And on Monday, Chase asks Brook if she thinks going after Linc is still worth it; Elizabeth wonders if Nikolas wants to protect her or himself; Curtis asks what Selina is doing at the club; and Cody has a proposition for someone.
🎸 Side Gig Within Main Gig…
Apparently, Cameron has a band IRL. It is really good of GH to let him perform his own material on the show. The ultimate in product placement.
Originally written under his pseudonym Richard Bachman, this is actually one of my favorite Stephen King books. I’m shocked they’re making it into a movie, since I haven’t met one other person who’s read it.
There are three classes of men; lovers of wisdom, lovers of honor, and lovers of gain. – Plato
You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor. – Aristotle
Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful. – Joshua J. Marine
We need to give each other space so that we may both give and receive such beautiful things as ideas, openness, dignity, joy, healing and inclusion. – Max de Pree
Popularity should be no scale for the election of politicians. If it would depend on popularity, Donald Duck and The Muppets would take seats in senate. – Orson Welles (Well…)
A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life. – Charles Darwin
We don’t apologize for our mistakes; we erase them. – Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), Jurassic World: Dominion
We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here now, with the power to shape your day and your future. – Steve Maraboli
A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. – John Stuart Mill
Don’t grieve. Anything you lose comes round in another form. – Rumi
🎶 If That’s All There Is, Then Let’s Keep Dancing…
See you on Monday, when I assume the soap will be readjusted, and we’ll see what’s on Deck. Until then, stay safe, stay always moving forward, and stay being wise, prudent, and sensible. Most of the time.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Cody says, Britt has questions about him? Good, because he has questions about her too. Which is why it’s good to have date number two. They can learn more about each other. Britt says, much more, and he says, for starters, how does she feel about anchovies on pizza? She says, he’s assuming she likes pizza, and he says, everybody likes pizza. She says, that’s the problem with assumptions. Everybody doesn’t parachute into a pool, then punch a mother’s boyfriend, and announce they’re the son of said boyfriend’s dead wife. He says, now she knows something about him, and she says, he asked about her father before. Why does Cody keep asking about him?
Outside Kelly’s, Alexis says, even though she provides headlines for The Invader, the only headlines she wants to know about right now are from her girls. She, Molly, Kristina, and Sam sit at an outside table, and she asks, who’s first? Molly says, Kristina; she’s got the best news. Alexis says, goodie. What’s up? Kristina says she was promoted to manager at Charlie’s, and Alexis says, congratulations. Well done. Kristina thanks her, and says she’s pretty happy about it. Alexis asks if she sees much of her dad, and Kristina says, he doesn’t own the pub anymore, but he comes in fairly often, so it’s good to spend time with him. Alexis says, even though he’s with Nina? and Kristina says, is she happy dad’s in a relationship with Nina? No, and she was clear about that. She also told him that she’s in no position to throw stones, and he appreciated that, so it doesn’t really effect their relationship. Alexis says, look at her adulting, and hugs Kristina, saying, her baby’s all grown up. Molly’s turn. How’s it going in the DA’s office? Molly says, as Alexis knows, ADA Arden maneuvered her off Trina Robinson’s case because she felt Molly was biased. Kristina says, which is untrue and unfair, but isn’t it a silver lining that Molly doesn’t have to try someone in TJ’s extended family? Molly says, definitely a silver lining, but she hates that no one gives the system a chance to work the way it actually should. As a prosecutor, it’s her job, or should have been her job, to make the strongest case against Trina, using the facts for support. Then Trina’s defense attorney – Diane in this case – makes the strongest defense, and the jury gets to decide.But Jennifer Arden wanted to prove a point. She followed the letter, but not the spirit with her case.At least it ended with the right verdict… this time. Kristina says, tell mom what she’s thinking, and Molly says, about following in Alexis’s footsteps and going over to criminal defense. Alexis says, whatever Molly does, Molly has her full support, and Molly thanks her. Alexis says, Sam’s turn. She’s awfully quiet, so is no news good news?
Dante walks in as Olivia is on the phone, asking if they remembered to order the special picnic dessert… Okay. Also, make absolutely sure that Leo’s donkey head is just what they discussed… Perfect. Thank you. She’ll be in touch. Dante asks what that was all about, and she says, the first annual Quartermaine picnic to support the GH Children’s wing is tomorrow, and her frozen desserts, the pièce de résistance. He says, with a donkey’s head thrown in? and she says, naturally. Leo’s summer theater camp is doing a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He’s playing Bottom. He says, the character that turns into a donkey. He must be so excited. He gets to play the donkey. He’s going to kill that. Does he need help with running lines? She says, he already has somebody helping him get into the role, and Dante says, let him guess; Chase? She says, Dante’s friend Cody.
Spinelli frets about management checking the chlorine level in the pool, and Maxie tells him, live dangerously. Take the plunge. He can start by forgetting about Britt, and finding someone who’s a better fit. He asks who she has in mind, and she says, no one specifically, but generally, she should be a match for his heart and his intelligence, have an appreciation for his unique perspective. A sense of humor couldn’t hurt, and it’s not absolutely necessary she be into sci/fi, but a basic knowledge of the Star Wars universe would help. So no, he’s not going to meet her at a business conference or whatever, but that’s what computer programs are for, right? She still doesn’t understand why he won’t try his own algorithm, and he says, there’s no need. His brief infatuation with Dr. Westbourne is already fading. He’s put her in the rearview mirror, so to speak. She asks if he’s been holding out on her. Who’s the lucky lady?
Finn tells Violet, she has her sunblock on, but it’s still not good to get too much sun, and she puts on her sunhat. Gregory says, translation: I know what I’m doing, dad, and Finn says, of course (🍷) she does. He situates Violet in her chaise, and gives her a book. She thanks him, and he tells Gregory that he can’t help it. He loves Violet. He told Elizabeth that he loves her. Gregory says, big step, and Finn says, that’s why he can’t look the other way, even if she hates him for it.
Elizabeth looks at the crushed tube in her bloody palm, when TJ walks in. He asks, what happened? She says she was examining Scotty’s nose… He asks how she cut her hand, but she says she doesn’t know. She clutched the tube, and it just seemed to shatter. TJ asks her to let him take a look, but she says, it’s nothing. He says, it’s a nasty cut, and there are glass shards embedded… She says she can take care of it. She’s sure he has patients to deal with. He says he does, and she’s the first one. Has this ever happened before? She asks what he means, and he says he knows she took some personal time for stress. Did Scotty say something to upset her?
Gregory asks if Elizabeth said she loved Finn back, and Finn says, she did. That’s before he blew it all to hell. Gregory asks how Finn managed that, and Finn says, there’s something going on with Elizabeth beyond the sleeping pills she was taking. Something that involves her parents, maybe her father. Gregory says, let him guess; she wasn’t forthcoming. Finn says, not in the slightest, and Gregory asks if that doesn’t tell him maybe he should drop the subject. Finn asks who he’s talking to. Isn’t Gregory the one who told him to analyze a problem from all sides, and come to a rational conclusion? Gregory says, not when it comes to the heart. There’s nothing rational about emotions. Finn says, now you tell me. There’s a million possibilities, but everything tells him that Elizabeth’s issue involves her family, especially since she keeps acting like they don’t exist. Violet asks if Aunt Elizabeth is seeing ghosts again.
Maxie says, if Spinelli doesn’t fess up, she’s going to throw him in the pool, but he asks what he has to confess. She says, if he’s over Britt, who is he pining for? and he says, a luminous creature; a beacon of warmth and intelligence… with a working knowledge of Star Wars. She asks if they know how he feels, but he says he’s only been worshipping her from afar. If things were different… Austen comes in, and Maxie says, oh my God, throwing her arms around him and kissing him.
Kristina says, they’re all concerned for Spencer, but why would Sam want to talk about him and not Dante? Molly says she kind of has the same feeling. Is everything okay with them? She just wants Sam and Dante to be as happy as she and TJ are. Sam says, she and Dante are very happy… They were happy, until… until he suggested they move in together.
Dante tells Olivia, last he checked, Cody wasn’t a drama coach. How’s he going to help Leo? She says she doesn’t know. He knows about horses and donkeys and stuff. Anyway, Dante should see Leo up on the stage, prancing around and braying. She’s never seen that kid more confident. He says he’s happy Leo and Cody have made fast friends, and he asks if she needs any help with this picnic. She says, he could find that embarrassing apron, and help her with the grill. Before she forgets, she saved seats in the front row for him and Sam for Leo’s play. He says, cool, sounds good, and she says, really? Because his face is telling a different story. He says, it’s fine, ma, and she says, now she’s really worried. He tells her, he said, everything is fine, but she says, Dante Angelo Falconari. From the time he was four years old, she knows when she hears him say, it’s fine, ma, in that tone of voice, she knows two things. A, it’s not fine, and B, he’s trying to hide something from her. Sometimes it’s something completely innocuous, like the time he broke Aunt Cia’s lamp. He says, that damn lamp again. It was hideous, and he was seven. She says, did the family offer up a silent prayer of gratitude for the lamp? Yes, but that’s not the point. The point is, she heard a crash, she asked, what happened? and he said, it’s fine, ma. Just like the time he got drunk for the first time, or the first time he got shot. He should just stop ducking and dodging the question, and tell her what’s really going on. He says he thinks he messed up with Sam.
Cody says, whoa there. He mentioned Britt’s father once, she shut him down, and he never mentioned him again. She says, he failed to mention their fathers knew one another, and he asks how she found out. She says, her mother, and he asks what Obrecht said exactly. Britt says, that Cesar Faison and Leopold Taub had – air quotes – dealings – end air quotes – with one another, and he says, isn’t it weird that their fathers knew each other? She says, weird doesn’t even begin to cover it. He could have told her that from the start. He says he barely knew her. Hell, he didn’t even know Leopold Taub was his father until a few months ago. At the same time he got poleaxed with the news that Dominique was his mother, and her mother’s schnitzel got a fortune that should have been his. She says, as he knows, that fortune belongs to a bunch of beluga whales thanks to Scotty’s daughter Serena. So he can kiss it goodbye. He says, that’s harsh, and she says, he wants harsh? Let’s talk about her family tree. Does he remember when she treated his cracked ribs after he received that beatdown outside of The Savoy? He says he’s probably not going to forget that, and she says, then does he also remember asking her about her parents? He was particularly interested in her father, and – what did he call it? – his legacy. He says, her point? and she says, her point is, why didn’t he tell her then that his father and her father not only knew each other, they did business together. What else is he keeping from her? He asks if she’s proud being Cesar Faison’s daughter, because he looked up Leopold Taub, and he’s not proud either. That whole cartel thing he had going on, and yeah, Cesar Faison was listed as one of his members. So when Dante told him that she was Faison’s daughter… She says, he smelled an opportunity, but he says, no; he smelled trouble. His first instinct was to run as far away from her as possible, and never look back. She asks, what stopped him? and he says, gratitude, for her scraping him up in that alley, giving him his 50 back, driving him all the way to Dante’s… Plus, he liked the smell of her perfume. Gardenias, right? She says, camellias, and he says, close. He liked her crooked smile, and the way she always sees the glass as half full – of strychnine. She asks if that’s a compliment or a cheap shot, and he says he just liked her. But if that’s not good enough, he’ll stick to horses. She can go back to Society Set-Ups and see if Zelda can do better next time. He brings a box into the stables, and when he comes back out, she’s still there. He asks if something is keeping her, and she says, her mother said the matchmaker may be more accurate than she thought.
Olivia says, she thought Dante and Sam were in a good place, and he says, they are. He should have left it there. She says, as opposed to… and he says, as opposed to asking Sam to move in with him. She says, it makes sense, all the time they spend together, and he says, that’s what he was thinking. They spend all this time together, they like each other, they have fun, and when the kids are together, it’s like the most perfect thing in the world. Sam thinks he’s rushing it; that he has to work through some stuff. She asks, what kind of stuff? and he says, like feelings. She says, like his feelings for Sam, or…? He says, for Lulu, and she says, he knows she loves Lulu. She prays everyday that Lulu will come out of that coma, but he’s moved on with his life. Lulu moved on with her life before the explosion. She was going to marry that teacher, wasn’t she? He says, she was. Dustin handed him the ring to give to her before he passed away. She says, Sam’s got to be aware of that, that Lulu was moving on with someone else. He says, it’s not Lulu’s feelings Sam’s talking about. She thinks he’s papered over his feelings. She says, has he? and he says, there’s a big part of him that thinks he should have been able to save her. Olivia hugs him, and says, her wonderful sweet boy. He didn’t put Lulu in that coma. That was Cyrus Renault’s fault. Even if he could go back in time, it’s still Cyrus Renault’s fault, with Julian Jerome doing his dirty work. He says, if he had just gotten there earlier, but she says, don’t do that. If he’d gotten to The Floating Rib earlier, she would have lost him too. No. They’re living in the here and now; that’s what matters. What matters are his feelings for Sam.
Molly says, so Sam and Dante are moving in together, but Sam says, she and Dante are not moving in together. Kristina says, why not? and Sam says, like she told Spinelli, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Kristina says, moving in together doesn’t fix a bad relationship, it makes a good one better. Molly says, she and TJ had their doubts about sharing everything, even the rent… but Alexis says, let her alone. Kristina says, they’re not pressuring Sam. She’s in a committed relationship with a loving, supportive partner; not everyone gets that lucky. Sam says she knows she hit the jackpot, and Molly asks, what’s the problem? Sam asks if they can not talk about this, and Alexis says, absolutely. Now tell her what’s going on.
Maxie says she thought Austin was going to be gone for days, but he says he got through his business quickly. He tells Spinelli, in fact, he got through his business at warp speed. He came back to be with Maxie, and she says, he did? He says she sounds surprised, and she says, she thought all that talk about family… He says, what talk about family? and she glances at Spinelli, and says, never mind. The important thing is, he’s back. He says, he is. Back for good. Spinelli rolls his eyes.
Finn asks what makes Violet think Aunt Elizabeth is seeing ghosts, and she tells him, he just said, they don’t exist. Gregory says, her daddy was just talking about her grandpa and step-grandma and how she never sees them. Violet says, okay, and goes back to her book. Finn thanks Gregory, and says, he has to get back to GH. Does Gregory mind? Gregory says, no, and Finn says, everything he needs is right there. Gregory says he’s getting kind of hungry; is Violet? She says she’s so hungry, and Finn tell her to be good for grandpa. He’ll see her back home. They exchange I love yous, and he says, eskimo? They rub noses and he leaves.
TJ says, he’s let Epiphany know he’s sending Elizabeth home after the x-ray. She should not hold a steering wheel. He’ll call Finn. She says, don’t bother him; she’ll call a Ride Share. They leave the exam room, and in the hallway, he says he’s calling radiation to make sure they get the x-ray right away. She says, he’s very thorough, and he says he thinks the word she’s avoiding is annoying, maybe even obnoxious. She says she’s the one who should apologize for being less than cooperative, and he says he gets it. For a lot of people, it’s an automatic reflex; you’re fine, keep going. He thinks on some level, it’s a survival mechanism, because we’re afraid if we slow down and admit we’re hurt, we won’t get started again. She says she appreciates the we, and he says he’s definitely been through it, and will again, but if he goes too far, hopefully there will be someone to pull him back. He picks up the phone, and says he needs to order an x-ray for a GH staff person… As he talks, Elizabeth looks at the door to the stairs. She goes to it, opens, it, and stands on the landing. She looks down the stairs, and falls forward. It’s all in her head, and TJ asks if she’s okay. She says, absolutely, and he says, radiology can take her now. They leave, and she gives the door one last look.
Cody says, he had quite the interaction with Britt’s mother, and Britt says, when she twisted Cody’s arm behind his back for punching Scotty? He says he can see her mother’s no pushover. He bets Cesar Faison met his match with Liesl Obrecht. She says, no. Don’t let her black belt in karate fool him. Deep down, her mother is a born romantic. She’s actually the one who signed Britt up with Society Set-Ups. He says, remind him to thank her, and Britt says, he punched her boyfriend in the nose. She doubts her mother is interested in a thanks from him. She did suggest they have something in common. He says, really? Tell him something. Did her dad ever mention his?
Austin thanks Spinelli for keeping an eye on Maxie while he was gone. He hates thinking of her alone. Spinelli says, that makes them even. He hates thinking of her with the wrong people. Maxie says, Austin’s timing is perfect. Tomorrow is the first annual Quartermaine picnic for the Children’s wing at GH. Spinelli says, given Austin’s resentment of the Quartermaines, he may choose to skip the picnic, in which case he offers himself as escort to Maxinista. Austin says, that’s very kind of him, but he can handle the Quartermaines if Maxinista can. She says, how about if both of them escort her to the picnic? Mason suddenly bounds in, and asks where Austin’s manners are. Isn’t Austin going to introduce him to his friends?
Sam asks how she can move in with Dante when Lulu is still so much a presence in that house. She doesn’t go there often, but when she does, all she sees are her kitchen, her books, her furniture, or at least the furniture they picked out together. Alexis says, maybe he’s leaving those things around for Rocco’s sake; for Rocco’s comfort. Sam says, fair enough, and it all makes sense, but it’s still really awkward for her. Alexis says, she gets it. For what it’s worth (🍷), she hasn’t seen Sam this happy in a long time. Whatever Dante’s doing, he’s bringing out a peacefulness in Sam that no one else has managed to. And Sam brings joy to Dante’s life, because no one’s seen him this joyful since he came back to Port Charles. She’s pretty certain he’s not seeing Lulu when he sees Sam. Sam’s phone dings, and she says she’s got to go. She tells Alexis that she loves her, and Alexis says she loves Sam more. Sam leaves, passing Gregory and Violet on their way in. Violet says, that’s the lady in the park who grandpa hit with the frisbee, and Alexis says, that’s her.
Finn asks, what happened to Elizabeth’s hand? and she says, it’s just a cut. TJ says, according to the x-ray, they got all the shards, and she tells Finn, she was just holding an empty collection tube, and it shattered. TJ says he has to check on a patient, and asks if Finn minds waiting until Elizabeth’s Ride Share comes. Finn says, sure, and TJ tells Elizabeth, go home and rest. She says she will, and he leaves. Finn says, forget about the Ride Share; he’ll drive her home himself. She says, what about his patients? and he says he’ll get someone to cover. It just shattered in her hand? She says, it wasn’t an accident. He deserves to know the truth. They go into an exam room, and she says she wasn’t watching what she was doing. He asks, what was distracting her? and she says, for one thing, walking in on him and Terry talking behind her back. He says, that’s his fault, not Terry’s, and they didn’t mean to upset her. She says, he upset her. He doesn’t think she’s capable of taking care of herself. Why doesn’t he trust her? He says, he’d trust her with his life, but he’s not exactly clear on how just mentioning her family is a violation of that trust. He means no disrespect by that, but he wants to know how to fix things between them. She says, there’s nothing to fix, and he says, if that was true, she’d tell him what really caused her to cut her hand.
Kristina asks Gregory and Violet to join them. She and Molly would love to her all about the frisbee. Violet says, it was an accident, and Gregory thanks them, but says, he and Violet will find another table. Alexis says, don’t be silly. She always enjoys Violet’s company. He tells her, Finn told him that she said he was pestering her, and she asks if she actually used the word pester. He says, according to Finn. He vigorously denied it of course (🍷), but if that’s how she feels, he’ll pester her no longer. Alexis says, don’t go, and tells him to pull up chairs for him and Violet. After all, it’s not every day you get to have lunch with the Davis girls.
Dante tells Olivia, when he asked Sam to move in with him, in retrospect, it probably did catch her off-guard. They were at the Hatchet Ranch… She says, that’s romantic, and he says, it was just one of those things. He’d been thinking about it so much, and he thought Sam had to be on the same page, or at least thinking about it too. When she didn’t say yes immediately, he was thrown off. He backed off. He didn’t want to pressure her. Olivia says she thinks she knows where this is going, and Dante says, they talked it out; at least he thinks they did. He told her that he loved her, and he’d wait as long as she wanted to wait to move in together. He thought they were good. She says, but then the question of whether to move in with each other or not grows from this small manageable thing to this giant elephant that’s taken up permanent residence, not just in the room, but in his psyche. Probably Sam’s psyche too. He says, he doesn’t want to mess this up. He feels like he did, and doesn’t know what to do next. She asks if he’s open to a suggestion, and he says, please. She tells him, stick to basics. What does he want to happen with Sam? He says he wants them to have a life to together with their kids. They don’t need to live in the same place; it doesn’t matter to him. Olivia pats his chest, and says, stick with the feelings; it’s all about the feelings. The living arrangements, all that can wait. It’s all about the feelings. He says he loves her. He wants to trust her and support her, and try to make her as happy as she’s made him. Sam comes in.
Austin says, this is his cousin Mason, and Mason says, country cousin from Pautuck. Maxie says, Austin didn’t tell her that he had a cousin coming into town, but Mason says, don’t blame Austin. He’s a hot-shot doctor. Sometimes he forgets where he’s from, even though the family’s so proud of him. Spinelli asks, what brings him to their fair city? and Mason says, family, while Austin says, business. Mason says, family business. They were hoping Cousin Austin would have stayed longer. Austin says, he did what he had to do when he was there. Now he’s here in his home, Port Charles.
Britt says, whatever unholy alliance her father made with Cody’s ended before they were born. Unless there’s something else he’s not telling her. He says, their fathers knowing each other is just a random coincidence; something they have in common. But isn’t she the least bit curious about what Leopold Taub and Cesar Faison were up to? She says, he never knew his father. Unfortunately, she knew hers, and she’s been trying to live him down ever since. So if he wants to go digging for skeletons in that closet, he can do it alone. She starts to leave, but he grabs her hand, and says, she’s right. Whatever their fathers did, died with them. He’s card player… She says, not a very good one, and he says, it depends on the players, and the game. He lets her hand go, and says, his point is, he always factors the odds and figures them out. What are the odds that on that day, he would parachute into that pool… She says, and almost drown her, but he says, she got a little wet. And if he didn’t say it then, he’s saying it now – she looked gorgeous. She says, now he’s trying to flatter her, and he says, he thinks she looks good soaking wet; so sue him. She says she considered it, and he tells her, just keep in mind, he can’t afford a lawyer, so there’s no way he could pay for the damages. She says, don’t worry. She’s not going to drag him to court, and he says he knew she couldn’t be that hard-hearted. They laugh, and she says, that GIF of her climbing out of the pool is just now coming down everyone’s feed. She doesn’t need to draw more attention to it. He says, so he’s being saved by her self-interest, and she says, bingo, but he says he doesn’t buy it.
Olivia says she has Quartermaine picnic stuff to see to, and tells Dante that she’ll see him later. She tells Sam that it’s nice to see her, and leaves. Sam says, so the Quartermaine picnic fundraiser is tomorrow? and Dante says, his mom’s been going crazy with that. Plus she has Leo’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream; he’s playing Bottom. He’s pretty excited about that. She says, and him? He says, that depends on whether or not she’s going with him. I have to mention that A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a pretty ambitious play for a summer theater camp in Leo’s age group.
Alexis says, that was delicious. Anyone for desserts? Violet says, ice cream sundaes for all of us, and Alexis says she likes Violet’s style. She liked it the minute they met. Violet says, as much as Alexis likes her grandpa? and Gregory apologizes for his granddaughter; she apparently has no filter. Alexis says, don’t apologize at all. And to answer Violet’s question, Alexis likes her grandpa… ‘s writing. She doesn’t always agree with it, but it’s never boring. Violet says, never. Alexis should hear one of his bedtime stories.
