Tag Archives: Real Housewives of Salt Lake City

December 7, 2021 – Maxie Confronts Peter, Can’t Keep Her Down, Schwartz Loses Two Bets, a Break-Up, Ladies Of the Lake, Miami’s Coming, Back On Fear & There

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Spencer comes into the gym and sees Josslyn. He says he heard about Jason. He doesn’t even know what to say except he’s sorry. She doesn’t think there’s much else to say, and he asks how Sonny is doing. She guesses about what you’d expect. They’re all just really, really sad… and shocked and angry. He says he was kind of surprised when she texted. He thought she’d be laying low. She says she’d rather be under her covers, but Jason would hate that. So instead of moping around all day, she decided to let off some steam; punch something. He says, and she thought of him, and she asks if he can handle it. He tosses her some boxing gloves, and says, lace up, Jax. She puts them on, and they fist bump.

Esme dashes into Kelly’s, going over to Trina’s table. She asks if Trina minds if she sits, and Trina says, sure. Trina is doing some work, and Esme points out that she looks busy. Trina says, the life of a college student, when Cameron comes over and asks if he can get Esme anything. She says, a large half-caf latte with soy milk, no foam, and Trina says, God forbid. Esme asks if he got all that, and he says they’ll see when she takes a sip. I have this vision of her getting a lukewarm cup of Sanka. Esme says she just loves Cameron’s sense of humor, and Trina says, he’s a real crack-up. Esme says, and now, down to business, and Trina says, they have business? Esme says their trip isn’t going to plan itself. They’re going to have so much fun.

At the hospital, Michael says he’s sorry he wasn’t there when Carly heard about Jason, but she says, it’s okay. She and his dad wanted to be the ones to tell him. They didn’t want to do it over the phone. He says he would have hated that. If he had to hear it from anyone, he’s glad it was Drew. She says, her too, and they sit. He says he can’t believe this is happening again. He knows they’ve survived without Jason before, but… She says, he doesn’t know how. They’ll handle it the second time like they handled it the first time. As a family. She puts her arms around him.

Willow stands outside the chapel, and hears Sonny tell Nina, whatever happened between them in Nixon Falls needs to come from him, and it will. Nina says she understands, but despite all the pain she caused people – and she knows they’ve gone on with their lives – she has to tell him that their love is the purest thing she’s ever known. She’s so sorry, but she can’t regret that. Willow is like, whoa, and jets. Sonny says he refuses to accept that what Nina did, lied to him and his family, was an act of love. She says, it wasn’t; she can see that now. But it went on for so long. She didn’t know how to get out of it. She didn’t know what words to use. How do you explain something like that? She felt like she was just trapped, like her lies were trapping her, and she was living this life she never intended. In a way, it’s like they have that in common.

Peter is sitting in the interrogation room, when Mac comes in. Peter asks, where’s his lawyer? and Mac says, he hasn’t arrived yet. Peter says he hopes Mac knows better than to question him without representation. That’s literally his job as acting Police Commissioner, isn’t it? To protect Peter’s rights? Mac says he doesn’t give a damn about Peter’s rights because he’s not there as the Police Commissioner. Right now, Peter’s talking to Maxie’s father.

Maxie comes into the station, and asks Anna, where is he? Anna asks, what’s wrong? and Maxie says, pretty much everything. She needs to talk to Peter. Anna thinks it’s a terrible idea, but Maxie says she didn’t ask for Anna’s opinion; she asked where Peter was. Anna says, he’s here, but he’s not allowed visitors, and Maxie says, is that what she is? A visitor? She thinks they can make an exception given the circumstances, but Anna says, that’s not up to her to decide. Maxie says she knows; it’s up to Mac, who they both know is going to say no, unless Anna backs her up. Anna asks, why, after everything Peter put Maxie through? All the physical, mental, and emotional torture. Why is it so important for her to see him?

Mac says he’s dealt with some cowards and lowlifes in his time, but Peter is in a class all by himself. Peter tells him, that’s sweet, and Mac says he takes it back. Peter is in a class with Faison. Peter says, like father, like son, he supposes, and Mac says, coming to town, pretending to be an actual human being. Meanwhile, manipulating Mac’s daughter the entire time, using her grief over Nathan to worm his way in. Peter says he loves Maxie, and Mac says, all the time Peter spent with her, and his grandkids. Peter says, i.e. James, the child he brought into this world with his own hands? Mac says, if only he could take Peter out of it, and Peter says, it’s too bad he’s in police custody then. Mac says, bad things happen in jail all the time, and Peter asks if that’s a threat. Mac says, just a fact, and Peter says, noted. Here’s another one. If anything happens to him, Louise stays gone for good.

Spencer tells Josslyn that he and Esme have been talking a lot about that trip she wants to take. Maybe they could do it on Josslyn’s winter break. Does she think Sonny would let them use his cabin? She says, whoa, and he asks if she thinks he wouldn’t. She says she’s sure he would, but she never agreed to this vacation. He says she and Cameron have to go; Esme really wants to get to know his friends better. She says, so let’s get coffee, or have lunch. Do they really have to go on vacation? She’s sorry, but she just doesn’t think a weekend getaway together would best improve their relationship, if he knows what she means. He says, a toddler would know what she means. Why doesn’t she cut Esme a break? She says, she set Ava’s car on fire, and he says he agrees she went too far, but she only did it for him. She says, in that case… and he says, Esme loves him. She asks if Spencer loves her, and he says, yeah. She asks, why? and he says, she’s gorgeous and exciting and passionate… Josslyn says, so she’s hot, and he says, it’s not the sex… It’s not just the sex. He knows Esme can be a lot, but so can he, right? She says, she doesn’t think he wants her to answer that, and he says, they fit, all right? He thinks if she just gave Esme a chance, she’d see how incredible she really is. She says, okay. Tell her about the real Esme.

Esme asks what Trina is studying, and Trina says, a lot of things, but right this second, nature photography. Esme says, like the exhibit at the gallery? and Trina says, something like that. Cameron brings Esme’s latte, and says, it was such a hit, Trina’s professor asked her to give a presentation to her class. Isn’t that cool? Esme says she doesn’t know; it sounds like a lot of extra work. Trina says, which is why she should get back to it. Esme takes a sip, and Cameron says, well? She says, no offending foam; it’s perfect. Cameron starts to leave, but Esme says she and Trina were just talking about their trip. She’s so excited. Spence is too. Cameron says he didn’t think anything was decided, and Esme says, they’re still batting around ideas. She was thinking winter break. She hasn’t been skiing in ages. Do they ski? Cameron says he does, and she asks if there’s a mountain nearby. He says there is, and Esme says, how amazing does that sound? Skiing by day, snuggling by the fire at night. Her and Spence, Cameron and Josslyn, and Trina, of course (🍷).

Sonny tells Nina not to text him again, because he’s not going to meet her, and she says the only reason she reached out was to warn him about Peter. It’s not like she reached out because she wanted to spend more time with him. She’s not delusional, contrary to popular belief. She knows he loves his wife. He says he does, and she says she’s trying to preserve that. She’s trying to protect his relationship with Carly from whatever this psycho may have planned to break them up. He tells her, don’t worry about Peter, and she says, she’s being honest. She doesn’t want to cost him any more than she already has. He might not believe her, so if Peter is trying to stir up more trouble… He says, Peter’s not going to cause more trouble. Trust him. That son of a bitch killed Jason, his best friend, his brother; he’s gone.

Michael asks where his dad is, but Carly says she doesn’t know where he disappeared to. She thinks he’ll be back soon, but in the meantime, distract her. Did Wiley enjoy Thanksgiving in New York? He says, Wiley enjoyed the holiday lights and the holiday windows. His favorite thing was the dogs. Carly says, the dogs? and Michael says, Wiley pointed out every single one of them when they passed them. She says, that’s a lot of dogs. She bets Annabelle is going to need a brother or sister this Christmas. Michael tells her, he said the same thing; they just have to get Willow on board. She asks if they took Wiley skating, and he says they went to the Central Park rink because Rockefeller Center was too crowded. He crushed it. She says, of course (🍷) he did. She asks if he remembers the first time he was on skates, and he says, she, Jason, and dad brought him. She says, her heart just dropped every single time he fell, but Jason was so calm. He’d just pick Michael back up, and make sure he went off again. He says, he always pictured Jason being there for Wiley. the same way Jason has always been there for him. She says she knows, and puts her arm around him.

Willow comes out of the elevator and sees Epiphany, who asks if she’s all right. Willow says she just heard some bad news, and Epiphany says, Sasha and Brando. Just remember they have a great team doing everything in their power to help that baby boy. Willow asks if she’s seen Michael.

Josslyn hits the heavy bag while Spencer holds it, and he says, Esme puts on a good show, but she’s never actually had a lot of friends. Josslyn says, shocking, and he says if she’s not actually going to take it seriously, they’re not going to talk about it. She says she’s sorry; she will. He says, Esme grew up in boarding schools, and her parents died when she was still pretty young. Josslyn says, that sounds awful, and he says, it was. Not that he realized it at first. He saw party Esme like everybody else, but she was one of the few students who stayed on campus during breaks. Josslyn says, like him, and he says, one night they started talking, and they clicked. She says, it doesn’t surprise her. It seems like he and Esme would have a lot in common. He says, they bonded over the loneliness they felt, and how hard it was to connect with other students. Ever since then, they’ve been together; just the two of them. Them against the world. She says, except the world isn’t actually out to get them. He says she knows what he means. He has Esme’s back and she has his. She says, partners in crime, and he says, so to speak. So after hearing all that, does she think she could maybe possibly give Esme the benefit of the doubt?

Esme tells Trina that she doesn’t have to come solo. She can totally bring a plus one. Trina says, she’s not really seeing anyone, so… and Esme says, it could be a fun start to a relationship. Someone must have caught her eye at PCU. Trina says, not really, and Cameron says, which is fine. This is not really a couples thing anyway. They’re just going as a group of friends. Esme says, right, and Cameron goes to wait on another table. Esme says she hopes she didn’t make Trina uncomfortable, but Trina says she’s fine. She’s sure the weekend will be fun. Esme says she feels kind of bad. She never would have suggested they go away had she known about Trina and Cameron. Trina says, what about them? and Esme says, he told her that he and Trina almost got together. Now he’s with Josslyn. Ouch.

Maxie tells Anna, she hasn’t seen Peter since he disappeared from the hospital, but knowing he was out there somewhere, was like a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from. She spent months terrified that she’d walk into her apartment or turn the corner, and he would be there. He’s taken too much from her, and she refuses to be scared of him for one more minute. Anna says, she gets it. If she was in Maxie’s position, she’d want to confront Peter too. Why should she be surprised that her fierce, brave goddaughter wants to do the same? Maxie says, so Anna will help her with Mac? and Mac comes out, saying, absolutely not. Maxie says, he doesn’t even know why she’s there yet, but he says, she wants to see Peter, and the answer is no. He’s not done fighting. Peter claims to know where Louise is. Anna says, he doesn’t. He blackmailed Nina in Nixon Falls precisely because he didn’t know where the baby was, and wanted help finding her. Mac tells her, now he’s saying that he just wanted to ascertain how far Anna and Valentin were in their search, and Maxie says, he’s lying. Mac says he’s sure he is. Peter knows his time is up, and he’s grasping at straws, but that’s his point. Anything Peter would say to Maxie would be a lie, and probably a hurtful one. Why would she want to subject herself to that? She says, it’s not about what Peter has to say to her, but what she has to say to him. Anna says, Maxie is very strong, and Mac says, and stubborn. Maxie says she wonders who taught her that, and Anna says, if Maxie says she needs to do this, she believes her.

Nina tells Sonny, it’s not fair. He’s lost so many people. His father, and now Jason. She wishes she could take his pain away. He says, that’s not how life works, and she says she tricked herself into thinking that if she could keep him away from his past, she could save him from a life of violence. He was so unburdened as Mike. He was so relaxed. She thought Nixon Falls would be a fresh start for him, and maybe a fresh start for her too. He says, it’s not a fresh start if you don’t know what came before. He was living a lie. She says she believed in her head it was real, and he says, his friends and family were stolen from him. He would take the pain of losing Jason any day, because Jason was like his brother; they would do everything together. They would protect each other… She says, she’ll regret every day of her life what her lies robbed him of, and he says, they have to move forward. Live the life they have now. She says, move forward; separate lives. He says, yeah, and leaves.  

Epiphany tells Willow that she hasn’t seen Michael. Willow says, that’s okay; she’ll text him.

Carly asks if Michael heard about Sasha and Brando, and he says, that’s why they came to the hospital. How’s the baby? She says, he’s in the NICU. They named him Liam. Michael says he likes it, and she says, he was deprived of oxygen during the delivery. It’s too soon to tell if he has any brain damage. He says, it must be hell for Sasha and Brando, waiting for news like that, and she asks if Willow is with him. He says, she went to put in a good word at the chapel, and Carly suggests they go to the nurses’ desk and see if there’s an update. They see Willow there, and Michael says, what is it? Is there news about the baby? Willow says, none that she’s aware of, and Carly asks, then what’s wrong?

Maxie says, Mac, please, and he says he’s never been good at saying no to her; why break the cycle now? She thanks him and says she loves him. He says he loves her too, but the second whatever’s going on in there feels weird to her… She says she’s out of there. He says, good, and Anna kisses Maxie’s head, saying, she’s very brave. Maxie says she feels anything but brave right now. She has to do this. Not just for herself, but for Louise.

Trina tells Esme, she’s happy for Cam and Joss; there’s no issue there. Esme says, that’s great, and Trina says she’s serious. Esme says, it’s just that, when Cameron brought it up, it sounded like… Never mind. Trina says, she’s gone this far. Just say it. Esme says, not only is it nothing, it’s none of her business. Just for the record, she’s not one of those people who thinks everyone has to be coupled up to be happy. Before she met Spence, she was perfectly fine on her own. She guesses she just never realized the beauty in having someone understand you so completely. Trina says, and that’s Spencer? and Esme says, now that she’s found him, she has no intention of letting him go.

Michael says Willow seems upset; what’s going on? Sonny comes out of the elevator, and hugs Michael, saying, he’s glad Michael is home. Michael says, so is he, and Sonny asks how he’s holding up. Michael says he’s still in shock. He’s so sorry about Jason. Sonny says, it’s good to have family, and Carly says that’s what she was just telling Michael. As long as they have each other, they can get through anything. Michael says he just can’t believe Jason is gone, and Sonny says, it’s because of Peter August. Carly says she’s glad that bastard has been caught. At least now, he’s going to pay for his crimes. Sonny says, he’s going to pay. He’ll make sure of it.

Peter says, what’s going on? and Mac says, one wrong move, and he’ll shoot Peter himself. He leaves, and Maxie comes in.

Michael says he guesses they’ll just wait for Brando, and Willow says, waiting is her specialty. He says she never answered his question; is she okay? Nina almost comes around the corner, but sees them, and stops. Willow says she’s just praying for that little boy, hoping with all her heart that Sasha and Brando can take him home soon. He says she’s been gone a while. Was she in the chapel the whole time? Willow says, she went, but she didn’t want to disturb the people inside. Nina is like, uh-oh.

Josslyn says, she guesses Spencer thinks Esme is the know all, be all, and she’s really nice – to him. But if she treats everyone else like trash, she’s sorry. She doesn’t want to hang out with her. He asks if they can be real, and she says, let’s try it. He says, it’s not like she’s been that nice to Esme either. Josslyn says, she fired the first shot, but he says, did she though? If he remembers correctly, Josslyn has been pretty cool to her from the start. She says, maybe if he’d mentioned he had a girlfriend; maybe just once instead of hanging all over Trina… He says he was not, and she says she thought they were being real. He says he likes Trina. He thinks she’s super cool. She says, and? and he says, maybe he could have been more direct when he first met her about what was happening. She says, maybe, and he says, but it has always been Esme for him. She asks, then why keep her a secret? and he says he didn’t handle things well in the beginning, okay? She says, all the lying, and the terrorizing of Ava. Ava’s not her favorite person, but even she didn’t deserve that. He says he screwed up. Why is she acting so surprised? It’s not like it’s the first time. She says, no, and she’s sure it won’t be the last, and he says, that’s what friends are, right? The people who love you anyway. She says, all right. Enough with the love talk. He says, she knows what he’s saying. They’ve been friends since forever, so as his friend, can Josslyn give Esme the chance to show her who she really is? She says she can definitely do that.

Peter says Maxie is more beautiful than he even remembered. He knew she woudn’t be able to stay away. She closes the door, and tells him, just shut up. For once, he’s going to listen to what she has to say. This little fantasy he has of them being together, living happily ever after, it’s not going to happen. And honestly, it blows her mind that he still thinks it could. After everything he’s done to her, how could he think she could feel anything toward him but hatred? He says, everything he did was out of love for her, and she says, he’s a murderer. A murderer. He hired a fake nurse to kidnap her and induce labor. That is not love. That is… She doesn’t even know what to call it. Abuse? Torture? She can’t be a mother to her child because of him. She can’t rock her to sleep, or kiss her tiny little hands. She’s missing those moments, and it’s Peter’s fault. She will never forgive him for that. He says he doesn’t believe that, but she says she doesn’t care what he believes. He says he can tell her where Louise is, and she tells him, stop it. He says he can find their little girl, and she says, he’s lying. He says, they can be a family again, and she says, oh my God. He’s in handcuffs, headed to prison, where he’ll rot in a cell for the rest of his life. He’s not going to have a family. He’s not going to have her, and he’s not going to have Louise. There’s nothing for him. Think about that. Choke on it.

Carly tells Sonny that she’d asked for a body pillow for Sasha, and he says, smart idea. She says, it felt good to do something, even if it was just a pillow. He says, every little bit helps. It’s just not easy to wait. She says, nothing is easy right now, and asks him to come sit with Michael and Willow. He says he has something to take care of, and she says, now? He says, Brando texted him, and said he didn’t need anything except good news. She says, the support of his family. What could be more important? He says, if it wasn’t important, he wouldn’t be going, and she asks, what takes precedence over a baby in the NICU? He says he doesn’t want her to worry about it. Call him if there’s an update

Mac says, the search for Louise is going nowhere, but Anna says, that can change in an instant; he knows how this works. He says he feels so hopeless right now, and she says, he’s not putting any weight on what Peter said just now? She doesn’t believe he knows where that little girl is. He says, as a cop, he knows that. Peter is just trying to save his skin. She says, but as a father and grandfather… He says he can’t discount any lead, no matter what the source.

Peter tells Maxie to look at him, and she says there’s nothing she’d rather see less. He says she made him a better man, but she says, he’s not a man; he’s pure evil. And she regrets the day she met him. Goodbye. She’s about to leave, and he says, this is about that doctor, isn’t it? Dr. Gatlin-Holt, the savior in the woods who delivered Louise. Peter met him earlier at GH. Maxie says, so? and he says, so it’s quite obvious he’s interested in Maxie. She says, this is not happening, and he says, which is of course (🍷) a no brainer to him; she’s beautiful. What surprised him is he never imagined Maxie would give him the time of day. She says, are you insane? (Yes!) This has nothing to do with Austin. He says, she’s on a first name basis with him, so they are close, and she says, so what if they were close? So what if they were dating? So what if she was dating the entire PCU football team? That is none of his damn business. She’s none of his business. He says, on the contrary, and stands up. He says, doesn’t she know by now there’s only one man in her life, and that man is him? She says, go to hell, and storms out.

Trina wonders if Cameron’s shift is over, and asks him to join them, but he says he’s meeting Josslyn at the gym. Esme says, that’s where Spence is, and asks for a ride. Trina says, it’s a bummer Esme has to leave so soon, and Esme says, Spence was so glad to have the day off. He’s been working so hard lately. Trina says, maybe Esme should get a job, but Esme laughs, and says she’s way too busy. Trina says, with what? and Esme says, all those classes she’s auditing at PCU, and her internship obviously. Cameron says he can’t imagine working in a prison, and Esme says she calls it prison light. It’s really not that terrible. Trina says, she enjoys it? and Esme says she does. It’s fascinating from a psychological perspective, but she’ll definitely be ready for a break by the time their trip rolls around.

Carly leans her forehead against the vending machine, and repeats, count to ten. Epiphany says, Carly? and Carly says she’s sorry. Epiphany says, what for? and Carly says, for blocking traffic here. There’s no one else around, and Epiphany says, there’s no traffic here. Carly says she doesn’t know why she apologized. She doesn’t usually do that. Epiphany agrees, and Carly says, she doesn’t know why she’s done half the things she’s done in the past few days. Epiphany says, grief. She heard about Jason, and she’s very sorry for Carly’s loss. Carly thanks her, and Epiphany says she means it. Jason was a remarkable person; someone she respected. Carly says, Jason respected her too, and Epiphany says she never doubted that. And she never doubted he loved Carly, without condition or reservation. He would do literally anything for her. Carly says she never doubted that either. Whatever happened, good or bad, if she was hurt, or scared, or wrong, without question, Jason would always be there. She knew he would be, no matter what. Now he’s not going be there anymore. He’s not going to be there ever again. She knows he would want her to keep going and move on, and she will, but she’s going to miss him every single day for the rest of her life. Epiphany says, when Carly is missing him, she hopes Carly thinks back on their wedding day. Jason was happy, and so was she. The love she felt that day is still there, and hers to keep.

Nina comes out, addressing Michael and Willow, and Michael asks if she shouldn’t be meeting with her lawyer. Her preliminary hearing is coming up soon, isn’t it? Nina says, Scotty is on it, but she appreciates his concern. He’s says he’s sure she does, and she says she’s just there for Sasha, not to upset them. Willow says, yet she keeps doing it, and Michael asks, what is her goal exactly? She says, to provide support for Sasha if she needs it. She’ll go wait someplace else. Willow says, good idea, and Nina moves along. Michael asks Willow if it’s selfish to say he’s glad her empathy for Nina only goes so far, and she says, his family comes first with her. He says, their family, and she says, their family. She hopes he knows that, and he says he does. It’s time like these that bring them together. With everything going on, he’s grateful for that. They hug. Wake me when it’s over.

Anna sees Sonny in the stairwell, and asks what he’s doing here. He says, one guess, and she says, she knows he’s ready to explode – they all are – but he’s got to let the authorities handle Peter. He’s being brought up on multiple charges in multiple jurisdictions; he’s not going to walk away. He says, Jason is dead because of that trash, and he wants Peter to know exactly what he’s waiting for.

Josslyn is punching the heavy bag when Cameron and Esme come in. Cameron says, nobody better mess her, and Josslyn says, that’s right. He asks, what’s up? and Josslyn says, she and Spencer were just talking about their trip. Spencer tells them, Josslyn said she thinks they can use Uncle Sonny’s cabin, and Josslyn says she doesn’t see why not, unless he and her mom are planning on using it, but she doesn’t think so. Esme says, sounds like a blast, and Josslyn says, it will for sure be memorable. Esme and Spencer go off to the side, and Esme says, good workout? Spencer says, it was fun, and she says she’s surprised Josslyn agreed to the trip. He says, they had a good talk, and she’s open to getting to know Esme better. Esme asks if he thinks she meant it, and he says, Josslyn doesn’t lie. Cameron asks Josslyn if she’s really cool about this trip thing, and she says, no, but Spencer wants her to get to know the real Esme, and she has a hunch he may be the one surprised. Cameron asks what she’s planning, and Josslyn says, her? Nothing. Esme will do all the work on her own. Until then, there’s no way Josslyn is turning her back on that girl.

Carly tells Michael that his dad had to leave. He said he had something to take care of. Willow says she’s going to check her schedule for next week, and will be right back. Michael asks Carly if everything is okay with her and his dad, but she says, they’re fine. He says, it seems like there’s tension, and she says, there is. There’s grief. Everything that’s been going on with Liam, and… It’s Nina who she’s mad at, not his dad. Michael says he just ran into her, and Carly says, she’s still here? Michael says, hopefully her trial is soon, and they’ll be sending her to jail, and out of their lives for good. She says, from his lips.

Nina sees Willow, and says she overheard that Willow was in the chapel. So was she. Funny. She didn’t see Willow there. Willow says she heard Nina with Sonny.

Peter is dozing, when Sonny comes in, and slams the door, startling him. Sonny stares at him.

Tomorrow, Maxie wishes Austin wouldn’t have done that; Brando needs to ask Michael something; Nina asks what Willow is going to do, now that she knows the truth; and Sonny says since Peter killed Jason, all the rules are out the window.

👠 What Did I Say…?

Helena will be around as long as Constance Towers is. I wonder if I’ll ever find out why Nikolas was left that painting though…

Vanderpump Rules

Brock, James, and Schwartz took a dip in some tubs of ice. Some pseudo therapist told them that it was a mindset, and Brock said it was a way to learn lessons. Yeah. Don’t get in cold water. James was trying to learn to calm down, and the foundation was learning to breathe intentionally. In James’s interview, he said he was looking past normal therapy to get out his rage and anger. He claimed talk therapists didn’t know what to say to him, but I suspect he doesn’t know how to listen. In Schwarz’s interview, he thought, since hot baths were bad for his sperm count, maybe a cold one would do the opposite. I don’t think it works that way though. James said all he could think about was that he was freezing, but it was progress. Afterwards, the guys hung out to talk, and Brock said kids had been cruel when he was young, because he only had four fingers on one hand. In his interview, he explained his hand had gotten caught in the gears of a moving gate as a child. Ouch a million times over. James said when he got in a confrontational moment, it threw him back to a defensive mindset.

Lisa visited Lala, and met dog Lily. Lala said, if Jesus had a dog, it would be Lily. Lily had high liver levels, and was on meds. Lala was waiting on some test results, and was putting out in the universe that it would be a good report. In Lala’s interview, she said Lily had been her companion, her ride or die since she was 21. Lily had gotten her through her drunken days when she couldn’t get out of bed. In Lisa’s interview, she said, Lala had come a long way, and she was happy to be part of her journey. At one time, Lala had been sneaking drinks behind the hostess stand, and now she was a mother, and it was lovely to see. Lala told Lisa about Brock’s birthday, and how she’d gone off on Schwartz for not backing Katie up. She also told Lisa about how the girls were taking pictures of their feet to raise money for Raquel’s new nose. And yes. I know how absolutely stupid that sounds.

Katie’s photographer friend Courtney came to take the foot fetish photos (say that three times real fast), and Ariana said it was the dumbest most amazing thing they’d done. In Raquel’s interview, she said she’d done everything to make the best of her bad nose job, but it needed to be redone. Ariana said she’d done a lot of weird sh*t, but never thought she’d be adding this to her resumé. Raquel told them that she was going to be hosting a picnic as a thank you,  a fancy floral scene. In her interview, she said it was an excuse to be a girly girl; she loved it. Charli brought up Brock’s friend grabbing her at the birthday party, and said she wondered why there’d been no back-up from Scheana. In Charli’s interview, she said she’d been a loyal friend, and Scheana chose a random dude’s back over hers.

Lisa escorted Schwartz to a tattoo parlor, since he’d lost a bet with her. In his interview, he said he’d been pouring his heart out to Lisa while they were drinking wine. She challenged him to a high stakes ping-pong game, and ping-pong was his forte. We saw a clip of him saying that he was going to smoke her, but if he lost, he’d have LVP tattooed somewhere on his body. She said, if she lost, she’d send some cases of wine to the new bar. He lost. He said, that’s how he ended up at the tattoo parlor, He told Lisa that the Katie Bubba tattoo had to remain prominent, since Katie wasn’t feeling supported, which didn’t surprise Lisa, since Katie had been pushed out of the new bar equation. Schwartz said he couldn’t get a home equity loan, and would have to stop with the bets. He’d bet Randall in a pickleball challenge, and if he won, Schwartz would get $2000. If he lost, Randall got a drink named after him featured prominently on TomTom’s menu. He wondered if Katie was going to kill him about the tattoo, but Lisa said Katie was going kill him for other reasons. Tell her it’s a message from God.

Raquel had her Raquel’s Dream Tea Party, and invited the usual suspects, along with her friend Paige. Everyone wore poufy dresses, except for Lala, who said, no one told her that it was going to be so chic. In her interview, she asked if she looked like a bitch who had puffy sleeves and a tutu in her closet. Ariana said she’d understood the assignment. They discussed the foot project, and Raquel said it wasn’t about the pasta; it was about the feet. She told the girls that James had been trying different kinds of therapy, and we saw a clip of him doing (I think) bioenergetics where you let the sound out. I only know about this because of a movement class I was required to take at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. The teacher was into it, and we all hated it. She was all about no one getting enough love as a child, and going back to the womb or something. We pretended to go along with it just to get through the class. But I digress. Scheana said she’d sent invites out for a photo shoot Brock was organizing to advertise his fitness start-up HomeBody. She said he’d put his heart, soul, and every penny into the company. James had been cagey about doing it for free. Charli told Scheana about the dude grabbing her at Brock’s party, and at first, Scheana claimed she didn’t see anything. Then she amended it to not saying anything because Charli had already said something. Lala said Charli had gone hard for Scheana, and Scheana expected people to defend her, but when the shoe was on the other foot, she was nowhere to be found. Charli said she was loyal and a good friend. When Scheana didn’t like someone, Charli told them to go f*** themselves, but it hadn’t been reciprocated. She thought Scheana didn’t want Brock’s friends not to like her, so she’d ignored the incident. Scheana got all teary, and wanted to go home, as she always does when anyone calls her out.

Ariana visited Katie to enlist her help with designing a drinking game, an embellished Never Have I Ever. In Katie’s interview, she said it was nice not being around an egomaniac, and being expected to kiss their ass every minute of every day. Schwartz came home in the middle of their brainstorm, and told Katie that he had one more betting gaff. He hadn’t thought Lisa would be good at ping-pong, so he hadn’t taken the bet seriously. He showed them his new tattoo, which was actually pretty small, and in Ariana’s interview, she said, Schwartz was so good at charming his way out of everything. If she had been Katie, she’d have shoved her rosé glass up his ass. Katie said Schwartz never had her back, and other people took precedent, but Schwartz said it was out of necessity, and not emotionally. He continued to try and explain himself, but she just said, no, every time he started talking.

Randall had all kinds of pickleball pros at his house for the Emmett/Schwartz 2021 Open. In Brock’s interview, he said it was like little man syndrome on steroids with Randall competing against the least competitive person. Brock wanted to talk to James, who didn’t want to do anything for free. Avoiding the tournament, Raquel and Charli got together for a workout. Afterward, Raquel told Charli that Scheana had asked her to stop being friends with Danica, and she had. Charli said she stopped commenting on Danica’s Instagram, since it offended Scheana. Scheana had been texting her about it, and she hadn’t wanted to lose the friendship over it. Charli told Raquel that when she brought up Scheana not having her back at the party, Scheana had flipped it, and played victim. She said Charli was trying to turn it into a me too moment. 

Lala came out in a cheerleader outfit, hoping they could put an end to this grandpa game. Willie, an American Idol runner-up, sang the National Anthem, and the game began. In Ariana’s interview, she said she hadn’t watched American Idol since Kelly Clarkson won, but she wasn’t going to hate on it. I haven’t watched it since Scotty McCreery won, and Lady Gaga performed at the finale. I didn’t think they could ever top that, so why bother? Randall won, scoring 11 points to Schwartz’s 4. Schwartz gave him a copy of the menu with his drink on it, but in his interview, Schwartz said it wasn’t real. Lala asked James about the photo shoot, and James called Brock over. Brock said James had told Raquel not to text him back, but James said he’d told Raquel, not yet, because he wanted to discuss it with her. I have the feeling that wasn’t the case, since James got animated, and Ariana told him to take it down a notch. Katie suggested James might need a favor from Brock one day, and in James’s interview, he said there was a time Katie was on a campaign to take him down, but she had his back now.

Lala was glad the tournament was over. It was time for Randall to get back to making those dollar signs. Ariana found out that the picture of her feet had been sold, and she tried to get a shot of Lisa’s feet, saying she’d charge extra, but Lisa said she’d better not. Charli told Scheana that she hadn’t been a good friend lately, and in Scheana’s interview, she said she’d just birthed human child, and that was her whole focus. For the unenlightened, Scheana was like this long before she had the baby. She wants to be liked so much, she’s never on anyone’s side but her own. Charli said Scheana was a dictator in friendships, and in Charli’s interview, she said if Scheana couldn’t understand where she’s coming from, they couldn’t be friends. She told Scheana that she hadn’t been getting friend energy back from her, when she’d been a good friend, and they hugged it out.

Next time, Katie and Sandoval go at it, and not in a fun way; Schwartz tells Sandoval that he needs to respect Katie; the Toms decide to take a break from each other; and Ariana has a birthday.

💔 No Festival This Time…

There aren’t many details, but according to Ariana on Watch What Happens Live, everyone was surprised.

https://people.com/tv/vanderpump-rules-james-kennedy-and-raquel-leviss-call-off-engagement-taping-reunion-bravo-breakup-split/

🏔 Salty Talk…

Bringing you up to speed on Salt Lake City.

🌴 The Wives You’ve Been Waiting For…

The Real Housewives of Miami are back.

https://ew.com/tv/real-housewives-of-miami-season-4-trailer/

⚰️ Back From the Dead…

Well, we never really did see her die.

https://ew.com/tv/kim-dickens-fear-the-walking-dead-madison-clark-return/

😌 Time For Some Shut-Eye…

Come by tomorrow for some soap and an update on Fancy Pants. Until then, stay safe, stay upfront, and stay giving back the friend energy you’re getting.

Nina Runs Into Peter, Catching Up, Getting Out, Adieu, Returning, Staying, Christmas Quad, a Parade, Not So Shamazing, For Sale, a Feud, Not Funny, Up For Grabs, Brainless, Not Twelve Quotes & Boudoir

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

In the elevator, Carly says Sonny is going to have to help her keep it together. She doesn’t want to cry in front of Sasha and Brando. He says, they have to help Sasha and Brando. He doesn’t want them to feel alone, and he doesn’t want her to feel alone. They get out of the elevator just as Nina turns around at the reception desk. She asks if they’re here to see Sasha and Brando; there aren’t any other visitors. Carly says, they don’t need an update, and they keep walking. Nina says, it’s just that they’re trying to tough it out, but they’re pretty fragile, so please be gentle. Carly glares at her.

Brando tucks Sasha in, and asks if she’s worried about the news about their baby, but she says she’s not worried. Is he? He says, of course (🍷) not. In fact, when the three of them get home, he’s going to buy their son his first baseball mitt. She wonders if he’s a little young to be playing catch, but Brando says, not with a name like Liam Mike. He’s strong willed, and like Mike Corbin, he’ll be able to defy the odds and live his life to the fullest. She asks if he knows what the name Brando means, but he says he doesn’t, and she says, sword or fiery torch. He says he will fight for their family with a sword or fiery torch, and she says she knows he will. He says, one day, they’ll tell their grandchildren about their heroic dad who was strong willed and defied the odds, and she says, they’re going to say they were worried for nothing and laugh at them.

Brook tells Chase, Maxie is emotionally exhausted. Not that she blames Maxie, but second guessing isn’t going to get them anywhere. They’re in this thing now; they’ve got to see it through. He says he doesn’t know. Maxie made some strong points. Brook says, she did, but they’re committed, which means they have to deal with it, especially now that Valentin is furious with her. With them, and there’s no telling what else Valentin might do. The doorbell rings, and Brook opens the door to see Valentin on the porch. Chase says, they had enough trouble the last time Valentin was there, so turn around and walk away. Anna joins Valentin, and says, no one wants any trouble. Brook asks, then what does he want?

Drew is getting some coffee at the Quartermaine’s when Maxie walks in, saying, sorry. She just wanted to get a glass of water. He turns around, and says, hi, Maxie; long time no see. She says, Drew, and he says, in the flesh. He’s not a hologram or a figment of her imagination. She says she heard he was alive. She just hadn’t processed it yet. He says, until now, and she hugs him, saying, it’s so processed.

In the hospital, Peter says he’s fine, despite Jason Morgan’s best attempt to kill him, and Austin says, he’s a lucky man. It’s good he was only shot in the arm. He might have some nerve damage, but nothing serious. Peter says, not like getting shot in the chest, right? and Austin says, no. If he was shot in the chest, he’d be in the ICU. Peter takes it Austin doesn’t believe the rumors, and Austin says he hears a lot of rumors. Which one is Peter talking about? Peter tells him, the ones that say he doesn’t have a heart, and Austin says, don’t be silly. If he didn’t have heart, he wouldn’t be alive. Peter says, how clinical of him – he looks at Austin’s ID tag – Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt. Now where does he recognize that name… Of course (🍷). Austin delivered his daughter.

