconari. She wanted to grab that kid by the back of his hair and drag him home, but then she said, you know what? Who is she to dictate his dream? If her kid wants to play sandlot baseball and dream of a career in the major leagues instead of learning the fundamentals of camping, who is she to say? He’s her kid and she should support him, so that’s what she did. Lois says, that’s always been one of her favorite things about Olivia. She just takes people as they come and loves them for who they are. She doesn’t try to make them who she thinks they should be. Olivia says, it’s a fine line sometimes. With your kids, you’ve got to accept them, but you’ve also got to provide some guidance. Lois says, it’s like being a carpenter and a gardener, but Olivia says she doesn’t follow. Lois says, a carpenter builds a house based on his plans. The wood has no say. But a gardener is different because he raises what he has. He may tend the soil, fertilize it, pull the weeds, give it water, a little bit of love, but he doesn’t plant a pine tree expecting it to grow into an oak. He just raises the very best trees he can. Olivia says, Lois has definitely done that with Brook. She’s a spectacular young woman. Lois thanks her, and says, Olivia’s done a pretty good job with Dante and Leo as well. Olivia says, they’re both very good gardeners, and Lois says, that they are. Olivia says, Cody is going to be here with the tree any minute. They’ve got to get the Christmas ornaments. They both race up the stairs.

Molly says, people always tell her that she’s generous, and Kristina says, and humble. Molly says, what she never realized is that the person who is giving is in charge. They’re deciding when and how much, and hopefully, they’re doing good, but they’re in control. And they all know how much she loves to be in control. TJ says, she’s being way too hard on herself, and Molly says, asking for help means giving control to someone else. And that would be hard for her under any circumstances, but it’s excruciating when the person she’s asking for help is someone she’s treated unfairly. Kristina says, if Molly means her, she’s forgiven. Not that there’s anything to forgive. Molly says, what about the fact she was a total witch the first time Kristina offered to be their surrogate? but Kristina says she didn’t really think it through. She didn’t realize what was at stake. TJ says, he and Molly were pretty raw in those first weeks. Neither of them made an effort to see where she was coming from. Molly says, especially her. She realizes her reaction back then had less to do with Kristina and a lot more to do with her being messy and irrational, things she tries to avoid. It hurt that Kristina could carry a child and she can’t. It would be easy for Kristina, which doubled down on her pain, which makes no sense, she knows. Kristina says, please. She wrote the book on being messy and irrational, and if Molly had taken her up on her original offer, it would have been a huge mistake. They weren’t ready. As painful as it was going through this process, it made them ready. She is ready and she wants to do this. Molly thanks her and says she’s so lucky to have Kristina as her sister, and as her surrogate. Kristina says she’s the lucky one, and they hug.

Anna says she really does want to be clear on this. Valentin lied to her, and because he lied, she had no idea the intruder in her apartment was his daughter. He says, she’s right and he takes full responsibility, but she withheld information too. She’s far too good an agent to shoot at pointblank range without a confirmed target. She was gunning for someone that night, wasn’t she? Charlotte got in the way. She says she guesses they both have to live with that for the rest of their lives, right? She heads for the door, but he says, wait. He’s sorry. He wishes he’d told her. He didn’t tell her that Charlotte was stalking her because he was afraid. He was afraid if she knew, she’d leave him; she’d end their relationship. She asks why she would. She doesn’t know that she would have ended the relationship, but they’ll never know because he didn’t give her a choice. He didn’t tell her the truth, so she couldn’t make her own decisions. It’s too late for them, but it’s not too late for his daughter. He needs to focus on her and get her the help she needs.

About to plug in the lights, Chase says, everybody cross your fingers, but Brook says, wait. She brings Violet in front of the tree and tells her that if she makes a wish the moment before the Christmas lights come on for the first time, it’ll come true. Get her wish ready. Violet closes her eyes, and Brook says, okay. Chase plugs in the lights, and Violet looks at the tree. She says she knew it would be beautiful.

Olivia and Lois look through the Christmas ornaments, and Lois asks what this reminds Olivia of. She holds a silver ball by each ear, and Olivia says, how about St. Finbar’s their sophomore year? Sister Joanne Claire was so mad when she realized it was them sneaking into her office and moving around pictures of the saints. Lois says, they would swap Peter and Paul, and Olivia says, they got themselves detention and they had to decorate the auditorium for Christmas all by themselves. Lois says, they were there until 3 am, and Olivia says, 3:17, but who’s counting? Lois says, when they came out that morning and their parents were waiting for them, she doesn’t think she’s ever seen her mother so angry, but her father was disappointed. Somehow, that was so much worse. Olivia says she got a speech the whole way home. She can still hear it. Your cousin Connie would never do anything like this. Lois says, that’s because her cousin Connie never stepped a toe out of line. Although she’s got to say, she wishes she’d followed Olivia’s cousin Connie, because she was grounded with a 5 pm curfew until the following April. And by the way, Olivia was supposed to be grounded too. Olivia says she was, technically. Does Lois remember her bedroom window? It was a joke. Lois says, Olivia snuck out of that bedroom window so easily, she might as well have been on the ground floor. Oliva says, right out the window and into the nightclubs in the city all night long. Lois says, her poor parents, and Olivia says, honestly, she looks back and feels bad for all the worries she gave them, but at the time, she really enjoyed herself. Lois says, yeah, she did, when Cody comes in. He says he grabbed the tree and got some garland. Where do they want them? Lois says she’s so glad he asked.

The stewardess gives the spiel to prepare for landing, and Tracy buckles her seatbelt. She looks at her phone and says, damn you, Luke Spencer. I miss you.

Valentin says he doesn’t think Anna is in a position to tell him what Charlotte needs right now, and Anna says, she needs counseling. Charlotte was stalking her for months. That is not normal behavior. He says, she saw the letter from Victor. She knows Charlotte’s actions weren’t malicious. She says, maybe not, but they are unquestionably illegal, and he says, Charlotte thought she was protecting him. She thought Anna was a threat. Anna tells him that he’s not doing Charlotte any favors by making excuses for her. He’s enabling her. He says, she was manipulated by a master manipulator. Victor exploited her love for her father and need for a family. She thought Anna was dangerous. Then of course (🍷), when he released her file, and the world knew Anna had been acting as a double agent… She says, don’t throw that in her face, please, and he says he’s not, but she can’t refute it; it was true. Charlotte thought she was protecting him. Think about that. A teenage girl standing against a master spy. So they can say what they will about his daughter, but she’s not a coward. She did what she thought she had to do. Anna says, he’s proud of her? but he says he’s appalled at what she did, but he’s proud of her courage and determination. He’s sickened that Victor twisted her for his purposes. She says, he didn’t tell Charlotte to write the word murderer on her door or break into her hotel suite and trash her clothes and write a threatening message on her mirror. Charlotte came up with that all on her own.

Molly says she can’t believe this is actually going to happen, and TJ says, sometimes the universe finds a way. She says all she knows is, she’s grateful. This feels right. Kristina comes out with three filled champagne flutes, and says, it’s time the expectant parents celebrated up.

Cody, Olivia, and Lois all help with putting a fabulous garland on the staircase banister. Lois says she’s been meaning to ask Cody, why does he call Olivia Mama Q? He says, she’s Dante’s mother. What else would he call her? Olivia says, if Lois tells him zia, she’ll murder her where she’s standing. Cody asks, what’s a zia?

Violet says, they need tinsel and ornaments, and Chase says, before they get to the real decorating, he and Brook have an announcement to make. Violet asks if he can announce fast. They have to decorate. Elizabeth says, it might be important. Don’t rush them. Violet apologizes and tells them to take as much time as they need. Brook thanks her and says she thinks Chase should do the honors. Chase says, okay. Dad, Finn, Violet, Elizabeth, Brook has agreed to be his wife, and they’re getting married. Everybody is all, yay! and Brook and Chase kiss.

Kristina hands out the glasses and says, to the baby to come. No child will ever be more loved or more welcome. TJ says, hear, hear, and they clink glasses. Molly says, it’s ginger ale. Not that there would be anything wrong with drinking right now, and TJ asks if Kristina is jump starting a healthy new lifestyle or is this the only thing with bubbles she had in the fridge. Kristina says, both. She had a friend bring a really nice bottle of champagne over actually, but it didn’t last very long in this house. Maybe she should get an early start and indulge in all the caffeine and alcohol while she can. TJ says, they know she’s giving up a lot, but Kristina says, it’s well worth it. TJ says, to Molly, to Kristina, and to this… Kristina says, to this expanding family. They all say, cheers, and clink glasses.

Valentin says, it’s true. Victor never told Charlotte how to stalk Anna. He imagines she got that off the internet or some book. Anna says, he imagines? Did he question her about this? He says he hasn’t interrogated his teenage daughter, no. She’s been traumatized. She’s recovering from a gunshot wound. Anna says she’s aware, and he says, she needs time to heal. Anna says, she needs her father to stop making excuses for her. He’s not protecting her. He can’t keep blaming Victor for what happened. He says, Victor’s to blame, and she says, if Charlotte had been arrested for the crimes she committed, what was she going to plea? My dead grandpa made me do it? It doesn’t matter what Victor wrote to her. It doesn’t matter what lies he told her. Charlotte is responsible for her own actions, and he has to make her understand that. And he has to get her the help that she needs, before she does something irrevocable.

Everyone congratulates Chase and Brook, and Gregory says, Chase is a lucky man. Brook says she’s the lucky one, but Chase says, they both are. Gregory says he wishes them both a lifetime of love, and Violet asks if Chase gave Brook a ring. Chase says he did, and Brook says she kept it hidden as to not ruin the surprise. She takes it out of her pocket, and Chase asks if Violet wants to see him put it on her finger. Violet says, yes, please, and Chase takes the ring. Violet says, wait. He’s supposed to get down on one knee. Brook says, he did when he asked her to marry him, and Violet asks if he can’t get down on one knee again. She wants the complete picture. Finn says, him too, and Chase says, of course (🍷) he can. He does and puts the ring on Brook’s finger. They kiss and everyone applauds. Violet asks when Finn is going to give Aunt Elizabeth a ring, and Finn is like, uh… Elizabeth says, time to decorate the tree.

As they decorate the tree, Cody asks, what’s so bad about being called a zia? Olivia says, nothing… or everything, depending on your circumstances. He says he doesn’t get it, and Lois says, zia means auntie, which could refer to your mother or your father’s sister. Olivia says, or your sister-in-law, and Lois says, or it could be distant cousin or any female relation. But it could also be a term of affection. Olivia says, or someone, a woman, who you’re close with, but aren’t actually related to, and Lois says, but there is a generational aspect to it. It’s for somebody older. For example, you would never refer to her Brookie as zia. He says, but he could call her zia, and she says, no. Technically yes, but absolutely no, he cannot. She would prefer it if he’d continue to call her Lois. He says he totally understands, and Olivia says, this tree looks so beautiful. It’s so nice having Cody to help out. Cody says, it’s his pleasure, and Lois asks how he likes working for the Quartermaines. He says he really likes it. It’s the first place in a long time that feels like home.

Olivia thanks Cody and says, they couldn’t have done it without him. Lois says, he gets extra points for patience, and he says, it was a lot of fun. He learned a new word, although he’ll never call either of them zia. And it got him into the spirit of the season. He might grab a tree for the stables. He thanks them for a fun time, and leaves. Lois tells Olivia, you know what? She’s got to say, this looks a lot better than the auditorium at St. Finbar’s. They laugh and clink glasses.

Anna tells Valentin, Charlotte has to know what she did was wrong, and that she can’t solve her problems by breaking into people’s houses and writing threatening messages. He says he agrees. Charlotte needs limits, and she’ll get them. She needs counseling and she’ll get that too, but they have a big problem. Victor convinced Charlotte that Anna was dangerous, and Anna shot her. So in Charlotte’s mind, Victor was right. Anna chokes up and says she hopes he gets through to his daughter, and that he gets her to understand that Victor was never right about anything. She walks to the door, and he says, wait. She turns to him, and he says he’s sorry. She says, so is she, and leaves. When she gets outside, she cries.

Brook says, that is one gorgeous tree, and Chase says, it might be the best tree he’s ever seen. Elizabeth says, it certainly is lovely, and Violet says, Brook was right. When you make a wish on a Christmas tree, your wish comes true. Hers already did. Finn asks what she wished for, and she asks if it’s okay to tell. Brook says, absolutely, and Violet says, she wished for this to be the best Christmas ever and it is. Their tree is beautiful, Uncle Chase and Brook are getting married, and she has a present for all of them. Gregory asks, what kind of present? and she says, stay here. She’ll be right back. She winks at Chase and runs off. Gregory asks if Chase has any idea what this is, and Chase says, it could be beaded necklaces. Finn says, he’s kind of secretive. Is he sure he doesn’t have any idea what this present is? Chase says he can neither confirm nor deny, when Violet comes back with a guitar. She hands it to Chase and says she’s going to sing a song that she wrote herself, and Uncle Chase will accompany her. Chase plays, and Violet sings about, when there are no lights, I want to shine for you. She’s very good for one so young. They applaud and cheer.

Kristina asks, what happens next? and Molly says, they talk to their fertility specialist, let them know they have a surrogate and they’re ready to move forward. TJ says, once they have a more concrete timetable, they’ll get back to her about scheduling, but they’re hoping it will be soon. Kristina says, the sooner, the better. Now that they know what they’re doing, there’s no point in waiting around. TJ thanks her, and they hug. Molly says she’ll be grateful to Kristina forever, and they hug. Kristina says, it’s her great honor, and Molly and TJ leave. In the hallway, TJ says, this is really happening, and Molly says, they might just get their miracle after all. They hug, and inside, Kristina sends a text to Blaze: Want 2 talk I have big news.

Olivia says, they do good work, and Lois says, Sister Joanne Claire would be proud. Olivia says, they’ve got a lot of house to go, but these two rooms look beaut-tee-ful, and Lois says, they do. They hear the front door slam, and hear Tracy say, no. Olivia and Lois go to the foyer, where Tracy is walking through with her luggage carrier, saying, no, no, no, no. She tells them, this will not do. Not at all. Lois and Olivia look at each other.

On Monday, Curtis tells Marshall, if he gets his wish, he’s never going to ask for anything again; Josslyn tells Dex not to joke about this; Tracy says, she’s home in the nick of time; and Sonny says he’ll talk to Michael on Nina’s behalf, but she says, no.

💝 Revisiting Irene…

All about Marshall’s first love.

Who Is Irene Ashford on GENERAL HOSPITAL?

🔬 Livingston We Presume…

I thought I’d seen him around.

Yes, That’s Barry Livingston on GENERAL HOSPITAL!

🚗 Drive She Said…

When she’s not singing, she’s driving a Honda.

Yes, That’s GH’s Jacqueline Grace Lopez in the New Honda Commercial!

🥀 Goodbye To a Game Changer…

Farewell to a soap legend.

Remembering ONE LIFE TO LIVE Legend Ellen Holly, 1931-2023

💎 Shoots Own Foot…

If she knows it’s going to cause her angst, why does she keep talking?

Kyle Richards Talks Receiving “Legal Letter” From Kathy Hilton Over Show as She Opens Up About Family Drama and Feud in RHOBH Preview

🍊 Spilling On Shannon…

It wouldn’t surprise me.

RHOC: Gina Kirschenheiter Suggests Shannon Beador is Still Drinking After DUI & Has Drinking “Problem,” Talks Andy Cohen Feud & His Apology, Why She & Travis Aren’t Married, & If Vicki Should Return

💐 Exes With No Charm…

These people are too weird. Although I wish I’d been a fly on the wall at BravoCon.

Olivia Flowers Discusses Backstage Fight With Austen Kroll at BravoCon, His New Girlfriend, and Where They Stand, Plus Their Bahamas Trip and Last Hookup With Southern Charm Costar

🍹 Not So Hospitable…

I watched this. Coupled with her poking the bear on Southern Charm, I’m starting not to like Leva so much.

Boss Babe Leva Bonaparte Fires 2 Servers in ‘Southern Hospitality’ Premiere

🍸 All About That Pump…

I can’t wait. Chateau shenanigans…

Lisa Vanderpump Teases ‘Off the Hook’ New Show Vanderpump Villa

She’s basically pleading the fifth.

Lisa Vanderpump on Recent Rinna Meeting and Kyle Richards’ Weight Loss

Six degrees of LVP.

Ariana Madix Fans Slam Lisa Rinna for Chicago Role Shade: ‘Sit Down’

🐶 Festival Of Dogs…

Furbabies ready for the holiday.

Chag Sameach! 20 Adorable Hanukkah Dogs [PICTURES]

20 MORE Dogs Who Are Ready For Hanukkah [PICTURES]

You, too, can include your pup.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/celebrate-hanukkah-dog-220838396.html

🐧 Quotes of the Week

Get up. Bring your butter. – Heather Gay, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

Vision without action is daydream. Action without vision is nightmare. – Japanese Proverb

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

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

The opportunity of a lifetime is to pick yourself. Quit waiting to get picked; quit waiting for someone to give you permission; quit waiting for someone to say you are officially qualified… and pick yourself. – Seth Godin (For those who were always picked last in gym class.)

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. – Anatole France

True progress quietly and persistently moves along without notice. – Saint Francis of Assisi

You know what a gift card says? You do it. – Carl MacMillan (Reno Wilson), Mike & Molly

🤹🏽‍♀️ Jingling Only Partway…

Make a return trip on Monday really Tuesday for soap and what little the Med has to offer. Until then, stay safe, stay extending acts of kindness to those with no family, and stay taking people as they come, loving them for who they are, and not trying to make them into who you think they should be.

Oct14

October 13, 2023 – The Wedding Is On, Thought, Back, Fitting, MIA, A Goodbye, Salty Talk, Postscript, Hard Times, Back To the 80s, Dead Stuff, Costumed Pets (!), Totally Ten Quotes & Monster

Posted on October 14, 2023 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Curtis lifts weights, when there’s a knock at the door. He wheels himself over to open it, and Stella asks if it’s a bad time. He says, not at all, if she doesn’t mind waiting for him to finish another set. She says, not at all, and comes in. She asks if somebody else is here, but he says, no, just him, picking up one of the weights. He asks if she thinks they shouldn’t have left him alone, and she asks if she said that. He says, no, and she says, he’s been on his own for a while now, and he’s doing just fine. He works with the weight, and says, she’s been tracking him, huh? She says she always has; she’s not going to change now. He’s working hard; very impressive. He says he’s just trying to keep it all together, and she says, he’s doing more than keeping it together. She’s very proud of him. He thanks her and says, all these exercises, in fact everything he does, is for Trina and Portia and Marshall. She says, how’s that? and he says, every morning there’s a part of him that doesn’t want to get out of bed. Then he thinks about his family. They need him, and he will not let them down. There’s a knock at the door, and Stella says she’ll get it. She opens it to Selina and says, what do you want?

TJ tells Portia he heard a rumor going around. The buzz is totally positive. She says she has no idea what he’s talking about, but he says, spill. She says she doesn’t want to talk about it yet. Not until she gets a chance to tell Curtis, and she wants to tell him in person. He’s going to be so hurt if he finds out everyone at GH knew before he did. She’s trying to sneak out of here so she can see him. TJ says, he’s going to be thrilled.

Josslyn knocks on the door at Windymere, and Giles answers. He asks if he can help her, and she says, he probably doesn’t remember her, but she’s Josslyn Jax, Avery’s older sister. He says, of course (🍷). What can he do for her? She says she’s looking for Ava. She never picked Avery up from the nanny last night. Giles invites her in.

A guard walks Cyrus to the visiting room, and Cyrus says, another visitor during off hours? He sees Laura, and she says, hello, Cyrus.

Austin sits at his desk and flashes back to him telling the judge that Cyrus is weak because of his heart attack, and no longer a physical threat to anybody. He says, yeah, weak like a great white shark is weak. He remembers telling Mason that he did what was asked and to let Ava go, and Mason saying, neither one of them call the shots. There’s a knock at the door, and Dex says, sorry to bother him, but has he seen Ava Jerome?

Puerto Rico. Here Comes the Bride plays as Nina walks to Sonny, and everyone looks all happy. The priest welcomes everyone and says, they’ve been blessed with a beautiful day to witness the joining in matrimony of Michael Sonny Corinthos and Nina Reeves. This is a joyful occasion, and a solemn one. Marriage as a traditional ceremony is an honorable one, not to be entered into lightly, but a pledge between two people to honor, support, and love one another for the rest of your lives. Is that the pledge they’re willing to make? Nina says, we are, and Sonny says, yeah, we are.

Selina says she’s here to see her friend, but Stella says, she doesn’t have any friends here. And no way she’s buying any with that gift basket. Stella looks at the bodyguard holding a basket of fruit behind Selina, and Curtis says, it’s okay. Selina’s a business associate. Stella says, uh-huh, and Selina walks in. (Oooh. The bodyguard has a bakery box too.) Selina says, his aunt is very protective. She admires that in a family. Stella excuses herself, and Curtis asks what Selina is doing here. She says, he’s been back home for a while now. She thought she’d give him some time to get accustomed to his new life. He says, that was considerate, and she says she hopes now he’s come to his senses and is ready to sell her The Savoy.

Cyrus says, what an unexpected and wonderful surprise. He didn’t know Laura was back from her trip. She says, they just got back, and he says, and she chose to come and see him. He’s touched. She says, he cut his hair, and shaved, and… He says, since he found his true calling, he didn’t find the need to hide behind appearances, and she says, he looks great. So tell her, how is he feeling? He says, their brother told her about his little medical problem, and she says she doesn’t know that she’d call a heart attack a little medical problem, and she’s glad Marty told her. He asks if Martin also told her that it was her aura that pulled him through in his darkest hour, but she says, it was Drew Cain who saved his life. He says, without the will to live, his CPR might not have been effective, but he is a good man. She says, he’s a very good man. That’s why it’s such a shame he’s in here with… Cyrus says, with men like me. He gets the feeling checking on his health isn’t the only reason she’s here. She says she heard about his application for early release, and he asks if she’s here as his sister or the mayor.

Giles says he’s also concerned about Miss Jerome’s whereabouts, and Josslyn says, so she hasn’t been here? He says, she was home when he left. That was night before last. She didn’t mention any plans to be away, but when he came to work yesterday, she wasn’t here. She never came home. Josslyn says, so no maid or no housekeeper has seen her, and he says, no one on the staff has seen or heard from her, but he did find a broken martini glass on the floor here. He points near the fireplace, and says, it could have been an accident. Perhaps she’s staying with her friend Miss Reeves? Josslyn says, no. Nina’s in Puerto Rico getting married. He says, Dr. Gatlin-Holt’s been a frequent guest recently. He was under the impression the doctor and Miss Jerome might be close.

Austin says, recently, no, he hasn’t seen Ava, and Dex asks if he remembers the last time he saw or heard from her. Austen says, two or three days ago. Why is Dex asking him this? Dex says, she hasn’t been to her art gallery, and no one has seen or heard from her, and Austin says, Dex works for Sonny Corinthos; is he right about that? Dex says, yeah, and Austin says, a couple of days ago, Ava mentioned she was thinking of maybe taking a trip to New York. She said there was an artist she was interested in signing. Dex says, that could be very helpful, and thanks Austin for his time. Austin says, no problem, and as he walks past Dex, Dex punches him in the stomach and gets him in a headlock. As Austin struggles to breathe, Dex says, Sonny has a daughter with Ava Jerome, so he cares about her. If he finds out Austin has something to do with her disappearance, he’ll be back, and he won’t be asking questions. He lets Austin go and walks out.

In the hallway, Dex’s phone rings, and Josslyn tells him that she thinks she might have found something.

The priest says, it’s his understanding Sonny and Nina have elected to say their own vows, and Nina hands her bouquet to Willow. Sonny says he guesses Nina wants him to go, and she says, yeah. They join hands, and Sonny says he spent all morning writing his vows. They’re in his pocket, but when he looked in Nina’s eyes, he felt like he didn’t need to write his vows because he can always speak from his heart to her. He thanks her for trusting and loving him, and for seeing the better man in him than he ever saw in himself. He appreciates her kindness and her strength and her willingness to fight for their love, even though everybody was against them. When they doubted they should be together, they did everything they could to get through it, and here they are. He’s convinced more now that they belong together, because of how he feels right now in the moment. How he always does; she makes him secure. He knows she loves him and he loves her that much more, and he always will.

Selina asks Curtis to just hear her out. She’ll keep the entire staff at The Savoy – Stella walks back in – and the entire name of the club will remain. He and his entire family will have VIP memberships for life, and she’ll increase her original offer to twice what he paid for the club. He says, that’s an extremely generous offer, and she says she agrees. So what does he say? He thinks a moment and asks why she’s determined to buy his club. Why doesn’t she start her own and find a location that’s half the price? Stella says, good question.

Cyrus says, in case Laura is wondering, he has no idea how the judge is going to rule. He hasn’t heard anything yet. Now that she’s back, will she oppose his release? She says, he looks as strong and healthy as the day he got in here, but that said, she’s not a doctor. And as the mayor, she doesn’t interfere with judicial decisions. He says he supposes putting in a good word for her brother is out of the question, and she says, yes. He asks if Marty also told her that he gave away all of his money.

Dex arrives at Windymere, and Giles lets him in. Josslyn introduces Giles, and says, Giles told her that Ava hasn’t been home since night before last, and nobody on the staff has seen or heard from her. Dex says, she told him that she found something, and she says, this cellphone and this lollypop. The cellphone was under the coffee table, and the lollypop was just kind of sticking out of the couch. And Giles found a broken martini glass on the floor. Giles says, Miss Avery must have dropped the lollypop last time she was here, but Josslyn says, this isn’t Avery’s. Dex asks how she knows, and she says, because it’s grape and Avery hates grape. So somebody else had to have been here. And Ava would have never left her cellphone in case Avery needed to get in touch with her. Dex says he saw cameras everywhere as he walked up to the house. There have to be more, right? Giles says, yes, and Dex says he needs to see the footage from the minute Giles left Ava.

Nina says, to be honest, she never imagined she’d be here right now with Sonny. It’s actually the last thing she ever expected or wanted, and she fought it for a very long time. She kept telling herself that they would never work, and as she kept saying that, her heart kept falling deeper and deeper in love with him. And she couldn’t fight her heart anymore, could she? Or him. His charm, his humor, his compassion, his courage, his loyalty… his dance moves. What more could a person ask for in someone they love? Then she saw him parent his children, who he fiercely loves, and how he’s willing to fight for them, for their protection. She’s always wanted that family, since she was a little girl. Her daughter is now a part of her life – she looks at Willow – and the two of them are part of his family. He’s given her so much. He’s given her a family. And she wants to give him something. She’s going to surround him with love for his entire life; she promises him that. And they can leave all their mistakes behind them. She’ll walk with him, hand in hand, right beside him, loving him, for the rest of his life.

Selina tells Curtis that she doesn’t have the time or the inclination to open a new club. It’s too much work and she has a busy schedule. The Savoy is already established; that’s why she’ll be paying him top dollar for it. Stella asks if he heard how Selina made it sound like it’s a done deal, when Portia walks in. Selina tells her, good afternoon, and Stella says, she got here just in time. Miss Wu brought them a basket filled with treats. Why doesn’t Portia have a seat and she’ll make them some tea so they can all get to know each other better. She asks what kind of tea Selina would like, and Selina says, that’s kind of her, but she has another appointment. Stella says, that’s just too bad. Maybe another time then. She opens the front door, and Selina nods to her bodyguard. She tells Curtis that she’ll be in touch, and he thanks her for the basket. I want to know what’s in the bakery box. Selina leaves with the guard, and Stella closes the door, putting her back against it, and says, amen.

Dex looks at a tablet, and Giles says, he can see the front entrance is well-covered by several cameras. Dex says, there Giles is, leaving. This is the night before last. Ava was alone when he left? Giles says, yes. Feel free to examine the rest of the footage. He must check on a delivery. Please help Miss Jerome. He leaves, and Dex points at the tablet, saying, there. Someone’s coming in. Josslyn says she sees him, but she can’t see his face; he’s wearing a hood. They keep watching, and Dex says, they’re at about twenty minutes later. Josslyn says, there’s Ava. She’s with him, but Josslyn can’t tell if her hands are tied or if she’s just walking super close to him. Dex suggests they check the dock camera around that time… They didn’t use the launch. Josslyn says, he would still have to go back to Port Charles, no? and Dex says, right there. He has his own boat. That’s what they left on. If he and Josslyn want to see where they came ashore, they need to see the harbor security cameras and the traffic cameras from that time. They can’t do that without going to the cops. Josslyn says, there’s another way.

Josslyn knocks at an apartment door, and a voice asks, who knocks? She looks up at a camera and says, Spinelli, it’s Josslyn. You’re watching us through the security camera. Spinelli opens the door and says, greetings, clever girl. What brings them to his door?

Austin gives TJ a folder and says, the prognosis was very impressive. He coughs and drinks some water, and TJ asks if he’s all right. Austin says he’s fine. He went to a concert last night and he was very enthusiastic. TJ asks, who was the band? when Mason walks in. He says he’s sorry. His cousin here wanted to see him.

Cyrus tells Laura that he’s seen so much suffering in here, he thought his money could do more good trying to help these poor souls. She says, Marty did mention to her that he’d given some of his money to a recidivism organization, but he says, not some of his money, every dime. He says, she doesn’t believe that, and she says she guesses they’ll see, won’t they, if he’s granted his early release. He says, how little faith she has in her brother. They were ill-gotten gains. He’s come to realize and appreciate that. She says she hopes so, and he says, she doesn’t seem to doubt the generosity of her friend Sonny Corinthos when he gives away his dirty money. He’s not wrong.

The priest says, Sonny and Nina’s vows were so clearly from the heart. Now please repeat after him. They say the traditional vows; in sickness and health, forsaking all others until death do us part. The rings are exchanged, and the priest says, in the presence of God and these witnesses, they’re now husband and wife. What God has joined, let no one put asunder. He thinks they know what happens next. They laugh and Donna says, you’re supposed to kiss. They do, and everyone smiles.

Portia asks what that was about, and Stella says, that woman was trying… Curtis says, Selina came to talk business, but what is Portia doing here in the middle of the day? She says she wanted to tell him something in person, but she wanted it to be official. Stella says, for what to be official? and Portia says she’s been named Co-Chief of Staff at General Hospital. Curtis says, congratulations, and she says, it’s going to be a lot more administrative work and a lot of emails, but… Stella says, Portia knows she can handle all of that, and Curtis says, she’ll be great. Portia says, and it’s going to be a little extra money. Stella says, as it should be for all that extra work, and Curtis says, they’ll be very lucky to have her. He couldn’t be more proud of his intelligent, accomplished, and very gorgeous wife. She kisses him and says, thank you.

Dex tells Spinelli that they couldn’t download the video from the system at Windymere, so all they have is the footage he had access to. Josslyn says, they also found Ava’s cellphone at Windymere, but she doesn’t know how to get in. Can he break in? He says, he can, but it will take time Ava doesn’t have, and Dex says, let’s get back to what we’ve got. The butler departed the house at 10:57 that night. At 11:18, an unidentified figure, likely male, entered the house. There’s no footage from the interior, so we don’t know what happened inside, but at 11:59, the hooded figure left by the front door with Ava. They were close together. He appears to be leading her, and from her posture, it’s likely her hands were tied. They arrived at the docks at 12:03 am and left in a single engine outboard. That’s what we have. Spinelli says, well done, and Josslyn says, what they really need to know is where they docked the boat in Port Charles. Does he think he can get access to the harbor security and traffic cameras?

Austin tells TJ that the apologizes. His cousin is unaware of hospital protocol. Mason could have just interrupted a consultation with a patient. Mason says he’s sorry. He’s just a truck driver and doesn’t know anything about hospital protocols. So he hopes TJ can forgive him. TJ says, no problem. They’re finished. He thanks Austin and is about to leave, when he says, so Mason is a truck driver? and Mason says, used to be. Now he kind of does a little bit of everything. TJ says, it was good to see him again, Mason says, him too, and TJ leaves. He pauses for a moment outside the door, then walks on. Mason tells Austin, do not get high and mighty with him about manners. Austin said he needed to see him right away, so what’s going on? Austin says, Sonny Corinthos knows.

Laura says, Sonny has nothing to do with the way she views Cyrus, but he says he’s well-aware of that. He and Sonny were in the same kind of business for years, and he ever thought much about Sonny. But then he’d see Sonny treated with such reverence, an honored member of the Port Charles community with a respected family when he’s no better than Cyrus is. Again he’s not wrong.

Kristina congratulates Nina and welcomes her to the family, hugging her. Donna goes over to Sonny and says, her turn. He says, come here, girl. Give me a hug. He wants her to know something. Daddy always loves her. She knows that, right? She says she loves him, and they hug again. These two are too cute together. Donna asks Nina if she can call her Mama Nina now, and Nina says she would love nothing more. She hugs Donna.

Willow tells Sonny, congratulations, and hugs him. He says, her mother is the best thing that ever happened to him. He just wants her to know that she means everything to Nina. Willow smiles at him, and tells Nina, congratulations. Nina thanks her, and says, it means so much that she’s here. Willow hugs her, and I feel sick thinking about this all falling apart. Michael hugs Sonny and tells Nina, congratulations. Welcome to the family. He kisses her on the cheek.

Stella says, this is definitely cause for a celebration, and Portia agrees. Stella says she’s taking the two of them out for dinner tonight to celebrate. Marshall and Trina too. Portia says, they can actually have dinner in here tonight, have some champagne. It’ll be a little bit more relaxing, right? Curtis says, no. Auntie’s right. This is a big deal and they should celebrate it, right? Stella tells him, you said it, baby.

Laura tells Cyrus that she supposes she and Sonny have the sort of friendship that surprises some people, but she had no idea it upset him that much. He says he’s sorry. He’s not upset at Sonny. He supposes he just envies Sonny’s life, and how Sonny seems to have a closer relationship with his sister than he does. She says she’s known Sonny for a very long time, and he says, he knows it’s unlikely, but if he does get his release, perhaps he and Laura can build a bond that’s even stronger than the one she has with Sonny. She kind of shrugs and smiles, and the guard says, time’s up. Cyrus says, wish me luck, and she tells him, good luck. He laughs and pats her hand. He thanks her so much for coming. He hopes to see her again very soon. He leaves with the guard.