Spinelli asks how long Mason is in town, and Mason say, it depends on his cousin. Austin tells him, he thinks they said all they needed to say back in Pautuck, but Mason says, not quite. He can’t leave until Austin understands how much he means to his family back home. Austin knows how much they expect from him. Besides, he was hoping Austin would show him the sights in Port Charles. Although he doesn’t have to look much further than this lovely lady. Spinelli says, this lovely lady’s not on the tour, and not reading the room at all, Maxie says she has an idea. Why doesn’t Mason come to the Quartermaine picnic tomorrow? Austin says he’s sure Mason has better things to do, but Mason says he can’t think of one. He hears the Quartermaines are practically royalty. Too bad cuz here missed out on the family jewels.
Elizabeth says, Finn is right; it wasn’t just an accident. He asks, what happened? and she says she was thinking about all the time he’s wasted worrying about her; time they’ll never get back. She just got so angry, she crushed the tube without realizing it. He says he knows what it’s like to keep that kind of anger inside. Is there any chance that’s only part of it? Could the anger be about something else, something in her past, something she barely remembers? She tells him, stick to infectious diseases, and leave the psychiatry to Doc.
Austin says he’s made peace with his father’s family, and Mason says, that’s their Austin. Some folks say money buys happiness, but Austin was raised right. Austin says, thanks, and suggests he and Maxie get out of here. Spinelli tells Maxie, Georgie, James, and Bailey Lou are with her parents, but Mac and Felicia aren’t going to want to babysit all night. Can they talk childcare before she leaves? Maxie tells Austin, one second, and they’ll go, and steps away with Spinelli. Austin tells Mason, there’s no way he’s going to that picnic, but Mason says, watch me.
Alexis says, who knew the eminent Professor Chase was capable of blushing? but he says he doesn’t blush. Violet says, yes he does. He blushed when daddy saw his name in The Invader, and said he was famous. Alexis says, he was famous already academically; he now has a wider audience. Gregory says he wasn’t looking for fame, just for fairness in journalism, and Alexis says, it’s okay to enjoy some attention. Everyone likes attention. He says, he’s not everyone, and she says, that’s for sure.
Elizabeth asks how many times she has to tell Finn; she’s fine. Now she has to meet her Ride Share. She tells him, let’s not fight anymore. She really hates it. She kisses him, and he says he hates it too. She leaves, and Finn flashes back to Gregory saying, if he disregards Elizabeth’s wishes, it could cost him the relationship; and him saying, he could stand losing her if he knew she would be okay in the end. He makes a call, and says, this is Dr. Finn for Dr. Webber. Is she available?… Yes. Tell her Hamilton Finn called. He needs a consult with Dr. Webber about someone they have in common.
Sam says, of course (🍷) she’ll go to Leo’s play, and Dante says, cool. His mom said she’d get them good seats. She says, Olivia is going to worry about seats after everything she’s got to do tomorrow? and he says, speaking of tomorrow… and she says, she told him, of course (🍷) she’ll go to the picnic. They both start talking, and she says, him first. He says, they don’t have to rush through this. They can just take it slow. They’ll know when the time is right, and just take it slow like she wanted to. She says, yeah, and hugs him.
Cody says, Britt wants to come off as selfish and uncaring, but it’s just not true. She says, yes it is, and he asks, then why did she help him out in that alley behind The Savoy? Why didn’t she just pick up his last 50 and walk off? She says she wishes she did, and he says, really? She says, no, but he was pathetic, crawling on his hands and knees, all bruised and broken. He says he never got to thank her properly for that rescue, so let him do it now. She says, how? and he says he’d like to invite her to the Quartermaine picnic tomorrow. There will be so many people there, it’s not like a date. She says, when he words it like that… She accepts. He says, shall they shake on it? They do, and he says, see her tomorrow. She says, tomorrow, and leaves. Outside, she smiles.
On Monday, Brook says she would never use Chase; Jordan asks why she gets the sense TJ is trying to get rid of her; Ava says she has truths that will lay Spencer to waste; and Willow won’t accept that.
🍃 Leaf From the Family Tree…
A little bit about the cousin we never knew Austin had.
What the hell is this? How is it on Season 15 and I had no clue? And what the hell are those streaming services that carry it? Not that I need another bunch of horrible people to watch.
I watched the first episode, and thought it was promising. Maybe a spoiler, but the dog got it a few minutes in, and I was not pleased with them leading with it. Or including it at all. That being said, I thought it improved as the episode went on. I’m just glad to be out of Georgia.
Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. – Theodore Roosevelt
After a while you learn that privacy is something you can sell, but you can’t buy it back. – Bob Dylan
If you fuel your journey on the opinions of others, you are going to run out of gas. – Steve Maraboli
Dance above the surface of the world. Let your thoughts lift you into creativity that is not hampered by opinion. – Red Haircrow
Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship. – Buddha
Our lives are the only meaningful expression of what we believe and in Whom we believe. And the only real wealth, for any of us, lies in our faith. – Gordon B. Hinckley
We got a whole lot of money, but we still pay rent, cuz you can’t buy a house in heaven. – Lady Gaga, You & I
💋 Come On, Barbie, Let’s Go Party…
Before you know it, it will be hoodie weather, so take a break, whether you call it the weekend or not. Soak up some sun, walk in the park, or if you’re allergic to nature, take in a movie at the theater. I hear they’re back. See you on Monday for soap and yachting on the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay sassy, and stay not letting any giant elephants take up permanent residence in your psyche. Or the room.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
There’s a knock at Carly’s office door, and she says, almost done. Drew says, then he’s right on time.
Olivia thanks her assistant Ashley for bringing something to her attention, and calls over to Nina. She wonders if she can have a word, and asks why Nina is pumping her staff for information. Nina says, she’s not pumping them for anything. She was just familiarizing herself with the operations around here. Olivia says, Nina has had her fun lording her half ownership of the hotel over Carly, but it’s got to stop. She and Ned are prepared to write Nina a check for every penny she paid, plus 3%. Nina says she’s not interested, and Olivia says, 5%, not a penny more. Nina says, Olivia doesn’t get it. Her half of the MetroCourt isn’t for sale. Sonny comes by and says, why not?
Curtis tells Marshall, Windymere is private property. If they take the launch the guards will tip off Esme that they’re coming. What they need is someone who lives there to help them out. Ava comes out onto the pier and says, hiya, gents. Going my way? Curtis says, they’re good, but maybe she can help Trina, and she says, done. Marshall says, she doesn’t even know what they’re asking, but she says, it doesn’t matter. If whatever it is, is for Trina, she’s in.
Josslyn says, Trina has to use this. This could be a real game changer. Portia walks in, and says, what’s a real game changer? and Josslyn says, new evidence that could help Trina’s case. Portia asks, what is it? Tell her; what’s the new evidence?
Oz (which we find out later is the bartender’s name) barges into Windymere, and Esme says, get out before she calls security. He says he remembers that high and mighty attitude, but he’d check himself before he called security. Because security may lead to the police, and something tells him, the PCPD will be more interested in what he has to say about her, than what she has to say about him.
At the hospital, Nikolas says he can have a plane fueled and ready by this afternoon, and Laura says she appreciates it. She can’t believe it. How much can one family take? (She’s asking that now?) Spencer comes along, and asks, what’s wrong? Laura says she just got a call from her mother in Italy, and Spencer asks if something happened to Great-grandmother Lesley. Nikolas says, the house she and Marcello lived in on Lake Como burned down. Fortunately, no one was there at the time, so one got hurt. Laura says, thank God, and Spencer says, still, that’s terrible. Is there anything he can do? Laura says, there is something he can do; actually, both of them. Spencer says, name it, and she says, put her mind at ease. They’ve both been through an awful lot in the past year. Promise her they’ll be okay with each other if she goes away.
Ava says, so Esme bought a black market phone from a bartender, and used it to record Josslyn and Cameron, and Marshall says, and incriminate Trina. Curtis says, they’ve tracked the bartender, Oz Haggarty, to Windymere. They may be conspiring to cover their tracks as they speak. She says, at Windymere… She’d love to stay and chat, but she has a witch to throw under a house
Esme says she has nothing to hide, from the police or anyone, and Oz says, impressive. She managed that with a straight face. They both know the phone he sold her is the same one she used to shoot her revenge porn. She says, he can’t prove that, but he says he doesn’t have to. That girl’s defense attorney will do it. Or at lease use the info. She asks what he wants, and he snaps his fingers, saying, what else? Cash. You. Owe. Me.
Trina tells Portia, it’s what she was saying before, that Marshall and Curtis are looking for the bartender who sold Esme the phone. Portia says she thought Trina had some new information, and Trina says, don’t worry. She has faith it will all work out. Stella comes in, and says, so does she. Faith is what we need when all of our efforts are challenged and exhausted. What else do we have?
Carly says, that’s a look, and Drew says he was going for friendly neighborhood mover. She says she can see it, although she’s out of a job, so she doesn’t know if she can afford him. He says he’s pretty affordable. In fact, he’ll move all these boxes for the cost of lunch. She says, that is affordable, although she hired actual movers; they’re going to be here any minute. He says, what? Outbid by the pros; that’s just wrong. He guesses that means lunch is off, but she says, not necessarily. But they can’t go to the restaurant because she doesn’t have a tab there anymore. What does he say to the hot dog vendor at Rice Plaza? He says, this is not a done deal, but she says, the MetroCourt has a new owner. You can’t get more done than that. He tells her, he’s just saying, Nina’s offer is still on the table. She says he knows she turned Nina down, and he knows why.
Sonny asks why Nina wouldn’t sell the hotel to Ned and Olivia. It sounds like the best solution for everyone. Olivia says, and whoever buys the hotel is going to be her new partner. She thinks she deserves some say in the matter. Nina says she thinks Olivia misunderstands her. She has no intention of selling her half of the MetroCourt to anyone. She’s Olivia’s new partner. Olivia says, not on your life, lady, and Nina says, there’s no reason this has to be hostile. She realized she needs to learn a lot about the hospitality business. She’d be really grateful if Olivia would show her the ropes. Olivia says, this is why Nina has been slithering around her hotel, questioning her staff? and Nina says, ourhotel. Olivia asks if Sonny is hearing this, and he says, every word. Olivia asks what he’s going to do about it, and Nina says, nothing. Sonny isn’t going to do anything about it, because her business dealings are her affair. Olivia says, emphasis on affair, and Nina says, running this hotel is between Olivia and her, but Olivia says, wrong. It’s between her, Nina, and their lawyers. And it’s going to be a cold day in hell before Nina fills Carly’s shoes; professionally and personally. She shoots Sonny a look, and tells Ashley that she’ll be in her office. Nina looks at Sonny, but he says, don’t look at him. She brought this on herself.
Drew says he wouldn’t expect Carly to let Nina gift her with the hotel, and she says she’s glad he’s listening. Drew says, but she can accept it from him, and she says, she got herself into this mess, and has to get herself out… or not, but either way, she doesn’t want to owe anyone. He says he knew she was going to be stubborn about this, but he had to give it a shot, and she thanks him. She says, and if there is a silver lining in all this, she knows she’s not in this alone, and he says, not by a long shot. So if she won’t let him buy her half the hotel, will she let him carry a box? She says, that she will, and puts one in his hands.
Stella says, she’ll be watching to see if any of those jurors looks at Trina sideways, but Portia says, no, she won’t. She won’t be stepping anywhere near that courtroom.
Outside, Trina asks Josslyn to promise her not to say anything about Spencer being in the cemetery. Not to anyone. Not yet. Josslyn says, sorry. She can’t.
Nikolas says he emailed his attorney in Como, and he’ll put Laura in touch with a good real estate agent. Laura can help Marcello and Lesley figure out where they want to move; if they want an apartment, or want to be out in the country. For whathis vote is worth (🍷 it still counts), it might not be a bad idea for them to be in town. Laura says, he’s absolutely right, and she’ll pass that along. What was it he was going to tell her earlier, something about Doc and Esme? He says, it can wait, when Doc joins them, and says, it’s handled; the Deputy Mayor will take a meeting. Laura thanks him, and asks if she can have a word with him. He says, of course (🍷), and she pulls him down the hall. Spencer says, Doc and Esme, what’s that about? and Nikolas says, Esme’s application to the psyche program at PCU. He takes it she didn’t tell Spencer. Spencer says, there’s a lot Esme doesn’t tell him, but that changes today.
Esme brings Oz into the living room, and he says he’s always wondered about this place. She closes the door, and says, people can’t connect them, but he says, too late; they already have. Did she really think he wouldn’t have an insurance policy? Ava comes into the foyer, and Esme says she doesn’t have any money on her, but she can get it to him. He says, don’t try to play him. Meet him tonight; he’ll text the location. He starts to leave, and she says, wait. Who followed him to the motel, and what did they look like? In the worst timing ever, Ava’s phone rings in the foyer. She says, hi to Avery… Yes, tonight… She’s looking forward to it too… Yes, cupcakes, any flavor she likes… Ava loves her. Ava hangs up, and walks into the living room. I’m loving Ava’s new haircut. She needs a better picture in the opening credits though.
Trina tells Josslyn, if the authorities find out Spencer left Spring Ridge, that could mean real prison; Pentenville. Admitting she was with Spencer at the cemetery the day the video dropped probably won’t even help her, but it will definitely hurt him. Josslyn says, but while Trina is tying herself in knots, deciding whether to save herself by outing Spencer as her alibi, consider this. Spencer already knows that he’s her alibi. He has decided to stay silent, so where is his compassion for her?
Laura tells Doc that she’s having major second thoughts about leaving. Now is not the best time to be leaving Port Charles. Doc says, but the recall was defeated; it’s over. She says, but is it really? There are still a large group of people out there who aren’t happy with her job performance. He says, yes, but fortunately Cyrus lost his voting privileges, and she says, but the detractors who remain still have theirs. Even though she’ll be working remotely, they could easily spin her absence as a dereliction of duty. Trina’s trial starts today, Elizabeth’s state of mind, not to mention Victor. He asks if she’s trying to talk herself out of leaving, and she says, no. She knows her mother needs her. He says, exactly. That’s why a pillar of strength like herself can carry the weight of the world on her own. So they just have to be practical. The first thing they do is go home and pack. Then they reschedule all their appointments for next week. Then he’ll call the bank and convert some currency, and she can call Lesley and make sure they don’t need them to bring anything. She says, he has everything under control, and he says, that’s what he does. She says, he’s amazing, and hugs him. She says, it amazes her how he can keep everyone’s needs in his mind. She’s so lucky to have his love and support. Which is why she hopes he understands… He says, that she needs him to stay here.
Stella says, of course (🍷) she’s attending Trina’s trial, but Portia says, think about it. The courtroom, the trial; it’s a very high pressure situation, and it’s not good for someone with Stella’s medical history. Stella says, Portia knows she loves Trina. She’s such an amazing young woman, and she feels like Trina is family now. Portia says, they love her too, and they love her support and appreciate it. That’s why they’d never forgive themselves if anything ever happened to her. Stella says, meaning she’s supposed to sit back and do nothing? and Portia says, she can pray, but she doesn’t want Stella to worry. Because Curtis, Taggert, and Marshall? They’re on it.
Marshall says, the trial is nerve-wracking, and Curtis says, that it is. They really need these leads to pay off. Marshall says he can see that, and Curtis says, he just doesn’t feel like he’s doing enough. Even if the bartender ID’s Esme buying the phone, that’s no guarantee it will secure Trina’s freedom. Marshall says, there are no guarantees in life. He should know that better than anyone.
Ava sees Esme, by herself, painting her toenails on the white couch. Esme says, something the matter? and Ava asks if Esme is alone; she thought she heard voices. Esme says she was listening to a podcast, and Ava asks if no one has told Esme that she shouldn’t paint her nails on the furniture. Esme says, nope, and Ava says, it doesn’t surprise her. Someone callous enough to destroy lives certainly doesn’t care about safeguarding fabric. Esme says, how wrong Ava is. She does appreciate what’s Ava’s. In fact, she’s so careful when she uses Ava’s things, Ava would never know. Ava asks, what the hell is that supposed to mean?
Drew asks, what are those? and Carly says, they’re pictures. She has a box of personal things she doesn’t trust with the movers. It’s mostly pictures of her kids over the years at the MetroCourt. She flips through them, and says, at the Nurses Ball and stuff. There’s Josslyn and Cam. Drew says, they’re all so young, and Carly says, there’s Morgan. His face… She tells Drew that she’s okay. There’s just a lot of memories here. Drew asks if she remembers when she hired him. New Year’s Eve, many years ago? She says she forgot about that, and laughs. He says, bartender. He made a mean martini; he still does. She says, he makes a terrible martini, and he asks what she means; he’s so talented. She says, their lives have changed so much since then. Drew says, lots of ups and downs, but they’re still here. That doesn’t mean change isn’t hard. She says she’s still working on that letting go thing, especially here. She was good at this. No matter what was going on in her life, the MetroCourt was her constant. He hugs her.
Nina asks if that’s Sonny’s way of telling her that she deserved the way Olivia spoke to her, and he says, she has to be realistic. She had to know there would be strong reactions to her keeping Carly’s half of the MetroCourt. She says, her half, and yes, she knew there was going to be resistance. He says, then why go through the hassle? Why not just give it to Olivia, and walk away? She says, power is the great equalizer, isn’t it? And she intends to keep hers. Not just for herself, but for Wiley. One day, all of this is going to be his. He asks if that’s all, and she says, isn’t that enough? He says, it’s just all this talk about power and Wiley’s inheritance. Is this just a business decision for her, or is this a way to… stick it to Carly. She asks if he thinks all she wants is revenge against his ex-wife. He really believes she’s that petty? He says, after everything she and Carly have been through, she’s going to tell him that she doesn’t want just little bit of revenge? She says, that’s not what this is about, and he says, let’s drop it then, but she says, he just accused her of being spiteful. He says, he didn’t accuse her of anything, and she says, let her remind him of something. She bought half of the hotel to give it back to Carly. So instead of standing here, scolding her, he should be lecturing his ex-wife for turning it down.
Carly looks at a photo, when Olivia comes in, carrying a beautiful bouquet of flowers. She says, she knows Carly said she didn’t want them to make a fuss, but the staff insisted. They all wanted her to know how much she’ll be missed. Carly says, if Olivia makes her cry… and Olivia says, don’t cry; she can take them back. Carly says, don’t you dare take them back; they’re so beautiful. Thank the staff for her. Olivia says, it’s not too late for a proper send-off, but Carly says, no fanfare. The last box is almost packed, and Drew is bringing the car around. This office is no longer hers. Olivia says, it will never be Nina’s. She doesn’t know if Carly knows, but Nina has decided to remain co-owner of the MetroCourt. Carly says, of course (🍷) she has, and Olivia says, Nina may have half the hotel, but Nina will never have her loyalty. It belongs to Carly, first, last, and always. Carly says, even after she ruined their partnership? but Olivia tells her, she’d say that honor goes to her ever-lovin’ husband. If Carly thinks Olivia doesn’t appreciate everything they’ve been through here… Carly trusted Olivia as her operations manager, and backed Olivia as her partner, and loved Olivia as her friend. Carly says she’s always going to love Olivia as her friend; that’s never going to change. And Olivia is making her cry when she told Olivia not to. They hug.
Curtis says, an arrest at a demonstration shouldn’t have resulted in Marshall being held against will at an institution. Don’t worry. He’s not going to push Marshall to talk about it. Marshall fans himself with his hat, and says, in the old neighborhood, there was this guy, Bud the barber. He gave haircuts to anyone who couldn’t afford one; kids from poor families, guys with job interviews, the homeless. Curtis says, sounds like a good guy, and Marshall says, he was. He was respected. Then suddenly people started describing Bud as touched. Every now and again you’d see him wandering around, babbling to himself about some secret mission, or aliens. When the bad days started to outnumber the good, nobody wanted to get a haircut from Bud, even for free. Curtis asks, whatever happened to ol’ Bud? and Marshall says, he’ll tell Curtis what didn’t happen. Bud never got the help he needed. Being institutionalized… Maybe it wasn’t ideal. Maybe it wasn’t even fair, but he got a diagnosis out of it. Some of us wasn’t even that lucky.
Portia says, hopefully they can get the bartender to admit to selling Esme the phone, and Stella tell her to keep telling herself the truth is on Trina’s side. Portia says, but they both know, sometimes the truth isn’t enough.
Trina says she wants Josslyn to help her, but this is her trial, her future. Can Josslyn promise to let her make the decision when and if she tells Diane about Spencer? Please? Josslyn says she’ll stay silent about Spencer for now, but if it looks like Trina is going to be convicted, she’ll stand up in her seat, and tell everybody in that courtroom exactly where Trina was when that email hit those inboxes at PCU. Even if it means Trina never speaks to her again.
Esme tells Ava, she’s sorry. That came out all wrong. Of course (🍷) she respects what’s Ava’s. Ava says, Esme respects nothing. Now let’s get to it, shall we? Esme shrugs, and says, something on Ava’s mind? Ava says, yeah, Trina, and Esme says, it is incredible how many heads that girl lives in rent free. Ava says she’s glad Esme mentioned free rent. How would Esme like to go the rest of her life never worrying about a roof over her head? Esme says, in exchange for? and Ava says, her admission that she filmed the video and framed Trina. Esme says, but she didn’t, and Ava says, okay, but if Esme agreed she did, she wouldn’t have to spend a single day behind bars. She just has to sign a confession, and get herself a ticket anywhere; anywhere but here. Esme asks, what’s the catch? There’s no way Ava would be content with letting her evade justice – if she said she did it. Ava says, she’d be willing to forego justice in this instance. She cares about the greater good, and make no mistake, Trina is greater than Esme, in every way. So what’s the magic number that will make Esme do the right thing?
Laura tells Doc that she’s still worried that Nikolas and Spencer are vulnerable to Victor’s influence. Elizabeth needs him, and he’s one of the few people who can actually keep Esme in check. He tells her, say no more. If it gives her peace of mind, he’ll stay put. She says she adores him, and he says he adores her back. She says, it’s a good deal, and they hug. Nikolas says, they’re heading back to Windymere. He’ll send Laura the flight details when she’s ready. She hugs him, thanking him for coming through for her, and hugs Spencer, saying, remember his promise. He says he hasn’t forgotten. Safe travels. Spencer and Nikolas leave, and Laura asks why she has the feeling she shouldn’t go. Doc says, she’s getting on that plane, and they’ll all be here when she comes back.
Trina asks if Josslyn really thinks she’d stop talking to her bestie, just because she’s trying to save Trina’s life. Josslyn says, she’d better not, because Trina’s her bestie too, and they hug.
Stella tells Portia that she’s not naïve. She’s lived long enough in this world to know how elusive justice can be for people who look like Trina. It’s two steps forward, and one step back, but she still chooses to have hope, because not to, is to fall into despair, and she doesn’t want to live there. There’s still a fight, but she has seen some forward motion, and she has to believe that today, in 2022, that arc will bend the right way toward their girl. Portia says she prays Stella is right. Stella doesn’t know how hard she prays. Not only for her daughter to be vindicated, but to take away this anger… No, this hatred she has for that girl who did this to her baby. She doesn’t want to walk around with this bitterness, but she’s been sitting on it because Trina has so much to handle. But she knows in her bones this is more than jealousy about Trina and Spencer’s friendship. Stella asks if Portia is saying that girl targeted Trina because she’s Black, but Portia says, she was intimidated by Spencer and Trina’s relationship, but she felt the same way about Josslyn. Trina told her that Esme went after Josslyn harder than she ever did her. But who did Esme ultimately target? Stella says, that video was of Joss and Cam though, and Portia says, yes, they were the victims. And Trina was framed as the criminal, to face the criminal justice system in the midst of everything going on in this world, in this country, everywhere. Esme had to know the ramifications of that kind of action; that Trina would have a harder time with it. People pretend it’s not real, but that’s exactly what they’re doing – pretending. Stella says she knows, but there are good people with good hearts out there, and she’s clinging to the hope eyes are opening, and the world is wising up. Portia says, but not everyone wants to wise up with it, and she’s praying to God they didn’t past Diane Miller, and aren’t sitting in that jury and passing judgement on her daughter; her innocent baby girl who didn’t do any of this. She didn’t do anything wrong – Portia starts to cry – and she feels like she didn’t prepare Trina for any of this. She just feels like she failed Trina. Stella hugs her, and she cries.