Valentin says he’s not there to hurl accusations or make threats, and Brook says, why not? He did plenty of that before he moved out. Don’t tell her that he lost steam. Chase says, or maybe Valentin found out he was suspended from the force for throwing a punch at him, and came there to gloat. Valentin says he regrets that happened, and Brook asks if he regrets feeding Thanksgiving dinner to the family dog. Valentin says, not really, and Anna says, she understands that passions were running high. It was Thanksgiving; that’s what happens on family occasions. Valentin says, he’s not family, and Chase says he knows this doesn’t help, but when he started putting things together, he was totally blindsided to find out he was Bailey’s father. Valentin says, Brook used both of them, and Brook says, she had her reasons. Anna suggests they not rehash that; it’s not why they’re here. Brook asks if Valentin is there to talk ELQ business with her dad, now that he’s solidified his position as CEO, but Valentin says, no. He’s just there because he wants to say goodbye to his… to Bailey.

Maxie says, Anna told her that Drew was back, but the story was too incredible to be true. Peter faked a plane crash, and then held him captive for over two years? Drew says he wouldn’t have believed it himself if he hadn’t lived through it. Unfortunately, others weren’t so lucky. She says she still hasn’t wrapped her mind around Jason’s death. If only she could go back in time, before Peter was in their lives, when Nathan was still alive. He asks how she’d change the past. Could she stop Nathan from being killed? She says she would if she could, but she guesses at best, she would go back to before she met Peter and fell in love with him. He says, but they can’t go back in time, no matter how much they’d like to. When he was in prison, he just kept focusing on the future, holding on to that, when he’d see Scout again. She says, and Sam… Oh wow. She should just keep her big mouth shut. He says, it’s okay. He went to see them first thing, both of them. She says, Scout and Sam? How did that go? He says, Dante was with them, and she says, it’s been sort of a slow process with them. They kind of got together trying to find him. James is going to be excited to see him. He says he can’t wait, and asks how James is doing. She says, great, and he says she doesn’t have to protect his feelings. He and Sam were done long before Peter abducted him. She asks if he’s saying he’s okay with Sam and Dante, and he says he’s trying to be. It’s not like he has another choice. She says, it must have been great to see Scout, and he says, it made everything he had to do to get home absolutely worthwhile. She says she knows what he means. If she could go back in time, she doesn’t think she would, because then, she wouldn’t have Louise. He says, she found her daughter? Is Louise finally home?

Peter asks Austin to tell him about the circumstances surrounding Louise’s birth. It kills him that he wasn’t there to welcome his daughter into this world. Austin says he certainly was not. He was too busy running from the police to make it to the cabin; Austin’s cabin. And the nurse he hired to kidnap Maxie tried to induce birth. Peter put Maxie, and his own child, at great risk. Peter asks, who’s been feeding Austin all of this? and Austin says, he was there. Peter knows that. Thank God he was hiking in the woods. When he found Maxie, she was already in labor. Peter says, then Austin may have been the last person to see his daughter before she was abducted, and Austin says, it’s a possibility. Peter says, then Austin was in the right place at the right time. Austin knows what became of his daughter.

Sonny wonders if they should take turns visiting Sasha so she’s not overwhelmed, but Nina tells them, go ahead. She just got done visiting Sasha. Carly asks why Nina is still there, and Sonny says, Carly… but Nina says, it’s fine. She knows Carly is upset over the loss of Jason. Carly says, don’t say his name. Nina knows nothing about her and Jason. Carly tells Sonny that she can’t. She’s going to go see Monica. Sonny says, let him come with her, but Carly says she’s just going to go, and walks away. Sonny circles back to Nina, and says, baby’s fine? Nina says, yeah. Sasha should hear an update soon. He says, all right, and walks in toward Sasha’s room.

Sasha says, how can anything possibly be wrong with their baby; look at him. He’s adorable. It’s just that… Brando says he knows. All those tubes are hooked up to Liam, but she has to remind herself, those are making their little boy healthy. She says, yeah, like the cooling blanket, and he says, exactly, and the love of his mommy and daddy. What else does the little guy need? Britt comes in, and says she wants to introduce them to Dr. Fleming, their baby’s neonatologist. Sasha tells the doctor, she’d say it’s nice to meet her, but… Dr. Fleming says she understands, and Brando says, they were told she has news about their baby.

Anna promises Valentin isn’t there to make a scene, and Brook asks if Anna is there to vouch for him. Valentin says, Anna is his friend. This isn’t easy for him. Chase says, of course (🍷) this isn’t easy. None of this is easy. Anna says, especially for Valentin. Brook allowed him, in fact encouraged him, to fall in love with her little girl, knowing he wasn’t her father. Does she expect him to just throw a switch and not love her any longer? Chase says, nobody’s thinking that, but first, Valentin showed up mad as hell, lashing out at Brook in the most hurtful way imaginable, and now he’s here asking for her understanding? What does he want her to believe? Brook feels guilty enough. How much longer is he going to pile it on? Valentin says, he’s not there to pile on any more guilt. That’s not why he’s there. Chase asks if he wants closure with Bailey, but Valentin says he doesn’t believe in closure. Do they think just because he says goodbye, he’ll stop loving her? Chase asks, then why is he here? and Anna says it’s her fault. She insisted he needed to do this. Valentin says, no. Nobody makes him do anything he doesn’t want to do. Bailey is far too young to understand any of this. He hasn’t told Charlotte that she doesn’t have a sister, and he isn’t going to be able to do that until he says goodbye to Bailey. Brook stomps off, and Chase follows her. Valentin tells Anna, he knew this was how she was going to react. She’s not going to let him see Bailey.

Maxie tells Drew, Louise isn’t back yet. She’s just holding out hope that she will be. He asks if there are any breaks in the case, and she says she’s just hoping now that Peter is in custody, whoever has taken Louise will feel it’s safe to bring her back. He says, so she thinks someone took Louise to protect her from Peter? and she says, he thinks she’s deluding herself, doesn’t he? He says, no. He thinks she wants her little girl back more than anything in the world, and if he could make that happen, he would. She thanks him, and says, but she knows in her heart that Louise will be home one day, and it will make all of this worth it. He says, all of what? and she says, things she had to do because of Peter. Things she never thought she’d be forced to do. He says he knows what she means.

Austin says, even if he did know where Louise was – and he doesn’t – Peter is the last person he would tell. Make a fist. That way he can draw blood. This won’t hurt a bit. He plunges the syringe into Peter’s arm, Peter jumps, and I laaaugh. Austin says, oh, goodness me. He’s so sorry; he seems to have missed the vein. He’ll just try that one more time. He does it again, Peter jumps again, and Austin says, oh yeah, there we go. Success. Sorry about that. Normally, he’s not so clumsy. I officially love Austin. Peter says, he’s enjoying this, isn’t he? and Austin says, absolutely. He loves his job, always. Peter says, and that Hippocratic Oath he took to be a doctor? and Austin says, yeah, right, do no harm. It’s sticky though. That’s the question; who gets harmed and who does not? Peter says he supposes it’s the patients who aren’t to be harmed, but he couldn’t tell by the way Austin just stuck him. Austin says, that’s his point. Maxie is also his patient, so do no harm should apply to her as well. Peter asks, and what is Maxie to Austin?

On the phone, Carly says, she went by Monica’s office, but she wasn’t there. She wanted to talk to Monica in person, but it’s probably better it’s on voicemail; she can just hang up if she wants. Carly really hopes she doesn’t. She’s so sorry about Jason. She’s so sorry Monica has to grieve him all over again. He was Carly’s best friend, but he was Monica’s son, and Carly knows what that kind of pain feels like. In all the years of squabbling and fighting, she doesn’t know if she ever thanked Monica for Jason, for the incredible human being he was. He loved Monica so much. Carly knows Monica knows that, but she thought Monica might want to hear it. That’s all. She hangs up, and we see Nina sitting alone on a bench elsewhere at GH.

Sasha asks Dr. Fleming if it’s about Liam’s hypothermia therapy. Is it working? Brando asks if Liam can come home soon, and the doctor’s phone beeps. She says she’s sorry; there’s an emergency in the NICU. Not their baby. Britt says, it’s okay; she’s got this. Dr. Fleming leaves, and Britt says, getting back to their question, hypothermia therapy can take up to 72 hours, as they know. They still need to give the baby’s brain time to cool. What Dr. Fleming wanted to tell them was, the EEG has been scheduled. Sasha says, then what happens? but Britt says they won’t know until they get the results. But they have an entire team dedicated to caring for Liam, and she’ll be the liaison between them and Brando and Sasha. Brando asks what they can do to help, and Britt says, just keep doing what they’re doing, sending a lot of love to that beautiful baby boy, and let the team at GH give him the best possible care. Sasha says, the waiting is so excruciating, and Britt says she knows, but they have to take it a day at a time. Let the therapy run its course. In the meantime, their baby needs them to take care of themselves. Brando tells Sasha, Liam’s strong, but they have to be stronger, and she says, they will be.

Maxie says she knows this is going to sound ridiculous, but she kind of envies Drew. He’s not sure why, and she says, he got the chance to confront Peter. Drew let Peter take his best shot, and he survived. He actually came out on top. He says, at the cost of Jason’s life, and she says she knows. She hates that part, but at least Peter doesn’t have power over Drew anymore. She’d give anything to take away Peter’s power to frighten her. Drew says, when Scout and Danny would have a bad dream, he’d tell them, look under the bed, look in the closet, and when you see nothing but dustballs and clothes, you’ll know that the boogie man has no power over you anymore.

Peter says, do tell. Just how friendly is Austin with the mother of his child? Austin says, Maxie has a lot of friends. He’d be happy to be one of them. Peter says, but he’s not? He suggests Austin keep it that way. Austin asks if that’s a threat, but Peter lifts his hands, showing he’s cuffed to the bed, and says he’s clearly in no position to threaten anyone. But he is a born romantic, and does believe the fates will conspire to reunite his family. Austin says he doesn’t believe in fate, but Peter says he does. Sometimes fate needs a helping hand. Austin smiles, and starts to walk out, and Peter says, bye-bye. Such fun meeting him today.

Carly is looking at a picture of her and Jason on her phone, when Britt comes by. Carly calls her over, and says, Sonny is around here somewhere. They just came to see Sasha. Britt says she just came from Sasha’s room, and Carly asks how she is. Britt says, she’s good; strong. She’s sure Sasha would love to see Carly. Carly says, maybe in a few minutes, heaves a sigh, and sits. Britt is about to go to the desk, but turns back, and sits next to Carly, asking her how she is. Carly says, she just went to say fine, and kind of laughs. She says she came here to support Sasha and Brando, but it’s not like there’s anything she can do for them. Just like she can’t do anything for Jason. How is she? She’s sad, and scared. She doesn’t know what the rest of her life looks like without him. Britt says Carly will figure it out. Know how she knows? Jason told her. He had complete faith in Carly, and she knows Jason doesn’t say things just to be nice. He said it because he believed it; that Carly is strong enough to get through anything. Carly says, she was, when she had Jason to back her up. She didn’t have to be good enough or strong enough for Jason. She could just be her. That’s an amazing feeling, to have someone you can count on no matter what. Jason gave her that feeling. Now he’s gone. She knows how grief works, and the only way out is through. Then someday, when she says she’s fine, she’ll mean it. Britt says, right now, Carly can’t even imagine that day, and Carly says, no. Britt says, her neither; it sounds ridiculous. Carly says, it doesn’t; not to her. She tells Britt to take care of herself, and gets up to go to Sasha’s room.

Chase comes back, and tells Valentin, he’s sorry. Brook wanted to be alone. Valentin says he did warn Chase that honor is in short supply in this house, and so is compassion. If he were Chase, he’d take that beautiful daughter and go far, far away before Brook turns her into a Quartermaine. He tells Anna, let’s go, but Brook says, not yet, walking in with Bailey. Someone misses him very much. She gives Bailey to Valentin, and both Valentin and the baby smile. Chase thinks maybe they should give Valentin some privacy, but Valentin says, that’s not necessary. He and Bailey have no secrets, unlike others in this house. He tells Bailey that she’s a beautiful girl. He has to go, and they may never see one another again. At least not for a long, long time. But he wanted to say goodbye, and he doesn’t know how to find the strength to do that. So what shall they call this? He kisses Bailey’s head.

Carly sees Sonny in the hallway, and asks if he’s been in to see Sasha, but he says he was waiting for her. She thanks him, and says she’s ready. He says, let’s do this, and takes her hand. Brando asks if he can get Sasha anything, but she says, the only thing she needs is for their baby to get healthy, and she knows he will. No child made by a sword and defender of man can be otherwise. He says, Sasha means defender of man? and she says she looked it up when she looked up Brando. He says, strong willed son, daddy is a sword, and mommy defends them both. They’re quite the family. She says, family. She can’t tell him how good that sounds. Family, people she can lean on. Brando says, when she’s scared, and vulnerable, and she says, she’s not the Face of Deception. He says, he’s her family, she’s his family, and Liam’s their family. She says, small… and he says, but plenty big in heart. There’s a knock at the door, and Carly and Sonny come in. Carly says, rumor has it they’re up for visitors, and Sasha says, the more, the merrier. Carly hugs her, and Sonny hugs Brando. Sonny tells Brando, they have his and Sasha’s back. If they need anything, just ask.

Austin sees Britt, and says he just met her brother. She says, he’s not a brother to her; they share a father. Austin says Peter is his patient now, and Britt asks if he wants to be taken off the case, but he says, not at all. He wants to keep on it.

Peter is wheeled down the hall, accompanied by two officers, and he says, how about if he passes on that CT scan? He’s been feeling claustrophobic since that tunnel fell on him. No? All right. In that case, he’ll take a very large muscle relaxant. At the other end of the hall, the elevator doors open, and Nina comes out on the phone. She says she’s running late, and probably won’t make it to the office. She turns to get back in the elevator, but the doors have just closed. Peter is being wheeled toward her, and says, Nina Reeves. Look at her. Still alive and well. It looks like they’re both extra hard to kill.

Valentin shows Bailey a tiny stuffed bear, and says, this is the oldest thing he has. It was his, and got him through some tough nights. He wants her to have it. Drew and Maxie stand quietly just outside the door, and Valentin says, and one day, Bailey will ask her mommy and  daddy where it came from, and they’ll have to tell her it came from someone that loved her so much.

Carly says, they came to cheer Sasha and Brando up, not make them emotional. Brando tells her, they were just saying how important it is to have family to lean on, and Carly says, it is, and Sasha and Brando have them. And they have each other. She and Sonny know how terrifying it is waiting to hear about your baby’s health. Sasha says, Brando told her that Donna had spina bifida. They must have been scared out of their minds. Sonny says, that’s an understatement, and Brando asks how they got through it. Sonny says, they leaned heavily on each other, and Carly says, when she was scared, Sonny let her be scared. He really was strong for her. Sonny says, and she was for him. Carly says, frightening as it was, it brought them closer together, and Sonny says, he’s sure it’s doing the same for them, right? Sasha says she’s sorry they missed Thanksgiving. It must have been wonderful having everyone together. Sonny says, next year, all three of them are coming, and Brando says, they look forward to it. Carly asks if they’ve named their son yet, and Brando says, Liam Mike, short for Michael, after the man who was so good to him when he was growing up. Sonny says his dad would have been very honored, and Brando asks if Sonny wants to see him. Sonny says he’s been waiting for Brando to ask, and they leave. Sasha says, Brando wants to be so strong for her, and Carly takes her hand.

Maxie jets, and Drew follows. Chase tells Brook, he knows Valentin said otherwise, but let’s give him some privacy. Valentin asks Anna not to go, and she stay’s behind. She tells Bailey, it’s quite a little gift Valentin is giving her, and tells Valentin, so beautiful. Outside, Drew asks Maxie, what’s wrong? and she says, it upsets her to see someone separated from a child they love. Brook says, it couldn’t be helped, and Chase tells Drew, Valentin thought he was Bailey’s father, and Drew says, and Chase is; Monica told him. He knows Valentin and the Quartermaines have had their issues, but he might not be there if not for Valentin, Anna, and his brother Jason, may he rest in peace. Maxie quickly walks away.  

Britt asks if Austin feels this loyalty to all the mothers of the babies he’s delivered, and he says, given the circumstances of Louise’s birth, and her bizarre disappearance, can she blame him? She says, maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep an eye on Peter, and he says, right. Your enemy’s enemy and all that. She says he has a peculiar habit of being around when things go wrong, whether it’s Maxie giving birth in the woods, or Peter showing up at GH, and he says, and when she loses a dear friend? He doesn’t think things could get much worse, so let’s hope they get better soon.

Nina asks why Peter is here. Why isn’t he locked up in Pentenville? Peter says, she didn’t hear about Jason nearly killing. Because of Jason, he requires medical attention. Nina says, what a shame. Too bad his aim wasn’t better. Peter tells the officers that he and Nina are practically family, and they know how family squabbles can get. Tell him, did her friend Mike finally fly to her rescue, or what? She gets down so they’re face to face, and says, you son of a bitch. There’s a place in hell reserved just for you. He says, people keep telling him that, but he ventures to think she’ll beat him there.

Sasha tells Carly, she made a vow; no more waterworks. Her baby and Brando need her. Carly says, Liam and Brando need her to be healthy, which means she needs to rest. And like it or not, it means doing what the nurses tell her. Sasha says, Epiphany and Elizabeth are having great fun bossing her around, and Carly laughs, saying, she bets. She knows it’s not the experience Sasha looked for, but it sounds like she’ll be able to go home soon. Sasha says, and they’re taking Liam Mike with them. Carly says she likes the name. She kisses Sasha’s forehead, and says she’s going to go, and let Sasha rest. Sasha thanks Carly for being a good friend to her, and Carly says, her pleasure. She’s always here for Sasha. Always. She leaves, and Sasha picks up her and looks at Liam’s picture. She says, you hear that, Liam. You will be coming home with us.

Brando tells Sonny, the tubes feed Liam, and he has a special blanket to cool him down, to help his brain recover from the lack of oxygen. Sonny says, it sounds backwards, and Brando laughs, saying, you’d think it was to keep him warm, but it’s the opposite. Sonny says, you’re never more raw and vulnerable as when you become a father, and Brando asks how Sonny does it. How does he handle the constant fear? Sonny says, you just don’t let it dominate your life. He always pictures Donna’s smile, Avery’s laugh. Kristina, Michael, and Dante are all grown up, but he still worries about them. He’s not Josslyn’s biological father, but he considers her his daughter; he’s her dad. One thing he’s learned about raising kids is, you have absolutely no control. Brando says, that’s a lesson that’s tough for him to learn, but Sonny says, Brando did a great job. He gave his son a great name; Liam Mike. A little Irish charm; his dad’s fighting spirit. Brando asks what makes Sonny sure Liam’s got it, and Sonny says, what makes him think Liam’s not a quitter? Because it runs in the family.

Britt says she has the feeling Austin doesn’t want to keep tabs on Peter out of some professional interest. Austin says he is concerned about Maxie’s physical and emotional well-being, especially now that he’s met the father of her child. Britt says, no one is underestimating the harm Peter is capable of causing, but he’s under guard 24/7, and once he’s released from the hospital, he’ll be locked away for the rest of his unnatural life. Austin says, maybe, but after spending even just a little time with him, he doesn’t sound like a guy who’s giving up on getting his family back. He sounds like a high stakes poker player who’s very pleased with himself because he still has an ace up his sleeve.

Valentin walks into the foyer with Bailey, and tells her, in France, they say, au revoir, mon cheri, which means, until we meet again. Au revoir, mon cheri. He tries not to cry, and gives Bailey to Brook. He and Anna leave, and Brook sighs. Outside, Valentin cries, and Anna holds him. She asks, it’s done. Is he okay? She takes his face in her hands, and says, ready to go? He nods.

Maxie grabs her coat and bag, and says, too many lies, too many hearts broken and lives destroyed. This has to stop. She walks out.

Nina asks the guards if she and Peter could have a second. He’s not going to go anywhere; please? Peter tells them, he’ll be fine. They can go. They leave (highly unlikely IRL), and Nina leans down again, and asks what Peter is intending. He says, me? and she says, yeah, you. He says he doesn’t have to lift a finger. She sealed her own fate in beautiful Nixon Falls when she fell in love with another woman’s husband, and not just any woman, the feisty Carly Corinthos. Frankly, he’s surprised to see Nina in town. He would have thought Carly had run her out of town on a rail by now, right after tarring and feathering her first of course (🍷)… or doesn’t she know. Nina gets up to see Carly standing behind Peter. Rut-roh.

On Monday, Chase says there’s something someone needs to know, Laura wants out of the safe house now, Sonny sees why Britt was special to Jason, and Peter tells Nina to let Carly be the judge of that.

🩰 She Knows Him…

I did know she had a dance background, but didn’t know about Cats.

🏚 She Wants Out Now…

Laura returns to the Port Charles canvas.

🥀 What a Dahl…

Another farewell. I’d forgotten she was Lorenzo Lamas’s mom.

https://people.com/movies/arlene-dahl-actress-turned-beauty-mogul-dead-at-96/

👸🏼 The Princess Returns…

Mac’s better half is home for the holidays.

⚖️ Oh No She Isn’t…

I hadn’t heard this rumor, but I’m glad it’s not true.

📽 Four’s Not a Crowd…

It must have been like old GH home week on this set.

🥁 Soaping the Season…

A good time for a worthy cause.

🏔 She’s Too Good…

Ugh. This woman. She’s like the fly in the Salt Lake ointment.

📿 Housewife Side Hustle…

Garcelle sells her glitzy wares.

🧨 Already It Starts…

And one of them isn’t even on the show.

🃏 I Resemble That…

Eboni did not find it a laughing matter.

😭 Boo-Hoo-Hoo…

Attention ladies, Juicy Joe is once again available.

📺 Sadly, She’s Right…

I’m sure I lose many braincells every time I watch reality TV. Actually, it’s surprising I have a brain at all at this point.

📡 Quotes of the Week

It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err. – Mahatma Gandhi

A man travels the world in search of what he needs and returns home to find it. – George Moore

Rather, ten times, die in the surf, heralding the way to a new world, than stand idly on the shore. – Florence Nightingale

To be a revolutionary you have to be a human being. You have to care about people who have no power. – Jane Fonda

It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting. – Paulo Coelho

Wisely, and slow. They stumble that run fast. – William Shakespeare

Success is a collection of problems solved. – I. M. Pei

With no positivity, there is no hope; with no negativity, there is no improvement. – Criss Jami

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. – Mark Twain

Is your secret job in a red flag factory?Kalani Faagata, 90 Day Fiancé

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

🗼 Au Revoir, Not Goodbye…

Enjoy your next two days off, or on, or whatever your status. See you at the finale of the Dead. Until then, stay safe, stay living without regret, and stay knowing that when you see only dustballs and clothes, the boogie man has no power over you.

November 17, 2021 – Nina Crosses Paths With Three People, Austen Gets a Text From an Evil Sorcerer, Salty Wives, Old News, Word On the Ultimate & The 18th

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

At Rice Plaza, Willow says Wiley has been such a good boy while they were shopping, why don’t they celebrate with some hot chocolate? She sees Nina on a bench, dealing with work calls.

Phyllis is wiping down the bar at Charlie’s, when Carly comes in. Carly says, Sonny has Phyllis working already, and Phyllis says, Sonny is counting on her to make this place a success. Since there’s no time like the present… Carly says she thinks Sonny is so excited to have Phyllis in Port Charles, if she made Charlie’s a success, that’s just an added bonus. Phyllis asks if she can get Carly something, but Carly doesn’t want to interrupt her while she’s busy. Phyllis says she has time to talk; what’s on Carly’s mind? Carly says Sonny’s told her so much about Phyllis, she thought they could get to know each other one-on-one.

Alexis sees Sonny at the hospital, and says, she was wondering when she’d run into him. He says, he’s glad she’s back, and they hug.

Maxie goes to the reception desk, and Austin says, she gives Bobbie a ride to work and picks her up; she’s a good friend. She says, actually, she came to talk to him, and he asks, what’s up? She says she doesn’t like the way they left things. He’s obviously angry with her, and she’d like to know what she did.

Dante is in the shower, when his phone rings. Still at the gallery, Olivia says, pick up, but gets voicemail. She tells him, Leo is missing. Please come to Ava’s gallery right away. She needs his help. Ned joins her with Brook, and she says, any word? He says, Leo’s gone.

Spencer tells Trina, congratulations on a job well done, and she thanks him. She says, she has to admit, she was a bit nervous, but everything went off without a hitch. Esme says, it really did. So amazing.

Brando asks if Ava has seen Sasha, but she hasn’t. He says, she must still be in the ladies room, and Ava says, for a pregnant woman in her third trimester, that’s a solid guess. Is everything all right? He says, he found out some amazing news about their baby, and can’t wait to talk to Sasha about it.

Gladys says, dammit. This door is jammed tight. This place is a firetrap. Sasha says, oh no, and Gladys says, don’t worry. On the bright side, when they get out of here, they can sue Ava and make a nice little bundle; get some free art in the process… Sasha says, that’s not what she meant, and Gladys asks, what is it? Sasha says, her water just broke.

Austin says he’s not angry with Maxie. This is just what disagreement looks like, and they’ve agreed to disagree when it comes to Brook. She says, and Gladys? and he says, he won’t run down Maxie’s friend in front of her anymore. He promises. She says she appreciates that. She knows what Brook did to him was unforgivable, but… He says, there’s no but in that sense. What she did was unforgivable period. She says, at least Brook was looking out for her family, and he says, of which he’s a part of. She says, Gladys just looks out for Gladys. He flashes back to Gladys telling him, it’s not about what Brook did to her, it’s what she’s doing to a dear, kind extremely handsome friend of hers, and he says, Valentin Cassadine. He tells Maxie, maybe Gladys just needs someone to talk to, and Maxie says, she kind of thinks Gladys talks too much. He doesn’t understand why it bothers her so much, and she says, because of Brook.

Sonny tells Alexis, Kristina called him, and said Alexis had been released from prison. Kristina was so excited, she almost blew his eardrum out. Alexis says, the lengths she’ll go, to have their daughter miss her. She’s sorry for what she did to Dante. Sonny says, she wouldn’t have picked up the syringe if… She says she wasn’t drunk out of her mind, but he says she was worked up about Peter August writing that article that Franco was dangerous. She thanks him for making excuses, but says he doesn’t have to do that. He asks how she’s doing, and she says she just came from a meeting, if that’s any indication. He says, it indicates she’s committed to staying sober, and she says, ten months today. She asks what he’s doing here, and he says he had a doctor’s appointment. She says, good place to come; there’s a lot of doctors here. He says he’s more concerned about her. Rough reentry? She says, yeah, but she’s hoping in time, things get back to normal. He laughs, saying, that’s not going to happen, and she says, thanks for the pep talk. He says, when things change, they change for the good.

Wiley runs to Nina, and she picks him up. Willow just stands there, staring at her, and Nina puts him back down.

Phyllis says, she’s looking forward to getting to know Sonny’s family, and Carly says, they’re looking forward to getting to know her too. She was told Phyllis moved out of the MetroCourt. Did she find an apartment? Phyllis says, not exactly; she’s living here. Carly says, in that dingy old office of Julian’s? Phyllis says, it’s a perfectly good room, but Carly says, it’s not. Please come back to the MetroCourt, and she’ll help Phyllis find an apartment. Phyllis says, thank you, but the back room is fine. She likes to keep things simple. Too much time in a small town, she guesses. Carly says, a very nice small town. Sonny told her things were good in Nixon Falls, and Phyllis says, they were. Carly asks if Phyllis will tell her about it.

Sasha says she can’t be stuck in here. Her water broke. She’s about to give birth. She has to get to the hospital. Gladys asks if she’s having contractions, and Sasha says, she was having discomfort before, so maybe. Gladys says she’s adorable. When she has a real contraction, she’ll know it. The good news is, they have some time. Babies don’t just pop right out. She still has no service, and suggests they try Sasha’s phone, but Sasha says she left it with Brando. Gladys says, not a problem; that’s Plan A. She bangs on the door again, and yells, we’re stuck in here! Sasha yowls, and sits down, and Gladys runs over. She says, contraction, and tells Sasha to just hang on to her. She can do this.

Dante arrives at the gallery, and Olivia hugs him, saying, thank God he’s here. They’ve got to find Leo. He says, walk him through it, and Brook says, she was right over there with Leo, turned around for a second, and he was gone. She checked the back room, the hallways, the bathroom. Her dad is outside checking the parking lot in case Leo left something in the car. Dante says, they’re covering a lot of ground, and Trina asks, what’s going on? Brook says, Leo is missing, and Trina asks what they can do to help. Ned runs in, and says, the valet saw Leo outside, and Olivia says, he just let Leo run off? Ned says, other people were leaving, and he assumed Leo was with them. Olivia starts to cry, saying, somebody could have walked off with him, but Dante says, calm down. She says he’s right, and Ned tells her, the valet said Leo didn’t seem upset; he was calm. Dante wants to talk to the valet, and Ned leaves with him. Ava says she’ll check the outside security footage, and Spencer says, there’s an ice cream truck on the corner. Trina says, kids love ice cream, and they jet, with Esme following. Brook says she’s going to check the gallery again, and Olivia says she’ll go in the opposite direction. If Brook sees anything, scream bloody murder. Brook says, they’ll find Leo, and Olivia says, damn straight they will.

Austin wonders what him being friendly with Gladys has to do with Maxie and Brook, and Maxie says, Gladys hates Brook. He says he can’t imagine why, and she says she’ll tell him. Gladys is Brook’s assistant, and Brook has this crazy notion Gladys should assist, as in do her job. He can’t imagine working for Brook is a picnic, and Maxie says, who knows? Glady’s sure doesn’t. All Gladys does is complain. She’s a terrible employee, and an even worse human being. He says, why not just fire her? and Maxie says, that’s beside the point, but he asks what the point is. She says she needs a cease fire between him and Brook, and he asks why it’s so important to her. She says, if he keeps going after Brook, she might be collateral damage.

Nina says, it’s good to see Wiley; she’s missed him so much. She looks at Willow, and tells Wiley, she’s sorry, but she has to go. Wiley tells her to stay, and she says she wants to, but she has to go. She’s about to cry, and Willow says, they were just going to get some hot chocolate. She should stay. Nina takes Wiley’s hand.

Phyllis tells Carly, then, the bartender quit an hour into his shift. Lenny was so mad. They really had their hands full. Carly asks what they did, and Phyllis says, adapted. Has anything like that ever happened at the MetroCourt? Carly says, they’ve had their share of walk-outs, but they have so much staff, there’s always someone to cover. Phyllis says, must be nice, and Carly says, even with the five-star rating, it’s hard to get good help. Phyllis says, it’s not every day that someone like Mike comes along. She’s sorry. She’s still getting used to calling him Sonny. Carly says, it’s okay. Phyllis didn’t know Mike was really Sonny Corinthos. Nina knew it.

Olivia and Brook come back, and Olivia tells Ned, they checked all around the building. Brook says, even the dumpsters, and Dante says, he put in a missing child alert. Spencer, Trina, and Esme come in, and Spencer says, they checked out the ice cream truck. Trina says, they looked up and down the street, and she’s sorry, but… Esme says, nobody remembers seeing Leo. Ava says she checked the footage, and Leo seemed absolutely fine, walking down the sidewalk, as calm as can be. Dante asks where he was headed, and Ava says, south. Dante says, near the harbor. Was there anyone with him? Ava says, not that she saw, and Olivia wonders where he could be going. Ned asks Brook to go over it one more time. Where were they? She takes him over to the octopus portrait, and says, right over here. Leo wanted to show her the pictures, and they were looking at the pictures when she got distracted by some cater waiter. By the time she turned around, Leo was gone. Ned says he thinks he knows where Leo went.

Gladys yells, help! We’re stuck in here! Woman in labor! She asks why Sasha gave Brando her phone, and Sasha says, they were going to wait to find out the sex of the baby, but a nurse accidentally revealed it in an email. Gladys says, so Sasha knows? and Sasha says she does. Gladys says, don’t hold her in suspense; she’s got baby clothes to buy. Sasha says she’ll tell Gladys, but only after Brando knows. Gladys says, she didn’t tell him yet? and Sasha says, that’s why she gave him her phone. So he could decide for himself whether he wants to know or not. Gladys says, of course (🍷) he wants to know, and bangs on the door some more, yelling, woman having a baby! Gladys asks if they’re having a boy or a girl, when Sasha has another contraction. Gladys yells, in here! and Brando comes down the hall. He says, mom? and she says, the door’s stuck. He realizes something is shoved in the door jamb, and pulls it out. He opens the door, and Gladys says, that was quick, calling him her big strong son. He says, the door was wedged shut, and she asks if he’s saying somebody locked him in. She flashes back to Brook opening the door for a moment, and leaving when Gladys said she was off the clock. She says, that little snake, and Sasha has another contraction. Brando runs over to her, and asks if she’s okay. She says, they have to hurry. The baby’s coming.

Alexis tells Sonny, she knows her time in the pokey changed her. For better or worse remains to be seen. He says, she seems a little lost, but she’s going to find her way, and she asks how he knows that. He says, because she’s Alexis Davis, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. She says, right. So word on the street is, since he’s been back, he’s a little nicer. He laughs, and says she can’t believe everything she hears. She says, that’s what she was thinking too. Maybe a little more mellow. He says, all right, and she says, she was thinking, because for the better part of a year, he wasn’t living like a criminal. He says, that’s true, and she says, correct her if she’s wrong, but he lost his memory. He’s a man without a past, so he’s got a clean slate, right? He says, something like that, and she says he has no idea how appealing that sounds to her.

Brando brings Sasha into the hospital, and Maxie asks, what’s going on? Did something happen with the baby? Brando says Sasha is having it, and Maxie says, right now? Austin brings a wheelchair over, and says, have a seat. Sasha sits, and he asks, who’s her OB? She says, Dr. Navarro. They called her on the way over, and she’s waiting on 4. Maxie says she knows this is a really weird thing to say right now, but she loves Sasha’s outfit. Sasha says, they were at the Photo Ark exhibit at the Jerome gallery; one last night out before the baby. Maxie says she made it just under the wire, and Sasha says, oh my God. When she leaves this hospital, she’s going to be a mom. She doesn’t think she’s ready. Maxie tells her, she already is a mom. She’s just getting ready to meet her baby. Austin, Brando, and Sasha go into the elevator.

Carly says, Sonny told her that he and Nina knew each other in Nixon Falls. She knew him, and never said a word to him about his family back home. And the worst part is, Nina came back to Port Charles several times while Sonny was there, and saw her. She saw Sonny’s family. She saw them mourning, and lied to their faces. Phyllis says, what Nina did was terrible, and Carly says she’s sorry. That’s not why she came here. They should stop talking about Nina. Phyllis asks if Carly is sure she wants to. She seems to have a lot to get off her chest. Carly says, because she can’t let it go. Every time she sees Nina, every time she thinks about her, she’s filled with so much anger and rage. Phyllis says, it sounds like a hard burden to carry, and Carly says, it is. Phyllis says she has to ask, is all this anger at Nina worth her energy?

Trina hopes Ned is right about where Leo went, and Spencer says he ran away once or twice when he was little; he was always okay. Granted, he was a little bit older than Leo is. Trina says, Joss and Cam told her that he had a chauffeur named Chandler that was with him most of the time. Spencer says, not when he ran away. He had Chandler drop him off first. Trina says, of course (🍷) he did, and Esme says, she loves the idea of little Spence up to no good, but Spencer says he’s not sure the people who had to live through it would agree with her. Trina asks, what was up with Sasha and Mrs. Corbin being stuck in the back room? How did that even happen? Of course (🍷) poor Sasha goes into labor. It’s a good thing Brando found Sasha, and got her to the hospital. Otherwise, she would have been stuck back there having the baby. Esme says, Trina was in the back room right before they were, right? and Trina says, she had to get the check and the flowers for Mr. Sartore. Spencer says, it’s lucky Trina didn’t get stuck back there with them. That would have been awful. Esme says, I know, right? It’s terrible.

Olivia and Ned go down to the docks, and call for Leo. Olivia asks if he really thinks Leo would come there; it’s so dark and scary. They shine their flashlights around, and see Leo, lying on the ground.