Just for the record, I’m aware they spell the prison Pentonville on the show, but I think Pentenville looks more like penitentiary, so, artistic license. Like with Windymere.

Dex says, there. That was the boat. Josslyn is surprised he can see it, and Spinelli says, keen powers of observation. Here they are. Dex says, Pier 17, and Spinelli, the abductor, if that’s what he is, chose his spot well. See what’s around the pier? It’s all warehouses. They’d be deserted at that hour, so even if Ava were to call for help, he doesn’t think she’d be heard. Josslyn says, wait. He took off his hood. Dex asks if Spinelli can tighten it, and Spinelli says, yes, of course (🍷), but the cameras are not high res; it might be grainy. Dex says he knows that guy. That’s Austin Gatlin-Holt’s cousin… Mason.

Austin says, one of Sonny’s guys was here asking about Ava, and Mason says, so? Austin says, what does he mean, so? No one’s heard from her in a couple of days. Mason says, because she’s locked in a basement somewhere. Who cares? Austin says he cares. He cares very much. Mason says, that’s sweet. His cousin is in love. Austin says he’s not joking around here. Don’t you hurt her. Mason says, Austin knows better than to threaten him, and Austin asks if it isn’t enough that Ava spent all this time thinking she killed Nikolas, and Nikolas is alive and well. He’s fine; he’s in Europe. Mason says he didn’t tell the guy to take off. He and Cyrus were the ones who kept him alive in the first place. Austin says, Nikolas is Cyrus’s nephew, and Mason says, forgive him. Cyrus has never struck him as the sentimental type about family, but Austin says, maybe they’re wrong about that. Mason needs to convince Cyrus to leave Ava alone. If that guy comes back for him… Mason says, put him off, but Austin says, no. He thought he already had. He punched Austin in the gut and grabbed him in a chokehold. He said, if anything happens to Ava, he’s coming back for Austin. Mason says, looks like you’ve got a problem, cuz.

Sonny and Nina, and Michael and Willow slow dance, while Kristina dances with the kids. Michael’s phone dings, and he says he has to take this real quick. He’ll be back. Willow calls Wiley over to dance with her, and Sonny asks if he can dance with his little girl. Donna says, yeah, and much cuteness happens. Willow suggests Wiley ask his grandmother to dance, and Wiley asks Nina if she wants to dance. She says, does she? Yeah. They dance as much as you can dance with a three-foot height difference. On the side, Michael says he’s at a family function. He can’t talk long. So, they have the name of the person who turned Drew Cain in to the SEC?

We don’t see his face, but a man tells Michael, the SEC was contacted by a lawyer named Martin Grey, acting on behalf of a client. Michael says, Grey was just a go-between. He needs the name of the person who pointed the SEC to his mom and Drew… He turns around and looks at Nina having a grand old time with Wiley. Ugh. I mean, I get it. She did wrong, but I still feel badly about it since it all finally came together, and everyone is so happy.

Curtis reaches for his water, and Portia tries to help, but he says he’s got it. Doesn’t she have to go back to the hospital, Co-Chief of Staff? She laughs and says she does actually, and he says he’s going to take a shower and he’ll see her tonight. She says she can’t wait, and he wheels himself out of the room. Stella suggests Portia take the basket over to the hospital for the nurses to enjoy, and Portia says, okay. When she gets closer, Stella lowers her voice and says, Portia doesn’t have to do everything. She just got a wonderful well-deserved job and she’ll be making more money. Portia says, right, and The Savoy is making money, and Stella says, but Curtis isn’t there. In his mind, he’s not making a dime. Curtis needs her, he needs all of them, to live out their lives as normally as possible and not walk on eggshells around him. He can go out the restaurant and have a fine time. Portia says she was just thinking he’ll be more comfortable here, that’s all, but Stella says, if something is making Curtis uncomfortable, he’s a grown man and he can tell them himself. Believe her. She knows Curtis and he will. Portia says, okay, and thanks her. They hug, and Stella hands Portia the basket. Portia asks if she’s sure, and Stella says, absolutely. They don’t want nothing that woman has to offer~~, but she will be keeping the baked goods~~. Portia takes the basket and leaves.

Josslyn asks if Dex is sure that’s the same guy, and Dex says, positive. Maybe Mason has ties to someone working against Sonny; he’s not sure who yet. Josslyn asks how he can tell from this picture, and Dex says, when he was following Mason, he always had a lollypop in his mouth. Josslyn says, that would explain the grape lollypop at Ava’s, and Spinelli says, here we go. The vehicle that Ava and Mason got in is registered to a Pautuck Trucking Company, Pautuck, New York. Dex says he’s going to need a list of all the employees employed by the trucking company and their addresses, as well as any properties owned or leased by the trucking company. He tells Josslyn, that’s where they’ll find Ava.

Austin says, Mason’s right. He has a problem. Because for some reason, Cyrus hates Sonny Corinthos. Can Mason please explain that to him, because he doesn’t understand. Isn’t there enough to go around for everybody? There’s plenty there. At least there used to be. Mason says he doesn’t get it either. Honestly, he thinks the whole thing started when the boss found out Mayor Collins was his sister. Austin asks, what’s that got to do with anything? and Mason says he doesn’t know. He’s just telling Austin, that’s when Cyrus started mentioning Sonny more and more. He would rant on and on about Corinthos and the life he had. Austin says, what life? They both have the same life. They’re mob bosses. Mason says, he called Sonny respectable. It’s almost as if it’s something he wanted for himself and doesn’t have. Austin says, so his life is in danger because Cyrus is jealous of Sonny Corinthos, but Mason says he thinks it goes deeper than that. Austin says, if that guy comes back, Sonny’s guy, he’s going to spill his guts. And they’re next move is to come after Mason, and then Mason will be as dead as him. Mason tells him, don’t do anything stupid. Austin’s only protection from Sonny is the boss, so just do as he’s told. Let the boss handle Sonny. He leaves.

Wiley and Donna chant, cake, cake, cake, and pound on the table. Sonny and Nina get ready to cut the cake, and Michael watches from the sidelines.

The guard says, this is it, opening the door, and Cyrus goes out into the sunshine wearing civilian clothes. He takes an envelope of the possessions he came with from the guard, and the guard says, he knows his way out. Cyrus says he certainly does, and tosses the envelope into a trashcan on his way to the gate.

Sonny and Nina cut the cake, and Sonny feeds Nina a piece. Michael watches.

Before going through the gate, Cyrus takes a deep breath and smiles.

Sonny and Nina wipe icing off of Donna and Wiley’s faces. Michael glares at Nina. This is bad.

The prison gate opens, and Cyrus walks out. He turns to look back at the prison.

Sonny and Nina kiss and drink champagne. Michael glares some more.

Cyrus gets in a car, and it drives away.

On Monday, Cody wonders if Sasha is going to walk away from her life after just getting it back; Willow says, Michael never told her who he was talking to; and Kristina asks what someone is doing here.

💭 A thought: Interesting that Nina and Cyrus have parallel goals of wanting a family and are both going about it all wrong.

🩺 The Doctor Was Out…

This is embarrassing. He’s my absolute favorite soap actor and I didn’t even realize he’d been gone for so long. Well, nice to have him back.

Roger Howarth Announces His Return

🧳In Sonny’s Defense…

The punishment fit the crime; being exiled to Bridgeport. And one of the funniest interactions ever, starting with her opening the door to give Sam the boot and him standing there.

Maurice Benard Defends Gladys’ Punishment on GH

🕵🏾 The Latest in Waldos…

It’s time to put him back on the canvas. Taggert is definitely underused.

Where Is Taggert on GH? — Réal Andrews Speaks Out

🥀 Ringing Down the Curtain…

He had a wonderful run.

GH Alum Mark Goddard Dead at 87

🗽 Her Face Is Irrelevant…

Doubtful she was joking considering her ego. Tribecca does not need her endorsement.

RHONY’s Jessel Taank Jokes She Made Tribeca ‘Relevant’

🧂 Four Teaspoons Of Salt…

This week in RHOSLC.

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4, Episode 6 Recap: This Is Utah

The slam.

Mary Cosby Slammed After Body-Shaming Heather Gay on WWHL

The non-clap back.

Heather Gay Responds to Mary Cosby’s Body-Shaming by Thanking ‘Inclusive’ Gucci

To be filed under don’t care.

https://people.com/jen-shah-husband-sharrieff-shah-sends-50th-birthday-well-wishes-prison-exclusive-8303004

🍊 Orange You Done Yet…?

Fancy Pants Heather’s hint.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-orange-county/style-living/rhoc-season-17-reunion-recap-heather-dubrows-new-house

It was pretty bold for one just released from banishment.

Tamra Judge Slammed For Attacking Andy Cohen at RHOC Reunion

Apparently not too bold though, since the status quo stays the same.

Real Housewives of Orange County Cast Will Remain the Same for Season 18

💎 Possible Final Word…

So, they’re separated, but not divorcing, and it’s no one’s fault.

https://pagesix.com/2023/10/13/kyle-richards-mauricio-umansky-having-a-hard-time-before-separation/

Garcelle Beauvais ‘Shocked’ by Kyle Richards and Mauricio Umansky Split Despite Them ‘Having a Hard Time’

👠 Those 80s Ladies…

Normally, this wouldn’t be my type of film, but I do like an 80s flashback.

https://ew.com/tv/ladies-of-the-80s-lifetime-movie-first-look-photos/

https://people.com/ladies-of-the-80s-a-divas-christmas-lifetime-first-look-photos-8305219

⚰️ News Of the Departed…

Reddest herring in the world.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-daryl-dixon-melissa-mcbride-season-2/

It makes sense since Jadis was a huge part of the Rick story.

https://ew.com/tv/walking-dead-the-ones-who-live-adds-terry-o-quinn-pollyanna-mcintosh-teaser-photos/

There better be some good explanation of why Victor went from antihero to antichrist.

https://bleedingcool.com/tv/fear-the-walking-dead-season-8-scene-madison-victor-reunite-kinda/

Dead at the con.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/new-york-comic-con-2023-recap-the-walking-dead-universe-rick-michonne-daryl-dixon-carol-fear/#1

🐩 Best In Costume…

I could look at this stuff all day.

https://www.thelist.com/646383/the-best-celebrity-pet-halloween-costumes-ever/

https://www.hola.com/us/lifestyle/20211022325485/celebrity-halloween-costumes-pets-roundup-gallery-1/

📣 Quotes of the Week

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts. – Bertrand Russell

If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content. – Leo Tolstoy

I could not tread these perilous paths in safety, if I did not keep a saving sense of humor. – Horatio Nelson

Compassion for animals is intimately connected with goodness of character; and it may be confidently asserted that he who is cruel to animals cannot be a good man. – Schopenhauer

Maturity is achieved when a person accepts life as full of tension. – Joshua L. Liebman

Our experiences don’t define us. It’s what we’ve learned from them that matters. – Monkey D. Garp (Vincent Regan), One Piece

A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave. – Mahatma Gandhi,

Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence. – Henry David Thoreau

Few things will make you feel better than a job brilliantly done. – Robin S. Sharma

Whoever said money can’t buy happiness simply didn’t know where to go shopping. – Gertrude Stein

🪄 Putting a Spell On You…

Visit again on Monday really Tuesday for soap and what’s happening in the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay never blowing out a Jack O’Lantern before midnight on Halloween, and stay being aware of hospital protocol before you barge into a doctor’s office.

Oct12

October 11, 2023 – Lois Arrives At the Quartermaine Mansion, OC Reunion Finish Line & Girl

Posted on October 12, 2023 by theresakp

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Walking down the hall in the hospital, Stella says, the best advice she can give Felicia is to give the nurse on duty a heads up when she refers a patient to another doctor, especially if she wants to stay on their good side. Felicia says she’s got it. She definitely wants to stay on the good side of all the nurses. She thanks Stella for the help and support this week, and Stella says, Felicia is going to make a great addition to the staff. Felicia admits she’s a little overwhelmed; there’s always so much going on. Stella says, there always will be.

Finn asks how Elizabeth’s day is, and she says, busier than ever. His? He says, actually, he just got here, but he’s got to go out again. He has to check on Chase. She asks how Chase is doing, and Finn says, he’s not answering any calls or texts, so he’s going to bite the bullet and go over to Chase’s place. He’ll let her know after he sees him. She says, good luck, and he thanks her. He walks away, but comes back and asks if she’d have dinner with him tonight. She says, yeah. She’d love that. She suggests he and Violet come over, and she’ll throw something together. He says he’d like that, and she says she knows Aiden would like to spend some time with Violet. He’s been home alone a lot lately, since Jake has been spending so much time with Charlotte. He says, Violet would love to see Aiden too, and she says, it’ll be fun. He leaves and comes back yet again and asks her not to be honest with her friends about what happened last night in the locker room. She flashes back to kissing Finn in the shower, and says she’ll see him tonight. He leaves for real, and Terry comes in. Elizabeth says, any luck? and Terry says, with? Elizabeth says, Co-Chief of Staff, but Terry says, not yet. She’s been too busy trying to find out who was in the locker room having sex in the showers. D’oh!

Outside the apartment, Laura says she can’t tell Doc how happy she is to be home, and he says he was relieved the moment they landed. She says, it will be nice to decompress for a while after being on the road looking for Nikolas. She thinks they have a bottle of red wine in the kitchen. They can open it up. He says he does like red wine, and they go inside. They see Ace playing on the living room floor with no one else around.

Spencer asks if Trina wants him to put her suitcases inside, but she says she can take it from here. She thanks him and says she had an amazing weekend. He says, him too, and she says, but now he needs to go home. She knows he’s missing Ace. He says he is, but as much as he’s happy to see his little brother, he’s sad to see their weekend in New York end. She says, it was perfect, every second, and he says, every second? She says, every, single second, and flashes back to them getting busy. He says, it was perfect, and kisses her.

Chase opens the door to Gregory, and Gregory hugs him, saying, he loves Chase so much.

Brook walks into the mansion and asks Yuri, where is she? He says, Monica is in her office, but she says she’s not looking for Monica. Where is her granny? She yells for Tracy and asks where she’s hiding. Tracy comes out of the living room and says she’s not hiding. Why is Brook shrieking?

Olivia sees Eddie/Ned sleeping on the sofa and approaches him. He dreams he’s playing the guitar and realizes he’s nakey. He sees Olivia in the audience and wakes with a start. She says she’s sorry. She didn’t mean to wake him up. He says, you were in my dream.

Laura wonders where Ace’s mommy is, when Esme comes out and says, thank God they’re home. Laura asks if everything’s okay, and Esme says, Ace is teething, and she thinks she’s only slept six hours in the last couple of days. She called Alexis this morning to tell her that she wasn’t going to make it to work, but then she felt bad for not going to work, but she’s exhausted. Laura says she knows. They’re home now; they can help. Esme says she didn’t realize how lonely it would be by herself, and Laura asks, where’s Spencer?

He’s kissing Trina. He tells her that he’s sorry, and she says she doesn’t want him to go home, but she wants him to see Ace. He says he’ll text her… or call… He’ll see her tomorrow no matter what. He promises. He leaves and she goes inside. Curtis says, she’s back. Come on in, have a seat, and tell him all about it. How was it? She says, it was okay, and he says, just okay? She says, no… It was amazing, and laughs.

Gregory tells Chase that he was wrong, and he’s so sorry. He should have told Chase about his diagnosis. He meant to, but he just kept putting it off. Chase says, why? Because Gregory thought he couldn’t handle it? Gregory says, no. Because he didn’t think he could handle it. All his life, Chase has been such a joy and a blessing. His enthusiasm was contagious and his openness, his optimism. Ever since Chase was a little boy, if Gregory was having a bad day or struggling with something, he’d spend time with Chase, and it would change everything; it would change his perspective. He was just being selfish, storing up moments with Chase where things felt normal, where he didn’t have ALS and wasn’t dying. But it wasn’t fair to Chase and he’s so sorry. Chase says, it’s okay. If spending time with him brought Gregory joy, that’s all that matters. They hug and cry.

Elizabeth asks, who told Terry that someone was having sex in the showers? and Terry says, Amy Driscoll. Consider the source, right? She loves gossip. Elizabeth says, she does like to make assumptions, and Terry says, who knows? Maybe it’s not even true. Elizabeth says, well, it is, and Terry asks why she said that. Elizabeth says, because it was her, and just so Terry knows, it was only kissing. Terry says, with Finn, and Elizabeth smiles and walks away. Terry says, well done, and follows her.

Felicia says, that was tough, and Stella agrees. Helping families losing a loved one figure out the next steps, it’s important to have the necessary words. Felicia says, Stella knows exactly what to tell them with dignity and heart, and Stella says, the dignity and heart were real, but the rest was instinct and experience. Would Felicia like to switch it up a bit? Felicia says she’d love to, and asks what Stella has in mind. Stella says, pediatrics, and Felicia says she loves babies. Stella says, the best part of this job. Let’s go.

Olivia says, she was in Eddie’s dream? and he says, yes, and he was naked… on stage. He was naked on stage. It’s crazy. He was playing a gig in his dream, and she was in the crowd. And there was another woman with her. She asks, who was it? but he says he doesn’t know, but it’s really, really frustrating. She says, what is? and he says, this dream. He’s had it a couple of times. She says, maybe he should talk to someone about it, and he says he thought he was.

Brook says, how could she? and Tracy says, how could she what? Brook says, she knows what she did, and Tracy asks, what is it Brook thinks she did? Brook says she doesn’t think; she knows Tracy did. Tracy asks if Brook is talking in code, or did she hit her head like her father? Brook says, Tracy can’t bluff her way out of this one. Tracy knows exactly what she did. Yuri says he doesn’t think she does, and Brook asks him to give them a minute. This is something they need to settle privately. He leaves, and Tracy asks if Brook would like to tell her in plain English, not yelling, what exactly is it Brook thinks she did. Brook asks how Tracy could tell Chase that his father has ALS, and Tracy says, that was an honest mistake, but Brook says, those don’t exist with Tracy. Tracy says she was at the hospital. She ran into Chase, his eyes were red, he was crying, she assumed it was about his father, and when she realized her mistake, she tried to backpedal, but Chase wouldn’t let it go. Brook says, so Tracy took it upon herself and told him, and Tracy says, he pressured her. Would Brook have preferred she lie? Brook says, so now she’s taking a stand for honesty? She is unbelievable. Tracy says she’s just explaining what happened, when there’s a knock at the door. Tracy asks if Brook wants to get that, or does Brook want to stand there and stare at her? Brook opens the door and says, what? Lois says, whoa. Is that any way to greet your mother?

Olivia says, Eddie is talking to someone and she’s more than willing to listen, but she was talking about more like a professional. He says, a psychic. He doesn’t believe in them. That’s all just a scam. She says, he’d be surprised, but she wasn’t talking about a psychic. She meant, like a doctor, like Kevin Collins. He’s really good with dreams and repressed memories. Maybe this is his subconscious trying to tell him something. He says, no. Thank you. He remembers Doc from when he first woke up in the hospital. Doc couldn’t help him then; he can’t help him now. She says, okay, but if he’s really serious about getting to the bottom of this, he’ll bite the bullet and talk to Doc, and she leaves.

Brook and Lois hug, and Lois asks, how’s her baby? Brook says, surprised to see her, and Lois glances at Tracy, then asks to see Brook’s hair. Brook shows her, and Lois says, it’s beautiful. Brook asks to see Lois’s nails, and says, they never cease to impress her. Tracy says, look who’s back, and Lois says, hello, Tracy. Tracy says, hello, Lois, and Lois says, it’s been a minute. Tracy asks if those are laugh lines or just lines, which is pretty funny since Lois hasn’t changed at all, and Lois says, Tracy is looking great too. Tracy says, so to what do they owe this hopefully brief visit? and Brook says, what’s going on? Is everything okay at home? Lois says, everything is fine in Bensonhurst. She read an article about Brook being dumped by Deception, and she thought, how dare they? They don’t know what an asset her Brookie is. Brook says she deserved it, and Lois says she doesn’t know what’s gotten into Brook’s head, but her daughter doesn’t deserve to be dumped. Brook says she was manipulated into sharing privileged information – corporate espionage – and Lois says, what? Manipulated by who? Who would do that to her? Brook looks around Lois at Tracy, and Lois turns around. Tracy jets, and Brook tells Lois, uh-huh.

Portia asks if she can steal Stella for just one moment, and Felicia says, go ahead. It will give her time to study her notes. Felicia steps away, and Stella asks if everything is all right. Portia says, Dr. Randolph offered her the Co-Chief of Staff position, and Stella asks if she accepted, but Portia says, not yet. Stella asks, why not? and Portia says, because it’s going to be a lot more work; more emails, more phone calls, more emergencies. Stella says, so turn it down, and Portia says she did, but now she thinks she might want it. It’s a senior management position. It’s going to be a little more money, and with everything going on with Curtis, it will be helpful. Stella says, take it, and Portia says, but what about Curtis? Stella says, what about him?

Trina tells Curtis, their trip to New York was amazing. Spencer thought of everything. They saw Moulin Rouge. He says, wow, Broadway, and she says, they had dinner at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the city. They could see the Empire State Building from their table. He says, it sounds like they had a good time, and she says, they did. And Spencer organized a tour of the Met. They did fun little touristy things like go around the city, they had gourmet coffees, and then they went shopping. Which reminds her. She got him something. He says she didn’t have to, but she says she wanted to. She gives him two caps, one for the Knicks and one for the Nets, and he says he loves them. She says she got him both because she didn’t know which team he preferred, but she knows he likes basketball. He says he still loves the game, even though he can’t play, and she takes his hand.

Laura bounces Ace on her lap and laughs, and Esme says she has to change Ace’s sheets again. Since he’s been teething, he’s drooling like crazy. Laura tells her, go ahead. She’s enjoying her time with her grandson. He’s gotten so much bigger since the last time she saw him. Esme says she feels like she’s done ten loads of laundry since Spencer went away with Trina, and leaves. Doc says, so much for decompressing over a nice bottle of wine, and Laura says she’s still happy to be home. He says, him too. He’s going to take the rest of the suitcases upstairs since she seems to have her hands full. She thanks him and asks if Ace missed grandma. Grandma missed him an awful lot. Now tell her, where is his big brother Spencer? Spencer walks in and says, look who it is. One of his favorite people in the world. He waves to Ace.

On the phone (with Mac?), Felicia says she’s so nervous, but it’s the good kind of nervous… Yes. She thinks she’ll be ready thanks to Stella. She thinks she can make a difference and give back to a place that’s given her so much.

Stella says, if Portia wants this job, she should take it. Curtis is adjusting, but it’s going to take him some time before he’s his old self again. In the meantime, they can’t put their lives on hold, and she’s sure Curtis would be proud of Portia getting this job. Chief of Staff is a big deal. Portia says, Co-Chief, and Stella says, whatever. Curtis is tougher and stronger than most people, with a truly generous heart, and it would kill him if he thought he was holding Portia back in any way. Portia says she knows, and Stella says, then Portia knows that she needs to decide what she wants and what makes her happy. If taking this job is going to make her happy, that’s all anyone would want.

Curtis asks, what’s the matter? and Trina says she feels really bad being this happy when this terrible thing has happened to him. He says he’s facing this big challenge and he’s not letting his life stop because of it, and he doesn’t want her to do that either. The worst thing would be if he brought her down, or anyone he loves. You know what makes him happy? Seeing her live her life. And he knows she loves him. She says she really does, when Marshall walks in the front door. He asks if that Cassadine boy treated Trina well.

Finn knocks at Chase’s door, and when he sees Gregory is there, he says, if this is a private conversation, he can go. Chase says, get in here, and Finn starts to apologize, but Chase says he’s the one who walked out. He’s sorry. Finn says, so is he, but Chase says, he doesn’t have to apologize. He understands why Finn didn’t tell him. Dad explained everything. Finn asks how Gregory is doing, and Gregory says, at the moment, all he can be is thankful he has two such wonderful sons.

Spencer takes Ace and asks how it’s going. Did Ace miss him, because he missed Ace. But he’s back and they can play all day now. Laura laughs, and he says he missed her too. It’s good to see her. He’s glad that she’s home. She says she missed him too, and she’s very glad to be home. Spencer says he got Ace a present and shows him a stuffed apple. Ace couldn’t care less. Esme comes out and says, he’s back.

Brook tells Lois, if she didn’t steal the Deceptor files, Tracy said she’d go to Chase. Lois says, blackmailing her own granddaughter by threatening to make trouble with her boyfriend? She doesn’t think Tracy has ever stooped so low. Brook says, if she’d just been honest with Chase from the beginning, then Tracy wouldn’t have had anything to blackmail her with. But instead, she let Tracy manipulate her, and she let down her friends and her colleagues, and they’re furious. And rightfully so. She deserved to get fired. Lois says, this is on Tracy, not on Brook, but Brook says, she just feels so terrible about what she did. But maybe it’s all for the best; at least the getting fired part. Lois asks why she’d say that, and Brook says, because she’s going back into music. It feels right. Lois says, of course (🍷) it feels right. Because it is. Because it runs in the family. Olivia walks in, and squeals. She and Lois scream, jump up and down, and hug each other.

Olivia says, Lois looks gorgeous. How long do they get to keep her for? Lois says she has absolutely no plans. She saw that her little girl was in need, so she wanted to be here for her. Brook says she’s glad Lois is, and Lois says she’ll always be. Olivia asks where Lois is staying. She hopes Lois is going to stay here in the house with her. Brook says she’d invite Lois to stay with her and Chase, but the apartment is very small. Lois says, not a problem, and tells Olivia, no. She was thinking of staying at the MetroCourt. Olivia says, okay. She’ll comp Lois a room. Lois says, of course (🍷) Olivia will, and she expects an exceptional room, and Olivia says, she’ll get one. They have brand new suites with beautiful views of the waterfront. Brook flashes back to Tracy telling her that Chase is just a phone call away, and her telling Tracy, just as always, she wins. She tells Lois, Olivia is right. She should stay here at the house. She thinks Tracy would love having Lois here.

In Terry’s office, Elizabeth says, they really don’t have time to discuss this, but Terry says, what is there to discuss? She thinks it’s about time. Yuri comes in and asks what they’re talking about, and Terry says, love. He says he loves love, when Portia joins them and says, she didn’t realize she was interrupting a party. She asks if Terry has a second. She’d like to speak to Terry about something pretty important.

Chase says, Finn told him that Gregory was diagnosed months ago. Right now, he seems fine. Gregory says, luckily, at this stage of the disease, he still has good days, but his symptoms are increasing. His hands cramp up more and more when he’s doing simple things like signing his name or typing on the computer. And his balance isn’t too good anymore. He’s fallen a few times, but fortunately, today was one of the good days. Chase wonders why he didn’t see it; he should have. Gregory says he went to great lengths to hide it from Chase, and Finn says he didn’t see it. There were a couple of incidents, but he didn’t put them together. He should have. Gregory says, this can’t be about them blaming each other for what they did or didn’t see. He didn’t want either of them to see anything until he was ready. But now he’s glad it’s finally out in the open, so he can be honest with both of them, and himself. Chase asks how they can help.

Spencer tells Laura, being in the city with Trina was great. Fine dining, a few art museums… They caught a show. Doc says they’re glad he and Trina could find some time away, and Spencer says, him too. It seems Esme had her hands full while he was away. Esme says, it was fine. They had some nice mother/son bonding time. Laura says, those are the times she’ll never forget. Ace seems a little tired to her. Esme says, it’s time for his nap, and Spencer offers to put him down (I hate that phrase; it sounds like they’re going to take him out back and shoot him). He suggests they put Ace in bed together, and Esme says, sure. Maybe Spencer could even sing that stupid song that he made up. Spencer says, Ace, Ace, something about his face, and Esme says, yes, that one. They go to put Ace to bed, and Laura tells Doc that she’s so relieved. He says, she means those two? and she says, yes. Look at how well they’re getting along. She was concerned for Ace’s sake. He says, yes, but unlike Spencer, who has a life outside of Ace, Esme seems isolated. All she has is her work at The Invader. She doesn’t seem to have a group of friends. It’s bound to cause friction.

Stella says, Felicia is a quick study, and Felicia says, Stella’s a great mentor. Stella says she has some paperwork to catch up on and asks when Felicia is starting at GH. Felicia says, next week. She hopes she’ll be ready. Stella says, Felicia will be great; she’s a natural. And she’ll be around whenever Felicia needs her. Felicia thanks her and says she appreciates it.

Trina says, Spencer was a true gentleman, and Marshall had nothing to worry about. Marshall asks if she’s sure. He’d hate to have to go full grandad. She says, Spencer treated her very well. They had a great trip. Curtis says, she gave him the highlights, and Marshall asks if he approved. Curtis says he approves, and Marshall notices Trina’s necklace. He says, that’s new, isn’t it? and she says, Spencer gave it to her so she’ll always have something to remember their trip together. Marshall says, to always remember Spencer by, no doubt, and she says, Spencer’s pretty unforgettable. Marshall asks Curtis, what do we have here? and Curtis says, the caps are a present from Trina, and he’s willing to share if Marshall picks the right one. Marshall says he wants the Knicks hat, and Curtis says, it’s his; good choice. Trina says she has a paper due for school, so she’s heading back to the dorms. She hugs Marshall and Curtis, who thanks her for the hats, and she leaves. Marhsall says, Curtis doesn’t really think that Cassadine boy is good enough for her, does he? and Curtis says he doesn’t really think he can tell his daughter what to do or who to be with.

Yuri asks what time Terry is off, but she says she’s not sure yet. He says, think of what she’d like for dinner, and she says, maybe Italian? He says, or Russian? kisses her, and leaves. Elizabeth says she has patients to see, and Terry says, make sure she showers them with kindness. Elizabeth gives her a look, and leaves. Terry asks what she can do for Portia, and Portia says she knows she initially turned down the job offer, but she’s had a change of heart and she really wants it. She believes she can do a great job for Terry and for GH. So she’s officially accepting Terry’s job offer to be Co-Chief of Staff.

Lois says she’s not so sure about staying here at the Qs with Tracy. She thinks the room Olivia described at the MetroCourt sounds perfect for her, but Olivia says she thinks what Brook said was right. If they stay here under the same roof, they can have a proper visit. They can braid each other’s hair and watch crummy movies and eat junk food. Just like old times. Lois says she doesn’t think so, and Olivia says, if she’s at the MetroCourt, it’s going to be all about work drama. She’s not really going to get a chance to see Lois. Lois says, fine. Speaking of drama, does Ned still think he’s actually Eddie Maine?

Eddie asks what Tracy means, a Bensonhurst invasion? She says, Olivia was bad enough. Now there’s two of them. He says, so Olivia has family visiting? and she suggests he see for himself.

Spencer says, okay. Ace is asleep. Esme says she had to hear Spencer sing that silly song three times, but it did make Ace laugh, so she guesses it was worth it. Spencer says, Laura still hasn’t told them why she and Doc decided to come back. Did they give up on looking for his father? Doc says, actually, no. Spencer’s grandmother refused to give up. It didn’t matter how difficult it became. She insisted they keep looking for him. Laura says, it wasn’t always easy at times, and Doc says, the search took them to Russia, Greece, and the trail eventually took them to Geneva. Laura says, where they actually met with his dad’s banker, who said he’d been seen there at the bank taking out some withdrawals. They didn’t actually see his dad, but they know he’s alive.

Yuri asks about Finn, and Elizabeth says, he’s well. He says, they should all get together again soon; her, Finn, him and Terry. He likes Finn. He’s good people. She says, he’s pretty great. They’ll check their schedules and get back to them. He says he’d better go. He’s starting a new job this week and he has to figure out how to tell his old boss that he’s leaving. She says, that’s never easy. Good luck. He leaves, and she makes a call. She says, it’s her. She just wanted to let Finn know she was thinking about him. She hopes everything is going well with Chase. She’ll see him later at her place.

Gregory tells Chase that his specialist was clear. This is a terminal diagnosis; there’s no cure for ALS. But how he handles this disease, how quickly he deteriorates, that’s still to be determined. He’s trying to take this day to day. Chase asks if he’s sure there’s nothing they can do, and Finn says he wishes there was. But their dad’s got a lot of good days left, and even as the disease progresses, there should be a lot of great opportunities to be together, spend time together, to love each other. Chase says, they’ll be with him every step of the way. He takes Gregory’s hand and says he loves him. Finn takes the other hand and says, they love him, and Gregory says he’s a lucky man.

Terry asks if Portia is sure about taking on the extra responsibility. It’s a lot of work, a lot of hours. Portia says she’s not afraid of hard work. She’s worked hard her entire life and doesn’t plan on stopping it now. Terry says, that sounds great. She’ll let Dr. Quartermaine know. You might even start on Monday… partner. They shake hands and laugh.

Curtis says he told Trina when she gave him this hat, even though he can’t play, he still loves the game, and Marshall asks if there’s been any progress in finding out who shot him. It’s been a while. Have the cops found anything? Curtis says, no. He hasn’t heard anything yet. The whole time he was a cop, his biggest fear was getting injured in the line of duty. So when it finally happened, he was a civilian. Marshall puts his hand on Curtis’s.

Esme asks if Laura knows where Nikolas is now, but Laura says, no, she doesn’t. Knowing Nikolas, he could really be anywhere. They hear Ace cry on the monitor, and Spencer says, perfect timing. He needs a break from talking about his dad, so he’ll check on Ace. Esme suggests he stay and catch up with his grandmother. She’ll go check on Ace. She leaves, and Doc says, actually (WOTD), he agrees with Esme. He has to make some calls and check on his patients. He leaves, and Spencer sits next to Laura, taking her hand. He says, so it’s what they thought all along. His father left them, and he doesn’t want to come back. She says she really believes his father is going to realize the mistake that he’s making and that he will come back to them, but Spencer says he really hopes for everyone involved that his father just stays away. She says, he knows he doesn’t mean that, and he says, but he’s really, really glad she’s home. He missed her. She says she missed him too. She missed him a lot. She hugs him and says, they’re going to be okay. He says, okay, and goes to check on Ace. Laura leaves a message for Valentin, saying, she just got back to Port Charles. When he picks this up, can he please call right away? She wants to know what’s going on with Charlotte.