Curtis leaves a message for Ava, saying, he just saw Spencer and Nikolas get on the launch. Just giving her a heads up. Call him. Marshall says, relax, and Curtis asks how Marshall can be so calm. Marshall smiles, and says, antipsychotics? I laugh, and Curtis says, he’s glad Marshall didn’t fall through the cracks like Bud. Were Marshall’s symptoms as severe as his? Marshall says, no. He didn’t have delusions or hallucinations, or problems thinking. He was prescribed treatment and meds, and if he hadn’t been, who knows? Curtis asks if Marshall is saying his arrest saved his life, and Marshall says, he’s not saying it brought doom upon him, but he’s had a long time to come to peace with it. Besides, nothing he can do now about it anyway. Curtis thanks him for talking about it, and Marshall says, there’s something about this pier. This is where they had their last breakthrough, isn’t it? Curtis says, pier or no pier, he appreciates Marshall, and he’s glad for the progress. They bro hug, and Marshall says, now they just need to make some more progress and help Trina. Curtis says, he hears that, and wonders why he hasn’t heard from Ava.
Esme says, what a hypocrite Ava is. Here she stands, trying to get Esme to admit to something she didn’t do… Ava says, come on. Don’t play a player. Esme says, Ava is unreal. Why risk everything for an employee? (I think Esme is more elitist than racist.) Ava says, Esme knows very well Trina is much more than an employee to her, and Esme says, Little Miss Perfect inspires such unwavering loyalty. Ava says she’s counting on Esme being as opportunistic as she is bitter. Tick tock; the trial’s about to start. What’s her number? Or should Ava throw one out there to get the ball rolling? Esme says, as someone who has lost their fair share of family, allow her to extend her condolences. Ava is about to lose Trina for five to ten years. Ava says, you insufferable little bitch, and Esme says, she’s finally found her family here, and all the money in the world won’t make her give that up. There is nothing Ava could offer to make her. Nikolas and Spencer come in, and Nikolas asks, just what is Ava offering?
Sonny says he doesn’t think Nina is spiteful, but when word reaches Carly… She’s going through a tough time right now. Nina asks if he hears himself. He’s more concerned about Carly than her. He says, that’s not true; he’s here with Nina right now. She says, but who’s on his mind? Before he got a divorce, he said Carly complained there were three of them in the relationship. Nina’s not so sure Carly was wrong.
Drew tells Carly, the flowers are so beautiful. Her staff really loves her. She says, the feeling’s mutual. It’s crazy. She did not set out to own a hotel, but she came to love the daily challenges; the strategizing, putting out the fires – real ones sometimes. The weddings, the Nurses Ball; she made so many incredible memories here. And she loved every minute. She’s going to miss it, a lot. He asks if she’s ready, but she says she needs a minute. He tells her to take as long as she needs. He picks up the last box and the flowers, and she says she’ll be right down. He tells her, take her time, and leaves. Alone, she says, oh wow. She looks at her name plate on the door, touches it, and slides her name out. She leaves, closing the door behind her. Geez. We don’t even get a MetroCourt Memory Lane?
Alone with Esme, Spencer asks what he and Nikolas walked in on, and she says, more of Ava’s wild accusations. She offered Esme money to admit to filming Joss and Cam. Spencer says, really? How much? She says, not enough to get her to lie; she’s innocent. He says, it’s too bad for Ava. She may have had a chance if she knew what Esme truly wanted… like him. She says, and that is…? and he says, it’s something she wants more than anything else in the world. And only he can give it to her.
Nikolas says he knows Ava wants to help Trina, but is it worth it getting into it with Esme? She says, yes, and he says, let him act as a buffer. Try to avoid being alone with her. She says, not to worry. Esme will be out of their lives pretty soon. Nikolas leaves, and Ava takes out her phone. She calls Curtis, and he asks if she caught the bartender making a deal with Esme, and she says she knows it happened. Unfortunately, she missed it. He was gone before she arrived. Curtis asks, how he could be gone? and Marshall says, the launch never returned. Ava says, there’s another way off the island. Obviously, Esme knows about it. Curtis thanks her for trying, and Marshall says, good Lord, they lost him? All right. Now what?
Stella says, Portia did a wonderful job with Trina. Why does Portia think she failed her? Portia says, all she ever wanted was to give Trina the best life she possibly could. Being a doctor, and her father in law enforcement, they were able to do that. She was proud, so proud she was able to give Trina a comfortable life. Trina grew up with a sense of security, but she lived a sheltered life. The friends she’s made, the schools she’s went to, maybe it was a little bit too sheltered. Maybe in her quest to give Trina this ideal life, she failed to inoculate Trina against the reality of being a woman of color. Stella says, Trina knows who she is, and she’s pretty savvy about the world. She knows they want what’s best for her children, but it’s impossible to completely shield them from pain and injustice. Stop torturing herself. Knowing Trina, Stella can already see Portia taught her what’s important. Portia asks, what’s that? and Stella says, to keep her head to the sky. The world’s gonna knock you down, but what matters is that you get back up, and don’t stay down. Trina’s a fighter, and whatever life throws at their girl, she’ll get back up on her feet.
Carly sighs, and looks around the lobby. Sonny walks over, and asks if she’s okay. She flashes back to finding out Nina is Willow’s biological mother, and says, she’s okay. She has her family. She leaves with Drew.
On Monday (I think), Portia asks if Curtis found the evidence they need to exonerate Trina; Spencer says he has the only proof Esme needs, if she wants it; Carly says, Esme is going to regret the day she messed with their kid; and Sonny says he’s done with talking. It’s time for action.
🏃🏻♀️ Skipping Town…
Laura and Alexis are taking a break from Port Charles.
Every time I drink, I break out in handcuffs. – guest on Dr. Phil
Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself. – Og Mandino
Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth. – Henry David Thoreau (Boy, was he off.)
You are not called to be a canary in a cage. You are called to be an eagle, and to fly sun to sun, over continents. – Henry Ward Beecher, American Clergyman and Author
To be nobody but yourself — in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else — means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting. – e. e. cummings
I believe the most important single thing, beyond discipline and creativity, is daring to dare. – Dr. Maya Angelou
He’s the smartest non-smart looking person I know. – Christine Alexandra Chiu, Bling Empire
But that’s what happens. Once the human tragedy has been completed, it gets turned over to the journalists to banalize into entertainment. – Philip Roth
Ask for help. Not because you’re weak, but because you want to remain strong. – Les Brown
Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant. – Robert Louis Stevenson
The only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks. – Miss J
Disability is what we perceive. Ability is everything we believe! – Tamela D’Amico
The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for. – Bob Marley
Common sense is not so common. – Voltaire
🏂 Sliding Into My Own DMs Like…
Enjoy the next few days, be they a break or the same old. Meet me on Monday for soap and the Med. Until then, stay safe, stay checking yourself before you read others, and stay keeping your head to the sky. The world’s gonna knock you down, but what matters is that you get back up, and don’t stay down.
🌴 Taking the rest of the day off, or at least switching job gears. But here are a couple of nuggets.
🍳 Rate the Chefs…
Several of them were pretty bad, but IMO Leon was the worst. Repeat dishes, nasty remarks, attitude on attitude, not finishing the charter when he was let go. The best thing about him was, when he walked off, Ben replaced him. Not that Ben isn’t moody, but he’s a whole lot of fun.
Her attorney says, she’s a good woman who crossed the line. Please. Seems to me she crossed a lot of lines. And you’d think if she was smart, she might have been a little more low-key on the show, but I guess thieves never think they’ll be caught.
Check in tomorrow when we’ll hopefully have soap, as well as a report on those horrible Beverly Hills diamond holders. Until then, stay safe, stay never letting others limit you, and stay not crossing any lines where you’ll ultimately be pleading guilty.
Apparently, he’s the picture of good parenting. I’m totally in agreement with how Denise is handling this. She’s right. Her daughter is 18, and she’ll do what she wants, with or without her parents’ approval. If Denise had come down on her, she’d only distance herself.
When was she a good fit? When she accused the Richards sisters of smoking meth? When she slapped LVP? When she weaseled her way onto the show by attacking Denise? When?
On the other hand, I think these two should have their own spin-off. Poor Sutton. Awkward for sure, and perhaps at times inappropriate, but not malicious.
Hopefully, all will be well in the world of soap tomorrow, so stop by for some, along with tea, weekly quotes, and a piece of music from the vast catalog in my brain. Until then, stay safe, stay not making snap judgements, and stay not posting cryptic things on social media. It’s just annoying, and screams, desperate need for attention.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Ava lets herself into Windymere, and Nikolas pops out of the living room. She asks if he’s been lurking there until she came in, and he says, would that be so wrong? She wonders if he doesn’t have anything better to do than wait for her to come home, and she sees he has candles lit and champagne waiting in the living room. He asks, what’s better than spending time alone with his wife?
At the gallery, Trina says she gets how being productive could be important to Spencer, and he says, she always does. She says, not like Esme gets him though, right? She says she’ll leave him a to-do list, so he can get home to his phony, twisted witch he calls the love of his life. He says, Esme is anything but that, and Esme is about to walk in and stops. Trina says, anything but what? A twisted witch or the love of his life?
On the phone at the hospital, Carly says she’s fine. They discharged her, but she’s going to wait around to see if Harmony is all right. For Willow’s sake. Her whole world has been turned upside down tonight.
Willow and Michael go into the chapel, and she tells him not to feel like he has to stay with her. She just wants to make sure her mom is okay. He says he texted Josslyn. She’s on her way, so he’s not going anywhere. Unless she wants to be alone. She says she wants him here with her, and they hug. She wonders what her mother was doing; walking down a road at night in the woods by herself. It doesn’t make any sense. He says, hopefully, they’ll know more soon, and she says, she and her mother were just getting close. If she doesn’t make it, Willow will never forgive herself for pushing her away.
Sasha digs in her bag, and takes out her pillbox, but it’s empty. Gladys says, there she is. Sasha left so fast, her shoes left skidmarks. Sasha says, Willow didn’t see her, did she? but Gladys says, no. The poor thing is a mess. Michael took her to the chapel; they were headed in that direction. It’s probably going to be a while before the doctors can tell her anything about her mom. Unless of course (🍷)… Unless it’s not as bad as they thought. She suggests they sit, but Sasha says she has to get out of here. Brando comes in and she runs to him. He tells her, it’s okay, he’s got her, but she says, no, it’s not okay. She might have killed Willow’s mother.
Nikolas pours champagne, and says, he shouldn’t have taken for granted that she was coming home. She asks if he’s wooing her, and he says, what if he is? Dinner might have been a bust, but there’s still plenty of time for dessert. They clink glass, but she says, it’s not going to work, and hands hers back. He asks, why? and she says she’s made her position clear. As long as Esme is here… He says, she isn’t here, and Ava says, since when? He says, Laura stopped by earlier. She got Sonny to give his word nothing will happen to Esme. Now Esme can go back to the mainland, and they can devote all of their time to each other.
Esme continues to listen in, and Spencer says, things with Esme are complicated, but Trina says, they’re not. Would he like her to explain what’s going on here? He’s keeping her on the hook. She let herself believe that he can be a better person. He misses that feeling, and now he’s trying to reel her in. He says, that’s not… and she says, it’s the only explanation she can come up with. He’s giving her mixed signals. He says, he’s not, and she asks what that jealous act was before. He says, he is not jealous of that guy, and she says, so what? Who cares if he’s jealous or not? He made his choice. Deal with it. Just remember, he threw their friendship away for some psycho girlfriend. Esme comes out, and says, she’s not the psycho; Trina is.
Josslyn comes into the waiting area and hugs Carly. Carly asks what she’s doing here, and Josslyn tells her, Michael said she was in the ER. Is she okay? Carly says she’s fine, and Josslyn says, Michael told her that Willow’s mom got in a car accident. Was she involved? Carly says she wasn’t there when Harmony got hit by the car, and Josslyn says, thank God. She was freaking out the whole way here. She doesn’t know what she’d do if anything happened to Carly. Carly says, it didn’t, and Josslyn asks, then what was she doing in the ER?
Willow tells Michael, you’d think at a time like this, she’d be able to focus on the good times, but with her and her mother, there are no good times not touched by the bad. It’s impossible to separate the two. He puts his arm around her, and says, she’s strong enough to forgive Harmony, and see that she genuinely wanted to make up for a lifetime of… He doesn’t have to tell her. She says, she’s accepted her mom allowed a lot of horrible things to happen to her because Shiloh manipulated her, and even though it took her a long time to forgive Harmony, Harmony never gave up on her. For the first time in a very long time, she started to feel her mother’s love. She’s not ready to be without it again. He holds her hands, and she cries.
Brando asks if Sasha wants to tell him what happened, and she says, what happened is Willow’s mom is fighting for her life, and it’s all her fault. Gladys says, it’s not all her fault, and Brando suggests she start from the beginning. They sit down, and Sasha says, this photographer, this paparazzi guy, started taking pictures of her at the MetroCourt. Gladys says, she’s underselling it; this jerk was harassing her. Sasha says, it was too much, so they left. Next thing they knew, this guy was chasing them down in his car. He was flashing his high beams, and she couldn’t see anything. Gladys says, and this woman ran right into the middle of the road, and Sasha says, she tried to swerve, but she didn’t have time. Brando says, she didn’t do anything wrong; it was an accident. Gladys tells her, that’s what she’s been saying. If that sleazeball hadn’t been coming after them, they wouldn’t have been driving so fast down that stretch of road. They should sue him; so should Willow. Michael’s got lawyers. Brando says, what he doesn’t understand is why the photographer was chasing her. She flashes back to the photographer catching her with the pills, and says, he had his reasons.
Carly says, and Harmony had a needle, and managed to inject her, and Josslyn says, oh God. Carly says she was in the back of her own SUV when she woke up, and heard Harmony and Alexis arguing. When she got out of the car, they were parked on Ramalamadingdong Point, and she jumped Harmony. They fought, and Harmony took off running when she heard Alexis call 9-1-1. Josslyn asks if Alexis is okay, and Carly says, she is; Sam took her home earlier. Alexis is okay, but Harmony jumped in front of a car. She saw Harmony when they brought her to the hospital. She and Alexis weren’t there when Harmony was hit, and she doesn’t know when she was hit. They stayed and waited for the cops, and the paramedics brought them here. Josslyn says she’s confused. Why did Harmony attack Carly in the first place? Carly flashes back to confronting Harmony about Neil’s papers, and saying, this is what Harmony meant that she wishes Willow was hers. Willow isn’t her biological daughter. Carly tells Josslyn, she found out something Harmony was desperately trying to keep secret. Something Willow does not know.
Michael says, one thing he knows about Willow’s mom is, she’s a fighter. There’s nothing she won’t do to fight her way back to Willow. Willow says, when she escaped from Dawn of Day, she would tell herself that she didn’t need a mother. At the time, she was right, but when her mother turned against Shiloh, she began to change, to make amends, and more and more she became the mother she should have been all along. He says, she tried, no question, and Willow says, she’s beginning to understand why some women say they’ll always need their mother, because right now, she needs hers.
Brando asks what reason the photographer had for chasing Sasha, and Gladys says she stole his memory card. He says, she did what? Why would she do that? Gladys says, he wouldn’t stop taking pictures of Sasha, even though every last one of us told him to knock it off. Sasha was getting extremely upset, and she wasn’t about to let some parasite with a camera exploit her daughter-in-law. Sasha says, Willow isn’t going to care about any of that. All that matters is, she hit Willow’s mother with her car, and she might die. Brando tells her, like he said, it was a terrible accident. She didn’t mean to do this. Willow will understand. Sasha says, what if Harmony doesn’t make it? Willow will never forgive her, and she’ll never forgive herself. Brando says, they don’t have any control over that, so let’s not do what ifs. Right now, she just needs to tell Willow what happened. Gladys says, does she? Willow has enough on her plate; Sasha’s a wreck. Can’t it wait? Sasha says, no, it can’t. The only reason she came here is because Willow deserves to hear the truth from her, but she doesn’t know if she can face her. Brando says, there’s no right or wrong here, and Gladys says she doesn’t know if she’d put it like that. Sasha cries, and Brando says, whatever she chooses to do, he’s behind her 100%, but if she goes to tell Willow right now, she’s the strongest person he knows. He knows she can do this. She says, let’s go, and they leave together.
Trina says, she’s the psycho? Says the girl who’s been lurking in the shadows for who knows how long. Spencer asks what Esme is doing here, and Esme says, it’s bad enough Trina has half of Port Charles blaming her for Cam and Joss’s sad little sex tape. Trina says, only half? She’ll have to step up her game. (Ha-ha! Sounds like something I’d say.) Esme says, even though all the evidence points to Trina, Trina’s lies got her kidnapped by Sonny Corinthos. Spencer says, which is why she’s supposed to be back at Windymere, right now. Esme says, that’s what she came to tell him. His grandmother, the mayor, personally intervened on her behalf, and forced Sonny to back down. She’s safe now. Spencer says, that’s great, and Trina says, she’d call it a useless waste of cement. Esme says, thank God Trina didn’t manage to poison everyone against her. How does it feel to know people finally see through her good girl act?
Ava asks why Sonny backed down, and Nikolas says, his mother didn’t tell him Sonny’s rationale, but he was here when she told Esme. So Esme is aware the threat is over. Ava asks when she’s moving out, and he doesn’t say anything. She says, tell her that he’s not letting Esme stay, and he says, they just haven’t set a date for her to move out yet. She says, they have a staff. They can pack up her stuff, put it on the launch, and it can be waiting for her on the pier tonight. He says, Esme isn’t going wait for a launch to come back from town and find her luggage waiting, and she says, so Esme went to the mainland. He says, to tell Spencer the good news, and she says, the good news is that she can stay there. He says, there’s the matter of how she’ll support herself, and Ava says, she has a trust fund. He says, she’s only given a pittance, and Ava says, she was sent to school in Paris. Her life has not been the stuff of Dickens. He says he promises, Esme will leave Windymere and Spoon Island soon. Ava says, she better, and he says, the best part is, once she’s gone, all their problems go with her. Ava caresses his face, saying, my sweet beautiful husband… She smacks him lightly, and says, no they don’t. He says, the root of their problem is that he invited Esme to move in without consulting her, but she says, the roots go far deeper than that. He says, when he invited Esme to stay here, they were planning on renewing their vows. Is she telling him she wasn’t happy? She says, she was, but when he told Esme and Spencer that they could move in, it made her realize she was ignoring some very real issues. He says, such as? Start at the top; what’s their biggest issue? She says she doesn’t trust him. Don’t look so surprised. He doesn’t trust her either. He says, this isn’t about trust. It’s about the fact that he chose his son. That’s what she has an issue with, isn’t it?
Esme says, Trina refuses to take the blame for what she did to her so-called friends, and Spencer says, enough, but she says she’s not going to stand for it anymore. She tells Trina, mark her words, the next time Trina lies about her, there will be consequences. Trina says, Esme talks a good game, but know this. Trina sees her, and soon one day, everyone is going to see her for who she really is, a needy entitled psychopath, who hurts everyone around them, and wonders where they all went. She’ll be all alone with no one left to fool, except maybe that idiot (meaning Spencer). Now she’s going to put this away, and when she comes back, Esme won’t be here. Because she’s trespassing.
Carly tells Josslyn, Harmony is still in surgery, but they don’t think she’s going to make it. Josslyn says, Carly seems pretty worried about someone who just tried to kill her, and Carly says, she’s worried about Willow. She’s got enough on her mind right now. Maybe she should wait to tell her, but Jordan knows. The last thing she wants is for Willow to find out during the course of the investigation, but they probably won’t question Willow tonight, so maybe she should wait. Josslyn says, that’s one way to look at it, and Carly asks, what’s the other way? Josslyn says, can telling Willow really make things much worse?
Michael asks if there’s anything Willow needs, and she says, right now, she needs answers. She thinks she’s strong enough to get them. Michael says, Josslyn is here. So they should go look for her and his mom. Maybe they have an update on Harmony. As they’re leaving, Brando and Sasha walk in, and Michael says, he guesses they heard about Harmony. Brando says, they’re aware of what happened, and Willow says, they were going to check on how her mom was doing. Sasha says, she’s sorry. She knows this is a terrible time, but she needs to talk to Willow alone. Willow says, sure, and Michael says he’ll check on her mom. Willow says she’ll join him later, and Sasha thanks Brando for being here. He says, where else would he be? He kisses her forehead, says she’s got this, and leaves. Willow asks what Sasha needs to talk about.
Michael tells Brando, he saw his mom in the ER and texted Josslyn. Brando asks why Carly was in the ER, and Michael says, she didn’t tell him, but she seemed okay, so he focused on Willow. Brando says, rough night all around. Keep him posted. He’s going to wait for Sasha. As Michael is about to get into the elevator, Smoltz comes along, and says, if it isn’t the husband of the Face of Deception. His sources tell him that Brando’s wife ran down a pedestrian tonight. Any comment?
Josslyn says she’s sorry, but she knows Carly will make the best choice for Willow. Carly says she appreciates Josslyn’s vote of confidence, when Gladys comes by. Carly asks what she’s doing here. Are Sasha and Brando okay? Gladys says, physically, yes. She’s fine too. Carly says she can see that, and Josslyn’s phone rings. She leaves to take the call, and Gladys asks if there’s any word on Harmony. Is she going to pull through? Carly says she doesn’t know. Why is Gladys asking? Gladys says, because she cares deeply about the suffering of others. Carly might want to look into that sometime. Also, Sasha was the one who ran over Harmony. Carly says, oh my God, and Gladys says, believe her, she knows. She was in the car. Carly asks where Sasha is, and Gladys says, Brando took her to see Willow. She’s dreading what’s going to happen when Sasha tells her.
Willow asks how Sasha found out about her mom; did Carly call her? Sasha says, no. She knows because… It’s so hard to say. She and Gladys were driving on a back road. She was driving, and a guy was chasing them; it’s not important why. The point is, he was flashing his high beams in her rearview, and it was blinding her. She couldn’t see and the road was dark. Out of nowhere, someone ran in front of her car. She couldn’t see who it was until she get out to help, and she’s so sorry, it was Willow’s mother. Well, here’s a thought. Why don’t she and Gladys flip the script? Since the headlights were blinding, technically, it’s the jerkface photographer’s fault.
Spencer tells Esme not to let Trina get to her, but she says, Trina isn’t the one getting to her. Why is it that every time she sees him with Trina, they’re having a moment of some kind? He says, it wasn’t a moment. He didn’t say anything he wouldn’t have said in front of her. She says, even the part where he was jealous about some guy? He says, not jealous, annoyed. When he got here, she was talking to the cop who arrested him. Esme asks, why? and he says, the whole sex tape mess has the media harassing her. She says, gee too bad, and he says, he doesn’t hate that guy because he’s jealous; he hates him because he’s a jerk. She says, even so, she can’t help thinking history is repeating itself, but he says, trust him, it’s not. She’s the one he has eyes on.