Sonny says, a clean slate’s not all it’s cracked up to be, and she says, she had a lot of time in prison to sit around and catalog her mistakes. She thinks it would be good to forget all that, but he says, he didn’t just forget all his mistakes. He forgot all the good things; his wife, his kids, her. He knows she doesn’t know Lenny and Phyllis, but they were great. They took him in. He was real happy in Nixon Falls, but then he got his memory back, and he couldn’t run fast enough to get home. She says she gets that. She wouldn’t want to forget her daughters. Her love life is an entirely different story. The last two alone; one tried to kill her, and the other one died in her bed. Who’d want to remember that? He says, think of it this way, it’s got to be better next time, right? She laughs, and says, not really. It’s so cute that he thinks there’s going to be a next time. She’s done. He tells her, if she says so, and she says she does. Actually, she should start looking for love, because he knows the saying, when you stop looking for love is when you find it.

Willow says, Wiley remembers Cindy from daycare, right? She’s going to take him to see Tom the Turkey, while she and Grandma Nina have a little chat. Cindy takes Wiley, and Nina thanks Willow. Willow says she did it for Wiley, and Nina says she knows. She just hopes Michael isn’t too angry when he hears. Willow says, just so Nina knows, she agrees with Michael about her not seeing Wiley, at least not right now. But chances are, their paths are going to cross from time to time, and she didn’t see the point in dragging Wiley away when he was so happy to see her. He misses his grandma. Nina says she missed him too, and Willow says, he also missed Sonny when he was gone. Nina says, of course (🍷). She just wants Willow to know that she’s very grateful for whatever time she can spend with Wiley. Willow says she really hates what Nina did, and doesn’t know if she can forgive Nina for it, but she’s also not going to make Wiley pay for Nina’s actions.

Carly isn’t sure she understands the question, and Phyllis says, she certainly doesn’t expect Carly to forgive Nina, but hopes Carly moves on for her own sake. Carly says that’s really hard for her, and Phyllis says she knows, but it seems Carly’s anger at Nina is only hurting her. Carly says, Nina stole more than time with her husband. She’s known Sonny for decades. She knows him better than anyone, and now, thanks to Nina, there’s a nine-month gap where Sonny was someone else; some guy named Mike. And she’s never going to know that guy. There’s a part of Sonny’s life where he’s a stranger to her, and she hates that. Phyllis says, of course (🍷) she does, but even though that gap exists, it doesn’t mean Carly has to get stuck in it. Carly says, it would be a lot easier if Nina left Port Charles; if her offices weren’t in Carly’s hotel. Phyllis says she understands Sonny spoke to Nina, told her to steer clear of him and his family. Carly says, yeah, and Phyllis says, has Nina complied? Carly says, more or less. She’s Nina’s landlord; they’re bound to cross paths. Phyllis says, it seems to her that both Sonny and Nina are trying to move forward. Can Carly try as well?

Gladys comes into the hospital, and Brando tells her that Dr. Navarro is in with Sasha. Gladys wants to see her, but Brando suggests they give her some privacy. She says, sorry; he’s right. She’s just so excited. A baby. Have they thought of any names yet? Please tell her that they’re not naming the kid Feather, or Storm, or some wacky thing with all consonants. He says, she’ll just have to wait and see, and she says, so everyone tells her. How’s Sasha doing? He says, the contractions are coming faster now. He hopes she’s not in labor long. Gladys asks if he has someplace to be, and he says, no, but it’s hard to wait, especially when he can’t do anything. She says, is he kidding? He’s done plenty already. Sasha needs to be alone; he’s leaving her alone. He’ll be right by her side when she needs him close, and when the baby does come, he’ll be right there, holding her hand. Just be careful. Sometimes, women squeeze so hard, they can break your hand. He says, it’ll be worth it, and she says, at least he’s in the hospital. No place better, right? He says, that’s one way to look at it, and she says she can always find the silver lining. She meant to ask him. He said the door of the back room at the gallery was wedged shut? He says, it was, and she says, like someone was locking them in there on purpose. He says, it was definitely put there on purpose. Whoever did it, probably thought there wasn’t anyone inside. She says, maybe, and he asks why anyone would want to lock her and Sasha inside? She says she has some ideas.

Olivia and Ned run to Leo, and help him up. Olivia asks, what happened? Talk to her. Ned examines Leo’s head, and says, no bump, and Leo repeats, no bump. Olivia asks what Leo was thinking, wandering away from the gallery all by himself? Dante and Brook join them, and Brook says, thank God. Dante asks if Leo is okay, and Ned says, he doesn’t appear to be injured. He was just lying on his stomach by the edge of the dock. Brook asks, what happened? and Ned says he doesn’t know. He asks Leo to look at him, and asks what Leo was doing down by the docks. Leo says, looking for an octopus, and Olivia says, in the dark by himself? He doesn’t have a jacket. Isn’t he cold? Leo says he likes it there, and Brook asks if he was trying to find an octopus like the one in the picture. Olivia says, he can’t just wander off by himself like that; it’s dangerous. They were all frantic about him. Can he see how scared she is?

Brando asks Sasha what the doctor said, and she tells him, she’s only two centimeters dilated, so it’s going to be a while. He sits, and says he’s just sorry he wasn’t there to help. Sasha says she’s glad he wasn’t stuck in there with them. They might have never gotten out. He hopes his mother didn’t make things worse, and she says, actually, Gladys was really helpful. He says, Gladys who? and Sasha says, Gladys kept her cool, and kept her calm. He says, will wonders never cease? Gladys comes in with a bunch of magazines, and says she brought them some distractions. They can catch up on celebrity dirt while waiting for the kid to arrive. Sasha thanks her, saying, it’s exactly what she needed. Gladys says, of course (🍷) it is. Now let’s get this show on the road. She’s ready to be the best grandma ever.

Nina says she noticed Willow wasn’t at the courthouse with Michael when she got extradited to Pennsylvania, and Willow says, she didn’t know. Nina asks if Willow would have gone along with him if she’d known, and Willow tells her, all she can say is, she understands Michael’s anger; his need to make Nina answer for what she did. Nina says, Michael has every right to be angry. If she were him, she’d have a hard time forgiving her too. Willow says, the way she sees it, the court will decide Nina’s punishment, and that’ll be that. Nina hopes she’s not causing any problems between Willow and Michael, and Willow says she isn’t. Whatever happens between her and Michael, has nothing to do with Nina. Nina says, of course (🍷). It’s just that she’s truly sorry if she caused them pain. Willow says, Nina kept her son’s grandfather from him, and lied to their faces about it. She’s not ready to hear Nina’s apology. Nina says she never intended to hurt anyone. She just wasn’t thinking about the children. She would never intentionally hurt a child. She just wasn’t thinking. Willow says, and now everyone is paying the price.

Ava says, good news. Leo’s been found, and he’s okay. Trina asks, where was he? and Ava says, down by the harbor. Trina says, he walked all the way there on his own? In the dark? Ava says, terrifying, isn’t it? There’s really nothing worse than thinking your child is in danger. She looks at Spencer.

Austin wonders if he can ask Maxie a question; it might be kind of sensitive. She says, that depends; what’s the question? He says, seeing Sasha come in to deliver a baby, did she think of Louise? More than she usually does? Maxie says, yeah. Seeing Sasha go into labor definitely brought back memories, but at least Sasha gets to have her baby in the hospital. She didn’t have that luxury with Louise. Or James. He says he has every faith Louise will be returned to her, and she says she misses Louise very much, but just wants her to be safe. He says he’s sorry. She has a very soft heart. She says, she didn’t used to. She’s not even sure she does now. What makes him say that? He says, for one thing, she seems to want everybody to get along, and she says, why bring more discord into a world that already has enough? He says, fair enough. He won’t be unkind to Gladys, but he won’t go out of his way to see her. She thinks that’s best for everyone, but he says he’ll have to take her word on that. Can he ask her another question? She says, how sensitive is this one? and he says, kinda sensitive. Before Sasha came in here, Maxie was saying that if he didn’t get along with Brook, somehow she’d be collateral damage. What does she mean by that?

Dante asks how Ned knew to look down at the docks, and Ned says he was doing some reading about children on the autism spectrum. Many of them are really attracted to water. First responders are taught to search the nearest body of water whenever a child with autism goes missing. Dante says, that’s true, and puts his arm around Olivia. He says he’s going to check on his little brother, and goes over to where Brook is sitting with Leo. Ned asks if Olivia is all right, but she says, no. She’s nowhere near all right. He tells her, he’s not saying Leo is definitely on the spectrum… and she says, they wouldn’t have known where to look for him. She starts to cry, and says she’s scared. He holds her, and says, he’s right here.

Gladys says, can you believe it? Two of he most beautiful, highest paid people in the world fighting over who gets more from the sale of their chateau. Brando tells Sasha to breathe, and she says she thinks she’s good. He asks if she’s sure, and she nods. Gladys says, that was a doozy. Distraction. They spotted him with his ex-wife. Brando tells her, Sasha’s tired, and Gladys says, and? He says he thinks Sasha needs some quiet, and the lightbulb comes on. Gladys says she’ll go grab a coffee or something. She’ll let them relax, but don’t worry; she’ll be back. Sasha says she wouldn’t have it any other way, and Brando closes the door, saying, she’s gone. Sasha says, thank God. She feels bad saying it, because Gladys was very helpful today… He says, but she’s his mom, and she says, exactly. He says, now that they’re finally alone, he can tell her. He read the email. She says he couldn’t stand the suspense, huh? He says he would have been thrilled either way, but now – he takes her hands – he can’t wait to meet their son.

Spencer tells Esme, what a great night, even if it was here. He’s so happy for Trina. Esme turns around, staring daggers at Trina, and says, her too. Can they go now? She really wants to be alone with him. She kisses him, and Trina sees.

Maxie tells Austen, she’s just looking out for her friend, and he says, she’s only a recent friend, right? She says, so? He’s only a recent friend, and she looked out for him with Chase. He says she told him once that she and Brook used to be enemies. What does she care if Brook gets some well-deserved payback? She says, please. She needs him to trust her when she asks him to just let this go. For her sake. He asks if she and Brook are in some kind of trouble.

Brook tells Leo, the next time he wants to see some marine life, she’ll just take him to the aquarium. Okay, little bro? They hear a siren, and Leo yells out, and covers his ears. Dante says, it’s just a police car, and Brook says, Leo’s been through a lot tonight. Olivia thanks Ned for being there for her tonight, and he says, always. She says she has to get Leo home. Is he coming? She holds out her hand, and he takes it. She says, they’ve got a lot to talk about.

Brando says, the contractions are getting closer together, and Sasha says, this is really happening. Is he ready? He says he’s ready, and kisses her hand.

Brook calls Gladys, and asks her to listen. Gladys says, Brook made a huge mistake. Her grandkid could have gotten hurt. Brook says she doesn’t know what Gladys talking about, but she needs to listen. She has an offer for Gladys. Gladys says, too little, too late, because Brook went too far. Whatever happens next, is on her. Brook says she doesn’t know what Gladys thinks she did, and Gladys hangs up.

Sonny says it’s really good to see Alexis. She says, it’s good to see him too. As for his respite in Nixon Falls, she hopes he doesn’t miss it too much. She tickles his stomach, and leaves.

Willow tells Wiley, time to go, and Nina thanks her for her compassion. Willow says, she just wants what’s best for Wiley, and Nina tells Wiley that she loves him so much. It was great to spend time with him and talk with him. She asks for a hug, and Wiley hugs her. Carly comes along and sees them.

Tomorrow, Willow says it isn’t someone’s decision to make (my guess: Carly), Sasha advises Brando against something, Maxie asks what Austin thinks she and Brook are up to, Carly asks what it’s going to take to keep Nina away from Wiley, and Jason is told, time’s up.

Winter House

I immediately got a headache with everyone yelling, wazzup? Paige told Andrea that Amanda said he wanted to stay a single guy, and he said he wanted to go home knowing he’d met a cool chick he wanted to see again. He wasn’t pulling out a ring after five days. In Paige’s interview, she said, she didn’t love that he wanted to leave being a single guy, but dating after knowing each other two weeks was crazy. I think she might have that backwards. I can see dating after two weeks, but not being exclusive. Andrea said he was old school, and wanted to get to know someone. He didn’t get why everyone wanted to make a big deal out of it. Kyle was passed out, and the girls threw Jenga blocks on him. Austen and Ciara, and Paige and Andrea all got in the same bed, and fell asleep, Andrea eventually tip-toeing out.

In Lindsay’s interview, she said, Jason was hot AF and could cook. He’d been there the whole time, and she’d been distracted by idiots. Kyle said his parents were joining them on the slopes, and in Amanda’s interview, she said she’d been a pro skier in her mind in middle school, and then forgot about it until she met Kyle. He came from a family skiers, and it was a lot of pressure. His grandmother had been in the 1940 Olympics, and his parents had met on a blind skiing date. Luke tapped a tree, and said he might as well, since he wasn’t going to be tapping anything else. They headed out to ski and snowboard, Jason saying he wanted radical it up. Those lifts scare TF out of me. Why don’t they have seatbelts? In Gabby’s interview, she said she’d been rejected, and we flashed back to her telling Luke that she wanted him inside her, and him sending her immediately to the friendzone. Seriously though, who says something like that ten minutes after meeting someone? She said she was resetting her mind. She was the Lone Ranger.

Kyle’s mom thought Amanda did fantastic; Kyle, not so much, since he fell at every turn. The girls went to have alcohol, while the dudes got more skiing in – real skiing, as they put it. In Paige’s interview, she wanted to be able to go back home saying, at least I didn’t sleep with him, in case things didn’t work out with Andrea. In Ciara’s interview, she claimed she never had feelings for anyone the way she did for Austen. She thought she could fall for him. In Jason’s interview, he said he was scared when he met Lindsay, but it was a treat. He loved a strong women. There was going to be no sleeping on this trip. Julia got flowers, chocolates, and a bear from her boyfriend, who missed her. No offense to him, but how cliché, and he’s 42. Come on. He can do better. In Craig’s interview, he said there were times he wished Natalie was there, but he was enjoying being by himself. He was in a weird headspace. When hasn’t Craig been in a weird headspace? And can we stop using the word headspace? Austen went to Ciara’s room, and covered the camera.

In Kyle’s interview, he said he partied a lot, but worked even more. He worked hard, so when he partied, it was going to be extreme. Ciara said she was a smitten kitten, and Austen brought her coffee in the morning. Andrea did the same for Paige. Viking hats were passed out, some with braids, and in Luke’s interview, he said, he grew up in Minnesota around a lot of Scandinavian people, and did a lot of outdoor winter activities. He wanted to get everyone outdoors in the elements. Kyle said, welcome to the first annual Nordic games. It wasn’t going to be easy, but it would be worth it. Luke led The Great Heathen Army team, and Jason led The Skull Crushers. It was no Squid Games, but actually kind of fun to watch them do things like log throwing and tug-of-war. To keep with the theme of adolescent idiocy, Ciara wore a bikini, and Gabby was also scantily clad. After the games, it was on to the hot tub.

Austen got a text, and was all, WTF? Then went off to his room, saying, leave me alone, to no one. Everyone got ready for what Kyle called a nice Viking dinner. Kyle danced, shirtless, in front of the mirror, singing, let’s work it, reminding me why I hate this show. Amanda wondered if Jason was for real, and told Julia that she wanted to make sure he was being genuine. Julia personally endorsed him, and in her interview, she said, it was hard to be without her boyfriend in a party house. Austen told Craig that someone had reached out to him, telling him that Madison had gone to the hospital. He unblocked her, and she’d texted him that she’d had a seizure while she was cooking, and Hudson called the ambulance. He asked if she was okay, and she said she was. He told Craig, WTF? His life was wonderful, and he’d met a great girl who was all about it. Craig said Madison had made Austen start doubting himself, and she was a bad person. I have to agree with that one. In Craig’s interview, he said, Madison’s biggest pleasure in life is putting Austen though hell, and we flashed back to that. He said, Austen was finally getting over her and moving on, but somehow this evil sorcerer will never let him go. Andrea joined them, and Austen said, Madison had texted, please tell me you haven’t moved on. Ciara knocked at the door, and Craig said, go away.

Ciara reported back, and Paige said she thought the boys were weird right now. Austen not coming in the hot tub gave her a weird feeling. Andrea said Austen had to move on, and Craig asked if Austen wanted to be a pawn. Austen wondered if he should say anything to Ciara, since he didn’t want to scare her off, but Craig said he couldn’t be honest about this. After the guys were done with their confab, Paige tried to pump Andrea for information, but he said he had no gossip. The conversation was all about how much Austen liked Ciara. In Andrea’s interview, he said, it wasn’t his secret to share. He respected the bro code. In Paige’s interview, she said she hated the whole male species, because they lie. The obligatory turkey legs were served, deep fried. They lifted the turkey legs in the air, and Craig said it was the best cooked meat he’d ever had in his life. Julia asked what Andrea’s intentions were with her girl, and Austen told her, shut up. That was the dumbest thing he ever heard in his life. All this did was put the focus on him, and Amanda asked Austen where it was going with Ciara. Austen got crazy pissed off, and Julia asked why he was mad. If Andrea and Paige were okay with it, why was he angry?

Kyle stood up, and said, nothing shouts Viking like a tri-colored carrot. Paige and Ciara talked in the kitchen, and Julia and Craig talked in the bathroom. Kyle told Jason that he crushed it. I’m always obsessed with the food on these reality shows, but the food is pretty much the only good thing on this show. Jason is impressive. I think he can do much better than Lindsay. Ciara said Austen was weirding her out, and he told her that he’d gotten out of something 4/5 months ago; it was haunting him. He was messed up from it, and wanted to be honest with her. She wondered why he was telling her now, and asked if something had set it off. Were he and his ex still in communication?

Next time, the finale 🎉 doing the limbo (never a good combination with drinking), Lindsay wants to kidnap Jason, Austen says he’s not in a place to be exclusive, Austen yells at Amanda while wearing a tutu and a giant earring (not a very effective costume for being taken seriously), and Julia says she’ll just be eating cheese while they all fight. You don’t think they’ll have a Holiday House, do you?

🧂 Pass the Salt…

What happened on The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.

https://ew.com/tv/recaps/the-real-housewives-of-salt-lake-city-season-2-episode-10/

🕶 Memory Lane…

Teresa throws shade at her SIL.

🛳 They’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat…

All about The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip.

The villa:

https://people.com/home/real-housewives-ultimate-girls-trip-triton-luxury-villa/

The Countess:

https://www.etonline.com/rhugts-luann-de-lesseps-on-introducing-other-housewives-to-the-ramona-coaster-and-the-future-of

Ridiculous Ramona:

https://radaronline.com/p/ramona-singer-kenya-moore-porsha-williams-name-rhugt-racist/

🐑 Sheep In the Distance…

Come on down tomorrow for soap and whatever’s on the Runway. Until then, stay safe, stay being dependable, and stay wanting everyone to get along. Why bring more discord into a world that already has enough?

October 26, 2021 – Sonny Has a Problem With Michael, Lala Spills Brock’s Tea, Salt Lake Latest, Not a Good Look & Riders

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Violet has her eyes covered, and asks if she can look now. Aiden tells her, go for it, and she opens her mouth in surprise. Aiden asks what she thinks, when Finn walks in with a grocery bag, baguettes sticking out of it. Violet says, look what Aunt Elizabeth brought them. Hot house presents. Elizabeth says, otherwise known as housewarming gifts, and Violet goes to the couch, saying, aren’t they pretty? Finn says, they are. He didn’t even know they needed decorative pillows. Elizabeth says, they’re not decorative pillows; they’re floor pillows. They can toss them on the floor when they’re watching movies. Violet says, and eat popcorn, and she thanks Elizabeth. Finn thanks her too, and says, what would he do without her?

Spencer and Esme walk into Kelly’s, and Esme tells him to cheer up. At least his step-grandfather paid his bail. He says, why does everything have to come with a condition? and she says, is what Doc is asking really that bad? He’s no longer in jail. He’s free to have a cup of coffee and the pastry of his choice. He asks how he’s free when Doc is making him get a job? Oh horrors.

Austin opens his office door to Ned, and says he thought he’d seen the last of the Quartermaines when he signed away his father’s claim to ELQ. Ned says, for what it’s worth (🍷), he thinks Austin made the right choice. He’s much better off practicing medicine than getting embroiled in corporate infighting. Austin says he’s not practicing medicine, because the ethics committee has yet to review Brook’s retraction. He doesn’t know what Ned is doing there, but he’s not going back to Pawtuck once the suspension is lifted. Ned says, actually, he came there for a more important reason.

Brook runs into the MetroCourt, and tells Chase, sorry she’s late. She had a meeting at Deception. He says, no biggie. He’s surprised she wanted to get a drink. She says, they’re celebrating Austin dropping his claim on ELQ, and he asks, what made Austin change his mind?

Gladys puts on the recording from her phone to type the Deception meeting notes. She hears Brook say she dreads the day Valentin finds out Bailey isn’t his daughter, and laughs. She picks up the phone, and kisses it.

On the phone with Brando, walking into the Port Charles Grill, Sasha says, the meeting was not without drama. She had to have a chat with Gladys about Brook. Gladys doesn’t think Brook is as maternal as she should be. She can only imagine what’s in store for them when their baby is born. Since the meeting is over, does he feel like meeting for dinner?… All right. She’ll see him later. She goes inside the restaurant, and Willow comes in behind her. Sasha asks if she’s meeting Michael, but Willow says, no. She’s taking a break. Sasha says, from the Quartermaines, the Corinthoses, or both? and Willow says, actually, from Michael.

On the phone with Sheridan, Michael says, Miss Reeves waived extradition, and she’s on her way to Pennsylvania. She’ll be all his soon. He’s arranged for the money to be transferred to Sheridan’s campaign fund. Good luck on his run for State Attorney General. Carly and Sonny walk in, and Michael says, he thinks prosecuting Nina Reeves is the high profile case Sheridan needs to bump him up in the polls. I’m going to say it again, how wise is this whole thing, when Sonny is head of a mob family? Is no one going to notice? Sonny asks if everything is okay, and Michael says, it couldn’t be better. Carly says, it’s big news, Nina being arrested, and Michael says, someone had to.

Sonny asks if that was about Wiley, and Michael says, if Nina’s contact with Wiley is limited because of her legal status, that’s a collateral benefit. But he brought the case to DA Sheridan’s attention because Nina’s actions were criminal, and she deserves to face legal consequences. Carly says she couldn’t agree more, and Michael says, he just hopes DA Sheridan can get justice for Avery and Donna. Two little girls who thought their father was dead are so confused, they think their Grandpa Mike is going to come back to them the same way Sonny did. Justice for Dante, Kristina and Josslyn, and for Carly, for Jason and anybody who mourned Sonny. For everyone’s lives who were upended because Nina took Sonny from them. Sonny says, Nina is obviously a very troubled woman, and she’s sorry for her actions, but Michael says, it’s an act, trust him. Right after Sonny returned, she pulled a stunt that reminded him so much of Nelle, his blood ran cold. (Exaggerate much, Michael?) He says he gave Nina chance after chance, and she betrayed his trust, so yes. He brought Nina’s actions in Nixon Falls to the attention of somebody who’s in a position to do something about it.

Willow and Sasha sit down, and Sasha asks, what’s going on with Willow and Michael? She thought they were solid. Willow says, so did she, but Sasha doesn’t need to be burdened with her problems. She has a job and a baby to deal with, besides, she shouldn’t talk about Michael behind his back. Sasha says she completely understands. She’ll just ask one more question, then Willow can tell her to shut up. Does this thing between her and Michael have anything to do with Nina’s arrest? Willow says, she heard? and Sasha says, the Port Charles Press sent out a notification. She can’t say it comes as a surprise, considering how much grief Nina caused Sonny’s family. Willow says, it’s less the arrest that troubles her, than the fact Michael was behind it, and Sasha says, that does not sound like Michael. Willow says she knows, and Sasha asks if Willow agrees with Michael’s decision. Willow says she doesn’t know. She gets why Michael did it, but he completely blindsided her.

Brook tells Chase, Austin’s circumstances changed. He realized he was better off dropping the lawsuit against her family. He asks, how exactly did his circumstances change? and she says, remember how he told her to engage Austin in conversation? Hear him out about the Leo thing? He says, of course (🍷). Was she actually listening to him? She says, shocking, she knows, but Austin ended up blabbing his diagnosis about Leo. He says, being on the autism spectrum, and she says, yep, which is none of her business, right? Austin violated HIPPA laws, and now his medical license is suspended. Chase says, and that somehow led him dropping his claim to ELQ how exactly?

Ned asks if they can sit, and Austin asks if it’s going to take that long. Ned says, that depends. He’s there to talk to Austin about Leo. Austin says, right. Leo. That sweet boy that everybody pretends to care about, but he’s really just a pawn in Ned’s family’s game. Ned says, Leo is not a pawn to him, and Austin says, he is to Ned’s daughter. Ned says, he knows Brook coerced Austin into admitting Leo might be on the autism spectrum, and Austin says, he almost lost his medical license because of her. Ned says he knows and he’s sorry. Brook can be single-minded when it comes to fighting for something she wants. Austin says he learned that the hard way, and Ned says, and his wife can be single-minded when it comes to her son, as Austin noticed. So he wants to ask Austin, as a doctor, can he give any suggestions to get her to see how they see Leo? How he can get her to move beyond her denial, so they can help Leo?

Esme asks Spencer, what’s the matter? and he says, things don’t taste as good when you have to worry about how to pay for them. She says, getting a job can’t really be that bad. He can do anything he puts his mind to. Remember when they sneaked out of school to attend Fashion Week in Paris? He says, it was her idea not his, and she says, he met all those designers, chatted them up, and the designers gave them a backstage tour. He says, the Cassadine name impresses, and she says, with that name and his contacts, he could pitch Crimson on covering menswear. He says, it’s a women’s magazine, and she says, idea number two. He speaks fluid French, and a couple of other languages; he could be a maître d’ at the MetroCourt. The international clientele would be very impressed. He says, Carly won’t. She wouldn’t even let Britt put them up in her hotel room, remember? She says, okay, idea number three. Give riding lessons to the offspring of the rich and famous, like Charlotte Cassadine. He says, Valentin loathes him already. He’ll be thrilled to entrust his daughter to someone awaiting trial for stalking. She says, okay, fine. She gives up. What sort of job does he think he can get?

Violet runs in, and asks Elizabeth, what’s in the box in the kitchen? Elizabeth suggests they unpack it and find out, and Violet runs back to the kitchen with Aiden. Finn asks if he dares ask, and she says, it’s just kitchen utensils. You know, for cooking at home. He says, people cook in their homes? and she says he’d be surprised. Aiden is upgrading his cooking stuff all the time, so she just brought him the duplicates. Finn thanks her, and Violet comes back in, saying, look what she found in the box. Finn asks what it is, and Aiden says, it’s a cherry pitter, for taking the pits out of cherries. Elizabeth says, if they want to make a fresh cherry pie, and Violet says she does. Aiden says, trust him. Fresh cherries are way better than canned, and Violet asks when they can make one. Finn says, as soon as Aiden gives them his recipe… and helps them make it. Violet says, let’s go see what’s in the rest of the box, and Aiden says, before they do that, he has a surprise for her. She says, another surprise?

Aiden says he and his brothers went through a bunch of photos of their family. He thought Violet would like them to remind her how crazy her cousins are about her. They look through the photos, and Finn thanks Elizabeth for the cherry picker. She says, it’s a pitter, and she brought him some pots and pans. He says they’re going to need those. He went to this place called… the supermarket, and bought actual groceries. Why don’t she and Aiden stay for dinner? Chase is coming over, and she can invite Jake and Cameron. She says, Jake has a class and Cameron is working tonight, and he suggests just the four of them then. It can be a camping trip reunion without the plunge into the icy stream. She says, or Scotty, falling from the sky, and he says he thinks they’re safe there. She says she accepts, and Violet asks if it’s Aiden in a picture. He says that’s his mom when she was little. Violet asks who the man is next to her, and Aiden says he’s not sure. Elizabeth looks over their shoulders at the picture, and looks worried.

Gladys says, online shopping is so convenient. Should she get the brown boots, or the black… or the red? Those are gorgeous. She’ll get the black and the red, and bill the charges to Brook at Deception.

Brook says, if Chase must know, she gave Austin a choice. He could either drop the lawsuit against her family, or kiss his medical career goodbye. He says, so her righteous indignation about Austin revealing confidential medical information wasn’t so righteous at all. He lifts his glass and says, nice one. She says, of course (🍷) it was. Two things can be true at once. She can care about Leo, and use Austin’s arrogant violation of HIPPA rules to her advantage. He says, he just remembers her bringing up medical privacy law, and he told her to go and talk to Austin anyway. Is that where she got the idea to maneuver Austin into betraying medical confidentiality?

Austin says, Ned wants his help with Leo, and Ned says he’s sorry for laying this on Austin, especially after Brook boxed him into a corner. Austin says, she certainly did; he had to choose between his medical career and his father’s birthright. Ned says he wouldn’t be there if he didn’t feel boxed in himself. He can’t turn to Monica, because she’ll go directly to Olivia, and he has to do whatever needs to be done to get Leo the help he needs. Austin says he can’t confirm to Ned whether Leo has autism or not; that’s for the specialist to decide. Ned says, Olivia refuses to take him to see one, and Austin says, she’s not the first mother to react that way. Ned asks how he gets through to her, and Austin says he doesn’t know what Ned is doing there. He doesn’t need the opinion of another medical expert. He needs a marriage counselor.

Willow tells Sasha, she walked in on Michael meeting with the DA of Lantano County, Pennsylvania. He wants to run for State Attorney General, and Michael donated money to his campaign. Sasha says, and in return, the DA agreed to prosecute Nina, and Willow says, but Michael promised her that he wouldn’t make any decisions about Nina in regard to Wiley until they’d talked it over first. When she pointed that out, he claimed that having Nina arrested was a legal matter, and didn’t involve Wiley. Sasha says, it seems like Michael is splitting hairs, and Willow says, doesn’t it? If Nina is convicted for lying about Sonny, she goes to prison, which is a perfect way to keep her from Wiley.

Michael says he’s aware Sonny already knows this, but Nina was able to get in one last visit with Wiley by just showing up at the house, and acting like nothing had happened. Sonny says, there’s no question that Nina took advantage of Michael, and the family, and Michael says, unfortunately, Nina has legal rights as Wiley’s biological grandparent, and Carly says, keeping Wiley protected is the most important thing here. Michael says, and keeping Wiley protected doesn’t have to mean letting Nina off the hook. Nina’s lies kept Sonny away from his family and his life for months; that has to be illegal. DA Sheridan thinks he can make a case for identity fraud. Carly agrees, saying, she had it out with Nina big time, and Michael says she had one angry confrontation, when she had every right to take it a step further. She should have gone to the authorities and had Nina prosecuted. Honestly, he’s surprised he got there before they did.

Esme tells Spencer, forget the last eight ideas. The truth is, getting a job is really about who you know. He says, and who still likes you. She says there has to someone in Port Charles willing to cut him a break, and he says, Britt Westbourne. She’s Co-Chief of Staff at General Hospital. Maybe she can hire him as her assistant. Esme says, there you go. Give her a call. He says, no offense, but that’s probably something best done in private, and she says, go for it. He steps outside, and Cameron comes out. Esme says, hey, and thanks him for not turning his back on Spence, when he offered to speak to his grandfather about defending him. Cameron says he’s sorry Scotty laughed at her, and she says, Spence has quite the reputation in Port Charles. He says, kind of deserved, doesn’t she think?

Ned tells Austin, all he’s asking for is some doctor’s advice on how to talk to Olivia. He thought Austin cared about Leo. Austin says he does care about Leo, but Olivia wasn’t listening to him, and Brook was threatening his medical license. Ned doesn’t get to come there with his hat in his hand, when Ned didn’t lift a finger to help him. Austin opens the door, and Ned says he didn’t encourage Brook, or conspire with her to get Austin to sign away his claim, but he won’t deny that businesswise, it works out in his favor. Austin asks if he’s supposed to applaud Ned for just being honest, and Ned says he doesn’t blame Austin for being angry, but the truth is they’re both on the same side. They both want what’s best for Leo. Can’t they make peace for Leo’s sake?

Brook tells Chase, Austin is a doctor. He knows perfectly well he’s not supposed to share patient information, unless he gets permission from said patient. If he’s too arrogant to keep his theory to himself, then he assumes the risk, and has to face the consequences. Chase says, the point is, she manipulated Austin into saying something he shouldn’t, right after she brought up HIPPA restrictions to him. She asks why he even cares. It’s not like he’s a fan of Austin’s. He says, because Austin is a doctor, and he was worried about a patient, and she took advantage. She says, that was harsh. Will it make him feel any better if she said she did it for her dad? He says, Ned can take care of himself; he doesn’t need her help. He knows she’s feeling guilty about Valentin getting her shares of ELQ, but he thinks her dad’s forgiven her. When is she going to forgive herself? She says, it’s not like she hasn’t heard that one before, but it’s all good now. She’s retracting her claim that Austin violated HIPPA, and he can go back to practicing medicine again. He says, she gave Austin a choice; his medical license or his claim to ELQ. He chose his medical license. Doesn’t that tell her that his heart’s in the right place where Leo is concerned? She says she thinks it shows he was backed into a corner, and he chose the sure thing. He picked his medical career instead of waiting around to see if the court sided with him on his claim. Chase says, she’s not going to give this guy any credit, and she says, oh please. Austin Gatlin-Holt is far from a poor powerless country doctor. He basically declared war on her.

Violet asks if it’s Elizabeth’s daddy in the picture, and Elizabeth says, it is. Aiden says he’s sorry. The picture must have gotten mixed up with the other ones. Violet asks if he isn’t her mommy’s daddy too. She told him that his name is Grandpa Jeff. Elizabeth says, her mommy was right, and Violet says she knows Grandpa Gregory; how come she doesn’t know Grandpa Jeff? Aiden says he and his brothers don’t spend any time with Grandpa Jeff either. He lives really far away. Violet asks Finn if they can go see him, but Elizabeth says, he’s a really busy man. Violet says, too busy to meet her? Why can’t she meet her grandpa?

Carly says Michael is right; she should have done something. She’s stayed up nights, thinking of ways to get back at Nina. He says, she didn’t come up with anything? and she says, she came up with a million things, and then she reconsidered. Michael asks, why? and Sonny says, because he asked her to.

Sasha says, sure sounds like Michael went full-on Quartermaine, and Willow says, and Corinthos. Sasha says, obviously, what Nina did to his family hit him hard, and Willow says she understands that. What she doesn’t understand is why Michael shut her out. They had what she thought was a good talk about the situation. They agreed Nina was in the wrong, but for Wiley’s sake, the best thing they could do is not trouble trouble. Nina hasn’t tried to see Wiley since the truth came out, so why provoke her? Michael agreed, and even thanked her for her insight. Then he turned around and got DA Sheridan to have Nina arrested, without even asking to hear her thoughts on the matter.  

Michael asks, why? and Sonny says he thought it was enough that Nina understood to stay away from him and his family. Michael says, and Wiley? and Sonny tells him, Nina knows it’s Michael’s decision, and he’s with Michael whatever decision he makes. Michael asks if Sonny has a problem with him reaching out to DA Sheridan, and Sonny says, actually, he does.

Sasha says, Michael loves Willow. She knows how much he was hurting when Willow married Chase. Willow says she doesn’t doubt Michael’s love, but for the first time, she feels like he hid something from her. He went behind her back. He led her to believe one thing, while he was doing something else. Sasha says, maybe he can’t fight his upbringing. He is, after all, a Quartermaine and a Corinthos. Willow says, and they’ve seen how his two families deal with people who get in the way. Sasha says, in Michael’s mind, he was only doing what he was taught to do; deal with the problems by any means necessary. Willow says, it’s not what Michael did; it’s that he left her out. He never shared what was on his mind with her. He treated Nina like a problem he could handle. Sasha says she doesn’t blame Willow for feeling hurt, but she guesses Michael didn’t intend to exclude her. In fact, he probably thought going after Nina legally, rather than in family court, was honoring Willow’s wishes. Willow says, that’s what he said, but that’s not how she sees it. Sasha tells her, then say that to him. Tell him how she feels. It’s the best way to work this out.

Carly tells Michael, she agrees with him about Nina, but his dad convinced her that his homecoming shouldn’t be about anger and resentment. Sonny’s back, and they missed him, but they all get to be together, and that’s what’s important. Sonny says, he was downplaying any payback with Nina, because he didn’t want to make this a bigger deal than it is. He wants to forget about it (fuhgeddaboudit pops into my head). Michael says, he can do that right now. DA Sheridan is moving forward with the case against Nina. If she’s convicted, none of them have to worry about bumping into her in Port Charles, especially Wiley. Am I wrong? Wouldn’t Sonny have to be a part of this trial?

