Tag Archives: Real Housewives of Orange County

September 7, 2023 – Nina Begs Carly For Help, Winner, On Hiatus, Going Back, Runway Finale, OC Rehash, Miami Creep, Happy Surprises & Weaver

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At Kelly’s, Carly hands Mac a menu, and asks if it’s just him. He says, yes… no. Felicia’s joining him. She asks if he’s sure, and he says he is; don’t mind him. He congratulates her on taking over Kelly’s. Felicia told him that Bobbie sold it to her for a dollar. Carly says, yeah. It was her mom’s great idea, and she couldn’t be more grateful. It gives her something to focus on. He says, it must be chaotic after Sonny’s arrest. She says, they were all shocked. They dragged Sonny out of the MetroCourt in handcuffs in front of Michael and Willow and Wiley. He says, that must have been upsetting for Wiley to watch the FBI arrest his grandfather. Felicia runs in, apologizing, and Carly says she’ll get her a menu, but Felicia says she’ll share Mac’s. She tells Mac that she knows she’s late. She dropped all this stuff she downloaded from her online course as she was leaving the house, and now it’s all out of order. She shuffles the papers around and says, there are two online units she has to complete to get her certification before she can do her practical training for patient advocacy. She asks if he’s mad at her because she’s late or because she’s volunteering. He says, none of that. He thinks it’s great and he’s glad for her. She says, then why is he so upset? and he says, Cody. He’s been locked up.

Josslyn and Trina stick their feet in the pool, and Trina says she can’t believe the summer’s over. Spencer runs in, apologizing for being late, and joins them. Trina says, Spencer Cassadine, late again. What is the world coming to? He says, it’s kind of a pattern with him, but Ace was really upset, and Trina asks if everything is all right with Ace. Spencer says, everything’s fine now, but he was really, really fussy before, and they tried everything to get him to calm down. Nothing was working, so they put him in a lavender bath. It was Esme’s idea, but it worked. Something about the smell just calmed him down. (Helpful hint: lavender scent works for dogs too.) Josslyn says, thank God Esme was there, and Spencer asks if she’s heard anything about Uncle Sonny. What about Dex? He’s sure Dex was arrested too, right? Josslyn gets up, and he asks what he said. She tells him, just the usual, and starts to walk away, but she comes back. She says, by the way, Dex was not arrested. She doesn’t want to talk about Sonny, and she especially doesn’t want to talk about Esme.

Gregory goes to Alexis’s office, and says he finished his piece on weekend the section; blue pen, red pen, uploaded to the main server. He’s going to head out now, unless she needs him. She says she’s good, and thanks him. He says, if anything changes, just text him, and he can come right back. She says, it appears he doesn’t want to leave. No plans tonight? He says, actually, he does have plans; something he’s put off way too long. She asks if it’s something on his bucket list, but he says, no. It’s actually something he’s been dreading. He’s going to tell Chase about his illness. She says, good. With Finn? He says he needs to do this by himself, and she says, it’ll be fine. Good luck. He thanks her and says, chances are he’s going to need it.

Brook knocks at Chase’s apartment door, and he answers the door shirtless because they try to catch him that way as often as possible. He says he’s behind the curve. He just did a workout. He’d kiss her, but he’s all sweaty. She says, he’s not getting off that easy. Besides, she doesn’t mind. They kiss, and he tells her, come in. She only has one suitcase, and he asks if the rest of her stuff is in the car. He’ll grab a shirt, and he can get it. She says, no need. This is all she has. He says he thought she was moving in, not just spending the night, and she says she is. This is all she needs.

Gladys sneaks around a hallway somewhere and sees someone. She says, about time. They’re taking a chance meeting here. It’s too dangerous to be meeting out in the open like this.

Dante asks if Sam got his message, and she says she did, but she didn’t have a chance to call him back. What did he want to talk to her about? He says he was talking to his mom, and she mentioned Cody was taking off for a few days, and he was surprised to hear that. Then she said she heard that information from Sam, which he was even more surprised to hear. Sam says she did tell his mom that, and he asks if she wants to tell him where Cody is. She says, Cody was going to be away for a few days, and he didn’t want Dante’s mom to worry or fire him. He asked her to let Olivia know about his alternate plans, so she did. He says, she’s not answering his question; where’s Cody now? She says, now? and he says, yeah. She says, Ferncliff.

Cody asks Sasha if she can hear him. It’s Cody; he’s here. He’s going to need her to wake up. He shakes her shoulder, and she turns over, but doesn’t open her eyes, and he says, what did they do to you?  

On the phone outside Kelly’s, Nina says, Sasha Gilmore. She was supposed to be released today… Okay. Then let her talk to Sasha’s doctor… No, she’s not a reporter. She hangs up and sees Carly coming out of the diner. She calls to Carly, and Carly asks what she wants. Nina says she wants to talk to Carly about Sonny. She’s concerned. Carly says, about what? and Nina says, he’s in custody. He’s facing prison time, and she wants to do whatever she can to help. Alexis said the whole family could be in danger, including the children. They all could be targeted for revenge. Carly says, it’s certainly a possibility, and Nina asks what she’s going to do about it. Carly says, what is she going to do about it? What is Nina going to do about it?

Chase says he’s never seen Brook pack so light before, and she says, there’s a first time for everything. She’s very efficient. He says, when he asked her to move in, he wanted her, the woman he loves, and she says, that’s exactly what he got. He says, it kind of seems like she’s trying to reinvent or restrict herself to please him, and she says, let’s be clear. She appreciates that he accepts her for exactly who she is, but guess what? She’s adaptable and can use this as a chance to see herself in a whole new light. He says, so she’s become a Zen master hoarder, and she says, fat chance of that happening. Part of being in a relationship, especially when you’re living together, is accommodating one another. She doesn’t have to move in here with every single one of her things. It’s not like she’s not going to spend time at the mansion. She wants to see Leo and Olivia, and check in on Willow and her dad, whoever he is at the moment.

Spencer walks over to Josslyn’s chaise lounge, and says he’s worried about Uncle Sonny too, but he’ll shut up and not bring up Esme anymore, okay? She says, great, and he says he’s going for a swim. Trina sits down and says she’s sorry. Sometimes Spencer can be a jerk, but he’s her jerk. Josslyn asks why it doesn’t bother Trina more that he’s spending all of his time with Esme, and Trina tells her, who said it doesn’t?

Alexis tells Gregory not to underestimate Chase’s ability to handle his diagnosis. And he can’t shield his children from life. He says he knows. She’s right. He guesses he just got caught up in the protecting Chase mode since he was a little boy. Finn never needed it. He was like an ancient tree top; sturdy, never cried, always inscrutable. He kept everything inside. She says, Hamilton Finn, a mystery wrapped in an enigma, and he says, Chase on the other hand, pure id. You always knew exactly what he was feeling just by looking at him. Always full of wonder, laughing and singing, his heart right there on his sleeve. She says, well, great. Gregory will know exactly how he feels. Then Gregory will look out for Chase, and Chase will look out for him. Piece of cake. He says, as usual, she cuts right to the heart of the matter. He’s always been amazed at how his two sons can be so completely different. She says, right? Two unique people are raised under the same circumstances. Her children, Kristina and Molly, couldn’t be more different. Kristina knocks at the door and asks if they’re talking about her.

Dante says, Cody’s in Ferncliff? and Sam says, yes. He says, what the hell is wrong with him? Dante told Sam that Cody was going to do this. He was acting all crazy to set the stage to get put in Ferncliff to be close to Sasha. Sam obviously knew this, since she gave the message to his mother, right? She says, yes, she knew about it, and she helped him get committed.

Carly says, Nina is the new Mrs. Corinthos. At least she’s going to be. She doesn’t understand how any of this is her responsibility. Nina says, without Jason here to step in for Sonny, there could be a power vacuum here in Port Charles, and Carly says she knows. She still doesn’t understand what this has to do with her. Nina says, Carly stepped in before. She held everything together. She kept the peace in Port Charles last time Sonny was gone. Carly says, Nina means when they all thought Sonny was dead, and Nina knew he was alive and didn’t tell his family? That time? (D’oh!)

Felicia says, Mac told her how erratic Cody was at the PCPD the other day. Did he violate Gladys’s restraining order? Mac says, nothing like that. Cody wasn’t arrested; he was committed. She says, committed? Does this have anything to do with how he was at the stables? Mac says he had a feeling something was going on, so he checked up on Cody. Cody’s been admitted to Ferncliff. She says, that’s where Sasha is.

Dr. Montague tells Gladys that she worries too much. It’ll give her crow’s feet. There is no problem with them being seen together. He’s Sasha’s doctor and she’s her concerned mother-in-law. She asks what the hell that means? She is concerned. He says he shares that concern, and she says, like hell he does. Why doesn’t he just drop the sweet doctor act? All he cares about is bleeding her dry to line his pockets. When does she get Sasha out? She wired the money to the offshore account like he said. He tells her that he got the notification earlier, and she says, okay. Let’s go bring Sasha out, and she’ll take her home. He says, not so fast.

Cody says, please wake up, and pats Sasha’s forehead with a wet cloth. She opens her eyes, and he says, thank God. It’s Cody. Does she remember him? Startled, she sits up and scoots away, saying, don’t hurt me. He says, it’s me, Cody.

Trina asks if Josslyn doesn’t think it bothers her that she and Spencer hardly get to see each other. Of course (🍷) it does. She thought they’d be spending the whole summer together. It’s already over, and now she has to go back to school and the gallery’s getting busy. Whenever she does see Spencer, they spend have the time catching up. He’s telling her about Ace and of course (🍷) Esme. They just… Josslyn knows what she means; they barely ever get any alone time. Josslyn says, that must be so hard, but Trina says she’s not complaining, especially with everything her mom is going through with Curtis. She just wants to be strong for her. Plus her dad is still hurting and she doesn’t want them to lose their connection. She loves him so much. Josslyn says she knows, but Trina has so much on her plate right now, and Trina says she tries to remind herself, it’s not going to be like this forever. And even though Spencer sometimes messes up, he’s hers, not Esme’s, so she can’t let Esme get under her skin like that. Josslyn says, that was beautiful. Is she taking philosophy this semester? Trina laughs.

Gregory says, it’s always good to see Kristina, and she says, him too. He tells Alexis, they’ll talk later, and she says, yes and good luck. He leaves, and Kristina says, he’s a great writer. It was so smart of Alexis to add him to the Editorial Board. Alexis says, he brings a lot to the table, and Kristina asks if she’s free for a bite; her treat. Alexis says, yes. She’s starving. What’s on the agenda? Kristina says her dad. How much trouble does Alexis think he’s in?

Nina follows Carly into Kelly’s, and says, wait. She’s new to this, and they have to figure out what’s best for this family. Carly has experience, and Nina is asking for her help. Please. Carly says, Brick’s been in touch. Everything’s under control. Everything is stable in the business right now. The pact with the Families is strong, especially since Sonny got rid of Billy Novak. She doesn’t think anybody’s going to make a move just because Sonny’s been detained. Nina says, Carly still seems pretty informed with Sonny’s dealings, and Carly says, Nina should be grateful for that. It’s not glamorous carrying around this kind of burden. It’s not a competition. They do have to work together to keep the family safe. Nina says she gets it, and Carly says she hopes so. Brick will be in touch, and she’ll go over everything with Nina, but Nina has to stay calm. For Sonny’s sake. It sends a bad message when his inner circle is running around upset. Okay? She’s more concerned with who gave credible information to the Feds. That means someone broke rank, and they turned state’s evidence against Sonny.

Felicia asks if Mac really thinks Cody lost it, but he says he doesn’t know what to think. Cody’s situation reminds him exactly of what he went through years ago. She says, Dominique, and he says, it’s just so eerie. Cody is convinced Sasha is in danger and he has to rescue her from Ferncliff. She says, just like what Mac went through when Leopold Taub had Dominique stashed away in Shadybrook. He says, and Cody told him that he’d do anything to get past the restraining order and into Sasha’s orbit.

Gladys asks if Montague is trying to double-cross her, but he says, of course (🍷) not. They’re friends. But they both need to be smart about this. Sasha has to be weaned off the medications Gladys had him administer to her. Gladys says she never asked him to drug Sasha, and she wants Sasha out now. He says, if Sasha recovers too quickly, people will ask questions. Sasha herself might become suspicious and ask for a toxicology report. That’s not going to look good for either of them. It’ll take at least 24 hours for it to clear her system. She says, so he’s telling her that Sasha can’t be released for another 24 hours, but he says, no. He’s saying, the weekend at the earliest. She says, absolutely not, but he says, come on. They both know she’s not holding a Royal Flush here. It’s time to fold her hand and start playing by his rules. There’s too much at stake if they don’t move forward with Sasha.

Dante asks why Sam would help Cody violate a restraining order. She helped him break into a secure mental hospital? She says she had to, and he says, and disturb a woman who’s in recovery? She says, no. It was to help her. Cody thinks that Sasha is in serious danger, and she believes him. And the only way around Gladys and the restraining order was to get him committed as a patient at Ferncliff. Dante says, Gladys is a pain for sure, but she’s not the one who stabbed Cody; Sasha is. What happens if he’s in Ferncliff, and she goes off on him again?

Cody backs away, raising his hands, and says he promises he’s not here to hurt Sasha. It’s the opposite; he’s here to help her. She says, no, no, no. That doesn’t make sense. Nothing makes sense. Cyrus was coming after her. She had to defend herself. But then everyone said Cyrus was Cody, that she stabbed Cody. She doesn’t know what happened. She doesn’t know what’s real. Cody says, she doesn’t have to think about that right now, and she asks if he’s real. Is he really here? He says he’s very real. See for herself. Take his hand. He promises he won’t grab her. Please take his hand.

Gregory knocks on Chase’s door, and Chase says, what a pleasant surprise. Come in. Gregory says he’s glad to find Chase home. Since Chase got back on the force, he doesn’t know Chase’s schedule. Chase says, it’s been a little hectic, but anytime Gregory wants to hang out, just shoot him a text. Gregory says he appreciates how Chase always makes time for his old man, and Chase says, old man? Please. He could outrun all of them. He knows Finn teases Gregory about being a bookworm, but he remembers those camping trips. He can’t wait for Gregory to teach one of his kids, and Gregory says, the reason he came by… Brook comes out to show Chase the new sheets she bought, and stops when she sees Gregory. She says she didn’t realize he was here.

Alexis says she’s not going to lie to Kristina. Her father is in trouble. The FBI would not have contained him if they didn’t have compelling evidence against him. Kristina says, they swarmed in there like he was El Chapo, and Alexis says she can’t do anything about it this time. Diane is on it and will do what she can. In the meantime, she’s just going to hope and pray that it’s not as bad as she thinks it might be. Molly comes in, sees Kristina, and says she was just going, but Alexis says, oh no. Get back here. She grabs Molly’s hand and drags her into the office. She says she knows she told them that she wouldn’t micromanage this, but she’s getting really tired of it. They got into a fight – get over it. Because they’re sisters. Molly says, this isn’t the time… but Alexis says, it’s the perfect time, because life is too short for them to be at each other’s throats. Now kiss and make up. They both have way too many things going on.

Carly says, if she were Nina, she’d be more concerned about when Sonny is released and he finds out who went to the Feds, because it’s not going to be pretty. Nina asks what she means, and Carly says, Sonny values loyalty more than anything else, and if someone out there crossed him, he’s going to find out who it is and he’s going to make them pay. Just stay under the radar and take care of herself. Hopefully, Sonny will be out soon.

Felicia says, Cody already tried to break in to see Sasha once, and Mac says, which only got him a restraining order which, if he violates… He swears Cody has bit off more than he can chew. She says, he must think he has no other choice, and Mac says, whatever the reason, what he’s doing is extreme. If something bad happened to Cody, he’d never forgive himself. She asks what he’s thinking, and he says he’s going to go see Cody, but she says, oh no. He’s not.

Gladys says she kept her end of the bargain. Montague has his money. He says, and he appreciates it. They’re both betting on the same suit. Stay steady and Sasha will go through her diva detox by the weekend. The tabloids will have their stories, Gladys can retain her cash cow, and everything will be hunky dory. Gladys asks, who is Hunky Dory?

Sam says, Cody’s convinced Sasha didn’t mean to stab him, and Dante says, she had a breakdown, but Sam says, she’s being drugged. He says, Cody’s looking for an explanation. He’s trying to find some tangible thing that he can latch onto that he can save her from. So he’d rather imagine Gladys is pumping Sasha full of drugs than face the truth that she had a serious mental breakdown. He can’t save her from that. Sam tells him that she said the same thing a few weeks ago, that Cody would be doing more harm than good, and he says, that’s his point. She says, then Cody asked her to stop for a second and just consider if he was right. How would she feel if she were in Sasha’s position? She thought about it, and thought, what if it were her or one of her sisters stuck in Ferncliff? She would pray there was someone out there that would come in and get her. Admit it. Dante would be that person. Cody was willing to fight for Sasha, and she wanted to help him.

Cody tells Sasha that it’s not her fault. She can’t think clearly because someone’s been drugging her. Sasha shakes her head and says, no, that’s what they say. They say she’s using again, but she’s not. She wouldn’t. Not after what she went through with Brando. She got clean, okay? She thought that everything was okay, but then it wasn’t. The nurses keep asking her where she got the drugs, but she didn’t want them. The doctor is making her… He says, don’t worry about the doctor. He’s not here right now; I am. He’s on her side. Please trust him. He holds out his hand and says, please take his hand so he can prove it. She puts her hand in his.

Josslyn leaves a voicemail for Dex, asking, why is his phone off? She hasn’t heard from him in a minute. Just calling to say she loves and misses him. She’ll see him soon.

Brook says it’s good to see Gregory and hugs him. He says, same here. Sheets, huh? Chase says, Brook is moving in… well, partially, and Brook says, fully, with less parts, just with everything she needs. Gregory says, that’s wonderful news, and suggests he buy them dinner to celebrate, just the two of them, but Chase says, you pay, you stay. Gregory says, if they’re sure, and Brook says, you know what sounds yummy? Chase says, Gino’s, and she says, yes. He looks for the menu, and Gregory sits down with Brook. Gregory asks what made Brook take the next step, and she says, Chase was being chivalrous… Chase says, was not, and she says she’s having a little conflict with her grandmother. Gregory says, why is he not surprised?

Kristina says she agrees with Alexis, but Molly made it perfectly clear how she feels about her, and if she wants no further contact… Molly says, that’s a lie, but Kristina says, no, it’s not. Molly says, Kristina is choosing to play the victim, but Kristina says, that’s not true. And she thinks she knows a little bit more about being a victim. Strangely, this is so much worse, because Molly is intentionally cutting Kristina out of her life. For what? Because she takes up too much attention, too much space, too much air? Molly says, all of the above, and tells Alexis that she’s sorry. She can’t do this. She’ll call Alexis later. She storms out, and Kristina says, can Alexis believe that? Alexis says she can’t believe any of this.

Mac says, there’s no harm in him going to Ferncliff, but Felicia says, please, leave it alone. He’s the acting Police Commissioner. He says, so? and she says, Cody made a public spectacle when he accused Gladys of exploiting Sasha. Mac said himself that he almost arrested Cody for harassment. Cody has no proof of anything. Sasha stabbed him. Mac says, Cody swears there’s something else going on, but Felicia says, Maxie was there. She swears, on record as a witness, that Sasha suddenly went crazy. Mac can’t get involved. He can’t go there.

Gladys tells Montague to listen to her, when her phone rings. Nina asks, what is going on? She’s waiting for word on Sasha. When can they go get her? Gladys says, soon, and Nina says she called Ferncliff. They won’t give her any information. Gladys says, everything is on track, and Nina asks what that means. Gladys says she’ll have to call Nina back, but Nina says, Gladys is not calling her back. She wants information and she wants it now. She’s at Kelly’s. She’ll wait for Gladys here. Gladys says she’ll be right over, and tells Montague, that’s his benefactor. He better hope she doesn’t blow a fuse about his timetable. He says, that’s Gladys’s job, to make sure she doesn’t. He’ll be in touch. Gladys leaves, and his phone rings. He says, they have excellent timing. He was just about to call them. He needs something so good, it will make you forget you met someone (don’t we all?)… As soon as possible.

Dante says he knows Sam well enough that when she makes a decision and thinks it’s for the right thing, there’s no stopping her. She says, this is the right thing, and he says, but she lied. She pretended Cody was sick to get him into the mental hospital. She says, it was our only option, and he says, our only option? Her and Cody? What is he? She’s the woman he loves, the woman he shares his life with. She says she knows, and he says, she’s been keeping things from him, and he knows it’s because she just wants to protect… She says, his father is in FBI custody. That’s what he should be focusing on. She didn’t want to add on to that. He says, but he never gave her a reason to keep him on the outside, and she says, maybe not, but would he really want her compromising his integrity as a cop?

Mac says, Cody believes a woman’s sanity is at stake, and Felicia is worried about his standing as Police Commissioner? He doesn’t care about the optics if Cody is right. Summer was there years ago to help him with Dominique. She says, he misunderstands. She doesn’t care about any of it. She just doesn’t want him to ruin it for Cody.

Back on the phone, Nina says, listen. She needs to talk to Sasha Gilmore’s doctor right now. What is his name?… If they won’t even tell her the doctor’s name, she promises she’ll be there tomorrow with the police. Gladys grabs the phone out of her hand and says, she’ll do no such thing.

The desk nurse at Ferncliff says, hello? She hangs up and leaves the desk as Montague walks in.

Cody tells Sasha, see? He’s real. He’d probably be convincing if he was wearing his own clothes, but they made him put on these… He doesn’t even know what they’re called. Pajamas? She smiles, and he says, they can’t stay here though. They have to go. Will she come with him?

Spencer apologizes to Josslyn for what he said about Dex. He’s just worried about Sonny. He knows they both love him. (Boy, is he out of the loop.) Josslyn thanks him, and Trina says she’ll see Josslyn later. She leaves with Spencer.

Chase pours some wine, and a pizza arrives. Gregory watches as Brook feeds Chase a bite, and everyone’s all happy.

Josslyn gets a text from Dex: Got your message. Sorry I haven’t been in touch, but I just want to tell you, I love you.

Alexis tells Kristina that she’d give her right arm to have her sister back, and the two of them are busy arguing over semantics. Whose position is more superior; who’s more aggrieved? It breaks her heart. Kristina opens her mouth to say something, and Alexis says she’s not going to micromanage this. They’re both adults, but she’s begging Kristina, think about what’s at stake.

At home, Molly sits on the couch and picks up Valiant. She flashes back to Kristina saying she thinks she knows a little bit more about being a victim, and this feels so much worse. Kristina cries and hugs Valiant to her chest.

Sam tells Dante that she doesn’t have a law degree and obviously wasn’t going to ask her mother, but she’s guessing getting someone checked into a mental facility so they can see another patient is probably frowned upon, if not highly illegal. He says, Sam… but she says, no. Stop. There was no way he could be involved. She wasn’t going to put him in a position where he either tried to stop them or look the other way. He sits next to her and says he trusts her judgement – a helluva lot more than he trusts Cody’s. But for the record, he doesn’t want to be kept in the dark. She says, noted, and he says, if she thinks this is the right thing to do, he’s backing her 100%. They hug and she thanks him.

Felicia says, if Cody is right, and Sasha is in danger at Ferncliff, Mac can’t interfere with his plans. Mac asks, what if he’s in over his head? but Felicia says, he’s smart and he’s capable. Look how far he’s managed to get already. They need to trust he knows what he’s doing. Mac says, she’s impressed with this little adventure, isn’t she? It’s like one of her old capers. She asks, what’s the worst thing that can happen to Cody if he gets exposed at Ferncliff?

Nina says, what the hell? and Gladys says, there’s no need to threaten some overworked nurse at Ferncliff with the police. Nina says, then Gladys needs to tell her what’s going on right now. She knows the money was transferred, so what is the hold-up on Sasha’s release? Gladys says, there’s no hold-up. The doctor promised she’d be out tomorrow. Nina says, why tomorrow? Why can’t it be tonight? Gladys is driving her crazy. She wants Sasha home, and she wants her home now.

Carly looks out Kelly’s window and sees Nina arguing with Gladys.

Sasha says, go where? and Cody says, away. They have to leave Ferncliff. He’s been here for less than 36 hours, and it’s more than enough. Sasha’s been here way too long. She does want to leave, doesn’t she? She says, more than anything, but they said she couldn’t. They can’t just walk out. He says, that’s no problem. He’s very creative, but she’s going to have to trust him. Does she trust him? She nods, and he helps her get up. No surprise, Montague walks in.

Tomorrow, Ned/Eddie asks if Leo wants to make some music; Cody says he can see exactly what’s going on; Ava says she needs someone to face the reality; Dex blames himself for Sonny getting busted; and Montague wants to know just what’s going on here.

🏆 He’s the Best…

Andre is one of my favorites on GH, and apparently his alter-ego is a busy guy.

🕶 Waiting On Information…

Sounds kind of cryptic.

🎒 Just Like Us…

The three words a kid hates to hear – back to school.

👗 Eight In Eight…

It was the Project Runway finale and down to the final three – Brittany, Bishme, and Laurence. I suddenly realized I knew most of the models by name, so I guess I’ve been paying pretty close attention. The guest judges were designer Zac Posen and icon Billy Porter. This finale was very different than the other Runways before it, where the finalists go back to their homes and have several months to complete their collection. The All Stars finalists had eight days to create eight pieces. No doubt they’ve been thinking and planning all season long, but talk about pressure. I can just imagine the seams on garments I had eight days to create… and it wouldn’t be pretty. Before I started watching this show, it never occurred to me that designers also had to be tailors. I have mad respect for that, since you need the patience of a saint. Each collection was vastly different from the others, and the judges had their work cut out for them, since they were also all fabulous. Brittany used her signature activewear meets ready-to-wear. There were a lot of buckles and neon going on, and it reminded me of 80s fashion, a personal favorite. Bishme had a combo of monochrome looks, plaid, and a woven pattern with fringe. His closing outfit had an amazing skirt that practically took up the whole room. Laurence did her leather thing, and there was the usual admiration for her tailoring talents with a difficult fabric. I was sure she’d be the winner, although I’d rooted for Brittany, but it was not to be ladies night. Bishme got the big win, and it was precious to see how thrilled his mom was, who was there to watch the Runway in person. This episode gave me all the feels. Here are the particulars:

🏰 Must Be Nice…

All about that $55 million home deal. Can you even imagine? I want to like Fancy Pants, but she’s so out of touch. She doesn’t get that it’s not what she’s saying, it’s her delivery.

https://people.com/heather-dubrow-reveals-why-she-kept-chateau-sale-secret-7967084

Emily tells it like it is.

😟 There Are No Words…

WTF is wrong with this guy? And the woman he’s with?

🐘 New To The World…

A new way to make an elephant.

https://people.com/indianapolis-zoo-announces-historic-elephant-birth-7966062

And a giraffe with no spots. I want one.

https://people.com/spotless-baby-giraffe-at-tennessee-zoo-named-kipekee-7965381

🐩 Best In Show…

Hang a U-ey back tomorrow for soap, tea, astute words, and music to send you into your weekend. Until then, stay safe, stay always absorbing knowledge, even if you’re not technically going back to school, and stay keeping in mind that life is too short to be at each other’s throats.

September 6, 2023 – Sam Runs Into Dr. Montague Again, Fancy Pants Throws a High-Def Party, Thought & Money

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Anna and Valentin walk into their suite at the MetroCourt, and she wonders if it’s her, or does upgrading from a room to a suite make it seem more permanent? He says, it’s not permanent, but it’s definitely more comfortable, and she says, they won’t call it home though. She looks around and says, wait. Something’s off.

On the phone at the MetroCourt, Nina leaves a voicemail for Diane. She says she needs to know what’s going on with Sonny. She’s going out of her mind. When Diane gets this message, please call her back. Kristina walks in, and asks if Nina has heard anything about her dad, but Nina says, no. She was just leaving a message for Diane. She must know something by now. Kristina asks if Nina thinks Diane can get him out, and Nina says, she has to.

Dante storms into Michael’s office and asks if he did it. Michael asks what he’s talking about, and Dante asks if Michael turned their father in to the Feds.

Sam shows her ID to Janice at Ferncliff, and says she has medical proxy for a patient. His name is Cody Bell. She wanted to see how he’s doing, and also got a message that she has to fill out some extra paperwork. Janice says, the doctor requested some behavioral information on Mr. Bell. Anything Sam can provide as to his recent demeanor would be very helpful. Sam asks if Janice can tell her how he’s doing.

In his cell room, Cody paces and says, not right, not right. He shouldn’t be here. The doctor (not Montague) asks if he knows why he’s here, and Cody says, because he was honest with that damn shrink at General Hospital. He should have just given him the standard answers to all those questions. What do the ink blots look like? They look like butterflies, doc. The doctor says, treatment will do no good if Cody is hiding his true feelings. If he wants to get better, he has to be honest with his doctors and with himself. Cody asks if this is what better looks like. He can’t stand to be in his own skin. His brain; all his thoughts are bunching against it until he can’t help it anymore. It hurts so bad, he just wants it to stop.

Sasha sits on her bed and says, she can do this. She has to do this. Dr. Montague comes in and says, the nurse told him that Sasha wanted to see him. She says she wanted to thank him for everything he’s done for her. He’s been so helpful in her recovery and she’s feeling so much stronger. The treatment worked. She’s ready to go home. (Did she really think it would be that easy?)

Molly gives the hospital reception nurse some paperwork, and says, all done. Alexis comes in and hugs Molly. Molly says she’s not complaining, but what was that for? Alexis says, because she loves Molly, and it’s a special day. The surrogate is having her procedure. Molly thanks her and agrees it’s a big day. She’s glad Alexis came to wish her luck, and Alexis says, of course (🍷) she did. She also came to deliver a message from Kristina… Molly tells her, don’t even say it. She can’t talk about Kristina. Not today. She knows they need to get through their differences, but just let her get through today first. Alexis says she doesn’t want to talk about the friction between the Molly and Kristina; that’s between the two of them. She was simply going to tell Molly that Kristina said she’s thinking about her. They talked last night, and Kristina said she didn’t want to reach out to Molly because of the given situation, but that she hopes everything goes well today. Molly says, thank God it was just a message from Alexis. If Kristina had shown up here, she’d have lost it. She’s already nervous, and Kristina would have put her over the edge. Alexis says, probably, because Kristina is also over the edge about her father. Molly says she is too. She loves Uncle Sonny. He’s always been great to her. But on a professional level, she has mixed feelings. Alexis says she gets it, and Kristina says, it’s a total conflict of interest, but she’s the ADA and can’t turn a blind eye to Sonny’s illegal activities. Let’s just say, it’s complicated. Alexis says, oh, she knows that.

Kristina says, so Nina hasn’t heard from Diane at all since her dad was arrested? and Nina says, no. Kristina says, what is she doing? Doesn’t she know this is crazy? Nina says she’s sure Diane is busy trying to get Kristina’s father released, but she wishes Diane would at least give them an update. She should have at least had him out on bail by now. Nina says, Kristina’s father was arrested for a federal crime, so she doesn’t even know if he qualifies for bail, but she does know this. After 72 hours, they either have to charge Sonny or they have to release him. Kristina says she’s going to try Diane again. She’s been texting Diane all morning, and Diane can’t keep dodging her like this. Her dad is Diane’s most important client. Does Nina know how much money he’s given her over the years? He would be furious if he found out she was ignoring them like this. She’s not going to sit around just waiting for Diane to call them. There has to be something else they can do, right?

Michael tells Dante, calm down. He was at the MetroCourt when the FBI showed up. He was just as surprised as everyone else. Dante asks if he was surprised they arrested Sonny or that they chose to do it there, and Michael says, Dante thinks he set Sonny up? Why would he do that, especially in front of his son? Dante says, speaking of Michael’s son, what if Wiley betrayed him the way he just betrayed Sonny? Michael says he didn’t betray Sonny, but Dante says, Michael has been so angry at Sonny for so long, he’s been dying for a chance to crush him. Michael says he had nothing to do with Sonny getting arrested, and Dante says he doesn’t understand the problem Michael has with Sonny either. They both handle revenge in the most ruthless of ways. When Michael took custody of Avery, he literally snatched her from Sonny’s arms. Michael says he did that to protect his sister. She was a baby and she wasn’t safe with Sonny. Besides, that was years ago. Dante says, Sonny was vulnerable then, the way he is now, and Michael’s doing it again. He was there when Michael swore he’d do anything to take Sonny down. Michael tells him, yes, he did say that, but that doesn’t mean he acted on it. People say things in the heat of the moment. Dante says, not Michael; he’s too calculated for that. Michael says he had nothing to do with it, and Dante says, just stop. Why doesn’t he just admit that he did?

Montague says he’s sorry, but that’s not possible. Sasha isn’t ready to be released. Sasha says she is. She feels good. He says, she needs more treatment. If he lets her go home now, she’ll just suffer a relapse, and they wouldn’t want that to happen, would they? She says she has a lot of money. She can pay him anything he wants, just please, let her go. He says, this isn’t about money, and takes a syringe out of his pocket. Remember, he told her that he stays with his patients until the very end? This is not the end for her. Not until he says so. She says, please don’t do this to her, and he says, it’s okay. She starts to cry and yells for someone to let her out, but he injects her, and she slides to the floor.

Cody says, it’s like a speeding train charging through his skull, flashing lights and all these images. He knows what the world should look like, but he can’t change it. He’s so tired, but he can’t sleep. Every time he closes his eyes, he’s thinking about how can he win? What cards should he play? He looks at his hand and there it is, a Royal Flush. Has the doctor ever gotten a Royal Flush? It’s the best hand in poker; it’s almost impossible to lose. Then he starts thinking about the jackpot. What’s he going to do with all that money? And then – he jumps on the bed – he’s in the penthouse standing there, and he can feel the breeze, so he steps out. It’s such a long way down. It would be so easy to just let go. He’s not scared. For the first time, it feels like he’s actually in control, just knowing he can end it all.

Valentin asks, what is it? and Anna says, something’s out of place. She walks around, looking at everything, and Valentin says, everything looks fine to him, but she says, no. Remember when she brought these in? She picks up a stack of mail from the coffee table, and he says, from the P.O. box, sure. She says she was flipping through the mail and left them right here. She walks over to another table, and asks if he moved them, but he says, obviously the housekeepers have been here since they were at breakfast. They could have moved them. She says, maybe, and he asks if something is missing. She says she doesn’t know… No. It’s nothing. He asks if she’s all right, and she says, yeah. She doesn’t know. Ever since Sonny got arrested, she’s just been kind of anxious. She’s worried about him because she can’t help but wonder… Does Valentin think Pikeman had something to do with Sonny’s arrest?

Molly says she wants Alexis to be honest with her. Does Alexis think she’s moving too fast with the surrogate? Alexis says, that’s not a question she can answer for Molly. Molly and TJ know what’s right. Molly says she’s been listening to this podcast about women who struggle with infertility, and they were saying that being told you can never have a child is like a death in a way. It takes time to mourn the baby you’ll never have. Alexis says she never thought of anything like that, and Molly says, it makes sense. Maybe she should have taken time to mourn this loss instead of jumping into surrogacy. Alexis asks if she’s having second thoughts, and Molly says, not exactly. She just wanted Alexis’s perspective. Alexis says, Molly has always had a very logical mind. She likes things just so, in order, by the book. But there’s no book for this. If there were, it would make things much easier. Really this is a feeling thing, and she and TJ have to know what’s right for them. Molly guesses she’s not sure what that is, and Alexis says she knows Molly wanted to carry this baby by herself, and that didn’t work out and she’s sorry. But she and TJ have found a different way to have a family. The important thing here, the only important thing, is that Molly is going to be a mother. Not in the traditional way, but to hell with tradition. Molly laughs and says, yeah. Alexis says she’s got to go to the MetroCourt. She loves Molly. Molly says she loves Alexis more, and Alexis leaves.

Nina says she knows Kristina is frustrated, and she’s frustrated too. Maybe Diane just has her hands full right now and she’ll update them as soon as she hears something. Kristina says, okay, but she wants Nina to promise she’ll tell her as soon as she hears something. Nina promises and Kristina thanks her. She knows Nina cares about her dad as much as she does, and Nina really feels like family now. She knows it’s crazy, it took her dad’s arrest to make her realize that, but people come together in crisis. Nina says she knew when she committed to Kristina’s father that his children were part of the package, and she loves Kristina. She’s been supportive right from the beginning, and she can’t tell Kristina how much that means to her. Now if they could only get Michael on board. Kristina says, Michael’s a tough one. He holds onto a grudge like it’s nobody’s business, but hang in there. Even if Nina can’t get through to him, she knows Willow can. Nina’s daughter has the magic touch. Nina says she would like to think so, but if Willow’s illness didn’t teach him anything, she doubts Kristina’s father getting arrested will do that. Kristina says, yeah. She’s got to go. She asks Nina to keep in touch, and hugs her. She leaves, and Nina checks her phone, but nothing.

Michael tells Dante, was he angry with Sonny? Yes. Was he disappointed with Sonny? Yes, but he never went to the Feds and had nothing to do with Sonny getting arrested. If Dante doesn’t believe he wouldn’t hurt their father, believe he wouldn’t hurt their siblings. They would be devastated if Sonny were sent to jail. Dante says, no kidding, and Michael says, not only would they miss him, they’d also be in danger because of how many enemies Sonny has. And if Sonny’s behind bars, one of them could retaliate and come after his family. When he made peace with Sonny, he meant it. He still isn’t over what Sonny did to his mom, but they’re moving forward. This whole situation with Willow made him realize that life is fragile. It’s not worth holding on to a grudge. She told him, it takes more energy to hate than it does to love. Dante says, it’s a good thing Michael married a wise woman, and Michael agrees. Dante says he’s sorry he accused Michael, and Michael says, it’s not like he didn’t give Dante reason to. He’s glad Dante stopped by so they can clear the air. Kristina walks in and asks if she’s interrupting, but Michael says, no. Dante asks if she’s holding up okay, and she says she’ll be a lot better when the FBI lets dad go. Dante says, they all feel that way, and she asks, when’s that going to happen? He says he doesn’t know. It’s the Feds, so they can hold him 72 hours. He’ll see what he can find out. Kristina thanks him and he leaves. Kristina says, Dante accused Michael of what happened, huh? He’s the one who turned in dad? Michael says, come on. Like he told Dante, he had nothing to do with this. She says she believes him, and he thanks her. She says, but he’s glad it happened, right?