Lois tells Olivia, the neighborhood hasn’t changed at all. The pizza place is still happening every Friday night. The arcade is busier than it’s ever been. Olivia asks how many hours they wasted, spending them in that dump, and Lois says, too many. How many nails did she break playing those stupid games all the time? Olivia asks how Lois’s parents are, and Lois says her parents are great, and thanks Olivia for asking. Ma still makes pasta every Sunday night. Pops is still working at the garage. Can she believe it? Brook needs to see her grandparents more often. They’re not getting any younger. Brook says she will, she promises, and Lois says, she’d better. She hugs Brook’s arm, when Eddie comes in with Tracy. He says he knows her, and Lois says she should hope so. She’s his ex-wife and she’s Brook’s mother. He says, oh… yeah, but he feels like he knows her from somewhere else. Soap looks all around.

Tomorrow, Willow asks what someone is doing here; Michael tells Sonny that it’s best for everyone if he moves on; Austin tells Cyrus, once he figured out what was at stake, he didn’t have a choice; and Ava screams for help.

The ~~Dreadfully Appalling~~ Real Housewives of Orange County

The Reunion – Part Two

Shannon apologizes for the CPS comment, and claims she never insinuated Gina’s kids would be taken away, but Gina feels Shannon hurt her children. Shannon says she feels horrible, and we take a break because we already need one after only two seconds. Gina and Heather Fancy Pants agree there was no apology, and Gina says she can’t carry this around anymore. And we’re back.

Andy says, Shannon’s friends often struggled to unlock her vault, which sounds rude, and we flash back to Shannon throughout the season. We see all the John stuff and Shannon flipping out about not talking on camera about her relationship when she just did. Shannon says she’s disappointed in Fancy Pants. She’d thought they were forging a true friendship, and Fancy Pants brought things up on camera that Shannon told her not to. The buck gets passed to Emily and Gina, who says, Tamra was the only person who discussed Shannon’s relationship, but Tamra throws the Shannon ball back to Fancy Pants. Shannon insists Fancy Pants said off-camera that her relationship with John wasn’t good, but she couldn’t say why because it was in the vault, which causes people to think the worst. What Shannon told her was that she and John had arguments, John would leave, then ghost her, and it was paralyzing. She’s never been more in love, and he’d said he was ready to take the next step. Then they broke up. Andy asks why, and Tamra suggests John didn’t want to look bad when they were filming. Fancy Pants asks if Shannon really believes she’s some Machiavellian pot stirrer behind the scenes, and Shannon says she does. Fancy Pants says, Shannon tends to drink and then call them; she’s the town crier. Shannon says, they’re all calling her a drunk, and Gina wonders why she doesn’t want to look at that. Shannon says she doesn’t like Gina, and Gina says, that’s fine, but Shannon also doesn’t like the truth. Emily says, Shannon shares things, then doesn’t seem to understand how it works on a reality show. There’s an assumption of risk. Spoken like a true lawyer. If Shannon doesn’t want it to come out, don’t tell it. Andy says, it seems like everyone had private conversations about Shannon’s relationship, but it all got put on Fancy Pants by Tamra. (Sounds like a fashion line – Fancy Pants by Tamra.) Shannon says, when she was going through a divorce, Gina claimed she was masking her feelings with alcohol, and Gina says, it’s their job to say how they feel. If it puts Shannon in a bad situation, get off the show. Shannon announces that her job is to be Shannon Storms Beador and she acts the way she is. Gina says, she’s Beador-ing it.

Shannon whines that she’s done a lot on the show. She took her shirt off on camera when she’d gained 42 pounds. We flash back to that, and her trainer saying, wow. She says she was the first Housewife to deal with infidelity, but I highly doubt that. Emily says, they’ve all done this; Gina dealt with a DUI, and Tamra weighed her. Shannon says she’s authentic, and Andy says, a viewer on Twitter (yeah, yeah, X now, but no one uses that – was it renamed X because Elon Musk doesn’t know how to write?), asks how Fancy Pants is the bad guy when Emily was the first person who brought it up? Tamra says, she, Vicki, Emily, Gina, and Fancy pants were filming at Gina’s place. When the camera was down, Fancy Pants wondered when they were going to start following Shannon’s real relationship. Fancy Pants says, Shannon doesn’t show what’s really going on, and Shannon says, thanks for bringing it up. Tamra says, now John dumped her, and Shannon says, they broke up and it broke her up. She looked back on certain scenes, and he looked checked out. She’s embarrassed and wonders why she didn’t see it. Tamra says, they just want her to be more open, and Gina says, Shannon should have faith that they’ll help her through it. Jenn says, it seems like Shannon wanted to protect her relationship, and Shannon says she wanted it to work. Call her in denial. Both kids are in college now, and it’s been hard. Tamra says, he’s not the one. Shannon still relies on him and needs to cut ties. Shannon admits she’s still hanging out with John, and Andy says, Steven from Vancouver asks, if John is such a private person, why date Shannon? Shannon says, that’s a valid question, and Gina says, he probably liked it until it stung him. Shannon says she doesn’t have a definitive answer. She hates that after being together for three years, she still doesn’t know. Andy says, it looked like Tamra was the root of all the gossip, but Tamra insists she didn’t say anything. We flash back to Tamra saying everything, and Fancy Pants says, Tamra had misplaced aggression toward her. Tamra says she thought Fancy Pants had a smoking gun, but when she watched the show, Fancy Pants didn’t say anything. Fancy Pants says she never pledged not to talk about Shannon’s relationship, but she promised she’d never repeat the things Shannon told her that were hurtful, and she never did. Emily says, Shannon told her that John called her a pig and said she was fat, but Shannon says, that’s the one thing he didn’t do. So I guess Emily just pulled that from the air. Emily says, that’s what Shannon told her, but Shannon says, Emily mistook [sic] it. Andy says, when Shannon got upset over wearing a bathing suit, it was very relatable, and asks what she thought about Emily’s assessment that at the root, it was related to John. Shannon insists it’s a Shannon thing, because she’s desperate to hang on to what little she has left of John. Andy asks if they’re friends with benefits, and she says, sometimes. Ugh. My assessment: John is a real pig and Shannon is desperate with a faulty picker.

Andy brings up Fancy Pants warning Gina that Emily went to the Tamra school of friendship, and Fancy Pants says she doesn’t trust Tamra and thinks she’s a sh*tty friend. Now tell us how you really feel. We see Emily making an ass of herself during this season, and Andy says, a lot of Emily’s anger seems deep-rooted in her childhood. Visibly upset, Emily says, her relationship with her mom is hard. It’s all over the place and not consistent. Gina adds, there being no solution makes it harder, and Andy steers the conversation to Annabelle, asking if she’s doing more modeling. Emily says, she’s had a few gigs, and we see pictures. She says, Annabelle is fierce; she’s a badass. Andy says, Emily and Tamra were close at the end of the season, and Emily says, they talk a lot. Emily thinks her friendship with Tamra annoys Shannon, and Shannon makes excuses as to why she didn’t invite any of them to the Tres Amigas show. Tamra wants to know why Fancy Pants said the only reason they were friends was because she was afraid of Tamra, but Fancy Pants corrects her, explaining what she said was, she didn’t go against Tamra because she was afraid of her. Tamra says, she should be, and the topic of who’s an a-hole is bandied about. Heather says, sometimes Tamra is an a-hole, and Tamra agrees, but says she hadn’t been an a-hole to Fancy Pants yet. She’d just gotten there. Andy asks if Emily was unfair to Fancy Pants, and Gina says she thinks Emily’s delivery is rough, but it’s not indicative of how she wants to be. Emily says she had a lot of misfires, and Fancy Pants read her as malicious, but it wasn’t her intention. Fancy Pants says, not malicious, aggressive, and Emily says, in her head, she’s passionate. Heather reminds Emily of how she said she thought Fancy Pants was going to brand them with an HD at her launch party, and we flash back to that. Jenn says, it was funny, and I agree. Emily says, Fancy Pants has no sense of humor, and was rude calling her a mammoth. Fancy Pants says, it was in a good way, and she called Emily Snuffleupagus. Emily says, Heather was essentially calling her a mammoth, but Fancy Pants says, it was because Emily’s hair was crazy. Emily says, after she said Fancy Pants looked like a whale trainer, she heard Fancy Pants told production that she was an a-hole and should be fired. Who knows who said what at this point, but I think we can safely say, they’re all a-holes.

We flash back over the vacations wasted on this group, and Kevin – the guy who inadvertently flashed Jenn, Tamra, and Taylor while white-water rafting in Montana – is brought up. Tamra says, when she was with Jeff Lewis and Shane, Shane said his cousin filmed with them in Montana, and she realized it was him. Andy asks about Shannon’s boney vagina, and Emily and Tamra poke around on her. What is with these women? Andy says, who called who a loser at Bravocon caused a lot of finger-pointing, and everyone had different accounts. Tamra says, before she was brought back, Heather said on her podcast, if anyone comes back, it should be Alexis. She claimed that she wanted what was best for the show, but she worked with losers. Fancy Pants tells her, what she said was, last season, the cast was gelling, but this is what they gave her to work with. Emily says, when they were taking promo shots for the show, Gina was having her hair blow dried, so she couldn’t hear clearly. Fancy Pants said, blah-blah-blah was talking at BravoCon and said bad things about them. When she asked what it was, Fancy Pants said, it was in the vault. Fancy Pants says she thought they were having a private conversation, and Emily says, Fancy Pants keeps making herself out to be the victim. Tamra tells Fancy Pants that she needs to own what she says, and Emily says, everything is poor Heather. They all start talking at once, the thing I hate most about Reunions, and Tamra asks if Andy has a whistle. Like she’s never loud.

Fancy Pants insists she didn’t know what Emily was talking about, and Emily says, Fancy Pants took advantage of the fact she didn’t know the names involved. Fancy Pants tells her, as soon as she said it, she knew she’d made a mistake. Then Emily brought it up at her party. Emily promises to be boring and appropriate, and Andy thankfully says, moving on. He says, Tamra said terrible things about everyone when she wasn’t on the show, and wonders if she has a double standard. Tamra tries to dance around it, but Andy is persistent, and she finally tells him to be quiet. She says she thought she and Fancy Pants were in a good place, but she claimed Tamra said horrible things. Fancy Pants says, Emily ran with it. She would have talked privately and not made it a thing. Andy asks why Gina didn’t follow her own advice, and not trust Tamra, and Gina says she should have. Andy wonders if Fancy Pants didn’t like Tamra taking her alpha status away, and Tamra wonders how she got to be the alpha. Fancy Pants tells Andy that she never said Tamra was the alpha; it was how she was being treated. Shannon says, there’s a lot of ego on the show, like this is a revelation, and Fancy Pants says, it makes her sad that Shannon doesn’t see who she is; they’ve had nice moments, but when they’re not together, things go awry. Jenn says, it was frustrating coming in new when the women have things they’ve shared that are in the vault. Andy asks Tamra where it’s going with Fancy Pants, and Tamra gets all teary, saying how much she loved Fancy Pants and how Fancy Pants sent her texts on every big occasion. Then it went totally sideways, and it hurt her. She wants to get back where they were and put it behind them. Andy asks, how about Fancy Pants? and Fancy Pants says, it’s incredibly sad. Everyone has had a difficult year, and she thinks, the more friends, the better. Tamra says, it was hard closing the gym and saying goodbye to everyone. Then her dog died. Okay, she can have my sympathy on that one. Not so much the gym, because I care not about her interpersonal crap. She says she didn’t know where her place was, and she drank too. She’s an a-hole when she drinks. Only when she drinks? Well, she does drink a lot. Fancy Pants says, Tamra was her Housewife maker, like a vampire, and Tamra says she’s sorry. She felt alienated and it wasn’t what she intended. Pfft!

Tamra asks if a wedding is in Gina’s future, and Gina says, if she gets a rock like Fancy Pants has. Tamra says, they all want a rock like that. Andy reads that Jack from New York said, the cast was perfection and he’s going to miss this season. Did we watch the same show? Or is he like, fifteen? Andy asks what everyone is going to miss, and Emily says she’s going to miss the fun. Despite their conflicts, there’s a lot of fun and camaraderie. Jenn says, it was her first season, and she’ll never have another experience like this. After filming, it felt weird, like, where did everybody go? I can identify since I’ve gotten that feeling after doing a play or having a party. Gina says she’s just happy to move past it, so I guess she’s going to miss nothing. Shannon says, the vacations. She tears up, and says she promised herself that she wouldn’t cry, but she’s going to miss filming with her kids. Fancy Pants says, for all their ups and downs, she loves them. It’s like a sisterhood or sorority. Gina says she’ll miss Fancy Pants’ house, but Fancy Pants says, there’s a better one coming. Tamra says, not much since she was a bitch, but looking forward – if they’ll have her back (hint, hint) – she wants to see Ryan in a different way and see Jenn happy. She promises to accept Jenn’s happiness, and not go there ever again. Andy says, they’ve left predominantly in a good place, and thinks the Reunion was successful. He asks what they’re doing afterward, and Tamra says, they’re going to Fancy Pants’ new house in Beverly Hills. Andy says, it makes him happy to hear that. They put in good work. Fancy Pants says, the point of the Reunion is to resolve things and move on, and Andy says, they did. Emily says she legit cares about them, even though there was a lot of pettiness, and it was a pressure cooker. Tequila shots are brought out, with a Red Bull for Gina, and Tamra thanks them for accepting her back. She’s glad they have this core group of girls, and they killed it.

And with that, this season is mercifully killed.

👧🏽 Who Rule the World…?

That was a lot, but join me tomorrow for soap and whatever Charm can be squeezed out of the South. Until then, stay safe, stay never assuming a car will stop because you have the right of way, and stay not being an a-hole and keep it in the vault.

Oct7

October 6, 2023 – Sonny Has Errands To Run, She’s Out, She’s In, Faux Housewives, Simon Says, Sharing, Stop It, Dead Talk, Turkey Time, Vintage Scares, Pets (!) In Costume, Just Shy Of 10 Quotes & It’s That Time

Posted on October 7, 2023 by theresakp

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny goes to Michael’s office, and Michael says he wasn’t expecting to see him. It must be important if Sonny decided to come all the way down to his office. Sonny asks if it’s a problem, but Michael says, no, just unusual. Sonny says he’s trying to be a little more spontaneous in his old age, and Michael asks what brings him here. Sonny says he knows he shouldn’t be asking this, but he has a favor that only Michael can do for him.

Moving right along, Sonny sees Anna at the MetroCourt bar, and thanks her for meeting him. She says she was a bit surprised by the invite, and he says he’s been looking out for her since the shooting at the MetroCourt. She says she appreciates that. She’s being very cautious, one eye looking over her shoulder, because apparently, she’s got a target on her back now. He asks if any threats have happened, but she says, no, and he says, that’s good to hear. She asks if that’s why he asked to see her, to check up on her, but he says he just wanted to let her know he’s going to be gone for a few days. If she needs anything, he’s just a phone call away.

Alexis says she can’t remember how long it’s been since they’ve visited her at her office. It must be important. What did she do to deserve this visit? We see it’s Sonny, and he says, it’s not what she’s done; it’s what she’s going to do. She says, typically, when someone wants her to do a favor for them, they ask her nicely and say please. What does he need? He says, put this paper to good use, and save a man’s life.

Setting a cup of coffee on the bar at Charlie’s, Kristina says, just tell her when and where, and she’s there. Sonny says, that’s my girl, and she says she’s actually pretty excited about it. After all he’s done for her lately, how could she possibly say no. He thanks her, and says he knows he can always count on her. She says, that’s not something she hears every day and it’s so nice. She hugs him, and Dante walks in.

Carly leaves a message for Diane to call her. She just wants some kind of update as to when they’re taking Drew back to Pentenville. Sonny knocks at his old kitchen door, and Carly says she just needs to know. She tells Sonny, hey, and he says he knows this must be difficult for her. Nobody wants Drew to go back to prison. She says she keeps hoping Diane is going to call and tell her they’ve figured out something, some kind of loophole to stop Drew from going back there. They’re looking into the judge to see if they can find some sort of bias, but it seems to be a longshot, so she doesn’t know. He says, she’s doing everything she can. There’s nobody more tenacious than Diane. She says, the girls are in school, and he knows that, so he must be here to see her, and he says, she guessed right. That, and to see the moss bowl🎍. She says, please tell her this isn’t bad news, and he says, it kind of depends on her perspective. She says, that’s cryptic. What’s going on? He says he and Nina are eloping.

Valentin is working on his laptop, when a message pops up with the number for a therapist in his area. He picks up his phone, but there’s a knock at the door. He opens it to Nina, who says she came by to see if things were any better with Charlotte. He invites her in, and she says, this place is so beautiful. Charlotte must be so thrilled to be in her own home with her dad… What’s wrong? What happened?

Robert meets Anna at the MetroCourt and asks, who’s the suit? She says, it’s a gift from Sonny, and he asks if she can send it back. She says, no, and he asks where Sonny gets off sending a goon over here to keep an eye on her. She says, he has a very caring side, and he says, so did Attila the Hun. She says, Sonny was worried about her and wanted to offer her protection, which she refused first of all; she didn’t think she needed it. He says, but now she does, and she says she changed her mind. He asks if something’s happened, and she says, other than the recent disturbing events, no. Nothing has happened in the last 24 hours since she’s had protection. He says, so she’s living in the MetroCourt, and she says, yes, until she moves into the new place. Valentin has bought a house for them. He asks when she went house hunting, but she says she didn’t. He bought the house on his own. Robert says, Valentin could have at least made her part of the process. Unless of course (🍷) she thinks he’s hiding something. She says, he’s always hiding something, but the house isn’t part of that. It was indeed meant to be a surprise. He says, Valentin is nothing if not full of those, and she says, he certainly is.

Gregory comes into Alexis’s office and asks how it went with Sonny. She asks how he knew Sonny was… Esme has to quit sharing every visitor that comes into her office. It’s not that she has anything to hide, Esme just needs to learn a little discretion. He says, Esme’s not to blame. When a notorious coffee importer shows up here, people tend to talk, and usually in hushed tones. Sonny’s good fodder for the water cooler. Alexis says, they’re going to be very disappointed. He just came to ask for a favor. Gregory says, he hopes nothing illegal, and she says, Sonny wanted to see if The Invader could help leverage Judge Albert Kim. He’s the judge who sentenced Drew Cain to three years in Pentenville. Gregory asks what outcome Sonny is hoping for, and she says, Carly thinks the judge’s sentence was unnecessarily harsh, and they’re hoping maybe they can get the sentence reduced or at the very least, have him moved to a safer facility. He asks just how Sonny suggests she do that, and she says, that’s what they have to figure out.

Carly says, eloping? What happened to the big blow-out wedding Sonny and Nina were planning? He says he wasn’t planning the wedding. He just told Nina that she can do whatever she wants with the wedding. Carly says she knows Olivia was helping, and he asks if that’s tough for her, but she says, no. She’s a big girl. Olivia can do what she wants, and they’re way too close for her to let something like that bother her. Sonny says, there were just so many details and things like that. A wedding should be about a celebration, not a deadline. She says, it’s just surprising considering all the noise Nina was making about her big wedding celebration, and he says, they’re just going to fly down to the island. It’s not going to be a big deal; just a small ceremony. It’s just going to be him and Nina, and whatever kids are able to go. She says, kids. That’s why he’s here. He says he would love if Donna could go. It would mean everything. If she’s okay with that.

Valentin tells Nina that he’s totally lost. He and Charlotte used to be so close, and now he feels like he doesn’t even know her. She says she knows this must be so difficult for him, but he says, not just him. Charlotte’s going to need professional help. He’s trying to find her a therapist. (I guess Montague is out.) She says, it might take him a while to find someone. Charlotte’s in a very serious situation, and he’s going to have to find the doctor who’s the right fit. He says he’s always been able to talk to her, hasn’t he? No matter how raw it gets. She knows him, maybe better than anybody; maybe even Anna. He doesn’t know how it got this way. This is his little girl they’re talking about. Nina says, they’re going to figure this out together. Where is Charlotte now? He says, she went on a bike ride. That’s why he’s doing research and making phone calls. Nina asks if he hasn’t said anything to Charlotte, and he says he just doesn’t know what he’d say if she lied to him, if she denied it. He doesn’t know how he’d react. Why is this happening? Did he do something to make her act out like this?

Kristina says, he told dad what? and Dante says he explained he couldn’t go to the wedding, but he’d go to the next one. She says, that’s not even funny, but he says he’s just kidding. She says, so he is going to go, but he says he’s not kidding about that part. She says, he has to go. Dad asked Dante to be his best man, didn’t he? Dante says, he did, and he’s honored. He just can’t go away right now. She says, that, she does get, because the PCPD softball team really need their star pitcher, and he says, they probably do, but he’s just got a lot of stuff going on here. She says, what stuff is more important than dad’s wedding? and he says, Charlotte was living with them; she’s moved out. They’re dealing with the fact Scout’s father Drew is behind bars, and it’s tough on her. His job… She seems more annoyed than Sonny did. He took this a lot better than her. She says she just thinks it’s important they be there to support dad, and he says he agrees. Dad knows he supports him. They’ve had their ups and downs, but he knows Dante’s behind his and Nina’s relationship. She says, nothing can keep her away, and he says, that’s good. She’ll be representing. She says she doesn’t think she’ll be the only one actually. Dad asked Michael to come. Dante says, that’s big. What did Michael say?

At the hospital, Michael looks for Willow, and a nurse tells him that she thinks Willow’s still on break. She’ll check. He sits down and remembers Sonny saying he wanted to tell Michael in person. Michael tells him, usually when somebody says that, it’s not good news, but Sonny says, it’s good news, for him at least. He and Nina are eloping; they’re going down to the island. Michael says, congratulations are in order, and Sonny says he knows times have been tough this year, but he thinks they’ve moved past that, and Michael says, with everything that happened with Willow, he realizes how important family is. Sonny says, Nina is Michael’s family. He knows there’s been a strain between them… Michael says, that’s an understatement, and Sonny says, she’s tried to make an effort between Michael and Willow. What makes her happy is spending time with Amelia and Wiley. Michael says he has to admit things have been better with Nina, and he knows she’s trying to respect their boundaries. Sonny says, nothing would mean more to Nina than to have Willow at her wedding, and it would mean a lot to him to have Michael there. So is there any chance he’ll go?

Nina says, this is not Valentin’s fault. She wishes she had the answer. Charlotte is a teenage girl, and teenage girls can be very complicated. He says, she’s a Cassadine. Cursed, isn’t it? None of this godforsaken family gets to be happy. Nina says, please, don’t go there. This has nothing to do with a curse. Charlotte isn’t doomed. She’s an adolescent who got herself into trouble. She’s struggling, but they will get her help. He says, it’s so overwhelming, and she says she’s sure Anna’s been supportive. What does she think? He says he hasn’t told her. How is he going to tell her that his daughter is the one who’s been tormenting her? Charlotte’s the one who set the fire; she’s going to be facing very serious criminal charges. Nina says, they have to just be very grateful no one was in the house. If Charlotte did do this, she made sure of that. He asks if that’s supposed to make him feel better, but Nina says she’s just making the point that Charlotte isn’t trying to hurt Anna. She’s not a murderer; she’s just crying out for help. He says, it’s more than that. Charlotte’s terrorizing the woman he loves, and he’s trying to keep that from escalating, but is he doing the right thing by not telling Anna?

Carly says, Sonny knows how much Donna loves weddings. Of course (🍷) she can go. Sonny thanks her and she says she knows how happy Donna was at Michael’s wedding. Hopefully, both girls can go. He says, that’s the plan, and she asks if he’s called Ava, because Avery wouldn’t want to miss it. He says he called Ava, but she hasn’t gotten back to him yet. He hopes there’s no problem there, because it would not be the same without Avery. She says, it looks like he’s thought of everything for his tropical ceremony, and he says he’s trying. He thinks he covered all the bases. Oh no, wait. The favor she asked for Drew? He’s working on it. She says, let’s hope it comes in time to save Drew.

Gregory asks if Alexis is sure she wants to get into this. He’s heard a lot of stories about people who do Sonny’s bidding and sometimes it doesn’t end well. She says, ya think? She’s very well aware of the methods Sonny uses to handle things. This time, he would like it handled legitimately. He asks if she’s sure that she and Sonny don’t share any similarities, and she says she thinks she’s offended. He says he doesn’t know Sonny well, but from what he hears, Sonny has reputation for ruthlessness. He knows firsthand how ruthless Alexis can be… when it comes to the pursuit of truth in journalism. She says, really? Do go on. He tells her that he’s just saying she’s a force of nature when it comes to business, and that’s a good thing by the way. She says, this is really very entertaining. Trying to compliment her after calling her ruthless. That is some fancy footwork. He says, unfortunately, that’s the only footwork he’s capable of these days.

Kristina tells Dante that she knows Michael wants to make peace with dad. There’s definitely been a lot less tension lately. Dante says, yeah, but that’s a far cry from Michael attending the wedding. They have to start somewhere to get back to where they were. She says she doesn’t know if they’ll ever get back to where they were, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. He asks, so is Michael going to the wedding or not? and she says, she doesn’t know. She hopes so. She’ll tell Dante one thing. She’s not excited to be on an island with him and Nina for the next few days. He says he thought she was Team Nina, and she says she is. She likes Nina a lot. Most important, dad loves her, but she hasn’t forgotten what Nina did to Michael and Willow. That’s some serous damage, and they both know their brother holds a grudge. He says, kind of just like… and they both say, dad. Blaze comes in, and Kristina introduces her to Dante. Blaze says, we meet again.

Michael remembers telling Sonny that he can’t give him an answer now. Not without talking to Willow first. Sonny says he gets it. He just hopes Willow does this for Nina, because the ceremony wouldn’t be the same without Wiley there. She wants Wiley to be the ring bearer, like he was at Michael’s wedding. He’s a pro now. Michael says, Willow has a lot going on right now and she just got back to work. He’s not sure she’s going to want to drop all that and get on a plane. Sonny says, okay. He just wanted Michael to think about it. In the present, Willow dashes over to Michael and says she heard he was waiting for her. Is everything all right? Did something happen with the kids?

Valentin tells Nina that he just doesn’t know what to do. They can’t involve the police. She says, no. They’re not bringing the police into this. She’s a teenager; she’s fifteen years old. If she did do this, and the police find out, they will send her away. He can’t let that happen. They’re just going to have to handle this themselves. He asks how they do that, and she says, they’re going to find a way to get through to Charlotte. They’re not giving up on her. He says he’s always appreciated her support, and she hooks her arm in his and says, even though they went their separate ways, she’ll always care about him. She loves Charlotte. He says he doesn’t know what he’d do without her help, and she says, about that. He’s going to have to deal with this on his own. That’s what she came by to tell him. She’s leaving town.

Anna tells Robert that she thinks Valentin feels this house is a way for him to focus on his daughter. He feels Charlotte needs a more stable environment. She’s had a very rough year. Robert asks if she didn’t tell him that Victor was keeping her at the boarding school, and Anna says, when she finally did come home, she’s been bouncing from house to house. First she was at Laura’s, then she lived with Dante. That’s not to say they weren’t there for her. They were very supportive, but Charlotte is fifteen, and along with that age comes anxiety and insecurity. He says, Mac was having a problem with Robin like that, and she says, Charlotte needs her father’s undivided attention. She totally understands that. She thinks maybe Valentin feels that buying a house for her is the first step in putting her on more solid ground. He says, in the meantime, Anna’s roughing it in the hotel, but she says she doesn’t call room service roughing it. She thought Robert didn’t want her with Valentin. He says he doesn’t. However, she should have the final choice in where she lives. She suggests they agree to disagree when it comes to the subject of her relationship with Valentin, and says she asked him here because she needs his help. He says, with? and she says, something crucial.

Sonny tells Carly that he pretty much politely demanded Alexis use that paper and her investigation skills to look into Judge Kim, because they have to figure out why he gave Drew such a harsh sentence. Carly says, they need to do more than look into Judge Kim. They need to get the judge to commute Drew’s sentence, or at least send him to a safer facility. Does Alexis understand that? He says, Alexis knows that the goal is to get Drew out of Pentenville, but it’s not going to happen overnight. The first thing she needs to do is a deep dive into Kim’s record. They have to figure out what makes him vulnerable. Then they have an opening. She asks if he thinks Alexis is going to come through, and he says he’s confident she’ll deliver for them.

Gregory apologizes to Alexis and says, that was meant to be a joke, but clearly it didn’t land. She says, he has every right to handle his disease any way he sees fit. If he wants to joke about it, joke about it. Go for it. He doesn’t have to edit his words with her. She’s going to follow his lead. He says he feels like he’s constantly thanking her for being understand, but thanks her again. She says, he doesn’t need to keep thanking her or apologizing. What’s that quote from that movie? Friendship means never having to say you’re sorry. He says he thinks that’s, love means… (Actually, I think her version makes more sense.) She says, he just doesn’t need to keep thanking her, and he says he still hasn’t told Chase. He knows she keeps telling him to wait until he’s ready, but when will that be? He can’t keep hiding behind his work here. He wakes up some mornings and he’s so determined to tell Chase the truth. Then he finds himself here instead. He used to lecture his students about procrastination. He’d tell them, putting off that term paper won’t make it easier. She says, this is a little bigger than a homework assignment. He’s going to tell Chase when he tells Chase. He says he’s just being selfish. He just wants more time with his son before his son looks at him with pity. Before he sees the disease, not his father. She says she thinks he’s wrong. She doesn’t think Chase is going to react that way at all, but Gregory will do what feels right for him and she’s not judging him. He says, speaking of judges, how are they going to handle Judge Kim?

Dante says, good to see Blaze again, and she says, good to see him too. She tells Kristina, Dante was her hero at the Nurses Ball, and he says he doesn’t like to brag. Kristina says, since when? and Blaze says, after Brook outed Linc on stage, Dante grabbed him and dragged him out of the MetroCourt. Nice work, detective. He says, just doing my job, ma’am, and Kristina says, that’s great. She almost forgot; her brother, the knight in shining armor. Blaze says, don’t think she’s forgotten how nice Dante was the day they ran into each other at Kelly’s, and he says, that was a few months ago. He saw Blaze at Kelly’s and Rocco had been watching her music videos; he’s a big fan. And they saw her at Rice Plaza years ago, and she was so gracious to them. Thanks. Blaze thanks him, and Kristina says, they’re practically BFFs. Who’d have guessed that?

Michael says, everything’s fine. He didn’t mean to worry Willow. She says, it must be something important for him to come all the way to GH, and they sit down. He says he wanted to tell her that Sonny paid him a visit earlier and apparently, he and Nina are eloping in Puerto Rico. She says, okay. The last time she spoke to Nina, Nina was knee-deep in wedding planning. It sounded like a huge event here in Port Charles. He says he guesses Nina changed her mind, and Willow asks if this means they get out of going to the wedding, but he says, no such luck. They’re definitely on the guest list. Sonny wants them to fly down to Puerto Rico.

Valentin says, she’s leaving town? but Nina says, it’s just for a few days. Don’t worry. She feels silly talking about it, given everything Valentin is going through, but she and Sonny are going to Puerto Rico; they’re eloping. He says he thought she was having a big wedding at the MetroCourt, and she says, that was the plan, but it got complicated, and it was really stressful. They just want to get married as soon as possible and the best solution was to have a small ceremony on Sonny’s island. He says, if that’s what she wants, he’s happy for her, and she says, he can always call her, but he says he’s not going to call her. He’s not going to interrupt her wedding. Unless she wants Sonny after him. Besides, Laura’s coming back from London. They’re going to figure out what to do about Charlotte together. Charlotte walks in and asks if Valentin is keeping things from her.

Robert says, Anna will do whatever she wants, so what does she need? She says, let’s just look at the recent events, starting with the shooting at the pool. She thinks that bullet was meant for Sonny, not her. Robert says, he’s got his fair share of enemies, and Anna says, so does she, but she thinks she’s being targeted in a completely different way. He says he doesn’t follow, and she says, after the shooting at the pool, her house was torched. Then her room here was vandalized. What does that tell him? He says, that her enemy is toying with her. They’re trying to break her down. What is she going to do about that?

Charlotte says, Valentin didn’t tell her Nina was coming over. She was putting her bike away, and she saw Nina’s car out front. She’s so happy to see Nina. They hug, and Nina says, it’s so nice to see Charlotte. How is she? Charlotte says, much better now that she’s living with papa, and Nina says, it’s a beautiful place. Is she settling in okay? Charlotte says, everything’s perfect. Can Nina stay and have lunch with them? Nina says, no, she’s so sorry. She just came over to tell Charlotte’s dad that she was leaving town for a few days. She and Sonny are going to Puerto Rico. Charlotte says, cool. She wishes she and papa could take a trip with Nina someday. Nina says she’s not sure Anna would be so thrilled with that, and Charlotte says she knows. She was just thinking how great it would be if they could go to Europe. Remember how they used to always talk about doing that? Nina says, that’s right. How about this? They plan a girls trip, just the two of them. Maybe she can convince Maxie to allow Georgie to come with them. She likes Georgie, right? (The way she says this, she may as well have been saying, Charlotte’s not going to set fire to Georgie, is she?) Charlotte says, yeah. She used to see Georgie a lot when her mom was still with them. But she’d rather just go with Nina if papa can’t come with them. Nina says, it’s a deal, and Charlotte says she loves Nina. They hug, and Nina says she loves Charlotte too.