Ned says, isn’t Leo’s welfare the most important consideration? but Austin says, Brook didn’t think so. Brook has no soul. She’s like the rest of you Quartermaines, with the possible exception of Monica. Although Monica married into the family, so, thank goodness for Monica, she doesn’t have to share their DNA. Ned says, Brook has a soul, and she also cares deeply for her family. Last year, she made a huge error in judgement, and she’s determined to do everything she can to make up for it. To make it up to him and the rest of the family. Austin says, that doesn’t make what she did to him any less ugly. He loves being a doctor. It’s probably the best thing about him. He wants to help people, and Brook took that and twisted it, using it against him. She weaponized it, and he will not forgive her for that, and he will not forget.

Chase asks if Austin really declared war, or is Brook exaggerating just a little bit. She says, you tell me. After Austin signed the document, giving up his rights to ELQ, he told her this was far from over. It was just the beginning. The guy wants payback. He says, if Austin does try anything, let him know. He’s still a detective, even though he’s chained to a desk for the foreseeable future. She says, he’ll still help her? Even though she may have crossed the line? He says he understands going to extremes, and he’s always willing to help out a friend. She thanks him, and he says, his pleasure. He kisses her cheek, and leaves. Brook looks at her phone, and says, Wyndham’s? She didn’t buy anything. She scrolls, and says, whoa…

Violet says, maybe Grandpa Jeff can talk to her about her mommy, and Elizabeth says, Grandpa Jeff is a doctor like her daddy. He travels all over the world, helping people. She supposes those people need him more than they do. Aiden guesses that’s why they don’t get to see him, and suggests he and Violet unpack the rest of the box. Violet asks if there will be stuff to make brownies, and he says he’ll show her. They go to the kitchen, and Elizabeth looks at the picture. Finn says, sorry Violet couldn’t let it go, but she says, it’s okay. She just wishes she had better answers for Violet. He asks why she doesn’t.

Sonny asks exactly how Michael reached out to the DA, and Michael says, he’s ambitious. He’s running for State Attorney General. Nina is editor-in-chief of a major publication; she’s a real estate heiress. Prosecuting her for any type of crime like identity fraud will generate headlines, and boost his profile. Sonny says so Michael just pointed him at some free publicity? and Michael says, the Quartermaines also made a substantial contribution to his campaign.

Spencer comes back, and Esme says, no luck with Britt? He says, she’s not answering her phone, and the hospital said she’s out of the country. Cameron is bussing a table, and Esme asks if Cameron knows where Spence can get a job. Cameron says, funny she should ask. He just got promoted to assistant manager, so they need a server to take his place. Spencer says, too bad he was arrested, and awaiting trial, but Spencer says, Kelly’s believes in giving second chances to offenders, even ones with no hospitality experience. Spencer thanks Cameron, but gives it a hard pass. Cameron says, that’s fine. Someone way better just applied anyway. He leaves, and Esme asks if Spencer thinks he has a choice.

Elizabeth says she and her dad haven’t been close for a long time, and Finn says, same with his dad and him. They got through it; maybe Elizabeth and her dad will as well. There’s a knock at the door, and Finn answers along with Violet. It’s Chase, bearing flowers, and Violet asks if they’re for her. He says, violets for his favorite violet. She thanks him, and Chase asks if Aiden is still making that seven-layer bar. Aiden tells him there’s some in the kitchen, and Chase says, score. He asks how Elizabeth is doing, and hopes they’re joining him and Finn for dinner. Elizabeth asks if they mind, and Chase says, not if she cooks it. Finn says, that’s hilarious. It’s mac and cheese; how hard can it be? Elizabeth says they’ll let Aiden take care of it, and Chase says he brought Finn a good luck charm, handing Finn a bag. Finn takes out an apron that says, Kiss the Cook, and Violet asks him to pick her up. She kisses him, and says she kissed the cook. He thanks her, and asks, who’s ready to eat? Violet says she is, and Aiden says he’s starving. Chase seconds that, and Finn asks everyone to come to the kitchen, saying, it’s all downhill from here. They leave, but Elizabeth stays behind, looking at the photo.  

Willow asks if Michael ever did anything like that to Sasha, and Sasha says, no, but they don’t share a child. They never went through what Willow and Michael did to protect Wiley from Nelle. Willow says, Sasha gave up her relationship with Michael so she and Michael could be together, and Sasha says, she and Chase did it for Wiley, and have no regrets. Everything worked out for the best. Willow asks how the baby is, and Sasha says, perfect, of course (🍷). She and Brando found their footing once he agreed not work for Carly and Jason. Willow says, so it’s smooth sailing, but Sasha says she wouldn’t go that far. They still have to deal with Brando’s mother.

Gladys approaches Brook, and says, you wanted to see me, boss? Brook says Gladys’s job description doesn’t include buying two pairs of Cartullo boots from Wyndham’s and charging them to the company. Gladys says, she has to look good, and Brook tells her to look good on her own dime. She’s paying back every single dollar, and she’s going to start by finishing the notes from the business meeting. Gladys says she doesn’t think so, and Brook says, excuse me? Gladys sits, at the bar, and says, It’s too late for that today, and tomorrow, she’s taking a mental health day. Brook asks if she’s trying to get fired, and Gladys says, go ahead and fire her, but then she’ll have to reveal Brook’s little secret. Brook says, what little secret? and Gladys says, actually, it’s not that little; it’s kind of major. She recorded it on her phone. Does Brook want to hear it?

Sonny asks, what if a connection is seen between Michael’s donation and Nina’s arrest? Carly says his donation could be seen as a bribe, but Michael says, campaign contributions are completely legal; he has his attorneys filing the appropriate paperwork. The fact is, Nina broke the law. She did it in Lantano County, and it’s up to DA Sheridan if he wants to prosecute. Did he set it in motion? Yes, but Sheridan is an experienced prosecutor, and he wouldn’t move forward with this case unless there was merit. Nina is the one who’s wrong here, not him. He walks off, and Sonny looks at Carly.

Sasha tells Willow, if she wasn’t pregnant, Gladys would have her diving headfirst into a bottle. Willow says, if Sasha wasn’t pregnant, Gladys wouldn’t even be in her life. Sasha says, true, but she wouldn’t trade this pregnancy for anything, despite Gladys being a class-A troublemaker. Willow says she and Carly have had their disagreements, especially about Nina, but fortunately for her, Carly is no Gladys. Sasha says, not even close. She’s not trying to rationalize what Michael, but she doesn’t think he meant to shut Willow out. Every couple argues. Willow says, even if they’re good together? and Sasha says, that’s what makes them so good. They both feel safe enough to disagree. Michael loves her with all his heart. What he did doesn’t change that, and Sasha hopes it doesn’t change Willow’s love for him. Willow says, of course (🍷) not, and Sasha says they’ll work this out, and be stronger for having overcome it. She leaves, and I think, they both went in a restaurant, and neither one had lunch.

Elizabeth sits on the couch looking at the photo, and Finn asks if she’s coming. Chase says, Finn doesn’t know how to turn the stove on, and Finn says, Chase can’t turn it on either. Chase says, it’s one of those European models that only made sense if you’re a Swede, and Aiden says, he’s right; it’s weird. Finn says they need her, before Chase blows them all up; he’s got a match. Elizabeth says she’ll be right there. She tears up the picture, and puts the pieces in her pocket.

Spencer tells Cameron, he’s done some thinking, and he’d really like to take the job, but Cameron says, he already told Spencer, they’re giving someone the job who has actual qualifications. Spencer says Cameron wants him to grovel, doesn’t he? and Cameron says, big time. Spencer says he’s been a jerk, a snob, someone who thought he was better than the townies. The reality is, he’s a disinherited nobody, who’s desperate for a job, and will be eternally grateful if Cameron offers him one. Good enough? Cameron says, it’ll do. Spencer will have to sign some forms, but he doesn’t see why Spencer can’t start as soon as possible. Spencer thanks him, and says, he’ll need someone to train him. Cameron says, that would be him. The thing Spencer needs to know about this job is, Kelly’s is a friendly place. The job starts with a smile, and then you say, welcome to Kelly’s. My name is Spencer, and I’ll be your server today. Give it a shot. Spencer takes a deep breath, and repeats it, and Cameron says, excellent.    

Austin says Ned is trying to convince him that everything Brook did, she did because Ned is her father, and yet he refuses to accept, he can’t understand, everything Austin is doing – everything he was doing – he was doing for his father. Ned’s hypocrisy is mind-blowing. Ned tells Austin, what can he say, except Austin is right? The Quartermaines fight ferociously to protect our own, and there’s no room for integrity when it comes to keeping the family safe. Austin says, that’s where he and Ned are just not on the same page. His father left this world with his integrity intact. He writes something on a pad, and says, he plans on doing the same. He hands the paper to Ned, who asks, what’s this? Austin says, it’s the number of a specialist that can help him with Leo. Share it with Olivia, don’t share it with Olivia; he doesn’t care, just leave him out of it. Ned says he appreciates the name, but he can’t make an appointment without Olivia’s consent; Austin knows that. Austin says, then Ned has a beautiful challenge ahead of him, but it’s no big thing. It’s only Leo’s entire future that’s at stake. He really does hope Ned understands how utterly important it is that he convince Olivia to do the right thing for her son.

Brook asks what Gladys wants her to hear on her phone, and Gladys takes her phone out, saying, something about Brook telling Maxie that Valentin isn’t really her baby’s daddy. Brook says, liar. She never said such a thing. Gladys plays the recording, and Brook hears herself saying, she dreads the day Valentin finds out Bailey’s not his daughter.

Tomorrow, Willow says she thought she was Michael’s family too, Portia asks Marshall where he read that, Nikolas tells Alexis to think long and hard before going any further, Nina tells Jax to stop trying to save her, and Ava says she doesn’t have to share anything with Carly.

Vanderpump Rules

Bringing you up to speed, last week, Sandoval pitched a baby fit about Katie wanting to be involved with the new bar, because she yelled at him at Stassi’s book signing, nearly ten years ago.

James asked how Raquel felt about hanging out with Lala one-on-one, and she said she was always concerned, since Lala was unpredictable. In James’s interview, he said, Lala had picked on Raquel because she was an easy target. She was beautiful, sweet, and his girlfriend.

Katie said Sandoval had lost his mind, and Schwartz said he was like a broken record. Meanwhile, Tom whined to Ariana that no one knew what Katie had done to him. He needed confidence, and didn’t feel Ariana was supportive at dinner last night. Ariana said, it wasn’t about the book signing, and Tom said, everyone else was over it, but he wasn’t. Katie told Schwartz that if Sandoval didn’t want her involved, he should say it, not go back to something that happened a million years ago. He was screaming at her, talking about how she’d been screaming at him. In Katie’s interview, she said, it was really about her making him admit he was wrong, and that was like death. Ariana told Sandoval that she’d had a night planned with Katie and Schwartz, and he’d messed it up. They were coming over to test cocktails, and now that wasn’t important to him. Katie and Schwartz talked about going to the fertility doctor, and in her interview, Katie told us about how she had been pregnant about ten years ago. It was early in their relationship, and she wanted to have kids, but the timing was bad. In Schwartz’s interview, he said he had less than $300 in his bank account. If Katie had wanted it, he would have manned up, and done his best to work it out. He wasn’t 100% about a lot of things in life, but he was 100% sure he’d be a good dad.    

In Lala’s interview, she said she never thought James and Raquel would last. James was a hot mess. We flashed back over James and Raquel’s relationship, and Lala said she had been placing the blame on Raquel for her and James’s relationship going south. She needed someone to blame, but if it hadn’t been for Raquel, she believed James would be in a dark place now. In Raquel’s interview, she said she was always antsy around Lala, and Lala smelled fear like a shark. She wasn’t giving Lala the satisfaction. In Ariana’s interview, she said she’d wanted to do a cocktail subscription box, and after their book, Fancy AF, came out, everyone was in lockdown making cocktails. She wanted to test the cocktails to see if her instructions sucked. Scheana, Brock, and Schwartz came over to do the testing, and Schwartz told Scheana and Brock about Sandoval’s freak out. Sandoval said the experience had been traumatic, and he had major PTSD because of the public humiliation. I have no words. Schwarz told him that he wasn’t the victim in that moment, and suggested he see a therapist. Score one for Schwartz. It’s about time he said something to that ninny. Sandoval said he didn’t like Schwartz’s energy when he was around Katie. Schwartz told him to go burn some sage. Not really, but he said Sandoval was condescending, and if he wanted Katie to train the staff, he was going to do it. Sandoval moaned, then he’d just have to live with it? In Sandoval’s interview, he said he’d fought against it, but realized it wasn’t going away. Everyone had supplies in front of them, and made the cocktails per Ariana’s instructions. Scheana couldn’t figure out the jigger, but Brock was the only one who didn’t get it quite right. In his interview, he said he was good at cracking a can. Sandoval got sushi, and Brock told them about Lala questioning Scheana about his kids. In his interview, he said, don’t judge him if you don’t understand the situation.   

LVP spoke to Scheana, saying, she was thinking about inviting Scheana and Lala over for tea, along with their babies. Scheana suggested she invite all the girls, and in her interview, she said there was no way she wanted to be there with just Lala. She needed back-up, and couldn’t turn to Summer, since she didn’t speak yet. The Toms joined Lisa at the flower shop, where they chose blooms for TomTom. She asked if they’d worked out their finances yet, and Schwartz said his home equity loan had been denied. In his interview, he said that they had a lot of equity, but their mortgage was at a high rate. They needed to refinance, and do it over. He wanted to cry. Welcome to being a responsible grown-up. It makes me want to cry too. Sandoval said he had enough to cover Schwartz, who said he’d be on a power trip. In Sandoval’s interview, he said, technically, he would have controlling interest. Schwartz talked about his sperm getting tested, and in his interview, he said, he was pretty sure everything was fine, but what if he was destined to only be a fur father?

In James’s interview, he said, every bartender in town knew how to make a Pumptini for him, and now they knew how to make a Shirley Temple. All the couples gathered at The Belmont restaurant for dinner, and Brock apologized to Lala for his words at the baby playdate. He told her that he had one goal, and that was to take care of his family, including his kids. Lala said if someone tried to keep her from Ocean, as a mom, she’d come in guns blazing. He said she was in a different situation. His past had led to this. Scheana said she and Brock had discussed it, and it wasn’t Lala’s business. Brock said the children’s mom was keeping him from the family, and Lala said she wasn’t attacking him; she just wanted to understand the situation better. In her interview, she said she wasn’t worried about Scheana. If anything happened, Scheana would bounce back, but Brock had a tendency to leave the kids, as well as the woman. I don’t know if you can call something a tendency based on once. Raquel made a toast that included a bunch of dirty jokes, and it was a big hit. In her interview, she said, not to brag, but she was pretty sure she’d won the entire night.

While Schwartz and Katie were waiting at the fertility doctor, Schwartz imagined a baby Sandoval; late for everything and smelling like cigarettes. Katie was told she had a normal uterus, but Schwartz’s semen analysis showed morphology. The doctor explained that the sperm were like tadpoles, and the head was where the DNA was. You want normal shaped heads, and Schwartz was at 4%. She asked if he smoked, drank, did drugs, pot, or vape, and he said he smoked weed once a week, did mushrooms once in a while, and had 10 to 20 drinks a week. 😮 By no means am I judging, and I’m all for getting my drink on, but holy! She asked if he used hot tubs or saunas, and he said he took a lot of baths. She told him to cut his drinking down to four drinks a week, and no weed. As far as baths went, she explained, the testes were on the outside because they needed to be cooler.

In Lisa’s interview, she said, when someone you saw grow up had a baby, it was like, how did this happen? The girls arrived at Villa Rosa, and Lisa couldn’t believe Scheana was already putting hair extensions on the baby. I can’t say I’m all that surprised. Lisa had a gorgeous table outside set for tea, and said it was the first time she’d had them over where she wasn’t serving them alcohol. Meanwhile, at Katie and Schwartz’s, there was tons of fast food – wings, burgers, and such – and the guys gathered. In Brock’s interview, he said he didn’t want to destroy the American people, but their food isn’t the greatest. Schwartz gave him a taste of Cheez-Wiz and he pronounced it a six. Katie told the girls that it was all good news at the fertility doctor; she had a pristine uterus. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t how the doctor described it, but they clinked tea cups over it. Tom, on the other hand, told the guys that the majority of his sperm had misshaped heads, and he was told only four drinks a week. We saw that he’d already consumed four drinks in the last hour. Scheana talked about Brock, and Lala said she and Scheana were in a good place now. She wasn’t trying to attack Scheana or put her on the spot, but when they were at dinner, Brock pulled her aside, and talked about some pretty intense things. She asked if Scheana knew why Brock couldn’t see his kids; he had a domestic violence charge. In Lala’s interview, she said, Brock had pulled aside at Belmont, and said he’d been in a relationship, and they’d had a child. Things had gotten physical. Scheana insisted that Brock hadn’t done anything, but Lala said it took a lot for a court to forbid someone from seeing their kids, and there was a restraining order. Again, I have no clue what happened, but it might be different in another country. She keeps leaving out that factor. Lala said things were good now, but anything could happen. She wanted Scheana to be smart. It wasn’t about just her anymore. She had a child.

In Scheana’s interview, she said she knew it sounded terrible, but Lala was acting like it was new information. And it had nothing to do with why Brock wasn’t seeing his kids. Lala told Scheana not to be stupid, but Scheana said, something had happened a long time ago, and it wasn’t as extreme as Lala was making it out to be. Lala said Brock was also behind in child support, and Scheana said as soon as that was taken care of, Brock would have access to his kids. In Lisa’s interview, she said, Scheana always acted like everything was perfect. It was an interesting perception. Scheana said she knew Brock, and asked if they could get off the topic. Everyone seemed bummed, and Scheana texted Brock, asking why he told Lala; she’d been blindsided. Brock said he’d had enough of Lala, and Sandoval wondered why Lala was coming after him. Brock said he’d spoken to Lala about his past. She was a POS, and it was a low blow. In James’s interview, he said, Lala always keeps it real, and Brock shouldn’t have confided in her. He needed to put his thinking cap on. Outside, Brock told Schwartz that he hadn’t met Lisa yet, and now it was going to affect the way she saw him. He got weepy, and said he missed his kids. At the tea, Ariana stepped on the crickets by saying, she was glad they got everything out while they were there. Lisa asked if anyone wanted more tea. In the middle of a crisis, she’d make tea. 

Next time, poker night, the Toms look for another partner, and Lala gets into it with Sandoval about Brock.

❄️ A Little Salty…

What’s happening with the Salt Lake crowd.

🔒 Better Start Giving Some F***s…

She must be taking PR lessons from Erika Jayne.

⚾️ Sliding Into Home…

Tomorrow, join me for some soap and another chapter in the endless RHOBH Reunion. Until then, stay safe, stay undeterred, and stay not troubling trouble.

October 22, 2021 – Spencer Makes His Plea, Open Book, Mystery Man, Leading Ladies, Sonjarita, Engaged, Salt Lake Report, No Ring, Coming Soon, Read All About It, Quote x 10 & Ballad

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Ava says she and Sonny have settled everything with Avery for now, so what business do they have? He says, they’re on the same page when it comes to their daughter, and she says, what then? He says he has a proposition for her.

Sheridan says he appreciates the support of Michael’s family with the campaign, and Michael says he thinks Sheridan has done a terrific job as the DA of Lantano County. He’s proven to be relentless in his pursuit of justice, and Michael thinks the right case could catapult him to the state’s Attorney General’s office. Sheridan says, it’s an unusual case; the kind that generates headlines, and defines careers. He’ll let Michael know as soon as it’s in motion. They shake hands, and Willow walks in.

At the courthouse, Nikolas asks Doc if he happened to see Ava on his way in, but he says he didn’t. He did talk to Nikolas’s mother about Spencer’s hearing, and Nikolas asks if she’s on her way home. Doc says, unfortunately, she can’t get away just yet, but she was clear how she feels about what should happen today.

Diaz says they’re about to get started, and she needs to know Spencer’s plea. Josslyn and Cameron walk in, and Esme says, come on, Spence. They’ve been over this. Spencer says he wants to make sure he’s dealing with the right information here. If he pleads guilty, or no contest, the judge will ask if anyone is forcing him to make the plea, correct? Diaz says, strictly pro forma. They want to make sure he understands the situation. She’s sorry, but she has dozens of other cases to handle today, so what’s his plea? Josslyn tells Spencer to wait a minute before he answers that. Is he sure someone isn’t pressuring him to do the wrong thing?

Robert walks into an interrogation room where Victor is waiting, and says, so, we meet again. Victor tells Robert that he has nothing to say to him, and Robert says he’ll do him one better. He’s sick of being lied to, so everything that comes out of Victor’s mouth better be gospel. Victor says, or else? and Robert says, or else Victor Cassadine is going to be put to rest in an unmarked grave. And he’s going to do it personally.

Anna sits by Valentin’s bed, when a doctor comes in. Anna thinks he looks better than he did a few hours ago; he has more color in his face. Can the doctor give her any good news? The doctor wishes she could.

Sam tells Dante, the island’s not that big; Peter couldn’t have gone far. He says, especially with two hostages, and she says, no sign of Drew or Obrecht? What are they supposed to tell everyone back in Port Charles who’s waiting for news? Britt and Jason walk in, and Jason thanks Sam for telling him where to meet them. Britt says, Anna was right about this place; it’s really isolated. When they got on the plane last night, Anna still didn’t know where her mother was. Any word? Dante is afraid not. He says they were with the local police most of the night, trying to figure out a trail where Peter might have gone, but they have nothing. Sam says, they did see the cell where Britt’s mother was being held. Dante says, there was a syringe in the cell. It was empty, but it had traces of flunitrazepam. Britt says, that’s a sedative. It results in muscle weakness, lethargy, confusion. Basically, there’s a chance her mother was roofied. Jason says, that’s the best possible news she can get. Wow. This tavern has gotten more business in a week than they’ve probably had in the last five years altogether.

Victor tells Robert, he’ll cooperate, but first, he needs to know how Valentin is. Robert says, Valentin’s alive, last he heard, and Victor says, and Liesl? Robert says, come on. Victor doesn’t care about anyone but himself; they all know that. This love of the common man, where did it come from? When it was nipping at his butt as he was running away? He will say Victor’s been a busy boy. He got more done in death than the average person achieves in a lifetime. Sanctuary for Peter August, unlawful detainment of Drew Cain and Liesl Obrecht, and that poor little nurse who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And last, but not least, the abduction of Valentin Cassadine. And all of this, after he blew up Creighton-Clark. Viccy, come on. Explain yourself. Victor says, when Robert lays it all out like that, he has to say he’s very impressed. How on earth did he mange to do all that?

Anna says, what does the doctor mean, she can’t give her any good news? He has two young daughters waiting for him back in the states. The doctor says, the surgery didn’t go as well as they’d hoped. The bullet fragmented, and they weren’t able to remove all the debris. Anna says she’s heard of bullet fragments being left in the body before, and they’re fine as long as they don’t migrate or infringe on a nerve. She’s sorry; her daughter’s a doctor. She guesses the doctor is concerned about infection, and the doctor says she recommends Valentin undergo exploratory surgery in the US. Their facilities aren’t equipped to handle surgeries that delicate. Anna thanks her, and she leaves. Anna tells Valentin that he may have been born there in Greece, but she’ll be damned if she’ll let him die there.

Willow says she hopes she’s not interrupting, and Michael says he didn’t expect her back so soon. He must have lost track of time. He introduces Richard Sheridan, the DA of Lantano County, and tells Sheridan that Willow is his son’s mother. Willow shakes Sheridan’s hand, and says, Lantano County. In Pennsylvania? Sheridan says, that’s right, and she asks, what brings him all this way? He says he’s gearing up to run for state Attorney General. Michael has taken an interest in his platform. They share similar values. Willow asks what those values would be, and Michael says he’s sure Sheridan is anxious to get back to Llanview, and thanks Sheridan for coming all this way. Michael walks him to the door, and when he comes back, she asks, which of his values would make a politician drive to the next state?

Ava tells Sonny, that is quite an interesting proposition, and if the price is right… His phone rings, and he says he’ll be right back. Nina approaches Ava, who tells her, don’t worry. She didn’t tell Sonny about Nina’s romance with Mike. He was very receptive to her spending more time with Avery, and she didn’t need to use any more persuasive tactics. Nina appreciates that, and to return that favor, Ava has a problem, and Nina would love to offer her a solution.

Spencer says, his father decided to raise the stakes, and Cameron asks, what’s that mean? Spencer says, Ava is in control of his trust fund. If he accepts their marriage, and agrees to live by their rules, his father and Ava will make the charges go away, but Ava is still in charge of his money. Josslyn says, Ava’s not her favorite person either, and she’d hate living by Ava’s rules, and knowing that Ava had control over her money, but she didn’t stalk Ava and she’s not facing criminal charges. If giving in to his dad and Ava is what it takes for them to help him, that’s what he should do. Spencer tells her, that’s what Esme was saying, and Cameron says, for once, they all agree.

Nikolas says, if Doc is telling him that his mother is too busy to attend Spencer’s arraignment, he’s disappointed, but he understands, but she’s honestly too busy to even call him? Doc says he can’t speak to Laura’s exact schedule, but they did talk about Spencer’s behavior. And Nikolas’s. Nikolas says, his behavior? This is about Spencer stalking Ava. Doc says, Laura doesn’t condone what Spencer did, or what drove him to that point. The bailiff calls for everyone to take their seats, and Doc says, shall we?  

Esme tells Josslyn and Cameron that she’s sure they realize what a stubborn streak Spencer has. She hopes their opinions convinced him to make the right choice. Josslyn asks if Esme doesn’t think, as Spencer’s girlfriend, she carries more weight, but Esme says Josslyn is giving her too much credit. They’ve known Spencer since they were kids, much longer than she has, and Spence is very much his own person, and likes to go his own way. The bailiff says, all rise.  

Ava says, Nina wants to buy Charlie’s? and Nina asks if she hasn’t been trying to sell it. Ava says, when she was leaving town because of the stalker, yes, and Nina says she has a great use for it. It’s a win-win. Ava says her situation has changed, and Nina wonders if Ava wants to hang onto it for sentimental reasons because it belonged to her brother. Ava says, it’s not that, when Sonny comes back. He asks if he and Ava are finished; he doesn’t have all day. Ava says, what do they say about great minds thinking alike, and he asks what she means. She says, they have to pause their negotiations, and he says, now she’s going to keep Charlie’s? She says, it’s still for sale, but another buyer is showing interest. May the deepest pockets win.

Michael says, it’s always a good idea to have people in office who owe you favors, and Willow says, if it were the DA from New York state, she wouldn’t question anything. But Lantano County is in Pennsylvania, so what does that have to do with ELQ? He says, nothing; it’s purely personal, in a family member’s best interest. She tells him to stop being vague. Who is he talking about? He says, Sheridan is looking for a high profile case, and he just handed him one. He suggested Sheridan prosecute Nina for fraud and identity theft. I’m not sure if the latter would be an issue here though, since it’s not like she stole Sonny’s identity.

Robert says, Victor thinks this is some kind of a joke, doesn’t he? The charges he’s facing are false imprisonment, criminal conspiracy, bribery, not to mention the body count. Victor asks what he wants, and Robert says, Peter August. He wants to know where Peter is, and when Victor worked with him. Victor says he’s not working with Peter, and Robert says, he found Peter a place to hide, didn’t he? Victor says, yes, and he gave Peter money and transportation, but it wasn’t his choice; he was forced to do Peter’s bidding. Robert asks what kind of leverage Peter has, and Victor says he answered one of Robert’s questions out of good faith. It’s time to begin negotiations

Britt asks Jason, why is it good news that her mother was drugged? and he says, that probably means Peter’s keeping her alive. Britt says, why go to the trouble of drugging someone when you can just as easily kill them? It’s not exactly a beacon of hope, but it’s better than nothing. Sam asks if she can talk to Jason in private, and they go to a table. She says she has some news about Drew, and he says, Anna called already. She said Drew had been shot two or three times, fell off the bridge and into the ocean, and his body hasn’t been recovered. Sam says, the WSB is searching, but they’re pretty certain they won’t find him alive.

Nina asks if Ava is saying she and Sonny want the same thing, and Ava says, in a manner of speaking. Sonny made her an offer to buy Charlie’s minutes before Nina did. Like she said, she’ll accept the highest offer. Maybe the two of them should talk this over, one on one. Ava walks away, and Nina asks why Sonny wants to buy Charlie’s. He asks why she does, and she says, for Phyllis, to give her a fresh start. And him? He says, same thing. Phyllis took in a stranger and saved his life; pretty much the opposite of what Nina did. Nina tells him that she can never say she’s sorry enough, but as for Phyllis, if she moved there, and ran Charlie’s, Nina thinks it would be really good for her. Sonny agrees, and says, one of them is going to have to bow out. Nina says, allow her. If Phyllis accepts generosity, she’s more inclined to accept it from Sonny. When he offers Charlie’s to Phyllis, if she likes the idea, Nina will give him half of the money, provided he never tells her.  

Willow says, she and Michael talked about this yesterday. She thought they’d agreed to hit the pause button where Nina was concerned. He said he woudn’t make any decisions without her. He says he hasn’t filed any legal action against Nina, and hasn’t denied her visitation with Wiley. If he went to family court, of course (🍷) he’d consult her. He wouldn’t move forward with her agreeing to anything. She says, so he went to the DA from Pennsylvania instead, and he says, yes, because he wants Sheridan to go after Nina for what she actually did. He doesn’t want Wiley’s custody to be a battleground. He doesn’t want to deny Nina visitation to punish her; he wants her punished for the crimes she committed, fraud and identity theft. She lied to his dad for nine months about who he was. She kept him from his family and his life. It has to be illegal and he’s hoping Sheridan can prove it in court.

Robert asks what Victor means by negotiations, and Victor says, it’s a classic quid pro quo. The WSB can’t get Peter without his help, and he’s not about to give them his help without something in return; his freedom. Robert says, the WSB isn’t going to let Victor off the hook for the crimes he did in the last seven minutes, much less the last seven years, and Victor says, he’s the former director of the Bureau. The WSB has a reputation to maintain. Prosecuting one of their own wouldn’t look very good, would it? Robert wouldn’t bet the farm on it, and Victor suggests they do a cost benefit analysis. Prosecuting him versus getting Peter. He’d say it’s a bit of a no-brainer. Peter is their priority. He’s the one who’s unstable. He’s dangerous, and has access to Faison’s bag of dirty tricks. Robert still has some pull at the Bureau, and Victor suggests Robert convince them to make a deal. Robert says he doesn’t take orders from a Cassadine, and Victor says, his goal is to catch the big bad wolf, the man who kidnapped Drew Cain, and could still terrorize Maxie and her little girl. Robert can throw the book him or stop Peter, but he can’t do both.

Anna says Robert doesn’t think Valentin is much of a hero, but she disagrees. He doesn’t fit the conventional mold. He’s very flawed, self-serving, and definitely compromised, but he does have the courage to face up to what he’s done, and try to be better. He’s certainly tried to turn his life around for himself and his daughters. She thinks that’s very heroic in her book, that kind of courage. Her phone rings, and she says, it’s her darling ex-husband. She’ll be right back. She kisses Valentin’s hand, and says, he can count on that.

Britt asks if Dante thinks Victor created the fake medical conference, and arranged to have Scotty thrown from the plane. Dante says, he didn’t go into detail, but he’s definitely the reason for her mother being there. She says, for what? And don’t say Victor is infatuated with her mother. Maybe he is, but there has to be another agenda. Dante says, he doesn’t know, but when Victor thought her mother was in danger, he seemed genuinely concerned.

Sam tells Jason, someone called her claiming to be Drew. She went back and forth, thinking, maybe he’s alive, but then, it could be some sort of manipulation. He says, she was just  being cautious, and she says, being cautious meant she couldn’t involve him. Maybe if she had, he could have intervened, and Peter wouldn’t have shot Drew.

The judge asks if Spencer understands his rights under the New York state constitution and law, and he says he does. She asks how he pleads, when Ava walks in. The judge says she’s waiting for his answer, and Esme asks Cameron, what is he doing? Spencer says, not guilty.

Anna goes to the interrogation room, and says she got Robert’s text. What’s so important? She was with Valentin. Victor asks how Valentin is, and she says, he’s hanging in. Robert says, this clown needs to talk to someone above his pay scale, and she says, her? Victor says, always pleasure, mate, and Robert leaves. Anna asks what this is about, and Victor says, Peter August. The WSB wants him, and he can make that happen. She says, in exchange for what exactly? and he says, blanket immunity. She says, that’s a bit of a tall order, and he says, tall maybe, but not impossible. They’re already making better progress than he was with Robert. She says she’s far from the final say, and he says, that may be, but at least she’s willing to look at options. Robert said the WSB would refuse to overlook his transgressions. He thinks that was naïve, but Anna doesn’t agree. He has a rather extensive rap sheet. What makes him think she’s going to be more amenable to his offer?   

Britt asks Dante, if Victor is still infatuated, why put her mother in a prison cell? Does Dante think it was punishment for her trying to kill Peter, and if so, why would Victor care? Dante says, those are all questions the WSB doesn’t have answers to. They don’t even know why Victor and Peter were working together in the first place, or how Drew fits into this puzzle.  

Sam tells Jason, when she went into Drew’s cell, she saw he’d scratched Scout’s name in the wall. She hopes that means he had enough strength to resist the conditioning. He says, she thinks Drew’s being conditioned? and she tells him, that’s what Victor said. She doesn’t know whether he’s telling the truth or not, but she does know Drew was able to shoot a guard to save Victor and Valentin, although he wasn’t able to save himself. Jason says, unless or until they find Drew’s body, there’s still a chance Drew is alive.

Valentin wakes up with Robert sitting in his room. Robert asks if he’s awake, and Valentin says, this can’t be a dream, because Robert sure as hell wouldn’t be in it. Robert laughs and says he’ll round up a doctor, and Valentin asks, where’s Anna? Robert says, talking to Valentin’s poor excuse for an uncle, or should he say father? He’s trying to cut himself a deal, but Valentin isn’t going to let that happen, is he?

The judge says, although the defendant has no prior arrests, he has lived abroad extensively, and has access to significant financial resources. The state’s concern about him being a flight risk is valid. She orders the defendant to surrender his passport, and bail is set $20K, with a pretrial in six weeks from today. Spencer looks at Esme, who shakes her head, and he says, if he doesn’t post bail, will he have to go to jail? Doc says, it won’t come to that. He and Laura will post Spencer’s bail. Spencer thanks him, and hugs Esme. She says she doesn’t get it. Why didn’t he do what they all advised him to do? They step away, and Spencer says, he was about to. He’s made a lot of bad decisions by not following his gut. His gut told him that if he went along with Ava on this, it will never end. Ava and Spencer look at each other.

Willow says, so Michael’s campaign contribution is basically a bribe, to get the DA to go after Nina? He says, campaign contributions are completely legal, and Nina is the one who committed a crime. And it wasn’t victimless crime either. He didn’t tell Willow this, but his mom put her life on the line to step into his father’s business. And what about Sonny’s children? He, Dante, and Kristina are all adults, and Josslyn has Jax, but what about Donna and Avery? Avery’s old enough to understand loss, and Donna is so confused. They didn’t have their father for nine months. Willow says she knows that, and he says, and his father’s business got messed up, which in turn put more people’s lives at risk. She asks who he’s trying to convince that he’s doing the right thing; him or her?  He says she may not agree with his methods, but he has no regrets about making Nina pay for her actions. She says, what about his actions? He asks what she’s talking about, and she says, on the one hand, he won’t cut Nina off from seeing Wiley, but he has to know that if Nina is facing criminal charges, it will affect potential visitation going forward. He says, if Nina faces those consequences as a result of what she did to his father, so be it.

Sonny thinks keeping it a secret from Phyllis doesn’t seem like a good idea, and Nina says, she’s learned what secrets can do. She says, she genuinely wants to help Phyllis, but doesn’t want it to be misinterpreted as buying back her friendship. He says he doesn’t need her help financially to buy Charlies, and even if she’s giving it with good intentions, it’s like they’ll be too connected. She says, that’s the last thing he wants. She has to say, she’s been waiting with a fair amount of dread to have Carly to tear into her for their relationship in Nixon Falls, but she hasn’t  

Nina says she had a run in with Carly at the Quartermaines’, and Carly went for her jugular, but never said a word about her tricking Sonny into loving her. She sits, and says, Carly still hasn’t. She just assumes Carly doesn’t know? He sits, and says, let him tell her something. He and Carly are rebuilding their life together after nine months apart. Why make it worse after what she did? Nina says, let her tell him something. Carly will never find out about it from her.