Brando asks who this is, and Michael tells Smoltz, this is not a good time. Brando says, Michael knows this creep? and Smoltz says, this creep is happens to be doing Mr. Corinthos a favor, and Michael says, Smoltz is a reporter, and he and Willow are cooperating with him on a feature. Smoltz says he’s always on the lookout for the next good story. He takes out his phone, and says, Mr. Gilmore – Brando says, Corbin – about this pedestrian his wife ran down… Brando says, no comment, and Smoltz says, it’s better for him to get a quote from Sasha herself, or as his source called her, the Face of Collision. Brando lunges for him, but Michael gets between them, and pushes Brando back. Smoltz says, he has rights under the First Amendment, and Brando says, he fought in the US Military to protect Smoltz’s rights; he’s well aware of what they are. His First Amendment rights only protect him from government censorship. Michael runs a media company; does he have that correct? Michael says, he sure does, and Brando says he thought so. He gets close to Smoltz, and asks if he looks like the government. It’s a simple question. Smoltz says, no, and Brando says, which means, the First Amendment won’t protect Smoltz if he catches him even breathing the same air as his wife. Nothing personal, but he’ll make sure Smoltz is incapable of ever writing any story ever again. He doubts the other journalists will miss him, or find him if they did. Understood? Smoltz nods and leaves, and Michael asks, what happened to Sasha?
Willow says, Sasha is the one who hit her mom? and Sasha swears it was an accident. She’s so sorry. She’d do anything, give anything, to make it so it didn’t happen. Is there anything she can do? That’s so stupid. Of course (🍷) there’s nothing, but she’s here for Willow if Willow needs anything. She’s probably the last person Willow wants to see, so she’s just going to go. Willow tells her, wait. Was she with Carly and Alexis? Sasha says, what? and Willow says, Carly and Alexis were with her mom before the accident, but Sasha says, no. She was coming from the MetroCourt. Willow wants to ask Sasha a question. It might seem a little strange, but did it seem like her mom jumped in front of Sasha’s car on purpose? Sasha says she doesn’t know; it happened so fast. It felt more like Willow’s mom just didn’t see her. Willow cries, and Sasha says she knows Willow and her mom haven’t had the easiest relationship, but they were making amends. She’s so sorry this happened because of her. Willow is the last person who deserves this. She asks if she should get Michael, and Willow says, she just wants some of this, any of this, to make sense.
Gladys tells Carly that she’s worried about Sasha. She doesn’t know how much more Sasha can take. Carly says, as long as she’s known Sasha, she’s weathered crisis after crisis, and come back tougher every time. Gladys says, that was before. Since her grandson died, Sasha’s been an open wound. If Sasha killed her friend’s mother, what is she going to do? Carly says, they’ll get her through it, and Gladys says, Carly didn’t see Sasha with that photographer. Sasha has dealt with photographers before, and knows how to handle the paparazzi when they’re being jerks, but tonight she was a different person; panicked, desperate, and the way she snapped… Josslyn comes back, and Gladys excuses herself. Josslyn asks if everything is okay with Brando and Sasha, and Carly says she just needs a hug. They hug, and Josslyn asks if Carly is sure she’s okay. Carly says, it’s just been a night. So much devastation. She wants Josslyn to know she loves her, and she’s so grateful to have her. They hug again.
Ava says, she and Spencer will never be each other’s favorite people, but he’s Nikolas’s son. She meant it when she said she’d keep their issues out of her and Nikolas’s relationship. Esme though, was never part of that agreement. He says, as long as Esme is important to Spencer, she’s part of that agreement, but Ava says, not as long as Esme is a threat to Trina, she’s not.This isn’t about Spencer and Esme; this is about her and Nikolas. He says, she’s right. It’s about their marriage and their partnership. He should have consulted her before inviting Esme to live there, but when she had a problem with Esme, she went to Sonny instead of consulting him. She asks what there was to consult him about. He was giving that horrid little monster the benefit of the doubt, while she was framing Trina for something even her so-called victims know she didn’t do. He says, so she’s trying to punish him, and she says, not without good reason. He says, and her mystery plans tonight, did they involve exploring divorce? She says, of course (🍷) not. That ship sailed weeks ago. He says, when was this? and she says, the day he invited Esme into their home. He says, she can go on about not trusting him, but how is he supposed to trust her when she always has one foot out the door? She says, if he wants her to stop straddling the threshold, then stop pushing her away. He says, at least give him a heads up. Should he be expecting divorce papers soon? She says, not yet. She couldn’t go through with it. He asks, why, when she can’t trust their toxic manipulative marriage? Why the hell is she still here? She says, because she loves him, and he says he doesn’t believe it. She says, believe this, and kisses him.
Esme takes Spencer’s hands, and thanks him, saying, he’s the only one for her too. They hug, and Trina sees, but steps back. Esme says she feels close to him, and he says he’s sorry it’s taken him so long to get back on track. He thanks her for letting him take it slow, but she says she doesn’t care how long it takes, just as long as they do. He says, it’s their second chance; he wants to do things right. She says, he’s not the problem. When she thinks of how close Trina came to destroying them… He says, Esme… but she says she can’t help it. That conniving little witch drove a wedge between them. She wants a front row seat at Trina’s trial. She wants to see Trina’s face when they lock her away. She can’t wait for everyone at school to see what a backstabbing bitch… He says, stop talking about Trina like that, and she says, why? Trina continues to listen.
Brando tells Michael, Sasha’s the one who hit Harmony, and Michael asks, how? Brando says, some photographer was harassing her at the MetroCourt. He chased after her, and she was speeding to get away. Harmony ran into the middle of the road. Michael says, oh my God. How is Sasha doing? Brando says, she’s devastated. It’s enough with an accident like that, but what she’s really having trouble with is hurting Willow. Michael says, as terrible as all this is, he hopes Willow will have some answers. Sasha might not have the whole story, but he has the feeling his mom does.
Gladys presses the elevator button a bunch of times, takes the memory card out of her purse, and looks at it. The elevator comes, and she gets in.
Josslyn asks if Carly is going to talk to Willow now or later, and Carly asks what Josslyn thinks. Josslyn says, if it was her, she’d probably want to know right away, but she’d understand if Carly thinks it’s piling too much on Willow. Carly says, Josslyn doesn’t? and Josslyn says, she does, but there’s never going to be a good time.
Esme asks if Spencer is still defending Trina, but he says, for God’s sake. He doesn’t care about Trina; he cares about her. If Trina leans over any further, she’ll be in the room, and Esme says, then why? Spencer says, all of this anger Esme is holding in can’t be good for her. She’s tied in knots. She’s scowling; her forehead is scrunching up. The both of them almost laugh, and he says, he’s serious. All this stress she’s carrying around, let it go. She says, she’ll try, but she just hates that Trina is getting away with everything. He asks how she thinks he feels, but her and Trina getting in each other’s face is making it worse. She asks what she’s supposed to do. Trina is walking around free, blaming her. He tells her to look at him. Does she trust him? She says, of course (🍷), and he tells her, then trust him when he says this is all going to be over soon, and when it is, she and Trina will never have to see each other ever again. He hugs her, and Trina slips back, pondering this in the hallway.
Nikolas and Ava start getting busy on the couch, but she says, they can’t do this. She gets up and says, their problems aren’t going to go away if they keep distracting themselves with sex. He says, this isn’t a diversion. It’s them expressing their love. They do love each other, right? She says, they do, and he says, if they have problems, they can fix them. She says, they can’t fix them with sex, and he says, then just tell him what he has to do to make it good, and he’ll do it. She says she doesn’t know, and he says, while she’s figuring it out, let him prove that she can trust him. She says, trust is earned; it’s built over time. And if he thinks he can fix things with one or two grand gestures, she’s sorry; he can’t. She leaves, and he blows out the candles.
Sasha tells Willow that she wishes she could make it okay. All she can say is, it was a horrible, senseless accident. Willow wonders what her mom was doing there in the first place. Why was she in the woods, stumbling into the road? Carly comes in, and says, she can answer that. She asks Sasha if she can have minute with Willow. They need talk alone. Willow takes Sasha’s hand for a moment, and Sasha leaves.
On Monday, Austin says, if Maxie doesn’t want to hang out, all she has to do is say so; Spinelli says someone will be the first to know: Nina asks if Sonny is looking for someone; and Carly tells Willow to prepare herself.
Honest towards ourselves and towards anyone else who is our friend; brave towards the enemy; magnanimous towards the defeated; polite always: this is how the four cardinal virtues want us to act. – Friedrich Nietzsche
The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion. – Albert Camus
Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. – Carl Sandburg
Honesty is for the most part less profitable than dishonesty. – Plato (I could have told you that.)
Hope is the destination that we seek. Love is the road that leads to hope. Courage is the motor that drives us. We travel out of darkness into faith. – Dean Koontz
Look at all the things moviegoers believe – Star Wars, Spider-Man, and Transformers. You don’t think a gay man can play straight but you believe in Chewbacca? – Billy Eichner on his upcoming film featuring an entirely LGBTQ cast
We are all now connected by the Internet, like neurons in a giant brain. – Stephen Hawking (When you put it that way – yikes!)
🐼 A panda walked into a café and ordered a sandwich. He ate it and then pulled a gun out and shot the waiter. The panda then plunked a badly punctuated wildlife manual onto the table. Look me up, he growled as he walked out the door. The wounded waiter opened the book to the entry for panda. It read, Panda: Large, black and white bear-like mammal native to China. Eats, shoots & leaves.
🥁 BA-DUM-CHH…
Stop by next time, and follow me into the Dead zone. Until then, stay safe, stay hydrated, and stay understanding that trust is earned, and built over time.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
On the footbridge, Victor looks at the Three of Cups tarot card. He hears Drew coming, and slips it into his jacket pocket. Drew says, here he is. Why was it so important they meet in person? Victor says he sees they’re dispensing with the pleasantries, and Drew says he thinks he made it pretty clear what he thinks about Victor. Victor says, yet here Drew stands. Is he alone? Drew asks, why? Does Victor have something up his sleeve as usual?
Sam and Dante are in a nearby van with surveillance equipment. They’re having a problem hearing, and Sam asks if Dante wants to go over the checklist again. He says, the wireless transmitter is functioning, the firmware is current… She says, what about the software on his tablet? and he says he updated it this morning. She can’t hear anything? She says, no, and if she can’t hear Drew, he can’t hear them. He says, that means Drew is on his own with Victor.
Portia literally runs into Jordan at the hospital, and says she’s sorry; she should watch where she’s going. Jordan says, you and me both, and Portia asks if everything is okay. Jordan says she’s just there for a check-up; she feels pretty good. Portia says, that’s what they like to hear, and Jordan says she should be going. She starts to leave, but Portia asks if she has time for one question. There’s something that’s been weighing on her mind. Jordan says, sure, and Portia asks if she considers Spencer Cassadine dangerous.
Spencer says, Trina must be psychic; he was just thinking about her. She says she’s been thinking about him too, and he says he was hoping she’d visit. She says, life’s been hectic, and he says he heard about the sex tape. She says, it’s been rough on Cam, but she can’t even begin to describe what Joss is going through. He says, what about her? He knows she and Joss are best friends, so Joss’s pain must be her pain. She says, which is why she’s here, and he says, so her first visit isn’t a social call. She says, this isn’t a social call, and this isn’t just her first visit. It’s also her last.
At the hospital, Britt asks if Carly is okay, and Carly says she’s fine. Britt says she thought they made peace on Valentine’s Day, or was it just a temporary truce? Carly says, no, they’re fine. She just has a lot going on. Britt says, Jason, and Carly says, what about Jason? Britt says she thought Carly knew. Monica’s decided to have Jason legally declared dead.
There’s a knock at the penthouse door, and Sonny shuffles over to answer it. It’s Nina, and he says, she wants to know if he talked to Michael, right? She comes in, and says, he’s right. Did he? He says, yeah, Michael and Willow, and she says she guesses she’s too late then. She was having second thoughts. He asks, why? and she says she just didn’t want to cause him anymore trouble. She asks how it went, and he says, Michael and Willow don’t want her to see Wiley. End of discussion. She thanks him for trying, and says she’ll call Martin Grey and tell him to start the paperwork… Sonny swipes some stuff off the table, startling Nina, and tells her, he said he’d fix it, and he will.
Jordan says, if Portia is asking for her personal opinion on Spencer, she hasn’t really formed one. Portia says, and her professional one? and Jordan says, not so much opinion as fact. Spencer Cassadine is a convicted felon, currently serving a custodial sentence at Spring Ridge. He’s never been charged with a violent infraction. Portia says, he admitted to stalking, harassing, and damaging property. That sounds like someone capable of violence. Jordan says, if she’s talking about setting Ava Jerome’s car on fire, Spencer had an alibi. Portia says, which brings her straight to his girlfriend Esme Prince. Why exactly wasn’t she charged? Jordan says, it’s complicated, but may she ask, why all the questions about Spencer and Esme? Portia says she needs to know the risks involved for someone that’s in their lives. Curtis comes out of the elevator, and Jordan asks if this is about Trina. Curtis asks, what happened to Trina?
Spencer says, this is Trina’s first and last visit because he’s getting out soon, but she says, no, it’s because of his girlfriend. As long as Esme’s in his life – she takes the book he gave her out of her bag – she can’t be. He says he wants to discuss this with her, but right now is not a good time, and she asks, when is a good time? Joss and Cam told her that he avoided this conversation at the cabin too. They sit, and he says he’s not avoiding the conversation, but Esme is here. She interns at Spring Ridge for her psychology class. Trina says, he’s never going to change, and he asks what that’s supposed to mean? She says, it means, no matter how many horrible things Esme does, he keeps trying to make her happy. It’s been very apparent he’s made Esme the priority since she first got here. Correction, since she first showed herself. Esme is about to walk in, and stops. Trina says, who knows how long Spencer and Esme were lurking around Port Charles, leaving creepy things for children, and he says, that is not… He made some horrible mistakes. That’s why he’s in here, to pay for them. She says, Esme should be the one paying; she’s the one who torched a car. Esme listens from behind a door, and Trina says, Esme took a step back and Spencer took the fall, and he’s okay with that. Just like he’s okay with the fact that Esme taped Joss and Cam having sex, and showed it to the entire world. He says, she’s got it all wrong, but she says she has it all right. Which is why she’s giving him this. She holds out the book, and says, take it. She doesn’t want it anymore. Esme smiles.
Dante says he doesn’t understand. The Wi-Fi signal is garbage. He checked it yesterday and it was totally fine. Sam says she knew she should have called Spinelli, but he says, they don’t need Spinelli. He just needs some time to sort this out. She says, they don’t have any time. Maybe they should just leave; move the van, find a new spot. He says she’s right. It rained and the wet leaves are interfering with the Wi-Fi signal. She wonders why she didn’t think of that, and he says, he’ll move the van a few feet, and they’ll get the signal lout and clear. She tells him, hurry up. They need to know what’s going on between Drew and Victor on that bridge.
Drew says, Victor told him that he wanted to discuss ELQ. What difference does it make if he came alone? Why did they need to have this conversation in private? Victor says, they’re here to discuss sensitive financial matters, and Drew says, if Victor didn’t want an audience for that, why did he bring his attack dog? Yeah, he surveilled the area before he came out in the open; all that Navy SEAL training is pretty ingrained. Victor says, all right, Yohan, he’s on to you. Might as well join us. Yohan stands next to Victor, and Victor says, there are those who might mistake his motives, but Drew says he doesn’t think any of them are mistaken. Victor says, Yohan is his insurance policy. Victor flashes back to telling Yohan that they’ll have to lure Drew to a secluded location, and activate the condition, and Yohan saying Drew figured out what he was doing the last time. If it happens again, there’ll be no denying it. Victor says Yohan makes an excellent point. It will be a terrible waste, but if the conditioning doesn’t work this time, Drew will have to be eliminated. In the present, Victor starts to slide the card out of his pocket, and Drew says, Victor’s henchman is there to protect him, but if this meeting goes sideways, who’s going to protect Yohan?
Britt tells Carly, it’s not a done deal. Monica has to petition the court, and the judge might make her wait the full seven years before declaring Jason legally dead. Carly says she doesn’t understand. It’s only been three months; why is Monica doing this now? Britt says, Carly will have to ask Monica, but she thinks Jason’s kids need closure. Carly says, and Monica told her? and Britt says, only because she was on Cassadine Island when Jason was killed. Monica might need her to provide a statement for the declaration. Carly asks if she will, and Britt says, of course (🍷), whatever Monica needs. Carly says she guesses it’s official. She’ll have to live the rest of her life without her best friend.
Sonny says he didn’t mean to yell, and Nina says, they can talk about this another time. She has to get out of here. She heads for the door, and he follows, saying, it won’t happen again. She asks how she knows that. He’s obviously drunk, and angry. How does she know what he’s going to do? He says he’s not angry. He’s had a couple of bad days. Can she just come in? She says she doesn’t know what’s going on in his life. She wants to help him, but she can’t put herself at risk. He says she knows him… but she says, no. She knew Mike. He says she’s right. Mike would have never scared her like that. She tells him, she shouldn’t have said that, but he says, she was being honest. She misses Mike; so does he. She says, he misses Mike? She comes back in, closes the door, and says, what part? He says, Mike wasn’t very complicated; obviously he had no history. Mike didn’t have a best friend who was buried in rubble in a tunnel, never recovered his body, and now he’s being declared legally dead. She says she didn’t know… and he says, Mike didn’t have a wife who left him, and a son who blames him for the break-up of his family. Mike didn’t have a stepfather – he starts to cry, but pulls himself together and continues – who used to get drunk and beat his mother. Deke was an animal; Sonny never wanted to be anything like him. And now he can see Deke reflected in her eyes.
Jordan asks if Spencer and Esme were threatening Trina, but Portia says, no. She shouldn’t have brought it up. Trina wouldn’t appreciate Portia meddling in her life anyway. Curtis says, it’s not meddling to show concern. In fact, if Portia is worried, maybe Jordan can help. Jordan says she can at least look into Spencer and Esme, and Portia says, please don’t do that. It’s just that Trina is dealing with some friend drama right now. Curtis says, but she’s doing okay in classes, still enjoying her courses? and Portia says she is. Jordan’s phone dings, and she says her appointment’s been pushed back thirty minutes. She’s going to grab a bite in the cafeteria. Curtis asks if she’s okay, and Jordan says, it’s routine; everything is fine. She tells Portia to please reach out if she needs any help, and leaves.
Spencer says he’s not taking that book. Esme continues to listen, and takes out her phone. Spencer says, Trina loves Richard Molineux’s work and she says she did. (I honestly don’t know if that’s the right name for the artist, but close enough), Esme looks at the video of Cameron and Josslyn, and Spencer asks Trina, what changed? She says, her perspective, about a lot of things, starting with the fact she accepted the book under false pretenses. She thought they were friends. He says, aren’t they? and she says, friends have each other’s backs, no matter what the cost. He says he’d do anything for her, and she says, except stop asking him to lie for her, like she did to Joss and Cam and his dad for weeks, not telling them about him being in Port Charles before he said he was. And he swore that he was sorry, and would never put her in that position again, until the other day at the cemetery when he asked her to lie to the Police Commissioner for him. Which is bad on him, but worse on her because she did it. He says, but it all worked out, and she says, what if it hadn’t? What if she had gotten caught? He committed the crime, but his family has enough money to keep him out of trouble; Uncle Victor would have been there with the fix. But her future, her dreams, everything she’s worked so hard for, she put on the line to cover for him, and all he can do is get her a book? Well, no thanks. He wants to prove he cares? Leave his girlfriend. Esme keeps listening, and he says, she wants him to break up with Esme for her? She says she wants him to leave Esme because she’s responsible for filming Cam and Joss. He tells her, Esme says she is, and she says, he believes her? He says, no, he doesn’t, and Esme quietly comes in, but their backs are to her. He says, she would never hurt Joss and Cam that way, and Esme sticks the phone in Trina’s bag and slips back out. He says, she would never tape something that private and personal, much less post it. Trina says, he knows deep down that Esme would, and did, and yet he still chooses to be with her. And that’s not something she can respect. She tries to hand him the book, and he says, he told her, it’s hers. She says, fine, and gets up, leaving the book on the table. Goodbye, Spencer. He says, please don’t walk out on him. If she does, he’ll always wonder. She says, wonder what?
Britt says, accepting Jason’s death is hard, and Carly says, she’s just trying to adjust to the world without him, where she can’t turn to him or… There are so many times when it doesn’t feel like he’s gone, when it feels like he’s still here, and she has to remember all over again. Declaring him dead is like giving up on him. Britt says, they have to let him go, putting her hand on Carly’s arm. Carly says, has she? Britt is telling her to move on, but Britt’s not. Britt says, it’s a process, and they have to accept that what they had with Jason are now just memories. Carly says, what Britt had with Jason was a memory before she even left for Greece.
Dante gets goes to the back of the van, and says, anything? Sam says she’ll never doubt him again, and tells Drew, if he can hear her, cough. He does, and Sam tells Dante, okay. Now hopefully, Victor shows him the tarot card. Dante says, that puts them back in business.
Victor says, nothing is going sideways. They’re just here for a friendly, informative meeting. Drew says, that sounds lovely. Let’s get to it, shall we? He said he wanted to discuss Valentin’s ELQ shares. Now what? Victor says, when he called, Drew was adamant about not wanting to meet with him, yet here he is, eager to hear about voting shares. Drew says, ELQ is his daughter’s birthright. What concerns Scout, concerns him. Victor says, Valentin is in charge of the company. Brook deceived Victor’s son in the worst way possible just to get ahold of his shares. He wonders what other schemes the Quartermaines are hatching to get back ELQ. Drew says, does Victor really think if he knew that he’d tell him? and Victor takes out the card. Drew asks if it’s another tarot card. Did Victor go out and buy a whole deck from the local fortune teller? Victor chuckles, and says, this isn’t any old tarot card. This is the card. The one Peter August used to control Drew. He turns the card around, and says, you are active, and Drew says, reporting for duty. Yohan says, Victor did it, and Victor says, so it seems, but they have to be sure. He tells Drew, throw Yohan over the side of the bridge.
Sonny tells Nina, he never wants anybody he cares about to be afraid of him. Does she forgive him? She says she can forgive him, but it’s not the first time he lashed out. He says he knows; he grabbed her and hurt her. She says, he did, and he says he has no excuses. She says, he had to say goodbye to his friend Jason, on top of everything that’s happening with his family. It must be very painful. He says, ever since he came home, everybody he loves is just slipping through his fingers. He picks up his glass of scotch, and says, and this is not helping. She says, he’s right, and it’s good of him to recognize it doesn’t help, and he says, please don’t tell him that. Ever since he’s been taking bipolar medication, he’s been able to drink in moderation. She asks, what changed? and he says, ever since he came home, he’s been drinking a lot. She asks what he’s going to do about it.
Britt says, whatever. She thought Carly would want to know Monica’s plans. Carly says she’s sorry. She had no right to say that to Britt, and no right to take her anger and grief out on her. At the end of the hallway, Jordan stops and listens, and Carly says, she’s sorry. She’s just going through a lot right now. Hearing about Jason didn’t help. Britt says she’s sorry Carly is going through a divorce. She’s sure things have not been easy. Carly says, not for any of them. Josslyn is going through something really difficult, and she doesn’t know how to help her. This is the time she would turn to Jason. Britt says, Jason always had a way of making challenges seem easy to face, and Carly says, how many times she goes to call him, or a guy will come to the bar in the MetroCourt, wearing a black t-shirt. It just feels so final. Jordan walks up, and says, she’s so sorry about Jason. Carly thanks her, and says she’s going to go. She leaves, and Jordan tells Britt, it’s hard to accept the person you love isn’t coming back. Britt suggests they talk about happier news. She heard Jordan got a clean bill of health. Jordan says she did. Although she never would have chosen to go through it, her health scare was an important reminder, life’s not promised to everybody. Britt flexes her hand and says, doesn’t she know it.