Sam fills out the paperwork, when Montague comes out. He says, they meet again. He didn’t get her name last time. She says, Sam McCall. What a coincidence running into him here. he says, this is a mental health facility, so it’s not unusual to find a psychiatrist at Ferncliff, but what is she doing here?

TJ joins Molly as she nervously paces. She says, medically, she’s not the one having the procedure and it has nothing to do with her, but he says, it has everything to do with her, with them. The surrogate is getting IUI today and could become pregnant with their child. It’s totally normal to be on edge. She says, he’s right; there’s nothing to worry about. They hug, and Andrea joins them. She says she’s ready.

Valentin tells Anna, does he think Pikeman was involved in Sonny’s arrest? No. First of all, they’re purely motivated by profit, and he can’t see any financial gain to be made by arresting Sonny. She says, maybe he’s worth more to them behind bars, and he says, second of all, they were desperate for an introduction to Sonny. It just doesn’t make any sense for it to be a set-up. She says, Pikeman is such a huge contractor, they can’t possibly know all of their motives. Valentin says, lets say they were involved. Sonny has a long history of avoiding law enforcement, including when she was Police Commissioner. She says, he doesn’t have to remind her, and he tells her that he’s just saying, Sonny is very good at escaping consequences for his actions, and he doesn’t think this is going to be any different. She says, he’s right. Can she ask him a favor though? He says she can always ask him a favor, and she asks if he still has that contact over at Pikeman. He says, yeah, and she says, great. Could he ask him or her if they know anything about Sonny’s arrest? He says he has to make a phone call. He’ll see if there’s anything he can do for her. He punches the numbers in the phone and says, this is Valentin Cassadine. I need your help with something.

Molly asks how Andrea is feeling, and she says she didn’t know she’d be so nervous. Molly says, so it’s not just them. She’s been a wreck all morning. TJ says he’s been trying to tell Molly, it’s a simple procedure; nothing to worry about. Andrea says she knows they have a lot riding on this. She’s been following doctor’s orders and monitoring her cycle closely and taking those home ovulation tests. Which is how she knew her hormones were surging, which means she’s ovulating. It sounds like she’s talking about a science project instead of her own body. It’s a lot to keep track of. Molly asks if she’s sure she wants to go through with this, and Andrea says, definitely. She’s committed to this. She knows she’s making the right choice for her family and for theirs. The nurse tells Andrea that they’re ready for her, and Andrea says, wish her luck. TJ and Molly say, good luck, and Andrea leaves with the nurse. TJ says, they’ve got this.

Valentin says, thanks. He’ll see them soon. Anna asks what he said, and Valentin says, he didn’t want to get into it on the phone, but he’s agreed to meet with Valentin. She says, that’s great, and he says he’ll let her know what he finds out. She thanks him and says, she appreciates this. He kisses her, says, she’s welcome, and leaves. She waits a moment, then follows, putting a piece of paper in her back pocket.

Trish tells Nina, the phone’s been ringing non-stop because people want to know when they’re going to open, and Nina says, it’s fine. She can open. Alexis comes in, and Nina says she’s sorry they’re late in opening. She’ll find Alexis a waitress. Alexis says she’s not here to eat. She’s here to discuss Sonny. Nina says, they don’t have any updates, and she’s desperate to talk to Diane. Alexis says she hasn’t been able to get ahold of Diane either, but Diane will handle it. What she’s more concerned about is their daughter and the rest of his family. Nina asks what she means, and Alexis says, if Sonny ends up serving time, that is a real problem for the people who are close to him, because it makes them fair game to his enemies, and Nina’s fiancé has a lot of them. Nina says, she doesn’t think… and Alexis says, what she thinks is that, if Sonny is off the streets, he’s not looking after his family. Nina says, there are a ton of guards. They’re not just going to leave because Sonny’s in prison. Alexis says, what makes her think Sonny’s security is as loyal to his family as they are to Sonny? There’s no guarantee they’d lay down their lives for anyone except him. Nina says, this is frightening, and Alexis says, it is. And she’s here to make Nina aware that if Sonny ends up in prison, Nina is vulnerable and so are his children.

Olivia discusses the menu with Trish, when Dante comes in. He hugs her, and she asks how he’s doing. Any news on his dad? He says, of course (🍷) not. It’s the Feds. He’s still in custody. That’s all Dante knows until he hears from Diane. He’ll let Olivia know when he does. Has she seen Cody around? She says, no and she doesn’t expect to. He took the week off.

Cody says he doesn’t know why he listened to her. He shouldn’t have listened to her. The doctor asks, who? and Cody says, his friend. She says she’s his friend, but she’s the one who talked him into staying here. So obviously – he jumps off the bed – he can’t trust her anymore. But that’s how women are, isn’t it? They say they won’t repress you, but really they just want to control you. Just like his mother. And the government. My mother, big brother. You want to know who’s really in charge of this AI crap? It’s them. It’s just another way to get inside our brains. The doctor walks toward the door, and Cody says, he’s probably working for them. Did they tell the doctor to look at him? The doctor asks who he’s talking about, and Cody says he told him, grabbing his lapels. The government. But he’s never going to work for them. No, no, no, no, no. He’s not wearing a suit. A tie? That’s just a dog collar. Something for them to control you, to choke you. He puts his hands around his own throat, falling back on the bed, choking himself. And he’s too tired. He’s so tired. He cries and says he doesn’t want to be here. Let him go.

Sam tells Montague that she actually has a friend here who’s going through a really tough time and he agreed to be admitted. She’s his medical proxy, and they asked her to fill out some extra paperwork about his medical history. He says he doesn’t mean to pry, but is this patient her boyfriend? She says, oh no. They’re just friends. She can’t imagine if her partner was the one who had to be committed. He says, it does have negative connotations, but she says she wouldn’t be embarrassed or anything. She thinks it would be hard to deal with; be really difficult to go through. He says, unfortunately, most of the patients here are in crisis, but he’s dedicated to them, and he always makes sure they get exactly what they need.

Kristina says, part of Michael is glad dad got arrested. Michael thinks he finally got what he deserved, doesn’t he? Michael says, first Dante, now her. Is Avery going to come in here and accuse him next? She says, just answer the question, and he says, did dad deserve to be arrested? Probably. He doesn’t have all the facts, but something they both know is that dad is a criminal. He chose this life; he has to deal with the consequences. He’s broken the law dozens of times, so yes, he does deserve to be prosecuted. But is he happy about it? No. That scene at the MetroCourt was a nightmare. She says she knows; it was awful. When those agents slapped cuffs on dad, it was scary as hell. Michael says he thought she was going to tear those agents apart. Poor Wiley had no idea what was going on. He was just confused and frightened. She sits down, asking if Sonny can beat these charges, and he says he wishes he knew.

Valentin approaches a house we’re unfamiliar with, and goes inside. He says, right on time. Let’s get this over with. Anna peeks out from behind some hedges.

Molly tells TJ that her mom came by earlier to wish them luck, and he says, that was nice of her. Molly says, she brought up Kristina, and he says he hopes that didn’t upset her. She says, no. It wasn’t about what’s going on with them. Kristina’s worried about Uncle Sonny. TJ says, his arrest has been all over the news, and she says, her mom told her it hit Krissy pretty hard. She wanted to reach out and let Kristina know she’s thinking about her, but she just can’t. She’s still mad at her for the whole surrogate thing… TJ says he knows Kristina was just trying to help them, but she doesn’t know when to back off. She says, exactly. She doesn’t have the energy for it. She knows they’ll patch things up eventually; they always do. But they have so much going on right now with the surrogate, she wants to focus on them and nothing else. He says, they’re going to get through this – together. She says, together, and he kisses her hand.

Dante asks why Cody took the week off, and Olivia suggests he ask his girlfriend. He wonders why he’d ask Sam, and she says, Sam’s the one who told her that Cody took the week off. He says, really. He has to go. He’ll see her later.

The doctor gives Cody a pill in a little cup, and says, this will help him sleep. He needs to get some rest. It should clear his head a bit, and they can talk tomorrow. How does that sound? Cody swallows the pill and says, sleep. He can see the stars that way. He gets into bed, and says, this is good, as the doctor leaves. As soon as he’s gone, Cody sits up and looks at the pill in his hand.

Sasha is lying in bed, when Janice comes in. Janice asks if she’s okay. Sasha squints at her, and Janice says she’s Sasha’s nurse. Does Sasha remember her? Sasha closes her eyes, and Janice says, she seems to be getting worse. She’ll have to talk to Dr. Montague.

Anna stands in the doorway, and hears Valentin say, you know what to do. Let me know when you hear back. She runs back to the hedges and ducks behind them. Valentin comes out, saying, this is important. He closes the door and leaves. The spot where Anna was is empty.

On the phone in the elevator, Dante says, where you at? I’m trying to track you down. Call me back. He calls Mac and asks if he’s seen or heard from Cody… Not at all… He doesn’t know where Cody is… Yeah, Mac’s right. Maybe he’s off doing horse stuff. Thanks.

Olivia says she saw told Dante, and Nina says, please tell them that she has an update on Sonny. Olivia says she wishes she could. Unfortunately, the mob aren’t the only ones who swear by omertà. Alexis tells Nina, code of silence, and Olivia says, the FBI is pretty tight-lipped too. Alexis says, that doesn’t surprise her. They never give details, especially when someone is as high profile as Sonny. Nina asks what that means for Sonny, and Alexis tells Nina that she can’t say for sure, but in her experience in dealing with Feds, they wouldn’t make a move this drastic if they didn’t have some serious evidence against Sonny.

Michael tells Kristina, the FBI said they were arresting dad for violations of the National Security Act. They’re significant charges, and he doubts they would file them unless they had credible evidence. She says, those charges make no sense. What could dad possibly have to do with that? He says, she’s being naïve, but she says she’s not. She knows dad has a lot of illegal business dealings, but he’s not a threat to the country. He didn’t commit treason. The FBI is treating him like he’s some insurgent trying to take down the government. Michael says, they wouldn’t arrest him without cause, but they don’t have all the facts yet. She says, he wants facts? She’ll give him a fact; these charges are insane. They arrested dad for something he had no part of.

I already justified this in my mind long ago because I, too, don’t believe Sonny would commit treason. I figure Pikeman sells arms to places like the Ukraine to fight Russia. They’re in it to make a buck, but not to undermine their own country. Sounds good anyway, right?

Anna runs back to the suite, goes inside, and runs to the bedroom. Valentin comes down the hall, messing with his phone, and lets himself in. He asks if Anna is here, and she says, just give her one minute. She comes out in a robe with a towel on her head and says, she didn’t hear him come in. Sorry. She just had a hot shower. How did it go? Did he meet the man from Pikeman? He says, they didn’t have a lot of time. He was flying out of town, but they met at a café by the airport. She asks what he said, and Valentin says, he got some information. Did she just say she had a hot shower?

Andrea comes out, and Molly says, well? Andrea says, all done, and Molly says, that was fast. TJ says, it’s actually a very quick procedure. Molly asks what the doctor said, and Andrea tells her, just that they have to wait and see. They’ll know in about two weeks. She’s going to go home, put her feet up, and relax. TJ asks if they can give her a ride home, but she says she has her car. Molly says she hopes Andrea knows how much this means to them, and Andrea says she’s a mother, so yes, she does. She tells them, take care, and leaves. Molly says she doesn’t want to get her hopes up, but she has a good feeling about this, and TJ tells her, she knows what he always says. Trust your… She says, feelings, and they hug. Call me paranoid, but I have a bad feeling about Andrea driving herself home.

Nina says, they’re very matter of fact about this. Sonny could be in serious trouble. Aren’t they worried about him? Olivia says, yes, she’s worried, but growing up the way she did… This lifestyle just comes with the territory in Bensonhurst. Nina says, so she should just accept it, but Olivia tells her, that’s not what she’s saying. If Nina is going to be with Sonny, she doesn’t have much of a choice. Nina says, they both share children, even though they knew what they were getting into. This can’t be easy to deal with. Alexis says, it isn’t easy to deal with; it never has been. But what she won’t do is approve of it. She never has and she never will. Having said that, Sonny has a way of getting out of these things, and she hopes to God that he’s able to beat this rap too. For the sake of her child, and the sake of all of his kids. Excuse her. She dashes off.

Michael tells Kristina, there’s a reason Sonny didn’t talk about the business in front of his kids. He didn’t want them involved. And there was no reason for them to have any information about his dealings. It was best for everyone if it was kept in the dark. She says, now he’s the one being naïve. Yeah, dad tried to shield them from his coffee business, but he’s known from the time he was ten that dad’s not a normal dad. Did he think it was normal that their dad carried a gun and had armed guards? He says, at some point they all realized dad didn’t have a normal job, but he didn’t share any of those details with them. They have no idea what dad did or didn’t do. She says, honestly, she’s just worried it’s revenge. For years the FBI has been trying to get dad legitimately and they’ve never been able to. So now, what if they set him up? What if they planted evidence to make the charges stick? He says, one thing he does know is dad wouldn’t want her getting caught up in this mess. He knows it’s hard, but she just needs to focus on the youth center and living her life. She says, that’s so nice. Thank you. Great advice from her big brother. It makes her feel better. Come on. She’s going to worry about dad. Be straight with her. Does he think dad is going to get cleared at the arraignment? He says he’s afraid not.

Valentin asks if Anna just said she had a hot shower, and she says, yes. She had a shower. Why? He says, it’s odd. The woman at the front desk literally just told him that they were having problems with the hot water heater on this floor and they’re sending a maintenance crew to look at it. She says, the temperature seemed fine to her. Now, back to his meeting. What happened with his contact from Pikeman? He says, he confirmed that Pikeman had nothing to do with Sonny’s arrest, and she says, but they met at a café, right? He says, they did, and she says she’s just wondering if there was information he didn’t want to say in public. You never know who’s listening to you. Valentin says, if his contact had something else to tell him, he would have arranged for someplace private, but his contact had nothing for him. She says she was really hoping to find some information out. Anyway, she thanks him so much for doing that. She really appreciates it. He made such good time getting back from the airport. Traffic is usually heavier at this hour. She tells him that she’s going to get dressed and goes into the bedroom.

Sam gets home, and Dante asks if she got his message. She says she did. She’s sorry. She didn’t have a chance to call him back. What did he want to talk to her about? He says he was talking to his mom, and she said Cody was taking off for a few days. He was surprised to hear that, then she said she’d heard it from Sam, which he was even more surprised to hear. She says she did tell his mom that, and he says, so does she want to tell him where Cody is?

Janice tries to rouse Sasha, but she just rolls over onto her side. Janice says she’s going to talk to Dr. Montague again. They discussed transferring her to a different facility because her treatment here doesn’t seem to be working. She leaves without locking the door, and Cody slips in. He goes over to Sasha and says, what have they done to you?

Tomorrow, Chase says he thought Brook was moving in, not just spending the night; Alexis tells Kristina and Molly to kiss and make up; Cody tells Sasha to take his hand; and Nina begs Carly for help.

The Real Awful Housewives of Orange County

Shannon visits Dr. Moon! He says, she’s drooping, and she tells him that she’s stressed. In her interview, she says, there’s been a lot of conversation about her and John’s relationship, so there’s been a lot of sagging. Dr. Moon helps get the stress out of her body. He’s sent her a prototype of an at-home colonic that she’s used for a long time, but there might have been an issue with the tip. We flash back to when she lost the tip up her… oh, you know. She says, they’re making the device so that it’s all one piece, and she’s taking the next step to grow her business. She has three kids going to school in cities that are expensive to live in, and she needs to diversify. She’s just breaking even and wants to turn sh*t into gold.

Jenn makes cookies with mom Kristen, who she says is truly her best friend. In Jenn’s interview, she says, where she’s from, divorce is taboo. When her marriage went rocky, her mom stopped coming around. If she didn’t see it, maybe it wouldn’t happen. Kristen says, Jenn has to be happy, not just pretend to be, and Jenn says, Ryan keeps talking about the future, and she wants her mother’s honest opinion. In her interview, Jenn says, Ryan and her mother haven’t met, and if her mom says she’s out of her mind, she doesn’t know what she’s going to do.

Everyone gets ready for Heather’s Fireside Event. Fancy Pants Heather tells Terry that a red pocket square with a pink tie is not a thing, so jot that down. She’s launching the first network on the Fireside app, and says, it’s not OWN, but it’s HD, and she’s throwing a party to celebrate living life in high definition. The possibilities of shows are endless, and the more work you do, the more work you get, and the more you’re seen. For some ungodly reason, she’s decided to invite her fellow cast members as well. Tamra and Jenn are both wearing neon dresses, some kind of yellow green, and I don’t think so. Supposedly, Shannon isn’t feeling well, and isn’t coming, and Fancy Pants is annoyed that she didn’t find out until the last minute. In Emily’s interview, she says, Fancy Pants told her that Shannon was talking sh*t about her at BravoCon. But then Fancy Pants told her that she couldn’t say what it was because it’s in the vault. Emily doesn’t even know where their friendship stands.

In Fancy Pants’ interview, she says she hates moving, but this experience feels like a real adventure. They’re now in a hotel, and she’s living on adrenaline. The sale of the house is done, and she wants to celebrate, but now isn’t the right moment. She’s playing this one close to the vest. After the guests arrive, she pops a humongous bottle of champagne. She tells them that the network is about community, and she wants to keep their community flowing. We see HD on every possible thing, and in Gina’s interview, she says, the party has Heather written all over it. Fancy Pants explains that you can do anything on her network, and in Tamra’s interview, she wonders if that’s where Fancy Pants’ acting career is going. It’s kind of like Instagram live, TikTok or Only Fans. She feels robbed. She’s also shocked Jenn hasn’t introduced Ryan to her family. Tamra says she needs an Eddie break, and they all decide to go to Mexico. The first course is served something under a cloche, and Emily clearly doesn’t eat fancy food very often. She says she’s had eight glasses of champagne and no food, and it certainly shows. She says she thinks Fancy Pants should put her initials on more things, and in her interview, Gina asks, why say it now? Wait until after the party and they’ll talk sh*t about it. Emily is treading on thin ice, and Fancy Pants is going to kill her. Emily says she’s joking, but Fancy Pants fails to see the humor. Tamra yells, water! and in her interview, Fancy Pants says, Emily is acting like an ass; so crass, rude, and inappropriate. But she’s not allowing Emily to take this away. Gina tells Emily that she’s being a d*ck, and Emily says, Fancy Pants should either tell her what Shannon said or don’t start stuff. Gina and Emily get up to go to the restroom, and have to go through a curtain to get there. Emily says, it’s like The Wizard of Oz, and she’s not wrong. Fancy Pants says, Emily should eat her f***ing food and shut up. At this age, she should be past that. In her interview, she says she doesn’t think Emily’s behavior is funny at all. If you’re that hammered, leave the table. After the dinner, Fancy Pants thanks them for coming, and Gina says she deserves all this and more.

Fancy Pants and Terry go to say goodbye to their house after the party. In her interview, Fancy Pants says, the deal is done, the party is over, and this is their goodbye. In Terry’s interview, he says, they put their blood, sweat, and tears in this house. He’d wanted to be buried in the backyard, but it strangely feels like it’s not his anymore. He’s going to miss it very much in 50 million different ways. They drink champagne out of the bottle, and Terry says, every inch of the house is Fancy Pants; perfect in so many ways. She says, ask her friends, and tells him that Emily was horrible. This is exactly why she didn’t want to tell them about the house. Terry asks what she’s going to say when she decides to share, and she says she’s damned if she does, and damned if she doesn’t. In her interview, she says, a friend is happy for you for your success. If she tells the women something positive, she’s bragging. We flash back to Emily telling her that she comes across as better than them, and she says, don’t poke holes in other people’s boats. It doesn’t make your boat float. Please prove her wrong. She and Terry dance in the kitchen, and we flash back to the house firsts, from digging the foundation to starting the next phase. She says, they’re walking out with happy hearts, and she hopes the next people have beautiful memories there like they did. It’s a happy house. I’ll give her this, one really nice thing she did was leave a note and some gorgeous stuffed toys for the next kids.

On the phone, Shannon tells Tamra that she doesn’t feel good, but it’s not covid. Tamra tells her that Fancy Pants’ event was beautiful as expected. Emily got wasted and was saying whatever she felt. Even Gina was telling her to stop. Shannon says she got a call from Fancy Pants, who was not happy with her for not coming. We see a clip of Heather telling Shannon that she should have just said she didn’t know, and in her interview, Shannon says, flashback to the hoedown. Eight years later, Fancy Pants is still scolding her for not responding on time. Tamra says they talked about a girls trip, and as she’s looking for the info on the hotel, she gets an alert. She tells Shannon that Terry and Fancy Pants just sold their house for $55 million. In Shannon’s interview, she says, that’s a boatload of money for a property. Is she jealous? Yeah. We see all of their reactions, and Taylor says, word travels fast, so she doesn’t know why Fancy Pants wouldn’t say anything. In Tamra’s interview, she says, this is where Fancy Pants’ acting skills come in. It’s bullsh*t. Fancy Pants talks like they’re friends, but when it comes to personal information, she tells them nothing. It’s getting old.

Kristen meets Jenn and Ryan at a restaurant, and in Jenn’s interview, she says, family is everything to her, and it’s a massive moment. Her mom knows about Ryan’s past, and asked if she had concerns, but she said, no, and her mom said, okay. They make boring small talk for a while, then finally get to the elephant in the room. Ryan says, obviously, he wishes he could redo being unfaithful in his marriage. He and his wife met when they were 13, and at 40, they divorced. He’s not happy with how he conducted himself, and Kristen asks if he isn’t concerned to take so much with seven kids between them. Will was a great husband and father. Jenn says, he was a good dad, and in her interview, she says she wishes her mother would stop talking about Will. She’s sure Ryan is thinking, this is a battle. Kristen asks if he’s thinking marriage, and Ryan says, in a perfect world, Jenn’s divorce would be final and they’d be engaged. It’s been amazing for him and fulfilling. In her interview, Jenn says, brick by brick is unloading, and she feels like she can breathe.

Everyone gets packed for Mexico, and the flight is like two seconds. They start drinking on the bus, letting the trip officially begin. In Shannon’s interview, she says she’s Fun Vacation Shannon, and Mexico brings it to another level. We flash back to previous trips to Mexico, and she says, I want more tequila in Spanish. They choose roommates, and in Fancy Pants’ interview, she says she feels like she’s back in fifth grade, seeing who’s getting picked last for dodgeball. I sigh because – let’s say it together – all the wrong people have the all the money. At least they’re not acting like Ramona with the rooms. In Gina’s interview, she says, the suite is bigger than her condo. In Jenn’s interview, she says, it’s a mind-blowing place. She can’t believe it. They have dinner outside, and the cocktail glasses are gravy boats. This should go well. In her interview, Gina says, Fancy Pants isn’t talking about the house, and everybody is biting their tongues, actively trying not to bring up the elephant in the room, but that f***ing elephant is big. Tamra can’t contain herself anymore, and asks why Fancy Pants didn’t tell them. Fancy Pants says, they had an NDA and it happened quick. They had to be out in three weeks. Gina says she can’t believe Fancy Pants didn’t say anything, and Fancy Pants says, to be honest, she wasn’t sure how to discuss it. She feels like if she’s excited about something, they think she’s bragging, and she didn’t feel she could share it. Gina says she’s bummed Fancy Pants feels that way, and in her interview, she says she’s been there for Fancy Pants. It makes her question their friendship. Shannon says she’s happy for Fancy Pants, but she’s thinking back to Fancy Pants telling her that she wasn’t sharing. Fancy Pants says she didn’t want it in the press, and thought she’d share on the trip, and Gina says, it would have been nice if they hadn’t found out about it in the press. Irony! Shannon says, other people criticized her for not sharing, and Fancy Pants asks why Shannon is angry. She was told she was staging pics for the paparazzi. Emily says, it wasn’t a big deal, and Fancy Pants says she didn’t like the connotation. Emily has been unkind. Emily says, Fancy Pants is unfair. She cracks jokes. Fancy Pants says, she was a d*ck, and Emily says she’s sorry if she hurt Fancy Pants’ feelings. She gets it. Over on the side, in Spanish, a waiter says, this soap opera is good.

Emily says she didn’t think she was being negative. Sorry. Fancy Pants asks if she thought her behavior was okay, and Emily says, what she doesn’t think is okay, is Fancy Pants saying she needs to STFU and eat her food. Fancy Pants says, Emily had a cucumber hanging out of her mouth like it was a fruit roll-up, and Emily says, the food had sand in it. If she can’t crack jokes, why was it okay to put cookies on a plate and say they were Emily’s boobs? We flash back to something I don’t even remember, and Emily asks if it’s okay to body shame. Fancy Pants gripes about Emily saying she looked like a whale trainer in her wetsuit, and we flash back to Emily actually saying she looked great first. In Shannon’s interview, she wonders, who gets upset being compared to a whale trainer? Emily says, Fancy Pants hurt her by saying Shannon had crappy things to say about her when they were in Shannon’s room at BravoCon, then not telling her what they were. Shannon says, they were never in her room, and Fancy Pants tells Emily that she never said that. Emily asks why she’d make that up, and Fancy Pants says she’s tired of being the scapegoat. In Gina’s interview, she says she was in the room with Emily and Fancy Pants, and she’s pretty sure Fancy Pants told Emily that Tamra said that, but she was also getting a blowout, so she’s not sure. Fancy Pants says she doesn’t care what Emily thinks. She’s a sh*tty friend. Emily is like, ditto, and Fancy Pants says she loved and cared about Emily, and all she does is look for holes. She’s held to a different standard. It’s kind of amusing she would say that, since she seems to hold herself to a different standard. Emily says, Fancy Pants gets to be a pretentious jerk and egocentric, and they’re supposed to just say, that’s Heather.  Fancy Pants says, just because Emily says something emphatically doesn’t make it true, and Emily says, just because Fancy Pants talks with her hands doesn’t make it true either. In Spanish, the waiter says, this is gonna take a while.

Next time, Vicki arrives to whoop it up; cliff diving and four-wheeling; Jenn asks what Tamra knows; and Tamra accuses Jenn of ruining her whole family.

💭 Jenn needs to run, and so does Emily. I can see Emily is slipping into the Housewives abyss, and her friend Gina is already there.

🦔 No Boundaries, Just Vibes…

Come on by tomorrow for soap, Runway talk, and perhaps a little tea. Until then, stay safe, stay blazing your own trail, and stay leaving the table if you’re that hammered.

September 1, 2023 – Pikeman’s Shipment Comes In, On Or Not, OC In the Shade, Jersey Peek, Indecisive, VanderNotes, Messy Med, Over, Dead Talk, Praising Pups (!), Decapod Of Quotes & Pink

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone in the elevator, Sonny says, that’s excellent news. They’ll be in touch. Cyrus’s voice says, it is not often that we get to live in and appreciate the humility of the Lord, but on days when our salvation is imminent, our faith calls us to give thanks in an especially joyful way.

We see Cyrus preaching to a group in the library, and he says, hear me when I tell you something – God is coming. And we who have waited with faith and patience and humility are privileged to bear witness. Rejoice, my brothers, rejoice! Amen. The group applauds.

Carly runs into Kelly’s, telling Josslyn that she’s sorry she’s late. She knows the concert starts soon. Josslyn says, don’t worry about it. She guesses Carly didn’t see her text. She’s not going.

Brook says, Chase isn’t joking, and he says he’s 100% serious. She says, he wants her to move in with him, and he says, yes. She says, no.

Olivia brings Ned out by the pool. It’s empty, and he says, slow night, huh? She says, not exactly. She sent everyone home. He asks, why? and she says she wanted them to be alone out here. He says, to do what exactly? and she says, remember. Ned, remember us. Remember who you used to be.

At the Bistro, Charlotte asks why Valentin has that look, and he says, what look would that be? She says, the look he gets when he’s about to tell her something she won’t like.

Maxie turns on the lights at Lulu’s house, and goes in with Georgie, James, and Felicia. Georgie says, this was her big surprise, a visit to Aunt Lulu’s house? James says he’s surprised. He thought they were going to a Woodchuck’s game. Felicia tells him that they’re going to the game soon, but right now, they’re on an amazing adventure. Georgie asks, what is this amazing adventure? and Felicia says, they’re here to explore. James says, explore what? and Felicia says, the house. Maxie says, and maybe stake out which bedroom is going to be his new room, and James says, she means… Maxie says, no more sharing. They’re moving in here. This is their new house. Funny. I don’t remember Lulu’s house being this huge. I’ll just say it. This ain’t your Lulu’s house.

On the phone at the MetroCourt, Nina says, unfortunately, that’s a question for Olivia and she’s not here, so they’ll have to wait. She tosses down the phone, looking harried, and looks up to see Sonny come in. She says, this is a nice surprise. She didn’t know he was coming here tonight. They hug, and he says, this is the best joint in town, especially the view. She says she’s glad he likes it. There’s something she really needs to talk to him about… Kristina walks in, and asks if Nina is joining them, but Nina says, no. This dinner is just for the two of them. She has to work. Olivia asked her to be on the floor tonight. She starts to leave, but Sonny asks what she had to tell him. She says she can take care of it herself. It’s really nothing. Enjoy their dinner. There’s a great steak special tonight. Sonny says, then he’s got it all. He has great steak, a gorgeous fiancé, a brilliant daughter. He’s got it all right here, right? The three of them smile.

Ned starts to leave, but Olivia tells him, wait. His daughter Brook, Ned’s daughter, is in a lot of pain right now because of something Tracy did. She ran out of the house because of his mother. He says, don’t put that on him, and she says, of course (🍷) not, but he was always the bridge between the two of them. He could always sort it out. There are people who still need him; his mother and his daughter and their son… the kid… Leo? For their sake, can he please just try?

Nina says she’ll send the waitress over, and Sonny thanks Kristina for being so supportive of him. Kristina says she genuinely likes Nina. Not everyone’s against him too. She can see how happy Nina makes him. She puts her hand on his.

Cyrus tells the group, today is the day for miracles. A time of righteousness, and yes, vengeance. But without the dark, there can be no light; and without vengeance, there can be no righteousness. So let us pray that this vengeance passes by unscathed, so that we may testify to the cleansing power of our Creator. The Warden Garten watches as he speaks, and he says, for all the world’s a cage, and we are all inmates in God’s celestial play, trying to break free from the grip of licentiousness, arrogance, and evil. As it says in Deuteronomy 23:14; for the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee. Therefore shall they camp be holy that He see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee. He looks at the warden.

Willow comes into the restaurant with Wiley, who runs to Nina. She hugs him, and Sonny tells Kristina, look how happy she is.

Josslyn tells Carly that they can’t go to the concert anymore because suddenly, Dex has to do something for Sonny. Carly says, oh, and Josslyn says she hates that Carly knows exactly how she’s feeling. Carly says, so Dex has to work for Sonny and Josslyn has to make alternate plans. Been there, done that. Josslyn says, it’s not that; it’s the situation. She knows she said she was moving on and trying to put it behind her, but she hates that Dex is putting himself in danger. Carly says, that’s who Dex was when Josslyn met him. He’s a guy who takes risks, for better or worse. Josslyn says, yeah, but now he’s protecting Sonny, and taking those risks because of Carly and because of Michael. Carly says, and that’s his choice, and it’s for his protection. Josslyn says she knows. It’s just, some days are harder than others. Carly says she gets that, but if Josslyn got into this thinking she was going to change Dex, that’s not going to happen.

Chase says, Brook doesn’t want to live with him? and she says she doesn’t think he’s thought this through. He says he has, and she says, oh really? Because a whole two and a half second deliberation isn’t exactly thorough. He says, it’s not like they haven’t lived together before, and she says, exactly. That’s what she’s saying. The first time, she drove him absolutely crazy, and the second time was for Bailey. He says, the third time will be for love.

Charlotte says, Maxie and her family are living at her mom’s house? and Valentin says, her mother always loved Maxie and her children. Doesn’t she think it might be nice to have some people living in that house? It’s been sitting empty. She says, yeah, but she just wishes it was her mom coming home to live there. He says he does too, but how does she feel about Maxie and her kids moving in? She says, why bother asking her when it’s already done? and he says, the decision to rent was Dante’s. He’s just asking because he cares about her feelings, so why doesn’t she tell him? She says, it’s just another place, like all of the places she’s lived. None of them last.

James runs through the living room saying, this house is huge, and there’s a backyard. He can make a treehouse. Wait. How many rooms are there? Felicia suggests they take a reconnaissance mission and count the rooms. Ready for take-off? Let’s go. They run out, and Maxie asks Georgie, what’s going on? Doesn’t she like the house? Georgie says, of course (🍷) she likes it. She remembers playing here when she was little. It seemed even bigger then. But this is Aunt Lulu’s house.

Josslyn says she doesn’t want to change Dex. Why would Carly say that? Carly says she’s been down this road, many times. She wouldn’t be Josslyn’s mother if she didn’t want to spare Josslyn from unnecessary pain. Josslyn says she’s not in pain, and Carly says, Josslyn doesn’t have to convince her; she just has to be honest with herself. Worrying about Dex, knowing he’s always in danger, is a heavy burden. And if she decides she doesn’t want to do this anymore and doesn’t want to be a part of that life, that’s okay. She just has to admit it to herself, and then she has to tell Dex. Josslyn tells Carly not to put her history with Sonny on her. She’s just disappointed, and that doesn’t mean she wants to break up with Dex. Actually, she thinks she’s still going to go to the concert because she has a bunch of friends going. Carly says, great, and Josslyn says, don’t wait up for her. Carly says, okay, and Josslyn leaves.

Brook says, Chase knows she loves him, right? and he says, yes… She says, part of the reason she does is, he’s like a knight. When someone’s in trouble, he can’t help but want to fix it. He says, she’s not just someone. They’re in a good place, and he can see she’s hurting at home. She says she appreciates his concern, but she doesn’t think living together is what they need right now.

Nina says she’s so surprised to see Wiley. She’s glad he came. Wiley sees Sonny, and says he wants to see grandpa. Nina looks at Willow, who nods, and she brings Wiley over to Sonny. Wiley and Sonny high-five, and Kristina tells Wiley that he’s looking sharp. Wiley suggests they go to grandpa’s and have a barbecue and play baseball, but Sonny says, where he lives is kind of high up. You can’t play baseball. Nina says, but if you stand on the terrace, you can see all of Port Charles. Wiley says, really? and tells Willow, let’s all go to grandpa’s and have picnic on the terrace. Kristina can come too, and Amelia and Nina, Grandpa Sonny… Michael comes out of the elevator, and Wiley continues, mommy, daddy, and Leo too? Sonny says, he can invite anybody he wants, and Willow goes over to Michael. He asks if it’s a party, and she says, yeah. Nina was here when she arrived, then Wiley saw Sonny and went to say hello. He says, if it’s okay with her, it’s okay with him. Wiley runs to Michael, who hugs him. Michael smiles at Sonny, then realizes he’s smiling at Sonny.

Maxie tells Georgie, Aunt Lulu is her best friend, and she thinks Aunt Lulu would want them to fill this place with laughter and memories, just like the memories they made with her when she lived here. Georgie asks if it won’t make Maxie miss Aunt Lulu more if they live here, and Maxie takes her hand, saying, she’ll miss Aunt Lulu no matter where they live. That’s not going to change, but being here does make Maxie feel a teeny bit closer to her. It’s almost like she gave us a little present, right? Maxie wouldn’t have brought them here if she didn’t feel good about it. Lulu asks if she can paint her room purple, and Maxie says she can. (I painted my room purple when I was around Georgie’s age. Is that a thing when you’re a tween?) Felicia comes back with James, and he says, guess what? There’s four bedrooms, one for each of them. And he’s already picked his. Georgie says, no fair. She’s older and she gets to pick first. James says he forgot. Age before beauty. He runs off, Georgie chasing him. Felicia says she’s so glad Maxie is doing this, and Maxie says, so is she.

Ned asks what Olivia wants him to do. He’s not making any guarantees. She says she understands it. She just wants to walk him through what happened that night. He says, the night of the supposed accident, and she says, see if it comes back to him. He asks how she can walk him through it if she wasn’t here. He heard it was just Tracy and Drew who saw him fall. She leads him to the other side of the room, and says, Drew told her everything that happened. They can just give it a try. He says, all right, whatever. Lay it on him. She says, he started out over here – she walks across  the room – and he saw Drew and Tracy arguing over here. So just walk to her… slowly, and see if anything feels familiar. Okay? Is he ready? He says, ready, and starts to walk.

Brook says she and Chase are in a really good place and she wants to keep it that way, but he says, moving in isn’t going to change that. If anything, it’ll bring them closer. She says, or closer to World War III. She drove him crazy when she was just temporarily couch surfing. She’s not the neatest person. She leaves her stuff everywhere. She thrives in creative clutter. He says, so they had a few discussions about clutter, and she says, more than a few. He was counting the days until she left him to his Zen world of order. He says, then when she left, his place felt empty. He missed her, and it hasn’t felt right since she left. Make it right. Move back in with him.

Local guy Steve goes into Kelly’s, and Carly asks if he wants the usual. He says he likes what she’s done with the place. It’s gotten a lot nicer since she took over. She says, it was a personal project, and he tells her, this might not be his place to say, but he thought she should know. Her ex-husband is in for a world of trouble.

Warden Garten gestures that she wants to talk to Cyrus, and he suggests the group take a break to reflect on their redemption. Cyrus says he hopes the warden hasn’t come to stop their study. He and his friends are just trying to let go of their past so they can look toward a righteous future. She says, don’t worry. She’s not here to break up his group. She just wanted to see it for herself. She’s impressed. He says, her support means a great deal, and she says, he genuinely seems like a changed man. He says, after his heart attack, he’s come to see life in a new light. His faith was rejuvenated. She says, while she might not share his exact faith, she’s relying on him for a common cause. He says, trust him. He wants nothing but the best. He believes everything is unfolding exactly as it’s meant to be. She says, let’s hope so, and he says he has only one purpose now; to bring about God’s will on earth. She says she’d hate for him to disappoint her after all his progress, and starts to leave, but he calls to her and she stops. He says, sometimes the most unexpected alliances can lead to the most extraordinary outcomes. Who knows what a difference he and his flock together can achieve? She smiles at him, and I have no clue what to make of this.