Victor says, Anna finally has the opportunity to stop her wayward nephew, and bring closure to countless people. Be smart; that’s all that matters here. Don’t let the pettiness of the past get in her way. She says, she wouldn’t call what he did to Robin petty. He stole years of Robin’s life. He says he’s not trying to minimize what he’s done; he’s made mistakes, huge mistakes. But they both know life isn’t black and white; it’s all shades of grey. She has every right to be angry about what happened to her daughter at Creighton-Clark, but ultimately, Robin walked away unscathed. Can they really say the same for anyone who will get in Peter’s way? She says, she might have more leverage with the WSB than Robert… sometimes. But he needs to understand, his fate doesn’t lie in her hands. He says, it might as well. He knows her stock has fallen with the WSB in recent years, but she still has friends in high places. If she has any favors outstanding, he suggests she call them in. Make his case, or the blood that Peter continues to shed will be on her hands. She says she’s got to go, and he tells her to give his best to his son.

Esme says Doc is a genuine lifesaver. She was afraid Spencer would have to stay in jail. Doc says, if he’s not mistaken, Spencer will need a permanent home address to show stability? and Diaz says, that’s correct. He says, that settles it. Spencer will move back in with him. Esme says, that works for her, and Doc asks Spencer for a word in private. Josslyn says, they’ll be out in the hall, and they all leave. Spencer says, he’s a lot of things, but not naïve. He and Laura are going to post the money for his bail. What’s the catch?

Esme sees Ava in the hall, and says she wants Ava to know how much it means to her that Ava offered Spencer a way out. His pride temporarily got in the way of him accepting it, but she’ll talk to him. Ava tells her, please try to talk some sense into him. And whatever she does, don’t let Spencer drag her into any more bad behavior. Esme says never. She should have stood up to him. From now on, she will.

Anna says, thank God Valentin’s awake, and Robert says, surprise him. Do the right thing. Robert tells Anna, see ya, and leaves. Anna says Valentin gave her wuite… He gave all of them quite a scare. She offers to call Brook, but he says, not yet. She asks if he doesn’t want his daughter to know he’s awake (like a baby would comprehend this), but he says, not until he talks to her. Whatever Victor’s asking for, don’t give it to him.

Sam says she had to tell Jason what she knows about Drew, and Dante asks how he took it. She says, it was okay. She told him that she felt the need to investigate before she said anything to him. Dante says, until they find Drew’s body, there’s a chance he survived, and she says, Jason said the same thing. She just doesn’t know what there’s left here for her to do. She can stay and see if anything comes through, or she can go home to her kids because they come first. He says, maybe she should do that. She tried to bring Scout’s father back, but now it’s time to be with Scout and Danny.

Britt says, sorry about Jason’s brother, and he says, thanks. They weren’t close, but Drew was important to Monica, and he’s thinking about her. She says, he’s not thinking how her crazy brother shot his? but he says she’s not responsible for anything Peter does. She says, still, he’s there helping her find her mother, who’s committed her own fair share of crimes. She wouldn’t blame him if he changed his mind and wanted to go home. He says, they have a job to do. He’s not going anywhere.

Esme tells Josslyn and Cameron, at least they can all agree they want what’s best for Spence. Maybe now they can see she has his best interests at heart. Maybe they can all be friends after all.

Spencer says he’s sorry. He should be thanking Doc for posting his bail money. He wasn’t looking forward to spending another night in jail. Doc says, he and Spencer’s grandmother are happy to help, but it comes with limitations. If Spencer wants their support, he has to earn it. Spencer says, earn it how? and Doc says, they have a few ideas. Starting with Spencer getting a job.

Ava says, that was unexpected, and Nikolas says, leave it to his son to zig when they wanted him to zag. She says she can handle him not accepting the deal, but what bothered her most was the look on his face when he entered his plea… that this is far from over.

Robert tells Victor, he spoke to Anna, and she’s not going to help him. Victor says, if Robert says so, and Robert says, he doesn’t have any control over what the WSB decides to do, but Victor doesn’t have him fooled. The world was a much better place when Victor was dead. Victor says, he’s feeling a bit parched. Why doesn’t Robert make himself useful, and fetch him some water. He’d prefer sparkling.

Valentin says, whatever Victor is proposing, it’s a trap, and Anna says, she knows that, obviously. They have no way of knowing what he’s been up to in the past few years, but what choice do they have? Peter has to be stopped. For Drew, for Obrecht, most certainly for Maxie. Victor knows where he is; she senses it. This is their best chance. Valentin gets agitated, and Anna tries to calm him. He says, they can’t involve Victor. They’ve come close to getting Peter before. He’ll do it again.

Sam tells Dante, if there’s bad news about Drew, she’d rather be at home with her kids. He says, that make sense. He’ll go arrange their flights back. She says he doesn’t have to come with her, and he says he knows. He wants to.   

Jason tells Britt, to pick up Peter’s trail, they have to retrace his steps. She asks where they start, and he says, the last place her mother was seen; her prison cell.

Willow tells Michael, Wiley’s all set. Now they can finish their conversation. He says, it’s not over? and she says, not for her. What he’s doing seems cold and calculating. He says he gave Nina chance after chance. Even after that meltdown at his father’s funeral, he still gave her the opportunity to visit Wiley, and what does she do? She brings up Nelle, making Wiley doubt that Willow is his real mother. And even after that, he gave her another chance, and how does she thank them? By lying. By keeping the knowledge that his father was alive, and for what? To punish his mother? She says she can’t deny anything he’s saying. It’s just that, what does he thinks is going to happen to Nina? He says, that’s up to the DA Sheridan, but if she’s asking him, he thinks Nina needs to be held accountable.

Nina says, she guesses that concludes her and Sonny’s business. He’ll buy Charlie’s, and she won’t be involved, financially or otherwise. And Carly won’t have to know how much it… progressed in Nixon Falls. He says, correct, and she says she hopes Phyllis stays in Port Charles. She considers Phyllis her family, and she wants to earn back the trust of those people she loves. A couple of cops come in, and one says, Nina Reeves? She says she’s Nina Reeves. Is there a problem? He says she’s under arrest for identity fraud.

One: I’ll say it again, not sure about the identity fraud thing, and two: it doesn’t happen that fast, even for a DA. He didn’t even have time to get back to PA and fill out the paperwork.

On Monday, Valentin asks what Anna has to say to him, Sasha thinks it not a bad idea, Michael asks if Jax wants to make things right, and Carly says, if that’s not a crime, she doesn’t know what is.

🩺 Living Her Best Life…

GH’s Co-Chief of Staff opens up about coming out – twice.

👀 Watching Man…

I thought I’d recognized him. He’s one of those dudes who’s been in everything.

💏 He’s Had So Many…

I still like him the most with Obrecht.

👠 Sonja Trilogy…

Ugh. Heather. What’s up with her talking smack?

When they shade you, make some money off of it.

I actually believe Sonja on this one.

💍 Real Real Housewife To Be…

Face it. Anything has to be better than Juicy Joe.

https://people.com/tv/teresa-giudice-engaged-luis-ruelas-exclusive/

❄️ Salty Talk…

What happens in Salt Lake does not stay in Salt Lake.

🍸 Is She Or Isn’t She…?

She said she was no dummy, but said nothing about not being vague as hell.

https://people.com/tv/lala-kent-opens-up-about-randall-emmett-relationship-on-vanderpump-rules-amid-reported-split/

https://people.com/tv/lala-kent-spotted-without-her-engagement-ring-amid-reported-randall-emmett-breakup/

🐉 Flying In Soon…

The trailer and the latest on House of the Dragon.

https://ew.com/tv/house-of-the-dragon-different-tone-game-of-thrones/

https://ew.com/tv/house-of-the-dragon-trailer-game-of-thrones-prequel/

📖 For Your Reading Pleasure…

I can’t wait to read this book.

https://ew.com/books/not-all-diamonds-and-rose-excerpt-real-housewives-book-dave-quinn-andy-cohen/

📌 Quotes of the Week

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

The opportunity of a lifetime is to pick yourself. Quit waiting to get picked; quit waiting for someone to give you permission; quit waiting for someone to say you are officially qualified… and pick yourself. – Seth Godin, American Author, Speaker and Entrepreneur

I’ve learned that God won’t let you be tempted more than you can bear. I think God gives humanity too much credit. – Jung Jae-heo (Kim Nam-hee) Sweet Home

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another. – Charles Dickens

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

Happiness is for dogs and Americans. – Liesl Obrecht (Kathleen Gati), General Hospital

We’re here for a reason. I believe a bit of the reason is to throw little torches out to lead people through the dark. – Whoopi Goldberg (Don’t look to me – my torch blew out a long time ago.)

No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for anyone else. – Charles Dickens

All art is autobiographical; the pearl is the oyster’s autobiography. – Federico Fellini

With confidence, you have won before you have started. – Marcus Garvey

🧻 Rolling Along…

Time to wrap up another week, or another row on the calendar if you’re not into labels. See you at Dead o’clock, but until then, stay safe, stay being the bigger person, and stay having the courage to face up to what you’ve done, and try to be better.

October 8, 2021 – No Queen, Grilled, Nasty, Worse, Unsure, Dirty, Salt Lake Woes, a Tease, Going Down, New Bar, L.A. Return, Tiger’s Back, Mistress Of the Book, Best Costumes, As Many Quotes As Lords Leaping & Magic

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Carly takes a sip of her coffee, and says, this never gets old. Sonny says, the coffee, or this? He kisses her, and she says, don’t make her choose. She suggests they stay home and shut the world out all day. He says, what world? It’s just the two of them. They kiss again, and a guard interrupts, saying, someone is at the gate to see Sonny.

Britt sits down with Nina at the MetroCourt, and says, welcome back. Nina thanks her and says, it’s been quite the homecoming. Any word on Liesl? Britt says, no, not a whisper. It seems her mother disappeared into thin air. Nina says she’s sorry. She can’t help but feel responsible. Britt says, Nina called and got her mother involved in a scheme to kill Peter. She’s sure it wasn’t a hard sell. Nina says, at the moment, it was the only way to protect Maxie and James. Britt says, if that’s all Nina was doing, she’d be on board, but they both know that SOS call was to protect herself.

Portia tells Trina that she likes their new tradition of weekly breakfast check-ins, and Trina says she does too. She’s not thrilled with the dining hall, and she’s already tired of take-out. Portia is glad to contribute to Trina’s healthy eating habits, and asks Trina to tell her about classes. How it is working at Ava’s gallery without Ava? Trina says, it turns out, Ava’s not leaving, and Portia asks, since when? Trina says she’s pretty sure Ava is staying there, and staying married, and Portia says, Trina can’t drop that kind of bomb on her and play coy. What happened with the stalker? Trina says, thanks to her, the stalker’s been unmasked.

Nikolas comes up behind Ava and kisses her on the neck. She says he’d better be her husband; he’s a very jealous man. He says he’s her husband all right. For now and for always. She says, it’s going to be a beautiful day, and he says, a beautiful life. He’s never letting her go again. That’s a promise.

The guard says, Mr. Corinthos is in the living room, and he leads Phyllis in, carrying a box. Sonny says, what a pleasant surprise, and she says, my goodness, look at you. He introduces her to Carly, saying she’s a dear friend of Mike’s and his. He and Phyllis smile at each other.

Josslyn tries to study at the Kelly’s counter, when Cameron brings her a glass of ice water. She asks if it has magical properties that will help her focus, and he says he can’t stop thinking about yesterday too. He can’t get over the fact that Spencer was the stalker. Trina was so right; he shouldn’t have given them so much pushback. She says, Trina was the one who figured it out, and Cameron asks how Trina is doing. She seemed pretty beat up about it. Josslyn says they were up half the night talking about it. She feels awful about setting a trap for Spencer. She’s not happy about it either, but if they hadn’t, Ava and Nikolas still wouldn’t know the truth. He says he guesses it was worth it, but she says he doesn’t sound all that convinced. He says, Nikolas has Ava back, but Spencer’s life just imploded. Did they end up helping that family, or just hurt them? She says, both.

Spencer walks into his and Esme’s hotel room. Still in bed, Esme asks where he was. He says, working out, and she says, so early? Did he sleep at all? He says, no. Every time he closed his eyes, he kept replaying the whole train wreck. It never should have happened. She says she doesn’t know what possessed him to confess, and he says his father was in danger. She says he had nothing to do with his Uncle Sonny turning up, and he says, no, but she did. Why the hell would she tell his uncle, the alleged mob kingpin, that his father was taking his daughter away?

Nikolas’s phone beeps, and he looks at it. Ava asks if something is wrong, and he says, it’s an alert he placed on Spencer’s credit card. Apparently, he’s holed up at the MetroCourt. She asks how he feels about that, and he says he’s glad Spencer didn’t spend the night on the street. But given the fact Spencer robbed them of months together, he can think of better ways of spending their first reunited morning than discussing Spencer. He’ll make breakfast.

Carly says, so she’s Phyllis, and thanks Phyllis for taking care of her husband when he was injured. Phyllis says, it was their pleasure. Mike… Sonny was a godsend to them in more ways than one. Carly says, it goes both ways. Sonny has told her a lot about Phyllis. She’s so sorry about Phyllis’s husband. She thanks Carly, calling her Mrs. Corinthos, but she says, call her Carly. Had they known she was coming, they could have spared her the security check. Phyllis says, it’s a beautiful home. Much different from his room at the Tan-O. Carly asks if Phyllis drove in, and Phyllis says she did. She was on the road too early to call. She hopes she didn’t intrude. She found some of Sonny’s belongings, and thought he might want them. Wow. His flannel shirts survived the fire?

Nina tells Britt, she feels terrible. If there’s anything she can do to help find Aunt Liesl, please let her. Britt says she’ll take the help; Scotty’s beside himself. Nina says she also got a voicemail from Valentin. He and Anna have a lead on Peter, but he didn’t give her any details. How is Britt otherwise? Britt says she’s busy. She’s throwing herself into work; restructuring the hospital budget, working with her new Co-Chief of Staff, keeping her head above water. Nina says, and Britt and Jason? Britt asks what she’s talking about. There is no her and Jason. Nina says, and that’s because of her.

Portia asks Trina, so the young man she met at the park was Spencer, not Victor, and Spencer was Ava’s stalker? Trina says, Spencer and his girlfriend, and Portia asks, which one drenched Trina in the fake blood? Trina says, Spencer, and Portia says, hell no. Trina protests, but Portia asks when all this went down. Last night? Trina says, yes, Spencer got kicked out of Windymere, and his relationship with his father is worse than ever, and it’s her fault. Portia says, in what universe? and Trina says she convinced Cam and Joss to set him up. If she hadn’t… Portia tells her not to finish that sentence. Trina’s not responsible, and it’s not her fault. This is Spencer’s mess; it has nothing to do with Trina. Trina says she just feels bad for him, and also guilty that she wasn’t honest with Ava. Portia asks why Trina would feel guilty? Thanks to her, Ava knows the truth now, and Ava can stay here with her husband and little girl. Although she might want to let that marriage dissolve. Clearly the Cassadine men are not to be trusted.

Esme tells Spencer that she’s sorry for how things turned out. She was only doing it for him. He says he knows. That’s why he defended her, but some of the ideas she came up with… She says, getting his father back in his life was what he wanted, so she did what she could to make that happen. She guesses she’s still learning how to make him happy. He says she really is the best, and nothing that has happened is her fault. But he’d be happier if they cut out the scheming, and did better. She says, whatever he wants. Too bad he can’t count on his so-called friends. What were they thinking, especially Josslyn? Doesn’t that girl have enough to worry about without setting him up and calling him out? He says, Josslyn is a real friend; so’s Cameron. They’re probably the only real friends he’s ever had.

Josslyn tells Cameron, they totally ambushed Spencer, but if his behavior hadn’t been so messed up, there’d be nothing to confess. Cameron says, her stepdad is one menacing dude. Spencer was absolutely terrified for his father. She says, everyone knows not to mess with Sonny, especially when it comes to his family, but none of that would have happened except for Esme. He says he doesn’t see how she’s to blame for the lie about Bora Bora, and she asks if he’s giving Esme a pass. He says, not at all. They both bear responsibility. She says, Trina told her that Spencer and Esme work as a team. Every team she’s ever been on has a captain. It makes her wonder if Esme is the one calling the shots.

Cameron asks what makes Josslyn think Esme is more involved than Spencer is saying. She says, Spencer admitted Esme was the one who torched Ava’s car, and Cameron says, he did at first, but then he walked it back. She says, to protect her. Does that surprise him? She’s seen the way Esme hangs on Spencer. No wonder he can’t think straight. He says, this is Spencer they’re talking about; he’s no angel. She says, this is so messed up. She knows Spencer set it in motion – everything he did was bad, but she still wants what’s best for him. He says, what if Esme is what’s best for him? but she says, no. Esme brings out the worst in Spencer.

Esme asks why Spencer isn’t furious. First, they set him up, then stand by and watch him humiliate himself. He says, he humiliated himself? and she says, he confessed and he apologized. He says she’s forgetting the part where they’re actually guilty, and she says, fine. They’re no innocents, but his real friends aren’t either. They lied to his face, and set a trap that almost got his father killed. His father kicked him out of Windymere, while his wicked stepmother gloats. If they expect Spencer to beg forgiveness, they’d better think again. They’re the ones who should be coming to him. There’s a knock at the door, and a woman asks if he’s Spencer Cassadine. She’s sorry, but his credit card was declined for the second night. Esme says, there’s more than enough funds… but he says, there’s no need. This isn’t a fund problem; it’s a father problem. The woman says, they contacted the account holder, Nikolas Cassadine, and the card’s been canceled. He says, checkmate, and Esme asks what this means. He says, it means they pack.

Nikolas tells Ava, breakfast is in the dining room, unless she would rather have it served in the bedroom. She tells him to choose, and he says, the bedroom it is. She asks what the call was that he made earlier, and he says he cut Spencer’s access to his bank and credit card accounts. She says she’s all for tough love, but if Nikolas cuts Spencer off, what will he do? He says, Spencer’s about to figure it out. His son’s been given every possible advantage. He’s bright, he’s willful, let him put that cunning to good use, and figure out how to support himself. She says, that sounds fine in theory, but the timing is terrible. Won’t Spencer see this as punishment, and won’t it further stoke his dangerous resentment?

Trina tells Portia that Ava told her to be careful of bad boys. Spencer falls under that definition, except he’s not that bad. At heart, she thinks he’s just lost. Portia tells her, says every woman in defense of a dysfunctional relationship with a bad boy. She was at the hospital that night when Ava’s car was burned. She sat with Ava afterward, and Ava couldn’t stop shaking. And to leave Kiki’s ID badge near the car? That’s just cruel. Trina says, Spencer didn’t do it. She doesn’t even think it was his idea. Portia says Trina certainly seems determined to let him off the hook, and Trina says she’s not denying Spencer’s made some seriously mess up choices. Portia says, anyone who asks you to cover for them isn’t your friend. Remember what Maya Angelou said, when someone shows you who they are… Trina finishes, believe them. She’s sorry she didn’t tell Portia about this earlier; there’s just been a lot going on. Portia says, even though Trina will always be her baby, she’s a young woman now, and she’s entitled to privacy. But Portia can proudly say, Trina has always had a good head on her shoulders.

Carly says Obrecht was devastated when she heard Jason got engaged to Carly because she knew how important Jason was to Britt. Britt says, that’s old news now, and Nina says, if she hadn’t kept Sonny away from Port Charles… Britt says Nina might have hurt a lot of other people, but Nina did her a favor. Carly will always come first with Jason, and she’s nobody’s second. Nina says, good for her. She hopes Britt doesn’t mind, but she doesn’t think she can stay for breakfast. She can’t justify paying Carly’s inflated prices for eggs and toast. Britt says, it’s Nina’s call; she’s not offended. Nina takes Britt’s hand, and says, it’s good to see her. If Britt hears from her mom, if there’s anything Nina can do, call her and let her know. Britt says, will do, and tells Nina to watch her back. She has the feeling Carly isn’t done with her yet.   

Phyllis sits down, with Sonny and Carly, and Carly says, may I? pointing to the box. Sonny tells her, go ahead, and she starts taking things out. She takes out a flannel shirt, and says she saw Sonny in one of these. She still can’t believe it. She takes out a few more, and asks how many he has. She says, wow, and takes out the cowboy hat. She says, Mike definitely had a distinct fashion style, and Phyllis says, not to mention a mean two-step. Sonny says, that’s high praise coming from the lifelong dance partner of Lenny Caulfield, the greatest dancer in the world. Phyllis says, that man was so light on his feet, he defied gravity. Sonny takes her hand, and I’m not sure how to read Carly’s face. Uncomfortable maybe.

Carly says, Lenny sounds like the best of men. Sonny told her that Lenny gave him a hard time when he first showed up, and wound up standing up for him, and treating him like a brother. She wishes she could have met him. Phyllis says, Lenny was one of a kind, and Sonny says, amen. Carly says she’s going to give them a chance to catch up; they must have a lot to talk about. Forget about her suggestion about staying home. She has tons of paperwork at the MetroCourt. Enjoy their time together. She tells Phyllis that it was a pleasure meeting her, and hopes Phyllis comes back. She’s always welcome. Carly leaves, and Sonny thanks Phyllis for bringing the box. Phyllis says she has a confession. That’s not the only reason she’s here. She wanted to meet him properly. He holds out his hand, and says, Sonny Corinthos. She says, Phyllis Caulfield, and shakes his hand. They turn the handshake into a hug.

Trina tells Portia that she and Josslyn have this code – sisters before misters. She feels like she’s breaking that code with Ava. Ava is her friend too. She feels bad that she kept it secret that Spencer was in town for weeks, but after everything that happened, she feels like it’s too late to say anything. What does Portia think? Portia says, the fact that Trina feels bad tells her something, especially now that she knows the damage secrets can cause. So what is she going to do? Trina says she thinks she’ll skip breakfast. Raincheck? Portia says, of course (🍷). She wants Trina to do what she’s got to do. She’s proud of Trina. Trina thanks Portia and says she loves her. Portia says she loves Trina too. Same time, same place next week? Trina says she wouldn’t miss it.

Nikolas says he can’t stand back after how Spencer treated his wife, and Ava says she appreciates his outrage, but she’s a big girl and can take care of herself. As he well knows. He says he’s aware, but in no way does it excuse Spencer for what he did. She says, Spencer has witnessed Nikolas’s plots and schemes his entire life. If Nikolas wants to punish Spencer for learning the behavior he’s modeled, don’t do it on her account. Her phone dings, and she says, breakfast and anything else will have to wait. She has a visitor.

Walking into the MetroCourt, Spencer tells Esme, there’s enough cash for breakfast, but after that, they’re broke. I thought she had money? Esme says, this is a temporary set-back. His father just needs time to cool off. He says, maybe Joss and Came will cool off too. One of the most annoying things about his friends is that he actually cares what they think. He sees Britt, and says he has an idea, but he needs to have this conversation alone. Esme says, no worries. She trusts him. Text her if he needs back-up. He goes over to Britt’s table, where she’s just finished with a call. He says, wheeling and dealing? Good. Does he have a deal for her.

Cameron tells Josslyn that he doesn’t know what to make of Spencer and Esme’s relationship, but so what? Who says they have to understand it? Josslyn asks when he got so wise, and he says when he started dating her. She says he really is wise; that was such a good answer. They kiss, and Nina walks in. Nina says she imagines she’s the last person Josslyn wants to see, and Josslyn says, good call. She asks if Cameron doesn’t have to go back to work, and he asks if she’s sure. She says, it’s fine, and he says he’ll go back to work… outside. Nina says she just came to get a bite to eat, but can leave if Josslyn is uncomfortable, but Josslyn asks why she would be uncomfortable. She’s not the one who stole 9 months of Sonny’s life, and left his family to grieve. She’s not the one who’s a total hypocrite.

Britt asks what the deal is, and Spencer says, room and board with her in exchange for his witticisms. She says, pass, and he says, and Esme’s French cooking techniques. She says, absolutely not, and he says, why not? They’ll be fun roommates, and Esme can cook dinner. Britt says she lives in a hotel room, and he says, she’s Chief of Staff, and still lives in a hotel room? and she says, demanding job, no pets, no kids, room service. Works for her, but not for him. He says she won’t even notice them. She’s at work all day, and he promises they won’t touch the minibar. She asks, what is going on? Why would he leave cushy Windymere for a rollaway bed in her hotel room? He says he and his father had a falling out, and Britt says, he left? Spencer shakes his head, and she says, Nikolas kicked him out? Why is Nikolas acting so self-righteous after all the crap he’s pulled? Spencer says, it’s a little complicated, and she says, please don’t tell her that he hasn’t done anything that will make her have to defend his father.

Ava sees Trina, and says, what a nice surprise. Trina says she’s glad Ava is still there. Does this mean… Ava says, thanks to Trina, she and Nikolas are back together. They’ll have a lifetime of mornings ahead of them. What Trina did was risky, and she doesn’t condone the plotting, but Trina did uncover the truth, and Ava is grateful. Trina says, don’t thank her.

Phyllis says Sonny’s coffee is delicious. He says, of course (🍷) it is. He’ll send her home with a pound. She looks at a photo, and asks who it is with him, and Sonny says, Mike, his dad. He died of Alzheimer’s a year ago. He was one of a kind. He and Lenny would have hit it off. Phyllis says she’s so sorry. He has a beautiful family; they must have missed him. She bets they’re happy he’s back, and he says, so is he; so is Carly. She says, Carly seems wonderful. It must have been hard on her. He says, yes she is, and yeah it was. Phyllis says she found pictures of him and Nina, but didn’t want to include them in the box. She wasn’t sure he’d want them. He thanks her, and she says she has another confession. She didn’t drive there to return the box. She thought he might need someone to talk to who understands. He says she’s still looking out for him, and she says, Lenny would call it putting her nose where it doesn’t belong. He says, Lenny loved that she did that; so does he. She says she knows he left a complicated situation in Nixon Falls. Is the situation there complicated too?  

Esme sees Cameron outside Kelly’s, and says she’s so glad she found him. She needs him desperately.

Josslyn tells Nina to consider a delivery app, if she has to leave every establishment where there are people who love Sonny. Nina says she’ll take that into consideration. She’s truly sorry. She starts to leave, but Josslyn tells her to wait. She has something for Nina.

Britt asks what Spencer was thinking, and he says he was saving his father from Ava. She says, so he could have his father to himself? and he wonders if that’s too much to ask. He thought his father was dead for three years. She says, Spencer claims he wants to make up for lost time, but what he means is, he wants to control who his father is with. What bothers her the most is the lengths he went to, the lies he told, and the people he hurt, including her. Nikolas accused her of being the stalker, and Spencer said nothing. He says, because Nikolas didn’t think that anymore, but she’s right. He’s sorry. It’s one of the many mistakes he made. She says she gets making mistakes. He knows she’s fond of him, while she’s not fond of his father, but he needs to go make amends. He says he can’t; his father doesn’t want to see him. Maybe he and Esme could just stay one night, until they can figure it out. Carly comes over to the table, and says, not in her hotel. He terrorized Ava by implying a threat to Avery, and manipulated Sonny the second he got home. It’s totally unacceptable. Spencer says Carly is right. He screwed up, and he doesn’t blame anyone for not wanting him around. She tells him, don’t play the martyr. Stand on his own two feet instead of waiting for someone to bail him out. That’s the problem. Someone has been enabling him his entire life. He says, again his apologizes, to them both, and leaves.  

Cameron tells Esme, he’s working, so… She says he’s the only one who can help her… and Spence. He asks, what’s going on with Spencer? and she says, Spencer has been tossed out and cut off. They’re almost with no money. Cameron says, first of all, they’re hardly starving and destitute, and second, they kind of deserve what they get. What Spencer did was terrible. She says, maybe she should have done more to rein Spence in, but he was in so much pain. He wanted his father back, and now he’s lost his father all over again. Cameron says, things are bad right now, but Spencer will bounce back. He always does. She says, not this time. I don’t know if she’s faking it, but I think it’s the first time Esme hasn’t smiled through a conversation, whether it was appropriate or not.

Trina tells Ava, the day she realized Victor was really Spencer, was the day she realized he’d been lying about how long he’s been in Port Charles. Obviously, he needed to cover for his creeping around, leaving nasty little threats. Ava says, then he convinced Trina to keep his secret, and Trina says, he told her he had troubled relationship with his dad, and that’s why he didn’t approach Nikolas right away. And she bought it. Ava wonders if there’s anyone in this town Spencer hasn’t deceived, and Trina says she helped him by keeping quiet. Ava says, Spencer deceived Trina too. He lied to her, he manipulated her, and took advantage of her trust. Trina says, if she’d come to Ava sooner, maybe they could have figured out Spencer was the stalker. Before her car got torched. Can Ava ever forgive her? Ava says, there’s absolutely nothing to forgive her for. She wishes she’d had a friend as loyal and trustworthy as Trina years ago. Trina says Ava has her now, and Ava says she’s sorry for what Trina lost. She remembers how excited Trina  was when Victor swept into her life, and she hates how he robbed Trina of that feeling.

Nikolas comes out of the elevator as Portia is waiting for it, and she says, perfect timing. If him or his son ever hurt her daughter again, they’ll regret it. He looks at her blankly, and she says, he needs reminding. His deviant stunts at the party at Windymere, Spencer drenching Trina in fake blood, pretending to be Victor, and convincing Trina to lie about his presence in Port Charles, so that he could stalk Ava. Nikolas says he’s so sorry. Last night, Spencer admitted he’d come home from school early, but he had no idea Spencer had deceived Trina in that way. She says, his son is walking through the world like he can do whatever he wants. And Nikolas, as the adult, needs to shut that down. Nikolas says he’s truly sorry, and she says, next time he sees his son, let him know if he knows what’s good for him, he’ll stay away from her daughter. I smell a romance in the works.

Sonny says, being home has been an adjustment, and asks Phyllis, what’s the deal with the Tan-O? She says she filed a claim with insurance, but the adjuster is still investigating, so the wait is on. He asks if she wants to rebuild, but she’s not sure. Without Lenny, she feels a bit at sea. He says, it didn’t help that he took off, but she says, he needed to get back to his family. He says he considers Phyllis family; whatever she needs, he’s there for her. She says he doesn’t owe her anything, but he says she saved his life. The least he can do is put her up, there or at the MetroCourt. And he’s not taking no for an answer. She says she appreciates that. She does have some unfinished business in town. He says she didn’t come just to see him? and she says, she came to see Nina.

Josslyn says she’s glad she ran into Nina. She holds up the journal, and asks if Nina recognizes it. Nina says, it’s the journal she gave Josslyn as a graduation present, and Josslyn says, she’d actually stopped writing, but didn’t tell Nina at the time because she was being polite. She tries not to cry, and says she started writing again after Nina gave it to her, and used it to process her feelings. She flips through it, and says, she wrote about Sonny’s funeral. She rips it out, and says, she wrote about the nights she heard her mom quietly sobbing. She tears that out too, and says, and she wrote about the good days where they still felt like a family. And the bad ones where all any of them could think about was missing Sonny. But Nina didn’t just lie to them, she lied to Josslyn’s father. He went to Nixon Falls to see her and try to win her back, but instead he got shot defending her and her friend. When Jax came to Nina, saying he thought he saw Sonny when he was on the gurney, and she lied and said he hadn’t. Nina deceived him too. She rips all the pages out, and says, it’s all there, updated as of last night. She’ll be keeping her thoughts, but this gift from Nina? She never wants to see it or Nina again. She hands the journal to Nina.  

Cameron says he has to get back inside, but Esme says, Spence needs him. He just lost his father, and now he’s lost Cameron too, and she can’t handle it. She doesn’t want to come between Spence and his real friends. That’s what he calls Cameron and Josslyn. They’re his real friends, and Spence is hers.

Trina tells Ava, she started off really liking Victor, but he was just a put-on, a façade. She can’t believe she let Spencer play her like that. She’ll never trust him again after what he did to Ava. Ava says, she’s not encouraging Trina to have a relationship with Spencer – far from it. She appreciates Trina’s loyalty, but what happened between her and Spencer is between them. Trina is free to do her. Spencer calls out for his father, and walks into the room. Trina gives him that look. You know the one.

Cameron tells Esme that Spencer hasn’t lost him; he’s still Spencer’s cousin. He really dislikes what Spencer did to his father, Ava, and Trina, but he doesn’t hate Spencer. She asks, what about Joss? and he says, she’s mad, but she’s also the kindest person he knows. He’s sure she’ll move past it. Esme says Cameron is such a good guy, when Josslyn comes out of Kelly’s. It looks like she’s not liking what she sees.

Carly tells Britt, breakfast is on the house. She apologizes for interrupting Britt’s conversation with Spencer. Britt says, it’s okay; she’d already turned him down. He made himself a hell of a mess and she can’t fix it for him. She hopes he figures it out. He’s a good kid in spite of everything. Carly says, technically, he’s an adult, but when she was his age, she didn’t behave like one either. Britt says, even as adults, we don’t always behave as adults, and starts to leave, but Carly says she knows Britt has a lot going on; so does she. She’d like to clear the air between them, and asks if Britt is ready for some radical honesty. Britt says she’s ready if Carly is.

Phyllis says she still has things she needs to say to Nina, and Sonny wonders why Phyllis would still want to talk to her after everything she did. She caused Phyllis to lose the Tan-O. She says, she thought about all the horrible things Nina did to Sonny and his family, and the lives she endangered, including her own. But she also knows Nina’s heart. All the things Nina did for her and Lenny, and their town, even for Sonny as Mike. A person has to be in a lot of pain and confusion to balance all that love and desperation. Lenny always said she had a bleeding heart, and maybe she does, but she can’t write Nina off just yet. Can he?   

On Monday, Alexis tells Nikolas that it’s no time for him to turn his back on Spencer, Jax asks Shawn how something circles back to him, and Britt tells Carly, it’s not going to happen.

👑 She’ll Never Be Queen…

Kyle stands by her good friend. Unless things start going bad.

She thinks they’re good.

She’ll walk away when they stop paying her.

🔥 On the Barbie…

I’m sure she had an answer for everything, but I’ll be on the lookout for squirming.

🍸 Belle Of the South…

Good. Erika has no business trying to intimidate the weak one because things didn’t go as planned. And I agree that no woman should ever say that to another woman. Actually, I don’t think anyone should use that word ever. And I have a potty mouth. What can I say? I was raised by a sailor.

😶 Can’t Read the Room…

I don’t even know what to say here.

💎 Don’t Fence Her In…

It would be a shame if Garcelle left. She’s the voice of reason, and of color.

🧹 On the Other Hand…

I’m all for LVP, Garcelle, and Sutton having a show.

⛪️ Meanwhile, In the Lake Of Salt…

Methinks they suddenly realized what a bad look it was.

Lisa tries to balance it with a good look.

🗽 Still Clueless…

I hardly think there was a stigma attached to single working moms in 2010.

⛺️ Downsizing…

I guess this is what happens when you do really, really stupid things.

💤 Uninspired…

Are they really going to name it Schwartz and Sandy’s? Will they be serving egg creams?

https://www.bravotv.com/vanderpump-rules/style-living/tom-sandoval-tom-schwartz-opening-a-new-restaurant-details

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/tom-schwartz-tom-sandoval-new-bar-lisa-vanderpump-reacts

🏠 Coming Back Home…

I loved the Homecoming show they did for Real World New York. I’m hoping this one is as good. I’d love to see San Francisco, but now that Pedro is gone, it would be sad. And I’m not sure if I could stomach Puck again.

https://ew.com/tv/real-world-homecoming-season-2-los-angeles-1993-cast/

🐅 Tiger Take Two…

I can’t imagine it topping, or even being equal to, the first one. I was mesmerized.

https://ew.com/tv/tiger-king-season-2-coming-to-netflix/

🧛🏻‍♀️ All In the Timing…

Why shouldn’t Cassandra Peterson aka Elvira have a memoir coming out when it’s almost Halloween? And who knew all this stuff? I can’t wait to read this.

https://nypost.com/2021/09/21/elvira-reveals-sexuality-wilt-chamberlain-encounter-more/

https://nypost.com/2021/09/23/elvira-reveals-photo-of-her-girlfriend-says-theyre-relieved/

🎃 23 Days To Halloween…

And so it begins.

https://www.glamour.com/gallery/best-celebrity-halloween-costumes

📣 Quotes of the Week

A good friend will always stab you in the front. – Oscar Wilde

The cure for anything is saltwater: sweat, tears, or the sea.Isak Dinesen, author of Out of Africa

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

Listening is where love begins: listening to ourselves and then to our neighbors. – Fred Rogers

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. – J.R.R. Tolkien

In our daily lives, we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but the gratefulness that makes us happy. – Albert Clarke

There’s a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line. Oscar Levant

Your dream is a reality that is waiting for you to materialize. Today is a new day! Don’t let your history interfere with your destiny! Learn from your past so that it can empower your present and propel you to greatness. – Steve Maraboli

You’re only as sick as your secrets. – AA saying

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle. – Plato

👢 Walking Into the Weekend Like…

I have an early day tomorrow, but before we know it, it will be Dead time. Until then, stay safe, stay changing it up now and then, and stay believing them if someone shows you who they are.