Alexis tells Gregory, it looks like Judge Kim has a number of high-profile cases. His opinions that he wrote for his decisions read like bait for a promotion. Gregory asks, can you elaborate on that for those of us who didn’t attend law school? and she says, from what she can tell, it sounds like he’s trying to impress the Judicial Board in hopes of a higher appointment. Gregory asks how he goes about that, and she says, when judges are trying to climb the ladder, they set new precedents. And they do that with their opinions. And what they want is for those precedents to be appealed and upheld. So in simpler terms, it looks like Judge Kim is trying to get the attention of those above him. And if that’s the case, then maybe they can help him do just that.

Carly thanks Sonny for everything he’s doing for Drew’s case, and he says, Drew’s a good man. He doesn’t deserve what’s happening to him. And Drew being in prison affects her, and no matter what’s happened between them, she’s the mother of his children and he just wants her to be happy. She says, that means a lot. So from all the research Diane has gathered, it looks like Judge Kim is hoping for a promotion to the Federal Bench. She’s thinking he’d be more than happy to meet with the press and cooperate. He says, that gives Alexis a way in, and she says, that’s all they have for now. Sonny says, do him a favor and tell Drew to sit tight, because he’s doing everything he can behind the scenes to get him out of there. Carly says she will and asks if he ever found out who Austen was visiting in Pentenville.

Gregory tells Alexis, from the look on her face, he’d say she has a plan. What is she thinking? She says, her guess is, this guy has an ego; most judges do. He says he hears the same about lawyers, and she says she’s not sure who’s worse, but what she thinks is, this guy is really career oriented. He wants to get ahead which means he’ll be very susceptible to the lure of publicity. Gregory says, and that’s where she comes in, and she says, they call him in for an interview. They pump him up. They tell him that they’re interested in doing an article about his decisions, take some pictures, and hopefully he’ll eat it up. Gregory says, and then, she goes in for the kill and ask him about Drew’s sentence. She says, mm-hmm, and he says, good plan of attack. Like he said, ruthless.

Sonny tells Carly, unfortunately, they have no information on that yet. They don’t know who’s pulling the strings when it comes to Austen and Mason. She says, trailing Betty didn’t turn up anything? and he says he had Dex watching her every move, thinking she’d lead them to the boss, but that didn’t happen. They have someone watching Austin, and his guys are doing everything they can until he gets back from the wedding. She says, that’s what he should be concentrating on right now, and he says he knows. She says she’s going to have Donna packed and all ready to go. She can’t wait to see Donna’s face when she tells her. Please take a couple of pictures of Donna for her. He says, okay, and she says, let her know if he hears from Ava. She can just bring Avery here and he can pick up both girls at the same time. He says, thanks, that means a lot, and she says, it’s been a painful couple years. He agrees, and she says, and she just wants him to be happy too. He says, yeah. He feels the same way. They soap stare at each other for a moment, while the moss bowl🎍 yawns, and Sonny says he’ll see her.

Kristina says she’s flying down to Puerto Rico later for her dad’s wedding, and Blaze says, a destination wedding. How exciting. Dante says, they’re eloping, thank God, and Kristina says, Dante. He says he’s just telling it like it is. He thinks they’re being smart by keeping it a small, family ceremony. (Is that really eloping then?) Kristina asks why he says that, and he tells her, because he thinks if they had a big wedding in Port Charles, they’d be asking for trouble.

Anna says, this is where Robert comes in. She needs his help. Because she’s almost certain this threat is coming from inside the WSB. Or someone with access to the Bureau’s resources. He asks if she thinks this is the same person who outed her for being a double-agent, and she says she has her suspicions. Look at the timing; think about it. None of this started until she was exposed in the press. It has to be connected. It can’t just be a coincidence. He says, this is revenge from someone she’s wronged in a past case? and she says her actions hurt a lot of people who might want payback. He says, she hasn’t been an active operative in years. Could somebody hold a grudge that long? She says she doesn’t know. She just really needs his help to get some information from inside the Bureau. He tells her, as he said, since Frisco left, his influence there is limited. As for this new director, whatever influence he might have is going to be limited at best. She says, limited is better than non-existent. Please. Will he help her find out what is going on and who is after her?

Nina says, it was so good to see Charlotte. Does she remember their handshake? They do a fancy pattycake thing, and Nina says she has to go to the gallery. She’s been trying to get ahold of Ava with no luck, so she thought she’d try her there. Charlotte says she misses Nina so much. Please come over after her trip. Nina says she will, and kisses Charlotte’s forehead. Valentin walks her to the door, and outside, he thanks her for coming. It meant a lot to Charlotte. It’s good to see her smile. Nina says, they’re going to figure this out when she gets back, okay? and they hug as Charlotte watches. He tells Nina, have a nice trip, and Charlotte half smiles.

Willow says, fly to an intimate wedding? It would be one thing if it was 200 guests at the MetroCourt. They’d be able to blend into the background, but this… Michael says, yeah. It would just be family, so they’d be front and center. She says she knows she’s been pushing him lately to accept Nina, but this is a lot. He’s finally made peace with his dad and Nina, and it’s so new. He asks if she really wants to put it to the test.

Alone outside, Nina looks at a picture of Charlotte as a young child. She says, Charlotte, what happened to you? As she starts to go down the walk, her phone rings. Sonny asks, how is his bride-to-be? and she says she’s okay, but he says she doesn’t sound okay. What’s wrong? She says, it’s just been an emotional day. Where is he? He says he’s been all over town doing things, but he’s finished now. He’s all hers. She says, that’s all she’s ever wanted, and he says, then she better get packing. We’re getting married. She says, yes, we are.

On Monday, Nina says, this is the best wedding present she could ever ask for; Gregory tells Finn, now because of him, Chase is paying the price; Carly tells Alexis that there’s proof, and she can get it for her; and Cyrus asks what someone has in store for him.

🚗 Enjoy the Ride…

We say goodbye to Gladys. Her last scenes with Sonny were so much fun!

Bonnie Burroughs Says Goodbye to GENERAL HOSPITAL

🎤 Old Is New Again…

We say hello to Lois. Brook needs her mom, and hopefully, she’ll go head-to-head with Tracy.

A Sneak Peek at Rena Sofer’s First Scene Back at GENERAL HOSPITAL!

💰 Not As Rich As They Seem…

She has a point. It does seem like you get demoted to friend if you can’t keep up the image.

Bethenny Frankel Shades Andy Cohen for Dissing Gina’s House and Wonders If Shaming Housewives is Why They “Steal & Go Bankrupt” to “Look Rich”

Case in point? She seems like the kind of person who would ditch her financial responsibilities.

‘RHONYC’ Star Brynn Whitfield Evicted for $7K Unpaid Rent and Owes IRS Thousands!

🍊 Who’s a POS Cheater…?

I figured that’s what Jenn was referring to.

Past Interview Surfaces of Tamra Judge’s Ex Simon Accusing Her of Cheating With Eddie, After Tamra Slammed RHOC Costars Jen and Ryan Over Past Infidelity

🍸 Something About Her Living Her Best Life…

Can’t wait to read her book. This has been one of those rare times we got to see karma at work immediately.

Ariana Madix Shares Status on Sandwich Shop & Explains Delay, Plus She Gushes Over Beau Daniel’s DWTS Support, and Talks Single AF Cocktails Being Her “Breakup Album”

🍾 Words Of Wisdom…

She must be doing something right. She looks amazing. And what I said yesterday. It really is ridiculous how they all just keep circling the same dating drain.

Southern Charm’s Patricia Altschul Thinks Cast Should Stop Being ‘Incestuous’

⚰️ Put That Dead Thing Down…

I have to admit, I’m surprised, but he probably has a big fan base.

‘TWD Daryl Dixon’ Becomes Most Viewed Premiere and Season in AMC+ History (collider.com)

This sounds like a great convention.

https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/new-york-comic-con-2023-the-walking-dead-daryl-dixon-rick-michonne/

I knew it. I knew I saw this scene somewhere and there had already been a connection to France.

https://undeadwalking.com/2023/10/05/walking-dead-world-beyond-two-years-ago/

🦃 The Forgotten Holiday…

That holiday we jump over between Halloween and whatever December holiday you celebrate now has its own slasher film. If Eli Roth is involved, it’s bound to be good.

https://ew.com/movies/thanksgiving-trailer-patrick-dempsey-eli-roth-addison-rae/

🎃 Not Halloween Without It…

Weird-ass vintage costumes. Just remember, that bag is not a toy, or a costume.

https://www.travelchannel.com/ghostober/photos/13-iconic-vintage-costumes-to-recreate-this-halloween?xp=sistersite

👻 It’s That Time Of Year…

One holiday where celebrities are just like us.

Celebrity Pets’ Best Halloween Costumes Over the Years

👄 Quotes of the Week

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. – Lao Tzu

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

Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great. – John D. Rockefeller

The deeper the truth in a creative work, the longer it will live. – Sir Charlie Chaplin

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

He ain’t no Christian; he’s a dope fiend. – Judge Mathis

Great things are done by a series of small things brought together. – Vincent Van Gogh

True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us. – Socrates

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

🦖 Main Character Energy…

Join me again on Monday really Tuesday for soap and yachting with awful people. Until then, stay safe, stay treating and not tricking (take that however you like), and stay making parties celebrations not deadlines.

Oct5

October 4, 2023 – No Soap Or Radio, Sprina’s First, Not Leaving, Surprise, Memories, Reunited Doesn’t Feel Good, Beverly Hills Peek, Back To the 80s, History Lesson, Frightful Décor & Yeah

Posted on October 5, 2023 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

There was no GH today because, baseball, but here’s a little news to keep you going until tomorrow.

😍 Feels Like the Very First Time…

IMO very nicely done.

Tabyana Ali Opens up About Sprina’s First Time on GH

👠 Not Going Anywhere…

News to me, but I’m not exactly lurking in the soap social circles.

Laura Wright Shares an Update on Her Status at GENERAL HOSPITAL

🌌 It Was Just a Dream…

It’s really too bad they killed her off, but if you’ve got to go, you might as well leave a trail of murder and mayhem in your wake.

Inga Cadranel on Her Surprising Return to GH

🧛🏻‍♂️ Light the Corners of My Mind…

It’s such a shame the canceled this. Michael Easton was great as a vampire.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/remembering-port-charles

The Real ~~Nauseating~~ Housewives of Orange County

Reunion – Part 1

Oh good God, this has been on for 17 seasons. Andy wants to take us somewhere, and we hit the virtual beach. He asks Tamra how it feels to be unpaused, and she says, great. She was a little nervous. That’s why she drank so much. Already the excuses start. We find out Emily lost 40 pounds, and Andy points out that Heather Fancy Pants is wearing all black. Now an official realtor, Gina says she has two homes in escrow. Jen doesn’t think she did enough meditation to prepare, and when Andy wonders how many pounds of hair Shannon has on her head, she says, not as many as Teresa did at her wedding. I don’t think I like this look on her. It’s like she’s trying to be a teenager from the 1970s. Andy says, Tamra came in hot and burning rubber, literally on a motorcycle, and she wasn’t afraid to burn a few bridges. We flash back, and the first clip is Tamra claiming she’s back with a different perspective. She doesn’t have to call everybody out. Funny how she did nothing but call people out. Andy asks where she and Shannon are and she says, great. They have their ups and downs and are definitely like sisters. He asks, how’s Eddie? and she says he started a supplement company that’s going to be launching soon. I will never be able to reconcile how shrew Tamra landed Eddie, who seems to be a decent guy, but then again, I only see bits and pieces of him. Maybe he’s a freak or a weirdo or both. A viewer asks how Fancy Pants feels about a friendship with Tamra, and Fancy Pants says, Tamra talked against her, and it makes her feel sad. Tamra says, she never did it on purpose, and Fancy Pants says, there wasn’t one episode where Tamra didn’t say something unkind about her. Tamra accuses Fancy Pants of running to Andy with that, but Fancy Pants says she did no such thing. She’s just a tiny cog in the Andy Cohen machine. When she does get a precious minute with him, they’re not talking about Tamra. Andy says, Fancy Pants never brought it up, and Tamra whines that Fancy Pants had said there was no place for her on the show. It’s time to move on, and Andy says, Tamra and Jenn had a friendship so messy, even a flying napkin couldn’t clean it up. We flash back to Tamra being absolutely abusive to Jenn, ending with her screeching that Jenn ruined her whole family, and it annoys me all over again. Andy says he thinks it’s admirable that Jenn has fostered kids, and Jenn says, it fulfilled her. Ever twisting even good things around, Tamra wonders if Jenn was a foster mom because she was lacking love. Gina says, Jenn didn’t destroy her family. Gina had the same situation in her life, and it’s okay to shift family dynamics. Andy says, they invited Ryan to the show, but he declined. Geez, I wonder why. Jenn says, he has a history with Tamra and Eddie, and felt if Tamra goes at him, he’d look like an a-hole going after a woman. It was a no win for him. Agreed. Andy asks if she thinks there’s a proposal in the future, and Emily asks if Jenn thinks he was ring shopping for the show? We flash back to Ryan’s shopping trip, and Jenn says, they’ve talked about marriage a lot. He’s ready, but waiting on her. She knows they all think she was doing all kinds of things she wasn’t, and they rehash the whole Ryan and Jenn thing. Tamra says she wants better for Jenn, and Jenn says, it’s none of her business. She thought Tamra was her friend. Tamra says she was until she found out Jenn cheated. Jenn says, no, you, and they call each other POS cheaters. It didn’t take long for me to hate Tamra all over again. Andy takes a break because I beg him to with a brain wave.

Jenn says, Tamra’s a cheater, and Tamra says she and Eddie have been married 13 years, like this means anything. Jenn says, Tamra is a sh*tty friend, and Andy says, the perception was, the minute Tamra came on, she went for Jenn. Tamra says she gave Jenn advice beforehand to be honest. Tamra rehashes Ryan texting whatever-her-name-was, and Jenn says, for the millionth time, that she’s seen all the texts. Andy asks if Jenn thinks whatshername and Ryan were messing around when they were together, but Jenn says, it was only the one time when they were on a break. Tamra squeals that Ryan texted her for three months, and when asked if she was in a committed relationship. Then later she sent him risqué pic. Jenn says she saw the pic and told him that she wanted this be done. Shannon says she told Tamra that it was too much, and Tamra shoots back that when they were at the pool party, Shannon asked if they could dig up more. Emily agrees Shannon wanted to dig. She said it was so juicy, they had to get it on camera. Shannon insists she didn’t, and Gina suggests they look at Shannon’s track record. Shannon says, no, you, and then the d*ck pic gets rehashed. Jenn wonders why they’re all still talking about it (thank you). It was a personal moment and no one’s business. Gina says, Jenn chose to forgive him, move on, and give it a go, and Jenn says she loves him and she’s happy with him. Gina says she feels like Jenn is being the bigger person. She’s the scapegoat in her own story, and doesn’t chuck anyone under the bus. Tamra says she’s sorry she upset Jenn, but she knew Jenn would protect him and make her out to be a liar. She says sorry again, but that doesn’t sound like an apology. Jenn says, they’ll have to agree to disagree, and Tamra says, Jenn deserves happiness. She’s an amazing person. I guess Tamra ran out of steam.

Taylor comes out, and Fancy Pants whispers to Gina that Taylor’s been sh*tting on her all over the place. Andy says, Taylor is now fighting hard from a different zip code, and asks how it feels to be the first Housewife to cross over? She says, it feels like home and she’s finding friendships. Andy doesn’t spend much time here before he tells us that Fancy Pants has the perfect cure for empty nest syndrome; trade in the nest for 55 million. We flash back to all that, and Andy asks about Terry having a stroke. Fancy Pants says, in front of her, but he didn’t realize it happened, and argued with her about going to the hospital. She literally chased him down with them both in Ubers. She finally got him to go, and the doctor confirmed he’d had a stroke. Andy asks about Taylor being in her first movie, and she says, because of the strike, they haven’t been able to finish. A viewer agrees that Fancy Pants sounds condescending and asks if Taylor thinks she’s unaware of it. Taylor says she thinks it’s just how Fancy Pants talks, and she is unaware. She told Fancy Pants they were filming in Oklahoma, and she asked, where’s Oklahoma? Fancy Pants says she’s not Magellan, and if she offended Taylor, she apologizes. I’m no Magellan either, but I know approximately where Oklahoma is. Fancy Pants says she felt terrible that’s what Taylor thought during the season, but she wasn’t trying to be condescending. Since the pot isn’t stirred enough, Andy points out that Tamra was the one who said Fancy Pants hadn’t worked since the 1900s. Tamra says she wasn’t making fun; she just got her years mixed up. Fancy Pants says, when Tamra and Eddie closed the gym, what if she’d said, they were only in business nine years; it’s not the Equinox. Andy says, Gina warned Taylor that Tamra was two-faced, and Taylor says, Tamra likes to stir the pot. If she had something to say to Fancy Pants about her, she should have said it in front of her. Tamra says she literally followed Fancy Pants to the bathroom while she was talking. Fancy Pants reapplies her lipgloss, and Taylor says, Fancy Pants said she was anti-female, but she works tirelessly for women and children of domestic violence. Heather says, then don’t put down another woman’s career, but Taylor says she thought she was supporting it by suggesting Fancy Pants go for a role in the film. Tamra says, Fancy Pants is the one who ran into a producer and said, get her off this f***ing show. Shannon pipes up that she was there, and Andy asks if Fancy Pants thinks she’s better than them. Shannon says, sometimes, and Fancy says, it was the producer of That’s Life, the series where she was most recently a regular. She wondered if it was a sign, since they’d been trashing her career. She didn’t mean she wanted off the show or was putting it down. She’s grateful for the platform and came back because of it. Emily says, Fancy Pants doesn’t put her down, but she didn’t stick up for Emily when Tamra said she wasn’t an attorney. Tamra says she meant Emily reached out to her as a party planner, but Fancy Pants says, Tamra said, Emily was a party planner, not a real lawyer. We flash back to that, and she kinda, sorta did. Tamra tells her that she said Emily wasn’t a practicing attorney, and Emily says she’s tired of hearing she’s not a real attorney. Gina suggests Fancy Pants is tired of hearing she’s not a real actress, and Emily says she understands. She feels the same way and wishes Fancy Pants either told her at the time or defended her. A viewer says, Fancy Pants said she didn’t want to tell the group about the sale of her home because she was afraid the press would find out. Then she said it was because no one would be happy for her. Which was it? Shannon says, nobody wasn’t happy for her, and Tamra says, they did find out about it from the press. Heather says she didn’t want that to happen. She wanted to tell them in Mexico. Tamra says, they were all happy for her, and Fancy Pants admits that’s true and looks like she’s going to cry. Andy says, Fancy Pants claimed she got picked on because the others are jealous, and wonders if she still feels that way. Fancy Pants says she does think she self-actualizes, and wants to be a better person, human, mom, wife, friend. Shannon says she needs to go to the bathroom badly, and Fancy Pants tells Andy that she doesn’t know; she’s sad. Resident psychologist Emily says she thinks Fancy Pants feel isolated because she’s offended all the time about everything that everyone does. Fancy Pants says she does not, but Emily says she thinks the problem is that Fancy Pants needs to laugh at herself more. Andy asks who thinks Fancy Pants has a sense of humor, and it doesn’t look good, but Gina and Tamra both say she does. Taylor says she’d hoped they’d moved past everything in Tulum, and she’s here for Fancy Pants. Fancy Pants says she thought they’d had a nice conversation, but everything Taylor says about her is punitive. She would like Taylor to stop doing that. Taylor says she’d like to review what things those are in a separate conversation from this one. Andy tells us that it’s time to say goodbye to Taylor, probably because she showed some smarts instead of saying, let’s discuss this right now in an inappropriate venue, and broke Housewife Rule #1. We take a break. Not like Ryan and Jenn’s break though.

To his credit, Andy says, we’re back, instead of welcoming us back like we were the ones who left. He says, Gina’s life was in an upswing, but she had some friendships in need of renovation. We flash back, and when the clip is shown where Shannon brings up Gina’s DUI, I think, they’re going to get mad about this all over again. That’s what I hate about these Reunions. They stir it all up again when I’m over it. Gina says, Matt’s infidelity hurt worse than the domestic violence, and Emily says she thinks it’s because that was an isolated event. Gina says, it wasn’t Matt that night, and she doesn’t look at him like that person. A viewer asks why Fancy Pants had a problem with Gina sharing her problems with Travis, and Fancy Pants says she’s had no boyfriend for almost 30 years. In her day, you didn’t talk about your ex. She wasn’t talking negatively against Travis. Emily says, blended families are different, and Gina says she knew Fancy Pants meant well. She still has to process something that changed the course of her entire life. Andy says, Shannon promised not to talk about Gina’s DUI again, so why did she? Shannon says – wait for it – she didn’t realize she said it. When she made the statement, she wasn’t saying Gina’s kids would be taken away, but if she had been arrested and another adult not there, they wouldn’t have been left alone. Gina asks Shannon what the names of her kids are, and Shannon is hard pressed to get it right. Gina says, never talk about her children. She’s known Shannon for six years, and Shannon doesn’t even know her kids’ names. What she said was completely inaccurate, out of bounds, and wrong. She shouldn’t have anything other than I’m sorry. Shannon tells Gina, yes, what she said was unkind, and Gina says, Shannon is worried about people talking about the same things she’s saying about other people. Shannon is talking about her children. My children! Shannon tells her to keep screaming, and Gina says she will. My children.

Andy asks Shannon what her reaction was to the seeing herself, and she says she was horrified, and she spoke to Gina. Emily says, when she knew she said it, that was an opportunity to say she was wrong, and Shannon says, it was established at the table she’d said it. I don’t know if Shannon is being deliberately dense or she’s stupid, and Gina explains that it would have been an opportunity to be a kind person. Shannon says she could present a list of things she’s done for Gina, and Gina says, Shannon gave her a phone number four and a half years ago. Andy asks if Shannon doesn’t think she’s beaten that one to death, but Shannon repeats she has a list of things she’s done for Gina. Gina says, of course Shannon makes a list, and Shannon says, before Gina met Travis, she invited Gina out, then Gina kept painting her out to be a horrible person. Andy reminds Shannon that she said Gina had been talking about her and John, yet she talked about Travis. We flash back to Shannon’s remark about Travis’s teeny penis, and Shannon says she was repeating something she’d heard three years ago. Emily asks, why bring it up now? and Shannon says, Gina was saying horrible things. Gina says, so instead of coming to her and asking if she’d said those things, Shannon chucked her and Travis under the bus. Shannon only worried about herself. Shannon says she apologized for the Travis comment, and Emily says, there’s nothing more detrimental as mom to hear someone say you’re a bad mom. It feels like Shannon is being defensive instead of saying she was completely wrong and crossed the line. Gina says, she and Shannon went out and had a little fun years ago. Her kids are close to being on social media, and for them to see that about being taken away would hurt them and scare them, and Shannon doesn’t even know names. This wound will stay with her, and she doesn’t know if she can continue to do this. It’s unclear whether she means her friendship with Shannon, the Reunion, or the show.

Next time, the Reunion concludes, Fancy Pants confronts Shannon; Emily says, Fancy Pants has no sense of humor; Fancy Pants says she hasn’t gone against Tamra because she’s scared of her; and Tamra says, Fancy Pants should be scared of her. I guess that baptism just plain wore off.

💎 Trailing the Hills…

The vault has been opened for the new season of RHOBH. I think I’d handle the trips they go on the way my BFF and I handled CYO trips in high school. Take the bus there with everyone, “get lost” somehow, and then conveniently find the bus again when it’s time to go home.

https://ew.com/tv/real-housewives-of-beverly-hills-season-13-trailer/

🛼 Having a Flashback…

I’ll have whatever Donna Mills is having.

https://ew.com/tv/ladies-of-the-80s-lifetime-movie-first-look-photos/

Don’t Miss Ladies of the 80’s!

👻 Scary Truth…

Great article on Halloween.

https://www.fatherly.com/entertainment/the-real-history-halloween-in-the-us

🎃 Scaredy Dog…

I had a Golden that was literally scared of his shadow.

https://people.com/golden-retriever-gets-scared-halloween-decorations-watch-8285818

🧋 Pumpkin Spice Up Your Life…

Set a spell tomorrow for soap and questionable Charm. Until then, stay safe, stay taking a mint if someone offers it, and stay not being defensive when you are completely wrong and crossed the line.

While this isn’t exactly a Halloween themed song, the video is pretty weird.

Sep28

September 27, 2023 – Eddie Makes His Comeback, Goodbye Craig, Pick a Molly Lane, Freak Show Finale & All the Man

Posted on September 28, 2023 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Eddie/Ned thanks Marshall for booking him at The Savoy tonight, but Marshall says, no need to thank him. He just made a suggestion; it was Curtis who got the PR machine rolling, When Curtis throws a party, people want to come. Eddie says he wasn’t sure after that crowd the other night, and Marshall says, he means lack of crowd, and they’re going to try and keep that a thing of the past. Does he have everything he needs? Eddie says he does. He’s just trying to finalize the set list. N’neka calls to Marshall, who goes over to her, and Eddie says, there’s just one problem.

Out in the club, Olivia tells Brook, look at this. The stage all set up for her father to play. Brook says, it’s surreal watching Eddie Maine’s universe take physical form. Olivia says, he’s so excited about this; she’s getting all caught up in it with him. Brook tells her that she says it like it’s a bad thing, but Olivia says, it’s not that. Brook says, Olivia is still hoping he remembers who she is, who they all are, and Olivia says, not who they are, who he is. She knows Brook thinks she’s crazy, hanging all this hope on a half-finished song, but there was something in him when he played it for her, and talking about muses and everything. She just felt it in her heart that there must be something deeper in there; like Ned was underneath wanting to climb out. Like the song was his way back to them. When he was recording it, there was a minute there when she thought he might remember something. Then Marshall offered him this gig and a challenge to finish the song and play it here tonight. She’s just so afraid she’s getting her hopes up for something. Maybe it’s just a beautiful song and doesn’t mean anything at all. Brook says, don’t worry. At least Eddie accepts them all now. He’s getting to know them in a new way. Olivia says, what if he gets to know them and decides he doesn’t feel the same way about them that he used to?

NuMolly (sigh… see below) and TJ come into the club, and Curtis says he’s glad they could make it. TJ says, they’re looking forward to having a good time. They have a lot to celebrate. Curtis agrees and says he’s glad he gets to celebrate with them.

Blaze comes in, and Brook says she’s so glad Blaze could make it. Blaze thanks her for the invite. She’s never heard of Eddie Maine. Brook says, he was a little before their time, and Blaze says, so he’s a comeback? Brook says, oh, he’s come back all right. Eddie Maine’s actually her father. Blaze says, Brook told her that her father’s a musician, but isn’t her last name Quartermaine? and Brook says, yeah. He dropped the Quarter and just stuck with the Maine.

Curtis tells TJ and Molly to get some drinks on him, and they go to the bar. Portia joins him, and says, look how many people are here. Curtis says he just put some feelers out and talked to some old friends he hasn’t seen for a while, and that was it. She says, when he calls, they come, and he says, dad wanted to pack the house for Eddie Maine’s debut. Marshall asked him to pull out all the stops. She says, and viola. She wishes Trina was here to see this.

Josslyn sits on the bed while Trina packs. Trina wonders where her new pumps are; she just had them earlier. Josslyn takes them out from under the suitcase and says, here you go. Trina thanks her, and Josslyn says, she’s got to calm down. Everything’s going to be okay. Trina says, it’s Spencer’s fault she’s late.

Spencer calls to confirm concierge service for his flight to New York. They will be on time… Okay, perfect. He’ll be there soon. Esme comes out with Spencer’s tablet and says, he left it in the kitchen. She thought he might want it for his trip to New York.

Chase goes into the interrogation room and asks Dante, how’s it going in here? Did he get anything out of this guy? Dante says, they shouldn’t be too much longer, and Chase says, right, closing the door. He sees Sam in the squad room, and she asks if Dante is here. Chase says, he’s in the interrogation room with a prisoner, Cody Bell. Is he expecting her? She says, no, but she’ll shoot him a text and let him know she’s here. Chase says, forget that. He’ll announce her. He goes back in, where Dante and Cody are discussing football, and Chase says, Sam’s here to see Dante. How about if he lets her in and they can tell him what’s really going on here?

Gladys packs frantically, tossing some things aside when the suitcase won’t close. There’s a knock at the door, and she says she’s almost ready. She thought they were going to text. The knocking continues, and Gladys opens the door to Sasha. She throws her arms around Sasha and says, thank God, but Sasha’s not looking too happy.

Chase asks if Dante had a desk sergeant notify Gladys Corbin that Cody was in custody, knowing that she’d show up here and he’d be the one to deal with her. Dante says, yes, but it’s only because he knew Chase could handle her. He’s sorry. Chase says he could barely handle her. That woman is crazy. The only reason she got up and left is because she got a phone… a phone call. But they knew all about that, don’t they? Dante says, they have reason to believe that Gladys has been embezzling from Sasha. That call… Sam says, that’s how Gladys found out that she was being investigated.

Gladys says she’s so glad to see Sasha, and Sasha says, really? It sounded like she was expecting someone else. She walks in, looking at the suitcase, and Gladys asks where she’s been. How did she get away from Cody? The police have him in custody, but no one had seen Sasha and he refused to say what happened. She feared for the worst. She was so afraid for Sasha. Sasha says, really? and Gladys says, of course (🍷). Sasha says, then what’s with the suitcase and all the clothes? Was she going somewhere?

Marshall goes back to the green room, and Eddie tells him that he was just saying how much he appreciates the chance to play. Marshall says, doesn’t he know it. As a musician, there’s no substitute for performing. It’s not only a reward; it’s the greatest teacher. It shows you what’s working and what needs help. It gets all the creative juices flowing and it’s a great way to test new material. Speaking of which, he can’t wait to hear Eddie’s new song. He leaves, and Eddie says, about that… He gives the band the set list and says he decided to put that Idle Rich song there instead… Brook walks in, and he thanks the band for coming in for a quick run through. Get themselves a beer and he’ll see them later. The band leaves, and Brook says, sorry. She didn’t mean to drive everyone away. He says, not at all. You know musicians; any excuse to get a beer. She says she just came to tell him that she knows he’s going to do great tonight. She just wishes her mom was here to see it. She knows he doesn’t remember, but growing up, she heard countless stories about Eddie’s performances, listening to CDs, and now here she is, about to hear it live for herself. She can’t wait. He thanks her, and she almost hugs him, but instead says, break a leg, Eddie.

Olivia congratulates Blaze on being Brook’s first client. She’s absolutely thrilled. Brook is going to do a great job for Blaze. There’s nobody more dedicated than Brook when she puts her mind to something. Blaze says, then that will make two of them. She plans to match Brook’s dedication. So tell her about Eddie Maine. He’s Brook’s father? She was a little vague about it. Olivia says, it’s a long story, and Blaze says, that’s what she said. Olivia tells her, let’s just say, it’s been a while since Eddie has performed for people other than busking in Rice Plaza. So they’re all a little bit on edge tonight.

Portia asks, how are the soon-to-be parents? and Molly says, a little on Cloud 9. TJ says, they wanted to tell his mom tonight, but she had to cancel at the last minute. They’ll tell her soon. They want the whole family to be in the loop. Portia says, all they have to do is tell Aunt Stella, and they laugh.

Willow, Kristina, and Michael come in, and Kristina tells Michael, lighten up. Willow is already back at work. He says, that doesn’t mean she has to charge out of the gate like a bull, and Willow says, coming to a club isn’t charging out of the gate. He says, after her first day back at work, he figured she’d want to stay home and relax after all that exposure and stress. She says, coming to the club will help reduce the stress, and it’s actually good for her immune system. Kristina says, and vodka does wonders to keep things sterile (I concur), but Willow says, unfortunately, just sparkling water for her tonight. Kristina says, Michael, on the other hand, if he isn’t careful, he’s going to become a Type-A as controlling as Molly. She looks at Molly and TJ across the room.

Spencer packs his tablet, and Esme comes out, looking at her phone. He says he wants to go over everything with her before he leaves, but she says, he can’t go.

Olivia asks how Eddie is doing, and Brook says, he’s not nearly as nervous as they are. He was just going over the set list with the band. Olivia wonders if he’s finished the song. He’s being so tight lipped about it. Brook says, he didn’t tell her anything, and Olivia says, maybe he wants it to be a surprise. She’s going to thank Marshall and Curtis. It’s really Marshall’s challenge that made this whole thing possible. She leaves, and Blaze says, Olivia told her the whole big story about Eddie; what a history. Brook says, that history has crash landed right into the present day, and Blaze says, it’s so strange. She guesses Brook knew he had that whole double life back in the day, but now after his head injury, he’s really become this guy, Eddie Maine? Brook says, that’s what he believes, and Blaze says, so he’s Brook’s dad, except he believes he’s a completely different person. How does that even work? Brook says, about as well as you could expect. She misses her dad of course (🍷), but she’s really starting to like Eddie; they all are. Everyone except her grandmother.

Marshall tells Curtis, you see all these happy people here? Does he think they’re here for Eddie Maine? No. They’re here for Curtis. Curtis says, they already went over this, but Marshall says, this club is you; you are this club. When Curtis pulled out all those PR stops, he got this crowd here. It’s because of Curtis they’re all here to see Eddie Maine’s big comeback. Curtis says, they’ll talk about it later, but one thing he can say, it feels good to be back in the mix. Marshall says, another good reason to be glad he didn’t sell this club to that woman, but Curtis says he hasn’t really made a decision on Selina’s offer yet. Olivia joins them and says she wanted to thank them for supporting Eddie tonight.

Michael asks, what’s up with Kristina and Molly? and Kristina says, see for yourself, heading over to them. Molly tells TJ, she’s coming over here, and Kristina says, hello, you two. She hears congratulations are in order. They’re going to be parents. Whether they want to believe it or not, she’s very happy for them both… That’s all. She leaves, and Molly and TJ look like a couple of idiots.