A wooden crate stamped with the Pikeman name and logo is unloaded on the docks. Dex says, they’re late, and Gabe (?) says, sometimes there are delays. This shipment’s too important for them not to pick up. They’ll be here. Dex says, the sooner the better. The boss wants this stuff out of here. He looks out to the water using binoculars.

Nina says hi to Michael, and tells him that she’ll get them a table. She calls Trish over, and tells Wiley that it was so good to see him. They go to their table, and Wiley asks Michael if they can have Grandpa Sonny and Nina over for baseball and a barbecue. They live up too high. They can have a party with everyone at their house. Michael says, if that’s what Wiley wants, he thinks they can make it happen.

Sonny tells Kristina that he can’t believe how fast Wiley is growing. Such a nice surprise. Was that her? She says, no. She wishes she could take credit for that, but she can’t tell a lie. That was pure synchronicity. (I would have said serendipity, but okay.) Sonny asks why she wanted to meet for dinner, and she asks if she has to have a reason. He says, she always does, and she guesses that’s true. She wanted him to be the first to know that the LGBTQIA+ foundation board is complete. The Corinthos-Davis House is a go. He says, that’s fantastic, and she says she’s so excited, and she couldn’t have done it without him.

Olivia says, this is the spot where Ned fell. Drew said, Ned came rushing toward him over here, and had something really important to tell him. Nina walks in, and says she doesn’t mean to interrupt whatever they’re doing, but she heard Olivia closed the pool, and she wanted to see if everything’s okay. Olivia says she should have warned Nina. They’re just doing a little exercise. They’re trying to see if they can stimulate Eddie’s memory. Nina asks if she’s sure that’s wise, and Olivia says she thinks it could help. Nina says she knows head trauma is unpredictable and would hate for Olivia to risk anything, and Olivia thanks her, but says she thinks they’ll be okay. Nina says she doesn’t mean anything by that. She hopes their experiment works. Good luck. She strides out of the room, taking a last look at them before she goes.

Valentin says, it’s really done a number on Charlotte, all this shuffling around, moving from place to place. It can’t have been easy, and if it hurt her, he’s sorry. It’s his fault. She says she always knew he’d be with her if he could. He’s in between places, living with Anna while she was at camp. With grandma away, she can’t stay at her place with Spencer and Esme. Dante and Sam are nice, but… He says, it’s not her home. That’s what he’s always wanted to give her, a stable place to call home. Listen to him. Things are changing as they speak. She says she knows. Things are always changing. That’s the only thing that stays the same.

Maxie tells Felicia that she’s going to be totally honest. It feels really strange to be here after all this time. She knows they had to get out of that apartment, and she was putting her finances together so she could get a place. Then Tracy’s horrible lawsuit happened. So she was happy when Sam suggested they rent this place. Can Felicia imagine trying to juggle a lawsuit and a mortgage at the same time? She would have been pulling her hair out. Felicia says, Tracy Quartermaine leaves a trail of destruction wherever she goes. She doesn’t like to wish ill on anyone, but she’ll be so glad when they wipe that smug smile off Tracy’s face and win the lawsuit. And they will win, because they have the truth on their side. Maxie says she’s not so sure about that. Tracy Quartermaine is ruthless. And she’ll do anything to win, including using her own granddaughter as a spy.

Brook asks Chase if he knows the expression, be careful what you wish for; you just might get it. He says he knows it. Whatever happened to the fearless BLQ who leaps before she looks? She says, maybe she became a little more cautious because she sprained her ankle a few too many times. She has something to lose now – him. And she doesn’t want him to regret her moving in. He says he’s not going to regret it, but she says, he might. And not just because she’s messy. She does stuff. She does stupid stuff that she regrets, like getting mixed up in Tracy’s dirty tricks.

Carly says she doesn’t want to cause Steve any problems, but what does he mean, trouble? He looks around and says, it’s probably nothing, but he passed what seemed to be a staging area down by Elm, the fisherman village. It looked like Feds. They’re definitely not local. And he heard the name Corinthos.

Cyrus says, today is the day our unspoken adversary is just one step behind, and those of us who have been in his employ, willingly or not, are now called upon to awaken and cast off his infernal darkness. Wake up! Your life is waiting for you. The warden tells the guard that she wishes more inmates were as inspired as Cyrus, and she leaves. Cyrus smiles.

Nina flashes back to Ned overhearing her talking to Martin, and that she’s the one who turned Drew and Carly in to the SEC, when he’s being accused of it. Willow calls to her, and Nina goes over to their table. She asks if everything is all right. Did they get everything they ordered? Willow says, they did, and thanks her. She says, Wiley had the idea they should have a barbecue with baseball at their house. Wiley tells Nina that he has a new mitt, and Willow asks if that sounds like something Nina would like to join them for. Nina looks at Michael, who nods, and she says she’d love to go.

Kristina tells Sonny that she doesn’t want to jinx it, but she thinks Wiley might be the key to Michael and Willow accepting Nina. Sonny says, they’ve been through a lot and he thinks things are finally starting to turn. She says she’s so happy for them both, and he says he thinks she’s leading the way with this new center. He’s proud of her.

Olivia says, anything? but Ned says he doesn’t know. He’s told so often about what happened that night, he feels like he might remember… but he doesn’t. This is just another pool. She says, okay. She knew it was a long shot. He says he’s sorry to disappoint her, but she says, no. He was amazing. She thanks him so much for trying. He says she’s been pretty good to him and he’s been really hard on her. He just wants to say he’s sorry. She tells him that he’s forgiven. He says, friends? and holds out his hand. She takes it, and says, friends. For a moment, I think he’s going to kiss her.

Brook says, it’s not just about her and Chase moving in together, although that’s definitely nerve-wracking. She doesn’t have the greatest track record, and this whole situation with Tracy is just another thing she messed up. He says he’s not asking for or expecting her to be perfect. He loves her just the way she is, flaws and all. He’s not trying to rescue her. Her moving in makes sense… to him anyway. How about her? When she strips away all the worries and regrets of the past, how does she feel about it? She starts to cough.

Carly brings out Steve’s to-go bag, and says, it’s on her. He says, she doesn’t have to do that, but she says she appreciates the information he gave her. He thanks her and leaves. I like Steve. He has a pleasant way about him. Carly is about to call Sonny, when Chase runs in and asks if he can have a glass of water for Brook.

Nina asks if it would be okay if she brought Wiley over and taught him how to make a Roy Rogers. And Wiley can tell her all about his new mitt. Michael asks Wile, what do you say? and Wiley asks Willow, can he please? Willow says, all right, but just a small one. They don’t want all that sugar. Nina says, they definitely don’t, and hustles him away. Michael asks if Willow is sure she’s okay with this. She’s been having a lot of Nina lately. Willow says, it’s fine. She’s not 100% comfortable with Nina, but Wiley is. Micheal agrees, and she says, they have to start somewhere. The important thing is bringing this whole family back together.

At the bar, Nina tells Wiley, now they add the sugar free cola, and Kristina tells Sonny that they can go over there if he wants, but he says, Nina’s got it covered. He wants to hear more about her Board. She says, they have Dr. Randolph, Michael, and he knows Diane… His phone rings, and he sees it’s Carly. Kristina says he can take it, but he tells her, this is more important, and shuts his phone off. Off all the times, eh?

Cyrus says, we may be tarred with a brush whose mark can never be removed, but that does not mean we can’t contribute to God’s work. Perhaps we may never sit at the foot of His majestic throne, but we can know that our lives have not been lived in vain. There is a way for each and every one of us to do our part of the Divine work, no matter how small that part may seem. For the Lord said, the lowest among us, the most damnedest among us is capable of redemption. And he who protects the innocent is the first among men.

Another crate is put on the dock, and Dex says, they’re here. He runs down the stairs, and tells another guy that he wants everything ready for a quick transfer. His phone rings, and he tells Gabe that he’s got to take this. He’ll be back when the ship docks. Gabe says he’s got it, and Dex slips around the corner. He says, Miss Spencer? and Carly says, Josslyn told her that he was doing a job for Sonny tonight. He’s like, uh… and she says, whatever it is, get out of there. There’s going to be a raid. Dex looks out, and she asks if he can hear her. Get out of there now.

As they check out the kitchen, Felicia says she has a good feeling about Maxie being here. Almost as if the house is welcoming her. It wants Maxie to make it into a home again. Maxie says she thinks Lulu would want that too. To a new beginning, like Felicia at the hospital. Felicia says, she’s right. That came as a surprise. She never saw herself working as a volunteer at General Hospital. Maxie says she’s sure Felicia will be a lot better at it than she was. Felicia says she loves Maxie, and she’s so proud of her. She starts to cry, and Maxie hugs her, saying, don’t cry. She loves Felicia too. James calls from the other room, and Maxie and Felicia dash in. James says his room has a secret hiding spot, and Georgie says she’s got the view and the window seat. James says, Bailey can have the little room, and Georgie asks when they’re moving in. Maxie says, not soon enough. Should they go home and start packing? James and Georgie nod, and they all file out, Maxie pausing and smiling before she turns out the light.

Valentin says he knows he let Charlotte down, but she says, let’s not talk about that. He says he’s made mistakes. He’s made far more mistakes than he cares to mention. It’s taken him way to long to get her the stable life she deserves. She says she doesn’t care how long it took. She just wishes they could be together all the time. He says, they will be. He just has to get these last details in place. And until then, know this. She’s the most important person in his world. It’ll always be the two of them. She goes over to him and hugs him. She says, just the two of us, papa.

Chase brings Brook the water, and she gulps some down. She says she literally talked herself hoarse trying to come up with all the reasons she shouldn’t live with him. He says, she knows she has to take care of her throat, and she says, she does want this. She wants nothing more than to live with him. He says he knew she would see it his way eventually. He holds out his hand and says, let’s go home. They stroll out of the courtyard hand in hand.

Dex says, the boat is docking, and Carly says, forget about that. There is no time. He has to get out of there. As he’s about to go back out, floodlights come on and the Feds are there. One says, put their hands where he can see them. They’re all under arrest. Get on the ground now. All of the guys on the dock comply, but Dex remains unseen. He peeks out, sees what’s going on, and runs up the stairs.

Cyrus says, today, the Almighty will focus His cleansing vengeance on those who collaborate with our great enemy. Proverbs 2:22: The wicked shall be cut off from the earth and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it. He smiles.

Olivia says, the least she can do is buy Ned a drink after going through that poolside psycho drama with her. He says he’ll never turn down top-shelf, and she says, there’s a little Quartermaine left in him. (I was thinking more Larry Ashton.) They go to the bar, and Nina watches.

Willow tells Wiley, that was delicious, and he says, with two cherries. She and Michael smile at each other.

Since everyone is way too happy, when Kristina starts to tell Sonny about the upcoming first Board meeting, a bunch of guys come out of the elevator approach the table. One says, Mr. Corinthos, you’re under arrest for violations of the National Security Act, and shows his badge. Kristina says, what the hell? and gets up, but one of the Feds grabs her. Sonny tells him to get his hands off of his daughter, and the arresting Fed tells Sonny, do not escalate this. Sonny says he’s not escalating nothing, when Michael comes over and says, there’s no problem here, putting his hand on Kristina’s back. Kristina says, tell them; they’re arresting dad. Sonny tells Kristina that it’s okay, and they cuff him.

Wiley asks Willow what they’re doing to grandpa. Where are they taking him? Putting him on her lap, Willow tells him, it’s okay. It’s going to be okay.

Sonny tells Kristina, this is going to be cleared up, and the Feds march him to the elevator. Kristina tells Michael, do something.

Cyrus says, the Lord trieth the righteous, but the wicked and him that loveth violence, his soul hateth. Upon the wicked, He shall rain snares, fire and brimstone – Sonny is led into the elevator – and horrible tempests; this shall be the portion of their cup. The elevator door closes.

On Monday Tuesday, Carly says, Michael needs to tell her the truth right now; Austin asks what Nikolas is going to do; Dex tells Josslyn that somebody turned Sonny in; Cyrus says, Drew is no longer under Sonny’s protection; and Sonny tells someone that he’s not saying anything without his lawyer present.

🧼 Not Laboring…

No GH on Monday.

🍊 Follow the Bouncing Orange…

It was pretty funny when Gina said, the next time Shannon told the story, she’d be a murderer, since she made it worse each time.

📸 What’s Wrong With This Picture…?

Where the hell is Biscuit in the post about his/her birthday?

💎 Stuck In the Middle…

It still doesn’t make any sense. What does separated, but living under the same roof even mean? Are they seeing other people? If they are, it seems like it would be difficult to work out their issues. If they’re not, then aren’t they just still married, but not getting busy? And her answer to the fan question is a non-answer.

🍸 Latest On the Ruling Class…

He must be a keeper if he hasn’t run yet.

Not a real surprise.

⚓️ A Fun Time Was Had…

I’m not sure who looks worse, the guests or the crew.

🏖 Breakup In the House…

Yeah. Nobody saw this coming.

https://www.etonline.com/summer-house-stars-carl-radke-and-lindsay-hubbard-call-off-engagement-exclusive-210637

https://stylecaster.com/entertainment/celebrity-news/1631823/why-lindsday-hubbard-carl-radke-break-up/

⚰️ On the Undead Front…

How’d they manage this?

He’s a busy dude.

🐶 Just Like Us…

Celebrities celebrating their pups.

https://people.com/halle-berry-brooke-shields-justin-theroux-and-more-celebrate-national-dog-day-7853272

🪗 Quotes of the Week

You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else. – Albert Einstein (The first guy to figure out Survivor.)

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success. – Dale Carnegie

The expert in anything was once a beginner. – Helen Hayes

Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work. – Stephen King

The only defense against the world is a thorough knowledge of it.John Locke

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

Believe you can and you are halfway there. – Theodore Roosevelt

I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which one has overcome while trying to succeed. – Booker T. Washington

People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it. – George Bernard Shaw

If I can’t eat it, bang it, or bet on it, it’s not in my phone. – Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen), Two and a Half Men

🛸 The Future Is Now…

Jump into September on Tuesday for a lotta soap and a little tea. Until then, stay safe, stay always returning your shopping cart to the proper place, and stay being careful what you wish for; you just might get it.

August 30, 2023 – Gladys Begs Nina For Help, Did He Or Didn’t He, Nasty In Miami, Keep On Strummin’ & Moon

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Tracy says she’s here to make her legal claim to The Deceptor, and Lucy laughs, saying, she actually thinks she has a legal claim to The Deceptor? Maxie says, Lucy created it, so that’s not possible, and Lucy says, she’s trying to steal their product. Why? There’s no motivation. Is this about some ancient feud they had… Wait a second… It can’t be. This is about her relationship with Tracy’s brother? Rest in peace. Tracy says, her relationship? Do not try to gloss it over. She had a cheap and tawdry affair with Alan while he was married to Monica. Lucy says, so this is a sort of morality lesson? Who is Tracy to talk to her about that? Does Tracy realize how many mob bosses and con artists she’s been married to? It goes from A to W, Larry Ashton to Mitch Williams. There’s more too, in between. Maxie says, as much fun as this stroll down Memory Lane has been, can they focus on the here and now, and figure out how to get this bogus case thrown out? The bailiff says, all rise. The honorable Judge Kerr is presiding. The judge comes in.

In the hospital elevator, Sam says she can’t believe she let Cody convince her into helping him with this plan. It’s crazy, right? A clean-shaven Cody says, that’s why he’s counting on it; they’ll think he’s crazy. She says she has to admit his loyalty to Sasha is admirable, but he does know this plan could go sideways in a million different directions. And if they’re drugging Sasha, what if that happens to him too? He says, this is the only way he can see Sasha to help her out. They get out of the elevator.

Dante goes to Ferncliff, and introduces himself at the desk. He says he’d like to ask Sasha Gilmore some questions about her involvement in the stabbing at the MetroCourt pool.

Gladys comes back into Nina’s office and says she lied. She does have a gambling problem; she was truthful about that. And she does have a huge debt because of gambling, but that’s not why she needs the $50,000. She needs it because the doctor who’s treating Sasha at Ferncliff won’t let her out until she pays him. Nina says, what doctor? How is she supposed to believe anything Gladys tells her? Gladys comes in here and tells her that she needs $50,000 to cover her gambling debt, and now Gladys is telling her that money isn’t for her gambling debt. She needs it to get Sasha out of Ferncliff. How is that even possible? What kind of doctor would prevent her from getting out? Gladys says, it’s complicated, and Nina says, of course (🍷) it is. But Gladys had better find a way to simplify it, because there’s no way she’s giving Gladys any money. Who is this doctor? Gladys says, under the heading of small world, he’s one of the people she plays poker with, and Nina says, Gladys’s poker buddy just happens to be her daughter-in-law’s doctor. Gladys says she thought he was a friend, but he’s turned on her and Sasha. He found an opportunity to squeeze money out of them, and he’s holding Sasha until he gets his money.

In the doorway of his office, Selina tells Sonny that his bodyguard said she could come in, and he asks what he can do for her. She says she appreciates him seeing her when they haven’t previously scheduled a meeting, and closes the door. He says he doesn’t see her as someone who drops by just for idle chit-chat. His time is important, her time is important… She says, correct, and he says, so if she came to his office, it must be important. She says, it is. Unfortunately, she has an unwelcome update for him. The poker game that’s been running in the backroom at The Savoy is dead, unless he steps in and saves it.

Jack tells the judge, they’re here today to substantiate the plaintiff’s claim of theft of intellectual property. They have verifiable proof, including blueprints and schematics of the original design in question. Maxie tells Lucy, that is not possible, and Jack says, along with witness testimony that will back his client’s claim. And they have expert witnesses in the cosmetics industry who will testify as to the incredible similarity between the Deception product and his client’s original idea. They contend they have very strong proof to mount a strong case, and are going to be suing for damages. The judge thanks him and asks, what is Elise’s response? Elise says, the defense acknowledges the plaintiff’s allegations, but this so-called verifiable evidence hasn’t been seen by her or her clients. This case is the very definition of a frivolous lawsuit. Clearly the plaintiff has one goal; to coerce a financial settlement to stave off the annoyance of a prolonged, pricey court trial. She moves that this case should be dismissed. Judge Kerr asks Jack and Elise to approach the bench, and asks to see the evidence.

Dante is about to go into Sasha’s room, when Janice asks if she can help him. He says he’s a detective with the PCPD. He’s here to talk to Sasha Gilmore about the stabbing at the MetroCourt pool; follow-up questions. She says, on the good news front, Sasha hasn’t been violent around here. She spends most of her time sleeping. The bad news is, she found someone here at Ferncliff to smuggle in illegal drugs. He says, really? and she says, they don’t know who’s doing it, but they’re putting a stop to it. Sasha really does have the best doctor, but because she’s been using illegal drugs, she’s set back her own recovery. Dante says he’d still like to talk to her if that’s okay, and Janice says, that room right there, if she’s awake. She leaves, and Dante goes inside, closing the door. He tries to wake Sasha, but has no luck.

A doctor says, so Sam has medical power of attorney for Cody, and she says she does. Cody says he certainly wouldn’t have made this appointment if he were calling the shots. He thinks this whole thing’s stupid. Sam says, it’s little outbursts like that. That’s why they’re here. Cody’s been a really close friend of the family for a long time, and he’s just acting out of character lately. He’s very erratic. It’s like he’s putting himself in dangerous situations on purpose. The doctor says, like what? Does she have examples? She says, he walks in traffic, whether there’s a walk sign or not, and the doctor says, a lot of people don’t wait for the proper light to change. Has she ever been to New York City? (Ha-ha! I was thinking that before he said it.) She says she has, but this isn’t about Cody just being an aggressive walker. It’s almost like he’s pushing the boundaries. The other day, she was in his apartment, and it’s on the 7th floor. She turned around for a second, and he was climbing out the window – on the ledge, and it’s a very narrow ledge. The doctor asks if Cody wants to say something for himself. Is he having a difficult time? Cody says he really doesn’t want to be here now, and the doctor says, here in his office or in the hospital in general? Cody says, no. He doesn’t want to be on this planet anymore. What’s the point?

Nina asks, what makes this man think he can extort money from Gladys when she doesn’t have any? and Gladys says, through Sasha. He knows she has access to Sasha’s accounts. He wants her to use Sasha’s money to pay him off. Nina says, why don’t they just go to the head of the hospital? Or they could go to the cops. Gladys says she’s afraid of the impact that would have on Sasha. The cops would think they were getting her out of Ferncliff so Sasha could claim she just had a bad day when she stabbed Cody. Nina says, and they would still charge her with attempted murder, and Gladys says, she wasn’t herself that day. Between the strain of the interview and psycho Cody Bell, it was all too much and Sasha just cracked. Nina says, Sasha was fine. Something else must have been going on.

Sonny tells Selina, since Curtis was shot, he knows Curtis can’t run The Savoy on a day-to-day basis, but he’s got a great staff. They’re going to be able to keep the lights on until he comes back. She says, maybe. If that was what was happening. But instead, Curtis’s father Marshall stepped in, and he doesn’t know anything about running a successful nightclub. The first thing he did was ban the backroom poker game. She was hoping Sonny could have a word with him. Explain the situation. Let him know the poker game is good for The Savoy. Sonny tells her that he’s not going to say anything to Marshall, and neither is she. Marshall’s going through some health issues right now that he knows all too well. His son is paralyzed. So if he wants to shut down the poker game at The Savoy, that’s the end of that story. And Sonny is going to be very unhappy if he gets reports that she’s interfering with Marshall or Curtis.

Selina says, her deepest apologies. It wasn’t her intention to offend Sonny. He says, maybe not, but she did. He’s very protective of Curtis and his dad. She says, what happened to Curtis is tragic. From what she read in The Invader, the police don’t believe he was the intended victim. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Still, that being said, the future of The Savoy is in doubt, with or without the backroom poker game. Sonny says, maybe, maybe not, but that’s up to Curtis and his family to decide. He’s never asked her about her dealings with Curtis, and he’s not asking her now. What he’s saying is, do not pressure Curtis and his family. Selina says, her? Pressure anyone? That’s really not her style. He says, do not play naïve with me. He knows her better than that.

Gladys tells Nina, all she knows is, Sasha met with the doctor and he told her that she was improving. Then he must have started messing with her head. Nina asks if Gladys is saying this doctor is playing mind games and messing with Sasha’s medication, and Gladys says, she doesn’t know. Probably. Nina says, why? Maybe to slow down her progress and recovery, so Gladys would remain her guardian and could pay him from Sasha’s bank account? Gladys says she believes that was his plan, and Nina asks, what did he do to mess with Sasha’s head? What did this doctor do?

Sam stops at the reception desk with some coffee, checking out the temperature, then turns around and spills it all over Montague and the phone he’s holding. She says she’s so sorry.

The doctor says he asked Cody’s friend to give them some privacy because he wants Cody to feel 100% comfortable. Cody gives an OK sign, and the doctor says, Cody can tell him anything. Plus, he has to ask; is Cody having suicidal thoughts? Cody says he wouldn’t go that far. More like… suicidal impulses. The doctor says he’s not sure he knows the difference, and Cody says he thinks if someone is having suicidal thoughts, they’d be more proactive. Like, they’d go online to research how long do I have to leave my car running in a closed garage before it kills me, or how many pills can I take of whatever drug before it kills me? He laughs, and the doctor says, and he’s not having those thoughts. Cody says, no, and the doctor asks how he defines suicidal impulse. Cody gets up and says, it’s kind of like what Sam said. Like crossing the street when he doesn’t have a walk sign. It’s not like he planned it out. He was just sitting at a street corner, and the sign said don’t walk. All of a sudden, this thought flashed in his brain. It was like, what would happen if you did walk? What are the actual chances of a car hitting you? So he walked in traffic. But he didn’t get hit by a car; he just kept walking. It’s not like he stayed in the intersection just crossing until a car hit him. The doctor says, when he walked against the don’t walk signal, how did it make him feel? and Cody says he guesses a little high from it, the adrenaline rush from beating the system. What’s that old phrase? The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. It was like that. When you get high, you’ve got to do something bigger to feel it again. It would be nice if that was the only reason he went out the window on his ledge because that was way riskier. The doctor asks how that made him feel, and Cody says, and Cody says, like the closer to death, the higher the high. And sometimes, maybe it would be way better to just go for it. Forgive me, but I have to say it, isn’t Ferncliff for the criminally insane? How would he even apply?

Elise says, whatever evidence Mr. Montgomery is introducing to the judge, she’s had little opportunity to review. Judge Kerr – who looks a lot like a young Gene Simmons – says, this isn’t a trial, just a preliminary hearing for him to consider the merits of this potential case. if it goes to trial, she’ll have plenty of time to examine the plaintiff’s evidence. They go back to their seats, and Tracy and Brook look at one another across the aisle.

Glady says she doesn’t know exactly what the doctor’s doing, and Nina says, they have to get Sasha out of there. Anyone who would use a human being to extort money (as opposed to…?) needs to be stopped. Give her his number. Gladys says she can’t, and Nina says, get this doctor on the phone right now. Gladys digs in her purse for her phone.

Sam dabs at Montague’s phone with a napkin, saying, she’s so sorry, and he laughs. She says she’s usually not this clutzy, and he says, that’s all right, really. He was due for an upgrade on his phone anyway, so she might have actually done him a favor. His phone rings, and Sam says, Gladys. That’s an unusual name.

The doctor tells Cody, as a medical professional, if he thinks someone is suicidal, he’s obligated to take certain actions. Cody says he doesn’t care. He’s not afraid. He’s never been afraid. The doctor asks if Cody can understand why his family friend, Miss McCall, has his power of attorney. She was worried enough about him to schedule this appointment and have him evaluated. Cody says, Sam likes to worry, and the doctor says, perhaps. The more important question is, in this instance, does she have a reason to be worried? Cody says he used to make a living as a stuntman. He’s jumped off horses, he’s jumped out of a speeding car. He’s jumped off of pretty much everything, but his specialty was skydiving, from planes. Sometimes, when he’d be getting ready to jump out of a plane, he’d wonder if he had the guts to jump and not pull his chute. Because then he wouldn’t have to struggle anymore, and he wouldn’t have to think about anything ever again. He wouldn’t have to worry about anything ever again. Everything would just be quiet. Everything would just be over. He bows his head and cries.

Selina says she hears what Sonny is saying. He found her answers lacking, and she wants to make up for it. He says he thinks he made himself clear at this point. She needs to be transparent. He wants to know where she goes for business, who she’s doing business with. If there’s any outside players coming into Port Charles doing business with her, he needs to know that. She says, no one has reached out to her; she promises him that. And if anybody does, he’ll be the first person to know. He laughs and says he’s surprised to hear her say that, and she asks, why is that? He says, because she’s sharp, she’s a smart businesswoman, and usually smart businesswomen have something to fall back on; a deal on the side.

Judge Kerr says, from what he’s seen, there’s enough evidence to justify a trial. Jack and Tracy high-five, and the judge says, they’ll allow a discovery period and the trial may proceed. He set the trial date at six months from today. He bangs the gavel, and the bailiff says, all rise. The judge leaves, and Lucy says, six months. What just happened? Elise says she can’t answer that question until she examines the evidence Jackson submitted. Lucy says, doesn’t she understand? They’ll be ruined. Deception will be ruined. Brook looks guilty, as she should.

Sonny’s phone rings, and Sonny says, send him in. Selina asks if that means their conversation is over, and Sonny says he doesn’t think she has anything else to tell him, so yeah, it’s over. She knows where to find him. Dante walks in and says, hey… Sorry. He didn’t know he was interrupting. He can wait out in the restaurant for Sonny. Sonny says, don’t worry about it. He and Miss Wu were just having a conversation. Now they’re not. Selina says, until next time, and Sonny nods. Selina gets up and says she hopes Dante finds who is responsible for shooting Curtis Ashford. What happened to him is such a tragedy. Dante says, it’s safe to say, everyone at the PD is anxious to crack that one, and she tells him, good luck. She leaves, and Dante closes the door. He says, Gabe told him that Sonny was in a meeting. He didn’t know someone was actually in the room with Sonny, and that it was Selina Wu. He doesn’t suppose Sonny wants to tell him what they were discussing.

Gladys tells Nina, he’s not answering. She’ll call back in a few minutes. Nina says she’s going to call Sonny, but Gladys says, please don’t. What does she have to do to convince Nina? This is the only way. Pay the monster off, and they get their girl back. The last time she saw Sasha, she was in very bad shape. It took Sasha a long time to even recognize her. For a second, she thought Sasha was doing better until Sasha asked if Brando was with her. So please. She knows how much Nina cares about Sasha. Nina has to give her the money. Nina says, this is crazy. This doctor needs to be stopped. She’s going to talk to Sonny. She heads for the door, but Gladys grabs her arm and says, she’ll do no such thing.

Sam says, again, she’s so sorry for spilling her coffee and making Montague miss his call. He says, not a problem, and she hands him his phone. He says, if she doesn’t mind him asking, what brings her to the hospital? She says, a friend of hers is here for a visit, and she thought she’d stay and wait. He says, that’s nice of her, and she says she just wishes she would have brought a deck of cards or something. She gets so bored just waiting around. He says, cards? What’s her game of choice? She says, poker, and he says, she can always play poker on her phone. She says she tried that, but she didn’t like it. She likes the actual feeling of the cards in her hands. He says, so does he. He plays in this regular game; it’s kind of fun. And if you’re a good player, you might actually win some good money. He knows business cards are out of fashion, but he isn’t the kind of guy who likes to put his entire life on his phone. Someone might spill coffee on it. Here’s his card – she takes it out of his hand – it has his cellphone and email. Drop him a line and he’ll get her into that game. She thanks him, and he says, it’s nice meeting her. She says, him too, and he leaves. A nurse asks if Sam isn’t Cody Bell’s health proxy, and Sam says she is. The nurse says, Dr. Brooks is ready to speak to her about her friend. Oh, so now I get a name.

Jack tells Tracy, that went about as well as they could have hoped for. Is she happy? She says she’s practically giddy, and he says, good. They still have a lot of work ahead of them, but they’re off to a great start. Brook stares daggers at Tracy, and Maxie tells her, all they have to do is wait for Elise to go through all of Tracy’s evidence. Hopefully once she’s done that, she can convince the judge the evidence is fake and get the lawsuit dropped. Right? Brook says, yeah. Elise is an excellent attorney, and she’s sure Elise will come up with a plan after she’s seen all the evidence.

Elise tells Lucy, no one is more shocked about this evidence than her. When they walked into court today, they assumed this case had no merit because it was fraud. Once she gets her hands on this so-called evidence, she can make a plan for their next step. Lucy says, what about The Deceptor? Six months is a long time. They can keep selling it, right? Elise says she’s afraid not. Since Judge Kerr believes this lawsuit has merit, they have to freeze all sales on The Deceptor. Lucy says, they can’t do that. If they can’t sell The Deceptor, Deception’s not going to last. They don’t even know what the outcome of this trial is going to be. Her company’s stock is tanking. If they have to adhere to this… They can’t do it. Elise doesn’t understand. She really believes Deception will go bankrupt. Tracy walks over, and Lucy asks if Tracy can let her know what sort of evidence she was able to dummy up to make believable so the judge was fooled. To her this seems like malicious harassment. Tracy says, she’s wrong. There’s nothing malicious about this lawsuit and there’s no harassment. As usual, Lucy is the architect of her own disaster. Lucy asks what that means, and Tracy says, it means Lucy’s uncanny ability to attract scandal like a magnet. Remember Coco Cosmetics? Basically a Ponzi scheme, and now intellectual property theft of The Deceptor. So she’s happy to tell Lucy that this can all be resolved quickly and quietly. Lucy says, meaning? and Tracy says, meaning the lawsuit can all go away; no trial, no nasty publicity. Lucy says, does Tracy want to just tell her? Just say it. What does Tracy want from her? Tracy says, 75% of Deception. Lucy balks, but Tracy says, 25% is better than nothing if Lucy loses the suit, and she leaves.

Jack ducks out, and Brook says she really needs to talk to her grandmother. In the hallway, Jack asks what Tracy is still doing here. He thought she said she had a meeting to get to. Busy on her phone, she says she does. She just wants to send this email first. He says, that better not be her continuing to search for some local attorney to handle it, and she says, not after the bang-up job he did today. No need, friend. He says, good to hear. It’s too bad the judge set the trial date at six months. He was taking a real liking to that pool at the MetroCourt. He tells her, have a wonderful day, and leaves. Brook storms over, stares at Tracy a moment, then keeps going. Tracy says, yep. Knew that was coming.

Elise says, if the judge seemed to think there was enough evidence to go to trial, that means Miss Quartermaine must have plenty of documents on the development of The Deceptor. How would Tracy even be able to get her hands on such proprietary material? Lucy looks at Maxie.

Sonny asks Dante, what part of his business life do they usually talk about? and Dante says, when he was undercover working for Sonny, Sonny told him all kinds of stuff. Now he just talks about coffee importing. Sonny says, Selina wasn’t here talking about coffee, and Dante says, okay. He guesses he won’t ask any more questions about that then. Sonny says, Dante’s always been very smart, and Dante says he has. He’s not here to argue with Sonny or talk about Selina Wu. Sonny asks, what brings him by? and Dante says, Sasha. Sonny asks, what happened? and Dante says, Sonny cares about her, and the news isn’t good.

Janice is taking Sasha’s pulse, when Sasha suddenly grabs her arm. Sasha says, please don’t let Dr. Montague near her, and Jancie asks what she’s talking about. Sasha says, this isn’t her. Doesn’t Janice get it? She’s like this because he’s drugging her. She holds on to Janice’s hands.

Nina removes Gladys’s hand, and says, Sonny considers Sasha to be his family. They need to get him involved. Gladys says, no, running in front of her. If they tell Sonny that her gambling debts are a small reason why Sasha’s in so much trouble, does Nina know what he’ll do to her? At best, he’ll send her packing from Port Charles, and she doesn’t even want to think about the worst things he would do. And plus, Sonny is powerful, but he doesn’t have a magic wand. He can’t snap his fingers and get her out of Ferncliff. She’s there under a doctor’s orders. Nina says, Sonny is a very, very persuasive man. She wants Gladys to stop evading, and she wants Gladys to tell her this doctor’s name. Gladys says she’s not telling Nina that, and Nina says, Gladys is telling her this man is hurting Sasha and Gladys won’t even tell her his name? How does she even know what Gladys is telling her is true? She could be making this entire story up so she can pay her gambling debts. Is her life being threatened because she owes this money? Gladys says she’s not making this up. Sasha is genuinely in trouble. But if she tells Nina the doctor’s name, the first thing Nina is going to do is tell Sonny, and she knows how Sonny operates. First, the doctor will mysteriously disappear. Then Sasha will be at the mercy of whoever’s been helping him. She doesn’t even know who all is involved in this scheme. It could take months for them to get Sasha out of Ferncliff. They might lose her before that. Please. Nina has to believe her. Gladys’s phone rings, and Nina says, you answer that call. Gladys looks at her phone, sees it’s Selina, and tosses the phone back in her bag.

Selina leaves a voicemail for Gladys, and says, Gladys should know by now, it’s never a smart decision to ignore to ignore her calls. Gladys’s account is now past due. She expects payment in full by the end of the day.

Lucy tells Maxie that Elise will read through everything Tracy has presented, but didn’t it seem like the way the judge reacted, they already had all their research, all their development? How could that happen? How? They’ll talk to Spinelli; they’ll find out. Maybe in this crazy world there’s some software so an outsider could spy on their most secret part of The Deceptor. Maxie says, what if it wasn’t an outside job? and Lucy asks what she means. Maxie says, what if it was an inside job? Lucy says, Gladys? She doesn’t have… Maxie says she’s not talking about Gladys, Lucy says, okay, who? and Maxie says, Brook. Doesn’t Lucy remember when she confessed to downloading all of The Deceptor information onto a flashdrive for some social media campaign? Lucy says, she’s right. Brook loaded all of the secrets of The Deceptor onto that drive. They flash back to Brook acting like it was an honest mistake, and Lucy says, she took that flashdrive home with her. Maxie says she knows it has to be Brook, but it doesn’t sound like something she would do. And she trusts Brook with her life. Lucy says she knows. It doesn’t sound like something Brook would do, unless her unscrupulous grandmother was holding something over her head. Elise says, ladies, if you want their mole, look no further. It’s obvious Brook has been working behind the scenes with Tracy.

Dante tells Sonny, seeing Sasha like that was tough. She was completely out of it. Apparently… The nurse said someone was smuggling in illegal drugs for her. Sonny says, that sounds bad; that’s not a good thing. She’s Brando’s widow and he considers her family. Look at everything she’s been through. He knows with his own bi-polar that if you’ve got mental health issues, you could crash at any time. You don’t need a reason. But he talked to Sasha just before she had her breakdown, and she seemed good. So if somebody triggered… He’s going to call… He reaches for his phone, but Dante says, stop. He knows Sonny’s gonna do what he’s gonna do. He understands, but let him do what he’s gotta do. He’ll make some calls and let Sonny know what he finds out.

Gladys says, the quickest, cleanest way to end this is for Nina to give her the money to give to Sasha’s doctor. Once he has the money, he will let Sasha be released from Ferncliff. Isn’t that what matters most? Bringing Sasha home? Nina says, Sonny’s dealing with so much. He shouldn’t have to worry about the disaster Gladys created for Sasha, if any of this is even true. Gladys says, it’s true, and Nina says, all right. She’ll give Gladys the money, but it’s for Sasha’s doctor, that’s all. Does Gladys understand her? And if this doctor doesn’t release Sasha, or she’s harmed in any way, she promises Sonny is going to be all over this, and all over Gladys. Gladys says, it’ll work out. She swears. She can’t thank Nina enough. She promises she’ll repay Nina somehow. Nina says she won’t hold her breath.

Sam goes to the Ferncliff reception desk, and says, here’s the paperwork they need, handing the nurse a clipboard. She really hopes her friend can get the help he needs here. Cody is sitting on a bench, and Sam leans over, talking into his ear. She says she thinks his stay at Ferncliff is going to be really good for him. Listen to what the doctors and nurses have to say, okay? He stares straight ahead, and she lowers her voice, saying, and if his plan goes sideways and hurts Sasha, she’ll kill him. She pats him on the shoulder, and an attendant takes him away.