September 29, 2021 – Carly Confronts Nina, Kathy Arranges a Boat Ride, Rumor Mill, Tom Talks, Attack Of the Jen, VanderZoo & Bidi Bom

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Sonny and Jason walk into the hospital, and Sonny thanks Jason for talking about his bipolar disorder. He knows it’s a difficult subject to start. Jason says, they’ve been through worse, and Sonny says, no kidding. Jason is right. He has to get his bloodwork and the scripts; whatever he has to do. He says, Jason doesn’t have to stay, and Jason says he has to call Diane. They have to figure out what they need to do for Sonny to be declared legally alive. He has the feeling that he, Sonny, and Carly are going to be filling out a lot of paperwork. Sonny says, paperwork can wait. He needs to see Carly and tell her that Nina knew he was alive the whole time.

Carly tells Nina, you stole Sonny’s life, and bitch, you’re gonna pay. Nina says she sees Sonny told Carly. She has every right to be angry… Carly says, don’t tell her what she has a right to feel. Tell her why. Then give her one good reason not to kill her. Ugh. I hate Carly more all the time.

Josslyn leaves Carly a voicemail, saying, she knows Carly is mad at Nina. So is she, but Nina is still Wiley’s grandmother, and the last thing anybody wants is for him to get stuck in the middle. So if she hasn’t found Nina yet, and she gets this message, just count to ten. She joins Cameron and Trina outside Kelly’s, and Cameron asks if they’re really doing this. Josslyn says, hell yeah, and Trina says, okay then, handing Josslyn (I assume) something caffeinated, get amped. Today’s the day Spencer and Esme get what’s coming to them.

Esme says, it’s been hours, and Spencer’s father isn’t back yet. He says, it isn’t unusual or alarming, and she asks if he doesn’t find it alarming that his father went after Ava. He should have tried harder to stop it. He puts his arm around her, and says, it’s moot now. Ava is probably halfway across the Atlantic. Esme says, here’s hoping the plane crashes and she’s the only casualty, and he laughs. He says, in more great news, he can’t believe his Uncle Sonny is alive. She says, yes, Josslyn mentioned it. How wonderful. He asks if Josslyn told her how it all went down, and she says, Josslyn was in a hurry. She wasn’t too informative. Spencer says, Sonny can tell him himself. He can’t wait to see him. She says she’s sure Sonny would appreciate a visit once he’s settled, and he says, his feelings for Ava aside, he is happy for Avery. He knows that little girl and her daddy adore each other. Oh, okay. It’s all right for Avery to have her mother torn from her though.

At Kelly’s, Scotty picks up the envelope with the divorce papers, and tells Ava, they’re going to get her unhitched. She takes the envelope, putting it back on the table, and he says, what’s the big deal? It gets easier every time, divorce. She asks how many times he’s been divorced, and he says, too many. He says he’s getting his fee, but does she want him to file this with the court, or does she want to stay married? It’s her call. Temporary Nikolas walks in.

Carly says she knew she would find Nina there. One last visit with Wiley before Michael and Willow found out? She’s a stellar human being. Says the person who… oh, never mind. Nina says all her lies are blowing up in her face, while Carly got her husband back. Can’t that be enough? Carly says Nina played God with Sonny’s life for the past nine months, and now she’s caught and wants it to be enough? Hell no. She did it, and now she’s going to pay the consequences.

Epiphany comes out, and Sonny smiles at her. She says she heard, but she needed to see it with her own eyes. He says, hello, and she says, this is a miracle, and hugs him. Britt goes to the reception desk, and Sonny says it’s good to see Epiphany. He’s there to see Dr. Sullivan. She says, very sensible, but first, they need to get him into a room. She needs to take his vitals so she can declare him officially back from the dead. They leave, and Britt tells Jason, twice in one day. He asks if it’s a problem, and she says, not for her.

Nikolas says he’s been looking everywhere for Ava, and she asks how he got past Bubba. He says, just hear him out before Bubba comes to, and Ava asks if Nikolas is saying he knocked Bubba out. Scotty says he’s going to give Mr. Bubba his card. When he comes to, he might want to sue Nikolas. Ava says, always a charmer, and Scotty leaves. Nikolas sits down, and says he’s glad he caught Ava. She says he didn’t; he’s too late. Aside from a few practical matters, she’s ready to leave Port Charles. Next stop, London, her new base of operations. He puts his hand on the envelope, and asks if this is one of those practical matters. She says, the most practical of all; the divorce papers, signed, sealed, and all Scotty has to do is deliver them. He says, then he got there just in time, because there’s no need for Scotty, no need for divorce papers, no need for her to head anywhere but home to Windymere with him. She says, they’ve gone over and over and over this… and he says he has news. Something that will change everything. Sonny is alive. She says she knows, and he says, she does? She says, she stopped by his house this morning to say goodbye to Avery, and he says, why did she say goodbye? Doesn’t she see this changes everything? She says, it doesn’t. It changes nothing.

Josslyn says, they need to move fast. It’s go time. Cameron tells them, hold on. Are they really sure about this? Josslyn says, he’s backing out now? and he says, nobody’s backing out of anything. He’s just asking them to hear him out. Yes, Esme and Spencer’s behavior could warrant suspicion in their involvement of the stalking of Ava and Nikolas… Trina says, that’s why they’re doing this, and he says, without any evidence? Josslyn says, why? They’re not a court of law. Trina tells him, like she said, where there’s smoke, there’s fire, but he says, what if it’s just smoke? Trina says, if they’re wrong, great – Josslyn says, we’re not wrong – it will exonerated Spencer and Esme once and for all. Josslyn says, no one is getting exonerated. Trina says she’ll buy Spencer a new designer belt, and she and Esme will braid friendship bracelets together. Josslyn says, that’s not even in the realm of possibility, and Trina says, no, but she gets what Cameron is saying. They need to keep an open mind. Cameron says, okay, but if Spencer and Esme find out what they’re doing, even if it proves them innocent, do Trina and Josslyn think they’re just going let it go; no hard feelings? Spencer can hold a grudge longer than anyone he knows. Josslyn says, which would explain his motive for stalking Ava, which is why she still thinks it’s a risk worth taking. Trina says, it is for her. She barely knows Spencer, and doesn’t like Esme anyway. Josslyn can’t imagine who does, and Trina says, her point is, if they’re right, Ava can stay in Port Charles with her husband and daughter. Josslyn says, and those two will be exposed for the schemers they are. It’s a win-win. Trina says, for the last time, is Cameron in? He says, let’s spring this trap.

Nina says she knows what she’s done, and Carly says, does she? Because she wants to hear it from Nina’s own mouth. Nina says, okay. She kept Sonny from his family for months, and her lies put a lot of people in danger in Nixon Falls and Port Charles. Carly says, it wasn’t enough for Nina to make a scene at Sonny’s funeral, she had to make sure he stayed dead to the rest of them? Nina says, she’ll forever regret the unintended consequences of her actions, and Carly says, unintended consequences? Her husband almost burned to death because of Nina. Nina says, is that what he told Carly? and Carly says, he told her that he was trapped in a fire, so she’s guessing Nina had something to do with it. Nina says she’s so sorry for all the pain she’s caused, but Carly says she doesn’t think so. Nina says maybe she’s not as contrite as Carly wants her to be, because Carly hasn’t owned up to her part in all this. Carly asks how any of this is her fault.

Sonny tells Epiphany, he was trapped. There was fire everywhere, and it came to him. She says, just in time to remind him about everything he had to live for. He says, it’s good to be alive; to be himself, and know who he is. She says she’s sure his family is over the moon, but he says, they’re not as happy as he is. Michael, Dante, Josslyn, and Kristina all came over. She says she’s sure they were happy to see him, and he says, Donna is too little, but Avery held on to him so tight, and wouldn’t let go. Epiphany says, of course (🍷) she did, and he says, even though he was gone so long, it didn’t matter; he was home. She says, believe her, it mattered. Everyone was devastated when he died, especially Carly and Jason. He says, Jason had a lot to deal with. He heard Jason got arrested. Epiphany says, did he now? Even in death, Sonny doesn’t miss a trick. Sonny says he’d love to hear the details, and she says she wasn’t there for all of it, so some is secondhand, but he says he won’t ask her to swear to anything. Epiphany sits down, and says, Jason was framed by Peter for killing Franco. He was sent to Pentenville, where he was conveniently stabbed, and brought there. Someone – she doesn’t know who – arranged for his escape. He says, someone knew it was easier to break him out of the hospital than prison, and she says, rumor has it that he was free and clear, but he ran back to save Britt, when Cyrus’s thugs tried to kill her. At the time, the police thought Britt was a hostage. Sonny says, Jason would never do that, and she says, not everybody knows that. Jason was shot, Britt fixed him up, and they ended up on the run for a while. The rest, as they say, is hospital gossip.

Britt asks Jason why Sonny is there, and Jason says, to check in with his psychiatrist. Any word about her mom? She says, no, not yet. Finding Liesl Obrecht isn’t exactly a high priority for the WSB. Britt knows Obrecht is who she is, but she’s still her mother. She’s all Britt has. He says his offer still stands if she wants him to look into it. She says she meant what she said the first time, Marriage or no marriage, she doesn’t need his help anymore. 

Nikolas says, he knows he and Ava aren’t Sonny’s favorite people, but Sonny has resources they don’t. She asks, what resources don’t they have? He’s a Cassadine. He says, we are Cassadines, but she says, not for long. He asks if she told Sonny why she was leaving. What did he say? She says, he wasn’t happy about Avery having been approached, but he wasn’t too broken up about her leaving. He asks if she’s suggesting Sonny is no longer the type of man who would find the person who threatened his daughter, and make them suffer. Avery is safe. Ava says, she’s not, and she’ll be in danger as long as Ava stays. That psychopath set fire to her car; who knows what else they’ll do? What about that doesn’t he understand? He says she’s right. He’s sorry. He thought Sonny would be the solution they needed. She says, the only solution is the one she’s already arrived at. She has to walk away. Scotty sits down with them, and tells them, he can’t believe he’s going to say this, especially to them, but it would be a shame for them to give up on each other.

Cameron goes to Windymere, and Spencer says, well, if it isn’t the townie. Cameron says, live and in person, and Spencer asks, to what does he owe this unexpected pleasure? Cameron says, the pursuit of higher education. Did Spencer take the Roman Civ notes today? He doesn’t know what’s up with him, but he couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Spencer says, that’s because Cameron is intellectually ungifted, and Esme says, be nice. Not everyone gets to grow up in boarding schools and haunted castles. Spencer says, Windymere isn’t haunted, but Esme says, it is so haunted. Cameron says, he knows. He asks if Esme can back him up. Isn’t it Spencer’s duty as his intellectual superior to help him out? Esme says, it is, but Spencer says he didn’t take notes. Cameron says that’s because he remembers everything he hears, but Spencer says, it’s because he’s not taking the test. He’s just auditing the class to keep his father off his back. Cameron asks how that’s working out, and Spencer says, so far, so good. Cameron asks if that means there’s going be another rager? and Spencer asks why he’d do that. Cameron says, when the cat’s away… His dad is leaving right?

Epiphany says she takes it Carly and Jason brought Sonny up to speed, and he says he wishes he’d gotten out before Jason and Carly got married, and blew so much money on deposits. They laugh, and Sonny says he guesses his timing is off. Epiphany says, for a man just barely made it out of a raging inferno, he has remarkably good vitals. Sonny says he’s going to head upstairs for another appointment, and Epiphany says, it’s good to have him back. She missed him. They hug.

Nina tells Carly, at the heart of it, it’s about her grandson. Carly says, who happens to be her grandson too, and Sonny’s. Nina says she realized that. That’s why she called Carly immediately to tell her. Does she remember that phone call? Before Nina could get a word out, Carly threatened her with court about visitation with Wiley. Carly says, so she deserved months of loss, grief, and pain for one rude phone call? Nina says, if Carly doesn’t believe her, ask Jax. He figured out what was going on, and encouraged her to tell Sonny the truth. Carly says, encouraged? and Nina says, insisted. She agreed, and Jax said he’d trust her to do the right thing. Carly wonders, why the hell would Jax do that?

Spencer asks what Cameron means about his father leaving, and Cameron says, sorry; wrong word choice. Spencer says his father can’t leave; they just moved in. Cameron says, Nikolas is taking a trip to Bora Bora, and Spencer asks, what makes him think that? Cameron says Spencer’s dad talked to Trina about getting two first-class tickets. He and Ava are celebrating calling off their divorce. He asks if he can use the bathroom, and Spencer tells him, help himself. He leaves, and Esme says, when will Spencer learn that she’s always right.

Trina’s phone dings, and she tells Josslyn, it’s done. Thanks to Cameron, phase one is in motion. It’s too late to turn back now.

Ava asks if Scotty is saying she and Nikolas shouldn’t get divorced, and Scotty says, yeah. He’s still charging a fee though. She asks where this is coming from, and Scotty says he’s been doing a lot of thinking lately about love and life, and how sketchy it can be. The uncertainty of a separation is a kind of death in its own way. Getting bounced out of an airplane like a guy who had too many martinis got him thinking. Nikolas asks if there’s any word on Obrecht, but Scotty says, no. He’s going to find her. He’s going to turn over every rock if he has to. He has to say this; true love is worth fighting for. Nikolas says he never pegged Scotty for a romantic, and Scotty says he’s been hopeless at times. He can’t control this whole thing with Obrecht, but what he can control is them. He’s not letting them throw in the towel. There must be something they can do to keep them together. Ava says, they’ve been through all that, but Nikolas says, Scotty is a clever guy. Maybe he can come up with an unconventional solution. Scotty thanks him and says, so they’ve got a little stalker problem… Ava says she doesn’t think it’s so little, and he says, what he’s thinking is, so this weirdo goes crazy when they make eyes at each other. There’s only one solution. Nikolas says, do tell, and Scotty says, date other people.

Jason tells Britt that he’ll always care what happens to her, whether he helps her or not. She says, she doesn’t give a damn about him. She walks away, and sees Sonny. She tells him, welcome back, and he says, it seems they have a lot of catching up to do. She says, he’s been gone a long time. On thing she’s learned about Port Charles; you miss a day, you miss a lot. She leaves, and Sonny says, Renault tried to have her killed, right? Jason says, yeah, and Sonny says, and Jason got shot going to get her. Jason says, that’s right, and Sonny says, Epiphany filled him in. He guesses Jason wasn’t going to. Jason tells him, there’s not much to say. It happened; it’s over. Sonny asks, did Jason leave Britt for Carly?  

Carly says Nina had nine months to do the right thing. While Sonny’s kids grieved, Donna forgot her father, and Jason went to prison, Sonny was tending bar in some dive and Nina did nothing but lie to their faces. Why would Jax expect her to tell the truth? Nina says, and Carly feels qualified to judge since she knows so much about the truth. Carly says, screw you. Nina stole nine months of Sonny’s life because Carly hurt her feelings? Nina says, at least she got Sonny back. She’ll never see her daughter again. Carly says, now the truth comes out. This was payback for Nelle.

Sonny says, he’ll never forget that Jason and Carly made that sacrifice to marry and protect what’s his. Maybe now he can go pick up the pieces with Britt. Jason says he doesn’t think Britt agrees with that, but Sonny says Jason can change her mind. Jason says he’s not sure that’s possible, and Sonny says, do him a favor. Ask himself if Britt makes him happy. Jason’s phone dings, and he says he should handle this. How long is Sonny’s psych evaluation? Sonny tells him, don’t worry; he’ll have Tony pick him up. Sonny gets in the elevator, and Jason calls Josslyn. He asks, what’s up? and she says she’s kind of meddling here, but she feels like if she doesn’t, things could escalate. He asks, what happened? and she says, mom found out something about Nina, and now she’s on the warpath. She’s not responding to any calls or texts. He says, don’t worry; he’ll find her. He calls Spinelli, and says he needs Spinelli to find Carly; put a track on her phone for him.

Nikolas says, Scotty is advising his wife to date another man? and Scotty tells him, don’t be thick, Nik. Nikolas, of all people, should understand subterfuge, and Nikolas says, so she should date another man for show? Scotty says, put on a show for this crackpot, but Ava says she tried it. She flirted with Austin at the bar. Nikolas says, and her car was still set on fire. Scotty says, Austin is a good choice, but did she give it the old college try? What about Nikolas? Has he stepped out with anybody? Nikolas says, of course (🍷) not. He would if he thought it would help. Ava looks at him, and he says, subterfuge. Scotty says, look who’s jealous. She wants Nikolas to be jealous, but not her. Nikolas says, there would be nothing to be jealous of, and she says, woudn’t there? Scotty says, okay, fake dating’s not going to work. How about skipping town? Nikolas says he was all for it, but they can’t leave their children behind. Scotty says, take the little turds with them, but Ava says, any plan that uproots the kids is out of the question. Scotty says he has another idea. Nikolas is very resourceful with resources and everything. Why doesn’t he get Mr. Bubba to take the guy out? Get a real assassin to get the job done. Ava says, they were just talking about the Cassadine resources, and Nikolas says they’ve exhausted those options, and no new intel to show for it. Scotty says he guesses they’ll have to put their thinking caps on. Nikolas says he appreciates Scotty trying to help. It’s helped him finally realize something. Ava’s solution is the right one. Until they figure out who the stalker is, and how to handle them, they have to cut ties with each other.

Esme says, Spencer was so sure they’d scared Ava into leaving, but she told him that Nikolas would win her back. He says he can’t believe his father is choosing Ava over him again. Just when they’ve started rebuilding their relationship. What the hell did he do all this for, if Nikolas can leave him at the drop of a hat? Esme is sure Ava is dropping more than a hat. That’s why Nikolas can’t think straight, but don’t worry; she’s got this. His father just needs to be brought back to reality. He says, they’ve called off the divorce. They’re probably already on the Cassadine jet. It’s too late. She asks if he trusts her. She saved him before, and she’ll do it again. He says, of course (🍷) he trusts her, but he wonders if this has all gone far enough. She says, let her decide how far is too far. She’ll be back, and so will his dad. She goes out the door, seeing Cameron in the entryway. She says, sorry, she’s got to run, but please come again soon. Ciao. Cameron asks Spencer if he’s okay, and Spencer says, never better. Cameron says he thought they were past hiding how they really feel, because they’re worried one will make fun of the other. Spencer says, okay, cards on the table. Total honesty. Cameron says, absolutely, and Spencer asks, what’s the real reason Cameron came over?

Cameron sends Josslyn a devil emoji, and she tells Trina, she-devil is on the move. Trina says, Cam might have needed a little nudge, but he definitely delivered. Josslyn says, the launch will be here any second. Is Trina still tailing Esme like they discussed? Trina says she doesn’t know. Spencer’s the slippery one, right? Anyone who managed to avoid everyone they knew in Port Charles for weeks needs two sets of eyes on them. Josslyn says, she’ll follow Esme and report back, and Trina tells her, be careful. If they’re right, Esme set Ava’s car on fire. Who knows what that chick is capable of? Josslyn says she survived Nelle. She can handle what Esme’s got.

Carly says Nina acts like Nelle was a martyr. She was a murderer, and the world is better off without her, and so is Wiley. Nina says, how dare Carly say that to her? Nelle was her child. Carly says she didn’t know that until after Nelle died, and Nina says, Carly means after she watched Nelle plummet to her death. Carly laughs, and Nina says, how dare she laugh? Carly stayed silent, didn’t tell the police anything, and let Nelle rot, not allowing Nina any closure. Carly says, so Nina decided to balance the scales with nine months of grieving a man who wasn’t dead? If Nina wanted to hate her and make her suffer, fine, but how does she justify making Sonny’s kids suffer, or Sonny? Nina says, she’ll gladly apologize to Sonny, his children, his family, his friends, even his seventh grade math teacher while she’s at it, but she’ll be damned if she ever apologizes to Carly. Ugh. I know Nina did wrong, but I hate Carly. She’s got nothing for anybody who’s not so-called family.

Trina looks at her phone, and says, Cameron, you should be out of there by now.

Esme walks into the hospital, and Josslyn follows at a distance. She says, Esme, what the hell are you doing?   

Spencer says, obviously Cameron isn’t there to get his notes, and Cameron says, of course (🍷) not. Spencer’s auditing the class. Spencer asks, then why? and Cameron says, it’s obvious. He practically told Spencer.  Cameron came to check up on him. The last time they all hung out, he felt tension. Spencer asks if Cameron means when he, Josslyn, and Trina all huddled and gossiped about him and his girlfriend, and Cameron says, sorry. It wasn’t cool. Spencer asks what they talked about. What did they say about him and Esme, or can’t Cameron tell him? Cameron says, they just all think Esme… He doesn’t know how to say this without it sounding weird. Spencer says Cameron always sounds weird; spit it out. Cameron says they think Esme has some kind of hold over him; like an influence. Spencer says, Esme loves him, and Cameron tells him, he didn’t say she didn’t. Spencer says Esme looks out for him more than his own father, and Cameron says Spencer’s father loves him. Spencer says, the way Augustus loved Tiberius; exiled, and choosing him last every time. Cameron says, it looks like Spencer did take notes, and Spencer says, if he’s not enough for his father, why is he still fighting for him? Cameron asks how Spencer is fighting for Nikolas, but Spencer says, it doesn’t matter anymore. Cameron says his relationship with Franco was rough when Franco started seeing his mom, but they worked at it. They developed a relationship, but with time and effort, they became like a real father and on. Things worked out, and it’s not too late for Spencer and Nikolas to put everything behind them, and move forward together. Spencer says, that’s just it. He’s not Cameron, and never will be.

Ava thanks Scotty for trying. She knows he’s going through a difficult time, and appreciates him meeting her. He says he’s still going to bill her, and she says she knows. He says, Nikolas too. He’s got to  meet a client. Should he take the papers with him? Ava doesn’t say anything, and he takes the envelope. Nikolas tells Scotty that his resources are at Scotty’s disposal to find Obrecht, and Scotty says he might take Nikolas up on it. Scotty leaves, and Ava says that was kind of Nikolas. Nikolas says, true love is always a worthy cause.

Epiphany asks Britt if everything is all right, and Britt says, yes. Why is she asking? Epiphany says she gets that Britt has to be the untouchable Chief of Staff. Just so Britt knows, Epiphany sees through her.

Nina says, Carly let her daughter die, lied to her for weeks, and did everything in her power to rob Nina of her grandson. Carly says, and she’d do it over all again. If Nina wants to hate her for it, come and get her, but don’t use someone like she used Sonny. Nina says, look at the bright side. At least Sonny’s back; she should be overjoyed. Carly asks if that’s supposed to make it okay. All’s well that end’s well? Nina says, none of this is okay, it’s just better. Everybody is happy Sonny is back, but really the question is, will Sonny stay happy? Carly asks what the hell that’s supposed to mean.  

Britt says, Epiphany sees through her? and Epiphany says, always have, always will. Britt asks, what is it she sees? By all means, enlighten her. Epiphany says, she bets Britt is going through a lot, and it might even become overwhelming. So if Britt ever needs to talk it through, use her as a safe space… within reason.

Ava says she needs to get going, and Nikolas says, fine. He’ll let her go, but he’s not giving up. He’ll move heaven and earth to find out who’s doing this, and when he does, they’ll be together again. She thanks him for not standing in her way, and he says, anymore? She says, anymore. He just has one request – wait for him. She fixes his lapel, looks at him for a moment, and leaves. Outside, she leans against the door for a moment.

Spencer says, Cameron is like the poster child for upstanding sons, and Cameron laughs, and says, clearly Spencer has been away far too long. How does he figure this? Spencer says, even for a short time, Cameron and Franco were like father and son. They had a bond. Maybe he doesn’t deserve that kind of bond with his own father… Not after everything he’s done. Cameron asks what Spencer means. What has he done?  

Sonny asks Epiphany if he’s good to go, and she says, not bad for a member of the recently deceased. She’ll get his after-visit summary. She leaves, and Esme comes up to Sonny. She asks if he’s Sonny Corinthos, and he says, who’s asking? She says, thank goodness she found him. Josslyn watches.

Nina tells Carly, things were simpler in Nixon Falls. Mike was actually happy. Carly says, stop calling him Mike, but Nina says, that’s who he was there. Jason comes in while Nina is talking, and Nina says, it’s who he wanted to be; not consumed with ambition, and riddled with guilt and regret. He wasn’t mourning the death of a child to violence. Carly launches herself at Nina, saying, don’t use the name of her child (which technically, Nina didn’t), but Jason runs in and intercepts her. Carly struggles with Jason, and tells Nina, get out. Nina says, tell Wiley that she’ll come back, but Carly says, Nina is never seeing Wiley again. Nina says Carly can’t change the fact that she’ll always be Wiley’s grandmother, and Carly says, Nina is nothing to him. Nina leaves, and Carly jerks away from Jason, whining that Nina threw Morgan in her face. He says, that’s because she knows she lost. Carly got Sonny back, and Nina’s got nothing. Let it go. Carly says, she’s going to burn Nina’s life down, and spit on her ashes. For an emotionless dude, Jason looks pretty horrified.

Tomorrow, Jason says someone’s feelings will be the least of their problems, Ava has unfinished business, Alexis asks what Shawn is trying not to tell her, and Sonny says Esme was right in coming to him.  

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

Still in San Diego at the Del Mar, the women, minus Erika, took limo busses to Lorimar Vineyard, where they did a wine tasting, driving to various areas of the winery in a Rice-A-Roni cable car with tour guide Jared. I loved the cable car. It was like it had gone rogue off the tracks. Kathy brought her scooter along, and in her interview, told us it was see, sniff, swirl, and sip – then swallow. In Garcelle’s interview, she said, if dating was like wine tasting, she would love it so much more. She could line them up, and decide which one she wanted to take home. While they sat at a long table, swirling, sniffing, and guzzling sipping, Kyle announced that Tom’s brother was wanting to put him in a home, and told everyone about the burglary. LisaR jumped in, confirming everything, and lowering the times Erika’s son’s car rolled, making it four. In Sutton’s interview, she suggested someone put this man somewhere he could be taken care of. In Crystal’s interview, she said, this can’t be real. She’s never seen snow in L.A. In Dorit’s interview, she brought the car roll back to the original five, and said, this was stuff you only saw in movies. In Garcelle’s interview, she said, Erika’s stories were unbelievable, because they were hard to believe. Sutton added that she was not playing Nancy Drew. Let Scooby and his friends figure it out. Crystal said she knew what it was like to love someone with dementia. Husband Rob had stepped up, and was all in, getting her father everything he needed. Not everyone had that. Kathy excused herself to go back for a massage. She had a migraine and a neckache. In her interview, she explained that she’d been hit with a golf ball when she was a kid while doing a Barbie commercial, and had suffered ever since. By the end of the excursion, they’d had a lot of wine, and after enjoying a beautiful sunset, Kyle dared to do an impression of Erika. Even more daring was Sutton following with another one. I’ll have what they’re having.

Kyle, Sutton, and Dorit gathered in Kyle’s room for a kiki before dinner. Dorit felt badly for Erika. She felt Erika had cleared up a lot at the picnic, which Sutton hadn’t gone to. That was the first time Erika used the word alleged in regard to Tom being unconscious for twelve hours. Sutton asked, how can you be allegedly unconscious? and in her interview, she wondered why Erika’s story changing all the time, adding, I think y’all allegedly drank the Kool-Aid. In Dorit’s interview, she said she didn’t want to push it with Erika, but then they were left looking like idiots for asking, The women met in the lobby, and walked to dinner together, Kathy using her scooter. Dorit remarked that Erika was wearing latex, so it must be a good day. In Kyle’s interview, she said, Erika was not going to give Sutton any chances. The ice queen was not cracking on this one. Erika was back to getting a hot toddy, and said she was so overwhelmed; she’d needed a minute. What she was going through sucked, but there were people who could step up for Tom. He’d done a lot for a lot of people. Why was her kid there? We also got the official Erika approval stamp on her son having rolled his car five times. In Sutton’s interview, she said, something was weird. It was like the women wanted to prove they were Erika’s friends, She compared it to Denise last year, and we flashed back to that bitch LisaR, and all the she said that you said that they said garbage. In her interview, Garcelle said they were all kissing Erika’s ass, and it all seemed phony. Suddenly, Kyle asked Sutton if a kitty cat had her tongue. WTF?   

In Sutton’s interview, she said, Kyle watched Erika threaten her. Who’s this helping? In Kyle’s interview, she said, Erika had been so down, she just knew she was going home and crying. It made her happy to see that Erika was in good spirits, and she hoped no one ruined it. If I’d had something in my mouth, I would have done a spit-take, after what she’d just asked Sutton. If anyone was going to ruin it, Kyle made a good start. Surprising everyone, especially Sutton, Erika brought Sutton into the conversation, and in her interview, a producer asked if Erika was trying to smooth things over. She said she wasn’t smoothing anything, but why ruin anyone else’s time? She added that she was the best person in the group, and the most adult, then laughed, but I’m not quite sure she didn’t mean it. The next morning, Garcelle had coffee with Sutton on Sutton’s balcony, and Sutton said she was surprised that Erika spoke to her, and Garcelle said, it was like nothing happened. Did she trust it? Sutton said she’d see what the day brought. LisaR called to video chat, and was so loud, Erika heard her from the room upstairs, and came out on her balcony. Luckily, they weren’t talking smack, and Garcelle said it seemed like Erika had a rebirth. LisaR said it had been a long time since they’re seen the real Erika. It was joyous. Sutton said they’d never seen that side, and Erika finally called down that she could hear everything.

Yoga instructor Kory came to teach a class of yoga on paddleboards in the pool. Crystal and LisaR were the only takers, and oddly enough, I didn’t see Kory’s ass on a paddleboard. In LisaR’s interview, she said, finally, there was somebody adventurous in the group, and not afraid to get her hair wet. In Crystal’s interview, she said she was self-conscious in a bathing suit, especially next to LisaR. But LisaR convinced her to wear one, swearing she was wearing a teeny bikini, and showed up in yoga pants. Garcelle and Sutton joined them, but plopped into chaise lounges. LisaR said she didn’t know they’d have an audience, and Garcelle said it was more like hecklers. Kyle and Erika played (I guess) paddle-ball? It was on a tennis court, and like ping pong, but with a bigger ball and paddles. They didn’t keep score, and just hit the ball around, then had champagne. It reminded me of the semester I had tennis in phys-ed in high school, minus the champagne. My best friend was in my class, and we mostly goofed around. LisaR and Crystal both ended up falling in the water, trying to balance on one leg, Garcelle said if tried that on a paddleboard, she’d be using a scooter like Sutton. LisaR marveled that Erika had talked to Sutton, and Sutton said she was surprised, but didn’t know if the door was still closed, and if not, what the angle was. At least now she thought they could get through it. Erika told Kyle that she was feeling better. She couldn’t wallow because life goes on. She had zero dollars, and told her lawyers that she expected nothing. She said they told her that was the most courageous thing they’d ever heard, but it only makes sense that you can’t squeeze blood from a turnip, and there was a long line for any assets. In Kyle’s interview, she said, no one wanted to see themselves with nothing, but the victims needed to be paid. Erika said, every day was a new disaster, and full of bullsh*t .

In Kathy’s interview, she said that she’d rested up, and was psyched for the boat trip she’d planned. She’d hired celebrity chef Brian full of Malarkey to cook, and I actually remembered him from Top Chef. They went to Shelter Island Marina, where a massive sailboat awaited them. Erika confused us all by talking to Sutton as they walked up the dock, telling her it had been rough. Sutton started to apologize, and Erika said – wait for it – it’s okay. At the boat, LisaR said, oh my God, they’re talking, like no one had eyes. Erika said she had to lash out, and apologized. Sutton said Erika was too pretty to be mad at her, which was funny, although I’m not sure if Sutton meant to be funny. In Sutton’s interview, she said she’d gotten a mild apology. She didn’t trust it. She wanted to, but she didn’t. In Erika’s interview, she said, no, she didn’t want to work it out, but she wasn’t ruining everyone’s trip because she hated Sutton, Alrighty then. They met Captain Troy, not of any Deck. Sutton had a huge struggle getting up the stairs wearing her boot, and I wondered why they couldn’t have gotten a ramp for her. The women took tons of pictures, and had the captain move the boat for better lighting. In LisaR’s interview, she said she’d move a mountain for the right light, She’d find the right light in a coffin, Dorit asked what happened with Sutton and Erika, and Sutton said she’d let Erika tell the story. Erika said her life was in shambles, and she was angry and hurt. It wasn’t kumbaya, but it was an opening. She’s in a good mood, the moment was right, and Sutton was receptive. In Kyle’s interview, she said you just didn’t know what you were going to get with Erika. She could snap, then it would be fine. Erika said they were adults. It wasn’t going to be fixed overnight, but it didn’t have to be. In her interview, Kyle suggested Sutton just not talk, which was pretty much what Sutton had been doing. Erika said as far as the press went, if she looked like she was having too much fun, she wasn’t remorseful. If she hung her head, she was guilty. She was damned if she did, and damned if she didn’t. In her interview, LisaR said she thought Erika’s lawyers told her not to talk about anything. I’ll bet they also told her to play nice with everyone, and that was why she apologized to Sutton. Crystal said, despite their rocky start, she was enjoying the time with Sutton. Everyone agreed they were all having a good time, and Crystal ran across the boat to give Sutton a hug. Garcelle said she wanted to play Never Have I Ever, and Kathy said she’d done a background check on everyone, and there was nothing she didn’t know. I never know when Kathy is being serious, so… Garcelle said, never have I ever stolen anything.

In LisaR’s interview, she just made a horrified face. In Erika’s interview, she told us, say it or don’t say it, but she doesn’t like this sh*t. In Dorit’s interview, she said she may have stolen a few hearts as a teenager. Aww. The rest of the questions were all about sex, the women ignoring the captain was about a foot from them, and hearing everything. I’m not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, but no. Just no. In her interview, Sutton said, some of Erika’s comments had an underlying scariness to them (which I’d have to agree with), but she’d have rage too, if she lost all her money. They were wowed by the pink sky, and Sutton talked to Kathy, while the others went to the bow of the boat, playing Titanic. Sutton told Kathy, she wondered how friends could become foes so quickly. In her interview, Sutton said she didn’t want a friendship where she was scared all the time. She told Kathy that she couldn’t not ask questions, but it wasn’t to hurt anybody.   

Next time, Garcelle goes on a tailgate date, Crystal has a party for Chinese New Year, Garcelle wants to see LisaR reach out to Denise, and Sutton says she and Erika need to talk.

🥗 Please Pass the Rumor…

I wouldn’t be surprised.

📉 Rut-Roh…

Not a good look for Erika, but what is he doing wandering around in the first place?

👠 ShahMeanie…

I actually don’t like this kid that much, but one, he’s a kid, and two, this is just not cool

🍸 Lions and Tigers and SUR…

I compare them to twelve year olds, but to each their own.

🛵 On the Road Again…

No doubt houses to cry over, otherwise known as Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles, will be on Friday, but join me tomorrow for a little soap and a little tea. Until then, stay safe, stay pursuing your dreams, and stay believing that true love is a cause worth fighting for.

September 17, 2021 – Wedding Day Surprises, a Thought, In Memoriam, Keeping On, No Support, L.A. House, Patrick For the Win, Wives In Jep, Wrong Side, Sneaky Pup, New Digs, Tributes, Ten-Spot Of Quotes & Rod’s Maggie

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jason and Carly light the memorial candle, as the minister says, this candle burns in the memory of those we’ve loved and lost. Our loved ones may be gone, but they’re never far from our hearts.

Sonny lies unconscious, the Tan-O burning around him. He opens his eyes and says, Carly.