Dante tells Chase, while Cody isn’t innocent, he had to break some rules to break out Sasha. He’s not as guilty as the charges would imply. Sam says, it’s just a matter of getting evidenced to prove it, and Chase says he never would have thought Gladys would do something like that to Sasha. He thanks Cody for figuring it out, and Sam says, they’re all grateful for that. Chase says, Sasha’s a friend, so if there’s anything he can do to help take down the doctor, and prove Cody and Sasha’s innocence, just ask. Cody says, his part’s done. Whatever happens next is up to Sasha.

Gladys says she was packing to go search for Sasha, and Sasha says, really? Gladys says she’d go to the ends of the earth for Sasha, and Sasha asks if that’s where she was going. Or where was she planning to look? Gladys says she thought she’d check out where Cody came from originally, the Finger Lakes region, right? Maybe he had an accomplice. Sasha says, Cody didn’t have an accomplice, but Gladys did.

Trina asks Josslyn, what is with Spencer? She couldn’t get rid of him before and now he’s late? Josslyn says, Spencer will be here. He wouldn’t miss this for anything. Isn’t she excited? Trina says, of course (🍷). She’s a little nervous, which is to be expected. Josslyn says, it is, and Trina says she doesn’t want to back out. She and Spencer are ready to move to the next step and she really wants to explore New York with him. Did she tell Josslyn that he got them third row center seats to Moulin Rouge? Josslyn says, once or twice, when Trina’s phone rings. Trina says, finally, and asks where Spencer is. He says he’s still at his grandmother’s, and she asks what he’s doing there? She thought he said they had to… He says, they can’t go, and she says, why not? He says, Ace’s daycare called and one of the kids has chicken pox. He guesses Ace was exposed and now there’s a chance that he has it. He’s really sorry. He can’t leave Ace right now.

Eddie writes down some lyrics, picks up his guitar, and sings about the siren of the sea. Olivia comes in and says she hopes she’s not intruding. He tells her, no. Come on in. He’s just doing a sound check. She says she’s sorry; she didn’t want to crowd him. She knows there’s a technical side where he has to work out the kinks. He says, truth. Plus, he’d rather she be there for the full effect on stage in front of the audience. She says she can’t wait. He really isn’t nervous at all, is he? He says, a little bit, but that’s only natural. This is in his blood. It’s what he lives for. She says, it really is, isn’t it? She just came to wish him good luck. She brought him a gift. She holds up a bandana, and he says, dinosaurs. She says, Leo wanted him to have it. He said, tell Eddie to rock the house. Eddie moves closer, taking the bandana, and it looks like they’re about to kiss, but it turns into a hug. He says, it’s such a nice gift, and thanks her for coming back to give it to him. She pushes him back, and he says, what’s wrong? She says she just wanted to wish him good luck, or break a leg, or whatever it is they say. He says, with Leo’s bandana and her great mojo, he’s bound to be a hit. She says she knows he will be, and awkwardly walks backward to the door. She says she can’t wait to hear that song. She hopes he finishes it, and they find out who that siren of the sea really is. She leaves, and he looks at the bandana.

On the phone, Dante says he needs a records check on a Dr. Damon Montague… Priors, prescription history, all that kind of stuff… That’s right. That’s the name. Scotty comes in and tells him, hang up. Dante says, thank you. That’d be great. As soon as they can. He asks what he can do for Scotty, and Scotty says he’s here to see his client, Cody Bell.

Cody asks how Sasha’s doing, and Sam says, she was strong. She was ready to face Gladys. He says he should have never left her alone, but Sam says, she was determined to see this through. She wanted to go with Sasha, but Sasha refused. If she didn’t think Sasha was strong enough to handle this by herself, she would have insisted on going with her. He says he can’t help it. Gladys is dangerous. She’s been able to manipulate Sasha in the past. What if she does it again?

Gladys asks what Sasha is talking about; what accomplice? Sasha says, Dr. Montague, and Gladys says, she must be confused. The court appointed the doctor. It’s perfectly understandable after everything Sasha’s been through. She gets it. Why doesn’t Sasha sit down and she’ll make some tea? Sasha says she doesn’t want tea, and she’s not confused anymore. She knows exactly what Gladys did. Gladys says, all she’s ever done is… Sasha says, steal from her. Gladys used her position as Sasha’s guardian to drain her bank accounts. Gladys sold Brando’s garage behind her back. Her own son’s blood and sweat, and she treated it like it was nothing. Gladys says she told Sasha… and Sasha says, you stop talking right now. She knows everything. Everything that’s happened to her is because Gladys was worried she’d lose her meal ticket. So when she wanted to end the guardianship, when she wanted to get control of her life, Gladys panicked. She might discover everything Gladys stole from her, so she got Dr. Montague to help her cover it up. That’s why he prescribed her those pills; pills that interfered with the medication she was already taking. She started hallucinating. She was paranoid and scared. Gladys drove her to insanity and made her life a nightmare. And you know what the worst part is? She cries and says she actually thought Gladys loved her. How could Gladys do something like this? How could Gladys betray her at her lowest point when she trusted Gladys with her entire life?

Chase hugs Brook and Blaze, and says, it’s great to see Blaze. She says, he’s going to be seeing a lot more of her, and Brook says, Blaze just signed with her. Blaze is her kick-off artist. He says, congratulations to both of them. He can see this. It’s a great partnership in the making. Olivia runs over and says she’s got to borrow her stepdaughter for a minute. They leave, and Brook asks Olivia, what’s wrong? Something wrong with Eddie? Olivia says, Eddie’s fine. She just made a complete fool of herself. Brook asks, what happened? and Olivia says she went into the green room and gave Eddie the bandana Leo wanted him to have. He was saying thank you to her and pulled her in close. She thought he was trying to kiss her, but he just wanted to give her a hug. Then she started babbling about break a leg and made a complete idiot of herself. Brook says, just calm down. What’s the problem? Olivia says, she wanted to kiss Eddie Maine. She feels so guilty. It’s like she almost cheated on her husband. Brook says, she means with her husband? but Olivia says she doesn’t know what she means anymore. She puts her palms together in prayer and looks up.

Willow says, Michael can stop checking on her; she’s fine. Better than fine. He says he just can’t take his eyes off her. She’s too beautiful. He tells her, look over there, and she says, oh my God. It’s Tracy.

N’neka asks what she can get Tracy, and Tracy says, scotch, rocks, make it a double please.

Blaze nearly runs into Kristina, who says, they meet again. Blaze says she’s here with Brook. Brook’s her new manager. Kristina says, that’s fantastic. Congratulations. So that’s what they were so hush-hush about at Charlie’s. Blaze says, Kristina cracked the case. What about her? Does she have a boyfriend? Kristina says, God no. She’s here with her brother and his wife. They have two kids, so they don’t get a lot of alone time. She’s just giving them their space. Blaze says, Brook’s boyfriend just got here, so she’s sort of a third wheel with them too, and Kristina says, sounds like they should stick together.

Marshall takes the mic and asks for everyone’s attention. There’s a bunch of cheering and he thanks them all for coming. He says, they have a lot to celebrate tonight, but first, he wants to send a shout out to his son Curtis. Curtis Ashford, in the house. Everyone whoops and applauds, and Marshall says he knows they all miss seeing Curtis around here, and many of them have come at his specific invitation. Not only did he invite them to the greatest party this side of Port Charles – that’s every night except Tuesdays, private parties, see N’neka. That’s a commercial, but seriously, tonight The Savoy is so pleased to bring them a very special performer. And rumor has it he might even debut a new song. So without further ado, de-bop-shu-bop-shebang (or something like that), let’s give it up for Eddie Maine. There’s applause and cheering, and Eddie says, hello, Port Charles. He missed them. Are they ready for Eddie? Let’s do it. There’s more cheering and he begins to play.

Trina tells Josslyn, obviously, Spencer needs to stay. If Ace comes down with chicken pox, he could never forgive himself for leaving. Josslyn says, it’s totally understandable, and Trina says, besides, she has plenty to do this weekend. She should really do another draft of her essay for her arts seminar and she knows Ava could always use extra hands around the gallery. Josslyn says, Trina knows she doesn’t always have to make the best of everything, right? Yeah, it’s a weekend canceled; it’s not a tragedy. But it’s for sure a letdown and it’s okay to be disappointed. Trina says, even pissed off, and Josslyn says, even throw things. Trina says, like this, tossing a pillow at Josslyn, and Josslyn says, that’s not exactly what she had in mind. Then again, Trina was always more levelheaded. Trina says she was just really looking forward to it though, and Josslyn hugs her, saying, she’s sorry.

Spencer asks if there’s any sign of a fever, but Esme says, he actually seems fine. He’s sound asleep. He says he’s going to take his stuff upstairs and thinks one of them should stay with Ace just in case. They can alternate shifts. Her phone dings, and she says, wait. She just got another text from the daycare.

Dante asks if Cody called Scotty to come down and represent him, but Scotty says he always represents Cody. He got a tip they hauled Cody in and he didn’t get a call from him, so he figured they didn’t give Cody his call, which as Dante knows, due process. Dante says, there’s a lot of phones here. Cody could have used any one of them to call Scotty. Scotty says, yeah, but if Dante denied him the right to counsel, that’s grounds for a heavy lawsuit there. Dante says, almost hefty even. Why doesn’t Scotty come into the interrogation room and talk to his client? Dante tells Cody, his lawyer’s here, and Scotty says, why didn’t Dante tell him that Cody was here?

Gladys says, Sasha’s got it all wrong. Cody filled her head with lies. He twisted everything around. That is not… Sasha asks, how many times did Gladys remind her to take those pills Dr. Montague gave her? And when she started spiraling, did Gladys even think twice? Did she have a moment of remorse? Or was she just so worried that she would find out what Gladys stole, that her falling apart was a relief? Gladys says she was never relieved, and Sasha asks if Gladys has any idea what she put her through. When she was at Ferncliff, Dr. Montague injected her with drugs. He kept her delirious and barely conscious. She couldn’t fight him. When she and Cody escaped, they found an unmarked bottle of pills in Montague’s jacket pocket. She thinks he was going to stage an OD. He was going to make it seem like she’d bought drugs and took too many. Did Gladys know that? Did she know Montague was going to kill her? Was it part of her plans? Gladys says, never. She never wanted him to hurt Sasha. She did everything she could to stop him.

Eddie finishes playing and there’s much applause. Michael says, it’s nice for Tracy to show up for her son’s debut. So what did she think? Tracy says she thinks Michael should mind his own business and go back to his wife, but he says, don’t be that way. It’s a nice night. The family’s here to support Eddie. The least she could do is get in the spirit of things. She says she’s here, isn’t she? And speaking of spirit, why doesn’t he make himself useful and get her another drink; scotch/rocks. He takes her glass and says, with pleasure.

Eddie says he’s sure everyone will recognize this next one because it was originally recorded by the King, Mr. Elvis Presley. We don’t see the song because, commercial. Eddie says, this next one is for someone very special, someone who has helped him find his way back to the stage. She certainly has his back, and she’s the best friend any guy could ask for – Olivia Quartermaine. Marshall says, play the new song, and Eddie says, Marshall’s right. He’s working on a new song, but he hasn’t finished it yet. He doesn’t think everyone wants to hear a tune that’s half-baked, so instead, he’s going to play an Idle Rich classic from his old Eddie Maine days. Are they ready? The audience cheers and Tracy is almost smiling. Eddie plays I’m All the Man You’ll Ever Need. He’s actually pretty good. The crowd responds enthusiastically and Tracy smiles.

There’s a knock at the dorm room door, and Trina wonders if Josslyn forgot her key again. She opens the door and it’s Spencer. He tells her that he booked them on another flight; their car’s waiting. It was a false alarm. The daycare texted again and said it was just poison oak. Ace was never exposed to chicken pox at all. She says, really? and he picks her up, spinning her around.

Scotty tells Cody that he has the perfect defense. Sasha has a history of violence. She attacked the reporter; she stabbed Cody. They’ll just say she kidnapped him. Cody says, no and no. He appreciates what Scotty is trying to do. He wasn’t kidnapped. He broke out of Ferncliff and he took Sasha with him. Scotty says, quiet. There’s a copper here. (Ha-ha! I love how Scotty talks like he’s in a detective movie from the 1940s.) Dante says he didn’t hear anything. Did Sam hear anything? She says, not a thing, and Dante says, they’ll leave the two of them alone. They can talk about anything they want. Cody says, that’s not really necessary, but Dante says he has to. If he doesn’t give Cody the benefit of counsel, it could result in a real hefty lawsuit. Dante and Sam leave, as Cody wails for them to come back. He says, hi, Scotty.

In the squad room, Dante says, the amount of times Cody’s pissed him off, he’s never once wished Scotty on him, but Sam says she thinks he can handle Scotty. She’s more worried about Sasha being able to handle Gladys.

Gladys says she swears she didn’t know what Montague was doing to Sasha. She never would have gone along with it. Sasha’s voice gets louder as she talks. She asks how she can believe anything Gladys says. Gladys stole from her. Gladys lied to her; undermined Sasha’s belief in her own recovery and her sanity. Gladys claimed she loved her. She drove Sasha and Brando home from the hospital the day Liam died. Gladys is supposed to be her family. Gladys says she didn’t mean for any of this… Okay, she had a problem, a losing streak. She got in over her head. She was going to pay all the money back, but she kept losing, and she didn’t want Sasha to find out she was borrowing from her. She didn’t want Sasha to hate her. She just needed the guardianship to go on for a little bit longer. It was that Montague. He’s the one who gave Sasha those pills. And he never told Gladys what they would do to her… and she never asked. She cries and says she didn’t mean for any of this to happen. She’s so, so sorry. She’s so sorry. Sasha says, then prove it. Confess. Go to the police station and tell them everything that she did, and testify against Dr. Montague so he can never do to anyone else what he did to her. Gladys looks stricken.

Text next to a photo says: In Loving Memory Craig Sjodin 1955-1923 (See below.)

Tomorrow, Cyrus says he hopes someone’s come to give him good news; Jordan tells the warden that she wants an investigation into who was on duty during the attack; Carly wonders if there will be complications at this stage; and Cody attacks Montague.

📸 Who Craig Is…

Wow. It sucks that he just retired.

https://www.soapoperanews.net/2023/09/craig-sjodin-dies-at-67.html

🎢 Revolving Mollys…

Why do they continue to play with my head with this Molly business? No explanation either.

https://www.soapoperanews.net/2023/09/kristen-vaganos-is-new-molly-on-general.html

The ~~Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad~~ Real Housewives of Orange County

Just to clarify, I do make fun of Heather, calling her Fancy Pants, and I think her delivery sucks, but I don’t think she’s malicious. Tamra on the other hand…

Shannon goes to a chiropractor, and in her interview, she says, it wouldn’t be a trip to Mexico without an injury. Emily meets her there and in Emily’s interview, she says, the trip to Mexico was physically exhausting, especially diving 30 feet. She’s happy to get some relief. Emily tells Shannon that she talked to Gina, who was really hurt, and we flash back to Gina saying Heather Fancy Pants was talking behind her back. Emily says, Gina feels she puts in effort, but gets pushed away. Gina goes shopping with Tamra and Jenn for Halloween party costumes. In Gina’s interview, she says, Halloween is her favorite holiday ever. She’s having a party and was inspired by the Cirque du Soliel performance. Her bunch of friends are clowns, so she figured total freak show would be apropos.

Heather’s dogs! In Fancy Pants’ interview, she says, thank goodness Josh and Heather Altman found them a rental. They’re pretty dug into the OC. She complains to Terry about getting dogged in Mexico, and we see the screen split a million ways, each frame showing one of the women yapping at Fancy Pants. Except for the one in the middle of a dog humping a pillow. One of these things is not like the others. Tamra swears she would never call Gina a loser, and in her interview, Gina says, Tamra doesn’t lie. She saves information and reveals it at the least opportune moment for you. Fancy Pants tells Terry that they’re all scared of Tamra, and he says, now the head cheerleader came back. Emily tells Shannon that she thinks Fancy Pants is kind and generous, but she saw another side during the trip. In Emily’s interview, she says, Tamra admits what she says and apologizes. She thinks Fancy Pants would rather shovel sh*t than apologize for anything. Shannon says, Emily needs to have a long, in-depth conversation with Fancy Pants. In Shannon’s interview, she says she’d like to see Fancy Pants accept responsibility. Jenn says she feels like Fancy Pants is protecting her image, and Tamra says, instead of accusing her of saying things about everyone, why wouldn’t Fancy Pants say something to her? In Tamra’s interview, she says, Fancy Pants turned this around and wants to destroy people, and Fancy Pants isn’t destroying her. Fancy Pants gets a text from Gina saying she’d like to sit down and talk about what happened. In Fancy Pants’ interview, she says she values Gina’s friendship, but if Gina can’t see where she’s coming from, it’s bullsh*t. In Gina’s interview, she says she’s been a good friend, but if Fancy Pants won’t admit the things she’s said, take responsibility, and apologize, there’s no moving forward.

In Tamra’s interview, she says, Amare magazine reached out to her, and asked if she’d like to be on the cover featuring the Women of the Year. She and Eddie started a company called Vena CBD, and it’s turned into a multimillion dollar business. Of course it did. Because the wrong people always get the money. She says she’s tooting her own horn, and I wonder, when does she not? Having access to so much CBD, you’d think she’d be calmer or at least not screech all the time. She says, her dad ran his own business, and she always wanted to own her own business. She gets all teary and says, but she didn’t go to college, since she was raising kids. She thought the money would just pour in and she’d be successful, but it doesn’t work like that. Wow. It took her this long to figure that out? You’d think that’s one thing she would have learned by not going to college. She says she feels lucky, and photos are taken of the group of chosen women, all wearing white. In her interview, Tamra says, in the next two years, they intend to sell Vena CBD, and come up with another business. With all the lack of sex she has, she was thinking sex toys. Cannabis and sex toys. Is there anything better than that? I could probably think of some things, but it’s not worth the effort considering who’s asking the question.

Jenn makes a spaghetti casserole, and in her interview, she says she has three dishes: taco salad, spaghetti, and chili. Otherwise, it’s Door Dash. She tells Ryan about all the fun stuff they did in Mexico, and then adds the lunch from hell. She says she needs to know for a fact that nothing else happened. In Jenn’s interview, she says she felt like Tamra was sitting on information she didn’t know about. We flash back to Tamra telling Jenn that she knows things, but she’s not saying anything. If there was something else, there’s no staying together. Ryan says, it was one night, a year and a half ago, and he was doing what single guys do. They haven’t spoken a word in a year. They were talking about moving to the next step, and Jenn hitches her wagon to Tamra, who pulls her in reverse. They’re forging a path, merging their kids, and talking about marriage. In her interview, Jenn says, her fear is that Ryan wakes up one day, realizes this isn’t what he wants, and all those things come to fruition. She knows he loves her, but just hopes he can hold up his end. Jenn tells Ryan that she has an appointment with an attorney. She just has to bring in the retainer and they’ll be good to go. He says he can give her the money, but she says, no, and in her interview, she says, it never crossed mind to understand finances. There’s power in being able take care of yourself, and she has to figure this out on her own. She lists all of her faults, and asks if he’s crazy. He says, crazy for her. Just her. Aww. I guess we’ll see.

John and Shannon go out to eat, and John asks about her meeting with Fancy Pants. Shannon says, Fancy Pants always has an explanation, and we flash back to Fancy Pants saying, the only things she said about John and Shannon’s relationship were things already known by the group. Shannon says, there’s no hope for repairing the friendship if Fancy Pants continues to blame others for her wrongdoing. Tamra told her that Fancy Pants claimed she wasn’t all-in, when she’s told them that she and John are happy where they are right now. The waiter brings Shannon’s watermelon salad and my God does she take a big bite. She tries to get John to take a bite, but he doesn’t want it. She stops short of asking him to do it for her. She says, when she was in Mexico, she was stressed about the kids applying to college. She’s going to lose it when they go. In Shannon’s interview, she says, all the kids will be away and she doesn’t want to live alone. John says, they’ll be visiting, and he thinks it will be an exciting new time for them; just them spending time together and relaxing. It’s overdue. In her interview, Shannon says she and John have a history of bickering and arguing. It’s given her pause, and she wants to make sure they can fix that before going forward. John says, they’ll get through this trial together, and she says, loses kids, gets John. Yep, he’s a real prize.

Shannon arrives at Tamra’s house, and in her interview, Shannon says she never thought she’d be dealing with people’s sh*t, but she needs to develop products to earn money for her kids’ college. Jenn is going to be patient one for the Sitolonic, an at home colonic. When Jenn gets there, they discuss pooping, and Tamra says she goes seven times a day. In Jenn’s interview, she says – let’s say it all together – she knew Tamra was full of sh*t. They move on to talking about Fancy Pants, and Jenn says, the bus ride back was weird. Fancy Pants kept grabbing her feet; she was obsessed with them. In her interview, Fancy Pants says, Jenn’s feet are like model feet, and in Emily’s interview, she says, maybe Fancy Pants has a fetish. She didn’t think Fancy Pants knew who Jenn was. Jenn says she and Taylor were in their room, when Fancy Pants wanted to hang with them. She went to her room to get her soup and said she was coming back, but never did. Shannon sets up the colonic, and it looks like a real project. Tamra announces, it was a win, and I just think, ugh. Why?

Gina and Fancy Pants meet for coffee, and Gina orders champagne for Fancy Pants before she gets there, which is actually pretty nice. Fancy Pants arrives, and Gina says, it’s obvious she’s upset; Gina is too. Fancy Pants says, Gina’s the one who called, so why is she upset? Gina says she values their friendship and feels like she’s been there for Fancy Pants, but Fancy Pants says, it’s hard to believe, since Gina is so quick to believe Tamra. Gina says, Fancy Pants can understand why she’d want the loser thing explained, and Fancy Pants pulls out her phone, putting on a recording of Tamra and Teddi’s podcast, where it seems Tamra is the one who used the L-word. In Gina’s interview, she says, if Fancy Pants is her friend, she should tell her these things. It was probably a joke, but once again, she and Emily are collateral damage in their bullsh*t. Gina says she cares about Fancy Pants, and Fancy Pants says, only reason she’s sitting here is because she cares about Gina. She probably wouldn’t have come if it had been anyone else. She was attacked for things she didn’t do, and thinks Emily is going to the Tamra School of Friendship. We flash back to Emily picking on Fancy Pants, and she says, everyone is scared of Tamra. She’s nasty and takes no accountability. In Fancy Pants’ interview, she says, Tamra is the root cause. Issue number one. We flash back to Tamra initiating the discussion about Fancy Pants’ IMDb. She says, issue number two, and we flash back to Tamra asking if Fancy Pants talked about Shannon and John’s relationship when they were at lunch with the group. She says, issue number three, and we flash back to Tamra screeching that Fancy Pants said they were losers. Fancy Pants says, Tamra has systematically taken her relationships and totally trashed them. Gina asks if Fancy Pants is coming to her party, but Fancy Pants says she doesn’t know. Gina says, she has to put Tamra in her place.

The party looks freaking impressive, pun intended. There are fire eaters, a guy on stilts, unicycles, a whole photo setup, and all kinds of circus accoutrements. Gina is a ringmaster, with Travis in a lion costume as her Mane Man. Emily is the Queen of Pop(corn) and Shane wears a shirt with a stick of butter one it. Taylor is cotton candy with husband John as a ringmaster. Eddie and Tamra are both evil clowns, and in Gina’s interview, she says, It’s an appropriate look for Tamra; like a Chucky doll. Jen is a cowardly lion to Ryan’s lion tamer with no shirt. Shannon is a fortune teller, and John is John in a Suit, although he has money coming out of his pockets and a top hat, so I guess he’s millionaire John in a suit. He and Shannon argue about him wearing the hat, and it’s like the watermelon salad all over again. In Emily’s interview, she says, Shannon’s costume looks like something she’d wear daily. Matt and girlfriend Britt arrive, and in Gina’s interview, she says, they’ve worked through their sh*t from the past, and they’ve never been better. We flash back to some low points, and Gina says, it’s a lot of weight off her shoulders. She tells Emily that she and Fancy Pants should talk it out. She feels like Emily’s been more aggressive than normal. Emily says, Fancy Pants called them losers, but Gina says, Fancy Pants shared a recording, and it was a comment Tamra made on her podcast. Emily says, Tamra’s been saying sh*t about her for years, and when confronted, she’s said she’s sorry. In Emily’s interview, she says she doesn’t understand. If Gina is making excuses for Fancy Pants, that’s their relationship. She won’t do it. Tamra says she’s not talking to Fancy Pants, and Gina says she thinks Fancy Pants is just being hypersensitive. Tamra says, Fancy Pants wants to blame everyone else. She gets information, she twists it – Tamra twirls around like the idiot she is – and presents it. In Tamra’s interview, she says, Gina is Heather-merized. She knows how Fancy Pants works. Fancy Pants and Terry arrive, dressed respectively as an acrobat with a hoop and event staff security.

Terry asks where they’re starting, and Fancy Pants says, at the bar, as we all would. In her interview, she says she wanted to be a dolphin trainer, but there are no dolphins at the circus, so she’s an aerial act. In Emily’s interview, she says, Fancy Pants is a step up from a whale trainer. She’s an intergalactic fantasy nighttime whale trainer. In Tamra’s interview, she says, Fancy Pants is an ice queen, like her heart. Jen publicly pulls out a wedgy as I would do, and in Shannon’s interview, she says, it’s foggy looking at Fancy Pants’ future, since she doesn’t know if she has a future with her. Shannon and Tamra get all mushy with each other, and Shannon says she met with Fancy Pants. She tells Tamra that Fancy Pants said, the head cheerleader was back (although it’s really Terry who said that), and Tamra says, Fancy Pants is intimidated. She proved that when they talked about their highs and lows in Montana. We flash back to Fancy Pants saying, being left out made her sad. In her interview, Shannon says, it’s not a competition. Maybe Fancy Pants thinks it is. She tells Tamra that she’s not letting Fancy Pants get in the middle of their friendship and they hug. In Tamra’s interview, she says, when she thought Shannon ghosted her, she was devastated. Fancy Pants won’t get in middle of them. John complains about having to carry his hat, and Taylor whines about Heather leaving her and Jenn. Fancy Pants just used them when she had nobody else. She babbles about her wealthy friends being down to earth, and in Gina’s interview, she says, Taylor is code red wasted, and talking endless loops of nonsense non-stop. She doesn’t know WTF Taylor is talking about any more. Gina tells Taylor, if she comes at Fancy Pants with anger, she might not get the result she wants. In Jenn’s interview, she says, Taylor is spinning in circles, eyes popping out. They’re at opposite ends of how they want to handle Fancy Pants. She feels like she’s dismissed with Fancy Pants, but perhaps that falls on her and she wants to tell Fancy Pants how she feels. Taylor and Jenn approach Fancy Pants, and Taylor says, they wanted to go dancing, but stayed behind to be supportive of Fancy Pants. Then she went to get chicken soup and never came back. Taylor’s stepdaughter lives in Tulum and was waiting for them. Fancy Pants says she slurped her soup, sat down for one second, and fell out. Taylor says, why not text them? and Fancy Pants says, why didn’t they knock on her door? She fell asleep. This really insults Taylor, who says, when Fancy Pants laid down, she should have thought to text. My mind wanders and I wonder what this party cost.

In Fancy Pants interview, she does a spot on impression of Taylor prattling on. We didn’t go dancing because you went to get your soup and didn’t come back… And? Fancy Pants tells Jenn that she thinks Jenn is a great member of their friend group. She’s glad Tamra brought her in, but she doesn’t understand how Jenn puts up with Tamra’s bullsh*t. Jen says she’s trying to figure things out in the group, and Fancy Pants says she’s enjoyed what little time they’ve spent together. Jenn says, same here, and Tamra talks smack about Fancy Pants, watching her from across the room. Fancy Pants apologizes to Jenn for falling asleep, and Jenn says, that’s all she wanted here. In Jenn’s interview, she says, if she walked in and all she heard about the new person was their boyfriend’s past, she wouldn’t have any interest either. She can’t wait to get to know Fancy Pants outside of the boyfriend drama. Taylor says, her friends who are billionaires are not pretentious. Emily says, Fancy Pants called them losers, and Fancy Pants tries once again to tell her that she was talking about Noella. She says, when they were in Montana, Tamra maligned Emily’s career, saying she’s not a lawyer. We flash back to Tamra saying, Emily told her that she’s a party planner. She’s clearly not done a trial in a year. Tamra looks over, and Taylor says, Fancy Pants thinks she’s better than them. Emily says, her intent isn’t to hurt Fancy Pants’ feelings. She knows she has rough edges. She and her sister threw digs at each other their entire life. It’s how they got through growing up, but it hurt to be called a loser. In Emily’s interview, she says she has an amazing life, but deep inside she carries hurt with her, and when she feels someone is attacking her or integrity, it’s like a physical reaction. She can’t control it. Fancy Pants says she loves Emily and her family. She felt like she was left high and dry, but she wants to move past it. If she gets offended, she’ll tell Emily. Gina comes over, carrying her whip, and asks if she’s going to need it. Across the room, Tamra says she’s boiling, and in her interview, she says, Fancy Pants is rallying the troops. She’s taking each girl and talking sh*t about Tamra. Fancy Pants got caught in her own sh*t, and is trying to turn everyone against her. She seems all nice, but behind the scenes, Fancy Pants is the worst villain of them all. She wanders over, and Fancy Pants goes to the bar. Emily says, Fancy Pants told her that Tamra said she’s not really an attorney, but a party planner. Tamra insists she didn’t say that, and hunts Fancy Pants down. She asks if Fancy Pants is kidding her, but Fancy Pants says she doesn’t want to do this. Tamra has her own version of the truth. Gina tells Emily, poor Terry, and Fancy Pants says she doesn’t like Tamra’s nonsense and spinning things. Tamra keeps repeating, what am I spinning? getting in Fancy Pants’ face. Terry asks Gina and Emily to go help his wife, but Gina says she thinks his wife is very capable of handling herself. Fancy Pants says she played Tamra’s podcast for Gina, where Tamra said they were losers. Tamra says she was mocking Fancy Pants, and Fancy Pants says, Tamra is laboring under the misconception she gives a sh*t. Tamra says she doesn’t give a sh*t either, and Fancy Pants suggest they wrap this up then. As she walks away, Tamra says, goodbye, bitch, kind of like, you can’t fire me, I quit.

Gina says she can’t take this sh*t, and Tamra says, Fancy Pants is a liar. Emily asks Tamra about the podcast, and we hear it again. Gina says she wants a group pic, even if it’s an uncomfortable, really awkward family photo. What family isn’t f***ed up? In Gina’s interview, she says, it’s like when you force kids to take a family photo and it’s been the worst day. Just smile and take the picture. I want the f***ing memory. They take the photo, and Shannon tells Gina that she did a phenomenal job.

In Jen’s interview, she says she’s lived her life pleasing other people. Being in this group makes her want to be more powerful and have more of a voice. Ryan says he loves her, and in the text – because it’s the finale, thank God – it says, Jenn has paid the attorney, and is now taking the biggest gamble, moving in with Ryan.

In Shannon’s interview, she says, when she met John, he said he was her future, but she still doesn’t know. They have some hurdles to jump, but she thinks they’re small. The text says, shortly after filming, Shannon and John broke up… or did they? Shannon denies the rumors.

In Gina’s interview, she says she feels like she’s made progress in her personal life. She tells Travis that she wants to get married like this, and he asks if he has to wear a lion costume. I literally lol. She tells him, it’s the best party ever, and the text says, Gina and Travis are both real estate agents and have added to the family – a dog named Meatball.

Emily thanks Shane for being a good husband, which he corrects to great. He says, it’s hard to take her seriously when she’s dressed like popcorn, and in her interview, she says she wants to be a better person, mom, wife, and friend. Her take away from Fancy Pants and Shannon is that she’s learned about herself. Growth is always good. The text tells us that Annabelle’s modeling career took off. Emily wants Annabelle to be a star so she can retire. She went to Fancy Pants’ birthday party, and there was no sand in the salad.

In her interview, Fancy Pants says, not only does she need to figure out who wants to be friends with her; she needs to figure out who she wants to be friends with. She doesn’t understand Tamra. If she’s looking to be top dog, it’s hers. The text says, she and Terry are looking for their next dream house, assisted by Nicky who’s being mentored by Josh Altman. The HD Network is also growing.

In Tamra’s interview, she says, she thinks Fancy Pants knows she’s not buying into her bullsh*t. The truth always comes out. The text says, Tamra has become closer to John and Shannon. She’s getting her ducks in a row, and Fancy Pants can f*** one.

As the party ends, Gina says, welcome to the freak show… sh*tshow really.

Next week, the Reunion, which looks like the SOS. Gina says she doesn’t know if she can continue to do this. Run. Before it swallows you like it’s doing to Emily.

🥾 Hitting the Trail…

Join me tomorrow for soap and some not always charming Charm. Until then stay safe, stay never correcting someone’s grammar in public, and stay remembering that the truth always comes out.

Sep21

September 20, 2023 – Game Night At Maxie’s Goes Awry, The Trip Didn’t End the Way Shannon Thought It Would & Dogs

Posted on September 21, 2023 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Tracy sees Brook walk into the hospital and asks why Brook hasn’t been returning her phone calls. Brook tells Tracy that she has nothing to say to a family member who blackmailed her and caused her to lose her job.

At Maxie’s new place, James asks what Felicia is doing, and she says she’s doing her homework. He asks if she isn’t too old to be in school, and Mac asks who told him that? A person is never too old to learn. Life is like one big, long journey, and there’s always something you can pick up along the way. James says, like when Cody taught him to knots? He shows Mac his slipknot, and Mac says, he did this? And Cody taught him how to do it? James says, when he was at Kelly’s with Oma, and Felicia says, that Cody, always full of surprises.

Cody says, if they turn themselves in or get caught, Sasha could wind up in Ferncliff. They can just avoid all that. They can just vanish. She asks how that would actually work.

Gregory approaches the reception desk, and Elizabeth asks if everything is okay. He says, nothing to worry about. He was hoping to catch Dr. Bronson. Does she know if he’s still here? She goes to check on the computer and flashes back to telling Finn that she doesn’t think Dr. Bronson is the right doctor for his father. Finn comes out of the elevator, and Elizabeth says, his dad is here to see Dr. Bronson.