Janice comes out of Sasha’s room, and Montague, who just happens to be coming down the hall, asks how Sasha is doing this afternoon. She says, not very well, and he asks, what’s happened now? Janice says, she’s showing signs of paranoia, and he says, how so? She says, Sasha told her that the doctor was deliberately drugging her. He thanks her for telling him, and says, sadly, Sasha is continuing to deteriorate. Janice asks if there’s anything they can do to help her, and he says, they will. It’s time for drastic measures. Janice leaves, and after making sure she’s gone, Montague goes into Sasha’s room.

Sasha says, please, leave her alone, but he says he’s afraid that’s not possible. He gets close to her face and says, once someone becomes my patient, I’m there with them until the very end.

Tomorrow, Brook tells Chase that she can’t live with Tracy another minute; Olivia asks if Tracy isn’t the slightest bit sorry for what she did; Robert asks what Diane thinks she can do about it now; and Mason says, it’s all going down tonight.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

In her interview, Fancy Pants Heather says, their house is in escrow, but until the buyer removes the contingences, it’s still not a done deal. Josh and Heather Altman come over, and Josh says, it’s the third highest sale in the history of Orange County. He’s  never seen a house like this. He tells Fancy Pants and Terry that they’ll have to be out in three weeks, and Fancy Pants says, their penthouse is a two-bedroom and the kids are coming home for vacation from college. She wonders if they can’t stay in the house. It’s so big, will the new owners even know they’re here? Josh leaves, but comes back immediately, saying, they signed the contract. In Terry’s interview, he says, $55 million isn’t new money. It’s f*** everybody you’ve ever known money. They crack a bottle of 2012 Dom, and Terry says, it’s life changing. They clink glasses.

Taylor calls everyone, inviting them to her fall festival party to celebrate the change of seasons, as best they can in California. She suggests they try not to stab each other with the carving tools. Emily checks out motorcycles and Gina meets her at the dealership. Emily is taking a motorcycle class, and Gina asks if she can’t do something that can kill you less. In Emily’s interview, she says, Shane thinks she’s insane, and a producer asks if he’ll be riding in the sidecar. She says, he is sidecar sized… Gina says Jenn told her that Shannon claimed if it hadn’t been for her getting Gina an attorney for her DUI, Gina’s kids would have gone to CPS. In Emily’s interview, she says, there would have to be a case and due diligence would have to be done. Gina says, Shannon shouldn’t bring her up, period, and Emily thinks Shannon doesn’t like Gina. Gina says, Shannon brings it to a whole other level, and has zero respect for her. She’s finally doing good, and Shannon is on a mission to tear her down. In Gina’s interview, she says, four years ago, she made a mistake. Shannon was a good friend and helped her so much, and lets no one forget it. And every time Shannon brings it up, it gets worse. The next time, Gina is going to be murderer.

Tamra visits Shannon, and in Shannon’s interview, she says, everyone had a comment about her and John’s relationship. She and John discussed it, and he’s not happy, but they’re good. Here’s a thought. If she loves him sooo much and the show is interfering with their relationship, why doesn’t she not be on the show? Shannon tells Tamra that she’s a communicator and John’s an avoider. They’ve never gone on trip where work wasn’t involved, and part of her wonders if he’s really in it. Tamra asks if Shannon thinks he’s afraid to get married, and Shannon says, absolutely, but they don’t talk about it. Still, it’s none of Fancy Pants, Emily, and Gina’s business. In Tamra’s interview, she says, they’ve been together for three years and there’s been no talk of marriage. It’s a huge red flag.

We watch Jenn and Ryan working out, and it makes me nervous that they’re dogs are running around them when they’re using hand weights. I always make sure my space is cleared of dogs when I work out. I’m already afraid I’ll smack myself in the face with a kettlebell. In Ryan’s interview, he says, their relationship is special. Jenn is a 12 out of 10. He wants to be with her in the long term. She’s more than the whole package. He asks Jenn when they’re getting married, and she asks why they need to be married. He says, because it’s her. he wants to be with her all the time. Jenn says, thinking about marrying him is scary. She hates that somebody came between them. Ryan says, that’s not an accurate statement, since they were on a break and didn’t know if they were getting back together. In Jenn’s interview, she says, there were zero rules or parameters, but still, talking about it puts doubt in her. She tells him that she’s concerned about messing with their kids’ lives, and he says he wouldn’t put them in a spot of failure.

Tamra and Eddie are also working out, at their new gym Shredz. Tamra says, they’re the new kids on the block, and it’s been difficult, but everyone has been nice. She tells Eddie that she had lunch with Emily and Fancy Pants, and they like bullying Shannon. She’s not getting Fancy Pants. She makes fun of the supposed paparazzi posts of Fancy Pants and Terry at Disneyland, saying they look staged and Fancy Pants is overcompensating for the rumors of Terry’s cheating. In Tamra’s interview, she says, Heather tends to overreact, and the photos are 100% staged. She’s not an A-list celebrity.

Fancy Pants meets Shannon for lunch, and says, her goal is for them to get in a better place. Shannon says, their previous conversations were less than successful, and we flash back to those. In Shannon’s interview, she says she has no hope of resolving things, but she wants to hear what Fancy Pants has to say, since she violated Shannon’s vault. In Fancy Pants’ interview, she says, there is no vault. Shannon gives everyone the combination. Shannon says she was hurt. Tamra and Emily said they didn’t bring up Shannon’s relationship; Fancy Pants did. Fancy Pants says, when Tamra returned to the show, she’d asked if Fancy Pants was getting calls from Shannon about the relationship. We flash back to that, and Fancy Pants says, it’s never been her goal to talk about Shannon’s relationship. Shannon says she feels like they’re back on the hamster wheel. She has relationship issues like most people have. In her interview, Fancy Pants says she has no idea what to believe. Shannon gives her information privately, so is she supposed to act like she doesn’t know in public? Shannon says, if Fancy Pants is concerned, talk to her, and Fancy Pants says she was never sh*t talking Shannon or stirring things up. If it came out that way, she apologizes. She dabs at her tears, and in her interview, Shannon says, maybe Fancy Pants should put this lunch in her IMDb. Fancy Pants asks where they go from here, and Shannon says she’s the type of person who needs to step away and process.

While Tamra and Jenn are on the way to Taylor’s Pumpkin Party, Teddi calls Tamra. Teddi had done their podcast solo, and tells Tamra that she said something about the photos of Fancy Pants and Terry; you have call the paparazzi in Orange County for them to come out. Tamra says she happens to be on her way to see Fancy Pants.

The setting is gorgeous; a cornfield/pumpkin patch. Taylor says she’s called in a pumpkin carving expert for the event. First, they’re to choose a pumpkin, and Tamra wonders if they should wait for Shannon, who’s late. Gina says she’s always waiting for Shannon, and she’s not in the mood today. They pick out pumpkins, and Emily asks Jenn what Shannon said about Gina and her kids. Gina asks Tamra the same thing, but Tamra insists she didn’t hear it at the time. Jenn just told her in the car. Emily tells Jenn that it would be on another level to bring in CPS, and in her interview, Fancy Pants says, no one is allowed to talk about John and Shannon’s relationship not being the best, but this is okay. Tamra suggests maybe Jenn is twisting things, but in Gina’s interview, she says, if anyone is going to twist things, it’s not Jenn, but Tamra would 100% twist things. Shannon finally arrives when they’re all seated, and Emily grabs a pumpkin for her. Shannon makes some excuse about having inflammation and no shoes fitting. The pumpkin carving expert tells them to make a hole in the bottom and take the insides out through that. It helps the pumpkin last. I have to remember that for the next Halloween. In Shannon’s interview, she says she’s not a fan of fall. Who wants to celebrate death, morbidity, and graveyards? I raise my hand. She says she also doesn’t like orange and brown. One more way Shannon is out of her mind. Who does like the colors of fall leaves, the crisp autumn air, and Halloween? Pfft. She’s such a killjoy. In Gina’s interview, she says, they pretty much suck at carving pumpkins. She gives them a solid 2. Tamra asks Shannon about what Jenn said, and Shannon asks Jenn what she’s talking about. She would never say that. Is she just in a blackout all the time?

Shannon says, may God strike her dead if she said that, and we flash back to her saying that. A lightning bolt comes out of the sunny sky and strikes her dead. Not really, but that would have been too funny. In Tamra’s interview, she insists she doesn’t remember Shannon saying that, but if she did, she doesn’t want Shannon standing next to her. In Jenn’s interview, she says, Shannon going super sideways about not saying it means she said it. In Fancy Pants’ interview, she says, Jenn just plucked this story out of the air? She doesn’t think so. Emily says she doesn’t feel like Jenn is making it up, and Shannon says, Emily wasn’t there. Emily says she was there, and Jenn says she’s not making this up. Shannon said if she hadn’t gotten Gina an attorney, her kids would have been taken by CPS. Gina says, that’s not true, and ever the pragmatist attorney, Emily says, for a bench warrant, they don’t come to the house and arrest you. In Gina’s interview, she says, to insinuate she was seen as an unfit parent is bullsh*t. In Shannon’s interview, she says she has a lot of anxiety over people talking about her relationship. It keeps her up at night. Again, no one is holding a gun to her head to be on the show. Gina tells Shannon that all she’s ever said is that she respects Shannon’s relationship too much to talk about it. If that’s a reason to sh*t all over her and her family, fine. Shannon says she doesn’t talk about Travis, and Tamra says, she talked about his penis. We flash back to Shannon saying he has a massive weenie, and in her interview, Gina says, it reeks of desperation. The only thing more desperate is Shannon’s Spanx. Gina says she’s upset, but just wants to stop.

They sit down to eat at a table with fabulous sunflower and gourd centerpieces. Tamra tells Fancy Pants that when Teddi did their podcast, she went in hard about the staged paparazzi pics. Fancy Pants asks if they’re accusing her of setting it up, and Tamra says, it is suspicious. There are no paparazzi at Disneyland. In her interview, Fancy Pants says she doesn’t know why Tamra is doing this. Why would she tell Tamra about the sale of the house? Fancy Pants tells the others that she’s having a launch party for her new network, and Shannon suddenly has to jet. When she’s gone, Gina says, she’s so defensive, she’s hard to approach. In Gina’s interview, she tells us, Shannon says sh*t, then wants to pretend she didn’t say it. It’s hurtful, and if she’s not remembering what she says, maybe she should check into rehab. When Shannon gets to the I’m sorry step, she’ll be waiting. They discuss John’s weenie, and decide it must be diamond encrusted, which Gina thinks would be painful.  

Next time, Fancy Pants has a launch party; Jenn wants her mom to meet Ryan so she gets an honest opinion; the news of Fancy Pants’ house sale breaks; and a trip to Mexico.

🍊 Only Paul Knows For Sure…

Even if it was true, I’d ignore it too. Have you seen where they live? Have you seen how they live?

https://www.distractify.com/p/did-terry-dubrow-cheat-on-heather-dubrow

🌴 Behind In the Magic…

While this aired on Peacock a while ago, I’m just catching up now, and since Mama Elsa’s passing, I’ve only watched it peripherally. WTF this Lenny dude? Did he have a psychotic break?

https://people.com/tv/lisa-hochstein-and-lenny-hochstein-relationship-timeline/

🪕 Never Stop Learning…

This guy is the epitome of use it or lose it.

https://people.com/dick-van-dyke-learns-ukulele-in-video-7724734

🌞 Summer’s Last Stand…

Stop in tomorrow for soap and Project talk. Until then, stay safe, stay always replacing the roll of toilet paper when it runs out, and stay not giving out the combination if you want to have a vault.

August 25, 2023 – Cody Asks Sam For Help, Newbie, Atlanta Receipts, Called Out, No Shock, Leaky Deck, VanderLock, Tasty Move, New Horror, Dead News, Second Last, Stray Training, Apple Pups, 9 Crisp Quotes & Out

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Willow comes into the hospital, and Elizabeth asks if she’s had a setback, but Willow says, just the opposite. She wants to get back to work. Does Elizabeth have room for one more nurse?

Finn sets up the backgammon board, and Tracy says she hopes he’s been practicing. He’s going to need it. He asks if she’s kidding. He has an eight-year-old daughter, and there’s not a day that goes by that there isn’t new disease at the hospital to challenge him. Does she really think he has time to practice backgammon? She looks at him, and he says, okay. The minute he knew she was back in town, he started practicing his ass off. She says, good choice – she takes a paper out of her pocket – because according to her calculations, Tracy-47, Finn-29. He says, 47-29? She kept that all this time? She asks what he thinks and he says, of course (🍷) she kept it; she’s winning. She says she loves to win, and shakes the dice.

Cody says he’s desperate here. Sasha’s in trouble, and Sam could be his only chance. She says, to get himself locked up in Ferncliff? and he says, to help Sasha. She says she thinks it’s a terrible plan, but he says, it’s the only plan he’s got. Please. She says she won’t help him, much less be the one who commits him.

On his phone at the Crimson office, Sonny asks what Brick’s got for him. Has the fake information Betty stole from his computer been downloaded?… He gets that, but he’s impatient. It’s just that he wants some answers. He may have to figure this out. Nina comes out of the elevator, and Sonny says, he’ll see Brick later. Nina comes in and asks, what’s wrong? Sonny says, nothing. A beautiful woman is in front of him. What could be wrong with that? She says, nothing’s wrong with that, and they hug. Absolutely nothing.

At the pool, Molly thanks Alexis for coming, and Alexis says, of course (🍷) she would be here. She knows how much this means to Molly and TJ. Molly says she really wants Alexis to like her, and Alexis says she thinks it’s more important that Molly and TJ like her. Molly says, they really do, when Andrea comes in. Molly introduces her to Alexis, and they sit at a table. Kristina appears in the doorway and sees them.

On the phone, Brook says, so it’s all true?… She can’t say she’s completely surprised. She could kill her with her bare hands… No, no. Not them. A certain member of her family.

Tracy asks, how’s Finn’s father? and Finn says, he’s… fine. She says, fine? Really? She was supposed to have dinner a few days ago at the MetroCourt with her sister-in-law who had to cancel. There, she ran into Finn’s father, who coerced her into having dinner with him. Finn asks, how bad was the dinner? and she says, actually, the food was much improved now that Carly Spencer is no longer running the show. He says he meant, how was his dad’s company? and she says, he’s charming, but he couldn’t hide the fact that his hand was cramping. What’s wrong with him? Finn says he’ll have to ask her not to pursue that line of questioning, and she asks, why? He says he’d prefer not to lie to her, and she says, fine. He shakes the dice, and asks how Ned is doing. She says, he’s still singing on streetcorners and hanging out with her favorite person, Sonny Corinthos. And how is Detective Chase? He says, Chase is convinced Tracy is forcing Brook to give up her music career to work at Deception, and she says she needs to ask him not to pursue that line of questioning. He asks, why? and she says she’d prefer not to lie to him. He laughs.

Willow tells Elizabeth that she’s feeling stronger every day. She’s got her energy back and she’s really starting to feel like her old self again. Elizabeth says, that’s such great news, and Willow says she loves her time with Michael and the kids, but what she really wants is to get back to nursing. Taking care of people who need help, like she did when she was getting her transplant. This hospital is full of excellent nurses who took such amazing care of her and really supported her when she needed it. She’s not sure what she would have done without them. Elizabeth says, they do have excellent nurses here, but Willow wasn’t just any patient; she’s one of them. Willow says she wants to pay it forward and give that type of care to other patients who need it. Elizabeth says, that’s why they do this, and she’s all for Willow coming back to GH because she’s an amazing nurse, and she can’t wait to have Willow back on rotation, as soon as her doctors approve her return. It would be a bad way to repay all those nurses by coming back too soon and pushing herself too hard, compromising her immune system. Willow says, of course (🍷). She agrees. That’s why she’s here, to talk to Dr. Randolph and see when she’ll be approved. Elizabeth says, great. This place needs people like Willow, and she can’t wait to get that documentation that says Willow is ready to work.

Sonny says he doesn’t want to keep Nina from her work. Maybe she should see if something urgent came up. Nina says she’s just fine in his arms. Besides, there’s nothing that can’t wait. He asks if she’s sure about that, and she says she would have gotten a text or an email from one of her assistants. He says, maybe its one of those old fashioned phone things. Why doesn’t she just check it out? She asks why he’s acting so weird, and he says he doesn’t want her to miss something important. She goes to her desk and finds a jewelry box, and asks, what’s this? He says he doesn’t know; maybe she should open it. She opens it, and says, oh! revealing a stunning diamond pendant necklace. She says she loves it; it’s beautiful. He says, it’s going to be even more beautiful when he puts it on her, and she asks if it’s an apology for being so secretive with her. He says, yes and no, and she asks, which is it? He says, why doesn’t she turn around and he’ll put it on her. She says, it’s gorgeous (it gets my vote), and he says, it’s absolutely amazing, putting the necklace on her. He hooks the clasp, and she asks how it looks. He says, she looks beautiful and that just compliments it, and she says, he always has a way of making her feel special. What happened to him to put him so at ease? He says he’s just happy, but she says when she saw him in his office the other night talking to Ava, they both seemed pretty tense.

Sam says, even if she wanted to – which she doesn’t – she couldn’t have Cody committed because she’s not related to him. Therefore, there’s no legal standing to do it. He says, easy fix, and she says she can’t wait to hear this. He says he gives her power of attorney. She becomes his medical executor. She says, so he appoints her one day, and she has him committed the next. That’s not going to look suspicious at all, is it? He says, it’s good enough to get him into Ferncliff, and if people start asking questions afterward, who cares? She says she cares. This is a bad idea. He says, no, it’s not. It could work. She says, this is a pointless discussion because she’s not going to do it, and he says, why? She says, because she’s not going to do anything that’s going to make Sasha worse.

Andrea says, the view from up here is amazing, and Alexis says, you can see most of Port Charles from up here. Kristina says, TJ likes to come here and go swimming to blow off steam, and afterward they grab something to eat. Alexis notices Kristina, who ducks out. Molly and Andrea discuss the food there, and their favorite dishes. Alexis looks over and sees Kristina is gone.

Tracy says she wins, and Finn says he has the feeling that’s her favorite phrase. She says, it’s definitely one of her favorites. Isn’t he even going to try to beat her? He says, just wait til next game, and she says she appreciates his enthusiasm, adding something to the paper. She says, the running score is now 48 to 29, and he tells her that she doesn’t have to say it so loud. He’s surprised she doesn’t have her own Quartermaine score tab stationery with a little family crest on it. He can see it now; one for Brook, two for Tracy, Ned zero. She says, that’s a clever idea, and he says, you’re welcome. She asks what they’re going to talk about now that he’s removed his father from the topic of conversation and she’s removed her granddaughter? She knows he doesn’t want to waste any more time talking about stationery. He says he discovered a fascinating new bacteria… but she says, no. Infectious diseases is off the table. He says he has a topic, and she says, Monica’s cheap china or business cards? He says, what about Luke?

Gregory comes into the hospital, and Elizabeth asks if he’s here to see Finn, but he says, actually, he was hoping to have a word with her. She says, sure. Is everything okay? He tells her, let’s just say, it’s extremely important.

Sam tells Cody, they’ve been over this. Sasha has suffered a psychotic break. Right now she needs medical attention because she’s dangerous and delusional. He says, no, she isn’t, and Sam asks what he’s talking about. He has a scar on his side where Sasha stabbed him. He says he’s telling her that Sasha is being drugged, and somehow, Gladys is responsible for it. How is he the only one who sees it? She says, he may think that, but Sasha also has a history of mental illness, and he says he knows all about her history, but one minute she’s fine, and the next minute, she’s hallucinating. How does that happen? He’s telling her, something isn’t right. She says, okay. Say he does get in to see Sasha and he pushes her further into her delusion. He says he wouldn’t, but she says, he doesn’t know that. Or maybe even the worst-case scenario. Maybe she thinks he’s Cyrus Renault again and attacks him a second time, and he’s not so lucky and winds up in the hospital, or worse. He says he’s thought through all that. He’ll be on his guard this time, and he can defend himself from Sasha. She says she’s not worried about him, and he says, gee, thanks. She says she’s worried about Sasha and him traumatizing her more. Is he willing to take that risk?

Sonny says he understands why Nina feels excluded, and she says, good, because she did. First, Dex and Gabe wouldn’t let her in the penthouse. Then when she went to his office, she found him talking with Ava, and she seemed to be in the know about what was going on. He says, because he and Ava share Avery, and she says, but then he tells her that it’s for her safety that she doesn’t know. Who wouldn’t feel left out? He says, because some things in his business are better left unsaid. They’ve gone over this a thousand times and he doesn’t want to put her in danger. She says, he’s willing to put Ava’s life in danger? and he takes her hand. He says he came here to apologize for making her feel like an outsider. He doesn’t let her in on things because it puts her at risk. She knows everything else. She says she feels like Frank or Gabe when his office door is shut in her face, and he says he doesn’t ever want her to feel like an employee. She says she knew from day one what she was getting into when she fell in love with him, and she accepts all of him; this charming, amazing man in front of her, and the ruthless businessman. She loves all of him. He says he doesn’t ever want her to forget how much he loves her. That’s all that matters. She says, just let her in. Maybe she can help him. She can handle it. He says, some things are best not knowing.

Kristina goes to the reception desk and asks if Dr. Randolph is in. Walking by, Willow says, Dr. Randolph had an emergency that pulled her away, and Kristina hugs her. She says, Willow looks great. It’s nice to see her out. Willow says, it’s great to be out. She’s feeling a lot better. Kristina says she’s sorry she didn’t come see Willow. She didn’t know when Willow was accepting visitors again. Willow says, it’s okay. After she left the hospital, she had to restrict her visitors to a small group, since her immune system might be compromised, but now she’s almost fully recovered, so they can see each other any time. Kristina says, that’s amazing news, and Willow says she couldn’t be more grateful for what Liesl did for her. She’s actually here to see Dr. Randolph too. She’s hoping to get the all-clear to go back to work. What about Kristina? Is she okay? Kristina says, not really. Actually, it’s probably best she doesn’t see Dr. Randolph today.

Elizabeth tells Gregory, she’s officially on break, so she’s all his. What’s going on? Are Finn and Violet okay? He says, they’re fine, and they sit down. He needs her to accept his apology. She says, for what? and he says he’s been keeping something from her, from everyone close to him. But the time has come for him to be up front and transparent. He waited too long. He never should have agreed to watch Violet the other night. She asks, what happened? and he says he fell, and Violet came in and saw him on the floor. She says she’s sure it was scary for Violet, but she’s going to be okay. What about him? Is he hurt? Does he want to see a doctor? He says, no. The fall was nothing serious, but Violet was worried and so was he. He told Finn and now he’s telling her. He has ALS.

Tracy tells Finn that she keeps forgetting Luke is gone. The fact that he’s not around to drive her crazy is something she finds impossible to wrap her head around. Finn says, she really misses him, doesn’t she? and she says, yeah. He has her at loose ends, so she concentrates on her good friend – she nods to him – and focuses on a business project she’s involved in. He asks if she wants to talk about it, or is it one of those subjects they shouldn’t pursue a line of questioning? She says she prefers not to lie to him, and he laughs. Brook storms in and says, how could she? Tracy says, they’re in the middle of a game, and Brook swipes the board onto the floor. She says, now they’re not.

Nina and Sonny sit at a table, fully set for dinner in her office, and she says, one of the perks of having her office in the MetroCourt is that she can have them send dinner down when they’re feeling hungry and romantic. He says, speaking of romantic, they haven’t even talked about the details for the wedding, and she says, they’ve been a little preoccupied. Him with whatever he’s doing and Michael, and her with  the MetroCourt and the magazine and Willow. He asks if they can focus on themselves. They haven’t even set a date when she wants to marry him. She says she’s glad he asked because she wants a winter wedding, and she wants their table centerpieces to be filled with anemones and orchids and roses, and she was thinking about wearing an off-white gown. He says, she thought about this? and she says, a little. He says, a lot, and she says, if they have a winter wedding, she saw these amazing emerald and gold invitations; they’re gorgeous. And he would look dashing in a burgundy tux, and she could picture them in Crimson’s January issue. He says he’s not very comfortable with being splashed across her magazine, but he does like a winter wedding because they have time to plan and she can have what she wants. She says, there’s another reason she wants to wait for winter. She wants to make sure Willow is fully recovered. If they have a wedding before Willow is completely cleared, she thinks it would be disrespectful to her. He says, Nina wants her to come around so she can be part of the wedding.

Kristina says she doesn’t know if Willow heard, but she’s starting an LGBTQIA+ youth center here in Port Charles. Willow says, Michael told her. She thinks it’s an amazing idea. Kristina says she asked Dr. Randolph if she would be on the board of directors, and Willows says, she would be excellent. What did she say? Kristina says, she seemed interested, but she didn’t commit yet, so she’s here hopefully to convince her to get on board. (No pun intended?) Willow says, she will, and Kristina says she’s glad she ran into Willow first. She’s realizing she’s not quite in the right head space to talk to Dr. Randolph today, and the worst thing she could possibly do is throw herself into business to distract herself and potential risk messing things up for the foundation. Willow says, distract herself from what? and Kristina says, from feeling left out of her sister’s life.

Alexis asks what led Andrea to wanting to become a surrogate, and Andrea tells her, like she said, she’s married. She and Ben have a young son, Randy; he’s just a baby. Her husband is a plumber and she used to work as an executive assistant. Alexis says, so she’s no longer working, and Andrea says she really wanted to stay home with her son and not look for another job, and she and her husband decided being a surrogate would allow her to do that. Randy’s young enough that he won’t remember her being pregnant. Someday they’ll explain to him of course (🍷), when he’s old enough to understand. Alexis says, it’s good to come clean about things like that, and Andrea says, at this point, he’s so young, he won’t anticipate a sibling when he sees her pregnant. So it won’t mean anything to him. Alexis asks, what will it mean to her?

Cody tells Sam that he can’t think of anything more traumatic than Sasha being trapped in Ferncliff. Please, just hear him out. She sits down, and he says, so Sasha had a breakdown after her baby and husband died within a year. Then she started using drugs; that’s when she cracked. That’s when she smashed in the windshield. Sam asks if he’s trying to prove her point, and he says he gets it, but then Sasha got help. She made a full recovery and was doing so great, she was even able to go back on TV selling Deception’s beauty products. And just when she’s ready to dump Gladys as her guardian and start taking control of her own affairs, she cracks again, even worse than before, leaving greedy Gladys in control of her money. Come on. Doesn’t Sam find that way too convenient?

Finn points to the game on the floor and says he was going to win. It doesn’t matter; Tracy and Brook should talk. He’ll show himself out. Tracy says she apologizes for the rudeness of her granddaughter. She was clearly raised by her mother. He says he’ll call Tracy later and leaves. Brook asks why she did it. Why? Tracy says, do what? and Brook says, go after Deception and in the process hurt her friends. Tracy says, please. She’s told Brook time and again, there are no friends in business. Does Brook think her great grandfather could have built ELQ into what it is today by making friends? Besides, they got what was coming to them. Brook asks how she can say that, and Tracy says, Lucy Coe stole the designs for The Deceptor. Brook says, from who? Tracy? Tracy says, no, and Brook asks, then who? Tracy says, from the company she’s working with, and Brook says, so there it is. Tracy just revealed the whole plot. Tracy used her. Tracy says, Brook used her to get Chase back his job, and Brook says, and Tracy used that to blackmail her into hurting her friends so she could help some random company. For what? Some revenge on Lucy Coe? Some bizarre vendetta? What’s happened to her? My guess: Tracy is working with Martin’s ex-wife number three, whose idea he inadvertently passed to Lucy.

Cody tells Sam, Sasha isn’t in Ferncliff because she’s a danger to him or herself. She’s in Ferncliff because she’s a threat to Gladys controlling her money. Sam asks if he really believes Gladys had Sasha drugged and sent to Ferncliff so she could remain in control of Sasha’s assets, and he says he’s played cards with Gladys. She’s an addict, like anyone who’s addicted to booze or coke. She says, that’s a big accusation to make, and he says, yeah, and Gladys has an even bigger debt to pay. Addicts are liars. He has no idea what lies Gladys has told herself to justify what she’s doing to Sasha. Frankly, he doesn’t care. All he cares about here is the victim. So is Sam going to let Sasha just rot in Ferncliff, or is she going to help him get in there and help her?

Sonny tells Nina, Willow’s on the road to making a full recovery, so they have to believe that. Nina says she does. She saw Willow earlier at Kelly’s and she looked a lot better. She just doesn’t want to tempt fate. He says, she’s going through a lot; she’s been through a lot. She’s a fighter. Nina says, she is a fighter, but it’s hard not to worry about her, and he says, they’re always going to worry about their kids. Nothing’s going to change that. But Nina’s been doing a lot of praying, and her prayers seem to be answered. Nina says, Sonny knows her a little too well, and he tells her not to forget that. He knows how important it is to have Willow at their wedding. Nina says, they’ve made a lot of progress. They’ve had some really good conversations, and Willow has made it clear she wants more of a relationship with her. He says, that’s great, and she says, it’s just going to be a long, hard road to rebuild that trust, but she wants Willow at the wedding, and they both know she won’t attend as long as Michael’s not there. (I dunno about that.) How does he feel about that? He says, if Michael wants to show up, nothing would make him happier. If you’d asked him six months ago if there was a chance Michael would come to their wedding – they laugh – he would say, no way. But you‘ve got to have hope, and he and Michael are doing a lot better. She says, that’s great, because she knows how important that is to him. He says, they’ve got to be thankful for everything they’ve got, and things seem to be looking up for them.

Willow says, Kristina can talk to her. What happened? Kristina says she knows she can trust Willow with this, and the secret is going to be out in nine months anyway. Molly and TJ have been having some infertility issues; Molly specifically has been. Willow says, poor Molly, and Kristina says, she’s been taking it really hard, and ever since they found out, she – they – have been talking about ways to have a baby of their own. So Kristina stepped up and committed the unpardonable sin of offering to be their surrogate. Willow says, wow. That is quite an offer. She’s taking it that it didn’t go over well. Kristina says, but it should have. You’d think Molly would see it as the selfless and loving gift she intended it to be. Instead, she’s insulted and completely shut Kristina out.

Andrea says she’s sure Alexis knows, there’s no greater joy than being a mom, and she was blessed with an easy and healthy pregnancy. If she can somehow pass that joy on to Molly and TJ by being their surrogate and giving them the gift of being parents, she’s also providing for her family and she’s willing to do it. Molly says, she and TJ can’t thank Molly enough. And they’ll both be there for Andrea every step of the way. Andrea says, luckily, she does know what to anticipate with the pregnancy, and going into it, knowing she’s carrying Molly and TJ’s baby and not her own, will make it possible for her to do this. That’s why she signed the contract. Alexis says she knows something about contracts, having been a lawyer for most of her life. She also knows what they can’t do. They really can’t capture the emotional part of what it means to have a child. So she thanks Andrea. It’s an incredible gift Andrea is giving to her child.

Elizabeth says she’s so sorry this is happening to him, and Gregory thanks her. It’s been a struggle to wrap his mind around it. (There’s a lot of that going around.) He put off facing it for as long as he could, which is why he hid his diagnosis from Finn and Chase for so long. He still hasn’t found the strength to tell Chase. Now that Finn knows, on the one hand, he’s relieved; on the other hand, he knows his son. She says, he’ll do everything he can for Gregory, and he says, that’s what he’s afraid of. Finn will act as both his doctor and his son, and he’ll forget to feel. But he’ll need to be in touch with those feelings, and for that he’ll need Elizabeth. Gregory dreads what’s ahead for him, but knowing Finn has her beside him, supporting him, he can dread it a little less.

Tracy says, what’s happened to her? What’s happened to Brook? Chase has softened her beyond recognition. Brook says, thank you, but Tracy says, that wasn’t a compliment. Brook says, Luke’s death has hardened Tracy more than she could have possibly imagined. She’s not only destroyed a company, she’s destroyed dreams. Does she understand that? Tracy says, please, and Brook says, if there’s any merit to this suit, it could bankrupt Deception. Tracy says, well, then Lucy Coe hasn’t kept very good books if her company’s that financially fragile, and Brook says, she’s unbelievable. This could leave Deception vulnerable to a hostile takeover. Or it could crumble before it ever has a chance to get back up on its feet. Tracy says, that’s the plan.

Elizabeth says she’ll do everything she can to support Finn, and Gregory. And she’ll be there for Chase and Violet. Gregory tells her that he had no doubt she’d say that, and thanks her. She asks, who else knows? and he says, at this point, it’s her, Finn, and Alexis Davis. He knows he’s being a coward, but he’s dreading telling Chase. She says, he’s anything but a coward. Facing this alone for months takes way more strength than he’s willing to admit. He’ll find the right moment to tell Chase. He says, Chase is the baby of the family, but boy, the optimist; the one who believes no matter how bad things get, it’s going to be okay in the end. He doesn’t know how to tell Chase that he’s sick, getting sicker, and one day, he’ll be helpless. There are days when he doesn’t believe it himself, but then his hands cramp up, or he struggles to stand up, or he falls down like he did with Violet, and it hits him. He’s going to die. This is real. She says, yeah, it’s real. There are still good days ahead, and she’s going to help him enjoy them. He thanks her and they hug, and Finn sees them.

Brook says, what plan? What is Tracy really after? She hasn’t been interested in ELQ in years, and that’s money to run a small country. What’s really going on here? Who sets out to ruin people’s lives? Oh wait. She’s sorry. Of course (🍷). A Quartermaine. Well look how well that’s turned out for this family. No wonder her dad woke up thinking he was someone else. Who’d want to be Tracy’s kid? Brook stomps out, and Tracy ponders this.

Andrea thanks Molly and Alexis for the lovely meal and even lovelier company. She’s so glad she’s in the position to help Molly and TJ. Molly says, they’re the fortunate ones to have found Andrea, and Andrea tells Alexis, it’s been a pleasure. Alexis says, it was a pleasure for her as well. It was a wonderful night. Andrea leaves, and Molly asks what Alexis thinks, and please, be honest. This is too important for anything else. Alexis says she likes Andrea. She thinks Andrea has a good head on her shoulders, and a good understanding of what it’s like to be a surrogate. Molly says she’s so relieved to hear Alexis say that, and Alexis says she thinks Molly and TJ are going to make fantastic parents. Molly thanks her, and they hug.

Kristina tells Willow, if she’s honest, it feels like Molly is punishing her because she can have a baby and Molly can’t. She knows that sounds harsh. Willow says, Kristina has a right to her feelings. She won’t pretend to know the answers, but one thing she’s learned is that babies are great bridge builders. Once the child is there and you’re interacting with this small miracle and the immediacy of them, it makes the old wounds seem less painful. So don’t assume she and Molly will feel this way forever. It’s very possible once the baby gets here, Kristina will just be aunty and Molly will be mom, and neither one of them will feel the need to be so territorial. It’ll all get easier. Kristina says she really hopes Willow is right, and she hopes the same for Kristina and Nina. She knows there’s negative history there and she gets it, but she’s been spending some time with Nina and she’s really a good person. Kristina’s dad loves her a lot. Maybe it’s like Willow just said, the immediacy will make the old wounds seem less painful. She hopes things get easier for Willow too, and Nina. Willow says she likes the sound of that.

Nina says, she and Sonny need to have these romantic dinners more often, and he says he knows. He’ll see what he can do. They kiss and his phone rings. He says he’s got to get this, and she says, go. He steps away and asks, what’s the update?

Cody says, what if it was Sam in Ferncliff? Or one of her sisters? Alone and afraid, being held against your will, being told by the doctors and staff that you’re crazy. Wouldn’t she want someone to check on her and make sure she’s safe? Wouldn’t she want someone to do something for her if she wasn’t? Wouldn’t she want someone to save her if they could? Or would she prefer everyone just stands on the sideline, does nothing, and hopes for the best? Because when that doesn’t work out, her and everyone she loves are going to regret it for the rest of their lives. Sam says, okay. She’ll do it. She’ll have him committed.

On Monday, Marshall asks if Portia has any good news; Lucy calls Martin an idiot; Trina tells Josslyn, there’s got to be a way to bring them back together; and Stella tells Curtis that he’s not giving up.

⚖️ New Lawyer In Town…

Too bad Nora wasn’t available. Then we’d have both Pine Valley and Llanview representing.

🍑 Peach Of a Reunion…

I’ve been watching this off and on, but I still can’t get the image out of my head of Shereé and Marlo screeching at each other in gibberish back in (I think) season 4. No one seems to have matured much since then either.

🍊 Clap This…

Tamra can make justifications and excuses all she wants, but that episode was disgusting, and she hasn’t changed for the better in all these years.

🛟 His Ship Is Sinking…

Never liked him. Never will.

https://people.com/below-deck-sailing-yacht-gary-king-accused-alleged-sexual-misconduct-7852575

The Latest In Decks…

Not sure how I’m going to feel about Captain Lee’s replacement.

🍸 Because Can’t Let It Go…

Why doesn’t he just leave already? No matter what she says, this can’t be comfortable for her.

https://ew.com/tv/vanderpump-rules-ariana-madix-sleeps-with-door-locked-tom-sandoval/

At least she has something to balance it out.

🍜 Tastes Change…

It’s a wonder she didn’t end up in the hospital from exhaustion.

👹 Delicacies Of Horror…

Some of what to expect in AHS season 12.

https://ew.com/tv/everything-we-know-about-american-horror-story-12-delicate/

AHS trivia. Maybe they should do an AHS: Barbie.

https://ew.com/tv/margot-robbie-almost-starred-in-american-horror-story-asylum/

⚰️ Dead Review…

Apparently, it doesn’t take much to impress him. Just because you’re not repeating the same lines over and over doesn’t make it art. TBD.

For the life of me, I can’t remember this guy.

Teasing Rick and Michonne. Mostly Michonne.

Maggie’s plans in the City.