Sam says, Victor just ordered Drew to kill Yohan. On the bridge, Yohan says, boss, don’t, and Dante says, Sam has to tell Drew to abort. Sam says, you mean blow his cover? No, they’ve got to see how this plays out. Dante says, they have no time, but she says, he’ll be able to sell this. He says, they can’t let this get out of hand, even if it does mean bringing down Victor. She says, it’s not going to come to that. They’re not going to another shot at this. She trusts Drew, and Dante has to trust her. On the bridge, Drew grabs Yohan, and shoves him toward the railing.
Portia and Curtis go to her office, and she says, now Esme blames Trina for filming Cameron and Josslyn, and putting it on the internet. He says, that’s insane; Trina would never do that. She says, of course (🍷) she wouldn’t. She doesn’t have a malicious bone in her body. He says, she’s kind, she’s generous, she’s just like her mother, which means she’s strong, and she can stand up to Esme. Portia says, she knows, but she can’t help wanting to protect Trina. She wants to put a smackdown on Esme, but she supposes it’s a bad idea. He says, sadly, yes, and she laughs. She says, there was some good news she wanted to share with him. She told Trina their plans to buy the beach house, and she seemed excited about it. He says, seemed, and Portia says, she told him, Trina is distracted. This whole friend drama thing, it’s taken its toll on her. He says, and Portia? but she says she’s fine. He says, what was done to Cameron and Josslyn was inexcusable, and Esme blaming Trina, despicable, but he knows her and he knows there’s something on her mind. What is it? She says, Trina’s inexplicable attachment to this Cassadine kid.
Spencer says he’ll always wonder… what Trina thought of the book. She says, it was inspiring, but she also felt let down. Esme listens again from behind the door and takes out her phone. Spencer asks, why? and Trina says, Richard Molineux is one of the reasons she got into modernism, even though Joss thinks his art is just a bunch of squiggles, which is what most people see. He says, but she saw beyond that; she saw beyond the squiggles. That is her talent, to understand true art. She says, the book allowed her to see pieces she never saw before. It was amazing; she felt closer to the artist. He says, but? and she says, but the book also provided professional criticism, very insightful stuff that exposed the artist’s limitations. He says, she once told him frailty is what makes us human. Isn’t there beauty in someone’s imperfections? She says, there can be. Only if someone recognizes those imperfections, and chooses to live up to their potential. He says, what if a person wants to do better, and just needs more time? It must seem so simple from the outside. All someone needs to do to live a better life is make different choices, better choices. But if it were that easy, wouldn’t the whole world be full of happy, fulfilled people? Esme looks confused, and makes a call to the PCPD Anonymous Tip Line. A recording says, all calls are confidential and will not be traced. Speak clearly after the tone. The line beeps, and Esme says she’s calling to report a case of revenge porn. She knows who uploaded the sex video of Josslyn Jax and Cameron Webber. I start laughing because, that’s really not how that works.
Sonny says, clearly he can’t drink like he used to. He guesses it just acts differently with the medication. I see an out of control plant on his coffee table, and think, if he just had the moss bowl🎍, his life would be so much better. Nina says, does the reason really matter? It seems to her, the important thing is, he can’t drink to prop himself up, or to dull his pain. He says, his stepdad used to just escape to the bottom of a whiskey bottle, and then that wasn’t enough. She says, he’s not his stepdad, and he tells her, like she said, he can’t keep using liquor as an excuse. He hands her his glass, and says, she can drink it, but she says, no thank you, and puts the glass aside. She asks if it’s going to be enough later. It’s not like Michael and Willow’s rejection is going to be the last piece of bad news he’s going to get. He says he can’t keep using booze as a crutch. He can’t do it anymore. He promises he’ll never hurt her again, and she says she wants to believe him, but it’s easier said than done. Can he dump the contents of the decanter in the sink? He says, there’s a first time for everything.
Portia says, Trina was twisting herself in knots trying to defend Spencer, and Curtis says, Trina’s loyal to her friends. She says, that’s the problem. Ever since Trina defended Spencer, she’s had to deal with all of his lies, and his vendetta against Ava, who just happens to be Trina’s mentor, and Trina’s own conflict, exposing him as the stalker. Spencer doesn’t deserve Trina’s loyalty. He says, and he’s sure Esme in Spencer’s life, makes Trina’s friendship with him even more fraught. She says, before Spencer came into Trina’s life, she was never self-conscious; she never second guessed her choices. Portia wishes Trina would just leave him alone and move on, but Curtis says, isn’t that Trina’s decision?
Trina tells Spencer, all the time in the world won’t help someone who’s not willing to grow. The book points out that Richard Molineux’s work stopped evolving in the last two decades of his career. He says, maybe something happened to him, something beyond his control, and she says, sometimes people are who they are, and they can’t change. He says, so that’s it then. She’s dropping her favorite artist and him. She doesn’t care about their friendship. She says, don’t give her those puppy dog eyes. She lied for him, she forgave him, she covered for him. She made stupid decisions for him, and he can’t even stand up for her against Esme’s ridiculous accusations. He says she’s right. He doesn’t deserve her friendship, but he needs it. He needs her not to give up on him. She tells him, it’s not too late to end things with Esme, and send her back to France or wherever she’s really from. He says he can’t do that. He’s all she has. Trina says, but if he keeps defending Esme, she’ll be all he has.
Yohan begs Victor to make Drew stop, and Victor says, allright. He tells Drew, enough; he’s proved himself. Let go. Dante looks at Sam, and Drew releases Yohan. Victor tells Drew that he needs information from Drew’s Navy SEAL days. He needs to know about Operation Demeter. Carly says, shut this down right now, and Dante says, what the hell is she doing here? Carly walks up to Victor, holding her phone out, and says, Drew won’t be telling him a damn thing. Let Drew go, or this streams live online. Victor tells Yohan, take Carly’s phone, but Drew steps between them, and says he doesn’t think so. Carly continues to film, and Victor says, Drew was never activated. Drew says, surprise, and Victor says, until next time, and leaves with Yohan. Drew asks what the hell Carly is doing here, and she says, you’re welcome. He says she has no idea what she’s done, and she says, besides saving him, what is he talking about? Dante and Sam run up on the bridge, and Dante asks where Victor is, but Drew says, he’s gone. Sam says, perfect timing, Carly, but Drew says, in all fairness, she had no idea. Carly asks if someone can please tell her what she’s missing here, and Drew says, their best chance to find out what Victor Cassadine is really up to. Um… you’d think that film might be worth something to the WSB.
Sonny walks out with the empty decanter, and Nina says, what he did wasn’t easy. He says he’s not an alcoholic, and doesn’t intend to become one. He’s going to keep drinking every so often, socially, but he just doesn’t want liquor in his house. Nina says he can fill the decanters up with candy, for Donna, Avery… and Wiley. She says she should go, and he says she doesn’t have to go. He can’t let her go… until he says this.
Jordan is approached by a reporter as she’s getting into the hospital elevator. He asks if she has any comment on the revenge porn story developing at PCU.
Spencer says he may not have Trina’s eye for art, but when he chose this book, he was struck by how rich the color palette was. It’s fun, exciting, fresh, like her. If she walks out on him, his world will turn grey. She says she has no choice, not if he refuses to see Esme for who she really is. He’s afraid of the truth, just like Richard Molineux was afraid to grow, and expand on his style. Esme stomps out, and asks if Trina is for real. How can she show her face here after what she did to her supposed friends?
Carly says she’s so sorry. Had she known she was stepping into an undercover operation, she never would have interfered. Drew says, forget it. He gave her enough information to get worried, but not enough for her to know they had it under control, but it’s not all bad news. They know what Victor is up to. Sam says, Operation Demeter? and Dante says, that’s something to go on. Sam says, and hopefully helps them stop Victor, and Carly says, before he realizes what hit him.
Spencer says, Esme, don’t, and she says, don’t what? Call Trina out? She tells Trina, the next time you have a fight with a friend, tell them to their face. Don’t tape them having sex and upload it. Trina says she’s not going to stand here and listen to this. She picks up her bag, and tells Spencer that she hopes he lives up to his potential. She walks out, and Esme says, can you believe her? She just ignored me and walked out. Spencer asks what Trina is supposed to say, and Esme says, how about I’m sorry or I’m wrong? Not that she would. She was way too focused on Spencer. She notices he’s holding the book, and asks if that’s the gift he gave her. He says, it was. Apparently, Trina doesn’t want anything from him. She says, not even friendship? and he turns away from her. She asks if that means Trina is out of his life.
Portia says, Spencer and Esme are trouble, plain and simple, and Curtis says he’s sure they are. And he’s sure she’s right, like his Aunt Stella was right about some of the knuckleheads he used to hang around when he was about Trina’s age. Portia says she bets Aunt Stella wasn’t shy about telling him what her opinion was, and he says, but he didn’t listen. He stayed close to those same knuckleheads, and didn’t care how much it dragged him down. She says, because he didn’t want to admit Aunt Stella might know better than him, and he says, after many hard knocks, he knew Aunt Stella was right, and he changed his class of friends. She says, message received, and thanks him. She says she’s going to keep her opinions to herself, and going to allow Trina to make her own decisions. He says, sounds good, but why does she look so worried? She says, mother’s intuition. She doesn’t know, she’s just afraid Trina’s in some trouble, and hopes she can protect Trina before it’s too late.
The reporter asks Jordan, is it true high profile individuals urged the PCPD to take over the investigation from the university officials? She tells him to contact the PCPD media liaison, and he asks if she can confirm Sonny Corinthos’s stepdaughter was the victim of revenge porn? The elevator opens, and he follows her in, asking her to give him something.
On the phone, Britt says she received a Society Set-Ups subscription as a gift. Her name is Britt Westbourne… No, actually she deleted the questionnaire; she never filled it out… No, she doesn’t need a refund. Actually, she was hoping they could resend the questionnaire. She’s ready to move forward.
Sonny says, the whole Wiley situation… and Nina says, they can revisit that conversation another day. He says, the point is, she can’t give up. Their grandson is lucky to have her in his corner. She thanks him for that, and he thanks her. He walks her to the door, they smile at each other, and she leaves.
Tomorrow, Shawn says Alexis is playing dirty, Michael’s patience is running thin, and Esme says she’s finally calling Spencer out with the truth.
One of my brushes with celebrity was William Hurt. I was working at the theater where he was doing a play, and while we didn’t have a lot of interaction, he was always very kind, and acknowledged everyone. In a twist, both he and my acting teacher William Hickey were up for Academy Awards the same year. Hurt won, Hickey didn’t, and I never watched the Oscars again after that. I knew it could never possibly be more exciting.
Drop by tomorrow for soap, tea, sage words, and a musical moment. Until then, stay safe, stay constructive with your critiques, and stay understanding, sometimes people are who they are, and they can’t change.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
In the car, Sasha tells Brando, she can’t believe their actually eloping to Niagara Falls. They’re on their way to get married right now. Brando says he has to keep pinching himself to remind himself that he’s not dreaming. She says, it’s not a dream. At the end of the road is a wedding chapel, and the start of their life together as husband and wife.
On the phone at the MetroCourt bar, Gladys leaves a message for Brando, saying, it’s his mother… again. Why isn’t he answering her calls? She knows he’s on a getaway with Sasha alone, but she’s worried about him… and Sasha. Could he at least send a text? Let her know they’re okay? Maybe send a picture of where they’re staying. Especially, let her know when they’re coming back. She loves him. Lucy sits down, asking if she may offer a word of advice. Gladys says, no; she’s off the clock. Lucy says, it’s not about work. She knows Gladys is worried, but Brando and Sasha deserve all the time they need to heal. And when they come home, they’re gong to be rested and relaxed, and a whole lot richer. Gladys says, well, money isn’t everything.
Victor lifts his cup, and says, to new beginnings for the entire Cassadine clan. Ava and Nikolas just look at him, and he says he’s sorry. He thought they were on the same page. Now he has to wonder if this invitation to their vow renewal is a real olive branch, or just a way of using his genuine love of family for their own purposes.
An orderly pushes Ryan to his room, and says, for a guy who can’t walk or talk, he sure gets under people’s skin. He opens the door, and says, especially that hot new intern. He’d sure like to be the one to rile her up. His phone dings, and while the orderly’s back is turned, Esme approaches the room, and looks at Ryan.
Brando says he doubts the back road is going to be a shortcut to the wedding chapel, and Sasha says, in other words, they’re lost. He says, yeah, and she tells him to put his pride aside, and put on the GPS. He says he hates to admit this, but the GPS went out, and he didn’t want to take the time to fix it. She says, so much for marrying a mechanic and having no car problems. He says, for the record, the GPS is more of a computer issue than a mechanical issue. She tries her phone, but can’t get a signal, and says, there’s a downside of being in the middle of nowhere. He tells her, don’t worry. He’s not one of those guys who won’t stop and ask a local for directions. She says, they haven’t passed a gas station or even another car for miles. What if they’re really lost? He says, they’ll get help, and she says, will they? Are they lost, or has he changed his mind about getting married?
Lucy asks if she heard Gladys right. Money isn’t everything doesn’t sound like her. Is she all right? Does she have a temperature? Lucy tries to feel her forehead, and Gladys says, she’s kidding of course (🍷). She knows Maxie’s back, and they’re full steam ahead to take Deception public. What does that actually mean for Sasha? Lucy says, Gladys knows Sasha is a partner, and thanks to Michael Corinthos’s ninja negotiating skills… talk about having the right boyfriend at the right time. Lucy just wanted a face of Deception, but he wanted an equity stake for Sasha in the company, which Lucy doesn’t regret at all; Sasha has been an incredible asset to the company. Anyway, the point is, when they do take Deception public, that girl is going to get a large share of stock, and her net worth is going to skyrocket. Gladys says, Brando knows how to pick them. She always knew that Gilmore girl had potential. Lucy says, really? That’s not exactly how she remembers it. Since when is Gladys Team Sasha? Gladys says, come on. Any mother would have doubts about Sasha’s history. She was a supermodel. She was leading a supermodel lifestyle; hanging out with gangsters, snorting illegal substances… Lucy says, wow, so very subtle, and Gladys says, but then she saw how brave Sasha was when she and Brando lost little Liam. Lucy says, Gladys is right. She doesn’t doubt Sasha’s bravery; she was very courageous. But Lucy is kind of worried Sasha is rushing her recovery by coming back to work so soon. Gladys says that’s her feeling exactly, but every time she mentioned it, Sasha shut her down. Politely – her manners are impeccable, of course (🍷) – but a wall is still a wall, no matter how pretty it’s painted. Lucy says, maybe it’s not right for them not to respect Sasha’s privacy, and Gladys asks if there’s something wrong with Sasha. Something Brando’s mother should know.
Dante asks how Drew knew it was Britt, and he says he saw the dynamic when they were on Cassadine Island together. Peter used Britt as leverage to control Jason, but Britt never backed down. She let him have it about the hell he put Maxie through, about supposedly hating Faison, but essentially following in his footsteps. Dante says he bets Peter didn’t like hearing that, and Drew says, he did not, but he thinks on some level, Peter envied his sister. Even though she was the prisoner, she had more agency than Peter did, so it makes sense Peter would mess with her any way he could, making her the executor just so she’d have to acknowledge his existence and not forget about him. Dante says, he probably got a kick out of forcing her to deal with whatever he left behind, and Drew says, so they go to Britt, and have her plant the bait. He holds up a tarot card, and says, then they let it get back to Victor what Peter left behind. Sam says, there might be a problem with his plan. Does Britt strike them as the kind of person who’s going to safeguard Peter’s personal effects?
Maxie asks what Anna said, and Britt tells her, the WSB x-rayed and vetted the contents; there’s nothing dangerous inside. No toxic substances or anything potentially lethal. Maxie says, so if it’s harmless, what is Britt going to do with it? Britt tells her, she never said it was harmless; it came from Peter, remember? He knows she hated him. Who knows what he left her to mess with her head? Fortunately, there’s a dumpster in the alley behind the hotel. Maxie says, so? and Britt says, so this is going in the garbage where it belongs. She gets up, and Maxie says, no, don’t do that.
Nikolas says he thanked Victor for interceding for him with Spencer; that was very sincere. He meant what he said. Ava says, she confesses she advised Nikolas to be careful of Victor at first, but that was before she could see for herself that his heart is clearly in the right place this time. Victor says, Laura has been doing her best to turn his family against him, and Nikolas says, his mother can be overprotective at times, but given Victor’s past and recent association with Peter, can he blame her? Victor says, for the last time, his dealings with Peter were extremely limited, and yes, a regrettable lapse in judgement, but he’s not the only one. Peter deceived a great many people, including the formidable Anna Devane, but the man is thankfully dead, and may the discord he caused die with him. As for Laura, for the well-being of his family, he agreed to give her a pass; something, for the record, she would not do for him. Ava says, that’s big of him, and Victor says, consider it a wedding present. Ava says, the real gift would be bringing them all together when she and Nikolas renew their vows. Of course (🍷) they can’t be certain Spencer will accept their invitation. Victor says he has a good feeling about it. After all, Spencer’s significant other supports a father/son reconciliation, and Esme seems to hold great sway with Spencer.
Esme hides around the corner as the orderly leaves, and takes a keycard out of her pocket. She quickly slips into Ryan’s room, and closes the door. She says she knows he terrifies most people, but she’s not most people. What was he thinking out in the day room, speaking out loud? Does he realize someone could have heard him when he opened his mouth to snap at her? After all his planning, all his months of silence, he could have blown the whole thing just to scold her. He says, actually, he was thinking about her, and how she failed him.
Brando says he wants to marry Sasha more than ever. What makes her think he changed his mind? She flashes back to taking a pill, and says she’s sorry for taking this out on him, but if the GPS isn’t working and they’re lost, what do they do? He says, they’re not completely lost. Roll down her window. She does, and he asks if she can hear it. She says, they’re by the river, and he says, they’re on a back road that runs alongside the river. If you listen hard, you can hear wedding bells. Bells ring in the distance, and he says, the bells are ringing from the chapel. She says, soon those bells will be ringing for them, and for Liam. His brief life will have meaning because they’ll know, and the whole world will know, he was born out of love.
Lucy tells Gladys, she admits she and Maxie are a bit worried about Sasha coming back to work too soon after the trauma of losing Liam. She’s speaking from firsthand experience. Those kind of wounds take a long time to heal, if they ever heal at all. Gladys says she tried to get through to Sasha, but Sasha shut her out. It seemed like with Brando’s help she was getting better, and she still believes Sasha will heal, especially when she gets back from that getaway and realizes what this IPO is going to do for the future of their family. But what if this getaway is just an escape from reality?
Britt says, there’s no way Maxie is feeling sentimental about Peter, and Maxie says she is not feeling sentimental, but Bailey is Peter’s only child. Maybe he left something for her. Britt says, like he wrote her a letter? but Maxie says she’s hoping he left her something of financial value. Britt says she takes her role as Aunt Britt very seriously, and she doesn’t want her niece growing up with anything of Peter’s to drag her down. Maxie totally agrees with her, and says, if there’s nothing in that box worth keeping, she’ll help Britt. Britt says, fine, and suggests they open it on the terrace, just in case there’s something in it that makes them howl with rage and disgust.
Anna calls Dante, and he steps away to take the call. Sam asks if Drew is okay. Is he sure there’s no way that card can affect him? Drew says, it’s not the right card, but Victor’s not going to know that, and when he tries to activate Drew, they’ll know what he’s up to. Sam says, Drew knows that card is the hook, and he’s the bait, and if Victor does realize something is going on, Drew is going to be at risk. Is he willing to do this? She’s not going to judge him if he backs out. He says he’s doing it. He wants to take Victor down as much as she does. Dante comes back, and says, Britt’s at the MetroCourt, and she’s already got Peter’s belongings, and Sam says, it’s too late then. There’s no way Britt is going to hold on to Peter’s belongings. Drew says, they’ve got to try. They’ve got to move.
Victor says he believes, where Esme goes, Spencer will follow, and Nikolas agrees they should include Spencer in the vow renewal once he’s finished his time at Spring Ridge. But as for inviting Esme, does he have to remind Victor that she torched Ava’s car? Victor asks if he has to remind Nikolas that Spencer dislikes Ava as much as Nikolas dislikes Esme. If he wants his son to put aside his pride and celebrate their vows, how can he exclude the young woman who has so much influence in young Spencer’s life? Ava tells him, she wouldn’t say Esme’s influence is exactly positive, and Victor says, if they’re going to start throwing stones, none of them are going to walk away without being bruised. Nikolas says, unfortunately, he thinks his uncle is right; either it’s an inclusive family celebration or it isn’t. He thanks Victor for reminding him; he owes Victor. Victor says he’ll leave the two of them to get along with their guest list. He pats Nikolas on the shoulder, and says Nikolas won’t regret this. He leaves, and Nikolas asks, what the hell happened to their intimate, romantic celebration for two? She tells him, they said it would be a night to remember, and with their new guest list, that’s bound to be true.
Ryan says he’s so disappointed in Esme. She had one job; to break up Ava and Nikolas. He had to continue this exhausting charade, pretending to be as animated as an eggplant. She has totally lost sight of the prize. She says, that’s not fair. She did everything she could to help Spence terrorize Ava in the hopes she’d leave Nikolas. She thought leaving Ava’s dead daughter’s hospital badge by her burnt car was an inspired idea. It’s not her fault Ava’s love of Spence’s dad is greater than her fear of a stalker. Ryan says, she doesn’t love Nikolas; she only thinks she does. And Esme’s been wasting her time, playing this adolescent game of kiss-and-tell with Spencer and his friends. She says, what she’s doing is trying to make sure her relationship with Spence looks real. If she’s not convincing, someone might get suspicious, but her loyalty, first and last, is always to him. He tells her, so she says, and she crouches down putting her hands on his knees, saying, please. She’ll do anything. Just let her prove it to him… daddy. He likes when she calls him that, doesn’t he? He says she knows he does, but as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.
Sasha asks if they can’t drive faster, but Brando says, that’s a negative. Her phone rings, and she says, they have cell phones again. He asks who it is. Maxie? Lucy? She says, it’s his mom, and he says he’s been ignoring her calls, but that’s his mom. If one way doesn’t work, she’ll find another. Sasha answers, saying, what a nice surprise, and Gladys nearly does a spit-take, surprised Sasha picked up. She says she knows Sasha and Brando are on a little getaway, and she doesn’t mean to interrupt, but she hasn’t heard from Brando, and naturally as a mother she’s concerned. Sasha looks at Brando, who shakes his head, and Gladys asks if everything is okay. Sasha says she’s sorry, but they have spotty coverage. Gladys is breaking up on her, but she’s sure they’ll have a lot to talk about when they get back. She hangs up, and Gladys says, hello? Lucy says, darn it. Bad connection, huh? Gladys says, Sasha couldn’t wait to get off the phone, although she did blame the bad reception at the Falls. Lucy says, the Falls as in Niagara Falls? Is that where they went? Gladys asks, what’s wrong with Niagara Falls, and Lucy says, nothing. She thinks she got married there… No. She thinks she almost got married there once. Gladys says, if you can’t make it to Vegas, head to Niagara for a quickie wedding… Lucy doesn’t think that’s what they’re doing, does she?
Nikolas says, maybe while he’s making the drinks, Ava can explain her about-face. When did she go from suspecting Victor was up to no good to inviting him to their vow renewal? She says, if he must know, his mother asked her to keep Victor close; they all know he’s up to something. He says, it’s the Cassadine way, and she says his mother is mostly worried about Spencer, knowing he’s susceptible to Victor’s, quote, unquote, generosity. He says, and knowing his mother, she must be concerned that he’s susceptible too. Is that the gist?