Anna goes to Sonny’s office, and he says, to what does he owe the pleasure? She asks if his offer of protection still stands.

Nina looks at the security footage of Charlotte sneaking into Anna’s room, when Charlotte walks in. Valentin says, look who he found.

Sonny asks, what’s going on? He thought Anna didn’t want protection. She says she just came from the MetroCourt. Someone gained access to her suite. They trashed the room, destroyed her clothes, and left her a message on the mirror in lipstick. Sonny asks, what kind of message? and Anna says, you think you got away with it. You didn’t. You think you’re safe. You’re not. She guesses she’s the target of a personal vendetta. Someone’s toying with her, trying to unsettle her, maybe throw her off her game. He says, it sounds like someone’s trying to get under her skin. She says, they’re succeeding. She just feels like the walls are closing in on her. Burning down her house is a violation, but it’s kerosene and a match. This is personal. They came into her space and touched her things, and she doesn’t think it’s the first time. They came back to the suite the other day, and her mail had been moved from one place to another. She knows that sounds crazy. It’s a small thing, but she noticed it. He says, it’s a hotel, there’s housekeeping, but she says, they don’t come every day. Whoever did this has been there before. What scares her is, she doesn’t know how many times.

Charlotte says, it’s so good to see Nina, and Nina quickly closes the laptop, hugging Charlotte. Nina asks, what brings her by here? and Valentin says, there was an incident at the hotel suite; the police are there. Nina says she knows. The front desk called to let her know what’s going on. She’s so sorry Charlotte showed up with all of this going on. So what’s the occasion? What brings Charlotte here? Charlotte says she just wanted to see papa, and Valentin says he’s glad she did. What did she do today? Where has she been? Charlotte says she was with Jake. I wonder if they’re going to be bad seeds together, since Jake was a little skewed at one time. I would love that.

Gregory says, it was nothing serious, but he thought he should check in with the doctor, and Finn says he’s glad. In fact, there’s something he wanted to talk to Gregory about. Does he mind if they have a conversation before he meets with Dr. Bronson? Gregory says, not at all, and asks if Elizabeth would check to see if the doctor is in and available. Elizabeth says, absolutely, and Finn and Gregory step away. Gregory asks, what’s on Finn’s mind? He couldn’t help noticing Elizabeth trying to signal him. He can’t wait to hear what this is about. Finn says, it’s about how Gregory is managing his ALS treatment.

Tracy asks Brook, that’s what we’re doing now? We’re throwing temper tantrums? Even toddlers outgrow that phase. In a grown woman, laughable. And by the way, she didn’t do anything to Lucy Coe that Lucy wouldn’t have happily done to her first. Brook says, this isn’t about Lucy and Tracy; it’s about her and Tracy. They’re supposed to be family. Tracy used her. Tracy blackmailed her. Tracy preyed on her where she’s most vulnerable; her love for Chase, her fear of losing him, her insecurity about the past with him. Tracy says, everything she did was for Brook’s own good, and Brook laughs. She asks how losing her job is good for her.

James says, Cody also taught him this, and Mac asks what he calls that one. James says, it’s an exploding clove hitch. Cody said, you have to be careful. If you pull it the wrong way, the whole knot will just unravel – he pulls it – like that. Felicia says, wow. It looks like James is on his way to becoming a sailor. James says, that would be super cool, and asks Mac if they can go to the stables. Cody promised he’d let him feed the horses. They could go tomorrow after school. Mac says he’s afraid they can’t. Cody’s going to be away for a while. James asks where he went, and Mac says he wishes he knew.

Cody tells Sasha, say the word, and they’re gone. He’ll iron out the details. She says, they have a car and some cash thanks to Sam, but they have no phones, no IDs, no internet access, and they’re both escaped mental patients considered dangerous. She stabbed Cody, and Cody attacked and tied up Dr. Montague. He says he wishes he’d done a lot worse to Montague; he might still yet. She says, no. He can’t get any deeper into this mess. He’s already thrown his life off-track for her. He tells her not to paint him as some kind of hero. Things wouldn’t have gotten this bad if he’d just been honest from the start. She asks how he’s dishonest.

Mac tells James, when Cody comes back, they’ll feed the horses, and James says, okay. Mac goes into the other room, and James asks to see Felicia’s homework. She says she’s learning about the hospital and all the rules and procedures. She’s going to learn everything she can so she can help the people in there. He asks if she means like the doctors and nurses, and she says, not exactly, but she does want to help the patients. He says, help them do what? and she tells him, like helping them understand what the doctor said, or if they need help finding their way around the hospital, or just making sure if they’re happy and comfortable, or if they need someone to talk to. He says he thinks being a doctor would be better, and she asks if he wants to be a doctor when he grows up, but he says, no. He wants to be a policeman like daddy and grandpa. The doorbell rings, and Mac opens the door to Scotty and Lucy, who’s holding a bottle of wine. She says, surprise!

Cody tells Sasha that he’s known about Gladys’s money troubles for months now. She was neck deep in the red to Selina Wu. He knew she sold Brando’s garage behind Sasha’s back to settle that debt. She says, he knew? and he says, yeah. He should have told her the whole truth back then. She asks why he didn’t, and he says, the reason he told himself was that she was so dependent on Gladys, he didn’t want to cause her anymore pain, but if she wants to know the real reason, the reason he doesn’t even want to admit out loud… She says she does, and he says, the real reason is, he didn’t want to jeopardize his relationship with Selina. She put him in that game to steer it, to make sure the players that she wanted to win would win. And if she wanted someone to lose, his job was to take them out fast or let them just keep playing and running up a bigger debt. He did it just for the extra cash. Stable hands don’t exactly make bank. But soon enough, Selina made it clear he didn’t have the option to quit or to talk. So he just kept quiet, even long after he knew Gladys was playing Sasha.

On the phone, Elizabeth says she’ll just give Amy a call back if they do end up needing to see Dr. Bronson. Finn says, it’s Gregory’s private business. The way he chooses to manage his disease is entirely up to him. Gregory says, it’s become increasingly clear to him that nobody manages ALS. He stopped driving, and all too soon he’ll stop walking, and then he’ll stop eating. Then talking, and finally, he’ll stop breathing. Finn says, but his quality of life between now and then, the way he handles his symptoms, the way he works around his limitations. He has options Finn doesn’t even think he knows about.

Anna tells Sonny, she feels like it’s a warning. Somebody wants to leave her with absolutely nothing. They destroyed her house, then the new clothes she bought. He asks if she checked the hotel surveillance. They have to have a recording of the halls, the elevators, and the lobby. She says, that’s the thing. Valentin went straight to security, but there’s nothing. He asks what she means, and she says, the footage is missing. He asks if that’s what Valentin told her.

Charlotte says, she and Jake went over to the promenade, but since she was close, she thought she’d visit papa. Do they want to see something cool? She takes out her phone and says, Jake almost fell into the fountain. She’s not interrupting Nina’s work, is she? Nina says, no. She was just doing a little research and wants to put it out of her head. She’s hoping to never see it again.

Sasha says, Cody never struck her as the type of guy to rewrite history, but he says he’s been known to when it works to his own advantage. She asks, what’s the advantage of making himself look bad? That’s not how she remembers things at all. From what she remembers, he was always warning her about Gladys. He told her not to trust Gladys, and she refused to listen. He says, that’s because he never told her the whole truth. He knew that Gladys was betting way more than she could afford. He figured she was dipping into those accounts she was supposedly managing for Sasha, and she was just managing them for herself. But he didn’t want to cross Selina, so he kept his mouth shut and covered his own ass until it was too late. She asks, what changed his mind?

Mac invites Lucy and Scotty in, and asks if there are any Pine Valley cops waiting in the bushes for Lucy. Lucy says, very funny. No, it’s just us gangsters. She hands Felicia the wine, and Felicia thanks her and says, it’s good to see them both. What brings them here? Scotty says, Lucy’s a little down in the dumps. He thought maybe he’d bring a little hooch and game night – he shows them a case he’s carrying – and cheer her up. James says he loves games. What are they playing? Scotty says, sorry, Charlie. Only for adults. James says he’s not Charlie, and Felicia says, he wouldn’t like these games. Why don’t they read a story? It’s a little past his bedtime anyway. Tell everybody goodnight. James says, goodnight grandpa, Lucy… and Charlie. Felicia takes him to the bedroom, and Mac tells Scotty and Lucy to have a seat. Scotty says, kids today. They don’t know that expression, sorry, Charlie? Lucy says, nobody under 40 knows sorry, Charlie. She bets he listened to 8-track tapes as he drove over. He says he did. He was listening to… Mac says he gathers they’re here to cheer Lucy up over her Deception lawsuit, and Lucy tells him, zip it. She doesn’t want that mojo out there. She just wants to have laughter and fun with friends, and play some games. Although that prospect seems a little dismal since her life is crumbling around her. Scotty promises everything is going to be all right. Pick a card. She says, stop it. Those are just words right now. He says, Alise is a top-notch attorney. She’s on the case. Lucy has nothing to worry about. She looks at him, and he says, she’s supposed to unwind a little. He thinks he might have some gummies in his pocket, but for crying out loud, there’s nothing she can do about it anyways. Maxie walks in, and Lucy says, aside from killing Tracy Quartermaine… Maxie says, she’ll have to get in line.

Brook asks how dragging her into corporate espionage against her friends is for her own good. She never should have trusted Tracy. Tracy says, of course (🍷) Brook should trust her. Everything she did was for Brook. Brook should be thanking her, not sulking. Brook says, Tracy’s right. She should be thanking her.

Anna says she knows Sonny doesn’t trust Valentin, but they were together when they found the mess in the suite. They’d just come from the hotel restaurant, so they were together the whole time. Sonny says, okay, but that doesn’t prove his innocence. He could have excused himself to make a phone call and gone to his room, or he could have paid somebody to do it. She says she doesn’t think so. She’s aware of his shortcomings, as is Sonny, but that hasn’t stopped Sonny from taking his assistance in business, has it? He says, absolutely, but they do have to thank Valentin for bringing Pikeman into their lives.

Charlotte asks why Nina is in this office. Isn’t she usually on the fifth floor? Valentin says he thinks it’s getting late to head back to Dante and Sam’s. Maybe she could spend the night at Nina’s. Nina says, that’s a great idea. She would love that. It could be a girls only sleepover and they can catch up. She’s missed Charlotte so much. Charlotte says she would love that. It would be like that time they had the blackout and camped out in the living room. Nina says, and Charlotte was saying all those ghost stories she heard at Lila’s Kids Camp. Charlotte says, until papa got scared, but Valentin says he remembers being worried Charlotte would get scared. Charlotte says, sometimes she thinks Valentin doesn’t know her very well, and Nina says she’ll shut this down, grab her stuff, and meet them downstairs in the lobby. Valentin says, deal, and as he closes the door, he whispers, get it off the server. She looks again at Charlotte sneaking into Anna’s room.

Gregory asks Finn if he’s talking about treatment options, but Finn says, more along the lines of something a little more holistic. And he thought they might check out some other neurologists. Gregory asks if something is wrong with Dr. Bronson, but Finn says, not at all. He’s highly respected and made significant contributions to research, but… He thinks Elizabeth put this better than he ever could. Dr. Bronson seems to concentrate on treating general symptoms, not focusing so much on the patient, you. He thinks Gregory deserves a doctor who will help him live life to the fullest, not one that’s just predicting when everything is going to fail. Gregory asks if this is what all the looks between Finn and Elizabeth were about. Did Elizabeth put him up to this? Finn says, no, not at all. Gregory says he’ll ask her directly, and goes over the desk. He says he understands Elizabeth has reservations about his doctor, and she joins them. Finn stammers and says, they both do, and he’s grateful to Elizabeth for raising the question. Elizabeth says she’s so sorry for overstepping, and Finn says, they both just think there’s a better neurologist out there for him. And he’d like Gregory’s permission to go find them.

Lucy tells Maxie, she has a better idea. She lures Tracy into that Quartermaine crypt with that stinky smelling cheese she likes, and seals her in completely. That rat no one will miss is already buried. Mac tells her not to talk that way, and Maxie says, Mac, please. She thinks Tracy’s too clever for that. Lucy might be better off putting something in her drink. Scotty says, she does like her cognac, and Lucy says, but she has to see Tracy’s face when she does it. Mac says, hello? No one is offing anyone. Police Commissioner, remember? Lucy says, yeah, but he’s being very old fuddy duddy. Felicia comes back and asks them to keep it down; James and Bailey Lou are asleep. Maxie says, oh yes. I have kids. Sorry. Felicia says, whatever they’re talking about is way too gruesome for game night. They should be ashamed of themselves, fantasizing about ending someone’s life. Lucy says, excuse her, but Felicia knows Tracy has been a thorn in her side almost her entire life, and Maxie says, and Tracy cost her a close friend and her business. She might not even be able to keep this house if Deception goes under. Felicia says, they’re two of the most brilliant, tenacious, inventive women she knows. If the worst happens, they’ll pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and find themselves another successful endeavor. Maxie says, she can’t possibly think it’s that easy, and Mac says, nothing in life is that easy. Maxie says, it wasn’t easy the first time they did it. They put Deception on the map, and The Deceptor was their baby. Now Tracy’s threatened to let all of it go down the drain unless they give her 75% of their company. Lucy says she did get a much better offer out of her, but that smug look on Tracy’s face… Maxie says, I’m sorry, what? Lucy got a better offer? When was Lucy going to tell her this?

Tracy says, that was fast, Brook thanking her, and Brook says, yes, Tracy was right. Moving in with Chase has provided her with an entirely new perspective on everything. Tracy blackmailed her into going back to Deception, and she was obligated to Lucy, Sasha, and especially to Maxie. She would have done everything in her power to keep Deception afloat. But now, because of Tracy’s spiteful lawsuit, she’s been released from that obligation. So now, she’s free to pursue her number one passion full-time. She’s going back to music. She starts to leave, but Tracy grabs her arm and says, absolutely not. Music was her father’s downfall. She will not let that happen to Brook. Brook asks what Tracy is going to do to stop her. She has no more blackmail leverage over Brook. Chase knows everything and fully supports her. That’s all that matters to her. Tracy says, listen to me… but Brook says she’s done listening to Tracy. She hopes Deception was worth it because it just cost Tracy her granddaughter. She walks away.

Cody says, at the pool when he felt the knife and turned to see Sasha, he saw in her eyes something terrible. That wasn’t her. He knew that something else had taken control. There’s no way she would have stabbed him, unless she wasn’t in her right mind. He knew she couldn’t have lost her mind so fast and so completely unless someone else had drugged her. He knew in his gut she’d been set up and he knew he had to do something about it. There are a lot of things in his life he’s not proud of, but he knew he couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t at least try to help her. She thanks him and says, he did more than he knows. He tells her not to thank him yet. They’re not out of the woods. She says, he got them this far, and honestly, she’s so thankful for the rescue, but she’s even more thankful that he believed in her.

Nina, Charlotte, and Valentin go to Nina’s place, and Charlotte says, this is going to be so much fun. She just hopes the power stays on. Nina tells her not to worry; she has plenty of candles. Why doesn’t she get Charlotte settled in the guest room? Valentin says he’ll be right in, and when they’re gone, he leaves a message for Anna. He just wanted to give her a heads up that he’s taken Charlotte to stay at Nina’s for the night. He looks at his phone and sees one missed call and one new voicemail to Anna.

Sonny says, Valentin? and Anna says, yeah. He says, she should have taken the call. Maybe he has great news. She says she’ll call him later. There’s something else she wants to address with Sonny. He says he’s all ears, and she says, the shooting at the pool, the bullets they dodged. She thinks they were meant for him, not her. The recent events, the burning of her house, the message on the mirror, those were aimed specifically at her. The shooting at the pool is a public attack. It’s a mismatch in psychological profiles, which leads her to believe they’re dealing with two distinct and conflicting motives. He says, two different perpetrators, and she says, that’s what she thinks. Because the dichotomy of the patterns, that’s what convinces her. He asks if she’s telling him that the shooting was a warning from Pikeman, and she says, and possibly the WSB.

Maxie says, 51/49 and Lucy turned it down. Did Lucy even think about telling her that Tracy made her that offer? Lucy says, but she would have had to surrender her 1% of ELQ, and Maxie says, okay. Scotty says, but she can’t do that. This is like a smorgasbord for Lucy. Maxie says, nobody asked for his opinion, and Lucy, firing perfectly good attorneys, turning down secret deals, making choices all by herself? Mac says, Lucy should be running these things past Maxie, her partner, and Scotty says, look at Lucy; she’s got nothing. Lucy tells him, shush, please. He isn’t helping. This is totally separate. Maxie says, but it’s just fine if she doesn’t know… and Felicia tells them, take it down a notch, please. Maxie says she’s put everything she has on the line for Deception. And by the way, didn’t Lucy get that 1% from Alan? Lucy says, don’t say Alan. Maxie knows she hates that name. She’s acting just like Tracy. They start bickering, when James comes out and says, it sounds really loud. Could they play something else?

Gregory thanks Finn and Elizabeth for thinking about this and looking out for him. Elizabeth could never overstep. He hereby gives Finn his permission to find a different neurologist. He’ll see whoever Finn recommends. Finn thanks him, and Gregory says, after all, Finn is a highly respected diagnostician, who’s made significant contributions to research. How could he not trust Finn? Elizabeth says, exactly, and Finn says, he for one, is grateful, but Gregory says he’s the one who’s grateful to them both for their perspectives and for speaking up. Finn’s phone beeps, and he says he has to go authorize the release of some labs. He’ll be right back. He leaves, and Gregory says, a new doctor might not make much difference, but if it gives Finn a sense of control, he’s all for it. Mostly, he’s grateful to Elizabeth for supporting him. He’s so glad Finn has her in his life.

Tracy approaches the desk, and Finn asks if she’s the cat or the canary. She says, don’t ask, and he says, canary. She says she needs a level 5 backgammon game to forget about this one. She needs a win. He says, she might be disappointed. He’s picked up a few new tricks. She says, no kidding? Has he been binging videos of Double Six King Kyle? He says, now that she mentions it, but don’t knock it. He’s got some excellent strategies. She asks, what’s his father doing here so late?

Cody says he guesses that means they’re not disappearing, and Sasha suggests they see what Sam and Dante come up with first. He tells her, in that case, he says they call it a night. They need to rest up for whatever comes next. She can take the bed. She asks where he’s going to sleep, and he says he’s actually getting pretty fond of his chair here. She’s a lot nicer than she looks. Sasha says, no way. They’re going to have to come up with a different plan for tonight.

Sonny asks if Anna is trying to tell him there’s a link between Pikeman and the WSB, and she says she thinks it’s possible. She wanted him to be fully informed, so he could take into consideration all the possibilities that represents. He thanks her for the heads up, and she says, he has to be vigilant. He says he’s going to beef up his security and get Anna protection. She won’t even know they’re there. She says she’ll know, and thanks him. He says, she’s just got to be careful because whoever’s after her isn’t going to stop anytime soon. She says she just wishes she knew what they wanted from her.

Valentin says he’s sorry he hasn’t found a house for him and Charlotte yet; one where they can all live. She says, you and me, and Anna, and he says, yeah. She says she hopes it happens soon. She misses him and wants them to be together more than ever. He kisses her forehead and says he loves her, and she says she loves him too. She gets under the covers, and he leaves.

Valentin thanks Nina for letting Charlotte stay the night, and she says, of course (🍷). She loves having Charlotte here. He says he doesn’t want Charlotte near Anna. He doesn’t want her out of his sight. Nina says she knows. There are a lot of questions. They know she went into the suite, but there are no cameras in the suite, so they don’t know exactly what happened. He says he doesn’t know how to begin to handle this. His head is swimming. She says, how about this? Go back to Anna, but remember this; no matter what happens, she’s here for him. And she’s here for Charlotte. She helps him put his jacket on, he says he’ll see her in the morning, and he leaves.

Finn tells Tracy, dad’s schedule is anyone’s guess. She’d have to ask him, but if she’d like some cathartic backgammon tomorrow, just let him know. Maybe he’ll let her win. She laughs, and Gregory joins them. He says, she’s here very late, and she says, for a very boring board meeting that was followed by her granddaughter insulting her. She could use a drink. Gregory says, it’s probably not what she had in mind, but can he offer her a soda to lift her spirits? She asks if they’re back to killing her with kindness again, and he says, it was just a thought. She’s welcome to decline. She says, no. Far be it from her to respond to kindness with rudeness. She would be delighted to take him up on his offer. He says, after her, and they walk to the vending machine. Finn tells Elizabeth, when he sees his dad in his element like this, all wit and charm, it seems like everything is normal. Then he thinks about what’s to come. She says, Finn’s doing the best he can for his dad. That’s all he can do. He says he wishes he had the words to tell her how much it means to have her with him while he does this, and she takes his hand.

Gregory gives Tracy a can from the machine, and she thanks him. She says, ginger ale (which makes me immediately want one). She’ll just pretend it’s a whiskey/ginger. She opens the can, and sees Gregory struggling with his. She asks if he’s all right, and after a moment, he says, no. Actually, he’s not and it’s about time she knew. He’s been diagnosed with ALS. She says, Gregory, no… She doesn’t know what to say.

Maxie tells James, sorry. Let’s go back to bed. She’ll tuck him in. She’s right behind him. She turns around and says she never thought Lucy would be so selfish. She walks out before Lucy can say anything, and Lucy grabs her bag, heading for the door. Following her, Scotty says, hold it there. Wait a second. Take it easy. They leave, and Felicia tells Mac, so much for their quiet night. He says, poor Maxie. She’s lost so much in her life. He’d hate to see her lose this too. She’s worked so hard. Felicia says, so has Lucy.

In the hallway, Lucy asks Scotty, is this karma? and he says, if karma was a thing, she’d be the Queen of England. She says, and he’s always been her knight in tarnished armor, and he puts his hands on her shoulders, telling her, things are going to work out. They always do. He hugs her.

Lying in bed, Sasha says, this isn’t right. They need to switch. She leans over the bed, and says, Cody? On the floor, Cody snores loudly, and she whispers, goodnight. She goes back to sleep, and he opens his eyes in the dark.

On the phone, Nina tells Sonny that she’s not going to make it home tonight. He asks, what’s going on? and she says, Valentin asked her to take Charlotte tonight because someone broke in to Anna’s suite. He tells her, that’s what Anna said. She said he went into the MetroCourt to check the surveillance video, and it was missing. He’s trying to figure out how someone got in there to remove the video. She says, it’s very unsettling that someone was able to bypass all the security measures at the MetroCourt, and he says, it must have been a professional or somebody with a lot of help. Anyway, he’ll miss her tonight. She says she’ll miss him too, and he says, have fun with Charlotte. They say goodnight.

Anna looks at the message on the mirror for the millionth time. Valentin comes in and looks at it with her.

In the guest room in the dark, Charlotte takes out a box from her backpack. She opens the box and takes out tarot cards. She configures them in front of her on the bed.

Tomorrow, Carly asks if someone has any news for her to give to Sonny; Robert tells Diane that he wants to help Drew; Cyrus says he wants to warn Drew; and Nina asks what Valentin is going to do about Charlotte targeting Anna.

The Real ~~Questionable If They Are~~ Housewives of Orange County

Continuing to inflict themselves on Mexico…

Jenn has now fled the table, and Tamra says she doesn’t think Ryan is good for Jenn. The consensus is, none of them do. Meanwhile Jenn calls Ryan with Taylor as back-up. She cries to him, saying she’s tired of the women talking smack about him. She asks if there’s anything she needs to know, and in her interview, she says, Ryan told her about a one night stand, but now she’s wondering if it was a one year thing. Her head is spinning. She loved her family and didn’t want her marriage to end that way. She upheld her end and wants him to uphold his.

There’s turtle talk among the women, not to be confused with turtle time. In Tamra’s interview, she says, they’re going to be parasailing and swimming with the turtles. She just wants to have fun. In Jenn’s interview, she says she’s pissed at herself for putting up with Tamra’s behavior. On the way back, Emily tells some of the others, it’s messed up that Fancy Pants Heather called her Snuffleupagus. Fancy Pants needs to laugh at herself if she’s going to say sh*t to her. We flash back to that, and Gina says she thinks Fancy Pants is sensitive because of her childhood. We flash back to Heather’s mother being an asshat, and saying she was called Smother. Emily says, regardless, she doesn’t get to hammer people and be mad when it comes back. In Gina’s interview, she says, Fancy Pants doesn’t mean to offend people. She’s just good at it naturally. Vicki talks about some woman whose parasailing cord snapped, and she landed on a building where they couldn’t get her down. So… Is she still there? Vicki doesn’t say. Shannon wonders what purpose Fancy Pants had in telling Emily that she talked about her, but couldn’t tell Emily what it was she said. In Shannon’s interview, she asks why Fancy Pants is saying negative things about her to people all the time.

Diegos number one and two are the group’s turtle guides. One of the women asks if the turtles bite, and one of the Diegos says only he bites. Alrighty then. The go out on a boat, put on snorkel equipment, and jump in the water. Except for Shannon, who says she’s shaky, and has to make a production out of it. In her interview, Tamra says, swimming with the turtles is calming for the soul. I could see that. It seems very peaceful. Fancy Pants goes parasailing with Vicki, who screeches like a banshee the whole time. Fancy Pants tries to get her to happy place so she’ll stop, and on the boat, Jenn says, Vicki sounds like she’s dying. It’s nice that Vicki’s up there. She can’t hear the critique on her relationship. The parasailers get back to the boat, and Vicki throws up over the side. Following that, they do tequila shots using the snorkels, and in Emily’s interview, she says, it’s easy to do a shot when you’re Snuffleupagus. You can just put it in your trunk.

They get glammed up for dinner, and Emily falls into the bathtub while Gina is helping her lace up her sandals. They go to an amazing restaurant and sit outside, and Shannon shows off her bruises from jumping off the boat. Shannon says she doesn’t know if it’s a topic to bring up here (if you have to think about it, it probably isn’t), but she thought Jenn and Tamra seemed to be moving forward after Montana. She’s wondering if it was really resolved, and Jenn says she thought they were in a good spot. Vicki – who has absolutely no business in this conversation – trashes Ryan, and says, Jenn should have made her marriage work. No man is worth it. Shannon says, that’s Vicki’s situation, and Gina says, Vicki doesn’t know Jenn’s history. Don’t attack her. Vicki tells Gina, stay out of it, and Gina says she didn’t bring it up. She’s just sitting here trying to eat her [chicken] wings. In Gina’s interview, she says she thinks Jenn is a good person who made a mistake. What puts Vicki in the position to say Jenn ruined her family? Vicki says, she left a good man for a loser and got burned. Is she talking about Don? I don’t remember him as being any prize. Jenn says, she told the girls, her divorce was like mourning, and she didn’t understand why she wasn’t enough for him. Shannon says she has nothing but empathy, and in Jenn’s interview, she says she has guilt for decisions she’s made, and when the women criticize her, she sometimes feels like she deserves it.

Last Day. I’m sure Mexico is glad. The women are going to Talum for some shopping, but Jenn wants to see a shaman. Vicki acts like a jerk, and Jenn says she wants to end on a good note. In her interview, Jenn says she wants Tamra to come, because whatever they’re doing in this realm, it’s not working. Fancy Pants calls Terry, and tells him that she forgot how loud Vicki is. She’s never doing this again. In Shannon’s interview, she says she forgot her toothbrush, and didn’t know where the lobby was. She kept thinking someone would get her one. She’s been using a towel. Wow. No wonder she’s afraid to live alone. Tamra, who’s had enough, calls the desk and requests a toothbrush, telling them that Shannon hasn’t brushed her teeth in 4 days. On the shuttle bus, Shannon announces she’s got a toothbrush, and everyone cheers. On the way to town, Emily brings up Fancy Pants unfollowing everyone, and Heather explains she had FOMO when she wasn’t on the show. Emily says, maybe she feels like she doesn’t fit in because of saying things like that, and in Gina’s interview, she says she follows, likes, comments with everyone. In Emily’s interview, she says, it makes Fancy Pants look like she thinks she’s on a pedestal. They follow me, but I don’t follow them because I’m queen. Fancy Pants says she is now following Emily, and Emily jokes that she blocked Fancy Pants. At least I think it’s a joke. Everyone laughed. In Fancy Pants’ interview, she says she’s seen how they twist things. She’s been 100% the punching bag on this trip. She can’t do anything right. She just wants to be quiet and let the trip end. Jenn hates them all and wants to go home. I get that feeling every time I watch this show.

Jenn, Shannon, Vicki, and Tamra go to see the shaman. In Vicki’s interview, she says she’s trying to understand what it’s all about, and in Tamra’s interview, she says she doesn’t even know what the word shaman means. The others go shopping, and Emily immediately buys a crown. In Fancy Pants’ interview, she says she’s had people be mean to her before, but this was a lot, especially from people who are supposed to be her friends. If retail therapy can’t cheer her up. that’s a problem. The shaman waves a chalice of smoke around each of women, and asks the sun to open their hearts. He asks that they be in harmony, joy, and love. I tell him, good luck with that. Oh, they’ll leave that way, but it won’t last. He asks their purpose or goal, and Shannon says she wants to have an open heart, and wants her friends to feel the same. Vicki says she needs acceptance, and wants to receive unconditional love. Tamra says she wants to be able to trust her friends and have them trust her. She wants to come from a place of love, and eliminate the hate in her life. Good luck with that too. Jenn says she wants clarity, happiness, and authentic relationships, and the shaman says, love is the most important element of all.

Fancy Pants goes to sit by herself, but Taylor finds her. Fancy Pants tells her that she doesn’t want to talk anymore, and Taylor says she knows they’re not close, but she’s feeling Fancy Pants’ pain. In her interview, Fancy Pants says she probably shouldn’t confide in Taylor. She might do something terrible like say she’s cute, but at this point, she has nothing left to lose. She tells Taylor that she feels like she doesn’t fit in, and anything she says gets turned around. Taylore says she thinks Fancy Pants doesn’t get as much of a hall pass, because they believe she thinks she’s better than them. Taylor thinks it’s the money, and they feel inferior. It’s not right. Fancy Pants says, they keep telling her that it’s her problem, and at this point, she doesn’t want to talk to anyone. Taylor says she understands. I agree that the women think Fancy Pants act superior, but I don’t think it’s about the money. It’s about her delivery, but she’s probably not going to change at this late date, so maybe they should just say, it’s Heather being Heather, and ignore it.

Meanwhile, the shaman group all throw some stuff in the air, concluding the end of their ceremony. In Tamra’s interview, she says she realizes she wants a deeper relationship between her and Jenn. She hugs Jenn, and says she’s sorry. She just wants the best for her. Been here before. Give it time and she’ll be screeching at Jenn again. In Jenn’s interview, she says she doesn’t know if it’s real. At the end of the day, she might have sucker written on her forehead, but she wants get back to who they were.

The group goes up a million stairs to a restaurant in what can best be described as a humongous treehouse. It looks so complicated to get up there. After the stairs, there’s some kind of net with pads built into it that’s navigated barefoot. Kind of like walking on big rocks across a creek. A creek a million feet up. Shannon freaks, remembering the rope exercise, and we flash back to her squishing Vicki’s hand between two ropes because she was holding them so tight. Vicki tries to help her, and she screams, don’t touch me! She steps on a pad and falls, Spanx up. Fancy Pants tells them that they can walk around, and Vicki says she doesn’t want to end up in the hospital. She’s walking around. I’m surprised there’s no flashback, since Vicki’s gone to the hospital while they’re on trips a couple of times. After all this, they decide it’s too hot, and move to a table toward the shadier inside. The culinary director comes out and says he’ll be cooking for them. Food porn! Food porn! Jenn says she wants to be better, and Emily says, all she knows is Jenn’s situation with Ryan. She’s an adult, and whatever happens, happens. Ryan doesn’t define her. Vicki says she’s at a good place and wants a forever love. Gina asks if Vicki’s boyfriend is the one, and Vicki says she would marry him, but they’re taking it slow. Fancy Pants says, it’s the first time she’s known Vicki not to be all-in. It makes her sad and happy at the same time. Eager to stir the sh*t after claiming she wanted to come from a place of love two minutes ago, Tamra says, Fancy Pants said Shannon wasn’t all-in with John. We flash back to that, and she did, but Fancy Pants says she doesn’t remember saying that. In her interview, she tells us that she said nothing wrong, but Tamra is repeating it in way to get Shannon mad at her. Did she run over Tamra’s cat? Now pissed, Shannon says, Fancy Pants should use a different word, but Fancy Pants says she doesn’t want to be word policed anymore. Shannon says, Fancy Pants claims she said something horrible about Emily, but Fancy Pants says, Tamra was the one talking about them. In Fancy Pants’ interview, she says, Emily thought she was making it up, and she didn’t understand that Emily misheard. In Emily’s interview, she says, her bad. Should she write Fancy Pants a note? Tamra says, Fancy Pants called them a bunch of f***ing losers, and Fancy Pants says she was talking about Noella and Jen. Nice twist on what she said. In Vicki’s interview, she says she’s uncomfortable being around fighting. She never liked it. It’s not who she is. We flash back to seeing that’s exactly who she is. In another bout of grievous misunderstanding, Gina says she’s done, and in her interview, she says she’s been a genuine friend to Fancy Pants, and the whole time, Fancy Pants was saying nasty things about her. Fancy Pants gets up and says she gets it. They don’t like her. Gina is still not listening, and babbling about Fancy Pants talking sh*t about her. Fancy Pants says, she’s done, and walks out. Ugh. I hate to admit it, but this time Fancy Pants is right. They just aren’t listening that she was talking about other people. On top of it, Tamra keeps adding fuel to the fire.