🏞 Mapping the Last…

They’re ready to roll. Now if the strike would just end.

https://ew.com/awards/the-last-of-us-season-2-mapped-out-craig-mazin/

🐶 No Dogs Under 17 Allowed…

I think this says it all: For years, I have been saying, Somebody needs to make an R-rated talking dog movie, the animal trainer says.

https://people.com/strays-dog-casting-training-exclusive-7692967

🦮 Pets in 3D…

I love it! Kudos to Apple. 🍎

https://people.com/dogs-with-prostheses-star-apple-iphone-campaign-the-invincibles-7724735

🐝 Quotes of the Week

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. – Neale Donald Walsch

You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals. – Booker T. Washington (Well, if I ever reach my goals, it will be one helluva yardstick.)

New beginnings are disguised as painful endings. – Lao Tzu

No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave. – Calvin Coolidge

Nobody can make you a doormat unless you lay down on the floor. – Judge Star Jones, Divorce Court

Whatever we believe about ourselves and our ability comes true for us. – Susan L. Taylor

Today stretches ahead of you waiting to be shaped. You are the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. What today will be like is up to you. – Steve Maraboli

The fruit of your own hard work is the sweetest. – Deepika Padukone

Don’t spend major time on minor things. – Jim Rohn

🍒 Outside the Club…

While you’re enjoying what’s left of the summer, stop by on Monday really Tuesday for soap and random cups of tea. Until then, stay safe, stay tempering your ambition with courtesy, and stay being thankful for everything you’ve got.

August 23, 2023 – And the Mystery Boss Is, Shannon Blows Things Out Of Proportion & Good

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Anna goes to Pozzulo’s and Sonny asks how she’s holding up. She apologizes for just wearing jeans, and says she had to get some clothes. He says, she could wear a burlap sack, and she’d still look great. She thanks him, and he asks if she’s hungry, because he’s been cooking in the kitchen. She asks what he’s making, and he says, a very special lunch.

Sasha rocks back and forth on her bed, when Janice comes in and asks if she’s up for a visitor. Sasha says, no, no, no, and Gladys comes in and asks, what’s wrong with her? Janice tells her, Dr. Montague said she’s going through withdrawal, and Gladys says, from what? Drugs? That doesn’t make any sense. Hasn’t she gone through withdrawal already? Janice says, unfortunately, Dr. Montague said she’s been using in Ferncliff. She must have found someone to bring her drugs. Gladys says, who? How? She’s not allowed any visitors. She’s the only one who gets to see Sasha. Janice says, the medical staff gets to see her, and so does the custodial staff. Gladys would be surprised what an addict will do in order to get what they want.

Selina sees Marshall sipping a drink at a table near the pool, and says, so nice to see him again. They’re blessed with a beautiful day. Is he here for a swim? He says he’s waiting on his sister-in-law, and Selina says, since she hasn’t arrived yet, this is a great opportunity for them to revisit her offer to purchase The Savoy.

Deanna hugs Stella and says, it’s so great having her back working here. Stella says, as long as her family needs her – and Lord, do they ever – she’s sticking around Port Charles. She might as well keep busy and earn some extra money while she’s at it.

Ava arrives at the gallery, which has loads of bird paintings on the walls (this figures in later), and goes through the stuff on her desk. She hears something and picks up a three-hole hole puncher (which is pretty hefty). She stands by the door waiting, when Trina comes in. Ava says, Trina scared her, and Trina says she’s so sorry. What is Ava doing here? How’s Avery? Is she okay? Ava asks, what’s wrong with Avery?

Carly wonders what Austin is doing at Pentenville, and Drew says, he has his doctor bag with him. Maybe he’s seeing a patient or doing some kind of community service or something. She says she never liked that guy. He manipulated Chase into spying on the Quartermaines. Drew says he remembers that, and she says she can’t figure out what his deal is. (That’s okay. Neither can the rest of us.) There’s something about him that she doesn’t trust.

The guard tells Austin, there’s his patient, and Cyrus gets up. He says, Dr. Gatlin-Holt, it’s so nice to see you again, and it’s good to know someone still makes house calls. Austin says, how about if they just get this over with?

Trina tells Ava that Josslyn said Avery was sick; she has a cold. She thinks the new nanny told Josslyn that. Joss is not a fan of hers. Ava says she thinks they might have made a mistake letting Pilar go. She did make a mistake, that’s true, but Avery likes her so much and was so comfortable with her. Just because someone has a spotless reputation as a nanny doesn’t mean that person is the right person to take care of your child. Trina asks if she’s talking about Pilar or Betty, and Ava says she thinks she and Sonny should give Pilar another chance. But enough about that. How is Trina? How’s her summer? How’s Spencer? Trina says she wouldn’t know. Ava would have to ask Esme.

Carly tells Drew that she’s sure Austin has a very good reason for being at Pentenville, and she’s not wasting any more time speculating about it. He says he likes the sound of that, and she says she wants to focus on him. He told her that he saved Cyrus’s life, and that means every inmate in here thinks Drew is his ally. A guard brings Dex in and seats him at a table, and Carly asks if it doesn’t put Drew in even more danger. He says, that’s the way life works in prison. You can’t stay neutral. Like it or not, everybody in here – everybody – is allied with somebody else. Book walks in, and Carly says, Drew didn’t answer her question. Does that mean Cyrus’s enemies will now be targeting him? Book sits down with Dex.

Austin listens to Cyrus’s heart and says, he’s a lucky man. Cyrus says, yes, he knows. The good Lord chose to keep him on this earth a while longer so he can continue doing His work. Austin says, no. Cyrus is a lucky man because he had a heart attack in front of a trained Navy SEAL who knew enough to keep him alive until the medical professionals could arrive. He was lucky Drew Cain was there to intervene. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be alive. Cyrus says he’s thankful God chose to put Drew in his path that day. That whole experience was enlightening in so many ways. Austin says he’s sure. And if that helps Cyrus sleep at night, he’s happy for him. Austin is a fan of science, and this is medicine. He holds up a pill bottle and says, this is for Cyrus’s heart. It’ll unclog his arteries. He’s to take it once a day with baby aspirin. Cyrus says, really, doc, that’s it? No lollipop?

Anna says, this is so delicious. Who taught Sonny to cook? He says he taught himself. Cooking relaxes him. Anna says she rarely cooks. She’s learned to like it a bit more, but she can’t remember the last time she spent a significant amount of time in her kitchen. He says he’s sorry her house burned down, and she says she thinks it’s hitting her harder than she thought it would. He says, it’s her home; she’s going to be hurt. She says she hasn’t been there that long. The stuff inside, it’s just things, like furniture and clothes. She has to remind herself that no one was hurt. Like, what if Robin and the kids had been visiting or Charlotte was home? That’s the stuff she keeps running around in her head. He says, the important thing is nobody was hurt, that’s true, but it’s her home. She picked out the furniture, her clothes… She felt safe, and someone deliberately destroyed that. They wanted to take what she valued and leave her with nothing. She says, yeah. Whoever is out there trying to ruin her life, they’re doing a pretty good job.

Stella sits next to a young woman and introduces herself. She says she was told the woman’s mother was brought in with a lung issue and was put on a ventilator. She knows that must be very scary for her. Felicia walks in and watches from a distance. Stella asks if there’s anyone she can call to be with the woman; dad, grandparents, a sibling? The woman says, it’s just her and her mom. Her mom can’t talk and she doesn’t know what the doctors are saying to her. Stella says, that’s where she comes in. Her job is to help the woman understand all the medical jargon so she knows exactly what’s going on with her mom. Okay? The woman nods, and Stella asks her name. She says, Joanie, and Stella says, good name. She’s got a friend back home named Joanie. And her mother’s name? Deanna tells Felicia, she’s pretty amazing, isn’t she? and Felicia says, she knows exactly what to say. Deanna says, they see it here all the time. Stella is hands down the best patient advocate they have. If anything ever happened to her, she’d want Stella in her corner.

Selina sits down, and Marshall says he didn’t ask her to join him. She says she finds it so much more civilized to discuss business in comfort, but he says, they have no business to discuss. He thought he told her, The Savoy’s not for sale. She says, yes, but that conversation happened in front of his son, who has suffered a devastating injury. She can understand Marshall not wanting to discuss taking anything else away from him, but they’re alone now. It’s time for him to face reality. Either sell the club to her, or simply put, The Savoy will go under.

Gladys asks if Sasha knows who she is, and Sasha says, Gladys. She doesn’t understand. Why is this happening? Gladys asks, why is what happening? and Sasha says, everything hurts. Is Brando coming? Gladys says, we lost Brando. He’s not coming. Sasha says, no, no, no. She needs him. She needs Brando. Everything hurts. Dr. Montague comes in, and Gladys asks what he’s done to her daughter-in-law.

Sonny asks if there are any leads on who burned down Anna’s house, and she says she was with Dante this morning at the PCPD, but nothing. He says he’s asked around, but he hasn’t heard anything. He’s trying to figure out if the shooting at the pool was meant for her or him, but if she was the target, does she think there’s a connection between the fire and the shooting? She says she doesn’t know. She’s not sure what’s more upsetting; the thought that there’s an individual out there laser focused on ruining her life, or that there are multiple people out there after them. He says he’d still like to offer her protection, and she thanks him. She says, Dante offered her that this morning too, but she’ll tell Sonny what she told him. Thank you, but no. He says, Dante’s a cop. It makes sense for him to guard her, but if she doesn’t want the cops to track her… He’s just a friend who’s worried about her safety.

Book asks what Dex wants, and Dex says he works for Sonny Corinthos. He sent him with a message for Book. Book asks, what’s that?

Carly says, Drew shouldn’t have to take on Cyrus’s enemies. She can only imagine that’s one helluva list. He says he can’t undo what’s already happened. Like it or not, he set something in motion when he stepped in to help Cyrus. There’s no way to stop it. She says, that’s where he’s wrong, and he asks, why? What is she thinking? She says she’s thinking they can avoid all this by focusing on getting him out of here.

Cyrus takes the top off the bottle and says he’s glad it’s not a childproof cap. Austin says, again, lucky you, and Cyrus looks on the underside of the cap, seeing the flashdrive, and says, ah. God certainly works in mysterious ways. He puts the cap back on, and Austin says, all right. He’s done everything Cyrus has asked him to do, and it’s Cyrus’s turn to repay the favor. Do unto others, right? That’s the basics for his newfound faith, right? Because he’s done. He’s done cleaning up Cyrus’s messes, he’s done cleaning up Mason’s messes, he’s done risking the integrity of General Hospital, and putting innocent people at risk. He’s done. He’s more than paid off his debt. He wants out. Cyrus says, does he now?

Ava says, it can’t be easy watching Spencer and Esme play house with Spencer’s little brother, and Trina says, yeah. She doesn’t blame Spencer. If she had a little brother whose mother was Esme, she wouldn’t take her eyes off him. Ava says she understands Spencer’s impulse; he’s worried about Ace. Spencer approaches the gallery entrance, and Trina says she gets that. Family is too important to take for granted. She sees that with her mom and everything that’s going on with Curtis… She means, her dad. So she doesn’t blame Spencer for standing by his little brother; that’s what family does.

Stella says she has some answers for Joanie. She spoke with Dr. Burns, and he said he put her mother on a ventilator because her lung collapsed, and he also thinks there might be possible infection. So he’s ordered some other tests to figure out why her lung collapsed in the first place  and what could be causing the potential infection. And he may need to put a stent in her lung to help her breathe better. It’s a serious situation, but it is far from being fatal, and Dr. Burns expects her mom to make a full recovery. Joanie starts to cry, and says, really? She hugs Stella and thanks her. Felicia watches and smiles.

Gladys says she wants Sasha out of this place today, but Montague says, take a look at her daughter-in-law. She’s in no shape to be released; she’s a mess. Gladys says, because of him. He put her in this nuthouse and he can get her out. He says, so she can go straight to prison? She says, all of this is too much and she wants it to stop, and he says, anything she wants… after she pays him for all his trouble. He’d say fifty thousand will do the trick.

Spencer comes into the gallery and says, this new showing is amazing. He always said Ava’s gallery is for the birds. (BA-DUM-CHH!) Trina says, funny, hugging him, and he asks if it’s somebody he’s familiar with, but Ava says, no. It’s a very talented up and comer she happens to have great faith in. Trina can tell him all about it. She’s going to go take care of what she and Trina discussed earlier. She leaves, and Spencer asks Trina to tell him about this new showing. It sounds very cool, very exciting. She says, he hasn’t seen her in forever, and he really wants to talk about the new art exhibit when they have much better things to do? He says, like what? and she says, like this, kissing him.

A nurse comes out and says, Joanie’s mom is asking for her. Stella says she told Joanie that her mom is going to be okay, and Joanie thanks her for everything. They hug, and Stella says she’s so welcome. Now go see her mom, and if she needs anything after, Stella will be right here. Joanie leaves with the nurse, and Felicia approaches Stella. She says, they’ve never met before, but she’s Felicia Scorpio. Stella asks what she can help Felicia with, and Felicia says she was observing Stella with that young girl. The way Stella comforted her was really remarkable. Stella thanks her, but says she was just doing her job. Felicia says, which is what exactly? and Stella says, a social worker. Here at GH, she’s a patient advocate. She helps patients and families of patients navigate their way through the healthcare system. It can be very daunting for the average person. Felicia says, it must be very rewarding to help people, and Stella says, it’s a very rewarding job, but you also have to remember, not every patient gets better. There are some rough days too.

Marshall says, if his son doesn’t sell her the club, Selina is going to run The Savoy out of business? but Selina says she’s sorry. Allow her to clarify. She’s just stating the truth. Curtis isn’t capable physically of running The Savoy right now and Marshall isn’t qualified to run the hippest club in town. (Ouch.) He doesn’t have the connections, or know the ins and outs to keep it going. He says he’ll tell her what he does know. He knows she’s running an illegal poker game in the back room, and in his first act as manager, her poker game is done. Her being welcomed at the club anymore is done. And whatever she’s got on Curtis and whatever arrangement she has with Curtis is done. She ain’t got nothing on him. She says, he’s lived long enough to know how life works. Everyone has something that can be used against them. It’s just a matter of her finding out what his is.

Personal note. Selina would have nothin’ on me either. I’ve always been an open book just in case I get famous, so the tabloids would have nothing on me. Whatever it is, I’ve already outed myself.  

Gladys says, fifty thousand dollars? She doesn’t have that kind of money. Montague says, but Sasha does, and Gladys is in charge of her finances. So she does have that kind of money. She says, it’s not like it’s liquid. It’s not like it’s sitting in some account somewhere. She has to sell stock, and she’s already in debt to Selina Wu. (Didn’t he pay that off for her? Isn’t that how we got here in the first place?) He says, then if he were her, he’d find a way to figure it out, because Sasha isn’t leaving Ferncliff until he gets paid.

Anna says she really appreciates Sonny’s friendship. It’s nice. It feels… well, it comes with amazing food. He laughs, and she says, now that she’s not in law enforcement, it’s a lot less complicated too. He says, so she agrees to have his guys watch her, but she says, no. She doesn’t want his people following her, because she treasures her privacy… and her autonomy. He says he could still have his guys follow her, and she tells him, think about that for a second. How does that work? If she has strangers trailing her, she’s not going to know if they’re his guys following her or the bad guys, so he can see how that would be confusing. He says, all right. He won’t pressure her. He just wants her to know he’s here, he’s available, and he has a lot of resources if she needs them. She says she knows he means it. She also knows he has challenges of his own. He says he can handle that, and asks if she wants more parmesan. She says, that remedies everything, and he sprinkles some on her pasta.

Dex tells Book, Mr. Corinthos wants Drew Cain to be left alone. Don’t mess with him. Don’t approach him. Nothing.

Drew tells Carly that he pled guilty. He accepted the verdict. There’s no way to get out of that. Carly says she disagrees. The sentence the judge imposed on him was unfair and wrong, and it wasn’t what he agreed to with the DA. (Talk to Roman Polanski about that one.) There has to be a way to appeal it, get it overturned, and get him the hell out of here.

Cyrus says, Austin wants out. Just like that. Austin says, just like that. He’s hopeful Cyrus is going to be open to the idea because they go way back, don’t they? When he was a kid, when Cyrus showed up at the house, it was like Christmas morning. It’s the only time in his childhood that he can remember his mom stopped crying. It was great. For her, it was like it was her birthday or something, every single time. And it was so good for him, a relief. For those little chunks of time, he didn’t have to be her perfect little man. And he’s so grateful. He really is. He thanks Cyrus, and thanks him for paying for his education. He thanks Cyrus for checking on him all of those years. He’s grateful, but that’s enough. It’s enough. Because now it’s just all the downside. Little by little, Cyrus roped him into this world he doesn’t belong in. Whatever gratitude that was between them, Cyrus manipulated it. Any love that might have been between them, Cyrus twisted it. He’s exploited Austin’s skills as a doctor and used him. Cyrus has coerced him and forced him to do things he didn’t even think a person could ever do. He didn’t know he was capable of that. He looked Ava Jerome right in the eyes and lied to her, a beautiful woman. He told her that her husband was dead. Who does that? He’s done. Ava deserves to know the truth. She deserves to know Nikolas is alive and he’s the reason. He saved Nikolas’s life.

Spencer tells Trina that he doesn’t want Ace to suffer the same fate he did. He knows that’s far from ideal with him living at his grandmother’s house with Esme and Ace, while she’s off looking for his father. His hope is that his living situation improves once his grandmother and Doc get back. He knows his family situation is really complicated. He wishes it was something simple like Trina has. She says, had. With Curtis being shot and paralyzed, her life is far from being ideal. Spencer asks how he’s doing, and she says, it’s hard seeing him like that. And her mom too, because she wants to help him so badly. He keeps shutting her mom out, and the worst part is, there’s nothing she can do to make it better. She just feels like… He pulls her close and holds her.

Carly says, Drew’s sentence was harsh and arbitrary, and there has to be a judge out there who will at least review it. Diane is the perfect person to find that judge and plead Drew’s case. Drew says he hates being in here; he hates it. He hates being away from her and Scout, but he has to do the time. She says, no he doesn’t, if there’s a chance they can get him to overturn… He says, just hoping for an early release is its own form of torture.

Book tells Dex that he wasn’t going after Drew. He was going after Cyrus and Drew got in the middle. Otherwise, he would have left Drew alone. Dex says, Mr. Corinthos doesn’t want any explanations or excuses. He wants full compliance. So even if Drew spends all day every day with Cyrus Renault, that’s his business. Book doesn’t go anywhere near him.

Austin tells Cyrus, this thing he did with Nikolas is the last thing he does. Where are they at now? Cyrus smiles, and Austin says, that’s it? He’s got nothing to say? Cyrus says, go in peace, and sits down. Austin gets his bag and asks what Cyrus is planning to do with the information he just gave to him. Cyrus says he’ll do what he should have been doing all along. God’s work. Austin gives him a puzzled look, and leaves. Cyrus looks at the bottle and smiles.

Gladys runs into Selina at the pool, and says she was hoping to find Selina here. Selina says, that must mean Gladys has her next payment, and Gladys says, about that. There’s a little problem getting the money together. Some kind of hold was put on Sasha’s Deception, but don’t worry. She’ll do everything she can to clear it up quick. Selina says she’s not here to listen to Gladys’s problems. She wants her money.

Jordan and Anna sit at a poolside table, and Jordan says she’s worried about Anna. It’s unfortunate she can’t head up the investigation into the fire, since she accepted this new role as Deputy Mayor, but she needs Anna to know, she’s monitoring Anna’s case. Anna thanks her, and says she appreciates what everyone is doing, but it’s strange there aren’t any leads. She finds that quite interesting. Jordan asks if she thinks the arson could be connected to the shooting here that injured Curtis.

Stella tells Marshall that she’s so sorry to keep him waiting, but he says, no need to apologize. What she’s doing at GH is important. She says she couldn’t agree with him more, and she thinks she might have recruited someone new to join her department.

Spencer tells Trina that he wouldn’t count Curtis out just yet. It’s really hard for him to imagine someone as active and vital as Curtis facing life in a wheelchair. Does she remember what kind of badass he was in Greenland? He was amazing. Spencer thinks she really needs to trust that Curtis will figure this out. And as soon as he gets his thoughts together, Curtis is going to do the right thing by her mom. She says she just wishes she could do something, but he says, she can’t put that on herself. He thinks ultimately, she needs to remember that this is something between her mom Curtis, and even though he views her as Superwoman, this is one battle her mom is going to need to fight on her own. And what’s more, her mom is one hell of a doctor. She’s not going to let Curtis get anything but the very best care he could possibly have, no matter what he says. The most important thing Trina can do, is stand by her parents. Because that’s what family does.

At Pozullo’s, Ava says she did just what Sonny asked her to do. She went to Austin and asked if Betty found any information on Sonny and Pikeman. Sonny asks what he said, and Ava tells him that Austin assured her they have everything they need. And that as soon as the information is given to their boss, they’ll get Nikolas’s body back, and this will all be over. He asks if she thinks Austin believes that. Does she think Mason and the mystery boss are just going to hand Nikolas’s body over to them, and lose whatever leverage they have?

Dex says, Book wants to stay on Mr. Corinthos’s good side. Not only is he going to avoid any trouble with Drew, he’s going to help Drew out if he gets into trouble with anyone else. Book says, got it. But for the record, Drew is pretty good at taking care of himself.

Carly says, this is Drew’s life, and she’s going to fight for him. If there’s the slightest chance they can get him out of here, they’re going to take it.

Montague tells Sasha that he does have sympathy for her. She’s so confused. She looks around and says, wait. Gladys was just here… Wasn’t she? He says, yes, she was, and Sasha asks if she’s still here. He says, no, she had to go, and Sasha asks, where’d she go? He says, Gladys went to save her, and for Sasha’s sake, she’d better hope Gladys comes through.

Gladys says, please. She’s good for the money. Selina knows that. Selina says, does she really? and Gladys says, in the past, she’s always made her payments on time. This is just a little problem with the Deception stock. Selina tells her that she already said that, and Gladys says, so Selina gets it. She just needs a little more time. Selina says, time is what Gladys doesn’t have, because she’s shutting down the poker game. Gladys says, what? Why? Selina says she doesn’t have to explain anything to Gladys. But when she closes down the poker game, she’ll also be closing down the books on it. No more extensions. No more credit. Payment in full.

Anna tells Jordan that she doesn’t have any evidence to back up her theory, but her instinct tells her the shooting here isn’t related to the arson at all. Jordan says she really wishes they had something on the shooting; any lead, even a small one. Curtis is really going through it at the rehab facility. Even though they’re fairly certain Curtis wasn’t the intended target, it would sure help him to know who was responsible for leaving him paralyzed and unable to walk.

Stella tells Marshall, someone saw her in action today at GH, and she asked Stella about her job, particularly the patient advocacy part. And she got a chance to tell her how wonderful the job could be and how it really gives you a sense of giving back to the community. Marshall asks if she really thinks she’s getting a new colleague, and Stella says, she certainly seemed receptive to the idea. He says he’s not surprised with Stella promoting it. Nothing gets in the way of her – nudge, nudge – getting her point across. She says, he can poke fun of her all he wants, but he’s not going to spoil her good mood. She believes she changed somebody’s life today. He raises his glass to her.

Felicia sits on a bench at the hospital. She smiles at Deanna, then begins to fill out a Patient Advocate Program form.

Spencer asks if that’s a smile he sees. Did he just succeed in cheering up Trina Robinson? Trina says, more like, he stopped the pity party. Because how is she going to help anyone if she’s feeling sorry for herself? So she’s going to take a deep breath – they take one together – and she’s going to promise to be there for her mom and Curtis, whatever they need from her. He says, that sounds more like the fearless person he knows she is, and she thanks him for reminding her that family is all that matters. Speaking of family, how is his little family with Esme? He laughs, and asks what she means. She says, when Laura and Doc get back, are they all going to still live together?

Ava tells Sonny, honestly, she doesn’t know from one day to the next if Austin is being sincere with her or if he’s manipulating her. The night that Nikolas died though, she would have sworn he wanted to help her. Sonny says, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what Austin believes. It’s Nikolas’s body that’s the ultimate leverage over her. They’re not going to get it back unless they find out who Austin and Mason are working for. She says, right. So let’s say his plan works, and the phony information Brick planted on the computer for Betty to find does lead Sonny to their boss. Then what? He slams his hand on the table and says he’ll deal with them.

Carly says, Diane is the best for Drew’s case. It’s her area of expertise. He says, okay. Let Diane explore their options. Carly says, Diane is going to get him out of here, but he tells her not to get her hopes up. The odds are, he’s going to have to serve the full three years. She says she doesn’t believe that, and whatever happens, she’s with him.

Dex tells Book that he’ll be back for another visit soon. He’s going to be monitoring Book closely to make sure he’s following Mr. Corinthos’s orders. Carly sees Austin leaving, and so does Dex. She and Dex lock eyes.

Tomorrow, Brook asks, what’s the emergency; Lucy tells Maxie, someone is out to bring them down with malicious intent; Cody tells Mac to take him in; and Sonny asks about Carly’s visit to Pentenville.

The Real Housewives of Orange County

Shannon tells John that she felt ambushed and Emily betrayed her. John says, they need to STFU, and tells her to be careful who she trusts. As usual, Shannon blows things out of proportion. I think everyone should just ignore her relationship. Emily is going to an event for the California Innocence Project, but plans on getting back for Shannon’s taco fiesta or whatever. I’m with Emily when she says there are a lot of flaws in the legal system. In many of these cases, it’s so obvious they’re innocent. Fancy Pants tells Gina that her day was a clusterf***. She doesn’t think she’s making Shannon’s taco thing, and Gina says she doesn’t think Shannon wants her (Gina) there. In Gina’s interview, she says she’s joining Emily rather than having tacos thrown at her and being screamed at. Fancy Pants meets with Shannon and says she’s sorry Shannon is upset. She doesn’t like people saying she’s spreading info about Shannon’s relationship. She’s never initiated a conversation about it ever and isn’t spreading anything. As usual, Shannon blows everything out of proportion. In Shannon’s interview, she says she wants to think people have good intentions, but they don’t. Fancy Pants says Shannon doesn’t seem to remember who she tells what, and in Gina’s interview, she says, Shannon drinks the truth serum and it brings out the truth. In Emily’s interview, she suggests Shannon get a breathalyzer for her phone. Shannon whines that John wants privacy, and Fancy Pants suggests she not talk so much to so many people. In her interview, Fancy Pants says that Shannon has told several of them that John likes the limelight. As usual… you know the rest. Shannon abruptly ends her conversation with Fancy Pants and walks away.

There was a bunch of family stuff and fostering kittens with Jenn. Her son Dominic is adopted and came to them at 11 months, and in Jenn’s interview, she says, even though she worries about all her kids, she’s more protective of Dominic. She talks to Dominic about his birth mother, and I have to note that all her kids seem very well-adjusted. Run, Jenn, run!  

Fancy Pants signed escrow papers for the penthouse she and Terry negotiated on for 9 months, and it looks like they’re selling the house for $55 million. Fancy Pants says, it’s like having a baby. Shannon takes the news of Fancy Pants canceling calmly, and says, more tequila for her. As Shannon gets the house ready for her fiesta, Emily calls and says, it’s important they have sit-down. She cares about their friendship. Shannon says, Emily is talking to everybody else about her relationship, but Emily says, Shannon shares her relationship BS off-camera, then doesn’t take accountability for what she says. She’s two different people. Shannon makes excuses, and Emily says she’s not doing this on FaceTime, and she’s not doing it tonight. Have fun at her party. Shannon is still talking as Emily hangs up. In Emily’s interview, she says, the purpose of her call was to tell Shannon that she was going to be late, but forget it, she’s not going at all. And tacos are her favorite food, so you know she’s pissed. She tells production that she’s sick of Shannon’s BS. As usual, Shannon blows everything out of proportion, and whines to production that John’s kid doesn’t like her. She can’t say that on camera. It’s on camera? They can’t put that on camera.

We revisit the story of Terrill, a man who served time for a murder he was innocent of when he was a kid. Emily had met him early on through the Innocence Project, and Gina tells Emily that she’s a great friend and person. She’s pissed at Shannon badmouthing Emily, but thinks Shannon is in a bad spot. They meet with some of the exonerees before the gala, and one woman had been in prison for 28 years and on death row before the girl who committed the crime confessed. In Gina’s interview, she says she was in jail for less than 24 hours, and it was enough for her. Terrill is there with his little daughter, and says, he can’t get his time back, but can help another young person. Emily says he could be pissed off, but he’s kind and radiates light and positivity. In her interview, she says, when do work that’s bigger than you, it puts things in perspective. It makes you realize the things that are trivial and that you have no reason to complain. At the gala, the head guy makes a short speech, and Emily is introduced. She tells them that tonight is about money and make sure they donate. It’s also about the exonerees, and she encourages the guests to take the time to meet them and hear their stories.

In contrast, Shannon wails that six people aren’t coming. She bought 16 of everything and it was expensive. As usual, she blows things out of proportion, and in her interview, she says, it’s the worst case scenario. I guess it doesn’t occur to her that she could have no one showing up. In Tamra’s interview, she says, Shannon called her up, hysterical and crying, and telling her six people weren’t coming. She feels bad, but if you have a fight with them the night before, probably. Taylor and her husband, Jenn and Ryan, and Tamra and Eddie arrive. Shannon bitches to everyone, Señor Noodles mans the grill, and they swill tequila. Should Eddie be drinking like that?

Shannon says she’s grateful for those here. She had a tough day, but she’s with people she cares about and who care about her. Eddie says, they’re glad to be here to celebrate Shannon and John’s relationship. John says, it’s not perfect, and Eddie says, nobody’s is. In Tamra’s interview, she says, when she sees Shannon and John together, things seem good, but she doesn’t believe it. She doesn’t know if they’ll get married, but her gut tells her no, and her gut is always right. Señor Noodles says, the steaks are high, and no that’s not a typo; he holds the steaks aloft on his knife. Jenn says, it sucks to have your relationship scrutinized and to have being honest thrown back in your face. It’s not right. In Jenn’s interview, she says, no one deserves that treatment, but if you’re hiding something, this is not the group to hide info from. The food looks absolutely amazing, and Taylor says, she’s new to the friend group, so she wonders who can be trusted. Tamra tells her to look at who’s sitting at the table and who isn’t. Which could be taken two different ways. Jenn tells Shannon that Gina felt Shannon was poking around in her relationship, and we flash back to that to Gina saying, Shannon talks about her relationship, but God forbid Shannon’s relationship is talked about. Shannon says, if she’d been crying to John about David for years, he’d say get TF out. She tried to be nice to Gina and help her with her DUI a million years ago. We flash back to that, and Shannon says, Gina’s children would have gone to CPS if she hadn’t intervened. In Jenn’s interview, she says, this is not table conversation. You don’t talk about a mom, her kids, and CPS. If she was Gina, she’d be pissed. Tamra suggests they just move on, and Señor Noodles says, they need a tequila shot. He brings out a super soaker filled with tequila, and after Taylor nearly chokes on it (the tequila, not the water gun), somehow Tamra gets ahold of it. She chases Taylor around, but gets Shannon instead, then throws it in the water, saying, bad gun.

I know I don’t have to tell you how very extra and fabulous the penthouse is. I was too mesmerized to gather many details, but it’s over five thousand square feet, which is bigger than my 4-bedroom house. Roberto Cavalli did a lot of the furniture, which was included. All this for only $14 million. In her interview, Fancy Pants says, the finishes are perfection, but she wants to tweak some of the furniture. She and Terry feel like newlyweds. The view is insane, and all I can say about the main closet is, wow! She says, they’re not sharing details about the sale of the house yet. It’s not goodbye to Orange County. She’s just seeing someone else for a moment.

Omg, they’re bottle feeding the kittens. Gina visits Jenn, who asks where she was. Gina says she didn’t want to be responsible for messing up Shannon’s fiesta. It made zero sense to go. Shannon got super defensive, assuming Gina was trashing her relationship. Jenn tells her that Shannon didn’t say that, but she alluded that she helped Gina when she went through a DUI, and Gina’s kids would have gone to CPS if she hadn’t stepped in. Gina says, there were zero scenarios where her kids would have been taken. She and Shannon are going to have a problem. You don’t say things like that if they’re not true. In Gina’s interview, she says, it’s a completely false statement. If that happened when you got a DUI, everybody’s kids in the OC would be locked up. She tells Jenn that Shannon relentlessly brings that up, and we flash back to that. Gina says, the best way for her to have a healthy relationship with Shannon is to set boundaries. Now Shannon’s being crueler. In her interview, Gina says, there isn’t going to be a friendship, but Shannon needs to know she crossed the line. She tells Jenn, you can’t light me on fire and let everybody watch me burn, and Jenn says, Gina needs to sit Shannon’s ass down and say, enough.

Emily meets Shannon for lunch, and in Shannon’s interview, she says she cares about Emily, but she doesn’t think the feeling is mutual. Emily apologizes for what she said during their call, and Shannon says, if Emily is concerned about her, she needs to talk with her instead of talking behind her back. Emily says, they had a conversation about Shannon’s relationship because they were concerned about her, and Shannon says she thinks Emily is exaggerating, which is pretty funny considering that’s Shannon’s M.O. She tells Emily that Fancy Pants is insinuating her relationship is all bad sh*t, and said Emily brought it up; Gina and Tamra brought it up. In Shannon’s interview, she says, Fancy Pants has a history of making things worse than they are, and we flash back to Fancy Pants telling Terry that Shannon is having a psychotic break when she’s really just yelling. Shannon tells Emily that Fancy Pants is calculating and manipulative, but Emily suggests they table Fancy Pants and get back to them. She wants to move past this. She cares about Shannon and wants her to be happy. In Emily’s interview, she says she can’t force someone to be friends or forgive, and in Shannon’s interview, she says she’s grateful for this meeting. She feels good about things, but she’s going to proceed with caution. Emily says she’s sorry for missing Shannon’s taco party, and Shannon says, it was on National Taco Day. It’s the way she says it. Like it makes the offense even worse.

Next time, pumpkin races; Gina confronts Shannon about the CPS remark; Jenn says, the thought of marrying Ryan is scary; Shannon wonders if John is really in the relationship; and Shannon thinks Fancy Pants is insincere.

🏄‍♀️ Living Life Without It…

Come by for soap, what’s on the Runway, and teatime tomorrow. Until then, stay safe, stay being assertive without being aggressive, and stay not having pity parties. How are you going to help anyone if you’re feeling sorry for yourself?

August 9, 2023 – Gregory Takes Alexis Hatchet Throwing, Lots Of Concern About Shannon In the OC & All

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Alexis looks at a headline on her computer: Senator Wilkins Acquitted On All Counts. She says she can’t believe it. That son of a… He got away with it. Gregory asks what she’s talking about, and she says, look at this, and reads him the headline. He asks how that’s even possible. He was caught red-handed. She says, that’s because he has good lawyers. No. He’s got clever lawyers. He’s got expensive lawyers because he can afford to pay for them. This makes her so freakin’ mad. It’s the height of injustice. He says, not to mention inept prosecutors, and she says, right. They were so sure they were going to win. He says, they underestimated the opposition, and she says, this makes her so mad. She just wants to break something. He says, why doesn’t she?

There’s a knock at Olivia’s office door, and she says, come in. Carly says she hopes it’s okay she dropped by. Trish said Olivia was working late. Olivia asks what she can do for Carly, and Carly says, it’s so weird, being in her old office. She’s surprised Nina hasn’t taken it over. Olivia says she’d never let that happen, and Carly thanks her. She heard about everything going on since Ned left the hospital, and she wants to say she’s so sorry. Nina comes to the door, and Carly says she wouldn’t wish that on her worst enemy. Nina clears her throat, getting their attention.

Curtis is glued to his phone, when Marshall comes in. Marshall asks how it’s going, and Curtis says, whatever Marshall does, don’t ask how he’s doing. Marshall says, of course (🍷), but if Curtis changes his mind and decides he wants to tell him, he wants to know. One thing he knows without Curtis telling him is, time drags in the hospital. Curtis says, yes it does. He couldn’t even watch the big fight tonight because he couldn’t stand to watch those athletes in peak physical condition, or even the audience, all active and energetic, while he sits here doing nothing. Marshall says, maybe he should stop thinking about what he can’t do and start focusing on what he can do. Curtis says, like what? and Marshall takes out a deck of cards, tosses it on the tray, and taps the box.

Portia flashes back to telling Curtis that they’re in this together, no matter what the odds are and no matter what life throws their way. Trina comes in, and Portia says, she’s home. Trina asks if it’s okay, and Portia says, of course (🍷). It’s more than okay. It’s the best news she’s had in a long time. She hugs Trina, and Spencer walks in with a load of bags.

Jordan finds Dante in the interrogation room, working on his laptop, and asks what he’s doing in there. He says, it gets a little noisy in the squad room, so he thought he’d come in here and try to focus. Jordan asks what he’s working on, and he says he thought she hung up her Commissioner badge for the Deputy Mayor spot. She says she did, but that doesn’t mean she can’t be curious about something.

Sonny tells Donna that he liked the movie, and she says, her too. He says, now she has to brush her teeth and go to bed. She asks if she can’t stay up with him, and he says, all right. Five more minutes. She says, yay! and he puts the TV back on.

Olivia asks what she can help Nina with, and Nina says she just wanted to thank Olivia for this morning… But they can talk about it another time. Goodnight. Olivia says, goodnight, and Nina leaves. Carly asks what that was about, and Olivia says, she met with Nina to plan the wedding.

Alexis tells Gregory, it’s not that breaking this or that, or sweeping her arm across the whole desk (I’ve always wanted to do that) wouldn’t feel cathartic, and she wants to. But then her office would be all messy, and she’d be the one who has to clean it up (that’s what stops me too). So she’s not going to break anything. So she’s just going to walk away and not read another word about that miserable senator that’s making her crazy. Gregory says, she took his suggestion way too literally. He wasn’t suggesting she destroy her office. He has a much better idea.

Gregory and Alexis walk into the hatchet throwing range, and Alexis says, ax throwing? Doesn’t he think it’s a bit violent? He says, it’s not violent; it’s a sport. He’s guessing it’s going to be cathartic in getting out her frustration. She asks if he’s done this before, and he says, no, but his sons have. Anytime Finn and Chase agree on something, he has to give it a try. They say it’s very satisfying. Besides, it’s something on his bucket list. She says, he has a bucket list? and he says, actually, he has two.