On the terrace, Britt tells Maxie that she can still change her mind and drop this off the balcony, and watch Peter’s belongings just shatter on the ground. Maxie says, wait one second. If she destroys that box – toss it, burn it, put it in a vat of battery acid, isn’t she always going to wonder what’s inside of it? Britt says, no, but clearly Maxie is. She suggests they get this over with. She starts to open the box, and I notice it says muzzle this end on one side. I send packages for eBay all the time, and have never once seen a box that says that. It must be a special Peter box. Dante comes out and says, stop. Britt asks if there’s something dangerous in there after all, and Sam says, not dangerous to them, and Maxie says, to who?
Victor walks into the MetroCourt, and asks the hostess for a top-shelf Manhattan. Since it’s such a lovely evening, he thinks he’ll take it on the terrace. He starts to walk toward the terrace door, and Drew intercepts him, saying, Victor’s timing could not be any better.
Esme asks daddy if he has another plan, and Ryan says he has information which is where all good plans begin. For instance, she followed his every instruction to steal the card key, and here she is. And Ava might really believe she found true happiness with Nikolas, but soon enough she’ll find a worm in that apple. Esme says, please tell her; please let her in on things. She can’t help him unless he trusts her. He says, trust is a two-way street. Given how easily distracted she is by petty jealousies and shallow co-ed shenanigans, he’s not sure he count on her anymore. She says, really? Like he said, it’s a two-way street. He doesn’t trust her? Maybe his brother will trust her when she tells him the truth; that he can talk, and he’s been able to for months. She turns to leave, and he grabs her wrist, yanking her down to his level. He says, she’s not going anywhere.
Sasha says she didn’t like lying to Brando’s mom, but what else could she say? He says they just have to break the news to her as gently as possible. By the amount of times she’s called him, it’s clear she hasn’t even gotten used the idea of them taking a few days to themselves. Soon, she’s going to have to get used to seeing a ring on Sasha’s finger, and their names on a license. Finally, she’s going to burst into tears, and claim he robbed her of planning her only son’s wedding, but eventually, after a few years, she’ll get over it. Sasha doesn’t say anything, and he says, if she’s changed her mind and decided she wants a more traditional ceremony, he can turn the car around right now. They can go back to the B&B, and she can look at party planner reviews, but to be honest, they both know she would pick Maxie. Sasha says she doesn’t need a big wedding. She just wants him. She wants to see those rings on their fingers as a reminder they belong to each other, body and soul. He says, speaking of rings, look in the glove compartment. She takes out a box, looks inside, and says, oh my God.
Gladys says she can’t believe her son would elope and not include her, and Lucy says, that’s kind of the definition elopement. The parents stay home. Gladys says she’s not just any parent. She’s a single mother who sacrificed everything for that boy, and it’s not like him to sneak around behind her back, so this was Sasha’s big idea. Lucy tells her, don’t you dare blame Sasha. She deserves every bit of happiness she can get after everything she’s gone through. Gladys says she was thinking of Sasha. She’s afraid Lucy may be right. She rushed back to work, she’s rushing into marriage, all just to avoid the terrible pain of the loss of Liam. It’s a big mistake, and there has to be something she can do to stop them.
Ryan holds Esme’s wrist in a viselike grip, and she says, let her go. He releases her, and says he guesses her time in Port Charles wasn’t wasted after all. Not if she’s developed a backbone that can stand up to him. She says she had an excellent teacher, and he says he appreciates the compliment. He hopes she makes him proud, and she says she will. That’s always been the plan. He tells her, just remember, he calls the shots. Are they clear? She says, yes, sir; you’re the boss. He says, that’s more like it, but she still has to regain his trust. She says she’ll do anything. Just tell her where to start. He says, back to square one, with Ava.
Nikolas says, if he and Ava both agree Victor can’t be trusted, why invite him to share the happiest day of their lives? She says, Laura is already concerned Victor has made inroads with Spencer. And given what Victor knows about Nikolas in regard to Hayden, he thinks he has the upper hand with Nikolas. Nikolas says, they’re even. His debt is paid in full. She says, five minutes ago, Nikolas said he owed Victor, and she knows he’ll find a way to collect. He asks if she thinks he’d let Victor get the better of him, and she says, no, but she thinks he’ll keep trying. And she thinks he’ll use any weapon he can find, including Nikolas’s son. That’s why she invited him to be there when they renew their vows. She wants Victor to believe they trust him, so when he finally does show them his hand, they’ll be ready.
Victor asks what Drew wants with him, and Drew says he’s putting Victor on notice. They may never be able to prove Victor helped Peter escape, but Drew will never forget the part Victor played in stealing two years of his life. Victor says, it sounds like Drew is threatening him, and Drew says, really? He meant it to sound like a promise. Stay clear of him, and of his family, and everybody he cares about, or he’ll find a way to make Victor pay for every single day he was locked away from his life. Drew goes to the elevator, and the hostess comes back with Victor’s drink. He says he’ll take it with him, and exchanges looks with Drew before he goes outside. Maxie, Britt, Sam, and Dante are gathered around Bailey’s stroller, and Victor asks if they mind if he joins them, or is it a private party? Sam tells Maxie that Bailey is such a beautiful baby, and Victor says he does love babies. He’s gratified that Maxie is finally reunited with her daughter. She thanks him, and Dante asks if Victor knows anything about Peter leaving personal effects behind. Victor says, despite what everyone seems to think, he wasn’t on intimate terms with Peter. Why does Dante ask? Sam says, it’s just that the box Britt is holding just came from the WSB; it contains Peter’s personal effects. Britt says she was going to toss them in the garbage, then Maxie encouraged her to open it, just in case there’s anything inside that could help pay Bailey’s college tuition. Maxie says, just give it to her; she’s taking too long. Maxie grabs the end of the box, and Britt says, take it easy. Maxie says she can’t wait any longer, and they struggle over the box. It falls, and everything goes everywhere. Maxie says, sorry about that, and Victor hones in on the tarot card.
Sasha says, they just decided to get married. How did Brando slip out and buy wedding rings without her knowing it? He says, they’re not what she thinks they are. When they decided to get married on the fly, he had to improvise, so those are actually some spare engine parts that he polished up while she was in the shower, but they’ll serve their purpose until he can take her to a proper jewelry store. She looks at him, and he laughs and says, he’s kidding. When he told her that he was going to the gym, he ran out and went to the closest jewelry store. Those are the real thing, just like they are. She says she loves them, and kisses him. Too bad. I thought the spare parts thing was cool and apropos. They hear something, and she asks, what was that? The check engine light is on. He says he’ll pull over and see what the problem is.
Lucy takes Gladys’s phone out of her hand, and asks what exactly she’s trying to do. Brando and Sasha are adults, so even if Gladys finds the chapel they may be eloping at, she’s not going to stop their wedding. She can’t. So please, let them follow their hearts. Gladys says, easy for Lucy to say. She’s just Sasha’s business partner, and Sasha is on the verge of being Gladys’s daughter-in-law. Lucy says she really takes issue with that. First, Sasha is her friend, and secondly, Gladys would be damn lucky to have Sasha as a daughter-in-law. Gladys says she doesn’t disagree, and snatches her phone back. She says, if Sasha and Brando were getting married for the right reasons, she’d be all for it. But a few days ago, there was no mention of marriage. she’s afraid the reason they’re eloping is, they’re trying to hide from the pain of Liam’s death. She can’t let that happen.
Ryan says, his original plan to break up Ava and Nikolas came up short, and Esme says, if anything, it just made them closer. She knows he loves Ava, but she’s never going to care about him the way Esme does. He thanks her for pouring salt in his wound, and she asks, what’s Plan B? Don’t tell her that he doesn’t have one, because he always does. He says, she thinks she knows him, doesn’t she? and she says, just like he knows her. She brings a chair over and sits, and he says, she’s already completed the first step to insinuate herself into the family. He thinks they can use Spencer’s incarceration to their advantage, and she asks, how? He says, by making herself an even larger presence in their lives, and she says, Nikolas doesn’t trust her, and Ava openly dislikes her and doesn’t even try to hide it. He says, it’s easy to control a teenage boy, whose hormones are raging. Ava and Nikolas? She’s going to have to try harder. If they don’t like her, she’s got to make herself more likeable. She says she’s willing to try, but she thinks Nikolas already blames her for turning Spencer’s head. Ryan says he’s confident Nikolas will come around. You know what they say, like father like son.
Nikolas says, Victor is no one’s fool. He has to realize they have a motive for including him in their ceremony. Ava says, that’s why they have to stay one step ahead of him, and he says, just remember, Victor played King of the Mountain with Peter, and Victor is the one who survived. His mother is right; Victor is up to something. She says, let Victor give it his best shot. As long as they stick together, Victor can’t touch them. Don’t forget – she puts her hand on his – she has a long history dealing with people like Victor.
Maxie says she’ll help pick it up, and Victor says, don’t worry; he’s got this. Sam says, normally, she would help, but she doesn’t want to touch anything Peter’s touched. Never. Dante says, he knows the WSB was done with that and passed it on to Britt, but does she think he could take it down to the PCPD? They have some cases they need to wrap up that Peter was involved in. Maybe it could help them out. Britt asks if there’s something the WSB missed, and he says, no, but they’re looking for espionage, and looking forward to tying up Franco’s murder case. Britt says, the WSB released it to her – she takes it from Victor – so he’d have to talk to Anna Devane. He says he understands, but Anna gave it to Britt because she’s done with it, so would it be cool to pass it on to him? He’ll give it right back to her. They go inside, and Victor takes the tarot card out of his sleeve. Ha-ha! I love this guy.
Gladys gets up, and says, she’s got to stop them. She tells Lucy to have the bartender put the drinks on Carly’s tab, but Lucy jumps up, and says, no, no, no, no. Gladys seriously isn’t going to try and stop Sasha and Brando’s wedding? Gladys says she absolutely is, and Lucy says, please don’t. She’s not really sure they’re eloping, and besides, Niagara Falls is a beautiful place, a natural wonder. Hundreds of thousands of folks visit there every year, and they don’t get married. Gladys says, Brando didn’t return her calls. Something is up; a mother knows. Lucy says, please. Do not try stop the wedding. They’ll only end up resenting Gladys. Gladys says, these are two grief stricken parents. They probably shouldn’t commit to buying a car, much less spending their lives together. There has to be something she can do to stop them from doing something they’ll always regret. Gladys walks out, and Lucy makes a frustrated sound.
Brando closes the car hood, and Sasha asks, how bad? He says, they need a tow, and gets back in the car. He tells her that he already called for one, but they’re in the middle of nowhere; it might take a few hours. She says she should have known this plan was not going to happen. Now they’ll never get to the chapel before it closes. Maybe this is a sign. Maybe they were never meant to have a happy ending. He says he has a blanket in the trunk, and coffee in the thermos, and until help arrives, he’s sure they’ll find some way to keep warn. They kiss, and headlights brighten the car. Sasha says, it’s the tow truck. So much for it taking hours. He says, it looks like they’ll get to have their happy ending after all.
Maxie wheels Bailey’s stroller through the lounge area, and tells Britt, she’s settling down. So much excitement. Better get used to it, Baby Lu, because you mom is a magnet for trouble. Britt says, so is her Auntie Britt. She’s still not sure what happened on the terrace, but if it makes Victor pay for aiding and abetting Peter, it was worth it. Maxie says, well worth it.
Looking at the tarot card, Victor thanks Peter, and says, while Peter is rotting in hell, he’ll make good use of this. He puts it in his pocket.
Nikolas tells Ava, the best way to stay one step ahead of Victor, is by keeping him where they can see him. She says, and Spencer? and he says, when he comes home from Spring Ridge, absolutely, and that goes for Esme as well. But he can promise her one thing. No one will ever come between them. They kiss.
Esme tells Ryan that she needs to go. The orderly will be back any minute. She puts the chair back, and says, but there’s still something she doesn’t understand. Even if Ava leaves Nikolas, what then? Ryan is still a prisoner facing a life sentence. Where is all this leading? He says, leave that to him. Just do as he says and she’ll have her heart’s desire. Not just Spencer and his fortune, but the family she’s always longed for. She says, Ava isn’t her family, and he says, no, but she’s family to him. He gets up, and walks closer to Esme. He says, and what’s mine is yours – he strokes her hair – my beautiful, gifted daughter.
Tomorrow, Sasha says, if they don’t get married now, they never will; Diane tells Alexis to go out and get some fun; Anna tells Robert, one nightmare ends, and another one begins; and Nina tells Sonny that she’s suing for visitation.
The Real Housewives of Orange County
Jen and Emily worked out on the beach, and started with squats. My workout nemesis continues to haunt me. Gina told herself not to miss the plane, as she drug her suitcase through the house, picking up a throw rug with it along the way. Noella’s mother Nancy was visiting, and Noella said she’d seen a charge for someplace James was at. She was tempted to go there with their son and ask if he remembered her. I’m your wife. Um… I’m guessing not for much longer.
Heather brought Max and Nick along on the trip, and they were stopping in Syracuse first to visit Heather’s alma mater. In Gina’s interview, she said, what was cool about flying private was that you didn’t have to follow the rules. You waited in a private lobby, and she didn’t know WTF happened to her luggage; they just handled it. Clearly, Heather knew how to travel in style.
When Jen and Emily finished their workout, they sat on the beach and talked. They were going to Shannon’s for a cooking class, and in Jen’s interview, she said she never cooked for the family, and thought Ryne would like it. She told Emily that she’d tried to make dinosaur chicken nuggets, and burned them. Emily asked if things were going better, but Jen wasn’t sure. She wanted it to work, but didn’t know how. She wondered if she should do what he wanted, which was to be an equal partner. Emily asked what she meant; finances, kids, or both. Jen said, owning things together. She’d bought the Hawaii house before they were married. She wondered if it would solve the problem. In Emily’s interview, she said, as an attorney, it sounded like Ryne was ready to leave, but would like some money on his way out. Which is exactly what it sounds like to me. It will solve his problem, and she’ll be left holding the bag. Jen thought they should live separately for a while, but go to counseling twice week as they’d been doing, and have a date night once a week. Emily said she was all about fixing it. After you got a divorce, you just traded one set of problems for another, dating d-bags with toupees who drive Lamborghinis.
Heather said she hadn’t been to Syracuse since she graduated, and it was weird being there with her children. She told Gina to get settled, and they’d go out; the kids were ordering room service. When they reconvened, they toasted to a college hangover. Heather said, back in the day, you could only get into Pagans (the bar they were going to) if you had a good fake ID, or you were dating the bartender or bouncer. In Heather’s interview, she said she hadn’t been there in 31 years, and was being flooded with memories of shopping, eating, and getting fake IDs that were rejected; fun, silly, stupid sh*t. In Gina’s interview, she said she went to Hofstra in Long Island, but she didn’t do as well. She was a shot girl, but she did go to class. Heather told Gina that they were taking the kids on a tour of her college and sorority house. Then they’d change for her live podcast, and leave directly for Manhattan from the show. Gina told Heather that her brother had gone the educational route, and she went for family life. In her interview, she said she envisioned the same thing as every other woman at the time; go to college, marry her college boyfriend, and have children. Her life was very different from what she’d envisioned.
A student guide gave Max and Nick a campus tour, with Heather and Gina tagging along. In Heather’s interview, she said it was insane that her babies were about to go to college. She wasn’t sentimental about them following in her footsteps. She wanted them to create their own paths. When she was younger, she thought she’d be a Broadway star, and had studied musical theater, but no. She did an episode of Divorce Court (back when they did reenactments) and they flew her out to L.A. She was a working actress, but then met Terry, and the rest was history.
Shannon’s friend Lisa helped Shannon prepare for her cooking party. Noella, Jen, and Emily were coming, and in her interview, Shannon said she was surprised they didn’t know how to cook. When she prepared a dish for guests, she felt it came from the heart. And it made her feel good when people said it was good. We flashed back to some of Shannon’s cooking successes. When her guests arrived, she passed out chef coats and hairnets. In Emily’s interview, she said Shannon was having a party to teach them to cook, and made them look as ugly as possible. Shannon let them ditch the nets, and Lisa ditched the party. Shannon explained that she was going to teach them how to make a crockpot meal that was healthy and super easy. Then they’d make a real meal of grilled shrimp with tomato/fennel sauce. Ugh, fennel. She asked them to help with the crockpot white chili, and in her interview, Emily said she thought Shannon was going to cook, and she was going to eat. In Shannon’s interview, she said, class meant interaction. In Noella’s interview, she said, cooking was like a BJ. She could do it, but she just didn’t want to.
Heather was introduced as a 1990 alumni, and did her podcast. She told the students that in high school, she had been a big fish in a little pond, and when she got there, everyone seemed secure. She folded in on herself, and gained a Freshman 30. Then she entered the Miss Syracuse pageant, and it was more than a tiara. It helped her think on her feet, and honed her interview skills. In her interview, Heather said she remembered she loved performing, and was a whole person again. In Gina’s interview, she said it was the first time she was seeing Heather in her element, and she was killing it. After the podcast, they got back on the plane, and headed to Manhattan.
Shannon asked if anyone had talked to Heather and Gina before they left, but no one had. Noella spit a shrimp into her napkin, saying it was raw. Everyone else said all theirs were cooked, and in Jen’s interview, she said she found it odd that Noella got the one shrimp that was raw, and Jen was the one who had cooked it. Liar. Shannon called Heather, and got voicemail. She told the women that she was declined, and Noella said, more like blocked.
Heather and Gina finally called on FaceTime, and Gina said it was a great trip. Heather said, love you, miss you, bye, and that was about it. Shannon brought up Emily saying she was jealous of Gina’s friendship with Heather, and said, nothing could be further from the truth. For what reason? The thought never crossed her mind. Gina needed to put pin in her inflated ego. Emily said, Gina deserved to be successful after she’d been through hell and back. In Shannon’s interview, she said she’d been there for Gina when she was going through that tough time, and we flashed back to that. Shannon was offended by the insinuation that she wasn’t capable of being a friend. This was bulsh*t. Emily perused Shannon’s playlist, and Jen told Shannon that she was leaving. She said she and Ryne had been talking about him moving out for a month, but Shannon said she didn’t think that was a good idea. Noella and Emily wondered what they were talking about, and Shannon said Jen was going through stuff. Emily said they were all going through stuff, and Shannon said it was moving out stuff. In Noella’s interview, she said they all had challenges in their marriages. It was supposed to be a sisterhood, but that wasn’t computing with Jen. In Jen’s interview, she said, grown women didn’t act this way, whispering in people’s ears, and putting people down. She was done with this sh*t. She left, and Emily and Noella shed most of their clothes, and jumped in the pool.
In Gina’s interview, she said Heather was eating so many carbs, dancing around in the streets like a wild woman, and heavily buzzed on champagne. Heather asked if Gina would rather be cooking at Shannon’s or here, and Gina said she had to ask? Really?
Shannon joined Emily and Noella in the pool, taking off her pants, but leaving on her chef coat and hat, and announcing she was Chef Shannon. Archie saw his ball in the pool, and jumped in. In Shannon’s interview, she said, who knew her cooking class would end up with people mostly naked in her pool with the dog?
The next morning, Shannon came downstairs to a pretty big mess. Noella called, and Shannon said her place was a crime scene. And three whole weed candies were gone. She wondered if she’d eaten one, but we saw some clips where it looked like Noella was the culprit. Noella said, it was crazy, and she needed the hair of the dog; there was no way she could function. Shannon told her, havea good hair of the dog day, then wondered, where to start?
Jen met with couples counselor Tina, who came to her house. Tina said it had been a challenging year, like Jen didn’t know. In Jen’s interview, she said she and Ryne had known Tina for a few years; they’d gone to her relationship boot camp. Jen said she’d do anything to make the marriage work except giving up the spotlight, and Tina said, even if Ryne wasn’t there, they could about what Jen could change to make life better for herself, her children, and she and Ryne as a couple. You couldn’t heal or change what you weren’t willing to reveal, and Jen had wounds she’d been carrying from when she was a child that hadn’t been resolved. She was rejected as an adolescent, and brought it to the relationship. She asked if Jen felt rejected by Ryne, and Jen said she did. Tina said, it was a pattern, and Jen wondered if she was putting out kindness, but it was being received as something else. She said she was hardest on herself, and Tina wondered if others didn’t pick up on that energy. Jen said Ryne thought she was criticizing him, but that wasn’t what she was doing. Tina said Jen had to take responsibility for knowing what triggered Ryne. Even if she didn’t mean to criticize, Ryne wasn’t being acknowledged when he wasn’t being respected by his standards, but hers. If she did that, Tina thought he’d see it was coming from a heartfelt place. Jen said she hoped so, and in her interview, she said she’d had a lot of loss and heartbreak. Losing Ryne would feel like losing her dad again, and she didn’t want to lose him.
Heather’s mom Carole, Aunt Barb and Uncle Tony joined them for dinner, as well as Gina’s parents Susan and Gene. They’d barely sat down, when Carole told the server, she didn’t want to be rude, but this was how you set a table, moving around the place setting. In Heather’s interview, she said her mother was very proper, and liked things a certain way. She was similar in decorum, but in other ways, they were vastly different. In Gina’s interview, she said, this explained a lot. Where Heather came from, and why she was the way she was. It was funny to see the difference between her parents and Heather’s mom. Her parents were, no substitutes? We’ll have whatever’s on the menu. We’d like a nice cab, but if you bring merlot, we’ll drink it anyway. Heather made a toast to family, and Barb said she was proud of Gina; she looked happy. Carole said Gina had been raised properly, with ethics and morals. Gina said she was a little rough around the edges, but Carole said, people didn’t have ethics today. Heather said, growing up, they had a schedule. If they were going out to dinner at a certain time, if no one was hungry, you were still going to dinner. She was the same way in that she liked to have a plan, but if someone didn’t want to go, they didn’t have to. Carole said, if someone threw up they didn’t go, and in her interview, Heather said she loved her mom very much. She’d done the best she could to be the best parent, but sometimes an emotionally sensitive person needed more. It was a lot to unpack. She’d need 12 hours of therapy… or 12 years. Heather said, if you locked your kids in a box, they’d explode once they got out. She’d had unrealistic curfews. Gina said she never had that.
Gina and Heather went for a drink in their hotel bar afterward, and Heather said it was tough for her mom since her dad died three years ago. Gina said it was still fresh, and Emily called, first showing a video of the pool escapade. Gina said, Shannon had no pants on, and Emily said she was having dinner with Shane. She was surprised she’d recovered from last night. Gina said again that Shannon had no pants on, and Emily said, tequila made you take your pants off. Gina said, when they’d called, it didn’t look like Emily was having the best time, and Emily said she might have been annoyed. Shannon brought up not being jealous of Gina and Heather’s friendship. Gina said when someone went over the top to prove they weren’t jealous, they probably were. Heather said, she doth protest too much, and Emily told Gina that Shannon said she needed to put a pin in it, like she had a big, inflated head. It was sad that Shannon couldn’t be happy for a friend, and thought Gina was arrogant when she was confident. In Gina’s interview, she said, sorry, she felt good about herself. Was Shannon the only one allowed to feel that way? If she was doing well and truly happy, she wouldn’t act like this. Emily told them that Shannon kept saying it was a competition, and wanted them to have more fun than Heather and Gina. Heather said Shannon had done that in Mexico, when she, Tamra, and Vicki said they were going to have more fun than the rest of them. We flashed back to the three of them getting wasted and jumping in the pool. In her interview, Heather said, if falling in the pool with your pants off makes you happy, she’s here for it. But what she didn’t like was the weird, competitive, having-more-fun-than-you thing. She didn’t know what to do with that.
Next time, Gina asks if Jen ever pictures herself with someone else; Jen has a party, and says Ryne doesn’t have to come if there will be drama; Jeana comes to Jen’s party, and wonders if Kelly is there; and Shannon comes for Gina, calling her an a-hole.