In her interview, Fancy Pants says, Tamra is going to say she called Gina a loser, and Gina is going to believe it? We flash back to Gina telling Fancy Pants that not everyone sees Tamra with their eyes open. Vicki goes to the bar, and literally weeps to the bartender about what’s going on. In her interview, she says she feels bad for Fancy Pants, and also as a woman to another woman. She’s matured and realizes what’s important, and it’s not this. These women really don’t see themselves as they are, do they. Fancy Pants says she’s done with the show. She’s out. Shannon hunts her down, and asks, what’s going on? Fancy Pants says she doesn’t like being the scapegoat. Still at the table, Gina says she thought Fancy Pants liked her. She’s been a good friend. In Gina’s interview, she says she can’t force Fancy Pants to be a good friend. What else can she do at this point? Um… maybe listen to what Fancy Pants is actually saying? Firsthand? Fancy Pants says, they just went to a shaman, and Vicki says she can’t be here. Emily tells Gina, people with superiority complexes need to be accountable. At the table, Shannon says, Fancy Pants is thoughtful, generous, and kind, and a little calculating. This trip didn’t end the way she thought it would. What is it Dr. Phil says? The best prediction of future behavior is past behavior? Yep. No insight whatsoever.

4 hours later. The Tres Amigas hit the bar. In Shannon’s interview, she asks, when was the last time the three of them danced on a bar? She tells the other two, the trip turned into a lot of drama, but she’s glad they ended on a happy, fun note. Even though they’re old ladies, they were able to dance on the bar. At the hotel, Fancy Pants, Taylor, and Jenn clink glasses. Taylor says, onward and upward, Willy Wonka. At the bar, Shannon is upset that Fancy Pants claimed it was her talking trash, and in Tamra’s interview, she says, when Heather is up against the wall, she’ll throw anyone under the bus. In Fancy Pants’ interview, she says she wants to show Gina that it’s Tamra who’s been talking sh*t about her. Shannon tells the amigas that they need to end the trip on a positive note, and Tamra smushes them against her.

I hate them all and I want to go home.

Next time – THE FINALE! – a circus; Emily gets on a unicycle; Jenn questions Ryan; Fancy Pants tells Terry that she got grilled in Mexico; Fancy Pants plays a tape for Gina; Gina tells Emily that she’s being more aggressive than usual; and Tamra says, Fancy Pants is rallying the troops.

💼 Unpacking My Baggage…

Join me tomorrow for soap and some Charm. Until then, stay safe; stay letting people get off the elevator, train, or whatever before you get on; and stay remembering a person is never too old to learn. Life is like one big, long journey and there’s always something you can pick up along the way.

Sep20

September 19, 2023 – Anna’s Tormenter Is Revealed, Sad Goodbyes, Reunited, Holiday Romance, This Week In NYC, Salty Talk, What House, Second Dragon, Worthy Piece & Sun

Posted on September 20, 2023 by theresakp

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Marshall walks into The Savoy, and N’neka tells him that this is the slowest night they’ve had in months. He says he knows it, and wonders where everybody is. She says, not here, and he tells her, it’ll pick up. It has to. Selina comes in, and he says, oh God. Not what he was hoping for.

Trina walks into the house, and Portia hugs her, and tells Curtis, look who came to visit. Trina says she comes bearing a gift to christen the new gaming system. Curtis asks if that’s the new Sudden Death, and she says, they just released it Thursday, showing him the case. He says, they’ll play head-to-head, and Portia says, three heads are better than two. Trina says, she wants to play? and Portia says, of course (🍷) she does. Trina and Curtis look at each other and laugh.

Sasha thanks Sam for the clothes, and says she feels almost human again. She thanks Dante too, and he says, no problem. She tells Cody, your turn, and Cody says he’s all right, but the others loudly disagree. He says, no need for an uprising, and Sam pushes him toward the other room, telling him that he smells.

Dex walks into Sonny’s office and says, the knock off shoe shipment arrived; no problem. (Ah-ha! Something Sonny does that’s illegal.) Sonny says he wouldn’t be too sure about that.

On the phone, Anna asks if they have an ETA on the officers… No emergency. She just wants to start cleaning up. There’s a knock at the door, startling her, and she says she thinks they’re here. She opens the door, and it’s Charlotte. She asks, is papa here?

Valentin tells Nina, stop there… go back… freeze it. She says, oh my God. It can’t be. He tells her, play it through. He wants to see what happens. She says, they know what happens, but he says he needs to see it. She hits play.

Selina tells N’neka, what a lovely night it is, and N’neka tells her that she looks stunning. Selina says, so does N’neka, but then, she always does. She introduces a man, saying, this is her good friend Silas. She tells him that Marshall is watching the club for her and Curtis, and Marshall asks what they’re having to drink. Silas says, champagne? and Selina says, excellent call. Marshall says, one bottle of champagne for Miss Wu, but Selina says, just two glasses. They won’t be staying. They’re only here for a quick drink, out of loyalty to Curtis. They’re headed to the new club, Intrigue, downtown. Marshall asks if they have gambling there, and Selina says, not that she knows of, but it’s always jam-packed. She and Silas head for a table, acting like they’re drunk already.

Curtis thanks Trina for bringing the game over. He’s definitely down to play, but why doesn’t she tell him why she really came over? She just moved back into her dorm, and he knows she’s not homesick already. She says she doesn’t have to be homesick to come home. She just wanted to hang out with him and mom. Portia comes in with a bowl of popcorn and asks, who’s winning? but Trina says, the game just finished loading. They haven’t started yet. Portia sits down and says she doesn’t know if they noticed, but video games aren’t really her thing. Trina says, understatement, and Curtis says, especially Sudden Death. Portia says she did see on here that they have virtual tours where you can check out castles in Europe. Why don’t they try that? Trina says, that sounds really amazing, but they’re trying to get all Dirty Harry with the zombies in this game. Portia says, of course (🍷). As long as they’re having fun. Trina says, before they get started, how about if she gets them some iced tea, and Curtis says, the caffeine will give him some adrenaline for the game. Trina leaves, and Portia says, it was so sweet of Trina to come by. Curtis says, she knows why Trina came by, doesn’t she? To check on them. He doesn’t mind. She raised a very special young woman.

Sonny tells Dex, the charges have been dropped against him, but that raid, his arrest, that’s just the beginning. The Feds are going to be watching every move he makes. They’re going to be tracking whoever he associates with. Does Dex know what he’s saying? Dex says, live like he’s under a microscope, and Sonny says, right. They’ve been trying to take him down for years, but never for NSA violations. This is on a whole other level. It’s just going to get more complicated, and Pikeman isn’t taking no for an answer.

Anna says, when Charlotte comes in, it’s going to be a bit of a shock. Just don’t touch anything, okay? Charlotte asks, what happened here? Where’s papa? Anna says, it looks like they had a break-in, and her father’s gone to hotel security. What is Charlotte doing here? Charlotte says she took a Ride Share, and Anna says, by herself? Charlotte says she’s 15, and Anna says she knows, but even so. Do Dante and Sam know she’s here? Charlotte says, they’re out somewhere; it’s not a big deal. She just needed to see her father.

Valentin says, play it again, but Nina says, watching it isn’t going to change what’s there. He says, maybe there’s something there, something he missed that makes a difference. Play it again. She hits play, and he covers his face with his hands. She asks what he’s going to do, and he says, nothing yet. She says she can’t just ignore this, and he says he knows she can’t. He can’t either. But this is a volatile situation. Can she let him handle this? His phone rings, and he says, Anna. Anna says, Charlotte’s here. She wants to see him. He says he’ll be right there, and tells Nina that he has to go. He says, please don’t show this to anyone else, and leaves.

Cody says, they were all right. He’s very glad to be out of that creep’s clothes. Look what he found. It was in one of Montague’s pockets. He hands Dante a prescription bottle with no label, and Dante says he’ll have to have them analyzed. Cody says he’s guessing Montague wasn’t planning on taking those pills himself, and Sam says, Montague knew he crossed a line and Sasha was his only witness. A loose end. Sasha asks what Sam is saying. Does she think Dr. Montague was going to slip her an overdose? Cody says, he had those pills on him when he found them in her room, and Sasha asks if they think he was going to kill her.

On the phone in the back hallway, N’neka says she’s at the club. They’re going to need some help down here. Asap.

Selina goes to the bar and thanks Marshall for an enchanting evening. Too bad there were so few people to enjoy it. He says he’s sure it will pick up later, but she says, from what she’s been told, it hasn’t been picking up much this past week. If he was truly loyal to his son, he’d reconsider letting her take The Savoy off his hands before it’s worthless. He says, not a chance. She’ll see. They’ll survive and thrive. She says she wouldn’t be too sure. The club doesn’t have the same draw without his son’s charm. Something Curtis obviously got from his mother. He says, she knows nothing about his family, or loyalty, or even good champagne. So why doesn’t she go over to that club she’s so excited about and see if that’s for sale? Silas joins them and asks if everything is okay here. Selina says, Mr. Ashford’s son suffered a great tragedy. He’s obviously traumatized by it. It’s best they leave him to his misery. She thanks Marshall for the champagne, and saunters out with Silas.

Trina and Curtis are deep in the game, and Portia tells Trina, watch out! but Trina says, that’s the zombie ghost that comes out to collect the bodies. Portia says, of course (), when her phone beeps. She steps away, Curtis and Trina not even noticing, and listens to a message. She tells them that she has to go out for a bit, and Trina wonders if they drove her away. Curtis asks if everything is okay, and Portia says, everything is fine. She just has to help out a friend. Trina says, sorry if they left her on the sidelines, but Portia says, don’t worry about her. Just continue playing their video game. Neutralize those zombies. She’ll be back as soon as she can. She leaves, and Trina says, mom’s the best, but she is off when it comes to video games. Curtis says, Trina inherited her gaming gene from him, and Trina says, he got that right. They go back to playing.

Olivia and Eddie/Ned walk into Olivia’s office, and Olivia asks what Nina is doing there. Nina says she was checking the wedding bookings. She was checking on the date of her wedding and didn’t want to wrestle around looking for the binder they have. She’s just checking to see what was confirmed. Olivia tells her, the binder is right over here, taking it from the credenza and handing it to Nina. She says, they’re just heading out, and Nina says she heard Eddie had a great recording session. He says, the studio was great. Be sure to thank Sonny for hooking them up. Nina says she’ll do that. Sonny was happy to help him out. Olivia tells Nina to take her time. Just lock up when she leaves. Nina tells them to have a good night, and when they leave, she gets back on the computer.

Anna tells Charlotte that she’s so sorry. She’d take Charlotte to the restaurant for hot chocolate or something, but she’s got to stay here and wait for the officers. Charlotte says she’s not a kid anymore. Anna doesn’t have to keep her amused. Anna says, my bad. Charlotte’s almost an adult. Valentin comes in and thanks Anna for calling him. He asks what Charlotte is doing here, and she says she just wanted to see him. She didn’t realize he’d be busy. There’s a knock at the door, and Valentin opens it to a couple of officers. One of them says, they had a report of a break-in.

Dante tells Sasha, they can’t say Montague wanted to kill her, but maybe he wanted to keep her unstable enough so he could move her somewhere else and keep her recovery virtually impossible. Cody says, the fact Montague was bringing the pills into Ferncliff points to something extreme, right? Doctors don’t dispense medication from their pockets. This shows he had some kind of plan. Sam says, but what exactly, and how do they prove it? Sasha says, it all started when she petitioned to end Gladys’s guardianship, and the court assigned Dr. Montague to evaluate her. Cody says, that might be a coincidence, but they know Gladys and Montague know each other from the poker game at The Savoy. And granted, Montague’s debt isn’t as deep as Gladys’s, but every gambler needs a steady cash flow. Sam says, so Gladys ropes in Montague to make Sasha appear unfit to the court, but he pushes it too far, and she winds up stabbing Cody and gets into Ferncliff. Dante says, but then, Montague’s got another problem. What happens if Sasha regains enough clarity to the point where she can link her breakdown to the pills he was giving her? He’s got to cover his tracks. He’s got to make her look, not just insane, but hopelessly addicted. Cody says, he’s at least guilty of what? Covert drugging? Wouldn’t that be considered poisoning? Dante says, it’s criminal malpractice and attempted… Sam says, again, how do they prove it?

Dex lets Rowan Hume into Sonny’s office, and Sonny tells him to have a seat. He asks Dex to stay, and asks Hume if he minds. Hume says, whatever he likes, and sits down. He says, congratulations are in order. They were all very pleased to hear about the charges being dropped. Sonny says, really? and Hume says, of course (🍷). Pikeman regrets any trouble Sonny faced, and would like to offer him this as an apology. He puts a briefcase on the desk, and Dex opens it. He turns it around to show Sonny it’s loaded with cash, and Sonny asks if this is an apology or a downpayment for another deal.

Anna tells the officers, the room was like this when they got here. As far as she can tell, nothing is missing. Her tablet and computer are here, untouched. Officer #1 says, they can send forensics if she’d like, and she says, yeah. Valentin says, this is a hotel room. Forensics is going to find a thousand different fingerprints from a thousand different guests. How helpful is that going to be? (It doesn’t say much about the MetroCourt’s cleaning staff.) Officer #1 says, it might not yield much. They can pursue this if Anna likes, but it sounds like a case of malicious mischief to him. Does she want to file a complaint, start an investigation?

Curtis says, sorry, my friend, you just got slimed, and Trina says, not fair. She’s the one who got the wolfsbane. He asks if she’s ready for the next level, and she says, Marshall told her that Curtis went to the club the other day. Curtis says he did, and she says, Marshall told her that N’neka and the whole staff were excited to see him come back. He says he’s not sure he would consider it being back, and she says, but it’s his club. Doesn’t he want to get in the swing of things again? He says, a lot’s happened… it’s obvious. It was good to get out of the house, and going back opened his eyes to a lot. Some good and some that’s hard to admit.

Portia goes to the club and asks N’neka how it’s going. N’neka says, slower than her last relationship, and Portia says she can see that. Marshall comes out, and asks, what brings Portia down here? They hug, and he asks, where’s Curtis? She says, Curtis and Trina are at the house in their video game world. It’s too loud for her, so she decided to get some air and ended up here ~~where it’s quiet~~. He asks if she doesn’t have an early start to work tomorrow, and she says she does, but her head is pretty full of all the dead zombies, so she thought she’d come here and be with them in the land of the living. He asks what he can get her, when Olivia and Eddie/Ned come in. Olivia says, it’s a ghost town, and Eddie wonders, what happened to this place? The last time he was here, it was hopping.

Dante says, according to the authorities, Montague is the victim here. He was beaten and tied up. Sasha says, he had a pocket full of pills that he was going to use to OD her, and Dante says he understands that, but they have no proof. These could have come from anywhere. Sam says, and right now, it’s just their word against his. Cody says, and they’re escaped mental patients, and Dante says, Sasha is either an escapee or a kidnapping victim. Cody on the other hand, is a felon, wanted for assault and kidnapping. Sasha says, Cody didn’t kidnap her; he rescued her. They have to stop this before it gets any worse. They can turn themselves in and tell the truth.

Sonny says, Pikeman wants another go around, and Hume says, absolutely. Sonny says, another shipment, and Hume says, most definitely. And this is a peace offering. Compensation for Sonny’s trouble. Sonny tells Dex to close the briefcase and give it back to Hume. Tell his boss, it’s no deal. When he was in custody, he got a lot of questions about Pikeman. So they know what’s going on. It’s got nothing to do with his people, because they didn’t do any talking. That means it’s on Hume’s side, and that’s a problem. Hume says, nobody in Pikeman would be that careless, and Sonny asks if he can guarantee that. Hume doesn’t say anything, and Sonny says he didn’t think so. It’s a big organization. So here’s the deal. Find the leak, and until they can assure him it’s plugged (is that a double entendre?), there’s no deal. He’s not going to let the Feds use Pikeman to get him.

Dante says, turning themselves in isn’t as simple as it sounds. They need proof to back up their story, and right now they don’t have that. Sasha says, Dr. Montague injected her several times with drugs. Wouldn’t the hospital have some sort of record? Cody doubts Montague went through the proper channels for that, and Sam says, what about the medication he gave Sasha before she went to Ferncliff? Does she have the prescription that he wrote? Sasha says, he never gave her a prescription; he just handed her the pills. She makes a frustrated sound and says she can’t believe she didn’t question that. Cody tells her not to blame herself. She was betrayed by the people she trusted, and no way is that her fault. Sasha says, Cody risked everything to save her. Now he’s the one facing charges. How do they prove he’s innocent? Dante says, they might have something going for them. Mac is the Commissioner, and he thinks Mac is going to see Cody’s innocence. Cody flashes back to showing Dante that Mac is really his father.

Trina says she can’t imagine how hard it must be to go back to The Savoy, but Curtis did it. He says he’s not going to lie. It was tiring, but he’s getting stronger every day. She says, Marshall told her that he was thinking about selling The Savoy, and Curtis says, it’s nothing she needs to worry her pretty little head about. She says, but it was his dream, and I can’t believe she let that remark slide, just like I can’t believe he said it in the first place. He says, The Savoy is a special place. It’s like a home away from home in all the best ways. Just imagine throwing a party every night – good food, good music, and even better company. Walking from table to table, fraternizing with people he wouldn’t have known otherwise. It was amazing. She says, was, and he says, sadly, sometimes in life, dreams can change. And he can’t imagine that same party under this current situation. She says, but he is the club. What’s going to happen to it? He says, let’s not talk about me. Let’s talk about you. She says, Curtis… and he says, don’t get all Stella on him now. He’s her dad and he wants to hear about her. She just started school and moved into the dorms. What is she looking forward to this year? And he does want to remind her, all work and no play. Have fun sometimes. She says, funny he mentions that, because actually, there is something she’s looking forward to that has nothing to do with school. She says she’s planning on taking a trip to New York for the weekend with Spencer, and he says, that’s something he’s surprised her mom didn’t tell him. She says she hasn’t told her mom yet, and he says, yet, but she does plan on telling her. Trina says she thought she should wait until she gets closer to the trip. Curtis knows how her mom feels about Spencer. He says he definitely does. The most important thing is how Trina feels about him, and that is… Trina says she thinks she’s in love with him, and Curtis asks if she thinks Spencer feels the same way. She tells Curtis, he hasn’t said, and Curtis asks, has she? She says, no, and he says, why?

Portia asks N’neka, besides it being dead in here, what’s the emergency? and N’neka says, not what, who. Selina was in here tonight, slinking around with some trophy date. She and Marshall had a face-off. Portia says, what kind of face-off? and N’neka says she didn’t hear all of it, but voices were definitely raised, and Marshall barely held it back. Portia asks, what set him off? and N’neka says, there was tension the moment Miss Wu walked in, but when she came back from leaving Portia the message, Marshall was basically kicking her out, and saying she should buy some other club downtown. Is she trying to get her hands on this place? Portia says she thinks so. She overheard Marshall talking to Curtis about it. N’neka says she doesn’t think Curtis’s father should be pushing her. Miss Wu is not someone to be toyed with (just as I think, Miss Wu would be a cute name for a toy breed dog). Portia says she knows exactly what Selina is, and N’neka did the absolute right thing by calling her. Miss Wu is dangerous. She just doesn’t think Marshall realizes how truly dangerous she really is.

Marshall asks Eddie/Ned what he was recording, and Eddie says, it was nothing really. He was just demoing a new song. (Is demoing a weird looking word or what?) It’s only half done. Marshall asks why he hasn’t finished, and Olivia says, that’s what she keeps asking him. Eddie says, it’s easier said than done. Creating a song isn’t like writing a term paper where you just power through to finish it. He needs to wait for the spark of creativity to ignite. Marshall says, de-bop-shu-bop-shebang (or something like that). This man speaks the truth. Sometimes you got to tune into a melody. Eddie says, exactly. The song came to him unexpectedly. It was just a little fuzzy. Like he could almost catch it, but not quite. So he just has to wait for the muse to visit him again. Olivia says, the ghost of Elvis Presley, and Marshall says, if Eddie needs any clarinet, he’s there. Eddie says, he might just take Marshall up on that. He’s worked with a sax before, but he’s never worked with a clarinet. Marshall tells him, you know what they say. Once you go with a clarinet, you just never forget, and they laugh. He says he has an idea. Why doesn’t Eddie finish his song and debut it here at the club next week? It’s a challenge. Eddie says, it may be a bit of a downer to play in a house this light. Does Marshall think there will be more people here next week?

Anna says she wants the officers to pursue the formal channels. Someone should tell her what they uncover and keep her in the loop. Officer #1 says, will do, and they head out the door. Before they leave, Officer #2 tells Anna, this may seem like simple harassment, but after the arson at her house, does she think the two incidents could be related? She says she doesn’t know. Yeah… Maybe. She doesn’t know what they’re going to find in here. She doesn’t know. He says, they’ll keep her posted, and leaves. Valentin closes the door and says, they’re not safe here. Anna says, obviously, and he asks Charlotte to get on the house phone and ask the desk to move them to a new suite. Charlotte says, sure, papa, and goes to the phone. Anna tells Valentin that she’s so sorry Charlotte had to see all this. It’s probably quite scary for her. Was he able to access the security footage?

Dex tells Sonny that Hume is gone. He got in a Range Rover with New York plates and drove off. Sonny says, so tell him. What’s Dex’s take on what just happened here? Dex says he thinks it’s above his paygrade, and Sonny asks if Dex thinks he just hired him to open doors and call him boss? You want some life, you’ve got to grab it. What’s Dex doing here anyway? He knows Dex is smart; he pays attention. He doesn’t think Sonny sees his mind is always spinning? Because he’s not the boss, he has access to people and places Sonny doesn’t. So now’s Dex’s chance to show him how he thinks as a heavyweight. If Dex wants to move up in Sonny’s world, Sonny has to know if he can trust Dex’s judgement. So tell me what you think?

Marshall says, The Savoy is in a slump, and Eddie/Ned says, that’s putting it mildly. Marshall says he wouldn’t want to play for this crowd either, but the one thing that’s been missing tonight, the one thing that’s been missing every night is his son Curtis. If Eddie’s looking for a promoter, look no further. Curtis will pack this place. He just needs to give Curtis something to promote. He’s thinking, the return of Eddie Maine? Whoo! That might be just the ticket. Marshall gets up, and says, think about that, while he sends over two drinks for Eddie and his lovely date.

Trina tells Curtis, maybe she’s not ready to say I love you first. Or maybe she’s waiting for Spencer to say it first. (That’s the one!) She doesn’t know. He asks if she’s having any doubts about Spencer, and she says, no doubts. She just feels impatient and annoyed, disappointed at times. He just does the stupidest things, but then he does the sweetest things. Curtis says he hasn’t spent much time with Spencer, but he thinks she knows from early on he wasn’t a fan. But all that changed in Greenland. He has every respect for the way he cared for Trina. And he also respects the way Spencer lights up every time she’s in the room. But all that aside, is she sure she can count on him emotionally? She says, that’s what’s hard. At first, she would have said, definitely not. But then over time, she thinks, yes. He says, she and Spencer come from two different worlds, and she asks what he means. He says, she’s responsible and practical, and she’s grounded in the real world. Spencer comes from a crazy, rich family. He doesn’t have to work a day in his life. She says, it’s not his fault he was born rich, and Curtis says, no, it’s not his fault. But he’s learned this; people with too much free time and money, tend to get into a lot of trouble.

Eddie/Ned says, his beautiful date. Marshall’s right about one thing, but does Olivia think this is a date? She says, he’s giving them free drinks. She doesn’t see why not. N’neka sets down their drinks, saying, compliments of The Savoy, and they thank her. Eddie asks what they should toast to, and Olivia says, to Marshall’s challenge. He finishes the song, and comes back and sings it here next week. He says, why not? and they clink glasses.

Portia tells Marhsall that she heard Miss Wu was sniffing around. Something about buying the club. He says, she can sniff all she wants; it’s not for sale. Curtis built this place from the ground up, and he’s not going to let Selina Wu swoop in and take it.

Trina says, Spencer’s not like that. Curtis should see him with Ace; he’s amazing. Curtis says, her mom told him that Ace is always going to be part of the equation. Is she sure she’s ready to take on a child at this point in her life? And how is Spencer going to cope if Esme decides to take Ace and leave town? How is Trina dealing with Esme after all the torture Esme put her through? Trina says she doesn’t know. There’s a lot she doesn’t know, but she does know, they don’t know what the future holds. (That’s a lot of knows.) Curtis says, true dat. Look at him. Think about Epiphany. Sometimes you just got to live in the moment. She asks what he thinks. Is this her moment?

Dex tells Sonny, his impression is, Pikeman is a very efficient operation. They have legit government contracts, but obviously have a parallel operation going. Maybe it operates through a rogue offshoot. Hume seemed surprised when Sonny suggested he consider somebody on the inside, but as far as Pikeman itself, it wouldn’t make sense for them to jeopardize everything to leak to the Feds everything about their deal with Sonny. And he agrees with Sonny. It wasn’t one of Sonny’s men. Sonny says, damn. Turn Dex on and he just goes. Thanks for the insight. Here’s the thing. The Feds arrested him on false information; false information he planted. The thing he doesn’t know is the timing of, or the extent, of the FBI investigation. Do the Feds already know they made a move with Pikeman? Or are the Feds going by what they’ve already put out there? Dex says, with all due respect, he thinks the safest option is to cut ties with Pikeman, but Sonny says, that’s a problem because Pikeman isn’t taking no for an answer. So what he did tonight was buy time. Now he has to figure out how to move forward.

Cody tells Dante, they can’t rely on Mac’s good will to beat this. He still has to uphold the law. Sam suggests they give her and Dante 24 hours to see what they can dig up, and Dante agrees. He says, they’ll go back to Port Charles, while Sasha and Cody stay here. They do have to turn themselves in at some point, but that’s not now. Sam says, they’ll be in touch tomorrow, and Cody says, he can’t thank them enough. Sasha says, thank you so much, and Sam says she only did what she thought was right. Dante tells Cody that he’s sorry… but Cody says, Dante, as always, is the rock who kept him on the straight and narrow. He thanks them both for everything, and they leave. Sasha says she can’t believe what Sam and Dante are doing for them, and Cody says, they believe in Sasha; so does he. She says she guesses all they can do now is wait and see what they turn up, and he says, they do have one other option. She says, which is? and he says, they could just disappear.

Anna asks if there was anything on the tape, but Valentin says, there was nothing there. She asks how that’s possible; there’s cameras everywhere. He says, the footage from this floor was missing, and she says, okay. So someone forged a keycard to get in here and then they wiped the surveillance tape? So they could ransack a room, destroy her clothes, and write an intimidating message on the mirror. Charlotte says, the front desk wants to speak to Valentin, and Anna says, let her deal with that. He should just take Charlotte back to Dante. He says, he’ll call her when he’s on the way back, and Anna thanks Charlotte, taking the phone. Valentin and Charlotte leave, as Anna asks if they were able to find another suite… That’s perfect. That will be fine. Valentin closes the door, and in the hallway, Charlotte says, ready, papa? but Valentin just looks at her.

Back on the computer in Olivia’s office, Nina brings up the footage again. We see Charlotte approach the door and look around. She slips in a keycard, goes in, and closes the door. Nina says, oh, Charlotte. What have you done?

Smelled that one coming.

Tomorrow, Tracy says, Brook should be thanking her; Felicia says, Cody is full of surprises; and Valentin asks what Charlotte did today.

🥀 Tributes and Remembrances…

His colleagues.

Colleagues Remember Billy Miller

Jason Thompson Pays Heartfelt Tribute to Billy Miller

His mom. So sad.

Billy Miller’s Mother Speaks Out on Her Son’s “Devastating” Passing

👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 In Happier News…

It’s a shame they had no scenes together, but there’s always another day. IMO, she’s the only one who’s had real chemistry with Roger Howarth.

https://www.soapsindepth.com/posts/general-hospital/kassie-depavia-opens-up-about-her-reunion-with-roger-howarth-at-gh

☃️ At the Chalet…

I was starting to think there were no romantic holiday movies without Ryan Paevey in them.

William deVry Stars in a Romantic New Holiday Movie!

🗽 New York Minute Or Two…

This week’s RHONY. Still not loving them. Except Jenna. Jenna’s cool.

Real Housewives of New York Season 14, Episode 10 Recap: A Stupid Prank Blows up a Friendship

🧂 Some Salt For the Table…

This week’s RHOSL. Heather gets less pleasant with every episode.

Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4, Episode 3 Recap: The Uninvited Guest

🍊 She Tried To Be Quiet…

She could possibly have been in shock, but how did they justify her being hurt, yet being caught while she was walking her dog?

https://people.com/real-housewives-of-orange-county-shannon-storms-beador-arrested-alleged-dui-hit-and-run-7971129

🐉 Enter the Dragon…

Maybe I’ll give this another go when Season 2 roles around.

https://winteriscoming.net/2023/09/18/ships-cities-night-house-of-the-dragon-season-2-set/

☠️ Advocating For Piece…

You don’t have to love or even know about the anime. I saw a giant fish in the trailer and said, I’m game. One of the better choices I’ve made. Like Pirates of the Caribbean, but better.

https://www.avclub.com/one-piece-review-tv-netflix-live-action-adaptation-1850804738

⚔️ Maintaining Parameters…

Slide into this blog tomorrow for soap and throwing stones at the glass houses of the OC. Until then, stay safe, stay never double-dipping at a party, and stay knowing that you don’t know what the future holds. Sometimes you just got to live in the moment.

Sep14

September 13, 2023 – Sonny Asks For Carly’s Help In Finding His Enemy, Another Amazing Vacation Wasted On Housewives, Who Is She & Imagination

Posted on September 14, 2023 by theresakp

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Tracy stands on the stairs listening, and says, she’d know that car anywhere. She walks to the door saying, five, four, three, two, one, and opens it just as Lucy is about to knock. She says, what a surprise, and Lucy says, is it though? Is it really a surprise? She walks in, and Tracy says, we’ll see.

Chase brings Brook the phone she left in the bathroom, and she says, checking her social media while blow-drying her hair is a bad habit. He kisses her, and she says, this is a good habit. She’s tempted to suggest they call in sick for work, but she knows he’d never consider it. He says he won’t call in sick, but maybe he can show up a little late. He kisses her again and there’s a knock at the door. It’s Maxie, who asks if Brook is here.

Ava walks into the gallery where Mason is waiting, his perpetual lollypop in his mouth. She asks what he’s doing here. The gallery isn’t open. He says, the door was unlocked, and she says, the sign says closed. She has nothing to say to him. He tells her, shut up. She set them up. The boss is pissed and it’s not good.

Sonny tells Carly that he was just playing with Donna’s favorite doll. She’s making a parade or something. Carly says she heard all about it. A celebration for when daddy gets home. Let’s just say things haven’t been good in Donna’s doll world the last few days. She asks how he explained to Donna what happened, and he says he just told her the FBI made a mistake, he had to stay with the FBI until it was cleared up, and everything’s fine now. There’s nothing to worry about. She says, they both know that’s not true.

Dante calls Anna, and says he wants her to know he hasn’t forgotten about her. He’s just waiting on confirmation about something, and once he has it, she’ll be interested in seeing it for sure. He’ll talk to her soon. Sam comes in, and he asks if she had an early class. She says she did a little yoga, yes. She feels centered. He should try it sometime. He says, maybe he will, and kisses her. He says, seeing she’s centered, maybe it’s a good time to talk about what they’re going to do about their friends, the fugitives.

Cody wakes up and sees Sasha is gone. He runs outside.

Carly gives Sonny some coffee, and says she’s relieved and grateful that the charges were dropped. He thanks her, and she says, not just because of the kids. She doesn’t want to see him suffer. He says he feels the same way, and she says she doesn’t believe for a second the FBI made a mistake. They obviously had enough evidence against him, so what happened? He says, the Feds were expecting something not exactly legal, and what they found was incredible coffee. She says, which he only receives at the warehouse, never at the pier. And he never ships coffee in the middle of the night, so there must have been a reason it was on the docks. It’s almost like he knew the FBI was going to bust him. He says he didn’t know that was going to happen, but he did lay some false breadcrumbs to feed his enemy. She says, what enemy? and he says, that’s what he’s going to find out, and he will.

Mason says, Ava made a mistake trying to play the boss, and she tells him, leave or she’ll call the cops. He’s trespassing. He says, really? She’s going to call the cops? When he has evidence she murdered her ex-husband? Don’t forget who has the body with her DNA all over it. She says, they had a deal. She did her part. He says, they know what she did. The deal was that she helped them in exchange for getting the body, but she decided to double-cross them. She says, that’s absolutely untrue, and he says, the evidence, the information Betty gave them was false. It was a set-up. That means Sonny was warned, and the only person who could have done that was her.

Tracy asks if Lucy wants to discuss the case, or does she want to make a deal. Lucy says, first she’d like information, and Tracy says she understands. There’s a thing called discovery. That’s what lawyers do. Lucy’s lawyer can contact her lawyer, and all of Lucy’s questions can be answered… in six months when the trial – if and when they go to trial – and by the way, discovery ends, she thinks, two weeks before the trial. (Huh?) Lucy says she knows that. Tracy knows she doesn’t have time to wait. She needs answers now. Tracy says she understands, but unfortunately, that’s not the way the legal system works. She’s going to have to be patient. Is there something else she can help Lucy with? This could all go away. 75/25. She’s taken the liberty of drawing up the papers. There’s just a few places to sign and she’s marked them. Lucy says, gee, thank you so much. She’s not signing anything. Tracy asks if that isn’t why she’s here, to make a deal, but Lucy says, there’s no deal. Can they just stop this? Drop the pretense. She knows Tracy doesn’t have any of the schematics on The Deceptor. Prove she’s got something. Show her what she’s got.

Brook says she was just about to head to the office, and Maxie says, that’s what she thought. Maxie’s new digs are on the way to Brook’s new digs, so she thought she’d take a chance and see if Brook was still here. Chase asks if he can offer Maxie a cup of coffee, but Maxie says she doesn’t want to hold him up. She knows how much policing he has to do with Mac as Commissioner. She knows what a demon he can be sometimes, so… Chase says, she’s right about that. He’s going to skip the lecture today, thank you very much. He tells Brook that he loves her and not to work too hard. He leaves, and Brook asks how the move went, but Maxie says she didn’t stop by to catch up. Why did Brook give The Deceptor information to Tracy?