Sonny watches the fight, and says, great hit. He looks over at Donna sleeping on the couch, and calls Dante. He asks if Dante is watching the fight, but Dante says, no. He’s still at work. Sonny says, he’s missing out. Ferrari is killing him. Dante says, don’t tell him anything; he’s recording it. Sonny says he won’t spoil it for Dante. Why is he still at work? Dante says he’s just going through some cases, and Sonny says he’ll talk to Dante soon.

Dante tells Jordan, it was his dad, giving him an update on the fight, and she asks if he has any updates on the pool shooting, the one that paralyzed Curtis. (Like there’s more than one.) He says, nothing much. So far, they just have more questions than answers.

Curtis says, Marshall brought a deck of cards. No doubt to play Go Fish. He knows that’s a kids’ game. Marshall says, the way he remembers it, it was Curtis’s favorite game to play as a boy. That and checkers, although he wasn’t very clear on the rules. He had this tendency to always declare himself a winner, even when he wasn’t. Curtis says he doesn’t know about declaring himself the winner, but he sure loved jumping those pieces across the board. Marshall says, he sure did. According to Trina, there’s an app on his phone where he can play checkers. Of course (🍷) if you can’t pick up the pieces, what’s the point? Curtis says, exactly, and Marshall laughs. Curtis says he remembers when he was a kid, sitting across from Marshall and looking up at him, and Marshall laughing exactly like that. He loved hearing Marshall laugh, but what he loved more was spending time with him. Marshall says he’s sorry. He deprived them both of so many years. Curtis says, none of that matters now. What matters is, Marshall was there when he was a kid and he’s here now, and he couldn’t be any more grateful.

Spencer tells Portia, when Trina asked for his help moving back home, of course (🍷) he said yes, because he knew how much it would mean to Portia to have Trina living with her again. Portia tells Trina that she’s so sorry. She’s been using Trina’s room as extra storage while she was gone. So she’ll be sure to remove all those books and extra towels later. Trina says, it’s no big deal. She’ll move them right now. She’ll be right back. She goes upstairs, and Spencer says he’ll take this stuff up to Trina’s room, but Portia says, that won’t be necessary. She’ll take it from here.

Carly says, Olivia is planning Sonny and Nina’s wedding. Wow. She can’t believe they had the audacity to ask her to do that. Olivia says, they didn’t ask; she offered. And it’s not what Carly is thinking. She’s not doing it for Nina and Sonny. She’s doing it for herself. She needed a distraction. She has to get her head out of all things Quartermaine. She can’t stop obsessing over Ned. She looks at him and sees her husband. Then he opens his mouth… Carly says, and he’s Eddie Maine, and Olivia says, being in that house, her home, it’s unbearable. Carly says she’s so sorry, and Olivia says, luckily, Michael is taking care of all things Quartermaine and all things Aurora. And Leo. Somehow that kid is able to comprehend that Eddie isn’t his dad better than she can, but he still misses his dad. How can he not? And Tracy is trying to get Ned committed. Carly says, that’s so extreme, and Olivia says, ya think? And just when she thinks she’s getting somewhere, she turns her back and he completely disappears. Carly asks how she can help, and Olivia wonders how Carly can even offer that after the way she treated Carly.

Nina asks what Sonny is reading, and he says, the commentary on the fight he just watched. She says, he has a little smile on his face. She’s guessing his guy must have won. He says, it makes him kind of happy. It went down to the wire; it was a great fight. He hates when a fight is uneven, and the one guy just pounds on the other guy. He wants it to be more competitive, like a dance… She’s not interested in boxing, is she? She laughs and says, as a sport, no, not really, but anything that makes him so excited and makes him smile means a lot to her.

Dante says, the working theory on the pool shooting is that the target was either Anna or Sonny, and Jordan says, two different ends of the spectrum. One spent most of her life fighting crime, while the other spent most of his life a criminal. Dante says, here’s the thing. The gun that was used was traced back to a storage locker at a WSB facility in Berlin, but there’s no prints. They can’t trace the bullets or the shooter. She asks what the WSB is saying about the gun, and he tells her, they said it was a break in, a security breach, and they didn’t know how it happened. But there’s no leads, no suspects. She asks if he doesn’t find it odd they’re not showing more interest, especially given that Anna was a former agent for them. He says, yeah, but it sounds like the WSB is washing their hands of Anna Devane.

Curtis asks if Marshall has a two, but Marshall says, no. Go fish. Curtis takes a card from the pile, and asks, what’s up with Marshall’s band? Marshall asks if he’s got any eights, and Curtis hands him one. Marshall thanks him, and says, they played a couple of gigs around town, plus there’s a club in Brooklyn that’s showing some interest. Curtis says, sounds exciting, and Marshall says, it does, but he doesn’t think it’s a good time to leave town. Plus the owner of the club is lowballing them of course (🍷). Curtis says, if they’re lowballing him, why is he still considering it? and Marshall says, they can expose the band to a brand new audience. Curtis knows he can talk about the music business for hours, but why don’t they talk about what they’re both thinking. He’s wondering what’s going to happen to Curtis, and Curtis says, to be honest with Marshall, he’s wondering the same thing.

Alexis’s ax bounces off the target, and she takes off her jacket. Gregory is a natural, but she keeps trying, and there’s a song part. She finally hits the target, and dances around.

Sonny and Nina cuddle, and he asks, who gave her that ring? She says, this little thing? Just some guy who says he wants to spend the rest of his life with her. He says, seems like a smart guy. He’s showing her how committed he is by putting a ring on it. Why was she late? Where was she? She says she wanted to stop by Olivia’s office and talk about wedding plans, but when she went there, Olivia was in her office with Carly.

Carly says, Olivia was in the middle of a crisis and snapped at her. She gets it. During some of the worst times of her life, Olivia’s been there for her, and she’s come to depend on Olivia’s friendship, so they’re good. Olivia says, that just makes her feel worse. She was so overwhelmed with worry that Ned wasn’t going to wake up; that she was going to be stuck forever with some middle-aged rocker, but that’s no excuse. Carly says she appreciates Olivia’s apology, but who else is she going to dump on? Tracy? She was terrified, and Carly’s tough. She can take it. Olivia says, but she shouldn’t have to, and Carly says, Olivia is her best friend and they’re always going to have each other’s back. She so appreciates that and she needs that. Besides, she comes with limitations. Olivia can make a lasagna and she can only make a simple casserole, but what she can do is promise Olivia that she’ll always be there for her no matter what. Olivia cries and hugs her.

Portia tells Spencer, this is always going to be Trina’s home, no matter what. No matter how old she gets. When Trina’s done with college, she’s always going to be here for Trina. So she’s more than capable of helping her move back in her room. He says, of course (🍷). He completely understands that. It’s just that Trina asked for his help moving back in, so he thinks she’s expecting him to stick around. She says she understands that, but since her husband is in the hospital, and he’s currently paralyzed, she’d kind of like some one-on-one time with her daughter. She doesn’t think he understands how much she worried about Trina, about her safety and security. He says his Uncle Victor is dead, so that threat is gone. She says she wishes the Cassadines were the only thing she needed to worry about though. Curtis was shot by a ricochet bullet at the MetroCourt pool of all places; a place they should all feel safe, right? And the police say, there’s a possibility the bullet that wounded her husband was meant for his other uncle, Sonny Corinthos.

Jordan says, right before the shot rang out, she remembers seeing Anna having a conversation with Dante’s dad. Does he have any idea what they were talking about? He says, they’ve known each other forever. They could have been talking about anything. Maybe she was filling Sonny in on what Robin’s up to or maybe she was telling Sonny what she’s going through with the WSB. Jordan asks how Anna’s handling that, and he says, honestly, he doesn’t think she’s doing very well. Who would be in that situation, going through what the WSB’s put her through? She’s been in law enforcement her entire life, and now she’s on the outside looking in. On top of that, she was the potential target in a shooting, and she can’t investigate it. She doesn’t have WSB resources anymore. He thinks she’s having a tough time, even though she says she’s handling it well. She says, Anna always insists she can handle anything, and he says, they’ve got to find that shooter. She says, if they need her, officially or unofficially, she wants to help.

Alexis says she’s feeling a lot less stress, and Gregory says he told her so. He’s about to throw an ax, but drops it, and says he needs to take a little break. She tells him, have a seat. She could use some water too. She tosses one more ax before heading for the table, and Gregory points at the target. She sees she’s gotten a bullseye, and says, look at that.

On the phone, Dante says he loves Sam too. He’ll see her soon. He picks up the file on the pool shooting and opens it.

Olivia asks if Carly remembers the day they met, and Carly says she does. It was here in the MetroCourt. Olivia was in town for Sonny and Kate’s wedding. She grew up with Sonny in Bensonhurst, and he ran into her and asked her to be the maid of honor for his fiancé Kate Howard. Olivia says, Kate Howard was not her real name, and she spilled all of Kate’s secrets that her real name was Connie Falconari and she was from Bensonhurst, not some snotty blueblood from Connecticut. She was from Bensonhurst, just like Olivia, and she used to talk just like Olivia. Carly laughs and says, that was fifteen years ago. Can she believe it? We flash back to Olivia and Carly’s friendship over the years. Olivia says she guesses they’ll always be connected through Sonny, but Carly says, she doesn’t give them enough credit. Sure, they’ll always have a connection through Sonny, but becoming Olivia’s friend is one of the best decisions she ever made. She really does value Olivia’s friendship. Olivia says, then be honest. Does it really not bother her that she’s helping Nina and Sonny plan the wedding?

Curtis tells Marshall, when he checks out of the hospital, he’s supposed to go to a rehab facility. He’s got to say, he’s dreading that. Marhsall asks, why? Aren’t they supposed to teach him how to get around and get on with his life? Curtis says, that’s just it. He feels like going to that rehab facility is like him announcing to the world that he’s given up hope of ever walking again, and that he’s accepted this is what his life is about; life in a wheelchair. Marshall says, just because Curtis learns to get around in a wheelchair doesn’t mean he has to stop hoping he can walk someday again. He knows Curtis and knows he’s a proud man, and he’s had a very active life. He feels Curtis’s frustration, but he’s here to remind him that he doesn’t have to go through this struggle alone. Curtis says he knows Portia is so determined to be with him to support him. Just seeing her reminds him of the life they’ll never have together. It just makes it worse. Geez, Curtis might as well go to rehab, since he sounds like he’s given up. There’s a knock at the door, and Jordan asks if she’s interrupting, or is this a good time for a visit?

Spencer tells Portia that he’s so incredibly sorry for what happened to Mr. Ashford, but as he understands it, the police aren’t sure who the intended target was. The last thing he wants to do is make Portia’s life more difficult. One thing he can promise her is that he’s nothing like his late Uncle Victor or his Uncle Sonny. She says, he’s not exactly a saint though, is he? and he says, that’s true. His track record is far from spotless, and he hopes he’s earned some redemption for what happened in Greenland. But beyond that, he wants her to know that he wants Trina to be safe and to be happy. So to make her night easier, he’s going to say goodbye to Trina and take off. She says, there’s no need for him to say goodbye in person. She can let Trina know he had t to take off. He says, okay then. Goodnight. He leaves, and Portia heads for the stairs with a suitcase. Trina is on her way downstairs, and asks, where’s Spencer? Portia says, he took off.

Alexis asks if Gregory is okay, and he says, mostly just embarrassed. She says, embarrassed? He’s an ax athlete. Tell her about his bucket list. He can only have one. He tells her, says who? and she tells him, says logic. Says common sense. You get one bucket list, which means you can keep adding on as much as you want, so you don’t need a second. She sees his hand shake, and asks if it’s getting worse. He says, every single day.

Marshall tells Curtis, don’t worry, as he gathers up the cards. He’ll be back tomorrow and Curtis can redeem himself. Curtis thanks him, and Marshall leaves. Jordan says, Go Fish? Really? She always thought he played higher stakes games. He says, Go Fish reminds his dad of when they played cards when he was a kid before he took off. So if it makes him smile, it makes Curtis smile. Jordan says she’s got it, and he says he knows people are on edge when they come to see him, because no one knows what to say. So if playing a kids’ card game puts his dad at ease… She says, that’s what he’s going to do. She sees that. He wants his dad to feel better. He says, except there’s not much he can do these days, so it’s nice to do the one thing he can, and she says, which is exactly why she’s here. She needs something from him.

Trina tells Portia that she wishes Spencer had stayed. They could have gotten everything to her room a lot faster. Portia says, Spencer is probably thinking about his baby brother, and Trina says, right. She knows how important Ace is to him. Portia says, besides that, it’s her and Trina. They manage pretty well, don’t they? It’s like old times, right? Trina says, that is the reason she decided to come home, and Portia asks what she means. Trina says she didn’t want Portia tackling the biggest job by herself. This house isn’t handicap accessible. So what’s the plan? Is she going to install ramps for a wheelchair? Hand grips in the bathroom? Maybe they should move to someplace that’s all one-level. She knows how much Portia loves the beach house, but is it really the best place for Curtis?

Sonny tells Nina, Port Charles is a big city in some ways, but in other ways, it’s a community. He and Carly share kids, and Nina is going to be running into her a lot, and he doesn’t want her to feel like she’s got to avoid Carly, especially in her own hotel. She says she doesn’t. She knows Olivia and Carly are really good friends, and she didn’t mean to interfere. She doesn’t want to make things more tense than they already are. Things are going really great between her and Olivia, and she doesn’t want to ruin it. Especially now, and specifically considering what she went to Olivia’s office to talk to her about. He asks what she went to Olivia’s office to talk to her about, and she says, their future. Specifically, setting their wedding date.

Gregory tells Alexis that he has a disease that’s making his world smaller and smaller, and day by day taking away his abilities, and making him more dependent on other people. Alexis says, he must be scared, but he says, no. Angry… No. Royally pissed off. But what good is being angry going to do him?It’s just using up more of what he doesn’t have – time. Time with his sons and his granddaughter, who brings him endless joy. Alexis says, how could she not? and he says his family life is still pretty good. He has great friends, like her. He started a second chapter career. But lately, he can’t stop thinking… no, obsessing about the inevitable. When he first started getting symptoms, he was able to ignore them for a while, until he couldn’t. Then he was diagnosed. At  one doctor’s appointment, in one moment, everything changed. Everything was taken away from him, and he doesn’t want to give it up. She goes around behind him and hugs him, and he cries. Me too.

Portia tells Trina that Curtis will be in a rehab facility for a month or so, so she has some time to make this place handicap accessible. And just to be perfectly transparent, he hasn’t even agreed to come back here after. Trina says she’s so sorry. It must be killing Portia. Portia says, intellectually, she knows what’s going on. She knows how patients deal with facing paralysis, but she believes this is the time you show up for the people you love. So she’s going to wait for him to get through this and let her in. She hopes he’s going to let Trina in too. Trina says she hopes she’s ready if he does, because she’s been feeling so sad and disconnected. Portia says she’s sure Curtis is feeling the exact same way. Trina knows ordinarily Curtis would love to spend time with her. Portia thinks he’s just facing the feelings of being paralyzed. Trina says she wanted to see him and she wanted to see Portia too. That’s the reason she came home, because she missed her mom. Portia says she missed Trina so much, and hugs her.

Curtis says, as Jordan can see, he’s not really in a position to be doing any favors, but she says, he might be able to help more than he thinks. She sits down and says she doesn’t know if he remembers, but she was at the MetroCourt pool with Zeke and Portia the night he got shot. He says he remembers, and she says, the police believe either Sonny Corinthos or Anna Devane was the intended target of the shooter. Has anything come back to him about the shooting? Any details or observations that could help them track down the shooter? He asks how she’s investigating the shooting. Isn’t she the new Deputy Mayor? She says she is, and she’s doing her best, but what can she say? Once a cop, always a cop. Besides, she has a personal stake in his case. Obviously, he does too, so if anything comes back to him… Any memory, any sound, anything at all, please let her know. He says he can do that.

Gregory tells Alexis that he knows he keeps saying he doesn’t want to tell his sons about his ALS. It’s because they’d look at him differently, and he wants their time together to be special. But lately, these symptoms are getting worse. He finds himself canceling, avoiding them. While his bucket list is getting longer, he’s opting out of it. Not just the bucket list, but day to day stuff, like hiking with Chase, breakfast with Finn and Violet, because he’s so scared that he’s going to have some symptom he can’t hide or explain away. She says, how about if he just starts with Finn? He’s a doctor. Finn can help him. Gregory says, he’s been through so much already. He doesn’t want to be a burden to Finn. She says, he just told her that he wants to enjoy his life for as long as he can. So do it.

Nina says, when Sonny was talking to Brick, she was talking to Olivia about wedding plans, and she quickly realized they can’t make wedding plans without setting a wedding date. He says he already told her that he loves her, and he wants her to have the perfect wedding of her dreams. But he wants to be perfectly clear. He’ll go to a courthouse to marry her. He’ll go to Vegas and marry her. He just wants her to know he’s committed and serious about marrying her. They kiss, and he says, but they’ve got to pick a date tomorrow. They kiss some more.

Carly says she knows Olivia loves Sonny and wants him to be happy, so of course (🍷) she’s going to support him. Like she said, it’s more about distracting her from the Eddie Maine situation, so yeah, she understands that. Olivia says she really appreciates that, and Carly says, that doesn’t mean she has to like it, but she can learn to live with it. Besides, she has so much going on right now. Olivia asks, how is Drew? and Carly says, he’s okay given the situation. She’s just so worried about him, and she feels so frustrated because there’s nothing she can do except visit him… Does Olivia want to get out of here? Olivia says, sure. Where does Carly want to go? Carly says, you’ll see, and gets up. Olivia follows her out.

Tomorrow, Portia asks if Marshall doesn’t think Curtis should move back home; Curtis says he’s guessing someone isn’t visiting him for medical reasons; Sam thinks she has a solution for Maxie; and Trina needs someone’s help.

The Real Not-So-Hot Messes Housewives of Orange County

We see a lot of clips with the women with their pets. I love Fancy Pants’ dogs, and take comfort in the fact that I’m sure they poop on her floor. Emily bathes a chihuahua like mine, and I love him too.

Tamra says, closing the gym was exhausting. She wants Eddie to enjoy life, but him not having a place to go every day is getting on her nerves. He eats all day, and his chewing drives her nuts. They’ve opened an office closer to their house, and she doesn’t care what he does in it, as long as he goes there. She tells him about co-hosing the theme party with Jenn where each of the women comes as another.

Gina and Fancy Pants meet to pick out pumpkins, and Gina says she misses New York in the fall, which I totally get. Fancy Pants tells Gina that Jenn said Shannon is poking around in Gina’s relationship. Gina says, Shannon has no problem poking in other people’s relationships, but never wants them to talk about John. She tells Gina about her problems, then gets pissed when Gina voices concern. She asks if Fancy Pants doesn’t have concerns, but Fancy Pants says she doesn’t want to get involved. In Gina’s interview, she says, Fancy Pants got nervous and is pumping the breaks. Gina says, it feels like Shannon needs to talk about someone because she doesn’t want to talk about herself, and she doesn’t like it.

Jenn meets a friend named Taylor, but not that one. Taylor grilled Ryan on getting married, and he said it revolved around the timing of Jenn’s divorce. In Jenn’s interview, she says she needs someone who loves and knows her to give their opinion. She’s starting to question what she wants. Taylor asks what she’s looking for and if she’s worried something is going to come out after she’s got the ring. In her interview, Jenn says her divorce is complicated, since her ex works for the family business, the family wants to divorce him from his job too. Jenn tells Taylor that she doesn’t have to be married, but Ryan thinks it might be self-sabotage. She doesn’t want to be part of a second failed marriage, and tells Taylor that she’s happy the way things are.

Everyone gets their makeup done for the party, and while Tamra, gets done up as Fancy Pants, she blabs to the makeup guy about Fancy Pants and Shannon. Shannon’s daughter doesn’t know what pantyhose are, and I wonder if they still make them. Vicki meets Shannon beforehand and insists on dressing like herself. In Shannon’s interview, she says she knows she’s in for some crazy fun. Vicki is dating someone, but says she’s skittish. She had 18 things on her future man list, and he hit all 18. Gina hopes whoever does her, does current Gina, but she has the feeling they won’t. Shannon is doing Gina, and she’s right. Vicki asks who Shannon is budsy-wudsy with, and Shannon says, Emily is fun. But everyone is chipping in on her relationship. Ha-ha! That sounds like they’re taking bets. In her interview, Shannon says she’s had conversations with Heather about normal relationship issues, and Heather is blowing it out of proportion. I have the feeling Shannon gets drunk after a fight with John and makes emotional drunk phone calls. When she sobers up and cools off, she’s like, it was no big deal, even though she made it a big deal to her friends, and gets mad when they’re concerned about that. Maybe I’m mean, but this is the kind of so-called friend I’d distance myself from, and have.

Tamra toddles to Jenn’s door in her Fancy Pants outfit, and shoots off a money gun as Jenn gets her makeup done as Taylor, yes that one. In Jenn’s interview, she says she and Tamra are rebuilding their friendship, but she’s keeping an eye on Tamra’s tequila intake. Gina arrives as Emily, and in Emily’s interview, she says she’s impressed. Gina nailed it, except for the boobs. Heather joins the group as Jenn, and in her interview, she says she would never buy a money gun; it’s déclassé. Taylor arrives as Tamra, but in Tamra’s interview, she says, Taylor could have just worn a sign that said a-hole and it would have looked more like her. She’s disappointed. Taylor thinks Jenn did a great job, even carrying Smudge the Cat from the meme of Taylor. In Gina’s interview, she says she’s not surprised Shannon chose a version of her at her worst, but she doesn’t think Shannon could pull off current version anyway. Vicki comes as herself, lugging a keg, and immediately does a keg stand, but she can’t drink upside down and it comes right back. Shannon is next and it just looks rude. Tamra says she’s slutty Heather, and in her interview, Fancy says, apparently dressing up like Heather doesn’t mean you act like Heather. The buffet looks like a farmers market charcuterie board; definite food porn. Emily tells Gina that she opened up to Shannon, but Shannon won’t open up, and they agree Shannon keeps asking for help, but then won’t take it. Hint: What Shannon is looking for is attention and them to agree with her. And if you give her A, she’ll want B, and vice versa.

Shannon announces that she’s having an outdoor super casual event, which is what you do when you’re at someone else’s event. It’s also game night, and they play Do or Drink, and as usual it’s all sexual stuff I don’t want to know about. I’m not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but that doesn’t mean I want to hear about their proclivities or see them. In her interview, Shannon is offended by Emily’s interpretation of her hand gesturing, but it’s actually pretty accurate and funny. In Emily’s interview, she says, when she heard game night, she thought Monopoly and Twister, not getting her nipple licked, but she’s not mad about it. Shannon wants to talk to Fancy Pants on the side, and tells her that she’s been hearing from Emily, Gina, and Tamra that Fancy Pants is saying her relationship is bad. At the table, Emily says, Shannon likes to tell them about John, and she gets that Shannon wants to protect him, but it gets to the point where it’s unfair. Fancy Pants insists she’s neutral about Shannon and John, and in her interview, she says, Tamra is trying to drum up allegations that she can’t keep a secret. And Shannon is more concerned about who’s talking about her relationship than her actual relationship. In her interview, Shannon says she never cared about someone so much and she doesn’t want to lose that. Fancy Pants says, some of the girls are concerned about Shannon not having a good relationship and hiding it. Shannon says she thought she could share private information with Fancy Pants, now the girls are talking, but Fancy Pants refuses to be held to the fire for something she didn’t do. Tamra polls the table about who Fancy Pants talked to, and bat-eared Fancy Pants asks why she’s whispering.

Tamra asks if Fancy Pants talked with Emily and Gina about Shannon’s relationship, and Fancy Pants asks if they all talked about it. Shannon says she’s not doing this in the group, and Emily says, Fancy Pants can’t blame it on them. In Emily’s interview, she says, Fancy Pants is trying to deflect, but this whole thing began with her talking about what Shannon shared with her. Gina says, Shannon expressed concern about her and Travis, so why is she upset about Fancy Pants’ concern? Shannon yells that they owe her boyfriend an apology, and Gina says, they’re just concerned. WOTD. Shannon says, nobody knows anything about her relationship, and screeches that she’s never been more in love and has never hurt more when they’re not in a good spot. Emily says, they’re all concerned, and in Shannon’s interview, she wonders if she’s  being ambushed. She says, they’re exaggerating, and tells them to enjoy talking about her and walks out. In Jenn’s interview, she says she’s seen Shannon and John together and they seem happy. Bless them for trying to avoid the group. Fancy Pants says, apparently she’s a Machiavellian terrible person who manipulates everyone. After quickly looking up Machiavellian, Tamra wonders why she’s being brought into this when she hasn’t said anything, and Fancy Pants says, they’ve all talked. Shannon says she’s never told Emily anything bad about her relationship, but Emily says, Shannon’s told her a lot of things, like when they were at Javier’s. Shannon puts her thinking cap on, but says she doesn’t remember. In Emily’s interview, she says, from what Shannon has told her, she doesn’t feel like John is invested in the relationship and she thinks Shannon is wasting her time when she can do better. In Fancy Pants’ interview, she gives a long list of what’s wrong with John, like Shannon pays for everything, and they always stay at her house. But she doesn’t want to talk about it. Shannon says, they’re influencing where her relationship goes. He’s done. She doesn’t know how she’s going to talk to him. Vicki comes out, but Shannon wants to leave. She tells them to give themselves a pat on the back. Her relationship is over. Good Lord. Can we have more drama? In her interview, Emily says, Shannon is trying to maintain a relationship in public that’s solid, perfect, and amazing. Shannon has said John called her names, and said she was fat and unattractive. It makes Emily’s heart hurt just to say it. At the table, Emily cries and says she’s worked hard to be friends with Shannon. In her interview, she says she’s sure Shannon’s pissed and thinks she was betrayed. But at the end of the day, who be there? John or them? She puts her money on them. She tells Fancy Pants that all she is, is concerned. I dunno. If you have to work to be friends with someone, that’s a job, not a friendship.

Shannon goes on and on about how few times she’s talked to anyone about John, and Tamra asks if Fancy Pants is lying. Shannon says, things are going around online about Fancy Pants and her husband, and in her interview, Fancy Pants says, just because Shannon’s relationship is no beuno, don’t come for hers with ridiculous sources online. Shannon yells that she doesn’t have affairs and bad sh*t. They have arguments that paralyze her. By this time, she’s outside, and tells production to stop the cameras. She’s not a crazy person. Even though no one suggested she was.🤔Vicki and Tamra follow her, and in Vicki’s interview, she says she doesn’t know John, but she knows Shannon wants her relationship to work. When people talk, it causes Shannon to have doubts. Let her figure it out. Wow. Vicki, the voice of reason. This is one way reality TV never ceases to surprise me. Sometimes wisdom is in the last place you look. Shannon is still ranting, screeching that she called them one time in 2020. Her hands go all over the place, and she says, they have normal fights, but they paralyze her. Everyone’s outside by now, and Jenn’s smoke alarm goes off, but no one seems too concerned, which is funny considering how many times that word has been used. Gina wonders if Shannon burned the house down. In Shannon’s interview, she says, they don’t know John, but they all have opinions and comments. Inside again, Fancy Pants tells Emily that she threw her under bus. If she wanted to spread sh*t, she’d spread sh*t. But she doesn’t do that. Emily is just looking for reasons to be pissed with her, and she doesn’t like it. We flash back to Emily reading Fancy Pants a few times, but she’s not wrong. Gina says, everyone violated the vault, but Shannon needs to take responsibility for her own sh*t. Outside, Vicki wants to know, who wants to whoop it up? and Shannon says, it’s a f***ing spectacle.  

My read. Oh yeah. Shannon likes to blast John when she’s had one too many and Heather is nothing but a big gossip. Gina, Jenn, Taylor, and oddly enough, Tamra, are blameless, and Emily is genuinely concerned. Again, in a total surprise twist, Vicki is the sage one.

Next time, too much tequila; Fancy Pants and Terry close on the penthouse; Gina says, Shannon was mean; Fancy Pants says, Shannon doesn’t remember that she tells lots of people lots of things; John tells Shannon, people need to STFU; Emily says, Shannon is two different people; and Shannon says she’s out. This is not what she signed up for. I’ll bet it is. She just doesn’t remember.

🍃 Blowing Through the Jasmine In My Mind…

Breeze on in tomorrow for soap and a spot or two of tea. Until then, stay safe, stay using your turn signal (didn’t they teach that in driver’s ed?), and stay not being angry. It only uses up more of your time.

August 4, 2023 – Nina Visits Willow, Debut, Coupling, Happy 46th, Get Out, Shannon Spills, VanderCrumbs, New Charm, Daryl Talk, Cheese Tax, Pet (!) Safety, One Past Six Quotes & Ain’t Leavin’

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Deanna says she has a very important message for Elizabeth, and hands her an envelope. She takes out a card that says: Dinner Tonight? Check one box. Yes (If Yes 7 PM), No (If No Burn This Note).

At Charlie’s, Michael asks Kristina what a guy has to do to get a drink around here, and she tells him to keep his shirt on. Is he sure he’s okay here in enemy camp? According to Josslyn, Charlie’s is a Sonny and Nina hangout.

Willow looks from a mess of yarn to her laptop, when there’s a knock at the door. Nina peeks through the window, and Willow opens the door. Nina apologizes for not calling. She was driving home, and there was Harbor View Road, so she thought Willow might need something, and she knows Michael is off… Willow tells her not to worry about it. Would she like to come in? Nina says, yes, very much, and goes inside.

Elizabeth checks the Yes box, puts the card back in the envelope, and tells Deanna to make sure Dr. Finn gets this. Elizabeth goes in the elevator as Finn comes out of the other one, and Deanna calls him over. She hands him the envelope.

Austin tells Ava that he knew Sonny didn’t trust him that night, and now his patient is dead in an alleyway. Sonny’s never going to let him near Avery again. What Sonny is going to do… She says, Sonny’s not going to do anything because she told him that Austin helped her, and he says, that he helped her do what? Did she tell Sonny that she killed Nikolas? Elizabeth comes in, and says she’s sorry. She didn’t realize he was with… a patient? He says, Ava is visiting, and she says she doesn’t want to interrupt. She almost leaves, but then says, actually, she’s been meaning to ask Ava. Has she heard anything from Nikolas?

Greece. Doc asks Laura how she’s doing, and she says, going through the house is like the first circle of hell. It was her prison camp where Stavros held her captive for those two years. She hated it then; she hates it now. He says him too, but whatever they find in there, he’s right beside her. She takes his hand and says she knows he is. That helps more than he knows. She never wanted to set foot inside this house again, but it’s their best shot at finding Nikolas, so let’s do it.

Anna walks into her house, and Valentin is sitting on the staircase. He says he thought she’d never get here. She throws her arms around him, and they kiss.

Finn slowly slides the card out, and Deanna says, good news? He says, the best.

Ava says she hasn’t heard from Nikolas, and honestly doesn’t expect to, and Elizabeth says she hopes Doc and Laura find him. She’s known him a long time, and he’s gone AWOL before, but this is weird with his baby just being born. What could be more important? Austin asks if there’s something he can help Elizabeth with, and she says she wanted to know if Detective Chase found him earlier. He was questioning people about the man who was murdered in the alley. She’s wondering if they have any leads. Austin says, Chase did find him. Was that her idea? She says, only because she saw someone lurking outside his office, and that man found the body; Dex Heller. Austin says, Chase mentioned that a member of the staff had seen him lurking around, and she says, maybe she’s reading too much into it, but Dex said he got lost and he was definitely snooping. Austin thanks her for stopping by, and opens the door. He tells her that he appreciates it, and she says, sorry to interrupt. She leaves, and Ava says, Dex Heller. That’s one of Sonny’s goons.

Michael orders food for Willow and Wiley, and Kristina says she gets it. Of course (🍷) he’s going to side with Carly; that’s his mom. But they’re divorced. Get over it. He asks how over it she would be if the situation was reversed, and Alexis thought Sonny was dead for months. Then she discovered it was a vendetta of Nina’s that kept Sonny from his family. And all the while, she watches her mother fall into chaos. She’d be a little shocked that Sonny chose Nina over his family. She says she was there too. They all mourned dad. It was a miracle to discover he was still alive. And yes, Nina was wrong, but dad loves her. So who is she to judge? The heart wants what the heart wants, right? Isn’t that what happened with him and Willow?

Willow tells Nina that Wiley is out with Leo bug hunting, and Amelia is down for her afternoon nap. So she’s been trying to amuse herself. Nina picks up the knitting and asks if this is what she’s been doing. Uh… Willow takes it and says, it’s horrible. She took a wrong turn with the pattern. She figured she’d try to learn something new as a way to keep busy, but to be honest, all she can think about it getting back to the real world. She was starting to think she’d never leave that plastic bubble room. Nina says, it must be hard, all the time she lost waiting, and Willow says, it’s hardest on the kids. She wants to be there for Michael too. She wants her life back. Nina says, she deserves it. She knows they’ve had a lot of false starts and miscommunication, but she’s hoping they can truly start over. There’s so much about Willow that she doesn’t know. She’d like to learn about Willow’s life; what she loves, who she is. Will Willow tell her?

The caretaker, Mr. Costas, tells Laura, both Interpol and the WSB made a thorough search in May. Mr. Cassadine certainly wasn’t here then. She says, he couldn’t have come since? and Costas says, naturally, he can’t be everywhere at once, but he doubts it. They can make their own search. He can see she’s very concerned for her son. She thanks him, and he says, of course (🍷), since even in Greece, they overuse that phrase. Doc asks Laura, where to first?

Anna says, Valentin didn’t tell her when he was getting back. How did it go over there? Did he find Nikolas? He says, first, who tried to kill her?

Willow tells Nina that what she wishes for more than anything else is a normal life. All those million little mundane things like going shopping or taking Wiley to school. That’s what she wants. Even taking a mommy and me class with Amelia. Nina says, that sounds like so much fun. She thinks Willow should definitely sign up for a class like that. She wishes she would have taken… What else? Willow says, really she just wants her independence back. The Quartermaines have been such a support. Brook, Olivia, even Tracy, and thank God, because she still has a long way to go, but she looks forward to her and Michael not needing so much help. Speaking of Michael, she’s surprised he’s not here right now. He must be stuck in a work thing. Nina says, if he’s not going to be back by dinner, she could order them something. She has some pull at the MetroCourt. It can be here in twenty minutes. Michael comes in, and Nina says she was just driving by and stopped in for an impromptu visit… She sees the bag in his hand and says, dinner, right? She doesn’t want it to get cold, so she’ll leave now. She says she hopes Willow signs up for that class, and walks to the door. Willow tells her, goodbye, and Nina leaves.

Valentin asks Anna to tell him about the shooting, but she says, there’s nothing to tell really. He read all about it. He says, sure, everything that was fit to print. Tell him the parts that weren’t. She says, the worst part is, Curtis was hit by a ricochet, and he asks if she’s sure he wasn’t the target. She says, no. She was talking to Sonny. Dante caught a glimpse of a rifle in an upper story window, and then two shots were aimed directly at them. He says, so the shots were aimed at them; which one? She says, here’s something that wasn’t released to the press. The rifle was traced back to the WSB.

Laura says, there’s nothing in this house she wants to see again, especially that room where Doc was shot. Here’s the bad news. The most likely place for them to look where Nikolas wouldn’t want to be found is the subbasement. The labs where Mikkos used to do all his horrible experiments; where Stavros kept Lulu. He says, maybe it would be better if he went down and searched the lower levels on his own, and for her to stay up here. She says, absolutely not. They’re in this together. She’s not going to stay up here and risk him not coming back. So whatever they find, they face together. He says, all right. Let’s go.

Finn waits at the Grill, when Elizabeth walks in, wearing yet another slinky black dress. Apparently, she has a closet full of them. He gets up and says, wow. She looks… wow. She thanks him and says he looks really nice himself. He says he’s glad she came, and they sit. She says she really didn’t feel like burning the note.

Austin asks if Ava thinks Sonny had Gordon whacked, and she laughs, saying, no one has said whacked in like, forty years. He says, rubbed out? Iced? It doesn’t matter. Does she think Sonny did it? She says, no, she doesn’t. It would be a stupid move, and Sonny’s not stupid. Gordon was supposedly his patient. He says, that’s the thing. Gordon and Mason, known associates, and Sonny knew something was up. She asks, what exactly happened outside the restaurant when Sonny found him with Gordon? and he says, not much. Gordon was there, Sonny comes in, Gordon knows who Sonny is, Sonny does this whole routine – he imitates a prize fighter – then Gordon backed off. For some reason, Sonny made Gordon apologize to him, which he thought was really weird, but in the end he thought Sonny just wanted Gordon to be scared. Ava says she’s sure that’s what it was. Did anything else happen? He says, not that he knows, but that must have been when Sonny decided Dex should follow him. Because the next day is when Nurse Webber saw Dex lurking outside his office. She asks if there was anything for Dex to see, and he says, maybe. He doesn’t know. Gordon and Mason were in here waiting for him. She says, really? This just keeps getting worse.

Doc tells Laura, just as Mr. Costas said, no sign of anyone and the WSB turned the place inside out. She says, it seems like it, doesn’t it, but this house has secrets it will never give up. He says, let’s check the main rooms. Nikolas knows this place like the back of his hand. He could be coming and going in a way the caretaker doesn’t realize. She says, that is possible, isn’t it? Let’s start on the third floor. That was his nursery when he was a baby. I laugh because, as opposed to his nursery as an adult?

Anna tells Valentin, so the weapon was a ghost gun. It had been confiscated and tagged and logged by the WSB facility in Berlin. He says, then liberated and smuggled into Port Charles. That doesn’t necessarily mean the WSB is currently involved though. It could have been sold on the dark web. She says that’s what she thinks too, but somebody had to have clearance in order to access that weapon at the WSB facility in the first place. He says, plenty of agents go rogue… Sorry. She says, Sonny doesn’t think it’s the entire Bureau that’s after her. It’s one solitary person on the inside that deliberately leaked her history as a double agent in order to eliminate her.