Nina tells the fire chief, he has to find a way inside. Mike/Sonny is trapped in there; they have to get him out. He says they’re doing the best they can. Phyllis says, she heard the fire captain; it’s too dangerous. Nina says, too dangerous to save a life? and Phyllis says, there’s no way he survived this much time in that fire. He’s gone, and they have to accept that.

Jax says, come on, Maxie. Pick up the damn phone.

At the wedding, Maxie looks at her phone. Austin says, catering crisis? and she says, Jax knows she’s at the wedding. Why is he calling? Across the aisle, Epiphany clears her throat, and gives Maxie a stern look. The minister reads from Genesis about man and wife becoming one flesh.

Nina asks Jax what he’s doing, and he says he’s trying to reach Maxie. He needs to tell her that Peter set a fire in Nixon Falls to kill her and Phyllis. Mostly, she has to know Peter is alive and on the run. Nina says, forget Peter. They have to get Sonny out of that building before it’s too late.

Sonny struggles to get up.

The minister says, blah-blah-blah about marriage, and all the couples glance at each other. He says, as Jason and Carly give themselves to each other today, let their love be an example – Gladys steals Novak’s pocket square to dab at her eyes – and inspiration to them all.  Austin asks if Maxie is okay, and she says she was just thinking about how happy she was when she was marrying Peter. That would have been an epic mistake. But watching Carly and Jason just feels right.

Nina makes a move to go back in the Tan-O, but Jax grabs her. He says she heard the fire captain. The building is on fire. Any attempt to rescue Sonny now will just result in more loss of life. There’s nothing they can do. She says, he’s still alive, and she has to get him out, but he asks how she’s going to do that? The front door’s blocked, the back hallway’s engulfed in flames. She says, he’s in there. They have to find him. They have to find Mike. Jax says, Nina, and she says, what does the name matter? There’s a man trapped in a burning building. They have to help him. She collapses, crying in Jax’s arms.

Sonny tries to push the beam off his back.

The minister says, marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently and deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes it was instituted by God. Only for making babies. Just kidding; he didn’t say that last part. Into this union, Carly and Jason come to be joined. If any of them there today can show just cause why they may not be lawfully married, speak now or forever hold thier peace. I have to mention, I’ve been to a lot of weddings, and even had one myself, and have never, ever heard this at a real wedding. Monica tells Ned, she keeps thinking Tracy is going to barge in there, and do anything to keep Carly from marrying into this family again. No one says anything, but there’s a lot of looking around. The minister says, good. They can proceed. He asks them if they have any reason not to get married, and to say it now before God and all these witnesses. That’s a new one on me.

Sonny finally gets the beam off, and stands up, but he falls back down to his knees, and coughs.

Carly and Jason begin their vows. I study Carly’s floral hair ornament. Ned tells Olivia, it reminds him of their wedding, and she says, her too. Gladys noisily blows her nose into Novak’s pocket square. Trina says, Joss looks so beautiful, and Cameron says he knows. The minster asks if the audience witnesses will do everything in their power to uphold this union, and everyone says they will. Novak and Buscema exchange looks.

Nina says she has to find Mike, which is getting pretty old. Jax says, it’s no use. He’s not going to let her throw her life away. Phyllis says she loves Mike too, but it’s too late to save him. I might be able to take this more seriously if Nina didn’t keep looking around like Carrie did at the end of Carrie. Nina says, it’s not too late, and Jax says he’s going to get them checked out by doctors, but Nina says she won’t leave Mike. She sinks to her knees, crying, and saying, it’s not too late.

Carly and Jason say all the traditional stuff, and exchange rings.

Jax tells Nina that he’s taking her and Phyllis over to the clinic to get checked out. They help Nina up.

The minister pronounces Carly and Jason, husband and wife. Everyone applauds. He says, those whom God has joined together, let no one put asunder. Everyone chuckles, which is really weird.

Jax asks if Nina is all right, and she shrugs off his arm. She and Phyllis watch the Tan-O burn, and Phyllis says, it’s all gone. She collapses, and Jax calls for a medic. Nina says, oh my God, and runs for the back of the Tan-O. Jax says, Nina, no, like she might listen. Behind the Tan-O, Sonny is walking out as Nina runs up. He slumps down, and she holds him.

Jason kisses his bride. Everyone applauds again, and they get a standing ovation.

Nina rocks Sonny, and tells him that he’s going to be okay.

Josslyn gives Carly the bouquet, and says she’s happy for them. Carly says she’s happy too, and Jason says, him too. The Wedding March plays, and they walk out to more applause. Outside the chapel, Jason asks what they do now, and Carly says, they shake a lot of hands and kiss a lot of cheeks. He says, that’s one option, and she asks what he’s talking about. He says, let’s go, takes her hand, and they jet.

Jax runs over to where Nina is with Sonny, and she says, he made it. Jax calls for the paramedics, who bring a stretcher over. Jax pulls her away, and suggests he take her to the clinic, but she says she’s not leaving. He almost died because of her, and she’s not going to let him die. He has too much to live for.

Olivia tells Ned and Monica, when she first heard about Carly marrying Jason, she thought it was all kinds of wrong. Sonny’s not gone even a year. Ned asks if she told Carly this, and she says, she would have, if Carly had asked, but luckily she didn’t, so she kept her big mouth shut. She’s so happy she did. Did he see Carly? She was so happy. She was positively glowing. Monica says she certainly had her doubts. Why wouldn’t she? Carly single-handedly destroyed AJ’s life (she says this like AJ had nothing to do with it). But a lot of time has passed, and Jason seems genuinely happy. Ned asks if she’s saying she approves, and she says she doesn’t know. Maybe she’s just a sucker for weddings.

Diane asks Spinelli if he’s feeling a bit melancholy, and he says, he and Ellie agreed to part ways, but he does miss her. He knows in his heart, it’s for the best. She would not have approved of today’s events. Diane says, the ceremony or the guest list? and he says, he understands the necessity of having certain business associates in attendance, but doesn’t she think they put a kind of pal on the festivities? She says, considering Carly and Jason got married to send a message to said guests, it only makes sense they’d be there to receive it. He asks if she doesn’t think they detract from the ambiance, and she laughs, saying, oh please. She thinks Carly and Jason could have cared less. She thinks they were completely oblivious. He says, that’s true. The bride and the groom seemed to have eyes for no one but each other.

Willow says she’s so proud of Michael, and he says, for handing off the ring? She says, yes. For not doing that thing he does where he pretends he can’t find the ring. That is so lame. He says, with Jason as the groom and his mom as the bride? Is she kidding him?

Austin tells Maxie, if it’s going to make her unhappy to talk to Jax, don’t do it. She says she’s not even thinking about Jax, and he’s going to have to wait. She has a job to do. She goes over to Diane, who tells her the ceremony was gorgeous, and the flowers are beautiful. Congratulations on a job… Maxie says, don’t compliment her just yet. They haven’t even gotten to the reception venue. She turns to Spinelli, and says, and on that subject, the DJ has not checked in yet. Can he check on that for her? She’ll text him his contact information. Spinelli says, on it, and leaves.

Gladys says if Brando wants to check on his baby mama before the reception, don’t worry about her. Vincent will make sure she gets there safely. He says, except the Novaks do make him worry.

Woo approaches Novak and Buscema, and says, it was a lovely ceremony, don’t they think? Novak says, no doubt about it. They’re legally married now. Buscema says, which makes them twice as dangerous in his book. 

Bobbie wonders where the bride and groom are, and Epiphany says she thought the receiving line was going to be at the church. Josslyn says, her mom and Jason wouldn’t just take off, would they? but Michael says, they’re not here. Josslyn says, so the question is, where’d they go? 

Jason and Carly go to where she was getting dressed, and he says he can’t believe she came with him, no questions asked. She says, he knows she trusts him completely, and he says, it’s the no questions part that surprised him. She says she thought he could use a break from all the pomp and circumstance. She was impressed he made it through the entire ceremony without wanting to bolt. He says he’d never leave her, and kisses her hand. They sit, and she says, there was this moment when she looked up at Monica smiling at her. And her mom had tears in her eyes, and Josslyn and Michael were grinning from ear to ear. He says, it’s not just about them. It’s about their friends and family; their people. She says she loves the sound of that. Their friends, their family, their life together. He says, starting now, and they almost kiss, but Josslyn and Michael walk in. Josslyn says, don’t let them interrupt, and Carly says, it’s not fair; sneaking up on them. They’re newlyweds, remember? Josslyn says she knows. Everyone’s out there waiting for them. That’s why she and Michael came to find them. Carly says she promised the church secretary that she’d clear out of there, and she wanted to get started. Michael asks if she doesn’t have people for that, and Josslyn says she doesn’t know if Carly has people, but she has a maid of honor and a best man. That sounds like a job for them. Michael says, not to mention, there’s a wedding planner that’s going to have a major breakdown if Carly deviates from her schedule any longer. Carly says, it sounds like they’re being kicked out, and Jason says he thinks so. Carly says, all kidding aside, she thanks Josslyn and Michael for standing up for them and making the day special. She loves them so much. Josslyn tells Jason, she’d say welcome to the family, but he’s already a part of it. Jason says he’ll take it anyway, and they hug. Michael awkwardly hugs Jason, and tells them, get out here.   

Epiphany asks if Bobbie has any guess where her daughter and brand new son-in-law are, and Bobbie says, no. Her biggest worry was if anyone was going to object. Epiphany asks if Bobbie really thought someone was going to do that, and Bobbie says, she didn’t? Epiphany says, like who? Bobbie says she happens to know Jax is not happy with who Josslyn’s new stepdad is Jason, and Epiphany says she’s glad he realized the ceremony wasn’t the place to air his objections. Bobbie says, he’s not entirely wrong, but he’s not taking into account the bond between Jason and Carly, and how committed they are to each other and their family, which of course (🍷) includes Josslyn. Maxie comes out, and asks where the bride and groom are. See this schedule on her phone? Every minute of the day is planned, and there’s no room for Jason and Carly to go rogue. Olivia says, here are the newlyweds, and Maxie goes over to them, asking where they’ve been. Carly says, they just needed a minute alone, and Epiphany says, mm-hm. Well, they’re here now. Let them congratulate the couple. Everyone applauds.

Inside the chapel, Gladys tells Novak that they should join everyone. He tells her to go be with her son. He’ll be there in a moment. She says, he’d better, and leaves. Novak asks Buscema what he thinks. Should they join everyone? Buscema says, why not? Carpe diem. Novak says, seize the day, just in case someone didn’t know what that meant, and Woo says, most people forget the rest of that famous quote. Quam minimum credula postero. Buscema says, which means? and she says, don’t put your trust in tomorrow.

Outside, Epiphany is hugging Jason, and Bobbie says, that’s one long hug. Epiphany says, is she kidding? Jason is the groom. It’s the one time he has to let her hug him. She goes back for seconds, and everyone laughs. Monica says, congratulations, and Ned tells Carly, welcome to the family… again. Olivia says she’s glad to have another ally, and Carly says she can’t wait. Woo approaches, and tells Carly, it was a beautiful ceremony. Thanks again for inviting her. Carly says, of course (🍷), and Woo says, and the groom. She hugs Jason, whispers something in his ear, and tells Carly that she’ll see her at the reception. Woo leaves, and Carly looks at Jason.

At the clinic, Nina coughs, and Jax says, she needs to get herself checked, but she says she’s fine. She coughs some more, and he says, if a doctor says she’s fine, he’ll stop bugging her, but she may have an injury she’s not aware of. She says, she may see a doctor later, but right now, her focus is on Mike. He was in that fire a lot longer than she was. Jax gives her a look, and she says she knows who he is – Sonny. She’s not delusional. He tells her, he didn’t say she was, but she hasn’t been thinking clearly for months. He knows there’s no love lost between her and Carly, and she may not care how Carly is affected by this, but Sonny is a father. His kids have been missing him for almost a year, and that includes Josslyn. He asks if she remembers when they were dating, how close she and Josslyn were. Josslyn’s been missing her stepfather for months. That must mean something to her. This has to stop. She understands, right? He’s not keeping this secret. Keeping Sonny from his kids would just be cruel. A doctor comes out, and Nina asks how he is, but the doctor keeps moving. Phyllis follows, and Nina asks her how he is. She says, he’s conscious, but he’s inhaled a lot of smoke. Nina says, but he’s going to be okay, right? and Phyllis says, the doctor told her it was a miracle he survived. Nina asks if she can see him, and Phyllis looks at Jax. She says, he wants to see Nina, but Jax says, don’t do it. Let the doctors deal with it. Nina goes in anyway.

Nina goes into the examining room, and Sonny sits up. He’s wearing and oxygen mask, and Nina says he should lie back down after everything he’s been through. He asks if she’s okay, and she says she’s fine, thanks to him and Jax. She calls him Mike, and says if he hadn’t risked his life… He takes the mask off, and says, his name’s not Mike. It’s Sonny. She’s always known that. He remembers everything. And he means everything. Oh man, is he going to be all mean about this now?

Michael tells Josslyn, people are waiting, and she says she knows. She was just thinking, most of her friends don’t believe in marriage. That makes complete sense. Her mom’s been divorced, her dad’s been divorced, Trina’s parents are divorced, Cam’s mom is divorced… but she doesn’t know. Seeing her mom and Jason be so excited to commit to each other, she finds it refreshing and encouraging. Or is she just being hopelessly naïve? Michael says he’d use a lot of words to describe her, but naïve isn’t one of them. She says, the whole notion that everyone gets just one great love in their life, if that was the case, she’s already had Oscar. Does that mean she’s going to be alone for the next 60 years? Is that what the universe wants? He says he can’t imagine any universe wanting her to be alone for the rest of her life, and she says, what about him and Willow? She knows the first time they got married, it was to secure custody of Wiley, but are they getting married again, this time because they’re in love? He says he doesn’t want to get ahead of things, but it’s definitely a possibility. She hugs him, and says, it’s such a happy day, and he suggests they get out there. They don’t want to miss what happens next.   

Gladys comes back into the chapel, and tells Novak that she knows he said to go along without him, but patience isn’t her strong suit. She just doesn’t want him to miss anything. He says he’s sorry, but something’s come up. He has business to attend to. She says she was looking forward to dancing with him, and he says, if he wraps it up quickly, he’ll be happy to dance with her. Brando comes in, and asks if everything is okay. Novak tells him to make sure his mother has a good time. He has to sort out some business. He’ll join her if he can. Gladys says she’s going to hold him to that, and Brando suggests they go join everyone. Buscema says, from what I hear, the reception is going to be a real blow out. Brando takes note of this, and I say, oh come on.

Austin tells Maxie, the guests are happy, the bride and groom are smiling. Nice job, wedding planner Maxie. She can relax for a little while now. She says, a wedding planner’s job is not done until the last tuna tartare has been eaten, and the final dance is over. She wonders why Jax called. He never calls her. He knows she’s at a wedding. Granted, a wedding he’s not very happy about, but still, it’s Carly and Jason’s big day. Spinelli flings himself at Jason, hugging him.

Phyllis tells Jax, it was one thing to hear the truth about Mike being Sonny; it was another to see it for herself. That man with Mike’s face is someone different. Kind and appreciative, but a  whole different energy. He says, she just met Sonny Corinthos. She says, Nina knew who he was the entire time, and he says, unfortunately, yes, she did.

Nina says she can see it in Sonny’s eyes; he’s different now. He says it took a near-death experience to remind him of who he was before he washed up in Nixon Falls. She says, the good news is, she doesn’t have to lie anymore. They can start from scratch. Knowing who he was before, and knowing the kind of connection they made together… He says, she really believes that? and she says, the name Mike might be false, but the way they feel about each other is real. He asks why she did it, and she says, if he remembers everything, his memories as Sonny, but also as Mike, then he already knows the answer.

Maxie asks if everyone has their bubble makers ready, and Epiphany says, locked and loaded. Maxie says, okay, people. It’s time for bubbles. Inside, Michael tells Jason and Carly they’re going to be drowning bubbles. Carly takes Jason’s hand, and they walk out between the two lines of guests. Bubbles fill the air, and they kiss.

In a limo, Buscema says, now that he and Novak are alone, not to mention away from Gladys, they can speak freely. He knows Novak has questions. Novak asks if the plan was Cyrus’s idea, and Buscema says, Cyrus is in maximum security; that’s not changing. But Cyrus is right about one thing. The world is about to be a better place without Jason and Carly in it.

In their limo, Carly tells Jason, they did it. Even with a church full of Quartermaines, Corinthoses, and business associates, lightning didn’t strike the steeple. He says, let’s not get over-confident. They still have the whole reception to get through. She says she’s not worried. They deserve their happy ending, and they’re going to get it – or die trying. Why the hell would she put it that way?

On the phone, Epiphany says she understands… She’ll see them soon. Bobbie says, let her guess. GH needs her. Epiphany nods, and says, save me a piece of cake? and Bobbie says she will.

Diane says, Spinelli doesn’t approve of Maxie’s date? and Spinelli says, Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt. He barely knows the man. Diane laughs, and says, she highly doubts that. He says he barely knows Austin personally. He’s well acquainted with Austin’s history and online presence. She says, he did a deep dive, and he says, for good reason. He’s challenging Edward’s will; he wants a piece of ELQ. She asks, who’s representing him? and he says he believes it’s Scotty. She wonders why no one reached out to her. She did the probate for Edward’s will, and knows all of the provisions. What say the two of them get to know Dr. Gatlin-Holt a little better? He says, by all means. If she’ll excuse the observation, he does seem to be hovering a little close to Maxie. Perhaps they could give her a break. He’s sure she would be most grateful. As would he. Diane laughs, and they walk over. Diane says, Dr. Austin Gatlin-Holt, I presume, and introduces herself. She says, you’re a Quartermaine. They’re just coming out of the woodwork. Come. Tell me things about yourself. He excuses himself, and Maxie says, did Spinelli ask Diane to do that? He says he thought she might want Austin out of the room when he passed along the instructions from the DJ. She says, right. Did the DJ get back to him? She steers him out at a fast clip.

Gladys tells Brando, wasn’t that sweet of Vincent to promise to meet her at the reception? Brando says, that’s not exactly what he heard, but maybe if they’re lucky, Novak’s business will keep him busy all night. She says she hopes fatherhood teaches him to be more trusting of people. Not everyone is out for number one.

Sonny asks Nina how he’s supposed to know the reasons for her keeping his true identity a secret. She tells him, think back to when she and Phyllis were trapped in the fire. He told her that he loved her, and it gave her the strength to fight for her life, and survive. Doesn’t that prove to him that what they have is real? He says, he can’t do it. He’s got to see his wife. He gets off the examining table, and she says, if he leaves there, she wants him to know something. That she honestly loves him. He tells her, don’t say that.

Carly says, when they were in the receiving line, Mrs. Woo whispered something to Jason. What did she say? He says, she was confirming something he already knew.

Buscema looks at his watch, and tells Novak, the surprise should be happening at any moment. Novak says, Gladys took his pocket square. Like he’d want it back after she blew her nose in it. Buscema says, relax. The device has been planted. Mr. and Mrs. Morgan’s love story is about to come to a violent end. Something blinks from underneath the car.

Carly tells the driver, step on it. They can’t wait to celebrate with their family and friends.

A button is pressed, and there’s an explosion near the chapel.

The text says: In Loving Memory of Joseph Behar, Director

On Monday, Valentin tells Anna that he’ll shoot someone on sight (probably Peter), Maxie says she could use a bride and groom, Nina tells Sonny he can’t leave, and Sonny says, try and stop him.

💡 Even though they didn’t show it, I’m guessing it’s Novak and Buscema’s limo that’s blown to bits.

📺 Who He Was…

GH’s Joseph Behar.

👱🏾‍♀️ New Normal…

I’m all for getting your blonde wig on, but is it me, or is she looking more like Kim Zolciak these days?

👎 No Vote For You…

It’s not Vicki’s year.

🏰 It’s That House…

JoshF shows off his Million Dollar Listing. Amazing photos of the tiles. I forgot to mention, the people who bought it want to remove them. I think I immediately blocked it from my mind.

https://www.bravotv.com/million-dollar-listing-los-angeles/style-living/josh-flaggs-copa-doro-listing-see-inside

🍾 Scene Stealer…

He was an angel at the dinner from hell.

https://www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/kathy-hilton-butler-patrick-rhobh-cast-reacts

⚖️ Which One…?

While they both have serious problems, still, First World. But who has it worse? Jen Shah

https://extratv.com/2021/09/10/rhoslc-star-whitney-rose-talks-jen-shah-s-legal-drama-and-how-she-s-doing-after-her-arrest/

https://okmagazine.com/p/real-housewives-of-salt-lake-city-lisa-barlow-says-co-star-jen-shah-fighting-for-her-freedom/

Or Erika Jayne. You decide.

https://www.etonline.com/bethenny-frankel-says-she-was-aware-of-erika-jayne-and-tom-girardis-money-issues-years-ago-172257

🥈 Runner Up…

Or Kelly, who is her own worst enemy.

🐶 Pay No Attention To That Dog In the Picture…

I don’t normally follow the royals, but I loved this.

https://people.com/royals/james-middleton-alizee-thevenet-married/

🏘 Real Estate Therapy…

I’m going to miss Metul. He turned me on to butter chicken.

🌠 Funny Guy Gone…

Tributes to Norm MacDonald.

https://people.com/tv/late-night-hosts-pay-tribute-to-norm-macdonald-after-his-death/

https://ew.com/tv/stars-pay-tribute-late-comedian-snl-alum-norm-macdonald/

🐬 Quotes of the Week

Respect your efforts, respect yourself. Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that’s real power. – Clint Eastwood (This was before he started talking to empty chairs.)

Diligence is the mother of good fortune. – Miguel de Cervantes

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. – Aristotle

A person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read. – Mark Twain

Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.Martin Luther King Jr.

Don’t wait. The time will never be just right. – Napoleon Hill

Here’s your reminder that you are not a robot. You’re a human being, and that means some days aren’t productive, some days are messy, and some days are just for living life – and that’s okay. – Georgie Collinson, naturopath

Happiness is not a goal, it’s a by-product. – Eleanor Roosevelt

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

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

⚔️ Ending the Week…

It’s that time again. The time those using the traditional calendar system call the weekend. And for those making lines on a cave wall, it’s two more of those. It’s when I switch gears, and write interviews, the latest of which is Thaao Penghlis – the original Victor Cassadine – streaming on YouTube at 2 pm, Sunday, on Mupo & Friends. Be there or be a rectangle. Until I see you on the Deadside, stay safe, stay practical when life calls for it, and stay seizing the day. Don’t put your trust in tomorrow.

September 10, 2021 – Nina Tells Jax That He Won, Comparison, Shah Much Trouble, the Ultimate, Kandi’s New Gig, Throwing Back, New Puppy, OctoQuotesy & Double W.K.

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What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Austin tells Maxie, it’s totally okay. She told him not to bother her, and he won’t anymore. She says, it’s no bother. She was wondering if he’d like to attend the wedding of the century. By that, of course (🍷) she means the wedding between Carly Corinthos and Jason Morgan. Actually, she’s planning most of it, and it is coming out really nice if she does say so herself. He says, weddings just aren’t his thing, and she asks if he’s sure. He could be her plus one. Curtis comes in carrying Jordan, and says they need some help. Austin springs into action and calls for a gurney. Curtis puts Jordan on it, and Austin asks, what happened? Curtis tells him that Jordan got locked in a basement with a gas leak. Austin asks if Jordan can hear him, but there’s no response. He tells the nurse to take her to the ER, and follows. Maxie asks if Portia is okay, and Portia sits down. She coughs a little, and asks Brook to go to the desk an tell the attendant she was exposed to a gas leak. Brook says she’s on it, and Maxie asks if there’s anyone she can call, but Portia says, no. She doesn’t want her daughter to worry. Maxie says, speaking as someone’s daughter, she’d want to know what’s going on.

Gladys joins Brando and Sasha at a table in the MetroCourt, and apologizes for being late. She walked straight into the paint cans he had in the hall. She has a bruise on her leg that’s going to be there for days,. That’s going to look great for Carly and Jason’s wedding. Brando says they were going to discuss that with her, but Gladys ignores him, asking him to put the box with the changing table in his room. Every time she walks in her room, it’s in the way. He says, the baby takes top priority. He’s trying to get the nursery ready. She asks if that’s why he invited her to lunch; to find out when she’s getting her own apartment, and he says, Sasha’s about to have the baby, and he needs her room. Gladys says she already told him, the baby can share his room. It’ll be too young to appreciate some fancy nursery. Besides, she doesn’t want Brando to be by his lonesome in the apartment. He says he’s not going to be lonely when Sasha decides to move in with him.

Nina says, Carly and Jason are getting married tonight? and Jax says, they want to present a united front to their business associates. She asks if he doesn’t see. If they get married, everything’s going to be okay. Because there’s not going to be a hole for Sonny to fill. There will be no life waiting for him. If Carly and Jason get married, then Sonny can stay dead. She and Mike can have a future. All he has to do is walk away. Please. She’s begging him.

Phyllis finds Sonny, and says it looks like they had the same idea. He needs peace and quiet as much as she does. He asks if she’s seen Nina, and she says, no, why? Is everything all right? What happened? He laughs, and says, for one thing, he told Nina that he loves her. Phyllis smiles and says, ooh, and they both laugh.

Ms. Woo and Mr. Novak meet Mr. Buscema at the docks. Novak asks what they’re doing there, and Buscema says, the plan is set, unless something’s changed. Woo says, they agreed. The best time to hit the warehouse is tonight, while Ms. Corinthos and Mr. Morgan are distracted by the wedding. Buscema says, the plans haven’t changed, but he has a message from Cyrus Renault.

Carly and Jason kiss, but it’s one of those soap kisses where he’s really kissing her upper lip. She says she wouldn’t mind doing that again. Maybe not, but I don’t want to see it again.

Portia lies on an examining table, wearing an oxygen mask. She takes it off, and asks, how’s Jordan? Deanna says, mask back on, please, and Portia says, in a minute. Deanna says, doctors always make the worst patients, and Portia says, while she was in that basement with Jordan, she performed chest compression, and monitored her breathing all the way to the hospital. It would really help her to know Jordan’s condition. Deanna tells her to put the mask back on, and she’ll check. Deal? Portia says, okay.

Maxie thanks Brook for the coffee, but doesn’t think it’s going to calm her down. Brook says, it’s not about calming her down. It’s about being alert while they wait. Maxie says, they’re not family. The hospital isn’t going to give them any information on Jordan’s or Portia’s conditions. Brook says, she’s concerned about them, but they’re waiting for Austin. Maxie was just about to invite him to Jason and Carly’s wedding.

Austin comes out from Jordan’s cubicle, and Curtis asks how she is. Austin says, they’re treating her with pure oxygen to get the levels in her blood back up. Curtis asks how long it will take, but Austin tells him, it’s hard to say. It varies from patient to patient. They’re waiting to get her bloodwork back to find out how much carbon dioxide is still in her system. Curtis says he’d like to see her, and Austin says he’s sure Curtis would, but he can’t allow that. He’s sorry. From his understanding, Curtis and Jordan are divorced, and it’s family only. Curtis says Austin understood wrong. They’re not divorced; he’s still her husband. Austin says, mazel tov. Go ahead.

Curtis goes in to see Jordan, and tells her, the doctor says she’s doing great. He sits down, and takes her hand. He says her heartbeat is steady. He just needs her to wake up. He kisses her hand, looks up, and says, please.

Phyllis hugs Sonny, and says, that’s wonderful news. How did Nina respond? Did she say she loves him back? Sonny says, she did, and Phyllis says, just as she predicted. He says, she predicted this? and she says, not to him and Nina. She wanted them to figure it out for themselves, but now that they have, why isn’t he with her? He says, because her friend Jax is back. He’s talking a lot, and it’s not good. She says, that man never takes no for an answer. She can’t tell him how many times she and Nina have told him to back off. He says, so has he, but now Nina wants him to back off to talk to Jax in private. She asks if they’re at the Tan-O, and he nods. She starts to walk away, and he says, no one wants to go back to the Tan-O more than he does, but Nina told him that she wants to talk to Jax alone, so he’s going to respect her wishes – for now.

Jax asks if Nina hears herself. Sonny can stay dead? He’s not dead. He was just here. Jax was talking to him. Please don’t tell him that Sonny is some made up person named Mike. Nina says, Mike’s not made up, and he’s nothing like Sonny. Jax says he was pretty quick to threaten him. He told Jax to leave before he got shot again. That sounds like the old Sonny he’s always known. She says, he didn’t mean anything. Mike is just protective of the people he loves. Jax says, stop calling him Mike, and she says, Mike is free from the mob. Mike is free from the violence that’s followed Sonny his whole life. And Mike isn’t grieving a son who was killed. He isn’t focused on revenge, power, and greed. Mike can be the good man inside that he always has been. Jax says Mike gave Nina what he could – honesty – and she’s paying back his honesty with lies.

Jason tells Carly, if they get married, it’s going to be real; she doesn’t have to worry. She says, and they can stay best friends, figure out how to be husband and wife, fall in love and all that stuff. That’s scary. He says he knows, and she says she’s looking forward to it. He says, him too, and she asks if this is happening. He says, does she need to hear it? and she says she does. He says, Carly, will you marry me? and she says, with all her heart, and they hug.

Maxie tells Brook, while they’re waiting, tell her about Louise… She means, Bailey. Starting from when she woke up this morning. Was she smiling, hungry, fussy? She wants to know everything.

TJ goes in to see Portia, and asks if she’s okay. What happened? She says she’ll be fine, but his mom was with her, and she’s been injured.

Curtis asks Jordan to open her eyes. She’s nothing if not a survivor. She’s beat the odds so many times, he needs her to beat them again. He needs her to wake up, smile at him, and tell him, she’s got this. Austin says Jordan’s blood results are back, and asks to talk to him outside. Curtis goes out with him, and says Austin’s doctor face tells him the news isn’t good. Austin says, the normal level of carbon dioxide in an adult who doesn’t smoke is less than 2%. Curtis says, and Jordan’s? and Austin says, her level is 58%. Curtis says, that doesn’t sound good, and Austin says, they’re going to do everything they can. They’re going to get her levels down quickly, and if that doesn’t work, they’ll put her in a hyperbaric chamber, because if they don’t do that, they could lose her. Curtis says, she can’t die.

Nina tells Jax, Mike is happy here. Mike has found peace with himself in a way Sonny never has. He asks if she remembers how happy she was when she found out Sasha was her daughter. She was so happy to have her child in her life; they were the perfect mother/daughter match. But did her happiness justify Valentin’s actions? She was torn apart when she found out the truth, but she wasn’t interested in Valentin’s good intentions. She only cared that he manipulated her and lied to her; told her what she could and couldn’t know about her own life. Is that what she wants for Sonny? She says, of course (🍷) not. She can’t bear to see the pain in his eyes. He says, but she will. That’s inevitable. She starts to cry, and he says, eventually, Sonny is going to find out the truth about who he really is. She says she can’t lose Mike; she won’t. He says she won’t lose Mike, because he doesn’t exist. He never has.

Gladys says, Brando and Sasha hardly know each other. Why would they want to move in together? Sasha says, what better way to get to know each other? and Brando says, they’re having a baby. It makes sense to keep the family together. Gladys says she’s family, and he’s not thinking twice about kicking her out, and Sasha says, maybe Gladys’s new friend Vincent Novak can help her find a place. Gladys says, maybe he will. Vincent at least knows how to treat a lady right. Brando asks if she didn’t learn anything with her involvement with Cyrus, and Gladys says, her involvement with Mr. Renault was a business transaction. Vincent doesn’t want anything from her except the pleasure of her company, and she’s not discussing this with him anymore. Know what else she’s not discussing? Moving out. It’s not like he’s even there most of the time. Sasha says, Brando’s been busy with his side gigs, and Gladys says, side gigs? Why does he need extra work? The garage is doing just fine, isn’t it? He says he needs to save up some money for the baby, so he needs extra cash, and Sasha says, Brando has some amazing hidden talents. Her son is quite the entertainer. Gladys asks what that’s supposed to mean, and Brando says he’s a stripper. Gladys chokes on her drink.

Novak says, Mr. Renault wants to remain in control, calling the shots, even from prison. Woo says, at least they know he’s contained. They don’t have to worry about the threat his operation once posed to their own. Novak says, once they get rid of Jason and Carly, Port Charles will finally be open to them. They can split it three ways, and operate as they see fit. Buscema says they only have one chance to bring down the Corinthos organization, and Novak says, tonight, when the heads of the Five Families rigatoni with vodka sauce are at the wedding, they’ll make their move.

Sonny looks at his phone, and Phyllis says, any word from Nina? He says he’s afraid not. If he doesn’t hear from her soon, he’s going over to the Tan-O, and make sure she’s okay. Phyllis says, good. That Mr. Jax is way too pushy for her taste. He says Nina said she could handle him, and she says she’s sure Nina can, but only to a point. He’ll try to wear Nina down, and draw on their history together. She knows Nina has conflicting feelings where he’s concerned, and she’s worried Mr. Jax could undermine her belief and the life she’s made for herself. She asks how long he’s going to wait, and he looks at his empty wrist. She asks where his watch is, and he flashes back to throwing it in the water. He says he decided to let it go, let the past go, and concentrate on the future with Nina.

Carly says she needs to text Josslyn, and tell her she’s sorry for taking off, but Jason says he already texted that he found Carly. Carly says Josslyn called him when she realized Carly wasn’t home? but Jason says, actually, he stopped by to pick up his suit. She says, his suit was at the house; their house. She knows he’s been staying there for months, but staying there is very different from living there. He says, there’s a big difference, and she says, this is creepy. It’s just hitting her. They’re getting married. She was so caught up in the politics, and the Five Families caprese salad mix, and wondering if she could go through with it, but this is happening. It’s real. Today’s their wedding day.

Austin tells Curtis, in this moment, it’s his duty as a physician to inform him of the worst case scenario. He has every right to know what kind of jeopardy Jordan is in, but he doesn’t believe there’s any medical value in guesswork or trying to predict an outcome. He does believe there’s incredible medical significance in someone who cares about the patient – like him – hoping for the best. So let’s just do that. TJ comes running up, and asks, how’s his mom? Austin says he and Curtis were just discussing her condition. His mom has severe carbon monoxide poisoning. TJ says, she’s only got one kidney. Is she in danger of renal failure? Austin says, it’s a possibility her renal function has been compromised, but they’re monitoring it. Curtis tells TJ to go see his mom, and TJ goes in to see Jordan. Austin says he’s going for a consult with a nephrologist. He’ll be paged if there are any changes.

Brook tells Maxie, Bailey/Louise goes right to sleep. Then wakes up about an hour later, fussing. She and Valentin find it hard not to go in. Maxie says, they just let her cry? but Brook says, absolutely not, but if she wakes up, and she’s not crying, just making noises for attention, they try to wait it out and see if she’ll fall asleep on her own. Maxie says, no. She’s too young for self-soothing. When James was that age, she let him fall asleep in her arms. Brook tells her, experts say, it’s really important to get a child into a routine, and Maxie says, she knows routines are important. She has two other children. Brook asks if Maxie is implying she’s a bad mom.

Gladys coughs for a while, and says, a stripper? Sasha says, he’s really good. Everyone at Carly’s bachelorette party was thrilled. He was very entertaining. Gladys says, he stripped for Carly? and Sasha says, she was very appreciative. Gladys says, of course (🍷). Of course (🍷) she’s the type to hire a stripper. She has no class at all. Brando says, actually, Olivia Quartermaine hired him, and Gladys says, that’s beside the point. He could do anything; why this? He says, he’s at the garage all day. He needs night and weekend gigs, and there aren’t many of those that pay well. Stripping does. Gladys says, what about Miss Face of Deception? Can’t she cough up the cash?

Sonny tells Phyllis that he’s tired of thinking about a past he can’t remember, and she says, that’s quite a gesture. He says, what is a watch compared to the woman he loves, and who loves him? She says, his watch was from his past, and he wants to show Nina that he’s ready to move forward with her. He says he’s got everything he needs right there with Nina, and Phyllis puts her arm around him, saying, she’s so glad her two favorite people found each other. Sonny says, come hell or high water, he’s not letting Nina go.

Nina says Jax doesn’t understand. Mike brought her back to life. When she lost her daughter and lost him, she was so upset and heartbroken, and Mike changed all that. The love they share is real. Jax says, then it should survive the truth. If Nina really thinks Sonny will chose her over his old life, at least give him the information he needs to make that choice. She says, but it won’t be a choice. The instant people know Sonny is alive, Mike will be trapped in that world again. Jax says, because that is his world. Sonny chose it over and over. He made himself kingpin. He was ruthless and ambitious, and he got exactly what he wanted. He’s not going to stand by and let Carly marry Jason, so she can manage his territory, when he’s alive and can manage it himself. She says, of course (🍷). This isn’t about Sonny, and this certainly isn’t about her. It’s about Carly.