Hope to see you tomorrow for a spot of tea and a bar of soap. Until then, stay safe, stay more focused on the inside than the outside, and stay knowing, you can’t heal or change what you’re not willing to reveal.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sasha wakes up and Brando brings her coffee in bed, because no one on TV ever has to go to the bathroom first thing like IRL. She asks if she overslept, but he says, there’s no such thing on vacation. She can go back to sleep if she wants. She says, thanks, but she needs to wake up. She takes a sip, and says, good. He tells her that making coffee is one of his many skills, and she says, the others being? He says they have an entire vacation for her to find out. She says she can’t wait, and he says, they have a lot to celebrate. Maxie is finally home safe, and Peter August is gone, and they can just spend time together. Just the two of them. This is exactly what they both need. They kiss.
Trina puts her stuff in her bag, as Professor Kahn tells the students to read chapter 8 and be ready to discuss. The professor asks Trina for a moment of her time. She seemed pretty silent in class; is everything all right? It’s not like her. Trina says there’s been a lot on her mind, and Kahn says she knows freshman year can be overwhelming, but Trina seems to be handling it well. She’s one of the few A students this year. Trina thanks her, and the professor tells her to remember class participation is a third of her grade, and she’d hate to see Trina get lost in the shuffle.
In the hallway, Josslyn thanks Cameron for walking her to class. She knows he has a lot going on at home. He says he’s sorry he can’t be there for her, and asks if things are still weird between her and Trina. Josslyn says, they’re roommates and they barely see each other. A lot of that’s on her, between team meetings and practice she’s really busy, but Trina only comes back to the room to sleep. She’s not returning any of Josslyn’s texts or calls. He says, things have been weird since the cabin with Esme and Spencer, and she says, they’ve only gotten worse since, and it’s all thanks to Esme.
At Spring Ridge, Esme looks at her phone, and flashes back to her plot to film Josslyn and Cameron having sex in the cabin. Spencer throws The Brothers Karamazov on the table, when Esme comes up behind him. She kisses him, and says, happy belated birthday. He asks if she’s crazy; she’s going to get him in trouble. She tells him, lighten up, boyfriend. She knows he spent his birthday alone; the kiss was her present. He says, if the wrong guard sees her, it blows back on him. She says she’s sorry to bother him. He’s lucky, she’s leaving. Class calls. He says, see you around, and she says, someone woke up on the wrong side of the prison cot this morning. What’s with the mood?
Sam sees Carly at the MetroCourt bar, and says she guesses their day of hatchet throwing didn’t cheer her up. Carly says, it did. Sam and Olivia were right; she definitely needed to blow off some steam. She’s just sad today. She’s been thinking about Courtney. She shows Sam a picture of Courtney on her phone, and says, today’s the anniversary of her death.
Sonny leaves flowers at Courtney’s grave, and says, it’s hard to believe how much time has passed since she left them. Her son is a full-grown man, getting himself in trouble. He couldn’t make it last year because… He’s sure she knows what happened. He likes to think she’s always watching out for him. He just wants to let her know that he’s thinking about her, and she’s still in his heart. Nikolas walks into the cemetery, and says, his too.
Victor greets Ava with a double cheek kiss at the MetroCourt, and she says it’s good to see him. Nikolas is meeting her for brunch. If he’d like to join them, that’s fine. He says, unfortunately, he can’t stay; he has some business to attend to. She says, he’s been keeping himself scarce since Valentine’s Day, and Laura approaches, and says, keeping a low profile?Trying to avoid being implicated in an ongoing investigation? That sounds right, doesn’t it?
As they walk out of Kelly’s, Anna thanks Drew for meeting her. She didn’t realize it was going to be so cold, and he says, too bad they weren’t in Port Charles during the heat wave. She says she just wanted to speak to him in private. He says, her message sounded pretty urgent; what’s going on? She says she has this feeling they’re headed for danger, and at the center of it all is Victor… and Drew.
Sonny says he didn’t expect to see Nikolas here, and Nikolas says, Courtney was important to him too. He loved her. Sonny asks if it was worth Nikolas breaking up his marriage to Emily for an affair. He’s just curious. Nikolas says, he loved Courtney, and he was going to marry her, and Sonny asks if Nikolas thinks they’d still be together if Courtney was alive. Nikolas says he thinks so, but the truth is, he doesn’t know. Sonny says, at least he’s honest, and Nikolas says, he does know this though. Courtney is always going to be the mother of his son; nothing is going to change that. Just like Carly is always going to be the mother of Sonny’s children.
Carly says, the MetroCourt was named after Courtney, and Sam says she knows. Carly says, she and Courtney were close, and with Jax out of town, Spencer and Josslyn on the outs, and her impending divorce to Sonny, she feels like all her connections to Courtney are slipping away. And Sam doesn’t need to hear this. Sam says, it’s true she and Courtney weren’t the best of friends, but had she lived, they might have been friends. If she and Elizabeth can be friends, anything is possible. Carly says, hell sure did freeze over there, and Sam says, who knows? Maybe she and Courtney would have been able to bury the hatchet. Carly says, or throw the hatchet at a wall, not at each other.
Victor tells Laura, he’s sorry, but he has no idea what she’s referring to. Laura flashes back to telling Sam that she doesn’t think it’s a coincidence that Victor resurfaced at the same time Luke died and the Ice Princess was stolen; it’s all connected, and Victor was behindit. She tells Victor, there have been a lot of suspicious activities in Port Charles recently, and he asks if this is her way of accusing him of helping Peter escape. If so, he categorically denies having anything to do with it. Peter August was a blight on this city, and all of them are better off without him. Laura says, he can deny it all he wants, but if he was involved, there will be a way to prove it. He says he’ll take that as his cue to leave, and tells Ava, a pleasure as always, kissing her hand. He says, Madam Mayor, and leaves. Ava says, well, that was fun. Does Laura want to tell her what’s going on between her and Victor?
Drew says he’s been working under the same assumption, that Victor is dangerous, and his agenda did not die with Peter. How did Anna get that? Anna says, Liesl bugged Victor, and overheard a conversation he had with Drew and Sam. He says, at the docks, and she says, yeah. He says, he and Sam were convinced Victor was trying to reactivate his old conditioning, and Anna says, exactly. He asks if Valentin knows about this; did Anna mention this to him? Because they shared a cell in Greece for a little bit, and he seemed to have such solid insights into Victor. She says, Valentin’s out of commission right now. He was abducted right before Peter escaped. He turned up in an alley, he was drugged, disoriented, and still recovering from the gunshot wound in Crete. He’s at a clinic out of town, but he’s making progress. He’ll be home soon. Drew asks her to give Valentin his regards when she talks to him, and she says, her wish is, that they expose Victor for whatever his crimes are before Valentin comes home. Drew says, that’s a tall order; they’re going to have to move very quickly. She says she just feels that Victor is going to exploit the father/son relationship, and manipulate Valentin, the same way he’s coopting the rest of his family.
Spencer says, sorry. He didn’t mean to take his anger out on Esme. Forgive him. She says she gets it. Spring Ridge might be minimum security, but it’s still a prison, and he’s still incarcerated. He says, it’s more than that, and starts to cry. Today is the anniversary of his mother’s death. She sits next to him, and takes his hand, and he says, even though he never knew her, he still feels they have a connection. Every year, he made sure there were flowers on her grave, and he’s never missed a year. Until now. She says, his mother understands, but he says, it’s not about her understanding. It’s about letting the world know that he remembers her, because his mother lives on as long as he keeps up these little traditions. When he was talking to Trina about how she felt when she thought her father had died, he thought she felt the same way.
Josslyn says she hates that there’s tension between her and Trina. All she did was call Esme out for playing mind games with her. Cameron says he’s sure Josslyn was very nice and polite, and she says, her mother taught her, you can’t just ignore an Esme and hope they go away. They’re like sharks looking for blood, so the best way to deal with them is to punch them in the nose, and hope they retreat. He says he thinks the expression is to bop them on the nose, and she says that’s not how she does it. Trina walks out of the classroom, and Josslyn asks, how brutal was Kahn’s class? Trina says, there’s lots of participation required today, so be prepared to be called on more than usual. She starts to leave, and Josslyn asks her to wait. She asks if Trina is still mad at her for what she said to Esme the other day.
Esme says, that’s a beautiful sentiment, but Spencer doesn’t need to keep his mother’s memory alive on the anniversary of her passing. He can get flowers for her when he gets out, which won’t be that long. He says, true, and she says, he was in boarding school for years. What did he do during those times? He says Alfred and Ross left flowers on her grave for him, and she says, there you go; you can do that again. Or, she’d be more than honored to leave flowers for his mother. He says, that’s not the point. The point is, he’s finally here in Port Charles, and – he gets louder – he should be able to do this for her, but he can’t, because of the choices… he made. She says she was involved too, and he says, but she doesn’t understand. She says, but Trina would.
Brando and Sasha kiss, and he says, it’s too bad they spent most of the night talking. She says, he could have made a move, and he says he was waiting for a signal from her. He didn’t want to pressure her. She asks if anyone’s ever told him what a great guy he is, and he says, a great guy? That’s something you tell someone you want to put in the friendzone. She says she’s missed him, and he says he’s missed her; he missed them. They kiss some more, and she asks if they have plans in town. He says they have lunch reservations, tickets to Maid of the Mist, or they could just hang out here. They get busy.
Sonny says, he and Carly might not be together, but she’s still a great mother to Michael, Josslyn, Donna, and Avery. Nikolas says, Ava’s Avery’s mother, not Carly, and Sonny says, he’s not here to argue with Nikolas, especially in front of his sister’s grave. He’s just saying she would have been an amazing mother to Spencer if she had lived. Nikolas says, Courtney had a kind soul and the patience of a saint, and Sonny says he would have loved for Spencer to get to know her. Nikolas says, she would have been a good influence on him. She might have even negated the mistakes he made while raising him. You can say he did the best he could raising Spencer… Sonny says he wishes he could, if he believed it, but he’s not going to lie.
Trina says she’s not mad at Josslyn, and Josslyn says, just too busy to respond to her calls or texts? Trina says, maybe she’s a little annoyed. Josslyn made her collateral damage when she got all up in Esme’s face, and Josslyn says, come on. Trina knows that apology was as fake as Esme is. All she did was call Esme out on it. Trina says, and told her something Trina told Josslyn in confidence, and Josslyn says she told Trina that she was sorry for that, but obviously Trina doesn’t believe her. Trina says she just needs a little time to process. Josslyn put her in the middle of her war with Esme. Josslyn says, but Esme wasn’t coming for her; she was coming for Trina. The whole thing was a set-up, start to finish. Esme texts Trina saying she wants to meet up, shows up to apologize, so she can do some saccharine speech about how she made a mistake and wants to be friends. Josslyn admits she lost her temper, and the thing about Spencer giving Trina that book just slipped out. Cameron says, Spencer gave Trina a book? and Trina says, he asked his grandmother to give it to her, and she happened to get it on Valentine’s Day, but it wasn’t a Valentine’s Day gift; it was just a gift. And what part of in confidence does Josslyn not understand? Josslyn says, Cam cares about Trina, unlike Esme. She’s sorry for betraying Trina’s trust, but she’s not going to apologize for defending her friend.
Esme says, so only Trina understands what it’s like for Spencer to lose his mother? She gets up, and he follows. She says, Trina hasn’t experienced real loss. Her father isn’t even dead. He says he’s sorry; it was a stupid thing to say. It’s just that Esme never really talks about her parents. She says she doesn’t like talking about them, and he says he gets it, and he forgets sometimes. (How much you want to bet she ax-murdered them?) He promises to do better; it’s not going to happen again. She asks what about the gift he gave Trina? and he says he gets all his friends thank you gifts. It’s a lot easier than sending handwritten cards. She says, and it’s just a coincidence that his grandmother just happens to give Trina his gift on Valentine’s Day, and he says she has to believe him. Victor walks in, and says, apologies for not visiting Spencer on his birthday… He’s sorry. Would Spencer like him to come back another time?
Laura asks what Ava thinks is going on, and Ava says she thinks Victor helped Peter escape from that prison van, the one that was taking him to Pentenville, and she thinks Victor helped smuggle him out of the country, and she thinks Laura thinks the same thing. Laura asks if it matters now. Peter’s dead. Ava says, but this isn’t about Peter really, is it? It’s about Laura’s Uncle Victor, and for her it’s very, very personal. Laura laughs and says, Ava can think whatever she likes. Actually, she came to meet Sam. Ava asks if Laura doesn’t trust her, and Laura says she was watching Ava with Victor, and it looked kind of close. Ava says, keep your enemies closer and all that. She trusts Victor as much as Laura does.
Drew says, Victor coopting his family is one thing, but what use does Victor have for him? Anna says, the working theory is that Peter was stringing Victor along, and Drew says, right. Peter was going to give Victor the means to activate his conditioning, but he still doesn’t understand it. Why? What use does he have for an ex-Navy SEAL to do his dirty work. He’s got plenty of ex-military on his payroll. She asks if he doesn’t think it’s possible Victor believes he knows something, or rather that he did?
Laura says, she thinks Victor is planning something that could spell trouble for all of them, and Ava says, he has made some cryptic comments about his plans. Laura says, and now, Spencer just idolizes his great-uncle, and it seems like Nikolas warmed up to him too. So she feels like she can’t say anything negative because they both defended him, and that would just drive them closer to Victor. Ava says she knows Nikolas has his guard up, but Laura is right; she thinks Victor is making some progress there, and Spencer is already firmly in Victor’s camp. Laura says, but Ava is smarter than that.
Nikolas says, he walked right into that one, and Sonny says, Nikolas has made a lot of mistakes; mistakes that have changed Spencer’s life and shaped his character. He can’t change that. Nikolas asks what Sonny wants him to do; own up to his decisions and his past? Sonny says, that would be a start, wouldn’t it? Move forward with the people he loves. Don’t run away from his mistakes. Because when you do that, it makes your pain worse.
Sam say she guesses they’re all starting new chapters, and Carly says, things are going good with her and Dante? Sam says she doesn’t want to jinx it, but things are going great. Carly says, what about Drew? and Sam says, that’s definitely over. They just realized they were better off as co-parents, and friends. Why does she ask? Carly says, he’s been very supportive with everything she’s been going through with Sonny and the divorce. She’s trying to look out for him the way he’s looking out for her.
Ava says she’s listening, and Laura says, Victor is trying to make nice with Nikolas, and he’s going to do the same with Ava. Ava says, he’s already trying pretty damn hard, and Laura says, good; let him. Get him to lower his guard so much with her, that he might even confide in her. Ava says, and if he says something incriminating, Laura would like it passed on to her? Laura says, if she likes, and Ava says she’s guessing Laura doesn’t want her to tell her husband about this arrangement. Laura says, they dealt with that situation with Ryan together. She wouldn’t ask for Ava’s help if it wasn’t something serious. Ava says she’s sure she’ll know if Victor says something relevant, and Laura says, she’s sure Ava will. Laura has every confidence in her. She thanks Ava, and leaves.
Carly says she was ready to lose her mind, then she walked in on Sonny and Nina at the Haunted Star. She ran into Drew right after, and he let her vent. He didn’t try to fix her, and he didn’t try to stop her, or make it better. He just let her talk. Laura joins them, telling Sam that she’s sorry she’s late. She got a little sidetracked. She says hi to Carly, and Sam says, not a problem. Sam tells Carly that it was nice talking to her, and Carly says, her too. Carly leaves, and Sam asks, what was so important Laura couldn’t talk to her on the phone about it? Laura says, it is about Victor’s associate, and Sam says, Yohan? Laura says, new details have come to light, and she thought Sam should know about them, considering it involves Drew.
Esme tells Victor, as always a pleasure. She’d like to stay and chat, but she has to bounce. Class calls. She says goodbye to Spencer, and leaves. In the hallway, she takes out her phone, looks at the video, and says, time to get this done.
Victor asks what all that was about, and Spencer says, his fault. He took his frustration out about being stuck in here on Esme, and she didn’t deserve it. Victor says he takes after his grandfather. He always had a much shorter fuse than the rest of the family.So what exactly lit this particular powder keg? Spencer says, every year he leaves flowers on his mother’s grave on the anniversary of her death. He can’t this year for obvious reasons. Unless… He moves closer to Victor, and Victor says, unless what? Spencer says, unless Victor busts him out.
Drew says, Anna thinks that Victor is trying to access his old memories? and she says, it’s possible. He gets up, and so does she, saying, Andre confirmed to her those memories were gone. He says, but Peter made him believe otherwise. She says, Peter and Faison were in charge of the whole memory experiment. But then Victor took custody of Drew at Creighton-Clark – Laura and Sam walk through the gate – and this kind of tracks with this new information she’s privy to. He says, such as? and Laura says, it’s all right. She thinks Drew has a right to know the truth.
Victor says, absolutely not, and Spencer says he knows Victor has connections in Spring Ridge. He arranged for Samuel to make sure Spencer was safe, how hard can it be for him to arrange a furlough? Victor says, furloughs are almost exclusively reserved for family funerals, and deathbeds. Spencer says, then it can be off the books. This place is surrounded by barbed wire. He can be shuttled out, and be back in an hour. Victor says, he won’t risk extending Spencer’s sentence, much less joining him in here. Not when there’s so much in the works for the future of this family. Spencer says he wants to be a part of that future. They are Cassadines; family means everything to them. They don’t get to pick and choose who they love, who they trust. Just because his mother died hours after he was born doesn’t mean he doesn’t miss her every single day. He knows he screwed up, and he’s being punished for it, and deservedly so. But think about the people Victor’s loved and lost. Wouldn’t Victor do everything in his power to make sure they weren’t forgotten? There must be something he can do.
Trina says, they were so close to being past this, but Josslyn just can’t help herself, can she? Cameron says, let’s just take a moment right now… and Trina says she didn’t know he was taking a course in mediation. He says, none of his business, and Josslyn asks if she was wrong for defending her friends. Trina says, it’s not wrong, but it doesn’t make it better when there are certain things she won’t apologize for, after saying she’s sorry. Josslyn says she’s trying her best here. They all mess up sometimes, like Trina did at the cabin. Trina says, oh my gosh, apologies aren’t transactional. Who made her feelings for Spencer part of the Josslyn Jax show? Josslyn says, it was Esme, not her, and Trina says, it’s always Esme, isn’t it? Can’t Josslyn just take responsibility for making things worse? Can she, for once in her life, think about what Trina is going through? Esme appears, and says, my, my, you can cut the tension with a knife, can’t you?
Nikolas says, Spencer loved Courtney. Maybe he needs to remind Spencer of that more often. He leaves, and Sonny gets down on one knee at Courtney’s grave. He says, he knows he should have been nicer, but he thinks that’s what Nikolas needed, and that’s what Spencer needs, and he’s going to look out for her boy. Just like he trusts she keeps an eye on his dad, Morgan, Jason, and Brando and Sasha’s baby boy.
Sasha says she loves Brando, and he says he loves her too. She says, that was good, and he says, like the first time. She says, except they’re in a bed this time, and not the back seat of a car he’s working on, and he says, there is that. She asks what he’s thinking, and he says he’s thinking it’s been while since they’ve been with each other. Not since… She says, let’s not wait so long next time. She kisses him, and says she’ll be right back. She goes to another room, putting on her robe, and takes a little plastic bag of pills out of her purse. Possibly black beauties. Not that I would know. She takes one. She goes back, and Brando is standing in front of the window. She tells him not to move; she needs a mental picture of this. She walks toward him and says, beautiful. He asks if she means the view, and she says, that too. They look out the window together.
Cameron tells Esme to stay out of this, and she moves on to class. Trina says she should go, but Josslyn says, wait. What if she ditches class so they can talk? Trina says, she’s all talked out; maybe another time. Josslyn says, text her; she’ll always answer. Josslyn goes into class and sits down, ignoring Esme. Cameron tells Trina, for what it’s worth (🍷), he’s very sorry. She says, thanks, and he joins the class. Trina’s phone dings, and Esme bounces out of class, saying, Trina. Trina says she really doesn’t want to hear from Esme, and leaves. Esme looks at the video, and says, don’t worry. Trina probably won’t hear from any of them soon enough.
Nikolas asks if Carly is holding up okay, and she asks, is he? He says, he’s joining his lovely wife, and tells her, take care, but he comes back. He says, Courtney would have loved what Carly’s done with the place; what it’s become. He’s sorry he never told her that. She thanks him, and says he just missed his mother, and he asks what Laura had to say. Carly tells him that she didn’t to say but hello, but she did seem to be getting into it with Ava and Victor.
Drew says, Laura really thinks Victor had something to do with Luke’s death, and Laura says, they don’t have proof; they only have circumstantial evidence. Anna says, they all believe Victor’s been planning something for months. What if Luke stumbled upon it?Victor would only have one way to stop Luke. Drew says he barely knew Luke. How would Luke come across something that relates to him?. Laura says, Creighton-Clark, Helena, Victor, the Ice Princess… Anna says, common threads, the Cassadines, but they can’t stop Victor until they have proof. Drew says, but dozen of people died in that crash, and Anna says, the only way to prove Victor is responsible is to go to Austria. Laura says, she has to tread very carefully. That was deemed an accident. If they reopen the investigation, it’s going to let Victor know they’re on to him. Sam says, there is another way to find out what Victor wants.
Sasha tells Brando, it’s so beautiful here; so peaceful. She doesn’t want to go back to the real world. She doesn’t want this trip to end. He says he wishes he could give her that, but what he can try to do is make the real world just as special. She asks how he plans on doing that, and he says, by planning to spend the rest of his life with her. She says, let’s do it. Let’s get married today.
Carly is about to get in the elevator, and Sonny is there.
Sam says, something in Drew’s past motivated Victor to help Peter escape, and Anna says, and Peter misled Victor, but now Peter’s dead. Laura asks if it’s possible Victor got access to Andre Maddox and questioned him about Drew’s memories, and Anna says, she doesn’t know, but she can contact Andre for sure. She’s confident he’d never reveal that kind of information, and certainly not to someone like Victor. Drew says, Victor believes he can still access his memories, and Sam says, exactly, so what if they set up a trap for Victor, convincing him it’s possible?
On the phone, Victor says, no further action from Anna or Drew in regard to their connection to Peter August. But he fears this is only the calm before the storm.
Nikolas walks up behind Ava, and kisses her cheek. He sees her martini, and says, without him? but she says, it’s never too early to continue celebrating Peter’s demise. He says, amen to that. Carly just told him that he saw her with his mother, having a pretty intense conversation. What was that about? She says, they were just gossiping about him. Every once in a while, Laura needs a little reassurance that Ava is taking good care of him. He says, and nothing to do with his uncle? and she says, no. She told Laura that she had a nice conversation with him. She’s making more of an effort with Victor. He says he’s making more of an effort with Spencer, and he’s not having much luck. Ava says, and he’ll keep trying until he does. In the meantime, since his uncle wants to get closer to him, what if they invite him to dinner?
At Courtney’s grave, Spencer says, hello, mother. He’s sorry he’s late this year. He puts the flowers by her gravestone, and says, he sees someone beat him to it, and she wasn’t alone. Trina is cutting through, and sees him. She says, Spencer. What is he doing out of Spring Ridge?
Kahn is giving a lecture, and talks about free will and a social contract. Cameron asks if Josslyn is okay, and Josslyn asks, who’s being stubborn? Her or Trina? He says, maybe neither; they both had great points. Josslyn says she needs to find Trina and apologize before they start fighting. The professor talks about devising the roles of imprisonment and incarceration, as Josslyn gathers up her stuff, and Esme looks at the file upload/cancel button. Kahn talks about punishment being used sparingly, and happiness being when the greatest good is shared by the greatest number Esme uploads the file, and everyone in the class gets it on their phones. The professor wants to know what’s more important than the lesson, and one of the students says, see for yourself, and puts it on the screen at the front of the classroom. There’s a lot of laughing, including from Esme, and Josslyn and Cameron are mortified. Esme smiles slyly.