Michael says he hopes Nina didn’t do anything to upset Willow, but Willow says, no, not at all. Even though it was an ambush. (I’m going to start calling people who just show up ambushes now.) She just dropped by, and Willow was glad for the company. And Nina saved her from her project. Michael picks up the knitting and says, it’s great. What is that? She takes it and says, it’s the makings of a sock. Something soft for Amelia to wear. Unfortunately, she’s not the best crafts student. She’d much rather read her nursing books. He says, it’s not bad, but she says, it’s awful. She was actually glad Nina rescued her from it.

Kristina pours Nina a glass of wine (screw top, really?), and says she wanted to talk to Nina. She ran into Trish from the MetroCourt the other day, and she said Nina was talking about her center. Nina says she’s so sorry. She hopes she didn’t speak out of turn. She knows Kristina’s privacy means so much to her, and she’d never interfere in Kristina’s life. Kristina says, she misunderstood. Trish said Nina was talking up her plans to help the LGBTQIA+ youth, and she was very touched by that. It means a lot that Nina believes in her. Nina says, of course (🍷) she believes in Kristina, and she believes in this project. Did Kristina talk to Trish about her brother? Kristina says, yes, It was so sad. It made her so angry. Too many kids are discarded and on the fringe of society. Port Charles desperately needs a resource like the Corinthos-Davis House for marginalized and homeless youth. She thanks Nina for the PR and says, the drink is on her, but Nina says, Kristina doesn’t have to thank her. She believes 1000% in what Kristina is doing. When Sonny told her, she was so impressed. Please. She wants to help any way she can.

Finn says, they made it through the salads without a single distraction and disruption, and Elizabeth says, and no personal crisis to come crashing down? He looks up and says, the sky looks pretty clear. She says, that’s good, because she’s had her fill of meteors. Her mother emailed her yesterday. He says, the old digital dodge, and she says she’s glad her mother didn’t call. She didn’t want to talk to her anyway. He says, not a surprise after what she and Elizabeth’s father did to her, and she asks if he can ever imagine doing that to Violet. Using his medical skills to manipulate her to cover something up? She knows she has to get over it; it’s in the past. He says, is it? and she says she guesses it hits a raw nerve, but at least it’s all out in the open. The worst is all behind her. He says, it is. The worst part of that whole mess is, the person who suffered the most, deserved it the least.

Valentin pours some wine (hopefully, not screw top), and Anna says, whatever arrangements Victor made to expose her past, he had to have somebody on the inside at the WSB in order to facilitate that. He says, once she was compromised, someone with their own agenda could take advantage of the situation to get rid of her. Someone could be planning a power grab. She’s a potent adversary at the WSB. How many warring factions are there at the Bureau? She says, suppose she knows something that could pose a threat. Regardless, the person may have thought, making her indiscretions public would result in an arrest. When it didn’t and they failed, they moved to Plan B, which is to eliminate her permanently. He says, don’t forget Occam’s Razor; the right answer is usually the simplest one. His father Victor despised her, and his parting gift was to attack her where it hurt her the most.

Laura says, nothing, and Doc says, better to rule out a possibility. She says, but if Nikolas wanted to hide, this would be the perfect place to do it. the fact that he’s not here makes her think he hasn’t gone into hiding at all. He asks if she thinks something’s happened to him, and she says, something or someone. He says, Victor’s dead; it can’t be him. She says, who else would want to harm Nikolas?

Austin tells Ava that he doesn’t know what Sonny’s guy Dex the Lurker saw or didn’t see. Gordon and Mason weren’t here that long. Gordon was here just long enough to ask Mason for a bunch of money. Ava asks if Mason gave it to him, and Austin tells her, Mason said, you’re going to get exactly what you’re owed… oh. She says, yeah. That’s not threatening at all, is it? Does he think Mason is capable of killing someone? (Is it me or is that a really stupid question?) He says, Mason wouldn’t be the only one. She certainly is. She says, it was an accident. It was to stop him, and Austin knows it. Forget it. What did he tell Detective Chase? Did Chase ask him if Gordon was his patient? He says, yes, and she asks what he said. He tells her that he said yes, and she says, why? He doesn’t even have a file on the guy. Now he’s going to have to fake it. What else did he tell the cops? He says, not much. Just that Gordon found him and confronted him at the restaurant, and she says, at the restaurant where he was with her and Nina and Sonny Corinthos. He says, that restaurant, and she says, good grief (sounds like something Scotty would say). He’s really, really bad at this.

Willow says, Michael is later than usual, and he says he got caught up in the weeds at ELQ. They’re in the middle of a big negotiation Ned started before he turned into Eddie Maine, and guess who’s still nowhere to be found? Valentin. She asks if he ever gets tired, having to save the day for everyone, and he says he kind of likes showing off. And if Ned ever regains his personality and Valentin decides to show his face, it’ll choke them both knowing he got it done. And it sets the groundwork if he wants to step back in and return. She says she never knew he had such a devious side (really?). it’s both impressive and slightly terrifying. He says he has to apply the Art of War when it comes to those two. It’s good to keep them on their toes. She says, and he does it so well. It’s inspiring seeing him thrive at work. It makes her realize how much she misses it. She’s a little envious. She wants to go back to her career.

Kristina says she was thinking about what Nina said, and wants to tell her something. She’ll accept any and all help she can get for the Corinthos-Davis House, but Nina doesn’t have to win her over by talking up her charity or contributing to it. Her dad’s happiness is her priority and he loves Nina. So she’s on Nina’s side. Nina thanks her and says, it means more to her than Kristina will ever know. Kristina says she thinks she has an idea, and Nina says she wants to be perfectly clear. Her support for Kristina’s charity has everything to do with the work Kristina’s doing. She’s not trying to score any points or favors. She’s just so happy that Kristina is willing to give her a chance. Kristina says she’s the queen of screw-ups. You know who was always willing to give her a second chance and always believed in her? Her dad. So if he does that for Nina, who is she to say he was wrong?

Elizabeth asks Finn, what is this? Friends having dinner? He says, no, and she asks, what does that mean? He asks if she really wants to get into this right now; it might complicate things between them. She wonders if he thinks she knows how to deal with complications, and he says, she’s had some practice. Let’s do this. Let’s get into it. She says, first, name a complication.

Austin tells Ava, all he wants to do is be a good doctor. He took an oath to heal, not to deal. Get it? She says, he didn’t have to volunteer extra information, but he says, the cops would have figured it out eventually. Gordon confronted him in a very public place; that restaurant is very popular. And he did great. He told Detective Chase that Gordon was at the restaurant to confront him about his medical bill. Ava says, and he wanted to negotiate his deductible with a known crime boss sitting right there. Austin says, this has got nothing to do with her. She doesn’t need to worry. She says she does worry. Because if she’s linked to Mason, people could start poking around. And who knows what they might uncover? He says, they’re not going to uncover anything. Because he’s not going to say anything, she’s definitely not going to say anything, and they’re being very careful. The only other person who knows anything about this is Mason, and he’s not… uh… well, Mason… So, question from before. Sonny. Did she tell him that she killed Nikolas? She nods.

Valentin says his father hated Anna, and everything she stood for. It was everything he wasn’t. He’d lost all humanity, because she’d ruined his greatest weapon – him. Anna says, he would have never been Victor’s weapon, but he says he could have been if it weren’t for her. Victor shot her the night of the Nurses Ball to hurt him and destroy her. She says, he was deluded; Valentin never would have joined him. He says he thinks she gives him too much credit. He could have very easily gone the other way if it weren’t for her.

Nina tells Kristina that she actually spent some time with Willow today, and it was great. It even got a little personal and philosophical, and she almost felt like she wasn’t totally on the outside. Kristina says, that’s great. Good for her. Nina says she even suggested they have dinner, but then Michael came home, and while he was perfectly polite, he was a little frosty. Kristina says, while Michael isn’t her dad’s biological son, when it comes to holding a grudge, they’re exactly the same, so watch out. Doesn’t Nina hate when people say, give it time? Nina says, yes, and Kristina says, the worst.

Michael says he just doesn’t want Willow to do too much too soon, and she says, of course (🍷). She knows she’s still healing. He says, it’s going to take some time, and she says she is feeling a lot stronger. He asks if her immune system is up to everything she’d be facing at the hospital, and she says, definitely not now, and believe her, she’s going to wait until she gets the all-clear from the doctors. But she needs to be useful. One thing this experience has shown her is, she wants to help people in crisis. She never really got the chance to immerse herself in nursing. He says he doesn’t know, and she asks, what’s really going on? There’s more to his concerns about her going back to work than just her health and that he’s a control freak. He says, she’s right. He has mixed feelings about it. He wants her to pursue her passions and go back to work, but doesn’t she think they could spend a little time focusing on their family first?

Elizabeth says, transfer to another hospital? Really? Finn says, it’s hard seeing her every day at work, and she says, why? He says he can’t take his eyes off her. Did he really say that out loud? When he invited her to dinner, he didn’t have an agenda, but here they are. It gives them a chance to be completely honest with each other. She says, if they’re being completely honest, she uses work to distract her from the same feelings. They’re both really busy people. He says he knows. Sometimes when he sees her, she’s just a blur; a beautiful blur rushing down the hospital halls. She says, maybe she should slow down, and he says he really likes getting to know her. It only makes him want to spend more time with her. She asks if there’s anything else on his list, and he says his list is long. Despite all of it, he’s still here. She says, so is she.

Austin tells Ava that Sonny is going to do stuff. He’s going to do stuff to protect her, the mother of his daughter, from potential exposure. What if Sonny already sent someone to silence him? She says, Sonny has no interest in silencing him, and he says, what if it wasn’t Gordon? What if it was a case of mistaken identity? Maybe it was him they were after in the alley. She says, don’t be ridiculous, and he says, still, it doesn’t make him feel any better. She says, they are where they are. All they can do is keep moving forward. Now they know who all the players are and how best to arm themselves. He says he’s not very good at this, is he? He’s terrible at subterfuge. She kisses him, tells him, don’t screw up, and leaves. He says, got it. Don’t screw up. Yes, ma’am.

Doc says, if Victor is responsible for Nikolas’s disappearance, then one of his associates still has him, and Laura says, the more she thinks about it, the less sense it makes. If Victor had gotten Nikolas, he would have been gloating about it when they were in Greenland, and there was nothing. Who else would want to abduct him? Does Doc think she just doesn’t want to admit Nikolas has done it again? That he’s turned his back on his family and abandoned his two sons? Doc says, if he can’t face the mess he’s made with Spencer and Esme, he may think running away is his only option. Shame is a powerful motivator. She says, then why just not let them know he’s okay? and he says, Nikolas may not be able to face disappointing her. She says, but she’s the one who’s always there to help him pick up the pieces. She tried to do that as a way to make up for his childhood. He knows she loves him. Doc says, of course (🍷) he does, and she says, then he’s got to know she’s going out of her mind with worry. She just can’t believe he did this – again. Doc says he just wishes there was some way to let Nikolas know it’s okay to show his face. Laura goes outside, and he follows her. She looks out to the property, and he says, Laura? She says she knows just where they’re headed next, and begins to walk.

Valentin says he loves Anna. He knows this isn’t exactly breaking news, but he’s loved her always. Never doubt she’s the reason he’s alive at all. She says she thinks he has the necessary survival skills. Lord knows, with their training. It didn’t leave much of an option for love though, did it? She thinks this is taking her a long time to admit, even to herself, let alone say it out loud to him. She loves him. She’s really glad he’s home. Did he have a good trip? Did he find Nikolas or anything? He says, no. He guesses that makes him the head of the family. She says, God help us, and he kisses her.

Kristina tells Nina, don’t focus on Michael. Just focus on her relationship with Willow. They had a huge breakthrough today and that’s amazing, so build on that. If Michael sees that Willow is happy and comfortable around Nina, he’s going to soften. Trust her. Nina says she’s going to prove to Michael that she can be a positive part of Willow’s life, and Kristina says, then she hopes he’ll join her in supporting Nina’s marriage to her dad. Then maybe she won’t be the only one at their wedding. Nina laughs, but that was kind of mean. Like they have no friends.

Michael says he’s not limiting Willow’s choices or doubting her capabilities. Maybe he’s being selfish and greedy for wanting to spend more time together as a family, but he almost lost her. He wants to savor every moment with her, Amelia, and Wiley. She says, so does she. Every moment is one more they might not have had, but she can’t turn her back on nursing. She realized there was a deep, profound difference she could make in patients’ lives, and he says, she has too much love to give. She says, but their family will always come first. Him, and Amelia, and Wiley. They’ve fought too hard for her to let that go. She hugs him.

Elizabeth thanks Finn for dinner, and he thanks her for coming. They get up, and she says she really looks forward to all of their complications. He says, let’s do it again soon, and she takes his hand, saying, okay. See him tomorrow? He says he can’t wait, and takes her by the hand to the elevator. She gets in, and we see their faces side by side, giving good soap look.

Tomorrow, Cody asks someone to get him into Ferncliff to see Sasha; Sasha says she feels like she’s missing something important; Spencer says he’ll keep his nose clean if Valentin will; and Sonny tells Brick that they have to get that body back.

✒️ Maybe He’s Triplets…

This actually sounds like a pretty good story.

👩‍❤️‍👨 All In the Family…

It’s not their first time at the rodeo together either.

🎉 Give That Man a Cigar…

Scotty celebrates another anniversary.

👈🏽 Don’t Let the Door Hit You…

Hard to believe some jerk is still doing this in 2023.

https://ew.com/tv/days-of-our-lives-lisa-rinna-calls-for-removal-producer-albert-alarr/

🍊 She Has Regrets…

Shannon addresses your questions.

🍸 And They’re Off…

Why we need this show, I’m not sure. Riding on coattails anyone?

To remind us he was once King Awful.

And to remind us who is now. Once again, the saddest thing about it was the perfect timing.

🍹 One Charm Coming Up…

I don’t know who that new guy is who told Shep to grow up, but I’m on his team.

⚰️ Daryl Of the Dead…

The latest tease.

If you missed the basics.

🧀 The Great Leveler’s Great Leveler…

Cheese, the universal love language of pets.

https://www.dailypaws.com/pet-news-entertainment/feel-good-stories/cheese-tax-dog-song-on-tiktok

🌞 This Summer…

Ending with some practical pet advice.

https://people.com/how-to-keep-pets-safe-in-summer-vet-safety-tips-7569088

🥠 Quotes of the Week

We suffer more often in imagination than in reality. – Seneca

Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean. – Ryunosuke Satoro

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. – George Bernard Shaw

Curiosity is the most powerful thing you own. Imagination is a force that can actually manifest a reality. – James Cameron

We are all ordinary. We are all boring. We are all spectacular. We are all shy. We are all bold. We are all heroes. We are all helpless. It just depends on the day. – Brad Meltzer

You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending. – C.S. Lewis

I burned my curtains off for a bee. – Tim Malcolm, Pillow Talk: 90 Day Fiancé Before the 90 Days, in reference to sharing space with a spider

🍻 Rolling Out the Barrel…

Come see me on Monday really Tuesday for soap and teatime. Until then, stay safe, stay leading by example, and stay remembering every moment is one more you might not have bad.

August 2, 2023 – Cyrus Gives Martin a Task, Shannon’s Not Riding That Train & Penny

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

On the phone, Laura says she’s been updated on Curtis’s condition. She’s sorry she left Jordan with so much to deal with, but she also knows Jordan is perfectly capable of handling it…. Laura thanks her and says, goodbye, when there’s a knock at the door. It’s Valentin, who asks what time they’re leaving for the airport. Laura says she and Doc are leaving in an hour, but he’s not coming with him.

Martin is let into Cyrus’s hospital room, and Cyrus says, you’ve come to see thy brother. Martin says he’s only here because he was informed it was a matter of life or death, and Cyrus says, it is. Like their Savior, he’s faced death only to embrace life in all its glory. Martin says he’s truly sorry to hear about the heart attack, but comparing himself to God is definitely going too far, even for Cyrus.

In the nook, Tracy asks when the wandering warbler walked in (try saying that 3 times real fast), and Olivia says, Dante brought him here last night. He was out bar hopping at all hours. Tracy’s got to help her. She doesn’t even recognize her husband anymore. Tracy says she’s sorry. She has to deal with reality today. Olivia is going to have to deal with fantasy. As Tracy walks out, Olivia says, he’s still her son. Leo comes in and says, Eddie slept here last night. Leo was watching him sleep. He snores. When is dad coming back? She says she wishes she knew, when Ned/Eddie walks in and says, so that’s where I am.

Brook calls Chase at the hospital, and asks how he is. He says he’s busy. Her? She says, same. She was thinking maybe they could have lunch. He says he’s going to be tied up at GH, and she asks why he’s there, but he says he’s sorry. He’s got to go, but he misses her. Maxie watches her, as Brook says she misses him too, but he’s already hung up. Brook says, be careful, and looks at The Invader headline: MURDER AT GH. Maxie says, it never gets any easier, and Brook says she didn’t know Maxie had come in. What never gets any easier? Maxie says, being in love with a cop.

Sam goes into Kelly’s, and tells Carly, it looks like somebody had a busy morning. Carly says, it’s amazing how many people are at that door at 6 am, waiting for her to flip the sign. Does Sam want some breakfast? Sam says, actually, she wants a coffee to go. She wondered if Carly knew how Drew was doing. Carly says she thought Sam took Scout to see him, and Sam says she tried, but they wouldn’t let them in. They said there was some sort of an incident.

Austin picks up Cyrus’s chart, and Chase gets his attention. Austin asks if he can help Chase with something, and Chase says he’s working on a case. Can Austin answer a few questions about this guy? He shows Austin a picture of Gordon’s dead body.

On the phone in his office, Sonny says, he took two bullets to the chest at GH, in his territory… He thinks they’re trying to send him a message. So he might just send them a message. Frank comes in, and Sonny asks if the job is done. Frank says, yes, boss, and Sonny says, and? Frank says, in the trunk. Sonny tosses down his phone and says, let’s go make a delivery.

Ned asks how he got here, and Olivia says, Dante saw him staggering around some random bar. Lucky he didn’t get arrested. She hands him some coffee, and he says he’d better tell Sonny, but she says she already called him. He’s sending Ned’s things. Ned says he guesses that’s a hint. He’s crashed in worse places. She says, he ought to be drinking water; he’s going to dehydrate. She’ll make him some eggs. He says, no. He would hurl. Leo asks if he’s sick, but he says he’s just a little hung over. Leo says, hung over what? and Olivia says, it’s a condition that adults get when they’ve spent the entire night making fools of themselves. Leo asks if that’s why his eyes are red, and Olivia suggests he get Ned an ice pack from the freezer. Leo tells Ned, that means she wants to talk to him alone, and leaves. She asks if Ned’s had a look in the mirror and realized he’s a little old for this.

Valentin says, okay, but doesn’t Laura need his help getting on to… She says she doesn’t actually. They needed his help before, and he was very helpful. They really appreciate it, but she and Doc have it from here. Doc walks in, and Valentin says, he’s behind this, isn’t he? Doc says he hopes so, and Laura says she was just explaining to Valentin that they’re going to go on, just the two of them. Doc says, yes, well the only reason Valentin came along was because Laura had information Nikolas might be in Chechnya. Valentin knows the country and the language, but Nikolas isn’t there. They don’t need him anymore. Valentin says he knows Doc has no use for him, but shouldn’t his wife’s safety be more important than hatred?

Cyrus asks Martin, where is his beautiful sister? He was hoping she’d come as well. Her aura guided him through his darkest hours. Martin says, Laura and her aura are somewhere in Europe right now, and Cyrus says he hopes she’s having a wonderful time. God has given him a gift, and an important message. Martin says, don’t open til Christmas? and Cyrus says, normally, he would welcome Martin’s humor, but this is a serious issue, and Martin’s lack of faith in him breaks his heart. Martin says he hasn’t got time for this. What’s so damn urgent? Cyrus says he needs Martin to give all his money away.

Brook says she was just calling Chase to say hello, and Maxie asks if he’s working that murder case at GH. Brook says she thinks so, but he won’t talk about it, and Maxie says, he doesn’t want to worry her. Brook says she thinks she’d worry less if he talked about it, but Maxie says, she wouldn’t. Is that why she was so desperate for Chase to be a singer? Brook says, no, but she can’t help but think it would have made her life easier, and Maxie says, really? All those girls fawning over him? Brook says, they still fawn over him when he’s not singer, and Maxie says, that’s a whole other issue. Brook asks if it gets easier, and Maxie says, not really, but you learn to live with it. Then when you’re phone rings in the middle of the night… Brook says she’s sorry and suggests they drop it, but Maxie says, it’s okay. Brook is her friend and she loves her. Brook says she loves Maxie too, but Maxie lost Nathan. Maxie says she did, but he was doing a job he loved, and that made him the man that she loved. Would Chase ever have been really happy being a singer? Brook says, no. She guesses she just has to accept this is his calling. He’s so passionate about it, and she knows how much it means to him. Maxie says, and when we love someone, isn’t that what we want for them? Brook says she’ll get there, and Maxie says, she will. Brook asks what Maxie has in her hand, and Maxie says, a list of arguments so their major distributor doesn’t drop all of their products. Brook says, what? Did it work? Maxie says she was able to talk them off the ledge when Lucy came back from the dead, but the main Face of Deception going homicidal? They couldn’t take that.

Austin suggests they talk privately, and Chase says, he’s a tough guy to track down. They’ve been trying to find Austin since the shooting the other night. Austin says, after working a double shift, he just crashes. He has to decompress. Chase says he bets. So what about this guy? Austin says he does recognize him because he treated him here at the ER, and Chase asks if Austin can tell him what for, but Austin says he can’t. Patient/doctor confidentiality. He’s sure Chase understands. Chase asks if that’s the only time Austin saw him, and Austin says, as a patient, yes, but he tracked Austin down after that at the Port Charles Grill. He was upset about his bill. Chase asks, when was this? and Austin says, a couple days ago. Chase asks if Austin was the only one there when this happened, and Austin says, no. He was with Ava Jerome and Nina Reeves and Sonny Corinthos. Chase says he has one other question, and shows Austin another photo. It’s Dex.

Carly says she’s so sorry that Scout and Drew didn’t get to see each other, and Sam says her too. Scout was really disappointed, but she told her that she’d ask Carly how her dad was doing. Carly says, their visit was great. She couldn’t believe it took such a long time to see him, and of course (🍷) Drew wanted her to wait even longer. Sam says, he can be a martyr like that, and Carly says, in a good way. Sam says she is kind of worried about him. It’s the kind of people he’s in there with. Not that she doesn’t think he can take care of himself, because she knows he can, but still. Carly says, he’s okay. Tell Scout not to worry about her daddy. Sam thanks her, and says she knows this has to be hard on Carly. She and Drew just started their relationship. Now they’re separated. Carly says, Sam knows what it’s like; her and Dante. It’s the beginning. You want to find out every single thing you can about that person, and want to grow with them. It’s hard. Sam says, it’s really a special time, and Carly says, it is, and being away from the person you love the most… Sam turns around to see Sonny walk in.

Brook says, they both know Sasha didn’t realize what she was doing, and Maxie says she knows; she was there. Sasha had no idea what was going on. But the optics still stink. And so does being moved to the bottom shelf of every major department and cosmetics store. Brook says, no, but Maxie says, yeah. If it wasn’t for The Deceptor, this company would be doomed. Thank goodness they didn’t put Sasha’s face on the Deceptor box. Does she sound heartless? Brook says, no. She sounds like a good businesswoman. She knows how much Maxie loves Sasha, and would do anything for her to get better, but she also has a responsibility to the company and the stockholders. There’s a knock at the door, and Tracy walks in. She says, there Brook is, and Brook says, they’re in the middle of a business crisis, but Tracy says, it will have to wait. They need to have a private conversation where they won’t be disturbed by Brook’s father.

Ned tells Olivia, old? How does someone old manage to hit The Savoy – which, by the way, is a little too fancy for his taste – and then… Well, a couple of the bars that are definitely more his style. Loud, rocking music, down to earth, the right kind of crowd… She says, dive bars, and he says, exactly. He loves dive bars. She says, tell her something. When he looked around these wonderful dive bars, how many grandfathers did he see? I’ll bet more than you would think.

Martin says, no doubt any money Cyrus has was illegally obtained, but by all means, which victim would Cyrus like him to make the check out to? Cyrus says, Martin has to understand. The warmth of that white light was incredible. It was flowing through his entire body, and he was moving right into it, as if to become a part of it, but the love of his dear sister and brother and their beloved mother pulled him back, both emotionally and spiritually. Martin says, the money, and Cyrus says, it was Drew Cain who performed the CPR that kept him alive. The man didn’t have to do that, but because of Drew’s heroics, he’s still here. And now he’ll be able to do the work God has tasked him with. Martin says, what exactly is that?

Austin tells Chase, this guy is certainly more alive. Is he supposed to know who he is? Chase says, he was spotted outside Austin’s office door by a member of the staff before he came across the victim later that night. Austin says, it sounds like that guy would know more about what’s going on than he would, and Chase says, they’re questioning everyone who was here that night. It’s routine, for now. Austin says he has a patient he should get to, so if Chase has no more questions… He starts to walk, and Chase says, call him if Austin remembers anything. Austin says, absolutely, and Chase notices the chart. He says, Cyrus Renault. Is he one of Austin’s patients? Austin says, he will be as soon as he meets him, and Chase says, watch your back.

Sonny says hi to Carly and Sam, when the phone rings, and Carly says she’s got to take this. Sam asks how the wedding planning is going, and Sonny says, it’s going. He hopes Dante realizes how lucky he is. She says, it’s a two-way street, and he says, Dante isn’t the only one who’s crazy about her. He had a heart-to-heart with Rocco, and he thinks she’s terrific, and he’s a lot like his grandfather, a tough sell. Sam thanks him for telling her, and he says, don’t expect him to… She says, he’s right. It’s good to see him. He says, it’s good to see her, and she leaves. Carly apologizes, and Sonny says, it looks like business is good. She says, it’s picked up a bit, and he says he’s not surprised. The owner has a solid reputation for running a good establishment. She thanks him, and says, if it keeps up at this pace and she manages the books just right, she’ll be able to keep the house. He says he can help her out with that, but she says she doesn’t need anything. Besides, she can’t take money from anyone. He says, got it, and she asks why he’s here. He says he came to make her an offer she can’t refuse.

Doc says, Valentin thinks he’d put Laura’s life in jeopardy because he has a grievance with him? It was a long time ago; he can get past it. Unless Valentin has an issue with that. Valentin says, no issue, and Laura asks if she can have a word alone with Valentin. Doc could tell the front desk they’re checking out. Doc says he’d be delighted to do that. Valentin is right about one thing. Doc doesn’t particularly like him, but he does appreciate Valentin’s help in Chechnya. He leaves, and Valentin says, Doc must really love Laura to put up with him. Doc hates his guts. She says she really wouldn’t go that far. Doc has some issues with him, but he’s come to understand Valentin’s value, as has she. And he’s also begun to understand that she’s come to care about Valentin. It’s because of that, she’s telling him that he needs to go back to Port Charles.

Martin says he’s waiting with bated breath, and Cyrus says, as Martin knows, he’s not legally able to handle any of his assets while he’s in prison. Therefore, he’s granted the authority to Martin to access his trust. Martin asks when he did that, and Cyrus says, very early this morning. He’ll find the papers right there. Martin picks up an envelope from the tray and asks, for what reason is he now in control of Cyrus’s money? Cyrus says, so Martin can help his brothers and sisters held in that purgatory called Pentenville. He’s spent enough time there to recognize that within those walls there is no rehabilitation for the vulnerable or weak. Martin says, this is supposed to help them? and Cyrus says, used properly, they could help them learn to lead productive lives, so they can help others when they get out, not hurt them. Martin says, when Cyrus had the heart attack, he didn’t fall and hit his head on anything, did he? and Cyrus laughs. He says, this is his calling. God has let him survive for this reason and he will not let Him down.

Ned tells Olivia, no, no, no. He is not a grandfather. She says, actually, he kind of is. Technically, he’s not. He says, that’s good, because what he is, is an artist. He’s free and he’s wild, and that’s how he’ll always be. She says, maybe he’s free and wild up here, pointing to his head, but this is not going to last if he’s hanging out all night drinking and partying. He’s going to give himself a damn stroke. He says, you know what’s going to give him a stroke? Her nagging. What he can’t figure out is how the guy she says he used to be could somehow be married to her, because no way any part of him would marry such an uptight shrew. He takes his coffee, and leaves her with her mouth hanging open.

Tracy tells Brook, Olivia doesn’t even know her own husband. At least he came home last night. Brook says she saw him, and Tracy says, not of his own accord; Dante had to drag him. It’s ridiculous a man of his age is running around pretending to be some alter-ego. Brook says, she doesn’t know that he’s pretending, and Tracy says, if he’s not, he really needs some serious help. Olivia is so tense, she’s snapping at everything, and poor Leo… What does Maxie think? Is Ned being fair to his family? Does she think he’s faking? Maxie says she thinks she needs to get some coffee. Does anybody want anything? No? Great. She jets, and Tracy closes the door, saying, she never thought Maxie would leave. Now. What does Brook have for her on The Deceptor?

Frank brings in a humongous sack of coffee, and Carly says she already has a huge supply of Corinthos Coffee… but business is picking up. So Sonny is right. How could she possibly refuse? Sonny tells Frank to put it in the kitchen, and tells Carly, it’s a good luck gift. Not that she needs it, but he wanted to thank her for picking up Avery last night. He knows how busy she is. She says she’s never too busy for the kids. They had a great time. Ava stopped by. She said she was just coming by to give Avery a goodnight kiss, but she could tell something was wrong, and it’s not just that she hates Avery’s new nanny. He says, Betty is an acquired taste, and she says she knows there’s something fishy about the last minute sleepover. So why doesn’t he just tell her what’s going on? He says he’s handling it, when Chase comes in and asks Sonny if he can have a word.

Austin goes into Cyrus’s room and asks how he’s feeling. He looks extremely healthy for the man who had the heart attack described in his chart. Cyrus says, God works in mysterious ways, and Austin says, He sure does. Cyrus says he was mere seconds away from shedding this mortal coil, and now he’s here feeling no pain and ready to do God’s work. Austin says, right. How about they start with him just taking a look at Cyrus?

Valentin says he cares about Laura too, and she laughs, telling him, that was really hard for him to say. He says, she’s a good person. Doc’s a lucky man. Doc’s got a lot of strong qualities, but he thinks over here he can protect her better than Doc can. She says, there are other people who need him. Charlotte’s back from summer camp; she needs her father. And he’s a wonderful father. As a matter of fact, she was going to ask him a favor; if he could check on Spencer for her when he gets back. He says he doesn’t think Spencer is going to appreciate that, but she says, there are other people, like Anna. He says, when Victor exposed her, he made her vulnerable, but he’s in touch with Anna every day and she’s handling it. Laura asks if she’d admit it if she weren’t, and he says, no. She says, so he knows she was at the MetroCourt pool when Curtis was shot and that he might not be the actual target. Anna needs him.

Leo asks, where’s Eddie? and Olivia says, hopefully, he’s sleeping it off. Leo says, sleeping what off? What did he have on? She says she just means getting over his headache. He asks why she’s sad, and she says she can’t keep anything from him, can she? He shakes his head, and she says she just misses his dad. He says, him too, and she asks what he thinks of Eddie. Leo says, he’s funny. Eddie thinks he’s smart. Olivia says, Leo is smart, but he says, some people don’t think so. She says, that’s their problem, isn’t it? What else does he like about Eddie? He says, Eddie likes when he smiles. He can tell. She says, then he can’t be all bad, can he? and hugs Leo.

Carly looks puzzled as she watches Chase and Sonny go outside. In the courtyard, Chase thanks Sonny, and says, it’s quieter out here. Sonny asks what he can do for Chase, and Chase says he wants to talk to Sonny about the shooting outside General Hospital a few days ago. Sonny says he heard about that, and Chase says, everyone did. Someone takes two bullets to the chest outside their biggest hospital, people talk. Sonny says he’s not sure how he can help Dex, and Chase shows him the picture of Dex, saying, this guy works for him, right? Sonny laughs, and says, Chase knows he does. Chase says he’s just confirming, and Sonny says, it’s confirmed. Chase says, Dex discovered the body, and Sonny says, Chase knows he knows that too. So if Chase has real questions, he’ll listen. Chase asks, what was Dex doing at GH the night of the murders?

Maxie brings in a list and hands it to Carly, telling her, coffee and pastries, and Carly asks why Maxie would bring the order here. This is for Deception, right? They always order from the MetroCourt. Maxie says she needed some air, and Carly says, and Maxie found out she took over Kelly’s, huh? Maxie says, that too. Is that a bad thing? Carly says, of course (🍷) not. She just hopes Nina doesn’t get upset… How did Maxie find out she was running Kelly’s? Maxie says, Nina.

On the phone at the hospital, Martin says he wouldn’t bother her, but she did make him promise to call, and Laura asks, how’s Cyrus? Martin says, he’s definitely worth the price of admission. Apparently, her aura helped him connect with God. She rolls her eyes and says, whatever. How’s he doing physically? Martin says, he’s doing remarkably well for a man his age who’s just had a heart attack. And get this. He’s assigned Martin the task of giving away all his money. She says she’s not even going to ask. She’s sorry she left him to deal with all of this on his own. He says he’s not on his own. No matter where she is, she’s always in his heart. He just hopes she’s safe. And he’ll continue to keep her posted. She says, please do, and thanks him for the update. Doc says, he assumes her convict brother will survive, and she says, it sounds like it, yeah. He says, relieved? and she says she is. He says, good. Where’s their friend? She says, Valentin’s on his way to the airport. He wants to get back to Port Charles as soon as possible. Doc says he’s glad Valentin is gone. He may be better trained to protect her under certain circumstances. She says she doesn’t need that kind of protection where they’re going.

Leo reads his Photo Ark Wonders book in the nook, and Ned says he guesses there’s no more coffee. Where’s Leo’s mom? Leo says, she’s putting the ice pack in the freezer. Ned says, darn it. He could use that ice pack. Is Leo going to tell him about another cool animal? Leo closes the book and says, his mom was trying to help Eddie. Why did he make her feel sad?

Brook asks what Tracy is talking about. She already risked her job and her friendships to give her that flashdrive with all the information on The Deceptor. Tracy says, that was weeks ago. She needs to be brought up to date. She looks through papers on the credenza, and Brook says, any new information on The Deceptor is hidden in a secure location, and she’s not wiling to jeopardize her job again. Tracy laughs and says, come on. Lucy Coe is a birdbrain. She couldn’t install a security protocol if her life depended on it. Maxie’s a smart cookie, but Brook is a Quartermaine. Brook holds up her tablet, showing her The Sun headline: The Face of Evisceration. She asks if Tracy can see it, or does she need her glasses? Tracy says, she stabbed the stableboy by the pool. What’s the big deal? Brook says, she was at Michael and Willow’s wedding looking completely normal and beautiful and smiling, and Tracy says, people change? Brook says, she’s the Face of Deception, and this, right now, is killing the company. The only thing making a profit is The Deceptor, and she isn’t willing to risk it for Tracy.

Carly asks if Nina told Maxie to come here, but Maxie says, no. Nina didn’t tell her not to either. She understands that after everything that’s happened, Carly hates Nina, but Carly says, they’re not going to do that because that is in the past. She’s realized that hatred and anger and resentment is just a vicious cycle. It can pull you down, and she’s not going to let that happen to her. Maxie says, wow. She doesn’t know if anyone would recognize this Carly. Carly says she’s not sure she would recognize this Carly, and Maxie says, she does seem really driven though. It’s not easy to run a place like this. Carly says, it’s not. you’ve got to keep your eye on everything. Maxie says, and the long hours, but Carly says she doesn’t mind that. She intends to prove to certain people that she’s not dependent on anyone. Maxie says she never thought Carly was, and Carly thanks her for that. She never thought she was either. Maxie says, if anyone can make a place like this even better, it’s Carly, and Carly says, yeah, and Kelly’s is just the first step.

Sonny tells Chase, from his understanding, the first detective on the scene was Dante. That makes it his case. Chase says, they’re partners; they share cases. And since Dante is Sonny’s son, they thought it better if Chase questions him. He looks at his notebook, and says, before he discovered the body, Dex Heller was seen lurking outside an office building at General Hospital. Was he working for Sonny that night? Sonny says, Chase said lurking? Is that like the guy who was outside his office when he came here this morning? So probably the same guy who told Chase he was here. Because he considers that lurking. Chase asks if that’s his answer, and Sonny says, Chase is going to have to ask Dex why he was at the hospital. Chase says he spoke to Dr. Gatlin-Holt. He said the murder victim, Gordon Stevens, approached him at a restaurant with Sonny present. Does Sonny care to comment on that? Sonny says, Chase will have to contact his lawyer if he has any more questions. Good luck, detective. He goes back inside.

Tracy says, so the only thing keeping this ridiculous business model afloat is The Deceptor? and Brook says, yes. So please, don’t do anything to hurt her friends. Tracy says, there are no friends in business. They’re family. Brook will use her inside access to get Tracy all the information she possibly can. Now she’s going home to check on Brook’s father. Who knows what trouble Eddie Maine is stirring up, or if he’s even out of bed yet.

Ned drinks some water, and Leo says, the National Academy of Sciences recommends 3.7 liters of water a day for a man like him. Ned says, how much is that in English? and Leo says, 15.6 cups. Ned says he has a long way to go, when Olivia comes in. Leo says, Eddie’s drinking water to get hydrated, and she says she sees that. Ned says he was wondering if her offer for some breakfast still stands, and Leo says, yay! A second breakfast. His mom makes amazing frittatas. Ned says, sounds good, and she says, coming right up. Leo asks if Ned knows what a frittata is, and Ned says he doesn’t, but he bets Leo is just the guy who can tell him. Aww. I’m liking this storyline.

Doc says, maybe it would be better if he were to go alone, but Laura says, absolutely not. He says, what she experienced on Cassadine Island is a kind of long term trauma, and she says she can handle that. He says, but what Helena, Stavros, Mikkos did to her… She says, they’re all dead. They’re all gone, and she survived. They can’t hurt her now. Besides, if Nikolas wants to find a place to hide from the rest of the world, that is the perfect spot. He says, all right, but he’ll be with her every step of the way. Promise him if anything starts to come up again, just tell him. She says she promises she will, but she’s not going to let that stop her from finding her son.