Carly tells Jason, just to be clear, she’s still committed to the business aspect, and putting on a show for the Five Families panettone, but like he said, the wedding is about them. Jason says, it will be, and she says, they should celebrate. He says, trust him. Maxie will make sure they celebrate. She says, not Maxie’s celebration; their celebration. Right here at Jake’s, where it all began. He says, Jake’s is gone, and she says, it’s where they first met; where they had their first dance. She knows there’s no pool table or bar. He says, and there’s no music; he doesn’t hear any music either. She says she can hear music. He can just follow her lead. He says they’re going to dance at the reception, but she says, that’s a show for everybody else. This is just for them. She puts her arms around him, and sways back and forth. This is really stupid. She says she thinks he likes dancing, and he says he does not like to dance, but he can’t say no to her. She leans in for another kiss, but his phone rings. It’s Tony, and he asks, what is it?… What’s wrong with her?… Okay. Thanks. He tells Carly that one of their people saw Jordan being brought into General Hospital. It looks like she was attacked. She asks if he thinks Cyrus was involved, but he doesn’t know. He suggests they go find out.

Nina says she’s such an idiot. She should have known this is all about Carly for Jax. He says, that’s not true. He knows she’s scared because she knows her happiness with Sonny can’t last. Even if he kept Sonny’s identity a secret, eventually, he’s going to remember. She says he doesn’t know that; no one does. He says he understands if she wants to ignore Carly’s feelings, but she can’t ignore Sonny’s kids. His kids are in Port Charles grieving their father. Donna and Avery are small children, and deserve their dad in their lives. She says, doesn’t he think she knows that? and he says, remember what it felt like to have Wiley back in her life? That’s Sonny’s grandson. Doesn’t he have the right to know Sonny, and doesn’t Sonny – not Mike, Sonny – have the right to know Wiley?   

Brando says, Sasha’s finances are none of Gladys’s business, and Sasha says, they intend to co-parent, and split the cost down the middle. Gladys says, and Sasha thinks that’s fair? Her son is taking his pants off, when she makes more than enough dough to keep her grandson in designer onesies. Brando says, no one asked for her opinion. It’s their baby, and they’re going to make decisions on what’s important to them. Mr. Novak comes by the table, and says, Gladys. What a pleasant surprise. She’s looking lovely, as always. She says, that’s so sweet. Just wait until he sees what she’s wearing to Carly and Jason’s wedding. Novak says, just remember, it’s bad form to overshadow the bride.

TJ tells Jordan, here they are again. Like when she was waiting on a kidney transplant. She pulled through then, and she’ll pull through now, right? Who else is going to make sure he puts his head on right? And he’s not above playing the guilt card, because she knows how much he loves her, and how destroyed he’d be if she left. So she can’t stay there. Just… stay.

Maxie says, she could not stand by if her infant was upset, but Brook says, she’s not just sitting there, filing her nails. She just thinks it’s better to let the baby fall asleep on her own if she can. Maxie asks if it’s easier for Brook to ignore Bailey because she’s not Bailey’s own mother, but Brook says, she doesn’t ignore Bailey. And as long as Peter is still out there, and is a threat to Maxie and her baby, she is Bailey Lois’s mother. And she’ll parent Bailey the best way she can.

Carly and Jason walk into the hospital, and Carly sees Portia. She tells Portia, they heard Jordan was brought to the ER. What happened? Portia says she was with Jordan. They were trapped in a basement with a gas leak. If Curtis hadn’t found them, they would have died. Jason asks if they know who’s behind it.

Curtis asks Austin what the nephrologist thought, and Austin says, if Jordan’s kidney function doesn’t improve, they’ll put her on dialysis. Curtis goes in to see Jordan, and TJ gets up. Curtis says he doesn’t have to go, but TJ says, he’ll be right back. Curtis goes over to Jordan, and asks if she’s really going to keep all the people who love her worried.

TJ calls Shawn, and says he’s in the ER. His mom’s there. They brought her in because she had carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s bad for anyone, but having one kidney makes it worse… Thanks. He hangs up.

Curtis says, even though he and Jordan couldn’t be together anymore, he never stopped loving her. He couldn’t if tried.

Sonny laughs, and asks Phyllis, what? She says, nothing. She just loves seeing him so happy. He says he has to give Nina the credit, and Phyllis says she’ll be sure to thank Nina. Not to meddle, but doesn’t he think it’s time he made sure Nina is okay? He says, Jax should be getting home by now. He’ll see Phyllis later. He leaves, but his phone is still on the bench.  

Nina tells Jax, congratulations; you won. She can’t think of anything that would justify keeping Sonny away from his kids, and denying Avery and Donna and Wiley the chance to know him. So Mike is going to find out the truth, that he has a whole other world she was keeping from him. He has people who love him, who are waiting for him. Their life there in Nixon Falls, their time together, was just an illusion. Jax says he’s sorry; he really is. If she thinks he did this to hurt her, she couldn’t be more wrong. She says, do her a favor. Let her tell him in private. If he has any feelings left for her, give her this. He nods, and says, here’s her chance. We hear the door. 

Portia tells Carly and Jason, there was a body in the basement. They believe it to be a man named Roger Barstow. She and Curtis went there to speak with him, and Jordan was there on a different case. Carly asks if it has anything to do with Cyrus, and Portia says she thought Cyrus was in prison. Jason says, that doesn’t mean he’s powerless, and Portia says, this Barstow was an employee of a medical clinic by the name of Creighton-Clark. Carly and Jason look at each other.  

Brook says, it was Maxie’s decision to give Brook her daughter, and let Brook pretend she’s hers and Valentin’s. But she should know, Brook loves Bailey, and will always do what’s best for her. Maxie says she knows Brook is doing the best she can, but Brook’s not her mother; Maxie is. She should be making decisions about Bailey’s care. Brook asks if Maxie thinks it’s time she claimed Bailey as her own. 

Shawn arrives at the hospital, and TJ thanks him for coming. Shawn thanks TJ for calling him. Does he know what happened? TJ says, not really. Someone told him that his mother and Portia were being treated there because they were in some accident. Shawn says, Portia’s here? and TJ says, Portia told him that she and Curtis were going to question some guy. Then his mom showed up, and he doesn’t know how it happened, but his mom took a blow to the head; she’s got a concussion. Of course (🍷) they’re monitoring that, but the real problem is carbon monoxide poisoning. Does Shawn think it’s connected to the work he was doing with TJ’s mom? Shawn says, it has to be. TJ’s mom was going to question a man named Roger Barstow who had a possible connection to Naomie Dreyfuss. He has no idea how Curtis and Portia got involved. TJ says, it’s a good thing they did. He thinks they saved his mom’s life.  

Curtis tells Jordan not to break his heart again, or TJ’s. She still has so many great things to do in this world. He knows how she hates leaving Anything unfinished. So fight as hard as he knows she can.

Nina and Jax leave the Tan-O, and Nina says, please. Let her be the one to tell him. Jax says, okay. She gets to tell Sonny about his past on her own terms, but he’s not leaving Nixon Falls until he knows she told him. She says she’s not going back on her word, she just needs to do it in her own way. He says, yes, but she needs to do it right now. She says, give her some space, please, and she’ll do it, and he leaves.

Maxie tells Brook, she’s not sure it’s safe yet. Maybe they should… Austin approaches, and Brook says she just remembered, she needs to check in with Yuri. She doesn’t want him searching the hospital for her. Maxie asks how Jordan is, but Austin says, that’s confidential. She says, right; family only. Maybe they could go back to the question she was asking before they got interrupted. Will he go to Jason and Carly’s wedding with her? Brook listens from around the corner, and he says, is that an actual question? Maxie says, why wouldn’t it be? and he says she made it clear that seeing him was a painful reminder of her losing Louise. He doesn’t understand why she’d want to attend a wedding with him.

Gladys tells Mr. Novak, this is her son Brando, and his… Sasha Gilmore. He says it’s a pleasure to meet them, and Glady’s invites him to join them. Brando says, unfortunately, he and Sasha can’t stay, and Sasha says, they have an appointment. Novak says, of course (🍷). Another time. Brando quietly tells Gladys, be careful, and he and Sasha leave. Novak wonders if Gladys’s son has a problem with him, and she says, Brando has a short fuse these days. He’s been working hard to support his baby-to-be. He deserves better. Novak says, circumstances can always change, and she asks, how so? He says, stick with me, doll, and good things will come to you and your family.

Portia asks if Jason and Carly think she and Trina are still in danger from Cyrus. Jason says he doubts it, but if he hears something, he’ll let her know. Portia thanks him, says she’s going to check on Jordan, and leaves. Carly says, how random that they’re investigating a guy with ties to Creighton-Clark. Drew was there at one time. He says he heard, and she wonders what that investigation is about. He says they have their own things to focus on right now, when her phone dings. She says, it’s Josslyn, letting them know that they’re now officially late. He says, then they should get going, and she says, see him at the altar. She leaves, and Jason’s phone rings. He says, yeah… He’s listening.

TJ tells Shawn that he let his supervisor know there was a family emergency, so another doctor is taking over rounds for him. Shawn says his mom is tough; she can get through this. TJ says, that’s what he tells himself, but still… Shawn hugs him, and Portia watches. She goes in to Jordan’s cubicle, but stops when she sees Curtis is there.

Curtis cries, saying, Jordan’s family needs her. He needs her. The way he sees it, she has no choice; she’s got to come back to them. She moves a finger, then opens her eyes. He kisses her hand. Portia watches them.   

Nina comes back into the Tan-O, and looks at the picture of her and Mike/Sonny on her phone. She makes a call, and Phyllis says, Nina? Nina asks if Mike is there, and Phyllis says, no. He accidently left his phone, but he’s on his way to the Tan-O. Is everything all right? Nina says, everything is fine. She hears the door open, and says, never mind. He’s here now. They’ll talk soon. She turns around, but it’s Peter.

I’d actually forgotten all about him. I guess St. Lucia didn’t pan out too well…  

On Monday, Trina tells Josslyn that Spencer lied about something else, Maxie asks Brook if ELQ is worth all the devastation, and Peter wonders how best to handle Nina.

👠 Anything You Can Do…

I honestly don’t know whose troubles are worse, and I dislike both of them equally.

👮🏽‍♂️ Here’s Shah More…

One Wife’s opinion.

The arrest.

🍲 Recipe For Disaster…

Someone at Bravo said, I have an idea…

https://ew.com/tv/real-housewives-ultimate-girls-trip-cast-photo-peacock/

And the Biggest Drama Queen goes to…

https://www.eonline.com/news/1301748/melissa-gorga-reveals-which-real-housewife-caused-the-most-drama-on-ultimate-girls-trip

🎭 Broadway Kandi…

Kandi brings her talent as a producer to the stage.

💥 Blasts From the Past…

Some fun 90s throwback pics of reality stars.

🐕 No More Agonized Sighs…

Griff has a new best friend. Who doesn’t love a puppy?

🐙 Quotes of the Week

Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears. – Les Brown

When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world. – John Muir

A woman’s heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to seek Him just to find her. – Maya Angelou

If you fall, make it part of the dance. – LuAnn de Lesseps

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

Courage is very important. Like a muscle, it is strengthened by use. – Ruth Gordon

Mind is a flexible mirror, adjust it, to see a better world. – Amit Ray

Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions. – Albert Einstein

October 2021
Never Forgetting

🔌 Unplugging…

Whether a respite from work or just two more days coming up, do something that brings you, if not joy, at least a modicum of curiosity and novelty. See you when the Dead are walking. Until then, stay safe, stay appreciating the small things, and stay remembering that it’s bad form to overshadow the bride.

August 19, 2021 – A Date For the Wedding Is Set, Drew’s Return, the Girlfriend, Interviewing Diane, Taking a Break, From Hospital To Horror, Second Time Around Salt Lake & Time

Standard

What I Watched Today

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

General Hospital

Jason asks how Josslyn is, and Carly says, Nikolas Cassadine is a self-absorbed jerk, which really answers that question. He says, there’s no question about that, and she says, fortunately, everything at Windymere was fine; it was a false alarm. She’s glad she went, but she’s sorry she missed the meeting. Did they come to a conclusion? He says it’s a good thing she did miss it. It gave him a chance to see exactly where they stand with the Five Families Italian style flatbread. She says, okay; where’s that? and he says, they’re in trouble.

Spencer says, the first time he saw Trina, he knew she was something special. She says, please. The first time he saw her, she was running into The Savoy covered in fake blood. He says, exactly. He saw her drenched in blood, and thought, that’s someone I need to get to know better. She asks how that’s going for him, and he says what he knows he likes, and he’d like to know more.

Laura says Nikolas is her son, but he’s a father now; a parent. Tonight, he chose to terrorize his own son to make a point. He says he honestly believed Spencer was Ava’s stalker. And if Spencer could do these horrible things to  them… She says, he wanted to give Spencer a taste of his own medicine. Her worst fears are coming true. He says, what’s that? and she says, he’s finally becoming a Cassadine through and through.

Portia tells Ava, this is unspeakably cruel. Who would set her car on fire, and leave her daughter’s ID badge? She’s so sorry Ava is going through this. If Ava needs something to sleep, she can prescribe something. Ava says, absolutely not. She can’t let her guard down. Portia says, she has a bodyguard, but Ava says, a lot of good that did her tonight. There is a psychopath out there. Someone is leaving reminders of the daughter she lost, and threatening the one she has left.

At The Savoy, Nika asks if Britt would like to see the drink menu, but Britt says she likes her misery straight up; double whiskey, neat. She flashes back to her last conversation with Jason, and telling him, if she needs to pretend to get through it, that’s what she’s going to do. He says, okay, and she says it’s so him; just listen, absorb, and accept. Terry, Epiphany, Deanna, Amy, Bobbie, and Elizabeth come in, and sit at one of the tables.

Jason says, the families think they’re isolated and vulnerable, and Carly says, are they? He says they’re definitely isolated, but nowhere near as vulnerable as the families believe. Maybe they can use that. She asks, how? and he says, let them think they’re winning. Think they’ll do anything to avoid conflict because they’re not strong enough to protect what’s theirs. Carly asks how they convince them, and Jason says they get married, as soon as they can schedule it. She says, getting married because of mob politics. That’s why she married Sonny the first time. He says, so she couldn’t testify against him, and she says, that’s why she married him the fourth time, although Sonny was lying. He was just trying to stop her from marrying Jax. But that’s not the point. He asks, what is the point? and she says she thought they were getting married to show the families that they’re a united front; that they can’t divide and conquer. Now he’s telling her that they’re doing it to make them think they’re weak? Jason says, they’re doing it to comply with their ultimatum, and she says, which is? He says, which is to marry her or eliminate her. She says they wanted him to kill her? and he says he would never let that happen.

Britt listens to the nurses talking, and finally walks over to the table. She says, this is definitely the party table. It’s great to have Bobbie back on staff. Bobbie says, it’s still Nurse Spencer, and Britt says, right. It’s great to see them letting off some steam. Relaxation after a hard day at GH is Chief of Staff approved. Epiphany says, Chief Terry is the one who suggested this outing, and Elizabeth says, it’s really nice having someone in a position of authority treating them like people and not flunkies. Britt says no one could mistake Elizabeth for a flunkey; everything about her screams competent. Epiphany says she thinks the word Britt is looking for is gifted, and Britt tells Terry, getting the competent and gifted together was definitely a great idea. Terry thanks her, and says she thought they could all use some time when they didn’t have to think about work. Britt says she’s definitely had a day herself, and tells Epiphany that she hasn’t had a chance to welcome her back. Was it hard to leave a sandy beach and come back to GH? Epiphany says, not as hard as being demoted from head nurse. But she guesses Britt knows a little about how that feels now. Britt says, indeed she does. She tells them to enjoy their evening, and goes back to the bar.

Ava says she’s sorry she snapped at Portia. She knows Portia is trying to help. Portia says Ava has nothing to apologize for. She had her car set on fire by some psychopath who planted Kiki’s badge there. On top of everything else Ava has been going through, she thinks it’s a miracle Ava is handling things as well as she is. Ava says, which is not at all, but Portia disagrees. There’s a knock at the door, and Doc comes in. He says he’s glad Ava is still there, and asks if she’s okay. She says her car was set on fire, and he says, Nikolas told him. She says she spoke to the firemen, and they’re certain it was done on purpose. Luckily, the car was the only casualty; and her nerves of course (🍷). What about him and Laura? Tell her they got to Windymere before Nikolas did anything stupid.

Nikolas tells Laura, he is a Cassadine; he can’t change that. She says she’s not talking about his DNA. She’s talking about the kind of man he’s becoming. When she thinks back to the man who raised Spencer, Nikolas never left Spencer’s bedside when he was so horribly burned in the fire. That’s the Nikolas that she knows. He says, that’s still him, and she says she really wants to believe that. She wants to believe he’s still that man, and she sees glimmers of it, but it seems that when he takes one step forward into the light, he takes two giant steps backward into darkness.

Trina says she likes Spencer too, and he asks if she’s sure. She says he’s not as bad as she thought at first… Victor. He says he did his penance for that with her writing KICK ME in sunscreen on his back. She laughs, and asks if he wants to rejoin his family. His grandmother seemed really worried about him. He says, not just yet. Can’t they just stay out there? She says, in a perfect world, they could stay out there all night, but she’s not offering him advice. There was a time when she wasn’t getting along with her mom, and Trina didn’t want to talk to her, but a friend said she should just hear her mom out. He says he thought that was Ava, and she says, Ava said it too, but her friend said it first. He says her friend sounds like a real punk, and she says she’s not there to tell him what to do. She’s not sure many people can. He says, nobody tells Spencer Cassadine what to do, and she says, except his grandmother? He laughs, and says, except his grandmother. She says she just wants him to know that he’s not alone. She’s there if he needs her. He says he was just starting to think that, if she goes with him, he might actually be able to face his father. A female voice says, not so fast, and we see creepy nurse come out onto the turret balcony. She asks where exactly does he think he’s going without her? Ugh. Not liking where this is going.

Ava asks Doc, what happened at Windymere? Please tell her that he and Laura were able to talk some sense into Nikolas. He says, unfortunately Nikolas set his plan in motion long before they arrived, and Ava asks what Nikolas did, but Doc says he’s more concerned with how she’s feeling. She says, that bad, huh? and he suggests they just focus on her. She’s been under severe, persistent stress, and she is managing to bear up well under it, but it’s taken a toll. She says, it’s so confusing. For a while, the threat seemed to have passed, but now… And it isn’t just the car. They also left this. She shows him Kiki’s ID, and says, what kind of a monster taunts someone with the memory of their murdered daughter?

Creepy nurse says, my God, your face, and kisses Spencer. I’d say I hate her already, but I hated her for Ava’s sake already. Trina says she guesses they know each other, and creepy nurse says, you might say that. So Spence, who’s your friend? Spencer introduces creepy nurse as Esme Prince, and introduces Trina to Esme. Esme says, the girlfriend. She’s sure he told Trina all about her.

Laura says, since Nikolas got back to Port Charles, she’s been trying to guide him down a better path, but he’s not listening to her. He says he is, but she says he didn’t listen to her when she told him not to get involved with Cyrus Renault. He says, he returned Cyrus’s mother, but Laura says, he traded her for what he wanted. He says, Alexis’s safety, and she says, the point is, he was willing to use a fragile old woman to his advantage. He says, because she was better off as Carly and Jason’s hostage? and Laura says, she was safe and happy. He says, that’s one hell of a rationalization, and she says, from a man who pretended to stab his own child, and who apparently doesn’t see anything wrong with it. The fact that he was willing to plot against his own son for any reason, makes her think she should stop trying to save him. It’s already too late.

Britt drains her drink, and Terry comes over to the bar. She says, after that warm welcome, she figured Britt could use another, and Britt says, a pity shot? Thanks for having her back. Terry asks what she was supposed to say, and orders shots for the table, and two of what Britt is having. Britt says, anything she drinks goes on her tab. At the table, Amy wonders what Terry and Britt are talking about, and Bobbie says, that would be none of their business, but Deanna respectfully disagrees. Britt and Terry are Co-Chiefs. How they handle each other directly affects their work environment. Epiphany says she’ll treat Britt respectfully when they’re at the hospital, and Elizabeth says, when they’re not at the hospital? Epiphany says she won’t be pulling any punches. Amy asks if anyone told Epiphany, while she was gone, Cyrus tried to have Britt killed, and Jason saved her life. Deanna says, and he got shot in the process, and Britt saved his life. Epiphany says she heard something about that, but thought Britt’s role was greatly exaggerated. Bobbie says, not according to her daughter. Carly confirmed Britt saved Jason’s life. Elizabeth says, maybe people can change.

Terry says Britt is taking the fun out of watching her suffer, and Britt says, sorry to disappoint. Terry says Britt should be proud of herself. She went to a table full of people she’s alienated, and tried to connect; that’s a good thing. Britt says, if Terry saw her making an effort, why didn’t she invite Britt to join them? They would have accepted it coming from her. They’re clearly team Terry. Terry says, it wasn’t her invitation to extend. She and Britt are a team now, but she can’t make people like Britt.

Doc asks Ava, given what happened with Kiki’s badge, does she still think his brother is behind this somehow? She says, does he? and he says, since he found out Ryan was communicating with people outside the prison, he doesn’t know, but ever since Ryan was diagnosed as a locked-in, he would say, no way. Although he has to admit there are similarities between Ryan’s M.O. and what’s happening to her. Ava says, one thing she does know is, whoever is stalking her can’t be Spencer, and Doc says, that’s another thing the stalker’s good at; turning their lives upside down. Making them doubt each other. She says, please tell her that whatever Nikolas did tonight, he didn’t ruin his relationship with his son.

Esme holds out her hand, but Trina doesn’t take it. Trina says her boyfriend Spence wasn’t kidding when he said the night would be full of big surprises. She finally shakes Esme’s hand, and says, nice to meet her, and no, he hasn’t mentioned her. She tells Spencer, well, Spence, thanks for throwing this big party. It was definitely unforgettable. Nice meeting Esme, the girlfriend. Esme says, any friend of Spence’s… but Trina is already gone. She says, Spencer never told Trina he had a girlfriend? Ha-ha! I think Spencer is going to get a taste of his own medicine better than Nikolas could have given him.

Amy asks if Bobbie is excited for Carly and Jason’s wedding, and Bobbie says she was more surprised than anything. But now that she’s had a minute to get used to the idea, she’s happy for them. Epiphany says she’s still stuck on surprised. She’s known them for years, and there was never the slightest indication that they were anything other than friends. Elizabeth says Epiphany was never involved with Jason. She and Jason are ancient history. They had Jake together and they’re friends, but she’s just making an observation. Deanna tells her, observe away, and Elizabeth says, Carly will always come first in Jason’s life. She wouldn’t have it any other way, and honestly, Jason wouldn’t either. It used to make her so frustrated. She wanted him to stand up to Carly; let her figure out her own disastrous life, and stay out of his. She tells Bobbie, sorry, but Bobbie says, don’t apologize. There have been so many times in Carly’s life that it’s been a disaster – by her own making – but every time she would turn to Jason for help, he was there to give it to her. And in all fairness, she did the same for him. Elizabeth says, that’s true. She and Carly have never been friends, but she’d be the first to admit Carly has always been loyal to Jason.  

Terry says, Britt’s stint as Chief of Staff wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Far from it. Britt asks if she’s supposed to apologize for keeping her eye on the bottom line, and Terry says, this isn’t about numbers. This is about how Britt deals with people, especially Bobbie. Britt says she had nothing to do with Bobbie or Monica getting fired. That was all Cyrus. Terry says, taking Epiphany off the floor, and cutting Elizabeth’s hours; was that Cyrus too? Britt says Cyrus ordered her to, and Terry says, when Cyrus was gone, did Britt make it right? Britt says, you would think with so many people being chummy with Sonny, they’d understand when you do things you don’t want to do under duress. Terry says, it’s no secret Britt doesn’t get along with Epiphany or Elizabeth, or pretty much anyone, so don’t be disappointed when she digs up what she planted. Britt says, fine; she’s awful, and things need to change. How is she supposed to change things when everyone’s against her? Epiphany looked right through her. Terry says, because Britt went out of her way to humiliate, belittle, and demote her, and several people she cares about – all on Britt’s first day. Britt says, so this cold shoulder business, it’s all on her. Terry says, it is, and Britt says, so she guesses getting invited to the cool kids table is impossible. Terry says, nothing is impossible, but if she wants the respect, she’ll have to earn it. Terry can see Britt’s changed, but that doesn’t mean the situation has. She’s burned some pretty big bridges. It’s going to take time to rebuild them. Terry goes back to the table.

Jason says he doesn’t want Carly to be afraid. The Five Families mascarpone are never going to touch her, but she has the right to know what was said. She says, which was what exactly? and he says, the position is, unless and until they get married, she’s a civilian who could flip and give evidence to the Feds. She says she’d never do that, and he says he knows. It’s just an excuse to see how he would react. She asks if he told them what they wanted to hear, and he says he told them they would get married as soon as they can arrange it. This just proves any honest negotiations are a waste of time. They’re not interested in cooperating, and they believe Sonny’s territory is wide open, and she’s the key. She is, but threatening her was the worst mistake they ever made, and they’re going to pay.

Jason tells Carly that he can move now. He can probably get to Vincent Novak tonight. It would be a relief to get rid of that guy anyway. She says, but waiting is the smart move, and he says, moving quickly is always a risk. They should set the date, send out the invitations, and give them time to set whatever they’re planning motion. She says he knows how this works; he’s obviously thought a lot about it. So they’re going to do what he said, and set the date, send out the invitations, and make them think they’re winning. She gets up and looks at her phone, saying, they have to do something really soon. He gets up, and says, Carly… and she says, just tell her. Is any part of the wedding going to be about them?

Epiphany approaches Britt, and says, Terry told her Britt wanted to see her. Britt looks at Terry, who nods, and Britt says, yes, she did. Epiphany asks if she’s sure; she seems surprised. Britt says, she is. She didn’t expect Epiphany to come over. Epiphany says, well, she’s there, and she’d like to get back to her friends, so what is it? Britt says she’s sorry for how she treated Epiphany. It was self-serving, callous, and… Epiphany says, and dishonest, conniving, nasty, and lowdown. Britt tells her, don’t hold back, and Epiphany says, trust. There’s plenty more where that came from.

Spencer says he was going to tell his friends all about Esme, and she says, when? He says, tonight, and she asks what stopped him? He says, all hell breaking loose, and she says she could definitely sense tension. What happened? He says, it would take too long to get into. What about her? When did she get there? What has she been up to? She says, tailing the demon bride, and he says, she was following Ava. She says she got curious about his stepmother, so she checked Ava out at the gallery. She wasn’t there long before Ava rushed out, and she followed Ava to the hospital. When she got there, she overheard his father telling Ava that he was faking a trip to Dubai, so he could trick Spencer. Spencer says, and she didn’t think to call or text, or give him any kind of heads up? She says, almost, but then she overheard Ava ask his grandmother to go to Windymere. That’s when she got her beautiful brain wave. He says, what brain wave? and she says, to set Ava’s car on fire. He says, she what?

Trina walks into the hospital, looking sad, and sighing.

Doc tells Ava, Nikolas and Spencer will need some time to heal from this. Trina comes in, and says she was so worried about Ava, but Ava says she’s okay; just shaken up. Trina says, her car was burned, and Ava says, she wasn’t in it at the time. She guesses it was just meant scare her. Trina says, that is so messed up, and Ava totally agrees. She heard there was some drama at Windymere, and Trina says, nothing exploded. Mr. Cassadine came to Spencer’s party determined to teach Spencer a lesson, but he took it way too far. She doesn’t know if Spencer can forgive his father. Ava says, like, for the time being? but Trina says, like, ever. Ava wonders what Nikolas did, but Portia comes in with a police officer, and says, sorry. They want to take Ava’s statement. Ava thanks Doc and Trina for checking on her, and leaves. 

Nikolas says, please don’t give up on him, and Laura says, please give her a reason not to. He says he realizes he’s made terrible choices, but he wants to do better by her, Ava, Spencer, everyone. She says it’s lovely that he wants to do better by her, and she’s sure Ava feels the same way, but she and Ava are adults. Spencer is still a kid. He’s not even twenty yet, and Nikolas has broken Spencer’s heart time and again. He literally attacked Spencer. How is he going to make that better? What steps is he willing to take? He’s way past the point where his promises have any meaning. One more terrible choice, and he could lose everything, and everyone close to him.   

Portia says she thought Trina had plans tonight, and Trina says she did, but she wanted to check on Ava. Portia says, fortunately, she’ll be fine, and asks where Trina was. Trina says she was at a party, at Windymere. Portia says she heard Ava ask Doc if he’d gotten there in time. What in the world happened at Windymere?

Britt tells Epiphany, by all means, unleash. Let her have it. Epiphany says, okay, but Britt better get comfortable. This is going to take some time. Britt says, fire away. She hurt people, so she deserves everything that’s coming to her. Epiphany asks how she can enjoy tearing into Britt when she’s being contrite? and Britt says, once she draws blood, she’ll have a taste for more. Let her have it. Epiphany says, okay, she’ll say this. Losing her position as head nurse wasn’t just about the title. She worked hard to get there, but it was losing contact with the patients that broke her heart. Britt says she’s so gifted with patients. She’s glad Monica reinstated her. She just regrets she didn’t do it first. As far as hearts go, contrary to popular belief, she has one, and understands what it feels like to have it broken. Epiphany says she’s sorry to hear that. Since she’s still in the throes of her own heartbreak, she wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Britt says, since they’re sharing… and Epiphany says, is that what they’re doing? If it is, she doesn’t like it. Britt says she may never convince Epiphany, but she’s not the person she was. At least she’s trying not to be. Epiphany says, when she was in Cabo, she heard Britt tried to take down Cyrus, and risked her life for Jason, who Epiphany considers to be a friend. Also, Terry said she’s not all bad. Britt laughs, and says, a ringing endorsement. Epiphany says, as for her, she needs a second opinion. Britt says, that’s fair.

Spencer says, Esme was the one who torched Ava’s car? and she says, to save him. Something had to happen when he wasn’t around to prove he wasn’t involved. Even though they both know he’s up to his eyeballs in it. He says, he appreciates her trying to cover for him, but torching the woman’s car went too far. She asks if he’s sure. His father pretended to be dead for three years, and chose that awful woman over him. Doesn’t he want her to pay?

Trina tells Portia, it was so awful; Spencer was so hurt. Portia thinks the word Trina is looking for is traumatized. Poor Spencer. He must have felt so betrayed. Not that she hasn’t disappointed her own child. Trina says, no, just no. What happened between Portia and Curtis is A) none of her business, and B) nothing compared to pretend stabbing you kid. She doesn’t even know if there’s a word for that. Portia says, there is; assault, grabbing someone and hitting them with a blunt object. If anyone says it’s a crime what Nikolas did to his son, they mean that literally. Trina says, as a parent, Portia is doing lightyears better than he is. Portia thanks Trina, saying, she appreciates that, and Trina says, anytime.

Doc asks if Ava finished her statement, and she says, yeah, for all the good it did. It makes no sense. The threats and stalking, it all stopped when she and Nikolas filed for divorce. Why would it start up again? This person is getting everything they want. Doc says, something about all of it feels off. If they can figure out what it is, it might lead them to whoever’s doing this. She says, Nikolas came to visit her at the gallery, and Doc asks if he could have been seen. Ava says, yeah, if she’s under constant surveillance, which means she’s not safe anywhere. Not at her place of business or where she sleeps. Obviously not in her car, which she doesn’t have anymore. Where is she supposed to go? Is there any place left this psychopath can’t get to her?

Nikolas tells Laura, if he’s going to redeem himself and make almonds amends, he has to start with Spencer. He knows she said he should let Spencer come to him, but he needs to find his son. Spencer walks in with Esme, and says, here he is. Nikolas says he can’t begin to tell Spencer how sorry he is; how much he regrets… Spencer introduces Esme to Laura, and Laura says it’s nice to meet her. She wishes it were under better circumstances. Nikolas says he didn’t know Spencer was seeing someone, and Spencer says, why would he? Clearly, Nikolas doesn’t know anything about him. Laura asks if Spencer would like time alone with his dad, but Spencer says he has nothing to say to him.

The waitress brings shots to the table from the lady at the bar, and Bobbie asks if they should send them back. Deanna says, she didn’t have to do this, and they take the shots. Epiphany says, it will take a hell of a lot more than a round of shots to inspire their loyalty. To GH. They all raise their glasses, and Britt leaves the bar. She takes a last look at the table, and slips out.  

Portia can’t believe Nikolas pretended to stab his own son, and Trina says, it was awful. The whole night was just awful. Portia asks, what’s wrong? Is she okay? Trina says, it’s not a big deal; it shouldn’t be a big deal. Just forget it. Portia says, Trina knows she can tell her anything. Talk to her. What’s wrong? Trina says, it turns out Spencer has a girlfriend. Portia hugs her.

Laura says, Spencer may have nothing to say to his father tonight, and it’s understandable, but tomorrow… Spencer says, on second thought, he does have something to say. He wishes Nikolas had never come back, and yes, he does mean that. Laura says, she sincerely hopes he won’t mean it forever. It’s clear nothing is going to be resolved here tonight. Spencer says if Laura is taking the launch back, he and Esme will come with her. Nikolas says, Spencer… but Spencer says he can’t stay there one more minute. He leaves, and Esme follows him. Laura tells Nikolas, it didn’t have to be like this, and leaves. The cheese Nikolas sits alone.  

Ava tells Doc, whoever is doing this has proven time and again they can get to her, that they can get to Avery. No matter how many bodyguards; no matter how advanced the security system. Doc says he knows it seems that way, but the authorities can protect her. She says she can’t trust in that. She can’t rely on the authorities. She can’t believe it’s come to this, but she can’t risk Avery’s safety. She has to get the hell out of Port Charles, and she has to do it alone

Carly tells Jason, she’s not expecting hearts and flowers, but people are really wishing them well. Josslyn, her mom, his mom. Well, his mom is wishing him well; she just tolerates Carly. But all these people they love. They think they’re coming to a joyous celebration, but it’s really just a show for the Five Families white lasagna. He says, their wedding is not just a show, but Carly says, he just told her… He says, the families have to be dealt with, but it’s still them up there getting married. She says she’s really nervous about that. Not the wedding, but after the ceremony. What’s it going to be like when they’re married? When she married Sonny the last time, Jason was gone, but going back to her first marriage to AJ, she always had Jason as her best friend, and he’d always be there for her. If something went wrong, and the marriage ended, he’d be there and he was. But this time the marriage is to him, and he’s her safety net. She’s marrying her safety net, and she’s kind of freaking out. He says he’ll still be her safety net, and he’s counting on her to be his. She says he doesn’t need a safety net, but he says he needs her to stand by him, no matter what. She says she always will, and he says, okay. Then they’ll just figure the rest out. She tells him, he keeps saying that, and he says they don’t know what’s going to happen when they get married, no one who gets married knows what’s going to happen. All they can do is hope for the best, and trust each other. She says, they have the trust thing down, and he says, so he needs her to remember that when she freaks out. She says, and count to ten. He says, count to ten, and she hugs him. She says, okay, let’s pick a date. She looks at her phone, and says, how’s September 17th? He says, it works for him.

Tomorrow, Willow tells Chase that nothing has changed, Laura says no way are Spencer and Esme living together, Anna asks if someone is hitting on her, and Carly asks Michael if there’s something he wants to tell her.

🥁 Drew Debut…

Cameron’s first day in GH class.

💉 Creepy Nurse Girlfriend…

Otherwise known as a taste of Spencer’s own medicine.

⚖️ Never Enough Diane…

I so wish they’d have more storyline for her.

👋 Goodbye Hello…

Vague, but it sounds like she’s just going on vacation.

😈 All American Horror…

What the old Spencer has been up to.

🧂 Salty Return…

I could have lived without seeing Jen do the worm.

https://people.com/tv/real-housewives-salt-lake-city-season-2-trailer-exclusive/

🏃🏽‍♀️ And I’m Outta Here…

Because Bravo hates me, and chose to put Million Dollar Listing New York on at an inconvenient time, stay tuned tomorrow for those deluxe apartments in the sky. Also included, a little soap, a little tea, and a little wisdom. No matter what your cuppa is, stay safe, stay cheeky, and stay not burning too many bridges. It will take time to rebuild them.