I just have to say it, seriously, these are college kids?
On Monday, Lucy thinks it’s a perfect spot; Cameron asks if Josslyn thinks he did it; Elizabeth says she can’t go anywhere with Finn; and Carly says it hurts when she sees Sonny.
❓ In Case You Forgot…
Jake, the son who comes and goes, along with Aiden.
All about Betsy Frank. The first time around was during a period when I wasn’t watching the show, but I always find it amusing that James Franco played Franco.
Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny. – Lao Tzu
Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better. – Maya Angelou
Listen to the mustn’ts, child. Listen to the don’ts. Listen to the shouldn’ts, the impossibles, the won’ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me… Anything can happen, child. Anything can be. – Shel Silverstein
I haven’t been thrilled since 1865. – Agnes Van Rhijn (Christine Baranski), The Gilded Age
I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren’t trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom. – Umberto Eco
We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies. – Martin Luther King, Jr.
🖋 Very Truly Yours…
Signing off until it’s time for the Dead to Walk. Until then, stay safe, stay cultivating a good support system, and stay keeping traditions of remembrance, but not to the point of breaking out of prison.
(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)
General Hospital
Sam sees Dante near the hospital reception desk, and runs up to him. She says, Anna called, and said they were back in town. Is he a patient here? He says, no, he’s fine. He just has to do a follow-up for the hit in the head he took. He tells her that she looks beautiful, and apologizes for not calling on the way back. The WSB is debriefing him pretty much indefinitely. She says, he’s healthy; that’s the most important thing. Now will he shut up and give her a kiss? He says, yes, ma’am, and does.
Monica says she knows how disappointed Willow must be to postpone her trip to Paris, and Michael says, she doesn’t have a passport, and she’s having difficulty tracking down her birth certificate. Willow says, according to the State Department, they have no record of her. It’s almost like she never existed.
Alexis calls Harmony, and says she’s just checking in. At Charlie’s, Harmony asks if that’s what Alexis is calling giving her a gentle nudge in the right direction, but Alexis says she’s calling to offer moral support. She knows it’s a big day for Harmony. At one of the tables, cash changes hands for what’s no doubt a shady deal, and Alexis asks if Harmony is there. Harmony says Alexis is right; it’s probably one of the most important days of her life. The day she tells Willow that she’s not her biological daughter. Alexis says her boss is here, and she’s got to go. She’ll check in later. Good luck. Shawn walks into Alexis’s office, and says, Harmony, huh? She asks if he has a problem with that.
Elizabeth looks at the card from Betsy, and flashes back to finding her ring in her locker, getting stuck in the art therapy room, and discovering her dress was slashed. Finn asks if she’s okay, and she says she just zoned out for a minute. She needs some caffeine. He says, with the double-shifts she’s pulling, he’s not sure caffeine is going to do the trick. She says, maybe not, and he asks if that’s the card Franco’s mom sent her. She says, she was going to throw it out, and put the bad memories behind her, but unfortunately, she doesn’t think it will put an end to things. He asks what she means, and she says, something big is going on.
Carly looks at the family photo on her desk, along with her divorce papers. Her assistant says someone is here to see her, and Carly says, send them in. Drew walks in, and she asks, what happened?
Nina says, Sonny wouldn’t have called her if he hadn’t been drinking, but he says he would have called her sober. She says, that would have been a first. He’s looking down the barrel of a divorce because he played fast and free with his meds. He says, she doesn’t know that; he doesn’t know that. All he knows is that he’s going through a divorce, and she’s here. She says, he’s changing the subject, but he says he forgot what the subject was already. She says she can’t remember the subject right now, and he takes her hand. He pulls her to him, and they hug. Then he kisses her.
Monica says, Willow had a rather unorthodox childhood, but the fact that the government can’t produce her birth certificate is egregious. Willow says, it’s very frustrating, and Monica says, it’s ridiculous. If there’s anything she can do to help, please let her know. Willow thanks her, and the doorbell rings. Willow opens the door to Harmony, and says, hopefully, her mother can give her all the information she needs.
Shawn says he wouldn’t want someone to judge him based on the worst chapter of his life. He made a fresh start, and Harmony is owed one too. If Alexis says she’s changed… Alexis says, he’ll believe she has? He says, he’ll believe she believes it, and she says she’ll take it as a win. She’s sure he doesn’t want to talk about her personal life on company time, and he says she’s right. He has news of his own. News that’s going to change the future of this company.
Sam says, so it’s all over? and Dante says, it’s all over. Peter’s dead. Speaking of which, there’s some people he’s got to tell. She asks if she can be his back-up, and he says he’d love for her to be his back-up, but he should probably do this on his own. Can he meet her at her place afterward? She says she’s going to hold him to that, he kisses her again, and leaves.
Sonny takes Nina’s hand and starts to lead her to the bedroom, but she tells him, wait, stop. What they’re doing, it’s a huge mistake.
Carly tells Drew, she’s sorry; that wasn’t a great welcome home. She’s glad he’s back and safe, but she heard he went with Dante and Anna to find Maxie, and he has a really somber look on his face. He says, it’s all good news. Maxie is home, and she’s safe, and she’s reuniting with her daughter as they speak. Carly says, that’s wonderful news. When she heard what Maxie and Brook did to protect Maxie’s baby, it broke her heart. He says, the good news is, they never have to look over their shoulder again because Peter is dead. The nightmare he brought over all of them is over now. Maxie and her family can be together again.
Nina says she doesn’t want to cross the line with Sonny, but he says, the line’s already been crossed. She tells him not to joke this away. She thinks she’s made a lot of mistakes, and a kiss between them should mean a lot more than a distraction technique from the real issue of him and his meds. He says, it’s not a technique, and she says, the point is, he went on another bender. She doesn’t claim to be an expert here, but aside from the physical health concerns, alcohol can dull the effects of the medication. Even though he’s back on his meds, he could still be emotionally vulnerable until it kicks in. So what they were about to do would be wrong, just like it was wrong the other day. He says, what happened between them, that wasn’t drinking, and she says, no, but he was drinking heavily days before, and his body is readjusting to all the meds. That would explain what happened between them at the Haunted Star. Then Carly walked in on them. He says, what if he doesn’t want to explain it away? What if his drinking had nothing to do with what happened between them?
Finn says, something big is happening. Like what? Sam approaches them and says she’s sorry to interrupt, but have they spoken to Anna this morning? Elizabeth says, no, and Finn says he hasn’t spoken to her in a few days. Why? What’s going on? Sam says, she was in Europe, looking for Peter, and he’s gone. Elizabeth asks if he got away again, but Sam says, no. She means the other kind of gone; he’s dead. She knows she’s had a lot more time to process this, so she’ll say what they’re probably thinking. Peter has always managed to come back when they thought he was gone, but not this time. He’s finally dead, and he will never be able to hurt them, their families, or anyone else ever again.
Drew says, he knows it’s a lot to process about Peter’s death, but he thought Carly would be happy about Maxie. She says she is. She’s so happy Peter is dead. She just wishes Jason was here to see it. He says, Jason, his brother, and her… How would she describe Jason? She says, he was her person. He loved her unconditionally despite her many faults, and she loved him. She still loves him. Drew says, he died saving the lives of people he cared about. He set a course in motion that led to Peter’s downfall. He died a hero because that’s who he was. She says, he was certainly her hero. Always there when she needed him. She still needs him.
Sonny says, the medication and alcohol does explain the connection between him and Nina. They’re drawn to each other like a moth to a flame, and the night at the Haunted Star was a mistake for many reasons; the timing, hurting Carly. Then they talked that night at the chapel. He fell in love with Nina in Nixon Falls when he didn’t know who he was, and those feelings don’t just disappear. Maybe the silver lining is, they now finally get to unpack what they really mean to each other, without all the baggage and deception. She says she understands what he’s saying. They had all that baggage because she’s the one who created that. She described their love in Nixon Falls as pure, and it was, but that was only part of the story. The whole time, she was drowning in guilt. It was wrong of her to fall in love with him when he didn’t have his memory, just like it would be wrong if they explored anything between them when he’s so vulnerable. She goes to freshen up, and there’s a knock at the door. Frank says, there’s someone on the list to see him, and Dante comes to the door. He says, bad time?
Alexis says Shawn doesn’t sound very positive about that news. Should she be worried? Should she be updating her resumé? He says she knows how he keeps his cards close to his chest; it’s actually good news. The circulation for The Invader has actually increased. Aurora Media is downsizing its print division. They’re holding on to The Banner in Llannview for legacy reasons, but they’re divesting from their west coast news readers. She asks how this is affecting him, and he says he’s thinking of buying them up to expand The Invader’s reach. She says, that’s a huge deal; congratulations. He says, there’s just one catch. The offices are located in San Francisco, and he’d have to move there to make this work.
Harmony says, it’s good to see Monica, and Monica says, hopefully, Harmony can help Willow out with this birth certificate issue. Willow asks if they can use the living room, and Monica says, of course (🍷). Willow and Harmony go into the living room, and Monica asks Michael if he thinks Harmony will solve the mystery of the birth certificate. He says he doesn’t know. She’s been pretty evasive so far.
Willow says, Harmony mentioned on the phone that she has some news about Willow’s birth certificate, and Harmony says she does. Willow asks if everything is okay, and Harmony says, there’s something she needs to tell Willow.
Shawn tells Alexis that he’ll have to move his non-profit base of operations to San Francisco, at least for a while. Maybe someday, he can split his time between there and Port Charles. She says, it sounds like a wonderful opportunity. San Francisco’s a beautiful city. She’s so happy for him. He says, and yet, she doesn’t sound like she is, and she says, selfishly, she liked having him around again. She liked when they were rooming together; it was domestic and it was happy, like their happy little playing house. He says, like it would have been years ago, if he hadn’t screwed things up as a couple. She tells him, she didn’t say that, and he says, but she was thinking that. She says, they were good together… when they were good together. He tells her, he’d say they still are. He knows there are a million reasons for him to move to the west coast. He was just wondering if there was one better reason for him to stay.
Willow says, whatever it is, Harmony can tell her. She knows they’ve had their ups and downs, but she’s Harmony’s daughter; she’s here for her. Harmony says, she managed to find Willow’s birth certificate, and Willow asks, how? Harmony says she still has some connections in Claiborne County, and their record-keeping system is badly outdated, but she called in a few favors, and they’re going to send her a new copy of the birth certificate. Willow says, that’s great news, and hugs Harmony.
Elizabeth says, Peter’s dead? Is Sam absolutely sure? Sam says, according to Dante, yes. Anna saw Peter take his last breath. The WSB has possession of his body, did an autopsy, and they’re filing all of the paperwork. The reign of terror that Peter had is finally over. Finn asks if Elizabeth is okay, but she says she doesn’t know how to answer that. Peter was responsible for so much loss; Franco’s death and Jason’s death, all those months Maxie was kept away from her baby. It just feels like there should be something more. Finn agrees, and says, there’scertainly something appealing about Peter rotting in prison for the rest of his life, alone, knowing the world’s completely forgotten about him. At least there’s no possibility of escape this time. Elizabeth says she thought after all this time she’d feel some kind of closure. She’s relieved, but it doesn’t lessen what they lost. Sam says she knows how Elizabeth feels, and Elizabeth thanks her for telling them. She says, Sam doesn’t have to stick around, but Sam says, the way she sees it, her and Elizabeth had their lives significantly turned upside down in the past year and a half, but Jake and Danny are Jason’s sons, so they’re always going to be connected. Elizabeth sought her out when she found out Jason was marrying Carly, because she knew how Sam felt. What she’s trying to say is, she’ll always have Elizabeth’s back. Elizabeth thanks her, and says she’ll continue to have Sam’s. Sam says she’ll give them some private time, and leaves.
Drew says, he takes it things haven’t gotten any better between Carly and Sonny, and she says, it can’t get much worse than walking in on Sonny in bed with Nina; that was definitely a low point. And when she saw Sonny in bed with Nina, all she wanted to do was run to Jason. He had this way of making her feel like the world wasn’t going to end, even though the sky was falling. But she’s glad she ran into Drew. He has the same touch. He says he was worried he just made everything worse, considering they almost… They flash back to almost kissing, and she says, almost.
Nina is still in the bathroom, and Sonny invites Dante in. Dante says, he doesn’t know if anyone told Sonny, but Peter August is dead. Sonny says, really? and Dante says, he won’t be hurting anyone ever again. He wanted to let Sonny know before the news broke. He has to go to the Quartermaines, and let Monica and Michael know, unless Sonny wants to let Michael know. Sonny says, it’s better coming from Dante. Is he saying Anna took Peter out? Dante says, it was a team effort, and Sonny says, he’s going to check in with Anna; see what’s going on. Nina sees Dante is there, and stays hidden, and Dante says he’s not in any rush, and he knows Peter is the reason Jason is dead. So if Sonny wants to talk… Sonny says, he appreciates the offer, but he’s doing fine. Dante says, he’s not. Everything that’s going on with Carly, and his best friend that he’d normally confide this stuff in, isn’t here anymore. He’s not saying he’s Jason, but he’s here for Sonny. Sonny says he has nothing to talk about; he’s fine. He just wants to be left alone, that’s all. Dante asks if it’s a business problem, or is there another reason Sonny’s trying to get rid of him. Nina listens in.
Drew says, he and Carly made the right call stepping back that night. Whatever hole was drawing them together, he doesn’t want it to jeopardize their friendship. She says, they were both having a really bad night. She thought she’d spend the rest of her life with Sonny, and she’s sure he thought the same thing about Sam. And like that – she snaps her fingers – everything changed. He says, they’re not in the same boat; she and Sonny are married. She shows him the papers, and says, they’re getting a divorce. He says he’s sorry to hear that, and she says, her too. She feels like she didn’t have a choice. She kept asking Sonny over and over again to tell her what happened in Nixon Falls, and he just wouldn’t. He wanted to focus on the present, and she gets that, but when the truth came out, because it always does, she couldn’t believe how many secrets Sonny was keeping from her. Then when she walked in on him in bed with Nina, she had to choose herself. How could she be a good role model for Josslyn and Avery and Donna if she stayed in a marriage where she wasn’t respected? He says he can’t argue with any of that. So that’s it; it’s over? She says, they met with lawyers, and kept it as civilized as they could. They agreed, for Donna and Avery’s sake, they wanted to make it as seamless as possible, but they can’t really do that. Life is complicated. Her mouth drops open, and Drew asks, what is it? She says, she just realized. Does Sonny know Peter is dead? Does he have any idea the man who killed Jason is gone?
Dante says, Sonny should know by now, he can’t push Dante away that easy. He’s seen this before. He knows what it is, and knows walking away would be a bad idea. Sonny says, Dante is right. He shouldn’t have snapped at him like that. He had a bad day yesterday. He met with Carly and the attorneys to hammer out the divorce, and it didn’t go very well, so he’s embarrassed to say, he went out and had a lot of drinks, and he feels like hell today. He’s hung over. No big mystery. Some other time, they can have coffee and talk. Dante says he didn’t now Sonny and Carly were doing divorce proceedings. He’s sorry about that. He loves Sonny, and he’ll check in later. Call if he needs anything. Dante leaves, and Nina comes out. She thanks Sonny for not telling Dante she was here. She doesn’t feel like answering a bunch of questions. He says, she doesn’t owe anybody any explanations, and she says she’s just curious. Why didn’t he tell Dante that she was here? He doesn’t say anything, and she says, right. That’s just proof the kiss was a mistake.
Willow tells Harmony, she’s glad the answer was so simple. She was going crazy; it was like she didn’t exist. Harmony says, the way she raised Willow, it’s her fault, but Willow says, Harmony is a seeker. She asks the big questions, and sincerely wants to find a better way to live, a better way to be in the world. And the underlying impulses are good ones, even if some of the outcomes have been horrible and difficult. Harmony says she’s sorry if this process dredged up some memories of the past, but Willow says, that’s all it is now; the past. She’s glad they can move on together. She takes Harmony’s hand.
Alexis says, she’ll give Shawn two reasons; TJ and Molly. He says, TJ is a full-grown man, and his son wasn’t what he was talking about, and she knows that. When they reconnected last year, it felt like fate. She says, it did? and he says, it felt like they were given a do-over in their relationship, without repeating the same mistakes. She helped him get out of jail; now he’s helping her get some purpose back in life. They’re helping each other get back on track. They care about each other. So is he right? Has there been something bubbling up to the surface in the last few months? She says she hadn’t really thought about it, and he says, liar. She says, does she want him in her life? Absolutely. 100%. But when Neil died, a part of her shut down, and she’s not sure how to turn it back on again. He says, but she’d like to, right? when Sam comes to the door. Shawn says he’ll get Alexis those reports, and greets Sam on his way out. Sam says she hopes she wasn’t interrupting anything.
Finn tells Elizabeth that he doesn’t talk about it much, but he knows better than anyone, you don’t get over losing your spouse. It took him a long, long time to make peace with Rieko’s death. There may be a path forward for her, where she can hang onto the good Franco memories, and keep them with her, and at the same time keep the trauma of his death in the past. She says, if only it was that simple. She hasn’t told him what’s been going on with her, and Franco.
Michael asks, what’s the good word? and Willow says, her mom was able to track down her birth certificate. It should be arriving soon. Harmony says she should get going, and Willow opens the door. Dante is on the porch, and Michael asks what he’s doing here. Dante says he wanted to talk to Michael, and Harmony says she doesn’t need to be here for this, and leaves. Willow says she imagines Dante is here to talk about Sonny and Carly; she’ll give them some privacy. Dante says, actually, she should stay, and Monica as well. It involves all of them. He wanted to be the one person to tell them that Peter is dead. He’ll never hurt anyone again.
Drew tells Carly that he has no idea if Sonny knows about Peter. He’s been kind of busy getting debriefed by the Bureau. Carly hates the thought of looking at Sonny right now, but Jason’s family. She should be the one to tell him that Jason’s death was avenged. He says, if she wants some back-up, he’s happy to go with her. She looks at the family photo again, and he says, or he could break it to Sonny himself and take it off her plate.
Nina says, Peter’s dead? She can’t believe it. He made so many people miserable. What happens now that the horrible nightmare is over; it’s ended. He says, what usually follows an ending is a new beginning, and she says she should go. He grabs her arm, and says, she doesn’t have to go now, but she says she does. Whatever happens next, she hopes he considers cutting down on his drinking, or not drink at all. He deserves to have a clear mind when he figures out what he wants to do next. He says he’ll think about it because he believes he owes her that much, but she says, he doesn’t owe her anything. She touches his face, and says, he owes it to himself.
Finn says, so there was more to this besides the ring. Why didn’t Elizabeth say anything? She says, because she felt like she was imagining things, and he says, but it’s real. Tell him. She says, it was Valentine’s Day. She’d decided to donate the dress she wore when she married Franco. She wasn’t going to wear it again, and it had just been hanging in her closet in a garment bag. When the bag was opened, the dress was torn to shreds. She knows all of this seems so random on a case by case basis, but when you combine the ring, the dress, and this card… He says, it’s a pattern. She shouldn’t dismiss that. She says, she just feels like someone is doing this deliberately, and he asks if she’s sure the boys aren’t upset about them and acting out. She says, Cameron is so happy with Josslyn and PCU, his heart is not in a destructive place. He says, Jake and Aiden, and she says, she asked both of them, and they both insist they had nothing to do with the ring. She knows when her boys are lying, and she doesn’t think they are. She guesses she could ask them again. Finn’s phone dings, and he says he has to check on a patient. He’ll see her back at the house. It’s going to be okay.
Alexis asks if Peter’s death gave Sam any closure, and Sam says, closure and relief. Not only for herself, for the entire city, including Alexis. Peter was the one who gaslit Alexis into thinking Franco was a threat to her. Alexis says, she was drunk when she assaulted Dante, and can’t blame Peter for that. Prison, unfortunately, was a wake-up call that she needed to be sober. Sam says, then she reunited with Shawn. How are things going between the two of them? Alexis says, they’re just good friends. He’s also her boss, so anything beyond that would be inappropriate anyway. Sam says she can accept that, even though Alexis is the happiest Sam’s seen her since Neil died. And the way he died was so sudden and unexpected. Alexis pulled herself together, and keeps moving forward. Neil would want her happy. As a matter-of-fact, Sam thinks Shawn was probably the most stable relationship Alexis has been a part of since Sam’s known her. Alexis says, it’s a pretty low bar she’s set, and Sam says, true, but can’t Shawn be Alexis’s confidante, and not Harmony with all her baggage? She knows Alexis said she was giving Harmony a second chance, but has she really changed?
Harmony sits with the shady guy at Charlie’s, and he says, sorry. That seat’s taken. She says, yeah, by her. She’s seen him handle some shady business here and in the alley. Word on the street is, he’s good at forging documents. He says, maybe. What’s it to her? She says, how good is he at forging a birth certificate?
Elizabeth calls Betsy, and says, she knows it’s been a while. She got Betsy’s card, and has some news she thinks Betsy wants to hear. Is there any way she can come to town and talk in person?
Sam says, she freely admits that Harmony has gone above and beyond to redeem herself. She did help them track down Drew, but there is so much history between her and their family. Alexis says, they’ve been through this, and she appreciates it and understands, but she’s going to stop Sam her. Shawn is her friend, and Harmony has been her friend. She cares about both of them. That’s why she’s so grateful that Sam and the girls, including Shawn (I swear, she said it that way) are accepting the possibility that she may have changed.
Harmony gives a wad of money to shady guy, who says, it’s a pleasure doing business with her. He’ll be in touch when he has something. He leaves, and Harmony gets up. She turns around to see Shawn.
Michael says, this is a long time coming. To Jason. He, Willow, Dante, and Monica lift their glasses, and he says, and to all the people not here to see the justice they deserved. They clink glasses, and say, to Jason. Michael says, now they’ll be able to focus on putting all the people whose lives were torn apart by Peter, back together again.
Sonny says, he’ll think about cutting back for his own well-being, and wants to let Nina know it means a lot that she cares. She says she should know better, but she can’t seem to help herself. Sonny opens the door, and Carly and Drew are there.
On Monday, Shawn tells Harmony to watch her step, Alexis asks if Diane doesn’t trust her judgement, Elizabeth wonders if Jake is trying to tell her something, and Drew says he and Nina aren’t going to talk about Carly.
😲 Oh No She Didn’t…
How dare Kelly shade Queen LVP, she who can do no wrong?
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed. – Booker T. Washington
Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations. – Dr. Mae Jemison, first African-American female astronaut
I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear. – Rosa Parks
For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. – Nelson Mandela
Racism isn’t born, folks, it’s taught. I have a two-year-old son. You know what he hates? Naps! End of list. – Dennis Leary
I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger. – Serena Williams
If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair. – Shirley Chisholm
Life has two rules: number 1, never quit! Number 2, always remember rule number one. – Duke Ellington
Black history isn’t a separate history. This is all of our history, this is American history, and we need to understand that. It has such an impact on kids and their values and how they view black people. – Karyn Parsons
True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost. – Arthur Ashe
A man without knowledge of himself and his heritage is like a tree without roots. – Dick Gregory
The soul that is within me no man can degrade. – Frederick Douglass
☁️ Drifting To Dreamland…
See you at Deadtime, but until then, stay safe, stay supporting equality for all, and stay not saying, I found your birth certificate, when what you really mean is, you’re not my biological daughter.
What I Watched - TV With Theresa 