Cyrus says, what’s the good word, doctor? and Austin says, the good word is that he wouldn’t recommend Cyrus run a marathon any time soon, but he’s doing extremely well. Cyrus says, God makes miracles, and Austin says, sometimes the human body does too. Cyrus says, and God made us all, and Austin starts to leave, but Cyrus grabs his wrist. He says, Austin is looking at a man who shattered every Commandment in his previous life. Does he have any idea what that’s like to turn completely away from God? Austin says, it’s probably not great, and Cyrus says, yet here he is, given a second chance. Austin says he does hope Cyrus can take advantage of it, and Cyrus says he has every intention of doing just that. Austin extracts himself, and starts to leave, when Cyrus says, may the Lord bless Austin and protect him. And his family. Austin leaves, and Cyrus smiles.

Carly asks if everything’s all right with Chase, and Sonny says, yeah. Chase is a good guy. She’s doing a good thing. She says, Kelly’s? and he says, she took a lot of hits and she bounced back. It’s not easy to do that. She asks if he thought she’d just roll over, but he says, not in a million years, because she’s a survivor. It’s one of the first things he learned about her. She says she’s doing what she has to do, and he asks if she’s seen Drew. She says, yes, and he asks if Drew is okay. She says, he’s okay, and Sonny says, good. Is she waiting for the lunch crowd? She says, yeah, and he says he’s got to go. She thanks him, and he says, it’s the best coffee in town. He leaves, and Sam calls Carly. She says she called the prison to see if she could take Scout to see Drew, and they said he wasn’t allowed any visitors until further notice. Carly says, why? What’s going on? Sam says, because he’s locked up in solitary confinement.

Tomorrow, Ned says he doesn’t see that changing anytime soon; TJ tells Molly, it’s their first step to having a family; Ava says, Austin killed him, didn’t he; and Curtis tells Stella that he doesn’t think he can do this.

The Real Shrew Housewives of Orange County

Shannon pitches a low-key fit to the production crew about how John is super private, and if this is aired, her relationship is over. I’m still not sure what the big deal is exactly. In Shannon’s interview, she says she made the decision to confide in Fancy Pants Heather when she was vulnerable. She was stupid to assume it would be kept between them. In Tamra’s interview, she says, Fancy Pants said Shannon and John’s relationship is sh*t, and they’re not good. She must not remember the last time she talked about Shannon’s relationship, and it blew up in her face. We flash back to that, and Shannon says she feels 100% betrayal. People who live in glass houses… Vicki says, we should shoot stones at them, but Tamra says, shouldn’t throw stones. Vicki says, that’s not it, but it’s something about stones.😐

 Emily, Shane, and the kids go pumpkin picking, so I assume Halloween is around the corner. Shane corrects Emily about something or other that I wasn’t paying attention to, and in Emily’s interview, she says, one of the biggest issues between her and Shane is their parenting style. Shane likes to check her in front of the kids, and it takes her authority away. She grew up without many rules, and to her it’s monumental. She’s trying to give the kids structure and safety. Shane grew up differently, with a mom and dad. In Shane’s interview, he says he feels he can do things as well or better than Emily. He has a lot of patience, but he’s guilty of giving too much grace. He wants to be the fun dad.  

Jenn and Tamra meet for frozen yogurt or something, and Tamra apologizes for being an a-hole. In Jenn’s interview, she says she’s confused. How long is she supposed to be a punching bag and forgive? Tamra says her head’s not in a good place. The gym closed and Eddie’s grandmother isn’t well. She doesn’t deal with emotions and explodes. She wants to be in a trusting place with Jenn. In Tamra’s interview, she says she hasn’t changed her mind about Jenn and Ryan, but she was an a-hole. She wants Jenn to be happy. She tells Jenn that she wants to move forward, and would love to sit down with Ryan. Shannon asked her and Eddie to go on John’s boat and then to a restaurant, and she recommended Jenn and Ryan come too. Jenn says, Tamra can throw a napkin in her face and say horrible things, but at the end of the day, she’ll always take care of their friendship. In Jenn’s interview, she says she’ll always fight for their friendship. She wants to believe Tamra means it, but she still feels guarded. Here’s where Jenn and I differ. Throw a napkin in my face and scream at me, and we’re  done. Tamra says she’s going to lay off the tequila too. She can’t control tequila. No, she can’t control herself on tequila.

Heather meets with Mark Cuban and his business partner Falon Fatemi, and in her interview, she says, years ago, Terry became enamored with Mark, and they invested in his company. She loves that he’s normal and laid back. He and Falon are co-founders of Fireside, an indirect streaming app. She’ll be able to do whatever in her slot. New eyeballs means more work and maybe readings. It might be the hole for her to integrate herself back into the acting world. It’s a business filled with rejection, and that’s a mind f***. It’s scary and daunting, but she’ll be showing she’s still alive. She tells them that she needs for this to work, and Falon says, Heather will make it work.

Gina meets Jenn for some shopping, and Gina says she thinks she’ll have her real estate license in two months. They agree the hustle is real. In Gina’s interview, she says she has more respect for Jenn now. It’s a comfort to talk with a woman in the same position. Jenn tells Gina about her truce with Tamra, but says, it’s like waiting for the ball to drop. I think she means the other shoe. Gina says, Jenn doesn’t have to tell anyone anything. Jenn’s being attacked and Gina can’t watch it happen. Maybe Jenn’s friends have to step up for her. In her interview, Gina says, Jenn has done nothing wrong to anyone but herself, and she paid for it. Jenn tells Gina about the boat/dinner invite, and says, it’s nice, but she’s worried about Eddie and Ryan. She doesn’t know Shannon and John. Gina says, from what she’s heard, things are not great, and Jenn says, Shannon told her that John was an amazing partner. Gina says she thinks it’s easier for people to talk about others, so they don’t have to talk about themselves.

I have to insert this. As I’m editing, they’re showing a RHOC from 2014, and Tamra is exactly the same. Screaming, acting like an a-hole, then apologizing.

Fancy Pants, Jenn, and Tamra take a class from boxing instructor Andre. Afterward, Heather tells them that she and Terry have a penthouse in L.A. that’s in escrow. It’s going to be their pied-a-terre. No surprise she has to explain this word to Tamra. In Fancy’s interview, she says she and Terry had been looking at apartments in L.A., and it was the most perfect ever penthouse. It’s the first step back to a career in Hollywood. Tamra says, Shannon and John seemed happy when she last saw them, and in her interview, she says she wonders if Heather forgot what she said in the past. She’s going to see if she can catch her. In her interview, Fancy Pants wonders why Tamra wants to know her opinion about Shannon and John, and why in front of Jenn? Tamra has a big mouth, and even if she had an opinion, she wouldn’t tell Tamra. Both Tamra and Fancy Pants play a round of I don’t know.

Emily and Shane go out to dinner, and in Emily’s interview, she says the reason she was attracted to Shane was because he was funny. But sometimes she wants to talk about real issues, and it can be frustrating. They’ve been married 14 years, and would probably have divorced a long time ago if he wasn’t so funny. I totally understand this. I think Shane’s funny too. She tells him that they need to have an important conversation about parenting. She doesn’t think they’re on the same page. He corrected what she said in front of the kids. He says he just meant to add to what she said, but she tells him that she felt marginalized. He says he’s sorry, and she says she wants to feel he respects her as a mother and the kids see that. He’s sincerely apologetic, and in her interview, she says she loves that Shane takes ownership of the things he’s done that are hurtful. They’ll always have issues, but that’s how you grow.

Gina meets with her realtor mentors, and says she’s getting more excited. She asks Travis to role play as a buyer, and in her interview, she says she’ll be helping people make probably the biggest purchase in their lives. They have to feel comfortable with you. She loves talking to people, and Travis will be doing the paperwork and contracts. Travis thinks she did well, and she says she feels good about it that they’re doing it together.

John asks Shannon how the dinner was with Vicki, and we flash back to that. Shannon says, they had a lot of laughs, and in her interview, she says she’s not telling John anything. They’re about to have a fun night and she doesn’t want to put a black cloud over tonight. John’s not going to be happy about this. Tamra is nervous seeing Ryan after she talked sh*t about him. Before Jenn and Ryan get there, Tamra tells John about Ryan saying he wanted to hit on her, and in Eddie’s interview, he says, the rumors about Ryan made him concerned. He cares about Jenn, and sees the trainwreck. It’s none of his business, but it is. The best person in the room is John’s dog Banks, and in Shannon’s interview, she says, the tension is rising. The last time she was on a boat with these women, it didn’t go so well. We flash back to Tamra screaming liar, liar, liar, and Jenn and Ryan arrive. Ryan is wearing one of those white jackets with black writing all over it. I guess you’d call that a vibe.

Terry tells Fancy Pants that the L.A. penthouse is in escrow, and in Heather’s interview, she says, their house wasn’t on the market, but they got a cold call from Josh Altman. We see a clip where Josh says someone he knows is interested, and he’d ask $55 million. Fancy Pants says she’s open to change. It’s like the universe is speaking, but it’s still a long road from here to packing boxes. They’ll see if it’s meant to be. Terry says, 22,000 square feet is a lot of house for four people, and Heather says, not that she’s not grateful, but it represents a job she doesn’t want anymore. In her interview, she says, it’s been amazing. They built the house. We flash back to some of that, and a producer asks if she’d like to live in a house where the staff doesn’t outnumber her family. She says, yes. She and Terry have built so much together and it’s a ton of money, but signifies their next chapter as a family and as a couple. Terry thanks Heather for the home and thanks her for the next step. It’s going to be a good one.

The boat passes Nobu, and Tamra says, the scene of the [napkin] crime. In Tamra’s interview, she says, it’s awkward. She doesn’t want to look at Ryan. He always dresses silly. Why is there leopard on his collar? I hadn’t noticed, but yep, it’s leopard. They go to a restaurant where the food looks amazing and there are deviled eggs like I’ve never seen them. Ryan brings up the infamous d*ck pic, and in her interview, Jenn says she’s talked until she’s blue in the face on Ryan’s behalf. The rest of them need to figure stuff out on their own. In Shannon’s interview, she says she never hopped on the d*ck pic train, and we hear a train whistle. She says she’s not even comfortable saying d*ck. John says he wants to use the restroom, and suggests that Shannon does too. They leave, and Tamra says, they have a chance to talk more privately. Ryan says, Eddie owes him an apology. If something was told to him, even if he found out it wasn’t true, it’s not cool. He could see how hurt Jenn was dealing with it on his behalf, and he feels betrayed.

Eddie says he was told that Ryan goes after married women, and he came to the conclusion it was the truth. Tamra says, they’ve known Jenn longer, and John and Shannon silently slip back into their seats. Eddie asks if Ryan cheated on his wife, and Ryan admits he did. Eddie says, now he’s stuck with the cheater label, and tells him that the other Heather heard him say he wanted to f*** Eddie’s wife (i.e. Tamra), but Ryan says, absolutely not. Heather told him that Tamra thought he was hot, and he said he thought Tamra was hot. End of story. Tamra asks if he’s saying Heather is lying, and he says he is. Shannon says she doesn’t know them, but she’s been around Heather and doesn’t think she’s a liar. Why she’s putting in her two cents, I’m not sure. In Jenn’s interview, she says she thinks Heather is in love with Ryan, and their relationship is none of her business. Eddie asks if Ryan cheated on Jenn, and Ryan says, a few months in, he said it was too much, and they separated. Tamra says, if he slept with someone else when they were on a break, did that mean he loved her? and he says he does love her. In her interview, Jenn says, she felt cheated on, and Ryan tells the others to see their love and make their own judgement. Tamra says, they don’t need to talk about this again, and they agree to move forward. In other words, until it comes up again. In Shannon’s interview, she says she knows how difficult it can be when other people discuss your relationship. It’s nobody’s business except the people involved. Tamra asks, what’s next? A vacation? Marriage? Ryan says, they’re definitely getting married, and in Tamra’s interview, she says she’s not holding her breath, and doubts she’d get an invite if it happened. It will be hard to find bridesmaids Ryan hasn’t f***ed. John says he felt like he shouldn’t be here, and Tamra says, cheers to clearing the air and moving forward.

This season, a lot of screaming and whooping it up; Fancy Pants and Terry get their 55 million (so is she taking the etched window with her?); Shannon screeches that someone owes her boyfriend an apology; Emily calls out Shannon for being two different people; and Fancy Pants says, just because Emily is emphatic about it, doesn’t make it true.

🍸 Shaking, Not Stirring…

Come on by tomorrow for soap and a tea party. Until then, stay safe, stay treating others with humility, and stay not letting the vicious cycle of hatred, anger, and resentment pull you down.

July 28, 2023 – Sonny Turns the Tables, Reject Dress, The Loud Woman, VanderStatus, Roadblock, Not Barbie, About Those Dead, Kitty Cooper, Funny Pets (!), Quotes of Eight & Rain

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Chechnya, Russia. Valentin and Laura walk into a mansion that’s obviously unoccupied. He says, there’s no car in the driveway and no lights on, and she says, it’s deserted. He says, none of the Cassadines have been here in years, when a man runs down the stairs, holding a gun and yelling in Russian.

Dante brings Charlotte to see Lulu in a hospital that looks suspiciously like GH. Charlotte says she wants to see her mom, but she’s worried about her grandmother too. Is it safe for her to be in Russia? Papa knows his way around, but she’s nervous about grandma. Dante says, she’s going to be okay. Charlotte’s dad is with her and Doc is with her; she’s in good hands. Is she ready? Charlotte nods, and they go inside Lulu’s room.

Spencer thinks about calling Trina, and Esme asks if he’s heard from his grandmother. He says, nothing, and Esme says she hasn’t heard anything either. Not that she’s family, but she’s worried. Does he think it’s a bad sign he hasn’t heard from her? He says he doesn’t know, and she asks if he thinks she’s in trouble. He says he doesn’t know, but even if she was, there isn’t a damn thing he can do about it. Just leave it alone.

Kristina lets herself in to Molly’s apartment and says, it’s her favorite sister. Molly says she’s not surprised to see Kristina since she texted, but she’s surprised because that wasn’t very Kristina-like. Kristina says she’s working on being much more sisterlike. How is she doing? Molly says, A for effort. How does Kristina think she’s doing? Kristina says, there’s a definite learning curve, but whenever she’s in doubt, she asks herself, what would her younger, wiser, more beautiful sister do?

In his office, Michael discusses the budget with someone on the phone, when there’s a knock at the door. Carly comes in, and Michael says he’s got to go. Send him the accurate numbers by the end of the day. She says she’s sorry she just barged in. His assistant said she could come. She’s so happy to see him back in the office. He says, it’s not exactly by choice, and she says, he hasn’t left Willow’s side for months, but this must mean she’s continuing to get better. He says he’s very grateful her strength is coming back. When she tells him to stop hovering, he guesses it’s a good thing, but it means he has to give her some space. So he decided to come back to the office. Now that Drew is… She says, in prison. He can say it. She didn’t come here to talk about Drew, but she does have something she needs to talk to him about. He says, what about? and she says, his father.

Sonny does some work in his office, when his phone rings. It’s Nina, and he asks where she is. She says she’s at the MetroCourt. She’s trying to get some work done, but can’t keep her mind off the situation with Willow. He says he thought she told him things were better, but she says, Willow’s not the problem. It’s Michael. Ava walks into Sonny’s office, and says, they need to talk. Sonny tells Nina that he has to go. He has to take care of something. He asks Ava, what’s the problem? and she says, the problem is him. He told her that he was going to take care of that woman. This is how he takes care of it? He sends Avery off with that psychopath? She shows him a picture of Betty and Avery on her phone.

Avery swims in the pool, and Betty tells her, it’s time to go, but she says, just one more. Please. She swims off and Josslyn walks in. Avery calls to her, and Josslyn asks what she’s doing. Avery says she had swim class today and learned this. She floats on her back, and Josslyn says, amazing. Avery is better than she is. She could go to the Olympics with that. Dex stands near the entrance, and Trina sees him. She tells him, if he’s looking for Joss, she’s right over there. He says he’s not. He’s actually working. Avery tells Josslyn that she has a new nanny. Her name is Betty. Betty and Josslyn smile at each other.

Ava says she stopped by Sonny’s apartment to see Avery, and the guard said she’s out with that Mary Poppins from hell. Sonny says, relax. Betty took Avery to the MetroCourt pool for her swimming lessons. Ava says, don’t tell her to relax. The woman is violent. Betty smacked her face. What if she hurts Avery? What if she kidnaps Avery? What was he thinking? He says, Betty is their best bet to lead them to whoever blackmailed Ava, but she says she already told him. It’s that creep Mason. He says, Mason is taking orders from somebody else. They have to find out who it is and Betty’s going to steer them right to his boss.

Josslyn says she didn’t realize Avery had a new nanny. What happened to Pilar? Betty says she has no idea. She interviewed with Ava Jerome, Avery’s mother. Josslyn says she knows Ava, and Betty says, Mr. Corinthos joined them and asked her to start today. Josslyn says, she must have really impressed him, and Betty says, who is Josslyn again? Josslyn tells her that she’s Josslyn Jax, Avery’s older sister, but Betty says she’s confused. Miss Jerome told her that Avery has a half-sister, but she’s younger than Avery. Either Josslyn is big for her age, or she’s not really Avery’s sister.

Michael asks if something is up with Sonny, and Carly says she was hoping he could tell her. Has he heard anything from Dex? Michael says, so far, he’s sticking to the agreement. He’s keeping tabs on Sonny and letting Michael know if there are any big deals in the works. Carly says, so what’s the latest? and Michael says, last night, Dex found a dead body. Carly asks if he knows who it was, and Michael says, apparently, it’s a guy with a connection to Dr. Gatlin-Holt. Carly asks if Austin isn’t seeing Ava. She saw them together at the Nurses Ball. He says he doesn’t know, but Dex called Sonny and told him that he found a dead body near a dumpster, and surprisingly, Sonny told him to call the police. She says, that doesn’t make any sense. Why would Sonny have Dex call the police? I’m not sure why everyone is so shocked. Sonny didn’t know Gordon and has nothing to do with him, so why wouldn’t he be a good citizen?

Kristina says she’s not here for Molly’s sage advice; she’s here to serve her sister. What can she get Kristina? She sees Kristina has water and snacks. She knows – a smoothie. Molly says, Sam beat her to it, and Kristina says, Sam the good sister. She knows one thing she doesn’t think Sam got for Kristina, and takes a stuffed horse out of her bag. Kristina says, Valiant, and takes the horse. This is exactly what she needed.

Esme asks if her concern for Spencer’s grandmother is bothering him. For all they know, she could be locked up in some Russian prison, but clearly he’s not worried, so she’ll keep it to herself from now on. He says he’s sorry he snapped at her. He’s very worried and concerned about his grandmother, but right now, he’s far more worried about Trina. Her father was shot and he could also be paralyzed, and he has no idea how to help her. Esme says, getting upset with her isn’t going to fix anything, but why doesn’t he call Trina and tell her that he’s thinking about her?

The man asks in Russian what Valentin and Laura are doing here, and Valentin answers in Russian, they mean no harm. They’re looking for someone. He tells them, get out, and in Russian, Laura says, we come in peace. The man says he speaks English. They’re trespassing. Now get out. Laura says, they don’t want to hurt anyone. All they want is information. They’re looking for someone. He asks who they’re looking for, and Valentin says, Nikolas Cassadine. The man says, Cassadines are evil, and spits. They’re all gone. What is that American expression? Good riddance. They’re very dangerous people. Stay away from that family. Laura says, he doesn’t understand. Nikolas Cassadine is her son, and they’ve got to find him. The man asks why they’re looking in Chechnya. Has he been kidnapped? Or is he running from authorities? Valentin says, they don’t know. That’s what they’re trying to find out. Laura says, he disappeared from his home in the United States five months ago and they have no idea what happened to him. The man says, if he’s a Cassadine, nothing good.

Charlotte tells Lulu (who we never really see) about winning a ribbon in her equestrian show. Dante says, she was amazing. Rocco’s doing amazing as well. He doesn’t know how, but Rocco’s got straight As. He’s always talking about every girl in his class; he’s got a crush every week. Charlotte says, Lulu is missing so much. She’s starting high school in the fall. She spent so many years at boarding school, but she’s happier staying in Port Charles and being close to her family. But Lulu isn’t there. She has to wake up and come back to them. Dante says he’ll give Charlotte time with her mom, and gets up. He says, they’ll see Lulu soon. They miss her. He leaves, and Charlotte says, Dante’s right. They really, really miss her, but she misses Lulu more.

Ava says, Sonny can follow any lead he wants, just please don’t involve their daughter. He says, does she really think he’d put his daughter at risk? Ava says, that’s what he’s doing right now, but he says, she’s not at risk. He’s going to take care of this like he said he was. She’s going to have to trust him.

Avery gets out of the pool, and Josslyn puts a towel around her. She asks Avery to do her a favor and tell her new nanny who she is, and Avery says, Josslyn’s her big sister. Josslyn says, the branches of their family are very complicated. She’d be happy to draw Betty a diagram. Betty says, that won’t be necessary, but thanks for the offer. They’re both smiling, but I don’t think they’re smiling in their heads. Josslyn says, Betty’s probably right. She’ll be gone before she can memorize any names. Betty tells Avery, time to go, and Josslyn says, nice meeting you. Betty says nothing, and leaves with Avery. Dex watches, then follows. Trina asks Josslyn what that was all about, and Josslyn says she has no idea, but she needs to find out. She has to call Sonny. What the hell is he thinking letting that girl look after Avery? Trina says, don’t call Sonny, and Josslyn asks, why? Trina says she has the feeling something else is going on. When she got here, Josslyn’s boyfriend was over there, but it didn’t look like he was soaking up rays. He was keeping a low profile watching Avery and the nanny. He never took his eyes off them. That’s got to mean something, right? Josslyn says, but what?

Michael tells Carly that he’s not sure how all this fits together, but Dex will get more information soon. He really needs to thank her. Carly says, for what? and he says, she’s the one who encouraged this arrangement with Dex. It’s nice to know they have somebody they can trust in Sonny’s organization. It works out for both of them, since Sonny thinks he has a trustworthy lieutenant, and they don’t get blindsided by his illegal dealings. She says she thinks this is about more than getting information from Dex. She thinks a part of him wants Dex to protect his father. He says he’s not saying he can forgive or even wants to forgive Sonny, but a part of him still cares about Sonny. Carly says she’ll take that as a plan and hugs him.

Kristina kisses the stuffed horse, and says she’s missed him. Where has he been hiding all these years? She thought she lost him. Kristina says, he was in some mislabeled box. She was in mom’s attic looking for pieces to sell at the community fundraiser, and she saw this box labeled law books. She opened it up, and there was Valiant, right there on top of the New York Penal Code. Molly says she’s so grateful Kristina found him. She knows it must sound silly, but this little guy meant so much to her. Kristina says, Molly was the only four-year-old on this planet who would name their stuffed animal Valiant and actually knew what it was. Kristina had stuffed animals named like the rest of them; Fluffy, Stuffy, Coco. Molly says, one time when she was six or seven, she had friends over and showed them Valiant, and they all made fun of his name. Kristina came storming in the room, saying they were all stupid, and if they didn’t stop making fun of Molly, she was going to pour maple syrup in their hair. Kristina says she remembers that. Then they ran out the door so fast. She thinks it’s the last time they came over to their house. She thinks she made life a lot harder for Kristina than it needed to be. Sorry. Kristina says she’s not. She was proud of her big sister then, and she still is.

Laura says, this is about her son, and asks the man if he has any children. He says, da. Two daughters. She says, then he must understand what she’s going through now. Is there anything he can tell her? He says he’s sorry he was harsh with her. He would help her if he could, but he has no idea where this Nikolas Cassadine is. Valentin asks if this is his house, and the man says he bought it for his family. But it was all done through lawyers. He never saw the previous owner. Valentin says, lucky him.

Spencer says he wants to be there for Trina, but it’s complicated, and Esme asks, why? He says, Trina’s mother isn’t a fan of any Cassadine, particularly him, and he does understand why she doesn’t like him. His father has done a lot of damage, but even he pales in comparison to his Uncle Victor. To make matters worse, she’s holding the other side of his family accountable for her husband’s shooting. Esme says, what? and he says he told her it was complicated. Curtis Ashford was shot, and Dr. Robinson thinks the bullet was meant for his Uncle Sonny. She says, so Trina’s mom pretty much hates everyone related to him? and he says, yeah, with the exception of his grandmother and Ace, and one of them is a baby and the other isn’t even in this country.

Josslyn tells Trina that she’s happy Dex is looking out for Avery, but she gets bad vibes from that girl. Trina is absorbed with her phone, and Josslyn asks if she’s there. Trina says she’s sorry. She was hoping there would be a message from Spencer. Josslyn asks why she doesn’t text him, and Trina says she would, but it wouldn’t be right. Josslyn asks what that means, and Trina says her mom is dealing with so much since Curtis was shot, and she never liked Spencer, so she’s trying to keep her distance from him. She doesn’t want to add more stress. Josslyn says, but she misses him, and Trina says, yeah. Josslyn says she understands Trina’s mom needs support, but Trina needs support too. She bets the only reason Spencer isn’t reaching out is because he doesn’t want to put pressure on Trina. But if Trina needs him, let him know. She won’t regret it.

Molly says she appreciates Kristina looking out for her, and Kristina says, it’s usually the other way around. She was always jumping from one thing to the next, getting herself in these difficult situations, and leaving an absolute mess in her wake. But there she was, her Molly, cleaning up her messes. Molly says she just never wanted Kristina to get in trouble, and Kristina asks if Molly remembers doing her homework for her. Molly was like three grades below her and would do her homework. She covered for Kristina when she was in trouble with mom, and comforted her when she cried or was upset. Molly always took care of her. Molly says, not always. She didn’t take care of Kristina when her abusive boyfriend Kiefer Bauer was beating her up.

Betty comes into Pozzulo’s with Avery, who runs to Ava, hugging her. Avery tells Ava that she can float on her back, and Ava says she’s so proud of Avery. Betty says, Avery had a terrific lesson. She could barely get Avery out of the water when it was time to go. Sonny says he wants to hear all about it, but right now he wants Avery to stay with Frank. He and Betty need to have a conversation. Maybe Frank can give Avery some biscotti. Frank says, sounds good, and Sonny, Ava, and Betty go into Sonny’s office. Sonny says he knows it’s Betty’s first day and Avery seems to like her a lot. That’s important to him. Betty says, he has a wonderful daughter, and he says, anybody who can make his daughter that happy, is okay by him. Betty asks if he’d like her to take Avery to his place, but he says, no. She can pick Avery up there tomorrow morning. They’re not going to need her for the rest of the day. He gives her some cash, she thanks him, and she leaves. Avery and Frank are playing cards while they have biscotti, and Betty tells Avery, see you tomorrow. Ava comes out, and Sonny says he has a phone call to make, closing his office door.

The man says, Laura seems like a nice woman, but it’s obvious her son has left her. It must be painful. She says she doesn’t believe her son would just leave her. He has kids and she doesn’t believe he’d abandon them. Maybe he was forced to leave. The man says he’s sorry. He wishes he could help her, but there’s nothing he can do. Please show themselves out. He leaves, and Valentin says, where do they go from here?

Charlotte tells Lulu that the other girls talk about doing things with their mothers; shopping, getting manicures, going away for the weekend. She just smiles and pretends it’s okay. Sam and Grandmother take her out, but it’s just not the same. She never actually told her friends what really happened to Lulu. If she doesn’t tell them where Lulu is, she can believe it isn’t real; that she’s just away for a little while, and she’ll be back soon. So she has to wake up. Charlotte puts her head down on the bed and cries.

Esme says, it’s such a beautiful day. As soon as Ace wakes up, why don’t she and Spencer take him to the park? He says he has a better idea. Why don’t they take him to the MetroCourt pool, and they can dip his feet in the water. He’ll love it. She says, yes, absolutely. She just got him a bathing suit and he has a matching hat. He’ll look adorable. She goes into the other room, and Spencer opens the front door. Trina is there, and he says he’s surprised to see her… in the best way. She says she’s sorry for just showing up without calling, but he says, don’t apologize. Come in. She’s always welcome here. She says she’s glad to hear him say that. These last few days have just been really hard, and she’s missed him. He hugs her, and Esme watches.

Carly goes into Sonny’s office, and Ava asks, what brings her here? Carly says she came to pick up Avery. Avery is coming with her for a sleepover with Donna and Josslyn. Sonny says he appreciates her doing this on short notice, and Ava says, how short? When did Sonny set this up? Carly says, he called her just a few minutes ago. What’s going on here?

Kristina asks why Molly would bring up Kiefer. She hasn’t thought about him in years. Molly says, really? and Kristina says, no. That’s not true. She just doesn’t like to admit how often she does think about that time in her life, but she does. Especially now, working with troubled teens. So many of them are in abusive relationships, and it just brings her back to Kiefer. She tries to help them, but she can’t even help herself. Molly says she should have helped Kristina. She knew something was wrong and she should have said something. She could hear Kristina crying in her room every night, and she knew something was wrong. Every time she asked Kristina, Kristina got upset and said to leave her alone. So she did. She’s so sorry. She should have pushed harder to get Kristina to open up. Kristina takes Molly’s hand, and says, she has nothing to be sorry for. It’s on her. She couldn’t find a way to get herself out of that hole. Sometimes she wonders if that’s when everything started. Molly says, when what started? and Kristina says, her life just derailed when she was with Kiefer. Ever since then, she tries, but she’s never been able to get it back on track.

Michael opens his office door to Nina, who thanks him for seeing her. She knows she’s not his favorite person right now. He asks what he can do for her, and she asks if they can make peace for Willow’s sake.

Sonny says he just thought Avery would like to spend some time with her sisters, and Carly says, whatever. The girls will be thrilled to have Avery. They walk out, and Carly tells Avery, let’s get this sleepover started. Avery heads for the door, and Carly looks at Sonny and Ava. She says, whatever, and follows.

Nina says she and Willow had a wonderful visit the other day, but Michael says he doesn’t quite remember it that way. She says, if he remembers correctly, she was at the hospital checking on Sasha, he stepped outside, and she and Willow made significant progress. He asks, what exactly does that mean? and she says, it means she and Willow communicate better when he’s not in the room. He says he’s pretty busy, so can she get to the point? and she says her point is, at best, he just tolerates her and wishes she wasn’t in Willow’s life, but she’s Willow’s mother. Michael says she’s mentioned that once or twice, and she says she now knows Willow is open to the idea of them having a relationship. And she’s wondering, is he open to that too?

Molly says, Kristina has gotten her life back on track. Look what she’s doing with the youth center. She’s going to make a difference in these kids’ lives. She thought that made Kristina happy. Kristina says, it does, but she doesn’t know if she’s enough for them. These kids are so desperate for help, and she doesn’t know if she has the skills or the tools to adequately help them. Soon her center is going to be up and running, and her name is going to be on that building, but it’s not going to be hers. She thinks she’s been fooling herself this whole time, thinking she can make a difference and help these kids, but she doesn’t know if she can. Molly tells her, don’t say that. She knows Kristina can. Kristina says, stop. Molly is here with an injured leg and she’s doing it again; she’s comforting Kristina. Molly says, because that’s what she does when she loves someone. And before Kristina talks herself out of being useful to these kids, take the time to educate herself. No one knows how to take on a project like that without experience. So take some classes. Study management. Talk to people who’ve done this before. She can do this. Kristina asks why she’s so sure, and Molly says, because she believes in Kristina. She’s just got to believe in herself.

Esme says, Spencer told her about Trina’s dad. She’s so sorry. It must be so scary thinking he could be paralyzed. Trina says, it’s been awful, and Esme says she’s going to check on Ace. He’s about to get up from his nap and she’s going to take him to the park. She leaves, and Spencer says he’s so sorry for what Trina’s going through. How is she holding up? She says she’s so worried for Curtis. She’s trying to stay strong for her mom, but she doesn’t know what to do to make her feel better. He says he does. Stay away from him.

Laura asks if Valentin think the owner would mind if they had a look around the house, and he says, she could ask him, but he doesn’t think they’re going to find any clues around here. She says she guesses he’s probably right, but she did get the feeling he was telling them the truth. He says, they need to regroup; think of somewhere else Nikolas could be hiding. She says, what if he’s not hiding? What if he’s being held against his will? Victor could have turned on him just like he turned on Valentin and Spencer. Valentin says, Victor’s dead. Nikolas could be anywhere. Doc is probably back at the hotel by now. Let’s get the hell out of here.

Dante says it’s tough for Charlotte to see her mom like that, but the doctors say maybe she can hear them, so it’s important they’re here as much as they can be. Charlotte says she knows. She just wants her mom to come home – their home. She went by there the other day and looked in the window. It made her sad. Everything was covered in sheets and so quiet. Not like it used to be. He says, they had some really good memories there, didn’t they? and she says she just doesn’t like seeing it so empty. She bets mom would want someone to live there.

Trina says, the last thing she wants is to stay away from Spencer. She needs him more than ever. He’s the thing that gives her strength to hang on right now. He says he thinks she’s the first person who’s ever said that to him, and she says she doesn’t care what people say. They don’t know him like she does. She needs him. He says he’s always here for her, but he thinks it’s going to add a lot of stress to her mom’s life right now if she knows he’s spending time with her. She says she hates to admit it, but she thinks he might be right. She doesn’t want to stay away from him, but it would probably be best to keep their relationship low key for now. He says, yeah, he gets it. He’s the last person her mom wants to see, so he’ll steer clear of her, and if Trina needs him, he’ll be here whenever. She says, now would be a good time, and they kiss.

In the bedroom, Esme tells Ace, sorry, buddy. She wanted to take him to the pool today, but his big brother has other plans. She guesses that means Trina is more important than they are. It’s just her and him; they’ve only got each other. Unless she takes steps to change that situation.

Michael says he’ll support any decision his wife makes. If she wants to have a relationship with Nina, he has no problem with that. She tells him that his attitude says otherwise, and he asks what she’s trying to say. She says, while he’s polite to her somewhat in front of Willow, it’s clear he wants nothing to do with her and just wants her to go away. Willow knows that, and it’s just a matter of time before Wiley and Amelia feel it as well. She knows she’s made mistakes. She just wants to rectify them and make peace. Kristina barges in and asks if she’s interrupting something, but Michael says, no. Nina was just leaving. Nina says she guesses she was just leaving, and asks Michael to please give her a second chance. That’s all she’s asking. Whether he likes it or not, they’re family and she’s not giving up. She gives Kristina a quick kiss as she goes by, and when she’s gone, Kristina asks why Michael is being such a bastard to Nina.

Dex goes over to Josslyn, who’s lying on a chaise lounge, and she says she wanted to ask him something. Trina said she saw him earlier, and it looked like he was doing surveillance on Avery and her nanny. Does he want to tell her what that’s about? He says, Sonny asked him to keep an eye on Avery and the new nanny, so he was tailing her. Josslyn says, Avery’s her sister, so she kind of has a right to know, and he says he’d tell her if he knew, but Sonny hasn’t shared the details. But he thinks it has something to do with Ava Jerome.

Ava says, please tell her that he’s not bringing Carly into this. Sonny has to promise her that he’s not going to tell Carly what she did to Nikolas. He says, that she killed him? and she says, it was an accident. She didn’t mean to do it. He says he won’t tell Carly about Nikolas unless he has to, and she asks what that means. He says, the good thing is, Betty bought his act. She thinks she’s spying on him, but it’s the other way around. She’s going to lead them to whoever’s behind this. And when he finds them, they’re not going to know what hit them.

On Monday, Sonny asks if Anna is still planning to use herself as bait; Kristina says she thought someone would never ask; Tracy says, Gregory is surprisingly charming; Martin says, it must be his lucky night; and Drew tells someone, get the hell away from him.

👧🏼 New Kid On the Block…

The latest in Georgies.

👗 The Right Choice…

Jen dishes on the wedding of the century and her rejected Reunion dress.

🍊 Don’t Say It…

It really doesn’t sound like all that big a deal, but oh yeah, it’s Shannon.

Was she kicked out or just looking for her Uber? I want to know what the argument was about.

🍸 Good Luck With This…

Who will and won’t film with the undesirable Tom.

🥪 Something About Them…

I thought it was open already, they’ve had so many soft launches.

👶 Comes With Accessory Baby…

This is actually a pretty funny idea.

⚰️ Let’s Talk About Dead…

FWD, coming to your TV in October.

Obviously not a real New Yorker.

I’m hoping it goes on forever.

The name isn’t what you thought it was.

https://ew.com/events/comic-con/rick-and-michonne-walking-dead-title-teaser-explained-ones-who-live/

We are from France.

🐱 He Is Not a Cat…

Although he does kind of look like one.

https://ew.com/tv/anderson-cooper-compared-dog-cat-live-with-kelly-mark/

🐕 Comedic Companions…

These are great! How come I never catch my pets doing this stuff? By the time I get the camera, they get bored and walk away or they’ve moved on to something else. I have a lot of pictures of tails.

https://people.com/finalists-announced-of-the-2023-comedy-pet-photography-awards-see-photos-7561437

🪶 Quotes of the Week

Moderation is the feebleness and sloth of the soul, whereas ambition is the warmth and activity of it. – François de La Rochefoucauld

It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little; do something.Sydney Smith

You are always free to change your mind and choose a different future, or a different past. – Richard Bach (I’m not too sure about that past thing… maybe a different viewpoint of the past.)

Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable. – Theodore Vail

Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. – Carl Jung

Everyone must choose one of two pains: The pain of discipline or the pain of regret. – Jim Rohn

I don’t do anything in order to cause trouble. It just so happens that what I do naturally causes trouble. I’m proud to be a troublemaker. – Sinead O’Connor

So let me get this hetero-straight. So you’s a vampire, that can come out in the daytime? … Oh there goes the damn neighborhood. – Lafayette Reynolds (Nelsan Ellis), True Blood

🔮 I Ain’t Got No Crystal Ball…

Come back for more soap and tea on Monday really Tuesday. FYI, Below Deck Down Under is airing a new season on Mondays, but I’m Decked out. Until then, stay safe, stay always being polite to waitstaff, and stay talking to people who’ve done it before when you take on a big project without experience.