Sam says, the best way Dante can help Cody and Sasha is to stay as ignorant as possible. Dante says, the problem is, he can’t ignore that a friend of his escaped a mental facility and took one of its patients with him, and she says, they went over this last night. He needs deniability. He says he did, and he appreciates she wants to protect him, and she says, of course (🍷) she does. She loves him and she knows he loves being a cop. She doesn’t want him to do anything to compromise that. He says he gets it. He loves her and wants to protect her too. It seems he’s not the only one who could be compromised by this whole thing. He got an update on the case, and for helping Cody, she made herself an accessory to kidnapping and assault. She says, what assault? and he says, Cody attacked Sasha’s psychiatrist, a guy named Dr. Montague. She asks if he just said Dr. Montague.

Cody finds Sasha outside, and she says, it feels so good to breathe fresh air; the smell of a forest instead of disinfectant. He says, good morning, and she says she has no idea how long she was at Ferncliff, but she remembers lying on that bed just wishing she was outside; feel the sun on her face, breathe freely. And here she is, because of him. He says, so she’s not mad at him for busting her out of there? and she says she’s never been more grateful to anyone in her life. He says, she’s welcome. Aside from being able to breathe freely, how is she really feeling? She says she’s confused. What actually happened last night?

Mac asks if there’s any update on the APB on Cody Bell and Sasha Gilmore, but the desk sergeant says, no sightings yet. Mac says, let him know when that changes, when Jordan comes in and asks for a word. They go into the interrogation room, and she says, the FBI busts Sonny Corinthos and lets him go. And meanwhile, they’ve got two escaped mental patients running around. What the hell is going on here?

Cody asks what Sasha remembers, and she says she remembers being in more pain than she’s ever felt. She remembers being terrified someone, Cody, was going to hurt her, but he didn’t. He sat with her. He helped her. He says, she had pretty severe withdrawal symptoms (BTW, do not try that at home), and she says, the doctors and nurses kept saying she was using, that she had someone slipping her drugs, but she swears she didn’t. He says he knows. He believes her. She asks why he would. Everyone knows she’s gotten clean before and relapsed. There’s a huge stigma about people slipping back into using. Why wouldn’t he think she’d gone the same way? He says, two reasons. One, she told him; and two, he knows exactly who’s drugging her. It was Dr. Montague.

Sam tells Dante that she ran into Dr. Montague, literally, when she was there for Cody’s evaluation. Look. She shows him her phone and says she didn’t think anything of it at the time. She didn’t know he had anything to do with Sasha, and she accidentally spilled a cup of coffee on his phone. She was washing it off and a call came in from a Gladys; not a very common name. He agrees, and she says, this could be the smoking gun that proves Gladys messed with Sasha, just like Cody said. And if Dr. Montague is the psychiatrist… He says, or because he’s Sasha’s psychiatrist, Gladys called him to get a prognosis because she’s Sasha’s guardian. Sam says, there’s another thing she didn’t tell him. She mentioned something offhand about playing cards, and Montague said he had a game he played in regularly, and said there would be a spot for her. She got the feeling he was talking high stakes. Dante says, the game at The Savoy, the poker game in the back room, and she says, they both know that Gladys loves to gamble. He says, so maybe Gladys met Dr. Montague there.

Tracy says, Lucy should know better than to ask her that, and Lucy says, what she wants to know better is why. Why does Tracy actually think she owns the rights to The Deceptor? Does she even have a prototype? Does she know the word prototype? Tracy says, Lucy doesn’t understand; she won’t comment on that. Lucy says, just tell her. How did Tracy get it? Tracy says, her lawyer told her not to discuss the case, but Lucy says, there isn’t a case. All Tracy has is her attempt to steal The Deceptor through legal intimidation. She thinks this is about Tracy. Tracy wants to get revenge on her because she can’t stand her nasty, miserable life. Tracy says, tempting bait, but she won’t bite. There’s a deal on the table, and Lucy is here because she realizes this is her best and only option. So why doesn’t Lucy save them a lot of trouble, and give her what she wants, 75% of Deception.

Ava asks Mason, why would warn Sonny? She and Sonny have been arguing over their daughter since the day she was born. Mason says, so she wants to get in his good books, but she says, that’s absurd. He would wonder what kind of leverage Mason had over her, and then she would have to tell him about Nikolas’s accidental death. Then he would take Avery away from her in a heartbeat. She did exactly as she was told. She got Betty hired. She made sure Betty had open access to Sonny’s home. If Betty screwed up and got him bad information, she thinks that’s his fault for using someone incompetent. It certainly has nothing to do with her.

Sonny tells Carly, all he knows is that Dr. Gatlin-Holt and his cousin Mason work for this person, and they pressured Ava into getting information about him. She says, pressured Ava how? Do they have something on her? Are they blackmailing her? He says, that’s a need-to-know, and he doesn’t think she needs to know. She says she needs to know if he’s protecting Ava.

Tracy says, as Lucy can see, it’s quite straightforward. All she has to do is sign, and she continues working at the company, and reaps the benefits of The Deceptor and anything else Deception expends out to. Lucy takes the contract out of Tracy’s hand, and Tracy asks if Lucy came there to waste her time. Lucy rips the contract in half and says, 75/25 is off the table. She did not put her heart and soul into a company just to give it away for some measly percentage. Tracy says she does understand. After all the work Lucy put into the company, it would be difficult to give up any amount, any percentage. So if not 75/25, what would she be amenable to? Lucy says, Deception’s a whole lot more than just The Deceptor, so she guesses if – and that’s a great big fat if – Tracy came up with a similar product at the exact same time, and can prove it, maybe she can settle for 50/50. Tracy laughs, and says, Lucy is way off base. 65/35.

Brook says, it’s complicated, and Maxie says she takes that as a yes. Brook stole information and gave it to Tracy. She doesn’t know why she didn’t see this sooner. Brook left Deception because she wanted to get into music, then all of a sudden, she’s back. Lucy was under the impression that Maxie rehired Brook, when Maxie thought Lucy rehired her. But all this time, she was really working for Tracy. Brook took advantage of their friendship and Maxie’s trust, so she could steal information about their most valuable product. Brook, looking very sad, says, yes. That’s exactly what she did.

Jordan asks what Mac is doing about it, and he says, they have an APB out on the Ferncliff inmates, Cody Bell and Sasha Gilmore. She says, Sasha? But she was committed right after stabbing Cody. Is it possible he may have taken her for revenge? Mac says, it’s highly unlikely. He knows Cody. He’s convinced Cody means her no harm. She says, it sounds like he might have an idea why Cody took her. It’s been reported as a kidnapping. Mac says he doesn’t think it was a kidnapping, and Jordan says she’s learned to trust his instincts, but that doesn’t change the fact they’re fugitives and need to be found.

At the station, Agent Moss (aka the guy I thought was the US Attorney) asks to see Commissioner Scorpio, and the desk sergeant says, he’s in the interrogation room. Chase says he can show Agent Moss in, and brings him to Mac. Mac says he assumes Moss is here with information on the Sonny Corinthos case.

Sonny tells Carly, the person he’s protecting is Avery. It’s not good to have her mother be put in the middle of something shady. Carly asks what Ava did, and Sonny says, Ava came to his place looking for something, but she didn’t get it. Then they made it look like Pilar messed up, so Ava would fire her. Carly says, Pilar was a set-up, and he says, yeah. Then they pressured Ava into hiring Betty, which was their plant. She says, so Mason and Austin sent Betty to get information on him, and Ava had to go along. No wonder she was so worried about Betty. Carly wondered why she hired someone she didn’t like. Sonny says, she didn’t have a choice; he didn’t have a choice. So what he did was switch the game. Instead of Betty playing fetch with them, he had her deliver a parcel from him. She says, which was? and he says, exactly what they were looking for, but he and Brick made a few modifications. She says, he gave them false information, and he says, so Mason and Austin must’ve taken the bait back to their boss. She says, that’s why he asked her about Austin’s visit to Pentenville. So their boss, Sonny’s enemy, is inside Pentenville.

Sam tells Dante, Cody admitted he was playing poker for Selina Wu, and said that Gladys was in there and she lost big. He says, that’s convenient, considering she controls all of Sasha’s money, and she says, not to mention, she sold Brando’s garage. He asks if Sam thinks she’s really using these funds to repay debts, and Sam says she does. It certainly seems like that. Just think about it. Sasha was doing so much better. Maxie was going around telling everyone how well she handled that TV show, and Sasha was working so hard to end her conservatorship so she could have control of her own assets. He says, and if she was able to do that, she would have seen what Gladys is doing with the money, and Gladys wouldn’t want that to happen. She says, no. Gladys had to make sure Sasha stayed mentally unfit. He says, so Gladys must have met Montague at the poker game, and gotten him to help her do something to Sasha. Son of a bitch! He bangs the table with his fist.

Sasha tells Cody that Dr. Montague gave her injections. He said they were to help her get off the drugs, but she kept telling him that she wasn’t on any drugs. She never got anything from anybody. Cody says, this is really important. When she went live on that show on Home & Heart, she did great. She kept her cool under a very stressful situation. Was she on any medication at all at that time? She says, just her antidepressant. She’d been taking them for eight months, but they were prescribed by her old psychiatrist. He says, what about after that? Any other medications? She says, yes. She was taking the pills Dr. Montague gave her.

Maxie says, so Brook admits it, and she’s just going to stand there like she stole Maxie’s yogurt from the work fridge. Brook says she’s not trying to minimize what she did. She is so, so sorry, but she swears she had no idea what Tracy was going to do with that information about The Deceptor. Maxie says, Brook, better than anyone, knows what a schemer Tracy is. Did Brook think she was just too cheap to buy one, so she was going to build one for herself? Brook says, Tracy told her that she just wanted to know about it, and Maxie says, Tracy always has an agenda. Brook had to know Tracy was going to use that information against them. Brook says she was desperate. She owed Tracy big time, and this is how she collected. When Chase was kicked off the police force for defending her, she was supposed to write a letter to help him get reinstated, but she hesitated because she was too selfish. She was too scared of losing him, but she knew she had to fix it. So she went to her grandmother. She said she could pull some strings and get him a second hearing. It was like an angel came down to earth to right all of the wrongs. Well, that angel quickly turned demon when she threatened to go tell Chase unless Brook got her the information on The Deceptor. Maxie knows how much Chase hates being manipulated. Maxie says, stop. She’s heard enough. They are not in high school anymore. Brook put Maxie’s job, her livelihood, at risk because she couldn’t be honest with her boyfriend? Didn’t he break up with her once before because she lied to him? Has she learned nothing? Brook could not look sadder.

Lucy says, Tracy is absolutely impossible, and Tracy says, Lucy really doesn’t have any other options. She can let Deception slide into oblivion as the case drags on for months with appeals and delays. And of course (🍷) Lucy will have her real estate business. She thinks the Quartermaines have some swampland in Putnam County she can offload. Lucy says, 60/40, okay? That way Tracy gets to keep control – because that’s what Tracy loves, control – and she keeps a decent share, but there will be a clause that Tracy can’t remove her as CEO, and can’t take her off any of her board positions. Okay? Tracy says, through their history, there’s one thing she’s come to bank on. Lucy is a grifter. She’ll always look out for number one, but she does understand the disparity in their percentages is disconcerting. Even a tiny amount could be humiliating. She’s feeling extremely generous today. How about 51/49? That’s just a one percent difference. Lucy says, 51/49, really. Deal. She picks up her bag and says she guesses they’ll get in touch with each other to draw up that paperwork, but Tracy says, there’s one other detail. The deal is contingent on Lucy returning her 1% voting rights in ELQ.

Moss says he’d like a private talk, but Mac says, Deputy Mayor Ashford was Police Commissioner, before she took over for the mayor, and she worked for the DEA. Detective Chase is one of their finest. Anything Moss can say to him, he can say to them. Moss says, when they arrested Sonny Corinthos and seized his shipment, they were acting on information that he was illegally transporting classified weapons. The charges were dropped because there was nothing in the crates but coffee. Jordan says, it sounds like Sonny was one step ahead of them, and Moss says, he was, but that won’t always be the case.

Sonny tells Carly that he has reason to believe his enemy is inside Pentenville, but he’s not quite sure. The only connection there is between his false information that Betty stole and his arrest, is Gatlin-Holt’s trip to Pentenville. He had them both followed after Betty delivered the goods. Mason went to some working girl, and Austin went to Pentenville. Carly says, Mason sounds like a great guy (I literally lol), and Sonny says he’s thinking Austin was there to give some information to someone. And then in turn, the FBI got it. Either they’re trying to take him down, or they’re just trying to get points with the Feds. Or both. She says, so he needs to know who Austin saw during his visit at Pentenville, and he says, that’s where she can help him out. She says, really, and he says, if she’s willing.

Ava tells Mason, Sonny didn’t get where he is by being stupid. He’s more than capable of picking up on that sociopathic gleam in Betty’s eyes. Maybe Betty’s sweet act wasn’t as convincing as Mason thought it would be. Has that ever occurred to him? Maybe Sonny realized she was a plant and decided to turn the tables. She’s pretty sure that would make this his fault, wouldn’t it? For using the wrong operative. He says, not a story he wants to take back to his boss, and she says, take this back to the boss. She did her part. She just wants this to be over. She didn’t say anything to Sonny. She doesn’t intend to say anything to Sonny. Her life and the lives of the people she cares about mean too much to her. He says, we’ll be in touch, and leaves.

Dante tells Sam that he’s sorry. He’s never liked Gladys. He just didn’t trust her. She seemed all money grubbing, and she lied all the time, but he thought she was basically harmless. She was Sonny’s family, and Mike liked her. Poor Brando. He was a good guy and he had Gladys as a mother? He thought when Brando died, she cared and would want to do right by his widow, but he guesses not. Cody saw through her. (Well, he saw her at the poker game.) Sam says, Dante had no way of knowing, but he says, he’s a detective. Come on, he was blinded. Cody’s been talking about her for months, but Dante had his own stupid misgivings about Cody, and it messed up his judgement. Sam knew. She said it. Why didn’t he listen? Why did it get this far?

Sasha says, after her second session with Dr. Montague, he gave her some pills for anxiety, and Cody asks what the prescription was for. She says, he just gave her a bottle of pills and told her to take three a day, which she did. He asks if she even knew what she was taking. He’s sorry. She says, it all started then. She remembers she was feeling so impulsive, full of energy. She wanted to celebrate everything and she had no control. She couldn’t keep track of things, but she didn’t care. That’s when the shoplifting incident happened. He says, she was taking the pills the whole time? and she says, three a day. He says, Montague was drugging her long before she got sent to Ferncliff. Sasha says, why? Why would he do it?

Moss says, this goes no further than the room, and Mac says, of course (🍷). Moss says, they believe Mr. Corinthos is involved in the trafficking and sale of these restricted weapons. While they haven’t been able to prove it, this is an ongoing investigation. There are possible ties to the government and the private sectors, and they’ll continue to monitor Corinthos. Mac asks what the FBI expects from the PCPD in terms of cooperation, and Moss says, Corinthos has a son here in the department, Detective Dante Falconari. He was present at his father’s arraignment. If there’s any reason to suspect Detective Falconari is feeding his father information, or giving him any kind of assistance, they want to know about it. Lots of soap looks all around.

Lucy says, Tracy has been waiting years and years and years to spring this on her, hasn’t she? Tracy can’t stand the fact she has 1% of her family legacy. Tracy says, Lucy wormed her way into her family by taking advantage of her brother’s weakness. Lucy had an affair with him when he was married to Monica. Lucy says, so they’re going to bring this up now? Really? Monica was to blame too, because she slept with Tracy’s son Ned. Tracy says, the point is, Lucy blackmailed her into appointing her CEO. That is one of her biggest regrets. Lucy says, that is ancient, ancient history. Why in the world is she dredging that up now? Tracy says, because she is here to prevent the Quartermaine ship from running aground. Somebody has to get this family back on course, and if her son can’t do it, she has to do it. Lucy has clung to this family like a barnacle (another ha-ha from me), and it’s time they scrape off anything that doesn’t belong, and that means her. One percent voting rights in ELQ, and that is her final offer. Lucy says, nev-er, and walks out. Tracy says, ha. We’ll see.

Brook tells Maxie that she knows how this sounds and she’s not making excuses. But she loves Chase, more than she ever thought was possible. All she cared about was getting him his badge back, and when he did, when things were looking up for them, she didn’t want to ruin it. She was weak, so she gave in to Tracy’s demands. When she finally mustered up enough courage to stand up to Tracy, it was too late. She already had the information on The Deceptor. Maxie asks why Brook didn’t come to her, after everything they went through with Bailey Lou? Why didn’t Brook trust her? They could have schemed up a solution together. Instead, Brook betrayed her. Now Brook looks sad and uncomfortable.

On the phone, Tracy says, her friend just left… She thinks she’s going to fold… No. This is a perfect time to come and visit. Port Charles is beautiful in the fall.

Brook says, Maxie is right. In hindsight, Brook should have come to her. Maxie says she would have helped Brook, and Brook says she doesn’t know. She was just too ashamed, too stupid. She thought she could handle it. Maxie says, handle Tracy? and Brook says she had no idea what Tracy was planning. She could never have foreseen Sasha’s meltdown, or the fact that The Deceptor would be their only moneymaker. She could have never planned for any of that. She messed up and she’ll do everything in her power to make it right. She’ll come up with a social media campaign against Tracy, and it will go viral. They can handle this. They can make it right. Maxie says, that’s not going to happen. She’s not going to let that happen. Brook’s proven she cannot be trusted. She’s fired. Brook says, no, Maxie, please, but Maxie heads for the door. Brook says she’ll work for free. Just let her make it right. Maxie says, that ship has sailed, and walks out, closing the door behind her.

On the phone, Ava says, where the hell is Austin? His cousin was just here again, making crazy accusations. She can’t take this anymore, and she’s telling him, if Mason drags her under, Austin’s coming with her.

Carly says, is she willing to help Sonny get the answer. Is she willing to help him period. There was a time when she would have jumped in. She would have said yes immediately, but now… He says, not so much? and she asks if it’s going to endanger Drew or affect his sentence in any way. He says, no, not at all, and she says she doesn’t know. So much has happened. So much has changed between them. He says he understands, and she asks if he really does, or is he just saying that to get her to do what he wants her to do. He says he understands things have changed, but one thing hasn’t changed. She would do anything for him, and he would do anything for her. And he’s always there for her. She says she knows. And she knows he wouldn’t ask her if it wasn’t serious, and if someone is gunning for him, that means they could come after her kids, so yes, of course (🍷) she’s in. What does he need her to do? He says he’ll tell her on the way to Pentenville.

Sam asks how Dante could have known what was going on. Gladys is a snake, and she’s cunning, and she had to keep Sasha under guardianship so she could have access to Sasha’s money. That meant convincing everyone, including him, that she had Sasha’s best interest at heart. He says, the bottom line is, he should have just listened to Cody, but she says she didn’t believe Cody at first. He hasn’t exactly been 100% honest with either of them. Dante says, he hasn’t, but he said Sasha was being drugged the whole time. Even after she stabbed him, he said it wasn’t her. How long has she been on these drugs? What is she taking? Sam says she doesn’t know. They’ll figure that out. The important thing is that Cody cared enough to go into Ferncliff and get Sasha out. She thinks Cody saved Sasha’s life. He says he’s got to see Cody. He has to talk to Cody. She has to trust him enough to take him where they are.

Sasha tells Cody that she never even met Dr. Montague until he was assigned to evaluate her. What possible motive could he have for drugging her? Cody says he’s guessing Montague was being paid, and she says, by who? He says, by the person who did have a motive – her mother-in-law Gladys.

Tomorrow, Spencer tells Trina that he thinks he may have fixed that; Nina asks if Olivia doesn’t want Ned back; Josslyn asks if Dex is dumping her (if so, I called it); and Sonny asks for Drew’s help.

The Real~~ly Horrifying~~ Housewives of Orange County

Still inflicting themselves on Mexico.

Shannon wonders if they’re having food or should they put sand on their plates, and in Fancy Pants Heather’s interview, she wonders why she thought sharing good news would be met with anything but this bullsh*t. Everyone is mad at her for something. Should she apologize to the waiter as well? She walks away from the table, and Emily says she’s pissed. Shannon tells Emily that she didn’t say anything, and in Emily’s interview, she says, she and Shannon are in a good place. They’ve had issues, but she feels they’ve worked through them. Why would they get to that point, and Shannon would talk bad about her, then lie? It doesn’t make sense. In Shannon’s interview, she says she didn’t even see Fancy Pants at BravoCon, and thinks one of Heather’s goals is leveling her relationships. Tamra hunts down Fancy Pants, who says she’s tired of people lying. Emily seems to have a crackerjack memory about anything she’s said. At the table, Emily tells the others that she asked Fancy Pants what Shannon had said, but Fancy Pants said she couldn’t tell her because it was in the vault. Shannon says, the biggest thing with John is that when they first met, they spent every day together. Now he has excuses to leave. When John has to go, it hurts her. She has childhood issues, and when they have an argument, she’s afraid he’s walking out. In Shannon’s interview, she says, everyone thinks there are greater issues going on, and it’s causing her anxiety. So she’s going to open up and set the record straight. Emily says, Shannon shouldn’t talk if she doesn’t want to, but she needs an outlet. She asks about John not wanting Shannon to discuss their relationship, and Shannon says she told him, it’s his rule, not hers. In her interview, Emily says she thinks it’s great that Shannon is opening up, but she feels it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Shannon says, John’s an avoider and she’s a communicator. Sometimes it doesn’t mesh, so sometimes she talks to them. Sha and John both have plenty to do, and she feels like he doesn’t care. Fancy Pants tells Tamra that she’s at her tipping point. She’s held to different standards, and can’t do or say anything right. Emily says she heard Shannon claimed to have juicy stuff about Jenn’s relationship, and Shannon admits she did say that. In Gina’s interview, she says, Shannon pretends to be a good person, but Jenn and Tamra finally seem to be getting along, and she wants to dig up dirt. Shannon tells them that she heard there was more stuff to come out. Tamra said there was so much more. In Jenn’s interview, she says she spoke with the girl Ryan slept with, and she’d said Tamra was digging for information. In Tamra’s interview, she says, the girl Ryan dated sent her texts that happened while he was in a relationship with Jenn. Part of her wants to protect Jenn. She knows Jenn plays dumb and it’s frustrating. Tamra comes back, and says, Fancy Pants was hoping to celebrate the sale of the house with them, and Emily says, Fancy Pants just called her a liar and an a-hole. Heather brings in gift boxes that say something like From Fiesta to Siesta, and they have a bunch of Mexican themed gifts inside. As she hands one to Emily, Emily says, but she’s an a-hole. Fancy Pants says, they’ll dive into that later. Oh goody. Something to look forward to. In her interview, Emily says she doesn’t want gifts. She wants Fancy Pants to be easier to be friends with. Good luck with that. In Fancy Pants’ interview, she says she is who she is, and likes to bring a trip gift, even if they don’t deserve it. They decide to go to bed, and Shannon asks for a skinny margarita to go.

In the morning, they get ready for an ATV excursion, and make calls to their families. Fancy Pants tells Terry that everyone looked blank when she told them about the house, which is bullsh*t. The only blank was on Fancy Pants’ face when they reamed her out for not telling them before they found out in the press. Terry says, it was mean, but forget it and have fun. Fancy Pants says, every time the group is together, it comes down to her, and she’s not tolerating it. If it happens again, she’s out. Wow. This chick is not only a whiner, she really doesn’t see herself. Tamra joins the others for breakfast, and tells them that she asked if Fancy Pants wanted to eat, but she said she had food. She doesn’t feel Fancy Pants means some of the things she says. It’s just who she is. Shannon says, the things that happened between her and Fancy Pants weren’t happenstance. She’s been talking about Shannon’s relationship. She acts like she’s above everyone, but it’s just her being an a-hole. Gina and Emily are the only ones left at the table when Fancy Pants finally graces the table with her presence. Emily says, if Fancy Pants felt she was being a jerk, she apologizes sincerely. In her interview, Fancy Pants says, an apology is fantastic, but there’s a pattern. We flash back to other times Emily has apologized to Fancy Pants, and in her interview, Emily says, all she can do is say she’s sorry, and she’ll probably do it again. The difference here is, at least Emily does apologize. Fancy Pants gives excuses. Fancy Pants suggests they take a restart. She’d been dying to tell them about the house. In Gina’s interview, she says, it’s insulting to her, but maybe Fancy Pants isn’t used to someone having her back. Fancy Pants says she’s not being dismissive or unkind, but she’s done. She does value Gina and Emily’s friendship, and thinks they’re good. Honestly, my friendships have never once been this complicated.

In Tamra’s interview, she says she set up an excursion where they’ll drive through the jungle on ATVs, then dive into the water. She’s been there before, but she’ll try anything twice. Guides Eddie and Alvaro go through a few instructions, and they head out. It looks like fun, but I’m sure the day will be ruined somehow. In Gina’s interview, she says, Shannon looks like Jennifer Coolidge on a vespa in White Lotus. They get to the water, and it’s 36 feet down. When they ask what’s in there, Eddie says, cameras and watches. Emily goes first, from the highest point, and ends up with a nose bleed. In Fancy Pants’ interview, she says, there’s not enough champagne to make her jump in. In Emily’s interview, she says she’ll do anything once as long as doesn’t result in reconstructive surgery. Tamra makes the jump, and Gina tells Fancy Pants to give her artifacts to her children. In her interview, Gina says she was so afraid of water, she wouldn’t even take baths for a while. We flash back to a few times that she’s freaked out in the water, and she says, her life is flashing before her and it’s too short. She jumps from the lowest platform, which is about as high as the public pool high diving board where I grew up, and they applaud.

Gina calls Travis, who’s at the food court, since it’s the only place that makes all six kids happy. They get ready for dinner, and in Tamra’s interview, she says, Jenn was a soccer mom, and now she drips in fake designer clothes. She’s wearing a real Mugler. Vicki shows up at Shannon and Tamra’s room, and there’s screaming. So much screaming. In Tamra’s interview, she says she invited Vicki, but Vicki wasn’t sure she could make it. To have the Tres Amigas back again is everything. In Shannon’s interview, she says, her best memories have Vicki and Tamra in them. Some of them are blurry, but that’s what girlfriends are for. They do their Amigas dance and drink a shot. The rest of the group arrives at the restaurant for dinner before they do, and Emily says, there’s one extra chair and it’s creeping her out. The Amigas finally arrive, and Vicki says she doesn’t want to be left out. In Gina’s interview, she says, Vicki made it clear how she feels about her and Emily, but it’s not worth bringing it up. Let’s just whoop it up. In Emily’s interview, she says, Vicki likes to talk about them a lot. She’s clearly super fan. We see some tabloid headlines where Vicki trash talked them. In Vicki’s interview, she says, the group needs to liven it up. Emily brings up Fancy Pants calling her Snuffleupagus, and we see a clip from earlier with Emily saying she had to get her look together, and Heather saying she looks like Snuffleupagus… in a good way. In her interview, Emily says, Fancy Pants thinks she says mean things, but Fancy Pants says things that could be construed as mean. Snuffleupagus is a big, huge, furry Muppet. The resort has arranged for them to have a private showing of Cirque du Soliel Joyà, and they’re thrilled with the performance. It is pretty cool. Someone gave me Cirque tickets once, and I enjoyed it – the hologram stuff was amazing – but it probably isn’t something I’d normally pay to see. The women get their PJs on and go to the Amigas’ room for more drinking. Tamra passes out bathing suits that have 3D body graphics on them. They play Truth or Dare for a hot minute, then somehow, Vicki starts talking about Jenn’s relationship, even though she doesn’t know Ryan’s name.

Vicki tells Jenn that she thinks Jenn is in the same situation she was, and the man she’s with might not be the right person. She wishes she knew then what she knows now. In Gina’s interview, she says she had high hopes for Vicki, but Vicki travels with her spoon to stir sh*t up. Gina says she thinks Vicki is saying Jenn should trust her gut, but Taylor says she thinks Jenn is doing that. In her interview, Gina says, Vicki doesn’t know Jenn or Ryan, but she knows Tamra. Clearly she’s been hearing things. In Vicki’s interview, a producer asks who she heard it from, and Vicki says, who do they think? Telephone, tell a Tamra. That reminds me of my grandfather, who used to say, telephone, telegraph, tell Marie (my grandmother). Later, Gina, Emily, and Fancy Pants gather, and discuss how Jenn had no reaction and never does; she shuts down. In her interview, Gina says she thinks Jenn needs to stand up for herself. No one checks in with Jenn, but she’s going to. Emily says, Vicki didn’t even know Ryan’s name, and Fancy Pants wonders why Vicki is talking about Jenn’s relationship. In the Amigas room, they manage to start a fire with one of the candles, but it’s quickly extinguished in an ice bucket. You can dress them up…

The next morning, yikes, the clean-up. Tamra wonders why it’s so bright, and gets into bed with Vicki. Another thing I never did with any of my girlfriends. They all do their family calls, and go to a beach club where they have a private cabana. They’re wearing their suits, and Taylor says, Shannon got teary wondering how she was going to feel included when she’s not willing to be in a swimsuit. We see a clip of Shannon saying she doesn’t want to be in a suit, and in her interview, Shannon says she feels like everyone knows her being thin, and she’ll be more objectified. Emily says she wishes she could help Shannon get to the point where she could embrace who she is, and in her interview, she says she thinks John is critical of Shannon. She thinks he makes Shannon feel bad, commenting on her looks and weight. It’s terrible. The Amigas show up, Shannon in the suit.

In Shannon’s interview, she says, the last time she was with the group in a bathing suit she was 20 pounds lighter. Her weight yoyos, and when she’s not in the happiest place, it can be read on her body. We flash back to her going back to the gym when she was heavier. Aerobics instructor Miguel joins them to lead a water aerobics class, and in Emily’s interview, she says, if it’s going to go this long, she needs a drink and a croissant. She needs some huevos rancheros. In Gina’s interview, she says, Miguel thought they were training for the f***ing Olympics. Afterwards, Emily brings up Fancy Pants comparing her to Snuffleupagus, and Fancy Pants says she wasn’t thrilled with Emily saying she looked like a dolphin trainer when they did the Slip N Slide thing. In their various interviews, the women speculate over what Snuffleupagus is, and Shannon says, he’s super hairy and big. A dolphin trainer is cute. Emily tells Fancy Pants that she could have interpreted it as negative, but she thought Fancy Pants was being funny. The point is, Emily is being funny too. In her interview, Gina says, no one likes being compared to a hairy, large animal, and in Emily’s interview, she says, with Fancy Pants, it’s always a double standard. She does no wrong. She’s just being Heather, but Emily is an a-hole and a jerk. Fancy Pants says, if Emily was offended, she’s so sorry. They sit down to eat, and a container of chicken fingers is passed around. Somebody says, it looks like a d*ck pic, and Taylor reminds them of Vicky saying, Steve doesn’t like to have his weewee touched. We flash back to that, and I just shake my head. Gina asks Jenn how she’s feeling about Vicki’s comment, and Jenn says she hasn’t been with the group long. Vicki gripes about being fired, and Jenn says, at first, she thought Vicki was talking about her own relationships. Since they’d never met before, when Vicki said she got the info from their mutual friend group, she was trying to figure out who their mutual friend was. Ever so helpful, Tamra says, it’s her, and Jenn asks why Tamra is always calling her out. It’s malicious and mean. Tamra insists she’s not malicious or mean and I nearly choke on my coffee. Tamra says, Alex – the girl Ryan slept with when he and Jenn were on a break – reached out to her. Jenn says she didn’t know Alex, and Tamra asks if Jenn never talked to her. Jenn says, this is a baited question. Why doesn’t Tamra just say what she f***ing wants to say? Alex told her that Tamra was the one who reached out, and asked her to send everything. If you need me to be relevant, good for f***ing you.

Tamra says she didn’t ask for the information, but Ryan was sleeping with Alex while he was dating Jenn. He sent her a text while he and Jenn were at a concert in San Diego. Jenn says she’s seen it, and Tamra asks why she’s protecting him. In Jenn’s interview, she says she knew all this and forgave Ryan because she loves him. She’s not protecting him, but why talk about it? It’s painful and it sucked, but he owned up to what he did. She asks what Tamra wants from her, and Tamra says she doesn’t want Jenn hurt. Jenn says, so Tamra is busying herself in her pain? and Tamra says, Jenn never shows any emotion. Jenn says, because it’s easier, and in her interview, she says she brings everything in. She gets quiet, processes it, and thinks about it. Tamra says, Jenn ruined her whole family. She’s not the only person Ryan f***ed at her gym. Everybody knows Ryan’s a player, even Jenn’s mother-in-law, who works out at the same gym. Gina says, Jenn knows and chooses to be with him, and in Fancy Pants’ interview, she says she feels bad for Jenn. She doesn’t know Tamra’s endgame, but doesn’t feel it’s friendship. Tamra says she doesn’t like Ryan with Jenn, and did the same thing with Vicki. We flash back to that, and Vicki says, they have to learn for themselves. Hey, stop that. Vicki has no business being the voice of reason. Tamra says, Jenn should have learned her lesson, but didn’t. Don’t lie to my face like your fake Gucci. In Jenn’s interview, she says, don’t tell her that she ruined her family. That’s not the way a friend talks and acts. She can take the hard conversations, but that’s not the way a friend asks. Jenn leaves the table, and Tamra screeches at her to be f***ing smart.

Ugh. Tamra has two volumes, and they’re both annoying.

Next time, hang-gliding; Vicki tells Jenn that she should have made her marriage work; and more screeching.

👠 Maybe a Spoiler…

Her connection to Port Charles.

Kassie DePaiva’s GENERAL HOSPITAL Storyline Revealed!

🌞 Non-Rain Dancing…

Come back tomorrow for soap, a little Charm, and VMA talk. Until then, stay safe, stay letting that old lady ahead of you in line, and stay doing anything once, as long as it doesn’t result in reconstructive surgery.